SUNDAY 8TH MAY 2022

FG Moves to Avert Shutdown of Operations by Airlines Engages stakeholders to address aviation fuel scarcity House urges airlines not to suspend operations Ibom Air opts out of plan to stop operations

Chinedu Eze in Lagos and Kasim Sumaina in Abuja Following a threat by airline operators to shut down their

operations tomorrow over the scarcity of aviation fuel, the federal government has appealed to operators to reconsider their decision,

stressing that it had engaged the relevant stakeholders to address the issue of scarcity of aviation fuel.

Also, the House of

Representatives through its Committee on Aviation has appealed to the airlines to suspend the plan to ground their operations.

In a letter addressed to the by the President of Airline Minister of Aviation, Senator Operators Nigeria (AON), Hadi Sirika, and the Nigerian Mr Serina Abdulmunaf, the Civil Aviation Authority Continued on page 6 (NCAA), which was signed

NCC Rejects Telecoms Operators’ Request for Tariff Increase…

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PDP NEC Meets Wednesday on Zoning of Presidency Chuks Okocha in Abuja and James Sowole in Abeokuta L-R: Groom’s father, Mr. Richard Akintayo; his wife, Maureen; Bride’s mother, Mrs. Adetutu Ayeni; Groom, Olamide Akintayo; Bride, Mathilda Ayeni; Bride’s father, Mr. Tayo Ayeni; and President of Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, at the engagement ceremony between Olamide and Mathilda in Lagos… yesterday.

MUBO PETERS

Barring any last-minute change of schedules, the National Executive Continued on page 8

2023 Presidency: Emefiele to Decide in Next Few Days PDP panics, makes accusations without evidence CBN gov has not broken any law, northern coalitions insist, tackle Akeredolu Coalition picks APC nomination forms for AfDB president, Adesina Festus Akanbi, Ejiofor Alike in Lagos, Chuks Okocha, Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja and John Shiklam in Kaduna The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Godwin Emefiele, yesterday said he would decide in the next few days on the pressure being mounted on him to contest the 2023 presidential race.

The apex bank governor has also rejected the presidential nomination and Expression of

Interest (EoI) forms of the All Progressives Congress (APC) procured for him by some farmers across the country.

Emefiele who acknowledged the enormous pressure being mounted on him to throw his hat into the 2023 presidential ring, further clarified that he would make up his mind on the issue in the next few days.

Emefiele’s decision to decide in a few days has created panic Continued on page 5

I AM VERY READY… L-R: Nigeria's High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Mr. Sharafadeen Ishola; National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Abdulahi Adamu; and a frontline presidential aspirant on the platform of APC and former Governor of Ogun State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, when Amosun picked up his Presidential Nomination and Expression of Interest forms in Abuja...weekend

Elumelu Asks US to Shift Emphasis to Youth Empowerment in Africa... Page 6

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REWARD FOR BRILLIANCE… L-R: Head Client Onboarding and COO, RB Nigeria, Yetunde Obrimah; Vice Principal, General Education, Lagoon School, Manee Ngozi Nnamani; Head, Wealth Management Nigeria, Lanre Olajide; Head, Priority and Premium Banking, Chima Ebor; and Representative of Russell International School, Ifeoma Samuel, at the launch of the Reward for ‘A’s programme in Lagos…recently

NCC Rejects Telecoms Operators’ Request for Tariff Increase Festus Akanbi The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has rejected the request by telecom operators for an upward review of tariff, saying that any such decision must be fair to the subscribers and engender healthy competition among services providersa.

In a statement issued at the weekend, NCC said there is no cause for alarm as it did not approve any increase, adding that it remained committed to international best practices and established procedures in its regulatory activities in the country.

Telecom providers under the aegis of the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) had written to the NCC seeking an upward review of voice calls, SMS and data cost tariffs by 40 per cent due to the high cost of operations.

But in a statement by its Director of Public Affairs, Dr. Ikechukwu Adinde, NCC stated that any tariff increase by telecoms service providers must be approved by the commission guided by regular cost-based and empirical studies to determine the appropriate cost to be adopted by the service providers.

Adinde noted that the commission received the request letter from ALTON about the proposed increase but stated that any decision in that regard must be fair enough to the subscribers and engender healthy competition among services providers.

Part of the statement reads, “Consistent with international best practice and established regulatory procedures, the NCC ensures its regulatory activities are guided by regular cost-based and empirical studies to determine the appropriate cost (upper and floor price) within which service providers are allowed to charge their subscribers for services delivered.

“The commission ensures that any cost determined, as an outcome of such transparent studies is fair enough to enhance healthy competition among operators, provide wider choices for the subscribers as well as ensure the sustainability of the Nigerian telecoms industry.

“For the avoidance of any doubt, and contrary to MNOs’ agitation to increase tariffs for voice and Short Messaging

Services (SMS) by a certain percentage, the commission wishes to categorically inform telecoms subscribers and allay the fears of Nigerians that no tariff increase will be effected by the operators without due regulatory approval by the commission.

“It is noteworthy that tariff regulations and determinations are made by the commission in line with the provisions of Sections 4, 90, and 92 of the

Nigerian Communications Act (NCA) 2003, which entrusts the commission with the protection and promotion of the interests of subscribers against unfair practices including but not limited to; matters relating to tariffs and charges.”

It pointed out that the current tariff regime administered by the service providers is a product of NCC’s decision both for voice and SMS. It however added that “while

there could be justifiable reasons for MNOs’ demand for tariff increase, it should be noted that they are not allowed to do such either individually or collectively without recourse to NCC, following the outcome of a cost study. This is not the case for now.

“Through NCC’s commitment to engendering healthy competition among the licensees, the cost of services has been democratised and become more

and more affordable for Nigerian subscribers. The regulator is even more committed to this cause to ensure subscribers get greater value for money spent on telecom services.”

Last week, ALTON wrote a letter to the NCC, the telecoms industry regulator, calling for an upward review of the cost of telecoms services.

The operators urged the NCC to consider the move for an upward review of the cost of

SMS from N4 to N5.61k and voice call termination rate from N6.40k per minute to N8.95k per minute.

The operators said the move to increase the cost of telecom services became necessary due to the high cost of delivering telecoms services across networks, coupled with the harsh business environment and the continuous rise in the cost of various items in various sectors of the Nigeria economy.

The group explained that employment means ‘the state of having paid work,’ while ‘vocation means a person's employment or main occupation’.

It added: "Based on these definitions above, can it then be said that seeking election into the office of the president of Nigeria is an employment or vocation? The answer must surely be negative. Anything other than that will be the most artificial interpretation to suit a sinister purpose.

The group argued that contesting for the position of the president is an exercise of constitutional rights and not an engagement in any employment or vocation.

On its part, UNNYF, one of the groups calling on Emefiele to contest has condemned Akeredolu’s call for him to resign.

UNNYF in a statement issued yesterday in Kaduna accused the governor and “sponsored people” of trying to undermine the credibility of the CBN governor “who has yet to yield to numerous calls to contest for the presidency.”

The statement signed by the Convener of the group, Mohammed Danlami, maintained that “there is no provision in the Nigerian Constitution stopping Emefiele from seeking election into the office of the president while in office, provided he has not been disqualified by Section 137.”

“We are particularly disappointed with the position of Governor Akeredolu who should know better than power must rotate among all regions of Nigeria for equity, fairness and equal opportunities.

According to the group, since 23 years of the current democratic dispensation, the South-west with just six states had produced the president for eight years, a vice president for eight years and two speakers of

the House of Representatives.

The group challenged the Ondo State governor to approach a competent court to challenge the CBN governor if he feels bothered about his candidacy.

It said the calls for Emefiele to resign stemmed from the deliberate misinterpretation of Section 9 of the CBN Act. The group called on others who had called for the resignation of the CBN governor to tell their sponsors that such a call was dead on arrival.

2023 PRESIDENCY: EMEFIELE TO DECIDE IN NEXT FEW DAYS in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the main opposition party yesterday made unfounded allegations against the apex bank’s governor.

As the deadline for the purchase of the APC presidential forms expires on Tuesday, May 10, former President Goodluck Jonathan has also come under last-minute pressure to throw his hat into the presidential ring on the platform of the ruling party.

The President of the African Development Bank (AfDB) and former Minister of Agriculture, Dr Akinwumi Adesina, has however collected his nomination and EoI forms to vie for the APC presidential ticket.

This is coming as a Coalition of North-Central Youths Vanguard for Emefiele has said that the apex bank governor has not broken any law.

The Unified Northern Nigeria Youth Forum (UNNYF), one of the groups calling on Emefiele to contest for the 2023 Presidency, has also condemned the call by the Ondo State Governor, Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu, for Emefiele to resign.

The group reminded the Ondo State governor that “there is no provision in the Nigerian Constitution stopping Emefiele from seeking election into the office of the president while in office, provided he has not been disqualified by Section 137.”

In rejecting the forms procured for him by farmers, Emefiele said that should he decide to join the presidential race, he would use his hard-earned savings from his banking career to purchase the forms.

The CBN governor, in a series of Tweets, disclosed that he hasn’t decided on whether to throw his hat into the ring or not.

He also revealed that he prefers to pay for his forms from the proceeds of his savings whenever he makes up his mind.

The Twitter message read: “I am humbled by the growing

interest of those asking that I run for the Office of President in the 2023 general election: I have not come to that decision. I note and salute the sacrifices of those farmers and patriots going as far as raising personal funds and offering me presidential nomination forms: I thank them most profusely.

“However, should I answer their calls and decide to seek presidential nomination, I will use my own hard-earned savings from over 35 years of banking leadership to buy my nomination forms, without proxies in an open and transparent manner in full compliance with the laws and Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“And should I not run for elected office, I will continue to serve and sacrifice for the good people of Nigeria under the able leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari. This is a serious decision that requires God’s Divine intervention: In the next few days The Almighty will so direct.”

Emefiele’s pronouncement has already created panic in PDP even when he has not decided to contest. National Publicity Secretary of the of the party, Mr. Debo Ologunagba told journalists in Abuja yesterday that the decision of the CBN governor to contest will bring untold hardship and crippling effect on the already fragile economy and loss of confidence on the economy by international investors.

A coalition of rice farmers and other crop growers had on Friday moved to drag the governor of the apex bank into the 2023 presidential race by purchasing the N100 million APC’s Presidential EoI and Nomination forms for him.

Expressing the reason for their push for Emefiele, the farmers said the CBN governor as the head of Nigeria’s apex bank, “has shown capacity, focus, courage

and worked tirelessly with the economic team of President Muhammadu Buhari to keep the economy of our great country afloat above recession and outright collapse.”

Reacting to the controversy trailing the purchase of the APC forms for Emefiele by the farmers, a Coalition of NorthCentral Youths Vanguard for Emefiele yesterday declared that the CBN governor has not broken any law.

The Publicity Secretary of the Coalition, Ameenah Hayatudeen, said the group was aware of the provisions of Section 9 of the CBN Act, which states that: “the Governor and the Deputy Governor shall devote the whole of their time to the service of the Bank and while holding office shall not engage in any full or part-time employment or vocation whether remunerated or not except such personal and charitable causes as may be determined by the Board and which do not conflict with or detract from their full-time duties…”

It noted that based on the above provision, the CBN Governor or Deputy Governor cannot be involved in any other employment or vocation while in office.

It stated: "Arising from this, therefore, how do we define employment or vocation? In the case of Shell Petroleum Company of Nigeria vs Federal Board of Inland Revenue 1996 8 NWLR Part 466 256, the Supreme Court held that where the words of a statute are plain, precise and unambiguous, then it should be given the ordinary and natural meaning,” the group explained.

"We make bold to ask then from Emefiele's traducers what then is the natural and ordinary meaning of the word ‘employment’? And what is the natural and ordinary meaning of the word 'vocation'?” the group queried.

Ethnic Youth Leaders Fault Sagay over Emefiele In a related development, a group of ethnic youth leaders in Nigeria has condemned the Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC), Prof.

Itse Sagay, for opposing the calls on Emefiele to contest the presidency.

The group under the aegis of the Nigerian Ethnic Youths Leaders Council (NEYLC) wondered why a senior lawyer, "will throw caution into the wind and begin to make public statements that are capable of undermining the political process."

The NEYLC is made up of the Arewa Consultative Youths Movement (ACYM), Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youths Movement, Oduduwa Youths and Middle Belt Youths.

The group’s position was contained in a statement by the Ohanaeze youths' Secretary-General and Head of the coalition’s secretariat, Nwada Ike Chiamaka.

“Talking magisterially on a decision that can only be taken by party delegates (which he is not among) only portrays Prof. Sagay as a meddlesome Continued on page 10

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NEWS

GIVING BACK TO THE SOCIETY… L-R: Chairman/Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Ferotex Construction Company Limited, Chief Festus Onu; Chairman, Nkanu East Local Government Area, Enugu State, Hon. Okechukwu Edeh; Enugu State Governor, Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi; Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Hon. Edward Ubosi; and CEO, Odengene Airshuttle Services, Capt. Evarest Nnaji, during the inauguration of the Amagunze asphaltic concrete road, constructed by Nnaji…yesterday.

Elumelu Asks US to Shift Emphasis to Youth Empowerment in Africa Laments implication of military coups on development Gboyega Akinsanmi Africa’s leading investor and philanthropist, Mr Tony Elumelu has challenged the United States to shift emphasis from providing aid to governments in Africa to supporting institutions that help empower a burgeoning population of youths through businesses and job creation.

Elumelu, who is the Chairman of United Bank for Africa Plc and Founder of the Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF), has also identified a strong private sector as a critical driver of peace, stability, and development on the continent.

He made these remarks recently during the fireside conversation co-hosted by the US Institute of Peace (USIP) and the Heritage Foundation in Washington DC. Elumelu challenged the US authorities to re-image his approach to African development.

Speaking at the forum, Elumelu said promoting business formation “is no substitute for strengthening Africa’s weak infrastructure, governance and institutions, neither are challenging business conditions a reason to delay unleashing the entrepreneurial energies of African youth.”

Elumelu, whose foundation trains, supports and provides seed capital to would-be entrepreneurs across the continent, called for a re-imagined US relationship with Africa.

He said: “Washington needs to shift its focus from aid that inevitably encourages dependency to support for institutions that help empower a burgeoning population through businesses and the jobs they support.

“Entrepreneurship, peace, and conflict are linked one way or the other. Young people, who are engaged in bettering their own lives and their communities will reject the lures of extremism and crime,” he said at the forum held at USIP’s head office.

Asked what the US can do to improve Africa’s governance,

Elumelu said people “are beginning to wonder if the US is still there for Africa because of the foray into Africa by other world powers.”

Elumelu, who committed $100 million to raise African entrepreneurs for 10 years, said the US “remains admired and respected in Africa. But a critical step will be to make sure aid makes it past the last mile to its intended recipients and purposes.”

He observed that another step “will be supporting institutional infrastructure that helps address sustainability. The US policymakers and financial institutions should impress on

African leaders how their own political goals and private sector success are linked.

“Overall, there needs to be a reimagining of what Africa needs, a necessity demonstrated by a dangerous level of youth unemployment that is not improving,” UBA’s chairman explained.

Elumelu also expressed grave concern about the recent string of coups across Africa, which according to him, should serve as a wake-up call for the urgency of addressing the social and economic conditions that lead to political instability.

UBA’s chairman pointed to a partnership with Google as a

good example of the relationship, which he believed, could promote entrepreneurship among young Africans.

He explained that the tech giant “has committed a team to expand the training capacity of the Tony Elumelu Foundation’s digital network, which already includes about a million active and aspiring entrepreneurs.

“As the foundation’s programme can only accept up to 2,000 students from 350,000 applicants, Google is helping develop a training platform with unlimited reach keyed to African conditions.

“That digital partnership is such critical support for Africa.

Our Internet connectivity? Not so great. Available bandwidth? Not so great. Yet, this young African is connected to the rest of the world. That is an area we know we need to focus on.”

Elumelu cited his own story as a hopeful example of what African entrepreneurs could achieve and the impact they could have on the continent.

Born to a modest family in Jos, Plateau State, Elumelu narrated how he began his working life as a copy machine salesman after university.

He said a lucky break “landed him my first job in banking, where I worked my way into the executive ranks. In 1997, I

led a small group of investors to acquire a distressed bank that I turned around to profitability.

“In 2005, I led one of the largest bank mergers in subSaharan Africa, buying the United Bank for Africa, where I remain chairman.

“I am also Chairman of Transcorp, one of Nigeria’s biggest employers and capital investors. In 2010, I formed the family investment firm, Heirs Holdings, whose portfolio companies include oil, power generation, and hospitality businesses,” Elumelu narrated how he steadily rose from a salesman to the chief executive.

current government to boost the growth of air transport in the country, and regretted the inconveniences the “very difficult decision may cause our customers”.

Abdulmunaf also lamented that the cost of aviation fuel had continued to rise unabated thereby creating huge pressure on the sustainability of operations and financial viability of the airlines.

“This situation is unsustainable and the airlines can no longer absorb the pressure.”

He, however, appealed to travellers to kindly reconsider their travel itinerary and make alternative arrangements.

Meanwhile, the House of Representatives through its House Committee on Aviation has appealed to the airlines to suspend the plan to ground their operations.

The Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Aviation, Hon. Nnolim Nnaji disclosed yesterday that the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila was greatly disturbed by the reoccurring aviation fuel crisis in the country.

"The House of Representatives consequently plans to take far-reaching decisions on the matter as soon as possible to ensure that the problem is permanently rested," he said.

He appealed to the Airline Operators of Nigeria to rescind action on its planned shutdown of operations due to the escalating cost of aviation fuel, Jet-A1 Nnaji who regretted that despite the last intervention of the leadership of the House of Representatives, the problem remained unabated, assured the airlines that his committee and indeed the House leadership were not sleeping over their plight.

Nnaji who commended the operators for their patriotism further urged them not to ground their operations stressing that “such will inflict more pains on our already distressed economy".

He also pledged that "the National Assembly is determined to ensure that the aviation fuel crisis is urgently resolved because air transportation has become the safest mode of travel.”

FG MOVES TO AVERT SHUTDOWN OF OPERATIONS BY AIRLINES operators had threatened to shut down operations by Monday, May 9, due to high cost of aviation fuel and other operational costs.

The operators had noted in the letter that aviation fuel price (JetA1) had risen from N190 per litre to N700, and described the rise as “astronomical” “While aviation fuel worldwide is said to constitute about 40 per cent of an airline’s operating cost globally, the present hike has shot up Nigeria’s operating cost to about 95 per cent.

“In the face of this, airlines have engaged the Federal Government, the National Assembly, NNPC and Oil Marketers with the view to bringing the cost of JetA1 down, to no success,” he said.

The airlines said that the situation had made the unit cost per seat for a one hour flight in Nigeria an average of N120,000.

But in a swift response, Sirika yesterday appealed to airline operators to consider the multiplier effect of shutting down operations on Nigerians and global travellers, in taking their business-informed decisions

and actions.

Sirika, in a statement issued in Abuja by his Special Assistant on Public Affairs, Mr James Odaudu, noted the “reports that the nation’s air transportation system will be disrupted as from Monday, May 9, 2922, following threats by airline operators to shut down operations as a result of the rising cost of Jet A1, otherwise known as aviation fuel.

"As them charged with the management of the industry, we are greatly concerned about the difficulties being faced by the airline operators in the country in procuring aviation fuel which has resulted in spiralling costs in Air transportation in the immediate past," the statement said.

The statement further said: "We also acknowledge that the airline operators are in the business to make profits while servicing the very critical sector that is not only the preferred mode of transport for most Nigerians but also the main international gateway to the nation.

"Unfortunately, the issue of fuel supply is not within the purview of the ministry

and so the much it can do in the present situation is to engage with agencies, institutions and individuals in positions to provide succour to the airlines. This is already being done by the relevant team led by the Honourable Minister," the statement explained.

The statement noted that while the efforts to assuage the situation are on, "we wish to appeal to the airline operators, even in the difficult situation, to consider the multiplier effect of shutting down operations, on Nigerians and global travellers, in taking their business-informed decisions and actions.

"We also assure Nigerians, especially stakeholders in the sector, that the Buhari administration remains stoic in its commitment to the creation and sustenance of an environment that promotes the growth of the aviation industry where major players like the airlines can operate in a profitable and competitive market,” the statement added.

In the letter to Sirika by the operators, Abdulmunaf had stated that the airlines appreciate the efforts of the

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DEBT MANAGEMENT ON THEIR MINDS… L-R: Programme Consultant, Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA), Mr. Paul Adeyeye; Director, Macroeconomic Stability and Multilateral Surveillance, ECOWAS Commission, Dr. Abel Essien; Director-General, Debt Management Office (DMO), Mrs. Patience Oniha; and Chairman, Debt Management Roundtable (DMR), Mr.Taiwo Oyedele, at the formal presentation of the DMR Report on Debt Management, Restructuring and Sustainability in ECOWAS to the DMO in Abuja…recently

Fayemi: I Have Courage to Fight Principalities Holding Nigeria Back Gboyega Akinsanmi Ekiti State Governor and Chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF), Dr. Kayode Fayemi, has declared that if offered the opportunity to lead Nigeria from May 29, 2023, he will confront and tame principalities, as well as those who consider themselves as the owners of Nigeria while upholding the rule of law.

Fayemi has also disclosed

that Nigeria “is at war,” and recommended counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism measures that would go beyond infantry and other approaches to warfare.

He made these revelations on Friday at a session with political stakeholders and journalists in Abuja after declaring his interest to seek the nomination of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the 2023 presidential election.

Responding to a myriad of

challenges facing the country, Fayemi identified impunity as a very serious issue, that the commitment, compassion, and competence of a leader alone would not address.

Fayemi said what “is lacking in Nigeria is the leadership and courage to do that what is right.

Some people consider themselves as principalities and people who believe that they are the owners of this country.

“They believe they can do whatever they like. They believe the law cannot catch up with them. We will not be arbitrary.

But we will be very sneaky about upholding the rule of law, and access to justice for all Nigerians.

“We must at all times be advocates of citizen’s rights, as well as responsibilities. Because when you have rights, you also have responsibilities as a citizen of the country. We must uphold

this value and live by it.

“Impunity reigns because our justice system has been crippling and because the entire justice sector system in our country is problematic. If we look at the journey from the investigation of the crime, to the conviction of the crime you would have forgotten that the person committed the crime.

“I think swift delivery of justice, access to justice, and accountability

APC is duty-bound to ensure that power shifts to the South."

"For the PDP, it is not the party in power, but for the stability and giving a sense of belonging, I would support that it is zoned to the South and in the South-east in particular. This will help to heal the wounds of the nation as was the case in 1999 went the country was bleeding as the result of the June 12 agitation"

presidential candidate in the 2023 presidential election he will rescue Nigeria from becoming a failed state.

In the same manner, Anyim told the Kogi State delegates that if given the opportunity that he will revive the Ajaokuta Steel Mill to make the economy rebound.

According to Tambuwal, who met the PDP NWC to present his manifesto, "we are all in agreement; that is what I can call consensus, that we are facing greater dangers that we've never faced before. Our country has been divided as never before.

Our economy is in shambles. The security ravaging the country has never been this bad. The general summation of the situation of the country is that we are inching towards a failed state. I'm not saying that Nigeria is already a failed state, but we're inching towards that.”

On his part, Anyim pledged to restore the economy and improve the security situation in the country if he emerges the president in 2023.

He also unveiled his agenda to revitalise the economy and revive the moribund Ajaokuta Steel Company which is almost over 90 per cent near completion Anyim said that apart from reviving the Ajaokuta Steel Company that he will also provide purposeful political leadership that will move the country forward.

“My pedigree as a former Senate President and former Secretary to the Government of the Federation has positioned and given me the political capacity to move the country forward," he added.

In his response on behalf of the party’s NWC, the National Chairman of the PDP, Ayu, promised a transparent and fair presidential primary.

PDP NEC MEETS WEDNESDAY ON ZONING OF PRESIDENCY Committee (NEC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will on Wednesday meet to decide on the report of its 37-man committee headed by Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State.

The committee had recommended that the party should throw open the presidential ticket of the party to all interested party members.

This is coming as an elder statesman, Alhaji Tanko Yakassai has urged the main opposition party to adhere to the principle of zoning and zone its presidential ticket to the South-east for the sake of equity and stability.

Despite the clamour for a power shift to the South, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar; former President of the Senate, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim and the Governor of Sokoto State, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal yesterday intensified consultations on their presidential ambition, lamenting that the current administration led

by APC has shattered the hopes of Nigerians.

This is just as the National Chairman of the PDP, Dr Iyorchia Ayu, urged the ruling party to fix the universities and end the strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) with the huge funds generated from the sale of its presidential nomination forms.

The PDP NEC had in its meeting set up a 37-man committee to discuss and advise the party on where to zone its presidential ticket for the 2023 presidential election.

Before the submission of the report to NEC, the report, which recommended that all the geopolitical zones should be allowed to run, was leaked to the media.

The Deputy Chairman of the committee, Hon. Ndudi Elumelu submitted the committee’s report

on behalf of Ortom.

In their separate comments, the National Chairman of the party, Dr Iyorchia Ayu and Elumelu had stated that only the NEC of the party would have the final say on the vexed issue of zoning after debating the outcome of the committee’s report.

Ayu promised that the committee’s recommendations would be transmitted to the NEC, which would take a final decision.

According to him, the decision would be made known to “party members across the country and all Nigerians who are eagerly awaiting the final decision of your committee.”

Sources close to the 37-man committee had stated that the party’s leadership was more interested in how to win the presidential election than zoning of the presidency which might hamper their effort to regain power in 2023.

However, the governors of the party from the South rose from their meeting in April, insisting that the presidential ticket of the party must be zoned to the South.

The NEC meeting after suffering several adjustments is expected to hold on Wednesday to bring the issue to rest. This was confirmed by the National Secretary of PDP, Senator Samuel Anyanwu.

He said that the earlier shift was due to the local government delegate election.

Zone Presidential Ticket to South-east for Stability, Equity, Yakassai tells PDP Meanwhile, the 97-year-old Yakassai has urged the PDP to zone its presidential ticket to the South for the sake of stability and

justice.

He also that the APC has no reason not to zone its presidential ticket to the South as the Presidency of Muhammadu Buhari comes to an end by 2023 having been elected in 2015.

He said: "The presidential ticket of the APC is expected to rotate between North and South."

Tanko Yakassai said: "Though the timing is not ripe now as the PDP could have decided the zoning of its presidential ticket at least six months before now, for equity and stability of the country, the PDP should zone its presidential ticket to the zone that has not produced it since the return to democracy after several years of military rule.

"My advice to the PDP as the party meets on Wednesday to discuss where the presidential ticket of the party will come from, I think that much as the timing is late, the party should listen to the voice of reason and give the South-east that opportunity. This will help reduce the tension in the country and help stabilise the country.

We are in real danger over this agitation to shift power to the South,” he explained.

He described the support of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) for the North to retain power as a harbinger of crisis, insisting that it is not the fault of anybody that the north presented an incompetent person for the presidency in 2015.

“From 2015 to 2023, the presidency of the country would have stayed in the North and therefore for equity and stability power should shift to the south and in fact to the geopolitical zone that have not have it since the return of democracy."

According to Yakassai, "the

Atiku, Tambuwal, Anyim Intensify Consultations, Say APC as Shattered Meanwhile, Atiku has lamented that Nigeria has never been this divided before, and vowed to restore the unity of Nigeria if voted to power in 2023.

The former vice president stated this when he met with delegates of the PDP in Ogun State at the party secretariat in Abeokuta, the state capital.

Atiku noted that Nigeria must be rescued from the APC-led administration which he said has led the country into failure, following poor economy, insecurity and ethnic clashes.

He, however, promised not to fail Nigerians, saying APC has not been fair to all parts of this country.

"I promise to unify this country.

I promise to give a sense of belonging to every part of this country. We have done it before in 1999 when we came, there was a lot of disunities, but it was not as bad as this,” Atiku explained.

Tambuwal and Anyim also took their consultations to the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party and Kogi State, respectively.

Tambuwal told the PDP NWC that if allowed to become the

in society are areas we need to pay attention to. We need to support our judicial officers so that we will not again tempt them to resort to other misbehaviour because the state has not taken on its responsibility in terms of remuneration and terms of support to the judicial officers.”

On the spate of insecurity nationwide, Fayemi acknowledged the asymmetric nature of security challenges confronting the country, which he said, required devising unconventional measures to guarantee peace, security, and stability across the federation.

He suggested that a new force posture “has to be developed by our military because we are not fighting a conventional war. Such a posture must be developed to respond to a new security environment and a new order of battle.

“What we are dealing with now is unconventional. More often than not, we do not even see the people that you are fighting,” Fayemi observed with grave concern for the future of Nigeria.

The Ekiti governor, therefore, canvassed the need “to devise counter-insurgency, counterterrorism measures that will go beyond infantry and other extreme approaches to warfare.

We are at war.”

He pointed out that what happened in the train attack “is an indication that we need to take immediate measures. Around the suburb of Abuja, I hear some of these things are also beginning to happen.

“We need to watch. I know President Muhammadu Buhari is not a man of many words. He is taking too many steps that some of us may not be able to speak to. He is also preventing many things that they cannot also come up and say.

“The task of securing is ongoing.

It is continuous. It is a work in progress. We must have faith. But we must take adequate steps on intelligence, on better recruitment and equipment to address the issue,” Fayemi advised on how to handle insecurity in the federation.

He cited the example of Egypt, which according to him, was not up to half of Nigeria’s population, but appreciated the socio-economic and political implication of building a strong and virile police force.

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PAYING LAST RESPECTS… L-R: Chief Obinna Udeaja; Mrs. Prisca Victor Umeh; Director, Ekulo Group of Companies, Chief Sunny Okonkwo; former National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Senator Victor Umeh; and Mr. Austin Enendu at the final burial rites of Chris Onwughalu in Osumenyi, Nnewi North Local Government Area, Anambra State…recently

Osinbajo Visits South-east, Says Buhari’s Govt Fixing Nigeria's Security Architecture Deji Elumoye and Udora Orizu in Abuja Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has disclosed that apart from implementing socio-economic measures for the benefit

of the Nigerian people and national development, President Muhammadu Buhari's administration has taken important steps to reengineer the country’s security architecture, stressing that the

2023 PRESIDENCY: EMEFIELE TO DECIDE IN NEXT FEW DAYS interloper in this matter,” the groups said.

Meanwhile, a coalition of 28 groups consisting of Youth Arise Movement, Nigerians in Diaspora One Nigeria Group, Prudent Youth Association of Nigeria, women groups, farmers, people with disabilities and other civil society groups, has raised the N100 million fee to purchase the APC forms for the former minister, Adesina. The coalition is led by the Head, of One Nigeria Group, Mr Mohammed Saleh.

Jonathan under Last-minute Pressure to Declare for 2023 Presidency Meanwhile, as the deadline for the purchase of the APC’s presidential forms expires on Tuesday, May 10, former President Goodluck Jonathan has come under last-minute pressure to throw his hat into the presidential ring on the platform of the ruling party.

Investigation however revealed that Jonathan has delayed his decision due to the clamour by the South-east to produce the next president and the large number of aspirants in the APC. It was learnt that some northern leaders, including emirs and APC chieftains from the region, intensified pressure on the former president following his recent public pronouncement that he was considering the call by his supporters to contest the next presidential election.

THISDAY gathered that some of these APC chieftains also sent emissaries to him in Rivers State yesterday where he attended the burial ceremony of one of the policemen in his security team.

The policeman, who died after a protracted illness, was said to have been with

the former president since his days as the deputy governor of Bayelsa State.

A source close to Jonathan told THISDAY last night that the former president has not made up his mind because of the large number of presidential aspirants on the platform of the APC and the agitation by the South-east to produce the next president.

“He is under intense pressure by some northern leaders and emirs who have insisted that he is the only one that can stabilise the country at this point. But two issues are delaying his decision.

One, he is not comfortable with the large number of people that have purchased the presidential forms in APC. “He believes that a large number of aspirants will make it difficult for the party to reach a consensus and he doesn’t want to come out and be ridiculed. He wants to be the consensus candidate. Again, he is concerned about the popular demand for South-east presidency. He doesn’t want to contest against the South-east because of the massive support the region gave him in his previous aspirations.

“He believes that even if he emerges as the consensus candidate of APC, it will be morally wrong for him to contest against the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate if the party’s candidate emerges from the South-east,” the source explained.

The source also revealed that the extension of the sale of forms to May 10 (Tuesday) by the ruling party was part of the strategy to give Jonathan more time to conclude consultations and make up his mind.

Those rooting for Jonathan want the power to return to the North after four years because he has only one term to complete the maximum two tenures of four years each.

fruits are imminent.

Osinbajo stated this weekend in Awka, Anambra State capital while speaking with delegates of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in continuation of his engagements with APC delegates and stakeholders across the country.

The vice president assured that with the re-engineering of the security architecture, Nigerians will begin to see the fruits of that, especially with the acquisition of more platforms – mobile platforms, air platforms, and, of course, technology, that will be useful in resolving some of these problems.

Responding to questions from delegates, he restated his experience in government, noting that after serving as vice

president and being exposed to several aspects of governance

by President Buhari, he knows that God made this possible so that he would serve the people as president.

Applauding Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwumah Soludo for his wealth of experience, Osinbajo said the governor has been a friend for many years, adding that he has sought his advice well before he became one of the members of the Presidential Economic Advisory Council.

He said, “We are looking forward to working with you; and I believe that all will be well with our country and Anambra State. Everyone is looking to Anambra state; this is one of the major hubs of industry, especially

small businesses; and a place where we expect to see very significant contributions to national economy.”

Soludo, who expressed excitement and hope of a cordial working relationship with the Vice President, said the vice president has been instrumental in promoting MSMEs and youth development.

The governor however appealed that all the progressives should come together to build a better Nigeria and make it work, adding that if all the 36 states of the Federation work, Nigeria works.

He said: “You have been to Anambra severally, but the one that I was part of, in receiving you, and the one

dear to my heart, was when you came to commission the shoe factory (at Ogbunike). Our government is about promoting made in Anambra, made in Nigeria (products). You came to empower us with that, with the MSMEs and thousands of youths and the less privileged in that particular industry.

"I also commend the VP for his efforts in government and for steering the National Economic Council, as its chairman. And in that capacity, I must state that Mr. Vice President, also coordinating several of the special intervention programmes of the federal government, has been leading us well. In various areas and capacities where he has been assigned to do that, he has acted excellently."

Tinubu’s Support Group DG, Jibrin, Quits APC Ibrahim Shuaibu in Kano The Director-General of Tinubu Support Groups Management Council, Abdulmumin Jibrin, has dumped the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Jibrin, a former House of Representatives member from Kiru/Bebeji in Kano State, announced his decision via his verified Facebook account.

He was expected to throw his hat into the ring again for the representation of his federal constituency even though the incumbent is also of the APC.

Jibrin said he would soon announce his next political party.

“I have done my best for APC. It's time to move on.

I will announce my new political party within the next 24 hours Insha Allah. I will make a formal statement in due course. Hon Abdulmumin Jibrin,” he posted.

Jibrin lost his plan to return to the green chamber during a rerun election on January 25, 2020, in which he lost to the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)

candidate, Aliyu Detti Yako after leaders of the party in the state allegedly boycotted him.

His problem with the Kano APC leadership dated back to 2019 when he was suspended from the APC by the Bebeji Local Council chapter, Kano State and has since struggled for recognition within the party structure in his home state even though he remains popular in the party’s national structure with his struggle for the emergence of Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu as the party’s next presidential

candidate.

Jubrin had backed the clamour for a power shift to the South in an interview with ARISE NEWS Channel.

“I don’t think APC will try to toy around with that matter. I believe confidently that the Presidency is going to the Southern part and, when it goes there, Asiwaju stands out clearly in terms of experience, pedigree and competence and most importantly, the ability to win the election. His gap is quite huge, more than anybody else,” he reportedly said.

