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NEITI: $584m Oil, Gas Deals Sealed in Asset Ownership Changes in 2019 Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja In monetary terms, changes in marginal fields’ ownership in the oil and gas industry were worth about $584 million in 2019, the latest report on the sector by the Nigeria Extractive Industries

Transparency Initiative (NEITI) has indicated. The report showed that the changes were mainly due to internal reorganisation by asset owners, inability to pay outstanding debts owed to government, and non-development of oil assets, leading to revocation

of licences.

In all, eight of the deals yielded the $584 million, the sum generated by three of the changes were not available in the report, while four changes were due to revocation of operating licences of the original owners by the federal

government.

The licences cancelled were those belonging to Allied Energy Resources, Cavendish Petroleum, Express Petroleum and Gas, Pan Ocean Corporation Asset, and Summit Oil International Limited, which operated OML

120, 110, 108, 98, and OPL 206, respectively.

While 7 Energy transferred 62.5 per cent shares of 51 per cent equity in Stub Creek Universal Energy Resources in a transaction worth $3.682 million, it also moved 100 per cent ownership of its shares

in Uquo marginal field to Savannah Petroleum Plc in a $10.586 million deal.

In the same vein, FHN transferred its 100 per cent interest to Cape Energy Limited, Vertex Energy, and Continued on page 10

Confusion in Anambra as PDP Holds Parallel Governorship Primaries… Page 5 Sunday 27 June, 2021 Vol 26. No 9575

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Army Chief Orders Destruction of All Boko Haram, ISWAP Enclaves in North-east Troops decimate scores of bandits in Zamfara Shehu of Borno: 17 of the 27 LGAs occupied by B'Haram terrorists recaptured Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja The Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Major General

Faruk Yahaya, yesterday ordered troops to destroy all enclaves of terrorist groups in the North-east.

His charge came as troops killed scores of bandits in a fierce encounter in Zamfara State.

The army chief also declared that traditional institutions were critical to bringing the insurgency war to an end.

He made the declaration during a courtesy visit to the Shehu of Borno, His Royal Highness, Alhaji Abubakar

Ibn Umar Garbai El-kanemi.

A statement issued by the Continued on page 12

Buhari: Drug Trafficking, Abuse Pose More Threat than Insurgency, Banditry Says drug abuse already stretches across three generations Deji Elumoye in Abuja and Laleye Dipo in Minna President Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday, identified drug trafficking and abuse as more threatening to the stability of the nation than banditry and insurgency that are prevalent in some parts of Nigeria.

The president, declared that drug abuse has become so endemic in the country now that it already stretches across three generations of grandparents, parents and their wards.

This is just as the the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), has disclosed that within the last five months, no fewer than 2,180 suspected traffickers including five drug barons had been nabbed across the country.

President Buhari, who was represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Continued on page 5

PRESIDENTIAL YOUTH EMPOWERMENT SCHEME...

L - R: President Muhammadu Buhari; Chief of Staff, Prof Ibrahim Gambari; President Belemaoil, Tein Jack-Rich; Rep. Alhassan Doguwa; and others during the inauguration of the Presidential Youth Empowerment Scheme (P-YES) Tools organised by Belemaoil and the Senior Special Adviser to the Presidential on Youths and Student Affairs to employ 774,000 youths nationwide held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja ...yesterday

Niger Delta Avengers Announces Return, Threatens to Attack Oil Facilities, Politicians… Page 77

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Confusion in Anambra as PDP Holds Parallel Governorship Primaries INEC complies with court judgement on sack of Anambra PDP exco Uba, Ozigbo emerge in factional exercises Chuks Okocha and DavidChyddy Eleke in Awka There was confusion yesterday in Anambra over the conduct of the governorship primary election of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as two factions of the party held separate elections.

This is as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said it would comply with an AbujaHigh Court judgement dismissing the sacking of the Anambra State PDP executives.

Meanwhile, two factions of the PDP, yesterday, elected Senator Ugochukwu Uba and Valentine Ozigbo as the respective standard bearers in the November 6 poll.

While Uba was elected candidate of a faction led by Chukwudi Imeaba, a loyalist of his brother andself-styled godfather of the party, Chief Chris Uba, Valentine was elected at an exercise organized by a faction believed to be loyal to the opposing faction.

The court on June 9, 2021 had dismissed the applications filed by the national office of the PDP and two others.

But INEC, in a letter addressed to national chairman of the PDP, Uche Secondus and dated Friday, June 25, said it had received the High Court judgement dismissing the sacking of the Anambra PDP executives.

The electoral commission in the letter signed by the Secretary to the Commission, Rose Oriaran-Anthony told the PDP national chairman that it would comply with June 9 judgement.

INEC said: "The Commission has been served with the judgement of the High Court of the FCT delivered on 9th June, 2021 in suit No. FCT/ HC/774/2012- Between Samuel Anyakorah vs PDP & ors regarding the Anambra State PDP executives. " Consequent upon the above, the Commission wishes to intimate you on the need to comply with same. Accept the assurance of the Commission's high regards, please."

However, Justice Olukayode Adeniyi of the High Court sitting in Maitama Abuja, in a ruling held that the three applicants – the PDP, Chief Ndubisi Nwobu and Barr.

Uchenna Obiora – failed to make out a case to warrant the

grant of their application that sought to stay the judgment pending the determination of the appeal.

Justice Adeniyi, who came down hard on the applicants for earlier denigrating the court in their reaction to the judgment, held that they did not show that the non-staying of the judgment would either render their appeals nugatory or make it impossible for the party to conduct its primary for the forthcoming governorship election.

The judge voided all the activities engaged in by the party since June 9, when the judgment was delivered, including the elections it conducted on June 10 and 11 to elect a three-man ad-hoc ward delegate that would participate in the voting at the primary of the PDP scheduled for June 26, 2021.

Justice Adeniyi said the statement made on June 9, by the State Publicity Secretary of the PDP Anambra in which he disparaged the court and its judgment was an affront to the court, adding that they do not expect a court they have insulted to grant them an indulgence.

He said: "The first applicant (the PDP), which is the principal party has maintained in the face of this court that its judgment is null and void for want of jurisdiction. The same party cannot at the same time seek equitable reliefs from the same court.

"A party that has no regard for the judgment of a court and described it in derogatory terms to the whole world, as shown in Exhibit C, cannot quietly return to the same court to seek equitable relief to stay the same judgment that it defied and defiled.

"An assessment of the totality of the circumstances that have been presented before me by the instant applications leads to only one conclusion, which is that the applicants do not have an iota of respect for the authority of this court, they issued a release to embolden their members not to reckon with the judgment of the court and followed it up by taking of definite contemptuous steps in disregard of the court's judgment.

"For them to come back with a motion for stay of execution and injunction pending the determination of their appeal, in my view, is a clear afterthought.

I there say that no court worth its authority will grant any such application, no matter how well presented and argued," Justice Adeniyi said.

The June 9 judgment, which they sought to stay was on a suit marked: HC/CV/774/2021 filed by Samuel Anyakolah (for himself and all local government chairmen and ward executives that emerged from the Anambra PDP congress conducted on November 28 and December 1, 2017 under the supervision of Sir Chukwudi Umeaba, as Acting Chairman State Caretaker

Committee).

The judge agreed with the plaintiff/claimant that the PDP violated its constitution in the conduct of the Southeast zonal congress of March 6, 2021 and the appointments made therein.

He declared among others, that “all congresses, designations or appointments made by the first defendant (the PDP), with respect to the positions of the state chairman, EXCO members and local government chairmen, as contained in pages 14,15 and 16 of the Southeast zonal

congress brochure of 6th March 2021 are hereby nullified and set aside.”

The judge ordered the PDP to henceforth recognise and adopt only the list of the already inaugurated party officers and delegates that emerged from the Anambra PDP congresses conducted on November 28, 2017 and December 1, 2017 validated

by Senator Grace Bent Ward Congress Appeal Panel report and Barrister Ukpai Ukairo Local Government Appeal Panel report, under the

supervision of Sir Chukwudi Umeaba, who shall continue to act in the capacities for which they were duly elected.

Meanwhile, two hundred and eighteen automatic delegates of the party were accredited to vote in the Primary election by a faction of the party said to be recognised by the national leadership of the party.

Edo State Deputy Governor and Secretary Anambra PDP Governorship Primary Election Committee, Philip Shaibu revealed these before the commencement of voting.

WAR AGAINST DRUG ABUSE...

Chairman/CEO of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd) presenting a souvenir to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, who represented President Muhammadu Buhari at the inauguration of the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA), by the NDLEA in commemoration of the UN Day against drug abuse and illicit drug trafficking at the State House Conference Centre, Abuja...yesterday

BUHARI: DRUG TRAFFICKING, ABUSE POSE MORE THREAT THAN INSURGENCY, BANDITRY Federation, Mr Boss Mustaph, spoke at the launch of the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA), an initiative of the NDLEA to mark the United Nations International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Drug Trafficking themed: “Share Facts on Drugs. Save Lives.”

The President emphasised that the anti-drug war was more deadly than the insurgency in the Northeastern part of the country or the acts of banditry in the Northwest or the acts of kidnapping that transcends all the geopolitical zones of this country.

According to him, it is a war that is destroying three generations, because there were clips of some grandparents on drugs, parents on drugs, and by extension, their wards and children had also taken

to drugs.

"So, this is a war that is targeting three generations in a stretch. So, it is more deadly than even the security challenges that we are having in this country and I believe strongly that every effort must be put in place to ensure that we deal with the issues of substance abuse and trafficking and manufacture so that we can get to the root cause of the mirage of insecurity problems that are confronting this nation and I believe strongly, with every bit of conviction, that if we are able to deal with the issues of drug abuse, substantially, our security challenges will drastically reduce as we walk towards a drug free, Nigeria".

The President also charged the NDLEA to intensify efforts at ridding the vast forests of

the Southwest and SouthSouth regions of the country of criminal elements, who had made the places their hideouts, from where they launch criminal onslaughts as well as for farming marijuana.

President Buhari said: “I am directing the NDLEA to develop a robust risk-communication and community engagement strategy that will not only disseminate the four pillars of the plan to responsible entities, but also deal with destroying production sites and laboratories, break the supply chain, discourage drug use and prosecute offenders as well as traffickers, rehabilitate addicts and enforcement of relevant laws.

"I want to particularly draw the attention of the agency to the fact that the use of many of our forests as criminal hideouts

is because large swathes of cannabis plantations are hidden deep within those forests, especially, in the Southwest and the South-South.

"You may, therefore, need to drive these criminal elements from such hideouts, because they use it for the growth of these plants and also as a repository for criminal elements to conclude and plan their adventures on our people".

He, however, called on all families, schools, civil society organisations, professional associations, religious organisations, the academia, community leaders and individuals to work for the common good in order to rid their communities of drug use and trafficking.

"As your President, I will continue to address underlying causes of drug abuse, including

poverty reduction, for which my pledge for lifting 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in the next 10 years and strengthened by the recently developed National Poverty Reduction with Growth Strategy signposts my unwavering commitment.

"I would like to appreciate our stakeholders and international collaborators, especially, the European Union, and the United Nations Office for Drugs and Control, for their unwavering support to our drug control efforts, including the development of our roadmap.

Also appreciated are the members of the inter-ministerial committee on drug control, civil society organisations, the academia, for their contributions and efforts to our National Drug Control initiatives.

"The war against drugs is a war that must be fought by all,

it is therefore my pleasure, to declare on behalf of the good people of Nigeria, a War Against Drug Abuse (WADA), not just as a slogan, but a call for civil action for all Nigerians to take active part in this war".

Shedding more light on their current efforts, Chairman of the NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (rtd) put the cash value and drugs seized in the past five months since he assumed office at over N90 billion adding that over 2,180 traffickers had been arrested, including five drug barons controlling different cartels across Nigeria.

He also revealed that a record 2.05 million kilograms of drugs were intercepted and seized across the country; and 2,100 drug offenders prosecuted with Continued on page 12

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Ataga Family Call for Restraint, Ask Public to Assist Police with Information Tobi Soniyi

The family of the late Super TV Chief Executive Officer, Michael Usifo Ataga has appealed to members of the public with useful information on the gruesome murder of their son to give such information to the police.

In a statement by Dr Isi Ataga, the family said they also have questions of their own adding that the facts as revealed by the police so far didn't add up.

"If you have any information, don't hide behind online posts.

Instead, come forward and share it with the police." The family said.

Ataga's death has become a subject of speculation and all sorts of conspiracy theories, some very absurd, on social media.

The family, therefore called for restraint from the press and social media commentators.

They said: "We ask, sincerely, that you let us grieve this terrible loss with some privacy.

This past week and a half has been the worst period of our lives."

The statement read: "Here are the facts. A little over a week ago, unknown persons savagely killed our beloved son, Usifo Ataga. With no regard for him, or his family, who love him, they viciously ended his life.

"His children will grow up to read unkind, thoughtless words from thousands of people who have joined the lynching party in the press and the blogosphere. Our aging parents must now struggle to pick up the pieces amid a cacophony of misinformation propagated by strangers.

"A suspect has been arrested and paraded before the press.

We, the Ataga Family, are grateful to the Nigerian Police for pursuing this investigation.

However, like you, we have many unanswered questions.

Some things don't add up.

"If you have any information, don't hide behind online posts.

Instead, come forward and share

it with the Police.

"Here's what we do know.

The more you add to the false information in the press and

on social media, the harder it is for the Nigerian Police to

do their work and fully solve this case. The harder it is for a

grieving family to recover from the loss of their beloved son."

CONSECRATION OF ARCHBISHOP AGHEDO...

L-R: President, Niger Delta Bishops and Minister Forum/Council of Bishops in Nigeria, Archbishop Julius Ediwe; Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki and Archbishop Fred Aghedo, at the consecration of Archbishop Aghedo, in Benin City...yesterday

Tourism: Gov Emmanuel Advises NATOP to Device New Methods Okon Bassey in Uyo

Akwa Ibom State Governor Udom Emmanuel has tasked the Nigerian Association of Tour Operators (NATOP) to adopt new strategies that would make the country's tourism industry attractive and economically beneficial. Emmanuel made the call yesterday at the fifth Annual General Meeting of the association held in Uyo. The governor lamented the dwindling fortunes of the tourism sector, despite the vast tourism potential of the country.

The theme of the conference was, "Restarting Tourism in Nigeria: A New Template."

Emmanuel, however, applauded the new level of commitment and zeal demonstrated in recent times by the tour operators and other stakeholders in promoting tourism, saying if sustained, it can generate huge revenue for both practitioners and the government. He admired the hospitality of the people and said recent developments in transport, social, and tourism infrastructure in the state, despite dwindling revenue, was a deliberate strategy to open the state to the world.

According to him, Akwa

Ibom State is blessed with many cuisines and natural tourist sites, including the residence of Mary Slessor, the Blue River, the longest coastline in Nigeria, while the annual Christmas Carole and Christmas Village have become major events in the calendars of lovers of tourism.

He pledged the assistance and partnership of the state government to NATOP but urged them to adopt measures that would project their services and attract goodwill to the country.

In a keynote speech, an oil magnet, Mr Akanimo Udofia, said with improved commitment and institutional attention, tourism could generate more than crude oil and gas for the country. Udofia added that many countries not blessed with natural resources had thrived and prospered through tourism.

He stated, "You will be pleased to hear that a country like Thailand, which is a developing country, ranks as the fourth highest earner for tourism in the world, earning a whopping $60 billion a year from tourism.

"Saudi Arabia, on the other hand, is the 19th most visited country in the world with as much as 15 million people

visiting yearly. Most of tourism in Saudi Arabia largely involves religious pilgrimage and it generates $12 billion per year.

Now remember that Saudi Arabia ranks as the second largest proven petroleum reserves in the world and the source of most of its revenue, yet it pays a lot of attention to other sectors, including tourism, which is less than two per cent.

"I believe that irrespective of this small slice of the pie of their total revenue, we can all agree that $12 billion revenue from tourism on a yearly basis is still a significant amount of money."

Speaking also, a former Minister of Tourism in Ghana, Mrs Catherine Afeku, using the Ghana experience, urged Akwa Ibom Government to utilise the opportunity of the Bridge of No Return to welcome back descendants of Nigeria lost to the Atlantic Slave Trade.

Afeku urged government and practitioners to focus on domestic tourism, lobby for tourism incentives, adopt a policy of Right of Abode for relatives in the diaspora, repackage tourism sites, and patronise Made in Nigeria products and services.

The Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Tourism,

Mr. Orman Esin, applauded NATOP for choosing Akwa Ibom and expressed hope that the conference would usher a new partnership between the state and tour operators.

Esin pointed out that the state had pioneered several aspects of tourism in Nigeria, being home to the earliest missionaries. He said with the longest coastline in Nigeria, a fertile land rich in tourism, an international airport, and one of the best golf resorts in West Africa, the state was well positioned to take tourism to the next level in Nigeria.

Emmanuel said, “Akwa Ibom, the real deal, we have the options for all types of tourism in Nigeria. We have the biggest hotel property in West Africa, with consistent growth over the years. We knew that bringing Naija7Wonders group to our state in December for the Christmas Village would bring us the attention we needed.

"We are your partners and will grow tourism together.

The governor has a vision of a modern state and has deliberately engineered the development of industries and improved on the existing infrastructure.

“Cuisine, infrastructure, scenery, people and buildings

are the hallmarks of Akwa Ibom. We are a very secure place not by accident but by the determination, focus and will of the state government.

"The governor is an industrialist and the state will benefit from energising the tourism stakeholders to come and enjoy the synergy of our facilities. Akwa Ibom is your best choice for tourism in Nigeria.”

National President of NATOP Hajia Bilkisu Abdul paid tribute to NATOP’s former president, Mrs Fatima Garbati. But Abdul regretted the loss of revenue in the tourism sector occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic.

She said, however, that the tour business had gradually returned, with Akwa Ibom being one of the star destinations for tour operators.

According to her, "Domestic tourism started to come back to life towards the end of last year.

I am glad to note that Akwa Ibom became one of the star destinations for tour operators.

They came for the Christmas village events in December and observed that it was a great success; they found your state rich in attractions.

"As we begin to breath back life into tourism, insecurity and high airline tickets prices became

a big problem.

"Those two evils of tourism are one of the reasons we have chosen Akwa Ibom as our Destination of Choice for our AGM 2021. Akwa Ibom State is secure and has the infrastructure that we need to thrive. It has one of the best resorts in Nigeria, has an airline and an airport.

"Our coming to Akwa Ibom State is not accidental. NATOP uses its AGM to promote domestic destinations and all our past destinations of choice have become viable locations for Tourism."

Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, represented by the Permanent Secretary, Mrs Ifeoma Anyanwutaku.

Mohammed urged NATOP to work towards restoring the damaged tourism reputation of the country and urged them to increase international partnerships while adopting international best practices for networking.

The minister called for increased participation from the private sector while urging stakeholders to work towards packaging the country's investment and tourism potential by repositioning the image of the country.

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AuGF Queries Multibillion Naira Financial Irregularities in NPA Accounts Udora Orizu in Abuja Auditor-General of the Federation (AuGF) Adolphus Aghughu says he has uncovered multibillion naira financial irregularities in the audited 2017 financial statement of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA). The revelation was contained in an audit query dated May 24, 2021, signed by the AuGF, and submitted to the House of Representatives Committee on Public Accounts (PAC). The query covered stand-alone financial statements, non-current assets (depreciation, addition to fixed assets, Property, Plant and Equipment, and interest in joint ventures), current assets (cash and cash equivalent, trapped fund in Enterprise Bank, inventories, trade receivables, etc.), liabilities, statement of profit and loss, and other comprehensive incomes, expenditure, and administrative expenses.

The query included N65.7 billion spent on fixed assets; N390.581 billion on Property, Plant and Equipment; N168, 458,000 in bank balances within and outside Nigeria, which represent balance from subsidiaries; $3.231 million trapped in Enterprise Bank; N1.5 billion staff housing loan; and advance payment of about N4.479 billion to contractors.

On the N65.763 billion spent on fixed assets, the AuGF said management should furnish the analysis of the assets acquired during the year, showing suppliers, evidence of ownership, gross amounts, outstanding amounts (if any), taxes deducted and remitted to the relevant tax authority, and the current status of the assets.

On Property, Plant and Equipment for which N390.581 billion was spent, Aghughu said the carrying amount of the properties, plants, and equipment, and properties on lease were qualified in the auditor’s independent report because they were unable to obtain sufficient and appropriate audit evidence to confirm the completeness, existence, and valuation of the carrying amounts. To this end, the management was required to provide the schedules of

movable assets purchased by the concessionaires per the various lease agreement and furnish the list of assets in use and projects in progress acquired or being executed by the concessionaires for the authority under the ports development programmes of the lease agreements for audit scrutiny.

They are also expected to provide sufficient records, backed up with detailed fixed asset register to support the existence, completeness and carrying amounts of property, plant and equipment as well as

properties on lease, the query stated. It added that the NPA management should provide an updated non-current asset register showing the dates of purchase, location of assets, and amount depreciated to date.

According to the query, the NPA management is also to provide a schedule of bank balances showing the names and locations of the banks at which cash and cash equivalent from current assets of the authority are maintained, the individual account balances, and the respective comparative

figures.

The AuGF asked the NPA management to explain the status of the Staff Home Ownership Scheme as well as the N1.5 billion deposited as initial take-off fund with Aso Savings and Loans Plc. He said N1.5 billion was deposited with Aso Savings and Loans Plc, which served as an agent for the creation of mortgages and the subsequent collections of repayments on the same mortgages, adding that the authority later severed relationship with Aso Savings and Loans Plc following the

federal government directive on Treasury Single Account implementation in 2015.

Similarly, the AuGF demanded explanation from the NPA management on the current status of about N2.334 billion received from shipping companies in 2013 as tracking fees and deposited with First City Monument Bank and was supposed to have been transferred to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in 2017. He said the amount represented cargo-tracking fees from shipping companies

collected by the authority in the first instance in 2013. He said it was noted that the affected companies protested against the fees and it was stopped, and the amount collected to the point of suspension was recorded as a credit against the authority.

The Public Accounts Committee of the House, chaired by Hon. Wole Oke, has fixed July 8, 2021 for both the management of the NPA and the Minister of Transportation, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi, to come for the defence of the audit query.

katsina presents security equipment to ndlea...

Katsina State Governor, Aminu Bello Masari (right), with State Commander, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Sule Momodu, during presentation of equipment to security agencies in Katsina

NEITI: $584m Oil, Gas Deals Sealed in Asset Ownership Changes in 2019 Earl Act Global in a $1.99 million deal while PanOcean allocated OML 98 to the NNPC JV worth $99.836 million in a deal that was expected to be fully paid for by January 2021.

Forty per cent equity of Ubima field, according to the document, was assigned to Wester Ord Oil and Gas Limited for $700,000, while there was a reassignment of 38.67 per cent interest from OML 141 to Emerald Energy, Amni, and Blue Water Group.

Eroton E&P also assigned 16.2 per cent and 1.8 per cent of Sahara field and Bolton in a deal worth $6.901 million.

Besides, Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC) acquired OML 11, formerly operated

by Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), in a contract totalling $456.03 million. Full payment is due in Q4 2021.

Similarly, New Age Exploration Nigeria Limited acquired OML 113, while Vitol transferred 12.83 participating interest in the field in a $4 million sale.

During the year under review, seismic data acquisition was up by 348 per cent, field development plans 65 per cent, well activities 45 per cent, while gas development plan was down by 75 per cent, with six approved for 2019, as opposed to 24 in 2018.

In terms of deferred production due to shutdowns, scheduled repairs and maintenance, pipeline

breaks/leaks, and general force majeure, SPDC was the biggest casualty, with deferred production of 30.9 million barrels, comprising 56.10 per cent of the entire quantity during the year.

Seplat was next with 7 million barrels, followed by SNEPCo, with 3.8 million barrels.

In addition, NPDC and Neconde suffered losses and subsequent deferment of 3.7 million barrels, Newcross' was 3.2 million barrels, Aiteo deferred 2.84 million barrels, Energia’s share of deferment was 1.7 million barrels, while APDNL’s loss was 733,000 barrels during the year.

All deferred production amounted to 55.2 million barrels while there were 1,387 pipeline breaks, with

Mosimi recording the highest with 637 breaks, followed

by Port Harcourt, 536, and Warri with 96 breaks.

According to the report, in 2019, 43 companies emerged buyers of Nigeria’s federation export crude oil, compared to 41 in 2018, with 20 of the entities accounting for 73 per cent of total sales while the rest 23 accounted for 27 per cent.

In 2019, companies operating in the Nigeria oil and gas space expended $896 million on social expenditure, including a mandatory sum of $815.59 that is paid to the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), while the non-mandatory expenditure

stood at $81.2 million. Of that amount, NDDC got $721.275 million from its three per cent statutory allocation, while NCDMB received $94.3 million.

Of the 34 companies, three entities, including Agip, Total Upstream, and Sterling Global Resources, topped the list of the nonmandatory social expenditure companies, with $12 million, $11 million, and $10.2 million, respectively.

Non-mandatory social expenditure is voluntary payment for or to the host communities and other commitments across the country. They include provision of social amenities, like roads, boreholes, health centres, etc.

NEITI further observed

that the requirement for all companies, including government-owned enterprises, in Nigeria to submit Audited Financial Statement (AFS) to the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) and Auditor General of the Federation in six months after the preceding year was not strictly adhered to by all covered entities.

“This has the potential of creating an assurance uniformity gap for the data used in the exercise,” NEITI stated.

However, the Dr Ogbonnaya Orji-led agency said despite that limitation, the additional steps taken by the independent administrator using other elements of the accounts covered the gap caused by the development.

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UK Health Secretary Quits after Breaking Social Distance Guidance Tobi Soniyi Following pressure on him to quit, United Kingdom Health Secretary Matt Hancock yesterday resigned his appointment after he breached social distancing guidance by kissing a colleague.

In a letter to the British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, he said the government "owe it to people who have sacrificed so much in this pandemic to

be honest when we have let them down".

In a video posted on Twitter, Hancock said: "I have been to see the prime minister to resign as secretary of state for health and social care.

"I understand the enormous sacrifices that everybody in this country has made, that you have made, and those of us who make these rules have got to stick by them and that's why I have got to resign."

In his resignation letter, Hancock, who served as health secretary for three years, reiterated his apology for "breaking the guidance" and he apologised to his family and loved ones for "putting them through this".

The prime minister said he was "sorry" to receive the resignation.

He has appointed former chancellor Sajid Javid as the new health secretary.

Javid had earlier served as home secretary.

He resigned his appointment as Chancellor in February 2020, weeks before the budget after rejecting the prime minister's order to fire his team of aides.

The Sun had published pictures of Hancock and Gina Coladangelo, who are both married with three children, kissing.

The newspaper said the

pictures had been taken inside the Department of Health on 6 May. Also yesterday Coladangelo, seen in kissing video, also announced she was leaving the Department of Health and Social Care.

Following the publication, Hancock came under increasing pressure to quit.

Fellow Tory MPs, as well as Labour and the Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice

group, had called for the health secretary to be sacked.

Many expected the prime minister to kick him out of the cabinet. But Johnson did no such thing.

Responding to Hancock's resignation, the the prime minister said Mr Hancock "should leave office very proud of what you have achieved - not just in tackling the pandemic, but even before Covid-19 struck us.

ARMY CHIEF ORDERS DESTRUCTION OF ALL BOKO HARAM, ISWAP ENCLAVES IN NORTH-EAST Nigerian Army Headquarters said the army chief ordered troops of Sector 2 Joint Task Force North-east Operation Hadin Kai to destroy all Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) enclaves in their various locations.

The COAS gave the order while addressing troops of Sector 2 in Damaturu, Yobe State.

He directed them to use their wealth of experience and lessons learnt from the series of operations conducted to "destroy the remnants of marauding terrorists within their various locations".

He assured them of improved welfare and a new reward system for troops, who perform gallantly in any operation.

General Yahaya further commended the troops on the several successful operations conducted within Sector 2 area of responsibility, which he enumerated to include Operations Ayiso Tamunoma, Katana Jimlan, Fire Ball and Operation Tura Takaibango

among others.

Earlier, the Commander Sector 2 Joint Task Force North East Operation Hadin Kai, Brigadier General Adamu Nura, while welcoming the army chief, briefed him on the operational engagements and challenges of the sector.

Among the dignitaries, who accompanied the COAS were the Chief of Operations (Army) Major General Ibrahim Yusuf and the Theatre Commander Operation Hadin Kai, Major General Christopher Musa.

Meanwhile, troops of 8 Division Nigerian Army while on a fighting patrol, came under fire of bandits operating along MayanchiDogo Karfe and Fagantama villages in Talata Marafa LGA of Zamfara State.

The army statement signed by its spokesman, BrigadierGeneral Onyema Nwachukwu, said in the fierce encounter that ensued, the bandits were overwhelmed by the superior firepower of the troops.

"This led to scores of bandits being neutralised. The troops also recovered one PKT riffle,

large cache of ammunition, and a motorcycle", it said.

Relatedly, troops have neutralised five bandits in another encounter at Bingi village, in Bungudu LGA of Zamfara.

During the gun duel, the bandits withdrew in disarray having sustained severe gun shot wounds.

It said the troops recovered one AK 47 riffle, one motorcycle and three mobile phones from the routed criminals.

While appreciating the combat resilience and renewed vigor of the troops, the Chief of Army Staff, Major General Faruk Yahaya, urged them to sustain the aggressive posture in order to defeat all criminal elements operating in the North-west and other parts of the country.

He urged communities in the North-west to support the troops with useful information at all times to enhance antibanditry operations.

Meanwhile, the army chief said traditional institutions were critical to the success

of ongoing operation to end Boko Haram insurgency and terrorism in the North-east.

He made this known during a courtesy visit to the Shehu of Borno, and members of Borno Emirate in his palace in Maiduguri, Borno State.

General Faruk said he was pleased to be at the Shehu's palace with principal staff officers from the army headquarters to pay respects and homage to the revered traditional ruler.

He said he arrived the state earlier in the day on operational visit to the theatre and felt it was an honour to visit the Shehu as father and leader, not only in Borno but also in the country, to receive royal blessing for the task ahead of him.

He appreciated the support of the royal father and the entire Emirate even while he was in the state as the Theatre Commander, Operation Hadin Kai before his appointment as the 22nd Chief of the Army Staff.

He noted the support of the royal father and the

emirate had led to some of the successes recorded in the operations against the terrorists. He solicited for more support.

The Shehu of Borno, Alhaji Abubakar Ibn Umar Garbai El-kanemi, commended the military for the gradual return of peace to the state and North-east.

He said 17 of the 27 local government areas previously occupied by Boko Haram terrorists some years ago were recaptured and civil authority restored.

He urges the COAS not to be deterred and pledged the support of the emirate to the army leadership and military generally.

A statement signed by Deputy Director Public Relations, 7 Division Nigerian Army Colonel Ado Isa, said Yahaya was accompanied to the palace by the Chief of Operations (Army) Major General Ibrahim Yusuf, other principal staff officers at the Army Headquarters, Theatre Commander, Operation Hadin Kai Major General Christopher

Musa, Acting General Officer Commanding (GOC) 7 Division and Commander, Sector 1 Operation Hadin Kai, Brigadier-General Abdulwahab Eyitayo and other senior officers.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Air Force yesterday denied that the Nigerian Air Force Base, Kaduna, was attacked

by Boko Haram.

A statement by the NAF Spokesman, Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet, said the report concerning the attack was unfounded.

"Merchants of fake news are at it again. This time around, their focus is on the premier Nigerian Air Force Base at Kaduna, which they claimed came under terrorist attack in the early hours of today, 26 June 2021.

"Members of the public should please disregard the news as it is entirely false.

There was nothing of such as the inhabitants of the entire base are going about their normal activities and duties without any threat whatsoever", it said.

BUHARI: DRUG TRAFFICKING, ABUSE POSE MORE THREAT THAN INSURGENCY, BANDITRY 500 already jailed by courts.

According to him, “While the statistics are impressive, we wouldn’t deceive ourselves that we have succeeded in cleaning the Augean Stable in five months. We have only made a head start. We need to sustain the momentum.

We need to win the drug war. We cannot afford to be complacent.”

Marwa said going by the available statistics, Nigeria ranked the highest users of cannabis worldwide, adding that revelations from kidnapped victims have collaborated the facts that illicit substances were enablers of insecurity currently plaguing the country.

He said: “It is not difficult to conclude that drugs have been catalysts of terrorism, kidnapping, banditry, armed robbery and various violent conflicts that are currently Nigeria’s albatross. The enormity of the danger of drug abuse calls for an urgent need to nip the problem in the bud. This is the reason we have redoubled our efforts in the past five months with the Maxim of Offensive Action.

“Today, it is a glaring fact that Nigerian youths are involved in drug abuse.

Over the years, an undesirable subculture had flourished whereby adolescents and young adults wantonly indulged in the abuse of

illicit substances. They not only became addicted to conventional substances such as cannabis and prescription opioids, such as tramadol and codeine, they also experimented with dangerous mixtures leading to novel psychotropic substances such as ‘monkey tail’ and ‘skoochies’.

“In the context of that warped reality, they also normalised the smoking of cannabis as we have seen in some popular music videos and on social media. ‘High’ became part of their social media. So, it wasn’t surprising, when research began to give us bleak statistics. The National Drug Survey 2019, for example, indicated that cannabis is the most commonly abused substance by an estimated 10.6 million Nigerians, some of whom started smoking as early as 19 years of age.

“The Global Drug Survey 2019, also, cited cannabis as the most abused substance with West Africa having the highest abuse prevalence. The World Health Organisation on substance abuse also stated unequivocally that cannabis is the most widely used illicit substance in Africa, with the highest prevalence, between 5.2% and 13.5%, found in West Africa. Ladies and Gentlemen, West Africa, by implication, means Nigeria".

The NDLEA boss linked

the successes recorded by the agency so far to the resolution of officers and men of the NDLEA to clean up Nigeria and make the country drug free.

He said: “And in this campaign, we are tackling the scourge of drug abuse and trafficking on all fronts.

In addition to the arrest and prosecution of drug offenders, we have worked out intensive drug abuse awareness and sensitisation programmes targeting different groups, with an emphasis on youths. In this regard, my administration has thrown the door open to all for partnership in the fight against abuse of illicit substances. It is to this end that we have set up a Special Purpose Committee to involve stakeholders in the cause.”

Also speaking, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Femi Gbajabiamila, called on the President to approve the appointment of 10,000 additional workers for NDLEA, which he said was currently "understaffed", "underfunded", and "illequipped".

Gbajabiamila, who was represented by Chairman, House Committee on Drugs and Narcotics, Hon Francis Agwu, said the NDLEA was using weapons used during the civil war, stressing the need to fight the menace of drugs abuse in the country

as all crimes were enabled by narcotics drugs addiction.

According to him, the National Assembly was working to amend the Police Trust Fund Act to ensure that other policing agencies like NDLEA benefitted from the pool, adding that efforts would be made to guarantee accelerated endorsement of the president after its amendment.

"If the surge in crimes must be minimised, then, we must fight narcotics drugs addiction," he said.

In a goodwill message, the United Nations General Secretary, Antonio Guterres, lamented that the world drug problem remains an urgent challenge that threatens to exacerbate damage impact and hinder a healthy recovery.

Represented by Oliver Stolpe, the Country Representative, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the UN Scribe urged law enforcement agents to go after the criminals at the upper level of the drug trafficking chain, who reap the highest profit and wreak the greatest havoc.

Guterres said, the 2021 world drug report of UN, showed that death and crime attributed to disorders have nearly doubled over the past decade, adding that while new HIV/AIDS infections among adults have declined worldwide but not among

people, who injected drugs, which accounted for 10 per cent of new infections in 2019.

He, however, claimed that international cooperation had helped to limit the proliferation of new psycho active substances but the problem was shifting to poorer regions, where control systems were weaker, drug sales continued to rise and non-medical use of pharmaceutical such as Tramadol and Codeine was expanding.

He too agreed that drug trafficking and organised crime fuel and perpetuate circles of violence and conflicts, adding that armed groups and terrorists profited from the illicit drugs trade, even as the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic has left millions of people more vulnerable to drug crime and illicit drug cultivation.

In a related development, the Niger State Commander of the NDLEA, Mr. Haruna Kwatiche, has said bandits, kidnappers and terrorists operated after consuming hard drugs, which usually gave them fake confidence and strength.

Kwatiche, who disclosed this in Minna, Saturday, said these categories of people often claimed they did not know how and why they embarked on such acts after being arrested and when the effect of the drugs had worn

out.

Speaking at an event to mark this years United Nations International Day Against Drug Abuse and illicit Trafficking, Kwatiche said the country should rise up to stop the circulation of hard drugs by bringing all peddlers under the law if the activities of bandits kidnapers and terrorists were to be reduced to the barest minimum in the country.

He admitted that 90 per cent of other crimes and criminalities were committed under the influence of drugs and warned that, "Until all stakeholders join hands together to fight this menace, crimes and criminalities will continue to increase "The NDLEA is committed to confronting circulation and consumption of hard drugs frontally" the Niger commander declared, adding that to achieve this the Agency required the support of all the major stakeholders in the states of the federation.

The Niger State Governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Ahmed Ibrahim Matane, commended the NDLEA for its renewed war against drug abuse and illicit trafficking in the state and assured the agency of government’s support in order to reduce the menace of drug abuse in the state.

SUNDAY JUNE 27, 2021 • 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 27, 2021

OPINION

NIGERIAN UNITY AND NATION-BUILDING

The nation will continue to wobble until the iniquities in the system are eliminated, writes Anya O. Anya

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igerian Unity and Nation Building, under normal circumstances, would have been considered an easy task to undertake. However, given that the circumstances in our times it can no longer be considered normal in the light of the level of violence, criminality and divisiveness which is now our daily experience, the undertaking becomes a challenge and a dilemma. There was a time that some of our leaders especially in the military era would glibly tell us that Nigerian unity is nonnegotiable. Most people in the present situation we find ourselves will consider such an affirmation not only hollow but clearly now as uninformed and ignorant. This situation would not have arisen five, 10 or 20 years ago. So what went wrong and why?

We need to begin from the beginning. Nigeria as constituted at present is a very plural society: multi-ethnic, multi-cultural and multi-religious. It is the product of the contact of the mainly European peoples with the African peoples on the West Coast of Africa.

It started first as a relationship based on trade until it morphed into the obnoxious slave trade. When the slave trade was abolished the European powers started the scramble for choice pieces of African real estate. The contending forces partitioned various areas of Africa as their spheres of influence which was ratified by them in the Berlin Conference of 1885. The British staked their claims principally in the area of the Niger which ultimately became the geographical area named Nigeria.

