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PDP Governorship Panel Screens, Clears Obaseki Says we found nothing wrong with him Gov: I presented all my certificates from secondary school to NYSC Chuks Okocha in Abuja The tenor of the debate in the Edo State governorship tussle formally changed on Saturday with the clearance of Governor Godwin Obaseki

to seek re-election on the platform of his new party, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The Hon. Kingsley Chinda-screening committee gave Obaseki a clean bill of health ahead of the PDP

primary election scheduled for June 25, saying it found nothing wrong with him.

The governor told reporters after the screening that he had presented to the panel all his credentials, from secondary

school to the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).

The panel also cleared the other three governorship aspirants: Hon. Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama, Gideon Ikhine, and Mr Kenneth

Imansuangbon. Though, there were allegations that they were under pressure from the party to step down for Obaseki.

Obaseki defected to PDP from the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Friday

amid deep political differences with his former benefactor and predecessor, suspended APC National Chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole. The crisis Continued on page 5

Doctors Call off Strike, as Governors Broker Truce...Page 8 Sunday 21 June, 2020 Vol 25. No 9204

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Edo’s Political Calculus Changes as Oshiomhole’s Ward Lifts Suspension APC replaces Giadom with Boms Mustapha withdraws suit against party, submits to caucus supremacy INEC awaits briefing from monitoring department, to study court orders Chuks Okocha and Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja The suspended national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, had a reprieve at the weekend following the lifting of his suspension by his Ward 10 in Estako West Local Government Area of Edo State, a development that technically

altered the subsisting political calculations in the state.

But a factional chairman of APC in Etsako West Ward 10, Mr. Oshawo Stephen, dismissed the lifting of Oshiomhole’s suspension and insisted the ward executive members stood by their decision to suspend him.

Continued on page 8

COVID-19: We May Be Counting Bodies in Hundreds in Next 3 Weeks, Says SGF

Wike announces lockdown of Bonny, Onne over spread of virus NCDC dismisses C’River's allegations Davidson Iriekpen, Martins Ifijeh in Lagos and Ernest Chinwo in Port Harcourt Secretary to the Government of the Federation and Chairman, Presidential Task Force on Covid-19, Mr. Boss Mustapha has warned that the country might start to count bodies

in their hundreds in the next three weeks following the spread of coronavirus in the country.

This is just as NCDC announced it had recorded 661 new cases, raising tally to 19,808, discharges Continued on page 5

IGHODALO BIDS FAREWELL TO WIFE, IBIDUN...

The deceased husband, Pastor Ituah Ighodalo with his two kids Kaka and Zena, during the burial of his wife Ibidun Ighodalo held in Lagos, yesterday sunday adigun

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PAGE FIVE PDP GOVERNORSHIP PANEL SCREENS, CLEARS OBASEKI had degenerated into public spats and divisions in APC, and came to a head when Obaseki was disqualified from contesting the APC governorship primary to seek a second term. He left the party alongside the deputy governor, Mr Philip Shaibu.

Even though the PDP screening committee disqualified no aspirant, the party still set up an appeal panel to hear and decide on complaints from the contestants, in a mere formality.

Members of the appeal committee are Senator James Manager, who will serve as Chairman, Dr. Eddy Olafeso, Chief Austin Umahi, Bro. Emmanuel Ogidi, Chief G.T. Kataps, Theophilus Daka Shan, Senator Ibrahim Kazaure, Senator Stella Oduah, Senator Zainab Kure, Lauretia Mallam, Alhaju Umar Babangida, Bitrus Tanko, and Ajibola Muraina, who will be the secretary The appeal session is scheduled for 12noon, Monday June 22 at the NWC Hall, Wadata Plaza A member of the five-man screening committee told THISDAY that Obaseki had been screened and cleared, adding, "The governor presented his certificates and we were satisfied and also pleased with the way he responded to questions we asked him. “But we have to send our report to the NWC that set up the screening committee. It is the NWC that will officially release the report to you, but we found nothing wrong with him. We cleared him.�

Obaseki had arrived the Wadata Plaza National Secretariat of PDP in Abuja about 2.30pm on Saturday and headed straight to the screening room located on the third floor of the PDP National Working Committee (NWC) office.

Speaking with newsmen after his screening about 3.30pm, the governor described the process as “professionally done and transparent", adding that he presented his secondary school certificate, university certificate, as well as the NYSC discharge certificate.

Obaseki said, "The screening was fair, it was very professionally done. You could see objectivity and I presented all my certificates,

my secondary school, higher school, university, and my National Youth Service Corps, so that they can look at it and see if there are inconsistencies in them and you can ask the screening committee if there are any inconsistencies in any of them?�

He also spoke on the primary election coming up on Thursday, saying, "I am not a divisive candidate. I am speaking with all the aspirants. My hope and purpose for the PDP is to have a united and very strong party.

"Party primary should not be divisive, because we as a party are focused on the same objective and because we are separate individuals, our approaches may be different. So, party primary, in my view, should not be acrimonious and destructive.

And there are common grounds, common interest and I am very, very hopeful that I will get it even as there are quite a number of delegates for the exercise.

"I have done consultations with my constituents and my former party, and I made the decision to join the PDP and that decision was consummated yesterday. I went to the state Secretariat of PDP in Edo State yesterday to pick up membership and also came into Abuja to pick up my nomination form.

And with the kind leadership in the Peoples Democratic Party, they have been kind enough to admit me into the party and organised this screening for me."

However, sources said there was immense pressure on the three other governorship aspirants to stand down for Obaseki during the primary election next week.

But the PDP screening committee member who spoke with THISDAY anonymously, said, "We have tried to ensure transparency in the process. The party will not interfere. If any of the governorship aspirants decided to step down, it is on the person's freewill. But if at the end of the day, there is no agreement among the aspirants, then four of them will face the delegates on Thursday.�

Ogbeide-Ihama and Obaseki are from Edo South senatorial district, while Ikhine and

Imansuangbon are from Edo Central senatorial district.

The pressure on the other aspirants to step down for Obaseki is palpable.

Spokesman for the Ikhine campaign organisation, Edo Restoration 2020, Tony Okonigene, said in a statement that they had urged him to do the needful by ensuring that Obaseki was elected governor of the state on September 19.

Okonigene stated, "The primary, which was moved to Tuesday and Thursday to accommodate the governor, was earlier slated for Friday and Saturday. Indeed, his formal declaration for the party, the PDP, means the effective takeover of Edo State from the All Progressives Congress (APC).

"Obaseki resigned from the APC after being controversially disqualified from contesting the party’s forthcoming gubernatorial primary election. "The Engr Gideon Ikhine campaign team (Edo Restoration 2020), under the leadership of the Director General, Hon Victor Edos Ebhomwoyi, has been studying the political development in the PDP. “The council has met with the leaders of Edo Central Senatorial District and consulted widely

with members of our campaign council, coordinators and well meaning party faithful. We wish to make the following statements.

"We have had a detailed review of all the circumstances surrounding the postponement of the primary and the coming of his Excellency, Godwin Obaseki, with his deputy, His Excellency, Philip Shaibu, into our party.

"We have advised our principal, Engr Gideon Ikhine, accordingly and he will be making his position known to the public in a press briefing on Monday, June 22 by 12 noon in his campaign headquarters, Benin.

"In reaching his decision, Engr Gideon Ikhine will take into consideration the overall interest of the party and the future wellbeing of Edo State above his personal ambition."

Ize-Iyamu Campaign Reacts to Obaseki's Defection to PDP Meanwhile, the Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu Campaign Organisation has advised Obaseki to self-quarantine in view of his alleged breach of the COVID-19 protocols, which saw him mingling with a large

crowd and without a facemask after he declared for the PDP. A statement by the team’s Director of Communication and Media, John Mayaki, said Obaseki exercised his right of assembly to join a political party by completing his defection to the PDP. But, the statement alleged, Obaseki, “In his usual autocracy and abuse of power, tried to deny Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu last year, when he returned to the All Progressives Congress through the sponsorship of physical and media attacks, and the institution of baseless court cases. We, as democrats and staunch believers in the rule of law, unlike Godwin Obaseki, hold nothing against it. “However, we observed with great concern the dangerous and reckless actions of the governor and his supporters at the venue of his defection.

Without any observance of the social distancing rules, or the use of face masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19, Mr. Godwin Obaseki assembled hundreds of Edo youths that his administration failed to gainfully engage following his failure to create 200,000 jobs as promised, and assigned them the demeaning task of singing

his praises at great risk to their health during a pandemic.�

The statement also said, “Apart from violating the guidelines of the Presidential Task-Force on COVID-19 on social gathering, Mr. Godwin Obaseki also openly disregarded the stipulations of his ill-conceived gazette, which among other things, held that no gathering of more than 20 persons shall take place in a single location. “Consequently, to protect the people of the state and ensure that the work of the federal government in curbing the spread of the viral disease is not undone by the irresponsibility of a vain governor, who prioritises politics over public health and human lives, we call on the Nigeria Police Force and other relevant security agencies to aid the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control in the commencement of an immediate identification, tracing, and arrest of everyone present at the event for immediate quarantine at nearby isolation centres. “Failure to do this may put in jeopardy the integrity of the fight against COVID-19 and make a mockery of the efforts and sacrifice of frontline health workers and other important stakeholders.�

NPA COMMISSIONS TUG BOATS...

L-R: The Vice Chairman ENL Consortium, Vicky Haastrup; Managing Director, Nigeria Ports Authority, Hadiza Bala Usman and the Chairman Ship Owners Forum, Margaret Orakwusi, during the commissioning of two tug boats, MT Musawa and MT Ikoro-Ekiti in Apapa, Lagos ...recently

COVID-19: WE MAY BE COUNTING BODIES IN HUNDREDS IN NEXT 3 WEEKS, SAYS SGF 6,718, deaths 506. As usual, Lagos recorded the highest number of 230, followed by Rivers-127, Delta-83, FCT-60, Oyo-51, Edo-31, Bayelsa-27, Kaduna-25, Plateau-13, Ondo6, Nasarawa-3, Ekiti-2, Kano-2, Borno-1.

Mustapha, who argued that the reason the numbers have continued to climb up lately was because the country has increased its testing capacity, however, noted that Nigeria was yet to even enter into the second wave of the pandemic, which according to him might be inevitable.

The SGF, who is disturbed about the attitudes of some Nigerians to the virus despite its rate of spread, noted that by the time the death tolls start coming in, the nation might enter into a serious panic mode, because the casualties would reflect the figures and the testing rate. “The figures you see now are a reflection of the testing capacity of the country. We have ramped up testing.

From just about two centres, we now have over 30 and so, the results are the figures you see now, the outcome of which will be an increase in the number of casualties in the next three weeks, when they’ll start manifesting. “There’ll be pandemonium and we might get into a panic mode. Sadly, we are still in the first wave and the figures will

not abate, because the attitudes of a majority of the people do not suggest that we want the figures to abate,� Mustapha explained, urging Nigerians to support the government in the fight against Covid-19 by adhering to the safety protocols.

Wike Announces Lockdown of Bonny, Onne over Spread of Pandemic Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has announced an immediate and total lockdown of Bonny Local Government Area and Onne Community in Eleme Local Government Area of the state, effective today, to check the increasing spread of the coronavirus in the oil-rich State.

Following the spread in Bonny and Onne, the River State governor warned and alerted residents to brace up for a likely total lockdown if the spread of the pandemic in the state did not subside.

Lately, Rivers State has continued to witness a spike in the number of Covid-19 infections despite the stringent measure initially put in place by the state government to check the spread of the pandemic.

Similarly, the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has dismissed as untrue, claims by the Cross River State government that it planned to transport positive COVID-19

samples from other states into Cross River.

Governor Wike, in a statewide broadcast, yesterday, announced the lockdown of the two oil and gas-rich areas, saying all residents of Bonny Local Government and Onne community, except those on essential services and duly exempted must stay at home.

His words: "Pursuant to the fundamental objective of stopping the spread of coronavirus, we have reviewed the situation in Bonny Island and Onne Communities and come to the conclusion that a total lockdown is necessary at this time to shut down the continuing spread of the virus in these communities.

"By this measure, all shops, offices and business places must remain closed. All gatherings, including religious, burial and wedding activities are prohibited. All entry and exit into the two communities, except those on essential services and duly permitted, are also banned.

"Security agencies have been directed to enforce the lockdown by arresting and prosecuting anyone, who dares to disobey these directives," he said.

Wike noted that with a total of 866 positive cases out of 2572 tested samples the state was gradually becoming the next epicenter of the virus in the South-south region of the country.

He said within this period,

the state also recorded 30 deaths, including prominent persons while 356 persons recovered and were discharged from Treatment Centres.

According to the Governor, the state on Sunday alone recorded 127 new cases, leaving the Isolation and Treatment Centres overwhelmed.

As the number of new cases and deaths continue to increase, the Governor said there was no more denying that coronavirus was both dangerous and deadly.

"We cannot also deny that the transmission of the virus in our state is currently on a steep upward trend. This being so, we must all brace up to the reality of having new infections and a couple of deaths in the coming weeks and months.

"When we recognised that effective early response was key to preventing the virus from progressing deep, we introduced drastic measures to protect our citizens.

"Unfortunately, some people deliberately twisted our intentions, maligned our timely measures and exploited the attendant temporary hardship on our people to further their selfish political drives.

"Today, I am sure with the daily worrisome number of new infections and the fear of possible calamitous community transmission, everyone is now seeing the needless politicisation of the fight against coronavirus."

Wike assured that his

government would continue to collaborate with well-meaning partners to stop the continuing spread of coronavirus.

He therefore reiterated that residents of the State must be prepared for a statewide lockdown if the numbers continue on the upward swing.

The NCDC, while addressing the allegation against it by the Cross River State government, stated in a statement on Saturday that the comment was a misinterpretation of the Federal Ministry of Health's COVID-19 testing strategy and efforts to protect the health of Nigerians from the disease.

It stated: “We would like to state unequivocally, that there is no plan to transport positive samples from one state to the other. One of our responsibilities at NCDC is to scale-up the capacity for COVID-19 diagnosis in Nigeria as we respond to this pandemic.

Our ability to promptly detect cases and halt the spread of the virus in our communities is largely dependent on our ability to scale-up access to testing for Nigerians. “Given our mandate to protect the health of all Nigerians, we are obliged to state the facts.

The NCDC is leading the expansion of testing capacity for COVID-19 in Nigeria. As part of the national strategy to scale up testing published in March 2020, we are leveraging GeneXpert equipment currently used for the diagnosis of tuberculosis.

The use of GeneXpert will significantly scale-up testing for COVID-19 and improve turn-around time for results in the country.�

It noted that Nigeria was one of the many countries around the world using the GeneXpert system to scale up testing capacity, adding that the expansion process was in collaboration with the National Tuberculosis and Leprosy Control Programme (NTBLCP), and supported by partners at US- CDC, KNCV Tuberculosis Foundation, Institute of Human Virology Nigeria (IHVN) and others.

According to NCDC, there were 400 sites in Nigeria with GeneXpert equipment for the diagnosis of tuberculosis. “However, we have prioritised the roll-out of GeneXpert in states, where there is a high level of community transmission and states with limited or no laboratory capacity for the diagnosis of COVID-19 at the moment. “These are Abia, Adamawa, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Lagos, Enugu, Kaduna, Kogi, Nasarawa, Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers, Benue, and the FCT. Already, we have worked with NTBLCP and our partners to activated two GeneXpert laboratories in Kaduna and Nasarawa States. “Eventually, we plan to roll out the GeneXpert testing sites for COVID-19 in every state in Nigeria,� it added.

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Doctors Call off Strike, as Governors Broker Truce Chuks Okocha in Abuja The Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) has brokered a truce between the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) and the federal government leading to the former calling off its strike which commenced at the beginning of the week.

Consequently, the doctors rising from a meeting last night decided to put their faith in the Governors Forum and suspend the action.

The entire executives of the NARD were at the NGF Secretariat Abuja on Thursday at the instance of the Director General of the Forum, Mr. Asishana Bayo Okauru, where they met with the chairman of the NGF and Governor of Ekiti State, Dr John Kayode Fayemi and later the Governor of Oyo State Seyi Makinde and expressed their grievances.

It was the very first time that NARD would be putting their

grievances before the forum.

According to a statement by the Head of Media of the forum, Abdulrazaque Bello-Barkindo, after listening to them, the NGF Chairman reminded the NARD executives of their Hippocratic oath and admonished them to always bring their conscience to the fore “because when you strike it is not the men in power that suffer but the common man on the streets.�

Fayemi, commended the doctors for remaining in the country to serve in spite of the abundant opportunities and lucrative offers that await them abroad.

However, the statement said that Fayemi also reminded them that the government had always invested huge sums of money to train them and it would amount to a disservice to their fatherland to flee the country without giving their services in return.

The head of NGF media said

that Fayemi appealed to the NARD to call off the strike promising that the governors would sit in a week’s time and consider their grievances with a view to finding a lasting solution to issues that are immediately possible for the forum to tackle.

The doctors, led by their president, Dr Aliyu Sokomba and their National Secretary Dr Bilkisu, left the NGF Secretariat with a promise to consult members of the association to prevail on them to put their faith in the governors and await the action of the governors on the matter.

Accordingly, the statement said; 'It is on that basis that the President reached out to the Director General of the NGF Saturday evening as they close the NARD meeting to announce that they are calling off the strike to allow the governors to address their complaints.'

The resident doctors

announced the commencement of a nationwide indefinite strike on Monday morning in a communique issued at the end of their ‘virtual extraordinary National Executive Council Meeting’.

NARD president said doctors downed tools over unpaid salaries, non-payment of hazard allowance, and a dearth of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) in hospitals among several other reasons.

He said the association explored several other options before arriving at their decision.

However, the government had threatened to invoke the ‘no work no pay rule’ on the striking doctors on Tuesday after a meeting it had with them ended in stalemate.

Health minister Osagie Ehanire directed all medical directors in all public hospitals across the country to open a register by 7 a.m. from Wednesday and record ‘those who come to work and those

who fail to come to work’.

But the doctors called the bluff of the government’s threat. The NARD president described the threat as “empty and the biggest joke of the century�, adding that the doctors are not intimidated and will go on with the strike until their demands are met.

The federal government last Friday said it had released N4.5 billion to 31 federal teaching and medical centres across the country, an official has said.

Labour minister Chris Ngige said the payment which covers hazard and inducement allowances for April and May was made with the expectation that it would ameliorate the plight of resident doctors across the country who went on strike on Monday over unpaid salaries and allowances.

Ngige said that the government had already started paying the doctors treating COVID-19 patients the hazard allowance.

He said the payment of the N4.5 billing was made “just this morning�. “Just this morning, before we went to see Mr President, the Ministry of Finance reported that as at this morning, 3 a.m., they have paid the allowances for hazard and inducement to 31 teaching and Federal Medical Centres and specialist hospitals of the federal government service and they have expended close to N4.5 billion in the payment because, we are paying them the arrears of April and May. The payment for June will also be done immediately these ones are sorted out."

The meeting with the governors was arranged by the federal government because governors also have issues to settle with the doctors.

to be briefed by its Election and Party Monitoring and the Legal Services departments, adding that it deals only with national chairmen and national secretaries of political parties in line with the constitutions of the political parties. It is also the national chairmen and national secretaries that forward the names of candidates of political parties to INEC, the commission said.

INEC National Commissioner in charge of Voter Education and Information, Festus Okoye, said, "Thereafter the commission will take a position on what to do."

He maintained that INEC would not act until it had studied the Court of Appeal order that suspended Oshiomhole as national chairman of the party.

Okoye stated, "The commission will also apply for and obtain the Certified True Copy of the rulings, judgements, and orders made in the various suits in court.

"The commission is aware of some of the suits pending in court relating to the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The commission will study the constitution of the party and its regulations and guidelines relating to the conduct of party primaries."

Okoye noted that INEC was watching developments as regards the internal crisis and challenges in some of the political parties, explaining that each of the 18 registered parties has constitutions, which is domiciled with the commission at registration, and changes to the constitution are also filed with the commission. he said, "The commission will take briefing from its Election and Party Monitoring Department and the Legal Services Department.

Thereafter, the commission will take a position on what to do."

Okoye said INEC was not involved and would not be involved in the day to day running of political parties, saying changes in leadership of political parties are a function of their constitutions, guided by the extant provisions of the Electoral Act and the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended).

He cautioned against crisis in the political parties, some of which were threatening to prevent them from conducting their primary elections within

the stipulated time, saying, "The reality is that the parties have limited time to conduct their primaries and file their nominations. The dates in the timetable and schedule of activities released by the commission will not be extended."

According to him, the position today is that 15 political parties notified the commission of their intentions to conduct party primaries and the commission will send monitors to observe the conduct of those primaries.

"Let me reiterate that it is in the interest of the 15 political parties to concentrate efforts and energy at conducting valid primaries as the commission will perform its regulatory constitutional duties without fear or favour," the INEC national commissioner said, adding that the commission would only give access code to political parties that conduct valid primaries.

THISDAY, however, gathered that the APC governors were not happy with Oshiomhole’s comments that the party would not bend its rules to accommodate Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State. The governors said the comments by Oshiomhole at the State House made them to move against him.

A source privy to some of the developments within the party said, "Recall that the governors of the party had said they will intervene to resolve the matter, but when Oshiomhole refused to allow the intervention of the governors after meeting with the Chief of Staff to President, Professor Ibrahim Gambari, the governors moved against him.

"Are you not surprised that the same way that the APC governors moved to get the Court of Appeal to allow him preside over the National Executive Committee (NEC) was also the same way that the Court of Appeal summoned lawyers to the parties and gave the order that suspended Oshiomhole?"

The source also explained that the suspension of Oshiomhole was not in the schedules of rulings of the sitting of the Court of Appeal.

As a result, THISDAY gathered that the APC governors moved against Oshiomhole, when it became clear that his mind was made up and they had no option than to get him out of the way.

FG Commences Payments

EDO’S POLITICAL CALCULUS CHANGES AS OSHIOMHOLE’S WARD LIFTS SUSPENSION The dramatic turn of events came as the national leadership of APC announced, also at the weekend, that the South-south zone had replaced its Deputy National Secretary, Chief Victor Giadom, with Mr. Worgu Boms, a former Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in Rivers State in the wake of the crisis plaguing the party.

Similarly, the North-east National Vice Chairman of the party, Comrade Salihu Mustapha, applied to a High Court in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to strike out the order making him Acting National Secretary. He said the move was in total submission to the supremacy of the Northeast caucus of the APC. Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said it planned to take briefing from its Election and Party Monitoring Department and the Legal Services Department for proper interpretations of the various court rulings on the crisis besetting the party.

The recent suspension of Oshiomhole by the order of a Federal High Court in Abuja, now upheld by the Court of Appeal, had exacerbated the leadership crisis in the governing party.

But Secretary of Ward 10, Estako West, Mr. Emuakemeh Sule, said at a press conference on Saturday, after a meeting of the ward executive members and the APC National Working Committee (NWC), that the suspension was lifted because it lacked merit.

Sule stated that the resolution of Ward 10 executive members to lift Oshiomhole’s suspension was reached at a meeting held on June 4 at the APC secretariat, Apana-Uzairue, Edo State.

According to Sule, "We have reviewed the circumstances leading to the suspension of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole and found no merit in the allegation or processes employed.

"We hereby lift the suspension placed on Comrade Adams Oshiomhole by the ward. We call on all organs of our great party to restore all rights and privileges of membership to Comrade Adams Oshiomhole."

Sule stressed that the resolution was adopted and signed by the Vice Chairman, Adizetu Jafaru; Assistant Secretary, Angela Egherua;

Financial Secretary, Imokhai Patrick; and Alufah Paul, among others.

However, refuting the announcement, Stephen, in a statement, said the ward executive members, who were elected into office in 2018, remained intact and had not been displaced by anybody.

He described the claims about lifting of the suspension as a charade.

Stephen stated, “The suspension of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole by the ward executives remains valid. The statements to the contrary in the media are false and should be disregarded.

We stand by our decision and have no reservation on the action as it is in the best interest of the party. “The ward executives as well as our counterparts at the Etsako West local government level stand by the suspension of Comrade Oshiomhole for his divisive role in the crisis rocking the APC in Edo State."

Chairman of APC in Etsako West Local Government Area, Ezolomhe Rabiat, also affirmed that the council executives were still members of the party in the state and stood by the suspension of Comrade Oshiomhole.

But the acting national chairman and National Vice Chairman, South-south, Mr. Hilliard Etta, confirmed that the NWC had received the resolution of the Etsako West Ward 10, adding that 17 out of 27 members signed the resolution.

Etta said, “Let me also say that in matters of this nature, our constitution provides for only a simple majority and 17 out of 27 is indeed more than a simple majority. So, we want to use this opportunity to thank Etsako West Ward 10 for what they have done.

History will be on your side.

"I am also in receipt of the acceptance and ratification of that resolution by the Etsako West LGA executive dated the 9th of June 2020 and signed by the Chairman, Alhaji Abubakar Akokia, and the Secretary, Hon. Dauda Ahmed."

Etta stated that he also received the ratification by the State Executive Committee (SWC) of the APC in Edo State, signed by the acting state chairman, Col. David Imuse (rtd), and State Secretary, Lawrence Oka. He recalled that on Friday, a court of competent jurisdiction had asked the Deputy National

Secretary, Chief Victor Giadom, to restrain himself as a member of the NWC and should never parade himself as such.

He noted that before then, there was a resolution by the NWC asking the South-south zone of the party to transmit a name for Giadom's replacement or filling of the vacancy created by his resignation to contest as deputy governorship candidate of the party in Rivers State.

The acting national chairman stated, "I want to announce to the world that I am in receipt of the name of a distinguished member of this party from Rivers State to the zone for ratification in the person of Worgu Boms, a former Attorney General of Rivers State. “His name has been transmitted to my good office and I want to announce that in the earliest time possible, the South-south zonal executive committee will meet and ratify that name and send same to the NWC of our great party."

Lifeline for Oshiomhole to Reverse Court Suspension Following the lifting of Oshiomhole's suspension at the ward level, the coast is now clear for him to approach the court to seek the reversal of the suspension imposed on him from acting as National Chairman within the next 7 days. It is uncertain if he can achieve this. If he does, the leadership crisis is automatically resolved. Failure to get the court to lift that suspension will put the ruling party in a precarious situation that may see a repeat of the Zamfara and Rivers scenarios.

As things stand now, with the injunction against Giadom, the APC no longer has a leader recognised by law and may be unable to field candidates for all coming elections, which in the immediate includes the Edo and Ondo states governorship elections.

The Zamfara and Rivers states scenario looms again for the APC, and with incumbent governor Godwin Obaseki now in the PDP, he is looking good to coast home to victory unchallenged if the APC fails to put its house in order quickly.

In the North-east, National Vice Chairman of the party, Comrade Salihu Mustapha, applied to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court to strike out the order making

him Acting National Secretary of the party.

The High Court sitting in Maitama and presided over

by Justice S.U. Bature had last week issued an order that Mustapha should be allowed to carry out the functions of Acting National Secretary of the party.

He said the North-east stakeholders, including the Senate President, Ahmed Lawan, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, and all APC governors and members of the National Assembly from the zone, met and endorsed Waziri Bulama's nomination for National Secretary and forward same to NEC for ratification.

Etta said it was mischievous for anybody to claim that he was not aware of the suite at the FCT High Court purporting to make him the Acting National Secretary, but said he discontinued the suit because his zone had resolved on the nomination of Bulama.

Speaking with journalists yesterday in Abuja, Mustapha said he had directed that the suit and order making him Acting National Secretary of APC should be struck out.

He added, "I was part of the North-east APC stakeholders that met and endorsed the nomination of Arc Bulama and cannot go to court to seek for such position again.

"We the North-east APC believe in the competence of Arc. Bulama and have appointed him into the position waiting for his ratification by the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party. I am striking out the suit entered in March, because I believe that the issue has been resolved and for the interest and peace of the party.

"But as we speak, we are making all arrangements with my lawyers to seek a discontinuation and rescind the prayer we made in court, because for me, the zonal decision supersedes any other prayers pending in court. We are going to vacate that order to allow Architect Bulama’s name to be sent to NEC for ratification as the national secretary of our party.�

Mustapha called on leaders of the party to convene a NEC meeting, where all the issues challenging the unity of the party would be resolved.

Nevertheless, as the APC leadership crisis festers, INEC said it was waiting

SUNDAY JUNE 21, 2020 • T H I S D AY

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JUNE 21, 2020 ˾ T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R

EDITORIAL

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

CURBING GENDER VIOLENCE IN NIGERIA All stakeholders must do more to support the women and girls in danger

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hat violence continues to manifest itself in new forms and trend against women and girls in Nigeria is now a source of serious concern to stakeholders. In the past three weeks, there have been demonstrations by many gender groups on the rape pandemic, with the Inspector- General of Police, Mohammed Adamu stating that in the first five months of 2020, over 700 cases were reported. More disturbing is the absence of justice for victims. In 2017, according to the National Bureau of Statistics, there were 2,279 reported cases of rape and indecent assault in the country. But there was not a single conviction! In one state, there was no report of sexual violence made to the police throughout the entire year.

The number of brutal assaults on our women and girls is simply startling, though it is noteworthy that the federal government and the states now seem to comprehend the gravity of the situation. Every form of sexual assault against women and girls, according to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo who held a virtual meeting with stakeholders on the 'Scourge of Rape, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence in Nigeria' on Friday, "are blemishes on the collective humanity and dignity of Nigerians as a people and a nation." He pledged to use the platform of the National Economic Council to encourage states yet to domesticate the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act of 2015 and the Child Rights Act of 2003 to do so.

It is indeed imperative that the authorities make more efforts to understand the underlying causes and dynamics of this growing menace, if only to redeem the stability of the family unit, and consequently, the larger society. We cannot continue to ignore the societal upsurge in these occurrences,

for the implications on our collective psyche, as citizenry, and our development as a nation, are ominous. More disturbing is that complaints of violence and abuse (against family members) made at our police stations, where girls and women can summon the courage to do so, are often dismissed as domestic matters, especially where such violence occurs between spouses.

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The frequency of these incidents in our immediate environment vividly demonstrates that we are teetering towards a lawless society

Letters to the Editor

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

ssault and battery, even though serious offences in our law books, are hardly ever perceived as crimes by many of our law enforcement agencies, unless the act ultimately culminates in death. In some instances, the police are extremely insensitive when dealing with the sexual abuse of minors, adding to the trauma of the survivors and their families.

Besides, a pattern where survivors of sexual violence become targets of intimidation with the aid of law enforcement agents, according to the Nigeria Feminist Forum, is unconscionable and needs to stop. “Nigerian women and girls are not safe if the police that are meant to ensure our safety and security are being used as a tool to suppress and silence survivors who speak truth to powerful abusers,” they said in a statement at the weekend.

Gender activists are rightly demanding from the authorities a road map to show what will change about the police management of sexual gender- based violence and when. The frequency of these incidents in our immediate environment vividly demonstrates that we are teetering towards a lawless society. For several years in the Federal Capital Territory, some unscrupulous officials of the Abuja Environmental Protection Board Task Force have hidden under the authority of law enforcement to abuse, rape and dehumanise innocent women and girls in the name of morality which they themselves lack.

The media should continue to bring to the fore these incidents, if only to arouse our collective outrage and compel serious actions to stop gender-based violence. We also need an institutional structure where these incidents (including the perpetrators and victims) could be analysed with a view to strategically addressing the challenges in a comprehensive and structured manner.

Finally, our governments, at all levels, need to sit up to address these concerns. That is the only way to assure the women and girls that we care about their welfare and wellbeing, and the health and prosperity of a nation.

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.

Why Is Kwara Reopening Mosques And Churches?

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t a time the Kwara State government should be decisive and aggressive in taking decisions that would arrest the spread of the deadly Coronavirus disease, it appears the guards are being let down. The government is at a loss of proper guidance, especially with the recent decision to reopen religious centres.

One may wonder what the government is thinking of when it declared that religious centres, a hotbed for the transmission of the virus, can now reconvene.

Who's taking this decision for the government? Could it be coercion on the part of the religious elite?

Why the rush?

When last I checked, confirmed cases of coronavirus are still soaring with no end in sight. Community transmission is also on the increase.

So, why the rush? The coronavirus

disease is no respecter of anyone.

It is a hydra-headed monster dealing huge blows to individuals across social divides. We will only be living in fool's paradise if we say we are on top of the situation despite our modest efforts.

In Nigeria, the testing capacity is very low. Only people who are showing acute symptoms have access to test. On the other hand, our health facilities are very short in quality and quantity. World powers have already had their health systems overwhelmed in the fight against Covid-19. I am afraid when the chips are down only a few may live to tell the story here. Those in government should understand that coronavirus is not what should be treated with levity.

The government should not allow itself to be cajoled into rushing to reopen our religious centres. The God we worship is not

cruel, and He's most understanding.

He's available for us wherever we are. So, I see no justification for the rush to reopen religious centres at a time the figures reeled out by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control keep skyrocketing. As we speak, there is yet to be a testing centre in the whole of Kwara State. Lagos State with a testing centre and more sophisticated medical system has since suspended the reopening of religious centres in view of the rising cases. When the chips are down, where shall we run to?

If the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 had lifted the restrictions on religious gathering, it is expected that Kwara State would assess its peculiarities before accepting such a proposal from the federal government as it also pointed out. This is a state without a testing facility and a few isolation centres. Opening the window for transmission is

therefore ill-conceived at the moment.

Can't you see how the mighty are fallen? Coronavirus took the life of former Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari; it claimed the life of Senator Bayo Osinowo and many other bigwigs.

What's the fate of hapless Kwarans when our negligence makes things get out of hands? Prevention, they say, is better than cure.

Who assures the government that faithful worshipping in the mosques and churches would adhere to safety protocols? In Nigeria, where rules are flagrantly disobeyed? Can all mosques and churches afford to provide sanitary materials for their congregations? Will the faithful comply with the use of face masks? What's chasing us from worshipping with our family members in the house? Did God say He's not accepting our prayers? Or is this a way of satisfying those who have “commoditized” religion?

Sometimes ago, Saudi eased down its lockdown on mosques, with a warning

of strict adherence to COVID-19 safety rules. The government and the well to do ones provided some of sanitary materials just to ensure protocols are followed to the letter. What happened next? The rate of transmission soared.

Saudi had to shut down mosques back.

Is this the same step we are taking here in Kwara when we can simply avert such? Must people die or catch the virus?

I posit that this rush to reopening mosques and churches amid a spike in transmission and recorded cases is misguided. I hope the government will sit religious stakeholders down and explain things to them if the force is coming from them.

Religious centres are big windows for the spread of the deadly coronavirus. I hope the window would be shut down as we continue to slug it out with the novel pandemic.

–––Abdullah Abdulganiy, olamilekanhalarho@gmail.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€ÍšÍ˝ÍşÍťÍ˝Î ÍşÍ˝Íť Ě™Ă?Ă—Ă? Ă™Ă˜Ă–ĂŁĚš

UK Lawmakers Recommend Antidotes to Stop Killings in Nigeria Tobi Soniyi

The United Kingdom All-Party Parliamentary Group for International Freedom of Religion or Belief (APPG) has come up with strategies the federal government can adopt to stop the seemingly unstoppable killings in Nigeria.

APPG, a group of over 100 British parliamentarians from different political parties and from both Houses of Parliament, exists to promote Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

The declaration states that everyone has the right to freedom

of thought, conscience and religion.

In a 56-page report titled, ‘Nigeria: Unfolding Genocide?

An Inquiry by the UK AllParty Parliamentary Group for International Freedom of Religion or Belief’, the group advised the federal government to adopt new strategies that they considered would reduce the carnage.

They advised the federal government to invest in research to determine the causes of the killings and stop making policy based on assumptions.

They said: “Competing narratives about the causes of this conflict abound. In order to

develop and effectively implement appropriate policy responses to the conflict, it is vital to have a better, shared understanding of the situation. There is also a need to review existing programmes and policies which impact the conflict. “Therefore, the Nigerian Government should support domestic and international academics, NGOs and journalists, through providing funding and security, to conduct more extensive research and to collect data about attacks. “Better data can help improve policy responses and help develop a shared understanding of the

situation. The development of a database from which to determine patterns and early indicators of violence would also be an important step in improving security responses.�

According to them, the federal government needs to invest in research on constitution, practice, and strategies of criminal gangs and ‘conflict entrepreneurs.’ Nevertheless, the lawmakers said they recognised the unique and significant financial, social and political challenges that ‘Nigeria faces and thus do not expect that implementing these recommendations will be easy but

OUR LIVES ARE SACRED . . .

Coalition of Northern Associations (CNA) protesting over the current security situation in the region, in Kaduna on Saturday

hope that they will be of use to the Nigerian Government in their own plans to reduce conflict.�

They also advised the government to review the existing structure of cattle routes and reserves.

They said: “In concert with state and local governments, the federal government should conduct a comprehensive review of the existing structures providing for cattle routes and reserves to determine which aspects are working and what challenges remain to be addressed.�

They also suggested that current program on nomadic education be reviewed. They advised the federal government to partner with state and local governments to undertake a comprehensive review of the nomadic education program. “The process should include extensive participation of representatives from the herder community to ensure it reflects the expectation of herders in terms of timing and the realization of the key objectives of providing quality education and training on modern herding�, they added.