FG MOVES TO AVERT SHUTDOWN OF OPERATIONS BY AIRLINES Ibom Air Opts Out of Plan to Stop Operations In a related development, the Akwa Ibom State-owned airline, Ibom Air has indicated that it would opt out of the plan to suspend flights on May 9, 2022.

In a statement signed by management, the airline said, “Ibom Airlines Limited (Ibom Air) has been inundated with inquiries about what will happen on Monday 09 May 2022, following the public statement issued by the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) executive, on Friday, May

6, 2022, and it has become necessary for us to make the following clarifications: Ibom Air acknowledges the existential threat that these runaway fuel price increases pose for the air transport industry in Nigeria.

We agree that this out-ofcontrol situation is simply unsustainable.

However, every airline has its unique business model and pressures.

We believe that despite the escalating fuel prices, airlines volunteering to stop operations would rather exacerbate an already bad situation.

“Ibom Air has financial obligations to suppliers,

financiers and staff, which depend on an uninterrupted flow of revenue to service.

More importantly is the fact that having been paid by customers in advance for flight bookings, we are bound by contract to deliver the services already paid for, to avoid exposing the airline to the risk of avoidable litigation.

Apart from the above factors, Ibom Air is currently the only airline serving Akwa Ibom State directly and as such, any voluntary stoppage of operations would completely cut off access by air into and out of the State. Such action would be directly in conflict

with and detrimental to the interest of our shareholder.”

The airline stated that given the foregoing facts, it has respectfully disagreed with the decision of AON to suspend flight operations, adding that it cannot in the circumstance volunteer to stop operating and would continue normal operations on Monday and beyond.

Ibom Air, however, said it identified with AON and would participate in every effort to resolve this frightening situation as soon as possible in the interest of the airline business, customers, stakeholders and the country.

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THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER MAY 8, 2022

BUSINESS Can Nigeria Fill the Gap in Global Palm Oil Supply?

Editor: Festus Akanbi

08038588469 Email:festus.akanbi@thisdaylive.com

As the global market comes to terms with the recent ban on palm oil exports by Indonesia, the world’s KLJKHVW H[SRUWHU DQG DWWHQWLRQ EHLQJ VKLIWHG WR 1LJHULD WR ÀOO WKH JDS FUHDWHG E\ KHU GHFLVLRQ WKH TXHVWLRQ is: will Nigeria rise to the occasion or allow the opportunity to slip away? Festus Akanbi asks

W

henever the story of Nigeria’s postindependence period is relayed, it usually evokes a deep sense of nostalgia especially when the narratives are laced with copious examples of ambitious policies of the administration that took over from the colonial government.

It is such a story of nationhood where men, resources, and policies were picked, set aside, and settled for, respectively, purely based on merits and necessity.

Incidentally, part of that story is the narrative about the growth of the oil palm industry, where Nigeria competed favourably with countries like Malaysia and Indonesia, in the export of palm oil, the most produced, consumed, and traded edible oil in the world.

In the late 1950s and early 1960s, Nigeria was the world’s largest palm oil producer with a global market share of 43 per cent.

The country soon abandoned palm oil production when it discovered crude oil in commercial quantity. Today, it produces just 1.4 million metric tonnes of palm oil, a dismal fraction of Indonesia’s 44.5 million metric tonnes as of 2021.

While, Malaysia’s palm oil production from 2015 to 2020 respectively included 17,700,000 metric tonnes (MTs); 18,858,000MTs; 19,683,000MTs; 20,800,000MTs; 19,255,000MTs and 17,854,000MTs, Nigeria’s production from same period, according to Oil World, are 940,000MTs; 960,000MTs; 1,040,000MTs; 1,130,000MTs; 1,220,000MTs and 1,280,000MTs respectively.

Meanwhile, Nigeria’s oil palm consumption from 2015 to 2020 were 2,517,000 metric tonnes; 2,480,000MTs; 2,490,000MTs; 2,523,000MTs; 2,573,000MTs and 2,591,000MTs. Nigeria is now a net importer of palm oil; it consumed two million metric tonnes in OHDYLQJ D GHÀFLW RI PHWULF WRQQHV according to the United States Department of Agriculture(USDA). Between 2012 and 2021, Nigeria imported over 4.1 million metric tonnes of palm oil, the USDA data showed.

While records showed that from 1975 to 2009, Nigeria was the second-largest recipient of World Bank funding for palm oil investments with six SURMHFWV RQO\ RQH SURMHFW VXUYLYHG (ͿRUWV E\ successive governments to revitalise the sector have been unsuccessful.

As Indonesia Bans Oil Palm Exports However, as attention shifted to the oil palm exports a fortnight ago with the surprise ban on oil exports by Indonesia, analysts said the development has presented another opportunity for Nigeria to come back to reckoning.

The unexpected announcement threatens to ZRUVHQ JOREDO IRRG LQÁDWLRQ DOUHDG\ DJJUDYDWHG

by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Both countries SURGXFH PRVW RI WKH ZRUOG·V VXQÁRZHU RLO They argued that Indonesia’s surprise ban RQ SDOP RLO H[SRUWV RͿHUV 1LJHULD D OXFUDWLYH opportunity to plug the gap as international buyers scramble for alternatives. They noted, rather sadly that with the current level of proGXFWLRQ LW ZLOO EH GL΀FXOW IRU 1LJHULD WR VHL]H the moment in a market it once dominated.

5HFHQW (;RUWV It’s not as if the successive administrations have not injected money into oil palm production. For instance, in 2019, the government launched a $500 million plan to increase funding to producers of oil palm through low-interest loans, to raise

Oil palm plantation

domestic output by 700 per cent by 2027.

The result has been relatively better but weak.

Palm oil production rose from 955,000 metric tonnes in 2015 to 990,000 metric tonnes in 2016, and one million metric tonnes in 2017. In 2018 and 2019, Nigeria’s palm oil production averaged 1.1 million metric tonnes, and then it climbed to 1.2 million metric tonnes and 1.4 million metric tonnes in 2020 and 2021 respectively.

According to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), if Nigeria had maintained its market dominance in the palm oil industry, the country would have been earning approximately $20 billion annually from the cultivation and processing of palm oil today. That’s about half the 2022 federal budget.

Indonesia and Malaysia surpassed Nigeria as the world’s largest palm oil producers in 1966, and since then, both countries combined have yearly delivered approximately 80 per cent of the total global output of palm oil, with Indonesia alone responsible for more than half.

7KH *RYHUQRU RI &%1 0U *RGZLQ (PHÀHOH was quoted as saying that over $500,000,000 was being spent annually on the importation of palm oil.

(PHÀHOH ZKR ODPHQWHG WKH VDG GHYHORSPHQW recalled that in the late 50s and 60s, Nigeria was not only the world’s leading producer of palm oil, but it was also the largest exporter of palm oil, accounting for close to 40 per cent of the global market share.

“Despite placing oil palm in the forex exclusion OLVW R΀FLDO ÀJXUHV LQGLFDWH WKDW LPSRUWDWLRQ of palm oil had declined by about 40 per cent from the peak of 506,000 metric tonnes in 2014 to 302,000 metric tonnes in 2017.

“This indicates that Nigeria still expends close to $500 million on oil palm importation annually and we are determined to change this narrative.

“We intend to support improved production of palm oil to meet not only the domestic needs of the market but to also increase our exports to improve our forex earnings,” he was quoted

as saying.

He said with the help of the state governPHQWV 1LJHULD FRXOG UHDFK VHOI VX΀FLHQF\ LQ palm oil between 2022 and 2024 and ultimately overtake Thailand and Columbia to become the third-largest producer over the next few years.

“As part of ourAnchor Borrowers Programme (ABP) and Commercial Agriculture Credit Scheme (CACS), the CBN will work with large corporate stakeholders and smallholder farmers to ensure the availability of quality seeds for this \HDU·V SODQWLQJ VHDVRQ µ (PHÀHOH UHSRUWHGO\ VDLG Managing Director, Foremost Development Services Limited and Advisor to Plantation Owners Forum of Nigeria (POFON), Mr Fatai Afolabi, while speaking at a forum organised by Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) in Lagos recently disclosed that “40 per cent of all palm oil plantations in Malaysia are owned or farmed by small-scale farmers, whereas, it is over 70 per cent small-scale owned in Nigeria.

“As palm oil has been a major factor in Malaysia, reducing poverty from 50 per cent in WKH V GRZQ WR OHVV WKDQ ÀYH SHU FHQW QRZ Nigeria can also achieve poverty alleviation through the industry,” he said. $IRODEL D΀UPHG WKDW WKH 1LJHULDQ ,QVWLWXWH for Oil Palm Research (NIFOR) developed the Tenera hybrid, which is a globally accepted oil palm type, but despite that, Nigeria remained for too long on the wild variety, utilising poorly coordinated processing mechanisms and dominated (about 80 per cent of the country’s oil palm production is done) by smallholders at both planting and processing levels, resulting in low output in terms of Fresh Fruit Bunch (FFB) per hectare and palm oil extraction.

He said unlike Malaysia, Nigeria has just a little over 600,000 hectares under improved oil palm planting, with a less-established oil palm industry.

Chairman, Plantation Owners Forum of Nigeria, and Chief Executive, Aden Estates

Limited, Mr Emmanuel Ibru, lamented that Nigeria has moved from number one in the V DQG V WR D GLVWDQW ÀIWK <RX QRZ KDYH countries like Columbia and Thailand coming ahead of us, not to mention the mega ones like Indonesia and Malaysia.

He believes Nigeria has the labour, insisting however that there is a need for government to encourage the younger generation in the rural areas, especially the low-skilled population, to work on the farm, especially with the advent RI VRFLDO PHGLD DQG WKH JORULÀFDWLRQ RI WKH ostentatious lifestyle of internet fraudsters. ´:H FDQ VFDOH XS EXW LW UHTXLUHV PRUH HͿRUW hard work, and adequate capital. To develop one hectare of oil palm, you need between $4,000 and $5,000. Also, such investment requires patient capital because the gestation period is four years. Full commercial producWLRQ FRPPHQFHV LQ \HDUV ÀYH WR VL[ 7KLV LV when a proper revenue stream comes on.” ,EUX DOVR UDLVHG WKH LVVXH RI DFFHVV WR Ànance, and the need to ensure there is the availability of land. “We have the land, but the challenge is how to take peaceful possession of the land. Even potential investors with UHTXLVLWH ÀQDQFLDO FDSLWDO ÀQG LW GL΀FXOW WR acquire land, though some states like Edo, through the Governor Obaseki-led oil palm initiative, are trying to ease the process.”

He believes there is a need to rejig the strategy to allocate or facilitate funding to small and medium-scale farmers considering the gestation period of oil palm trees.

“CBN has its real sector support fund and that fund, if you read it on paper, is exactly what we require. It provides for funding for up to 10 years with a three-year moratorium on principal repayment, and nine per cent interest yearly, but the problem is that the real sector support fund does not belong to CBN. The CBN real sector support funds are from the commercial banks’ cash deposit ratio with CBN,” he said.

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER MAY 8, 2022

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TRADE

Promoting Non-oil Exports for Fiscal Sustainability, Growth James Emejo writes that with proper funding support, the non-oil export segment could VLJQLÀFDQWO\ HQKDQFH WKH IHGHUDO JRYHUQPHQW·V ÀVFDO SURÀOH DV ZHOO DV IDFLOLWDWH WKH FXUUHQW GULYH WRZDUGV HFRQRPLF GLYHUVLÀFDWLRQ DQG VXVWDLQDELOLW\

A

midstthepresentadministraWLRQ·V FXUUHQW HͿRUWV DLPHG at diversifying the base of theNigerianeconomyfrom the perils of oil, the need to provide adequate funding and attention to the non-oil export sector cannot be over-emphasised.

Analysts have contended that most of the economic challenges bedeviling the country could simply be addressed by boosting local production and strengthening its non-oil export potential.

They argued that the current challenges regarding the depreciation of the local currency, the Naira, as well as the incessant foreign exchange crisis could be resolved with improvement in non-oil export activities which would, in turn, LQFUHDVH WKH LQÁRZ RI GROODUV LQWR WKH HFRQRP\ Besides, a vibrant non-export sector has the potential to solve much of the country’s unemployment challenges by providing millions of direct and indirect job opportunities.

Strengthening the appropriate non-oil export facilitation institutions to live up to their mandate of providing short-medium- and ORQJ WHUP ÀQDQFLQJ WR WKH SULYDWH VHFWRU ZLOO not only boost the government’s revenue receipts WKHUHE\ HQKDQFLQJ LWV ÀVFDO SURÀOH DPLGVW WKH FXUUHQW UHYHQXH FKDOOHQJHV EXW DOVR EHQHÀW WKH economy in several ways.

Contribution to Economy According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the annual contribution of the non-oil sector increased to 92.76 per cent in 2021 from 91.84 per cent in 2020.

Nonetheless, the country’s export is still oil-dependent as crude oil exports amounted to N4.26 trillion and accounted for 74.04 per cent of total exports, according to Q4 2021 trade statistics.

The non-crude oil contributed N1.49 trillion or 25.96 per cent to total exports of which non-oil products amounted to N810.88 billion representing 14.06 per cent of total exports during the quarter.

Challenges of Non-oil Export Segment Stakeholders under the aegis of the Network of Practicing Non-Oil Exporters of Nigeria (NPNEN) recently urged the federal government to embark on an aggressive drive to strengthen LQWUD UHJLRQDO WUDGH LQ $IULFD WR HͿHFWLYHO\ diversify the economy.

The exporters further maintained that to enhance trade and boost Gross Domestic Product (GDP), investment in non-oil export activities must be taken seriously. $OVR WKH VHFWRU KDG VXͿHUHG IURP WKH GHYDVWDWing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic which IXUWKHU DͿHFWHG LWV YLDELOLW\ DQG UHVXOWHG LQ increased funding constraints.

Credit Facilitation to Sector It was part of the government’s commitment to addressing the funding inadequacies in the non-oil export space that the Nigerian ExportImport Bank (NEXIM) was established by Act 38 of 1991 as an Export Credit Agency (ECA) with a share capital of N50 billion held equally by the Federal Ministry of Finance Incorporated and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

The bank is saddled with the responsibility of providing export credit guarantee and export credit insurance facilities to its clients; provision of credit in local currency to its clients in support of exports; establishing and managing funds connected with exports; maintaining a foreign exchange revolving fund for lending to exporters who need to import foreign inputs to facilitate export production; and provision of domestic credit insurance where such a facility is likely to assist exports.

The bank also provides short and mediumterm loans to Nigerian exporters including

Some agricultural produces ready for export

short-term guarantees for loans granted by Nigerian banks to exporters as well as credit insurance against political and commercial risks in the event of non-payment by foreign buyers among others.

Mandate Actualisation 6LQFH WKH DVVXPSWLRQ RI R΀FH RI WKH 0DQDJing Director/Chief of NEXIM Bank, Mr.Abba Bello, on May 2, 2017, the new management had developed a new Strategic Plan (2018 – 2022) that was articulated toward improving operational performance, achieving the bank’s mandate and contributing to meeting the objectives of the federal government under the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan. &XUUHQWO\ LQ LWV ÀIWK \HDU RI RSHUDWLRQV WKH SODQ KDV FRQWULEXWHG WR WKH VLJQLÀFDQW turnaround of the operational performance RI WKH EDQN ZKLOH HͿRUWV WR FOHDQ XS WKH EDOance sheet as well as improvement in risk management practices had ensured that new loans granted from 2018 are performing 100 per cent, which is a major departure from the huge non-performing loans in the past.

Loan Recovery Drive Bello has said the introduction of aggressive debt recovery and proactive loan measures had increased recoveries from N200 million in December 2016 to N10.2 billion and $3.25 million between January 2017 and February 2022, adding that the loan recovery drive had led to the seizure of assets worth about N7 billion which are currently on the sale block.

He told THISDAY, “Unlike the trend in the SDVW WKH EDQN KDV DOVR HQJDJHG VLJQLÀFDQWO\ with stakeholders, with improved relationVKLS PDQLIHVWLQJ LQ FROODERUDWLYH HͿRUWV towards policy intervention and increased focus on the non-oil export sector.

“Enhanced operating model through reVWUXFWXULQJ RI UHJLRQDO R΀FHV IRU WKH EDQN WR maintain a presence in each geo-political zone of the country for better market penetration and nationwide coverage.”

Intervention Projects The bank’s Export Development Fund (EDF) had led to the processing of 442 Ap-

plications worth N461 billion and $43.69 million, out of which N214.65 billion had been approved while N153.03 billion had EHHQ GLVEXUVHG WR EHQHÀFLDULHV DV ZHOO DV approvals totaling N55.85 billion which were undergoing the pre-disbursement process.

Bello said so far, $492.97 million and €1.17 million, translating into N196.32 billion, have been received as export proceeds from projects that have repatriated their income, while others are yet to complete the transaction circle, adding that many of the institutions supported by the bank now feature on the list of top 100 exporters published annually by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

According to him, over the last three years, the bank had operated under the philosophy of Produce,Add Value, and Export (PAVE) to change the current narrative of the dominance of primary products in its export basket.

Moreover, in supporting start-up projects, a lot of emphases had further been placed on providing working capital to resuscitate many industrial projects, which have hitherto become moribund or operated below capacity towards boosting value-added exports and enhancing jobs creations.

Operational Performance Nonetheless, he said the bank grew its balance sheet from N67.73 billion inApril 2017 to N202.03 billion as of February 2022, adding that with continued positive performance, increased strategic partnerships for lines of credit and the push for recapitalisation of the EDQN WKH WDUJHW LV WR DFKLHYH D VLJQLÀFDQW increase in balance sheet size in line with growing export opportunities, particularly given the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA).

7KH EDQN IXUWKHU UHFRUGHG D SURÀW RI 1 billion in 2018, N2.13 billion in 2019, N1.28 billion in 2020, and N4.10 billion in 2021, after a loss of N567million in 2017 and a bigger loss of N8.03 billion in 2016.

This also suggests that if properly funded, WKH GHYHORSPHQW ÀQDQFH LQVWLWXWLRQ FRXOG boost revenues for the government with its attendant impact on the economy.

7KH 0' H[SODLQHG WKDW WKH SURÀW GHFOLQH

in 2020 was due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on businesses, which necessitated the interest rebate and moratorium extension granted by the bank to its customers.

1RQ RLO H[SRUW VWLPXODWLRQ SRVW &29,' According to the MD, the bank is also collaborating with the CBN to manage the N500 billion Non-Oil Export Stimulation Facility, which has been introduced to provide long-term funds to export-oriented projects toward increasing value-added exports.

In this regard, under the Pandemic Trade Impact Mitigation Facility (PATIMFA) program, NEXIM Bank secured $25 million from the AFRIEXIM Bank to alleviate the economic and business impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Nigerian businesses.

He said, “The facility is available for continuous funding of exporters, particularly SMEs, many of whom were adversely impacted by the disruptions of the global value chain and other fallouts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to him, “The bank’s objective LV WR HQKDQFH LWV LQWHUYHQWLRQ LQ WKH GLͿHUHQW geo-political zones of the country. As part of its strategy to increase intervention in Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), the Bank is also working with various State Governments and has signed Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) with about 10 States under the State Export Development Programme.

“This scheme is expected to facilitate industrialisation and economic development at regional level under the One State One Product programme, whereby each state of the Federation is expected to identify and develop at least one commodity for export as part of the Federal government’s Zero Oil Plan.”

5HVSRQVH WR JOREDO VXSSO\ GLVUXSWLRQ NEXIM Bank is further taking steps to position 1LJHULDQ H[SRUWHUV WR EHQHÀW IURP WKH XQIROGLQJ RSSRUWXQLWLHV RͿHUHG E\ $I&)7$ IROORZLQJ WKH recent exit of Britain from the European Union and the prospects in other regions.

The bank is therefore taking measures to increase its funding capacity towards boosting lending support thereby increasing foreign exchange earnings for the country and facilitating employment generation.

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER MAY 8, 2022

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ECONOMY

Lafia Cargo Airport

Opening up Economic Vistas in Nasarawa Igbawase Ukumba writes that Governor Abdullahi Sule is opening XS D YLVWD RI HFRQRPLF DFWLYLWLHV EHWZHHQ 1DVDUDZD 6WDWH 1LJHULD DQG the outside world

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hen President Muhammadu Buhari ODQGHG DW WKH /DÀD Airport during his two-day working visit to Nasarawa State on February 24, 2022, he had reassured himself that he has a personality (Governor Sule) who is working in line with his philosophy. This was borne out of the privilege the president had had during the visit to inaugurate WKH /DÀD $LUSRUW DQG RWKHU IDFLOLWLHV LQ WKH VWDWH WR RSHQ XS D YLVWD RI HFRQRPLF DFWLYLWLHV EHWZHHQ WKH VWDWH 1LJHULD DQG the outside world.

7KH PDJQLÀFHQW /DÀD %XV 7HUPLQDO DV ZHOO DV WKH 9RFDWLRQ DQG 6NLOOV $FTXLVLWLRQ &HQWUH DQG WKH QHWZRUN RI URDGV ZKLFK President Buhari also inaugurated, would no doubt, go a long way to uplift the state WR LWV HFRQRPLF VWDWXV DQG WKHUHE\ UHGXFH SRYHUW\ DPRQJ LWV SHRSOH 7KH FRPPLWment of the Nasarawa State government WR WKH SURYLVLRQ RI WKHVH LQIUDVWUXFWXUHV ZDV LQGHHG D FRPSOLPHQW WR WKH %XKDUL OHG IHGHUDO JRYHUQPHQW·V HͿRUWV LQ WKDW GLUHFWLRQ However, aside from the state projHFWV LQDXJXUDWHG LQ WKH VWDWH FDSLWDO E\ WKH SUHVLGHQW WKHUH ZHUH DOVR WKH .H΀ Neighbourhood Market and Karu Bus Terminal he inaugurated on his way out RI WKH VWDWH 7KHUHIRUH %XKDUL VLQFHUHO\ FRPPHQGHG WKH 1DVDUDZD 6WDWH JRYHUQRU IRU KLV IRUHVLJKW LQ HQVXULQJ HFRQRPLF JURZWK WKURXJK GLYHUVLÀFDWLRQ ´, XUJH \RX WR FRQWLQXH WR VXSSRUW DQG ZRUN WRZDUGV WKH VXFFHVV RI RXU DGPLQLVWUDtion as I assure you that we will not rest on RXU DFKLHYHPHQWV EXW ZH ZLOO FRQWLQXH LQ RXU GULYH WR VHFXUH VDIHJXDUG DQG GHYHORS 1LJHULD µ 3UHVLGHQW %XKDUL FRQFOXGHG 7KHUH LV QR GRXEW WKDW WKH .H΀ PDUNHW has been very dear to Governor Sule’s heart. The market had got burnt at least ÀYH WLPHV ZKHQ WKHUH ZHUH ÀUH LQFLGHQWV

in it. However, Sule told Buhari that he had a dream that he was going to do something to save the people from their losses and that he had done it, DQG QDPHG WKH UHPRGHOOHG HGLÀFH after one of the founding fathers of the state, the late Mohammadu Chindo Yamusa.

Governor Sule told President Buhari that his administration’s ELJJHVW SURMHFW ZDV LQ .DUX /RFDO Government Area and it was another bus terminal. He added that the bus WHUPLQDO WKH SUHVLGHQW VDZ LQ /DÀD was only going to take about 240 YHKLFOHV +RZHYHU DFFRUGLQJ WR KLP the terminal in Karu was going to WDNH YHKLFOHV ´,W LV DOVR FRPLQJ ZLWK WKH ODWHVW WHFKQRORJ\ $QG RQH JHQWOHPDQ WKDW KDV KHOSHG XV VR PXFK LQ WKH FUHDWLRQ of Nasarawa State read the message RI WKH FUHDWLRQ RI 1DVDUDZD 6WDWH WKH ODWH *HQHUDO 6DQL $EDFKD :H QDPHG WKDW HGLÀFH DIWHU KLP µ 6XOH GLVFORVHG WR %XKDUL On his part, the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, said Governor Sule as seen today was taking steps right EHKLQG 3UHVLGHQW %XKDUL E\ UHFHLYLQJ very good tutelage in the areas where he (Sirika) superintends as a minister LQ FLYLO DYLDWLRQ “So, Mr. President, in Nasarawa, the governor in his wisdom, has TXHXHG WR WKH DYLDWLRQ LQGXVWU\ WR LPSURYH WKH HFRQRP\ RI WKH VWDWH ZLWK \RXU LQDXJXUDWLRQ RI WKH /DÀD Cargo Airport built by the Nasarawa State governor” The aviation minister maintained.

1HYHUWKHOHVV GHVSLWH DWWUDFWLQJ over $500 million in investment, both GRPHVWLF DQG IRUHLJQ LQWR NH\ VHFWRUV of Nasarawa State over the past three \HDUV RI FRPLQJ R΀FH RI *RYHUQRU Abdullahi Sule’s administration,

WKH VWDWH LV SURMHFWLQJ \HW DQRWKHU IUHVK $300m investment into the state with the planned maiden Nasarawa State InvestPHQW 6XPPLW WDNLQJ SODFH QH[W PRQWK 'XULQJ WKH SHULRG WKH VWDWH KDG FORVHG VLJQLÀFDQWO\ DW 3XEOLF 3ULYDWH SDUWQHUships (PPP) and as well implemented eight business environment initiatives. ,W WKHUHIRUH ZHOFRPHG D SLFWRULDO RI investors and investments in the state.

Notably, Flour Mills of Nigeria had signed DQ DJUHHPHQW WR DFTXLUH DQG GR WKH GHYHORSPHQW RI KHFWDUHV VXJDUFDQH plantation and sugar industrial estate in Nasarawa around Toto. That has an investment initially at a minimum of $300 million.

In the same vein, the state also had a SLSHOLQH RI GLͿHUHQW LQYHVWRUV FRPLQJ WR LQYHVW JHQHUDOO\ LQ WKH DJULFXOWXUH VHFWRU IURP ULFH SURGXFWLRQ WR VXJDU SURGXFWLRQ DQG FDVVDYD SURGXFWLRQ ,W KDG VLJQHG D 3XEOLF 3ULYDWH 3DUWQHUVKLSV 333 DJUHHment for the Nasarawa State Transport &RPSDQ\ DQG WKH FRQFHVVLRQ RI WKH EXV WHUPLQXV FRQVWUXFWHG LQ /DÀD DQG .DUX &RQVHTXHQWO\ 1$6,'$ KDG DOVR UHFHQWO\ VLJQHG DQ DJUHHPHQW ZLWK %HDFRQ (QHUJ\ WR FRQFHVVLRQ WKH $XWD %DOHÀ 5HF\FOLQJ 3ODQW 7KHUHDIWHU LQ WKH VHFRQG SKDVH RI WKH $XWD %DOHÀ 5HF\FOLQJ 3ODQW SURMHFW WKH VWDWH KRSHG WR FUHDWH ZDVWH IRU HQHUJ\ SURMHFWV 7KDW LV D SURMHFW WKDW KDV DWWUDFWHG DERXW PLOOLRQ LQ IXQGLQJ ERWK IURP GRPHVWLF DQG IRUHLJQ investment.

Also, NASIDA signed the Peninsula Joint Venture agreement with the private VHFWRU ZKLFK LV WKH JRYHUQPHQW·V HͿRUW WR EXLOG VXVWDLQDEOH KRXVLQJ FOXVWHUV LQ WKH FRUULGRUV RI $EXMD 7KH DJHQF\ HTXDOO\ VLJQHG DQ DJUHHPHQW WR GHYHORS WKH 1DVDUDZD 7HFKQRORJ\ 9LOODJH WR KHOS build and position the state as an emerging FHQWUH IRU WKH GLJLWDO HFRQRP\ DV ZHOO DV signing a joint development agreement WR GHYHORS WKH .DUX 5HFUHDWLRQDO &HQWUH

WR KDYH D UHWDLO JLDQW LQ $IULFD WR DQFKRU tenants for Karu Retailer and Development Centre. $W D EULHÀQJ WR XQYHLO WKH 1DVDUDZD State maiden investment summit slated for May 11 - May 12, 2022, with the theme: “Diamond in The Rough – The Making of A New Investment Frontier,” where Governor Sule addressed newsmen in Lagos virtually explained that the summit was aimed at selling the endowments of the VWDWH WR ORFDO DQG LQWHUQDWLRQDO LQYHVWRUV ZKLOH ERRVWLQJ WKH HFRQRPLF GHYHORSPHQW of the state. +H GLVFORVHG IXUWKHU WKDW WKH VWDWH·V HFRQRPLF GHYHORSPHQW VWUDWHJ\ ZDV DOUHDG\ \LHOGLQJ UHVXOWV LQ WHUPV RI LQFUHDVLQJ WKH internally generated revenue of the state from N7.8billion in 2019 when he took over to 16billion. $FFRUGLQJ WR KLP ´WKH VXPPLW ZRXOG EH GLͿHUHQW IURP RWKHU HFRQRPLF VXPPLWV DV WKH JRYHUQPHQW ZRXOG FRQFHQWUDWH RQ LWV DUHDV RI WKH VWDWH LQ DJULFXOWXUH DQG mining in addition to leveraging on its SUR[LPLW\ WR WKH IHGHUDO FDSLWDO DQG RWKHU UHJLRQV RI WKH FRXQWU\ +H VWDWHG WKDW WKH summit is part of the implementation of WKH 1DVDUDZD (FRQRPLF 'HYHORSPHQW 6WUDWHJ\ 1('6 ZKLFK KLV DGPLQLVWUDWLRQ FRPPLVVLRQHG RQ WKH DVVXPSWLRQ RI R΀FH µ The MD/CEO of NASIDA, Ibrahim $EGXOODKL KDG GLVFORVHG WKDW WKH VWDWH was eyeing fresh $300million investments from the summit in addition to the opSRUWXQLWLHV WKH VWDWH KDV DOUHDG\ FUHDWHG WKURXJK LWV HFRQRPLF EOXHSULQW +H QRWHG WKDW RYHU SXEOLF SULYDWH SDUWQHUVKLS SURMHFWV KDG EHHQ DWWUDFWHG WKURXJK LWV robust PPP arrangement, adding, “the JRYHUQPHQW KDV LQFUHDVHG WKH ,*5 E\ RYHU SHU FHQW ZKLFK LV FRQWULEXWLQJ WR WKH IXQGLQJ RI SURMHFWV µ The Chairman of the Nasarawa State ,QYHVWPHQW DQG (FRQRPLF $GYLVRU\ &RXQFLO 3URI .RQ\LQVROD $MD\L VDLG WKH administration of Governor Sule believes JUHDWO\ LQ SDUWQHULQJ WKH SXEOLF DQG SULYDWH VHFWRUV WR SURPRWH HFRQRPLF GHYHORSPHQW DQG VRFLDO MXVWLFH VD\LQJ WKH VXPPLW ZRXOG go a long way in laying a solid foundaWLRQ IRU WKH HFRQRPLF JURZWK E\ EXLOGLQJ LQIUDVWUXFWXUH WKDW ZRXOG LPSDFW RQ WKH lives of the people.

However, when featuring live on TVC’s ‘Business Nigeria’ programme ahead of the Nasarawa State Investment Summit as part of the build-up to the event, Governor Sule FDXWLRQHG LQYHVWRUV KRSLQJ WR DWWHQG WKH state’s maiden investment summit that the state was not going to sign an open-ended Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with any investor during the summit.

Sule said: “We are not going to sign an open-ended MoU. We are signing MoU IRU D VSHFLÀF WLPH WKDW LI \RX FRPH LQ DQG go into this MoU and you are not able to perform within this period, therefore you EHFRPH QXOO DQG YRLG 6R WKLV LV ZK\ WKLV SDUWLFXODU 6XPPLW LV GLͿHUHQW IURP WKH other ones I have attended.”

The governor, therefore, expressed dismay at so many summits he attended as DFFRUGLQJ WR KLP ´WKH ZKROH WKLQJ EHJLQV and ends at the end of the summits.” He explained that MoUs were been signed GXULQJ VXFK LQYHVWPHQW VXPPLWV ZLWKRXW DQ\ IROORZ XS WR DFWXDOLVH WKH LGHDV D VLWXation he said: “We don’t need that kind of MoU in Nasarawa State. So we are very FDUHIXO DERXW ZKHUH ZH DUH JRLQJ WR VSHQG our money.”

7KH JRYHUQRU KRZHYHU GLVFORVHG WKDW people who probably had the interest have VWDUWHG FRQWDFWLQJ RUJDQLVHUV RI WKH 1Dsarawa Investment Summit in those areas. +H FRQWLQXHG WKDW WKH VWDWH·V H[SHFWDWLRQV from the summit were to explore the great potential in mining and its proximity to the Federal Capital Territory (Abuja).

Nevertheless, the Nasarawa State InYHVWPHQW DQG (FRQRPLF $GYLVRU\ &RXQFLO FKDLUPDQ PHPEHUV RI KLV FRXQFLO DQG WKH MD of the NASIDA and his team are setting the tone for the summit to ensure that the VWDWH DFKLHYHV WKH JRDO RI EHFRPLQJ D WRS investment destination.

Whereas, Ghana’s 13th president, John Dramani Mahama, will deliver the summit keynote address and will be attended by FDSWDLQV RI LQGXVWU\ UHQRZQHG PHPEHUV RI WKH EXVLQHVV FRPPXQLW\ LQYHVWRUV LQWHUQDWLRQDO DQG GRPHVWLF SDUWQHUV PHPEHUV RI WKH GLSORPDWLF FRUSV DQG WKH SROLWLFDO FODVV

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MAY 8, 2022 • T H I S DAY, T H E S U N DAY N E W S PA P E R

CONVERSATION WITH MY BILLIONAIRE FRIEND ayo.arowolo@thisdaylive.com 08086447494 (SMS only) PERSONAL FINANCE SAVINGS BUDGETING COMMODITIES

AYO AROWOLO

GOLD

INVESTING

CONFIRMATORY CASE STUDIES (1)

Chief Olusegun Osunkeye: How I Won with Wealth as an Employee One of our propositions in the ongoing conversation series is that it is possible to build wealth working for others. In this first case study, validating this thesis, we feature Chief Olusegun Osunkeye, former managing director and chairman of Nestle Foods Plc. By staying at Nestle for 41 years (27 years of executive responsibilities and 14 years as Non-Executive Chairman), Chief Osunkeye, a Chartered Accountant by training, has demonstrated that you can be wealthy and live a good life working for others.

In this interview with Ayo Arowolo, he explains some of the strategies that made that feat possible. Please enjoy.

Q1. When did you decide you would stay that long working for others instead of building your own business?

After completing my professional examination in accountancy and taxation May/June 1965, in the United Kingdom, I stayed on to work for 18 months with a practising firm of Chartered Accountants in the Birmingham area. Those times gave me the chance to think about my future goals. I had to decide whether to join a practising firm, in this case, Messrs Akintola Williams & Co, where I started my Accountancy tutelage in 1959, and work my way to the top to become a Partner; or join a manufacturing company, and work my way up, to become a ‘Captain of Industry’ as the cliché goes. Meanwhile, to hedge, I wrote to Mr (now Pa/Elder) Akintola Williams informing him that I had completed my studies and might want to work for the firm on my return to Nigeria if there is a vacancy. Mr Akintola Williams graciously replied that there will always be a place for me if I wish to join the firm as a qualified accountant.

I maintained contact all along with Mr Williams, which developed into a mentor/role model over the years to this day. Towards the end of 1966, the United Africa Company, UK advertised on behalf of its Nigeria Subsidiaries, UAC Nigeria, an opening for Accountants to work in Nigeria. I applied, and luckily, I was appointed to start work at UACN in March 1967. So, the decision to work in an industrial organisation was made.

Q2. What made you take that decision? Was there any specific factor that influenced it?

In all my considerations of where to work or what to do, it never crossed my mind to be a “businessman” or to buy and sell/distribute or import/export. I had always been moving in professional circles.

Before going to the UK, I worked in Peat Marwick Casselton Elliot & Co, a practising firm of Chartered Accountants, to complete my studies. So, the dignity of the accountancy profession and comportment, professionalism and ethics of my bosses (Mr Akintola Williams, Mr Charles Sankey, both of Akintola Williams & Co and Messrs H.W Bond, D. Easton, and Leslie Parker of Peat Marwick) influenced me.

