SUNDAY 31TH MAY 2020

Buhari Reconstitutes NNPC Board, Retains Nine-member Structure President, OPEC mourn ex-NNPC GMD, Baru PANDEF hails Abe's appointment, insists on reorganisation Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja and Ernest Chinwo in Port Harcourt President Muhammadu Buhari on Saturday announced the reconstitution of the

Governing Board of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), retaining the nine-member structure in alleged breach of the NNPC Act, which provides for a six-member board. The

reconstitution, according to a brief statement by Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, followed the expiration of the term of the board appointed by the

president in 2016.

Adesina listed members of the new board as Mohammed Lawal (North-west), Tajudeen Umar (North-east), Adamu Mahmood Attah (Northcentral), Senator Magnus Abe

(South-south), Dr. Stephen Dike (South-east), and Chief Pius Akinyelure (South West).

According to Adesina, the new board would serve for a period of three years.

The appointments came as

Buhari mourned the death of the immediate past Group Managing Director (GMD) of NNPC, Dr. Maikanti Baru, who passed on yesterday. The Continued on page 5

Nwogwugwu Emerges Most Powerful Woman in Nigerian Journalism…Page 5 Sunday 31 May, 2020 Vol 25. No 9183

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Crisis in N’Assembly as Workers Allege Plan to Sack Clerk, 150 Others Chuks Okocha in Abuja There's a simmering crisis in the administrative wing of the National Assembly as legislative workers recently accused the National Assembly

Service Commission (NASC) of plans to sack the Clerk, Sani Omolori and 150 other management staff over the revised condition of services approved by the Eighth National Assembly.

The concerned staffers hinted at this development in a letter to President Muhammadu Buhari and the Senator Ahmad Lawan and Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila-led leadership of the National

Assembly as well as heads of security agencies, jointly signed

by Messrs Salisu Functua, National President; Akindele Adesanya Secretary General, and the National Publicity Secretary Aguawike Ebele

Their grouse was that the Senator Abubakar Tutari NASC investigative committee that probed the revised condition of services within the National Assembly reached a decision without hearing

from them as stakeholders, and resolved to implement a recommendation to sack the Clerk of National Assembly and 150 other management Continued on page 5

INEC to Test Elections During COVID-19 in Nine States Studying situations in other countries like Mali, S’Korea Says Edo, Ondo governorship poll will hold regardless PDP flashes joker, shifts submission date for nomination forms to accommodate Obaseki NCDC records highest daily cases of 553, tally rises to 9,855, discharges 2,856, deaths 273

Chuks Okocha in Abuja The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday said it had concluded plans to hold byeelections across the country ahead of the governorship elections in Edo and Ondo states. INEC said the polls would test its capacity to conduct elections amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

INEC National Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, stated this during a virtual meeting of the commission.

Yakubu said the INEC leadership was studying situation reports from countries like Mali and South Korea, which had held elections amid the pandemic. He said regardless of the coronavirus,

the Edo and Ondo elections, scheduled for September 19 and October 10, respectively, would go on as planned.

He listed other elections that would take place within the period of the pandemic.

The INEC boss stated thus: “In addition to the two governorship elections, the commission is also making preparations to conduct nine legislative bye-elections,” he stated, adding, "Already, vacancies have been declared by the Senate President in respect of four Senatorial Districts (Bayelsa Central, Bayelsa West, Imo North and Plateau South). Similarly, the Speaker of the Nasarawa State House of Assembly has declared the seat for Nasarawa Central Constituency vacant.

“Information reaching the commission also indicates the existence of vacancies for the Cross River North Senatorial District, Nganzai and Bayo constituencies of Borno State, and Bakori constituency of Katsina State.”

Meanwhile, NCDC yesterday reported its highest daily cases of infection since the disease was first reported in the country with 553 new cases taking the tally to 9,855, discharges 2,856 and deaths 273. Lagos reported its highest number of cases with 378, followed, FCT-52, Delta-23, Edo-22, Rivers-14, Ogun-13, Kaduna-12, Kano-9, Borno-7, Katsina-6, Jigawa-5, Oyo-5, Yobe-3, Plateau-3, Osun-1.

Continued on page 8

POSITIONS TO BE FILLED BY INEC SENATORIAL ELECTION BAYELSA BAYELSA CENTRAL BAYELSA BAYELSA WEST IMO IMO NORTH PLATEAU PLATEAU SOUTH CROSS RIVER CROSS RIVER NORTH STATE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY KATSINA BAKORI STATE CONSTITUENCY BORNO NGANZAI STATE CONSTITUENCY BORNO BAYO STATE CONSTITUENCY NASARAWA NASARAWA CENTRAL GOVERNORSHIP ELECTION EDO SEPTEMBER 19 ONDO OCTOBER 10

Court Martial Sentences Badeh's Aides for Failing to Protect Him… Page 12

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Nwogwugwu Emerges Most Powerful Woman in Nigerian Journalism THISDAY gets three winners: Style Editor, Ruth Osime and a former correspondent, Ruona Meyer Tobi Soniyi and Chiemelie Ezeob Managing Director of Arise Television and former Editor of THISDAY, Ijeoma Nwogwugwu, has been declared the most powerful woman in Nigerian journalism. She beat a galaxy of top media personalities and media entrepreneurs to clinch the top spot in the ranking.

Nwogwugwu was ranked first among 25 most powerful women in Nigerian journalism

by Women in Journalism Africa (WiJAFRICA).

Kadaria Ahmed and Chris Anyanwu, MFR, a recipient of the IWMF Courage in Journalism Award, were ranked second and third, respectively.

Vice Chairman of Channels Media Group, Olusola Momoh, Bilkisu Labaran, Stella Din Jacob, Lady Maiden Ibru, MFR, Mo Abudu, Funke Egbemode, and Tosin Dokpesi also made the top 10 list of “25 Most Powerful� women in the Nigerian media, particularly journalism, for 2020.

WiJAfrica said it worked with a team of industry leaders and practitioners to rank the women.

It measured the most powerful woman journalist in four criteria: the size and effectiveness of her influence in national affairs, her influence in the media industry, her experience and the arc of her career, and, finally, her social and cultural influence.

According to the organisation, most of the women on the list often shun the limelight, preferring to work behind the scenes. “Many of them will not be well-known to the public, but their understated approach is often the source of their power and longevity,� it said.

WiJAfrica also said some of the names might be debated, but that would not diminish

Nwogwugwu their impact or the fact that they had helped shape major issues in the polity.

On the emergence of Nwogwugwu as the most powerful woman in Nigerian journalism, the association said, "Contrary to what many may think, Ijeoma Nwogwugwu is not the most powerful woman journalist in Nigeria because she is the managing director of Arise TV – even though this in itself, is a big deal. Rather, Ijeoma, through her weekly column in THISDAY and as editor of the paper, helped shape national policy and provide often sharp criticism of government since the days of former President Obasanjo. She is quick-witted, highly cerebral, and resolutely holds the government of the day accountable. It is no secret that every leader in the field of business and national politics knows Ms. Nwogwugwu personally, but this has not affected her journalistic

Osime responsibility to the public. “Ms. Nwogwugwu brings to journalism a wealth of experience across private and public sectors. She held the track record of editing all three titles under the THISDAY stable for the longest unbroken period of 11 years and is the second woman in the history of Nigerian journalism to be appointed Editor of a national newspaper, the first being Dr. Doyinsola Abiola of Concord. “Based on her national and industry credence, the trajectory of her career and allround professionalism, Ijeoma Nwogwugwu is the most powerful woman journalist in Nigeria."

The Editor of THISDAY Style, Ruth Osime, is also listed among the 25 most powerful women in Nigerian journalism. In choosing Osime, the association said, “For a high-level job in journalism to be successful, power with people is mandatory.�

It stated: "Few people

Meyer wield the influence of Ruth Osime in an industry where relationships are the currency.

As the longstanding editor of THISDAY Style, she is often the gateway between politicians and captains of industry trying to burnish their image, and the public they are trying to reach."

The association stated that her work was equally as important as hard news reporting, since the leaders appearing on her Style cover often must prove that their professional mettle was balanced by a healthy humanity.

"To date, Ms. Osime has directly sat in interviews with no less than eight present and former presidents, more than 150 serving and former governors, senators and other political leaders and their wives, and scores of captains of industry and change makers. Ruth Osime is a formidable media power broker coming in at number 12," the association added.

A former THISDAY

correspondent, Ruona Agbroko Meyer also made the list. She is the first Nigerian journalist to be nominated for an International Emmy Award for her work, Sweet Sweet Codeine, a 2018 documentary on drug abuse, for BBC Africa Eye. The report provoked a general outcry, and the Federal Government announced major steps to address codeine abuse and going after its illegal sale. Ruona has several awards to her name and has her works featured in several local and international press.

The Chairman and Editorin-Chief of THISDAY, Mr. Nduka Obaigbena, said the duo of Nwogwugwu, Osime and Meyer merited the ranking.

He congratulated them for their achievements, urging them to arise and conquer.

"Go girls! Arise and over the world with Style.�

In his congratulatory message, the Managing Director of THISDAY, Mr Eniola Bello,

said Nwogwugwu and Osime emerged from an impressive collection of professional women of “timber and calibre�.

Others who made the list of the 25 most powerful women in Nigerian journalism are: Toun Okewale Sonaiya, Toyosi Ogunseye, Ifeyinwa Omowole, Maupe Ogun Yusuf, Uche Pedro, Linda Ikeji, Morayo Afolabi Brown, Adesuwa Onyenokwe, Eugenia Abu, Stephanie Busari, Kiki Mordi, Ruona Meyer, Adedoja Allen and Angel Emuwa.

WiJAFRICA is the annual gathering of women working in the field of journalism and the media across Africa. The programme is organised by WiJAfrica, supported by local and international partners with “the aim of advancing conversations around the practice of journalism in Africa, promoting best practices and supporting innovation in the profession.�

said, "The committee requested that the National Assembly Management furnishes it with votes and proceedings of the 8th National Assembly to show the process that led to the vote in support of the Revised Conditions of Service. “Your Excellency, it may interest you to know that by 9:00am, Tuesday, 19th May, 2020 when the Management of the National Assembly took the said proceedings to the Commission, few days after the request, the report of the committee was ready without the input of the Parliamentary Association of Nigeria (PASAN), the leadership of the National Assembly, the Management of the National Assembly and other key stakeholders.

"The Committee did not think it was necessary to invite stakeholders or even the Staff Union whose initiative it was to have the revised conditions of service to interact with them. They relied on spurious and sponsored petitions and

phantom allegations to reach a decision – a decision that will impact negatively on the welfare of over four thousand Staff of the National Assembly.�

Accordingly, the workers said, "The processes thus far as carried out by the Senator Abubakar Tutari Committee will unleash confusion, trigger industrial disharmony within the National Assembly and the state legislatures and set a dangerous precedent if allowed to stand. We have it on good authority that the committee’s work was initiated by powerful vested interests to instigate a leadership change in the Management of the National Assembly.

"These machinations have no place in the new Nigeria and particularly National Assembly, which we believe you are irrevocably committed to. The higher national interest should be uppermost in the minds of leaders at all times," they stated.

in the Ministry of Finance. The three automatic board members bring the total membership of the governing board of the corporation to nine, in alleged breach of Section 1(2) of the NNPC Act, which provides for a six-member board of directors.

The development implies retention of the status quo that

has been criticised by experts, including Lagos-based lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana, SAN, as a violation of the provisions of the Act establishing the board.

Falana had alluded to Section 1(2) of the Act, which stipulates that the affairs of NNPC “shall,

CRISIS IN N’ASSEMBLY AS WORKERS ALLEGE PLAN TO SACK CLERK, 150 OTHERS staff.

According to the petition, the workers said, "We are however worried by the existence of a nexus and coordination between procured actors from outside the legislature and a committee setup by the National Assembly Service Commission to review the Revised Conditions of Service.�

They said the plot was all about stopping the implementation of the amended National Assembly Conditions of Service that dwelt with the welfare of staff.

They accused the NASC investigative committee of contriving a petition from an unknown group and reaching a decision without hearing from the association of the National Assembly workers.

The workers noted that they would have dismissed the sponsored reports, because they are a vile propaganda designed to discredit the system and initiate a power grab and bazaar operation

in the National Assembly, however, records needed to be put straight.

"For the avoidance of doubt, Section 19 (1) and 6(a) of the NASC Act 2014, empower the National Assembly Service Commission (NASC) to set rules and regulations, including fixing of salary, promotion, conditions of service, issues of discipline, tenure and/ or operational guidelines for the conduct of the staff of the National Assembly.�

Thus, in exercising its functions, the workers claimed the service commission must be guided by adequate information pursuant to all-inclusive processes in the overall interest of the National Assembly and the legislature as an institution, more so because the legislature in Nigeria is still evolving and trying to develop its practice and procedures.

"You are aware and conversant with the issue(s) that led to the adoption of the Revised Conditions of Service for

the National Assembly by the 8th Session of the National Assembly. In 2018, the staff of the National Assembly under the aegis of the Parliamentary Association of Nigeria (PASAN) agitated for a new condition of service against the backdrop of unsatisfactory remunerations as obtained in other developed and developing legislatures across the globe.

"The protests led to the shutdown of the National Assembly for one week. To break the dead lock, the Management of the National Assembly, the leadership of NASC, the presiding officers of the National Assembly and PASAN signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), which gave birth to the Revised Conditions of Service and other related issues.

"The Revised Conditions of Service was not shrouded in “secrecy� as alleged but was a product of a motion ably moved by the then Majority Leaders in the Senate and the

House of Representatives of the 8th National Assembly.

Upon winning the support of members of both chambers, it passed through the necessary processes before it was gazetted.

"Surprisingly, nine months into its implementation, the newly constituted National Assembly Service Commission (NASC) after assumption of office, not minding that the revised conditions of Service was a product of the immediate past Commission, started behaving as if they have been waiting for the opportunity to descend on the staff. “The Commission was said to have set up a six-member committee headed by former Senator Abubakar Tutari to revisit the Conditions of Service. The commission stated that it set up the committee in response to petitions allegedly received against the Revised Condition of Service," the workers explained.

Continuing, the workers

BUHARI RECONSTITUTES NNPC BOARD, RETAINS NINE-MEMBER STRUCTURE late GMD served in the 2016 board, and he was rumoured to have died of complications from the coronavirus.

The Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) also mourned Baru, saying his death is a huge loss to the oil and gas sector in Nigeria. This was contained in a condolence

message released on Saturday in Abuja by OPEC SecretaryGeneral, Dr Mohammed Barkindo.

In a related development, the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) welcomed the reconstitution of the NNPC board. In a statement yesterday by its National Publicity

Secretary, Hon. Ken Robinson, PANDEF also hailed the appointment of Rivers-born Senator Magnus Abe into the board to represent the Southsouth. But the forum called for the rejigging of appointments into the corporation in the interest of the country.

The appointment of the six

members of the new board, as announced yesterday, did not include three other statutory appointments into the board.

These include the nominations of the board chairman, who must be the Minister of Petroleum Resources or Minister of State for Petroleum, the incumbent GMD of NNPC, and a Director-General

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NEWS BUHARI RECONSTITUTES NNPC BOARD, RETAINS NINE-MEMBER STRUCTURE subject to Part II of this Act, be conducted by a Board of Directors of the Corporation which shall consist of a Chairman and the following other members, that is- (a) the Director-General, Federal Ministry of Finance and Economic Development; (b) the Managing Director of the Corporation; and (c) three persons to be appointed by the National Council of Ministers, being persons who by reason of their ability, experience or specialised knowledge of the oil industry or of business or professional attainments are capable of making useful contributions to the work of the Corporation.�

The provision for the sixth member of the board is contained in Section 1 (3) of the Act, which stipulates that the Chairman of the NNPC Board of Directors "shall be a Minister in the Government of 1979 No. 44 the Federation to be known and styled as the Minister of Petroleum Resources."

Given the appointment of the six members announced yesterday by the president, and the statutory membership of the petroleum minister, a representative of the Ministry of Finance, and the GMD of NNPC, the total members of the newly reconstituted board will remain nine.

On July 4, 2016, Buhari had constituted the NNPC board with the then Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu, as chairman, with Baru and the then Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Finance as members. The other six members appointed into the board were the president's late Chief of Staff, Mallam Abba Kyari, Dr. Thomas John, Dr. Pius Akinyelure, Dr. Tajudeen Umar, Mallam Mohammed Lawal, and Mallam Yusuf Lawal.

The trio of Akinyelure, Umar, and Lawal have been reappointed into the reconstituted board.

Upon the exit of Kachikwu, who ceased to be Minister of State for Petroleum and chairman of the board on June 27, 2019, Buhari appointed John, who had been a member of the board since 2016, as the acting alternate chairman of the NNPC Governing Board to run the activities of the board.

Other members of the board, who ran the body since June 27, 2019 until the latest reconstitution, included the current NNPC GMD, Malam Mele Kyari; the late Abba Kyari; Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Finance, Alhaji Mahmoud Isa Dutse; Akinyelure; Umar; Mohammed Lawal; and Yusuf Lawal.

At the time John was appointed as the alternate chairman of the board in June 2019, there was no Minister of Petroleum and when Buhari reconstituted his cabinet on August 21, 2019, Chief Timipre Sylva, the incumbent Minister of State for Petroleum, assumed the position of the board chairman.

Falana had criticised the constitution of the former board by the president for not only violating the NNPC Act, with nine members instead of six, but also for violating the Federal Character Commission (Establishment) Act of 1995.

According to Falana, the former board comprised three members from the North-east, two from the South-south, one from the North-central, two from the North-west, and one from the South-west, without any representation from the South-east. He said this was in violation of the Federal Character Commission (Establishment) Act, 1995, which stipulates that there must be

balanced representation across the six geopolitical zones.

The geographical representation in the former board was as follows: Timipre Sylva (South-south), Thomas John (South-south), Mele Kyari (North-east), Abba Kyari (North-east), Tajudden Umar (North-east), Isa-Dutse (North-central), Mohammed Lawal (North-west), Yusuf Lawal (North-west), and Dr. Pius Akinyelure (South-west).

In view of the alleged geopolitical and numerical infractions, Falana warned that unless the board “is properly constituted, its decisions may be set aside with dire consequences for the national economy.� He called for an amendment of the NNPC Act to raise the number of the board members from six to nine “to avoid a situation whereby decisions of the board are challenged in court.�

Reacting to the reconstitution of the board yesterday, Falana said the board remained nine, in breach of the NNPC Act. However, he acknowledged that the president had by the new appointments addressed the issue of geographical imbalance in the former board.

He said unlike the previous board, which had six members from the North as against three from the South, there were now five members from the North and four from the South, with every geopolitical zone represented.

According to Falana, “The reconstitution of the NNPC board is a partial response to the allegation of ethnic imbalance in breach of the Federal Character Commission Act. It is partial in the sense that the Buhari administration may be said to have complied with Section 14 (3) of the Constitution, which provides that there shall be no predominance of persons from a

few states or from a few ethnic or other sectional groups in the composition of the government and its agencies. “But by excluding women and oil workers from the board, the composition of the administration cannot be said to have complied with Section 42 of the Constitution and Article 2 of the African Charter Act which have prohibited discrimination on the basis of sex or class. “However, it is pertinent to point out that previous regimes had illegally constituted the NNPC board with nine members. If the administration had decided to retain the nine-member board, it has to take urgent steps to stop the impunity by requesting the National Assembly to amend Section 1 of the NNPC Act as it has established a six-member board.�

Buhari, OPEC Mourn Baru Meanwhile, the former GMD of NNPC, Baru, passed on in the early hours of Saturday at the age of 60. Baru was a member of the board of directors of the corporation that served from 2016 to 2019.

Although, the cause of his death was not officially announced, there were speculations that the former NNPC boss might have died of complications from COVID-19 infection.

In a swift reaction to the death, Buhari who had appointed Baru to head the NNPC in 2016, condoled with the ex-GMD’s family, friends and professional colleagues.

He also commiserated with the government and people of Bauchi State, as well as the management and staff of NNPC over Baru's death, saying the deceased worked

very hard to initiate reforms in virtually all departments of the corporation, bringing it up to speed with global trends and best practices.

According to a statement by Adesina, Buhari acknowledged Baru’s efforts to ensure stability in Nigeria’s oil sector, with a more guaranteed supply and predictable price regime, which he said weakened unscrupulous parallel marketers, especially during festive seasons.

Barkindo said Baru was a hardworking and committed person who believed in transparency and accountability.

He said in the condolence message, “Dr Maikanti Baru was a good and hardworking professional whom l had absolute confidence in both as his colleague in NNPC and, later, as GMD. “As GMD of NNPC he repositioned the corporation and the Nigeria’s oil industry.

He was workaholic, cerebral, humane, godly and kindhearted.�

Bauchi Gov Mourns Maikanti, Describes His Death As A Great Loss On his part, the Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed has expressed shock over the sudden demise of former Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation NNPC, Maikanti Kachalla Baru, describing the death as a great loss not only the people of Bauchi and Nigeria, but to the whole world at large.

PANDEF Hails Reconstitution, Insists on NNPC’s Reorganisation

In a statement Saturday by its National Publicity Secretary, Hon. Ken Robinson, PANDEF stated, “The major concern of the Niger Delta Region is the skewed composition of the Executive Management of the NNPC, and appointment of chief executives of the corporation’s cubsidiaries.

"It is simply abhorrent that the Group Managing Director (GMD), the Chief Finance Officer, Finance and Account, the Corporate Secretary/Legal Adviser to the Corporation, and Chief Executives of virtually all strategic divisions and subsidiaries of the NNPC are persons from the Northern zones of the country."

It urged Buhari to further "carry out a holistic rejigging of the lopsided NNPC management structure, and correct the imbalances, in the interest of equity, fairness, peace and national cohesion".

PANDEF added, "It is significant to recall that the position of Group Managing Director of the NNPC was traditionally and rightly, reserved for persons from the South-south geopolitical zone, which produces about 95 per cent of the nation’s crude extraction. It won’t be out of place, therefore, to ask for the restoration of that tradition."

But it said the latest NNPC board composition was a departure from the 2016 board arrangement, which had no representation from the Southeast, an oil producing zone.

"PANDEF further implores those, particularly from the Niger Delta Region, newly appointed to the Board of the NNPC, to shun partisan and miniature interests in the discharge of their duties and responsibilities," the statement said.

INEC TO TEST ELECTIONS DURING COVID-19 IN NINE STATES Also, the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), at the weekend, threw up some last minute joker. It shifted the submission date of governorship nomination forms to June 3, in the alleged belief that the incumbent governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki, might cross over and seek re-election on its platform.

Obaseki has been locked in a supremacy battle with National Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, an indigene of Edo State. The situation has degenerated and many people feel it can affect Obaseki’s chances of clinching the APC ticket for a second term.

Speaking on INEC’s preparations for the elections, in spite of the global health challenge, Yakubu said the commission was determined to hold some of the byeelections ahead of the two major governorship elections in Edo and Ondo states to enable it fine-tune its processes.

He said the commission had directed the Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) in the nine states, where the bye-elections would hold, to begin preparations in earnest.

According to the INEC chairman, "At the same time, we are also studying reports of recent elections conducted under the COVID-19 pandemic, especially, in places such as Mali and South Korea, for any lessons that will strengthen our processes and protect all those involved.

"At this meeting, we will receive the input of our RECs to the new policy with particular reference to its implementation in the areas of recruitment and training of ad hoc staff,

logistics for the deployment of personnel and materials, the conduct of party primaries and nomination of candidates, the submission of the names of polling agents by political parties, the accreditation of observers and the media, the security of the electoral process, polling unit management and the collation and declaration of results.�

At the meeting, which was its first virtual engagement with the RECs, Yakubu explained, “While the commission takes the COVID-19 pandemic seriously, our democracy and electoral process cannot be truncated for this reason, particularly, because health authorities have advised on measures to protect the public from the virus, including all those involved in elections."

Yakubu told the RECs that some of the registered political parties had notified the commission of the dates for their party primaries leading to the nomination of their candidates for the two elections.

Yakubu said the Edo and Ondo governorship elections as well as the five senatorial and four Assembly bye-elections were spread across nine states of the federation. They involve 62 local government areas, 687 registration areas, 9,149 polling units, and 6,454,950 registered voters, he disclosed. “Put in the context of our sub-region, the number of registered voters for these offseason elections is equivalent to holding general election in Liberia, Guinea Bissau, Sierra Leone and Cape Verde put together. Full delimitation details for the elections have been uploaded on our website and social media platforms," he stated.

With yesterday's virtual meeting, Yakubu told his staff that the deployment of communication technology would increasingly become the dominant means of information dissemination within the commission, in particular, and in the management of the electoral process, in general, including future engagements with stakeholders.

Yakubu also spoke on INEC’s support to government in the fight against COVID-19.

He said, "Our country’s national effort to combat the pandemic is coordinated by the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on whose request the commission has made available a number of vehicles from our fleet to support the emergency response. “The majority of these assets were deployed to Lagos, Kano and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), which have so far recorded the highest number of reported cases in the country.�

He, however, lamented that the pandemic had affected the work of the commission.

"For instance, further engagement with the National Assembly and stakeholders on electoral reform as well as the conduct of some off-season elections had to be suspended, because of the global health emergency," Yakubu said.

From the INEC data released, there are 2210534 registered voters across the 18 local governments of Edo State and 20974 staff to be deployed during the election. Also, the commission said, there are 192 registration areas and 2627 polling units In Ondo, the commission said there were 1822346 registered voters with 17913 staff to be deployed across the 18 local

governments of the state. It said there were 203 registration areas and 3009 pulling units.

Although the last date for the submission of governorship nomination forms in Edo State was May 29, PDP extended the date to June 3. However, as at the May 29 deadline, only three governorship aspirants had paid the N21 million cost of the governorship and expression of interest forms.

Those who picked the forms were Ihama Ogbeide, the member representing Oredo Federal Constituency, Mr. Ken Immasuagbon, popularly known as the Rice Man on account of his philanthropic gestures, and a businessman, Gideon Ikhien.

