SUNDAY 25TH JULY 2021

Again, CBN Guarantees Safety, Resilience of Banking Industry James Emejo in Abuja The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) yesterday reiterated the resilience, safety, and soundness of Nigerian Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) as well as the other financial institutions under

its supervision.

The assurance came against the backdrop of "false and unfounded stories circulating in the social media attacking the soundness and safety of some Nigerian banks".

However, the CBN’s acting Director, Corporate

Communications Department, Mr. Osita Nwanisobi, told journalists that the banking system had proven to be sturdy, despite the global challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

He said routine bank examinations and stress

tests for financial institutions operating in the country indicated that no bank licensed by the CBN is currently under any form of financial distress.

Nwanisobi, who spoke ahead of the next week’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting of the apex

bank, further stressed that the banks had adequate capital to absorb unexpected losses that may arise.

He pointed out that the central bank had continued to monitor the activities of banks to ensure that no individual or institution breached the laid

down guidelines in line with the bank’s resolve to ensure adherence to prudential standards.

While also calling on the banking public to disregard any report alleging insolvency Continued on page 8

FG Procures 32 Fighter Planes, Combat Helicopters, Drones in Six Years… Page 5 Sunday 25 July, 2021 Vol 26. No 9603

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Buni Faces Fresh Challenges as APC Chairmanship Aspirants Reject Consensus Option Al-Makura, Akume, Abdullahi’s camps want party to conduct election Chuks Okocha in Abuja The Governor Mai Mala Buni-led National Caretaker/ Extraordinary Convention

Planning Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) may face fresh challenges following the committee’s recent revelation that the

party would favour consensus option for the election of its officials at all levels to reduce acrimony, THISDAY’s investigation has revealed.

THISDAY gathered that the political camps of the two former Governors of Nasarawa State, Mr. Umaru Tanko Al-Makura; Senator

Abdullahi Adamu, and their counterpart from Benue State, Senator George Akume have insisted that the party should conduct the election for the

emergence of its national chairman.

Al-Makura, Adamu, and Continued on page 5

People Working Behind the Scene on Igboho’s Arrest, Sanwo-Olu Reveals Nigeria hasn’t requested for activist’s extradition, says Beninoise lawyer Faults claim of agitator’s arrest with Beninoise passport Gboyega Akinsanmi and Segun James Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, yesterday disclosed that contrary to the impression that the South-west governors were silent on the arrest and detention of the Yoruba Nation’s activist, Chief Sunday Adeyemo (a.k.a Sunday Igboho) by the authorities of the Republic of Benin, ‘people’ were working silently on the travails of the self-determination agitator.

Also, contrary to reports

that the federal government was seeking the extradition of Igboho to Nigeria, one of his Beninoise lawyers, Prof.

Ibrahim Salami, yesterday revealed that the Nigerian government has not requested his extradition from the Francophone country.

The professor of law at a university in the Republic of Benin also faulted claims that security operatives arrested Igboho alongside his wife, Ropo at the Cardinal Bernardin Continued on page 6

Nigeria Records 3,868 Killings, 3,016 Abductions in Six Months...Page 8

STILL IN SALLAH MOOD...

Secretary General, Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), Dr. Muhammad Sanusi Barkindo (left); and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, during Barkindo’s courtesy visit to the former Vice President at his residence in Yola, Adamawa State…weekend

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FG Procures 32 Fighter Planes, Combat Helicopters, Drones in Six Years Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja As the nation's security forces battle insurgents and bandits across the country, the federal government has procured a total of 32 different types of fighter planes, combat helicopters, and associated platforms since 2015, a period of six years, according to statistics obtained by THISDAY. The war against insurgency has dragged on for 11 years with thousands of people killed and an estimated three million people displaced.

In addition to the insurgency war, the federal government has also waged war against bandits, who focus on kidnapping for ransom.

The recent delivery of the A-29 fighter jets equipped with integrated weapons and laser-firing technology is one of the latest efforts to turn the tide of the war against insurgency and banditry.

THISDAY gathered that with the arrival of the first batch of six A-29 Super Tucano attack aircraft last Thursday, the federal government has received a total of 32 brand-new aircraft for the Nigerian Air Force since President Muhammadu Buhari came to power.

The platforms include 10 Super Mushshak aircraft, five Mi-35M helicopter gunships, two Bell 412 helicopters, four Agusta 109 Power attack helicopters, two Mi-171E helicopters, three JF-17 Thunder fighter aircraft, which were delivered and inducted in May 2021.

The arsenal of the air force was also beefed up with three special missions aircraft from the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), part of the maritime security arrangement, deep blue project.

Though they belong to NIMASA, they are operated by the Nigerian Air Force.

The federal government had also procured eight

Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicles (UCAV), also known as drones.

The drones from China were delivered last year.

They include Wingloong II, CH-3 and CH-4.

The air force had last year taken delivery of eight UCAVs and three fighter jets from China.

It said the drones would be deployed in Zamfara, Kebbi, Sokoto, and Kaduna states

as part of its containment strategy against insurgency and armed banditry.

It had also constructed a runway and ancillary facilities for the UCAVs in Gusau, the Zamfara State capital.

While highlighting the capabilities of the UCAVs, NAF said the unmanned aircraft could remain airborne for up to 26 hours providing persistent presence over areas of interest.

"The eight drones recently acquired by the government were designed to enhance the intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) as well as airstrike capabilities of the NAF not only in the fight against armed banditry in the North-west and North-central but also in counter-insurgency operations in the North-east.

"The first two UCAVs were deployed in the newly established 203 Combat

Reconnaissance Group in Gombe and the two others at the Air Task Force, Operation Hadin Kai Headquarters in Maiduguri," it said at the time of purchase.

Meanwhile, the second batch of the A-29 Super Tucano attack aircraft are expected in Nigeria by December 2021.

The A-29 fighter jet equipped is one of the latest upgrades expected to turn

the tide of the war against insurgency and armed banditry.

A statement issued by the office of the Minister of Defence, Major General Bashir Magashi (rtd) said the aircraft was designed and built by US aircraft manufacturer, Embraer, as a development of the Embraer EMB 312 Tucano which, he said had in-built precision-guided ammunition capabilities.

PERFORMING CIVIC RESPONSIBILITY...

Wife of the Lagos State Governor, Mrs. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu (left), and Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, during their accreditation for the local government elections at Polling Unit 019, Femi Okunnu/Lateef Jakande Ward 09, Ikoyi 2, Eti Osa Local Government Area…yesterday

BUNI FACES FRESH CHALLENGES AS APC CHAIRMANSHIP ASPIRANTS RE JECT CONSENSUS OPTION Akume are the leading contenders for the position of the national chairman of the ruling party.

The National Secretary of the Buni-led APC committee, Senator John Akpanudoedehe, had reportedly stated that the party was recommending the consensus option for the election of its officials at all levels to reduce acrimony.

Reacting to agitations by some state chapters of the party to have what they described as a proper election, Akpanudoedehe had explained that the party leadership was dealing with the issue of integrating incoming and already established members as well as accommodating their various interests.

“We have more and more governors from opposition political parties, especially the PDP, who are coming to join us with thousands of their supporters; we have to make

room for them.

“While doing so, we don’t want to take steps to push out those who are already within.

“We are encouraging states to adopt the consensus arrangement because it saves costs and reduces acrimony.

That is why when you look at Article 20 of our constitution which talks about elections, the first thing there is for members to try reaching a consensus. When that fails, then you go to cast ballots,” he had reportedly said.

The ruling party had promised to shock the main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) by adopting consensus to elect its presidential candidate for the 2023 general election.

But the political camps of Al-Makura, Adamu, and Akume, who feared that the party would also apply the same consensus option to elect its national chairman, have

expressed their opposition to the option of a consensus national chairman.

One of the campaign managers of Al-Makura, who is a member of the House of Representatives, told THISDAY that the option of a consensus national chairman would not be acceptable to his principal.

He explained that consensus arrangement is a ploy by those who are afraid of election to impose a national chairman on the party.

"This is democracy. Let us go to the convention and let a popular candidate win. An election is all about winners and losers. You can't win all the time.

"The winner will always do the needful by commencing reconciliation processes after his victory. But to impose a candidate as a consensus option will be resisted," he explained.

Speaking in the same

manner, one of the campaign managers of Adamu also told THISDAY that the idea of a consensus in the election of the APC national chairman of the APC would defeat the idea of freedom of choice that defines democracy.

He said that the consensus option advocated by the national secretary of APC was nothing but a smokescreen to impose unpopular persons as members of the ruling party, insisting that, "if you are popular, please come out and contest as we are ready to oppose this idea of a consensus."

Also, an official of Akume’s camp told THISDAY that the Minister of Special Duties would only accept proper election.

He said that “to do otherwise is to invite crisis for anyone so appointed as a consensus national chairman.”

According to him, "the PDP

in all its troubles conducted an elective national convention that eventually produced Prince Uche Secondus", and wondered what the ruling party is planning to avoid.

Meanwhile, a group that called itself APC stakeholders has objected to the idea of having a former governor as the national chairman of the party, explaining that former governors are not good managers of men.

According to the group, former governors approached party administrations with arrogance and impunity that affected the smooth running of the administration of political parties.

It cautioned the party against allowing any of the former governors to emerge as the national chairman of the party.

In a communiqué issued at the end of their meeting, which was signed by Musa Musawa and Adamu Kaguru

and Wahab Omolori, the APC stakeholders cautioned against allowing a former governor to emerge as national chairman.

The group argued that ex-governors tend to behave as if they still have executive powers.

"We know what led to the formation of the Caretaker/ Extraordinary National Convention Planning Committee. We know also what the party was about to face before the intervention.

Let us be guided before making another mistake.

"We have nothing against the former governors as members of the APC but we are worried about the modus operandi in running of political parties. They tend to behave as if they are still executive governors.

"They brook no opposing view; the APC cannot survive their type of leadership in a post-Muhammadu Buhari era.”

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PANDEF Condemns IPOB’s Attack on Clark, Asks Ohanaeze to Apologise Deji Elumoye in Abuja The Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) has described as idiotic and foolhardy a statement credited to the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), disparaging the elder statesman and South-south leader, Chief Edwin Kiagbodo Clark.

It has, therefore, called on the leadership of the Igbo nation to tender a public apology to the National Leader of PANDEF over the unwarranted aspersion cast on him.

The Forum in a statement issued yesterday by its National Chairman and former Deputy Chief Whip of the Senate, Senator Emmanuel Ibok Essien, stressed that the expressions in the said report could only have emanated from deluded and demented minds, which are quite indicative of the silliness of the IPOB officialdom.

"It is a shame that they cannot differentiate between fact and fantasy. This stupidity would erode any sympathy they had hitherto received from the South-south geo-political zone.

"Let us restate, without any equivocation, that the Niger Delta Region is not part of Biafra and that no inch of the South-south geopolitical zone shall be part of any imagined “Republic”. It’s rather puerile for IPOB or any other group to consider that Niger Delta Region would be part of any arbitrary contraption. If it becomes necessary for the Niger Delta people to pull out of this country, we shall do so, on our terms."

PANDEF also flaunted the contributions of Clark, whose life is a rich source of inspiration to many, within and beyond the borders of Nigeria, adding that since the IPOB belligerents are so infantile and uninformed, it would suffice to state that the influence and significance of Clark transcend the South-south zone and the Niger Delta.

It described the nationalist as an unswerving voice that

resonates across Nigeria, for decades, speaking out against oppression, discrimination, and marginalisation in the country.

PANDEF further said: "Over the years, the highly respected Chief who was a Federal Minister of Information, and Distinguished Senator of the Federal Republic, has in his capacities as an

educationist, politician, public servant, lawyer, lawmaker, community leader and nationalist, continued to play vital roles to stimulate unity, peace, and development in the Niger Delta region, and Nigeria, at large.

"Working with other patriotic Nigerians, including the leadership of the apex Igbo socio-

cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, and eminent personalities of Igbo extraction, towards the realisation of a better Nigeria, where equity, fairness, and justice would reign, and which, he remains doggedly committed to, even at age 94".

The group, apart from demanding an open apology from the Igbo

nation to Clark, also called for the denouncement of the statement forthwith.

It said: "Though PANDEF assumes no well-meaning Igbo son or daughter would sanction the aspersion by IPOB on our respected national leader, however, we would insist that the leadership of the Igbo Nation denounce the

irresponsible statement

by IPOB, and tender a public apology to the elder statesman, and, indeed, the entire Niger Delta people, in the interest of healthy relations between the South-east and South-south zones. Anything short of that would be inferred to be tacit approval of the balderdash of IPOB".

LEADING BY EXAMPLE...

Ogun State Governor, Mr. Dapo Abiodun, casting his vote during the local government elections at Ward 3, Polling Unit 002, Ita Osanyin, Iperu in Ikenne Local Government Area of the state…yesterday

PEOPLE WORKING BEHIND THE SCENE ON IGBOHO’S ARREST, SANWO-OLU REVEALS Gantin International Airport, Cotonou, with the passport of Benin Republic.

Addressing journalists yesterday at the Polling Unit 019 Ward 08, Ikoyi II, where he cast his vote during the Lagos State Local Government/ Council Areas elections, SanwoOlu disclosed that “people are working behind the scenes concerning the apprehension and prosecution of Igboho at the Republic of Benin.”

Sanwo-Olu was asked to respond to the alleged presumed silence of Southwest governors on the arrest of Igboho.

In his response, he said: “These are very difficult times for all of us. I can assure you that people are working behind the scenes. On occasions like this, it is not by how many press people you call.

“I am aware that a lot of people have responses that they are doing quietly and privately. It does not have to be a public conversation,” he explained.

Nigeria Hasn’t Requested for activist’s Extradition, Says Beninoise Lawyer Meanwhile, contrary to reports that the federal government was seeking the extradition of Igboho to Nigeria, one of his Beninoise lawyers, Salami has revealed that the Nigerian government has not requested his extradition from the Francophone country.

Speaking yesterday in an interview with BBC Yoruba Service, Salami disclosed that the Nigerian government only brought allegations of arms trafficking, inciting people to disintegrate Nigeria and fuelling social unrest in some parts of the federation, against Igboho.

Salami disclosed that Nigeria had not formally made any request for the extradition of Igboho from the Republic of Benin to Nigeria based on the documents filed before the Cotonou Court of Appeal.

He acknowledged that the

Nigerian government wrote Benin Republic that Igboho was on the wanted list and that the embattled agitator for the Yoruba Nation should be detained if found within the territorial jurisdiction of the Francophone country.

The lawyer explained that the authorities of Benin Republic did not apprehend Igboho because he violated the Constitution of Benin Republic or any law of the Francophone country.

Rather, according to him, Nigeria claimed that Igboho violated its domestic laws at home.

“Igboho did not violate any law in the Benin Republic.

We are not afraid of that,” he added.

He said before the Republic of Benin could release Igboho to the Nigerian government, the Federal Republic of Nigeria had to prove before the court of competent jurisdiction in the Francophone country that he violated Nigerian laws as claimed.

For now, Salami said:

“Nigeria has not been able to prove that Igboho violated its domestic laws. But we do not want a situation where the Republic of Benin will keep him for a long time and allow Nigeria to file additional documents before the court.

“Based on court documents, there are currently three allegations that Nigeria brought against Igboho at the Cotonou Court Appeal. First, Nigeria accused him of arms trafficking.

We are surprised to learn of this allegation.

“Second, Nigeria claimed that Igboho was fuelling social unrest in Nigeria or inciting people to cause conflict in Nigeria. Third, Nigeria alleged that Igboho wanted to disintegrate Nigeria. We, Igboho’s lawyers, fought hard against these allegations.

“We established before the court that Igboho was a pacifist and that he exercised his right without using any arm or ammunition. Yoruba people worldwide must not allow Benin Republic to extradite Igboho to Nigeria because

his life is under threat.”

Salami deflated claims that the agitator for the Yoruba Nation was arrested with the passports of Benin Republic and Germany, noting that the claims “are false and untrue.”

The lawyer explained how Igboho left Nigeria after the operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) invaded his Ibadan residence, killing two of his supporters and destroying property worth millions of Naira.

He said: “When Sunday Igboho left Nigeria, he escaped through an illegal route because his life was under threat. He left Nigeria alongside his wife with the plan to travel to Germany because his wife and seven children are living in Germany.

“When he arrived at Benin Airport, security operatives stopped him because the Federal Government of Nigeria claimed that he was on its wanted list. They did not arrest Igboho because he violated the laws of the Republic of Benin.

“No, Igboho did not violate

any law in the Republic of Benin. Security operatives did not also arrest him with the passport of the Republic of Benin. It is a lie that Igboho was arrested with the passport of the Benin Republic. Rather, he was arrested because Nigeria claimed Igboho violated its domestic law,” he said.

According to him, when Igboho was arrested at the Cardinal Bernadin International Airport, the security operatives of Benin Republic found a Nigerian passport with him and not the passport of the Francophone country as widely reported.

Inside Igboho’s Nigerian passport, according to Igboho’s lawyer, security operatives also found a German Residency Permit.

“There is no visa. Indeed, he does not need a visa to travel to Germany along with his wife because they have residency permits.

While he acknowledged that Continued on page 10

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Nigeria Records 3,868 Killings, 3,016 Abductions in Six Months

Gboyega Akinsanmi

No fewer than 3,868 persons were killed in different states of Nigeria between January and June 2021, a mid-year report by an international human rights organisation based in Washington DC, Global Rights, has revealed.

The group, which tracks daily incidents of mass atrocities across the country, also put the number of persons who were abducted within the timeframe at 3,016, a 79.6 per cent increase compared to 615 incidents recorded within the same period in 2020.

These were revealed in the Mass Atrocities Casualties Tracking, a publication of Global Rights, obtained by THISDAY at the weekend, which highlighted the deteriorating security conditions in the country when compared with the 2020 incidents.

In aggregate, the report put the total number of casualties for the mass atrocities that occurred between January and June 2021 at 3,868, representing an increase of 54.5 per cent, compared with 2,503 cases recorded within the same timeframe in 2020.

Based on the incidents, the report revealed that banditry accounted for 2,423 cases (62.64 per cent) of violent killing nationwide, Boko Haram 388 (10.03 per cent); herdsmen attacks (289) 7.47 per cent, isolated attacks (272) 7.03 per cent, cult clashes 213 (5.5 per cent), communal clashes 180 (4.65 per cent), extrajudicial killings (106 (2.74 per cent).

In January 2021, according to the report, 373 persons were killed across the country; 685 in February; 545 in March; 724 in April; 778 in May, and 763 in June.

In 2020, however, the report indicated that 415 violent killing incidents were recorded in January; 374 in February; 353 in March; 274 in April; 356 in May, and 731 in June, bringing it to an aggregate of 2,503 killing cases in the first six months of 2020.

In terms of abduction, the report revealed an unprecedented increase in the number of kidnapped victims, which steadily surged from 615 incidents in the first six months of 2020 to 3,016 incidents within the same timeframe in 2020.

While only 2,002 incidents of abduction were recorded all through the previous year, the new report put the mid-year incidents in the subsisting year at 3,016, supporting claims of analysts that kidnapping had

become a multimillion Naira industry in the country.

In the current year, as revealed in the report, 366 persons were abducted in January; 808 in February; 600 in March; 407 in April; 489 in May, and 346 in June, which showed an uneven progression in the cases of abduction in 2021.

Also, in the previous year, 306 incidents of abduction were documented in January; 207 in February; 34 in March; 16 in April; 34 in May, and 18 in June, which revealed a sharp regression at the height of COVID-19 lockdown and restriction.

From 24 incidents in July 2020 after the ease of the lockdown, there was an unparalleled trigger in the frequency of abduction with 224 cases recorded in August; 209 in September; 166 in October; 290 in November, and 411 in December.

In its 2020 report, Global Rights had claimed that Nigeria’s sub-national governments had lost confidence in the capacity of the federal government to provide security amid rising cases of mass atrocities that claimed 4,558 lives nationwide in 2020.

It had also claimed that the reported cases of mass atrocities in 2020 represented a 42.9 per cent increase above 3,188 incidents recorded nationwide in 2019, thereby making 2020 a brutal year for most Nigerians amid the outbreaks of COVID-19 and the eruption of #EndSARS protests It had revealed that mass atrocities-related killings by region affected no fewer than 1527 (33.5 per cent) in the North-west with Katsina, the home state of President Muhammadu Buhari, recording second highest after Kaduna; 1508 (33.08 per cent) in the North-east, 685 (15.03 per cent) in the North-central, 443 (9.72 per cent) in the South-south, 231 (5.07 per cent) in the South-west and 162 (3.55 per cent) in the South-east With the unprecedented cases of killing and abduction across the federation, a former Chief of Training, Operations, and Plans of the Nigerian Army, Maj. Gen. Ishola Williams observed that the federal “cannot eliminate crime, but can minimise it.”

In an interview with THISDAY on Friday night, Williams acknowledged that the frequency of violent killing and abduction had come down substantially in the South-west states following the

inauguration of the Western Nigeria Security Network codenamed Operation Amotekun.

The retired general argued that security challenges in the federation could only be addressed from the community level to the federal level, noting that the current policing system could no longer guarantee the safety of life and property.

Williams, therefore, challenged the northern governors to take a cue from their counterparts in the South

and come up with a policing arrangement to address the rising incidence of banditry, criminality, and terrorism in the North at large.

Also recommending how incidents of violent killings and abduction can be minimised in the country, President, White Ink Institute for Strategy Education and Research (WISER), Brig-Gen Saleh Bala first blamed the situation on the poor capacity of the governments to effectively

provide security for the citizens.

Bala explained that the ethnic, religious, and regional agitations based on the strategy of subterfuge on government by ethnic irredentists posing as secessionists and freedom fighters had culminated in apathy amongst the people and with recourse to negating state power through violence.

He lamented that the rate of abduction in the northern region “has grown certainly with the new strategy of the

mass abduction of villagers and school children. This is because the bandits have realised that such mass operation draws a higher premium than with single or fewer abducted individuals.

“All these are a result of poor government capacity in terms of manpower and operational resources to dominate the national terrain and effectively made it impregnable, difficult for criminal elements to enjoy the freedom of action.”

DIPLOMATIC VISIT...

L-R: Former President Goodluck Jonathan; South Korean Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Young-Chae Kim; and Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, during a state banquet in honour of the South Korean envoy in Yenagoa…weekend

Falana: N’Assembly Crippled INEC, Removed Power to Review Election

Gboyega Akinsanmi

Human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN) yesterday faulted the National Assembly for removing the power of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to review election results declared under duress or in contravention of electoral guidelines.

Falana, a former President of the West African Bar Association (WABA), also alleged that the National Assembly has completely monetised the democratic process, citing the indiscriminate increase of campaign expenses under Section 88 of the Electoral Amendment Bill.

The senior lawyer, who expressed these concerns in response to THISDAY’s inquiries yesterday, decried the implications of sections 65

and 88 of the newly passed Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill on the credible and transparent electoral process in Nigeria if President Muhammadu Buhari finally assents to the bill.

Falana argued that the fixation on the electronic transmission of election results clause “has not allowed Nigerians to consider other dangerous provisions in the bill.”

Specifically, the senior advocate cited section 65 of the Electoral Amendment Bill, which according to him, removed the power of the INEC to review results declared under duress or in contravention of electoral law and guidelines.

He questioned the recommendation of the federal legislators that only election petition tribunals “are empowered to review

fraudulent election results once they have been declared by the returning officers.”

He also pointed out Section 88 of the Electoral Amendment Bill, which he argued, completely monetised the democratic process as only moneybags can contest elections in Nigeria.

Under the section, the senior advocate noted that campaign expenses for the presidential election “have been increased from N1 billion to N15 billion, while that of the governorship election, has been raises from N200 million to N5 billion.

“The section increased spending for the senatorial election from N40 million to N1.5 billion; House of Representatives, from N30 million to N500 million; and the State House of Assembly election, from N10 million to

N50 million.

“In a country where the national minimum wage is N30,000, only the stupendously rich who may have stolen public funds or sponsored by drug barons can run for public offices,” he added.

With INEC’s authoritative pronouncement that it has acquired the technical expertise to transmit election results in any part of the country, Falana asked the legislators to delete the objectionable Section 52 (3) of the Electoral Bill without any further delay.

He explained that the opposition to electronic transmission of election results and the inclusion of other backward provisions in the Electoral Bill has nothing to do with ethnicity or religion.

for instance, you will note that from around July 2019 to June 2020, gross loans and advances into the economy as a result of the CBN's loan to deposit ratio had increased

by N3.33 trillion from N15.6 trillion from June 2019 to N18.9 trillion as at June 2020.”

Emefiele said these loans were advanced to some of the productive sectors.

“For instance, the manufacturing sector received N315 billion, retail and consumer loan sector received N615 billion, the agricultural

sector received N255 billion, general cotton received N221 billion, and information and communication technology received N206 billion."

According to Emefiele: "What we are saying is that despite this large sums granted in a year from N15.6 trillion to N18.9 trillion, the prudential ratio still looks so strong; this is a clear indication that the Nigerian economy and the banking system remain very strong and resilient and able to support the economic development of Nigeria."

AGAIN, CBN GUARANTEES SAFETY, RESILIENCE OF BANKING INDUSTRY in the Nigerian banking sector, the CBN director reiterated the desire of the bank to prioritise financial inclusion as a measured approach to increase the number of adults included in financial services provided by banks in the country.

Nwanisobi further urged the banking public to take advantage of the services provided by the banks, particularly the intervention programmes initiated by the CBN, to enhance their economic status and

contribute to overall national development.

The apex bank had severally reassured the banking public about the soundness and safety of the financial system.

The CBN Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, recently emphasised the resilience of the banking sector amidst the impact of the pandemic.

He said: "Let me say that the Nigerian banking system remains very strong and resilient. I will say that unlike in other climes, the Nigerian banking industry appears to

be one of the well-regulated industries in the world today.

"Our prudential ratio has been prescribed for the banks and they are required to ensure that they abide by those prudential ratios - for instance, the non-performing loans ratio, the capital adequacy ratio, and the liquidity ratio."

He added that: "To demonstrate the fact that the Nigerian economy remains sound and resilient, as of May 2019, non-performing loans ratio in the industry was 11.1 per cent. As of June

2020, NPLs have dropped to 6.41 per cent.

"The capital adequacy ratio, which is a ratio that measures the size of capital that banks deployed into real assets, as of June 2019, was 15.2 per cent, but as of June 2020, it has just remained flat at 15 per cent.

"For liquidity ratio, by August 2019, it was 48 per cent but as of June 2020, liquidity ratio had dropped to 37 per cent. Yes, the liquidity ratio has dropped and I will say understandably so because,

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APC in Early Lead as Lagos Residents Shun LG Polls Abiodun pledges autonomy to local councils Segun James Residents of Lagos State yesterday shunned the local government elections held in the state even as Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu admitted that the low turnout might be a result of low voters' education before the polls.

However, the All Progressives Congress (APC) was leading in the areas, including Somolu and Bariga, where the results for the chairmanship and councilorship elections were declared late last night.

This is coming as Governor of Ogun State, Prince Dapo Abiodun pledged to grant local government authorities autonomy to enable the residents to enjoy more dividends of democracy.

Sanwo-Olu, who arrived at his Polling Unit 019, Ward 9, Lateef Jakande/ Femi Okunnu Avenue, Ikoyi, at 11:03 am in the company of his wife, Dr. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, also admitted that there was the late arrival of materials at the four polling units he checked on his way to cast his vote.

He, however, stressed that the election has offered the residents of the state the opportunity to exercise their franchise by voting for their preferred candidates.

“I have noticed about four polling booths. I would not say they were crowded polling booths but all went on peacefully. Reports I have gotten so far in the last two hours are that things are going as expected. There could be a delay in terms of arrival of materials but we thank God we have started and I hope what we have seen here is what we will see in other polling units; that people will turn out and express themselves in the ongoing local governments and councils’ election in Lagos State. We are expecting that everything will go on well, free and fair.

“This is the only time we can express ourselves freely. It’s a question of the encouragement and advocacy that we need to continue to

give to our citizens. All the logistics have been provided, it’s just for our people to come out and exercise their franchise. We will continue to improve on the advocacy,” Sanwo-Olu said.

While responding to a question on the serenity of the voting area, the governor said the construction of the Lateef Jakande Avenue was in fulfillment of his campaign promises to the people.

The governor pointed out that the perceived low turnout could be a result of a lack of adequate enlightenment of the voters.

Sanwo-Olu said the level of advocacy needed improvement as people exercised their franchise.

Also speaking, the Chairman of the Lagos Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC), Justice Ayotunde Philips has lamented the low turnout of voters.

Fielding questions from journalists, the LASIEC boss said: “The turnout was low

and there’s obvious voter apathy.

“However, maybe when INEC updates the new register, we would have a lot of people that would vote.

“Very few polling units opened at 8 am, most of them opened between 8.30 am and 9.30 am, which I have noted and a lot of administrative hiccups here and there.”

Asked if the commission has done well in voters sensitisation, she responded, “No, there’s a need for us to do more.”

Asked how results would be announced, she maintained that results of the elections would be announced at the ward level for the councilorship election, while the chairmanship results would be announced at each local government.

THISDAY gathered that there was a largely low turnout of voters in the Eti-Osa Local Government Area of the state.

A member of the Lagos State House of Assembly,

representing the Eti-Osa Constituency II, Hon. Gbolahan Yishawu explained that it was always difficult to have a 100 per cent turnout of voters, noting that “if you look around the world, people that come to vote are between 30 to 40 per cent.

He made the remark shortly after voting at St. Georges Primary School, Ikoyi-Obalende LCDA. Yishawu, who is the Chairman of the House Committee on Budget and Economic Planning, said people needed more enlightenment in exercising their right to vote.

THISDAY checks revealed that in the Maryland area of the state, there was a scanty turnout of voters.

However, there was an appreciable and improved number of voters’ turnout in such areas as Mushin, Ejigbo, and Agege, which is the stronghold of the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Dr. Mudashiru

Obasa.

In Ojodu, where a member of the House of Representatives, Hon. James Faleke is the leader, the voters’ turnout was poor.

This also applied to the largest local government area in the state, Alimosho, where the Minister of the Interior, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola holds sway.

On Lagos Island, many people were indoors, while young men played football on the roads.

However, security was relaxed as no report of any breakdown of law and order was recorded.

In another development, Governor of Ogun State, Abiodun, has pledged to grant local government authorities autonomy to enable residents to enjoy more dividends of democracy.

The governor said this yesterday after he cast his vote at Ita-Osanyin Ward 3 in Iperu, his hometown.

Abiodun said he would

ensure the new local government chairmen who would emerge from the just concluded election got autonomy to administer their council areas.

He said the achievement of the local government caretaker committee in the last 20 months showed that when given autonomy, council chairmen would do more at the grassroots.

“We will respect the autonomy of the local government in line with the yearnings of the Governors’ Forum.

“I believe that they are a tier of government that should be given a free hand to run their affairs.

“They are the closest administrative office to the grassroots, they can make that impact because they are much closer to the people than any organ of government,” he said.

On the election, Abiodun adjudged the election free, fair, and peaceful across the state.

OUR CONDOLENCES...

L-R: Wife of the late former member representing Isoko South Constituency 1, Delta State House of Assembly, Hon. Kenneth Ogba, Kelechi; Governor Ifeanyi Okowa; and state Deputy Governor, Mr. Kingsley Otuaro, during the funeral service for Ogba at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, Oleh….yesterday

PEOPLE WORKING BEHIND THE SCENE ON IGBOHO’S ARREST, SANWO-OLU REVEALS security operatives did not harass the embattled activist, Salami lamented that Igboho was detained with his hands handcuffed, which he said, violated the standard practice in Benin Republic.

He said: “When we visited Sunday Igboho in the police station, he was not abused or harassed. Security operatives did not put leg cuffs on Igboho’s ankles. But the police did something wrong. They handcuffed him while he was in detention.

“To eat and visit convenience was a big challenge to him.

As a result, Igboho relied on people before he could eat or visit the toilet. That is against human rights. We brought the attention of the police and prosecutor to Igboho’s condition in detention.

“Despite bringing this violation to their attention, the police authorities in Benin Republic have not removed handcuffs from Igboho’s hands. That is not right by all standards. However, they

did not harass him; neither did they put him in legcuffs.”

Oyebade, Abbas Explain Benin’s Obligation to Protect Igboho In a related development, Nigeria’s foremost scholar of jurisprudence and international law, Prof. Akin Oyebode has explained different conditions under international conventions and treaties extradition requests could be granted, though claimed that granting extradition requests is more political than legal.

Speaking to THISDAY on Igboho’s case, Oyebode explained that the ball “is clearly in the court of the Republic of Benin. The Republic of Benin might insist that the crime for which Igboho is being sought must be established prima facie in the court of Benin Republic.”

Under international law, Oyebode clarified that seeking

self-determination was not a crime, noting that the Republic of Benin Republic “has obligation to reject Nigeria’s extradition request if there is any currently before the Francophone country.

“Do not forget the Republic of Benin has a substantial Yoruba population. Igboho will enjoy sympathy from the government and people of Benin Republic.”

The law professor, however, observed that the only problem Igboho might encounter was that there “is an old quadripartite agreement involving Benin Republic, Ghana, Nigeria, and Togo. That is the 1984 Extradition Treaty,” which placed an obligation on the Francophone country to extradite the embattled agitator.

Except for the conditions that regulate extradition, Oyebode said: “It should be simple to extradite him. Also, Nigeria has soiled its hands due to attacks on Igboho’s friends, family members, and Ibadan residence.

“Two of those living were said to have been killed.

That shows Nigeria acted Gestapo. And that might becloud Nigeria’s request to extradite Igboho. He who comes to equity must come with clean hands.

“If Benin Republic does not believe justice can be done in terms of rule of law, the presumption of innocence or fair hearing, they might refuse to surrender him.

“There is nothing Nigeria can do about it. If the Republic of Benin believes Igboho is a political fugitive, it might refuse to surrender. In international law, refusal to surrender a fugitive is tantamount to granting asylum.

“In other words, If the Republic of Benin grants him asylum, that puts an end to the whole matter. By implication, Igboho becomes a political refugee and has the right to live in the Republic of Benin,” the law professor explained.

Also, putting conditions

for extraditing a fugitive in perspective, another scholar of International Law, Prof.

Ademola Abbas has explained the diverse laid-down rules and conditions under which a fugitive could be extradited to his country of nationality, saying those conditions should be fulfilled before a country could grant an extradition request.

He said one of such conditions “is that a surrendering country can only repatriate somebody from territory if he has committed a crime in the requesting country.

“That crime cannot be a political crime and that if you repatriate them, he will not suffer discrimination and he will be guaranteed justice wherever you are repatriating to. There is a treaty obligation between Nigeria and Benin Republic.

“However, the salient question will be: has Sunday Igboho committed a crime in Nigeria? Will he be able to get

justice in Nigeria? Or will he face discrimination? Will his trial be political? Those are critical questions that the Benin Republic must answer.

“The Republic of Benin, being an ECOWAS member, has those obligations under the ECOWAS Treaty, under African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights. There are many international conventions that Nigeria and Benin Republic are signatory to.

“Even though there is a treaty between the two countries, that treaty itself does not take your other obligations away. In the instance of the 1994 ECOWAS Treaty, repatriation cannot only take place where there is due process.

“They must have subjected Sunday Igboho to due process of the Benin Republic. The court must be satisfied that if Sunday Igboho is repatriated to Nigeria, he will not face political trial and he will be guaranteed justice,” Abbas explained.

SUNDAY JULY 25, 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 ˾ JULY 25, 2021

EDITORIAL

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

THE POLICE AND NATIONAL SECURITY It’s time for state police

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hile nations across the world are increasingly relying on technology to fight crimes, the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) is stuck in the past, dependent more on mounting roadblocks, blaring sirens, and using other antiquated methods. Recently, a national newspaper disclosed that a key tracking equipment deployed by the police to go after kidnappers, bandits and terrorists had been inactive since the beginning of the year, due mainly to non-renewal of subscription. For a nation under the vice-grip of sundry cartels of violent criminals, how can such an essential platform used in tracking phones be allowed to remain inactive for an hour?

Such negligence is symptomatic of the state of insecurity in Nigeria today. In the past few weeks, thousands of Nigerians, particularly in the Northwest and North central, have been violently seized from their homes or schools by bandits. In Niger, about 120 children, some as young as four years, have spent more than seven weeks with their captors in the Tegina region of the state. But Kaduna holds the prize for violence and incessant mass abductions. Scores of Bethel Secondary School students in the state are the latest victims of kidnap for ransom, often demanded in millions. The abductors were even cheeky enough to ask for food items to feed their victims, besides the huge ransom they are also demanding.

There are many pertinent questions begging for answers. How do law enforcement agents monitor the illicit activities of criminals if they lack basic equipment? How do we expect them to locate and

The huge responsibilities for the upkeep and maintenance of the police in form of equipment, logistics, allowances, and other forms of assistance may be better handled at subnational levels

Letters to the Editor

rescue victims given government insistence on non-payment of ransom to kidnappers?

And even more confounding, why should the entire police force saddled with the internal security of a nation the size of Nigeria be limited to having just one tracking equipment, and ill-maintained at that?

Unfortunately, this report has again highlighted the inadequacy and lack of preparedness of the Nigeria police to combat crimes. This perhaps explains why the current structure has failed in maintaining law and order, internal security, intelligence gathering and in checking the increasing wave of crimes. The entire police force is so overwhelmed that a huge slice of the military asset must be deployed to perform police duty with serious implications on professionalism. Since their single tracking equipment broke down, they have been dependent on the ‘benevolence’ of the military to perform their constitutional duty.

To compound the challenge, police personnel are ill-motivated, and professionally illequipped to perform their important duty of protecting the people. ore disturbing is that in two separate attacks last week, no fewer than 19 policemen were killed by criminal gangs.

Thirteen officers were killed last Sunday during an operation to repel an attack by bandits in Bungudu Local Government Area of Zamfara State. On Wednesday night, six policemen were murdered by gunmen at a checkpoint in the Enugu South local government area of the state. While criminal gangs seem to have overpowered the capacity of the state to restore order, it becomes a far more serious challenge when the police can no longer protect their own men and barracks. What that suggests is an urgent need to reform the institution if the men and officers must regain public confidence.

While asking the federal government for a special intervention fund to enable states contain the myriad of security crises that have rendered the country unsafe, the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) recently reiterated the call for state police. Their position now seems unassailable. As things stand, the NPF is inept and incapable of performing its constitutional roles.

The huge responsibilities for the upkeep and maintenance of the police in form of equipment, logistics, allowances, and other forms of assistance may be better handled at subnational levels. That of course will necessitate tinkering with the current structure to devolve more powers and resources from the centre to the states. It is perhaps the only solution to the current crisis of insecurity that puts Nigeria at the risk of becoming a failed state.