In order to properly tackle the conflict, the lawmakers said there was a need to implement a strategy that “incorporates all the complex different factors upon which the conflict is predicated.�

They warned that attempts to deal with contributory factors in isolation would be limited and so holistic plans should be adopted.

They said: “For there to be peace in Nigeria, there must be justice. Thus, to reduce conflict, it is vital to both improve security responses and ensure

that perpetrators of violence are held accountable.�

However, President Muhammadu Buhari had rejected the lawmakers’ report especially the allegation that there was genocide against Christians in the country.

In a statement on Friday, Garba Shehu, presidential spokesman, said Boko Haram insurgents had targeted Christians because they knew it would drive religious tensions in the country.

Shehu said the Buhari administration was committed to addressing these challenges and had already begun taking measures. “The president and government of Nigeria wish to thank members of the United Kingdom All-Party Parliamentary Group on International Religious Freedom or Belief for their report, launched a few days ago,� he said. “Although it is difficult reading, the statement also acknowledges the importance of accurate, unbiased, depoliticised and truthful information when it comes to understanding the realities and addressing the challenges for those of faith in Nigeria. “In this regard when uncritical attention is afforded to critics with dubious intentions, it only becomes harder for both the government and people of Nigeria to engage in constructive dialogue to resolve our differences, and uphold what is enshrined in our constitution and laws: that everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion. “In concert with our American and British allies, Nigeria’s military have pushed back the terrorists and largely reduced their capacity over the last five years compared to the previous decade.

Miners Fault Buhari’s Plan on Economic Diversification

‡Want anchor’s borrower replicated in mining sector Kasim Sumaina in Abuja The Miners Association of Nigeria (MAN) has faulted President Muhammadu Buhari administration’s plan to diversify the economy, saying its approach to diversification is one-sided.

MAN, an umbrella body of all categories of miners in the country, however, urged the federal government to replicate in the mining sector the Anchor Borrower Programme (ABP), a federal initiative that provides

farm inputs in kind and cash to farmers nationwide.

The president of the association, Alhaji Kabiru Kankara made the demand on Friday during a webinar of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) under the theme, ‘Post Covid-19 Nigeria: Impact and Opportunities on the Mining Industry’.

If Anchor Borrower Programme was replicated in the mining sector, Kankara noted that Artisanal and Small Scale Miners (ASM) in the country would have something

to start with.

He attributed the challenges of artisanal and small scale miners to lack of equipment, capacity building and funding.

Citing a statement by the Federal Ministry of Mines and Steel Development, Kankara said COVID-19 “has degraded the sector to a lowest ebb. As far as activities are concerned, miners have to stay away from their sites. This has brought untold hardship on them.�

He, however, canvassed synergy

between the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria and Miners Association of Nigeria in terms of raw materials for the local industries.

Also at NESG’s webinar, the Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Mr. Olamilekan Adegbite said the federal government would create a gold ecosystem that would minimise the high rate of illegal gold mining and smuggling in the country.

The minister spoke at the NESG webinar with the theme:

Post Covid-19 Nigeria: Impact and opportunities on the Mining Industry He noted that the gold ecosystem would also bring about an increase in government revenue, create jobs as well as improve environmental and social stewardship.

Adegbite revealed that the double-ended shock of COVID-19 and consequent sharp decline in oil prices “has led to a revenue shortfall for the country. “It is the right time to bring

the mining sector to the forefront.

President Buhari is committed to diversifying the economy from oil through the development of the mining and agricultural sectors. “The federal government priority is currently anchored in the gold sector and through the ongoing Presidential Artisanal Gold Mining Initiative (PAGMI) we are organising, formalising, and equipping Artisanal and Small Scale Gold Miners (ASGMs) in Kaduna, Kebbi, Osun, Niger and Zamfara States.�

CACOL Asks EFCC, ICPC to Probe LAWMA Fraud Allegations

Obaseki Tasks NCDC on Guidelines for Political Rallies, Elections

Segun James

Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City

The Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership (CACOL) yesterday asked the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) to probe fraud allegations in the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA).

CACOL, a coalition of civil society organisations fighting corruption, urged the Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr. Tunji Bello to constitute an emergency drainage desilting exercise to save people from imminent floods as heavier rains are still expected.

It made this call in a statement its Executive Chairman, Mr. Debo

Adeniran issued yesterday, citing diverse infractions that had been brought against the waste authority, its leadership and some of its contractors recently.

LAWMA had come under public scrutiny in the recent time with street sweepers alleging non-payment of four-month salaries and unprecedented rise in the agency’s running cost from N540 million to N1 billion per month.

Consequently, the state governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu asked Dr. Muyiwa Gbadegesin the LAWMA’s Managing Director to set aside and directed an audit of the accounts of the state waste management authority.

LAWMA has 652 operators, who largely are loyalists of All Progressives Congress (APC) alongside 15,498 sweepers and supervisors working

for the operators. The operators are allocated different areas of Lagos, which are designated as routes. In all, there are 600 routes in the state.

At these instances, CACOL claimed that fraud running into hundreds of millions of Naira had been uncovered in the state waste management agency.

Citing different reports, the organisation alleged that the beneficiaries were some contractors, who engaged street sweepers for the cleaning of Lagos roads.

It also alleged that due to the connection of some of the culprits, who are mostly politicians, there was fear nothing would be done about the discovery, thus calling EFCC and ICPC to investigate LAWMA’s the allegations.

Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki has urged the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) to set necessary guidelines to regulate the conduct of political rallies and elections in the state in the face of COVID-19.

Obaseki gave the advice when he received the Director General of the NCDC, Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, at Government House in Benin City, the Edo State capital.

He urged the NCDC to support the state in developing a framework to check the spread of the virus as political parties hold their primary elections.

Constitutionally, Obaseki said:

“We need to have an election.

Electioneering has always been done in a certain way over the years. How do we, in the light of COVID-19 as a state, control the spread of this virus? “How do we balance the political exigencies with our public health reality? We expect to get guidance from you as we cannot be totally apolitical. We need third parties to be able to authenticate public health messages that need to be observed during this period.�

The governor expressed appreciation to the NCDC and other stakeholders for the support to the state in the wake

of the pandemic.

He said: “We understand the pressures you are facing in terms of the national response and therefore, as much as possible, we try to play our own little part and not add to the pressures.�

The governor said the state government’s response “is based on key strategic pillars, which include a strong governance framework. I want to thank you. You have been a resource pool in terms of our response. “We have used your guidelines and models in establishing our governance framework with the various pillars. We have also integrated the incidence management framework which you have provided.

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NEWS Osinbajo Seeks National Debate on Governance Cost ‡ Says present structure unsustainable ‡ Cites current constitutional structure as challenge Gboyega Akinsanmi The Vice-President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo has admitted that the country is running a large and expensive government, thereby calling for a national debate on the cost of governance.

Osinbajo lamented that the federal government is spending a lot of money on ghost workers annually, a trend that should no longer continue.

He expressed these views at a webinar hosted on Zoom by Emmanuel Chapel on Friday, describing the country’s governance structure as “large and expensive.�

Before making this remark, former Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi, who was a panelist at the session, had asked a question on the cost of governance.

Sanusi, specifically at the webinar, had said there was a need “to reduce structural cost and make government more sustainable over the long term.�

Responding to Sanusi’s inquiries, Osinbajo affirmed the need to reduce cost, but said it might be a little difficult considering the structure of the constitution. “There is no question that we are dealing with a large and expensive government. But

as you know, given the current constitutional structure, those who would have to vote to reduce government, especially to become part-time legislators, are the very legislators themselves. “You can imagine that we may not get very much traction if they are asked to vote themselves, as it were, out of their current relatively decent circumstances. “I think there is a need for a national debate on this question and there is a need for the will to ensure that we are not wasting the kind of resources that we ought to use for development on overheads. “At the moment, our overheads, as you know, are almost 70 per cent of revenues. So, there is no question at all that we must reduce the size of government. “Part of what you would see in the Economic Sustainability Plan also and several of the other initiatives is trying to go, to some extent, to what was recommended in the Steve Oronsanye Report.

The Ogun State Police Command yesterday in Abeokuta warned that it would prosecute any religious leader caught violating the state government’s fresh order, banning worship centres from opening.

The state governor, Mr. Dapo Abiodun had suspended his initial directive to reopen churches and mosques from June 19, saying field reports on the spread of COVID-19 pandemic in the state were grim.

The governor said within one week, six more deaths were recorded, to bring to 15, the number of casualties of the Coronavirus disease in the state.

Consequently, the command

warned that any cleric caught with congregation would be viewed as making a deliberate attempt to promote the spread of the virus.

In a statement by its spokesman, Mr. Abimbola Oyeyemi, the command said some religious leaders are already planning to reopen their places of worship, in defiance to the state government’s directive Oyeyemi, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, therefore urged pastors and Islamic clerics in the state “to have a change of mind in their own interests.�

Oyeyemi said the police, “as a responsible organisation that is constitutionally saddled with the responsibility of maintaining law and order�, would not fold its hands watching some people disobey the law.

Obi Celebrates Nwokolo at 53, Mbazulike at 91 The vice presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2019 election, Mr Peter Obi has eulogized the Bishop on the Niger, Anglican Communion, Revd Owen Nwokolo and an elder statesman, Chief Mbazulike Amaechi, both of whom recently celebrated their birthdays.

Obi, in a statement yesterday, described Nwokolo as a servant of God who has continued to contribute to the growth of God’s Kingdom on earth.

Recalling the synergy between the Anglican Communion and the state government, under his administration as the governor of Anambra State, Obi said Nwokolo used his office to serve God and man.

Obi said Nwokolo had remained an instrument of peace.

Celebrating Mbazulike, the only surviving minister of the First

thought we had probably isn’t true. And that goes for several of the services as well,� the vice president explained. “As we bring the military onto the IPPIS platform, and as we bring the universities also onto the electronic platform, we will definitely be able to reduce some of the waste that we see at the

moment. “A lot of money is being spent on ghost workers and ghost entities generally. So, there is no question at all. We must do something about the cost of governance.�

Konyin Ajayi, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, and Chinny Ogunro, co-founder and managing

director of Africa Health Holdings, moderated the event.

Other panellists were Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, former managing director of the World Bank and two-time minister of finance in Nigeria, and Donald Kaberuka, former president of the African Development Bank.

“We have to collapse a few of the agencies to become a bit more efficient in terms of how we use current MDAs and those that we do not need anymore, and also, generally speaking, trying

Ogun to Prosecute Clerics Reopening Worship Centres Fasua Kayode in Abeokuta

to make government much more efficient with whatever it has.�

He cited the use of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) and how it has helped to address the menace of ghost workers. “At the moment, we know that given what has been done already, the size of the workforce that we

Republic, Obi said he played a vital role in freeing the country from the hard grips of the colonial masters.

Obi, who explained that from a very young age, Mbazulike demonstrated extreme boldness and spirit of sacrifice, stated that the ‘story of our independence will not be complete without him’.

Citing Mbazulike’s contributions towards Nigeria’s independence, Obi said as a member of the Zikist Movement, Mbazulike together with other members took an oath never to get married until Nigeria gained her independence.

According to him, as members of the Zikist Movement, they took another oath that no Zikist arraigned before any court should make any plea of leniency or show any sign of regret for fighting for the freedom of the nation.

CLEARED AND CERTIFIED R-L: Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki and the Director-General of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors Forum, Mr. Earl Onaiwu at the PDP National Secretariat in Abuja, where Obaseki appeared the party’s screening committee .... yesterday

Malami: I Did Not Stop NIRSAL Probe Tobi Soniyi The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister for Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN) yesterday said that he directed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to conclude its investigation of alleged fraud in Nigeria Incentive-based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL) to save cost.

The AGF in a statement signed by Dr. Umar Jibrilu Gwandu, his Special Assistant on Media and Public Relations,

said he received a petition that five agencies were investigating the organisation in respect of the same subject matter.

He gave the list of the law enforcement agencies investigating NIRSAL as the Nigeria Police Force, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), the State Security Services (SSS), and Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU).

Malami said he found the situation “not only an

unhealthy competition among the agencies of the same Federal Government of Nigeria, but a sheer waste of government resources.’ This, he said, informed his decision to issue a directive to the EFCC to conclude its investigation of the complaint against NIRSAL. The AGF quoted his letter to the anti-graft agency dated 4th day of February, 2020, wherein he wrote: “In view of the foregoing, you are requested to conclude your own investigation on

the matter and forward the outcome of your investigation on the matter to the Office of the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation for legal advice and further necessary action�.

While trying to justify his decision, the AGF said: “It is pertinent to submit for all intent and p u r p o s e s that the statement as quoted above does not convey the mischievous conclusion of stopping o f t h e i n v estigation of NIRSAL.

Ekiti APC Lambasts Fayose, Asks Him not Meddle in Its Affairs Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti The Ekiti chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday descended heavily on a former governor of the state, Mr Ayodele Fayose and told him not to dabble in the party’s affairs.

The party accused Fayose of practically locking down the state legislature while he was the governor.

It said that members of the state’s house of assembly could not convene between 2016 and 2018 without the permission of Fayose.

Consequently, the APC asked Fayose not to meddle in its internal affairs, describing him as a politician that would do or say anything just to attract attention.

The party made the disclosure yesterday in a statement issued by its Publicity Secretary in Ekiti State, Mr. Sam Oluwalana in

response to Fayose’s comments on the rift that plagued the ruling party.

Following internal crises that engulfed the APC over its primary election in Edo State and the suspension of Mr. Adams Oshiomhole as its National Chairman, Fayose had claimed that the crisis rocking the APC was as a result of God’s anger.

He had also said that the crisis being faced by APC “is a show of God’s anger for its role and that of its govt in impoverishing Nigerians, promoting election rigging and looking the other way while Nigerians are being killed in their thousands.�

Ekiti APC, however, faulted Fayose’s claim, noting that a political leader of Fayose’s ilk would shout Hosanna today and crucify him tomorrow in as much as his daily bread is guaranteed.

Citing a period the former governor was facing trying

times after he completed his second term, the chapter added that the same Fayose “has been hobnobbing with leaders of the party across the country seeking for favours.�

The party said that Fayose, during his tenure, was the executive, the legislature and the judiciary, as he crippled the other arms from performing their functions.

It added that the mace of the assembly, which is the authority of the legislature, was kept at the government house, while the law makers would have to seek permission from Fayose before convening any sitting.

The chapter said the former governor “is now shouting that there is no democracy in APC. It was during his regime that the minority members of the assembly impeached a speaker while vocal members were railroaded into indefinite

suspension until they succumbed to his whims. “The people of the state will not quickly forget how Fayose administration equally crippled the functions of the judiciary, while his attorney general was always privy to any judgement to be delivered by judges, he even led some of his thugs to storm a court in session and physically beat up a presiding judge. “The people of the state are praying that they will never experience the type of Fayose’s democracy in which workers were owed salaries, pensioners were dying of hunger, and citizens turned to beggars. “The spate of killings in the state became aggravated with people unable to sleep with two eyes closed. He succeeded in disintegrating the PDP, compelling the national leadership to impose foreigners to administer the party as caretakers.

SUNDAY JUNE 21, 2020 • T H I S D AY

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T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ JUNE 21, 2020

OPINION The Jeffersonian and Hamiltonian Visions of Nigeria's Development The intractable herders-farmers conflict is largely the result of policy dissonance and insufficient policy initiatives, argue Ejeviome Eloho Otobo and Oseloka H. Obaze

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he herders-farmers conflict in Nigeria remains athorny issue. The death, destruction and displacementarising from the conflict have been incremental, andhave extended beyond the Middle-Belt region into various Nigerian communities. Besides, killing by herdsmen has assumed a sectarian nature, a fact confirmed in a 15 June 2020 report titled, "Nigeria: An Unfolding Genocide?" by the U.K. Parliament All-Party Parliamentary Group for International Freedom of Religion or Belief, wherein it was noted that “this violence has manifested along religious lines, as the herders are predominantly ethnic Fulani Muslims and the farmers are predominantly Christians." That assertion mirrors concerns variously expressed domestically by some well-placed Nigerians. Only public policy indifference and inaction can elicit the frightening title of that report. It need not be.

While the drivers of the herders-farmers conflict are increasingly complex, for many Nigerians, the single underlying tripwire is the unbridled desire by the herdsmen for unfettered access to and ownership of land. Contextually, the herdsmen-farmers conflict isreminiscent of a past American era relative to land ownership and land rights. There was a long running argument between two founding fathers of America:Thomas Jefferson (3rd U.S. President) and Alexander Hamilton (1st U.S. Treasury Secretary). Jefferson's ideal republic was of small land owners, while Hamilton wanted America to be an industrial behemoth, using his “Report on Manufactures" delivered to the U.S. Congress in December 1791 to lay out his vision.

Those Nigerians who support the view that the herdsmen should retain their existing herding practiseswould appear to belong to the Jeffersonian school; while others who advocate the development of the entire value chain of the political economy of cattlerearing would utterly belong to the Hamiltonian school. Given contemporary technological and organisational advances in the breeding, processing, distribution and sale of cattle and its ancillary products, it is befuddling that some political leaders would continue to insist on current herding practices. Argue as they may, that the Nigeria National Livestock Transformation Plan (NLTP) represents an effort to place cattle rearing on a modern commercial path; that was never the first option by the federal government. The country arrived at the plan after treading paths that ran from restoration of colonial and post-colonial migratory routes for cattle, to grazing areas to cattle colonies, and now rural grazing areas within the NLTP. Moreover, the failure of Nigeria to adopt global best practices in cattle rearing is

the reason that the country is not among the top 12 countries with high cattle inventory. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Nigeria is ranked 14th on the global cattle inventory, well behind 5th ranked Ethiopia; 7th ranked Sudan and 11th ranked Tanzania.

Astoundingly, creative solutions to reducing the herders-farmers conflict have been on offer since 2018. One was the invitation by Governor AbdullahiGanduje of Kano for all the herdsmen to relocate to Kano State and engage in all facets of the cattle value chain there.

In a federal system that operates a well-functioning economy, this eminently sensible approach offered by Kano State is a prime example of how sub-national units compete for private investment, whether in the agricultural, industrial, or commercial sectors. Private sector agents respond to enabling environments and incentives offered by policy makers. Some political elites, surprisingly, pushed against Ganduje’s offer.

The second policy option was articulated in a 2018 paper titled, "Pastoralist-Farmers Conflicts and the Search for Peaceful Resolution," prepared by the nine esteemed experts, convened under the auspices of the Nigerian Working Group on Peace building and Governance.

One of the authors of that plan, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari is the current Chief of Staff to the President, who has served the United Nations in various peace building and peacekeeping capacities. That group’s report advocated “need for permanent settlement of the pastoralists… with commercial ranches established in the sparsely populated zones in the North East (Sambisa Game Reserve in Borno State) and Northwest (Gidan Jaja Grazing Reserve in Zamfara State).” The adoption of any or both of these approaches would have had broad salutary effects: reduced the killings and displacement of fellow citizens, overcome the continuing tensions between farmers and herdsmen, avoid the damage to property rights, and eliminate the economic disruptions suffered by the communities where herders-farmers conflicts persist.

The failure of Nigeria to adopt global best practices in cattle rearing is the reason that the country is not among the top 12 countries with high cattle inventory

Sadly, the insidious, persistent and multiplying signs of the herders’ problem were laid bare by a number of recent incidents.

First, the President of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore Socio-cultural Association claimed that they owned Nigeria, and as such could settle anywhere and that they were at an advanced stage in forming their own security outfit in every state in federal Nigeria. His remarks elicited strong adverse reactions from many Nigerians, including the Christian Association of Nigeria and various political groups, prompting a denial by the president of the association.Second, the Minister of Interior Rauf Aregbesolashocked Nigerians by saying that "there is no known law that prevent cross border movements."

As if an afterthought, he added his ministry was working with several stakeholders in border communities and countries to checkmate people that are of threat to the country on either side of the border, especially herders who freely come into the country to unleash terror on the citizens.

Minister Aregbesola’s assertion was in response to Gov. Ganduje’s 6th June, 2020 appeal to the federal government to put an end to the movement of herdsmen from other African countries into the country. Gov. Ganduje said his call had become imperative since foreign herdsmen “come into the country with guns and other weapons, which flame the clash between herders and farmers… [and] that movement is what brings to us all sort of clashes between herders and other communities, apart from farmers.” Third, Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue made two noteworthy points in his interview published by The Guardian on 13 June 2020. First, was that while he had no problem with the herdsmen husbanding their livestock in Benue, "their agenda is beyond rearing of cattle, it is about taking over and they have not hidden that." Second, he asked “why should they be carrying arms? And when you hear government officials at the federal level defending these people, saying they are protecting their cattle, it is laughable. Is a cattle more valuable than human life?"

The intractable herders-farmers conflict is largely the result of a combination of policy dissonance and initial insufficient policy initiatives. Effective public policymaking usually draws on evidence-based analysis and global best practices. It is high time that Nigeria seeks to overcome the herders-farmers conflict by embracing and enacting public policies that draw on the global best practices. To do otherwise is to be in denial about the ineffectiveness of the approaches currently in practice.

–– Otobo is a Non-Resident Senior Fellow at the Global Governance lnstitute, Brussels, Belgium while Obaze is Managing Director/CEO, Selonnes Consult, Awka.

Osomo: Amazon With 84 Lives Taiwo Adewole pays tribute to Alice Mobolaji Osomo, a woman of substance

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he culture of keeping achievers in obscurity or in 'protective custody' is no doubt common in Nigeria and more prominent, especially among the Yoruba people of Southwestern Nigeria. This is not because they are conservative or uncivilised but it is an expression of their culture of modesty. Of course there is a sizeable population among them who are not inclined to celebrating achievers for the fear of not exposing them to physical danger or spiritual attack,.

It is the same thing when any one among them occupies a high office or position of authority or power. It is very common to hear such individuals/ parents saying, ‘I don't want the public to popularise or make noise about me/my child.’ Of course, this fear is sometimes real as there have been reports of achievers or celebrities being subjects of attack and even killing in the hands of criminals and reckless law enforcement officers.

This latter scenario however is not the case for Chief Alice Mobolaji Osomo, a fearless amazon, an achiever per excellence, who continuously declines offers to celebrate her successes even as she turns 84 years on Tuesday, June 23. She belongs to the modest narrative who are of the opinion that achievements are best celebrated by impacting consciously on people and the environment; and not by celebration of wealth.

It is true Mama has stuck to her principle of not celebrating her achievements, even though they can't be concealed. I have decided to take advantage of this birthday, to briefly highlight to the appreciative world, some of the uncommon achievements of Osomo, especially the recent ones that are yet to be documented for posterity.

She attested to the uniqueness of this day when she thankfully said last week that "I never knew that God will take me this far".

One of the latest success stories of Chief Osomo that is so dear to her heart is the reclaim of the then moribund Okitipupa Oil Palm Company (OOPC) Plc from the Ondo State Government in 2016 after a fierce and long battle which included several legal actions at different courts.

It is instructive for the purpose of enlightenment to add that Chief Osomo's company, Easterport, has 35 per cent control share in OOPC

while the state government under former Governor Olusegun Mimiko with a minority share of 29 per cent forcefully took over the control and management of the company, an action she doggedly fought at the high court.

After these long drawn battles, the new administration of Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, however allowed sanity to prevail as upon assumption of office in 2016, handed off the control of the company and returned it to the majority shareholder, Eastetport.

Osomo was later elected as chairman of the re-constituted Board of Directors.

The indefatigable administrator did not stop at re-possession of the company, she embarked on an aggressive task of reviving and repositioning it. To achieve this arduous task, she sought for a new and competent management team, versed in management standard obtained in the industry. And in April 2018, a three-man management team led by my humble self, which included Mr Olumide Olowu and Mr Segun Omotubara, was appointed and was given the mandate to revive, reposition and re-engineer the operational mechanism of the literally dead company.

Chief Osomo, a boardroom guru who understands the strategic importance of an effective board of directors as the engine room of a productive and efficient company, launched the campaign to bring into the board professionals and expertise with un-impeachable field experience and integrity from all over the country. This was what led to the coming on board of Alhaji Lateef Bakare, a former director with First Bank; Chief Kayode Aroloye and Senator Edo Egba from Akwa Ibom State. They were joined in the board by representatives of other stakeholders and the land owners, thereby providing room for cross-fertilisation of idea at board meetings.

Nothing bears testimony to Mama's miraculous resuscitation of OOPC than the forthcoming AGM of the company, the first in over 12 years and the ongoing moves to take this new baby to the Stock Exchange Market for 'baptism'. Certainly, this is a good birthday gift!

Writing about Chief Osomo is both a privilege and a Herculean task, because she is the proverbial and Biblical Joseph wearing a dress

with many colours. She represents different persons to different people; to some she is legal luminary who is so passionate about the legal profession that she laboured to produce a son-lawyer and a successor, Mr Wale Osomo, former President of Ikeja Country Club.

Again to some, she is a first class administrator who convincingly demonstrated this as the first female Commissioner for Trade, Industries and Cooperative in Ondo State from 1979 to 1983 under the late Governor Adekunle Ajasin; as Minister for Establishment and Management (1993 - 1995) and as the first female Minister of Housing and Urban Development (2003 2005), under former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

To millions of her admirers in Ondo State where she hails from, Chief Osomo is a politician of the Chief Ajasin's school of politics that does not compromise on integrity, driven by passion to serve the people, incorruptible and abhors money-bag politics. This explains while twice she wanted to be governor of the state under the umbrella of the Peoples Democratic Party, as an aspirant, she lost, but not to fairness and justice, but to cash and carry politics!

For us at OOPC, apart from being the standard for integrity, discipline, hard work, transparency, accountability, motivation, doggedness, altruism and fearlessness, Mama is an industrialist per excellence, taking into account as Commissioner in Ondo State, she initiated and oversaw the establishment of the newly Efon Ceramic Industry, Oluwa Glass Industry, Ile Oluji Cocoa Industry, Ire Burnt Bricks Industry and acquired majority share in OOPC and successfully revived it from the state of comatose.

As a patriot who sought justice, equity, fairness and development for her state, she submitted the memo to the state cabinet which led to Ondo State being made a member of the exclusive club of oil-producing states in Nigeria. The memo was the product of her years of research (when she never dreamt of being a commissioner) as an inquisitive young lawyer.

–– Adewole is the Managing Director of OOPC, Okitipupa, Ondo State.

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

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ JUNE 21, 2020

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LETTERS

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NIGERIA’S ALARMING CRIME RATE

ometimes, it appears we live in a world that must surely collapse under the weight of its own carnage as the range of human folly, delusion and evil seems to be endless.

While passion appears to rage unchecked, vices breed like disease and people have no control over their most primitive instincts.

Recent events in our country are sobering reminder of our long and troubled history of collapsed social system.

With the litany of horror and scandal that follows our daily life like shadow, it appears the inherent cruelty and superstition in human race has contrived to deprave us of decency.

Not only is the incidence of violence becoming more frequent, but the nature of those crimes is more heinous.

As widespread impunity continues in some communities where killings, gang rapes, sexual mutilation, destruction, looting, abduction and other human right abuses are rife, recent spectacle of disgusting occurrences has, once again, brought to the fore the lethalness of our society.

For some times, I could not

IGP, Adamu resolve the paradox between the presumable inference that when we take evil that is beyond understanding and put it into words, we are bringing healing clarity to the raw confusion of trauma or we are simplifying something that ought never to be reduced, translating inexpressible evil into something common. But in as much as words do not possess the depth in which to

fully convey our lamentation, posterity desires we interrogate the instigating penchant of these absurdities.

That is why one is not suited to admitting violence as the logical corollary of process of development. The sort of systemic demeanour that hurdled Uwaila Omozuwa into the purifying wilderness of the spirit resonates the aspersion that we live like fugitives in our

own land.

The more one tries to demystify the sanity behind some of these happenings, the more irritated one gets. While the incessant rate of rape and assault of young girls makes the heart bleeds, the disregard for human life is unimaginable.

To live in a society where a mother can drown her 21 months old baby in a bucket of water without betraying a single vestige of emotion is somewhat nerve-racking.

The brazen nature of crimes has generated serious anxiety among Nigerians. Every citizen moves about with suspicion.

As the ghost of armed robbery and kidnapping haunts, the terror of rape gnashes across the country. Vehicles are snatched not just on deserted streets but in crowded districts. At times, armed robbers are daring enough to warn homeowners of their impending visit.

There are reports of robbers insisting on being treated as guests by their hapless victims, requesting food and drinks before departure. When they come at night, they are infinitely more brutal. They lay siege to the homes of citizens, terrorize and intimidate them in the presence of their children and cart away valuables.

The side attractions of such

The Positive Impact of COVID-19

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oronavirus has buried itself under the skirt of a tangled foliage in Wuhan, China and before you could say Jack Robinson, it hurriedly crept across the globe shredding people’s foot but instead of blood to ooze out like a cascading fountain it causes an infected person to start coughing, sneezing and have difficulty in breathing.

The virus has singlehandedly wrestled the global economy with many countries now facing the threat of high inflation and increasing unemployment as a result of lack of productivity and excessive expenditure. It has triggered catastrophic socio-economic and political crises in the infected countries.

When beads of sweat touched another body in a car,we felt as if an unbolt crocodile had knocked at our thresholds and applied dethol, purit, savlon and other sanitizers to keep our bodies clean of sweat!

In order to contain further transmission of the disease in the community, many of the affected countries have decided to undergo complete lock down. Depriving people of worship in church, mosques and temples, the favorite football we all love vanished like a vapor as sport lovers have to make do with playing video games and keeping fit at home. Similarly, dancing and drinking in nightclubs have become an aberration. The entire educational, commercial, sports and spiritual institutions have been shut.

Beyond the negative impact

of Covid-19, there are many positive things it brings; Children and families are now taking advice on hand washing and other preventive measures more seriously. As a matter of fact, it makes me remember my step grandmother as a kid growing up who always emphasized on personal hygiene in all undertakings - washing of hands after visiting the toilet and covering our mouth when we cough or sneeze.

Today, how germs are spread is now universally known by kids.

With the exception of One Million boys few weeks ago in Lagos, shutting down economic activity in most parts of the world had made people stayed closer to their homes and as such street crimes like assault and robbery are down considerably.

I read through the pages of the newspaper a month ago that commercial sex workers had reduced their fees. Why would this happen? Simply because people no longer patronize brothels, hotels, clubs but more importantly people are also heeding recent pleas by public health officials to distance themselves. It is a public knowledge that some people are even dating apps to reduce the risk of Covid-19 infection by avoiding casual sex with commercial sex workers.

The crisis has caused people to agree with the Arabian proverb that says, “he who has health has hope; and he who has hope has everything.’’ People are now more aware that nothing really matters when health

is lacking, and this raised awareness towards healthier habits. The man in the house is willing to protect his lives and those of his loved ones.

At the time of total lockdown in Lagos, the eyes of drivers shone like the eyes of a lover shining with excitement as traffic plummeted and in most cases non- existent.

Vehicles were seen at a scary speed, a phenomenon that was also observed in Abuja-a journey of an hour turned 15 minutes.

Prior to Covid-19, people spend an average of 20 hours per week in meetings, most of which are ineffective.

Today the virus has forced us to have a rethink of how we deal with meetings as politicians, business executives and entrepreneurs. Virtual meetings are now in vogue in many countries.

Akin to the above point is the fact that post Covid-19, most organizations would have to embrace remote working. This new trend will require some structural organizational adjustments but the benefits will far outweigh the pain of change. Apart from improving reduction on cost, it will have a higher return on equity and increase in shareholder’s worth. My cousin who lives in the mainland but works in the Island confessed the joy of flexibility working from home.

According to her, she spends more time with her kids in addition to fulfilling her work obligations.

In the developing world like ours, we might not appreciate the fact that few vehicles were found on the

roads at these periods and coupled with the fact that most industries releasing industrial waste emission are on holiday, it has resulted into minimal emission of greenhouse gases and toxic to the environment. It seems a rose flower is sprouting shapely as a lily and when activities resume fully it feels like the sap might sap again. We are distorting the ecosystem at will. The current pandemic offers us an opportunity to reconsider our lives and restructure it in a way that will favor nature.

In many big cities of the developed nations, ecosystems are being greatly recovered, the inhabitants are experiencing a clear sky for the first time in their lives.

The pollution level in tourist spots such as forests, sea beaches, mount areas, etc., is also shrinking largely. Ozone layer has been found to have revived to some extent. This fleeting happening has created a very positive impact on the world environment.

As the coronavirus pandemic continues its deadly path like a creepy panther seeking for revenge, women could no longer cook without washing her hands many times in a day, men could no longer sprawl their legs on their camp beds savoring the coolness of the evening without thinking of Covid-19 apprehensively. Covid-19 is whacking us like a Fulani boy whack his cow with his truncheon. Remarkable changes and valuable lessons must become part of us.

––Olusanya Anjorin, Lagos.

midnight parties include: assault, murder and rape.

The harrowing ordeals and psychological trauma of these cruelties are often times unbearable; leaving many worlds falling apart as children and women mostly bear the brunt.

While kidnapping has become a lucrative venture most young unemployed graduates are drifting into, the penchant for ‘living in the fast lane’, aspiring to a lifestyle of wealth and flamboyance among youth is making them easy targets for employment in the network of drug merchants, where money flows fast and easy.

Until the incident of Zainab Aliyu, the cartel whose stock-in-trade is planting illicit drugs in travellers’ luggage were operating for years at our Airports unrestrained, a business that had put many innocent Nigerians to death

in major Arab countries.

However, it will be more tragic to underplay the severity of a crimogenic society. The consequences are more detrimental than it appears. The depth is getting darker and sadly, the toxic of contempt is now polluting the minds of our younger ones.

Already, we are getting familiar with stories of teenagers masterminding kidnapping and armed robbery. Just a year ago, we were bemused by the awful story of how three teenage students allegedly left their friend to drown in a swimming pool in Abuja, just because he was from a wealthy home and admired by ladies.

––Kehinde Akinfenwa, Lagos State Parks and Gardens Agency, Ikeja, Lagos.

(See concluding part on www.thisdaylive.com)

The Need For Voluntary Blood Donations

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une 14 is celebrated internationally as World Blood Donor Day. Established in 2004 by the WHO, it serves as a day to raise awareness on the need for safe blood donations and to thank voluntary donors for the lifesaving act of giving blood.

Despite significant advancements in medicine and technology, blood still cannot be manufactured.

There is no replacement for blood and blood products so the only source of blood for transfusion remains through donation.

The need for blood is constant and unyielding. Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of patients requiring blood has remained constant.

Ailments such as sickle cell disorder, leukemia, cancer and other hereditary blood disorders, women in labour and newborns, victims of accidents and emergencies all require transfusions.

Prompt blood transfusions can often be the difference between life and death for these patients.

Research have shown that limited blood transfusion services is a major cause of the high maternal mortality in Nigeria and subSaharan Africa. The most recent survey on blood inadequacy in Nigeria showed that only 500,000 units were collected in 2004, while the country’s annual blood need is estimated to be about 1.8 million units. This number is likely to have risen significantly since then, as our population has steadily increased. Compare this to the USA, where a pint of blood is needed every two seconds with about 21 million blood components are transfused yearly.

The campaign theme for this year’s World Blood Donor Day is “Safe blood saves lives” with the slogan “Give blood and make the world a healthier place”. Nigeria has made some progress in improving the safety of blood. However, the availability remains a growing challenge. Several voluntary organizations such as Haima Health Initiative organize blood donation drives where people

are encouraged to donate blood as a form of service to humanity.

Response rates are particularly encouraging in young people at universities, NYSC camps and religious institutions. The culture of blood donation is easy to build in young people who can conquer their fears and overcome traditional misconceptions more easily. Once people donate once, they overcome their fears for life.

However, the challenges of voluntary blood donation in Nigeria must be acknowledged as they can sometimes put off donors for life. This includes lackadaisical attitude of the medical personnel; trading of donated blood by unprofessional health workers and touts as well as the lack of adequate storage facilities which are required to store the blood pints collected. Additionally, relatives are sometimes coerced to donate for expectant mothers.

These are wrong and must be reduced to build confidence in the health care system.

The misconception that blood is donated for free but is then sold by hospitals also needs to be debunked. The price per unit of blood reflects the costs of conducting the numerous tests to ensure its safety including HIV, Hepatitis and Syphilis. Sometimes it also reflects the transportation costs to move blood between donation centers and hospitals and the cost of storage. There should be no other costs on blood units, which is why donors are encouraged to be volunteers and not paid.

Other than the joy of saving lives, donors also get immense health benefits when they donate blood. This includes a free basic health checkup, lower cancer and cardiovascular risks, production of new cells and balances in iron levels. It also boosts emotional wellbeing. We do not need to wait until our friend or relative is in hospital to give blood. We call on more Nigerians to become lifesavers by volunteering to donate blood regularly.