National Publicity Secretary of PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, announced the date extension for submission of forms. “All leaders, governorship aspirants, critical stakeholders, and members of our great party in Edo State should be guided accordingly,� Ologbondiyan said.

But a party source said the extension was to woo Obaseki and try to convince him to move over to the PDP, since APC seemed to have shut the door against him with last week’s endorsement of Ize-Iyamu as preferred candidate by a faction of the party loyal to Oshiomhole.

Though sources said Obaseki's precarious situation might have been worsened by the decision of APC to schedule the screening of aspirants in the second week of June. This decision, apparently, puts Obaseki in a difficult position in terms of leaving APC before the screening in two weeks.

A PDP source said the party’s NWC might grant Obaseki

a comprehensive waiver if he considered the option of dumping APC for PDP. But sources within Obaseki's camp foreclosed the option of moving to PDP or any other party. They vowed to remain in APC to slug it out with those opposed to the governor’s second term bid.

Nevertheless, some sources said the governor was waiting to see what the APC governors would do to salvage the situation and secure his second term bid. The thinking in many quarters is that if Obaseki is left to be disgraced out of office like the former Lagos State governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, there could be danger for the party's first term governors in the hands of powerful godfathers. The fear is that if Obaseki is successfully shoved aside, the same fate may await Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State.

Speaking on the possibility of Obaseki’s defection to PDP, the chairman of the Edo State chapter of the party, Dr. Anthony Aziegbemi, said during an interview on Channels Television, “We maintain the fact that our doors are open. Governor Obaseki is our governor in the state and if he wants to join the PDP, he is free to do so. Will he get an automatic ticket, the answer is an emphatic no.�

He said Obaseki “will have to go through the process and he will have to go through the NWC, where he will be considered for a waiver or not and then he will still get to the delegates and that process is open to every Nigerian. So, our doors are not closed at all.

"We maintain the fact that our doors are open. Governor Obaseki is our governor in the

state and if he wants to join the PDP, he is free to do so.�

The belief in APC is that Obaseki’s chances became imperilled after the death of former Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, Mallam Abba Kyari. Kyari, it was learnt, had at a meeting in March with the two opposing sides in the Edo APC crisis brokered an understanding that would have handed Obaseki the party’s ticket and at the same time sustained Oshiomhole’s position as national chairman.

But with Kyari's death, the pro-Oshiomhole forces were said to have moved in and changed the equation, leaving Obaseki’s chances in the balance.

PTF Considers Scaling Down Daily BrieďŹ ng In another development, the Presidential Task Force on Covid-19 is considering a review of her daily briefings on the situation reports across the country to either two or three days ago, saving time and cost.

Two prominent sources within the committee confirmed this development to THISDAY and said, apart from the fact that the daily briefings were becoming monotonous; it is a matter of time before they become a repetition of the facts and cases as with previous briefings.

It is against this backdrop that members of the committee agreed to a review of the briefings, whilst its leadership is said to be working out the new modalities for the briefings on Covid-19 without leaving anything unaccounted for with the new approach.

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NEWS REVIEW

Before Investor Confidence is Dampened in Power Sector Obinna Chima Building investor confidence is always a top priority for any serious country. That is because the absence of confidence deters Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs). This has significant effect on long-term investments in any country and is the reason why policymakers make sure they avoid any step that would be seen as disincentives to investors.

That is why many Nigerians, particularly the business community were taken aback by last week’s directive by the federal government to the Ministries of Power, and Finance, Budget and National Planning as well as the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) to speed up the process of finalising the preengineering and concessionary financing agreement with German multinational conglomerate, Siemens.

The uncertainty surrounding the move which comes exactly three months after the government ordered a forensic audit of the activities of the 11 electricity distribution companies (Discos) has been perceived by some as a ploy to revoke the agreement with the Discos.

President Muhammadu Buhari, during the signing of the power deal, had directed both teams from the company and their Nigerian counterparts to first focus on fixing the transmission and distribution infrastructure that had threatened Nigeria’s electricity supply industry.

He said the goal was to achieve 7,000 megawatts of reliable power supply by 2021 and 11,000 megawatts by 2023 in phases one and two respectively, noting that after the transmission and distribution system bottlenecks have been fixed, the third and the final phase would be to drive generation capacity, and overall grid capacity to 25,000 megawatts.

As part of the deal, it was learnt that the Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning would pay from the Signature Bonus Account about ₏15.2 million and N1.7 billion as Nigeria’s 15 per cent counterpart funding for the concessionary loan after the federal government convinced the Discos to sign the concessionary loan agreement, despite their initial opposition.

The Siemens project, under the Presidential Power Initiative (PPI) is one that appears to have become a cornerstone of the President’s agenda. An expectation associated with the implementation of the Siemens project is a valuation of the DisCos, as necessary to determine the basis of any potential share dilution that may result from the ability of the DisCo investors to meet their counterpart funding or repay the resultant loan. Of critical note is that the forensic audit has been identified as part of the process of determining the valuation of the DisCos, as indicated in a recent report by the National Economic Council’s (NEC) Ad Hoc Committee on Ownership Review and Analysis of DisCos and Electricity Sector Review.

According to the report, the International Finance Corporation (IFC) is expected to utilise the information, “in developing the commercial structure of the intervention under this Presidential Power Initiative (PPI) and in undertaking an independent company valuation of the DisCos.�

But some stakeholders in the sector are wondering the magic the Siemens is expected to perform when the underlying misalignment in the power sector reform that the investors have over the years been calling on the federal government and the industry regulator to address have not been addressed. Today, the entire power value chain is in a state of flux.

Operators insists that the failure of the government to implement and enforce the power sector master plan is one of the factors that have hindered power supply in the country as the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has always set tariffs below cost reflectivity.

In addition, they noted that the federal government’s decision to continue subsidising a part of the market compromises the financial

Minister of Power, Saleh Mamman position of the Discos and their ability to raise capital expenditure to expand their operations.

They had also called for the injection of N100 billion of subsidy to defer the effects of any tariff increases on electricity customers; payment of MDA electricity debt, currently estimated in excess of N80 billion, which is a major leakage of DisCo revenues; as well as a debt-free financial books that would enable the DisCos to access the debt financing necessary to meet the magnitude of investment in the sub-sector.

It is also worthy to note that the premature introduction of the Eligible Customer Regulation by the regulator has created unnecessary risks and confusion in the industry that has not resolved the issue of stranded capacity.

That was why in reacting to the deal with the German multinational, the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) recently expressed worry that the federal government is handing over what it described as sensitive part of the nation’s power sector to Siemens, which the union said had failed three times in the unsuccessful SCADA/EMS contract awarded to them in Nigeria in the past.

The General Secretary of NUEE, Joe Ajaero, had advised the government against such move, saying, “We had stated that Siemens has a contract for the rehabilitation of one of the 300KV line circuit breaker between Ajah and Egbin, which is dangerously standing on one feeder circuit, but for over two years, the company is yet to mobilise. It is not on record that they construct transmission line; which is one of the major needs of Nigeria's power industry.�

More so, the assets were not just handed over to the companies. The investors staked a total of $3.8 billion to acquire them, with agreed terms and conditions which the federal government which holds 40 per cent stake in the companies has been unable to implement.

Nigerians may do well to recall the failed privatisation of the refineries in 2007 under the Olusegun Obasanjo administration. No sooner had the Umaru Yar’Adua government come on board than some vested interests started to clamour for the revocation of the sale.

The clamour was so intense that the government revoked the sale and refunded

DG, BPE, Alex A. Okoh money to those that had acquired the moribund refineries. In the last thirteen years since that painful decision, government has poured hundreds of millions of dollars in all sorts of Turn Around Maintenance and repairs with not a drop of petrol coming out of the refineries. Are we about to witness a repeat of the same scenario with the potential revocation of the DISCOs? The wisdom of history should warn government to be wary of the dangers associated with such an action.

Instead of addressing the issues plaguing the sector, some government officials have continued to clamour for the agreement with the power investors to be revoked. “If the ownership is revoked, there would be litigations and it would erode confidence in the economy. Anyway, why is the minority investor pushing for a forensic audit in a private company? “Does that not tell you there is an ulterior motive? If there will be forensic audit, it should be ordered by the board of the companies and not the government because these are private investments. Is that what the government wants?� the chief executive officer of one of the successor companies who pleaded to remain anonymous said.

Indeed, Section 96 of the Electric Power Sector Reform Act, 2005 (EPSRA) gives the regulator latitude for investigative action, as necessary to balance the interests of consumers and operators in a monopolistic sector. This requirement, naturally, engenders ready hostility in any context in which the operator is seeking to create an imbalance by precluding or objecting to any means by which the regulator seeks to maintain this balance.

This is more so in an environment in which the customer believes the operators are shortchanging them, under delivering and underperforming and, essentially, preying on them.

Furthermore, the prevailing message that has been and is being painted by government agencies and other Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI) stakeholders is that the DisCos are holding back remittances that should go up the value chain, on the back of sharp practices of estimated billing, resulting in the current market liquidity challenges.

Additionally, DisCos have been labelled

with bad governance that has resulted in poor procurement practices, improper financial transactions, nepotism, etc.

A major factor in DisCo opposition to the forensic audit is the consistent third-party, seemingly, agenda-driven requests for forensic audits by the NEC. NEC’s multiple requests for the DisCos to be forensically audited and its related directives to NERC are based on nothing more than an interest to expand state government ownership into private investor interests, in violation of the terms of the privatization transaction terms. “A forensic audit will not provide a cure for a NESI that has not been well-served by a regulator that is not independent, that is weak, politicised and responsible for a multitude of regulatory misadventures and missteps. “A forensic audit will not correct regulatory misadventures of politically determined tariff design and rates; three years of lack of minor reviews; poorly designed customer estimated billing methodology imposed on the DisCos; a virtually non-functional Meter Asset Provider (MAP) program; a tariff that precludes the DisCos from comprehensively metering customers and making the investment that is fundamental to improving power supply to customers,� the source added.

Clearly, the challenges bedevilling the power sector are as old as the country and regulatory inconsistency has over the years weighed down progress in the sector.

Even the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) had previously warned against the federal government taking over the privatised power assets.

BPE’s Director General, Mr. Alex Okoh, recently advised the government not to succumb to the pressure of re-possessing the privatised assets.

According to Okoh, re-nationalising the power assets is not the solution but evolving a better investment option around the distribution value chain would pay the country better.

Therefore, there is a need for the government to tread lightly on the issue and ensure that politics does not interfere with business contracts so as not to hurt the flow of the much-needed FDI into the country.

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ MAY 31, 2020

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EDITORIAL

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

COVID-19 AND NIGERIAN UNIVERSITIES Paucity of research in the universities is a symptom of a deeper malaise

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he paucity of research efforts for both vaccine and cure of COVID-19

by Nigerian universities is a serious indictment on the quality of education in the country. While we recognise that the sector has not been adequately funded, money is not the only problem.

More critical is the intellectual quality of academic staff. Several breakthroughs in knowledge have come from hard times and severely limited funding in many countries. Besides, there are resources that serious researchers can call upon, even within our environment.

In recent years, some funding agencies committed to uplifting standards Oxford have been frustrated by the inability of university University lecturers to answer appeals once ensured for research projects. There academic are reports of Nigerian productivity academic staff presenting incoherent proposals that by reviewing are riddled with basic employment grammatical errors. The every five national president of the years. Until Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Biodun tenure in Ogunyemi last December Nigerian publicly lamented that “some universities lecturers have no business is justified by in the classrooms, but they found their way in due to productivity, political interference.” It is the rot will therefore no surprise that Nicontinue on the gerians do not see a mountain campuses of new books emerging as evidence of fresh research and scholarship arising from the many months of lecturer inactivity occasioned by incessant ASUU strikes.

The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) has vigorously pumped billions of Naira to aid university lecturers who elect to study for postgraduate degrees in the best universities in the world and for research. In February this year, Salihu Bakari, TETFUND Director of Research and Development washed the dirty linen of our lecturers in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

“It is sad to note that public funds made available to

Letters to the Editor

M

ay 30th, 2020, made it 53 years since the defunct state of Biafra was born.

The birth of the young state was troubled as she was immediately absorbed in an impious war of survival with Nigeria.

For 30 months, a savage internecine warfare raged between the two armies of unequal strength and fire power. Overwhelmed, and faced with certain defeat, Biafra surrendered unconditionally.

Five decades on the effects of the war still linger, resisting every effort at erasure. The mitigating postwar policy of the victorious Nigerian government led by Gowon, aimed at reconciling, reconstructing and rehabilitating the defunct Biafra failed to make good enough impact.

Properties seized from the Igbo who constituted the bulk of what was Biafra, especially in Rivers state,

lecturers to conduct ground-breaking and demand-driven researches towards solving Nigeria’s socio-economic, and even political challenges, are misappropriated by those who are expected to be above board. I mean the beneficiaries of our grants,” said Bakari who added, “through our recovery efforts, we had traced monies to houses built by lecturers with the public fund; there are cases of cars purchased with the money, without any research work done. And these are the people who would be accusing politicians of being corrupt."

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

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

hile the diversion of research funds to other uses by university scholars is a spill over of the general atmosphere of corruption in the larger society, TETFUND and other funding agencies need to accompany grants with an accountability template to ensure that research projects are monitored and funded according to performance timelines. It is noteworthy that ASUU officials that are ever quick to join issues with government officials have not disputed Bakari’s claim nor have they responded to his subsequent assertion: “Today, we (TETFUND) have decided to shift our focus and we have opened more doors of opportunities for both the lecturers and their institutions to attract funds to showcase their expertise. But what do we see? No one is coming for the funds.”

It is important to critically review the actions of government towards research. But Nigerian universities must also examine their own failures. For instance, universities in the USA benefit from close reviews by state legislatures to ensure that research is on critical issues ranging from crops and livestock/fisheries to aircraft for carrying perishable products to markets within and outside the country.

Departments of political science, economics also have to justify funds for their staff. Psychology department must aid commercial and political campaign advertisement.

Oxford University once ensured academic productivity by reviewing employment every five years. Until tenure in Nigerian universities is justified by productivity, the rot will continue on the campuses.

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) announced recently that in order to encourage greater research and development of drugs and vaccines that would help prevent the spread of COVID-19, it is “developing a framework under which grants and long term facilities will be provided to researchers, science institutions and biotechnology firms to develop the Nigerian vaccine” with challenges thrown to “scientists at home and in the diaspora to go back to their laboratories and develop a Nigerian vaccine.”

Unfortunately, Nigerians are yet to hear the response of ASUU to this opportunity for its members.

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.

Time to Heal The Wounds remain abandoned till date while basic infrastructure in the five Igbo states of the South east remain in decrepit condition.

This situation is not made better with the subtle, but consistent effort in turning the Igbo out of doors of certain offices in Nigeria. To date, certain positions have been denied the Igbo. But where such positions are made available to them, (which has been few and far between) they are caused to assume a refrain of favour - chorused by the state, its surrogate media and a few self-abusing Igbo.

Constant reference is made of such appointment with the government that effected it, singled out for unmerited praise. Perhaps palsied by shock of the loss of the war, the intelligent among the Igbo became cagey, leaving the brash and the self-abusive compatriots to speak when silence should have sufficed.

On many occasions the appointment of an Igbo to a position he is entitled to has been made to look like a favour.

Even if the appointee was most deserving or the appointment came at the verge of retirement, expressions of gratitude were still lavish. Inspector- General of Police Ogbonnaya Onovo and Comptroller General of Customs Bernard-Shaw Nwadialor were some of those whose appointments to the headship of the two organs of the government conformed to the conditions above. Neither was undeserving of the office he was appointed. Neither had enough years on the job before the appointment.

Nonetheless, the appointments were celebrated by the brash and self -abusive Igbo.

The appointment of Brigadier General David Ndefo as the General Officer Commanding

1 Division of the Nigerian Army, Kaduna, between 2000 and 2001 did not go differently. This time the media upped the game of reminding the readers that appointing an Igbo to a G.O.C position was a favour to be eternally grateful.

Major General Azubike Ihejirika's appointment as the Chief of Army Staff was a tad above the ordinary run of reportage. It was advertised in the national dailies with comments of gratitude as if a mercenary was appointed.

Nigeria stands a chance of becoming a major economy in the world without her practised discriminatory treatment of a section of her people. This is because apart from their quality contributions to Nigeria, the Igbo are a major stakeholder to the development of the country. The full potential of any nation is not realized with a section of it consciously emasculated.

Rather it is achieved by encouraging equality and availing each section limitless opportunities to aspire to any position.

The memories of the war should be

erased permanently by consciously integrating every section of the country.

Efforts must be made to eschew provocative statements capable of inflaming the state to a second conflict. It is difficult for any nation to survive two civil wars. History is yet to record that any nation became great on account of repeated internal wars.

Countries that survived civil wars were known to be stronger and close knit perhaps because they learnt as did Bertrand Russell early that "war does not determine who is right, but who is left". The lessons of war they also know are better appreciated in peace time.

Nigeria has a good chance of becoming great by leveraging on the ingenuity of the Igbo. It is fairly right to argue that the Igbo are the uniters of Nigeria. No other tribe has done as much.

––––Ejike Anyaduba, Abatete (See concluding part on www. thisdaylive.com)

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NEWS

Acting News Editor ĂŒĂ™ĂŁĂ?Ă‘Ă‹ Ă•Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă‹Ă˜Ă—Ă“ E-mail: Ă‘ĂŒĂ™ĂŁĂ?Ă‘Ă‹Ë›Ă‹Ă•Ă“Ă˜Ă?Ă‹Ă˜Ă—Ă“ĚśĂžĂ’Ă“Ă?ĂŽĂ‹ĂŁĂ–Ă“Ă Ă?Ë›Ă?Ă™Ă—ËœÍ¸Î€Í¸Î€ÍšÎ Î€ÍžÍ˝Î Í¸ Ě™Ă?Ă—Ă? Ă™Ă˜Ă–ĂŁĚš

Appeal Court Affirms $10m Damages against Shoprite ‡5HMHFWV $,&¡V P FODLP DV ORVV RI SURÀW ‡Says Nigerian subsidiary not party to contract

Gboyega Akinsanmi A Court of Appeal sitting in Lagos has affirmed the judgment of a Lagos High Court that awarded $10 million damages against Africa’s largest food retailer, Shoprite Checkers (PTY) Limited in a suit filed by AIC Limited that the retail giant breached an agreement to set up its Nigerian arm.

The appellate court, however,

rejected a cross appeal AIC instituted against Retail Supermarket Limited, Nigeria’s subsidiary of Shoprite Group, asking it to award 50 percent of $92.3 million against the subsidiary as loss of profit incurred due to the breach of contract by its parent company.

In an unanimous judgment delivered on May 21, the court’s three-man panel affirmed the award against Shoprite Group, thus upholding the decision of the

lower court that Shoprite Group breached contract in its dealing with AIC. Before the appeal was instituted, the trial court presided over by Justice Lateef Lawal-Akapo had awarded $10 million damages against the South African retail giant and its Nigerian subsidiary for a breach of contract Apart from the $10million award, the court had directed the South African retail giant to

pay 10 percent per annum on the damages with effect from the date of judgment until final liquidation of the entire sum.

Dissatisfied with the judgment of the trial court, Shoprite and its Nigerian subsidiary jointly filed a notice of appeal with several grounds, asking the appellate court to quash the decision of the lower court.

On its part, AIC filed a cross appeal, demanding 50 percent of

HOME AT LAST . . .

A cross section of 268 Nigerians stranded in China, arrive the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja, They proceeded for the mandatory 14-day quarantine by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control ... yesterday

$92.3million as loss of profit it suffered due to the incorporation of Retail Supermarkets Limited, which it contended amounted to the breach of the agreement for the period of 2005 to 2009.

In its decision, the three-man panel, comprising Justice Joseph Ikyegh, Justice Tijjani Abubakar and Justice Ugochukwu Ogakwu, threw out the appeal of Shoprite Group having established it breached agreement it entered with AIC to jointly set up the Nigerian subsidiary.

Ikyegh, who delivered the lead judgment, ruled: “I agree with the appellants that since the court below did not find Retail Supermarket liable, the award of damages and costs against it cannot stand. The court below was therefore wrong to have awarded damages against Retail Supermarket.�

The judge declared that he would “allow the appeal in part on this issue and set aside the award of damages and costs against Retail Supermarket; while the appeal of Shoprite Checkers is dismissed for lacking in merit and the decision of the court below as it affects Shoprite is hereby affirmed. “The trial court held in its judgment that there was a subsisting contract by conduct between the respondent and Shoprite with

respect to the joint venture, which the latter had breached upon which it awarded $10 million damages and post-judgment interest thereon in favour of the respondent against the appellants,� he declared.

He noted that since Shoprite had by its conduct shown an assurance of intention or representation to enter into legal relation with the respondent with respect to the partnership venture and the respondent acted upon it, it could not afterward be allowed to retreat or resile from the promise of assurance.

It added that the South African retail giant “must accept its legal relations as modified by it even though it is not supported in point of law by any consideration, but only by its word or conduct using the yardstick of a reasonable man. “Accordingly, by allowing AIC to expend time, energy and resources in the partnership endeavour and altering its position in the belief based on the probability of both of them working together in partnership, good conscience will not allow Shoprite to avoid liability for altering AIC’s position. “Even if there was no binding contract by conduct between Shoprite and AIC, the dictates of good conscience grounded the liability of Shoprite. The appeal on liability therefore lacks merit.

Amid Fiscal Crisis, Makinde Begins Construction of Four Bus Terminals Kemi Olaitan Amid looming fiscal crisis that has stalled capital project execution in most states of the federation, Oyo State Governor, Mr. Oluseyi Makinde has begun construction of four multibillion bus terminals in Ibadan to revolutionise the state’s public transport.

Makinde has also kicked off execution of over 12 strategic road projects across the state with the plan to open up the state’s economy for business and investments.

He unveiled the new projects

in a new document, titled ‘GSM Infrastructure Revolution Begins’ which he released on his first anniversary outlining his scorecards sector by sector while also mapping out priority for the next three years.

With different projects and programmes identified in the document, Makinde said he was on a mission to restore the glory of the state as the political capital of the Southwest before he completes his first term.

Until the regional system was dismantled in 1967 with the creation of 12 states, Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State, was the

seat of political power for the Western Region that witnessed unprecedented transformation in the First Republic, mainly during the administration of Chief Obafemi Awolowo.

Since its creation in 1976, Oyo State, indeed Ibadan, has been a shadow of itself noted for its inefficient public transport system, overstretched public infrastructure, poor culture of waste management and weak traffic regulation and enforcement regimes, among others.

With these grim realities, Makinde came up with GSM Infrastructure Revolution, a

Court Martial Sentences Badeh’s Aides for Failing to Protect Ex-CDS Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja The General Court Martial constituted to try the former aides of late Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh, has found them guilty and imposed various sentences.

Badeh, who was also a former Chief of Air Staff (CAS), was ambushed and killed on December 18, 2018 by gunmen on his way back from his farm along Gitata-Keffi Highway in Nasarawa State.

A statement by the Nigerian Air Force Headquarters said six NAF personnel, who were aides to the late CDS were given various sentences by the general court-martial sitting at the NAF Base, Bill Clinton Drive, Abuja.

The six NAF personnel, who stood trial for various offences, are Squadron Leader Tom

Gwani, Flight Sergeant Amu David, Flight Sergeant Philemon Degema, Flight Sergeant Sabo Simon, Sergeant Mukhtar Abdullahi and Sergeant Alfred Alexander.

Four of the personnel were detailed to provide armed escort for Badeh while two others were detailed for guard duty at his house on 18 December 2018 when the former CDS was ambushed and killed by some gunmen on his way back from his farm.

Delivering judgment on the matter on Friday, the President of the GCM, Air Commodore David Aluku, pronounced the six accused personnel guilty of various charges including failure to perform military duties by absconding from the convoy of the deceased former CDS while it came under attack, as

well as conduct to the prejudice of service discipline for giving false statements.

The charges against the accused also included other civil offences of criminal conspiracy and miscellaneous offences relating to property for illegally disposing 79 rounds of 5.56mm live ammunition issued for the protection of the late CDS, among others. “On the count of aiding and abetting, two of the personnel were found not guilty, while the other four personnel who were detailed to provide armed escort were handed various sentences�, the statement issued by NAF Spokesman, Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola said.

While pleading in mitigation, the defence counsel urged the court to show leniency, describing the accused persons as first time offenders.

policy document that mapped out programmes and projects his administration had already initiated to make Oyo State a choice destination for investments and a true centre of commerce.

Makinde, in his foreword, said the last one year of his administration rehabilitating schools, repositioning public healthcare facilities, maintaining deplorable roads under zero pothole programme and strengthening the broadcasting services through acquisition and upgrading of equipment.

Under the light-up project,

he said the state government had lit up roads, palaces, neighborhoods and markets with a view to ensure safety of lives and ease of moving around apart from patrol vehicles procured for security agencies to make security architecture stronger.

In addition to strengthening the state’s public order and safety, Makinde placed premium on the right of every child to receive quality education, a reason he had made public education entirely free; rehabilitated 22 public schools statewide and provided 22,800 school furniture sets.

He explained the significance

of clean green initiative designed “to change people’s mindset and make environment pleasant for all and boost public health.

Physical well-being is related to community wealth. It is not surprising that community health is tied to how we manage wastes.�

With these achievements in the last one year, Makinde therefore sought public support for the next phase with plan to execute iconic projects “never seen before in the history of our state under my infrastructure revolution initiative. It is the promise I made, it is the promise I shall fulfill.�

Fayemi: Fayose Leased His House to Ekiti, Collected N120m Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi yesterday alleged that his immediate predecessor, Mr. Ayodele Fayose leased his personal apartment in Federal Capital Territory, Abuja to the state and collected N120 million for a period of four years.

Fayemi, Chairman of Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF), also alleged that Fayose illegally sold the official land acquired by the state’s first civilian governor, Otunba Adeniyi Adebayo for the building of the state lodge in Abuja.

