SUNDAY 8TH AUGUST 2021 by THISDAY Newspapers Ltd

Hollyfrontier to Acquire 97-year-old 115,000bpd Refinery for $2.6bn NNPC targets 130,000bpd in Dangote’s brand new refinery for $2.7bn Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja As the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) targets to acquire 20 per cent stake, translating to

130,000 barrels per day (bpd) capacity from the brand new 650,000 bpd Dangote Refinery for $2.7 billion, Hollyfrontier is acquiring 97-year-old 115,000 bpd refinery from Sinclair Oil

for $2.6 billion. The deal signed by HollyFrontier and its affiliate, Holly Energy Partners (HEP), to acquire almost all of Sinclair Oil’s refining, renewable diesel,

and logistics assets for $2.6 billion, is therefore, not similar to the planned acquisition of the 20 per cent stake in Dangote Refinery by the NNPC, a top official of the

corporation told THISDAY last night. This is coming as the NNPC has lost roughly N9.181 billion to shutdowns, mostly as a result of host community

workers and contractors' protests in the Niger Delta, a review of reports on its activities from January to July Continued on page 65

Customs: Only Items Imported By Buhari Exempted from Duties, Taxes… Page 8 Sunday 8 August, 2021 Vol 26. No 9617

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PDP Govs, BoT C'ttee Weigh Options to Rescue Party ahead of 2023 State chief executives meet tomorrow Secondus, other NWC members free to re-contest on December 9 Chuks Okocha in Abuja As the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) intensifies efforts

to wriggle out of the crisis fuelled by attempts to remove its National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, the governors

elected on its platform and the 28-man committee set up by its Board of Trustees (BoT) are weighing options to

save it from implosion ahead of the 2023 general election, THISDAY has learnt. THISDAY gathered that

the governors will meet tomorrow (Monday), ahead of the planned Tuesday meeting of the governors with the BoT

committee, led by a former President of the Senate, Continued on page 8

ACF, Afenifere Back Babangida’s Proposal on Next President’s Age Nigeria needs detribalised leader, says Middle Belt Forum Afenifere insists vision, political structure, key to president’s performance John Shiklam in Kaduna, Seriki Adinoyi in Jos and Kemi Olaitan in Ibadan The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Middle Belt Forum (MBF), and Afenifere have reacted to the comment by a former military President, General Ibrahim Babangida (rtd), that the next President of Nigeria should be less than 70 years and that the country’s corruption index is worse now than what it was when he was Nigeria’s military ruler. While the ACF backed Babangida’s position on the next president’s age limit, the MBF also supported the country’s former military leader that corruption was less during his regime than now. On its part, the pan Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, has also backed Continued on page 5

MARITAL BLISS... L-R: The couple, Adebola and Kehinde Williams; Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; former Governor of Ogun State, Chief Gbenga Daniel; and Founder, First City Monument Bank, Chief Subomi Balogun, at the wedding service of Adebola, Daniel’s daughter in Lagos…yesterday

Abducted Chibok Girl Reunites with Parents, Seven Years After… Page 5

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HAPPY REUNION... L-R: Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Umara Zulum; mother of abducted Chibok schoolgirl, Mrs. Apagu; returnee Chibok schoolgirl, Ruth Ngladar Pogu; and one of her children, at the Government House, Maiduguri...yesterday

Abducted Chibok Girl Reunites with Parents, Seven Years After Michael Olugbode in Maiduguri Ruth Pagu, one of the girls abducted by Boko Haram at a secondary school in Chibok seven years ago yesterday reunited with her parents in company of the two children she bore during her marriage in captivity. Ruth was one of the over 200 girls abducted on April 14, 2014 by the terrorist group during a midnight attack on at the hostel of Government Girls School, Chibok.

While few of the girls were able to flee from the abductors during their transportation into the Boko Haram enclave, some of them were also released later after ransom was allegedly paid by the government. Many of the girls, have however, remained in captivity till date, with some believed to have either died or forcefully married by the members of the terrorist group. According to a statement issued yesterday by the

spokesman of the Borno State Governor, Mallam Isa Gusau, Ruth, alongside someone she was said to have married during her captivity, surrendered themselves to the Nigerian military on July 28, 2021 at a location in Bama. Gusau said under the supervision of his boss, Governor Babagana Zulum, security and government officials had kept the development secret. Gusau said the governor and the security agencies also used the last 10 days to

contact Ruth’s parents and the association of parents of the missing schoolgirls in order to ascertain her identity. It was a sweet reunion yesterday when the governor reunited Ruth with her overwhelmed parents at the Government House, Maiduguri. An excited Zulum said reuniting with Ruth with her parents was a boost to the hopes of parents, other family members and the Borno State government that all others still in captivity, would be safely

found and in good health. Zulum said the government would sponsor a rehabilitation and reintegration programme for Ruth. The governor commiserated with families of those still in captivity and urged them to remain optimistic, prayerful and cooperative with security agencies. He said: “I am extremely excited both as Borno Governor and father of all sons and daughters of the state, and also as a father to daughters. I know the

feeling of families of those still under captivity but we have to remain hopeful especially with today’s development.” Chairman of the Chibok Girls Movement, an association of all affected parents, Mr. Yakubu Keki, expressed joy over the return of Ruth. He said the people of Chibok appreciated the efforts of security establishments and the concern and support regularly shown by Governor Zulum on the plight of parents whose daughters were still missing.

spokesman explained.

affairs, including the resources within its jurisdiction - a restructured federation that allows institutions to operate freely as enshrined in the laws that established them. "The importance of this could be seen in how the attempt by the former President of the United States of America, Mr. Donald Trump, was successfully checked. "We have seen situations where relatively young people performed excellently just as there were instances where they failed woefully. The same can be said for people above 60 who held top political posts. "Examples that can be cited among the first category include our own late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Chief Ladoke Akintola, to mention a few. They were in their 40s and under 50s when they respectively served as premiers of the Western Region. The legacies of the successes they recorded are still there today. "As at the time former Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama respectively mounted the saddle in America, they were not up to 60 years of age. "Again, here in Nigeria, we have young people among the state governors who are trying to excel just as we have those who are a disappointment. Ditto for some among them who are in their 60s or above. "So, in a nutshell, it is not the age per se, but the structure and vision as well as the character of the person that determines whether or not he will govern well."

ACF, AFENIFERE BACK BABANGIDA’S PROPOSAL ON NEXT PRESIDENT’S AGE the former military president’s position on the age of the next president, citing the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo; and Chief Ladoke Akintola, who were in their 50s and 40s when they became premiers of the Western Region. Afenifere also cited the cases of the former Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama of the United States, who mounted the saddle when they were not up to 60 years of age. The socio-political group, however, argued that a president’s performance does not depend on his age but his vision and the country’s political structure. Speaking on ARISE NEWS Channel, the broadcast arm of THISDAY Newspaper, to mark his 80th birthday, Babangida had recommended that the next president would be in his 60s. Babangida said the presidential hopefuls in 2023 should be persons in their 60s with contacts across the nation and who had been traversing the geo-political zones, marketing their acceptability and capacity. Also reacting to the allegation that corruption was very pervasive during his administration, Babangida had stated that: “You can’t compare it with the facts on the ground now. From what I read, from analyses, I think we are saints when compared to what it is under a democratic dispensation. “I sacked a governor of a state for misappropriating less than N313,000. Today, those

who have stolen billions and are in court are now parading themselves on the streets. Who else is better in fighting corruption?” he queried. In his interview with THISDAY, the President of MBF, Dr. Bitrus Pogu, backed Babangida, stressing that corruption is worse now than during the regime of the former military ruler. However, on the issue of the age limit for the next president, Pogu said the next president should be a detribalised Nigerian, irrespective of his age. “The elder statesman has spoken very well. But I think we should just allow Nigerians to make their choice. I am saying this because when people of the standing of IBB start to shape the thinking of Nigerians, then we may fall into a trap. But let’s wait and see what Nigerians want. “Certainly, we have seen elderly people that have performed wonderfully. I can confidently say that Olusegun Obasanjo while he was in office was over 70, but he performed wonderfully well. “He wakes up very early, has his squash, and prepares for the day ahead. Some young people were not even his match. “So, all these things depend on the person’s well-being, sound mind, and mindset. “What’s important is that our President in 2023 should be of detribalised character; a true Nigerian, not some kind of ethnic or religious bigots. The person should be someone

that believes in Nigeria, and sees himself first as a Nigerian, not someone that looks away when his people are committing a heinous crime, and then punish others when they commit a lesser crime. We want someone who has good health and capacity to lead Nigerians,” he explained. Reacting to Babangida’s claim on corruption, Pogu said: “To some extent, I agree with IBB that corruption has taken over subsequent administrations, especially the current administration. When the current administration came in, they had accused Goodluck Jonathan’s administration of being corrupt, but what we see today is so terrible. What we see is the direct opposite of the promises they made to us as Nigerians. So, IBB is correct to say there has been deterioration from the time he left the government. “We have been shouting ‘Abacha Loots’, but Abacha was a saint compared to what we see today. Abacha, to me was a wonderful leader; a leader who despite all the sanctions was able to maintain the value of the Naira, made things work, and beat the Western economy to their game,” Pogu added. Pogu kicked against allowing only money bags to determine the direction of elections. He also urged the National Assembly to re-visit the issue of electronic transmission of election results. The Middle Belt leader also

called on INEC to work on their card readers and make them functional for the elections. The ACF also endorsed the suggestion by the former military president on the age limit of the next president. In an interview with THISDAY, the spokesman of the forum, Mr. Emmanuel Yawe said the suggestion for the younger generation to take over the leadership of the country should not be discarded. Yawe, who did not comment on Babangida’s corruption claim, noted that he is an experienced military President, having ruled the country for eight years, stressing that whatever he suggests is for the good of the country. Yawe said the ACF holds Babangida in very high esteem and urged Nigerians to take his ideas seriously. “We believe his suggestion that Nigerians of a younger generation should take over the presidency is worthwhile. This is the digital age and all over the world, it is the trend. “IBB is an experienced military politician who ruled this country for eight years as the one and only military president. Additionally, he is one of the patrons of ACF. “Whatever he suggests for this country we believe is for the good of the country, he is also a man imbued with patriotic ideas. “We hold him in ACF in very high esteem and we urge Nigerians to take his ideas seriously”, the ACF

Afenifere Insists Vision, Political Structure, Key to President’s Performance Meanwhile, the pan Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, has also supported the idea of a youthful president, citing the case of Awolowo and Akintola, pointing out, however that a president’s performance does not depend on his age but his vision and the country’s political structure. Afenifere also cited the cases of the former Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama of the United States, who mounted the saddle when they were not up to 60 years of age. The organisation, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Jare Ajayi, said the crisis in Nigeria’s leadership and governance is not that of the age of the person in charge but rather with the political template on which the country is operating and the kind of vision that the person brings into the office. According to him, "To us in Afenifere, the way Nigeria political template is structured, hardly can any person in a leadership position of the country achieve much. "This is why we are clamouring for the immediate restructuring of the country a restructured federation in which each constituent unit is in control of most of its

SUNDAY AUGUST 8, 2021 • T H I S D AY

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

NEWS

Customs: Only Items Imported by Buhari Exempted from Duties, Taxes Tackle MDAs, contractors over import duties evasion Festus Akanbi The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) yesterday clarified that only the items imported by President Muhammadu Buhari are exempted from import duties and taxes and lamented the refusal of some Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to pay the statutory duties on imported goods. The agency warned the MDAs to adhere strictly to guidelines on importation of vehicles and other equipment by paying all outstanding duties and levies over imported items

or be liable as fraudulent importers. A statement issued yesterday by the Deputy National Public Relations Officer of the NCS, Mr. Timi Bomodi, explained that the MDAs were expected to pay duties on vehicles or other items, except where waivers and concessions were sought and granted. “We wish to reiterate that by law, only items imported by the President, Commander in Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, are exempted from the payment of duties or taxes”, the statement said. According to the statement,

“the attention of the Nigeria Customs Service has been drawn to a trend in the activities of certain Ministries, Departments, and Agencies, with regards to their import of vehicles and other equipment. “The NCS wishe to state that except where waivers or concessions were sought and granted, all outstanding duties and taxes relating to such imports are expected to be paid in full. “This applies even in situations where these imports

were executed by agents or proxies on their behalf. “The NCS is, therefore, by this notice sensitising MDAs and advising them on the need to adhere strictly with import guidelines in this regard”, he said. Bomodi further explained that contractors, who import and supply such equipment or vehicles without payment of duties, would be considered liable as fraudulent importers. “We urge them to avail themselves of our trade

facilitation tools available on and offline. This is necessary to avoid embarrassments in the future”, he added. The service announced a revenue of N1.5trillion for its 2020 operation an improvement over N1. 341 trillion generated in 2019. The federal government levies customs duties on most imports, but these duties were substantially reduced in 1986 and 1995. The import duty varies from five per cent to 60 per cent,

averaging 12 per cent. All imports are also subject to a seven per cent port surcharge and a five per cent value-added tax (VAT). In several developing countries, the inability of the customs administration to properly implement duty relief systems for their export industry has increased production costs, thus reducing their manufacturers’ competitiveness in export markets, and has hurt the ability of these countries to attract investors.

Nigeria to Begin Administering Second Batch of COVID-19 Vaccines Tuesday Nigeria will begin administering the second batch of COVID-19 vaccines from August 10, the Presidential Steering Committee (PSC) on COVID-19 said yesterday. The Director of Press, PSC on COVID-19, Willie Bassey, made this known in a statement issued in Abuja. He said the commencement of the second batch vaccination is pertinent as the country battles the third wave of the pandemic. “The PSC has received over four million doses of Moderna vaccine donated by the U.S. Government to Nigeria. “In view of the above, the inoculation is scheduled from Tuesday, August 10, at the Federal Medical Centre, Jabi, off Airport road, Abuja,” he said. The federal government on August 1 received 4.08million

doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine from the United States. The vaccine doses were received by the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) on behalf of the federal government and stored at the country’s National Strategic Cold Store near Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja. The Moderna vaccine had been listed for emergency use by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and approved by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC). It is the second batch of vaccines received by Nigeria after the country had run out of the initial four million doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine received from the COVAX facility.

NEW LAW... L-R: Clerk of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, Mr. Tola Esan; Deputy Majority Leader, Hon. Tajudeen Akingbolu; Chief Whip, Hon. Olubunmi Adelugba; Governor Kayode Fayemi; and Leader of Government Business, Hon. Gboyega Aribisogan; during the signing of the judiciary and legislative fund management and other laws in Ado-Ekiti…weekend

PDP GOVS, BOT C'TTEE WEIGH OPTIONS TO RESCUE PARTY AHEAD OF 2023 Senator David Mark. This is coming as a former Governor of Cross River State, Senator Liyel Imoke has said that with the victory of Hon. Agom Jarigbe over the incumbent Senator Steve Odey in the Court of Appeal judgment, the PDP is certain to regain power in the state. Investigation revealed that the PDP governors would meet in Abuja on Monday to discuss and take a position ahead of their meeting with the PDP BoT committee. The BoT committee that will meet the governors would be led by the two-time Senate President, Mark. Others in the peace delegation are a former Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki; Senator Ibrahim Mantu; Senate Minority Leader, Senator Enyannaya Abaribe; House of Representatives Minority Leader, Hon. Ndudi Elumelu; former deputy speakers of the House of Representatives, Hon. Austin Opara, and Hon. Emeka Ihedioha. Others are a former Senate President and Secretary of the PDP BoT, Senator Adolphus Wabara; and another former Senate President, Dr. Iyorchia

Ayu, among others. THISDAY gathered that the meeting will take a holistic decision on how to strengthen the party. To this end, the governors and the BoT committee are weighing some options to save the party from implosion and strengthen it ahead of the 2023 general election. A major option on the table, according to party sources, is to allow Secondus-led NWC to complete their tenure and also be allowed to re-contest for their positions at the party’s national convention on December 9, 2021 One of the BoT members told THISDAY that allowing Secondus and his team to re-contest is not only constitutional but will also allow the party to retain experienced and tested hands that will pilot its affairs as it faces the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2023. He said that if Secondus and all members of his team are stopped from re-contesting, the time will be too short for a new set of leaders to learn the ropes before the general election. The source, however, added

that if the pressure against Secondus becomes too hot that it could polarise the party ahead of the general election, the next option is that the PDP chairman would be advised to decline to contest. He, however, ruled out the possibility of asking him to resign before completing his tenure, adding that such a step would be unconstitutional. “As a committee, we support that Secondus and the NWC must complete their four-year tenure because it is a constitutional matter based on the constitution of PDP. “We cannot abridge anyone’s constitutional right. If any member of the outgoing NWC wants to re-contest on December 9, including the national chairman, Uche Secondus, we cannot stop anyone, it is their constitutional right," he explained. The source explained that their basic mission is to adopt an option that would restore peace and strengthen the party ahead of the 2023 general election. “As elders, we have listened to all sides of the divides and we believe as elders we cannot sit down in the house and allow it to divide against itself.

Our intervention will bring back the vibes of the PDP as a leading opposition party ready to take over the affairs of this country. We cannot afford to fail," he added. Asked whether the sack of the NWC led by Secondus is a viable option, the source said: “We have passed that stage. We are in talks on restrategising the party.” "The meeting with the governors will not only stop the current crises, but it will also create a better environment to make us far more united and make us stronger as a party," the source said. The PDP BoT had at their last meeting laid to rest the alleged plot to remove Secondus and the NWC, after a heated argument. At the meeting, tampers were high to the extent that Governor Nysom Wike angrily asked the BoT members where they were when he rescued the party from the hands of the former chairman, Senator Sheriff. He had also queried their intervention now when none of them funded the party. Wike at the meeting told the BoT that Sheriff would

have destroyed the PDP, had it not been for his intervention. There were two opposing groups - those plotting the sacking of the NWC led by Secondus and those who wanted them to continue until their tenure ends on December 9. The defection of three governors of the party and members of the National Assembly to the APC had worsened the crisis in the main opposition party. The situation of the party was becoming worrisome as it lost over 17 senators and members of the PDP in the House of Representatives. This development was believed to have diminished the fortunes of the party, ahead of the 2023 general election. Some members believe that the best way to resolve the crisis was to sack the Secondus-led NWC. The plot to sack the NWC thickened after seven national deputies of the party tendered their resignation letters.

PDP Now Ready to Recapture Cross River, Says Imoke Meanwhile, a former Governor

of Cross River State, Senator Liyel Imoke, has said that with the victory of Hon. Agom Jarigbe over the incumbent Senator Steve Odey in the Court of Appeal judgment, the PDP is certain to regain power in the state. In a statement he issued yesterday in Abuja, Imoke commended the supporters of the Cross River PDP as the party held rallies across the 196 political wards and 18 local government areas in the state. Imoke explained that the role of PDP supporters in Cross River remains very strategic and critical as Nigerians look forward to the party to rescue the country from the shackles and enclaves of poverty, insecurity, unemployment, and disunity. He stressed the need for the Cross River PDP to remain united and prepared to put up a common front and agenda as the dynamics of politics changed within the state. He maintained that over the last 20 years, Cross River State and its people have remained faithful to the PDP, helping to foster a united and prosperous state between 1999 and 2021.

SUNDAY AUGUST 8, 2021 • T H I S D AY

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ AUGUST 8, 2021

EDITORIAL

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

NARD STRIKE AND NGIGE’S THREAT The government has every chance to resolve the dispute through dialogue

abour and Employment Minister, Chris Ngige, on Friday talked tough as he threatened that if the striking Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) members do not resume work this week, they would be replaced. “If you go to the International Labour Organisation (ILO) principles at work, it guarantees a worker's right to strike, but with consequences,” said Ngige in a language that shows clearly that this crisis may not be resolved quickly to the detriment of patients who are already dying in droves at the hospitals. “Your employer on essential services, in particular, has the right to replace you. He will also withdraw your remuneration and use it to pay those acquired when you were away.” We do not believe that the federal government is adopting the right approach to this problem. Healthcare delivery is critical to the well-being of any society. But over the years, the attention of government, both at the state and federal levels, is at best half-hearted and peripheral. The resident doctors, like their earlier strike during the Covid-19 pandemic, are not demanding anything new. Their strikes often result from government failure to fulﬁl agreements freely entered. In this case, the doctors are asking that their salaries and allowances be paid. They are also demanding for an upward review of the hazard allowance to 50 per cent of consolidated basic salaries of all health workers and payment of the outstanding COVID-19 inducement allowance, especially in state-owned-tertiary institutions. These are legitimate and reasonable demands, considering the risks medical doctors are exposed to daily. Many of them and other health workers died

due to lack of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) in the early days of the pandemic. We understand that the authorities are yet to reach out to the families of the 19 doctors who lost their lives during the pandemic. If the dead are treated with disdain, what is the source of motivation to the living? Besides, every labourer is entitled to their wages. The cost of allowing doctors to go on strike, especially at this period, is high. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), for every qualiﬁed COVID-19 doctor unable to work, not less than 600 patients will be affected. Last week, the Medical and Dental Consultants Association has also issued a threat that they would join forces with their colleagues if their grievances were not addressed, an action that will aggravate the already bad situation. Already, patients requiring healthcare in most government hospitals across the country are being turned back as doctors are not on ground to attend to them. Many who may require emergency services and without enough funds to seek healthcare in private hospitals are now at risk. Many have died. The federal government must ﬁnd a way to put an end to incessant strikes that take heavy toll on human lives.

