SUNDAY 30TH MAY 2021

Lagos Archbishop Asks FG to Declare Emergency on Security Concerned by increasing kidnapping, killing of officers, burning of police stations and INEC offices

Tobi Soniyi

The Catholic Archbishop of Lagos, Most Rev. Alfred Adewale Martins, yesterday, advised the federal government to declare a state of emergency

on security in the country, saying the level of crime has peaked. Martins gave the advice against the backdrop of increasing kidnapping in every part of the county. He also alleged the murder of innocent

people, including policemen, burning of police stations and correctional facilities, and offices of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) nationwide.

According to a statement

by Director of Social Communications, Rev. Fr. Anthony Godonu, the prelate, who would turn 62 years on June 1, said declaring emergency on security had become necessary to save

the country from a looming anarchy. He bemoaned the failure of government at all levels to decisively address the root causes of insecurity across the country and bring the perpetrators and their

sponsors to book.

The Archbishop said efforts to rid the country of kidnappers and bandits should include constant dialogue Continued on page 10

Confusion, Violence, Bloodletting Reign at Lagos APC Council Primary… Page 8 Sunday 30 May, 2021 Vol 26. No 9547

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Irabor: We'll Not Relent Until Enemies of State are Brought to their Knees Troops kill 17 insurgents, IPOB members in Borno, Rivers Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Lucky Irabor,

said yesterday that the armed forces would not relent in their onslaught against terrorists until the enemies of the

Nigerian state were defeated.

Irabor said despite the risk of paying the supreme price, the security personnel remained

unrelenting in their resolve to keep the peace in Nigeria and deal with the security challenges facing the country.

His position came as troops killed 17 insurgents and members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) in

Borno and Rivers states.

Addressing a group, Continued on page 8

After 40 Days in Captivity, All Remaining Abducted Greenfield Students Freed El Rufai: Bitterness of the last few weeks, now over, would set the backdrop for positive achievements in their lives We paid N180 million, received no help from govt, say parents John Shiklam in Kaduna All the remaining abducted students of the Greenfield University, Kaduna, have been released after spending harrowing 40 days in captivity, the authorities of Greenfield University, confirmed this in a statement last night.

The registrar of the University, Mr. Mohammed Bashir, in the said statement stated that all the remaining students and non academic staff that were abducted by the bandits were released and had been reunited with their families.

Also, confirming the news, the Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir el-Rufai assured the studentsthat, “the bitterness of the last few weeks, now over, would set the backdrop for positive achievements in their lives, as he wished them well for the future.”

But some of the parents of the released students have expressed disappointment in Continued on page 5

BUHARI AND OSINBAJO GET 2ND E...

BUHARI AND OSINBAJO GETJAB...

2ND JAB...

President Muhammadu Buhari receives his 2nd jab of the COVID-19 vaccine Vice President Yemi Osinbajo SAN receives his 2nd dose of the COVID - 19 from his Chief Physician , Dr Suhayb Rafindadi Sanusi, at the Presidential vaccine from the Chief Nursing Officer at the State House Clinic Nurse Villa , Abuja....yesterday Esther Tukur at his Aguda House Residence

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MARKING 61 WITH ORPHANS...

Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, celebrating his 61st birthday with orphans at the Stella Obasanjo Children Home, Ibara, Abeokuta...yesterday

APC Stalling National Convention Because Committee Members Plan to Succeed Themselves APC members threaten legal action for over staying

Chuks Okocha in Abuja The extraordinary caretaker committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) is yet to announce dates for the national convention of the party because some members of the committee are allegedly planning to succeed themselves as national executive committee members.

A Special National Executive Committee (NEC) of the APC in June 2020 appointed a former National Secretary of the party, Governor Mai Mala Buni

of Yobe State, as Chairman with a six months mandate to organise an election that would elect a new National Working Committee (NWC).

But after 12 months, no date has been announced for the election of the executive committee members, even after the six months mandate was extended in December 2020.

THISDAY also gathered that the Buni-led caretaker committee had begun to plan another meeting of NEC to seek an elongation of the tenure of the committee.

A member of the committee

that spoke to THISDAY in confidence said there was a plot for the Buni committee to seek an elongation or an outright self-perpetuation of members in office. The argument, the source said, was that an election from ward to states and eventually, national convention in the party would further divide the party at a time when it should be consolidating in the states It was against this backdrop that some committee members, albeit with the consent Buni were considering presenting to the NEC that

he should rather resign as governor and continue at the national convention, where he would be affirmed as the substantive national chairman of the party.

The source hinted that Buni did not spend up to four days a week in the state as he stays in Abuja most of the time..

Before winning the election to become the governor of Yobe State, he was the national secretary of APC, when Adams Oshiomhole was the national chairman.

Although this has not been tabled before the NEC,

members of the party, who should know were already protesting against the idea of members self-perpetuating themselves under any guise.

Some of the members that did not want be quoted said they had concluded plans to seek legal action against any plans by the committee members to self-perpetuate in office Another member told THISDAY that the Buni committee had already overstayed its welcome.

According to the source, "We were appointed to right the wrongs of Adams Oshiomhole, but this idea of

not announcing the dates for the wards, local government, states and national convention.

Anything outside announcing the dates of the national convention and other dates for the states congresses is outside our mandate. If by the next month, there is no date announced for the elections, I will speak out and also resign.

What is happening is not our mandate.

"We were appointed in June 2020 and our mandate was renewed in December to end in June. Any further plan to seek extension or perpetuate us in office, count me out."

AFTER 40 DAYS IN CAPTIVITY, ALL REMAINING ABDUCTED GREENFIELD STUDENTS FREED the government at all levels for allegedly leaving them to their fate, saying they had to cough out a whopping N180 million to the bandits before they released their children.

However, part of the statement by Greenfield stated thus: "As you are aware that on Tuesday, April 20th, 2021 armed bandits attacked Greenfield University and abducted 20 students and three non academic staff. Five out of the abducted students and a Male warden were grossly murdered by the bandits.

"I am pleased to inform you that, today, being Saturday, May 29, 2021 that all the remaining students and non academic staff have been released by the bandits and they have already been reunited with their families.

"On behalf of the Board of Trustees, University Council, Management, Staff and Students of our university, we wish to thank all Nigerians and well wishers all over the world for standing by us during this trying times”.

Bandits had on April 18 invaded the university

located along the dreaded Kaduna-Abuja road about 8:30pm and abducted 23 students. Few days after the abduction, the bandits, who had demanded N800 million as ransom, killed five of the students, when negotiations were still going on.

On April 23, the bandits killed three of the students, five days after their abduction.

Their remains were found in Kwanan Bature village, close to the university. On April 26, two more students were killed and security personnel recovered their corpses in the bush.

One of the parents was said to have paid a ransom of N20 million for the release of her son.

On its part, the Kaduna State Government said in a statement by the Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, “The kidnapped students of the Greenfield University, who had been held hostage by armed bandits, have been released by their abductors.

“This was reported to the Kaduna State Government by security agencies. According to

the reports, about 2pm today, Saturday, the hostages were found released along the Kaduna-Abuja road. Fourteen persons were released in total, comprising students and staff.

“It would be recalled that they were abducted by armed bandits in April and had been in captivity since then. Five students were gruesomely killed by the bandits in the period.

“Governor Nasir El-Rufai welcomed the news of the students' release, and conveyed solace and encouragement to them following their harrowing ordeal.

“He assured them that the bitterness of the last few weeks, now over, would set the backdrop for positive achievements in their lives, as he wished them well for the future.”

Meanwhile, in a short video that went viral last night, two of the parents of the abducted children, a man and a woman, who were bitter about their experience so far despite the release of their children confirmed that they paid some N180 million before the release

that was later celebrated by government and security agencies.

The parents, who alleged neglect by the government both confirmed that neither the state nor the federal government participated in the process that led to the release of the children, particularly, that the security agencies refused to help in whatever form of shape.

“N180 million, that’s what we paid; that’s what they collected. One hundred and eighty million, that is they collected from us - from the parents without the help of a government. None of the government officials that has come to our aid since the 20th of April that they took these children. No single one policeman that the government has released to go after them,” the male parent told a reporter, shortly after the children were released.

Similarly, spokesman of the Kaduna State Police Command, Mohammad Jalige, also confirmed the release of the 14 students, when contacted by telephone. Jalige,

who said the students were released Saturday evening, added that three of them were still being held.

“Yes, 14 of the students of the Greenfield University were released from captivity this evening (Saturday), remaining three of them still in captivity,” Jalige explained. He did not give details of the students’ release and why three were still being held.

When contacted, Registrar of the university, Mr. Mohammed Bashir, said he was busy and promised to confirm later. “Yes, we are still on it. I am very busy right now. You can call me back later to confirm,” Bashir said by telephone.

One Sani Idris Jalingo, who claimed to be the leader of the bandits that abducted the students, had in an interview with the Voice of America (VOA), Hausa Service, on May 3, threatened to kill the students if a ransom of N100 million in addition to 10 new Honda motorcycles were not provided the following day.

Jalingo had disclosed during the interview that the families

of the abducted students paid N55 million.

However, in a statement on May 14, the spokesman of parents of the students, Mr. Marcus Zarmai, said the parents contributed N60 million as ransom for the release of the students but failed to secure their release.

After series of negotiations, the bandits were said to have demanded the sum of N10 million from each of the parents of the students for their release.

It could not be immediately established how much each parent paid for the release of the students and why three of them are still in captivity.

Thirty-nine students of the Federal College of Forestry Mechanisation, Afaka, Kaduna, had also be kidnapped on March 11 in a similar manner, when bandits invaded their school about 11: 30pm. The last batch of 27 of the students was released about two weeks ago after spending 56 days in captivity.

Their parents were said to have paid millions of naira before they were released.

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Confusion, Violence, Bloodletting Reign at Lagos APC Council Primary Nseobong Okon-Ekong A reign of confusion, which deteriorated into violence and bloodletting, yesterday, marred the scheduled local government primary election of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagps State.

Similarly, reports of fraud, stuffing of ballot boxes, destruction of electoral materials were recorded in all the 57 local government areas and local council development areas in which the elections were scheduled to hold.

Guns and other dangerous objects were freely and openly brandished, causing many voters to scamper to safety.

For instance, in Ward C1 in Central Lagos, THISDAY observed that election did not take place as the ballot box was taken away.

Agents of one of the leading candidates for office of Chairman Lagos Island East, Mr. Adewale Ojora,was beaten to a state of coma.

Officials of the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC), THISDAY observed,openly took sides with Ojora's opponent, Mr. Toye Olusi to prevent Ojora's supporters from casting their votes.

After the ballots were counted in Ward B2, Ojora scored 226 votes, while 774 votes were recorded infavour of Olusi.

The electoral officers insisted that the agents sign the result on a plain sheet of paper,

because they had no official result sheet.

Incidentally, the Deputy Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mr. Wasiu Eshilokun in C1 and Hon. Rasheed Giwa in Ward A2 Oluwole appeared to command the respect of the rampaging gang of hoodlums, who distrupted election in Ward B1. No voting took place in these wards.

Many of the results that were later announced were alleged to have been conjured in private homes, like that of Alhaji Yemisi Coker.

Widespread use of fake membership cards and multiple voting were allegedly reported in Wards A1 and A4. These incidents were said to have been aided by manipulated membership register to deny many party members an opportunity to vote.

Ojora, however, narrated his experience to THISDAY thus: "At about noon, when the primary election processes barely kicked off, I cast my vote at Ward A1, Anwar Islam Primary School, Elegbata, Lagos Island (the APC Primary Election venue).

“The first shock of the day was the fact that my Membership Registration Form was not recorded on the Party Register appropriately against the Serial Number; but my name was squeezed in somewhere on the Party Register. The second shock was non-availability (sic) of registered nembers' names on

the Party Register. Clearly, what was brought to Ward A1 venue was not the 2021 updated Party Register.

“In another instance, a female Ward Exco member was caught on video, ‘voting’ (writing Olusi on the Ballot

Paper) for a member, while she was also giving out multiple ballot papers to voters, who came to vote my opponent. I saw Hon. Lookman Thomas, the serving Councillor in Ward A1 at the primary election

venue wearing Toye Olusi Campaign Cap. “He was openly inducing voters to vote for Toye Olusi!

Members' phones were snatched and smashed on the floor in a bid to prevent iron cast evidence of their

wide spread irregularities.

The number of voters that turned out was less than 100, but they thumb printed more that nine booklets of ballot papers for Olusi with serious intimidation under the watch of gun-wielding thugs."

MOGHALU VISITS OHANAEZE'S PRESIDENT...

Former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria and 2019 Presidential Candidate, Prof. Kingsley Moghalu presenting a copy of his book “Emerging Africa: How the Global Economy’s Last Frontier Can Prosper and Matter” to Prof.

(Amb.) George Obiozor, President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, when Moghalu paid a courtesy visit to Prof. Obiozor at Ohanaeze Headquarters in Enugu...recently

Sanwo-Olu Promises Police Secondary School We're ready to do more for officers' wives, says first lady Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has promised to build a secondary school for the Police in the State.

He made the promise on Saturday while receiving delegation of the Police Wives Association of Nigeria (POWA) led by its President and Wife of the Inspector General of Police, Hajia Hajara Alkali,

during a courtesy visit at the Lagos House, Marina.

The Governor who received Hajia Alkali and her entourage in the company of the Lagos State First Lady, Dr. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, said government will continue to support Lagos Police Command and officers' wives in the State.

He said: "We will give Lagos Police Command more

support. We will continue to lend all the infrastructure they need to them. We will continue to work with them. There are so many things we are going to support the Lagos Police Command with. And once the men can have all what they require to work well, certainly it will also affect their wives at home positively.

"We are doing so much and

we are willing to double what we are currently doing. We usually have a special place for Police Officers wives; for widows and even those who are not widows. We want to encourage them and support them so that they can be very valuable supporters to their husbands.

"Not only will we be supporting them with

empowerment, we will also deliberately look for ways to improve them in skills acquisition and empower them through the Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation; Ministry of Wealth Creation and Ministry of the Sustainable Developments Goals.

"In respect to your request for a Police Secondary School

in Lagos, we will try and not just give you land, we will give the land and also support you with the building. We will try and look for where is most adequate.

Lagos is a small State, so land is always a challenge. But, wherever we find it, we will try and take it up so that it can accommodate a lot more students."

"The troops chased the retreating terrorist and ensured there was no further threat to the town and its residents.

Troops successfully destroyed one of the gun trucks and recovered multiple weapons, including one anti aircraft gun, two machine guns and eight AK-47 rifles, neutralising 10 terrorists in the process."

In Port Harcourt, troops of 6 Division Garrison, Port Harcourt, and 29 Battalion in conjunction with operatives of Nigeria Police, Directorate of State Services (DSS), and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) conducted a clearance/raid operation at suspected IPOB/ ESN enclaves at Agbomchia Forest along Pipeline Road, Ogali/Komkom Boundary, between Eleme and Oyigbo local government areas of Rivers State.

An army statement said, "In the fire fight that ensued during the clearance/raid operation, seven IPOB/ESN members were neutralised while five suspects arrested."

It also said, "Various items belonging to the criminals, including arms and ammunition, were also recovered by the security forces. The camp was promptly destroyed while suspects and corpses were handed over to the police for further action.

"There was no casualty on own troops and other security operatives as they have returned back to base in high morale."

The army urged members of the public to help the troops with accurate and timely information that would assist them in tracking down and neutralising the criminal elements.

IRABOR: WE'LL NOT RELENT UNTIL ENEMIES OF STATE ARE BROUGHT TO THEIR KNEES God Bless Nigeria, which organised a solidarity march to the Defence Headquarters complex in Abuja, the defence chief vowed that enemies of the state would be brought to their knees.

The marchers carried banners with the inscription, "Armed Forces Appreciation Day", in support of the country's security forces.

The defence chief, who was represented by the Director, Defence Information (DDI), Brigadier-General Onyema Nwachukwu, said the military was committed to defeating the adversaries.

Nwachukwu stated while receiving the group, "I welcome the God Bless Nigeria group on behalf of the Chief of Defence Staff, service chiefs and the entire military. We thank this very important group for taking time to appreciate the armed

forces of Nigeria, to appreciate the conduct of operations we are carrying out around the country and the sacrifices our men are making in the conduct of those operations.

"Round the clock, our troops are engaged. We are not resting on our oars because we want to surmount this contemporary security challenges even though we are to pay the supreme price.

“We can, of course, take a cue from what happened recently when the late Chief of Army Staff and a group officers were on a visit to Depot Nigerian Army (Kaduna) when they had the unfortunate mishap."

He also said, "Lives were lost, families were orphaned, wives are widowed. We are paying expensively to ensure that we have peace in this country.

"I want to seize the

opportunity on behalf of the Chief of Defence Staff and the leadership of the armed forces to assure Nigerians that we will not rest on our oars until we bring our adversaries to their knees."

Earlier, spokesman of the God Bless Nigeria group, Mr Eric Ogolo, said, "No duty is more urgent than that of returning thanks. We have come together to express our profound gratitude for the sacrifices, contributions, strength and commitment that you all display every single day.

"Whenever this country calls, you all are the ones who answer, no matter the circumstance, no matter the danger, no matter the sacrifice, and this you do with high morale.

"The Nigerian armed forces is not only our pride but also

our super heroes, who fight all those hostile enemies, both external and internal."

Meanwhile, just hours into the tenure of the Chief of Army Staff, Major General Faruk Yahaya, Boko Haram fighters attempted an audacious attack on troops of Operation Hadin Kai in Rann, the headquarters of Kala Balge Local Government Area of Borno State. An army statement said the terrorists came in their numbers with gun trucks and attempted to infiltrate the main entrance to the town.

The statement signed by Army Spokesman, BrigadierGeneral Mohammed Yerima, said, "The highly spirited troops were right on hand to counter the move and inflicted humiliating defeat on the terrorists who abandoned their evil mission and took to their heels.

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Adebayo, Emefiele to Lead FG’s Delegation to Nig-US Investment Summit Dike Onwuamaeze The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Mr. Niyi Adebayo and the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, would lead a delegation of Nigerian ministers, governors and top business personalities to the United States-Nigeria Investment Summit (USNIIS 2021) scheduled to take place in New York City, United States on September 17 and 18, 2021.

The summit, whose theme is: “Nigeria: The Future of Global Business,” would highlight the demands, solutions and growth opportunities for the 21stcentury global trade and investment in Nigeria.

It would be hosted at the Ziegfeld Ballroom at 141 W 54th Street, New York, NY 10019 and would engage the United States government, key investors and global leaders on the importance and opportunities of Nigeria’s commerce in the 21st century.

Adebayo and other business leaders would use the summit to engage the United States’ government, industry captains and investors and show them the importance of accessing Nigeria’s economic future and specifically, Nigeria’s re-emergence as a market that reaches beyond its borders for global trade.

The promoters of the summit stated that the USNIIS, “is the premier public-private platform for effective bilateral economic engagement between Nigeria and the United States.

“The USNIIS 2021’s mission is to bring national, state, and industry policymakers, regulators, finance directors,

economists, investors, corporations, startups, entrepreneurs, and influencers that impact the economic mission of both nations.”

In addition, the United States of America’s Department of State has affirmed that it would participate in the summit on September 18 with the desire to broaden commerce and investment engagements with Nigeria.

The summit, which

comes right on the heels of the 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York City, is expected to attract participants from across the globe, including investors, industry leaders, entrepreneurs, local and state governments officials, who are encouraged to attend and engage in the future of US-Nigeria business investment collaborations.

Areas of interest between

the USA and Nigeria in the post COVID-19 pandemic season would include the acceleration of the emerging digital economy such as telehealth/medicine, delivery services, remote work, and learning.

A statement issued by the promoters of the summit added that accelerated activities in e-commerce and cross border data flows among others would make economic collaborations between both

countries an absolute necessity.

It added: “Nigeria, Africa’s largest economy and most populous nation, and a vital member of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA); the world’s largest free trade area, carries significant impact to the Future of Work that is already upon us.

“The technological advancement that has ushered in the ‘Future of Work’ also brings with it additional

investment considerations and opportunities for global economies and labour markets.

“The US-Nigeria Investments Summit announced it will hold a global trade and investment event for 2021 in September in direct response to these trends and opportunities.

The organisation recently announced a partnership with the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Investment.”

HONOURING THE DEAD...

L-R: Publisher, Abuja Inquirer Newspapers, Dan Akpovwa; Special Adviser to Edo State Governor on Agriculture, Prince Joe Okojie; Dr. Rukevwe Ugwumba and CEO I-Skill, Olorogun Francis Okumagba, during the funeral ceremony for Princess Helen Okojie in Uromi, Edo state...recently

Okowa to Youths: You’ll Not See Nigeria Destroyed Before Your Eyes Omon-Julius Onabu in Asaba Delta State Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, yesterday, prayed for divine intervention in the country so that Nigerians and youths in particular, "will not see the country destroyed before their own eyes".

Okowa, who spoke against the backdrop of happenings in the country during the celebration of his sixth year in office, however, thanked God and the people for their support, which he believed, sawhim through the last six

years.

While asking for the continued support and cooperation of all Deltans, Okowa said this had become imperative as he navigates the last two years of his administration, so that he could finish strong.

With Okowa were his wife, Dame Edith; Deputy Governor, Kingsley Otuaro and his wife, Ebierin; a former governor of Delta State, Chief James Ibori; the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Uche Secondus and the

Speaker, Delta State House of Assembly, Sheriff Oborevwori.

Also in attendance were the Acting State Chief Judge, Justice Theresa Diai; Chairman, state council of Traditional Rulers, HRM Dr Emmanuel Efeizomor II and a host of traditional and religious rulers, who were among the personages that cheered and danced with Okowa at the 6th anniversary of his administration held at the Stephen Keshi Stadium Asaba.

Okowa’s sixth anniversary

was a deviation from the usual programme of public lecture, cultural dances and dinner as it featured famous Christian musicians, who performed alongside the Delta State Mass Choir to entertain the large audience.

These included popular gospel artistes like Mercy Chinwo, Chioma Jesus, Sinach, Testimony Jaga, Sonnie Badu, Nkechi Chukwura an Tim Godfrey.

In his sermon titled "The Value of Thanksgiving”, the General Overseer, Dunamis

Gospel International Centre, Abuja, Paul Enenche, harped on the importance of thanksfulness for whatever favour we receive, whether from God or human beings.

Enenche warned Nigerians against all manners of ingratitude, noting that gratitude to God should never be compromised as God's gift of life and everything that makes our lives worthwhile cannot be quantified.

He lamented that humans often exhibit short memory or forgetfulness, with people

suffering from what he called "entitlement mentality", self-conscious and selfish or "outright ungrateful, arrogant and foolish", calling for a change of attitude about appreciation and gratitude.

The highpoint of the ceremony was the formal presentation of the trophy won by the Delta State contingent to the last National Sports Festival, tagged Edo 2020. Delta State was presented two trophies for winning the festival for three consecutive times.

who recently lost their lives following an air mishap that also claimed the life of the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Ibrahim Attahiru. He said the only way to honour the dead was to strive harder to overcome insecurity and make the country a better place for all citizens to live in.

The prelate appealed to the various ethnic groups agitating for self-determination to embrace dialogue and shun violence so as not to exacerbate the insecurity in the land and cause more hardship for the people.

He reminded the political leaders that Nigerians were going through a lot

of hardship occasioned by economic downturn, even as he called for various forms of interventions to help cushion the hardship.

On the rising cost of foodstuff in the market, he asked the government to seek new ways of bringing an end to the herders/farmers’ clashes, which are adversely affecting the planting and harvesting of agricultural products, especially, in the southern parts of the country.

The Archbishop also called on well-meaning Nigerians to be their brother's keepers by extending hands of charity to the less privileged and the downtrodden in the country.

LAGOS ARCHBISHOP ASKS FG TO DECLARE EMERGENCY ON SECURITY between representatives of the security agencies and major stakeholders, such as religious leaders, traditional rulers, leaders of ethnic groups, the civil society, and political parties.

Martins called on the National Assembly to follow through on the process for the amendment of the constitution to pave the way for such needs as the creation of state police and revalidation of the federal character of the republic. He said, "These would certainly help in restoring peace and security all over the country."

Noting that insecurity had become the single most

serious problem facing the country, he said, "Many innocent persons are being kidnapped for ransom, many are being attacked in their homes and displaced, with their properties destroyed and normal life disrupted daily.

"Even policemen and their stations are being deliberately attacked with impunity. What this means is that the country is gradually drifting into a state of anarchy. This, no doubt, portends a grave danger for our collective wellbeing."

Martins warned that this was not the time to play the blame game or play politics

through sectoral efforts.

"There must be a collective effort through a robust consultation with all stakeholders,” Martins stated.

“We all must come together to fight this hydra-headed monster of insecurity that is making life difficult for our people," he said.

Martins called on the federal government to roll out practical action plans with time frames for bringing the situation under control, adding that the insecurity being experienced is part of a systemic problem with governance at the national level.

He called for a review of the present geopolitical structure

in the country, stating that the current arrangement places too much power on the centre, while the states continued to operate without adequate authority to chart the path for their development.

Martins supported the recent call by some elder statesmen for the revalidation of the federal structure of the country as anticipated by the founding fathers and articulated in the 1963 Nigerian Constitution, even if the configuration of the constituent parts of the federation would be different from what it was in the 1963.

Martins commiserated with the federal government and families of the military officers,

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Again, Bandits Storm Niger Communities in Black Friday Raid Laleye Dipo in Minna A week after a deadly raid on several communities in Niger State, some other communities in the state came under heavy attack by bandits last Friday, leaving many dead. Some were hospitalised, with cattle rustled, and property worth millions of Naira stolen.

The armed bandits, who were many in number, raided the Wushishi, Rafi and Lavun local governments on Friday and operated in communities in the local government areas till the

early hours of Saturday.

In the Wushishi and Rafi council areas, about 14 lives were confirmed lost to the attack by the AK 47 wielding bandits. A search and rescue operation for many others who ran into the River Niger was still on at the time of going to press, and many were feared drowned.

Eleven bodies of some of those that died in the raid were recovered buried in Wushishi according to Islamic rites, THISDAY was told on Friday night, while the injured were brought to the IBB specialist hospital in

Minna for treatment.

Many villagers, mostly young girls and women, were kidnapped and taken to unknown places just as the bandits reportedly rustled a large number of cattle and made away with many motorcycles.

An eyewitness told THISDAY that some of those that managed to escape the assault immediately took refuge in some facilities in Wushishi town.

The development also caused many travellers to be stranded on the ZungeruMinna road, because they

were advised by villagers to remain where they were as a result of the activities of the bandits.

On the same Friday, bandits stormed Batati town in the Lavun Local Government Area of the state, kidnapping five people, injuring two, while rustled a number of cattle.

The bandits, said to be about 10 in number, stormed the town in a Toyota Hillux van and first joined the Muslim congregation to offer the 7.45 pm prayers after which they started firing into the air, causing

astampede.

In the confusion that followed, many people were injured. But the bandits sped away in their vehicle with their victims following the Gbangbagi village road.

According to a relative of one of the kidnapped victims, the bandits have already demanded N10 million for the release of each of the five kidnapped victims.

Worried by the incident, being the first in his emirate, the Etsu Nupe and Chairman of the State Council of Traditional rulers,

Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar, immediately summoned an emergency meeting of all districts and village heads in his emirate.

The member representing Wushishi constituency in the state House of Assembly, Alhaji Bashir Lokogoma, when contacted by THISDAY, confirmed the incident but said, "I don't have the details".

The police are yet to speak on the issues, as neither the state police boss nor the command’s spokesperson could be reached for their comments.

Osinbajo: FG Deploys Significant Resources to Address Challenges in Human Capital Devt Obinna Chima The federal government has over the years deployed significant resources to address challenges in education and healthcare, in its efforts to address human capital development and related issues in the country, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, has said.

Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Office of the Vice President, Laolu Akande, quoted Osinbajo to have stated this yesterday in his keynote address at the Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola Leadership Colloquium 2021 themed: “Government and Big Development: Realities & Solutions for Nigeria”. The event was organised to mark the birthday of the Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola.

Explaining circumstances where governments may need to intervene directly, including in human capital development, the Vice President said, “direct state (government) intervention is crucial. You cannot have such conditions (such as in the country) and not have some direct interventions from government.”

“The point is that, for many of the challenges that face a developing economy, there is very little, immediate term profit for private actors in addressing those challenges, but of course, there are huge

medium to long term social and economic gains to be reaped.

“In order to fill that gap, government must come in, government must intervene.

This intervention in my view, are the issues of big development. How do you educate the largest youth population in Africa?

"How do you ensure healthcare for that large number of people, and all of the various issues? These are the big development issues that confront us. And we must be able to find solutions to them," he added.

Making reference to some specific interventions of the federal government, Osinbajo said, “in our first budget, we devoted for N500 billion to our Social Investment Programme. 500,000 young graduates were engaged in the N-Power programme, and 9.5 million children being fed daily in the school feeding programme (just before COVID-19) across 34 states."

He pointed out that the programme employs well over 135,000 cooks, and over 100,000 small-holder farmers linked to the programme, supplying locally sourced ingredients.

At some point, this, he said translates to 594 cattle, 138,000 chickens, 6.8 million eggs, 83 metric tons of fish, that are procured, prepared, and distributed every week.

The higher outcomes for enrollment of pupils in school,

retention and performance of students have all been empirically verified, he added.

“There was also the Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP) – TraderMoni, MarketMoni initiatives where micro credits were offered to traders (about 2 million traders in all),” the Vice President added.

He further explained that, “these programmes are important because they are in many ways government efforts at directly creating opportunities. A country such as ours clearly require a social welfare programme, a situation where those who cannot work and those who have no work and the vulnerable are provided with one way of earning something and provided with opportunities.”

In the health sector, the Vice President said “since the inception of this administration, we have done a few other direct social investment-type things aimed at human capital development.

“After the National Health Act was passed in 2014, the Federal Government in 2018 began including the one per cent minimum portion of the Consolidated Revenue Fund – amounting to N55 billion to fund the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF). The Fund is designed to deliver a guaranteed set of health services to all Nigerians,

through the national network of Primary Health Care Centers.”

In education, Osinbajo noted that, “since 2015 also, the Federal Government has disbursed more than N170 billion in matching grants to States and the FCT under the Universal Basic Education Programme, N8 billion in Special Education Grants to states and private providers of Special Education, and N34 billion from the Teachers Professional Development Fund to States and the FCT.” He added that the Vice President added that the interventions were in line with the administration’s “commitment of lifting 100 million people out of poverty,” noting that, “we recognise the threats posed by social immobility and deprivation.”

