SUNDAY 2ND MAY 2021

May Day: N30,000 Minimum Wage Binding on All Employers, Says FG Labour bemoans job losses, casualisation As states identify importance of workers in government Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja and Segun James The federal government has said the N30, 000 national minimum wage is binding on all employers of labour,

including state governments and the private sector. Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, made the clarification on Saturday in Abuja during the Workers Day celebrations. This followed

agitations by labour over the non-implementation of the national minimum wage by some state governments.

Organised labour, under the aegis of its umbrella organisations, Nigeria Labour

Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC), bemoaned the high rate of job loses and casualisation of workers in the country.

However, in many states, the governors used the May

Day celebrations to extol the contribution of workers to governance.

Ngige, who represented President Muhammadu Buhari at the occasion, maintained that the minimum wage

law signed by the president in 2019 was a national law that everyone must obey.

The minister stated, "Private sector and state governors Continued on page 12

FG Needs Political Will to Tame Growing Insecurity, Say Eminent Nigerians… Page 10 Sunday 2 May, 2021 Vol 26. No 9513

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Fayemi to Youth: Stop Agonising, Use Your Numerical Strength to Effect Changes Cautions clerics against extremism doctrines Bayo Akinloye Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, has urged the Nigerian youth to quit

agonising but take advantage of their numerical strength and voting power to determine who leads at different levels of government in the country.

Speaking in Lagos on Saturday at the 2021 edition of The Platform, an annual event hosted by Pastor Poju Oyemade of the Covenant

Christian Centre, Fayemi disclosed that the youth constitute about 70 per cent of the country’s population and, therefore, needed not to

agonise but rather organise, join the political process from the ward level up to the national level, and effect the needed change. This, he

said was more strategic than seeking a regime change through the back door or Continued on page 8

COVID-19: FG to Deny Travellers Entry from India, Brazil and Turkey Imposes heavy fine on defaulting airlines Issues new guidelines on coronavirus prevention Olawale Olaleye Concerned by the new wave of Covid-19 in some parts of the world, the federal government has banned passengers, who have visited India, Brazil and Turkey in the last 14 days from entering the country as part of precautionary measures to minimise the risk of a surge in the cases of the disease introduced to Nigeria from other countries.

This new travel advisory will, however, come into effect from Tuesday, May 4, 2021 and subject to review after an initial period of 4 weeks, the federal government added.

But, in order to ensure no airline treats the new guidelines with levity, the federal government, has also imposed a fine of $3,500 per passenger on any airline that ignores these instructions.

Besides, as part of the Continued on page 5

MOTIVATING THE YOUTH...

L-R: Guest Speaker, Retired Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Cecilia Mojisola Olatoregun; Chairman of occasion, former Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Roseline Ukeje; Ekiti State Governor and Keynote Speaker, Dr. Kayode Fayemi; Bishop, Anglican Diocese of Lagos, Rt. Revd Humphrey Bamisebi Olumakaiye; and wife , Prof. Motunrayo Olumakaiye; at the opening session of the 2021 Pre-Synod Nehemiah Summit at the All Souls' Anglican Church, Lekki, Lagos State...yesterday

Food Crisis Looms in S’West as Kidnappers Target Farmers… Page 78

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SANWO-OLU MARKS WORKERS' DAY...

L-R; Special Adviser to Lagos State Governor on Labour, Comrade Babatunde Williams; Chairman, Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Lagos State Chapter, Comrade Agnes Sessi; Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu; Chairman, Trade Union Congress (TUC), Lagos State Chapter, Comrade Gbenga Ekundayo; and Lagos State Commissioner for Establishments, Training and Pensions, Mrs. Ajibola Ponnle, at the 2021 workers' day commemoration in Onikan, Lagos ...yesterday ETOP UKUTT

PDP Govs, National Caucus Chide FG over Insecurity Say Nigeria now a killing field APC: No one should doubt Buhari's capacity Chuks Okocha and Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja Governors of the Democratic Party (PDP) have again reiterated their stand on the need for the federal government and the National Assembly to fast track the modification of the relevant portions of the 1999 Constitution on national security and the Electoral Act. This is as the National Caucus of the party, yesterday, described Nigeria as a killing field and thereforecalled on the federal government to act fast before things get out of hands.

But the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has said while the administration of President Buhari shared the concerns of well-meaning Nigerians, including that of the PDP governors, no one should doubt the capacity of the President to end the security crisis facing the country.

The PDP governors and the National Caucus of the party spoke after separate meetings Saturday morning in Abuja The PDP governors, in a statement by their chairman, Governor Aminu Waziri

Tambuwal, suggestedthat the federal government should consider devolving the country's security forces in order to checkmate the current security breaches across the country.

The Sokoto State governor made the call again early Saturday, when the party held its National Caucus meeting in Abuja.

The same call was made by the party a couple of weeks ago, when it met in Makurdi, Benue State.

Yesterday's meeting was summoned by the Chairman of the party, Chief Uche Secondus to discuss the crucial issue of national security with a view to coming up with some ideas and suggestions to the All Progressives Congress (APC)led national government.

According to Tambuwal, "the Makurdi meeting advised the federal government and the National Assembly to possibly expedite the Constitutional amendment that concerns national security and the Electoral Act." He urged the ruling government to give "expeditious hearing and passage" to the two issues, assuring that "all the governors

of the states are on the same page... and "will also work with all the state Houses of Assembly to achieve the decentralisation of the security forces of Nigeria."

"This is key and fundamental in addressing the challenges we are facing," he said, noting that when seven of them (governors) met President Muhammadu Buhari recently, they appealed to him to "recall the country's ex-servicemen that are still capable and can contribute to solving the problem of insecurity."

Governor Tambuwal said it was obvious that the "government of APC in power is clearly bereft of ideas on how to go about addressing and salvaging our nation.

"Clearly, the administration has failed in its number one duty of providing security to individuals and citizens of this country; and their property, as constitutionally prescribed by our Constitution. From Lagos to Maiduguri, from Uyo to Sokoto, the story is the same.

So many lives were being lost callously to these criminals," he emphasised.

He, however, suggested that Nigerians "must all rise to the occasion. We must all

come together, put our hands on deck irrespective of party or political differences to save our nation.”

A communique by the PDP National Caucus read by its national chairman, Uche Secondus, stated that Nigeria has become a killing field as no one is safe again.

The National Caucus of the party met on Friday night till the early morning of Saturday to appraise the worrisome security situation in the country. The meeting, which had in attendance elected National Officers of the party, Governors, PDP leaders in the National Assembly and other stakeholders, focused entirely on the worsening security situation in the country.

The communique stated: "On loss of lives and property in Nigeria: The meeting noted that Nigeria is fast descending into anarchy, with security of lives and property practically non-existent.

"This state of anarchy is so widespread that every state in the country is affected.

Effective policing and security is no longer guaranteed even for ordinary citizens and for day to day affairs in Nigeria.

"Terrorism, banditry,

kidnapping, cattle rustling, rape, arson, mindless murder of citizens and even security agents is ravaging the land.

Criminals have taken complete control of most aspects of our lives, unchecked. Government seems powerless to act. Nigeria has become one giant killing field. The state is helpless and unable to solve the problem.

The presence of government is no longer felt. Everyone is on his own. It is as if Nigeria has no government again.

"The meeting also noted the unrestricted expansion of Boko Haram into newer and inner territories close to the seat of government in Abuja and expressed alarm at the capitulation of the security agencies and President Muhammadu Buhari’s APC government. In the view of the meeting, President Buhari has failed the people at a time of grave national crises," the national caucus of the PDP stated.

The national caucus said it would on Monday address a world press conference to release its suggestions and recommendations on how to address insecurity in Nigeria Both meetings were attended

by PDP governors and

other chieftains of the party, like Senator Bukola Saraki, Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, all former governors and members of the National Assembly among others.

Meanwhile, responding to the PDP, APC in a statement by the National Secretary of the Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC), Senator James Akpanudoedehe, said the ruling party noted the communique issued by governors of the PDP on recent security incidents recorded in some parts of the country.

"The party and government definitely share concerns of well-meaning Nigerians, including PDP governors.

However, let no one be in doubt as to the urgency and capacity of the President Muhammadu Buhari government to end the recent security incidents.

"We urge stakeholders and indeed all well-meaning Nigerians to avoid politicising or being simplistic about the security situation. At a time like this, our duty to our nation as good citizens should outweigh political party colorations," Akpanudoedehe stated.

at the point-of-entry city and at cost to the passenger. The following condition shall apply to such passengers: Within 24 hours of arrival shall take a COVID-19 PCR test.

“If positive, the passenger shall be admitted within a government-approved treatment centre, in line with National treatment protocols.

If Negative, the Passenger shall continue to remain in quarantine and made to undergo a repeat PCR test on day 7 of their quarantine.

“Passenger(s) arriving in Nigeria from other destinations must observe a 7-day self-isolation at their final destination; Carry out a COVID-19 PCR test on day 7 at selected laboratory; Shall be monitored for compliance to isolation protocol by appropriate authorities.”

On false declaration, the federal government stated that,

“Passenger(s) who provided false or misleading contact information will be liable to prosecution. Person(s) who willfully disregard or refuse to comply with directions of PortHealth staff, security agencies or evade quarantine shall be prosecuted in accordance with the law.

“State Governments are required to ensure that all returning travelers from ALL countries are monitored to ensure adherence to the mandatory seven-day selfisolation period and the repeat COVID-19 PCR test on the seventh day after arrival.”

Government has therefore urged members of the public to adhere to all COVID-19 preventive measures in place including adherence to the national travel protocol, proper use of face mask, regular handwashing and physical distancing.

COVID-19: FG TO DENY TRAVELLERS ENTRY FROM INDIA, BRAZIL AND TURKEY new regime of Covid-19 prevention measures, the federal government has reduced the validity period of pre-boarding COVID-19 PCR test for all Nigeria-bound passengers from 96hrs to 72 hours, meaning PCR test results older than 72hours before departure shall not be accepted.

While advising Nigerians to suspend non-essential travels to any country for now, the federal government in a statement issued early this morning by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and Chairman, Presidential Task Force on Covid-19, Boss Mustapha, noted that, “The Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19 has over the last few weeks been monitoring with concern, the increasing trend of COVID-19 cases in several countries, with

additional focus on countries with high incidence, fatality rate and widespread prevalence of variants of concern.”

In the press statement titled: “Travel Advisory For Passengers Arriving Nigeria From Brazil, India and Turkey”, Mustapha stated that, “The Government of Nigeria deeply empathises with the citizens and governments of these countries, and assures them of our commitment, unflinching support and solidarity at this time of need.

“In our effort to continue to safeguard the health of the Nigerian population, as well as to minimize the risk of a surge in the number of COVID-19 cases in Nigeria, the Presidential Steering Committee carried out a risk assessment of countries with high incidence of cases. The risk assessment

took into consideration the epidemiology of cases, prevalence of variants of concern and average passenger volume between Nigeria and each country amongst other indicators.

“Of the countries assessed, this interim travel advisory applies to three (3) countries in the first instance. These precautionary measures are a necessary step to minimize the risk of a surge in COVID-19 cases introduced to Nigeria from other countries, while national response activities continue.

Insisting Nigerians are strongly advised to avoid any non-essential international travels to any country at this period and specifically to countries that are showing rising number of cases and deaths, Mustapha however listed the new travel guides, with specific reference to India,

Brazil and Turkey.

According to him, “Any person who has visited Brazil, India or Turkey within fourteen (14) days preceding travel to Nigeria, shall be denied entry into Nigeria.

This regulation, however, does not apply to passengers who transited through these countries.

“The following measures shall apply to airlines and passengers who fail to comply with I and II(a) above: Airlines shall mandatorily pay a penalty of $3,500 (Three Thousand Five Hundred dollars) for each defaulting passenger. Non-Nigerians will be denied entry and returned to the country of embarkation at cost to the Airline.

“Nigerians and those with permanent resident permit shall undergo seven (7) days of mandatory quarantine in a Government approved facility

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FIRE GUTS IBRU'S PROPERTY ON CREEK ROAD...

Fire fighters battling to extinguish the flame that gutted Ibru's property on Creek Road, Apapa... yesterday evening

ETOP UKUTT

Fire Destroys Ibru's Property in Apapa Tobi Soniyi A building located at 33 Creek Road, Apapa, Lagos, which allegedly belongs to the late businessman, Alex Ibru, was yesterday razed down by fire.

The cause of the fire, at press time, has yet to be determined.

About 4 o'clock in the afternoon, smoke was observed pouring from the building. No one initially suspected it was a fire.

However, as clouds of black

smoke continued to hang over the building, those nearby raised the alarm. It eventually turned into a conflagration that completely burnt down the two-storey building.

As the fire became intense, the last floor collapsed on the middle floor which in turn collapsed on the ground floor.

The fire raged for close to six hours and it took the combined efforts of men of the Federal Fire Service, Lagos Fire Service, and the fire department of the Niger

Biscuits, a company also located along Creek Road, to put off the fire.

Electrical appliances, including air conditioners, some of which were new and fixed a couple of weeks ago, were destroyed.

The fire paralysed activities at THISDAY office in Apapa, which is next to the burning building as firefighters worked desperately to contain it.

Prior to the fire, the house was decrepit, old and largely unkempt. Nevertheless, it

served as offices for several companies and many of them lost valuables to the inferno.

Fire service vehicles and equipment could not reach the building in time, as articulated vehicles had largely blocked the roads leading to the building while the fire raged.

However, before government fire fighters arrived at the scene, workers at the fire department of the Niger Biscuits had already swung into action, passing their fire hose through

THISDAY premises to stop the fire from spreading to other buildings.

While men of the Federal Fire service and Niger Biscuit Fire Department fought the fire from the premises of THISDAY, men of the Lagos Fire Service operated from within the burning building.

Despite the combined efforts of the two fire services and that of the Niger Biscuits, the fire raged for five hours, leading to speculation that combustible substances might

have been kept in one of the offices within the building.

Those in the building were able to escape unhurt.

It appeared since it was a Saturday, only few workers were around and many of them were able to leave the building before the fire became intense.

Investigation also revealed that the fire broke out in one of the offices within the building.

Fire-fighters succeeded in putting off the fire about 10pm.

FAYEMI TO YOUTH: STOP AGONISING, USE YOUR NUMERICAL STRENGTH TO EFFECT CHANGES giving up in frustration and cursing elected representatives on social media platforms.

The governor stated, “What I am saying in essence is that we have a duty of mentorship to younger people to say to them that sometimes you don’t always get what you push for but that does not necessarily mean that is the end of the road. You keep knocking on the door, banging it and inevitably, it will open.

How long it will open for will depend on your capacity to organise.

“At the risk of sounding immodest, that’s what got some of us into politics. We believe that another Nigeria is possible; a better Nigeria is possible and we should not stand by the sidelines in pushing for that Nigeria of our dream. We are not there yet but that does not mean we will give up.”

Addressing the security situation in the country, the Chairman, of Nigeria

Governors Forum (NGF) stressed that everyone was living in fear over the security situation. He said though progress had been made in the country’s counter-insurgency moves, government at the centre could still do much better to secure lives and properties.

His words, “You could argue that we’ve put in a lot of effort in those areas but have they earned the kudos of the citizens as they should? No, they haven’t, because we still have insecurity in the land.

“Many may disagree but I will argue that, at least, on insurgency – it may be a distinction without a difference – we’ve witnessed a decline. In relation to the problem of insurgency, which was the most prominent in 2015, when we were coming in. Remember UN House bombing, the churches that were being burnt, Abuja was a no-go area, the North-east but that problem witnessed a

decline in the first four years of the Buhari administration.”

The Ekiti governor, however, said the insurgency had resurfaced because of the proliferation of arms, as well as the problems of the countries along Nigeria’s borders, noting that the Buhari government and the APC are committed to ensuring the safety of lives and property of Nigerians.

Fayemi said, “Indeed, I'm cautiously optimistic that even though the whole situation looks bleak, there will be light at the end of the dark tunnel.

I am confident that sooner than later, the security situation of the country will witness a significant improvement and Nigeria will come out stronger from this moment of national distress.

“This optimism is not misplaced. Although the constitution of our country did not give many powers to governors in terms of actual security control of the state, my role as Chairman of Nigeria

Governors’ Forum has granted me some insights into the security system of the country and the many underground efforts to tackle the myriads of insecurity issues confronting us as a nation. This moment also calls for sober reflection and system overhaul, going forward.”

Fayemi, who had earlier delivered a keynote address at the 2021 Pre-Synod Summit of the Anglican Diocese of Lagos, equally examined the security situation in the country there. He called for the collaboration of the religious bodies as well as a review of the security architecture of the country to wage a total war against insecurity.

Other speakers at the one day summit, themed, “Towards a Safe and Secure Nigeria”, included former Chief Judge and first female Judge of the Federal High Court, Hon Justice Roseline Ukeje; a retired judge of the Federal High Court, Justice

Mojisola Olatoregun; and security expert, Dr Ona Ekhomu.

The NGF chairman said, “In fact the creation of Amotekun, Civilian JTF and lately, Ebube Agu can only be a precursor to this. We need a security system that is localised, knowledgeable about the culture and security situation of a particular community.

But we need to amend the constitution to empower the various security initiatives to be able to respond to the current challenges.

“The mutating security situation in our country requires a concerted effort. This is no time for politics of blame and opportunistic opposition.

We need to unite in the face of these evil merchants, who have no respect for children, old age, women, clergy or traditional authorities. They are unsparing and are callous.

“In addition, there are two things that we need to address quickly to bring the

current wave of insecurity to a halt. We need to have a conversation on how we can recruit a large number of people to join the police and the military even on a short service or otherwise basis.

“By available statistics, we need minimum of 200,000 personnel to boost the fighting power of our men.

This number is very large and a potential financial and logistic nightmare, yet we cannot delay any further.

The ungoverned spaces need to be closed up quickly.

“That takes us to the number two issue of financing and arming large recruitment.

I believe one of the cheapest and fastest ways to handle those is to amend the law setting up the Nation Youths Service Corps (NYSC) such that we can use the existing orientation camps to train willing and able graduates to reflate the security personnel

Continued on page 12

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FG Needs Political Will to End Growing Insecurity, Say Eminent Nigerians Atiku, Obi: Nigeria needs leadership with political will Christians, Muslims go spiritual in Niger UNIJOS directs immediate vacation of students from hostels Protesters block Abuja-Kaduna expressway over kidnapping Chuks Okocha and Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja, Segun James in Lagos, Laleye Dipo and Seriki Adinoyi in Jos Eminent Nigerians, yesterday, stated that government needed the to summon the political will to act decisively to end the insecurity and criminalities going on in the country.

Former vice president and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate in the 2019 general election, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, and his running mate, Mr. Peter Obi, said what Nigeria needed most to overcome the present state of insecurity was leadership and political will.

Pastor of Trinity House church and convener of Africa Leadership Group (ALG), Pastor Ituah Ighodalo, in a State of The Nation address held at the church's premises in Victoria Island, Lagos, maintained that more decisiveness on the part of the government can end, the insecurity in the country.

Similarly, Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Kukah, said the Buhari government should show more empathy in the wake of mindless killings of innocent Nigerians across the country.

Kukah said rather than just issue statements, the president should act like one who felt the pain of the people.

In a related development, Christian and Muslim faithful in Niger State have resorted to seeking divine intervention in the problem of kidnapping in their communities. Adherents of the two major religions fixed special prayers for today, Sunday May 2.

In Plateau State, the management of the University of Jos directed all students to vacate the hostels in the university.

An internal memorandum signed by the university’s Deputy Registrar, Information, Mr Abdullah Abdullahi, said the development followed an emergency meeting of the university’s management with the Dean of Students Affairs, Chief Security Officer, and President of Students Union Government (SUG), and external security agencies on April 30.

Meanwhile, a massive protest, yesterday, led to the disruption of traffic along the busy AbujaKaduna Road. Scores of people lined up the roads protesting against the spate of kidnappings, which had created a sense of insecurity across the country.

A barricade was reportedly set up at Goni Gora in Chikum at the Kaduna end of the strategic road, which connects the northern part of the country with the south.

Atiku, who took to his verified Twitter handle, said the challenges currently facing Nigeria were enormous but surmountable.

According to him, "Yes, the challenges we face are enormous, but they are surmountable. What we need is the leadership and the will to do what is right for our country and its people."

He explained that it is political sagacity and the right attitude that could drive investors’ confidence to tackle poverty and unemployment in the country.

"But for as long as we do not address this worsening state of insecurity, the investments needed to lift our nation out of its current

LABOUR DAY...

President, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Ayuba Wabba (3rd, R); President, Trade Union Congress, Comrade Quadri Olaleye (3rd, L); Former President of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, Alhaji Najeem Yasin (2nd, R) and other members of the NLC Executive during the 2021 May Day celebration in Abuja ...yesterday abyss shall continue to elude us, unemployment will worsen, and poverty rife," Atiku said.

On his part, Obi advised Nigerians, irrespective of party affiliation, to join hands in tackling the challenges facing the country, the major ones he listed as insecurity, poverty, and unemployment. He said Nigeria was fast becoming a failed state, adding that the downward spiral should not be allowed to continue.

The former PDP vice presidential candidate posted on his Twitter handle, “All Nigerians, irrespective of party and other affiliations, should immediately join hands to tackle the spectre of insecurity, poverty, and unemployment that are now ruling and ruining our dear country. We are fast becoming a failed state.

“We cannot allow the downward spiral to continue.

The government should also urgently seek foreign help.”

Speaking on his conviction that if Buhari rose to the challenge, insecurity would be defeated, Ighodalo stated, "Insecurity across Nigeria is a clear and present danger to the wellbeing of the country.

“Terrorists and bandits and kidnappers and ritualists are on the prowl. No one is safe.

Not on the road. Not in your home. There appears to be no hiding place. The chicken is home to roost. For years, the country had been planting in the wind. Now it is harvesting in the whirlwind.”

He warned, "It is only a fool, who does the same thing the same way and would expect a different result. The way Nigeria is right now is not working.

A sensible thing is to course correct and save Nigeria from shipwreck.”

The pastor also had hash words for politicians, whom he accused of selfishness, greed and wickedness, saying: "Our politics is broken. There's little doubt about this. Our political parties do not approximate the aggregation of interests and they are not driven by any discernible ideology."

Lamenting that the experience of Nigeria had been the case of serial bungling, Ighodalo said, "A combination of many factors including lack of vision and leadership has made Nigeria a sorry case."

He urged the people to work hard at changing the personality, character, attitude and the mind of the average Nigerian.

Kukah, who spoke at the 2021 edition of The Platform, an annual conference organised

by Senior Pastor of the Covenant Christian Centre, Lagos, Poju Oyemade, said Buhari should have spoken with his American counterpart, Joe Biden, last week, and not US Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken.

According to the Catholic priest, “Of course, all of us are angry but in my view, the challenge therefore is what kind of palliative do we need to calm our nerves and I am not talking here of the palliatives in the way and manner that we understand them but something needs to happen to send out a signal to Nigerians that things are under control.

“With the fact that we have the US Secretary of State speaking to us virtually, we would have preferred that our president spoke to the president of America rather

than the Secretary of State, but anyway, half bread is better than nothing.

I want to assure that this is a sign that we are going somewhere but we need to quickly get our people together, the need to rally our people together both to support government and otherwise is very urgent. We cannot do this if our country is divided between those who love the party and those who don’t love the party. We are in a democracy and we want to believe that this democracy has to be nurtured and the best we can do is not to subvert the process but to continue to uphold the ideals before those who are in power.”

Kukah continued, “On the issue of Nigerians dying, government has come very short and this is what is increasing the pain, the agony, the sorrow of people that we are dying alone, burying our people alone and all we get are just simple statements that really say nothing to us.

The lack of empathy and the deployment of empathy have consequences.

“Government must have a sense of empathy and I have said this severally and I do not mean anything negative and everywhere you turn, this is what Nigerians are saying that people are dying and you do not get a sense that those who govern us understand our pain because we have not seen them on condolence visits.

“Empathy is not sympathy, empathy is at the heart of who we are as human beings; it is the feeling of the sorrow, of the pain of the other person, indeed, entering the skin of the other person. It does not bring

healing immediately but there is a certain kind of psychological comfort that it gives.”

In Niger State today, adherents of the two major religions in the country – Islam and Christianity – are gathering for special prayers for the state and the country. The prayers are to be simultaneously held in churches and mosques across the state, according to directives given to church leaders by the state chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and the League of Imams in the state.

The CAN statement was signed on behalf of the state chairman, Reverend Mathias Echioda by the Assistant Secretary Pastor Raphael Opawoye, while Malam Umar Farouq Abdullahi, Secretary, Imams forum and Director General, Bureau for Religious Affairs, initialled the document for the Muslims.

The statement by the Imams forum read in part: "Following the activities of bandits, kidnappers, terrorists and all other vile entities, which have ravaged and displaced tens of thousands of persons across villages, communities and towns in the state, the Imams' Forum of Niger State in collaboration with traditional councils and other Islamic organisations in the state invite the Muslim Ummah to special prayer gatherings for restoration of peace to the state holding across the eight Emirate Councils" CAN, in their statement, stated, "CAN, Niger State, is calling on all churches to set a particular time of the coming Sunday service (2/5/21) and pray for both the state and our Nation against our insecurity

challenges".

CAN further announced joint three days of prayer and fasting, commencing on Wednesday, to end on Friday.

UNIJOS Directs Immediate Vacation of Students Hostels The management of the University of Jos, Plateau State, has directed all students to vacate the hostels in the university following security threats to the institution. An internal memorandum by the university’s deputy registrar, information, Mr Abdullah Abdullahi, said the development followed an emergency meeting of the management of the university with the Dean of Students Affairs, Chief Security Officer, and President of Students Union Government (SUG), and external security agencies on April 30.

Abdullahi said the meeting deliberated on a security report regarding threat to the university staff, students and their property, adding that the report alleged that soft targets, like the hostels, were at great risk.

The statement said, "In the light of the above, the hostels are to be closed with immediate effect. This is in the interest of the safety of students until all security measures have been perfected to protect the campuses as well as the hostels."

The school directed that all ongoing examinations continue unhindered, though it did not indicate where the students that are vacating the hostels would put up while the exams last.

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FBN: I Acted in Honour, Integrity, Says Awosika Obinna Chima The sacked Chairman of First Bank Nigeria Limited, Mrs. Ibukun Awosika, has said she acted in truth and honesty in the interest of the bank, its stakeholders, and Nigeria during her 11 years sway at the institution. Awosika stated this in a statement titled, “My FBN Group Journey,” she Instagrammed at the weekend.

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) had on Thursday removed all directors of First Bank Nigeria Limited and those of its parent company, FBN Holdings Plc, to try to resolve

a boardroom crisis that led to the short-lived retirement of Adesola Adeduntan as the bank’s Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer.

Awosika announced the change on Wednesday.

However, CBN Governor Godwin Emefiele pronounced the reinstatement of Adeduntan, who resumed on Friday, reassuring depositors and shareholders of the safety of their funds and investment.

But Awosika explained in the statement, “As a board, we acted in what we clearly believed to be in the interest of the bank and we had great

plans and aspirations for where the bank could go to in its future, building on all the work that has already been done in the last five plus years.

“Without a shadow of doubt, I will unequivocally state that I have acted in honour and integrity with the utmost interest of the institution, all our stakeholders, and the nation.”

Awosika revealed that in October 2010, she was appointed to the board of the bank and a few months later, she was also appointed to chair the board of its start-up,

FBN Life Insurance Limited (a joint venture with Sanlam of South Africa).

She stated, “For five years, I worked with a dedicated team of board of management with the support of the Central Bank of Nigeria to rebuild and restructure the institution for its future.

“This included cleaning up non-performing loans, establishing good operational governance systems and processes, building controls and an effective and robust risk management system.

“I am confident that we have brought First Bank of

Nigeria to a place where it is more than able to deliver utmost value to its stakeholders and nation at large.”

Emefiele announced the appointment of a former Minister of State for Finance and former Executive Director of First Bank, Mr. Remi Babalola, as chairman of FBN Holdings. He took over from Mr. Oba Otudeko, who was removed by the banking sector regulator.

Other new directors on the FBN Holdings’ board are Fatade Oluwole, Kofo Dosekun, Remi Lasaki, Alimi

Abdulrasaq, Ahmed Modibbo, Khalifa Imam, and Peter Aliogo.

Mr. UK Eke retained his position as Managing Director of FBN Holdings.

First Bank Nigeria Limited’s new Chairman is Tunde Hassan-Odukale, who replaced Awosika. Other board members are Tokunbo Martins, Uche Nwokedi, Adekunle Sonola, Isioma Ogodazi, Ebenezer Olufowose, Ishaya Elijah B. Dodo, and Adeduntan. Deputy Managing Director Gbenga Shobo, and Executive Directors Remi Oni and Abdullahi Ibrahim, are members of the reconstituted board.

FAYEMI TO YOUTH: STOP AGONISING, USE YOUR NUMERICAL STRENGTH TO EFFECT CHANGES under a special arrangement that will be worked out. That way, the fund that is currently deployed to the NYSC can be used with just some additional funding, which could be sourced through a national emergency fund for the next five to ten years.

“We also need to encourage investment in the real sectors that can engage people and

reduce unemployment, which is a major source of insecurity.

I urge the Church, the Muslim Ummah and all those who have the means, to set up businesses and industries that support their primary goals. Let us consider joint ventureship in agro-allied industry instead or in addition to building halls, malls and universities.

“Today, the greatest challenges facing the country are the youth explosion and the corresponding unemployment challenge.

Investment in agriculture is smart for us, as this will guarantee employment and food security. We must also understand that agriculture was the major industry that got us out of the two

recessions we had to fall into in recent times.

“I invite our religious scholars to re-evaluate our theology education across religion boundaries in line with our national realities.

Extremism, which has brought about terrorism, is a product of long coming unrealistic indoctrination of young people into the

possibility of a theocratic utopia in a multi-ethnic and multi-religious society like ours.

“The programming of the impressionable minds into believing that the hindrance to ‘pure’ practice of their religion is democracy or the presence of other people who must be crushed for the expected utopia to be established, is

partly responsible for the chaos that we see today.

Our theology must reflect our plural environment. The idea of territorial religious domination, which must expel other tendencies, cannot happen in Nigeria. We should rather teach pluralism and how to remain faithful in the midst of other competing belief systems.”

see ourselves as partners. As partners, I wish to assure you that our administration will continue to be responsive to the yearnings of our workers by ensuring that we discharge our obligations to you as and when due.