Strikes are hugely inimical to the health of the economy and, in many ways, disruptive of the social order. There is an urgent need to stem this ugly trend

Letters to the Editor

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

espite the claims by Ngige, we do not have sufﬁcient professionals to replace the many practicing doctors who are being forced to seek greener pastures elsewhere because of the inadequate attention to the health sector. We can only appeal to the doctors to consider the interest of their suffering patients. For one, their Hippocratic Oath obligates them to save the several lives that are now being lost due to the prevailing dispute. But the time has also come for the government to overhaul its collective bargaining machinery with a view to ensuring effective implementation of agreements. We consider the ongoing strike very unfortunate as the development is piling more pressure on already weak and fragile health system and bringing untold hardship among Nigerians. More disturbing is that the country is up against perhaps the most virulent species of COVID-19, which killed 29 within four days last week, with the infection spreading rapidly across the country. Besides, there is raging Cholera epidemic across many states. The threat by Ngige cannot be a solution to the challenge at hand. He must ﬁnd a way to reach a compromise with NARD members. These strikes are hugely inimical to the health of the economy and, in many ways, disruptive of the social order. There is an urgent need to stem this ugly trend.

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.

RESIDENT DOCTORS AND NIGERIA’S HEALTH SYSTEM

esident doctors in Nigeria have recently downed tools in a dispute with the government over renumeration and welfare. As usual, when two elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers. Patients have been left to their fate in what is yet another episode in the unbearably ugly theatre of trauma Nigeria`s health care is turning out to be. It is no secret that for many years, Nigeria`s health system has been walking on borrowed legs. Those who live in rural communities where access to civilization and the dramatic improvements it brings to the quality of life are cut off by the shamefully glaring lack of good roads and power, often have no access to health care,

and children routinely die from the most preventable of diseases while public officials who should bear responsibility for the fatal failures become medical tourists to other countries at the slightest feeling of discomfort. Nigerian doctors have often been forced to bear the brunt of government`s abysmal failure to guarantee the health of Nigerians. Trained and sworn to preserve life, the long-suffering doctors have often watched on helplessly and haplessly as patients have lost the easiest health battles because the system is not built to withstand even minor shocks. The recent COVID-19 pandemic brought into sharp focus the invaluable service health personnel render, and the many life-threatening dangers they

face on a daily basis. In the line of duty, many of them have lost their lives. This is in addition to the toll their daily encounter with the infirm and dying takes on their mental health and psychological wellbeing. Yet, the government does puzzlingly little. Members of the executive and legislature at federal and state levels whose over-bloated pay packages have long been a source of internal, eternal and international embarrassment and consternation often avoid Nigerian hospitals which are waiting morgues. As far as they are concerned Nigerian doctors can feed their families with whatever. It is an epic scandal that a good number of them are themselves medical practitioners who should know the importance of the work doctors do and the hazards they face on a daily

basis. It is unavoidable that when the baby sitter is roundly and wrongly ignored, it is the baby that suffers ultimately. Nigerians are the ones who have been left to bear the brunt of crumbling health infrastructure and disgruntled medical doctors. It is Nigerians that are left to die from entirely preventable and treatable diseases. It is Nigerians who lose their children to childhood killer diseases because those who should ensure that these diseases do not become deadly are more preoccupied with themselves. It is still Nigerians who have to live with the anxiety that when their bodies are down by life`s daily grind, they will find no succor in hospitals. It explains the panic that spread like wildfire at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic when Nigerians thought they would witness the number of casualties that the deadly virus claimed in climes with more

sophisticated healthcare systems. The nauseating nonchalance with which doctors are treated in Nigeria surely promises that the brain drain that is imposing on Nigerians an acute shortage of medical doctors will be around for a long time as Nigerian doctors will continue to be lured to other countries by the sirens of better conditions. It makes the jaw drop that in some states, medical doctors have not been paid for eighteen months. While the diabolical dereliction on the part of the federal and state governments continue, Nigerians should never fail to note those public officers who would rather that scalpels and stethoscopes are taken away from doctors here while they flee to other countries for every fever and headache. Nigerians must ensure that they occupy no public office.

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SUNDAY AUGUST 8, 2021 • T H I S D AY

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ AUGUST 8, 2021

OPINION

POLITICS IN THE TIME OF CHOLERA Ike Okonta contends that politicians treat Nigerians with undisguised contempt

igeria’s ruling class has succeeded in normalizing the abnormal since the advent of the Fourth Republic in May 1999. Consider the following scenario: President Muhammadu Buhari is presently in London being looked after by his personal doctors while here in Nigeria the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), the main body of medical doctors in the country, is on strike, abandoning the sick in government hospitals. NARD’s chief complaint is that the Federal Government owes them a backlog of salaries. Consider another scenario: Babatunde Fashola, the country’s Minister of Works and Housing, went on national television last month and declared that Nigeria did not have a housing crisis, that anyone who insisted that there was indeed a housing crisis was dead wrong. Meanwhile there are millions of impoverished Nigerians who live in hovels without pipe-borne water and adequate ventilation in sweltering slums in such cities as Kano, Lagos, Port Harcourt, Abuja and Benin City. Minister Fashola lives in a well-apportioned mansion in an upper class residential area of Abuja. He could look these poor Nigerians in the eyes and declare without a sense of shame that they were not experiencing a housing crisis because as far as he is concerned, it is perfectly fine that they should live in slums. It needs to be repeated: the bizarre and the abnormal in this country have now donned the garb of normality. As I write cholera is raging in such states as Enugu, Bauchi, Kano, Jigawa and Abuja. Lest we forget, cholera is a disease of poverty. It occurs where there is no pipe-borne water, decent accommodation, and efficient waste disposal facilities. When poor people drink from stagnant pools of water or ill-dug and uncovered wells they come in contact with cholera, begin to experience diarrhea and vomiting, and if not taken to hospital immediately, succumb to the illness. This is the present lot of thousands of unfortunate Nigerians. It is interesting that not a single politician has made a public statement stating his concern for these Nigerians ravaged by cholera. The two chief concerns of our politicians at the moment are how to prevent electronic transmission of election results and outwit each other in the recently concluded All Progressives Congress’ ward congresses. Politics as far as they are concerned is all about getting votes, getting into office, and using this

office to accumulate as much wealth as possible. Neither of the two main political parties in the country – the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC)- has seriously asked itself what politics is truly about, why politicians politic, and what should be done about the ever-widening gap between the poor and the rich in Nigeria. This naturally begs the questions: Why have Nigerian politicians, since the advent of the Fourth Republic in May 1999, treated ordinary Nigerians with undisguised contempt, not caring whether they have jobs, good healthcare, and decent housing? How come that these politicians are so supremely confident that they can ride roughshod over those that elect them to office and get away with it? How come that these politicians can live in palatial mansions, ride in expensive imported cars, jet away to Britain and the United States for medical care while poverty and penury is the lot of millions of their compatriots and the heavens do not fall? The answer is to be found in the character of the politics that birthed the Fourth Republic in 1999. Democracy did not return to Nigeria in 1999 like manna descending from heaven. Our thieving Army Generals did not suddenly wake up one fine morning and decided that they had had their fill of governing Nigeria with an iron fist and returned power to politicians. No. May 1999 was the result of a long and bruising struggle between these rogue Generals and the nation’s pro-democracy activists starting from December 1983 when General Muhammadu Buhari and his cohorts staged a coup and ended the troubled life of the Second Republic.

Cholera is a disease of poverty. It occurs where there is no pipe-borne water, decent accommodation, and efﬁcient waste disposal facilities…It is interesting that not a single politician has made a public statement stating his concern for these Nigerians ravaged by cholera

While it is true that the politicians of the Second Republic, particularly those of the ruling National Party of Nigeria (NPN) were corrupt and visionless, that was not enough excuse for General Buhari to replace democratic government with iron-fisted dictatorship. It is significant that the first question Nigerian journalists asked Buhari a few days after he took power was how long his military junta would stay in office and when he would conduct democratic elections in the country. It is telling that Buhari replied that democratic election was not on the agenda of his government as far as he was concerned. When the military ruler unfolded a barrage of decrees gaging the press and generally turning the country into a military parade ground Nigerian journalists and human rights workers coalesced into a pro-democracy movement, thus providing the fertile ground for Buhari’s rival, General Ibahim Babangida to strike in August 1985 and ease Buhari out of power. This pro-democracy movement was what Babangida encountered when he annulled the 1993 elections that Moshood Abiola had won. This same pro-democracy movement also fought Babangida’s successors, Ernest Shonekan and General Sani Abacha to a stand-still. Nobody needed to tell General Abdulsalaam Abubakar who became the Head of State following Abacha’s death in June 1998 that the time had come for the army to quit and return to the barracks where they really belong. It was at this point that Nigeria’s prodemocracy movement made a fatal mistake. Instead of joining forces to form a political party and seek power to govern the country after the military had relinquished the reins, it broke apart into squabbling factions. The retreating Generals saw an opening and finessed the equivalent of a civilian coup by putting Olusegun Obasanjo and the Peoples’ Democratic Party in power after them. Thus, those who paid dearly to bring Nigeria back to democracy in 1999 did not inherit power, leaving it for yet another set of thieves and vagabonds in the mould of their likes in the First and Second Republics. Unchallenged since 1999, these politicians have been doing as they please. This is why our thieving politicians are blissfully politicking while thousands of Nigerians are dying of cholera. t %S 0LPOUB XBT VOUJM SFDFOUMZ -FWFSIVMNF &BSMZ $BSFFS 'FMMPX JO UIF %FQBSUNFOU PG 1PMJUJDT 6OJWFSTJUZ PG 0YGPSE )F MJWFT JO "CVKB

THE MEDIA AND CRISIS OF NATIONAL INTEGRATION The media is largely propelled by self-interest and primordial considerations, argues

igeria, is currently passing through turbulent times. It has continued to face gargantuan challenges in all aspects of human existence. Two areas that symbolize this lamentable trajectory are heightening national insecurity and collapsing economy. The country today, unarguably, faces the worst crisis of governance and leadership since political independence in 1960. Nigeria is drifting and becoming divided more than ever before. The situation is not helped by the actions and policies of the Buhari-led administration which have tended to exacerbate the nation`s fault lines and cleavages. Instead of uniting the country and forging national integration through good governance and inclusive policies, the government has been pursuing programmes and actions that have seemingly put the country in a quandary with rising social and political crises across the land. What the nation has witnessed in the last six years has been a steady drift into anarchy and unbridled violence. It is a matter for regret that Nigeria is featuring as a seminal topic in different international fora as a case study in failed or failing states. This is troubling, to say the least. How did we get here? From being the largest economy in Africa only in 2014, we are now struggling as a badly misgoverned and mismanaged country with the infamous title of the poverty capital of the world. In a recent report authored by Robert Rotberg, the founding Director of the Harvard Kennedy School`s Programme on Intra-State Conflict and President emeritus of the World Peace Foundation, and John Campbell, a Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and a former US Ambassador to Nigeria, they put Nigeria on the spot as a failed state. They wrote: “Nigeria has long teetered on the precipice of failure. But now, unable to keep its citizen safe and secure, Nigeria has become a fully failed state of critical geopolitical concern. Its failure matters because the peace and prosperity of Africa and preventing the spread of disorder and militancy around the globe depend on a stronger Nigeria”. Going further to elaborate on the characteristics of a failed

state, the report noted as follows: “It lacks security, is unsafe, has weak rules of law, is corrupt, limits political participation and voice, discriminates within its borders against various classes and kinds of citizens, and provides educational and medical services sparingly”. The report went further more to state: “Most of all failed states are violent. All failed states harbor some form of violent internal strife, such as civil war or insurgency. Nigeria now confronts six or more internal insurrections and the inability of the Nigerian State to provide peace and stability to its people has tipped a hitherto very weak state into failure”. The report listed Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic, and Myanmar in South East Asia alongside Nigeria as classical examples of failed states. Same report identified Somalia, South Sudan and Yemen as collapsed states. With the enumerated indices of state failure, can we really disagree with the classification of Nigeria as a failed state? Nigeria as a heterogeneous society, is composed of diverse ethno-religious and social groups who were welded together by the British colonial authorities to pursue common aspirations as one united country. The nation`s diversity ought to have been a great asset and source of strength and vitality. Countries with such diverse ethnic mix like Nigeria have always found it necessary to promote national integration amongst their different ethnicities. They pursue policies and programmes that promote inclusiveness and sense of belonging rather than division and segregation. Some of these countries like the United States, Canada, and Switzerland even have affirmative clauses in their constitutions which are meant to carry everyone along including minorities. Coming down to Africa, Rwanda under Paul Kagame and Libya under Mouamur Ghadaffi presented good examples of states where deliberate efforts were made at national integration with sterling results, which are there for even the most undiscerning minds to see. But what do we see in our country today? A nation that held out so much promise and hope at the dawn of

Emeka Nwosu

independence, has sadly missed the track and is fast cascading to the edge of the precipice, largely on account of mediocre leadership propelled by primordial considerations and clannish interests. As a multi-cultural and multi-ethnic society, it is important that the country is held together by policies and programmes that promote unity in diversity. It is, therefore, hardly surprising that the British colonial masters guided Nigeria along the federalist path in which all the constituent units were encouraged to pursue a common aspiration while moving according to their own individual paces. As a heterogeneous and plural society, to what extent has the nation promoted national integration and understanding amongst its diverse people? It is, perhaps, imperative at this juncture to attempt a theoretical definition of the concept of national integration and the role of the media in fostering and advancing it, especially in a complex country like Nigeria. In a paper he presented at a media colloquium in Enugu in 2019, Dr. Obiora Okonkwo, the Proprietor of United Nigeria Airline, defined national integration as “the recognition and awareness of a common identity amongst citizens of a country, along with deliberate and sustained effort to nurture such an identity in pursuit of national unity”. Two Nigerian scholars, Dr. Jude Onyeakazi and Dr. Ejike Okoroafor, in a joint paper entitled, “National Integration in Nigeria: A Philosophical Insight”, see national integration as “mainly the process of bringing the various peoples of different cultural and social background together in a given social context or polity for their collective interests and good”.

t %S /XPTV UIF /BUJPOBM $POWFOFS PG /JHFSJB Equity Group, wrote from Abuja

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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 ˾ AUGUST 8, 2021

LETTERS

IBB AND NIGERIA’S DIVIDED POLITICAL CLASS The advancement of any society revolves around its politics. A system, putrefying and governed by chaos, tells much about the politics of that set-up. A society cannot rise above its politics. Human, economic and social development begins with the right politics. Where politics falters, the country fails. In ‘The Partitioning of Nigeria ahead of 2023’ of July 7, 2021, I said: ‘’Avarice and prejudice drove European conquistadors to carve up much of Africa like cake. With the gradual end of the transatlantic slave trade spurred by the industrial revolution in Europe, the trespassers, possessed by capitalist fiends, sought sources of raw materials for their industries and markets for their manufactured products. These encroachers considered Africa as ‘’terra nullius’’ – a vast land belonging to no one --, so they struck, usurping natural boundaries and turning brothers into strangers. All for greed, prejudice, and arrogance. ‘’But nothing changed after the European raiders left Africa. Only the skin colour and facial features of the oppressors varied. Colonialism by aliens gave way for colonialism by natives; black-on-black oppression. In Nigeria’s case, the worst form of colonialism steeped in prebendalism, carnivory, nepotism, tribalism, corruption and predation took root. Nigeria’s political class are a hybridised version of the European colonial masters.’’ Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB), former military ruler, piqued my sentiments when he said in an interview with Arise TV on Friday that Nigeria’s political class are not distinct from the colonialists who entrenched a divisive structure to perpetuate their interest. IBB: ”If you look back; if you take a place like Baga in the north-east; the Igbo man, the Yoruba

man travelled up to Baga for trading; he lived very comfortably, he lived very well with the people around there. If you go to Lagos, the same thing; there are Yoruba, Igbo, who hold political appointments at local levels and live very well with the people. “I think we, the elite, did not succeed in imbibing that culture (culture of unity) for the country; so we rather live with the culture that the Europeans handed over to us — Northern Nigeria; Eastern Nigeria; Western Nigeria. We had in 1963, Mid-west, but we did not build ourselves as a nation. The political elite then that were being developed, they run back to their cocoons and accept that, yes, I have to be a thing or do this or that. Till today, unfortunately, the political class are not really into this seriously, and say how do we build a nation?” Today, those of us who evangelise for a united Nigeria are scorned by a section of Nigerians. The argument is that Nigeria’s unity is tenuous and asphyxiating. But we must keep doing the Lord’s work, proselytising for unity because a united Nigeria remains the most viable venture for all. In ‘The Yoruba have won their agitation’ of July 22, 2021, I made postulations on why a united Nigeria guarantees freedom to exist for all, especially those subsumed as ‘’minority groups’’. I said: ‘’A united Nigeria remains the most operational means of preserving and protecting the variegated interests of those within the territory. While the ‘’big three’’ -- Igbo, Hausa and Yoruba – jostle for sectional dividends, they forget that there are other groups -- the presumed minority ethnic nationalities -- in the phylum. Nigeria has over 250 ethnic nationalities, but are the supposed small lot

lesser citizens? Should the interest of the ‘’big three’’ be the governing aspiration and grail of other groupings in the taxonomy?’ ‘’Have we asked what the

Affade in Yobe State; the Afizere in Plateau State; Afo (Eloyi) in Nasarawa State; the Baushi in Niger State; the Boki in Cross River, the Annang in Akwa Ibom, and many other classes under the Nigerian family tree want? Some apostles of secessionism have even conscripted these ethnic nationalities into their abstract territories by fait -- without considering their peculiarities. The arrogance of the Igbo, the Yoruba and the Hausa is largely responsible for the parlous state of the country. Nigeria should not rise and fall on ‘’this big three’’. Nigeria

better chance of survival, reproduction and passing more of their genes to the next generation than other members of their species. Adaptation as we all should know, is one of the characteristics of living things which can be commonly referred to as survival of the fittest. As perplexing as its mode of operation may be, it can be conveyed if acted upon by a more determined factor. There are many factors that can influence the process of adaptation in the life of humans. Be it in the physical, mental or spiritual plane, adaptation can be piloted to alight at two points (negative and positive) of the pole on any of the planes. As Christians, adaptation therefore should be aligned with our journey for salvation as this will help strengthen our faith. The Holy Bible condemns the negative

election cycle if we get our politics right. If power is seen as a trust and a tool for pragmatic change by political actors and not as means to pursue vendetta against opponents or to amass prodigious wealth, we will not need to bring out the vuvuzelas in every new administration to wail for unity. Our political leaders must realise there is always a point of no return. They must not let Nigeria totter to this point. t'SFESJDL /XBCVGP GSFESJDLOXBCVGP!ZBIPP DPN

THE ESSENCE OF SPORTS NUTRITION

he Olympics Games Tokyo 2020 is still on. Excitement is high across the globe, generated of course, from energy-sapping and skills-testing contests, from soccer to swimming, sprints to cycling, boxing to long jump amongst several others. But for one to become a Cristiano Ronaldo, a Serena Williams, or even our own Blessing Oborududu (wrestling) and Ese Brume (long jump) takes years of rigorous training and trillions of droplets of salty sweat. Beyond mere dreams, for anyone to take the centrestage to show one’s physical and mental worth also takes a combined knowledge of the daily exercises needed and sports nutrition. So, what is it all about? According to Wikipedia, “sports nutrition is the study and practice of nutrition and diet with regard to improving anyone's athletic performance. Nutrition is an important part of many sports training regimens, being popular in strength sports (such as weightlifting and bodybuilding) and endurance sports (e.g. cycling, running,

swimming, rowing)”. It focuses its studies on the type, as well as the quantity of fluids and food taken by an athlete, including nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, supplements and organic substances, carbohydrates, proteins and fats. There are significant factors that influence nutritional requirements of athletes. These include the gender, type of activity (aerobic vs. anaerobic), weight, height, body mass index, workout or activity stage (pre-workout, intro-workout, recovery). Even the time of day the exercise is carried out also matters. Some nutrients are utilized by the body more effectively during sleep than while awake. A proper sports diet will definitely reduce the disturbances of fatigue, injury and soreness in performance. It is important to get a variety of food, and to consume all the macro-nutrients, vitamins, and minerals needed. According to Eblere's article (2008), eating foods that are natural means the athlete is getting the most nutritional value out of the food. It is therefore, ideal to choose