Doing audit work took me to industrial clients to learn first-hand the broad range of commercial and industrial management and operations. I suppose this also shaped my thinking and ultimately swayed me to the path of becoming an industrialist.

Q3. Given your personal experience, what would you suggest are the success factors for anyone who wants to follow that path to wealth creation?

From the onset, I was determined to be a person of character and integrity. These must be your credo alongside your competence in your work. Whatever work, pursue excellence in your assignments, whatever you are given to do, and this involves diligence and continuous learning and improvement. In this same vein, try your best to develop a savings culture. Like the richest man in Babylon said, a tenth of what

you earn is yours to keep. Your accumulated savings is the seed of future investment. Integrity, too, is a big asset. In due time, it can and does attract/create other assets. Let me expatiate: Under the 1976 Indigenisation Decree, foreign companies were required to sell at least 40% of their shareholdings to Nigerians. So, a close friend, a lawyer, and I, also working in a big company, wanted to benefit from the indigenisation exercise, but we had no money to back up our wish. So, we approached UBA (General Manager then was Mr John West). We told him our mission. He agreed to give us a loan of N60,000.00 each on credit to buy shares in any companies of our choice. The loan was repayable in five years, and no collateral was required, only self-recognition (integrity at work!). That was how our wealth creation (as an employee) started. We repaid the loan within three years.

In life, opportunities come in waves, and it is beneficial to have a discerning mind or recognise or perceive the wealth potential in some event, activity or hearsay. Let me paint an example for you.

Pay keen attention: After securing the line of credit, we now searched for companies selling shares. One obvious place to go is an Issuing House, Nigerian Acceptances Limited (NAL). Two of the officers handling the issues were friends (the power of networking!). They included our names in one particular issue-Imperial Chemical Industries Plc (now known as CAP Plc). The 50k nominal value shares were sold at 18kobo (at that time, 1976,, the share price was determined by the Capital Issues es Committee (now known as the Securities & Exchange ge Commission). When the list of names of prospective ve buyers was collated and sent to the Chairman, who ho had his own list, the Chairman looked at the (list with th our names) as submitted by NAL, and retorted loudly ly to everyone around “who are these small boys” and nd crossed out our names, including the NAL officers. s.

Eventually, we were offered the crumbs because the he shares were not fully taken up. In my case, 10,000 00 shares of 50k each were offered to me.

My friends at NAL were angry that we had been en called “small boys” and declined their offer. I told ld them that “I am a small boy” for this purpose, and nd I accepted and paid N1,800 for the 10,000 shares. A year later, ICI declared a dividend such that I received ed N2062.50 net! A year later again, ICI declared a bonus us issue of 3 for 2, and I received 15,000 bonus shares. s.

One of the NAL officers who had declined his offer er offered to buy the bonus shares at N1.50 per share and nd paid me N22,500. I learnt later that the officer offloaded ed the shares at N2.25 per share within months! A win/ n/ win for all concerned. Wealth creation!

that they had sold their factory and head office premises at Apapa and would be moving to Oregun when formalities were completed. A few days later, while pondering over the information gleaned at the business meeting, I deduced that the assets sold would have been fully written off and that the sale would have yielded a huge capital gain realised, which would show in the Balance Sheet at the end of the year ending December 31. I reasoned that shareholders would benefit from a handsome bonus issue if declared. This was around August/September, so I started buying Unilever shares on the Nigerian Stock Exchange, hoping that by the following May or June, when the Annual General Meeting would be held, I would realise gains (more wealth) on my investment in the shares. Unfortunately, it did not happen as planned. The paperwork transferring ownership, which would allow the sale/capital gain to be realized before or by December 31, had not been completed. So, I had to wait/tiedown capital for 12 months, and I continued buying more Unilever shares. Everything worked out as expected the following year wealth accretion. It was amazing!

In all my considerations of where to work or what to do, it never crossed my mind to be a “businessman”or buy and sell/ Distributor or Import/Export.

I had always been moving in Professional circles

g, Another example: 30 years ago, at a business meeting, ed the Managing Director of Unilever Nigeria Plc mentioned

I strive for balance in my life while pursuing my career of lifelong employment, first in the UAC Group for 5 years, then in the Nestle Group for 27 years. Managing the work/life balance is very important. You may not be 100% successful all of the time, but one must be conscious of it and work at it

Q4. What are the difficulties you encountered along that path, and how did you overcome them?

From the word go, I imbibed hard work, integrity and honesty, character, work ethics, competence, commitment and loyalty to my employer as my emblem. These attributes would engender my bosses, peers and subordinates to repose trust and confidence in me as I move up the corporate ladder and generally in the journey of life. These principles have been critical success factors in my career. It is expected that along a career path spanning over 45 years, one would encounter intrigues, frustrations, and disappointments.

I had a fair share at different times. Let me recount a few: In the company I worked for, Nestle Group, international auditors go around auditing the operations of the Nestle subsidiaries in over 100 countries around the world (including Nigeria).

They would arrive in the country without prior notice, bearing a letter of introduction from Nestle headquarters in Switzerland.

In one such instance, the Auditor came and, after his work, went back to Switzerland and wrote a damning report laced with untruths and

incorrect figures to make his case. It was a low point for me in my career, especially coming at a time (in 1978) when I was being prepared for secondment to Nestle companies in Malaysia/the Philippines/Switzerland for international exposure and development for further promotion. All this was now in potential jeopardy.

As it was the practice, the auditee (Nestle Nigeria, typified by me) would be allowed to respond to the Auditor’s findings, comments and recommendations. I gave a robust defence supporting my statements with verifiable facts and figures to disprove or lay bare the falsehood of some of the Auditor’s major “findings”.

The powers above must have been satisfied with my response, and the transfer programme for me went on as planned. However, presumably, as a hedge, if things were as bad as the Auditor had painted, the same Auditor was posted to Nigeria to replace me as the Finance and Control Director on my transfer to Malaysia. During his stay in Nigeria, and in his unguarded moments, he would tell colleagues and the friends he had made among our distributors that he deliberately wrote a bad report so that he would be posted to Nigeria to come and clean the mess. He got his wish, except that there was no mess to clean!

My posting to the Far East and Switzerland was from mid-1978 to the end of December 1980. As time was getting close to return to Nigeria, the erstwhile Auditor (now Finance & Control Director) was brazen enough to ask our employer (Nestle S.A. Switzerland) for posting out of Nigeria, giving as his reason that he could not serve under me (a Nigerian). He was asked to submit his resignation immediately, which he did. He left Nigeria and resurfaced a few months later, having been engaged by one of our distributor partners, an influential Nigerian. After about six months, he fell out with the influential Nigerian who got him deported within 48 hours! The good Lord had fought for me; it is written: “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay”, says the Lord (Romans 12:19).

I served as de facto No. 2 in the company for 11 years before being elevated to the Chief Executive Officer position (Numero Uno). That waiting period taught me some lessons in patience, show competence with hard work to be blameless, and tolerating some indignities along the way. It is written that “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the Lord delivers him out of them all” Psalm 34:19.

Q5. What were the wealth-building strategies you employed while you were actively working?

The answer to question 3 has partially covered this question.

Networking allows you to meet diverse persons in various occupations, vocations, and professions, such as bankers, realtors, lawyers, industrialists, stockbrokers, analysts and persons with business acumen. One can glean opportunities for wealth creation from interacting with diverse personalities. Seek advice and information from experts and those you think should know.

Stockbrokers will tell you that the market thrives on hearsay (and, of course, analyses); at the end of it all, you have to decide, go or no go, which would depend on your risk appetite. Every investment decision has an element of risk.

Generally, the older one is, the less long-term your risk horizon should be.

NOTE: Read the full Interview in the online edition on www.thisdaylive.com

Osunkeye

SUNDAY MAY 8, 2022 • T H I S D AY

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22

SUNDAY MAY 8, 2022 • T H I S D AY

T H I S D AY MONDAYSunday MARCH 14, 2022 8 May, 2022 Vol 27. No 9890

OPI NION

123 TR

AWARDS AS THEATRE OF ESCAPE Nigeria needs a courageous leader with cosmopolitan values, writes GEORGE OKONFUA

See Page 24

BOLA TINUBU AND THE PRESIDENCY FREDRICK NWABUFO urges the former Lagos State governor to step aside See Page 49

MALAMI, POLITICS AND THE KADI MALAMI FOUNDATION Twenty cars were given to members of the Foundation to facilitate their charity and empowerment operations, writes BONAVENTURE P. MELAH See Page 49

EDITORIAL RASH OF MILITARY PLANE CRASHES

See Page 50

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Any of the three zones that have not had a democratically elected President should be allowed to do so next year, argues FEMI FANI-KAYODE

2023 PRESIDENCY: STOP THE HOWLING AND GROWLING

I See Page 24

& RE A S O

opinion@thisdaylive.com

www.thisdaylive.com

OLAWEPO-HASHIM AND THE BURDEN OF LEADERSHIP Oluwasegun Abifarin contends that OlawepoHashim is tested and fit to lead Nigeria

UT H

n a statement titled ‘Our Party, APC Must Tread The Path of Equity’, Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, the Governor of Ondo state, said, inter alia, the following: “It is the turn of the Southern part of the country to produce the next President. The party leadership should have no difficulty in making a pronouncement on this very important issue just as it has fixed various fees for the purchase of forms. This must be done without delay. The principle of Federal Character is enshrined in the 1999 constitution as amended. It would be disingenuous for anyone to argue against rotation at this period.

We must not keep our party men and women guessing on the position of the leadership of the party. This is the time to weigh in and take control of the process. No statement must suggest, even remotely, that the party harbours certain sentiments which may predispose it to consider throwing the contest open. This is certainly not the time for equivocation. EQUITY DICTATES THAT WE TAKE A STAND!” As bellicose and strongly-worded as ever, my dearest brother has spoken his mind courageously. Kudos to him but I beg to differ.

Threatening your party leadership simply because you are a Governor is not the best way to establish common ground and a reasonable consensus on any matter.

More on this later.

In his own contribution Senator Ali Ndume said the following: “They (meaning the Senators supporting Senate President Ahmad Lawan for President) have not come because they know my position. I have nothing against Ahmad Lawan. He is my colleague. But I have everything against injustice. I won’t support even my biological brother. Fielding a northerner is tantamount to injustice and tantamount to a third term. The so-called Northern Elders that are pushing it are doing so to perpetuate injustice. It is the turn of the South and we have to support them to actualise this. I am disappointed in those that are pushing this (meaning Northern Presidency). I have since taken a position even before my alignment with Rotimi Amaechi”.

These are interesting words from a dear friend and a man for whom I have immense respect.

However, once again I beg to differ. Some who have insisted on a Southern Presidency next year are less charitable and far more rabid, vicious and aggressive than Akeredolu and Ndume. They have howled, growled and threatened to tear the country apart and indulge in all manner of subterfuge and violence if they do not get their way.

This contribution serves primarily as a response to them and also as a gentle warning and caveat to the more restrained and civilised voices who secretly harbour their thoughts and share their warped disposition but are smart enough not to express it publicly.

To them I say the following.

Kindly stop the howling, the growling, the barking, the wailing, the sulking, the lamenting, the rolling all over the floor and all the other infantile expressions of hopelessness and frustration and get real. More importantly be cool-headed, cerebal, analytical, intellectual, civilised and thorough in your analysis, stop

the nonsense, control your emotions and take sentiments out of this.

The quest for power is a serious business. It is not served on a plate and it does not come easily. Whilst most in the South are blabbing, threatening and insulting all those that do not see things their way, the majority of the North are planning silently and effectively keeping their cards close to their chest and operating in unity, peace and one accord.

This is both beautiful and powerful and it cannot be downplayed or ignored. It is a virtue and not a weakness.

And those that malign them or treat them with contempt for charting this course do so at their own peril. If the South really wants the Presidency next year in the name of fairness and equity then I challenge them to let every single aspirant from both the South West and South South in BOTH parties STEP DOWN for a candidate from the South East and support that candidate. Unless and until they have the presence of mind and fortitude to do so they cannot fairly say the Presidency must not go to the North.

The people of the North East and North Central have been denied their fair share of democratically-elected leaders. Why should they be denied this opportunity again just to pave way for a Southerner in 2023? Are they not Nigerians as well? Are they second class citizens?

If the South really wants the Presidency next year in the name of fairness and equity then I challenge them to let every single aspirant from both the South West and South South in both parties step down for a candidate from the South East and support that candidate

Do they not also have the right to feel marginalised and deprived and are they not entitled to have their own dreams and aspirations?

The North Central has NEVER enjoyed a democratically-elected President in our entire history and the North East has not enjoyed it for 62 years!

Is that reasonable, just or fair?

Worse still in the case if the North East the entire zone has been ravaged by terrorism and barbarous banditry inflicted by mainly foreign sponsored elements over the last 12 years and now some are saying none of their sons can run for the Presidency? This is surely callous and unconscionable.

Can anyone rightly say they will go to war or sabotage the chances of their own political party just because aspirants from either the North Eastern or North Central zones may HPHUJH DV WKH SDUW\ ÁDJ EHDUHU RU EHFDXVH their party refuses to zone the Presidency to the South?

Is this not, at best, irresponsible and, at worse, madness? Is it a crime to come from Yobe, Borno, Kogi, Kwara, Nasarawa, Niger, Adamawa, the FCT or any of the other North Eastern or North Central states? Surely this cannot be so.

It is absurd and disingenuous for anyone to argue that the South West, who have enjoyed power for eight years as President and eight years as VP over the last 23 years alone should take the Presidency next year. What about the South East, North Central and North East?

Are they not Nigerians too?

We should not talk about North and South anymore. These are archaic, anachronistic and outdated designations. There is no longer any ONE NORTH and there was never any ONE SOUTH. What we have today are six distinct, strong and intellectually and spiritually independent zones and that is what we should talk about.

My view is that we should allow any of the three zones that have not had their fair share of democratically elected Presidents have an opportunity to do so next year.

That is what you call justice and fairness and all the lamentations, insults, threats and barking in the world cannot change that.

The South East, North East and North Central are peopled by decent, hardworking, diligent, brilliant, civilised leaders as well and they were born free. They were not born Nigerians to be slaves to the people of the North West, South West and South South.

And those of us from the North West, South West and South South were not born to be their masters and overlords and neither were they born to be ours. We were all born to be equals before God and the law and anything short of that will lead to catastrophe and put us on the road to Kigali.

Finally let me say this: if the PDP picks a northerner as its candidate then the APC MUST do the same in order to win. Anything outside of this will be folly and a recipe for disaster.

Fani-Kayode is a former Minister of Aviation

2 24

T H I S D AY SUNDAY MAY 8, 2022

OLAWEPO-HASHIM AND THE BURDEN OF LEADERSHIP OLUWASEGUN ABIFARIN contends that Olawepo-Hashim is tested and fit to lead Nigeria May 28, 1989: The cloud had gathered over the firmament of the University of Lagos, Akoka. The drumbeat of the anti-SAP uprising had sounded in Port Harcourt, Benin, Zaria, Ibadan, etc. And the “drummers” were in Akoka already. The stakes were high, while the odds were equally high against the protest on campus on that night.

The President of the University of Lagos Students Union, (ULSU) then was a proschool and a pro-government leader who was opposed to the protest, despite the pressure mounted on him by the various departmental presidents, faculty presidents and the halls of residence chairmen.

Twenty hours earlier, the Faculty of Arts Students Association, (FASA) had invited Femi Falana to speak at the FASA Week lecture on the implication of SAP on Education and Development in the Third World. Falana seized the opportunity with both hands and lectured the students on the implication of SAP on Education, Economy, Social Development and even Religion and Faith.

The charged atmosphere became intense for all to see that only a miracle could stop the protest, despite the efforts by the school and government to forestall it.

Lagos was strategic to the military government as the seat of power was then

Dodan Barracks in Obalende, Lagos.

By the evening of 28th May, officials of the National Association of Nigerian students (NANS) became increasingly noticeable of campus. By about 7p.m, Ogaga Ifowodo from University of Benin, Gbenga Komolafe of the University of Ibadan and the Senate President of NANS; and Gbenga OlawepoHashim of UNILAG Mass Communication Department and the PRO of NANS moved to the Quadrangle of Mariere Hall and spoke to the students who had gathered there on the need to join the protest.

I still recall the opening words of Olawepo quoting Frantz Fanon that “every generation out of relative obscurity discovers its mission fulfil or betray it.” The students became charged as the train moved to the nearby Jaja Hall, and later to Moremi, Fagunwa, Eni Njoku and Tinubu Halls. By then the crowd had become huge as we moved to the main gate toward El-kanemi and Queen Amina Halls.

The Police and other security agencies, by this time had also upped their game. Police had barricaded the Akoka main gate in large numbers with tanks and other weapons.

The peculiarity of Unilag is that the main gate is the only sure way to town. The other exits lead to the lagoon and dangerous swamps.

The only choice opened was to confront the Police and their tanks at the main gate.

From about 9p.m till 5a.m when the battle with the police raged, the voice of Olawepo kept ringing that SAP was evil and that we HLWKHU EHWUD\ RU IXOÀOO RXU PLVVLRQ WR rescue our country. His words moved the students to action and to confront the armed police because the students believed in him and trust his leadership.

Before 6a.m., the police were tired and students poured out to the streets toward Akoka-Bariga and IwayaIkorodu road. In matter of hours, Lagos was on fire of protest, even

though Olawepo and his colleagues paid dearly for it later.

It is incredible that student leaders of that era, like Olawepo had such influence that they could shut the country down for weeks and leave the military leaders with the only option of pleading for dialogue after series of repressive actions to crush protests would have failed to deter the activists.

When he was detained Under Decree Two, stories had it that representatives of the military made him offers including a pathway to a foreign service career in exchange for support after his release which he declined.

The big lesson for me in that era was that leadership can charge and change the environment, chart a path of action and mobilise for positive action.

He and other progressive forces also contributed hugely to snatch democracy from the jaw of the military. For instance, on the night of June 8, 1998, when the late General Sani Abacha dropped dead suddenly, the atmosphere was very tensed as various factions in the military began a fierce struggle to take charge of the situation.

That night, Olawepo and few courageous pro-democracy colleagues quickly drafted a memo on a way out of the void created by the death of Abacha and at high risk to their lives, drove to Fort Ibrahim Babangida to hand over the memo to General Bamaiyi.

“It was in the memo that we drafted the name, Independent Electoral Commission. We proposed a composition of an Independent Electoral Commission, and a whole lot of other recommendations.

“That memo was signed by Pascal Bafyau, who is late now and my very self. We took that memo to Fort Ibrahim Babangida, and that was the night people were still struggling about who was going to be head of state. I remember the Chief of Army Staff then, who surrounded himself with many armoured tanks with flashing of lights in the middle of the night. And as we were going, I heard a loud noise: “Stop, the Chief is coming.

“Our vehicle swerved into the bush; there was Ishaya Bamaiyi surrounded with armoured tanks. Eventually, we settled down with Bamaiyi. He took the memo and said we could go. He didn’t say a word, and thankfully, 80 percent of what constituted that transition came from that memo,” Olawepo said recently.

As one of the earlier political leaders after the military departed in 1999, he was Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the ruling party and Chairman of the party’s Group of 54 NEC members which he formed. He resigned from the PDP in 2006 after a lot of disagreements over matters of party’s internal democracy.

Today, the twin issue of leadership and environment which played out in the University of Lagos more than three and half decades ago have come up strongly in national politics with Olawepo-Hashim driving the point again.

On Tuesday, May 3, 2022, as he stepped out to declare his intention to fly the flag of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2023 presidential election, he asserted that “there is nothing Nigerians cannot achieve with the right environment and support. I am out to give the leadership to create that environment.”

According to him, “mine is not an ambition but a historic burden. It is a burden imposed on me right from my late teens when as an undergraduate youth activist, my generation committed ourselves to the struggle for social and economic development of Nigeria, as well as to the struggle for democratic rule.” He added: “I carry an historic burden to lead the process that will make a democratic Nigeria deliver the promise of a greater Nigeria that will provide for all her citizens and those who reside in it without discrimination…

Abifarin, an award-winning journalist and former Editor of The Week Magazine

Nigeria needs a courageous leader with cosmopolitan values, writes GEORGE OKONFUA

AWARDS AS THEATRE OF ESCAPE Only the management of the Sun Newspapers knows the reasons this year’s award was brought forward to share a border with the deadline for the purchase of the Expression of Interest and Nomination Forms of political parties for the 2023 general elections. If it is a mere coincidence, it hangs D WDOH RQ WKH QDWLRQ WKDW LV LQ D ÁX[ 6R PDQ\ things are happening but the upbeat in political activities is relatively drowning the swell of the inclement weather hanging over the horizon. The masses are doom scrolled already and are beginning to be desensitized to the horrors of everyday killings and kidnappings. No doubt, The Sun has established a huge integrity over its awards and this year’s is no different. But at this material time, the event additionally offers an aside to the heavily burdened national consciousness, as top politicians, presidential hopefuls among them, line up for trophies.

David Umahi, Bala Mohammed, Hope Uzodimma, Sanwo-Olu, Rotimi Amaechi, Chris Ngige, Ahmed Lawan, Musa Kwankwazo, and others. Who knows? One of them may end up leading the nation out of its present woes. Saturday, May 7th, 2022 will therefore be a theatre of escape from the monotony of relentless tragedies for many wearied Nigerians, who will be glued to the live broadcast. If the national grid decides to collapse that day and increase the pressure on the black market, that powers I-pass-myneighbour in many homes, the social media LV WKHUH WR ÀOO WKH JDS The motto of the Sun newspaper is “the Voice of the Nation” and it has indeed played that role. How wonderful if one of the persons walking up the dais, will be the one to restore voice to the voiceless that constitute the national majority. The publisher of Sun, Senator Orji Kalu lest I forget, is also a presidential aspirant.

Memories fade so fast. On October 1, 2002 independence anniversary live programme on the then must-watch Kaakaki morning show, on African Independent Television(AIT) Zikist and foremost nationalist, M.C.K. Ajuluchukwu said Orji Kalu was the only Governor in the South East that had the vision of the late Premiere of the Eastern Region, M.I. Okpara. Orji is not receiving the Sun award. It will be immoral, hence this angle to my piece ends here but not without adding that the New Telegraph which he also publishes has a motto “sanctity of truth,” that provides the seminal line to the rest of this piece.

Truth telling is Nigeria’s major problem.

The land is replete with deceitful leaders, paying lip service to nation-building.

Hypocrisy, truth’s bitter enemy is the bane of Nigeria. Even though politics is an algorithm of complex calculations, a game, how long shall the nation be bound to pretenses and still hope for the good of the greatest number? Nations that are incapable of truth can’t learn from the past while social bonds in composite diversity like ours, are broken, setting the people against themselves.

This is where we are in Nigeria, hobbled by FHQWULIXJDO FRQFHUQV WKDW À[ WKH QDWLRQ RQ WKH book end. We need a different leader; one who can confront the realities and free the nation from the disintegrative shackles of ages, fueling economic doldrums. Nigeria needs a courageous leader, with cosmopolitan values, unyielding to provincial considerations. She needs a leader who can provide for the nation, a deep mine of H[SHULHQFH WR FKHFNPDWH FRXQWOHVV ÁDZV that hem progress. Then, the uncommon patriotism, strong belief that Nigeria can work for all her people. We need someone not bugged down by the narrowness of expertise or competence in one area but a generalist who must have a fair knowledge of every sector- a jack of all trade if you like; the reason being that Nigeria is yet to develop strong institutions.

Of all in the presidential race, none comes

closer to this revolutionary examples than Senator Chris Ngige and I will explain starting with courage and patriotism.

There is no better way to express strong support for fatherland than exemplify such like Ngige has done with his three children who graduated from Nigeria public schools with sons and daughters of the poor. Ngige knew the value of the Executive Order three & five on backward integration of human resources long before the government he serves ever muted it. It is this same patriotism, imbued with courage that saw him defeat the moral foes of democracy, liberate and lay a new foundation for Anambra State.

Even though this choice on the side of the people would later make him lose his seat as governor, he didn’t mind. The same

patriotism made Ngige rise beyond the corrosive politics of ethnicity to ensure that the headship of the five parastatals in his ministry is evenly shared among geographical zones, contrary to what obtains in most ministries.

Like Zik, whose discipleship he confesses, he is a firm believer in one Nigeria, hence has not disguised strong disapproval for the violent trend of agitation in his South East zone. As Governor many years ago, he effectively dialogued and doused the resurgent MASSOB, even reforming part of its ranks into the formidable Anambra Vigilante Group, through a law enacted by the State Assembly. The same act of courage and honest leadership would save the nation, thousands of jobs when Ngige stopped the unilateral redundancy declared by banks and financial institutions in 2016. Courageously too, he engaged the oil majors and equally saved jobs in thousands.

This same virtue forced him break the linear cesspool of corruption in Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund, and moved it from an agency that could not pay salaries in 2016/2017 to one that could save over N18b as of December 2021. Such is also behind that quality advisory he made available to the President, ensuring that government did not downsize its workforce despite two regimes of recession.

Ngige is known for creating new ways.

He changed his ministry from mere dispute resolution centre without capital vote, to one creating new skills centres, rehabilitating old ones, and using its new position in the ILO Governing body, where it was absent for a decade, to influence expertise in jobs creation, skills acquisition and labour laws, that would have ordinarily taken the nation millions of dollars in human capital training. Quietly also, he is shifting national emphasis from white collar jobs to the abundant opportunities in blue collar world. He did set such new way in Anambra when he initiated the return of 56 schools to the missions in 2006, halted the general strike that kept doctors, teachers and students at home for eight and 12 months respectively, issued an Executive Order through which salaries and pensions were placed on first line charge and built a phenomenal road network that has defied elements for close to two decades.

Okunfua, a retired Director of Occupational Safety and Health, Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment writes from Benin, Edo State

349

T H I S D AY SUNDAY MAY 8, 2022

BOLA TINUBU AND THE PRESIDENCY FREDRICK NWABUFO urges the former Lagos State governor to step aside 7KHVH ,W LV D NDOHLGRVFRSH ² WKH pattern keeps mutating. Nigeria’s politics should be among the most unpredictable, intriguing DQG H[KLODUDWLQJ 7KHUH DUH PRUH VPRNHVFUHHQV WKDQ DFWXDO VPRNH PRUH SDZQV WKDQ UHDO SOD\HUV PRUH masquerades than true pipers and more jokers than aces. %XW %ROD 7LQXEX IRUPHU /DJRV governor and APC presidential hopeful, is no joker. As he said during his declaration, it has been his ‘’lifelong ambition’’ to become president. A \RXQJHU DQG KHDOWKLHU 7LQXEX ZLOO make a good president.

As I wrote in a previous column, 7LQXEX DV /DJRV JRYHUQRU VKRZHG his mettle. He worked out a road map IRU WKH VWDWH KDG D GLYHUVH FDELQHW in fact, he is reputed to be one of the few governors who appointed nonnatives, including Igbo citizens, in their cabinet at the time. Against a federal government allocation blockade, he governed Lagos with internallygenerated revenues and was able to steer the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) to dominance in the south-west, DQG WKHQ PLGZLÀQJ D PHUJHU ZLWK the Congress for Progressive Change and the All Nigeria Peoples Party for the parturition of the All Progressives &RQJUHVV :H FDQQRW LJQRUH 7LQXEX For what it is worth, he has shown an uncanny ability to build consensus and mobilise consciences towards a cause.

7KH DUJXPHQW IRU 7LQXEX E\ KLV supporters in the APC is that he has watered many seeds which have burgeoned. He has nursed many ÁHGJLQJ SROLWLFDO FDUHHUV WR PDWXULW\ He has created opportunities for many who were without a compass.

He has invested his life and resources in building people. And that he gave oxygen to the APC, machinating the deracination of an incumbent president at a time everyone thought it was impossible.

7KH DUJXPHQWV IRU 7LQXEX DUH QRW YDFDQW RI YHULVLPLOLWXGH 7LQXEX has built people. Only an inveterate hater will say otherwise. Jagaban is deserving of a princely reward. But should the presidency of Nigeria be KLV FRPSHQVDWLRQ" , GR QRW WKLQN VR Like Kayode Fayemi, another APC presidential hopeful, said, Nigeria’s presidency is not an ‘’inheritance or WUDGLWLRQDO WLWOH·· ,W LV D FULWLFDO RIÀFH WKDW should not be occupied on the basis of political requital. If the supporters of 7LQXEX DUH VR FRPSHOOHG WR ZDQW WR pay ‘’reparations’’ to him, it should be GRQH RXWVLGH WKH GHOLFDWH RIÀFH RI WKH president. +RZHYHU , EHOLHYH D 7LQXEX presidency should have come about RU \HDUV DJR ZKHQ KH ZDV ÀUPHU in body and in mind. It is evident that Jagaban is not of keen mind or of excellent KHDOWK 7KLV LV ZLWKRXW SUHMXGLFH WR WKH transcendent leadership qualities of the APC national leader.

7LQXEX ZLOO PDNH D JRRG president if the vicissitudes of age and failing health permit him. But it will not be fair on Nigeria to stake a gamble on this. Nigeria has had a history of presidents who make personal medical vacations quotidian and FXVWRPDU\ 7KH\ QHHG D EUHDWKHU A fresh start. , KDYH ZDWFKHG YLGHRV RI 7LQXEX

speaking, and I am overwhelmed by emotions owing to his frailty, LQDELOLW\ WR IRFXV ODFN RI DUWLFXODWLRQ and presence of mind, slurred speech and integral disconnection from subject PDWWHUV 7LQXEX SUHVLGHQF\ VKRXOG KDYH come 15 years ago.

Anyone who truly loves the Jagaban of Borgu should be honest about these UHDOLWLHV 7KH WLPH RI WKLV OLYLQJ GHVLJQHU of Lagos as president is perhaps in the future past.

Some stakeholders of the APC are cognisant of this obvious but gnawing fact. Party insiders say leaders of WKH $3& LQFOXGLQJ $VR 5RFN ZLOO SUHYDLO RQ 7LQXEX WR UHWULHYH KLV gauntlet considering the very evident encumbrances. A source told me Jagaban will be propitiated by being given the latitude to ‘’anoint’’ any candidate of his choice from a pool of KRSHIXOV WR Á\ WKH $3& ÁDJ In a report titled, ‘Suspense as APC orders aspirants to sign ‘withdrawal OHWWHU· RQ 7KXUVGD\ 7KH *XDUGLDQ quoted a presidential hopeful as saying the party had asked them to sign a ‘’withdrawal letter’’. ´7KLV LV WKH ÀUVW WLPH ZH DUH VHHLQJ this kind of form for aspirants and we see it as an attempt to enforce consensus RSWLRQ WKURXJK WKH EDFN GRRU 7KLV LV unconstitutional. Signing that letter means the party leaders can impose

The arguments for Tinubu are not vacant of verisimilitude.

Tinubu has built people. Only an inveterate hater will say otherwise.

Jagaban is deserving of a princely reward.

But should the presidency of Nigeria be his compensation? any candidate and you will not have any right to challenge them in court.

6RPHWKLQJ LV ÀVK\ DQG ZH PXVW EH YHU\ careful because there are surreptitious moves not to allow delegates to decide the fate of aspirants,” the presidential hopeful said.

Party insiders say there is pressure RQ 7LQXEX DQG D IHZ RWKHU SUHVLGHQWLDO hopefuls to step aside. Whether Jagaban will take the noble exit door is a question of time.

Nwabufo is a writer and journalist

MALAMI, POLITICS AND THE KADI MALAMI FOUNDATION Twenty cars were given to members of the Foundation to facilitate their charity and empowerment operations, writes BONAVENTURE P. MELAH We are in the season of politics and from now to the middle of next year, 2023, it would be baggage in, baggage out, in the media.

We expect a lot of trash deployment of unsubstantiated allegations against citizens and leaders, especially politicians and mostly SROLWLFDO RIÀFH KROGHUV 7KHUH ZRXOG EH PDQ\ victims of the reckless hauling of fabricated ‘exclusive stories,’ innuendos, half-truths and outright lies, all aimed at getting at targeted political opponents.

For people like Abubakar Malami, Attorney General of the Federation and Minister for Justice, his case particularly stands out, since he has been suspected to have ambition of either a top job in Abuja or that of his home state, Kebbi. Malami’s name has been mentioned, as one aspiring to succeed 3UHVLGHQW 0XKDPPDGX %XKDUL LQ RIÀFH DQG at another time, to be paired as running mate WR D SUHVXPHG SUHVLGHQWLDO FDQGLGDWH DQG most recently, as an aspirant to the position of governor of Kebbi State.

A combination of the above presumptions is the reason why Malami is now on the sniper’s camera target. Malami’s case is made a bit more precarious because of his job as the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister for Justice. In those capacities, Malami has the misfortune of being the prosecutor-in-chief of all manner of felons, including terrorists, separatists, bandits, national and international wire fraudsters, kidnappers, treasury looters, drug runners and money launderers, to mention but a few, in addition to other very odd and challenging but thankless national assignments.

7KLV XQHQYLDEOH SRVLWLRQ H[SRVHV 0DODPL WR all manners of attack from the many aspirants targeting Abuja job and those interested in occupying the Kebbi State Government House.

If it were not so, why is it that suddenly, Malami’s donation of some cars to members of a Non-Governmental organisation, Kadi Malami Foundation has become a big news worthy of national debate, to the extent that people are quoting different number of cars, WKH EHQHÀFLDULHV DQG WKH VRXUFH RI WKH FDUV" 7KH FXULRVLW\ EHFRPHV QHFHVVDU\ LQ YLHZ of the well-known and indisputable fact that Malami has over the years emerged as one of WKH WRSPRVW SKLODQWKURSLF ÀJXUHV LQ 1LJHULD DQG HVSHFLDOO\ LQ KLV KRPH VWDWH .HEEL 7KLV LV DGGHG WR WKH IDFW WKDW WKLV LV QRW WKH ÀUVW WLPH 0DODPL LV GRQDWLQJ FDUV WR ÀHOG RIÀFHUV RI WKH Kadi Malami Foundation.

For those who may not know, Kadi Malami Foundation, together with another group, Khadimiyya are the organisations operating Malami’s charity projects in Kebbi State. So far, the AGF, through the groups has facilitated a process that made more than 2,000 farmers LQ .HEEL 6WDWH WR EHQHÀW IURP WKH $QFKRU Borrowers Fund, an initiative of President Muhammadu Buhari administration operated by the Central Bank of Nigeria.

7KH 0DODPL GHYHORSPHQW LQLWLDWLYH KDV constructed not less than 236 boreholes and handed them over to different communities DFURVV WKH VWDWH KHOSHG JHW \RXWKV employed at various different while 120 RUSKDQV KDYH EHQHÀWHG GLUHFWO\ IURP KLV charity works.

In addition, Malami’s projects have provided 55,000 farming inputs to cassava farmers from batch one to batch three, 3,000 Kebbi youths are on government’s payroll from the Federal Government’s 6SHFLDO :RUNV 3URJUDPPH ZKLOH RWKHUV KDYH EHQHÀWHG IURP KLV ORFDO HPSOR\PHQW LQLWLDWLYHV LQ .HEEL 6WDWH 7KH list is endless.

Most of the projects are executed through members of the two charity organisations who operate at the grassroots level and help in identifying

rural communities where there are basic needs as well as persons to extend help and empowerment to. On his part, the minister provides these groups with resources to work with, including utility vehicles, mostly donated by those who appreciate his interventions, equipment, funding and other requirements to carry RXW WKHLU KXPDQLW\ RULHQWHG ZRUNV 7KHVH empowerment process has been on for years.

(YHQ WKRXJK WKLV LV QRW WKH ÀUVW WLPH RI Malami’s gesture of distributing utility vehicles to the members of the foundations who are mostly youths, to continue their routine philanthropic outreach, it can only be politics that could trigger the obviously skewed and sensational story from a section of the media, on the latest efforts of the minister, with the aim of mudslinging him and in the process, instigate public hate against him.