“We will also continue to place a high premium on improving the capacity of our workforce through regular and impactful trainings, seminars and workshops that cut across all cadres in the civil service.”

He however said, “To whom much is given, much is also expected. The state government will continue to support all the various unions by ensuring that we fulfil all our responsibilities at ensuring that you succeed as leaders in your own sphere.

We will also provide succour for you.”

Speaking earlier, the chairman of the association in the state, Comrade Olusegun Balogun, commended Sanwo-Olu for his leadership qualities and commitment to the welfare of Lagosians, amid the pandemic.

them for adding value and for being committed to the growth of Kwara State.

"This year's May Day is coming at a time the whole world is experiencing serious economic crisis and the biting effect of COVID-19 pandemic,” he stated.

MAY DAY: N30,000 MINIMUM WAGE BINDING ON ALL EMPLOYERS, SAYS FG are bound by the laws, because we have workers as prescribed in that law.

So, it is not a question of pick and choose. We moved the national minimum wage from N18, 000 per month to N30,000. It is an irreducible plus. Therefore, we expect them and the people in the private sector to comply."

Ngige also assured the workers that the federal government was against any attempt to remove the national minimum wage from the Exclusive List, adding that the issue of pension minimum wage is backed by the constitution, and every employer is bound by it. He assured that the federal government would pay all minimum wage arrears owed pensioners from 2019 to date, stating that, "All pensioners in the federal civil service are to get their arrears paid beginning from May 1, 2021."

In his speech delivered at this year's May Day celebration, Buhari said though the negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic were monumental, the government had tried to cushion the effects of the disease without reducing incomes. It was able to do this by investing in the diversification of the economy in order to keep the country afloat, the president said.

Buhari listed some of policies being executed by his administration to create jobs and empower the populace.

According to the president, "While awaiting the formalisation of our social protection network and people's welfare, we have not and will not rest on our oars in combating the challenges of our time occasioned by COVID-19 pandemic.

"We have in our place some social-economic policies to alleviate poverty and ours include but not limited to the expansion of the Conditional Cash Transfers for the vulnerable poor from 2.6 million households (13 million persons) to 7.6 million households (32 million) and COVID-19 Rapid Response Register for urban poor,

which now has 4.8 million households (20 million)."

The president said the government, through the Federal Ministry of Trade and Investment, was implementing the Entrepreneur Support Programme, Artisanal Support Fund, and Payroll Support Fund for small-scale businesses.

Other economic empowerment schemes, which the federal government is currently implementing, according to Buhari, include the Guaranteed Off-take Stimulus Scheme for small and medium enterprises (SMEs), which targets producers of hygienic products and packaged food to encourage entrepreneurship and industries. There is also the National Youth Investment Fund (NYIF) for young entrepreneurs for which N75 billion is earmarked for three years.

The president also said the federal government intended to expand the N-Power programme, from the present 500,000 persons to one million.

Responding to the concerns of labour on casualisation, Ngige said the federal government identified with the organised labour in efforts to end the practice.

In a message jointly signed by president of NLC, Ayuba Wabba, and president of TUC, Quadiri Olaleye, the leadership of organised labour lamented the poor conditions Nigerian workers had been subjected to. They alleged countless serious violations of human, workers, workplace and trade union rights all over Nigeria in the last one year.

NLC and TUC said the situation was compounded by the health and socio-economic effect of the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to lose of millions of jobs and subsequently pushed about 27 million Nigerians into poverty.

Wabba, who read part of the speech, said this year's May Day was dedicated to

brave women and men, who paid the supreme price in the performance of their jobs, contracted the coronavirus, and suffered life-lasting complications as a result.

"We must say that our country has not made the desired progress in protecting workers and the Nigerian people from the impact of COVID-19, which has brought with it daunting challenges for Decent Work, Social Inclusion cum Protection and Distress on peoples’ welfare,” he stated.

Wabba added, “Despite the best efforts of government, organised labour, and private sector employers, millions of Nigerian workers have lost their jobs, their means of livelihood and have slipped into destitution, lack and misery. The weakness of our social protection system has aggravated the pain and frustration of our compatriots.”

Olaleye saidlabour was proffering alternative policy options to government to consider in order to save the country from the current difficult situation. He said rather than help businesses to grow, agencies of government had been stifling the smallscale businesses (SMEs) through multiple taxation, leaving the economy and Nigerians strangulated and impoverished.

The TUC president said government should see the need for expansionist policies to restore the essential role of the state in the protection of essential public goods, notably health, education, jobs, and sound management of the petroleum and power sectors.

On the removal of petrol subsidy, Olaleye said organised labour was pushing for production cost and pricing method as against the existing import-parity model, which had bled Nigeria of humungous forex.

He suggested that government should implement a three-year suspension of increase in gas price to help stabilise the cost of electricity tariff

in the country.

"With the savings made, the cost of the electricity tariff could be reduced by N10.50 across the high price bands," he said.

Representative of the senate president, and Chairman, Senate Committee on Labour, Senator Godiya Akwashiki, said the National Assembly was always willing to partner the leadership of the workers in safeguarding the wellbeing of workers and ensuring industrial stability.

Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, commended Nigerian workers for standing with the federal government during the challenging period of the outbreak of COVID-19. He enjoined the workers not to relent in their support and adherence to the COVID19 protocols, as the country was yet to completely eradicate the scourge.

Sanwo-Olu: Lagos Places Premium on Civil Servants Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Saturday said his administration placed a high premium on improving the capacity of the workforce in the state through training and welfare of civil servants. Sanwo-Olu stated this at the inauguration of the permanent secretariat of Lagos State branch of Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN), called Solidarity House, in Alausa, Ikeja. It was part of the activities marking the May Day celebrations.

The governor also announced the state's support of N10million to ASCSN to equip their secretariat with office furniture and library so that it could become a useful resource centre for industrial relations practitioners.

Sanwo-Olu told the workers, “We acknowledge your collaboration with us as a government. You are an important stakeholder and we will continue to

AbdulRazaq: Workers Are Key to National Growth Kwara State Governor, Alhaji AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, says workers are critical to national growth. AbdulRazaq said whatever development mileages his administration had achieved were linked to the workforce.

Speaking yesterday in Ilorin at the May Day events, the governor assured Kwara workers of his administration's commitment to improving their well-being, despite the dwindling revenues amid the effect of COVID-19.

AbdulRazaq, who was represented at by the Head of Service, Mrs. Modupe Oluwole, described labour as an integral component of successive governments and a determining factor in the attainment of good governance. He commended

We'll Improve Civil Servants’ Welfare, Says Diri Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, appreciated the state’s workforce for its support and contributions to governance. Diri emphasised his commitment to workers’ welfare.

The governor directed the Commissioner for Finance and the Head of Service to work out modalities for immediate implementation of the annual salary increment and some of the workers’ demands. He promised to liaise with the relevant officers on the issue of minimum wage arrears with a view to offsetting outstanding payments.

The governor stated, "I urge workers in Bayelsa to remain resilient, hopeful and focused as we upscale our determination and resolve to build the state we all want. So much lies ahead that should make us optimistic rather than pessimistic.

"The wealth of the state is, after all, inextricably tied to the health of our workers.

That is why this government of inclusive prosperity would continue to rank the welfare and happiness of workers at the zenith of its policies and programmes.”

Workers in the state lauded the worker-friendly disposition of the governor.

In a joint address by NLC and TUC at the Peace Park in Yenagoa, venue of this year's Workers Day celebration, State NLC Chairman, Comrade Bipre Ndiomu, praised Diri for prompt payment of salaries and gratuity since his emergence as governor in February 2020.

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OPINION

ORJI KALU AND 2023 PRESIDENCY

Sufuyan Ojeifo writes that Kalu is conversant with the dynamics of presidential power politics

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watched and listened to the interview that a former governor of Abia State, Orji Uzor Kalu, granted on Sunday, April 25, 2021, on Channels Television’s “Politics Today”, anchored by Seun Okinbaloye. To be sure, Kalu is the Senate Chief Whip, and on both scores of political accomplishments, his qualification to speak on the number of issues that the interviewer attempted to interrogate through his perspectives cannot be faulted.

Kalu answered questions on the festering insecurity in the country and the burgeoning controversy over 2023 presidency.

He alluded to some between-and-betwixt issues during the engagement. I had many takeaways from the interview session.

But the crux of the takeaways, which I consider the real McCoy, was Kalu’s response to the question that bordered on his purported interest in the 2023 presidency.

The programme anchor had asked if he would run for the presidency against the backdrop of some prophetic declarations that he would be Nigeria’s president in 2023. Read what Kalu said in riposte: “I am a Catholic. I don’t believe in the said visioners or prophets. But I support a Nigerian President of Southeast extraction in 2023. It must not be me but if I am asked to lead, I am mentally and physically fit to lead Nigeria and I will unite the country.

“I am an investor. I have massive investments in the 36 states of Nigeria; hence I want the country to be at peace. We do not have any other country to call our own. We must rise to stop the killings. We must dialogue.” Whereas there is a writ-large nexus between peaceful environment and successful business operations; it would appear far-fetched to those who do not have the requisite discerning mind to understand the connection between interest in the presidency and lack of a sense of entitlement to insist on validation of that interest.

Ordinarily, anybody who is somebody in Nigeria with the obligatory qualifications, is entitled to run for elective positions, including the position of the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. As a matter of fact, politicians mostly pursue their aspirations for offices with a strong sense of entitlement. It is quite unusual to come across a politician with a laissez-faire approach to the extent of dropping their guards in contestations with others for positions. Kalu’s mindset, I would not know if it had been moderated by time and experience, about not insisting on the presidency trumps his right to have a sense of entitlement to the nation’s plum position.

Indeed, his understanding of presidential power politics in Nigeria must have appropriately advised him to rein in his spunk in a matter that has been historically circumscribed to benefit

those who either did not or just refused to push their sense of entitlement to it. Consider the late Alhaji Shehu Shagari, for instance. He never contemplated being Nigeria’s president. Reports had it that he was looking to represent his people in the Senate, but the power brokers from the north in the defunct National Party of Nigeria (NPN), decided that he should be backed for the presidency on the party’s platform.

That consensus put paid to the presidential interests of Maitama Sule, Adamu Ciroma, Olusola Saraki, and the like in the NPN in 1979. And, of course, Shagari was granted the right of first refusal as a sitting president. He ran for a second term, at a time MKO felt he was ready to go for it but was told that the presidency was not for the highest bidder. The exception to the tradition of gifting the presidency to the man who never jostled for or showed obvious interest in it would have been established in the 1992 presidential poll, which Abiola worked and jostled for, but the outcome, which produced him as the unofficial winner, was truncated by the General Ibrahim Babangida junta.

And coming to the Fourth Republic that has, so far, produced Olusegun Obasanjo, the late Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, Goodluck Jonathan and Muhammadu Buhari, their choices had largely not derived from their individual sense of entitlement. I have advisedly used the word- “largely”- to accommodate a bit of exception for Buhari. Let me explicate - Obasanjo was in prison in 1998 when a decision was taken by some strategically placed power brokers in the north to make him president in 1999. People like former Vice president Alex Ekwueme, Chief Don Etiebet, Abubakar Rimi, and the like who wanted to pick the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ticket did not get it. Not even the alliance presidential ticket of Olu Falae/Umaru Shinkafi on the AD/APP platform could upend Obasanjo’s presidential enterprise.

For a practical politician who knows the mindset of the north, which is enamored with presidential power, the best strategy to deploy in securing the critical support of the north is to shear himself of a sense of entitlement, confrontation and contestation

In 2007, Yar’Adua was planning to return to Ahmadu Bello University, ABU, Zaria, to continue with his teaching job after his eight years in office as governor of Katsina State; but Obasanjo decided to hand over power to him at the expense of some others who openly jostled and campaigned for the presidency on the PDP platform. Goodluck Jonathan would have been content being the governor of Bayelsa State, but a constellation of factors had produced him as Vice President to Yar’Adua and, further along the way, an act of God, had produced him as President.

What produced Buhari as President at the expense of a sitting president Goodluck Jonathan was not Buhari’s insistence on and holding to a sense of entitlement to be president, but much more of a nationwide consensus that thrived on the mindset that fed on the outlandish propaganda of “anybody becoming President but Jonathan” in 2015. The Goebbels had sufficiently de-marketed him and the only northern presidential candidate with the “clout” to give Jonathan a run for his presidential might and money was Buhari.

Overall, the point needs to be reiterated that the emergence of Nigeria’s president of the democratic hue has always been defined by vested interests and influential political forces over which the north enjoys greater superintendence than the south. The south has always provided its strategic support in the contemplation of composite and bigger political pictures that undergird presidential power sharing in accordance with constitutional provisions of spread.

I am very sure that Orji Kalu has a great understanding of Nigerian politics. He is conversant with the dynamics of presidential power politics by the north. This is because he has a special bond with people from that part of the country. He had lived with them; he had done business with them, and still collaborating with them. He enjoys mutual trust that has yet to be diminished by time. He knows them very well and vice versa. And, as a watcher of northern politics, I know as a matter of fact that the north and its power brokers believe in building consensus in the promotion of processes that conduce to the emergence of Nigeria’s president at different intersections.

For a practical politician who knows the mindset of the north, which is enamored with presidential power, the best strategy to deploy in securing the critical support of the north is to shear himself of a sense of entitlement, confrontation and contestation.

Simply, let the communal spirit flourish in the interest of all.

––Ojeifo wrote via ojwonderngr@yahoo.com.

(See concluding part of the article on www.thisdaylive.com)

Counting The Cost of Kidnapping The present scourge of kidnapping for ransom presents an opportunity for insurance companies to fashion out kidnap and ransom policies to all classes of Nigerians, writes John Aku Ambi

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he Global Peace Index (GPI) Report for the year 2019 ranked Nigeria in the 148thposition amongst 163 countries. The GPI Report using indicators like intensity of internal conflict, violent crime, access to small arms, etc., measures how dangerous or safe a nation is. It is indubitable that the present scourge of kidnapping in Nigeria, is a violent crime and its rampancy has been aided by the ability of the perpetrators to access small and light arms. On a daily basis media outfits in Nigeria report incidences of kidnapping all around the country. The pattern is that after few days of the occurrence of a kidnap, a demand for ransom follows. Victims of these scourge cut across all segments of the society; students, children, women, men and expatriates.

In the 2000’s when violent agitations by militants in the Niger-Delta region were rife, kidnapping for ransom became a phenomenon albeit a strange one. Most targets of these acts were expatriates working in Multinational Oil companies (MNOs). In 2014 this scourge took a whole new dimension, when over 300 female students were kidnapped from the Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State by the dreaded Islamic sect-Boko Haram. Fast forward to 2021, kidnapping for ransom has not only risen astronomically but has also spread to all regions of the country. The targets are now mostly travellers on Nigeria’s decrepit highways, students in structurally deficient institutions and residents of fringe and poorly secured urban and rural settlements.

In a 21-page report released in May 2020, the Lagos based research and consulting firm- SBM Intelligence reported that between June 2011 and the end of March 2020, there were 767 reported incidents of kidnap for ransom in Nigeria. The report further posited that ransom estimated to be around $18.34 million was equally paid. The year 2021 has already witnessed several kidnapping cases. Notable cases are those of the students of Government Secondary School, Kagara, Niger State, Government Girls School, Jangebe, Zamfara State; Federal College of Forestry Mechanization and Greenfield University all in Kaduna State. In its first quarter report for the year 2021 and released on the 30th April 2021, the Kaduna State Ministry of Internal Security and Home

Affairs reported that a total of 949 persons were kidnapped between January and March 2021 in the state.

Anecdotal evidence reveals that Nigerian security agencies always deny the fact of payment of ransoms by victims’ families.

However, the victims and their families always express contrary positions.

The SBM Report estimates that families and affiliates of victims pay ransoms ranging from $1000-$150000. In an economy where the average income per capita stands at about $2,000, coughing out ransom in this range would no doubt deal a great blow to the finances of such families. The economic ramification of this scourge transcends the individual losses and affects every facet of the nation. For an economy that has only recently exited recession and has been grappling with a myriad of micro and macro economic problems including; a weakened currency, dwindling revenues, inflation etc; the highly coveted foreign direct investment (FDI) stands to be hindered by the fact of the prevalence of this scourge. The recent travel advisory issued by embassies and diplomatic missions of foreign countries to their citizens in Nigeria lends credence to the magnitude of this scourge and its negative impact on Nigeria’s already ailing tourism industry.

Though the sociological and psychological effects on the victims and the society are not immediately transmutable into Naira and Kobo, with the passage of time they do.

For instance, victims of kidnapping could deal with prolonged trauma which could affect their productivity in the work place.

This would translate into increased resourcing and operational costs for employers.

The figure of $18.34 million given by SBM to my mind is at best a modest estimation. This is perhaps due to the fact that these figures are derived from few verifiable sources like the victims’ families and even security agencies. It is however also true that many cases go unreported, so if these unreported cases are factored into such estimations, the figures would likely be 10 times higher. Assuming that the sum of $18.34 million amounts to the actual losses incurred by victims’ families through pay-

ments of ransom, at the current official exchange of $1 to N380; this sum amounts to N6,969,200,000.00. This figure dwarfs the N5billion monthly Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of a State like Kaduna State (which incidentally has witnessed increasing cases of students’ abduction).

The United Nations Trade Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) reported a decline of $1.2 billion worth of FDI into Nigeria in 2020 owing to the corona virus pandemic. Adding the scourge of kidnapping to this mix portends further woes for an ailing economy craving for FDI. At the risk of sounding pessimistic, it seems the Federal Government has run short of ideas on how to nip this scourge in the bud. Sadly, this national malaise would continue to haemorrhage our economy. As unpleasant as it to think about it or even mention it, yours truly argues that it is time insurance companies’ step-in and offer mitigating solutions; after all insurance companies exist to mitigate losses which could occur from different mishaps. A suitable insurance policy for this situation would be a Kidnap and Ransom Policy. This is a specialty crime coverage that protects against financial losses that arise when an insured person is threatened with kidnap, extortion or illegal detention.

A peek into the websites of the top insurance companies in Nigeria revealed that none offers a kidnap and ransom policy. Though Nigeria’s Insurance Penetration Rate (IPR) has remained abysmal over the years, the present scourge of kidnapping for ransom presents an opportunity for insurance companies to fashion out kidnap and ransom policies that would be affordable to all classes of Nigerians.

Individuals, families and organizations would do well to key into such policies. For those who can afford, enrolling into such policies would cushion any financial loss that may occur in the event that such an unfortunate event happens. These days you see worrisome sights in the social media of victims’ families and friends soliciting for funds to pay ransom demands. How did we get here?

–––Ambi, Legal Practitioner, wrote from Kaduna.

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MAY 2, 2021 ˾ T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R

EDITORIAL

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

THE LAGOS ANTI-GRAFT AGENCY There may be more to the new Lagos State anti-corruption act

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agos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu last week assented to a legislation with the tittle ‘Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission Bill, 2021. With it, the Lagos State government would be setting up an anti-graft commission to investigate and prosecute government officials and registered contractors indicted for economic crimes and financial misappropriation. If after investigation a prima facie case is established, according to the new law, the offender(s) would be prosecuted in court.

Ordinarily, there is nothing wrong for a government seeking to ‘fight corruption’. But certain provisions in the law seem targeted at the Economic and Despiteits Financial Crimes shortcomings,the Commission (EFCC) EFCC has managed and the Independent Corrupt Practices toprosecutemany and Related Offencpoliticallyexposed es Commission people,including (ICPC). Specifically, formergovernors section 13(3), says, “The who otherwise commission shall upon wouldhave escaped the commencement of this law take over the frombeingcalled investigation of all antitoaccount in their corruption and financial states crime cases involving the finances and assets of Lagos State Government being investigated by any other agency.” Section 13(5) also states, “The commission shall have the power to the exclusion of any other agency or body to investigate and coordinate the investigation of corruption and financial crimes cases involving the finances and assets of the state government.”

The implication is that all corruption cases against former and serving Lagos officials will be ‘taken over’ by this new agency. Whatever may be the legal justifications, it is a cynical way of dealing with a serious problem. Despite its shortcomings, the EFCC has managed to prosecute many politically exposed people, including former governors who otherwise would have

Letters to the Editor

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escaped from being called to account in their states. And there is nothing to suggest the cases that the Lagos authority wants to take over will be diligently prosecuted. But it is difficult to fault Lagos on legal grounds. Several court judgements (both in states and at federal) involving the EFCC and former governors have gone against the commission regarding investigating finances of the states. But in the case involving Rochas Okorocha, Justice Ahmed Mohammed of the Federal High Court, Abuja, declined to toe the same line of his fellow justices by refusing to restrain the EFCC from investigating the former Imo State governor.

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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 HEAD, COMPUTER DEPARTMENT PATRICIA UBAKA-ADEKOYA TO SEND EMAIL: first name.surname@thisdaylive.com

owever, the main issue here is the legal and constitutional burdens that limit Houses of Assembly from duplicating legislations where there is already a federal legislation on the same issue. For instance, Article 4 (5) of the 1999 constitution (as amended), states clearly, "If any Law enacted by the House of Assembly of a State is inconsistent with any law validly made by the National Assembly, the law made by the National Assembly shall prevail, and that other Law shall, to the extent of the inconsistency, be void."

Justice Taiwo Taiwo of the Federal High Court in his ruling restraining the EFCC from investigating Ekiti State finance under Governor Ayo Fayose, referred to section 125 (c) of the constitution and said, “It is unassailable that there is separation of powers." Accordingly, he said, “The powers for control of fund, financial outflow and appropriation are vested in the House of Assembly." The EFCC, Justice Taiwo added, “is bound to operate within the constitution and cannot operate like the lord of the manor. It is statutory duty is not a licence to contravene the Constitution".

The question remains: How could this argument be sustained in the face of section 4 sub section 5 of the 1999 constitution as amended which states that enactments by National Assembly will always prevail over and above laws made by State Houses of Assembly? More worrisome is that none of the litigants on the matter has approached an appellate court to authenticate the rulings and judgements of the High Courts or even appeal the rulings. That is the lacuna that the Lagos State government is relying on to establish its curious anticorruption agency.

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.

HAPPY 68TH BIRTHDAY TO MIKE ADENUGA

badan Grammar School, founded in 1913, was one of the secondary schools established by the former British Colonial masters to give public school education in the then Nigerian Colony. It has gone on to produce astounding Nigerians in all walks of life.

It was this old educational institution that the then young Mike Adenuga was a student in the 1960’s. When asked what he wanted to become in the future, he didn’t give the usual answers like wanting to become a lawyer, doctor, engineer, etc. He responded that he wanted to be wealthy. This earned him the nickname ‘Gold Digger.’ As a result of his huge frame he also got another ‘Ad Belly.’

He didn’t follow the path of his elder brother Ademola who went to the University of Ibadan.

He chose an independent route in sojourning to the United States for his tertiary education. While there he worked as a cab driver and security guard to financially support himself despite having a wealthy business woman mother.

When he returned to the country in the late 1970’s he didn’t follow the popular course in securing a plum job in either a blue chip multinational or with the government, he chose the tortuous road of entrepreneurship fraught will all manner of risks and trials.

He took over the family sawmill in Ijebu Ode and later spotted an opportunity after the Udoji Committee greatly increased the salaries of Federal Civil Servants nationwide. The salary increase led to a concomitant rise in disposable income and the workers bought cars in frenzy. He imported removable car radio stereos and

made his first fortune there. He was later to become a government contractor through a contact with one of the brothers of the then Chief of Army Staff, General Alani Ipoola Akinrinade. He expanded his fledging business empire by imported Swiss lace and became a Jack of all trades and a master of all.

Few people know that he is a friend of the media as he invested heavily in the defunct Newswatch Magazine owned by the quartet of the late Dele Giwa, Dan Agbese, Ray Ekpu and Yakubu Mohammed.

When the oil and gas industry was liberalized in 1990, he got an oil bloc. While many of his contemporaries sold theirs and went on a spending spree by painting the town red, he did the unthinkable by prospecting for his.

His concerned mother travelled

from Ijebu Ode to Lagos to dissuade him from embarking on the ‘economic suicide.’ Despite his love and immense respect for his mother, he stuck to his guns and trusted his gut instincts.

In the end, his persistence paid off as on Christmas Eve in 1991, he struck gold and made history by becoming the first Nigerian to strike crude oil in commercial quantity. His company Consolidated Oil (Conoil) became a force to be reckoned with nationally and it held its own in the cloak and dagger game with the multinationals.

He went on to acquire the government owned Nolchem that was teetering on the verge of bankruptcy and made it so profitable that its stock became a crown jewel in the Nigerian Stock Exchange.

He floated two banks – Equatorial Trust Bank and Devcom Merchant Bank and later merged the two during the 2005 Consolidation period before selling ETB to investors.

When the telecommunications sector

was liberalized in 2001, he wanted to become a player in it as he predicted that the telecoms sector will be the new oil. He established Consolidated Investment Limited (CIL) and paid about 285 million USD for the license. Sadly he was denied for inexplicable reasons but this didn’t deter the man later nicknamed by friends and admirers as the Bull because of his tenacity.

He went back to the drawing board and berthed Globacom. Fortune smiled on him as he was lucky this time around in 2004. Glo as its fondly abbreviated has gone on to become the second largest telecoms company in the country with over 30 million subscribers. They were the first company to initiate the idea of using celebrities as brand ambassadors and were the first to introduce per second billing which broke the dominance of the South African led MTN. Tony Ademiluyi, Co Founder of The Vent Republic Media, Lagos.

17

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER MAY 2, 2021

BUSINESS

Emefiele

Babalola

Editor: Kunle Aderinokun 08033204315, 08111813084 Email:kunle.aderinoku@thisdaylive.com

Otudeko

Awosika

The Costly Board Crisis at First Bank But for the timely intervention of the Central Bank for Nigeria in the avoidable board squabbles at First Bank of Nigeria, the relative conÀdence and stability observed in the banking system in recent times would have been seriously shaken. James Emejo writes

I

t all began with the news that the erstwhile Board of Directors of First Bank of Nigeria Limited, which was chaired by Mrs. Ibukun Awosika, had approved the appointment of Mr. Gbenga Shobo to succeed Mr. Adesola Adeduntan as the new Managing Director/Chief Executive of the bank.

Adeduntan was ousted after leading the bank since January 2016, but when still within the term limit of his tenure, which is due to expire in December this year.

The appointment of a new chief executive was immediately celebrated by the public and depositors, who thought the move was in tandem with good corporate governance of FBN. But little did anyone know the underbelly issues that led to the change, until the CBN, the apex regulatory institution in the Ànancial industry, interpreted the change as a sort of palace coup to oust him.

The apex bank, immediately issued the board a rather damning query over the unpopular leadership manoeuvres.

The content of the query apparently deÁated the board’s ego and exposed the bank’s frailties.

Essentially, the CBN had raised stern objection to the removal of Adeduntan, as his tenure ought to elapse in December - and not getting the requisite approval from the apex bank prior to the board change, further violated laid down rules.

In the CBN’s correspondence to the board, it further argued that, given that FBN had been on a sort of life support in term of regulatory forbearances and other sorts of Ànancial and regulatory support since 2016, it was particularly wrong for the former board to attempt any board changes without with the knowledge of the regulatory body. :hile the board was yet to oͿer explanation for its action, but rather perceived the inquisition by the CBN as unnecessarily meddling in its internal issues - the apex bank, understanding the consequences of the ensuing development on the Ànancial system- especially as this could

cause among other things, a run on FBN, decided to wield the big stick to save the situation.

The CBN would not fold its arms and allow things to spiral out of control given that FBN is one of the systemically important banks whose action could rock the boat and destabilise the country’s Ànancial landscape.

On Thursday, however, the CBN removed all directors of FBN and those of its parent company, FBN Holdings Plc, with immediate eͿect, to stave oͿ a boardroom crisis that had led to the retirement of Adeduntan on Wednesday.

The CBN Governor, Mr. Godwin EmeÀele, at a press conference in Abuja, further announced the reinstatement of Adeduntan.

He said the apex bank took the actions in order to preserve the stability of the bank and protect minority shareholders and depositors.

He also announced the appointment of a former Minister of State for Finance, Mr. Remi Babalola, who replaced Mr. Oba Otudeko as Chairman of FBN Holdings.

Otudeko had been chairman of First Bank for 12 years before assuming the position of Chairman Holdings Company in 2010.

Also in the sweeping changes, the CBN also appointed other new directors on the FBN Holdings’ board including Fatade Oluwole, Kofo Dosekun, Remi Lasaki, Alimi Abdulrasaq, Ahmed Modibbo, Khalifa Imam and Peter Aliogo.

Mr. UK Eke retains his position as Managing Director of FBN Holdings.

First Bank Nigeria Limited now has as Chairman, Tunde Hassan-Odukale, who replaced Mrs. Ibukun Awosika.

Other board members are Tokunbo Martins, Uche Nwokedi, Adekunle Sonola, Isioma Ogodazi, Ebenezer Olufowose, Ishaya Elijah B. Dodo and Adeduntan.

Gbenga Shobo, deputy managing director; and Remi Oni andAbdullahi Ibrahim, executive directors, are members of the reconstituted board.

The CBN had on Wednesday queried the erstwhile board of First Bank Nigeria Limited over the removal of Adeduntan, saying the

action was without regulatory approval.

The query followed the earlier announcement of the appointment of Shobo as the new managing director/chief executive o΀cer.

However, to douse tension generated by the boardroom crisis in the bank, the CBN assured depositors, creditors and other stakeholders of its commitment to safeguard the bank.

EmeÀele said ´The CBN hereby reassures the depositors, creditors and other stakeholders of the bank of its commitment to ensure the stability of the Ànancial system. There is, therefore, no cause for panic amongst the banking public, given that the actions being taken are meant to strengthen the bank and position it as a banking industry giant.”

The CBN governor noted that with the changes, the bank must assume its leadership position in the industry, adding that the central bank will be looking into allegations of insider abuse in the bank and will ensure that corporate governance is restored.

According to him, the CBN will insist on proper re-capitalisation of the bank to restore its capital adequacy ratio.

He stated that the CBN took the action because it considered itself a stakeholder in management changes involving First Bank due to the forbearance and its close monitoring of the bank over the last Àve years.

He added that ordinarily, the board of a bank is vested with the authority to make changes in the management team subject to CBN’s approval. ´However, the CBN considers itself a key stakeholder in management changes involving FBN due to the forbearances and close monitoring by the bank over the last Àve years aimed at stemming the slide in the going concern status of the bank. ´It was, therefore, surprising for the CBN to learn through media reports that the board of directors of First Bank, a systemically important bank, under regulatory forbearance regime, had eͿected sweeping changes in executive management without engagement and/or prior notice to the regulatory authorities,”

he explained.