He made these allegations in a statement his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications, Mr. Segun Dipe issued yesterday, denying claims that Fayemi had sold the state lodge in the FCT. The PDP had in a statement by

its Publicity Secretary, Mr. Diran Odeyemi accused Fayemi of selling the building to an unnamed investor, which he described as financial recklessness and misgovernance.

Faulting the claims of Ekiti PDP, Fayemi denied the allegation that his administration had sold off the Ekiti State Governor’s Lodge in Abuja.

He, thus, clarified that his administration was just carrying out reconstruction of the lodge having been allegedly abandoned throughout the administration of Fayose and became rickety.

He said: “Lest the critics have forgotten, Fayemi is not like Fayose who shrewdly rented his personal apartment located in the same Asokoro axis to the state for his own use in Abuja, at a cost of N30 million with N3 million agency fee per year, amounting to N120 million (plus N12 million agency

fees) in four years. “The same Fayose illegally disposed off the official land acquired by the first civilian governor, Adebayo for the building of the lodge. Up till now, the lodge has remained in private hands and the Fayemi administration is the one trying to take possession of the land in the name of Ekiti State.�

In the day-to-day exercise of administrative powers, the governor noted that circumspection “is required.

This is what separates the current administration of Dr. Kayode Fayemi from that of its PDP predecessor “It is actually not for the pained PDP to dictate what the priority of an APC administration should be, rather it is the business of the administration of Dr. Fayemi to prioritise projects, in so far as it is properly communicated to the people.

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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 31, 2020

OPINION 21 Years of Civil Rule There is light at the end of the tunnel, writes Otive Igbuzor

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igeria returned to civil rule in 1999 after about thirty years of military rule. This year marks twenty-one years of return to civil rule. Since then, Nigeria has held six consecutive elections and civilian rule has been maintained uninterrupted. At return to civil rule in 1999, there was a lot of hope and enthusiasm that return to civil rule will eliminate or reduce corruption as corruption was always one of the reasons for military takeover. There was hope that development will be accelerated leading to the talk about dividends of democracy. There was expectation that the potentials of Nigeria will be realized. But twenty-one years later, all these hopes and aspirations remain unfulfilled.

While the military was seen as an aberration, politics is being touted as a dirty game and it appears that your success and rise in the political terrain depends on how dirty you can be. Corruption has taken dangerous dimensions that anti-corruption crusaders can be framed up or even killed. Nigeria still remains potential. Nigeria is now the poverty capital of the world. The level of youth unemployment is unprecedented. As if these are not bad enough, the COVID-19 pandemic has further complicated matters. But I see light at the end of the tunnel for four reasons. First, when the All Progressives Congress (APC) came with the slogan of change in 2015, it resonated with Nigerians which shows clearly that the people wanted change in the status quo.

There is no doubt that there are challenges in bringing about the nature and character of change that the people wanted including resistance but the fact that the people wanted change and still want change about the nature of the state and the way governance is conducted is a positive indication.

Secondly, decent and patriotic Nigerians are increasingly realizing that politics can be cleaned only by clean and godly people. It appears that Nigerians are giving heed to the advice by Plato that if you fail to participate in politics, you will be governed by inferiors.

Additionally, it seems Nigerians are learning more and more that for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing. So, despite the wickedness of some people, there are still many Nigerians who are fighting corruption, blowing the whistle and refusing to compromise.

Thirdly, the level of awareness is very high today in Nigeria. The average citizen today understands the problems of the country.

They know when they are being lied to. They know how people steal money from government. What lacking is the ability to mobilise and change the situation. But the fact that the level of awareness is so high is a positive step because changing a country is a process.

Finally, we are reaching a precipice. It is clear to me that with the challenges in the economy and the increased level of awareness, things cannot continue like this for ever. Some things will have to

It is clear to me that with the challenges in the economy and the increased level of awareness, things cannot continue like this for ever

give way for order to continue in society.

This is why I think that as we reflect over the past twenty-one years, we must go back to the fundamentals. The first thing to look at is leadership at all levels. You cannot expect the best from any society that puts forward its worst to lead. Merit must be returned to all spheres of life.

Secondly, as the followership becomes more aware, it must move to the next level of consciousness and understand that they can do something to change the situation. They must realise that historically, the ruling elite is always unwilling or incapable of bringing fundamental changes to society. It has to be forced.

Thirdly, we must return to values. The constitutionally guaranteed ideals of freedom, equality and justice must be operationalized; and the people of Nigeria must imbibe the national ethics of discipline, integrity, dignity of labour, social justice, religious tolerance and patriotism. There are things that can be done by the leadership and followership to make this happen. Ethics must be seen openly in families, communities, religion, politics and indeed in every facet of life.

Finally, we must redefine politics and governance. The predominant view of looking at politics as “selfish” interest must be changed to service. Governance itself must go back to the fundamentals. Citizenship and identity must be addressed.

Taxation of citizens and corporate bodies must be operationalized in a just and fair manner as the oil dries up. The oil communities that have been degraded and destroyed must be cleaned up and people’s livelihood restored. These things are not rocket science and they can be done.

Nigerians, keep hope alive. Do your best in your little corners.

Good will always triumph over evil.

––Dr. Igbuzor is Founding Executive Director, African Centre for Leadership, Strategy & Development.

COVID-19 And The e-Learning Our Institutions Need (1) Online education has become inevitable, writes Ayobami Salami

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efore COVID-19 spread its destructive tentacles to Nigeria, four major issues had dominated most discussions on our tertiary education. These were access, content, quality and infrastructure. If we consider the controversy that often marks the relationship between the Nigerian government and workers’ unions such as the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), it will be noted that the issue of manpower is also key.

As crucial as they are, however, the thwacking of schools and the consequential unprecedented disruptions that the coronavirus pandemic has caused have made e-learning the most dominant theme of public discourse in recent times because of the urgent need to functionally keep learning going while students are locked up at home.

It is not that e-learning had altogether been new to us. We had often spoken about the need to incorporate it into the conventional system, while some institutions had been adopting it – though it remained a mere gimmick in some quarters. But now that the behemoth of a disease has suddenly and completely separated us from our campuses, classes and long-term companion called black or white boards, and the smartboard in a few cases, the reality of the need to embrace real digitized learning has dawned on everyone. What is making e-learning to gain world-wide recognition and acceptance includes the facts that there is a global increase in the number of applicants for higher education, which is as a result of global massification of higher education. E-learning thus becomes a means of extending the walls. Another reason is the need to make learning more acceptable to a wider population. The growing need for continued skills upgrading and re-skilling as well as the concept of andragogy, whereby learning becomes a life-long endeavour, concatenates into making e-learning more than a contemporary issue. With digital education, learning becomes flexible as it can happen anywhere, anytime anyhow.

Just imagine the hitherto unimaginable thing that COVID-19 is doing to hundreds of thousands of Nigerian undergraduates (the Nigerian University Commission said some 1.9 million students were studying in Nigerian universities as of 2017/2018), their parents, lecturers and other stakeholders. Without being on a semester break, with no strike going on, at least in private institutions, all the students remain falsely imprisoned at home, alongside their siblings in elementary and secondary schools. What other option can then be on the front burner, if not the one that can help to arrest time wastage and melt distances in the form of virtual education that e-learning is?

That is why it was reassuring when, in March this year, the Honourable Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, held a virtual meeting with heads of tertiary institutions and discussed the imperative of deploying e-learning, as it is being done globally, to save time, arrest the boredom, confusion, fear and, indeed, the disruption that the pandemic unleashed on the system,. It was a remarkable and timely initiative on the part of the honourable minister and everyone saw the need for the development. The fact is that, to start with the simple and natural course of aging, none of our students is growing younger, meaning that every second

they spend idly at home counts. It should be borne in mind that there are several age-dependent adventures (e.g. employment, family life) that the students will need to undertake later in life.

Unfortunately, while education and learning can be suspended, no one can suspend aging. What about lecturers too? Only a lazy brain will not be able to realize that the break is a huge minus for scholarship. Anyway, even if one does not consider any other factor, one must realize that there is a retirement age and each day wasted at home is a minus for that too.

What about the academic calendars that now lie under the jackboot of coronavirus? Here is a country where school calendar had already suffered disruptions in many places before, largely due to industrial actions. Or if organizers of a football league can cancel a season and await the next – as the Dutch and French leagues have now done due to the COVID-19 restrictions – how possible is it for a university or even government to declare a semester cancelled? This is apart from the fact that in many other developed countries, e-learning has since been filling the gorge created by the strange disease. Why then should we deny our own students the consolation of e-learning? Will the world wait for our children? No! Perhaps in the Federal Government's understandable eagerness, it, days after the meeting, directed the institutions to commence implementing e-learning immediately! But that is the point where another fundamental question arises. Are we really prepared for e-learning in the real sense of it? Definitely not. And that is why we should quickly ponder why some stakeholders have not only criticized the approach, but also why it is only too few institutions that have been able to start one way or the other. What are the obstacles? What processes should we urgently observe so that we can deploy e-learning in an effective and enduring way?

There is the need for us to frankly answer these and other related questions.

Various state governments are also fast embracing the necessity for such technological diversification. From Oyo State to Lagos, Edo etc., initiatives are coming up to ensure that even if coronavirus has forced the suspension of the classroom activity, learning must not stop. For instance, the Oyo State Government recently constituted a sub-committee on its education emergency plan, to ensure seamless e-learning in its eight higher institutions, including the Ladoke Akintola University it co-owns with the Osun State Government and the newest, the First Technical University, Ibadan. While Edo has launched a package it calls EdoBest at Home E-learning (for basic schools), Lagos has approved e-portals for online education in its tertiary institutions, including the Lagos State University, Ojo. Good moves, but we must, at all levels and tiers, get the interventions right. What must be acknowledged are the significant and serious challenges that have to be overcome, relating to financial resources, intellectual capital and sustainability as well as the standard cum quality of delivery.

Researchers have identified four critical variables in the successful integration of ICT into any educational system and these include hardware, software, curriculum and teacher education.

The needed hardware facilities include though not limited to learning studios and associated tools, hosting infrastructure, teleconferencing technology, a digital centre, course content conversion, and high-speed internet connectivity. To achieve our goal, certain steps must first be taken and the process involves our major phases.

First, there has to be proper conceptualization by which a clear contextual ideology and model is defined. This would involve the delineation of content and methods, including taking a critical look at the curriculum or syllabus itself, deciding whether or not the latter is to be pursued exactly the way it unfolds in the conventional class. This will help in unifying programme goals even without hindering creatively enriching and localizing the curriculum on the part of each institution, faculty, department and lecturer.

The second stage is to establish a framework for e-learning.

This will help the delivery of the contents. As of now, some stakeholders believe that once you have a class on TV station, e-learning is done and dusted. Others are even banking on WhatsApp exchanges. Both media are truly digital but the kind of e-learning we are talking about, the one that is an alternative to, or a continuation – not just complementary or fill-gap – of classroom learning, has to be put in proper perspective or framework.

This takes us to the third key stage: mobilization. This is where we decide on and identify the hard and software needed for the project. As of now, most higher institutions in Nigeria are analogue-built. Indeed, they lack the main facilities needed to deliver the conventional system, not to talk of the modernist, digital wherewithal that e-learning demands. Consider the issue of the smartboard. How many universities have and use this?

Too few. This means a big minus as it narrows the choices towards laptop-oriented arrangements that will hardly give the tutor the suitable ambience.

Now, the operationalization stage. It is after we have satisfied the initial requirements that we can go into full e-learning in a functional way. For now, it is like wanting to start from the top if we just declare that e-learning has started. If anything, the various governments at all levels are just trying to keep the students at home busy. This is commendable, but what we need is far more than that. Our education system has to be restructured and reformed. The hard and software needed must be put in place even if government has to go for facilities such as loans to achieve such. Online education may take some resources now, but the beauty of it is that, on the long run, it will pay off. It can even be cheaper than analogue learning. We never made the needed provision for e-learning to maximally gain from it; but now it is like we want to reap where we did not sow. For one, lecturers training for online teaching and testing as well as module development by instructional technologists are also paramount if we are to get it right. To be concluded ––Professor Salami is the Vice Chancellor, First Technical University, Ibadan.

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER Ëž ÍąÍŻËœ Í°ÍŽÍ°ÍŽ

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FOCUS are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-bound. The inspiration that I draw from my father, being a banker, is that bankers are accountable and professional, and banks play a key role in financial intermediation in the economy. He believes that leadership skills can be developed early in life, and this has inspired me to aspire for leadership roles now and in the future.

Also, my mother, being a lawyer, believes in justice, equity and rule of law. She manages her work efficiently and tries to smile no matter the circumstances, and that gives me strength and inspires me too, perhaps, that is part of what influenced the choice of my pet project, which is focused on child’s rights.

How did you become Little Miss Nigeria International 2020 and what has the experience been for you?

I Want to See a Nigeria That Respects Children Omole

At nine, the current Little Miss Nigeria International 2020, Queen Toluwanimi Omole, is already living her dream of speaking up for the rights of children in Nigeria and the world at large. Through her pet project,‘Toluwanimi Child’s Rights Initiative,’the child rights advocate is engaging various stakeholders on critical issues as child abuse, child labour, malnutrition and molestation. In this interview, she talks about her passion, activities, motivation and dreams to fight for the rights of children. Sunday Okobi presents the excerpts:

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t nine, you have recorded quite an impressive academic feat and garnered credible global attention by winning several awards. Can you share some of them with us?

Firstly, I must acknowledge the grace of God, my parents’ love and support from my teachers. I have been privileged to represent Delphi International School, Lekki, Lagos, at various debates and quiz competitions and we have won a lot of awards in these competitions. I also won the Sterling Bank award for best student in Literacy and Numeracy; Mathematics Whizkid award, and was also voted as the most audible orator during an inter-school debate competition powered by the Voice of the Voiceless initiative where I led Delphi International School to victory. In addition, I won spelling bee competitions in my category at Delphi International School and also represented my school on the Kody and the Kids radio show on Wazobia FM. I was appointed as the ambassador for ‘Save our generation initiative’, and also won an award in recognition of my child rights advocacy initiatives which I dedicated to every Nigerian child.

As a child rights advocate, what’s the

focus of your pet project?

My pet project focuses on child rights because my vision is to ensure that the Child Rights Act is passed and enjoyed by every child regardless of his or her gender, race and societal status. We (children) are the leaders of tomorrow, but if anything goes wrong with the children today, it will affect the future and produce bad leaders, hence, my advocacy for the proper guidance and protection of child rights.

So now what are some of the signiďŹ cant tasks your pet project is currently handling?

Recently, I initiated a weekly programme called ‘Child Rights Corner with Queen Tolu’ on my social media platforms, @ queentoluofficial on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook with the aim of providing useful information on the Child Rights Act; campaigning against all social ills plaguing Nigeria children and the adoption and enforcement of Child Rights Act on different media platforms, including newspapers, radio and television stations and social media.

Presently, due to the lockdown occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic, the weekly airing of the Child Rights Act programme was put on hold, but notwithstanding, I organised a minute video challenge competition for Nigeria children during the total lockdown,

encouraging them to share their lockdown experience, and it was amazing.

Can you tell us about your background?

My name is Queen Toluwanimi Adeola Omole. I was born in Lagos on October 1, 2010, to the family of Mr. and Mrs. Oluwaseun Omole from llesha West Local Government Area of Osun State. I am the first child in a family of two children. My father is a banker and fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) while my mother is a lawyer, who works with the Nigeria Institute of Advanced Legal Studies.

I had my preparatory and nursery education both in Honeytots Nursery School, Shomolu, Lagos and Arit Private School, Ojodu Berger. Currently, I attend Delphi International School, Ikota Villa Estate, Lekki, Lagos.

Your dad is a banker while your mom is a lawyer. What inspiration do you draw from them?

My parents taught me that I can achieve all my dreams in life and should always set SMART goals that

I participated in the Little Miss Nigeria competition in December 2019 alongside several other talented kids from different states in Nigeria. The objective of the competition was to select a smart kid ‘whizkid’ who can speak up for other children as well as show solidarity for their cause. I spent a lot of time researching and practicing ahead of the competition, and through God’s grace and hard work, I emerged the winner.

Also, my experience as Little Miss Nigeria International 2020 has been awesome. It has given me the golden platform to advocate for the rights of fellow children; campaign for the adoption and enforcement of the Child Rights Act on different platforms including electronic, print and social media. I was also invited to participate in an All-Important Walk to End Violence against Children organised

by Lagos State Ministry of Youths and Social Development led by the wife of the Lagos State governor, the Commissioner for Youth and Social Development, top government officials and other important stakeholders.

Who is your role model and why?

My role model is the late Chief Funmilayo Ransome Kuti. She was a teacher, a political campaigner and a woman’s right activist. She inspires me because of her strong will and selflessness. Though she was not a beauty pageant, I believe that I can achieve all she achieved with my position as a beauty queen.

What is your dream career?

I will like to be a paediatrician because being around children gives me joy, and this will give me the opportunity to care for their health needs.

What signiďŹ cant things will you want Nigeria to improve on?

Nigeria is a great country with lots of potential, but more attention still needs to be given to children’s rights. The average Nigerian child on a daily basis faces all manner of social ills and abuses like genital mutilation, child marriage, child trafficking, child labour, hawking, malnutrition, and other forms of child abuse, including sexual abuse which expose them to reproductive and sexual infection.

Also, as Little Miss Nigeria International, and through my interaction with other children, I have realised that we need to bridge the gap between the less privileged and the privileged as well as help the former to safeguard their present and future by advocating for their rights; empower them on self-sufficiency, self-reliance and the need to believe in themselves and our beloved nation.

To this effect, I have initiated a campaign with a focus on child rights advocacy which will be a beacon of hope to the less privileged children around the world, particularly in Nigeria, with the support of Little Miss Nigeria Project, Delphi International School management, family and friends.

I will also embrace the opportunity to partner Lagos State government, the forum of the governors’ wives, security agencies, media agencies, reputable non-governmental groups and well-meaning Nigerians with regards to advocacy for the rights of Nigerian children.

How do you balance your growing popularity with your studies as well as your relationship with your friends?

My growing popularity has made me more socially active, but I have also ensured that quality time is dedicated to my academics, as education is the key tool to change the world. I have been very conscious and sensitive to other people’s points of view, and learning the rules of engagement required in relating appropriately.

I would say that self-discipline and humility have been core values that have guided me every step of the way.

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MA ͻ͹˜ ͺ͸ͺ͸ ˾ THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER

INTERNATIONAL Incredible, But True: Ministerial Recklessness, Political Chicanery, and NCC-NIDCOM Saga

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ost members of the elite in Nigeria often quarrel with themselves in the area of why a country like Malaysia is developing and Nigeria is not. They ask how the People’s Republic of China has been able to throw its cloak of poverty and underdevelopment to the garbage of history. The concern of the Nigerian elite is derived from one truism: both countries were almost at par at the level of development indicators in the 1960s. Many Nigerians would even submit that Malaysia took palm oil seeds from Nigeria in the 1960s to go and plant back home and Malaysia is doing better than Nigeria in palm oil production worldwide as at today, while Nigeria is quite far away from doing well in the business.

Unfortunately, however, the same elite hardly ask themselves some basic relevant questions: what is responsible for the development setbacks in Nigeria? Who is responsible for what? Arguments of lack of national cohesion have been variously advanced as possible reasons. Impact of colonial legacy has also been given as part of the rationales. Poor infrastructure, military dictatorship, poor leadership, etc, are also some of the reasons often given. But most unfortunately again, hardly do people focus on ministerial attitudes as possible dynamics. The use of ‘ministerial’ is in the sense of both the ‘Ministry’ and the ‘Minister.’

Put differently, how do Ministers behave officially in Nigeria?

How do Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of Government behave or operate in Nigeria? Do they ever behave in the spirit of quest for national unity, or unity of purpose in political governance? True, there is nothing to really write home about. Official attitudinal disposition is largely driven by factors of ‘self-perception,’ a ‘holier than thou,’ ‘better than thou,’ or ‘more powerful than thou,’ attitude. Mentality of service to the Government, not to mention service to the nation, is never part of their agenda. Rather, it is self-ego, power rivalry, religious bigotry, ethnic chauvinism, and political chicanery that are generally promoted to the detriment of national development, public transparency and public accountability. These are the ordinary dynamics of non-development in the Nigeria of today.

In Nigeria, for example, when letters are officially written by public or civil servants to law-abiding citizens of Nigeria, the signatories to the letters are always directed to do so, but when the same citizens write to any of the government agencies, the Directors and Permanent Secretaries are not always directed to reply. No administrative courtesy to reply, giving impression of non-seriousness of purpose in public governance. Even when such letters may be irrelevant or considered to be without value, courtesy and responsibility still requires a reply in the spirit of efficiency and effectiveness of Government, but this is hardly so.

Communication has always remained unidirectional, and as a result, public governance has never been efficient and effective. It is only when Government is seriously criticised by and in the public that public and civil servants are compelled to respond and that replies suddenly become a desideratum.

In fact, it is in Nigeria, not to say only Nigeria, that the level of ministerial lies is also very high. Ministers in Nigeria cannot easily be relied on, because of their conflicting statements. They say one thing in the morning and thereafter in the afternoon, denying them differently. This situation has not helped the image of Government at home and abroad. An analysis of some manifestations is necessary at this juncture.

Manifestations of Ministerial Dishonesty Let us espy the case of the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Raufu Mohammed to begin with. He caused the arrest and detention of one journalist, Rotimi Jolayemi, popularly referred to as ‘Oba Akewi.’ ‘Oba Akewi’ literally means ‘King of Akewi.’ ‘Akewi’ is a person who sings in praises or in condemnation of things and people, using poetic stylistics, special Yoruba traditional philosophies and incantations. When he was to be arrested and was not readily found, his wife, Dorcas, along with his two brothers, John and Joseph, were reportedly arrested and detained. When Mr. Rotimi Jolayemi eventually surfaced on May 6, 2020, he was transferred immediately to Abuja.

Why the arrest and detention? Rotimi Jolayemi, in one of his poetic songs, presented the Minister, Lai Mohammed, in bad image. In the video recording of the poem that I listened to, he called Lai Mohammed ‘wèrè’, meaning ‘insane’ or ‘mad person.’

VIE INTERNATIONALE with

Bola A. Akinterinwa Telephone : 0807-688-2846

e-mail: bolyttag@yahoo.com

Pantami, Minister of Communications and Digital Economy More of concern, he called the Minister as having been brought up, or nourished with ‘omi iro’, that is with ‘water of deceit,’ or polluted water. The use of words like these is simply to suggest that if the Minister is frequently telling lies, it is because the water and the blood flowing in his blood capillaries has been tainted with untruths. Thus, the Minister is painted as a recidivist liar.

But again, what has prompted the poet and journalist to paint the Minister as a blatant liar? Rotimi Jolayemi, rightly or wrongly, does not believe in the statement of the Minister that Government had incurred the sum of N100 million for the purposes of COVID-19 palliatives. He also accused other Ministers and the Accountant General of the Federation. He insinuated in his video that N1 trillion could not have been incurred for COVID-19.

Whereas, the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari is on record to be fighting societal indiscipline, and particularly, corruption. If any journalist believes that there have been jots of sharp practices in the management of COVID-19 palliative funds, he should be free to draw attention to it. In this regard, the whole issue of his arrest is about Jolayemi’s criticism of the Honourable Minister, who reportedly denied the incident (please vide Adeola Fayehun’s video series (https://youtu.be/rRIVnxAwAZc).

Many issues can be raised regarding the attacks by Rotimi Jolayemi and the response of the Minister. The first is the issue of right of opinion which every Nigerian has, as guaranteed by the 1999 Constitution, as amended. In fact, by virtue of Rotimi Jolayemi’s status as a journalist, he is also specially required by the Constitution to monitor political governance and hold Government accountable. Consequently, he cannot be arrested for performing his constitutional duties. There is no big deal in levying allegations against any public official if the basis for it exists.

The second issue is the mania of monitoring political governance and holding government officials accountable to the people of Nigeria. Should Rotimi Jolayemi have described the Minister as a lunatic, a perpetual liar, etc? If he has reasons to justify his allegations, then the allegations should not have warranted police arrest and detention, which brings us to the third issue: the reactive attitude of the Minister.

The appropriate, civilised response is to challenge the allegations against him in the law court. It is fundamentally wrong to

Without any whiff of doubt, Ministerial behaviour is increasingly becoming reckless in Nigeria.

The recklessness is driven by lack of policy coordination, which enables individual arrogance.

Indeed, nothing prevented Mr. Pantami to have a tête-à-tête with Dabiri-Erewa inform her about why there was the need to eject the NIDCOM from the NCC building. Some observers have commented that Dabiri-Erewa is always hiding under‘woman factor’to fight her case.Why not? If the Chief Executive of NIDCOM were to be a serving or retired military man, would any armed security men have been deployed? Why are Nigerians disregarding policemen but never attempt to look into the face of soldiers, even when they are not armed? In fact, what makes it difficult for the Government to allocate an office accommodation to NIDCOM? Why is the NCC boss behaving as if the NCC building is his own personal property ? Have all the floors in the NCC even been fully occupied? Why is there no appreciation of Nigerians in Diaspora in light of their great financial commitment to the funding of development projects?

use one’s position as Minister to order the arrest of a journalist. The reaction of the Minister is therefore most uncivilised and untenable in a democratising, nation-making country, like Nigeria. The year 2020 marks the 21 years of uninterrupted efforts aimed at strengthening the foundation of democratic culture in Nigeria. The use of manu militari method to silence an opponent is not in tune with the efforts being made to evolve an enduring democratic culture in the country.

Afourth issue is the reported denial by the Honourable Minister of the whole scenario. The denial, in itself, appears to be more damaging than the allegations levied against him by Rotimi Jolayemi. As revealed in the Adeola Fayehun video, which has gone viral, the Minister cannot honourably deny a truism but he has done just that. Ministers, like any other public and political servants, must learn how to appreciate the word, ‘integrity’ in their political dictionary. Ministers are entitled to respect from the public, as servants of the public, but when Ministers do not behave well in order to earn such public respect, criticism and resistance should be expected. In this case, no use of force can be enough to suppress suspicions and criticisms. They are indestructible ideas that cannot be fought with forceful intimidation. The answer to public criticism is either further clarification, self-defence or court prosecution.