The arrowhead for the acquisition of Nigeria was George Taubman Goldie who procured a charter from the British Government in the name of the Royal Niger Company in July 1886. It was this company that entered into treaties with various Kings, Chiefs and communities that set up trading posts in the area of the Niger. His interest in the company was later sold to the British Government for #865,000 (eight hundred and sixty five thousand pounds sterling). Thus the foundation of Nigeria was a trade transaction in which Nigeria as a commodity was sold by a foreign individual to the British Government. In 1900, the Southern Nigeria protectorate and the Northern Nigeria Protectorate with the colony of Lagos were rechristened: the colony and protectorate of Nigeria. Each of the three territories maintained considerable regional authority and separateness. In 1914 the three component parts were brought together through the amalgamation of the three components

by Lugard who established a minimalist central administration although the regional arrangements continued. Lugard’s interest was not to encourage the emergence of a national administration but merely to balance the books such that the deficit of the Northern Protectorate can be off-set by the credit of the Southern Protectorate and Colony of Lagos. As it has been said the Southern lady of means by Lugard’s conception of the relationship was to subsidise the Northern gentry and free the colonial authority in London from the obligation to make up the deficit of the Northern territory. There was therefore no incentive on the part of the leader-

ship, North or South, to develop a Pan-Nigerian consciousness. As far as the people were concerned the white man’s contraption did not concern them. In other words the prospect of the Niger Area becoming a nation in the modern sense in the foreseeable future was not part of the plan. So Nigeria to some extent is happenstance, an accident.

Given that Lugard continued the administration of the two entities – South and North as separate territories run through the indirect rule system there was no basis for interaction between either of the regional blocks and there was no attempt to encourage them to share a common vision of their future. From 1914 until 1946 when the Richards Constitution validated the regional administrative structure and in spite of Clifford’s effort in 1922 to attempt the initiation of a representative government, the administration of the area was seen as two silos, autonomous and with minimal contact administratively, socially and culturally.

Under these circumstances the seed of a viable national consciousness could not germinate. The two sections co-existed as two aliens co-habiting in the same house and mainly confined to their own rooms in a supposedly common house. The matter was not helped when the emerging political leaders saw themselves merely as replacing the departing colonialists and not as builders of a new nation. There was no basis for a shared vision of the future. The nearest to a vision of a nation emerging from the multiplicity of ethnic groups was espoused by Azikiwe who underrated the intensity of the regional vision as espoused by Ahmadu Bello and Awolowo to their people. He ignored the social anthropological and cultural factors that are important in building a nation and which often determines the mould out of which a national entity can emerge. Thus the need for a clearly defined structure and foundation for the brand new nation was not considered or the problems were underestimated. Then and now consequently our leaders and those who have followed them have indulged in wholesale imitations of the values, artifacts and the social and cultural usages of the departing colonialists.

The national question usually considers the totality of political, economic, territorial, legal, social, ideological and cultural relations among nations. In a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural and multi-religious society such as Nigeria it attempts to identify the challenges that must be addressed if the nation is to survive or critical issues that have been

There was a time that some of our leaders especially in the military era would glibly tell us that Nigerian unity is non-negotiable. Most people in the present situation we find ourselves will consider such an affirmation not only hollow but clearly now as uninformed and ignorant

left unresolved and now threaten the nation-state. Many years ago Wole Soyinka had posed the question when is a nation not a nation? The question has resurrected with renewed intensity and ferocity in the last five years in the light of the sectional, sectarian and often discriminatory policies of the present government.

There are now separatist movements that insist that Nigeria must now allow some of its people to secede from Nigeria as we presently know it. In other words there are now elements in our society who do not subscribe to the idea of Nigerian unity, particularly amongst the youth who now have protagonists for Arewa, Oduduwa or Biafra as independent states outside the Nigerian family. So how did we get here?

When we look round the nations of the world we see nations which show evidence of diversity in their social, ethnic, cultural and religious organisations such as Switzerland, Great Britain, Germany, the United States, the old Yugoslavia and the defunct Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. Aclose examination of these nations will reveal clear evidence that those nations who manage their diversities survive while those who mismanage their diversities often implode to go their separate ways as we saw in the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia. It is pertinent to note that diversity in a nation can give rise to nationalist movements and the responsible management of these movements can conduce to peace and harmony within the nation or the alternative when the constituent parts go their separate ways as was the case in Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia.

In the management of diversities, various political concepts have emerged such as self-determination, federalism and democracy as well as individual rights such as freedom of association, freedom of expression and freedom of the press. Acomparative examination of the process of management of diversities shows that in general, diverse societies that are managed successfully are usually democractic and believe in and practice the concepts of social justice, equity and fairness in their social and political relations. On the other hand totalitarian, autocratic and feudalistic political systems cannot manage diversities and often implode and disintegrate.

With regard to the issue of the national question, we find much of the literature is associated with Marxist and socialist analysis of European societies which is why their perception of the national question often veers towards the examination of the class forces that play a central role in directing national movements in different socio-political and geographic settings. Their concept of class is derived from the emergence of class in post-industrialisation situations in 18th and 19thcentury Europe. Most African societies are communal.

––Excerpts from a lecture delivered by Prof Anya, FAS, at the Award ceremony of the Double Diamond Platform in Lagos (See concluding part of the article on www.thisdaylive.com)

Farewell, Kenneth Kaunda Tony Ademiluyi pays tribute to Kenneth Kaunda, former President of Zambia

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he 20th century was the age of the decolonisation of Africa by many African nationalists who had studied abroad and were eager to export democratic ideals to their respective countries. Many were killed, maimed, jailed and exiled for their beliefs by the colonial overlords but they stood sturdily firm in their determination to rid the continent of the sinister yoke of colonialism despite the humiliations they suffered for the cause.

Kenneth David Kaunda, fondly called KK, was one such African nationalist who stood up to be counted. His parents from the Bemba ethnic group were both teachers with his mother being the first female to teach in the then colonial Zambia. The last born of the family, he must have been influenced to become a teacher by his parents. Like many African nationalists, he was trained by the missionaries – in his case the Scottish missionaries. Ghana’s Osagyefo Kwame Nkrumah and Zimbabwe’s Robert Gabriel Mugabe were trained by the Roman-Catholic Church.

Kaunda taught not only in his native Zambia but also in Tanzania and the then Southern Rhodesia now Zimbabwe. While a teacher he read the works of the Indian Nationalist, Mahatma Ghandi which he said in a later interview had a profound influence on him.

At barely 25 in 1949, he joined partisan politics when he became a founding member of the Northern Rhodesian African National Congress. In 1953, he moved to Lusaka where he became the Secretary-General of the African National Congress under the Presidency of Harry Nkumbula. In 1955, he was incarcerated for the first time when he and Nkumbula spent two months behind bars for distributing subversive literature to the people. The two leaders fell out as Nkumbula became influenced by Caucasian liberals and wasn’t militant in his approach in the demand for total emancipation of Zambia from the British.

This led Kaunda to founding the Zambian African National Congress (ZANC) in 1958. ZANC was banned in 1959 and he was jailed for nine months for his nationalistic activities.

Mainza Chona and some other nationalists broke away from the ZANC and formed United National Independence Party (UNIP) and Kaunda was elected its President in 1960 upon his release from detention. In 1961 he visited Martin Luther King Jr in Atlanta and introduced civil disobedience in his campaigns for the liberation of Zambia which included arson and blocking significant roads. Zambia became independent in 1964 and he was elected its first President.

As a former teacher, he was concerned about the poor state of education in the country left by the departed British. He ensured that there was massive government subsidy of education which saw a monumental increase of students’ enrollment at all levels.

The economy was rather vibrant at independence largely on account of its vast mineral deposits. However, his economic policies were hugely disastrous which greatly impoverished many Zambians.

Despite possessing some of the finest farmlands in Africa, he decided to adopt socialist measures to farming in the country patterned after what Mwalimu Julius Nyerere did in Tanzania with results that were heavily disastrous. In 1973 there was falling prices in oil and copper which led to a massive reduction in income from the nationalized mines. He then decided to implement an advice from the Bretton Woods Institutions – the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) by devaluing the local currency – the Kwacha in the 1980’s. In 1990, he was forced to privatize some government-owned corporations which didn’t sit well with the majority of the Zambian populace.

He was rather dictatorial as he banned all political parties with the exception of his UNIP in the country in 1968 following a violent outbreak after the elections. He created a personality cult with extremely weak institutions typical of many of his fellow African leaders who preferred strong men to sturdy institutions.

He opposed apartheid in South Africa and expressed his support for Nelson Mandela who was then the world’s most famous

prisoner as well as vehemently opposed white minority rule in the then Rhodesia and aligned with Robert Mugabe during his decade long incarceration.

During the Cold War, he aligned himself with the NonAligned Movement and served as its Chairman between 1970 and 1973. He was also a firm believer in Africa’s unity as espoused by Kwame Nkrumah and played a key role in the establishment of the Organization of African Unity now African Union serving as its Chairmen from 1970 to 1971 and then from 1987 to 1988.

In 1991, he narrowly survived a coup attempt as riots broke out in the country over the need for a multi-party system as majority of Zambians were tired of his one-party dictatorship.

This made him allow many parties which led to the formation of the Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) led by former trade unionist, Frederick Chiluba which swept UNIP from power by a landslide.

He clashed with the Chiluba Presidency and he was declared a Malawian to prevent him from contesting the 1996 presidency. A court later declared him as stateless after an unsuccessful attempt to deport him to Malawi but he overcame the challenges.

He suffered the double tragedy of losing two of his sons – one to HIV/AIDS in 1986. This made him take more than a passing interest in the fight against HIV/AIDS with global recognition for his efforts.

He was a prolific writer and his published books include Dominion Status for Central Africa, Zambia Shall Be Free, Zambia, Independence and Beyond: The Speeches of Kenneth Kaunda, A humanist in Africa: Letters to Collin M. Morris from Kenneth D. Kaunda, The humanist outlook, Humanism in Zambia, The Riddle of Violence, Kaunda on Violence.

––Tony Ademiluyi is the Co Founder of The Vent Republic, Lagos.

SUNDAY JUNE 27, 2021 • T H I S D AY

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THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ JUNE 27, 2021

TRIBUTE

Years After Exit as Governor, Ambode Remains Popular June 14, 1963

Adedayo Adejobi

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here are times he wears an apparent frown. Still, former Lagos Governor Akinmwunmi Ambode’s expansive smile is an unmistakable feature of his persona, a sign of his delight to give his best in every situation. As the governor of Lagos, he came, he saw, and he conquered. After years of his exit as the governor, some nostalgia has continued to grip Lagosians and many Nigerians for the remarkable Ambode to stage a comeback.

Not a few felt his four years at the helm of affairs were too short for his vision for Lagos’ development. For his passion for infrastructural and human capital development, there were platitudes and praises. Disappointed that he did not get his party’s nod, the APC, to seek a second term in office, many Lagosians have not given up on his second coming.

An overwhelming outpouring of accolades characterised his recent 58th birthday, to sum up, the measure of a man compared only to the legendary late Lateef Jakande, a former Lagos governor himself.

Born on June 14, 1963, Ambode has always personified excellence, diligence, and competence. His exhilarating desire to transform Lagos enthralled everyone as his administration built inner roads across the state’s 57 local councils along with his light-up Lagos projects in 360 streets.

Among his signature projects include the Ikeja bus terminal, Oshodi transport interchange, Oshodi-Airport road expansion, and Ojodu Berger bus terminal. There are also the Institute of Maternal and Child Health (Ayinke House), Abule Egba Jubilee Flyover, Ajah Jubilee Flyover, Aba-Oru flyover, Yaba, and Oyingbo bus terminals.

Regarding some of Ambode’s projects, Osas Osas narrated: “A woman personally went to the tax office to pay her tax after seeing the beautiful bridge Governor Ambode built in Agege. She was surprised. Please, we need you back, sir.”

Those were no mean achievements to many Lagosians, as many of them used his birthday to praise him and push him to do more. One of them, Prince Olawale Akinwunmi Ambode Babatunde, said, “Happy birthday, my good Governor remember you because, during your tenure as governor, I drove Akinwunmi Ambode. May God bless you. Please, we want you around Lagos with peace of mind without any harassment from back in Lagos. Lagos loves you so much. Come back, sir!” any law enforcement agency, especially VIO.” It was a similar thought expressed by Chinedu Charles Chukwu, Kashimawo Ade Adelani considered Ambode as “a great who stated, “Happy, glorious birthday to you, my amiable governor. politician. Lagosian will never forget his vision and great works.”

God bless your new age. Keep winning, sir. You’re coming back While Donald Harris-Uwakwe believes “one day, God will give strong, in Jesus’ name.” you another opportunity to serve your people. Happy birthday to a The call for his comeback was further amplified by Imasuen blessed icon of development.”

Innocent, who said: “Happy birthday, ‘Mr Projects.’ Lagos is on hold For many other well-wishers, Ambode is the best governor Lagos since you left. You were simply the best!” ever had as a commenter stated, “Best governor Lagos ever had. If Adebayo Mesioye expressed a similar sentiment, stating: “Happy birthday to you, sir. Man of the people, your achievements still speak only they allowed him to have a second term. His infrastructural drive within four years was exceptional, though he didn’t get his volumes in the entire Lagos state. Enjoy your special day, sir.” politics right towards the end of his first tenure. Happy birthday Others commended the ex-Lagos governor for his astuteness and Governor Ambode.” audacity in the face of attrition from his party.

From Epe to Oshodi to Alimosho, everyone celebrated the Reflecting on that, Afam Ogbogu said, “This is one man I cherish ex-governor’s new age but, more important, illustrates Ambode’s so much. Even with the humiliation given to him by the ‘Oga undiminishing popularity. patapata’ of Lagos, he still kept his cool. Happy birthday, sir, my Temidayo Awosipe said, “Congratulations to our former goalbrother from another mother.” getter governor, whose achievements (people) still speak well of in Nobody who truly desires a greater Lagos begrudges Ambode’s the Alimosho axis, especially Ikola, AIT/Ota federal road. Happy legacy. From the outpouring of praises, not a few seek his return. birthday.” “I can’t forget your excellency,” said Abba Hashimi. “You They believe he has earned their trust. have done a lot of things in Lagos. God will reward you.”

“Respect, sir. Congrats. You put in your best,” noted Adewuyi Bademosi Deji said Ambode “turned Oshodi to London. God Akinbami regarding Ambode. Specifically, others commended him bless you, sir.” Similarly, Balogun Nurudeen Babatunde stated: for transforming their locality.

“Happy birthday to you, the man of the people that turn Epe into “Happy birthday, sir. God almighty will grant you more fruitful years with sound health. I sincerely appreciate your quick response small London. May God Almighty always be with you anywhere to develop Epe immediately (after) you were sworn in as governor. you are, in Jesus’ name,” said Bolanle Olanrewaju.

History will not forget you, sir.”

Ogedengbe Sunday described Ambode as a leader gifted with Kaka Joseph Olayiwola shared the same sentiment as he wished perspicacity, describing him as “the governor that knows what to do Ambode a happy birthday: “You make us proud in Epe, and we at the right time to make Lagos a megacity.”

He added, “One with God is the majority. Happy birthday to you, cannot forget you till you come back and finish your promise.”

Ambode’s versatility is not an act of showmanship in the public sir.”

There is so much to say about Ambode borne out of facts, figures, square to gain popularity. He has always excelled in all his endeavand fervour. It is not a fleet of fancy or an attempt at flattery, instruct- ours as an intrepid accountant, administrator and public finance ing Ihimire Ekes Sunday to say: “Happy birthday to an uncommon management expert. He is the CEO of Brandsmiths Consulting Limited – a firm that specialises in public sector financial managetransformer, a trailblazer, and a visionary leader. God bless you.” ment. Ambode was formerly the accountant-general of Lagos and Four years may seem brief in the lifespan of a public officeholder. held many sensitive financial positions in a 27-year career in the civil Former Lagos Governor Ambode gave his all during that period. service.

Among projects he executed in the state are the Freedom Road, It is for his governorship exploits, though, that many Nigerians Lekki; the bus reform initiatives (820 buses purchased out of 5,000 consider him unforgettable and indomitable. Despite being out of originally planned); four Lagos theatres – located in Alimosho, office some years ago, his soaring popularity evidently is not a fluke Badagry, Epe and Ikeja) and building 21 roads in Alimosho. or some work of media abracadabra.

The list is endless (the LAKE rice initiative is there to ensure food David Okoro described him as “the man ‘wey sabi,’ the pride of sufficiency and food security).

Lagos,” adding, “You will forever be remembered for good works.”

Still pained that the APC denied Ambode a second term ticket, “Happy birthday, my governor for life; much love, sir. You have Paul Arthur said, “Happy birthday, sir. Evil will surely bow to good. my prayer and support any day, any time. Enjoy your new age,” Very soon, your enemies that manifested their true personalities said Achadu Abah. Oyedare Kayode considered Ambode as to Nigerians in halting your good work will bow to you in Jesus’ “the best governor” whose “achievements are unmatchable and mighty name.” numerous to count.”

In his comment, Raymond Osiero wished the governor better Patience Obazee stated: “Happy birthday to an able governor; I days ahead, stating, “Happy birthday to you, sir, visionary leader. wish you long life and prosperity so that you can come and rule God bless you in your new age.”

Another believer in Ambode, Olagunju Omotayo Abiodun, stated: again.”

Okey Odibeli, seeking Ambode’s second coming as Lagos “The best governor Lagos state ever had after Jakande. (I) will always

governor, pointed out: “He who fights and runs away lives to fight another day. Congratulations and happy birthday, your excellency.”

“Happy birthday to you, the man of the people. You made Lagosians know that developing infrastructures in Lagos is possible.

God bless you, sir. But please, if the powers that be can’t grant you a ticket in APC, join PDP and see the kind of support you’ll get to return as governor,” said Oba Joseph Ifeanyi.

As many offered their best wishes to the erstwhile Lagos governor, one theme in their messages is that of undying popularity, nostalgia, and desire for more development in the hands of one man, Ambode.

Joshua Israel Jonah Odubele put it simply: “Happy birthday, sir, the best-performing governor Lagos state ever had. We are expecting you back for continuity when the cloud is clear.”

So did Oluwatoyosi Odeseye, who stated, “Ambode just needs to contest from another party, and then he will know how much Nigerians still love and want him as their leader. Happy birthday to the people’s governor and leader. May your days be long for good, sir.”

An admirer of Ambode in the North, John Bamidele, also commended the governor: “I am from Kaduna state. Happy birthday to you, sir. May you grow from grace to grace. We monitored your job from here and wished all the governors in Nigeria were like you.”

Adeniji Bolanle focused on Ambode’s compassion and camaraderie, saying: “Happy birthday to (the) number-one governor who showed love and care to my hometown Epe. Long life and glorious years ahead in Jesus’ name.”

Unlike many, Ambode is a ‘prophet’ honoured in his hometown.

Funmi Bose testified to that. She stated: “Happy birthday, sir. You indeed brought light to the most abandoned part of Lagos state (i.e.

Epe). Please, come back and repair the Badagry expressway.”

Olayinka Oladimeji and Fab Fabito believe Ambode is second only to the late Jakande in turning things around in Lagos.

“Amobode tested and trusted. Lagosians want you back as their governor. Join PDP or any other party or contest as an independent candidate, and you have all our support,” said Fabito. “You are a good man. May God bless you more and more. Happy birthday, to you sir.”

Oluranti Oyesanya said he was not surprised by the ex-governor’s feat, noting that greatness runs in lineage. “The son of my Infant 2 class teacher in 1969 (Mr Festus Ambode) at St Jude’s Primary School, Ebute Metta and one of my best teachers,” said Oyesanya of Ambode. He added, “It is time you take another shot as the next governor of Lagos state, preferably as another party’s candidate. Your father’s clout and success as moulders of several successful generations of high achievers in life would stand for you in good stead and would make your second term possible in Jesus’ name. You deserve this and more for what you achieved during your term as governor.

Good luck!”

Nobody knows what the future holds, but Ambode seems destined for greatness as he lives a life of legacy. Two years shy of reaching the diamond jubilee, the former Lagos governor is still a popular figure with a future apparently lit by shining accomplishments.

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ JUNE 27, 2021

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CICERO/TRIBUTE

Sanwo-Olu at 56: Showing Capacity inTimes of Crisis Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s 56th birthday comes with remarkable recommendations by the electorate, writes Adedayo Aakinwale

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he best of men are known in times of adversity. They are neither stoic nor selfish.

With “arms of flesh” and “feet of clay,” they carry the vulnerabilities of humanity. In the grip of their imperfections, they strive for that which is almost perfect.

There is no assumption of being saintly except for an avowed commitment to serve the people, be for the people and of the people.

Upon assumption of office in 2019, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu swore an oath to stand for the people of Lagos State and also be for them. As a man of the people, he understands the complexities of governing one of the world’s most populous cities. More than that, his dexterity is challenged to spin yarn into a common fabric representing the various, ethnically diverse people in Lagos.

With a clear understanding of human nature, nurture, and nuances, Sanwo-Olu has always at no time been hesitant to display to the full sense of humanity, a feeling often absent in men and women, who occupy “high places.” In Lagos, Sanwo-Olu is nonpareil as the governor. Yet, his administration has become synonymous with humanity and the dignity of living.

Born on June 25, 1965, Sanwo-Olu turned 56 on Friday. His strength is also his weakness: he does not shy away from adversities. He embraces them not, because he loves courting troubles and not because he needs to prove his mettle. He faces the odds because they often present the only way forward. On many occasions, he has beaten the odds. In doing so, Sanwo-Olu has not shown a similitude of stoicism. Rather, he has portrayed the picture of a man seemingly weak in power but powerful to assist the masses.

Today’s cosmopolitan Lagos is “faster” and “more furious” with delicate dynamics that require an assertive leader with a calm head over a sturdy shoulder. Sanwo-Olu...Lagos on his mind That’s Sanwo-Olu, the June birthday boy (his two predecessors, Akinwunmi Ambode and Babatunde Fashola, are also June to be complemented by an additional 1,000 taxis in the LagosRide birthday boys). What a June!

Scheme.

Just as Sanwo-Olu prepared to review and commemorate his In addition, Sanwo-Olu’s government is building four bus first year in office, the COVID-19 pandemic changed the face of terminals. In the future, he plans to introduce green buses. For governance across the globe, with many administrations shaken waterways, his government is working with the private sector to their foundation. In a nation not known for disaster preparedto build 15 jetties. Some of them will be inaugurated by the end ness, there were hesitations at the centre. But not the ‘Centre of of 2021. Regarding rail infrastructure, his administration has Excellence’ with a man of excellence in charge. Sanwo-Olu turned invested so much in the last two years, as he hopes to complete panic into patience; a looming disaster into an opportunity to the blue and red line by the end of 2022. Already, phase I of the demonstrate resilience. blue line has started, which is 27km. Six stations have been built, It was not just about the resources, limited though, at Sanworemaining two.

Olu’s disposal. It was and is still about his commitment to His administration is also determined on improving signalling, humanity represented by the people of Lagos. Every life meant installing traffic lights, and lane marking to provide Lagosians everything to him as COVID-19 swept across Nigeria, with Lagos and other Nigerians with a better experience on roads. On being the epicentre. health and environment, Lagos has remained the epicentre of As a master strategist and people-driven leader, Sanwo-Olu the COVID-19 pandemic. Beyond testing and treatment, his would yet face another formidable task in the heat of the government is also providing mental wellness and rehabilitation COVID-19 pandemic. Over the years, a gnawing staccato of facility with a capacity for 500 patients, including radiology and complaints seemed to have gone unheeded. In October, a wave orthopaedic centre. of nationwide anger signposting decades-old angst of brutality, Sanwo-Olu also has plans to build the “first Africa’s Institute extortion, and other violations of human rights coupled with bad for Infectious Diseases and Research Centre.” In the last two years, governance in the land snowballed into a near-national emerhe built a world-class centre for cancer treatment and infectious gency. Fearsome rage found new meanings on the streets across diseases specialist hospital in Lagos in collaboration with the the nation. Again, like the COVID-19 pandemic, Lagos was the private sector. There are also beautification projects and local epicentre. Many public facilities meant for a greater Lagos were interventions, including cleaning up three landfill sites, modernisdevoted to destruction in the hands of hoodlums. ing them. Besides building additional landfill sites, Sanwo-Olu is Caught in the web of either being for the people or politics, working on drainage infrastructure on roads.

Sanwo-Olu did not tip-toe on sophistry. He stood for what is He has built over 500 new classrooms in terms of education right, just, and within the confines of the law. He faced fiery disand technology, recruited 3,000 new teachers, helping schoolcontent. Though undaunted and fearless, he remained humble children have better learning outcomes with the philosophy to and willing to accept any imperfections on his part. Always, ‘leave no child behind.’ Sanwo-Olu’s government distributed even when challenged by unprovoked indignities, Sanwo-Olu 80,000 handheld devices as technology is a key component for appeals to humanity in every Lagosian. Seen by some adversarhim, deploying 3,600km of fibre optic in Lagos to connect fibre ies as a stooge, Sanwo-Olu’s wisdom lies in his passion for and to schools, hospitals, and public buildings, providing cheaper promise to always be for and by the people of Lagos. It is what he internet access. It is simple: Sanwo-Olu wants to make Lagos has sworn an oath to – a life of service in truth, equanimity, and Africa’s technology hub. progress.

Making Lagos a 21st-century economy means making At 56, nothing might have fully prepared Sanwo-Olu for the housing as affordable as possible, as well as expanding its energy momentous episodes that have characterised 2020 and 2021, but supply. Sanwo-Olu is on top of that. On energy, he is doing direct with humility and humanity at the heart of governance, he keeps intervention with the federal government being a nationally standing; and in style too. It is not certain any Nigerian governor, controlled industry as his administration works on off-grid past or present, has been as open and transparent as Sanwo-Olu. generation, providing 1,200 streetlights with high LED to light up He always wants to lead by example.

Lagos streets. That is not all.

What he has achieved as governor since May 2019 illustrates In entertainment and tourism, he created a tourism fund that. and established Lagos Creative Academy to train scriptwriters, What guided Sanwo-Olu’s “executions and driven achieveactresses, actors, newscasters, and producers. The Academy ments” is his development agenda, THEMES. THEMES is an is conducting thousands of online training programmes with acronym for “traffic management and transportation, health, trainers worldwide, all funded by his government, though run by and environment, education and technology,” to make Lagos a the private sector. He constituted a committee to assess the needs 21st-century economy, entertainment and tourism, and security of movie producers and directors for support to produce more and governance. movies. In Lagos, many people have great stories to tell but do His administration built a robust public transportation system not have sponsors. His government collaborates with the Lagos to manage traffic and transportation, introducing high-capacity Employment Trust Fund to support entrepreneurs. buses into the system. He also launched the 500 First and Last In a nation assailed by a constant escalation of violence and Mile (FLM) buses to make the number of buses hit 5,000 in a year, food insecurity, Sanwo-Olu has set a five-year master plan for

June 25, 1965

agriculture. He is building the “biggest rice mill in the country,” seeking interventions in the red meat value chain and the fishing industry, and exploring urban farming. Without a security force of its own, the Lagos government has continued to support the Nigeria Police Force.

There is yet so much to be done, and the governor is not daydreaming about Lagos’ transformation. His quest is to do that which he had promised on assuming power. Sanwo-Olu means business. Until he was elected the governor in 2019, Sanwo-Olu was the MD/CEO of Lagos State Development Property Corporation (LSDPC). Also, he had served as the commissioner of Economic Planning & Budget, Commerce & Industry and Establishments, Training & Pensions. Sanwo-Olu was elected the 15th governor of Lagos on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), after he was declared winner of the March 9, 2019, gubernatorial election by the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC).

As an inspirational leader with a track record of performance, he was welcomed by Lagosians to continue ongoing development in the state. He is a reliable party man and astute politician reputed for his people-centred ideology. His foray into public service started after decades of accomplishments in the private sector, especially, the Nigerian banking sector, from where he retired as a General Manager.

This accomplished private sector expert, whose innovative mind quickly established as an exemplary public sector reformer, started his early education at Government Demonstration School, Surulere and Ijebu-Ife Grammar School, Ogun.

For his higher education, he proceeded to the University of Lagos for a Bachelor’s degree in Surveying & Geo-Informatics and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Management from the same University. Sanwo-Olu is also an alumnus of the prestigious Havard Kennedy School of Government, London Business School, and the Lagos Business School. In addition, he is a member of the Nigerian Institute of Directors (IOD), Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM), and Fellow of Nigeria Institute of Training and Development (NITAD).

In 2003, his eventful career opened to yet another colourful chapter with his appointment, first as special adviser to the deputy governor on corporate matters; and later as special adviser to the governor on corporate matters in 2004. Sanwo-Olu’s entry became a reference point for professionalism and excellence in public service. At 39, he was appointed acting commissioner for economic planning and budget from 2004 to 2005 and became the substantive commissioner for commerce and industry in 2007.

His managerial imprint became noticeable at the Ministry of Establishments, Training and Pensions in 2007, when he served as the commissioner. During this period, Sanwo-Olu authored an executable civil service framework designed around the Human Capital Performance Index, which today putsLagos civil servants among the highest and regularly paid in the country. Apublic officer with an impressive record of accomplishments, he was instrumental to establishing the Lagos State Pension Commission (LASPEC), a contributory pension scheme, even ahead of the Federal Government of Nigeria.

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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 27, 2021

CICERO/TRIBUTE

Fashola at 58: Fulfilling Passion with Panache Although quietly focused on his primary beat, Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, remains a star of this administration, writes Adedayo Akinwale

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umming up his success as a Lagos governor in an interview with Graeme Blair at the National Academy of Public Administration, and the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs and the Bobst Center for Peace and Justice, Princeton University, Babatunde Fashola was modest and forthright.

“I think it has been people, really: my team, the electorate, our political party leaders, all the people of Lagos State, who have given us their support without question,” said Fashola a couple of years to ending his second-term tenure.

“That really has been it. Of course, one must acknowledge—being a religious person, I believe that some of these things have divine intervention, and I think that God has been particularly faithful in steering one through, experiencing this very, very great privilege to lead a state like this.”

Born on June 28, 1963, in Lagos, Fashola will be 58 years old tomorrow.

The current works and housing minister is an indefatigable technocrat and politician; suave and selfless; forthright and futuristic. A gamechanger, he hardly leaves anything to chance. Unhesitant, he ran with the dreams of transforming Lagos (that once cut the image of rot and decay) into a megacity with the foundation laid by his predecessor, Bola Tinubu.

Fashola adds panache to passion. He makes hard work to look like leisure. His Fashola mental and physical stamina have, over the years, remained strong. Though he will soon be two years short of clocking 60, it appears he is not interested in slowing down. His birthday will follow that of another former Lagos governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, his successor.

For eight years, Fashola governed Lagos with deliberate vigour, “under-promising” and “over-achieving.” Among his various achievements were tax and educational reforms. Fashola followed through on the Eko Mega City Project and cleaned up the otherwise intractable Oshodi area, notorious for high crime rates, grinding gridlock, and overcrowdedness.

The “biggest task” Fashola faced as a governor was his visionary project to transform Lagos into a megacity, the first of its kind in Lagos history. Although initialised under former governor Tinubu, in June 2002, the megacity project task accelerated under Fashola’s governorship. Both private and public sectors were involved in the project.

The crucial part of the megacity project is the rehabilitation of Lagos’ infrastructures and districts taken care of by the federal government until 1991. According to him, the Lagos Rail Mass Transit, proposed light railways would consist of the outskirt blue-line and inner red-line destinations. As part of the project, the Badagry Expressway, which links Lagos directly to the south-eastern border of Benin Republic, began witnessing rehabilitation, with BRT and railway networks established.

His other ambition was to recover lands at Victoria Island, lost to erosion for decades. This artificial terrain is the location of the then-proposed Eko Atlantic City, including a housing project that would accommodate up to 25 million Lagosians by 2015, a population growth from 15 million that could turn Lagos into the world’s third largest city.

In October 2009, Fashola posthumously dedicated a garden personally, in honour of the memory of the late professor Ayodele Awojobi at Onike Roundabout, Yaba, Lagos, with a statue of the famous academic erected at the centre. As a man with an expansive, philanthropic heart, Fashola, as soon as a magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck Haiti, launched an appeal to raise $1 million using the funds to assist the quake victims.

President Muhammadu Buhari appointed Fashola the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, newly created through an unprecedented consolidation of the three hitherto distinct ministries, on November 11, 2015. Fashola comes to the job with high acclaim as the immediate past governor of Lagos. Elected the 13th governor of the state on May 29, 2007, and overwhelmingly re-elected

June 28, 1963

for a second term on April 26, 2011, his second term tenure came to a glorious end on May 29, 2015, with the swearing-in of Ambode. Currently, he is the works and housing minister.

Fashola was called to the Nigerian Bar in November 1988. He cut his teeth as a barrister in the law firm of Sofunde, Osakwe, Ogundipe, and Belgore, as a litigator specialising in chieftaincy matters, land disputes, intellectual property, commercial and criminal law. In August 2004, he became a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Nigeria’s highest legal distinction. He is the first member of the 1988 Law School set to attain that legal status and the second University of Benin Faculty of Law graduate to be so honoured.

Throughout his tenure as Lagos governor from 2007 to 2015, Fashola demonstrated a commitment to excellence in public service and an uncommon dedication to his avowed pledge to lead the change that will transform Lagos into Africa’s model megacity. Both nationally and internationally, he was acclaimed as one of the bright hopes for the future of Nigeria and one of the very progressive Governors determined to reclaim Nigeria’s past glories through competent and transparent leadership.

His dogged pursuit of renewal of the infrastructure of Lagos as the critical strategy for economic growth and poverty alleviation won the State honours from as far away as Australia, where he was lauded for undertaking the fastest infrastructure renewal ever in Africa. Indeed, his unflagging spirit led the government to explode many negative myths about Lagos.

Fashola is the recipient of the prestigious Stephen J. Solarz Award of the International Crisis Group for 2015 for his commitment to building a peaceful and vibrant society and improving social and economic conditions in Lagos, including preventing the Ebola outbreak from becoming a crisis in Nigeria.

He was listed in 2014 as one of the 100 Top Global Thinkers for 2013 by a global personality assessment organisation, Lo Spazio della Politica (LSDP), based in Italy and Brussels. TIME Magazine has commended him for “the overhaul of Lagos infrastructure” while The Economist Magazine acknowledged him as “a rare good man” and a governor “who does his job well.”

He also won the International Association of Public Transport (UITP) 2011 Award for Commitment towards the global promotion of Public Transportation, among numerous others. In Nigeria, Fashola is the recipient of the popular Man of the Year Award of The Guardian (2009), The Vanguard (2009), The SUN (2009), the Champion

(2010), and the City People (2012). He also received the Corporate Governance Award 2012 from the Governing Council of the Institute of Directors and was equally honoured the ‘Most Labour-friendly Governor’s Award 2012’ by the Lagos Zonal Council of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG).

At the 2014 Awards organised by the Newswatch Communications Limited, publishers of Newswatch Magazine and Daily Newswatch, Fashola won three Awards – Governor of the Year (Internal Revenue Generation); Governor of the Year (Internal Security), and Governor of the Year (Health).

In his days as governor, he served in various federal government ad hoc committees in different capacities.

He was a member of the Presidential Committee on the Review of Tariffs charged with reviewing the current tariff structure and fiscal incentives in Nigeria, identifying barriers to investments, and recommending strategic initiatives that would promote foreign direct investment and ultimately stimulate economic growth.

Fashola was the chairman of the Governors’ Forum committees set up to formulate the rules and regulations guiding succession to the forum’s leadership. His role also included reviewing the revenue allocation formula for Nigeria and make appropriate recommendations by which state governments would engage critical stakeholders to find an equitable revenue formula for the country.

As chairman of the Strategy Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC), which drafted the party’s manifesto for the 2015 general election, Fashola also headed the Fund Raising Committee for the BuhariOsinbajo Campaign Committee.

Fashola is a patron of the Institute of Arbitrators (CIA), a member of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) and International Bar Association (IBA). He is a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (CITN) and notary public of the Supreme Court of Nigeria. He is a recipient of several awards and certificates of merit. You can call him a legal practitioner, administrator, management consultant, and a detribalised Nigerian.

In 2009, then Plateau governor, Jonah Jang said of Fashola, “I must say here openly that, honestly speaking, I must rate you the best of us in terms of development.”

Little wonder, his colleague governors called him the class captain or skippo.

Fashola has always stood for the best, with the best, and it is always about the people for him. At 58, the best interest he has for the people and Nigerians is a fire rekindled.

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ JUNE 27, 2021

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EDITORIAL

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

I NSECURITY A ND ROGUE ROYALS Anyone implicated in the current security crisis should be made to face the law

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hat started as insurgency in the Northeast has sadly mutated into the twin scourge of banditry and kidnapping for ransom in the Northwest and North central zones of the country. Perpetrated almost daily, especially in the rural areas where innocent villagers are maimed, raped, extorted, and killed, it is unfortunate that the rogues behind these brazen acts of criminality and lawlessness continue to have a field day. In several instances, accusing fingers have, at different times, been pointed at unnamed traditional rulers who allegedly collude with bandits and kidnappers to traumatise the people in some of the worst affected communities.

However, in a name and shame development that caught many by surprise, the Governor of Zamfara State, Bello Matawalle recently suspended the Emirs of Zurmi and Dansadau as well as the District Head of Nasarawa Mailayi over allegation that they were involved in these nefarious activities. Such allegation is perplexing and highly concerning.

Indeed, nothing can be more troubling than when traditional rulers collude with bandits and kidnappers to inflict misery and agony on their own communities.

While we believe that the law should be followed and all the accused persons be deemed innocent until they are convicted in a court of law, the growing involvement of traditional rulers in a crime of this nature poses huge challenge to our national security. Early this year, the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) wielded the hammer on the chief of the Anagada community in Gwagwalada Area Council after intelligence report indicted him of complicity in the insecurity and

kidnapping ravaging his domain.

It is regrettable that the traditional institution is gradually being debased on account of the unwholesome conduct of some custodians. A situation where the repository of the peoples’ culture and values are conniving with criminals to kidnap and commit banditry is sacrilegious. It is an abuse of the privilege and trust reposed on that institution and it should be treated as a criminal act in line with the law of the land.

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A situation where the repository of the peoples’ culture and values are conniving with criminals to kidnap and commit banditry is sacrilegious

Letters to the Editor

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t is fallacious to make reference to Nigeria as a nation. The country has lost the status of nationhood. A nation is the conglomeration of a people with a sense of shared identity, beliefs and values.

The ability to transform a sovereign state irrespective of its diverse nature to a nation serves as a foundation for its survival and development.

A country rooted in diverse ethnic groups, cultural heritage, religious practices, socio-values and mindsets such as Nigeria only stands a chance against disunity when a sense of oneness and belongings lingers across the board. The spirit of nationalism is the stepping stone to revert Nigeria back on the right track. No country can

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

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

iven that the occupiers of traditional stools are deemed the closest to the grassroots, the authorities must go beyond merely dethroning those implicated for conniving with bandits and kidnappers for pecuniary gains. If truly, we want to win the war against hardened criminals that are making life harsh and unbearable for the people in many communities across the country, anyone implicated should be prosecuted, and convicted if found guilty, to deter others. We must not gloss over this gross criminality.

This is a serious issue considering the implications. The national economy has been at the receiving end of sustained insurgency in addition to the escalation in banditry and kidnapping. The destruction of lives and property has come at a huge price in form of losses in local and foreign investments. The impact on education is also significant. A situation where students are arbitrarily abducted while in schools is already a serious problem. There is also the concern about food security as many farmers have neglected their farms for fear of being abducted for ransom or killed.