Responding to a question on the cost of running the public service, the Vice President said the focus should be, “on people being in the right place in the public service. We have a large public service but you still have huge shortages in, for example, health and education sectors. So, there are massive shortages in many parts of the public service whereas you find redundancies in other aspects of the public service.”

He suggested that, “we should be training and engaging more teachers, nurses, doctors and several other participants in the public service, and we may end up

with more or less the same cost. But my view is that those costs themselves, so long that we are spending them right, so long as they are spent on the right quality of public servants, are costs that we should bear.

“I am not certain that just a willy-nilly cost cutting is the solution, long term. Of course, we find within the public service, so many who are not qualified, many whose jobs are replicated, huge redundancies, we need to correct those redundancies, we need to ensure that those who are not qualified are either retrained or we let them go.

“But we must ensure that we do not allow ourselves to be trapped in a way of thinking that suggests that the problem is really just the cost of governance, so that if we just downsize, everything will be alright. I think the problem is a bit larger than that. I think we have to look at really, the professionalisation of our public service, ensuring that we have the right quality of people in the right jobs,” Osinbajo added.

Commending the efforts of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, as governor of Osun State, and describing him as “a repentant Marxist”, the Vice President said, “he stands out as a reason why one should at least have some socialist blood in them while recognising the fundamental role of markets and the public sector.”

According to him, “Osun State which Ogbeni governed for 8 years received the lowest in federal allocations but was for those years, the State with the lowest poverty rate. The incidence of poverty for the State of Osun was 10.9 per cent in 2017 as against 37.5 per cent in 2010.

"A sharp drop in the incidence of poverty between 2010 and 2018. As of early 2020 the incidence of poverty has fallen further to 8.2 per cent.

Why would a State with one of the least revenues record lowest levels of poverty?

“To a large extent, it is arguable that the social intervention policies he initiated and implemented were largely responsible.

The State launched several job creation efforts - Osun State Youth Empowerment Program (OYES) hired about 20,000 young people.

“There was also the school feeding programme, the precursor to our National Homeschool Feeding Programme, serving 155,000 children at inception to over 250,000 children in all 1,382 public elementary schools in the State. 7000 jobs were directly created and 3700 cooks, most of them women.

"The programme led to an increase of 60 per cent in primary school enrollment and all meals served were from farms and suppliers of food items benefitted from the programme.”

DPR Set to Issue Award Letters to Marginal Field Bid Winners Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), yesterday, announced that it had concluded arrangements to issue award letters to successful investors in the 2020 marginal field bid round programme.

In a statement signed by the Head, Public Affairs of the organisation, Mr. Paul Osu, it noted that the award ceremony has now been officially scheduled to hold on Monday, May 31, in Abuja.

The oil and gas industry

regulator stressed that successful investors, who will be receiving their award letters are companies that have fully satisfied all requirements listed in the marginal field bid round guidelines, including full payment of signature bonuses within the specified time frame.

The process, which culminated in the presentation of award letters, commenced in June 2020 with 57 marginal oil fields on offer for investors with the objective of deepening indigenous participation in the oil and

gas industry as well as adding to the country's production and reserve.

The marginal field bid round programme, the DPR stated, is also geared to provide technical and financial partnerships for investors.

“The Department of Petroleum Resources will continue to provide transparent regulatory oversight for the oil and gas industry to enable business and create opportunities for investors,” the statement noted.

Recently, Director of the

DPR, stated that the country was expected to net $500 million from the signature bonuses on the fields, the first marginal field round since 2002.

Auwalu said DPR had narrowed the list of bidders to 161 and would mark the first first time Nigeria would allow companies to pay oilfield acquisition costs in naira.

Having received the expected revenue, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, penultimate week revealed that the regulatory agency

“rescued” Nigeria from a financial crisis by remitting the funds to the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) in April.

Sylva explained that since the DPR collected royalties on behalf of the federal government, it was able to fill the vacuum left by the NNPC in contributing to the federation account.

The minister, who did not mention the exact amount the DPR provided, said revenues from marginal field programmes were of use, when the nation was in

dire need of funds to share among the federating units.

“I can’t say what the figure is, but the DPR has always contributed to the federation revenue, because they collect royalties, so they’ll continue to contribute.

“But as to filling the gap, it’ll not always be there, because NNPC has not said after not being able to contribute in May, it’ll stop entirely. NNPC has not announced it again. So, we cannot say for how long DPR is going to keep paying,” he said.

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ MAY 30, 2021

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EDITORIAL

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

T HE TARGETED ATTACKS ON INEC The government could do more to protect strategic institutions like INEC

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he serial violence and arson against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in some states, especially in the South-east and South-south zones, has resulted in the destruction of buildings and vital election equipment/materials.

It is a disturbing trend that must be halted. Those behind these acts can only be agents of anarchy and disorder who should be treated as traitors and enemies of the state. With personnel and property of police formations also targeted, the attacks appear like a systematic assault on both law-and-order agents, the most obvious symbol of a democratic society.

Fire incidents, ranging from arson to vandalism, are ordinarily not new to Nigeria. Indeed, in the last two years, INEC has recorded 42 deliberate attacks, nine of them in 2019 and 21 in 2020 (mostly during the EndSARS protests). But the attacks of the past four weeks in the South-east and South-south by “unknown gunmen” and “hoodlums” present a different type of danger.

At least, seven of the commission’s facilities in the two geo-political zones have been razed within a period of 20 days. Yet no one has been prosecuted for arson or vandalism nor has the security agencies been able to properly identify those behind the attacks and what exactly their objectives are. Already, there are growing concerns about the impact of the damage on the capability of the electoral body to conduct election under the current atmosphere.

However, so many reasons have been adduced for the grave damage on the bastion of democracy – from protesting the outcomes of some previous elections, to an attempt to discourage future polls in some sections of the country in pursuit of separatist agenda.

None of these can stand the test of scrutiny.

Even if some of the attacks are reflective of the general insecurity across the land, there is no doubt that many are borne out of mischief and misdirected anger.

Apparently worried, INEC chairman, Mahmood Yakubu last week summoned two emergency meetings, one with Resident Electoral Commissioners (REC) and the other with security agencies. “Surely, these attacks are no longer freak events but appear to be quite orchestrated and targeted at INEC,” Yakubu said, adding that the violence on the commission’s property was, “targeted at demobilising and dismantling critical electoral infrastructure in the country” and to undermine INEC capacity to organise elections.

T

There is no doubt that the damage being wreaked on the assets of the electoral body will impact negatively on its preparations for future elections

Letters to the Editor

I

t is reported that the House of Representatives is mulling scrapping the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) as a bill to that effect is set for a second reading.

The sponsor of the bill, Awaji-Inombek Abiante, in the exploratory memorandum of the proposal, cited growing insecurity, killing of corps members and other related issues as the reasons why NYSC should be scrapped. The NYSC scheme was established under Decree No 24 on December 22,1973 by the Federal

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

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

here is no doubt that the damage being wreaked on the assets of the electoral body will impact negatively on its preparations for future elections. The continuous voter registration scheduled to begin this month may be affected in some of the states where materials for the exercise were destroyed. So are voter education and sensitisation as well as coordination of stakeholders’ engagements.

The attacks are particularly hurting because the financial implications of replacing lost or damaged items in the prevailing economic environment is huge. For instance, shortly before the 2019 general election, two-container load of 4,695 smart card readers were destroyed along with other sensitive materials in a mysterious fire incident at the Anambra State headquarters of INEC. The culprits were never caught.

In the past, INEC estimated that each card reader cost N167,063 while each memory card cost N6,000.

Today, the cost will be much higher, given the depreciation of the naira against foreign currencies. Yet the attacks continue. In the 2nd May 2021 incident in Essien Udim local council of Akwa Ibom, some 345 ballot boxes, 135 voting cubicles, megaphones, water tanks and office furniture were razed.

At his recent meeting with the RECs and other stakeholders, Yakubu harped on the role of communities in supporting the reconstruction of the damaged offices. Osun and Anambra States have responded to such challenge in the past. But the onus is now on the authorities to put in place measures that will forestall disruptions to upcoming electoral activities and safeguard the lives of innocent citizens. The implication of the targeted attacks is clear: If the federal government cannot protect its law enforcement officers and strategic institutions like INEC, we may gradually be on our way to Rwanda or Somalia.

TO OUR READERS Letters in response to specific publications in THISDAY should be brief (150-200 words) and straight to the point. Interested readers may send such letters along with their contact details to opinion@thisdaylive.com. We also welcome comments and opinions on topical local, national and international issues provided they are well-written and should also not be longer than (950- 1000 words). They should be sent to opinion@thisdaylive.com along with the email address and phone numbers of the writer.

THE CASE FOR NYSC Military Government under the leadership of General Yakubu Gowon to rebuild Nigeria through a programme known as 3R's. The objectives of the scheme are: to enable Nigerian youths acquire the spirit of self-reliance by encouraging them to develop skills for self-employment; to contribute to the accelerated growth of the national economy; to develop common ties among Nigerian youths and promote national unity and integration.

The NYSC scheme was established such

that graduates of Nigeria tertiary institutions are deployed to states in Nigeria other than their states of origin or sometimes their states of residence for a compulsory one year of service to their father land. Since its establishment in the last five decades, NYSC has strengthened the bond of mutual coexistence among the diverse ethnic composition of the country.

The scheme has enabled other ethnic groups to appreciate the complexity of the country's vis-a-vis cultural and religious

identities. Graduates who were opportune to attend the mandatory one year service usually share their fond memories with their loved ones. Besides encouraging intra-ethnic marriages, NYSC scheme provides job opportunities to graduates as governments and private sector identify and retain the best graduating students after service.

It is unarguable to state that corps members are victims of insecurity in the country. Evidence abounds on how they continued to lose their precious lives in the course of the national assignment to Boko Haram, bandits and ethno-

religious strife. Notwithstanding the dangers corps members are being exposed to, NYSC remains the only surviving legacies that promote unity in diversity. No wonder recent opinion polls have indicated that many Nigerians voted in favour of the scheme.

Amidst increasing calls for secession our parliamentarians should tarry a while not to tinker with this allimportant scheme. What the scheme needs at this time now is total reform to reflect the current realities.

–– Ibrahim Mustapha, Pambegua, Kaduna State.

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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 30, 2021

OPINION

SWEET POTATOES FOR SOUTHERN MADAGASCAR The Continent could do more for Madagascar writes Okello Oculi

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here is Madagascar?’’ was a question asked a student calling herself ‘’President Andry Rajoelina’’ by secondary school girls mates participating in a leadership programme. They were shocked that in Africa Nations Cup holding in Cairo, Egypt, Madagascar had defeated Nigeria’s ‘’Super Eagles’’ team by two goals to zero.

Madagascar’s national football team, is named ‘’BAREA’’ after a bull used in a manhood testing ritual of a young man holding on its neck as its irritation increases with duration. The absence of reports about its exploits meant that Nigeria’s media had not pricked the public attention when it defeated Egypt by a 1-0 score in Tananarive. On April 17, 1960 the team had startled its own public by whipping Congo by a whopping eight goals to one.

Madagascar sits 250 kilometres off the coast of Mozambique.

Geologists date its break from the African landmass to 15 million years ago. It is the fourth largest island in the world at 582,000 sq.kms. Its break from Africa accounts for ‘’95 per cent of its reptiles and 89 per cent of its plant life existing nowhere else on Earth’’. The Polynesian section of its population joined its native African people by arriving on an ocean stream from Indonesian group of islands.

The rare plants, including commercially valuable wood trees, reptiles, forest tree- trumping animals, and turtles, attracted to Madagascar a high flow of poachers posing as tourists. Customs officials at European and American airports dealt with a virtual epidemic of rare resources smuggled under ingenious and often cruel ways.

Multinational corporations, including those from Malaysia, Singapore and Brazil, have ruthlessly exploited timber trees.

Phillip Boyle, as Britain’s ambassador, told Nicole Winfield of Associated Press that ‘’495,000 acres of forest a year are lost in Madagascar’’; and that, by 2040,’’most of the damp forest will be lost’’.

The cutting down of these trees without the requirement

to plant new ones to regenerate felled ones has led to severe soil erosion through loss of cover against heavy tropical raindrops. It is probable that reports by ‘’Catholic relief Services’’, (an agency of American bishops), about corruption of officials by multinationals drives desperate poverty of the masses of rural communities. Rural farmers lose fertile soils for food production. There reports must have reached Pope Frances in the Vatican.

Conscious of Catholics constituting 35 per cent of Madagascar’s over 25 million population, combined with his passion for protecting the environment urged Pope Frances to pay a visit to the country. In a speech he bluntly told President Andry Rajoelina, thus: ‘’I would encourage you to fight with strength and determination against all endemic forms of corruption’’ by officials accused by Transparency International of allowing ‘’illegal logging, mining of gold and sapphires, and exportation of lemurs’’.

Various agencies have also shown concern about reversing the horrendous destruction of natural resources in the island. These

The African Union has not shown visibility in mobilising support for defending Madagascar’s deforestation and despoliation or promoted ‘investigative media coverage of illegal activities in national newspapers, radio and television programmes’ across African countries

include World Wild Life Fund, Wildlife Conservation Society and Conservation International. Between October 2013 and September 2016, they spent 2.25 million US Dollars to support the participation by the public and Civil Society in a programme for ‘’preserving Madagascar’s Natural Resources’’.

They congratulated themselves for being, among other objectives, able to ‘’strengthen Madagascar’s national knowledge-base on timber and reptile harvest and trade’’; as well as, strengthening media investigating and reporting these crimes without getting killed by syndicates On May 5, 2021, South African Broadcasting Corporation reported that a horrendous famine has been ravaging Southern Madagascar. In Ambovombe District, 27 per cent of children under five years of age are severely malnourished. Some 80 per cent of 1.3 million people in the region (about 750,000 people) are reduced to eating locusts, ‘’raw red cactus and wild leaves’’, according the United Nations World Food Program.

Prolonged drought, soil erosion, deforestation, ‘‘unprecedented drastic sandstorms’’ covered crops and grazing areas with sand lasting for the last five years had prevented food production. By September 2020, families had eaten all their food stocks including what would have been planted when the rainy season arrived in November/December 2020.

Most African countries have been indifferent, ignorant or preoccupied with massive dislocation of hundreds of thousands of farming households into camps for internally displaced and dehumanised people. It is not clear if countries with large Catholic populations (such as Nigeria, Ivory Coast and Uganda), have been mobilized by the Catholic Relief Services (based in Madagascar for five decades), and their Catholic clergy across Africa.

The African Union has not shown visibility in mobilising support for defending Madagascar’s deforestation and despoliation or promoted ‘’investigative media coverage of illegal activities in national newspapers, radio and television programmes’’ across African countries; and externally. African tourists rarely visit to enjoy the country’s rare flora and fauna and, thereby, join in defending them against poachers and thieves.

Chimaroke Nnamani At 61 Paul Mumeh pays tribute to the former Enugu State governor and founder of Ebeano political dynasty

U

nquestionably, Senator Chimaroke Nnamani is one of the leading intellectuals in the ninth Nigerian Senate.

He was in the sixth Senate (2007-2011) when Senator David Mark held sway as the President of the Senate.

This was after his eight years stint as Governor of Enugu State between 1999 and 2007.

It was Senator Nnamani in 1999, who enriched the nation’s political lexicon when he coined the phrase “Dividends of Democracy”. For him, provision of infrastructure, gainful employment, provision of healthcare facilities and quality education among others are dividends of democracy. That was vintage Nnamani speaking at the Annual General meeting of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) held in Enugu that year.

Senator Eme Ufot Ekaete was the President of PSN then.

As the then Governor of Enugu, he demonstrated his intellectual prowess with his Ebeano lecture series which dissected a range of topical national issues.

In the sixth Senate, he was the Vice Chairman, Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs. Senator Jubril Aminu was his Chairman. At plenary one day, Senator Aminu was billed to present the committee's report on the floor of the Senate but delegated Senator Nnamani to do so on behalf of the committee.

The usual practice when presenting such a report is that the Senator reads the report from a prepared text before submitting to the Senate President. On this particular occasion, however, Nnamani took everyone by surprise when he stood up to present the entire report extempore. The Senate was in pin drop silence as Nnamani eloquently presented the voluminous report without looking at any documents.

Senator Mark in accepting the report said: “Thank you Senator Nnamani. This is brilliant, this is novel. Only an intellectual like you can do this.” That presentation remains a reference point in the Senate.

Nnamani was out of the seventh and eighth Senate in circumstances akin to political exile. For his political brinksmanship and thoughtfulness of Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State he returned to the red chamber in the ninth Senate. Prepared for the legislative assignment Nnamani immediately stamped his authority as one of the gifted speakers with versatile knowledge and analytical depth.

From the onset, he declared that his focus in the ninth Senate would be to participate in the debate on the Nigerian project to make it work better for all Nigerians. He stated: “My coming to the Senate on a second mission is driven by a greater sense of the need for the ‘sleeping giant’ called Nigeria to wake up from her slumber.”

He expressed optimism that the Senate would serve as a veritable platform to drive the sincere dialogue and educated debate required to engender a united, prosperous and peaceful Nigeria where the

welfare and security of the citizens will be the overriding mission and purpose of the government.

He craves for an egalitarian society where no one is oppressed; where every citizen is free to carry out his or her legitimate business in any part of the country without fear of intimidation or molestation. Nnamani believes in justice, rule of law and the flowering of the comparative advantages of the constituent ethno-regional segments in a true physical and fiscal federalism.

The tone of the ninth Senate was set when the Senate President, Dr Ahmad Lawan constituted an ad hoc committee to prepare its legislative agenda, with Nnamani as a member.

The screening of ministerial nominees was the first serious task of the ninth Senate. On July 29, 2019, Nnamani demonstrated the stuff in him while endorsing the ministerial nominee from his home state of Enugu, the present Foreign Affairs Minister, Geoffrey Onyeama, describing his Oxbridge pedigree, noble upbringing and finesse in such effulgent prose that drew spontaneous applause from his colleagues across the aisle as they chanted Ebeano!

Ebeano! The video clip of that presentation soon went viral on social media, receiving over 100,000 views on Youtube alone.

Nnamani again captivated national and international audiences when he became the only Senator to oppose the social media control bill. In an impassioned delivery that resonated round the civil society and the online community, the senator argued that there are legislations in the country that addresses defamation, slander and peddling of fake news. He emphasized: “In principle I not only oppose this bill, I condemn it in its entirety. This bill is an attempt to surreptitiously introduce censorship into our laws…

This bill is pure censorship; it has no business in 2019 Nigeria. I therefore vigorously oppose this bill”. The video of the speech also went viral on the internet, stunningly garnering over 168,000 views on his official Facebook handle.

He is a recognized champion of women and child rights. On October 11, 2019 he called for legislation to eliminate all forms of discrimination against women and the girl child.

The former governor proved that his commitment to girl-child education and gender equality was far beyond lip service when in January 2020, he paid the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) fees for the approximately 4,000 female final year students in all the public secondary schools in his Enugu East Senatorial District.

Nnamani’s penchant for advocacy and informed debate is exemplified by the vibrancy of his contributions to motions on the floor of the Senate. The motions he has strongly supported are all pointers to his abiding concern for the well-being of the ordinary folks, with health and education as his major priorities.

Among them were the one seeking to avert the impending

strike by Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and Non Academic Staff of Nigerian Universities (NASU), motion for federal government’s provision of emergency medical care to victims of road accidents, motion for the reform of primary healthcare in the country, motion urging the Federal Ministry of Health to improve HIV surveillance in the country, motion seeking to check pneumonia and reduce child mortality, and yet another one on special funding for mental ill health in the country.

His voice was audibly heard when he condemned the brutal killing of a pregnant woman in his constituency by suspected killer herdsmen, condemning it as “odious and dastardly.” He also drummed support for federal government assistance to victims of the October 2019 fuel tanker fire disaster at Upper Iweka market in Onitsha, Anambra State.

He spoke with evident professional insight on the motion seeking to investigate the alleged blindness caused by Avastin injection at the National Eye Hospital Kaduna and was eventually appointed into the adhoc investigative panel on the incident.

Nnamani is an active participant at the committee sessions of the various committees, including the Senate Committee on Women Affairs where he is interestingly the only male member, the Committees on Health, FERMA, Land Transport, Diaspora and NGOs, Drug and Narcotics where he is the Vice Chairman, and of course the Committee on Cooperation and Integration in Africa/NEPAD which he chairs.

He has raised a strong voice against national security challenges across the country calling for dialogue of all ethnic nationalities to talk with a view to finding lasting solutions. For him, there is no need to shy away from the fact that the nation is engulfed by debilitating security issues. Moving forward he said there is a need to talk under an environment of mutual respect, give and take situation so that Nigeria can be great again.

Also within this period he took his advocacy for a new Nigeria that works for all citizens to the leading news platforms like Channels TV, AIT and Arise Television.

In the Senate today, people are always anxious to hear Nnamani make contributions to debates and motions. When he does, everyone listens attentively to a man widely seen as one of the brilliant, confident and outspoken Senators in the red chamber.

As Senator Chimaroke Nnamani, the founder of Ebeano political dynasty turns 61 years today (May 30, 2021), it is expected that he retrospects, thanks God for an eventful journey so far and continues with his avowed commitment to serve God and humanity in the years ahead.

––Mumeh wrote from Abuja.

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THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ Y 30, 2021

OPINION

NPA Probe and Amaechi’s Romance with Atiku Towards 2023 Anwal Daud

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very waking day over the past four weeks or so, there must be something in the news about the Minister of Transportation, Hon Rotimi Ameachi and the suspension of the Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Hadiza Bala-Usman. You could say that is not entirely surprising given the profile of the dramatis personae and the organisation that is in question and you wouldn’t be wrong.But while everyone is haggling and tearing themselves apart about whether some monies were remitted or not or whether Bala Usman subordinated herself to the Minister of Transportation or not, I see a well-planned out fight by a man whose end game many Nigerians still fail to see. What I can see is a methodical journey into the embrace of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar for the furtherance of a political ambition that Nigerians have speculated about Ameachi for a whole. If you are kind enough to indulge me with a bit of patience, I’ll explain.

That is not to say that insubordination, if it truly existed between the two couldn’t be enough to inspire the torpedo that the minister has caused in this prime parastatal. Not too long ago, Ameachi was asked on Arise News, an international television channel to respond to a comment made by incumbent Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike. Although one must concede that the altercation between these two former political allies could get on the most longsuffering nerve, the minister’s response was off-putting and disrespectful if not outrightly narcissistic. When he was asked to respond to Governor Wike’s claim that his projects are politically motivated, Amaechi blurted, “I don’t think I want to address the issue of the governor, I have made my point and I have moved on…He was my staff, I can’t bring myself low. I was a governor, I was also a speaker, I’m a minister. I was two-term chairman of governors’ forum. The same when I was a speaker. Why should I be discussing him? Really? Now, you get that for someone who had been a governor, knowing the enormous responsibility and authority of that office to speak derogatorily about an incumbent reveals an inflammatory temper incapable of entertaining any jot of contestation especially if they were to come from a subordinate. Some of the questions that Wike continues to ask his predecessor, which seem unworthy of answers go to the very root of his integrity. Even just this last week, Wike accused Amaechi, of the embezzlement of hundreds of millions of dollars being proceeds from the sales of the state’s aircraft and power stations.

The governor said Amaechi claimed to have sold a Dash 8 aircraft purchased by former Governor, Dr Peter Odili administration to the government of Cross River at the cost of $6million, but allegedly failed to account for the proceeds of the transaction till date. He also disclosed that state government intelligence had traced a second aircraft belonging to the state government that was also purchased by the Odili’s administration to Germany, where Amaechi had clandestinely diverted it to in 2012. Wike said Amaechi’s reign in office as governor was characterised by financial malfeasance part of which was an alleged diversion of the $308 million paid by Sahara Energy to acquire the state independent power projects. Those weighty allegations are the type of this minister, who still hopes to serve Nigerians in higher capacities would refuse to answer simply because he things the person asking is beneath him! So, if Ameachi would say that about a governor, who was voted by the same people who once voted for him as governor, what would he not do when someone, whose appointment may have had his seal, refuses to do his bidding. And here we have two examples, first it was Dakuku Peterside and now, Hadiza Bala Usman. The question to however ask is what if the point of disagreement with the minister would serve Nigeria’s interest more as some have suggested in this instance? This is where more questions should be asked about the personality under focus.

Rotimi Ameachi, former Governor of River State and current Minister of Transportation, by far one of the most influential privileged ministers in the President Muhammadu Buhari administration is referred to as the Lion by many of those who are close to him. Does anyone know why he is so called? It is a question that I have pondered on for a while since I know no one to ask. And I can say that I recently got a hint as to why he may be so addressed.

Where is Ameachi even coming from? How did he get here? Twenty-two years back, where was this man?

Who are the people who facilitated his rise to the top

Amaechi and where are those people in his life today? And what happened to their relationships?The answers to these questions are, in my opinion in the public space, so I will not bother to provide an answer to them, as they would amount to wasting the reader’s precious time. What I want to draw out of this analogy is answered the question as to where cognomen, Lion came from?

Have you ever seen anyone stand in the way of the lion? After ruminating over this man’s antecedents, it occurred to me that he seems like a man who always gets wants he wants and cares little about crushing any opposition on his way. Take a few examples.

Former Governor Peter Odili is believed to the facilitator of Ameachi’s political career. After goading this career until Ameachi became two-terms speaker of the River States House of Assembly, the latter already grew wings mature enough to fly by himself. He wanted to be Governor; Odili didn’t want to be part of that. The battle was fought and lost, Ameachi crushed all possible opposition, and he became governor and sent his political godfather on early retirement.

Towards the end of his second tenure as governor, he fell out with former President Goodluck Jonathan and did all within his power to diminish the President and the faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Knowing the strategic import of being at the head of Nigeria’s Governor’s Forum, he fought his way through all opposition and got into that office in connivance with his immediate predecessor, former Senate President Bukola Saraki. He was one of those who proudly left the PDP for the All Progressives Congress (APC) and would become so influential in the new party to become Director General of the Buhari/Osibanjo campaign towards the 2015 Presidential elections.

And whatever Ameachi did then, (we can all guess what a governor could do to become so important in an election but that would be mere conjecture wouldn’t it) it was sufficient to make him remain in the good books of the President till date that is after being named campaign DG for the second time in 2018. How come Ameachi is the only one of the big PDP catches of that remains in the APC today? The others: the Atikus, Sarakis, Kwankwasos, Tambulwas, Ahmeds and Bajares of this world were pilloried out of the APC, they are not likely to ever forget the initial misadventure. Ameachi has not only remained but stayed as a powerful, surefooted factors. Do you now see the point about why I think they call him the Lion, who is dogged about what he wants and can sacrifice anything for it, do you? If you do, then we can proceed.

Have you heard that Ameachi is gunning for the

Presidency in 2023? He truly has not declared his intention, but all the signs are there. And if the APC zones the Presidency to the South and some interests in the party are advocating, the former governor will be in good stead for the ticket. For that he needs a lot of money, especially as he will most likely be competing with the strongman of Lagos politics amongst other people.

But Ameachi’s political trajectory would have shown you that he does not leave anything to chance.

If anything happens in the APC, and he fails to get the ticket or the party itself gets crisis ridden (as is most likely) on the strength of the conflicting ambitions of stalwarts and the almost constantly aloof disposition of Buhari, who is the stabilising pillar of the party, Ameachi would be finding his way back to the PDP! The truth is that he has more chances to get closer to the presidency in the PDP. Look at how people win elections in Nigeria and tell what political structure the former Rivers governor can bank on for his ambition if he gets the presidential ticket. But it is easier to get the vice presidency ticket to a more formidable candidate in the PDP and ride on to getting elected.

Do you get it?

We now hear stories about Ameachi asking for the NPA to reverse all suspended or terminated all contracts belonging to Atiku’s INTELS. Court cases were also asked to be withdrawn and failure to do that is one of the reasons why the lady at the NPA is now being accused of insubordination and placed under suspension! Getting those multi-million-dollar businesses back will put significant money in the pockets of people who make it happens and more than that, it would prepare a wet the ground for an ambitious minister to step on when the time comes.

Now, it doesn’t seem like anyone can stop the minister, he asked his eleven-man panel to investigate all contracts awarded by the NPA since 2016 till date and, the one involving INTELS, in particular. Singling out that contract by a man known not to shoot within an aim in sight, known to crush all opposition standing in the way of achievement is building an alternative plan, which may be the platform to the Eldorado of his ambition. So, Nigerians, prepare for an Atiku/Ameachi ticket in 2023. It may not even be under the PDP where Atiku is also going to have a herculean if not impossible task of snatching the ticket, but on whatever platform it may be, I am willing to bet my last kobo for collaboration between the two in the next elections. This is where all the new love for INTELS, from a man who is almost always in bed with Chinese is coming from. That is why they call him the Lion!

––Dr Anwal Daud is a public commentator based in Abuja

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SUNDAY MAY 30, 2021 • T H I S D AY

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THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER MAY 30, 2021

BUSINESS

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

)XHO &DQ WKH 113& 'DQJRWH 5HÀQHU\ 'HDO %H WKH *DPH &KDQJHU" With the interest by the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation to take up 20 per cent equity in Dangote ReÀnery and Petrochemical Ltd, coupled with other such interventionist, it appears eͿorts are now being concerted to save the downstream sector. Nevertheless, maximising the huge potential and numerous beneÀts for Nigerians and the nation’s economy, should be the driving force for an accelerated completion of the reÀnery. &KULV 3DXO reports

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ust last week the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) expressed interest in purchasing a 20 per cent minority equity stake in 'angote 5eÀnery and Petrochemical Ltd. Located in Lagos and reputed to Ee$Irica·s Eiggest oil reÀning Iacility and the world’s largest single-train plant 'angote 5eÀnery the 0 000 Earrels per day (Epd) integrated reÀnery is expected to process a variety of light and medium grades of crude, including petrol and diesel as well as jet fuel and polypropylene.

Owned by Dangote Group and reported to be worth about billion, the 5eÀnery is designed to produce up to 0 million litres of petrol and million litres of diesel a day, roughly 0. million tonnes of the product, . million tonnes of diesel, and 4 million tonnes of jet fuel per year, in addition to having a fertiliser plant, which will utilise the reÀnery by-products as raw materials.

Unfolding the investment plans, last Wednesday, at the end of a two-day virtual Nigeria Oil and Gas Opportunity Fair (NOGOF), 2021, tagged: “Leveraging Opportunities and Synergies for Post Pandemic Recovery of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry,” the NNPC Chief Operating O΀cer, ReÀning and Petrochemicals, Mustapha Yakubu, said discussions were already on-going with the Dangote Group for the acquisition of the stake.

According to him, the collaboration will further ensure undisrupted product supply to Nigerians when the arrangement comes on stream.