Certainly not by show of power.

The case of the Honourable Minister of Health is more unfortunate, because it goes beyond self or individual interest shown in the case of the Minister of Information and Culture. The case of the Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, has a national and international character because of the multi-dimensional nature of COVID-19 politics and the involvement of the Foreign Affairs Minister, who is a member of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 pandemic.

For instance, the Health Minister told all Nigerians that fifteen Chinese medics who came to Nigeria on April 8, 2020 were to assist the Government in the war against COVID-19. Impression was given by him that they were coming on the kind invitation of the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. As the Honourable Minister put it, ‘first of all, what the Chinese doctors will be doing in Nigeria is capacity-building, to add to the body of knowledge which Nigerian doctors and experts have... They will be able to connect with our scientists and doctors via teleconferencing, so that we can start early to be able to ask questions and hear their narratives.’ The importance the Minister attached to the coming of the Chinese medics was to the extent that he opted to go to the airport to personally receive the Chinese guests, rather than taking active part in the COVID-19 daily up-date on that day.

Incredibly but true, the Chinese never came to Nigeria on the basis of any governmental invitation. It has been revealed that they came on the business invitation of the CCECC, a Chinese construction company doing good business in Nigeria. The company has publicly denied that the ‘medics’ came for any corona virus assignment in Nigeria. In fact, they were not quarantined in the isolation centres established by the Presidential Task Force. Besides, many of the Chinese ‘medics’ have been reported to be technicians and not medical physicians.

In this regard, there are other related questions which make the statement of the Minister look true, but most unfortunately, unbelievable. Chinese medics came to deliver anti-COVID-19 equipment donated by the Beijing authorities to their counterparts in Abuja. And true enough, the Chinese doctors arrived as scheduled with a 30-day visiting visa each and the Minister went in person to receive them. Unfortunately too, the Government of Nigeria did not host them as required by protocol. They were hosted by the CCECC management.

And perhaps most disturbingly, when the issue of where-about of the Chinese medics was again raised, the Honourable Minister of Health, who initially said that the Chinese were coming to help Nigeria, later claimed not to know their where-about. It took the time of the Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, to come to his defense and explain that the Chinese actually came to help in the conversion of ThisDay Dome into an isolation centre, which Prince Nduka Obaigbena, Chairman of Leaders and Company, donated to the Government of Nigeria for temporary use to assist in the containment of COVID-19 pandemic.

In terms of diplomatic protocol and etiquette, it is improper for a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to descend so low to the level of going to receive a non-governmental delegation at the airport. Even if a delegation is governmental, the level of who should receive the delegation also matters. For instance, in 1982, when the President of Nigeria, Alhaji Shehu Shagari, was to go on official visit to Paris, France, the then French President, François Mitterrand, assigned a very junior Minister, Mrs. Georgina Dufoix, who was in charge of either fish or water resources, to receive the Nigerian leader at the airport. The Embassy of Nigeria in Paris kicked against the choice of Mrs. Dufoix. That was how the visit was cancelled sine die. Visits in international relations are not a child’s play. Although the Elysée (Presidency) and the Quai d’Orsay (Foreign Ministry) tried to manage the crisis by differentiating between official and officious visits, as well as between State Visits, Courtesy Visits and Working Visits, the cancellation of the visit seriously tainted the bilateral ties that had already been largely predicated on mutual suspicion. In other words, there is reception diplomacy in international relations that the Minister of Health should not have ignored.

(See concluding part on www.thisdaylive.com)

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THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER Ëž ÍťÍšËœ 2020

BUSINESS Africa’s Battle for the Soul of its Development Bank

Editor: Kunle Aderinokun

08033204315, 08111813084 Email:kunle.aderinoku@thisdaylive.com

Control of the African Development Bank (AfDB) is the motive behind US attempts to prevent the re-election of the bank’s president, despite producing stellar results, writes Demola Ojo

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lready ratified as the sole candidate for a May 2020 election postponed till August due to the novel coronavirus, Akinwunmi Adesina’s bid for another five-year term as president of the African Development Bank has been met with strong resistance from the United States.

On the week commemorating five years as president, details of an investigation into his conduct, and subsequent exoneration of all charges brought against him, went public.

In a petition sent to the bank’s committee on January 19, 2020, whistleblowers within the bank accused Adesina of 16 breaches of the bank’s code of conduct, including “unethical conduct, private gain, and impediment to efficiency, preferential treatment, and involvement in political activities.�

After six meetings between February 4 and April 9 to review documents in the allegations against Adesina, as well as a confidential memo detailing his defence, the ethics committee and its board of directors on May 5, described all allegations against Adesina as spurious and unfounded.

In responding to the petitioners, Adesina noted the political undertones, and accused the petitioners of violating the bank’s whistleblower policy by breaching the confidentiality of the proceedings.

According to him, the petitioners were manipulated by a group of non-regional executive directors, not for the good governance of the African Bank, but to discredit his candidacy.

The complaint cannot be considered to be in good faith, he continued, because it was not designed to expose fraud, corruption or other misconduct but rather had an ulterior motive.

But the US, through its Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, expressed its reservations about the “integrity of the committee’s process� despite the fact that the committee was headed by Takuji Yano, the institution’s Japanese executive director.

In a letter dated May 22 to Yano, Mnuchin rejected the report which totally exonerated Adesina of all allegations, thus questioning the integrity of Yano’s committee and that of the bank in the process.

Mnuchin called for a “fresh in-depth investigation of the allegations using the services of an independent outside investigator of high professional standing.�

On its part, Nigeria made its stand known in a statement by its Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed. “The call for an independent investigation of the president is outside of the laid down rules, procedures and governing system of the bank and its articles as it relates to the code of conduct on ethics for the president,�

Ahmed wrote May 26.

Nigeria’s ex-President, Olusegun Obasanjo, also weighed-in on the same day, by rallying his former colleagues.

Obasanjo pointed out the need to speak against the introduction of alien practices being recommended by some parties. “The US treasury secretary disparaged the bank and ridiculed the entire governance system of the bank which has been in place since 1964,� Obasanjo said. “This is unprecedented in the annals of the African Development Bank Group. If we do not rise up and defend the African Development Bank, this might mean the

Adesina

end of the African Development Bank, as its governance will be hijacked away from Africa.�

Obasanjo further emphasised the need for the AfDB to remain an African-focused development bank rather than one which serves interests outside Africa.

Among those copied in his letter were John Kufour, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and Thabo Mbeki, former presidents of Ghana, Liberia and South Africa respectively. Other former leaders include those of Benin, Malawi, Ethiopia and Tanzania.

Besieged by the different submissions, the chairwoman of the AfDB board of governors, Niale Kaba, who is also Ivory Coast’s Minister of Development, said “no decision has been taken� in response to press reports that the board had accepted Mnuchin’s request.

AfDB’s Mandate The AfDB is a multilateral development finance institution founded in 1964 with a mission to fight poverty and improve living conditions on the continent. It does this through the investment of public and private capital in projects and programs that are likely to contribute to the economic and social development of the region.

Earlier in March this year, the lender issued a $3 billion social bond to help African countries deal with the fallout from the coronavirus pandemic. Bids for the securi-

ties on the London money market exceeded $4.6 billion. The bank also launched a $10 billion crisis-response facility for African nations.

On May 25, the bank approved a $500,000 emergency assistance grant to Egypt to provide food relief, and to contribute to restoring the livelihoods of vulnerable populations severely affected by COVID 19.

Three days before, it approved a $210 million loan for Mauritius to finance a national budget support programme in response to the pandemic.

These are the latest of interventions in May, with others including a $97 million loan approved as emergency budget support for Senegal to tackle Covid-19, $33m loan approved to tackle Covid-19 in Cape Verde and a $13.7m grant approved to improve the health sector in Zimbabwe.

Others in May are $45m allocated for a bridge to link Cameroon and Chad and $1.67m given for study on building dams in Eswatini (Swaziland).

Nigeria’s Inuence Nigeria’s influence in the AfDB cannot be overemphasised. It is the largest shareholder with more than nine per cent of contributions, and has played a leadership role right from inception.

The inaugural meeting of the bank’s board of governors was held in Lagos in

1964. The board of governors comprised of the ministers of finance (or equivalent portfolios) of the member countries.

These countries in turn present candidates to serve as executive directors. Although originally, only African countries were able to join the bank, it has allowed the entry of non-African countries since 1982.

According to another former Nigerian President, the late Shehu Shagari, in his autobiography Beckoned to Serve, the industrialised Western countries lobbied for years to become members of the AfDB. When a majority of African countries acquiesced to plans by these nations to provide more funds and take control of the bank, Nigeria, Algeria and Libya stood firm, arguing that this would defeat the very objective for the bank’s creation in the first place.

In his autobiography, Shagari expressed surprised when the bank later turned around to seek the approval of the board of governors to accept non-African funding. All other countries apart from Nigeria were in support because no other African country was willing to help the bank financially.

Nigeria had in 1976 set up a Nigeria Trust Fund (NTF) within the AfDB to assist in the development of the poorest AfDB members.

The NTF provides financing for projects of national or regional importance, lending at a four per cent rate with a 25-year repayment period.

But due to growing demand for investments from African countries and because of the Bank’s limited financial resources, membership was opened to non-regional countries.

The AfDB is Africa’s biggest multilateral lender and has an AAA rating from Fitch Ratings, Moody’s Investors Service and S&P Global Ratings.

However, it maintains an African character with projects exclusively for Africa. It is headquartered in Abidjan, and its president is always African. However, despite its leadership role in the formation and the funding of the bank, Adesina is the first president of Nigerian extraction.

Infrastructure, including power supply, water and sanitation, transport and communications, has traditionally received the largest share of AfDB lending.

The bank aims to be a body for regional integration that will make Africa more competitive in the global market, while transport and power interconnections between smaller African economies will help create larger markets in the continent.

Non-regional members At the last count, the AfDB has 81 members, comprising all 54 African countries and 27 from Europe, America and Asia. Some of these non-regional countries include, Brazii, Argentina and Canada; Portugal, Italy, Spain and Germany; India, Turkey and Saudi Arabia.

The Republic of Ireland became the bank’s 81st shareholder, following a declaration issued by Adesina on April 24.

It is not out of place to wonder what the non-regional members get to benefit. According to the Irish Minister for Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, Paschal Donohoe, on the occasion of Ireland joining the bank, “The African Development Bank and its sister, the African Development Fund, play an important role in fostering sustainable and inclusive social and economic growth and prosperity, helping the African continent to realize its potential to be the continent of promise and opportunity.

18

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER Ëž ÍťÍšËœ 2020

BUSINESS Africa’s Battle for the Soul of its Development Bank

Former President, Olusegun Obasanjo

World Bank President, David Malpass

“I see our membership of the Bank and Fund as an investment in this potential.

Ireland’s partnership with these important regional multilateral institutions will both advance our shared development priorities and will open future opportunities for Irish businesses in the region.�

It can be deduced then, that the nonregional members have an eye on African markets, a major reason why they contribute to the AFDB. Adesina’s Exploits In October 2019, the AfDB raised $115 billion in fresh capital, an operation deemed a personal success for Adesina. A former minister of agriculture in Nigeria from 2010 to 2015, he was named Forbes African Man of the Year in 2013 for his reform of Nigerian agriculture.

In his time as president of the AfDB, he has led the Bank to achieve a historic a capital increase, from $93 billion to $208 billion within five years.

The bank is ranked 4th globally in terms of transparency among 45 multilateral and bilateral institutions by Publish What You Fund, an outfit that consists of 19 developed economies.

Over the past five years under the stewardship of Adesina, the AfDB has provided access to electricity for an estimated 15 million and helped another 141 million gain access to improved agricultural technologies for food security.

Thirteen million have benefited from access to finance from private sector investment projects, 101 million people benefitted from access to better transport and 60 million from improved access to water and sanitation.

Competition and Control The AfDB’s rising profile and influence in supporting African development has not gone unnoticed. Like the World Bank, the AfDB is one of five multilateral development banks in the world. The others are the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the Asian Development Bank (AsDB) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IAfDB).

In February this year, World Bank President David Malpass, an American nominated to the position by President Donald Trump last year, launched a rare attack on the AfDB’s lending to African governments.

Malpass said at a World Bank-International Monetary Fund debt forum in Washington that the Asian Development Bank, the African Development Bank, and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development were contributing to debt problems. “We have a situation where other international financial institutions and to some extent development finance institutions as a whole, certainly the official export credit agencies, have a tendency to lend too quickly and to add to the debt problem of the countries,� Malpass said.

The AfDB reacted with dismay at the public criticism by Malpass. “It impugns the integrity of the African Development Bank, undermines our governance systems, and incorrectly insinuates that we operate under different standards from the World Bank. The very notion goes against the spirit of multilateralism and our collaborative work,� it replied in a statement.

Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed

The AfDB claimed that the World Bank is actually culpable in pushing African countries into more debt as it has pumped more than double the AfDB portfolio. “The World Bank’s operations approved for Africa in the 2018 fiscal year amounted to $20.2 billion, compared to $10.1 billion by the African Development Bank. “We are of the view that the World Bank could have explored other available platforms to discuss debt concerns among multilateral development banks. The general statement by the president of the World Bank Group insinuating that the African Development Bank contributes to Africa’s debt problem and that it has lower standards of lending is simply put: misleading and inaccurate.�

US Motives On the face of it, an independent investigation as requested by the US through its treasury secretary should only help vindicate Adesina and solidify his position as an upstanding president who has done exceedingly well in fulfilling the bank’s mandate.

However, the fact that this call was made after an internal inquiry in line with the organisations code of ethics, casts aspersions on not just Adesina and the AfDB, but on the African continent as a whole.

The disregard the US-backed campaign has for the continent’s leaders can be inferred from one of the allegations: Adesina was accused of lobbying African leaders to endorse him as president.

He responded: “It is alleged that as president I basically bribed and corrupted the 16 African Heads of State and governments in the ECOWAS region to support my candidacy for re-election. “The allegation essentially impugns the integrity, leadership and honesty of 16 African presidents and ECOWAS. This is a fanciful and baseless allegation,� he said.

There is a convergence in the Americanled World Bank take on the AfDB, and attempts by the US to discredit its popular chief executive.

It is ironic that a man whose boss (Trump) appointed his daughter and son-in-law to prominent roles in the White House, is hiding behind “favouritism� and other unsubstantiated allegations to halt Adesina’s already endorsed re-election.

This is following a recent trend of US attempts to attack institutions that refuse to bend to its will. A recent example is its tiff (and subsequent withdrawal of funding) with the World Health Organisation over the handling of the coronavirus pandemic, as well as previous uncomplimentary remarks by its president about African countries.

The US’ recent foreign policy is a manifestation of its president’s “America First� mantra. The US has been especially unfriendly to Nigeria in recent times. A few months ago in February, President Trump issued a presidential proclamation banning Nigerians from migrating to the US. Meanwhile, in its barefaced challenge of African interests in the AfDB, the US has reportedly garnered support from the Scandinavian bloc, with all of Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden backing it in seeking an independent investigation of Adesina.

France will most likely lend support,

US Treasury Secretary, Steven Mnuchin

and one can expect the UK to align with its traditional ally.

With an increasingly unapologetic insular disposition in recent times, any attempt by the US to paint interventions in the AfDB as altruistic is futile. This call for another investigation reeks of a blatant attempt to discredit the AfDB. This should be seen for what it is and rebuffed, not just from Nigeria but across the continent, and by friendly non-regional members.

Re-alignment Regarding the AfDB, Nigeria needs to assert its leadership role, mount a diplomatic offensive and recognise those who align with its interests within the region. Among

AfDB Board of Governors, Chair Kaba NIale

non-regional members, China is already undergoing numerous infrastructural projects on the continent, while Japan is desirous of doing business.

If the US doesn’t find it comfortable to abide by the conventions setting up the bank, it may follow the same route taken in its dispute with the WHO and withdraw its funding from the AfDB. The coronavirus pandemic has brought about discussions of a reset by African countries. This includes the way the continent brands itself, the way it is perceived, who it does business with and on what terms. The battle over control of the AfDB is an opportunity for Africa to affirm its independence

List of Top 20 Shareholders Country

Percentage

SUNDAY MAY 31, 2020 • T H I S D AY

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THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER Ëž ÍťÍšËœ 2020

THE EXECUTIVE GODWIN EMEFIELE We Must Reopen the Economy to Save Livelihoods The Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, while responding to questions from journalists at the end of the Monetary Policy Committee meeting in Abuja on Thursday made a case for the reopening of the economy in order to save livelihoods, stimulate economic activities as well as prevent the economy from steep recession. Obinna Chima brings the excerpts:

EmeďŹ ele

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER Ëž ÍťÍšËœ 2020

47

THE EXECUTIVE NO TRUTH IN ANYBODY SAYING THERE’S FOREX SCARCITY

W

hat is your assessment of the fear of a global recession and how will this impact the Nigerian

economy?

It is important for us to know that today, the global economy is faced with the unfortunate drop in the price of crude oil and the COVID-19 pandemic that has resulted to almost five million infections all over the world. This is a very unfortunate situation that has led to a health crisis of unprecedented proportion and indeed, co-mingling with economic crisis as never seen before in global economic history. If you all notice, all economies are today affected by this pandemic. The United States, Europe, developed economies, developing economies and frontier markets, are all affected by this, to the extent that in some economies, such as the United States, first quarter growth was negative by almost 4.9 per cent. The EU, also had first quarter growth that was negative by almost 3.9 per cent; China suffered massive drop from double-digit growth to very low singledigit growth. All other economies that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) had at the meeting last October, had predicted would help in accelerating global growth in 2020, have suffered unprecedented decline in output growth. Luckily, and this was a pleasant surprise, Nigeria’s first quarter growth came down from 2.5 per cent during the fourth quarter of 2019, to 1.87 per cent during the first quarter of 2020. Nigeria is part of the global economy and naturally the economy would be impacted. But what is important is the extent we are able to manage this situation. There have been predictions of recession, but we think that as we ease the lockdown and begin to take actions to ensure that we move very fast out of the situation, get businesses back again, get the health sector back again, get our farmers to get back to the farm to conduct their planting and farming activities, we would be able to escape a recession.

We have read some reports that Nigeria’s GDP will contract by about eight per cent, what is your view about this and what is the CBN doing to ameliorate the impact on Nigerians?

Like I said earlier, yes, there are predictions that just like the global economy, Nigeria would slide into recession. But if we ease the lockdown as quickly as possible, get the businesses back as quickly as possible, those, who may have suffered total disruptions in their business, we would make funds available to them, in the health sector, the SMEs, in the manufacturing sector, if we are able to make funds available to them as quickly as possible and at concessionary rates and also give those who have existing loans in the banking sector an opportunity to restructure their loans, push forward their repayments, then it would be easy for us to get businesses back alive so as to increase production and save the country from recession. So, like you all know, the CBN has put in the market a N50 billion household and SMEs’ funds, out of which almost about N5 billion has so far been disbursed to almost 7,000 people. We also have a N100 billion health and pharmaceutical sector facility, out of which more than N10 billion has been disbursed and we are hoping that more people would take advantage of these facilities.

How is the CBN meeting forex demand of manufacturers as they are complaining of dollar scarcity and how they can raise Letters of Credit (LCs) to import?

We have heard people talking about opening of new LCs and the rest, whereas we do not want to engage with them as to whether or not this is feasible, but our view is that at a time of lockdown, we wonder what fresh LCs are being opened at this time. That is why sometimes, we question the veracity in some of the information about people coming to us to say they are opening new LCs. But if you are talking about maturing LCs, or matured LCs or maturing forex

EmeďŹ ele

obligations, the central bank has made itself to fund these obligations. There is no truth in anybody saying there is forex scarcity to meet their maturing obligation. Even some of the so called fresh LCs that people are opening, which we frown upon at this time, because I am not going to pretend that I do not see it. But I am saying it clearly that I do not see the rationale in fresh LCs at this time when the global manufacturing chains have shut down.

There have been calls that the government should re-open the economy, what is the view of the CBN about this, given that the number of infections are still rising in Nigeria and when is the supply of forex to BDCs likely to resume?

We do understand and appreciate that government must do what it must do because government has the responsibility to fend and be attentive to the needs of the people. So, as a result of this crisis and to prevent it from spreading wildly, government had to take the decision to lockdown the economy. But we are happy that the Presidential Task Force has advised government and the government has started a phased easing of the lockdown. But we are trying to say that we must be aggressive at this time, notwithstanding the fact that the trend is still rising. So, while we are trying to save lives, we must also save livelihoods.

One way to save livelihood is that we must reopen the economy. We must get our farmers to get back to the farms, we must get the manufacturing plants back again and we must begin to see the fumes coming out from the rooftops of the manufacturing companies. If we don’t, the unprecedented unemployment that would face us resulting from factories and manufacturing plants’ shutdown would be so unprecedented that we would have hurt livelihoods that we were protecting as a result of the lockdown.

But we must take the protocols from our health experts. Now for the BDCs, you would all recall that at the beginning of the lockdown in March, the Association

of Bureau De Change Operators wrote to the CBN to say, because they could not guarantee observing social distancing and because they were afraid that there could be infections as a result of the processes put in place and more importantly because of the fact that they were convinced that they were no more travels because almost all nations had shut their borders, there requested that the CBN should halt the sale of forex to BDCs. The CBN promptly complied and stopped. So, as soon as the lockdown is eased to the extent that travels have resumed, borders have now been reopened for travels to happen, certainly the BDCs would resume. We not some nefarious activities in the market, but we just smile because we know that anybody purchasing forex in the market today we begin to wonder the motive behind it. Why? If the BDCs are meant to meet the forex needs of travelers and there are no travels because of the lockdown, then you and I can guess those involved in nefarious activities by buying dollars, because they found some naira somewhere.

How effective are the stimulus that the monetary authority has put in place?

Like in read in the course of this presentation, we have provided a couple of stimulus packages. Companies and households have started to access them. We would admit that the rate of accessing the fund is low at this time and we believe it is because of the lockdown. But as the lockdown is being eased, certainly, more and more people would apply for this facilities and we would be able to make this funds available so that their businesses can aggressively take-off.

With the COVID-19, it is clear that Nigeria must now focus on diversiďŹ cation, how is the CBN supporting the government to achieve this goal?

First let me say that Nigeria has been talking about diversification for almost 50 years or more. We do not have any time more potent than now to do so. There is a saying that when an animal in the bush

begins to run seriously, if you are a hunter, for you to kill that animal, you must shoot it very aggressively, otherwise you would not be able to shoot it down. What am I saying? There is no other time but now, for us to follow through the implementation of our policies on diversifying the economy.

This is the best time to reset the Nigerian economy. We must all work together to ensure that we do so. As a result of this pandemic, over 40 countries have banned the export of either drugs or goods out of their country. Nigeria is lucky that four years ago, the President supported the CBN to launch a rice programme. Today, Nigeria is almost self-sufficient in rice production. Countries where rice were being exported have banned the export of rice out of their country, to the extent that the price of rice in those countries have risen by as high as 70 per cent to 80 per cent, because they are running out of supply because their farmers are all lockdown in their respective homes. So, what am I saying? Nigeria is a country with 200 million people. Nigerians are very brilliant, smart and endowed people.

I think the time is now. We should not just be talking about diversifying the economy, but we must follow through to ensure that we implement all policies that the monetary and fiscal authorities have put in place to diversify the base of this economy.

How strong are the banks now, following huge exposure to the oil industry, which has lost signiďŹ cant revenues during this pandemic and are we expecting huge NPLs because of this situation?

We are not expecting huge NPLs. As you have seen, NPLs have come down from over 12 per cent last year to 6.58 per cent as at today. Loans are being restructured, interest concessions are being granted and I am so optimistic that the kind of support that have been provided, not only to banks, but also borrowers, by the CBN, it would keep businesses alive to be able to work and pay back their loans as events unfold.

48

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER Ëž ÍťÍšËœ 2020

BUSINESS / MONEY

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Bamidele Famoofo

N

eimeth International Pharmaceuticals Plc emerged the toast of investors as it grew its half-year profit by 938.5 per cent. It was its best performance in the last four financial years. The performance according to the management of the company could be attributed to increasing market share and cost management strategies recently introduced to better position it among its peers.

Data obtained from the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) showed that investors reacted with a scurry for Neimeth’s shares, triggering a demand-driven share price appreciation that has seen the stock within the best-performing stock at the Nigerian stock market with capital gain of 79.2 per cent in recent weeks.

Interim report and accounts of Neimeth for the six-month period ended March 31, 2020 released at the NSE indicated significant growths across key performance indicators with growing sales and operating efficiency driving operating profit by 225.28 per cent.

Total turnover crossed a record N1 billion mark with 19.4 per cent growth to N1.165 billion

by March 2020 compared with N975.98 million recorded in comparable period of March 2019.

The top-line growth was driven by increased sales in its domestic Nigerian market. The company recorded growths across its two business segments of pharmaceuticals products and animal health products with the animal health products showing strong prospects for the top-line with 897.5 per cent growth during the period.

Gross profit rose by 22.74 per cent from N450.74 million in 2019 to N553.26 million in 2020. While the company’s continued push for the market saw a relatively modest increase in marketing and distribution expenses, administrative expenses dropped by 10.84 per cent to N228.71 million in March 2020 as against N256.52 million recorded in comparable period of 2019. Profit after tax leapt by 938.5 per cent to N56.6 million by March 2020 compared with N5.45 million by March 2019. Earnings per

Matthew Azoji

share thus jumped from 0.29 kobo in March 2019 to 2.98 kobo by March 2020.

Neimeth’s share price on Monday at the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) opened at 86 kobo per share, representing an increase of 79.2 per cent on market value per share of 48 kobo recorded by the period ended March 31, 2020.

The price appreciation might not be unconnected with increasing prospects of dividend payment in the current business year; after shareholders of the company at their annual general meeting earlier in March 2020 approved a balance sheet restructuring that would see the write-off of accumulated losses and primed the company for dividend payment from net profit.