Ordinarily, traditional rulers have a responsibility to protect their subjects from the risks, harm and vulnerabilities posed by the prevalence of banditry, kidnapping and conflicts. It is therefore unfortunate that some of these people are now the enablers of crimes within their communities. At an emergency security meeting with traditional rulers and graded chiefs and chairpersons of the six area councils in Abuja in February, Minister of State for FCT, Ramatu Aliyu, said “Royal stools are now being bastardised by some traditional rulers”, warning the traditional rulers that poverty should be no excuse “to betray the trust bestowed on you as a traditional ruler and the custodian of our traditions.”

Until the security agencies begin to fish out those who collude with criminals and bring them to justice, regardless of their status within the society, it will be practically impossible to resolve the security challenge that now threatens the peace and stability of our country.

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.

ROAD TO NIGERIA'S GREATNESS

withstand the test of time when its people are at war with one another.

The ember of discord between Northern and Southern Nigerians is currently being underplayed by the political elite, religious leaders and traditional rulers.

The mutual distrust between these two sections is visible to the blind and audible to the deaf. The disunity has disproportionately reached the level where a section publicly celebrates the killings, kidnappings and other misfortunes ravaging the other.

Although the tension between North and South is also being fuelled by some influential individuals in the quest for political powers.

This assertion could not be

disconnected from the fact that many of the non - state actors currently advocating for restructuring, supremacy of the rule of law and entrenchment of the dividends of democracy contributed immensely to the devastating state of the country during their dispensation as political office holders.

Nevertheless, there is urgent need to address a particular concern among others raised by these elder statesmen which is "restructuring." The issuance of executive order by the Buhari - led administration granting financial autonomy to both the legislature and judiciary across all states in the country is highly commendable though the states' governors are yet to

implement the directive.

In a bid to guarantee and complete the devolution of power for effective administrative dispensation, the Buhari - led government alongside the National Assembly must take a second step to facilitate the devolution of more constitutional responsibility to the states of the federation, similar to Nigeria's 1963 Republican Constitution.

The reformation will give birth to a new Nigeria where each governor of the federation would be directly responsible for their people. It would therefore expose the states' governors who shy away from their responsibility and regularly cover their ineptitude and misgovernance through blame game. Over the years, the states' governors have been diverting people's attention from their contribution towards the

backwardness of Nigeria.

Despite the political turbulence of the First Republic, the Nigerian masses were reportedly living with dignity unlike the moment where millions of people have been stripped of human dignity due to bad governance.

And no specific authority to directly hold responsible. Both the federal and state governments often play blame game.

The devolution would enable people to go for the jugular of a specific authority in pressing for good governance.

Restructuring has more tendency to guarantee national integration, collective spirit, prosperous states and healthy competition among the states of the federation.

––Binzak Azeez, Faculty of Law, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife.

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ NE 27, 2021

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Tunji Bello: A Mentor Extraordinaire at 60 Louis Odion

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hough sounding casual, it nonetheless caught me completely off-guard, leaving this numbing sensation that reminded me of what a treacherous hammer blow did to my temple back in my amateur boxing days.

Yet, his question was this simple: “What’re your plans for the future, Louis?”

“Abroad”, I mumbled on regaining composure, but hardly able to conceal the shame of being yet incapable of a clear-cut vision of life ahead.

“Abroad?,” he probed further with his accustomed quick smile meant to put me at ease, “To do what?”

While I was still stammering for words that fateful afternoon in late 1991, Mr. Tunji Bello’s interjection was brusque, yet most candid: “Look, you have to understand something. Without sellable skills or good education, most of those rushing abroad end up doing menial jobs like dish-washing at fast food joints.

Louis, I see you have great writing talent. Just be focused and diligent in what you do here, the sky’ll be your limit in Nigeria.

You don’t have to go abroad and slave.”

And the parting shot: “To go far, you must get university education. You’re still very young.”

Three decades later precisely, the foregoing statements still echo in my ears trenchantly today. I would, in fact, even consider that my own epiphany.

Indeed, as the youthful, affable and influential editor of Concord’s Group Politics desk, coupled with his old affinity with student unionism, Mr. Bello naturally attracted, with gravitational force, the company of youth corps members and Industrial Trainees like myself back then.

In the coming years, he would choose to get intimately involved in my affairs beyond the limits of office, affording me the loyalty of a genuine friend, availing me the fierce protection expected of a true biological elder brother I never had.

The now familiar story of how a little boy without formal training in journalism rose from the humble station of a mere stenographer to become the editor of an esteemed title in Nigeria’s leading media empire within seven years will always sound like a fairy tale.

Let it now be known that the credit for that incredible trajectory belongs largely to none other than Mr. Bello through a decade-long show of uncommon compassion at that “little boy’s” moments of dire need, unstinting solidarity amid countless tribulations at work and instinctive brotherhood during emotional turbulence outside office.

What made this quite significant is the ocean of contrasts yet between us. Indeed, age, tribe, tongue and creed differ. But true generosity of spirit has been characterized as the capacity to give without expecting, to lift those not in position to repay immediately or in the foreseeable future. So, I reckon Mr. Bello’s sustained help along the way could only have been motivated primarily by an abiding genuine love for fellow human beings.

Through the good and bad times later, there are few values I would then imbibe from him. Chief among these is the early realization that talent was not enough; character matters even more.

Inspired by the force of his example, I learnt never to be shy to demand just compensation for my toil, but in no circumstance ever accept any pay for my conscience. I also learnt the nobility in never staying neutral during moral crisis, especially when justice is involved. That, above all, what makes us family is sometimes not blood, but shared values.

For easier recognition, the moral universe invariably evoked

by Mr. Bello’s radical example could, for instance, be readily glimpsed from a zero tolerance for “jeun jeun” or “keske” (PR) stories for politicians or political/business interests under his editorial scrutiny either as head of Group Politics desk or substantive editor of Sunday Concord and later National Concord.

Like Joseph Putlizer, the media immortal, he believes the moral obligation of journalism to the society is to always speak for the voiceless, siding unmistakably and unreservedly with the weak and vulnerable.

So, anyone who filed a report that reeked of even the faintest trace of that pecuniary odor by headline or content risked being summarily slapped with heavy fine of several barrels of “OPEC” (also code-named “Operation 1759”) on behalf of “the masses” of Nigeria, redeemable instantly to “The Secretariat” over which Mr. Bello himself presides as Life President, deputized by Comrade Kayode Komolafe, with yours sincerely as the dutiful “Secretary General”. (Well, for the benefit of the uninitiated, more clarity on this “OPEC” later.)

Before our life-changing conversation of 1991, I must confess that I had caught the prevailing affliction of young impressionable Nigerians of the 80s and 90s to “check out”, acutely impatient with the moment.

Arriving Lagos at age 18 in the late summer of 1991 from Federal Polytechnic, Ado-Ekiti, I was literally bare, with no connection whatsoever. Then, Concord Press offered me a place to undertake the mandatory Industrial Training having obtained National Diploma in Secretarial Administration. I only needed a toe-hold in Concord to unleash my energies.

All along, amateur boxing had offered a vent to relieve a certain restless vigor I felt in my body. While writing expressed the poetry I heard from my soul.

Bello Now under the Concord climate, I chose not to be limited to the stenographic corner. Within two weeks of being assigned to Sunday Concord, I got a feature story published.

Surprised that the type-written copy had no single error, Mr. Sunday Alabi (then the deputy editor) initially wondered if I had copied it from somewhere.

His doubts however vanished the next week when I turned in another “clean copy”. He then mentioned my “exploits” to the editor, Mr. Dele Alake, who generously approved that my name be added to the “weekly transport claims” paid journalists as incentive.

Naturally, I began to spread my wings to the daily title. So, in a good week, Comrade Lanre Arogundade could publish up to two or three of my writings as Features editor. While Mrs. Ewaen Osarenren and Mr. Taiwo Ogundipe also “accommodated” me in the “Midweek Concord” Section.

So much that, one day, the daily editor, Mr. Nsikak Essien, invited me to his office and said something that almost made me cry: “Louis, well done. I note your hard work. You write so well. But I understand you don’t yet have a degree. Go get admission to the university and I’ll get Concord management to give you scholarship.”

While growing “fame” was in itself already intoxicating, all these bylines also translated to big money for me monthly once I filed claims...

That indeed was the small world of little “fortune and fame” I was becoming rather contented with until my path crossed Mr. Bello’s.

The June 12 crisis of 1993 would disrupt Concord’s fortunes.

When Mr. Bello was mandated by the management to pilot Daily News leased from Lateef Jakande (following the proscription of Concord by Babangida), Mr. Bello shortlisted me among the “Dream Team” boasting arguably the cream of Concord’s editorial army, even though I wasn’t yet a graduate.

And when Concord was restored following Abacha coup of November 17, 1993, he influenced the regularisation of my appointment as a correspondent on Concord’s Group Politics desk against company policy requiring a minimum of first degree/HND to enter the editorial cadre.

Overall, it is impossible to work under him and not become infected by his critical spirit, this passion for social justice and contempt for power. His leadership style was charismatic.

Designations were merely for administrative convenience as far as meeting editorial targets was concerned. Everyone proof-read for the other. We were always locked in intellectual jousts all the time, punctuated by raucous banters. That formidable faculty included Sam Omatseye, Victor Ifijeh, Jonas Agwu, Gboyega Amonboye, Abdulwarees Solanke and Idowu Bakare.

Though the leader, Mr. Bello was never too proud to allow his juniors take a second look at his writings and criticise freely before the scripts were passed for production. That way, he imbued subordinates like us with a self-confidence, the strength of conviction to hold our ground anywhere.

That charismatic leadership would, however, come under severe test when MKO was clamped in jail and Concord encountered difficult times. The management relied on him

to talk to a number of editorial staff like us to abandon better remunerations elsewhere (THISDAY) and return to Concord after the second proscription by Abacha that lasted whopping eighteen months.

He returned as the new editor of Sunday Concord.

Even as salaries grew more irregular, our dedication to duty remained unflinching. For keeping the wheel of production running despite great odds, special tribute should however be accorded all those who ensured the river of “OPEC” continued to run deep in its dark viscosity. (Those still insistent on further divulging of this highly classified professional secret are hereby excused to proceed by themselves and yank off the scanty apron now left on the visage of the proverbial masquerade.) Of course, that brew communion or “Operation 1759” was sometimes first grounded with “solid minerals” (agriculturally termed “bitter collar”), supplied exclusively by Comrade KK. Conversely, it took the same ensuing “hard times” in Concord for me to feel the depth of Mr. Bello’s own personal generosity and loyalty. The period coincided with when I had enrolled for a degree programme at UNILAG. It was only natural that his accustomed fraternal airs as leader also helped foster family spirit in Sunday Concord. That birthed deep fellow-feeling.

In my Year 1 at UNILAG, for instance, all my drama text-books came from Sam Omatseye’s library. When I had to rent an apartment close to the office for convenience, the rent was provided by the editor while donation from Yomi Idowu partly helped furnish it. When the rents expired, Mr. Bello was also kind enough to fix me up in an apartment owned by his father-in-law, now late Pa Meschak Ibidapo.

Schooling full-time and working full-time was quite grueling. Meaning I had to endure a choking schedule virtually round the clock, for six days in a week, for four years on end, without a car, thereby learning the true meaning of responsibility early in life.

Even more challenging was the attack that came in the office at some point. Fresh from school one afternoon, I was summoned to the editor’s office.

After waving me to one of the two seats before his huge mahogany desk that day, he took me into confidence about a new development.

Two of my senior and far older colleagues had knifed me savagely before him. Apparently unaware of the bond between us, they went to complain that my concurrent full-time schooling was “clearly against company policy” and affecting my productivity.

“Well,” he continued in a conspiratorially low tone, lest his secretary - a very lanky man with mischievous smile - in the ante-room could eavesdrop, “I just called you to tell you not to worry in case you received any query from them. I can tell what you’re presently going through is tough. But rest assured that as long as I remain editor here, your job is secure.”

Without Mr. Bello’s protection at that critical moment, I probably would have been forced to withdraw midway from UNILAG. The other option would be to continue but quit the job providing financial support, however little and irregular.

When my friend and “co-conspirator”, Segun Adeniyi, had to migrate to THISDAY early in 1999, Mr. Bello’s emotional pain of losing a good hand was palpable. His apprehension seemed worsened by the suspicion that Segun might have “sweet-talked” me to join him.

To be doubly sure, the editor quickly recommended to the management to make a preemptive counter-offer. On a single day, I was promoted by three steps to take Segun’s place as Assistant Editor!

The big break came barely six months later. Following Mr. Alake’s nomination as Information Commissioner by Asiwaju Bola Tinubu in June 1999, Mr. Bello was named the new editor of National Concord. His erstwhile deputy in the Sunday title, Comrade KK, was promoted the editor. Now, a vacancy opened for deputy editor of Sunday Concord.

When the management eventually met, I happened to be among the shortlist of five. The story was told that, while most members considered me hardworking and obviously the youngest, the issue of my coming in with OND came up and was going to count decisively against me.

From what I heard, it was Mr. Bello who then informed the management that I had not just recently bagged a degree from UNILAG but also came out with Second Class Upper (2.1).

That was it!

No sooner had the management meeting ended than the news of my elevation hit the airwaves like a hurricane. As it filtered into my own ears, what echoed back were the words Mr. Bello had uttered eight years earlier about the necessity of higher education.

In the final analysis, the big point should not be lost. When the golden opportunity came, possession of a degree meant I could seize the moment effectively.

In the parlance of practising Christians, destiny-helper describes a God-send. Looking back to my own desperate hour of need, I can’t think of anyone more qualified to be so described today than Mr. Bello.

–––Mr. Odion is the Senior Technical Assistant on Media to the President. Being excerpts from a new book, “In Pursuit of the Public Purpose - Essays in Honour of Tunji Bello at 60”.

21

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER JUNE 27, 2021

BUSINESS

Sylva

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

Kyari

Bawa

Fuel Smuggling: Porous Borders and Security Agencies After months of playing the ostrich, Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation has Ànally acknowledged the danger of persistent smuggling of petroleum products across the country’s borders and the role bad eggs in the security agencies play in and resistance of border communities to government’s eͿorts to shutting down the thriving black market. Chris Paul reports

A

tameetinghehad meetingtheEFCC,Department of State Services (DSS), Nigeria Police Force(NPF),NigeriaCustomsService(NCS), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and other relevant downstream and upstream stakeholders in attendance, during the past week, Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mele Kyari, talked about the urgent need to seek sustainable solution to petrol smuggling challenge in the country.

The move was coming on the heels of an alarming rise in the volume of fuel consumption in the country daily.

According to the NNPC GMD, petrol daily truck out rose to 103 million per litre, which meant the federal government would now be spending about N9,682,000,000 to subsidise daily consumption

by Nigerians.

Kyari’s fears are not unfounded, especially, considering the fact that fuel supply by the NNPC rose above pre-COVID-19 levels, to over 70 million litres in the fourth quarter of 2020.

According to the Nigerian oil company, 2.25 billion litres of petrol were sold and distributed in December, averaging at 72.72 million litres daily as against 57.44 million litres per day in November.

In October of the same year, it sold 52.63 million litres, while the Àrst month of 41, 2021 had 63.27 million litres .

But before Muhammadu Buhari came in as president and petroleum minister, in 2016, the country’s daily consumption averaged between 35-40 million litres daily.

From the statement issued by the NNPC in February of 2018, even in 2018, two years after Buhari took over the petroleum ministry, Nigerians still consumed about 35 million litres per day.

But a quantum leap to over 100m litres per day is one lump too large to manage. With this high volume of daily consumption, Kyari noted that the country can no longer sustain subsidy payment.

This was the reason for his invitation to all stakeholders to chart the way forward.

“As long as we don’t regulate volume, until we are able to exit this current level, which I know so much work is going on, then we have to manage the volume that we are exposed to between this price of N162 and N256,” he said.

To amplify the precarious situation, Kyari disclosed the open price of premium motor spirit has shot up to N256 per litre, while the present pump price of petrol remains at N162 per litre.

In other words, the government is subsidizing the product by N94 per litre.

“If we are to sell at the market today at current exchange rate, we will be selling the product at about N256 to a litre. What we sell today is N162, so the diͿerence is at a cost to the nation.

“The diͿerence comes back to as much as N140 billion to N150

billion cost to the country monthly.

“As long as the volume goes up, that money continues to increase and we have two sets of stress to face, stress of supply and stress of foreign exchange for the NNPC. We may not see foreign exchange cheque taking place for importation.

“In very recent data, we see what we really want in the beginning of May and June, there was a day we load out about 103 million litres of PMS within one day across the depots.

“We know it is nothing required, we know it is inappropriate and we also know that something wrong is happening that somebody is chasing something,” said the NNPC boss.

He conceded that, “We in NNPC, we are not in control of that, we are not in every depot, we don’t keep products in all the depot, but when the volume goes down, it comes down to us, when there is tight in supply, it comes back to the NNPC and we solve the problem.”

It was in the light of this that President Buhari directed that smuggling must be addressed decisively.

For the stakeholders in the downstream sector of the petroleum industry the distribution system and low pump price for the increasing rate of smuggling of premium motor spirit, petrol out of the country are to be blamed for the menace.

The stakeholders, which included marketers, depot owners and transporters advocated for synergy to check the activities of smugglers.

At the meeting, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Independent Marketers Association of Nigeria(IPMAN), Alhaji Aminu Abdulkadiri, urged the NNPC to release more products to its members.

With over 20,000 Àlling stations across the country, Abdulkadiri noted that IPMAN members sell directly to the Nigerian people.

With over three decades on the downstream Àeld the IPMAN chairman knows the issues well enough to advise NNPC on how to solve the lingering crisis.

“One, we have almost 30,000 retail outlets in this country and both major marketers and DAPMAN have about 2000-3000, the rest belong to my members.

“But the truth there is who is responsible for storing and distributing this product? The bulk of this product is being distributed by DAPMAN. “NNPC needs to work with IPMAN and DAPMAN ensure that marketers that have retail outlets that are viable for Nigerian consumers should be attached to each depot in this country. That way NNPC can track most of these products that are being either diverted or smuggled out.

“But so long as the source of distribution is not monitored and product are sold indiscriminately, the problem will continue, said Abdulkadir..

According to the DAPMAN Chairman, Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria, Mrs Winifred Akpani,

the high volume of petrol consumption in Nigeria is a major worry for the group.

Determining the actual amount of petrol consumed in the country for her, remains a challenge.

The Department of Petroleum Resources, (DPR), she stressed, has a critical role to play, if smuggling was to end in the country.

“As depot operators, we do not own all these stations, but we sell a lot to people who have the stations. And one thing we always insist is where is your DPR licence.

“Not only are you going to show us your DPR licence, we are going to cross check with the list that is updated periodically and send to each depot by the DPR and it is only on that basis that we sell product to you,” she added.

Given the resources and technology available in the industry, she noted that tracking movement of trucks should not be a big challenge.

Closer monitoring of truck outs at the depots, will be a good direction to examine, according to the NART, Alhaji Yusuf Lawal Othman.

“The system needs to be reorganised. I don’t see any reason why you have 200 Àlling stations in a local government that do not consume more than 45000 litres.

“I also don’t see how the depots which normally do programme per day will programme quite a number of trucks to a Local government which does not consume more 45000 litres per day. It means that we are sleeping,” he said.

Within the Àrst week in April, against the backdrop of massive fuel smuggling and amid opposition to border restriction by surrounding communities, the Comptroller-General, Nigeria Customs Service, Hameed Ali said its restriction of fuel supply, along the borders, to neighbouring countries, including Cameroun, is being opposed by communities and marketers.

In July 2019, NNPC cried out about the smuggling of its petrol out of the country to Ghana, Burkina Faso, Mali and Cote d’Ivoire as a result of the price disparity of petrol between Nigeria and the other West African countries.

Four months later, in November 2019, the federal government prohibited the supply of petroleum products to Àlling stations within 20 kilometres to the land borders.

However, 66 Àlling stations located within border communities were granted waivers by the federal government, to lift and supply petroleum products, in March last year.

The NCS National Public Relations O΀cer, Joseph Attah said, “As far as petroleum products and border management are concerned, the issue now is we really have to justify the actions that we have taken and which we are enforcing, which some people are Ànding di΀cult to accept and are rising against it. Some are even threatening to protest.

See concluding part on www.thisdaylive.com

22

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER JUNE 27, 2021

ENERGY

Time to Declare State of Emergency on Ajaokuta Steel Company Sumaina Kasim writes on the need for President Muhammadu Buhari to take a decisive action on Ajaokuta Steel Company Limited (ASCL) and National Iron Ore Mining Company Limited by engaging the 100-man Nigeria audit team and engineers since the Russians are far from sight or in fact, declare a state of emergency on the project

D

espite huge uncertainty created by the COVID-19 pandemic which have left sour tastes in the mouth of many world over, serious governmentsinotherclimes Ànd ways to administer governance without resorting to much excuses nor distorting already laid-down programmes.

To this end, there is the need for President Muhammadu Buhari to direct the Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Mr. Olamilekan Adegbite, to up the ante in Àxing the moribund steel plant soonest.

Bequeathing a stable economy to Nigerians means leaders taking critical decisions in their various sectors as these leads to results. The recent pronouncement by the minister that the pandemichadsloweddowntheplantoresuscitate Ajaokuta steel plant and that travel restrictions and cumbersome protocols had prevented the 60-man technical audit team from Russia from coming to Nigeria to perform a comprehensive technical audit of the plant is slap on the face of many.

Whileitisawelcomedevelopmenttoturntothe Russians, the original builder to come resuscitate the plant, plans should have be in place to ensure that the 60-man team is given a waiver by the federal government and possibly get them vaccinated since the Russian government already have a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in place signed in Sochi two years ago with the Buhari-led administration.

AdegbitehadstressedthattheÀrststeptowards the resuscitation was to have a technical audit.

He added that the Nigerian government was expecting a 60-man team from Russia which are to be joined by a 100-man team from Nigeria. The resuscitation ofAjaokuta he noted was such a loft goal and was in full speed, but then the pandemic struck, to this end, prevented the Russians who are supposed to conduct the technical audit from coming to Nigeria.

He had said, “I hope very soon that they can come and that we kick start the plan to resuscitate the plant again. It will help our industrialisation because production of liquid steel will take us to the next level in industrialisation as we will be able to do produce parts for vehicles, engine blocks and so.”

He noted that a lot of work has been done towards the completion of Ajaokuta Steel Plant but for the pandemic which has prevented the arrivals of the Technical Auditors.

According to him, I’m hopeful that the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari would start something irreversible that will lead to the completion of the Steel Plant.

Experts say, if waiting for the Russians will take centuries since no one knows the direction of the pandemic as many countries are still battling to contain it, it is advisable for the Nigerian government to engage the 100-man team from Nigeria to carry out the account audit till the coming of the Russians.

Adegbite also said that Ajaokuta steel plant was meant to be a game changer for the country when fully functional, this has been a rhetoric forty years after even as there is a 2021 Ministry’s proposed Budget before a Committee amounting to N22, 058,222,139, of which, N10, 188,565,772 is for Capital.

They had said: “One of the mandate that the president gave me was to use the sector to diversify the economy and create employment.

And Ajaokuta is one place that would readily employ like 10,000 Nigerians if it is working fully.

About 14 minerals are going into the production of steel through the blast furnace. We have got all these minerals in Nigeria. Production of these other minerals which we need to produce steel will also create jobs.” He revealed that about 13 other minerals were required in the production of steel.Ajaokuta steel would have brought develop-

Ajaokuta Steel Complex

ment to the 13 other minerals which would have presented opportunities for investors to develop and would have created thousands of jobs for Nigerians.”

The federal government through the ministry should take advantage of the railway modernisation projects, especially now that the Itakpe-Warri rail line is operational whose corridor was initially planned to transport steel materials and other mineral resources fromAladja, Warri toAjaokuta, Kogi state The Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Dr. Oluwatoyin Akinlade, like her Principal had paid a two-day working visit to the two companies to see the level of preparation.

Akinlade revealed that the federal government has put in place machinery to ensure conducive environment for operation of the Russia Technical Audit Team billed to arrive the country for the resuscitation ofAjaokuta Steel Company (ASCL) and the National Iron Ore Mining Company Limited (NIOMCO).

The Permanent Secretary had during a meeting with management and staͿ of National Iron Ore Mining Company Limited (NIOMCO) and Ajaokuta Steel Company Limited respectively in Kogi State, praised them for their passion and commitmenttowardkeepingtheinfrastructuresof thecompaniesingoodshapeandtheenvironment habitable in spite of the daunting challenges confronting them, while also reiterated government’s commitment to resuscitating both companies.

She said that the Minister and Minister of State, Dr. Uchechukwu Sampson Ogah, are assiduously working towards seeing the dream of the two companies starting full operation come to past.

Akinlade said, “Ajaokuta is the future, the bed rock of Nigeria development and the resuscitation ‘must be done, and can be done. However, she noted that Ajaokuta without NIOMCO, is like a

“car without tyres,” hence eͿorts are being made to resuscitate both companies at the same time to achieve the desired result.

The Permanent Secretary urged the staͿ to sharpen their skills to meet up with upcoming task, as well as to continue to maintain the good industrial harmony, assuring them that eͿorts are being made to address some of the welfare challenges, especially salary arrears.

The Sole Administrator of NIOMCO, Mr. Nkechika Augustus informed Akinlade that the mandate of the company is to provide the basic raw material for iron and steel production, and that NIOMCO is required to supply theAjaokuta Steel Company Limited with 2.15 million tonnes of iron ore concentrate with iron (FE) content of 63 ² 64 in its Àrst phase of operation during which it is expected to produce 1.3 million tonnes ofsteel.Heinformedthattheneedtofullycomplete the rehabilitation of the plants and also acquire additional mining equipment early cannot be overemphasized.

This according to Augustus is because to meet the Àrst phase of ASCL’s production level alone, NIOMCO should produce and process seven million tonnes of raw iron ore annually.

In the same vein, the Sole Administrator of Ajaokuta Steel Company Limited, Engr. Sumaila Abdul-Akaba, informed the Permanent Secretary that the staͿ are fully prepared to work with the TechnicalAudit Team and the Ministry to achieve the set goal, stating: “I have had the rear opportunity to meet with you severally since you came on board and have found you to be focused, full of energy and drive. In fact, your leadership style at theAjaokuta Presidential Project Implementation Team (APPIT) Secretariat gives me hope that our collective eͿorts of bringing back the Ajaokuta Steel plant back on track is in safe hand.”

“Yourvisitisanopportunityforyoutophysically

see and feel the steel plant and understand what the workers of this steel plant are doing to ensure that the plant remain safe and serviceable”, he said.

The Senate, during a recent working visit to the plant in Lokoja, Kogi State, expressed its resolve to cooperate with the executive arm to make the Ajaokuta Steel Company work.

In his remarks, Senate Leader, Yahaya Abdullahi, who led the Senate team on an oversight visit to Ajaokuta Steel Mill and the Itakpe National Iron Ore Mining Company (NIOMCO) in the state, commended the eͿorts of the federal government towards reviving Ajaokuta steel company, noting that they were sent to assess the situation on ground.

He said, “All of us are aware of the eͿorts being put in place by the federal government to revive the company. Ajaokuta is a place that if visited by anyone, he/she would shed tears, but there is hope now going by what is being done.”

Speaking in same vein, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Solid Minerals/Metallurgy and immediate-past Governor of Nasarawa State, Senator TankoAlmakura,expressedthereadiness of the National Assembly to cooperate with the executive arm in making the steel company work.

Having stated this, it is time for the government to fashion out a well-thought-out plan for indigenous companies to be involved in resuscitating and rehabilitating government owned infrastructures. The federal government needs a strong commitment to building a substantial stock of human, social and physical infrastructure by engagingindigenouscompanies.Mostindigenous companies across the country can rehabilitate and revitalise what others can do as it is not necessary to invite companies to do it because we have the resources and it will also save the country the legacy of accumulating debts.

23

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER JUNE 27, 2021

BUSINESS INTERVIEW AYODELE OLUMOKO

Tourism is Globally Recognised as Tool for Poverty Reduction

For over three decades, Otunba Ayodele Michael Olumoko has garnered an excellent reputation in Marketing Communications. Cutting his teeth at Ideas Communications and eventually setting up shop with his brand, Infogem, which found fame as marketing and branding specialists for Nigerian cultural festivals, particularly the Osun Osogbo Festival, Olumoko, a member of the prestigious Institute of Directors and past president of the Rotary Club tells Vanessa Obioha how he hopes to draw from his deep involvement in cultural tourism to drive economic growth in Nigeria, if elected President of the Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria (FTAN) in its impending election

C

an you discuss the role of cultural tourism as a tool to reduce extreme poverty?

Tourism as a result of its labour-intensive nature, wide geographical spread, and the ease with which for many poor people can join other industries to oͿer unlimited opportunities to host communities to sell their goods and services. This has been generally recognized as a tool for poverty alleviation by both the World Bank, UNWTO, and countries. These same reasons that make tourism a poverty reduction tool generally applies also in speciÀc term to cultural tourism. If you take the Durbar or Eyo festivals for example, whenever they are held, the host community do not only diversify but also supplement their sources of income for the period and the local economy is stimulated with very positive contributions Ànancially and otherwise to the people and the host community.

motivation for the cultural tourist is the urge to connect to local and authentic indigenous and community-based cultural experiences.

How do you think a synergy can be created between businesses and the community with the purpose of understanding its environment and culture?

In my several years as a Cultural Tourism Consultant Àrst; as the Chief Festival Consultant to UNESCO-listed Osun Osogbo for over 20 years and Cultural Consultant to Ooni of Ife since 2016, I can say that to create a synergy between business and community with the purpose of understanding its environment and culture has to do with educating the people and making them aware of intrinsic and commercial values of protecting and preserving the heritage, monuments, artifacts of the past as well as making the locals understand the need to place a value on their contemporary culture, such as architecture performing arts, literature and visual arts, cuisine, traditions, folklore, the creative industries (entertainment, fashion, Àlm, etc.). If this is done continuously and on a sustainable basis, then the elements of branding, promotions and marketing must be brought in to make the synergy worth the while and be result-oriented.Atypical example of how the application of these elements can transform the cultural fortune of a destination and bring this synergy to bear on the lot of cultural tourism destinations is the transformation of the ancient Olojo Festival in Ile Ife, by His Royal Majesty,Arole Oduduwa, OloÀn Adimule Oonirisa Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi Ojaja 11 into a huge domestic tourism tra΀c generator with all its attached beneÀts to the people, the community, and the socio-political economy of the state. Avisit to the Olojo gives the tourist a feel of the high level of awareness among the people about their role in tourism development of the city of Ile-Ife.

What cultural elements are important to highlight on a tourist destination branding?

Theculturalelementsthatshouldbehighlighted for tourist destination branding should include heritage, monuments, artifacts contemporary art works, culture, architecture, performing arts, literature and visual arts, cuisines, traditions, folklore, the creative industries which includes entertainment, fashion, Àlm amongst others.

Nigeria’s world heritage sites are largely on paper, what can be done to drive global DQG ORFDO WUDͿF WR WKHVH GHVWLQDWLRQV" To drive global and local tra΀c to Nigeria’s world heritage sites and to take due advantage and beneÀts of these UNESCO designated sites practical steps must be taken to improve the country’s and location perception of these sites, the road and access infrastructure to the sites, security proÀle of both the country generally and the location of these sites. In addition to ensuring proper community and public sector collaboration in the management of these sites as well as focused branding, marketing, and promotions.

How do you overcome the challenges of branding in marketing cultural tourism?

Technological and security interruptions and perceptions as well as the impact of social media are some of the emerging but serious branding challenges that are presenting themselves amongst others in the marketing of cultural tourism. In the face of these and other challenges, it has become imperative now more than ever before to put on the ingenious cap of innovation and creativity including adopting various specialized marketing strategies eͿective and result oriented use of technology and adoptionofingeniousmarketingoptionsincluding more collaborations locally and internationally to reinforce one’s services.

It is important at this point in time to step up on customer review of their experience as well management of social media credibility rating and online reputation, politeness in online communications or discussions To do this objectively is to be transparent, objective, and open to criticisms and feedback.

Olumoko

Can you justify the importance of domestic and foreign tourists in growing a country’s tourism market?

While international tourism to which foreign tourists refer, no doubt has its numerous beneÀts.

One of these important beneÀts is that it generates foreign exchange earnings. I wish to state here that, I, Otunba, Ayodele Olumoko, belong to the block that has total believe and commitment to the development, promotion, and focus on domestic tourism. This is not just because that it is now a fast-growing global trend but also because of my deep involvement in using cultural tourism to help drive tourism growth in Nigeria.

Recent travel restrictions occasioned by COVID-19 and the growing global incidents of terrorism; the accompanying negative travel advisories have proven that domestic tourism is the way to grow a country’s tourism market.

Even the UNWTO recognizes this fact hence its advicetobothdevelopedanddevelopingcountries to promote domestic tourism for the opportunity it oͿers for the recovery of countries from the social and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Further to this, a 2020 documented research by Forbes Kabote, has shown that domestic tourism means so many things in one to a country. This includes being her tourism ambassador, information bureaus, role model,

and tour guides in addition to playing no mean role in a country’s sustainable tourism growth

Whatdoyouthinkmotivatesculturaltourists?

I will start by explaining what cultural tourism is about. Cultural tourism has to do with that aspect of tourism in which persons move or travel to cultural attractions, be they monuments, heritage, artistic sites, history museums or even festivals, away from their normal places of residence, with theaimofgatheringnewinformation,knowledge, and experiences to satisfy their cultural needs.

These needs may be new cultural encounters, a new level of awareness about a particular cultural destination, or cultural events.

Backtoyourquestionofwhatmotivatescultural tourists, you can see that the travel or movement of a cultural tourist to a destination is one that is culturally motivated such as cultural tours, travel to festivals and cultural events such as the New Yam Festival in South-east Nigeria, Osun Osogbo and Olojo festivals in South-west Nigeria or the Durbar in the North or a study tour of the Palace of an Emir, Igwe, or Oba just to mention a few. In summary, therefore, what motivates the cultural tourists are his or her need to visit cultural attractions, get to know about new cultures, partake in the cultural events of his destination of visit or travel. It can, therefore, be said that the greatest

What are some of the most shocking experiences you have in creating awareness among tourists for local cultures?

Some of the shocking experiences I have had in creating awareness among tourists for local cultures include the threat to local cultural identity.

These come in various forms. One of such is the tendency of the tourists to exploit the host community for their own proÀt both commercially, socially, and otherwise. I have seen cases where foreign tour operators, induce and or encourage the locals to adopt the use of exaggerated eͿects for the cultural presentation of their products.

If this goes undiscovered and widespread, it has the capacity to make the local community ultimately lose the value of their cultural oͿerings and the high value the cultural tourist places on the authentic experiences of their stay.

What advice will you give to traditional authorities to enhance collaboration with festival planning teams?

My advice will essentially include: Engaging the local communities in the festival planning processes; creating awareness of the beneÀts of tourism and indeed cultural tourism as a driver of economic beneÀt growth and inculcating a sense of pride in locals as it concerns their cultural valuesandauthenticitywhenengaginginactivities relating to the festival under reference.

24

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER JUNE 27, 2021

FEATURE

$223m NNPC Deposit: Fresh Facts about Polaris Bank’s Role Obinna Chima writes on issues surrounding the $223 million lodged in Polaris Bank by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation

Kyari

T

he most essential ingredient in the relationship between a bank and its customer is trust. That is, all customers expect that their Ànancial institution would do the right thing, day in and day out.

That is why since its creation, the management of Polaris Bank has ensured that its commitment to deliver on its mandate to all stakeholders remains its focus.

That is why the bank has continued to explain its role on issues surrounding the $223 million lodged in it by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation’s (NNPC) since 2012.

Fresh fact on the matter are contained in a letter titled: “Re: Invitation to Investigative Hearing in Respect of NNPC Deposit of $223,862,000 with the Bank,” dated June 21, 2021, seen by THISDAY yesterday.

This followed the disclosure by the Acting Managing Director of the bank, Mr. Innocent Ike, while appearing at a public hearing before the House of Representatives ad hoc committee on assessment and status of all recovered loots from 2002-2020 last Thursday.

The letter sent to the chairman of the AdHoc Committee on the Assessment and Status of Recovered loots, Hon. Adejoro Adeogun through the o΀ce of the bank’s General Counsel Mr. Segun Tawoju, provided insight into the alleged controversial deposit.

The letter which had 10 annexures copiously provided details and revelations on the issues surrounding the transaction.

The Committee had during the sitting queried why the money had spent seven years with the bank without any action, adding that the bank must have thought the money had been forgotten.

Speaking while grilling the bank CEO, Adeogun had said: “You have about six years when this deposit was in your custody. It is impossible to forget $300 million; were you thinking it has been forgotten?”

He had also accused the bank of exhibiting carelessness when it comes to money deposited by the federal government.

But the Ànancial institution had through the letter seen by THISDAY explained that following the regulatory Intervention of Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) in the defunct

Adeogun

Skye bank on July 4, 2016, the new board and management immediately set out to address the various irregularities and shortcomings, chief of which was the inability of the Bank to remit the NNPC deposits which had been in its custody for several years, to the Treasury Single Account (TSA), as directed by the federal government due to liquidity issues.

Ike explained that the said money which was lodged with the bank by the NNPC was at no time hidden from any public or government agencies, noting that the bank interacted and fully co-operated with several agencies including the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Inspector General of Police Special Investigation Panel, the Department of State Security (DSS), Presidential Panel on Recovery of Public Property, Senate Committee on Banking, House of Representatives Ad-Hoc Committee on Treasury Single Account etc.

He noted that in each case, the bank had satisfactorily explained that it was simply not in a position to remit the money as whole as it has been lent out to various customers by the previous management of the bank.

In the course of the process, he explained that the bank had kept the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) abreast of all development on the matter by copying the Governor all correspondences with the various agencies.

“The bank has remained open and transparent about the NNPC account balances in its custody,” he insisted.

Furthermore, the Acting Managing Director explained that part of the strategy adopted in payment of the deposit was to remit it to the CBN and then give the apex bank instruction to credit the NNPC. He stressed that the money should not be classiÀed as looted fund.

“Permit me to conclude that the money deposited at Skye Bank and Polaris Bank was at no time hidden from any government agency and, therefore, we do not believe that it should be classiÀed as looted funds at all,” Ike added.

Corroborating the process leading to the Ànal payment, the bank in the letter explained: “Sometime in December 2018, the federal government, through the now-disbanded Special Presidential Investigation Panel for the Recovery of Public Property, instituted a suit: Federal Government of Nigeria Versus Po-

Ike

laris Bank Limited (FHC/ABJ/CS/1424/18) against Polaris Bank Limited for the recovery of $223,862,000 belonging to NNPC. “The Bank instructed the law Àrm of Falana & Falana Chambers to represent it in the suit. In February 2019, as a demonstration of good faith, the bank made a proposal to commence installment payment of the sum of $10 million monthly into the NNPC TSA account with the CBN, and began doing so immediately.

“Eventually, the federal government being satisÀed with the bank’s transparent and diligent conduct in remitting the monthly funds without fail, entered into Terms of Settlement with the bank for the continued monthly remittances of $10 million to the TSA. “The Terms of Settlement were Àled and adopted as consent judgment by the Court on 10th October, 2019, eight months after remittance commenced by the current management (see attached consent judgment as Annex 3)” Investigations also showed that the initial sum deposited at the time of opening the account in 2012, was about $30 million which grew over time with subsequent deposits amounting to $224,324.958.75 at the point the CBN intervened in the bank in 2016.