––Bukola Bolarinwa, Founder of Haima Health Initiative

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JU ÍşÍšËœ ͺ͸ͺ͸ Ëž THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER

INTERNATIONAL Balancing Error, Terror and Horror in a New World of Denials: The Random Lesson for Nigeria

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ontemporary international relations is increasingly characterised by errors in policy making, terror in implementation, and horror in strategic outcome. There is neither world peace nor shooting war in the world of today. Even in the context of the emerging new Cold War that is being manifested at the level of the United States and the People’s Republic of China, global governance is largely characterised by unbelievable, but true, denials. Nigeria cannot be said to be an exception either.

Many countries are secretly developing nuclear capability but openly denying the plain truth. This is an expression of a policy error. The Nuclear Weapons States want to remain an exclusive club, and therefore do not want any new member. This is another policy error in judgment. Countries aspiring to have a nuclear status are always terrorised in the mania of order and counter-order amounting to disorder. The case of North Korea in its relationship with the United States and South Korea is one good illustration of this point.

Another good illustration, which is more interesting, is the Iran Nuclear Deal or the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, which Germany and the European Union, as well as the Five Permanent Members of the United Nations Security Council, generally referred to as the Nuclear Weapons States, did with Iran in Vienna, Austria on July 14, 2015.

The case of the Iran Nuclear Deal is more interesting because all the signatories to the deal, with the exception of the United States, do agree that Iran has been very faithful to the agreement as done and required since 2015. In fact, the United States has been terrorising Iran in different ways and thus sustaining situations of order and counter-orders. The resultant effects are that the world has been denied a secure global environment. It is a world in which re-colonisation is being technologised, but generally denied because of the many positive advantages of ICT. It is still the same world in which there is climate change but the US President, Donald Trump, still submits that there is nothing like that. We are still talking about a world in which racism is quite manifest institutionally but denied, thanks to political rationalisations.

Put differently, problems begin somewhere as a result of policy error. Terror is used to correct the problem elsewhere, but generally to no avail. The resultant horror is manifested everywhere in the world. And yet, everyone denies the horrific effects. Everyone behaves as if the implications for the future is not grave, particularly for Nigeria, which is seeking to protect Africa and black dignity in international relations.

Policy Errors and ImpendingTerror

Many are the cases of policy errors and pointers to future use of terror, but to which little attention is being paid internationally. For instance, the international politics of the crisis in Hong Kong is one critical issue. Many countries try to aid and abet the separation of Hong Kong from mainland China, a situation that appears to be more of a dream, mainly because the likelihood of the Beijing authorities accepting such a separation is, at best, very remote. Many reasons have been adduced by Beijing for the non-tenability of such a separation. At the epicentre of the reasons is the Sino-British Joint Declaration on the return of Hong Kong to China and on which Mainland China is largely capitalising.

In a conversation between the Chinese State Councillor and Foreign Minister, Mr. Wang Yi, and the UK First Secretary of State and Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Mr. Dominic Raab, on June 8, 2020, Mr. Wang Yi made it clear that, ‘at the moment, international peace and strategic stability are disrupted and damaged by unilateralism... Hong Kong affairs are purely China’s internal affairs and brook no outside interference. Maintaining national security in Hong Kong concerns China’s core interests, thereby a major issue of principle that must be adhered to.’ More important, he said ‘while the central government authorises the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HGSAR) to enact laws on its own to safeguard national security

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Bola A. Akinterinwa Telephone : 0807-688-2846

e-mail: bolyttag@yahoo.com

Wang Yi, Chinese State Councillor and Foreign Minister through Article 23 of the Basic Law, it does not change the fact that safeguarding national security is within the purview of the central authorities.’ The Chinese are simply saying that if anyone truly wants ‘One Country, Two Systems’ to go a long way, or for peace and stability to reign in Hong Kong, the new legislation being proposed by Beijing for Hong Kong must be accepted. Western countries are generally not well disposed to the proposed legislation.

But, as explained by Beijing, the legislation will not affect international investors, but will protect them better. Beijing drew attention to the case of Macao Special Administrative Region’s security law passed in 2009 under Article 23 of the Basic Law of Macao SAR, and noted that the GDP of Macao grew by 153 per cent between 2009 and 2019 and that the number of inbound tourists increased by 81 percent in the same period.

In the eyes of Beijing, law and order cannot be enjoyed by the Hong Kongers if there is no national security. Besides, it argued that “one country’ is the precondition and the basis of ‘two systems’, while ‘two systems’ is subordinate to and derived from ‘one country.’ One country is the foundation. Should the principle of one country be undermined, two systems would be impossible to practise.� Thus, the non-compromising position of Mainland China is quite evident. This is the current order that is further justified by the provisions of the Sino-British Declaration.

In this regard, the main problem and policy error can be gleaned from the counter-order emanating from the attitudinal disposition of Western countries, against which Mainland China is complaining. In the words of the Chinese government, ‘the Sino-British Joint Declaration is an important document concerning China’s recovery of Hong Kong and relevant arrangement during the transitional period. It consists of eight paragraphs and three annexes. Paragraph 1 is about China resuming the exercise of sovereignty over Hong Kong. Paragraph 2 is about the UK restoring Hong Kong to China. Both paragraphs were fulfilled with Hong Kong’s return. Paragraph 3 and Annex1 are declaration and elaboration of China’s basic

Nigeria is another terra cognita for ofďŹ cial denials, but let us espy just one aspect of the most critical: threats to national survival as a nation-state. Nigeria is moving faster than ever before on the path of national disintegration, but Government is behaving as if it is not a big deal. In the manner racism in the United States has been a critical issue for a long time, but taken lightly and the main victims, essentially the African-Americans, have not only been protesting but to no avail, it is also in the same mania the racist killings reached its crescendo with the very brutal killing of George Floyd and the whole of the United States was cut unawares that Nigeria might also be cut unawares. Nigeria may be thrown beyond unexpected nationwide protests and faced with a new war.Today, many motorcycles with Miyetti Allah registration numbers are plying on Lagos roads.The Southerners not only see the Miyetti Allah group as an instrument of Fulani herdsmen atrocities in the South, but also as a catalytic agent of Fulanisation of the country.

With motorcycles registered as Miyetti Allah, even if legal, Government may also be reaching its own crescendo of denials while the hostility vis-a-vis the Fulanis is also quietly mounting.

There is need for caution and need to balance the evils of error, terror and horror in the political governance of Nigeria

policies regarding Hong Kong. Paragraphs 4 to 6 and Annex II and III stipulate arrangements during the transitional period.

Paragraphs 7 and 8 are about the Joint Declaration’s implementation and entry into force. With the return of Hong Kong and the completion of follow-up matters, all UK-related provisions have been fulfilled.’ And perhaps more importantly, the Chinese also have it that ‘the Joint Declaration does not assign the UK any responsibility over Hong Kong nor give it any right to intervene in Hong Kong affairs after the handover. The UK has no sovereignty, jurisdiction or “right of supervision� over Hong Kong after its return. The Joint Declaration is a bilateral instrument between China and the UK. It does not involve any other country or has anything to do with a third country. Sovereign equality and non-interference are enshrined in international law and are basic norms of international relations. Other countries and organisations have no right to meddle in Hong Kong affairs on the ground of the Joint Declaration’ (vide News Digest on China, vol. 26, June 12, 2020, pp. 6-9).

The implication of the foregoing cannot be far-fetched: horror in the foreseeable future. Hong Kong has been largely westernised in many ways: lifestyle, business hub, educational system, etc. This is one major rationale for the adoption of the policy of ‘One country, Two systems’ to allow for Chinese sovereignty over Hong Kong politically and Hong Kongers’ capitalist economic system. The political lull in this case is that Western countries do not want any communist infiltrations into Hong Kong. They see Hong Kong, more from security strategy, than from economic, perspectives. Whereas Mainland China is not prepared to have perceived enemies as neighbours. Consequently, any forceful attempt to influence political developments in Hong Kong against the interest of the Beijing authorities has the potential to generate a serious conflict. The effect also has the potential to be horrific.

As noted in the report, ‘with continued growth in emissions at historic rates, annual losses in some economic sectors are projected to reach hundreds of billions of dollars by the end of the century - more than the current gross domestic product (GDP) of many US states.’ Besides, the report says ‘without substantial and sustained global mitigation and regional adaptation efforts, climate change is expected to cause growing losses to American infrastructure and property and impede the rate of economic growth over this century.’ In essence, the report is simply advising that if the society works to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to the changes that occur as a result of the climate change, the threats to US national security could be mitigated.

Donald Trump said climate change was ‘a hoax’ during his presidential campaigns in 2016. He even pledged then that he would withdraw, if elected, the US membership from the Paris Climate agreement, which seeks to reduce temperature rises well below 2 degrees and to strive to keep them under 1.5 degrees. The major concern of scientists, however, is that ‘currently, global temperatures have risen about 1 degree above pre-industrial levels and they are rising by around 0.17C per decade,’ and there is the need to have it controlled.

When Donald Trump was elected, he still did not believe in climate change. What he believed is that climate change is human and political making. As he put it: ‘I don’t believe it... You’re going to have China and Japan and all of Asia and all these other countries, you know. It (report) addresses our country.

Right now we’re at the cleanest, we’ve ever been, and that’s very important to me. But if we’re clean, but every other place on Earth is dirty, that’s not so good. So I want clean air, I want clean water. Very important.’ This statement is a manifestation of denials per excellence.

Earlier in October 2019, Donald Trump had accused scientists of having a political agenda. In fact, Philip Bump of The Washington Post noted on December 3, 2019 ‘it’s possible that Trump doesn’t actually understand what climate change is,’ because when Trump was asked again questions about climate change, he said it is important to him and that he had done ‘many environmental impact statements over my (his) life’ and that he believes in ‘very strongly, very, very, crystal clear, clean water and clean air. That’s a big part of climate change.’ To the extent that Trump is right or wrong in his understanding of what climate change is all about, Philip Bump submits that ‘climate change is a function primarily of the release of gases, such as carbon dioxide and methane, largely from fossil fuel combustion or extraction. Those gases enter the atmosphere and absorb heat, preventing it from escaping into space or even radiating it back toward earth.’ He cannot be more correct on this point. This is the reality that Donald Trump does not truly understand climate change, but which he is ignorantly making a mockery of and denying. The horrific implications of not cooperating with other countries in adapting to climate change are not only for the people of America, in particular, but also for the global community in general. It is therefore not surprising that world leaders have argued that ‘Donald Trump’s denial is a major threat to the planet and that there is the need to step the plate’ (vide Dominic Waghorn’s report, “Sky Views: CLIMATE change is not fake -world leaders need to confront Trump’s denial,� in Sky News, Sunday, 1 September 2019).

(See concluding part on www.thisdaylive.com)

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BUSINESS

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

Who Pays Back Nigeria’s Debts?

Once again, Nigeria has a debt problem. Fourteen years after former President Olusegun Obasanjo and his economic team led the country to exit the debt trap of the 1980 and 1990s, Nigeria is once again wallowing in a second debt trap with absolutely no idea of how to exit.

Nosa James-Igbinadolor looks at how and why Nigeria got there

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herewasatimewhenNigeria was relatively free of foreign debts. Looking back now, one would be hard pressed to remember those halcyon years of relatively good economic management under former President Olusegun Obasanjo driven by an erudite economic team led by Dr. Ngozi Okojo Iweala, but, the government paid back Nigeria’s debts. “Nigeria will not owe anybody in the Paris Club one kobo,� the President Olusegun Obasanjo had said in a statement after Nigeria paid a final installment of $4.5 billion to the Paris Club of creditors in a deal that allowed the country to pay off about $30 billion in accumulated debt for about $12 billion, an overall discount of about 60 per cent. The country committed to using foreign reserves, salted away as oil prices soared, to cancel its debt, which had been racked up during decades of military rule.

Debt relief championed by the former President had become a central issue in the fight against poverty. Nigeria, which owed about $36 billion in overall debt, was at that time, one of the most indebted nations in the world. But we did pay back in 2006 and ended the debt trap, with just a little over $3 billion hovering around as external debt.

That was until 2015 when President Muhammadu Buhari assumed office. According to statistics published in March 2020 by the Debt Management Office (DMO), Nigeria’s total external debt stock as at December 2019, stood at $27.676 billion. In May 2015, when the President took office, the total debt profile of the country stood at $10.316 billion. Thus, in less than five years, the country’s debt has tripled in size with little to show for it except higher spending on recurrent expenditure, limited capital expenditure and a lot of stolen wealth.

Ike Brannon, a Senior Fellow with the Jack Kemp Foundation, in a 2019 analysis for Forbes, posited that “Nigeria’s biggest economic problem, though – and the issue that requires real political acceptance from Buhari’s government – is the country’s growing public debt. Since assuming office in 2015 President Buhari’s government has added considerably to the nation’s debt, which now exceeds $85 billion. In essence, the nation’s debt is about where it was in 2005-06, just before Nigeria benefited from massive debt relief as part of a program coordinated by the Paris Club, IMF, World Bank and the African Development Bank. To have squandered the debt reduction in just 14 years and have no tangible economic progress to show for it is beyond disappointing.�

Nigeria’s Eurobonds accounted for $10.86 billion or 39 per cent of external debt as at April 7, 2020. The country paid $771 million in interest on its Eurobonds last year compared with $329 million in debt service to multilateral creditors, according to the DMO. Total borrowings from China as at March 31, 2020 stood at $3.121 billion, which the DMO asserts to be concessional loans with interest rates of 2.50 per cent per annum, 20 years tenor and seven years grace period (moratorium). “The $3.121 billion loans are project-tied loans. The projects (eleven – 11 in number as at March 31, 2020), include: Nigerian Railway Modernisation Project (Idu-Kaduna section), Abuja Light Rail Project, Nigerian FourAirport Terminals Expansion Project (Abuja, Kano, Lagos and Port Harcourt), Nigerian Railway

Buhari

Modernisation Project (Lagos–Ibadan section) and rehabilitation and upgrading of Abuja–Keffi–Makurdi Road Project,� the agency stated.

According to DMO, the impact of these loans is not only evident but visible, adding for instance, that the Idu–Kaduna rail line has become a major source of transportation between Abuja and Kaduna.

According to a November 2019 report by PwC Nigeria, “the widening budget deficit necessitates the government’s resolve to borrow to cover its revenue shortfalls. The government has reiterated that the existing debt level has not breached the internationally acceptable threshold of 30% debt-to-GDPratio.

As of 2018, the federal government’s total debt stock stood at N20.5 trillion, a 12% increase from N18.4 billion in 2017.

Consequently, debt-to-GDP rose to 29% from 27% recorded in the prior year. By H1 2019, the debt-to-GDP ratio surged to 61%.

With a slowing economic growth rate and a spiraling debt growth rate, the debt-to-GDP

ratio may pass the 30% threshold by year end 2019. However, the debt-to-GDP ratio paints just half of the picture. The issue bordering on debt sustainability is the ratio of debt service to government revenue on one hand, and the ratio of government debt to government revenue. Since 2011, debt service-to-revenue ratio rose consistently from 21.2% to 51.9% in 2015 peaking at 86.6% in 2016. It declined thereafter to 78.6% and 67.7% in 2017 and 2018 respectively. This significantly exceeds the international acceptable threshold of 20 – 25%. The continuous decrease in debt service-to-revenue ratio over the last two years is underpinned on revenue growth which outpaced growth in debt servicing within the period under review�.

In the 2019 budget, an elephantine N2.140 trillion was set aside to settle debt obligations, indicating that about a quarter of the budget provision for that fiscal year went to debt repayment. This moved up by N130 billion when compared with the N2.010 trillion that supposedly went into debt servicing in the

2018 fiscal year.

According to PwC, despite sluggish output growth recovery, low domestic revenue mobilization and the unsustainability of the current debt level, the government intends to borrow more to plug the revenue shortfall of N2.2 trillion in the proposed 2020 budget.

What this simply means is that the federal government, faced with heavily depreciating income from crude, will have to borrow to pay interests on its external debt.

The spiking cost of Nigeria’s debt profile reached a new high with the country’s debt service as a percentage of revenue rising to 99% in the first quarter of 2020. Figures contained in the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy (MTEF/ FSP) report released recently by the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget, and National Planning show that in Q1 2020, the country chalked up a total sum of N943.12 billion in debt service while the federal government retained revenue was put at N950.56 billion, implying Nigeria’s debt service to revenue

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BUSINESS/FOCUS Who Pays Back Nigeria’s Debts?

Zainab Ahmed

estimate to be 99% during the period. This is the highest on record and posits that virtually all the revenue generated from both oil and non-oil sources was used to meet debt service obligations.

The growing debt profiles of the federal and sub-national governments continue to raise concerns among policymakers and analysts.

From within the government, Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele, had in a January 2019 Monetary Policy Committee meeting cautioned the Federal Government against Nigeria’s rising debts profile. Emefiele said the country’s debts profile is alarming. According to the CBN Governor, “On external borrowing, the committee noted the increase in debt level advising for caution, noting that it could fast be approaching the pre-2005 Paris Club level.�

An economist, Mr. Bismarck Rewane, who is the CEO of Financial Derivatives Company (FDC) and member of the Federal Government’s EconomicAdvisory Council constituted

by President Muhammadu Buhari, together with other analysts in the FDC, warned in their bi-monthly economic update in January that the country’s debt had grown by 214.90 per cent over the past six years, from N8.32trillion in June 2013 to N26.2trillion as of September 2019. “It is vital to employ proactive measures to reduce the current debt level,� they said.

The report added that, “as a result, the ever-increasing government spending is yet to yield any notable results; poverty is on the rise and health and educational facilities remain inadequate amid the fast-growing population. Debt service has become a significant portion of the expected revenue in 2020. It accounted for over 60 per cent of the government’s independent revenue in 2019. “The total debt has been increasing ($85.39billion) but total factor productivity growth has been declining (-0.4 per cent).

This implies that the FG borrowings are hardly used for productive purposes. The debt service, after a while, becomes a burden on the government and its fiscal balance.� “Nigeria’s mounting debt profile is a major concern despite the country having about $900bilion worth of dead capital in properties and agricultural lands (PwC Nigeria, 2019),� the Nigerian Economic Summit Group, a private sector-led think-tank, also warned in its 2020 Macroeconomic Outlook.

Financial resource firm, nairametrics notes

Patient Oniha

that, “Most of these debts were borrowed in the first four years of the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration via multilateral, development, bilateral and commercial loans (Eurobonds and Diaspora bonds). The government claims it had no choice, seeing its oil revenues failed to meet up with the target and thus is unable to fund Nigeria’s huge infrastructural deficit required to propel economic growth.�

It was former vice-president Atiku Abubakar’s intervention earlier this month that raised the tempo in the discussion and analysis of the country’s unbridled debt acquisition nonstrategy. He had warned in a statement he personally signed that Nigeria’s increasing debt profile, which stood at 99 percent of the nation’s revenue profile in the first quarter of 2020, would drive the country towards economic precipices. “Nothing has shocked me in my entire life in public service as the revelation from Nigeria’s First Quarter 2020 financial reports in the Medium Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy from the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget, and National Planning, which shows, alarmingly, that whereas Nigeria spent a total sum of #943.12 billion in debt servicing, the federal government’s retained revenue for the same period were only #950.56 billion. “This means that Nigeria’s debt to revenue ratio is now 99 per cent. This is a crisis! Debt servicing does not equate to debt repayment.

The reality is that Nigeria is paying only the minimum payment to cover our interest charges. The principal remains untouched and is possibly growing.�

In order to hide the depressing reality of the debt problem, debt-to-GDP, which is not regarded as the best indicator of debt sustainability, especially in a country where tax-to-GDP is low, is now widely touted by government officials including the DMO to explain away the deepening malaise.

As noted by nairametrics, “Oftentimes, the government discards the debt servicing to revenue ratio and instead, adopts the debt to GDP ratio to dissuade concerns on growing indebtedness. They persuade citizens with the narrative that Nigeria’s debt portfolio currently stands at 19.03% of the GDP and still below the 25% threshold set by the government on medium-term 2018-2020, insisting that there is no cause for alarm. “But that logic seems to be a clever approach

to dodge genuine concerns. The simple truth is that, as long as the country’s debt mount, so would revenue prospect slump and the unborn generation would be thrown into an uncertain financial situation. Already, the effect of past debt binge is limiting revenue availability and this is obvious from the N1.859 trillion deficit in the 2019 budget proposal, which the Debt Management Office (DMO) had hinted would be sourced from external loans. “With the worrisome trajectory of debt, it seems Nigeria has failed to draw from the hard lesson of the pre-2005 debt crisis�.

Mr. Egie Akpata, Ag. MD/CEO of UCML Capital Ltd, told THISDAY earlier in the year that, “If you use the bulk of your money to pay off debts, then it is because you owe too much.

There is no need talking about countries that have high debt to GDP and low borrowing costs. If you go to Japan, where the debt to GDP is about 140 per cent, the government just like many countries in Europe can borrow money at literally zero per cent. So if the Nigerian government can borrow 30-year money at zero per cent, then you would have technically, a very low debt servicing. “We have to understand that the countries that DMO try to compare us with in their documents have high revenue to GDP. You can’t have low revenue to GDP and expect to have high debt servicing problems, the type Nigeria has. Secondly, these countries tend to owe almost all their debts in local currencies.

I am not aware that the U.S government has material debts in foreign currencies, same for Canada, same for U.K. Most of these countries owe almost all their debts in their local currencies. We are at the opposite end and that is why we have constraints. These constraints are the outcome of our poor foreign currency earnings.

While the debt level has sparked fears that the country is heading towards a crisis, the reality is that debt itself is not a problem as long as it can be transferred into valuable and productive assets. The problem has been how the country has invested the tens of billions of dollars it has borrowed under this government.

With an unalluring business environment unable to attract FDIs and interest rates too high to stimulate investments, the Buhari administration’s economic management strategy leaves little room for credible and sustainable economic growth to take place, thus deepening the country’s debt challenge.

The IMF has at varied times warned the Nigerian government that continued foreignexchange restrictions are among the factors that dampen long-term foreign and domestic investment and keep the economy reliant on volatile oil prices, arguing that the elimination of exchange-rate restrictions and multiplecurrency practices would “remove distortions and help economic diversification.�

In addition, Nigeria’s debt management strategies are not properly aligned with the country’s financial capacity. For example, while most developing countries take advantage of concessionary financing from the World Bank or other international institutions, Nigeria’s debt profile is now increasingly made up of commercial debt. Its recent Eurobond issuances in London, for example, came at a relatively high yield, which makes its economy especially vulnerable to external shocks, such as a sustained drop in oil prices.

The IMF agrees that African countries have been on a Eurobond issuing spree with half of them being near or at distressed levels. The fund posits thatAfrican governments are piling on debt without evaluating the exchange rate risks and the real costs of repaying the debts.

No doubt, one of the most significant challenges facing the country at this stage is the absence of operational independence by the DMO, the agency set up to coordinate the management of the country’s debt. The DMO is expected to be separate from the Ministry of Finance and from monetary policy as well as autonomous from political influence. However, that independence is suspect as there is strong evidence of political interference in the coordination and management of the country’s debt.

In addition, important economic decisions regarding whether to borrow, where to borrow and how to borrow have become political decisions fundamentally taken outside the advice of responsible institutions including the Ministry of Finance and the DMO. This leaves the country working asymmetrically information wise and operationally when best judgement is dismissed for political expediency.

What is clear is that unless there is a rethink of the way Nigeria borrow and why she borrow, the country would face an existential debt problem that would leave no room for infrastructure-driven development in the next few years.

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER Ëž ÍşÍšËœ 2020

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The CBN Succour for Health Sector The Central Bank Nigeria’s efforts to encourage research and diagnostics could prove to be the magic wand that will eventually liberate the country’s health sector, writes James Emejo

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here’s no doubt that the recent outbreak and spread of COVID-19 has posed new challenges as well as exposed obvious weaknesses in Nigeria’s health system.

A situation, whereby research had been relegated to the background in virtually every sphere of the economy, especially among the so-called research institutions is particularly worrisome.

The nation’s research institutions are only a shadow of their own. Most institutions of higher learning no longer engage in quality research works partly due to lack of funding and sometimes manpower deficiency. Yet, as evident in other climes, ivory towers ought to regularly provide solutions to societal issues through their research interventions.

Nigeria, unfortunately has often had to seek solutions from the outside to address societal problems which should have been settled if research had been taken seriously from the onset with past administrations.

Former THISDAY editor and columnist, Mr. Bolaji Abdullahi, once took a swipe at the Nigerian medical profession when he teased in one of his writeups that the cemeteries were perhaps filled with the mistake of doctors, an informed narrative of the deficiencies in the country’s health system, especially in the areas of medical diagnosis.

Abdullahi highlighted the reason for the increasing appeal for medical tourism by Nigerians to various parts of the world.

This reporter also recounts a personal experience whereby several medical diagnosis he underwent with the country for an ailment, turned out to be grossly inaccurate when the laboratory results were further subjected to evaluation by medical experts in Cairo, Egypt. A medical expert at the Cleopatra Hospital, Cairo once expressed his disappointment about the country’s health system during a chat with THISDAY. According to him, he has heard so much about Nigeria being the giant of Africa since he was a child- and now probably in his 70s- yet the country appeared to be more backward than one would have expected.

He said of particular concern was the fact that Nigerians trooped to Egypt and other parts of the world to seek solution to ailments such as headaches that should ordinarily be taken care of by any hospital.

The foregoing puts into proper context the priceless intervention of the CBN in the health sector, particular research and local manufacturing of pharmaceutical products amid the growing threat of COVID-19 on socioeconomic life.

A development whereby the country continued to import basic hygiene products from other countries even within Africa as well as the lack of motion in the research of potential vaccine for the pandemic was particularly embarrassing.

In response, CBN Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, had announced a N100 billion healthcare intervention fund earlier in March.

The credit support facility for the sector will help pharmaceutical companies and healthcare practitioners to expand and build capacity.

Godwin EmeďŹ ele

Emefiele had said: “I believe we must now envision and work towards a Nigeria with the cutting edge medical facilities to provide world-class care to the sick and vulnerable, enable our universities and research institutions to provide the requisite education and training that is required to keep these ecosystems functioning sustainably and efficiently, and millions of Nigerians employed in meaningful and well-paying jobs. This is the Nigeria that we must aspire to build.�

The CBN governor had also unveiled plans by the apex bank to build diagnostic centres in the six geopolitical zones of the country and Abuja adding that the centre would be established in Abuja would have both heart and cancer diagnostic centres.

He said the centres would further limit medical tourism by providing quality assets, which normally attracts Nigerians to other parts of the world. “The importance cannot be quantified because once your illness is diagnosed, the assignment of the doctors will be made simple. The centres will be done in a way that a referral will come from teaching and private hospitals. Those coming to access care at the centres will be paying to generate revenue so the centres can manage themselves without CBN interference,� noted Emefiele.

He added the health and education remained bedrock of development of any country.

And true to its words, the CBN had under the N100 billion healthcare sector intervention fund, announced that it had already approved and disbursed N10.15 billion for some projects, for the establishment of advanced diagnostic and health centres and the expansion of some pharmaceutical plants for essential drugs and intravenous fluids.

Moreover, to boost research interventions in the sector, apex bank recently released guidelines for accessing the healthcare funding under the Healthcare Sector Research and Development Intervention Scheme (HSRDIS) to help strengthen the public healthcare system with innovative financing of research and development (R&D) in new and improved drugs, vaccines and diagnostics of infectious diseases in Nigeria. “Specifically, the HSRDIS is designed to trigger intense national R&D activities to develop a Nigerian vaccine, drugs and herbal medicines against the spread of COVID-19 and any other communicable or non-communicable diseases through the provision of grants to biotechnological and pharmaceutical companies, institutions, researchers, and research institutes for the research and development of drugs, herbal medicines and vaccines for the control, prevention and treatment of infectious diseases,� the CBN stated.

The scheme seeks to boost domestic manufacturing of critical drugs and

vaccines to ensure their sustainable domestic supply and reduce the bulk manufacturing costs of the drugs, herbal medicines and vaccines in the country.

The CBN explained that funding for the scheme shall be derived from the Developmental Component of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise Development Fund (MSMEDF).

The grant limit include a maximum of N50 billion for research activities and maximum of N500 million for development/manufacturing activities while disbursement under the scheme shall be made to beneficiaries in tranches subject to approved milestones achieved.

Also, in terms of the timelines for conclusion of the tasks, the CBN noted that research activities should not be more than two years from the date of release of fund while development/ manufacturing activities is given not more than one year from the date of release of fund.

With the latest incursion into the health sector, analysts believe the country is indeed prepared to take advantage of the opportunities presented

by COVID-19 towards the revitalisation of the health sector as well as make the country a health tourism destination for other countries.

This is so because getting medical diagnosis right is the first and most important step to solving human health challenges.

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BUSINESS/MONEY

Amidst COVID-19, NSE, Best among Equals James Emejo

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he outbreak and spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) has severely impacted the world economy with many industries suffering including the financial markets. The impact of the novel virus was so pervasive and destabilising that the World Health Organisation quickly declared COVID-19 a pandemic. The health, social and economic effects of the virus continue to be felt given the rise in the number of cases and deaths, with many companies frantically deploying survival strategies or throwing in the towel by way of filing for bankruptcy.

In global markets, the pandemic has inflicted record losses in numerous markets including advanced securities exchanges that one would expect minimal impact given the sophistication and financial muscles of such markets. Various exchanges in Asia, where the virus was first reported in December 2019, have experienced varying losses recorded by leading markets like Shanghai Stock Exchange Composite Index, Nikkei Stock Average Index. Europe has been not spared in the sweeping spread of COVID-19.

Market Performance in Africa At the second stakeholder engagement session held virtually on May 27, 2020, the CEO of The Nigerian Stock Exchange, Mr. Oscar Onyema, revealed that despite the impact of COVID-19 on the African market, the NSE has been able to withstand the shock. According to him “Supported by recovering oil prices, resumption of economic activities and attractive valuations, the NSE ASI has rallied since April. The NSE ASI has returned -6.1per cent YTD while JSE/ FTSE ASI stands at -13.1per cent; Nairobi ASI at -15.6per cent; BRVM Composite at -17.5per cent; and EGX 30 at -27.6per cent.

The Nigerian Capital Market remains very attractive in terms of dividend yields and market valuation ratios�. The trading numbers obtained from the NSE showed that market transactions have been driven by domestic investors accounting for 59per cent of the equity value traded. This represents a significant shift from the previous 4-year average of 51per cent from 2016 to 2018.

Foreign investor participation has dropped to 41per cent from an average of 49per cent of transactions. Looking at the sectorial performance, on one hand, the financial services sector has dominated the trading turnover at 63per cent of transactions with the consumer goods sector at 14per cent; Industrial goods at 9per cent; ICT at 7per cent; Oil and Gas at 4per cent.

While on the other hand, the NSE Industrial Goods is the best performing sector in terms of returns at 8.66per cent YTD with the NSE Banking Index recording -15.5per cent; the NSE Insurance at 0.99per cent; the NSE Oil & Gas Index at -12.74per cent; and the Consumer Goods at -29per cent. Other asset classes have also enjoyed positive sentiments from investors. Mr. Onyema reported that the market capitalisation in the fixed income space has risen by 8.91per cent to N14.02trillion ($36.32billion) from N12.92trillion ($35.44billion) as at the end of 2019. This can be attributed to significant debt capital raising from the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN), in a bid to finance fiscal and infrastructure deficits. The Exchange on its part continues to sustain investment operations in the face of the pandemic by supporting companies in raising capital from the market. The ETF market has, however, seen mixed sentiments from investors owing to activities in the equities market. Of the ten listed ETFs, The Exchange reports significant returns in the New Gold ETF with a 48.94per cent return YTD and the VETIVA S&P NIGERIA SOVEREIGN BOND ETF with 16.28per cent return YTD.

Oscar

Looking ahead, The Exchange is actively engaging ETFs issuers both foreign and domestic to have more diverse ETFs that offer exposure to other commodities and geographies.

Surviving the Pandemic:The NSE Way Reports over the past several weeks have shown that the NSE has been reaping the rewards of steady and consistent capacity building in business innovation, technology, automation and digitisation of its operations. The resilience that the Nigerian bourse has shown in these trying times is indeed noteworthy. Since the activation of its Business Continuity Plan on Monday, 23 March 2020, employees of The Exchange have been working remotely effective Tuesday, 24 March 2020, while Dealing Member Firms have been trading remotely and seamlessly since Wednesday, 25 March 2020. The Exchange has continued to maintain trading activities during normal trading hours and has witnessed no disruptions to its activities. Rather, it has continued to actively pursue avenues to deepen the capital market, actively engage stakeholders and widen the pool of investment instruments for investors with new listings and capacity building exercises. These efforts have culminated in some impressive innovations that have been integrated as business as usual at The Exchange.

For instance, the traditional Closing Gong ceremony has been successfully transitioned

into a digital experience with the likes of Sterling Bank and FBNQuest Merchant Bank being two of the privileged guests. The Exchange also continues to host quarterly meetings and virtual sessions under the auspices of its Stakeholder Engagement Series; as well as provide guidance to the capital market ecosystem to properly navigate this new terrain. By way of deepening capital market activity, the NSE has listed fresh capital raised by quoted companies and the federal government to the tune of N202.989 billion in the first five months of the year, 2020. Some notable listings in the private sector include the FBNQuest Merchant N5 billion bond; the Primero BRT Securitisation SPV Plc’s N16.5 billion bond; the Flour Mills of Nigeria’s N7.5 billion and N12.5 billion bonds; Golden Guinea Breweries Plc’s Private Placement amounting to N1.2 billion. On the government side, the FGN Savings Bonds valued at N206.307 million, 5.131 per cent and N78.672 million of 4.131 per cent on April 3, 2020, were listed, as well as the Federal Government Bonds of N55 billion, N65 billion and N40 billion. Responsible corporate citizenship has not been left out. Recently, The Exchange announced its N100 Million donation to the fight against COVID-19 with N60 Million donated to the Capital Market Support Committee for COVID-19 (CMSCC) and N40 Million to implement the Masks for All Nigerians Campaign.

The CMSCC is the SEC-led initiative designed to galvanise capital market play-

ers to join the fight against the coronavirus, while the Masks for All Nigerians Campaign is geared towards the distribution of over 400 million face masks to Nigerians and running an enlightenment program on the safe use of masks on traditional and social media.

The Exchange will be making an anchor donation of over 100,000 face masks whilst galvanizing its ecosystem to partner in delivering the balance. Ultimately, NSE has made significant progress in building a digital ecosystem that is serving stakeholders excellently in these unprecedented times. Without the foresight of the NSE and the dogged implementation of several strategic initiatives, the Nigerian capital market would have suffered major disruptions with local and global stakeholders incurring major losses.

Rather, the market continues to enjoy seamless operations with continuous trading, frequent stakeholder engagement, market deepening activities, and all other functions fully activated. The Exchange has, therefore, earned its spot as a globally acclaimed top-performing securities exchange with quality listings and several landmark achievements.

Having successfully provided a vehicle for long-term ‘saving’ and ‘borrowing’ and hence, efficient use of financial resources, all indications suggest that the capital market will become even more vibrant and experience strong investor confidence.

SUNDAY JUNE 21, 2020 • T H I S D AY

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A production line of BUA Obu Cement Plant Edo State

Battle for Obu Mining Sites: BUA Wins, Dangote Appeals Obinna Chima writes on the raging tussle over the ownership of the mining sites in Obu, Okpella, in Etsako East Local Government Area of Edo State by both Dangote Group and BUA Group

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here appears to be no end in sight in the ongoing battle for the ownership of the mining sites in Obu, Okpella, in Etsako East Local Government Area of Edo State by both the Dangote Group and

BUA Group.

Both companies, last week, resumed ďŹ erce tussle for the disputed assets which begun in 2017.

The State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, had in 2017, led Police to shut down the mining site, arrested BUA staff and directed that both companies laying claim of ownership to the site should wait for the outcome of the court case on the dispute.

That has now been decided in BUA’s favour, a decision now appealed by Dangote.

The community leaders had then alleged that the Federal Ministry of Mines and Solid Minerals, that had the present Governor of Ekiti State, Mr. Kayode Fayemi, as minister then, was supporting one of the parties in the dispute.

However, last week, both companies resumed fresh ownership tussle for the mining sites.

Okpella is known for its natural sedimentary rock-based mineral resources, which include limestone, calcium, and granite, feldspar, talc, clay, marble, etc.

There is no doubt in this round, BUA won going by the court judgement delivered in its favour. BUA’s position has always been that it was operating peaceful on the now disputed site for over ďŹ ve years before Dangote suddenly made an appearance to lay claim to the mining site after acquiring Ado Ibrahim International Company (AIICO), which had been in dispute with Edo State Government about the site.

BUA’s Favourable Court Ruling According to a statement from BUA Group, a Federal High Court in Benin City had restrained Dangote Industries and the Nigerian Police Force from interfering with its operations at the disputed mining sites in a judgement delivered recently.

BUA recalled that it was legally operating on its mining sites before operations at three of those mines were allegedly disrupted abruptly by the then Inspector General of Police, the then Edo state commissioner of Police in 2017, on the order of Dangote Industries &

Dangote Cement.