For the purpose of clarity and applying information that are easily accessible, the reported donation of cars by Malami DFWXDOO\ WRRN SODFH 7KH QXPEHU RI FDUV LV and not 200, not 50 and not 30 as reported E\ GLIIHUHQW PHGLD RXWOHWV 7KH FDUV ZHUH donated by friends and associates of the

Minister.

It could only be a lie from the pit of hell to say that the cars were donated to emirs and Kebbi State delegates when they were actually given to members of Kadi Malami Foundation and the other group to, as usual, facilitate their charity and empowerment operations in the rural areas, on behalf of the minister.

It was also due to Malami’s popularity and the interest people have in him, mainly in appreciation of his philanthropic gestures and empowerment of the people that N135 Million was also donated by those who want him to get involved in the 2023 SROLWLFDO FRQWHVW 7KRVH ZKR FRQWULEXWHG WR UDLVH WKH PRQH\ LQFOXGH EHQHÀFLDULHV RI YDULRXV FKDULW\ LQLWLDWLYHV 1 0LOOLRQ )ULHQGV RI 0DODPL 1 0LOOLRQ :RPHQ Group - N20 Million and MAWOSI, a VXSSRUW JURXS 1 0LOOLRQ 7KH UHVW FDPH from others to make up the N135 Million.

And to those who are clamouring for Malami to resign from his position, the TXHVWLRQ LV ZK\ RQO\ 0DODPL" 7KHUH DUH several ministers, special advisers, board chairmen/women and members, that were appointed by the President or state JRYHUQRUV ZKR DUH VWLOO LQ WKHLU RIÀFHV including those that have openly declared to contest in the 2023 general election and have even gone ahead to obtain and pay for nomination forms.

7KH 0LQLVWHU RI 6WDWH IRU (GXFDWLRQ Nwajiuba has obtained and paid for nomination form, so is the Minister for 7UDQVSRUWDWLRQ 5RWLPL $PDHFKL WKDW RI Niger Delta, Godswill Akpabio, Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige and many others. Nobody is calling on them to resign the way Malami is being shouted upon to OHDYH KLV RIÀFH Melah writes from Abuja

4 50

T H I S D AY SUNDAY MAY 8, 2022

EDITORIAL

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

RASH OF MILITARY PLANE CRASHES The authorities should take a close look at matters of airworthiness and the accountability of those entrusted with scheduled maintenance for aircraft

T

wo pilots reportedly on a training mission died recently in a jet belonging to the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) which crashed in Kaduna State. It is the latest in a series of crashes involving military planes. While we commiserate with the families of the deceased pilots, the frequency of these crashes should command attention from the authorities beyond the routine investigations whose reports are never released to the public. The need for a proper interrogation of the accidents is to draw lessons that may be useful for the entire aviation sector but more importantly for the armed forces.

Between 2015 and 2021, Nigeria suffered 11 military plane mishaps, killing at least 33 military RIÀFHUV ,Q DORQH WKH Air Force lost three jets including the February 2021 Beechcraft King Air B350 which crashed on the way to Minna, Niger State after the pilots had reported engine failure. Seven military personnel died in the crash which occurred around the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja. But perhaps the most devastating of the crashes occurred three months later around the Kaduna International Airport.

Then Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, DQG RWKHU VHQLRU PLOLWDU\ RIÀFHUV SHULVKHG LQ WKH crash. That tragedy echoed the September 1992 crash of C-130 Hercules transport plane in Ejigbo, Lagos which claimed the lives of all 158 middle-ranking RIÀFHUV RQ ERDUG $SSDUHQWO\ UHVSRQGLQJ WR WKHVH developments, the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshall 2ODGD\R $PDR WROG KLV RIÀFHUV WR WDNH WKH ODWHVW unfortunate crash as “yet again a tragic reminder RI WKH SHULORXV QDWXUH RI WKH Á\LQJ SURIHVVLRQ DV well as the risks NAF pilots continually take, daily, to secure Nigeria’s territorial integrity.”

However, a deeply shaken aviation stakeholders believe that the sequence of crashes raises a ‘red ÁDJ· WR ZDUUDQW SUHFDXWLRQDU\ PHDVXUHV VR DV WR DYHUW more disasters. There is indeed an urgent need to look at a combination of factors. The two most prominent RQHV DUH DVVHW PDLQWHQDQFH DQG UHODWLYH DJH RI WKH ÁHHW The jet that just crashed in Kaduna is among the set of

Alpha and Jaguar jets that were acquired by the military regimes of the late eighties and early nineties. They ZHUH ÀUVW SUHVVHG LQWR DFWLYH FRPEDW UROHV LQ /LEHULD and Sierra Leone during their civil wars. Since then, they have remained the backbone of the combat efforts against the Boko Haram/ISWAP insurgency. At some point, it was reported that the series in our inventory had become unserviceable due to scarcity of spares as the makers had phased out that generation of aircraft.

In a much-celebrated deal, the Air Force was reported to have contracted Innoson Motor Manufacturing company in Nnewi to locally fabricate parts for some of these jets. Only with the recent procurement of Tucano ÀJKWHU DLUFUDIW IURP WKH United States has Nigeria embarked on a major renewal of its combat air ÁHHW 6LPLODUO\ PDLQWHQDQFH schedules for these aircraft have reportedly been observed in breach.

So, some of the issues involved are majorly with asset age, material fatigue and instrumentation failures. This combination is guaranteed to compromise the operational reliability of military air assets.

Meanwhile, it should never be lost on the authorities that an aircraft is not exactly like a car. Once airborne, the extent to which a pilot can manoeuvre to safety in a mishap is limited no matter their dexterity and skill. Amao has promised that the NAF would thoroughly investigate the cause of the Super Mushshak trainer aircraft crash.

Unfortunately, reports of military air crashes are FODVVLÀHG VR WKHUH LV QR ZD\ WKH SXEOLF FDQ OHDUQ from these occurrences. But in most past incidents, leaked reports have hardly blamed human error, perhaps because our combat and transport air crew undergo some of the best trainings, both at home and abroad. That then suggests that the problem PD\ EH ZLWK WKH ÁHHW We therefore hope that the federal government will take another close look at matters of airworthiness and the accountability of those entrusted with scheduled maintenance and spare parts procurement for aircraft. We have had enough of these crashes.

At some point, it was reported that the series in our inventory had become unserviceable due to scarcity of spares as the makers had phased out that generation of aircraft

Letters to the Editor

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

LETTERS

OSUN, EKITI AND THE FORTHCOMING ELECTIONS The gold standard of democracy is often found in people`s experience of power or powerlessness as they case may be. It is interpreted by whether people can say they feel empowered or enervated in a political sense. In Nigeria, it remains painful that more than 20 years since a historic return to democracy, the experience of power for many Nigerians has been particularly uncomfortable. $EUDKDP /LQFROQCV PDVWHUIXO GHÀQLWLRQ of democracy as a “government of the people, by the people and for the people,” certainly holds many truths, and speaks to democracy`s ultimate goal of allowing people hold, feel and taste power for themselves so that they are put in vantage positions to veto the lies of those who would wield power as their personal property once WKH\ JHW LQWR RIÀFH Unfortunately, many Nigerian voters are ill-equipped and do not possess the tools with which they can easily identify the weasels who come to wilfully lie to them on

the campaign trail.

The effect of this is then that the same hoodwinked voters are made to rue the chances they never took and learn the hard way. It is hard enough. Between the months of June and July 2022, governorship elections will be held in Ekiti and Osun States in Nigeria`s Southwest region and the elections will give voters in the states an opportunity either to continue with the old order or to try something new. The elections will be about the good people of Osun and Ekiti State and their choices, but across Nigeria, many will keenly watch events in both states.

Nigeria`s democracy is one that very much remains on the path to rapid growth.

In just over two decades, democracy in Nigeria has grown in leaps and bounds HYHQ LI GLIÀFXOWLHV UHPDLQ 7UDGLWLRQDOO\ D free and fair election has always been the crowning jewel of any democracy. In spite of the wobbles of the other institutions of democracy at any point in time, the

moment a democracy can show that it has in place structures which allow people to robustly express their choice through the ballot box, that democracy can be said to be healthy.

Feelers are that the conduct of elections in Nigeria and the participation of the electorate have continued to improve with each election. The Independent National Electoral Commission which is the body constitutionally empowered to conduct elections in Nigeria has continued to build upon and improve its capacity with each election.

The Nigerian electorate have also continued to improve. The level of political awareness and participation has continued to improve with each election and the hope is that the Nigerian electorate will someday get too sophisticated for those whose specialty is the inducement of voters.

Both Ekiti and Osun States have sobering stories to tell of the days when those who wanted power by all means in

those states blatantly broke into the ballot box in broad daylight. That the conduct of elections in both states falls outside the electoral cycle of the rest of the country bespeak the days when the courts found that people`s mandate in both states were stolen by those whom the people did not elect and proceeded to intervene by breaking the malice of electoral thieves and brigands. :LWK VXFK GLIÀFXOW SDVWV WKH JRRG people of Ekiti and Osun State must again be ready not just to troop out en masse to vote but also defend their votes at the end of the day.

Just like the election in Anambra State last year, the elections in both states will foretell what the country can expect in 2023 when Nigerians will have to choose robust participation in the political process above sitting on the fence and becoming sitting ducks.

Kene Obiezu, keneobiezu@gmail.com

A

WEEKLY PULL-OUT

08.5.2022

IFEOLUWA OYEDELE

A Man from Two Sides of Power

Rooted in engineering and acquainted with politics, Mr. Ifeoluwa Olusola Oyedele, an All Progressives Party (APC) chieftain and the Executive Director, Niger Delta Power Holding Company Limited, has been acting behind the scene within his party. His creativity and loyalty as a party faithful paid off when he successfully delivered the mandate to design the APC logo in 2015. Funke Olaode reveals in this interview the persona of a man who has tasted two sides of power - the electrical and the political - as well as his patriotism and desire for a better Nigeria keeps him on his toes.

T

he ambience of the Ikeja, GRA Lagos home speaks volumes of its occupants. The well-arranged flower beds in the expansive compound swayed slightly welcoming this early morning visitor. And stepping into his cozy living room, one is confronted with sophistication and class. The infectious smile and jovial nature of the occupant could be felt from the various family photographs hung on the wall as they gazed at visitors.

Walking down its artistic staircase, his designer fragrance announced his arrival. Looking boyish in his navy blue native attire, he has the swag of a youth which he combines with intellect associated with old. Welcome to the world of 63-year old Ondo State-born Engr.

Ifeoluwa Olusola Oyedele, a chieftain of the All Progressives Party (APC) and Executive Director, Niger Delta Power Holding Company Limited.

On October 8, 1958 in Igodan-Lisa, Okitipupa in Ondo State, he let out his first baby cry as he made an entry into this world.

Before his foray into ‘politics’, Oyedele has distinguished himself as an outstanding electrical engineer. His objectives for venturing into politics are clear: to work with like minds in deepening and broadening democracy in Nigeria by ensuring that Nigeria’s democratic governments meet the yearnings of the populace while progressively improving the quality of life.

Oyedele was a product of Government College Ibadan (GCI) where he finished his WASC with Grade 1 (Aggregate 16). He later trained as an electrical engineer graduating with a Bsc, honours from the University of Lagos in 1982. He has extensive experience both as a field engineer and manager of engineering processes and company. He has also been actively involved as a political organiser and canvasser, exclusively for parties and candidates that he deems to share his objectives and visions for Nigeria.

Oyedele did his youth service in Ibadan between 1982-83 at DAFEC Consultants in Bodija, Ibadan where he served as a Pupil Engineer. His hard work and patriotism would later place his feet on the pedestal of success and 40 years after, he has not looked back.

He began his career at Oyo State Ministry of Works and Transport as a Staff Engineer between 1983-1985. In 1985-1987, he worked as Project Engineer, under the Directorate of Rural Development, Office of the Military Governor, Ibadan, Oyo State Rural Electrification Unit.

That Oyedele is consistent, stable and focused is an understatement. He previously held sway as helmsman in various organisations, managing strategic portfolios within these organisations including Matcom Limited Lagos where he served as managing director piloting the affairs of the company to an enviable position from 1992 to 2016. As a young engineer, he was only content with the requirements of the profession by adhering to its ethics. However, his patriotism and desire for a better Nigeria keeps him on his toes, as he is determined to make a difference.

From a very young age, Oyedele had chosen to toe the path of success having grown up under the tutelage of parents - one a teacher and another education inspector.

“I grew up in a household of disciplined parents. My father was already an accomplished educator, who in 1956 under the colonial regime, received the Member of the British Empire (MBE). He was very well known in my area and the entire Western region at the time. My mom has always been a school teacher. She is retired now; still alive. She lives with me. She is about 90 years old now.”

Without doubt, Oyedele’s parental influence is instrumental to his successes in every step of the way. “My father was a very

ASSISTANT EDITOR OLUFUNKE OLAODE/victoria.olaode@thisdaylive.com.

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T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ MAY 08, 2022

COVER

I See Myself as a Professional in Politics and Not a Political Jobber well-known disciplinarian. And I think I owe whatever I am today to Almighty God and to the values inculcated in me by my parents. You can imagine what it meant in the 60s to be the son of a primary school teacher or the son of a very well-known educator.”

Talking about his roots, Oyedele said he is proud of his Ondo heritage and interconnectivity that defines them. “My father is from a small village called IgodanLisa in Okitipupa Local Government Area of Ondo State. My mother is from Ondo town. But I have connections to the many parts of the Ikale area. For instance, my maternal grandmother is from Ode Irele.

My paternal grandfather is from Ondo town. My paternal grandmother is from Ode Aye. And in any case, in lgodan-Lisa where I come from, even up to the year 2022, we don’t marry ourselves because we are all related.”

Oyedele’s parents were teachers but he never wanted to be a teacher.

“When you go to a prestigious school like Government College Ibadan, you are trained to be a professional. And you know as a young man, you have your fantasies.

Initially, I liked the sound of aeronautic engineering and I wanted to be an aeronautical engineer. I remembered that my cousin, Felicia Okunuga was the first woman aeronautic engineer in Nigeria. As a young man the heavy sound of the word ‘aeronautic’ engineering intrigued me. So, when I was seeking admission into the university, I wanted to be an engineer.”

Prior to enrolling at the polytechnic in Ibadan, his father wanted him to do a Higher School Certificate (HSC) because he was only 16 at the time.

“Maybe he thought we were not mature enough. So, when I got to the polytechnic, I did the common entrance again. In the admission exams, in those days, you did exams for each university. I did one for Ife, Unilag and ABU. Then there was no JAMB. And I was admitted into Ife to read physics which was strange to me because I thought I would have been admitted to read civil engineering. I didn’t want to go but I went to ask if it is possible for me to change my course to civil engineering, they said ‘yes ‘but ‘you have to pass very well.’ So I worked hard from the first semester to ensure that I passed very well. I remembered l had A, A and B in the courses that I was taking. Funny enough, after that one year, the first 12 in physics were asked to go and do engineering physics which was supposed to be the precursor to working in the atomic. I can’t remember what they called it in Ife in those days but it was something to do with atomic energy and all of those things. I didn’t like it.”

While the UNIFE drama continued, Oyedele took his destiny in his own hand by obtaining a transfer form to University of Lagos and Ahmadu Bello University.

Again, his friend, Femi Odeleye who was in Lagos had processed his admission to the electrical engineering department. In UNILAG, Oyedele met with the faculty admission officer, Dr. Susu who was impressed with his School Cert results.

And also his testimonial as well as his transcripts from University of Ife were impressive. But civil engineering, which was his first choice, was already full.

“They had admitted all the students that they wanted at that time. So I looked at the others, electrical sounded very nice to me so I picked electrical and that was how I started to learn the trade of electrical engineering. I believe that God was ordering my steps. You know God knows the end from the beginning, and he knows the beginning from the end. Even sometimes when we make mistakes, it is so that we can fall into the hands of God. So I believe very seriously that God was ordering my footsteps, otherwise the civil engineering department shouldn’t have been full.”

From his impressive career trajectory and how he first landed his first job, one thing is clear, the key to the success of Oyedele may well be described as patriotism and commitment to his duties.

“After my NYSC, I was still looking

Oyedele with his wife, Omobola

around wondering what the next thing would be for me. A lot of my friends who served in NEPA, in the oil companies had already started work. It was election time in Oyo State and I voted in University College Hospital, Ibadan (UCH) in 1982. And I remembered that there were no policemen to protect the votes, but I offered myself to protect the polling booth at that time. And when the policemen did not come, I took my brother’s car, drove to the police station in Sango to bring policemen to carry the ballot boxes to the places where the votes were to be counted, recorded and everything. And if you remember very well, elections were very hot in Oyo State in those days. It was very risky but I was a gentleman who was standing by. I was not an agent in any party, I just volunteered. And in 1983, I was supporting the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) at that time.

So, this gentleman, Dr. Olu Iyun ( who later became professor), whom I know very well was a consultant in UCH, but what I didn’t know was that he was also the private doctor to the then governor of Oyo State, Chief Bola Ige. He saw all of my activities and how I was very devoted and hardworking to ensure that the votes were counted and not disrupted.”

Oyedele’s patriotism during UPN and National Party of Nigeria (NPN) elections where he acted as a volunteer monitoring ballot boxes in the absence of law enforcement agencies later paid off. That singular act endeared him to the then governor of Oyo State, the late Chief Bola Ige, SAN who gave him a job at the Ministry of Works. Although Ige lost the election, Dr. Omololu Olunloyo still retained him. On December 31 of the same year, Dr. Olunloyo was removed in the coup that brought in Major General Muhammadu Buhari at the centre. Then Lieutenant Colonel Oladayo Popoola came into the office and still found him worthy.

He is a chieftain of the ruling party, working tirelessly for his party, attending meetings.

Oyedele doesn’t like to be in the spotlight. But his commitment hasn’t gone unnoticed when he was

asked in 2015 to design the APC logo. He was also part of the committee that presided over the merger of political parties to form the APC. “It is a long story. I had always been an admirer of General Buhari and I always voted for him in 2003 and in 2007, I was very active in my own local area, campaigning for him, and in 2010 there was a move by some leaders in this country, Tunde Bakare, El-Rufai, Pat Utomi, Oby Ezekwesili and so many people like that to ignite this nationalism in Nigeria.

And I was part of the Tunde Bakare group then and later became the Save Nigeria Group.

And I think they were talking to the CPC group. And so, I was nominated to go and attend that group. And that was where I was elected to represent the South-west on the board of trustees of the party (CPC).”

For close to a decade, Oyedele has been working quietly alongside other APC stalwarts, first with merging of the parties: The CPC, AC and ANPP and creating the APC Logo that became acceptable.

“For me, politics was more on principles not on popularity or reward. Like I said to you, I have admired General Buhari since he came on the scene in 1983. He actually was in the scene before then as GOC, as governor and he was admirable. But when he became the Head of State, it was the first time that all of us as Nigerians really saw him and so I had admired him from that point.

“When my wife was discussing what we should do in 2010, it was obvious that we wanted to go with him wherever he was going. But in politics I have been part of the Yoruba council of elders; I have been part of Gbenga Daniel’s effort to become governor, the gateway fund foundation and so many other groups. That is how I came into the CPC. When the attempt was made to form APC, I was also nominated by our leader, General Buhari at that time to be a member of the merger committee. We had suggestions on the name of the party, we had suggestions on the logos, and we had suggestions on other things.

After putting so many things into consideration we agreed on APC. We also considered so many factors both in people, place and event and we concluded and the logo designed by me was accepted. With modesty, I am grateful for that opportunity. I was just fortunate to be in the right place at the right time.”

Oyedele is a rare breed who has successfully blended politics with career. The reason is simple.

It is because of his ability to distinguish himself as a professional in politics and not a political jobber.

“You know, I needed to distinguish between being a political jobber and being a professional in politics. I am a professional in politics. I cut my teeth as a professional before coming into politics.

And I think that it is unfair the way we classify politicians in this country. Every time you see on television, every blame is on politicians. With a sense of humility, there are so many men of integrity in politics and I am one of them. And I have said it several times that politics doesn’t not change who you are. When you squeeze an orange, what comes out of it is orange juice, it cannot be a banana. It cannot be pineapple juice. People go into politics and they become something else. And the truth of the matter is that it is what they have always been. These values that have been in me since my childhood, from my home, from my schools cannot suddenly change because I become a politician. In the civil service, in customs, in police, in the military and so on and so forth, you have bad eggs and they are Nigerians. Even in the security agencies, I mean we have seen even in EFCC, ICPC and so on and so forth, we have seen bad eggs. But that doesn’t mean that there are no good people in all of these organisations.”

When it comes to the criticism of his principal, President Buhari, Oyedele is unbothered because he believes President Buhari didn’t create the problems. He sees it as inherited problems which have lingered for 40 years.

“People have been very unfair to the president and the party. What is happening in Nigeria today began 40 years ago. That was the time that meritocracy was sacrificed for popularity. And that was the time also that some state governments started with free education that had no definition. That was the end of the Government College, the Loyola College, Ibadan Grammar School and the Kings College of the world. And that is what we are seeing today. That marked the beginning of the end of trade centres, schools of nursing, which were sources of pride to all Nigerians. In those days we had good technical training schools. Our mothers were trained as tailors in London. Today we cannot find good carpenters, good tailors, and we cannot find work for our people. Who destroyed the Odua Conglomerate? Who destroyed the Michelin, the Dunlop, who destroyed Nigeria Airways? Is it Buhari? Who destroyed NITEL? Who destroyed all of these organisations. Yes, you don’t build a nation in one day. The Nigerian Shipping Line, Nigeria Airways. Nigeria Airways was the largest in Africa, where is it today? Where is NICON today?

When it comes to balancing his career with the home front, Oyedele is great at it.

He met his heartthrob, Omobola, a UNILAG Alumna during one of UNILAG Alumni Association meetings on campus. His simple pronouncement that ‘Iyawo Ife’ sealed their love story. The Oyedeles have raised seven successful children.

Oyedele is almost 64 but has been able to maintain a youthful look. He attributes this by being disciplined with food. He takes a cup of coffee when he wakes up and eats once a day before 6pm. “But when I am home on a holiday like this, I eat sometimes three times, sometimes two times, I indulge myself. Again, the grace of God and good genes runs in the family. My grandmother died at age 120, my father was 95 and my mum still alive is 90.”

He is a successful engineer and politician and is also a philanthropist. He founded Ifeoluwa Oyedele Foundation with the aim to help the less privileged. And over the years, it has continued to lift the downtrodden.

Oyedele was one of the aspirants for the governorship of Ondo State in 2019 under APC because he felt he had programmes which the people could relate with. Will he still give it a short come 2024?

“I am a man that follows the dictate of God and I do things step by step. Ondo election is 2024. The first thing I think or the next thing that is before us today is to have a presidential candidate that can win the election. After that I will make a decision on what to do,” he stated.

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ MAY 8, 2022

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GLITZ ENTERTAINMENT

Nail-biting End to Glo Battle of the Year Stories by Vanessa Obioha On Saturday, April 30, a mammoth crowd convened at the Eko Convention Centre for the grand finale of the Glo Battle of the Year dance competition.

The energy in the packed hall was so palpable and electrifying given the screams and shouts that rented the air. Anywhere you turned, people were either sitting or standing with varied facial expressions. Sometimes it was a whoop of joy when the favourite contestant wins, other times it’s a mixture of apprehension and disappointment when the outcome is not the desired one.

For instance, when the Outsiders were disqualified from the competition, the crowd did not hide their dismay in their chants.

The tension in the hall as the dancers, in groups and singles, stormed the stage to clinch the ultimate prize was unmistakably high.

The evening started with a pre-taped session where the finalists for the grand finale emerged.

For the breakdance crews, it was a battle between 619 and Delta All Stars; and Eleven All Stars and Space Unlimited for a spot in the final.

The final battle eventually was between 619 and Eleven All Stars in which the former was crowned the eventual winner. The dance crew was rewarded with a N9 million and a Toyota Hiace bus.

In the singles competition, 25-year-old Lil Dan beat 29-yearold Nwafor Joseph to win N1.5m and was crowned the BBoy champion while in the BGirl competition, Cruxxy from Lagos defeated Vicky from Abuja to clinch the title.

The night was also illuminated with performances from Simi and Teni, who opened the show with a joint performance while Davido drew the curtains with a powerful set. Comedy from Ugandan Salvador and Nigeria’s Basketmouth and Gordons left the crowd in stitches.

Glo Battle of the Year is the first time the renowned

world dance competition will be sponsored in Nigeria. It is an empowerment programme for the telecommunications giant to recognise how dance is becoming more than a pastime for the teeming Nigerian youths.

“In line with our commitment to promoting the Nigerian entertainment industry and youth talent development across the country, we are excited to unleash the unlimited potential of Nigerian dancers and provide the platform for them to showcase their abilities on the world stage”, said Globacom’s Communications Director, Andre Beyers.

The dance competition was officially launched on October 13, 2021, with auditions held in six venues across seven dance categories which included breakdance, afro dance, popping, locking and krump. 1,542 entries were received and were judged by seasoned professionals like Menno from the Netherlands, BGirl Manuela from Germany, BBoy Poxxy from Cameroon, Locking Si’on and Izzy Odigie from Nigeria/USA.

For a seamless production, over 200 men and women were employed and about N84 million was given out in cash prizes.

The 13-episode TV show started airing in February and instantly became a favourite pastime for many households. The winner will now represent Nigeria in the world competition in Japan.

BeeJay Sax Returns with Live Concert

Naija Hood Rep: Lawani, Ifeking Bid Farewell to the Show This week’s eviction saw a double eviction as Lawani and Ifeking representing Obalende and Ilorin hoods respectively left the show.

Of the three with low votes, Jenniesimpss was saved by other Hood reps who queued behind her based on the instructions given by the Landlord.

Meanwhile, Lotto64banks, Omeche, Caroline, Ramzy and Dezign were saved by voters.

Fockelly, Imade, Don David, Lovezoe, Boman and Queenifa were also saved.

All the reps were up for eviction due to their bad behaviour last week, according to the Landlord.

While giving his last speech in the house, Lawani expressed dissatisfaction with his eviction but stayed positive.

“I think everybody in my position would feel bad. I feel bad but I am staying positive. I believe the road does not end here. Nothing happens to me by chance.

Breakdance Crew winners of the Glo Battle of the Year Nigeria, 619 crew, with Bisi Kolesho, Globacom Deputy Chief Operations Officer (second top left); and David Maji, Globacom’s National Sales Coordinator (second top right) and at the grand finale of the dance competition recently in Lagos.

Ifeking and Lawani are evicted from Naija Hood Rep I am grateful to God and the universe for this moment. I will keep it ongoing.”

Ifeking on her part said she never expected to stay in the show for long and thereafter lauded herself for getting the level.

Saxophonist BeeJay Sax is ready to thrill audiences Inspector Alicia and The Professor in Money Heist with melodious sounds at his live concert scheduled for May 15 at Eko Hotels and Suites. The concert will feature musical ministrations from gospel artists like Mercy Chinwo, Tosin Bee, and Moses Bliss among others.

BeeJay Sax discovered his ministry while in secondary school and has since run with it.

During the lockdown period of the pandemic, the saxophonist said he was moved to lead people in praise. Thus, he began the ‘Online Praise’ which caught the BeeJay Sax attention of many. particularly financials. But his joy is Despite his growth in found in the testimonies that come from his the gospel music sector, concerts. And this year, he said, will be no BeeJay Sax has not been different. immune to challenges,

New Report Shows that Big Brother Naija Helped Participants Achieve Their Dreams A new report by Plaqad, an emerging global marketing and public relations technology company, showed that 75 per cent of ex-housemates of the popular reality TV show Big Brother Naija helped them achieve some of their life goals.

The report ‘Big Brother Naija Report’ is the second edition from the company with its primary goal to provide valuable insights into the public perception of the famed reality TV show, its impact on the youth culture in Nigeria and the Nigerian economy.

BBNaija as the show is fondly called is one of the entertainment shows that

has catapulted many faces to stardom. Past contestants like Ebuka ObiUchendu, Mercy Eke, Laycon, and Ozoemena Chukwu had leveraged the platform to pursue their goals.

The show assembles contestants in an isolated house who compete for huge cash prizes and gifts worth over $100,000 while each housemate races against eviction from the house, based on votes from the viewers.

Although the show is always pilloried, the report by Plaqad indicated that 64% of viewers admitted that the show provided emotional and mental satisfaction to them post-pandemic while 71.7% of respondents watch the show communally with family and friends.

Nine Designers to Storm the AMVCA Runway Today Amy Aghomi to feature in AMVCA runway show

The eight-day festivity of the eighth edition of the Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards (AMVCA) officially kicked off last night with the opening gala. Today, May 8, the first AMVCA runway will take place at Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.

The runway will parade nine designers from the ‘Design for the Stars’ competition.

They include Oseluse Okpamen (Hollerose), Omowunmi Pillot, Sophie Chamberlain, Azeezat Alawusa, Obinna Omeruo, Ezioghene Egbelefiyo, Felix

Asuquo, Amy Aghomi and Ikechukwu Nwosu.

The designers were coached by some of Nigeria’s established and leading designers: Mai Atafo, Lanre Da-Silva Ajayi and Adebayo Oke-Lawal.

The fashion show will put the spotlight on authentic African fashion in acknowledgement of the pivotal role of fashion in the growth of the African film and TV Industry. The first-ever AMVCA runway show is sponsored by Pepsi and Lush Hair.

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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 MAY 8, 2022

INTERNATIONAL Africa and Russian-Ukrainian War: Beyond the Russo-NATO Struggle for Global Hegemony

T

he Russian-Ukrainian war is interesting from various perspectives. First is it a war? If it is, which type of war? Is it a lawful war? Is it not a war of attrition?

Western countries call it a Russian invasion while the Russians say it is a‘Special Military Intervention.’The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) calls it an aggression.Whetheritisaninvasion,aspecialmilitary intervention, or aggression, they all have the same devastating effects.

Second, the war raises the nexus between technocratic advice and decisions of policy makers. For instance, US foreign policy technocrats have been warning, and on a serious note, that the United States should not encourage the membership expansion of the North AtlanticTreaty Organisation NATO) to Eastern Europe, warning that the implications could be more deleterious.The political decision makers listened to the advicebutneveracceptedit.Thisscenarioisparticularlyinterestingfrom the perspective of the Boko Haramists and the Government of Nigeria.

Academic technocrats have been proffering what the constructive approach to the containment of the insurrection should be, but their advice appears to have been falling on deaf ears. The outcome has been recidivism of terrorism.

Thirdly, the Russian-Ukrainian war has divided, more than it has united, the European Union. Several policy decisions taken by the European Union as sanctionary measures against Russia also have negative impact on some of the EU Member States. This has been to the extent that such members have been asking for exemptions.

Fourthly, the war not only raises the issue of membership of countries like Sweden and Switzerland, of the NATO, and also of the security protection of such countries in Europe. In this regard, is neutrality in international relations coming to an end in the event of Sweden and Switzerland acceding to the NATO agreement? Professor Bolaji Akinyemi already raised this issue during Session 95 of thruMYeyes with Professor Bolaji Akinyemi on Thursday, May 5, 2022, anchored

by Syncterface Media.

And perhaps most interestingly, the issue of non-alignment is also necessarily raised at the level of Africa’s attitudinal disposition towards the conflict. The Ukrainian president has been strenuously courting Africa’s support. So has western diplomacy tried to do, but Africa is already sharply divided on the matter. Apart from the division at the continentallevel,thedivisionisalsodeepwithinsomecountries,because of the growing effects in various dimensions in many countries of Africa. What has been and what should be Africa’s approach to the conflict?What is the place of non-alignment policy in this regard? How will Africa be affected by the Russo-NATO quest for global hegemony?

How will Africa be shaped again in the emerging new world order?

And more curiously, whose world order?

Africa and the War Without jot of doubt, the Russo-Ukrainian war has just started, not simply because of the deepening of battles, with increasing Euro-American military support for Ukraine and Russia’s indication of preparedness to damn all consequences, but particularly also because of the nature of the profound causal factors of the war and the new hegemonic order that is in the making.

One factor that is not seriously talked about is the recidivist effort at de-Russification in Ukraine, the origin of which dates to more than 300 years ago.The effort was recently reactivated in the 1990s following efforts at rebranding of the Central Squares and main streets in several cities, towns, and villages by the post-Soviet governments.

There were anti-Russia protests in 2004. The protests reached their crescendo in 2014 following Russian annexation of Crimea. In fact, the anti-Moscow sentiments are best imagined following Russian special military intervention in Ukraine on 24 February 2022.

WhileRussiaispointingaccusingfingerstoUkrainefor‘erasingRussian culture and even a genocide of Russian-speaking Ukrainians,’as well as describing Ukrainian culture as‘nationalist’and‘parochial,’Ukrainian PresidentVolodymyrhassimplyrespondedthatRussiaherselfisdirectly responsible for the de-Russification. In his words,‘you are doing it – in one generation’s lifetime and for ever.You are doing your best so that our people abandon the Russian language, because Russian will be associated with you, only with you, with these explosions and killings with your crimes.’This explication is sarcastic, underscoring the point that it is the Russian special military intervention that compels and that will continue to compel de-Russification in Ukraine.

Put differently, efforts at de-Russification in Ukraine have the potential to continue for a longer time to come. The mere fact that there are also millions of pro-Russia people in Ukraine means that internal contradictions cannot be quickly removed. Additionally,

“

VIE INTERNATIONALE with

Bola A. Akinterinwa Telephone : 0807-688-2846

e-mail: bolyttag@yahoo.com

Putin Russia appears to be targeting total victory at all costs, with the expectation that there might be a new strategic approach to the war come Monday, 9 May 2022 which is considered as Russia’s remembrance of their Victory Day. It is important to recall here that on 22 June 1941, Russia was massively invaded by Nazi Germany which said that all Slavs were less-than-humans. And true, Germany was winning the battles in the beginning but, because of her strategic miscalculation that the war would not take more than three months to bring the Russians to their knees, the Nazi government felt there was no needforprovisionofwintermaterials.Mostunfortunately,Russians resisted gallantly the invasion, and by so doing prolonging the war through the winter period. Russia resisted the invasion at very high costs: not less than 26.6 million Soviet lives were lost, of which 8,668,400 were military and about ten million civilians, according to the Russian Academy of Sciences. Soviet population in June 1941 was 196,700,000. It was reduced to 170,500,000 as at 1 January 1946.

Moreimportant,on8May1945,theGermanforcessurrendered to the Russian Red Army. The surrender took place on 8 May, Western European time, but on May 9 in the Soviet Union, hence Russians commemorate theirVictory Day every May 9 since then.

This sentiment ofVictory Day cannot but be carried to the current Ukrainian battlefield tomorrow, May 9, 2022. Consequently, Africa must begin to evolve a long-term view of and policy on the war beyond the shooting war on the battle fields.

Secondly,theAfricanUnionisnotunitedtotheextentofadopted a united front vis-à-vis the Russo-Ukrainian conflict. In fact, the disunity, as noted above, is not only manifested continentally, but also at the national level.The case of South Africa is noteworthy: while President Cyril Ramaphosa holds the NATO responsible for the war, the main opposition leader of the Democratic Alliance in South Africa, John Steenhuisen is hobnobbing with the

It is additionally noteworthy that the protective measures provided for Europeans at the borders with Ukraine do not consider the non-European refugees at the borders. Many were Africans seeking refuge at the border but were ignored. But very ridiculously, the same EU is seeking the understanding and support of Africa for Ukraine and Europe.

What a contradiction! Without doubt, the United States is struggling hard to maintain its hegemonic power, using NATO countries as foundation. Russia is seriously challenging the rationale for sustaining US hegemony with the support of China, another main challenger to contend with. On both sides, Africa is quietly being courted for support.