M

S U N DAY N E W S PA P E R EDITOR DAVIDSON IRIEKPEN DEPUTY EDITORS FESTUS AKANBI, EJIOFOR ALIKE MANAGING DIRECTOR ENIOLA BELLO DEPUTY MANAGING DIRECTOR ISRAEL IWEGBU CHAIRMAN EDITORIAL BOARD OLUSEGUN ADENIYI EDITOR NATION’S CAPITAL IYOBOSA UWUGIAREN MANAGING EDITOR BOLAJI ADEBIYI THE OMBUDSMAN KAYODE KOMOLAFE

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 SHAKA MOMODU, 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 TO SEND EMAIL: first name.surname@thisdaylive.com

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.

APC’S PLAN FOR CONSENSUS PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE

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e’re are close to 2023 general elections. Indeed, in a short while from now, 2022 beckons.

It’s therefore germane that parties must from now set machinery in motion to prepare to accommodate all aggrieved candidates who would necessarily surface on account of grievances from convention and primary into offices of president, governors, and parliamentarians. The only selection process that may be less acrimonious and perhaps, less rancorous is the choice by consensus. This is why the recent pronouncement by the Secretary to All Progressives Congress (APC) National Caretaker Committee, Senator John Akpanudoehede that the party has resolved to pick a consensus presidential candidate for the forthcoming presidential

elections is quite heartwarming.

Indeed, APC has eloquently proved that they’ve learnt some lessons from the pitfalls of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) which at the peak of its glory was just riding roughshod on the nation and the political sphere. We salute the resourcefulness, doggedness and patriotic zeal of the caretaker members for this feat and all other landmark achievements they’ve recorded especially, attracting those PDP governors and other key members of the opposition parties into the APC fold. We also as a matter of necessity commend APC political class across the nation for standing by the zoning arrangement, and encouraging them to ensure that the resolve come to pass. This is the only way to guarantee the unity, oneness and indivisibility status of our dear nation, as well as giving all

the major stakeholders a sense of belonging.

Meanwhile, while the leadership of our great party is tinkering with idea of consensus candidate and zoning arrangement, it is very important to remind them that they need to avoid the temptation of making a choice of a less popular and unacceptable candidate. Of course, their assignment is well cut out, if they indeed desire to carry it out sincerely. They must be mindful of the fact that very few leaders were the architects of this party. Those architects toiled and struggled to ensure that the party berthed. They pulled resources together. They mobilized the progressives across the country and imbued them with confidence that the then new party had the capacity and political wherewithal to dethrone the then ruling party.

To the glory of Almighty, their

vision came to pass. Of the two major the executive and legislative arms. stakeholders who midwifed the party, Let me also submit that the one one would be gloriously rounding up aspiring to take over the mantle of the eight years of achievement-laden, nation’s leadership is not just aspiring to action-parked and purposeful tenure on lead; he’s eminently qualified to assume the dot of May 23, 2023. The other one is that role. He has an incredible and preparing to take the baton of leadership unassailable capacity to lead. He has of the country from May 23, 2023 on done it before in Lagos, taking the state account of implied agreement entered of Excellence to greater heights and ininto. Against all odds, this one has given stituting a road map of infrastructural, maximum support to the incumbent economic and educational plans that president and all his programs, as well has made the state the most prosperas his policies. Also, he has continually ous, sought after and most developed mobilized Nigerians both at home and not only in Nigeria, but in sub Saharan in Diaspora to fervently believe in the African. He’s also a renowned manager president and keep fate with him despite of men and resources. Of all Nigerian the drum beats of confusion and chaos politicians living or dead, no one has and persistent dissenting views from supplied very resourceful, hardworking, the camps of oppositions. He has also patriotic and very committed people to assisted the president immensely in stabithe political sphere than he does. lizing the NASS which used to be an t ,PMB ".;"5 '$" -BHPT CBTFE albatross. Nigerians must recognize and 'JOBODJBM .BOBHFNFOU $POTVMUBOU appreciate that the seamless passing of many key executive bills by the NASS, as well as the fantastic relationship between Read full article online - www.thisdaylive.com

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THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ Ͱͳ˜ ͰͮͰͯ

NEWS

News Editor: Gboyega Akinsanmi E-mail: ÑÌÙãÏÑ˲ËÕÓØÝËØ×Ó̶ÞÒÓÝÎËãÖÓàÏ˛ÍÙט͸΀͹ͽͺͻͽ΁ͺͽͻ

Experts Lament 80% Drop in Foreign Direct Investments Blame unfriendly regulatory environment, insecurity Recommend policy reforms to reposition Nigeria Gboyega Akinsanmi

Experts in foreign direct investments (FDIs) yesterday lamented that FDI flows into Nigerian economy dropped from $8.41 billion in the first quarter to $1.69 in the second quarter, accounting for a 80% decrease within three months.

The experts unanimously blamed unfriendly investment climate, intractable security challenges and acute infrastructure deficit, among other institutional and structural problems as the core factors responsible for the historic nosedive in the flow of FDIs into the economy.

In separate interview with THISDAY yesterday, the immediate past Directot-General, Lagos Chambers of Commerce & Industry (LCCI), Dr. Muda Yusuf and Fiscal Policy Partner, PwC Nigeria, Mr. Taiwo Oyedele canvassed key reforms to boost investors’ confidence in Nigeria’s domestic economy.

The Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC) had, in a new report, revealed that investment announcements in Nigeria fell to $1.69bn in the second quarter from $8.41bn in the first quarter, indicating a decline of about 80%.

The report had also revealed that the total value of investment interests in the first half of this year fell by $1.57 billion to $10.11 billion, compared with the value recorded in the second half of the previous year.

Concerned with these disturbing records of FDI flows, LCCI’s former director-general pointed out that diverse institutional, regulatory and structural challenges had eroded investors’ confidence in

the Nigerian economy.

Specifically, Yusuf said: “It is investors’ confidence that drives investment, whether domestic or foreign. Investors are generally very cautious and painstaking in taking decisions with respect to Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).

“This is because FDIs are often long term and invariably more risky, especially in volatile economic and business environments. Uncertainties aggravate investment risk. Investors in the real sector space are grappling with structural problems especially around infrastructure.”

Yusuf, therefore, identified key areas of the troubled economy that completely eroded confidence, especially since 2015 when President Muhammadu Buhari took over the leadership of Africa’s biggest economy.

He noted that there “are grave concerns about liquidity in the forex market, There are concerns about the accelerated weakening of the currency. There are issues of heightened regulatory and policy risks in many sectors.

“Investors’ confidence has also been adversely affected by the worsening security situation in the country. Meanwhile, our domestic economy is still struggling to recover from the shocks of the Covid 19 pandemic. These are the likely factors affecting investment decisions,” he said.

He, however, suggested that the country’s ability to attract FDI would largely depend on how its political leadership could position the economy and worked out strategies to restore investors’ confidence in the economy.

LCCI’s former director-general, thus, canvassed the investment climate quality, which according

to him, would make a huge difference if objectively mapped out and passionately implemented.

He, also, asked the federal government “to ensure an acceleration of necessary reforms to make Nigeria a much better investment destination. We need policy reforms, regulatory reforms and institutional reforms, among others.

“We should accelerate the ongoing foreign exchange reforms; we need to undertake trade policy reforms to liberalise trade in sectors of weak comparative advantage; we need regulatory reforms to make regulations more investment friendly.

“We need to create new opportunities in the public private

partnership (PPP) space, especially in infrastructure. We need to see more privatisations of public enterprises. It is important as well to quickly fix the ravaging insecurity in the country. All of these are crucial to boost investors’ confidence.”

Oyedele, also Chairman of the COVID-19 Intervention Committee for PwC West Africa, shared Yusuf’s position on factors responsible for an 80% drop in the FDIs, observing that investment “is attracted by the prospect to earn competitive risk adjusted returns.”

As much as Nigeria presents a huge opportunity for descent returns in virtually every sector, he argued, the risk factors have escalated in recent times especially insecurity,

foreign exchange risk and policy uncertainties.

He, therefore, said these factors made the country’s risk adjusted returns unattractive and unappealing, saying while it was unfortunate, it was not surprising to see the significant decline in the flow of FDI into the country.

Even for existing businesses across sectors, Oyedele explained that the country “is experiencing low gross capital formation and decline in purchasing managers’ index both pointing towards low domestic investment.”

In this light, Oyedele recommended that the federal government should be deliberate in addressing the key challenges

especially insecurity and policy environment to attract the much needed foreign and domestic investments.

In its new report, NIPC had claimed that the value of FDI flows “is $5.05 billion higher than that of the same period of the previous year just as the analysis of investment announcements by sectors revealed that the manufacturing sector attracted the highest investments with $5.9 billion or 58%.”

It was followed by construction, $2.9bn (29%); electricity (including gas, steam and air conditioning supply), $680m (7%) information and communication, $410m (4%); while others recorded $210m (2%).

LET’S READ… L-R: Member representing Ezeagu Constituency, Enugu State House of Assembly, Mr. Chima Obieze; Author, Mr. Nonso Nnamani; Enugu State Governor, Mr. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi; Member, Enugu State Universal Basic Education Board, Rev. Beloved-Dan Anike and Special Adviser to the Governor on Agriculture, Mr. Michael Ogbuekwe, during the unveiling of Nnamani’s book in Enugu…yesterday

Ortom Backs Kukah, Asks FG to Stop Intimidating Nigerians

George Okoh in Makurdi

Benue State Governor, Dr. Samuel Ortom, has backed the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto, Bishop Matthew Kukah over his recent comments on insecurity.

Ortom asked the federal government to stop intimidating patriotic Nigerians who are raising genuine concerns over the worsening security and economic situation in the country.

He supported Kukah’s position in a statement his

spokesman, Terver Akase issued yesterday, alleging unfair treatment of Nigerians under the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.

Kukah had during an address to the US Congress Commission on July 15, accused President Muhammadu Buhari of showing preference to people of his religion, which according to him, has worsened the rivalry between Christians and Muslims.

Kukah had alleged that the Buhari administration has failed

to address insecurity but the presidency had replied the Catholic bishop, accusing him of trying to sow discord and strife among Nigerians.

The presidency has since tackled Kukah, describing his comments as “unfortunate and disappointing”, complaining that the cleric “castigated” Nigeria before the US lawmakers.

In his statement yesterday, Ortom asked the federal government “to stop intimidating patriotic Nigerians, who are

raising genuine concerns over the worsening security and economic situation in the country.”

Ortom said he “stands with Bishop Kukah on the issues he raised,” adding that he would have said similar things if he were to address the same audience.

“Governor Ortom states that the country is practicing democracy which has no room for repression and dictatorship,” the statement partly read.

“He notes that the country’s Constitution guarantees the

freedom of speech to all citizens, unlike a military regime which suppresses the right of the people to voice their opinions on challenges facing their country.”

The Benue governor described the cleric as “one Nigerian who is selfless and speaks his mind frankly on national issues calling on the government to ensure justice, the rule of law and equity for all.”

He also took a swipe at the Presidency’s response to the criticism, wondering why the current administration has

chosen to politicize the views of Bishop Kukah when all the issues he highlighted in his address are facts about the country.

“He says Kukah was right when he stated that nepotism has been elevated above federal character by the present administration. He further agrees with the Bishop that Christians across the country are targets of elimination and thousands have already fallen to the sword of jihadist supremacists,” the statement added.

Lekki Gardens Disregard Court Order, Resumes Construction at Osborne Tobi Soniyi

Foreshore Estate The management of Lekki Gardens Estate Limited has flouted a court order, which restrained it from further constructing, developing, building or embarking on any similar exercise in Osborne Foreshore Estate 2, Ikoyi, Lagos.

In a letter signed by its Project Manager, Mr Kayode Dawodu, Lekki Gardens directed all contractors “to

immediately resume work by Friday, July 23 at the Osborne Foreshore Estate 2.

In the letter dated July 22, the company apologised “for any inconvenience” caused them, saying, “However, we hope that we can fully mobilize to site to proceed at the same pace of work (or even better) than we had before the break.”

Indeed, a visit to the Osborne Foreshore Estate 2 this morning, showed that construction work in the estate has resumed fully

in line with the company’s directive to contractors, thereby obstructing not only vehicular and human traffic, but also blocking entrance and exit gates with heavy earth moving construction trucks.

No explanation was given for disobeying the court order. In resuming construction work, the company is in contempt of a subsisting court order granted by Justice Nicholas Oweibo of the Federal High Court in Lagos.

The judge had restricted the two defendants from acting on any approvals granted by the 4th Defendant (the Lagos State Physical Planning Permit Authority) pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice for interlocutory injunction.

The Osborne Foreshore Estate 2 Residents Association find it difficult to understand why Lekki Gardens Estate Limited would completely defy extant order granted by a competent court

of the land, and also refuse to comply with building permit laws of the Lagos State government, which the association has insisted must be followed.

Indeed, Justice Oweibo had made the order following an application by the Registered Trustees of Osborne and Foreshore Residents Association through their counsel, Mr. Kemi Pinheiro, SAN. The order was given after months of long dispute over allegations of violation of the estate’s plans.

Pinheiro had argued, in the suit, marked FHC/L/CS/755/2021 that the defendant’s actions were against the policy of the estate as a residential territory.

Consequently, the residents prayed the court to halt construction process on the properties situate at Block 11 Plot 2, Plot b7, Block 7, Plot 5, Block 6, Plot 17, Block 9, Plot 23, Block 9, Plot 17, Block 10, Plots 1A, 1B, 1C, Block 6, Plot 19, Block 6, Plot 12, Block 6, Plot 9A, Block 6, Plot 14, and Block 11, Plot 2.

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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 ˾ JULY 25, 2021

OPINION INTERNATIONAL LAW, SECESSION AND SELF-DETERMINATION

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Secession is a test of might, argues Olawale Lawal

his article holds no apologia to those who have unrestrained enthusiasm for their extravagant atavistic loyalties. The article becomes really necessary now for two reasons, namely, the steep cliff on which the nation now hangs and second, the constant reference, by the actors, to international law and the hope that it will one day arbitrate on the issue of secession and selfdetermination of festering ethnic nationalities in Nigeria.

Although, Nigeria experienced bitter civil war between 1967-1970, when the Biafrans (Igbo) attempted an external remedial secession, efforts were made to assuage frayed nerves as the aspiration for nationhood began in earnest.

Almost since 2015, the clamour for fragmentation of Nigeria resurges and reaching a crescendo in the last six months or so. The Biafran separatist idea is reborn and the Yoruba is calling for Yoruba/Oduduwa nation, but only the North seems to have played down secessionist attempt even though she suffered under economic deprivation, banditry, kidnapping and other ructions. Although, suffering under the same failing system, the North is not likely to call for separation from Nigeria now, but would readily have done that were the presidency from other regions of the country- every region sees the imperfection of the Nigerian state only when they are not in power. This is one of the key principles driving secessionist agitations in other regions of Nigeria, any other views notwithstanding.

Now to the issue. Many of those who agitate for secession or self determination have variously opined that such endeavour is not necessarily a call for war, and have appealed to international law and its organs like the United Nations through the International Court of Justice, and even diplomatic missions and foreign affairs secretaries, to adjudicate on the issue. So, what is the position of International law on secession and self-determination?

Self-determination is a pre-state term which is used when nationalities are under a foreign authority (like colonialism) and they are seeking self-government or determination. It is a terminology widely used during decolonization period, meaning before a state is constituted, that is, before independence of a state. It is only at the level of decolonization that self-determination is a right, but under a state, it is not a right but a principle usually invoked when there are clear proofs of undermining of others’ rights. In this sense, international law sticks with its limited applicability outside of colonial situations. This serves to protect the boundaries of emerging states from further secession. There are obvious reasons for this limitation of self-determination as a right. As stated by the UN, ‘if every ethnic, religious or linguistic group claimed statehood, there would be no

limit to fragmentation, and peace, security and well-being for all would become even more difficult to achieve’. The case of Eritrea is instructive here. Eritrea was not originally part of Ethiopia, but the latter annexed it in 1962 after annulling the Eritrean Parliament. International law views the selfdetermination of Eritrea from the context of decolonization and it was supported in 1993.

The issue of secession is even more complicated basically because it is a discourse that comes up only when a state is already constituted as a sovereign authority. International law does not have any apparatus or tool with which to sit over the liquidation of an independent state. It does not recognize the right of national groups, as such, to separate themselves from the state of which they form a part by the simple expression of a wish, otherwise a street would have acquired the status of a state, were grievances the only basis for separation.

Secession is not a right under international law but it is equally not prohibited, thus, it maintains legal neutrality, making secession not so much of matter of law but fact based on the capability of its purveyors. The point of capability of its (secession) purveyors should be stressed here. In terms of adjudication, it was only in the Kosovo secession declaration of 2008 that the International Court of Justice disfavoured the territorial integrity of a parent state in support of a secessionist group. The Kosovo case even further proved that secession is more political than legal. This is because ‘Western’ actors were heavily involved in the breakdown of Yugoslavia and ultimately sought to defend their own breach of territorial integrity which occurred with the NATO intervention in 1999.

Further, the failure of secession attempt of Somaliland in 1991, Crimea in 2014 and Saharawi Peoples Republic in 1984 shows that reliance on law has infinitesimal value when it does not sit with political preference of Western nations. The fact that Kosovo provides the only case in which recognition has had a basis in the principles of remedial secession in international law is demonstrative of this.

It has also been observed that in the process of agitations for secession some actors have gone ahead to destroy federal institutions in their domain like police stations, court premises,

It is only at the level of decolonisation that self-determination is a right, but under a state, it is not a right but a principle usually invoked when there are clear proofs of undermining of others’ rights

correctional facilities and even killings, likely, under the assumption that this ruction will one day serves as basis of rejection of the Nigerian State. The ICJ has consistently provided a solid legal position against the emergence of any state with terror background. The failure of the Kurdish referendum of 2017 provides further clarity on the position of international law and not providing effectiveness for terror organizations and group, much less, using it as a tool to establish a terror state.

One major concern for scholars of international law is that in spite of its legal neutrality, there should be some concern for cases of gross violations of human rights of individuals belonging to a specific group, and as an elixir, the principle of remedial secession is prescribed. But when this is established, the first level of intervention will be for the state to use its internal political machinery to address the issue and when that fails, international collaboration will have to address the violations and then finally, the application of remedial secession.

At this level the real international politicization of statehood begins as the emerging state seeks recognition. If there is any doubt about the limited role of international law or its neutrality in issues of self-determination or secession, the case of the Palestine, is a resourceful lesson. Although it is a de facto state, given its presence in international affairs and the fact that about 137 states recognize it, and despite human rights abuses spanning over half-a-decade, no right to remedial secession has been extended to Palestine and its legal status remains entirely unclear.

The net implication of the position of international law on secession is that law really has little role to play in the agitations. Secession therefore is usually a call for test of might. If secessionists prevail, it simply means that they are able to and often this is both a function of capability and fact. When they lack the capacity, it is a suicidal venture. But the state also needs to take caution because same international law detests violation of fundamental human rights. It should be stated here however that umbrageous acts against the state are not principled under any human rights. When a state is already constituted, it is presumptuous that a government is in place and maintaining an organized opposition to its authority is an insurrection.

If all that mattered in secession is arson and killings, the Scots should have destroyed Scotland, the Québec should have set Canada ablaze, Catalonia should have grounded Barcelona, etc. Granted, many things are wrong with governance and government in Nigeria and these should be reformed fundamentally. t %S -BXBM XSPUF GSPN UIF %FQBSUNFOU PG )JTUPSZ BOE *OUFSOBUJPOBM 4UVEJFT -BHPT 4UBUF 6OJWFSTJUZ

MANIFESTATIONS OF A DIVISIVE MANIFESTO O. Jason Osai writes that Nigeria is yet to forge a nation out of its many tribes

A

manifesto is a declaration of a philosophy; it is usually backed by strategic policies and programs aimed at achieving an objective. Manifestoes derive from a mindset and strong beliefs in what ought to be as against what is. It is therefore either a commitment to the status quo or a drive towards a desired state of affairs.

Written or unwritten, political manifestoes are generally aimed at expanding the sphere of political influence and economic dominance; this is the essence of imperialism.

Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe and Alhaji Ahmadu Bello personified the Yoruba (West), Igbo (East) and Hausa/ Fulani (North), respectively, in the quest for Nigeria independence.

Within these geopolitical blocks, there are more than 250 minority groups. In the North, Hausa is majority while Fulani is a dominant minority resulting from the legendary expansionist exploits of the Fulani patriarch Uthman Dan Fodio in the 19th Century; Ahmadu Bello was great grandson of Dan Fodio.

The Parrot Newspaper of October 12, 1960 quotes Ahmadu Bello, Saduana of Sokoto, leader of Northern Peoples’ Congress (NPC) and Premier of Northern Region, as averring thus: “The new nation called Nigeria should be an estate of our great grandfather Uthman Dan Fodio. We must ruthlessly prevent a change of power. We use the minorities in the North as willing tools and the South as a conquered territory and never allow them to rule over us and never allow them to have control over their future.”

Note that “the South” under reference encompasses South-East, South-West and South-South zones in contemporary Nigeria geopolitical lexicon. Terse as the above declaration of 59 words is, it contains all the ingredients of the imperialist mindset. Five key phrases contained therein are instructive; they clearly indicate the mindset of internal imperialism, the approach intended to be utilized and the targets for dominance. This strongly worded declaration set the pace for virulent ethnocentric vituperation and underdevelopment in Nigeria.

The five key phrases for this analysis are: one, “Estate of our great grandfather Uthman Dan Fodio”; two, “We Must Ruthlessly Prevent a Change of Power”; three, “Use the Minorities in the North as

Willing Tools”; four, “The South as a Conquered Territory” and five, “Never Allow Them to Have Control Over Their Future”.

“Estate of our Great Grandfather Uthman Dan Fodio.” In 1996, this author published an academic article in which he criticized the adoption of “Born to Rule” as the sobriquet for Sokoto State; subsequently, that was changed to “Seat of the Caliphate”. The statement “Estate of our great grandfather Uthman Dan Fodio” reflects the “Born to Rule” mindset, which is contemptuous and conflictual. Mentioning the revered Patriarch of the Fulani adorns it a Fulani makes it undoubtedly a Fulani Manifesto rather than an agenda of the North.

“We Must Ruthlessly Prevent a Change of Power”. The call for ruthlessness in preventing change of power situates Buhari’s repeated attempts for the presidency, the methodical and systemic power play that ousted a sitting president and the double standards of branding unarmed placard-carrying protesters in the South as terrorists while armed terrorists in the North are categorized as bandits that are endlessly being negotiated with and appeased.

“Use the Minorities in the North as Willing Tools”. The doctrine of “One North”, which was conceptualized and propagated

by Ahmadu Bello, is only applied when the hegemonic group wants to have its way on national issues. The current headship of security apparati and other sensitive national offices by the Fulani drives home the essence of “use the minorities in the North as willing tools”.

“Never Allow Them to Have Control over Their Future.”

Doggedly besieged by various resolute pressure groups with the Chief Harold Dappa-Biriye-led Association of Mineral Producing Areas of Rivers State (AMPARS) at the forefront, the federal government created Oil Mineral Producing Areas Development Commission (OMPADEC) in 1992 in conformity with the imperialist doctrine of “never allow them to have control over their future”. OMPADEC was deliberately calibrated to fail in achieving the objective of grassroots development of the Niger Delta.

A brief biography of Chief Dappa-Biriye vis-à-vis the story of

OMPADEC is pertinent to illustrate the resoluteness of this doctrine. Harold J. Wilcox earned straight “A”s in Cambridge Examinations. He rejected a scholarship to study law in London and opted to fight for the minorities of the Niger Delta. Harold Wilcox’s performance at the Willink Commission for Minority Rights in 1957 in London speaks volubly of his patriotism, brilliance and tenacity. In a rebellious episode that belongs in another narrative, he rechristened himself Harold J.R. Dappa-Biriye; thus commenced the legendary odyssey of Chief H.J.R. Dappa-Biriye as vanguard of the minorities of the then Eastern Nigeria. He was the pivot of the first Executive Council (EXCO) of the then newly created Rivers State; that EXCO conceptualized and meticulously implemented the liberal educational policy of the Diete-Spiff Administration, liberated Rivers State from acute dearth of manpower.

Conscious of the patriotic fervor harbored by Dappa-Biriye, the internal imperialists figured that with him on the saddle, outside influences would be resolutely resisted and OMPADEC will deliver on its mandate. Resultantly, Dappa-Biriye and his compatriots were methodically kept at abeyance from the new Commission; hence, it became a Greek Gift. When OMPADEC failed abysmally and, eventually morphed to Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), it presented a typical case of the proverbial “old wine in a new bottle”. The imperialist manifesto still persists and Niger Deltans are not allowed to control their future.

The five phrases in the combative declaration are instructive and explain burning issues in contemporary Nigerian public life; they are derisive, divisive, contemptuous, contentious and conflictual. Nigerians have outgrown the idiotic docility requisite for actualizing such manifesto. To live in denial of this fact is delusional; therefore, insisting on actualizing the manifesto can only lead to thunderous nunc dimitis. Is anyone listening? He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. t 0TBJ XSPUF GSPN %FQBSUNFOU PG 1PMJUJDBM 4DJFODF 3JWFST 4UBUF 6OJWFSTJUZ 1PSU )BSDPVSU

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ JULY 25, 2021

15

LETTERS THE TRUE MEANING OF POLITICAL POWER

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ower properly understood is nothing but the ability to achieve a purpose. It is the strength required to bring about social, economic, political, cultural and religious changes.

What is needed is a realization that power without love is reckless and abusive, and love without power is sentimental and anemic.

Power at its best is love implementing the demand of justice, and justice at its best is power correcting everything that stands against love.

From these words of Martin Luther King Jr. it may not be a wrong assertion to conclude that there is nothing wrong with power; that power could be used both constructively and destructively; that for man to function well in any given position of authority, he/she must identify that power is not a complete end but looks up to something further; it cannot itself be the ultimate goal; that power is valuable according to the use to which it may be put.

And most importantly, power in the estimation of the Marxists is but the ability to protect one’s interest. Chief among

such examples of the destructive exercise of power is Pol Pot. While in power in Cambodia between 1975 and 1978, he used his position to cause the death of more than two million people in the small country in Southeast Asia bordered

by Vietnam and Thailand. This is a verifiable fact.

The story is not different here in Africa.

Late Robert Mugabe in his quest to hold on to power massacred over 20,000 of his people, destroyed the nation’s economy and watched with disinterest while his wife looted millions of dollars. Fresh in our memories are the Liberia episode in the early 1990s, Gnassingbe Eyadema of Togo and Mobutu Sese Seko of Zaire. In Africa, there are even more accounts of gradual and naked abuse of power by those in positions of authority. Conversely, talking about constructive use of power, the thought of Lee Kuan Yew, former Prime Minister of Singapore, naturally comes to mind. It is on record that Lee grew 15 times, independent Singapore with a GDP of $3billion in 1965 to $46billion in 1997 and its economy became the 8th highest per capital GNP

in the world in 1997 according to the World Bank. Back home is a similar account. Shortly after independence, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, then Premier of the Western region, constructively used his position

to better the life of his people – infrastructurally and socio-economically.

Through quality and affordable education, he set the region on a hyper-modern pathway of development.

This feat or a combina-

BANDITS AND BOKO HARAM INSURGENCY

I

ntense fire from bandits caused a Nigerian attack jet to crash in northwestern Zamfara State last week, but the pilot survived by ejecting from the aircraft. Zamfara and neighbouring Kaduna are among the states worst affected by a surge in criminality including mass abductions of schoolchildren and armed robberies, often carried out by large gangs of outlaws, locally known as bandits.

Bandits are now members of Boko Haram. The only avenue left for Boko Haram to raise funds now is through banditry. Bandits are occupying Zamfara, Katsina, Sokoto, Kebbi, Niger and Kaduna States to raise funds for Boko Haram. Boko Haram is using banditry to infiltrate all parts of Nigeria. Bandits are terrorists who can raise funds for Boko Haram across Nigeria. Bandits have negotiated with many state governors in the north-west of Nigeria. President Buhari should treat bandits as terrorists. Bandits have participated in kidnappings where ransoms were collected to finance terrorism across Nigeria.

Boko Haram has also been known to raise funds through mass kidnapping

of foreigners and civilians for ransoms. Boko Haram has a specialized kidnapping task force led by bandits that set out to abduct school children, politicians, business people, foreigners, rulers and civil servants with the intention of trading them for large sums of money or for the return of other Boko Haram militants. Nigeria’s Northwest is suffering a deadly conflict involving many armed organisations which Boko Haram has used to infiltrate the region, including herder-allied groups, vigilantes, criminal gangs and jihadists. The violence has killed many people since 2011, and displaced millions, some into neighbouring Niger.

Despite several security operations and dialogue efforts, a durable peace remains elusive.

Frequent acts of violent crime have grown to form a major threat to Nigeria’s national security.

These include instances of militancy, insurgency and banditry. Banditry includes cattle rustling, armed robbery and kidnapping for ransoms. Kidnapping for ransom has remained the most virulent form of banditry in Nigeria. It has become the most pervasive and intractable violent

crime in the country.

Kidnapping can be targeted at individuals or at groups. School children have been kidnapped in groups in various parts of Nigeria. Usually, the prime targets of kidnapping for ransom are those considered to be wealthy enough to pay a fee in exchange for being freed.

Kidnapping is the unlawful detention of a person through the use of force, threats, fraud or enticement. The purpose is an illicit gain, economic or material, in exchange for liberation. It may also be used to pressure someone into doing something—or not doing something.

Nigeria has one of the world’s highest rates of kidnap-for-ransom cases.

Other countries high up on the list include Venezuela, Mexico, Yemen, Syria, the Philippines, Iraq, Afghanistan and Somalia.

Thousands of Nigerians have been kidnapped for ransom and other purposes over the years.

Kidnapping has prevailed in spite of measures put in place by the government.

The Nigerian police’s anti-kidnapping squad, introduced in the 2000s, has endeavored to stem the menace. But this has been to no avail, mainly

due to a lack of manpower and poor logistics.

These efforts have also failed because of weak sanctioning and deterrence mechanisms. Kidnapping thrives in an environment that condones crime; where criminal opportunism and impunity prevail over and above deterrence.

This obviously calls for an urgent review of Nigeria’s current anti-kidnapping approach to make it more effective.

Similarly, Boko Haram insurgents have used the proceeds of kidnapping to keep their insurgency afloat. The insurgents engage in single or group kidnapping as a means of generating money to fund their activities. Huge sums are often paid as ransom by the victims’ families and associates to secure their release.

In addition to militants and insurgents, organized local and transnational criminal syndicates have been involved. This is happening in huge proportions in Northwest where rural bandits engage regularly in kidnapping in the states of Zamfara, Kaduna, Katsina, Kebbi, Katsina and Sokoto. t *OXBMPNIF %POBME 4PLPUP 4UBUF

tion of other peoplepurposed achievements, without doubt, explains why decades after his reign, he is daily remembered and used in virtually all the primary schools (both public and private), as an example of a great leader. Indeed, they defined power in the image of their actions.

But today, the narrative has changed.

National development is in trouble. Education, power, health and infrastructure are the worst victims of present ineffectual administrations.

In many ways, the present administration may have a sincere desire to move the nation forward, but there are three major militating factors. First, there is no clear definition of our problem as a nation, the goals to be achieved, or the means chosen to address the problems and to achieve the goals.

Secondly, the system has virtually no consideration for connecting the poor with good means of livelihood- food, job and security. Thirdly, though they constitutionally possess the political powers to improve the life chances of the governed, governments at all levels daily manifest non-possession of political will to perform their constitutional responsibilities. This is the only possible explanation for this situation.

Take the education sector, for instance. It is a well considered belief that with sound and good educational institutions, a country is as good as made -as the institutions will turn out all rounded manpower to continue with the development of the society - driven by

well-thought out ideas, policies, programmes, and projects. In an age where information has more economic value than ever before, it’s obvious that education should have a higher national priority. It is also clear that democracies are more likely to succeed when there is widespread access to high-quality education.

But despite these virtues and attributes, the sector remains in the ‘valleys of the shadow of death’ occasioned by perennial underfunding. Standing as proof to this claim is the budgetary provision for education in 2019 which got N620.5bn (7.05 per cent), an amount that is far below the United Nations Educational Scientific, and Cultural Organization’s [UNESCO] recommendation.

This failure speaks volume and points at FG’s unwillingness to engineer national development and signposts an administration that is not interested in using power properly. What about the state of the nation’s infrastructure -roads in particular?

Definitely, it elicits but similar response.

Some years ago, it was reported that Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola, instead of talking about the efforts being made to fix the federal roads, told bewildered Nigerians that the roads in the country are not as bad as many thought. It is responses such as this that made to characterize our democracy as 'democracy turned upside down'. r +FSPNF .BSJP 6UPNJ 1SPHSBNNF $PPSEJOBUPS 4PDJBM BOE &DPOPNJD +VTUJDF "EWPDBDZ 4&+" -BHPT

ESSENCE OF SEXUALITY EDUCATION

S

exuality education in our clime is erroneously viewed as promoting unhealthy sexual relationships among young people which unfortunately is not the case. Sexuality education seeks to equip young people with life skills and values needed to determine and enjoy their individuality. It views femininity/masculinity holistically as a part of young people’s emotional and social development while also recognizing that information alone is not enough as young people need to be given the chance to develop positive attitudes and values - critical factors necessary for actualization of United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

If properly adapted, sexuality education can be a very powerful tool in making young people obtain faultless information

about sexual reproductive health and rights, build vital skills such as critical thinking, effective communication and negotiation, self-development and decision-making; sense of self; confidence; assertiveness; ability to take responsibility; ability to ask questions, analyse issues from a balanced point of view, bolster unfaltering attitudes and values, including open-mindedness, respect for self and others, positive self-worth/esteem, comfort, non-judgmental attitude, sense of responsibilityinaddition tounderstanding anticsofsexual predatorswhousesubtlemeansin carryingoutactsofsexualviolence.

Opendiscussionson sexuality is imperative for not only the health and wellbeing of young people but also linked to the breaking of biases which tend to limit their competencies.

t 0MVXBUPZJO 0MBCJTJ 8($&0 /(0

16

SUNDAY JULY 25, 2021 • T H I S D AY

17

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER JULY 25, 2021

BUSINESS

Rewane

Chukwu

Editor: Festus Akanbi 08038588469 Email:festus.akanbi@thisdaylive.com

Chukwu

Analysts: Expect More Coys to Jostle for Infrastructure Tax Credit Scheme Festus Akanbi

F

ollowing the Federal Executive Council’s approval for a number of key infrastructural projects to be undertaken by the Dangote Group and four other companies in place of their tax obligations under the Road Infrastructure Development and Refurbishment Investment Tax Credit Scheme, some economic watchers at the weekend said the current state of infrastructure in Nigeria will compel more companies to key into the scheme.

MTN and BUAGroup are some of the private sector companies that won the bid to construct federal roads as part of the Road Infrastructure Tax Credit Scheme.

2ther participating private sector Àrms are Access Bank, Transcorp Group, GZI Industries, Mainstreet Energy, and Dangote Group.

Reacting to the development in separate interviews with our correspondent, economic aͿairs commentators expected other companies to join the fray, a development they said promises to give the nation’s infrastructure a facelift.

They, however, admitted that the more the number of companies that embrace the scheme, the less the revenue that will accrue to the nation’s revenue-generating agency, the Federal Inland Revenue Service at the end of the year.

Managing Director, Financial Derivatives Company Limited, Mr. Bismarck Rewane, pointed out that “We should expect more companies to key into this scheme because, in this way, they will have the control over cashÁow rather than pay out cash; they can then begin to give value to the society and all of that and they can pick the assets they want to Ànance.

“For example, if I have a road in front of my o΀ce and instead of paying tax, they say, go and construct the road, I will rather construct the road so that my car can come into my ofÀce and my customers can be happy, instead of paying tax and waiting for the Lagos State Government or federal government to come and construct the road.

I also believe, for example, that a company like Cocacola will like to build their road near their factory, the Indorama, the petrochemical can say, let’s do that bridge so that our products can get to the market.”

Rewane, however, said the Federal Inland

Revenue cannot lose sleep over the anticipated shortfall in revenue, saying “Having a revenue target is not as important as ensuring the money raised is used for value. “Let’s say, for the sake of argument, we raised N1billion and we cannot account for it, but instead of N1billion cash, we now have N1billion in assets in roads or bridges, in the end, money comes in and it goes out, so whether there is value for money is the question that we have to be asking. The revenue target is important but it is not as important as the optimisation of the revenue when it is collected,” Rewane stated.

The Chairman of FIRS, Mr. Mohammed Nami could not be reached for his response as his phone was switched oͿ, while calls and WhatsApp messages to the Director, in charge of communication of the agency, Alhaji Abdullahi Ismaila were not acknowledged.

Meanwhile, corroborating Rewane’s optimism, Group Managing Director, Cowrie Asset Management, Mr. Johnson Chukwu believed the Infrastructural Tax Credit scheme will enable companies to tackle the problem of infrastructural deÀcit in their domains.

According to him, “Some companies are located where there are major infrastructural deÀcit. Such companies, if they have tax liabilities and large proÀtability, will certainly want to join this scheme. So, I believe several companies will want to join. It could be companies joining principally to address infrastructural deÀcits within their areas of operation. Of course, it will impact negatively on government’s revenue but in terms of the beneÀts to the society, I believe the beneÀts outweigh whatever shortfall they are going to have in terms of tax revenue.”

Chukwu explained further that currently, the government is not Ànding it easy to meet its capital expenditure, hence the necessity of the private sector intervention.

He said, “The issue is that tax revenue of the government should go to government’s capital expenditure. As it stands today, the government does not have enough money to cover its current expenditure. So, what we have seen is that we are having a severe deÀcit in terms of the infrastructural bill. This infrastructural tax credit is compelling government to spend revenue that it would have ordinarily spent on recurrent expenditure on capital expenditure.”

On the anticipated shortfall in revenue from the government side, Chukwu explained that the gains of the scheme will make whatever shortfall

recorded in revenue pale to insigniÀcance at the end of the day.

He said, “What you will have is there is going to be a shortfall in revenue from the government side, but infrastructure would have been built and that infrastructure, from the medium to long term will catalyse further economic development because they will reduce the cost of doing business in the country as we will have better infrastructure and that will ultimately help us to grow the government revenue as more companies begin to operate in the country and become proÀtable and viable.”

In his contribution, Executive Director, Cordros Capital Limited, Mr. Femi Ademola, said the initiatives have diͿerent appeals to diͿerent people.

According to him, “The federal government initiatives on tax credit for companies who embark on the development of road infrastructure appears like a good initiative.

“It is a supposed cheaper alternative to direct borrowing to fund infrastructure projects. It is a loan in the sense that it has to be repaid through tax credit and thus reduces the potential future tax revenue but is expected to be cheaper because the repayments would not include the usual bureaucratic processes that result in cost variations.