Before then however, the troubled account had remained relatively active with payments and withdrawals.

Ike further disclosed in the letter that the interest of the sum kept with the bank since 2012 was dully paid, saying this could be seen from the statement of account submitted to the Committee.

“We are pleased to state that as at today, the total sum of $224,324.958.75 which was the outstanding balance in the account as at February 2019 has been paid while the Àgure of $32,041,010.83 still reÁecting in the account statement is the entry yet to be passed to nil oͿ the balance remitted through cash lodgment (see correspondence with CBN in March 19, 2021 as annex 9)”.

Following queries that the NNPC was yet to conÀrm the receipt of the money paid into the CBN’s account, Ike stated that they were expecting the NNPC to write and conÀrm payment, stressing that Polaris Bank had written to the apex bank to that eͿect Since March 19, 2021.

One of the petitioners, Tosin Ojomo, a lawyer who appeared before the committee,

had faulted the submissions of Polaris Bank stating that arrests were made before the bank confessed that the money was truly in its custody to which the Chairman overruled noting the need to stay on the issue before the panel.

The committee in its show of good faith later discharged and acquitted Polaris Bank of allegations and charges in respect of the said NNPC deposit. They however, asked the Bank to furnish the Secretariat with evidence that the Bank has fully repaid the money.

Polaris Bank has achieved signiÀcant milestones since its inception in September 21, 2018.

Ike, while comment on the bank’s recently released full year 2020 Ànancial statement, had explained that the Ànancial institution has since grown to earn the conÀdence of the banking publics, oͿering quality banking services at the cutting edge of technology.

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

He explained that the bank’s subsisting three -year corporate transformation strategy has recently been reviewed in line with the changing operating environment and trend dynamism for sustainable value creation. He equally noted the acceleration of the digital transformation journey which is one of the potent strategies to strengthen balance sheet, control cost and process.

The bank’s aspiration is to be known for ease, accessibility of its services and for empowering youths, SMEs, women and the underserved through digital platforms.

Owing to this, Polaris Bank recently unveiled The VULTe, a digital banking platform.

As a digital tool, VULTe is a convenient, easy and quick self-service digital solution from Polaris Bank, which allows users (New and Existing) access to range of banking services which includes; open account & wallet (NGN and USD), airtime & data top-up, fund account, funds transfer, bills payment and other banking operations.

25

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER JUNE 27, 2021

TRANSPORT

Nipping Rail Vandalisation in the Bud Kasim Sumaina writes on the need for government to nip in the bud the recent ugly trend of vandalisation in newly-constructed rail tracks by highly-placed government o΀cials and some unscrupulous elements in the society

I

t is often said that evil, like death, could be found among any one. To this end, one cannot be surprised by the recent alleged arrest of highlyplacedgovernmento΀cialsinvolved in vandalising rail infrastructures.

The importance of railway as mode of transportation cannot be over-emphasised. Railway over the years has played a great role in economy development to the country and the expectation is that the recent government drive to modernise the rail sector shouldbegiventhefullsupportitneeds.However, despite government’s on-going eͿorts to build, revamp and resuscitate existing rail tracks and constructing new rail lines across the country with huge borrowing facilities, recent activities of some citizens in connivance with foreign nationals to cart away rail components built with huge loans from the Chinese government. This development has given stakeholders serious concern.

According to an industry expert, this is what happens when some unscrupulous elements in the society hate their country so much that they desire its demise. These tracks were laid in the late 1980s. Why are they being vandalised now?

He noted that rail tracks should be given special recognition as it’s annoying to see people destroying what was built for the betterment of their states.

While the federal government had already begun negotiations for additional loans, which, If granted, will balloon Nigeria’s public debt stock, which according to data from the Debt Management O΀ce (DMO), stood at N33.107 trillion($87.239billion)asatMarch31,2021,despite public outcry.

If government is bent on contracting more loans for railway expansion, it should be prepared to safeguard the already existing infrastructures from vandalism or all will amount to nothing.

Barely six months after the inauguration of the Itakpe-Warri rail by President Muhammadu Buhari, a project abandoned more than 35 years ago by successive administrations, the Nigerian RailwayCorporation(NRC),raisedthealarmover the vandalism of the newly-Àxed Itakpe-Warri rail line by persons who cut oͿ several sections of the track. In a viral video, the vandals used saw-like object to cut through the rail line to a point, where the pieces could be carted away, thereby exposing passengers to danger. The corporation, also announced the arrest of two persons suspected of vandalising rail tracks along the Kaduna-Zaria rail line.

The Managing Director/CEO, NRC, Mr. Fidet Okhiria, had conÀrmed the development to journalists stating that vandals perpetrated the act on the Warri-Itakpe standard gauge line around KM 30 Adogo, Kogi State section of the rail. He noted that despite the incident, the train was still being operated as there was an alternative.

Also, NRC Northern District Engineer, Mr. HarunaSabo,alsorecentlytoldtheNewsAgencyof Nigeria(NAN),inZariathattwopersonssuspected of vandalising rail tracks along the Kaduna-Zaria rail line had been arrested. He had also stated that the corporation had deployed patrol teams along theraillinefollowingtherepeatedvandalismofthe rail tracks. Sabo said those arrested were members of a syndicate that specialised in removing rail clips that hold sleepers and rail tracks together.

Sabo said the suspects were arrested by staͿ of the NRC district o΀ce at Sayi-Dumbi rail section along the Zaria-Kaduna axis on Friday. He gave the names of the suspects as: Sabitu Kabiru of Matara Sarki in Zaria and a trader, Sabi’u Shehu.

What now appears a lucrative job also saw the Special Adviser on Infrastructure to Nasarawa State Governor, Yusuf Abubakar Musa, picked up by the state Police Command for vandalising NRC facilities alongside two police o΀cers and one operative of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC), among others. The state Commissioner of Police, Bola Longe, recently paraded the arrested Special Adviser alongside 16 other suspected vandals at the state command headquarters in LaÀa. Longe gave details of other

An arrested truck load of vandalised rail tracks and slippers by the Nigeria Police

suspected vandals to include Mohammed Isiaka, former supervisory councilor on Education in Nasarawa Eggon Local Government Area, Mr. Marta Thai; a Chinese national and manager of Young Steel Company,Abuja (receiver); and Jacob Terlumun Emmanuel, the procurement o΀cer of the Chinese company.

Othersarrested,accordingtohim,were“Samuel Shagbaor, a staͿ of the NRC and the principal technical o΀cer covering Agyaragu, LaÀa and its suburbs; Umaru Dauda andAbubakar Nuhu, ownersofthetrailer,whooͿeredN160,000bribeto securethetrailer;NathanielOba,Principalpartner, Nathoba and co, a law chamber in Benin-city, Edo State, who is the legal adviser to Yong ;ing Steel Company Nigeria Limited, who oͿered N600,000 to bribe the investigating team of the PoliceAnti-kidnapping Unit to secure the release of his client.

Similarly, the Nigerian Police a week ago announced the arrest of criminal syndicate responsible for recent vandalisation of rail tracks in the North-west and North-central parts of the country. The Police Public Relations O΀cer (PPRO),Mr.FrankMba,aCommissionerofPolice, said the arrest followed deliberate eͿorts by the force to contain and clamp down on perpetrators of recent incidents of rail tracks vandalisation, carting away of critical locomotive equipment and other related economic crimes in some parts of the country.

He said the arrested suspected vandals were among a total of 36 criminal suspects arrested by the police recently.

Parading the suspects in Abuja, he said the arrests were achieved due to sustained nationwide tactical, anti-crime operations by the Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT) and the Special Tactical Squad (STS) in the ongoing eͿorts aimed at stemming criminal activities particularly violent crimes in the country.

According to him, “Exhibits recovered in the operationsincludedeightAK-49riÁes;threeAK-47 riÁes; one locally made riÁe; 346 rounds ofAK-47 live ammunition; 24 live cartridges; 20 AK-47 magazine, N1.4 million; vehicles, including two Toyota Corolla (Abuja -RBC 653 AE and ABC 906 AG); one Toyota Camry; one 307 Peugeot (Abuja-BWR 920 HK); one 406 Peugeot and one Honda. The rail track vandalism suspects, Idris Lawal, 42;Abdullahi Musa, 29, and Usman Umar, 22, were arrested following a coordinated

intelligence-driven special operation on May 27, 2021, which uncovered a warehouse in Gboko Local GovernmentArea of Benue State.Acordon and search operation conducted by the police operatives on the building revealed diͿerent vandalisedrailequipment,stolenrailinstallationracks, weld-shear, rail puller, and other rail accessories and consumables. He said further investigations by the police team led to the interception of three heavily-loaded trucks along Ikom-Ibom junction in Cross Rivers State.

According to the PPRO, the trucks were fully loaded with vandalised rail items transported from the warehouse. Investigation is on-going to identity the destination, the targeted criminal receivers, end-users and other suspects complicit in the crime.

But, with the increasing cases of rail tracks vandalisation, industry observers are of the view that the Nigerian government’s seeming indiͿerence is given rise to the ugly trend as those arrested are treated with kid gloves.

The Minister of Transportation, Mr. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, had recently disclosed that the federal government had so far repaid over $150 million out of the $500 million facility secured by the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan for theAbuja-Kaduna railway. Meaning anadditional$350milliondollarsisneededtooͿset the loan obtained from the Chinese government.

He said, under the regime of former President Goodluck Jonathan, the loan forAbuja ² Kaduna was about $500 million. “As of today, we have paid over $150 million on that loan.”

HeempahsisedthatNigeriahadneverdefaulted when it comes to loan repayment. And that he didn’t also expect that the nation will default on any other loan the government has taken.

He also informed that the loan for Ibadan-Kano project was about $1.5 billion, stating that the rest of $500 million came from “our budget and I expect that whatever loans we take we will be able to pay.”Justwhenthefederalgovernmenthasstarted making headways in rail modernisation and its generated income risen from N70 million to N350 on Abuja-Kaduna corridor alone as disclosed by the Minister, and with huge debt staring at us, unscrupulous element are bent on distabilising on-going government railway modernisation plan through vandalisation. While eͿorts of the Nigerian Police should be commended, there is the need for the Nigerian Railway Corporation

to synergise with various security agencies in the country to curtail the situation.

Okhiria, the NRC MD, told THISDAY in a telephone interview that eͿorts were being put in place not only to arrest those stealing the corporation’s properties, but to safeguard the rail tracks across the country.

Okhiria noted that the corporation has started a deliberate strategy to synergise with various community leaders to see how vigilantes will be drafted in to protect tracks along their corridor.

Also, the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi has ordered the arrest of buyers of vandalised rail track facilities and equipment.

Amaechi said cases of vandalisation exists because there were those who have indicated interest in the vandalised facilities. He also said the rate of vandalisation would reduce, if the judiciary system dispenses justice without delay.

“I don’t know why some Nigerians are like the way they are. I have told the Managing Director of NRC to arrest the buyers of the equipment. It is not enough to arrest the vandals. It is likened to thosewhosaidwhyshouldtheNationalAssembly punish those who pay ransom? That law was Àrst passed by the Rivers State House of Assembly when I was a speaker and the reason is, that, when there is no demand, there will be no supply. “If we don’t pay ransom, they will be tired and they will stop. The same way, if they don’t buy those metals, slippers and others, nobody will steal them,” he said “Also, we must approach the Judiciary to have courtthatcandispensejusticereadilysothatpeople are sent to jail early enough to deter others and we will also encourage our governors to create jobs,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Inspector-General of Police (IG), Mr. Usman Baba, expressed the determination of thepolicetoensurethatpublicspacesarereclaimed from criminal elements and a comfortable level of public safety and security achieved in all parts of the country.

He said all the suspects would be charged to court on completion of investigations The question is, should the vandalisation be traced to lack of job opportunities or something else? Experts has attributed the spate of vandalisation bedeviling the rail sector to the negligence of traditional institutions, adding that the traditional institution has the vital role to play in curbing train tracks vandalisation along their domain.

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THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER JUNE 27, 2021

PERSPECTIVE

NIMASA Moves to End War Risk Insurance Liability in Gulf of Guinea Chinweizu Amuta

T

aking in 17 countries from Senegal to Angola, the Gulf of Guinea (GoG) is richly endowed with vast reserves of hydrocarbon, solid minerals (diamond, tin and cobalt), and Àsheries, making it a highly strategic area. While not a major international shipping route at present, the Gulf of Guinea represents 25 per cent of African maritime tra΀c and has nearly 20 commercial seaports.

According to the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, the Gulf of Guinea is home to 4.5 per cent of the world’s proven oil reserves (with 60 per cent of Africa’s oil production) and 2.7 per cent of proven global natural gas reserves.

Two-thirds of these reserves are concentrated within the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of Nigeria, the centre of gravity in the region, whose oil sector accounts for 75 per cent of the state’s revenue and 90 per cent of total exports.

The recently launched Deep Blue Project oͿers an opportunity for improved ease of doing business conditions in Nigeria, and the greater Gulf of Guinea area. It is envisaged that this concerted eͿort to permanently address maritime insecurity would lead to a reversal of the issuance of War Risk Insurance being charged on cargoes and vessels headed for ports in the GoG region.

Paying for Insurance at War Rates War Risk Insurance is coverage provided on lossesresultingfromevents,suchaswar,invasions, insurrections, riots, strikes, and terrorism. War risk insurance is oͿered as a separate policy, as it is excluded from standard insurance policies due to the high risks involved.

Due to the frequently reported cases of piracy in the Gulf of Guinea, insurance underwriters charge more to cover vessels that travel through the region because ship-owners who are required to sail in the Gulf of Guinea will have to obtain the approval of their insurer before they can enter these waters.

The obvious consequence of this development has meant higher costs of goods to end users and reduced proÀt margins, which negatively aͿect economic development, not just in Nigeria, but in GoG countries, in general.

How are GoG Piracy Figures Reported?

It is important to understand how piracy and other maritime crimes are reported because this has a direct bearing on how decisions aͿecting the economies of GoG countries are made, including charging of War Risk Insurance on vessels plying these waters.

Piracy data is often used as an indicator of general maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea, but unless it is carefully interpreted, using it could lead to poor responses.

Reports from the International Maritime Bureau (IMB), as well as other sources, such as the Interregional Coordination Centre in Yaoundé, greatly inÁuence public and policy discourse on the state of maritime security in West and Central Africa. Yet, the extent of the threat is disputed and the numbers need to be carefully examined to avoid misreporting the true situation on ground.

For instance, the Nigerian Navy reported 339 incidents of piracy in 2020. But according to the deÀnition of the crime under international law, 214 out of these would not be considered ‘piracy’ but acts of armed robbery, as they took place in Nigerian territorial waters and not on the High Seas.

Incidents of armed robbery at sea are the responsibility of the coastal state if they occur fewer than 12 nautical miles from the coast. The location of attacks is therefore signiÀcant, both to interpreting the data and crafting responses.

EͿective law enforcement far out at sea is beyond the capacity of most regional states. This means that any solution to the problem of piracy is a collective one requiring multinational support as envisioned in the YaoundéAgreement of 2013.

A Deep Blue Answer?

In any case, the reality remains that the maritime security situation in the GoG could be much improved and to this end, the Federal Government,

A vessel

Gulf of Guinea.

The land assets include the Command, Control, Communication, Computer, and Intelligence Centre (C4i) for intelligence gathering and data collection; 16 armoured vehicles for coastal patrol; and 600 specially trained troops for interdiction, known as the Maritime Security Unit.

The sea assets include two Special Mission Vessels and 17 Fast Interceptor Boats, with the air assets comprising of two Special Mission Aircraft for surveillance of the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ); three Special Mission Helicopters for search and rescue operations; and four Unmanned Aerial Vehicles.

It is important to note that the Deep Blue Project is the Àrst integrated maritime security strategy in West and Central Africa with the aim of tackling incidents of piracy, crew kidnappings for ransom, and other maritime crimes.

Ship

An aeroplance

with the Nigerian MaritimeAdministration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) at the spearhead, has brought the Deep Blue Project into play.

The Integrated National Security and Water-

ways Protection Infrastructure, as the Project is otherwise known, was launched by President Muhammadu Buhari on June 10 with the remit to secure Nigerian territorial waters up to the

Present Reality on Ground AmidstthereducedpiracyincidentsinNigerian waters and the Gulf of Guinea since February, when NIMASAdeployed assets under the Deep Blue Project, the Agency’s Director General, Dr. Bashir Jamoh, has called for an end to the charging of War Risk Insurance to Nigeria-bound vessels.

Speaking during the recent o΀cial Áag-oͿ of the DBP, Dr Jamoh said: “Since the deployment of the Deep Blue Project assets in February, there had been a steady decline in piracy attacks in Nigerian waters on a monthly basis.

“We, therefore, invite the international shipping community to rethink the issue of war risk insurance on cargo bound for our ports.

Nigeria has demonstrated enough commitment towards tackling maritime insecurity to avert such premium burden.”

Although, according to Dr. Jamoh and Industry-watchers alike, piracy in Nigerian waters is waning, stakeholders in the industry are worried that oͿshore underwriting Àrms still insist on very high premiums be paid by companies conveying cargoes to the GoG area.

While the Deep Blue Project enters implementation stage, NIMASAwill not be complacent as it will continually evolve strategies, including wide consultation with stakeholders and application of cutting edge technology, in the Àght against maritime insecurity.

Amuta is of the Public Relations Unit, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA).

27

ͺͿ˜ ͺ͸ͺ͹ ˾ T H I S DAY, T H E S U N DAY N E W S PA P E R

MARKET NEWS A Mutual fund (Unit Trust) is an investment vehicle managed by a SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) registered Fund Manager.

Investors with similar objectives buy units of the Fund so that the Fund Manager can buy securities that willl generate their desired return.

An ETF (Exchange Traded Fund) is a type of fund which owns the assets (shares of stock, bonds, oil futures, gold bars, foreign currency, etc.) and divides ownership of those assets into shares. Investors can buy these ‘shares’ on the

floor of the Nigerian Stock Exchange.

A REIT (Real Estate Investment Trust) is an investment vehicle that allows both small and large investors to part-own real estate ventures (eg.

Offices, Houses, Hospitals) in proportion to their investments. The assets are divided into shares that are traded on the Nigerian Stock Exchange.

GUIDE TO DATA: Date: All fund prices are quoted in Naira as at 24Jun-2021, unless otherwise stated.

Offer price: The price at which units of a trust or ETF are bought by investors.

Bid Price: The price at which Investors redeem (sell) units of a trust or ETF. Yield/Total Return: Denotes the total return an investor would have earned on his investment. Money Market Funds report Yield while others report Year- to-date Total Return.

NAV: Is value per share of the real estate assets held by a REIT on a specific date.

DAILY PRICE LIST FOR MUTUAL FUNDS, REITS and ETFS MUTUAL FUNDS / UNIT TRUSTS AFRINVEST ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD aaml@afrinvest.com Web: www.afrinvest.com; Tel: +234 818 885 6757 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Afrinvest Equity Fund 153.28 154.80 -5.25% Afrinvest Plutus Fund 100.00 100.00 4.42% Nigeria International Debt Fund 314.62 314.62 -23.78% Afrinvest Dollar Fund 111.43 111.43 -0.60% ALTERNATIVE CAPITAL PARTNERS LTD info@acapng.com Web: www.acapng.com, Tel: +234 1 291 2406, +234 1 291 2868 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn ACAP Canary Growth Fund N/A N/A N/A ACAP Income Funds N/A N/A N/A AIICO CAPITAL LTD ammf@aiicocapital.com Web: www.aiicocapital.com, Tel: +234-1-2792974 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn AIICO Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 6.35% AIICO Balanced Fund 3.21 3.37 -5.60% info@anchoriaam.com ANCHORIA ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED info@anchoriaam.com Web:www.anchoriaam.com, Tel: 08166830267; 08036814510; 08028419180 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Anchoria Money Market 100.00 100.00 3.17% Anchoria Equity Fund 131.63 133.07 -1.04% Anchoria Fixed Income Fund 1.08 1.08 -19.04% ARM INVESTMENT MANAGERS LTD enquiries@arminvestmentcenter.com Web: www.arm.com.ng; Tel: 0700 CALLARM (0700 225 5276) Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn ARM Aggressive Growth Fund 18.98 19.56 4.68% ARM Discovery Balanced Fund N/A N/A N/A ARM Ethical Fund 37.73 38.86 11.91% ARM Eurobond Fund ($) 1.08 1.09 -1.51% ARM Fixed Income Fund 0.96 0.96 -8.58% ARM Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 5.20% AVA GLOBAL ASSET MANAGERS LIMITED info@avacapitalgroup.com Web: www.avacapitalgroup.com Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn AVA GAM Fixed Income Dollar Fund 104.80 104.80 3.04% AXA MANSARD INVESTMENTS LIMITED investmentcare@axamansard.com Web: www.axamansard.com; Tel: +2341-4488482 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn AXA Mansard Equity Income Fund N/A N/A N/A AXA Mansard Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A CAPITAL EXPRESS ASSET AND TRUST LIMITED info@capitalexpressassetandtrust.com Web: www.capitalexpressassetandtrust.com ; Tel: +234 803 307 5048 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn CEAT Fixed Income Fund 1.95 1.95 -19.49% Capital Express Balanced Fund(Formerly: Union Trustees Mixed Fund) 2.04 2.08 -17.87% mutualfunds@cardinalstone.com CARDINALSTONE ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED Web: www.cardinalstoneassetmanagement.com ; Tel: +234 (1) 710 0433 4 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn CardinalStone Fixed Income Alpha Fund N/A N/A N/A CHAPELHILL DENHAM MANAGEMENT LTD investmentmanagement@chapelhilldenham.com Web: www.chapelhilldenham.com, Tel: +234 461 0691 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Chapelhill Denham Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A Paramount Equity Fund N/A N/A N/A Women's Investment Fund N/A N/A N/A CORDROS ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmgtteam@cordros.com Web: www.cordros.com, Tel: 019036947 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Cordros Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 5.92% Cordros Milestone Fund 2023 116.69 117.46 Cordros Milestone Fund 2028 N/A N/A Cordros Dollar Fund ($) 106.92 106.92 CORONATION ASSEST MANAGEMENT investment@coronationam.com Web:www.coronationam.com , Tel: 012366215 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Coronation Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 4.04% Coronation Balanced Fund 1.17 1.19 -2.19% Coronation Fixed Income Fund 1.36 1.36 -13.90% EDC FUNDS MANAGEMENT LIMITED mutualfundng@ecobank.com Web: www.ecobank.com Tel: 012265281 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn EDC Nigeria Money Market Fund Class A 100.00 100.00 3.05% EDC Nigeria Money Market Fund Class B 1,000,000.00 1,000,000.00 2.97% EDC Nigeria Fixed Income Fund 1,167.25 1,176.80 -2.45% FBNQUEST ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD invest@fbnquest.com Web: www.fbnquest.com/asset-management; Tel: +234-81 0082 0082 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn FBN Fixed Income Fund 1,379.18 1,379.18 9.43% FBN Balanced Fund 187.16 188.45 -0.27% FBN Halal Fund 110.32 110.32 8.70% FBN Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 8.87% FBN Nigeria Eurobond (USD) Fund - Retail FBN Smart Beta Equity Fund FCMB ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED Web: www.fcmbassetmanagement.com; Tel: +234 1 462 2596 Fund Name Legacy Money Market Fund Legacy Debt Fund Legacy Equity Fund Legacy USD Bond Fund FSDH ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD Web: www.fsdhaml.com; Tel: 01-270 4884-5; 01-280 9740-1 Fund Name Coral Balanced Fund Coral Income Fund Coral Money Market Fund

125.67 154.39

125.67 3.45% 156.49 2.12% fcmbamhelpdesk@fcmb.com

Bid Price 1.00 3.95 1.55 1.18

Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn 1.00 3.93% 3.95 2.11% 1.58 1.74% 1.18 3.45% coralfunds@fsdhgroup.com

Bid Price 3,628.87 3,358.16 100.00

Offer Price 3,679.17 3,358.16 100.00

Yield / T-Rtn -3.09% 2.50% 5.57%

GREENWICH ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmanagement@gtlgroup.com Web: www.gtlgroup.com ; Tel: +234 1 4619261-2 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Greenwich Plus Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A Nigeria Entertainment Fund N/A N/A N/A GROWTH & DEVELOPMENT ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmanagement@gdl.com.ng Web: www.gdl.com.ng ; Tel: +234 9055691122 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn GDL Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A INVESTMENT ONE FUNDS MANAGEMENT LTD enquiries@investment-one.com Web: www.investment-one.com; Tel: +234 812 992 1045,+234 1 448 8888 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Abacus Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 7.11% Vantage Balanced Fund 2.85 2.91 24.20% Vantage Guaranteed Income Fund 1.00 1.00 4.50% Kedari Investment Fund (KIF) 150.09 150.54 -3.42% Vantage Equity Income Fund (VEIF) - June Year End 1.24 1.28 31.25% Vantage Dollar Fund (VDF) - June Year End 1.09 1.09 6.55% LOTUS CAPITAL LTD fincon@lotuscapitallimited.com Web: www.lotuscapitallimited.com; Tel: +234 1-291 4626 / +234 1-291 4624 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Lotus Halal Investment Fund 1.39 1.41 2.08% Lotus Halal Fixed Income Fund 1,147.96 1,147.96 3.91% MERISTEM WEALTH MANAGEMENT LTD info@meristemwealth.com Web: http://www.meristemwealth.com/funds/ ; Tel: +234 1-4488260 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Meristem Equity Market Fund 11.01 11.05 5.09% Meristem Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 6.62% PAC ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD info@pacassetmanagement.com Web: www.pacassetmanagement.com/mutualfunds; Tel: +234 1 271 8632 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn PACAM Balanced Fund 1.64 1.66 7.26% PACAM Fixed Income Fund 11.47 11.51 -5.51% PACAM Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 4.34% PACAM Equity Fund 1.62 1.63 2.45% PACAM EuroBond Fund 111.22 112.91 1.19% SCM CAPITAL LIMITED info@scmcapitalng.com Web: www.scmcapitalng.com; Tel: +234 1-280 2226,+234 1- 280 2227 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn SCM Capital Frontier Fund 126.68 126.34 5.69% SFS CAPITAL NIGERIA LTD investments@sfsnigeria.com Web: www.sfsnigeria.com, Tel: +234 (01) 2801400 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn SFS Fixed Income Fund 1.01 1.01 3.41% STANBIC IBTC ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD assetmanagement@stanbicibtc.com Web: www.stanbicibtcassetmanagement.com; Tel: +234 1 280 1266; 0700 MUTUALFUNDS Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Stanbic IBTC Balanced Fund 3,170.05 3,195.88 -1.42% Stanbic IBTC Bond Fund 230.68 230.68 2.59% Stanbic IBTC Ethical Fund 1.19 1.20 1.27% Stanbic IBTC Guaranteed Investment Fund 302.78 302.78 2.76% Stanbic IBTC Iman Fund 219.29 222.01 0.35% Stanbic IBTC Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 7.62% Stanbic IBTC Nigerian Equity Fund 10,320.52 10,449.41 -1.74% Stanbic IBTC Dollar Fund (USD) 1.26 1.26 2.66% Stanbic IBTC Shariah Fixed Income Fund 114.51 114.51 3.09% Stanbic IBTC Enhanced Short-Term Fixed Income Fund 101.74 101.74 UNITED CAPITAL ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD Web: www.unitedcapitalplcgroup.com; Tel: +234 01-6317876 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn United Capital Balanced Fund 1.36 1.38 -0.18% United Capital Bond Fund 1.95 1.95 3.17% United Capital Equity Fund 0.93 0.94 6.54% United Capital Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 8.32% United Capital Eurobond Fund 121.22 121.22 3.53% United Capital Wealth for Women Fund 1.11 1.13 2.40% United capital Sukuk Fund 1.05 1.05 5.36% QUANTUM ZENITH ASSET MANAGEMENT & INVESTMENTS LTD service@quantumzenithasset.com.ng Web: www.quantumzenith.com.ng; Tel: +234 1-2784219 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Zenith Equity Fund 12.68 12.79 6.82% Zenith Ethical Fund 14.00 14.12 14.59% Zenith Income Fund 24.12 24.12 0.62% Zenith Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 6.03%

REITS NAV Per Share

Yield / T-Rtn

124.09 51.54

2.77% -1.64%

Bid Price

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

12.88 123.35 98.22 17.32 17.57

12.98 125.90 99.99 17.42 17.67

-2.51% 2.37% -1.19%

Fund Name SFS REIT Union Homes REIT

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS Fund Name Lotus Halal Equity Exchange Traded Fund SIAML Pension ETF 40 Stanbic IBTC ETF 30 Fund MERGROWTH ETF MERVALUE ETF

VETIVA FUND MANAGERS LTD Web: www.vetiva.com; Tel: +234 1 453 0697 Fund Name Vetiva Banking Exchange Traded Fund Vetiva Consumer Goods Exchange Traded Fund Vetiva Griffin 30 Exchange Traded Fund Vetiva Money Market Fund Vetiva Industrial Goods Exchange Traded Fund Vetiva S&P Nigeria Sovereign Bond Exchange Traded Fund

funds@vetiva.com Bid Price

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

3.74 5.67 17.10 1.00 19.14 148.79

3.78 5.75 17.20 1.00 19.34 150.79

-0.73% -0.38% 5.45% 4.16% -6.69% -31.96%

NAV Per Share

Yield / T-Rtn

107.52

13.11%

INFRASTRUCTURE FUND Fund Name Chapel Hill Denham Nigeria Infrastructure Debt Fund

The value of investments and the income from them may fall as well as rise. Past performance is a guide and not an indication of future returns. Fund prices published in this edition are also available on each fund manager’s website and FMAN’s website at www.fman.com.ng. Fund prices are supplied by the operator of the relevant fund and are published for information purposes only.

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WEEKLY PULL-OUT

27.6.2021

A

ERELU OLUSOLA OBADA People, Passion, and Posterity Drive My Politics Erelu Olusola Obada (nee Agbeja), two-term deputy governor of Osun and ex-defence minister is in the league of Nigerian amazons who have made giant strides in their endeavours. Prior to her foray into politics, Obada carved a niche in her early 20s, breaking the glass ceiling as advertising officer of the defunct Nigeria Airways, overseeing offices scattered across the globe. Before her name resonates in politics, she made a mark in finance and law, where she emerged top of her class at the University of Buckingham, England. Erelu Obada, who turns 70 today, shares with Funke Olaode her life’s trajectory

ccomplished and fulfilled, she has seen it all with successes as stars in the glittering sky. At 70, you may conclude amiable Erelu Obada has ticked all her boxes. Her sonorous voice signposts her Lagos Island expansive home. Looking gorgeous in pink ankara with a bit of embellishment, she cuts the image of an achiever at peace with herself. Her glowing skin is enchanting. Any beauty routine?

“I don’t have any beauty routine.

I use whatever soap I see,” says Erelu Obada. “I use the normal cream to rob my body. I don’t eat anything special. I eat what catches my fancy.”

Erelu Obada needs no introduction as a top Nigerian female politician with indelible marks at the state and national levels. Born June 27, 1951, she smacks of gratitude and grace. How does she feel turning 70?

“I feel grateful to God because I look back, and it is just like yesterday that thing started happening in my life, and today I am 70,” she enthuses. “I was born on June 27, 1951. It is a time to give thanks to my God because He has made me do great things by his grace, not by my power but by His grace. I am overwhelmed with gratitude. I am overwhelmed with joy, and I give all glory to God.” Though an intrepid and fulfilled politician, Erelu Obada finds fulfilment at the home front due to the unflinching support she received from her family.

“Honestly, I feel fulfilled as a mother and wife, which is my first major responsibility. Every other thing, no matter how high you have climbed in life, goes into insignificance if you don’t have joy within your family,” she explains. “And of course, I have tried to do unto others as I would want them to do unto me. So I feel very happy and fulfilled, not just as a career woman, not just as a politician, not just as somebody who has risen to high office. But because of the love that I have for people. You cannot be a successful politician if you do not have people around you. So I just see people, I see families, and I see friends. It all emanates really from who you are and the way you have been brought up. Your empathy for people, your love for people, those things God gave me, and I have been able to impart it to those around me and everybody that I come in contact with.”

Born into the Agbeja family of Ilesa and Ibodi, in Osun, she attended Queens School, Ede/Ibadan. She later proceeded to Watford College of Technology, England, obtaining a diploma in Advertising Administration with a Second-Class Upper Division.

She also attended the University of Buckingham, England, and bagged the LLB (Hons) Second Class Upper Division, graduating top of her class.

She later attended the Nigerian Law School in 1986, earning the BL (Honors), and was called to the bar. At the tender age of 24, she became the advertising officer of Nigeria Airways, charged with marketing the airline across the globe, with offices in Rome, Amsterdam, London, Abidjan, and other West African countries. She left the airline to

ASSISTANT EDITOR OLUFUNKE OLAODE/funkola2000@gmail.com

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THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ Ͱ͵˜ ͰͮͰͯ

COVER

Inside 70Years of Osun’s Former Deputy Governor

pursue her dream of becoming a legal practitioner, ultimately becoming the Managing Partner of Olusola Agbeja and Co. She was at different times the managing director of Irongate Finance and Trust Company Limited (a finance company that fully discharged its obligations to the investing public) and Materials Management Services Limited.

She brought her entrepreneurial success and sterling qualities to bear on her political career as the deputy governor of Osun through dint of hard work, dedication, grassroots mobilization, and strong belief in God, radiating enthusiasm, intellectual capacity, and profound humility.

As a deputy governor, she supervised the 30 local government areas and the area office of Osun for effective delivery of dividends of democracy to the teeming populace at the grassroots level. Her loyalty to the then-Governor Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola and dedication to state duties knew no bounds.

Testament to that was being awarded ‘Most Loyal Deputy Governor;’ also honoured as ‘Bridge Builder’ and ‘Grassroot Mobiliser.’

For Erelu Obada, going into politics was a deliberate attempt to right the wrong around her. An ailment that almost took her life became her launching pad. Going down memory lane, she narrates, “I have always been interested in happenings around me. I had ideas of what changes I will love to see either in the state or nationally, just like any normal Nigerian. But what brought me to the fore was that I have always discussed with my husband that I would love to go into politics. But the timing of it, what happened was that I had a near-death experience in 1999/2000 around December.

I almost died. I had a bad allergic reaction to some medications that I had taken. But God saved me. After that, I said to my husband, ‘Tunde, that is how I would have died, and I will not achieve all the things I said I wanted to achieve.’ And he said, ‘Hmm! Maybe this is the best time to go into politics, so things you want

Erelu Obada and husband, Babatunde

to achieve you can achieve. At least you will give it a try.’ That is what pushed me into politics. In fact, my husband was the one who coined the theme of my campaign, ‘God’s Own Project.’ That is what I campaigned with GOP.” With the backing of her husband and good people of Osun who rallied round her, Erelu Obada traversed the length and breadth of Osun selling the Peoples Democratic Party (unpopular at that time in the state) to her people. “I got a lot of support from my people, and that totally encapsulates what politics is to me. It is not the money you have. It is the people’s lives you have touched in one way or the other for good. So it has been very fulfilling. It was like God has prepared me for politics just by the person I am. No pretences, no nothing, just me being myself, that is all.

And so it was like a new chapter in my life, and I gave it a shot, and God blessed it. And not having had prior experience really politically, like some will say that they have been a counsellor or they have held one position or the other. So I came out wanting to become governor of Osun state. Why? Because I felt that it was only through that office that I will be able to carry out or execute the kind of things I wanted to change or bring about in Osun. So, I went round all the nooks and crannies of Osun, dancing, singing, and campaigning for my party, the PDP, which was not even popular in Osun. It was the AD that was in power, but my politics was different. I wanted to be part of a party that gave women the chance to be whatever they wanted to be.

I am glad, and I thank God that he guided me in taking that decision at that time. So I accepted to run with my governor, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, and God blessed our partnership.”

A well-grounded individual, over the years, she has gained a wealth of experience holding key positions. After her tenure as deputy governor, she served as Minister of State for Defence and later defence minister between 2011 to 2013. Of significance was her legacy while at the Ministry of Defence. Erelu Obada was instrumental in establishing a battalion-strength army barracks at Ibodi-Ijesa and a water dam at Kajola-Ijesa to serve Ilesa and its environs

(which had no running water for over 35 years).

Erelu Obada is a chip off the old block and product of rich heritage.

Her father, David Olatunde Agbeja, was a celebrated permanent secretary in the Old Western Region and onetime managing director of National Bank.

“I had a lovely family, and I had a beautiful upbringing. My father was a disciplinarian of the highest order, but then he was also full of love. If you have done something wrong and he chastises you, he would later show you love,” she states.

She adds, “He was such a lovely father. He treated his children as his friends. He did not pressure me into anything whatsoever. He will let you know that all he was giving you was education, and you can become anything you want in life, saying, ‘Do not think that I have houses and money to leave for you after I die.

So the best thing for you is to study and become the person you want to be.’

Besides being a successful politician, Erelu Olusola Obada is also a fulfilled mother, wife, and grandmother. She is happily married to Otunba (Dr) Felix Babatunde Obada, whom she met at the Redeemed Christian Church God, Oyingbo, Lagos. Was it love at first sight?

She explains, “I am not sure now whether it was love at first sight. But he seems quite interested, and I took another look at him, and I was also interested. So we started going out. He is very good-looking, so that attracts you. Then he spoke very well, looked polished, and I could see the fear of God in him, and he loves people. As time went on, we enjoyed each other’s company so much. We were little kids, always playing, always talking, up till today, he is still my very best friend.”

Any secret to their marriage longevity? “Not really,” she points out.

“It is the fear of God, number one; liking each other. I won’t say loving each

other but liking each other. We are best friends. At a stage, your children will go away, and you are left with each other. Like today, they have all gone to their various husband’s houses. They have married their wives, and everybody is happy in their homes. So it is just he and me, and we are like little children. We are still best of friends. Of course, we quarrel, but we are always guided by what God wants us to do, which is always to settle our quarrels before we sleep every day. So we have sessions where we tell each other that I don’t like what you did today, and we settle, and that is it.”

She did not hesitate to add about her husband, saying, “His support helped me in my political journey. My husband more or less took over when I was in Osun most of the eight years. Our children had already grown. Some of them were in universities. I think we had only the last child at home. Honestly, it would not have been easy if I don’t have a very supportive husband. It would have been impossible.

But because he felt no mountain his wife could not climb, he was there at the home front taking care of things. I thank God for his life because it was a great sacrifice.”

Seven years after serving as a minister, Erelu Obada remains a PDP member, a conscientious politician. “The most important thing in life is the love that you share with people. Always being there for people in whatever capacity, you must be there for them. It is all about people. The fear of God has helped me so much. I am always afraid of doing the wrong thing,” she says.

As Osun stands still to celebrate Erelu Obada today, the celebrant believes her best has yet to come. “I know God is not done with me yet,” she thinks. “He will take me places, and when I say ‘places,’ I meant in the service of my people in any capacity, not necessarily in an elected position but in any other capacity. So long as I am serving the people in any capacity that God wants me to. The love that people have shown me is enormous, and because it is so, I can only say, father, I thank you. So when I say father, I thank you, it comes from my heart entirely. The level of preparations that they have made is mindboggling. So I give glory to God. I thank God for how far He has brought me and for what he has done for me. I am eternally grateful.”