ADAPTATION OF CHRISTIANITY IN NIGERIA daptation plays a great role in the evolution of man physically, mentally and spiritually. Not only does it put one’s determination to the test but also acts on one’s marred qualities in convergence with one’s environment. According to MerriamWebster Dictionary, the term “adapt” simply means “to make fit (as for a new use) often by modification”. In 1859 Charles Darwin, an English naturalist, geologist and biologist, well known for his massive contribution to the science of evolution, set out his theory of evolution by natural selection as an explanation for adaptation and speciation. This theory explains the ability for organisms, which possess heritable traits, to be more adaptable to their environment in order of a

is bigger and stronger than any of this group on which the country currently pivots. A united Nigeria guarantees freedom – to exist -- for the small ethnic genus.’’ We need to sanitise or even deodorise our fetid politics. Our predatory politics is killing Nigeria softly. Politics of winner takes it all and loser returns to the trenches to plot on how to bring down the house through insecurity; politics of blood, broken bones and death; politics of corruption, looting and vandalism. We do not need to start crusading for unity after every

navigation and reveals the positivity of adaptation for the sake of the Gospel and for the betterment of our souls. 1 Corinthians 9: 19-27 says “for though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all that I might win the more. To the Jews, I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews; to those under the law I became as one under the law- though not being myself under the law- that I might win those under the law… but I pommel my body and subdue it, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified”. The concept of these words was not made known as pardon for one to partake in sinful acts but as an understanding that in order to pass on the good message to an individual of a different belief system, you should be able to empathize

as a process of adaptation, to that individual’s belief system to be able to comprehend the lifestyle of the individual and hence, reveal the Gospel in a way that can follow the reasoning process of the individual and also enlighten the person. John 13:13-17 “You call me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet for I have given you an example that you also should do I as I have done to you. Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.” r Ero Ewaen Arnold, Benin City, Edo State

raw foods. For instance, unprocessed foods such as oranges should be chosen instead of orange juice. The reason is because when foods are processed, the nutritional value is normally reduced. When it comes to the factor of gender, there are obvious physical differences between male and female anatomy, while physiology is the same for the most part, how they metabolize nutrients do vary. Men have less total body fat but tend to carry most of their fat in the adipose tissue of their abdominal region. Adipose tissue is indirectly mediated by androgen receptors in the muscles. On the other hand, women have more total body fat that is carried in the subcutaneous layer of their hip region. So, women metabolize glucose by direct and indirect control of expression of enzymes. As for the types of exercise, there are anaerobic exercises such as weightlifting, power sprints, strength resistances and quick explosive movement where the muscles are being used for power and speed, with short-time energy use. During anaerobic exercise, the process of glycolysis breaks down the sugars from carbohydrates for energy without the use of oxygen. After this type of exercise, there is a need to refill glycogen storage sites in the body (the long simple sugar chains in the body that store energy). Although these types of sugar are not likely fully depleted or used up, they have to be compensated for this glycogen reduction. It means that athletes will often take in large amounts of carbohydrates, immediately following their exercise. Typically, high-glycemic-index carbohydrates are preferred for their ability to rapidly raise blood glucose levels. These include white and whole wheat bread, white rice, breakfast cereals, cakes, cookies, potatoes and fries, chips and rice crackers. As for fruits those to be consumed are watermelon and pineapple. Dried fruits such as dates, raisins, are not left out. As for proteins, according to Lemon et al.(1995) female

endurance runners have the hardest time getting enough protein in their diet. Endurance athletes in general therefore, need more protein in their diet than the sedentary person. Research has shown that endurance athletes are recommended to have 1.2 to 1.4 g of protein per kg of body weight in order to repair damaged tissue. If the athlete consumes too few calories for the body's needs, lean tissue will be broken down for energy and repair. Protein deficiency can cause many problems such as early and extreme fatigue, particularly long recovery, and poor wound healing. Complete proteins such as meat, eggs, and soy provide the athlete with all essential amino acids for synthesizing new tissues. However, vegetarian and vegan athletes frequently combine legumes with a whole grain to provide the body with a complete protein across the day's food intake. Fruits and vegetables contribute important carbohydrate foundation for an athlete's diet. They provide vitamins and minerals that are lost through exercise and later needed to be replenished. It has been proved from researches that both fruits and vegetables improve healing, also aid in recovery, and reduce risks of cancer, high blood pressure, and constipation. Vegetables offer a little more nutritional value than fruits for the amount of calories. Therefore an athlete should strive to eat more vegetables than fruits. Dark-colored vegetables such as bitter leaf, ugu and efo usually have more nutritional value than pale colored ones. A general rule is the darker the color the more nutrient dense it is. Nature always provides the cure to most of our ailments. Like all foods, it is very important to have a variety. To get the most nutritional value out of fruits and vegetables it is important to eat them in their natural, unprocessed form without added nutrients or sugar.

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THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ AUGUST 8, 2021

SUNDAY PERSONALITY

Babangida on Maryam, Family and the Children Many appellations had been bestowed on him by Nigerians; ‘Maradona,’ and ‘evil genius,’ are some of the most prominent of these but the acronym of his name IBB became a personal brand identity over time, as he became the poster boy of protests in the last days of military rule in Nigeria. There was fear of and admiration for the gap-toothed general in the media. His family was adored by many. Just a few days’ shy from his 80th birthday, the former military leader and elder statesman in an interview with ARISE NEWS Channel reflects on his life and marriage to the late Maryam, Vanessa Obioha reports.

Babangida

“Regrets?”

he former military President, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (rtd), asked the interviewer, Ngozi Alaegbu, again, with his head bent as if to search through the penetralia of his mind. His answer would suggest that for the close to eight years he ruled Nigeria as a

military leader; thus the man whose policies still influence the politics of Nigeria has little or no regret. But he did have one wish: that his parents were alive to see him become not only a military officer but a prominent personality in the affairs of the nation. Babangida lost both parents, Mohammad and Aisha, when he was only 14. Mohammad and Aisha Babangida. It is one

incident that he still would wish could be reversed. “Every day it comes to me and I wish one of them or both of them were alive when I became a military officer,” he said. This yearning stemmed from their prayers for him as a little child. He recollected eavesdropping in their conversations and learning of their

prayers and confidence that he will grow to become an influential personality in his community. “As God will have it, they didn’t get to see me grow up within the community.” Notwithstanding, if his parents were to glimpse his achievements throughout the years, they would have thumped their chest in pride for IBB, as he is fondly called, has succeeded beyond their expectations.

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ AUGUST 8, 2021

SUNDAY PERSONALITY Shortly after his parent’s death, he attended Government College Bida where he met other influential politicians such as the 1998-1999 Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar (rtd). Babangida proceeded to Nigerian Military Training College in 1962 and received his commission as a second lieutenant as a regular combatant officer in the Royal Nigerian Army almost a year later. He received further military training from different institutions including the Royal Armoured Centre in the United Kingdom, where he received instruction in gunnery and the Saladin armoured car. Bravery- a necessary trait for soldiersspurned Babangida on during the Nigerian Civil War in the late 1960s. As the commander of the 44 Infantry Battalion which was involved in heavy fighting within the Biafran territory, Babangida suffered a gunshot on the right side of his chest during a reconnaissance operation from Enugu to Umuahia in 1969. His battalion had come under heavy enemy fire in Uzuakoli in Abia. He was immediately flown to Lagos, a gesture he still finds unusual. Doctors offered to remove the shrapnel but Babangida, as valiant as ever, refused. As he laid on the hospital bed, his life flashed before his eyes and the elder statesman, for a moment, knew that he wanted more from life. “The first thing that struck me when I was in the hospital bed... I said why the hell, I could have been dead. So I wouldn’t be a married man just like my commander,” he wondered at the time. The Commander-in-Chief at the time was General Yakubu Gowon who according to the former Head of State had gotten married during that period. “He got married around that period: April-May. I was very impressed with the way their marriage was going.” Whether the thought of marriage had crossed his mind before the near-death experience or not, what was evident was that the ‘evil genius’ as the media called him had no intention to leave the earthly plane without experiencing marital bliss. “So, I made up my mind that I will get married immediately I get out of this hospital bed. And God was kind. I got well, so getting married became my first priority, that’s it.” The lucky woman to steal the heart of the soldier turned out to be the late activist, Maryam Okogwu. “I knew her before I got wounded. I was very frequent at their house and her brothers, cousins and the whole family were with me. So when I asked, there was no opposition whatsoever. Few months later we got married.” Babangida and Maryam tied the nuptials on September 6, 1969, shortly before her 21st birthday, while he, Babangida, had just turned 28. They were blessed with four children. Until her death in 2009, Maryam was renowned for her fashion and penchant for women development. She would be remembered for creating the office of the First Lady of Nigeria which she used to champion her causes for women including the Better Life Programme for Rural Women in 1987 which launched many co-operatives, cottage industries, farms and gardens, shops and markets, women’s centres and social welfare programs. Following the launch of the programme, other wives of military governors were tasked to understand the plight of rural women in their specific states and create projects that will benefit rural women and linking such projects to the appropriate state ministry. However, the programme was criticized for its use of public funds by a first lady. Analysts and critics questioned whether it was constitutional or not and viewed the project as a means to increase the personality of the first lady. By the time her husband resigned from the military leadership in 1993, the programme was terminated. Yet, the legacy of Maryam cannot be

Babangida

l feel comfortable wherever I am; whether in Minna or Lagos, and I quickly make friends. I don’t disown people, even those I don’t know very well, I don’t disown them, I stick with them, I think that is the main reason eroded. She redefined the role of wives of presidents as well as governors through the creation of the First Lady Office. Throughout her time in office, she fought for women issues vigorously, creating different initiatives as well as reaching out to the first ladies of other African countries to emphasize the effective role they can play in improving the lives of their people. Although Babangida loves his late wife, he wouldn’t give her all the credit for the success of her developmental projects. He revealed that she had some of the best women drawn from civil service and private sector to drive the ideas behind all the women programmes. Thus, he amplified the power of leadership in maximizing collective effort. “I think what went for her was that she worked with some of the best brains: women in this country, and they were really committed to uplifting the status of women in the country. Some of them in the university, some in public service, they were always working; ‘what do we do?’, ‘how do we do it?’ And that was the secret behind the success,” said Babangida. Beyond her activism, Maryam from Delta State, was a fashion icon. Her glamorous attires at functions were attention-grabbing and yes, legendary. But on December 27, 2009, the news of Maryam’s death — which started as a rumour in November of that year — was announced. She had died of ovarian cancer at age 61. Babangida was said to have been by her side at the time of her death.

Recognised as one of the greatest women to have emerged from Africa, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa accompanied by Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal immortalised the memories of Maryam Babangida by commissioning the Maryam Babangida Way in Delta State capital, Asaba, her hometown on March 19, 2020. This year, despite being the 12th anniversary of Maryam’s death, Babangida is yet to remarry. Commenting on his decision, he gave a witty remark: “The women don’t like my face,” he laughed. Slowly, his demeanor changed to a more serious one when he added: “Meanwhile I think it is not easy, that is the way I am.” One thing that continued to ring true for the retired Nigerian Army General is that he is a builder of men and women. It is no secret that those who seek to pass through the revolving doors of Aso rock make the long trek to his palatial abode in Minna, his hometown in Niger State. Despite the pillories that trailed him following his decision to annul the 1993 presidential election, Babangida still commands respect for both the young and old. Could it be that he got a Midas touch? “l feel comfortable wherever I am; whether in Minna or Lagos, and I quickly make friends. I don’t disown people, even those I don’t know very well, I don’t disown them, I stick with them, I think that is the main reason,” he explained. Babangida who became the Head of State in Nigeria in 1985 goes by many appellations, bestowed on him by Nigerians and the media. “That’s a very good thing about Nigerian media and people. You have to anticipate

them and if you anticipate them you live very well with them.” Some called him the evil genius, a moniker he said he never called himself. “I never did. The media did...I marvel at that contradiction. You can’t be evil and a genius so you have to make up what you think is an evil genius.” Reflecting on the use of the nickname, ‘Maradona’ in the media, which he took in his strides, he traced it to his political activities of that period. “I got it again from the definition of the media. They said deft political moves, that’s what the media described it.” Of course, he always had the best responses for the media. Journalists thought he was very clever and so came the nickname. Perhaps, the ‘maradonic’ way — as he puts it — he handled the June 12, 1993 elections only consolidated that sobriquet. “If it (June 12 elections) materialised, there would have been a coup d’etat which would have been violent. That’s all I can confirm. It didn’t happen thanks to the engineering. The Maradonic way we handled you guys in the society but that could have given room for more instability in the country,” he told the interviewer in response to her question about Nigerians’ curiosity over the happenings that led to his decision. As his 80th birthday approaches, Babangida feels good, thanking God for the gift of life. He would love to think that he made a contribution that made society better. “Now, having left office for the last 28 years, I don’t think that... Come to think of it, I think we were right here. A lot of things are happening and those things convinced me that after all, we didn’t do badly. Maybe those things were not understood. For example, you mentioned the Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP). I told Nigerians in 1986 when we were introducing SAP that people who take advantage of what we were trying to do will succeed in life but those who can’t will go under. I said that in 1986 and today I was proved right; people took advantage of what we did and today they are the powers of industry, economic gurus and they were provided with an environment to say what you want when you want and how you want it and you don’t get shot or locked up in prison. So, I think I made a contribution to society in order to make the society better,” he concluded.

SUNDAY AUGUST 8, 2021 • T H I S D AY

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER AUGUST 8, 2021

BUSINESS

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

5HÀQHULHV ,V )* 'HDOLQJ ZLWK D %DVNHW &DVH" For decades, Nigeria has attempted to revive its petroleum reÀneries without success, with billions of dollars going down the drain. Will the federal government·s renewed eͿort to get the assets to work again be another fruitless exercise or will it yield results this time? (PPDQXHO $GGHK examines the issues

ver the years, Nigeria succeeded in grounding aOO its three reÀneries and is today a net importer of aOO the reÀned products consumed in the country, with all its attendant negative economic and social impacts. There has rarely been any administration in recent times that did not sink billions of dollars into the facilities to turn them around, all meeting a dead end, leaving large sums of money down the drain as a consequence. While a lot of Nigerians do not see any need for government to embark on this journey once again, having walked this path many times, this administration has fought back all forms of criticisms, insisting that it is the best line of action to take at this time. From the high, the mighty, and the lowly, many Nigerians have expressed their reservations over the latest journey which will see Nigeria borrow massively to Àx the facilities, before, according to the new plan, handing them over to private companies to manage. Will this be another exercise in futility? $ KLVWRU\ ZDVWH Depending on who is counting, Nigeria has four major existing reÀneries, including the old 3ort +arcourt reÀnery with a capacity of , barrels per day, commissioned in , and the Warri 5eÀning and 3etrochemical &ompany W53&

with a capacity of , bpd, which was put to work in 1978. ,n 198 , Nigeria added the .aduna 5eÀning and 3etrochemical &ompany .53& , which is capable of reÀning 11 , barrels per day, and then nine years later in 1989, Áoated the New 3ort +arcourt reÀnery with a total capacity of 1 , bpd. With a total installed capacity of , bpd, in the last two decades, the facilities have undergone serious degradation due to poor management and maintenance, with capacity utilisation as low as 1 percent and percent every year. While the country managed to source between percent to percent in the last couple of years, the reÀneries have now totally packed up, as all demand is now fully imported by the Nigerian National 3etroleum &orporation NN3& , through its subsidiary, the Petroleum Products Marketing &ompany PPM& . The decline in the performance of the local reÀneries, according toAnthony Ogbuigwe, writing in the Applied Petrochemical Research, volume 8, started in the early 199 s when the military government ordered NNP& to close its accounts in commercial banks and transfer them to the &entral %ank. That singular decision, he argued, led to NNP& losing its autonomy. Eventually, it became increasingly subjected to interference and control of politicians, with decisions on when to carry out turnaround maintenance and selection of contractors then being inÁuenced by government, rather than by the professionals within the corporation. %efore they Ànally shut down, the nation·s four reÀneries were performing at a paltry . percent of their combined nameplate capacity of , barrels per day. %ut even today, Nigeria still spends roughly N1 billion on the reÀneries every month, even if they have not produced a drop of fuel for years, remaining a drain on the country·s purse. ,n , the NNP& published an audited Ànancial report for the Àrst time in its years of operation. ,n 18 alone, the report revealed that the reÀneries incurred a total loss of N1 billion, with the Port +arcourt reÀnery losing N . 9 billion, the Warri reÀnery about N . billion, and the .aduna

Port Harcourt Reﬁnery...One of the three reﬁneries slated for rehabilitation

reÀnery losing N . billion. Although actual Àgures are rarely available as many of the turnaround maintenance exercises were shrouded in secrecy, at least before now, it is estimated that about billion may have gone down the drain Àxing the intractable problem in the last years. The Nigerian Senate in an attempt to unravel the lingering challenge said that between 1 and 1 alone, over 9 million was expended on Àxing reÀneries, with NNP& announcing a cumulative loss of N1 . billion in 1 months from -anuary to October 19. $ IUHVK MRXUQH\ WR QRZKHUH" Several experts have said that the best way to bring the reÀneries back to life is to sell them oͿ to private investors. %ut despite that position, the federal government has ramped up its Ànancial involvement in revamping the facilities, recently announcing that it was spending 1. billion on rehabilitating the Port +arcourt reÀnery. To be overseen by ,taly·s Tecnimont, the government stressed that it will be completed in three phases, with the Àrst being within 18 months, which will take the reÀnery to 9 percent production capacity, while the second and Ànal phases will be carried out within 24 months and 44 months respectively. The reÀnery has three funding components, namely from the NNP&·s ,nternally *enerated Revenue ,*R , budgetary allocations provisions, and loans from Afreximbank. %ut this is not the Àrst time Nigeria will be taking a huge decision on the operations of the reÀneries. To bring it home, recall that in the last days of the Olusegun Obasanjo presidency, he had succeeded in privatising the Port +arcourt reÀnery, but was reversed by President 8mar <ar·Adua, resulting in another fruitless journey. It remains to be seen if the project will not be discontinued by the next administration. Not a few believe that it is absurd to keep spending money without results and yet dig further into debt, even when it·s obvious that the country has fallen into a Ànancial hole. Experts believe that it is better to climb out of the hole Àrst, instead of sinking deeper. Furthermore, questions have been raised as to how transparent the “open competitive bidding” for the project was, how many companies submitted bids and when the technical evaluation was done.

With the timelines for completion being 18, 28, and 44 months, after the government must have left power, it is further believed that the issue of accountability may have been thrown through the windows as the current government will not be around to take questions if the project fails. Added to the earlier 1. billion, the Federal Executive &ouncil FE& last Wednesday approved another contract for the award of contracts for the rehabilitation of Warri and .aduna reÀneries to Messrs Saipem SPA and Saipem &ontracting Limited at the combined sum of $1.484 billion. According to the Minister of State, Petroleum, Timpre Sylva, the Warri reÀnery rehabilitation got $897, 78,8 , while .aduna ReÀnery would cost $ 8 ,9 2,2 , noting that the completion of the rehabilitation of the reÀneries would be in three phases. “The Àrst phase will be completed within 21 months. In 2 months, phase two will be completed and in months, full rehabilitation will be completed,” he said. :KDW 6RPH 1LJHULDQV WKLQN At various times and in diverse forums, some Nigerians have expressed their opinions on the new drive and commitment of the government·s scarce resources to the project they see as a waste of public funds. An oil and gas expert and former &hair of the Society of Petroleum Engineers SPE , -oe Nwakwue, described it as a wrong step, arguing that if the country has not been able to run any commercial venture proÀtably, there·s no hope it will be diͿerent this time. +e called for privatisation of the reÀneries, using the most appropriate models, maintaining that private sector capital and operational control is the most promising option for the country. In a separate forum, renowned economist, Prof. Pat Utomi, said the rehabilitation amounted to a waste of resources, arguing that other areas are begging for government attention but certainly not the rehabilitation of an asset already earmarked for sale. “The decision of the federal government to invest $1. billion in the repair of Port +arcourt reÀnery is unwise, unreasonable and has no basis,” he stated In the same vein, the immediate past Director*eneral of the Lagos &hamber of &ommerce and Industry L&&I , Dr. Muda <usuf, argued that the government has no business putting more

money into the Port +arcourt reÀnery, while Dr. Olanrewaju Aladeitan, a lecturer at the University of Abuja faulted government·s action, saying it is one step forward and three steps backward. In addition, one of the earliest reactions was from economist and founder of Stanbic I%T& %ank Plc, Atedo Peterside, who said the NNP& would only “enmesh Nigeria into a deeper Ànancial mess by throwing $1. billion including debt

at a problem it created” and recommended an end to the ¶nightmare· through a %ureau of Public Enterprise %PE core investor sale. According to him, going ahead with the project amounts to “mortgaging the future of our children and grandchildren in the hands of people who have not shown that they can manage anything.” Also, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar had asked the government to urgently “privatise our reÀneries and the NNP& through the timetested Nigeria LN* model in which the federal government owns 49 percent equity and the private sector controls 1 percent.” “In 2 years ending 2 2 , the NLN* had delivered $18. billion dividends to government irrespective of taxes and other beneÀt accruals to the country. This will not only free the government of needless spending but also clean up the infrastructure mess in the petroleum downstream sector,” he had argued. 113& GHIHQGV SRVLWLRQ Although some Nigerians have maintained that the funds being sunk into revamping the reÀneries would be enough to build new ones, the NNP& argues that the country does not have the Ànancial muscle now to build new ones. It further noted that petroleum reÀning as a business is too important to be left in private hands entirely because of its security implications. NNP& *roup Managing Director, Mele .yari, said building a new reÀnery now would cost the country about $1 billion which is far beyond the $1. billion earmarked for the rehabilitation of the Port +arcourt reÀnery. He also said the country would have to live with the importation of petroleum products, especially petrol, for another four years if the country ventures into building a new reÀnery. “We have people saying why not build a new one why will you repair an old reÀnery with $1. billion? The fact is available even by *oogle search, what it takes to build a reÀnery of this status today. “It will be di΀cult for the country to build a new reÀnery as it will take four years for it to commence production. It is around $7 billion and $12 billion to construct a reÀnery of this nature Port Harcourt reÀnery . “This is the estimate you see in public space and there are things you do outside the construction limits like the utilities that are never accounted for when estimates of this nature are done. “Typically, there is an additional 2 percent cost for construction limits, so, when you say a reÀnery can be built at $7 billion or even $1 billion, also think of that 2 percent. “With today·s estimate, you cannot build a reÀnery at any cost below these amounts, that means that the option you have is to scrap this and build a new one, and we all know that we don·t have that resource. “If we start a new reÀnery of this nature today, it can·t work in less than four years, therefore, it means we will continue to import petroleum products in the next four years or more,” .yari argued. He admitted that the huge cost of rehabilitation of the reÀnery witnessed in this present time is a result of poor maintenance of the plant over some time, stressing that due process was followed in arriving at all the decisions taken so far.