EmeÀele said the board’s action sent a negative signal to the market on the stability of leadership on the board and management. He added that it was in the light of the foregoing that the CBN queried the directors on the change.

He described First Bank as one of the systemically important banks in the banking sector given its historical signiÀcance, balance sheet size, large customer base and high level of interconnectedness with other Ànancial service providers, amongst others.

EmeÀele said ´By our last assessment, First Bank has over 31 million customers, with a deposit base of N4.2 trillion, shareholders’ funds of N618 billion and NIBSS instant payment (NIP) processing capacity of 22 per cent of the industry. ´To us at the CBN, not only is it imperative to protect the minority shareholders that have no voice to air their views, also important, is the protection of the over 31 million customers of the bank who see First Bank as a safe haven for their hard-earned savings. ´The bank maintained healthy operations up until 2016 Ànancial year when the CBN’s target examination revealed that the bank was in grave Ànancial condition with its capital adequacy ratio (CAR) and non-performing loans ratio (NPL) substantially breaching acceptable prudential standards.”

He added that the problems at the bank were attributed to bad credit decisions, signiÀcant and non-performing insider loans and poor corporate governance practices.

He said shareholders of the bank and FBN Holding also lacked the capacity to recapitalise the bank to minimum requirements, adding that the conclusions arose from various entreaties by the CBN to them to recapitalise.

With this, he said the CBN stepped in to stabilise the bank in its quest to maintain Ànancial stability, especially given First Bank’s systemic importance.

EmeÀele listed regulatory actions taken by the CBN in this regard to include change of

18

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER MAY 2, 2021

BUSINESS The Costly Board Crisis at First Bank management team under the CBN’s supervision with the appointment of a new managing director/chief executive o΀cer in January 2016; granting of regulatory forbearances to enable the bank work out its non-performing loans through provision for write oͿ of at least N1 0 billion from its earning for four consecutive years; and granting of concession to insider borrower to restructure their non-performing credit facilities under very stringent conditions.

Others included the renewal of the forbearances on a yearly basis between 2016 and 2020, following thorough monitoring of progress towards exiting from the forbearance measures.

EmeÀele said ´The measures had yielded the expected results as the Ànancial condition of FBN improved progressively between 2016 when the forbearance was initially granted to the current Ànancial year. For instance, proÀtability, liquidity and CAR improved whilst NPL reduced signiÀcantly. ´Notwithstanding the signiÀcant improvement in the bank’s Ànancial condition with positive trajectory of Ànancial soundness indicators, the insider related facilities remained problematic. The insiders who took loans in the bank, with controlling inÁuence on the board of directors, failed to adhere to the terms for the restructuring of their credit facilities, which contributed to the poor Ànancial state of the bank. ´The CBN’s recent target examination as at December 31, 2020, revealed that insider loans were materially non-compliant with restructure terms (e.g. non-perfection of lien on shares/ collateral arrangements) for over three years despite several regulatory reminders. ´The bank has not also divested its nonpermissible holdings in non-Ànancial entities in line with regulatory directives.”

Responding to a question on whether Otudeko was given the opportunity to engage with the central bank before the earlier decision to remove Adeduntan before the expiration of his tenure, EmeÀele said, eͿorts he personally made in that regard were rebuͿed, adding that the CBN had exhausted all measures to forestall the ensuing crisis after Hassan-Odukale called him to intervene in the matter.

Nonetheless, he said the CBN would not ´allow a shareholder who feels that he cannot subject himself to regulatory control and authority to remain as a director of the bank.”

He said there was no need for the initial changes at the bank, but all entreaties to Otudeko to save the situation fell on deaf ears.

He said ´Like we said, this decision came to us as a surprise. Like we said, this bank has been under regulatory forbearance intervention since 2016. ´The truth is that yes, even before we issued a query yesterday (Wednesday) to the chairman of the board and copied all the directors and shareholders, the initial attempt to remove the Managing Director, Dr. Sola Adeduntan, was leaked to me by an interested party in the course of the board meeting. ´When I heard about this, I had Àrst to call the chairman of the holding company, Mr. Oba Otudeko. He picked my call and I reminded him about the regulatory intervention and forbearance regime in the bank and that the decision to make such sweeping changes would require prior approval of the CBN. ´I pleaded with him to step down the decision and that we could hold the meeting to discuss the issues. The current managing director was running on a tenure that is expected to expire on December 31, 2021. And as far as we are concerned, there was no need for such changes. ´And I repeat that given our regulatory intervention and forbearance regime, we felt that if there was any misconduct on the part of Dr. Sola Adeduntan that he should have been queried, the CBN should have been informed and the CBN should have been party to such an action to punish Dr. Adeduntan. ´We were not informed of any misconduct, nor were we informed of any query; indeed, the CBN has been satisÀed working with Dr. Adeduntan on a stabilisation regime for First Bank since 2016. ´He had played his role to the best of our knowledge, the best that could be done of a professional banker. He had insisted on governance being put in place and we suspect that it is because he has stood his ground on certain decisions that are not in favour of major shareholders in the bank that they felt hurt and thought he should be removed. ´This is against what we stand for. This is

Adeduntan

Shobo

Odukale

a bank where depositors’ funds are almost ten times shareholders’ funds. And like I said earlier, our interest is to protect depositors and minority shareholders who have no voice in this business.”

He added ´We would not sit idle and continue to allow this to continue. ´I spoke to Dr. Oba Otudeko; he refused to grant my entreaties. I had cause to call two of his major shareholders to ask him to ask the board not to take such decisions without the approval of the CBN, but he refused to pick the calls of these shareholders who are co-owners of the bank. ´I called him a second time and heard one of the shareholders listening to me on another line, begging Dr. Otudeko that he should not take that decision, he insisted on taking that decision. ´We hung up the phone and I sent that shareholder back to the o΀ce of Mr. Oba Otudeko to appeal to him to please suspend the decision to remove the MD. He refused to see the shareholder. ´I feel we had done our best and that we would not allow a shareholder who feels that he cannot subject himself to regulatory control and authority to remain as a director of the bank. ´So, we didn’t have any choice but to take this decision. As we speak, the chairman of the bank was queried, Ibukun Awosika, we are yet to receive any response. In any case, I would imagine that response is no longer necessary.”

EmeÀele gave reasons why the CBN spared the executive directors, deputy managing directors and managing director of the bank from being removed in the shake-up.

He said having worked with them since 2016, the CBN perceived the board crisis to be more of a breakdown of governance and insider abuse by shareholders. ´We felt that because we have worked with them from 2016 till now, what we saw was more of a breakdown of governance and insider abuse by shareholders. ´And we felt that we needed to stamp our authority to reappoint and give them a chance to continue to remain executive directors, deputy managing directors and managing director of this bank.”

THISDA< learnt that the apex bank aims to insist on the recapitalisation of the bank and restore it not only to proÀtability, but also to its erstwhile leadership position in the industry.

It would also tackle insider abuse and ensure the restoration of good corporate governance.

CBN intervened”. ´However, I would assume that the apex bank had previous communication with FBN to allow them to get their house in order before taking these drastic steps,” he said.

Also, a reliable source who craved anonymity because of his connection with aͿected parties in the development said, ´The CBN Governor has taken the right decision to ensure avoidance of huge systemic risk”.

He said ´Recall that CBN target examination/stress test on First Bank found their nonperforming loan ratio extremely higher than the maximum limit of per cent and also found their capital adequacy ratio very weak, lower than the then minimum of 1 per cent (now 16 per cent) for systemically important banks. ´CBN also found them wanting in respect of poor corporate governance with lots of insider related credits, unsecured and attracting lower interest rates. ´This is what is called insider abuse. Nothing kills a bank easily more than insider abuse. If after almost Àve years, CBN still feels First Bank board are still weak and evidently micro managed by the signiÀcant shareholders, there is risk to both minority shareholders and depositors.”

The source added that being a systemically important bank (due to their size, asset base, number of employees with subsidiaries/ branches oͿshore among others, anything signiÀcantly negative on FBN will automatically have huge eͿect on the entire banking industry as well as the Nigerian economy.

He pointed out that, ´Besides CBN acted within their powers to avoid huge systemic risk. ´However, the question now is, are First Bank majority shareholders the only culprits or there are others with similar challenges being micro managed by CBN and yet to burst"” Also, speaking with THISDA<, Managing Director/Chief Executive, SD D Capital Management Limited, Mr. Idakolo Gbolade, said the CBN action has saved the bank from systemic collapse due to its bad loans adding that this measure was similar to what happened to the likes of Skye Bank where the apex regulatory body had to intervene due to unsecured loans to directors against Ànancial best practices.

Gbolade, First Bank remained an important player in the banking sector and can be said to be a corporation that any news of negative performance will aͿect the banking sector. ´The bank is one of the systemically important entity in the Ànancial sector and reports like the shake-up of the board of the bank and HoldCo will negatively aͿect the entire banking sector,” he added.

In the same vein, Managing Director/Chief Executive, Dignity Finance and Investment Limited, Dr. Chijioke Ekechukwu, told THISDA< that the decision taken by the CBN to sack directors of First Bank was in the interest of the country, and all the stakeholders of the bank.

He stressed that the ´CBN plays many roles but more importantly, they play both regulatory role and supervisory role over all Ànancial institutions for purposes of Ànancial systems stability”.

Ekechukwu said ´Recall that First Bank has been enjoying forbearance from CBN to cushion the eͿect of their huge non-performing loans proÀle. There were cases of insider abuses in the credit administration of the bank. ´First Bank is one of the biggest banks in Nigeria and anything that aͿects them adversely will aͿect the Ànancial system. So to nip it in the bud, it was necessary for CBN to take the decision they did.”

Chairman, Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), Abuja Branch, Prof. Uche Uwaleke, said the CBN’S action will boost investor conÀdence adding that it is in the overall interest of banking system stability.

He added that the action also served to ensure that depositors’ funds are protected. ´So, I support the CBN wielding the big stick on any bank that Áouts the rules. A banking system regulator should be seen to take the issue of corporate governance very seriously. ´In this particular matter, my take is that the apex bank is in order in view of the fact that it gave the Board of First Bank the opportunity to defend itself. ´It behooves the CBN now to communicate the reasons for its action to members of the public and provide reassurance of banking system stability.”

Also, analysing the development, Chief Executive, Global Analytics Company, Mr. Tope Fasua, said the situation was avoidable and regretted that it was not nipped in the bud by the former board.

He said ´What has happened today 2 th of April, 2021 to First Bank Limited should not have been allowed to escalate to this level. Since around 201 First Bank has been in and out of the news for not-too-palatable reasons...”

He also argued that the CBN retains the right as a regulator to maintain its oversight on all banks under its jurisdiction, adding that since it receives and examines the books and transactions of all banks, it alone can make a judgment call on whether a bank’s directors have done the right thing.

Fasua said ´In the communication we have seen in the space, the central bank has emphasised the fact that it has given First Bank some regulatory forbearance more than once, and that it has had to help the liquidity position of the erstwhile biggest bank in Nigeria on a number of occasions. ´I wouldn’t understand how a bank ignores such weighty warnings. The CBN went further to detail some of the insider lending of First Bank, especially as it relates to the chairman of its holding company ² Otunba Oba Otudeko.”

According to him, ´Some of the people on the side of the now dismissed board have alleged all sorts. The most ridiculous is that the CBN is after First Bank for supporting Flutterwave, which also supported EndSARS. Everything has become politicised in Nigeria.” ´With the move from the CBN, we pray First Bank Ànds some peace. But more generally, we hope that our smart people who run banks will understand the sheer enormity of the licences they owe and never get it into their heads to throw it all away in some Áight of fancy,” he added.

Analysts Laud CBN’s Intervention Meanwhile, analysts who spoke to THISDA< in separate interviews on the development commended the CBN for living up to its responsibility and saving the situation in record time.

The Managing Director/Chief Executive, Credent Investment Managers Limited, Mr. Ibrahim Shelleng, said it is important that depositors’ funds are protected and malpractices are called out in order to maintain conÀdence and sanity in the Ànancial system.

He pointed out that the duty of the regulator is to always ensure that best practices and corporate governance guidelines are adhered to, adding that it ´seems that FBN had breached those processes therefore it is proper that the

19

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER MAY 2, 2021

WOMEN ENTERPRENEURS

NANA OKURIBIDO

Solar Energy is the Instant Tool to Alleviate Poverty Founder of Smiling Simon Greenbuild Foundation, Chief (Mrs.) Anita Nana Okuribido, is a passionate woman leader in the space of renewable energy and green economy in Nigeria and Africa as a whole.

Driven by the overarching vision to enable women become green entrepreneurs in ways that create synergies for paradigm shifts in women empowerment. Okuribido has a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Science from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Oyo State. Her passion for the energy sector led her to commission the One Nigerian Child One Solar Lamp, which is aimed at providing children with solar lamp.

Chief Okuribido also commissioned the Solar Green Cart Initiative, which is aimed at empowering Women and Youths with a Solar Green Cart that has multiple MSME applications like retail, barbing salon and phone charging services. She also leads other organisations, notably as the Chairman of Women Green Energy Institute, Chairman of Women in Sustainable Power Africa Network, President of Digital Network for Women Empowerment, National President of Women in Renewable Energy Association, CEO/ Managing Director of Siman Engineering Ltd and the Executive Chairman of SymphoAgro-Tech Company Limited.

In this Interview with Oyinlola Sale, Founder of Smiling Simon Greenbuild Foundation, Chief Anita Nana Okuribido, explains how she is encouraging women to take up roles in the energy sector

Y

ou are called Mama Renewable Energy. What inspired that name?

ThenamesMamaSolarand Mama Renewable Energy come from the fact that I have been very passionate about using energy as a tool to transform the lives of women. Women use at least 80 per cent of energy to drive their various businesses from tailoring to cooking. The fact is that without energy, women can’t function in our society. Now, it’s important for the society to realise that solar energy is the instant tool to alleviate poverty and to remove the drudgery in the lives of women.

For so many years, I have been advocating solar devices for agricultural development, to the extent of me going to International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) to provide solar devices to aid agricultural process , which has transformed the lives of Women and that’s why any village I go to, I keep hearing Mama Renewable Energy, Mama Solar.

Now tell us about your journey into the energy sector?

From the university days, I got fascinated with calculators that have a tiny solar chip, which only worked with the sun. So I spoke with my director of project and supervisor, that I really like this solar calculator and this alternative source of energy.

So, I decided that I was going to do my project on alternative source of energy. So I became visionary and decided to go into mechanised farming, because I was curious about it.

Now my experience and curiosity in the university triggered me to go into the energy sector to create Green Devices for theAgricultural Sector As the National President of Women in Renewable Energy Association, What impact are you making in the energy sector?

Initially, I was the lone voice regarding solar energy, because individuals didn’t understand alternative source of energy, but I was undeterred because of my passion and the impact I wanted to make.

Now, that is the major reason, I created the Smiling Simon Greenbuild Foundation, which has various beneÀts for women in this sector, which are: to acquire skills to become a Green Technology Technician, a Green Entrepreneur and a GreenAmbassador, to have access to Green Energy Loans and Green Grants, to reduce energy poverty in Nigeria and to enable the girl child in science and technology related Àeld and to

to own a green device is a peculiar task. We had to make them realise that it’s a necessity, like your phone or food.

I had to do a lot of work to make people realise that it’s not a luxurious item, but a necessity.

Energy is key to industrialisation and we need to be well grounded to have an energy supply that is uninterruptable. So I did a lot of work in terms of convincing people in the early days.

The other issue is that government is saying you can’t deploy until you have licence and this aͿected small businesses. So, this was a big Àght, when I became the president for Council of Renewable Energy.

Another factor is gender inequality, but now we have had to sensitise women to take up roles in the energy sector.

Okuribido

activate the Sustainable Development Goals.

What are the factors that needs to be considHUHG IRU UHQHZDEOH HQHUJ\ WR ZRUN H;HFWLYHO\ in Nigeria?

The only way renewable energy can work eͿectively in Nigeria is through policies that mandates telecommunication agencies, and media houses both in the public and private sectors to allocate minimum time or space slots to air educative announcements on the need for gender equity and inclusion in the energy value chain.

This also includes, policies that also mandates relevant government agencies to organize monthly or bi-monthly public sensitisation on the importance of gender inclusivity at thegrassroots.

As well as, policies targeted towards the Ministry of Education to ensure special programmes and incentives are created to inform female students or pupils about the economic importance of their participation in STEM-related disciplines.

I would also like to commend Senator Bassey

Albert Akpan for supporting and advocating for more women in the energy sector.

What needs to be done in terms of encouraging more women to take up roles in energy, oil and gas?

Once women have access to Ànance, it will encourage them to take up roles in the energy, oil and gas sector, From policies that ensure funding prioritisation for women by commercial banks and stakeholders with low single-digit-interest loans and grants for energy businesses and initiatives.

As well as, policies that mandate Ànancial institutions to create dedicated funds towards capacity building and investment for women in energy initiatives.

What are the challenges you have faced so far in this industry?

The challenges are enormous, Àrst in the renewable energy sector, the initial cost of implementation is just too high, so initially to convince someone

What can the government do, in terms of supporting the energy sector?

The government needs to ensure that all previous policy documents on energy are reviewed for gender inclusivity, and that all programmes/ initiatives, including large energy infrastructures and investments, are non-discriminatory, gender inclusive, gender-balanced and directed towards addressing inequalities, particularly energy poverty, diͿerentially aͿecting men and women in Nigeria.

This includes, speciÀc policies that spell out minimum benchmarks to ensure that women have equal opportunities to enter and succeed in energy related Àelds in the private and public sectors.

How did you manage to break the barriers in the energy sector?

When I set out from the university to thread this path, I was never discouraged, even with how my supervisor was pessimistic about my passion for solar energy. This drive is because am a positive person and my passion has driven me to be creative and to provide solutions to create opportunities for the future generation.

Now, through Smiling Simon Greenbuild Foundation, we plan to give the Youth Green Entrepreneurship platform, to increase their earning power to alleviate poverty.

Recently, one of our innovations in this foundation, is the solar kiosk, which has become an instant solar business hub that can be turned to a barbershop and it also has charging ports and a fridge. This is what we have created to engage the youths with to reduce unemployment rate and to boost the economy of Nigeria.

20

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER MAY 2, 2021

MONEY

:LWK (\HV RQ /RZ LQWHUHVW %HDULQJ 'HSRVLWV 3RODULV %DQN 6XVWDLQV 3URÀW *URZWK LQ )HVWXV $NDQEL’s review of Polaris Bank’s second year performance scorecard shows its improved proÀtability was driven by the combination of the signiÀcant reduction in interest expense due to the bank’s pursuit of low interest-bearing deposits as well as lowering impairment charges on loans and other Ànancial assets

I

t is a fact that Nigerians and other members of the international community are still settling down to the ‘new normal’, a term used to describe the drastic change in the hitherto conventional ways of doing things.

In Nigeria, both public and private business endeavours are compelled to tune their operations to reÁect the realities, which the COVID-19 pandemic and the attendant worsening economic situation have unleashed on the Nigerian people.

As at today, banking operations have undergone a signiÀcant change. The reality is that the eͿects of the recent lockdown and the shrinkage of the economy have brought a signiÀcant change in the expectations of bank users, a development which is forcing operators to review their systems. This is because apart from the fallouts of the renewed eͿorts of the Central Bank of Nigeria to protect depositors’ rights and ensure adherence to professional rules among banking operators, the harsh economic realities on the resources of potential depositors and customers have compelled banks to re-strategise in order to stay relevant.

Therefore, as banks continue to reel out their performance Àgures for year 2020, it is becoming very glaring that what matter most is the ability of operators to rely on their strategic advantage in the industry and to insulate their institutions from avoidable miscalculations.

In the emerging scenario, economic activities slowed down considerably as a result of closure of many businesses while others ran skeletal services. What this means is that banks have to struggle for the few surviving businesses and in this dispensation, it’s only banks that is able to make the diͿerence that could break even.

In the case of Polaris Bank Limited, challenges came in diͿerent direction in its recent history. Apart from the reality of COVID-19 and its attendant challenges to banking, the board and management of Polaris Bank were also saddled with the responsibility of navigating from a transition from Skye Bank to its new brand. It was also in the course of 2019-2020 operation that its former chief executive o΀cer, Mr. Tokunbo Abiru, threw in the towel in order to pursue his political ambition.

5HWXUQ WR 3DWK RI 3URÀWDELOLW\ However, in its 2020 performance results made available last week, the bank has proved to its shareholders and depositors that it has put most of the challenges that overwhelmed the legacy Skye Bank behind it and that the new entity has negotiated its course back to the path of proÀtability.

Last week, Polaris Bank released its full-year audited Ànancial results for the year ended December 2020. The bank posted a ProÀt Before Tax (PBT) of N28.9 billion. The results, which show the bank’s second year performance scorecard after two years of operation, have further consolidated its position as focused on the path of proÀtability, growth, and value creation.

According to the RTC Advisory Services Limited, Polaris Bank’s year 2020 performance reÁects a four per cent Year-on-Year (YoY) increase in ProÀt

POLARIS BANK’S INCOME STATEMENT

Gross Earnings Interest Income Interest Expense Net Interest Income Other Income Operating Income Operating Expense Impairment Charge ProÀt (Loss) Before Tax Tax ProÀt (Loss) After Tax

) 129,306 108,501 (23,132) 85,369 14,945 100,314 (62,044) (9,399) 28,8 1 (336) 28,535

Before Tax (PBT). The performance, according to the Ànancial analysts, is driven by the combination of the signiÀcant reduction in interest expense due to the bank’s pursuit of low interestbearing deposits as well as lowering impairment charges on loans and other Ànancial assets.

Also, within the period under review, the bank recorded Return on Asset (ROA) and Return on Equity (ROE) of 2.4 per cent and 29.4 per cent respectively. The bank’s total assets stood at N1.18trillion, a three per cent growth on the previous year, while shareholders’ funds grew by N14billion (1 per cent), largely attributable to internally generated proÀts.

The bank increased its customers’ deposits by N56 billion, predominantly low-cost deposits in spite of di΀cult economic and industry conditions, and increased its gross loan book by N38 billion, reÁecting the bank’s modest and prudent risk strategy to grow its portfolio of quality loans for optimal interest income generation.

5HWXUQ WR 6WDELOLW\ Analysts believe the bank’s return to stability could be attributed to its new corporate strategy, good corporate governance and management depth and cohesion. And according to the report of RTC Advisory, the board and management of Polaris Bank have demonstrated strong commitment towards business ethics by upholding sound risk management practices and proactively taking measures to ensure the bank is on the path of value creation and sustainability. ´Polaris Bank’s performance in FY’20 reÁects commendable improvements in key performance indicators, assuring a strong positive outlook for earnings, margins, and proÀtability improvement in its cautious pursuit of loan growth, a sustained strategy for operational e΀ciency, funding cost optimization, and e΀cient deposit mix. ´The headroom for loan creation no doubt presents an opportunity for improved margins. Going into the year 2021 and despite the challenging macroeconomic environment, the bank may be poised to reap the beneÀts of its investment in both digitization and the capacity of its employees to improve service experience,” the report stated.

Abiru, the erstwhile CEO, departed in the course of 2020 to pursue a successful run for the Nigerian Senate after

)< 150,848 133,611 (45,814) 8 , 9 13,9 0 101, 6 (59,812) (14,126) 2 ,829 (4 9) 2 ,350

&KDQJH -14 -19 -50 -3 - -1 4 -33 4 -30 4

Polaris Bank’s acting Managing Director, Chief Executive, Mr. Innocent Ike

a distinguished banking career and success in rescuing the old Skye Bank and an impressive Àrst year result in the then new Polaris Bank Ltd. Analysts are of the view that the fact that the bank sustained its growth trajectory in spite of Abiru’s exit is indicative of a seamless transition and management depth and cohesiveness in Polaris Bank.

The bank’s Managing Director/ Chief Executive O΀cer, Mr. Innocent Ike, who assumed o΀ce in the course of the year after the exit of Abiru said: ´Polaris Bank has achieved signiÀcant milestones since its inception in September 21, 2018 when we started this journey.

We have since grown to earn the conÀdence of the banking publics, oͿering quality banking services at the cutting edge of technology.”

He added that, “2020 was arguably the most challenging year that the world has faced in decades owing to the negative impact of COVID-19 on businesses and the economy. Yet, the current result demonstrates the importance of the deployment of appropriate strategies, technology and eͿectively validates our recent investment in technology solutions and digitization of our products and processes,” he added.

5HDSLQJ WKH 'LYLGHQG RI 1HZ &RUSRUDWH 6WUDWHJ\ He explained that the bank’s subsisting three -year corporate transformation strategy has recently been reviewed in line with the changing operating environment and trend dynamism for sustainable value creation.

He equally noted the acceleration of the digital transformation journey which is one of the potent strategies to strengthen balance sheet, control cost and process / Self ² Service OͿering.

In the views of some Ànancial analysts, Polaris Bank’s remarkable achievements in 2020 are a testament of her consolidation of its 2019 performance, relevance of the bank’s new corporate strategy, management depth and good corporate governance.

“The board and management of Polaris Bank have demonstrated strong commitment towards professionalism and business ethics by upholding sound risk management practices and proactively taking measures to ensure the bank is on the path of value creation and sustainability.

“Polaris Bank’s performance in FY’20 reÁects commendable improvements in key performance indicators, assuring a strong positive outlook for earnings, margins and proÀtability, a cautious pursuit of loan growth, a sustained strategy for operational e΀ciency, funding cost optimization, and e΀cient deposit mix. The headroom for loan creation no doubt presents an opportunity for improved margins,” a statement by the bank’s head of corporate communication, Rasheed Bolarinwa, said.

Bolarinwa explained that going into the year 2021 and despite the challenging macroeconomic environment, the bank is poised to reap the beneÀts of its investment in both digitisation and the capacity of its employees to improve service experience.

Analysts believe Polaris Bank has some strong strategic attributesstrong liquidity, good relationship management, a vast branch network.

Its management is said to be enhancing its brand and product oͿering to diͿerentiate the bank and deepen its franchise. &KDOOHQJHV One cannot but notice some key outstanding challenges which the management has promised to tackle head on in its current operating year.

This are non-performing loans (NPL) ratio, which has increased slightly from 2019 (46 IFRS) to 49.9 IFRS in 2020 due to the o΀cial exchange rate adjustment within the period that increased legacy foreign currency denominated NPLS. The bank is said to have made signiÀcant investments in platforms, technology and workforce. This will ultimately lead to the stabilisation of the brand.

And in the opinion of analysts from RTC Advisory Services, Polaris Bank has largely overcome its legacy challenges and constraints and is now very well positioned as a digitally-enabled and strategically focused retail bank to compete in the Nigerian Ànancial services industry. The intervention of the regulatory authorities in the legacy institution has been vindicated by a strong and committed management.

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THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER MAY 2, 2021

ENERGY

<HW $QRWKHU 7DUL; +LNH /RRPV The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Agency (NERC) has said from July it would again review, nay increase electricity tariffs across board in the country. This is as the quality and stability of supply continues to dwindle by the day. Like in the past, it’s almost a done deal, unless President Muhammadu Buhari steps in or declines to approve the hike. (PPDQXHO Addeh writes that despite such exercises in the past, Nigerians who have always been at the receiving end, have not experienced commensurate value from the sector.

A

gain, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Agency (NERC), which now appears to be seen or heard only when plans are underway to embark on reviews, as if that’s its only statutory function, has announced that Nigerians may pay more for the elusive power supply a few months from now.

For many Nigerians, in the last few years, the bills they pay monthly for the almost non-existent service has doubled or in some cases even tripled, still leaving them in perpetual darkness.

While beleaguered and hapless citizens continue to reel under the rising cost of power and massive darkness occasioned by increasing lack of supply, it would seem that in reality, the capacity of the major players in the value chain to deliver has been growing inversely.

As has become routine, Nigerians have continued to express outrage over this phenomenon that has, it seems, increased their cost of living and lowered their standard of living.

In January, roughly four months ago, NERC discreetly began the execution of an increase in electricity tariͿs, a development that jolted citizens – artisans, technicians, manufacturers, and industrialists who described the action as ill-timed, insensitive, and a deliberate move to further impoverish an already poor entity.

But even then, it came less than another four months after a roughly 50 per cent increase on September 1, 2020 and another one in December when it gave the Distribution Companies (Discos) the go-ahead to adjust tariͿ based on certain factors impinging on its operations, including changes in inÁation rate, foreign exchange, among others.

Coming at a time negotiations were going on with organised labour, which had kicked against the previous September hike, it shocked many Nigerians how such a decision could be taken by NERC during a recession and a pandemic, without the least attempt at consultations.

Many Nigerians believe that despite the pressure from Generation Companies (Gencos), the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) and Discos, NERC ought to be able to stand its ground, focus mostly on service delivery, rather than the unbridled drive for more money for the players, even when majority of Nigerians have not been metered and are arbitrarily billed.

Although the regulator hinges its actions on the Multi-Year TariͿ Order (MYTO), which in 2015 was enacted to satisfy diͿerent interests, including that of the ordinary consumer, the framework appears to only take care of the Discos, NERC (which gets their own cut from it by law), TCN and the Gencos.

Even since the implementation of the so-called ServiceBased TariͿ (SBT), which seeks to match billing with service began, the unmistakable consensus is that the initiative has not succeeded in changing anything, given that the regulator neither has the manpower nor the infrastructure to monitor Discos Although the SBT is expected to operate a progressive regime, which means that customers are charged based on quality of service, however, a quick sample of public opinion would easily show that the body hardly has the capacity to enforce this rule.

A few months ago when the enforcement of the new tariͿ regime commenced NERC insisted that there will never be a good time for the review, stating that it will ensure that Discos improve on the quality of service as well as a 10-day deadline to install meters for power consumers who pay upfront.

“The SBT will operate a progressive regime-the customers that receive the highest quality of service (12-24 hours per day) will pay the highest tariͿ. Customers that receive under 12 hours of service per day will continue paying their current tariͿ,” the chief regulator noted at the time.

But many months down the line, Nigerians have continued to pay more for non-existent service.

In disclosing the latest planned hike last week, NERC stated that it was not only planning a review of tariͿs paid to the 11 Discos by Nigerians, but that it was also reviewing the approved capital expenditure for the power distributors.