“The initiative has diͿerent appeals to the diͿerent parties involved. For the government, it is the ability to execute more developmental projects within a short period. For the corporates, they have a combination of branding advantage and cash Áow management. In addition, the cement manufacturers are also able to record improved demand (sales) for their products used in constructing the roads; hence they beneÀt both explicitly (Ànancially) and implicitly (brand improvement).

“However, the success of this initiative and any other one for that matter will depend signiÀcantly on the transparency of the process and the honesty of the parties involved. The scheme in itself is well set up and barring any corrupt tendencies on the part of any of the parties, it should work eͿectively.”

When confronted with the reservations in certain quarters that corruption could aͿect the success of the initiative, Ademola said, “No doubt, corruption can mar the success of the initiative but I wouldn’t predict a doom as its outcome despite the possibility of corruption.

“I believe that potential disruptions to the pro-

cess would have been factored into its structure hence I am optimistic that the initiative will work.

The experience with the Oworonshoki-Apapa Road which is being constructed under such scheme would have helped to make future initiatives work better.”

The Road Infrastructure Tax Credit Scheme enables companies with high tax proÀles to construct roads in a negotiated agreement with the federal government to provide the infrastructure instead of taxes.

MTN has been saddled with the responsibility of constructing the 110km Enugu-Onitsha road in Anambra State in exchange for tax credits.

The Transcorp Group is to construct the Oyinbo-Izuoma-Mirinwayi-Oklama-Afam Road; Access Bank will Àx the km Oniru axis of VI-Lekki circulation road in Lagos State while GZI Industries is also to reconstruct Umueme village road, Abia State.

In Niger State, Mainstreet Energy is saddled with the construction of Malando-Garin Baka-Ngwaski Road and the rehabilitation of Mokwa-Nasarawa Road.

The BUA Group will construct Bode-SaaduLaÀagi road; Eyinkorin road and bridge and Okura Road which links the Benin Republic with Osun State.

The Dangote Group will construct a deep seaport road through Epe to Sagamu-Beni; Kaaba-Ekiti boundary.

President Muhammadu Buhari, on January , 01 , signed Executive Order No. 00 on Road Infrastructure Development and Refurbishment Investment Tax Credit Scheme.

The scheme is for 10 years from its commencement date. The Scheme is a publicprivate partnership intervention that enables the federal government to leverage private sector capital and e΀ciency for the construction, refurbishment, and maintenance of critical road infrastructure in key economic areas in Nigeria. Participation in the Scheme is open to every Nigerian company, acting on its own or in concert with other Nigerian companies, and institutional investors wishing to construct or refurbish any road identiÀed and designated by the federal government as an “eligible road” under the Scheme. Participants will be entitled to utilize the total cost, incurred in the construction or refurbishment of an eligible road as a Tax Credit against their future Companies Income Tax (CIT) liability until full cost recovery is achieved.

18

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER JULY 25, 2021

ENERGY

Nigeria’s 50-Year OPEC Journey In less than eight weeks from now, the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), will roll out the drums in celebration of its 60th year anniversary. In 50 years of those six decades, the story of Nigeria has been strongly intertwined with that of the oil cartel. Emmanuel Addeh writes that it has been a marriage that has seen both good and bad times, as portrayed by some key Nigerian OPEC participants, who reÁected on the history of Nigeria’s involvement in the organisation

O

n September 14, 1960, the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), an inter-governmental cartel of 13 countries was founded in Baghdad by its Àrst Àve members, namely Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela.

Now headquartered in Vienna, Austria, OPEC, at the time said it sought to coordinate and unify the petroleum policies of its member countries and ensure the stabilisation of oil markets to secure an e΀cient, economic and regular supply of petroleum to consumers, a steady income to producers, and a fair return on capital for those investing in the petroleum industry.

Going by 01 Àgures, OPEC accounted for an estimated 44 per cent of global oil production and 81.5 per cent of the world’s “proven” oil reserves, giving the organisation a major inÁuence on global oil prices.

Nigeria discovered crude oil a few years before the formation of OPEC, and it didn’t take too long for the country to realise that it needed to be part of a multilateral organisation that could protect its interest and ensure stability in the oil market.

Before some oil-producing nations came together to form OPEC, the oil market was largely dominated by multinational oil companies and could sway the prices of the commodity to their advantage but to the detriment of the oil-producing countries at the snap of a Ànger.

This enormous power was reÁected sometime in 1959, according to records, when the oil companies unilaterally reduced the price of Venezuela’s crude by $0.05 and $0.025 per barrel and the price of the Middle East crude by $0.18 per barrel, without any care how it could aͿect the oil-producing countries.

Although there had been talks among the few producing countries at the time to counter the antics of the multinationals, these actions by private oil companies accelerated the establishment of OPEC. The singular need to be part of decisions that directly aͿect them prompted Iraq to invite the other four countries to a meeting in Baghdad to discuss issues surrounding oil pricing which eventually berthed the cartel after a four-day conference.

Although, there are a few persons that reason that Nigeria has no business being a member of OPEC, many stakeholders who are aware of the workings of the market insist that the cartel’s intervention in oil pricing and stabilisation of supply, has ensured that the country earned more from its oil resources.

Aside that, it is argued that the organisation has oͿered Nigerians the platform to engage in international administration and has served as a ready source of the country’s energy policies as OPEC research department remains very strong in this regard.

Indeed, over the past 50 years, Nigeria has produced six presidents of the OPEC Conference, including Shettima Ali Monguno (1972/73), Mallam Yahaya Dikko (1982/83), Dr Rilwanu Lukman (1986/1989 & 2002), Prof. Jibril Aminu (1991), Dr. Edmund Daukoru (2006) and Dr. Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu (2015).

In total, the country has presided over 26 OPEC ministerial conferences held in several countries, including Buhari, who also served as head of Nigeria’s delegation to OPEC from 1976-1978.

Buhari

Barkindo

In addition, Nigeria has provided four OPEC Secretaries General, including Chief M.O. Feyide, Rilwanu Lukman, Edmund Daukoru and the incumbent, Dr. Sanusi Barkindo who was acting secretary general from January 1, 2006 to December 31, 2006 and has been secretary general since August 1, 2016.

This amounts to a total of 15 years of managing the aͿairs of the OPEC secretariat on behalf of all its members.

However, it must be said that being a doubleedged sword, Nigeria’s relations with OPEC also means that the country has had to adhere strictly to production restrictions, like it is currently happening, despite the temptation to pump more oil.

Although tapered by the current Covid-19 pandemic amid the restriction of movement and gatherings, both OPEC and Nigeria, recently found a way to mark the country’s 50th anniversary, with Nigeria having joined in July 12, 1971.

President Buhari, who has been an active participant in OPEC, having been Nigeria’s oil minister in the 70s and currently the defacto oil minister in the country, said that Nigeria’s membership of the organisation has fostered cooperation and reduced the chaos in the international oil market.

“Nigeria’s membership is important because without OPEC the oil industry would have been in a chaotic situation where the winner takes all. Many countries, like Nigeria, would not have been able to develop their oil industry due to stiͿ competition.

“However, the good collaboration between OPEC member-countries has made it possible to accommodate both the weak and strong players in the oil production industry,” the President said during the celebration of the anniversary.

According to the President, it must be acknowledged that being a member of OPEC has facilitated closer relationships and fostered bilateral cooperation in other Àelds and industries as the countries seek to identify areas where they can be of help to one another.

Looking back at the historic day, OPEC Secretary-General, Barkindo, noted that being the 11th member of OPEC, with the conference unanimously agreeing to accept the country’s application for membership, it was a seminal moment for the country and for the cartel, with Nigeria being the Àrst sub-Saharan African nation to join the organisation.

For Nigeria and OPEC, Barkindo emphasised that it has at times been a rollercoaster journey, with various market cycles being negotiated, and unexpected events, such as macro-economic uncertainty, natural catastrophes, geopolitics, technological innovations and especially in 2020/21, global health pandemic, threatening to throw OPEC oͿ course.

Stressing that the links and symbiosis between Nigeria and OPEC were too numerous to mention in their entirety, he said that while the organisation was born on September 14, 1960, 17 days later, on October 1, 1960, Nigeria proclaimed its independence and a new era was entered into. “The destiny of the two were interlinked from this point in time,” Barkindo noted.

The OPEC helmsman pointed out that since joining the cartel just over a decade later, Nigeria has played a major role in driving the organisation’s focus on cooperation, goodwill, a sense of belonging and unity, and in working towards achieving market stability, conscious of the beneÀts it brings to both producers and consumers.

“Nigeria enjoys world renown as a consensus builder and deal maker, and it has been clearly on display throughout its Àve decades in OPEC. Looking back at the story of Nigeria’s 50-year association with OPEC makes me feel both proud and humble. “ I am tremendously proud of how far the relationship has come, and how important the two have been to each other. I have Nigeria in my heart, it is where I am from, but OPEC has also become part of my DNA. And I am extremely humbled to follow in the footsteps of the giants of the Nigerian oil industry and OPEC,” he enthused.

The opportunity of the event, which saw OPEC release a bulletin solely dedicated to Nigeria, also aͿorded a veteran of the organisation, Edmund Daukoru, now a traditional ruler and Chairman of the Nigeria LiqueÀed Natural Gas (NLNG) an opportunity to bare his mind on the OPEC/Nigeria ties.

Daukoru maintained that there was no doubt that Nigeria has beneÀted from its membership of OPEC in many ways, including through sharing technical know-how with other members, exchanging views on policies, as well as evolving a better understanding of the global oil market.

“Most importantly, Nigeria’s membership of OPEC has given the country the opportunity to

participate in the important goal of the organisation to stabilise the global oil market, which is a requisite for the survival of the industry, and by proxy, the survival of a country like Nigeria that heavily depends on revenue from oil production.

“All these underline the importance of Nigeria’s OPEC membership to the country’s oil development over the past 50 years,” he stated.

Having served as OPEC Secretary-General and conference president in 2006, Daukoru expressed joy that the organisation was able to withstand the storm and contribute its little part to the survival of the global oil industry.

He mentioned that the hosting of the 143rd (extraordinary) conference in Abuja in 2006 was one of the highlights of his days in OPEC, despite the challenges that were encountered, further recalling the oil market crisis of between 2004 and 2006.

“Another important highlight is that the oil industry was facing many challenges when I assumed the presidency of the OPEC conference on January 1, 2006. The challenges actually began around April 2004.

“This had to do with rising oil prices due to a combination of factors, contrary to what the industry usually faces. Prices rose from below $30/b to over $70/b by the second half of 2006, member countries had to make huge investments to raise production in order to cool the market.

“This was a true demonstration of OPEC’s exceptional role that considers not only the interests of producers, but also the interests of consumers,” he explained.

However, Daukoru admitted that OPEC’s position in the oil production business is gradually slipping with countries like the US becoming major oil producers, but added that the role of OPEC in helping to stabilise the oil market remains important and necessary.

“The implication is that OPEC will need the collaboration of non-OPEC producers to enable it to continue playing that role. Hence, the recent ‘Declaration of Cooperation’ will need to be strengthened and widened for the survival of the oil industry.

“This evolution will have to become a permanent feature. In that sense, Nigeria’s role will continue to be important as the largest oil producer in Africa, and to serve as a rallying point for other African producers,” he stated.

In his intervention, Kachikwu stressed that OPEC as an organisation has added unquantiÀable beneÀts to Nigeria’s oil policy and incomeharnessing stability and helped ensure global energy stability over the last 60 years.

“Nothing epitomised OPEC’s contributions more than its roles during the three cyclical price periods that occurred in the 1970s and in 2015 and 2020. The unity of purpose amongst members allowed OPEC to resuscitate world petroleum product and market stability, and enabled the sector and various member nations’ economies survive.

“The truth is that for countries like Nigeria that depend on crude oil and has over 70 per cent of its foreign exchange income, the absence or failure of OPEC would have been brutal to the local economy and the development of the local oil industry,” noted Kachikwu.

But for the DoC which was activated by OPEC, Kachikwu opined that prices were tumbling down and the US was bringing a lot of pressure to bear on member countries singularly and collectively.

See concluding part on www.thisdaylive.com

19

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER JULY 25, 2021

BUSINESS INTERVIEW ‘Selection of Dangote, BUA, Flour Mills for Sugar Importation in Line with our Master Plan’ Following misconceptions over the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN’s) selection of Dangote Sugar ReÀnery, BUA Sugar ReÀnery, and Golden Sugar Company, owned by Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc as the sole importers of sugar in the country, the Executive Secretary, National Sugar Development Council (NSDC), Mr. Zacch Adedeji last week spoke with a select team of journalists to clarify the CBN’s decision, which he said is also in the interest of smaller Sugar companies and the Nigerian consumers, Festus Akanbi was there

R

ecently the Central Bank of Nigeria(CBN)announcedthat sugar importation should be restricted to Dangote, BUA, and Golden Sugar. Many people feel this is empowering a few big players who can À[ SULFHV :KDW LV \RXU WDNH" First, let me clarify that what the CBN has done is very much in tune with our Master Plan. At the beginning of the implementation of the Master Plan, thereareconditionssetforthosewishingtoparticipate in the BIP (Backward Integration Programme). One of the conditions is for them to have a veriÀed plan to produce sugar locally.

The three companies you mentioned are those who have committed huge investments into the plan by setting up reÀneries with a minimum reÀning capacity of 100,000 metric tons for each of them and they have also keyed into the BIP. Sugar importation is based on a quota that is issued under the terms of our Master Plan to any company that can produce a minimum of 100,000 metric tons of sugar locally.

What CBN has done is to link our Master Plan progresstoentitlementtoforexatano΀cialrate.These three companies you mentioned have, in compliance with the Master Plan, been allowed some incentives and concessions to encourage their investments in local sugar production.

As a regulatory agency, NSDC is charged with measuring and reporting on this progress to ensure that they continue to meet the conditions for those incentives. We have reinvigorated that monitoring process to ensure that incentives are only granted to those that meet the conditions in terms of their attainment of the Master Plan objectives, especially concerning backward integration. Progress must be measurable and we have communicated this clearly to all.

At NSDC, we want as many operators as possible to key into the scheme, because this will enhance local production and create thousands of jobs. Our target is to have more of such operators. We are actively working with some smaller players to help them get to the 100,000 MT target as quickly as possible. From my background in Procter and Gamble, where we produce products with lots of competitors I know that competition spurs excellence and innovation.

Ultimately, this is very good for the consumer by lowering prices and increasing choice. It is also good for the companies themselves. So, I expect CBN to widen this list, as more operators key into the scheme.

Don’t forget that local production is our primary focus. So, importation should be a temporary state of aͿairs to supplement until local production can meet our needs. The quantity imported should reduce over time.

There has been a controversy in the sugar sector, especially with the recent dispute between two dominant players in the industry - Dangote and BUA and allegations of predatory pricing. How KDYH \RX EHHQ DEOH WR GRXVH WKLV SRWHQWLDO FULVLV" My view is that as a regulator, we are ultimately the champion of the consumer.As I indicated earlier, the Sugar Master Plan is set up to attain certain clear objectives that are in the best interest of the Nigerian people. These include stable pricing, job creation throughbackwardintegration,conservationofforeign exchange, and value enhancement. So, in terms of disputes in the industry, our role is to enforce the provisions of the Nigeria Sugar Master Plan. Where a dispute aͿects the attainment of the Master Plan, it becomes our concern. Our yardstick on resolving disputes is the Master Plan and this was how we engaged with the parties in this instance. The truth is that there is a lot of room for improvement across

Adedeji

the sector and this is our focus. We are playing catch up, so inÀghting creates a distraction. In the Ànal analysis, the entire sector has a long way to go and we need all hands on deck, working collaboratively to ensure that we meet our objectives.

NSDC has not been a prominent government agencyandsomewillsaythereisnotmuchachievement in the last few years. How do you hope to FRUUHFW WKLV" It will be very unfair to say the agency has not achieved much before my advent. One of the greatest assets we have at the NSDC today is the Master Plan putinplacebytheagency.TheAgencyhassucceeded in stopping the importation of reÀned sugar. The country was spending heavily on the importation of reÀned sugar hitherto to meet its consumption which has now grown to 1.7 million metric tons.

Through the instrumentality of the plan put in place by the agency, Nigeria now has a combined local production capacity that is about twice that.

The NSDC, thereafter, selected those who can achieve a backward integration programme (BIP) to add value to the raw sugar being brought in. This hasledtothecreationofhundredsofthousandsofjobs for Nigerians working in the three local reÀneries. So, NSDC has done very well in increasing the country’s sugar reÀning capacity. That is the starting point.

Today, the country does not import reÀned sugar.

We only import raw sugar which is reÀned in the reÀneries set up by the operators in the country. The focus now is our backward integration programme which we are now running. So, the same energy we displayed in putting a Master Plan in place is being devoted to the backward integration programme.

But I think every stakeholder agrees that we could do much better in terms of our attainments and this is what we are aggressively trying to address. The Master Plan itself has very noble objectives which, taken together, could make sugar a very important job and wealth creator for Nigeria. It would reduce importationandthedemandforforeignexchangeand could even earn us dollars from export. So, those that conceived the plan had the best intentions. However, the key to a plan is in its implementation.

Since I assumed o΀ce, I have been trying to under-

stand and address the constraints to progress. These constraints include the availability of suitable land, hostility among some host communities, Ànancing, and infrastructure. For example, sugar grows under quite speciÀc conditions and requires a considerable amount of water. So, just having land is not enough.

The land must have the correct topography and also haveadequatewaterviairrigation.Thentheremustbe the provision of infrastructure to enable mechanised farming to be conducted. So, as you can imagine, to developtheindustryaswedesire,manystakeholders across the three tiers of government and the private sector have roles to play.

You are one of the youngest appointees of the administrationandthesugarindustryisdominated E\ ELJ SOD\HUV ZKR ZLHOG PDVVLYH LQÁXHQFH +RZ ZLOO \RX FRSH ZLWK WKHVH LQÁXHQWLDO DQG GRPLQDQW SOD\HUV LQ WKH LQGXVWU\" Well, at 43, I am not so young. I have over 20 years of experience and much of my experience is in the fast-moving consumer goods sector where I have operated at very senior levels, negotiating with and advisingmultinationalsandmanagingmulti-million dollar projects. So, it is a sector that I am very familiar with and I am conversant with the challenges and the opportunities. My public sector experience means I fully understand the workings of government and how to get the best from the public service, which is very critical to the success of the agency.

My view is that, as a regulatory agency, National SugarDevelopmentCouncil’smostimportantassetis aframeworkunderpinnedbythelaw.Thisframework must be understood by all stakeholders, and this is what I have set out to do. Personalities become less important when all players know where the agency is heading, what is expected of them and of course the consequence for infractions or non-performance.

Our vision is to achieve self-su΀ciency in local sugar production by expanding the number of players in our backward integration programme. So, the focus is not on individuals. What is important is the result because the result is what will deliver a positive impact to the public. :KDW KDYH \RX EHHQ DEOH WR GR LQ WKH VKRUW WLPH

\RX KDYH EHHQ LQ RͿFH DQG ZKDW GR ZH H[SHFW IURP \RX" One of the key reforms we have introduced is to bringinexternalresourcestosupportourmonitoring.

We see monitoring as the key to the attainment of the objectives of the Master Plan. It will allow us to truly measure progress and to take corrective action if any player is not meeting their commitments. So, each operator has to submit a quarterly plan and we monitor progress against each milestone. But the wider vision is to deepen the industry and this will involve attracting investments and overcoming some of the constraints. Already, we are interfacing with the state governments on areas that have been identiÀed as suitable for sugar cultivation to ensure the release of land and provision of infrastructure.

These states are Nasarawa, Kwara,Adamawa, Oyo, Niger, Taraba, Ondo, Sokoto and Bauchi.

WearealsoworkingwiththeNigeriaPortsAuthority (NPA) and the Customs to try and ensure that equipment needed by our operators gets out of the ports on time to avoid congestion. This is because sugar cultivation is time-sensitive and delays in harvesting can result in losses to our farmers, which can discourage them. Finally, we are working with CBN to arrange single-digit funding that will support investment in the sector.

From our analysis, strict implementation of the Nigeria Sugar Master Plan will create thousands of jobs in our rural areas and the wider value chain such as logistics, marketing, and even in technical areas.

This is why we are very determined to ensure that we achieve our objectives. We have all the incentives in place to encourage major investment in this sector and there is no reason that, just like what has been achieved in cement, we cannot become self-su΀cient and eventually export. It will take a lot of hard work but we think it’s doable. <RXU DSSRLQWPHQW DV WKH ([HFXWLYH 6HFUHWDU\ RI the National Sugar Development Council (NSDC) byPresidentMuhammaduBuhariisrecent,canyou tell us about yourself, your career, and the journey VR IDU DW WKH 16'&" I am from Iwo Ate in the Ogbomosho area of Oyo State. I got my Àrst degree in Accounting from the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile Ife, wherebythegraceofGodIattainedFirstClasshonors.

I qualiÀed as a CharteredAccountant of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) and I latercompletedaMaster’sdegreeinAccountingfrom OAU. More recently, I have completed executive education programmes at Harvard Kennedy School of Government.

Intermsofmycareer,Ihaveworkedintheconsumer goods sector for most of my working life. I spent seven years in Procter and Gamble. I had joined the company’s graduate programme and I rose to become Corporate Finance Manager for WestAfrica and I was in charge of Accounting, Treasury and Internal Control.

By2011,IhadrisentobecometheHeadofCorporate Finance and it was at this point that I answered the call of civic duty and I was appointed Commissioner for Finance in Oyo State under my father and mentor, Late SenatorAbiolaAjimobi, by the grace of God, at the age of 33 years. I was the youngest to be appointed to this role.

AsCommissionerofFinanceinOyoState,Iwasable to introduce several reforms that helped to reposition the Ànances of the state. Since leaving the Oyo State government,Ihavebeenconsultingformultinationals in the fast-moving consumer goods sector. I am very humbled by my nomination by the Minister of Trade Industry and Investment, Chief NiyiAdebayo, and to President Muhammadu Buhari for approving my appointment as the Executive Secretary, National Sugar Development Council.

20

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER JULY 18, 2021

WOMEN ENTERPRENEURS

OLAWUNMI OMOTOYINBO

You Can’t Go Wrong When You Deliver on Quality and Consistency Olawunmi Omotoyinbo is the chief executive o΀cer of SaladChops Catering Services, a full-Áedged food services outÀt. The organisation prides itself as a foremost food hospitality company with variety, Áexibility and timeliness as its main assets, having executed numerous events for top-notch corporate and high proÀle private clients. SaladChops is also into kitchen management in the health sector and provides that service for a major teaching hospital and a highly-respected private hospital. The company has, over the years, evolved into a Total Events Solutions outÀt, providing value-added services like event planning, decorations, security, logistics, drinks, ushers and venue sourcing for a complete, wellrounded and extremely professional and value-driven service delivery for clients. A former media aide to the MD of Siemens Nigeria, Omotoyinbo speaks with Oyinlola Sale on us how her catering business, SaladChops grew into becoming an events company as well

S

aladChops started as a FDWHULQJ RXWÀW DQG WKHQ expanded into events.

Tell us the story behind that journey?

Yes, initially, we were a purely a catering outÀt, concentrating only on that aspect. As we continued to grow we realised that it was important to evolve into a Total Events Solutions company because some clients didn’t want to have to deal with various suppliers for one event so the smart move was to become a one-stop shop for our clients for all their event needs and that evolution has worked very well for us.

if you are focused and determined.

There has been some di΀cult and really challenging situations but somehow, we managed to pull through and deliver. Hopefully, there won’t be many stumbling blocks ahead, but when they do come, I want to believe we are well-equipped to overcome them. Giving up is and will never be an option no matter how hard the road is.

The event industry is capital intenVLYH +RZ GLG \RX PDQDJH WR ÀQDQFH this business in its early days?

You’re quite right it is capital intensive. Initial support came from my husband and my mom. I also got what I will call business support from family and friends who encouraged us by giving us catering jobs for their parties and referrals to corporate organisations, some of which gave us events like product launches and AGMs. As we grew, we invested a big chunk of our proÀts into purchasing equipment so as to be fully independent. We are not there yet but we are keep working at it.

How did SaladChops grow to become a business that caters for hospitals as kitchen managers?

Well somewhere along the line, an opportunity to manage the kitchen for a teaching hospital presented itself through an open bidding process. We sent in a proposal, got invited to pitch alongside other catering outÀts and thankfully, we were selected by the panel. Since then, we’ve tried our best to provide quality service which led to a recommendation by someone and the private hospital then invited us for discussions which went well and we got that kitchen management contract as well. This involves providing three meals a day for the in-patients at the hospitals, which is very challenging, but thankfully we’ve been able to deliver to the satisfaction of our clients.

The events industry has evolved from what it was 20 years ago. How did it inspire the creation of SaladChops?

Well, like I said earlier, we started out as a purely catering outÀt. This was at the encouragement of my husband, who always believed I should become an entrepreneur and really pushed me and supported me right from the start. I have always been a good cook, thanks to my mum and it was something I enjoyed doing.

It was a case of turning a passion into a profession.

At the time I started in 2010, the events industry was already becoming a very focused, engaged and creative one. Naturally, we had to move with the times and delve into the other aspects of the industry so as to stay relevant and competitive.

How has SaladChops managed to build a sustainable brand in the food and events Industry?

Again I go back to these words I used earlier. 4uality and consistency. These are our brand values as an organisation. I have come to realise that, if you are able to deliver on these two ideals, you cannot go wrong and the likelihood is that you will even garner more clients. That’s what we always strive for in all our engagements 4uality, Consistent Service Delivery.

Alex-Oni

SaladChops is a company that has many branches from catering to event planning. How do you combine the two?

We had to learn to multi-task.

Catering and events are intertwined and ability to deliver on both aspects enhances your ability to compete.

We’ve had clients who live abroad and only wanted to deal with a one stop shop for all their event needs. For such clients you have to be able to deliver on both fronts and I believe we are able to do that eͿectively.

The event industry sees a daily increase in the number of players. In what ways does SaladChops stand out?

Yes, it is a highly competitive Àeld

with many competent players. Our key words for business success are quality and consistency. We try at all times to deliver quality service to our clients on a consistent basis. That has helped us to build pedigree and trust from our clients and has also endeared us to new clients. I believe this is what stands us out.

Was there ever a time you stumbled on a road block that made you feel like giving up? How did you overcome that situation?

To be honest, so far there hasn’t been any major stumbling block. My husband who is an entrepreneur, as well prepared my mind by telling me at the start that, stumbling blocks are just stepping stones to greater success,

What impact do you see SaladChops making in the food and events LQGXVWU\ LQ WKH QH[W ÀYH \HDUV" In the next Àve years we hope to be a leading light in the Catering and Events Service industry. We intend to hold on to our present clientele by continuing to provide excellent service, which we pray leads to gaining even more clients.

We also intend to expand our food management services beyond hospitals and into the hospitality and travel Industry, namely hotels and airlines.

While looking ahead we remain focused on our current clientele and will strive to continue to give them value for money by the quality of service we provide.

21

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER JULY 25, 2021

TRANSPORT

Before the Locomotives Finally Break Down

Kasim Sumaina examines the implications of the frequent breakdown of the Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC) locomotives along the Abuja-Kaduna corridor and the need to address the problem once and for all

W

ith the surge in passengertra΀c and increase in revenue generation on the Abuja-Kaduna axis of the modernised rail transport system, the frequent breakdown of locomotives on the axis has been described as an embarrassment to the nation by the elites who urged the government to as a matter of urgency and priority tackle the lingering problem headlong.

It is disheartening that barely six years after the inauguration of the Abuja-Kaduna rail lines constructed with huge loans facilities amounting to $500 million from the Chinese government, the Nigeria Railway Corporation cannot handle mere issues of locomotives’ maintenance thereby having to resort to avoidable apologies as passengers’ lives are being put at risk anytime there is a breakdown.

While it is no longer news that the growing insecurity in the land is putting pressure on rail transportation, there is an urgent need for the federal government to ensure passengers get to their destinations in record time without being exposed to any danger.

For the umpteenth time, hundreds of passengers on the Abuja-Kaduna train service were a few weeks ago stranded in the bush after the train developed a fault a few minutes after it left Rigasa Station in Kaduna State.

Apassenger had taken to social media in a tweet to announce that the train had initially stopped twice before it Ànally broke down in the middle of a forest in Dutse, Kaduna.

It was gathered that the train had broken down severally in the past, leaving passengers stranded, disrupting their travel plans, and also exposing them to undue security risks.

Of recent, the NRC has been in the bad news for simple issues of maintenance. While the frequent breakdown of locomotives cannot be blamed solely on the corporation, the government should devise means of ensuring the situation is arrested. But, the recent pronouncement by the Minister of Transportation, Mr. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, who has acknowledged that the frequent breakdowns of locomotives on theAbuja² Kaduna corridor is a result of lack of spare parts for the trains is worrisome.

According to the minister who was on an inspection of the newly inaugurated Lagos-Ibadan rail, barely a month after revealed that the breakdown of theAbuja-Kaduna train is due to lack of maintenance which is attributable to a lack of spare parts.

Amaechi has said that his ministry has written to Mr. President on this issue and that the president has graciously approved the purchase of spare parts for the Lagos-Ibadan trains which, according to him, “Very soon, enough spare parts for the Lagos-Ibadan rail will arrive the country. By the time this occurs, we will use some of these parts for the Abuja-Kaduna, and hopefully, the issue of incessant breakdown of the trains will be resolved.”

But, the question on the lips of Nigerians is how soon will the spare parts arrive in the country" He has explained that trains that are currently failing were bought in 2016 and had worked perfectly until now that some parts needed to be changed and others serviced. While this is commendable, the Nigeria government should look inward to see if these spare parts can be manufactured right here in the country because on November 10, 2019, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, in Kajola, Ogun State, kicked oͿ the construction of the Àrst-ever wagon assembly plant for the railway system in the country, saying it is part of eͿorts to localise rail technology in Nigeria.

Osinbajo said while performing the groundbreaking ceremony that the rail system of transportation held the key to the transformation of

Rail transport under heavy pressure as government battles banditry across the nation

commerce in Nigeria and across the continent, as it would link the ports and provide an integrated transportation network.

He had noted that the project, when completed, apart from generating about 5,000 jobs, was expected to produce some parts of the wagons for the Lagos-Ibadan and Abuja-Kaduna rail lines, stating that it is also projected to produce some parts for the central rail lines that would link other rail operators within the WestAfrican sub-region.

Osinbajo observed that by building the rolling stock locally, import and export businesses within, into, and out of Africa’s largest market would receive a heavy boost. He cited that the plant in Nigeria and the commitment to hiring Nigerians and Nigerian businesses a΀rmed President Muhammadu Buhari’s directives in Executive Order 5 and that the executive order focuses on prioritising Nigerians and Nigerian businesses in the innovation, production, and procurement of engineering projects and services.

The vice president stated, “The plant would oͿer an important platform for engineers, technicians, artisans, and other professionals to gain the specialised skills required for the production and maintenance of rolling stock.”

But, almost two years after the inauguration, THISDAY checks revealed that there is nothing concrete on the ground as the project only has a skeletal iron rod standing and nothing more to show.

Also, Amaechi had explained that to meet the increasing demand of both passengers and freight on the new Nigeria Standard Gauge Railway Service, the federal government had awarded the contract for the procurement of rolling stock. This, he said, included locomotives, coaches, wagons, and contemporary Diesel Multiple Units to serve the movement of passengers and freight on the Abuja-Kaduna, Itakpe-Ajaokuta-Warri train services as well as the on-going Lagos-Ibadan railway. It will also serve any railway service in the West-African sub-region.

He had stated that it was in the pursuit of these objectives that the Federal Ministry of Transportation signed an agreement with Messrs CCECC Nigeria Limited in March 2018 to establish the

plant for the production and assemblage of rolling stock, spare parts, and maintenance equipment in Nigeria.

“Messrs CCECC conducted a feasibility study in which the choice of Kajola was arrived at as the suitable location for the project, the minister stated.”

He said the project was a direct investment of Messrs CCECC Nigeria Limited in the country and part of the gains from the contract signed for the supply of the rolling stock.

“This will be the Àrst of its kind in Nigeria and the Àrst batch of the wagons to be assembled from the production line of this plant will form part of the rolling stock for Lagos-Ibadan and AbujaKaduna railway operations. Subsequently, other rolling stock would be produced as its production capacities increase,” Amaechi said.

It is beginning to dawn on the government that the agreement entered into by Messrs CCEC two years after hasn’t seen the light of day as NRC continues to record casualties in numbers of breakdown locomotives.

The minister regretted that the breakdown of operations along the Kaduna-Abuja corridor was due to the late arrival of spare parts from China. Experts observed that this could have been averted if the Kajola project was given the right priority it deserves. While it is noteworthy to state that the Chinese government is to build, manage and maintain the plant for years as agreed before handing it over to the federal government is not enough to keep silent and continue to wait for the endless arrival of spare parts from overseas.

“It is worrisome that these locomotives that are brand new are failing. The locomotives have a warranty that covers them for over four years and the government is considering returning them to China.”

However, passengers have continued to lament the rigours of travelling on the route by train and encountering incessant breakdowns, which leave them stranded for hours. Regular travellers have expressed worries that the rail route, which has been a safer alternative to the bandits-infested Kaduna-Abuja expressway, is also beginning to feel insecure.

AccordingtoAmaechi,“Afterthelastbreakdown

of the Kaduna-Abuja train, I instructed the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) to rest that particular locomotive. I am surprised that there was a delay related to another breakdown.

It should be on record that Nigerians are beginning to embrace rail transportation as a means of movement and the government cannot aͿord to fold its hands on whatever problem the system is encountering. Lagos-Ibadan axis alone conveyed 42,000passengersinJuneandtheMinisterisalready calling for scale-up. Amaechi, while speaking in Lagos recently, said “We came back because by the time we commissioned the project, there were minor things that they needed to complete and we needed to see that they had been completed.

He noted that apart from Olodo station, most of the stations are completed and they will focus on it. We came to see those things.

“Again,they’vecompletedcommunicationsand signalling but we need six months to be checking regularly to make sure it is working e΀ciently, if not, we can’t have 18 or 16 trips a day. To have 16 trips a day, we must ensure that communications are in perfect condition.

“We just wanted to see how they have been able to conclude the things; we wanted them to conclude before scaling up the number of coaches and trains they can put on the track. I have asked NRC to scale up from four to eight trips a day”, he said. Again, why a path should be given to the Minister at the back, every single issue concerning the rail system must be given the right attention it needs before the trains breakdown.

The Managing Director, Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), Mr. Fidet Okhiria, has already ruled out concession plans. According to him, the federal government has no plan to concession the operations of Abuja-Kaduna Railway to private business operators.

Rather, he advised private interests to collaborate and acquire coaches and bid for licences to enable them to move passengers and goods on the same route.

Okhiria made this submission at the Infrastructure Dialogue with the theme “Rail Infrastructure Rebirth Catalyst for Nigeria’s Economic Potential” held in Abuja.

22

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER JULY 25, 2021

ECONOMY

Nigerians Need a Global Mindset to Address Economic Crisis, Says Business Immigration Expert

The Chairman, Trade, Investment and Business Immigration, African Bar Association, Mark-Anthony Nduka-Eze, Attorney at Law, shared with Uchechukwu Nnaike and Chris Asika his interest in business and corporate immigration programmes created to promote trade and investment collaboration for corporations, investors, traders and experienced business managers and executives within African countries and between African and non-African countries; and the advantages of global business immigration to assist Nigerian businesses to identify trade partnerships and build stronger markets

B

usiness immigration facilitates the movement of goods and services across borders and enables investors, traders and professionals to acquire favorable permanent immigration status in developed countries with beneÀts like access to dollar denominated loans at aͿordable and low interest rate; access to aͿordable medical care and access to the best university education without paying international school fees, thereby reducing corruption and conserving foreign currency in Nigeria.

These beneÀts enable families to access quality education at a reasonable cost and also obtain work permit status in these countries, Nduka-Eze told THISDAY. He said Nigerians should strive to acquire dual citizenship, including their children, so as to aid opportunity for college and graduate education at aͿordable cost at the best institutions anywhere in the world because today parents are paying more school fees as they are getting older, instead of saving more for their retirement. As a result, he said they get poorer as they are getting older, stressing the need to earn foreign currency as individual business owners through opportunities like AGOA and AFCFTA, focusing on exportable products other than oil, which is no longer sustainable because of the fall in oil prices.

“What I advise Nigerian entrepreneurs is to open branches/subsidiaries in Canada, USA, Rwanda, China, Europe and the rest of the world because the company branches out there automatically become an artiÀcialcitizen of that country and you can now source Ànancing with very low interest rates.

You have to think deeper, think global but act locally. Today the digital world allows you to do that sitting inside your shop in Onitsha or Kano, from where you can conquer the whole world using your brain wisely, not just for showing oͿ.”

Sharing his experience, he said “After graduating from the University of London, England with a Law degree, I moved to America, I found that I could not easily take the Bar exams in the USA because I have a foreign law degree, the Bar in the USA will not admit you to practice law in their jurisdiction until you return to the American University to read law once more, for another three years, an impossible undertaking because of the huge Ànancial implications. I felt that where there is a will, there must be a way, so I conducted an extensive research of the admission rules of the state bar of all the Àfty states and found that one of the states gives a waver and thus will allow me to sit for the bar examinations with only a law degree and that’s New York. The rest is history as they say. I have a law Àrm in California today and an IT Àrm also here in Nigeria that partnered with Samsung to introduce the Etiam/ Samsung smart education project in Nigeria, to drive learning in schools

Nduka-Eze

using tablets and educational contents, as well as train youths in vocational ICT training to acquire practical skills and reduce unemployment among the youth.” According to Nduka-Eze, Nigerians have proved to be the most and fastest growing immigrants in the USA because of their commitment to success where they are given a fair and a level playing Àeld. From my experience what we need in Nigeria is to think global.

Another beneÀt is that Nigerian immigrant investors through programmes can obtain permanent residency or outright citizenship through investment of a certain sum. Traders can acquire permanent visas in the USA, Canada, and Europe by investing a certain sum of money and will qualify to borrow money at low interest rates, buy homes with mortgage, etc.”and re-invest in Nigeria with their long term funds.

For traders that import goods from China, Nduka-Eze disclosed that Nigerian traders are entitled to two years long term Chinese business visas. “It should be noted that Nigerian traders are continuously issued with short term visitors visas of less than six months duration, although their purpose of visiting China is usually for business.

This is the wrong visa classiÀcation since most Nigerians are not interested in visiting the Great Wall of China as they only travel to China to conduct

trade and business.

“This short term visitor’s visa has resulted in our traders being criminalised by the Chinese government upon the expiration of the visa, as well as our traders being cheated out of their Ànancial contributions by their Chinese partners who are given these monies by their Nigerian partners to conduct business in China. With a long term visa and your own Chinese company and bank account, your money is safe and secure.