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER AUGUST 8, 2021

FINANCE

Gainers and Losers of Emefiele’s Reform Agenda in CBN Although, the Governor of the Central of Nigeria, Mr. Godwin EmeÀele, opted for a low-key 60th birthday celebration last week, his achievements, especially in his capacity as the CBN helmsman cannot be kept under the carpet. Festus Akanbi examines EmeÀele·s robust performance in his seven years· stint at the apex bank

ntil his emergence as Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria on March 6, 2014, Mr. Godwin EmeÀele, who turned 60 years old last week remained a conservative man, running an equally conservative but hugely successful =enith Bank Plc. His appearance in the media space was measured, so also his positions on issues. However, the former Managing Director and chief executive of =enith Bank never left anyone in doubt about his competence, nationalist fervour, and professionalism. This was why upon his appointment as the new apex bank·s helmsman, the Àrst step he took was to embark on a wide-ranged consultation with his fellow bank·s chief executives, the academic community, which he still has a close a΀nity with, the organised private sector, and of course, the media. His resolve was to make a remarkable diͿerence in the o΀ce laced with banana peels because of the tendency of Aso Rock to interfering in the activities of the Central Bank from time to time. So, when sometimes in March, he invited this correspondent to his Ajose Adeogun·s o΀ce, his question was what do you think can be done diͿerently? The discussions ranged from giving the apex bank a human face to ensuring that everyone was carried along. He also gave the assurance that his o΀ce would be opened to suggestions as feedbacks. However, seven years down the line, EmeÀele can be said to have left an indelible mark on the nation·s Ànancial sector as several policy decisions initiated and implemented by the apex bank under his watch have proved to be the needed economic balm, especially in the period of crises, which has seen Nigeria in and out of economic recession twice. It was therefore not a surprise that on -une 2, 2019, President Mohammadu Buhari renewed the appointment of Mr. EmeÀele, an appointment seen as a cautious choice for a role that will be critical in the period leading to the post-Covid-19 era. The Winners: The Banking Industry Having run one of the most proÀtable banks in the country before he was headhunted by President Goodluck -onathan·s administration, the CBN Governor has been able to demonstrate his Àrm hold on the banking industry in the past seven years. Industry watchers attributed EmeÀele·s close monitoring to the current stable outlook in the industry. It is instructive that under his watch, the industry was devoid of crisis in the scale that existed before his tenure and this is why so far, apart from the board and management of Skye Bank Plc, which were sacked, no other commercial banks had any cause to lose its o΀cials on the order of the apex bank. The recent clampdown on bureau de change operators, which gave their share of o΀cial foreign exchange allocations to banks is another gain for commercial banks. What this singular policy change will do for banks is to increase customers· tra΀c. This will in turn trigger more proÀt-yielding transactions in the banks.

Newly Licensed Banks In -une 2019, the CBN, under the leadership of EmeÀele, licensed three new banks, which included two commercial banks and one noninterest bank, to boost banking operations in Nigeria. The new entrants are Titan Trust Bank Limited Globus Bank Limited and TABank Limited, which is a non-interest bank. This development has brought the number of commercial banks to 22 and two non-interest banks, namely -ai] Bank Plc and Taj Bank. The 22 commercial banks are Access Bank Plc, Citibank Nigeria Limited Ecobank Nigeria Plc Fidelity Bank Plc First Bank Nigeria Limited First City Monument Bank Plc Globus Bank Limited Guaranty Trust Bank Plc Heritage Banking Company Limited .eystone Bank Polaris Bank Providus Bank and Stanbic IBTC Bank Limited Sterling Bank Plc Sun Trust Bank Nigeria Limited Titan Trust Bank Ltd Union Bank of Nigeria Plc United Bank for Africa Plc Unity Bank Plc Wema Bank Plc and =enith Bank Plc. Professionalism in Banking Industry Observers believe that by staying out of political drama, EmeÀele has been able to set a good example for bank chiefs and the result is a banking industry devoid of scandals. The industry is also free from the activities of politically exposed persons. Indeed, EmeÀele has been able to prove himself to be a thoroughbred banker and economist who does not leave o΀cial responsibilities to chase shadows, hence the decision of President Buhari to put him forward again after the expiration of his Àrst term, a feat unrivalled since the return of democracy in 1999. 0icroÀnance Banks Under the supervision of EmeÀele, the CBN has continued to revise supervisory and regulatory guidelines for the operations of microÀnance banks in the country, a development said to have contributed to the stability in that sector. The bank also introduced new capital for operators. According to the latest directive from CBN, the Tier 1 microÀnance banks had their capital threshold raised from N100 million to N200million by April 2021, while the threshold for the Tier 2 unit moved from N million in 2020 to N 0 million as of April this year. For the state-based MicroÀnance Banks, the CBN moved their capital from N500 million in April 2020 to N1billion by April 2021. According to the CBN, the changes were made to improve the performance of the MicroÀnance Bank in the Ànancial industry. The Productive Sector EmeÀele·s adopted a protectionist policy in favour of locally produced goods and services. His policy was designed to drastically reduce imports and encourage local production and create jobs. At the heart of the policy was the desire to spur the domestic economy, which had been swallowed with an unrestrained taste for foreign goods and enhance production. Realising the undue pressure over the nation·s external reserves, especially from importers of all manner of goods and services, EmeÀele decided to cut oͿ importers of 41 items from o΀cial foreign exchange allocation, with the promise to expand the list from

Emeﬁele

time to time. This policy also seeks to discourage the dumping of sub-standard goods which were Áooding the Nigerian markets. To ensure that a vacuum was not created and to ensure that dealers in the goods barred from CBN fx allocation have other proÀtable things to do, the CBN came up with the Anchor Borrowers· Programme, Investors and Exporters Window, <outh Entrepreneur Development Programme <EPD , Real Sector Support Fund Facility RSSP and Accelerated Agriculture Development Scheme AADS

this not to mention the N220bn MSMEDF, ACGS, SMECGS, etc. and importantly, his brand of economic nationalism ² Produce, Add Value and Export PAVE . Gradually, many Nigerians began to appreciate the importance of the CBN·s action on the 41 banned items. Many entrepreneurs took advantage of this policy to venture into domestic production of the restricted items with remarkable successes and a great positive impact on employment. The dramatic decline in import bills and the increase in domestic production of these items attested to the e΀cacy of EmeÀele·s initiatives. The CBN Governor himself attested to these developments. According to the statistics reeled out by the CBN, the Bank·s monthly food import bill from $665.4 million in -anuary 2015 fell to $160.4 million as of October 2018 a cumulative fall of 75.9 percent and an implied savings of over $21 billion on food imports alone over that period. Most evident were the 97. percent cumulative reduction in monthly rice import bills, 99.6 percent in Àsh, 81. percent in milk, 6 .7 in sugar, and 68.5 in wheat. Also, the Investors and Exporters F; I E

window was introduced by EmeÀele, which allowed investors and exporters to purchase and sell foreign exchange at the prevailing market rate. The Investors and Exporters· Forex Window attracted over $50 billion investments into the country within a spate of three years. The Governor is said to have been able to rally commercial banks· chief executives to

support his vision in growing the economy by setting aside Àve percent of their annual proÀt to Ànance agriculture and the real sector to create jobs and wealth. Talking about his drive to rally around local producers of goods and services, EmeÀele was quoted as saying, “This path of supporting domestication of local production in Nigeria is imperative for us to enable growth that is inclusive and sustainable. “We can·t aͿord to continue to rely on a model that encourages imports of goods and exports of jobs away from Nigeria, as the ramiÀcations will be huge on our economy”. To conÀrm that the CBN under his watch is on the tracks, EmeÀele stated, “Our eͿorts have aided the recovery of the manufacturing sector as reÁected in the Purchasing Managers Index which shows that the index on manufacturing activities rose from a low of 42.4 points in May 2020 to 48.7 points in February 2021. “While growth remains fragile, driving further growth of the economy would require that we continue to support more investments that will enable the growth of the manufacturing sector in Nigeria,” the apex bank governor said. Nigerian Farmers One can describe the tenure of EmeÀele as a season of support to Nigerian farmers. As a result of the various support for rice farmers, rice pyramids have mounted in .ebbi State, as rice is now being produced in about 26 states in the federation, making Nigeria almost self-su΀cient in rice production. So also, is the bumper harvest that has been recorded in sorghum, mai]e, millet, cassava, tomatoes, and cotton farmers under the CBN·s Anchor Borrowers· Programme. In line with its developmental function, which is distinct from its primary mandate of price stability, the CBN had established the Anchor Borrowers· Programme ABP

which was launched by President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015. The programme aimed to create a linkage between anchor companies involved in the processing and smallholder farmers SHF of

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER AUGUST 8, 2021

FINANCE Gainers and Losers of EmeÀele’s Reform Agenda in CBN the required key agricultural commodities. The thrust of the ABP is the provision of farm inputs in kind and cash to smallholder farmers to boost production of farm commodities which states have a comparative advantage to produce including cereals namely rice, maize, wheat, cotton; roots and tubers namely cassava, potatoes, yam, ginger, tomato, poultry, oil palm, Àsh, sugarcane among others. The CBN governor·s eͿorts towards food su΀ciency especially in rice production have now materialised and currently causing ripples eͿects in the economy. Today, there has been a revolution in local rice production, as most of the inactive rice mills across the country have suddenly received life again while the staple has become the favourite in most Nigerian homes, partly because of its aͿordability and the fact that local rice had been properly cleaned up to eliminate stone particles which had been a turn oͿ for most people. The staple can now compete with the imported counterpart. The National President, Rice Farmers Association (RIFAN), Alhaji Aminu Goronyo said all farmers’ groups have lauded the pronouncement and committed to ensuring the country achieves food security. He said: “It is not a new thing at all as the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has in the last four years, has not been issuing forex to most of the essential commodities that were being imported into the country. “For over four years, rice and other commodities including maize had not enjoyed any support from the CBN to import them into the country. So, this is not a new thing, nevertheless, it is a welcome idea as Nigeria in no distant time will be self-su΀cient in all commodities going by this instruction from the president.” The Creative Industry Realising the rising potentials of the creative industry, EmeÀele recently unveiled the plan to commence the implementation of the N22 billion Creative industry development scheme. The Creative Industry Initiative, he said was aimed at unlocking the creative talents of Nigerian youths and was designed to generate 800,000 jobs in the movie, music, and fashion sectors, and increase the revenue of the industry by $300 million. The CBN governor stated that throughout the initiative, over Àve years, 50 additional cinemas would be developed across the country. This, he said would increase the contribution of the movie industry to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to 3% from the current level of 1%. The plan is said to create over 200,000 direct and indirect jobs in the country. Just like the movie industry, the music industry would also be expanding through this initiative, as over the next Àve years, young Nigerians would be able to capture a signiÀcant market share of the $10.7 billion music industry. It would also create over 500,000 direct and indirect jobs. For instance, the ongoing remodelling of the National Arts Theatre under the ‘Lagos Creative and Entertainment Centre’ is one such supports. The N21.3 billion remodelling project initiated by the CBN-led Bankers’ Committee will house the fashion, music, movies, and IT hubs. It will boost the creative and IT sectors in the areas of job creation, capacity building, and forex revenue generation. The CIFI goal is to support start-ups and existing businesses across these four pillars as well as foster the development of a Nigeria Creative Industries Centre in major cities in Nigeria. The CBN has, through the CIFI scheme, encouraged banks to play more prominent roles by ensuring that the creative industry not only gets funding but also the right capacity that promotes creativity. Losers: Board and 0anagement of Skye Bank Plc On July 4, 2016, the CBN announced the sack of Skye Bank’s management team and board, when EmeÀele blamed their dismissal on Skye Bank’s inability to meet requirements for capital adequacy ratio (CAR) – a measure of how much capital banks have to protect customers’ deposits. A bridge bank option was adopted. Today, Skye Bank is now signiÀcantly less popular but stable Polaris Bank.

Bureau de change operators were removed from direct supply of fx from the CBN, a fortnight ago

who need foreign currencies for their Basic Travel Allowance can access any commercial banks for such transactions, leaving the BDC operators to deal with few customers who approach BDCs to avoid bank’s protocols. The policy shift also left BDC operators to look for their fx supply from other sources, with the attendant stress and low-proÀt margins. Parallel market oSerators Analysts believe that EmeÀele’s pronouncements on BDC operators were bound to aͿect the operations of parallel marketers of forex. Given the suspicion that some of the BDC operators are the brains behind the boom in the parallel market, the restriction from the o΀cial fx market on BDC operators will not only reduce the volume of trade in the black market, it will also force some sponsors of black market activities to go underground. EmeÀele had announced the readiness of the apex bank to investigate the activities of some fx operators involved in arbitrage activities. The bank’s Anchor Borrowers’ Scheme is revolutionising agric practice in the country

Some 0icroÀnance banks To ensure strict compliance with the laid down rules, the CBN under EmeÀele was compelled to withdraw the licences of some microÀnance banks for sundry infractions. The list of licensed microÀnance banks as of August 19, 2015, was 949 but as of June 30 this year, the list had reduced to 876.

Smugglers and imSorters of items e[cluded from CBN List It didn’t come as a surprise that a cocktail of reforms introduced into the foreign exchange market is frustrating the activities of smugglers, especially, those bringing in food items into Nigeria. The revolution in rice farming, for instance, is creating an unprecedented appetite for locally produced rice, which is found in the local markets in greater quantity, a development that signposts the gradual rejection of smuggled foreign rice in Nigeria. Also, the noose tightened on BDC operators is said to be frustrating smugglers and importers of less important items into the country because, under Emefiele, doors of The National Arts Theatre, Lagos is being remodelled under the ‘Lagos Creative and Entertainment Centre’ cheap fx have been shut since he insisted the few available foreign exchanges should be reserved for ventures. which guarantees employment opportunities and wealth Board of FBN +oldings shareholders and 31 million customers. Too to Nigerians. In the case of First Bank, the banking arm of big to fail does not mean too big to be Áogged. Given the laudable achievements of the FBN Holding Plc, analysts described EmeÀele’s CBN under the leadership of Mr. EmeÀele, recent intervention as an attempt to stem the Bureau de change oSerators one can say that the apex bank is on the right tide of high-handedness, which could have Perhaps, members of the Association of track, especially with its timely interventions precipitated an unmitigated crisis in the Bureau de Change Operators of Nigeria in critical sectors of the economy. oldest bank. (ABCON) should be counting their losses by As Head, Retail Investment, Chapel Hill Proving to be a gentleman who knows now having been eliminated from the chain Denham, Mr. Ayodeji Ebo puts it, “The CBN when to ‘bark and bite,’ EmeÀele stepped of money market operators with access to Governor came into position at a very crucial into the bank’s crisis when he overruled the o΀cial foreign exchange supply. time where the economy has experienced decision of the board of the bank to sack the The CBN Governor who wielded the ham- economic recession at two diͿerent times. current chief executive, Dr. Sola Adeduntan, mer two weeks ago blamed some bureau de “As stated in his inaugural address, the without recourse to the apex bank. change operators for unwholesome activities, CBN Governor has provided signiÀcant supEmeÀele did not mince words. First Bank’s which allegedly heightened pressure on the port for the Nigerian economy through the leaders crossed the line and were made to available dollar supply with a corresponding use of intervention funds to boost economic pay, without hurting the bank’s minority crash in the value of the naira. Today, Nigerians growth.”

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER AUGUST 8, 2021

TELECOMS

A telecom mast

How Telecoms Impacted Lives, Economy in 20 Years of GSM Rollout Emma Okonji

oday marks 20 years of the roll out of Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) in Nigeria as the Àrst commercial GSM call on the Econet Wireless Network, now Airtel Network was made on August 8, 2001 Expectedly, operators, regulators and consumers of telecoms products have continued to speak about the revolution which GSM has brought into the Nigerian national life, Interestingly, there seems to be a consensus among industry players and the regulators that the transformational development in the Nigerian telecoms sector in 20 years, have signiÀcantly transformed the Nigerian socio-economic life in a positive way. Chief among these contributions include increased contribution to GDP and the ability of Nigerians to communicate through the mobile phone and the opportunity to carry out several banking transactions on the mobile phone, while on the move. Millions of Nigerians use the shortcode platform to access banking services daily through their phones, but the telcos say they are being owed by the banks. The importance of telecoms to banking was ampliÀed by the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive (EVC CE) of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Danbatta, who declare that telecommunications remains the best enabler in expanding the frontiers of Ànancial inclusion in Nigeria. MTN Nigeria, which had carried out a trial test on its network before August 8, 2001, also rolled out its commercial GSM services, few days after August 8, 2001,

before the emergence of Globacom in 2003 and 9mobile in 2008. Before the GSM rollout in 2001, Nigeria had a combined subscriptions of about 400,000 lines, which were built on the defunct Nigerian Telecommunications (NITEL) network and few other existing Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) networks, from the time of Independence in 1960 to 2001. In less than two years of GSM rollout, total telecoms subscriptions grew to millions, and today telecoms subscriptions have reached over 200 million in just 20 years of GSM rollout. Chairman, Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria, ALTON, Mr. Gbenga Adebayo, told THISDAY that telecoms has impacted the lives of Nigerians and the Nigerian Economy in the last 20 years. According to him, “Before GSM technology, there was Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) technology but all these have transformed to total neutrality of technology, leading to availability of service, quality of service among others, and they have brought about signiÀcant improvement on mobile communications. “We have transformed from 1G technology, which was the CDMA technology, to 2G 2.5G, (voice only) 3G, 3.5G, 4G and 5G technology. “These transformations are function of technology, but the beauty of it is that Nigeria moved at the right speed of technology, and if the country had not moved in that speed by adopting emerging technologies, we would not have had that rapid growth. Today there is no kind of service you Ànd on the network of

developed countries that are not on our networks in Nigeria and we give the credit to our operators. So part of the progress we have made as a country, is by accepting and adopting the rapid changes in technology.” Executive Chairman, NigerIan Communications Commission (NCC), the telecoms industry regulator, said the telecoms sector has contributed well over $70 billion to Nigeria’s GDP since 2001. According to statistics obtained from NCC’s website, telecoms contribution to GDP in 2012 was 7.7 per cent, but the Àgure doubled to 14.3 per cent as at the second quarter in 2020. This represented a N2.3 trillion growth, whereas the total contribution of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) to GDP, was put at 17. 5 per cent. According to the statistics, telecoms contribution to GDP had maintained a steady growth rate between 2012 and 2020, excerpt for 2013, when there was a slight drop in the contribution, compared to the contribution in 2012. The statistics showed that in 2012, telecoms contribution to GDP was 7.7 per cent and in 2013, the contribution dropped slightly to 7.4 per cent, but it picked up again in 2014, contributing 7.6 per cent to GDP. In 2015, telecoms contribution to GDP further increased to 8.5 per cent and it had another increase in 2016, contributing 9.13 per cent. In 2017, it contributed 8.7 per cent to GDP and in 2018, telecoms contribution to GDP grew to 9.9 per cent. In 2019, telecoms contribution to GDP grew again to 10.6 per cent and in 2020, as at second quarter, telecoms contribution to GDP, reached 14.3 per

cent, representing N2.3 trillion, whereas the entire contribution of ICT to GDP within the same period was 17.5 per cent. MTN, one of the early telecoms operators that has not changed its brand identity and ownership structure since 2001 till date, has extended its gratitude towards Nigerians as the country celebrates the 20th anniversary of GSM rollout. As part of its expression of gratitude towards Nigerians for their support over the years, MTN said it would be commissioning an ultra-modern head o΀ce in Nigeria to be powered by renewable energy. This is also a testament to its desire to continue to plant its roots in the country. The Chief Executive O΀cer of MTN Nigeria, Mr. Karl Toriola, in a statement, said the building would serve as a central hub for creativity and innovation. According to him: “In line with our desire to plant deeper and more permanent roots in Nigeria, we have also initiated plans to commission a purpose-built, state of the art MTN Head O΀ce, designed to act as a central hub for our network, a catalyst for creativity and innovation, and a showcase for the Áexible working structures that are driving e΀ciency gains in this new normal working environment. “Aligned with our wider commitment to environmental sustainability, it will meet the highest global environmental standards, demonstrating the role of green technology in our future.” The company said it owes its success to the immense support of Nigerians over the years. “In 20 years, we have been able to reach impressive heights thanks to the support of Nigerians. This has been our motivation for doing more, and we will continue to put Nigerians Àrst,” Toriola added.