The critical interest is no longer the use of Africa as a source of raw materials for the development of Europe, but the critical need to prevent the replacement of Euro-American influence with Sino-Russian influence in Africa. France, for instance, is currently challenged by unexpected hostility in many Francophone African countries. Consequently, Africa must prepare for how the United States and its allies and Russia with China are most likely to engage Africa in the conduct and management of global affairs. In other words, how should Africa respond to the emerging hegemonic powers?

Ukrainian president.

John Steenhuisen, MP, went on a six-day visit to Ukraine for an onthe-spot evaluation of the alleged devastating effects of the Russian invasion. In the words of Steenhuisen,‘I am in Ukraine to see for myself and speak for my country. Someone must. It is strongly in South Africa’s interest with the free world and come out hard against Russian aggression… In the era of fake news and propagandas, this is the only way to truly know what is happening.’

More important, the visit was prompted by the knock-on effect of the war on South Africa’s‘own fuel, maize, cooking oil and fertilizer prizes (which) will reach deep into the pockets of poor South Africans who can already not make ends meet.’While questions can be raised as to why it should be the responsibility of an opposition to be speaking for his country outside of Africa, there can be no disputing the fact that South Africa appears to have adopted a dualist strategy towards the Russo-Ukrainian war. The dualist approach is to be able to speak to R both sides or opening the communication lines to the two countries: b RamaphosacondemningtheNATOwhileSteenhuisenpitcheshiscamp R w with Ukraine. President Ramaphosa has argued that ‘the war could have been avoided if NATO had heeded the warnings from amongst its h lleaders and officials over the years that its eastward expansion would llead to greater, not less, instability in the region,’(Vide Al Jazeera and N News Agencies, May 5, 2022).

The pattern of African at the United Nations voting on condemnation of the Russian invasion is another reflection of the non-coordinated o aapproach to the conflict. On 2nd March 2022 the UN General Assembly aadopted a resolution which condemned‘Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.’It was voted by 141 out of the 193 Member States of the orU ganisation. 35 countries abstained from voting. Of the 35 abstaining g ccountries, 17 of them were from Africa. Eritrea was the only African ccountry that voted against the resolution.

South Africa was against the resolution, noting that she‘expected tthat the UN resolution would foremost welcome the commencement of dialogue between the parties and seek to create the conditions for o tthese talks to succeed. Instead, the call for peaceful resolution through political dialogue is relegated to a single sentence close to the conclup ssion on the final text. This does not provide the encouragement and iinternational backing that the parties need to continue with their efforts.’The African Union wanted Russia to respect international law e aand Ukraine’s sovereignty.

As regards Nigeria, Nigeria voted to condemn Russian invasion but aabstained from the vote suspending Russia from the UN Human Rights Council of the UNGA. A total of 93 countries voted in favour of suspenC sion, 58 countries abstained while 24 countries voted against. Algeria, Burundi, CAR, Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Mali, and Zimbabwe votedagainstthesuspension.ApartfromNigeria,Eswatini,TheGambia, Ghana, Guinea Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Madagascar, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Senegal, South Africa, South Sudan,Togo, and Uganda abstained from voting.

Thus, African countries have not only shown uncoordinated and uncommonapproachtotheRusso-Ukrainianwar,butalsoanattitudinal non-alignment. And the reasons cannot far-fetched. A country like Egypt that wheat importations from Russia and Ukraine were to the tune of 45% cannot be expected to take side. In fact, the United States Institute of Peace has it that there is an impending food scarcity in Africa, based on the consideration that in 2020 alone, Africa $4bn and $2.9bn worth of agricultural products respectively from Russia and Ukraine.

And with the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian war, prices of corn, wheat and soybeans have surged. And more disturbingly, the Institute also says that about 20m people in the Sahel andWest Africa do not have access to sufficient food. This is apart from the impact on oil exploration activities by Lukoil andTatneft Oil companies, particularly in the Gulf of Guinea (Cameroon, Congo Kinshasa, Equatorial Guinea, and Nigeria, which are likely to be suspected. How does Africa respond to these challenges?

The Struggle for Global Hegemony TheRusso-Ukrainianwarisstrategicallyastruggleforthemaintenance of the Euro-American driven global hegemony. As such, the war is not simply between Russia and Ukraine. The war is in three layers: RussoUkrainian,Euro-Ukrainian,andRusso-AmericandominatedNATO.Atthe first level of Russia and Ukraine, the question of Ukraine’s membership of the NATO is a very critical issue. Ukraine is being encouraged, if not being pressured, to join the NATO. Russia is vehemently opposed to such membership, considering the security implications. For Russia, considering the recidivist de-Russification in various manners, and based on Europe’s subtle militarisation of Ukraine, Russia wants to completelyneutraliseUkraineandremovewhateverthecountrystands for and that makes her attractive to NATO countries. In the absence of any relevant Ukraine, the NATO would have been weakened.

AtthesecondlevelofEuro-Ukrainianstrategy,thesupportforUkraineis preventivedefence.TheEUdoesnotwanttheextensionoftheUkrainian shooting war to come nearer the borders of the EU countries, hence the need to help Ukrainians to fight their battle at home, and to make it more difficult and more costly for Russia to win the war. Besides, there is the need to also ensure the sustenance of cordial ties with Ukraine, considered the most important ally of the EU in the context of the Union’s Eastern Partnerships and the European Neighbourhood Policy.

And true enough, the EU and Ukraine have been making efforts to go beyond relationships of partnership to efforts at politico-economic integration. This ultimate objective requires cautionary policies that can prevent much destruction and sustain Ukraine.

Read full article online - www.thisdaylive.com

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SUNDAY MAY 8, 2022 • T H I S D AY

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T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾MAY 8, 2022

HighLife

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

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

Million Dollar Question: Will Akinwunmi Ambode Come out from His Anonymous Cocoon?

Many things are happening in Nigeria’s hallways of politics. Even in Lagos where schemes are usually hidden under the guise of hearty handshakes and sentimental smiles, many things are happening. Former governor of the state, Akinwunmi Ambode, has knowingly or unknowingly gotten himself into a group that wants him to be Lagos number one citizen again. But is this his destiny? And how will he contend with the incumbent governor?

It has been a while since Ambode graced the front pages of newspapers across the country. The last that was heard of him, he had joined a party committee and was in charge of some sort of peace-keeping. Considering that he has been moving under the radar since then, one can only agree that he is indeed keeping to terms with that peace-styled engagement.

Ambode

Currently, eyes are moving to and fro and ears are opening up. We are all very interested in Ambode’s next course of action. Will he leave his cocoon and contest the seat with SanwoOlu or is there something else in the pipelines waiting to be stirred?

Inspiring Mileage: Family, Friends, Business Associates Celebrate Auto Magnate, Adebiyi Adesina at 40

Clara

Clara Chime Trying Her Luck Again Love is a magical concept.

It does not hold much regard for the amount of money you have in your bank account (or the terrifying lack thereof), the number of years you have spent on the earth, or how reputable or reprehensible you are. When love strikes you, it strikes. Of course, it is your prerogative whether or not to go with it. For the former First Lady of Enugu State and ex-wife of Sullivan Chime, Clara, the answer is yes to love.

Social media is agog over the news of the remarriage of Clara. A few days ago, photos and videos emerged on the virtual space showing a radiant Clara exquisitely decorated in the colours of a new wife.

And since she is divorced from the former Enugu Governor, it didn’t take time for people to understand that she has gotten married to someone else.

More details have been released regarding the entire event. According to these reports, Clara got married to a wealthy Southern Kaduna man, someone she loves with all her heart and more. The wedding was a private event and it took place in Amuda, Isuochi, Umunneochi LGA, in Abia State on Friday, April 29, 2022.

From her radiance in the photographs, it is obvious that Clara is very happy and excited at the prospect of being married to the love of her life. Indeed, this is a sharp contrast to the way she was in 2013 when she was allegedly thrown out of the Enugu State Government House while her four-year-old son (at the time) wailed behind her and was forced to stay with his father.

Indeed, the divorce session that followed that event was enough to scare Clara for life.

But something has stirred in the Lagos political nest with Ambode at the centre.

A few days ago, a group styling itself as the Akinwunmi Ambode Campaign Organisation declared that they were preparing to have a showdown with Governor Babajide SanwoOlu. Judging from the other declarations made by the group, an agenda was underway to make sure that Sanwo-Olu vacates the Lagos governorship seat by 2023.

This is all very interesting. Those in the know regarding how these things work are aware that now is not the time to have an oldtimer throwing his hat into the ring. (Granted, Ambode is not an old-timer in the context of his political history, but he is not a foal either.) Even more interesting is the fact that Ambode has not made any public declaration about wanting to be Lagos governor a second time. So, where is all this coming from?

Adesina

After going through the ups and downs of this battle and surviving it, nothing should be able to shake you anymore. Thinking about this possibility, it seems that the Saraki siblings, Senators Bukola and Gbemisola, are well prepared for whatever might come their way. But, what a delight it is to have them together as a family after so many years.

It has been a while since Bukola Saraki, the former President of the Senate of Nigeria, was in the news or on the front page with his younger sister, Gbemi. In the past, both of them were almost always at each other ’s throats, seemingly destined to always go for the jugular. However, things are different now. Thanks to the intervention of Lagos-based cleric, Sheikh Sulaiman Farooq Onikijipa, the rivalry of the Saraki siblings has undergone a qualitative transformation.

Indeed, it used to be that snubbing

There are times when it appears as if everything else is just for one person. For the religious mind, the Creator made the earth and the stars and everything else that exists just so they can be admired. In a sense, this is how things are for Prince Adebiyi Adesina, the Agba Akin Majeobaje of Ibadanland and overall boss of Unique Motors. The man has distinguished himself and made his life into a movie to be seen and enjoyed.

A few days ago, Adesina clocked 40.

Being a notable figure in Nigeria’s corporate industry, many high-profile people were happy to send their goodwill and wishes across. And Adesina, being the charming personality he is, played the role of a grateful celebrator to a tee, as happy as you would expect from a true achiever.

Prince Adesina was also celebrating 11

Family over Everything as Bukola Saraki Serenades Younger Sister, Senator Gbemi Saraki

Gbemi and Bukola Saraki

years since he started running the wonder that has come to be known as one of the leading auto dealers companies in Nigeria.

Indeed, the last two years have been awesome for Adesina. It was during the COVID pandemic that he first revealed a bit of the serendipity that was upon him. This was evidenced by the Agba Akin Majeobaje title that was bestowed on him after that period. Also, there was the ECOWAS ambassadorship that recognised his many achievements in recent times.

So, at 40, Adesina is already leading a very brilliant life. If things go according to plan, as he has noted time and again, he will be the first to produce a car that is 100 per cent Nigerian. was the attitude that Bukola used to celebrate his younger sister’s birthday.

Other times, he might have sent a missile of a jab her way. Not this year. This year, as Gbemi celebrated her 57th birthday, Bukola took time out to compose a birthday message that communicated his love and respect for her.

Truly, one’s family knows one best.

As Bukola’s message and goodwill came along, so did a deluge of others from elsewhere. After all, even those who used the old rivalry between the Saraki siblings as an opportunity to show malice towards Gbemi have cooled down. Naturally, Bukola would have no one slandering his sister, although politics does tend to cause tensions every time.

All in all, now that Bukola and Gbemi are back together and talking and celebrating each other’s birthdays, there is no stronger united front in their clan than the both of them. Indeed, things are looking up from every angle.

Peace at Last as Idris Abolaji Ajimobi and Kolapo Kola-Daisi Settle Political War Family is our first battle, everything else is secondary in the context of this battle. And so it is for the family that was formed from the marriage union of the family of the late former Governor of Oyo State, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, and that of leading industrialist and educationist, Bashorun Kola-Daisi. In this union of two families, a new one emerged, one immersed in familial love, yes, but also political ambitions. And these ambitions recently tore a line across the family picture, but that line is mended now.

For a while now, Kolapo Kola-Daisi, the son of the Bashorun and son-in-law to the late Ajimobi has been canvassing for a position in Oyo. Even though he started his professional career in the hallways of the banking system and later solidified his position as a progressive individual unlimited to a particular career, Kola-Daisi felt like it was time to serve his people and so has been making moves to go the way of the senatorial in Oyo.

On the other side of the bench is Idris Ajimobi, the only son of the late Oyo governor.

He also appeared to have been in training to serve Oyo since he was a young chap. Thus, despite every other industry he joined and worked in, those that know how these things work were always aware that he would end up in political circles. And so he has.

Recently, there was something of a clash between Idris and his brother-in-law, KolaDaisi. Insiders say that the case of bad blood started because Idris intended to contest with Kola-Daisi for the chance to represent Oyo South Senatorial District in the Senate. Thus, a conflict of interests arose and members of the united family began taking sides.

All that is history now. According to insiders, there was a roundtable family meeting in which it was decided that KolaDaisi would vie for the senatorial position while Idris would vie for the House of Assembly position. And that is how the family became one once again.

Idris Ajimobi and wife

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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 ˾MAY 8, 2022

HIGHLIFE

At Heirs Insurance, Adaobi Nwakuche Proving Her Mettle

Love in the Air as Oba Saheed Elegushi and His Second Wife, Queen Hadiza, Celebrate Anniversary The monarch of Ikateland and traditional style, Oba Alayeluwa Saheed Ademola Elegushi, Kusenla III, just celebrated his third anniversary with the wife that is often referred to as the Queen after Kabiyesi’s heart—his second wife, Queen Hadiza. And because it is a thing of celebration, hearts are drooling with envy over this royal love that has begun to withstand even the fingers of time.

The people of Ikateland have had many things happen to them in the past few months. The most heart-rending of these things was the death of the heir apparent to the Elegushi throne. Yet, even the most empathetic heart could not have imagined what that loss was like for the father and mother of the child, Elegushi and Queen Hadiza.

They say that kings are second to the gods in Yorubaland. But as the Royal House

of the Elegushi was thrown into sudden mourning at the death of the young Prince (who was not even two years yet), it became apparent that Elegushi was just a father.

But he had to be strong for the family and the land, but especially Queen Hadiza, his beloved Queen Hadiza.

All of that is why this anniversary is very important. It is also why the people of Ikateland are celebrating it with all of their hearts. They all recognize that Elegushi and Hadiza need something to cheer them up and renew their strength and faith. This is just what this anniversary represents.

Elegushi prayed via Instagram about the anniversary that God would keep them together for many years to come. Elegushi is not alone in this wish and many people are hoping to see the beautiful Hadiza conceive another son to further gladden the heart of her husband and

Oba Elegushi and his wife Queen Hadiza

king.

Even now, the love between Elegushi and Hadiza is thick and visible. Yes, this is just as it should be.

Chairman Nepal Oil and Gas, Eme Ekeoma Dazzles Wife, Ngozi Ekeoma with Latest Rolls Royce Phantom at 50

Mr and Mrs Ekoma

Nigerians have made something of themselves in the eyes of the world, this is true and this is good. When you see young people celebrating themselves and buying themselves luxury Benz vehicles, it is a cause for joy. But when you see an elder like the Chairman of Nepal Oil and Gas, Elder Eme Ekeoma do something similar for his darling wife, it should be a cause for super excitement. And this is the reaction that informed Nigerians have shown towards the gesture of celebration from Ekeoma to his wife of many years, Ngozi.

Love is divine, especially when it has been tested by time. The love between Nepal’s Ekeoma and his wife, Ngozi, is one such love. They have been together since long ago and have grown into a pair of lovebirds, the kind that flies around each other almost all the time. But this is not a problem. In fact, Nigerians welcome it. Such a partnership and alliance is good for young people to admire and emulate.

A few days ago, Ngozi clocked the golden age of 50. As expected, Ekeoma was beside himself with joy. Naturally, he threw a party in her honour and invited everybody who is anybody in Lagos to come celebrate his wife with him. And they did, everybody who was available at the time made their way to Habour Point Event Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos, and bore witness to Ekeoma in high spirits as he took time to hail his wife.

The height of ecstasy at the soirée was when Ekeoma revealed to Ngozi and their guests that he had gotten her a Rolls Royce Phantom car as a birthday gift. And even though his gift is enough to turn the eyes of other people red with limitless joy, one could see in Ngozi’s eyes that the appreciation from Ekeoma, the man that knows her best, was the biggest gift from him.

And so the love story of the Ekeomas continues unhindered. It remains a model for many of us.

How Hon. Abiodun Faleke Became the Most Powerful Politician in Asiwaju Bola Tinubu’s Camp Smart people are always respected anywhere they go in this world. It may seem as if they have nothing to do, represent, or contribute. But hold on for a little while and you will see them rise from the ashes of oblivion. This is the case for Hon Abiodun James Faleke. After so many years in the shadows, things are looking up and bright for him once again.

There is no arguing the fact that Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu is one of the most promising candidates for the 2023 presidential elections in Nigeria. Political analysts are drawing a contrast between him and two others and claiming that the mantle of the presidency cannot fall anywhere else. But what does this mean for the supporters of these individuals?

For Tinubu, it means that Faleke is on his way to the very top. Once again, it is clear that

Faleke’s rise to power cannot be hindered. Even now, although he plays the part of a humble person without falling out of character, the fact is that Faleke is currently the most powerful individual in the camp of Tinubu. From this, one can see that power always follows quickness of mind, yes, but also the strength of character.

Today, there is no place you will see Tinubu without Faleke walking beside or behind him.

Faleke has become Asiwaju’s shadow and right-hand man. And what happens with such people when their lords become kings? They rise to the position of lords.

It is true that Faleke has not been in the limelight for a while. The last time he went all out in the political game was when he contested for governor in Kogi State and lost to Yahaya Bello. Bello is another presidential candidate, so one can conclude that Faleke only has presidentclass individuals as friends and associates.

There is no single human being on the earth that can boast about being able to predict the future. Time is something that remains within the firm control of the divine, so we only have today to live and live well. This is a fact that top Nigerian businessman and investor, Niyi Makanjuola, understands very well. After he has gone up to the peak of renown and fallen to the nadir regions, the man has changed his mind about how he ought to live. Currently, he has chosen to adopt a low-profile lifestyle.

Makanjuola is unmatched in business investments and chairmanship. He is not only the head Honcho of Caverton Helicopters, but he is also the Group CEO of Raven Resources Group and Visionscape International Holdings. In fact, his triad bossmanship is something that many can only dream about.

Nevertheless, when hardship hit the affluent and influential, it drives up their robust history.

And so it is for Makanjuola. Hardship

New Lease of Life: Niyi Makanjuola Adopts Very Low 3URÀOH /LIHVW\OH

Makanjuola

L-R: Tinubu and Faleke

Thus, in becoming Tinubu’s campaign manager, Faleke has carved a path out for himself.

arrived in the form of a legal wrangle with the Lagos State Government. His company, Visionscape, was delegated the task of managing the waste situation in the state. That is, the government allegedly paid Makanjuola several billions of Naira to collect and clear out residential waste. But the company did not adhere to the original arrangement.

It was further reported that Visionscape had defaulted in tax remittance. And Lagos is not a place where such malfeasance is ignored or treated with a wave of the hand. The compound issues, it was further alleged that one power figure that Makanjuola could always rely on to bail him out of things like these retired around the same time.

When it seems as if everything is against you, what do you do? Run and hide! That is the option that Makanjuola chose and has continued to stick to ever since. That is why nobody is seeing him in social gatherings the way we used to.

Nwakuche

Although Nigerian motivational speakers have reduced the volume of their activities in recent times, there was a period when they were all over the place. One of the ways we all recognised them was the outlandish comments they made.

For example, they said that talent did not always matter, but diligence is sure to get you anywhere. Well, in the case of Adaobi Nwakuche, they seem to have gotten it halfright. Nwakuche is super talented and even more diligent, and she continues to do her job at Heirs Insurance.

There is no questioning the people that can be found around the ‘Oga boss’ of Nigeria’s entrepreneurial industry, Tony Elumelu. His chain of progressive firms is all setting records. However, this is not really because they have Elumelu’s name attached to them.

No. It is because there are gifted individuals like Nwakuche who have given their time and efforts to raise the bar.

And Nwakuche is continually raising the bar at Heirs Insurance.

Years back, her established system of managing things in the insurance industry led people to call her the First Lady of Insurance. That is the momentum she took to Heirs Insurance and became the company’s MD/CEO. Now, she is far more attuned to the industry than she was back then, so it is only a matter of time before she begins rubbing shoulders with the giants of Nigeria’s corporate corridor.

Indeed, it seems as if Nwakuche was always heading in this direction. She studied Government and Public Administration at Abia State University. She also got herself a Master’s degree in Business Administration from the Enugu State University of Science and Technology. But she didn’t stop there. A PhD. in Insurance, Risk Management and Corporate Governance came next, after which she delved into the insurance industry and became its First Lady.

Heirs Insurance has given her a bigger stage from which she can operate. You can bet that even after all she has done there, she has only started—there is much more to come.

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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 ˾MAY 8, 2022

LOUD WHISPERS

with JOSEPH EDGAR (09095325791)

Kola Abiola for President?

Abiola

GODSWILL AKPABIO: GOD’S WILL? You see, me I really do not want to put my mouth in this matter. Let me tell you why. When our Governor came out, I shouted and railed. That one has gone back to his local government to be playing local politics where he truly belongs.

Now this one has come out, if I shout again, they will say which is your own sef you this mumu Duke. The first one came out; you shout, this one now you dey shout. Are you sure all that amala and diluted Afang you have been eating in Lagos have not turned you into an Ibibio outcast?

My people, Akpabio is more than qualified especially if you take his pedigree as our Governor into view. He turned the state into a small heaven and now as Federal Minister – I don’t know what he has achieved though – but in a season where people who superintend ASUU are buying form, why not Akpabio?

So, you see my dilemma. I cannot talk too much even though I see this as just one example of the ‘stupidity’ that pervades the polity where the presidency has lost so much glory that in fact, the campaign for the Presidency of the Oshodi Bus-stop Association will not pull out the number of odiferous characters that we are seeing.

My people, I have kept quiet for Akpabio.

Why won’t I keep quiet? Did you even

Akpabio

I am not sure that I have not written about this bro already in this column in the last few weeks.

But who cares? Is it your column?

Anyways, that was how I watched his interview very carefully on ARISE NEWS Channel and had a 360-degree turnaround. I never used to like him. I do not think he handled post-June 12 events very well. He allowed the momentum to peter out. Even domestically, we didn’t see the strength as the family just waddled away.

But at the ARISE NEWS Channel interview, he asked us to remember that he was still a very young man at the time while admonishing us to avoid fighting a government – civilian or military.

That put in perfect context the

forces he would have fought at the time and see me here in Shomolu hawking Agege bread blaming him. What did I know then?

That interview opened a Kola Abiola I don’t think a lot of us know. Remember he had been quite a recluse, not bothering to allow the world see who or what he was made of beyond the fact that he was MKO’s heir.

Today, as I am watching, I am seeing a deep understanding of the fault lines that beset this nation. Having had a front row seat to the core of our issues and access to every known power player, Mr. Abiola is perfectly positioned.

Now, I do not know if he is interested in the presidency or

not. I hear he has come out under PRP. Others say he is just a cardcarrying member. Whatever he is, we would want to know more. If you joined the June 12 protest like some of us did, running up and down Ikorodu road – although I was a bit distracted by Ronke who was selling eggs by the Fadeyi junction and who called me aside and said, “Omo kobokobo, wetin concern you inside this matter?” And took me away to her mother’s backyard to do things to me that if I talk, Akwa Ibom will demand reparation from Lagos State – you will want to listen more to Uncle Kola and this is why he is my guest today on Zoom to discuss this and more especially his outlook for Nigeria going forward.

see the crowd that came out for him? I am walking away o. I wish him and Nigeria well.

BABATUNDE FASHOLA: A STRANGE TWIST OF FATE That I admire Oga cannot be overstated.

He governed Lagos for eight years, admirably. To date, he has been the only one that has withstood the raging fire of the one who owns the bullion van and who owns us. He got a second term despite the keen insistence otherwise by the lord of the flies.

Then he moved on to become a Federal Minister in the Works and Housing Ministry just as my lead hero in ‘Baba Kekere’, Alhaji Lateef Jakande.

So, it was only fitting that I invited him as the Special Guest of Honour at the Command Performance. So, I reached out to his Media chief who made sure the invite got to Oga. Oga was said to have advised that we shifted the date to May 3 as a result of the Ramadan. Me, I took it hook, line, and sinker.

At that point, a very funny comedy of errors was playing out between me, Lagos State Government and the new management at the Glover Hall. Between the three of us, we were changing dates the way prostitutes at the famed Good Evening Street, near Adebiyi Street in Shomolu changed customers.

From April 24 to May 2 and finally May 3. So we informed the Honourable Minister’s team and new cards were sent out not only to him but to every invited

special guest.

We got early information that Mr. Governor would not attend. We didn’t shake because we knew at that time; the second term nomination process was in high gear. Baba will not come and be watching play when snakes are everywhere o. So, Fashola’s attendance would have added much more colour to the event.

Confirmation came and I jumped out from the bathroom naked like I always do. We were set for the most colourful command performance ever.

Na so I look road tire o. I no see Fa…. talk less of Shola for Tinubu Square o; not to mention Glover Hall. I leave am to God. I continue with my show.

That was how I woke up from an Afangladen sleep the next day with over 30 missed calls on my phone. I had put it on silent. When you lose money the way I lost money because of all that postponement, you will eat two bowls of Afang and sleep off na.

My brother Hakeem Bello, Mr. Fashola’s Media Chief, had called me tire. He wanted me to receive the honourable Minister at Glover. Oh my God! The show was yesterday o. Kai, there was a mix up. My fault totally. Although I had mentioned the date, we all worked on Wednesday. Kai. I jumped up from my bed and called back.

The Honourable Minister’s advance team was already at Glover.

OMG! The money these people promised me has lost ooo!!! My mother had told me

when I told her that I will not pay tithe that Pastor just bought a new Range. She had said, don’t worry if you won’t serve God you will serve Baal. No be Baal be this, wey make minister come show the next day instead of the real day.

Anyways, I want to thank Mr. Fashola for taking the pains of coming. It onIy shows the high respect he has for LKJ’s legacy and also for the arts and our culture. I thank you so so much. God bless.

Fashola:

Subair

Sanusi

AYO SUBAIR: ANOTHER VICTIM I don’t even know how to add this one too. Mr Subair who has been one of my most fervent supporters was also caught up in the matter. I was wondering that Lord has never missed any of our shows, even the ones wey no concern am, he was there.

So ‘Baba Kekere’ where he was a major supporter if not one of the biggest and he won’t come. He used to be the very earliest callers with his lovely wife who happens to be Chief Awolowo’s granddaughter. That day, his seat was glaringly empty. I didn’t want to call him because as LIRS chief, he is super busy.

So, I left it.

Then, the next day I saw his missed calls too. He was at the venue and it was empty. Kai. You can imagine being

59

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾MAY 8, 2022

LOUD WHISPERS caught at Marina at 6pm on a work day.

Mad. Kai, I said “Sorry egbon mi. Ema binu si mi. Kai.” The public holidays really confused a lot of people.

A lot of people went for the show a day after it had closed because of the confusion between Lagos and the federal government on this matter.

Let me seize this opportunity to tell you Mr. Subair that you have been so good to me to the point that if it is only one more slot to enter heaven and they ask me to choose between you and me who to take the last slot, I will seriously consider you before I say “Sorry, make I enter, we be minority as Ibibio man, we no plenty inside.”

Thanks so much and God bless you mighty.

OBUKS IBRU: BEAUTIFULLY POSITIONED Obuks is of the popular Ibru dynasty and she wants to represent the Ughelli North, South and Uju Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives.

Born Obukome Elaine Ibru-Mukoro, she is a director at the Nigerian Railway Corporation and a seasoned business entrepreneur with stints in various sectors of the economy. night, we had a brief conversation and I asked her, “Obuks, wetin you wan go do for politics? You no carry this your fine face come make we engage on other things?”

She went into a deep explanation of her mission as it concerns social infrastructure. That got me. The plights of widows, women in general and children.

She wanted to drive stronger legislation to better protect not only these categories but the more vulnerable in the society.

I said to her: “Obuks, you try. But if you win, who go dey cook that Afang for your restaurant for Surulere?”

Men, you should eat Obuks food o. Her soup sweet pass Elvina own. You see, I am not afraid to stay and stand by the truth. After all, na my mentor Mandela go jail for 21 years for standing by the truth. Obuks’ Afang sweet pass Elvina own. Elvina can only cook Egusi which is a killer but this discussion na Afang and the national question.

So Obuks said, “Edgar, if you can reach Omo-Agege and other leaders in the region plus all strategic stakeholders and convince them of my purpose and sincerity, I promise you that you will get Afang weekly for all of my tenure.”

This is the real stomach infrastructure, no be that Agege bread Fayose use confuse Ekiti people. Please anybody that knows Omo-Agege, tell him that the Duke is looking very seriously for him to discuss a very important matter of national importance. This one is not running away with maze o, this one is much more important o. Kai. EMIR SANUSI: WHERE FORTH ART THOU? Your majesty, I am looking for you o.

Since my brother Kola Kareem brought me to you in Victoria Island and I joined you for dinner, he has refused or failed to bring me to your presence again.

You know that day, I ate more than three plates of rice and I asked him as we were going home that day o. I said, “Egbon, me I hope the fact that I ate well did not annoy his highness?”

Kola assured me that I should not worry that no matter how much I ate, I cannot eat more than you, your Majesty.

Now, I am really in a quandary as to why this same Kola has not brought me to your presence o. Let me tell you the matter very quickly.

In our bid to tell some very powerful historical stories on stage which has led us to telling the story of Awo, OBJ and Jakande, the need to balance it out has become quite imperative. We just told the story of Olu of Warri this Easter, and as a result, we have come to the conclusion that the very next story is that of your grandfather, the original Emir Sanusi.

The script has been commissioned and finished. It was written by the famous Prof Ahmed Yerima who also wrote Aremu – the one on OBJ and we have secured The Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja and Muson Centre in Lagos for the plays

WALE OLUWO: A STORMY PETREL Me, I don’t really know the meaning of the word. But during that June 12 period, they will be using it to describe people like them Gani Fawehinmi and Mike Ozekhome and I liked the sound, so I use am describe my former Oga Wale Oluwo.

The man na storm. He was the only Commissioner in the Ambode cabinet who boldly resigned when the powers that be came at his Oga. The rest were weasels, cowardly playing subterfuge.

Even the number two person in the cabinet immediately jumped across. But not Wale o. Wale stood his ground and gave out a major interview daring the oligarchs whose cousins are attacking Ukraine as we speak.

Me, I have known Wale forever.

We grew up in Shomolu. The man is brilliantly stubborn. Arrogantly brilliant and built with a heart of a hunter. Fearless and bold.

He hates injustice to the core and will not certainly stand for the continuous imposition of a

monarchy in Lagos.

So, I was not surprised at his recent interview with Dr. Abati where he talked about recent developments in Lagos. He is of the Ambode sect and according to him, they have perfected plans to go against the structure on ground.

He even went ahead to call the almighty GAC an NGO. This Oga Wale no dey fear o. Na the amala he dey chop. He loves amala too much.

Anyways, these are very interesting days. Mr. Governor has been given a leeway for a second term by the powers that be and Wale and his team is saying ‘no way.’ I think it’s time we got our popcorn because this would make a very exciting drama.

My only advice is that anybody who underestimates Wale Oluwo does that at his own peril. Wale is a wounded lion and he will certainly roar. Kai.

I saw a very beautiful woman waiting to see him.

You know me, I am a curator of African beauty. As I rushed in, I shouted. Lord who be that for your waiting room o. She be like a Nobel Prize winner. He smiled and said that it is Dr. Tinu, get to know her, something big is about to happen.

He took me back and introduced me to her and she gave me her card. When you see intellectual power, you can feel it instantly. The confidence, the boldness and the lack of arrogance is unmistakable.

It’s the people that have fufu in their brain that will be doing, “what is wrong with you?”

Anyways, that time I was looking for support for my Warri play. So, I just moved on to Dere.

That was how the appointment was later announced. Dr. Tinu is now the substantive Managing Director at Eko Disco, the most profitable of such in the country as I hear.

Kai, I went straight to her profile and I want to die. Masters in Business Admin with specialty in Strategic Planning from the Edinburgh Business School, Herriot Watt. She also did Harvard Business School and a doctorate in Financial Management and Entrepreneurship among a series of professional memberships including ICAN, ICA and IPFM. Please google to know their full names, I am tired abeg.

From banking where she had stints with Standard Chartered and Access Bank, she moved to Eko Disco where she progressed very steadily till this emergence. Lovely.

I wish her well. If I had listened to Dere that day, I for lock am up o. Now, I don’t even have her number o and my Estate Chairman Kayode just asked me, “Duke, you know anybody for Eko Disco, we need pre-paid o.” Kai. WHO LET THE DOGS OUT? My people, it is one scandal per week in Nigeria today o. From the sex tape to now dogs. Our girls are sleeping with dogs o for raw cash. My people, fear is catching me. How someone’s daughter will see a full-grown man and say ‘no’ and will now because of money for hair and iPhone open her legs to a dog. Dog o, not human beings, we are calling dog.

A real-life dog – Alsatian, bush dog, Aja, Nkita, Ebua.

The video has been circulating and I have been told that this particular lady was paid N1.1m for the act. Now when she was born, they did naming ceremony o.

They thanked their God o for a beautiful child o, not knowing that na demon they have unleashed to the world.

Now when I see a dog on the road, I will be looking at it with one eye wondering whether na my rival or colleague. Which kind of life is this na?

Who do you blame for this one again o.

Parents? Government? Society? Madness everywhere. See woman o that person will be chasing in the afternoon, using a whole salary to beg her, only for that one at night to go and shag a dog and will now wear perfume in the day like a normal person.

God will help us o. Kai. I am afraid to kiss a woman now sef, because we don’t know any more o. Na wa.

Oluwo

this August.

Your Majesty, for the first time ever, this play will feature in Lagos and Abuja at the same time with two different casts of 100 each in both locations. Already, the National Dance Troupe is committed and its Director-General Muhammed Ahmed Muhammed is the Co-Executive Producer.

Now my dilemma: Everybody I have gone to have said, I should get your consent. Well, this is a historical piece with all the information out there but I also do believe that we must give you the honour of officially informing you before we unleash the colourful and rich culture, traditions and stories of your

AYO OLOWOKERE: AN IMPERIAL HAILING Let me just quickly hail this my brother.

He is the Managing Director of Imperial Homes. A consummate development banker whose stints in the industry continue to form the benchmark of service excellence. He is not doing people on the world. birthday or anything like that o, I just say I have met with legendary Kadaria I should hail him because I dey owe him Ahmed on this matter and she has wife gym money. assured me of her support in reaching Stay blessed my brother, you are you. changing the face of the industry. Keep So, your majesty, here is me giving you the flag flying. a seven day ultimatum to make thyself Yinka Shonekan: Hot Gist Next Week available, failure which you will see a Next week I will tell you guys one hot gist naked Akwa Ibom man stand in front about this my brother. So, all those people of thy residence with a placard saying: - them Folarin and co wey no get money “Emir Sanusi, what is the matter na?” buy paper and will be saying, “Duke, Thank you. send me link to your column.” You have seven days to start saving or you go Page TINU SANDA: WELCOME ON BOARD Financials go borrow money so you can One day, I went to see my big brother, Dere Otubu, who had just been appointed buy paper and read hot gist about Yinka Chairman of Eko Disco. When I entered, next week. Bye.

60

SOCIETY WATCH

Senator Grace Bent Stages a Comeback

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾MAY 8, 2022

Adebayo Adeoye bayoolunla@gmail.com; 08054680651

Taiwo Afolabi’s London Birthday Party Billionaire businessman, Taiwo Afolabi, always seems to have a unique way of making his competitors go green with envy.

He, no doubt, loves to make a definitive statement about everything he does.

He is a businessman who can hold the candle to anyone else in the industry owing to his brilliance. His businesses are scattered within and outside the country and he dazzles with beautiful ideas always. Besides, the billionaire businessman has a Midas touch, as anything he touches turns into gold.