The Chinese government has a business and employment visa classiÀcation that most African traders should apply for to enable them to spend the long duration normally required to develop their business in China.

“The beneÀts of business classiÀcation visas are immense because they provide a permanent visa required for business operation. The African business owner can set up their corporate bank account and qualify to borrow money in local currency at low interest rate and avoid the current situation where their investment is usually placed at risk by some local partners who take advantage of the expiration of their short term visitor’s visa and the consequent imprisonment of these traders by the Chinese enforcement authorities, turning an immigration violation into a criminal oͿence, thereby making it impossible for these traders to renew their visa in

future, Nduka-Eze added.

As a country of over 200 million people, he said Nigeria can enter into trade treaties with countries such as USA, Canada, UK and others to obtain exclusive business visa classiÀcation such as treaty trader and treaty investor visas, reserved for investors and traders of both treaty countries. It is worth noting that countries such as Cameroun, Togo and Ethiopia has such business visa concessions with USA, while Nigeria as the second largest trading partner of the USA in Africa, do not have such business visa privileges for their business people.

“All these trade opportunities can also be duplicated under the African Free Trade Agreement where you have over 1.2 billion people to market your goods and services.

“You can use your corporate status, professional, trade and entertainment business to acquire permanent immigration status in any of the developed countriesand ultimately to gain residency or citizenship through intra-company transferee visas, treaty investor, treaty trader and various types of investment visas. The opportunity to access funds at low interest in the western world and invest in African for higher returns is open to traders, investors, entertainers and professionals,” he said.

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER JULY 25, 2021

23

BUSINESS OUTSIDER

Is Prolonged Sitting the New Smoking?

Container-laden vessels arriving at a seaport

Just like people thought smoking was harmless years ago, a lot of people still think sitting for a long stretch of time is harmless but that can’t be any further from the truth.

In 2009, a Canadian study was published in the Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise which found a close relationship between long hours of sitting and an increased risk of death.

And just like exercise doesn’t necessarily counteract the negative effects of smoking, it also doesn’t counteract the negative effects of prolonged sitting.

Our bodies are designed for movement and its evident in the way it’s structured with over 360 joints and about 700 skeletal muscles that allows for easy fluid motion.

Our blood depends on us moving around to be able to circulate properly, nerve cells benefit from movement but unfortunately with evolution, our lifestyle has become more sedentary by the day considering many of us spend most of our entire workday at a desk, followed by familiar with your particular business sitting through rush hour traffic and then category to eliminate errors, reduce the some downtime in front of the tv. time required for planning and optimise When we’re standing, the muscles in our cost e΀ciency. For example, businesses lower back and our core are engaged in that require delivery of production maintaining the spine in a neutral position. materials to remotely located factories As soon as we sit on a chair with a should select providers familiar with backrest, those muscles are disengaged the terrain, or businesses that need cold and the whole weight of the upper body is storage transportation should choose concentrated on the lower lumbar region a provider already familiar with the of the spine, hence increase in posterior challenges of transporting these types annulus strain and intradiscal pressure of products. (pressure on the vertebral column) causing sciatic nerve damage and back pain /RFDWLRQ most people suffer from.

Last-mile delivery and the cost of Production of lipoprotein lipase, an fulÀlment can impact a business’s proÀt- enzyme that’s important for breaking ability. As such, selecting providers with down fats and cholesterol from the blood, a wide coverage area and/or fulÀlment is almost deactivated or stopped during hubs closer to densely populated areas prolonged sitting times, as a result causing may keep service costs down for SMEs. a decrease in metabolism over time.

The cost of delivery factors in the conProlonged sitting, especially in a sumer purchase decision and managing slouched posture is one of the major selecting a service that keeps total cost causes of poor blood circulation which can competitive will result in increased be dangerous to your health.

Because the symptoms aren’t obvious product sales.

Improper logistic planning can nega- when you’re young, after about three tively impact proÀtability. For example, a hours of sitting, there’s a 50% drop in small Nigerian fashion business releases artery dilation, and as a result, a decrease a new summer collection and suddenly in blood flow, thereby slowly suffocating receives more orders than it ever has you like a cigarette would.

Sitting has been compared to smoking historically. The company which has failed to create any plans to ramp up as a silent killer, as sitting for two hours production or adjust delivery time or straight can take away as much of your life evaluated the capacity of its logistics as smoking a cigarette would according to partner to deliver raw materials in the British journal of sports medicine.

If you’re guilty of spending the majority accelerated time or complete last-mile deliveries to new locations falls behind of your days sitting down for prolonged production timelines. It has to contend periods of time, here’s a few tips to help with irate customers, cancelled orders change that; 1. Break up every hour of sitting by and expensive express shipping through introducing small bouts of walking movenew partners.

Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity ments throughout your day.

2. Adjust your chair to a vertical spine and Ambiguity (VUCA) will continue to impact logistics in Nigeria. While posture to reduce uneven pressure on innovative solutions continue to be your spine from sitting in a slouched developed to meet these challenges, position.

3. Set a reminder to move every hour.

SMEs must focus on creating eͿective 4. Use phone calls as a que to take a supply chain processes to minimise loss walk or pace around the room. and improve proÀtability.

5. Invest in a standing adjustable desk.

The key is to break up your sitting times, _$GHJELWH LV D WKRXJKW OHDGHU LQ 6WUDWHJ\ DQG 6XSSO\ &KDLQ DQG KDV get your muscles working and gets that ZRUNHG ZLWK OHDGLQJ RUJDQLVDWLRQV OLNH blood flowing!

/RJLVWLFV LQ 60(V Tunji Adegbite

P

aula, a budding readyto-wear fashion designer and SME proprietor in Lagos has created a sensational dress. Everyone wants one and the dress has quickly become a status symbol. Her SME has sold out all pre-produced outÀts and the orders keep coming in. The remaining stock of the silk print used for producing the dress cannot cater to the Áood of orders coming in, especially through microblogging platform, Twitter. Also, for the Àrst time since launch three years ago, Paula is receiving orders from other cities like Kaduna, Ibadan, Port Harcourt, Kano, and Owerri. Previously, her customers have been in Lagos and Abuja. How does Paula cope with this new challenge to her business processes?

Paula is not alone. Cost-eͿective logistics - the inbound transportation of raw materials, services or bulk goods and outbound movement of Ànished products to the consumer, is essential to the success of any business, and it has become an albatross for many micro, small and medium scale businesses.

A comprehensive end-to-end logistics process includes supplier management, customs clearance, warehousing, inventory control, order processing, customer service, transportation, and packaging.

Mastering this aspect of a business is a competitive advantage for organisations.

Amazon dominates the e-commerce industry because of its impressive logistics procedures and local players like Konga and Jumia have since realised that it is critical to their business success.

To accomplish higher proÀtability and e΀ciencies, SMEs must understand how to e΀ciently manage their supply chain processes, ensuring on-time last-mile deliveries to improve customer experience. In a low trust society like Nigeria, businesses must focus on the less glamorous but crucial process of creating an e΀cient supply chain. Most Nigerian consumers abhor delays, are generally impatient, price conscious, and quickly switch brand loyalty.

Thus, it is vital to ensure that raw materials, bulk goods, and Ànished products reach their destinations on time, in good condition and at competitive prices.

Complex and fragmented, Nigeria’s logistics sector is complicated and fraught with challenges peculiar to the Nigerian environment. Port congestions,

poor road networks, arbitrary customs duties, uncertainty in regulation, and other infrastructural issues continue to set the Nigerian logistics sector behind global standards regarding real-time tracking and reporting. A particular logistic challenge faced in Nigeria is the inadequate rail transport networks which mean that companies rely solely on road transport for intra-country logistics.

Businesses face cargo theft, tra΀c congestions, accidents due to terrible roads, and other transport-related risks.

Navigating the di΀culties of these challenges can be expensive, and, in the past, only larger businesses were able to aͿord the associated cost of incessant logistics bottlenecks. Furthermore, they were primarily served by large logistics companies like DHL, SAHCO, UPS, and others. However, the sector has recently received an inÁux of last-mile logistics partners, freight forwarders and haulage companies creating innovative solutions and serving niche needs for SMEs – Kobo360, Max.ng, Gokada, GiGLogistics are notable players. Nigerian SMEs now balance keeping mission-critical functions in-house and outsourcing to third-party logistics partners other key components such as last-mile delivery.

Here are some key factors SMEs in Nigeria must keep in mind when developing a logistics strategy: *HW LW ULJKW IURP WKH VWDUW Every SME must consider the 7 ‘Rights’ when developing its logistics strategy: Product, Place, Price, Customer, Condition, Time, and Quantity. From the choice of an in-demand product through market research, setting competitive prices, understanding the target market to customer-centric fulÀlment processes, failure to implement the right strategies can lead to expensive disappointments. )OH[LELOLW\ Small businesses experience inconsistent sales patterns, so it can be challenging to predict the Áuctuation of product orders and, therefore, its logistics and distribution needs. To counter this, it is advised for the SME to select a Áexible logistics partner with the resources to handle on-demand logistics needs and ramp up operations during peak sales periods. )DPLOLDULW\ DQG ([SHUWLVH It is important to consider your speciÀc niche needs when choosing a partner.

The ideal logistics partner should be

3Z& DQG DQ ,2& +H LV WKH IRXQGHU RI 1DVSLUH D EXVLQHVV UHVHDUFK SODWIRUP XVLQJ FRQWH[WXDO EXVLQHVV LQVLJKWV WR KHOS HQWUHSUHQHXUV DQG SURIHVVLRQDOV VXFFHHG LQ $IULFD +H FDQ EH UHDFKHG YLD WXQML#QDVSLUH FRP 9LHZV H[SUHVVHG LQ WKLV DUWLFOH DUH SHUVRQDO DQG GR QRW UHSUHVHQW WKH YLHZV RI DQ\ LQVWLWXWLRQ KH LV DͿOLDWHG ZLWK

–– Odunuga is a certified fitness trainer and is the founder of Easyfit, a brand that aims to simplify the obscurity that people have about fitness. You can follow @Easyfitng on instagram for fitness tips, motivation and healthy recipes and reach her at Easyfitng@ gmail.com.

24

T H I S DAY, T H E S U N DAY N E W S PA P E R • JULY 25, 2021

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 22Jul-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

GREENWICH ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmanagement@gtlgroup.com AFRINVEST ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD aaml@afrinvest.com Web: www.gtlgroup.com ; Tel: +234 1 4619261-2 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Web: www.afrinvest.com; Tel: +234 818 885 6757 N/A N/A N/A Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Greenwich Plus Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A Afrinvest Equity Fund 157.17 158.73 -4.18% Nigeria Entertainment Fund Afrinvest Plutus Fund 100.00 100.00 4.85% GROWTH & DEVELOPMENT ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmanagement@gdl.com.ng Nigeria International Debt Fund 317.33 317.33 -21.35% Web: www.gdl.com.ng ; Tel: +234 9055691122 Afrinvest Dollar Fund 111.53 111.53 -0.72% Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn ALTERNATIVE CAPITAL PARTNERS LTD info@acapng.com GDL Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A Web: www.acapng.com, Tel: +234 1 291 2406, +234 1 291 2868 INVESTMENT ONE FUNDS MANAGEMENT LTD enquiries@investment-one.com Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Web: www.investment-one.com; Tel: +234 812 992 1045,+234 1 448 8888 ACAP Canary Growth Fund N/A N/A N/A Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn ACAP Income Funds N/A N/A N/A Abacus Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 7.67% AIICO CAPITAL LTD ammf@aiicocapital.com Vantage Balanced Fund 2.92 2.99 2.46% Web: www.aiicocapital.com, Tel: +234-1-2792974 1.00 1.00 4.50% Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Vantage Guaranteed Income Fund 151.58 151.85 -2.52% AIICO Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 7.32% Kedari Investment Fund (KIF) 1.29 1.33 2.30% AIICO Balanced Fund 3.27 3.43 -3.83% Vantage Equity Income Fund (VEIF) - June Year End Vantage Dollar Fund (VDF) - June Year End 1.09 1.09 0.37% info@anchoriaam.com ANCHORIA ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED info@anchoriaam.com LOTUS CAPITAL LTD fincon@lotuscapitallimited.com Web:www.anchoriaam.com, Tel: 08166830267; 08036814510; 08028419180 Web: www.lotuscapitallimited.com; Tel: +234 1-291 4626 / +234 1-291 4624 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Anchoria Money Market 100.00 100.00 4.51% Lotus Halal Investment Fund 1.42 1.44 4.17% Anchoria Equity Fund 135.38 136.93 1.78% Lotus Halal Fixed Income Fund 1,137.23 1,137.23 4.78% Anchoria Fixed Income Fund 1.10 1.10 -17.58% info@meristemwealth.com ARM INVESTMENT MANAGERS LTD enquiries@arminvestmentcenter.com MERISTEM WEALTH MANAGEMENT LTD Web: http://www.meristemwealth.com/funds/ ; Tel: +234 1-4488260 Web: www.arm.com.ng; Tel: 0700 CALLARM (0700 225 5276) Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Fund Name 11.61 11.66 10.84% ARM Aggressive Growth Fund N/A N/A N/A Meristem Equity Market Fund 10.00 10.00 8.17% ARM Discovery Balanced Fund N/A N/A N/A Meristem Money Market Fund info@pacassetmanagement.com ARM Ethical Fund N/A N/A N/A PAC ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD ARM Eurobond Fund ($) N/A N/A N/A Web: www.pacassetmanagement.com/mutualfunds; Tel: +234 1 271 8632 ARM Fixed Income Fund N/A N/A N/A Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn ARM Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A PACAM Balanced Fund 1.64 1.68 7.23% AVA GLOBAL ASSET MANAGERS LIMITED info@avacapitalgroup.com PACAM Fixed Income Fund 11.68 11.74 -3.71% Web: www.avacapitalgroup.com PACAM Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 4.74% Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn PACAM Equity Fund 1.65 1.66 4.42% AVA GAM Fixed Income Dollar Fund 105.28 105.28 3.51% PACAM EuroBond Fund 112.29 114.01 2.17% AVA GAM Fixed Income Naira Fund 1,010.77 1,010.77 1.08% SCM CAPITAL LIMITED info@scmcapitalng.com AXA MANSARD INVESTMENTS LIMITED investmentcare@axamansard.com Web: www.scmcapitalng.com; Tel: +234 1-280 2226,+234 1280 2227 Web: www.axamansard.com; Tel: +2341-4488482 Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Fund Name 132.76 135.04 9.69% AXA Mansard Equity Income Fund N/A N/A N/A SCM Capital Frontier Fund AXA Mansard Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A SFS CAPITAL NIGERIA LTD investments@sfsnigeria.com CAPITAL EXPRESS ASSET AND TRUST LIMITED info@capitalexpressassetandtrust.com Web: www.sfsnigeria.com, Tel: +234 (01) 2801400 Web: www.capitalexpressassetandtrust.com ; Tel: +234 803 307 5048 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn SFS Fixed Income Fund 1.01 1.01 10.11% CEAT Fixed Income Fund 1.98 1.98 -14.32% STANBIC IBTC ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD assetmanagement@stanbicibtc.com Capital Express Balanced Fund(Formerly: Union Trustees Mixed Fund) 2.07 2.11 -12.18% Web: www.stanbicibtcassetmanagement.com; Tel: +234 1 280 1266; 0700 MUTUALFUNDS CARDINALSTONE ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED mutualfunds@cardinalstone.com Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Web: www.cardinalstoneassetmanagement.com ; Tel: +234 (1) 710 0433 4 Stanbic IBTC Balanced Fund 3,275.92 3,310.65 2.00% 231.48 231.48 2.95% Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Stanbic IBTC Bond Fund 1.22 1.24 4.24% CardinalStone Fixed Income Alpha Fund N/A N/A N/A Stanbic IBTC Ethical Fund 304.57 304.57 3.36% CHAPELHILL DENHAM MANAGEMENT LTD investmentmanagement@chapelhilldenham.com Stanbic IBTC Guaranteed Investment Fund Stanbic IBTC Iman Fund 223.34 226.70 2.34% Web: www.chapelhilldenham.com, Tel: +234 461 0691 100.00 100.00 7.64% Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Stanbic IBTC Money Market Fund Stanbic IBTC Nigerian Equity Fund 10,343.16 10,489.76 -1.44% Chapelhill Denham Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 6.76% Stanbic IBTC Dollar Fund (USD) 1.26 1.26 3.05% Paramount Equity Fund 16.61 16.92 3.87% Stanbic IBTC Shariah Fixed Income Fund 114.85 114.85 3.39% Women's Investment Fund 137.17 138.76 3.07% Stanbic IBTC Enhanced Short-Term Fixed Income Fund 102.45 102.45 CORDROS ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmgtteam@cordros.com UNITED CAPITAL ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD Web: www.cordros.com, Tel: 019036947 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Web: www.unitedcapitalplcgroup.com; Tel: +234 01-6317876 Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Cordros Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 6.82% Fund Name United Capital Balanced Fund 1.29 1.31 1.16% Cordros Milestone Fund 2023 118.38 119.13 United Capital Bond Fund 1.90 1.90 3.66% Cordros Milestone Fund 2028 N/A N/A United Capital Equity Fund 0.87 0.89 9.18% Cordros Dollar Fund ($) 107.19 107.19 United Capital Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 9.89% CORONATION ASSEST MANAGEMENT investment@coronationam.com United Capital Eurobond Fund 119.10 119.10 4.07% Web:www.coronationam.com , Tel: 012366215 United Capital Wealth for Women Fund 1.05 1.07 3.23% Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn United capital Sukuk Fund 1.06 1.06 5.70% Coronation Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 6.38% QUANTUM ZENITH ASSET MANAGEMENT & INVESTMENTS LTD service@quantumzenithasset.com.ng Coronation Balanced Fund 1.19 1.20 -1.20% Web: www.quantumzenith.com.ng; Tel: +234 1-2784219 Coronation Fixed Income Fund 1.36 1.36 -14.00% Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn EDC FUNDS MANAGEMENT LIMITED mutualfundng@ecobank.com Zenith Equity Fund 12.96 13.07 9.17% Web: www.ecobank.com Tel: 012265281 Zenith Ethical Fund 14.24 14.36 16.55% Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn 24.21 24.21 0.97% EDC Nigeria Money Market Fund Class A 100.00 100.00 2.22% Zenith Income Fund 1.00 1.00 5.33% EDC Nigeria Money Market Fund Class B 1,000,000.00 1,000,000.00 3.61% Zenith Money Market Fund EDC Nigeria Fixed Income Fund 1,134.10 1,147.76 -1.59% REITS FBNQUEST ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD invest@fbnquest.com Fund Name NAV Per Share Yield / T-Rtn Web: www.fbnquest.com/asset-management; Tel: +234-81 0082 0082 SFS REIT 124.53 10.25% Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Union Homes REIT 51.79 2.65% FBN Fixed Income Fund 1,391.86 1,391.86 11.41% EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS FBN Balanced Fund 191.20 192.54 1.88% Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn FBN Halal Fund 111.34 111.34 8.20% Lotus Halal Equity Exchange Traded Fund 13.45 13.55 1.78% FBN Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 9.42% 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

126.23 157.90

126.23 3.51% 160.08 4.45% fcmbamhelpdesk@fcmb.com

Bid Price 1.00 3.96 1.58 1.18

Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn 1.00 4.95% 3.96 2.27% 1.62 4.02% 1.18 3.87% coralfunds@fsdhgroup.com

Bid Price 3,701.14 3,358.16 100.00

Offer Price 3,753.19 3,358.16 100.00

Yield / T-Rtn -1.18% 2.50% 5.57%

SIAML Pension ETF 40 Stanbic IBTC ETF 30 Fund MERGROWTH ETF MERVALUE ETF

127.19 100.85 18.01 18.34

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

130.26 102.99 18.11 18.44

5.74% 1.62%

funds@vetiva.com Bid Price

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

3.95 5.91 17.66 1.00 19.91 150.68

3.99 5.99 17.76 1.00 20.11 152.68

4.58% 3.83% 8.76% 4.98% -2.96% -31.18%

NAV Per Share

Yield / T-Rtn

107.40

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

25.7.2021

Adebola Adefila My World, My Wears, My Winning Ways Apart from being resourceful, she has many traits that stand her out. She is an author and, along the line, veered off to becoming an entrepreneur with IreDire, an indigenous adire ready-to-wear brand for today’s modern woman. Her pragmatic and hands-on approach under ‘Profiting Hub,’ an online classes where she offers to teach and guide start-ups, has put many businesses back on track. Meet Adebola Adefila, the Chief Operating Officer of Banrut Rolls Nigeria Limited. In an encounter with Adefila, Funke Olaode finds that growing up in a business-oriented family is more of ability than sexuality as the key to success.

ASSISTANT EDITOR OLUFUNKE OLAODE/funkola2000@gmail.com

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THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER JULY 25, 2021

COVER

How I Shattered the Glass Ceiling with Smashing Success

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debola Adefila, the Chief Operating Officer of Banrut Rolls Nigeria Limited, is an ageless beauty, a corporate amazon, a reputable author and a mentor of many mentees who have constantly benefitted from her pull of knowledge through her Profiting Hub platform. A dynamic woman not limited by Nigeria’s stereotypical nature regarding inventive and independent women.

Her IreDire, an indigenous adire ready to wear brand for today’s modern woman, which she founded in 2019, has gone beyond the shore of Nigeria with clientele that spread across Nigeria, UK, Canada and the US. But in all of her achievements in the corporate world, Bola, as she is fondly called, has a cool and calm disposition, doing her own thing, making remarkable progress as a corporate guru, a dutiful wife and mother.

But looking at her closely rocking her low cut, you can easily conclude that she is a tomboy. “I’m far from being a tomboy. Having different looks have always been a thing with women. I’ve always longed to wear a cut considering its simplicity, so I tried it, and I guess I pulled it off nicely.”

Bola has been an entrepreneur for over 19 years, 13 of which have been in the manufacturing sector. She is the Chief Operating Officer of Banrut Rolls Nigeria Limited, manufacturers of tissue papers with a visible brand reputation in all the 36 states of the federation and distribution offer in some west African countries. Her Expertise cuts across Business development, marketing and operations.

She holds a BSc. (Hons) in Business Administration from Ahmadu Bello University Zaria and MBA from the University of Kent at Canterbury, UK and a certificate in Entrepreneurship Management from the Pan African University, Lagos. She is also an associate member of WIMBIZ. She’s the founder of the profiting hub, a platform where people get the know-how on running a business ultimately and adequately profitably. When she’s not working at her factory, she’s speaking at events or helping manufacturers solve business problems via her live classes, coaching sessions and masterclasses. She is the author of the book ‘Profit’ available in hardcover and paperback.

Born in the north-central part of Nigeria, Abuja precisely and grew up among three siblings. She had an early education in Therbow nursery and primary school, Zaria, Kaduna and Jabi Primary school, Abuja.

“Growing up in the North has given me the privilege to infuse two cultures together and a deeper understanding of the northern way of life. In business, having the northern orientation has also given me the mileage for market penetration.”

Her secondary education was in Federal Government Girls College, Akure, Ondo state. Bola would later return to the North where she bagged her first degree in Business Administration from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Kaduna and MBA from the University of Kent at Canterbury, United Kingdom.

For Bola, as a child, the natural expectation of leadership comes with the territory where she grew up in a business-oriented family, making her entrepreneurial journey kind of unavoidable. “Unconsciously, I was imbibing the knowledge of enterprise which all the more made business attractive. In the 1990s, holidays outside the country always turned out to be one business trip or the other, as my mum will always include her business itinerary with our holiday, which changes the dynamics of a fun trip. As a child, imagine looking forward to having fun, only to be bored with following and watching your mum go from company to another negotiating and carrying on with business. As bored as it was, I believe I unknowingly picked interest and garnered lessons from these activities. So, wanting to do business and being business-minded just fused.”

For close to two decades, the wellgrounded Adefila has been in the corporate world doing this and that. She has held many reputable positions as well. So many factors no doubt helped on her way up the ladder.

Solid educational background aside, the parental factor played a critical role in her life and siblings’. “From the get-go, girls should be brought up with the mindset that they can fit into any space they desire and make their mark.

Growing up, my parents didn’t differentiate between what a female or male child can or cannot do.”

So as COO, which many believes is often reserved for men, Bola has shone brilliantly.

For instance, in her capacity, she coordinates the operational, financial and administrative activities of Banrut. “The journey has been both challenging and rewarding as business decisions that can make or mar our operations stop at my desk. It will interest you to note that my journey to being COO started as a marketer where I had to interface, convert potential customers, and manage the company’s value chain. This I still do but at a higher level.

From marketing, I moved up to become the operations officer, where I was responsible for overseeing the production, administration and sales department. Some years down the line, I became the General Manager before I became COO. To date, many still refer to me as GM. I believe the title stuck because it was a position I held for a while. For all the stages, there had been a potpourri of events, daunting but all surmountable. In general, it has been an eyeopener. A leader must always commit words to actions daily for the ongoing interest of the company. So far, it has also been a fulfilling journey.”

Adefila, as a corporate amazon, is also adding value to society. Her Profiting hub is an offshoot of her life, online classes and one-on-one consulting sessions where she offers to teach and guide start-ups and existing entrepreneurs in the manufacturing space.

She throws more light on what she does. “It’s a platform where you get the know-how on running a business properly and ultimately profitably. The testament received from all these has elated my spirit as I’ve seen the birth of new ventures, growth in existing business and sustenance of albeit businesses that were on shaky grounds. I recall engaging one of the entrepreneurs on a one-on-one basis who had earlier been to one of my live classes. He was on the verge of shutting down his business.

With the help of my pragmatic and hands-on approach, he was able to get his business back on track. I will call it my little way of giving back and making an impact.”

She is also an author. “My book ‘Profit’ is a guide. It aims to despair the fear of starting and showing that manufacturing is doable and profitable even in an environment like ours.

Truth be told, there are many business books out there that anyone can learn from, but what makes ‘Profit’ different is that it speaks to our immediate environment making it relatable to any entrepreneur in Nigeria and Africa at large.

Another interesting thing about ‘Profit’ is that it highlights entrepreneurs’ success and failure stories in our locality as you readily will not find these stories been told in our neck of the woods.

Further, Profit aims to show that despite our unforgiving environment, businesses can still thrive and be done better.”

Giving tips on how to excel as a corporate organisation in times of uncertainties, she notes that everyone needs to think outside the box.

“Despite Covid-19 dealing a hard blow on businesses across the world, it has also created an opportunity for businesses to reengineer their processes for flexibility and adaptability.

Crisis management in this pandemic has been novel with a bitter taste. To rebound and flourish at this time requires a lot of thinking.

First, businesses must understand that this is a season of survival, so your decisions and activities must be geared towards weathering the storm and keeping afloat. Businesses must also continue to improve on their strengths and competitive advantage. It’s important for the business owner at this time to continuously create a balance and alignment between income and expenditure.”

Speaking further, “Avoid following the bandwagon, don’t judge the viability of a business from a superficial point. Always research thoroughly the sector you are venturing into to have a holistic point of view.

Relationship building and networking are key parts of running a business successfully, be deliberate about establishing strong contacts and network. Trust and integrity are necessary pillars to keep these relationships. Have financial understanding as this is the lifeline of any business; avoid borrowing from the onset if you can. Avoid an ostentatious lifestyle.

Frugality is key. Be ready for a life of sacrifice and delayed gratification.”

Rocking a low cut is her trademark, but her love for the African prints has constantly stood her out among the corporate crowd. She has become a walking model for her IreDire, an indigenous adire ready to wear brand for today’s modern woman, which she founded two years ago. “I’m a big lover of African prints.

I’ve always loved fashion, particularly African prints. IreDire is a ready-to-wear fashion line

Adefila

that mainly utilises adire fabrics and a bit of Aso-Oke, which speaks to my heritage.

Because of my love for prints, I want adire to be embraced as regular everyday wear. With IreDire, I’ve been able to change the way adire is viewed among women. It’s now stylish, classy, dressy, and comfortable. Nevertheless, my mood and work dictate what I wear, although you will mostly find me in jeans and African prints.

So fashion for me has to be easy, comfortable and decent. No matter how gorgeous or expensive an outfit is, if it’s not comfortable, I’m not wearing it. I also believe you can never go wrong dressing your size. Wear what suits your body type and size.” One thing you will never catch her in. “It is a six-inch heel.”

Bola has been married to her best friend for 15years and blessed with two beautiful daughters, aged 14 and 12. “I consider every day a blessing with my family.” Continuing. “It’s challenging juggling work, family and social commitment. Flexibility helps, as I’m always deliberate to prioritise and delegate. Not being rigid helps to create time and balance where and when possible though it’s still a tall order. I’m quick to accept that I’m not a superwoman, but I’m focused on the needful while alternating

between roles.”

And what keeps her going in the challenging corporate world, you may ask? She quickly points out. “Well, what keeps me going is that I have a legacy mindset. I’m running a business that I want to outlive my children and me. This keeps me grounded. It’s my staying power.”

Bola is a superwoman who has continued to shine in the corporate world but says women need to break more jinx. “It’s encouraging to see women shattering ceilings these days, but I won’t say we’re there yet. A lot still has to be done. I believe families are primary agents in this regard. The first place of education is the home. Parents play a prominent role in building the confidence and resilience in any child, so it is important to raise the female child to be assertive and bold. Deliberately ditch the stereotyped mentality, parents should encourage their female children to go into maledominated fields early. Just because the male gender has always occupied the industry does not mean it must remain so.

“It’s important for women to know their worth and claim it. It’s not enough to complain about the male getting higher pay or having more access to resources. A woman I admire said, “Life will only give you what you demand from it.”

It is also important for the women breaking the glass ceilings to pull up and affirm other women. This way, we can keep the tempo going.”

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THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER JULY 18, 2021

IMAGES

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cross-section of dignitaries at Senator Liyel Imoke’s 60th birthday anniversary celebration in Abuja, recently

Celebrant and former Governor Cross River State, Liyel Imoke, with Governor Sokoto State, Celebrant and former Governor Cross River State, Liyel Imoke Aminu Tambuwal

Former Governor of Delta State, James Ibori; with member House of Representatives, Ndudi Elumelu

Former Governor of Kwara State, Mr. Abdulfatah Ahmed

Celebrant and former Governor Cross River State, Liyel Imoke (middle) and some guests at the event

L-R: National Chairman, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince, Uche Secondus with former Senate President, Anyim Pius Anyim

L-R: Former Senate President, Iyorchia Ayu; with former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Chief Tom Ikimi

L-R: Former member, House of Representatives, Nnenna Ukeje; with former Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Chibodom Nwuche

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER JULY 18, 2021

57

IMAGES

L-R: Former Niger State Governor, Muazu Babangida; Chairman, BoT Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Walid Jibrin

Bishop and Rev Mrs. Obi Onubogu

L-R: Deputy Vice Chancellor, Arthur jarives University Cross River State, Dr. Joe Edet; Member House of Representatives, Etta Mbora

L-R: Former Commissioner for Water Resources, Godwin Etta; and former Permanent Secretary ICT, Cross River State, Mr. Igbe Aruku

L-R: Chancellor, Arthur Jarives University, Mr. Jarvies Archiving; and wife of the celebrant Mrs. Obioma Imoke

Former Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki

President, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Olumide Akpata

Former Chairman, All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. Adams Oshiomhole

Member, House of Representatives, Ndudi Elumelu

Former Member, House of Representatives, Jones Onyereri

Former Governor of Imo State, Hon. Emeka Ihedioha

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THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ JULY 25, 2021

HighLife Mike Adenuga: The Guru Still on the Move

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

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

The Sun is Still Shining for Akeredolu at 65

§

Adenuga

The law of entropy is a natural principle that keeps things breaking, dimmer or simply losing their shine.

For all its universality, this law has refused to touch the person or business of Mike Adenuga, also known as the Bull, master of national, continental and global investments. After decades of relevance in the African corporate corridor, Adenuga’s prestige has only continued to grow, reaching unprecedented heights and slowly extending into the noble lands of France.

To state that Mike Adenuga is up there with global industry leaders is to call a spade a garden spoon — a gross understatement. Since he made his debut in 1979 with the distribution of lace and soft drinks, his momentum has increased exponentially. Today, to mention the top five super brilliant African businessmen and leave out Adenuga is to poke a nest of Africanised honey bees.

Adenuga dragged the limelight to himself in 1999 when he secured a conditional GSM licence. Though this licence was later revoked, his unyielding spirit had earlier brought about his striking oil in Ondo State a few years before, so he remained undaunted. Consequently, when he regained the licence during an auction in 2003, only those who didn’t know him were surprised.

At the moment, Adenuga’s Globacom, the company that came from that licence in 2003, has grown beyond all expectations. With about 55 million subscribers, the telecom company is among the top three in the industry in Nigeria. Having accomplished this much, folks recently began to wonder whether he might retire (he clocked 68 this year). But no, he said.

Adenuga’s response to the rumours of retirement has been smashed with the new alliance of the Nigerian business space and France. As one of the stakeholders, Adenuga’s business sense casts a shadow on the European business bloc. The same prestige that accompanied the Bull’s journey from 1976 to the present is enough to deter others and earn him a near-monopoly of any other market, excepting Nigeria’s; for now, at least.

This is the Bull at his best: in perpetual motion, trampling expectations and competitions with that same unyielding spirit.

Akeredolu

Even at 65, Ondo State Governor, Oluwarotimi Odunayo Akeredolu’s fierce reputation, implacable defence of the helpless and underprivileged, and simple standard of governance belie his thundering accomplishments in the At the end of the day, every form of scheming is nothing before absolute power, influence and popularity.

Former Senate President, Bukola Saraki has shown himself to be somebody who can keep his cool even in the most disconcerting situations. But then, he used to be Senate President, and that is not something that hotheads can do. Nevertheless, Saraki’s cool head remained with him even when folks chanted his name after the two-unit prayer at the Ilorin Eid praying ground a few days ago.

It was a typical gathering of Muslim faithful with many characters in the crown, chief among them being Saraki and Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.

Even though these two have been reported as not seeing eye to eye, their dual presence at the praying ground brought some sparkle to the environment as it became clear that some folks wanted to show their love for their favourite political figure.

Yet, it was still a bit of a surprise when some of the good people present for the prayers started to chant “Sai Bukky”, “Sai Bukky” — a clear attempt at showing their support and love for the man who used to be their Governor before becoming the 13th President of the Senate of Nigeria (2015 - 2019).

While Saraki’s tenure as Senate President ended less than three years ago, some believe that his political influence in Kwara State had begun to wane long before that. Perhaps it was because of the mass exodus of folks

last four years. Not many can stand toe-to-toe with him when it comes to dogged determination; he always achieves what he sets his mind to do. His compassion for his people is so unmatchable that if there was a contest, only a handful can compete

with him.

The governor is an all-rounder; most notably a lawyer and a politician. Listening in on any of his political discourses would reveal that his grasp of governance and economy transcends the concepts of disciplines and careers.

Like the mythical Horatio, Akeredolu’s sagacity is grounded on his commitment to the guardianship of his homeland and people. To mediocrity and underdevelopment, he declares, “You shall not pass!” And so it has been in Ondo State since he climbed into the number one seat in 2016.

A top commentator put it well while describing Akeredolu’s merits as a Governor of the Year 2019/2020: “...despite dwindling allocation and scarce resources, (he) has been able to spread developmental projects across the three senatorial districts of the state.” And this is a thing of pride for Ondo residents and natives everywhere. A modest man, Akeredolu has never prided himself on being something other than a son of the soil.

At 65, this sage from Owo is still sagacious. At 65, this emissary from Ondo State is still scheming for the betterment of his land and people. No wonder the people were happy to hand leadership of the government over to him a second time, knowing that he would do nothing less than his utmost best.

A glittering stone will be precious anywhere and anytime. And that description fits Akeredolu perfectly: he is still glittering, precious, and superlatively valiant.

Saraki Regains Groove as Kwara Shows Love at the Eid Praying Ground

Saraki

from other parties to the All Progressives Congress (APC) or something that had to do with him being a proud member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) while the Governor of his State, AbdulRahman-AbdulRazaq, is APC through and through.

Thus, this shouting ceremony and

the intended courtesy paid Saraki indicates that the sun of the people’s favour is shining upon him again.

The last time this happened was in 2003, and he stayed politically relevant for almost two decades. So maybe better things are in the offing for him?

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THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ JULY 25, 2021

HIGHLIFE

Who The Hell is Obi Cubana?

Think Ezego, Think Obi Iyiegbu!

Cubana

‘Cubana’ is a name that is soon likely to pass into lingual usage among Nigerians as something that indicates ‘a lot of money’ or ‘minted notes falling to the ground’ or even ‘a burial ceremony that is so exorbitant

that it sinks hundreds of millions of Naira into the ground’. Any one of these will be fine. To know the origin of the word, one might have to travel to Afor Uzo Oba, a town in Anambra State.

Expensive burial ceremonies did not start with the individual known nationwide as Obi Cubana (real name Obi Iyiegbu), but his organisation of one is likely to become the yardstick for subsequent ones. This is what folks have noted after the businessman spent almost half a billion in total (as some have estimated) to give his late mother, Lady Ezinne Uche Iyiegbu (JP), a befitting burial.

With over 500 cows received as donations from his friends, not to mention the 200 million that accompanied these cows suggested to bystanders that this man intended to shake Anambra State. And after a ceremony where minted notes were more conspicuous than the sands in the area, Cubana and his friends did shake

the State. Which got people asking, who is the fellow and what does he do?

According to sources who claim to know him, Cubana is the founder and Chairman of Cubana Group, a company with controlling stakes in many restaurants and nightclubs across Nigeria. Although he is not known to have been born with a silver spoon, Cubana’s influence in a sector that encourages camaraderie among clients who are like pirates evidently served to craft him one.

Nevertheless, the man is said to be a graduate from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka whose protégé, Cubana Chief Priest, helped brand his name among elite party lovers in Nigeria, especially those of Igbo descent.

What better way to get everybody interested in you? Commemorate the passing on of your relative, get friends who can donate, spray and spend hundreds of millions without batting an eye — be an Obi Cubana.

Mariam Olusanya Becomes New ‘Bride’ In Dale Carnegie’s famous book, ‘How to Win Friends and Influence People’, the wellknown relationship expert did not state it outrightly, but there is no doubt that he intended to get his audience to understand that the most secure way to win and keep friends is to stay successful, relevant and ‘useful’ to them. As it has been proved with Mariam Chidiebele Olusanya, the new MD/CEO of GTBank, the beloved swan is really a duck that nature has graced with finer features.

Nigerians are generally excited at the recent appointment of Olusanya to the position of GTBank CEO. As Olusanya’s appointment comes at a time when the biggest banks in Nigeria are having women take over vital positions, folks are nodding their heads at the evidence of inclusion and meritocracy in the banking sector. After all, Olusanya is not only the first female to occupy the top

echelon but also the most qualified for the role.