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER AUGUST 8, 2021

WOMEN ENTERPRENEURS FOLASHADE OGUNWUSI-FADAIRO

To Revive Textile Industry, Govt Should Encourage Importation of Industrial Machines Princess Folashade Ogunwusi-Fadairo is the chief executive o΀cer of Wuraolaby4lar Couture. An amazon, she is a big-time fashion designer and business tycoon, who delved into fashion as a hobby, which later turned into a cash cow. During her university days, Ogunwusi-Fadairo, who is the senior sister of Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, was one of the best-dressed ladies on campus and to date, dresses impeccably well. As the CEO of Wuraolaby4lar couture, Ogunwusi-Fadairo has an eye for complete fashion and styles; what to wear and how to rock it. She can look at anyone and suggest the right combination of colours, styles, and beÀtting fabrics, designs, styles, patterns, embellishments, and accessories. Wuraolaby4lar Couture serves as wardrobe managers to the crqme-de-la- crqme of the society; showing the world how to rock African styles with appealing touches of ancient and international standards. In this Interview with Oyinlola Sale, Ogunwusi-Fadairo tells a story of how her hobby turned into a money-making venture and gives further insights into her business and fashion industry generally

of Education, Ilesa and Ànished it up at Obafemi Awolowo University in Ile Ife with BA.Ed. Then, I did my National Youth Corp Service with 21st Century Communication at Ikosi Ketu Lagos, and started my career in teaching before I proceeded to the Nigerian Port Authority to start a career as a PIDA staͿ later to a shipping company, Prime Marketing Shipping Company inApapa, Lagos. I later did a course on landscaping and horticulture before I started my fashion career, which am doing to date. Now, talking about how being a princess from a kingdom in Yorubaland has heightened my clientele and opportunities in the fashion industry, I think I will give it a percentage of 30 percent because I believe in my work and I don’t attach the throne to my work; they are two diͿerent entities.

our journey into the fashion industry started as a hobby, which gave birth to Wuraolaby4lar Couture. Now tell us what we don’t know about your breakthrough in the fashion industry? My journey into the fashion world started from growing up as the Àrst girl of the family. I was always trying all my mum’s stuͿ, for example putting on her big sunglasses, her wigs, etc. Well, fashion to me is an inborn thing, and it’s all about creativity and creativity is the mother of invention, that is, creating a new style. So to me in the fashion industry what I see as my breakthrough is when I started designing my fabric. In addition to my breakthrough in the fashion world is the establishment of my brand name which is Wuraolaby4lar Couture. This brand was named after my late mum, who was my great mentor.

How did you manage to Ànance this business in the early days? I was able to do this during my early days because I learnt to save and support myself with other little businesses I love doing.

I have looked at some of your designs and they are very distinct, what inspires your creativity? I will say colours inspire my creativity; I am a lover of beautiful things and I am attracted to nature like beautiful Áowers that are colorful and this boosts my creativity anytime because I love to play around colours. More so with great help from my darling husband Prince Babajide Fadairo, who grew up in LosAngeles, the world’s home of fashion, also helped me immensely with putting stuͿ together to achieve my unique designs. The fashion industry has become a global phenomenon, where foreigners adore our local attires, how did this industry achieve that height? Foreigners adore our local attires because they are beautiful and unique in their way, black naturally is beautiful. And we can achieve the height by believing in the works of our hands and by appreciating our locally made attires. The Adire and Ankara fabrics are so loved by African Americans that want to identify with their backgrounds. I remember there was a music video of Beyoncp and Janet Jackson featuring people wearing and displaying the beauty of Ankara. This is a great achievement so far. As an expert in the Àeld of fashion, what are the important factors one must consider before venturing into the fashion business? Let me start by saying Rome was not built in a day, you have to do your homework. Create your niche, your design, determine your market level, and have a business plan. What are the challenges you have faced so far in running Wuraolaby4lar Couture? There is competition everywhere, you cannot avoid it. Nigerians not believing in locally made

So what makes Wuraolaby4lar Couture stand out amid a competitive market? Our constant dedication, and designs, and ability to deliver on time. What were some of your biggest fears when you ventured into the fashion business? My biggest fear was the fear of the unknown. I always wondered if I will succeed but God surprised me.

Ogunwusi-Fadairo

products is also a challenge. Everyone wants to wear designers like Prada, Gucci, Tom Ford, etc. Wuraolaby4lar couture is working hard to get to greater heights.

The fashion industry is churning out a lot of creative designers, what is your view about this growth? I feel that creative designers should be encouraged. Nobody should discourage them no matter what. The Nigerian creative economy is so vast now, which has led to a major driver of socio-economic and cultural sustainable change all over the world. And Nigerians are not left out too, once you have a vision, you will create and then implement, which

will lead to churning out increment.

Would you say being a princess of a prominent kingdom in Yorubaland has heightened your clientele and opportunities in the fashion industry? Can you tell us more about your background? I was born into the family of Prince Oluropo Ogunwusi and late Madam Wuraola Ogunwusi, we are seven children and I am the Àrst girl in the family. I started my primary education with Subuola Memorial Nursery and Primary School in Ibadan and ended it at Seventh Day Adventist Primary SchoolAgodi Ibadan and proceeded to Isabatudeen Girls Grammar School, Orita Basorun Ibadan, then to College

Fashion designers have complained about the textile industry in Nigeria. What can the government do to revive the textile industry in Nigeria? To revive the textile industry the government has to encourage the importation of industrial machines to make textiles. Just look at China; they have gone so far, there is nothing they cannot make or design when it comes to textiles. I remember so many years ago when China town came to Nigeria with their cheap laces and kinds of stuͿ, they were located in Ikoyi, before they moved to Ojota, nobody wanted to buy their products then because people see them as cheap, but I was buying from them then and reselling to people. But today, they are so big now. Our locally made Adire print should be encouraged too by the government to create employment opportunities. Tell us about your greatest achievement in this journey, are there any awards-worthy to be celebrated? My greatest achievement is seeing my designs out there in America, UK, and Canada. So far, I have received more than Àve awards and I’m still receiving more.

T H I S DAY, T H E S U N DAY N E W S PA P E R • AUGUST 8, 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 05Aug-2021, unless otherwise stated.

Offer price: The price at which units of a trust or ETF are bought by investors. Bid Price: The price at which Investors redeem (sell) units of a trust or ETF. Yield/Total Return: Denotes the total return an investor would have earned on his investment. Money Market Funds report Yield while others report Year- to-date Total Return. NAV: Is value per share of the real estate assets held by a REIT on a specific date.

DAILY PRICE LIST FOR MUTUAL FUNDS, REITS and ETFS

MUTUAL FUNDS / UNIT TRUSTS

AFRINVEST ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD aaml@afrinvest.com Web: www.afrinvest.com; Tel: +234 818 885 6757 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Afrinvest Equity Fund 156.75 158.30 -3.11% Afrinvest Plutus Fund 100.00 100.00 4.67% Nigeria International Debt Fund 311.86 311.86 -22.70% Afrinvest Dollar Fund 111.16 111.16 -0.83% ALTERNATIVE CAPITAL PARTNERS LTD info@acapng.com Web: www.acapng.com, Tel: +234 1 291 2406, +234 1 291 2868 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn ACAP Canary Growth Fund N/A N/A N/A ACAP Income Funds N/A N/A N/A AIICO CAPITAL LTD ammf@aiicocapital.com Web: www.aiicocapital.com, Tel: +234-1-2792974 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn AIICO Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 6.82% AIICO Balanced Fund 3.15 3.20 -8.79% info@anchoriaam.com ANCHORIA ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED info@anchoriaam.com Web:www.anchoriaam.com, Tel: 08166830267; 08036814510; 08028419180 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Anchoria Money Market 100.00 100.00 7.87% Anchoria Equity Fund 135.17 136.73 1.63% Anchoria Fixed Income Fund 1.10 1.10 -17.17% ARM INVESTMENT MANAGERS LTD enquiries@arminvestmentcenter.com Web: www.arm.com.ng; Tel: 0700 CALLARM (0700 225 5276) Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn ARM Aggressive Growth Fund N/A N/A N/A ARM Discovery Balanced Fund N/A N/A N/A ARM Ethical Fund N/A N/A N/A ARM Eurobond Fund ($) N/A N/A N/A ARM Fixed Income Fund N/A N/A N/A ARM Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A AVA GLOBAL ASSET MANAGERS LIMITED info@avacapitalgroup.com Web: www.avacapitalgroup.com Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn AVA GAM Fixed Income Dollar Fund 105.54 105.54 3.77% AVA GAM Fixed Income Naira Fund 1,014.84 1,014.84 1.48% AXA MANSARD INVESTMENTS LIMITED investmentcare@axamansard.com Web: www.axamansard.com; Tel: +2341-4488482 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn AXA Mansard Equity Income Fund 134.98 135.93 6.98% AXA Mansard Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 9.86% CAPITAL EXPRESS ASSET AND TRUST LIMITED info@capitalexpressassetandtrust.com Web: www.capitalexpressassetandtrust.com ; Tel: +234 803 307 5048 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn CEAT Fixed Income Fund 2.00 2.00 -11.92% Capital Express Balanced Fund(Formerly: Union Trustees Mixed Fund) 2.11 2.15 -9.14% CARDINALSTONE ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED mutualfunds@cardinalstone.com Web: www.cardinalstoneassetmanagement.com ; Tel: +234 (1) 710 0433 4 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn CardinalStone Fixed Income Alpha Fund 1.01 1.01 2.18% CHAPELHILL DENHAM MANAGEMENT LTD investmentmanagement@chapelhilldenham.com Web: www.chapelhilldenham.com, Tel: +234 461 0691 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Chapelhill Denham Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 7.98% Paramount Equity Fund 16.50 16.83 3.25% Women's Investment Fund 136.73 138.32 2.75% CORDROS ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmgtteam@cordros.com Web: www.cordros.com, Tel: 019036947 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Cordros Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 7.38% Cordros Milestone Fund 2023 118.79 119.55 Cordros Milestone Fund 2028 N/A N/A Cordros Dollar Fund ($) 107.50 107.50 CORONATION ASSEST MANAGEMENT investment@coronationam.com Web:www.coronationam.com , Tel: 012366215 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Coronation Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 7.15% Coronation Balanced Fund 1.19 1.21 -0.57% Coronation Fixed Income Fund 1.36 1.36 -14.02% EDC FUNDS MANAGEMENT LIMITED mutualfundng@ecobank.com Web: www.ecobank.com Tel: 012265281 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn EDC Nigeria Money Market Fund Class A 100.00 100.00 8.61% EDC Nigeria Money Market Fund Class B 1,000,000.00 1,000,000.00 7.21% EDC Nigeria Fixed Income Fund 1,139.83 1,154.95 -1.05% FBNQUEST ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD invest@fbnquest.com Web: www.fbnquest.com/asset-management; Tel: +234-81 0082 0082 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn FBN Fixed Income Fund 1,398.10 1,398.10 11.36% FBN Balanced Fund 191.75 193.13 2.17% FBN Halal Fund 111.64 111.64 7.78% FBN Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 9.60% 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

126.48 158.16

126.48 2.34% 160.38 4.62% fcmbamhelpdesk@fcmb.com

Bid Price 1.00 3.99 1.59 1.18

Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn 1.00 5.42% 3.99 3.10% 1.62 4.17% 1.18 4.06% coralfunds@fsdhgroup.com

Bid Price N/A N/A N/A

Offer Price N/A N/A N/A

Yield / T-Rtn N/A N/A N/A

GREENWICH ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmanagement@gtlgroup.com Web: www.gtlgroup.com ; Tel: +234 1 4619261-2 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Greenwich Plus Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A Nigeria Entertainment Fund N/A N/A N/A GROWTH & DEVELOPMENT ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmanagement@gdl.com.ng Web: www.gdl.com.ng ; Tel: +234 9055691122 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn GDL Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A INVESTMENT ONE FUNDS MANAGEMENT LTD enquiries@investment-one.com Web: www.investment-one.com; Tel: +234 812 992 1045,+234 1 448 8888 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Abacus Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 7.79% Vantage Balanced Fund 2.79 2.86 -2.19% Vantage Guaranteed Income Fund 1.00 1.00 4.50% Kedari Investment Fund (KIF) 151.98 152.26 -2.26% Vantage Equity Income Fund (VEIF) - June Year End 1.28 1.32 1.63% Vantage Dollar Fund (VDF) - June Year End 1.10 1.10 1.02% LOTUS CAPITAL LTD ﬁncon@lotuscapitallimited.com Web: www.lotuscapitallimited.com; Tel: +234 1-291 4626 / +234 1-291 4624 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Lotus Halal Investment Fund 1.42 1.44 4.17% Lotus Halal Fixed Income Fund 1,139.95 1,139.95 5.02% MERISTEM WEALTH MANAGEMENT LTD info@meristemwealth.com Web: http://www.meristemwealth.com/funds/ ; Tel: +234 1-4488260 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Meristem Equity Market Fund 11.47 11.53 0.00% Meristem Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 7.96% PAC ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD info@pacassetmanagement.com Web: www.pacassetmanagement.com/mutualfunds; Tel: +234 1 271 8632 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn PACAM Balanced Fund 1.66 1.69 7.17% PACAM Fixed Income Fund 11.49 11.54 -5.27% PACAM Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 5.53% PACAM Equity Fund 1.65 1.67 4.61% PACAM EuroBond Fund 112.63 114.41 2.50% SCM CAPITAL LIMITED info@scmcapitalng.com Web: www.scmcapitalng.com; Tel: +234 1-280 2226,+234 1- 280 2227 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn SCM Capital Frontier Fund 134.57 137.17 10.02% SFS CAPITAL NIGERIA LTD investments@sfsnigeria.com Web: www.sfsnigeria.com, Tel: +234 (01) 2801400 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn SFS Fixed Income Fund 1.01 1.01 10.06% STANBIC IBTC ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD assetmanagement@stanbicibtc.com Web: www.stanbicibtcassetmanagement.com; Tel: +234 1 280 1266; 0700 MUTUALFUNDS Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Stanbic IBTC Balanced Fund 3,274.65 3,309.67 1.96% Stanbic IBTC Bond Fund 231.93 231.93 3.15% Stanbic IBTC Ethical Fund 1.22 1.24 4.24% Stanbic IBTC Guaranteed Investment Fund 305.43 305.43 3.66% Stanbic IBTC Iman Fund 224.70 228.02 2.95% Stanbic IBTC Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 8.00% Stanbic IBTC Nigerian Equity Fund 10,364.87 10,514.71 -1.22% Stanbic IBTC Dollar Fund (USD) 1.27 1.27 3.25% Stanbic IBTC Shariah Fixed Income Fund 115.07 115.07 3.59% Stanbic IBTC Enhanced Short-Term Fixed Income Fund 102.78 102.78 UNITED CAPITAL ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD Web: www.unitedcapitalplcgroup.com; Tel: +234 01-6317876 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn United Capital Balanced Fund 1.30 1.31 1.36% United Capital Bond Fund 1.90 1.90 3.94% United Capital Equity Fund 0.87 0.89 9.38% United Capital Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 9.25% United Capital Eurobond Fund 119.44 119.44 4.36% United Capital Wealth for Women Fund 1.06 1.07 3.64% United capital Sukuk Fund 1.06 1.06 5.84% QUANTUM ZENITH ASSET MANAGEMENT & INVESTMENTS LTD service@quantumzenithasset.com.ng Web: www.quantumzenith.com.ng; Tel: +234 1-2784219 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Zenith Equity Fund 12.94 13.05 9.01% Zenith Ethical Fund 14.27 14.40 16.83% Zenith Income Fund 24.25 24.25 1.13% Zenith Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 6.59%

REITS NAV Per Share

Yield / T-Rtn

124.98 51.79

10.62% 2.65%

Bid Price

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

13.44

13.54

1.64%

126.68 100.32 17.89 18.16

129.73 102.45 17.99 18.26

5.31% 1.08%

Fund Name SFS REIT Union Homes REIT

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

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

funds@vetiva.com Bid Price

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

3.91 5.91 17.57 1.00 19.61 151.82

3.95 5.99 17.67 1.00 19.81 153.82

3.64% 3.80% 8.22% 6.33% -4.42% -30.71%

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.

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER AUGUST 8, 2021

BUSINESS OUTSIDER

A Beginner’s Guide to IIntermittent Fasting

Supply Chain: The Underestimated Driver of Business ProÀtability Tunji Adegbite

hat does the success of a conglomerate like Dangote and a furniture SME have in common? A wellmanaged supply chain process. The silent driver of the proÀtability of any business is the ability to deliver its products in the most cost-eͿective and time-eͿective manner possible. Supply chain management is the end-toend process that maps creating a product from raw materials to delivery to the end consumer. According to authors Chopra and Meindl in their book, Supply Chain Management: Strategy, Planning, and Operations, “A supply chain consists of all stages involved, directly or indirectly, in fulÀlling a customer request. The supply chain not only includes the manufacturer and suppliers, but also transporters, warehouses, retailers, and customers themselves.” Why is supply chain management critical for success, and how can Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) increase their proÀtability utilising its principles? Take the case of Layo furniture: a customer places an order for a sofa on its website. The sales team receives the order on the backend and immediately swings into action. Is the sofa in stock, and how many sofas are left in stock? If the sofa is in stock- A request is put in for the fulÀlment team to package the sofa in stock for delivery, the transport team receives an alert about an item scheduled for delivery, and the customer success team conÀrms the availability of the customer to take delivery of the sofa. Suppose the sofa is not in stock or when stocks are low. In that case, the larger supply chain starting with ordering the raw materials, production and assembly of the sofa, and delivery to the customer, are triggered. How Layo furniture anticipates this chain of events and manages internal and external dependencies constitutes its supply chain process. Supply chain management impacts two primary areas of a business: Functional: Businesses exist to meet the needs of their customers and extract value in compensation for their eͿorts. To guarantee that value is given and received, businesses must achieve the functional goal of e΀ciency, ensuring minimal friction throughout the sup-

ply chain in delivering products to customers, from procurement and manufacturing, receiving, warehousing, logistics and fulÀlment, and reverse logistics (returns). Happy customers = More business = Higher performance and proÀts Financial: Cost-eͿectiveness- the ability to do more with less is a signiÀcant Ànancial goal. Creating optimal or near-optimal processes allow for better forecasting and coordination, which reduces costly redundancies, overstocks, and stockouts. Minimal waste More cost e΀ciency Higher performance and proÀts Mapping your supply chain- Principles and strategy Supply chain management includes six major processes: Planning: These are the processes that develop a course of action based on forecasted demand and supply to best meet sourcing, production, and delivery requirements. Sourcing: is the process that Ànds the best suppliers and procures goods and services to meet planned or actual demand. Manufacturing Production: This process transforms raw materials into Ànished products to meet planned or actual demand. Deliver: These processes ensure that Ànished products are delivered at the right time and in the correct quantity to meet demand, including warehousing, inventory management, shipping, distribution and last-mile fulÀlment. Return: These processes manage returns and exchanges (reverse logistics) and involve post-delivery customer support. Enable: These processes optimize the overall strategy for supply chain proÀtability. They include monitoring performance data, managing regulatory compliance and risk management. Not every business will require all six processes in creating its supply chain. For example, downstream oil and gas businesses do not require a return process compared to e-commerce businesses, where an e΀cient returns process is mission critical. Mapping the supply chain for every business requires speciÀcally looking at the entirety of the business functions both inside and outside the organization³ and then creating clear, detailed processes to ensure maximal efÀciency. There are Àve core principles that SMEs can apply in the development of a supply chain strategy:

Segment your customers: Using historical data, businesses should segment individual or similar customer groups based on their needs, purchasing habits, and average spending. This will allow the company to anticipate demand better, maintain adequate stock, and adapt its supply chain to deliver value to each segment e΀ciently and proÀtably. Customise logistics based on segments: Adapting the logistics requirements based on customer location, product size, and additional service requirements like installation will ensure optimal delivery and proÀtability for each sub-segment. Doing this analysis will help determine whether a central logistics base (hub model) is required, or it has to be decentralized. Develop demand forecasts: While historical data is beneÀcial to segmenting your current customer needs, anticipating future demand is critical to streamlining costs. Utilizing data from parallel market signals and quickly adjusting demand planning can ensure that a business is prepared to meet changing needs. Having raw materials sourcing processes, especially materials and services contracts, mapped to demand forecasts is imperative. Reduce costs: Strategically managing costs across the supply chain from suppliers to third party logistics will reduce the total cost of production and delivery. For examplebundling items for delivery based on proximal location can reduce the cost of fulÀllment Analyse performance: Measure, analyse, adapt. Keeping track of performance metrics across the entire supply chain will allow easy identiÀcation of areas that need improvement, expose areas of redundancies, and improve overall ability to reach the end-user eͿectively, e΀ciently, and economically. The beneÀts of creating an eͿective and e΀cient supply chain cannot be overstated, and its impacts, positive or negative, is often the deÀning success point, especially in industries with thin margins. Research has shown that companies with e΀cient and well-managed supply chains have a signiÀcantly higher-than-average revenue growth than competitors. A smooth supply chain process ensures that your business can consistently anticipate and provide for the customers’ needs in a way that exceeds the expectations of the customer while positioning your company for growth. It also creates a formidable competitive advantage to set your business apart.