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HighLife Nkiru Anumudu: Back and Better

Anumudu

I

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

Marital Bliss as Ponle, Laoye Tomori, Osun Ex-Deputy Governor Enjoy New Lease of Life Love can light up human life in a way that nothing else can. Love is like Thomas De Quincy described: an assuaging balm... that with its potent rhetoric steals away the purposes of wrath, and to the [old] man for one season gives back the hopes of his youth. No one knows this better than Prince Michael Tunde Ponle, the boss of MicCom Cables & Wires Ltd. After finding love with former Osun State Deputy Governor, Grace Titi Laoye-Tomori, it has been one petal of satisfaction after another petal of sweetness.

Marriage does things to people. Of that fact, there is no doubt. A good marriage, of course, does the best things. Whoever sees either Madam Titi Laoye-Tomori or her happy hubby, Prince Ponle, would acknowledge this fact. The pair are living it up, never minding that the glow of youth has long tapered off, and not even its embers remain.

Folks will recall the awe that followed the news of their wedding in 2019. Many

n many cases, one can only adjust to the vicissitudes of life, knowing that both the past and the future are out of one’s sphere of control.

This is the case for even the swan of Nigerian high society, the merry Nkiru Anumudu. At the summit of satisfaction and sensation, she lost her husband, who had been the spring in her step. But time moves fast, and people have to follow behind or risk its rusting shadow. This is why most folks are thrilled at the fact that Nkiru Anumudu, happy ‘flower girl’ and always-sight for sore eyes, is back.

With so few personalities like Nkiru Anumudu, one can only agree with English poet William Wordsworth that the world is too much with us—that we did not see or appreciate enough blossoms and only ended up with us a few colourful ones. Nevertheless, Lady Nkiru had enough fizz and sparkle to overshadow a few galaxies. And then Death came and took away her husband, Willie Anumudu.

The demise of Willie Anumudu hit Nigeria hard. Even at 68, Anumudu was a lot like his wife, Nkiru, holding attention wherever he went. With the wife, it was her fashionable presence; with the husband, it was his charm and ownership of enormous piles of money. But Death came for Anumudu as it would for anybody, not caring that he was a billionaire businessman, the Chairman of Globe Motors, or the happy significant other of Lady Nkiru. That was in April of 2020.

It has been more than a year since, and folks say that Lady Nkiru spent all that time grieving, wondering why Death would not hold back its visit for a few more decades. Left all alone, she spent all that time deflated, dispirited, nothing like her stunning self. But time heals all wounds, they say, so Lady Nkiru’s return to the social scene is proof of that hope or an indication that it is a work in progress.

Nevertheless, high society is happy to have her back into its embrace.

Only a few weeks in, and folks are already thinking up ways to get her to brighten up their social gatherings with her smile and style.

with KAYODE ALFRED ͮͶͯ​ͯʹ͵ͳͷͶͮ͵˜ ̋×ËÓÖ: ÕËãʮÏâ̶͓ãËÒÙÙ˛ÍÙ×

people could not understand the kind of affection that would drive a supposed 70-year-old woman into the waiting arms of a supposed 80-year-old man. But life is full of surprises, and the love life of the now-celebrated lovebirds is a delightful addition to the shelf.

Before their current attachment to each other, Madam Titi and Prince Ponle were engaged to other people. The former Deputy Governor had reportedly been married to a professor and conceived four children for him. But the union did not work out. In the case of the MicCom boss, his wife passed away in 2012, so Madam Titi brought the light of companionship into his life seven years later.

Ahappy marriage, a happier companion, and enough joy and laughter to last another lifetime; what more would anyone want out of life? So it is with Prince Ponle and his bride. Even after two years, the conjugal glow is still very noticeable.

Prince Ponle and wife, Laoye Tomori

Between Andy Uba and Sekibo: How Impasse May Hurt Guber Ambition King Solomon of ancient Israel said that poor people are slaves of the rich; borrow money, and you become the lender’s slave. This interesting observation is one of the many bits of advice that popular Anambra politician Senator Emmanuel Nnamdi Uba (Andy Uba, for short) would have done well to heed. Now that he has gone and locked horns with Heritage Bank, what is to become of his grand gubernatorial ambition?

The entire Nigerian social media scene is still flooded with gasps and gossips at the still-trending issue with Senator Andy Uba and his alleged indebtedness to Heritage Bank. Supposedly discharging the instructions of their MD, Ifie Sekibo, staff of Heritage Bank, were seen hanging around the residence of Senator Uba on Monday, June 21, 2021. The gist was that Uba owes the bank an unspecified sum of money, which has been the case for a few years. His reported refusal to sort out this debt forced the bank’s staff to remind him convincingly.

There is no doubt that business and politics require a touch of the divine or both enterprises will be ground into a fine powder of disappointments and regrets. Still, even with a smidge of divinity, one seldom escapes a self-brought calamity unscathed. This is what folks are saying that Uba has done to himself. Considering Uba’s goal of clinching the Anambra State gubernatorial high chair, has Heritage Bank’s Sekibo pulled out the seat from under him? That remains to be seen.

What is evident at the moment is that Senator Uba has shown himself to be someone that delays on his promises. At least, that is what folks are saying. Of course, the majority of these folks are his detractors, so there is bias. Nevertheless, the momentum he has gathered, not to mention the confidence he projected of overruling and overwhelming the oomph of the other aspirants, has collapsed like a house of cards.

Lifestyle King John Obayuwana Stages High-octane Birthday

Obayuwana

Some individuals are known for little things, the kind of things that only a select few get to chat about on short benches. Some other individuals are known for bigger things, the kind of things that demand folding up a sleeve

to introduce the subject and taking an hour or two to really get into it. John Obayuwana is a boss of the latter category, and his social swings are always a delicious soup for entertaining gossip. He turned 72 a few days ago and was unsurprisingly unreserved in the high-octane party he hosted.

All roads led to Koi Restaurant and Lounge Victoria Island, Lagos on that D-Day, and the place was packed with the elites of Nigerian society. As he always does, John Obayuwana played the charming host and tinkered with every guest’s imagination as he invariably kept them entertained, exercised, and extra jolly. As a few folks commented at the end of the colourful bash, this 72nd birthday soirée raised the ceiling of birthday soirées, even for the Polo boss.

In recent times, Obayuwana has transcended the identity collar of a businessman, becoming

something of a suave baron of style and social sentiments. This loftiness has not dampened his status as a brilliant business doyen. On the contrary, Obayuwana has had to saddle his horses, as it were, and continue to champion the industry that ensures a steady supply of luxury goods into Nigeria and the rest of West Africa.

It is easy to forget that the ardent and accomplished soirée host single-handedly built up the renowned Polo Luxury Group from scratch in 1991, becoming the gilded Frenchman bringing all kinds of shiny things to willing people: high-end timepieces, writing instruments, and accessories. So John Obayuwana is like a man of parties and treasures, unveiling them in competitive succession. At 72, there is no sign of a regressive groove. Much like old wine, it is getting spicier, stronger and sweeter.

Senator Iyiola Omisore Plans Exquisite 90th Birthday for Father Living beyond 80 is one thing in modern life that demands attention, celebration, and appreciation. This is doubly so for those who have lived—and still live—in the public eye, serving others in distinguished capacities.

As Oba David Olajide Omisore, first Olu of Olode (Awolowo) Town (in Ife South local government area) and father of former Osun deputy governor) clocks 90, folks are preparing to send a deluge of goodwill his way.

Iyiola Omisore is the main character behind the news of Oba David Olajide Omisore’s 90th birthday celebrations. The ex-deputy governor is not only a well-known political figure but also an established businessman. He may not roar often, but when he does, the world listens.

This is the case with his father’s nonagenarian celebrations.

From the reports so far gathered, the politician is not the only one preparing for the birthday. In fact, he might be outclassed in this endeavour by the people of Olode, who are

happy that Senator Iyiola’s father is setting a good precedent by crossing 90. Nevertheless, Senator Iyiola’s plans for a high-octane commemoration of the day are reportedly unmatched. This is expected considering both the status of the Osun East Senator and the journey of his father.

Oba David Olajide Omisore was crowned the Olu of Awolowo in 2009. The king’s coronation garnered the interests of the entire Southwestern region at that time because he was the first in the lineage and handpicked by the late Ooni of Ife, Alayeluwa Oba Okunade Sijuwade, and approved by the Osun governor at the time, Olagunsoye Oyinlola. Ever since, the Olu has led a distinguished lifestyle, bringing nothing but development to his town and people.

No doubt, Senator Omisore will have to send out a mile-long guest list and be prepared to host hundreds and hundreds of distinguished folks from everywhere. But all

Omisore

that is within the Senator’s expectations and means as he prepares for the grandest highoctane birthday celebrations that folks ever did see.

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HIGHLIFE

Former Kwara Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed out of His Anonymous Cocoon

Ahmed

Does life get easier the longer we live, or is it the classic case of jumping down from the frying pan straight into the fire? Better not, or ex-Kwara Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed has no chance of settling into the limelight after months of living under the radar.

The chieftaincy ceremony of Erelu Toyin Saraki, founder and president of Wellbeing Foundation Africa and wife of Bukola Saraki, former Senate president, stirred a lot of folks out of their cradles castles and cocoons. One of these folks was Ahmed. He was just as decked in happy colours as the other guests. Unless told, the typical person would not know that the past few months have been anything but wine and roses for the man.

Some Nigerian governors retire from their posts and spend a year or two in peace before the friendly neighbourhood watch, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), arrives at their doorstep. Ahmed was not so fortunate. Folks even speculate that the anti-graft agency had kept a close watch on his activities while he was still the governor and wasted no time in casting their net to reel him in once they had gathered enough evidence.

Only the EFCC knows.

What is public knowledge is that Abdulfatah Ahmed was arrested at the tail end of 2020 on the charge of alleged fraud. Of course, Ahmed’s predecessor, Senator Bukola Saraki, also faced similar queries. Nevertheless, Ahmed stood out because the tone of the EFCC was heavy, unrelenting, striking at every misconduct alleged to have Ahmed as its mastermind. A hectic time for the former governor for sure, but he got out mostly unscathed. Until the EFCC returned a few weeks ago, and it was even messier.

Thus, this is the first public appearance of Abdulfatah Ahmed since the interrogation of May 2021. Is it all over? Nobody but the anti-graft agency knows. But it sure is good to see Ahmed out in the sunlight. Whoever kept a healthy complexion (and reputation) from hiding away all year?

Sterling Bank CEO Abubakar Suleiman’s Big Dream His march of progress can be very bewildering: fast-paced one minute and stopping altogether in the next. As Nigerian banks continue their unspoken contest for the apex, Sterling Bank continues to adhere to its vision of becoming a full-fledged Holding Company (Holdco). In the meantime, its CEO, Abubakar Suleiman also continues to lay brick after brick for his dream to land on: to lead the bank towards its next phase of growth as the boss of the Holdco.

There is no doubt that Abubakar Suleiman played an active role in the quest of Sterling Bank transforming into a Holdco. It is only right, therefore, that he plays an active role in the restructured banking entity. And Suleiman’s target, as folks have reported, is the topmost position, the position that should enable him to pull Sterling Bank into the fold of African giant banks.

Since assuming the position of CEO in 2018,

Suleiman has proved a reliable and remarkably effective CEO. With a stellar grasp of the intricacies of corporate leadership, Suleiman’s every move has been rated as super strategic, needing marginal adjustments, truly taking its position among its peers as The Rising Sun. One wonders if only a Master’s degree from a reputable business school is enough to equip one with this kind of effectiveness.

Folks find it difficult to believe that Abubakar Suleiman is not a Harvard-trained, double-rimmed, grey-haired 50-something.

Indeed, it is a 47-year old with a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Abuja and a Master’s degree in Major Programs Management from Said Business, University of Oxford, that brought Sterling Bank thus far.

Given the opportunity to take charge of the Holdco when all is said and done, there is no doubt that Suleiman is going to awe

Suleiman

every observer with his performance. That is why several Sterling Bank stakeholders are suggesting him as the first big boss of the Holding Company. And of course, Suleiman himself has noted that he is prepared for the role, prepared to lead Sterling Bank.

Tony Elumelu Serenades Wife as She Adds Another Year

Elumelu

Up and up and up and on and on and on. There is no better way to describe the life of the Elumelus. From one gigantic milestone to the next, the power couple has shown itself to be a pair made in Heaven. As the missus clocked 57 a few days ago, the mister had

nothing but glowing comments.

Tony and Awele Elumelu are sweet together in a way that very few married folks can be. Boundless fame and fortune have not been able to drive a wedge between them. The perfect pair, one might call them, since Tony is always only a step ahead in age and age alone.

In other respects, they move together. And so Awele clocked 57, earning her dose of an annual birthday serenade from her 58-year old lover, friend and husband.

It has become a custom, really, this annual string of serenades from Mr Elumelu to Mrs Elumelu. It leaves tears in the eyes of many, many unmarried but many more in wedded lives like the Elumelus. To find and marry a woman like Awele is obviously Tony’s fortune, a fortune that most wish they have. Few women could bear the continental ambitions

and goals of their husbands on their feminine shoulders. But that is exactly what Awele Elumelu is doing—even as she carries visions of her own.

As Tony Elumelu is to business and entrepreneurship in Africa, so Awele Elumelu is to healthcare in Africa. As the founder and CEO of Avon, a long chain of clinics and healthcare facilities, Awele has proved herself to be just as relevant and needed in her household as she is in the African healthcare scene. Keep in mind that she is a mother of seven. Talk about a superwoman.

Forget someone as astute as Tony Elumelu. Even a dullard would realise that a wife like Awele is hard to come by. So until old age and final sleep, it’s going to be one serenade after another for Awele Elumelu because Tony Elumelu is smart.

All Set for WENA Conference In recent times, there are enough platforms and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) established to empower. The ones that can boast an objective as specific and approach as suitable as Aisha Babangida’s Women Enterprise Alliance (WenA) can be counted on one hand. With July 6 close enough to touch, the women with participatory tickets are set and ready to go.

The 2021 Edition of the WenA Conference, slated for July 6 to 7, has got the wirings of the womenfolk sparking. This year’s Conference has been rumoured as dressed up in golden colours, sure to outshine and outclass every other WenA Conference that came before it.

Although nothing specific yet, leaks have already begun circulating that the instructors and modules this time will take the breath of every participant away. There’s no need to talk about the empowerment packages (in the form of possible linkups) for WenApreneurs and WenApioneers. In those two days, Aisha Babangida and her crew intend to introduce women to the endless possibilities that are

theirs for the taking.

For those who are new to WenA, this is a set-up founded by Aisha Babangida to assist businesswomen in any/every way possible.

The activities to this effect generally comprise Conferences and Programmes which feature accomplished experts from practically every industry showing participants the ropes. In the end, WenA and her partners empower graduates with funds and names in their identified business sectors to guide them until they too become accomplished experts.

This is something that Lady Babangida’s WenA has been doing since its inception.

Not to mention that it has revolutionised the Nigerian entrepreneurial space due to the deluge of women that join in after every WenA Conference and Entrepreneurship Programme, WenA continues to construct the frameworks for women in business. If this did not redefine the entire micro, small, medium and large-scale sectors in the coming future, these efforts would never have gone into it. But it will, and for the better.

Babangida

Akpabio

Akpabio Finally Proving His Worth Senator Godswill Akpabio is starting to warm up the hearts of his people towards him. Since assuming the role of Niger Delta Minister, this is likely the first time folks are nodding with satisfaction at the actions of the former Akwa Ibom Governor.

Even so, the expectations of the people are far from satisfied, but Akpabio has started well.

According to recent reports, Senator Godswill Akpabio, Minister in charge of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), promised that the commission’s forensic audit would be ready for public perusal and implementation by the end of July 2021.

Garnering the interests of folks, Akpabio implied that the report would mark a new phase for the Niger Delta region if approved and put into effect. This has garnered its own stream of comments from Nigerians home and abroad due to Akpabio’s track record.

Only a handful of Nigerians have enjoyed public office as Godswill Akpabio has. Since 2007, the man has occupied nothing but pivotal positions: Governor, Senator, Federallevel Minister. Each of these positions brought him more fame and recognition in the eyes of Nigerians.

Consequently, Akpabio has never seemed to live up to expectations, always falling short. This was not too much of a problem when a senator represented Akwa Ibom NorthWest Senatorial District. But all that changed when given a ministerial position—one as important to the nation as the Niger Delta for that matter.

Since his appointment in 2019, folks have made a habit of looking down on Akpabio at every turn. Of course, it did not help that the man and his team worked at a snail’s pace and still had next to nothing to show for it—or so it is reported. Thus, this news of his presentation of the final NDDC forensic audit report before August is something worth celebrating.

Meanwhile, some folks have readied their pincers to bite into everything and evaluate Akpabio’s intentions for the Niger Delta region. Whichever way that goes, the limelight on Akpabio is no longer in glaring blues and blacks as before.

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LOUD WHISPERS

with JOSEPH EDGAR (09095325791)

Between Senator Andy Uba and Bank’s Voodoo Tactics I saw a shocking video. One mumu bank had sent its staff to what was said was the residence of Senator Andy Uba in Abuja. The video was well shot, complete with a voice-over. The narrator claimed the good senator owed them billions, putting the bank in a precarious situation.

He moaned about the risk to depositors’ funds and all that.

My people, my shock cannot be quantified in this write-up. The bank has just resorted to ‘agbero’ self-help tactics.

But wait, this could be fake, I told myself.

So I went straight to the duke’s summit, where the matter was already heatedly debated. Ken, the great man, had already drawn his sword. His position was clear.

This was totally wrong; this was the bank missing it at the point of approving the credit in the first place.

Where are the risk management structures? He cried out. Where are the recovery structures, and, most important, where is the single-limit obligor that should have guided this transaction? He concluded by stating very clearly that the bank must have bent some credit rules and is now resorting to an agbero money

lender tactic to recover a loan given to a politically exposed person.

A big staff of the bank on the group countered that the bank had nothing to do with the video, and they were about to issue a statement. James came in with the position that the video was fake because Uba was a factor in the coming primary elections in Anambra.

That was my position too. Mbok, to my utter shock and chagrin, I saw a statement complete with MD picture justifying this jungle approach amongst others. I weak, I fall. I start to roll for ground. I wan die. It is over, I swear. It is over. Until my time of writing, there was no recall of that statement with the MD picture, so I want to say the statement is from the bank.

Now, listen, Mr MD. I am not a lawyer, but I will say this. This position is so wrong in all of its ramifications cos it shows a lack of respect for constituted processes of recovery. It could lead to clear destruction of civility in recovery.

Already smaller fintech firms have started sending out damaging texts to people on debtors’ list, calling them

fraudsters simply because they could not pay back.

This episode is shameful, and I will not mince my words. You open eye give one person all that money, if true. One person o, not anyhow person o - a PEP and you come dey snap picture and be sending statement justifying the position.

If I be Senator Uba, I will come out and slap all those your male staff and carry all the female staff and give them drink and watch a Nollywood movie before I send them off. Please, my brother, we were not there when you were giving out the loan, na you know wetin you see in giving the loan, na you sabi under which bed or which cave una meet to do this kind voodoo banking, please leave us out of it.

We don’t want to know. Don’t send us video. Go and beg your brother. When you are serious, you as MD will go to his gate, stand naked and paint your face red with calabash and broom on your head to collect your money. When you are ready, let me know, I will come and join you.

What else am I doing? I no kuku get job.

Voodoo banking. After now, we will be shouting Buhari. I just tire.

TWITTER DIALOGUE – THE DREAMTEAM When the list of those to meet and discuss with twitter was released, I laugh small. We went out of our way to pull out our biggest and brightest to tackle these mutants who are bent on destabilizing our country.

Our team has three SANs and some very heavyweights with combined followership on Twitter of about 1,000.

Be like say na Lai Mohammed get the most followers with about 500 and the rest share the other 500. I must confirm to you that the federal government is taking this Twitter thing very seriously, as you can see the personalities on our side with an average age of about 57. These were in secondary school when we still had P&T as our major source of communications.

So you see that the Twitter mutants will be in for very tough discussions. They must be able to talk in a language our team will understand. All that ‘likes’, follow’, ‘tag’ cannot work with them baba o. They should use words like ‘no vex’, and must start every statement with ‘Your excellency’.

I think for us to have a fruitful dialogue, the Twitter team must have cultural advisers to guide them; otherwise, na slap go end the thing o. I can just imagine one 28-year-old member of the Twitter team who, instead of prostrating for Lai or Fash at the beginning, will now say ‘hi’.

Baba will shout o, who is this one with no home training, ‘ o le ko ni’. He will scream and from then on meeting go end o. Please don’t let me laugh for this matter na serious matter. See our Godzillas and Methuselahs

move in to tackle the vibrancy of youth on a matter that is of serious consequence to the structural existence of our country. Make we dey look o.

Kai, we here are even looking for ipad that will be stolen o. We no dey carry that kind thing at that level. Na toothpick we dey carry. Ipad? Wetin be that at that level? What is it, is it a prepared speech on three papers, or is it Garba Shehu typewriter or Femi Adesina reporter’s notebook with Eleganza biro?

Please, my brother, you guys are on another level o. We here na God hand we dey. We speak in languages only Igbo people will understand. We are looking to secure ancient grazing routes that the iPad cannot begin to fathom, and we here consider ourselves very lucky with the only modern technology that is allowed near our oga during those kinds of briefings na microphone so we can hear very well when they are calling us dot.

We thank God they finally retrieved your iPad. I am sure your fear was not only state documents but the places you go to during your downtime. I am sure with that your head, you will be going to some places for inspiration. Don’t worry. It’s not only you, but plenty of us do those things abi with all the challenges of Covid, your economy and the rest. What can a hard-working president do to relax? Mbok, enjoy yourself, my baba.

SHEIKH GUMI – PLEASE, MODERATE YOUR VIEWS Na wa for this our sheikh o. His statements are confusing and fearsome. I dey even fear to repeat them here, it is not on my head that they will come and put ransom. If you want to know the statements, please just google the man.

They have not banned that one yet. I am kinda relieved, though, that the Nigerian Army has finally come out to warn the respected cleric to change the mode of his statements. The army thinks the statements embolden the other people. You notice I am not mentioning any name. I have to be alive to marry my new wife. I am very sure baba means well, positioning himself as a liaison between the Nigerian state and the other people.

But at times, a person will be wondering just which side daddy is on. Daddy, please na beg, help us if you have the access and necessary influence to bring peace. This thing is too much. Children are suffering.

Parents are crying. The economy is in shambles. We need a solution. I stand with the Nigerian army, and I must say that they remain a symbol of national unity and must be supported in this endeavour. Thank you, sir.

CYRIL RAMAPHOSA’S IPAD OF LIFE When I watched this video, I was envying South Africans. So their president get iPad.

Gumi Lai-Mohammed

FAROUK LAWAN FALLS ON OTEDOLA’S BANANA PEEL This case took time o. Buhari has almost finished the second term, and the matter started during the Jonathan administration.

We all saw the shameful video. Baba was putting dollars he didn’t know was marked

Ramaphosa

Uba

inside his cap, some inside his buttocks and the rest under his smelly armpit.

This was all the more shameful, especially if you considered his pedigree as a strong voice for change, hence his position as chairman of Integrity Group. But what did he do, but to go and be trying to blackmail hard-working businessman Otedola? You see, Otedola, although a silver spoon don suffer for this Nigeria before he make am.

His street credibility is second to none.

A man who made and lost billions and made it again will not be carried away with such empty threats. He did the right thing and see where we are today. I pray the sentence would serve as strong lessons to the small head and any Nigerian in a leadership position.

Every day, common Nigerians suffer like this in the hands of authority. They are positioned – blackmailed, extorted and threatened, all in a bid to secure undeserved benefits. We dey suffer for this country, no be small. Please, can someone kindly temper justice with mercy? I am sure disgraced Lawan would have learnt his lessons, a bitter one at that?

PRESIDENCY – EVEN ROCHAS OKOROCHA? My friend and brother Labi called me one night and said, Edgar, Rochas is thinking of the Presidency. I say what about it? Is he finding direction to the place? Am I uber?

Why are you telling me? He said no jo. The man wants to contest for the Presidency.

I say for which country? I hope it is the one he and his brother Kanu Nnamdi are thinking of forming in their backyard?

He say no na. Edgar be serious. Rochas

Lawan

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LOUD WHISPERS Okorocha wants to be President of Nigeria and I am thinking of working for him. I say Labi, please leave me, it is time for my Xvideos and you are distracting me. He say Edgar please won’t you work for us. I scream Labi common get off my phone. Is something wrong with you?

That night, you can be sure sleep eluded me. What is it with this country? Where are the beautiful people? Why are the ugly ones rotating themselves and seeking baseless ambitions? Post-Buhari Nigeria should throw up what I want to call a ‘calming president’. A president that would rebalance, enshrine merit-based appointments, pull the country back into the mainstream of the global economy and most importantly, send a soothing and calming balm along the length and breadth of the country, and Labi is calling Rochas in this matter.

Don’t we have enough statues in the country already? There are even three as you enter Lagos near Labi House, so what crap is he telling me? Rochas reserves a right to his ambition as a true blood Nigerian, and I also reserve my right to rejecting him with my own one vote. Where are the brilliant, beautiful ones? Why are you not coming out?

SAMSON SIASIA – STAND FIRM I have always believed in this, my brother.

He is very close to my other brother Waidi Akanni. A great Nigerian and one of our ambassadors. When me and Lami were still running one small hotel in Lekki we once hosted him to a wonderful night. He came with John Fashanu and Waidi Akanni and one Liberian international.

We talked till the wee hours of the morning, and then a few days after, they kidnapped his mother. Samson has gone through a lot.

He has seen his reputation, global standing significantly tarnished by this allegation which earned him a life ban and a hefty fine.

Immediately it was announced, Waidi reached out, “Edgar, what can we do for Samson? He is innocent. I say, my brother, if someone wants to enter trouble, he should enter trouble for Shomolu local government or police station at least that one we can go and beg DPO with amala or carry drink go give chairman say, ‘please na our brother’.

How can man go and enter global trouble?

Where do we start to beg? We can only pray for him. We have plenty of powerful GOs for Lagos-Ibadan expressway wey they collect tithe. Make our tithe start to work na.

Waidi loves Samson to a fault, I swear. You could see he was pained. Today I am very happy that he seems to be vindicated. They have reduced the life ban to five years and removed the fine. But Siasia has rejected it, stating that he is fully innocent and 200 million Nigerians believe and back him. It is not only Twitter we should be raising team for. We should also raise a team to support this innocent brother—Minister of Sports over to you.

GEORGE EKPUNGU – A DANIEL APPOINTED TO EFCC George is my brother from another mother.

We met at Albert Okumagba’s BGL and struck a chord. When he was made Commissioner in Cross River State, me and my friend Ishmael carry our big heads go visit George in Calabar. The man is cerebral, passionate, and a strong Nigerian.

A few weeks ago, I reached out to him. I said, George come and buy my new BookAnonymous Nipples, it is a very good book that talks about sex and communications in relationships. George say, ‘my brother, calm down, I dey expect something, I no want make this your sex thing come spoil am.

When dey announce am, I go buy’.

My brother, dem don announce am o. Na big thing o. Secretary to the board of EFCC. Na major one o. Oya congrats. How many copies make I deliver? You need to buy for the whole board abeg. Let me tell you guys one story. As an investment banker, transactions go bad, and it is part of the terrain. So this one transaction led us to court. This was the first time I was going to court for anything. George was my guide

Okorocha

and lawyer. He was representing our firm and me.

George say, ‘Edgar, I see say you dey fear.

No fear, judge, no go bite you. If he ask you anything just say not guilty and then no talk anything again, I go talk the rest.

I say George, me, you no know me o. I be ogbologbo. Nothing dey fear me o.

That time I was not Duke of Shomolu, I was still Ajanaku. That was my first title, Ajanaku. That is how we appear for court o for Igbosere. They call the case; they say I should go into the dock. I walk in with confidence. George and Ishmael stand one side. You know George short so na Ishmael I was seeing. That time Ishmael had no beards, but he still had his big head.

The head gave me confidence as I was walking to the dock. My people as I climb into the dock, I see stairs inside the dock leading to underground and Black Maria pack there. Confidence leave me o, I piss.

Literally, I piss and I start to cry. Judge say how do you plead. I look the man,

he was hazy, his head turn to three, tears roll down my eyes, I start to shake. I want my mummy, I scream. Please, bring my mummy. George and Ishmael laugh me to the office that day. Shame catch me o. They say you are not even a man. Your case na civil case and no be you, na company. I say no vex, na the Black Maria I see. Kai. FATHER’S DAY CHALLENGE – AJAYI KAREEM’STEARFUL MEMORIES So on Father’s Day, I issued a challenge to all my friends to send me stories on their fathers. Fathers are never truly celebrated.

We are just long-suffering figures that God just put there to be suffering up and down.

Me, none of my five children sent me any gift o, but if na them mama - Joe give us money to buy gift for mummy. Anyway, there is God. So Ajayi submitted this very touching piece which made me cry. He won my N10,000 and VIP tickets to see my plays Aremu and Awo, plus a complimentary copy of my

CHILE UDEMGBA – RALLYING PROFESSIONAL WOMEN Last Saturday, Chile pulled a very strategic and influential part of the society into the sweet ambience of the Civic Centre on Victoria Island to discuss Professional Women, the winds beneath their wings, amongst others.

This was the fourth in an annual series.

This thing that started like play is evolving into a major institutional play in the system, providing a very strong platform for professional women to discuss their issues and have fun in the process.

Udemgba

This year, she attracted the very sweet First lady of Lagos State Mrs Ibijoke SanwoOlu, represented at the very glamorous event. My brother Chike Ogeah led a strong team of men, including my other brother John Iwellumo and Prof Ezigbo, to discuss the role of husbands and partners in the career trajectory of extremely successful professional women. It was a very powerful and exciting gathering that saw big corporates like Zenith Bank and AxaMansard support phenomenally.

Welldone Chile.

new book, Anonymous Nipples. Let me share the story if the thing will touch any of you to refund my money: he was a 6.5ft tall, handsome man. He was not rich but gave more than the rich.

He sacrificed all his income for his six boys and a girl, food was never our problem as he would always send my brothers to the famous watchtower Sunday market for foodstuffs, and sometimes we buy bushmeats for him to cook special soup.

Yes, he cooked. Now you know where I got my cooking skills. He would pound yam sometimes, cook native vegetable (efo igbo) with ikoko (native pot). I have still not tasted such delicious soup since his demise.

He never owed our PTA money as none of us was ever sent away from school cos of school fees. Though we attended public schools, we were different. I could remember how he almost sold one of his grinding machine engines to pay for my brother’s textbooks when he was studying Biochemistry at the University of Lagos. He trained us well and corrected our wrongdoings mostly with words as he hardly used cane or koboko like other fathers.

He didn’t attend parties or functions, though he drank alcohol in his shop when he felt like and smoked Consulate cigarette.

He was loved by many. I grew up to see people gather around him in the evening to learn from his experiences. He would tell stories sometimes, and people would ask him different kinds of questions.My father loved God as he prayed and encouraged us to go to a mosque and attend Madrasah (Arabic school). He never stopped loving God, even when he was hit by the biggest blow a father could ever take. Yes, it was a bad year. He lost two of his boys and our only girl. It was a disaster. He felt like quitting life. He wanted to end it. He looked up to the sky like he wanted to see God and ask him why. He remembered I was barely 10, and he pulled himself together. He loved me so much, and we were very close.

My father was a good man. I never saw him raise his voice at our mother nor engaged in any domestic violence with her. He was a cool and calm man. Baba mi, as much I will like to write more about your lifetime, it’s getting me so emotional, and the memories just keep coming. Today being Father’s Day, I would have visited you with lots of gifts and your grandchildren to play with then; and later have private time to discuss life with you, maybe you would have given me one or two pieces of advice to help me cope with life’s challenges... but u died too early for me. I miss you, dad.

WALE AGBEYANGI IS MY PRESIDENT This versatile stockbroker and investment banker will be inducted as the 61st president of the Rotary Club of Lagos District 9110. Let me tell you guys something about Wale. Wale and I start together o. He used to work with Dr Mudasiru in one finance house o. I have forgotten the name. Then from there, he moved to Wole’s Meristem. By this time, I was in NAL Bank with Wole when Meristem was berthed. Wale qualified before me, making him technically my egbon in the market. But as he marry my classmate shola, so we be mate na. From Meristem, he moved to set up Cordross capital. Today, Cordross is a top-five firm.

When I was at CSL, and we would be looking at market stats every Monday, my oga Gboyega would be saying that what exactly is Cordross doing differently that they are always top five. Me, I will say it is that big head, Wale. He is the one making all those transactions and making me look stupid here o in Primrose Towers. The man is cerebral, urbane and gifted.

Humble to a fault and one of the very strong pillars of this market. I love him like a brother and remain very happy with this cos I know he will use the platform for good. Well done bro, I will be at the ceremony but make sure there will be afang because all these Demola Akinrele (SAN) and Dr Adesola Adedutan you put as speakers might make you go and be doing only amala and gbegiri. Don’t forget afang o. I have spoken.

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THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ Ͱ͵˜ ͰͮͰͯ

Adebayo Adeoye bayoolunla@gmail.com; 08054680651

Celebrating Champion Extraordinaire Wale Tinubu at 54 For some, Saturday, June 26, was simply uneventful; it simply came with no beautiful memories that could occupy a mention in their dairy.

But the day dawned and ended with a lot of treasured activities that would for long serve as memorabilia for Jubril Adewale Tinubu, Group Chief Executive, Oando Group Plc. On that day, the oil magnate celebrated his 54th birthday amidst an outpouring of good wishes, congratulatory messages and prayers from friends, family members and business associates around the globe.

For obvious reasons, the day, according to reliable sources, was characterised by thanksgiving and prayers.

Indeed, at 54, it is no exaggeration to say he has enjoyed abundant blessings, especially when you consider his metamorphosis from a successful lawyer to a renowned businessman.

Years back, he had left his father’s law Owoyomi

Tinubu

pledged to donate 1.5 per cent of Oando’s pre-tax profits to fund education initiatives across West Africa. Aside from that, the company also adopted some governmentowned primary schools in Nigeria and sponsored some of their key events.

Billionaire Businessman Femi Otedola’s Clairvoyance

Olubukola Owoyomi’s Double Celebration

O

lubukola Owoyomi, the head honcho of Mide’s Mane, epitomizes poise, allure and style.

At a first meeting with her, you will not but be attracted to her ravishing beauty. Just like a goldfish that has no hiding place, her sartorial elegance speaks volumes of her.

Today, she is the highest supplier of luxury virgin hair in Nigeria, boasting a long list of high-class and celebrity clientele in Nigeria, London, Canada, America and Europe to her credit.

Before venturing into entrepreneurship, offering the purest of virgin/donor hair and hair care products/services, she had worked as a banker with the defunct Société Generale Bank, Devcom Merchant Bank and Equatorial Trust Bank, respectively.

With her dedication and selflessness, she rose astronomically to an enviable height, winning several awards before she quit to start her own private business.

Despite the hard times faced as an entrepreneur, she could replicate her magic wand in banking in her own business. What she has sowed in sweat, she is currently reaping bountifully with a smile on her face. On June 30, the Obafemi Awolowo University accounting graduate, Ile-Ife, will have a double celebration.

She will celebrate her 45th birthday and Mide’s Mane 10th anniversary.

However, her birthday will be devoid of much fanfare as she will instead be at home to offer prayers to her Creator for sparing her life. Thereafter, she will play host to close friends and family at her Lagos residence, where they will be treated to an array of sumptuous meal and high-cost drinks.

A close source disclosed that in celebrating the 10th anniversary of Mide’s Mane, she would also launch another pocket-friendly luxury affordable hair brand.

“Some time ago, she received several requests from her teeming customers to make another type of luxury hair.

The soon-to-be-launched ‘Mide’s Mane-iacs’ will provide high-quality produced human hair for those who cannot afford the luxury virgin range but also want to slay on a budget. This branch targets a larger market and will also raise the bar in providing long-lasting, versatile human hair. By popular demand, she is ready to grant the request of her customers as part of the 10th-anniversary celebration,”the source said.

firm at 27 to pursue his own pristine vision. It was at a time many of his mates were still tied to their parents’ apron strings. Simply because of his firm belief that ‘You don’t let others control the direction of your life.’

Interestingly, a few years after setting up Ocean and Oil, Oando, alongside his friends, he had grabbed success by the scruff of the neck.

Ever since he has not let it go!

Even now, he is one of the few who have survived the inclement business environment in Nigeria, a reward for his unbent determination, brilliance, business acumen and faithfulness to shareholders.

His feats as a player in the oil and gas sector are acknowledged, just as he has continued to break records in the other sectors of the economy, where he plies his trade. He has recorded astounding success in whatever he does. This is the reason many described him as a champion extraordinaire.

A philanthropist par excellence, in 2011, he

Otedola

Exactly two years ago, billionaire businessman, Femi Otedola, proved to the world that he is indeed a genius and cognoscenti when it comes to investment and the act of making money.

When he announced that he would be

quitting the oil and gas sector by selling off his shares in Forte Oil in June 2019, many business analysts saw this as a wrong move.

Reason: they could not fathom why he should quit the business that made him a household name and a business phenomenal in Africa’s business sector.

But the world-class businessman followed his intuition, and that decision is one of the best investment decisions he ever made. As a business magnate who knows his onion, he knows when to invest and when to re-invest.

Little wonder, his fans and those who know him well maintained that he still had the magic with which he turned around the moribund African Petroleum, AP, which he rechristened Forte Oil. Besides, they insisted that Otedola must have thought it out.

As predicted, Otedola, blessed and successfully, re-jigged the company from its

former declining state to a flourishing one that became a brand to beat in the sector.

Barely two years after he diversified into the power business, at Geregu Power Plant, he has proved that he is the master of the game.

And now, the naysayers who sneered at him then are eating their words.

Evidence that his N64.3 billion investment (Geregu Power Plant) in the energy sector is already giving his rivals sleepless nights is that the company is not only yielding good returns but has also changed the energy sector for good.

Though it looked like an impossible task initially, the brainy mogul never believes in impossibility. He approached the mission with unwavering doggedness. With great zest and determination, he reached for the moon, knowing that if his grasp missed its cusp, his hands might land on the stars. And his hands did land on the stars.

Again, Air Peace Boss Allen Onyema Scores another First Allen Onyema, CEO, Air peace, can aptly be described as a stickler for excellence and a pathfinder.

It is a fact that, under his watch, the airline, which started operations a few years ago, had grown in leaps and bounds. His meteoric rise in the aviation business is a thing many Nigerians are happy about as he continues to score many firsts.

Yet, Delta State-born billionaire businessman is not resting on his oars, as he comes across as someone in constant quest to rule the nation’s aviation sector. The entrepreneur comes across as a restless spirit.

Indeed, if he were a writer or an artist, one would be right to say that his muse has never left him.