According to the statement, the court ordered the Inspector General of Police as ďŹ rst respondent, Commissioner of Police, Edo State as second respondent, Dangote Industries as third respondent and Dangote Cement as fourth respondent, to steer clear of the mining sites or interfering in any manner whatsoever with BUA’s operation of disputed mining lease sites.

The statement added:“BUA wishes to inform its shareholders, employees, customers, regulators, host communities, security agencies and the general public that the Federal High Court, Benin, in a recent judgement, has made an order, which upholds BUA’s fundamental right to peaceful possession of the mining sites in Obu, Okpella, Edo State (operated by BUA Cement and which BUA became seised by virtue of mining leases granted by the Federal Government of Nigeria), without unlawful interference from the Inspector General of Police, ďŹ rst respondent; Commissioner of Police, Edo State, second respondent; Dangote Industries third respondent; and Dangote Cement Plc as fourth respondent. “It would be recalled that BUA was legally operating its various mining sites in Obu-

Okpella, Edo State before the above-named respondents abruptly disrupted our operations at three of those mines in 2017 during the pendency of two other matters. The ďŹ rst and second respondents at the behest of the third and fourth respondents invaded and shut down the operations. “We then approached the courts to enforce our fundamental rights to the property of the mines as well as our rights to continue operating from those mines. Whilst we were awaiting judgement, we continued to sustain our operations from our other numerous mines in that area unaected by these actions.â€?

The statement further explained that after a prolonged trial, which commenced in 2017,“the court not only found that we have always been in possession of the mining sites, but clearly found that the ďŹ rst and second respondents were used and allowed themselves to be used by the third and fourth respondents to invade, and disrupt our operations in the anected and disputed mine sites during the pendency of two other matters between us and the third and fourth respondents. “The court accordingly granted an order restraining the ďŹ rst and second respondents (The Police) as well as the third and fourth

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BUSINESS/INDUSTRY Battle for Obu Mining Sites: BUA Wins, Dangote Appeals respondents (Dangote Industries & Dangote Cement Plc) from interfering in any manner whatsoever with BUA’s operation of disputed mining lease sites. The two other matters remain pending in court. “This judgement is one major step towards the ďŹ nal vindication of our rights over the mining sites and in line with BUA’s position that it holds the legal mining leases to the disputed sites, and that all parties in this dispute allow the courts be the ďŹ nal arbiter as has been our mantra,“Let the Courts Decideâ€?.

BUA disclosed that it has since resumed operations at the sites as ordered by the court.

Dangote Insists on Ownership However, in its reaction, Dangote Group, in its statement, denied the claim of ownership of the mining by BUA Group.

It advised the regulatory agencies to, “disregard completely the unfounded and mischievous claim and publication by BUA Group,�saying“it was riddled with misrepresentations and deliberate distortions of facts.�

Dangote Group, in the statement signed by the Group Executive Director, Devakumar Edwin, explained that Dangote Group through its lawyers had vigorously defended the suit ďŹ led by BUA Group, seeking a perpetual injunctive order against further interferences with their purported fundamental rights to property and privacy.

He said the group had appealed the high court judgment“and until the appellate court rules, BUA cannot lay claim or even operate on the mining site.�

Giving details of the case, Edwin recalled that in 2014, Dangote Group and AICO entered into an agreement for the transfer of 2541ML from AICO to Dangote Group. “AICO thereafter applied to the Ministry of Mines for the approval of the transfer vide a Mining Lease Transfer Form dated 11 July 2014. In 2016, the Ministry of Mines wrote to Dangote Group to convey the approval of the ministry for the transfer/assignment of 2541ML from AICO to Dangote Group with effect from 03 February 2016. “Following the approval of the ministry, Dangote Group became the legal holder and owner of the Mining Lease No. 2541ML.The 2541ML CertiďŹ cate was thereafter endorsed to reect the transfer from AICO to Dangote Group,â€?he added.

Dangote Group warned the public and those working with BUA Group not to take any steps to enter, mine or interfere with the disputed mining leases pending the determination of the appeal and/or the two suits pending before Umar J. as any such steps would be considered a contempt of court.

He noted that the Supreme Court in the case of Governor of Lagos State v. Chief Ojukwu (1986) 1 NWLR (pt. 18) 621), has held that“once a party is aware of a pending court process, even when the court has not made a speciďŹ c injunctive order, parties are bound to maintain the status quo pending the determination of the court process.â€?

Edwin faulted BUA Group’s claim to the title pursuant to Mining Leases 18912 and 18913.

He said:“However, as recently as 09 October 2019 while its wholly incompetent fundamental rights suit was still pending, BUA Group through its subsidiary (Edo Cement Company Ltd) applied to the Director-General of Mining Cadastre OfďŹ ce & Centre, Abuja for the renewal of the said Mining Leases Nos. 18912 and 18913. In response to BUA Group’s renewal applications, the Mining Cadastre OfďŹ ce, in Abuja in its letters dated 18 October 2019 wrote back to BUA Group to inform them in very categorical terms that the mining leases nos 18912 and 18913 were non-existent and were not valid mineral titles. “Interestingly and to show the character of BUA Group, these supremely critical facts were never brought to the attention of the Federal High Court in the fundamental rights suit even though the Mining Cadastre OfďŹ ce letters were written about 8 (eight) months before the judgment of the court was delivered.

In effect and signiďŹ cantly so, when that court was handing down its decision and issuing injunctive orders to protect BUA, BUA knew and was well aware, by virtue of the abovereferenced letters, that its purported rights to the mining lease were non-existent! “These facts were however mischievously and in a brazen display of mala ďŹ de concealed

by BUA Group from the court! Even these

Aliko Dangote

facts constitute sufďŹ cient proof that BUA Group’s claim to Mining Leases Nos. 18912 and 18913 rest entirely on quicksand and is therefore invalid baseless and totally nonexistent. The general public is advised to be guided accordingly.

BUA Insists Judicial Process Must be Respected However, reacting to the statement by Dangote, a statement by BUA Group alleged that Dangote, misinterpreted facts. “We read with dismay the publication by the Dangote Group which purports to set the records straight with regards to the earlier publication of the BUA group on the recent judgment of the Federal High Court in Suit No. FHC/B/CS/101/2017: BUA v. IGP & Ors. (“BUA Fundamental Right Suitâ€?), which restrains Dangote Industries Limited (“DILâ€?) and other Respondents in the suit from interfering in BUA Group’s mining sites in Obu, Okpella, Edo State. In the said publication by Dangote Group, it was alleged that the initial publication of the BUA Group was riddled with misrepresentations and deliberate distortions of facts. “We however note that the Dangote Group failed to identify any speciďŹ c fact, which was distorted. On the contrary, the Dangote Group reiterated the fact that the judgment of the Court indeed restrained DIL and the other Respondents, as contended

by BUA, albeit stating that the judgment of the Court constitutes complete aberrations and contains manifests contradictions; and it has exercised its legal right to appeal the decision of the Court. Whilst we consider this attempt to disparage the Court on the pages of print media as an affront, we shall not be joining issues with the Dangote Group, as we are of the view that the Court can protect itself and DIL reserves the right to appeal the decision of the Court. Paradoxically, the Dangote Group’s publication was fraught with untrue statements, which it touted as the facts of the matter in an attempt to misinform the general public. “Accordingly, we seek to clarify the fallacies as follows: Title to Mining Sites The Dangote Group alleged that BUA claims to have been granted its mining licenses from the Governor of Edo State. In this regard, it is imperative to note that BUA has never contended that the Governor of Edo State granted its licenses, as the authority to grant a mining license is

Abdul Samad Rabiu

within the sole jurisdiction of the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development through the Nigeria Mining Cadastre OfďŹ ce, which granted the BUA licenses. Further, both the Hon. Minister of Mines and Steel Development and the Nigeria Mining Cadastre OfďŹ ce are defendants in Suit No. FHC/B/ CS/7/2016: BUA International Limited & Anor. v. Hon. Minister of Mines and Steel Development (“BUA Suitâ€?), wherein BUA asserts its legal and beneďŹ cial ownership of the mining sites.â€?Further, the Dangote Group explicitly asserted that BUA does not have any right to the mining sites on the basis of the response of the Director-General of the Mining Cadastre OfďŹ ce to BUA’s application to renew its licenses. Needless to say, the Director-General’s ministry and parastatal are also Defendants in the BUA Suit pending in Court and the reaction is therefore not surprising.“We wish to state clearly that the mining license granted to Dangote Group explicitly states that the location is in Kogi State, Nigeria, while the BUA licenses and mining sites respectively cover and are located in Obu, Okpella, Edo State, Nigeria. “The Dangote Group’s attempt to lay claim to mining sites not within a geographical area covered by its license is therefore ludicrous.

The general public is therefore advised that Dangote Group’s claims are nothing but an attempt to unilaterally determine the outcome of the very matter the Court has been approached to determine in Suit No. FHC/B/ CS/7/2016 - BUA Suit, which is still pending.

Legal Procedures The Dangote Group also questioned the right of BUA to institute the BUA Fundamental Right Suit on the basis that it was a clear abuse of court process as there are two other pending suits – the BUA Suit and Suit No. FHC/B/CS/74/2016: Dangote Industries Limited & Anor. v. BUA International Limited & Ors (“Dangote Suit�).�

This is notwithstanding that the Dangote Group itself ironically commenced the Dangote Suit during the pendency of the BUA Suit.

Moreover, it is trite law that any fundamental right suit is an independent claim, which does not impede a pending dispute. In this instance, the suit was deemed necessary in view of Dangote Groups use of the Nigeria Police Force to disrupt the possessory right of BUA Group and to safeguard the lives of BUA Group’s employees.

Indeed, Court conďŹ rmed this in the BUA Fundamental Rights Suit, where it was stated:

“That the 1st and 2nd Respondents (Police) allowed themselves to be used by the 3rd and 4th Respondents (DIL and Dangote Cement)â€? It is imperative to note that the Dangote Group’s use of the Nigeria Police Force to disrupt BUA’s operations was done brazenly after DIL had applied to Court for a restraining order against BUA in Suit No. FHC/B/CS/74/2016, which was granted ex parte, but set aside by the Court upon a robust challenge by BUA. Interestingly, the Dangote Group did not deny resorting to self-help in its publication. It is our contention that no one should be above the law, no matter how highly placed, powerful or inuential as the rule of law is the pillar and foundation of any democracy. With respect to the Dangote Group’s interpretation of the consequence of its Appeal of the decision of the Court, it is trite law that an Appeal does not amount to a stay of execution, and the Dangote Group is only being mischievous by suggesting that BUA is refrained from taking beneďŹ t of the judgment, which was in its favor. As held by the Supreme Court in the case of Tai Ajomale v.Yuduat and Anor (1991) All N.L.R. 197: “the successful litigant is prima facie entitled to the fruits of the judgment in his favour, it is expressly provided in Section 24 of the Supreme Court Act, 1960, that an appeal does not operate as a stay of execution.â€?The Courts have also reiterated the position of law in the case of Enabulele v. Agbonlahor (1994) 5 NWLR (PT. 342) 112 at P125, where it was held that: It is trite law that under Section 18 of the Court of Appeal Act, 1976, the ďŹ ling of a Notice of Appeal does not operate as a stay of execution since the Court will not normally deprive a successful party of the fruits of his successful litigationâ€?the statement added.

Conclusion Meanwhile, some stakeholders in the sector have stressed the need for the warring factions to embrace dialogue.

The Miners Association of Nigeria appealed to both companies not to raise tension in the community with the dispute.

They warn that, it is important that the matter is resolved in the interest of the community and Edo State so as to prevent any breach of peace, as the battle shifts to the Appeal Court for resolution. Ultimately if an amicable resolution is not reached, the Supreme Court will most likely have to decide who owns the mining sites.

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Edited by: Demola Ojo email:Demola.ojo@thisdaylive.com

Ijeoma Ugamah: Our Hotel Software Merges Cloud, Ofine Solutions Ugo Aliogo

W

ith the outbreak of the COVID-19 across the globe, companies have been forced to change their strategy and business models. However, the founder of Horeca Cloud, Ijeoma Ugamah, revealed that the period provided an opportunity for the group to launch its latest software hotel property software known as My menu and My guest which merges both cloud and offline to provide full customer experience.

Speaking with THISDAY, Ugamah said the software is highly interactive.

She also noted that the software which was launched to encourage contactless service experience is designed to make the guest feel safe and 100% millennial-focused with experiences driven by technology.

She said: “Yes it is our first solution.

The hotel property management software was launched last year and was received with great reception as it is a novel idea that merges both cloud and offline together, meaning that hotel owners with internet connectivity can log in from their phone/ laptop and find out what is happening in his hotel and during internet downtime, the hotel can still assess the software.�

Ugamah further stated that hospitality owners and managers, who are interested in logging in, would be integrated first with the Property Management Software (PMS).

The Horeca Cloud founder added that the contactless guest management software would be merged, “as an add on – a link will be sent to

your guest to check- in online and using the QR code upon arrival at the hotel, the guest uses the app to check- in, request for laundry, room service and housekeeping all without touching the phone.�

She remarked that for restaurant owners, the menu would be listed on the app thus giving them a wider audience reach, pair them with a logistic vendor who would deliver the order and lastly, manage indining reservation, thus ensuring that social distancing is maintained in the restaurant.

Continuing, she said: “We offer contactless thus protecting the hospitality staff and the guest.

Technology will be used to speak to each other and eliminating the need of human interface. We have a number of hotels and restaurants on the waitlist to be among the first to use it.�

Speaking on the targeted market segment, she said,“My Menu and My Guest are software designed for hotels and restaurants in Nigeria.@ Beyond the present realities of COVID-19, the app is also beneficial to the bottom line of clients in the long term.“It bridges the data gap in the hospitality industry.

With the software you get data.

With this app you will understand your customer buying and lodging patterns, what time they buy food, what season is the peak in the hotel industry, what experiences in your hotel and restaurants they like, and you get their contact details. “With the data, you can create targeted customer loyalty campaigns, understand the buying pattern of your customer and know when to offer a discount, know the peak period in your hotel/ restaurant and curate experiences to cater to them.�

Ugamah

S’Africa Targets September for Reopening of Travel Industry New reports are indicating that the travel and tourism industry in South Africa may resume sooner than the earlier predicted date of February 2021 – possibly as early as September 2020.

Earlier in the year (May 27), after a briefing from South Africa’s Department of Tourism, it was reported that international tourism wouldn’t be possible until February 2021.

Three days later (May 30), Tourism Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane reiterated the notion in a statement when she said that, “based on the COVID-19 epidemic expected trajectory,� international tourism would return “next year.�

These statements caused widespread panic within South Africa’s travel industry, which relies heavily on international visitors.

However, according to the Tourism Business Council of South Africa (TBCSA) – an umbrella organisation representing South Africa’s voice of business in the travel and tourism sector, the release of these predictions was premature.

South Africa’s ‘Risk-Adjusted’ reopening strategy is based on levels of infection, not exact dates, so the timeline spoken of in parliament is a worst-case scenario and ‘purely speculative’, the body emphasised.

TBCSA has been instead advocating for an earlier phased reopening of the travel sector, that would see international tourists welcomed back to South Africa as early as September this year.

A Tourism Recovery Strategy is currently

Nigerian tourists at Cape Town’s Bo Kaap quarters, October 2019

being worked on collaboratively by the TBCSA and South African Tourism Board, that aims to lift tourism out of lockdown ‘as close to September 1 as possible’, and will be presented to the government upon completion. “The strategy is data-driven and advocates unequivocally for the opening of international

tourism to South Africa this year,� TBCSACEO, Tshifhiwa Tshivhengwa, told The Telegraph. “We’ve looked at best practice from international destinations that are opening up to international travel and tourism, and have developed stringent health and safety protocols that are aligned with the latest World

Health Organization, National Institute of Communicable Disease and Department of Health guidelines. These have been approved by the Department of Tourism and are being rolled out as we speak. “These protocols are important because they will inform the exact timelines for the reopening of international tourism.�

The proposed recovery strategy includes an initial ‘preparation phase’ of six to eight weeks, followed by a ‘trial phase’ or Phase 1, where international markets with similar risk profiles and stages of pandemic would be allowed to travel to the country. The proposition has similarities to the air bridges scheme currently being worked on in the UK. Tourists would have to follow strict safety protocols and the focus would be on travel to low-risk areas with lower population density, taking advantage of South Africa’s wide open spaces.

South Africa would then further open to key markets throughout Phase 2, before finally allowing all air travel to fully return in Phase 3. “We are confident South Africa’s tourism economy can be opened up safely if we follow global best practice and the comprehensive protocols we have developed,� added Tshivhengwa. “By opening up in a responsible manner as close to September 1 as possible, we will save the entire 2021 inbound tourism revenue stream and tourism in South Africa.�

A

WEEKLY PULL-OUT

21.6.2020

MIKE AREMU

NIGERIA’S SASSY, SAVVY AND STATELY His finger throbs the body and spine of the shiny object, it moans in mellifluous undertones. He teases various parts of its body; the stately sax reverberates with soulful tunes. The audience are enraptured body and soul. His eyes widened as he delivers a virtuoso performance. The beads of sweat on his brow are like a sliver of gold dust. He wriggles in enigmatic movement with his sun-shine saxophone. As he waltzes on the stage with his prized musical instrument, the crowd gyrate in ecstasy. No one does it better than Mike Aremu with the saxophone, one of the world’s best sax players. From the United Kingdom, he talks about his ingenuity and modesty with Funke Olaode ASSISTANT EDITOR OLUFUNKE OLAODE/funkola2000@gmail.com

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COVER

His Sax, Style And Story

L

earning to play the saxophone takes time and effort, believe it or not, it took Mike Aremu, one of the world’s best saxophonists four days to learn to play it. Incredible but it’s true. Smooth-faced Mike Aremu makes extraordinary things seem simple. His modesty underlies his power of superstardom. As a performer, he dazzles and as an inspiration, he provides vision. His fashion sense is not simplistic though simple.

The suave, sassy and savvy saxophonist is at once mesmerizing and evangelizing.

Born in northern Nigeria in Kaduna State, the Ogbomoso, Oyo State native had his early years in Minna, Niger State. He had his primary and secondary education in Minna before proceeding to Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro, Ogun State where he studied Electrical Electronics Engineering. Later, he was admitted to the University of Maiduguri.

Today, he has moved beyond his early calling of being an engineer as he keeps evolving. “I have been doing a lot of training on so many things; software testing, data analysis, and I have trained myself when it comes to music even up to music production and video editing lately. I guess one just keeps evolving and updating myself on so many things. I am also training on forex trading,� the London-based Mike Aremu reveals.

Mike Aremu’s road to stardom like others before him began in the church.

Though trumpet was his major, people were convinced he sounded like a sax player.

He says further, “I would say that saxophone chose me because as a child growing up, I have been into music as long as I can remember. I started with local drums and other instruments but trumpet was my major for a very long time. And even as a trumpeter people would tell me how much I sounded like a saxophonist. It was that smooth. “I have seen saxophone on television but I didn’t have access to any. When I got the opportunity to pick any you may not believe it I learnt how to play it in four days. I sounded so great and I have always loved the sound of the saxophone. I have always loved the smoothness of the saxophone.�

From the vineyard of God where he discovered his talents as an eight-yearold, Mike Aremu metamorphosed into an international artiste delighting and serenading his audience.

For him, playing the saxophone isn’t just God-thing. It’s for humans too. “Music is a therapy and I don’t only play for Jesus I also play to glorify Jesus. I also play to make brethren happy, to make men happy, to change the mood of the people. I also use music as a tool to speak about my faith, my love, my motivations,� he points out. “I just not only play for Jesus and God who is my inspiration. That is the reason why I live. For instance, I play at parties. I play at weddings, funerals, birthdays. So, music has a way to lift people’s spirits. During the lockdown, a lot of people have been blessed.�

To say Mike Aremu plays a saxophone is an understatement. “If the saxophone were to be human, I would call it a female. I have several but there are three major saxophones that are dear to my heart. As a matter of fact, I gave them names: soprano, alto and tenor saxophones. “My soprano sax is called Kokumo. “My alto sax is called Enitan; because she is been with me for a while. “The third one is Folorunso. There is a meaning attached to each of my instruments.�

The names, he revealed were given just for fun. They are a summary of his survival, triumph and future.

Mike Aremu explains: “For Instance, I almost lost Kokumo when I was attacked in Nigeria many years back. The armed robbers spared it and didn’t take it. It was a very pretty box but they left it. My tenor sax is my most expensive sax and I call her Folorunso.

She is one of my favourites and God is my insurance on that because of how much it cost. And Enitan because she has spent many years with me.�

In his musical exploits, Mike Aremu has traversed the world serenading his audience with his creativity. And if there is a lesson learnt on his musical journey it is the ability to impress his audience and not to suppress them. “Every concert is important,� he says. “You know every opportunity I have to perform in front of the audience, for me is an

opportunity to display my God-given talents.

For instance, there are two categories of the audience: the gospel or what I would call the church audience.

He adds, “The church audience is about one thing, God matters and my heart belongs to God. And it is overwhelming when you have led a group of people and you see people dancing, shaking their bodies. With modesty, I have led people in their millions, hundreds, and in tens but the only thing I find in common especially with regards to gospel music is to see physically how God is being lifted in body, soul and spirit. “I mean moving people in worshipping God. The second audience category is the secular world. I had performed in many festivals across the world and people such as Germans, French who don’t really understand the lyrics, were on their heels feeling the music. So, making the music journey with you is amazing. It is the most fascinating thing. It is the most exciting thing in the world.�

Mike Aremu believes his audience deserves great performances.

The lively saxophonist notes, “For anyone to spend his money to be at your concert, he or she deserves the best. Mind you, whether people pay or not, as an artiste you just want to create a great performance that will create everlasting memories. You want to create the best atmosphere for anyone. First, you have to feel the music. The whole gyration begins with you and the band, then it is easier to convey it to your audience. “It is a mind-blowing experience that you feel when you wrote the songs, rehearsed the song and you ensure that the delivery is mind-blowing. In organizing a show, great performance counts but acceptability and patronage count more. God has endowed you but where the pressure comes is to get the people to come and watch the show.�

He finds peace being on stage. He finds deliverance too. On the stage, hope does not elude him. He also finds hope. Then, he sees visions. The stage is not just for performance.

It’s also where he draws inspiration and consolation. “On the contrary,� he replies when asked if there were times, he didn’t feel like going on stage to perform. “The stage is actually is where I run to when I am down It’s where I am able to express myself. I wouldn’t say there had been a moment when I didn’t want to go to the stage to perform. “The stage is my refuge. It is where I am able to express myself when I have not even seen the world. Also, it is a place where I hang out.�

Mike Aremu paused momentarily when asked what lessons he has learnt from his mistakes. But he said, “I wouldn’t call them mistakes because looking back those things (so-called mistakes) have helped me to become who I am now. I feel it is okay to make mistakes in life and learn from those mistakes. You know people’s paths are different from every other person because we have to toe different paths at different times or the kind of experience you will have.�

He adds, “If there is any advice is just to make sure that truly you have been called to do what you are doing. If it is your true calling you will excel and overcome challenges. Mistakes are learning processes.

You fall and rise again and move on.�

As a celebrity, it’s easy to attach fame, fortune and fun to Mike Aremu but he admits: “I like my peace and wouldn’t say I am there yet but I am happy. I am a fulfilled man. That is what I would say. I have a lot of fun but fortune and fame are not my focus because I will choose fulfillment over the whole world. “I feel fulfilled when I see a lot of saxophone players or rather aspiring saxophonists who would say how much I have influenced them. By the grace of God, I changed the face of saxophone playing in Nigeria regarding how it’s viewed and perceived. To me, it is fulfilment rather than fame and fortune.

Then, he acknowledges again: “Fun, Yes! I love what I do and I flow with it.�

For many accomplished artistes, living the dream comes with women and a lot of wine. You will want to know Mike Aremu’s vice in that regard. “What I say to people,� he explains, “is that I am a Christian and that has guided me in my music trajectory whether you call me a gospel artist or a jazz artiste.�

What makes him tick then? He mentioned the Bible. He also talked about

Aremu

some values. No show ladies. This man isn’t the fun-seeking guy you seek to ‘waylay’.

Then, Mike Aremu says: “My way of living is based on my Christian faith and the Bible and I must respect that. Yes, women will try but one can ward them off nicely by knowing how to control yourself. I try by God’s grace. “I am not saying that I am perfect but somehow God has helped me. Apart from my Christian faith, I would say the values I’ve imbibed in life have proved invaluable.

If they come, I would let them know where I stand.�

The saxophonist is a globetrotter but he loves his home. “I have a family and there has to be a balance as a musician who wants to stay in a marriage. You have to make a lot of sacrifices, always consider your family. This is constantly in my subconscious that there has to be a balance. “Somehow, I create a family time when I’m around and make the best of it. I try to balance everything and of course, my spouse understands the kind of job I do and is lovingly supportive. So far, so good, we have been able to cope very well,� he says.

But he also admits: “I had missed birthdays, anniversaries and Christmases.

But we are coping and I try to make it up to them so that they don’t miss my absence so much.�

Did the sax play a role in wooing his wife?

He replied: “She would be in the right position to answer that. I am sure it did

whether she would admit it or not. “I am sure sax plays a lot in wooing her.

We were good friends (before we got married) and it went beyond the saxophone, though it could be part of it.�

Not even COVID-19 lockdown could hold down the sax maestro. “I am so excited to announce the release of the animated lyrics video for ‘Not A Man’.

It’s one of the tracks of my SOS album,� he discloses. “It will be available on YouTube on Friday, June 12. This album means a lot to me because I had a clear instruction from God on what to do with these particular songs; how to do the songs. God even asked me when to release it.�

The excited Mike Aremu continues: “So it was released on June 12 on Spotify, Boomplay, Tik Tok, Amazon Music, Google Play, Deezer, Tune Afrique, and all other online music stores. “It has been an amazing journey for the past 21 years when I released my first album. My fans, both at home and abroad, have been supportive. I am eternally grateful to them and for their support.�

With over two decades of musical exploits and string of successes, does he feel special when he is referred to as Nigeria’s best saxophonist?

With a touch of modesty, Mike Aremu admits: “I am honoured for people to look at me that way. Honestly, it is an honour and I want to ascribe everything to God for that status.�

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

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TRIBUTE

IBIDUNNI ITUAH-IGHODALO: BITTERSWEET MEMORIES OF A BELOVED ENCHANTRESS Were an outpouring of eulogies and tears potent enough to rouse the dead, Ibidunni Ituah-Ighodalo, who died early hours of last Sunday, would have reconsidered spending a few more days, resurrected for a brief parting repartee before plunging into her eternal sleep, writes LANRE ALFRED

F

ew days after her sad demise, Ibidunni Ituah-Ighodalo’s family and friends unite to appreciate the kernel and towering humaneness of a princess whose life story resonates like a fairy tale, after her exit from the mortal world. The eyes of many were bloodshot and not a few fought back tears. The sun was at its peak; yet, they felt cold and walked with arms akimbo. It’s often said, death, we have since come to accept, is man’s most inevitable end. But when it does happen, it leaves in its trail anguish and sorrow.

Yes, no simple or ornamental tribute could capture the essence of Ibidunni Ighodalo’s extraordinary appeal. Men were swayed by her beauty and poise, but her hold on women was even more phenomenal. Ibidun stoked intense feelings of gratitude and contentment in most people privileged enough to have made her acquaintance during a 40-year spell on earth.

One week after her sad departure from the mortal world, memories assail her loved ones like a bittersweet gust of cold breeze after a discomforting heatstroke. For the umpteenth time, family and friends of late Ibidunni smarted from the pain of recollection as they were forced to relive the humanity and magnificence that characterized her short spell on earth with them.

Curiously, however, death has never been kind or sensitive. Neither does it pretend to care nor distinguish. It snatches where it wants, taking people regardless of age or virtuousness. Death has taken Ibidun Ighodalo, the former beauty queen who always had a smile, a peck, and a word of prayer for everyone. Her toothy smile was part of her everyday ensemble and it always lit up her beautiful visage. For a woman whose business was about giving people the best party experience, she didn’t plan to celebrate her 40th birthday in July. All she wanted was to put a smile on the faces of 40 families; a plan that summed up her whole existence; touching lives and sharing love unconditionally.

The Nigerian socio-economic and political establishment went cold and lifeless when on Saturday, June 14, news broke that the lovable and lively Ibidun Ighodalo, wife of Pastor Ituah Ighodalo of the Trinity Church, Lagos, had died in her hotel room in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, after purportedly suffering a heart attack.

Instructively, while many were still in denial after the news became public knowledge, a video of the widower preaching about the futility of life to congregants at a burial ceremony on the same morning surfaced. “A lot of you know that I really shouldn’t be here. At 2 o’clock this morning, I received a call that shattered my life. Life is a deep mystery, there’s no human being, no matter how wise they are who can say they understand life. Let us accept the mystery of life. We don’t have any control over most things in life. Nobody has control over life. This time yesterday, if anyone had told me this is how it will be, I would have said it is impossible. Life is nothing,� he said.

As if in preparation for her death, Ibidun had visited her father, late Olaleye Ajayi’s grave in Ibadan before departing for Port Harcourt where she died. An emotional video of the trip to the graveyard was shared on her Instagram page where she was seen wading through the forest to locate the site with her paternal aunt and security officers in tow. She described the experience thus: “When I went to visit daddy’s burial ground, the graveyards were not organized, getting there was daunting and no space, people buried on people. Please, take time out to visit your loved ones and say a prayer. I was so emotional. I went to visit my aunty as she also wanted to visit her brother’s graveside.

They were inseparable. “As elderly as she was, she insisted on going to visit him with me. On getting there,

Her Business Empire Despite initial ambivalence about what career path to take, Ibidun, a Microbiology graduate of the University of Lagos and fellow of the National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria (NIMN), established Elizabeth R, an events management company, in 2003 to create exceptional events as opposed to the everyday ordinary event. Within a decade, the outfit had built a reputation for delivering indelible events and experiences while emerging as one of the best events companies in Nigeria with a roll-call of high-profile clients like state governments and foremost banks and multinationals.

Ovation magazine publisher, Chief Dele Momodu wrote, “Ibidunni loved to take on and achieve mega projects. Her proclivity for spectacular ventures made her one of the hardest working and remarkably successful women in Africa. Her company, ELIZABETH R, was a leading conglomerate in Events planning, Decoration, Rentals, Construction of Marquees, and Equipment Supplies... She was passionate and daring... Her beautification of Lagos during the Christmas seasons was legendary. She worked feverishly to light up Lagos and turned the streets to a Dubai in the works.�

She was working on the COVID-19 Isolation Center in Port Harcourt like she had done in Lagos and several other states when death came calling.

Late Ibidunni Ituah-Ighodalo

there were quite a number of impediments and overgrown grasses that would have discouraged anyone from going to visit. But she persevered. It was such an emotional visit and I’m so glad we could go. Make sure you take time to visit loved ones and make them feel loved and cherished always even in death. Clean their grave always, regularly, and say a prayer.�

The Essential Ibidun Had death tarried, Ibidun would have turned 40 in July. In a Whatsapp message she sent to her friend, the celebrity photographer, TY Bello, Ibidun disclosed that to celebrate the landmark birthday, she planned to ‘make 40 homes happy.’ TY added a footnote: “This is who she was ... this was what she had on her mind. She never forgot others going through the pain of waiting. Even at the very end.� Ibidun is survived by her husband and adopted twins, her mother, siblings, and millions of associates, mentees, and beneficiaries of her large heart.

Ibidun was everybody’s darling; cheerful, lively, enterprising, beautiful, and prayerful.

The outpouring of testimonials and tributes underscores her impact on many people.

Born on July 19, 1980, in Ibadan, Oyo State, to the late Olaleye Ajayi family, she studied Microbiology at the University of Lagos, Akoka, before getting further training in Business Management from the Lagos Business School.

It was as an undergraduate that she won the maiden Lux Beauty Pageant. The organizer of the pageant, Ehi Braimah, in a tribute, said that during her reign as a beauty queen, Ibidun made life easy for everyone. She did not carry unnecessary airs while her conduct and attitude showed great promise. Braimah said that the virtues she evinced effortlessly were a reflection of her graciousness, strong family values and humility.

She added, “Ibidun was beautiful, softspoken, humble, respectful, diligent, talented and friendly. She had a generous spirit and inspired young people who saw her as a role model; they wanted to be like her. From the outpouring of tributes in some blogs to honour Ibidun, even those who were not close to her admired her strength of character, creativity, philanthropy and entrepreneurship.�

The Infertility Journey And Her Foundation Ibidun got married in 2007 to Pastor Ighodalo, a successful accountant turned cleric.

For several years, however, they had no child.

She stated in a dated interview, “Like any newly married couple, my husband and I looked forward to starting our family and holding our children in our arms. You can imagine our dismay when after getting married in 2007, we watched the years roll by without a child of our own. After several doctors’ appointments, we were told that we wouldn’t have children unless we sought treatment through assisted reproduction.�

She had added, “This was the doctor’s report we received, but we choose to believe God’s own report, unshaken in our faith as we firmly believe that that we will have our children. This period of delay also came with pressure and a lot of insensitivity from people to our situation. I also had to deal with the emotions, pain, and the rollercoaster hormonal imbalance that comes with all sorts of treatments. Thankfully, I am married to an amazing man who has been there for me through all the procedures; unflinching in his support.�

In 2018, while celebrating the 11th anniversary of her marriage, Ibidun confessed that she had done IVF 11 times and it failed every time. She resorted to adopting a set of twins when the last IVF she did was initially successful but had a miscarriage at three months. Scans had shown that she was carrying twins. The infertility experience also led her to start her foundation designed to “bring joy to the hearts of couples through their fertility journey by providing grants for women to pay for IVF treatments and help reduce the stigma around infertility in Nigeria.�

An Outpouring of Tributes Death may have ended her life but not the relationship she built with many. Not surprisingly, because of her effervescence, bonhomie, and selflessness among other virtues that stood her out of the crowd, a lot of people who knew the former beauty queen are understandably still going through the numbing gamut of grief; denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. Others even wished it was them, not her.

If money were enough, her husband who is the founder and Pastor of the Trinity House could have mustered the whole world to save her and fulfil his vows that they would grow grey together while humanity would have congregated and contributed to saving one of its

finest representatives. The Grim Reaper, alas, had other tragic plans.

Prominent Nigerians have physically and virtually commiserated with the Ighodalos and the Oladele-Ajayis. Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu was one of the earliest callers at the Ighodalos. He said, “I was shocked when I received the news that my friend, Pastor Ituah Ighodalo had lost his wife and partner, Mrs. Ibidun Ighodalo. Mrs. Ibidun Ighodalo was an inspiration to many. I pray for strength for Pastor Ituah, their children, loved ones, and the many she has touched.�

In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, President Muhammadu Buhari commiserated with Pastor Ighodalo whom he said regularly prays for the government and the country. The president stated that he shared the pain and sorrow of the family at the sudden death, and prayed for God’s comfort for the entire family, friends, and members of Trinity House, adding, “Please, accept my condolences. May God give you the fortitude to bear the loss, and strengthen you in this trying time.�

Similarly, Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State said, “As close friends, our grief is hard to describe in words. Ibidunni was one of the finest among us. She was full of life and gave herself to causes that edified life and living. In her personal capacity and through the Ibidunni Ighodalo Foundation, she impacted society, helping to bring joy and happiness to peoples’ lives.�

In his tribute, Dr. Nsima Ekere, the former Deputy Governor of Akwa Ibom State and later, MD of the Niger Delta Development Company, NDDC, said, “My deep condolences to my friend and brother Pastor Ituah Ighodalo on the passing of his wife Ibidun. May the Lord rest her beautiful soul.� Former Minister of Education, Mrs. Obiageli Ezekwesili wrote, “Life! Ibidun Ighodalo? Just gone... like a candle in the wind.

Too much heartbreaking news. May God comfort our very dear Pastor Ituah and rest of family in the way that only He can in Jesus name.�

Billionaire Aliko Dangote; the First Lady of Lagos State, Dr. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu; Pastor Paul Adefarasin and his wife; and Publisher of the Thisday Group, Prince Nduka Obaigbena among others were also at the Ighodalos’ home.

Yes, a tragic end to the life of one of the most acclaimed invigorators of Lagos’ social circuit and high society no doubt.

Alive, Ibidunni was an enchanteur; from childhood, she radiated such infectious mirth and loveliness that members of her nuclear and extended family, friends and other loved ones, fell over one another to pamper and please the little girl that grew up to ignite their unsullied affection even as they bore her in a carriage of care towards an enchanted future.

In one sense, though, Ibidun is not gone. She will continually and fondly be remembered as a daughter, wife, mother, sister, and friend who radiated great bliss, laughter, and splendour wherever she graced with her unforgettable presence.

Indeed, the true measure of a person is not how long he or she lives, but what was achieved while on earth. She was endowed with the noblest persona epitomizing kindness, selflessness, genuine humaneness, and an extraordinary ability to put a smile on people’s faces, even at the most improbable time.