More importantly, that he loves to engage in the celebration of life is also not in doubt, as shown on April 29, 2022, when he clocked 60 in a blaze of glory. In celebrating the day, Afolabi held a grand party with many eminent personalities in attendance at The Ballroom, Sheraton Grand, Park Lane, Piccadilly, London.

Society Watch gathered that many of his friends across the globe flew into the city to rejoice with him on his new attainment.

Afolabi

The Ogun State-born businessman has his hands in some other sectors of the economy.

Over the years, he has contributed immensely to the growth of Nigeria’s economy; and he is among the biggest employers of labour in the country.

He is so knowledgeable about his businesses and you can’t pull the wool over his eyes; he is spot on and abreast of contemporary issues.

Afolabi began his professional career with a shipping company, Nigerian Express Agencies Limited, where he distinguished himself and rose to become the Head of Operations. With the zeal of entrepreneurship burning in him, he left the company in 1988 to establish what has now turned into a big conglomerate, SIFAX Group, a business interest with diverse investments in maritime, aviation, haulage, logistics, oil and gas and hospitality, among others.

When Ambassador Tamuno Dragged the Shakers and Movers to Her Hometown

Bent

Senator Folashade Grace Bent is touted as the woman who broke the ethnic barrier in Nigeria by being elected as a senator when she defeated many of her opponents in the senatorial election to represent Adamawa South, the largest senatorial district in the state, in 2007.

Many years after the feat, the woman is said to be staging a comeback to the Red Chamber in 2023.

Society Watch gathered that the beautiful and brilliant senator, weeks back, amidst cheering supporters, went to the All Progressives Congress (APC) national secretariat in Abuja to pick her nomination and expression of interests forms to vie for the senatorial position of the Southern zone.

Bent who represented the zone from 2007 to 2011 has vowed to work round the clock to ensure APC gives a good fight for the ousting of the PDP government in Adamawa.

Grace said her resolve to obtain the form was as a result of pressure from people, who are pushing her for a national assignment.

She was unable to secure the party’s ticket in 2011 due to the alleged conspiracy by some politicians in the state then.

Senator Bent has made her intention known to go back to the Senate, and she has since received the blessings of the powers-thatbe as well as the people, who, according to sources, have missed out on good representation at the Senate.

It is a fact that Okrika in Rivers State is home to several eminent personalities in the country. It is also on record that several social events had been held in the town at different times.

However, the burial of the late Elder Clement Chepaka, the father of Nigeria’s High Commissioner to Jamaica, Ambassador Maureen Tamuno, on Friday, April 29, 2022, would be the talk of the town for a long time. As she literally shut down the town.

The sleepy town came alive when the beautiful woman, who is a politician, diplomat and philanthropist, pooled eminent personalities to the venue of the funeral of her late dad who died at 93. When the High Commissioner sent out invites announcing the funeral of her late father a few weeks ago, many had anticipated that it would be a most memorable event. It lived up to the expectations.

Indeed, if the late television producer and community leader could turn in his grave, he would beam a winsome smile over the befitting burial held for him by his family that successfully carried out his dying wish.

The colourful event was another concrete proof that Tamuno’s pre-eminence in the political

and social world is not a fluke, given the array of guests who honoured her invitation.

The expensive state-of-the-art automobiles that conveyed the guests to the town caused a stir, as many residents gawked at them.

From the catering to the ushering, no stone was left unturned. The hall was colourfully decorated with balloons and other aesthetic materials to give it a regal look. Assorted food and drinks flowed like an endless river. Indeed, guests had no reason to complain as everything was taken care of.

Some of the high profile guests at the event include Minister of Transportation, Hon Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi with his wife, Judith; Jamaican High Commissioner to Nigeria, Ambassador Esmond Reid; oil mogul and founder of Sahara Energy, Tonye Cole; His Imperial Majesty, Ooni of Ife, Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi who was represented by seven monarchs including HRH Awosunle Obabatunde Tokunbo (Elejesi of Ejesi-Ife); HRH Adediwura Oba Idowu; HRH Awofiranye Kayode; HRH Odunmorayo Omiloye Joshua; HRH Layade Segun; HRH Adebanjo Muraina Adedinni and HRH Obateru Olaigbade Adewunmi.

Tamuno

Kenny Duyile’s New Baby

Duyile

When you talk about a businessman with domestic and international connections, Kenny Duyile perfectly fits the bill. Those who know the Ondo State-born businessman say he is a man of ideas.

This, undoubtedly, is not fulsome praise, if you consider the fact that he is the creative mind behind several businesses as well as hotels scattered around the country.

The light-skinned hotelier, famously called Araba, is gradually

achieving his dream of ruling the hospitality business in Nigeria, as one of his ‘babies’ White Rock Hotel, takes the centre stage.

At the moment, his new project, the White Rock Hotel located in the heart of Ondo, is said to be giving him so much joy.

Kenny, who is also into real estate, agriculture, hospitality and many others, also runs Rock View Hotels in Lagos and other places.

It was gathered that he will be dedicating the hotel soon.

Diezani Alison-Madueke’s Husband in Debt Scandal Just as a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, is trying to wriggle herself from the claws of the law over her alleged involvement in corruption, her husband, Rear Admiral Alison Madueke (rtd) is currently enmeshed in yet another court scandal.

Unlike his wife who is being wanted by the EFCC to face the corruption charges against her, the retired Chief of Naval Staff has been taken to court by the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) over a debt of N1.6 billion.

The loan recovery agency recently obtained an order from a Federal High Court in Lagos to freeze and attach his accounts domiciled in any of the 27 commercial banks in Nigeria listed before the court.

It was alleged that sometime between 2007 and 2009, the Galaxy Wireless Communication Limited, with the approval of its Board of Directors, applied for and was granted various credit facilities from First Inland Bank to finance its telecommunications operations.

The telecommunications firm, it was gathered, has the retired Rear Admiral as its Chairman.

By an offer letter dated August 2, 2007, the bank was said to have granted a facility sum of $2 million disbursed in three tranches to the company to facilitate its telecommunication services. The tenor of the loan was 90 days.

Society Watch gathered that the loan was secured by an all asset debenture of the present and future assets of the company’s comprehensive insurance of the equipment purchased with the facility, denoting the bank as first loss payee; domiciliation of the company’s subscription payment with the bank and personal guarantee of Engr. Gerald Nwosu.

By a Board Resolution of the company dated August 10, 2007, the above-mentioned facility was accepted by the defendants.

On January 28, 2008, another credit facility in the sum of N40,000,000.00 was granted by the bank in favour of the company. The tenor of the facility was 12 months at an interest rate of 19 per cent per annum. The loan was also secured by the previous conditions.

The said offer was accepted by the company through its board resolution dated January 30, 2008.

Alison-Madueke

On September 23, 2008, a further credit facility in the sum of N327 million was granted to the company by the bank to facilitate a contract with the Rivers State government. The tenor of the loan was 12 months and the same was secured with a lien on the APG funds of N327,600,000; personal guarantee of Nwosu; and counter indemnity from Fin Insurance company as a director. The loan was accepted by the company through its board resolution dated September 24, 2008.

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ JUNE 24 2012

ARTS & REVIEW A

PUBLICATION

8.5.2022

WITH ITS LITERARY PRIZE, NLNG BLAZES THE TRAIL OF EXCELLENCE

The Nigeria LNG’s introduction of the Nigeria Literature Prize in 2004 has energised a hitherto struggling Nigerian literary scene, says Okechukwu Uwaezuoke

T

HE NIGERIA PRIZE FOR LITERATURE Isn’t it noteworthy that – nearly two decades after its inception in 2004 – the acclaim for the Nigeria Literature Prize is yet to wane among the local literati? Curiously, the annual literary prize, which is being endowed by Nigeria LNG in partnership with the Nigeria Academy of Letters, seems, on the contrary, to be gaining more traction, having three times increased its cash value.

This contrasts with the scenario back then when WKH OLTXHÀHG QDWXUDO JDV SURGXFLQJ FRPSDQ\ ZKLFK ZDV LQFRUSRUDWHG RQ 0D\ ÀUVW DQQRXQFHG WKH ZLQQHU WDNHV DOO FDVK prize. For the sceptics, hitherto used to the mod est cash prizes of the Association of Nigerian Authors’ literary awards, the highest of which PDQDJHG WR JR DV KLJK DV WKLV DPRXQW was unheard of.

Hardly would it have therefore surprised DQ\RQH WKDW PDQ\ VDZ WKH QRQ DZDUG RI WKH prize – designed to annually rotate among the IRXU OLWHUDU\ JHQUHV RI SURVH ÀFWLRQ SRHWU\ GUDPD and children’s literature – in its inaugural year as proof that the organisers had no intention of DZDUGLQJ VXFK D PRXWK ZDWHULQJ DPRXQW WR VWUXJJOLQJ ZULWHUV LQ WKH ÀUVW SODFH ,QGHHG KRZ could any of the three shortlisted prose entries that year be considered unworthy of the award?

It was as if its exclusion of the Nigerian writers in the diaspora from participating was not bad enough, a development that led to a handful, albeit vociferous, of disgruntled dissenters to label it the "Ghetto Prize". But the organisers, unfazed E\ WKHVH FULWLFLVPV FRQVLGHUHG WKH ORFDOO\ EDVHG Nigerian writers as disadvantaged since they ZHUH ODERXULQJ LQ FUHDWLYLW\ VWLÁLQJ FRQGLWLRQV to produce their works and, therefore, needed some encouragement.

Besides, there was no gainsaying the fact that the Nigeria Literature Prize breathed new life into a hitherto struggling literary scene. In any case, despite the disappointment of the inaugural edition, there was a keen contest for the following year’s edition, which saw the cash prize split EHWZHHQ WZR ZLQQHUV ² WKH QRZ GHFHDVHG *DEULHO OkarawithhispoetrycollectionTheDreamer:His Vision, and his acolyte, the late Ezenwa Ohaeto, whose entry was titled Chants of Minstrel. It is not hard to imagine that hope would have dimmed for hordes of literary hopefuls who were intent RQ JHWWLQJ WKHLU KDQGV RQ WKLV KLJKO\ FRYHWHG prize had the organisers not awarded it.

There could have been no doubt about the fact that more and more writers began to warm up to the prize when Ahmed Yerima, with his play Hard Ground, was adjudged its 2006 edition’s overall winner. And this was happening at a time when the cash value had been increased WR D UHDVVXULQJ JHVWXUH WKDW VHHPHG WR bridle the speculations of sceptics. %XW RQO\ ORQJ HQRXJK IRU DQRWKHU QRQ DZDUG of the prize in 2009 to stir up another cause for dissent. That was the year when none of the shortlisted Nigerian leading poets – called the ÀUVW HOHYHQ E\ WKH SRHW DQG SROHPLFLVW 2GLD Ofeimum – were deemed good enough for the overall prize. Could the dissenters have forgotten that just a year before, in 2008, when the cash value of the prize, whose award rotation had UHWXUQHG WR SURVH ÀFWLRQ ZDV UDLVHG WR Kaine Agary, whose entry was Yellow Yellow, was declared the winner? Probably because of the

A former winner Idada flaunts his prize

The Prize's Advisory Board's Chairman Prof Adimora-Ezeigbo DQWHFHGHQFH LQ QR YRFLIHURXV SURWHVWV ZHUH heard after the prize – for children’s literature, this time – was shared by the two female literary titans, Mabel Segun for her Readers’ Theatre: Twelve Plays for Young People and Akachi $GLPRUD (]HLJER IRU 0\ &RXVLQ 6DPP\ Apparently, earning not only the trust of the local literati but also of the writers in the diaspora was important enough for Nigeria LNG. Consequently, the Nigerian writers in WKH GLDVSRUD ZHUH IRU WKH ÀUVW WLPH LQ DOORZHG WR YLH IRU WKH SUL]H ZLWK WKHLU ORFDOO\ based colleagues. That year, the playwright (VLDED ,UREL EHFDPH LWV ÀUVW HYHU IRUHLJQ EDVHG but also posthumous, overall winner with his play, titled The Cemetery Road.

Lingering doubts about the organisers’ goodwill should have been dispelled with the increase of the prize’s cash value to the current LQ 7KXV WKDW \HDU·V ZLQQHU Adeleke Adeyemi – a. k. a. Mai Nasara – made KLVWRU\ DV QRW RQO\ WKH SUL]H·V ÀUVW VLQJOH ZLQQHU

The prize's most recent winner Cheluchi Onyemelukwe in the children’s literature category, with his entry 7KH 0LVVLQJ &ORFN EXW DOVR DV WKH ÀUVW ZLQQHU of the current cash value.

The following year, when the spotlight returned WR SURVH ÀFWLRQ LW SURGXFHG DQRWKHU GLDVSRUD ZLQQHU ² %HOJLXP EDVHG &KLND 8QLJZH ZKRVH entry was titled On Black Sisters’ Street. Two consecutive winners followed on her trail – Tade ,SDGHROD LQ IRU KLV SRHWU\ FROOHFWLRQ 7KH Sahara Testaments, and Sam Ukala in 2014 for KLV SOD\ 7KH ,UHGL :DU ² EHIRUH WKH QR ZLQQHU spectre returned to haunt the prize again in ZKHQ LW ZDV WKH WXUQ RI WKH FKLOGUHQ·V literature genre. That year, the prize’s then Advisory Board chairman, Emeritus Ayo Banjo, minced no words in declaring the entries below standard and unsuitable for children. "Unfortunately, the entries this year fall short of this expectation as each book was found to manifest incompetence in the use of language. Many of them showed very little or no evidence of good editing... Hence, there

will be no winner this year," he told a gathering of stakeholders at the Lagos Sheraton Hotel in Ikeja that year.

Ever since then, the prize has moved on into D FRQWURYHUV\ IUHH F\FOH FRQVHFXWLYHO\ SURGXF ing winners like Abubakar Adam Ibrahim in 2016, the late Ikeogu Oke in 2017, Soji Cole in 2018 and Jude Idada in 2019. It is gratifying WKDW WKH HGLWLRQ³VR FDOOHG EHFDXVH WKH &29,' SDQGHPLF GLVUXSWHG LWV DQQXDO cycle—also produced Cheluchi Onyemelukwe DV WKH ZLQQHU LQ WKH SURVH ÀFWLRQ FDWHJRU\ IRU her novel, The Son of the House.

1RZ ÀUPO\ HQJUDYHG RQ WKH OLWHUDU\ ZRUOG·V consciousness and widely accepted by the local literati, the Nigeria Literature Prize retains the enviable position as the continent’s most prestigious. This is besides the fact that it is included in the list of the world’s richest liter ary prizes alongside the likes of the United 6WDWHV· :LQGKDP &DPSEHOO /LWHUDWXUH 3UL]HV Denmark’s biannual Sonning Prize, Ireland’s International Dublin Literary Award and South .RUHD·V 3DUN .\RQJ QL 3UL]H DPRQJ RWKHUV With its growing number of winners, more 1LJHULDQ ERUQ ZULWHUV ² DQG FRQVHTXHQWO\ their publishers – are beginning to anticipate each edition with the hope of participating.

This year alone, for instance, 287 poets are vying for the overall prize.

Then, there is the introduction of the Literary Criticism Prize, worth N1 million, which, as the Nigeria Literature Prize’s complement, has produced winners who have earned their place in Nigeria’s literary hall of fame.

Above all, not only has the prize glamourised reading tours for its winners, it is also not unlikely that it inspired the institution of the annual 9mobile Prize for Literature (formerly known as the Etisalat Prize for Literature), ZKLFK ZDV LQDXJXUDWHG LQ DV D SDQ $IULFDQ SUL]H FHOHEUDWLQJ ÀUVW WLPH $IULFDQ ZULWHUV RI SXEOLVKHG ÀFWLRQ ERRNV

EDITOR OKECHUKWU UWAEZUOKE/ okechukwu.uwaezuoke@thisdaylive.com

62

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER MAY 8, 2022

ARTS & REVIEW\\BOOKS POETRY

ON THE SET OF IVIE, SEGUN ARINZE PREACHES CLOSER ATTENTION TO THE GIRL-CHILD Yinka Olatunbosun

V

eteran actor Segun Arinze, alongside award-winning actress Bimbo Akintola and other top actors, is on the set of Ivie, a movie that mirrors contemporary issues from the point of view of a Nigerian family. The movie, expected to be out in September, is produced

by Omoefe Kingsley with Opa Williams as executive producer and directed by Pat Oghre Imobhio.

Ivie, the central character of the story, is a young Benin girl. She was raped by the very man who was supposed to protect her. She took

MOVIE her destiny in her hands and sought for justice against her mother’s wish, who preferred she kept quiet on the matter due to fear of stigmatisation.

According to the producer, Omoefe Kingsley, the name ‘Ivie’ was adopted as the title of the movie to give it a cultural identity.

He said, "We needed to create an identity IRU WKH ÀOP :H FRXOG KDYH QDPHG LW something else, but we agreed to give it a cultural identity. This story is based on a true-life story. It happened in Benin,

A scene from Ivie

it happened to somebody with that name, so we adopted the name so that it could stand out in the crowd. " In describing the plot, he revealed that sexual violence was one of the themes.

7KHUH LV D ELW RI UDSH LQ WKH ÀOP 7KLV VKRZV that we should be conscious of whom we leave our children with. You found out that the same person who you trusted is the same person who is committing the crime." :KLOH ÀHOGLQJ TXHVWLRQV IURP MRXUQDOLVWV Segun Arinze called for closer attention to the girl-child and kids generally. He noted that training a child should not be left to schools alone and that both schools and parents must work as partners in bringing up a child.

According to research by Women at Risk International Foundation, Africa has the highest prevalence rate of child sexual abuse at 34.4 SHU FHQW $OVR ÀQGLQJV IURP D 1DWLRQDO 6XUYH\ by the same organisation in 2014 on Violence $JDLQVW &KLOGUHQ LQ 1LJHULD FRQÀUPHG WKDW RQH in four females reported experiencing sexual violence in childhood, with approximately 70% reporting more than one incident of sexual violence. These statistics are worrisome, proving that rape in itself is a pandemic.

Hence, producing a movie to draw awareness to this development is a no-brainer for the producer. The idea is not to teach rape but to demystify it, sounding warnings to parents, guardians, and all who are responsible for the welfare of the girl-child.

On his part, Arinze condemned anybody blaming the Nollywood industry for playing a role in the increase in crime in Nigeria, saying, "When you try to lay the blame on the doorstep of Nollywood, you shy away from your responsibility. What Nollywood simply does is try to bring out the stories and the facts. We re-create the facts and let you know that these things are not right.”

THE NOVEL, TRAPPED IN OBLIVION AND WHAT MINORS OUGHT TO KNOW… Yinka Olatunbosun

I

BOOKS

n 2013, Ifeoma Theodore Jnr. E published KHU ÀFWLRQDO SURVH 7UDSSHG LQ 2EOLYLRQ WR FRQVRUWLXP RI ODZ ÀUPV DGYLVLQJ RQ FKLOG·V ULJKWV dissect issues surrounding adolescents and to build a strong advocacy team that empowers young adults. Today, the book has become a young children with sex education, creates awarenear-propheticstoryinlightofcurrentnewsin ness about HIV and other sexually transmitted Nigeria. One of her characters in the book, Franca, diseases, peer pressure, abuse, and cyber stalking, amongst others. is raped by a boy and his friends. ,Q WKH ERRN VKH ZURWH 7KH ER\V ÀOPHG LW 7KH\ "I might not have been the only one watching the started sharing the video with their friends via development in our society, but I decided to act Bluetooth. I think she heard about it or maybe on it. I did what I could; I started a foundation even watched it, and all the progress she had where it would be easy to seek partnerships to advance this course and be part of the vision. made just went away.’’

Almost a decade after publishing this work, the "Children need to know their rights when it comes rape of minors has become a recurrent news item, to sexual health, and that is why we have legal a social media trend, and a constant pain for all partners to have a wide reach. We were all teenagULJKW WKLQNLQJ PHPEHUV RI WKH SXEOLF ,QÁDPHG ers. I had engaged some parents informally and by her passion to make a change, Ifeoma began some children, and I knew that something was her advocacy work in schools and communities to bridge the gap created by the Nigerian educational V\VWHP DQG VRPHWLPHV SDUHQWDO GHÀFLW $W D UHFHQW SUHVV EULHÀQJ LQ ,NR\L WKH DXWKRU blamed the reoccurrence of this sad situation on a lack of knowledge about the sexual health of children and how to raise children in the age of internet penetration.

"This kind of thing should not have happened at all if certain structures had been put in place.

In my book Trapped in Oblivion, I mentioned most of these social issues that would arise and ZRXOG DͿHFW DGROHVFHQWV DV ZHOO DV DGXOWV DQG how we should approach them.

"The problem, in most cases, is when there is a lack of information for the kids. Everyone is either blaming the parents, the school, or the government. But one thing is certain: the children are not to blame here. Before this unfortunate incident, my foundation, KEE Foundation, was already working on a project tagged 'The Children Are Not to Blame'. The job that we are doing is needed more than ever,’’ she revealed.

The foundation, Knowledge Education Empowerment Forum (KEE), has sought partnership with Magna Carter Health, 1922 Limited, and a Theodore Jr E

not right in the way they had been addressing issues, and I felt it could only go downhill. I’m not going to be one of those who sit at the roundtable and do nothing.”

The content of the book, Trapped in Oblivion, transcends time. Using a romantic plot for the story, the author embedded the messages inside.

"Alot of people don’t come out to tell their stories.

However, what I discovered while working with the children was an expose. Alot of parents don’t want to know. About 90 percent of children who askquestionsaboutsexalsosharetheirexperiences.

If you can create enough time to birth a child, you should create time to raise them, " she said.

She hopes that the government will play its SDUW LQ FXUULFXOXP GHYHORSPHQW WR UHÁHFW WKH contemporary needs of young school-age children DQG LQFRUSRUDWH ERRNV DQG DFWLYLWLHV WKDW ÀOO WKH void in sexual and moral education.

Album Cover

Iquo DianaAbasi Unveils Debut Poetry Album Yinka Olatunbosun

A

s the world celebrated world book and copyright day, writer and performance poet, Iquo DianaAbasi unveiled her debut poetry album ‘Beyond the Staccato’, on April 23, 2022. The long anticipated album which is currently in CDs and online stores is a productofyearsofresilienceandintrospection.

Inside Didi Museum inVictoria island, Lagos, the event showcased an array of conversations and performances, including poetry, dance and music by different artistes.

The opening act Clementina Solutionist Owumi performed The Staccato was no Firework – one of the poems from the album. The performancewasgreetedwithrousingapplause for Owumi’s delivery and the poignant verses which drew listeners into the reality of a night in the grips of herders’ attack.

In place of an album review, the audience was treated to a panel discussion around the album, ‘the Staccato Conversation’. This conversation involved the poet, activist and social commentator Aj Dagga Tolar, poet and compere Brenda Nwafor, as well as Habeeb Ajijola, an economist and spoken word poet.

Together, these three analysed the album on its production quality, political messages, poetic style and more.

Whilereflectingonthealbum,thediscussants shed light on different poems, from the cynical and upbraiding tone of Crumbs, which speaks about the despoilation of the Niger Delta to the comforting and motherly tone in Calabash, and the evocative lines in The Staccato which speaks to the herder’s crisis in the middle belt of Nigeria. Just before the discussion ended, the audience got to savour another one of the poems, Answers That Will Not be Swallowed, a tribute to the shooting at the Lekki venue of the #EndSARS protest in October 2020.

As the day wore on, Oyin Gbade (Oyin Sax) wasinvitedtotitillateandserenadethosepresent with tune after tune from his saxophone, including an interesting cover of the national anthem.

The unveiling and launch of ‘Beyond the Staccato’ was moderated by Aj Dagga Tolar, with support from the business men Chief Kayode AderinokunandTojuAmorighoye;theimmediate pastpresidentofLagosChamberofCommerce andIndustry (LCCI),TokiMabogunje; filmmaker and cofounder iRep documentary film festival, Femi Odugbemi; Linguist and researcher, Kola Tubosun and others.

The audience was also entertained to a contemporary dance interpretation of a poem titled When no Drums Can be Heard, with energetic and expressive movements

by Rasheed Ijolomo Ibrahim.

While the album launch event was entertaining, the poetry lingers on the mind. Opening lines from the first poem in the album declare; “shaken, but not broken, the poet is victim and survivor…” – a promise that the verses in the album will engage and inspire in equal measure.

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THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER MAY 8, 2022

CICERO

Editor: Ejiofor Alike SMS: 08066066268 email:ejiofor.alike@thisdaylive.com

IN THE ARENA

Before APC, PDP Tear Nigeria Apart The All Progressives Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party’s veiled plots to do away with zoning of presidency and deny the southern part of the country the 2023 presidential tickets could further weaken Nigeria’s fragile unity, Ejiofor Alike reports

F

ollowing the domination of the southern part of Nigeria by the North for nearly four decades, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had at the advent of democracy in 1999 introduced the principle of zoning and rotation of elective offices to ensure that no section of the country retains power at the detriment of the other sections.

During this period of northern domination, the country’s development indices recorded stagnation or outright retardation as quota system, religious and tribal sentiments that are alien in a true federalism were used to drag the country backwards.

At independence in 1960, Nigeria was said to be at par with South Africa and South Korea in power generation. But in 1999, Nigeria’s electricity supply was below 3,000 megawatts, while South Africa and South Korea were generating over 40,000 megawatts each.

To chart a new course for Nigeria’s development in the new democracy, the PDP in 1998, inserted the principle of zoning of elective offices in its constitution. Section 7 (2) (c) of the PDP Constitution states that “…in pursuant of the principles of equity, justice and fairness the party shall adhere to the policy of rotation and zoning of party and public elective offices and it shall be enforced by the appropriate executive committee at all levels.”

The objective, according to the preamble is “… to create socio-political conditions conducive to national peace and unity by ensuring fair and equitable distribution of resources and opportunities, to conform with the principles of power shift and power sharing by rotating key political offices among the diverse peoples of our country and evolving powers equitably between the federal, state and local governments in the spirit of federalism.”

It was under this arrangement that former President Olusegun Obasanjo from the Southwest ruled for eight years from 1999-2007.

Power returned to the North with the election of the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua in 2007. Unfortunately, Yar’Adua died in 2010 without completing the North’s eight years slot.

In accordance with the Nigerian Constitution, his deputy, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan completed his tenure. Based on the public sentiment that the South-south where Jonathan hails from had not produced the country’s leader despite being

the country’s cash cow, he contested and won the 2011 presidential election.

When he completed his first four-year tenure and sought for re-election in 2015, the northern elements in the PDP moved against him and defected to the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC), insisting that it was their turn, based on the principle of zoning. Some of these elements contested for the APC ticket and lost to President Muhammadu Buhari. Jonathan also lost the election to Buhari, who will complete the North’s eight-year slot in 2023.

Ahead of the 2023, there is a popular clamour for power to shift to the South. The 17 southern governors had thrown their weight behind this popular demand. Unfortunately, some of those who destroyed the PDP and frustrated Jonathan’s re-election bid on the grounds that it was the turn of the North, have returned to the PDP to insist that the party should discard zoning when the presidential ticket should return to the South since the North has completed their slot under APC. The new narrative of these self-centred politicians, is that Jonathan usurped the tenure of the late Yar’Adua. They deliberately ignored the fact that it was the death of Yar’Adua that brought Jonathan to office. They also ignored the fact that even in commercial transactions death can create a force majeure - an unforeseeable circumstance that can free any of the parties from his contractual obligations.

That Jonathan completed Yar’Adua’s tenure was not by any deliberate effort of the southern elements in the PDP to truncate the principle

of rotation or deny the North its slot. It will therefore be an act of injustice to demand that the South should pay for such unforeseen circumstance.

The APC, on its part, has no zoning enshrined in its constitution but the coalition of political parties that formed the ruling party in 2014 had what has become known as a ‘gentleman’s agreement’ that power would rotate to the South after Buhari’s tenure.

Many progressive northern politicians from the APC, including some northern governors had all in their individual capacities, endorsed power shift to the South. APC had also initiated steps to return the presidency to the South by swapping its elective offices between the North and South, leading to the emergence of Senator Abdullahi Adamu as the National Chairman of the party.

But certain elements in the ruling party later initiated a plot to ensure that the North retains power. While APC has remained non-committal on zoning despite the emergence of its national chairman from the North, the PDP has taken a dangerous step to return power to the North with the recommendation of its 37-man committee that the president ticket should be thrown open to all the regions.

The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) flew the kite in July 2021 when it rejected the position of the southern governors that the 2023 presidency should be zoned to the southern part of the country. NEF spokesperson, Mr. Hakeem BabaAhmed, had also in September 2021 boasted that the North has more votes to produce

Nigeria’s president in 2023. He had also threatened that if a northern candidate is elected as president in 2023, “anyone who does not like that could leave the country.”

The same NEF had in July 2013 joined other five northern groups, to insist that the region must produce Nigeria’s president in 2015, arguing that there was an agreement on power rotation.

Convener of NEF and former Vice Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, Prof.

Ango Abdullahi, who spoke on behalf of the six groups, vowed that the North would use its numerical strength to ensure that power returned to it in 2015. NEF consequently endorsed the candidacy of Buhari.

But speaking on the 2023 election, the same Abdullahi had recently declared that the rotation of the presidency between the North and South was “dead and buried.”

It is obvious that while some well-meaning northerners are making efforts to rescue the already divided Nigeria, some selfish northern politicians want to stoke fire in the country by trying to do away with zoning.

Some of these politicians bragging about retaining power in the region after the region held power for eight years, cannot travel to their villages any longer unless with battalion of soldiers and other security agents.

Human rights and pro-democracy activists, separatist agitators, militants in the oil-producing region and other well-meaning people of southern Nigeria have demonstrated in the last 20 years that the region can no longer be taken for granted by any section of the country.

The Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum (SMBLF) has also warned that any attempt to end zoning by those who want to plunge Nigeria into crisis, would spell the end for the country. Ondo State Governor and Chairman of the South-west Governors’ Forum, Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu, has also cautioned the APC against zoning the 2023 presidential slot to the northern part of the country, saying that would lead to a crisis.

Nigeria is currently suffering from the acts of terrorism ravaging the northern part of the country, separatist agitations in the South-east and South-west, and the destruction of oil and gas facilities by militants and restive communities, which plunged the country’s crude oil production from a peak of 2.5 million barrels per day in 2005 to the current low level of 1.4 million barrels per day.

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

Tinubu, Karma and the S’West APC Parley

Tinubu

A lot may be playing against a former governor of Lagos Stateandpresidentialhopeful,BolaTinubu,astherulingparty inches closer to its presidential convention, slated for this month end. But from all that’s currently playing out, Karma, thatpatientsadist,mightbepatientlywaitingtotakeitsturn foragoodlaugh,afterapoundoffleshissufficientlyextracted.

It’s interesting how supporters of the self-styled APC nationalleader,havebeengoingaround,warningthenational leadership of the APC that they would not accept any form of imposition in the presidential run. Yet, the same Tinubu, has adopted this approach since the beginning of creation.

AtameetingoftheLagosAPC,weekend,Tinubudidnotonly confirmthatasittinggovernorwasathismercythroughhis eventualendorsement,buthadkepthimontheedgefortoo long a time.

He didn’t stop there, he also endorsed some aspirants

yesterday and told others to go and fight for their elections.

His typical style. Speaker of the Lagos Assembly, Mudasiru Obasa,isoneofthose,whosufferedfromthelatter.So,ifTinubu couldthoughthehadarightandpowerofpoliticallifeanddeath inLagos,whydoeshethinkthepresidentofthecountrydoes not have such a right? His double standards to life is why his life-longambitionmightnotturnoutwellattheendoftheday.

Anyway,hehastoldhissupportershe’dgladlyreturnhomein Lagos if his presidential bid fails.

However, something else is worthy of mention. Tinubu advisingaspirantsinLagostoignorethewithdrawalbooklet notice attached to the nomination forms, is suicidal. He was allegedtohavetoldaspirantsinthestatetocrossoutthatpart, becausehehaddoneso.Toobad.Theyshouldknowitispartof theprocessandnoformwouldbecompletewithoutit.Infact, it is recipe for disqualification. A word is enough!

Thatsaid,theembarrassmentmetedouttoSenatorMusiliu ObanikoroattheLagosAPCmeetingbyTinubuwasneedlessand insensitive.Theformerministerwasreportedlyusheredtothe floortospeakafterLagosStateGovernor,BabajideSanwo-Olu, was endorsed, by the anchor person, when Tinubu allegedly stood up from where he was and repeatedly shouted: “Drop thatmicandleavethere”.Youknowwhy?Obanikoroiseyeing theLagosWestSenateseatandTinubuhasalready“assigned” it to a woman and former deputy governor of the state from AlimoshoLGA,afteragooddealhadbeenstruckandsealed.

Well,fortheSouthwestAPCmeeting,notmuchwasdiscussed let alone achieved. But the takeaway from the meeting was that all the presidential aspirants, after refusing to consider the possibility of stepping down or arriving at a consensus arrangement, agreed not to throw darts at each other again in their campaigns.That was the much from the meeting.

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER MAY 8, 2022

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BRIEFINGNOTES Unsettling Motley Crowd of APC’s Presidential Aspirants The rising number of presidential aspirants in All Progressives Congress, which is unprecedented in the history of any ruling party in Nigeria, has raised grave concerns on the real motives of these aspirants and the capacity of the party to manage its success, Ejiofor Alike reports

A

s President Muhammadu Buhari winds up his eight-year tenure in 2023, the race for his successor appears to have become an allcomers’affairintheAllProgressives Congress (APC) as the list of the presidential aspirants grows daily despitetheexorbitantcostoftheparty’spresidential nomination forms.

ThelistofthoseaspiringtotakeoverfromBuhari in2023intherulingAPCincreasedbysixlastweek when the Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi; Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio, former Ogun State governor, Senator IbikunleAmosun;formerNationalChairmanofAPC, Mr.AdamsOshiomhole;billionaire-businessman,Mr. GbengaOlawepo-Hashim,andPastorTundeBakare declaredtheirintereststocontestforthecovetedseat.

Beforelastweek’sriseinthenumberofpresidential aspirants, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; National LeaderoftheAPC,SenatorBolaTinubu;Ministerof Transportation,Hon.RotimiAmaechi; EbonyiState Governor,Mr.DaveUmahiandMinisterofLabourand Employment,SenatorChrisNgigehadalsodeclared their interests to contest for president.

Others are who had equally declared their intentions include Cross River State Governor, Prof. Ben Ayade;formerPresidentoftheSenate,SenatorKen Nnamani;formerImoGovernorandincumbentsenator,RochasOkorocha;KogiStateGovernor,Yahaya BelloandMinisterofStateforEducation,Mr.Emeka Nwajiuba, Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation,OgbonnayaOnu,SenatorAjayiBoroffice, theonlyfemaleintheracesofar, UjuOhanenyeand formerGovernorofZamfaraState,AhmedYerima.

Atthelastcount,APChasover20aspirantsjostling to succeed Buhari and the list is still growing.

Senate President, Dr. Ahmad Lawan; and Jigawa State governor, Mr. Muhammad Badaru Abubakar, have also indicated interests. Lawan was said to haveobtainedtheN100millionpresidentialforms.

Minister of State for Petroleum, Mr. Timipre Sylva and former President Goodluck Jonathan are also said to be considering to join the race any moment before the expiration of the deadline.

Theunsettlingnumberofaspirantsjostlingtotake over from Buhari has raised grave concerns on the realmotivesoftheseaspirants.Whilesomeanalysts believethatsomeoftheseaspirantsareintheraceto truncatethelikelychancesofothers,manyanalysts also argue that some want to use their presidential aspirationstonegotiateforotherpositionssoasto remain relevant after 2023.

But most importantly, many are concerned that the large number of aspirants is an indication of the ruling party’s failure to manage its success.

OneofthefrontlineaspirantsandAPC’sNational Leader, Tinubu had described the rising number of aspirantsvyingfortheparty’spresidentialticketas aplusforNigeria’sdemocracy.Reactingtotherising numberofaspirants afterameetingwithBuharion Tuesday,theformerLagosStategovernorsaid:“The morethemerrier.Themoretheycome,themorechallenging it becomes for you to think deeply, focus on issues and be ready to serve Nigeria. It’s all about service;it’snothingelse.Thinkwisely,getcommitted toyourthinkingtoservethenationandbringprogress and prosperity to the lives of Nigerians.