But last Wednesday, he again showed his patriotic side when he personally spoke with the over 300 passengers aboard the LagosAbuja flight 7120 on Boeing 777 aircraft.

He reportedly made a call from the aircraft cockpit preaching peace.

He stated, “We must not lose hope in our country. Our diversity is our greatest strength.

Nigerians must consistently embrace peace

Onyema

and see the country’s diversity as a source of strength. Nigeria is better off as one indivisible nation. So, balkanizing the country is not the solution.

“Nigeria is for all of us. The bigger Nigeria is the best thing ever that can happen to Nigeria. We don’t need to balkanise this

International Recognition for Nigeria’s Leading Voice-over Coach, Seun Shobo While some Nigerians abroad reportedly engage in illicit businesses tarnishing the country abroad’s image abroad, Seun Shobo, leading voice-over talent and speech coach, is busy making his fatherland proud.

The brilliant young man has become the first African to be elected on the Board of Directors of the global professional body, Voice and Speech Trainers Association (VASTA). VASTA, which has its headquarters in Washington, the United States, is an international organisation of over

5000 members whose mission is to advance the research and visibility of the voice and speech profession’s research and visibility globally.

Shobo, a leading voice coach in Africa, is the founder of Africa’s first training hub for Voice Over Talents - Voice Over Academy and Africa’s largest pool of professional voices VoiceOverBank.

The elated voice-over coach described as laudable the appointment by a global and credible organisation like VATSA, stating that

country; we don’t know what we have got having this country called Nigeria. Our diversity should be our strength and not our albatross.

“The diversity we have is the best thing that can ever happen to this nation. Let us make it work; let us stop engaging in blame games. Let us stop engaging in the stigmatisation of ethnicities. Let us work as Nigerians.”

He further told the passengers, “America is the melting point of all ethnicities in the world. You have IgboAmerican, Fulani-American; Yoruba American; and Anglo-American from England, from Russia and all over the world.

Yet when they get the passport, they profess America.

“However, in my country, with all our capacity, the first thing we profess is our ethnicity: I am an Igbo; I am Yoruba; I am Hausa. Can we stop this? This country can be better than it is. It is not the fault of the government. It is not your fault. It is the collective effort of all of us that can make it work, not just the government alone.

Nigeria and Africa are gradually recognised as a reference point for excellence at the international stage.

Popularly known as the brand master due to his wealth of experience in the marketing communications industry, the sought-after voice coach said opportunities abound for African talents with the latest recognition for the continent by the global body that has existed for over three decades.

Shobo is expected to be an African representative on the VASTA board for a threeyear term. VASTA is a non-profit, volunteerdriven organization dedicated to spreading the word about the voice and speech profession, promoting the human voice’s art and science.

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ JUNE 24 2012

ARTS & REVIEW A

PUBLICATION

27.06.2021

TIMIKAKANDAR:NAVIGATINGIDENTITYTHROUGHCOLOURS With a rich repertoire of works that explore human nature as well as socio-political issues, the contemporary artist, Timi Kakandar cannot imagine a world without colours as validated in his new solo exhibition at Thought Pyramid Art Centre, Abuja. Yinka Olatunbosun writes

F

or someone who was born in 1973, a period when most newspapers were printed in monochrome, Timi Kakandar has a strong affinity for colours which has fast become his artistic tool of expressing his perspective of the world on canvas. In this one-week exhibition titled Colour Codes at the Thought Pyramid Art Centre, Abuja, he explores the relationship between colour and identity. Kakandar's two decades as a practising studio artist has fuelled his fascination with the human form in relation to the challenges, joy and social political issues that emanate from living and working within the African space. He contemplates the problem of identification and its effects in our daily activities.

Undoubtedly, colours as forms of identification had been a subject of conversation in popular music. For instance, classics such as Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder's Ebony and Ivory, Michael Jackson's Black or White, Beyoncé and Wizkid's Black Skin Girl address the differences in skin colour and push for racial harmony. Hence, colour is not just an item in a visual artist's kit but a powerful conveyor of resounding messages.

Kakandar’s recent body of work in this exhibition celebrates his identity with unrestrained elegance of the human figure. His governance of colour makes it very difficult placing him as a civil engineer. Kakandar is an expressionistic, realistic figurative painter with influences from Fauvism. With this experimental artist, beauty is considered as an essential ingredient in his definition of art.

In “Standing Strong” (2021), “My First Love” (2021) and “Veiled with Love”(2021), the artist appropriates colours alongside African identity, bold faces and more. Timipre Willis Amah, PhD, a photographer, painter and a lecturer at the Department of Fine and Applied Arts, Niger Delta University, Wilberforce Island, Bayelsa State observed that in “Mirror on the Wall” (2021) and “Bold Beautiful, Earth Stron”g (2021), Kakandar presents the African woman with challenges associated with colours.

"The African woman is a reflection of herself, her culture, that relegates her to the background not withstanding her contributions both at home and the society at large," he noted.

Colour Codes possesses a mastery of proportion and asymmetric compositions; using human morphology as a creative ideology to raise debates on the many progress and drawbacks which form the experiences of humans.

These works are made from coarse-textured oil colours on a support with lines that varies in size and direction. His works are best viewed as paintings that do not just display aesthetics, they commit the viewer into deeper conversations. Since his graduation from University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State in 1999, he has had four solo exhibitions and over 30 group shows with a bulk of his studio works focused on the celebration of human morphology.

Some of the paintings at the exhibition For Kakandar, colour is a celebrated medium which when applied in its fluid state becomes a vehicle for the creation of aesthetics. As evident in his paintings, Kakandar has developed an advanced way of using colours in such a way that contrasting hues blend even roughly with each other while maintaining their identity.

"From this engagement, an empathetic relationship is established between the painting and the viewer through the expressions of the figures in his paintings. Only then will the bold splashes of colour on canvas with the iconography they bear, ignite the flame for a new story to be read," says a critic of his works.

The heterogeneity of meaning in Kakandar's works on display in this exhibition underscores the fact that forms of creative

visual expressions can be recharged to have dual function.

Through the fertilisation of patches of colour and dancing lines, and presentation of symbolic forms, he creates visual spectacle to address societal problems.

Women are predominant subjects of his paintings. This may be due to what he considers as the visually alluring complexities in the female physical make up, often complemented by her sensitivity to appearance and aura. The dramatic hairstyles, poise and ornaments make the subjects magnificent and intriguing. Within the allure of these figures are also activities that are linked to them, a woman tending to her baby, another woman earning her wages as a hair stylist. There is another one tying her Gele and possibly preparing for an event or getting set for the day's work.

––The exhibition runs until Wednesday, June 30.

DANCE

THROUGH BALLET, GABRIEL ANORUO EXPRESSES HIS CORPS ASPIRATIONS Okechukwu Uwaezuoke

T

here is indeed something so self-assured about Gabriel Oghenekevwe Anoruo’s posture. Take his ports de bras, for instance. They proclaim his undying passion for ballet.

Then, there are his spectacular arabesques, which attest to his great potentials. For this gangling chocolatecomplexioned 16-year-old, who towers above everyone else at the Leap of Dance Academy – he measures 6’ 7”, he says – these are only the beginnings of his aspirations to greater heights.

Leap of Dance Academy? It is a dance academy founded on September 9, 2017, by a Lagos State University graduate Daniel Owoseni Ajala in the less-privileged Lagos suburban community Ajangbadi. Yes, it is the same academy, which became world-famous after a video of one of its students, Anthony Mmesoma Madu, went viral on social media.

Gabriel had discovered ballet as a 6-year-old. Gabriel rehearsing privately

This was while he was watching the 2013 animated fantasy movie Barbie in the Pink Shoes with a female cousin. For him, the movie became more exhilarating when Barbie began to dance en pointe.

“I loved the movie,” he gushes. By extension, this implies that he fell in love with ballet.

Hence, as he grew older, he was often drawn to his school’s ballet group, which was almost exclusively an all-girls group. This elicited taunts from his male schoolmates, who labelled him effeminate on account of his interest in the dance form. Of course, even as a 13-year-old in Senior Secondary 1 class, his feelings were hurt by the misconceptions of his schoolmates. “I felt sad,” he reminisces.

“But I told myself that if God has given me this talent, I can’t let it go to waste.”

So, he continued to practise nonetheless, honing his skills through the tutorials he was following on YouTube. But then, it took a broken right leg while he was roller-skating on Sunday, January 19, 2020, to force him to take a break from ballet. “I celebrated my birthday on March 26 on a broken leg, healed sometime

in May and practically stopped ballet.”

Not for long, though. Stumbling upon a photograph of a student of the Port Harcourt-based True Gold Dance Academy reawakened his interest in the dance form.

He resumed practice again and soon began posting his photographs on Facebook. These photographs, which showed him in different ballet poses, soon caught the attention of his dad, who thought that they were too good to be allowed to waste.

“He asked me to look for a dance school.

This was how I found the Leap of Dance Academy and my journey is yet to unfold.”

Through a Google search, he had found the Leap of Dance Academy’s Facebook page and informed his dad, who called the phone number displayed on the page and arranged for a visit.

Thus, on Saturday, August 29, 2020, Gabriel resumed at the Leap of Dance Academy and has since then been attending its dance classes on Friday and Saturday.

Read full article online - www.thisdaylive.com

EDITOR OKECHUKWU UWAEZUOKE/ okechukwu.uwaezuoke@thisdaylive.com

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T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ JUNE 27, 2021

IMAGES

W

hen Law Professor Joash Amupitan of the University of Jos paid his mother, the late Mama Alice Amupitan the last respects last weekend, Ayetoro Gbede, Kogi State was a beehive of activities. Friends, associates, politicians, government officials joined the elite of the community in supporting Professor Amupitan to give his mother a befitting funeral.

Photos: Julius Atoi

Some Children and Family members of Mama; L-R: Samuel Ayeni; Mrs Fumilayo Olaniyi nee Amupitan; Prof Josh Amupitan and wife Dr. (Mrs.) Yemisi Amupitan

L-R: Dan Richard and former speaker House of Rep Yakubu Dogara

Bayo Kazim and wife Helen

CAN President, Rev Dr Supo Ayokunle and wife Rev Ayokunle

Gen Funso Owonibi (rtd) and wife Mrs Owonibi

Grand Children of Late Mama Alice Amupitan

L-R: Bar (Mrs) Sharon Ishaya; Prof Tanko Ishaya and Prof Dimis Mailafia

L-R: Dr Kola Bello; John Orenibi; Rufus Bello and Ayodele Balogun

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ JUNE 27, 2021

65

IMAGES

L-R High Chief Femi Ajayi and Richard Shua

L-R: Yomi Olugbemi and wife Doeis

L-R: Chief Olusegun Olawoyin and Engr Musa Wada

L-R: Evang Eunice Adedoyin and husband Pastor James Adedoyin

L-R: Chairman ICPC, Prof Bolaji Owasanrye (SAN) and Board Member Barr Obiora Igwedebia

L-R: Hon Henry Ojuola and Ishola Anjorin

L-R: Mr. Abegunde Olubukola; Engr Abegunde Olayinka and Dec Ogunleye Victor

L-R: Prince Olushola Anjorin; Dr Yinka Babatunde and BashorunKayode

L-R: 1982 Secondary School set of Prof Amupitan at SBSS Kabba at the ocassion

L-R: Hon Yori Afolabi; Engr Tola OLudemi and Dr Mike Bello

L-R: Mr. Ola Oyelola; Hon Tee JayYusuf and former Dep Gov of Nassarawa State, H E Silas Agara

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JU ͺͿ˜ ͺ͸ͺͯ ˾ THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER

INTERNATIONAL Uti Possidetis and Nigerian Fulani Herders’ Claim of Terra Nullius: The Truth about the Untruths

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here is an emerging debate on the principle of uti possidetis on the social media platform of the Nigerian Society of International Law, which is quite interesting in light of Nigeria’s current insecurity imbroglio. Uti possidetis is a major catalytic agent of Nigeria’s insecurity from the perspective of the herders-farmers dispute and Federal Government’s policy support for open grazing on the basis of Fulani herders’ claims of terra nullius.

On 13 May, 2021 Akin Awodeyi-Akinsehinwa analysed the implications of uti possidetis following its ratification as law by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in the context of Nigeria.

As observed by him, whoever emerges the winner in any given conflict is the owner of the conquered territory. He gave the examples of British defeat of Argentina in Falklands and British ownership of the Gibraltar. He also argued that uti possidetis juris supersedes the rule of Effective Occupation and by extension, one’s independence ‘as a country is only as good as being able to effectively defend your territorial boundaries.’

More important, Awodeyi-Akinsehinwa recalled when Biafra announced its secession from Nigeria in 1967 and was recognised by some countries. He suggested that ‘had Biafra succeeded in defending its territory effectively, it would have remained an independent State,’ but Biafra was a conquered territory and Biafra, by application of uti possidetis, is the property of the conqueror. As he put it, ‘no amount of preaching or conjuring the laws of United Nations is valid unless the status quo changes... In effect therefore, it is only Nigeria that can change the status of Biafra no matter how loud you shout.’

Professor G. A. Olagunju disagreed with Awodeyi-Akinsehinwa’s interpretation, arguing that uti possidetis is more about drawing the boundaries of emerging nations in a way to avoid a situation of terra nullius or ‘no man’s territory.’ While wondering ‘how anybody can wake up from the wrong side of his bed, and refer now to any part of Nigeria as no man’s land there for grab,’ he also agreed with Awodeyi-Akinsehinwa’s conclusion that ‘in the same way that armed robbers use force to dispossess their victims of their property, you can have what the Fulanis are trying to achieve in southern Nigeria. Your conclusion is therefore absolutely right: be ready to fight to possess your land.’

Perhaps More significantly, Professor Akin Oyebode reminded that ‘uti possidetis juris is very much antiquated having been superseded by the principle of self-determination under contemporary international law. He cannot be more correct. However, uti possidetis principle or uti possidetis juris and self-determination are not the same in design and operationally, even though they may still be considered as two sides of the same coin. Uti possidetis is an instrument of maintenance of colonial borders by newly established states by seeking to prevent disputes of territorial illimitata or renegotiating international borders that existed under colonial rule. Let us explicate the nexus between uti possidetis and terra nullius in the context of Nigeria’s national insecurity and agitations for self-determination.

UtiPossidetis,TerraNullius,andSelf-determination

Uti possidetis was the principle adopted by African leaders as a foundational effort to prevent geo-political instability in Africa, following the general accession of their countries into national and international sovereignty in the 1960s. The principle was first adopted in 1810 by the former colonies of Spain when they acceded into national sovereignty. The objective was to avoid unnecessary territorial disputes that might arise and nip them in the bud well in advance. The long term objective was to ensure regional political stability. It should be recalled that most of colonial boundaries, by then, were imperially established and therefore, subject to disputation on the attainment of independence. It was in an attempt to prevent likely disputations that prompted the adoption of the principle, which has now become one of the legal delimitating procedures for international boundaries.

Conceptually, the principle requires the maintenance and sustenance of inherited colonial boundaries as international boundaries. And true, in Africa, many international boundaries

VIE INTERNATIONALE

Bola A. Akinterinwa Telephone : 0807-688-2846

e-mail: bolyttag@yahoo.com

Buhari are not natural. There are also tribal disputes. Consequently, Uti Possidetis imposes an obligation: as you possess now, so should you continue to possess, or as territorially inherited at the time of independence, so should it continue to be (vide Nguyen Quoc Dinh, Droit International Public (Paris: L.G.D.J. 1975, pp. 371-372; Charles Rousseau, Droit International Public (Paris: Dalloz, 1976, p.164). By so doing, political stability at home and international peace and security abroad is expected to be well-maintained.

As we noted above, uti possidetis is essentially a means of international boundary delimitation while the rule of self-determination is for political emancipation, in other words, uti possidetis is for territorial boundary, while self-determination is for people.

Nonetheless, Professor Oyebode cannot but still be correct from the perspective that there is no way self-determination will lead to national sovereignty without a well-delineated international boundary following it, and in which case the principle of uti possidetis can still be raised.

Put interrogatively in the context of the quest for a Sovereign State of Biafra, or agitation for an Oduduwa Republic, will their current internal frontiers become the new international frontiers of the new State? Will there be a review of the frontiers? Is it possible for the Yoruba ethnic group in the Republic of Benin to be convinced and be part of the Oduduwa Republic, especially that there had been calls in the past by some Beninese leaders for amalgamation of Benin Republic with Nigeria? Will that engender redrawing of boundary with Benin Republic?

Terra Nullius variously referred to as uncultivated land or unclaimed wilderness, simply means that there is no free land or nobody’s land, and that every land is titled. There was the time there were cases of terrae nullius in international relations: Bir Tawil, a landlocked territory of about 2,060 km2 located between Egypt and Sudan and created by discrepancy in the drawing of borders between the two countries in 1899 and 1902. There

And most importantly, it is absurdly untrue, and therefore untenable, to consider or see the whole of Nigeria as an estate of the descendants of Uthman Dan Fodio, which by implication, falls under the rule of uti possidetis. Nigeria was never a dependent territory under Fulani colonisation right from the time of amalgamation in 1914. Consequently, there cannot be any colonial inheritance of Nigerian territory on the basis of uti possidetis. In the same vein, the notion of terra nullius cannot also apply, as the whole of Nigeria was not conquered.The territory of Nigeria, as it is today, had always been effectively occupied even before the advent of the jihadists. If there were no people and territory, against who was the 1804 jihad? What is noteworthy, and therefore relevant, as at today is the consideration of self-determination as a norm that cannot be derogated by anyone.This means that PMB must not only always know his onions, but must also always learn how to thread softly and make haste slowly in dealing with the agitations for self-determination in Nigeria.There is no way he can fight truth with untruths and still expect to win. PMB cannot fight a universalist norm successfully without international condemnations and bruises

was also the case of some parts of the Antarctica to which many countries lay claims, but to which the signatories to the 1959 Antarctica Treaty agreed not to make claims.

But essentially, the logical justification for the existence of terra nullius, for instance, in the case of the Guano Islands Act of 18 August 1856, was that islands could be located anywhere, but they must not be occupied or within the jurisdiction of any government. Another argument was that First Nations had never owned any land and that any claims by them could always be ignored.

This is why, in the case of Canada, most of the British Columbia has remained non-ceded land. Land has always been owned by the occupying people.

Consequently, in the context of Nigeria, there can be no validity in the claim, either collectively or severally, that Nigeria is owned by the Fulani or by any individual person, or by any constitutive ethnic group in Nigeria, as purportedly being claimed by the Fulani herders in Nigeria. All self-determinists must have titled territory before qualifying to becoming a sovereign state in international law and relations. It is simply because the Fulani herders wrongly believe that there is terra nullius that other owners of titled land have vehemently opposed them, especially within the context of Nigeria’s 1976 Land Use Act. As regards self-determination, its manifestations are quite diversified. The outcome of any agitation for self-determination is generally divorce or separation, but the mania of the divorce can vary: peaceful negotiation, inquiry by plebiscite, belligerent declaration, etc. The purpose of the principle of self-determination was initially to prevent the suppression of the right of coloniallydependent people to live the way they choose to live. It was for political emancipation. As Professor Oyebode rightly recalled, self-determination has been elevated from being a principle to that of a peremptory norm of international law, implying that the application of the principle has now gone beyond its initial colonial connotation. Thus, when discussing the principle and the norm in the context of agitation for secession in Nigeria, the agitation, the right of self-determination cannot but be legitimate and tenable.

It is useful to also note, in this regard, that the enforcement of the principle of self-determination can be a resultant from negotiation, belligerence or imposition, as there is war that is prepared for and a war that is imposed and unprepared for. The straining of political connections with the United Kingdom by 13 American colonies in 1776 was necessarily belligerent and forceful in origin. It should be recalled that the colonists did not want to be independent or separated from the UK. The colonists, considering that they did not have the same rights as citizens residing in the UK, that they could not also vote on matters, particularly on taxes affecting them, and because the UK did not accept their suggestion that there should be no taxation without representation, they opposed British taxation measures and declared their independence on 4 July, 1776. In fact, this was the genesis of the 1775-1783 American Revolutionary War in which the Americans in the thirteen Colonies defeated the British in the American Revolutionary War. Again, the separation of Belgium from the United Kingdom of the Netherlands on 4th October, 1830 and its recognition in 1831 as a separate nation is explained by many factors: the Catholics were against the interference of the protestant king on clerical matters; before the revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, Belgium was part of the Austrian Netherlands, but was annexed by France under the 1795 Peace of Basel Agreement. France eventually handed it over to Netherlands. Even in the period of contemporary international relations beginning from the time of Franco-Prussian war in 1870-1871, force has also been used to project self-determination in various senses. This does not mean that there were no cases of peaceful methods, such as in adoption of plebiscites as a method of inquiry and negotiated settlement. More often than not, the approach has been the adoption of the Von Clausewitz doctrine of if you want peace or self-autonomy, prepare for war. In 1905, Norway was separated from Denmark even though they were united in 1814 as a result of the Napoleonic wars. Norway also separated from Sweden on September 23, 1905, but peacefully.

And true enough again, 1944 witnessed the separation of Iceland from Denmark and in 1947, the repartition of the British India Dominion into India and Pakistan from which Bangladesh was carved out in 1971.

Additionally, Yugoslavia was established following World War I when Croat, Slovenian, and Bosnian territories, were united with the Serbian Kingdom. Yugoslavia collapsed under Nazi occupation during World War II because of the establishment of an independent Nazi-allied Croat, but which was later re-united.

In the same vein and for various reasons, including democratisation fever following the post-Cold War II Era, Slovenia declared its sovereignty in 1990, Croatia followed in the month of May, while the Yugoslav Republic of Bosnia-Herzegovina also declared its own sovereignty on thereafter. It was the turn of Czechoslovakia on January 1, 1993 to split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia, a split that is internationally referred to as the ‘Velvet Revolution,’ due to its peaceful and negotiated nature.

Here in Africa, if the PMB administration cannot easily learn lessons from the foregoing international experiences, that there is no fast rule about Nigerian unification and possible disengagement, if the PMB administration sees the international experiences as far away or distant in time, sight must not be lost of the separation of Eritrea from Ethiopia in Africa in 1991.

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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 27, 2021

CICERO

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

IN THE ARENA

Gumi: A Fox or Patriot?

Through his eccentric interventions and conversations, is ex-soldier and respected Islamic cleric, Sheik Abubakar Gumi, seemingly supporting the evolution of a rogue Nigerian state? Louis Achi asks

T

oday, many Nigerians are uncertain about their values, their leadership and their safety. Clearly, the social contract between the ruled and the rulers has been broken in many fundamental ways. Many are justifiably unsure of what ‘transformative deliverables’ Muhammadu Buhari plans to actualise in his last two years as president.

The economy is in a tailspin.

Insecurity of lives and property stands out in stark relief. The stakes are extremely high. Nigerians are mindful that a failure to achieve democratic stability through growth-centered, objective, transparent, inclusive and decisive governance process may imperil the country’s future as a coherent state.

It is within the foregoing background and context that the numerous interventions centering on the troubled Nigerian project – of ex-soldier, respected Islamic cleric and scholar, Sheikh Gumi Ahmad Abubakar Gumi – can be interrogated.

Speaking on Arise Television, Wednesday, Gumi alleged that the weapons being used by the bandits were being shipped across the borders into the country with the knowledge of some bad elements in the nation’s security apparatus.

His words: “These bandits, if you don’t know are operating with a lot of bad elements in our security system. This is a big business. Many people are involved. I am still against everybody committing crime against this country. How can these big weapons get across our borders and get into the forest without the cooperation of some elements in the security system?

It is not possible.”

Further, according to Gumi, “When you said these bandits are committing atrocities – yes, I agree they are committing crimes. They are killing people, they are kidnapping, they are raping; they are doing all sorts of atrocities. But, have you for once gone to their own sides to see all sorts of atrocities that are also committed against them?

Insisting on his call for amnesty for the bandits, Gumi said they are ready to surrender if government provides means of livelihood for them. Hear him: “The Niger Delta example – I think we can take example from that. When they were vandalising pipelines, they were given the pipelines to guard.

“Now, the herdsmen are controlling a big chunk of land whereby they are preventing farmers from farm-

ing. As the Niger Delta is important to the economy, these herdsmen now are becoming important to the Nigerian economy.”

The Director, Army Public Relations, Brig.-Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu, described this as false and unfounded stating that the Nigerian Army has been discharging its duties in line with the constitution and that members of the force carry out their responsibilities in the most professional manner in line with global best practices.

Noted the Army Spokesperson, the allegation made by the cleric is a calculated attempt to soil the integrity of the Army personnel, who are putting their lives on the line to secure the country.

“While the NA will not attempt to excuse the possibility of black sheep amongst its fold, it must be stated unambiguously that it will not condone any form of sabotage or aiding and assisting the enemy by any personnel. The provisions for dealing decisively with such acts are crystallised in Section 45 (1) of the Armed Forces Act CAP A 20 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.

“It must also be pointed out, that while the military is very much receptive to constructive criticism, it should not be perceived as a gateway for derogatory comments that have the potential to embolden criminals,” he said.

A major enabler of the bloody impunity playing out is the apparent lack of stern consequences

for criminals, who breach Nigerian law. Many allege that because the president is Fulani, then, the Fulani have license to run riot. But then it must not be forgotten that there are many law-abiding Fulani, who have spent all their lives in the South, living and interacting peacefully with Southerners.

Since Gumi gave himself the job of negotiating with domestic terrorists and pitching for amnesty for them supposedly on behalf of the government, he has even blamed Niger Delta militants for teaching rogue herdsmen the criminality.

Unfortunately, Gumi’s interventions and statements often seemingly give him away, not as a genuine peace broker, but a biased religious and ethnic irredentist merely pandering to an emerging power base in his neck of woods. This evokes a fox image instead of a statesman.

A curious contradiction to his current ‘career trajectory’ is that he actually brings a privileged background to his life story. Ahmad Abubakar Gumi, a former military officer with the rank of captain in the Nigeria Defence Academy (NDA), is the current Mufti and mufassir at the Kaduna Central Mosque (Sultan Bello). He also gives annual Ramadan Tafseer there.

Kano State-born Ahmad Gumi, eldest son to late Shaykh Abubakar Gumi, came from a genealogy of Islamic scholars with his father being first Grand Khadi of the old Northern Region. His father was instrumental to the Islamisation of Northern Nigeria, particularly, under Sir Ahmadu Bello.

Young Gumi attended Sardauna Memorial College (SMC) for his senior secondary education and subsequently got admitted into the Ahmadu Bello University. After graduation, he was enlisted into the Nigeria Defence Academy.

He served in the Nigerian Army Medical Corp (NAMC) as a medical officer and eventually resigned from military service at the rank of Captain. He moved to Saudi Arabia, to further his Islamic education at the Umm al-Qura University, where he studied Islamic Jurisprudence and Tafsir. His colleagues at the university included Abdur-Rahman As-Sudais, Saud Al-Shuraim.

Unfortunately, the management of providential favours by humans appears to be an art in its infancy as Gumi has so dismally demonstrated with his statements and interventions.

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

A Curious Presidential Optimism

“I Osinbajo

n the area of disruption and disruptive innovation, the principle that we are stronger together than in little part is a sound principle and it is my respectful view that those who advocate the breaking up of the country are terribly wrong.

“Our size is crucial for geopolitical and economic relevance. Our people will be better served by a large populous and diverse country. As with all big and diverse countries, our business is to make this union work; it is to give everybody a sense of belonging.

“All of those waiting on the sidelines, hoping that this big country called Nigeria will break up into bits so that they can pick up the pieces, will be very sorely disappointed and I am very sure that those of you who are seated here today will prevent that from happening”, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo spoke in Abuja at the maiden edition of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Progressives Youth Confer-

ence.

Here, as quoted above, the vice president tried to lift hope and allay despair. But he spoke abstractly without substance. He failed to address those elemental factors responsible for the forlorn hope, increasing despair and the knack for secession. Who addresses effects without treating the cause? That’s exactly what the vice president tried to do here.

What is strong about a nation that does not enjoy internal peace? What’s the beauty in the diversity of a nation, where justice has long taken flight? What’s worth celebrating in the size of a nation, where security is luxury and for a few? Who admonishes a sense of belonging, in a place, where love costs a fortune? Really, who will be sorely disappointed in a union, where George Orwell’s animal farm’s rule of importance in accordance to class (tribe in this case) applies? Perhaps, those statements remain what they are: sheer empty optimism.

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ JUNE 27, 2021

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BRIEFINGNOTES Beyond Kebbi Students’ Abduction A recent abduction of 80 students from the Federal Government College, Birni Yauri, Kebbi State, affirms the need for a new thinking in the fight against insecurity, writes Shola Oyeyipo

“K

eeping my post is too great a burden on the administration… on behalf of the government, I apologise for many problems from the prevention of the accident to the early handling of the disaster...”

These formed parts of the resignation speech of a former South Korean Prime Minister, Chung Hong-won, in the wake of a April 16, 2014 Sinking of the MV Sewol during, which more than 300 people died due to the government’s failure to protect the lives of the citizenry.

One is reminded of the above statement, when considering the wanton waste of lives and property in Nigeria by rampaging bandits, terrorists, herdsmen and other violent agitators, while President Muhammadu Buhari’s presidency seems overwhelmed and it only routinely issues condolences to families of victims while vaguely asserting that the perpetrators would be brought to book.

The recent kidnap of over 80 students of the Federal Government College, Birni Yauri, Kebbi State in the Northeastern part of Nigeria, is about the third of school raiding by criminal elements, who now appears to be cashing in on official laxity to perpetrate kidnap and fleece families and parents of victims to the tune of hundreds of millions of naira as ransom money.

Although for a sleeting moment penultimate weekend, there was joy on the horizon, when news filtered in that the students and their teachers had been rescued by the federal military sent after the criminals. It later turned out to be a hoax as there was no such plans by the criminals to let go of their victims, perhaps, till after their demands, including ransom were met.

The attacks by bandits have thrown up many questions than answers. While the government must answer the question of why these killings have continued without the country’s security apparatus able to checkmate them, Nigerians, particularly the northerners, must also ponder on some salient issues of leadership in the country. While other section of the country are vehemently lamenting the spillover effects of the violence in the north, northerners, who are mostly affected are hardly condemning the incapability of the Buhari-led government to protect them. Or Some of the abduicted FGC students how would one explain the rousing welcome to which he was treated in Borno State recently? now become crystal clear that the president and his APC In the build-up to the 2015 general election, then opposition administration lack the capacity and political will to effectively All Progressives Party (APC), while canvassing votes for its address thenation’s problems. They failed to make good their presidential candidate, Gen. Mohammadu Buhari (rtd), did not lofty promises through which they wooed peoples’ sentiments in only reprimand the Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan-led Peoples their campaigns.

Democratic Party (PDP) government for failing to address There have been several coordinated killings, mayhems, insecurity, they alleged he was unconcerned, because it was a thousands displaced and several hundreds of school children northern problem and promised to tackle the hydra-headed kidnapped by Boko Haram, bandits, and uncountable more problems of insecurity, corruption, nose-diving economy and killed by criminal herdsmen and other violent groups. The decayinginfrastructure, among others. security agencies are obviously overwhelmed. While they seem Nigerians from the north, south, east and west of the country to lack the intelligence needed to rout the brains behind the jumped at the offer of a retired general and war veteran, who is criminalities in Nigeria, they can easily silence Nigerians protestexpected to bring his military experience to bear upon the security ing the state of affairs in the country. challenges of the country as president, but sadly, the opposite has In saner climes, no President would have waited to fall this been the case, because Buhari, who came on board with promises much before resigning to give way to other more competent to change the prevailing sad narrative, aroused high hopes in a hands to take over power. But the Buhari-led federal government frustrated citizenry while asking for time to “clear the mess” of his would not bulge, it has insisted on sitting tight as though all has predecessors in office. been well.

Despite the rhetoric of achievements that have hardly trickled The government and their co-travelers must admit the fact that down to the increasing poor masses, violent crimes have they have failed Nigerians woefully. They must also display their continued and corruption is not abating. Local and foreign debts sense of responsibility by admitting their failure and putting an are growing astronomically without commensurate developments end to violent crimes across the country or taking the honourable in terms of infrastructure, coupled with heightened tension as a path of relinquishing power for more vibrant hands to paddle the result of the increased rate of banditry, terrorism and the activities canoe away from this present turbulent zone to a peaceful and of criminal herdsmen, believed to have been emboldened by the more prosperous terrain. The incessant killings by herdsmen, president’s hesitant body language. bandit attacks, abduction of school kids and other series of After six years of his emergence as civilian president, it has crimes are now trends that have assumed dangerously strange

dimensions under Buhari, though African leaders are not known to throw in the towel after accepting responsibility for their failure as would be in better democracies, a lot more needed to be done about the state of insecurity under this administration.

Since the beginning of 2021, Nigeria has witnessed an unprecedented spate of violent kidnappings, especially, in the northwest, taking a distinct colouration from the terrorist bombings recognised with the northeast. Between December 11, 2020 and February 26, 2021, over 600 pupils of government schools, mostly teenagers and some teachers, have been kidnapped in the northwest. This is added to the fact that the country still awaits the return of the Chibok and Dapchi girls as well as many others abducted during the previous administration.

Why mostly schoolgirls? Why government schools?

These are some of the questions that have remained either unasked or unanswered even as the country groans under the heavy invasion of banditry and terrorism.

While waiting for the return of several hundreds of students kidnapped to be reunited with their families, another set of 80 have just joined the list. Note that a lot of adults have also been abducted for ransoms as hostage-taking has become an industry for the criminal elements, who collect tens of millions of naira as they continue to exploit the government and families of their victims.

The spate of unbridled violent crimes spreading towards the southern parts of the country, in the form of Fulani herdsmen attack, initially on farmlands and farmers in the remote rural areas, is necessitating skimpy reprisals by the local farmers, who complain of official partiality in favour of Fulani criminal herders and snowballing into inter-tribal altercations, part of which is the basis of widespread self-actualisation outcries by the other ethnic groups.

The president, by his actions and or inactions, especially, in the handling of inter-tribal crises involving his Fulani kinsmen has caused more divisions in the land than his administration inherited,when he assumed office in May 2015. While one would expect that the president must urgently address this problem, it is equally high time the north stood up and got more involved against this dangerous development, capable of tearing the country apart.

Northerners seem to have taken possession of the bandits and their menace, seeing bandits as some of their own with their body language, which is at variance with sincere outcries by voices from the southern parts of the country. The silence of hitherto vocal members of the northern elite looks suspicious, painting a picture they are unfazed by the ugly trend.

Is the north truly untouched or satisfied by the insecurity situation whereby farmers and other artisans have been sacked from their places of residence, forced into internally displaced camps, some in Cameroon, Niger and Benin Republic, culminating in scarcity and exorbitant prices of goods and services?

Really niggling was the lousy welcome to which the president was treated in his latest visit to Maiduguri, the state capital of the epicenter of terrorism. While one would have expected the Borno populace to demand accountability from the president in the face of increasing terrorism and calledhim out, because he has failed on all his promises including the ones he made 13 months ago, when he was welcomed by angry youth in the northeastern state, people mostly youths were seen jubilating and dancing as they welcomed a man whose choices have made many orphans, homeless; some limbless, and others left with no future at all.

On February 12, 2020, President Buhari on a similar visit was taunted by angry youths apparently because of insecurity and rampant cases of killing of innocent youths by the Boko Haram terrorists.

NOTES FOR FILE

Imo and Its Ugly Tales

Uzodinma

Lately, Imo State has not posted good news. And this is not peculiar to the administration of Senator Hope Uzodinma. From the days of Achike Udenwa to Ikedi Ohakim, Rochas Okorocha and Emeka Ihedioha, before Uzodinmma came in with the help of the Supreme Court, the Heartland of the Southeast seems to enjoy unsavoury news exposure. Shockingly, the latest one is depressing.

For a state battling self-inflicted insecurity, the news of a grandmother, who allegedly used her 7-year-old granddaughter as a sex slave, was a terrible odd in the mix. Although she has since been reportedly arrested alongside a monster that allegedly sexually abused the minor, the development has left much to be desired.

This happened in Ogbaku community area of Imo State,

where the minor accused a man, identified as Miracle of“using her”each time she visited his shop, giving a rather graphic description of what he did with her each time she visited.

An obviously bitter minor, who was staying with her grandmother, because her mother lived in Lagos, recounted her ordeal to a member of a vigilante group, who investigated the development. She further alleged that her grandmother collected between N1000 and 1500 from men to sleep with her and that it happened everyday.

However, despite the many distractions that the state is dealing with, this is a case that should interest the authorities and other groups that are into in child protection. Everyone involved in this crime must be brought to book. It is just too much for a seven-year-old.

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CICERO/REPORT

President Muhammadu Buhari (left) receiving the Progress Report of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Caretaker/Extra-Ordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) from its Chairman and Yobe State Governor, Mai Mala Buni, during his meeting with members of the Committee at State House, Abuja…recently

APC and Its Difficult Choices With extra six months granted the Mai Mala Buni-led All Progressives Congress National Caretaker Committee, the future of the ruling party is still fluid and hazy, writes Chuks Okocha

A

t an extraordinary meeting of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, presided over

by President Muhammadu Buhari, the Governor of Yobe State, Mai Mala Buni’s led National Caretaker Committee of the APC was granted another tenure extension for six months.

This makes it the second time his tenure was extended. The committee was appointed in June 2020 to reorganise the party. In December 2020, it got another six months extension. And just last Friday, June18, 2021, the committee was granted another six months extension, to end in December 2021.

The latest extension was like a prophesy foretold, as it had been in the news that the chairman of the APC caretaker committee was planning a transmutation in office. It was learnt that Caretaker Committees from the ward, local government and state levels would be phased out gradually, immediately the substantive executives emerge at the respective levels, but nothing was said in categorical manner of the national convention.

The entire scenario is beginning to look like ‘penny wise, pound foolish’ to those that edged out the immediate past chairman of the party, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole from office. He was elected into office for a probable four years in office as the national chairman of APC. If Oshiomhole was left in office from March, 2020, when he was suspended and eventually removed, he would by now be preparing to handover affairs of the party to another Chairman, on completion of his tenure.

All the forces that plotted against Oshiomhole are indeed losers now. This is because democratic choices would have been allowed to prevail. As the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo said, the worst practice of democracy is indeed better than any military arrangement.

The APC as a political party is the worst loser in this process, because the leaders of the party did not allow democracy and democratic tendencies to prevail within the party.

Where are the likes of Salihu Lukman, Director General at the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) and Victor Giadom, who as the acting chairman was used to remove Oshiomhole from office? Where is the chairman of the APC Governors Forum and Governor of Kebbi State, Abubakar Bagudu, who was used to remove Oshiomhole through their infamous Court of Appeal order?

It was gathered that the grouse of these party big wigs, who were angling for his removal was that Oshiomhole introduced direct system of primary election for the selection of candidates that are to fly the party’s flag at different levels ahead of the 2019 general election.

The Oshiomhole-led National Working Committee (NWC) had proposed the option of direct primaries to the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party, which adopted and ratified it.

But when the option of direct primaries came into effect and was used in the just concluded primaries of the party, powerful forces within the party, sensing that they might lose out, hatched the plan to see Oshiomhole removed from office.

A source at the party’s national headquarters said the most affected party members were some governors, who had plans to transit from Government House to the National Assembly and at the same time, appoint successors, who may not have electoral value for the party.