Olusanya’s appointment follows the retirement of the former GTBank MD/CEO, Segun Agbaje who was a darling of the management board of the bank. The end of Agbaje’s tenure brought along much scratching of heads as some of the board members reportedly could not single out an individual suitable for the role. However, among the five Executive Directors at the time, Mr Odeyemi A. A., Mr Jide Okuntola, and Olusanya stood out. Moreover, Agbaje is said to have recommended Okuntola and Olusanya. And now, at last, Olusanya emerged as the top choice for the high chair.

Attentive folks have noted that Olusanya has suddenly become a swan in the eyes of old friends and associates. With success comes a multitude of well-wishers and it is no different for Olusanya. Wellwishers reportedly began to

Olusanya

troop in when Olusanya was rumoured as one of the prime candidates for the top seat. But the trickle of friends has become a flood.

Laide Lanre-Badmus Radiates At 40

Lanre-Badmus

She has much to her advantage: a face and figure that tease out the best colours from paint brushes and

camera lenses; a charm so far removed from banal experience; affluence the likes of which only the old queens of pristine dreamt of possessing; and time’s flattering halos. At 40, Laide Lanre-Badmus simply radiates and dazzles.

Some women wear agelessness like linen, that the fabric of time just flows across their faces and figures.

Lanre-Badmus belongs to that class. The happy, resourceful, and well-liked lifestyle consultant, lawyer and politician recently celebrated her 40th birthday in style. Even though she and her friends and associates had to adhere to the regulations against the spread of COVID-19, the event was still something to brighten the purple pages of the social and high life.

With around 50 individuals, the birthday soirée got underway on Saturday, July 10, 2021, somewhere in the opulent apartments of upperscale Lagos. As expected, food and drink were in excess, but nowhere near the amount of jollity and heartfelt celebration permeating the milieu. A character like LLB as she is

often called, clocks 40 once in every glorious lifetime, so the event was dazzling, to say the least.

Though her social life often appears to overshadow her background and brains, LLB is a well-known lifestyle consultant, CEO of a super company that calls shots in interior decoration, Alice Unique Multi-Venture, proud legal practitioner, politician and philanthropist.

A native of Oyo State, LLB is one of those young ladies who has attained matriarch status on account of her arachnoid influence. Moreover, the fact that she is super generous and has helped orphans, widows and the aged out of the pit of despair and penury helps cement that status.

In LLB is the figure of a person who is a soothing influence on those around her — friends or colleagues, relatives and strangers. She is a lover of good things and good people, with a vision to see the world taken over by joy and jollity. At 40, her charm remains unequalled, drawing the love of friends and strangers.

Amosun

Will Amosun Ever Work with OGD in APC? Politics in Nigeria is like the old soap opera, Fuji House of Commotion. Having the same root does not suggest that there will not be rancour, neither does eating from the same bowl. Thus, as folks are wondering if and how Senator Ibikunle Amosun and Otunba Gbenga Daniel are going to work together under one party, several humorous episodes of the soap opera come to mind.

To say that Amosun and Daniel (OGD, as he’s called) are likely to lock horns one of these days is to join hundreds of far-sighted folks to state the obvious. Because OGD decamped to the All Progressives Congress (APC), chances are that his old bind with Amosun will be unravelled and resolved soon. Or things are going to escalate beyond all hope.

For those who are not in on the story, OGD is the former Governor of Ogun State (2003 to 2011) who left the office for Senator Amosun (2011 to 2019). Although OGD was a staunch member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), while Amosun stuck with the APC, that was not the bone of contention. The source of Amosun’s alleged grudge against OGD remains largely undisclosed, but, as OGD has always announced to all and sundry, Amosun did his very best to frustrate him throughout the length of his (Amosun’s) tenure.

According to reports, one of the first things Amosun did on becoming Ogun Governor in 2011 was to set up a panel to probe OGD. One of these probing sessions resulted in the confiscation of some of the latter’s supposed properties, including the Golf Resort Hotels and Gateway Front Foundation (GFF) — which OGD got back when Governor Dapo Abiodun succeeded Senator Amosun.

That is the background story to the affairs of Senator Amosun and OGD, two contrary peas now in the same political pod. Will the old rivalry rear its head? Will they make peace? Time will tell.

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THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ JULY 25, 2021

LOUD WHISPERS

with JOSEPH EDGAR (09095325791)

Sunday Igboho – Cat With No Lives Well, I have received the news of the arrest of my brother with one ear. You see, ever since he came to my consciousness, I have been watching him very closely.

First, I wondered who his tailor was because the first picture of him I saw was with one ridiculous apparel with huge shoulder pads. His body looked bloated as if the singlet under his attire was made of a big cardboard.

Anyways, one cannot deny his valiance.

He was bold o! I tell you. The man was courageous and said things people were afraid to say in public. He dared the establishment and rightly asked for the protection of his people who till today still suffer from the debilitating and vicious attacks of the marauders. I am not attaching any ethnic grouping to the marauders. Let’s just call them marauders- I no get power to turn to cat abeg.

But he lost me when he started the ‘Yoruba Nation’ talk. I am a die-hard Nigerian and any talk of separation or anything along those lines easily upsets me.

Even if I’m your number one fan, you will quickly lose me if you bring such talks to me.

His call for separation was too harried and he didn’t have the capacity or outlook to even arrowhead such a push. I used to wonder, if he took the Yoruba Nation away, who will Tinubu now preside over when he becomes President. Ibibio people?

Anyway, they moved in and he turned into a cat and appeared in Benin Republic.

Then he turned back into a human being and attempted to board a plane. You cannot board a plane as a cat o. Me, I wonder sef why he didn’t even just get a broom and appear in Germany, instead of appearing in that land where everybody is wearing

Ankara and not painting their houses.

His lawyer says he has been crying since his arrest and we have been getting conflicting reports of Western diplomats aiding his eventual move to Germany or his continued detention in Cotonou.

Let me just say one thing here. This man spoke the truth in his own way. He was bold enough to stand up and say NO! Now if he committed any offence while doing that, I cannot say. When I see him, I will ask him.

But what we cannot hide from is the fact that his people were being maimed, killed, raped and molested and he stood up to say ENOUGH! I do not support his tactics or the fact that his tailor is a comedian. I only sha admire his courage to say, stop killing my people. And if that is the reason he is in this situation, God help him, and He will. Truth is an open wound.

FLIGHT LIEUTENANT A. DAIRO — MY HERO As I look at this bobo, all I want to say first is that I hope he is not married.

I have two daughters, Chantal and Annette, both very brilliant and extremely intelligent he can choose from. I will not mind being father-inlaw to this bobo.

When I first heard the news of the crash, I panicked. You know my new best friend is AVM Sunday Makinde and when I met up with him at the Afang Summit, I declared in his honor. I asked him if he dey fear to ‘enter a military plane’, He said no.

“Edgar, I am a Military Engineer and our planes are maintained in a world class manner”.

So when the news broke, we saw that the plane was shot down by bandits, or is it Boko-Haram? Another round of fear catch me. So, these people now have weapons that could bring down planes. This is taking it to the next level. What if they started bringing down civilian planes, where will we get parachutes to all jump out with o?

Then I read his story. It was a story that showed a very admirable mix. It was a story of courage and bravery mixed with good training and a very powerful support system. I was proud to be a Nigerian. This na the thing that Americans will be showing us in films and we will be shouting kai.

But today, the Nigerian Air Force has shown that they have the capacity to stand by their heroes and ensure their safety.

The part of the story wey sweet me pass was the role of the Air Force as they used air might to keep the

‘idiots’ away from this soldier. Then the role of the Army who finally got him, and much more importantly, the villagers who kept him, fed him and ensured his safety before they handed him over to the Army sweet my bele.

You see, I want to cry. And some mumu people will be saying Nigeria is finished.

We are not finished. We still have heroes. Our Armed Forces are still doing well and we still love each other. Dairo with his courage has shown us this.

I think the President should award him with the highest honour in the land and also reward everybody that played a role in this operation.

I salute the President, the Chiefs of Air Staff and Army, the Defence Chief and the Village Head that protected him. This was a job well done. Makes me proud to be a Nigerian all over again.

Bro, when you are relaxed, you can come over for some bouts of Afang.

By that time, I go don pay Yemi Shodimu the money I owe him for the last Afang Summit, so there will be palm wine all over the place. Well done bro, God bless you.

who just came back from space. They spoil ground o. Me I will not put mouth o. Dr. Rueben Abati has said it all and they have been abusing him.

He can take all that abuse. After all, as Presidential Spokesman he was trained to receive abuse and insult.

Me I was not, so I will respect myself and not say anything about Oba and the Cowboys who descended on that town with such viciousness.

But even at that, let me just say one thing. This my friend Kanayo na him surprise me pass. First from him announcement, that if ‘ya gaaalfriend, say she is travelling for weekend, she is in Oba ooo’. I laugh tire. “This old man don lose am o,” I said to myself, and the next thing I saw was a video of him preparing cash to go and spray.

I shout o.I sure hope he did not go and withdraw his pensions from his Pension Managers to go and throw away o for Instagram likes. Kai, God help us. Oba was an eye opener I swear.

Dairo

KANAYO KANAYO – WHISPERING PALMS You see me, I will not say anything again about this Oba matter before they will now come and say, ‘when Duke buried his mama, did he do one tenth? My brothers, the thing I saw at that Oba is still making me shake.

Those boys did things with money o.

Mbok, fear is still catching me. They spend the same amount of money, if not more than Brandson and Bezos

GBEMI SHASORE – ACCEPT MY CONDOLENCES My sister had been so quiet for a bit. I hadn’t heard from her in a while, so I decided to reach out. I said, “my sister, are you not coming for Aremu or Awo, my two plays that are coming up this August and September?” She said she will come for both and I replied brilliant. Then she dropped it, “I am sorry I have been quiet; I lost my dad some days ago.” Wow! in this world can be tougher than this.

Losing a family member is tough, no matter how old. The love and bond between a daughter and a father is crazy. It is tight and nothing shakes

Kanayo

Etokakpan

Adenuga

it- not even the love of a strong lover like my Egbon Supo.

Take heart my sister, God will give you the courage to sail through this obviously hard time and further strengthen you in Jesus’ mighty name. Pele, my sister.

KATE HENSHAW – A WORTHY SISTER What most people do not know is that Kate and I have history. I have known her like forever. Right from when she first came into Lagos and dropped at Jibowu Motor Park, na me help her carry her bags and say welcome to Lagos.

Her beauty then was eternal. Kai, Kate is beautiful. What you people are seeing now is nothing o! She was tall, dark and very elegant. When she used to come to our office in Jibowu, people will be stopping and be staring at this beauty with long legs.

Over the years, she has built an enduring career, became an icon and positioned herself as a woman of influence far away from the air- headscreen-siren all over the industry.

I have watched her grow into influence, watched her grow into an iconic figure while still maintaining her beauty and elegance.

The other day, I saw her at RMD’s party and fear no let me go near her o. She wore this burlesque outfit complete with a fedora and appeared mysterious and quaint. I just keep my distance o, this one that they are looking like Zoro before they use sword to castrate me.

Anyways, Happy birthday my sweetheart. You remain to me, a bold symbol of maturity, elegance and

Henshaw

61

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ JULY 25, 2021

LOUD WHISPERS focused leadership. God bless you.

SUPER FALCONS – A BETRAYED LOVER Did you see the video? One Nigerian man was harassing our female football team. He called them names and accused them of representing a “wicked and devilish government that is killing its citizens.” As he spoke, some of the girls ignored him but when the tirade got too much, the patriotism in the girls revved up and they made moves to shut him up.

This made him shout, ‘this is a democratic country and not your third world country, I pay my taxes and if you get close to me or touch me, I will get the police.”

Mbok for me, my main concern was the beauty of the girls. It is not today that they have been calling Bubu wicked dictator. The man no dey answer them, he will just be doing his toothpick. Wetin concern am. It is only when you pass yourself like Kanu and Igboho or Umaru Dikko then you will see yourself inside crate or turn to cat.

So, what is my own? Let us look at more important things from this episode. Please where did the football authorities see these kain beautiful girls. Normally, our female team used to look like second rate weight lifters but these ones fine o.

Come and see one that the man was pointing at, “You, I know you. I have seen you around,” he screamed. That one just ignored. Come and see her skin. Kai. With these kinds of girls parading our national team, things are getting better in this country. Abeg the Austrian-Nigerian man should go and sit down abeg. At least he has escaped, he should leave us jo. We like ourselves like this.

AIGBOJE AIG-IMOUKHUEDE – SILENT MORNINGS The resemblance is striking. When I saw the invite to the final burial ceremonies of my Egbon’s mother, it struck me. She was very beautiful and ‘Aig‘ took a little part of her looks. Aig no too fine like him mama, he try for man.

As a young man, I used to follow her activities at the National Council of Women Societies. Then I was a voracious newspaper reader and her activities in the work for women caught my attention.

Her focus and her work in that area formed a watershed with which later icons have built a resounding platform that has led to the frontal position that women now play in society. For that we say “Thank you ma”.

Let me join the rest of the world in sending once again my commiseration to the Aig-Imoukhuede family even as I dare say that this was not a loss but a befitting transition - not transmission o to greater planes. She is definitely seated at the right side of the Lord.

ALAAFIN OF OYO – KABIYESI OOOOOO!!!

Mbok, how I wan write this one without risking being turned into a cat? Shey I for just leave this matter and write about any other thing, especially at this time when I’m still mourning my Erelu.

But the colour and beauty of these Oloris will not kill me. Mbok, did you see the video? This Kabiyesi is real baba o. The Oloris are very beautiful.

I swear, they are not human beings o.

They are like mammy water- the kind Victor Uwaifo sang about. Kabiyesi did not take Victor Uwaifo’s advise o, he did not run away from the mammy water, but instead he boxed them into submission. You know he is a wellknown boxer. Baba stands and fights.

I counted about five in that video.

All wearing the same cloth, same skin code, same height and extremely beautiful. Kabiyesi is enjoying the best of life o and I am sure he will live up to 200 years with this kind of attention.

The thing come make Kabiyesi work

Oba Adeyemi.

to hungry me. Kai. BOLANLE AUSTEN PETERS – WHAT IS GOING ON WITH MUDI? You see, they say you will eat from the fruit of your labour. Mudi is crazy

beans. Most times he will say, “Duke, meet me for Terra.” I will say, “Mudi, beans no hungry me today. When you finish, come meet me for office.”

Today, it looks like years of eating beans wants to pay off. These two very talented and iconic Nigerians want to come together to showcase their talents in a combined effort that has never been displayed.

I am hearing that Mudi will start to showcase his super designs at Terra Kulture. It is gist o! I was in the loo at Federal Palace Hotel when I overheard someone at the other cubicle talk about it. He say, “He be like say Mudi want open shop for Terra. I hear he and Bolanle dey talk am”. I didn’t flush o, so he will not know I was listening. I just quietly carry my shokoto commot for the place. This na scoop. But as I was scurrying away, I heard the man say, “dem never finalise, no tell anybody o.”

Akindele So una sef, as I am gisting you, don’t tell anybody o. Bolanle no dey town about the beans served at Terra Kulture and Mudi no dey read paper again owned by my sister and mentor, Bolanle so if nobody tell them, they will not hear. Shhhhhhhhh.

Austen Peters.

Mudi will leave his mainland AKINTOYE AKINDELE – PUSHING THE showroom and drive all the way to the PLATFORM Island just to savour the taste of the I have never met this gentleman but I am eager to. I hear he is about to launch a multi-billion Naira Tech Hub in Yaba. They say he is taking over the iconic Abiola Bookshop vision. The essay was so powerful that I building for this powerful project. made it the foreword of the book. It was so The implications of this project can illuminating that it almost took the shine best be described. Its contribution to away from me. the economy, youth empowerment That is how over the weekend she now and the rest can best be imagined, made a post of the book and her views hence my real-life support.

Recently, this gentleman’s name has on Facebook and put my name and been ringing in my ears. They say that phone number as author. in partnership with famed comedian Come and see request for the book.

Tee A, things in the entertainment The way Nigerians on Facebook sector are being done. They say he were asking for the book, I started is arrow heading a revolutionary considering going to Coscharis to engagement of the sector in a bid to upgrade my BMW. deliver real and true dividends.

Sadly let me announce that till the time I am kind of curious because I know of writing, nobody has bought o. When him as a major player in the private they hear the N10,000 price, they will say, equity space. My late friend Funsho “noted”. Others will say, “I will get back Oke worked for him and I used to visit to you”. One even tried to price it: “How Funsho who told me things about their much last?”. I just drop phone. Na wa. firm and the big visionary things they were planning.

Anyway, I can only for the sake of Nigeria wish him tremendous success in all that he is doing. Well done sir.

REGINA ASKIA – LET’S TALK ABOUT SEX TodayOk, I am sure you ran to come and read this cos of the headline. It is not anything about sex o! It is the power this screen legend still commands. When I wanted to write my book, ‘Anonymous Nipples’ which is a book on relationships, communications and yes, small sex, I reached out to her to contribute.

Yes, I wanted a very powerful voice. I wanted strong women to write about their issues so that the readers will have a balanced view of the matter. Regina was the first I approached and she quickly agreed. Later, other very influential women like Bukky Campbell and Elvina Ibru joined the chorus.Regina submitted an essay that blew me off my perch.

She talked about the native view of a woman’s sexuality, her power and her

Askia

RENEE ETOKAKPAN – OVER THE APPLE TREE They say the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. This one has gone over the tree o. Renee is Eteobong Etokapan’s daughter. Most of you do not know him but I tell you, he is one of the most brilliant players in Nigeria’s oil and gas space. So you will not be surprised that he gave birth to such a brilliant and award winning child.

Renee recently graduated with First Class honors in Project Management for Construction from the Bartlett School of Sustainable Construction of the University College in London.

While at it, she won the faculty medal for 2020/21 class. Wait o. She was also awarded the London prize for her outstanding dissertation on Intersectional Identity work which highlighted amongst others experiences of Employees in the construction sites.

These stories abound all over the world.

Next generation Nigerians are doing things, achieving things while the rest of us are still here turning into cats and not seeing anything good about such a wonderful country.Renee is a Akwa Ibom by blood and Nigerian by birth. She will come back and join the renaissance as we struggle to rebuild our beloved country.

Congrats my daughter and a big congrats to big head Eteobong – sorry, I couldn’t resist that small jab.

Kudos.

62

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ JULY 25, 2021

Adebayo Adeoye bayoolunla@gmail.com; 08054680651

SOCIETY WATCH

Folorunsho Alakija’s Heart of Gold

Uanseru

Oil Mogul Greg Uanseru’s Heart of Thanksgiving If you describe Nigerian billionaire businessman, Greg Uanseru, as a compelling study in grace, you will only be stating the obvious.

Indeed, his life’s path has been laced with more roses than thorns.

His inspiring journey, so far, would ordinarily make good material for any creative biographer, particularly as there seems to be no evidence that he is penning his memoirs yet.

From a humble beginning, he has worked and toiled to attain the height he is today.

Luckily, this man of means turns 63 today.

But sources reveal that the oil magnate only plans to organise a low-key celebration with family, friends and close business associates.

In his characteristic way of showing appreciation to God for His grace in his life, Uanseru will also be giving out to the needy today.

“As a philanthropist, he has tried to amplify his famed legacy of benevolence and generosity, as he always makes conscious efforts to put smiles on the faces of the hoi polloi in the society,” the source added.

Saraki’s Rising Profile

W

ithout exaggeration, former Senate President, Abubakar Bukola Saraki, is fast proving to his detractors that he is indeed a cat with nine lives. The more they try to bury him, the more he sprouts like a seed on fertile land.

He has faced many challenges that would ordinarily consume a lily-livered. But the former Senator has proven beyond reasonable doubt that he is indeed a warrior and a master of the game. Even though the former Kwara State governor appears to be a lone f igh te r, m a ny o f h i s e n e mie s ar e n eve r h i s m a t ch .

H ow ? Yo u m ay wond e r.

L a s t Tu e sday, h e was give n a ro u si n g we l co me whe n h e a rr ive d i n h i s h ome town, I l o rin , f o r t h e E i d - e l - K a b i r c e l e b r a t i o n , a m i d s t an u p roa r i o u s sh o ut of “Say Buki,” by his fans.

The development, in the eyes of many, suggests that the revered politician, despite his recent loss in the last general election, still commands a lot of respect in Kwara State politics.

“Wealth,” in one of the quotes of Andrew Carnegie, “is not to feed our egos but to feed the hungry and to help people help themselves.”

Without a doubt, Nigerian-born billionaire Folorunsho Alakija’s heart of gold brings to life with great weight, Carnegie’s quote. Or how else does one explain her recent declaration to promote female-owned businesses in Africa with a whopping N1 billion fund through her female empowerment platform, Flourish Africa?

Speaking on the initiative, Alakija said it would focus on supporting the entrepreneurial activities of at least 2,500 female-owned businesses through funding and structured training for five years.

“I’m happy to launch the Flourish Africa N1 billion fund on my 70th birthday as a gift to hardworking and enterprising women. This initiative will Princess Folashade Odumosu, the wife of the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, who doubles as the new Yeye Ajagun Fiwajoye of Ibadan, is indeed very amiable and loving.

She is one of Nigeria’s successful businesswomen without airs and is ever willing to give her shoulder to anyone to lean on in moments of need.

Indeed, those whose paths have crossed hers have affirmed that the Ogun State-born entrepreneur understands the true meaning of friendship and has made huge sacrifices, at different times, to keep the sanctity of friendship as humanly possible.

In this light, it was, therefore, understandably impressive to see in attendance the creme of the society who honoured her with their presence on July 18, when she was conferred with the Chieftaincy Title- ‘Yeye Ajagun Fiwajoye’ of Ibadan alongside her super cop husband, by His Royal Majesty, the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Akanmu Adetunji.

From the palace of the Olubadan in Popoyemoja, Ibadan, venue of the ceremony, to the Jogor Event Centre, where legendary Kollington Ayinla, serenaded the guests with pulsating music, the classy and cosmopolitan woman did not leave any stone unturned in making the event most memorable.

It was obvious that the gaily dressed guests, including former Oyo State governor, Omololu Olunloyo; former Minister for Mines, Mrs Nike Akande; Dr Femi Majekodunmi; former Lagos Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni; businessman and founder of Oduduwa

focus on empowering women economically and socially for the benefit of their immediate families and the society,” she said.

“A minimum of 500 female microentrepreneurs would be trained yearly,” she continued. “After the training,100 entrepreneurs from the pool will be able to access grants to the tune of N2 million each for their businesses from a yearly fund of N200 million.”

Alakija looks forward to empowering one woman at a time, as she strongly believes that women are a crucial part of Africa’s development. According to her, the main objective of Flourish Africa is to create an enabling platform that provides skills development, mentoring and access to the marketplace for female entrepreneurs.

“Many women have the potential to be great. If we form a community of likeminded individuals who share a common goal and purpose, we can pull together and make an impact in every community we find

Alakija

ourselves in, and ultimately flourish,” she added.

Princess Folashade Odumosu Day with History

Odumosu’s

University, Ife, Dr Rahman Adedoyin, wanted to witness history and share in her joy.

Odumosu is one of the few women that prosperity has been fair to, particularly now that she operates in many sectors of the economy.

For those wondering about her meteoric rise in life, one of the things working for her is that she sees opportunities, where others are bogged down by morbid fear of failure. Besides, she pursues her dreams with admirable resolve to succeed, irrespective of the challenges that may

come her way.

It is evident that she is a woman born under the proverbial lucky stars; it is also clear that she is endowed with the Midas touch. No wonder, she has made a success of all that she’s ventured into. From shipping, manufacturing, to real estate and oil and gas; all of her exploits are success stories.

Arguably, Odumosu has conquered her world, as her endearing personality and aura catches the fancy of her admirers.

Goodwill Messages for Renowned Scholar, Dr Akindiji Akinola at 65 For Dr Akindiji Akinola Chief of Staff to the Governor of Osun State, Gboyega Oyetola, turning 65 is, indeed, a big deal; one worthy of celebration.

Akinola, a development expert, was thankful to God on the occasion of the birthday celebration. Interestingly, the scholar, public and private sector consulting developer and author was also celebrated by no other personality than President Muhammadu Buhari.

In a goodwill letter, the Special Adviser, Media and Publicity to the President, Spokesman, Femi Adesina, felicitated with the scholar whose contributions to development cuts across public policy, private sector consulting and civil society engagements.

President Buhari’s letter conveyed prayers of longer life, good health and strength for Akinola as he serves his state, Osun and the country.

Similarly, Oyetola, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Ismail Omipidan, said he is happy to be associated with the development expert, scholar and public servant on his birthday anniversary.

“On behalf of my family, the government and good people of the State of Osun, I felicitate with my friend and Chief of Staff, Dr Charles Diji Akinola on the auspicious occasion of your 65th birthday anniversary,” read the statement.

“I thank God for your life and for letting you reach this age. You have been a loyal and

Akindiji

dependable ally. I am happy to be associated with you and proud of your accomplishments in both private and public life. Indeed, your life is worth celebrating.

“You have no doubt brought to bear your

knowledge, expertise and rich experience in your position as my Chief of Staff and added value to our administration. We appreciate your robust service to our dear State and country at large.

“It is our prayer that God Almighty will continue to bless, guide, protect and grant you a longer life as you continue to contribute to the growth and development of Osun and Nigeria.”

Akinola’s career spans the intersection of public policy, private sector consulting and civil society development.

Educated at the University of Ife, University of Ibadan and Harvard University, Akinola taught at the University of Ibadan from 1984 till 1989, and was on the training and research faculty of the Pan African Institute for Development (PAID) in Buea, Cameroon in 1990.

Before his current appointment as the Chief of Staff to the Governor of Osun, Akinola had served as the Director-General, Office of Economic Development and Partnerships between 2010 and 2018. He also Chaired the State’s Planning Commission, working with leading development partners to deliver sustainable development in the state. In these positions, he has brought to bear his expertise and rich experience in expanding the space for innovation in governance.

63

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ JULY 25, 2021

INFOGRAPH

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64

J ͺͽ˜ ͺ͸ͺ͹ ˾ THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER

INTERNATIONAL Extradition in International Law and Diplomacy:The Choice between Secessionists and Insurrectionists

T

he multidimensional character of insecurity in Nigeria of today has not allowed the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari (PMB) to have a good policy of clairvoyance in the execution of his Next Level development agenda for Nigeria, which is currently faced with critical security challenges: armed banditry, Boko Haramic insurgency, and herdsmen-farmers imbroglio. The challenges are largely fuelled by PMB’s controversial Fulanisation agenda, and apparent manoeuvrings to ensure re-election of the ruling party, APC, by all means, including rigging of the 2023 general elections, through election reform.

The lack of clairvoyance is explained by allegations of double speak and double standard of government: hard attitude towards secessionists in southern Nigeria and soft approach to those aiding and abetting and actually engaging in armed banditry and Boko Haramism in the north. The hard attitude on southern secessionists has led to the abduction in Kenya of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB), which wants a sovereign State of Biafra, and Chief Sunday Adeyemo, alias Sunday Igboho, in Cotonou, Benin Republic. He too is championing the establishment of an Oduduwa Republic for the Yoruba South West.

Their abduction, which many Northerners are happy about, cannot be said to be good enough, because it has not only raised other critical implications of extradition, but also the choice between selfdeterminationists, on the one hand, and insurrectionists, made up of armed bandits and Boko Haramic terrorists, on the other. In an attempt to address this situation of insecurity, the secessionist leaders, as noted above, were abducted on foreign territories, Nnamdi Kanu in Kenya, and Sunday Igboho in Benin Republic.

What is particularly noteworthy about their abduction is that a diplomatic stalemate has also been generated in both cases. As regards Nnamdi Kanu, Great Britain is challenging the arrest of Nnamdi Kanu, its citizen, in Kenya, while Benin Republic is making haste slowly in granting Nigeria’s request for the extradition of Chief Sunday Igboho, because of the conditionality provided in the 1984 Extradition Treaty done by Nigeria, Benin Republic, Togo and Ghana for granting an extradition request. An analysis of international diplomatic practice of extradition is necessary to show how PMB’s hard policies disunite more than they unite. Explicated differently, can the abduction and trial of the two proponents of ethnic secession enable indissolubility and indivisibility of Nigeria in the near or distant future? For how long can national unity be sustained by use of military force?

DiplomaticPractice:ExtraditingIgbohoandKanu We submit here that the arrest, or interception, or deportation and even abduction of Chief Igboho and Mazi Kanu cannot be helpful to any quest to maintain national unity and so is national unity cannot be sustained by use of manu militari or by outright use of military force.

The quest for secession is an idea. It is a political belief that is indestructible. This is one major rationale explaining why extradition treaties generally exclude political offences for purposes of extradition.

Historically, the origins of the practice of extradition dates back to the 13th Century when an Egyptian pharaoh, Ramesses II, negotiated an extradition treaty with Hattusili III, a Hittite king. Since then, the practice has been evolving and regulated. By way of definition, extradition is considered as an action, as a process, and as a cooperative and justice mechanism to contain and deter acts of criminality. As an action and as a process, it is about the transfer of a fugitive from one State (the extraditing country where the fugitive is located at the time for a request for extradition) to the State requesting for extradition, where the fugitive has been indicted or convicted generally for serious criminal offences. In the eyes of Professor Momodu Kassim Momodu of the Crescent University, Abeokuta, extradition should be differentiated from deportation‘which is the process whereby a competent authority requires a person to leave a territory and prohibits him from returning to it’(for details, see his‘’Extradition of Fugitives by Nigeria,’’ International and Comparative Law Quarterly, Cambridge University Press, Vol. 35, No. 3 July 1986, pp. 512-530).

What should be noted is that extradition agreements have been variously done, but the signatories have not always religiously granted requests for extradition. In the same vein, countries without extradition agreements have also been requesting for extradition and also granting it. The Council on Foreign Relations in the United States explains the problem thus:‘the extradition process enables governments to bring fugitives abroad to justice, but it can be fraught with political tension, even when a treaty is in place.’Put differently,‘an extradition treaty does not guarantee that signatories will work harmoniously on cases’ (videcfr.org). This is to suggest that there may not be any fast rules in the specific case of Chief Igboho’s extradition controversy.

VIE INTERNATIONALE with

Bola A. Akinterinwa Telephone : 0807-688-2846

e-mail: bolyttag@yahoo.com

Malami Two major types of extradition practice have been established. The first is the list extradition agreements, which are generally the most common and traditional and containing a list of crimes that make fugitives extraditable. An example is the 1933 list, between Albania and the United States, which contains an inventory of more than twenty crimes treaty The second type is the dual criminality treaties. In general diplomatic practice, a country like Canada, which banned capital punishment in 1976 cannot extradite to a country like the United States where capital punishment is lawful. Most countries do not extradite if fugitives are accused of political crimes and are likely to face execution, or torture in the requesting State. Extradition is hardly granted if the crime committed is not punishable under the municipal laws of both the requesting and granting States.

In the specific context of the London Scheme for Extradition within the Commonwealth, the grant of an extradition request is conditioned by the establishment of a prima facie case; conditions of detention or prison must not be detrimental to the protection of human rights, that is, prison conditions must not be inclement to the extent that offenders would be subjected to inhuman or degrading treatment.

Grosso modo, extradition becomes a desideratum when an accused has been tried and convicted, but still escaped custody, or when an accused is tried and convicted in absentia. On the contrary, an offence cannot be a basis for extradition if the application is for habeas corpus, that is, a writ by which someone is brought before a court in such a manner that his detention or imprisonment is not illegal. In the same vein, if the application for extradition is because of a political offence, as noted earlier, extradition is forbidden. The situation of non-extradition is also true if the offence has a racial, religious or nationality character.

In empirical terms, extraditing Sunday Igboho and Nnamdi Kanu is challenge-ridden, essentially because of the political character of the offence for which they are being pursued. They are proponents of self-determination which is considered a human rights issue. In fact, self-determination agitators are internationally recognised. When the Federal Government security agents invaded the house of Igboho, it was on the basis of suspicion and purported intelligence report that Igboho might be planning to be violent during the Yoruba Nation rally being planned then. This means that the rationale for the invasion of his house is yet to be fact-driven, as all his previous public rallies had not

The continuation of Kanu’s trial tomorrow, 26th July, 2021 in Abuja cannot but be more interesting than ever before, because of the arrest and trial of Sunday Igboho in Cotonou; the strong belief of many lawyers that Kanu’s abduction is in conflict with the extradition law of Kenya, Britain and Nigeria; Britain’s commitment to the provision of consular assistance to Kanu; Yoruba petitions to the ICC and the British, and most significantly, the deepening Yoruba struggle for self-determination.

These factors cannot make PMB have a settled blood pressure. PMB cannot but also be compelled to re-evaluate his priority: secession saga or insurrection imbroglio? Secession can be eventually averted if the objective calls for restructuring or making of a new constitution are listened to, if the fears of the Igbo are also promptly addressed, with a particular re-strategy of granting amnesty to both Kanu and Igboho. The critical resultant from the foregoing is that hunters and farmers have sent signals to PMB to prepare for more public protests and arrests. This is why the objectives of armed banditry and insurrection, as epitomised by the Boko Haram and armed bandits are, at best, very destructive and anti Nigeria, and cannot therefore be in the interest of a united Nigeria. Consequently, insurrection cannot be a good option.

been violent.

And true enough, The Department of State Services (DSS) claimed that there were arms and ammunitions in his house as at the time of invasion. The alleged weapons were publicly displayed, including his traditional security armour. However, Sunday Igboho has vehemently contested the government’s insinuation that he was violent or intended to be violent. He even made it clear that he does not fight with weapons but with charms. The DSS agents said they killed two people and arrested about 12 people during the invasion of his house, but Sunday Igboho still managed to escape into temporary safety.

On the basis of the Red Notice initiated by Nigeria’s Ambassador to Cotonou, General Buratai, Chief Sunday Igboho was arrested at the Cadjèhoun Airport, in a German-bound aircraft and has been under court prosecution since then. Will there be extradition or not? What are the likely future implications of Igboho’s extradition to Nigeria? What will the Anglo-Nigerian diplomatic row over the abduction of Nnamdi Kanu lead to?

Without any whiff of doubt, there is the likelihood that PMB might qualify for an international warrant of arrest from the International Criminal Court for allegations of crimes against humanity and crimes of genocide for various reasons. First, even before the arrest of Chief Igboho, the Yoruba leaders generally had strong support for him, in spite of some of them disagree with his mania of doing things. Igboho’s decision to confront the killing of his people by Fulani herdsmen on their land generated much sympathy and quiet support.

The sympathy and support is explained by the belief that he is not criminally but an advocate of Yoruba self-determination.The Yoruba people have said that the mania of invasion of his house on July 1, 2021 is a clear pointer to the fact that he would never be given fairness and justice if he is extradited to Nigeria. And true enough again, his community and house have also been reportedly attacked thereafter.

It is also argued that his fighting for self-determination does not offend international law, and therefore, he should not be treated as a common criminal. The popular support of the Yoruba immediately following his arrest at the Cadjèhoun airport in Cotonou speaks volume, especially in light of the warnings given by many Yoruba in the Diaspora to the Cotonou government. The implication of this point is that any attack on Sunday Igboho is necessarily also an attack on the Yoruba people, especially the proponents of Yoruba nation at home and abroad.

The support for Igboho is also particularly explained by the perception of PMB as a bias president. It is also argued that he condones the atrocities of Fulani herdsmen. In fact, many Nigerians have queried why the Boko Haramists that were arrested about a year ago, have been granted amnesty and released to the Borno State government, and the same treatment could not be given to both Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and Sunday Igboho, both of whom are political activists agitating for self-determination. And true, the armed bandits and the Boko Haram terrorists are actually fighting for the destruction of Nigeria and its replacement with Islamic Caliphates. This therefore raises questions about what PMB is up to and also what his preferential choice is: secession struggle or Islamic insurrection?

SecessionistsorInsurrectionists?

PMB appears to be biting more than he can chew with the abductions of Nnamdi Kanu in Kenya and Sunday Igboho in Benin Republic.

Regarding Kanu, his court trial has been fixed for July 26, 2021 but both the United Kingdom and Kanu’s lawyer have it that‘before any court can subject Kanu to trial, it has to first conduct a trial within trial on the grievous incident that forced him to leave Nigeria and the equally grievous incident that forced him back to Nigeria. No court of law with conscience and equity will overlook those two incidents and proceed to trial.’

From the perspective of the British High Commission in Nigeria, ‘the UK has requested consular access to Mr. Kanu from the Nigerian Government, and we stand ready to provide consular assistance. As a British national, our current priority is Mr. Kanu’s health, welfare and fair treatment... The British High Commission in Nigeria stands ready to provide such assistance to Mr. Kanu and his family in the UK.’This position of the British simply suggests that the matter cannot and does not fall within the exclusive competence of the Nigerian Government alone. In fact, with the involvement of the British concerns, the extent to which the trial can be manipulated cannot but be reduced.

Besides and more disturbingly, there are three levels of petition that have the potential to also seriously taint PMB’s record and therefore warrant international hostility. The first is the problematic of extradition. It is posited that the 1984 Extradition treaty done by Nigeria, Benin, Togo and Ghana did exclude political offences, thus making the extradition of Igboho not possible, as he is not on record to have committed any crime.

The lawyers of Igboho have also revealed that they had complained to the British Government, underscoring why Igboho must not be returned to Nigeria for possible trial. In the words of Leesi Ebenezer Olarewaju, a Texas-based lawyer,‘we are on top of the situation right now. We have successfully notified the British government on the dangers of letting Sunday Adeyemo be returned to Nigeria where his life is at risk. We believe that before the end of today (Tuesday, July 20, 2021), Britain would have granted his request for asylum in good faith.’The implication of this is that the problem is no more restricted to the level of Nigerian authority. It has been internationalised, implying that the resolution of the misunderstanding cannot be exclusively addressed by the Government of Nigeria.

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THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ JUNE 24 2012

ARTS & REVIEW A

PUBLICATION

25.07.2021

BENIN BRONZES: NOW, THE LOOTERS HAVE GOT THE MESSAGE…

Despite the reluctance of the foreign museums in the custody of stolen Nigerian artefacts to part with them, the planned return of looted Benin Bronzes, among other successes, attests to the federal government’s resolve to recover these cultural objects. Okechukwu Uwaezuoke reports

“W

e are coming for you,” the Information and Culture Minister Lai Mohammed had announced before a coterie of culture journalists during a press conference in Lagos. No, these words – beneath which lurked an obvious threat – were not directed at the journalists. They were rather directed at“those who are holding on to Nigeria’s cultural property anywhere in the world” and seemed to have dispelled all doubts about the federal government’s resolve to recover all Nigeria’s stolen artefacts abroad.

At that press conference, which was held on Thursday, November 28, 2019, the minister had launched the Campaign for the Return and Restitution of Nigeria's Looted/Smuggled Artifacts from around the world, vowing to use “all legal and diplomatic instruments available” to achieve this goal.

Nearly two years later, at another press conference held in Lagos on Saturday, July 17, the minister crowed about the successes the federal government had recorded so far.