Some of the APC presidential aspirants “It’sgoodforthecountryforsomanyofustoaspire towanttolead;wearenotabandoningournation.But there’s only one chair and one possibility.We will do that,”Tinubu explained.

However, many believed that the former Lagos Stategovernorwasbeingeconomicalwiththetruth becauseasanexperiencedpolitician,heknowsthat allowingsuchnumberofpeopletogointothefieldof contestcandestroytherulingparty.Tinubu,whowas the first to declare interest, was earlier said to have felt betrayed by some of those who had indicated interests to challenge him in the race.

Somepoliticalanalystshavehintedthatthefailure ofAPCtostreamlinethenumberofcontestantslike thepreviousrulingpartiesinthecountrywouldleadto rancorouspresidentialprimaryandprotractedlitigations,whichcouldmarthechancesofthepartyinthe 2023 general election. Even the elders and leaders ofsouthernNigeriahaveraisedconcernthatthehigh number of aspirants from the southern part of the country could divide the southern delegates and give the North an advantage in the APC primary.

This fear is further fuelled by the fact that the ruling partyhasrefusedtoexpresslyzonethetickettothe South.PresidentBuharimayhaveusedhistechnical endorsements of almost all the aspirants to boost hisdemocraticcredentialsbutthatwasarecipefor

crisis in the ruling party.

Most of the aspirants had approached Buhari to notifyhimoftheirintentionsbeforedeclaringopenly, buttheysurprisinglyreceivedthesamepresidential go-ahead. Members of the same political party are supposed to have common interest and the same ideology.Theinterestofthepartyshouldsubsumethe personalinterestsofthemembers.So,adisciplined politicalpartyshouldhavethecapacitytoreinintheir over-ambitiousmemberstodroptheirambitionsfor thecommoninterestofthepartymembers.Thatwas howthedefunctNationalPartyofNigeria(NPN)and thePeoplesDemocraticParty(PDP)managedtheir successes as ruling parties.

Perhaps, in an attempt to discourage potential aspirants, the ruling party had hiked the cost of expressionofinterestandnominationformsforthe presidential aspirants to a whopping sum of N100 million. But this hike did not discourage the motley crowd of aspirants. However, all hope is not lost.

Cross River State governor, Ayade had after purchasing the forms, declared that he would not mind stepping down once the president and the partyurgedhimtosodo.Amaechihadalsopledged tosupportthechoiceofBuhariandtheAPC.Formsto befilledbyaspirantsseekingtowithdrawvoluntarily arealsocirculatingontheinternet.PresidentBuhari

andtheAPCshouldinterveneurgentlytostreamline thenumberofcontestantstofacilitatetheemergence ofaconsensuscandidate.Anyaspirantwholovesthe partyshouldbereadytodrophispersonalambition and abide by the party’s decision. Any presidential aspirant who insists that this motley crowd should go to the field to test their popularity is selfish and does not mean well for the ruling party.

Unlike the PDP, which has zoning in its constitution to promote justice and fair play, APC does not entrench this principle in its constitution. But the coalition of political parties that formed APC had what has come to be known as ‘gentleman’s agreement’ to rotate power after Buhari’s eightyear tenure. For the sake of justice, the consensus candidate should emerge from the South.

However, the spirit of zoning and rotation will be defeated if a consensus candidate emerges from any geo-political zone in the South, which has produced the president since 1999. If the North is being discouraged from fielding candidates because of Buhari’s eight-year tenure, any southern geo-political zone, which has produced the president since 1999 should also be discouraged from vying for consensus candidate.This will deepen justice and fair play,whichtheprinciplesof rotation and zoning seek to promote.

NOTES FOR FILE

Donald Duke’s Blessed and Burdened Personality

Duke

It belies simple logic, and perhaps, personality comprehension, that 15 years after leaving office as governor of Cross River, eclectic Donald Duke, remains a darling of all and across political divides. That his presence still stirs a near mob reaction is something political scientists need to study and unravel.

There is, without a doubt, a confounding attachment to Duke by an average Cross Riverian, who still relishes the memories of his days in office and has continued to see the state from the pictures of evident leadership provided by this amiable personality.

Unfortunately, as beautiful as this sounds, it has also remained Duke’s undoing in the politics of the state, as both former and incumbent governors of the state, have had to struggle for attention whenever

he is at an event with them in the state.

The people have continued to show appreciation to his stellar performance and sound leadership through spontaneous jubilation at the mention of his name.

There are stories of how a certain former governor of the state had either avoided events, which already had Duke seated before him, or turned back upon learning he was around. He was even said to have turned down some invitations, because he loathes to share space with Duke, as a result of his overwhelming personality.

Of course, the incumbent cannot run away from the situation, because he is governor, even though they’re of different parties now. But, he

has managed to live with the mental torture of Duke’s domineering personality, much as it is not his own making and has no control of how people react to his presence.

Ironically, what Duke enjoys today is what many other politicians, supposedly with near-equal name recognition, pay to savour. And if you know Duke well enough, there’s no telling he is too cosmopolitan to throw money around for attention like an archetypal politician.

Just maybe Duke is not the type of politician to envy. Not only does he mind his business, he carries with him everywhere, his doting personality sculpted by his innate intellectual contents as the drivers of his ideological leanings.

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THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER MAY 8, 2022

CICERO/ISSUES

Adamu

Osodeke

Will NANS’ Threat against Party Primaries End ASUU Strike?

Vanessa Obioha writes on the threat issued to political parties by the National Association of Nigerian Students to either urgently resolve the strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities or forget their party primaries billed for Abuja this month

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s part of their strategies to force thefederalgovernmenttourgently resolvethestrikeembarkedupon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Nigerian students under the aegis of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) recently threatened that no political party would hold their primary election to elect any presidential candidate in Abuja. NANS President,ComradeSundayAsefon,madethethreat in a statement made available to journalists.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chose the Federal CapitalTerritory (FCT) for its primary this month to elect its presidential candidate among 15 aspirants from all over the country. The ruling AllProgressivesCongress(APC)isalsoreportedto have considered Abuja for its presidential primary later this month.

But NANS, in its statement, told the political parties to either end the strike, which ASUU had commencedonFebruary14,2022,orforgetabout holdinganypresidentialprimaryinthenation’scapital.The apex students’ union body also expressed angerthatthosesaddledwiththeresponsibilityto ensurethesmoothrunningoftheeducationsector suchastheMinisterofStateforEducation,Emeka Nwajiuba;andMinisterofLabourandEmployment, ChrisNgigehavepurchasedtheoutrageousN100 million presidential forms of the ruling APC.They specifically vowed to truncate the presidential ambitions of Ngige and Nwajiuba, if they do not take decisive steps to end the strike.

“Letmesaywithoutmincingwords,thetwomajor politicalpartiesshouldforgetanypoliticalgathering in Abuja except there is a solution to the lingering ASUU strike. We will frustrate all the activities leading to the selection of party candidates if we remainonstrike.Wealsowanttoadvisethegovernmentandthepoliticianswhoarebusycampaigning to be president to either resolve the ASUU crisis or give direct orders to the security operative to shootusatsightduringpartyconventionstoselect apresidentialcandidate.Ifweremainonstrike,they should just forget it,” NANS said in the statement.

Toshowitsseriousness,NANSinanother statementmadeavailableinAdoEkiti,stated that it had given mediators time to prevail onthefederalgovernmenttoresolveissues with ASUU and ensure students resumed their studies.

“But it seems all mediation plans have failed.Politicianshaveshownnoconcernfor theplightofthestudents,butareratherbusy with their selfish and inordinate ambitions tobecomethenextPresident.Wehavealso in the past weeks seen those saddled with greatresponsibilityintheeducationsector and those saddled with responsibilities of resolvinglabourcrisesdeclareintereststo contest for the seat of the president come 2023.We are surprised at their effrontery and total disrespect to the Nigeria people for having the courage to even mull the idea of contesting, much more picking up the N100 million-presidential form while studentslanguishathomebecauseoftheir (leaders’) collective failures.

“Let me say without mincing words that thetwomajorpoliticalparties(APCandPDP) shouldforgetanypoliticalgatheringinAbuja orelsewhereexceptthereisasolutiontothe lingering ASUU strike.We will frustrate all the activities leading to selection of party candidates if ASUU remains on strike. We alsowanttoadvisethegovernmentandthe politicianswhoarebusycampaigningtobe presidenttoeitherresolvetheASUUcrisis orgivedirectorderstothesecurityoperative toshootusonsightduringpartyconventions to select presidential candidates. If ASUU remainsonstrike,theyshouldjustforgetit,” Asefonexplainedintheseparatestatement.

ASUUhadonMonday,February14,2022, embarkedonafour-weekwarningstriketo forcethefederalgovernmenttoimplement the agreement signed with universities in 2009. When the government failed to listen to the lecturers at the expiration of thewarningstrike,onMarch14,2022,they

extended the industrial action by two months.

Initially, the union, led by Professor Emmanuel Osodeke,saiditdecidedtoextendthestriketogive the federal government and its agencies enough time to meet the lingering demands of the union.

Beforethecurrentstrike,theunionhadembarked onanine-monthstrikein2020beforeitwascalled off in December of that year due to pressure from parents.

The union’s demands include funding for the revitalisationofpublicuniversities,earnedacademic allowances,UniversityTransparencyAccountability Solution (UTAS).

Others include the renegotiation of the 2009 ASUU-FGNAgreementandtheinconsistenciesin the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).

Before it embarked on the strike, ASUU had directed its various chapters to set aside a day to sensitise and mobilise Nigerians for its fight to save the university system from collapsing.This, perhaps, was meant to create an atmosphere of understanding but the government ignored the window of opportunity. But the Nigerian governmenthasrefusedtoimplementtheMemorandum of Action (MoA) that led to the suspension of its nine-month prolonged strike in 2020.

Sincethestrikecommenced,thefederalgovernmenthasnotshownenoughsincerityofpurposein addressingtheissuesraisedbythestrikingteachers.

Ithascontinuedtogiveexcusestoexplainitsinability to meet ASUU’s demands.

Recently, for instance, Ngige exonerated his ministryandblamedtheMinistryofEducationfor the lingering strike, saying he had made use of the labour instruments at his disposal. He noted that “thebossesintheFederalMinistryofEducationdo not feel the strike.There are things that are above me. I am not the Minister of Education.”

Students mostly bear the brunt of the strike.

Someofthemhavefallenvictimsofrapeandother criminal activities in the country as their youthful energies are being wasted at home. Part of the consequences of these regular strike actions is thefrequentdisruptionsintheacademiccalendars

of universities. Sometimes, programmes that are designedtorunforfouryearstranslatetofiveorsix years for a student without a record of failure. It is worseforthosewhosecoursesrunlongerthanfour years. They end up staying on campus longer than intended. It is thus sheer agony when they finally graduate to join the labour force for the entry-level age requirement for many graduate jobs is 26.

Stakeholdershavealsoraisedconcernsaboutthe incessant strike action, considering its heavy toll on the academic pursuit of students in public tertiary institutions. Many analysts have argued that just as it has failed ASUU, it has also failed to keep the promises made to the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) andSeniorStaffAssociationofNigerianUniversities (SSANU).These unions are also on strike and have threatened to make the action indefinite.

However, the Minister of State for Education, Nwajiuba,hasinsistedthattheunioncannotdictate tothefederalgovernmentontheplatformtobeused inpayingtheirsalaries.Theministerwhileaddressing journalists shortly after receiving his presidential nomination form of the APC purchased for him by theProjectNigeriaGroup,said:“Itisimpracticaland incongruoustocontinuouslyexpectthatsomebody whoispaidasalarycontinuestodictatetosomeone who pays him: ‘This is how you must pay me’.This is where this anomaly is.”

President of SSANU, Mohammed Ibrahim, had accused the federal government of focusing on frivolousthingsandneglectingtheeducationsector andtheyouths. Speakingduringthe2022MayDay celebration in Abuja, Ibrahim said the universities were forced to shut down due to the government’s insincerity, adding that the standard of education had continued to go down.

To the save the federal government from embarrassmentofthestudents,stakeholdersarecallingon PresidentMuhammaduBuharitoendthestrike.Even thoughhehadrecentlypledgedthathisgovernment was committed to fulfilling the promises made to ASUU, nothing has been fulfilled.Will NANS’ threat against the party primaries be the game changer?

Events of the next few weeks will reveal.

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THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER MAY 8, 2022

CICERO/ISSUES

PDP Chieftains in Hot Race for Masari’s Seat in Katsina The Peoples Democratic Party has commenced the race to retake power in Katsina State following the purchase of governorship nomination forms to succeed Governor Aminu Bello Masari by two chieftains of the main opposition party, writes Francis Sardauna

Danmarke

Majigiri

A

s the race for the Katsina State Government House gathers momentum, aspirants from the various political parties are scheming to succeed Governor Aminu Bello Masari of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) whosetwo-termtenurewillelapseonMay29,2023.

Aspirantsfromthetwodominantpoliticalparties in the state- APC and the main opposition Peoples DemocraticParty(PDP)areadvancingreasonswhy they should be given the opportunity to govern President Muhammudu Buhari’s home state.

Where the pendulum of victory will swing will be determined with time but from all indications, the contest would be between the APC and PDP as there is no third force in the state yet.

In the ruling APC, each of the aspirants is waiting for Masari’s blessings but the governor who is a political father to many of the contenders within the party is keeping his card close to his chest, apparently causing discomfort among the hopefuls.

TheircounterpartsinthePDP,whofeelthestate belongs to the party but for the “miscalculation” in 2015and2019,areequallyjostlingforthesupport oftheparty’sleaderinthestate–formerGovernor Ibrahim Shehu Shema to realise their ambition.

Despite the wait for the ‘anointed candidate’ by the state PDP leader, feelings in public domain suggestthatindigeneswhoareinapositiontomake ormarthechancesofthepartyin2023areequally waitingtosupportthepersontheyfeelwillhelpthe stateovercomethemyriadsofchallengesfacingit.

Thechallenges,whichincludebanditry,kidnapping, unemployment, poverty and economic meltdown, havedefied effortsbytheMasari-ledgovernment to tackle them.

Interestingly, the contest has thickened within the main opposition party following the purchase of the party’s N21 million expression of interest and nomination forms by Senator Yakubu Lado Danmarke,Hon.SalisuYusufMajigiri,ShehuInuwa

ImamandAhmedAminuYar’Aduatoviefor the seat of the number one citizen of the state.

The PDP’s national secretariat had witnessed a massive gathering of supporters, including all members of the state working committee, local government chairmen of the party, political associates, families, youths and women, who sang, drummed and danced to celebrate what they called a historic event.

An obviously elated Danmarke, who is the first PDP governorship aspirant in the state to buy the forms, told reporters that he has what it takes to win the election for PDP in 2023 because of his pedigree, politicalexperience,unflinchingsupportfor vulnerable households and closeness with the grassroots. He explained that he had contributedimmenselytothegrowthofPDP inthestate,andexpressedconfidencethat ifgiventheparty’sticketfortheforthcoming gubernatorialpoll,hewouldwintheelection.

“As a democratic party, we must imbibe justice, equity, and fairness - that is what makesusatrulydemocraticparty.Istrongly believe that our party as a democratic party and the electorate will consider my candidature because I have what it takes to govern the state”.

ThePDPgovernorshipaspirantpromised thecitizensofthestatethathewouldrunan all-inclusive government if elected as the governor of the state in the forthcoming generalelection.Thegovernorshipcandidate of the PDP in the 2019 general election, is said to enjoy the support of the youths and has been an active politician in the state.

Therefore, he has the potential to mobilise power blocs to his advantage.

Danmarke, a former Senator, House of

RepresentativesmemberandChairmanofKankara Local Government Area, is a quiet achiever and old-timer on the political turf. His entry into the race is bringing excitement and apprehension, being a strong PDP contender with age and sustainable economic track records on his side. Key stakeholders are said to be rallying support for him to chart a way forward for his aspiration. But politicalanalystsbelievethathemayfinditdifficult to win the 2023 gubernatorial poll if he clinches the party’s ticket because he is from the southern part of the state where the incumbent Governor Masari hails from. So, the strong agitation for the rotation of power from the Southern zone to the Northern part is another factor militating against Danmarke’sambition.However,otheranalystshave argued that the former chairman of the Senate CommitteeonLandandTransport,shouldbegiven another opportunity to be the standard-bearer of the party for the election.

One of those who have been sharing the PDP umbrella with Danmarke for years, Hon. Salisu Yusuf Majigiri, is also jostling to clinch the party’s ticket ahead of the 2023 gubernatorial election.

MajigiriwhowasDanmarke’srunningmatein2019, has received his governorship form allegedly purchased for him by some PDP stakeholders under the leadership of Hamisu Gambo.

He received the forms at an event held in Mashi town, and witnessed by some state working committee members of the party, friends and party loyalistsfromhishometown-Majigiri.Theaspirant at the event, had vowed to rescue the state from alleged misrule by the APC-led administration of Masari if given the mandate to govern the state.

Majigiri, who has been spearheading the affairs of the PDP as state chairman for seven years, said he was on a mission to return Katsina State to its lost glory. “We are on a mission to rescue Katsina State from the current mess, occasioned by the misrule of the All Progressives Congress-led government of Governor Aminu Masari since

2015”, he reportedly said.

Hepromisedthatthesecurityandeconomicchallenges besetting the state would be tackled within the first 100 days of his administration if elected as the governor of the state in the forthcoming poll.

He equally vowed to ensure that all the internally displaced persons (IDPs), especially farmers, are returned to their ancestral homes.

However, political pundits in the state are of the opinion that Majigiri should have tendered his resignation letter to the party before joining the gubernatorial race. The questions on the lips of many PDP stalwarts in the state are: Will Majigiri resign as the state chairman of the party? Will he not remain as the chairman of the party the way he did in 2019?

Buthissupportersareoptimisticthattheformer ChairmanofMashiLocalGovernmentArea,former HouseofRepresentatives’memberandex-Chiefof StafftoGovernorShema,willclinchtheparty’sticket during its primaries. Some of the party members against his aspiration have argued that since his assumption of office as the chairman of PDP in 2015, the party has not won any election in the state, including his ward or local government area.

But his supporters strongly believe that he will wintheelectionifgiventheparty’sticketbecausehe comes from Daura Zone (Northern part of Katsina), which has not governed the state since the return of democracy in Nigeria in 1999.

ThedeclarationofthetwoPDPstalwartstocontest forthegovernorshipelectionhasledtowarofwords by their supporters.There is a looming feud within the party that has been battling for seven years to reclaim power from the ruling APC in the state.The looming crisis needs urgent attention by leaders of thepartyinordertoavertthecollapseoftheformer rulingpartyinthestatebeforetheforthcoming2023 generalelection.Indeed,itisapoliticalfighttowatch between the two elephants, who flew a joint ticket of the party in the 2019 general election and have been under the party’s umbrella for years.

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THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER MAY 8, 2022

with ChidiAmuta e-mail:chidi.amuta@gmail.com

ENGAGEMENTS

Referendum on a Hegemony

W

e might as well sound the end time alarm bugle loud and clear.This is in the desperate hope that we can avert a national catastrophe. Whether we are Christians or Muslims, APC or PDP, Northerners or southerners, a common existential burden now hangs over us all.The future of the nation, our common heritage, hangs on a balance because our politics is being manipulated to a perilous brink.

In the run up to a crucial power transition election, a terminal divisiveness threatens to overwhelm our fragile political system. Suddenly, the defining question of the moment has been reduced to the future of the regional hegemony that the Buhari presidency deepened, entrenched and weaponized.The dominant question of the imminent presidential election is now simply this: Can Nigeria survive another presidential term under a northern Muslim president?

The foreseeable eventuality is the possibility that both major parties could field northern Muslim presidential candidates.That will quickly transform the 2023 presidential election into a referendum on the continuation of northern rule and hegemony. It could also become the ultimate referendum on the future of the country as a united entity.That is how close we are to doomsday.

All perceivable signals in the political parties point in this dangerous direction. As it is, every activity in the major political parties is now consumed by north-south computations. Instead of working towards a free and fair democratic election, the hidden hands of hegemonic prevalence are manipulating the political system into a shameful plebiscite about two poles on the national compass.

The frightening omens of a systemic meltdown are in abundance.The two dominant parties are in the process of being toppled by the power of regionalism and geo political maneuvering.The internal democracy of the parties is being rubbished by the conservative forces of geo-political myth making. Attention has shifted in both parties from organizing orderly presidential primaries to crude antics for perpetuating the prevailing regional hegemony. As we speak, both major parties have clandestinely reneged on the north-south power zoning understanding.This however happens to be the pillar on which the nation’s stability and precarious balance of power has so far depended.

As a result, the very survival of our fragile nation is being trifled with by a political class that does not care if Nigeria crumbles.

The APC which had for a long time repeatedly publicly announced its zoning of the 2023 presidential slot to the southern zones now seems to be walking back on that commitment. Its decrepit newly minted chairman, Mr. Abdullahi Adamu, has cast doubts on the party’s long standing commitment on the matter. In a statement that no one has so far denied, Mr. Adamu sheepishly rehashed the politically convenient line that the APC is yet to decide on a zoning principle for the 2023 presidential slot.This is a shorthand for smuggling in the possibility of yet another northern presidential candidate for the party. Some hidden hand has activated an insane deluge of southern presidential aspirants in the party (over 25 at the last count) and hardly any one from the north except the ‘Sharia’ advocate, former Zamfara governor, Alhaji Sani Yerima! A conservative task force is said to be daily pressuring President Muhammadu Buhari to buy into the new twist.

The PDP on its part was the first to turn its back on zoning. It has since opted to insist on a northern candidate while pretending to have opened the playing field to all aspirants for its presidential ticket.

While this political trampoline dance goes on, there is an urgent alarm of political wisdom that needs to be sounded to save the nation.

Political parties remain the cornerstone of the architecture of the democratic state.They are institutions of nation state survival without which the polity cannot renew or sustain itself.

Even countries wracked by crisis and shattered by anarchy and war begin their recovery to democratic wholeness by forming political parties to aggregate citizen interests. Elections follow and precede the restoration of governance and order. Parties may not strike you with an expansive institutional presence. In fact, parties tend to

Audu Ogbeh inhabit small headquarter buildings from where they mint those who decide the plight of institutions with expansive reach and overwhelming presence. By their nature, political parties are modest but powerful institutional presences in the life of nations.

They are not like, say the army, the stock exchange, the judiciary or the legislature which dominate space and deafen people with noise. Every party headquarters tends to be a badly furnished building manned by scruffy apparatchiks. But without parties, the entire elaborate edifice of the democratic state falters and collapses.That is why coup makers begin their business by proscribing parties and abrogating the constitutions that give them life.Therefore, any political antic that seeks to overthrow a political party system is a treasonous exercise.Those dark political knights now scheming to topple the internal democratic arrangements of both the APC and the PDP by scrapping presidential zoning had better have a rethink.They are attempting a coup d’etat and the consequences of such misadventure are very pretty known.

This is no time to debate the scientific enlightenment of power zoning. Everyone knows the ideal but Nigeria does not survive on ideals. We are a nation of contingency, expediency and compromises.The expediency of north-south power rotation has kept us going even under the worst autocracies.

Why topple it now?

The impending upheaval in the parties has already produced a rash of clashing statements and utterances from diverse geo political groups. South east politicians in the PDP have become a political trade union of malcontents. Leaders of major Southwest political and cultural groups are rooting for a president from the south east. Chief E.K Clark of the Niger Delta has added his weighty voice, warning that Nigeria may not survive another northern Muslim president right after Buhari.The Arewa Youth organization has however added a sensible voice, insisting on the imperative of a southward zoning of the 2023 presidency.

Remarkably, some northern state governors, notably Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna and Babagana Zulum of Borno, have consistently advocated the zoning of the 2023 presidency to the southern zones.

Meanwhile, barely a few months to the 2023 presidential election, clandestine political dark knights are busy manipulating attention from urgent national problems of basic security and mundane economic survival for citizens. Everything is now about whether the next president should be a Northern Muslim or southern Christian, an Igbo or a Fulani, Yoruba or Urhobo. But by far

the overriding axis of discord is the north-south divide which poses a strategic threat to the continuation of the Nigerian state.The note of mutual antagonism is palpable. Interest groups are fanning the embers of hate with incendiary rhetoric.

The systematic mismanagement of our diversity and the north-south balance of power

by Buhari’s hegemonic excesses has weaponized what should be a normal democratic transition politics, converting us all into war mongers. No sensible nation allows the spread of hate and the rhetoric of war while preparing for a ritual of peaceful coexistence which is what elections ultimately are.

Inside the opposition PDP, an extant zoning agreement has been shredded by a fixation with the mathematical advantages of a northern presidential candidate.This has instantly alienated party leaders and politicians from other sections of the country. In the interim, all manner of webs and manipulations are being contrived to strike compromises in a pursuit of a non existent consensus.

The assumptions behind the scramble for a northern presidential candidate are based on a curious, lazy arithmetic and dubious political strategy.The logic seems to be that the fabled northern large demographics of voters will only vote for a northern presidential candidate.That is an insult to the sense of discrimination of the average Northern voting citizen.That line of thinking has no room for loyalty to party or subscription to people friendly policies. But a cursory look at previous presidential election results reveals the foolishness of this assumption.

Northern voters like all other Nigerians will vote for the candidates that the contending parties present to them.They do not insist that presidential candidates must be northern Muslims to earn their votes! We may need to ask who voted for president Obasanjo for two terms? Was the assumed northern majority voters not in existence when Obasanjo was being elected and re-elected? Who voted for Jonathan’s single term? Nigerians, irrespective of religion and region, vote for party candidates according to their preferences, not as unthinking regional mobs.

The myth of the cultic northern voting majority as an electoral factor came into being with Mr. Buhari’s desperation for power and his presentation as the ultimate northern redeemer. Jonathan’s rudderless governance and epic incompetence enabled the Buhari ascent. For the past seven years, however, the president that came to power on the wave of national goodwill and amnesty has pursued a sickening regional hegemonic agenda to nauseating levels. As a result, even the most ardent enlightened northern elite are now utterly embarrassed by this effete presidency.

The tragic irony of this single minded hegemonic mindset is that it has cast the north in

poor light. Buhari’s chosen few are mostly a choir of incompetent mediocrity.They have fared abysmally and virtually run Nigeria aground. Happily, they do not represent the best of the north. Under the watch of the Buhari bunch, the Nigerian state has failed itself, failed its citizens and failed as a credible member of the international community.

A vile and uncontrolled regional army of bandits, terrorists and vengeful thugs has been enabled.

An Irresponsible new political elite has abandoned the ordinary people of the north to the violent forces that their insensitivity has unleashed.

Governors that prefer to remain perpetually on vacation in Abuja or Dubai while their states are overrun by casual terrorists are the same people now scheming to retain national power in a region they have laid waste.These are the people funding and fanning the current confusion in the parties.

Those now scheming for a perpetuation of northern rule are vicariously wishing Nigerians a continuation of the Buhari-type nightmare. Eight more years of unbridled corruption, inactivity, insensitivity, mercantile terrorism and economic morass.

Today’s power adventurers do not seem to understand the current mood of the nation. In the north, even in the mosques, the mood is to curse and disown the present version of northern hegemony as the source of violence and increased poverty. In the south, the hegemony is seen as the source of killer herdsmen and unsafe highways and railroads. Response to hegemonic arrogance and domination is the source of IPOB militancy and the Igboho separatist agitation. It is also the origin of the fear of Islamisation.

Therefore, the overriding challenge of the 2023 presidential contest is how to pry the heart of the Nigerian nation from the fangs of a vicious Buhari bred regional ogre of incompetent and unproductive hegemonists.

Even the north, the presumptive beneficiary region of the Buhari hegemony, is somewhat dazed and utterly embarrassed. Consequently, the northern political voice has acquired multiple tongues and many hues.The more enlightened nationalistic wing cried out early in the Buhari tenure.

They opined that Buhari’s hegemonic extremism would damage the nation, alienate the north itself and endanger us all. Another northern faction disowned Buhari as a traitor of northern interests and an embarrassment to the best standards and aspirations of the region. A minority political voice, mostly Arewa youth, cried out that the best way out is to abide by a zoned power rotation arrangement to enable a southern Christian president succeed eight years of the Buhari interregnum.

The Northern Elders Forum has usurped the megaphone of regional spokesmanship in the service of the subsisting hegemony.The position of the Northern Elders Forum on zoning of the presidency has over the years been inconsistent, opportunistic and self serving. On 15th May 2013, the NEF issued a statement in which it insisted that: ‘Power rotation is a mark of equity and justice.’

That was in the midst of President Jonathan’s bid for re-election and in support of Buhari’s desperate bid for the presidency to revert to the north in the 2015 presidential elections.

Now in the countdown to the 2023 election and the end of Buhari’s parochial reign, the same Northern Elders Forum is back in business. On 16th January, 2022, the Forum stated: ‘power rotation is anti-democracy’. One Forum, two positions on the same subject but of course a consistent interest in the perpetuation of a regional power hegemony.The NEF supports zoning only in one sense: that the political leadership of the country should remain permanently zoned to the north. Hear the arrogant Hakeem Baba Ahmed, the Mauritanian - Nigerian spokesman of the Forum two weeks ago: ‘We will lead Nigeria the way we have always led Nigeria before. Whether we are President or Vice President, we will lead Nigeria.

We have the majority of the voters…’

The forces behind the new surge of hegemonic preeminence are not hard to find or easy to ignore.

They must also be credited with a certain devious sense of strategic expediency.They recognize the pivotal place of the political parties in presidential power zoning hence the present guerrilla operation to get both major parties to field northern presidential candidates. Whether they are working in the PDP or the APC, it is a common task force at work in the service of the same hegemonic project.

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾MAY 8, 2022

68

NEWS

News Editor: Gboyega Akinsanmi E-mail: gboyega.akinsanmi@thisdaylive.com,08152359253

Petrol Subsidy May Hit N3.55tn in 2022, Says Report Festus Akanbi Amid the surging price of crude oil in the international market, watchers of the unfolding development said Nigeria may incur N3.55trillion in petrol under-recovery cost, better known as subsidy in 2022.

The price of Brent, Nigeria’s variant was put at $116.40 per barrel on Friday, with the likelihood of a further escalation in price, a development that analysts believed will raise under-recovery costs over the

short-to-medium term.

Under-recovery is a term used to denote the notional losses that oil companies incur due to the difference between the subsidised price at which the oil marketing companies sell certain products like petrol and the price which they should have received for meeting their cost of production.

Relying on the recently released data from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), analysts from Cordros Securities, at the weekend, said the upward swing in the price of crude oil will

increase the burden of bridging the gap between the actual cost of petrol and the subsidised rate at which the product is sold to the Nigerian public.

In its report for last week, the research company said, “We expect under-recovery costs to increase significantly over the short-to-medium term, given the rise in crude oil prices compared to the 2021FY levels.

Consequently, we estimate petrol

under-recovery cost to settle at N3.55 trillion (or 56.8 per cent of our estimated FGN’s retained revenue) in 2022E (vs 2021FY: N1.61 trillion or 34.3 per cent of FGN’s retained revenue).”

Relying on the NNPC’s data, the report said the corporation incurred N245.77 billion as petrol under-recovery cost in March (February: N219.79 billion).

It further explained that the under-recovery cost for the

review month consists of the previous months’ outstanding and part of the February 2022 value shortfall.

According to the report, ”the tally brings the total underrecovery cost in Q1-22 to N675.94 billion– 3.4x the size in Q1-21 (N197.74 billion). That said, the NNPC further estimated that it would deduct N671.88 billion from April proceeds due to be shared by the three tiers of

government at the May FAAC meeting.” It, therefore, explained that the estimated deduction consists of N519.00 billion as petrol under-recovery cost in April and N152.88 billion for March.

The report noted that apart from the impact of the under-recovery activities on the economy, another cause of concern is the sustained decline in oil production in Nigeria.

FG Earmarks N3bn Sukuk for Roads in Adamawa, Taraba Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja and Wole Ayodele in Jalingo The federal government has said it has made a provision of N3 billion Sukuk funding in 2022 to finance the Numan-Jalingo road, which links Adamawa and Taraba States.

The apex government added that once the Sukuk fund “is accessed shortly, there would be remarkable progress at the construction sites.”

The Minister of State for Works and Housing, Mr. Mu’azu Sambo revealed this during an inspection of federal roads under construction in Taraba and Adamawa States.

Describing the current state of the road as unacceptable, the minister said the 103-kilometre Numan-Jalingo road “is part of the Maiduguri-Calabar highway.

The section of the road that is not ‘motorable’ is not acceptable.

“The road is the only connection between the north and south on the North-eastern axis of the country,” the minister said during the project inspection.

He explained that coming after the 80 housing units commissioned in Taraba State during the week by President Muhammadu Buhari, the people were appreciative of the development and were looking forward to the completion.

No One Can Rig Elections Again, Says Moghalu David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka A presidential aspirant of African Democratic Congress (ADC), Prof.

Kingsley Moghalu has said the new electoral reforms will make it difficult for politicians to rig elections.

Moghalu, a former Deputy Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, said he could obtain victory in the forthcoming 2023 presidential election unlike 2019 when he said his votes were stolen.

He made the remark in Awka at the weekend during a consultative meeting with the states and national leadership of Youth Wing Christian Association of Nigeria (YOWICAN).

At the meeting, Moghalu lamented that his votes “were stolen in 2019. Admitted that

Buhari and Atiku scored more votes than myself. But I certainly did not get the 22,000 votes allocated to me by INEC. “I did not go to Borno State to campaign because of security situation there, but my driver, Shetima who is from there called me many times to tell me that people were voting for me in Borno.

“From what we got from our agents, we scored over 33,000 votes in Borno alone, but what they did was to give me 600 votes in Borno. It is same way that they slashed our votes all across the country.

“That was the experience that made me to leave YPP and join the campaign for electoral reforms.

We fought for it and we got it.

For 2023, with the reforms, if I am going in to contest, I’m going in to win,” Moghalu said.

Another Building Collapses in Lagos Segun James A two-storey building in the Ago Palace Way area of Lagos State, collapsed yesterday.

The building is on Chris Igadi street off Ago Palace way opposite Kilimanjaro/ AP filling station.

The incident happened days after eight person died when a three-story building at Ibadan street in Ebute Metta collapsed.

Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, the head of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) confirmed in a statement on Saturday that no casualty was recorded.

The incident happened around 3 a.m., he added.

“On arrival, information gathered from the residents revealed that the building gave signs several hours before the building collapsed.

Fortunately, nobody was trapped as all the occupants evacuated the area when the signs began 2 hours before the collapse,” the statement reads.

“A head count of occupants was carried out to ensure no occupants were missing and the remains of the building were cordoned off.

“The operation was concluded at about 5:23 a.m.”

The agency added that the site would be handed over to the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) and the Ministry of Physical Planning for further investigation.

NEW PUSH FOR FDIS… L-R: CEO, Tritekk Consulting Limited , Ayodele Fasakin; Managing Partner, Upstream Information Update, Energy Intelligence Consulting, Toyin Akinosho; Executive Director, Watershed Capital Limited, Onoakpoma Ohimor, and Subsurface Manager, Energy and Mineral Resources Limited, Collins Ibekwe, at Arbiterz Conference on Marginal Fields held in Lagos... recently

Gas Reserves Rise by 2.09tcf to 208.62tcf Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) has disclosed that Nigeria’s total gas reserves increased by 2.09 trillion cubic feet (TCF) while the country’s gas stock expanded by 136 million barrels as of January 2022.

NUPRC, the country’s oil and gas regulator, said the gas reserves grew from 206.53 TCF to 208.62 tcf, climbing 1.01 per cent

while crude recorded a marginal increase of 0.37 per cent.