Coordinated by the GreenÀeld ReÀning Projects Division (GRPD), which is one of its divisions, the negotiation is the corporation’s strategy to collaborate and seek strategic partnerships with private investors.

“At the moment, we have Dangote ReÀnery, which is the 0,000 capacity barrels per day plus a mini 80,000 tonnes per annum petrochemical plant.

“What are we doing there? I can tell you today that we are seeking to have a 20 per cent minority stake in Dangote ReÀnery as part of our collaboration and you know that there’s a huge quantity of crude for that reÀnery.

“7hat’s 0,000 barrels, going into a single crude distillation unit (CDU). When that comes on board, it will also wet the nation for us,” he said.

Explaining further, he said the corporation is also interested in partnering theAfrican ReÀnery in Port Harcourt, a co-location facility, the CNCEC Chinese group, which is interested in building two reÀneries in Nigeria, the Waltersmith modular plant, in addition to collaborating with A]ikel reÀneries on condensate production.

The global excitement for renewables, notwithstanding, Yakubu assured that Nigeria had a local, domestic and regional market for her hydrocarbons; adding that Africa’s reliance on fossil fuels will continue at least in the next two decades.

Like a true nationalist, the NNPC COO said the country could not fold its arms and do nothing with its hydrocarbons, just because the International Energy Agency (IEA) has predicted a net-]ero emissions scenario by 20 0.

Disclosing the disturbing leak of the nation’s petroleum products, Yakubu said, “Today, when you are bringing products into Nigeria, they disappear to neighbouring countries. There’s

Dangote Refinery and Petrochemical complex

nowhere in countries around Nigeria that they sell fuel for less than N400 per litre. So, there’s a market,” he said.

Talking about the dysfunctional reÀneries, he said the need to do a full rehabilitation beyond the regular turnaround maintenance necessitated the deliberate eͿort to power the reÀneries down.

“We believe the only way to do that is to power them down to reduce some of the cost. We have heard that we are spending so much money on the reÀneries, yet they are idle.

“Of course, there are costs associated with idle reÀneries; we have staͿ salaries and remuneration and then the power plant utility operations.And also we need to maintain the plants in terms of preservation and lost investments because they are assets that we believe can be brought to life,” he said.

Admitting NNPC’s inability to run the reÀneries, Yakubu stated that the corporation was exiting the running of the country’s four reÀneries, and it had recently called for bids from competent and qualiÀed contractors for that purpose.

Opting for a new model, the Operation and Maintenance (O&M) for the running of the facilities, he said the move was important to bring in O&M professionals, especially given the fact that as an engineer in the NNPC, no matter how competent, the employee must exit when they hit 0 years of age.

Optimistic that the state oil company will select the best contractors to handle the project, the COO said Expression of Interest (EoI) for organisations that would run the reÀneries was already out and many people had been evaluated.

The challenge, however, is getting local lenders to Ànance fossil fuel businesses because of the

renewable energy drive.

But he added that the NNPC is also looking for investors for the rehabilitation of its pipelines because they remain the best way to transport products from reÀneries to depots.

It will su΀ce, at this point, to enlighten Nigerians on how big a deal the Dangote ReÀnery is; as the obvious game changer to solve the persistent fuel crisis in the country, today.

Located in the South-East of the Lekki Free Trade Zone (FTZ) in Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos, the Dangote Petroleum ReÀnery is covering a land area of approximately 2, hectares (six times the size of Victoria Island).

The following projects are within the Lekki FTZ and they include: Largest Single Train Petroleum ReÀnery in the World ² 0,000 barrels-per day (more than enough to meet Nigeria’s petrol needs and for export) Two of the World’s Largest Fertilizer Trains – three Million Tonnes per Annum (It is bigger than the 1.4 million tonnes per annum Indorama Fertilizer Limited).

Largest Sub-Sea Pipeline Infrastructure in any country in the World – 1,100 kilometres to handle Billion Standard Cubic Foot of gas per day.

The 400 MW Power Plant in the ReÀnery alone will be able to meet the total power requirement of Ibadan DisCo of 8 0, 1 MWh covering Àve states including Oyo, Ogun, Osun, .wara and Ekiti.

Dangote Petroleum ReÀnery can meet 100 per cent of the Nigerian requirement of all reÀned products (Gasoline, million litres per day; Diesel, 2 litres per day; .erosene, 11 million litres per day and Aviation Jet, nine million litres

per day) and also have surplus of each of these products for export.

The $12 billion investment is estimated to create market for $11 billion per annum of Nigerian Crude.

Designed for 100 per cent Nigerian Crude with Áexibility to process other crudes, the reÀnery has strategically located marine infrastructure for crude receipts and product trade.

Dangote brought in several Over Dimensional Cargo(ODC), due to the size of the reÀnery project. The company possesses a Crude Distillation Column; a piece of equipment equivalent to the length of a soccer Àeld and the weight of 20 large elephants. Building local capacity is a major advantage of the ReÀnery for the country.

The facility employed over 10,000 Nigerian personnel on site.

Employment by the various contractors and subcontractors at the site is , 00; while the current ratio of Nigerians to expatriates is per cent Nigerians to per cent Expats.

A total of 900 Nigerian engineers are being trained in design, engineering and design of the reÀnery. There are other engineers currently undergoing training.

The company recently completed the training of 200 artisans selected from the host communities in the areas of Masonry, Carpentry, AC Electricians, Plumbing, Welders, Iron-benders andAuto Mechanics. This was achieved in collaboration with the Nigerian Directorate of Employment and Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board. This is one of Dangote ReÀnery’s Corporate Social Responsibility programmes within the host communities.

Therefore, Nigeria stands to beneÀts immensely from the establishment of the ReÀnery in

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THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER MAY 30, 2021

BUSINESS )XHO &DQ WKH 113& 'DQJRWH 5HÀQHU\ 'HDO %H WKH *DPH &KDQJHU" the area of technology, employment, generation of power, local capacity development, production of petrochemicals, increased demand for domestic crude and unhindered availability of the product.

Further more, development of local area and ancillary industries, availability of high quality products (Euro V Grade), annual foreign exchange earnings from exports could reach as much as USD 5.5 billion; while annual foreign exchange saving from import substitution could be as much as $7.5 billion.

In terms of on site accommodation and other Infrastructure, over 63,000 - peak manpower is estimated to be consumed by this humongous reÀnery.

Site o΀ce, warehouse, laydown areas have been completed and they have provided: accommodation for 16,000 workmen; accommodation for 20,000 work men and 2,000 managers.

Local accommodation is available in plenty areas around Lekki Free Trade Zone. Lots of large housing complexes have come up in the last four years considering project demand.

Dangote ReÀnery also houses the largest fertiliser Plant in West Africa. Dangote Fertiliser Project is the largest Granulated Urea Fertiliser complex coming up in the entire fertiliser industry history in the world, with an investment of $2.0 billion capacity of three million tonnes per annum (MTPA).

The Dangote Fertilizer complex consists of Ammonia and Urea plants. With associated facilities and infrastructure to produce three MMTPA Urea, the complex is expected to produce: over 4,400 million tonnes Ammonia, per day, 8,000 MPTD each of Melt Urea and Urea Granulation.

From Halder Topsoe, Snamprogetti, to Uhde, the Ammonia, Melt Urea and Urea Granulation plants region of the ReÀnery has a multi technology capacity that gives it a great edge over global competition.

With a captive Power plant comprising of three Steam Turbine Generators of 40 MW capacity each, this aspect of the ReÀnery has a Total of 120 MW Another major leverage for the Nigerian economy is the East-West OͿshore Gas Gathering System (EWOGGS).

For decades, Nigeria has been accused of polluting the atmosphere by Áaring gas, while the country itself has been facing shortage of gas.

EWOGGS pipeline project will unlock sig-

Dangote

Kyari

niÀcant gas supply for the industry and will considerably reduce Áaring.

Power Plants, Fertiliser, ReÀnery and Petrochemical Projects and others will beneÀt from this gas supply.

Some of the beneÀts derivable from EWOGGS include availability of gas for commercial use.

This nulliÀes the need for future gas import as the project becomes the platform for the diversiÀcation of Nigeria’s economy.

It will ensure increased government revenue, while meeting demand for domestic petrochemical products.

Foreign exchange from exports will increase, as lots of direct and indirect jobs will be created.

Coming from the chaotic trials and error that have characterised measures by government to bring sanity back to the downstream sector of the nation’s oil and gas industry, this deal is indeed a big boost.

What may be an issue is the sneaky suggestion by the NNPC COO that fuel price might get to about N400 per litre in order to give the reÀnery investor the appropriate pricing for fuel to have the desired return of investment (ROI).

If the owners of the reÀnery do not yield to a tempting sense of irredeemable greed, as the

obvious dominant player in the downstream sector, Dangote ReÀnery can easily recoup its investment, at least in the Àrst four years, selling fuel to Nigerians at double digit price.

Amid the growing number of private reÀneries in the country, it goes without saying that before the controversial $1.5 billion Port Harcourt ReÀnery repair comes on stream in the next 48 months according to the Minister of State for Petroleum, Timipre Sylva, Nigeria will be awash with Petroleum products powered by private reÀneries.

As disclosed by the Prosecuting counsel in the disbanded Okoi Obono-Obla’s Special Presidential Investigation Panel for the Recovery of Public Property (SPIP), Tosin Ojaomo, prior to its dissolution, the agency had uncovered an NNPC account blessed with about $60 billion domiciled in Texas, USA. The NNPC can take $12 billion or more from that account to build a second or bigger version of the Dangote ReÀnery to fully establish Nigeria as the reÀnery hub for Africa.

It won’t be out of place to do a quick feasibility check on what the Dangote ReÀnery could make from the sale of fuel alone, among the almost limitless proÀt lines at the facility’s disposal, if

the operators choose to run it with the interest of Nigerians at heart.

About 159 litres of premium motor spirit (PMS) can be generated from a barrel of crude oil. Take note that the domestic need of Nigeria has been placed at 50 million liters of petrol daily. Dangote ReÀnery has the capacity to reÀne 650,000 barrels per day.

650,000 barrels of crude oil x 159 litres of petrol= 103,350,000 liters of petrol.

Subtract the domestic need of 50 million liters and you are left with over 53 million liters for export.

Now, if Dangote decides to have pity on Nigerians or NNPC says this 20per cent stake is given in the form of crude oil supply to the reÀnery; in order to get Dangote to sell fuel to Nigerians at, say, N50 per liter of petrol.

50 million litres of petrol x N50 = N2,500,000,000 gross revenue daily for the reÀnery.

Multiplied by 30 days, Dangote will be making N75 billion monthly. Per year, the facility will gross no less than N900 billion.

Also, note that importing petroleum products creams oͿ over 50per cent of Nigeria’s foreign exchange revenue; which has played a major role in devaluing the naira to the state it is in at the moment.

So, with a Dangote ReÀnery coming into operation, it is likely that the naira may, at its worst, bounce back to an average of N100 to $1.

This will happen within the Àrst six months of optimal operation by the world’s largest ReÀnery.

In other words, at an exchange rate of N100 to one dollar, Dangote’s N900 billion will translate to $9 billion within its Àrst year of active Petroleum reÀning business.

That is over 70per cent of RoI. In other words, Dangote would have recouped $9 out of the $15 billion invested in the reÀnery from selling petrol to Nigerians, alone, exclusive of what the facility will generate in revenue from the other derivatives such as fertiliser, gas etc.

All considered, Nigeria can be said to have placed her downstream on a redemptive course for the enabling of a robust production and distribution of petroleum products that will make the Nigerian people heave a sigh of relief that at last they can now buy fuel at far less than N100 per litre.

It is not a dream, but a possible and present reality that can be accomplished, only by a caring people’s Government.

+RZ 1RW WR 5HIRUP 1LJHULD·V )UHH =RQHV Abdulahi Ibrahim

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n-going controversy within the Nigeria specialeconomiczonesisan uncharitable distraction occasioned by failure of those in authority to place national interest above selÀsh agenda of a few. Reading all the news and after interactions with local and international stakeholders, it is crystal clear the ministerial committee converted itself into a tool for an hatchet job to dismantle and destroy the thriving Nigerian Free zones worthy over 30 billion US$.

Nigeria has always had plans to reform its free zones despite the status quo being considered one of the best in Africa. Yet, striving for perfection is a great aspiration. And in the free zone sector, two contending trends manifest for the past two decades. The Àrst is the agitation for a single free zone authority for Nigeria under the Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA) This is in tandem with international best practice and this position has being upheld and projected by successive federal government reports and white papers. There is the second trend, the push by a group to get son to supplant the father by having an Onne oil and gas free zone to take over the responsibility of NEPZA which presently manages about 45 zones in the country.

The crux of the matter prior to now is about legality and best practice. Onne zone ( OGFZA) is by law restricted to its locality and mandate but a private cabal has been pushing without legal backing to illegally expand its coverage .

Relying on induced government reports and without amendment to its enabling legislation,

Onne zone, a public private partnership body, has historically embarked on territory grabbing, changing its name outside its act and even issuing orders that has resulted in ongoing litigations.

Stakeholders had resisted the push by Onne zone all along and a bill is actually pending within the legislature to ensure a single free zone authority for Nigeria under NEPZA. That was the genesis of ongoing assault on private sector investment in Nigerian Free Trade Zones at a time Nigeria is struggling to expand dwindling foreign direct investment. It all started last year when the private cabal re-launched its drive to subvert the free zones deploying the Minister of Trade and Investment as a willing tool. Apparently, the Minister appears not to be acting alone; it seems the cabal has the backing of the board and managing director of NEPZA itself.Aministerial report has unilaterally without consultation unashamedly recommended that OnneZonetakesoverNEPZAmandateagainstthe laws, interests of investors in the zone, the drive to reduce cost of governance, Nigeria’s readiness for AFCFTA regime and international best practice.

The report though a draft has elicited strong reactions from various quarters. There are even reports that the Trade Minister backed out in a backlash. Abusiness group in Kano called Arewa Business Forum was the Àrst to raise alarm over alleged plots to destroy Kano Free Trade Zone and other upcoming zones in northern part of the country by some forces within the Federal Ministry of Industry Trade and Investment. In a statement issued in Kano and signed by its Secretary, Babayako Abdulahi, the forum alleged that there is a plot to stop the ongoing upgrade of the Kano Free Trade zone while a directive has reportedly been issued to stop issuance of licences for the proposed new free zones in Katsina,

Jigawa, Kebbi, Kwara and Taraba states. The forum alleged that a cabal within the Federal Ministry of Trade has engineered plots to weaken eͿorts of the North to industrialise in her areas of strengths by transferring the free zone agency from Abuja to the South-south in addition to reviewing all ongoing activities in northern free zones.

The statement titled; “A Plot Against the North’” reads as follows: “We have discovered a ground plot to hide under current national crisis to deprive the north of her rights especially in the area of domestic industrialisation within the agricultural value chains. From late last year to date, the Arewa region has embraced the concept of free zones to address issues of job creation within the North. Suddenly from nowhere, we heard story that a South-south group is plotting to stop this advances by the North. We Àrst did not take it serious until it was revealed that the Federal Ministry of Trade is putting together a report to hand over control of free zone to a south South body based in Cross River state. The national body based in Abuja which has supported the north in its drive for domestic industrialisation is proposed for scrapping while the South-south body is to take over the national assignment. In pursuance of that agenda, the Ministry stopped issuance of free zone licences especially the more than Àve that northern state governments and private sector people have applied for. Till now, the ministry has not allowed the issuance of the said licences.

This is a serious plot to decapitate the north at a time her leaders are struggling to attend to issue of job creation to tame insecurity”, the northern group from my state Kano alleged.

Soon after the Arewa statement, investors in the free zones also responded, threatening to commence divestment from the zones and calling

on the board of Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA) to summon a stakeholders’ meeting. In a statement on behalf of the Investors signed byYusufuAbdullahi, Director, Snake Island Integrated Free Zone Lagos, the proposed reform was described as “a ploy to destroy multi-million naira private investment in the free zones”, calling on NEPZA“to call a meeting of stakeholders and investors on the subject” Further extract from the statement are as follows: “The genesis of the Evaluation of FTZ Licensees was NEPZA refusal to comply with FMITI letter Ref. No T/FAL/1164/210 dated 30th April, 2020 directing the transfer of selected free zones regulated by NEPZA to OGEFZA whose primary focus was oil and gas activities and were aͿected by the interpretation of the Hon. Min. of Justice and Attorney General on Section 5 and 25 of OGEFZAAct, in 2008. It was NEPZA refusal to comply with the FMITI letter Ref. No T/ FAL/1164/210 dated 30th April, 2020 directing the Authority to transfer ‘the free zones currently regulated by NEPZA whose primary focus was oil and gas activities and were aͿected by the interpretation of the Hon. Min. of Justice and Attorney General on Section 5 and 25 of OGEFZA Act, in 2008. NEPZA replied to FMITI vide its letter Ref. NEPZA/LS/SF/22/IV dated 20th May, 2020 notifying the Hon. Minister that the announcement and directive of Mr. President that Steve Oronsanye Presidential Committee Report on Rationalisation of the Government Agencies which recommended that “the Onne Oil and Gas Export Free Trade Zone (OGEFZA) be reverted to the Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA) should be executed.

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THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER MAY 30, 2021

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ECONOMY

A Crawling Economy in Need of Stimulus

Data around the Nigerian economy has been unrelentingly depressing in the last Àve years. The latest Àgures from the National Bureau of Statistics reÁects the trend over the last half decade. Nosa JamesIgbinadolor looks at the last Àgures from the NBS and posits a route to growth and development

O

n the 23rd of May, Nigeria’s National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) released the 2021 Àrst quarter (Q1) Nigerian Gross Domestic Product Report.

According to the report, Nigeria recorded a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate of 0.51 per cent (year-on-year) in the Àrst quarter of 2021, (Q1 2021) compared with the 0.11 per cent recorded in the fourth quarter (Q4) 2020, according to Àgures the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) released yesterday.

The data indicated two consecutive quarters of growth.

However, the Q1 2021 growth rate was slower than the 1.87 per cent growth recorded in Q1 2020, but higher than the 0.11 per cent in Q4, which represented a slow, but continuous recovery of the economy. The GDP growth rate was still below the country’s population growth rate of about three per cent.

Thereportfurtherstatedthat,quarter-on-quarter, real GDPgrew at -13.93 per cent in Q1 compared to Q4, reÁecting a generally slower pace of economic activities at the start of the year.

In the quarter under review, aggregate GDP stood at N40.01 trillion in nominal terms. The performance was higher when compared to the N35.64 trillion recorded in Q1 2020, indicating a year-on-year nominal growth rate of 12.25 per cent.

However, real GDPin Q1 stood at N16.83 trillion.

According to the NBS, the nominal GDPgrowth rate in Q1 2021 was higher relative to 12.01 per cent growth recorded in Q1 2020 as well as the 10.07 per cent growth recorded in the preceding quarter.

The oil sector accounted for 9.25 per cent of aggregate real GDP in Q1 2021, slightly lower than 9.5 per cent recorded in Q1 2020 but higher than the 5.87 per cent in the preceding quarter.

On the other hand, the non-oil sector accounted for 90.75 per cent of aggregate GDP in Q1, higher than the 90.50 per cent in Q1 2020 but lower than the 94.13 per cent recorded in Q4.

While the oil GDP contracted -2.21 per cent in Q1 compared to a contraction of 19.76 per cent in Q4 2020 and a growth of 5.06 per cent in Q1 2020, the non-oil GDP grew 0.79 per cent in Q1 compared to 1.69 per cent in Q4.

In the period under review, average daily oil production stood at 1.72 million barrels per day (mbpd), or 0.35mbpd lower than the average daily production of 2.07mbpd recorded in Q1 2020, but higher than the production volume of 1.56mbpd in Q4.

Agriculturecontributed21.42percenttonominal GDP in Q1, higher than the 20.88 per cent in Q1 2020 but lower than the 24.23 per cent in Q1 2021.

In addition, manufacturing contributed to 9.93 per cent to real GDP, higher than the 9.65 per cent recorded in Q1 2020 and 8.60 per cent in Q4.

Nigeria’s GDP growth has tumbled from a high of 15.33%, 9.25% in 2002 and 2004 respectively and between 65 to 8% in the periods between 2005 and 2015 to as meagre as -1.62% in 2016 and between -1% and 2% between 2017 till date.

Nigeria is facing a sharp economic downturn and severe loss of business conÀdence. The apprehension over the distasteful economic ailment is not just an echo of a slowdown in GDP growth, but also the poor quality of growth.

Private sector investment, the mainstay of sustainable growth in any economy, is at an all-time low. There has been little to negligible investment in new projects by the private sector.

Most manufacturers and businessmen continue to moan about government policies and a business environment that disincentivises investment in the Nigerian economy.

“In order to go into any form of production in Nigeria, you have to create a mini-state: your own security, your own water, your own electricity, your own roads,” Dimieari Von Kemedi, a former presidential adviser and agricultural businessman told the U.K based Financial Times last year. “That inevitably pushes up production costs and lowers e΀ciency.”

A view of Central Business District, Lagos

Arecent report released by the data consulting Àrm, StatiSense, showed that while the Nigerian economy grew by 192 percent between 1999 and 2020,thelargestshareofthegrowthtookplaceunder the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo,withacumulativegrowthof81.0percent.

Growth in the economy stood at 25.9 percent and 26.4 percent respectively under Presidents Umaru Musa Yar’dua and President Goodluck Jonathan.

The growth rate of the Nigerian economy in the six years of the Buhari administration has been a paltry and diminutive 1.4 percent.

The economic growth rate since 2015 is obviously the slowest in last many years and the current slowdownisunprecedentedinthecountry’s61-year post-independence economic history The main contributors to economic growth; domestic consumption, oil and gas exports, private investments and government spending have all been hit by the slow down.

The massive yet growing unemployment in the economy that has seen formal redundancy rate rise to 32.5 per cent has depressingly aͿected the capacity of consumers to boost growth in the economy. This invariably has led to a steep fall in production capacity of manufacturing companies especially those involved in consumer goods. With consumers buying a lot less goods and accessing a lot less services, companies have been forced to shed more jobs; a vicious cycle that does not bode well for the economy in the short to long term.

While the Buhari administration has embarked on a borrowing spree to fund public investments, private investments have remained inexorably depressed. Private investments in Africa’s largest economy have fallen severely since 2015 with investors Áeeing the country due to the blatant mismanagement of the economy.According to an International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR)April 27, 2021 analysis, a litany of problems, notably the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)’s mismanagement of foreign exchange market, skyrocketinginÁationandinsecurityhavecoalesced to make investors uncomfortable with betting their monies on the Nigerian economy.

In addition, insecurity from terrorism to kidnapping has hurt the Nigerian economy, scaring investors away and leading those in the country to consider exiting for neighbouring countries like Ghana.

As noted in the Centre’s report, “Like Shoprite, many companies have exited Nigeria in the last Àve years. On February 19, 2016, SouthAfrican retailer

Truworths packed out of Nigeria, shutting down tworemainingstoresinAfrica’sbiggestmarket.The clothing retailer cited rising costs as a key reason for exiting the market. Canadian-based technology company Dynamics Intelligence announced plans to exit the country in 2019.

“Twitter recently set up an o΀ce in Ghana, ignoring Nigeria, and Amazon is also establishing an o΀ce in South Africa -a big blow for Africa’s most populous country. These Àrms exited Nigeria for various reasons, but investors say mismanagement of the foreign exchange market, poor management of inÁation and insecurity are key issues.

“The CBN has maintained multiple exchange rate market, creating one window for investors and exporters, another window called NAFEX, and another window for religious travellers. Analysts andinvestorssaythisweakensinvestors’conÀdence, creating uncertainty in the economy.

“Lack of cohesion among policymakers sends a negative signal to the investment community, worsens uncertainty, and further dampens investor conÀdence,” President of Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Toki Mabogunje.

Rising inÁation is eroding incomes of consumers, raising cost of living and hurting investors’ proÀtability. InÁation hit 18.17 per cent in April 2021 – highest in four years. The country has failed to enforce monetary and Àscal policies to steer productivity o curb inÁation, while the exchange rate policies have skyrocketed an already worse inÁation situation. Investors can no longer Ànd certainty in the Nigerian market, according to the LCCI, fuelling unemployment to 33.3 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2020.

Nigeria needs to leapfrog ahead to achieve the employmentandproductivitygrowthneeded.The economy needs to grow and grow well to meet the job demands of some 200 million Nigerians. It was the Harvard economist, Dani Rodrik, who posited that development was virtually synonymous with producing manufactured goods for export. This forces companies to compete internationally and gradually raise productivity through investment in capital and skills: “Industrialising has been the key escalator that has enabled rapid growth.”

Governments contribute by providing the public goods — the education of a literate and numerate workforce, the roads, the power and water supply and the stable business environment required to encourage domestic entrepreneurs and foreign companies to invest.

In order to recover to a high-growth path, Ni-

geria’s sectoral mix would need to move toward higher-productivity sectors that also have the potential to create more jobs. Statist policies such as creating a state-owned airline detract from driving growth.

While the Buhari administration seems to be head over heels in love with agriculture as the main diversiÀcation route, the reality is that data from the past four years has shown that agriculture will not drive the expansive growth needed to drive development.

Manufacturing, a sector that has practically died is the most fundamental route to job creation, growth and development. A focus on the Southeast as the base of industrial manufacturing and the deployment of a string of investment friendly policies will likely see the industrial manufacturing sector rising by as much as 300 per cent in the next 10 years, with the sector adding an additional 44 per cent to GDP. In addition, a focus on both labour-intensive and knowledge-intensive sectors will help to improve economic momentum.

Furthermore, needs to improve the ease and reduce the cost of doing business. Nigerian companies still face obstacles ranging from delayed payments for public procurement to tedious and slow processes for obtaining permits. These and other issues could be resolved if the government adopted global best practices in relevant areas. For example, to simplify and expedite tax payments, a one-stop shop for a range of taxes could be set up.

Also, the civil service responsible for implementing government policies need to be reformed to serve as e΀cient value-adding proÀt centres rather than an ine΀cient cost centre that stands as a barrier to eͿective implementation of government policies.

Very importantly, Nigeria needs to ensure that a highershareofhouseholdÀnancialsavingsÁowsto productive Àrms through a deeper capital market, soastomeetthebulkofitsinvestment requirement through domestic sources of capital. The inability of households to save over time has signiÀcantly inÁuenced the rate of capital accumulation and economic growth in the country.

What is needed from the government; federal and states is a clear and sharp vision to address key pro-growth priorities. Ultimately, the government needs to work with businesses and business leaders to develop a long-term value creation mindset coupled with a strong performanceoriented culture both to create stakeholder value in the long term.

22

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER MAY30, 2021

THE EXECUTIVE TIMIPRE SYLVA

We’re Considering Gas as Transition Fuel to Renewables His ministry oversees Nigeria’s vast hydrocarbon endowment. The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, says Nigeria is looking to gas as a transition fuel to renewables. Positing that the nation’s future lies in exploiting its huge gas asset, Sylva regrets that lack of clear-cut Àscal regimes has hampered the development of the gas sector.

Ndubuisi Francis captured these perspectives and more during a recent media chat, Excerpts:

R

Alleged Corruption ecently, I have seen a lot of Áying news, especially on social media, and of course you expect that to happen when the honeymoon is over. And very clearly, the information that has been put out there is sponsored; it cannot be true. For example, I read on social media that I had collected $25 million from Saipem to give them a job in Train7. And I said look, already by the time I became minister, that job had been issued to Saipem, how come I am the one now that will go and collect $25 million? And you know $25 million is no small money. Unfortunately, when this kind of story comes out, you are minded to just want to just discountenance it saying nobody is going to believe it. But we are in a country where people tend to believe anything, so sadly. Then, I read again that I have been given $20 million for an OML (Oil Mining Lease) that was valued at $13 million. I mean, the signature bonus paid for the OMLwas $13 million and I was given $20 million.

This is the value and in addition to the value you are still paying me $20 million. You are still minded to discountenance this but people tend to believe. And then of course, most recently; the story was that I collected or that we shared $100 million from the signature bonus. How much did the whole process generate that we are going to share $100 million? It’s not possible! And of course, signature bonuses because of the latest approval, they were even paid in naira mostly.

So, how come people have $100 million? These kinds of stories are out there and unfortunately, people tend to want to believe the sensational.

And I thought maybe I need to put a few things straight, and to let you know that such stories as you are all aware of are sponsored by people who want to tarnish my image. I felt we should put that in context before we go ahead.

DPR and FAAC I believe Nigerians should be happy with us, the way we handled the marginal Àelds because only last month, you must have heard that the NNPC actually said that they could not give any money to Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) and it was DPR that came to the rescue, because the funds from the signature bonuses had actually Àlled that gap. You can see that we had actually been making a lot of progress and generating unprecedented progress along with the federal government. The DPR, under my watch, under this administration had generated a lot more than the DPR generated before. But instead of putting that story out there, they want to somehow tarnish the reputation of those who are managing the industry at this moment. The beginning is, what are the things I set out to achieve in the industry?

Deregulation/Subsidy Removal When I Àrst came in, one of the things that confronted us was the issue of deregulation--the issue of fuel subsidy. Frankly, between you and I, that is a black hole I cannot fully understand...

Who is the person beneÀting from the subsidy?

I don’t think it’s the common man. If you look at the issues around subsidy, you will know that there are interests that are beneÀting from subsidy beyond what the common man can

doing is to take stakeholders on board before practising it. You can now see the disadvantage of continuously subsidising. It’s even getting to a point where NNPC is even Ànding it di΀cult contributing to FAAC. That’s the reality. This thing is a necessity. We are waiting for all of us to be on the same page so that the federal government is not seen to be insensitive to the yearnings of Nigerians. We had even announced the date. We deregulated for some few months and stepped back to listen to the people. And a lot of work is ongoing right now so that we see that this policy direction is successfully executed.

Sylva

understand. But you try to touch subsidy and it’s the common man that comes out to defend subsidy. But I think, frankly speaking, these are some of the things we must discuss, and come to terms with. Can subsidy be sustained? So, when we came, that was one of the things that confronted us and I thought that one of the ways we can achieve deregulation was to encourage the use of gas for our vehicles. Just like when you want to toll a road, you have to give an alternative. I thought that if you want to remove subsidy then, you must give an alternative;-a cheaper alternative, so that the Nigerian can have a choice when he drives into the Àlling station. That is why when you look at it, we started a drive into gas rather than PMS, and also, if you look at the global oil business, you will see that it’s moving towards gas because of environmental concerns, global warming

issues, and climate change issues I think you are not being fair to the federal government. This federal government doesn’t lack courage, our president doesn’t lack political will. Two things that President Buhari doesn’t lack: courage and political will when he is determined to do so. You’ll all agree with me that the subsidy was announced as far back as March 2020. We deregulated, and we actually successfully practised it for a few months. You will all agree before some people came in and started threatening, when prices started going up. And then we had to come back because it’s a listening government. We said ok, let us discuss with stakeholders. That is why it looked as if we stepped back a little bit. Deregulation was already announced, a date was already taken. We have that understanding.Already we had announced it; we’ve not retracted it. Right now, all we are

Smuggling of Petroleum Products That is also my confusion, the statistics. One moment the Àgures come down, the next moment they are back up again. Now, that is my problem. It’s confusing to even myself. This whole subsidy issue; who is beneÀting from these high Àgures here and there. But I don’t think it’s the common man. Some people are beneÀting!