Until her death, Ibidun’s world revolved around her family and friends, whom she loved without inhibition or compromise according to many of her loved ones. She was the people’s princess, and that is how she will stay, in their hearts and in their memories forever. With her tragic death, a beacon of light has no doubt been extinguished. She was a woman of grace, gorgeousness, and allure, and her beauty no doubt radiated from within, to form a glorious halo about her persona throughout her short but impressive stay on earth.

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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 Í°ÍŻËœ Í°ÍŽÍ°ÍŽ

FEATURES

Ramon Abass

Rise and Arrest of Nigeria’s Most Celebrated Ramoni ‘Hushpuppi’ Abass Welcome to the world of Ramoni Abass, popularly known as Hushpuppi, who commands relentless fawning and obsequiousness from celebrities and millions of Nigerians, LANRE ALFRED reports

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bscene opulence, raw wealth, and flagrant flamboyance seep through the Instagram page of Hushpuppi, the young man also known as ‘Gucci billionaire’.

He is not modest about his vast fortune. He displays it for the world to see through his fast cars – regarded as one of the most expensive in Dubai – his rock-star globetrotting to the most idyllic locations in the world and designer wears.

Unfortunately for him, he was arrested by Dubai Police on June 10.

The 38-year-old was referred to the Dubai public prosecution and is currently being questioned by prosecutors at the Bur Dubai section. He’s charged with “obtaining money from others through fraudulent means.� Security officers in the emirate arrested Hushppupi and 12 others for online fraud that targets companies and individuals. “They would send out letters from email addresses almost identical to those of legitimate companies, targeting customers of these companies, with the purpose of diverting payments to themselves,� said a senior prosecutor.

Some of his most recent pictures before the arrest, showed him lean against a snowwhite 2020 Rolls Royce Cullinan. Another picture that exemplifies his luxury lifestyle sees him stand in the middle of three luxury cars – Ferrari, Bentley, and Maybach Benz.

Hushpuppi fancies expensive champagnes and cognacs and buys them in clubs whether in Dubai or Abu Dhabi in tray-loads. Whichever club he appears, he makes it rain drinks and money. And ladies love him for his generosity and living la vida loca lifestyle while many men kowtow before him for living their wildest fantasies.

Without doubt, Ray Hushpuppi, the extravagant Dubai-based socialite mastered the art of living large and loud to the awe and admiration of mere mortals but he didn’t learn what it means to walk alone, down an abyss where there is no end in sight or friends, hangers-on, and a fawning fandom to cheer him on. He must be learning that now especially since he was arrested by the Dubai police, alongside his partner, otherwise known as Mr. Woodyberry, over their involvement in alleged multiple scams.

The Dubai police had reportedly been on the trail of Hushpuppi, particularly, for some time due largely to his mysterious wealth and obscene flamboyance on Instagram. An avid user of the photo and video-sharing social networking service where he had morphed into an influencer

of sort and recently celebrated hitting two million followers, he gleefully posted the kind of luxury legitimate money makers would not allow the world to see. His excuse was “I post a few of these things so that someone can see my page someday and decide not to give up.�

Many of Nigeria’s male and female celebrities openly courted and fawned over his page, liking and commenting on his posts while literally tripping over themselves to be noticed by the young moneyman.

For many Nigerian socialites, politicians, and celebrities, Hushpuppi was the go-to guy to explore and enjoy optimally the Dubai nightlife. Whenever Hushpuppi went to the club, whether in Lagos or Dubai or anywhere in the world, he made it rain with expensive champagnes and cognacs and he usually had for a company some of the finest species of the womenfolk flown from all over the world. Of a truth, he came to national consciousness when he blew N11 million on drinks at the popular Quilox Nite Club owned by Shina Peller, now a member of the House of Representatives.

He became the toast of high society and top society ladies and celebrities therefrom.

Over time, he had hosted in Dubai, where he made a home, among other top Nigerians, Senator Dino Melaye, Davido, Wizkid, and others. He had also been seen in pictures with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar who is also living in Dubai. He and Davido were quite close and pictures of them abound on the internet. In fact, at Davido’s brother’s wedding in Dubai recently, Hushpuppi was seen spraying $100 notes like it was going out of fashion while cavorting with guests like a member of the family. Same Davido, like many other celebrities and bootlickers, has unfollowed him on Instagram.

From a young man who used to hawk second-hand clothes all over mainland Lagos to a jet-setting King of designer apparels. His relocation to Dubai many years back opened him up to a higher level of social exploration.

From Dubai to Greece and everywhere else with sandy beaches, poplar-lined esplanades, and beautiful women, always there in his full glory. So much that some of his best companies were white women. And he was never coy or had scruples about showing off his life on the fast lane, especially those with champagne-ridden boat cruises.

Yes, Hushpuppi enjoyed a lavish lifestyle that included international trips by private jets, relentless supplies of designer apparel and footwear, gourmet meals at expensive restaurants, and permanent residency at the Palazzo Versace, Dubai. He acquired the money habit and lived life to the fullest.

It was either Diamond-crusted Hublot, Patek Phillippe, Rolex or Richard Mille

Abass

wristwatches or nothing and he once got himself a piece of the latter for a princely $150,000. This is aside from his bespoke black badge Rolls Royce Wraith and a Bentley Bentayga he bought to celebrate Valentine 2019. Three months after, he bought himself an S650 Maybach just because he wanted to.

When he flew to the Abu Dhabi F1 Grand Prix last November, it was in a chartered helicopter, saying, “My driver already waiting with my Rolls Royce and some bad bitches in my Ferrari too.�

Some months earlier, he had posted on IG as always, “(I) had a helicopter pull up on my Mykonos villa to take me and some supermodels to Scorpios where the party (is) at. Arab money don’t stress.�

Mykonos is known as the Ibiza of Greece as it is famous for its cosmopolitan atmosphere and lively nightlife. It is also famous for its vast array of whitewashed churches, shops, museums, and other structures that date back to the 16th century.

So much was he into designer brands that Louis Vuitton officially invited him for the Virgil Abloh SS20 fashion show in Paris. He counted among his very good friends Abloh, the top-rated American fashion designer. He was, according to him, the only black person invited by Fendi to its fashion show in Rome, Italy, in 2018. Hushpuppi wrote about the experience.

“Last night was really amazing for me,� he had written, “not just because I was invited

by Fendi to dine with a lot of amazing, strong societal giants and strong personalities but also the fact that people of my kind from a dark and blurry background from the slums can get here on this level, not only make it out of the hood but also be able to integrate from the streets to the corporate world which I know I am not the only one who has made it enough to be able to achieve this but a lot of people who made it only still care about being a champion in the street and the hood. “For me, I know I was not created to be a champion in a local market and I know for a fact I have been inspiring a lot of people not just from Africa but every part of the world on how to live life better and more greatly in the fashion world. I have been able to expose a lot of people to see the light (You all are welcome lol) and I hope someday I will be inspiring more young people to join me on this path. “Being the only black person that was invited there last night, I hope to see many of you black kings and queens in this type of gatherings next time and not just in those your little gossip, hating on each other gatherings.�

If convicted, Hushpuppi may be gone for a long time, signalling an end to the reign of a young man whose insatiable appetite for luxury living and source of wealth remains the stuff of legend in contemporary Nigeria.

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

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High Life Aisha Buhari’s Many Battles

I

t is interesting that there are societies that persist in the tradition of matriarchal rulership.

Maybe not as glaringly as many proponents of feminism would have it, but still...progress!

Nigeria is not one of such societies.

Nevertheless, women have played ďŹ ne, signiďŹ cant, and immeasurable roles in their development. As can be seen with First Lady Aisha Buhari, women bring much relief and succour to their subjects. But these women ďŹ ght their own battles too, as can be seen, again, with First Lady Aisha Buhari.

Recently, media houses and channels were fanned to ames with the news that there had been a collision of interests in Presidential Villa, Aso Rock, Abuja. According to the ďŹ rst report, this eventually led to gunshots ďŹ red into the air and vehicle tyres screeching as in a James Bond movie. Much later, however, the rumours were distilled into reasonable facts.

According to the resultant patches of information, the said collision happened between Aisha Buhari and Sabiu ‘Tunde’ Yusuf, the Personal Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari. The latter had reportedly arrived at the Presidential Villa after having spent some time in Lagos, visiting his wife who recently put to bed.

On his return, however, he did not observe the mandatory 14-day isolation protocol which was put in place to reduce the risk of COVID-19 spreading to susceptible folks.

Thus, Aisha Buhari—along with her children—supposedly confronted him, to which he allegedly refused.

Sparks resulted from the confrontation and the subsequent refusal. One of Aisha Buhari’s security aides then shot into the air to enforce the First Lady’s—and indeed, the NCDC—directive.

Here is where Sabiu Yusuf fled his residence within the Villa, tyres screeching all the way, and into the residence of one of President Buhari’s conďŹ dants, Mamman Buhari.

And then Aisha’s security ofďŹ cer was arrested. And she publicly requested his release. However, the First Lady’s public demand for his release went unheeded. The latest report on this is that everything has been settled, with Sabiu Yusuf back at his desk and all security ofďŹ cers redeployed.

Although some folks have pointed out that this is the best course of action by the Presidency, others point out that Aisha Buhari got the short end of the stick. Seeing as she has never shied away from referring to ‘cabal’ activity within the Villa, these folks maintain that the First Lady is in the centre of it all, battling to sustain, strengthen and solidify her place in the Presidency.

Aisha

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

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

Double Celebration as Oniru, Oba Gbolahan Lawal Set to Join Golden Club in July From the foot of the mountain to its peak; from being a cup of water in a vast desert to being an oasis—this is the story of Gbolahan Lawal, who is now Oba Oniru of Iruland, Oba Abdul Wasiu Omogbolahan Lawal (Abisogun II). Having recently joined the line of Royal Fathers in June, Oba Lawal will further top things off when he clocks 50 in July—a golden crown upon his head and a golden path laid out before him.

In the coming years, it might be difficult to believe that Oniru Gbolahan Lawal was a police officer. And yet, that’s how he started.

Because fortunes change, the policeman became a commissioner time and time again and is now a royal father waiting to step in the golden circle of life.

There is no question about it: fate showed her hand in the ascension of Oba Gbolahan Lawal, and providence demonstrated his characteristic favouritism. What was considered a rumour was confirmed to be the absolute truth when Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, presented the staff of office to Oba Gbolahan Lawal, at the Palace,

Victoria Island. This was on Sunday 7 June 2020. On Wednesday the 3 June, there wasn’t even a thread of gossip that a notable public servant was going to retire the next day, and ascend a throne four days after.

There are many reasons to think that Oba Gbolahan Lawal is supernaturally lucky.

As a public officer, he was one of the few people who thrived under successive Lagos governments—without the stains of modern thuggery or calculating rambunctiousness.

He was not registered as a serious contender for the throne, not with the likes of Prince Adesegun Oniru (son of the last Oniru, the late Oba Idowu Oniru, and the spearhead contestant of Ruling House Akiogun) and Hakeem Ajasa (of Ruling House Abisogun).

Aside from the obvious high placements of the other princes, Oba Gbolahan Lawal was not even a full Oniru: his mother was the Oniru, whereas his father, the late Chief T. A. Lawal-Akapo, was the Ojora of Lagos. But being friends with providence and political thunderbirds has its benefits.

The crown of gold already sits on his head.

Ibrahim Odumboni in the Eye of the Storm

Odumboni

The COVID-19 pandemic is affecting almost every aspect of life.

In Nigeria, this has resulted in dire problems involving individuals, communities, and the government.

Although the reality of unpaid salaries The corporate world has not been the same since the wrecking ball that is COVID-19 came crashing into stocks and strategies. The banking sector tops the list of sectors thoroughly thrown out of course by the pandemic and all the measures set in place to curb it. With the debris of uncertainty everywhere, few banking brands have been able to rise to the surface and continue along the stream of progress.

Fidelity is one of such banks, and much of its recent successes are a result of the work and team of Nnamdi Okonkwo, the Managing Director.

A few weeks ago, Fidelity Bank announced that its gross earnings for the first quarter of 2020 grew by 5.7% in relation to the previous quarter.

In essence, this was a profit of about 2.7 billion in a space of three months. This is a stellar report indeed, especially in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting corporate conditions.

However, Nnamdi Okonkwo has always maintained that the greatest advantage of Fidelity Bank is its uncontested flexibility and capacity to adapt to new economic circumstances and uncertainties. Be that as it may, the ship does not drive itself, neither does the helm; overall, it is the Captain’s foresight and ability.

is not unfamiliar in most states, it has not been used as a hammer against any single individual who is not a governor—until now.

A viral video recently started making the rounds on social media. In the video, an individual reported to be a supervisor with the Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), censured the CEO of LAWMA, Ibrahim Odumboni, for refusing to pay the salaries of workers, from April to date. The lamenting worker stated that Odumboni’s refusal to pay their three-month salaries meant that he— Odumboni—cared little for the welfare of his workers, some of whom are elderly women.

The LAWMA worker took things a notch higher by capturing the insides of his kitchen, which were very clean and very empty. Following this, he asked the audience—and Odumboni— how he was supposed or expected to survive without food. In his words, “We go to work every day. We ensure that Lagos State is clean. We go to work very early in the morning till 4 pm, when we return home. When there was

Oba Lwal

In a few weeks, his steps will also echo his new status in rank and age.

COVID-19 lockdown, we had no break.

We were still going out and ensured that Lagos was clean.�

Raising things to a crescendo, the worker stated that he is an asthmatic; that his basic medication (the inhaler) is 6,500. If things continue this way, he said, Odumboni was going to spoil the good works of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu. Afterward, the worker knelt and begged Governor SanwoOlu to come to their rescue, pay their salaries, and save him—and the others—from certain death.

Responding to the video, LAWMA stated that it was in no way hampering the progress of Governor SanwoOlu’s governance, or intending to do so. It maintained that the welfare of every individual working for the government, including the contract staff of LAWMA, is a priority. It was further emphasized that the April salary for LAWMA workers was released to the contractors, and will soon reach every staff—including the man from the viral video. Furthermore, the salary of May and others are already being prepared so as to be disbursed in timely, efficient manners.

In this, Ibrahim Odumboni has been cast into the limelight of public censure—nay, into the eye of the storm.

Fidelity Bank MD, Nnamdi Okonkwo: Quiet Revolution Making Loud Impact

Medayese

Okonkwo

For Captain Nnamdi Okonkwo, the COVID-19 pandemic is just another avenue to set Fidelity Bank apart from every other.

Since assuming office as the MD in 2014, Okonkwo’s 30-plus years of banking experience have been channelled towards the growth and advancement of the Bank.

This has yielded several blue-ribbon awards and acclaim for both Fidelity Bank and Nnamdi Okonkwo himself.

One of the characteristic markers of Nnamdi Okonkwo’s operation is the quiet, behind-the-scenes formation. This entails him working in the backgrounds and wearing the medals of gold when results are finally announced. This is how he has been winning the Banker of the Year award, as shown by Marketing Edge’s and Lagos Times’ recognition of him.

As Nnamdi Okonkwo continues to make waves with Fidelity Bank, one is reminded of a whale gently stroking the surface of oceans with the strength of its physique. That’s Okonkwo—making waves beneath the shell of an affable but decisive temperament.

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

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Adebayo Adeoye bayoolunla@gmail.com; 08054680651

Rotimi Akeredolu’s Indelible Footprints

By Providence, respected lawyer and politician, Rotimi Akeredolu, SAN, is the incumbent governor of Ondo State. Though some reportedly tagged him an incorrigible dreamer in the build-up to the election in 2016, he refused to be bothered about the enormity of the odds against him or even entombed his living dreams.

Everywhere he went to during the campaign, he was armed with his pragmatic manifesto, pleading with his people to give him a chance to serve them. Even when it was obvious that some powerful elements in the state , including the then incumbent governor of the state, Olusegun Mimiko, allegedly posed a threat to his political ambition, he held on to his dream with uncommon steadfastness.

Luckily, he had the last laugh in the end. It will be recalled that he had lost the bid to clinch the number one job in the state in 2012.

But the experience only toughened him when he offered himself to serve his people again. Interestingly, Akeredolu has shown evidence of a brilliant mind who knows what to do when fate offers him a rare opportunity in life. Like a gentleman that he is, he has not disappointed his people who dared the scorching sun to cast their votes for him about four years ago. Aketi, as he is popularly called by his admirers, has proved that he is indeed a silent achiever, as he has left his footprints in several sectors of the state.

Society watch gathered that his leadership and administrative acumen is steadily bringing the dividends of democracy to the people in ways that complement and even surpass the work of his predecessors.

In a nation where many of his contemporaries seek public offices primarily for the perks and luxuries that come with it, the Senior Advocate of Nigeria is said to prefer to live within the modest means while using the state’s minimal resources to focus on providing education, building road, providing health care infrastructure and improving rural and urban water supply in the state.

Reliable sources further revealed that he had been able to worm himself into the hearts of Ondo people and they are ready to reward him with a second term in office.

Akeredolu

Respite for Ex-Custom Boss, Abdullahi Dikko

Dikko

What does a man who has put in several years in the public service deserve in retirement?

Peace of mind, constant rest and possibly more time to nurse some dreams as well as greater devotion in worship of his Creator. But since he retired as Comptroller-General of Nigerian Customs Service

five years ago, respite seems far away from Alhaji Abdullahi Inde DIkko.

For some time, there have been a lot of doubts about his professed integrity owing to several allegations that have been levelled against him. His accusers are unrelenting in their onslaught with a view to compelling the embattled CG to explain his actions while in service. Society Watch learnt that, though the Katsina State-born Customs Chief remains unperturbed over the allegations, his accusers have vowed to spill the beans.

Among his sins, according to the group, was the alleged certificate forgery, which was said to have given him a great deal of psychological trauma.

But it seems the retired CG can now breathe a sigh of relief, as a court, penultimate Wednesday, dismissed the fraud charge brought against him and two others by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC).

The dismissal was sequel to an oral application for the withdrawal of the charge by the

ICPC’s lawyer, E. A. Sogunle.

Dikko was named in a fraud charge with former Assistant Comptroller-General of Customs in charge of Finance, Administration and Technical Services, Garba Makarfi, and a lawyer, Umar Hussaini.

They were accused of inducing the Managing Director of Cambial Limited, Yemi Obadeyi, to pay the sum of N1,100, 952,380.96 into the account of Capital Law Office as a refundable “completion security deposit� for the purchase of 120 units of duplexes as residential accommodation for officers of the Nigerian Customs Service.

The prosecution had accused Hussaini of distributing the said sum into various other bank accounts allegedly at the instance of Dikko. It will be recalled that Dikko was also enmeshed in an elongation scandal since the expiration of his tenure on August 18, 2013.

He was appointed a substantive Comptroller General of Nigeria Customs on August 9, 2009 by the late President Umar Musa Yar’Adua

Kayode Ajulo, Remains Undistracted Dr Kayode Ajulo is a man of many parts: a lawyer, activist, philanthropist and politician.

However, unlike some others who profess to wear many caps as he is, Ajulo shines brilliantly playing all these roles. Even cynics, who would want to underrate the personality of this upwardly mobile and cerebral lawyer, have been found to exercise restraint in their diatribes because of Ajulo’s great feats. Today, the wide acceptance he enjoys did not fall on his laps; rather, his success story rests solidly on hard work, consistency, honesty and humility.

It is also clear that the former Board Chairman of Ondo State Radio vision Corporation, OSRC, Ajulo, who enjoys abundant grace of God, boasts an intimidating profile. In the nation’s legal firmament, Ajulo, a renowned rights activist, is lucky to have handled briefs that make him the envy of many of his contemporaries.

As a partisan politician, Ajulo, the Mayegun Aare Onakakanfo of Yoruba land, can also hold his own any day.

At the moment, Ajulo, who

is also the B’amofin of Akure land, is under pressure to contest the next governorship in the state. According to his fans, his experience while he worked in the Buhari campaign organization, Forward with Buhari, as a founding member and executive secretary, would sure give him an edge over other contestants. Already, his friends and associates with warchest and deep pocket have reportedly resolved to prosecute the project. However, the amiable gentleman, who was a former Senatorial candidate and one-time National Secretary of Labour Party, has continued to reiterate that he is more committed to his legal practice than politics. In other words, he’s not ready to be distracted, believing that there is time and season for everything.

Apart from his passion for law, which has given him fame and wealth, he is also committed to the worship of God. In recognition of his piety and propagation of Christianity, Ajulo was recently appointed to represent Ondo Province in the 18-man National Committee for Relief for the Church of

Ajulo

Nigeria by the new Primate of the Anglican Church of Nigeria, Most Reverend Henry Ndukuba.

The Committee donated reliefs and medical materials worth millions of Naira to the federal government that was received by the Secretary to the Government of Federation, Boss Mustapha.

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R Ëž Í°ÍŻËœ Í°ÍŽÍ°ÍŽ

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with JOSEPH EDGAR ̥͸Π͸Πͽ͝ͺͽͿΠ̢͚

Aisha Buhari – My Very Candid Advice I really am a very strong supporter of the First Lady Aisha Buhari and must confess that I am usually not very happy anytime I hear of these kinds of stories. They usually first come out like rumours because they look like a scene from a badly-scripted movie and before you realize it, you begin to see that it really happened.

So this time, it is even worse because like we have been told that there were scuffling and gunshots. Is it until someone slaps the First Lady before something is done?

Please this is not a matter for a panel of inquiry. The First Lady no matter her demeanour must be respected.

Abi, is it because we are not doing like the immediate past one. Who will try these things with that Mummy?

The fire of Hades would descend on them all? Mbok, every time people

Onyibe

MAGNUS ONYIBE AND ABBA KYARI – WHAT A DUO! My brother Magnus Onyibe just wrote a very powerful book on the late Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari. I have seen the book and immediately reached out to him to ask why he wrote the book. He said something about the good, the bad, and the ugly. I just dey look my brother. This is a first, sha.

According to him, the late influencer was all of those three to people depending on which spectrum of the society you belong to. So, what he did was to compile tributes and essays about the man that fell into those three broad categories for the book. I am still reading o and I have already seen contributions from such erudite scholars like Dr. Rueben Abati and my former oga Steve Osuji.

But the one that has touched me, is the one written by his daughter, Aisha. It was so touching as it gave us a side of the late strongman most of us never knew. I liked the prose and she was quite emotive as she narrated those times with her father.

Mbok, don’t let me go and write too much before some of you will now not go and buy the book. I think the book is a must-read as it would give you better insights on the power configuration of

are just harassing mummy up and down for what na? See let me tell one small story. I live in one small estate and we once had an executive that was almost despotic. The chairman ruled with an iron fist and governed with decrees.

Mbok, common estate o; come and see power show. Who born you to talk for meeting? That is how Duchess went to start doing snail farming beside our own unit.

I didn’t like the snail but what can I do na? Well, inevitably we got a visit from the facility manager. He came with a strong warning from his lord.

We had to remove the snail or they will destroy it. I look the boy with him bear-bear like Prophet Nebuchadnezzar and say, “My brother, if you try to humiliate the

Naira-Marley

our country better explaining why some people act the way they do. My brother all that you see is not real o. This is truly Nigeria. Get the book.

APC – THE ROAD IS CLEAR FOR ‘LAGAJAGA’ Let me quickly say that this headline is from Fela Anikulapo Kuti before him people come to use me collect COVID-19 palliative.

It was the late maestro that used that phrase that can best describe what is happening to APC in Edo State. First, they disqualified a sitting governor for some funny things they said he had on his NYSC certificate forgetting that the oga sef na from tailor for Kaduna abi Kano he start from. They say a whole American-trained investment banker that attended my alma mater, the great University of Ibadan get problem even after the school came out screaming that he was for real. Twentyfour hours after that, the chairman got his suspension upheld and all sorts are now happening.

The truth is that this is one godfather that is looking like he will not get his way. The tide is certainly in favour of Obaseki and millions of right-thinking

Duchess, I will die fighting.� It is the prerogative of every man to make sure his First Lady has adequate respect and dignity.

It looks like our First Lady is alone and it is not fair. Even if she is alone, people around her should learn to manage her excesses if any, not to be ‘rude’ to her outright like we have been told. Please, I am really begging: can’t you people see how dignified other First Ladies that no fine reach our own are treated?

Abi, will someone attempt to be rude to Melania Trump? He will just see knee on his neck and nobody will even give him a chance to shout for help. Please, our First Lady represents Nigerian womanhood and as such she must be treated with honour. Our women will not see this one to fight for now o. I am just tired.

Aisah

Ighodalo

Nigerians and I are standing with him.

Mbok, enough is enough. Edo will be the beginning of a wave that will liberate Nigerians. Make we dey see. Shebi God will not let COVID-19 scatter us finish.

We dey wait.

NAIRA MARLEY – LEAVE HIM ALONE This boy that looks like someone wey no dey take bath can like to enter trouble. This time they say he was flown into Abuja to do show at a time when the virus is spiking and rendering all attempts at curbing it ‘useless.’ When the history of those that have aided this virus is to be written, Naira’s name will be written in gold.

But that said, this time I no blame the bobo. All he had to do was to just wear his cloth, carry a toothbrush, and enter a plane.

What concern him? So this one that is shouting himself hoarse that he will prosecute him is just dancing naked on top naked fire.

It is his withered balls that will get burnt.

The people who gave clearance for the plane to fly whether on false information or not nko?

The people who operate the plane nko? The people who gave a permit for the show in

Abujaaaaaaaaaa? What about the yeye whiskey brand that sponsored the show? Then, ogas who approved security for the show nko? It is the most irrelevant person in the whole thing that we are shouting and threatening to prosecute. Oya prosecute him na and let’s see how that one will go. You will tell me if na him be the pilot of the plane or if na him force people to come out of their cars to dance to exchange COVID-19 in a mad dance of stupidity.

IBIDUN IGHODALO – SILENT NIGHT The beautiful bird has stopped singing. She has slowly bowed her tender head and folded her wings. She very silently went to her creator is a soft smooth gale with trumpets chiming in harmonious tunes. Ituah’s canary sings no more. I saw Ituah on a video the very next morning officiating at the funeral of someone else and he made the statement that “I received a call at 2 am and my life crashed.�

Our lives crashed collectively.

Nigeria crashed. I don’t even know what is going on because as I write, I am hearing that Dan Forster and Senator ‘Pepper’ have also slept.

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SUNDAY JUNE 21, 2020 •T H I S D AY

ARTS & REVIEW A

PUBLICATION

21.06.2020

WITH A PLANNED AUCTION OF IGBO FIGURES, CHRISTIE’S COURTS CONTROVERSY

Cover continued on Page 58

Alusi, a couple of Igbo figures attributed to Awka carvers (details)

EDITOR OKECHUKWU UWAEZUOKE/ okechukwu.uwaezuoke@thisdaylive.com

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ JUNE 21, 2020

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ARTS & REVIEW\\AUCTION

WITH A PLANNED AUCTION OF IGBO FIGURES, CHRISTIE’S COURTS CONTROVERSY A planned auction of two sacred Igbo objects alongside others at the Paris salesroom of the British auction house Christie's sets it on a collision course with the Nigerian authorities and the country’s intelligentsia in the Diaspora. Okechukwu Uwaezuoke reports

T

hey are simply identified as “Paire de Statues Igbo…”

(ACouple of Igbo Figures) and are positioned as Lot 47 in the auction’s catalogue. These figures bear scarification markings – known as “ichi” and “mbubu” – on the forehead, chest and stomach and their wealth, high status and titles are further italicised by their anklets and bracelets. They stand 161 cm and 166 cm tall with their palms turned up as though in supplication.

With 58 other lots, they will be auctioned at the Christie's curatedArts of Africa, Oceania and NorthAmerica sale in Paris with a pre-sale estimated value of €250,000-350,000 ($283,000 – 396, 000). This auction will hold on Monday, June 29 from 3 pm at the British auction house’s Paris salesroom at 9Avenue Matignon.

Meanwhile, their unscrupulous provenance is already stirring a storm of controversy. Nigerian-born Chika Okeke-Agulu, an art historian and professor at Princeton University in the US, likened them to “blood art” because the late French collector, Jacques Kerchache, to whom they were attributed, had expropriated them from the Nri-Awka area during the Nigerian civil war.

“Dear Christie's, let’s be clear about the provenance of these sculptures you want to sell,” Okeke-Agulu wrote in an Instagram post. “While between 500,000 and three million civilians, including babies like me, were dying of kwashiorkor and starvation inside Biafra; and while young French doctors were in the war zone, establishing what we now know as Doctors Without Borders, their compatriot, Mr Kerchache, went there to buy up my people’s cultural heritage, including the two sculptures you are now offering for sale. I write this so no one, including Christie's and any potential buyer of these loots from Biafra, can claim ignorance of their true provenance. These artworks are stained with the blood of Biafra’s children.”

Previously, he had in a 2017 op-ed article in the New York Times, decried the “widespread looting of art from Eastern Nigeria during the Biafran War (1967-70)”, recalling in that article how his mother, on leafing through a catalogue of Igbo sculptures now in European collections, “still mourns the overnight disappearance of countless alusi (sacred sculptures) from communal shrines in my hometown, Umuoji, inAnambra State” and the end of the festivals associated with them.

“These art raids from all indications were sponsored by dealers and their client collectors mostly based in Europe and the US,” he further alleged in the Instagram post that bore the hashtags #christies #warloots and #biafranwar. “It turns out that later this month the venerable Christie's will auction two of these impressive 'alusi' figures said to have been acquired in 1968-69 in situ by Jacques Kerchache (1942-2001). That is, Mr Kerchache acquired these sculptures in the Nri-Awka area (a half-hour drive from my hometown) during the darkest years of the Biafran War.” Whether or not Christie's would cave in under the mounting pressure from concerned quarters – mainly from the Nigerian Information, Culture and Tourism Ministry through its agencies, the National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM) and the National Council forArts and Culture (NCAC) as well as from the Diaspora-based Nigerian intelligentsia – is yet to be seen.

Aletter from the NCMM, signed by the Director (Overseeing the Office of the DG)Aliyu L.Abdu, requests in clear terms that Christie's “suspend the auction” of five of the lots featuring in the June 29 auction, which have been identified as coming from Nigeria. The Igbo couple figures from NriAwka (lot 47) was listed alongside four other works, namely: an Edo hip

Professor Ogbechie

Professor Okeke-Agulu

mask from Benin (lot 29), an Edo bronze plaque (lot 30), a Boki headdress (lot 31) and an Urhobo figure (lot 49).

The NCMM’s call for the suspension of the auction of these works is premised on the fact that both “their provenance and their mode of acquisition” were yet to be established. The agency – in the letter addressed to Christie's Head of Sale,African and OceanicArt Department and copied to its European Head of theAfrican and OceanicArt Department – further highlights its suspicions that the works “belong to a class of antiquities”, whose exchange or transfer Nigeria will object to.

Still on the objects, the NCAC Director-General Otunba Olusegun Runsewe described them, in a telephone interview with THISDAY, as “assets of Nigeria”, adding: “we must do everything, with the cooperation of all stakeholders, to retrieve them.”

Ratcheting up the pressure on Christie's a notch higher, Sylvester Ogbechie, another Nigerian-American art historian, accused Christie's of “aiding and abetting collectors in selling pieces of their contested collections.” In a recent post, published in his aachronym.blogspot.com, the University of California, Santa Barbara professor of the history of art and architecture accuses the auction house of “putting up for saleAfrican artworks that are clearly major items in the restitution debate, such as Benin bronzes. These activities are meant to undermine the ongoing discussions about returningAfrican artworks to their countries of origin.”

Only a decade ago, he had similarly called out Southeby’s, another British auction house, for a related transgression. “In a decade of important developments in the cultural patrimony restitution debate, we can see that the mindset of these auction houses has not changed,” he laments. “We need to more forcefully state that by their actions, these auction houses are basically serving as fences for stolen goods. This is blatant criminality.”

Already, a petition, titled “Stop Christie's from Selling STOLEN Igbo Sculptures”, is trending on Change.org. “As the world awakens to the reality of systemic racial injustice and inequality, thanks to the #BlackLivesMatter movement, we must not forget that it is not just the black body, but also black culture, identity and especially art that is being

misappropriated,” the initiator of the petition (simply identified as Uzo. O.) states.As of Thursday, June 18 afternoon,765 people out of the target 1,000 have signed the petition, as the outrage against the planned auction continued to swell.

Meanwhile, Christie’s had at the time of filing this report neither responded to email enquiries from THISDAY nor made known its intention to suspend the planned auction of the works. Nonetheless, OkekeAgulu affirmed, in a telephone conversation with THISDAY, that there was time enough to compel Christie's to rescind their decision to auction the controversial works, premising it on the belief that the auction house cares enough about how it is perceived by the public. Besides, the protests and petitions, it is hoped, would make these objects “toxic enough” to dissuade potential collectors from wanting to acquire them.

Curiously, Christie's body language suggests insensitivity to the ongoing restitution debate aimed at retrieving stolenAfrican artworks.

Assumptions in some quarters that a French government-commissioned 2019 high-profile report by Senegalese writer and economist Felwine Sarr and French historian Bénédicte Savoy would make auctioning of such art objects unattractive has been proven wrong. It was indeed on this report that the French President Emmanuel Macron based his famous pledge to the effect that France would strive to return the looted objects from Africa within five years. Macron had, in 2017, told students in Burkina Faso: “Africa’s heritage must be showcased in Paris—but also in Dakar, in Lagos, in Cotonou. This will be one of my priorities. Starting today, and over the next five years, I want to move toward allowing for the temporary or definitive restitution ofAfrican cultural heritage toAfrica.”

Granted that little or no concrete action might have been taken towards the realisation of Macron’s promises, holding an auction of some of these looted objects in the French capital is nothing short of a nose-thumbing gesture at those clamouring for their return.

While sceptics cite lack of necessary infrastructure to house the objects, if and when they are eventually returned, activists like Ogbechie and Okeke-Agulu counter with the call to first establish their ownership. “We need a discourse that recognisesAfrican ownership of the intellectual property rights of its cultural patrimony and devise means for the continent to benefit from the value such cultural patrimony generates,” Ogbechie had told the audience at a lecture he delivered last year at the Centre for ContemporaryArt, Lagos.

Arguing that cultural objects are cultural properties, Okeke-Agulu said in his interview with THISDAY that “Nigeria does not need to have a brand new museum right away before it can broach the ownership of these objects.”

Beyond the clamour for the return of theseAfrican cultural objects domiciled outside the continent, scholars like Ogbechie are concerned that they often subjected to different display protocols than were originally intended for them.Aresearch finding, published by the Smithsonian Museum ofAfricanArt on the “alusi” figures, corroborates this fact.

According to the research, the “alusi” figures would normally be in a compound that would include 25 others that represent the Igbo world view of the importance of family. “The ‘alusi’ figures would have been used as the centre of weekly and yearly activities, such as parades and other gatherings in which the Igbo come together,” the report published in its website and credited toAshleyAuclair, also says.

Meanwhile, the raging controversy continues to muddy the waters for the June 29 auction.And Christie's is currently being confronted with the time-honoured question: to be or not to be?

BOOK REVIEW

On a Path that Creates Solutions...

Abimbola Idowu

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ever an accident -- when does that statement become a credo of personal achievements, cresting in public service glory?

You may well find the ultra-rich answers inAfolabi Sokpehi Imoukhuede's new book, "Not AnAfterthought: Private Sector Pragmatism to Government Idealism & the N-Power Success Story."

As President Muhammadu Buhari's senior special assistant (SSA) on job creation,Afolabi Imoukhuede (AI) drove the conceptualisation and implementation of N-Power, the job-creation segment of the National Social Investment Programme (NSIP), a key economic and developmental programme of the Buhari Presidency. That was in its earliest days, from 2015 to 2019.

The author ran the IT-driven N-Power. That IT-leverage, according to him, providing ample proof in this very rich book, made it well and truly equal-opportunity: for none of its more than 500, 000 beneficiaries, under four years, needed to know

anybody, or carry any political card, to be admitted into the volunteer scheme. Just note: 500, 000 is five times the size of the federal bureaucracy!

Perhaps, this Babatunde Fashola quote, on the author, will shed light on whereAI was coming from; and his passion to impose his tight private-sector ideas on an often flabby public sector ethos – made possible, of course, by the right temper of his immediate political bosses: Vice President Osinbajo and Mrs. Uwais.

"His passion," Fashola gushed in a commendation speech, atAI's SkillUpAcademy graduation, on 12 October 2015, "clearly underlines the path he has chosen – a path that creates solutions to our problems, rather than being one of the many voices of lamentation who offer no solutions.Afolabi," he continued, "and many like him, who have chosen to act rather than agonise, represent the Nigerian spirit that I have known and I have urged."

Fashola's "solution versus lamentation" remark is generally true of vocal Nigerians, who take solace in lamentation and little else. But it is even truer of the media, which has a constitutional responsibility to call the government to account, but many times take that as licence to wail and throw tantrums without responsibility.

But for this book's claim – with ample proof – that N-Power created more than 500, 000 jobs in less than four years, there is no corresponding media scrutiny: beyond

shallow reports and casual dismissal without rigorous interrogation.This book would be proof, when this generation is gone, that the press of this era could have done a far better job, of their constitutional responsibilities.