Managing Director, Neimeth International Pharmaceuticals Plc, Pharm Matthew Azoji, said the half-year results built on steady growths witnessed in recent periods and further demonstrated that Neimeth is firmly on an upward growth trajectory.

He said the results showed early gains of the

company’s five-year strategic plan noting that the company would vigorously expand and reposition its businesses to cement its position as a leading player in not only Nigeria’s healthcare industry but also in the wider West African region while simultaneously ensuring good returns on investment to shareholders.

According to him, the strategic direction for 2020-2024 would see the company implementing bold and gradual expansion initiatives including the upgrade of its factory at Oregun, Lagos state; development of new manufacturing facilities and expansion of the company’s marketing drive to Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).

Azoji, who was named among the top 25 CEOs in Nigeria by BusinessDay Newspaper and also won the sectoral leadership award of PEARLAwards, said the company, was increasingly exploring viable options for strategic local and international partnerships to optimise its excess production capacity through contract manufacturing or direct product development.

He reassured that the company remained focused on attaining the good manufacturing practice (GMP) certificate of the World Health Organisation, in line with its current strategic plan to be manufacturing hub for pharmaceuticals and healthcare products in Sub-Saharan Africa. “Our results show that we are on course to achieving our strategic growth objectives. We remain committed to our goal of repositioning the company to play greater roles in the healthcare industry, deliver better returns on investment to shareholders and greater benefits to all other stakeholders,� Azoji said.

He said that the COVID-19 pandemic had further highlighted the importance of the healthcare industry adding that Neimeth will continue to explore safe ways of safeguarding people’s health through proactive investments in research and product developments.

The six-month results built on first quarter performance and extended the positive outlook of the company. The first quarter report for the three-month period ended December 31, 2019 had shown that turnover leapt by 167.1 per cent to N606.5 million compared with N227.07 million recorded in comparable period of 2018.

Gross profit quadrupled by 465.6 per cent from N53.52 million to N302.71 million. The company

replaced operating loss of N119.3 million in December 2018 with operating profit of N111.68 million by December 2019. The bottom-line turned positive with a net profit of N82.65 million in December 2019 as against net loss of N139.16 million in December 2018. Earnings per share improved from a negative of 8.0 kobo to a positive of 4.35 kobo.

Neimeth had also seen considerable growths in the immediate past business year. The audited results for the year ended September 30, 2019 showed that Neimeth’s turnover rose from N2.27 billion in 2018 to N2.37 billion in 2019.

Gross profit also indicated similar modest growth rising from N1.16 billion in 2018 to N1.20 billion in 2019. Operating profit rose by 47.9 per cent to N413.38 million in 2019 as against N279.42 million in 2018. Finance costs also declined from N112.96 million to N108.9 million. Profit before tax jumped by 82.9 per cent from N166.46 million in 2018 to N304.44 million in 2019. After taxes, net profit increased by 48.7 per cent from N148.02 million to N220.15 million. With these, earnings per share rose by 50 per cent to 12 kobo in 2019 as against 8.0 kobo in 2018.

Performance ratios underscored significant improvements in the profitability of the company. While gross profit margin dropped from 51.1 per cent in 2018 to 50.6 per cent in 2019 due to industry-wide headwinds, operating profit margin, which denotes the company’s managerial ability to curtail headwinds and drive core business operations profitably, improved by five percentage points from 12.3 per cent in 2018 to 17.4 per cent in 2019. Pre-tax profit margin-which measures untaxed profit per unit of sales, nearly doubled from 7.3 per cent in 2018 to 12.8 per cent in 2019. Net profit margin, after taxes, also improved from 6.52 per cent in 2018 to 9.28 per cent in 2019.

Neimeth is over 61 years old as a business in Nigeria. It transited from an arm of a foreign transnational, Pfizer Inc. to Neimeth International Pharmaceuticals Plc in May 1997 through a management buyout of the US investors to become a wholly owned indigenous company.

Since then, the company has metamorphosed into a leading brand in the Nigerian healthcare industry with products that meet international standards.

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Toyosi Olatunji

T

he Covid-19 (C19) pandemic has had a massive impact on the global economy.

It is estimated that major economies will lose 2.4% of the value of their GDP in 2020 and the unemployment rate will dramatically increasein

most countries.

Here in Nigeria, C19 has forced many small businesses to close their doors, lay off workers, and/or change the way they do business. The economy is experiencing a substantial slowdown from which it may take many months to recover.

Fortunately, it appears the social isolation techniques prescribed by the Nigerian Government have succeeded in slowing the spread of the disease, as the infection rates are currently lower than analysts had predicted. The last two weeks have seen the country gradually reopening the economy. In a climate of uncertainty, many businesses are grappling with the unknown and their future continues to hang in the balance.

Nevertheless, it is important to prepare for the aftermath of the lockdown, and to think of new ways of operating. Recovering from C19 poses some unique challenges for micro, small and medium enterprises in Nigeria. They must quickly adapt to new rules and deal with some long-term changes in the economy. This article will share a few important tips for business owners.

What Changes Will Occur After COVID-19?

The pandemic has caused significant disruption to businesses the world over. This disruption may continue for several months, even after the

virus has been brought under control. Some of the potential long-lasting effects of C19 on businesses include: Long-term Social / Physical Distancing Measures It is very likely that social/physical distancing will remain in place for many months to come.

This means: r 4NBMM CVTJOFTTFT XJMM OFFE UP DPNQMZ XJUI additional government regulations r 5IFZ NBZ OFFE UP MJNJU IPX NBOZ QFPQMF BSF in their space or use their services simultaneously r "EEJUJPOBM QSPUFDUJPO XJMM CF SFRVJSFE GPS employees to keep them safe. This may include barricades, hazmat suits, masks and hand sanitiser dispensers.

Cash Flow Challenges The slowdown in economic activities means that most businesses will have less cash flows in the coming months. Small businesses which are heavily leveraged will struggle to survive during this time.

Disrupted Supply Chains C19 has severely impacted international supply chains. As a result, many businesses have found it difficult to obtain the products, equipment, parts and raw material inputs they need.

Higher Costs with New Supply Chains Many Nigerian business owners became aware of their over-reliance on Chinese products during the pandemic. Some businesses will seek to mitigate this by sourcing more raw materials locally or sourcing from markets other than China. This may however come with higher production costs since China is historically the most competitive source for most products

Certain Sectors Heavily Impacted The travel/tourism, recreation, and hospitality sectors are in particular, expected to remain in a decline in the coming months. Businesses operating in these sectors will have to make sweeping changes to their services in the months to come.

How Small Businesses Can Succeed In the Post COVID-19 World Small businesses will face some major challenges in the coming months. However, there are also opportunities. Here are some tips for helping your business survive in the new C19 world.

Apply for the Small Business Assistance The Central Bank of Nigeria has already announced wide-ranging relief measures to help businesses deal with the economic downturn associated with COVID-19. These measures range from low-interest loans to one-off grants and subsidies. Now that these measures have been finalised, businesses must get themselves ready to prepare and submit their proposals to the relevant government agencies charged with the disbursement of these grants and subsidies.

Renegotiate terms of contracts and debt The Central Bank of Nigeria recently lowered interest rates from 9% to 5% in an effort to help the economy deal with the C19 crisis. Small businesses should take advantage of this change by proactively approaching their banks to renegotiate the terms of their loans.

Some banks are allowing businesses defer interest payments on outstanding debt and even repayments of principal sums. Talk to your bank’s SME desk to learn more.

There may also be opportunities for businesses to renegotiate rental contracts and leasing agreements. It will be a renter’s market in the months

to come as some businesses struggle to survive.

So check if your landlord is willing to give you a better deal.

Prepare for additional demand Social isolation measures mean that most businesses are currently experiencing a partial or complete slowdown in demand for their products and services. However, as government restrictions are slowly eased, consumers will eagerly re-enter the market.

Retailers will need to have sufficient inventory to deal with the sudden surge in demand, while manufacturers should be ready to re-open at full capacity. Consumers will have pent up “spending energy� and a long list of items that they need to buy.

Create new sales channels The C19 crisis has highlighted the importance of multiple sales channels. Businesses offering online sales, home delivery and takeaway services have been able to continue operations, while less flexible business have had to close their doors.

Making additional sales channels available will continue to be important in our new C19 world. Many consumers won’t want to leave their homes to make basic purchases and will prefer to have them delivered. Restaurants, beauty salons, and other service business may find that customers prefer takeaways or home delivery or home services. Consider offering your products and services in a wider variety of configurations.

It is also be a good time for small businesses to rethink their business models and take advantage of market opportunities that may emerge as a result of the present times, without a significant increase in costs. r Olatunji is the managing director of Arcane Insights Limited.

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WEEKLY PULL-OUT

31.05.2020

CUPPY APPLE MUSIC’S AFRICAN CURATOR ASSISTANT EDITOR OLUFUNKE OLAODE/funkola2000@gmail.com

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T H I S DAY, T H E S U N DAY N E W S PA P E R Ëž ÍąÍŻËœ 2020

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I’m Excited Not Only To Play Music But Showcase Talents Brainy, beautiful and bold, DJ Cuppy keeps pushing boundaries. A gig with the world’s most valuable brand is the latest feather in her cap, writes Demola Ojo

DJ Cuppy

E

clectic, innovative and driven, DJ Cuppy keeps reinventing herself, making sure to be impactful and relevant. Her steady upward trajectory puts to bed preconceived notions, alters perceptions and inspires a generation.

Her latest achievement as a music show host for the world’s most valuable brand is evidence of - and reward for – years of persistence in treading an unconventional path, culminating in what she described as a “life-changing� contract and a “dream job.�

Today, Apple Music will be launching its first radio show in Africa tagged “Africa Now Radio with Cuppy�. Listeners will hear the greatest and latest African artistes, and new forms of African popular music, on the weekly show.

The global music platform with 60 million listeners from over 160 countries worldwide and over 30 countries in Africa, is the latest in a series of international brands associated with Cuppy, following a deal with Pepsi.

Born Florence Ifeoluwa Otedola, Cuppy’s dedication to her craft means she’ll now be the curator of the fastrising Afrobeats genre for millions of Apple Music users.

The weekly show promises to feature a mix of contemporary and traditional African sounds, from classics like Fela and Majek Fashek, to current household names in the mould of Tiwa Savage, WIzkid, Davido and Burna Boy. Speaking further on the one-hour show which would be available at 2 p.m. Nigerian time on Sundays, she said, “The show represents a journey from West to East and North to South, but importantly a narrative of Africa then to Africa now.�

In-between songs, she will be entertaining listeners through interviews with other famous African artistes.

She said: “I’m excited not only to play music but showcase the vast array of talented artistes cultivating the music scene on the continent.

DJ Cuppy

“There are so many rich textures and sounds in Africa and the time is now for the world to embrace our diversity. Each and every week, I’ll be bringing a dynamic guide to discovering and celebrating the biggest and best sounds from across Africa, the Motherland.�

Passion and Persistence

For Cuppy, music is a passion that deserves full attention and commitment.

The recognition and accolades are byproducts of this desire to keep pushing and discovering herself.

Beneath the veneer of a happy-go-lucky girl who just wants to have fun, is a steely resolve to break boundaries and be an example of a young woman excelling in her chosen venture.

Being the daughter of a renowned industrialist and philanthropist could be a double-edged sword: on one hand is a first-row seat observing successful entrepreneurship, an opportunity to study the attributes and methods of a billionaire businessman, and learn valuable lessons.

On the other hand however, is dispelling the belief that things come easy, and having to work twice as hard, to prove that her place at the table is fully merited and deserved. This is more of a challenge in a male-dominated

industry.

Teaching herself to DJ at 16 in London, Cuppy honed her craft while studying, and graduated with a degree in economics from King’s College London in 2014.

She burst onto the scene the same year, when she was selected as a DJ at the MTV Africa Music Awards in Durban. It proved to be the first of many highlights.

Her first compilation, House of Cuppy, featured remixes of Afrobeats hits. This was followed by House of Cuppy II in 2015.

Twenty-fifteen was the year she embarked on an African tour to promote her brand across eight countries.

The tour was filmed and a documentary series of the same name aired on Fox Africa.

Intent on gaining more knowledge in the business side of music, Cuppy earned a Masters Degree in Music Business from New York University, while also interning at Jay-Z’s Roc Nation.

The DJ has lent her voice to – and coproduced - a series of critically-acclaimed songs, from her debut “Green Light� with Tekno in 2017 to last year’s “Gelato� featuring Zlatan.

She also launched the Londonbased music management and content

production business, Red Velvet Music Group, has hosted themed-parties across continents and is putting finishing touches to her highly-anticipated album, Original Copy.

Beyond Music

Cuppys excellence transcends music.

She has followed in the footsteps of her father as a noteworthy philanthropist.

In July 2018, Cuppy launched the Cuppy Foundation. In November 2019, the foundation organized the Gold Gala in Abuja and raised over N5 bn to help displaced children across Nigeria for the Save the Children initiative, a non-profit that she is an ambassador for.

Also a Global Citizen ambassador, she was inducted into Forbes Magazine’s 30 under 30 Class of 2020.

In what has now become a trend, her new gig with Apple is, certainly, not the last of recognitions coming her way. Her father, billionaire business mogul Femi Otedola, is surely, proud of her achievements.

This much he said in his reaction to the announcement by AppleMusic, on his Instagram account , “My angel @ cuppymusic has made history as the FIRST ever African to have a show on @ AppleMusic. Papa is so proud! ... F.Ote�.

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High Life Between Abike Dabiri and Issa Pantami

Pantami

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

Golden Era: The Triumphs and Grace of Erelu Aisha Babangida at 50

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ocial media was recently set aame with the news of how a prominent and celebrated CEO was chased out of the ofďŹ ce with arms and intimidation and then slammed with the ‘you are a big fat liar’ clause when the said CEO attempted to publish that information.

This is the story of activist and human rights advocate, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, and how she has been bent over the knee of gender bias and oppression— and folks with the power to sort things out have locked their eyes and tongues inside their heads.

Abike Dabiri-Erewa—Chairman and CEO of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM)—went on Twitter recently to accuse Isa Pantami (the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy) of preying on her and her staff by chasing them out of their commission’s building sometime in February, and seizing their ofďŹ ce equipment.

According to her, this directive was carried out with armed men, evidently looking to intimidate and ‘teach a lesson.’ When Mr. Pantami responded, he claimed that the whole thing was a lie and that Dabiri-Erewa was a liar.

Curiously, he didn’t exactly address the claims—only the claimant.

It was after Pantami had essentially brushed aside the matter that DabiriErewa labelled him a misogynist and went on to detail the awkward working conditions that she and her staff have had to undergo just to see their work done. A commission in charge of supporting and guarding Nigerians in the diaspora has been reduced to a handful of employees sitting on the oor to work.

The online Nigerian community has responded to the episode. While condemning both parties for washing Nigeria’s dirty linen in public, they stated that it was really the fault of an idle and slumbering government.

The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) is one of the few groups that have understood the matter as one of oppression and a violation of human rights. The group has condemned the conduct of Minister Isa Pantami and every silent institution, especially those bearing the mandate of human rights.

This is not the ďŹ rst instance of public oppression—not by a long shot. But perhaps, this demonstrates why most of these issues are never reported. Since Abike Dabiri-Erewa reported, what has been done? If Abike Dabiri-Erewa can be handled without regard for legal or moral constitution, who cannot?

with KAYODE ALFRED 08116759807, E-mail: kayex2@yahoo.com

Babangida

What parts of a person get passed to progeny and posterity? Are the bits and pieces of passion and personality also inherited? That would explain the

novel grace of Erelu Aisha Babangida, first daughter, and child of former Head of State, General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida, with his maverick wife, the late Maryam Babangida. As Aisha crosses the golden 50, she continues to be accompanied by the stateliness of her father and the esoteric disposition of her mother.

May 25 is the birthday of Aisha Babangida, and in 2020, that day rang with her 50th year on earth. True to form, relatives and close friends were on the ground to commemorate the day. While goodwill messages were pouring in, Aisha Babangida—with her social media handle—thanked and celebrated everyone who observed the day with her and expressed gratitude to God for allowing her the privilege of the love of family and friends.

With such depths of humility, it is easy to forget the heights that Aisha Babangida has reached.

Most people would recall that it was Aisha Babangida that recently united eight of Nigeria’s most influential first ladies—in

a bid to honour her late mother—and set off a chain reaction of warmth, friendship, and fellowship among them. That event was not unconnected to the subsequent visitation rights that were extended to former first ladies by the incumbent wife of the President.

Then again, the profile of Aisha Babangida in the corporate and social scenes is impressive enough. She singlehandedly gingered up and animated the Better Life Foundation. On the Seventh Day of her work on the Foundation, it was once again fit for its intended purpose: the empowerment and endorsement of women through every means possible.

These she has done by raising a lot of rural women with education, skill acquisition, and bundles of capital.

That is hardly a paragraph of the pages of the life and works of Erelu Aisha Babangida.

It is, however, a close enough approximation of her grace and commitment. This is why— at 50 years of age—she is a model of success and an icon of lofty repute in Nigeria and beyond.

After Many Days, Erelu Bisi Fayemi Makes Grand Re-Entry Ekiti State is often credited with having two very dynamic individuals. These are none other than the Fayemi duo, Governor Kayode Fayemi and his peachy First Lady, Erelu Bisi Fayemi.

Recently, while her husband has been offsetting the burden of the COVID-19 pandemic in Ekiti, the first lady had been noticeably absent—until now.

The COVID-19 pandemic has torn down countless plans and expectations, and the substructures of government and administration are not exempt from its cancerous touch. Regardless, leaders like Fayemi have taken more than a cursory approach to the virus and its spread. The latest report along these lines is the voluntary donation of 48.71 million from Ekiti State’S civil servants and top government officials. This is a first-of-its-kind and commendable beyond words. Still, with the First Family missing a crucial member, the excitement accompanying the donation was only at half-mast.

Since her husband assumed office in 2019, Erelu Bisi Fayemi has been one of the most committed advocates and overseers of the Fayemi vision. As a renowned feminist activist, gender and development specialist, social entrepreneur, policy advocate, communications

specialist and writer, Mrs. Fayemi has much to contribute—and she has.

She has been the voice of the oppressed in Ekiti and beyond for donkey years. Her peerless passion for the underprivileged got her involved with organizations with similar interests, including Akina Mama wa Afrika (AMwA) and African Women’s Leadership Institute (AWLI). This was all before she cofounded the African Women’s Development Fund, (AWDF) in 2001 and served as its first Executive Director for nine years.

Little wonder many people wondered where the lady who championed numerous policies for grassroots empowerment and social inclusion must be hiding at such a critical time.

The rumour mills had reported that Erelu Fayemi wasn’t at the peak of her health at the moment, and has therefore retired from the public scene. This had impacted on the people’s morale in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic— especially since she is a favourite character in Ekiti State administration. The consensus was that nothing short of a frail health condition could have kept Erelu Bisi Fayemi away at this time.

Happily, the woman at the centre of the curiosity emerged to dispel all the rumours of her whereabouts. Walking with a spring in her

Maurice Emeka Akueme has shown in recent times that it doesn’t take all that much to win the hearts of the people. The ingredients of recognition, acclaim, and influence are heartfelt consideration for a lot of folks and a watchmaker’s careful disposition in raising the standards. This is Maurice Akueme’s simple recipe and response to the question: how do you become the darling of the people?

Enugu State is the birthplace of the UK-based accountant and tax consultant, Maurice Emeka Akueme. As such, he started here and then extended himself beyond, successfully winning the hearts of youths within and outside Enugu.

When his name is mentioned here or in Benin or Cross River State, hearty cheers are raised in response. Why? Because Maurice Akueme is an esteemed humanitarian. That is what the leadership of the National Council of Enugu State Students (NACESS) labelled him—a silent achiever and humanitarian.

The Maurice Akueme Foundation (MAF) has been the main tool with which Akueme has reached out and touched the lives of thousands, with little regard for gender, age, and social situation. That is why there are several thousand folks—old and young, some hitherto homeless—who essentially wear the name Akueme on their faces.

Some of these have been elevated from commoner statuses to folks who can hold their own, having benefited from Akueme’s free

Maurice Emeka Akueme Is New Darling of Enugu Youths

Medayese Emeka

training sessions in fabric tailoring, fashion, and design.

Since its inception, MAF has targeted the suffering, the less privileged, and the old

Fayemi

steps and determination in her eyes, she was spotted in the company of fellow women’s rights advocates as they made their way to the Ekiti State Women Social Inclusion Centre.

and weary. The reasoning is that once these groups are catered for through careful nurture, education, and skill delivery, it’s only a matter of time before poverty is eradicated and the dignity of humanity is restored and whole.

This approach has embraced the sick and elderly, the young and unemployed, and every other downtrodden member of society. There is no other non-profit organisation that takes the conditions of the internally displaced persons (IDP)—as the Abagana and Daudu IDP camps in Benue State will attest. Akueme’s novel approach was recently recognized in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic. His intervention was felt and appreciated in 17 Enugu State local governments in the form of cash, food items, drugs, and other essential materials. His own local government—Udi—received the best of these, with expenses running into millions of naira. At the moment, MAF operates from both Nigeria and Uganda, which means that all of Nigeria will soon be bathed in Akueme’s glow—as will Uganda.

Many hearty cheers for the man behind it all, Maurice Emeka Akueme.

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER Ëž ÍąÍŻËœ Í°ÍŽÍ°ÍŽ

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Adebayo Adeoye bayoolunla@gmail.com; 08054680651

Siju Iluyomade’s Beautiful Innovation The subsisting order by the government on churches and mosques not to congregate following the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic has been received with mixed feelings by leaders and faithful of the two most popular religions in the world: Islam and Christianity.

But while some of the religious leaders have reportedly expressed veiled anger over the development, some others are said to have begun to think out of the box.

Interestingly, one of such religious leaders who have risen to the occasion is the Arise Women Founder, Dr. Siju Iluyomade.

The successful lawyer is the brains behind the popular weekly women service, Handmaidens Fellowship, which holds every Wednesday at the Redeemed Christian Church of God, City of David Parish, Victoria Island, Lagos.

In order to ensure that the popular weekly programme does not lose its allure, Iluyomade has launched the online version of the service.

The virtual fellowship, it was learnt, became an instant hit with thousands of women across the world besieging her various media platforms to connect to the programme, making it the biggest online platform, where women come together weekly to worship, connect, and network despite the lockdown.

Iluyomade’s Handmaidens Women in Leadership Forum is a platform for bringing all women together irrespective of their race, tribe, status, or religion.

It was initiated to enlighten and empower them sufficiently to enable them to have the desired impact on the society that they are uniquely crafted to have.

This gorgeous woman, also on Thursday, May 4, displayed her extraordinary creativity when she showered love and encomium on her hubby and senior Pastor of the RCCG City of David, Idowu Iluyomade, who clocked 60 recently.

The quintessential mother of three hosted a well-attended virtual Diamond birthday party for her sweetheart with Beejay Sax on the Bandstand.

And for weeks on the bounce, the virtual party has remained the staple among many of their friends.

Iluyomade

Coscharis Boss, Cosmas Maduka’s Global Recognition

Maduka

When Cosmas Maduka was setting up Coscharis Group of Companies, a leading Nigerian conglomerate, in 1980, he was doing so just to fight poverty and put food on his table.

But little did he know that the business would become one of the best in the country many years after, before his very eyes.

The business that he established on a shoestring budget some 40 years ago has not only become a household name today but a worldclass conglomerate.

As evidence of his success story, the Anambra State-born business magnate is set to join 60 other top entrepreneurs from 51 countries to compete for the ‘EY World Entrepreneur of the Year’ in Monaco, France.

He will also be inducted into the ‘EY World Entrepreneur of the Year’ Hall of Fame.

This year’s winner, it was gathered, will be announced virtually on June 4, in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Maduka, the winner of the 2020 EY Entrepreneur of the Year Award (EOY) in West Africa, will be recognized alongside other 60 others for their exceptional entrepreneurial achievements.

Speaking on the award, Ashish Bakhshi, EY Entrepreneur Of The Year leader for West Africa, said: “The award is not only designed to celebrate and honour the contributions and achievements of successful entrepreneurs but also serves to inspire today’s successful entrepreneurs, so they can share their incredible entrepreneurial stories.

“On behalf of EY Body of Partners and entire staff, I want to wish Maduka very best of luck and hope he brings the coveted award to West Africa. “We are proud of his achievements in the business world not only in Nigeria but on the African Continent.�

One of the most interesting and unique features of this year’s edition is that the entire process of the event will be conducted virtually.

The overall winner will be chosen by an independent judging panel of distinguished former EY Entrepreneur of the Year winners and other well-known entrepreneurs drawn from the business circle worldwide.

According to the organizers, the award is given on the basis of six criteria: entrepreneurial spirit, financial performance, strategic direction, innovation, global impact, and personal integrity/influence), allowing all country winners an equal opportunity to compete.

James Mwangi, the CEO and Group Managing Director of Equity Bank, Kenya, is the first and only African to win the prestigious EY World Entrepreneur of the Year award.

Aviation Top Shot, Captain Dotun Ogunyemi, Spreads his Tentacles If the list of brilliant pilots in Nigeria were to be compiled, his name would be given a worthy mention.

Captain Henry Oludotun Ogunyemi is undoubtedly a pride to the nation’s aviation industry. His inspiring story began when he graduated as one of the youngest from the Flying School in Zaria, Kaduna State.

He also attended the Aer Lingus Training School in Dublin-Ireland, Varig Training School in Rio-Brazil and British Airways Training School, United Kingdom.

Having bagged BAC 1-11, Boeing 707 and Macdonald Douglas DC 10 aircraft types on his licence, he joined the defunct Okada Airlines at its inception.

A few years after, he resigned from his appointment with the airline and later worked with other airlines such as EAS Cargo Airlines

(UK/Belgium-based) DAS Air Cargo (UK-based) and BIMAN Airlines.