Indeed, capital expenditure allowance approved by NERC has always been a source of disagreement between the regulator and the distributors who insist that it is too low and has limited the capacity for network expansion.

Going by MYTO 2015, a framework that guides the pricing of electricity in the country and by the rules is supposed

NERC Chairman, Prof. James Momoh

to be adjusted twice a year, the approved average capital expenditure allowance to Discos remains $12m or roughly N5 billion per Disco annually.

Making the latest planned review/hike public through a release posted on its website, tagged “Notice of Minor and Extraordinary Review of TariͿs for Electricity Transmission Distribution Companies”, NERC stated that the move was pursuant to the provisions of the Electric Power Sector Reform Act (EPSRA) which sets out the methodology and procedures for reviewing electricity tariͿs in Nigeria.

“The MYTO provides for minor reviews every six months, major reviews every Àve years and extraordinary tariͿ reviews in instances where industry parameters have changed from those used in the operating tariͿs to such an extent that a review is urgently required to maintain the viability of the industry,” it said.

Further to this, the commission noted that it held series of public hearings and stakeholder consultations in the Àrst quarter of 2020 on the extraordinary tariͿ review applications of the 11 electricity Discos to consider their respective Àve-year Performance Improvement Plans (PIPs).

However, NERC said that the evaluation of the Discos’ requests for review of the capital expenditure proposed in their improvement plans could not be concluded for the consideration of the commission during the minor reviews undertaken in 2020.

SpeciÀcally, the commission noted that section 21 of the MYTO, 2020 order, provides for consideration of Discos’ capital expenditure application upon further scrutiny and evaluation of the investment proposals.

It explained that the latest notice was issued to inform the general public and industry stakeholders of the commission’s intention to conclude the extraordinary tariͿ review process for the 11 Discos.

In addition, NERC stated that it was also to commence the processes for the July 2021 minor review of MYTO – 2020 to consider changes in inÁation, foreign exchange, gas prices, available generation capacity, and capital expenditure.

It stressed that this is required to evacuate and distribute

the said available generation capacity in accordance with the extant laws and other existing industry rules.

“This notice is hereby issued in compliance with the provisions of EPSRA, the business rules of the commission and the regulations on procedures for electricity tariͿ reviews in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI) to solicit for comments from the general public on the proposed reviews.

“Stakeholders and the general public are invited to send their comments to the commission within 21 days from the date of this publication,” NERC added.

But as usual, the announcement have met with resistance from electricity consumers and industry watchers who are insisting that the planned increase is not only ungodly, but unjustiÀed.

In its condemnation of the planned hike, citizens under the aegis of the Nigerian Consumer Protection Network (NCPN) urged the commission to back down on any plan to do the review, saying that it is ill-timed.

The group’s President, Mr. Kola Olubiyo, in a protest letter to the chairman of NERC, explained that the timing of another increase in electricity tariͿ in Nigeria was ill-advised and therefore unacceptable to electricity consumers in Nigeria.

He stated: “We had expected that the regulator would have allowed the impact of the January 2021 major tariͿ Increase to settle down Àrst. The 1st September, 2020 major review which was given eͿect in January translating to between 120 per cent – 200 per cent increase in some places is yet to go down.

“In several homes, o΀ces, business outlets, hotels etc., Nigerians have stopped using air conditioners, microwaves, water heater and basic household equipment that are taken for granted in other climes. Government needs to listen to us as end-users.”

Olubiyo, a member of the National Technical Investigative Panel on Power Systems Collapses/System Stability & Reliability (June, 2013) and Presidential Ad Hoc Committee on Review of Electricity TariͿ in Nigeria (August, 2020), argued that past increases have not rubbed oͿ on service delivery positively.

Going forward, he urged government to address the 200 per cent “over-bloated” cost of gas, since it accounts for 85 per cent of total daily grid-sourced electricity in Nigeria.

“We crave your indulgence to calm down, slow down and halt the drift. The timing of another increase in electricity tariͿ in Nigeria is ill-advised and unacceptable to electricity consumers of all classes of electricity end users in Nigeria,” he said in the letter to NERC. A professor of Capital Market, Uche Uwaleke, in his comments, said: “Without prejudice to the merits of having a cost reÁective tariͿ, the time is not just right to increase electricity tariͿs. The conditions precedent have also not been met.

“It is clear, even to the blind, that further hike in electricity tariͿs will aggravate cost of production and by extension cost of living for the ordinary Nigerian and increase poverty levels,” he stated.

But while noting that the increase is necessary, Special Adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on Infrastructure, Mr. Ahmad Zakari, noted that to be able to overcome some of the current challenges in the sector, including liquidity and its attendant poor supply issue, the review had to be carried out.

He argued that the review may not immediately translate to a hike in the price of electricity for Nigerians, stressing that the federal government was not unmindful of the situation, reason it is still subsidising electricity for those at the lowest rung of the society.

“Don’t forget that the tariͿ rates for B and D and E customers have not changed and the government has continued to pay subsidy on that,” he stated.

Zakari added: “Allowing the review does not mean all the Ànancial burden automatically passes to the end users.

Government reserves the right to say, I will subsidise for certain classes as it is already doing”.

But as another tariͿ increase looms, Nigerians have continued to ask why the NERC has kept putting the cart before the horse or whether it’s simply a case of which comes Àrst between the egg and the chicken.

Yet questions like: whether Nigeria will ever exit the current cycle of perennial electricity tariͿ increases without commensurate service, whether the country will ever enjoy stable and reliable power supply or if the customer will ever be crowned king in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI) remain unanswered.

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THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER MAY 2, 2021

FOCUS

As Empowered AMCON Goes after Recalcitrant Debtors

Kuru

Louis Achi

O

n Wednesday, April 28, 2021, the Senate passed an Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) Amendment bill that empowers the corporation to, among others, take possession, manage or sell all property traced to debtors.

This is notwithstanding whether or not such assets or property were used as security/collateral for obtaining the loan in particular.

The passage of the crucial bill followed the consideration of a report by the Committee on Banking, Insurance and Other Financial Institutions. AMCON is also being empowered to access the Special Tribunal established by the BOFIA, 2020 for dealing with financial related matters.

Chairman of the Committee, Senator Uba Sani (APC, Kaduna Central), in his presentation said the Committee engaged with stakeholders such as AMCON, Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning; Central Bank of Nigeria; and Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC).

According to Sani, the stakehold-

ers in their submissions asked that AMCON be empowered to take possession, manage, foreclose or sell, transfer, assign or otherwise of property used as security for eligible bank assets among others, adding that, “this will provide for a quicker, easier and legitimate process of assets disposal.”

It can be recalled that AMCON, established on the 19th July 2010, was conceived to be a key stabilising and re-vitalising tool aimed at reviving the financial system by efficiently resolving the non-performing loan assets of the banks in the Nigerian economy.

But sadly since its establishment, the success story of the corporation has been a mixed bag with dodgy debtors pulling all known tricks in the book to evade repayment of bank loans they had accessed to supposedly grow their businesses. So inevitably, a parliamentary tweak to the subsisting legislation was inevitable.

Significantly, President of the Senate Ahmed Lawan succinctly captured the necessity for the tweak to empower AMCON: “When we come to legislate, we all come here with very clear mind, that we are doing this for our country. We don’t have any interest but the national interest. Our hope and desire is for AMCON to be able to recover huge sums

of money – trillions that people have taken and now is on the head of Nigerians. And, it is criminal, really.”

A key novelty of the committee’s recommendation is in clause two, which empowers AMCON to take possession of assets outside of those used as collateral in obtaining a loan request. This fundamentally means that all dodgy debtors who zoom around in private jets and live in unseemly luxury no longer have a hiding place.

This current legislative tweak is crucial because after the financial crisis of 2008-2009, the high rate of Non-Performing Loans (NPLs) in Nigerian banks led to the liquidation and bail out of some banks by the central bank. AMCON was subsequently established as a special purpose vehicle with the mandate to efficiently resolve and manage the non-performing loan assets of banks thereby stabilising the sector.

However, rather than reduce the number of NPL’s, 10 years onwards, AMCON has acquired more liabilities thereby increasing NPLs and has about 3,000 cases in court. The consensus by experts is that this scenario is totally unacceptable.

It’s no secret that Nigeria’s ‘rich list’ boasts of many billionaires.

But many on the fancy list are

make-believe.

Former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, had shattered this contrived wealth bubble when he came down hard on bad bank debtors - naming and shaming them in newspaper publications.

Many of them were indeed chronic bank debtors who lived on borrowed depositors’ funds and almost borrowed some banks into extinction with no desire to pay back.

For instance, it could be recalled that after its formal merger with mid-tier rival Diamond Bank Plc in April 2019, following due regulatory approval, Access Bank Plc acquired all the assets and liabilities of the defunct banking entity.

This positioned Access Bank to pursue recovery of all outstanding debts including the $85.8 million owed it by Cardinal Drilling Limited, a company linked to Seplat Petroleum Development Company Plc, whose chairman is billionaire business mogul, Dr. ABC Orjiako.

This legitimate move by Access Bank to recover the outstanding $85.8 million owed by Cardinal Drilling Services Ltd in effect, has spawned all shades of seemingly adroit maneuvering by the upstream exploration and production entity which has distanced itself from its sister entity (Cardinal Drilling Limited) and ultimately is denying responsibility for the loan which it said it never took.

There are so many instances of this scenario.

Deploying corporate filibustering or subterfuge to frustrate the debt recovery will negatively impact the critical banking sector and defeat the essence of granting such facilities to aid business growth.

For Access Bank, the lender in this instance, as well as other banks, it is a costly project.

The cost covers time for debt recovery and the need to make greater loan provisioning, which reduces profitability and capital resources for lending. Access Bank and Seplat are currently locked in legal battle whether Seplat’s assets can be seized since it was said to be a direct beneficiary of the loan granted Cardinal Drilling, its sister company.

Analysts are of the view that it’s time to go after personal assets of recalcitrant debtors who remain a threat to depositors cash in banks.

Particularly those who borrow with no intention to pay back.

The rise in NPLs remains a significant drag on effective financial intermediation in Nigeria. It is highly unconscionable to borrow depositors’ money from the bank, to ostensibly enhance business growth but only to conceive strategies to evade repayment on the terms agreed.

Exploiting the new legislative empowerment of AMCON, the corporation can now resolutely go after the private jets and fancy mansions, cars and assets of defaulters - outside the collateral assets reflected in the terms of the loans they sourced.

This will also send an enduring signal to all future borrowers that the age of financial responsibility has dawned as the empowered AMCON goes after dodgy debtors.

Kudos to the Senate.

Achi, a public affairs analyst, writes from Abuja.

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A

WEEKLY PULL-OUT

2.5.2021

T

NONSO BASSEY

I STRIVE TO BE GENUINE The actor and singer Nonso Bassey wears many artistic hats and has lofty dreams. Not everything goes as he planned, but the charming and cheerful actor is learning to accept things he cannot control, writes Vanessa Obioha

wo things captivated actor Nonso Bassey as a child: movies and music.

Fashion would come later as a direct influence from his mother and sisters; he is the only male child of his parents.

The late American pop legend Michael Jackson was his beau ideal of music, while the late American actor Charlton Heston represented the nonpareil in movies. Of course, he would later fall in love with Nollywood actors like Eucharia Anunobi, Clarion Chukwura-Abiola, Genevieve Nnaji, Regina Askia and Susan Patrick. Of the lot, Bassey’s head swelled with pride each time the hazel eyes of Askia or the beautiful gap-tooth of Patrick popped on the screen. Not necessarily due to their beauty or talent but to their linkage to the Efik and Ibibio tribes. Askia hails from Akwa Ibom but schooled in Calabar, while Patrick was born in Akwa Ibom. For Bassey, who was born and raised in Calabar, the capital of Cross River, the actresses were closer to home than any Nollywood diva of that era.

“Every other actress was great, but they didn’t come close to Askia and Patrick. They were hometown girls,” he said excitedly in the company of filmmaker and director Mildred Okwo, Nollywood actress Rita Dominic for a screening of their latest flick ‘La Femme Anjola.’

Even though his father is from Imo and his mother from Cross River, Bassey identifies more with his mother’s tribe. He only began learning to speak the Ibo language recently.

As he grew older, his proclivity towards the arts spread like butter on freshly baked bread. He became a writer, a singer, a dancer, an actor and a fashion enthusiast, although his acting skills were beamed to the public in 2017 when he featured in Femi Odugbemi’s critically acclaimed TV drama series, ‘Battleground.’

As a writer, Bassey is obsessed with pens. He called the writing tool one of his favourite possessions and developed a fetish for collecting pens.

“I love writing a lot. Some people stole my pens while I was moving houses, and I’m still angry with them,” he said, feigning anger.

Once, he envisioned himself as a novelist but realised he lacked the patience to go the long mile. So he stuck with writing short stories. He is working on a collection and focuses more on writing scripts and songs. He recently produced a short film.

“I’m drawn to short stories and films. I noticed that people who love short films are not catered to, and I will like to do something in that space.”

His music, however, was in the spotlight, particularly after he participated in the maiden edition of The Voice Nigeria. He was among the top eight finalists of the show. Bassey

ASSISTANT EDITOR OLUFUNKE OLAODE/funkola2000@gmail.com

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ Ͱ˜ ͰͮͰͯ

55

COVER

I Like Fixing Broken Things not everybody needs saving, as we saw in the Anjola character. Not everyone wants what you are offering. The world is deeply flawed. One has to find a balance.”

Bassey is somewhat diffident. It is not a noticeable feature. His cheerful demeanour masked this trait, but there are rare instances when one can see him acting demurely. He wore an African print long tail shirt over a pair of trousers and a black slingback shoe at the screening.

Sometimes, the graduate of English and Literary Studies feels like he is living a dream, particularly with the success of ‘La Femme Anjola’.

His star wattage has increased since the film went to cinemas. Of course, he attracted similar fandom in ‘Battleground.’ His love story with his co-star Ini Dima-Okojie was one of the favourite storylines in the series.

In fact, his performance on that show impressed Okwo and spurred her to bring him on board the feature production.

However, with ‘La Femme Anjola’, he attained another level of respect in his craft.

“I feel like the reality hasn’t dawned on me yet because I’m a big picture thinker. I’m always forward-looking, and once I do something, I sort of forget about it because I don’t want to be carried away by praise or to be destroyed by criticism. I’m sort of single-minded, but working on this project has taught me patience because it took a while to be worked on. And the moments between our shots in Lagos and Cape Town offered me some time to sit with my thoughts and go through things.

“And I learned a lot from the director because she’s very wise. It just taught me to count my blessings. I’m extremely blessed to be part of this project. So many talented people, you know, and sometimes you ask, why me.

“I’m so proud to be here because I thought I would start acting maybe sometime later in my life. I’m thankful to Odugbemi for the opportunity to be in ‘Battleground’ because Mildred saw me there.”

Before Okwo reached him, Bassey was offered the opportunity to feature in ‘Saro, the Musical,’ but the schedule clashed with ‘Battleground’ filming.

Bassey worked as a civil servant in the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency under the Ministry of Aviation before the public fame.

While grateful for his career’s trajectory, not everything has gone as planned. But he has learnt to take things in his strides.

“I’ve gotten to learn that life will not always happen the way we want it and that we’re not always in control of everything. I mean, look at the coronavirus pandemic. It just came and forced everybody to sit down.

I’m learning that I’m not in control of everything and to be okay with all the things that I can and can’t control.”

One of the ways he is doing so is by conquering his phobias. He started swimming to overcome aquaphobia.

He wants to live in a penthouse to deal with his fear of heights.

Bassey may be known now for his acting, but he reassured that music is still a major part of his life. He was signed to Universal Music Nigeria shortly after The Voice Nigeria and released his debut single ‘411.’ He had the privilege to open for the veteran American music group Boyz II Men alongside Ade Laoye when they performed in Lagos in 2019. His Instagram is also dotted with his musical performances. At the moment, he is working on a body of work and has his eyes set on the horizon.

Adebola

Bassey

mesmerised fans of the show with his vocals and body language. He was easily identified as the king of ballads in the singing competition, and his sensual performances solidified that persona. His facial expressions, his emotive voice and the gentle way he caressed the microphone during performances conveyed the right image of vulnerability common among musicians in the R&B genre. He brought that vulnerability to ‘La Femme Anjola,’ his major bigscreen debut.

“I think as an artist, one has to be willing to be vulnerable. You know, because to tell the truth, you have to be willing to be open, willing to prepare yourself to be naked.”

“It’s like songwriting to me. You have to be honest. And honesty is vulnerability.”

Tall, dark, cheerful and charming, Bassey played Dejare Johnson, a stockbroker and saxophonist who was smitten by the enigmatic Anjola (Dominic) when he began playing for her band. Bassey portrayed his character as a successful, easygoing young man with little or no worries unless you want to add his search for a music band as a challenge. His naivety made him an easy target for Anjola, but when he peeled Anjola’s veneer of deceit, he became almost as deadly as his predator.

He confessed that the character stretched his emotional strengths such that he broke down uncontrollably after a particular scene. It would take the whole production crew to calm him down.

“When I first got the script, I made copious notes. I also had to visit Yaba and call on friends to ask about life there because that was part of the backstory of Dejare.

I didn’t grow up in Lagos, you know. I had lots of conversations with the director, did loads of research,” he revealed.

There is a hint of Bassey in Dejare, apart from the musical background. However, he confessed that he never knew how difficult it was to play the saxophone until he played the part.

“Saxophone is a very complicated musical instrument.

I know how to sing and perform but not to play the saxophone. So I had to study saxophonists and learn how they talked and behaved.”

He drew a parallel with the character’s peculiarity to always want to help people. He puts it this way: “The serious complex of his character, the knight in shining armour,” he paused briefly as if allowing that piece of information to sink in.

“I like fixing broken things. These traits spoke to me, and I know how that has gotten me into trouble in the past.”

When prodded to reveal instances, Bassey chose to apply the celebrity ‘privacy’ rule.

One thing is certain: he is empathetic. It shows in how he stared at people directly as if sifting through their thoughts like a search engine to find the right need. It is a habit he has developed over the years.

“I strive to be genuine because I find that everybody is dealing with pain. There’s so much pain in the world. And I wish I could take that pain away. That has taught me to show more empathy and be understanding. But again,

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HighLife Eyitayo Jegede Still Counting at 60

O

Jegede

ndo State gubernatorial candidate and renowned Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Eyitayo Jegede, just stepped into his 60s. With so much happening in Ondo regarding the last governorship election, the Peoples Democratic Party candidate still entertained the felicitations and goodwill messages upon becoming a sexagenarian. Even at 60, Jegede’s momentum is nowhere near spent but still—to quote Lord Tennyson— striving and unyielding.

At his recent 60th birthday celebration, Eyitayo Jegede was bathed with a deluge of eulogies, jolly remarks, and petitions to remain in top physical and political condition. Even those who might be considered his party opponents any other day noted that the Ondo political pavilion would be significantly less colourful without Jegede’s presence and prowess. A telling fact indeed when a man’s allies and adversaries agree on the same thing.

But Jegede has proved himself time and time again as an unyielding character with more devotion to his cause than one would expect of a legal practitioner. Perhaps it is all because leadership means something else to him than it does to others, but Jegede remains resolute to see his vision of Ondo State brought to being with his own hands.

Eyitayo Jegede was the underdog (against incumbent Governor Rotimi Akeredolu) during the last Ondo State guber. Raising the PDP umbrella, Jegede was able to gather 195,791 votes to himself.

However, this was still insufficient to challenge Akeredolu. Eventually, the latter won with more than 90,000 votes, and Jegede filed a petition at the Election Petition Tribunal to challenge Akeredolu’s victory.

At the moment, Jegede’s petition has been nullified, meaning that Akeredolu will remain the dulyelected Governor of Ondo State. Any other man would wallow in self-pity— just not Jegede.

Even though he has done this dance thrice now, Jegede’s political spirit appears to wax only stronger and stronger. Even time, the merciless catalyst of all things is rendered toothless in the face of Jegede’s strength of mind and purpose. Sixty years and counting, Jegede remains true to his pursuits and truer to himself.

with KAYODE ALFRED ͮͶͯ​ͯʹ͵ͳͷͶͮ͵˜ E-mail: kayflex2@yahoo.com

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

End of an Era as Lekoil Chairman Michael Ajukwu Bows Out Lekoil Limited, one of the top oil and gas exploration and production companies in Nigeria and West Africa, has emerged as one of the most talkedabout companies in the last 72 hours.

Their sudden ‘popularity’ follows the resignation of the company’s Chairman, Michael Ajukwu, from the chairmanship position. The action has tongues wagging because Ajukwu was appointed just three months ago.

It is not often that companies like Lekoil trend on social media.

The recent trend has even got people asking questions about the circumstances that brought Michael Ajukwu to the chairmanship position in January of 2021 and sent him packing in April. It might be because of a transgression on Ajukwu’s part or the tides that nearly tore the company in two towards the end of 2020 have returned. The company has not released any information yet, so one can only imagine and conjecture.

Recall that Ajukwu came

onboard as Lekoil Chairman after an acrimonious contest of authority between the Lekoil founder, Lekan Akinyanmi, and the company’s biggest shareholder, Metallon.

According to reports, the struggle was about whether or not to increase Lekoil executive board members from four to seven (including Metallon’s CEO and two others from the same tangent).

With Metallon’s 15.1 per cent stake in Lekoil (ergo, its position as the top investor), one might have expected it to have its way. Thus, even though the majority of stakeholders agreed to Metallon’s proposal, the result was the resignation of Mark Simmonds from the chairmanship position and the appointment of Michael Ajukwu as his replacement.

Perhaps Simmonds’ removal (and consequently Ajukwu’s installation) is related to the dispute between Lekan Akinyanmi and Metallon.

Perhaps not. Similarly, perhaps

Ajukwu

Ajukwu’s abrupt removal might be related to identical vying for more administrative power at Lekoil. Again, perhaps not.

What is certain at this point is that Michael Ajukwu has stepped back from his Chairmanship of Lekoil. What is suspicious, of course, is that he spent only three months there.

Adenuga: Celebrating Africa’s Paragon of Enigma, Charisma @68

Adenuga

There are different cadres of successful businessmen in Nigeria, from the brilliant managers of entrepreneurial ventures to the chairmen and executives of megacompanies. Otunba Mike Adenuga is an elite among the elites of the latter group.

At 68 years of age, the reputable symbol of diligence and business innovation in Nigeria has accomplished much for himself and everyone related to him (including Nigeria).

Social media was agog a few days ago with hashtags Adenuga and Globacom stoking the interest of Nigerians and other Africans. The occasion was none other than the 68th birthday celebration of one of Africa’s most successful business people in recent times, Dr Mike Adenuga.

For a man that prefers to glide under the radar, Adenuga’s name shakes the continent every year on April 29, his birthday.

It has to be said that fish take to the water, birds to air, and Mike Adenuga to business and philanthropy.

Since carving out a corner for himself in telecommunications and building a business empire in the form of Globacom, Adenuga’s name has transcended that of a man captivated by trade and transactions.

No! The man of Ijebu-Ode, of coins and comrades, has become a brand, a legend, the culmination of three lifetimes of unmatched industry.

Nicknamed ‘The Bull’ because of his untiring momentum and insistence on purpose and pursuit without compromise, Adenuga has made his mark on the sands of time. One is hard-pressed to find another Nigerian whose natural genius and personality allows them to rise beyond the limits of ethnicity, education and the country of residence. But more than these accomplishments in the realm of enterprise, Adenuga’s many contributions to disadvantaged and underprivileged people in Nigeria has earned him, among other titles, the moniker Citizen of Humanity. No wonder the people love him.

So this is Mike Adenuga at 68, a charismatic force of goodness and genius, a paragon whose inherent humanness and nobility makes him worthy of emulation and celebration.

Tiwa Savage Serenades Yutee and Julius Rone at 16th Wedding Anniversary One cannot talk about billionaire businessman Julius Rone or his super successful offshore business threads without his affection for his wife and bae, Yutee, getting an honourable mention. Similarly, one cannot gossip about Yutee’s genius for the fashion industry or that spectacular radiance around her without mentioning that her darling Julius spoils her to Jupiter and back. Sixteen years, three children and counting, the ties that bind Julius and Yutee continue to grow strong. Now, even the residents of Miami in the United States of America know it.

Social media and gossip blogs are buzzing with romantic stories of the Rones and photos of their happy celebrations in Miami. According to those with prior information, Julius and Yutee Rone had decided to take things up a notch to mark their 16th wedding anniversary.

Abuja, said certain folks, was fine, but Miami (Florida) was better.

To make their celebrations even sunnier, the happy couple invited supreme singer and

songwriter Tiwa Savage along for the ride. If there was any doubt that Julius Rone pampers his darling, the cost of having Tiwa Savage serenade Yutee on a yacht is more than enough to squash such thoughts.

For those with dreams of true love and marriage, Julius and Yutee Rone are a spec. For as long as social media has become an extension of Best-Couple magazines and covers, the Rones have been featured as a duo to look out for. During this time, they have welcomed three children, each more lovable than the last, and their love spark does not seem to be on the cusp of dimming.

In the meantime, their individual business ventures have ballooned in breadth and height, in the case of Julius Rone especially. Rone recently got into the business books as the first to acquire the Licence to Establish (LTE) the first floating Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) production plant in Nigeria. Yutee is not doing bad herself.

So 16 years together, and as Styl-Plus sang

Julius and Yute Rone

a decade ago, “nobody waka, nobody go solo.” Their anniversary is indeed worth a hundred Tiwa Savages and a thousand Miami vacations.

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HIGHLIFE

Wigwe Running Wild with Access Bank When people thought they had seen the best from Access Bank Plc, the financial institution has continued to break new grounds and over barriers as its Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Herbert Wigwe is not resting on the bank’s laurels. H is constantly thinking of how beat his own best record and he is sure doing well. At least the result is there for all to see. And should the bank continue on this path, many believe it looks certain to, Wigwe look certain to take the bank to the N200 billion PAT full year 2021 result is declared.

The bank at the weekend delivered strong results in the first quarter (Q1) ended March 31, 2021 despite the challenging operating environment.

According to the results, the bank recorded gross earnings of N222.1 billion, which was an increase by six per cent, from N2029.8 billion posted in the corresponding period of 2020. Profit Before Tax (PBT) rose by 30 per cent to N60.1 billion, from N46.2 billion, while Profit After Tax (PAT)

grew by 28 per cent to N52.6 billion compared with N40.9 billion in 2020 on the back of a 13 per cent growth in operating Income and a 16 per cent reduction in interest expense.

Commenting on the results, Group Chief Executive Officer of Access Bank Plc, Mr. Herbert Wigwe, said the performance shoed the strong capacity of their business to generate sustainable earnings on the strength of their balance sheet, diverse revenue streams and their dedicated people.

In line with its aggressive expansion drive, Access Bank recently entered into a definitive and binding agreement with ABC Holdings Limited to acquire 78.15 per cent shareholding in the African Banking Corporation of Botswana Limited (BancABC Botswana).

No doubt leadership is key to the success or failure of any institution. the story of Access Bank is a testament to a highly cerebral and focused leadership over the years. Aig Imoukhuede the former Managing Director, to Wigwe, it is story of soaring success.

Wigwe

Tony Elumelu’s Giant Leaps in Power Project

Elumelu

With innovative business people like Tony Elumelu on the block, newcomers to the business industry are bound to suffer bouts of depression and panic every time Elumelu delves into another sector or invests billions of Naira into a single venture. Since these happen every time, Tony Elumelu has become a mountain before his peers: acknowledge his supremacy or melt away to obscurity in the face of his gigantism.

Frontier businessman, Tony Elumelu, has once again broken new grounds in the Nigerian business sector. A few years ago, Elumelu made the covers of print because he delved into the power sector and acquired the Ughelli Power Plant, one of the six power generation companies of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN). Elumelu’s Transcorp Power Limited acquired a second power plant, the 966MW AFAM Power Plant.

Elumelu’s company has now reportedly become the number one company in West Africa with the most installed power-generating capacity.

According to reports, Elumelu’s Transcorp Consortium shelled out about 105.3 billion to acquire Afam GenCo (which consists of Afam Power Plc and Afam Three Fast Power Limited). The result is the possession of a power plant with an installed capacity of 966MW. At this rate, Elumelu might become the sole power (electricity) authority in Nigeria. Of course, considering the man’s abilities and heart for progress, this might not be a bad thing. Nevertheless, Elumelu’s recent accomplishment in the power project is something worth lighting a candle for.

Certainly, Elumelu is very well-liked because he is an advocate of indigenous economic growth and development. His Transnational Corporation of Nigeria plc (Transcorp) has become a symbol of the idea of Africapitalism that Elumelu champions. Understandably, every sector in which the company has taken an interest (hospitality, agribusiness, and energy, especially) has experienced a long overdue tempering. Folks are hoping that this thread will not be broken with Elumelu’s consolidation of his investments into the power/energy sector.

Hajia Bola Shagaya’s Good Example...Devotes Resources to Helping the Needy The world needs philanthropists who are not disgusted with the common people but would climb harsh mountains and trudge mired valleys to salvage humanity and give it hope. Unfortunately, there are so few such individuals left. Nevertheless, the actions of Hajia Bola Shagaya are a rousing call to others to do good and show that man is no beast.

At 60 years plus, Hajia Bola Shagaya has proved again that she will not live as some of her age group: retired from public life, dead to the needs of others, without understanding, fidelity, love or mercy.

Every year, Hajia Shagaya saddles her bags, visits the disadvantaged and underprivileged, provides food and comfort, and strengthens them with the promise to come again another time.

Seeing Hajia Shagaya with the beneficiaries of her good graces, one might forget that she is a businesswoman and society person acclaimed to be one of the richest women in Africa and an elite figure of influence in Nigerian social and political circles. Nevertheless, the many years of accomplishment and lordly standing have not stamped out her humility or humanity.

As has become second nature to her, many Muslims have been blessed with Hajia Shagaya’s contributions this year. It is Ramadan season, a time to seek the face of God and demonstrate faithfulness with fasting.

However, it is also a time of great need, so Hajia Shagaya’s assistance in the form of daily necessities has not gone unnoticed—although she tries to keep such benevolent deeds under wraps.

The world needs people like Hajia Bola Shagaya who would forgo the rest and luxury due them after years of work to share their hard-earned resources with the needy. People like Hajia Shagaya are beacons of hope, testaments that humans can be something other than selfish and self-satisfying. Little wonder she is celebrated at every turn.