But the N-Power story, as reported in this book, is as much its "miraculous" results as its strict, rigorous and open entry processes, all IT-driven.

To many, "equal opportunity" appears yet another cliche, difficult to realise – in any case, not in Nigeria where politics and other primordial biases appear to be everything. N-Power seems proudly different.

From the beneficiaries' testimonies, quoted at length in the book, the initial feeling was doubt – another government programme, promising

By January 2018, Balogun had registered, with the everything, delivering nothing. Yet, the bulk of the CAC, the Progressive N-Power Business Ventures volunteers, who "knew nobody", were surprised to Farm (PNBV), also known as Kwara N-Power Farm make the cut; and benefit from its entrepreneurial -- a cooperative diversified farm, of crop farming, training. poultry and animal husbandry, owned by ex-N-Power As that initial doubt gave way to pleasant shock, volunteers, leasing 40 hectares of land for 10 years, what followed was an irrepressible neophyte zest, at the University of Ilorin Teaching and Research that brooked no obstacle, among the energized volunteers. Kabir Ishola Balogun, a 2009 microbiol- FarmAvenue. PNBV is also conceived for interested ogy graduate of the University of Ilorin, is a shining undergraduates to till and earn some cash. example.

Readers should continued online www.thisdaylive.com

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ JUNE 21, 2020

with RenoOmokri THEALTERNATIVE How Nollywood Demarkets Nigeria to the World

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ollywood, the Nigerian movie industry, is by and large the brain work of people of Ndi’Igbo origin. The official birth of Nollywood can be traced to the movie, Living in Bondage, which is now studied around the world as a unique vehicle that launched a whole industry.

It was written, directed, and starred an all Igbo cast.And very little has changed since the birthing of the industry. The Igbo still dominates Nollywood.

However, a weapon is only as good as the wielder.

Ndi’Igbo should have used Nollywood the way the Yoruba are using the media. Sadly, Nollywood actually works against them.

It makes others perceive the Igbo, wrongly, as ritualists. It makes people wary of the Igbos in politics and business. Nollywood has been a great disservice to the Igbo nation.

Ndi’Igbo saw Nollywood as a money maker. They failed to see it as a game-changer.And now, the damage that it has done to them, within Nigeria, and to the larger Nigerian society outside Nigeria, is almost unquantifiable.

The mistake Igbos made, which the Jews in Europe andAmerica did not make, is that they focused only on dominating Nigeria’s commercial sector, and forgot the media.

The media is like airpower. Once you have it, no one will mess with you! Why? Because the collateral damage to them will be more than their attack on you.And only a mad man fights a war he knows he is going to lose.

You use your control of the economy to reward your friends and use your power over the media to punish your enemies. Carrot and stick, that is what makes the world go round. How do you think Orji Kalu got his release? Because he is the only Igbo man that controls a national media (Daily Sun).

However, let us talk about the larger damage that Nollywood has done, not just to the Igbo, but to Nigeria.

I have been to manyAfrican and Caribbean countries. Once they know you are Nigerian, many become wary. Not because of 419.

But because of juju. Nollywood has conditioned them to see all Nigerians as fetish juju people. We did this to ourselves!

True story: in 2011, Kanayo O Kanayo and I were walking in San Francisco.AnAmerican lady recognised him. I brought out my camera, thinking she wanted a photo. She screamed and said ‘you want to use my photo for juju’! That is what Nollywood has done to us!

Nollywood is itself more racist than even White Supremacists.

Take Nollywood, for instance. The typical movie consists of paintingAfrican culture as fetish and evil. Then the hero goes to church and defeats theAfrican evil. We hardly project our own cultures positively.

When I was a child, I watched Tales by Moonlight on NTAwhich

usedAfrican culture to teach moral lessons to children in a fun manner. I rememberAuntie Nkem with Nostalgia. Nollywood should learn from her. ProjectAfrican culture positively.

You will never see a Bollywood movie project Indian culture the way Nollywood movies projectAfrican culture. Many of us fell in love with India and Indians because of Bollywood movies.

But if an Indian watched a Nollywood movie, he would be afraid ofAfrica. Hollywood was used byAmerica to market her culture and commerce to the world by glamorisingAmerica. Nollywood, on the other hand, is being used to demarketAfrica to the world by demonising our culture and commerce!

The Igbo apprenticeship system is the most successful in the world bar none.Alaba International market alone generates $4 billion, according to Robert Neuwirth. Why can’t Nollywood do a movie about that and promote the Ndi’Igbo ethnic nationality, rather than this near-obsessive focus rituals and juju?

It will serve them better if they use Nollywood to project positive things about their race that are already happening. Sadly, this is not the case. Not at all. Not at all.

You can imagine a movie called The Great Tycoon, about Cosmas Maduka, based on his rise to billionaire status, from a lowly second school dropout from Nnewi, who went to Lagos with nothing but the clothes on his back after the civil war. That will be better than rituals! It will project Ndi’Igbo and Nigeria positively.

I watched The Greek Tycoon as a child, and that made me want to go to Greece to see the land ofAristotle Onassis. While in Greece, I spent close to $1000. That is what movies should do. They make you want to invest in a culture. Nollywood does the exact opposite!

Movies are make-believe.And that is what Nollywood does not understand, or if they understand it, they fail to appreciate. They are selling a fantasy that people end up believing even if it is not true.

What Nollywood ought to do is project a truth worth selling, not a lie that brings money.

Anotable Nollywood actor, who I happen to admire, responded to me by saying that Hollywood does shooting movies, yet tourists still go toAmerica, hence I should leave Nollywood alone, especially as we politicians did not fix Nigeria.

First, let me say that I am guilty as charged. I was a Presidential spokesman to a President that built or repaired over 10,000KMs of roads and built 12 new universities and 165 almajiri schools as well as the super-fast KadunaAbuja railway. We could still have done more.

However, what this Nollywood star may not have taken into account is that while Hollywood does violent movies, it balances things by producing other genres of movies, unlike Nollywood, who focus almost exclusively on the negative themes of juju and fetish practices.

As a matter of fact, Hollywood churns put more romantic

THE PUBLIC SPHERE

comedies and science function movies than violent movies. For example, the biggest grossing Hollywood movies are Gone With the Wind,Avatar and Titanic.All of them are romantic movies.

Yet, even when Hollywood shows violent movies, the criminals are almost always apprehended by the law and made to pay for their crimes. This makesAmerica attractive as a country with law and order. Bad things can happen, but bad people won’t win!

Nollywood should not see my exposition as criticism. I am trying to help them sell Nigeria better. When they do, they will be better able to break through the international market and ultimately make more money, which is the object of business.

As proof of my assertions, I point to The Wedding Party, The Wedding Party 2, Chief Daddy, Sugar Rush and King of Boys. These are the highest-grossing Nollywood movies, and they are not based on juju and fetish. You don’t have to go that route!

I am a patriot, and my counsel is borne out of love for my country and not out of any desire to savage anybody or industry. My value as a human being is tied to the value of Nigeria, and it is this shared national objective that moves me to make these suggestions.

#Reno’s Nuggets The wedding industry is HUGE. You have Wedding planner Photographer Cake baker Dress maker Caterer MC Band DJ Etc The marriage industry is SMALL. You have God You Your spouse Invest your money in yourselves, not in strangers that impact your wedding, but have no impact on your marriage. God invented marriage. Man invented weddings. That is why weddings don’t last. Maximum, one day, and it is over. It is better to endure your wedding and enjoy your marriage than to enjoy your wedding and endure your marriage. Marriage without a wedding is complete.

Wedding without a marriage is incomplete. There is nothing like wedding certificate. You only have marriage certificate. Don’t use all your money to pay for a wedding and have none left to pay for a marriage. Think long term! #FreeLeahSharibu #RenosNuggets

@ChidoNigeria https://www.facebook.com/chido.nwakanma

The Onward March of Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala to the Headship of theWTO

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here is excitement and contention as the World Trade Organisation prepares to elect a new Director General. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Nigeria’s iconic former two-time Finance Minister and former Managing Director of the World Bank, is the reason the otherwise usually tepid process of selecting a DG has become front-page news.

When the Ijele enters the square, all participants -spectators as well as lesser masquerades- must take note.

The race to the DG position formally opened as per WTO procedures on 8 June 2020. Governments of member states nominate their candidates for the post. Current Director-General Mr Robert Azevedo will step down on 31 August. Azevedo served two terms.

The WTO announced that there were four nominees on 18 June 2020, listed according to the order of receipt of their nominations.

They are Mr Jesús Seade Kuri of Mexico on 8 June 2020, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala of Nigeria, and Mr Abdel-Hamid Mamdouh of Egypt both on 9 June 2020 as well as Mr Tudor Ulianovschi of Moldova on 16 June 2020.

Nominations will close on 8 July 2020. “The Chair will inform WTO members of nominations as soon as they are received. After 8 July, Chair David Walker will issue to members a consolidated list of all candidates. Shortly after the nomination period has closed, candidates will be invited to meet with members at a special General Council meeting, present their views and take questions from the membership”, the WTO further stated.

Curiously, Africa has posed a challenge with its distraction of a protest against one of its brightest stars in the race. An arm of the African Union issued a statement 15 June 2020 sounding like a scorned beauty. It complained that Nigeria did not comply with the AU procedure for the selection of a nominee and announced its disqualification of Nigeria’s nominee.

The Office of the Legal Counsel at the African Union claimed that Okonjo-Iweala’s nomination was against laid-down rules.

The executive council of the union in its 35th ordinary session held in Niamey, Niger, asked member countries to present candidates to the AU ministerial committee on candidature by 30 November 2019, to allow it endorse a consensus candidate at its February

2020 ordinary session. The counsel claimed the nomination of Okonjo-Iweala violates Rule (11), 1, 2 and 3, Rule 12 and Rule 15(3) of the rules of procedure of the committee on candidatures within the International System of the AU as well as Council’s Decisions Ex CI 1072 (XXXV), Ec CI Dec 1090 (XXXVI) and Assembly Dec 795 (XXXIII).

Nigeria entered NOI into the race late, in May, by withdrawing its earlier nominee, Mr Fredrick Agah. Agah is a tested hand and insider of the WTO. However, he does not have the clout and name recognition of Okonjo-Iweala.

The African Union is on a long thing. It cannot decide who a country chooses as its candidate. Indeed, the African Union is not one of the bodies recognised by the procedures of the WTO for nominating candidates. The WTO rules know countries and the candidates that they send in.

To compound its confusion, the AU admits that when it carried out its process, it failed to agree on a consensus candidate. It then nominated candidates from Benin, Egypt, and Nigeria. In other words, the AU has backed Nigeria to nominate a candidate but now insists that Nigeria must stick to the candidate that AU endorsed.

The insistence on Fredrick Agah by the AU runs against common sense and national interest of a member country. What if Mr Fredrick Agah were otherwise unavailable from natural or other causes, would the AU insist that Nigeria must produce him? Why would AU seek to dictate what is in the best interest of its memberstate? It is enough that AU has backed Nigeria.

The letter from AU is curious and only fits into the maze of intrigues that attend such contests. Egypt had earlier also objected to Okonjo-Iweala’s candidacy even as it has its own candidate. The orchestration of resentment against NOI on the grounds of alleged procedural breaches by a bloc not recognised for nominations of candidates is at best curious if not mischievous.

Okonjo-Iweala is by all accounts and analysis the stellar candidate in the race. Opponents are kicking her legs. NOI and Nigeria should keep their eyes on the ball. Lobby. Reach out to all parties. Negotiate. Nothing good comes easy.

Negotiation is at the heart of what the WTO does.

The World Trade Organisation is one of the organs of the United

Nations. With 25 years of experience in one of its foremost organs, NOI is adept at the processes and procedures of the UN. It counts for so much. Her call is to make the WTO work for Nigeria and other African countries.

“The World Trade Organization — the WTO — is the international organisation whose primary purpose is to open trade for the benefit of all”. It took off in 1995 as successor to the General Agreement on Trade and Tariffs. The WTO provides a forum for negotiating agreements aimed at reducing obstacles to international trade and ensuring a level playing field for all, thus contributing to economic growth and development. Nigeria joined the GATT in 1960 and the WTO in 1995.

The WTO currently has 164 members, of which 117 are developing countries or separate customs territories. WTO activities are supported by a Secretariat of some 700 staff, led by the WTO Director-General. The Secretariat is in Geneva, Switzerland, and has an annual budget of approximately CHF 200 million ($180 million, €130 million). The three official languages of the WTO are English, French, and Spanish.

Four key WTO agreements influence the engagement of developing countries with it. They are the Trade Related Investment Measures (TRIMS), Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights, Import Licensing Procedures and the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade.

Through some of these agreements, WTO has inflicted commercial injury on Nigeria. We get the short end of the stick on various trade disputes. TRIMS, for instance, frowns at the local content policy that Nigeria now desires to push beyond the oil industry.

On the other hand, Nigeria’s volatile trade policy would be a challenge for a DG from our country. It is unpredictable, lacking in transparency and subject to the whims of different regimes. We run tariff schedules and banned import lists that change whimsically. Go forth courageously, NOI. Nigeria has put its hands to the plough and should draw on its deposits and even reserves in the diplomatic account. Win over the doubters from the Africa block and those from other blocks. NOI should give it her best and become the Director General of the World Trade Organisation.

Ship ahoy.

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ JUNE 21, 2020

with ChidiAmuta e-mail:chidi.amuta@gmail.com

ENGAGEMENTS

Pandemonium at The Altar

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igeria’s tradition of unruly political behaviour has begun rehearsing for a major roadshow well ahead of the 2023 open display. Suddenly, the ruling party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), has erupted in a crisis long foretold. The daggers are out. The targets are marked. And the lines of the imminent engagement are clear.

Between 8 am and the close of work last Wednesday, 17th June, the APC had a total of five pretenders to the office of National Chairman. There was Mr. Adams Oshiomhole, the rascally trade unionist whose tenure had been the subject of vicious litigations and open political wrestling for quite some time. He was the previous day suspended from office by an Abuja High Court. Immediately after the court ruling, lawyers to his legal opponent, my good friend Mr. Victor Giadom, declared Giadom the lawful acting National Chairman.

In response, the party secretariat quickly declared ex- Oyo State Governor and substantive Deputy National Chairman (South) Mr. Abiola Ajimobi as acting National Chairman.

Since Mr. Abiola Ajimobi is hospitalized for Covid-19, the party secretariat again quickly declared a certain Mr. Shuaibu Lawal, Deputy National Chairman (North) as acting National Chairman, ostensibly to act for Ajimobi. Later on the same day, the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party met and settled for a different acting National Chairman, Prince Hilliard Etta. after firing Mr. Giadom from his substantive position as Deputy National Secretary, a position which he held before heading to court against Mr. Adams Oshiomole. Mr. Giadom’s lawyers returned to court the following day and got a more definitive affirmation of his stake for the throne.

The pretenders to the prime office of party Chairman geared up in earnest and began acting out their scripts and in the process revealing the direction of their plot. Contradictory orders and instructions began flying around, compounding the confusion in the beleaguered party. Mr. Giadom quickly nullified the disqualification of Edo Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, previously effected by Mr. Oshiomole. With these untidy developments, the only position in the party that seems certain is that of Party Leader which is statutorily vested in the President. Even that position is open to contentious semantics as Mr. Bola Tinubu, chief political entrepreneur of Lagos and the South West is frequently referred to as ‘ national leader’ of APC! As things stand, the stage may be set for a timed implosion of the ruling party.

The possibility that party leaders will seek a political solution is hot on the cards if only to save the ruling party from continuing embarrassment. While the legal complications may yet deepen and make a political resolution more burdensome, the possibility that these developments could hasten the unraveling of the party ought to concern its leadership.

The pretensions to legal technicality by the contenders in the present crisis is of tangential consequence. Mr. Oshiomole’s plight as National Chairman is only important to the extent that it either inhibits or promotes the prospect of a predetermined successor to Mr, Buhari. Similarly, the fate of Mr. Godwin Obaseki as a second term governor of Edo State is important only to the extent that it increases or whittles the political significance of Mr. Oshiomole in both the state and at the national level. Otherwise both Mr. Oshiomole and Mr. Obaseki are mere pawns in a larger game of national political supremacy in the post Buhari era.

What is of utmost importance at this point is control of the party at the national level for the giant ambitions at stake.

Conspicuously on display is a dress rehearsal of the post Buhari politics within the APC. The forces in ambush are the hidden hands of the drivers of the factions in the power calculus. What is at stake is political primacy and pre-eminence in Nigeria AB- (After Buhari).

We may, therefore, be on the threshold of an unraveling foretold. The forces of this unraveling are inherent in the origins and nature of the APC as a party. The party was never an organic party in the sense of arising out of a bottom up mass movement that acquired form and structure to evolve into a political party. It was instead first and foremost an untidy assemblage of divergent interests with the single focus of wresting federal power from Mr. Jonathan and the then crumbling PDP behemoth. What united and powered the coalition that produced the APC was a greedy opposition to a continuation of the Jonathan presidency.

We must concede the political necessity, expediency and legitimacy of the coalition that produced the party. In a diverse polity such as ours with sharp divisions along religious, geo ethnic, and geographical lines, any political organization that would command a national followership must of necessity be a negotiated coalition of diverse interests. The history of opposition coalitions especially in Africa is that they are necessary if democracy is to produce a peaceful transition of power from one party to the other. That in fairness is the greatest achievement of the APC in the history of Nigerian party politics.

Beyond that, however, this contingent advantage was not in and of itself enough to birth a serious political party.

The first flaw of the APC was that it defined itself mostly

Oshiomhole, APC Chairman by default. Not wanting to be a replica of the PDP did not amount to an identity for a serious political party. Nigerians expected a popular movement founded on solid ideas and programmes as a counterweight to the nationalist right of centre inclinations of the PDP. The leadership of the APC probably understood the hazy ideological message in adopting a loosely defined national progressive democratic identity at least in name. Nigerians possibly desired a more left of centre alternative but the leaders of the APC gave us a makeshift platform for power grabbing and fault finding. It was not a popular movement nor was it a meeting of political minds.

It was an all comers machinery for contesting a presidential election to wrest power from an effete incumbent.

It had no agenda for ruling Nigeria, no clear policy departure from the incumbent and its leading lights were roughly the same people that ran the PDP aground now defined only by the fact that they were no longer in the PDP. At the onset, the APC was uncertain of victory and mostly prepared for a long series of legal challenges to an envisaged Jonathan prevalence. Victory came to the APC as a destabilizing surprise and it has never recovered from that dizzying surprise.

That is why it spent the first term of four years blaming the government it succeeded while groping almost foolishly for a governance direction of its own.

While struggling pitifully with the practical challenges of governance, the APC has never risen to the occasion of transforming into a real party nor of ruling Nigeria as a coherent political alternative. Instead, it started out as a personalized cultic movement built around the receding myth of Mr. Buhari as something of a national ethical messiah whose presumptive personal discipline would translate into national renewal and redemption. His choice of a poor ascetic life style was being juxtaposed to the decadent bourgeois indulgences of the worst of the PDP elite at the height of their infamous rule.

As a matter of fact, the alliance that gave birth to the APC was cobbled around the famed cultic followership of Mr. Buhari. In a sense, Buhari was adopted more as a collective partisan mascot and symbol for marketing an alternative to Mr. Jonathan. From a purely marketing perspective, Jonathan was clearly no match for the myth and mystique of Mr. Buhari.

The APC was a cult of Buhari devotees from the onset but one without a creed, a cult of confused devotees devoid of ideology. As a party, it hardy had principles, discipline, methodology or policy focus. It failed as a mechanism of national mobilization and an instrument of responsible governance.

Instead, the lack of party discipline and an organizing principle for the control of federal power has allowed the APC to degenerate quickly into a vehicle for the enthronement of a sectional hegemony and the resuscitation of primordial geo ethnic loyalties.

The president who was courted by a faction of the political elite as a mascot for capturing national power has himself re-hijacked national power to the discomfiture of both party and nation. His overt nativism has emerged in the indecent lopsidedness in the staffing of key federal appointments to power centres in favour of the northern muslim half of the country. In deference to the support of the South West, Mr. Buhari has extended token gestures like the symbolic political canonization of Chief Abiola by renaming the national Democracy Day after June 12. Both the incongruities in the party and the anomalies in the conducts of the Buhari presidency have exposed the weaknesses in the original power template of the APC. In the process of wielding national power over the past five

years, the weaknesses of the APC have emerged. In addition to the geo political lopsidedness in appointments at the centre, key leaders of the formations in the original coalition have become estranged. The Bukola Saraki wing has been excluded. The Tinubu and South West wing is divided and on life support. The New PDP wing is badly factionalized as well. The entire APC leadership support base has jettisoned the partisan affiliations that made the alliance possible and is now divided along the lines of personal loyalty to the president. The impending exist of the president in 2023 is likely to divide the party even further along this fault line. It is expedient for key elements to pledge allegiance to continuing along a possible Buhari legacy and use that as a platform to angle for supremacy in the party. I doubt that this gimmick will impress Mr. Buhari whose sense of mission seems to begin and end with his own incumbency. Even now, Mr. Buhari’s clout in terms of control of the party has been variously and repeatedly wanting. He could not wield his influence to place the APC on the ballot in both Zamfara and Rivers states in the last general elections.

Now that the Buhari transition has been fast forwarded by three years, the internal contradictions of the party in power have surfaced to haunt the party as a party. Forget that governance and the common good at the national and most state levels will begin to take a back seat. The present skirmishes are merely rehearsals of the bloody wars that will be fought in the party to succeed Mr. Buhari. The factors and factions in contention counterbalance themselves and may cancel each other out at the expense of the party itself. The single most important feature of the party that will hasten its unraveling is perhaps the fact that its leading elite are persons of near equal age, resources and political gravity. The possibility that they will cancel each other out while entertaining the nation in the law courts remains the most interesting prospect in the political drama of the future of the APC. For a non- partisan observer, however, the plight of the APC is above the skirmishes around Mr. Oshiomole’s disappearing relevance and job. The real concern is above the narrow confines of the party. It is a matter of grave national concern, almost rising to the level of a national security threat . Whatever our misgivings about the party and its inner workings, it remains the ruling party and therefore the source of the key custodians of our national sovereignty. The occupants and operatives of the federal government and a majority of the states are products of the ruling party. To that extent, what irks the party ought to be of strategic concern to all Nigerians.

For a ruling party, the silly drama around the office of APC national chairman is disgraceful and a shameful display of cynical irresponsibility and insensitivity to the plight of the nation over which they preside. The nation is today in dire need of leadership and beset with problems that are urgent and existential. We are in the midst of a dangerous pandemic.

Our economic life support machine by way of the oil industry is fatally injured. Our insecurity is worsening just as our inequality indices have become globally acknowledged. Yet the ruling party is not squabbling over the best strategies to dig the nation out of these deep holes or deal with these existential threats.

This APC show of shame is not about how best to check the spread of Covid-19. It is not about how to cope with an economy with a debt to revenue ratio of close to 99%. The quarrel is not about how to curb an epidemic of poverty that had 100 million Nigerians submerged before the covid-19 emergency and is likely to climb to 120 million in the post covid-19 months. This APC crisis is not even about how to ameliorate the impending loss of over 40 million jobs as a result of the covid-19 lockdowns and disruptions. The APC leaders are not disagreeing about the virtual collapse of the university system in which our scholars spend more time on strike than in the classrooms, laboratories and libraries.

This squabble is not about how to find a lasting solution to the industrial scale killings in parts of the country or how to end the Boko Haram and other insurgencies in parts of the country. This is all about the personal ambition of a few party elite.

It is of course healthy to have disagreements and differences of views in a political party. It is in fact an imperative of a healthy democracy that there should be differences of views on key national issues among the elite of the ruling party or other parties in contention for national leadership.

The expectation that the rival Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would fare better is unfounded. Sixteen years of institutional existence and power incumbency has not translated into either a superiority of organization or perspective. Even now as an opposition, the PDP has remained frozen at the level of abuse and personal insult. It has hardly risen to the occasion of positing a logical ideological or policy alternative to the ruling party. Its leadership has not grown neither has its internal democracy or party technocracy. It has remains at the same level of pedestrian and mundane opportunism and indiscriminate brandishing of titles and changing postures.

Clearly then, our democracy remains endangered more because the party architecture on which it is founded is in the vice grip of a cynical tribal elite that is preoccupied with power for its own sake and not as an instrument of service to the national community.

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NEWSXTRA

Fulani Herdsmen Taking over Edo Farmland, Group Alleges Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City OgbaKha-Edo, a Benin sociocultural group, yesterday lamented the activities of Fulani herdsmen in different parts of Edo State, alleging that they were taking over farmland and forest illegally.

Also, the group lamented the influx of hundreds of youths from the north into the state, calling on security agencies and the state government to address the issue before it gets worse.

In a statement by its SecretaryGeneral, Dr. Osaretin Izekor, the group said apart from eye witness reports, the social media was awash with videos of young men coming into the city through long haulage trucks, or streaming in a dreadful surge in the streets of Benin City.

The statement said: “OgbakhaEdo has in recent weeks observed with concern the sudden influx of hundreds, if not thousands of young able-bodied jobless men ostensibly of the Hausa/Fulani tribe from the northern parts of Nigeria and from outside the country, into Benin Kingdom, nay Edo South.� “This is more worrisome. It looks like a well coordinated deployment of idle young men from among a people who in recent time have allegedly come to be notorious for their intolerance, hostility, violence and a propensity to dominate their hosts and grab their lands and other assets.�

It added that the fear of these suspicious people “is heightened by the unenviable reputation they have gained as easily and alleg-

Groups Urge FG to Probe Ogoni Remediation Project Eddie Alegbe The National Union of Ogoni Students International (NUOS) and Ogoni Live Matter International (OLM), among others have urged the federal government to probe the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP).

The groups also asked President Muhammadu Buhari to remove HYPREP’S National Coordinator, Dr. Marvin Dekil, accusing him of fraudulent practices and failure to adhere to the recommendations of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

In a statement by NUOS President, Mr. Pius Nwinee and OML’s Coordinator, Mr. Cornelius Dumerene, the groups commended the recent pronouncement of the federal government to restructure the remediation project.

The statement asked the federal government to ensure smooth collaboration, enlightenment, education and proper remediation campaign awareness between Ogoni and HYPREP in order to achieve the objectives of the project.

It recommended that credible environmental engineers and professionals from Ogoniland be interviewed for the position of national coordinator to replace

Dekil, to alleviate the tremendous suffering and setback that the project had suffered.

The groups described the call for restructuring by the Minister for the Environment, Dr. Muhammad Mahmoud as a step in the right direction.

The statement noted that restructuring alone would not cushion the harm and damage HYPREP’s corruption and incompetence had caused the area.

The statement demanded that an immediate compensation “should be given to those whose lives have been impaired, livelihood destroyed, and historical heritage damaged, due to the devastated environment.�

The statement lamented every fraud that makes headlines in HYPREP, whether refusal to adhere to UNEP recommendations, or financial marketing of $380 million without proper disclosure of N3.2bn dividend from private or group business trading on Lagos stock market as speculated. “There is no proper accountability. Reflecting on this poor abuse and misuse of public trust, we demand an immediate forensic audit of HYPREP and those found culpable be prosecuted under the unblinking eyes of the law.�

edly inclining to armed robbery, kidnapping and terrorism, and who have allegedly laid siege to our highways and villages with the attendant threat to lives and property. “While Ogbakha-Edo does not want to join in the stereotyping of this particular group of new arrivals from the north as criminals, we cannot however help but to express the feeling of great concern and a sense of insecurity their presence has awoken in our people. “As we speak, there are reports of the Fulani herdsmen coveting forest reserves and farmlands in Ovia and Orhionmwon,

The Oluyede Royal Family of Ayede-Ogbese in Akure North Local Government area of Ondo State at the weekend distributed two thousand nose masks towards the campaign against theCOVID-19 pandemic.

At a town hall meeting hosted by the Regent of Aiyede-Ogbese Kingdom, Princess Catherine Akinyede, 1,000 food packs were also distributed to the residents of the community and other villages and towns in the Kingdom.

Speaking at the event, Akinyede said the forum was conveyed to ensure that her subjects had relevant information on several measures in the face of the defiant spread of Coronavirus.

She also explained that every family with historical link and

property in the community ought to stand firm with the ruling family and the Council of Chiefs in order to deter persons who had been staging provocative incursions into farmlands and property within the Kingdom.

She called on Ayede-Ogbese indigenes and residents to cooperate with the government in keeping the peace and tranquility of the area.

On the occasion, the Odopetu of Ayede-Ogbese, High Chief Oladimeji Abitogun, accused individuals whom he described as “revisionists, dishonest intellectual dwarfs� of pushing “fallacious history� about the originality of Ayede-Ogbese as a Kingdom. “These characters have no respect for the human worth of persons or communities that are not big; the fact is that this is

great trouble may be brewing in Edo South if these people are not investigated, and if found wanting should be apprehended and evacuated to where they may have come from�, he stated.

The statement, therefore, called on security agencies and the state government to as a matter of urgency, take steps to see that the fear of the people about the influx of these persons mentioned is not only allayed but to see that it does not become the ugly reality if proactive measures are not taken.

As responsible citizens of Nigeria, the statement observed that freedom of movement of any Nigerian from one part of

the country to another or from one community to the other was guaranteed under the 1999 Constitution.

Nevertheless, the group said it believed that ‘such movement, if it portends danger or insecurity to the host community, must be put in check.�

It noted that the influx of a large number of jobless people into a community or a society grappling with economic imbalance “is latently dangerous to that community. It is no gainsaying that faced with hopelessness, out of desperation, they could resort to criminality to survive.�

Kogi Unveils Food SufďŹ ciency Plan, Releases N633m Ibrahim Oyewale in Lokoja The Kogi State Government yesterday unveiled its food sufficiency plan under the Agro Processing, Productivity Enhancement and Livelihood Improvement Support (APPEALS) in a bid to make the state top producer of rice, cashew and cassava.

To achieve this goal, the state government revealed that it had released a sum of N633 million to fund the value chain investment plan (VCIP) produced by the farmers throughout the state.

The Deputy Governor and Chairman Steering Committee of APPEALS, Edward Onoja disclosed this plan during a visit to the state’s Agricultural Development Project (ADP) plant in Felele, Lokoja and Ogbogbo, Igalamela LGA to kick start the distributions to farmers.

According to him, some of the items distributed included rice seedlings, pressure sprayers, fertilizers, herbicides and personal protective equipment (PPEs) at Ajaokuta LGA and Ogbogbo, Igalamela Odolu LGA. Onoja noted that the state government was keen to safeguard the lives of citizens and was determined to restore the state’s economy to an enviable height.

He said the APPEALS

Ondo Community Distributes 2,000 Nose Masks, 1,000 Food Packs James Sowole in Akure

from where they are said to launch alleged criminal attacks on unsuspecting farmers and travelers. “Of note is the occupation of the Odighi Forest where unconfirmed report has it that there are over two thousand Fulanis that have forcefully occupied a vast expanse of the forest as their habitation and their fortress. “The reports that many of these newcomers have drifted into the forest to join their Fulani relatives or to form their own cells have fueled the suspicion that there is a sinister motive behind their coming to Benin Kingdom. “This has raised the fear that

where God said we should be does not mean we are afraid of our small-town identity. “We have come to stay as a Kingdom: we existed here for ages and no attempt or fraudulent stories from them would ever make our land available for grabs. “Their motivation is the greed factor. Yes we have linguistic affinity with them, we are never their subjects,� Abitogun said.

The forum which was moderated by the Adaja of the community, Chief Femi Joseph, also had in attendance, all the members of the Council of Chiefs led by High Chief Femi Fajembimo, the Lisa of Ayede-Ogbese; the members of the Oluyede Royal House, religious leaders, the Divisional Police Officer, Mr. Olawoyin, political and religious leaders. They all observed the rule on social distancing.

project was dear to the heart of Governor Yahaya Bello, noting that the policies aligned with his Agricultural Revolution Agenda already made clear since its inauguration in early 2016.

He said the project with focus on rice, cassava and cashew farming was aimed at promoting food sufficiency, while also putting Nigeria on the map as a net exporter.

He claimed that with a population of over 70 percent farmers, the state was committed to catering for the food

needs of the country noting that the state planned to promote agriculture as a veritable means of business for every citizen, until it becomes the “food basket� of the nation.

The deputy governor urged the farmers to make good use of what was provided, and expand their businesses through the initiative.

Corroborating the deputy governor, the State Coordinator for APPEALS, Dr. Sani Ozomata described the event as timely, as the state was determined to return its farmers to the farms

to quell the scourge of food scarcity and ultimately, revive the economy which in he said had been on a standstill since the beginning of the pandemic.

He stated that enhancing small and medium scale farmers, and making sure that farm input gets to the farmers at the right time remained a commitment of the project.

Ozomata said that over 698 rice farmers would benefit from the materials shared while 1720 hectares of land had been set aside for rice farming.

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GLITZ FOCUS

Akindeinde Adebayo: Music Runs In My Gene He is a self-trained musician but his music artistry and creativity are exceptionally remarkable. When on stage he is constantly lost in his art as the passion flows ceaselessly, just as the listeners always crave for more. Akindeinde Adebayo is one of the few talented Nigerian gospel artistes who are making waves. Though still reinventing and evolving, Funke Olaode explores Adebayo’s journey in music and self-discovery

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I believe God’s work should not be done in half measure. I am passionate about God and His work. I constantly strike a balance to discharge my responsibilities to my church where I worship and I try to set my time and get my priorities right to make sure the time of meetings doesn’t clash so as to avoid conflict of interest just as you mentioned.

Remember the work of God is the same so any conflict of interest is for God’s glory.

an I have insight into who you are?

I am Akindeinde Adebayo, a Nigerian gospel singer popularly known by his stage name Debayo. I am an upcoming artiste, songwriter, worship leader, musician, and real estate personnel. A native of Ogun State Nigeria, born on February 19 in Lagos State. I am married to my lovely wife and blessed with beautiful children. I am a graduate of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) where I studied Business Administration but fully into gospel music now.

Being a Christian or gospel artiste can be challenging in terms of societal pressure, attraction to the opposite sex, etc. How do you deal with it without compromising your faith?

It has been the grace and grace and grace of God only. So, it has actually been God’s grace. My faith in God Almighty also. Then laying down all those challenges in the place of prayers because they are norms and you can’t stop them from happening. And lastly, I discuss any of these happenings with my wife.

How did your music journey begin?

My music journey began at the age of 10 from the children chapel in my parents’ church in Isolo, Lagos. My father was a reverend, though late.

Also, my mum is a deaconess and still serving in the vineyard. I can say the music gene runs in my family, which I am also a part of it and aside the music gift, my brother at that age taught me how to play the keyboard and drums and from there I developed so much interest in music as a whole and still flows passionately in that way to date.

As I grew older, my passion also grew with me and music has become part of me. As I progressed I served as a music director in so many churches.

I am currently serving wholeheartedly as music director of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) Lagos Province 36 Headquarters.

Have you ever tried to go into secular music?

No, it never happened. For me, why should I change a winning formula? I have dedicated my life to God to sing His praises. So it has never crossed my mind and by the grace of God, it will never happen.

Y wear so many caps: upcoming You artiste, songwriter, worship leader, musician, and real estate personnel.

How do you juggle all these responsibilities?

It is easy in the name of God. The process is like one step at a time. Also, God has been my strength. And I also try to set my priorities right.

Why did you pitch your tent with gospel music?

I did because I believe it is a calling from God and also a way of showing my sincere gratitude back to God.

Y are always on the move. How do You you y handle the home front so that it doesn’t suffer?

I thank God for giving me a supportive wife who flows with the vision. She has been a pillar of support, taking care of the home front in my absence. My home is very paramount to me, and I take care of my home to the utmost.

Apart from growing up listening to music, did you acquire training or you learnt on the move?

If you want to be the best in your field, you have to keep reinventing and evolving. This will keep you abreast.

To keep the flame of passion going, I trained myself. You will be surprised to know that I never attended any music training, but learnt on the move and still learning on a daily basis.

Where do you get inspiration?

Those gospel songs my parents used to play then inspired me. Such music like Don Meon, Ron Kenoly and so on.

Apart from music what other passion do you have?

With modesty, I am a very versatile person whose passion does not solely lie in music alone.

I can play some instruments like keyboard, saxophone, and drums.

How many albums have you released so far?

None. But I am currently working on one and people should expect it very soon but before then, I would still be dropping some singles just like Moyege.

Adebayo

Tell us about your recently released a single, ‘Moyege’.

Yes. ‘Moyege’ is a Nigeria gospel indigenous song that relates a heart of sincere gratitude to Almighty God through the victories won in time past.

You recently staged unscripted Praise. What inspired the move?

I was actually led by God to bring people of like minds together to worship

Him in an unscripted manner and which turned out to be a huge success. I return all glory to Him.

It is been a journey for you. Can you say you have found fulďŹ lment?

I’m not fulfilled because my music has not yet reached the entire world.