Over the years, he has been involved in organizing several charters and Hajj flights from several countries in Africa, South America, and the Middle East.

Obviously, while he was in the aviation sector, he had his eyes set on the oil and gas industry.

Interestingly, in fulfillment of his ambition, he set up, in 2003, Onedot Petroleum and Onedot Aviation, a frontline private jet charter business.

However, Ogunyemi, the Executive President of Overseas Projects & Investment Services (OPIS), a Dublin- based group, prefers to remain in the background.This, according to him, is his major business philosophy. In other words, he is not given to ostentatious lifestyle.

Society Watch gathered that the shrewd businessman is expanding his coast, as he has

Ogunyemi

invested heavily in online shopping business: Dot.com In its short time of existence, the online grocery, Dot.com, is said to be gaining impressive patronage among the elite.

21 Years After, Families, Friends, Celebrate Late Insurance Guru Hassan Odukale

Odukale

It all seems like yesterday.

But it is 21 years this year that Olusola Hassan Odukale, founder of Leadway Assurance, passed on.

But in reference to the biblical saying that “the memory of the righteous is blessed, but the name of the wicked will rot,� his family and friends have continued to remember his life and times with fond memories.

Again, a memorial was held at his residence recently, having many whose lives he touched speak glowingly about him.

The late Odukale, a knight of John Wesley (KJW), was a Christian entrepreneur and philanthropist to the core.

Baba Odukale, as he was famously called, successfully nurtured his businesses to global

acclaim.

It is on record that he revolutionized the insurance industry and set the standard for modern philanthropy, especially in northern Nigeria.

He started his business life as the general goods store owner of Hassan Stores in Kaduna.

He, thereafter, established Leadway Assurance Company Limited, Kaduna in 1970 to fill the gap of an indigenous insurance company that would compete favourably with the foreign companies at the time.

As the founding managing director and CEO, he built Leadway on a solid reputation of integrity and excellence.

Ex-Minister Femi Fani-Kayode Goes Emotional Femi Fani-Kayode, a lawyer and former Minister of Aviation, means different things to different people.

While some appreciate his brilliance and outspokenness, others see him simply as controversial.

However, what you cannot take away from him is his love for his family, especially his children. He loves them unconditionally.

On Monday, May 25, he celebrated the birthdays of his beautiful wife and triplets with heart-warming messages, saying, “Happy birthday to my three handsome sons, Ragnar, Aiden and Liam. May the Lord grant you peace, joy, good health, prosperity and blessings all the days of your lives.

“May you be a blessing to your family, your loved ones, your nation, and your generation.�

Again, the former Minister penned beautiful words for his wife, Precious, saying, “Happy birthday to my beautiful wife, Precious. May God continue to lead, guide, bless, and watch over you. Our handsome sons Aragorn, Ragnar, Aiden and Liam and I love and appreciate you.

You are the centre of our world. May you excel and prosper and may the Lord cause you to live long and prosper. Have a great day.�

Although he has children from his previous marriages. Saratu Attah has a daughter for him named Folake while his second marriage to Yemisi Adeniji-Wada produced three daughters, Temitope, Tumininu and Tobiloba, his love for the triplet born two years ago by his new wife, Precious, can hardly be captured in words.

Fani Kayode’s

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with JOSEPH EDGAR ̥͸Π͸Πͽ͝ͺͽͿΠ̢͚

Asiwaju Bola Tinubu – You Owe Me This is the kind of work we used to call ‘Afamaco’ in Shomolu those days. That is work ‘dem no send you’. That is how I went to go and conduct opinion poll on Whats App asking a simple question – would you consider a Tinubu Presidency - mbok the question demanded a simple ‘Yes or No’ answer. Come and see the abuse. Sir, as I am talking to you, I need some sort of therapy. The abuse was too much o. Nobody said yes or no o. All sorts of names were thrown at me o. See me o, researcher wey I be. Edgar you are a thief, Edgar they have bribed you, Edgar you have sold out, Edgar this is a shame. You of all

people? These are the little ones that I can say in a responsible medium like this o. One woman actually called me ‘okobo’. When I saw that one, I quickly held tight my something before they come for it o. Abi, what is a Calabar man without his manhood? My dear Oga, all those insults I received cannot be for nothing o. It went on for the better part of the day. I now sent out a broadcast that the opinion poll was over o, that I will not do it again. Did they listen? Na lie, the abuse came in torrents o. I had to switch off my phone and go and drink Vitamin C before these people come and give me Covid.

After everything had calmed

down, I began to ask myself what happened. The sad thing is that people who are from daddy’s stronghold were in the forefront of the attack. They were violently opposed to any kind of Asiwaju ascendency. My position was that we should be looking for a bridge builder that would earn the trust of those who have power now but with a clear understanding of what needs to be done and then gradually move power to those with genuine intentions but no capacity to wrest control. Mbok, that is what now led to all that abuse. Daddy, this thing is not looking like it will be simple o. kai.

DR. AKINWUMI ADESINA – LAIDE LOVES YOU I know this my bro will not be too happy about mentioning his name in this write-up. But then again, there are a million Laide all over Nigeria na there I go dodge when he carry wahala pursue me.

In fact there is one ‘yellow’ Laide who gave me the Isho of Life in University. When I saw her the other day at Cactus Restaurant, the pain I still feel make me almost cry. Anyways, it was this Laide that kept sending me information about this your ongoing travails.

He kept pushing, ‘Edgar you must say something’, Edgar this is responsible journalism, leave the other room and come out. You see me just dey look am because this is not a matter for our usual social media rant and noise. Nigeria is the single largest shareholder in that place and if the US with only 6% can be doing all this like we are seeing, to a great and distinguished Nigerian and we are busy looking for Covid patients in empty Isolation centres in kano then what is my own? I will turn my back on you and walk way the way the great Gani Fawehinmi walked away from the Ken Saro Wiwa trial because of the massive injustice he saw. That is the same way, I will work out of this. I do not doubt your credibility, nor your innocence but lament that sad country you came out from. For

all you know this could even be the voice of Isau and the hands of Jerubabel. Just maybe your name has been mentioned in some circles for a possible presidential run na him this one dey happen. We can all sit back and allow a good man fall, it’s ok. It’s in our national ethos. I’m not surprised. Bro may your road be rough. Thank you.

Well, I have stated my position and let history record it that I Duke of Shomolu on this matter have stood up for truth and justice. No be this one.

Adesina

PASTOR IZE IYAMU – STAND DOWN Sir, I have received the news of your emergence as a factional nominee of the APC in the upcoming governorship elections in Edo State with a large dose of sadness. This is because once again, we are being forced through a season of anomie.

Although being paraded as a choice for the betterment of the people is nothing close my brother. The other day when I met you at the birthday party of our mutual friend’s mother somewhere in Surulere – Yinka Rhodes, I had pointedly asked you if you would come out again in Edo State and you told me you were not interested. What has changed, you have not only come out but have switched party lines showing that this move is not a well thought out one based on ideology but a clear ‘anywhere belle face’ political move. This is sad and this is why we continue to wallow in the pots of underdevelopment when men like you with really nothing to offer keep recycling yourselves to the detriment of the common good.

Iyamu

GODWIN OBASEKI – STAND FIRM My brother, it is very clear why you are facing a tough battle in your re-election bid. You have shown the people of Edo State what selfless leadership is all about. You have tried in your first term to dislodge the forces of prependalism – now this was a word I last heard in University of Ibadan Political Science class- so forgive me if the meaning no enter this matter, it just sounded so exciting that’s why I put it. Now the ‘Empire Strikes back’ by going out of their way to bring someone who ate two plates of rice at one party to divide your base. You know the truth is that the judgment of history is the most powerful one and not the temporary and pyric judgment that would emerge should this mighty force of Goliath succeed in enthroning prependalism – that word again, in Edo State. Stand firm and tall no matter what happens you will remain our champion. I stand with you no matter what that is worth.

Tinubu

and watch a video of this person – Tony Kabaka and you will see the reason some of us who have sense are supporting Obaseki.

Just you go and watch and come back so we can talk. Let me just put one quote before I keep quiet –‘he did not let anything drop, he even want to took(sic) POS to market women, he no even want anything to drop’. Please just go listen and come back let us talk. This is not a joke at all.

TONY KABAKA – REASON FOR MY STANCE Please I beg all of you to follow Deji Adeyanju on Instagram and go

SPEAKER OBASA – SWIMMING IN ALL SORTS OF ALLEGATIONS The way they are pursuing you ehn, you will need much more than usual prayers to escape o. If they are not saying you spent millions on girlfriend/ Protocol Officer, they are linking several accounts to your BVN. Information about your deeds and alleged misdeeds is everywhere. The other day at Sabo Market to buy Boli, the paper they use to wrap the Boli had several allegations against you o. You see how life is, shebi it was you these same forces were using to pursue Ambode, now you are sweating. Well for me, this is not work for any ordinary Woli , I think you should come let me take you to the one at Makoko. You will really need very strong powers to escape this thing the way it is going o. I wish you

Obaseki

Kabaka

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SUNDAY MAY 31, 2020 •T H I S D AY

SUNDAY MAY 31, 2020 • T H I S D AY

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ARTS & REVIEW A

PUBLICATION

31.05.2020

CHRONICLING COVID-19 ON CANVAS

Yinka Olatunbosun reports on the 3D Virtual Art exhibition as a coordinated effort of select Nigerian and diaspora artists in response to Covid-19 pandemic

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hat you click is what you get. The access to this one-of-a-kind exhibition is guided with a brief instruction on how to navigate which is quite easy. Mounted on those walls are delightful works of artists including the US-based Laolu Senbanjo with his afromysterics style of paintings.

As eyewitnesses to history, visual artists are consciously documenting the COVID-19 experience which has altered human interactions across the globe. Since the outbreak of Covid-19, there had been reports of anxiety, mental stress, poverty, hunger, unemployment and other untold hardship whilst the hope of returning to normal life routine appear grim. No doubt, artists are not immune to the impact of the pandemic instead the experience serves as raw materials for their creativity. In a bid to embrace the new normal occasioned by the global principles of social distancing and lockdown rules, a 3D virtual art exhibition of contemporary art kicked off on April 28 to reflect some of the issues surrounding the global crisis.

With its extensive parade of contemporary artists, the show takes an average of 50mins to savour online. Photography, varied paintings and origami preoccupied the show which viewers may take the liberty to view while snacking or sipping some fine wine.

Every piece is titled, “Covid-19" and for the organisers, Kunle Adewale, Oyindamola Fakeye and Ayopo Onafowokan, who are art responders, it is important to reflect themes of hope, courage, resilience and joy.

“2020 has seen the coronavirus spread into a global health crisis and by March many countries began to prepare for a lockdown,”

Oyindamola Fakeye recounted. “As galleries around the world have shut down and will most likely be some of the last businesses to reopen, I think it is important for us to create a virtual exhibition that champions some of the interesting works created during this monumental moment in time.”

The US-based Kunle Adewale who is a trailblazer in Arts in Medi"COVID-19" cine had been actively engaging artists in conversations around how to appropriate the tools of art in inspiring optimism, fostering a sense of community and promoting mental health during this period of pandemic.

“The artist's sole duty is to unravel the wounds of humanity in

the time of crisis, he becomes the light and the wellbeing that humanity needs,” Adewale stated in the e-catalogue.

Senbanjo's piece was quite predictable: a female with the artist's signature body painting who is clad in black mask. The mask turns out to be a recurring feature in the show which also celebrates the everyday heroes of Covid-19 namely healthcare workers, global health authorities as well as young children who are out of school to keep safe from the virus.

The UK-based Adebanji Alade brings an impressionist perspective to the virtual space with his spotlight on health care workers at the frontline of the battle against Covid-19. On her part, Valerie Fab- Uche, a multidisciplinary artist presents a two-piece origami made of straw to illustrate social distancing.

This same subject matter is central to Ayopo Onafowokan's painting of the iconic “Lagos White Cap Chiefs.” Each of the chiefs is made to stand distinctively apart from the other, thus making a powerful statement on conscious social distancing.

Still bringing the Nigerian flavour to the show is Adenle John whose impressively colourful collage shows a map of Nigeria in blue, a colour that is largely associated with love.

Away from Nigerian-themed works, one would find the works of Olamide Olasunmade quite revealing. One of his paintings that could pass for a mural is heavy on texts on the rules of preventing Covid-19 infection. His animation piece is also eye-catching as it depicts the scenario and the overarching emotion of health authorities at a press briefing. In this piece, all the healthcare workers seem confused, holding talks ahead of the press session.

Readers should continued online www.thisdaylive.com

PHOTOGRAPHY

Snapshots of A Photographer's Journey Yinka Olatunbosun

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One of Obinna's works

binna Obioma could have been surfing the internet to watch funny videos like many young people do but he chose to do something worthwhile that makes his journey into photography quite interesting.

As a YouTube fan, he regularly checked out instructional videos on how to take good pictures, improve picture quality and make it a rewarding career.

“I would have been a career diplomat and perhaps been working in the Nigerian Foreign affairs. Or perhaps I would have followed my fathers footsteps and worked for an international organization like UNESCO,” he began, recounting how he veered into obtaining a Master's degree in Diplomacy and International Law at Conventry University, England shortly after his first degree programme. He could have been travelling the world in dapper suits or starched native wears, improving foreign relations. Instead, he ventured into some self-discovery.

The young creative from Abia State recalled how photography started first as a hobby before it metamorphosed into a dream.

“At an early age, I had always been fascinated by the arts. I loved looking at images. My earliest introduction to photography came from my father and how he always took pictures of myself and my

siblings. His camera was intriguing to me and I dreamed of having one for myself. It is safe to mention however that during my final year as an undergraduate, I was fortune to have finally gotten a camera as a gift from my mother and the rest they say is history,” he recounted.

He went on to consolidate his knowledge with studies in Creative Practice at the International Centre of Photography (ICP), New York because he was always hungry for knowledge.

He told THISDAY how that journey began from a workshop in Nigeria.

“On my return from England after completing my formal education in the Summer of 2016, I attended the BigH photography class in Abuja and was subsequently tutored and mentored by Henry Nwaeze, the lead photographer of BigH Studios, eventually becoming a staff and team member.

“Afew years later, I thought it best to seek further knowledge abroad and in the Fall of 2018, with the support of my family and a few special people in my life, I enrolled in the International Center of Photography (ICP) New York where I bagged an art degree,” he said.

Altogether, Obinna has invested seven years into photography with a greater part of those years as a professional. He also cultivated interest in studying the works of top-notch photographers which had influenced him positively but he wouldn’t mention specific names of these veterans. Asides that, he had allowed some African philosophy to seep

through his work.

“My work is influenced by individuality, identity and my African heritage so I would say any work that allows me to tell stories through those parameters have often been my best,” he said.

Obinna hopes to make photography impactful so that other young people may choose this path albeit for different reasons and life goals.

“Photography journey is different and people go into it for different reasons. I would say however, like anything, it can be lucrative financially but you have to put in the work. Nothing is free or easy,” he declared. He added also that photography requires finance and the reward comes with monetizing the skills earned through the years. For him, any aspiring photographer must be ready to make sacrifice as it is capital intensive, constantly remember the goals and be patient till he finds his artistic voice.

“Don’t stop learning. Be kind, humble and don't stop being grateful to everyone that photography has put in your path,” he advised.

At the moment, Obinna is trying to change the narrative of black people especially black women on how they are underrepresented and being misrepresented using his photography as the vehicle of engagement. Sometimes, he superimposes colourful patterns on images which are mostly portraits. No doubt, his creativity is also expressed through the multi-layered textures with such quiet beauty. His works are distinctly African as they open fresh chapters to the global discourse on black women.

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 31, 2020

CICERO

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

IN THE ARENA

Buhari being sworn in on May 29, 2019 while the First Lady, Aisha looks on

A May 29 Without Colours It’s understandable why this year’s May 29 went unnoticed. Shola Oyeyipo writes

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conomists say ‘Ceteris Paribus’, meaning everything being equal, but everything was not equal last Friday, May 29, 2020, the commemorative date after Nigeria returned to democratic rule 21 years ago on May 29, 1999. The date was devoid of the usual colours of celebration.

It was the day former President Olusegun Obasanjo returned as a civilian president of Nigeria, putting an end to several years of military interregnum and relentless anti-military campaigns and protests.

Though now overtaken by June 12 as Democracy Day, at the federal level, May 29 was usually marked by the convergence of large number of Nigerians, particularly supporters of the ruling party, at Eagle Square, Abuja, while states also celebrate the day at specified places.

It is an event often characterised by pomp and celebration. The president, in his address to the nation, will reel off the gains of his administration, give the people message of hope and assure them on government initiatives targeted at improving the lives of the people.

On the other hand, the civil society, also seize the occasion to celebrate heroes of democracy as well as point out laxities in governance and areas requiring urgent intervention, same as the opposition.

However, the 2020 May 29 Celebration was totally colourless. Except for those keeping good track of dates, most of the people couldn’t even remember what day it was. Why so? The reason is not far-fetched, the Coronavirus pandemic had taken its tolls on all aspects of human existence, Nigeria not excluded.

As at May 29, this year, with over 5.5 million people infected, no fewer than 360, 000 people had died from the disease, which started in December 2019.

Still without a cure and spreading fast, countries across the world implemented lockdown, which compelled citizens to stay at home. There is also social/ physical distancing and quarantine, all these are designs intended to mitigate the rate of infection from person to person.

Churches and mosques, schools, hotels, restaurants and other non-essential businesses had since been closed down. It is illegal to gather in a group larger than 10 people in many parts of the people.

Nigeria is having its more than fair share of the pandemic. According to the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), confirmed cases as at Thursday, May 28 stood at 8,915. Out of that, there were 182 new cases.

Only 2,592 had recovered while there are still 6,064 active cases and about 259 people had died from the disease condition.

These statistics is very scary. The fear of it is making a lot of people all over the world to modify their ways of life – nobody wants his or family infected by the presently cureless virus, hence, hardly will people risk gathering to celebrate Democracy Day. That is coupled with the fact that the government herself, which is enforcing lockdown rule, would not think it was wise to gather people.

While there are several other yardsticks through which government performance could have been evaluated on this year’s May 29, if everything had been normal, however, considering that governance and businesses have been negatively impacted for the batter part of the first half of the year, the administration is better assessed on how it is responding to the Coronavirus pandemic.

In a March 24 report by a Forbes reporter, Andrew Wight, titled: ‘What The US Could Learn From Nigeria’s Response To The COVID-19 Coronavirus

Outbreak,’ the President Muhammadu Buhari-led All Progressives Congress (APC) government got some accolades for curtailing the spread of the deadly virus in the over 200 million people country.

Then he compared the over 15,000 deaths in US as at then to about two dozen in Nigeria, but even now the country has not done too badly. About two months after, with 259 death compared to over 100, 000 deaths in the medically sophisticated US, it means the president, through the 12-member Presidential Task Force on Coronavirus led by the Secretary to the Federal Government (SGF), Mr. Boss Mustapha, is doing something commendable. Recall that Nigeria recorded its first infection on January 28.

The reporter traced Nigeria’s ability to manage the situation to capacity built over the years while addressing diseases such as Lassa fever and Ebola.

The Lagos, Ogun, Enugu, Abia, Sokoto, Kaduna State governments and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have all shown exemplary leadership and responsive governance as well. Their efforts at complementing the central government at this trying time must not go unnoticed.

They should be commended and encouraged to do more to save more lives, and the states that are lagging behind must be encouraged to borrow a leaf from their counterparts that are blazing the trail in helping their citizens weather the storm.

It is however important to remind the federal government that even if Covid-19 did not allow the usual celebrations that come with May 29 in 2020, Nigerians will still assess the government performance in the areas of security, poverty alleviation, education, healthcare provision, infrastructural development and other development indexes that mark up good governance after the pandemic is over.

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

T Dabiri-Erewa

Pantami

Between Dabiri And Pantami

he Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission and former House of Representatives member, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, last week had a Twitter spat with the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, over an alleged forced eviction of NIDCOM staff from their office at the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

Their disagreement started after Dabiri-Erewa, in a video posted on NIDCOM Twitter account accused Pantami of ordering armed men to chase away her workers from their office. She claimed the office was obliged them by the Nigerian Communications Commission and lamented that the tools of her staff had been locked up. In a series of tweets that later ensued, she accused Pantami of being disrespectful to women.

But the minister, in his reply said, “This is a fat lie from her. The owner of the building @NgComCommission has faulted her lies on their social media platforms. The minister has never given that directive to any gunman. We need to be very objective in reporting. I have never sent any gunmen there, and I have no one,” he wrote.

It is however rather disturbing that two appointees of the federal government would go to the ‘village square’ to settle scores, when they could have reached compromise on their own or at the very least, report to higher authorities. The sad thing is that this is becoming a pattern in the President Muhammadu Buhari administration as his appointees continue to show lack of discipline and camaraderie. Ultimately, it’s a leadership challenge.

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER Ëž MAY 31, 2020

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BRIEFINGNOTES SGF: Infusing Standard Into Public Service A recent directive guidance from the oďŹƒce of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. Boss Mustapha, insisting that proper procedures be followed in disciplining heads of agencies and parastatals, is an idea that would bring some sanity and order to the service. Shola Oyeyipo writes

I

f not for the upper week declaration by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr. Boss Mustapha, debarring ministers from arbitrarily removing or suspending heads of public agencies, and which gave hope of curtailing the trend, power tussles at that level of governance was becoming a recurring decimal.

Although, there might be internal issues necessitating disciplinary actions against some heads of agencies and parastatals, the way and manner these actions are carried out are often characterised by political underbellies, vindictiveness and absence of due process.

While there have been several cases, where heads of agencies had been removed by ministers’ fiat, latest among them was the sack of the Managing Director of the Transition Company of Nigeria (TCN), Mr. Usman Mohammed, and his replacement by Sule Ahmed Abdulaziz, who came in in acting capacity.

Though the Minister of Power, Mr. Sale Mamman stated through his Special Adviser, Media and Communications, Aaron Artimas, that President Buhari Muhammadu approved Mohammed’s sack, there was no clarity on why he was removed from office.

The terse information at public disposal was that the embattled former MD high-handedly got the president, Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies (SSAEAC), Chris Okonkwo, out of service whereas he was less than 60 years old and had not attained 35 years in service.

This development and other alleged anti-labour stances pitted workers against him, and it was gathered that they were poised to embark on industrial action that would have put Nigeria in darkness.

Nigeria is not a banana republic, so one would think that the SGF’s declaration would put some sanity into how issues are handled at that level and second, it would create room for Nigerians to understand why someone was thrown out of office in an unceremonious style.

Subsequently, Mustapha came out with a circular, which noted that President Buhari had approved a new procedure on how to discipline heads of government parastatals, agencies and departments.

The move is therefore commendable, because the procedure was in tandem with international best practice and in accordance with the Public Service Rules (PSR). It will also guarantee the right of those that had been sent packing to fair trial as stipulated in Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution.

According to the SGF, when there is an allegation of serious misconduct against a Chief Executive Officer, the supervising minister through the Permanent Secretary would refer the matter to the governing board for necessary action in line with the relevant provisions of the Establishment Act and the principles guiding Chapters 3 and 16 of the Public Service Rules; the board shall in line with due process, issue him/her a query requesting an explanation with respect to the specific act(s) complained about; the board shall forward its findings and recommendations to the minister for further consideration and necessary action; “The minister, after due consideration of the submission from the board, shall on the advice of the permanent secretary, forward the ministry’s position along with the recommendations of the Board and the explanation of the Chief Executive Officer to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) for processing to Mr. President, for a decision. “Upon receipt of the submission from the minister, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) shall without delay cause an independent investigation and advise Mr. President on the appropriate course of action,� the circular read. After those steps had been taken, it would then be the duty of the office of the SGF to advise the president on the appropriate action, which would be in line with the outcome of the final investigation.

Mustapha...living up to billings In this order, the SGF stated that, “This procedure shall serve as a mandatory guide and all ministers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and any other public officer in similar supervisory position, are enjoined to strictly abide by its content. “For emphasis, on no account shall a Minister of the Federal Republic unilaterally or arbitrarily remove a serving Chief Executive Officer, without recourse to the procedure contained in this Circular.�

This, of course, is a welcome development and all the ministers are expected to comply with the directive, as it would put an end to the acrimonious situations witnessed in some ministries in recent past.

The heat generated by the sack of former Acting DirectorGeneral, Securities and Exchange Commission, Dr. Abdul Zubair by for Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun in 2018, is still fresh in the minds of Nigerians.

In what seemed like a vendetta, Zubair was removed and redeployed to External Relations Department and replaced by Ms. Mary Uduk.

Many who followed the Adeosun/Zubair saga believed that the latter’s fake National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scandal that eventually forced the minister to resign could have been as a result of the toes she stepped on.

It was even more dramatic in 2017, when the executive

secretary, National Health Insurance Scheme, Prof. Usman Yusuf, resisted suspension by the Minister of Health, Dr. Isaac Adewole, in July of that year.

He was alleged of gross misconduct and fraud. The chairman, NHIS governing council, Enyantu Ifenne also announced his second suspension but Yusuf maintained that only President Buhari could sack him.

In fact, he resumed for work during his suspension but was recalled by the president before finally sacked.

The 2017 sack of the former Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Mr. Saleh Dunoma was another one that got the attention of the people.

Dunoma and the Minister of State for Aviation as he then was, Senator Hadi Sirika were in Lagos the weekend before his sack, to commission projects but he had no inkling he was about to be fired.

Like in the case of all the others, Sirika, claimed through the Deputy Director Press and Public Affairs, Ministry of Transportation (Aviation), Mr. James Odaudu, that President Muhammadu Buhari approved Dunoma removal.

Like they say, “order is the first law in heaven,� there must be orderliness in the procedure leading to the removal of people from office. It shouldn’t just be that they are at the mercy of ministers without proper mechanism to ascertain the veracity of misconduct allegation against them.

NOTES FOR FILE

What’s With Kano Isolation Centre?

Abdullahi Umar-Ganduje

Last week, a video of an empty place said to be Kano’s isolation centre trended and went viral.