Intermittent fasting is not a diet, it is a meal timing plan. m What you’re doing is focusing on a sspecific period of time in which you’re aabstaining from food and a set time when yyou consume all your calories. So if you’re already on some type of diet plan, you can try doing it with intermittent p ffasting for better results. While there are several versions, the easiest to start with and perhaps the most e popular version is the 16-8 schedule. p Basically, you fast for 16 hours and have aan 8 hour period of eating and you’ll do tthat every single day and a couple of days a week after you hit your goal. During your fasting window, you can only have water, herbal teas and black o ccoffee (contains caffeine which is a natural aappetite suppressant) without creamers o or honey or sweeteners. Artificial zero calorie sweeteners can sstill trigger an insulin spike which can screw up your fast because of the body’s metabolic response to it. We don’t want to focus on calories but the science behind weight loss is still calories in versus calories out, so make sure you’re not overeating during your feeding window. Avoid processed food and refined sugars. Read your packaged food labels and stay away from the ones that contain high fructose corn syrup and sucrose. Opt for food items that have low glycemic index like brown rice, unripe plantain and beans because they release glucose slowly into your bloodstream so that your body doesn’t demand too much insulin secretion at once. Increase consumption of natural unprocessed fats like avocados, nuts and olive oil which stimulate insulin the least. Trust me, fat is not the enemy, just know that they are calorie dense so you have to be careful with your portions. Consume higher fiber meals prior to your fasting window. if you’re going to be fasting from 8pm to 12noon, you should eat foods that are high in fiber like vegetables when you have dinner by 7pm - 8pm. What this does is it allows you stay satiated for a longer period of time. You can drink alcohol in moderation during your feeding window. It’s best if you can avoid it but if not, avoid dessert wines and cocktails because they’re usually packed with sugar. Red wine is the best type to have. When should you workout while intermittent fasting? It can be during or after your fasting window but for better weight loss results, I’d recommend working out within your fasting window. A study published by the journal of physiology recorded that when you workout in a fasted state, you burn significantly more fat because the body takes little bits of fat from the muscles to the bloodstream and burns them for fuel while you workout. Please talk to your doctor if you’re taking medications for type one or two diabetes because your blood sugar levels will reduce when you’re fasting and if you’re already taking medications to regulate blood sugar on top of that, it may get too low and that’s a potentially dangerous situation. –– 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.

SUNDAY AUGUST 8, 2021 • T H I S D AY

WEEKLY PULL-OUT

08.8.2021

NELSON JACK THE MAN WHO INVENTED STAGENEERING Have you ever been to an event and was awed by the stage design? If so, there’s a high possibility that it was designed by Nelson Jack, the acclaimed King of Stage. Primarily self-taught, the fashionable and innovative Jack is a household name in the event and entertainment field, transforming spaces into eight world wonders. He invites Vanessa Obioha into his world and shares his desire to see an Entertainment Ministry in Nigeria.

nergetic. That’s the aura Nelson Jack exuded as he opened the doors of his home on a recent rainy Saturday afternoon. Except for the flooded street, the neighbourhood in the Lekki area of Lagos boasts beautiful houses and a serene ambience. Throughout the nearly one-hour encounter, his demeanour did not change. One minute, he is on the phone listening and giving instructions to his employees on how to execute a project, the next minute, he’s in the kitchen, checking in to see what’s cooking. All the while apologising for the distractions. Other times, he gives a tour of his collection, an array of historical artworks. On one shelf sat a sculpture of Zeus’ head; on another is Pisces, the astrological sign. There is also art on Albert Einstein, the man who created the Law of Relativity, and Graham Bell, the telephone inventor. Yet, when he finally settled down for the interview, his attention was undivided. His responses were nimble and detailed as if he was lecturing. For those familiar with Jack, this burst of energy is not unusual. His PR agent, Bolaji Salami-Ajayi of Buzz and Bants, who facilitated the interview, recalled a recent encounter in Asaba, Delta. “One minute he was here, the next minute, he was gone, doing something else.” At 45, Jack is as sprightly as a teenage boy; as such, his ebullience is often mistaken for restiveness. “I have a quick build-up of energy that I need to expend,” he said. Jack is recognised as the King of Stage in the entertainment and event industry, although he is not a performer. The appellation was bestowed on him for his creativity in transforming spaces into eight world wonders; from lights to sounds, he gives spaces a spectacular touch. This is evident in his home — an aesthetically furnished space with good lighting. With his knowledge of entertainment technology — a field that is often overlooked and has few players — he’s been able to show exceptionalism. If you have ever been to an event and got mesmerized by the beauty of the stage, there’s a high possibility that Jack designed it. Think of Peak Talent Show, Etisalat Masterbrand campaign, Glenfiddich social events, celebrity blogger Linda Ikeji’s Self-Made seminar. He has also worked with some big names in the event space, like the late Ibidunni Ighodalo, described as an amazing personality. Jack was the brain behind the design and branding of musician Darey’s 2009 ‘UnDAREYted’ album during his time in Storm Records. Nowadays, his services are always in demand by top brands in the entertainment and banking sectors, government officials, and even embassies such as the United States Embassy. The weekends are the busiest; sometimes, he said, he gets more than six jobs in a day. While most entertainers were shut out of business during the pandemic last year, Jack was still working. He hosted a luxury drive-in concert at the Tafawa Balewa Square that recorded 500 cars in attendance, the first of its kind. The concert had top music artistes like Tiwa

ASSISTANT EDITOR OLUFUNKE OLAODE/funkola2000@gmail.com

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER AUGUST 8, 2021

COVER

The King of Stage

Savage, Rema, and Omah Lay. Having spent close to two decades in the field, Jack needn’t be physically present for his team to deliver a project. With over 100 people working with him in different parts of the country, he can coordinate them through his phone. He showed me pictures of ongoing work with his team and sometimes interrupted our conversation to speak with them on the phone. “There are very few entertainment technology companies that service this country. The demand is higher than the service providers. Anywhere there is a gathering, amplification is required, and you are talking about all sorts of gatherings: burials, weddings, seminars, concerts, birthdays, anniversaries, AGMs, graduations, rallies, all sorts. So amplification and technology are required. Fortunately for us, we are now invested in entertainment technology, a sector that is overlooked. Entertainment technology is different from event planning. I’m talking about

Jack

rigs, screens, lights; how many states have these compared to the millions of Nigeria demanding these services,” he explained. He calls his craft ‘stageneering’ a portmanteau of the words ‘stage’ and ‘engineering’. “Because it is actually engineering. If you want to build a stage, you must know gravity, displacements, physics.” Once he steps into a space, his mind and eyes are already on alert, playing out the final look and feel of the place. “Where would the stage be? Where will it be facing? Where will the audience sit? Where’s the exit in case of an emergency? What’s the height of the venue?” He reeled off a list of things that he considers. Apart from knowing stage design like the back of his palm, he also ensured he got the latest technology design in the space. He gets the equipment he needs to make his job seamless and hardly rents it out. With his versed knowledge in entertainment and technology, it is interesting to find out that Jack never passed through

the walls of a university. After his father’s death when he was barely nine years old, he encountered different obstacles furthering his education. The only certificate he has is a Junior Secondary School certificate. However, that didn’t stop him from discovering and developing his skills. “I read a lot. I read everything and anything. I got used to self-development. Now it is part and parcel of me. I’m always reading. The quest for knowledge is the quest of wisdom.” An artist by heart, he taught himself how to use CorelDRAW, Photoshop, and other graphic software. He made a few portraits for some well-heeled clients using his networking skills. “To survive, I used to make handmade cards, print t-shirts,” he said. “I remember when I used to design from a cybercafe in Ikoyi. My boy and I discovered a joint Havana where all the big boys go. We will go there, buy a bottle of drink, then chill and network. It was there I learnt that looking good is good business.” Indeed, Jack is known for his eclectic

style, particularly his zippy sunglasses and star ring, which have become his emblem. He has almost a fetish for shoes, and his clothes are always stylish. His dressing gives credence to his regal moniker. With his struggles climbing the ladder to success, Jack is compassionate about giving opportunities to people, particularly the less privileged. He gave an example of how a young man who started as a cleaner in his company 10 years ago with just N10,000 as salary now heads his screen division and earns over N100,000 on each job he gets. “I have rehabilitated over 500 people since I officially started this business. I take boys and girls who don’t have skills in this field, and I teach them. I know what it means not to have. My dad didn’t have a house, but I have surpassed him. One of the things that restrict people’s creativity is their mindset. You can’t be creative when you don’t have a roof over your head. So it’s easy for me to relate with them because I know what it’s like not to have. I try as much as I can to make provisions for them.” Another way he is empowering young minds is through music. Jack’s transition into music came through his work as he had access to music artistes and producers. Earlier this year, he kicked off a music competition, ‘Beat D Beatz’, where participants are to download beats from some of the top music producers in the country like MasterKraft, Rexxie, Young Jonn, Ozedikus, and Benie Macauley. For the debut edition, the contest recorded 12,000 downloads globally, another first. But his effort is just a drop in the ocean. For Jack, Nigeria can discover more potential through the creation of an Entertainment Ministry. “There needs to be a Ministry of Entertainment in this country, and Nelson Jack needs to head that Ministry for this country to grow,” he said emphatically. “Our dependency on oil is too much. But if you look at America, their dependency on entertainment is amazing. They make billions of dollars from movies, music, apps, social media; you name it. They understand human metabolism and just run it by entertainment. Nigeria needs to have a Ministry of Entertainment,” he reiterated before continuing. “If you break down the entertainment industry, you will find out that it is bigger than the crude oil, but our leaders don’t know it. It just takes one leader to see the entertainment value of Nigeria.” The way Jack sees it, apart from revenue creation for the government, the ministry will help regulate the industry and give practitioners a sense of security. “There will also be training. For young people who don’t want to go to school, you can use entertainment to teach them skills. What I know now, they don’t teach in any university in this country. For instance, when I step into a hall, I do an acoustic measurement of the amount of sound that will be heard, the capacity of the venue in relation to space, and the safety of the working load of the rig. ‘”Through the ministry, we can have data collection of activities and members. We can issue out an entertainment ID card to members, particularly for up-and-coming artistes who are sometimes lost. We can help them fit into their respective fields because we will have affiliates such as set designing, recording studios, film studios, and so on.” More important, Jack sees a need for a music bank. “For instance, if we have recording studios under this ministry in different localities, it is easy for an upcoming artiste to record a song without robbing the bank. All he has to do is intimate the ministry of his intentions, and the ministry will help facilitate his recording, depending on his producer of choice. At the end of the day, the ministry will earn a certain percentage from it. So we have invested in your creativity,” he argued. According to Jack, distribution of content, health insurance for entertainers, and developing apps to ensure the payment of royalties are some of the issues the ministry will tackle. “If we set up that ministry, it will be a game-changer. We will no longer be dependent on oil,” he concluded.

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ AUGUST 8, 2021

GLITZ PERSONALITY

Transforming Lives Through Thistles and Time From an impactful music career to being a humanitarian of international repute, Nikki Laoye has quietly conquered the world with her Angel4Life Foundation that offers succour to persons living with disabilities, migrants and Internally Displaced Persons. Born Oyenike Laoye, she was recently in the news celebrating the life and times of the late musician, Sound Sultan and how he had contributed in no small measure to her foundation and humanity at large. Laoye reunited with music artists such as Weird MC and MODE 9 in the UK for an evening of tributes to Sound Sultan. In this interview with Yinka Olatunbosun, she revealed what she had done professionally for 15 years and how she dealt with the grief of losing her father ten years ago.

ikki Laoye’s music journey started when she was an undergraduate at the University of Ibadan. She was a part of a girl group named Soul Sistas which included Aboyowa and Debola. They performed at concerts, toured Southwest Nigeria and were aglow with very promising career prospects. Laoye kicked off her solo career in 2006 with her debut single “Never Felt This Way Before” produced by the phenomenal artist, Cobhams Asuquo under the watch of Wahala Media Entertainment. With a video shot and directed by Clarence Peters, the song became a global hit. It was nominated for many awards and won at many including The Headies, Kora Awards, SoundCity Music Video Awards, City People Awards, Nigeria Music Video Awards, NEA Awards (USA) etc. In 2009, she was one of the first Nigerian artists to be featured on BET alongside Rooftop MCs, Timi Dakolo and Lara George, serving as a guest Judge for the first BET Sunday Best Auditions in Nigeria. “MTVBase came next as I was called to participate in the rockumentary reality show, “Advance Warning” alongside M.I and Waje,” she recounted. “For weeks, MTV followed us and recorded our families, our daily activities at home, studio and they also captured the launch for my debut album, “Angel 4 Life”. At the 2009 mega concert, The Experience Lagos, she had the privilege of performing alongside great international acts like Cece Winans, Kirk Franklin with an audience of about 500,000 people. She had also shared stage with legendary R&B stars such as Mary J Blige and Brian McKnight. In that same year, she was nominated in two categories at the Headies for “Best Female Vocal Performance” and ‘Hip Hop World Revelation of the Year’ (Best New Artist) where she was the only female contender alongside Banky W, M.I and Naeto C. She rose from fame to fame till the night of August 3 when tragedy struck. “I still can’t believe that it will actually be 10 years this year since I lost my dad. He passed away in 2011 and it totally broke my heart. Being the only daughter, I was his favourite (my brothers won’t even argue with you on this one) and it hit me pretty hard because he took his last breath in my car as I raced to the hospital that fateful night of August 3, just 15 minutes to his 60th birthday, which was August 4,” she recounted. This traumatic experience took a devastating toll on Laoye. She couldn’t find joy in the activities that used to make her happy. “I was angry with God, my faith in Him was threatened and I just needed to get away from the public space so I could deal with the pain, the depression and the anger. For two years, I stayed away from the music industry and I do thank God - our ever loving Father- for never leaving my side, he helped me through it all and also gave me a comeback song, “Only You” through my close friend and guitarist, Nelson Jason who had written the first verse and chorus and told me “God said I should give you this song”. I finished up the song and called on another close friend of mine/producer, RotimiKeys who produced it and I shot the video with another friend of mine, Shabach in the United Kingdom,” she revealed.

NIKKI LAOYE The song became a smash hit upon its release in 2013, clinching several awards including The Headies for Best Vocal Performance (Female); AFRIMMA ( Best Female Artist in African Inspirational Music); Best Soft Rock/Alternative Video Nigerian Music Video Awards (NMVA); African Female Artist of the Year – Africa Gospel Music Awards (AGMA, LONDON, UK) and many more. “The song healed my heart and till date, it is still blessing and healing hearts across the globe. In the midst of it all, I just thank God for everything and I know my Dadda, as I fondly call him, is resting peacefully in his arms,” she said. Her sojourn into humanitarian course was not mere accident. Having worked as an intern with the UNICEF in Lagos, her desire to care for others became heightened. Hence, she set up Angel 4 Life Foundation on her birthday December 19, 2010. With over a decade of serving humanity by providing support and empowerment for People with Disabilities, children with cancer, Internally Displaced

Persons (IDPs) and migrants, Laoye had sourced partnerships from individuals and organisations including DJ Cuppy, Yemi Alade, Sammie Okposo, Nathaniel Bassey, Toke Makinwa, Dangote Group, Sahara Group and many more. From 2014 to 2018, she served as a celebrity voice for the Lagos Chapter of the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons and in November 2017, she began to create awareness about the return and plight of Nigerian Migrants in Libya. Video reports on her humanitarian efforts went viral. She worked alongside others in helping many families to find their long lost relatives. All these did not escape the attention of the international media. “CNN, BBC, Reuters and other news media reached out to me for interviews and also shared my videos on their networks. It totally gladdens my heart whenever my humanitarian services

bring families back together; or when we get the grants and resources to help pay for cancer treatment for children; to buy guide canes for the blind and visually impaired; to provide scholarships for the education of Students with Disabilities. This is my job for a lifetime and I would continue to use my platform to create further awareness and gather more support for people who need the help in our society,’’ she gushed. She was one of those Nigerians stuck abroad during the global lockdown that forced many countries to shut down international travels. For seven months, she couldn’t return to Nigeria. Still, she maintained a positive attitude despite the cancel culture that affected live events like concerts. Laoye remarked that Covid-19 has made artists to reinvent themselves, make wise use of our social media platforms or recorded concerts. With 15 years in the music scene, she is focused on inspiring and motivating people through her faith in God, whilst coaching younger ones on life, love and relationships. Her kind of gospel or inspirational music has such cross-over appeal because she enlivens her art with dance. Another reason is that she collaborates with secular singers such as Banky W and Seyi Shay to reach a broader spectrum of audience. With inspiration from music greats such as Brandy, Kirk Franklin, Mary J Blige, Cece Winans, Beyonce, DC Talk, Jars of Clay, Anointed, Deitrick Haddon, Laoye just wants to be the voice of love and hope. Laoye is not immune to the challenges that tend to limit female artists in the music industry. She revealed that some performance lists don’t include female artists at all or just a few. In addition to this, most radio stations don’t play gospel music as much as secular music. “But thank God for social media, online radio platforms, YouTube and all new digital expressions that has taken back that power and now our music is being seen and heard with just a click of a mobile phone or a computer,’’ she said. When asked how she likes to unwind, Laoye said she loves comedy shows, movies as well as video games like Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter. And need we add her favourite pastime-music? At the moment, she is shooting more videos and recording new singles. “Recently I released the videos for one of my jazzy soulful classics, “None + You = Me”, which was shot and directed by Snatcha (of the popular Rooftop MCs) and another collaboration video, “Nothing Without You” with Tolu of Project Fame. Although commercial gain is not the major motive behind what many gospel artists pursue, they also want to make sales to cover costs of music production in audio and video formats, tours and pay their band members. Away from her brief stint in acting in movies as well as stage plays, Laoye is also beauty entrepreneur. In 2018, she kicked off her herbal skin and haircare line, Fine Woman by Nikki Laoye. She shared some of her beauty tips. “Daily, I use my coffee scrub, and turmeric scrub twice a week. I keep my skin well cleansed with my homemade black soap while my night routine consists of my homemade rose water cleanser and my body oils to keep my skin soft and moisturised like a baby’s own. Great Beauty comes from inside out so I drink lots of water, eat lots of fruits and vegetables and I don’t play with my multivitamins,’’ she said, with a smiley.