Ex-Osun Deputy Governor Obada’s Senatorial Ambition One of the foremost characteristics of successful politicians is resoluteness, a determination to see goals reached and visions manifested. This is also one of the selling points of former Osun State Deputy Governor and Minister for Defence, Erelu Olusola Obada. Based on recent news, Obada might call upon this aspect of her political self once again, this time to represent the people of Osun East Senatorial District in the Senate House in 2023.

The senatorial ambition of Erelu Olusola Obada does not come as a surprise. It is the traditional path to go from deputy governor to governor and then president, if possible. For Obada, the journey has been from deputy governor to junior defence minister to defence minister. There are still opportunities for more political offices, so why not?

Obada has refused to abandon her People’s Democratic Party for other parties, as some of her peers have done from the word on the streets. If the her 2023 Senate ambition is true and she manages it, Obada will have accomplished what many would not think to do—come back from a decade-

Obada

long political hiatus and claim the pinnacle of political positions for herself.

For those that do not remember the

brilliant stateswoman, Erelu Obada was a PDP gubernatorial candidate in 2003.

However, she later disregarded her bid to join Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola as his Deputy. After two terms, Obada stoked the interest of then-President, Goodluck Jonathan, who appointed her as junior defence minister. Not long after, Obada climbed higher and became the defence minister, the last prominent political position she held.

Since then, Erelu Obada has been reported to have tangoed with education and cultural sectors, becoming chairman of the Federal University, Dutsin-Ma Governing Council. She has been honoured with several traditional chieftaincy titles, including Erelu of Ijeshaland, Eyaloje of Argidi of Atoko, and the Yeye Asiwaju of Ibodi.

Therefore, in many ways, Erelu Obada is already a representative of her people.

The senatorial position would only be the icing on her cake. Of course, there might be those who disagree. Nevertheless, come 2023, the electoral die will be cast, and all will be revealed.

Shagaya

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LOUD WHISPERS

with JOSEPH EDGAR (09095325791)

Nigerian Doctors - Killers in White Coats

Pantami

HOPE UZODINMA – TEARS FOR THE ROLLS ROYCE Kai! When I saw the attack on the governor’s country home, what pained me the most was the Rolls Royce. Oh boy, the vehicle is a monster, and these people did not even pity it. They busted it, oh. I am sure that is what would have pained the governor most o. He would have sat down naked in his bathroom and wept for his beauty. He would have said, ‘Oh my car, my car, my car.’ The thing pain me too for am. I have never entered a Rolls Royce in my life, but I have seen the thing at Cosharis. It is a wonder to marvel. A machine and not something you keep in the village for miscreants to come and blow into pieces. Well, we thank God for the security vote. Oga will do the needful. But seriously, what is really going on in Imo? Why is there so much anger and fire in the place?

Today it is the governor’s country home. Tomorrow it is police stations and the like. Why is the state, nay the country on fire? It is now Sodom

Uzodinma

Shebi, I have said that Nigerian doctors are the worst in this world? I have challenged them to a public debate, and they sent a message that they will not engage me. They look down on me and say that how can they debate with someone from Shomolu. The whole of them are yeye people. They are worse than terrorists because they have a licence to kill. After going through the harrowing experience that led to the death of my beautiful wife, I have started documenting their assault on the Nigerian people. On the anniversary of her ‘murder,’ I will unleash the largest class action in this country and use the compensation I will get to build a worldclass hospital that will show these jokers just how to provide care. My anger this morning is on behalf of my sister, who a hugely expensive hospital told in Lekki that she had cancer and had to have surgery to remove her womb, ovaries and every other thing that would make her a complete woman. She went for a confirmatory test, and the second test came out the same. In the process, she

joined a support group of Nigerian women who have all had their wombs and ovaries harvested by these wicked souls who parade themselves as doctors.

She heard so many stories and started feeling comfortable that there were so many Nigerian women in the same situation. She even began to feel that it was some rite of passage at a particular age for a Nigerian woman. That is how her husband said, well if it is to do surgery, let’s go to England so she can get the best. That is how she flew into the UK, and after a battery of test, found out that nothing was wrong with her. My people, nothing. You see yeye people wey want pay house rent for Lekki come dey joke with people life? You see just how many women would have gone through the harrowing experience when nothing was wrong with them? These doctors are worse than terrorists because they have a licence to kill you and make you pay for it. That is how they were charging N30 million to treat COVID-19. That is how they took over N3 million from me to kill my wife. My wife was diabetic, and

everybody that I tell that she died from diabetes at 52 will shout. Who dies from diabetes, especially when you are exposed to the supposed best Nigeria can offer?

The mumu medical director with his smelly mouth told me, ‘Edgar, this is the best place she can be. Please hold at least N6 million because she will be OK. After collecting half of the money, they called me to say she has passed.

How won’t she pass when you put useless nurses who could not even give a drip, doctors who cannot even read the tokunbo machines you put in the ICU and will now be saying, let’s get her into physiotherapy when someone’s blood sugar was at 456? I hereby challenge them once again to a public debate. Let’s fight verbally, and let’s see the way forward. My very strong advice to the health minister, if we still have one, is to withdraw all medical licences in this country and recertify them. All of them, we do not have doctors in this country. What we have are killers in white overall. I don talk, come and beat me. Rubbish!

and Gomorrah with peace seeming to have eluded us all. What have we done wrong? When will all these end?

back and from there sat with him to have such a wonderful discussion that touched on everything affecting Nigeria today. Security, leadership, the economy, everything. It was such a rich discussion that I could not finish the bottle of Coke that I had asked for.

As I drove into the Uyo night, I could not help but wonder at the calmness and depth I just experienced.

Meanwhile, the good senator mentioned that my great aunty, Rose Eshiett was his cousin. You see how the Duke they relate to strong people.

Presidency beckons on me o.

While I see very strong reasons with Mallam Rufai in his position, the wahala is that you cannot be doing that and just be sitting down and releasing press statements and sending condolences as the victims are killed one after the other. The people we are copying, even the terrorists, know that if you try, you will lose. If you kill the victim, you will regret it. You know, see how they dealt with Osama Bin Laden, who was messed up just as he was about to eat breakfast? Sir, we have to negotiate o, we have to beg o, we have to pay o until the money finish.

See the children from that university killed? If we have no effective plan to rescue and destroy these evil people, let us pay o. By the time the money finishes, even the kidnappers will know and start looking for other occupations. Please, sir, the blood of these children will not let us sleep if we cannot protect the citizens and now be folding hand be doing like George Bush and be saying we will not pay or negotiate when we really

SENATOR EFFIONG BOB – A GENTLEMAN IN THE RAINFOREST Don’t mind me. I sha like to wax lyrical. Which one concern rain forest with this baba? As I was descending into Uyo, I looked out of the window of the plane and saw the magic that is the Niger Delta.

The lush topography, the beautiful fingers of the swamps that lead the River Niger into the Ocean. It got me o, the scene was so beautiful, and as I cannot write a full story about it, I join am with Senator Effiong Bob story. The distinguished Senator is one of those people that make you want to be proud of being a Nigerian.

His politics, his positioning are unusually pro-people. So in meeting him, I was not surprised at the depth of the conversation. I had gone to drop his VIP tickets for my new play, IBIOM, in his house and didn’t want to disturb him. I dropped and turned back, but before I got to the sweet Monty Suites where I was staying, he called and said, come back. I went

Bob

EL-RUFAI – TO PAY OR NOT TO PAY Nasir El-Rufai, the troubled governor of Kaduna, has taken a very strong position, which is not to negotiate with terrorists or pay any ransom.

This is the position of the United States government and also that of the Israeli government. I support this position only that those ones who are taking those positions usually have a military fallback that ensures effective rescue and destruction of the captors. Abi, didn’t you see the thing they did recently in Niger or was it Mali when they came in to rescue their citizen after being abducted?

El-Rufai

Keyamo

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LOUD WHISPERS are helpless. Reconsider this stance.

Na beg.

FESTUS KEYAMO VS EEDRIS ABDULKAREEM – ENTER THE DRAGON Only those of us who grew up on Bruce Lee will understand this caption. Enter the dragon, na Chinese film where the fight used to be mad.

Both sides will not agree oh and they will fight to the death. While fighting, they will be making cat and animal sounds and be looking at themselves and be walking like mumu and be kicking in the air till one die or run away. This is what we see today with a legendary retired activist – Keyamo and relevance-seeking ex-crooner Eedris. Eedris don wake up that morning, no food to eat, no money to pay the ‘olosho’ he carry that night say what will I do now o.

He say let me sing a song and put Keyamo inside whether that one go fear send am N10,000. That is how he release the song that does not even have meaning. Instead of Keyamo to ignore, that one wey don see weak opponent decide to fight under the belt. He released text messages that Eedris had sent to him begging for money to help his sick mother. You see what poverty can cause? If Eedris get money, will he expose himself like this? But the problem na Keyamo.

Why would he go so low to kick a man who is already down? Releasing those messages is what na? What will it prove? Is that the work we send you to go and do in the cabinet? Can’t you see the unemployment figures in the country as Minister of State for Labour, or what is that your portfolio sef? Is it to release a text message that you will now put as part of your achievements in office? My brother, you no do well o. Even me I go dey fear now because I don send you many texts before. This is not how to be a gentleman or be remembered by the people. No matter the reason, Eedris, come meet you for help, na hungry man, and you cannot be laughing at him like this. Even if the man offers to sing for Buhari and una no answer am, the man get right to yab Buhari na. You no yab Buhari before you join the cabal? Please, rise up and be a serious operative of the administration. Leave all this catfight.

It is not helping your image. For you Eedris, no be only you be poor man.

Me sef I poor, be selecting those you dey go beg money make dem no dey humiliate you like this. Reach me, make I give you a list of better people to go ask for money. Abi, you don see anybody release my text message and na daily me dey beg for money o.

Kai, only in Nigeria. Mbok Ken Etete no try release any of my texts o, make Keyamo no go inspire you do wetin no good o. Lol SENATOR ADEYEMI – NIGERIANS ARE ALL VICTIMS Me, I never used to respect this senator. I used to think that this particular one was one of the jokers in the Senate. Those ones that will now just go there to mark time, and when they are finished, they will just go and sit down. But the man impress me o. He wear better suit and tie and come dey shout for Senate that we are finished o. I was so proud of him. He made the speech with so much vigour and passion that you will feel his pain even if you were not a Nigerian. As he was shouting, I was just thanking God that nobody was sitting near him. Come and see the spit. Come and see the way the

Abdulkareem

thing was just jumping out of his mouth as he was screaming. Well, for his efforts, he was called a wolf

Adeyemi

in sheep’s clothing by the mother of Africa. Mother of Africa sitting on her throne failed to see the danger

BABA IJESHA – TALES BY MOONLIGHT Accusing someone of a crime like what this famous actor has been accused of should not be such a light thing. A colleague accused him of sexually assaulting a minor, and as expected, social media went on overdrive. He was arrested, and today I see reports that the accusation was not substantiated and that he would be released on bail pending further investigations.

Let me come out very forcefully against sexual assault of any kind, especially on a minor. This is an abhorrent act and must be condemned by all right-thinking persons. In the same vein, before they are made, accusations must pass all test of veracity because of the potential of damaging careers

and lives. If we are to go by what the police have been reported to have said, this allegation has not been able to withstand the veracity of facts and evidence, and as such, the man would go on bail, then we must begin to show restraint in jumping into these accusations. Rape or any such crime must never be condoned. It must be reported to appropriate authorities who will now be expected to behave above board to reach fact-based conclusions because of the dire implications on both sides. So, on this matter, let’s all be patient and wait for the police to come to their conclusions before we start throwing hot oil all over the place—police over to you.

he was crying out against. All she could see was this person from Kogi trying to upturn the cart. Are you a sheep in wolf’s skin? She asked in her shrill voice. Like this rain is not falling everywhere. Mbok, Mr wolf, ignore mummy o. Keep shouting till they listen and do something about it.

Thank you so much. Well done. Well done.

HELEN PREST AJAYI – A BELATED CONDOLENCE I have really steered clear of all the controversies surrounding this my very beautiful sister following the passing of her beloved husband.

Nigerians can be wicked. She had just lost a companion, and all we read or see are funny stories surrounding her and her marriage.

I have restrained myself from commenting or even reading some of these wicked commentaries. All I can say at this point is kindly accept my condolences. Please ignore the talk of the wicked and remain focused on life, for you still have a lot to give.

God bless you and your kids. God protect you and your family and please remain strong.

ANNIE ESSIENETTE – BRILLIANCE IN THE SKY They had said go to Ibom Air. I enjoy their flights. Very smooth and peaceful. Seriously speaking, these people are beginning to redefine the aviation industry. Their flights, operations and staffing make you just want to keep flying. Then I met Annie. She is the head of marketing and Branding and worked very closely with me as we delivered Ibiom. I just don’t want to hail her too much before people now start thinking one kind. But the fact remains that thy way she has handled me has left me flustered. The professionalism, the engagement, the clarity of the mission all adding up to a wonderful partnership. But guess what? When the brand is strong, you find it very easy to sell. That is what Ibom Air is doing for Annie. The wonderful service just makes it so easy to sell. Well done, guys.

BUBA MARWA - A DRUG CZAR ON FIRE Buba Marwa is on fire oh. The man seems to have rejuvenated the war on drugs. Since his appointment, he seems to have taken the fight to the drug barons and from what we are seeing, it looks like he is doing a good job. He has brought his usual verve and aggression into the war, and the drug barons seem to be feeling the heat. Now whether this is the work of a rejuvenated PR team or real substance, time will tell. But so far, so good, make we dey look. If you know the role drugs play in the situation we find ourselves in this country, you will pray for Marwa’s success.

Drugs embolden and fuel evil. It makes the user feel that he is bigger than the world and can do anything, leading to an escalation of violence.

Drugs drive all these evil people. So the war against drugs must be fought with the same seriousness as the war against terrorism. They go hand in hand. So Booboo, this is your war, and we know you are capable. Let’s see more action. Thanks.

Ijesha

ERNEST EDGAR – HAPPY BIRTHDAY Let me quickly send a brief birthday message to my younger brother, who clocked 50 during the week. His wonderful wife, Bami, organized a powerful birthday party that saw Ernest dance to some very old school music like fire in his heels. Happy birthday bro, and God bless.

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Adebayo Adeoye bayoolunla@gmail.com; 08054680651

Oil Mogul, Segun Adebutu’s Birthday Would be Low-key

Obanor

Zaynab Otiti Obanor’s Compassionate

B

irthdays are moments of reflection, as we celebrate another year, another time.

“We also remember those who have lost their lives in this difficult period of the pandemic, a global challenge that we have all had to deal with. And so, we continue to pray for grace while living in the space of gratitude,”said the beautiful and intelligent Zaynab Otiti Obanor when she celebrated her birthday on April 19.

Rather than celebrate the day with fanfare, the stylish businesswoman, instead, honoured and remembered those who have lost their lives to Covid- 19 and harped on praying for grace.

Last year, the widely travelled woman joined other privileged individuals in the country, who complemented the governments’ efforts across the country to lessen the burdens of the citizenry occasioned by the outbreak of coronavirus.

In the spirit of fellow-feeling and abiding commitment to giving back to the society that has given her fame, her foundation, Queen Zaynab Foundation, QZF, donated N10,000 to 10,000 people across Nigeria towards alleviating the hunger in the country.

No doubt Segun Adebutu, Chairman of Petrolex Oil, shares a lot in common with his father, Chief Kessington Adebutu, who is also the Odoole of Ife. As a businessman, he has done so well for himself to the admiration of his father. For years, Adebutu quietly and organically nurtured his energy firm, Petrolex Oil & Gas Limited, into a key player in the sector. Also, as a philanthropist, he has tried to amplify his father’s famed legacy of benevolence and generosity, as he always makes conscious efforts to put smiles on the faces of the hoi polloi in the society since 2014 when he founded his Oladiran Olusegun Adebutu Foundation (OOAF).

In line with the vision of the foundation and the disappointment of naysayers that it is not a one-off gesture, he has continually impacted the lives of the less privileged in society.

So, you would expect a man of his fame to celebrate and be celebrated on the occasion of his birthday. But come May 4, the shrewd businessman, rather than roll out the drums, will be

Adebutu

Ifeanyi Ubah Declares Intention to Run for Anambra Governor

Rite Foods Head Honcho, Saleem Adegunwa’s Fearless Spirit Call him a patriotic Nigerian, and you will not be far from the truth. Without recourse to hyperbole, Saleem Adegunwa, an Ogun State-born businessman, has proved to the world that a Nigerian company can compete favourably with others globally with proper management.

Today, Rite Foods Limited is said to be giving its competitors a run for their money.

And even in the face of the pandemic, Adegunwa’s slogan, “I can, I am,” propels him the more in his fearless attitude about the environment and competition. His company has employed more than 3,000 people since its inception in 2008.

His years of experience in the global business has also reportedly made him a threat to big and small competitors in the food and beverage industry both home and abroad.

Rite Foods, a truly world-class and proudly Nigerian foods and beverages manufacturing company, was established in 2007 as a subsidiary of the innovative ESS-AY Holdings Limited.

In a chat with Society Watch, the managing director stated that Rite would continue to produce world-class products for its consumers’ benefits through the possibility of the state-of-the-art infrastructure and up-to-the-minute technology deployed in its production factory.

Speaking on the sideline of a Rite Foods Brand Academy programme for content drivers at its first-rate factory at Ososa, Ogun, he said the company set the pace for others in the industry through unique brands that are proven to be unrivalled by consumers.

celebrating his birthday low-key with his family and some select friends. It was also learnt that he also plans to give out to the needy on that day.

Adebutu, an Economics graduate of the prestigious University of Ibadan, started trading in oil and gas in 2004. His entrepreneurial dexterity has seen him grow that small business into a world-class conglomerate with interests in shipping, mining, construction, infrastructure, real estate, telecommunications and entertainment.

Aside his own businesses, the amiable businessman also sits on the Board of Premier Lotto, Nigeria’s most successful lotto and sports betting firm, founded by his philanthropist father, Odole Adebutu.

Besides his investments in oil and gas, and involvement in the gaming industry, Adebutu’s vast business empire includes mining. He has a company with arguably one of Nigeria’s most endowed mining assets. Also, he has a marine logistics firm also reputed to be quietly amassing the largest fleet in sub-Saharan Africa and already quietly executing several multimillion-dollar contracts across West Africa. He also owns an urban entertainment outfit based in America and Nigeria.

Ubah

The chief Promoter and Founder of the Afa Igbo Efuna Movement and Chairman of Capital Oil, Senator Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah, penultimate week, began the journey to realise his gubernatorial ambition as he formally Dr Abiodun Oluwaseyi Taiwo, an engineer and former sole administrator of Ikeja Local Government, can aptly be described as a technocrat in politics.

The CEO of Const-Flow Global Engineering Limited and Mobile Trans Nigeria Limited has about 20 years’ experience in transportation management, project management, procurement and logistics, privatepublic partnership development and business management. He has worked in the engineering, construction, media and transportation/ logistics industries.

When the highly cerebral civil engineer was handed a mandate to serve in the public space as a council boss, he proved that he is a professional in politics by becoming a disruptor.

Within 15 months as the Ikeja Council honcho, Taiwo got his feet under the desk and showed his mettle by reputation, competence and experience. Even after leaving his political position as Council boss, he has shown that he is not a jobber.

This has further made elders and chieftains of his party see him as a reliable and productive young man who can be entrusted with very

declared his intention to run for the governor of Anambra in the forthcoming election. The oil magnate, representing Anambra South in the Red Chamber of the National Assembly, made the declaration during a ‘Thank you’ rally hosted at the DCC Field in Nnewi.

While thanking the people of Nnewi North for electing him Senator in 2019, he formally informed them that he would run for governor in the November 2021 election. Senator Ifeanyi Ubah is running under the platform of the Youth Progressives Party, YPP. Before he officially declared his intention, he had reportedly secured the blessings of elders, stakeholders, and those who matter in the state.

The development, it was gathered, has been making other ‘wannabe’ contestants jittery, especially as he has continued to gain momentum in his race to the government house. However, the oil and gas top player has to battle a lot of challenges to realise his lifetime desire.

Apart from his relatively unknown political party, The Young Progressives Party, the incumbent Governor, Willie Obiano, may also constitute a clog in the

wheel of Ubah’s dream. However, he has no constitutional right to contest any more.

A source revealed that the founder of Capital Oil is also aware of the mountainous task before him, and he is prepared to surmount it. In the past years, he has proved to his detractors that he is indeed a cat with nine lives.

The more they try to bury him, the more he sprouts like a seed in a well fertile land.

The billionaire, who sits atop many businesses across the country in the past, has faced many challenges that would ordinarily consume a lily-livered.

But the Nnewi-born Senator has proved beyond reasonable doubt that he is indeed a warrior and a master of the game. Even though he is a lone fighter, many of his enemies are never his match. Since he was declared winner in the senatorial district, the billionaire has fought so many battles within the state and outside. But he has emerged victorious in all the legal battles so far.

Former Administrator Abiodun Oluwaseyi Taiwo’s Triple Celebration

sensitive activities; hence his choice as the head of APC membership registration exercise for the whole of Ikeja Federal Constituency.

However, unlike some other politicians, who have no other means of survival, he has returned to his business full-time while moonlighting as a politician - albeit he is ready to serve. Interestingly, on April 20, Taiwo, a real estate developer and haulage/ logistics mogul, had every reason to celebrate his modest achievements so far.

On that particular day, it was a triple celebration for him, as he celebrated his birthday, his new doctorate in Industrial Engineering Management (currently running another PhD in Strategic Leadership Management) and official opening and dedication of his ultra-modern office complex off Allen Avenue, Ikeja, Lagos.

The business complex situated in the heart of Ikeja, Lagos, was officially declared open and dedicated by the Senior Pastor of the Revival Assembly Church, Apostle Anselm Madubuko, ably assisted by his wife, Emmy Kosgei Madubuko.

Taiwo

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PUBLICATION

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YINKA FISHER’S

DELIGHTFUL PACKAGE OF UNEARTHED HIDDEN TREASURES Fisher

Cover continued on Page 62

EDITOR OKECHUKWU UWAEZUOKE/ okechukwu.uwaezuoke@thisdaylive.com

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ARTS & REVIEW\\VISUAL ARTS

YINKA FISHER’S DELIGHTFUL PACKAGE OF UNEARTHED HIDDEN TREASURES Ahardcoverbook,whichoffersawell-curatedvisualfeastofartworksownedbytheLagos-basedartcollectorYinkaFisher, wasrecentlylaunched at a virtual event hosted by the Spanish Embassy in Abuja.Okechukwu Uwaezuoke reports

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sn’t it gratifying that – even in these dire times – so much enthusiasm swirls around a book on art collection? A breathtakingly packaged hardcover, the 272-page book, titled For Art’s Sake and subtitled A Selection from the Yinka Fisher Collection, offers delightful glimpses of one man’s nearly five decades of an art-collecting odyssey.

Besides its laidback and reader-friendly font size, which is complemented by engaging illustrations, the book’s interest-piquing credentials are further burnished by an assemblage of contributions from the Ahmadu Bello University’s fine arts professor Jerry Buhari and Sotheby’s head of Modern and Contemporary African Art Hannah O’ Leary as well as those of the leading collector and expert on Ben Enwonwu’s works Neil Coventry, the National Gallery of Art’s former acting director-general Simon Ikpakronyi and Rele Gallery’s founder Adenrele Sonariwo.

Also significant was the fact that the book’s virtual launch, hosted by the Spanish Embassy in Abuja, held during the World Book and Copyright Day celebrations on Friday, April 23. Hence, its coordinating editor, Jess Castellote, in a recent interview, alluded to the age-long Spanish tradition that commemorates the day with book gifts to male friends and roses to females. “Though Castellote, left, with Fisher at the book launch it’s a global thing, it’s very popular among the Spaniards,” he explained, adding the fact that the country within the last 60 to 70 years. At the virtual Spanish Embassy, which over the years has cherished event, whose attendance roll-call was more qualitative this tradition, always focused on books whose contents than quantitative, guests had the singular privilege of focus on Nigeria. being regaled with a special preview of this enchanting Back to the book For Art’s Sake, which Castellote world. Talking about the event, which kicked off at about co-edited with Akinyemi Adetunji and Lanre Fisher.

6 pm with introductory remarks by Castellote, it featured It is a product of a well-thought-out pet project of the a pithy review of the book by the debonair Lagos-based Foundation for Contemporary and Modern Visual Arts, legal practitioner and art collector Femi Lijadu, who which is sometimes referred to as FCMVA. The foundalauded the “thought-provoking and wide-ranging tion, which the collector Yinka Fisher co-founded with book”, adding that it “is bound to challenge assumpCastellote, had conceptualised a documentary series, tions and stimulate new ideas about how crucial art and titled Hidden Treasures, which focuses on the lives and culture are.” works of various Nigerian artists and collectors. “We But its real climax was the collector’s engaging realised that it would be good to have something on narrative about the book’s publication timeline and, the collectors and the collections that are hidden in the inevitably, his passion for promoting and preserving houses, offices and stores of people,” Castellote said.

Nigerian modern and contemporary art. On his impresSince its inception in 2014, the FCMVA had, accordsive collection, which houses over 500 artworks, Fisher ing to Castellote who is also the director of the Yemisi disclosed that this was not something he had planned for.

Shyllon Museum of Art, been focused on documenting “It never crossed my mind that I would end up having and giving greater visibility to Nigerian art. Hence the over 500 pieces of art, and still counting,” he writes in publication of its latest title is only the conclusion of the book’s preface. “I often wonder when it will stop! what the Spanish-born art historian called “one block of The eyes of a collector would always see an artwork that a much larger project.” speaks to him, and he would acquire it. This is a fact of For the reader, the book’s pages hold a promise of life and I have resigned myself to that.” delightful hopscotch through a minefield of informaIt can, therefore, be inferred from this that he did not tion on the contemporary Nigerian art scene. Not in set out to collect artworks as an investment. Nor did he the least pedantic in their presentation, its chapters consider them as such until things changed in recent breeze through historical landmark periods and events, times to influence the value of Nigerian art. offering useful insights into the evolution of art in the Of course, there is also the fact that his passion for

collecting art was constantly weaned on the diet of what he gleaned from books and magazines on art appreciation and collection as well as his experiences at exhibitions, gallery visits and interaction with other collectors.

Still on his collection, Fisher describes artworks in the watercolour medium as his “first love” and among these artworks were depictions of all forms of human activities and landscapes. He was also drawn to works produced in the oil medium and relished the realistic paintings produced by artists from the Yaba College of Technology as well as the surrealistic works of the Abayomi Barber school. “In later years,” he continues, “I began to see beauty in works of other mediums. Subsequently, sculptures started to appeal to me. I saw life in wood and strength in bronze. I, thereafter, plunged myself into the acquisition of sculptures, so much so that a friend recently walked into my sitting room and asked what I was doing with all these ‘ere’ (idols).”

Then, there was his fervent acquisition of works by the legendary Ben Enwonwu, most of which were works on paper. “I acknowledge BE as a versatile artist in most mediums, but I personally find something special in these works, especially in watercolour.”

To cull over 250 works from the massive collection, Fisher had worked so hard with the editors during the lockdown to identify works that not only represent the variety, but also the breadth of his collection.

According to Castellote, a structure for the book was agreed upon after many deliberations. “We didn’t do it chronologically, alphabetically, we did it by media.

So, there is a chapter dedicated to works on paper, another to paintings, another one to sculptures, another one to installations and, because of the importance of [Ben] Enwonwu in his collection, we dedicated a whole chapter to works of them.”

Of course, works had to be fitted into the designated chapters for the agreed-upon categories. Selections had to be made where Fisher had many works by a particular artist. In cases where he has just an artwork or two by an artist, the works were selected if they were deemed important by the editor.

Thus, the book grants the readers access to representations of works by over 100 artists not only from Nigeria but also from across Africa. Brief remarks by the Spanish Ambassador Marcelino Cabanas Ansorena expresses his embassy’s delight “to be a part of the development of Nigerian art and culture.”

Meanwhile, Fisher hoped that “by the publication of the book” he had unearthed “some hidden treasures” his collection “contributed to provenance.”

EXHIBITION

A PEEK INTO ERELU’S PRIVATE COLLECTION Yinka Olatunbosun

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visual treat awaits art aficionados at Terra Kulture, Victoria Island Lagos.

Deviating from its tradition of showcasing artists, the gallery has opened its doors from April 25 to May 5 just to welcome curious feet that wish to catch more than just a glimpse of the private collection of the Erelu Kuti IV of Lagos, HRH Erelu (Dr.) Abiola Dosunmu. A successful businesswoman, Erelu is regarded as the Queen Mother of Lagos. In addition to her interests in oil and gas, real estate and agricultural industries, she has a good taste in arts which explains the exotic nature of her collection.

On the Terra Kulture gallery walls now hang pieces from leading artists such as Bruce Onobrakpeya, Fred Archibong, Kolade Oshinowo, Godwin Adesoye, Samuel Addo, Mike Omoighe, Emmanuel Inua, Toni Anthony

Ogunde, S.U Okezie, Victor Ehikhamenor, Bolaji Ogunwo, Amonis, Allen Eligwe, Digi, Sina AYussuf and Joseph Eze. One key motivation for this show is to refuel the interests of the public in art pieces from the masters of the game. It is also an avenue into the world of Erelu especially on how she engages with her cultural roots. For instance, in the 2009 metal foil relief work by Onobrakpeya, the motif of royalty is a reflection of Erelu’s ancestral heritage. In another piece of the same medium, titled “Horns of Freedom”, the underlying message will resonate with students of history who are familiar with the story of the Oba of Lagos, Dosunmu and how he was forced to cede Lagos to Britain in 1861.

Lagos has remained a reference point while tracing the roots of trans-Atlantic slave trade.

Hence, having a piece that celebrates freedom is not just for the love of beauty but the deeper aesthetics buried in every stroke of the brush.

Adesoye’s piece, titled “Morning Market”, must have made quite an impression on Erelu who had long pushed the Aso Oke business into a multi-billion-dollar investment. With a shop on the famous Bond Street London, Erelu

promoted the Yoruba culture through beautiful fabric designs and exotic taste for perfection. Erelu must have been drawn to Adesoye’s technique of hybridization of charcoal and acrylic.