You worship at the RCCG Jesus House Parish Lagos Province 36 Headquarters and serve as music director in so many churches. How do you strike the right balance to avoid conict of interest?

Where do you see yourself in a couple of years to come?

I see myself at the highest point of my gospel music career nationally and internationally. Also, touring the world influencing souls for God.

63

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ JUNE 21, 2020

CICERO

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

IN THE ARENA

Edo 2020: A Test Case for 2023 Meltdown The battle between Governor Godwin Obaseki and his estranged godfather, Adams Oshiomhole, in the Edo State chapter of the ruling All Progressives Congress has snowballed into a national crisis threatening the very existence of the party with eyes of all belligerents firmly fixed on 2023, writes Samuel Ajayi

“2

023 is far, but all major players in the political equation have to be alive and abreast of whatever is happening with the party. If not, some people will wake up and discover they have missed out,” a close confidant of one of governors on the platform of the governing All Progressives Congress, APC, told THISDAY earlier in the year.

According to him, since the president is no longer coming back, it is now survival of the fittest. And unfortunately, it is these scheming and permutations against 2023 that is threatening to tear the party apart and render it history even before the first ballot is cast in three years’ time.

At the centre of it all is about who controls the party and its established structures ahead of the convention that will produce the presidential candidate a little less than two and a half years from now. And that was why what started as a “family affair” in Edo State has snowballed into a national political conflagration that is threatening the very existence of the party.

It all started with the cold war between former governor of the state and current National Chairman of the party, Adams Oshiomhole, and current governor, Godwin Obaseki, who the former almost singlehandedly made governor in 2016.

What had started as mere rumour soon became an open fight with each other battling to cancel each other out. While the former labour leader, Oshiomhole, accused Obaseki of being an ingrate, the latter accused him his estranged godfather of meddlesomeness and said he was being persecuted for not agreeing to open the state’s till for them to loot.

Obaseki shortly after defecting to PDP And as the battled raged on, Oshiomhole, by proxy, started propping up Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, his last laugh, how wrong they were. In a move that caught them former political ally, who later defected to PDP and was their unawares, the Court of Appeal sitting Abuja, in a unanimous flag bearer in the 2016 governorship election in the state. judgment, delivered by Justice Eunice Onyemanam upheld the Ize-Iyamu’s attempt to defect into APC in grand style March 4, 2020 ruling of the high court. was later scuttled by Obaseki, who decreed that Oshiomhole The ruling, which suspended the embattled National must inform him ahead of any of his visit to the state so as to Chairman as the leader of the party had the court saying the “provide security” for him. trial court had territorial jurisdiction to have entertained the But Oshiomhole did bid his time and was to later ansuit as it did. The court also withdrew Oshiomhole’s rights nounce that it would be direct primary for the selection of and privileges as national chairman of the party, including his the candidate for the party for the forthcoming governorship security details. election. Obaseki would have none of this. He insisted on Now, this judgment had set a series of in-fighting and indirect primaries and to ensure he had his way he signed a acrimonious battle for the control of the party. Victor Gaidom, gazette banning public gatherings in the state. the Deputy National Secretary of the party, has declared However, the Oshiomhole camp was not sleeping. The himself as the acting National Chairman of the party, even a screening committee set up returned a verdict of disqualification for Obaseki over irregularities in his NYSC certificate. This high court has given his claim a legal backing.

An FCT High Court in Abuja, Thursday, granted him was after the attempt to prove that he did not graduate from the right to act as the National Chairman of the APC for two the University of Ibadan failed. weeks. In an ex-parte application, Gaidom sought the leave Obaseki vowed he would not appeal the suspension. of the court to take over the secretariat of the party in acting Rather, he started negotiating with the opposition PDP and capacity and chair meetings of the National Working Commet Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, Governor Udom mittee until the determination of the motion on notice, marked Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State as well as Ifeanyi Okowa of FCT/CV/6447/2020.

Delta State.

In granting the ex parte application, Justice S. U Bature Now, if the Oshiomhole camp thought they had had the

empowered Comrade Mustapha Salihu, the APC National Vice Chairman (North East) to act as the National Secretary.

Meanwhile, the Oshiomhole camp is insisting that the person that was supposed to be the acting National Chairman of the party is the ailing former governor of Oyo State, Isiaka Ajimobi, and not Gaidom, who the Oshiomhole camp claimed did not resign properly before going to his native Rivers State to pursue his political ambition.

But Gaidom said he was granted a waiver by same Oshiomhole via letter dated 14th September, 2018 in which the suspended National Chairman of the party had written that he was “pleased to convey the decision of the National Working Committee (NWC) to unanimously approve your application for waiver under Article 31 of or party.

“By this decision of the (NWC) to grant your application for waiver, you can continue to discharge your official duties as the Deputy National Secretary while pursuing your political/campaign activities.”

Those who were opposed to Oshiomhole claimed that Ajimobi and the likes of Lanre Isa-Onilu (National Publicity Secretary) and Waziri Bulama (National Secretary) were not properly elected by the party but handpicked by Oshiomhole.

According to the constitution of the party, a meeting of the National Executive Committee, NEC, of the party should have been called, which would be turned into a mini convention where these officers would have been elected.

But Oshiomhole, knowing he did not have any control over the NEC of the party, refused to call any NEC meeting in over 18 months, whereas, this body is supposed to sit four times a year.

The implication of this is that majority of members of the NWC are loyal to Oshiomhole; reason he wanted one of his loyalists among them to act in his stead.

But other power centres within the party, especially, the governors, are opposed to this. Sources told THISDAY that a former governor and current minister is the brain behind the latest moves to cage Oshiomhole.

The minister, who has kept a safe and respectable distance, from the melee, is said to have enlisted the support of governors (they are in the majority) who are opposed to Oshiomhole to ensure he does not return to the party as the National Chairman.

Sources also told THISDAY that Obaseki too would be sacrificed so as not to make it look as if he has emerged victorious over his estranged godfather.

Beside this, most of the governors on first term are not comfortable with the treatment meted to former Lagos governors, Akin Ambode, which is also being extended to Obaseki with rumours having it that Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State is the next in line.

To them, if governors could be so easily removed, then it is clear and immediate red flag for them on first terms.

How the whole thing will pan out remains to be seen.

But most shocking is that President Mohammadu Buhari has remained aloof and has not lifted a finger (at least, openly) since the crisis started.

“The President does not care,” a source told THISDAY. “He is on second term. He has realised his ambition and the party can boil for all he cares. That is why everybody is doing whatever he likes and trying to cancel each other out.

Whatever is remained of the party is what whoever emerges will preside over.”

This is why neutral observers are now afraid if there will even be a party to control by the time 2023 comes.

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

Insecurity: Not Enough to Talk Tough!

P Buhari in a meeting with service chiefs

resident Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday, met with security chiefs on Thursday, where according to reports, he talked tough and warned his security chiefs he would not take any more excuses but results as the security situation in the country deteriorates.

But, how is it even logical to continue to charge people, who have failed in their assignments for over five years, when some of them had also been due for retirement, either

by virtue of their age or the number of years so far put into the service of their fatherland?

The truth, if the president must know, is that this current set of service chiefs have outlived their competence and relevance on the turf and cannot deliver the result the president seeks any longer. They’re tired and worn out. Whatever reasons the president has for still keeping them is evidently not in the nation’s interest. Buhari must therefore stop talking tough but start acting tough.

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER Ëž JUNE 21, 2020

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BRIEFINGNOTES Obaseki: Putting UI on the Spot Despite University of Ibadan’s recent clariďŹ cation that Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State was an alumnus of that venerable institution, controversies over the latter’s certiďŹ cate line-up are scaling up, culminating in his jumping ship to PDP, as his former party, the APC, disqualiďŹ ed him at its governorship primary screening. Louis Achi looks at some of the key issues surrounding the muddle

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here are probably three things that make the study of Classics distinctive: the field is interdisciplinary, rigorous and provides perspective. Studying Greco-Roman cosmology and Latin can sharpen one’s understanding of the way language works in general and also help to understand how people in a distant time and place organised and described the world.

Studying the languages is in turn crucial for the full appreciation of Greco-Roman and Latin literature, which remains a touchstone for all later European literature and which contains profound and challenging insights in the human condition that are as relevant today as when the works were first composed. Were these the quaint intellectual attractions for young Godwin Obaseki who opted to study Classics at the University of Ibadan?

Is Obaseki’s current political quandary laid decades ago, when he chose to upscale his educational clout, a quite legitimate aspiration? His former party, the All Progressives Congress, APC, says an emphatic yes – alleging he short-circuited due processes.

Was the party merely trying to extract a pound of flesh from Obaseki for cheekily falling out with his erstwhile political godfather and suspended national chairman of APC, Adams Oshiomhole?

What are the facts?

The 70s represented the golden era of Nigeria’s education and all associated admissions and certification processes were diligent and strict. This background possibly accentuated the laser-like focus on Obaseki’s admission, graduation and certification at the University of Ibadan. The 70s was the period Obaseki had his varsity education.

Hence, when APC’s Edo State governorship screening committee announced that the Edo governor was unfit to contest the primaries, saying it could not vouch for some certificates he claimed to possess, this spawned many posers and opened a can of worms.

In the affidavit sworn to by Obaseki, before the High Court Registry, Abuja, on June 7, 2016, he stated under oath that he graduated from the University of Ibadan with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in Classical Studies, in 1976. However, the varsity certificate he attached to his nomination form bears 1979, which represented a material contradiction.

Moreover, it is inconceivable for Obaseki to have gotten admission to read Classics at the University of Ibadan with only three O’Level credits and without a credible evidence of any additional qualification – such as A’Level, Diploma or NCE. Moreover, the O’Level certificate clearly shows that he sat for six subjects. In a petition dated June 8, 2020, by a certain Solomon Ogbegie, the attention of the APC screening committee was drawn to two voters registration identifications belonging to Obaseki, where the petitioner complained that Obaseki on June 12, 2016, presented a temporary voter’s card to INEC claiming to have obtained the same while living at No. 11 Oghosa Street, Benin City, in 2011.

Meanwhile, on November 10, he wrote to INEC, asking for transfer of his voting centre from Ikoyi, Lagos, to Oredo Ward, Unit 19, to enable him vote henceforth.

Similarly, in a petition by Hon. Thomas E Okosun, dated June 9, 2020, he referred to a testimonial reportedly issued by Institute of Continuing Education, Benin City, which was expected to validate his attendance of the said school for his GCE and A’Level education.

The said testimonial was however not on the school letterhead and he didn’t state that he passed the said subjects listed on the testimonial. Students are only permitted to sit for a maximum of four subjects, one that must include General Paper, but he stated that he sat for five subjects, which included English Language. However, English Language is not one of the subjects a student can offer in Advanced Level examination.

The APC committee found out that from paragraph three of Obaseki’s affidavit of June 7, 2016, he stated that after he finished secondary school in 1973, he proceeded to UI, where he obtained his BAdegree in Classical Studies in 1976, whereas he submitted a

Obaseki...the facts aren’t adding up testimonial of Institute of Continuing Education, which indicated he finished his A’Levels in 1975.

In the APC Expression of Interest Form, Obaseki stated that he was in the Institute of Continuing Education, Benin City, for A’Levels, between 1974 and 1976. He could not have conceivably attended two institutions in different cities simultaneously. Not surprisingly, the APC committee found inconsistencies in Obaseki’s testimonial.

In 2016, Obaseki presented a degree certificate from UI dated and signed by the Vice Chancellor and Registrar, which was filed at INEC, leading to his qualification to contest for governorship.

However, in 2020, he presented a degree certificate purported to have emanated from the same UI. The same degree certificate was undated but only signed by the VC with unidentified seal.

It is inconceivable that the same varsity would issue two different certificates relating to the same person in respect of the same course with marked differences. Not surprisingly, the committee doubted the authenticity of the certificate.

Besides the misspelling of his apparent surname: Obasek instead of Obaseki on his NYSC discharge certificate, which he never corrected, there is also no indication of where he served and there was a discrepancy in the digit number of the certificate.

On its part, the APC Screening Appeal Committee led by Abubakar Fari, penultimate Saturday corroborated the report of the screening committee by stating that, “It is inconceivable that the same University will award two certificates with separate dates for the same graduate.

Presenting its report to the National Working Committee headed by now suspended Oshiomhole, Fari added that, “We also find it difficult to vouch for the authenticity of his National Youth Service Corps certificate. There is no indication as to where he served. We find that he should be disqualified.�

However, UI has now confirmed that Obaseki graduated from the institution. According to a statement from the institution’s Registrar, Olubunmi Faluyi, Obaseki is indeed a UI alumnus.

Her words: “Mr. Godwin Nogheghase Obaseki, the Governor of Edo State graduated from the University of Ibadan, where he studied Classics,� the statement read. Obaseki gained admission to the University in 1976 and graduated in 1979 with a Second Class Honours, Lower Division. Records of his Admission and Graduation are intact in the archives of the University.�

Curiously, UI’s position has hardly diminished widespread belief

of the existence of a flaw in the whole process. Governor Obaseki’s Special Adviser on Media and Communication Strategy, Crusoe Osagie, on his part defended his embattled boss.

His words: “The hullabaloo over the governor’s certificates is a lame and weak effort to cause crisis and stir unnecessary controversy. The governor’s displayed results are duly earned from the institutions he attended. “If any individual or group of persons has issues with the results, they are free to approach the institutions to make enquiries as regards the authenticity of the particulars. They are free to go to St. Mathews Anglican Primary School; Eghosa Grammar School; the University of Ibadan (UI) and others, to verify the results. “The criteria for admission are the sole preserve of the institution and anyone with issues over the criteria can also approach the institution for clarification. It is not the place of a political party to query an institution over the requirement for admitting its students.�

This position cannot be acceptable considering the massive reputational damage this controversy has wrought on Nigeria’s premier university. Three credits without credit level passes in Literature and English – fundamental subjects for studying Classics?

University of Ibadan had better come up with a rather sound explanation for how the three credits without English Literature and English were admissible to study Classics or risk being tarnished forever.

What this means in the absence of plausible clarification contrary to the high esteem placed on the admission processes in those good old days, is that some underhand dealings took place. The golden age of education was not so golden after all, particularly, in Nigeria’s premier university.

In an unexpected escalation of the simmering controversy, the APC said it would go to court to challenge Obaseki’s certificates if fielded by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the September governorship election in Edo State.

The suspended National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, said last Tuesday that his party would take that option.

Obaseki, who formally resigned from the APC last Tuesday morning, the platform atop which he became governor of the state in 2016, has also formally joined the PDP last Friday.

Oshiomhole, who spoke at the Court of Appeal premises, said the party would take Obaseki to court over the alleged discrepancies in academic qualifications if the opposition party in the state presents him as its governorship candidate. “Fortunate enough, it was the PDP that exposed him in 2016.

PDP filed a case at the Federal High Court, amplifying every forgery segments in his certificate. APC just managed to escape that because PDP filed out of time and the case was struck out. “Now, the case has life so when they field him, we will be at the court to adopt what PDP filed before the court against him with additional evidence we now have against him. So, we can’t wait to have PDP field him as their candidate,� he explained.

Oshiomhole noted that soon, the boys would be separated from the men. “So far, we are good. We will soon separate the boys from the men. He has had a good day abusing, saying half-truths against me, that’s fine. “When you forged a certificate like you saw in the case of Bayelsa State, where we won an election, and on account of irregularities on the certificate of our candidate, we lost out at the Supreme Court level. “Only a foolish political party will not with due attention, meticulously screened those who want to contest election on the platform of the party after that incident.�

Meanwhile for the Edo masses, caught in the crossfire, its morning yet on creation day.

NOTES FOR FILE

Obaseki: From Fry Pan to Fire?

Obaseki

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THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ JUNE 21, 2020

65

CICERO/REPORT

A Government’s Aversion to Criticisms Last week’s attack on Prof. Ango Abdullahi by presidential spokesperson, Femi Adesina and the arrest of Nastura Sharif over a protest in Katsina have further exposed the presidency’s aversion to criticisms, writes Davidson Iriekpen

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fter about 48 hours in detention, Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG), Nastura Sharif, was on Thursday released from detention.

His offence was that he led a peaceful protest on Tuesday to draw attention of President Muhammadu Buhari to the incessant killings by bandits in the state and other northern states.

Sharif, who was arrested by the police and later moved to Abuja, during the protest, had demanded the immediate resignation of Governor Aminu Masari, if he could not guarantee the security of lives in the state. He and his group also demanded action from the government of President Buhari.

Narrating how Sharif was arrested, the group’s Director of Operations, Aminu Adam, said after the protest, the state Commissioner of Police, Sanusi Buba, invited leaders of the group for an interactive session in his office.

He said five member of the group, including himself and Sharif, had honoured a police invitation after which the group’s leader was detained.

The group added that following the intervention of the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) and other prominent well-meaning Nigerians and groups, Sharif was released on Thursday.

Sharif’s ordeal in the hands of the police is not new in recent times. It is gradually becoming a norm for the federal Adesina and Shehu lives are being wasted almost on a daily basis by Boko Haram government to tag those who have had the courage to speak and bandit; people are being abducted and killed by kidnapout against any of its inactions instead of learning from it. It pers, because they could not pay the huge ransom demanded is either the person is silenced by verbal attacks, arrests or by the hoodlums.” detention.

To paint how deplorable the situation has become, In the last two weeks, over 160 people had been killed in Governor Masari recently declared that his government had armed violence across the North. In Katsina alone, 76 people disappointed the people of Katsina State following its failure had died and houses and other means of life destroyed. Late to ward off bandits and ensure protection of the residents. last month, over 76 people were reportedly killed in Sokoto.

“I don’t know what to tell them (referring to the people of This has been the pattern since 2017. There’s death every the state). I cannot look at them in the face, because we have week. Nigeria has become a jungle. It is hard to convince failed to protect them, contrary to our pledge to ensure the many Nigerians that there is government in place in the security of lives and property throughout the state. country anymore.

“I am a very unhappy person, because we have never had In Borno, Kaduna, Sokoto, Zamfara, Plateau and Benue any moment of respite in the last five years that the leadership States, it has been one agony of bloodletting or the other as of this state can describe as comfortable. I never expected the over 3,000 lives have been wasted and thousands of homes behaviour and the attitude of the people living in the forests, destroyed since 2015, when Buhari came to power. the bandits, whose behaviour is worse than that of animals.

At the time protesters were planning to hit the streets, the “In the forest, a lion or a tiger kills only when it is hungry Kaduna State chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria and it doesn’t kill all the animals; it only kills the one it can (CAN), in a statement titled, “Stop the Mass Killings in the eat at a time. But what we see here is that the bandits come to North”, said it was sad and upset with the mass killings and town, spray bullets, kill indiscriminately for no purpose and increasing insecurity in the North.

The Christian body lamented that the development showed no reasons whatsoever,” the governor said.

A cross-section of people in the North is angry with that Nigerian security agencies lack new tactics to handle President Muhammadu Buhar-led government for not banditry and other forms of criminalities in the country. doing enough to protect them. Many cannot understand the The association, which frowned at the mass killings and rationale for constantly ignoring calls, including those of the the increasing insecurity in the north, especially in Kaduna, National Assembly for President Buhari to sack the service Katsina, Sokoto and Borno States, explained that in the last chiefs. few weeks, hundreds of people had been killed by the Boko The calls are hinged on the fact that the security heads, Haram sect and bandits.

Rev John Joseph Hayab, who signed the statement, stressed appointed in 2015, had outlived their usefulness. Many have also wondered the rationale for keeping the service chiefs, that the security agencies appear to be overwhelmed by the when people are dying almost on a daily basis without efforts activities of the criminal elements in the country. He accused Nigerians of shying away from the reality of the problem and from them.

For a government that touted security, tackling corruption living in self-denial, while people are massacred by criminals, and enhancing the economy as three of its cardinal objectives adding that people now live in perpetual fear as they are not at inception, many cannot understand why President Buhari safe on the highways and even in their homes. would allow the masses to continue to suffer.

Hayab stated that the insecurity in Nigeria has reached a Last Monday, a coalition of northern youth groups reiterlevel that rural communities are being invaded by bandits and farmers can longer go to their farms for fear of being killed or ated their calls on President Buhari to sack the service chiefs over the rising insecurity in the North, saying they have lost being abducted for ransom by gunmen. focus on how to tackle the criminals perpetrating the heinous “For us as a religious body, this country belongs to all Nigerians and our leaders must listen to the cries of Nigerians crime.

Even the usually quiet Northern Elders Forum (NEF), last about the continuous declining security situation. The protecweek, spoke out against the high rate of insecurity in the tion of lives and property of the citizenry is a constitutional North, accusing President Buhari of failing to address the responsibility of governments all over the world.

“Our government must therefore live up to this responsibili- security challenges in the region.

The Sultan of Sokoto Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar lll also could ty by tackling the present state of insecurity across the country. not hold back his feeling on how people are dying indiscrimiThere is need for our leaders to do an honest stocktaking of nately in the hands of bandits and Boko Haram insurgents the situation in our country. across the country.

“We need to check where we have gone wrong and what The sultan, who is the spiritual leader of Nigerian Muslims, are those things we are doing that we need to do better. Many

also blamed the spate of killings, kidnappings and banditry on governments’ inability to stop the carnage.

In a statement, he urged both the federal and state governments to wake up to their responsibilities of protecting the lives and property of Nigerians as enshrined in the constitution.

“We implore the government to take all genuine calls, concerns so raised and recommendations proffered so far, even from perceived and/or alleged antagonists in good faith, in order to move the country on the path of glory – human security, as development in whatever guise, is utterly incomplete without security,” part of the statement released by the Secretary General of the JNI, Dr. Khalid Abubakar-Aliyu, said.

To show that the pressures on the president to act paid off, last Thursday, President Buhari summoned an emergency meeting of the security chiefs, where he pointedly warned that he would no longer condone further deteriorating security condition in the country. He further told the service that whatever they were doing was not good enough.

This is why many are wondering what was the reason for arresting Sharif in the first place? All over the world, peaceful protests and criticisms are meant to make the government rise up to its responsibilities.

This is not the case in Nigeria, where many of those who have had the courage to speak out have been silenced by the presidency. Rather than see the criticisms as a way of calling the government to order, they see it as discrediting it.

Last August, the publisher of Saharareporters, Omoyele Sowore, was arrested by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) for calling a protest against incessant killings and corruption in the country. Not only was he detained for 125 days despite two court orders mandating his release, he was later arraigned in court for treason.

For merely calling on the Buhari administration to tackle the constant attacks by bandits and Boko Haram insurgents, last week, Adesina descended heavily on former Vice Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University, Prof. Abdullahi, describing his Northern Elders Forum as a one-man show and “a mere irritant.” He added that the NEF is not a conglomeration of true elders but that of just Ango Abdullahi.

The revered Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, has on many occasions in recent times received stern attacks from the presidency over his call on the government to address the problems in the country.

One of such was when he faulted the lockdown order of the federal government that Nigeria was not in a “war emergency”, another presidential spokesman, Garba Shehu, mocked the playwright, saying he had no specialty in medicine but may choose to write a play on the pandemic after the emergency was over. The president’s spokesman advised Nigerians to trust science and not fiction.

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THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER Ëž Í°ÍŻË&#x153; Í°ÍŽÍ°ÍŽ

CICERO/PERSONALITY/ENTERTAINMENT

The Oxymoron of Kenny Blaq Vanessa Obioha writes that at 27, comedian and singer Kenny Blaq has gained popularity for his unique style of delivering rib-cracking jokes through popular songs, and is still delivering humour to his numerous fans despite the pandemic impeding his well laid-out plans for the year

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There are two ways to view situations for the young comedian Kenny Blaq. It could be positive or negative, bitter, or sweet. Take for instance, the comedian was on his â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Kenny Blaq: State of Mindâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; tour when the capricious coronavirus reared its ugly head, crippling social gatherings and shutting him indoors like the rest of the world. Blaq found himself wishing like the rest of us that the virus would vanish and normalcy would return.

The unexpected pandemic is a bittersweet experience for him. On one hand, he has the luxury of time to bond with family and partake in chores such as filling the airconditioning gas and making very good use of his internet. On the other hand, is the grave impact of Covid-19 on the comedy business. As a stand-up comedian, Blaq had his calendar full with weddings, birthdays and concerts. All of these are now shrouded in uncertainty. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a bad market for the comedy industry,â&#x20AC;? he says in a WhatsApp chat. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The pandemic is really affecting business for us. No bookings, no event, no money. All my prior engagements have been postponed till further notice. I have an America tour scheduled for May and June, but at this moment, we are not sure if it is going to happen again.â&#x20AC;?

Since Nigeria recorded its first case of Covid-19 in February, the creative sector which the comedy industry is part of has been severely affected.

Theatres, clubs, parks, hotels, lounges which serve as venues for entertainment were ordered to shut down as a means of curbing the spread of the virus. Also, with the ban on inter-state travels and flights, creatives like Blaq are forced to adopt new strategies to entertain their fans.

For Blaq, this means creating new content for his thousands of fans on social media. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The pandemic has opened our eyes to other opportunities and new ways to what we enjoy doing, and the internet is one of them. I have a series I do on social media called â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Freestyle Somethingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; where I convert some crazy direct messages to songs and share my own view on whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s trending online. I also have a project online called â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Kenny Blaq Laugh and Sing Alongâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. It is a compilation of some of my crazy covers and funny original compositions. The relevance of this type of project to musicomedy and comedy as a whole canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be over-emphasized because of the way it travels and its possible effects with the help of social media. It helps us and our work cross more borders even when physical borders are closed.â&#x20AC;?

The compilation which is available on Audiomack was released on May 10 and within hours of posting the link online, the 10-track album fetched over 4,000 plays. Recently, he did a

mashup of himself and the viral Prophet Chukwueme Odumeje titled â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Anamansiginsagaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. In the video, he talked about the lives lost to the virus and prayed for his friends, especially those owing him money, and interjected it with clips of Odumejeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s popular gaffes. As at the time of this report, the video has been viewed over 12,000 times on YouTube.

Music has always been part of the 27-year-old comedian career. In fact, at the mention of his name, the description that easily comes to many minds is â&#x20AC;&#x153;that comedian that singsâ&#x20AC;?.

He calls his style â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;musicomedyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; which sees him weaving funny story through popular songs. For instance, in one of his shows, he acted a story about his relationship with a lady using foremost musician 2Baba songs.

Born Otolorin Kehinde Peter, the comedian disclosed that his proclivities run from music to comedy. He described the former as his talent while comedy is a gift. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t even know what I was doing was comedy at the time. I was just being me. If I like a song, I find myself singing it till I find myself remixing it to a funny version.â&#x20AC;?

Blaq forayed into the comedy industry in 2008 as a stand-up comedian.

Occasionally, he would deliver the jokes with funny songs.

With time, he noticed that people loved to hear him sing more. When he finally decided to build a career in comedy, he tagged his style musicomedy.

The style is not entirely neoteric. Blaq recognized veterans in the industry like Julius Agwu, Klint Da Drunk, the late Gbenga Adeboye, and Omobaba who are known for performing music alongside their jokes. He acknowledged that they inspired his craft. His uncanny trait can be traced to his secondary school days when he used to play the game of converting love songs to words and ending his letters with â&#x20AC;&#x153;pick my pen from the basket of love.â&#x20AC;?

He noted that musicians like the Nigerian trio Styl Plus and American band Boyz II Men made it easier to write love letters through their lyrics.

However, what sets Blaq apart is perhaps his unique voice and the brilliant way in which he plots his jokes with songs.

He does it so seamlessly and effortlessly that one can easily conclude that he was born to do this. That ingenuity has fetched him admiration from well-heeled personalities in the society. He revealed that he writes all his jokes. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Some jokes take less than an hour, some take sleepless nights, some take weeks, some

Blaq take minutes to put together. But I have amazing producers like Bashbeat, Shabba Producer, Mr. Soul, Tiwezi, Jazz Priest and my elder brother Taiwo who are always supporting me with studio productions to have it ready to perform on stage.â&#x20AC;?

After performing in a couple of shows including Gbenga Adeyinkaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Laffmattaz, Blaqâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s eventually had his big break in 2010 at the annual Calabar Carnival. â&#x20AC;&#x153;That event on my C.V made a lot of people pay attention to my craft which paved the way for other career-shaping events,â&#x20AC;? he notes.

The rest, they say is history. He was the preferred choice for Zenith Bank Plc, when they launched their Aspire Music Festival last year. Many notable brands have also sought his service. The humour merchant has also pooled crowds at his own shows, travelling from Ejigbo â&#x20AC;&#x201D; where he was raised and still resides â&#x20AC;&#x201D; to London to sell humour.

Blaq likes to see himself as an oxymoron (one of his shows is titled â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;The Oxymoron of Kenny Blaqâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;). He puts it this way: â&#x20AC;&#x153;The oxymoron of Kenny Blaq is in me â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Can-ingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; all the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;tsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; I was told when I started my career, such as

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;you canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t do music and comedy, just stick to singingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;; â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;you are not ready for such a big move yetâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, etc. Basically, it is looking at the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Impossibilitiesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and bringing out â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m Possibilitiesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. People say I leave an amazing impression in their minds with my act.â&#x20AC;?

Indeed, even with the lockdown, quite a number of his fans troop to his page for content. Presently, he is being nudged into having a live session on Instagram. He pointed out that he and his team are working arduously to give fans an experience that will blow their minds. But for an act that depends on live audience, performing without the crowd can be mentally challenging. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Mentally, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s crazy,â&#x20AC;? he says, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Because I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get to hear them laugh. I only see their emojis when Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m live on social media, and comments when I post some of these contents. But the doctors around the world have confirmed that laughter Is one of the best medicines to stay healthy. So, despite this challenge, I feel like the best way I can give back to society in times like this is to do what I know how to do best, with the help of social media. Though laughter is not the cure for Covid-19, a merry heart doeth good like a medicine.â&#x20AC;?

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CICERO/INTERVIEW

Ikem: I’ll Bring Unique Insight to C’River PDP For about 20 years, the position of Cross River State chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had rotated between the South and Central senatorial zones of the state. Now that the position is up for grabs, a former National Publicity Secretary of the party, Venatius Ikem tells Joseph Ushigiale in an emailed interview that, with his pedigree in the party and the government, he is the man to beat. Excerpts:

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I think I have done well enough with mine too over the years and you must agree with me that with age, that vice or weakness begins to manage itself as you realie that you cannot change the world overnight no matter how much in a hurry you are. Some things take time.

And finally, I hope I don’t have to tolerate people. I have learned from experience, how to work with people better over time.

s it true you are interested in becoming the Cross River State Chairman of the PDP? I think we have long gone past the stage of interest or not. We have been in the race for quite sometime and fulfilled all conditions precedent to contesting. But for this global pandemic that necessitated the postponement of the state congresses of PDP, the issue would have been long settled.

So, why the state chairman when you attempted running for governor in 2019?

My summary in response is to say they both amount to service, and that’s the issue. You serve in one capacity or the other. You either serve in government or in the party. But for the proclivity for money, I think we should hold aspirations to party offices higher than into government, because the party is the foundation upon which government is formed.

If you get the party administration wrong, winning elections becomes an uphill task. So, if I cannot serve my party in government, I can shift my service to the party and still achieve the same or almost the same objective.

Looking at my career in politics over time, you can see that I have swung between both party administration and government and I think that’s the unique insight I can bring to bear in the management of the party in Cross River State.

What are your chances or are you an anointed candidate?

I carry God’s anointing with me always. I don’t know if that’s the anointing you mean. That anointing is sufficient for me. Having said that, I think my candidature has adequate stakeholder buy in to propel me to victory.

I am adjudged as experienced in party management and administration, having served in Ikem the inaugural executive of the party at inception, and later becoming a member of the National Executive Committee and National Working Committee of the party, where I served as the National Publicity Secretary of the Party. I am known as a firm, fair and fearless administrator.

We read in the social media that a group of politicians from your council, Obudu, met in Chief Eugene Akeh’s house to wash their hands off your ambition and choosing rather to support a candidate from another council against you. Will this not undermine your aspiration?

I read something to that effect too, but no, that has no capacity to undermine my aspiration in anyway, because there is nowhere in the guidelines that an aspirant is required to get approval of certain chiefs from his community!

Unfortunately, it was an action of sycophants of the governor, who have no voting power by the party constitution. Such people exist in every state and have gained a national notoriety in every state for representing nothing but the aspiration to the governor’s attention.

They merely serve as Vuvuzelas for the attention of the governor. We have learned to ignore their noise and focus on the fundamentals of the congress. Oftentimes, there are appointees, who serve at the pleasure of the governor so you must sympathise with them.

Being appointees, they have no vote at the party’s congress and consequently have absolutely no locus in determining, who the delegates to the congress will vote as their party officials. Their opinion is inconsequential.

You literally bestrode the state’s political firmament like a colossus long before the trio of Donald Duke, Liyel Imoke and Gershom Bassey came along. You’ve been council chairman, commissioner under both Duke and Imoke and Special Adviser to both governors, including being National Publicity Secretary of the PDP and later Special Adviser to Obasanjo. Has politics served your purpose?

You make me sound like 100 years old! Yes, I have been around a bit, largely because of my early ascendance. And most of all, God has been very faithful. On a more serious note, my answer is both a yes and a no.

Yes, because I think I have, by the grace of God contributed significantly to the encouragement of youth participation in politics in Cross River State.

With all sense of modesty, I can say without any equivocation that my emergence as an elected Council Chairman at the age of 26 in 1991, completely changed the mindset of many young people and propelled a huge influx of a young generation of men and

later women into active, mainstream politics, beyond serving at the periphery as Youth leaders!

Many of the current generation of politicians in the state will readily confess that my emergence is what gave them the impetus to try, including the current governor of the state.

I have also witnessed tremendous infrastructure development.

Then, no because, the pace of social change envisaged with the transition to democracy has been so slow that the gains are easily eroded with just one bad turn, say one bad government. This is made worse by the fact that when you overcome a challenge, the succeeding generation cannot relate to what used to be so they begin to ask, what did you achieve?

Thirdly, social values change also with generations. For instance, when I contested and won elections, as Chairman, I had never owned N5,000 of my own before. And indeed when I left Council as Chairman, I had less than N10,000 to my name. Today that’s almost impossible. I have witnessed the devastating impact of monetisation of our politics as the most frightening threat to our democracy.

Violence has also multiplied a hundred, a thousand folds as politics became monetised and saw the influx of criminal elements with illicit money who saw in it an “investment” opportunity!

The Nigerian state hasn’t lived up to expectations at all in stemming these tendencies as they reared their heads. Ditto for lawmaking, which has not been proactive enough just like the administration of justice. Yes, Politics has been a strong vehicle for the substantial improvement of lives of rural communities. But no politics has been unable to transform society positively in terms of values.

Senator Rose Oko, who represented the northern senatorial zone in the senate recently passed away and the race is on to succeed her. Which council should produce a replacement and why?

May Her Soul Rest in Peace. I have until this week refused to make any comments on the race largely because, in my corner, we preferred to respect the soul of our departed sister and hoped to rest her remains before we return to the trenches. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 issues have delayed that until the Senate formally announced her passing, which signaled that the clock had started ticking towards the 90-day window for her replacement.

To answer the question is to delve into a lengthy analysis. I will spare us that. Suffice it to say, it’s about effective representation and of course, with a mixture of equity and fairness.

The arguments of Yala local government, where she hails from that they should have the exclusive right to replace her have no precedence.

When Chief Kanu Agabi, SAN, was elected to the Senate in 1999, and soon thereafter appointed Attorney General and Minister for Justice, he was not replaced by an indigene of Bekwarra local government council, where he comes from; he was, however, replaced by Senator Musa Adede, from Obanlikwu local government council.

In fact, no Bekwarra indigene contested that election. What is new about this that makes it unique? Does the fact that Yala is aspiring to make the 4th Senator not prick their conscience when other councils like Ogoja and Bekwarra haven’t at all? Senator Adede was elected on his merits as a capable son of the northern Senatorial District. For me that remains the measure.

Your running battles with Governor Ben Ayade are becoming legendary now. Yet, your decision to reconcile with him in the days leading to the 2019 election jolted many of your supporters. But the reconciliation was short-lived and you are both back in the trenches, why?

I detest to be known for legendary disagreements but I have the experience to interpret in practice what in politics everyone pays lip service to, but do not know how to practice. “No permanent friends, no permanent enemies”.

The 2019 election was a referendum by my reckoning, on how Cross River State after us will manage her fragile multi ethnic union. It was beyond Ayade. Rightly or wrongly, given the state of our ethnic realities, all component parts of the state, just like Nigeria herself, need to have that sense of belonging that guarantees equal opportunity to all.

PDP was the only Party whose choice of candidate reflected this reality. We owe a duty to our people to support their yearnings and aspirations. That’s why we are politicians.

The two other zones of our state had produced governors, who served two terms each and we were not about to give up that opportunity, because the future reference might be discomforting.

If I made a mistake there, I pray that history forgives me. Until then, I don’t owe anyone an apology for the position I took during that election.

Having finished with that, the fundamental differences we Given your pedigree in politics, many agree that you have the capacity to lead as the party chairman, but do you have are basically petty suspicions and fueled by those who feel too insecure around the governor if people like me came closer have the temperament to tolerate people?