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ AUGUST 8, 2021

ENTERTAINMENT

BBNaija S6: Who Leaves the House Tonight? Vanessa Obioha writes that amidst the drama that unfolded in the BBNaija house during the week, one or two housemates are likely to take a bow tonight

Yerins

Yousef

Niyi

The first eviction live show witnessed no eviction due to the inability of the housemates to predict who the wild cards were. But not tonight! At least, one of the nominated housemates will exit the show tonight. Maria and Pere were given a nomination edge over their housemates for concealing their identity, to the chagrin of some of the housemates. The pair were the only ones that participated in the nomination process on Monday evening. Asked to nominate four housemates each, the eventual nominees placed on the eviction list were JayPaul, Beatrice, Niyi, WhiteMoney and Yerins. However, Boma, who won the Head of House title for the week, used his veto power to save JayPaul and replaced him with Yousef. Of the nominated housemates, WhiteMoney seems to be a favourite among viewers. Known for his funny antics, the comedian and businessman from Enugu State is popular on social media. He’s been turned to memes and GIFs. Moreso, his fan base includes Nollywood stars such as Yul Edochie who has openly pledged to support him. According to social media analytics carried out by ID Africa, WhiteMoney was in the list of the top five most talked about housemates for the first week and continued to the second week, particularly after the nominations were

WhiteMoney

Beatrice

announced and of course, after he initiated the fashion show that got fans talking. Given his popularity on social media, he is unlikely to be evicted tonight. Despite being the most misunderstood housemate in the house, Beatrice fans are not cowered. They are steadily drumming support for her to stay till the end of the show. She is likely to survive the eviction, especially after her altercation with Liquorose on Friday, although voting closed on Thursday night. The duo had a verbal war after Liquorose told other housemates that she (Beatrice) and Angel stayed up at night to gossip about them. Liquorose, who seemed to be awake at the time, said she heard some ‘punchlines’ in their discussion. In her diary session, Angel gave a breakdown of how everything happened. According to her, she left the red room to sleep in the blue room because it was cooler. On her way there, Maria asked who she was sleeping with, slyly pushing her to sleep with Sammie, her rumoured love interest. Angel and Sammie seemed to have struck a liking to each other from the first night as they were seen cuddling in bed together. This gave the housemates the impression that they were to be an item. Relationships are inevitable in the Big

Brother Naija house. Previous seasons have seen housemates building relationships that lasted beyond the show. For instance, Gedoni and Khafi who participated in the ‘Pepper Dem’ edition are happily married and expecting a child. The winner of that season, Mercy Eke also had a romantic affair with one of the male housemates Ike and both had their reality TV show ‘Mercy and Ike’ based on their relationship. These relationships gave birth to the term ‘ship’ and its accompaniments. When two housemates of opposite sex show affection for each other, they are considered ‘a sailing ship’. However, when the relationship hits a rock, they are regarded as ‘a sinking ship’ In the ‘Shine Ya Eye’ season, some ships have been glimpsed. They include Angel and Sammie, Saga and Nini, Emmanuel and Liquorose, Jackie B and Boma and a fleeting triangle between Maria, Pere and Beatrice. But Angel is not feeling excited as others over her relationship with Sammie. As far as she is concerned, she is not romantically linked with anyone in the house. “I’m just catching cruise”, she had often said. Due to her free-spirited mien, her name pops up in discussions. For instance, during a chat with Yousef and Pere, Saga disclosed that Angel showered with everybody, although he is yet to have a shower with her. He said she had offered to but he declined. Niyi on the other hand claimed that Angel made advances at her in the shower. Her situation with Sammie was one of the talking points in her discussion with Beatrice that Thursday night but segued to other relationships in the house, including Beatrice revelation that Pere seems to have an interest in her but she is not having it, to which Angel responded that Pere was probably using her to make Maria jealous. Angel also disclosed that they talked about Liquorose and Emmanuel. According to her, Emmanuel was a flirt and not good enough for Liquorose. By Friday morning, Angel noticed the cold reception from others. A confrontation would later occur between her and Liquorose over her misinterpretation of the late-night chat she had with Beatrice. Angel felt Liquorose should have confronted them when she heard her name instead of telling everyone that they (Angel and Beatrice) were gossiping about them. Defending her stance, Beatrice and Liquorose exchanged insults. In the heat of the discussion, Jackie B and Maria had their own bout of verbal war. Maria felt it was insensitive of Jackie B to find the altercation funny. Jackie B wouldn’t have any of it. Already offended by Maria’s acerbic comments about her attire at the fashion show, she let out a stream of insults and the house became chaotic again. Before the gossip drama unfolded, Nini and Tega had their own confrontation. Tega had pulled a seat under Nini’s feet which the other claimed was disrespectful. However, by the end of the day, most of the warring parties shoved their differences under the rug. As the eviction takes place tonight, Yerins the 27-year-old medical doctor and Yousef will likely take a bow, although Yousef, the gentle and handsome teacher may have an edge over Yerins as his name occasionally pops up on social media. While the odds are stacked against Yerins, he may surprisi ngly survive the eviction. After all, in Big Brother Naija house, anything can happen.

SUNDAY AUGUST 8, 2021 • T H I S D AY

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ AUGUST 8, 2021

HighLife Dapo Abiodun Loses Father

Abiodun

“Death be not proud, though some have called you mighty and dreadful, for, you are not so, because those you think you overthrow do not really die.” These lines from English poet, John Donne, remind us of the inevitability of death, but also the knowledge that comes from knowing that it is not the end. A few days ago, aware of these facts, Dr Emmanuel Abiodun, the father of Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, passed away. If there is any consolation, as many have expressed to the governor, it is that Baba will rise again. The loss has reminded folks that human life is a blink of the eye in the grand scheme of things, so an understanding of life’s mysteries is necessary within the duration of that blink. The elder Abiodun passed away at the age of 89, more a retired character than a decrepit old man as some would expect. A man from whom the dynamic governor inherited much, including those rectangular spectacles that give him a scholastic appearance, Abiodun was a happy, fulfilled man, a devout Christian, husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather and mentor to many. According to reports, he passed away after a brief illness on Monday, August 2, 2021, in the United Kingdom. Even at the moment of death, he was endeared to his wife, Victoria, and the many descendants that are the pride of his royal lineage in IperuRemo, Ogun State. While tears will be shed, Abiodun was neither a weakling nor a coward, and would likely prefer that people everywhere live their best lives while they still can; as he did, in the service of his Lord and country.

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

The Charm and Grace of Nana Otedola at 55

One is hard-pressed to find a family as unapologetically intimate as that of billionaire philanthropist, Femi Otedola. The overabundance of positive vibes in that family can send one into depression or full-scale imitation, depending on mentality. There is no replicating the charm and grace of the Otedola matriarch, however. Her uncrowned majesty, Nana is simply extraordinary. We see this every year when her happy husband and children celebrate her birthday. This year is no different. A few days ago, the Otedola family went all out to celebrate Nana, mother, wife and foremost superstar in the minds of the Otedola children. Clocking 55 years, the woman refuses to look her age and would evidently rather turn as many heads as her three daughters, while still clinging to the sleeves of her proud philanthropist and husband. Details are still unravelling regarding the winds of celebration that blew across the Otedola

family this year. Nevertheless, folks will not be too surprised since the Otedolas have pretty much blown away the hinges of common sense and convention when they celebrate themselves. Especially Nana. Although she is the biological mother of Femi Otedola’s children, Florence (DJ Cuppy), Temi, and Fewa, she has reportedly been nothing short of a mother hen to four of them. Said to be of mixed heritage, with both Nigerian and Ghanaian blood flowing through her, Nana has always won the spotlight with her Cleopatran looks and clear adoration for her children. At 55, Nana is no less eyecatching than she was two and a half decades ago. She is still graceful, charming, gracious, and one of the foundations for the happiness of her children, DJ Cuppy and Temi, especially. To dazzle like this, five steps into 50, can only be a blessing from on high, a blessing that the entire Otedola family are grateful to possess.

Otedola

Jide Omokore’s Wife, Angela Ebagua Opens Multimillion Naira Event Centre

Elohor Aiboni...Boss Lady On the Move This is the era of boss ladies and oga madams. There appears to be a new wave that is gradually taking over the Nigerian corporate corridor: the leadership of women. Elohor Aiboni, the peerless Managing Director of Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCO), is one of the leaders on the horizon, a character that no man in the same league can look down on. When it was first reported that Elohor Aiboni had taken over from Bayo Ojulari as SNEPCO MD, social media was abuzz with speculations. How far would she take the company? What oppositions will she face? Will the same diligence and good sense of propriety that are her most celebrated characteristics see her through? So far so good. It was only a few days ago that the old trainee in Shell wholly took up the reins of leadership at SNEPCO to the still riotous applause from family, friends, and women everywhere. Even a few traditional men who consider female leadership something of proof of degeneration cannot help but be won over by her. The tweets on social media platforms are there to show their hesitant acquiescence. It has to be said that Aiboni has come a long way and continues, unhindered, on her path to more glory and greatness. According to reports, she only had a B.Sc. in Chemical Engineering and a Master’s degree in Integrated Environmental Management when she began swimming against the waves of expectations.

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

Ebagua

All things are bright and beautiful for the man who used to be known singularly as the Chief Executive Officer at TILT Group of Companies Limited, Habeeb Okunola. However, this year saw the CEO adding a chieftaincy title to his garb, becoming the Akosin of Yorubaland in Oyo State. A few days ago, this figure clocked 40 and wowed some people with the fact that he is still so young. No doubt, young people are gradually taking over everything. With Okunola, this is with the blessing of his forebears. The young and old, educated and otherwise, accomplished and relatively unknown were all giddy on their feet as they sent him goodwill messages, celebrating the grace upon his life. That Okunola has come so far in life in such a short time can only be grace, after all. Some folks only came to know about the person that is Okunola when the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, decided to honour the most philanthropic individuals in Oyo State with a chieftaincy title. That is how Okunola became a household name, one that his descendants after him will always be remembered for.

These are the best of times for Lady Angela Ebagua, the happy wife of a reputable businessman, Jide Omokore. According to recent reports, the charming lady has joined the ranks of Nigerians whose societal characters and acclaim are nothing short of supersonic. This she did by setting up an event centre that is reported to be worth millions of Naira. At a time when some folks are grumbling about financial unsteadiness, it is the actions of folks like Ebagua that set a spring in the step of others and help them keep moving. There is no doubt that event centres can be found within every stone’s throw in Lagos. The city is crawling with them. Varieties exist big, small, expensive, or those that cost a little over a haggard coin. Thus, for Ebagua’s event centre to stand out says something about her eye for detail and an understanding of the business landscape. Named La Madison, Ebagua’s

event centre sits on a choice location in Lekki, Lagos, that is around 7,000 square metres in dimension. The beauty of a structure overlooks several others of similar outstanding features but still manages to distinguish itself. According to reports, Ebagua’s intention for La Madison is to set up a hospitality centre that is accommodating as it is spectacular, giving its clients that ‘home away from home’ feel while providing them with exquisite features to consider and be inspired by, especially within the La Madison Dome that is the main event space. Although both Ebagua and her business-renowned husband, Omokore, try to keep a low profile (for the days are evil), radiance and excellence still manage to leak out. One can only say that this is the turn of Ebagua to shine. And shine she shall.

The Amazing Lifestyle of Habeeb Okunola at 40

Folks will also always remember the celebration of that coronation as both he and his wife were transformed into the Akosin and Yeye Akosin of Yorubaland, respectively. The most distinguished personalities were all available for that ceremony. Some of these include the Dujima of Adamawa, Musa Ahmed; the monarch of Ikateland, Oba Saheed Elegushi; the Oloja of Epe Kingdom, Oba Kamorudeen Animashaun; Otunba Gani Adams; the Aladeshonyi of Odo Noforija, Epe, Oba Babatunde Ogunlaja; the Alara of Ilara, Oba Olufolarin Ogunsanwo; the Oloja of Ugbe Ayekaland, Ondo State, Prince Babatunde Ayeyiowa; the Olu-Nla of Itori, Oba Abdul Akamo; the Alaketu of Ketu Epe, Adegboyega Adefowora, and Hon. Shina Peller, to name a few. Were it not for the watch against the reported Delta wave of the COVID-19 virus, perhaps there might have been a party to celebrate Okunola’s 40th birthday, one at the same or similar level to the one attended by the high-society characters. Nevertheless, the prospects of the future are more radiant, and better things are still to come.

Okunola

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ AUGUST 8, 2021

HIGHLIFE

Diamond Jubilee: Corporate Players, Businessmen and Politicians Celebrate Emeﬁele at 60

Emeﬁele

One must begin to wonder whether those born in August had silver spoons in their mouths with stars hung over their cradle

for a rattle. Some of the most distinguished Nigerians just happen to have August as their birth month. Among these individuals is one that stands in a class of his own, literally, most of the time. The only Governor in Nigeria appointed by the President, rather than the people, the esteemed Godwin Emefiele. He clocked 60 years on August 4, 2021, and bigname folks have much to say about him. President Muhammadu Buhari was one of the first to celebrate the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria. Buhari celebrated Emefiele’s fierce patriotism, unyielding spirit and peerless contributions to see Nigeria rise above her peers in the coming years. Considering that Emefiele was appointed to the CBN apex seat by Buhari’s rival, former President Goodluck Ebere Jonathan, the compliment is obviously not empty praise. Those who know a bit about Emefiele’s career profile would certainly think so. Emefiele is a native of Delta State but

was born in Lagos where he started and completed his primary and secondary school education. The University of Nigeria, Nsukka, saw Emefiele earn both a B.Sc in Finance in 1984 and an MBA in the same Finance two years later. A man who has been at both sides of the classroom (as student and lecturer), it was through this discipline that he eventually climbed into the ranks of the movers and shakers of Nigeria’s economy. Appointed by President Jonathan in 2014 to the CBN governorship position, Emefiele has done much that is worthy of note. One might even argue that Emefiele’s handling of the Nigerian currency only proves that excellence is an exclusive advantage that only a few possess. Consequently, it is not surprising the number of folks that took their time to wish him a long life, health and prosperity. Godwin Emefiele is a legend, simple and short. Even at 60.

Adia Sowho Becomes First Female Chief Marketing Officer of MTN With appointments based on merits and hard work rather than cultural ideas regarding natural ability and potential, this is likely the best time to be a woman in Nigeria. In the same way that MTN is the first telecom giant in Africa to hand over the reins of a vital subdivision to a woman, Adia Sowho is the first female to pave the path for others in this respect. Folks are busy debating the trends of women taking over core positions in the Nigerian corporate corridor. True to its tagline “everywhere you go”, the latest appointment that the MTN board of directors have made has brought about renewed hope in the prospects of women everywhere. Sowho, the newly appointed Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) is the focal point of this hope and the catalyst that MTN expects to raise the bar for the telecommunication company. Sowho is not a stranger to the limelight. Not too long ago, the Agriculture investment platform, Thrive Agric appointed her to the position of CEO after reports of

misappropriation of investments against the company. Less than a year later, the platform bounced back to national attention, having filled every gap and ready to move forward. Few people were able to connect the dots and realise that Thrive Agric’s newfound confidence was not unconnected to Sowho’s abilities. With a B.Sc in Electronics and Electrical Engineering (with a major in communications) from the University of Sheffield, UK, and an MBA from Kellogg School of Management (with majors in Strategy, Analytical Consulting, Strategic Marketing and Entrepreneurship), Sowho has many corporate entities bearing her marks. These include Migo, a company in San Francisco, California; Etisalat Nigeria, and others. Sowho’s fastidiousness, diligence and vision mark her out for greater heights, that much is true. Upon her shoulders, more women will undoubtedly stand.

Sowho

First Bank in Olisa Agbakoba’s Trouble over Mismanagement of Shares

Agbakoba

The ancient ones said that the first secret to winning a war is knowing to pick the right adversary. In the case of First Bank with human rights lawyer, Olisa Agbakoba, one of them has definitely picked the wrong adversary. But which one? Africa’s first banking institution

against a human rights lawyer? What a setup! First Bank of Nigeria has gotten into a legal bind with human rights lawyer, Agbakoba. According to reports, the meat of the matter lies in the fact that Agbakoba allegedly kept some money with First Bank for investment and trading, and after more than two decades, could not retrieve this amount. Then, came along a Federal High Court in Abuja which, after a period of deliberation, determined that it was First Bank in the wrong and that the amount of money received from Agbakoba in the first place needed to be paid back, with interest. This is why First Bank is waiting on the judgment of the Appeal Court to likely reverse that of the Federal High Court. In a similar development, the same First Bank has reportedly been charged with paying

one Abolade Bode the sum of 13 million. This time, the problem is the suspicion of fraudulent activity on Mr Bode’s account, as withdrawals were allegedly made on this account without the owner’s consent. So, against these individuals, First Bank is reportedly requesting a retrial at the Appeal Court, perhaps a judgment that favours it might be delivered by the higher court. A date has been set for the case with Agbakoba, October 12, 2021, but nothing yet for the case with Mr Bode. If everything continues as it is, First Bank would have to pay over 260 million to Agbakoba, and 13 million to Mr Bode. This is assuming another customer does not appear out of nowhere to ask for remuneration because First Bank had seized this or that amount from their account.

Otunba Timehin Adelegbe’s Sportsmanship Spirit A true friend for a day, a solid ally for a lifetime. This is one way to describe the unrestrained support that Otunba Timehin Adelegbe has always expressed for Governor Rotimi Akeredolu. After the Supreme Court recently revalidated the latter’s position as Ondo State Governor, Adelegbe was the first to congratulate Akeredolu, but also call on his rival to shake hands and move the Sunshine State forward. Even folks from the All Progressives Congress (APC) were shocked when Adelegbe, the Owo/Ose Federal Constituency representative at the House of Representatives focused on the bigger picture and called for an alliance between Akeredolu and Eyitayo Jegede, his long-standing rival. This was after the judgement of the Supreme Court which upheld the victory of Governor Akeredolu in the election. To say nothing of the reactions of the Jegede’s

camp, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), even members of Adelegbe’s APC found his sportsmanship a little bit legendary. But that is just the kind of man he is. There’s no need to mention the fact that Adelegbe is Akeredolu’s number one fan in the entire country. If there is any one person that isn’t related to Akeredolu by blood but can be counted to stand by him through any and all political crises, it would be Adelegbe. That is just the kind of man he is. The people of his Owo/Ose Federal Constituency are all too familiar with Adelegbe’s simplicity, and his love and vision for them. Every endeavour he gets involved in inevitably gets roped into how he must advance their welfare, growth and development. Even the Supreme Court judgment is no different. This really is just the kind of man he is, one to set aside politics for the people, a man of the state, a statesman.

Adelegbe

Sanomi

Igho Sanomi: Role Model Par Excellence Greatness is a measure often used to describe the best of human endeavours with respect to what others can and cannot do. Against this measure, Igho Sanomi II can only be described as having the lapels of greatness delivered to him in a lighty-wrapped box. Recent developments with his conglomerate are enough to present at court as evidence to this fact. Not too long ago, Sanomi’s conglomerate, Taleveras, was the first to usher in the era of firsts, taking the number one historical position when it sealed the deal with a Mont Belvieu-based LPG facility to export liquefied petroleum gas starting in the first quarter of 2021. So far, the deal has gone on smoothly, raising the bar of oil and gas exportation in the African continent and giving both Taleveras and Sanomi their duly earned accolades. Against the more prominent companies on the African continent, Sanomi and his company have always held strong. Even though the company has always operated as a leading global energy and service company with interests in the upstream, midstream, downstream, and power sectors of the African energy industry, it was clearly the underdog until recently. One can only say that Sanomi’s glowing fortunes are further garnishing the laurels of Taleveras. A businessman by talent, a geologist by training, public speaker by necessity and philanthropist by nature, Sanomi has been a beacon of hope for as long as some folks can remember. As an active stakeholder in the oil and gas sector, his charm is really in his philanthropic gestures. Thus, even though he is as accomplished in telecoms, maritime, aviation and real estate as he is in the oil and gas, it is for his largesse that he is most celebrated. This has led others to falsely assume that he is an average deal broker. That assumption died the death of a thousand qualifications late last year when it was revealed that his company would be the first African independent gas trading company to strike up a deal with the Mont Belvieu-based LPG

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ AUGUST 8, 2021

LOUD WHISPERS

with JOSEPH EDGAR (09095325791)

Abba Kyari – Super Cop, Super Turkey

Kyari

UCHE SECONDUS – ONCE AGAIN, PLEASE GO! We all should take this PDP matter very seriously simply because it represents the only hope of getting any form of opposition in this country. The APC is a hydra-headed monster that should be checked and the only way we can do so is to build a virile opposition. This Secondus person is just sitting there masturbating while the whole party is going up in flames. What he is still doing there is what I don’t know. You have lost all the elections under your leadership, your members are cross-carpeting, your NWC is disintegrating and you are still sitting down there with a big head doing what I really don’t understand. Is it until PDP now drops to the point where you will have only 12 members left that you will know that the time is ripe for you to go? Oga please no more explanation, just go. Time is running out; the party has to start building cohesion to see if they can muster any form of strength to face this APC that is just doing us anyhow. It’s ok my brother, you have done well, it’s time to go. Bye. Na wa. AWO AND AREMU – WHO IS THE GREATEST? My brother Ayo Aderinwale of the Chief Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library once said, “only a porn-loving, Coke-drinking, Afang-loving mad man would dare put Obasanjo and Awo on the same poster and put it on a billboard for millions to stare at.” I just look am, laughed and said, “Bro, abeg give me Coca-Cola to wash down this Afang.”

Secondus

Let me first start by saying that this bro looks like my friend, Francis, who works with one company like that they call, Investment One Financial Services. If you have been following my story, you will know that I used to work there before the man — not Francis o — sacked me. Anytime I remember the episode and the way the man does his face when we dey fight, I will just be laughing. Anyways, that is not for today. So, my Super Turkey has been outed by the FBI and he immediately runs to Facebook to drop the most unintelligent piece an intelligence officer can ever drop. He said na tailor work he do. As if that was not enough damage, he goes back again and drops another one, this time he calls himself debt collector. His side chick would have asked him “are you crazy?”. Oga quickly went and cancelled everything. Now my issue is not whether he is in a gay relationship with Hush or not but the level of his intelligence on this matter and its poor reflection on the entire Nigeria

Police Force. To imagine that he was called super intelligent; a Super Cop and was supposedly on a smooth trajectory to the top job. His behaviour is making us question the sanctity of the training and intelligence of the entire police force if its best and brightest can be doing mumu things like this. Every dummy wey dey watch film, even Nollywood one sef talk less of Hollywood, know that the first thing you do in matters like this is to remain silent and lawyer up. Maybe he think say, na the usual Nigerian thing. That he will run to godfather and the matter will be resolved over bowls of pepper soup or why would you take something this serious with wide international implications and turn it into a social media thing. I once watched a BBC documentary on this Kyari man and marvelled at his incredible docility. He was wearing sandals and slippers for operations, his engagement with the reporters was very

poor, his grasp of the issues not engaging and he finally fell flat when the issue of high handedness and corruption of his team came up. I just smile and continue with my Afang. I say no be Nigeria where the brightest will never get the exposure and we will be throwing up our left feet all of the time. Anyways, I hear he has been suspended while the authorities are having their internal investigation. What we need is not any Kangaroo internal anything but an independent review preferably from the Presidency or even that FBI sef to look at circumstances where a policeman, Super Cop or Mumu Cop can as alleged pick up a Nigerian under the circumstances we have been told, keep him for thirty days without charge and release him after all the torture both mental and otherwise just like that. This has far ramifications on human rights, civilities, processes, structures and law and order among others. It is scary my people, very scary. That for me is my problem. Fear.