When you say subsidy, what you mean is that your product is cheaper in Nigeria than it is in neighbouring countries. So what does that tell you? That is an opportunity for proÀt. If they take petroleum products to Benin, there is an opportunity for you to make a bumper proÀt because if your proÀt is let’s say N165 per litre, and in Benin Republic, you can sell it for N400.

How can you stop anybody? People are going to take all kinds of risks to take your petroleum products to the Benin Republic. So now, when the prices are at par, it might abate for a little while but once the diͿerence comes up people may want to do it again. You know how it is in Nigeria. You close the border, some people are in shock, then of course, people Ànd a smart way of doing it. Or when the borders are open it goes back up again. The price diͿerential is such that it’s a major incentive, that is why until we are able to bridge that gap people will continue to do it. It’s very di΀cult for the government to police the whole country. They say in some states’ your farmland is in the other country, your home is in Nigeria. In situations like that, how do you police that border? These people, their farm is actually in the other country, what do you want them to do, so they can’t go to the farm? It becomes very di΀cult to police.

Some people are feeding fat from it but I don’t think it’s the common man that is feeding fat from it. But it’s something that we must discuss together, we must Ànd a way out of it, if not, we continue to keep prices down in Nigeria by subsidizing it and the rest of our neighbours will be beneÀting from it. There was a clip I saw on social media that Cameroun doesn’t import fuel but all their fuel seems to be coming from Nigeria. All the fuel that is going to our Malian neighbours seem to be coming from here. At the end of the day, you cannot satisfy the situation.

If you bring in 90 million litres a day, the system will still absorb it because it is not just Nigeria that is absorbing it. But if you leave it within Nigeria, the consumption will come down. These are the things we need to really resolve as a people. I feel that the best way out is to take out subsidy because if we don’t take out subsidies we will continue to be begging this question. It is not this government that started to take out subsidies. From the government of Babangida in the 1980s, every successive government has

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER MAY30, 2021

23

THE EXECUTIVE

We’ll Sell Refineries When They’re Functional tried to take it out because they know that it’s not something that is sustainable. It has deÀed all those eͿorts. As a people, we must also be very sincere with ourselves. Diesel and kerosene are now deregulated. These, for me, are fuels that are closest to the people. Diesel is what is used to transport most of our food items. All the trucks run on diesel; all the food trucks mostly run on diesel. Then kerosene is what our grandmothers use for cooking in the village, which has also been deregulated. But petrol has deÀed deregulation, should we continue with the subsidy on petrol?

That is for all of us to answer.

Unfortunately, in Nigeria, what I notice is that there is a breakdown of trust between the people and the government. The press is also fueling that distrust, I must say. For that reason, we cannot really communicate, we cannot think together. We must get to that point as a nation where we can sit together and think of solutions to problems objectively. For instance, I come up with a solution, it may not be the best solution but it’s the solution I can come up with. And if you have a better solution, why don’t we discuss and have a common ground so that we know?

The most important thing in the country is the country; it is not us or our diͿerences. If we can shelve these diͿerences and sit down and discuss how we can have policy direction that we mutually agree with, unfortunately, that doesn’t happen in Nigeria. Some people just because the policy direction is coming from me just want to oppose it. And of course when you come out with your own policy direction, the other people will oppose it. How can we be quarreling all the time and expect that the country is going to grow? We must put hands together. We cannot have a country grow when people are quarrelling. In my language, we say that if your canoe is sinking in the river, you must ensure that you are not quarrelling in the canoe. All of you must put hands together to salvage the canoe Àrst before you start to apportion blame. While the canoe is sinking there should not be a quarrel because if you quarrel in a canoe that is sinking that is the end. I see Nigeria like that. We just ensure that we are not quarreling; let us salvage this country together.

It is only when we work together that we can salvage this country. So if you think that there is a better policy direction, suggest it.

ReÀneries Are we selling? More or less, we and labour are on the same page. Even labour understands that. What we have agreed is that we need to have an alternative. Putting that alternative in place is what is ongoing. The reÀneries in Nigeria are the weeping baby of the country.

But we believe that when these reÀneries are made functional we will know the direction we want to go. If you have a ‘dead reÀnery’, how do you sell a ‘dead reÀnery’? It doesn’t make sense. What am I going to do with a dead reÀnery? Is it not better to resuscitate it before at least selling it or decide what to do? If I sell it, Nigerians will say, ‘he is selling a dead reÀnery.

This government is very irresponsible.’ ‘How can they be selling a dead reÀnery’? Now you say ok, let me resuscitate it before selling it, they will say why is he resuscitating a dead reÀnery? So, whatever you do they will talk.

These same dead reÀneries were sold before

by Obasanjo. The same Nigerians said, why was he selling them? Yar’Adua reversed the sale. So you can see the dilemma. The fact is that what we want to do is to ensure that these reÀneries function. The Àrst thing we want to do is not to run the reÀneries. We want to put an operations and management contractor--a professional manager of reÀneries. At a point we will put out advertisements for professional reÀnery managers that will bid to manage the reÀneries. When the reÀneries work we give them to a professional manager. So, when the reÀneries begin to work, we will decide: should we sell or should we just go public. There are a lot of options open to the government. We can go to the Stock Exchange so that people can buy the shares. Every option will be available but at least it will be a functional reÀnery, so that none of you will accuse us of selling a dummy.

Now, we try not to sell a dummy so we can sell something that is functioning. I want you to support us. At least, let people know that it is the best thing for the government to do.

The Gas Alternative/PIB The global oil industry is moving more towards gas and Nigeria is more of a gas country than oil because we have 203 trillion cubic feet (tcf) of gas reserves that have been discovered. All the reserves we have today have been found not

we have to really think together.

Malabu The Àrst question was, is Nigeria dropping the case which has been a very thorny issue? I will not give an answer without again conferring with the Attorney General of the Federation.

If you had asked me my opinion, I probably would tell you what my opinion is, but when you asked if Nigeria is going to drop the case or go forward with it, it’s something the Attorney General can answer. I think theAttorney General has his views on it but as you know, not much has happened from the Nigerian side on that verdict, so you can guess, at least. Whether you like it or not, it’s an asset of Nigeria. If you keep it encumbered in a legal tangle, then who is losing?

But whether the case continues or discontinues, it’s for the Attorney General to decide. So, we might both join forces to get to the Attorney General. As friends we can get to the Attorney General to know what the position is now.

Sylva

while looking directly for oil but while looking for gas. They were almost accidental Ànds--all of them. So if we target gas exploration directly by exploring for gas, the expectation is that we can even increase our gas reserves up to 600tcf, which will put us among leading gas nations in the world. We felt that, look, let us move the country forward in that sector and I believe that we’ve gained a lot of funds and people are more aware of the need for us to move towards gas.

In 2019, one of the Àrst things we were able to achieve was the NLG Train7 FID (Ànal investment decision) that had eluded the country for a long time. We were able to achieve it; it was a lot of eͿort to achieve that. And of course, the AKK, which is also a gas pipeline project was achieved in 2020. Very early this year, we were able to take FID on a gas fertiliser, which is also a gas-based industry. Clearly, one of the things we’ve been able to do is to move the country towards that sector and we believe that gas has the capacity to create more linkages with the economy and with the population. I went to Indorama the other day, and I saw the wonderful thing that is happening. Indorama has created so many jobs and if you know, the fertiliser supply system in Nigeria has been boosted by Indorama. The company is actually partnering with the government to supply a lot of fertiliser and as you know, that has brought down the cost of fertiliser. If you develop the gas sector and the midstream sector very well, you know that is the easiest way to diversify Nigeria’s economy. From gas to fertiliser, to agriculture, so you can see the linkage.

Then gas-methanol to the chemical industry.

Gas-to-power, and of course, that will power the whole country. You see that if you really want to develop that sector, you can imagine the number of jobs that will be created. Gas-to-fertiliser to agriculture, you can see all the jobs that will be created there. Then gas-to- petrochemicals will now power another sector of the economy, creating a lot of jobs. For me, you could see the focus on developing gas and the mid-stream is going to create a lot of linkages, a lot of jobs for the economy, a lot of opportunities that we can see visibly. That is why I believe that this country should focus on gas. Unfortunately, before now, did not. We were only interested in the oil, so we found gas. We just capped it and we moved on. We just dumped it there. In some cases, gas Ànds have been capped for 20 years, nobody has gone back there. Whereas you can see the amount of value one gas project (NLNG) is already adding for Nigeria. Yet, we have the capacity to have at least Àve of these NLGs creating these kind of opportunities for us. We have not been doing things right in this country over the years. So, this administration has come to show that direction.

Unfortunately, what should have helped us in showing that direction mostly is the law around the oil industry. Unfortunately, that has

not happened for over 20 years. We’ve been tinkering; for twenty years, we’ve been trying to pass one law in this country. Yet, this law will power a lot of progress because the problem we have with the development of the gas sector is that there are no clear cut Àscal regimes in the present legal framework. So, if I want to invest in gas, what is the legal framework guiding that gas development? And you know, when you talk about the big investors, they always have to look at the legal framework before they come in here. But if the Àscal framework for that sector is not very clear, nobody is going to bring their money because you want to plan and you want to plan based on the law that is in existence. And the law is not very clear on gas. It was important for us to make the legal framework, the Àscal framework clear before the law. That was what we were supposed to achieve with the PIB, unfortunately, the PIB, as you know, has deÀed passage up till now.

Hopefully, it will be passed very soon. You can see why that sector has not developed over the years but now, we are making very good progress as far as the PIB is concerned.

I want to tell you that PIB is fully on course and we are very happy. We are focused on that. We’ve had many, many meetings with the National Assembly and with stakeholders and today, we are all very satisÀed. The National Assembly gave a timeline of April, but a few things came up. I know that the passage of the PIB will not go beyond June. I believe that between now and June, we should be able to pass the PIB. So, I don’t think we are far away from the passage of the PIB. The president is very committed that the gas sector is fully developed. In fact, the president was, as you know the minister of petroleum a long time ago and he always reminds me that as at the time he was minister of petroleum, they were expecting that they would have achieved Train12 of Bonny NLG in the 1980s but today, we are still struggling to achieve Train7 in the new century. You can see what we are missing?

And because of that, he has a big passion for that sector as he was already there before and this was their plan. But unfortunately, that plan has not taken oͿ up till now. That is why we get all the support from him as far as gas is concerned; that is the president’s passion. We’ve done quite a bit. I have touched on deregulation, and where we are. Unfortunately, we’ve got a lot of Áaks from all sides. I understand that subsidy removal will come with some pains; I know that. I am not going to bury my head in the sand like an ostrich. I know it’s going to bring some pain. The question is what is the way forward? Can we carry on with subsidy considering how much is being swallowed by subsidy? Can we continue to carry on with subsidy as a country? If we want subsidies, how do we now get money to deploy to developing other sectors of the economy? So

Renewables On the other issue of Shell going towards renewables, it’s not Shell alone, the global energy industry is moving towards renewables. Even the investors are taking out investable funds from the oil and gas sector and moving into renewables. Is Nigeria also joining that race?

It is something that is di΀cult to say. We are not in that race as such. There’s a lot of funding required for research for renewables and we are not into that yet. But for Nigeria, we are looking at gas as a transition fuel to renewables.

Some people are even looking at gas not as a transition fuel but as renewable. If you have gas you can consider it to be renewable fuel as well. The question I always ask when I go for international events is: if the concern with nonrenewables is carbon emission, why is the global economy now focusing on developing carbon capture technologies instead of moving away from the non-renewables? If the global economy is focused on carbon capture, we can actually clean up the fuel as well and reduce the emission from non-renewables, clean it and it becomes something that will not aͿect climate change. But the global system tends to be moving away from the oil and gas non-renewable resources which we have in abundance. So, should we also join them now to move to renewables and abandon our resources? I don’t think so, and I say it boldly everywhere. After all, those economies were built on resources from coal and other dirtier fuels. Okay, today, they have moved to this level.

In a situation where 600 million Africans are still without energy, I don’t think it’s a realistic position. That’s why in Nigeria, our focus now is on gas which we consider at best a destination fuel and at worst a transition fuel to renewables.

And since we have it in abundance why don’t we maximise it now so that at least we are taking a step forward as well. That’s our position in Nigeria, not necessarily that we want to go into developing renewables. In energy usually, there must be a mix. You are not expected to use only one source of energy. Our focus now is on gas as a major source of energy which we have in abundance.

Oil Price You asked me again what price will balance our budget. It’s not just the price, it’s also the production level. You can have cuts, you can halve your production, and then achieve $100 oil, but meanwhile you have lost because your production is now halved. In a situation like ours now, our OPEC quota is about 1.5 million barrels per day. If you achieve over $60, you also would be losing from the production end.

We don’t want overly high prices because that one comes with its problems. Once prices go beyond a certain level the competition begins to come from unexpected quarters, like Shale oil.

Ordinarily, Shale oil is not very proÀtable when the price is at a certain level but once the price moves beyond a certain level Shale oil comes in and becomes a major competition. We always want a situation where the price is optimal for our own production and not very good for Shale production. OPEC also doesn’t like high prices so that we can balance the market. For Nigeria, $70 oil is not too bad. We can live with that. If for example we can achieve $70 and achieve full production capacity. I won’t be bad for us at all, it’s a balancing act as you know. You achieve $70 today and it shoots up, you want to bring it back to $70, and it goes below $70, and you want to bring it up again. That is the interesting game in the business.

See concluding part on www.thisdaylive.com

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER MAY 30, 2021

24

ECONOMY

Ahmed

Emefiele

Bello

Sadiku

AfCFTA and Nigeria’s N35tn Infrastructure Requirement As the African Continental Free Trade Area enters its first six months of inauguration on Tuesday, 1st June, the need for Nigeria to enter the fray of her infrastructure development was the topic that dominated discourse at various fora last week. While the webinar sponsored by Nigeria Export Import Bank revolved around preparing Nigeria in the area of infrastructure development for international trade, the webinar organised by the Bureau of Public Enterprises, similarly dwelt on infrastructure issues and how government will engage it using the public private partnership model. To complement the PPP platform, the apex bank tasked the state governments to tap into the opportunities available to develop the economies of their respective states. Chris Paul reports

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arelyrecoveringfromthedamaging impactoftheCOVID-19pandemic in 2020, the urgency to seek multiple alternative revenue streams toboostNigeria’seconomycannot be overemphasised.

The economy, which is just crawling out of recession, recorded a 0.51 per cent growth in the Àrst quarter of 2021 after a 0.11 per cent growth in the fourth quarter of 2020.

To place Nigeria on a Àrm footing for eͿective performance on the AfCFTA stage, her economy must post a double-digit growth or prepare the ground for it.

Buttogettothatpoint,theGovernoroftheCentral Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin EmeÀele, said Nigeria will require about N35 trillion investments in infrastructure.

In a goodwill message he delivered last week Thursday,atawebinaron“FinancingPublic-Private PartnershiptoBoostInfrastructureDeliveryinNigeria,” organised by the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) inAbuja, he said it will be di΀cult to support such investments using government funds alone given the paucity of government revenues.

At another forum, EmeÀele also called on governors to make their states economically viable in order to reduce their dependence on allocations from the Federation Account.

Delivered,onhisbehalf, bytheDeputyGovernor of the bank on Economic Policy, Kingsley Obiora, the CBN Governor said the COVID-19 pandemic hadexertedunprecedentedimpactontheeconomy, addingthatinterventionsbythemonetaryandÀscal authorities had led to Nigeria exiting recession with poor growth.

Though,thenewsmaybepositive,hesaidgrowth is still far below the country’s population growth of 2.7 per cent.

“It is therefore imperative that we all work together to harness the growth potential of the Nigerian economy.

“If we take into account Nigeria’s Infrastructure Masterplan,werequireclosetoN35trillionworthof investment in order to attain double-digit growth.

Butgiventhepaucityofgovernmentrevenue,which the BPE director-general mentioned earlier, it will be di΀cult to support these investments using government funds alone.

“So, Ànding ways to harness public-private partnerships have become very important and we are happy to acknowledge that these partnerships

have started in earnest and the Central Bank of Nigeria looks forward to continuing collaboration withtheBPEtoharnessthesepartnershipstoensure that we signiÀcantly scale up investment in our infrastructure,” he said.

ToascertainPublic-PrivatePartnership(PPP)suitabilityandcompliancewiththeNationalIntegrated Infrastructure Master plan by her ministry and the BPE before inclusion in national budgets and subsequent procurement, the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, in her keynote address, said from the 2021/2022 budget cycle, all infrastructure projects in Nigeria must be screened.

ShesaidtheseeͿorts,bygovernment,aretoensure that PPP takes a centre-stage in the procurement of infrastructure in Nigeria.

According to her, the federal government is willing to discuss and incorporate suggestions from stakeholders with a view to strengthening Nigeria’s PPP framework.

Theminister,whoisalsotheVice-Chairmanofthe National Council on Privatisation (NCP), solicited thesupportandcooperationofthepublicandprivate sectorspartners,localandforeignpartners,Ànancial institutions and other important key stakeholders towards the successful implementation of the new PPP policy directive.

The current administration, according to her, is committed to the development of infrastructure through PPP arrangements.

In line with its new role in the administration of concessionprogrammesofthefederalgovernment, BPE, in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance, BudgetandNationalPlanninghaddevelopedaPPP projectinformationtool,whichhasbeenforwarded toallministries,departmentsandagencies(MDAs), to capture all current and proposed infrastructure projects in the country.

“The BPE Director-General,Alex Okoh, said this willhelpdocumentapipelineofPPPprojectsacross various sectors of the economy.

Adding that some MDAs have submitted their PPP Project Information Data ahead of the Ànal submissiondateofMay31,Okohsaidthebureauwill partnertheUnitedKingdomNigeriaInfrastructure Advisory Facility (UKNIAF) to screen projects to ensure that only those that are Ànancially as well as economically viable are included in the ‘National Pipeline of PPP Projects.

According to him, the BPE will also establish a revolving Project Development Fund (PDF) for

PPP transactions, while funds realised from the pool will be used to facilitate the proper structuring of PPP transactions.

Okoh is hopeful that Ànancial institutions will support the initiative to increase the number of viable projects that could be successfully brought to commercial andÀnancial close in the infrastructure space through PPPs. TheCBNgovernoralso,withintheweek,calledon governors to make their states economically viable in order to reduce their dependence on allocations from the Federation Account.

In a similar development, to address Nigeria’s infrastructuralconstraintsforadvancementinintraAfrican trade and export diversiÀcation, Experts advocated for the Public-Private partnership (PPP) funding model.

The call was made at a Nigeria Export Import Bank-sponsored webinar, which was organised byArbiterz Media Ltd with the theme: “AfCFTA: Revamping Nigeria’s Infrastructure for Global Trade.”According to the panel of Experts, boosting Nigeria’s competitiveness in AfCFTA and globally, demands deliberate tackling of the country’s infrastructural gaps through the PPP. To upscale the manufacturing sector, Managing Director,ARM-Tarith Infrastructure Fund, Tariye Gbadegesin, said spreading national infrastructure development across ports, inland hubs, rail, roads among others, were necessary.

Cost of transportation, power, logistics which are factors fundamental to production and competitiveness were high and relentlessly deepening cost of production.

Developing transport corridors and designing rail network that supports trade more than passenger commuting, are the way to go; according to Gbadegesin.

She further stressed that opportunities abound to support the emergence of a manufacturing or commercial class in Nigeria, which she said calls for partnership between private and public sector to fund infrastructure.

“You need infrastructure to upscale across board and as an equity fund, we are happy to invest in the PPP. “The transport corridors need to be developed andwearelookingatlargescaleportsinfrastructure.

“Inland port would be viable when you have a viable rail transportation system that connects from ports to land,’’ she said.

Pledging the bank’s support to providing export

credit,facilities,guaranteeandinsurancetopromote trade, Managing Director, Nigerian Export-Import Bank, (NEXIM),Abba Bello, represented by Hope Yongo, Technical Adviser, said redeÀning and restrategising export and investments guarantee instrumentwouldaddressthechallengesimpacting intra-Africantradeonprimaryagricultureproduce.

He said creating a national quality infrastructure framework to reduce the rejection of Nigerian commodities in intra-African trade, will go a long way in achieving the objective; adding: “NEXIM is committed to promoting introduction of factory services in Nigeria for the promotion of trade.

Currently, we have the Bill before the National Assembly.”

Expressing concerns about the debt relationship between China and African countries, the Chief Economist, Pricewaterhouse Coopers Nigeria, Andrew Nevin, advised that it is very important totrytode-emphasisecommercialrelationshipwith just one bloc or trading partner and have economic and social relationships with other blocs.

Executive Secretary, Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission, Yewande Sadiku, said the funding models should be reÁective of an inclusive job creation perspective.

Noting that given the current precarious realities of government’s expenses, Sadiku said a derisking model position in the PPP model will be a better option for the government.

The private sector, according to her, needed to be taken from the fringes to the centre in an approach that is more inclusive.

“Government is better positioned at derisking but they cannot fund infrastructure alone given the current realities of its expenses while the private sector needs to be taken from the fringes in an approach that is inclusive,’’ she said.

According to the acting Chief Executive O΀cer, FundforDevelopmentinAfrica,EmmanuelAssiak, Africa ranked lowest in export diversiÀcation and manufactured value addition.

He noted thatAfrica’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was closely tied to commodity cycle.

Outlining gaps in theAfrican trade ecosystem to include structural, funding, Ànancing and sectoral, Assiak stressed the need to address the soft and hard infrastructural constraints to engender the advancement of intra-African trade and export diversiÀcation.

See concluding part on www.thisdaylive.com

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WEEKLY PULL-OUT

30.5.2021

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OMOSEDE IKEJI THE CHIC, CORPORATE COBBLER Omosede Ikeji (nee Giwa-Osagie), the brains behind Grand Cobbler Enterprises, is one versatile and self-assured young lady whose career switch from white-collar job to becoming a cobbler only takes a convinced heart. With ivy league education in the United Kingdom and mouth-watering corporate jobs that followed suits, she has the world at her feet. Determined to make a success out of her husband’s vision of establishing a world-class cobbling Centre in 2014, Ikeji dropped her personal ambition and embraced her newfound career wholeheartedly with her magic touch. As she turns 40, Funke Olaode unveils the bold and adventurous amazon who finds passion in recreating and reinventing the soul of luxury leathers.

he has a supermodel physique; tall, slim, elegant, exotic, and stunning, her glowing face commands attention.

She has never worked as a model. Hers is a brain mix with beauty as she often channels her intellect towards achieving goals in various corporate establishments where she had worked both home and abroad. Welcome to the world of Omosede Ikeji, founder and Chief Executive Officer of Grand Cobbler Enterprises with headquarters in Lekki, Lagos. Born in London on May 13, 1981, Omosede Ikeji (nee Giwa-Osagie) between 2003 and 2006, was at London Metropolitan University where she earned her first degree BA (Hons) in Marketing and Business Information Technology, between 20012003 she was at Westminster Kingsway College where she received Double Award in Business and Consumer Behaviour. And from 1998 to 2000, she was in South Thames College where she studied Computer and E-Business Studies.

Armed with various degrees, Ikeji plunged herself into the corporate world. She started her career in 2006 with Avanti Screen Media, London, as an account executive. In 2007, she worked with Vizeum (Aegis Group), London, as a Marketing Executive. She moved to Nigeria in 2009 and joined The Quadrant Company (a Troyka Company) as Head, Consumer Services, and in 2010 as Chief Operations Officer at Metro Taxi, Opebi, Lagos.

In 2014, she became the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Grand Cobbler, where she manages daily operations of the shoe and leather good repair, overseeing corporate communications, including brand and corporate issues management, consumer communications, hiring and training of technical staff, procurement and management of inventory and supervision of management staff.

“I have always desired to be an entrepreneur within the sales and service delivery side of the business, and this was influenced by the places I worked while growing up. Like many people in London, I started working very early, doubling with school. I started at 17 from McDonald’s in college and then JJB Sports as a salesperson and then to the prestigious Selfridges Luxury Mall where I worked for five years from my days in London Metropolitan University. Then I worked at Vizeum Media Group following a Career in Marketing and Business IT, which I majored in at the University before moving to the Luxury Leather Brand SMYTHSON as a Marketing Executive overseeing Asia and the South Pacific.

“At SMYTHSON, I worked closely with some of the finest guys in the business, including Mrs Cameron, whose husband became Prime Minister (he was the leader of the Conservative party at the time). She was our Creative Director. It was a close and concise but highly motivated team at SMYTHSON, and we got rapid exposure to understanding leather products and how personal leather goods are with

ASSISTANT EDITOR OLUFUNKE OLAODE/funkola2000@gmail.com

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COVER

Inside the Life of Lagos Cobbler @40 people. Our clientele were some of the important personalities across the globe, including royal families.

That experience, together with my five years at SELFRIDGES, remain valuable to the ideals and standards of my outfit, the Grand Cobbler.”

Transitioning from a white-collar job to cobbling may not be an easy task, but for Ikeji, it was a walkover though everything happened by accident. “The company was founded seven years ago. I actually become a cobbler by accident. The idea was conceived by my husband who felt inconvenienced that he had to always take his leather shoes to London to fix because the guys here were not tender enough and cared less about the value when they are fixing them.

Being a typical Igbo man, despite being a very busy lawyer, he set up the business as a ‘side hustle’ to fill the apparent void and was shopping for a good manager when his older brother Chief Victor Ikeji prompted him to speak to me about it, and the rest is history.

“The dream was to have an outlet that knows the value of shoes and leather goods and how personal and special these items can be to their owners. Because we were coming into a space of uncertainty, we had to upscale to the roof in terms of quality and customer experience, deploying the top shoemaking technics, handling, machines and materials as practised in the shoemaking districts of Fermo, Le Marche or Florence in Italy. To fix an LV luggage, it has to be the same standard, and when we freshen up the red sole under a Christian Louboutin shoe, even Christian should not be able to tell the difference. Also, when we help expand the edges of Gucci, Tods or a Manolo Blanik shoes, we must handle with tact precision so that the detail of the edges is not lost to the customers’ desire to fit into a slightly smaller size. The goal is to fix leather items without comprising the spirit and detail of the design. There is a saying that a good leather can last forever if you have a good cobbler.”

For Ikeji, having a standard and glamorous office aside, customer satisfaction is key as her clientele cuts across. “Shoes, bags, and luggage are very personalised items, our clientele cut across just about everyone. From that young female banker or tech company executive who lost her top heel at a party last weekend to the Judge or top business leader and even monarchs. We see them all.

Many A-list actors and musicians and many other creatives of great note trust us strictly to mind their items and throughout the years we have operated, we have consciously tried to maintain the service standard and customer experience.”

And her parent’s reaction to her newfound career? “It wasn’t easy for them to relate with, but I was already at the point of responsibility in my growth stage and could take charge of career decisions. Marriage brought me to Nigeria because my husband made it clear whilst dating that we would live in Nigeria. It was somewhat my early days when we started The Grand Cobbler, so my family in London still had concerns with how I was transiting and settling in Lagos. I had worked in corporate settings both in the UK and Nigeria, and my parents didn’t have a problem relating with those because they were both similar to what I did back in London, but the switch from corporate circle to being a cobbler must have been a little worrying for some because it sounded awkward on the surface until you have an experience of what our vision is about.”

The last seven years, according to her is being awesome. “It has

Ikeji

been a very rich experience and full of so many hurdles that we have to surmount on a daily in order to keep up our service standard. The transition from being a whitecollar corporate executive to a semi-bluecollar was challenging, but overall, we think we are happy with the extent to which we have pushed the vision. As a cobbler, you see beyond the shoes and must imagine the pleasure you cause to the customer. It is like bringing back life and recreating or reinventing the soul and essence of an item.

It is much more than work but a connection, and without tenderness and a genuine desire to cause happiness, you cannot achieve a good repair.”

Recently, Omosede Ikeji turned 40.

“Frankly, for me, age is just a number, but we have to be grateful and show gratitude

for the gift of life. I don’t believe that upon attaining 40 years, it is all over for you in terms of development. History is awash with people who failed all their lives but later impacted the world even after 40 years of age· Honestly, the last 10 years would be the most beautiful years of my life because, within those years, I had all my kids and watched them grow. It is such an amazing experience nurturing children.”

Born in London into the popular Giwa-Osagie family from Edo State, Ikeji admits that it was a privileged being born by hardworking parents who inculcated good values in them.

“My parents were both administrators in government departments. My Dad worked for the

School Boards while my Mom worked at the education department in Westminster.

They are both happily retired now. Having lived in Nigeria for almost 12 years now and looking back, I could frankly say that it was a great privilege to have been brought up in the environment we were brought up. And generally, as children of immigrants from Nigeria, there is a huge and positive pressure on you by your parents to make something meaningful out of your life. The average immigrant Nigerian parent somehow knows how to help navigate their kids into making something out of their lives, and for that, I can’t thank my parents enough for the positive influence.

“Growing up in London was a mixed grill but overall, it was awesome while we were young. I had the privilege of growing up and making friends with multi-ethnic and multi-racial kids of all cadres. We were regular and very active kids who all freely interacted with each other without discrimination. I grew up in South London with a huge black population and very multi-racial.”

Very often, people are of the opinion that the children from renowned families such as the Giwa-Osagies get favour as a result of their family’s influence. In Ikeji’s case, she is happy to have come from that family, and at the same time, she is true to herself. “My parents are not affluential in the sense that I presume you mean.

They were regular hardworking folks with great dignity and contentment. For that, I am grateful for their influence.

And for my maiden name, I honestly cannot remember the name opening any doors for me (certainly not while I was in London) or relying on it for any advantage or privilege. It is a great family (together with the larger Oloke family comprising Belo-Osagie, Edo-Osagie, etc.) with some of the finest crop of professionals in just about all the major fields, and I am proud of that heritage of excellence. I have been married for a little while, and people in Nigeria hardly know me by that name.”

Ikeji is an energetic young woman that enjoys working hard as well as playing hard. Being an ambitious individual, she constantly strives for the best. She enjoys travelling and has been fortunate to have travelled across South America, Asia, and North Africa, and across Europe. “I enjoy meeting people from all around the world and learning about new cultures.”