This, according to the source, did not sit well with Oshiomhole, whose mantra was to hand the party over to the majority and give everyone a sense of belonging.

The source added: “On coming to the office, the comrade chairman was interested in changing the party from the old order, where only select individuals determined who got where, to a democratic system where everyone had a say in the affairs of the party.”

The question begging for answer now is, would it not have been better to have allowed Oshiomhole to complete his tenure of office as the national chairman, than to use the court to remove him?

Although there is already tension within the party over an alleged plan by Buni to transmute into the

national chairman of the party. This is gradually being brought home with the extension by another six months.

Party pundits argue that nothing had stopped the caretaker committee not to have gone ahead and released an agenda for the national convention of the party.

Before the extension, it was gathered that Buni’s alleged ambition might have stopped the caretaker committee from announcing dates for national and states congresses in the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory to usher in new party leadership.

Sources familiar with the power game in the party told THISDAY that Buni’s game plan is to resign his position as governor and join the race for the party’s national chairman. His second term tenure ends in May 2023. Though he has denied the transmutation agenda, however, with the extension by another six months, it is yet to be seen, how this will fade away from public glare.

But many of the governors elected on the platform of the party are said to be opposed to Buni’s bid to transform into the substantive chairman of the party. The APC governors opposed to the Buni’s ambition, it was learnt, are those who would be rounding off their second term in office by 2023.

Also, the ministers who have political ambitions by 2023 are opposed to this plan of Buni as well assome selected members of the APC caretaker committee.

But what is not clear is what agenda the Mai Bala Buni committee intends to achieve within the next six months.

It was clearly stated that the committee is mandated to complete congresses from the wards, local governments and states, but silent on the national convention that would usher in new executives empowered to direct the affairs of the party ahead of the 2023 general election.

Is the six months extension granted the party’s caretaker committee an avenue for the transmutation agenda to a substantive executives? The latest extension agenda has left many members more perplexed and confused. At the APC national secretariat, the question many are posing is, what it is that the Buni committee could not achieve in the past one year that it will now accomplish now?

Well, the jury is still out!

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CICERO/INTERVIEW

Femi Falana

Falana...FG must engage separatist groups

Pray FG Does Not Invoke Section 135 to Postpone 2023 Elections Mr. Femi Falana, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and former President, West African Bar Association, spoke with Gboyega Akinsanmi, on the state of the nation, including the need to engage separatist agitators, powers of the federal government to allocate oil blocks to individuals, why National Assembly should fast-track the passage of the electoral amendment bill and its powers to produce a new constitution. Excerpts:

A

gitations to split the country along ethnic lines are getting louder. How should the federal government respond to these challenges?

The federal government has to appreciate that the crisis of global capitalism has forced millions of young people to embrace supremacist ideology with emphasis on balkanisation of many countries. In the United States, a faction of the Republican Party led by former President Donald Trump has become popular among the white community, because of the campaign to chase away immigrants from the country.

That is the basis of the campaign to make America great again.

The United Kingdom has pulled out of the European Union while the people of Scotland are fighting for independence. In Spain, the people of Catalonia are fighting for independence. In Canada, the people of Quebec are fighting for independence. The story is the same in other parts of the world. The campaign for the balkanisation of Nigeria has been influenced by developments in the West. Hence, the campaign is fully supported by diaspora Nigerians. Based on arrogance of power, the federal government has continued to play into the hands of the campaigners for the balkanisation of the country.

In other words, the agitation has been fuelled by nepotism,

lopsided appointments, corruption, impunity, ethnic politics as well as the zealous implementation of neoliberal economic policies, which is promoting poverty and unemployment. Out of sheer frustration, the campaign for the breakup of the country is gaining momentum. I have continued to insist that it is no longer acceptable to say that the unity of Nigeria is not negotiable because it is an indissoluble and indivisible entity.

To respond to the agitations, the federal government has to jettison its arrogance of power and enter into meaningful dialogue with all separatist groups and other aggrieved citizens. The federal government may realise rather too late that no amount of brute force can silence the separatist groups. If you defeat them militarily they may go underground and embark on guerilla warfare. The earlier the war mongering tactics of the government is reviewed the better for the corporate existence of Nigeria. I don’t need to be a war expert to know that the armed forces cannot win the war on insurgents, bandits and separatists at the same time.

Following secessionist agitations, there have been call for restructuring nationwide. Some have also canvassed for a return to the 1963 Constitution. What do you think is required to operate a functional federal system?

The All Progressive Congress had entrenched restructuring in its manifesto and campaigned for power devolution from the centre

It is hoped that the federal government will not invoke and apply Section 135 of the Constitution,which empowers the President to postpone elections if he considers that it is not practicable to hold elections on the ground that the country is involved in a war in which its territory is physically involved

to the other federating units. But upon winning the 2015 general elections, the APC turned its back on restructuring. At a stage the Presidency accused the agitators for restructuring of trying to break up the country. But as Nigerians were getting prepared for the 2019 general election, the APC instituted its Committee on True Federalism under the chairmanship of Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai. The committee recommended restructuring and set out the details for power devolution. The report has been gathering dust in the archives. It is on account of the inconsistent positions of the ruling party that many people became frustrated and joined the separatist movements. An influential section of the political class has been campaigning for a return to regionalism via the 1963 Constitution. The agitations appear to have forced the leaders of the APC to review their position. Hence, during a recent interview with Arise Television, President Buhari said he had embraced restructuring. But instead of embarking on restructuring through policy change and amendment of certain laws, the president has asked Nigerians to demand power devolution from the national assembly. But the president has since repudiated his position on restructuring despite that his administration has devolved more powers to the states than the previous regimes. For instance, airline is in the exclusive legislative list but the Akwa Ibom State operates one of the best domestic airlines in the country while the federal government has not been able to revive the Nigerian Airways. The federal government has invited state governments to set up mining companies for the exploitation of solid minerals. The federal government has upheld fiscal autonomy for the federal judiciary and legislature while state governments have followed suit as a result of the just concluded industrial action by state judiciary and parliamentary staff unions.

It has been reported that not less than 21 state governments are being assisted by the federal government to establish ranches and grazing reserves in order to address the perennial violent clashes between farmers and herders. I believe the economic crisis confronting the country provides a golden opportunity for

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CICERO/INTERVIEW t /05)*/( 45014 #6)"3* '30. /&(05*"5*/( 8*5) 4&1"3"5*454 t states to become economically viable and stop the practice of rushing to Abuja to share the dwindling revenue in the Federation Account. Furthermore, the military legacy of referring to certain public officers as serving the Federation should stop. In the first republic, the federal government had a Minister of Justice and Attorney-General while the regional governments had Ministers of Justice and Attorneys-General. It was when the country was under military rule that the Minister of Justice became the AttorneyGeneral of the Federation. The era also produced the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Accountant-General of the Federation, and Auditor-General of the Federation etc. This was due to the fact that the state governments were extensions of the Federal Military Government. Since there is no government of the Federation under the current democratic dispensation, the officers mentioned above should be addressed as the Attorney-General of the Federal Government. The same thing is applicable to the Secretary of the Federal Government, Accountant-General of the Federal Government and Auditor-General of the Federal Government. After all, every state has an Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Accountant-General and Auditor-General and Secretary to the Government.

During the just concluded public hearing on the ongoing review of the 1999 Constitution, prominent Nigerians called for a replacement of the constitution and not its amendment. Does the National Assembly have the power to give Nigeria a new constitution?

The prominent Nigerians are perfectly right in questioning the origin of the 1999 Constitution. But the 1999 Constitution is a replica of the 1979 Constitution. The 1999 Constitution or Decree No 24 of 1999 signed by General Abdulsalami Abubakar is in pari materia with the 1979 Constitution or Decree No 102 of 1979 signed by General Olusegun Obasanjo. But the National assembly will not replace the 1999 Constitution because they are satisfied with the status quo. Since Section 9 of the Constitution provides for the alteration or amendment of the Constitution the alteration may be carried out in a manner that a new document is produced. Frankly speaking, it cannot be a brand new constitution in that chapter 4 on the bill of rights or fundamental rights will not be expunged. The chapter has been entrenched in every Constitution since 1960. With respect to chapter 2 of the Constitution, the demand is that the provision be made justiciable or enforceable so that any breach can be challenged in a court of law. So, it is not going to be a wholesale review as being demanded in some circles. However, the main disputed area among the political class pertains to whether it should be a presidential or parliamentary system of government or whether we should have regional governments or retain the current structure, the local government system. However, the masses of our people in the North and South, East and West are demanding for the actualisation of the provisions of the fundamental objectives and directive principles of State Policy embodied in Chapter two of the Constitution. The chapter provides for participatory democracy, adequate security and welfare for the people, adequate housing, employment and payment of unemployment benefits for unemployed people, payment of living minimum wage and pension, right to education at all levels and right to health. The government shall control the economy for the promotion of the happiness of the people. The government shall control the natural resources of the nation. The commonwealth shall not be concentrated in the hands of a few people or a group. The government shall abolish corruption and abuse of office. A couple of months ago, I attended a meeting of 21 radical political parties and mass organisations, which reviewed the state of the nation. Apart from demanding for the actualisation of the fundamental objectives, we came to the conclusion that only a socialist government can guarantee and implement them. So, let no one deceive the Nigerian people by talking of restructuring in abstracto. The demand for restructuring cannot be limited to power devolution alone. It must include the economic restructuring. For too long, the ruling class has exercised power without responsibility. This time around, the power to be devolved must be democratised. In other words, the people must be empowered to control the affairs of the nation.

Under the 1999 Constitution, the power to enforce Land Use Act lies with the governors. At the same time, the 2007 Minerals and Mining Act, which defines the control and ownership of minerals, is within the power of the federal government to enforce. Is it constitutional to separate the control and ownership of land from that of minerals?

Even though the Land Use Act is incorporated in the 1999 Constitution, it lacks constitutional flavour. It was included in the 1999 Constitution by the military wing of the political class to prevent the civilian wing from repealing it. But then it remains an Act of the National Assembly. To that extent, there is no conflict between the Land Use Act and the 2007 Minerals and Mining Act. Since all mineral oils, solid minerals and natural gas have been taken over and vested in the federal government by virtue of Section 44(3) of the 1999 Constitution, the state governors lack the power to exercise control over any parcel of land in which there are mineral resources. The Minerals And Mining Act and the Petroleum Act are completely outside the purview of the Land Use Act. Since the Land Use Act is part of the 1999 Constitution, is the Minerals and Mining Act not an usurpation of the constitutional powers and rights of the state governments?

The Minerals and Mining Act has not usurped the powers of governors to control land under the Land Use Act. However, I have maintained that the president lacks the power to give oil blocks or license to individuals to mine solid minerals. The mineral resources are owned by the federation and not by the federal

government. Therefore, the oil blocks should be allocated to the federal, state and local governments.

A few months ago, I urged President Buhari to allocate oil blocks to the three tiers of government. It is unjust and inequitable to allocate oil blocks to individuals, who become instant billionaires while the federal, state and local governments are unable to pay salaries, because of poverty. These are serious issues that ought to have attracted the attention of agitators for restructuring.

Just before the 2019 elections, the National Assembly amended the 2010 Electoral Act and transmitted it to the president for assent. But the president withheld his assent.

About one and half years to the 2023 elections, diverse questions around the electoral law are yet to be resolved? Is there any hope for credible elections in 2023?

Before the 2015 elections, the APC had campaigned to reform the electoral process by implementing the recommendations of the Justice Muhammed Umar’s electoral reform panel. But upon assumption of power, the APC reneged on the pact with the Nigerian people on electoral reform. In 2014, some APC leaders obtained court orders, which restrained the Jonathan administration from deploying the armed forces in the management of elections.

But the APC-led regime deploys armed military and police personnel in the manipulations of elections including local government elections. As if that is not enough, voters are induced with money, rice, beans and salt in utter contravention of the Electoral Act. Unlike the PDP, which boasted that it would rule Nigeria for 60 years, the APC has perfected plans to rule Nigeria indefinitely. Hence, the new Electoral Amendment Bill is not likely to be signed into law. Very soon, Nigerians will be told that the Bill cannot be signed by the President since the 2023 elections are around the corner.

What are the areas of concerns in the 2010 Electoral Act and what should the National Assembly do about it before it is too late?

Legalising the use of card readers and electronic voting, collation of results and transmission to INEC central server. Since the Electoral Amendment Bill was not signed into law by the President in 2018 on the ground that it was too close to the last general election, the National assembly ought to have prioritised the matter. But for reasons best known to both houses of the National Assembly, the new Electoral Amendment Bill has not been passed and forwarded to the President for his assent.

The delay is affecting the preparations of INEC for the 2023

It is unjust and inequitable to allocate oil blocks to individuals, who become instant billionaires while the federal, state and local governments are unable to pay salaries, because of poverty. These are serious issues that ought to have attracted the attention of agitators for restructuring

general election. It is high time sufficient pressure was mounted on the federal legislators to pass the Electoral Amendment Bill as a further delay will adversely affect the conduct and management of future elections in the country. But it is doubtful if the nation can hold a peaceful general election in 2023. In 2015, the Jonathan administration postponed the general election for 6 weeks, because some local governments in Borno State were under the control of terrorists.

Today, a number of state governments and hundreds of local governments are under either total or partial control of insurgents, bandits and other gunmen. It is hoped that the federal government will not invoke and apply Section 135 of the Constitution, which empowers the President to postpone elections if he considers that it is not practicable to hold elections on the ground that the country is involved in a war in which its territory is physically involved. This is why all hands should be on deck to enact a new electoral law, which should provide for electronic voting. That is the only way to ensure that elections are conducted in many parts of the country at any given time.

The federal government recently suspended Twitter operations in Nigeria and threatened to prosecute violators.

Under the 1999 Constitution, can the federal government ban Twitter and prosecute its violators since the relationship between Twitter and President Buhari is strictly personal?

The threat to prosecute and jail anyone, who defies the Twitter ban was issued when it was discovered that millions of subscribers had decided to download VPNs to escape the ban.

The threat was borne out of frustration as it was discovered that the federal government lacks the technical capacity to actualise the ban. But the threat is empty and embarrassing as section 36 (12) of the Constitution has proscribed the prosecution of any person in Nigeria for a criminal offence that has not been prescribed by a written law. I want to believe that the federal government has quietly withdrawn the threat hence nobody has been arrested for defying the ban on Twitter.

But despite calls to lift the ban, the federal government has refused. What are the consequences of the refusal to lift the suspension?

The federal government has found it absolutely difficult to justify the suspension of Twitter. This explains why the Ministry of Information and Culture has been jumping from pillar to post to justify the ban. In the first place, it was said the ban was occasioned by the decision of Twitter to delete the tweet of President Buhari, which was considered rather genocidal. In the second place, it was said Twitter had refused to delete the tweets of Mr. Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, which were said to have incited violence in the Southeast.

Thirdly, the promoter of Twitter, Mr. Jack Dorsey has been held vicarious liable for the killing and destruction of property that took place during the #EndSARS protest last year. I thought the federal government had claimed that it was the hoodlums and miscreants, who hijacked the protests that were responsible for the criminal offences of culpable homicide and arson that occurred during the protests. Whatever may be the case, the federal government should lift the ban on Twitter without any further delay in order to stop the illegal infringement of the fundamental right of 40 million Nigerians to access information.

You recently advised the federal government to dialogue with IPOB and other groups seeking to break away from Nigeria? What informed your position?

Nigeria has ratified and domesticated the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights. Article 20 of the Charter guarantees the right of the Nigerian people to self-determination. On that basis, the demand for the breakup of Nigeria is not a criminal offence. However, if the demand is anchored on violence, the Nigerian State will not hesitate to frame charges.

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ JUNE 27, 2021

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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 ˾ NE 27, 2021

POLITY

TWO YEARS ON

‘Seyi Makinde: BetweenThe End AndThe Means!

Jide Ajani

*“Before people decide what they think of your message, they decide on what they think of you” – Harvard Business Review (JulyAugust, 2013)*

F

or Oluwaseyi Abiodun Makinde, his pedigree spoke volumes about his message.

But for the arrival of this engineer on the governorship stage, Oyo State was already going to the dogs.

Blind sentiment, cronyism, nepotism, greed and a culture of indolence in high places, had all been packaged as a staple for the hapless people of Oyo State, such that salaries were being paid in ridiculous percentages, pension payments and gratuities were wickedly kept on hold and corruption had takenup a life of its own.

But because the people of Oyo State made up their minds on what they thought of the person of Makinde, they accepted his message of hope and gave him the mandate to be their governor.

His pedigree! His message! His intentions!

Makinde, upon assumption of office on Wednesday, May 29, 2019, made his good intentions known by abolishing, with immediate effect and automatic alacrity, the burdensome N3000 education levy imposed on students in Oyo State.

Other measures have since been put in place to demonstrate that his pursuit of power was to deliver the greatest sum of good to the largest number of residents of Oyo State. He’s done other good.

Take, for instance, workers’ salaries and pension payments! Within its first six months in office, his administration had paid more than what his predecessor paid in eight years as pensions - the Makinde administration met a N55.9 billion debt in gratuities (There has been a steady and consistent payment of N535 Million to retired State and Local Government workers on a monthly basis). Today, total pension payments are already over N13b in just two years. Salaries have not ceased being paid on or before the 25th of every month since June, 2019 - perhaps, the only one of such in Nigeria.

But, whereas some may not really appreciate what prompt pension and salary payments engender for a society, the import is not lost on the beneficiaries who now live like human beings and can plan their lives, unlike the brutish, harsh and uncertain lives they were subjected to in the past.

Most importantly for Governor Makinde are the intangibles that would birth a better society. His four pillars for accelerated development (20192023), health, education, an expanded economy and security - are strung in a symbiotic nature, because it is only when you have a healthy body and qualitative education that opportunities can be explored for the expansion of an economy; and this can only take place in a secure environment.

In the area of infrastructure, energy, healthcare, education, youth development, trade and commerce, Makinde has demonstrated that a good name is worth much more than aggrandisement.

He is walking the talk.

Makinde’s conscience! My conscience! Your conscience! Our Conscience! Let it prick individuals as they assess the governor ’s performance in the last two years.

Because perfection is not for mortals, there are gaps that the governor openly acknowledges and strives to fill. And the people appreciate this.

Yet, in a poisoned environment where the opposition shamelessly parades an illusory sense of self-importance, Governor Makinde says he would not be distracted in so far as the end justifies the means.

When Leon Trotsky (1879-1940) asked that “if the end justifies the means, what justifies the end”, he did not know that a ‘Seyi Makinde would emerge in Oyo State in 2019 to announce to the world that the end, which is the output, is justified by the eventual outcome of a growing Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) base; improved education and health infrastructure that engenders better academic performance and builds a healthy society; preservation of lives

Makinde

and livelihood during the Covid-19 pandemic such that almost every protocol introduced by Makinde became the standard reference at the national level; introduction of a value-driven culture of governance that continues to deliver diligence and rigour in the performance and discharge of responsibilities by appointees; continued improvement of infrastructure across sectors; provision of tools such as cars, protective vests and communications equipment for the Police and other security agencies in the state as well as AMOTEKUN; and a governance model steeped in a display of human face and milk of human kindness. The list goes on.

Governor Makinde continues to justify the end because the outcome to be engendered when the

massive parks and inter-changes at Challenge, Ojoo and Iwo Road are commissioned to allow for organised flow of traffic and commerce around the edifices, the remodeled Lekan Salami Stadium, Adamasingba, expected to drive sporting activities both local and international, and the street lighting project that would improve night-time business activities, security and social life, would be massive.

So, when next you say the end justifies the means and you’re asked what justifies the end, tell them Governor Makinde of Oyo State is justifying the end because the people of Oyo State are living a better life, while he continues to fill gaps for even greater outcomes.

––AJANI is the Special Adviser, Media, to Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State.

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THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ JUNE 27, 2021

with ChidiAmuta e-mail:chidi.amuta@gmail.com

ENGAGEMENTS

Walking Back from the Brink

A

gainst the background of his controversial job approval rating, President Buhari now has the rare distinction of birthing an interesting App on the internet. The ingenious App is simply a count down timer on the imminent completion of Mr. Buhari’s presidential tenure. Like the National Debt digital clock that used to be at the street corner of 5th Avenue in Manhattan, New York, this App, once downloaded into your cell phone, is continuously counting down to the last second to 10 am, 27th May, 2023 when Mr. Buhari will step back on the podium at Eagle Square to hand over power to the next president. Patronage of the App is reportedly as wide as the Instagram pages of major pop stars.

Even if all other positive legacies elude the president, it is hoped that a successful transition of power from his administration to the next would somehow earn him a slot among successful African democrats. I was initially reluctant to download this devilish App because of its cynical and subversive undertones. But it is what it is; an App and a countdown clock that points to an end to a political nightmare and a long night of national leadership embarrassment.

The President’s 6th anniversary and Democracy Day pronouncements and subsequent actions however contain some redeeming indications. Perhaps, Mr. Buhari is waking up to the imminence of his tenure’s end. He has expressed a new determination to fight insecurity and address criminality. He has made a symbolic trip to the Borno state headquarters of the counter insurgency war against Boko Haram. In tandem, some of the innocent school girls abducted from the Federal Government Girls school in Birnin Yauri, Kebbi state, have been rescued through the direct intervention of security forces. That operation hopefully indicates a shift to a more proactive approach in dealing with these scandaloous serial school abductions.

Similarly, the new service chiefs seem a bit more coordinated and better determined to address our worrisome insecurity. At least they are making more patriotic and professional noises than their immediate predecessors. With a little over a year to the end of his tenure, Mr. Buhari seems awakened to the reality that he needs to leave some positive legacies. How he drives this obviously renewed impetus is entirely left to him and the guardians of his beleaguered presidency. But one thing is certain, his presidency now has a dual mandate: to leave some concrete legacies and to walk back the nation from the brink of an implosive unraveling.

For the president, the desirable destination would of course be a peaceful transition from his elected government to the next. But it has also become critically important for Mr. Buhari what Nigeria will look like by the time he hands over to his successor. Therefore, he has repeatedly recommitted himself to national unity and the restoration of peace and security. He has insisted that Nigeria will not unravel under his watch. Ageneral that fought in a war of national unity cannot afford to bequeath a nation in nasty disintegration.

On their part, his political traducers and multiple opponents have vowed to achieve either a restructured Nigerian federation or a balkanized space with some new sovereign successor states in place of the Nigeria we know. Yet, between the Buhari federal government and its multiple opponents and tormentors, there is still a point of convergence. Everybody craves a resolution of the present political and security quagmire and the restoration of the Nigerian nation as it once was. On the streets, ordinary people are insisting that even if Mr. Buhari cannot make their lives any better after eight years at the helm, he should at least return us to where he found us in May 2015.

The nature of the order and peace we all seek may be different but hardly any group craves anarchy or perpetual disorder. Precisely how to achieve this national resolution and restoration is where the present discord resides.

The more moderate agitators for change want the national edifice taken apart and put back together in a restructured format. The supporting argument is that nothing is wrong with Nigeria as a nation but for its structural and constitutional deformities and fiscal dysfunctions. The way out is to fix the deformities and imbalances so that the citizenry can derive the full benefits of their social contract. On the other hand, the extremists, especially the outright secessionists, want Nigeria balkanized into multiple mostly ethnic based successor sovereign states if possible by referendum.

There is an even more predictable but consequential level of divergence. At the partisan level, the two dominant political parties are not necessarily interested in the possible dismemberment of the country. They might mention restructuring in their manifestos to catch the votes of the popular masses but are not really committed to its actualization. The truth is that neither the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) nor the rival Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) desires to rule over a smaller Nigeria or less familiar national landscape. In the typical political mind, the larger and more familiar the pie and the terrain, the better for the winner. Their primary concern is how to out manoeuver each other to win the 2023 elections. At the level of fights over group self interest, the ammunition of choice between the parties is the familiar free exchange of street level abuses and motor park insults. No physical harm as yet. No substantial policy disagreements in the horizon. No possible serious ideological divergence ever. Just watered down scraps from the usual Nigerian political playbook of crass opportunism, unprincipled grandstanding and incensed gang wars.

Among the more belligerent and militant opponents of the Buhari government, there is yet a further important divergence. The politicians who feel left out of the gravy train and partisan bazaar are insisting that the present configuration of the federation can hardly address the increasing inequities in the land. They are nostly the ‘re- structuralists’. But they are in disarray when it comes to the

Buhari precise template of the restructuring. Are we to revert to pre-civil war regionalism or the more recent six geo political zones? There has not been too much light on how to fund a restructured federation; whether it should be a contributory federalism or a derivative one with the states taxed for mineral resources by the central government.

By far the more troubling wing of Buhari’s opponents are the outright secessionists. The most prominent are the pro-Biafra movements especially IPOB and the Yoruba Nation advocates of Oduduwa Republic. In particular, IPOB gives Mr. Buhari chilling nightmares and he has said so in many words. With the binoculars of a war general, Buhari looks in the horizon facing east of the River Niger and he is scared stiff at what he sees. The Biafra flag is frightening enough but its resurgence in the hands of many young enthusiasts re-awakens the post traumatic stress disorders that Buhari must have experienced as a combatant in the heat of battle. He has never hidden his discomfort with the Igbos ethnic base of IPOB. He uses both interchangeably. For some subliminal reason buried in his interpretation of the past, he sees either as both.

All things considered, the credible threat potential of IPOB seems a bit over blown and mischievously contrived. Its membership is not organic. It consists mostly of a minority collection of naïve semi literate youth in urban and semi urban market places who are enamored of the adolescent romanticism of an opportunistic demagogue. Its organization is quirky just as its funding consists largely of small donations from ignorant diaspora sympathizers and small local traders. Neither is its leadership authentic. It consists mostly of a self appointed and autocratic Nnamdi Kanu and a coteries of handpicked lieutenants and minions.

The generation of Igbos who witnessed the war are no fans of IPOB or Nnamdi Kanu who is neither a folk hero nor an electable political figure. This group are the bulk of the current decision makers(governors) and socio cultural leaders (Ohaneze) of the South East. Mr. Kanu is a self- anointed opportunistic figure with neither convincing livelihood nor credibility. Bravado not anchored on proven strength does not form part of the profile of the authentic hero or ‘dike’ in Igbo culture and consciousness. Kanu has merely gate-crashed into the popular consciousness of naïve and inexperienced youth who harbor a romantic notion of Biafra as that phantom homeland where the opportunities they cannot find in Buhari’s Nigeria would be abundant. Neither Kanu nor any of his cohorts has bothered to tell their youthful followers that Biafra meant death in droves, hunger, malnutrition, massive erosion of wealth, loss of property and the debasement of the dignity of a people. It meant a reset for a whole people while the rest of the federation galloped forward. Post war recovery was a grind of sweat, blood and tears that has lasted over half a century.

However, it is precisely the hegemonic arrogance and divisive politics of the Buhari presidency that powered the emergence of IPOB and the germination of Nnamdi Kanu from the ruins of neglect and marginalization of the South East. There is therefore a sense in which Nnamdi Kanu is a creation of Mr. Buhari. The monster has come back to engage its progenitor in a fatal encounter!

Now that the elected political elite of the South East and the socio cultural group, Ohaneze, have both taken a political stand against IPOB, naming it an unnecessary disruptive influence, the lines are drawn. IPOB’s heady defiance of both levels of authority is a disastrous political gambit and cultural travesty. In the culture of the region, you do not defy constituted authority nor do you casually dismiss or insult elders and denigrate revered socio cultural institutions. Deprived of both political cover and socio cultural relevance and legitimacy, IPOB stands exposed and naked with a chance of being reduced to an anarchic nuisance and terrorizing presence. That has already exposed it to the military diktat of the Buhari federal government which is already in place, stamping its indiscriminate jackboot all over the backyards of the South East in the name of internal security operations. What IPOB and its militant wing ,ESN, have achieved is an open invitation to a hostile

federal armed presence into Igbo country, making the area the only Nigerian ethno national space to serve as a theatre of war twice in half a century.

The other leg of the secessionist opposition to Buhari’s Nigeria is the Yoruba Nation project of Oduduwa Republic. This is easily the most well organized and better articulated political secessionist project in today’s Nigeria. Its well organized and disciplined rallies seem to have official approval. It insists that it is not in contest with the elected governors of the South West. It pays due respect and deserved homage to the ethnic and cultural elders and authorities of Yorubaland namely Afenifere, O’Odua Peoples Congress and Ilana Yoruba. The mob wing of the movement led by Mr. Sunday Igboho seems to enjoy the tacit support of the elders and governors and an unwritten immunity from the security agencies. Mr. Igboho is said to wear both layers of multiple bullet proof vests as well as a string of amulets and charms to deflect bullets! Both the traditional socio cultural authorities and the elected political structures in the South West respect the ‘sovereignty’ and power of Mr. Igboho’s mob ‘republic’. In the South West, every political wagon minds its own lane and they are mutually reinforcing . Periodically, Mr. Ganiyu Adams shows up to support Igboho’s mob gatherings. When Igboho’s Yoruba Nation train is in town in any South West state, the governors keep a studied distance or find distracting relevance elsewhere. Let us respect political sophistication!

For some reason, the Buhari presidency has not managed to see the Yoruba Nation project and its massive rallies as a credible threat to the unity of Nigeria. This has led many observers to the conclusion that the entire movement may be a political project and contrivance designed to ensure that the South West produces Mr. Buhari’s successor. According to this calculation, the Yoruba Nation movement needs to be pushed hard enough to neutralize the clamour for a president of Igbo extraction since the APC still seems to hold the key to Aso Villa.

There is yet a hardly acknowledged latent opposition force to the failing federal state: the youth majority. The ENDSARS protests of October 2020 and the Covid-19 hunger riots earlier in the year gave us a dress rehearsal of the potent force of the youth. What saved Nigeria from an anarchic explosion following the ENDSARS protest was the fact that the organizers limited their focus to police brutality especially the bestiality of the SARS wing of the police. Once SARS was quickly disbanded and replaced, the thrust of the protest was deflated. Luckily also, the riotous mob that the protests ignited were decapitated, deprived of its elite drivers of entertainers and internet influencers . The sparks which the protest ignited lit up the nation as the armies of poverty and inequality found expression in the form of prison breaks, looting and mayhem. The major saving grace was that the youth vanguard was not united by a political consciousness.

Therefore, the scope and nature of the political and social contest that are fueling the national uncertainty are clear enough. It is a contest between a federal government intent on maintaining the existing order through the instruments of the democratic state on the one hand and the array of non- state actors, factions and forces that have made the government their target from different directions.

For president Buhari, the challenge of this moment comes down to a simple one: how can the president convert the political challenges into an opportunity to heal the nation and end the uncertainty and insecurity plaguing the present.

In response to questions about restructuring and amendments to the1999 constitution, Mr. Buhari has predictably offered the ultimate conundrum. He insists that he is running a constitutional democracy. Therefore, only the National Assembly can effect either an amendment of the 1999 constitution or the restructuring and reform of the country.

Clearly, Buhari has drawn the red line on the possible outcome and limits of the spate of separatist agitations and other reform movements currently plaguing the country. They can only go as far as the 1999 constitution and the institutions of the existing order allow. On the surface, the president is right. You cannot use a vacuum and disorder to unseat order no matter how imperfect the subsisting order may seem. It would be futile to expect the National Assembly, the governors and the rest of the present establishment to rule themselves out of office and privilege in deference to a motley of voices out there. Those who want change should make their representations through their accredited representative in the National Assembly! That wold be the voice of the conservative Mr. Buhari.

But the vicious forces that threaten the present order belong outside the state system and the prevailing order. The ethnic agitators, secessionist activists, restructuring pundits and their supporting sundry militias and gunmen are operating outside the parameters of the existing constitutional order. They are not even necessarily supportive of the existing partisan architecture.

Yet, the political agitators and non- state militant actors are all Nigerians. They all claim that they are powered by a hunger for a better Nigeria. And the president owes them a hearing. Left out in the political wilderness, they are making life very uncomfortable for the president and the rest of us. Only the president as the leading statesman can walk the tightrope between the state and the agents of disorder. To rely on the use of force and state power alone is to venture into the realm of autocracy and absolutism which will derail the democratic path. It is better to enlarge the elastic limits of the state and the institutions of democracy by allowing a spate of dialogues and engagements across all boundaries without sacrificing the primacy of the state and its institutions.

As a nation, then, we stand at the threshold of interesting times.

And the next fifteen months may turn out to be our decisive moment.

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NEWS

News Editor: Gboyega Akinsanmi E-mail: ÑÌÙãÏÑ˲ËÕÓØÝËØ×Ó̶ÞÒÓÝÎËãÖÓàÏ˛ÍÙט͸΀͹ͽͺͻͽ΁ͺͽͻ

Falana: Failure to Restructure Fueling Agitation for Separation )DXOWV $*) 6*) DV RIÀFLDOV RI WKH IHGHUDWLRQ 6D\V *UD]LQJ 5HVHUYH /DZ DSSOLFDEOH WR WKH 1RUWK Gboyega Akinsanmi

Amid national clamour for restructuring, Nigeria’s foremost human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN) has said the failure of the federal government to restructure is fueling agitation for separation in different parts of the federation.

Falana, a former President of the West African Bar Association (WABA), warned that referring to t AttorneyGeneral, Accountant-General and Auditor-General, among others, as officials of the federation was erroneous and misleading.

He made these remarks in an exclusive interview with THISDAY, saying the All Progressives Congress (APC) turned its back on restructuring despite entrenching power devolution in its manifesto.

Analysing diverse issues of national interest during the session, the senior advocate observed that the agitations had forced the leaders of the APC to review their position because it had repeatedly reneged on its promises to restructure.

He said the APC had entrenched restructuring in its manifesto and campaigned for power devolution from the centre to the other federating units, a promise the ruling party

should ordinarily honour.

But upon winning the 2015 general election, according to the human rights lawyer, the APC turned its back on restructuring. Even at a stage, the presidency accused the agitators for restructuring of trying to break up the country.

As Nigerians were getting prepared for the 2019 general election, Falana noted that the APC instituted its Committee on True Federalism under the chairmanship of Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai.

He pointed out that the committee “recommended restructuring and set out the details for power devolution.

Already, the report has been gathering dust in the archives.

“It is on account of the inconsistent positions of the ruling party that many people became frustrated and joined the separatist movements.

“An influential section of the political class has been campaigning for a return to regionalism via the 1963 Constitution. The agitations appear to have forced the leaders of the APC to review their position,” he observed.

Falana faulted the claims of the president that his government “has devolved more powers to the states than the

previous regimes.”

For instance, he said the federal government had argued that the airline “is in the exclusive legislative list. But Akwa Ibom State operates one of the best domestic airlines in the country while the federal government has not been able to revive the Nigerian Airways.

“The federal government has

invited state governments to set up mining companies for the exploitation of solid minerals.

“The federal government has upheld fiscal autonomy for the federal judiciary and legislature while state governments have followed suit as a result of the just concluded industrial action by state judiciary and parliamentary staff unions.

“It has been reported that not less than 21 state governments are being assisted by the federal government to establish ranches and grazing reserves in order to address the perennial violent clashes between farmers and herders,” he pointed out.

Falana, therefore, said he believed the economic crisis confronting the country pro-

vided a golden opportunity for states to become economically viable and stop the practice of rushing to Abuja to share the dwindling revenue in the Fe deration Account.

The senior advocate, also, noted that the military legacy of referring to certain public officers as serving the federation should stop.

IN THE SPIRIT OF NATIONAL UNITY . .

L-R: Managing Director, Planet Project Limited, Mr. Abiodun Otunola; Jigawa State Governor, Alhaji Badaru Abubakar; Chairman, Malam Alu Farms Limited, Hon. Farouk Adamu and Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed after the hoisting of Nigeria’s tallest flag pole Malam Alu Farms constructed in Birnin Kudu, Jigawa State to promote national unity and tourism… recently

Again, Ortom Asks FG to Return IDPs to Ancestral Homes, Farm Settlements George Okoh In Makurdi

Benue State Governor, Dr. Samuel Ortom at the weekend asked the federal government to facilitate the return of internally displaced persons (IDPs) to their ancestral homes as one of the measures to save Nigeria from hunger and starvation.

Ortom, whose state has been under sustained attacks

by Fulani herdsmen, warned that if the federal government did not ensure the return of IDPs, who are mainly farmers, to their ancestral homes, food insecurity, hunger and starvation

might be worsened.

He gave the warning at the distribution of improved rice and maize seedlings at the Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Makurdi on Friday, saying the return of IDPs to their ancestral homes would boost food production nationwide.

Benue State has been under incessant attacks of Fulani herdsmen, thereby leading to the displacement of at least one million indigenous peoples and farmers from their ancestral homes and farm settlements across the state as shown in the

statistics of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA).

In its 2020 mass atrocities report, Global Rights, an international human rights organisation based in Washington D.C., claimed in its report that at least 4,558 persons lost their lives in violent attacks in 2020 nationwide.

With 145 cases (3.18%), according to the report, Benue was ranked sixth while Borno first with 1176 cases (26.8%); Kaduna second with 628 cases (13.78%), Katsina third with 501 cases (10.99%), Zamfara fourth with 262 cases (5.75%), Niger

fifth with 254 cases (5.57%).

The report, also, put killings that resulted from communal clashes at 407 (9.13%), extrajudicial killing 271 (6.08%), herdsmen killing 270 (6.06%), cult-gang killings 247 (5.54), isolated killings 185 (4.15), mob action 12 (0.26%), politically motivated killings 7 (0.15%) and pirate attacks 4 (0,09%).

At the distribution, the governor of Benue State urged the federal government to ensure that the displaced persons, most of whom are farmers, return to their

ancestral homes and farm settlements.

Ortom challenged the federal government to promote commercial agriculture and farming as one of the strategies to save Nigeria from hunger, malnutrition and starvation.

He noted that Nigeria “is witnessing high cost of food items caused mainly by insecurity and low production of food produce.

The return of IDPs to their ancestral homes will boost crop production nationwide.”

He emphasised the need

for all farmers in the state to diversify to enhance food security, noting that the state “is trying to add value to agricultural production for food security and for export earning.”

He said research carried out showed that Benue State “is rich in the cultivation of watermelon, which is consumed globally and urged the people to take advantage and explore this avenue. We are distributing over 4,666 improved rice seedlings, 230 bags of maize, 690 water melon and 10,000 improved cassava stems.

UN Insists Torture Persists in Nigeria Despite Global Prohibition

Michael Olugbode in Abuja

United Nations Secretary General, Antonio Guterres has said despite the prohibition of torture under international law, it still persists in all regions of the world including Nigeria.

In a statement the United Nation Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) issued yesterday to mark the 2021 International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, Guterres was quoted as saying: “Torture seeks to annihilate the victim’s personality and denies the inherent dignity of the human being.

“Despite the absolute prohibition of torture under international law, torture persists in all regions of the world. Concerns about protecting national security and borders are increasingly used to allow torture and other forms of cruel, degrading and inhuman treatment.”

According to him, its pervasive consequences often go beyond the isolated act on an individual; and can be transmitted through generations and lead to cycles of violence.

He said that human rights abuse is a major driver of conflict in general, and terrorism in

particular.

He said: “Misguided notions that the use of torture can somehow deter criminals or defeat terrorism simply set up future outbreaks of violence.