The fellow, who made and posted the video, had insinuated that the claim by the state government that it had about 600,000 people at the centre was not just a ruse, but also an attempt to make money from the federal government.

Recall that the Kano State Government had many weeks ago requested for the sum of N15billion to tackle the challenge posed by Covid-19. Although the federal government ignored him, because he was believed to be playing to the gallery since the federal government had then just given N10 billion to the Lagos State government for rising on time to the Covid-19 challenge.

Not long after this, the state started to record

strange deaths and in a week, had over 600 from an illness no one had deciphered. Days after, the federal government announced that the deaths were Covid-19 related, a development that triggered many other deaths of prominent people.

Following this, also, was a real battle against Covid-19.

This was why the video showing an empty isolation centre allegedly situated at the Sani Abacha Stadium, was of huge interest to an average 1LJHULDQ $OWKRXJK WKHUH KDV QRW EHHQ DQ\ RÍżFLDO VWDWHPHQW WR WKDW HÍžHFW LW LV LPSRUWDQW VRPHRQH speaks up before the insinuation that Covid-19 was not real takes another life of its own. While it is true that nothing could be put past Governor Abdulahi Ganduje of Kano, silence is certainly not golden in this circumstance.

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CICERO/REPORT

For Ugwuanyi’s Enugu, It’s a New Song Christopher Isiguzo and Gideon Arinze write on the five years of the administration of Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi despite the Covid-19 challenge

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ast Friday, May 29, 2020 marked exactly five years in office of Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State, having won his second term with a record 95.54 per cent, probably the highest in the nation’s history.

That election had pitted him against the candidate of the main opposition party, the All Progressives Party (APC), Senator

Ayogu Eze. That victory largely described as landslide, a clear indication of the level of confidence reposed in him by the people of Enugu State, no doubt, further propelled the governor of the Coal City State to hit the ground running with signature projects, which today stand him out as one of the best in not just the Southeast zone but the country at large.

In the last one year, the governor has true to his promise, consolidated on some of his first term achievements spanning through infrastructure development, improvement in workers’ welfare, and dispensation of genuine leadership to the people, rural development, healthcare delivery, massive turnaround in the education sector, improved security of lives and property and perhaps, the most important, the administration had made peaceful coexistence, its cornerstone.

Ugwuanyi had told the crowd of expectant faces during the 2019 Democracy Day at the Michael Opkara Square, that “The laudable goals we have achieved appeared impossible at that time owing to the realities on the ground: huge debt profile of the state pressing down our neck and huge salaries and pension arrears confronting us.”

Most recent among his array of achievements is the ongoing construction of a pedestrian walkway at the ever-busy Enugu Main Market, Ogbete. When completed, the project is expected to deal with the age-long challenge of traffic congestion, worsened in part by human activities.

Ugwuanyi has not hidden his passion for workers’ welfare. In line with this, the governor had since approved the payment of 30,000 Minimum Wage in line with the report of the Joint Committee for the negotiation of consequential adjustment of the wage.

That move was a clear testament to the fact that the worker-friendly governors knows too well that civil servants need to be encouraged in other to work well. Apart from the minimum wage, civil servants in the state have taken the fact that salaries are paid promptly completely for granted. Their 13th month salary has also become a new normal in the state.

For the education sector, immediately after inauguration, the governor had approved the sums of N 1.5 billion, N244 Million and N200 Million respectively for payments of required counterpart funds for the Universal Basic Education, UBE scheme for the construction and renovation of primary and junior secondary schools in the state.

His efforts in the education sector has witnessed the recruitment of over 5000 primary and secondary school teachers in the past five years while 897 classroom blocks and other school projects were constructed, renovated and in most cases, equipped with learning facilities. Stateowned higher institutions have also witnessed massive turnaround.

On infrastructure, no fewer than 600 kilometers of roads have either been constructed or rehabilitated across the state under the the present administration. Some of the major projects include the remodeled ancient, historic and undulating 11km Milliken Hill-Ngwo-9th Mile road and the 12km Opi-Nsukka dual carriageway with a spur to the UNN gate.

There’s the Ebonyi River Bridge, Ikem; the 31km Udenu Ring road with two high-tech bridges; Iva Valley road, Enugu; the 8.8km Nkalagu-Eha Amufu road in Isi-Uzo LGA, neglected for over 35 years; the 26.66km UkpabiNimbo-Ugbene Ajima-Eziani road in Uzo-Uwani LGA and the 22.443km Neke-Mbu-Ogbodu Aba-Obollo Etiti inter-community road linking Isi-Uzo and Udenu LGAs being constructed by the state government in conjunction with the Rural Access and Mobility Project (RAMP-2).

Others include the newly inaugurated 13km Nike Lake junction-Harmony Estate-Amorji Nike-Adoration Pilgrimage Centre-Orie Emene road, constructed across the thick forest of Umuchigbo community, linking the ever-busy and thickly populated Abakpa Nike with Emene satellite town in Enugu East LGA; 8.2km Inyi-Akpugoeze road in Oji River LGA, the Ituku Road in Awgu LGA and the Amurri road in Nkanu West Local Government Area.

The first phase of the Enugu State Secretariat annex in Nsukka satellite town is nearing completion while the construction of the Nsukka Township Stadium and more internal roads in Nsukka town are ongoing, in keeping with the governor’s inaugural address to equip and modernise the University town of Nsukka as the second largest town in Enugu State.

Enugu metropolis was also not left out as road projects including the Holy Trinity Street and Bishop Michael Eneje Street, Independence Layout, Enugu; Mount Crescent, GRA, Enugu; Orofia Street, off Nza Street, Independence Layout, Enugu; Dental School – Tipper Garage road, Trans Ekulu, Enugu; Loma Linda- Timber Shed road, Maryland,

Ugwuanyi...a quiet revolutionary Enugu; Nwafia Street, Independence Layout, Enugu; Mbanefo Street, New Haven, Enugu, among others.

In the area of security of lives and property, which remains the primary responsibility of a responsible government, the administration recently procured and donated 100 units of Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing (IVM) patrol vans equipped with communication gadgets to the security agencies to aid their operations in the state.

The state government also engaged 1,700 novel Forest Guards and repositioned the Vigilante/Neighborhood Watch groups and purchased 260 security vehicles for their Community Policing operations. The forest guards work across the communities in the 17 councils of the state and this has greatly reduced the farmer-herder clashes in the state.

His efforts in the line of security – making sure that the atmosphere in the state is conducive enough, in addition to his investor-friendly policies for businesses to thrive – informed the World Bank Ease of Doing Business in Nigeria report, which decorated the state as the third best state to start a business in Nigeria after Abuja and Lagos.

The Governor has also ordered the installation of 25-units of 60 KVA and 10 units of 200 KVA generating sets to power street lights within Enugu metropolis. The streetlights hardly go off.

Also, because of his zero tolerance for waste, the governor complimented the efforts of the Enugu State Waste Management Authority (ESWAMA) by constituting a special task force to arrest the menace of indiscriminate waste disposal to restore the scenic aesthetics of the coal

city.

The outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic in the country has perhaps not posed so much challenge to residents of Enugu State in view of the manner the state swiftly responded to it. At the moment, the state has recorded 18 cases, the third in the Southeast zone. While Ebonyi and Imo State occupy the first and second positions respectively. This is in spite of the state’s position as the headquarters of the zone.

The achievement didn’t come easy as it took the commitment of the administration to ensure that efforts were made at checkmating the spread of the disease. The state had approved and released N350 million to the State COVID-19 Multi-Sectoral Rapid Response Team to tackle the health challenge.

It established Isolation and Treatment Centres in Nsukka, at the ESUT Teaching hospital, Parklane and the ultra-modern State Medical Diagnostic Centre while presently engaging in the construction of new structures at the Infectious Disease and Isolation Centre at the Colliery Hospital Enugu. The Governor has also continued to keep vigil at the state’s land borders to monitor and enforce the nationwide curfew as well as the interstate movement restrictions.

Although there are rooms for improvement, the achievements of Ugwuanyi in the past one year and by extension the past five years are clear pointers to the fact that by 2023, when his second term as governor must have come to an end, the state shall have witnessed an all-round transformation.

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CICERO/ONTHEWATCH

In Edo, the Real Battle Has Just Begun Latest developments in the supremacy between Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State and the National Chairman of APC, Adams Oshiomhole, suggest that the days ahead would be tough for both the party and the gladiators, writes Adibe Emenyonu

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he fierce battle of who becomes the flag bearer of the All Progressives Congress (APC) took a dramatic turn Wednesday, May 27 as two major contenders in the party obtained their nomination forms.

They are the sitting governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki; and Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, who about six months ago, returned to the APC after a six-year sojourn to contest the 2016 governorship election, which he lost to Obaseki on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Before the Wednesday event, there were seven governorship aspirants of the party, who earlier signified their interest to contest namely former deputy governor, Dr. Pius Odubu, Prof. Ebegue Amadasun, Gen. Charles Airhiavbere (rtd.), Dr. Chris Ogiemwonyi, Ehiozuwa Agbonayinma, Saturday Uwuilekhue, and Solomon Edebiri.

On same day, a group, the Obaseki Mandate Forum (OMF), also obtained a form for Obaseki, who is seeking re-election.

With this, Obaseki’s major chal- Chairman, Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote; Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi; Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki and APC National lenger for the APC ticket is Pastor Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole Ize-Iyamu, who was adopted as the consensus aspirant of the group loyal to Oshiomhole, who is candidate of APC in Edo State is totally false and without party and not by conjectures. locked in fiery political fight with him. foundation.

He said section 9 of the APC constitution clearly spelt out The Oshiomhole-Obaseki political war has created two “Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu is not a member of our Party. He ways one can become a member of the party. One, Osifo stated factions of the APC in Edo State with the governor controlling a led his followers out of the APC in 2014 and even contested the is by going through the ward to be registered by Secretary of section while Oshiomhole has a grip of the other faction. governorship election on the platform of Peoples Democratic the ward, who will in turn transmit same to the Secretary of the There might be parallel congresses at the end of the day Party (PDP) in 2016 election, which he lost.” local government area of the party, then to the state secretary and following the guidelines roled out by the National Working They also castigated the supposed waiver granted the former national secretary of the party.

Committee (NWC) of the party headed by Oshiomhole, which candidate of the PDP in the 2016 governorship election, noting The other method, he said is through online registration, is being contested. that not only has he not met the conditions for such a waiver, but which he explained does not require going through the rigours Obaseki, who controls a faction, had already expressed his that whatever he procured was gotten from the wrong body, of the former, adding that the moment the online registration is reservation to the direct mode of primaries adopted by the the National Working Committee (NWC), as it is the National authenticated, the applicant automatically becomes a member of NWC of ruling party in selecting its flag bearer for the 2020 Executive Committee (NEC) that is empowered by the party’s the party with all the rights and privileges due to old members in governorship election in the state. constitution to grant a waiver. line with its slogan of “we are equal joiners”.

Although he said it doesn’t matter whether it is direct or “The purported waiver granted to Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu Furthermore, he said Section 31 (2) of the party constitution indirect primary, ‘I will win, because I know what we have done by the National Working Committee of the Party is ultra vires, clearly stated the right of the NWC to grant waivers to anyone in Edo State”. Similarly, his supporters have kicked against the null and void, as Article 31 of the Party Constitution confers who aspires to be a member of the party, noting that there is direct method of primary election, following the return to the that power on the National Executive Committee of the party. nowhere in the constitution of the party that says a new member APC by Ize-Iyamu, which allegedly has unsettled the governor Besides, the conditions for waiver prescribed by the party’s must stay a period of time before waiver can be granted. Osifo and his supporters. constitution have not been met.” said all the conjectures about waiver are coming up because a Speaking on the growing acceptance of Ize-Iyamu in the party The 18 LGA chairmen, therefore, urged President Muhamgood percentage of members of the APC migrated from the PDP, and his possible defection to the main opposition, PDP, for ticket, madu Buhari to call Comrade Adams Oshiomhole to order, and so, they still carry that mentality.

Obaseki said he is not disturbed in any way as “any contest adding, “Article 21 of the constitution of our party tells us that Still on waiver, he asked if Governor Obaseki was granted any would be no contest if it is not manipulated.” He also dismissed factionalisation or creating parallel organs at any level within waiver, saying that as at the time he was brought by Oshiomhole the adoption as a nullity, saying an APC candidate could not the party as Comrade Oshiomhole has done in Edo State is an as the anointed candidate, the governor was not even a card emerge in Abuja. offence against the party”. carrying member of APC anywhere in the state, because it has Before his emergence as the consensus aspirant of the They reaffirmed their support for Obaseki to continue in office never been an issue in the APC. Oshiomhole faction, Ize-Iyamu, it was said had been allegfor another term, noting, “We expect to actualise this support “Ize-Iyamu has been a member of the party for the past six edly screened by a committee, chaired by Senator Francis for the forth coming primary on the 22nd of June, 2020, using months six and the moment he signified his intention to join Alimikhena. Other members of the committee include a the Indirect Mode, in accordance with the resolution of the State and is accepted, he begins to enjoy all the rights and privileges former Edo Deputy Governor, Lucky Imasuen, General Cecil Executive Committee duly passed on the 22nd of May 2020 as to contest. Osagie Ize-Iyamu is a bonafide member of APC. You Esekhaigbe, a former Edo House of Assembly Speaker, Thomas authorised by the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the cannot refer to him as a former member, because anyone, who Okosun, a former House of Representatives Minority Whip party in August 2018.” says he is not a member is not ready to vote”, Osifo declared.

Samson Osagie, a former House of Representatives member Re-echoing the Edo APC chairmen’s position, Publicity Speaking on the mode of primaries, he said article 30 of APC Patrick Obahiagbon and House of Representatives Deputy Secretary of Obaseki faction of the party, Pastor Joseph Osagiede Constitution clearly spelt out that direct primaries is the best in Leader Peter Akpatason. in a telephone interview with THISDAY, said it was only the trying to enthrone candidates of the party, because it will not This is in addition to the waiver granted him by APC NWC, party’s NEC that was empowered to grant waiver, noting that afford any leader(s) of the party to foist person(s) that majority of which is currently one of the bone of contentions the ObasekiIze-Iyamu was not a member of the state APC. He added that as party members does not like. led faction have against Oshiomhole, that he is out to screw the far as he is concerned, he only knew him as a co-sponsor of the He said what happened in Zamfara and Rivers State was primary in favour of Ize-Iyamu. Besides, his status as a bonafide Oshiomhole-led Edo People’s Movement (EPM), populated by because party leaders took the wrong decision in the selection member of the party is also in debate. factionional members of the party. of candidates without recourse to the provisions of the party On Thursday, Chairmen of the APC in the 18 Local GovernOn the issue of mode of primary election, Osagiede said in the constitution. ment Areas of the state flayed the alleged endorsement of last NEC meeting of the party, a decision was taken that states According to him, “Direct primaries cannot be manipulated.

Ize-Iyamu as the consensus candidate of the APC in the should adopt the kind of primaries they want which according In indirect primary election, about 0.2 per cent of party memberforthcoming governorship election in the state. to him is binding on the NWC, adding that though they are not ship will be the ones deciding the fate of others. In any case, in The chairmen, in a statement, maintained that Ize-Iyamu was afraid of any form of primaries but only bordered about the the 2018 party congresses, the party adopted direct primaries to not a member of the party in the state, as he had left the APC in logistics involved such as moving both party and INEC officials select all those that emerged as candidates of the party in the state 2014 to contest the governorship election under the platform of who will come to conduct and observe the election in each of the and national assembly elections. Second term is not by fiat but the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2016, which he lost.

192 wards especially in this period of COVID-19 pandemic. through negotiations.” Besides, he pointed out that right of first “We the Local Government Area Party Chairmen of All In a counter, Washington Osifo, one of the elected lawmakers refusal is alien to APC and it is not in the constitution of the party.

Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State wish to inform the yet to be sworn in because of the crisis in the state assembly, “You must submit yourself to primary election and if you win, so general public for the avoidance of doubt that the purported which is one of the major instrument that cracked the Edo APC be it. It is wrong to foist a governorship candidate on the people,” agreement to return Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu as a consensus wall, said APC is a party that is governed by constitution of the he stated.

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CICERO/RIGHT OF REPLY

Re: Rumble in The NDIC Sunday Oluyemi

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ince its establishment in 1995, THISDAY newspaper has emerged as arguably the most respected and influential newspaper in Nigeria. Its investigative reports are always of the highest quality.

The regular commentaries by its star columnists usually set the tone for public discourse on critical national issues for more than two decades.

It was against this backdrop that we write to express our disappointment at the report titled: “Rumble in the NDIC” written by Sola Oyeyipo which appeared in its Sunday Edition of 19th May 2020. The report failed the basic standards for fair and investigative journalism. Not only was it riddled with contradictions, in the typical fashion of most hatchet jobs, it merely credited anonymous “sources” within and outside the Corporation for the falsehood it contained. Contrary to the finest traditions of journalism, the writer made no effort to reach out to the NDIC for clarification on the false allegations to allow for a fair and balanced reporting.

It is a well-known fact that the NDIC, which celebrated its 30th anniversary last year, is a critical and credible institution. It is therefore important that we should correct the misrepresentations and inaccuracies in the report for the benefit of Nigerians who the writer attempted to mislead. For instance, he incorrectly alleged that the recent nomination of Ms. Diana Okonta, the retired Director of Finance of the Corporation as one of the two new non-executive Directors of the NDIC was a plot by the incumbent MD/CE to perpetuate himself in the affairs of the corporation even after serving for 31 years in various capacities.

He went further to allege that there was widespread discontent among members of the Corporation on the development. But nothing could be further from the truth.

It is a well-known fact that both Umaru Ibrahim and Prince Aghatise Erediauwa the incumbent Managing Director and Executive Director (Operations) of the Corporation respectively, promptly vacated their offices when their terms expired in December, 2015.

Significantly, they properly handed over to the next Executive Director to allow for a seamless and credible transition period before their re-appointment to the same positions.

It should be stated that the enabling Act of the Corporation only allows for the MD/CE and the Executive Directors to serve for two terms. Except the writer suffers from “third term” syndrome there is no basis for him to believe the MD/CE will stage any come back

at the conclusion of his final term in office. The writer alluded to discontent in the Corporation on the matter, but the reality is that not only has the Board of the NDIC continued to function in harmony, Its members of staff have also remained disciplined and focussed in the efficient discharge of their responsibilities.

Under Umaru Ibrahim who is the third CEO of the NDIC, after the late John Ebhodaghe of blessed memory, and Alhaji Ganiyu Ogunleye, the Corporation has made remarkable strides which have been widely acknowledged. For example, under leadership, the NDIC became the first and only public sector institution in Nigeria to obtain three International Standard Organization (ISO) Certifications of the British Standards Institute (BSI) simultaneously.

In recognition of the tremendous performance of the NDIC at the local and international levels, Umaru Ibrahim was elected in 2013 into the Executive Council of the International Association of Deposit Insurers (IADI). He is also the incumbent Chairperson of the African regional committee. Under his leadership, the NDIC was voted as the Most Outstanding Public Institution in Nigeria by the Independent Service Delivery Monitoring Group (ISDMG) in 2013.

In 2014, still under his dedicated leadership, the International Association of Deposit Insurers (IADI) conferred an award on the Corporation for being ‘The Best Deposit Insurance Organization of the Year under Category 2 – Core Principles’ compliance and International collaboration.’ Umaru Ibrahim’s tenure also witnessed the elevation of the NDIC Training Center to a world class Training Academy which was duly certified by the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN). In 2014 the NDIC Academy was also been designated by the IADI African Regional Committee as the training hub for Deposit Insurance Systems on the continent.

The Corporation was also named the Best Performing Ministerial SERVICOM Unit (MSU) in the Team “C” Category for Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) by the SERVICOM Office of the Presidency twice in 2017 and 2019 respectively.

Since its inception, the NDIC has invested enormously in human capital development. The Corporation has set the bar very high in the realm of training and capacity building. It is not surprising therefore that the Federal Government found Ms. Diana Okonta, a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) with over 30 years of working experience both in the Private and Public sectors worthy of appointment as a non-Executive Director of the NDIC after her retirement from meritorious service.

It is noteworthy to mention other past former executives of the Corporation were found fit to serve

Oluyemi the nation in various capacities. These include the late Hajiya (Mrs) Fatima Balaraba Ibrahim (Minister of State for Power), Dr. Yerima Ngama, (Minister of State for Finance), Mohammed K. Ahmad (Pioneer Chief Executive Officer of National Pension Commission (PENCOM); Ahmed Al-Mustapha (Register-General of the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), Dr. Musa A. Ibrahim (Commissioner, PENCOM). And recently, Shehu Ahmed, was also appointed the Executive Director (Operations) at NIMASA. It is in the light of the foregoing that we urge wellmeaning Nigerians to disregard the misleading report from Shola Oyeyipo because it has no basis in truth or reality. The Corporation will not be distracted. It will continue to discharge its core mandate of Deposit Guarantee, Bank Supervision, Failure Resolution and Liquidation to the best of its ability to ensure the stability and safety of the banking system especially in these trying circumstances.

Dr. Sunday Oluyemi, is the Director, Communications & Public Affairs at the NDIC

Abayomi Jolaoso Jolly (ACJ): May 5, 1964 - April 29, 2020 Soji Akinkugbe

A

bayomi, I feel it is a debt to our friendship that I must part with a few words on your passing away.

Your brother, Bankole, and I had our secondary school education at the International School Ibadan in 1978, where we both started from form 1.

What excitement it was, going to a boarding house, away from home for the first time.

Meeting with young boys and girls from different schools and backgrounds was a thrilling experience. On the other hand, we were also being introduced to seniors who were not particularly exhilarating. The nickname for all first formers at the time was ‘bed bug.’

Bankole was privileged to have you in the same school, especially as you were a senior boy in form 5. That being so, he was reasonably protected from many of the other seemingly predatory seniors as we liked to describe them.

Abayomi, you very quickly warmed our hearts and took most of us under your wings. You were too gentle at heart to punish any of us erring ones and we just made sure we happily did your chores if at all you had any.

You had all the boys and girls of both the junior and senior years as your friends.

We met again when we had started work, after studying Law, completing Law School and the National Youth Service Corps. Confident you could wear many hats, you decided to also pursue business.

You incorporated your company, Safequip Nig Ltd, which was one of the early entrants into providing security equipment to the corporate world.

Full of positive ideas of the future is how I would describe you. Coupled with your background as the son of the late Ambassador Olujimi Jolaoso, these helped to shape you into most ways you could be described. You were gentle and generous. Always wanting to see how you could help anyone that you could. I saw quite a number of your old friends at school using Safequip as a staging point either when they ventured into business or needed some mentoring again.

Your ability to show your resolve was tested when

Jolaoso

TRIBUTE there was a major fire incident at your office at the Falomo Shopping Centre in those days. You didn’t let the incident get the better of you and quickly found your feet again.

Again, almost 15 years ago you came close to fate after suffering a massive stroke. You had to stay away from work for months while recuperating abroad.

For many this would have diminished their fervor but not Abayomi.

Once back on your feet, with that cane in hand, you were literally indefatigable. Climbing steps, traveling, hanging out, left me as a doctor always amazed and perpetually wondering, where this fellow found this energy.

As challenges of business did take its toll on many, you were always filled with infectious optimism. You believed in hard work and that a laborer would be compensated for that which was due to him. Many a time when the drudgery of manufacturing took its toll on me, you were always a steady hand of encouragement for me and I know for many others.

You worked hard and played equally as hard. You were animated when in the middle of good fun. The feeling was that life deserved both work and play.

You were not hobbled by the affliction but continued to walk with a cane undeterred right to the end. I did worry about your well-being as you also were concerned about mine and we discussed on occasions. However, you would say you would take things easier.

You regretfully had another stroke which proved fatal and took you away.

We are all saddened by this sad and unfortunate event, but I know you would want hard work to continue and the party not to end.

Your generosity and kindness are something I as well as many others would miss. The infectious optimism you exuded is needed now more than ever, in view of the fact that we all are facing unprecedented times as a result of the current pandemic.

You were blessed with an effervescent personality, bubbly as one of our prized beverages. Your zest for life, and desire to not only make the most but also bring the best out of every situation was on full display until you passed on to the great beyond.

I must salute our Sister Funlola, your dear wife. She was just as relentless in her commitment to your wellbeing.

To your children, Temitope, Olumide and Kofo, your legacy will see them through life.

May God grant Abayomi JOLLY Jolaoso eternal life in His kingdom. Amen.

Soji Akinkugbe writes from Lagos Nigeria

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NEWSXTRA

ActionAid: FG’s Borrowing Not Translated to Development

‡ Says Infectious Diseases Bill promotes abuse of power ‡ Commends INEC’s resolve to pilot e-voting in 2021 Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja ActionAid Nigeria yesterday lamented that the increasing borrowing by the federal government has not translated to tangible development, even as unemployment and poverty continue to increase.

ActionAid, a global movement of people working together to further human rights and defeat poverty, added that the Control of Infectious Diseases Bill 2020 “violates fundamental human rights and promotes abuse of power.�

It expressed these concerns in a statement its Board of Trustees and General Assembly issued yesterday after a virtual meeting to review the state the nation.

President Muhammadu Buhari had last week written to the National Assembly to authorise the decision of the Federal Executive Council to borrow additional $5.5 billion.

Buhari had made the request weeks after the National Assembly approved N850 billion for the federal government and the Senate approved another $22.79bn loan that is currently pending before the

House of Representatives.

Concerned about the country’s rising debt profile, ActionAid said in its statement that public borrowing in the country has not created its desired impact on the economy.

The statement, therefore, concluded that the increase in public borrowing “has not translated to tangible development, as unemployment and poverty continue to increase. “The current arrangement whereby the states cluster cap in hand at Abuja every month end to collect federal allocations is no longer sustainable, and the need for restructuring is now more evident,� ActionAid said.

However, the statement commended the resolve of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to pilot evoting in 2021, saying pandemic had proved that e-voting is possible in Nigeria with increasing reliance on the cyberspace for formal and informal sector operations.