The Chief Executive of NUPRC, Mr Gbenga Komolafe made this disclosure during a news conference to assess his first six months in office, saying since January 1, the nation’s oil reserves moved from 36.910 billion barrels to 37.046 billion barrels.

Komolafe stated that the new figures were arrived at after the operators in the sector submitted

their annual reports of reserves to the commission.

He disclosed that a total of 61 operating companies submitted the document in 2021 in line with the provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021.

“Analysis of the report indicates that the nation’s oil and condensate reserves status as at 1st January 2022 was 37.046 billion barrels representing a slight increase of 0.37 per cent compared

to 36.910 billion barrels as at 1st January 2021.

“On the other hand, the national gas reserves status as of 1st January 2022 was 208.62 TCF, representing an increase of 1.01 per cent compared to 206.53 TCF as at 1st January 2021.”

On initiatives to enhance crude oil production, Komolafe said the commission “has initiated a massive campaign dedicated to the identification of oil and gas wells producing below capacity.

Appeal Court to Resume Hearing on FG, Rivers VAT Case Tomorrow Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt The Court of Appeal sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, will tomorrow resume hearing on the appeal filed by the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) against the ruling of a Federal High Court, which declared that the Rivers State Government, and not the FIRS, should collect Value Added Tax (VAT) and Personal Income Tax in the state.

Following FIRS’ appeal, the appellate court had on September 10 asked all parties to the suit to maintain the status quo.

The case started when the sequel to a suit filed by the Rivers State Government, Justice Stephen Pam of the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt on August 10, 2021, restrained the FIRS from collecting VAT and Personal Income Tax in the state.

The FIRS had applied for a stay of execution, a request that

was denied by the court, saying it would amount to the court sitting in appeal over its ruling.

But following a suit filed by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Abubakar Malami, the Court of Appeal in Abuja issued an injunction that parties, including FIRS and Rivers and Lagos states, should maintain the status quo.

The court at its last sitting on September 30 referred the matter

to the Port Harcourt division of the court for continuation of hearing.

Before then, the Lagos State Government, through its Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Moyosore Onigbanjo, had applied to be joined as a respondent in the appeal.

The presiding judge, Justice Haruna Tsammani, granted the appeal, noting that Lagos State was able to prove that it had a direct interest in the subject matter of the appeal.

A’Ibom Gov Urges FG, ASUU to End Strike Okon Bassey in Uyo Akwa Ibom State Governor, Mr. Udom Emmanuel has appealed to both the federal government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to end the ongoing strike action and re-open the universities for the students to return to school.

Emmanuel, a presidential aspirant of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), said the time “has come for both the federal government and ASUU to climb down from their high horses and

avert a disaster that may strike the country’s educational system if the strike is not quickly called off and the universities reopened for studies.”

He made the call yesterday in a statement by the spokesperson of the Udom Emmanuel Presidential Council, Bola Bolawole.

In his statement, Emmanuel said the discussions are already going on in some foreign countries where our people, especially our youths, run for greener pastures, to withdraw their recognition of university certificates from Nigeria.

“God forbid that this should happen! The all-round effects on our people are better imagined than felt.

“According to data from the country’s apex Bank, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Nigeria’s Diaspora remittances inflow for the first nine months of 2021 rose to $14.2 billion, up 10 percent Year-on-Year from $12.9 billion in the corresponding period of 2020 and beating the World Bank quarter-on-quarter projections for the same period.

“This is second only to foreign

exchange earned from the oil sector. Nothing must be done to adversely affect its growth in the short- and long-term. If university certificates from Nigeria are no longer recognised, how can our people flooding into countries abroad for further studies and job opportunities fulfil their dreams?

“How can the Nigerian Government benefit from the bounteous energies of the Nigerian people in Diaspora noted all over the world for their resilience, industry, and capacity to excel and hold their own against the world’s best?

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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 ˾MAY 8, 2022

NEWSXTRA Amaechi: APC’ll Lose Presidential Poll If Wrong Candidate Emerges Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City The Minister of Transportation, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi at the weekend revealed that the All Progressives Congress (APC) would lose if it nominated a wrong candidate for the 2023 presidential election.

Amaechi, a presidential aspirant of the APC, also promised to prioritise fight against insecurity and address challenges in the education sector if given the opportunity to serve as president in 2023.

He made the promises Friday night separate meetings with

CAN Forgives Sterling Bank CEO over Easter Message

Chuks Okocha in Abuja|

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has said it has forgiven the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Sterling Bank, Mr. Abubakar Suleiman, over the bank’s blasphemous Easter message.

In a statement issued yesterday in Abuja by the National Secretary of the body, Dr. Joseph Daramola, the association said it had forgiven the CEO, saying the decision was sequel to an acceptable and genuine apology letter written to CAN

the delegates of Edo State APC and the Oba of Benin, Ewuare II and shortly in Benin City, Edo State.

At the session with the delegates, Amaechi said he had the experience to turn the country around for better, especially as a two-time Speaker of Rivers House of Assembly; Chairman of Speakers’ Forum in Nigeria; two-term governor of Rivers

State and Chairman of Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF).

He, also, pointed out that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) did not have good presidential aspirants, despite the participation of a former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar; and his (Amaechi’s) former Chief of Staff, Nyesom Wike, the Governor of Rivers State;

among others.

He added that credibility of the eventual candidate “is essential, during the 2023 presidential race, if not, the governing APC will lose the crucial election.”

Amaechi challenged APC’s delegates “to ask the many presidential aspirants critical questions. If you ask the right questions, most of the presidential aspirants will

not indicate interest to vie.

I have come with experience to serve. I found solution to the insecurity in Rivers State.

“If the presidential aspirants give you money, collect it. But vote your conscience, in order to move Nigeria forward. How much did they have before? Where did they get the money they are now spending?

by the bank on April 20, 2022, which was personally signed by Suleiman.

The association said some well-meaning and highly placed Nigerians had also appealed to CAN to forgive in the spirit of Christianity and in consonance with the message of Easter.

As a result of this development, CAN said it has resolved to forgive Sterling Bank and its chief executive, as the association always remembers that ‘to err is human and to forgive is divine.’

NUT Commends Nwajiuba for Supporting Teachers’ Welfare The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) has commended the Minister of State for Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba for the key role he played in the signing into law the bill that harmonised the retirement age of teachers in Nigeria by President Muhammadu Buhari.

This was contained in a letter of appreciation by NUT’s Secretary General of NUT, Dr Mike Ike Ene, saying the teachers were now motivated to impart their students across the federation.

Under the new law, teachers in Nigeria have their retirement age increased by five years from 60 years mandatory retirement age to 65 years.

Under the Buhari administration, Nwajiuba as Minister of State

Education oversees amongst other responsibilities, basic and secondary education.

In his letter, the union leader said with the new law, teachers would now live a life of more impact and act as mentors to newly recruited teachers who otherwise would not have such opportunity.

He said: “The national leadership of NUT and the entire teachers of Nigeria hereby express our profound gratitude to you for graciously working to encourage Mr. President’s assent to the Bill for Harmonised Retirement Age for Teachers in Nigeria.”

“We are also confident that this great milestone will have an enormous turn around in Nigeria’s education system,” Ene assured the minister.

NSITF Advocates Positive Safety, Health Culture Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) has joined the International Labour Organization (ILO) to commemorate the year 2022 World Day for Safety and Health at Work in the country.

A statement signed by Assistant General Manager, NSITF, Mrs. Onyeukwu Chinyere, which disclosed this stated that this year’s theme was ‘’Let’s Act Together to Build a Positive Safety and Health Culture’’.

“Collaborating the motto of this year’s World Health and Safety day – ‘’Let’s Act Together To Build A Positive Safety and Health Culture’’ vis

a vis the objective of Employees Compensation Act (ECA) 2010 as provided under Sec. 1 (f) has buttressed the fact that health and safety involves a chain reaction of government, all employers of labour, employees other governmental and non-governmental bodies as a tool to reduce the number of work related contingencies (death, injuries and occupational diseases),” the statement noted.

It emphasised that building a positive safety and health culture could only be achieved through a collective effort and this would help in minimising the work related contingencies enlisted above.

Family Marks Adewoyin’s 14th Anniversary The family of Adewoyin in Abewela Royal Compound, Ile Ife, Osun State, has announced the 14th anniversary of the death of their father, Omooba Adesoji Adewoyin, and the 10th anniversary of their mother, Olori Olatide Adewoyin.

In a statement yesterday, the family said thanksgiving

service would follow today at Knowledge and Glory of Christ Mission, Meiran, Lagos.

The statement said they were survived by children, grandchildren and great grandchildren, among whom are Asiwaju Ajibade Adewoyin, Prince Adekunle Adewoyin and Pastor Abraham Adewoyin.

LAUTECH INNOVATION HUB . . .

Vice President, Global Independent Connect Limited, Kazeem Oladepo (left), and Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, at the inauguration of LAUTECH Innovation Hub in Ogbomosho, Oyo State... recently

Osinbajo: New Nigeria Impossible without National Reawakening Oluchi Chibuzor The Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo yesterday noted that there should be an aggressive reawakening of its public consciousness and trust on the young demographic to lead the federation as a condition to build a new Nigeria.

He said the church “has a critical role in shaping the narrative of the country. There Is nothing apolitical about faith because religion at its core is

preoccupied with the total welfare of the people.

He expressed the views at the second national symposium of Cherubim and Seraphim Movement (Surulere District) titled “The State, the Society and the Church” held at the church auditorium along Oshodi-Apapa road, Lagos.

Among others, the Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola; Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshall Isiaka Amao and General Leader, Cherubim

and Seraphim (Ayo Ni O), Dr. Sunday Funsho were present at the symposium.

Speaking at the symposium yesterday, Osinbajo explained that at the heart of our ongoing quest to get the potential of Nigeria and Nigerians to square up with its lived realities “is the need to reclaim our sense of private and public values.

“The Nigeria of our dreams cannot be attained without an aggressive

reawakening of our public consciousness; without a sense of collective values rooted in the very principles our faiths espouse, principles of honesty and hard-work, mutual respect, cooperation, tolerance and fidelity to the common good.”

As a pastor who has spent over two decades in public service, the vice president said: “I have an unflinching faith in the capacity of Nigerians to build a country we can all be proud of.

Sultan Adopts Children Who Lost Parents to Terrorism Onuminya Innocent in Sokoto The Sultan of Sokoto and President-General, Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, Sa’ad Abubakar III has declared that the orphans of banditry and the Boko Haram insurgency are his children.

Abubakar made the declaration yesterday at the Eid-el-fitr lunch organised for the students of UK Jarma Academy in Sokoto State.

The school, which was initiated by a Sokoto-based

philanthropist, Umarun Kwabo, has 171 orphans from Borno, Yobe and Sokoto states.

They include 117 orphans from Borno, 21 from Yobe and 33 from Sokoto, being sponsored by the philanthropist to acquire their education to tertiary institutions.

According to the Sultan, the children are no longer orphans because he is their father. We will continue to ensure that these children are living comfortably, we are their parents and they are our children,” he said.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria, Abubakar

also called on scholars to sustain more enlightenment on the need for the society to support orphans.

“The gesture, if properly sustained by our society, will drastically reduce the ugly situation of rampant begging across our domain,” he said.

The Sultan appreciated the sponsor of the children, and called on the Sokoto State Government and others to continue to support the initiative.

Sokoto State Governor, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal, reassured of his administration’s commitment

in supporting orphans.

Tambuwal, represented by the Deputy Governor, Munir Dan’iya, thanked Kwabo for sustaining the initiative and appealed to other personalities to emulate the gesture.

Earlier, the school proprietor said the gesture was part of his commitment to encourage the society to support orphans across the country.

“This initiative is a message to all Nigerians. I am sure no matter how little, one can assist to reduce the burden of a single orphan within the society,” Kwabo said.

70,000 Compete for Admission into 110 Unity Schools Kuni Tyessi in Abuja The federal government yesterday revealed that about 70,000 pupils sat for the 2022 National Common Entrance Examination (NECO) for admission into its 110 colleges across the federation.

The Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu made the disclosure yesterday when he led some top ministry and NECO officials on a monitoring exercise in some centres in Abuja.

Some of the centres visited include Government Secondary School, Lugbe; Junior Secondary School, Lugbe and Federal Government College, Kwali, Abuja.

After the inspection, Adamu revealed that out of the total figure, there are more female applicants than their male counterparts in the on-going examination.

Adamu, represented the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Mr. David Adejo,

said: “Of the 69,000 plus, we have 36,855 female applicants while the balance of 32,000 plus are male.”

On his assessment of the exercise, the minister explained that the examination “has been hitch-free and peaceful.”

He added that laid out standards and criteria would strictly be adhered to in the selection of successful candidates.

He said: “As far as Nigerian basic education is concerned,

and in respect to the junior and secondary schools, the unity schools still remain the best, so for you to get into it, it has to be competitive.

“We are not looking at taking all the 69,000 plus, we are taking the best of the 69,000 plus and there are standards that measure what you take.

“So the standard and criteria have been put on the ground, so I don’t see us having a problem with all that,” he said.

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B AC K PAG E C O N T I N UAT I O N THE CAT-AND-MOUSE GAME OVER ZONING causing too much distraction from the real goal of national development. We keep playing identity politics. The interests of the political elite are best served through the perennial emphasis on ethnic, religious and regional identities. Whereas the ordinary Nigerian is troubled about access to safe water, decent housing, food, healthcare, education and security, they do not set the agenda for electioneering.

Instead, they are unwittingly co-opted into discussing the sentiments of the political elite who are more interested in the politics of sharing the “national cake” in form of appointments and contracts.

As a result of the sheer power of the political elite to impose their agenda above that of the ordinary Nigerians, we will always place identity politics above development politics. Come and see ordinary people at newspaper stands in Abeokuta, Abakaliki and Abaji arguing over north and south and Christian and Muslim when they do not know where their next meal will come from or if they will not be kidnapped or killed on their way home. My thinking, therefore, is that until we appease the political elite by settling the issue of predictability of where power will go at election times, they will not allow us to table a development agenda, which is what really matters to 200 million Nigerians.

While I support “power shift” to the south in 2023, I also want to quickly raise two issues. One, where there is no law, there is no offence. The parties are free to take their tickets anywhere. If both APC and PDP pick northern candidates, no court of law can annul it. Power rotation is not a legal matter — it is a political understanding. Two, since this is an understanding, we should always leave a room for good politics in making it work.

Blackmail and intimidation would be counterproductive. Playing good politics means forging the right alliances and striking the right chord, not threatening other regions and ethnic groups with war. That would only amount to work avoidance in my view.

The notion that the south-west got presidency in 1999 because of the violence unleashed by the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) cannot be true. Bashorun MKO Abiola won the June 12 election in 1993 and it was annulled. This plunged the nation into a prolonged political crisis.

When Abiola died in detention in 1998, the political class came together and agreed to compensate the south-west over the annulment as well as his death. Even at that, Dr Alex Ekwueme, from the southeast, contested against Obasanjo at the PDP primary and lost by a wide margin.

OPC did not stop its violent campaign for “Oduduwa Republic” after Obasanjo became president but he contained them.

Neither did Jonathan become president in 2011 because of Niger Delta militancy.

The militants were not asking for presidency. They wanted 100 percent control of the oil and gas resources in their region and started a bombing campaign in 2005. At no time did they demand that the president after Obasanjo should come from the Niger Delta, except I missed it. In any case, Jonathan was not going to be running mate to Yar’Adua until some last-minute abracadabra at the PDP presidential convention ground in Abuja. Jonathan became president not because of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) but because Yar’Adua died unexpectedly in 2010.

I heard people argue when Jonathan was in power that the north propped up

Boko Haram after Buhari lost to him in 2011 in order to push for power to return to the region in 2015. This conspiracy theory stands on nothing. Buhari has now been in office for nearly seven years and Boko Haram has continued to wreak havoc on the north. This is to say nothing about the attempt on Buhari’s life in Kaduna in 2014 by suspected Boko Haram members or the various attacks on mosques in Borno and Kano states by the terrorist group. How it could ever be interpreted that the Boko Haram militancy was designed to take power back to the north beats the imagination. The facts do not support this.

If power would come to the south in 2023, in my view, it would be most useful to put blackmail aside and focus on playing good politics. I support zoning but I also know that even without zoning, power can still shift to the south.

Abiola did not win June 12 election by blackmailing anybody. He forged the right alliances nationwide over a long period of time. Abiola, from Ogun state, south-west Nigeria, defeated Alhaji Bashir Tofa in Kano state, north-west. Was it Yoruba voters or southerners that gave him victory in Kano state? The answer is obvious. Abiola aligned with the right power blocs. Also, Obasanjo did not win in the south-west in 1999 yet became president. Let’s be guided.

Finally, zoning to the south is one thing, micro-zoning within the region is another.

Based on the “tripod theory” — the pre-Independence political structuring of Nigeria along Hausa/Fulani, Igbo and Yoruba ethnic classification — only the Igbo are yet to produce an elected president. A strong case has been built that on the basis of equity, the two biggest parties should concede their tickets to

the Igbo. I do not have any problems with that. In fact, it would help actualise the Nigeria of my dream where no part will feel left behind because of any disadvantages — be they educational, historical, social, political or numerical. A president of Igbo origin would gladden my heart.

Some issues will still crop up nonetheless. For one, the APC — the biggest party in Nigeria today — is very weak in the south-east. A counterargument would be that PDP was also weak in the south-west in 1999 and Obasanjo was still elected president. I doubt if the circumstances and dynamics of 1999 are similar to what we have today and I don’t know if APC would want to take that risk. Also, if an Igbo from the south-south becomes presidential candidate of either APC or PDP or both, will the Igbo of the south-east finally feel accommodated?

Meanwhile, APC presidential hopefuls from the south-west are not showing any signs of considering conceding to the south-south or south-east.

I will now round up. The underlying factor behind the cat-and-mouse game between APC and PDP over zoning is cold political calculation. Both parties are strategising on how to get the largest share of the votes in the presidential election. But there is a bigger picture they must keep in focus. The basic point I would make here is that personal interests should not trump the cause of political stability. Zoning is in our DNA. We have made some progress in national integration through the application of federal character in sharing revenue, appointments, projects and what not, and I believe that power rotation can further help unify our troubled country.

We are a work in progress.

And Four Other Things…

MOTLEY MASS Nigeria’s debts are doubling. Boko Haram keeps harming Chibok. ISWAP is sweeping the north-west. Bandits are butchering villagers en masse in Zamfara and Sokoto. IPOB wants to take the Igbo out of the Nigerian “zoo”. Sunday Igboho, backed by professors, is saying give me Oduduwa Republic or I die. Crude oil is daily stolen in hundreds of thousands of barrels. ASUU is eternally on strike. Unemployment is sky-high. We cannot fund education, cannot build hospitals. Nigeria is broke. Yet, politicians are jostling like mad to become the next president. The ruling APC alone has about 100 million presidential aspirants. Is there something the politicians are not telling us? Wonderful.!

THE GAME Still on the number of contestants for APC’s presidential ticket, many Nigerians have been worried or even disgusted by the crowd. The N100 million price tag that is supposed to discourage them is appearing to be more of a magnet. We may not be able to explain all the reasons for the surge, but being a presidential contestant gives you some leverage. You are at the table when the negotiations and calculations are being made. In the end, you can be well positioned for appointments in the new dispensation — if APC wins. You can be minister, ambassador, agency head, etc.

You can even be asked to nominate people into positions. Just be part of the process. The game is the game. Politics!

MIMICKING MTN) The next president will have many things to deal with, but accelerating the growth of the private sector must be paramount. The figures presented by Mr Karl Toriola, CEO of MTN Nigeria, at the LBS recently sent my head spinning. The telco alone has paid a total of N3.5trn in taxes and levies to government since 2002. That is about N1trn more than it has paid as dividends to its investors. Toriola said MTN has made over N3.4trn in capital investments, mostly sunk costs on building infrastructure and network roll-out. We need a business-conscious president who can drive unprecedented investment by the private sector. That will mean a lot for job creation. Crucial.

LASSA ALERT I wish to draw our attention to the growing cases of Lassa fever in Nigeria. Because COVID-19 disrupted international travels and changed our way of living, we seem to have forgotten that there are other diseases still hanging around our necks. So far in 2022, Lassa has infected 751 Nigerians and claimed 140 lives, according to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC). These are the confirmed cases. Some cases may never be captured officially. Lassa may not get many inches in the newspapers because it is associated with the poor — it is spread mainly by rodents — but it is in 22 states and killing human beings like us. Government needs to step up public enlightenment. Deadly.

lot of good work in many areas and has expanded beyond its initial mandate.

The UN and its agencies have raised the profile of, mobilised resources

for and implemented far-reaching interventions on economic and human development, poverty reduction, health, gender, democracy, human rights etc.

Also, they have put important issues such as climate change and development goals on the global agenda. But all these great efforts can easily be undone by avoidable threats to peace and security, as the cross-border impacts of the war in Ukraine have shown.

There have been talks of UN reforms over the years, with different meanings to different actors and constituencies. The war in Ukraine which started shortly after Guterres commenced his second term as the UN Secretary General should bring UN reform back on the agenda.

He should see the helplessness invoked by the war as his special call to action.

He should spend the remaining part of this tenure to reposition the UN to be a more effective force for global peace and security. Not just a talk-shop or a debating society. Not just a body that discovers its voice and muscle only when the ordinary members are involved but literally throws up its hands in despair when the big boys are the erring parties.

The world needs a UN that remains an enduring force for global development, peace and security, a reformed institution fit for present and future purposes. That is the legacy Mr. Guterres should shoot and work for.

THE UN AND THE CURRENT WORLD ORDER This is the classic example of yesterday’s solution becoming today’s problem.

Britain, China, France, Russia, and the United States of America were given permanent seats and veto powers on the UN Security Council to guarantee world peace and promote multilateralism.

However, the veto power has not only created the absurdity of “one vote is equal to 92… or more or more” that Fela sang about in ‘Beast of No Nation,’ but has also become a key tool for unilateralism and a major impediment to world peace.

Repeatedly, the Permanent Five have used veto to force their will on the majority, mostly without explanation and accountability, effectively neutering the UN and its close to 200 other member countries. Some of these veto holders have also repeatedly violated articles 1(1) and 2(3) and 2(4) of the UN Charter without consequences.

It is thus a welcome development that the UN General Assembly (UNGA) adopted a resolution on 26 April 2022 aimed at holding permanent members accountable for their use of veto. With this landmark resolution, the UNGA will meet and debate anytime a veto is used.

This is a commendable first step. The Guterres veto might need to go entirely. Also, there might be need to expand the permanent no representation from Latin America membership of the UN Security Council and Africa is grossly inadequate for in alignment with today’s reality. Such an today’s reality. important body without India and with The UN, without a doubt, is doing a

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER MAY 8, 2022

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SUNDAYSPORTS

Edited by: Duro Ikhazuagbe email:Duro.Ikhazuagbe@thisdaylive.com

Ekong, Etebo, Kalu, Dennis Relegated to Championship as Watford Sink ¢ ȱ ¢ȱ ȱ ȱęĞ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ¢ Kunle Adewale with agency report

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atford s’ place in the Championship was sealed yesterday as Roy Hodgson’s magic failed this time after Hornets’ loss to Crystal Palace. As a result, a quadruple of Super Eagles players may drop out of the English topflight Premier League and be playing in the second-tier Championship next season.

WilliamTroost-Ekong,EmmanuelDennis,Samuel Kaluandon-loanOghenekaroEtebomayallbeplying

PREMIER LEAGUE their trades in the second level of English football in the 2022-23 season.

It was imminent and looked unavoidable but it took a defeat against Crystal Palace for their cruel fate to be sealed.

Watford have been through so much this season, looking brilliant in patches but rattled and uninterested for a long stretch.

Their 1-0 loss at Selhurst Park was their 25th of the season.

The Hornets will be joined in the Championship

by Super Eagles goalkeeper, Maduka Okoye who

was signed in January and loaned back to his club Vitesse,whomayalsoberelegatedfromtheEredivisie.

They may however lose Dennis, unarguably their best player this season with Premier League clubs reportedlyinterestedinretaininghiminthetopflight.

Dennis joined Watford last summer and may be on his way out. Kalu was a January signing from Bordeaux while Etebo, a loan signing from Stoke City may be returning to his parent club, also in the Championship.

Troost-Ekongwaspartoftheirpromotion-winning team and was involved in some patched victories this season. A move abroad is on the cards for the Super Eagles vice captain.

LR S L-R: Super E Eagles l trio t i off Willi William T Troost-Ekong, t Ek E Emmanuell D Dennis i and dO Oghenekaro h k Et Etebo b h have all ll b been relegated l t d along l with ith W Watford tf d to t the Championships following Hornets 1-0 loss at Crystal Palace...yesterday

Osimhen Helps Napoli Defeat Stubborn Torino

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uper Eagles attacker, Victor Osimhen, put up a decent shift in attack yesterday to help Napoli secure a hard-fought 1-0 victory at Torino as they look to end their Serie A campaign on a high.

The Partenopeans were indomitable the last time they took to the pitch, destroying Sassuolo 6-1 at the Maradona ground in Naples.

However, they faced a tricky tie against Torino at the Stadio Olimpico.

Nonetheless, Napoli showed class from the start, applying a lot of pressure on the Bulls.

The Partenopeans recorded four accurate shots in the first period, two of which were from Osimhen’s boots. Unfortunately, Torino goalkeeper Etrit Berisha was up to the task,

maintaining a wall between the sticks.

The second half saw both teams go at each other, with half chances falling to both teams. Captain Lorenzo Insigne fluffed his lines in the 61st minute as he missed a spot-kick.

Nonetheless, Fabian Ruiz saved his blushes 12 minutes later. He capitalised on a mistake from the Torino defence, and with support from Osimhen, who served as a decoy, Ruiz fired home past Berisha.

Luciano Spalleti’s lads kept a strong defence; even Osimhen dropped back to help his backline.

Napoli held out for the remainder of the game to see out the 1-0 victory.

The Partenopeans need just one more victory to secure the third spot.

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then and it took a heavily deflected shot from Luis Diaz 16 minutes from time to draw Liverpool level and set up a grandstand finish.

Spursdefendedwithresolutionaftertheequaliser though and were also a threat on the break as they battled to take something from the game to aid their fight for a place in the top four.

The point takes Liverpool top on goal difference but Pep Guardiola’s side City can move three points clear with three games remaining if they defeat Newcastle United this afternoon.

Mali Snub Rohr, Settle for Ex international, Chelle The Mali Football Federation (FEMAFOOT) has pickedformerinternationalEricSekouChelleahead of erstwhile Super Eagles Manager, Gernot Rohr, and Winifred Schafer to lead the Malian national team, the Eagles.

Rohr was reportedly the favourite to succeed MohamedMagassoubaasheadcoachoftheEagles.

The FEMAFOOT has instead settled for Chelle to steer the ship of the Eagles ahead of the qualifiers for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.

“The former defender of the #Aigles, Éric Sékou Chelle was appointed on Friday by the Malian Football Federation at the head of the national team of #Mali,”reads a statement on FEMAFOOT’s website.

“Aged44andagraduateofaProfessionalFootball Coaching Certificate (BEPF), the new boss of the Eagleswillhaveashisfirstchallenge,thequalification of Mali for the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN 2023) which will take place in Ivory Coast from June 23 to July 23, 2023.”

Rohr was omitted by the commission set up to screen the candidates.

Former Indomitable Lions of Cameroon Head Coach Schaefer was the first choice to replace Magassouba, but was reportedly overlooked after failing to make decision on the job on time.

TheGerman,accordingtoSportsNewsAfricawas willing to reside permanently in Mali as stipulated in the nomination criteria. He asked for time to reflect with his family, but could not be reached for confirmation.

Rohr, a former Nigeria, Gabon and Niger coach willnowlookelsewhereaftermissingoutonthejob.

Chelle will pen a three-year contract with his technicalstaffexpectedtobecomposedofMalians.

The Eagles of Mali will face Congo, Gambia and South Sudan in Group G of the 2023 AFCON.

Chelsea Agree Terms with LA Dodgers’ Boehly Osimhen

Liverpool Drop Precious Points Against Spurs iverpool moved top of the Premier League but dropped two precious points in the title race with Manchester City as they drew against a resilient Tottenham Hotspur side at Anfield.

Son Heung-min swept the counterattacking visitors in front after 56 minutes following a link-up between Harry Kane and Ryan Sessegnon and with the Liverpool defence disorganised.

Virgil van Dijk and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg had both struck the woodwork in a tight contest before

Gernot Rohr...snubbed G R h bb d by b Mali M li

Elsewhere, Brighton & Hove, a side who had not won at home in 2022, ran riot at the Amex Stadium in a barely believable 90 minutes of football in which Manchester United were humiliated 4-0.

The Red Devils were outplayed, out-thought and outworked.

The Seagulls had only ever won three times in 27 meetings with the 20-time English champions.

The fourth was a night Brighton, aiming to finish in the top half of the top flight for the first time in their 121-year history, will never forget.

Chelsea have agreed terms on the £4.25bn ($5.2bn) sale of the club to a consortium led by Todd Boehly, co-owner of the LA Dodgers baseball team.

The club was put up for sale before owner Roman Abramovich was sanctioned for his alleged links to Russian President Vladimir Putin following the invasion of Ukraine.

A Chelsea statement on Saturday said the new owners will pay £2.5bn for the club’s shares.

The proceeds will go into a frozen bank account to be donated to charity.

The consortium is led by Boehly but Clearlake Capital, a Californian private equity firm, would own a majority of the shares in Chelsea. Other investors include US billionaire Mark Walter, also a co-owner of the LA Dodgers, and Swiss billionaire Hansjoerg Wyss.

The consortium said it will provide £1.75bn to invest in the Premier League club, including “investments in Stamford Bridge, the academy, the women’s team and Kingsmeadow and continued funding for the Chelsea Foundation”.

Sunday May 8, 2022

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Price: N400

MISSILE

Group to Sagay “Talking magisterially on a decision that can only be taken by party delegates (which he is not among) only portrays Prof. Sagay as a meddlesome interloper in this matter.” – A group, Nigerian Ethnic Youths Leaders Council (NEYLC) rebrating the Chairman of PACAC, Prof.

Itse Sagay, for calling on CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, to resign.

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The Cat-and-Mouse Game over Zoning

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here should the next president come from? In the unwritten code that guides matters of national politics in Nigeria, the answer is obvious. A northerner will have been president for eight years by 2023 and it is naturally expected that the next one will be a southerner. Ideally, where the next president comes from or where the commander-in-chief worships should not matter. Nigerians need a competent and patriotic leader who can unleash our enormous economic potential and tackle insecurity convincingly. But in realpolitik, ethnic, regional and religious sentiments are of significance in the Nigerian power game. That explains why power rotation and zoning are always on our lips.

But there is a game within the game and, to use a tired cliché, this is heating up the polity. Senator Abdullahi Adamu, the national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), recently poured water on assumptions that the ruling party had already decided to zone its presidential slot to the south. It had been presumed that since he, a northerner, has just been

APC National Chairman, Adamu chosen as the party chairman, coupled with the fact that the current president is a northerner, then presidency would go to the south. But Adamu came out to say the issue of zoning the presidential ticket had not been settled. Officially speaking,

he was correct. On record, only the party’s national offices were zoned.

What is Adamu up to? His rhetoric, I believe, is influenced by the game going on in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The leading opposition party appears determined to get back power in 2023 and would be ready to adopt any strategy to achieve its aim.

Some in PDP apparently believe that it would be to the party’s advantage to field a northerner. With the number of votes in the north, they probably did their maths and concluded that fielding a northerner against a southerner from the APC would boost their chances at the polls. The party that wrote power rotation in its constitution has, for all intents and purposes, jettisoned the principle in order to leave the APC on the backfoot.

In a sense, those pushing for a northern candidate in the PDP have their argument.

Although the party was in power for 16 years — from 1999 to 2015 — a northerner was president for only three of those years. Even at that, it was a terminally ill President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua that was in office during which he was in and out of the hospital till he died. The pro-north

group can, therefore, argue that the 16 years of PDP were overwhelmingly in the hands of southerners — Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan — and northerners in the party were short-changed. They can argue that the onus to zone to the south is on APC, not PDP. That would form a good debate.

Where do I stand? I have never hidden it: I am for power rotation. Why do I support rotation? I have my reasons, which I have been advancing in various tones and forms on this page for close to 20 years. One, in a diverse, multi-ethnic and multi-religious underdeveloped African society such as ours, there will always be fears of domination. People want to be assured that they would not be eternally disadvantaged because they do not have the numbers. Accommodation is partly assured when it is established that political power — which Nigerians perceive, rightly or wrongly, as the biggest dispenser of scarce opportunities — will not be monopolised by the biggest groups.

Two, our inability to address certain questions concerning our nationhood is Continued on page 70

WAZIRIADIO POSTSCRIPT

The UN and the Current World Order

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etween 26th May and 4th April, the Secretary General of the United Nations (UN), Mr. Antonio Guterres, undertook a lightning trip to five countries in Eastern Europe and West Africa.

He was in Russia and Ukraine for a first-hand assessment of and possible but late mediation in the war raging on Ukrainian soil for the past three months.

Then, he crossed over to Senegal, Niger and Nigeria where he highlighted, among others, the enormous impact of the war in Europe on a region far from the battlefields and already burdened with terrorism, climate change, and other developmental challenges.

“This war is aggravating a triple crisis: food, energy and financial, for the region and well beyond,” Guterres said in Senegal. He had earlier set up a Global Crisis Response Group on Food, Energy and Finance to underscore and mitigate the shocks generated by the war and its aftermath across the globe.

In Russia, he categorically stated that the invasion was a violation of the territorial

integrity of Ukraine and a violation of the UN Charter. And after surveying the destruction in a Kyiv neighbourhood, he added his important voice to the growing calls for investigation by the International Criminal Court (ICC).

“The war is an absurdity of the 21st Century,” he intoned. “The war is evil.”

He cut a different picture after meeting with displaced victims of terrorism in Nigeria’s northeast. “The people affected by terrorism I met in Borno, Nigeria want above all to go back home in safety and dignity,” he stated. “Borno is now a place of hope-- showing that the way to fight terrorism effectively is to invest in livelihoods, reintegration and people’s futures.”

Guterres evoked two deeply contrasting images on this trip: helplessness and hope.

In a way, that could pass as a metaphor for the duality of the important institution that he leads. And rather than see this either as an unfair criticism or as an obvious truism, he should actively work to enhance the agency of the UN, steer it away from helplessness and make it a much stronger force not just for hope

but also for peace and development.

During the trip, the UN scribe successfully put the spotlight on key issues of the moment: the devastation and absurdity of wars, the enormity of lingering existential challenges, the growing interconnectedness of the world, and the possibility of hope when the world pulls together for the vulnerable. In that sense, this is a very successful trip.

But the most important task now is to stop the needless war in Ukraine. Without that, the devastation in Ukraine and the ripple effects, mostly on livelihoods but potentially on stability and peace, across the globe would continue and may even worsen. Beyond the appeal for ceasefire and humanitarian corridor and the bemoaning of the nastiness and senselessness of war in this age, there is no clear path for ending this needless war, even after Guterres’ shuttle diplomacy.

In fact, the Russians didn’t even take a break from shelling Ukraine while the UN Secretary General was there. While focusing global spotlight on important issues and setting global agendas are important goals, the world expected

much more of the UN as a supposed supranational authority.

The United Nations was created on 26 June 1945 mainly to promote and maintain global peace and security. Seventy-seven years after, this remains the UN’s most important mandate, engraved boldly thus in the famous preamble in the UN Charter: “We the peoples of the United Nations determined to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, which twice in our lifetime has brought untold sorrow to mankind…”

To be sure, the world has been spared the sorrows of another world war and the UN has swiftly intervened to prevent many wars or provided humanitarian assistance or assembled peace-keeping forces in the aftermath of many avoidable and unavoidable wars in almost eight decades.

But the sad truth is that “succeeding generations” have not been saved from the “scourge of war” when the superpowers and the allies are involved or when they fail to act on time or when they choose to un-look.

Continued on page 70

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