Capacity is critical, even though the word is beginning to suffer and resurfaced.

For me the blame goes to the governor, who knows this abuse like most clichés in Nigeria. Temperament doesn’t inhibit truth, yet finds it convenient to accommodate them, because performance. Mostly, leaders who are temperamental are those they serve his purpose. I don’t begrudge them. I enjoy my who are impatient for results.

I have worked with a lot of temperamental leaders, who, in the politics the way I find space to play as God guides me, moving forward. end we rather adjudged beyond the weakness. Former Governor Donald Duke for instance, doesn’t tolerate any nonsense when You supported Ayade over Adede to win the senate it comes to setting timelines. He has no friends when his work is and I also hear that you had a hand in his emergence as involved. governor in 2015, has he met your expectations?

He tells you that he has no weakness in firing people. Former Absolutely true! I am one of those who made some President Olusegun Obasanjo is a legend when it comes to bad contributions. I think the jury is still out on the governor’s temperament. He is reported to have called some of his cabinet performance. Mind you, it’s not about my personal expectamembers ‘Ole’ (thief) in public or minuted so in their financial tions. I will prefer to sit this one out. requests to him.

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SUNDAYINTERVIEW Babatunde Gbadamosi

Gbadamosi... Buhari’s government encouraging corruption

APC Has Weaponised Poverty in Nigeria Babatunde Gbadamosi, a governorship candidate in the last election in Lagos State, believes there is a grand plot by the state government and the ruling All Progressives Congress at the centre to steal Nigerians blind. In this interview with Bayo Akinloye, he highlights the corruption allegations against the Lagos State House of Assembly Speaker and the opacity of budgets. Excerpts:

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ou’re regarded as one of few individuals, in recent times, who called attention to alleged corruption in the Lagos State government. How do you feel that not many people seem to be involved in this dialogue?

It’s really shocking, obviously, that all these revelations are coming out. You can imagine the Speaker (of the Lagos State House of Assembly) saying, ‘Nina lowo,’ in response to grievous allegations against him. One would have expected him to be more civil especially, regarding the fact that the money he’s spending is generated by hard-working Lagosians, taxpayers.

The allegations against the speaker, somehow, provide an insight into why the (state) government isn’t doing its job, unless Mr. Speaker can exonerate himself, perhaps in a court of law. If he considers the allegations being made

by Sahara Reporters as untrue, he should sue them either for libel or defamation.

That he hasn’t done either is very instructive. That people aren’t talking about the alleged corruption in the state is also an indication that people are tired of those stories. It’s become almost normal to hear that public officials are mismanaging, that’s putting it politely, public funds.

Everyone in the opposition in Lagos is convinced the state government has been running a corrupt government. As a member of that opposition, what evidence do you have against the government?

The evidence is all around us. The roads are bad, which suggests that the annual budgets haven’t been what were claimed they would achieve. In fact, they don’t bother to give the public a breakdown of the budget anymore. Therefore, you don’t have a clear idea of what’s spent on certain projects like road construction and education.

However, last year, when the governor (Babajide Sanwo-Olu) assumed office, he announced a state of emergency on Lagos roads and they came up with a so-called timetable using Lagos State social media platforms to publicise repairs of these roads. The roads weren’t repaired.

The project turned out to be what they called palliative measures, pouring granite on roads, pulverising them, and rain eventually washed that away. We warned them about that, anyway. We told them to put asphalt on the roads. They kicked against the idea. When you asked for evidence, I’d tell you the evidence is all around us. It’s there and you don’t need to look too far to see it.

In one of the interviews you granted in the buildup to the 2019 governorship election in Lagos, you

accused the Lagos government of corruption in the handling of the state’s railway project, which started in 2010. You made a reference to the EthiopiaDjibouti railway. Can you shed more light on this?

Basically, what I saw in Ethiopia was a railway line; heavy railway from Djibouti into 729km costing some $4 million, whereas in Lagos, we were told that the railway construction’s starting point is Okoko and we know where Okoko is, and which will terminate at CMS. But we can clearly see that the construction started from Mile 2 to CMS. That’s the evidence before us that we can see. That’s the first point. That’s the first fraud. The second fraud, in my opinion of what I consider to be fraudulent, that the state government needs to clear up. Okay, let’s not use the word ‘fraudulent’. Let’s say, ‘inconsistent.’ The first inconsistency is that what they’re saying on paper doesn’t match what we’re seeing on the ground.

And, unless they’ve changed the location of Okoko to Mile 2, clearly something is wrong. I attended LASU, so, I know where Okoko is and I know there’s no railway line in Okoko. They need to explain that inconsistency.

The second inconsistency is that when the contract was signed in 2009, the then governor (Babatunde) Fashola told us then that the railway project was $1.2 billion and it was that line but can’t remember whether it for the blue or red line. He didn’t say it was for the sleepers; he didn’t

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ JUNE 21, 2020

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SUNDAY INTERVIEW

t "1$ )"4 8&"10/*4&% 107&35: */ /*(&3*" t say if it was for the bridge. He didn’t disclose if it was for the station. He didn’t make any distinctions between all the elements of the railway system as a whole. He said he was constructing a railway line running from Badagry, Okoko to Mile 2, costing $1.2 billion.

However, we found a document that was submitted to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange by the CCEC, that’s the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation, which also owns the CRCC, the China Railway Construction Corporation, and the China Railway, the contractor of the railway segment of that infrastructure project for which $1.2 billion was allegedly released, according to Fashola, paid for that project.

The document that the CCEC or the CRCC submitted to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange put the project of the red line and the blue line at around $181 million. They listed it as one of the projects that they were doing and, in that document, they stated it clearly that it was $181 million. Look at the difference.

Please, recall that very recently, the spokesman for the current governor of Lagos State, whom to all intents and purposes, to my knowledge could be part of those...he wasn’t the one who signed the contract but his spokesman took it upon himself that what the CCEC claimed was for the sleeper’s section of the railway section.

But when you look at the work that’s going on, you can see CRCC is the one doing everything, the bridge, and everything. We see their workmen; we see their uniforms and vehicles come to pick them up. There’s this attempt to keep misinforming people, to keep telling lies. I don’t understand why.

This is our money. I can claim it’s my money, because I pay tax. You can do the same, because you pay your tax.

We all contributed to the money that’s just disappearing down the black hole of corruption and we should all be upset for somebody to sit somewhere and over-invoice the project.

So, in the document that was submitted to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, CRCC didn’t make a distinction between the component contract. They said the value of the contract for the construction, they didn’t say for part construction or for the provision of certain components.

They said for the construction of the railway line in Lagos was for $181 million. It was quoted in Chinese currency, the renminbi.

So, a question to the Lagos State government, the spokesman for the governor of Lagos State, if CRCC got the sleepers component of the project, who got the rest?

Who built the bridge that will carry the rails? Who put the rails on? Can they name the separate firms? Can they provide the contract agreements? Obviously, they can’t.

We know they can’t. But let’s just ask them the questions.

But it’s argued that railway projects are huge projects that require sovereigns to source funds and not something that a state can individually embark upon. Is that correct?

I completely disagree and I’ll tell you why. The railway in the United Arab Emirates was built by the government of Dubai. Dubai is also a state in the UAE. Its railway project is similar to the one Lagos government is embarking upon – it was built by the Dubai Transport Authority.

That’s number one. It’s similar in the railway system built by a private company in London in the UK. They couldn’t. Lagos as far back as 2014 has the financial muscle to build the railway system. A state

What you’re seeing is the reflection of weaponised poverty. When the ruling party deliberately perpetuates poverty amongst the people in order to ride roughshod over them, this is what happens. The people are just too jaded, too hungry, looking for what to eat.

They’re too busy trying to make ends meet for them to pay attention to this heinous crime that’s turned them into beggars

that generates as much as N80bn, never mind the official figures being bandied about by the state. If you consider all the monies being siphoned by the government in the state via shadow organisations, Lagos State’s internally generated revenue could be as much as N100bn than the N30bn they’ve been quoting since Fashola was governor.

The economy of Nigeria grew but the IGR of Lagos State didn’t grow. How could that make sense when Lagos is the economic capital of Nigeria? Nigeria was the largest economy in Africa in 2014. But Lagos State IGR, between 2009 and 2014, remained stagnant at N30bn per month. Is there any logic in that? I don’t know who’s fooling who? But somebody is actually fooling somebody.

The issue of Alpha Beta in Lagos has remained a scandal people like you still talk about. A couple of years ago, its former MD accused the company of underhand deals including tax evasion. The EFCC was petitioned and the public hasn’t heard anything since then leading many to conclude there’s some collusion between the anti-graft agency and the state government. Do you think so too?

By asking those questions, you already answered the questions. That’s absolutely correct. The EFCC that we know, you only have to make an allegation against those in the opposition and the opposition figures will be arrested immediately, intimidated and harassed and paraded as criminals before they’re even taken to the court.

You and I know that. We have that happen time and again. But when Lagos is mentioned the EFCC turns into pussycats. When other people are mentioned they turn into lions; they become roaring lions running around looking for who to devour. But when certain interests are mentioned they become pussycats. They keep quiet.

Instead, they start running around looking for persons like Diezani Alison-Madueke, asking Nigerians to pressurise the UK government as if there are no diplomatic channels. The EFCC needs to be questioned regarding the Alpha Beta scandals. Unless there are some vested interests in the private company they don’t want us to know about. Let’s ask EFCC. Let’s ask (EFCC boss, Ibrahim) Magu: what are they hiding about Alpha Beta?

The media needs to keep putting this issue on the front burner until the matter is unravelled.

Lagos residents don’t seem bothered about the issue of Alpha Beta allegedly feeding fat on the state’s purse. Why, if people like you feel strongly there’s something wrong?

That’s the reaction you get when poverty has become weaponized. What you’re seeing is the reflection of weaponised poverty. When the ruling party deliberately perpetuates poverty amongst the people in order to ride roughshod over them, this is what happens. The people are just too jaded, too hungry, looking for what to eat.

They’re too busy trying to make ends meet for them to pay attention to this heinous crime that’s turned them into beggars. People in Lagos are too hungry to question the ruling party and those who are not hungry are afraid to ask questions so as not to lose the little they have, because of the vindictiveness, the evil behaviour of these people in power.

Critics say it’s become fashionable for state governments like Lagos not to publicly disclose the breakdown of their annual budgets. Do you see this as a deliberate attempt to side-step accountability and transparency in order to promote corruption?

The best way to stop corruption is by being transparent. The first bus stop of any anti-corruption crusade is transparency. If you can’t itemise your budget, then you’re corrupt. A government that refuses to disclose a breakdown of its budget is corrupt and crooked. They’re thieves.

You can see the issue of the State House Clinic that gets N1bn budgeted for every year but you know the story of how the First Lady cried out that there wasn’t even Phensic in the hospital.

That became obvious when the then Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari (may his rest in peace), contracted COVID-19. He couldn’t be treated there. Corruption. It’s a mess. There’s corruption everywhere. We’ll remain in the mess until Nigerians wake up and insist ‘enough is enough!’

It’s not unlikely that nothing will come out of the fraud allegations against the speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly?

I found it shocking when, during an interview with Dele Momodu, the speaker said, ‘Nina lowo’. It was shocking. There are individuals not fit to manage a suya spot, but have found themselves in hallowed public offices. Public offices should be reserved for only our best; the best that our society can produce. What does he think the office of the speaker is?

This is Lagos State. The speaker of Lagos State House of Assembly should not be caught using that kind of language. I guess this is the kind of standard they’re used to. They misspend money: N250 million to print invitation cards? He claimed he didn’t spend that much.

The speaker didn’t show any evidence that they didn’t spend that amount of money as alleged. We can’t treat this as a trivial allegation. This is an allegation against the office of the speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly – that’s the Number 3 man in Lagos State.

The silence of the governor, too, is a bit unsettling. I find it really disappointing. I think the executive should ask questions. Yes, I understand there’s the principle of separation of powers. Even if informal, questions can be asked.

Yes, I know that those questions cannot have the force of law but for the sheer morality of it all, I think that the governor should do something and not leave Lagos State at the mercy, potentially, of somebody capable of the allegation being made by Sahara Reporters.

What about the President Muhammadu Buhari government?

The current government is incapable of fighting corruption. They’re promoting corruption. Their reason for being in office appears to be to perpetuate large-scale corruption. To me, that seems to be the reason they’re in office.

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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 Ëž NE 21, 2020

CICERO/

Polio Eradication: For Nigeria, History Beckons As the Africa Regional CertiďŹ cation Commission for polio eradication (ARCC) accepted Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Ă?Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2014;Ă&#x161;Ă&#x2013;Ă?Ă&#x17E;Ă? Ă&#x17D;Ă&#x2122;Ă?Ă&#x;Ă&#x2014;Ă?Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2DC; Ă?Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x153; Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x17D; Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2122; Ă Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x153;Ă&#x;Ă? Ă?Ă&#x153;Ă?Ă? Ă?Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x;Ă? Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2DC; Ă&#x;Ă&#x2DC;Ă? ÍšÎ&#x20AC;Ë&#x153; Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2019;Ă? Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x153;Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x17D; Ă?Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2019; Ă&#x153;Ă&#x2018;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x201C;Ă?Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2DC; Ě&#x2122; Ě&#x161; Ă&#x17D;Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă&#x153;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x152;Ă?Ă&#x17D; Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x17E; Ă&#x2039;Ă? Ă&#x2039; Ă&#x2019;Ă&#x201C;Ă?Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x153;Ă&#x201C;Ă? Ă&#x17D;Ă&#x2039;ĂŁ Ă?Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x153; Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2018;Ă?Ă&#x153;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2039;Ë&#x153; Ă?Ă&#x153;Ă&#x201C;Ă?Ă&#x2039; Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17D; Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2019;Ă? Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x152;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2013; Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2122; Ă&#x153;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2018;Ă&#x153;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2014;Ă&#x2014;Ă?Ë&#x203A; Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x153; Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2019;Ă? Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2022;Ă&#x2122; Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x2018;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x17E;Ă? Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17D;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2DC; Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17D; Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2019;Ă?Ă&#x153; Ă?Ă&#x153;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x201C;Ă?Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2013; Ă?Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2022;Ă?Ă&#x2019;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x17D;Ă?Ă&#x153;Ă?Ë&#x153; Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2019;Ă&#x201C;Ă? Ă?Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17D;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x153;Ă?Ă?Ă&#x2014;Ă?Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17E; Ă&#x2122;Ă? Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2019;Ă?Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x153; Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17E;Ă?Ă&#x153;Ă Ă?Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2DC;Ă? Ă&#x152;Ă&#x;ĘľĂ&#x153;Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă? Ă&#x2039; Ă&#x2DC;Ă?Ă?Ă&#x17D; Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2122; Ă?Ă&#x2DC;Ă?Ă&#x;Ă&#x153;Ă? ʨĂ&#x2DC;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2013; Ă Ă&#x201C;Ă?Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x153;ĂŁ Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2DC; Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2019;Ă? Ă&#x203A;Ă&#x;Ă?Ă?Ă&#x17E; Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2122; Ă&#x153;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x17D; Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2019;Ă? Ă?Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x153;ĂŁ Ă&#x2122;Ă? Ă&#x2039; ĂĄĂ&#x2122;Ă&#x153;Ă&#x153;Ă&#x201C;Ă?Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2014;Ă? Ă Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x153;Ă&#x;Ă?Ë&#x153; ĂĄĂ&#x153;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x17E;Ă?Ă? Demola Ojo Cause for Celebration

M

any citizens expressed different emotions as the news broke. For those who have been involved in the long struggle to ensure that Nigeria is certified polio-free, this was a case of victoria ascerta (victory is assured). For others, it was sweet relief from a virus that has crippled and affected thousands of children in the country.

As the gloomy wind of the COVID-19 pandemic blows across the entire world, the acceptance of Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s complete documentation for Wild Polio virus free status by the Africa Regional Certification Commission for polio eradication (ARCC) was like a breath of fresh air in a polluted environment.

The reason for euphoria is not far-fetched, given that stakeholders in the country have assiduously monitored the incidence of wild polio virus, and no case has been reported for over 36 months. This feat, in the words of the World Health Organisation (WHO) â&#x20AC;&#x153;is a historic day for Nigeria, Africa and the Global Polio Programme.â&#x20AC;?

Meanwhile, the Executive Director and CEO of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Dr. Faisal Shuaib, in a tweet at @drfaisalshuaib described the documentation as historical. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Amazing moment in history to have had our polio-eradication documentation accepted by (ARCC); the Nigeria team led by NPHCDA and partners demonstrated evidence of our polio-free statusâ&#x20AC;?, he added.

Collaborative Efforts

The quest to rid Nigeria of Polio couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have achieved much headway without the support given to the Federal Government and some State Governments by concerned organisations like Aliko Dangote Foundation, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, WHO Children been vacinated for Polio disease and other private local and global organisaengagement and vaccine availability; to enable the six states to tions. immunise 80 per cent of their target population with RI. This critical support was aptly captured in a tweet by Dr. On March 22, 2018, the six State governments signed extenShuaib that â&#x20AC;&#x153;Nigeria achieving a Wild Polio Virus-free status today, is significant on multiple fronts. I look back at the incred- sions of the existing MoU with ADF and BMGF in Sokoto in a bid to improve on current efforts to get Nigeria certified polio ible leadership that has brought us here. Apart from President free. The MoU extension, which is to run from 2018 through Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, the two most important people 2022, aims at providing RI to prevent common childhood who have made it possible due to their financial and technodiseases and ensure a polio-free environment. It also represents logical contributions have been Mr. Aliko Dangote and Mr. Bill the statesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; broader ambitions to improve primary health care Gates. Thanks for this unquantifiable gift to Nigeria,â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;&#x2122; he said.

(PHC).

In his response to the process update, the Chairman of Aliko One of the key impacts of the MoU was the greater involveDangote Foundation, Aliko Dangote said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is an amazment of traditional and religious rulers to help persuade ing milestone we have been looking forward to for a while! resistant populations and encourage them to embrace RI to Congratulations and well done to everyone involved. And help protect their children and eradicate polio. The buy-in while we need to indeed celebrate this important accomplishof the leaders has improved line-listing in the six states and ment, letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s make sure we keep our eyes steadfast on maintainincreased response to immunisation exercises from state level ing RI coverage, especially with the advent of the Covid-19 all the way down to the settlement level; with better access to pandemic. Congratulations all around once more.â&#x20AC;? nomadic children and those in hard-to-reach communities.

Additionally, Bill Gates described the development as â&#x20AC;&#x153;An amazing milestone. Not the final one but an incredible achievement that points the way to what we need to finish.â&#x20AC;?

Critical Feedback On a recent spotlight trip by ADF to the six partner states of Bauchi, Borno, Kaduna, Kano, Sokoto, and Yobe, the remarkVital Interventions able progress made to eradicate polio in Northern Nigeria in To enhance Routine Immunisation (RI) and eradicate polio particular and the country in general was showcased in the in Nigeria, the Aliko Dangote Foundation (ADF) and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) signed a Memorandum sharp increase in number of children presenting for RI (especially under-1 year olds) with a corresponding decline in the of Understanding (MoU) with Kano State government in number of vaccine-preventable mortalities.

2012. The tripartite accord was meant to lapse in 2015 but was Other signs of progress noted during the ADF trip include: extended. Kaduna state government also signed a similar the political will and counterpart funding by the state governagreement with both Foundations in 2015. ments; capacity building of health workers, service providers On January 20, 2016, six Northern States signed MoUs and even traditional leaders in the gathering of quality data with the Foundations as well as the United States Agency concerning newborns and eligible children, especially in hardfor International Development (USAID), to promote RI to to-reach communities and settlements. eliminate the polio virus completely by the year 2017. The Through the partnership agreements, technical support has governors of Bauchi, Borno, Kaduna, Kano, Sokoto and Yobe been provided to the states in terms of cold chain stores for vacStates signed for their states, while Bill Gates, Aliko Dangote cines; storage and distribution by vans to Solar Direct Drives and US Ambassador to Nigeria, James Entwistle signed for (SDDs) in each ward in the states; stipends for community their organisations. leaders and Volunteer Community Mobilisers, in order to creThe MoU, which focuses on PHC delivery, contributed ate awareness and sensitise caregivers and their wards; training to improvements in immunisation financing, community

and retraining on record keeping and financial accountability, among others.

In all the six states, there has been no new report of confirmed cases of wild polio virus for more than 3 years now, which has enhanced Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s quest to obtain polio-free status as planned nationally.

The Emergency Operations Centres in each of the six partnership states, which are the coordinating centres on polio eradication activities, are also playing crucial roles to complement the statesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; efforts and leverage on the MoU basket funds to help end polio in Nigeria.

The six Northern States, Kano, Bauchi, Kaduna, Sokoto, Borno and Yobe, have greatly benefitted from the MoU partnership. The tripartite agreements have helped to strengthen routine immunisation and also provided technical, material and financial support to the partner state governments and their relevant agencies and stakeholders; with resultant rise in RI coverage for eligible children, including those in the hard-toreach and inaccessible communities.

The new MoU, which runs from 2018 to 2022, has the potential to help ensure that Nigeria successfully eradicates the wild polio virus in the country and obtains polio-free certification in the nearest future as planned. The agreement, which enhances both state and national efforts, has added great value to the united efforts to eliminate the virus across the six states in particular and Nigeria in general.

Next Steps

As Nigeria waits for the final certification by the WHO itself, all hands must be on deck to ensure that no wild polio virus re-surfaces in the country. To achieve and sustain this, vital interventions like that installed by the ADF and BMGF must be sustained and built upon. Millions of dollars have been committed by these two philanthropic organisations to boost government efforts. Government, on its own part, must ensure that the political will through counterpart funding and provision of an enabling environment remains a priority. Then and only then can Nigeria heave that final sigh of relief for victory over a stubborn enemy. That is a worthwhile goal.

71

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER Ëž ͺ͚Ë&#x153; 2020

FOCUS

Propetrol Positions for Superior Customer Experience Moving into a new ultra-modern head office in Lagos is testament to Propetrolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s steady growth from humble beginnings, to becoming a leading indigenous player in West Africaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s oil trade, as it repositions to expand onshore and offshore, writes Demola Ojo

Propetrol Head OďŹ&#x192;ce, Lekki, Lagos

I

n the midst of a global pandemic that has put many businesses in peril, especially in the oil and gas sector which has witnessed historically low prices in tandem with reduced demand for products, Propetrol Nigeria Limited, a leading player in West Africaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bunkering business, is not only standing firm, but spreading its tentacles further afield.

Moving into a new multi-billion naira edifice in Lagos, is just one of many indications of a growing business that has defied the doomsday predictions swirling around Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s volatile oil and gas industry.

The prime waterfront property on the edge of the Five Cowrie Creek, which offers amazing views of the iconic Lekki-Ikoyi link bridge, is set to be the cynosure of all eyes that view it from both land and water.

The all-white storey building which makes ample use of glass to take advantage of scenic views, is a work of art filled with tasteful paintings and sculpture, which complement the sophisticated furniture befitting a modern, high-flying oil and gas firm.

Propetrol is renowned as a leader among indigenous firms successfully providing ethical solutions to the industry that drives Africaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s biggest economy.

Through its aggressive expansion drive, the company has made its mark across the West African coast, spreading its tentacles across the Gulf of Guinea, from Ghana to Sao Tome andLiberia, and further south into parts of Southern Africa.

The COVID-19 pandemic has fundamentally changed the face of the oil and gas industry globally, and forward-thinking organisations have had to take steps to position themselves

to improve their efficiency and deliver superior customer experience.

To this end, the company has concluded plans to acquire a storage facility, open more filling stations and bid for an oil mining licence.

UndertheguidanceoffounderandCEOHarry Ebohon, Propetrol has distinguished itself in the Nigerian petroleum market, as a pioneer company fuelling growth through innovation, right from inception in 2002.

Propetrol is at the forefront of consolidating Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s position as a bunker trading hub in West Africa. This has been achieved by seizing the initiative to sanitize the industry through ethical product sourcing, quality assurance and logistical expertise.

Under Ebohonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s supervision, Propetrol has grown to become one of the top indigenous businesses operating in the downstream sector of Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s oil and gas industry, with a reputation for quality products at competitive prices, reliability, and strict adherence to global safety standards.

The company prides itself in its ability to consistently make safe and timely deliveries of all petroleum products to customers comprising several exploration and production companies.

It also provides bunkers for shipping fleets and individual vessels.

Providing dedicated bespoke energy solutions to diverse private and industrial clients, Propetrol hasgrownbeyondNigeria,withoperationsalong the West African coast and in southern Africa.

The company is registered with several NOCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, refineries in West Africa, India, the Arabian Gulf and in Europe, as well as oil majors (BP, Shell) and many other big traders (Glencore, Trafigura, Vitol) in the industry.Among its clients are all the IOCs operating in Nigeria as well as indigenous

oil companies.

The numbers are impressive and only point to getting better, with a bunkers market share of close to 70 per cent. The company prides itself on achieving a 100 per cent delivery on product supply contracts, which has helped it realize an annual average growth rate of 67 per cent.

Organic Growth Founded in 2002 as a haulage company providing services for oil majors like Total, Oando and Mobil, Propetrol went through a series of expansions before venturing into the bunkers market in 2013.

Before 2013, Propetrol successfully retailed petroleum products across different outlets nationwide under its Propel brand. Ebohon nurtured Propetrol from one retail outlet in Ikeja, to more than 20 filling stations across the country, and staff of over 300 manning different business concerns onshore and offshore.

The company is in the process of acquiring more retail outlets under its Propel brand to further serve the needs of petroleum consumers in strategic locations across the country, starting with a mega station in Lagos.

However, Propetrol is continuing to channel more resources in the bunkers market, a sector where it has taken a leading role and excelled since 2013.

Prior to 2013, the Nigerian oil industry suffered significantly from crude oil theft and the activities of illegal bunker traders. This prompted the Nigerian government to place a ban on bunker trading from 2000 till 2013.

Following the lifting of the ban, international suppliers held sway in the bunkers market, and subsequently exported proceeds to their home country. This amounted to a loss of hundreds of

millions of dollars in potential revenue in taxes - as well as job opportunities - leaving the shores of the country.

In addition to this, unscrupulous local elements traded illegally refined fuels sourced from stolen crude. Both scenarios were to the detriment of the Nigerian economy.

Noticing the gap in the market, Propetrol devised a strategy that has over the years seen it pull away from the competition, making it a reference among indigenous bunkers supply companies in the Nigerian downstream industry.

The company started with improvements in the procurement process for bunker fuels by initiating partnerships with international bunker cargo trading companies through trading lines, which allowed her bring import cargos into Nigeria.

To provide affordable fuels, the company then set out to ensure products were properly sourced from reputable international companies, before heavily investing in bunker vessels fully classified for Nigerian operations.

In addition, there was a massive education drive to sensitise procurement teams of companies who hitherto patronised suppliers of illegal products, on the dangers of their practice, and the availability of a relatively affordable, yet ethically sourced alternative.

This strategy is in line with Propetrolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mission to provide consistent and superior value through competitive pricing and exceptional customer service delivery.

As the oil and gas industry slowly picks up following a downturn caused by the coronavirus pandemic, Propetrol is racing out of the blocks, with years of preparation and experience putting the company in a vantage position to take advantage of opportunities for its customers benefit.

TR

Sunday June 21, 2020

UT H

& RE A S O

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Price: N400

MISSILE

NGF to Resident Doctors “When you strike it is not the men in power that suffer but the common man on the streets” – The Nigeria Governors’ Forum while appealing to National Association of Resident Doctors to call of its strike.

SIMONKOLAWOLE SIMONKOLAWOLELIVE!

simon.kolawole@thisdaylive.com, sms: 0805 500 1961

Killing the Broadcast Industry Softly

T

he National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), the federal agency that regulates — and strangulates — the broadcast industry in Nigeria, always gets away with murder. If you ask me its major contribution to the development of broadcasting in the 21 years of our democracy, I can only remember the frequent imposition of sanctions on broadcast stations for violating some rules and regulations, mostly political, with the NBC usually trying to please the government of the day. They have also been granting licences to governments and individuals to operate radio and TV stations.

I almost forgot: they licensed PayTV services.

Anything else? I honestly cannot remember much.

Meanwhile, have you tried to apply for a radio licence before? They will tell you there is no available frequency at your location of choice, only for you to hear that someone up there has just been granted a licence for the same location! Even when you are asked to do feasibility study as part of the licence application process, you are ordered to use the services of ordained consultants who will charge you to high heavens. If you go and get consultants elsewhere to do the feasibility, it will be rejected for not meeting “NBC standards”. What exclusive standards does the NBC have — if not that there is a cartel business in its backyard? You and I know very well that this is a racket.

If you want to set up a national TV station in Nigeria today, NBC will ask you to pay N500 million as the licence fee. You heard me right: N500 million for a piece of A4 paper!

You have to bear in mind that it is not as if the basic infrastructure is on the ground to make you deliver optimal service. Our terrestrial broadcasting is still stone-age, even though we like to boast that we set up the first TV station in Africa in 1959. South Africa that started in the 1970s is now light years ahead of us. Only God knows for how long the NBC has been talking about implementing “digital switch-over” to allow us see clean pictures on our local stations. Maybe it will happen tomorrow. Or in the next century.

I ordinarily would not bother writing about the NBC because of my low opinion of the agency, but recent events have so nauseated me that keeping quiet can only upset me more.

On March 27, 2020, when the attention of the world was directed at fighting the coronavirus, the NBC quietly released the 6th edition of its broadcasting code. Most of the provisions that I have read so far are as deadly as the coronavirus, even though some might appear asymptomatic for now. To add insult to injury, Prof Armstrong Idachaba, the NBC acting director-general, said the code was meant to develop the broadcast industry in Nigeria.

NBC developing the broadcast industry? I missed the joke.

There are many problems with the code.

The attempt to criminalise exclusivity, for a start, has sent key industry stakeholders into disbelief. According to the code, the holder of content rights must share with other platforms.

So if Jason Njoku’s iRokoTV buys the rights to Genevieve Nnaji’s Lionheart, for instance, NBC is telling us that the streaming service must sub-license to Mo Abudu’s EbonyLife TV “by fire by force”. If iRokoTV and EbonyLife TV cannot agree on a price, then the almighty NBC, sitting on its judgment throne in its Abuja

Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed office, will tell EbonyLife TV what to pay to iRokoTV. Can you beat that “innovation”? That is how NBC wants to develop our broadcast industry.

For a football fan like me — and one who has an idea of how PayTV works in other countries, such as the UK and the US — I cannot make any sense out of section 6.2.8 of the code. It states: “Exclusivity shall not be allowed for sporting rights in the Nigerian territory and, in furtherance thereof, no broadcaster or licensee shall license or acquire foreign sporting rights in such a manner as to exclude persons, broadcasters or licensees in Nigeria from sub-licensing the same.” This is silly, pardon my French. I don’t know who came up with this idea, I don’t know what the NBC is driving at, I don’t know the motive, but anybody who knows how sporting rights are sold can only laugh in derision.

The selling point of PayTV is to offer what the competition cannot give. When HiTV secured the rights to the English Premier League in Nigeria in 2007, that became its selling point.

HiTV began to offer football on a level that other broadcasters could not. This exclusivity was its major, if not only, marketing edge.

As part of the package, HiTV gave terrestrial stations one match to show free of charge every week. If this obnoxious NBC code had been in operation then, HiTV would have been forced to sub-license the EPL rights to DStv and other PayTV services in Nigeria.

What then would have been its marketing edge or selling point? HiTV would have been brought in dead.

The NBC says it wants to promote competition through its new code, but it will only succeed in killing it. A rational investor will hold back.

Free market economies thrive on respect for intellectual property, product differentiation, innovation and the right to charge a fair price.

Why should I use my brain to create competitive contents when I know that the NBC is there to breastfeed me? Why should I go the extra mile to invest in acquiring rights to top-class contents when I can just fold my arms and wait for you to do all the hard work and then you will be forced by the NBC to share with me? Why should I pay you a fair price when I know the NBC will determine that by its own fiat?

Legally, it is the content producer — and not the NBC — that determines who to share

content with and what price to demand. That is what the Nigerian copyright law says. The NBC is trampling on the territory of others.

Its legal advisers deserve some flogging. More so, it sounds quite funny that the NBC does not appear to recognise the fact that a licensee acquired the rights in a competitive bidding.

After paying a competitive price, the licensee is now forced to share with its competitors at a regulated price. That is automatically an erosion of the value of the original rights. You labour for somebody else to enjoy the fruits.

That is how the NBC wants to develop our broadcast industry.

I believe the NBC consultants should have done more work before unleashing this cold code on the industry. It ignores several realities.

When rights to a live sporting event are being auctioned, for example, it is not guaranteed that you will be granted the right to sub-license.

Now if a licensee approaches the rights owner and asks that a sub-licence clause be inserted in the agreement, this leaves the licensee open to a further hike in the fee. The rights owner is not an idiot. The moment he knows you want to sub-license, he will assume you are going to make more money. So the fee will go up substantially. Sadly, it is the NBC that will ultimately decide what the sub-licensee will pay you!

Njoku was particularly angry with the code.

He tweeted: “Nigeria Broadcasting Commission (NBC) in making exclusivity illegal, compelling sub-licensing of content & regulating price, are effectively turning the private enterprise into state property... If implemented this 100% destroys PayTV in Nigeria… it makes zero sense for @irokotv @ROK_DSTV @NetflixNaija @irokotv @africamagictv @FilmhouseCinema @ SilverbirdTV @SceneoneTV or any other platform or independent production house to invest in local content... No consultation, no thought…

This our champagne socialism & zero input style of policymaking is the reason Nigeria is stunted in everything. I invest billions (of) naira in content then I am compelled to share with everyone else as NBC sets the price…

Ridiculous.”

In modern times, stakeholders are usually carried along when industry rules are being made. In telecoms, for example, I know that the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) consults widely with stakeholders in making the regulations. The world has moved beyond dictatorial handing-down of regulations that have industry-wide implications. It is very clear that the NBC is working to an answer, probably driven by someone who has an axe to grind with some operators. That is the only way I can understand the novel coronavirus the NBC is introducing into the regulation of our broadcast industry. NBC is now seeking to consult — months after rolling out the code!

In fairness, the NBC claims to have good intentions. The objective of the code, we are told, is to enthrone fair market competition, with special consideration for new market entrants.

According to Idachaba, the code will protect and promote the local broadcast industry from “monopolistic” and “anti-competitive” behaviour.

The code, he said, will stimulate advertising revenue into the broadcast industry and grow the local creative industry. These are, no doubt, lovely objectives. What I can’t see clearly is how the provisions of the convoluted code will achieve these good intentions — except in NBC’s dreams. But the road to hell, according to our elders, is paved with good intentions.

And Four Other Things…

BRUTISH AND SHORT Gunmen have been wrecking Katsina for ages, but it seems President Buhari’s home state is only getting noticed now. Dozens of villagers were killed by the criminals in one attack recently, leading to protests and the unimaginable burning of a Buhari billboard. Ironically, when gunmen strike in Katsina, Zamfara, Sokoto or Kaduna, killing hundreds in one blow, newspapers describe them as “bandits”. But when gunmen strike in southern Nigeria, they are called “Fulani herdsmen” and “jihadists”? The fact is that the government has failed to protect the ordinary Nigerian, no matter the region or religion. That should be our biggest worry.

We deserve better than this. Terrifying.

APC’S COVID-23 I bear witness that Nigerian politicians know one thing: how to get power. The only thing they lack is the knowledge and commitment to use the power to better the lot of the people. There is a bitter and desperate struggle for the soul of the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2023 presidential race — with the Godwin Obaseki/Adams Oshiomhole imbroglio serving as another dress rehearsal as the intrigues heighten. Nigerian politicians know how to gather, plot, manoeuvre, twist, turn, rock and roll just to grab power.

If just 25% of this energy is devoted to good governance, I bet you: Nigeria will be one of the most advanced countries in the world. But it is all about self. Sad. NBET FIASCO What is going on in Aso Rock? On June 8, President Buhari approved the appointment of Dr Nnaemeka Eweluka as the MD of the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading (NBET) Plc to take over from Ms Marilyn Amobi effective July 24, 2020.

The approval was addressed to the minister of finance, Mrs Zainab Ahmed, who oversees NBET. On June 15, 2020, Mr Sale Mamman, the minister of power, also got presidential approval to ask Amobi to proceed on terminal leave “immediately”.

Two ministers getting contradictory directives from the same authority! Many incidents have been ridiculing the Buhari administration, but I think the NBET fiasco is first-class. Shame.

EXECUTIVE JEST A lot has been said about the Executive Jets flight that took “a bunch of useless people” for a concert in Abuja — in violation of COVID-19 guidelines. But what I am not hearing people discuss is the judge. Who would have paid for a private jet to take him to Abuja? How much does a judge earn to be able to afford private jet flights? Would well-wishers or the treasury foot the bill? As for Sam Iwuajoku, the CEO of Executive Jets, who said he thought the “Babatunde Fashola” on the manifest was the minister, I have just one question: was there a permit to fly the minister in the first place? So many abnormalities have become routine in this country. Amazing.

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