It added that the resolve called for electoral reform and true independence for INEC, saying restructuring was expedient now

that oil prices continue to nosedive with increasing frequency of instability over the past decade.

It said: “If the country is restructured, states will be empowered to explore opportunities for internally generated revenue to drive their development needs.�

Also, the statement said the proposed Control of Infectious Diseases Bill 2020 violated fundamental human rights and promoted abuse of power, insisting that it was unsuitable in a democratic environment like Nigeria.

It acknowledged that the Presi-

dential Task Force on Covid-19 had made some significant strides in combating the pandemic, though claimed there was complacency and laxity in terms of adherence to the guidelines on the gradual ease of the lockdown order.

The statement, therefore, warned that a spike of the pandemic could be devastating in a country with a population of over 200 million people.

It noted that the relocation of Almajarai by state governments to their home states with no clear-cut plan on safeguarding and

managing their needs would be counterproductive.

It said the pandemic had exposed the vulnerability of the health sector at all levels, saying the long years of neglect and low investment in public infrastructure, including health and education had made Nigeria more vulnerable to Covid-19.

It explained that the same applies “to the agriculture sector, where hunger and food scarcity looms as a result of the Coronavirus outbreak. “Insecurity and gender based

violence remain major concerns, especially with the dusk-to-dawn curfews, lockdown, and stay-home orders across major cities in the country. The heightened level of poverty, hunger and underdevelopment in the country is further compounded by insecurity. “The conduct of security agents during Covid-19, mainly reported cases of extra judicial killings, intimidation, harassment, brutality and other forms of misconduct has left so much to be desired and is therefore condemnable.

Sanwo-Olu Unveils Regional Road, Warns against Encroachment Segun James Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu yesterday unveiled the long-awaited regional road, a strategic road infrastructure proposed in the Lekki-Epe master plan to decongest gridlocks in the Eti-Osa Local Government Area.

After unveiling the road, Sanwo-Olu warned that he would sanction property developers and state officials who undermined the state’s planning approvals and encroached the alignments of the regional road.

He gave the warning at the ground-breaking of the road, describing it as a manifestation of his commitment to improving socio-economic activities on the Lekki-Epe axis by the provision

of supporting infrastructure.

The road project, which was awarded to Messrs Hi-Tech Construction Company Limited, will link Lekki-Epe Expressway at Victoria Garden City (VGC) Junction to the Freedom Way in Eti-Osa. Besides, the 8.75 kilometre-long road, is also said to be a precursor to the proposed Fourth Mainland Bridge that is expected to take off from the axis.

When completed in the next 24 months, Sanwo-Olu said the regional road would not only change the entire landscape of Eti Osa and improve journey time for commuters, he said it would also drive up the efficiency of government’s traffic management strategy.

Enugu Fire Service Decontaminates Ogbete Market The Enugu State Fire Service yesterday commenced the decontamination and fumigation of Ogbete Main Market following the directive of the state governor, Mr. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi.

Addressing journalists at the market yesterday, the state Chief Fire Officer, Mr. Okwudiri Ohaa disclosed that the state government would fumigate major markets in the state before they were reopened.

The state fire service carried out the first phase of the exercise in the market on April 1 shortly after the state government shut down the market as part of measures to contain the spread of COVID-19 in the state.

During the second phase of the decontamination of the market yesterday, the chief fire officer disclosed that the exercise would last for two days

(Saturday and Sunday).

He said the state government had been consistent with the exercise to ensure that “the fight against COVID-19 is won in Enugu State�.

Ohaa maintained that the decontamination was a continuous one, stressing that “when the market reopens, it will be a weekly event.�

He, therefore, urged residents of the state to adhere strictly to all the precautionary measures for the containment of the spread of COVID-19, including the guidelines on personal hygiene protocol by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), among others.

Reacting on behalf of the traders of Ogbete Main Market, the market’s Chief Security Officer, Justus Ezebinagu, commended Ugwuanyi for the initiative to decontaminate the market for the second time.

YOUR GRIEF... OUR PAIN Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum and his entourage during condolence visit to the families of victims of the recent Boko Haram attack in Gajiganna, Magumeri Local Government Area... Friday

Ujah Emerges NMA President as Doctor Disputes Election Martins IďŹ jeh and Alex Enumah A former Director General of the Nigerian Institute for Medical Research (NIMR), Prof. Innocent Ujah has emerged President of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA).

Ujah, who is the Vice Chancellor of the newly created Federal University of Medical Science, Otukpo, Benue State, polled 347 votes to beat his closest rival, Dr. Oguzie Jerry-the-First, who got 19 votes during the association’s first ever Zoom election held Saturday evening.

In his acceptance speech, Ujah said despite the challenges

occasioned by COVID-19, NMA successfully used technology to conduct its meetings and national elections, adding that the welfare of doctors will be his priority for the next two years as President of the association.

He said: “We face a crucial time with the COVID-19 pandemic which is not just a health crisis but a socioeconomic crisis. Hence, NMA must be innovative in its approach. We will look at how to reduce the cost of running the association by adopting technology for some of our meetings.

We will manage our resources with integrity and ensure that international standards of financial management are adopted in NMA

in order to enhance accountability and transparency in the day-to-day operations of our Association. In addition, we will seek innovative ways for sustainable funding for NMA. I want to appeal to our members with such ideas to please reach out to the NOC with their contributions.�

However, an Abuja based Urological Surgeon, Dr. Obiatuegwu Kenenna has filed a fresh application before an Abuja High Court accusing NMA of violating the court’s Civil Procedure Rules as amended.

He is also asking the court to hold that the association was in violation of its constitution when it adopted e-voting which

was not recognized by the constitution..

Obiatuegwu had commenced an action in court against NMA alleging constitutional flaws which he said disenfranchised over 99.5 percent of medical practitioners in Nigeria from participating in the election of the national officers of the association despite fulfilling all financial obligations.

Hearing of the fresh application will come up on June 10.

He argued that the defendant’s constitution did not recognise any online electoral process as the proposal for online voting was rejected by the defendant’s congress at its 2017 Annual Delegate Meeting held in Calabar, Cross River State.

Bandits Sustain Attacks, Displace 5,000 in Katsina

Francis Sardauna in Katsina and Onuminya Innocent in Sokoto

Amid sustained attacks that have claimed scores of innocent lives in Katsina and Sokoto states recently, over 5,000 residents have been displaced from their ancestral homes due to the activities of armed bandits and invaders.

Despite the consequence of previous attacks on the agrarian communities, the bandits unleashed fresh onslaughts on Matseri, a community in Faskari Local Government Area, Katsina State,

killing three and injuring seven.

With complex emergencies arising from the rising spate of banditry, the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar arrived Sokoto yesterday, meeting the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar IV and the state governor, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal on the way forward.

In Katsina, THISDAY findings revealed that over 2,624 victims had abandoned their ancestral homes, and now take refuge at Faskari Model Primary School, the Headquarters of Faskari Local Government, Katsina State.

The Chairman of the temporary camp, Mr. Aliyu Lawal told THISDAY yesterday that over 3,000 had been displaced within the council and were squatting with their relatives in Faskari town due to lack of accommodation in the makeshift camp.

According to Lawal, the refugees are from the 23 villages of Birnin Kogo, Tsamiya, Zuru, Bangi, Kafi, Ungwan Liman, Gago, Gidan Wakili, Makera, Gidan Sharo, Danmairo, Sabuwar Ungwa, Ruwan Kusa, Bika, Kogon Kura, Dan Boka, Maigiya, Gwanki, Dudu, Ungwan Dorawa, Shuwaki, Akwanfa and Rabah.

The fresh onslaughts on the villages were coming barely three weeks after the deployment of Special Forces personnel by the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Yusuf Buratai, Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar and the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Adamu to flush out the bandits in the state.

The internally displaced persons (IDPs), majority of whom are women and children, were forced out of their villages as a result of sustained deadly attacks by the armed bandits.

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CICERO/TRIBUTE

Amaechi, a Product of Grace, Is 55!

At 55, Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi has so far led a life worthy of emulation.

Olawale Olaleye writes

T

he Minister of Transportation, RotimiAmaechi, is arguably one of the few persons, who often indulge me – no matter my excesses. He is by every measure a very kind and generous man. For a relationship that is inching closer to two decades, it takes not much to speak with authority about him.

The mutual trust, loyalty and understanding that we share, define not just the foundation of our friendship, but the sustaining substructure as well as the promising superstructure.

About two weeks ago, I shared with him a post, which read: “Maybe sometimes people did not actually change. Maybe you just never knew who they really were. Just maybe.”After reading it, he replied, “True”. Then, I retorted: “I’m sure you knew why I sent it to you, sir?” His response was straightforward. “Yes, and I put it up on my post,” he noted.

Largely misconstrued as pugnacious,Amaechi is only pervicacious. That disposition is however not far-fetched. You can’t claim to know him and still join his critics to promulgate the former, which is nothing but sheer lies or at the most, misconception. While it may be easy to mistake his being headstrong on principle as being quarrelsome, they are certainly not the same, if and when we get down to brass tacks.

It goes without saying thatAmaechi has not been very lucky with ‘loyal political allies’, many of who live only for the moment – typical of the average hustler on the turf. But what no one, including those who had fallen out with him, could deny is the fact that he remains a good, kind, generous and dependable individual.Amaechi does not and will never abandon his friends. It’s not him.

It might be convenient for some to concoct stories to suit certain political ends or sustain an issue for the time. The fact thatAmaechi consciously looks out for his friends and follows up where such is compelling has never been up for a debate.

Perhaps, for reasons of individuality, which boils down to style, there were things he could have handled differently from the standpoint of leadership. This is not because his other choices were not right, but because other interests could have been taken into account if flipped. It still would not strip him of his true identity, which is peculiar and indeed, something to die for.

I’d personally taken up this matter with him and mooted the need to review style given the rate at which some of his allies were falling out with him. Whilst he didn’t dismiss my concerns and granted me audience respectfully, his analysis of some of the situations bolstered my love for him and the reason I could relate with the post cited earlier. It is also why I do not think any excuses could suffice in defence of the disloyal folks or ‘frenemies’ generally. Or how do you justify willful betrayal or a conscious attempt at decimating one’s benefactor, because his suggestions didn’t sync with your interest

Amaechi...different in his own way at the time, even when same approach had worked for you too in the past? Honestly, it is truly who they have always been; people just didn’t know.

As one of those who can directly speak ofAmaechi’s kindness, I admire his spirit of giving. He has intervened in the lives of many people just because I asked him to and without thinking twice. I’ll cite just one example, which still excites me till date.

It was sometime in 2013. Otunba Femi Davies called and asked me to speak toAmaechi to assist OJB Jezreel, the late talented music producer that needed a kidney transplant at the time. I didn’t argue, because it was urgent. I called and told him. He asked how much was needed and I said about $80,000. He said, “Okay, tell them to do

a letter to the governor of Rivers State and bring it”.

I took the letter to him at Southern Sun Hotel, Ikoyi, on a Friday and he said, “give it to Debewari”, his Orderly. By Monday, he had not only approved it, he had increased it to $100,000 and also released it immediately.

I was later angry that OJB, whom I never knew or met before undertaking to assist, did not even deem it fit to ask to meet with Amaechi and appreciate him, even thoughAmaechi might not have agreed to an appreciation visit, because he didn’t want any undue exposure from a ‘simple act of kindness’, that OJB is no more makes it a non-issue thereafter. But, of course, it did mean a lot to me as a Yoruba man, because my people say ingratitude is worse than robbery.

In fact,Amaechi once challenged me if I ever gave the impression to people that I had a ‘vote for humanitarian services’ from the Rivers State government, because of the rate I pleaded with him to intervene in the lives of people, many of which he did to the best of his ability.

Kind, honest and dependable,Amaechi is ever willing to help and he always does so to the best of his ability. There’s nothing he cannot give for as long as it is within his reach and means. He would do without any expectations in return. He is genuinely a very good man.

I also believe he always does so, because he is conscious of the grace he carries. There’s no way the story ofAmaechi’s sojourn would be told and you would not see very clearly the role played by grace from the very humble beginning. Even more cheering and noteworthy is the fact that the grace hasn’t left him.

However, the Yoruba are of the opinion that the older a man gets, the more he is expected to reduce his inclination to war of attrition but be more accommodating of all tendencies, because that is the place of age, maturity and leadership. There’s no debating the fact that in Rivers State, today, no one can compete favourably with Amaechi’s political resume.

Also worthy of note is that almost everyone camping against you today had been employed by you at one time or the other; you’d either facilitated their appointment in certain capacities or fired up their candidacy in an election – a role that can never be reversed in your case again. None of them can either employ you or pay your salary again. You long crossed that bridge.

Above all, their stories will never be complete without a mention of your name, even if grudgingly, as the one benefactor that is common to all of them, no matter how hard they try to gloss over that part. I believe that’s enough take-away for you. Indeed, a gratifying take-home!

Happy 55th birthday and a wonderful Children’s Day to a ‘Product of Grace’ amongst us!

–––Olaleye is the Deputy Editor,THISDAY on Sunday

Nnamani at 60: Still Championing Women’s Right Paul Mumeh pays glowing tribute to Senator Chimaroke Nnamani at 60

“Y

ou should not be deterred by the obstacles. You must strive to do more to surmount hurdles. You have demonstrated enough tenacity of purpose.

Your perseverance, resilience and indomitable spirit as good managers of human and material resources have been unparallel”.

These were the inspiring words of Senator Chimaroke Nnamani, Chairman Senate Committee on Cooperation and Integration in Africa & New Partnership for Africa Development (NEPAD), to Nigerian women to commemorate the International Women Day (IWD) in Abuja; a disposition, which underscores his determination to stand for the voiceless, downtrodden, deprived, stigmatized and mistreated female folks.

In the 9th Senate, Senator Nnamani who is the progenitor of Ebeano political dynasty in Enugu State has been unwavering in championing the rights of women. This is a devotion he ventured into perhaps influenced by his calling as an Obstetrician and Gynecologist with sub-specialization in foetal and maternal medicine.

This irrepressible champion of the downtrodden has turned 60 (May 30, 2020). He is arguably overwhelmed by the outpouring of goodwill messages, prayers and accolades for his contributions towards the good of our nation and humanity at large. To his credit, the political landscape and leadership in the coal city State has been midwifed successfully by Nnamani’s Ebeano political family at least since 1999.

Some of the issues Senator Nnamani have continued to champion unrepentantly includes but not limited to fundamental rights of women; right to freedom of expression, right to political and economic emancipation as well as right for self-determination and discovery.

French philosopher, Fancois-Marie Arouet, otherwise known as Voltaire once posited in his advocacy for freedom of speech and upholding of the sanctity of human rights that “I may not like what you say or do but I will defend with the last drop of my blood your right to say it”. In other words, “I (may) disapprove of what you say

Nnamani but will defend to the death your right to say it”. This represents Nnamani’s position in the propagation and Defence of women rights.

Freedom of speech is unarguably at the core of all fundamental rights, being pivotal to all tenets of democratic participation, social equality, fairness and curtailing excesses of power.

Recall that Nigeria in 1994 participated and indeed signed the Beijing, China Declaration and subsequent platform for action adopted by the 4th World Conference on women with representatives from 200 countries to among other things empower, restore the dignity of womanhood and enforce their rights.

High points of that declaration was the promotion of women and girls’ rights, involvement in governance in their countries as well as the implementation of the 35 percent affirmative action for women in appointments among others.

Twenty-six years after the Beijing Declaration, the imple-

mentation of the 35 percent affirmative action and elimination of discrimination and violence against women has been a dream far from reality in Nigeria.

Scores of Nigerian women and more than a few Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) have taken the gauntlet on discrimination and violence against women to the doorsteps of authorities with less significant results to cheer so far.

The protests by the female folks across the country during the 2020 commemoration of IWD aptly brought to the fore the necessity to treat issues affecting women and the girl-child with all the seriousness it deserves.

The demand has been on government, particularly the executive and legislative arms, political parties, public institutions and faith-based organizations to entrench the standards espoused in the Beijing Declaration.

For this cause, Senator Nnamani, who represents Enugu East Senatorial Zone, has continued to identify with the Nigerian women as manifested in his consistent contributions to issues of women and the girl child. Coincidentally, he is the only male member in the Senate Committee on women affairs that is expectedly dominated by female legislators.

To further clear the hurdles against women, Senator Nnamani proposed a legislation to eliminate all forms of discrimination against women and the girl child. Specific actions, he stressed needs to be taken to end societal ills against women as well as promoting gender parity.

To drive home his unwavering commitment to the ideals and rights of women, Nnamani on his part, registered and paid the 2020 West African Examinations Council (WAEC) fees for the 3,991 female students in 68 public secondary schools in Enugu East Senatorial Zone. Some of the beneficiaries are indigent students.

The West African Examination Council (WEAC) Zonal Coordinator in Enugu, Mrs. C.O. Agwu, expressed appreciation to the Senator and urged other well meaning Nigerians to emulate Nnamani in uplifting the girl child especially the vulnerable ones.

––Mumeh wrote from Abuja (See the concluding part on www.thisdaylive.com)

Sunday May 31, 2020

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Price: N400

MISSILE

ActionAid to FG “The increase in public borrowing has not translated to tangible development, as unemployment and poverty continue to increase” – ActionAid’s Board of Trustees and General Assembly in a statement issued after a virtual meeting on the state the nation.

SIMONKOLAWOLE And Four The Day before Tomorrow Other Things…

SIMONKOLAWOLELIVE!

simon.kolawole@thisdaylive.com, sms: 0805 500 1961

T

here are many things that make you sad, even angry, about Nigeria. Recently, the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) asked SMEs to pay N120,000 each for “compulsory fumigation” before they would be allowed to re-open after the COVID-19 lockdown. Look at it again: these businesses had not operated for months, had probably sacked thousands of workers, and are in dire need of money to restart! The best way to get them back on their feet is to charge them N120,000 each for “fumigation”. Somebody had seen yet another avenue to pile more misery on these businesses which they already extort all year round. That is how we want to re-start the economy!

Now compare and contrast. The government of the United Kingdom is paying 80 percent of workers’ salaries in this same category of businesses in order to keep them afloat during the pandemic. Not only that. The government set up the Bounce Back Loan Scheme (BBLS) to enable smaller businesses access finance more quickly during the pandemic. A business can get up to £50,000 (about N24 million) in loan under 24 hours. There is a moratorium of one year, after which the loan will be repaid over five years. Anyone with even half a brain can see who is actually working to put the economy back on its feet and the one that is trying to damage the economy further.

I was glad when AMAC cancelled the extremely thoughtless (tougher adjectives elude me at this point) policy after public outcry, but that they even considered it at all and issued notices to the SMEs is an indication that a lot of people in authority in Nigeria need their heads examined under CT scan.

If you need revenue badly (and God only knows what they spend it on), must you push the SMEs from coma to death? As a Yoruba proverb says: “If you can’t make my life better, please leave me as you met me.” Why suffocate businesses that are already gasping?

All over the world, SMEs are recognised and treated as the engine of the economy. They are treated as pests in my country.

Speaking at the 2nd UBA Africa Day Conversations on Monday, President George Weah of Liberia outlined what his government was doing to help small businesses. He said: “In Liberia, we have taken some measures to ease the burden of vulnerable small businesses in the informal sector as well as big businesses.

We are in the process of providing small loan assistance to petty traders. In addition, we are working with commercial banks to mediate repayment of loans because we know that the pandemic has shattered almost everything, people have lost their jobs, businesses have shut down… the only way we can grow is for us to help them grow.”

I recently argued that we need to help businesses grow if we really want the Nigerian economy to grow. We often focus on the oil industry and declare that Nigeria needs to diversify the economy. In the real sense, it is the source of government revenue that is not diversified. The economy itself is diversified — very diversified, in fact — but we are not getting optimal value perhaps because the policy makers do not understand what they are dealing with. Help various sectors grow and see the economy explode. It is not

Elumelu optional — it is imperative. It is not about coming up with a plan for the future; it is about a concrete plan for today, to be activated today, to be nurtured from today.

What’s Nigeria’s plan for SMEs, for instance, in this COVID season? I have listened to our governors and federal government officials and I can’t point to anything significant we are doing to breathe life back into these vital cells of the economy. Any post-pandemic plan that does not give priority attention to these businesses will be incomplete. Support can come in form of reliefs, such as tax cuts/ reduction in levies, provision of concessionary loans, business support infrastructure, and such like. We must bear in mind that as more people lose their jobs, they will need to be absorbed elsewhere. They may set up or join small businesses. This is something to ponder upon.

Speaking at the first session with global leaders which he moderated, Mr Tony Elumelu, chairman of United Bank for Africa (UBA), raised another issue: the need for global cooperation. I think we are lucky that the multilateral and bilateral agencies have either cancelled or rescheduled the debts of some low-income countries, including Nigeria, but it was glaring that we were not going to be able to pay in the first instance. It is not as if any country is socio-economically immune to the effects of the pandemic, but Africa is particularly vulnerable. If Africa had the strength of the US or EU, it should be injecting stimulus in trillions of dollars into its economy. We are highly limited.

Elumelu argued that “this is not the time for finger pointing, but for collaborative efforts by governments and organisations to fight the pandemic globally. We need global co-operation to stem global depression. Africa requires a large stimulus package and we need long-term solutions to prevent a cycle of debt”. He emphasised the need for “speed” in efforts being mobilised. Most of the leaders kept hammering on one argument: the need for meaningful collaboration between governments and the private sector if the continent is to make a “quick” recovery from the pandemic.

Neither of them can do it alone. And I am not talking about donations to COVID fund.

In practical terms, we are not short of ideas and opportunities. Prof Benedict Okey Oramah, president and chairman of the board

of directors of the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), advocated that the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement should be “swift”. Afreximbank, he said, has kept aside $200 million for the supply of fertilisers and grains around Africa. Definitely, if we focus too much on the coronavirus and do nothing on food, hunger will spring up and devastate the continent even more. “If Africa allows hunger to take over the people, it will see an increase in insecurity, which will take a long time to overcome,” he warned.

Oramah pointed out the “bitter” truth: that the pandemic has shown that a time comes when Africans must fend for themselves.

That, he said, is the “positive message” from the outbreak. He said: “What COVID-19 has taught us is that there comes a time that people fend for themselves, there comes a time when you must be independent… I hope that the message this COVID-19 is teaching us about independence should help us to integrate our countries better so that we can trade better and invest among ourselves better and promote our growth and development as a people without always looking out for others to bail us out.” Word. And “speed” is of essence.

Talking about agriculture (which we can never over-emphasise, especially with growing unemployment), Mrs Ndidi Nwuneli, founder of LEAP Africa, reminded us that we are dealing with a trillion dollar industry which we still tie to “poor people” in our minds. We instinctively think agriculture is for the poor and lowly. “This is a $1 trillion industry and we are neglecting it; therefore, my charge is that we invest in the agricultural sector, prioritise it, leverage it, transform our educational system to prepare our young people for this sector, change the mindset, and trade with each other,” Nwuneli said during the second session, moderated by Mrs Eugenia Abu. Of course, it still boils down to a deliberate policy of enabling agriculture entrepreneurs — those who think of the agric business the same way they will of banking, ICT or construction. It is a business that can employ engineers, accountants, marketers, doctors, and virtually every professional. It is not about hoe and cutlass alone. It is not hand-to-mouth. It offers the biggest potential to absorb millions of our youth who are jobless. We cannot change our understanding of these simple issues if we do not change our mindsets.

Across Sub-Saharan Africa, policies that should push agriculture to the highest level of value-generation are mostly on paper.

While I was stimulated by the discussions at the virtual UBA Africa Day Conversations — which also featured US Senator Chris Coons; Peter Maurer, president of International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC); and Amir Ben Yahmed, founder, Africa CEO Forum, among others — I went away thinking things can take a better turn if we begin to see tomorrow as today, rather than think that we have all the time in the world.

Addressing our realities of today requires “speed”. It requires taking advantage of the existing global cooperation. It requires learning from others how we can enable our economic potential — starting from today.

Yes, today — the day before tomorrow.

DEMOCRACY DELAYED On Friday, we marked the 21st anniversary of our return to democracy on a low key, especially as COVID-19 has continued to cage us. More so, May 29 is now Inauguration Day while June 12 is the new Democracy Day — in commemoration of the annulled historic presidential election of 1993 won by Chief MKO Abiola. Actually we should be celebrating 27 years of democracy by now but for the annulment. We probably would have made far more progress today but for the turbulent years that followed the annulment, during which the country was virtually grounded by political and economic turmoil. Is there a cause to cheer? I would say half a loaf is better than no bread. Optimism.

POST-HUMOUS HUBRIS I was not surprised when presidency denied reports that President Buhari had cancelled 150 appointments “made by” his late chief of staff, Mallam Abba Kyari.

Anybody who knows how bureaucracy works knows that the CoS doesn’t make appointments. He only communicates presidential approvals to the relevant quarters. Apparently, those who were recruited to demonise Kyari while he was alive needed the fake news to satisfy their conscience that they were right after all and that Buhari was not in charge. So they keep servicing their savage machinery.

They should continue to enjoy their lives as sepulchre-bashers and scramblers of truth. Obsession.

ABIKE VS PANTAMI While Nigerians were busy getting entertained by the Twitter show of shame between the minister of communications and digital economy, Dr Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, and the chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Hon. Abike Dabiri, my attention was elsewhere: the role of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC). From my findings, all the statements issued by the NCC denying the role of Pantami in the ejection of NiDCOM from the NCC building were first sent to the minister for clearance.

Wonderful.

ADESINA AND AMERICANS Dr Akinwumi Adesina, president of the African Development Bank (AfDB), has been under intense scrutiny and pressure since it emerged that he would be reelected unopposed for another term of five years. There has been a bunch of allegations against him by whistleblowers but the bank’s ethics committee has examined and dismissed them. Now I do not know if Adesina is guilty or not, but I think the Americans should slow down since there is no provision for external investigation into the allegations against him. We cannot be jettisoning the rules because they do not favour our predetermined agenda. Processes are processes and rules and rules. Simple.

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