Ikeji has been happily married for 12 years to her husband, whom she met as a teenager and courted for 10 straight years.

Recalls on how they met with nostalgia...”

We met in 1998 on my first visit to Nigeria as an adult. I was only 18 years, and he was in his early years at the University of Ife. We met at my uncle’s house in Festac. He was friends with my cousin, and we took an interest in each other that morning, and it continued to develop, we continued with phone calls (very expensive then) and many letters, and then I started to come back more often, and he visited London later, and we got married in 2009. I feel like I have known him forever.”

Ikeji as a career woman is also a loving wife and doting mother to her kids whose busy schedules have not in any way affected her obligations towards her family.

“It is just by the grace of God to mix all motherhood, family and work in a very demanding place like Nigeria, too many needless distractions from the core of your work like power, water and so much more you have to generate with the emergencies that come with them. In the end, scheduling and being disciple with your time and routine has proven to be helpful.”

Life at 40, what is next for the London City Girl who turns Lagos cobbler?

I will continue to build on all successes and leave behind the failures and disappointments, taking only the lessons learnt. And life at 40? “Frankly, I only have gratitude for all that life has thrown at me.

I was able to make my choices and the outcome that followed, good or bad. In all, I am very grateful for the grace of God.”

SUNDAY MAY 30, 2021 • T H I S D AY

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HighLife Amb. Sarafa Tunji: Man on a Mission

lshola

T

he loudest trumpets will always be blown as tributes to the best performing individuals, especially when the said individuals are in public offices. This is the case with the new Nigerian High Commissioner to the UK, Amb. Sarafa Tunji Ishola, whose work recently won the praises of iron lady and boss of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa.

Nigerians at home and in the United Kingdom have been given something to celebrate as Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa hailed the efforts of Amb. Sarafa Tunji Ishola. As the High Commissioner to the UK, Amb. Ishola’s endeavours are easy to measure and score. Thus, when he took a decisive step against passport racketeering in the UK, he was hailed far and wide.

According to reports, in one of the first meetings, Amb. Isola had, upon assuming office, was centred around the problem of passport racketeering and every other corrupt practice related to it. Afterwards, the committee agreed on decisive steps to take against this problem and how best to discourage its emergence a second time.

It is obvious that President Muhammadu Buhari considered the pros and cons before deciding on Ishola as UK High Commissioner. Moreover, someone who would succeed Justice George Adesola Oguntade could not have been an average person. This is exactly what Amb. Isola has shown himself to be—an extraordinary official representing the interests of 300+ million people.

It does not come as a surprise that Amb. Isola is earning accolades up and down. His more than 25 years of public service have prepared him for this office and more. Moreover, the UK is not a strange land for him since he spent several years there for his college education in the late 1970s and after that.

Most folks still remember his many contributions while he was the Minister for Mines and Steel Development. One might even say that it was partly due to his efforts that Nigerian governments took a step back from deifying the oil sector and focused on developing the other natural minerals, especially coal, gold, iron-ore, chrome-ore, and lead, to name a few.

To have this same progenitorial character representing the country is a fortune. And seeing that he is pulling out all the stops to achieve the objectives for which he was appointed, what is not to celebrate? With a man like Amb. Sarafa Tunji Isola on such a mission, success is all but guaranteed in every endeavour, starting with passport racketeering.

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

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

Dapo Abiodun, Sanwo-Olu Partners in Progress “At the end of the day, it is not about us. It is about our teeming population that we have given a voice by the signing of the agreement we are doing today.” These words, so well said and reminiscent of Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, were how Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State concluded the launching of the LagosOgun Joint Development Commission.

An excellent partnership borne on the shoulders of reliable leaders of the people.

Ogun Governor Dapo Abiodun has hitched the Gateway State to the advancing wagon of Lagos State, Centre of Excellence. Both governors have shared and united their vision of a prosperous land and people, and this vision has birthed a joint development commission which suggests that both states will grow side by side and look out for each other. Beyond economic growth and development, the governors have intimated that they expect the commission to take care of pressing issues such as insecurity, planning, and the environment.

The governors set the commission in motion at the Presidential Lodge, Abeokuta, on Monday, May 24, 2021. Governor Sanwo-Olu was his usual optimistic self and expressed his satisfaction at the alliance and the consequent Joint Development Commission. Naming it a ‘game changer’, Sanwo-Olu promised that it would usher in sustainable development within both Lagos

and Ogun, maximising the advantages of each for the advancement of both.

The two governors also remarked that this alliance has nothing to do with politics or personal interests—only the interests of their people. Considering their respective profiles and track records, this is not difficult to believe.

As folks have noticed and pointed out, Governor Abiodun’s style of administration is similar to that of Governor Sanwo-Olu: flexible, responsive, and ever on the move. This is one of the reasons the Joint Development Commission took off so quickly and did not have to wait for months of deliberations and approvals. Moreover, Ogun is the only real geographical neighbour of Lagos (the other being the Atlantic Ocean to the South). Thus, a union between two highimpact Governors who happen to be neighbours is not totally unexpected. Thus, folks are standing on their toes, expectant, hopeful, and confident at the outcome of this partnership.

Sanwo-Olu

Sanwo-Olu

Citizen of Humanity: What Separates Femi Otedola from Other Billionaires

Otedola

There are many billionaires of Nigerian origin, resident in the country, building sky-high business empires. However, only a handful of these (compared to the entire

group) do not hesitate to give back to the country’s poor and underprivileged. Among these handfuls, Femi Otedola is number one.

On this issue, there is no debate.

The philosophy of American billionaire Andrew Carnegie (that true wealth is one that lifts the immediate society of the possessor and then reaches even further) is one that has always been applied to well-known Nigerian businessman and philanthropist Femi Otedola.

And why not—the man has done good deeds too many to count.

People talk about Good Samaritans, but how many people were willing to fork out the medical bills for the now-late veteran actor, Sadiq Daba? The majority of folks only remembered that the actor had been a regular TV personality during their youth. When it was time to assist that old man, moneyed folks turned their faces away. But Otedola did not.

What about another legend of the silver screen, Victor Olaotan? Who was it that settled the bills down to the pennies, everything amounting to about 39 million? Femi Otedola.

What about the former Super Eagles player and coach Christian Chukwu? While he was battling prostate cancer and needed about 37 million, who bailed him out? Femi Otedola.

And if the assumption is that only the famous have benefitted from Otedola’s largesse, who knew Dr Inih Ebong, the retired Associate Professor from the University of Uyo in Akwa Ibom State? And others like him.

There aren’t enough pages to celebrate the philanthropy of Femi Otedola and others like him. Among billionaires of Nigerian origin, Otedola stands out in this regard. To give and give and never stop giving, is it any surprise that his wealth remains boundless and Heaven looks favourably upon him?

When Will Shell MD Mutiu Sunmonu’s Tenure End? When Lord Acton observed that “Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely…,” he also stated that “Great men are almost always bad men, even when they exercise influence and not authority…” Folks have begun to mull over Acton’s sentiments and are featuring former Shell MD Mutiu Sunmonu in their ruminations. It all ends with the question: when will the tenure of Mutiu Sunmonu end?

The last time the tidings of former Shell MD and current Chairman of Julius Berger Nigeria Plc, Mutiu Sunmonu, crossed from industry and finance to society, it was all about his wedding to a former colleague.

That news won people’s attention because Sunmonu had lost his first wife, Funmi, to cancer a few years prior, and it was assumed that no other woman could take her place.

But Sunmonu’s aforementioned former

colleague did, and so folks were willing to concoct stories around the affair. And now?

Why is Sunmonu’s name in the gossip columns of society news? Why are folks interested in the date of his retirement?

According to eyes in high places, Sunmonu has proved himself to be a man driven by his own interests. This is the conclusion to a saga about Sunmonu’s alleged betrayal of a friend and how the latter lost a well-thought-out plan and opportunity because he had confided in Sunmonu.

Allegedly, this colleague and friend of Sunmonu informed him of his intention to acquire more Julius Berger shares and increase his fortune. Sunmonu then reportedly invited others to do the same, snatching the fruits, as it were, from his friend.

And so, unexpectedly, their friendship broke apart. And folks got wind of it. Thus, folks

Sunmonu

have cast Mutiu Sunmonu as the emissary of disloyalty and so are very interested in the end of his tenure as Chairman of Julius Berger Nigeria. (All things being equal, Sunmonu will leave the chair this year.)

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HIGHLIFE

Milk Of Human Kindness as Aisha Babangida Celebrates Another Year of Helping Hand

Babangida

In a world with self-interest seemingly programmed into the core of every individual, it is refreshing to know that there are folks out there who think of others and

make plans to change their lives for the better. This is how Aisha Babangida came to be known as a paragon and true person of human grace. She clocked 51 a few days ago, which marked another 365 days of impact; on and on, she continues in her work.

No reasonable onlooker would have faulted Aisha Babangida if she had chosen to live for herself and herself alone. The fortunes that have been accumulated by her efforts and the blessing of her forebears would be hers to bathe in or burn. But she chose to make others glad and drag meaning and gratitude into their lives (where there was only desperation and frustration before).

It was the Better Life Programme for the African Rural Woman that brought her to light. This project was a dream and legacy of her mother, former Nigeria’s First Lady, Maryam Babangida. Until Aisha stepped in, the project had begun to lose its colouring.

However, Aisha made it radiant again and has resolved the main objectives of the NGO in more ways than one.

Perhaps her mother’s legacy project inspired her to start her own—Women Enterprise Alliance (WenA). One might say that WenA is the next step after Better Life: educate them first, and then empower them with practical knowledge, vital connections, and the funds to pursue their dreams and help others. The lives that Aisha Babangida has touched with kindness and empowerment are too many to count.

Beneficiaries of Better Life (since 2010) and WenA (since 2018) are making waves of their own, and that is worth celebrating.

So at 51, Aisha Babangida is more than a former President’s daughter, a businesswoman or philanthropist. She is a model to be emulated and a standard of high and enduring impacts to be surpassed.

No More War as Oyetayo Celebrates with Aregbesola Social media gossip collectors have had their expectations smashed, thanks to the mysteries behind the pair that is Osun State Governor Adegboyega Oyetola and his predecessor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola. A few days ago, the latter clocked 64, and against the prediction of an ultra-cynical public, Governor Oyetola did not snub, scorn or slander him.

For those out of the loop, Governor Oyetola wishing his predecessor “good health, peace and happiness” is nothing special: just one man paying respect to his senior. However, Oyetola’s goodwill message is nothing short of a travesty of the norm for those who have followed the rumours. But great men are by definition custom-defying, so it is not altogether surprising that the pair have made up and buried the speculative hatchet.

In the beginning, Oyetola and Aregbesola

were partners, with the latter taking a superior position. Thus, when Ogbeni Aregbesola became Osun State Governor in 2010, he made Oyetola his Chief of Staff.

Afterwards, Oyetola inherited his mantle and took over the reins of governorship.

Aregbesola went on to become the Federal Minister of Interior. But in-between these periods, rumours grew about a clash between the old friends.

The recent submission regarding this alleged feud between Oyetola and Aregbesola was centred around the former’s intention to win a second term as Osun State Governor.

Supposedly, Aregbesola was going all out to oppose this move and had even taken steps to drag the chair from under Oyetola during the party primary. Moreover, Oyetola is reported to have befriended an erstwhile adversary of Aregbesola just to spite him, further widening the supposed gap.

Aregbesola

Oluwatomi Somefun: Proving Her Mettle at Unity Bank

Somefun

Too many experts within an industry give the illusion that this is normal and everyone is at the same level of brilliance, vision and breadth of ability. But in the Nigerian banking and finance sector, there are crouching dragons and tigers. Crouch no more, Tomi Somefun;

your genius has been exposed.

Unity Bank Plc used to be one of those commercial banks in Nigeria that kept a semilow profile. Such banks did not seek to compete, only to meet their predetermined goals. No more! The brilliance, methods, pursuits and accomplishments of the bank’s MD/CEO, Oluwatomi (Tomi) Somefun, have dragged it to stand on an equal height with the other banking giants of Nigeria.

In recent days, Tomi Somefun has consolidated her more than two and a half decades of corporate experience and thrust her high-tier level of expertise into the pool of master managers and CEOs in Nigeria. Taking advantage of trends, Somefun has resorted to tying certain blocks of the Unity Bank customer demographic to certain staff teams within the bank. The result of this decision is a new wave of banking services that is tailor-made for—and

therefore suits—every one of their customers.

Talk about customer satisfaction.

Somefun has also managed to reach equilibrium in her integration of traditional and modern banking. In a world where nearly everything is available at the click of a button, Somefun is pushing to have Unity Bank take the lead in these responsive, customerdeterministic services. So far, the digital service corner of the bank has closed in on its former objectives of awareness and utilisation. On to the next step.

Overall, Tomi Somefun is not a disappointment to her dazzling education or many chartered fellowships. This is what it means to be a visionary leader, a professional banker, and an excellent corporate paragon. If Unity Bank does not surpass its contemporaries with Somefun at the head of things, it might as well become a bookshop.

Belema Oil Founder, Tein Jack Rich Goes Low Profile The majority of high-profile Nigerians are chased out of public life and view because they or someone close to them sniffed, swiped or stole public funds. This is not the case with Belema Oil founder Tein Jack-Rich. His motivation for going under the radar is likely the rumours that have only begun to die down regarding his alleged romance with a Nollywood actress.

To say that the last few months have been a trial for the oil magnate and founder of Belema Oil Ltd is an understatement. The man was first accused of having swindled the entire country of several billion naira. But the accusations did not cause too much of a ripple. And yet, not long after, something else did, something worth significantly fewer naira—a Prado SUV. How the rumours started is something that has to be left to the mystics of social media and

gossip. What is certain is that folks woke up one morning and found that Nollywood actress, Destiny Etiko, had purchased a fine ride for herself—a Prado SUV. Unfortunately, Jack-Rich was soon roped into the matter as being the sponsor of this new ride. Still more, unfortunately, he was not identified as a nobenefit sponsor but as a paramour.

The first response of Jack-Rich did not accomplish much except to fan the flames.

In fact, it was his wife’s reaction—which was to post a photo depicting her happy self, happy husband, and happy union— that doused the fires a bit. These events and several others like them might have set the tone for the disappearance of Jack-Rich from public view. And so, the man has gone low profile with the likely intention of letting all the fires die down.

jack

Adelabu

Who is after Bayo Adelabu?

It has become apparent that there are sources of mischief that do not recognise boundaries and care nothing for truth. This is the logical conclusion after the proliferation of a brief video showing Chief Adebayo Adelabu dancing with Madam Florence Ajimobi, wife of the late All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain and former Governor of Oyo, Abiola Ajimobi. Negative insinuations were drawn out from the video, and so Adelabu has had to address the naysayers and set the record straight.

The short video showing Dr Florence Ajimobi smiling and dancing with several people, most notably the former Deputy Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and Agbaakin Parakoyi of Ibadanland, Chief Bayo Adelabu, has stirred up a hornet’s nest. According to the source (who started a thread of forwarding the video on WhatsApp), Madam Ajimobi’s happy mood on the oneyear anniversary of her husband’s death proved that people should try to enjoy their own lives and not care too much about others, especially their immediate family members.

However, Chief Adelabu has scored the insinuations as nothing but ill-intended mischief. He gave many reasons for the jovial mood of Madam Ajimobi and justified himself and every other person captured in the video.

According to the Agbaakin Parakoyi of Ibadanland, the video had nothing to do with the anniversary of the late governor’s death; that the reception event was organised for Oyo ALGON members a few days after their victory at the Supreme Court. He explained that Madam Ajimobi had stood with the Oyo ALGON members and deserved to celebrate with them. Moreover, he stated, she had been mourning nonstop for almost a year now and should not continue in that spirit. Thus, he and a few others took it upon themselves to rid her of the pain of bereavement.

Although Adelabu’s explanation has inspired some to sympathise with the Ajimobi, widow, others continue to strike at Adelabu, insinuating things that are better left unsaid. Evidently, the Agbaakin Parakoyi of Ibadanland is not the darling of all and sundry; a few people are after his downfall. And if they drag a mourning widow down with him, what is that to them?

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LOUD WHISPERS

with JOSEPH EDGAR (09095325791)

This House is on Fire It was Fela that sang confusion everywhere. It’s like we are going through another pandemic, but this time it is an orgy of violence.

Burning, murder, looting, kidnapping, banditry, everything violence is upon us.

Fear is everywhere; even Lagos that seemed immune from it all, has started. I hear they have started kidnapping, and Lekki has clicked the button

to register itself on this list of infamy. Every form of violence is upon us, and it is an orgy.

Helplessness everywhere and fear is now the daily companion of the people. This is not a piece seeking to blame anybody. Even the Presidency is not immune.

Abi, didn’t dey try to burgle the place the other day? I am sure the news go don tire oga. He go don drop him toothpick and be asking what exactly is going on.

The other day, they reported a soldier shooting down someone who decided to give him a ride from Port Harcourt to Akwa Ibom. He gunned down the guy in cold blood to steal his car. Diete Spiff’s Palace burnt down and looted, Imo, Owerri, Ebonyi, Akwa Ibom, everywhere. This is a season of anomie, and the people are nonetheless worse for it. Mad, that is all I can say. Mad.

Buhari

MEDICAL TERRORISTS – THEY’RE AT IT AGAIN! If you have not watched the video, please go and look for it or ask me, I will send it to you. It was the dreadlocked man lamenting the death of his brother at the hands of some people at a major tertiary institution in Lagos. He reeled out names and accused these five doctors pointedly of asking for bribes and negligence, leading to the death of his brother. Now, this is a pointed accusation and a specific allegation that I think should warrant a court case to clear the names of the persons mentioned. But as at the time of writing, all we have seen is a ‘corporate response’ filled with big, big medical terminologies that we do not understand that begs the questions raised. Please, my people in the stained white coat, the brother mentioned names, accused them of extortion and bribery, mentioned the amounts and called them out for what I truly really believe they are – thieves and murderers in white coats. Please, where EFCC is in this matter o? There has been obtaining by trick. Where is the police in this matter? There is an allegation of murder. Where is the Medical and Dental Council? There has been an allegation of incompetence leading to death? But seriously, if my name was on that list of infamy, I will not hide under any big medical terminology to be saying crap.

I will do everything within my powers to clear my name unless I am guilty. Big-big doctors, big CMD, all have been called ole, and they remain so until they clear their names. Nigerians are waiting.

Abi, should I call the names here again in case they didn’t hear their names?

this great loss. As for us Nigerians, wetin we go do again? We dey on autopilot. I tell you. Na wa.

LT. GEN. IBRAHIM ATTAHIRU – ADIEU A NIGERIAN HERO My real pain is in discovering this man after his death. You know the way Nigeria is, everybody had gone into Bola Ige’s siddon-look mode. So, when he was appointed, especially after the crap that was his predecessor’s tenure, I just said what else is new. But at the session he had with the National Assembly members, when they asked him something about arms funds or something like that, and he said go and ask my predecessor.

I dropped my morsel of Afang.

This was groundbreaking. It went against the grain of everything military, bursting the so-called esprit de corps and the seniority in the system and going for the jugular. I said to myself; this was a different man. But in my stupidity, I went back to my lethargy. His death hit, and we started seeing him in different colours. This guy meant well. This guy truly wanted to defeat the castrated enemies of our state. We now started seeing him jogging, doing press-ups, addressing his men and leading from the front. He was truly a general, not a desk one but one in the front, and then he died as they all do. The good ones never stay. It is the rotten tomatoes that will be sitting down there and be waiting to be evacuated. This is just so sad, so so sad. May God give his young family the courage to bear

BASHIR MAGAJI – HEARTLESS CONDOLENCE? The loss must have so touched him, so I really do not agree with all the bashing he has received from the media. In fact, a popular TV station took out about 15 minutes to laugh at him. My brother, even me after watching the video, tire. The man sounded like a drunken sailor, mumbling his words, mispronouncing the words, obliterating names and generally just mumbling like a Cele prophet in a trance. I totally understand. He must have been struck with grief that he lost all sense of his surroundings and self. He didn’t handle it well at all, not like a military man or even as a man. He distracted the people from mourning to his cacophony of crap. I pity him. He should have just declined and said, please leave me out. That is what I did at one of the events during Erelu’s passing.

They said Duke speak. I stood up, looked at all the beautiful women in the gathering – she really had very fine friends o - and just said, thank you, I am sorry, I cannot speak. The women surrounded me and hugged me. T his is what Oga should have done instead of standing there and be doing like a Klint da drunk. I perfectly understand his situation and really do wish that we in Nigeria never see this type of thing again. God help us.

Ehanire

Attahiru

Peller

GARBA SHEHU – CARELESS WHISPERS You see, all I have for oga is pity.

This work cannot be easy. I swear in his lonely moments, he will be crying and be asking himself who send me. His principal is not really the easiest to handle.

I can swear he will be begging that one, ‘megida, please just say something. Megida, please let us just show face, even if it is for one second. That one will be looking at him and be drinking kunu and be saying, ‘Garba, oya go handle them abeg, I tire. That one that does not have skills in telling tales like me will just come out and be saying things that will be making people be yabbing him. This work cannot be easy, and I am begging Nigerians at this time to back off a bit. Oga Shehu needs help if not understanding. Garba Shehu, you need a crash course in telling fibs. I can teach you. Look, if you have never been unfaithful to any woman in your life, you cannot do this work. You cannot come and be a faithful husband and think you can be a spokesman for this kind of government. See, cheating is one of the most difficult things to do in this life, and that is exactly what you and your government are doing - cheating on Nigerians, and you need to be sleek, nimble and flexible with a sack-load of stories to keep yourself in the game. It is not to be wearing blue brocade, carry cap like tea seller and be talking anyhow; that is why you are getting this heat.

Look, let me tell you one - Duchess catch me one day with one sleek babe in the car. It was during the lockdown, that time that they say we can go out shopping. So I

Shehu

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LOUD WHISPERS told her I was coming, that I was going to see my mother. Na so I go carry babe o go shopping. As I was coming back, babe said she wanted to buy something for market. That is how we see Duchess and her friend. See babe and me. I greet her, drop, go help Duchess with the market, pay for the things, give am extra money, hug her friend, enter my BMW drive off. All this while, I dey shake but I no show am, I no be Magaji, I be duke. When we got home, Duchess no talk.

I know she is planning evil. She is more dangerous when she no talk.

So, during the estate meeting at night, during the AOB, I stand up and confess that I was caught and that all the men should come and follow me beg, if not, I will expose all of them since I cannot go down alone. The place turn into mad laughter, and everybody started begging Duchess. You see how sleekness dey do these things and get you out of sticky situations. I ready to train you if you can humble yourself. Not this thing you are doing. You are worsening the whole thing with your arrogance and lack of tact. It’s not that difficult. Go cheat on your wife, let them catch you and attempt to talk your way out of it.

That is media aide 101. I dey teach you so.

DOMINIC JOSHUA – SHAME ON US! Abi, do we blame a 21-year-old who offered us a 60 per cent return on investment and took N2 billion out of us to live a lavish and exotic lifestyle? How will someone offer me 60 per cent for the life of me and I will now go and carry chop money and give him? A 21-year-old? No licence, nothing. Look, me, I even want to meet the boy. He must teach me the skills. Shey I have been here all my 22 years in investment banking trying to raise money. You will talk, talk, talk, and people will be looking at you and asking you questions like say they are Nobel laureates and then go and give this kind boy the money instead. Who is the mumu? The boy will cut a deal, return some funds, spend some years in gaol and come out smelling like a rose. His village people will even give him a chieftaincy title. Shame on us.

Na real shame on us. Mumu people.

Obaseki head and the thing go scatter, and then we will now know we have artefacts? Mbok, leave the thing where better people who understand the history and know what to do with them can handle them. Kai.

mumu. So we cannot cut a deal and ask people who really understand these things to keep the things and commission them as people pay to see them? State that cannot pay salary is seeing an opportunity and cannot take it? Shebi governor say him na investment banker, why can’t he see the opportunity here?

So they return the artefacts to Benin so that tomorrow hoodlums will come and vandalize and desecrate them like they just did to Diette

Spiff palace? What is the thing coming to do in Benin? Apart from ego and misplaced pride, what else is it coming to do in Nigeria?

Instead of us working with the people to organize for the thing to tour the world so we can earn forex on them? Even if na one teacher salary the money can pay, is it not better? It is until we bring the thing come so that when Oshiomhole and Obaseki start to fight again, one thug will now carry it and nack

SENATOR FLORENCE ITA GIWA – A VERY WRONG MOVE Well, she calls me son and I call her mummy. Her afang is the sweetest in the land. I know I have eaten it, and she remains one of the sweetest people you will ever meet. But today, I am sorry I have to say the truth to my mummy painfully. Mummy, when the prof moved, I saw a post from you saying, ‘where he leads you go.’ I prayed it was fake news, and a few days later, I saw a spurious appointment. The title of the position was so empty that it almost made me puke. Mummy, after all these years of selfless service, why do you offer yourself for such mimicry? Why na? This is really paining me. One would have thought that by now, you should be driven by principles and ideology, but to be driven by whatever is driving you right now is really paining me. I will sacrifice the afang, to tell the truth. This move is totally wrong, anti-people, antiideology and smirks of shallow and puerile positioning. I am sorry, mummy, if I cannot tell you the truth, then I am a bad son. If you are going to vex, please do not remove the privileges of getting the afang in total. You can ask them to remove one snail but do not go all out and ban me. I just had to say this. It’s a huge sacrifice I have to make for Nigeria. Ku yad eist ekanmi.

WIKE – PLEASE, DON’T THROW THAT SLAP Me, I sha like this Governor Wike, the man used to do like someone that has some screws lost somewhere. I like his brash, bold style in most cases, except when he went to bring down a hotel during Covid, I usually look forward to his tirades. Remember that one where he called all traditional rulers in his state and picked on one and said, ‘see this one, he is a small boy o. he used to run around in the streets, now he wears cloth and is causing confusion. Laugh nearly kill me. I have just watched another one now on AIT where he threatened to slap Aliyu.

Kai, Wike na you biko. He said, ‘I will just slap him’. I fell in laughter.

Great guy. We need this comic relief at this time. Great guy.

GODWIN OBASEKI – LEAVE ARTEFACTS ALONE When I hear people say they should return all the Benin monuments and artefacts taken away by the British, I just dey laugh. We are truly a country of

Wike

Joshua

Ita-Giwa

SHINA PELLER – IT’S HIGH TIME YOU SAID SORRY Bro Shina is my egbon, and Bro Magnus Onyibe is my biggest egbon and what I am hearing is not good o. Bro Shina be like say Bro Magnus is vexing for you o. What I am hearing is not good o, and we do not want to see Bro Magnus’ nudity o. The way smoke is coming out of his nose, it is looking like any minute from now, there will be an explosion. Bro Shina, whatever is the problem or in any way that you have annoyed Bro Magnus, kindly help make amends. I have been begging, but it is looking like my begging is not working.

Let us not scatter a 20-year-old father-son relationship just like that. Please reach out to Bro Magnus, and let’s settle this thing amicably. Thank you.

FIRST BANK – TRULY THE FIRST FOR ARTS Please, let me just put this here. If institutions are doing well, let’s say it. First Bank, through its very hard-working team, has been supporting Arts phenomenally.

You will not understand what I am talking about. The entertainment industry is employing youths, and in a double-digit unemployment situation, anything or institution that is supporting job creation must be encouraged. One out of three Nigerians who are employable is jobless. Fact. The pandemic almost obliterated the N3trillion sector, starving off funds, pausing productions and throwing creatives into chaos. But thru it all, First Bank stood. I was shocked when beautiful Folake Anni-Mumunney placed a call to me last December in the heat of the second wave to say, ‘Edgar, if you meet all pandemic protocols, we will support your show’. I wept. Lagos Safety Commission had already given us clearance and was on the ground with their Safety Marshalls to ensure every protocol was kept, so we were good. Most corporations were hesitant, and rightly so. But these young actors had not eaten or earned a decent living that year. FBN shone through, and we had a wonderful event, and the boys had a good Christmas. They didn’t do this just for me but a good number who met the protocols. Me, I will just say thank you and encourage them to do more. Arts has the potential of bringing us out of the economic woods, and with this kind of support, the future is secure. Well done, guys.

FEMI OMOTOSO – ADVANCE SHOUTOUT This my bro, Access Bank big boy and ex-GTB honcho will be 50 in some days. A great friend and wonderful brother wey never buy any ticket to see my Play before – I just dey look am. Highly cerebral and a man of God who I really do believe is one of the rare gems on this side of the Atlantic. He continues to earn my respect. I wish him a happy day in advance and God’s eternal blessing. Well done, bro.

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THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ ͱͮ˜ ͰͮͰͯ

Adebayo Adeoye bayoolunla@gmail.com; 08054680651

LG Polls: Femi Gbajabiamila’s Autocratic Style

Nwoko

Figuring out Billionaire Businessman Ned Nwoko’s Many ‘Sins’

N

o doubt, billionaire businessman and former lawmaker, Ned Nwoko, has wormed his way into the hearts of his people on account of his selfless service to humanity.

His kinsmen love him for transforming his otherwise serene town into a mini-cosmopolitan city with dozens of eye-popping properties. The business tycoon has spent - and is still spending - billions of naira of his money to build quality infrastructure, including roads, hospitals, among several others, in the town.

Besides, he has also continued to give scholarships and grants to indigent students and skilled people. Also, he is currently building a sports university in the serene agrarian community of Idumuje-Igboko, Delta. The Sports Technology and Arts University, otherwise called STAR University, will offer professional first degree certificates in sports-related fields.

Upon completion, the multimilliondollar project, as disclosed by a source, will have a three-floor academic building, top-scale arts library, medical centres, Olympic-size swimming pool, and standard pitches for football, hockey, and baseball, and a five-star hotel.

Despite his almost unmatched philanthropy, particularly for the people of his community, Nwoko, supposed to be a hero, is now an object of corrosive attacks by vile folks because of misconceptions about him.

The former member of the House of Representatives has suffered many criticisms, bad stabbing, and betrayal from some people whom our source described as ‘disgruntled elements’ of his community, who would stop at nothing to malign his reputation. It was also revealed that his critics had been sponsoring news on the online media just to tarnish his hard-earned reputation. Talking about the recent attack on Nwoko, a source said: “Before now, the only ‘sin’ of Prince Ned was that he married a young Nollywood actress.

Every news and every social media attack was centred on his marriage and the speculations that he might marry another wife after the actress.”

“When TV reality star, Nengi paid him a courtesy call, many raised eyebrows on social media if Nengi would be the next wife, especially as the former lawmaker in a BBC interview had stated that he could marry more wives if he wanted to,”another source said.