Ado’s oil on canvas painting, titled ‘Dignity of Labour”, is described as one of Erelu’s most prized possessions for over 30 years. The work alludes to existentialism with the sub-themes of patience and struggle of life. Meanwhile, Inua’s mixed media painting, titled “Harvest”, was born out of Erelu’s accidental meeting with the artist on the foyer of the prestigious Hilton Hotel, Abuja where he had a permanent exhibition space. His mixed media works are quite remarkable for their beautiful colours as well as the artist’s low relief technique.

Later, Erelu commissioned him to create the lioness which he did.

“Dancers’, Okezie’s well-over 60-year old painting celebrates womanhood with its depiction of African women doing a simultaneous movement and is rated as one of Erelu’s favourites. Eligwe, one of the new generation artists has enticed Erelu with some of his acrylic paintings that accentuates African motifs. Erelu is known to support budding artists and has demonstrated strong affinity for cross-cultural art.

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CICERO

Editor:Olawale Olaleye mail:wale.olaleye@thisdaylive.com, SMS: 08116759819

IN THE ARENA

As Boko Haram Closes in on Abuja...

After seizing territory and hoisting flags in parts of Niger State, two hours away from Abuja and allegedly infiltrating Lagos and other parts of the South, the Boko Haram terror group needs to be far more seriously confronted, writes Louis Achi

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ccording to CNN’s Fareed Zakaria in his latest Washington Post Column, ten years after Osama bin Laden-choreographed multiple terrorist strikes at the heart of America, the threat of Islamist terrorism

has faded Hear him: “This weekend marks the 10th anniversary of the operation, codenamed Neptune Spear, that Killed Osama Bin Laden. It’s an opportunity to reflect on the state of Islamist terrorism and radical Islam more generally. And the initial diagnosis is clear: The movement is in bad shape.”

The number of deaths caused by terrorism around the world has fallen sharply since 2014, and right-wing extremism poses a greater threat in the US, Fareed notes. As a political movement, Islamism is flailing, as Iraqis and Syrians fled ISIS’s caliphate “in droves,” and as Egyptians protested the Muslim Brotherhood government there.

Today, the appeal of jihadist groups – whether in Afghanistan, Nigeria, or the Horn of Africa – largely centers on local grievances, not ideology, a “major reversal from the glory days of al-Qaeda” and its global aims.

He then counsels his fellow Yankees: let’s learn to right-size our adversaries and find a way to run fast but not run scared.

It would be interesting to get Fareed to Buhari stop over in Abuja and address the National Assembly, with Governor Abubakar Sani Bello of Niger State in attendance – for good measure. After a grim search at the entrance to the national parliament, he would quickly learn that Nigerians are running scared – having not found a way to “right-size our adversaries.”

He would also learn that some kernels of his analysis suffer from a deficit of updated information. He would learn that Nigeria’s Operation Lafia Dole (now renamed Operation Hadin Kai) is not America’s deadly, clinical counter-insurgency strike code-named ‘Neptune Spear’, that Killed Osama Bin Laden.

He would finally learn that if the threat of Islamist terrorism has faded in continental United States, it’s blossoming in Africa, especially, Nigeria – and that the number of deaths caused by terrorism in Nigeria has sharply risen. He would learn that Boko Haram (meaning Western education is forbidden) is not a local grievance but ideologically anchored. Then, like the great journalist he is, he would move to revise some of the basic assumptions of his analysis. Here is why.

Last Tuesday, nervous, chubby-cheeked Nigerian Senators expressed justifiable fear that the Boko Haram insurgents may overrun the nation’s capital, Abuja, because of the attacks the deadly group had launched on contiguous states.

The previous day before the senators’ expressed jitters, Governor Abubakar Bello of Niger State, revealed that Boko Haram terrorists had taken over about 50 communities in the state. Wait for it: he said the terrorist group is just some two hours away from Abuja.

Curiously, as a way of addressing the issue, Senate resolved to send its leadership – the President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan and other principal officers – to meet with President Muhammadu Buhari. But no date has been fixed for the meeting. Old story.

The Senate’s decision followed a motion, moved through a point of order by Musa Sani from Niger State, tagged, “Activities of bandits and Boko Haram terrorists in Niger State”.

Again, for good measure, the upper chamber also resolved to summon the newly-appointed service chiefs to brief them on steps so far taken to salvage the situation. No date has, however, been announced.

According to Senator Musa Sani, “I can authoritatively confirm that the Boko Haram terrorists have mounted their flags in many of the villages they have captured such as Kaure, Alawa and Magami,” adding, “Inhabitants of these war-torn parts of the State have

been abandoned and left to their fate thereby compelling them to wallow in perpetual agony and abject misery.”

He further informed his colleagues that about 42 communities across the two local government areas of Shiroro and Munya Local Government have so far fallen under the Boko Haram control with about 5,000 villagers already displaced in the last three days.

“They have kidnapped many and their wives seized from them and forcefully attached to Boko Haram members while three military camps in Allawa, Bassa and Zagzaga in the two local government areas have been sacked and some security personnel killed by the insurgents in the last one month of renewed attacks,” the embattled Niger State senator revealed.

Former Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, cut to the heart of the matter, when he submitted that the central government has lost its legitimacy to lead, since the primary responsibility of government is to protect the people and this has not been done.

He said: “Any Government that finds it impossible to secure the lives of the people has lost legitimacy. We have made beautiful suggestions and have had retreats on insecurity but unfortunately, the recommendations haven’t been implemented. If we need to shutdown Niger State or the Senate in order to find solutions, let us do that.”

More, it could be recalled that the former Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen. Tukur Buratai, had in February alleged that Boko Haram has entered Lagos and stated that no part of the country was protected from infiltration by the terrorist group. Sources have also claimed that the Lagos State government hadarrested members of the group and that it was the fear of them taking over the state that they banned Okada and Keke operators in some parts of the state.

Meanwhile, successive travel advisories by the UK and US governments warn their citizens of heightened insecurity in the country and go as far as specifying which states to avoid.

Besides having serious implications for the stability of West Africa, should the Boko Haram terrorists who have been “technically defeated” successfully breach the security of the country’s strategic administrative and commercial nerve centres – Abuja and Lagos – the consequences can only be imagined. Beyond the customary rhetoric, the time to genuinely confront and defeat this scourge is now.

P O L I T I CA L N OT E S

S Tinubu and Adeyemi

Who’s the Wolf?

omething quite unfortunate, however, with a strong message played out in the senate, last week, when Senator Smart Adeyemi, Kogi West, stood up to address the floor on the state of the nation with particular reference to the escalating insecurity in different parts of Nigeria.

It was, therefore, to the shock of the nation that his colleague from Lagos Central, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, a former first lady of Lagos, scolded him by describing the Kogi legislator as a “wolf in sheep’s skin”. She didn’t stop there. She further queried if the Kogi senator had also joined the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Was she implying that only PDP members are affected by insecurity? What exactly did she mean to say? Does in insecurity discriminate between PDP and APC members? Unfortunately, these are the kind of people our country is saddled with in leadership

positions. On merit she would never have made it to the senate. But there she is representing Lagos Central all because of her husband who has held Lagos state by the jugular in the last 21 years.

For Mrs. Tinubu, anything that would scuttle or undermine the alleged presidential aspiration of her husband, in which she stands to benefit as the nation’s first lady is unworthy of attention – whether or not she and her husband have to step on the blood of innocent – lives spilled through insurgency or banditry to the Villa.

Interestingly, Mrs. Tinubu’s barefaced outburst speaks not only to her, but a larger chunk of the elite, political and ruling classes, who had since this downhill movement maintained an undignified silence for personal aggrandisement. Unfortunately, the menace is closer home than they can ever imagine and when the chips are finally down, everyone has a price to pay, either for their ignoble roles in all of this or their criminal silence.

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ MAY 2, 2021

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BRIEFINGNOTES The Greenfield University Disaster The recent abduction of students of the Greenfield University, Kaduna, and the gruesome murder of five of the abducted students by their captors, have exposed the obvious vulnerability of the nation’s security architecture, writes John Shiklam

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he remains of one of the five students of the Greenfield University, Kaduna, Dorathy Tirnom Yohanna, who were killed in captivity by bandits was laid to rest on Wednesday in Kaduna. Hundreds of people attended the funeral service held at the ECWA (Evangelical Church Winning All) Good News, Narayi High Cost, Kaduna, amid tears and anger over the unending security challenges occasioned by the invasion of communities and schools for abductions and ransom and now, killings.

Yohanna, alongside Precious Nwakacha and Sadiq Muazu were the first three of the five students killed in captivity on April 23, three days after their abduction.

The other two were killed on April 26.

The killing of the students had attracted wide condemnation from across the country with Nigerians asking the federal government to live up to its responsibility of protecting lives and property of the citizenry.

On April 20, 2021, the bandits invaded Greenfield University, the only private tertiary institution operating in Kaduna and abducted yet to be disclosed number of students, although unofficial sources put the number of the kidnapped students at 23.

The gunmen in their numbers had invaded the school at about 8:30pm on April 20, shooting sporadically. One Paul Okafor, said to be a security guard in the university was killed by the bandits.

The university, which was established in 2019, is located in Kasarami community, Chikun Local Government Area of the state, off the Kaduna-Abuja highway, about 30 kilometres away from Kaduna city. The criminals were said to have taken advantage of the isolated location of the school and its porous surroundings as it has no perimeter fence.

Many communities along the Kaduna-Abuja road had been victims of banditry and kidnappings. Some of the villages have been sacked by the bandits while many villagers have relocated to other places as a result of persistent invasions and abductions by gunmen.

The bandits were said to have demanded for the sum of N800 million for the release of the students. However, three days later they killed three of the students. The corpses of the students were found in a village called Kwanar Bature, near the school.

Kaduna seemed to be under siege by bandits. Almost on a daily basis, communities are being invaded, people are either being killed or abducted for ransom and property are destroyed. Activities of thebandits are a great setback to the socio-economic activities in the state.

A similar incident had occurred on March 11, 2021, when bandits stormed the Federal College of Forestry Mechanisation, Afaka, Kaduna, located along airport road and abducted 39 students. Ten of the students were later released after N17 million was paid as ransom, according to sources among the parents.

The remaining 29 students are still in captivity. A video had surfaced on the social media on Tuesday, showing the 29 students begging their parents to pay the bandits so that they could be released.Despite agitations by the parents for the Kaduna State government to negotiate their release with the bandits, Governor Nasir el-Rufai has insisted that the state government would not negotiate with bandits nor pay ransom to them. He said the hoodlums were criminals, who were undermining the sovereignty of Nigeria and they must be completely

Funeral service for Miss Yohanna wiped out.

The governor described the abduction of the university students as “sheer wickedness, inhumanity and an outright desecration of human lives by vile entities.”

The governor in a statement the Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan said, “The bandits represent the worst of humankind and must be fought at all cost for the violent wickedness they represent, adding that “evil would not triumph over God-given humanity”.

Chairman of Kaduna State chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Rev. Joseph Hayab, also condemned the persistent attacks, killings and abductions in the state. He described the abductions and killing the students as “cruel and inhuman. It is barbaric and evil of the highest order to abduct people and kill them.”

El-Rufai said the reason the previous government did not go after bandits was because their children were not among those abducted by Boko Haram”.But Hayab noted that people were also accusing the governor of failing to go after the bandits for the same reason that his children were not involved.

At the funeral of Miss Yohanna on Wednesday, her father, Mr. Yohanna Meck, spoke in great pains. He wondered when the government will take the security of its citizens with the seriousness it deserves.

He said he was pained about the gruesome murder of his daughter by criminals, who appeared to be above the laws of the land, saying he “never believed the kidnappers would kill any of the students”.

He imagined how his daughter might have pleaded with the bandits to spare her life and eventually how they went ahead to still kill her.

“I can only imagine she was pleading with the gunmen

when they were to hit her with the bullet and how they refused to hear her plea and still gunned her down. I could feel the pains in my veins; I could imagine the trauma!

“But I take solace in the word of the Lord, to give thanks to God in all situation. My dear lovely daughter, rest in the Lord. I am bidding you goodbye in pains, because I had not thought of burying my child or my younger ones. May we be comforted. Rest well, my daughter”, he said in tears.

Speaking further, he said his temperament did not allow him to speak with the kidnappers, who spoke with his wife while their daughter was in captivity.

He said he was scared that his temperament might anger the bandits and they might hurt his daughter.

Several people, who spoke at the funeral said insecurity has destroyed the socio-economic activities of the country and called on government to take urgent steps to addressed the situation before bandits take over the country, calling for prayers and divine intervention in the challenges facing the country.

The management of the university had in a statement on April 24, by the registrar, Mr. Bashir Muhammad, said efforts were being made to secure the release of the abducted staff and students, lamenting that the efforts were not yielding the desired results.

He said, “a ransom of N800 million has been demanded for our abducted staff and students. We are at this point calling on the government and people of goodwill who can be of assistance to come to our aid as the situation is becoming overwhelming,” even as he appealed “to those in custody of staff and students to spare their lives.”

NOTES FOR FILE

What’s Gumi Saying, Really?

Gumi

Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, a controversial Islamic cleric, last week, warned against the removal or sack of the embattled Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Pantami. Gumi in an interview with Roots TV, said the allegations against the minister were not true and should be discarded, warning that if he was removed, the country would regret it.

With the current state of the nation and the allegations of involvement with terrorists against Pantami, Gumi’s unsolicited advice was just another “insult upon injury”.

Whatever, in Gumi’s estimation, makes Pantami indispensable also explains away the evident ineptitude of the Muhammadu Buhari administration, particularly its failure to the secure lives and property of the citizenry.

There’s no doubting the fact that as a retired soldier,

Gumi himself is a product of a school that is without integrity and honour otherwise it is without telling that a character like Pantami cannot continue to sit tight in any decent society, where self-preservation and the collective interest of the people is above everything else, crucial. But here, it’s the other way round and therefore no surprise that the country is on a free fall on the watch of a general.

Gumi can save his advice and pass it on to their ilk, who still sympathise with the killers of their people.

Going public with such without any restraint is to say the least, disturbing and nauseating. Pantami can stay in government till the end of the Muhammadu Buhari administration because he enjoys official privileges, it wouldn’t change the fact of who he is and how posterity has recorded him.

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CICERO/REPORT

Benue women protesting the unceasing killing of their people

Benue’s Months of Endless Killings and Anguish Benue’s farming communities have endured heinous killings by suspected herdsmen and bandits in the last two months, writes George Okoh

T

he rising death tolls from unprovoked attacks have become a thing of worry in Benue State if not checked. Over a million people in several rural areas have been displaced while farming activities have come to a halt. Children no longer go to school while parent are feeling the pain of losing their loved ones.

The spate of killings, which has increased lately started in early 2021, when the Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom escaped death by the whisker after suspected herdsman attacked him in his farm. The governor had alleged that the decision to assassinate him was taken at a meeting of herders in Yola, the Adamawa State capital.

He also alleged that there were plans by herders to attack residents of the state over the establishment of the anti open grazing law of the state government,which seeks to encourage herders to embrace modern method of ranching of their cattles instead of the open grazing method.

“My lawyer is going to make a petition against the leadership of MACBAN, because they came out to target me and behind the scene, they are planning to eliminate me in my own land.

“If I can’t go to the farm as governor with entire security around me, then, who else can go to the farm?

You can imagine the pains that we have here in Benue State,” Ortom stated Since the attack on the governor, Benue has become a killing field with daily tolls of casualties by bandits, militias or herdsmen In February bandits killed 5 people and injure d 9 at Abaji Market in Benue. In April, suspected bandits killed at least six people during an attack in Goh community in Gwer West Local Government Area. A number of people were also reportedly abducted during the attack.

In the same April, one army officer and 10 soldiers were killed in Bonta Konshisha LGA of Benue State.

Again, on April 17, people were killed by suspected herdsmen in separate attacks across three communities of Guma Local Government Area of Benue State. The affected communities are Ajimaka, Ayeri and Tse-Gboigyo communities – all in Mbaye/Yandev council ward of Guma LGA. According to a former speaker of the Benue State House of Assembly, Dave Iorhemba, in the last couple of weeks, there have been series of attacks in some

particular areas like Tse – Ukor, where scores were killed and at Tse – Gborigyo where seven people were killed and several others injured and taken to the hospital for treatment.

“What is most disturbing was the recent attack that happened at Tse – Uhembe in which a Fulani herdsman butchered a farmer in several places and the farmer also countered by cutting him and both of them were brought to a military check point.

“Just on Wednesday, I was at Tyoha village to see those killed and injured and one of the victims was a teacher at the NKST Primary School Isherev, Mr. Hycinth Ajun, who had his throat and back of his neck slit. I wonder what that kind of heinous crime meant,” he queried.

Asked to give an idea on the number of casualties recorded within a few days, the former speaker said,“The number of persons we have counted between yesterday and today are up to 17 and some are badly injured and are receiving treatment in the hospital.”

He, however, commended a joint military operation code-named Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS) for their efforts at taming the attacks, but added that a lot more needed to be done.

“They (troops) should be moved, because when they continue to stay in one place, they become conversant and used to the people and they certainly cannot act in the way and manner they should. So, I would suggest that the Federal Government should redeploy them; take them to other points.”

As the killings continue unabated, a humanitarian crisis is mounting in the state. The Benue government has, therefore, called on the international community to help end incessant killing of Benue residents by criminal herdsmen and bandits.

While calling for relief support to the people affected.

Head of humanitarian agency and Exexutive Secretary of the state Emergency Management Agency(SEMA), Dr. Emmanuel Shior, said the appeal became inevitable because of the huge task resting on the soulders of the state government on how to manage the crisis.

He also called for policemen to be deployed to some of the camps and appealed to the Inspector General of Police to assist secure the people living in the eight designated IDP camps.

“I want to use this opportunity to appeal to the Inspector General of Police to further appeal to President Mohammadu Buhari to provide more policemen to the state to help secure the IDP camps.

“I also want to call on the international community to come to the aid of the IDPs. In Benue here, in the area of humanitarian crisis, we work with the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), we work with International Committee for the Red Cross, we work with Doctors without boarders and other humanitarian partners to help the state in stemming the growing insecurity situation bedevilling the state”.

Shior, however, expressed fears of possible attack on other IDP camps by the assailants, and appealed to people of the state to join hands with Governor Ortom to amerliorate the plight of the displaced persons.

Lamenting, the President General of the Tiv Sociocultural Organization known as Mzough-U-Tiv (MUT), CP Iorbee Ihagh (rtd) called on President Buhari to stop the killings in the state or the people would resort to self-help.

“The message I am sending to the President is that enough is enough. The killings in Benue is enough. Let him do something about it. If not, we are going to react.

Even though we don’t have AK47, we will do what we did in 1804 during the Jihad war,” he said.

The MUT President-General, who noted that the country was on a life support at the moment, urged the president to act fast to redeem the image of the country, which has already been battered by the increasing spate of insecurity.

“Nigeria is on a life support now and if nothing is done, anything can happen. If President Muhammadu Buhari doesn’t take action on what is happening now, then he doesn’t want Nigeria to be one because everybody is fed up.

“When Ortom started this they thought it was only Benue, but now it’s everywhere. The Igbo, the Yoruba, and even the Hausa are all fed up. Even the President’s home state is also affected. The other time he went home and 250 students were kidnapped in his state. So, he is not in control.”

Ortom, who described the attack on the IDP camp as inhuman, barbaric and unacceptable, has called for urgent action against the activities of militia herdsmen across the country, saying if the federal government had taken the issue of militia herders seriously, it wouldn’t have escalated to this level.

He further lamented that in the last two weeks, over 70 persons had been killed in Makurdi Local Government alone while various communities across Benue still suffer from same militia herdsmen.

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CICERO/INTERVIEW

Ekpere-Eta: Nigeria Now Ripe for Female President Director General of of the National Centre for Women Development (NCWD) Mrs. Mary Ekpere-Eta has said the profile of Nigerian is on the rise with the recent appointment of Dr. Ngozi Okonjo Iweala as the Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and expressed confidence that women would give men a tough contest for the presidency in 2023. Onyebuchi Ezigbo presents theexcerpts:

H

ow would you describe your tenure as the director-general of the centre?

My tenure has been a fulfilling one, working round the clock to achieve the core mandates of the NCWD. With the support of the Board, Management and Staff of the Centre, I have been able to carry out many laudable programmes in line with the agenda of the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, which places very serious interest in the issues that affect Nigerian women. In so doing, the Centre has been able to touch positively, various women across the country.

What challenges have you encountered?

Challenges abound everywhere and it is in overcoming them that one brings out the best in any endeavour. You are all aware of the challenges posed by world economies and recently, the COVID-19 pandemic. These issues have affected us in no small measure by limiting the much we can do. But in all, we are satisfied with the changes we have been able to spearhead at the centre in the past four years.

Looking back since my assumption of office as Director-General the centre in April 2017, the experiences have both been challenging and rewarding.

I came to the NCWD with the mindset of galvanizing the human capital and other resources on ground. Of course, I also came with the private sector attitude of setting targets, meeting deadlines and having tangible achievements to highlight at key intervals.

Nonetheless, I was keen on working with staff of the agency and not trying to alienate them. I believe this has helped me a great deal with the Centre moving at a good pace. So, I have preferred to look at challenges as stepping-stones in managing the affairs of the NCWD. What’s your experience working with fellow women across different backgrounds?

It has been very rewarding and fulfilling in the sense that as a woman myself and one who has always been at the forefront of ensuring the welfare of women, it is not a new terrain for me to listen and proffer solutions to the myriad of issues bedevilling Nigerian women, using the instruments of government. Looking back, I would say we have been able to make remarkable progress and I am satisfied with what the government has been able to achieve.

What are your achievements in the past four years?

As the national repository institution charged with gender research, capacity development, training, and documentation for the advancement of Nigerian women, the NCWD has continued to live up to expectations as a gender-compliant, gender-responsive, gender-intervention and female-focused agency.

Alongside the Management and Staff of the NCWD, I have been able to scale up the existing programmes and introduced new ones. This explains why we have been able to achieve a lot in this spate of time. Despite the initial hurdles which I scaled, it feels like I am just starting. I am still energized with the zeal to get into the office, to work with my team to implement programmes for the advancement and empowerment of Nigerian women and girls.

This probably explains why the months ran fast, with associates and friends reminding me that I have spent four years in office.

The NCWD not minding its low budgetary status, has continued to forge ahead. The Centre is at the forefront of sensitizing women and leading in the advocacy for improving the status of women and girls in the country. Therefore, institutionalized training courses of the NCWD consist mostly of building the capacity of women, building competence for research on women, developing women’s knowledge on information technology; challenging more women to become more computer literate and marketing their businesses, using ICT as well as providing a platform for them to contribute to national discourse.

In the area of research, our philosophy still stands on advocating for a socio-cultural, socio-economic and political advancement of women. The Centre produced publications such as ‘Who Are Making The Key Decisions? ACollation of Data on Women and Women in Governance and in Politics.’ There is also the documented position of Nigerian Women on the Restructuring Debate.

We started out in 2017, with the training and empowerment of 150 female Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Adamawa and Borno States, increasing the number to 225 in 2018, covering additional States of Taraba and Yobe States in the North East. We also scaled up the female artisanship programme in air conditioning and refrigerator repairs, generating set repairs, plumbing and piping and tiling and masonry from 50 in 2017 to 140 in 2018.

While providing start off grants for them, we also obtained Trade Test 3 certificates for them. Plans are ongoing with the German Development Cooperation Agency (GIZ) to scale up the training to a more advanced level so as to award them the level two and one Trade Test certificates. Our ICT facilities enabled us to train more women in bridging the gender digital divide. Between 2017 and 2018, we have been able to train over 800 women and girls, while

Ekpere-Eta spreading these trainings to rural communities in the country.

Twenty visually impaired women have also benefitted from our ICT programmes. We equally executed special trainings for women farmers and entrepreneurs.

Since 2017 as with previous years, university graduates have continued to top the list of our trainees. What this shows is the fact that vocational skills are fundamental in resolving the problem of unemployment in the country. Between 2017 and 2018, 750 students have graduated from our training programmes with fashion design and garment making as the most favourite, followed by Hospitality and tourism, interior and outdoor decoration, catering, cake baking, decoration and Sugar Craft 9, bread and pastry making, Tie and dye, make up and head gear and bead and jewellery making.

The Centre continues to work with members of the parliament in training a large number of women and youth as part of their constituency projects. The success rate of these projects has led to more lawmakers domiciling their constituency projects with us.

I can’t forget the little ones. Children in our Daycare Centre haven’t been left out in our activities. They participated in marking the Day of the African Child. This important day is celebrated on June 16th every year. It is devoted to celebrating kid’s uniqueness as African children. I have reached out to many groups and organizations seeking to collaborate with the NCWD on new ideas.

For instance, we have signed a new MOU with the University of Abuja to jointly run a Masters degree in Gender Studies.

The Financial Inclusion Secretariat of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) also visited to secure our support to advocate for increase in women’s participation in the scheme. My tenure has witnessed unprecedented level of refurbishment of critical infrastructure at the Centre. Despite the meagre resources available, I was able to overhaul the facilities within the event centres such as the Maryam Babangida Auditorium, the banquet hall and its adjourning meeting room. Amongst the first set of facilities to receive attention is the 69-bedroom Dora Akunyili Guest House, which has been raised to a 3-star hotel status.

I am always glad to market the Centre as a one-stop location for conferencing of any size in the Federal Capital Territory. The auditorium, with a 1,200 sitting capacity, received a facelift to make it more conducive for events. I did not sit and complain of how the facilities needed to be upgraded or renovated. Rather, I got to work and feedback on the quality of remodelling done has been excellent. Work is currently on-going in the Franca Afegbua Hostel to also make it more conducive. We have made efforts to ensure that our facilities are disability friendly, as we continue to provide inclusive services to all categories of Nigerians.

In line with the hope of the founding mother of the National Centre for Women Development, Dr. Maryam Babangida, and her supporters, to make it a tourist attraction, and also a reservoir of verifiable data on all things women, I can humbly say that the beautification of the Centre, which is noticeable right from our outer fence, has seen more visitors, as well as impressed stakeholders returning with friends to see things for themselves.

We established the digital dashboard on gender based violence in Nigeria.

The spike in gender-based violence is a reality that worries majority of Nigerians, especially women who now insist on government ensuring the effectiveness of laws designed to protect women and punish persons who find it easy to attack and molest

women. I have also concentrated on reviving important programmes which helped the Centre act as a centripetal force. In June 2019, we hosted the induction ceremony of the Nigerian Women Hall of Fame after years of the prestigious event being kept in abeyance. The colourful, and inspiring ceremony saw people from all works of life gather in the Marymam Babangida Auditorium, as we honoured the new set of inductees.

My tenure as Director-General of the centre witnessed the scale,,up of our skill acquisition programmes and more significant is our moving women into sectors once the exclusive preserve of men.

The Centre has graduated from its regular training with over 6000 participants in fashion design, garment making, hospitality and tourism, interior and outdoor decoration, catering, cake baking, decoration and sugar craft, bread and pastry, tie and dye, make up, and head gear fixing, beads and jewellery making.

For some time, we struggled with assisting students set up their own businesses. Now, we have recorded a good level of victory with the Centre partnering with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) under the Agricultural Small and Medium Enterprises Investment Scheme (AGSMEIS) launched in 2018 to assist graduates in accessing facilities to set up their businesses. Some of our graduates have also received start-up loans and equipment. I eagerly await their success stories.

The NCWD-Skills Development for Youth Employment Programme (SKYE) collaboration to raise a band of highly skilled female artisans is another intervention that brings joy to my heart.

The advanced female artisanship programme is a partnership between the SKYE Programme (funded by the German Government) and implemented by GIZ and NCWD. To take this laudable intervention to the next level, 100 young women ages ranging from 15-35, were selected from the 230 young women and girls earlier trained through a transparent procedure.

The training was aimed at strengthening their capacity for the award of Trade Test 2 and 1 certification (NVQF 2 and 3) in plumbing and piping, air condition and refrigerator repairs, masonry and tiling repairs, power generating sets repairs, and Plaster of Paris (POP) installation. We equally expanded our training programmes to propel more women into success in the agricultural sub-section of the economy. My vision was to create a good number of happy, confident and financially stable female farmers who will inspire others.

What transformation did you bring to the women centre and indeed the lives of Nigerian women?

I have repositioned the NCWD to be more effective for collaborations between local and international stakeholders. During my tenure, I supported my staff to work towards improving on relationships and fruitful collaborations for the Centre. This has seen the Centre retake its position as the number one choice for hosting events related to women in the country. I realised early that the upgrading of our facilities must be combined with having an effective staff who will work in order to attract more groups and organizations to host their events and meetings at the National Women Centre.

We hosted the Women and Family Drug Education Program (WOFADEP), and the hugely successful National Women’s Dialogue where the ‘Women manifesto’ was presented. We also held series of events to mark the Day of the Girl Child which I always looked forward to. I can confidently say that these events have been remarkable. The Day of the Girl Child which we usually celebrate in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Education, UNICEF and NMEC, witnessed series of activities and interactions aimed at empowering girls with knowledge that will strengthen their voices.

During the events, girls participate in activities such as the essay writing competition, mentorship sessions with female role models. Atotal of 150 girls were trained, while 1,500 school girls participated in the International Day of Girl Child celebration. The list of my achievements, like I said, is almost inexhaustible.

In collaboration with the NNPC, we also did the Nigerian Women in LPG programme, and we are collaborating with the Ministry of Agriculture to distribute farm inputs and equipment to Nigerian women. We have set up the Female Support Start-Up Office and the research on drug abuse in collaboration with the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, including the annual breast/cervical cancer walk and screening exercise which the NCWD carry out in collaboration with the Centre for Gender Values and Culture.

There is also the economic empowerment programme. We also offer vocational courses in different vocational skills, particularly in the areas of food processing and preservatives, dry cleaning, photography, weaving, vulcanising, solar panel installation and servicing, shoe, slippers and handbag making.

In the area of ICT, we have robotics and artificial intelligence training for children, training on digital marketing, networking and outsourcing for female entrepreneurs, ICT training for persons living with disability and ICT training for mobile phones, laptop, computer repairs for female entrepreneurs.

In agro-business, there are programmes such as fish farming, snail farming, piggery, poultry and mushroom farming.

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MILESTONE

Afenifere: 70 Years of Tending a 60-Year-Old For the past 70 years, a pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, has played strategic roles of preparing a 60-year-old Nigeria for nationhood, writes Shola Oyeyipo

N

ot until recently, when Afenifere, a pan-Yoruba socio-political group, turned 70 years, not many Nigerians were familiar with the story of the group, which has not only served as the mouthpiece of the people of the Southwest in the geographical contraption called Nigeria but has also grown to become a major moderator in the Nigerian political firmament.