“I can report back to Nigerians that our efforts at repatriating Nigeria’s looted artefacts are achieving positive results,” he announced. “The work ahead remains tough and daunting, but we will not relent until we have repatriated all our stolen and smuggled antiquities.”

Perhaps, the“most remarkable”among these positive results is the planned repatriation of 1,130 Benin bronzes to Nigeria, which was already engendering so much tension between the Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki and the Oba of Benin, over who gets to keep them. A high-level Nigerian delegation, which included the governor and a crown prince representing the Oba, was recently led by Mohammed to Berlin, Germany “to iron out the modalities for the repatriation.”The delegation had, while in Germany, met with the German Minister of State for Culture and the Media Professor Monika Grütters, the German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, the State Secretary in the German President's office Stephan Steinlein, the President of the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation Hermann Parzinger and his team as well as with the directors of at least 20 major museums.

“The negotiations were tough. but fruitful.

We have agreed that there is no going back on the issue of returning the Benin bronzes,” Mohammed added.

On the controversy over the possession of the yet-to-be-returned artefacts, the minister reminded the audience that “in line with international best practice and the operative conventions and laws, the return of the artefacts is being negotiated bilaterally between the national governments of Nigeria and Germany.”

This implies that the federal government will take possession of the returning antiquities, a right, which the minister said, the government has always exercised even in cognisance of the culture that produced them. “Nigeria is the entity recognised by international law as the authority in control of antiquities originating from Nigeria,” he clarified. “The relevant international conventions treat heritage properties as properties belonging to the nation and not to individuals or subnational groups. For example, the 1970 UNESCO Convention, in its

the Benin Bronzes. These are our properties, do not give us conditions for releasing them.

We, therefore, agreed that the release will be unconditional, neither will it be staggered.”

Other positive results were recorded since that November 2019 press conference. The minister mentioned the return of a highly-valued 600-year-old Ife terracotta in October 2020, by The Netherlands; the agreement in March by the University of Aberdeen in Scotland to return a Benin bronze in its collections; the return of a bronze piece by Mexico in April; the agreement by the University of Cambridge in the UK to return a disputed Benin cockerel and the securing of a date in October 2021 for the repatriation of antiquities – which consist of two important Benin Bronzes and an exquisite Ife Bronze head – from the Metropolitan Museum in New York.

“We are currently before the Intergovernmental Committee for Promoting the Return of Cultural Property to it Countries of Origin or its Restitution in case of Illicit Appropriation (ICPRCP) in Paris, where we have instituted a claim against a Belgian who wanted to auction an Ife Bronze head valued at $5 million, at least,” he added.

“This Ife Bronze antiquity has been seized by Benin Bronze works the London Metropolitan Police, pending the decision on who the true owner is. Of course, we all know that the true owner is Nigeria.”

Of course, not all of the minister’s efforts have yielded positive results. Even as he remains undeterred to have these cultural objects returned, he is not oblivious of the fact that “not everyone in possession of these artefacts is willing to return them.”

This became evident months after the 2019 press conference. The minister had matched words with action when he led the concerted efforts to stop the British auction house Christie’s from proceeding with the sale of a couple of contentious Igbo sacred objects (called “Alusi” figures) in its Paris office. The Information and Culture Ministry had on Wednesday, June 17 2020, written a letter to Christie’s – through its parastatal, the National Commission for Museums and Monuments – requesting the suspension of the planned auction of the Nigerian antiquities until the issue of provenance was resolved.

But, according to its legal adviser, Babatunde Adebiyi, “Christie’s did not reply until 4.43 pm Information and Culture Minister Lai Mohammed, flanked on the left by SA to the President attached to the Information Ministry Segun Adeyemi and on the right by the NCMM DG Prof Abba when all offices had closed on Friday the 27th for an auction that will happen on Monday Isa-Tijani at the conference the 29th. And the reply was to say they had Article 1, defines cultural property as property the German authorities' proposal to return a established provenance, giving us no time to specifically designated by that nation. This al- 'substantial part' of the Benin Bronzes. I have address the issue. The set of rules applied by lows individual nations to determine what it asserted the stand of the Nigerian government them unjustifiably favours them.”

It is now history that Christie’s ignored the regards as its cultural property. Nevertheless, by demanding [the] full and unconditional the Nigerian state – through the Federal Ministry release of the artefacts. Concerning recording protests against the sale of the artworks, which of Information and Culture and the National the artefacts in 3D formats for posterity and were from the private collection of Jacques KerCommission for Museums and Monuments – has, academic sake under the 'digitalbenin' project, chache (an aide to the former French president, in working assiduously over the past years to of which we are a part, I have told the Germans Jacques Chirac) and eventually sold them for repatriate our looted artefacts, carried along that this work of digitalising the Benin Bronzes 212,500 euros to a buyer on the internet, less than our important traditional institutions and state must not delay the return of the artefacts and its pre-sale estimated price between 250,000 governments.” This explains the presence of the that issues related to copyrights ownership and and 350,000 euros.

That the auction house wantonly ignored representatives of the Edo State government other rights over the digitalised objects will be calls for the suspension of the sale of these and the Royal Benin Palace in discussions and discussed soon.”

Thus, a definitive timeline for the repatria- controversial works – which were led by the negotiations that eventually culminated in the antiquities’ impending return. “At the meetings tion of the artefacts was agreed upon,“because Nigerian National Commission for Museums and in Germany, I insisted, and it was resolved that Nigeria is tired of an indefinite timeline”. It was Monuments (NCMM) and two US-based Nigeprovenance research on the Benin Bronzes subsequently resolved that the agreement on rian academics, Professor Sylvester Okwunodu cannot and must not delay their return, since the repatriation should be signed in December Ogbechie of the University of California, Santa the origin of Benin objects is not a subject of 2021 and the repatriation should be concluded Barbara and Professor Chika Okeke-Agulu from dispute as such objects are only associated with by August 2022.“I told the Germans that Nigeria is Princeton University – could not be blamed on the Benin Kingdom,”the minister disclosed.“On averse to attaching pre-conditions to repatriating the Nigerian federal government.

EDITOR OKECHUKWU UWAEZUOKE/ okechukwu.uwaezuoke@thisdaylive.com

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THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER JULY 25, 2021

ARTS & REVIEW\\CULTURE

WITHEYESONHUMANITY,WSICE2021 FOCUSESONYOUNGLEADERS Yinka Olatunbosun

F

or over ten years, the Wole Soyinka International Cultural Exchange, WSICE has been a global networking and empowerment platform for scholars of like-minds and intellectuals. This year, however, the WSICE in its 13th year refocused its agenda strictly on discovering and grooming young intellectuals and change-3 from around the world, through its newly initiated International Youth Assembly, IYA. The IYA formed the nucleus of the three-in-one programming contents for the 2021 edition of the project, held in hybrid format (online and onsite) on July 13 and 14 at the Ijegba Forest Home of the Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka.

“Through the IYA, we intend for young people from diverse parts and cultures of the world to connect, engage and learn from one another as well as receive mentoring from eminent resource persons, who are themselves leaders in their individual area of discipline,”stated Teju Kareem, the executive producer of the project, who is also the CEO of ZMirage Multimedia Company.

With the theme“That Our FUTURE May Not DISAPPEAR”was specially conceived to address the widespread incident of‘disappearing humanity’through acts of kidnapping, abductions, human‘cancels’, social and cultural discriminations on the bases of colour, creed, faith, physio-mental features and others.”

The WSICE EP, Kareem declared:“Seventeen youths from four continents had been elected to explore the theme to help the young ones frame their thoughts about the future of our collective humanity.”

Produced by Aduke Aladekomo, the International Youth Assembly featured past winners of the yearly WSICE essay contests joined by contemporaries from other countries and cultures. Other parts of the programme included the Advocacy Session, which featured eminent cultural and educational leaders named “Advocates of Conscience”.

The WSICE also renewed its partnership with the San Diego State University, SDSU in the United States, as the virtual host. Moderated by Victory Ashaka, a multi-award-winning spoken word artist, and climate change activist and Anjolaoluwa Olanrewaju, another multitalented creative, the selected speakers were drawn from Nigeria, USA, Uganda, Trinidad and Tobago, Spain and Angola.

The Advocacy Session attracted a pool of resource persons such as Mutabaruka, a Jamaican Rastafarian dub poet, musician, actor, educator, and talk-show host, who developed two of Jamaica’s most popular radio programmes, The Cutting Edge and Steppin’ Razor; Segun Adefila, a Nigerian actor, dancer, choreographer, director, culture advocate and the founder/artistic director, Crown Troupe of Africa, who deploys the instrumentality of the arts to advocate for social causes and better human family. Others are Seyi Oluyole a Nigerian creative director, screenwriter and choreographer and the founder of Dreamcatchers Academy; Russell Low, a Chinese-American physician with a passion for discovery and storytelling; Jian Wang, a Chinese cellist Jian Wang who has appeared as soloist with such orchestras as the Pacific Symphony, the American Youth Symphony, the YMF Début Orchestra and the Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra of China.

Teju Kareem

MOVIES

Festival of Forgotten Films Revs Up in Lagos Yinka Olatunbosun

T

he Festival of Forgotten Films, an international Film festival is set to unearth outstanding films using the unique power of archival footage to drive their narrative. Ultimately, the goal is to raise key issues such as the relationship between archives, films and festivals and the impact of digital technologies.

With renewed efforts to rediscover Nigerian and African Cinema this July, the Lagos Film Society in collaboration with Modern Art Film Archive will present the 50-year old Things Fall Apart (1971)

by Jason Pohland which was rediscovered from the Deutsche Kinemathek in Berlin at the Nigerian Film Corporation, Ikoyi on July 31. On August 1, Kongi’s Harvest (1970) by Ossie Davis will be screened alongside Independencia (2015) by Mario Bastos, Spell Reel (2017) by Filipa Cesar and Handsworth Song (1987) by John Akomfrah. A special tribute will be given to late Nigerian film director and producer, Eddie Ugbomah on August

A shot from Things Fall Apart (1971)

7 at the same venue with the theme“The Films of Eddie Ugbomah”. The legendary filmmaker directed and produced films such as the Rise and Fall of Oyenusi in 1979, The Boy is Good and Apalara, a film about the life and murder of Alfa Apalara in Oko Awo, Lagos. The plot of some of his films are loosely based on real life events.

The film screenings would be accompanied by open-air exhibition as a large-scale installation around the lively Tinubu Square.

This out-door exhibition has as curators the Berlin-based Akinbode Akinbiyi, a renowned photographer and Gisela Kayser, the Managing Director, Freundeskreis Willy-Brandt-Haus in Germany.

The Festival of Forgotten Films is directed

by Didi Cheeka, the co-founder of Lagos Film Society. Cheeka curated the first international archive workshop,“Reclaiming History, Unveiling Memory”with the support of Goethe-Institut Nigeria and the British Council, Lagos. He is an active participant in the on-going discourse and actions to decolonise the archive and restructure power relations in the use and access to colonial audio-visual materials.

EXHIBITION

Collage Artist, Sylvester Aguddah Holds Another Solo Show Yinka Olatunbosun

T

he Radisson Blu Hotel, Ikeja is the home to the latest collection of Sylvester Aguddah, a collage artist with a restless spirit.

Drawing upon his knack for assembling pieces to make a whole, Aguddah has attracted a spectrum of high-profile celebrities and art enthusiasts who soak in the beauty embedded in each piece. His latest solo exhibition dubbed Sylvester Aguddah reflects his growth in the use of techniques that draw upon varied materials. At his exhibition opening last Sunday July 18, the self-taught

artist revealed the nature of his works in this show.

“Asides my signature style which is collage, I find myself exploring more media of art which include spray on canvas, sketches, photo art and painting.

Recently, I have been working with wire strips and broken pieces of frames and it has been quite amazing and fulfilling journey,’’he revealed in his artist statement. His metallic statements are accentuated with the use of bold colours in pieces like“Bicycle”and “Danfo”.

In“Atampa”, one could see a mixed media collage that utilises pieces of fabric to make an exciting piece. With “Eyo”, Aguddah makes a significant cultural imprint on canvas. Alluding to the Eyo festival also known as the Adamou

Orisa, the painting illustrates the Yoruba festival celebrated in Lagos Island. With no fixed date on the calendar, the Eyo festival was known to only take place when a King or important Chief passed away. The Eyo Masquerades come out in their throngs to escort the soul of the departed and/or to usher in the new leader.

The curator for the show, Ifeanyichukwu Oraemeka,described Aguddah as a prolific contemporary artist, whose art is an ever-changing and growing interpretation of his love for Africa, interactions, experiences, human knowledge and nature.

“This exhibition evinces his prolific renditions and highlights a hobby, cycling, which he says liberates him and has been an influence in his freedom to create art,”she said.

One of the works at the exhibition

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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 ˾ JULY 25, 2021

CICERO

Editor: Ejiofor Alike SMS: 08066066268 email:ejiofor.alike@thisdaylive.com

IN THE ARENA

As ‘Bandits’ Target NAF Jets The downing of Nigerian Air Force Alpha Jet by bandits last Sunday has raised concerns over the growing capacity of non-state actors to acquire sophisticated weapons to fight the state, Louis Achi writes

A

ir power in history has been a decisive and critical factor in determining the outcome of any war or territorial conflict. It is a fundamental component of the military element of national power. The capability of every air force globally is measured by the number of serviceable aircraft in its inventory and the professional competence of its airmen.

Hence, when a grave incident such as the recent downing of a Nigerian Air Force Alpha fighter jet in Zamfara State, by hostile enemy occurs, it is usually taken very seriously.

NAF confirmed the crash in a Monday statement by its spokesperson, Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet, who stated there was no casualty as the pilot, Flt. Lt. Abayomi Dairo, escaped enemy fire and ground efforts to capture him. The latest incident makes it at least four air crashes involving Nigerian military planes in the last seven months.

Obviously, the quick response of NAF Intelligence Surveillance Reconnaissance (ISR) platforms and helicopter gunships which provided close air support to NAF Special Forces and Nigerian Army troops who were able to locate the crash site and the pilot’s parachute, disrupted the bandits’ intense efforts to capture the pilot.

US-based Nigerian scholar and analyst, Farouq Kperogi pilloried the Nigerian media for not calling out terror bandits for what they are, and insisting that those who have the will and the means to shoot down an Alpha Jet are not bandits but terrorists.

Dairo, in his personal account of the incident, also described the so-called bandits as ruthless like Boko Haram, and wondered why they were described as bandits.

Kperogi’s position naturally draws public attention to the kind of weapons that could have been deployed to shoot down a fighter jet aircraft like a feisty Alpha.

The Dassault/Dornier Alpha Jet is a light attack jet aircraft and advanced trainer co-manufactured by Dassault Aviation of France and Dornier Flugzeugwerke of Germany. According to Wikipedia, it was developed specifically to perform trainer and light attack missions.

It was first test-flown on October 26, 1973 and formally introduced into service in November 4, 1977 with almost 500 units manufactured since then.

Both the French and German air forces procured the Alpha Jet in large numbers, the former principally as a trainer aircraft and the latter choosing to use it as a light attack platform. The Alpha Jet has been adopted by a number of air forces across the world, including Nigeria, Thailand, Belgium, Cameroon, Egypt, Ivory Coast, Qatar and Togo and has also seen active combat use by some of these operators.

Unlike military tanks, fighter aircraft cannot be downed

by Rocket-Propelled Grenades (RPGs) - a shoulder-fired missile that delivers explosive warhead aided by rocket propulsion. RPGs today are commonly seen with Boko Haram insurgents, bandits, militants and military personnel. RPGs are frequently used as anti-tank weapons and not anti-aircraft weaponry.

To swathe a military jet fighter from the skies - or unthinkably a civilian aircraft - anti-aircraft missiles are needed and this must have been the weapons used by

NAF Alpha Jet the so-called bandits to down the NAF jet. According to NATO, the weapons of choice in destroying airborne threats include air-to-air, surface-to-air and underwater-to-air missiles. The other extreme option is to zap the target with laser guns from orbiting vehicles.

The successful downing of NAF’s Alpha jet on Sunday, suggests the so-called bandits must have employed a surface (or ground)-to-air missiles (SAMs) which is usually a guided weapon and this implies some alarming sophistication.

More, anti-aircraft warfare and weaponry are very expensive, denominated in Dollar cost. SAM prices are derived from the sophistication of their guidance systems, mobility, altitude and range. If the bandits currently ravaging the nation’s ungoverned spaces could actually acquire these weapons, then Nigerians should even be more worried. It would then mean they could also acquire ground-to-ground missiles which would effectively bring Abuja (or any choice Nigerian city) within their strike range.

And if indeed bandits or terrorist groups should gain this capability, it means they are being funded by very rich, shadowy forces. Going forward, nothing stops them from securing deadlier weapons to expand their depravity and territorial reach. These funding sources must be destroyed.

It could be recalled that the arrest, swift prosecution and sentencing of six Boko Haram sponsors in the United Arab Emirates last year exposed Nigeria’s puzzling failure to frontally confront its home-grown terrorism.

It is crucial that the current government should squarely face the stark reality. Indisputably, antiterrorism war cannot be concluded by military confrontation alone. A multi-pronged strategy combining intelligence, effective law enforcement, international cooperation, prosecution and blockage of the sources of funding, arms and logistics of terrorist networks is imperative. These shadowy operators were convicted for funding Boko Haram through money transfers from Dubai to Nigeria; two of the felons were jailed for life and four to 10 years apiece.

Through the bureau de change they operated, they wired a total of $782,000 to the terror group in 2019.

The UAE security agents reportedly broke up the funding ring through undercover policing and monitoring of financial transactions.

In Nigeria, political considerations would have coloured an otherwise straightforward procedure and therefore rendered necessary counter-measures ineffective.

While strident rhetoric has proved ineffective, hope likewise is certainly not a plan.

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

Ekweremadu’s Face-saving Optimism

Ekweremadu

When 28 Senators voted in favour of electronic transmission of election results, the former Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu was among another set of 28 senators, who were conspicuously absent at the Upper Chamber on July 15, 2021 when their presence mattered most to the Nigerian voters.

The masses whose power to choose their leaders has diminished over the years due to the manipulation of the electoral process by desperate politicians had expected Ekweremadu and the other 27 absentee-senators to contribute positively to the one of the most important legislation enacted by the ninth National Assembly.

But the representative of the EnuguWest senatorial district at the National Assembly chose to attend the less important regular session of the International Parliament forTolerance and Peace (IPTP) in Montenegro, where he claimed to have presented the Memorandum of

Understanding (MoU) between the National Assembly and the IPTP. Only the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Environment and those he represented at the event know the importance of the MoU to the Nigeria’s suffering masses, who have been denied the opportunity to elect their leaders due to the electoral fraud perpetrated by the officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and their politician-sponsors during the process of transmitting election results from the polling units to the collation centres.

With the absence of Ekweremadu and 27 others, the 52‘despicable’senators, who seem to have benefitted from election malpractices had a field day during the debate on electronic transmission of election results.

However, in what seemed like a face-saving effort, Ekweremadu had hurriedly issued a press statement

on his return to the country, assuring of his resolve to work with other patriotic and progressive lawmakers to resurrect the issue of electronic transmission of results upon the resumption of the National Assembly.

He promised to start from the point of harmonisation of the clauses passed by the Senate and the House of Representatives.

The question is: Does Ekweremadu as a minority party leader, have the capacity to influence the All Progressives Congress-led Senate to initiate a fresh debate on the bill at the Upper Chamber? Can Ekweremadu influence President Muhammadu Buhari to ignore the decision of the lawmakers of his party and refuse to sign the bill into law? Indeed, only time shall tell if the EnuguWest senator has the capacity to succeed where the more charismatic Senate Minority Leader, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe failed.

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ JULY 25, 2021

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BRIEFINGNOTES Dairo: An Officer’s Exemplary Heroism After recording human and material losses in recent jet crashes, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has redeemed its image with the unprecedented exemplary heroism demonstrated by Flight Lieutenant Abayomi Dairo, a pilot, who successfully ejected from a fighter jet downed by bandits in Zamfara State, Ejiofor Alike writes

W

hen unconfirmed report went viral on Sunday, July 18, 2021 that bandits had downed another Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Alpha Jet, an obviously embarrassed NAF promptly debunked the story, claiming that it had not received such report.

The unverified report had claimed that the jet, which left the NAF Base in Yola, the Adamawa State capital on Sunday evening for an anti-banditry operation crashed in a village in Kaduna State.

But in a swift response, the NAF’s Director of Public Relations and Information (DOPRI), Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet, said the headquarters had not received any operational report of crash of its aircraft and that no alpha jet left Yola for Kaduna.

The crash, which was later confirmed, was the fourth incident recorded by NAF in recent months as no fewer than 20 military officers had lost their lives in the last six months in three previous crashes involving NAF jets.

On Sunday, February 21, 2021, seven NAF officers died onboard a Beechcraft KingAir B350i aircraft when the jet crashed in Abuja.

Again, on Wednesday, March 31, 2021, NAF spokesman, Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet, said an Alpha-Jet aircraft involved in the anti-terror war against Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) lost radar contact in Borno State.

Two officers were onboard the missing jet which was later declared crashed and the whereabouts of the two airmen unknown till date.

On May 21, 2021, a NAF jet crash at Kaduna International Airport had claimed the lives of 11 senior military officers, including the then Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, his aides, and the flight crew.

However, as NAF was counting the human and material losses arising from these embarrassing incidents, the heroism displayed by the Dairo in this latest crash has brought honour and glory to the force.

As soon as NAF confirmed the survival of Dairo on Monday, July 19, 2021, it promptly confirmed the crash, basking in the euphoria of the glory associated with his gallantry.

According to a statement issued

by Air Commodore Gabkwet: “On 18 July 2021, at about 12.45 pm, a Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Alpha Jet aircraft, returning from a successful air interdiction mission between the boundaries of Zamfara and Kaduna

Dairo

State, came under intense enemy fire, which led to its crash in Zamfara State.

“Luckily, the gallant pilot of the aircraft, Flight Lieutenant Abayomi Dairo, successfully ejected from the aircraft. Using his survival instincts, the pilot, who came under intense ground fire from the bandits, was able to evade them and sought refuge in nearby settlements awaiting sunset.

“Using the cover of darkness and his phone set for navigation, Flight Lieutenant Dairo was able to elude several bandits’ strongholds and maneuvered his way to a Nigerian Army Unit, where

he was finally rescued.

“It is instructive to note that upon receipt of the news of the crash, the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Oladayo Amao, had directed that all efforts must be emplaced to rescue the pilot.

“Accordingly, NAF Intelligence Surveillance Reconnaissance (ISR) platforms and helicopter gunships provided close air support to NAF Special Forces and Nigerian Army troops who were able to locate the crash site and the pilot’s parachute, while also combing nearby locations for any sign of the pilot.

“It is gladdening to note that while in hiding, Flight Lieutenant Dairo confirmed that the presence of NAF aircraft within the vicinity of the crash site helped in scaring the bandits who were after him, thus enabling him to find refuge and escape to a safe location”.

In his personal account of the incident, Dairo had narrated that before the Sunday incident, he had been having dreams where he saw himself fighting and evading enemies in what looked like real-time war.

He disclosed that when his jet was shot and his flight controls were destroyed, he had no choice than to eject.

“I just said ‘God, finally, here we go’… As I was flanked by the bandits, I kept praying and I kept telling God to answer your (his friends’) prayers because I know you were all praying for me. I love you all. And I thank God for bestowing his love on me and saving me from death several times within that period... I will still share my testimonies but truly, God ordered my steps, the bandits (meanwhile, they are ruthless like Boko Haram, I don’t know why we still call them bandits) were more interested in capturing me than shooting me at (even at point blank range), eventually they got neither”.

Dairo acknowledged that it was God who gave him the strength to run and walk for almost 30 kilometers, even with one strained leg.

“The village I eventually entered at night, I told God that the first person I see and call should favour me and that happened - he gave me clothes, pain-relieving drugs, food and water and even malt, and he organised for a bike to carry me to DanSadau early next morning.”

Indeed, Dairo demonstrated exemplary bravery to bring honour to NAF and the country but he acknowledged the hands of God in his survival.

After all, a NAF pilot, whose jet had reportedly suffered similar fate in the hands of Boko Haram fighters in September 2014, was eventually captured by the terrorists and beheaded, after running several kilometers for his dear life.

The terrorists displayed the video of the wreckage of the downed jet and the beheading of the officer identified as Wing Commander Chimda Hedima.

In what was regarded as a facesaving reaction, the military had dismissed the claim that the officer beheaded was its pilot.

However, Dairo’s heroic feat has brought honour to not only NAF, but the entire country.

NOTES FOR FILE

An End to Litigation …

Hope Uzodimma

The decision of the Federal High Court in Abuja to dismiss a suit seeking to nullify the election that brought the Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma and his deputy, Prof. Placid Njoku, to office last Monday was encouraging. Justice Taiwo Taiwo, who delivered the judgment, held that the applicant, Mcfyne Chikwedu, had no locus standi, adding that the suit was patently‘non-justiciable.’

The judge also noted that Uzodimma’s election had been affirmed by the Supreme Court and that his court was not an election tribunal that could sit on appeal over elections conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). He then ordered Chikwedu to pay INEC

N250,000 as cost for bringing such a frivolous and meaningless suit to the court for adjudication.

Chikwedu’s suit marked, FHC/ABJ/ CS/1085/2020, had alleged that the governor did not meet the constitutional requirement to be declared winner of the March 9 gubernatorial election of Imo State.

Justice Taiwo, no doubt, did well to have dismissed the suit. There must be an end to litigation.

Uzodimma should be allowed to concentrate on governance. Those who want him removed from office should wait till 2023 when INEC will conduct another election for the seat. Trying to use the lower courts when the highest court in the

country, the Supreme Court, had already affirmed his election would amount to embarking on a journey to nowhere.

Recall that immediately the Supreme Court sacked Emeka Ihedioha, all attempts by him and his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to make the court to reverse its decision failed.

This is why it is surprising that Chikwedu would embark on this journey to waste the time of the Federal High Court, which clearly does not have the jurisdiction to hear the case. Going forward, any frivolous suit like Chikwedu’s should attract a stiffer fine and not the meagre fine he was ordered to pay.

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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 ˾ JULY 25, 2021

CICERO/REPORT

Buhari

Speaking to the President in a Language He Understands Vanessa Obioha writes that Nigerians are painstakingly trying to communicate with President Muhammadu Buhari in a language that he understands

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he language of President Muhammadu Buhari is not easily comprehensible, and this is no reference to his fluency in the English Language. But governance has a language that is at once global; however, it has distinct colouration defined by local realities. For instance, the Donald Trump presidency in America introduced the novelty of Mr. Trump communicating directly with the public, even announcing major policy decisions without recourse to his communication team, who were left to carry out damage control caused by this unconventional method.

Right from 2015, when he became the Number One Citizen after three attempts in this democratic dispensation, Buhari’s communication to Nigerians has been marked with ambiguity. A good example is his first presidential speech where the phrase ‘I belong to everybody and I belong to nobody’ became the high-point of his inauguration as President.

Expectedly, that phrase was interpreted in diverse ways. What has become clearer to Nigerians is the implication of those words on the country’s unity. Indeed, the President’s sense of belonging to Nigerians has been lopsided. From his appointments, to the manner he handles the threat to peaceful coexistence of ethnic groups, the president clearly belongs to ‘somebody’ but certainly not ‘everybody’.

Six years into his administration, Nigerians are still grappling with the language of the president. Better still, they are at a loss on how to communi-

cate to the president effectively.

However, there seems to be only one language that the president approves. This language is not witty and empathetic but laden with threats and high-handedness, typical of a dictator.

For instance, the opening act that led to the climax of the Twitter indefinite suspension in Nigeria was a Tweet from the presidency that warned the youths about inciting violence due to the spate of attacks on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) offices and police stations in most parts of the South-east region. In the now-deleted Tweet, the president warned that “Many of those misbehaving today are too young to be aware of the destruction and loss of lives that occurred during the Nigerian Civil War,” and concluded with “we will treat them in the language they understand.”

Perceived by many as a threat directed at the Igbo ethnic group, a campaign for Twitter to consider the Tweet as abusive spiralled into the federal government suspending the platform indefinitely after the Tweet was deleted.

Recently, during his interview on ARISE NEWS Channel to mark his sixth year in office and Democracy Day, the president responding to questions about insecurity in the North-west, said that he had told the military men and police to deal with bandits in a language that they understand.

He always seems to have a language to address the people but is apparently oblivious of the language of his people.

Communication has always been a two-way fare. And the best leaders

use this method to rule effectively.

They send messages and also receive messages. Nigerians, who are the receivers, in this case, have familiarised themselves to an extent with the ambiguity of President Buhari’s subliminal messages. The problem now lies in the president understanding the language of Nigerians. What language does the president understand when Nigerians speak with him?

Most of the country’s agitations have either fallen on deaf ears or allowed to fester before the president takes action.

The snail pace with which he responds to messages from Nigerians has not made many Nigerians his fan.

This was evident in the way he handled the call for him to replace the service chiefs due to the rising insecurity in the country and the overstay of the military chiefs whose tenure should have ended over two years ago.

His response came this year with the appointment of General Lucky Irabor as the Chief of Defence Staff, the late Lt. Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru as the Chief of Army Staff; Vice Admiral AZ Gambo as Chief of Naval Staff; and Air Marshal Isiaka Amao as Chief of Air Staff.

Again, during the #EndSARS protest last year that led to the loss of lives and destruction of state buildings, Nigerians expected the president to address the situation, particularly after the alleged shooting of protesters in Lekki Tollgate in Lagos but the president took his precious time before finally speaking to Nigerians 48 hours after the incident.

But this slow responsiveness is not limited to national issues, even within his party, All Progressives Congress

(APC), the president, who by his office is the leader of the party has not been proactive in addressing issues fragmenting the party’s unity.

For instance, when the former National Chairman of the party, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole was removed, resulting in many court cases, not a few expected the president to swiftly wade in and resolve warring parties. By the time, he responded, his approach received more criticisms than acclaim.

Many frowned at his venue of choice to convey the meeting, the Presidential Villa, which is an abode to handle issues about Nigeria and not the secretariat of the party.

Could it be that the president is yet to acclimatise with the democratic rule? His actions sometimes speak of a military General than a democratic leader who is supposed to be for the people.

Having ruled during the military regime where the leaders assume autocratic disposition, it would have been enlightening to see the president in a different light as a democratic leader.

Any leader of a country is expected to be proactive and very thoughtful without dwelling too long on making critical decisions.

More importantly, he must be receptive and understand the language of the people. President Buhari is yet to acquire this trait. Perhaps, he does but has not employed it effectively. One thing is certain though, Nigerians need a president who understands their language and belongs to everybody in words and deeds.

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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 ˾ JULY 25, 2021

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The Hurdles Before APC in Anambra Guber Poll Iyobosa Uwugiaren writes that the All Progressives Congress is not insulated from the intra-party crises enveloping many political parties preparing for the Anambra State governorship election scheduled for November 6 this year

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ike the two dominant political parties in Anambra State- the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), the All Progressives Congress (APC) is enmeshed in political crisis, ahead of the November governorship election.

An insider at the national secretariat of the party in Abuja, told THISDAY that the party has “both legal and political hurdles’’ to overcome in order to participate in the gubernatorial election. The bone of contention is the outcome of the recent governorship primary election in the state, supervised by Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun-led committee. Apart from Senator Andy Uba, who was declared winner of the primary by Abiodun, who was the chairman of the APC primary election committee, most other stakeholders, especially majority of the aspirants in the exercise, have described the result of the primary as total fabrication.

Indeed, the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Dr. Chris Ngige, and 11 out of the 14 governorship aspirants, have faulted the outcome of the primary.

On his part, Ngige had alleged that the outcome of the primary as announced by the Ogun State governor was a “total fabrication”.

The former governor of Anambra State said that election materials got to local government areas of the state on the day of the primary around 6:30pm, adding that there was no form of monitoring by officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

“The outcome of the primary is a total fabrication. Total fabrication,’’ the minister had reportedly told journalists.

Ngige, who had earlier called for the postponement of the primary, noted that those who “executed” the exercise had put the party in “harm’s way”.

“Why did you say I was not happy? Can you be happy if you are disenfranchised in a national election? I did not vote for anybody.

I did not come out because there was no material.

“The materials got to local government areas around 6:30pm; in some places by 7pm. What will amaze you, the result sheets that came there were photocopied, not genuine result sheets. Photocopies! I have some samples.

“I don’t know what was playing out over there but those who contrived and executed it, they failed it. They are putting the party in harm’s way. They are putting our party in harm’s way because they were no monitoring

by INEC”, Ngige added.

While the aggrieved aspirants are currently under suffocating pressure to accept the outcome of the disputed primary election, one of them, Chief George Moghalu, has initiated legal action to challenge the result.

A founding member of the APC, Moghalu has dragged his party before the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court, over the alleged failure of the APC to conduct a valid primary election for the selection\nomination of its candidate in the November governorship election in Anambra State.

The aspirant in the suit filed on July 8, 2021 by his lawyer, Chief Chris Uche (SAN), is also asking the court to compel the INEC to delist the name of Mr. Andy Uba and APC from among the list of political parties and gubernatorial candidates for the November 6 election or any subsequent postponement.

Moghalu, who was among 14 aspirants who purchased forms to contest for the governorship election, has specifically asked the court to declare that the party failed to conduct a “valid primary election’’ in line with the provisions of the constitution, the Electoral Act as well as the APC’s constitution and guidelines for election, demanding the sum of N122.5 million damages from the APC. While he is claiming the sum of N22.5 million

Andy Uba as being refund of payment for the Expression of Interest Form and Nomination Form, he asked the court to order his party to pay him another sum of N100 million as exemplary and general damages for the breach of contract to commence and conclude primary election and or breach of Section 87 of the Electoral Act, 2010 (as amended) and the regulations and guidelines of the political party.

Defendants in the suit marked FHC\ABJ\ CS\648\2021 are the APC, Independent National Electoral Commission and Mr. Andy Uba. In a 40-page paragraph affidavit, Moghalu deposed to, in support of the suit, the plaintiff amongst others, claimed that the APC failed to conclude the selection and nomination process for its candidate in the November governorship poll which it started with the sale of Expression of Interest and Nomination forms.

According to the deponent, the APC had chosen to adopt the Direct Mode of electing its candidate for the governorship poll - hence the publication of a list of designated venues in each of the 326 wards in the state for holding of the primary election slated for June 26, 2021.

He further disclosed that APC in preparation for the governorship poll, “demanded and received from each of the aspirants - seeking to fly its flag as candidate, the whopping sum of N22.5 million for Expression of Interest Form and Nomination Form.

“That the plaintiff did pay the sum of N22,500,000 to the first defendant in order for the first defendant to allow him participate in the primary election exercise”, the affidavit stated, adding that APC’s acknowledgement of receipt of the said sum was attached as exhibit to the suit.

Plaintiff stated that after his submissions of the forms and subsequent clearance by the Screening Committee led by Chief Ikechi Emenike, he went on to vigorously campaign in all the 326 wards in the state where party members were expected to vote candidate of their choice.

He added that on June 25, 2021, a day to the conclusion of the primary election, he heard

Chris Ngige that an Electoral Committee led by Ogun State Governor, Abiodun would address all aspirants and stakeholders in Anambra at Hilton Leisure Hotel, Awka.

According to him when the committee arrived that night they promised to conduct a free and fair election, assuring that the process will commence with accreditation of voters, actual voting and collation of votes, then announcement of results.

Plaintiff, however, said that “shockingly, on June 26, 2021, the said Election Committee was not seen anywhere in Anambra; no accreditation of voters took place; no voting and collation of votes occurred in all the 326 wards of Anambra State”. He added that the committee only re-appeared the next day in a hotel at Agulu, Anambra State and “announced election results it did not conduct, and which fakery was credited to the third defendant as the winner of the primary election scheduled for emergence as APC’s candidate in the November 6 governorship election in Anambra State”.

He also submitted that the APC apart from failing to conduct the said election did not invite INEC in line with the law to attend and monitor the election.

He also stated that in line with party regulations he filed an appeal against the conduct of the primary, and the Appeal Panel led by Gombe State Governor, Alhaji Inuwa Yahaya, came to the conclusion that there was no valid election and that the panel will void the result announced by the Electoral Committee.

Plaintiff however said the report of the panel was yet to be made available to him hence the legal action “That from the foregoing facts, I have suffered loss and damage and I pray this court to grant the reliefs sought by me as per the Originating Summons”, he said.

Parts of the reliefs sought include a declaration by the court that the APC has no candidate to field in the November 6 governorship poll in Anambra State, having failed to conduct a valid primary in line with the law.

He also requested the court to declare that Mr. Andy Uba is not a candidate in the

forthcoming election because the said primary that produced him as candidate of the APC did not comply with the provisions of the law.

The plaintiff in the Motion Exparte dated and filed July 13, 2021, also prayed the court to make an order for the expeditious hearing of the suit so as not to deny him justice.

However, a political group within the party, ‘’APC Patriots’’, has called on the aggrieved stakeholders, including the Minister of Labour and Employment, to accept the outcome of the party’s governorship primary election.

The group, which claimed to be made up of eminent members of the party, mostly former state and federal lawmakers, said it would embark on a journey to reunite all the aggrieved aspirants of the party who felt bitter over the outcome of the exercise.

The group said no election is free of hitches, including those conducted by INEC. A former member of the House of Representatives and spokesman for the group, Hon. Victor Ogene, said, “some hitches, including late distribution and commencement of voting, attended last Saturday’s primaries. Suffice it to say that it affected all the aspirants in equal measure, as electoral materials got to each LGAs at the same time.’’

According to him, in almost all elections, including those conducted by the INEC, such glitches are easily noticeable, but does not vitiate the outcome of the contest.

The group said it is saddened by the undue haste by some of the aspirants and leaders of the party who discredited the exercise, even when voting was yet to be concluded.

“It is for this reason that we have commenced a series of strategic engagements, aimed at rallying all our aspirants for the arduous, yet achievable task before us, which is winning the November 6, governorship election,’’ he added.

The group pleaded with aggrieved aspirants, including Ngige, to join hands with Uba in the election ahead.

From the foregoing, it is evident that APC has many hurdles to cross in its quest to occupy Anambra State Government House.

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CICERO/REPORT

Between People’s Eighth Senate and Current Executive’s Lawmakers Chuks Okocha in this report, argued that while the leadership style of the leaders of the Eighth Senate was pro-people, the current Senate seems to pander to the wishes of the Executive Arm to the detriment of the short-changed Nigerian voters

Saraki and Lawan

T

he way and manner the Senate handled the electoral reforms bill has brought the lawmakers under serious criticism as a result of its decision to reject the wishes of the voters by tactically refusing to give express approval for the adoption of electronic transmission of election results.