“This is not simply a case of two wrongs not making a right, but rather of two wrongs will inevitably result in future wrongs.”

The statement added that torture “is now considered a crime under international law, and It is absolutely prohibited and cannot be justified under any circumstances.

“Moreover, the systematic or

widespread practice of torture constitutes a crime against humanity that can be prosecuted in every jurisdiction on earth – regardless where the crime itself occurred.”

He however warned that it was not enough to simply outlaw the use of such methods, although this, he said was profoundly important, “it is also necessary to promote more successful, and less harmful methods for collecting information in pursuit of legitimate law enforcement and security investigations”, he added.

The statement said to this end, the United Nation Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) had worked for the past four years with the Association for the Prevention of Torture (APT), the Anti-Torture Initiative (ATI), and the Norwegian Centre for Human Rights (NCHR), as well as with Professor Juan Méndez, a former United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture and himself a victim of torture during Argentina’s Dirty War, and Solomon Arase, a former Nigerian Inspector General of Police, to develop international Principles on Effective Interviewing for

Investigations and Information Gathering, now also known as the ‘Méndez Principles.’

Within the context of its EU-funded Partnership Project to Support Criminal Justice Responses to Terrorism and Violent Extremism, UNODC has been supporting Nigeria to build the capacity to conduct investigations that do not rely exclusively on confessional statements from suspects, to strengthen the forensic capacities of Nigerian law enforcement, and to prevent the use of torture and other coercion in the interviewing of terrorism suspects.

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NEWSXTRA Niger Delta Avengers Returns, Threatens to Attack Oil Facilities 3DVVHV YRWH RI QR FRQÀGHQFH LQ 3$1'() RWKHUV 'HFODUHV ¶RSHUDWLRQ KXPEOH· HFRQRP\ Sylvester Idowu in Warri Four days to the expiration of an ultimatum by a former leader of the defunct Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND), Chief Government Ekpemupolo (a.k.a Tompolo), Niger Delta Avengers (NDA), yesterday, threatened to cripple the Nigerian economy by attacking critical oil and gas installations across the region.

NDA, a notorious militant group, also threatened to attack prominent politicians from the region for their roles in the under-development of the place and people, thereby passing a vote of no confidence on the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) leadership and ex-militants.

The threat, which was posted on its site, obtained and verified

by THISDAY was titled: “We Are Back With Operation Humble.”

The group also announced the change of leadership of its command.

Ekpemupolo had on June 5 reluctantly agreed to the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabo’s request to constitute the board of NDDC before June ending.

The ultimatum expires next Tuesday, which might have necessitated the resuscitation of the Niger Delta Avengers, formerly under the firm control of Tompolo in the 2016 struggle, which led to bombings of some national assets and crippling of the nation’s economy.

Niger Delta Avengers, whose activities majorly contributed to the nation’s slide into recession in 2016, disclosed that its men had been deployed to strategic locations in the region, awaiting directive to strike.

The group accused the federal government of failing to meet the demands of the group to speed up development of the region since it declared a ceasefire following intervention of leaders and stakeholders from the area.

It also vowed to force the country

into recession as it did in 2016, saying Nigeria might not recover from the recession anytime soon.

The statement read in part: “There is no gainsaying that the failed country called Nigeria, which has fed fat on our God given wealth is at the brink of total disintegration owing to the security and related challenges across the country; ranging from terrorism and banditry in the North to the secessionist gongs of the Oduduwa people of the Southwest and IPOB of the South-

east, it is obvious that peace in the Niger Delta and by extension the South-south geopolitical region is the very thin piece still binding this country together.

“It is disheartening that despite being the economic backbone and having resolved to maintain the peaceful environment for the smooth operations of the oil multinationals, whose proceeds the country clings unto for economic survival, the Niger Delta and the South South remain the most under developed with our

needs and interests undermined by the failed Nigerian State.

“We decided to suspend our famous, operation red economy‚ which bled the Nigerian economy into recession about 4 years ago not because we are lazy but for the love we have for our people and out of respect for the voice of the elders of the Niger Delta region, who beckoned on us to give peace a chance and avail the government time to act on our demands at the time,” it stated.

Bello: Dialogue Best Way to Resolve Agitation Ibrahim Oyewale in Lokoja

Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello has called agitators and separatists, who were aggrieved about the state of the nation, to table their concerns and grievances through the proper channels in order to resolve them.

Bello, who has declared to contest the 2023 presidential election, added that dialogue “is the best means to resolve agitations or any sectional grievance nationwide.”

He canvassed this position at the Government House, Umuahia Friday during a meeting with his Abia State counterpart, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, urging the agitators to embrace peace in the interest of national unity.

Bello, who was in Umuahia for a burial ceremony of the mother of one of his friends, Chief Emenike Ugochi, restated faith in and commitment to the unity of Nigeria, saying the country would never

divide He said: “I want each and everyone of us to continue to preach peace, unity and togetherness. Some sections of this country may be agitated due to one thing or the other. But it is only on roundtable such agitations can be best resolved.

Bello, therefore, urged all agitators and separatists, aggrieved about the state of this country, to sit at the table and pass through the proper channels to resolve them.

He said: “I have always maintained this position that Nigeria can never divide. We can have differences, skirmishes here and there which by the grace of God, we shall overcome them and Nigeria will remain together.”

He commended Ikpeazu for being friendly and hospitable, saying the Abia governor “has been a very good friend. He was the first governor that called directly to congratulate him when he was first sworn-in as governor of Kogi State in January 2016.

Edo Refinery to Commence Operation in August Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City

Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki yesterday disclosed that the Edo Refinery & Petrochemicals would commence operation before the end of August.

Obaseki revealed this after inspecting the refinery located in Ologbo, Ikpoba Okha Local Government Area (LGA), Edo State and developed by AIPCC. Speaking with newsmen, Obaseki noted that work on the plant had moved to such a great speed in spite of disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

He explained that the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) had conducted its preinauguration assessment and certified the refinery okay.

He added that the plan was ongoing “to finalise the crude sales contract, which would be done in the next two weeks “Three years ago, the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed. You can see that MoU works. So far, I am very impressed that the plant has

moved at such a speed.

“Despite the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the refinery is ready to receive crude oil, ready to process and to deliver refined products.

“They have done the preinauguration assessment with the DPR. They have certified the plant okay. What we have left now is the final crude sales contract because they have to get crude from Escravos.

“So, I hope before the end of August, they will start lifting products from the plant,” the governor said.

Also speaking, the Managing Director, Edo Refinery & Petrochemicals, Mr. Tim Tian acknowledged that the refinery would soon commence operation despite the challenges which slowed down work occasioned by the Coronavirus pandemic.

Tian, who is also Director, EPC Contractor Peiyang Chemical Equipment Corporation commended Obaseki and people of Ologbo community for creating the enabling environment for the final stage.

PROMOTING MADE-IN-NIGERIA. . .

L-R: Abia State Governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu presenting a pair of made-in-Aba shoes to his Kogi State counterpart, Alhaji Yahaya Bello during a courtesy visit at the Government House, Umuahia, Asia State… Friday

Include State Police in New Constitution, Speakers Tell N’Assembly Omon-Julius Onabu in Asaba and Segun Awofadeji in Bauchi The Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures of Nigeria yesterday rose from its second quarter meeting, appealing to the National Assembly to use the ongoing constitution review to accommodate community policing and state police in the constitution.

Also, Delta State Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, at the meeting, canvassed a cordial working relationship with the respective state executive arm in the interest of democracy and good governance.

The speakers made this call

in a communique they issued after the meeting yesterday, asking the National Assembly to accommodate both state police and community policing in the constitution review.

In the communiqué signed by the Chairman of the Conference, Hon Abubakar Suleiman, the conference decried the spate of insecurity in the country but commended the federal government for fighting insecurity nationwide.

It asked major stakeholders to use the ongoing constitution review to accommodate community policing and state police to effectively tackle insecurity bedeviling the country.

It commended the governors that commenced the implementa-

tion of the financial autonomy in their states while urging the other state governors to follow suit as agreed in the memorandum of action signed by all the stakeholders.

It commended Okowa and the Speaker, Delta State House of Assembly, Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori for hosting the meeting to discuss a wide range of issues affecting the nation.

The communique called on all state houses of assembly to pass Funds Management Bill for Assent of the governors within 45 days window as agreed to by all the stakeholders.”

In his opening remarks, Okowa said he was glad to

see speakers of 36 states’ houses of assembly in the country regularly come together to share experiences, thoughts, and ideas on how to institute a robust democratic culture that would move the country forward.

He said: “It goes without saying that the executive and legislative arms in a presidential system of government have critical roles to play in promoting good governance, ensuring political stability, and fostering sustainable economic growth.

“Where the relationship is characterized by mutual distrust, suspicion, friction, and conflict, it leads to crisis and -failure of government to deliver on its policies and programmes.

Magistrate Orders FCT Police to Investigate OGFZA Officials for Forgery Tobi Soniyi

An Abuja Magistrate Court, sitting in Wuse Zone 2 has ordered the Federal Capital Territory Commissioner of Police to investigate two top officials of the Oil and Gas Free Zone Authority (OGFZA), Mr Wasiu Sule, the Head of Legal Services and Secretary to OGFZA’s Board and Mr Alenju Ngofa, who is the Head of Human Resource of the organisation, for alleged forgery.

A copy of the Magistrate’s order dated 18th March 2021 was obtained by our correspondent.

The Magistrate also ordered the FCT police commissioner to file a First Information Report

against the two defendants for alleged forgery.

He gave the FCT police commissioner three weeks to execute the order.

The court gave the order after counsel to the nominal complainant, Nkereuwem Akpan, informed the court that the accused persons had evaded service of court processes on them despite several attempts.

Following the expiration of the three weeks, Magistrate Mabel Segun-Bello has now fixed July 23 for the police to produce the suspects for arraignment.

The arraignment could have taken place earlier but for the 64-day industrial action embarked upon by the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN).

The case followed a complaint by a staff of (OGFZA) Mr Olufunmilayo David Omosule who was victimized after exposing corruption in the organisation.

OGFZA and Omosule had been locked in a legal battle over the legality or otherwise of the latter’s suspension, following his petition against some management staff of the agency on alleged corruption.

Omosule had alleged that the defendants wilfully and maliciously distorted his records “to appear as though he does not possess any requisite qualification to be employed at OGFZA or any qualification at all to be considered for promotion.”

He said their action was tantamount to forgery and

falsification of documents contrary to Section 363 and 364 of the Penal Code, which is detrimental and injurious to his person.

The agency had via a letter dated April 18, 2011, suspended Omosule as the manager of its Abuja office, on the grounds that he refused to comply with its letter dated Dec. 3, 2010, which had directed him to present the originals of his credentials for verification.

Omosule, however, refuted the claim of the authority, stating that he made available to the organisation, Certified True Copies (CTCs) of his educational certificates /credentials, including GCE ‘O Level certificates and degree certificates as instructed.

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THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ Ͱ͵˜ ͰͮͰͯ

NEWSXTRA NYC Asks APC, PDP to Reverse Outrageous Nomination Fees Threatens nationwide protest Says selling forms at N22.5m unacceptable

Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti

The Nigerian Youth Congress (NYC) yesterday criticised major political parties in the country for charging outrageous nomination fees beyond the reach of

the youths.

NYC, a radical left leaning organization founded in 1960, described such tendencies as anti-democratic and anti-youth, which it said, was objectionable and unacceptable.

The Chairman of Ekiti NYC, Mr. Tosin Adesuyi expressed this concern in a statement yesterday, calling for immediate review of the nomination fees to make it affordable for the youth.

While the the People’s

Democratic Party fixed its nomination fee and expression of interest for 2021 governorship in Anambra State for N21 million, the All Progressives Congress is charging N22.5 million as nomination fee in Ekiti.

WELCOMING FRESHERS ONBOARD . . .

L-R: Registrar, Federal College of Dental Technology and Therapy, Enugu, Sir Paul Yahaya, Rector, Dr. John Emaimo and Deputy Rector, Dr. Obiora Eke at the 66th matriculation ceremony of the College…yesterday

Court Awards N5m against Lecturer for Victimising Student Tobi Soniyi

A Federal High Court sitting in Jos has awarded N5 million in general and exemplary damages against a lecturer, Mr. Thaddeus Longduut, for victimizing a masters student, Georgia Mark Davou and causing her not to graduate from her Economics Masters program.

The trial judge, Justice M.H. Kurya also ordered University of Jos to immediately pay the plaintiff N100,000 only in damages, reinstate the student, change her supervisor and ensure the final defence of her thesis is done within reasonable time.

The court in suit number FHC/J/CS/38/2018 between Georgia Mark Davou V. University of Jos & 1Other held that

the plaintiff was not accorded fair hearing in the determination of her case.

Counsel to the plaintiff, Gloria Mabeiam Ballason of MIVE Legals firm had in 2018 brought an application against the defendants for arbitrarily withdrawing the plaintiff from the masters program on allegation of poor performance without complying with the school regulations.

She argued that the plaintiff was also refused access to her results and was denied a fair hearing when she petitioned the school for access to her results.

The counsel further contended that the plaintiff was victimized by the 2nd defendant who was her supervisor and who had frustrated and stopped her

from participating in her final defence.

The 1st & 2nd defendants in their defence as argued by N.V. Denden asked the court to refuse the application on the ground that the plaintiff failed to meet the academic requirements of the school.

They also claimed that the court could not meddle in the domestic affairs of the university by acceding to the plaintiff’s application for the answer scripts, raw scores and marking scheme to be tendered before the court.

However, the court rejected the defendants’ arguments holding that where an institution failed to comply with the rules of fair hearing, it was the duty of the

court to fill the void.

The court found that the 1st defendant did not prove that the plaintiff had failed, having sat for final exams and written the last chapter of her thesis.

The 1st defendant, the court held, did not accord the plaintiff a fair hearing when the plaintiff presented her petition but found that the acts of the 2nd defendant who lacked the qualifications to supervise the plaintiff, frustrated her and was the fulcrum that set the chain of causation of violations noting also that it was unfortunate that the 2nd defendant having mitigated the plaintiff’s career, proceeded for his PhD abroad and cited that as reason why he could not file his defense.

Presidential Support C’ttee Suspends Akpabio as National Coordinator

Again, Gunmen Kidnap Ekiti Monarch

Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja

Gunmen have abducted the Eleda of Eda Ile, in Ekiti East Local government area of Ekiti State, Oba Benjamin Oso, making a third of such incidents in the recent time.

Different sources confirmed the incident to THISDAY, saying the gunmen whisked the traditional ruler away from his farm in the presence of his wife on Friday evening.

This monarch was abducted barely two months after the Obaadu of Ilemeso, Oba David Oyewumi suffered the same fate , in Oye Local Government Area, Ekiti State.

One of the sources, who spoke privately with THISDAY, disclosed that the monarch and his wife would have been kidnapped, but the monarch pleaded that his wife should not be abducted.

The source said the monarch and

The Minister for Niger Delta, Senator GodswillAkpabio has been suspended by the Presidential Support Committee (PSC), a political support group of the All Progressive Progressives Congress (APC) as the National Coordinator.

Akpabio was suspended for inactivity and poor leadership by the national delegates at their National General Meeting and Merit Award held yesterday at Barcelona Hotel, Abuja.

The National Facilitator of the committee, Mr Gideon Samanni and the organisation’s Director of Media, Dr Kalaini Mohammed, announced the suspension in a joint statement.

They said the suspension was necessitated to ensure the survival and revitalisation of the organisation.

PSC raised an outcry that the group was gradually drifting into oblivion even though it supported theAPC and the re-election of President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019. It attributed the development to Akpabio’s failed leadership.

“We are worried that in an attempt to bring back PSC to glory, whose members have committed themselves to the successful re-election of the President in 2019, the National Coordinator, whose appointment as minister was through the platform, has abandoned the organisation and its members,” the statement said.

The PSC insisted that those who worked for President Buhari and the party must be carried along adding it would not hold back and watch the PSC that was positively established regress as a result of inactivity.

Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti

his wife went “to farm and were accosted by these gunmen. The two would have been kidnapped, but the monarch begged the bandits to free his wife, which they agreed with.”

The Commander of the Ekiti State Security Network (a.k.a Amotekun) Brig.-Gen. Joe Komolafe, confirmed the abduction.

Akomolafe said all the security outfits in Ekiti, including police, soldiers, Amotekun corps, local hunters and Vigilance groups, had started combing the forests searching for the monarch.

Meanwhile, the Ekiti State Police Command has arrested 14 suspects in connection with the abduction of a Polytechnic student, Akiode Akinyemi.

The suspected syndicates were nabbed by operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) for abducting the Crown Polytechnic, Odo-Ekiti student June 19 at about 10:00am.

In its statement, the congress blasted both parties for charging several millions of naira as nomination fees that precluded the youths from vying for the governorship seats in some states.

Adesuyi said: “That the party nomination form for APC in Ekiti governorship primary will be sold for N22.5 million is deliberate or calculated strategy to stand against or contradict the not too young to run bill signed into law by the APC-led government.

“Obviously, the leadership of APC party has shown to us through such a release that they were and are only paying lip service to our pains and no doubt our pains are their pleasures.

“It is our position that the party should quickly reverse this anti youth decision within 21 days, failure which we will resort to protest to express our displeasure, rejection and agitation against such arrangement.”

Adesuyi said it was wrong for the ruling party to technically shut its doors and windows of political opportunities against the qualified young that considered

the platform a veritable one to participate in the election and take over.

“It is also our opinion that the party is technically encouraging the youth who have better things to offer in governance to go desperately on illicit means to bring money into the party for their personal favour before he/she could be offered the opportunity to lead.

“We know that N22.5 million naira is nothing to some young people and they can afford to pay because they are far above the average class.

“But the average class person that will be privileged to purchase this nomination form at this amount, will either for the reason of intention to steal public funds borrow money or steal elsewhere to do so and consequently steal public funds in returns”.

Adesuyi challenged the youth to use the transition period as the best option to effect the desired change in resolving the crises of noninclusion and bad governance in the country.

VON Holds Annual Drama Competition Tuesday Nigeria’s external Radio station, Voice of Nigeria (VON) has concluded plans to hold its annual French Drama Secondary Schools Competition in Abuja on Tuesday.

The Chairman of the organising committee, Mrs. Edith Udo-Udo, who spoke on behalf of the Director General, Mr Osita Okechukwu, said the competition “is aimed at encouraging students to learn and speak French as a second language.”

She explained that the reason behind the competition was that Nigeria “is surrounded by French speaking countries and there is a need to promote the study of French language in Secondary Schools in Nigeria.”

Okechukwu explained that this was part of VON’s corporate

social responsibility to the society, adding that with this initiative, many students would be interested in learning and speaking French.

One of the initiators of the VON French Drama Competition, Isaac John said that over one hundred students from seven selected Secondary Schools in Nigeria will participate in the Competition after a rigorous screening exercise.

According to him, COVID 19 guidelines and protocols will strictly be enforced.

Isaac John added that five judges from academia and professionals have been invited to select the best three schools that perform extraordinarily well among the schools.

Malaka Releases Second Studio Album A 9-year old Nigerian singer, Makayla Malaka, has released her second studio album titled “Nine,” exactly a year after she released her first album.

The album, which will be released to the digital music stores from today, is the young artist’s second studio album and contains nine hit tracks.

Makayla’s musical journey started with her singing professionally at six when she released her first single as a recording artist at the age of seven.

She released her first studio album ‘Eight’ on her eight birthday which was on June 27, 2020. Known for her versatility, Makayla dabbles into different music genres while retaining a strong pop feel.

Prior to the release, the new album has four already released singles: “The 2020 Trees, Thank you God, Don’t Give Up and African Princess,” which are currently receiving great reviews both nationally and internationally.

Surprisingly, Makayla’s biggest musical influence is the king of pop himself, Michael Jackson. It is no

surprise that she aspires to be as big as the late pop star someday, and the quality of her work tells us this is not impossible.

If curious about who she sings for, Makayla enjoys making music for everyone. Her music has been regarded as a source of inspiration by different age groups and also an encouragement that there is a golden future for Nigerian Music.

The multi-gifted Makayla is also currently co-authoring a book with renowned children’s author and a collaborator on one of her tracks, Sope Martins. The book, African Princess, titled after the song collaboration, is set to be released later this year.

Malaka

79

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER JUNE 27, 2021

SUNDAYSPORTS

Edited by: Duro Ikhazuagbe email:Duro.Ikhazuagbe@thisdaylive.com

EURO 2020... EURO 2020... EURO 2020...

Lukaku v Ronaldo as Belgium Battle +ROGHUV 3RUWXJDO IRU 4·ÀQDO 7LFNHW The world’s number-one ranked side Belgium will take on holders Portugal in a standout Euro 2020 tie in Spain today for a place in the quarter-finals Duro Ikhazuagbe with agency report

A

ll eyes will be on Belgium forward Romelu Lukaku and Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo, who have scored eight goals between them at Euro 2020 Ronaldo, who is the tournament’s leading scorer on Àve goals, is one away from setting a new men’s record for most national team goals.

Since the end of the 2018 World Cup, Lukaku has scored 23 goals in 21 appearances in all competitions for Belgium, while also providing four assists.

The Inter Milan forward netted three goals in the group stage, including two in one match against Russia.

Ronaldo, 36, is now the top-scoring European player at major tournaments (World Cup and European Championship), with his double against France in the last game moving him beyond Miroslav Klose (19) to 21 goals.

Indeed, that was Ronaldo’s second double of Euro 2020 already - no player has registered three in a single tournament at the European Championship.

“At his age, he continues to shine and I’m going to try and get as close to his achievements as possible,” Lukaku, 28, said of his Portuguese rival.

The last-16 tie takes place in Seville.

Meanwhile, Leicester City’s Youri Tielemans could return for the match, which will include extra-time and penalties if it is level after 90 and 120 minutes

Belgium’s Romelu Lukaku (left) and Portugal Captain, Cristiano Ronaldo, will go head-to-head in the battle for the Euro 2020 quarter final ticket

respectively.

Tielemans started the Àrst two group wins but did not play against Finland.

Wolves defender Nelson Semedo picked up a knock in Portugal’s last outing against France but has since returned to training.

Manchester United’s Bruno

Fernandes is hoping to return to the starting line-up after being dropped to the bench for the last game.

Despite being top of Fifa’s world rankings.

Belgium have yet to win a major tournament.

Along with Italy and the Netherlands, Roberto Martinez’s

team were one of three sides to Ànish the group stage with a maximum nine points.

While Italy and the Netherlands played their three games at ‘home’ in Rome and Amsterdam respectively, Belgium overcame Russia in St Petersburg, came from behind to beat Denmark in Copenhagen before returning to

Denmark Eliminate Bale’s Wales to Berth Last 8 Wales were eliminated in the second round of Euro 2020 Championships on Saturday evening as they were thrashed 3-0 by Denmark, whose inspiring journey at the tournament after Christian Eriksen death scare, continues to the quarter-Ànals.

Backed by a fervent and almost exclusively Danish crowd, Kasper Hjulmand’s side led as Kasper Dolberg curled in a Àne 27th-minute strike from the edge of the penalty area.

Dolberg struck again in the 48th minute as he seized on a defensive error from Wales substitute Neco Williams to smash in from close range.

That goal deÁated Wales, who never looked like clawing their way back into the game as Joakim Maehle added a late third for the jubilant Danes.

Substitute Harry Wilson was then shown a straight red card for a late foul on Maehle before Martin Braithwaite struck a fourth goal in added time as Wales’ campaign ended miserably.

Robert Page’s men had performed well to get out of a di΀cult Group A which also featured Italy, Switzerland and Turkey, but this impressive Danish side proved a challenge too far.

Denmark had already provided the uplifting story of these Ànals, showing admirable resolve to reach

this stage having been galvanised by midÀelder Eriksen’s recovery from a cardiac arrest.

The next stop on their fairytale voyage will be Baku for a last-eight tie with the Netherlands or the Czech Republic next Saturday.

As for Wales, they will return home exhausted but, in time, proud of their eͿorts in reaching the knockout stages again in only their third appearance at a major tournament.

Wales’ journey to this point had been long and arduous. Whereas Denmark had the luxury of playing all three of their group games at home

in Copenhagen, Wales had travelled to the tournament’s eastern outpost in Baku for two matches before facing Italy in Rome.

This was eͿectively a third away game from four for Page and his players, and initially they seemed to relish the challenge as they made a purposeful start to the game.

Captain Gareth Bale looked dangerous on the right, cutting inside on to his left foot and sending a 20-yard shot wobbling just wide of the post before Ànding space again and creating openings for his fellow attackers.

That proved to be a false dawn as Dolberg’s goal changed the game.

From that point Wales found themselves retreating further into their own half in the face of Danish pressure, as well as having to contend with an injury to right-back Connor Roberts and a yellow card for striker KieͿer Moore which curbed his threat as a physical pivot to the attack..

Moore felt hard done by not to win a free-kick in the build-up to Denmark’s second goal as he was manhandled by Simon Kjaer, who he was adjudged to have fouled for his booking earlier.

%HDFK 9ROOH\EDOO 1LJHULD WR %DWWOH .HQ\D IRU 2O\PSLF 7LFNHW 7RGD\ Nigeria will face Kenya in the Ànal of the women’s category at the ongoing Tokyo Beach Volleyball Olympics 4ualiÀers in Morocco today.

Nigeria made it through after Egypt was disqualiÀed after some of their delegates tested positive for Covid- 19.

The Head Coach of Nigeria Beach Volleyball team, Francis Imoudu, told newsmen that Egypt women’s team were stopped from participating in the SemiÀnals in order to prevent the outbreak of Covid-19.

He revealed that the next mission of the girls is to pick the sole ticket

in the Women’s category.

Imoudu said, “We had a target before leaving Nigeria to be in the Ànal and pick the ticket.

I give glory to God that we are now in the Ànal and the next step is to clinch the ticket.

“The team had series of training tours in and outside Nigeria, the team showed promise; the team played with their heart during the tournament and we are now in the Ànal”.

“CAVB did not want to risk the outbreak of Covid-19 during the tournament so they had to stop the Egyptian delegation from playing

after some of them tested positive for Covid-19. You are aware that beach volleyball is a contact game”.

Meanwhile, Kenya women beach volleyball team has pulled the greatest shocked in the CAVB beach volleyball continental cup in Morocco after a pulsating semi Ànal tie against Morroco on Saturday in Agadir.

Morroco ran away with the Àrst match winning 2-0, the Kenyans came out stronger to win in the second match 2-1 and set a golden match meet up with the tournament favorites.

St Petersburg to defeat Finland.

Euro 2016 winners Portugal made it through to the last 16 as one of the best four third-placed teams.

They lost to Germany 4-2 in Munich after winning 3-0 in Hungary before a dramatic 2-2 draw with world champions France in Budapest.

,WDO\ 1HHG ([WUD 7LPH DJDLQVW $XVWULD WR 5HDFK 4·ÀQDO Austria marked their Àrst appearance in the knockout stage of the European Championship with a tireless performance to give their much-fancied opponents a scare.

Marko Arnautovic had a headed goal disallowed after a VAR check for oͿside in normal time when the game was goalless before goals from substitutes Federico Chiesa and Matteo Pessina sent Italy through.

Chiesa showed terriÀc technique to bring the ball down and beat Daniel Bachmann from an angle while Pessina, who scored in the group game against Wales, doubled the score from range.

Austria pulled a goal back through Sasa Kalajdzic’s brave header, the Àrst goal Italy have conceded in 12 games, but the Azzurri march on.

Italy had the best of the Àrst-half chances as Nicolo Barella was denied

by Austria’s Watford keeper before Ciro Immobile struck the post from 25 yards.

Austria produced a terriÀc defensive display to frustrate the four-time world champions, while creating opportunities of their own.

Arnautovic put one chance over the bar and, with another, Àred straight at the keeper, while David Alaba went close from a free-kick before the disallowed goal.

TR

Sunday June 27, 2021

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SIMONKOLAWOLE SIMONKOLAWOLELIVE!

simon.kolawole@thisdaylive.com, sms: 0805 500 1961

Restructuring and the 1963 Constitution

F

unny how we hardly reach any crossethnic consensus in this country, but the campaign for a return to the 1963 Constitution — increasingly becoming the backbone of the “restructuring” agenda — seems popular in southern Nigeria and Benue state. The core argument is that we need to return to regionalism: every region should control its natural resources, take 50 percent derivation, run local councils and create state police “as provided for under the 1963 Constitution”. The 1999 Constitution, according to the #BringBack1963Constitution movement, is a glorified military document fit only to be used to wrap suya and sliced onions or roasted plantain and peanuts.

I have to admit upfront that a rational debate is difficult under this toxic atmosphere. Opinions are mostly settled along ethno-religious lines. It will be awfully problematic to have a dispassionate dialogue. To the typical southerner, northerners have been implementing an agenda of total domination as the structure of the country is eternally skewed in their favour. To the typical northerner, the structure is a fair reflection of our socio-economic and political demographics and southerners are only allowing pride and prejudice to colour their reasoning. With these entrenched mindsets on both sides, we cannot expect to have a decent discourse, much less reach a consensus.

The loudest voices in the room are demanding a return to the 1963 Constitution for several reasons.

One, it is widely claimed that the constitution granted resource control to the regions. Two, it is said that the constitution granted 50 percent derivation. Three, it is believed that the 50 percent derivation allowed the regions to compete and that was why Nigeria made progress then, compared to now. Four, it is argued that the 1999 Constitution, under which we currently operate, is a terrible piece of work foisted on the country by the military.

There are many other reasons being advanced by the #BringBack1963Constitution movement which I cannot capture in this little space.

For us to have a healthy and honest debate, we need to stick to the facts. We can then apply logic to the cold facts. To start with, it is incorrect to say the 1963 Constitution granted resource control to the regions. In fact, Item 25 of Part I under Section 69 of the Schedule of the constitution clearly placed “mines and minerals, including oilfields, oil mining, geological surveys and natural gas” on the Exclusive Legislative List — under the federal government. This was a word-for-word retention of Item 25 (Part I) under Chapter XI of the 1960 constitution, bequeathed to us by the British colonial masters. It was repeated as Item 36 (Part I) of the Second Schedule in 1979 and Item 39 in 1999.

More importantly, was derivation payment actually 50 per cent under the 1963 Constitution? Section 140, titled “Mining Royalties and Rents”, stated thus: “(1) There shall be paid by the Federation to each Region a sum equal to fifty per cent of (a) the proceeds of any ROYALTY (emphasis mine) received by the Federation in respect of any minerals extracted in that Region; and (b) any mining RENTS (my emphasis again) derived by the Federation during that year from within that Region.” This is a direct replication of Section 134 of the 1960 Constitution. I wrote an article in 2017 making an argument that the 1963 Constitution granted 50 percent derivation on minerals.

However, I got an email from a senior lawyer, who is also a professor of law. He queried my interpretation. He said the key provisions of Section 140, along with the preceding Sections 136-139, 141-145 and Item 25 on the Exclusive Legislative List, were as follows. One, ownership of all minerals, including oil and gas, belonged to the federation.

Two, the 50 percent derivation accruing to regions is in respect of “royalties and rents” derived from mining activities and not “revenue” from mineral sale. Item 25 already said all minerals, including oil and gas, belonged to the federation. “Any and all

Buhari revenues derived from their sale similarly belong to the federation,” he said.

In contrast, he argued, Section 162 (2) of the 1999 Constitution says that “the principle of derivation shall be constantly reflected in any approved formula as being not less than thirteen per cent of the REVENUE (my emphasis) accruing to the Federation Account DIRECTLY (mine, again) from any natural resources”. The professor’s core argument is that the 13 percent from “revenue” in the 1999 Constitution is higher than the 50 percent on “royalties and rents” in the 1963 Constitution.

If he is correct, that means the much-derided 1999 Constitution is the only document in the history of Nigeria that grants derivation directly on revenue, as opposed to just the mining rents and royalties.

While I could not counter him, I am also aware of certain things. When the 50 percent provision was made in 1960, we did not have the kind of expansive oil taxation arrangement in place today.

Royalty, a fixed sum paid by companies for mining a mineral, is just one handle. Oil companies now pay the following: signature bonus, after winning the rights to a block; 85 percent petroleum profit tax; two percent profit education tax; local content levy; and export supervision scheme levy of 0.5 percent on volume. In addition, the biggest source of oil revenue today is from the sale of Nigeria’s share of joint-venture crude production and profit oil from the production sharing contracts.

For clarity, federally collected revenues are shared by the three tiers of government AFTER the mineral-rich states have taken their 13 percent derivation, which is a first line charge. In addition to derivation, the oil-rich states also share from the monthly federation account allocation committee (FAAC). In 2019, Delta state received N165.2 billion as 13 percent derivation and N219.28 billion as net FAAC allocation. Akwa Ibom earned N119.7 billion as derivation and N171.98 billion as net FAAC allocation. If we revive the 1963 Constitution, the senior lawyer said, the 50 percent derivation from “rents and royalties” will not favour the oil-rich states as much as the 13 percent on “revenue”.

The 1963 movement has also successfully sold the idea that “regionalism” and “50 percent derivation” made the regions “compete” in the first republic.

This is urban legend. True, Western Nigeria earned its biggest revenues from cocoa, Eastern Nigeria from palm produce and Northern Nigeria from groundnuts, but the 50 percent derivation on “rents and royalties” did not apply to agricultural produce. Agricultural revenue was not paid into the federation account. It was between the farmers and the regional governments. And, yes, this is retained in the 1999 Constitution. Osun and Ondo are into cocoa. Ebonyi and Kebbi are into rice. No constitution has stopped them.

Let me be cheeky a little. Under the 1963 Constitution, Nigeria produced 417,000mt of

groundnuts annually. Under the 1999 Constitution, we are now producing three million mt. Which is better? Nigeria produced 270,000mt of cocoa in 1965 and 650,000mt in 2004. Which is better?

Under the 1999 Constitution, Nigeria became the largest producer of cassava in the world as well as one of the world’s largest producers of tomatoes.

We are now one of the largest producers of rice in Africa. Of course, you and I know that it is not the constitutions that produced the cassava and rice.

It is about policies, incentives and commitment.

We really can do with more sophistication in our thinking.

There is also this obsession with regionalism — that we should restructure to six regions to allow for “competition” and reduce “cost of governance”.

We had three regions that “competed” in the first republic. So, we should now reduce 36 states to six regions so that we can compete again. That means we should bring Tiv from Benue together with Fulani from Nasarawa in the north-central region and under one governor? Jokes? The over 50 ethnic groups in the south-south should come under one governor? Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo should become one state when Nd’Igbo are actually asking for an extra state? Do these 1963 campaigners listen to themselves at all?

“Cost of governance” is not determined by the constitution. It is determined by the operators of the constitution. The 1999 Constitution prescribes one minister per state, which means we can do with 36 ministers, but we decided to appoint 43. Should we blame the constitution for that? A governor appoints 1,000 aides and buys 1,000 Prado SUVs and we think the high “cost of governance” is caused by the constitution? Lawmakers create millions of naira for themselves as monthly allowances but we want to blame the high “cost of governance” on the constitution? In the end, it is the operators of the constitution that decide either to be prudent or wasteful with public funds. Having six regions will not automatically translate to a massive reduction in costs. This is Nigeria.

Meanwhile, the 36 states are allowed to “compete” by the 1999 Constitution. Abia styles itself as the “SME capital of Nigeria”. Cross River says it is Nigeria’s best tourist destination. Must competition be among only six regions when 36 states can play the game? If not that we tie viability to FAAC, all states are viable — if the leadership is right. As an aside, under the 1999 Constitution, aviation is on the exclusive list but Anambra has just inaugurated its airport. Akwa Ibom has Ibom Air. Lagos, Delta and Akwa Ibom states invested in Econet in 2001.

If they had not sold off their shares, they would be earning billions today at a time FAAC revenue is low. But we prefer to blame the 1999 Constitution.

I want to be clear on something: Nigerians have the right to keep looking for how to enjoy good governance and development. However, this is an exercise that must approached with facts and rigour, not just parroting the “received wisdom” being perpetrated from one generation to another.

If the 1963 Constitution gave us Eldorado, why was the first republic overthrown? Read the coup speech of Major Chukwuma Nzeogwu and you would think he wrote it early this morning. I understand the nostalgia about the first republic, but the assumptions are simplistic. We had some visionary, competent and patriotic leaders but some think it was the constitution that did the work.

Chief Obafemi Awolowo, for example, never used the 1963 Constitution. Under a colonial constitution, he governed and transformed Western Nigeria from 1952-59. Even with the “military” constitution of 1979, Awo’s cardinal programmes — free education, free healthcare, rural/urban industrial integration and gainful employment — were implemented

by UPN governors. Till tomorrow, we are still celebrating the feats of Alhaji Lateef Jakande, Lagos governor from 1979-83. And you know what? Free education, free healthcare, rural/urban industrial integration and gainful employment are still allowed under the 1999 Constitution. If you doubt me, get a copy and read it.

And Four Other Things…

LUCKLESS LAWAN After a long trial, Hon. Farouk Lawan was finally sentenced to seven years imprisonment for the bribery scandal of 2012. He had allegedly demanded a $3 million bribe from Mr Femi Otedola in order not to indict his company, Zenon Petroleum, in the subsidy scam probe by the house of reps. The irony was that Zenon dealt only in diesel, which was not subsidised, but our lawmakers can embarrass anybody. Otedola organised a sting operation and nailed him. It is not as if the “public hearing” blackmail has stopped — it is still a major source of income for the blackmailers. Lawan may still find a way out of prison. This is Nigeria where jails are meant for only the lowly. Sad. HIGH AND LOW Chidinma Ojukwu, the 21-year-old Unilag undergraduate who allegedly murdered Usifo Ataga, the CEO of Super TV, said something that needs to become a major focus of social action in Nigeria. The 300L student of mass communication said both of them were high on drugs, one of which she named as “roofies”. Brig-Gen Mohamed Marwa (rtd), chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), recently attributed most criminalities in Nigeria, including banditry and terrorism, to the influence of illicit drugs. It takes more than courage, anger and hate to butcher a fellow human being. Addressing the drug menace must be priority in our security strategies.

High.

FEC VS TWITTER You mean Nigeria really nominated six ministers to meet with Twitter to resolve issues around the suspension of the microblogging site in Nigeria? To discuss issues of compliance that can be handled by a perm sec and a couple of technocrats? Can you see the quality of thinking in government?

I would be surprised if Jack Dorsey, the Twitter CEO, attends the meeting. If he does, it would be just to humour us. It is a job the head of compliance at Twitter should handle.

We still have to be thankful that President Buhari and Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo are not part of our delegation. In 1976, Gen Murtala Muhammed said Africa had come of age. And 45 years after, this. Demeaning.

OPL 245 TWISTS Are Nigerians following the drama around the prosecution of the OPL 245 case in Italy? For the past five years, many people have been scandalised and reputations destroyed over the controversial deal, but new developments have shown that there was more to it. Shell and Eni and their executives have been discharged and acquitted over corruption allegations; Emeka Obi, a middleman for Malabu Oil & Gas in the negotiations, has been freed from jail for miscarriage of justice; and Fabio Da Pasquale, the prosecutor, is now facing investigation for allegedly manipulating evidence in his desperation to secure convictions. This should be made into a movie. Incredible.

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