About 10 years before Nigeria attained political independence from the colonialists, in 1951, some visionary like-minds including the late Pa Adekunle Ajasin, Pa Abraham Adesanya, Pa Rueben Fasoranti, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, Chief Bola Ige, Sir, Olanihun Ajayi, Pa Solanke Onasanya, Alhaji Ganiyu Dawodu, Chief Sam Shonibare, Chief Wunmi Adegbonmire and others, set up Afenifere. Late Pa Ajasin was the leader at the inception.

Though there have been debates about whether or not Afenifere is a socio-cultural or socio-political organisation, it is evident that it is the latter. Aside from that, most of its arrowheads were the closest associates of the Action Group (AG) leader, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, his political protegees and advocates of his political ideologies, the group itself was a wing of the AG domiciled in the South-west before and after the October 1, 1960 independence, which ushered in a federal Westminster system characterised by the parliamentary system at the center and regional governments in the North, South, and East. Worthy of note is the fact that AG was also known as Egbe Afenifere.

Some sources have it that when political parties were formed at the inception of the fourth republic, some names contained in Afenifere register in all Yoruba states including Kwara and Kogi were used to register Alliance for Democracy, as so it could be rightly concluded that Afenifere was the platform upon which the AD was founded and upon which the six candidates in the Yoruba states contested and won the elections in 1999.

The group was instrumental to setting the tone for development in line with the AG master plan across the six South-west states – from Lagos to Ondo, Ogun to Oyo through Osun to Ekiti, and the level of political coordination in the region is also attributable to the unison established by the Afenifere factor.

From the onset, the main agenda of Afenifere, pretty much as it still is, is to rally Yoruba people for a common course, because after the country was split into the western region, eastern region, and northern region, the leading parties designed their ideologies to suit the cause of their people. Hence, the Northern People’s Congress (NPC) took control responsibility for the interests of the Hausa-Fulani; the National Council of Nigeria and Cameroon (NCNC)) which later became the National Council of Nigerian Citizens (NCNC), was representing the political interests of Igbo in the Eastern region and AG was in charge in the South-west.

So, Afenifere members became a mouthpiece of

Though it has not been a bed of roses for the group, the group has remained steadfast.

Some of its members like Chief Ajasin, Ayo Adebanjo, Ayo Opadokun, Chief Olu Falae, and others have been arrested and incarcerated. Likewise, there have been attempts by the political class to infiltrate and divide the group as often done to groups with such relevance, but Afenifere has survived and stood its own

Ajasin...pioneering a colossus organisation the AG, selling the agenda of the party to the people of the region and through that medium, Awolowo and other leaders motivated South-west politicians in the first republic, which propelled the lofty ideologies of the AG. Unlike a recent attempt by President Muhammadu Buhari to categorise Afenifere and Myetti Alllah as one of a kind, Afenifere, as its name implies has been a league of people committed to the greatest good of the people. With its slogan of ‘Life More Abundant’ and advocacy for egalitarianism, it became easy for the Yoruba people to adopt as the umbrella body for the region and its leaders have exemplified themselves as disciplined, patriotic, and arguably, the best set of leaders the country ever had.

As a body that has been in existence before the Nigerian independence in 1960, the contributions of its leaders and members to the heated debates held to decide Nigeria’s political future reflected the highly principled nature of the leaders and marked their contributions to the creating of a conducive ground upon which true federalism could be footed.

Nigeria witnessed her worst political moments between 1983 and 1998, a period characterised by despotic and tyrannical military rules of Generals Muhammadu Buhari, Ibrahim Babangida, and the late Sanni Abacha. But the Yoruba-centric pressure group never lost its voice, despite the fact that they were faced with the dangers of state-sponsored victimisation and assassinations.

While playing a broader role at the national level, Afenifere played a key role in coordinating the democratic opposition in the country. Working with other Nigerians across the country and the international arena, they launched the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) – both locally and internationally – which among other things, mount pressure on the Abacha regime to actualise the aborted June 12, 1993, presidential election, widely acclaimed to have been won by the late Chief MKO Abiola. NADECO was composed of known political figures and activist groups as well as retired military officers.

The temerity of NADECO to have availed the much it recorded in terms of setting standards and voicing the agonies of Nigerians under various military

regimes especially, Abacha’s, can directly be linked to the exemplary ‘leadership in partnership’ as exhibited by Afenifere.

Eventually, ever since democracy returned in 1999, the Afenifere group remained in the forefront of the vanguard calls for equitable distribution of resources among the component states in the country in line with the principles of true federalism, resource control, restructuring, and constitutional amendment.

Ostensibly, Afenifere played a very prominent role in convincing former President Goodluck Jonathan to conduct the March 17, 2014, national conference with the hope to influence a constitutional amendment.

Sadly, President Buhari has said the report of the conference was “for the archives.”

Members of the Afenifere group never lagged in their emancipation drive for the Yoruba race, rising to the occasion each time the need surfaced and always working hard to promote peace and harmonious interrelation in the entire Nigeria. They never shied away from admonishing successive governments whenever they performed less than expected.

Lately, they have collaborated with groups such as Southern and Middlebelt Leaders Forum (SMLF), Ohaneze Indigbo, Pan-Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), and others to take a position on national issues.

It is not clear at what point a national government would see reason with Afenifere on the need for true federalism and restructuring, but these have been the thrust of their advocacy. The leadership of the trio of Ajasin, Adesanya, and Fasoranti at their different times stuck to the ideals of true federalism, equity, and justice as a prerequisite for peaceful coexistence.

The recently deceased National Publicity of Secretary of Afenifere, the late Mr. Yinka Odumakin, had said times without number that without restructuring Nigeria might not experience peace and stability.

Though it has not been a bed of roses for the group, the group has remained steadfast. Some of its members like Chief Ajasin, Ayo Adebanjo, Ayo Opadokun, Chief Olu Falae, and others have been arrested and incarcerated. Likewise, there have been attempts by the political class to infiltrate and divide the group as often done to groups with such relevance, but Afenifere has survived and stood its own.

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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 ˾ Y 2, 2021

PERSPECTIVE Marwa, NDLEA and the Houdini Act Femi Babafemi

O

ne of the things Nigerians have grown accustomed to in the past three months is the constant piece of news about arrested drug traffickers, stories of intercepted consignments of illicit substances, and heartwarming reports of commendations from governments of other countries about Nigeria’s serious efforts to curb and combat drug trafficking and drug abuse.

This has become a sort of weekly digest. For ordinary Nigerians and the elite, there is suddenly light about the pervasiveness of drugs in Nigeria. And for the country’s anti-narcotics organisation, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, there is a gale of public appreciation. Hence, it did not escape the notice of the public that there is a new approach to the war against drug abuse and drug trafficking. Or that the country has entered a new phase in the war against illicit drugs.

While this is a welcome development, it is not altogether surprising. Since President Muhammadu Buhari appointed Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA in January, 2021, public expectation has been high, because, Marwa, to borrow a popular cliché, “came highly recommended.” With the pedigree of a highly efficient manager and turnaround specialist, based on his impressive Curriculum Vitae as a military administrator, notably of Lagos, there is a great expectation that Marwa is the man that can turn around the fortune of the country’s drug control agency and give its activities more bite so to speak. Moreover, having served as chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee for the Elimination of Drug Abuse, PACEDA, between 2018 and December 2020, it is not farfetched to assume that the new NDLEA helmsman will effect a paradigm shift in the war against drugs.

In short, the public was not assuming too much about Marwa. And this time, as it was in the past, he delivered. Barely a week after he resumed, the results started coming in, first in trickles, then, now, in torrent. The result speaks volume. The war against drugs has never been this effective.

Launching non-stop actions against drug cartels across the country with the new maxim “offensive action”, the NDLEA under Marwa in less than three months produced unprecedented results, among others, the arrest of 2,175 drug traffickers and the seizure of 2,050,766.33 kilogrammes of assorted illicit drugs, filing of about 2,000 drug cases in court with 329 convictions and 1,549 pending cases in court and cash and drug seizures valued at over N85 billion.

How Marwa did it is no Houdini act; what he did was more of a management masterstroke. It is not that the NDLEA has to recruit new officers. Not at all. The unravelling feats are the work of the existing workforce that he took over. What he did was simple. He showed a keen understanding of the effect of motivation on the human psyche. By boosting the morale and confidence of the officers and men of the NDLEA through practical steps that addressed all existing welfare and career stagnation issues, he successfully transformed the workforce into an elite drug-fighting force operating at its maximum capacity.

The connection between productivity and motivation is no rocket science. And Marwa did his homework well before taking over the agency. As he explained: “One of my early findings is that the morale of the officers and men has dropped to the lowest ebb. This has made the personnel become poorly motivated.

We need highly motivated personnel to win this war, which we must win by the grace of God.” Hence, he had undertaken a re-engineering of the agency for optimal performance, starting with the seven-member harmonisation committee to address all forms of distortions hampering the smooth running of the Agency.

Aside from addressing crucial issues that dampen morale, such as perennial promotion and stagnation, he showed his leadership qualities when he moved around the commands to hold personal pep talk and to give assurance to agents across Nigeria. He further raised the bar by instituting a bi-monthly assessment and cash-backed award for Best Performing Command to motivate officers and men. To cap it all, Gen. Marwa took the bold step to create additional directorates to reposition and enhance the performance of the agency. Having done all these, one would not expect the agency to remain the same again.

Without resting on his oars, Marwa ramped up his efforts by engendering a conducive ecosystem for the NDLEA’s new battle plan. This he did by drawing unprecedented goodwill for the agency through

Marwa advocacy visits to governors and other stakeholders.

This will no doubt take him weeks of tireless crisscrossing of Nigeria from East to West to North, meeting stakeholders in capital city centres and town halls and selling them the new philosophy of war against drugs and shoring up their belief that now is the time to make a definite stand against the trade and trafficking drugs. Not surprisingly, his effort wins support, unprecedented solidarity from various constituents of society including religious groups, student bodies, legislators and labour. In three months, Marwa has been able to build and still building an overwhelming coalition against drug trafficking in Nigeria. He found a way to further get the public committed to the cause by setting up a Special Purpose Committee to involve stakeholders in the war against illicit drugs.

He brought NDLEA out of the shadows into the limelight, all in three months. With a blister of performance, the new NDLEA chair has successfully steered the agency to global visibility and opens a vista of international support from the EU, United States, UK, Germany and France as well as from UNODC. Commendations from some of the countries were backed up with donations of matériels, including operational equipment like speedboat, motorcycles, armoured shields, helmets and walkie-talkies. Some of the international partners, represented by ambassadors, consul-general and senior consulate staff had visited the NDLEA headquarters to convey their governments’ compliments and explicitly pledge more support.

For the first time in a long while, the world looks to Nigeria as a leader in the fight against drugs in the West Africa region.

Marwa in three months has matched his promise to dismantle drug cartels in the country with positive actions and good results.

Beyond this, Marwa has within this period repositioned and strenghtened the Agency’s Directorate of Assets and Financial Investigation, DAFI, which is currently investigating a number of Politically Exposed Persons, PEPs and Financially Exposed Persons, FEPs,

over suspected drug dealings. Unknown to the public, the NDLEA is empowered by law to do this and in the last three months has been doing a lot in that area. A particular case that will most likely interest the public is the ongoing investigation of a high profile money laundering scheme involving over 30 billion naira.

The perpetrators are suspected exporters of controlled drugs to UK and United States of America. The syndicate was suspected of laundering the proceed of drug dealing by creating complex layers of transactions using intermediary companies as a sham and mask to avoid recognition by law enforcement agencies. Some of the cash and assets already seized and forfeited by drug traffickers and barons within this period include: One Hundred and Fifty Nine Million, Four Hundred and Sixty Thousand Naira (N159, 460,000.00) taken from a suspect who was arrested at MMIA, Lagos and is standing trial on the charge of exportation of 6.45 kilograms of Cocaine alongside his accomplice, now at large; the sum of Thirty One Million Naira (N31, 000,000) belonging to a suspect who was arrested with Cocaine at the MMIA; and Eleven Million Naira (N11, 000,000) realised from the sale of the assets of a United States-based Nigerian, arrested and jailed for drug trafficking in UK. In the same vein, within this period, an interim forfeiture of assets worth millions of naira belonging to a baron who was the head of a drug cartel that trafficked illicit drugs to Asia, Canada, US, Ghana, South Africa, Namibia and Nigeria. The seizure and forfeiture of his assets in no small way dealt a deadly blow to his drug cartel.

No doubt, the magnitude of Marwa’s achievements of so much in so little time is better captured in the words of Kris Hawksfield, regional operations manager, West Africa, United Kingdom Border Force: “The result NDLEA is recording is far above any one organization under our project across the globe.” Need I say more?

––Femi Babafemi is NDLEA’s Director of Media & Advocacy.

75

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ MAY 2, 2021

with ChidiAmuta e-mail:chidi.amuta@gmail.com

ENGAGEMENTS

INSECURITY

Forget Foreign Help. It’s the Leadership Thing

F

rustration and anxiety have driven major opinion leaders to a dead end of options on our worsening insecurity. President Buhari is being asked to literally outsource Nigeria’s internal security operations to some foreign power. Wole Soyinka, ever the incurable patriot, has pointedly suggested that the worsening security situation leaves Buhari no better option than to seek external military help. Similarly, on the floor of the Senate on April 27th, Senator Smart Adeyemi, an APC member, passionately pleaded with the president to waive sovereign pretensions and seek security assistance from whoever in the world can and is ready to render it. Predictably, even on a matter as existential and dire as this, the Nigerian Senate could not generate an informed debate let alone find a bipartisan common ground.

There is a possibility that the president may have come to grips with the helplessness of the situation. Almost in tandem with the outcries on the floor of the Senate, the president found occasion to sound swayed by the external assistance option. In his virtual exchange with Anthony Blinken, US secretary of State last Tuesday, he directly appealed for US assistance in dealing with Nigeria’s worsening security situation. Mr. Blinken generously acknowledged the spectacular nature and scope of Nigeria’s security situation.

Buhari subtly alerted the Secretary that Nigeria’s unraveling could unsettle the international community with adverse consequences.

As an aside, Buhari made the inconsequential suggestion that the operational base of the US’s African military command (AFRICOM) be moved from Germany to somewhere in Africa.

To the president and the respectable citizens in this new gospel of foreign assistance, however, I have a bit of bad news. There will be no substantial external help for Nigeria on this particular issue of internal security either now or in future. No other nation will devote its resources or risk the lives of its citizens to dig Nigeria out of a hole it dug itself into. Even if there was any such nation anywhere, what will be their interest? What will their leader tell his parliament or domestic audience? What does Nigeria have to offer anyone in return for sending a contingent of special forces to go after bandits, Boko Haram or ESN activists in the tropical forests of Nigeria?

Oil and fossil fuels are no longer hot strategic assets let alone ones that can be offered as a collateral for foreign military assistance.

As matters stand today, the only strategic asset left for Nigeria is its diaspora population which remits $30 billion home annually.

This population is mostly concentrated in the United States and parts of Asia. But as a guarantee of foreign sovereign interest and guarantee, no one will come to fight your domestic wars because of private individuals who are making their living abroad. A diaspora population only becomes a strategic asset when those citizens are embedded in the power structures and political influence network of the countries where they are located(Jews in America). Moreover, Nigeria’s previous strategic importance as a bulwark of security in the Gulf of Guinea has been pulverized by the decline of oil and decades of uncontrolled piracy and terrorism along our maritime window.

Predictably, when foreign security assistance is mentioned in Nigeria, the tentacles go out mostly towards the United States, Britain or France. I doubt that anyone in this new thinking considers China.

After the end of the Mao communist revolutionary era in the 1970s, the Chinese have refashioned their foreign policy to steer clear of meddling in the internal affairs of countries where they do business.

As a philosophical pillar, the Chinese do not spill the blood of their citizens on foreign soil or in the service of other peoples’ troubles.

They are content with selling you iron, steel, dodgy spare parts and dubious loans to fund projects which they design, build, control and virtually own until you pay up. Chinese forces are preoccupied with defending homeland China, controlling Hong Kong, frightening Taiwan and shooting at Indian border guards.

France is too involved with our small African neighbours who are its traditional sphere of influence. It has defined its security interest in Africa to be mostly the Sahel, an expansive sandy terrain that spans from Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Chad and Cameroun. Nigeria is important in this strategic focus on account of sharing contingent territory with countries where France has vital security, economic and residual historical interests. Any French security assistance to Nigeria in the process of securing the Sahel would be a collateral benefit of our location.

The United Kingdom hardly gets involved with the internal security of its former colonies except for humanitarian purposes.

It could enter into bilateral defence treaties and arrangements as it tried to do with the attempted Defence Pact with Nigeria soon after independence which was quickly shot down by Nigerian student power. Under Tony Blair, the UK committed forces to the resolution of the Sierra Leone civil war mostly in concert with ECOWAS and UN partners. It was a quick surgical intervention which ended the war and morphed into a humanitarian mission towards restoration of normalcy after the war.

In any event, given Britain’s known historical culpability in the imbalances that define and haunt the Nigerian state, I doubt that any British Prime Minister will risk going to Commons with a motion to send British troops to the streets of Maiduguri, Owerri or Lagos to chase after hoodlums, bandits, cultists and jihadist terrorists.

The best we can expect from the UK is technical assistance by way of police and military training by a handful of experts. A similar programme was initiated under the Jonathan administration at the onset of Boko Haram and the height of the Chibok Girls uproar.

Buhari No one knows what became of the technical assistance and training arrangement.

That leaves us with the United States which is an even more remote possibility. No US President today can go to Congress to seek authorization to commit US personnel and resources to assist Nigeria clean up its internal security mess. The most that can happen is for the State Department and the Department of Defence to provide technical support to Nigeria as part of existing global counter terrorism commitments. Such assistance will be mostly in the form of special forces training, intelligence sharing and electronic surveillance support. Again, something along those lines was initiated under the Jonathan administration but I understand most of it was discontinued as a result of failures and avoidable leaks from the Nigerian end.

Besides such technical assistance, America can only sell us military hardware and equipment as it is already doing with many platforms especially the soon to be delivered Tucano mid intensity combat aircraft. The Obama administration was reluctant to allow sales of critical military equipment and supplies to Nigeria on account of the dismal human rights record of our military. The more transactional Donald Trump lifted the ban in order to collect the dollars. Buhari paid up for the Tucano almost as a gate pass for a White House audience with a barely impressed Trump.

The limitation to American assistance possibility is both historical and technical. America’s strength in security issues is really not internal security. The FBI can be brutally efficient in forensic investigations. But the madness of gun violence on the streets of America does not recommend America’s policing culture to any sane society.

Maybe US special forces capability and vast experience in dealing with Middle East Islamic extremist terrorists can help us in engaging with Boko Haram and some classes of bandits. But that capability is hardly on offer to foreign countries except where such assistance will enhance the safety of the American population at home (Mexico, South and Central American states).

It is mostly in the area of national defense and strategic technology intensive military security that America thrives and maintains a global edge. Iron Dome Missile Defense systems, Apache helicopters, F-16s, assorted precision drones etc. However, only America’s traditional allies and strategic friends can readily hope to get assistance in these areas. Such alliances and friendships are mostly historical, rooted in America’s long standing strategic and economic interests. Thus, North Korea, Israel, Japan, Egypt, a bit of Kenya and Djibouti can count on the US for military assistance either under existing bilateral treaties or under special relationship arrangements.

Outside these known allies and ‘friends’, America’s involvements in other places have either been part of collaborative short term international effort or in pursuit of its own national interests as in Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan. All three ended as disasters because America is poor at nation building and unconventional warfare.

Specifically, recent American history has demonstrated the futility of the US getting involved in nation building and internal security missions abroad. Iraq and Afghanistan have proven to be sad and costly lessons. While 9/11 necessitated both exploits, the subsequent political and military complications exposed America’s weaknesses in matters of internal security and insurgency management. The Iraq invasion helped bring Al-Qaeda and ISIS to Iraq. After twenty years of active involvement with an initial troop level of 120,000 US personnel in Afghanistan and a cost of $850 billion dollars in total, America is withdrawing in quick stampede. But the suicide bombs and IEDs are still going off. Assassinations and abductions are still rampant even in heavily protected Kabul. US personnel and their Afghan trainees hardly stray out the protected corridors around Kabul into the provinces where the Taliban and other militant factions hold sway.

As the US withdraws, Afghanistan will revert to a state in which Taliban Mullah’s will violently jostle with other factions for suprem-

acy and control of an insecure nation. It will still be up to the local political elite factions to solve their political and security problems after two decades of reliance on US and coalition forces.

The Nigerian picture is different and somewhat complicated.

President Buhari has not quite decided whether Nigeria is at war or at peace. For practical purposes, we are supposed to be at peace. Yet our the daily level of exposure of our citizens to danger and the daily casualty rate befits an open war. We are at war with ourselves, a situation that requires a slew of homegrown solutions because the nature and manifestations of our insecurity is a diverse and a home made concoction. We have violent religious extremism and terror. We have poverty induced organized criminal activity. We have transactional banditry in quest of massive ransoms. We have urban cultism fed by unemployment and residual superstition. We have politician –induced armed gangsterism. We have separatist insurgency. We also have resource agitation militancy. This combination will unsettle even the best trained foreign helper.

The causes of these forms of insecurity lie deep in the heart of Nigeria’s many political and economic troubles. We cannot outsource the causes of our insecurity. We cannot outsource the bad management of resources that has created a poverty republic of over 100 million people. We cannot outsource the disorder in our security apparatus and establishment that guzzles money and produces no result.

Which foreign country wants to deal with a political leadership that is so incoherent and disconcerted. So, the futility of the outsourcing option throws the problem right back to our current leadership.

Yet the current state of thinking on our security challenge is a quantum of discord and a basket of incoherence backed by a near absence of strategic direction and political will.

The Yellow Pages of official pronouncements on government efforts to contain our insecurity reads somewhere between Comedy Central and Tom and Jerry. Hear a sample of what we are hearing: Defense and security experts are at work. They are designing a new ‘security architecture’ for the country. God is using the present insecurity to prepare Nigeria for future greatness. (VP Osinbanjo).

Some shiny new Tucano combat aircraft ordered from the United States will arrive shortly and once they do, insecurity will be a thing of the past(Garba Shehu}. We have appointed new Service Chiefs who know the problem and the solutions. Let us watch them do their best. (President Buhari). We have the silver bullets to flush out Boko Haram and end the irritant insurgencies(Chief of Army Staff). We have a new Inspector General of Police. He was carefully selected by a committee that found him the best. He has been around and will soon deal with lawless people(President Buhari). The violence and insecurity is the work of desperate politicians; they will soon be exposed.(Imo State Governor, Uzodinma). Bandits mean well for the nation. Once we can negotiate with them and give them amnesty, our troubles will be over (Sheikh Gumi).

We can only initiate lasting solutions if we understand why the insecurity has become an epidemic. The capacity of the state to maintain security would ordinarily depend on a clear superiority of armed capability over all contestants of power and sovereignty. But the state’s armed superiority has evaporated in favour of non state actors. The state cannot afford an arms race with criminals and nonstate actors. It can only prevail by overwhelming all rival forces.

The social and economic origins of criminality, banditry and insurgency are known. Nigerians, mostly the youth, have in the last ten years gotten poorer at a phenomenal rate that far outstrips the growth rate of the economy. Criminals and outlaws have found work in armed criminal exploits. Arms are easier to procure than farming and artisanal tools. We need a new economic map that will replace illicit income with opportunities for honest work and enterprise.

Formal democracy has been overrun by crude mercantilism.

Political thugs have become invaluable instruments for the acquisition of state power which in turn is a gate pass into unimaginable wealth and affluence. The better thugs are the better armed ones. In the process, the dividing line between political thug and mindless criminal has disappeared. Outside the election season, political thugs morph into bandits, militants, insurgents and free agents of anarchy.

Politicians have now to regulate their own trade if they expect the rest of society to abide by other regulations.

Non- state actors have discovered the use of ungoverned spaces.

Conventional security operatives cannot operate in forests, bushes and swamps. Our forests and bushes have become the camps and bases of all manner of insurgents and bandits. Attacks are launched on the governed spaces and institutions of state from the ungoverned spaces. The effective instant solution would be to reverse the picture. Our security forces should quickly retake all ungoverned spaces and thus expose all their illegitimate occupants.

We live in the age of technology and electronic surveillance. Our security forces must embrace the new technologies of electronic surveillance, drones, night vision surveillance, satellite eavesdropping and real time motion detection over wide and remote spaces.

Forget about squad of semi literate foot soldiers in pick up trucks.

That hour has passed. Ultimately, our current insecurity nightmare is a challenge of leadership and political authority. As our Commander in Chief, the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari, can no longer continue to be missing in action. This is the hour to step forward resolutely to lead a nation in desperate need of strong leadership. It is time to send out a clear message.

Let the agents of insecurity know that somebody is in charge in this place.

76

SUNDAY MAY 2, 2021 • T H I S D AY

77

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ Ͱ˜ ͰͮͰͯ

NEWS Senior Lawyers Justify Lagos Powers to Establish Anti-Graft Commission

News Editor: Gboyega Akinsanmi E-mail: ÑÌÙãÏÑ˲ËÕÓØÝËØ×Ó̶ÞÒÓÝÎËãÖÓàÏ˛ÍÙט͸΀͹ͽͺͻͽ΁ͺͽͻ

Say nothing precludes EFCC to take action in Lagos :DUQ DJDLQVW FRQÁLFW LQ DSSOLFDWLRQ RI WKH ODZ

Gboyega Akinsanmi

Senior lawyers yesterday justified the decision of the Lagos State House of Assembly to enact the Public Complaints and AntiCorruption Commission Law, 2021, citing different provisions of the 1999 Constitution and precedents of the Supreme Court.

The lawyers argued that the state assembly duly passed the law with due regard to the doctrine of covering the field, a constitutional law principle in a federal system with respect to which legislating house possess the constitutional power to legislate.

A former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Dr. Olisa Agbakoba; one of his successors, Chief Joseph Daudu (SAN) and Principal Partner, J-K Gadzama LLP, Chief Joe-Kyari Gadzama explained the constitutionality of the state’s anti-graft law in separate interviews yesterday.

The state governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu had signed the Lagos State Public Complaints and AntiCorruption Commission Law, 2021 with a promise to promote accountability and transparency in the governance process.

However, many have interpreted the enactment of law as a move to shield a former governor of the state, Bola Tinubu from prosecution by federal anti-graft agencies.

Section 13(3) of the law provides that the commission “shall upon the commencement of this law take over the investigation of all anti-corruption and financial crime cases involving the finances and assets of Lagos State Government being investigated by any other

agency.”

Section 13(5) also states that the commission “shall have the power to the exclusion of any other agency or body to investigate and coordinate the investigation of corruption and financial crimes cases involving the finances and assets of the state government.”

While Gadzama claimed that establishment of the state’s anti-graft commission “is arguably constitutional,” Dauda cited different sections of the 1999 Constitution to justify the constitutionality of the commission.

Responding to THISDAY’s inquiries, Agbakoba explained the legality of the state’s anti-graft law, citing two decisions of the Supreme Court that confirmed the jurisdictions of the federal and state governments to legislate on the anti-corruption fight.

Agbakoba, however, argued that the powers of the federal and state governments would be subject to the doctrine of covering the field, which according to him, was always applicable in any federal system.

Under the doctrine of covering the field and by virtue of the exclusive list powers in the constitution, according to Agbakoba, it is only the federal government that is empowered to set up an agency such as the EFCC on corruption.

He observed: “If the Lagos state anti corruption agency is designed to strengthen the anti corruption framework specifically only in Lagos state then under the doctrine of shared powers, I would argue that the state anti corruption agency has been

legitimately established.

“Nothing in the law, however, will preclude the EFCC from taking action in Lagos State. In Ondo state vs Attorney General of the Federation, the Supreme Court actually affirmed my position that both states and the federal government have concurrent powers on corruption matters.”

He also explained the limits of power on anti-corruption fight, citing the decision of the apex court in a case between Abia State and Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) that the federal government “not only has power

to establish the EFCC to deal with corruption cases across Nigeria but that states are amenable to the jurisdiction of the EFCC. “The case did not consider whether states might establish anti corruption agencies to complement the EFCC. I would argue that under the doctrine of shared powers states might establish anti corruption agencies to complement but not override the EFCC,” NBA’s former president With due regard to the power of the court, Daudu first observed that only courts

vested with appropriate jurisdiction could determine whether a law duly passed by a State House of Assembly is in conflict with an Act of the National Assembly or indeed with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), He, however, cited Section 4(7) of the 1999 Constitution to the constitutionality of the state’s anti-graft law. The section states: “The House of Assembly of a State shall have power to make laws for the peace, order and good government of the state…

“Or any part thereof, with

respect to the following matters, that is to say- (a) Any matter not included in the Exclusive Legislative List set out in Part 1 of the 2nd schedule to this Constitution: “(b) Any matter included in the concurrent legislative list set out in the first column of Part II of the second schedule to this Constitution to the extent prescribed in the Second column opposite thereto: “(c) Any other matter with respect to which it is empowered to make laws in accordance with the provisions of this Constitution.”

UNITED WE STAND . .

L-R: Chairman of Nigeria Labour Congress, Oyo State Chapter, Mr. Kayode Martins; Oyo State Governor, Mr. Seyi Makinde and Chairman, Trade Union Congress, Oyo State Chapter, Mr. Emmanuel Ogundiran, during the 2021 International Workers’ Day in Ibadan, Oyo State ... yesterday

ECOWAS Court Orders FG to Pay Raped Airforce Woman $200,000 Tobi Soniyi

The ECOWAS Court of Justice has ordered the Federal Republic of Nigeria to pay $200,000 as compensation to a former Nigerian Air Force woman, Beauty Uzezi, who was a victim of sexual assault and rape by a superior officer.

Delivering judgment on Friday in a case filed by the former aircraftwoman, the Judge Rapporteur in the case, Justice Dupe Atoki held that the compensation was

for the moral prejudice suffered as a result of the violation of her rights under Articles 5, 6 and 16 of the African Charter.

The case of the applicant, who was 19 years old at the time of the sexual assault, was that on May 17, 2011 she was sexually assaulted and brutally raped and deflowered at the Nigerian Air Force base Kaduna by one Flt. Lt. B.S. Vibelko, who was her superior officer and trainer in the Nigerian Air Force.