The initiative to amend the electoral act, which first came to the fore in the Eighth National Assembly led by Dr. Bukola Saraki, was aimed at strengthening the credibility of the electoral process by ensuring that the results announced at the end of elections reflect the actual votes cast by the electorate.

Though not officially enshrined in the status books, the transmission of election results online was first used in the conduct of the Edo State governorship elections in 2020 and later the Ondo State governorship election. The credibility of the two elections was the evidence of the improvement the electronic transmission of results could bring to the electoral process.

Before the two elections, the previous elections in the country were characterised by voter apathy following the realisation by the voters that widespread electoral frauds during elections had made their votes irrelevant.

It is on record that the Eighth National Assembly successfully passed the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill 2017 thrice but on each occasion, President Muhammadu Buhari who was then scheming for his re-election in the 2019 polls found one reason or the other to withhold his assent to the bill.

It was the general impression and sadly so, that one of the reasons why the bill was turned down by the President was to

protect his personal interest against the national interest.

Now, it seems that the reason the Bill was not signed into law was because the President and his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) were opposed to the aspect that they believed could frustrate their ambition to win the elections. At least, the bulk of the Bill passed by the defunct Senate and the one recently considered by the present Senate Committee on INEC are the same, except that the current legislators had voted to water down one of the most progressive initiatives of the last Assembly – the electronic transmission of election results.

The question now is: How did Saraki and his colleagues in the Eighth Senate as well as the Eighth House of Representatives headed by Hon. Yakubu Dogara made the passage of the Electoral Act possible without any rancour or crisis?

The answer to this was in the ability of the two former presiding officers to ignore the body language of the Executive Arm and manage different interests to align with the interest of the masses.

This is called leadership! This is where the capacity of the leadership of each chamber, their popularity or acceptance among members, the motive and interest of the leadership as well as their loyalty to common cause come into play.

Saraki and Dogara enjoyed solid relationship, popularity and acceptance with and among their members. And this is because both men refused to be dictated to by any power centre outside the legislature.

Rather, the external force that dictated to Saraki, Dogara and their colleagues were the people - the electorate.

Under Saraki’s watch, hardly was there a time a Senator insisted on division of the Senate during voting on issues, except

during voting for the purpose of amending the Constitution. Division of the chambers for the purpose of voting during constitution amendment process is a compulsory method necessary to fulfill the provision of the constitution on the issue of two-third or three-fifth support for the issues to be amended.

But adopting division for the purpose of accurately deciding the position of each member on issues in the legislature literally means the lawmakers are divided and cannot achieve a consensus.

Saraki usually tried to get the entire chamber to achieve consensus through debate and also through his transparent leadership style.

Consensus is easily achieved once the chamber toes the path preferred by the generality of the people who are the constituents of the legislators.

To determine the people’s preference, Saraki usually gauged public opinion through the press, and the civil society groups.

He was known to have commissioned opinion polls and sounded out people across the diverse sections of the national demography.

This is called leadership and it greatly worked well for him as the chairman of the Eighth National Assembly It is therefore easy to mobilise lawmakers to support a Bill whose purpose is patriotic, rather than partisan; broad, rather than narrow; creative and problem-solving, rather than conservative or uninspiring.

That is why throughout the tenure of the Eighth Senate, it was said that Senators congregated to work for Nigeria, not for party or for personal interest.

However, the people’s perception about the current Senate is that its position on bills or other issues is based on body

language of the Presidential Villa wants and the ruling party.

Instead of the leadership of the Ninth Senate to have a strong relationship and control over the members, the members are mobilised, co-ordinated and controlled by external forces outside the chamber.

Thus, what happened to the issue of the electronic transmission of election results would not have happened under Saraki and Dogara, as the two leaders effectively deployed their experience, focus and staff quality to improve legislative per formance and deliver y on the agenda set at the commencement of the legislative session in 2015.

That is why some members of the current Senate and even members of the public miss the dynamism, focus, innovation and brilliance of the Saraki era in the handling of the amendment of the Electoral Act. Many political analysts have wondered why the President of the Senate, Dr. Ahmad Lawan and some of the members of the Senate leadership refused to learn from the pro-people strategy of the Eighth Senate.

Pandering to the whims and caprices of the Presidential Villa and the APC is what Lawan misinterpreted as collaborating with the President or being on the same page with the Executive Arm. Many Nigerians have however concluded that the desperation by the current leadership of the Senate to please President Muhammadu Buhari and be in the good books of the executive have robbed it of the strategic finesse, tactical sophistication and popular appeal needed in handling the prevalent, and contending issues that have plagued Nigeria.

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Despite APC’s Missteps, PDP Falters Ahead of 2023 Less than two years to the 2023 elections, the inability of the Peoples Democratic Party to present itself as a viable alternative to the ruling All Progressives Congress has compounded the woes of the Nigerian people, writes Adedayo Akinwale

N

o doubt, these are not the best of times for the main opposition party in the country, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The inability of the party to put its house in order due to internal crisis has continued to see its electoral chances dwindle more and more ahead of the 2023 elections.

Following a strong showing by the PDP in the last general election and in some off-season elections, the opposition party was in control of 16 States.

This gave Nigerians some ray of hope that the PDP would be able to challenge the APC as the country matches towards the 2023 elections.

However, things started falling apart following the Supreme Court ruling on Imo State that dislodgedthe PDP and the recent defections of the Governors of Ebonyi, Dave Umahi, his Cross River State counterpart, Prof. Ben Ayade and Zamfara State Governor, Bello Matawalle to the APC. As at the last count, the main opposition party is now in control of 13 states, while there are still rumours that some Governors of the party might still defect to the ruling APC. The membership registration, revalidation and update exercise embarked on by the APC did a lot of damage to the PDP. Most of the political stalwarts of the PDP including Governors, former governors, former Speakers, serving members of the National Assembly have all defected to the ruling APC. This was in spite of the unconstitutional acts and brazen illegalities being perpetrated by the ruling party as the reign of terror and insecurity envelop the country. Lands are being taken over by criminal herdsmen, bandits and insurgents, village set on fire, people raped and maimed, but the PDP has continued to falter, failing to position itself to take over from the APC. The PDP ought to represent the hope of Nigerians for a new future and to, at the very least, provide some formidable resistance and pull from the brink that the APC government has tragically brought Nigeria to continue to fail. Unfortunately, the increasing weakness, incoherence, and daily loss of members to the ruling party have contributed to the general feeling of hopelessness in the countrywould not let that happen.

As hopes begin to fail, light no longer visible at the end of the tunnel and with no third force in sight, Nigerians have resigned to faith and have begun to feel that the main opposition party lacks the capacity to take over the reins of power from the APC. Call for Secondus, NWC Resignation Following the unabated defection that has continued to deplete the ranks of the PDP, a member representing Donga/Takum/Ussa and Yantu federal constituency of Taraba State in the House of Representatives, Hon. Rimande Shawulu recently asked the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Uche Secondus and other members of the National Working Committee (NWC) to resign their positions.

Shawulu, in an open letter to Secondus, dated 6th July, 2021, titled: ‘In the Interest of our Party, Democracy and the People of Nigeria: Time To Do The Needful’, said events of the last two years have been disastrous for the

Wike and Secondus main opposition party.

He said in politics, perception no matter how wrong-headed often drives reality and even rather outlandish conspiracy theories would gain more traction with more defections of governors or of members of the National Assembly to the APC, which given the havoc it has inflicted on the country ought to be the party on the run.

Shawulu said, “To put it bluntly, in a presidential democracy, a strong opposition party is necessary to provide a viable alternative to the governing party. Our party is failing in this regard.

Your good self took over to enable the party to regain momentum.

“Presently, without discounting the efforts and sacrifices you have made, it is obvious that our party is in far worse circumstances than when Alhaji Adamu Muazu fled the scene. You cannot fail to note that our party lost both the 2015 and 2019 elections, and we have fewer members in the National Assembly than we had in 2015.”

With the 2023 elections just two years away and with a few off-season governorship elections in somestates getting underway in months, he said the party needed time to reorganise, reconcile feuding members and prepare to campaign with well-prepared and articulated programmes to rescue Nigeria from the present morass.

The Wike Factor It is a known secret that some chieftains of the party are not quite comfortable with the overbearing influence of the Governor of Rivers State,

Nyesom Wike, but that’s what they have to contend with at the moment.

Also, his latest attacks on Secondus have shown that aside from the division in the PDP, there is also animosity among the party chieftains. Wike, who was a guest at the 60th birthday bash of former Cross River State Governor, Liyel Imoke, described Secondus as a serial liar and one that could not be taken for his words.

He stated: “Talking about leadership, unfortunately, the National Chairman left before I started. We should not be theoretical but be practical in what we practice. He goes to the church, you see the pastor, you pontificate him. He leaves the church, he does a different thing. What is the problem with this country? it’s leadership “If he (Secondus) had shown leadership in Cross River, our party would not have had the problem we have today.

The National Chairman said we need good leadership in the country, but if you don’t show good leadership, the party cannot produce good leaders.

That is the truth of the matter. We talk about character. What is leadership?

Leadership is about character, boldness, selflessness and audacity.

However, that was not the first time Wike is taking a chieftain of the party to the cleaner.

He recently referred to the former governor of Niger State, Babangida Aliyu as a mole in the PDP. Though, his response was sequel to a comment allegedly made by Aliyu that Wike was a dictator and that the problem of the party’s national chair-

man was connected to his coming from Rivers State.

Nevertheless, Secondus has refused to join issues with Wike, who called him a liar, saying it was the cross that he would carry as a leader.

New Reconciliatory Moves Last December, the PDP inaugurated the National Reconciliation and Strategy Committee, the party led by the former Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki.

The committee also has former Senate President, Anyim Pius Anyim, and ex-governor of Cross River State; Liyel Imoke, former governor of Gombe State, Ibrahim Dankwambo; ex-Katsina governor, Ibrahim Shema, and Hon. Mulikat Akande.

While the committee has been moving around to reconcile aggrieved party members in the states, not much has been achieved in terms of peace in the party.

Besides the gale of defections from the party, which may continue to haunt PDP, the opposition party is so divided in many states that without reconciliation the party may not stand any realistic chance of winning the forthcoming elections.

The current NWC members would be unable to lead the reconciliation process, because they are unfortunately enmeshed in several controversies connecte to the party’s crises.

For the sake of Nigerians, it’s high time the PDP got its act together and position itself as a viable alternative ready to wrest power from the APC.

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GAVEL

Editor: Ejiofor Alike SMS: 08066066268 email:ejiofor.alike@thisdaylive.com

N’Assembly and the Familiar Cycle of Defections Udora Orizu writes that in the run-up to the 2023 general election, alignment and realignment of forces have begun, as some lawmakers in the Senate and the House of Representatives are defecting from the party that gave them platform to the ruling All Progressives Congress

I

t has been an interesting few months in the Ninth National Assembly. As the country gears up for the 2023 general election, political parties as usual, are trying to Ànd an edge over each other, giving rise to the recent gale of defections from one political party to another, particularly to the ruling APC by some members of the minority caucus in the Senate and House of Representatives.

Since the return of the country to civilian rule in 1999,Nigerianshavewitnesseddefectionsoverand over again both in the executive and legislature.

An example was during the run-up to the 2015 general election, when some members of the then ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) massively defected to the APC which had just been formed from four legacy parties. The reverse was again the case in the run-up to the 2019 general election when some APC members defected to the PDP. In Nigeria, politicians don’t just defect for the sake of it. Though they usually hinge their reason for defecting to the so-called ‘crisis or factionalisation’ in their current party, most times their defection is usually determined by what they hope to gain in their new party.

Ironically, some politicians are usually hostile to the opposition party, only for them to seek solace in the same opposition party they had previously abused.

Again, opposition party members also defect to the ruling party, which they had previously accused of non-performance.

This justiÀes the belief that in politics, there is no permanent friends or enemies but only permanent interest.

The Defections Just like in the previous assemblies, ninth National Assembly in the 2020 legislative year witnessed a gale of defections with many of the main opposition federal lawmakers defecting to the ruling APC. It all started on November 25, 2020 when the Yobe State Governor and Chairman of the APC Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee, Mallam Mai Mala Buni told Nigerians to expect more shocking defections from the minority parties to the ruling party.

Governor Buni, who made the disclosure at a meeting with APC Senate caucus in the National Assembly, said his leadership reconciliation drive had encouraged aggrieved chieftains of his party to return even as he boasted that Nigerians would soon experience unprecedented defections in the history of political parties.

Same day, the senator representing Adamawa North in the National Assembly, Elisha Abbo dumped the opposition PDP for the ruling APC. In the letter announcing his defection, which was addressed to the Senate President, Dr. Ahmad Lawan, Abbo attributed his decision to defect to the APC to the mismanagement of the PDP in Adamawa State by Governor Umaru Fintiri.

Meanwhile, at the House of Representatives, on October 7 2020, two members, Ephraim Nwuzi from Rivers State and David Abel from Taraba State defected from the PDP to the APC. IntheirlettersreadatplenarybytheSpeaker,Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, the lawmakers hinged their decision to join the ruling party on the charismatic and purposeful leadership of the Speaker.

Again on October 17, another member of the House,Hon.KolawoleLawalrepresentingEgbado South/Ipokia Federal Constituency in Ogun State defected fromAllied Peoples Movement (APM) to theAPC. The lawmaker announced the defection in letter read by the Speaker, Gbajabiamila at the plenary.

Also, on December 15, 2020, two members of the House of Representatives, Hon. Datti Yako from Kano State and Hon. Danjuma Shittu from Taraba State, defected to the APC. While Yako left the PDP, Shittu defected from theAll Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).

In their defection letters equally read by the Speaker, Gbajabiamila, the lawmakers cited leadership crises and factionalisation in their respective states as reasons for leaving the parties upon which they were elected.

National Assembly Complex Reacting as usual, House Minority Leader, Hon. Ndudi Elumelu urged Gbajabiamila to declare the two seats vacant, citing relevant sections of the constitution and the fact that he was not aware of any crisis in the party.

Corroborating Elumelu’s opinion, his deputy, Hon. Toby Okechukwu, insisted that there was no crisis in the party and urged the Speaker to put a stop to illegal defections.

Accordingtohim,“ThereisasubsistingSupreme Court judgment, which states that it was only a crisis at the national level of parties that could prompt a defection of any lawmaker.’’

Again, Gbajabiamila dismissed the protests by the opposition leaders and ruled in favour of his defecting colleagues, adding that with Yako’s defection, all the 24 members from Kano State are APC members.

Barely 24 hours later on December 16, another member of the House. Hon. Tajudeen AdeÀsoye from Ondo State defected from the Social Democratic Party (SDP) to the APC. AdeÀsoye, in his defection letter read at the plenary by the Speaker hinged his decision to dump SDP to the irreconcilable leadership crisis within the party.

On December 17, another loss hit the opposition party, as a member of the PDP from Abia State, Hon. Sam Onuigbo, announced his defection to the APC. Onuigbo’sdefectionwasreceivedwithastanding ovation by members of the APC family including former Governor of Abia State, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, who was admitted into the chamber to witness the ceremony.

In his defection letter, Onuigbo said he decided to join theAPC as a result of crisis and lack of internal democracy and outright impunity within the PDP. But, the defection of the lawmaker, who is one of the oldest members of the House created uproar from members of the opposition, who insisted that the constitution has been breached and therefore his seat should be declared vacant.

Oneoftheoppositionlawmakers,Hon.Solomon Bob, described the action as a charade as there was no crisis within the PDPto necessitate the defection.

On his part, the minority leader, Elumelu, asked the House to invoke the provisions of Section 68 of the Constitution and declare the seat vacant, pointing out that the claim of a crisis within the PDP was false.

Gbajabiamila however, recalled that, “Some years ago, the Senate President and the Speaker of the House defected to the PDP. Did you ask for their seats to be declared vacant? Now, that former

Speaker has left the PDP and rejoined the APC. Are you saying I should declare his seat vacant?’’

As the 2021 legislative year commenced, the minority caucus again continued to lose more of its members.At the plenary February 16, two House members, Hon. Blessing Onuh and Hon. Yakubu Abdullahi announced their defection to the APC. While, Onuh who represents Otukpo/Ohimini FederalConstituencyofBenueState,joinedtheAPC from APGA, Abdullahi who represents Bauchi Federal Constituency, also dumped the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) for the APC. A week later, precisely on February 23, 2021 a member representing Ondo East/Ondo West Federal Constituency in the House, Hon. Abiola Peter Makinde, defected from the African Democratic Congress (ADC) to the APC. Few months later, on June 29,2021, Senator Mohammed Hassan (Zamfara Central) defected from PDP through a letter written to that eͿect, citing alleged crisis rocking the party in Zamfara State.

The next day, three PDP senators defected in separate letters written to the Senate President, Lawan. They are the Deputy Minority Whip, Senator Sahabi Ya’u (Zamfara North) , Senator Lawali HassanAnka ( Zamfara West) and Senator Peter Nwaoboshi (Delta North).

The three senators in their separate letters hinged their defections from the PDPto theAPC to alleged crises rocking the PDP in their respective states.

The defection boosts APC lawmakers’ number in the Senate to 70.

Also on June 29, at the House of Representatives, two members of PDP defected to the APC. The members are Hon. Idagbo Ochiglegor representing Obanliku/Obudu/Bekwarra and Hon. Michael Etaba representing Obubra federal constituencies of Cross River State. Their defection came few weeks after Cross River State Governor, Prof. Ben Ayade joined the APC. Yet again, on July 6, few days after Governor Bello Matawalle defected to the APC, four House members of the PDP from Zamfara State, just like their colleagues in the Senate, defected to APC. The lawmakers are, Hon. Bello Hassan ShinkaÀ, Hon. Ahmed Bakura, Hon. Ahmed Shehu and Hon. Suleiman Gumi.

In a letter signed by Hon. Suleiman Gumi, which was read at plenary by the Speaker, Gbajabiamila, the lawmakers hinged their decision to leave the PDP to the crisis within it, which led to dissolution of the state chapter by the national leadership of the party.

The next day, another member of PDP in the House, Hon. Jonathan Gbefwi Gaza defected

to the APC. The defection was witnessed by a delegation from Nasarawa State led by Governor Abdullahi Sule.

ThegaleofdefectionstookadramaticturnonJuly 14, when the Speaker, Gbajabiamila, announced at the plenary that another Zamfara State lawmaker, Hon. Kabiru Ahmadu has decided to defect to the APC. This again sparked reactions from the Minority Leader, Elumelu who said there was no crisis in Zamfara PDP, vowing that the party will challenge the defection in court.

He said: “Mr. Speaker, there is no crisis in the PDP in Zamfara State. Section 68 of the Constitution and the House rules require that any member who defects to another party should lose his job.

But we are challenging this in court and I do hope that when the court rules on it, you will accept the decision of the court.”

Corroborating, Elumelu’s statement, the Deputy Minority Leader, Okechukwu, raising a point of order, accusedGbajabiamilaofconstantlybreaching the Constitution with his acceptance of defectors into the APC. He said: “We observe with dismay the continued disobedience of our Constitution by the speaker who continues to ignore the provisions of the Constitution.”

Interjecting, the Speaker chided Okechukwu for the language he used, urging him to take a seat as he overruled his point of order.

The House Leader, Hon. Ado Doguwa, also raised a point of order, saying that the language Okechukwu used to address the Speaker was inciting, unacceptable and hence he should apologise.

Gbajabiamila however took exception to the language used by the Deputy Minority Leader, saying that he was not a court that had the duty to interpret the constitution.

“When you are given the privilege to move a point of order, you go straight to the point of order. You do not have the right to address the Chair in any language you choose. I am not here to interpret the Constitution. That is for the court to do. My duty here is to preside over this House and make announcements where necessary. It is not my duty to decide whether there is a crisis in any party or not. That is for the Courts to do. So, you are ruled out of order”, he said.

With the recent defections, the rank of the APC has continued to swell, as they take up more seats in the chambers previously occupied by the minority caucus.

Asitstandstoday,thenumberofAPClawmakers in the House has grown to 237 while the PDP has 116 members.

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ JULY 25, 2021

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CICERO/TRIBUTE

Ode to Chidi Amuta at 68 Ayoola Ajanaku

“Intellectuals solve problems, geniuses prevent them” - Albert Einstein

S

aturday, July 24, 2021 marks an important day in the life of academic, literary critic, frontline columnist, essayist, intellectual and public policy consultant in the frame of Dr. Chidi Amuta as he clocks the age of 68 on Mother Earth. Where does one start from in an attempt to pen eulogies to celebrate this milestone, as he ascends the sixth floor in his lifetime which is not diminished in any form whatsoever with his cerebral submissions on issues of national discourse that affect our dear nation Nigeria and beyond. His figure casts the shape of an elephant in the room, as it can’t be shoved away by even the blind in any space he finds himself.

To grasp the personage of Dr. Amuta, one needs to cast a cursory eye on his career trajectory in the ecosystem of public communication and media where he called the shots in senior editorial role as foundation member, Editorial Board, The Guardian; Chairman, Editorial Board and Editorial Adviser, The Daily Times Group and, until 1999, CEO, The Post Express where he engineered the novel digitalisation process and syndication with frontline global news titles such as Wall Street Journal (WSJ), Financial Times Newspaper, Time and Newsweek magazines. Without mincing words, this intellectual ‘Iroko’ also experienced a stellar career in the academic sphere where he lectured Literature and Mass Communications for over a decade at renowned ivory towers such as University of Ife, now rechristened as (Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU) and University of Port- Harcourt.

This window characterised his stand out signature as a leading voice in the trenches of radical/Marxist tradition of critiquing as evi-

denced in his numerous publications such as Marxism and African literary today and Theory of African Literature: Implications for Practical Criticism, amongst others in this mind tasking endeavour that drains tears, sweat and blood of any average mere mortal who stoops to conquer. In the era where academic brilliance reigned supreme, Dr Amuta reigned supreme as a doyen of intellectual exposition and he has maintained this enviable status till date with his flowery diction and narrative prose.

If you’re in doubt about this fact, all it takes is to glean over his over 1,000 pages memoirs based on his written works in magazines, newspapers and journals aptly titled: “Writing the Wrong” with the tinge of onomatopoeia well pronounced in the title of this robust and compendium of facts and figures of expression.

In addition to this, public policy is the bedrock of human development around the world. It is the premise where institutions and societies are built to further the cause of humanity. Dr. Chidi Amuta’s intellectual exposition in this sphere cannot be underestimated in any parameter(s) whatsoever with brief stint at Rural Development Program in old Imo State.

His encyclopedic knowledge based armed to the teeth with facts and figures to elucidate on issues that are germane in relevant spheres, however, is not a coincidence.

Amuta holds a First Class honours degree and a Doctor of Philosophy from the OAU, specialising at different times in Education, African Literature, Sociology of Culture and Communication. He also did a host of courses and training in public policy strategies and intelligence in academic ecosystem and think-tanks around the world including the influential Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy that’s nestled in Tufts University, in Medford, Massachusetts.

In the present day, Amuta straddles like a colossus as the Chairman of Wilson & Weizmann Associates Limited, a communications and public policy think-tank that has

Amuta paid its dues in the realm of public policy and perception management. On this day to borrow from the Leaders and Company stable, publishers of THISDAY Newspaper where Dr. Amuta pens the weekly column christened the Engagements, I celebrate this literary titan par excellence yesterday, today, tomorrow,

always and the future. As he turns 68 today, his robust contribution to the ‘currency of ideas’ is superlative and elicits reactions far and beyond.

Happy birthday Sir!

_ Ajanaku is a communications and development policy specialist based in Lagos.

Understanding NBC’s Memo to Broadcast Stations Adeola Adewumi

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purported letter from the Director of Monitoring of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to broadcast stations on the need to review how they handle the newspaper review section of the breakfast shows has generated a lot of furore, both in traditional media and new media.

And going by the fact that the present government is not the most popular in the history of the country around this time, perhaps one can sympathise with those who are claiming that the NBC wanted to stifle free speech and further shield the government from interrogation and also prevent broadcast stations from performing their statutory duties.

To me, and if we look beyond our emotions and how Nigerians become animated when issues of security are being discussed, then we can know that perhaps, the NBC is trying to protect Nigerians.

Now, let’s take a look at part of the content of the letter signed by Franca Ayetan, the Commission’s Head of Monitoring: “Headlines of most newspapers on daily everyday are replete with security topics.

While bringing information on security to the doorsteps of Nigerians is a necessity, there is need for caution as too much details may have adverse implications on the efforts of our security officials are duty bound to deal with the insurgency.”

At times, many of us are not aware that our mental and emotional well-being is tied to what we consume in terms of information. That is why when professional broadcast stations want to show certain visuals, they advise viewers’ discretion.

Not every human being has the capacity to watch or view images of someone

who had just been beheaded or someone being garroted.

While our broadcast stations, I am aware, will never broadcast images like those, they are also duty bound to know where to draw the line when security issues are being discussed. We must also be aware that many of those who come to discuss these newspaper headlines in front of camera are not security experts.

Nigerians deserve the right to know.

And freedom of information is an integral part of the sustenance of the democratic experiment. So no regulatory agency will ever want to tamper with this freedom.

However, Nigerians need to know that the kind of freedom the print media has, broadcasting does not have. And this is the nature of the industry anywhere in the world. While the print medium can report the deaths of soldiers or officers during a war or insurgency, the fact of the matter is that broadcast stations have no liberty to do this. In fact, even the print medium, in saner climes, cannot do that.

That announcement (do I say reporting) can only be done after the next of kin of these slain officers and soldiers have been duly informed. And if we pay attention, if Sky News or CNN is reporting the death of any soldier in the front, they will always add at the end that the families of these dead officers have been informed.

At times, the families of officers who died in the front have not been informed about the deaths of their loved ones and their deaths are already front page news in newspapers, social media and are being reviewed on TV. While the media must do its work, there is also the need to respect sensibilites.

In the same vein, there is the need to also understand that we have to stop making these insurgents feel important.

If we look at the slant of reporting, the

NBC DG, Balarabe Ilelah impression being created is that they are gaining upper hand. But that may not be the case. So many heroic exploits of our officers and men go unreported.

“Not glamorising the nefarious activities of insurgents, terrorists, kidnappers and bandits” (as written in the said memo) is very important if we have to change the psyche of our people to have a feeling that this war can be won by our security agencies.

Personally, I hardly use the words ‘Fulani herdsmen’ for reasons which border on the fact that while we know that some of these people are actually killers, it also does not help if we stereotype a whole people over the activities of some misguided elements. And besides, many of these herdsmen are at peace with their hosts wherever they are.

From the foregoing, the NBC is not against newspapers being reviewed during

breakfast shows. The commission has relied massively on the support of the print media during its formative years. It is one critical aspect of the Mass Media the commission can never joke with.

It must also be noted that a 35 year-old Nigerian might never know or understand the battle the commission fought to get the Nigerian broadcast industry to where it is today especially in the area of local content.

Some 20 years ago, the Nigerian content accounted for less than 30% of what was being shown on our local stations in the name of music and movies.

Not that we could not produce enough to fill the gap, so many things were also hampering these productions. NBC went to work and got broadcast stations to do more, both terrestrial and cable stations.

Today, we have Africa Magic stations which started as one potpourri of local movies but now we have African Magic Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa, Urban, Showcase and so on on DSTV. Apart from this, the NBC got the cable TV giants to bring many Nigerians stations on their platform. You can watch AIT, Channels, MiTV, LTV, Silverbird, NTA and so on any part of the country as long as you have any DSTV decoder and no matter your subscription plan.

All these are made possible by the efforts of NBC. Can the same mother want to kill same children she raised? Perhaps, the younger generation of Nigerians need to know where the NBC is coming from. They will know that even if the government of the day is not living up to expectations, it is one agency that will never joke with the interests of the Nigerian television viewing public.

Adewumi, a local content producer, writes in from Lagos.

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ENGAGEMENTS

with ChidiAmuta e-mail:chidi.amuta@gmail.com

2023: Democracy and Mob Power Chidi Amuta

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hileprotestsarepartofthelifeblood of a healthy democracy, their frequency can be a health check for a free polity. When a democracy stirs up numerous points of contention or indeed frequently evokes acrimonious dissent, it is either healthy and kicking or threatened and dying. A badly divided polity not only breeds protests in every direction, the protesting citizens soon graduate into factional mobs, each seeking to overwhelm the others. A land of clashing mobs is hardly a good place for the survival and growth of democracy nor a safe ground for social respite and economic progress.

Rewind to the onset of the Coronavirus health emergency in March 2020.The Nigerian government joined the rest of the world in declaring a nationwide lockdown. None anticipated the suddenness of the halt to normal life nor did anyone anticipate the duration of the lockdown let alone the extent of its economic impact.The closure of businesses and offices implied a sudden loss of order in major urban centres especially Lagos. There was also a disruption of livelihoods and social life as we have come to know it. Millions scurried indoors to avoid death by an unknown and unseen adversary.

A certain sense of communal empathy emerged in Nigerian urban centres. Emergency food supplies by governments and groups of better placed individuals were accompanied by generous donations of cash and supplies to support the less privileged. Even then, disordersooneruptedinplaces.Criminalgangsbrokeloseand began episodes of looting in highbrow parts of major cities. Gangs began notifying estates of their intent to raid and storm them in waves of violent robbery. Some celebrated the mayhem as the onset of the Nigerian Spring, a sudden sprouting of political awakening.The police was at first disoriented but quickly reorganized and intervened to calm the disruptions.The convulsion was mostly a hunger revolt energized by the subdued anger of poverty and inequality. In the process, the Nigerian urban mob discovered its disruptive power.

Rewind further to October 2020. The youth driven ENDSARS protests erupted and quickly spread to the consternation of Nigeria’s lax officialdom. A good cause protest powered by youthful entertainers and internet influencers quickly spread to major urban centres of the country. The protesters in a rare display of unanimity managed to keep their message of opposition to police abuse and brutality united and consistent for days.

Spontaneously, a national consensus that had been lacking on nearly every issue was forged in a moment of anger and outrage.The mobs built up and gathered.

Their anger went beyond police brutality. Hunger and inequality joined forces with political discontent to yield a fireball threatening to engulf the nation.

A democratically elected government that thought it had a popular mandate woke up to find itself and the nation overwhelmed by near anarchy. There was no time to resort to the instruments of conventional order or official blackmail. Government quickly dissolved the contentions rogue SARS unit of the police and replaced it with some strange animal called SWAT. That did not quite quell the riots and looting which had assumed a life of their own. Government cajoled the youth and promised a plethora of palliatives. The police was in temporary disarray. The army sensibly held its fire except at Lekki Toll Gate in Lagos. Major trumpeters of government propaganda adjusted their kaftans while looking for an appropriate spin. It was unwise to spin anything except to blame the social media and CNN. But at last, the mob had emerged as a militant force of public opinion in Nigeria.

The public quickly conferred political meaning on the protests and gleefully celebrated the youth who had found the courage that had continuously failed their parents. Meanwhile, Nigeria’s gruesome poverty and inequality found an outlet in the protests. An orgy of lawlessness overwhelmed the previously peaceful protests.Prisonsinselectedcities(BeninandLagos)were stormedandprisonersreleased.Warehouses,mostlywith government Covid palliative supplies, were breached and their contents looted and shared. Shopping malls were equally invaded, looted and vandalized. For days, law enforcement was overwhelmed. A contrite police force dissolved into thin air. A frightened political class scurriedawayfromcentresofpowerandliterallypledged supportfortherampagingyouth.Hailthemob.Welcome to the triumph of the people of the street!

LetusnowfastforwardtoJanuary6th2021.Adifferent type of mob showed up at the Capitol in Washington DC. A motley of partisan hoodlums and dangerous miscreants invaded the US Capitol.They were directly

Buhari inspired by Donald Trump, a democratically elected president who had just been defeated in a free and fair election in the world’s most advanced and celebrated democracy. The aftermath is still haunting America’s democracy and its estimation around the world.

TheWashington mob demonstrated a different kind of disruptive mob power. Political dissent uncontrolled by civility and overwhelmed by the forces of order can yieldamobwhicherodesdemocracyanditsunderlying notion of order. The events at the Washington Capitol on 6th January may have shaken the world into a shocking reality. The world’s most accomplished and best advertised democracy was upset and almost toppled by an irate mob of extremists and terrorists. It raised the question of what happens to a democracy when it is assailed from within by mobs of its own making.

But mobs are older than democracy. It is in fact the collective urge to tame the wildness of mobs that compelled the emergence of the oldest democracies and organized societies. Athenian democracy and the Roman polis emerged out of the desire to discourage the citizens from resorting to mob processions to press home their desires. Mobs by their nature however have no way of being predictable.They are unruly, irrational and fired by passionate intensity. It is often the case that the left wing mob quickly transforms into the right wing sort. Therefore, no one can set the limits for mobs.

They get out of control, assume a life of their own and plot their own irrational trajectory.Those who pose to lead mobs walk a dangerous path because the life of a mob is a vortex, forever sweeping away their leaders and gyrating from‘Hail Caeser!”to“Nail Nero!”and from “Sai Baba”to“Buhari Must Go!” The unstructured will of the people expressed in occasional mob eruptions, even in a democracy, needs to be controlled or regulated by the force of law, the constitution or at least the rules of civic engagement and orderly procession. Individual rights and checks and balances could decay with time and open democracies to mob lawlessness. At other times, the hunger for democracy and popular participation in the affairs of republics can give birth to mobs as in the birth of revolutions. But the momentum of spontaneous revolutionary uprising can degenerate into anarchy or invite a despotic crackdown.The French Revolution gave birth to the Reign ofTerror and a season of purges and wildly celebrated decapitations. Napoleon came as a force of order that was never intended by the throngs that stormed the Bastille and decapitated king and queen in an orgy of revolutionary frenzy.

Democracycomesaboutinresponsetothehungerto tame man’s mob instincts. Democracy as some ordered modeoforganizationofsocietyisanattempttoorganize usawayfromthebestialityofnatureandthespontaneity of mob eruptions; the Hobbesian imperative.Therefore, when democracies begin to decay, man returns to his bestial instincts in the form of mob behavior.

ForPlato,democraciesdegenerateintoanarchyasthe poorplundertherichandprofligacybreedsbankruptcy.

Lawless mobs breed and feed on anarchy which creates a desperate need for order and a hunger for the return of organization and civility. Tyrants rise to fill this need hence mob anarchy often leads to the rise of tyrants.

Thetyrantappealstotheinstinctsofthemobbecause

he appeals to and embodies their worst instincts and base nature.The tyrant and demagogue is the darling of the mob because he is the mob personalized. This accounts for the instantaneous popularity of all sorts of populisttyrantsandauthoritariandemagogues.Mobsin their quest for democracy and popular participation are often deluded into celebrating and heralding autocrats dressed up as democrats until they shed their disguise.

Democracy becomes mob rule when the rich and powerful hog the society’s wealth. Government itself becomes a mob of the rich that runs riot in its scramble for the loot of national wealth. Its actions become mob reflexes and they recruit others from the rabble to join the free for all festival of organized crime in the looting of national treasure.

The best way to stop a ruling class from transforming into a riotous mob of mindless looters and autocrats is to create a large middle class with a huge stake in stability and order.The middle class is calmed and recruited by access to creature comforts. Stable paid employment in industry or services guarantees access to creature comforts- mortgaged housing, leased automobiles, weekend shopping on credit cards, periodic family vacations, subsidized elite education for the children anddominationofthepopularmediainafreeexchange among free citizens. Throw in the little liquidity that puts butter, cheese and bacon on the breakfast table and the buy-over of the middle class is complete. The feeling of‘rented’satisfaction is what bribes the middle class into a sense of part ownership of the democratic republic and its sustaining institutions. Democracy in the form of periodic elections guarantees the stability which the middle class needs to enjoy these creature comforts in perpetuity and thus guarantees the stability of the polity. So, every democracy needs to consciously cultivate and sustain a middle class.This is the secret of the stability ofWestern societies after the overthrow of monarchies, the onset of the industrial revolution and the emergence of parliamentary democracy.

In the absence of a middle class as a stabilizing force, the political elite is at the mercy of the mob of peasants and the riotous urban poor.That unwashed mass degenerates quickly and often into a mob which could either promote an unqualified authoritarian ruler or tear him down in moments of hunger and frenzied anger. In such a situation, the alternative recipe for order would be to combine aristocracy and kingship to restrain the will of the people.

One way to engineer an autocracy from a democracy is to adopt policies that stifle or eviscerate the middle class, creating a chasm between autocratic leadership and the poor masses.There is then no intervening class thatcanaskquestions,raiseobjectionsorexpressdissenting opinion. Under the guise of economic nationalism, the national interest, protectionism, isolationism and regulation, the determined autocrat reduces the thrust ofnationaldiscoursetoadefenseofthe‘nationalinterest’ as defined by his interest in power. In the process, the autocrat shrinks the frontiers of middle class privileges and weakens that class and deprives it of the power to hold the political leadership to account.

Theemergentautocratreplacesthevoiceofthepeople with the monotony of his own voice, the master’s voice.

Outright media clampdowns or disguised regulatory

protocols that stifle the popular media are rolled out.

Parliament becomes a rubber stamp conclave. The rule of law is replaced with the rule of lull through the appointmentofpliantoroutrightlyincompetentjudges ever willing to stand justice on its head to protect the interest of the ruling clique.The popular mandate which emplacedtherulersismangledintoapermanentstamp of approval for the reign of authorized terror.

Machiavelli added his devilish voice to the theory of mobs. For him, a clever prince can profit from the chaos of mob rule if he can weaponize the mob as a battering ram against a decaying regime. We see this in action with the French Revolution and, to a lesser degree, the American Revolutions. In more recent times, the Arab Spring provides one modern example where the Machiavellian principle was usurped by a mob powered by the new technologies of the social media. Mobs of youth and commoners armed with cheap cell phones and other internet devices massed out for weeks in public spaces to demand the exit of longstanding authoritarian figures. In Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and Morocco, the Arab Spring secured the hasty downfall of these figures. Mubarak’s autocracy was replaced by a mob led Islamic Brotherhood party. Ghadaffi was ousted by a combination ofWestern air raids and local mobs only to be replaced by chaotic hordes of militias, factional war lords and fanatical terrorists.

There is nothing new about the role of mobs in a democracy or indeed any polity. Depending on where wearecomingfromideologically,politiciansandpundits acknowledge the presence and uses of mobs and of course call them by different names. When a mob destabilizes a reactionary or backward establishment, we call it‘peoples power’or‘Arab Spring”! We praise them from the comfort of our homes in front of television screens.When the extremism of a conservative leader breedsabandofextremistswhotroopouttodisturbthe peace, we feel that democracy has been vindicated. It wasmobsthatthrongedthegroundsofthepresidential place in Manila to sack Ferdinand Marcos and expose Imelda Marcos’s 1000 pairs of shoes!

But in general terms, mobs are an aberration.Yet they can be bred by the very forces of democracy. When the mainstream of a democracy tends to sidetrack the wishes of the majority, a popular mainstream gathers and soon erupts as an opposition mob. At other times, democratically elected rulers consciously breed friendly mobs in order to reinforce their hold on power by elevating their programmes into a cathechism or creed. Nazism, Trumpism, Bolshevism etc.