However, it appears that the calling out of the former lawmaker has now gone beyond speculations. This time, he is being accused of land grabbing, police molestation, and others.

Society Watch gathered that trouble started when one Pamela Uzor Ifejoku took to Twitter to call out the prominent lawyer to release her father, Okey Ifejoku, from detention.

Power, especially political power, is transient. Yet, it is also sweet. It seems the speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, has willfully chosen not to recognise the transient nature of power.

He has tasted its proverbial sweetness so much that he wants to continue to gorge himself on it. Obviously blindfolded by power, the Lagos State-born politician has reportedly aggressively been using his political clout to actualise his dream by building a strong structure.

It was gathered that Nigeria’s number four-man is capitalising on the forthcoming local government elections in Lagos State to strengthen his grip on power further.

A source revealed that the speaker, penultimate week, pressured aspirants vying for chairmanship and councillorship positions in Surulere local government area to step down for his protégés.

Gbajabiamila, who has been representing the local government in the House of Representatives in the last 18 years, handed down the orders at a meeting attended by a few aspirants and his loyalists on Tuesday at the Air Force Base, Kofo Abayomi Street, Victoria Island. An audio recording of the meeting had Gbajabiamila telling the aspirants that it was an “order from above.”

He said: “Leaders at the topmost echelon of the party, when the list (of aspirants) emerged, beckoned on me. They said, ‘Mr Speaker, nine aspirants are vying for the chairmanship position in your constituency, which is untoward.’

“We cannot be from the same family and not able to talk to ourselves. Stones are not

used in purchasing party nomination forms. I did not know the aspirants have such money as to be able to purchase nomination forms in their numbers, and they would be saying there is no money.”

He added, “Though we know we are practising democracy, on the other hand, it is a shameful thing (to have aspirants in such numbers).

It will turn friends into foes.

“It does not augur well to see nine chairmanship aspirants file out for the primaries because such a development portends unforeseen consequences. We must find how to streamline the number of aspirants. This is an order, and you all know where such an order is coming from. You all know that I have just one leader (Asiwaju Bola Tinubu). I don’t have two. And, this is the way to go.”

Gbajabiamila is said to be rooting for his longtime protégé, Sulaiman Bamidele Yussuf, for the chairmanship position. Like his political godfather, Yussuf has served in various administrations in Surulere LGAcumulatively for 18 years. He is currently the council vice-chairman, the same position he held in the previous dispensation.

Before becoming Vice Chairman, Yussuf was a councillor and supervisor respectively at different times. Under the auspices of ‘Awalokan’ (it’s our turn), Yussuf’s supporters expressed confidence he would dispense freely with public funds and offer them patronage. However, some chairmanship and councillorship aspirants have kicked against the speaker’s perceived “autocratic style.”

Similarly, councillorship aspirants were equally told to forgo their aspirations to allow the nine incumbent councillors to emerge consensus candidates for the July 24, 2021, local government polls. According to a source,

Gbajabiamila

Gbajabiamila allegedly promised an aspirant juicy appointments and contracts when he takes over from Governor Babajide SanwoOlu in 2023.

However, in a swift response, the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in a press conference, denied the allegation of imposition. He warned that people should stop dropping his name for their political selfishness. This, it was further gathered, was a shocker to Gbajabiamila. Since then, he has reportedly become a laughing stock among his political rivals.

Princess Fifi Ejindu’s Birthday Devoid of Fanfare

E#jindu

Ravishingly beautiful Princess Fifi Ekanem Ejindu’s style and poise are certainly out of this world.

Apart from her beauty and uncommon gene, the great-granddaughter of King James Ekpo Bassey of Cobham Town in Calabar, Cross Rivers State, is also blessed with the proverbial Midas touch. Everything she touches turns into gold.

The aristocratic billionaire, a cosmopolitan businesswoman, philanthropist, and style icon, is often described as a restless soul driven by an ambition to rule her world.

As far as she is concerned, opportunities abide everywhere, except for those who have set some limitations for themselves. On May 21, 2021, the highly intelligent woman turned 59 in a blaze of glory.

However, the birthday celebration was devoid of the usual fanfare, as she spent the greater part of the day in prayers.

“Interestingly, many don’t really understand that in spite of her successful career, she has not

allowed fame, success, and stardom to turn her head. She recognises that only God is the unseen hand behind her success story, and she submits absolutely to his will,” a source revealed.

Despite her very engaging daily schedule, she worships God as would be expected of a grateful soul. A devout Christian, she spends her spare time in total worship of God; and she doesn’t make any move or take any step without seeking divine guidance.

Indeed, her armour against failure is ceaseless prayers. And many of her friends are always amazed at her humility and her total dependence on God in the most critical decisions of her life.

Another source hinted that the elegant woman would be rolling out the drums next year when she hits the Diamond age. The celebration, it was learnt, would certainly dwarf her 50th birthday party nine years ago in Dubai.

Celebrating Oba Oladunni Ajagungbade’s Outstanding Achievements at 95 It was Prof Femi Osofisan, an acclaimed literary giant, who aptly titled one of his awardwinning plays ‘Birthdays Are Not For Dying.’

Indeed, birthdays are supposed to be occasions for the celebration of life by the living.

Birthdays are also a period when the celebrator takes stock of his or her life and feels like climbing the mountaintop to shout Hallelujah.

Undoubtedly, if any human is currently experiencing the proverbial seventh heaven, typical of a woman safely delivered of a baby, it is no other than the revered monarch Soun of Ogbomosoland, Oba Oladunni Oyewumi Ajagungbade III. As the Royal Majesty celebrated his 95th birthday last Thursday, not a few shared in his joy. The reason is that the “birthday boy” means many things to many people in and outside the country.

Although the king opted for a low-key celebration due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many could not but celebrate the well-respected and renowned first-class monarch, who has used his financial resources and network of contacts to attract robust connections over the years for the development of his domain.

A good number of his loyal chiefs, subjects,

friends, including Otunba Funsho Lawal, an oil and gas top player, and Maaye of Ogbomoso sponsored congratulatory adverts celebrating the birthday of the eminent king. It is clear that the sponsors of the respective adverts had spent a fortune to appreciate the man while also celebrating his outstanding feats in life.

Indeed, the contents of the adverts speak volumes of his enviable place in the Nigerian royalty. Known for his humility and selflessness, Oba Oyewumi, said to have politely declined gestures by his subjects, friends, and associates to throw a lavish party in commemoration of the occasion, stressed that he appreciates their show of unconditional love and kind gestures.

Society Watch gathered that the birthday was celebrated by his children at the private residence of the nonagenarian monarch.

Born on May 27, 1926, to the Gbagun ruling house of the royal family of Soun of Ogbomosoland, his father and grandfather, Oba Bello Oyewumi Ajagungbade II, reigned from 1916 to 1940 and Oba Gbagungboye Ajamasa Ajagungbade I, reigned from 1869 to 1871, respectively. His great grandfather, Oba Oluwusi Aremu, also reigned from 1826 to 1840.

Ajagungbade

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ JUNE 24 2012

ARTS & REVIEW

A

PUBLICATION

30.05.2021

VETERAN AFRICAN WRITERS AND THE BURDEN OF MEMORY At the first of the series titled ‘Conversation with Veteran Writers Series’ hosted by the Pan African Writers Association (PAWA), Dr Wiebe Boer probed into the world of the first generation of African writers during an interview session with the Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka. Yinka Olatunbosun reports

T

he fake news on social media may not be the only thing that irks Prof. Wole Soyinka; a person may pose as a scholar to make a baseless claim that could question his integrity as well as those of other writers of his generation. That was the conflict in the plot of this conversation with Dr. Wiebe Boer, a former Associate Director at the Rockefeller Foundation. Born and raised in Jos, Boer reminisced on some moments of mundane activities before the session took on a more critical dimension. Soyinka brought to the fore a matter that many in the literary circles had been silently curious about.

“It is a racist attack for someone to sit down some whether and write that African writers are CIAprotégées. I find it obnoxiously racist,’’ Soyinka remarked. He further recounted how some elements had dug into his personal life to recount of the days he made regular visits to the United States of America, asserting that he has some affiliations with the CIA. That was the history behind one of his Intervention Book series titled “Trumpism in Academe: The Example of Caroline Davis and Spahring Partners.” It was a rejoinder to the claim that Soyinka had some connections with the CIA. When asked how he felt about this claim by the writers, he had two words: ‘anger' and ‘rage.’ He had to jettison the thought of staging a drama production to write this book. Soyinka always expresses his regrets for the errors in the first edition of the book which he explained to Boer as being hurried done.

Another scholar claimed in an online publication that the CIA was the most active and influential patron of African Anglophone Literature during the 1960s. In addition, he wrote that CIAfunded many first generation African writers through its European affiliate, the Congress for Cultural Freedom. Reportedly, the CIA monies reached nearly all Anglophone African intellectuals but the real source of the funding was hidden from the recipients.

Soyinka had to set the record straight not only for himself but for the sake of other first generation writers many of whom are not alive to read or defend themselves against the claim by the writers. With the burden of memory of this past on his mind, Soyinka explained that many leading scholars today are organized in elite clubs which receive funds as grants from donor organizations, many of which may not be known to them. Still, he argued that he had no dealing of any sort with CIAto incur such scrutiny and attack from the writers of such distorted historical accounts. For him, there is no question on his morality as regards his merit as a writer of conscience.

Boer was curious as to how he has remained humble despite being one of the most sought-after scholars in the world.

“Maybe I was just lucky to have been brought up the way I was. Achild or every individual grows up with examples of life choices and will eventually make a choice. Why is it that someone makes a choice and others make another? That is a question for

L-R: Prof. Wole Soyinka and Dr. Wiebe Boer psychologists and religious people. It could be because I witnessed political agitations as child and I formed humanists’ lessons from those agitations. I asked questions. I was very inquisitive as a child and somehow along the line, I was able to create a moral pin for myself. There are certain principles I live by that made it difficult for me to be affected by the notoriety and fame. Fortunately, I was never raped as a child. I was not corrupted by wealth. That’s a fact of life. When I am broke, I do things that I love and I feel like I am living a very rich life, even when such things are risks-laden. There is a satisfaction when I come through. And if I don’t come through the way I want to, there are lessons to be learnt,’’ he said.

While reflecting on his latest prose titled “Chronicles of the Happiest People on Earth,’’ Soyinka described the process of writing and completing the book as “hard labour.’’

“We are entitled to the truth about ourselves. We spent all of our lives protecting our freedom of expression,’’ he remarked.

Part of the truths he told in the book is on the theme of corruption using real life stereotypes in government and religion. As a restless humanist, he raised the question of what really should define an individual as a human, citing an example of a father who defiles his daughter for years and was later joined in the dastardly act by

his son.

“We need to re-examine the use of the word and its definitions.

Is that act human? Does the perpetrator of the act deserve the honour or categorization of being considered as human? Certain forms of conduct for me place such people as below the expression of human; not entitled to protocols of the community. It is a very delicate issue, a very complex one but anyone who has been in this society, this struggle called Nigeria today in the past 10 or 15 years must surely from time to time be addressing that question internally even if not expressed externally,’’ he said.

Soyinka also blamed corruption on Nigeria’s colonial roots and how the colonial public servants were indoctrinated into the act.

“The colonial mentality still plagues many of our people- the distortion of values. And in addition, the British contributed to the mess that we are today. In some of their writings, the British civil servants forged the census figures and rigged the elections. One civil servant named Smith wrote in his book that ‘Nigerians didn’t invent rigging, we taught them.’ I couldn’t physically strangle them but as a writer, I took my revenge doing what I do best,’’ he said, smiling. The first of its kind, the series had as moderator, PAWAPresident, Dr. Wale Okediran.

BOOK REVIEW

King Dakolo’s Literary Account of Oil Theft in the Niger Delta Yinka Olatunbosun

I

n anticipation of his book launch next Month in Yenagoa, his Royal Majesty, King Bubaraye Dakolo, the Ibenanaowei of Ekpetiama Kingdom in Bayelsa State has given a glimpse of what to expect in an electronic interview. The Ijaw Monarch who is also a security expert, former military officer and a Nigerian Civil War survivor, has documented his insider perspective on the insecurity challenges with the Niger-Delta and what he referred to as a ‘grand-scale oil theft.’ Titled, The Riddle of the Oil Thief, the book captures the poor living conditions of a people in a region where poverty is rife amid stupendous oil deposit.

In the new book published by Purple Shelves, the king discussed about possible solutions to the region and other parts of the country.

“I was born in the mid-60s at Otuabagi

Ogbia my maternal community,’’ he began.

“Otuabagi was where the first ever commercially viable crude oil well was drilled in Nigeria in 1956. From the residential quarters of Nigeria’s pioneer refinery at Alesa Eleme, where I lived with my father and siblings. I joined other children in walking the approximately 4km long distance on the NPRC giant pipelines to and from my Ibuluya Dikibo State School, Okrika in Rivers State from 1970 to 1976. From our classrooms, oil pipelines beckoned on us from the front, while the sights and sounds of oceangoing petroleum tankers lifting crude oil from the nearby Refinery Jetty at the Okrika Peninsula called out to us from behind. These constant distractions spun and steered my curiosity about crude petroleum.’’

He would later return to Otuabagi in 1976 for his secondary education at the abandoned first operational headquarters (HQ) of Shell in Nigeria, at the Oloibiri Oilfield where he had a first whiff of the dangers posed by oil exploration.

“In that location which stank – and still stinks – with the mess of the early oil and gas industry in Nigeria, I was exposed first-hand to more of the undocumented activities of the petroleum sector players of the time as they still dripped

fresh. I concluded my secondary education at Saint Aquinas Secondary School Elele, in 1982,’’ he recalled.

After his studies at the Rivers State University, and the University of Port Harcourt, he enlisted and trained as an officer Cadet of the 38th Regular Course of Nigeria’s pioneer military academy, NDA, Kaduna, from 1986, and subsequently studied the subject of security at the post graduate level. His experience with gas flaring inspired him to serve his community in different capacities. For instance, he had served as Chairman, Companies and Contractors Monitoring Committee for Ayainbiri amongst other roles.

“I live in the Nun Riverbank community of Gbarantoru in Ekpetiama Kingdom within 500 metres of one of the most intimidating gas flares in the world. The Gbaran/ Ubie Project has been gassing us ceaselessly for years too; so oil and gas issues have been part and parcel of my life. They still poke me, choke me, and stare me in the face every day. The said facility siphons gas equivalent of over 60,000 barrels of crude

oil daily. That is over one billion naira.

“Having grown to become a staunch advocate for a cleaner better natural environment, being the ultimate Nun River Keeper, I have long toured many oil and gas facilities in the Niger Delta. I can say I have continued to live the avoidable shame of the oil sector in Nigeria- the pervading insecurity it has created,’’ he revealed.

Read full article online - www.thisdaylive.com

EDITOR OKECHUKWU UWAEZUOKE/ okechukwu.uwaezuoke@thisdaylive.com

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T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ MAY 30, 2021

CICERO

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

IN THE ARENA

2023: Who’s Targeting INEC’s Assets?

The destruction of INEC’s electoral assets by shadowy non-state actors is a sure way of undermining democracy and further destabilising the nation, writes Louis Achi

T

HEe laundry list of sundry malfeasances in the country lengthens by the day. But the brazen targeting and destruction of critical assets of the nation’s electoral umpire simply signals a deleterious agenda. Curiously, the unfolding scenario is perhaps only matched by the apparent lethargic ineffectiveness of the state in putting down the brash criminality and enforcing order.

On Thursday, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), in the eye of the storm, put the subject matter in context, when it revealed that the agency had recorded a total of 41 incidents involving deliberate attacks on its facilities in the last two years.

“No doubt, the last few weeks have been very challenging to the commission. The spate of arson and vandalism targeting the commission’s facilities and property has become a major threat to our scheduled activities and the entire electoral process,” an alarmed INEC chairman, Prof.

Mahmood Yakubu, had stated.

Although INEC said it was still assessing its losses during recent attacks, it noted that “preliminary assessment so far indicates that the commission lost 1,105 ballot boxes, 694 President Buhari voting cubicles, 429 electricity generating targeting INEC’s assets seemed isolated, occasional sets and 13 utility vehicles (Toyota Hilux).” actions.

Yakubu, who said this at the commission’s But today, they have become more frequent emergency meeting with security agencies under and systematic. Emerging theories that they are the auspices of the Inter-Agency Consultative designed to demobilise and dismantle critical Committee on Election Security (ICCES), revealed electoral infrastructure in the country are gaining that nine of these incidents happened in 2019 and validation. If these attacks continue unchecked, 21 cases in 2020. they would not only undermine INEC’s capacity to His words: “In the last four weeks, 11 offices of organise elections and other electoral activities but the commission were either set ablaze or vandalwill also damage the nation’s electoral process and ised,” said the INEC boss, adding that, “two of the incidents were caused by Boko Haram and bandits’ democracy.

Worse, attacks on INEC facilities are scaling up attacks while 10 resulted from thuggery during in the South-East and South-South. election and post-election violence.”

Significantly, the National Security Adviser More, he noted that, “29 out of the 41 attacks (NSA), Maj.-Gen. Babagana Monguno (rtd.), who were unrelated to elections or electoral activities,” is also Co-Chair of ICCES, said his office was stressing that “18 of the attacks occurred during working with other agencies to collaborate with the EndSARS protest in October last year while INEC to sustain Nigeria’s democracy. But the NSA 11 were organised by unknown “gunmen” and certainly needs to go beyond rhetoric and ap“hoodlums.” propriately deploy his agency’s intelligence assets According to the INEC boss, by working to pre-empt such attacks by non-state actors in the together with security agencies, the commission would stem the tide of attacks and wanton destruc- first place.

On his part, the acting Inspector-General of tion of critical electoral assets.

Police, Alkali Usman Baba, pledged the commitClearly, attacks on the commission’s facilities ment of the police to lead in policing elections bode ill for the country and should be treated as a and working with other security agencies. He also national security emergency. Initially, these attacks

pledged that the police at the state commands would also work with INEC’s RECs to replicate the collaboration at state levels for peaceful elections.

But just like in the NSA case, the IGP also needs to go beyond rhetoric and take needful action.

Even police facilities and personnel have come under increasing attacks. If there are challenges hindering the efficient service delivery of his strategic organisation, it is within his remit to play these up before appropriate quarters for redress.

Beside the structural and organisational challenges intrinsic in managing the electoral process, the increasing and disruptive acts of violence and terrorism, which is scaling up currently, render the operating environment even more toxic and unquestionably, contribute to the raft of challenges faced by INEC in fulfilling its statutory mandate.

The security agencies must also dig deeper to cage the emerging war against the electoral assets of INEC. But, perhaps, most importantly, there are fundamental triggers that birth these depredations.

These touch on core issues of statehood and are driving the current socio-political, security and economic ferment on all fronts. They must be addressed for the troubled national journey to be stabilised and make meaningful progress.

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

Nigeria’s Unthinking Senate

O Lawan

ne thing that’s almost a given is the fact that it’s not difficult to assess the Nigerian senate. Its thought-process is the giveaway.

Peopled by a bunch with feeble mindset, it takes nothing to deconstruct their thinking or response level. Unfortunately, this appears to be hitting really hard lately following the nation’s multi-faceted challenges, chief of which is the growing insecurity.

Days back, the senate proposed a bill that would send ransom payers to about 15 years in prison. Just like that! For context, if the law pulls through, what the senate is saying in essence is that once anyone is kidnapped, his or her people must resign to fate, because the nation’s security agencies are not going to help anyway.

How does the highest lawmaking body of any nation just jumps up to proposing such a despicable bill without first addressing issues that are surrounding the seeming helplessness? Which parent, relative or guardian wants to save up only to give all and in some cases, borrow more to rescue their people? So, why are the payers od ransom the target of this proposed obnoxious law and not the criminals as well as the evidently helpless security operatives?

Without mincing words, this particular Nigerian senate, and indeed, the National Assembly, is afflicted. Her people have an incredibly poor mindset, which often makes them think in the reverse.These are not the best of men any forward-thinking nation should elected to think for them.

Interestingly, they’ve never failed to live true to who they are. Disappointing lot!

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ MAY 30, 2021

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BRIEFINGNOTES

President Muhammadu Buhari, Olusegun Obasanjo, Goodluck Jonathan and Atiku Abubakar ar at a meeting

Secession Isn’t An Option Breaking up Nigeria isn’t the solution to her many challenges, writes Tobi Soniyi

S

ince Nigeria returned to democracy in 1999, agitation for separation fueled by ethnic nationalism has never been this strident. Those who hitherto did not believe that the country could break up nowclaimed to have changed their minds, citing ominous dark clouds gathering over the country.

What is happening in the Southeast is looking more like an insurgency. It is wishful thinking to assume that it could not happen in the west. There is an uneasy calm in the South-south. There is tension in the middle belt. Northwest has been crippled by banditry and kidnapping. The northeast is ravaged by Boko Haram. Leaders are crawling into their ethnic shells. Many are beginning to think that life could be safer and better under their own ethnic enclave. A united Nigeria is currently killing the euphoria that came with independence in 1960.

This agitation is being fueled by perceived injustice arising from the imbalance in the structure of the country. The immediate cause, however, is the inability of President Muhammadu Buhari to recognise and manage the nation’s faultlines.

When Umar Musa Yar’Adua became the president, Niger Delta militants were going to make the country ungovernable for him just like Nnamdi Kanu of the proscribed Indegenous Peoples of Biafra did when Buhari became president in 2015.

They both adopted different approaches. While Yar’Adua recognised the injustice the Niger Delta had been subjected to, and adopted an inclusive policy – the amnesty programme, Buhari adopted a divisible approach, sending soldiers after IPOB and proscribing the group. The relative peace in the Niger Delta still endures till today. Yar’Adua gave the militants a sense of belonging.

Presented with an opportunity to bring the Igbos back into the fold, Buhari adopted a military option. The result is evident in the insecurity now threatening to consume the southeast. He didn’t stop there. Buhari further set a dangerous precedent by excluding the Igbos from security agencies in Nigeria. Northerners will cry foul if a president from the south fails to appoint Hausa/Fulani to head at least one of the security agencies in the country.

However, just as there cannot be peace without justice, cutting the head off is not the cure for headache. Balkanising Nigeria is not the solution to the challenges the country faces.

Administratively, there is a lot the president can do to douse tension. A president, who cares about his country and the people would have by now decisively resolved the herder-farmer crisis that has pitted the north against the south. It is the failure of the president to lead that forced the southern governors to fill the leadership vacuum created by the president.

A certain Sunday Igboho would have nothing to base his campaign for an Oduduwa nation if the president had stopped Fulani herdsmen from terrorising his people in the Southwest.

Buhari can render Nnamdi Kanu unpopular in the east by bringing the Igbos closer and addressingsquarely, issues affecting the region. For instance, what injury will the president suffer if someone from the South east is appointed to head one of the security agencies?

Governors are also not without fault. Any state wishing to prohibit open grazing could have acquired a piece of land, put in the necessary facilities and order herders to move their herds there. There wouldbe a cost for herders to bear, but states can lead in this direction. The state can then ban open grazing and arrest anyone grazing openly. It should be obvious to us all that even the herdsmen need help, because the fact that the federal

government has failed them does not mean states should also fail them.

Lack of tolerance, not only on the part of leaders but among ordinary Nigerian, is another factor driving the agitation.

By population, Nigeria is the biggest country in Africa.

That, ordinarily, is an advantage that should work for all. But by playing one ethnic group against another, the humongous population has become a liability to Nigeria.

For too long, the senators and members of the House of Representatives sit-by idly as Buhari ruthlessly ride roughshod over the country. Today, many of them cannot travel to their constituencies and districts by road for fear of attacks.

The National Assembly can redeem its battered image by using the opportunity provided by the ongoing constitutional review to correct structural imbalances already identified by advocates of restructuring.

A cut and paste amendment would not do. The National Assembly should go deeper by involving more Nigerians in the process. The country is not going to get a perfect constitution but can have one that satisfies all ethnic nationalities.

The calls to divide Nigeria along ethnic lines should be a wake up call for all, not just the leaders. For the citizens, one of the ways they can help in electing a leader that will work for the unity of the country is to make sure they register to vote. During elections, they should support a candidate that will work for all.

Nigeria’s strength lies in our unity. There cannot be unity without justice. This president has failed to do justice to all.

Those thinking that the president could shoot his way out of the present crisis should have a rethink. With the best efforts and intention, the president has not been able to shoot his way out of the Boko Haram insurgency. It is not too late to retrace the current steps the nation is taking.

NOTES FOR FILE

A Wakeup Call for the Military

Minister of Defence, Bashir Magashi

The plane crash, penultimate Friday, involving a former Chief of Army Staff, Ibrahim Attahiru and 10 others, obviously raised more questions than answers and understandably so. The world over, the military is one of the most disciplined and professional institutions with a high level of proficiency. It also explains why the military is always called in to help whenever there’s a crisis of any sort.

But, how the military planes have suddenly become vulnerable in the air is definitely a cause for concern.

It is true that accidents do happen, but largely, a

majority of the accidents are preventable, because this is the military hence many Nigerians are worried that military planes are crashing more than commercial flights that hardly get their kind of solid maintenance.

This, therefore, is a wakeup call for the military.

There’s, arguably, a need for an overhaul of their maintenance sector and importantly, an investigation into the recent crashes with a view to identifying the actual problem and fixing it with speed. This is the military and such embarrassing human errors should not be associated with it or glossed over.

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CICERO/REPORT

When Ayade formally joined APC

What’s Ayade’s Political Net Worth?

With Cross River State Governor, Ben Ayade’s defection to the ruling APC, the PDP needs to put on its thinking cap ahead of 2023, writes Bassey Inayng

O

n May 20, 2021, the Cross River State Governor, Professor Ben Ayade, defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the platform on which he was elected in 2015, and joined the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The immediate consequence of Ayade’s dumping of the PDP, swiftly changed the roles of the parties in the polity of the state with the APC becoming the ruling party, and the PDP becoming the leading opposition party, after dominating political affairs of the state for 22 years, since 1999.

The turn of fortunes for the PDP confirmed the threat issued

by Ayade in March this year, when he warned that he would change the political configuration of the state, if one more injustice was done to him by the party.

“I cannot blind myself to the challenges of PDP and decide not to know what to do at the right time for their (Cross River State’s) sake. I know you are somebody that doesn’t take injustice. One single injustice they will see a new Cross River State. And I say it as a warning, because it does appears that your party seems to celebrate people, who threaten and stress them,” he said.

It is not clear whether another injustice was done to him, before he made good his threat to change the political configuration of the state, at least for now, by ensuring that his former party became the main opposition party in Cross River State.

However, having actualised his threat, will he be able to sustain it, and defeat the PDP in 2023? Former governor Liyel Imoke appears set to prove Ayade wrong in due season.

About three days after Ayade left, Imoke while addressing PDP stakeholders on Sunday night at Transcorp Metropolitan Hotel, Calabar, boasted that the PDP would be stronger without Ayade.

“I thought I have retired in politics. I was retiring in bits and handing over to some people, but I had to come back at this time.

Our tradition in PDP was destroyed, so, we have to come back.

Our politics is sweet; we don’t play politics of fear. We don’t play politics of intimidation, and we don’t play politics of harassment.

PDP is not dead in Cross River State.

“He left at his own volition, and his movement is divine, because those who made the PDP what it is at the grassroots in the state are still in the party and the party will be stronger without Ayade. The party does not belong to the governor. We are taking it back to the people. I won’t talk much today, so we don’t reveal our secrets. We are not going to reveal the secrets of our strategy.

“We are just putting everyone on notice that the PDP is back.

For those who don’t come from Cross River State, you will have to understand that Cross River State is a PDP state. The movement of one person does not change that fact. Even among those who have moved, plenty of them call me and say,’’Oga, e get as things be. Make we just move. We no join, we dey come....”

All things being equal, with Ayade’s defection, the state is set for an epic battle between political forces loyal to Ayade of the APC, and those loyal to the opposition party, the PDP in the state led by Ayade’s predecessor, and its defacto leader, Senator Liyel Imoke.

The battle, which has just ensued es expected to peak in the 2023 general election, when both opposing forces fight for the elective positions.

To the average politician, and politically exposed person in the state, Ayade isn’t a very popular politician, perhaps, not as popular as Imoke, who literally made him governor in 2015, and certainly not as street-popular as Donald Duke, who was the governor between 1999 and 2007.

This factor is largely responsible for the level of opposition he suffered in the hands of the PDP establishment in the state, represented by most of those, who funded the party in 1998, and some of the 10-member strong PDP caucus in the National Assembly.

In September 2016, the PDP denied Ayade outright at the Supreme court and urged the court to declare the appellant Mr. Joe Agi, SAN, governor-elect of Cross River State, following a case of perjury instituted by the plaintiff, who came second to Ayade at the PDP governorship ahead of the 2015 general election. Ayade survived the Agi appeal, because the Supreme court rejected the plea of his party.

Again, it is generally known that Ayade was literally forced to engage in trade-by-batter against some of those he favoured to fly the flag of the PDP, especially, for National Assembly seats during the 2019 polls. At an outing sometime in November 2018, after the primarily elections preparatory to the 2019 polls, Ayade, who is usually emotional, complained about the treatment meted out by the PDP to Chief Chris Agara, who was one of the leading senatorial aspirants for the central zone of the state before he was disqualified by the party.

Speaking at the launch of the State Microfinace Bank, Ayade lamented: “But God is strong. God has shamed them. If that is all we have achieved in this politics – that blood is stronger than politics. That is what Chris Agara has demonstrated. That inspite of it all, he has spent more money than any other candidate in this state, a party that is so unfair and has got no conscience. A man came ready for election and you take out his name from the ballot.

“You take out his name because you know he is too powerful.

When people use God-given opportunities to do injustice, injustice would wait for them. So for my brother, I asked you to be strong and abide in the faith of God, because it is God’s will.

But for those who the devil has used to stop the instrumentality, challenge and direction of God at the fullness of time, Holy Ghost would visit them with their own mighty fire.

“The devil will rise, the demon will rise, but Jesus, when he rises, he would quench all of them and he has brought peace and calm; he has brought tranquility; he has restored brotherhood and in his own words, it has only deepened our brotherhood. We would put them to shame. He is going to direct the campaign, direct the politics, direct the future, and together, we would build a better Cross River State.”

Yet, despite declaring open frustration with the PDP, and hoping that a day would come for the emergence of a new Cross River State, the party supported him and ensured he got a second term. It was like empowering one’s foe, if not future foe even when the signs were ominous.

Ayade’s greatest political strength is his ability to make himself underrated by his opponents, until they are boxed into a tight conner where his support or lack of it would either lead to the political survival or destruction of his opponents.