According to her, despite attempts to resist her rapist, he overpowered her by hitting her head against the wall several times until she fainted while he had his way with her. She further alleged that due to the injuries sustained from the attack leading to her loss of consciousness, she was rushed to the accident and emergency ward in 345 Aeromedical Hospital Kaduna where she woke up the following day on admission.

Consequently, she alleged her

health suffered as a result of the sexual assault and that apart from the physical injuries she sustained from the attack, she also contracted a sexually transmitted disease resulting in a chronic pelvic inflammatory disease and the growth of a solid mass close to her uterus.

She also allegedly suffered from intermittent fainting spells, severe vaginal discharge, chronic lower pains, dizziness and swollen vulva.

Based on the medical report before the court, which was uncontroverted

by the respondent, the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the court held that the applicant was subjected to acts amounting to rape.

It however, said the applicant did not provide further proof linking the rape to the said officer because there was no corroboration by either an eye witness or matching semen sample from the vagina of the victim with that of the alleged perpetrator.

However, it said: “The fact is uncontroverted that the applicant was raped within the NAF Base in

Kaduna due to the fact that the Air Force Base is a military restricted area that is not open to the public.”

It further noted that “this raises a high probability that the acts were carried out by a NAF officer.’

Furthermore, the medical record showed that the applicant was treated in the NAF Hospital in Kaduna with clinical diagnosis as ‘sexual assault, sexual violation and rape, being managed for sexual assault’.

MTN Records Increased Revenue, Reduced Voice, Data Subscribers in Q1 Emma Okonji

MTN Nigeria Communications Plc, yesterday, released its unaudited results for the quarter ended 31 March 2021.

According to the report of the results, its mobile subscribers declined by 5 million to 71.5 million due to the effects of customer churn and the regulatory restrictions on new SIM sales and activations.

The telelecoms company’s active data users also declined marginally by 71,000 to 32.5 million.

However, its service revenue increased by 17.2 per cent to N385.2 billion, while Earnings Before Interest, Tax, Depreciation, and Amortisation (EBITDA) grew by 19.1 per cent to N204.5 billion.

EBITDA margin increased by 0.9 percentage points to 53.1 per cent. Capital expenditure was up by 19.3 per cent to N89.9 billion, up 27.8 per cent to N31.6 billion excluding right of use (RoU) assets.

The result showed that profit before tax grew by 33.9 per cebt

to N102.9 billion, while earnings per share rose by 42.5 per cent to N3.60 kobo.

According to the report, “Operationally, service revenue in Q1 grew by 17.2 per cent year on year (YoY), in line with our medium-term target, supported by growth of 42.6per cent and 8.0 per cent in data and voice revenue respectively.

“This was achieved despite the impact of the pandemic and a decline in our subscriber base due to the effects of customer churn

and the restrictions on new SIM sales and activations arising from changes in SIM registration regulations. We continue to collaborate with the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the Nigerian Identity Management Commission (NIMC) to update subscriber records with the National Identity Number (NIN).”

Commenting on the report, MTN Nigeria CEO, Karl Toriola, said: “We made good progress in the first quarter of 2021 despite the continued impact of the

COVID-19 pandemic. We continue to prioritise the safeguards put in place to protect the health and well-being of our people, customers and stakeholders and to control the spread of the virus while ensuring network resilience and efficiency.

“As part of our Y’ello Hope initiatives, we continue to support Government’s efforts in combatting the COVID-19 pandemic. We supported the most vulnerable in our communities, providing them with free-to-access services (including

SMS and data) as well as essential medical supplies (tests and personal protective equipment).

“We continue to support the Coalition Against COVID-19 (CACOVID) that has driven multiple initiatives, such as building isolation centres across the country.

MTN Nigeria also paid taxes early in support of Government’s ongoing efforts. In addition, our REVV support programme for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) helps them navigate the new digital reality.”

78

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ Ͱ˜ ͰͮͰͯ

NEWSXTRA Food Crisis Looms in S’West as Kidnappers Target Farmers )DUPHUV· DVVRFLDWLRQ VHHNV JRYW LQWHUYHQWLRQ 0RQDUFKV SHWURO GHDOHUV PDMRU YLFWLPV LQ (NLWL Gboyega Akinsanmi, Victor Olakitan in Ado Ekiti and Kemi Olaitan in Ibadan

Farmers have been under serial attacks in all Southwest states, mainly Ekiti, Ogun, Ondo, Osun and Oyo, fuelling fear of acute food shortage if the state governments do not intervene proactively, THISDAY has learnt.

Across the geo-political zone, findings revealed, farmers are abandoning their farmsteads, plantations, orchards and processing factories amid the increasing spate of armed invasion, kidnapping and destruction of farmland by herdsmen.

Oyo, for instance, has become the epicentre of banditry and kidnappings with over 30 persons, especially farmers abducted at different agrarian communities in Ibadan, Fiditi and Ibarapaland Local Government Areas (LGAs).

While some victims have regained their freedom, according to THISDAY findings, they were

not released until their families paid millions of naira in ransom to their abductors, who were mainly herdsmen.

On March 29, for instance, further findings revealed that gunmen invaded a farmstead in Oluyole LGA, Oyo State, kidnapping at least three farmers including a couple while working on their farms.

The findings showed that the couple were abducted inside their farm located at Alabameji, an agrarian community in Oluyole LGA while the third farmer was abducted from Soka, a community once known for ritual killing in Ibadan.

On March 17, according to our findings, gunmen invaded another farmstead in Fiditi, Afijio LGA, Oyo State. While the gunmen kidnapped a security guard, they killed one person during the invasion.

In Ekiti, the abduction of a retired officer in the United States Army and an agricultural entrepreneur, Major Jide Ijadare brought global

attention to the armed invasion of farmlands.

Ijadare, an agricultural entrepreneur, was abducted on September 16, 2020 in his oil processing company located at Ijan Ekiti, the hometown of Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi.

While the armed invaders killed one of his staff members in the oil-processing firm, Ijadare was not let go until a ransom of N20 million was paid for his freedom, In Ikere Ekiti, also, another commercial farmer, Mr. Isaac Agbanigo, was kidnapped on April 3 and his family members paid ransom to the tune of N3 million.

In Ogun State, reports revealed that agrarian communities coter-

minous to Nigeria’s borders with Benin Republic were invaded and the dwellers, who were largely farmers, displaced from their ancestral roots.

The affected communities, according to findings, were Ohunbe, Asa, Agbon, Isuku, Kodera, Iselu, Iyana Meta, Ibeku, Eegelu, Ipobe, Igbo-Oko and Iganna.

Due to the attacks by armed herdsmen, further findings showed that at least 5,000 fled to Eegelu, Ipobe, Igana, Ibore, Owode-Benin and Iga all located in Benin Republic, abandoning their farmlands and farm produces.

Likewise, farmers in Obasooto Farm Settlement, ldanre LGA, Ondo State came under armed

invasion on January 28. While there was no record of kidnapping, according to reports, herdsmen invaded and destroyed farmlands and farm produces.

One of the victims, Pa Idowu Olatuja recounted that the farmers just resumed farming activities on January 28 to find out that herdsmen had invaded and destroyed their farmlands and farm produce the night before.

Olatuja, also a physically challenged octogenarian, said all the crops on their farms were eaten up by the cows led by the herders and millions of naira invested on the farms vanished just in one night.

Also, Okeji Farm Settlement in Atoka-Iju, a community under

Akure North LGA, came under attack on February 3, thus leading to the abduction of a commercial farmer, Mr. Solomon Akinmeji.

Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC), according to our findings, attempted to abort Akinmeji’s abduction to no avail. A member of the congress was shot dead while they were pursuing the bandits who kidnapped Akinmeji in the farm settlement.

Osun, like other Southwest states, have witnessed an unprecedented upsurge in the cases of kidnapping, targeting farmers, farmlands and commuters, especially along Akure-Ilesha expressway and around boundaries with Ekiti and Kwara States.

Zamfara N37.4bn Promissory Notes: Group Asks EFCC to Act Tobi Soniyi

The Patriots for the Advancement Of Peace and Social Development (PAPSD) has asked the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Abdulrashid Bawa to arrest and prosecute a former Governor of Zamfara State Abdulazeez Yari and others for their roles in alleged diversion of N37.4 Billion Promissory Notes being the refund of the rehabilitation of Federal Government roads in Zamfara State.

The group stated that Bawa during his Senate screening had vowed to bring to book all corrupt officials without fear or favour noting that it had written several petitions to the Commission without

action from the EFCC. In a statement in Abuja, the Executive Director of the group, Dr Abdulahi Sani Shinkafi said the commission last week invited him to come forward and authenticate a petition he wrote to the EFCC in respect of the alleged diversion.

He said that having authenticated the petition, the onus is now on the EFCC to invite those mentioned in the petition for interrogation.

He expressed regret that in spite of several petitions and the conclusion of investigations by the Sokoto Zonal office of the Commission the former chairman of the commission Ibrahim Magu refused to arraign the suspects even when a prima facie case was established against them.

US Grants $73m COVID-19 Assistance to Nigeria Gboyega Akinsanmi

The United States Government has explained the impact of her health missions to Nigeria, which it claimed, has benefitted more than 60 million Nigerians at different social strata and across all the geo-political zones.

Specifically, the world’s most powerful state has revealed that it contributed more than $73 million in equipment and technical assistance since the outbreak of COVID-19, a highly infectious viral disease that has killed over 2,063 in Nigeria.

The US Secretary of State, Mr. Antony J. Blinken and the US Ambassador to Nigeria, Ms. Beth Leonard reeled out these figures during a virtual health partnership meeting between the US and Nigeria on April 27.Executive Director/Chief

Executive Officer, National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Dr. Faisal Shuaib; Chief Medical Officer, Federal Medical Centre, Abuja, Prof. Saad Ahmed and Head of Internal Medicine Department, Abuja FMC, Dr. Jane Chukwu were at the meeting.

At the beginning, Blinken observed that the relationship between the US and Nigeria “covered a vast array of issues vital to both American and Nigerian people. A key issue that we have worked on together for years is health.”

Together, Blinken revealed that the US had reached more than 60 million Nigerians through programs that train public health workers, invest in medical facilities and improve access to medicines, vaccines, reproductive health care.

YOUR WELFARE... OUR PRIORITY L-R: Plateau State Governor, Senator Simon Lalong with the Chairman of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Mr. Eugene Manji, during the 2021 International Workers’ Day in Jos, Plateau State... yesterday

NAN

Security Operatives, Agitators for Oduduwa Nation Clash in Abeokuta Kayode Fasua in Abeokuta

Agitators for Oduduwa Nation under the aegis of “Ìlàna Omo Oòdùà” yesterday clashed with security operatives in Abeokuta, Ogun State during the group’s awareness procession.

The agitators converged at Kuto Garage in Abeokuta where they marched to the palace of the Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, where they planned to address their supporters.

Before the peaceful march took off however, security

operatives in the state positioned themselves on the streets of Abeokuta metropolis for the purpose of stopping the rally as early as 7:00 a.m.

But the agitators, who had gambolled through Sapon Square, also passed through the Ake palace street, notwithstanding the presence of the heavy security operatives and headed towards the Adatan area of the metropolis with solitary songs.

They chanted solidarity songs, blaring from the speakers attached to their moving vehicles.

The peaceful procession, however, resulted in violence at the Asero garage, along the Abeokuta - Ibadan road when news filtered to the organisers that security operatives had arrested 25 of their members while passing through the Ake Palace.

Thereafter, the agitators started destroying campaign billboards already mounted by politicians for the forthcoming local government elections in the state and other public properties suspected to belong to governments.

Palpable tension gripped the entire city when the procession eventually got to the headquarters of Ogun State Police Command, Eleweeran, where security operatives dispersed the agitators with teargas.

The situation forced shop owners in the entire Eleweeran community, particularly traders at the Hausa pepper, onion and yam market in the area to hurriedly close shops and scamper for safety, for fear of being caught up.

Segun Oni: I’m in Race to Rescue Ekiti from Collapse Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti

A former Ekiti State Governor, Chief Segun Oni yesterday defended his aspiration to contest the 2022 governorship race in the state, noting that he was in the race to rescue the state from total collapse.

Oni, also a former Deputy National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), added that his governorship aspiration was born out of the need to expand the frontiers of development for the benefit of the masses.

He gave these reasons yesterday at his campaign office in Ado Ekiti while unveiling members of his team that would drive his governorship campaign in 2022.

Oni had defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) after he lost the APC governorship nomination to the incumbent governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi in 2018.

A former member of the House of Representatives, representing Efon/Ijero/Ekiti West, Hon Yemi Arokodare,

was appointed as the Director General of the Chief Segun Oni Campaign Organisation.

After unveiling members of his campaign organisation, the former governor noted that his intention to contest for the coveted seat was not targeted at corrupt enrichment of himself, family and political cronies.

Oni said the PDP family “is an inclusive political community with a level-playing ground for all party members; we will leave

no one behind because it is big enough to accommodate diverse interests, groups and everyone.

“This developmental journey is not about us, our friends or associates; it is about the people who have shown tremendous confidence in our ability to turn the state’s fortunes around and guarantee Ekiti a secured future.

“It is largely about deploying Ekiti resources to develop its people. This is not about personal enrichment or personalising governance for a few cronies.

79

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER MAY 2, 2021

SUNDAYSPORTS

Edited by: Duro Ikhazuagbe email:Duro.Ikhazuagbe@thisdaylive.com

PREMIER LEAGUE

Man City on Brink of Title as Chelsea Tighten Grip on Fourth Place Duro Ikhazuagbe with agency report

M

anchesterCitywereon the brink of clinching the Premier League title after a 2-0 win against Crystal Palace on Saturday, while Chelsea maintained their hold on fourth place after beating Fulham by the same scoreline.

Pep Guardiola’s side moved 13 points clear at the top thanks to second-half goals from Sergio Aguero and Ferran Torres at Selhurst Park.

City will be crowned English champions for the third time in four seasons if second-placed Manchester United lose at home to Liverpool on Sunday.

If United avoid defeat, City can seal the title with a victory against Chelsea at the Etihad Stadium next Saturday.

City, who surrendered the title to Liverpool last season, overcame a mediocre Àrst half with two goals in 84 seconds.

Aguero, making only his sixth league start of an injury-plagued season, broke the deadlock in the 57th minute when he ran onto Benjamin Mendy’s long pass and slammed a half-volley into the roof of the net from 10 yards.

It was only his fourth goal of what will be his Ànal season with City after the club’s record scorer announced he will leave in the close-season.

Spanish forward Torres gave a glimpse of his potential when he Àred home from the edge of the area after a Áowing City attack in the 59th minute.

That was enough to seal an 11th successive away victory in the Premier League, equalling the English top-Áight record.

City were languishing in 14th place in late November but a blistering run since then has carried them to the brink of a third title in four seasons.

ThetreblechaserscouldalsoaddtheChampions League to that haul.

On Tuesday, City will attempt to reach their Àrst Champions League Ànal when they defend

Chelsea players celebrating the victory that moves the Blues’ close to Top Four finish

a 2-1 lead in the semiÀnal second leg against Paris Saint-Germain. “We can start to think about it and put it in the fridge. The Premier League is already there, it is in our hands. We need one more victory,” Guardiola said.

“I’m absolutely delighted with that after the Champions League. We could not play with much rhythm. We struggled a little bit but in the second half we deserved it.

“I will check on the Liverpool game. It’s in our hands and now we will give everything to beat

PSG.” Meanwhile, Kai Havertz’s double saw Chelsea beat struggling Fulham in the west London derby as they warmed-up for Wednesday’s Champions League semiÀnal second leg against Real Madrid with a convincing win.

The German playmaker scored in each half at Stamford Bridge to lift Chelsea six points clear of Àfth-placed West Ham in the race to qualify for next season’s Champions League via a top four Ànish.

West Ham, who have a game in hand, play Burnley on Monday.

Havertz, played in by Mason Mount’s impressive through ball, opened the scoring in the 10th minute and he sealed victory with a Àne Ànish shortly after halftime.

Defeat left Fulham in the relegation zone and nine points shy of safety.

Brighton, however, all but assured themselves of Premier League survival with a 2-0 win at home to Leeds.

Second Half Winner Inter Milan Beat Crotone to Move to the Brink of Serie A Title Lifts Aston Villa Anwar El Ghazi’s superb secondhalf strike secured victory for Aston Villa and dealt a signiÀcant blow to Everton’s hopes of Ànishing in the top four of the Premier League.

El Ghazi curled home from the edge of the box with 10 minutes remaining to secure Villa only their third win in their last 11 league games.

Everton had started the day six points oͿ the top four but this defeat, coupled with a win for Chelsea, means they are now nine points adrift of Thomas Tuchel’s side.

El Ghazi’s winner was the only highlight of a relatively Áat second half that failed to build on a pulsating Àrst.

Ollie Watkins opened the scoring when he pounced on a mistake by Mason Holgate before slotting past Jordan Pickford.

However, Everton hit back soon after when Dominic Calvert-Lewin powered home a header following a corner.

Home keeper Pickford then twice denied Watkins with excellent saves to keep Villa at bay, while ex-Everton midÀelder Ross Barkley struck the post with a low eͿort from range.

But despite Pickford’s best eͿorts Villa secured the three points when El Ghazi struck late on.

Christian Eriksen and Achraf Hakimi scored in the second half as Inter Milan beat Crotone 2-0 to move to the brink of the Serie A title on Saturday.

Antonio Conte’s side are 13 points ahead of city rivals AC Milan who reclaimed second place with a 2-0 win over 18thplaced Benevento, with four games to play.

Inter can claim their Àrst Scudetto since 2010 on Sunday

if Atalanta, a further point adrift in third, fail to win at Sassuolo.

“We are succeeding in toppling a kingdom that had lasted for nine years,” said former Juventus coach Conte, who led the Turin giants to the Àrst three of their current run of nine consecutive league titles.

“We’re aware that we can do something extraordinary because Inter haven’t won

a Scudetto in 11 years, and we’re breaking up a dynasty.

The lads deserve this joy, congratulations to them.

“We’re a step away from making history.”

Dane Eriksen came on as a substitute in the 65th minute and scored four minutes later, Àring home a shot which took a deÁection oͿ Crotone defender Lisandro Magallan, from Romelu Lukaku’s layoͿ.

Lukaku had a goal ruled out

before Hakimi struck a second in injury time.

“It’s an important goal because it moves us closer to the title, but we still haven’t won it yet,” said Eriksen of just his second goal this campaign.

“If it proves to be the decisive goal, then obviously it’ll be the most important one of the season. Every goal is important, but the one that takes you to your objective is extra special.

Neymar Scores as PSG Beat Lens to Climb to Top Neymar scored one and set up the other as champions Paris St-Germain beat Lens to move top of Ligue 1 and put the pressure back on title rivals Lille.

The Brazil forward slotted in the opener at Parc des Princes, then saw his corner headed in by Marquinhos.

Fifth-placed Lens halved the deÀcit almost immediately when Ignatius Ganago reacted quickly in the box to Àre in.

But PSG saw out a vital victory to move two points

clear of Lille, who host ninth-placed Nice later on Saturday.

Even if Lille regain top spot, PSG ensured they go into Tuesday’s Champions League semi-Ànal second leg at Manchester City on the back of a morale-boosting win.

“It was hard, especially in the second half. Before the game we needed four wins from four games so we’ll take the three points, that’s the most important,” said PSG centre-back Presnel

Kimpembe.

PSG were without France striker Kylian Mbappe, who was struggling with a calf injury and not risked by manager Mauricio Pochettino.

Pochettino also started winger Angel di Maria and midÀelder Marco Verratti on the bench, although Neymar played 90 minutes before being substituted in injury time.

PSG, who are going for a fourth successive Ligue 1 title, travel to Manchester trailing 2-1 from the Àrst leg in the French capital.

Neymar

TR

Sunday May 2, 2021

‘COVID’

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“Sadly today, everywhere in Nigeria is a theatre of war with many killings and bloodshed going on in the country every day” – The President of Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Bishop Wale Oke lamenting the security situation in the country.

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SIMONKOLAWOLE SIMONKOLAWOLELIVE!

simon.kolawole@thisdaylive.com, sms: 0805 500 1961

Mr President, Nigeria Must Not Go Down

D

ear President Muhammadu Buhari, what a hell of a week it was! Again, undergraduates kidnapped in Kaduna were slain while the ransom was still being negotiated. More bloodbaths in Zamfara claimed over 100 lives.

Over 50 villages were deserted in Niger after attacks

by Boko Haram, who cheekily hoisted their dark flag in one of them. Our soldiers were killed in Borno. Nine police officers, including a DPO, were killed in Kebbi. Northerners were murdered and mutilated in Anambra. Gunmen razed a police command in Imo and killed five officers. In Akwa Ibom, police stations were attacked and officers, including a female, were killed. Et cetera et cetera and so on and so on.

Your Excellency, I wrote an article on July 19, 2009 entitled ‘Mr. President, Nigeria Is Going Down’. It was an open letter to President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, whom I accused of sleeping on duty. I recall, and repeat, the opening salvo: “Mr President, I don’t know how you would take this, but there is no nicer way of putting it – Nigeria is going down. I have watched, helplessly, in the last few months as things appear to be spinning out of control on all fronts. What are you up to? At times, I wonder if you’re deliberately quiet or you are just too overwhelmed with the circumstances in which you have found yourself.

The simplest of things appear to be too difficult for your administration to handle…”

Mind you, Mr President, this was in 2009 before Boko Haram became a thing, before insurgency was ever a possibility much less a probability, before bandits left our borders with Chad and came inland, before kidnapping leapfrogged armed robbery in crime statistics, before students were being routinely kidnapped, before police stations were targeted by arsonists, before the perennial herders/farmers clashes escalated and became framed as Fulani jihad — and long before the entire country became drenched in blood. I was only complaining about Yar’Adua’s foot-dragging on amnesty for Niger Delta militants and power projects. It now sounds like a joke, doesn’t it?

I will tell you a very short story, Mr President.

In 2008, I travelled to the US for a conference. In my hand was a book, ‘The Paradox of Plenty: Oil Booms and Petro-States’ by Terry Lynn Karl.

The immigration official, knowing I was from Nigeria, started to chat me up on the book. He asked: “What would you consider as Nigeria’s biggest problem?” I was not in the mood for a seminar. I was jetlagged. All I wanted was for him to stamp my passport and wave me on. I gave him the global template answer on Nigeria: corruption. But he offered a different perspective: “Some countries have political problems, others economic. Nigeria has both political and economic problems.”

Mr President, you came into office in 2015 declaring that Nigeria’s biggest problem was corruption — which you argued was responsible for the insecurity. You promised to tackle both.

While the jury is still out on your anti-corruption war, the consensus, even among your diehard fans, is that the insecurity is getting out of hand.

It is not limited to a few parts, as the case was in 2015, but spread across the country in an uncanny semblance of federal character. More so, the economy has been on a downward spiral and our political challenges are getting more complicated.

So, we are battling with insecurity, in addition to economic and political crises. We are in a fix, urgently needing a fix.

I understand, Mr President, that some of your team members are of the opinion that the current insecurity is politically orchestrated ahead of the 2023 elections. But haven’t we heard this before?

Some in the Goodluck Jonathan administration believed Boko Haram terrorism was politically

Buhari motivated, geared towards the 2015 elections. I will tell your government exactly what I told the Jonathan administration: whether it is politics or not, it is the job of government to secure the country. The 1999 constitution does not say that if insecurity is politically motivated, we should sit down, twiddle with our fingers, watch criminals take over, and throw up our hands in surrender.

Before I proceed, Your Excellency, I want to be clear on this: I agree that there are those who criticise and hate you mainly because of religion, ethnicity and politics, not really because of what you have done or not done right. It appears this irritates you and makes you ignore or even dare your critics. But be assured, Your Excellency, that it is not peculiar to you. There were those who hated President Goodluck Jonathan because of his religion and ethnic identity too. Other former presidents had similar experiences. It is nothing new: that is the way we are wired in Nigeria and that cannot be an excuse not to do the needful in the interest of national peace and progress.

It may also interest you, Your Excellency, that there are those who support you blindly because they share your religion and ethnic identity — and even your politics. Nothing else matters to them.

To this group, you can never be wrong. You are infallible. It is an emotional thing. They may be asking you to ignore criticism and treat your critics with scorn. Maybe it would also be of comfort to state that this is not limited to you: Jonathan also had his blind supporters who did not — and can still not — see that he did anything wrong in office. They even paint the picture that Nigeria was almost becoming as advanced as Singapore under Jonathan before he was “unjustly” voted out. So it goes.

Having said that, Mr President, I now want to make my point: Nigeria is going down, and very fast. I wish I could put it in a milder form, but no amount of honey can make my words sweet. Boko Haram, said to have been technically defeated since 2016, remains deadly; bandits are shedding blood in the north every day; kidnappers are behind, beside and in front of us; police stations are being attacked and police officers killed for fun in the south-east and south-south; Nnamdi Kanu’s IPOB is revving up the campaign for Biafra by the minute; Sunday Igboho is leading the Yoruba in a war of independence; and some Niger Delta militants have announced a return to the trenches.

If you go down memory lane, Mr President, you would recall that one of your greatest campaign pitches in 2015 was to fight insecurity. Boko Haram was bombing mosques, churches, motor parks and shopping plazas with ease in FCT, Borno, Kaduna, Niger and Kano states, while bandits were terrorising Zamfara villagers without let or

hinderance. I acknowledge that within your first year in office, you made tremendous progress against Boko Haram: they were truly beaten back at some point. Unfortunately, for reasons I would really love to know or understand, the insurgents staged a resurgence and many other areas of insecurity opened up. What exactly went wrong, Mr President?

Your Excellency, I know we are bedevilled by serious economic problems as a result of our usual ailments — low crude oil prices, low FX inflow and the inevitable devaluation of the naira — but I would not even put that at the same level with insecurity. We need to be alive first to spend the naira. While individuals and businesses can cope with rising inflation, unemployment, high interest rates and such like, only the state can tackle the insecurity that has taken hold of the land. This is not an Amotekun, civilian JTF or Arksego matter.

We are not talking about pickpockets and armed robbers. How do we protect ourselves against kidnappers and terrorists bearing AK-47?

At this stage, Your Excellency, we want to see a president who is clearly on top of things and connects with our emotions. You appear too detached. A leader must be present with his people in good and bad times. There is a level of reassurance that comes with it. You were all over the country during the two electioneering cycles but withdrew thereafter as if talking to the people you lead is a burden or something beneath you. Even your most ardent supporters cannot defend this. I know some tasks can be delegated, and, yes, not all the things you are doing to combat the insecurity can be discussed openly, but we urgently need you, not just your aides, to communicate with us.

Speed is also of essence, Mr President. I have noticed that consistently, things are allowed to drag unattended to. When responses come, they are either too little, too late or they come with discordant tunes altogether. Not good, Mr President, not good. That is why many Nigerians have been questioning if anyone is really in charge. Nigerians have every reason to be sceptical or even cynical.

Failure to act on time — with efficiency and the needed sensitivity — has put the country on a dangerous edge where insecurity collides with economic and political challenges. Even those who normally remain calm are now more than worried about how things could degenerate further.

I do not for a minute, Mr President, underestimate some of your strides. I do not support the view that you have achieved nothing in office as some of your dyed-in-the-wool critics would want us to believe.

Those who are mocking your infrastructural projects and agricultural policies today would most likely eat their words in another five to 10 years when we begin to derive the benefits. I keep wondering what might have been if you met crude oil at $100/barrel. Oil made many Nigerian presidents shine in the past, so you have to bemoan your luck. But, Your Excellency, we need to be alive first to be able use the roads and eat the rice. At this rate of bloodshed, that is not guaranteed.

Mr President, Nigerians feel besieged. The condition is critical. They need the commanderin-chief to be the reassurer-in-chief. I know you have been taking some steps and holding several meetings, but whatever you are doing needs more firepower. It appears the criminals are this bold partly because they think they can get away with anything. I request that you begin to act in a way that even the criminals will say: “Baba is not playing o.” May I respectfully remind Your Excellency that you have only two years more in office, God willing. How you handle this delicate and defining period may eventually define your entire public service. Nigeria must not go down under your watch!

Please accept, Mr President, the assurances of my highest esteem.

And Four Other Things…

ADENUGA AT 68 TDr Mike Adenuga Jnr, chairman of Conoil Plc, Conoil Producing and Globacom, marked his 68th birthday on Thursday. He has a unique place in history. Many young Nigerians may not know that we used to pay N50 per minute for mobile calls, even if we spoke for just one second. Glo liberated us in 2003 with per second billing.

Other telcos had said it was impossible but quickly followed suit. Glo also became the first “solo” company to build a high-capacity submarine fibre-optic cable from UK to Nigeria. Adenuga, who holds the French highest order of merit, the Commander of the Legion of Honour, has more grounds to conquer: Glo should become dominant across Africa. Felicitations!

FALSE BANK With the failed attempt of the now sacked board of First Bank to oust Mr Adesola Kazeem Adeduntan as the MD/CEO, we are getting to know more sickening details of the unrelenting corporate banditry in Nigeria. Insiders use their vantage position to abuse processes and break the rules.

While I don’t know all the inside details of First Bank boardroom politics, I have heard enough to make me puke. I must commend the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for stepping in decisively. We are just a step away from another banking crisis if the CBN does not become stricter. We have been through this path before and we have not fully recovered. AMCON is my witness.

Ominous.

RAPE REVIEW A lot of drama has played out in the reported case of sexual assault on an underage girl allegedly by Yoruba actor, Olanrewaju Omiyinka aka Baba Ijesha. I think there are some loopholes in the law which this saga has brought to the fore. We should use this opportunity to tighten them. For one, rape should not be statute-barred — definitely not by three months. I also think Omiyinka’s colleagues who tried to defend him need to apply wisdom. While it is true that the accused are presumed innocent until proven guilty, rape is so repulsive that we should keep quiet and allow the police do their work rather than be seen as trying to paper over the allegation. Sensitive.

SEVEN UP Thursday marked the seventh anniversary of TheCable, the “newspaper without newsprint” that I founded on April 29, 2014 “to deliver knowledge-driven journalism in the pursuit of Nigeria’s progress”. When I said I was going online, people asked: there are over 10,000 Nigerian websites offering news, so how would yours be different?

Don’t you know online is dominated by blackmailers, hustlers, plagiarists and quacks? I promised we would be “professional”. I said we would deliver news with “speed and simplicity”. Seven years on, we are staying the course, thanks be to God. My special appreciation to all our friends and supporters over the years. Grateful!

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