Similarly, the silent buildup of forces to oppose these hegemonic ideologies also breeds its own mobs. In America, the Democrats incited an anti-Trump mob that went by fancy names like “Black Lives Matter” to unseat the racist president. Either way, mobs behave the same way. They share the common trait of going out of control in brazen defiance of authority, law enforcement and order.

Public order is upset.The crowd gathers in the open spaces. Someone throws stones at nice shop windows.

Another overturns a car and sets it on fire. Some others come up with placards that summarize the things that are wrong with the polity. Law enforcement is challenged and even overwhelmed. Authority is rattled and the pedestals of elected power are shaken. The mob derives its power from the momentum of separate spontaneous acts of cowardice dressed as courage.

Beside the conscious creation of a mob by an ambitious leader, democracy has a way of creating mobs by default. When they fail to deliver on the promises that broughtthemtopower,democraciesinvitethedisruptive power of factional mobs. When a democracy delivers poverty instead of prosperity, it unconsciously breeds an irate oppositional mob of the poor, the deprived and the alienated.

In all this, there are looming lessons for Nigeria. In recent times, Nigerians have found cause to frequently massoutinangryprotests.ArewaYouthsolidarityralliesin thenorthernstatesandAbuja.YorubaNationprotestsall overtheSouthWest.IPOBmarches in Onitsha and Aba. Nigerian factional rallies in Pretoria, Washington, New York, Ottawa or London. The demonstrators are either tribal squads, separatist hotheads and diverse zealots of one inspiration or the other. Arguably, the last six years have witnessed more Nigerian protests, demonstrations and outright mob riots than at any other time since after independence.

Now, as political temperatures build up and divisive tendencies increase, the possibility that the tradition of protest and angry mob actions will grow to influence the 2023 general elections is increasing. Politicians are increasingly discovering their religious, regional and ethnic roots. In the process they are buying into the emerging mob temperament and configurations.

(See concluding part on www.thisdaylive.

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NEWSXTRA Bandits Attack Kaduna Police Station, Injure Three Officers Police rescue eight abducted passengers John Shiklam in Kaduna Three police officers have been injured in an attack by bandits on the Maraban Jos Divisional Police Station, Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna state.

This is coming as the Katsina State Police Command has rescued eight out of the 11 passengers abducted by bandits in Kabobi village in Batsari Local Government Area of the state.

In a statement issued yesterday, the spokesman of the Kaduna State Police Command, Mohammad Jalige, said the attack occurred on Friday when the hoodlums, who arrived the police division in three Sharon utility vehicles opened fire at the police officers on duty in

their desperate attempts to gain access to the armoury.

Jalige said the police personnel, using their superior and tactical firepower, forced the bandits to retreat, some of them with bullet wounds.

According to Jalige, the gun duel between the bandits and the police lasted for some minutes, before they were repelled.

He however said, one police inspector and two Special Constabulary personnel sustained varying degrees of injuries and were receiving medical treatment.

The statement said: “On July, 23 at 2300hrs there was an attack on Maraban Jos Divisional Police Headquarters, where bandits in large number came in three

Sharon utility vehicles and in their desperate attempt to override the personnel on duty shot sporadically in order to gain access into the Divisional amoury but met professional and stiff resistance from the personnel on duty.

“The gun duel between the bandits and the Station Guards lasted for some minutes however; the superior and tactical fire power of the police forced the bandits to retreat, of which some sustained fatal bullet wounds.

“The operatives were able to secure the armoury, the entire station and other adjoining facilities at the division. Sadly, one Inspector and two Special Constabulary personnel sustained varying degrees of injuries and are currently receiving medical treatment.

“Investigation into the incident has since commenced using the available evidence recovered from the scene as effort is geared towards apprehending the fleeing

hoodlums.

“In view of the above incident the Commissioner of Police Kaduna Command issued a directive to all officers of the command to ensure that proactive measures are emplaced to protect all police facilities in the state and forestall the repeat of the ugly incident”.

Meanwhile, the Katsina State Police Command has rescued eight out of the 11 passengers abducted by bandits in Kabobi village in

Batsari Local Government Area of the state.

The command’s Public Relations Officer, Gambo Isah, confirmed the rescue of the victims in a separate statement issued yesterday.

He said the command received a distress call through the Batsari Divisional Police Officer (DPO) that at about 14:30hrs on Friday, bandits blocked the Jibia-Batsari road and kidnapped occupants of a Volkswagen wagon with registration number EPE 754 EZ.

Osinbajo, Sylva, Barkindo to Speak at Energy Economics Conference Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Minister of State, Petroleum, Mr. Timipre Sylva, and the SecretaryGeneral of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), Dr. Sanusi Barkindo, are expected to lead discussions at the Nigerian Association of Energy Economics (NAEE), the conference, which opens in Abuja tomorrow.

National President of the organisation, Prof. Yinka Omorogbe, who spoke during a pre-conference press briefing in Abuja yesterday, noted that the theme of the four-day programme: “Strategic Responses of Energy Sector to COVID-19 Impacts on African Economies”, was carefully selected due to the huge effect of the virus on the

global poor, especially in Africa.

Coupled with the issue of zero carbon by 2050 that is being suggested by the International Energy Agency (IEA), she noted that it was time for Africa to grow its energies with innovative solutions.

Omorogbe posited that the search for cleaner fuels did not mean carbon fuels would be jettisoned in the coming years, explaining that the country needed informed and strategic discussions in this area.

She pointed out that the conference would consider what the strategic responses of the energy sector should be to the impacts of COVID-19 on African countries, disclosing that aside Osinbajo, Sylva, and Barkindo, the Minister of Finance, Dr. Zainab Ahmed, would also attend as a keynote speaker.

AAAN Honours Industry’s Leading Lights Four luminaries of the Advertising industry were, on Friday, honoured by the Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria (AAAN) at the body’s 48th Annual General Meeting (AGM) and Congress.

The three-day event, held at Golden Tulip Hotel, Ibadan, Oyo State.

At the dinner/ceremony, the quartet of Chief Ayo Owoborode of PAL Advertising, Nnenna Onyewuchi, co-founder, Yellow Brick Road, Messrs Kelechi Nwosu of TBWA, and former AAAN President, Henry Akpede, Country Manager and Chief Creative Officer of Ogilvy

Africa, received awards.

Owoborode and Nwosu were honoured with the Lifetime Achievement and Special Recognition Awards respectively, while Akpede and Onyewuchi received Trailblazer Award.

Akpede was present to receive his award. The others had their awards received on their behalf.

The AGM/Congress, which had as its theme, “Doom, Gloom, Doom! Where Do We Sit, examined the practice and business of advertising, especially with Covid-19 ripping through finances and the evolution of the consumer?

Foundation Raises Awareness on Sarcoma A Non-Governmental Organisation, Muskuloskeletal Oncology Support Foundation, is holding an awareness walk on sarcoma cancer on Monday.

According to www.mayoclinic. org, sarcoma is a type of cancer that can occur in various parts of the body.

“Sarcoma is the general term for a broad group of cancers that begin in the bones and in the soft tissues,” the site stated.

The organisers of the walk, in

a statement, said the awareness would be held on Monday in Lagos.

“The walk will start from the Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Yaba, to the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Igbobi, Lagos.

There will be talks from Professors Suleiman Giwa, Samuel Eyeson and Dr Seyi Idowu.

“The event will be held between 8.30am and 10am on Monday,” the statement read.

IN PURSUIT OF DECENT SHELTERS . . .

L-R: Director, Engineering Services, Lagos State Ministry of Housing, Mr. Oluwole Sotire; Director, Administration & Human Resources, Mr. Kayode Shadare; Permanent Secretary, Mr. Wasiu Akewusola and Commissioner for Housing, Mr. Moruf Akinderu-Fatai during the site Inspection of 660 housing units at Odo-Onosa, Lagos… weekend

CAN Urges Christians to Keep Faith in Time of Adversity John Shiklam in Kaduna The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Kaduna State, yesterday admonished Christians not to allow the current security and economic challenges dampen their spirit, asking them to keep faith in time of adversity.

The Chairman of Kaduna CAN, Revd Joseph Hayab gave the advice in a statement yesterday, challenging them to stay strong at the time the country was going through trying times.

He said Christians should not allow the current situation in the country to overwhelm them so as to avoid falling into more problems

such as fear, depression, high blood pressure and an unstable mind with the inability to coordinate.

He said the strategy of the enemy was to weaken people and get rid of them, stressing that Christians should resist such negativity and develop a strong spirit of hope and courage to overcome the challenges.

Hayab said the leadership of CAN in Kaduna state is appealing to all pastors, Christian faithful, and the entire people of Kaduna state to seek deliberate ways and things to do what will give their homes, followers, and the people in the state something to be happy about.

“When you visit many people

in Kaduna state today at home, meet them on a bus or even during wedding and burials ceremonies, what you will hear from the majority of them is the fear of insecurity, lack of jobs and complaints about lack of money.”

“When people allow these types of feelings to overwhelm them then they may fall into many more problems such as fear, depression, high blood pressure, unstable mind with the inability to coordinate,” “When a larger part of any society is taken over by anxiety and confusion then you will not see good planning and effective productivity from them… All people should

therefore resist that negativity and develop a strong spirit of hope and courage to overcome our present challenges,” he said.

The CAN chairman however assured Christians that the challenges would very soon be history, saying that, “God will not fold his arms and allow his people to suffer forever, He will surely bring deliverance.”

“CAN is therefore admonishing all believers and all other people that want to see progress in their families and the state from all faith and tribal dispositions not allow any negative attitude or feelings because of the pains we are having now to overwhelm them.

Army Denies Destroying Farmlands in South-east Kingsley Nwezeh inAbuja

The Nigerian Army has dissociated its personnel from a viral video on the social media showing troop’s clad in green camouflage uniforms invading farms in the South-east and destroying crops.

The Army said the video footage was doctored by secessionists, to denigrate and bring its image int disrepute adding that it has subjected the video to credible reverse image and discovered it was first published on YouTube channel “BIAFRA BOY”.

Director of Army Public Relations, Brig.-Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu made this known in a statement yesterday, asking

the people to disregard the viral video aimed at denigrating the army.

The statement read in part: “The attention of the Nigerian Army (NA) has been drawn to doctored video footage released by secessionist sympathisers on Youtube, featuring blurred images of some persons dressed in green camouflage destroying farmland in an undisclosed location, recently.

“In an attempt to denigrate the reputation and image of the NA, authors of the video mischievously attributed the action of the persons to the military by falsely claiming they are soldiers and invariably personnel of the Nigerian Army.

“However, following a factfinding investigation on the video by subjecting it to credible reverse image, it was discovered that the video was first published on YouTube channel “BIAFRABOY”.

“The investigation also revealed that the image of the men in green camouflage was deliberately blurred to conceal their identity from viewers.

“Similarly the authors failed to identify the location, community, or Local Government Area the incident occurred.

“Given these facts, it is apparent that the video footage is deliberate propaganda by ESN to bring the reputation and image of the NA to disrepute by portraying personnel of the NA as enemies

of the people.

“Members of the general public are please urged to be wary of such negative propaganda materials and subject them to thorough scrutiny “We, therefore, urge the public to please discountenance the propaganda video as it is the machination of mischief-makers targeting the Nigerian military.

“We reassure the general public that the NigerianArmy will continue to operate professionally regardless of all divisive propaganda.

“We assure all peace-loving Nigerians of our commitment to aid civil authorities in the containment of security challenges in line with constitutional provisions.”

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Faulty Air Peace Plane Evacuated from Ilorin Airport’s Runway

Chinedu Eze and Hammed Shittu in Ilorin

An aircraft in the fleet of Air Peace, which had a deflated tyre shortly after landing at the Ilorin International Airport on Friday has been evacuated The development forced airline operators to cancel their operations on Friday and yesterday because no plane could land nor take-off from the runway of the airport until the burst tyre was replaced.

Reprieve, however, came the way of the airline operators and passengers yesteday when the Air Peace plane was evacuated from the runway of the airport.

THISDAY checks revealed that the plane was moved to the hanger of the Nigerian Air Force in the airport for further maintenance services.

“With this development, flight operations in and out of Ilorin can now commence in earnest,” an official of the airport who pleaded anonymity told our correspondent in an interview on Saturday in Ilorin.

He also denied speculation of plane crash in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, noting that there was no plane crash at Ilorin International Airport.

Arik Air and Overland airlines had on Friday cancelled their flight schedules from Abuja to

Ilorin as well as Ilorin-Lagos.

The incident left many passengers who were waiting to board the Air Peace flight to Lagos at 11am on Friday stranded.

Most passengers, it was gathered resolved to travel by road why others returned home for fear of bad road network and insecurity.

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) had closed the runway of the Ilorin International Airport, following the tyre burst accident involving Air Peace flight, Boeing B737-500 with registration mark, 5N-BQR. The Air Peace aircraft landed and burst its tyre while taxiing to the terminal on Friday morning.

As a result of the airport closure, one of the passengers, Dr. Olu Agunloye, told THISDAY that the airline customers were stranded, even as at yesterday afternoon, with no flight in and out of the airport.

“Airline passengers (including me) are stranded in Ilorin, Kwara State because the runway has remained blocked since an Air Peace aircraft landed at Ilorin at 10am on Friday, 23 July and its hind tyre burst into shreds.

The aircraft shook violently as it wobbled dangerously to a stop on the runway. Its passengers were safely evacuated later.

“The aircraft was still blocking the runway as at 1:00 pm Saturday 24 July effectively

blocking Ilorin air passengers (including me) from the rest of the world for over 24 hours with no flights into or out of the airport.

It is shameful that FAAN and Air Peace have not been able to clear the runway in over 27 hours,” Agunloye said.

But reacting to the incident, the Spokesman of Air Peace Airline, Mr. Stanley Olisa, confirmed the incident, explaining that the tyre had been fixed and the aircraft would soon be removed. He added that the flight from the airport was cancelled and the passengers were duly informed.

“I can confirm that the said aircraft had a minimal tyre burst while taxiing. It landed safely and passengers disembarked seamlessly. It is untrue to say the ‘aircraft shook violently as it wobbled dangerously’. This statement is a misrepresentation of what actually happened. This is deliberate exaggeration. The flight was cancelled and passengers were duly notified,” Olisa said.

In another statement, the airline also debunked a report purporting that its Ilorin-bound B737-500 aircraft, with registration number 5N-BQR from Abuja, was involved in a crash

in Ilorin, yesterday.

“For the record, no such thing happened. The reports misrepresented and exaggerated the facts. We can confirm that the aircraft in question landed safely, but had a minimal tyre burst while taxiing.

“This debunks all the mischievously headlined reports circulating online, which should be disregarded. Our aircraft neither crashed nor crash-landed in Ilorin or in any place for that matter. This kind of sensationalism is bad and was intended to cause panic in the minds of the flying public.”

FAAN’s General Manager in charge of the airport, Mr. Tunde Ogini, told THISDAY that the incident happened on Friday but the Skyway Aviation Handling Company Plc (SAHCO) was unable to remove the aircraft from the runway because it did not have the equipment at the airport to do so.

“The problem lies solely on SAHCO. The aircraft had burst tyre on Friday, but SAHCO did not have the equipment to remove the aircraft. They have been moving about since yesterday,” Ogini said.

Ezeife Leads Delegation to Observe Kanu’s Trial CELEBRATING FELLOW ROTARIAN . . .

Bishop, Diocese of Ikeja, Methodist Church Nigeria, Rev. Steven Adegbite (left) with a former President, Rotary Club of Ikeja, District 9110 Nigeria, Dr. Obafunso Peters at the installation of Mr. Gbenga Badejo as the new president of the club in Lagos... recently

Ex-Kaduna Deputy Governor Laid to Rest Amid Tears John Shiklam in Kaduna The remains of late former Deputy Governor of Kaduna State, Mr. Barnabas Bala, (Bantex), were laid to rest yesterday in his hometown, Manchok, Kaura Local Government Area amid tears and tributes.

Bantex, 64, who served as deputy to Governor Nasir El-Rufai between 2015 to 2019, died on July 11, in Abuja following a protracted illness.

In his tribute at the funeral which was held at the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA), Manchok, El-Rufai described Bantex as one of

the most honest and decent persons he had ever come across in life.

“Bantex was a brilliant man. But beyond that, he was one of the most honest and decent humans I have ever come across. I will miss my friend.

“We never argued in the four years he was my deputy except once when he told me he was going to resign. And there was no decision we took without getting his opinion as the final opinion,” El-Rufai said.

The governor said further that his late deputy would be remembered for his laudable contributions to

the growth and development of Kaduna state.

Also in her tribute, the widow of the deceased, Ladi Bala said her late husband was “a peaceful and loving man who died with a smile on his face.

“He was a peace maker and his last words to me were thank you and thank you. My husband was all smiles as he passed away.

“Even the doctors said they had never seen anything like that. Our only consolation now is that he has gone to be with the Lord,” she said

Also speaking, President of ECWA, Rev. Stephen Panya, commended the deceased for the critical role he played in the life and history of the Church in Nigeria.

According to him, Bantex, an architect by profession, designed and built the present ECWA headquarters in Jos, Plateau state, stressing that the church would always remember him.

In his sermon, the General Secretary of ECWA, Rev. Yunusa Nmadu, urged the people to build on the good legacies left behind by the deceased.

President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Professor George Obiozor, has appointed the former Governor of Anambra State, Dr Chukwuemeka Ezeife, to lead the Ohanaeze delegation to the trial of the leader of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.

Two other lawyers, National Legal Adviser of Ohanaeze and Chief Goddy Uwazurike will be lawyers representing the Igbo apex socio-political-cultural group “on a watching brief” at the trail.

The court is expected to sit tomorrow a the Federal High Court, Abuja.

The appointments were confirmed by Chief Uwazurike on Saturday.

Kanu was arrested June 29, 2021 in a covert operation

through the help of the Interpol.

The Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami had recently welcomed the legal team set up by Ohanaeze to monitor Kanu’s trial Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court in Abuja where Kanu is being prosecuted on charges of treasonable felony, fixed July 26 for continuation of Mr Kanu’s trial.

The statement however added that, “It is hoped that the unnecessary legal monitoring group will come with open-mind and guided by nothing but the rule of law in the process so as to convey the judgment of the court as may eventually be delivered to their people in various languages and dialects of the members of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo communities and the entire Nigerians.”

NRC Restores Faulty Locomotives to Abuja-Kaduna Rail Lines

Jonathan Woos South Korean Investors to Bayelsa BBNaija Returns with Colourful House

Kasim Sumaina in Abuja

Former President Goodluck Jonathan, has said great opportunities abound in Bayelsa State for foreign investors.

The former Nigerian leader stated this at a state banquet organised by the Bayelsa State government in honour of the South Korean Ambassador to Nigeria, Kim Young-Chae, was on a two-day visit to the state, on Friday night in Yenagoa.

Describing Bayelsa as a fertile market for foreign direct investment, Dr. Jonathan said not many foreign investors have discovered the state’s economic potential.

A statement by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Daniel Alabrah, quoted the former president as urging the

The Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC) has disclosed that the locomotives that broke down sometimes ago on the Abuja-Kaduna corridor are back on track.

The Managing Director of the cooperation, Mr. Fidet Okhiria, while speaking to THISDAY through a telephone interview on Saturday stated that the locomotives are back and running.

The management of the corporation had recently tendered an apology to passengers on board KA2 train that left Rigasa, Kaduna State to Abuja but developed a mechanical fault resulting in its breakdown.

The corporation, while tendering its apologies to all passengers on

board, noted that the failure and consequent delay no doubt caused delays to subsequent train services from Abuja to Kaduna.

Manager of the Abuja-Kaduna axis, Mr. Pascal Nnoli, had in a statement said the failed locomotive was currently receiving attention from a team of engineers and technicians at the Idu Locomotive Workshop.

At a session yesterday, Okhiria stated that the locomotives “are now back. If they were not back on track, the train won’t be running.

That same day, they came back running.”

He spoke on the frequent breakdown of the locomotives, saying the locomotives are bound “to develop mechanical fault. It has only broken down once.

Olusegun Samuel in Yenagoa

Korean envoy not to let slip the opportunity of harnessing the full potential of a virgin state like Bayelsa.

Jonathan commended Governor Douye Diri and his team for the great job of attracting economic giants like South Korea, noted for its technological advancement, to the state.

His words: “Most cases, when companies come into Nigeria, they feel that they cannot invest in young states like Bayelsa, my own state, with relatively low infrastructure development, and have to go elsewhere.

“But Bayelsa is where you have the fertile market and luckily some of your companies like Daewoo and others are here.

So they know that Bayelsa is a virgin state.

Vanessa Obioha Big Brother Naija (BBNaija), a popular reality TV show, yesterday kicked off on a colourful note despite a technical glitch that delayed the sixth season.

At the inauguration of the reality show, Chief Executive Officer of MultiChoice Nigeria, John Ugbe acknowledged that a lot had gone into the production of BBNaija to make it a truly successful show.

According to him, we ensure that each season we deliver a great show and this includes the look and feel of the house, which is an integral part of the show.

Since the return of the BBNaija house to Nigeria in 2019, the multipurpose facility has gone through series of modification, which has earned it public approval nationwide.

After the kick-off yesterday, the

Big Brother House, which is a main feature of the show, dominated conversations on social media given its spectacular decor.

However, the current edition was adjudged to be the biggest yet with a brand new mezzanine floor added to the structure, measuring over 200sqm.

This is in addition to the original house, which measures about 1800sqm with an additional 250sqm for support building services such as the presenter and artistes’ lounges and an art room where all the props for the arena games are made.

In this season, the organiser of the reality show, MultiChoice Nigeria played with colours. From the red and blue bedrooms to the lounge draped with colourful sofas, walls adorned with geometric shapes with an accent of African décor pieces and the new ‘eye-catching’ door.

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THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER JULY 25, 2021

SUNDAYSPORTS

Edited by: Duro Ikhazuagbe email:Duro.Ikhazuagbe@thisdaylive.com

TOKYO 2020... TOKYO 2020... TOKYO 2020...

Vengeance in the Air as D’Tigers Open Campaign with Australia Duro Ikhazuagbe

R

evenge will be topmost in the minds of Nigeria’s Senior men’s basketball team, D’Tigers as they open their Tokyo 2020 campaign against Australia this morning at the Saitama Super Arena.

The Aussies who Nigeria is playing today in Group B were the only team that defeated D’Tigers 108-69 in their pre-Olympics preparation. They put a damp on the victories Nigeria recorded against world number one and four USAandArgentina penultimate week in Las Vegas, USA. D’Tigers, in that 39-point loss to the Boomers, were a far cry from the team that had beaten the top-ranked United States andArgentina a few days earlier in Las Vegas, but there were suggestions that Mike Brown’s side took their feet oͿ the pedal against the Aussies, possibly with an eye on Sunday’s clash.

So anyone expecting the Australians, who on paper are superior, to repeat their blowout of the Nigerians today in Saitama could be in for a rude awakening.

For a start, D’Tigers have since that loss had more days to train as a unit and will be a much better side than they were when they played against an Australian team that had spent longer

Nigeria’s senior men’s basketball team, D’Tigers, are to open their Tokyo 2020 campaign against Australia today

time together.

In fact, the Australians have been together for a long time. Utah Jazz’s Joe Ingles and San Antonio Spurs guard Patty Mills are on their fourth Olympic team, Toronto Raptors’ Aron Baynes and former Cleveland Cavaliers guard Matthew Dellavedova are making their third appearance, and Chris Goulding

is on his second trip to the Olympics.

D’Tigers may not be as experienced as the Boomers but they can also now call on the services of Milwaukee Bucks shooting guard Jordan Nwora, who was unavailable in Las Vegas owing to his involvement in the NBA Finals.

The presence of Nwora would further boost the chances of a team that

relies heavily on their shooting from three-point territory, as exempliÀed in their 90-87 win over the United States in Las Vegas.

Coach Brown may likely fall back on the starting-Àve that started the wins over the USA and Argentina (94-71) – Josh Okogie of the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Miami Heat trio of

Gabe Vincent, PreciousAchiuwa, and KZ Okpala, as well as Ike Nwamu – but with Nwora’s undeniable prowess from three-point territory, the Golden State Warriors’ assistant coach may throw in the 22-year-old from the start to curtail the Aussies who have a habit of going all-out from the opening second of the Àrst quarter.

It may not be that easy though for D’Tigers, as the Boomers are one of the favourites to land a medal in Japan, and will want to make a strong start against Nigeria, a team they have gotten the better of in their last two matches.

They also boast of some prominent NBAstars like Ingles, Mills, andAaron Baynes, who all sat out that blowout win over D’Tigers; their third win in Las Vegas, having earlier beaten Argentina (87-84) and the USA(91-83).

The Aussies, who enter the Olympics as the number three (3) ranked team in the FIBArankings behind the USA and Spain, have tremendous Àrepower and experience in their ranks, and will likely start with a backcourt featuring Mills and Dellavedova, while Ingles, Jack Landale and Baynes will complete the rest of the starting-Àve.

Solskjaer Signs Oshonaike Crash out of Final Olympic Appearance in Tokyo New Man Utd Deal Until 2024

Nigeria’s Olufunke Oshonaike who is making her seventh Olympic Games appearance at Tokyo 2020 was humbled badly 1-4 by USA’s Juan Liul in the women’s table tennis event yesterday.

With the result, Oshonaike has crashed out and will be heading home in the next 48 hours. Liul won the Àrst match 11-7.

The American went ahead to take the next two sets at 11-3 and 11-4 before Oshonaike fought back to win the fourth set at 13-11.

She lost the Àfth set at 11-4.

Meanwhile, history was made at the table tennis competition on Saturday when Syria’s 12-year-old Hend Zaza became the youngest Olympian in any sport since 1968 by competing in the Women’s Singles preliminary round for the Àrst time.

Not since the 1968 Winter Olympics when 11-year-old Beatrice Hustiu competed in Àgure skating, has the Games welcomed another youngster.

Zaza inked her place in the record books when she qualiÀed for the Tokyo Games by winning the West Asia qualiÀers in Amman, Jordan at 11 years old and 56 days old last year.

Despite her early exit via a 4-0 defeat to Austrian veteran Liu Jia in 24 minutes, Zaza, who was her country’s Áag bearer, is conÀdent of making her return to the Games again as a more accomplished player. “This is my Àrst Olympics and I’ll work harder for a better result the next time. It’s a good lesson for me. I was hoping for a winning match, a better play but she (Liu) was a tough opponent and it was a good lesson for me,” said Zaza of her 39-year-old rival, who is also a mother to a 10-year-old daughter.

Whilst Zaza’s Olympics hopes might have ended early, the youngster from the war-torn country has already shown the world her maturity beyond her years. It was a diͿerent battle the 12-year-old has fought to punch her ticket to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

“For the last Àve years, I went through so many challenges especially with the war happening in the country, the postponement and the funding for the Olympics. It was very tough, but I had to Àght for it.

I wanted to Àght for my dream, train hard and overcome all di΀culties so that I can reach my goal,” said Zaza, who picked up table tennis at the age of Àve under the inÁuence of her brother.

Funke Oshonaike...bows out of Tokyo 2020

It may be another three years before Zaza gets another shot at Olympics glory in Paris, but for now, she has

already gained invaluable life lessons through her favourite sport, which she also regards as part of her life.

Badminton: Olofua, Anuoluwa Beaten China wins Tokyo 2020 first gold medal Team Nigeria’s pair of Godwin Olofua and Opeyori Anuoluwa yesterday lost 2-0 to Japan’s duo of Endo Hiroyuki and Yuta Watanbe in men’s badminton Group B encounter at the Court 1 of Musashino Forest Plaza In the first game played under 10 minutes, the Japanese had an easy 21-2 win. They however faced a more challenging time in the second game which stretched to 13 minutes before winning 21-7.

Meanwhile, China won the first gold medal of the Games

and hosts Japan claimed their first gold on a sweltering opening day of the Tokyo Olympics.

Athletes complained about exhausting conditions given the combination of high temperatures and humidity, with several tennis players asking for matches to be moved to start later in the day.

Cyclists in the men’s road race in particular felt the strain, but Ecuador’s Richard Carapaz managed to defy the conditions, convincingly winning his nation’s second ever gold medal.

Godwin Olofua

Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has signed a new deal with the club until 2024, with an option for a further year.

The Norwegian, 48, took over permanently in March 2019, having been put in interim charge when Jose Mourinho departed three months earlier.

He led United to second place in the Premier League last season and the Europa League Ànal, which they lost.

Solskjaer said he was “delighted” at signing the new contract.

“We are more conÀdent than ever that, under Ole’s leadership, we are heading in the right direction,” said United’s Executive Vice-Chairman, Ed Woodward.

“Ole and his staͿ have worked tirelessly putting the foundations in place for long-term success on the pitch.

“The results of that have become increasingly visible over the past two seasons and we are all looking forward to seeing this exciting team develop further in the years ahead.

“What is especially pleasing is the way this progress has been achieved with a blend of young, homegrown talent and top-class recruits, playing attacking football in the best traditions of Manchester United.”

Solskjaer spent 11 seasons as a United player, scoring the winning goal in the 1999 Champions League Ànal.

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The War against Nigerian Media

M

y roommate in my final year at the University of Lagos was a man of humour.

Much older than I was, he was someone you would call a “mature” student.

He even bought a TV for our two-man room at the Henry Carr Hall of Residence. He had practised as a journalist for years before coming to Unilag to study political science. One of his witty moments usually came anytime it was getting to 9pm. Whatever we were doing, he would suddenly announce, “Simon, it’s time to listen to the government news bulletin.”

That automatically meant we should tune in to the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) to watch the Network News. He always said it so seriously you could miss the joke!

In those days, NTA was the station we all had to rely on for national news. Or, more appropriately, for what the military government wanted us to hear. The rumour in town then was that some of the news items were written at the State House (which we call “Presidency” in today’s headlines).

You would never hear anything critical or negative about the government on TV. Every news item was tailored to please the administration and treat Nigerians like zombies. In any case, it was not as if we had alternatives: broadcasting was heavily regulated, with government allowing only itself to own and operate radio and TV stations. We were stuck with state propaganda every day of our lives.

Something changed in 1992: Gen Ibrahim Babangida, as part of his liberalisation policy, decided to license “independent” TV and radio stations. That was what gave birth to the likes of African Independent Television (AIT), Raypower FM and Channels TV. Although they did not start broadcasting immediately, some of us were happy that government stranglehold on broadcasting was going to be broken at last. We would start getting dissenting views and less censored news on radio and TV. We would get to know “the other side” that NTA dare not report because of its regimented operations. NTA was notorious for showing cultural displays while Nigeria was on fire.

But government was very clever — it set up the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to regulate the broadcast media. The powers given to the NBC were so wide it amounted to gifting you a goat and holding on to the rope. The broadcast industry was born with a disadvantage: it requires spectrum for its operations, and, globally, government has exclusive powers over that. The Nigerian government can easily deal with any station that does not dance to its tune — by simply yanking it off air. After all, government owns the spectrum. This alone has been keeping “independent” stations in check for ever and ever.

The NBC shuts down and fines stations anyhow.

Only NTA is safe.

If not for the private print media — that is, newspapers and magazines — Nigerians would all have become zombies. The papers need only CAC registration to operate. They never have to kowtow to government because of any spectrum. They can afford to be a thorn in the flesh. Administrations always try to control or intimidate the press — through arrests, imprisonments, accusations of sedition, proscriptions and assassinations via parcel bomb, organised accidents or gun attacks. I still joke with my wife that if we had met during military rule, she would not have agreed to marry me. Critical journalism was treated as terrorism and was perpetually at war with the dictators.

In the current dispensation, it appears the political class is finally united and determined to tame the media by any means possible. There has been a rash of bills before the national assembly all

Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed geared towards achieving this goal. The motives are disguised as a benign attempt to “sanitise” the media. The draconian bills are designed to amend the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission (NBC) Act and the Nigerian Press Council (NPC) Act in a way that all newspapers, magazines, news websites and broadcast stations will become another NTA. The punishment for publishing an inaccurate report, even if duly retracted with apology, is a N10 million fine or a one-year closure of the outlet.

There is already a social media regulation bill which can be used to target journalists. Agreed, the misuse of social media has become a big problem to the society with the tonnes and tonnes of fake news and hate speech being churned out per second. But there is the social media — which is definitely in need of reform because it is very prone to negative use — and there is the mass media, where professionals operate and where there is some degree of law and order, even if flawed.

Apps such as Twitter, Facebook and WhatsApp have provided a convergence for the social media and the mass media. The government is now targeting the latter while claiming to be regulating the former.

Actually, there is hardly any media organisation that does not have social media handles, so there is an element of backdoor censorship in the regulation bill — in addition to the frontal attack through the proposed amendments to the NBC and NPC laws.

It is clear that the government will always try to cage the media, no matter the grand pretence to be democratic or liberal. We all know the media is a powerful tool. That is why politicians, activists and corporate tycoons love to have the media on their side, even if they do not own them. It should not be seen as a co-incidence that our foremost nationalists and politicians were either journalists or newspaper owners during the colonial era.

I agree that in a country as diverse and complicated as Nigeria, the government has every right and duty to be worried about the misuse of the media as it can lead to chaos and disorder.

Fake news, for instance, has caused destruction and death in many countries. Governments across the world are making efforts to check what is being pushed out through media outlets and handles.

The advent of social media has complicated matters, with all manner of information being manufactured there. Someone would just pick a phone, fabricate a silly quote, put the name of anyone there and press “send” — and, pronto, it goes viral and creates confusion all over. This is very disturbing.

I concede that there is a lot of media anarchy out there — both in the social and mass genres. I, therefore, agree that some certification is important for those who want to be called journalists. As someone who spent years in the university

studying journalism — yes, I read books upon books and articles upon articles on the theories of communication, elements of news writing and reporting, media management, editing, media history, media laws and ethics, etc — I can never be a party to fake and incendiary journalism. If I get my facts wrong, I am trained to correct or clarify and apologise ASAP. That is what I was taught in journalism school and that is what I do till this day.

Even though I studied journalism, I am not of the opinion that only journalism graduates should practise journalism — since the knowledge and skills can be acquired in the classroom and honed in the newsroom. I, however, support the idea that some certification and registration should be required of people who want to practise journalism.

The ongoing anarchy has to be curtailed. I am genuinely ashamed of some of these clowns parading themselves as journalists. People need to know that there is a lot that goes into journalism beyond the ability to write “is” and “was”. There is a process of gathering facts and verifying them, and there is the principal thing called “gatekeeping”.

This administration has been complaining about the Nigerian media without being able to separate the wheat from the chaff. Somebody cannot just open a twitter handle or create a website and start writing crap and then gets classified as a “journalist”. Every one of us gets tarred with the same brush. The first thing is to understand that there is a difference. The media can never be above the law. Nobody and no institution should be above the law. But there are enough laws already to punish excesses. For the social media, there is the Telecoms Act and Cyber Terrorism Act. They both take care of the abuse and misuse of tech platforms. There are laws against blackmail as well.

I agree that even the traditional media has its own excesses. But, again, there are enough laws on libel and false information to deal with those infractions. The courts are there to adjudicate. We don’t need any new laws. I also agree that journalists must do their job with a sense of responsibility to the society in which they operate. But there is a thin line between “responsible” journalism and “pliable” journalism. What the politicians want are media organs that would see no evil and report no evil. It is not in the interest of anybody — not in a democratic setting. As for misconduct, that can be addressed through self-regulation by a professional body as it obtains in other democracies.

I would like to appeal to media organisations to take self-regulation seriously. We should not allow the enemies of free speech to latch on our excesses and imperfections to take us back to the Stone Age. We should not surrender the initiative to the government. They do not want us to open their skeleton-filled closets, in any case, and they will definitely hide under “sanitising” the media to clamp down on the right of the society to know. Every media house has to set and enforce journalism standards in line with best practice.

The tech companies must also move quickly to devise ways of curtailing falsehood and hate speech, otherwise they will continue to face sanctions.

Finally, I have this simple message for those legislators and government officials working overtime to attack free speech: you can never, never defeat the Nigerian media. The colonial governments thrice jailed Peter Enahoro, as a young journalist, for “sedition”, including “for being present where a seditious statement was made” — but we saw the back of the colonial masters. Journalists were arrested, tortured and even murdered by brutal military regimes, but we saw the end of military dictators. If we defeated colonial matters as well as military and civilian dictators, we will definitely see the back of the politicians who want to use legislative tyranny to silence us. This I believe.

And Four Other Things…

SUNDAY MEDICINE Chief Sunday Igboho, the spiritual head of the Yoruba “nay-son”, was on Tuesday arrested at the Cotonou Airport, Republic of Benin. The Nnamdi Kanu wannabe was reportedly on his way to Germany where his family is settled.

I initially found it hard to believe the story of his arrest because we had been assured that he has spiritual powers that would make him disappear anywhere any day anytime.

When his lawyer later said he was crying like a baby when they spoke on the phone, I was scandalised. I hope he did not travel on a forged passport. Forgery itself is a criminal offence. And if it is true that the DSS found unlicensed guns in his house, that would be double trouble. Cornered.

IGBO AND IGBO-HO Someone sent this joke to me on Thursday: “The only reason why Buhari is going after Igboho is because there is ‘Igbo’ in his name.” Jokes apart, it would appear the Nigerian state is trying very hard to assert its sovereignty by going after separatist leaders, such as Sunday Igboho and Nnamdi Kanu, or those trying to undermine state powers, such as Sheikh Ibraheem El Zakzaky. (Abubakar Shekau, the Boko Haram leader that Nigeria couldn’t arrest, has been taken care of by his fellow terrorists.) The real test is what happens after President Buhari leaves power in 2023. Whoever succeeds him would need a great deal of political brinkmanship skills to win the peace. Dicey.

E-TRANSMISSION Did the federal legislators surprise you by failing to unequivocally incorporate electronic transmission of results into the Electoral Act? Not me. That most of the lawmakers on the platform of the so-called All Progressives Congress (APC) voted against a further modernisation of our electoral system is just a confirmation of what many of us already knew — that they are only progressives in name. I found it ridiculous, though, that the PDP has now become the chief advocate of credible polls (I’m laughing in Yagba). I would still like to point this basic fact out: e-transmission is not fool-proof. Even if we win this battle, there are still more hurdles ahead of us. Crooked.

FUME AND FURY President Buhari keeps saying he wants to pull 100 million Nigerians out of poverty, but the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) right under his watch is doing everything possible to kill small businesses, create unemployment and push more people into poverty. AMAC has just levied bakeries N100,000 for “gaseous emission” permit.

Last year, it taxed businesses N120,000 for “compulsory fumigation” — before recoiling. There are a thousand and one other levies. Consultants cleaning out, obviously.

It is either these guys don’t know the link between small businesses and job creation or they are about to teach the world a unique poverty “eradication” strategy. Dissonance.

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