In 2015, Ayade from the blues, and even without a campaign

secretariat or campaign poster became governor, mostly because the PDP establishment then, which was confronted by an implosion needed help desperately, and he provided the much needed help without hurting the main opponents of the establishment.

In 2019, despite complaints from the sidelines and scheming to upstage and stop him from having a second term, Ayade triumphed again, because the PDP knew the implication of discarding a sitting governor while being confronted by no less a formidable opponent with “federal might” as the APC. It is obvious the PDP thought it wise and rightly so, not to fight from two fronts: one against a sitting governor, and against the APC, whoever their candidate would be. So, Ayade got his second term, and all the candidates of the PDP, except one – the PDP candidate for Abi/Yakurr Federal Constituency –where Imoke’s homestead is located, won their elections.

Besides, Ayade’s strength lay very much in the zoning formula for election of the governor since 1999, even though the most obvious zoning was done in 2015, when the major parties, the PDP and the APC presented candidates from the Northern senatorial district, where he hails from.

The zoning formula helped Ayade to rally support across the state, especially, from the Southern Senatorial District, which believes it is their turn to produce governor in 2023, and the Northern Senatorial District, where he hails from. Of course, supporters of the zoning formula in the PDP even voted for him against Senator John Owan-Eno, who flew the governorship flag of the APC under very internally rancorous environment. The zoning formula would definitely play a serious factor between the PDP and the APC in 2023.

Currently, more than 80 per cent of Ayade’s about 6,000 political appointees have defected with him to the APC and so also, the Deputy Governor, Professor Ivara Esu. At least, two House of Representatives members have joined him, a senator has joined him, and at least 18 members of the 25-member state House of Assembly, including the speaker and his deputy are now carrying the broom with Ayade.

Almost all the elected councillors and the 18 local council chairmen have moved with Ayade to the APC. For now, the defection of these categories of people is a huge loss to the PDP, and a huge gain for Ayade and the APC, and the numbers could play a huge role in who emerges victorious in 2023.

In Cross River State, since 1999, the power of incumbency, and financial war chest, usually at the disposal of the government in power, played a major role in the eventual winner of elections in the state. While the PDP was in control of these extremely important election enablers, they only lost a House of Assembly election for Obubra 2 constituency in 2011 to the defunct ACN; and the loss owed more to infighting within the PDP. The PDP is strong in the state as other states in the South-south region. It controlled power for 22 years in Cross River State, and can therefore not be wished away with the wave of the hand, just because a governor and some of his followers and supporters defected. The party can be likened to a religion with multitudes of followers, who have been informed or misinformed through religious and ethnic messages to hate everything and anything linked to President Muhammadu Buhari. But what matters the most is the ability of the PDP to keep the massive followership, amidst possible lack of sufficient funds to keep their support.

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Osoba

Daniel

Amosun

Osoba

2023 and Ogun State’s Unusual Scenario In 2023, Ogun State will present a different but interesting scenario as all the surviving former and incumbent governors of the state are now in the same party, writes Kayode Fasua

L

ate last year, former governor of Ogun State, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, had smiled broadly during a press conference. He said of Governor Dapo Abiodun, his second successor in office: “The last time I was in his office, he said to me, ‘I am studying your handing over note’, and I believe he will do well to give it consideration’.

That statement was symptomatic of the affection reserved for Abiodun by Daniel.

Only three months ago, Daniel dumped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). Now, as APC member, he seems a strange bedfellow with his successor, former governor Ibikunle Amosun, who is now a senator for Ogun Central.

In the same vein, the man whom Daniel defeated in 2003, Chief Segun Osoba, is also in the APC. But it is equally intriguing that Amosun is in APC as opponent to the combination of Daniel, Osoba and Abiodun.

How It Started

The political rivalry between Governor Abiodun and Amosun, who is currently representing Ogun Central District at the Senate, did not just start. Political observers in the state would rather see the clash of interests between the two politicians as a product of supremacy battle, dating to the 2019 general election.

Then, Amosun, a governor under the ruling APC had served out his unrenewable two terms and was shopping for a successor. Same way, some power brokers within the APC were scared of allowing the governor to produce his loyalist as succesor.

They were said to be at variance with Amosun’s independent, uncontrollable and unpredictable political machine.

Amosun had anointed a House of Representatives member from the Yewa political axis of Egba stock, Adekunle Akinlade, to succeed him. But, first, the Ijebu stock would have none of it as they believed that power must shift after eight years’ rule of the Egba.

“The reality in Ogun is that, power is being rotated between Ijebu and Egba; so, the Ijebu people see Yewa as a division of Egba, just as Remo is a division of Ijebu.

“So it cannot just work that Egba, having produced

governor for eight years, will hand over to a Yewa man, whom we see as also an Egba person,” Chief Samuel Sonoike, an APC chieftain in Sagamu, analysed.

Abiodun, the current governor, hails from IperuRemo, an Ijebu community.

A second leg to the political tiff at the period, observers contended, was how the APC power brokers comprising the party’s National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu; Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, former Ogun governor, Osoba, and former Governor Daniel drafted Abiodun, who had ordinarily wanted to be a senator, into the governorship race.

That master stroke, apparently was like a blow below the belt for an Amosun reputed as ‘a beloved son’ to President Muhammadu Buhari. Sensing that the gang-up of the power brokers could make him clash with the President, Amosun dusted up one of the sleepy political parties, Peoples Democratic Movement (DPM) for Akinlade to pursue his governorship dream there. But Amosun remained in the APC. At the famed riotous campaign rally of the APC in Abeokuta in 2019, that had Buhari, Tinubu, Osoba, Abiodun and the others in attendance, a visibly angry Amosun exclaimed in Yoruba: Awa o beru aja to n gbo o, bikose wipe alaja ni a bu owo fun.

It is translated as, ‘We do not fear the bragaddocio of the barking dog; only that we accord respect to the dog owner’. His assertion was viewed to mean that he was not afraid of Abiodun and his godfathers but only accorded respect to the personality of President Buhari.

Abiodun went on to win the election.

Daniel, who was governor for eight years, has always had own pound of flesh to take from Amosun, in what observers describe as irresolvable political paranoia.

Apart from the fact that Daniel defeated Amosun in the 2007 governorship contest, for the eight years of Amosun as governor, Daniel was as politically betroubled as he was economically undermined.

Apart from having his days with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the courts, over corruption allegations, the ex-governor’s Conference Hotel in Abeokuta, a multi-billion naira edifice, was sealed off by Amosun.

Liberation finally came the way of Daniel in the emergence of Abiodun, who not only drew him closer but also lifted embargoes placed on his business

interests.

Even, while still in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2019, Daniel had assisted Abiodun through his political structures, to garner votes. The metamophorsis of political collaboration between the two was recently completed, as Daniel defected to the ruling APC.

The 2023 Permutation

Those close to Daniel revealed that his sole purpose of dumping the PDP for the APC was to help Abiodun secure a second term in office. Abiodun, it would seem, has begun deft political moves, having realised that attempting to pacify or entice Amosun to gain the latter’s support for his reelection would only amount to flogging a dead horse.

Already, the governor has been enlarging his coast with increasing political appointments and sundry concessions to party leaders across the state; and has, by the token, depleted the ranks of Amosun’s loyalists.

In Yewa, however, Abiodun enjoins the support of Nasir Isiaka, the governorship candidate of African Demicratic Congress (ADC) in the 2019 election. He similarly gains wide acceptance among his Ijebu clan.

But what may be giving the governor sleepless nights are the Egba and Egbado areas where Amosun is singsong. Amosun recently asked all his loyalists in PDM, including six serving House of Assembly members, to return to the APC, which may have meant that the former governor has some game plans up his sleeves.

Already, there is a raging war of words between Abiodun and Amosun, this signalling that the governor’s main opposition in the 2023 election may be mainly from his party, the APC. This is because, the death of Senator Buruji Kashamu, and the defection of Daniel to APC have weakened the opposition PDP in the state, considerably.

In the latest spits, the governor claimed that Amosun abandoned many road projects before he left office and that he left behind over N50bn debts, thus drifting the state into a sort of insolvency.

But the Amosun camp has also reacted, accusing the Abiodun government of cooking up lies “to shield its inefficiency and corrupt tendencies”.

As the blame game continues, observers read only one thing into the Ogun political hoopla: the 2023 elections.

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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 30, 2021

SPECIALREPORT

Premature Retirement of Generals in Military: At What Cost?

Kingsley Nwezeh writes that the emergence of Major General Farouk Yahaya as new Chief of Army Staff and the likely retirement of 30 army generals reignite the debate on the national cost of premature retirement of generals in the military, sometimes on considerations not patriotic and nationalistic, as the military profession demands

I

n military circles, it is said that it takes five years to train a soldier. Five years to undergo all the required courses, arms handling, combat training, among others.

If that is the case, then it is left to the imagination what it costs to produce a general in the military.

The years at the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), the yearly promotion courses, the very costly and numerous foreign trainings in China, United States, United Kingdom, Pakistan, India, among others, that run all year round.

Critics have argued that these huge national investments, suddenly truncated by way of premature retirements on the altar of ethnicity and politics, have, more than anything else, retarded the growth of the military institution.

The military establishment prides itself on hierarchy and seniority, which, when eroded or distorted, attacks and weakens the foundation of the institution itself.

Yahaya’sEmergenceandImplicationsfor30Generals The emergence of Major General Farouk Yahaya as the new army chief has returned all the arguments against premature retirement of generals in the military. As a member of the NDA 37 Regular Course, the implication of his appointment is that Major Generals on Course 35, 36, and 37 numbering about 30 may leave the service. This is in line with military tradition, which dictates that you cannot salute your junior.

Naturally, if such decisions were looked at from the point of view of the federal character principle, generals from other parts of the country, especially the South, would have been considered. But the present administration of President Muhammadau Buhari has, largely, jettisoned that principal, like many past Nigerian leaders, with the exception of former President Olusegun Obasanjo and, at some point, General Yakubu Gowon, and preferred generals from their respective ethnic stocks to lead the army, which is viewed globally as the most powerful arm of the services.

The ethnic fixation in the appointment of army chiefs, which did not start today, is a template that has been fully developed, as the army chief is seen as the backbone and protector of the president.

The template is, however, unhealthy for the growth of the army and the entire military, as it entrenches mistrust.

That an army chief, who is not of the president’s ethnic or geopolitical or geographical area cannot be trusted to protect the president is not good for national cohesion.

What it also means by implication is that whenever a president from the South emerges, generals from the North should kiss the position of army chief good-bye until after eight years.

Having had Lt. General Tukur Buratai (North-east), probably one of the longest serving army chiefs, followed by his successor, the late Lt. General Ibrahim Attahiru (North-west), it is widely believed that the government would have considered generals from other parts of the country.

Courses 35, 36, 37 on Shaky Grounds For instance Major General Benjamin Ahanotu and Major General C. C. Okonkwo, among others, are of Course 35. Ahanotu is the Army Chief of Policy and Plans (COPP) and second in command to the late army chief, Attahiru.

A second-in-command is good enough to step into the shoes of the army chief.

Ahanotu, who is from Anambra State, was the Chief of Staff, 21 Armoured Brigade, Maiduguri, who led the operation that arrested Boko Haram founder, Mohammed Yusuf, and handed him over to the Nigeria Police before he was killed. Ahanotu was also Commander, 3rd Amounted Brigade, Jos, that led the operation that rescued kidnapped Dapchi girls. He was also a General Officer Commanding (GOC).

Beyond Ahanotu, there are others from the South, who have had operational experience as former GOCs and war commanders, who would have comfortably occupied the position.

It is also argued that it is not appropriate to retire military generals with their repertoire of knowledge and experience when the nation is in a state of war. This is without prejudice to the terms and conditions of service of the affected officers. But the president has had cause to extend the tenure of service chiefs on account of the nation being

Buhari

Yahaya

in a state of war.

“The Chief of Defence Staff is in 34th Course. You can get members of the 36 Course to go and work there. It does not affect anything. There are a few members of the 35 Course in the army. They can go home.

“The ones that you should be worried about are members of the 36 Course, but you can take them to head military formations in Jaji, Oshodi. You can bring them to defence headquarters or defence research and development bureau.

“He (army chief) can also decide to retire them. He can retire them; they have spent about 35 years in service. No big deal about that. He can work with his course mates (37). The late army chief worked with his course mates. He was the one that insisted that they should not retire.”

THISDAY also learnt that the expected retirement of the senior officers in the army might affect their colleagues in the Navy and Air Force.

A military source said, “When the present service chiefs were appointed, their course mates in the three services were advised to leave the service and they all left, except those who were moved to the defence headquarters.

“If you ask the opinion of other younger officers, those who are due for retirement should go.”

Generals Who May Leave the Service From all indications, the following generals may leave the service, pending other factors and considerations by the Minister of Defence, Major General Bashir Magashi (rtd), as Chairman of the Armed Forces Council, Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor, and the new Chief of Army Staff, Major General Farouk Yahaya.

They are Major Generals AS Maikobi, DC Onyemulu, HI Bature, A Bande, SA Yaro, LA Adegboye and OI Uzamere.

Others include J Sarham, OF Azinta, JB Olawumi, CO Ude, G Oyefesobi, BM Shafa, NA Angbazo, BA Akinroluyo, HR Momoh, KAY Isiyaku, AT Hamman, MO Uzoh, AM Aliyu CC Okonkwo, and MA Masanawa.

Other Major Generals likely to go include JI Unuigbe, JJ Ogunlade, AN Dauda, AA Jidda, YI Shalangwa, IN Yusuf, JGK Myam, SA Adebayo, GA Umelo, PB Fakrogha, VO Ezugwu, AB Omozoje, and EN Njoku.

Others include SO Olabanji, GB Audu, OA Akintade, OT Akinjobi, BA Isandu, AM Alabi, AA Adesope, OW Ali, MG Ali, SS Araoye, GS Abdullahi, CG Musa, US Mohammed, KI Mukhtar, KN Garba, DH Ali-Keffi, EV Onumajuru, KI Yusuf, BR Sinjen, and TA Lagbaja.

Major Generals who may also leave the service include UU Bassey, S Dahiru, UA Yusuf, KO Aligbe, AK Ibrahim, LA Fejokwu, AB Ibrahim, JO Ochai, EAP Undiandeye, OR Aiyenigba, GU Chibuisi, SG Mohammed, and IM Jallo.

Factors That May Determine Exit or Retention of Some Generals Major General Ahanotu, the army’s chief of policy and plans, and Major General Abubakar Maikobi, Commander, Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC), Minna, C.C Okonkwo, and a few others who were course mates (35) of the late army chief are believed to be certain to go.

A military insider said there was also the possibility that some members of Course 36, who are also senior to the new army chief, might be posted, depending on the decision of the defence minister, who is chairman of the armed forces council, and the army chief, to tri-service departments or defence headquarters, under the chief of defence staff, who is Course 34.

They may also be posted to the Armed Forces Resettlement Centre, Oshodi, or Command and Staff College, Jaji, and other such military formations.

A senior military officer said, “There are three ways to look at it. The officers at the same level with the current army chief that can be posted to tri-service institutions with those that are ahead of him.

Calculating the Numbers On the number of generals that are expected to proceed on retirement, a senior military source said, “Only the military secretary can say that, because it depends on many factors.

When Attahiru came on board, the Minister of Defence insisted that all 35 Course members must go, but he pleaded that two of them remain to help him – Ahanotu and the TRADOC commander, Maikobi. From all indications, two of them and about three others may go first.

“The same thing with the 36 Course members that are his (new army chief) senior may not even remain. The same Minister of Defence may say that all Course 37 should go.

He did that in the Navy when the present naval chief was appointed, he said that all Course 36 must go so that he could have command and control.”

According to the source, “The defence minister can say all 37 Course should go, it depends on the decision at the strategic level. The decision will come from the Chairman, Armed Forces Council, who is the Minister of Defence, who will also decide on how to streamline the army.

“It is not easy to say who will go or not. It’s only when you check the seniority roll that you can say so. If you check from the first 30, less CDS. The new army chief is in 37 Course. Even in the 37, he is number 27. If he is no 27 on seniority roll, let’s say 23 are going from 36. But if you add his course mates, more will go. If you also add the two or five from 35, you would arrive at 30.”

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SUNDAY MAY 30, 2021 • T H I S D AY

65

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ AY 30, 2021

INTERNATIONAL PMB’s Four Years of ‘’Change’’ and Two Years of ‘’Next Level’’: The Foreign Policy Dilemma

T

he main foci of President Muhammadu Buhari (PMB)’s administration have been articulated within the context of his campaign slogans: ‘change’ in the mania of governance of Nigeria and ‘next level’ in the context of a conjectural methodology for the operationalisation of the change. His first tenure, 2015-2019, was driven by the need for a ‘change’ in many ramifications: objectives of government, style of administration, change of priorities, etc. Emphasis was then placed on three main pursuits: anti-corruption drive, economic vibrancy, and national security.

In 2019, PMB adopted a new slogan, ‘next level,’ implying the continued pursuit of a change-agenda and articulating what is next to pursue.

In light of the first four years of change, 2015-2019, and the first two years of ‘the next level, 2019-2021, how do we evaluate the administration of PMB, in terms of achievement of his own set objectives? How do we explain his attitudinal disposition in political governance? More interestingly, how best can the goodness of an individual be assessed? These questions are prompted by some considerations: PMB is believed and seen to have a lackadaisical attitude towards political governance. He virtually keeps quiet on pressing national questions. He has been variously accused of de facto nepotism, manifest Fulanisation and Islamisation agenda of Nigeria. In fact, he is believed, rightly or wrongly, not only to be incompetent but also not good a president.

When compared with three presidents of some great countries, can PMB be rightly likened to them on the basis of his past six years? In one posted video, three people with different characters were presented and viewers are to choose the best among the three. The first person, Mr. A, has friendship with bad politicians, consults astrologers, has two wives, is a chain smoker, and takes alcohol eight to ten times a day. The second individual, Mr. B, has been kicked out of office twice, sleeps from morning till noon, has used opium in college and drank whiskey every evening. The third person, Mr. C, has been a decorated war hero, a vegetarian, has never smoked, never took alcohol, never cheated on his wife, and was a painter. The question here is who is the best among the three?

Interestingly, Mr. Ahappens to be Franklin Roosevelt of the United States. Mr. B was Winston Churchill, former Prime Minister of Britain, and Mr. C was Adolf Hitler, the agent provocateur of World War II. The video message is that character is complex, that we should not judge and that we should simply accept everyone as important, which is arguable. Without doubt, PMB of Nigeria is quiet in outlook and easygoing in life like Adolf Hitler, but does it mean he can still have evil intentions like Adolf Hitler? The statement of Shakespeare in Macbeth, according to which there is no art of finding the human construction from the face, but which physiognomy has now also disproved, remains very thought provoking.

Manifestations of ‘Change’ and ‘Next Level’ Change, in the eyes of PMB, is the first needed strategic foundation of his administration, which is meant to introduce a controversial Buharimania approach to the political governance of Nigeria. The adoption of a policy change necessarily implies that PMB sees the situational status quo in Nigeria as not good enough and therefore intends to give a better approach. This was the declared agenda in his first four years as President.

As he put it himself during his re-election campaign in 2018, ‘we have worked hard to fulfil our promises - and while the road may have been difficult, over the last three and a half years, we have laid the foundations for a strong, stable and prosperous country for the majority of our people.’ Thus, ‘next level’ simply means the pursuit of a stronger Nigeria. As PMB further explains it, ‘foundational work is not often visible, neither is it glamorous, but it is vital to achieving the kind of country we desire. Judging by the prior depth of decay, deterioration and disrepair that Nigeria had sunken into, we are certain that these past few years have put us in good stead to trudge on the Next Level of building an even stronger nation for our people.’ Next level therefore, not only means continuation of change but also change as a pursuit of a greater or stronger Nigeria.

VIE INTERNATIONALE

Bola A. Akinterinwa Telephone : 0807-688-2846

e-mail: bolyttag@yahoo.com

Another instance is the perceived unfairness in the allocation of resources from internally-generated revenues. As revealed by the National Bureau of Statistics and quoted in @statisense. org, in 2020, Northern Nigeria generated only N385.18 billion (North Central, N181.61 billion; North West, N146.73 billion; and North East, N56.84 billion) compared with N920.89 billion from Southern Nigeria (South West, N561.01 billion; South South, N263.17 billion; and South East, N96.71 billion). In the thinking of many people, southerners are simply labouring unjustifiably for Northerners to eat, hence the southern struggle for a situational change.

And Perhaps more challengingly, the structure of political and regional representation in the National Assembly (NASS) is such that the wanted situational change can never be possible if voting is stricto sensu based on north-versus-south voting, simply because Northern legislators outnumber southern legislators.

Consequently, no matter the importance or nature of any given bill, either for restructuring or for self-determination, it can never sail through in the NASS. This is one of the pillars of the foreign policy dilemma

The Foreign Policy Dilemma

Buhari However, the physiognomy and manifestations of PMB’s ‘change’ in political governance and the definition of ‘next level’ in the first four years and the past two years put together, clearly point to the fact that the PMB administration has truly made some ‘changes,’ apparently not for the better, but for the worse. The ‘next level’ strategy that operationally began on May 29, 2019 has been that of policy ambiguities, deepening economic retrogression, governmental remissness and public disorderliness, recidivist national insecurity, manifestations of flagrant presidential nepotism, shameful conflicting policy pronouncements and unfulfilled electoral promises, etc.

Consequently, the environment has become very inclement, thus prompting increasing clamour for self-determination and separation from Nigeria, sustained struggle for fairness and justice in political governance, and perhaps, most disturbingly, deepening public grievance, which, generally, have been manifested in the destruction of public institutions, especially police stations, prison yards, offices of the 1999 constitutionally-created Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), as well as increasing natural disasters. This is why the situational reality of bad political governance under PMB’s in the past six years has raised disturbing concerns about poor governance and possible disintegration of the country. The manifestations are undoubtedly not far-fetched: public complaints, public protests, use of statistical data, not only to ask for fairness, but also to undermine national unity and progress.

For instance, Adetutu Balogun @Tutsy22 compared the healthcare budget of N46billion for 200 million Nigerians and education budget of N48 billion for 200 million people with the legislators’ budget of N125 billion for only 465 people. @Tutsy22 believes the problem of Nigeria is that of politicians versus the people and not simply about the macroeconomic questions that are being advanced as causal factors. Interrogatively put, how do we explain the fact that 465 people would have N125 billion and 200 million other people would have N46 billion for the same common purpose of public administration and national development and survival?

May 29, 2021 marked the second year of PMB’s Next Level agenda. The day ought to be an opportunity to address the allegations of Fulanisation and Islamisation against PMB and opposition to them. And true, the war predicted for 2022, may, after all, be declared before then and the military, which, under normal circumstances, should owe its allegiance to the Nigeria nation and not to the Government, may behave differently. Consequently, PMB must begin to see more clearly: Muammar Gaddafi’s approach of a Muslim North and a Christian South; re-writing a new Constitution to reflect the wishes of all ethnic groups; return to the 1963 constitutional model that allows for true federalism; re-commitment to the principles of justice, fairness, and equity in political governance, acceptance to restructure, without which dismantlement of Nigeria will remain a desideratum, especially that her legal foundation was removed on January 1, 2014, and therefore, newly requiring re-negotiation for continued existence. PMB should not be carried away by the arguments of indivisibility or indissolubility of Nigeria, which is self-deceit. Unity is voluntary and not by coercion. International diplomatic practice clearly lends credence to this point. PMB should therefore thread cautiously withVon Clausewitz’s theory of whoever wants peace must first prepare for war

One constituent of the New Level of PMB’s Change and therefore of Nigeria’s foreign policy dilemma, is the potential use of the National Identification Number (NIN), not in the sense of its declared use against crime-fighting, but possibly for the undeclared altering of Nigeria’s demography. It is observed by some stakeholders (vide www.oak.tv) that the mania of registration for the acquisition of a NIN is already compromised, not driven by any security consciousness, and necessarily enables the acquisition of Nigeria’s citizenship through the back door, contrarily to the provisions of Sections 25, 26 and 27 of the 1999 Constitution on acquisition of Nigeria’s citizenship. It is posited that, with the ease with which the NIN is being obtained and the unrestricted scope of its use, especially for opening of bank accounts, for voting, etc, and that, from all indications, it is also going to be required for the digital voting being planned for 2023,Nigeria cannot but become another Turkey.

And perhaps most apprehensively, it is suggested that the new immigration policy of visa on arrival, easing of inflow of foreigners into Nigeria is consciously being further facilitated with the NIN agenda. In this regard, how to shape the perceptions of the international community on this matter, how to prevent terrorists from having a NIN and how the NIN should be made acceptable and not compromised cannot but be a major challenge for foreign policy makers, as the politics of the NIN is currently tainting Nigeria’s international image.

Second, there is conflict of interest in the call by PMB on the international community for help in the war against boko haramic insurgency in Nigeria, on the one hand, and the public beliefs, at the domestic level, that PMB not only has a Fulanisation and Islamic agenda. but also that the Nigerian military are actually aiding and abetting the insurgency, on the other hand. Even under the administration of Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, it was submitted that there were many sponsors of boko haramism in Government.

It is useful to also note the testimony of one of the bandits, who swore to God in a video that has gone viral. In his words, ‘if it is not government that encourages us to commit crimes, let God end my life now’ (vide Dajin Kidandan, Tik Tok videos). He said that it was actually Government that was giving them AK-47. This is unbelievable but reportedly true.

In fact, General Theophilus Danjuma has also publicly accused the military of actively aiding and abetting Boko Haram, but Government is not on record to have responded to this serious allegation coming from a great patriot. Additionally, Dr. Obadiah Mailafia, another patriotic nationalist of the first order and a former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank and former presidential aspirant, has not only informed that the main funder of boko haramic insurgency in Nigeria is one of the incumbent governors in the North , but also that there are pointers to a civil war come 2022 in Nigeria. Again, this is another dilemma for Nigeria’s foreign policy. The way Nigerians have heard this narrative cannot be different from the way the international community do also see it.

The only difference can only be in its evaluation and interpretation.

In this regard, how do Nigeria’s Foreign Service Officers begin to read the lips and eyes of their international counterparts?

Third, PMB has also been accused of presidential and professional incompetence because of the deepening situation of insecurity in the country. About 100 pupils, out of the 276 Chibok girls kidnapped in 2014, are yet to return home. The PMB administration has no clue to it, probably not necessarily because of alleged professional incompetence of PMB, but more probably because he is a Fulani man who believes strongly in the making of the remaking of the 1804 jihad in a new form.

Explained differently, the Governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom, has drawn public attention to the communiqué issued by the Fulani Nationality Movement (FUNAM) at its press conference of 13-14 January, 2018 in Kano, Kano State, in which it is clearly stated that the main objective of the Fulani is to take the whole of Nigeria as their dominion; to declare an unprecedented obnoxious war against whoever will not allow the Fulani to settle in any place of his or her choice in Nigeria.

Read full article online - www.thisdaylive.com

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T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ Y 30, 2021

POLITY

Why Ayade Defected from PDP to APC ÒÏ ÜÓÚÚÖÏÝ ÑÏØÏÜËÞÏÎ Ìã ÙàÏÜØÙÜ ÏØ ãËÎÏ˪Ý ÎÏÐÏÍÞÓÙØ ÐÜÙ× ÞÒÏ ÏÙÚÖÏÝ Ï×ÙÍÜËÞÓÍ ËÜÞã ̙ ̚ ÞÙ ÞÒÏ ÜßÖÓØÑ ÖÖ ÜÙÑÜÏÝÝÓàÏÝ ÙØÑÜÏÝÝ ̙ ̚ ËÜÏ ÝÞÓÖÖ ÝÞÓÜÜÓØÑ ÞÒÏ ÜÙÝÝ ÓàÏÜ ÚÙÖÓÞÓÍËÖ ÐÓÜ×Ë×ÏØÞ ËØÎ áÙßÖÎ ÌÏ ÝÙ ÐÙÜ ÝÙ×Ï ÞÓ×Ï˛ Ø ÞÒÓÝ ÜÏÚÙÜÞ˜ Vannesa Obioha áÜÓÞÏÝ ÞÒËÞ ÞÒÏÜÏ ÓÝ ×ÙÜÏ ÞÙ ÞÒÏ ÎÏÐÏÍÞÓÙØ ÞÒËØ ×ÏÏÞÝ ÞÒÏ ÏËÜ

A

fter several years of warming the fence with procrastination, Governor BenAyade finally took the plunge and decamped from his Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in order to support President Muhammadu Buhari to steer the country aright, according to him..

Those who have been followingAyade’s body language including actions would readily say thatAyade’s movement to the ruling party was just a matter of time. His decampment shocked the opposition PDP to the marrow for the reason that before now, the PDP were already apprehensive after monitoring the activities of the ruling APC Hawks encirclingAyade and urging him to move over.

The genesis of all this wasAyade’s loss of the party structure to the NationalAssembly members after the party’s last congress.

As claims and counterclaims took center stage with both parties seeking judicial intervention, the party stepped in to settle the internal friction to create a win-win for the governor who was agonizing over his loss of the party structure and the National Assembly members who had already procured a Supreme Court judgment confirming the outcome sacrosanct.

To pacifyAyade, the PDP set up a reconciliation committee headed by former Senate President Bukola Saraki to calm frayed nerves and bring succour to the governor while at the same time not appear contemptuous to a subsisting Supreme Court ruling which had declared the result of the party’s state congress as sacrosanct. It was while these maneouvre and horse-trading were taking place that Ayade Ayade decamped to the ruling party.

There are reasons whyAyade left the PDP under which he secured a seat in the senate from 2011 to 2015 and again won the governorship in quick succession in the same party.

From the get-go,Ayade had his sight set on theAPC soon as he won his election. During a chat with this reporter in his suite at Intercontinental Hotel in Lagos back then when he was still a candidate of the party, he outlined his broad plan for the state. His idea was to start a clean slate for his own administration as he did not want to be bogged down by projects by his predecessors.

This thinking was what gave birth to what is today known as Signature Projects comprising of the Super Highway, Bakassi Deep Seaport, Rice Seeds and Seedling factory, Rice Mill etc. He envisioned a new Cross River state that would be self-sufficient and weaned off federal allocation.

Ayade’s grand plan was to tap into the huge potential in the state using agriculture to develop a new (green) economy, set up processing plants and process these raw materials for both the local and international markets. He believed that under his watch, the state should no longer export or sell off its raw material without processing them because, to him, doing so amounted to the loss of value-added inputs like jobs, provision of ancillary services like transportation, and general logistics.

That was very brilliant. However, his major obstacle was finance.

Where was he getting the money to execute his plans given the meagre resources coming as allocation from the Centre? To worsen matters,Ayade was taking over the state at a time Bakassi has been handed over to Cameroun and Cross River consequently had lost its 76 oil wells to neighbouringAkwa Ibom State without compensation.

Beyond that, the state fell among the Highly Indebted States in the country with over N300b debt overhang. This also meant that he needed to service the outstanding debts while at the same time grappling with paying salaries, pensions, gratuities and looking for money to drive his industrialization. Therefore, faced with this end of the road scenario,Ayade decided very early to court President Muhammadu Buhari.

The idea was to warm his way into Buhari and to a large extent his administration to pave the way for him to move over to the party. He succeeded in warming his way into Buhari and the immediate gain was that he was the first opposition governor whose project was flagged off by Buhari just a few months in office.

But going forward to decamp in his first term posed an uphill task. There was a snag? What was he bringing to the table? In his first term,Ayade had not found his foothold in the state and it

would have been a great gamble for him to decamp and expect Cross Riverians to follow suit. He bided his time and ran and won his second term election under the PDP before decamping recently.

Now,Ayade wants to mainstream Cross River state into national politics. He perhaps believes the state has no reason to be in opposition. In his thinking, mainstreaming Cross River into national politics would encourage Buhari to ‘show him and the state some love’.

In showing some love, he would want the President to provide sovereign guarantees and finances for the International Cargo Airport in Obudu, Bakassi Deep Seaport, Super Highway and a host of other ongoing projects littering across the state as well as appoint qualified Cross Riverians into federal positions.

There is yet another reason whyAyade decamped from the PDP. At the moment, the fortunes of the opposition party are heading south andAyade does not want to be caught in a sinking ship and has decided to ditch it. Moreover, even theAPC itself which has come under a constant barrage of criticisms for performing so poorly has not fared better image-wise.After the loss of Edo and Bayelsa states to the PDP, returning the South-south as a rock-solid PDP state, theAPC considered that a slap in the face and has been working frantically to extract a pound of flesh.

Without a doubt, the ruling party is having a hectic time in trying to quell the high level of mistrust or loss of confidence and anger arising from poor performance and insecurity raging the country.

In decamping toAPC at this point in time,Ayade took a big gamble.

Even former governor, Liyel Imoke alluded to the wrong timing when he described theAPC as a failed party and wondered why someone would move to such a party? ButAyade went for broke and decided to seize this moment that the party’s image needed burnishing. Today, he is now the poster boy of the ruling party. It is believed that his movement with his followers would buoy up the APC sagging image and give it that confidence ahead of 2023.

Another point to note is his style of administration and desire to be his own man and break away from the status quo. On close examination, unlike his predecessor like Duke said recently that the party, under his watched reached decisions by consensus building.

Hear Duke: In Cross River State we took on the establishment and won a razor-thin victory in 1999, but through firm and adroit leadership and adherence to the democratic principles of inclusion we soon brought largely all the political class in the state under the PDP and by 2007, we were perhaps the most PDP state in Nigeria.

He went further to explain that, after his exit in 2007, “the party’s fortune started ebbing.An autocratic leadership style emerged, communication with its followers declined and emergence in the

party was determined largely not by the party constitution or structures but by the whims of the State’s Chief Executive.

“This is the structure Gov Ayade inherited and has largely led us to where we are today.

The very top-down political style we fought against prior to 1999, instead of consultation, accommodation and inclusion reared its head to the extent that founding members of the party in the state including former state chairmen, senators, members of the NationalAssembly and I, over time, opted out and this attrition has continued unabated to the extent that the Governor himself has left to seek pasture elsewhere,” Duke stressed.

Given this antecedent,Ayade schooled under the tutelage of his immediate predecessor and has grown to become a lone Ranger and the only one and perhaps with his brother, Frank, who call the shots in the state. He has watched from the sidelines how his predecessor, Imoke called the shots through simple declarations. It was apparent that Duke’s style of consensus building did not seat well with Imoke andAyade who learned from him, extrapolated the concept to believe that the time has come to be his own man who would no longer take orders from neither Imoke nor Duke.

Thus, this latest movement is basically to create a new brand of politics with himself as the new kid on the block. This suits him perfectly well because he has already been pronounced the leader of the party by the party hierarchy inAbuja and this puts him securely in a position he had yearned for from where he would dispense favor to whom it pleases him. If he succeeds, this move will retire politicians who fail to move party with him as he aspires to make Cross River a party state.

As 2023 beckons, another twist to this movement is the permutations inAyade’s camp thatAPC would zone the presidency to the South. Since the north is uncomfortable with IPOB’s unyielding agitations for Biafra, they believe it is unlikely that the north would support a South-eastern presidency. To them,Ayade stands a formidable chance to stand in the gap from the South-south if he is able to end his tenure with the help of the federal government on a high by completing all his signature projects. There is also the permutation that in the event that the north retains the presidency, Ayade would be up for the vice president slot or goes to the senate to become senate president.

So whileAyade said he was defecting to the ruling party to support the President on the one hand, he also urged his colleagues during a live interview onARISE TV to rally round the Presieent to effect a peaceful transition in 2023 and put a lie to those who are speculating that Nigeria would break up under its curent security challenges. In other words,Ayade was surreptitiously canvassing a position where the President would be pressured to pick his successor from the line-up of governors including himself. So by moving to theAPC, he has gotten closer and is putting himself up as a likely Buhari successor.

With almost two years to the end of his tenure, allegations have already started flying about accusingAyade of misappropriating federal government refunds to the state for the construction of federal roads. This is certainly not a good omen. If not for anything else, it forebodes that a torrent of such allegations would flood the Economic and Finacial Crimes Commission (EFCC) immediately he leaves office. Therefore, his movement could be in line with the often mouthed cliche that your sins are forgiven once you join APC. Some interpret this movement to theAPC to be solely for self preservation and escape from the long arm of the long when the chips are down. However, as we have seen in some cases like former Zamfara state governor,Abdul’aziz Yari, that has not been the case as the EFCC is relentlessly prosecuting him for embezzling state funds under his watch.

Who knows, perhapsAyade’s case may be different from other governors currently being prosecuted for corruption by the EFCC as he could turn out to be the proverbial cat with nine lives.

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THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ MAY 30, 2021

with ChidiAmuta e-mail:chidi.amuta@gmail.com

ENGAGEMENTS

Nasir El–Rufai’s Perfect Storms

T

he first time I entered his office at the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) in Abuja about two decades ago, I met a man who was literally not there. The executive chair of the Director General was vacant. El-Rufai was in the office but seated alone at the conference table organizing some piles of paper work and obviously poring over banks of statistics. I quickly deduced that the man probably wanted the focus to be on the functionality of the office, not the pompous ego of its occupant. I had come to see him with some Directors of Dow Jones International on behalf of The Wall Street Journal whose interests in Nigeria I was overseeing at the time.

Today, Nasir El-Rufai as Governor of Kaduna state, is turning out to be an uncommon political animal. He has stamped a distinctive identity and style on the business of governance in his old and problematic state. Habitually restless and infinitely disruptive in his pursuit of change and drive for his conception of excellence in governance, the man seems indifferent to populist approval and spontaneous ovation. No one is sure what celebration or condemnation awaits him at the other end of his tenure. What is certain is that by most estimates, his two term tenure at the helm of Kaduna will end up being quite turbulent.

He probably has his eyes on some abstract notion of legacy for posterity which may end up a flight of fancy.

For this governor, a certain restless pursuit of change, reform and constant innovation seems to have assumed a life of its own.

Consequently, some people in Kaduna and indeed the rest of the country, have already branded El-Rufai an irredeemable killjoy and merchant of unhappiness especially in the mind of a populace used to convention and governance as business as usual. People have begun to wonder why this governor does not want to sit pretty and enjoy the cozy ride on the gravy train of power and privilege. In many ways, Mr. El-Rufai’s approach to governance can only arouse curiosity in the context of the Nigerian tradition of the drama of power. Only a minority in the tradition of Balarabe Musa, Lateef Jakande, Babatunde Raji Fashola and a few good military governors would seem to have chosen personal discomfort and restless service. Mr. El- Rufai seems to have chosen this path of uncomfortable visionary service. No dull moment. Every day in power is an adventure in a new turbulence, a new controversy, another upset of conventional wisdom and the received order of things. Mr. El-Rufai seems to delight in whipping up all the sleeping dogs of our old society in his state. As a result, his tenure in the Kaduna government house is likely to be the most turbulent and consequential in the history of that old state to date.

In recent weeks, however, the governor has amped up his fight against what he perceives as one of the ills of our decadent governance culture. Nigerians have since been crowing about the high cost of governance in the country at all levels. Usually

El-Rufai the rhetoric of reducing the cost of governance has focused on the emoluments and benefits of mostly political appointees. Very little attention is usually paid to the salaries, benefits and multiple entitlements of civil servants. Even the civil service unions and the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) are quick to join in the chorus against the high cost of governance as mirrored in the perks and emoluments of political appointees.

When the pendulum swings to the high cost of maintaining our over bloated public service usually at the expense of the rest of the general populace, our labour unions opt to defend the interests of the small percentage of the population that are lucky to be in the employment of federal and state governments. Here is a moral conundrum for labour as a social democratic force: should labour fight for the interests of all oppressed peoples or those of a tiny elite that are lucky to enjoy state wages often to the detriment of other aspects of general development?

The face-off between Governor El-Rufai and the various

Politics of The Nigerian Passport NSPM, I understand, had the opportunity to make a case for itself: it was mandated to print the first set of e-passports when the project was launched in 2003. It fumbled spectacularly. The booklets it produced did not meet international standards.

Not a surprise, though: is it not a government company? With the poor outcome, the federal government decided to conduct an open international bid in 2005. Three foreign companies participated, along with Iris and The Mint. But while Iris quoted N690.08 per booklet, The Mint put its bid price at N1,500. In the end, Iris’ bid was rated the best, financially and technically, among the five competing companies. Iris got the job.

The Mint, by the way, used to “print” the machine-readable passport (MRP) booklets before the e-passport project started 18 years ago. It outsourced the production to at least three foreign companies. You can guess that, as with most things handled by government agencies, there were serious problems with passport administration. There was double numbering of

We are the people of that great land that has given the world the remarkable artistry of Pete Edochie, Olu Jacobs, Richard Mofe Damijo, Kunle Afolayan, Rita Dominic, Genevieve Nnaji, Ramsey Nouah, Ini Edo, Kanayo O. Kanayo, Ali Nuhu, Nafisat Abdullahi, Halima Atete, Mrs. Idowu Philips (aka Iya Rainbow) and many too numerous to mention.

See what we have given the world! Prof. Bala Takaya, Prof. ChinuaAchebe, Prof. Wole Soyinka, Chimamanda Adichie, D.O Fagunwa, Zaynab Alkali, Elechi Amadi, J.P Clark, Bilikisu Funtua, Flora Nwapa, Festus Iyayi, Zulu Sofola, Ken SaroWiwa, Cyprian Ekwensi, Buchi Emecheta,Amos Tutuola and Ben Okri.

Read full article online - www.thisdaylive.com

booklets. The covers came in different shades of colour as if it was not the same country. With no central database, inventory was uncontrollable.

I travelled a lot on the MRP then and it was not funny as Nigerians were always subjected to extra checks at border controls because of the passport “diversity”.

Printing locally would “conserve” forex, according to government. But that is not true.

I’ve been in the printing business for decades and my lamentation has always been why we import all the consumables: ink, plates, paper, etc.

We import even the lowest grade of paper — the newsprint. To print passport booklets locally, we will still import the components such as chips, polycarbonate and covers from the Netherlands, US, Germany and SaudiArabia. The Mint spends millions of dollars importing prepared security papers for the printing of the naira. In sum, no matter who produces the passport booklets, or where they are produced, forex will be involved.

That is the fact.

Toast to an Invincible People!

labour unions in recent weeks is all about an area of darkness in our public policy thinking. The governor wants to right size the state’s public service labour force. This is a needed national reform effort that ought to attract the support of federal and state governments. At federal and state levels, the bulk of recurrent personnel costs of governments goes to the payment of salaries and benefits of civil servants and pensioners. But in general, only less than 10% of the population of an average state is employed in the public service. The rest of the populace is either self employed in small to medium scale businesses or are farmers, artisans or anonymous citizens left out by a system that hardly recognizes their very existence.

It has often been argued that in our pre-industrial society, the public service functions as a disguised social security structure since every civil servant has direct or indirect responsibility for any number of other dependents. This is only a half truth.

Beside their salary and wage obligations to their civil servants, the average state government has other overarching obligations.

There are social services like education, healthcare etc. which must be kept running if the state is not to degenerate to just a mere salary payment office. There are capital projects in infrastructure and general development to be funded if the state is to be competitive. A good number of states have little or nothing left to discharge other mandatory and statutory obligations after paying staff salaries. And the current entitlement syndrome of our federalism hardly compels most of the states to generate additional revenue to meet their other obligations. This is the conundrum that lies at the root of the current face off between El -Rufai and labour unions over his decision to right size the state’s civil service.

In the specific case of Kaduna State, the raw figures are unflattering. The office of the governor has disclosed that an average of 94-96% of the state’s FAAC receipts in an average month is used to pay the salaries of civil servants. According to figures released to the media, in March 2021, the state received N4.819 billion from the FAAC. It paid out N4.498 Billion, representing 93% of the funds received. It had only N321 million left to service its multiple other obligations. The pattern is repeated in most months of the year. The total number of state civil servants stands at 31,064. Even with the addition of employees of local governments and pensioners, we are still dealing with a figure of less than 100,000 public service dependent employees in a state with a population of about 7 million.

The perspective of the El Rufai government is that the object of government is the development of the state in general, not the payment of salaries to only a minority of the population. To date, the labour unions have not faulted this logic neither have they advanced contrary figures to challenge the argument of the government.

An issue that has also been raised is “national security”. It is argued that printing the booklets in Malaysia, as we currently do, can lead to data breach. While I support local production to drive the development of core competence and skill sets, I think we should stop lying to Nigerians.

Printing a booklet abroad is just like buying a safe or combination lock fromAlaba market: you pick the security code yourself. NIS, not the printer, codes the passport booklets. The UK recently awarded the production of the British passport to Gemalto, a Franco-German company — not its own Royal Mint or De La Rue, the foremost British security printing company. There was no talk of national security.

In all, passport is now about technology, not paper and ink. Cost of printing is probably just 10 percent of the entire outlay. The key security is in the chips, not where the passports are manufactured. In the olden days, before technological sophistication, the booklet was all ink and paper.

Today, governments encode the passports after

they have been produced in order to determine access, protect usage and grant authorisation. The shift from security printing to technology means most countries now engage private tech companies, instead of the national security printers, to handle the e-passport. If UK can print in Germany despite Brexit, it says much.

My final words: instead of playing politics in order to cancel a legitimate contract and surreptitiously give it to another company under the pretext of “conserving forex” and “protecting national security”, our policy makers should focus their energies on achieving greater efficiency.

How can we improve the capacity of The Mint?

How can we make the current booklet production arrangement work better and stop embarrassing ourselves over a document that should be readily available? How can we stop subjecting Nigerians, home and abroad, to stress, frustration and anxiety all the time over acquiring the passport? We deserve to enjoy at least one good service from government.

Outsourcing(BPO)CompanyinNigeria,employing morethan850people.Today,shehasmadeNigeria a global outsourcing destination. Each time they tell you that Nigerian youths are all fraudsters, tell them about Amal Hassan.

If we tap into our inner resilience to endure this present storm, Nigeria will become the 3rd most populous nation on earth, with a population in excess of 400 million people when the global population hits 9.8billion by 2050, according to the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs forecast.

Theworldalreadyknowsthisfact.Thisisnotjust a populations figure. If we stay together, if we defy theodds,theworldseesitasanamazingmarket.The

world sees it as a growth opportunity. It is because we have persevered together as one people, in spite of our differences, that some International media networks have described Nigeria as an “economic powerhouse”.

I am confident about one thing; if we tap into the invincibility of our national character, a new Nigeria will be born in our own time. The travails of our today are the birth pangs of a new Nigeria, coming forth from the womb of time. I can hear the cry from the labour room of history, a new Nigeria is about to be born.

Let’s stay in the fight. Let’s stay resilient in battle.

We are an invincible people. We shall prevail.

God bless Nigeria!

From Dogondaji in South West of Sokoto, we gave Jelani Aliyu, one of the world’s acclaimed automobile designers, to General Motors. He went ahead to give the world Chevrolet Electric Volt, different brands of Opel cars and Pontiac G6. We are the people of that land that gave the world that genius of a surgeon, Dr. Oluyinka Olutoye, who delivered a baby twice at 23 and 36 weeks in a Texas hospital when the expectant mother had been told to terminate the pregnancy.

It is a testament to the resilience of the Nigerian Spirit and an innate grace to defy all the odds, a young lady from Kano State, Amal Hassan established Outsource Global, which is the first International Contact Centre and Business Process

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71

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER MAY 30, 2021

SUNDAYSPORTS

Edited by: Duro Ikhazuagbe email:Duro.Ikhazuagbe@thisdaylive.com

Chelsea Defeat Man City to Become European Champions Second Time!

Duro Ikhazuagbe with agency report

C

helsea won the Champions League for the second time with a fully deserved 1-0 victory over Manchester City in the allPremier League confrontation in Porto on Sunday night.

Thomas Tuchel got the better of his Manchester City counterpart Pep Guardiola for the third time since succeeding sacked Frank Lampard in January to bring European club football’s biggest prize back to Stamford Bridge for the Àrst time since 2012.

Kai Havertz, blossoming after a slow start to his Chelsea career, got the winner three minutes before half-time when he collected a defence-splitting pass from Mason Mount to round City goalkeeper Ederson and score.

It leaves City still searching for the Champions League, the trophy that has always eluded them, and Guardiola cannot escape scrutiny for his part in this defeat after taking a tactical gamble which backÀred.

Guardiola surprisingly decided against utilising either Rodri or Fernandinho as a defensive midÀelder, leaving City with a muddled game plan that reduced their eͿectiveness and rarely presented Chelsea with any problems.

Chelsea had the better opportunities throughout, Timo Werner wasting two good chances before Havertz struck and substitute Christian Pulisic squandering another in the second half.

City, who lost Kevin De Bruyne

Chelsea players celebrating their UEFA Champions League victory over Manchester City...last night

to injury midway through the second half, threw on Sergio Aguero for his Ànal appearance but there was no fairytale ending for the club’s greatest goalscorer as Chelsea closed out the win.

And for Tuchel it was elation after the disappointment of losing last year’s Ànal as manager of Paris St-Germain.

Tuchel made it three out of three against Guardiola by

producing a Àercely disciplined, positive Chelsea performance that has brought a season that was shrouded in uncertainty to the most glorious conclusion.

The German has transformed Chelsea since his arrival in January, making signiÀcant changes by restoring the towering Antonio Rudiger in central defence and playing the magniÀcent man-of-the-match N’golo

Kante in the position in which he is quite simply a world-class operator.

Kante controlled everything from his position in midÀeld, the complete player giving a breathtaking performance.

Chelsea needed to be defensively perfect but this was no smash-and-grab result. It was a front-foot display to take the initiative away from City in the

Juventus Give Man Utd Cristiano Ronaldo Transfer Hope Manchester United’s pursuit of Cristiano Ronaldo has received a major boost after Juventus chiefs performed a drastic U-turn by sackingAndrea Pirlo.

The Italian was dismissed on Friday and Massimiliano Allegri quickly ushered in as his replacement for a second stint as Bianconeri boss.

Pirlo signed a two-year deal last August and led the club to Coppa Italia glory in his Àrst season in charge, but an underwhelming fourth-place Ànish

in Serie A sealed his fate.

However, Pirlo received assurances over his future only a matter of weeks ago as Juve vice-chairman Pavel Nedved insisted neither he nor Ronaldo were going anywhere.

Ronaldo said of the deal: “It is always looking for more and more on the Àeld, working more and more oͿ the Àeld, that records eventually emerge and collective titles become inevitable,

NBA PLAYOFFS Antetokounmpo Scores First Career Triple Double as Bucks Seal Clean Sweep Giannis Antetokounmpo scored his Àrst career play-oͿ triple-double to help the Milwaukee Bucks to a 120-103 victory over the Miami Heat.

The win sealed a 4-0 series clean sweep against the Heat, who lost to the LA Lakers in last year’s NBA Ànals.

The Bucks will now face either the Boston Celtics or the Brooklyn Nets in the Eastern Conference semi-Ànals.

“I’m blessed I can do a lot of things to contribute to our team,” said An-

tetokounmpo.

“Whoever we get in the next round, we’re going to be ready.”

Antetokounmpo starred with 20 points, 12 rebounds and 15 assists, while Brook Lopez, Bryn Forbes and Khris Middleton all scored 20 point or more.

The Heat, battling to stay in the play-oͿs, took a Àrst-quarter 26-22 lead at their AmericanAirlines Arena and were in front by seven points at half-time.

some being the natural consequence of the other.

“So, I’m very proud with this fact that has been widely replicated in recent days: Champion in England, Spain and Italy; Cup winner in England, Spain and Italy; Super Cup winner in England, Spain and Italy; best player in England, Spain and Italy; best scorer in England, Spain and Italy; Over 100 goals for a club in England,

Spain and Italy.

“Nothing compares to the feeling of knowing that I’ve left my mark in the countries where I’ve played, and that I gave joy to the fans of the clubs I represented.

“This is what I work for, this is what moves me and this is what I’ll always keep chasing for until the last day.

“Thanks to everyone who took part in this journey! We stand together!”

Àrst half.

They then held Àrm in the second with very few anxious moments.

They even survived the Àrst-half loss of the experienced Thiago Silva to injury and carried on in the same measured, committed fashion.

It is a huge personal triumph for Tuchel, who already had victories against Guardiola in the FA Cup semi-Ànal and in the Premier League at Etihad Stadium going in to this game.

And the conÀdence and self-belief those victories brought was in evidence as Chelsea played with a fearless attitude that never allowed City to settle and sparked wild scenes of celebration among players, staͿ and the fans inside Porto’s Estadio do Dragao.

The scale of Tuchel’s achievement is that this night was barely imaginable when he arrived in January but now Chelsea are champions of Europe for a second time..

NUGA OͿcials Visit Unilag O΀cials of the Nigerian University Games Association (NUGA) visited the University of Lagos on Wednesday where they met with the Vice-Chancellor of the university and other members of the local organizing committee of the 26th Nigerian University games.

The visitation was designed to iron out a suitable date for the games and also to inspect the progress made on the Campus’s sports facilities.

The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Professor

Oluwatoyin Temitayo Ogundipe, reiterated the institution’s commitment to hosting the rest of the country’s university athletes.

The Games which is expected to attract over 5000 students from 85 universities was earlier scheduled to hold in 2019, but has been pending and the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic halted many sporting events in 2020.

The facilities inspected by the NUGA visitation panel were those for athletics, the indoor hall, the swimming pool, the main football pitch being re-grassed and other

facilities around the Sports Centre.

The NUGA contingent led by its President, Professor Stephen Hamafyelto and the Secretary General advised that the university should not rest on its oars in ensuring that the Games is delivered shortly and that any dates proposed by the university will be taken to for consideration.

Meanwhile, the University of Lagos will host this year’s International Day of University Sports (IDUS) scheduled for the 20th of September and the activities will be announced in due time.

Sunday May 30, 2021

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“The inability of the country’s ruling class to demonstrate capability to rescue Nigeria from the abyss constitutes a sad but realistic possibility of implosion” – Prof. Akin Oyebode in a speech delivered at the 21st Delegates Conference of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), held between May 28 and 30, 2021 at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University (NAU), Awka.

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SIMONKOLAWOLE Politics of The Nigerian Passport SIMONKOLAWOLELIVE!

simon.kolawole@thisdaylive.com, sms: 0805 500 1961

W

hen the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) said it was suspending fresh passport applications in order to clear the backlog, the first question that jumped at me was: what is so difficult about this thing? Nigerians, home and abroad, have been going through hell to secure a document that should be steadily available. Maybe I have not read wide enough, but I have not heard of any country in the world where there is passport booklet scarcity.

I would think some things are so simple that we shouldn’t have to toil day and night for them. Why must everything in Nigeria have K-leg? Things are so complicated in this country that if you drink ordinary water, you would need toothpick.

The immediate cause of the scarcity, as I learnt, was the shortage of forex to print the booklets. Although NIS issues the passports, the production is handled by Iris Smart Technologies Limited (ISTL), a Nigerian company. Under the contractor-financed arrangement, Iris spends its own funds on the systems architecture and booklet production; NIS fixes the cost of acquiring the passports; applicants pay to the accounts of the Federal Government of Nigeria; and Iris gets paid for its services

CG, NIS, Babandede thereafter. According to National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and NIS annual reports, Nigeria has so far earned $280 million and N120 billion from this contract — without putting in one kobo.

In December, the CBN, citing the dicey forex situation in the country, said it would not be able to issue certain letters of credit for some time and asked importers to explore the I&E

window. While the CBN rate then was N380/$, I&E was hovering around N455. Also, the gap between demand and supply was such that if you wanted $1 million through I&E, you might not get more than $250,000. With the CBN not treating passport production as priority, Iris, I understand, went to the I&E window and, after two months, got only 25 percent of what it applied for. By the time the company went to the open market to buy at N490, applications had started piling up globally. A serious crisis ensued.

I am actually trying to be nice. Mr Mohammed Babandede, the comptroller general of NIS, pointedly accused the CBN of “a deliberate effort to block ISTL from accessing foreign exchange for the importation of booklets”.

But why? My guess would be that since the Nigerian Security Printing and Minting (NSPM) Plc, also called The Mint, is a subsidiary of the CBN, maybe there is a kind of cold war going on. I can’t be too sure about that. The Mint was established by the Nigerian government in 1963 to print security documents; logically, passport booklets should be part of its portfolio.

So, why can’t it handle the printing of the booklets? That, of course, is another story altogether.

On July 11, 2019, Mr Femi Adesina, presidential spokesman, announced that the federal government had cancelled “all

e-passport printing contracts abroad”. Of course, that came across as suspicious because the government did not have any e-passport printing contracts abroad. The contract was with Iris, a wholly Nigerian company. Adesina also announced printing the booklets would become the sole responsibility of The Mint.

Publicly, the argument was that the new arrangement would “conserve forex” and safeguard “national security”. Privately, as I later got to know, the plan was to get The Mint to partner with a newly formed private company for the production of the booklets.

The irony? The booklets would still be printed abroad. Names of top government officials and politicians were mentioned as the brains behind the new company that would go into partnership with The Mint.

Whereas The Mint has been claiming it can print heaven and earth, it obviously does not have the capacity to print the booklets or mint the naira as widely advertised. It can only “finish”, to use the printing terminology for the final stages of production. Till today, NSPM outsources the production of the Nigerian visa vignette to a German company. The materials for the printing of the naira are still heavily imported, with The Mint only putting finishing touches.

Continued on page 67

BABAJIDESANWO-OLU GUEST COLUMNIST

Toast to an Invincible People!

A

s we commemorate another anniversary of civil rule in Nigeria, I have been inundated by thoughts of what tomorrow holds for Nigeria and Nigerians. The travails of our present times are daunting. Very daunting indeed. The truth is, our country is at war. We have been fighting enemies, seen and unseen. We began with the seen. They could be fought with tanks and bullets. Then, the unseen enemy crept in upon us. It crept in cladded in the camouflage of some deadly mutating virus.

It soon grew into a marauding enemy, leaving sorrow, tears, death, dearth; and debt behind. Its footprints are a battered economy and a perplexed nation. It displaced many from the comfort of their homes and made the Isolation Centres the equivalent of IDP camps for many. The unseen enemy took prisoners of war just like its counterpart in the realms of the seen. This enemy hoisted flags of mourning at the doorposts of many families in a manner similar to the acts of the insurgents. This was to be fronted with the weapons of medicine and research. But as a people, we stood up to it.

Here in Lagos, we raised an army of our very best and brightest from the field of medicine to the frontlines. When we mustered our troops for the battle against the dreaded COVID-19, we remembered the gallantry of our ancestors and the strength of their character in the fierce battle against a similar enemy called the 1918 Influenza. In those days, even the living could not bury their dead. Medical doctors were few and our people did not have the benefit of the advancement in medical science as we do today.

But there was something about their spirit the influenza did not know. They were Nigerians! They defeated the marauding enemy on this very soil. When I became the Incident Commander, we resolved that we could defeat Covid-19, just as our forebears did the influenza on this very land. The jury is still out today documenting how we are reining in this unseen enemy in Lagos.

But there is a role our collective national character as a people played in the successes we have recorded. If we speak of how we are defeating this virus today and we fail to take into account the place of the Nigerian Spirit, then we would have missed the point. This is what has left the global medical community in

consternation. We are Nigerians! Invincibility is etched in our character. We are a people of distinction. I write today not to speak to our heads, but to speak to our hearts. I stand in the place of hope. I see tomorrow through the prism of hope, in spite of all of our challenges.

We are the most populous black nation in the world. We are a country of more than 200 million people from over 250 ethnic groups, staying together as one nation. We are a wonder to the world. Ours is a land where people speak more than 520 languages to one another, and still live together in understanding. We are the unity in diversity that makes the world interesting. We are a people of hope. Our greatness is guaranteed by the brightness of the tomorrow ahead of us.

We are Nigeria!

Lest we forget, we have remained Africa’s largest market that cannot be ignored by the world because of our indomitable spirit! Never must we cease to believe in ourselves because of the decision of one business not to site its operations in Nigeria. Let us remember this great land gave birth to the great Oliver De Coque, Osita Osadebe, Mama Comfort Omoge, Dan Maraya Jos and Fela Anikulapo. We are

that country that gave the world King Sunny, Chief Ebenezer Obey and Fela Kuti.

Today offers me an auspicious occasion to remind us that we are still that great nation that gave the world the rare gifts of Femi Kuti, Tuface Idibia, Burna Boy, Wizkid, Davido, Olamide, Asa, Teni, Flavour, Phyno, Omah Lay, Joeboy, Fireboy, Mi Abaga, Ali Baba and a generation of other young musicians, who now rule the world of music and entertainment.

We are a people of strength. Our spirit lives in Kelechi Iheanacho, Wilfred Ndidi, Samuel Chukwueze, Ahmed Musa, Asisat Oshoala, Israel Adesanya, Kamaru Usman, Anthony Joshua and others.

Space will fail me to name all of them. They are our constellation of stars, shinning to the world from this very land or the places of their sojourn. Shall I forget the Ikorodu Bois who I met recently? They are a marvel to the global entertainment world. Just by the sheer force of their spirits, they have turned adversity to advantage. Such is the potential of our youths, their amazing creativity and remarkable energy, which can propel our nation to that greatness we all crave.

Continued on page 67

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