My other egbon Dapo Adelegan also trying to push the same argument said, “Edgar don’t do it.” I look and tell am say, “I have done it.” Let me tell you guys why. We, the younger generation are not ruled by the shallowness that has pervaded leadership in our country. We are driven, or should I say, should be driven by the very strong ethos that built these leaderships that I am showcasing in my two productions coming up at the Glover Hall in Lagos this month. The writers of the scripts – famed Professor Ahmed Yerima and talented Makinde Adeniran have depoliticised the two figures and have thrown up the very strong trado-cultural ethos that gave them the impetus to rise, although through different pathways to legendary status in our society. What you will be seeing in these two plays are two diagonally opposed characters, not in competition but on a platform to be studied, engaged and emulated by a new crop of young Nigerians that are expected to arrowhead the renaissance that has started to rear a positive head. So I will put them on stage. Not only them, but you will also see Aminu Kano, Akanu Ibiam, Sir Udo Udoma, Jaja of Opobo, JS Tarka and Herbert Macaulay so that emerging leaders will see that we once had men rule us, not this thing we have seen in the last 20 years. This is a bold attempt at reordering mindsets, at showing Nigerians that

we had a country and we still have a country. I don tire. We cannot all give up. This country will rise again. You just watch. We will rise again.

because that is how Nigerians behave. We will all be suffering o and when someone hit, he will just disappear. Sam Aiboni is my friend o and I am his Financial Adviser. I have lost his money in many transactions but the man just still like me. He will be buying me pepper soup and will be gisting with me. He is even invested in my Advisory Firm Hamilton and George and when we come for a board meeting, he will be asking for a dividend. That is how Aiboni stopped taking my calls although I was not worried. I just felt that if my brother has hit the jackpot he should come and pay tithe. After all, we are suffering together na. So when I heard the news of the appointment of Madam as the first female Managing Director at Shell Exploration, the very first time in 60 years, it dawned on me why Aiboni was behaving like Michael Jackson. This appointment is well deserved. Excellently deserved and perfectly deserved. Madam is a cognate professional, one who has paid her dues in the industry and who has shown class in all that she does. So it is no wonder that the board of the foremost E&P Firm did not hesitate to make this appointment in full confidence. We sef are here saying well-done ma in full confidence and are clapping for you as you begin this obviously very powerful journey. Well done ma! As for Aiboni, if you like, no take my calls. When I get your time, you will see me. As you don become the First Husband of Shell EP, you will need a Personal Assistant by fire by force. You will see me on Monday for office

Abiodun

Eloho

DAPO ABIODUN – KINDLY ACCEPT MY CONDOLENCES Your Excellency, do kindly accept my very sincere condolences on the recent passing of your Father, Chief Abiodun. I first heard the sad news when I was chasing someone who I will not mention here. He was supposed to help me do something. I started chasing him and he was not picking his calls and then I sent him a text threatening to release his nude pictures and he said, “Duke, no vex my egbon lose him papa.” I said: “Tell me something else, you can lie. Which egbon, shebi na only you your mama born.” “Na my egbon Dapo Abiodun o, we all dey Abeokuta.” “Oh! sorry o. But how una relate?” He replied: “Na sha my egbon.” By this time, the news had come out on the wire and I had started seeing messages of condolence. My Egbon, as we all call you, kindly take heart and may God give you the courage to bear this great loss. Pele. AIBONI ELOHO – A SHELL OF AN APPOINTMENT I have been saying it o, Aiboni just suddenly stopped taking my calls. I told my partner Lami, that e be like say something want to happen to Aiboni

Saraki

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ AUGUST 8, 2021

LOUD WHISPERS when I resume work. Well done, both of you. Well done. BUKOLA SARAKI – NERVES OF STEEL The news of the EFCC invite hit me while I was trying to retrieve my card from the ATM. These past few days have been turbulent especially for those of us who use ‘this bank’. I will not call its name before they send me another text that reads, “Edgar, I thought we were friends.” My people na to transfer money o. It will leave you and will not reach where it is going. It will now reverse 12 days after. By that time, the side chick would have already broken your head and tore your shirt. Well, we have no choice, we will continue to stand with them, after all, what are friends for. That is how I was trying to explain to the fruit seller that I have money o, but the card just disappear for ATM, when I saw the news flash of oga’s invitation to the EFCC. I was not worried because this bloke is as cool as a cucumber. You see, I once had an audience with him. My friend and egbon, Yusuph Olaniyonu, made it happen. As I walked in, I saw SP — that is what they call him, in his full height. The sweet smell of food cooking was assailing my nose and I was happy that at least bros would give me food chop. “Lord, why didn’t you run away after your tenure with the way you were being harassed up and down,” I asked him. He looked at me and said, “Run? Why? No na. There is nothing to run away from.” “Oya tell me what was going through your head when the National Assembly was invaded with you inside by the men in black? Do you have juju or what?” I probed further. He smiled and said, “No, I just made some calls as I was watching them climb the fence and run around the place. In less than 30 minutes they were called off.” I had to ask this last question, “Any run for the Presidency?” He responded that it depends on party zoning. If it is zoned out of his region, there is nothing he can do. So I stood up to walk away and he joined me. Me thinking that we would be walking towards the dining room, that is how this former governor, former Senate President just walked me to the car park o. Imagine o. If I look at that level of wickedness, will I be praying for him at this time? But you all know that I can be very forgiving. So, I will pray for him even though I know that he has everything under control. This is one cool cat, I tell you. MO ABUDU – ADIRE WITH LOVE It was my sister, the influential Azuka Ogujiuba who said, “Edgar, you know say you don scatter ground, otherwise I for invite you come one Adire fashion show for Ebony Place”. Scatter ground referring to my article on Nigerian women and make-up making them look like Egyptian Mummies. Mbok that Article went viral o. Come and see the backlash. I was evil and women hated me. Even Duchess pounced on me. So, since then I have been declared persona non grata by women of society just because I say we should slow down on the make-up that makes them look mummified and plastic. Anyways, I told Azuka not to worry about me. “I am The Duke of Shomolu, I go disguise enter.” So, she sent the invites to me. That is how I enter with three facemasks and dark bones. Forget my height, you will think say na Sani Abacha enter. Come and see beauty. These women took my advice. The make-up was now very simple and engaging but the beauty was in the Adire. Various designs and colours modelled by some of the most beautiful Nigerian women

fine. This my fineness will not kill me o. I turned, smiled and said to her “Good evening, my princess, I am coming, let me use the gents”. She nodded ok. That was how I landed in Shomolu o. But beautiful event. Really beautiful. Well done Azuka and company.

Brume

Abudu

from all generations represented. The Ebony Place venue was scenic and the pulsating sounds of the bata (talking drum) gave it a very powerful feeling of soft love. I saw Mo Abudu, mbok she fine for real life o. I saw my Mummy Senator Florence Ita-Giwa looking very resplendent, I saw influential Editor of THISDAY Style Ruth Osime, I saw Nike Davies of Nike Art Gallery and a host of other sweetly adorned

Nigerian women. I loved the passion for Adire, I loved the beads that went with them, I loved the whole cultural entrée that evolved as the event built to its crescendo. Then just as I was about to collect food, someone shouted “Duke of Shomolu, how are you?” It was Princess Adesuwa of Edo Kingdom. Kai, this woman don catch me o. Despite my disguise, this woman recognised me. You see why it is not good to be too

TOLANI OTEDOLA – BE STRONG I read of your recent illness and felt that I should put in a word of encouragement. I was really impressed at the sentiments you posted on the after-effects of your illness, how it affected your confidence level and the need to shore up inner strength as against the outward. These are very deep and philosophical sayings that will continue to not only give you strength but also serve to inspire others going through the same situation. Well done and always remember that we all have you in our prayers and that should also give you

Dino

further strength to fight this battle. I am sorry, I recently lost my Afang woman. I would have sent you a warm bowl with all sorts of assorted to you. But don’t you worry, as if God knew o, I have been invited to come and check out a new outlet on Oyin Jolayemi in Victoria Island and as soon as I am sure of the quality, you will send a delivery address. You hear. There is nothing a warm bowl of Afang cannot do but please do not add stew o. A lot of Yoruba people will be looking for stew to take with their Afang. Let’s even get to that bridge we will know how to cross it. God bless you, my sister.

ESE BRUME – WELL DESERVED VICTORY At this point, I owe Nigerians a huge apology. Me, I don’t know how to be proud. I had said that you people should come and catch me if we win any medal in Tokyo and this girl just disgraced me. She won the bronze medal in the long jump and put pride back on our faces. This exposure at the Olympics has been riddled with all sorts of scandals and negativity for us Nigerians. From street protests, begging for phones, washing of only one jersey to the massive letdown of the basketball teams who before the Games had shown a lot of promise. This Olympics was already welling up to be another major disaster. Some of us could not even wait for the whole thing to finish so that we could go back to the Igboho matter when this thunder struck. My sister jumped the jump and if you are a Nigerian with all of our wahala, you will celebrate this bronze the way a man stranded in the Sahara desert will celebrate water. Well done my sister and also to all of our athletes including the ones who are carrying last in everything because I know the kind of conditions you will be facing to go and be competing with people from a better place where everything is working. Don’t worry guys, it will soon be ok. Everything will soon be ok. God bless the team. SEGUN ADEFILA – DREADS OF LIFE Segun Adefila is one of the most prodigious talents in this country but e be like say, he no dey bath. Anyways, he is pushing his festival – the Eko Theatre Carnival. Through thick and thin with no real funding support from anywhere, this maestro has put together one of the most influential theatre festivals where some of the rawest talents have been performing to wide acclaim. With a dual-venue concept involving the Bariga Jetty and his own private studios, visitors have been regaled with the very best in Nigerian cultural offerings. The festival has over the years become a veritable tool for the grooming of fresh Nigerian talents and he must be given all the support he will need. Legends like Professor Femi Osofisan, Dr Duro Oni, Tunji Sotimirin have led a lot of cultural greats to see the festival. Me sef, I will soon go. ALVIN UKPE – A HIDDEN MAESTRO That is how I got a call from one very prominent Akwa Ibom man like that, Gabriel Ukpe. “You should go check out the Afang at my place, let me know when you are going so I get my son Alvin to accompany you. By the way, Alvin is a Photographer and he is doing his exhibition very soon,” he told me on the phone. I told him that I am on my way. I did not only discover very delicious Afang but also met with one of the most prodigious photographers to come out of Nigeria. The tall lightskinned good looking boy took me through his works and I was amazed. I did not know when I called legendary Kelechi Amadi Obi to give him a word of advice. They spoke and agreed to meet at a later date. This boy’s works are mad. Come and see the dexterity, the beautiful use of imagery in a themed project called ‘Solitude’. Nigeria’s got talent, I tell you. Proud.

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ AUGUST 8, 2021

Adebayo Adeoye bayoolunla@gmail.com; 08054680651

SOCIETY WATCH

Have Obiano, Bianca Ojukwu Reconciled? The average politician, especially in this part of the world, has a way of going back to their vomit out of desperation, especially when they are keen on winning an election. It is a fact that there had been no love lost between the Governor of Anambra State, Willie Obiano and Bianca Ojukwu, wife of the late Biafran warlord, Chukwuemeka Ojukwu. The rift started in 2019 when the governor refused to support the wife of his benefactor in her senatorial aspiration. Then, he had backed another candidate, who, to his chagrin, eventually lost the election. Amid the deepening fight, many decried Obiano’s alleged betrayal of Ojukwu who had reportedly sacrificed so much for his victory when he contested for governor. To even show his hatred for her family, he refused to attend the second edition of the Memorial Lecture of the deceased held in Anambra State. As a result, the light-skinned former beauty queen lambasted the governor for his absence at the event, thereby lending credence to their widely reported political disagreement and verbal war in 2018. Though the governor was represented by his deputy, the former Nigerian Ambassador to Spain had literally erupted, saying “Tell the Governor that today is yet again the memorial lecture and posthumous birthday of that man he rode on his political structure to stardom and he is once more not present. Tell him that his actions regarding the man who everyone is here for, but he couldn’t find time as governor of his state to be here, is very much like that of an ingrate. Tell him that he shouldn’t be afraid because there are no evil spirits here to attack him.” But if the news reaching Society Watch is anything to go by, both political gladiators may soon sheath their swords, as the party has just realised the importance of the former Ambassador and needs to work with her in the build-up to the state governorship election. It was gathered that APGA held a closed-door meeting with her in Enugu to appease her. The delegation, which included the Speaker, Anambra State House of Assembly, Victor Okafor, was led by a former Chairman of the party, Chief Victor Umeh.

Ojukwu

Late LBIS Founder, Biodun Laja’s Sons’ Lingering Rift Until her passing in 2019, the late Dr Biodun Laja, founder and Chief Executive Officer, Lekki British School, Lagos, was very passionate about quality education. At the young age of 27, she founded ABC Nursery Land. At that time, she was the first young person to have started a private school. Three years later, she expanded the school to four in different locations in Lagos. After running the schools successfully for 25 years, she established the very first British boarding school in Lagos, named Lekki British International School (LBIS). LBIS runs from crèche to the sixth form and also caters for children with special learning needs. However, since the death of Laja, who passed a few days to her 70th birthday, Society Watch gathered that her two children, Francis and Christian Idehen, who are shareholders and directors of the school, have been at war over the control of the schools. The smouldering war has snowballed into a major crisis, as Francis, who is a lawyer, has reportedly filed a suit against his brother before a Federal High Court in Lagos, for the court to determine how the school should be managed.

Francis alleged that after the death of their mother, Christian unilaterally made the decision to relocate himself and his family to Nigeria and immediately took over the running of the schools. He also alleged that Christian appointed himself as the de facto Chief Executive Officer without informing or conferring with him. He further stated that their late mother had mandated him to look for international investors, who will be running the schools after her retirement. The reason, he said, was that neither he nor his brother has any requisite experience or qualifications to run an educational institution or a business the size of the schools without proper structures and process constituted. Consequently, he requested a meeting of the schools’ Board of Directors to discuss the implementation of the appropriate legal framework to regulate the governance of and the affairs of the schools. He also advised that he and Christian apply for a letter of administration at the Lagos High Court to legally administer the estate of their late mother, particularly as it relates to her majority shares in the schools. It was gathered that Christian failed and refused to accede to any of his brother’s requests, despite his several visits to Nigeria.

Late Laja

Would Orji Uzor Kalu Yield to the Yearning of His Fans?

Kalu.

If anyone were to undertake the writing of the history of Nigerian politics, the name Orji Uzor Kalu would be generously mentioned in several chapters of the book. It should also be taken for granted that many would have glowing words to say about him for so many reasons. The former governor of Abia State is no doubt a force to be reckoned with in the nation’s political space. In the eyes of many, the Senate Chief Whip typifies a soul who enjoys abundant luck and grace of God, particularly when you consider his intimidating profile. Interestingly, it is no exaggeration to say that his life epitomises a tenacity of purpose; he has proven himself to possess distinguishable qualities that make a good leader. Little wonder, as the country seems to be on the precipice, many are of the view that the searchlight should be beamed on individuals who can give

the nation positive vibes. Although the widely travelled and experienced Kalu has denied nursing any ambition of becoming the number one citizen of this country, many of his fans and admirers say that he could be the best man for the job, especially at this time that the country is divided sharply on ethnic colourations. Society Watch gathered that there has been pressure from different corners for the man, who is described as a bridge-builder, to throw his hat in the ring for the position of the nation’s highest job in 2023 when the incumbent, President Buhari would have finished his constitutional terms. However, a source disclosed that the former governor has not yielded to the pressure as he is said to be focusing on his job at the Upper Chamber.

When Iyalaje Toyin Kolade Shut down Ile-Ife Recently, billionaire businesswoman, Toyin Kolade, was honoured with the much-coveted title of Iyalaje Oodua by the Ooni of Ife, His Royal Majesty, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi, at a colourful ceremony held in the ancient town of Ile-Ife in Osun State. It was one event that has further established Kolade, a philanthropist par excellence, as a ‘woman of the people’, given the large turnout of personalities from across the globe. The roll-call included Deputy Governor of Kogi State, Chief Edward Onoja; Secretary to the

Who wants Awujale dead? This was the question on the lips of many recently when it was rumoured that the Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba (Dr.) Sikiru Adetona had joined his ancestors. What gave the ugly rumour some credence was the cancellation of the annual Ojude Oba festival. In fact, it was said that the cancellation was a decoy to keep people, who desperately wanted to confirm the monarch’s rumoured death, away from the palace. Given that the report went viral on social media too, many were understandably troubled. Instantly, those who could not reach the

State Government of Kogi State, Mrs Folashade Ayoade; Senator Grace Bent; Erelu Abiola Dosumu; Olubadan of Ibadan land, Oba Saliu Adetunji; Olugbon of Ile Igbon, Oba Olusola Alao; Dein of Agbor, Keagborekuzi Ikenchukwu; Alara of Ilara, Oba Olufolarin Ogunsanwo; Olori Maryam Lawal; Aare Ona Kakanfo, Gani Adams; Ovation publisher, Chief Dele Momodu; Hon. Olufemi Bamisile; Ibrahim Dende; Idris Aregbe; Taibat Okesanjo, Lola Fashina and a host of others. Not a few lauded her sense of hospitality on the occasion, as all the guests felt most welcomed.

Oba Adetona

Kolade

respected first-class traditional ruler directly quickly went into prayer and fasting because he means a lot to them. However, Society Watch can confirm that the respected king is as fit as a fiddle. He was up and doing during the last Eid-el-Kabir celebration, when some of his close chiefs, as well as friends, visited him to celebrate with him. Adetona is described by many as a unique monarch whose acts, thoughts and aspirations have catapulted him to the realm of a living legend. In his nearly seven decades on the throne, he has transformed his environment positively.

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

NEWS

Kyari Insists on His Innocence of FBI’s Allegations Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja Embattled Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Abba Kyari, has insisted on his innocence of the allegations levelled against him by the US court. Kyari, who appeared on Thursday before the Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG), Joseph Egbunike-led investigative panel probing allegations of fraud against him,

denied receiving an N8 million bribe from the international fraudster, Ramon Abbas, also known as Hushpuppi, as alleged in US court papers. THISDAY gathered that from a source close to the panel that Kyari, also maintained his position that he was not involved in the $1.1 million scam of a Qatari businessman perpetrated by Hushpuppi and his gang. “The committee is expected

Panic as Cholera Claims 60 Lives in Katsina Francis Sardauna in Katsina Panic has gripped the residents of Katsina State, following the outbreak of Cholera, which has killed no fewer than 60 persons in some communities in the state. The state Commissioner for Health, Yakubu Nuhu Danja, stated this yesterday at the 2021 Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), held at the Katsina State Secretariat complex. He explained that drugs had been purchased by state government for distribution to hospitals across the state for the treatment of the disease. The commissioner added that health education on prevention and management of the disease and active case search and surveillance were ongoing across the 34 Local Government Areas of the state. He said: "We are aware of the current outbreak of diarrhea and vomiting that is affecting some communities in the state. The state government is making efforts towards control of the outbreak. "Free drugs for the treatment of this outbreak are been purchased for distribution to hospitals for treatment of the cases. Health education on prevention and management of

the disease is ongoing. Active case search and surveillance is also ongoing across the state. "Presently, we have over 1,400 confirmed cases of cholera with over 60 recorded deads. Let me seize this opportunity to draw the attention of the general public to the fact that diarrhea and vomiting is a preventable disease". He admonished residents of the state to ensure proper environmental sanitation, frequent hand washing, proper food hygiene, washing of all fruits and vegetables before eating as well as proper cooking of food items. Danja tasked food vendors to ensure that they cover their food items to avoid contact with flies, adding that: "We must all avoid open defecation and ingestion of contaminated water". Meanwhile, some of the residents of the state are living in fear following the outbreak of the disease in the state. They have urged the state government to put mechinery in motion to avert the disease. One of the residents, Usman Abdulkarim, said: "We have been battling with the disease in Malumfashi for the past one month. As we speak, many people have died of cholera in Malumfashi and nobody is ready to assist us.”

to review his submission next week after which the report and recommendations would be submitted to the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Usman Baba,” the source told THISDAY. Speaking in a media interview on the matter, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami, had said the US government was yet to communicate with Nigeria on the matter. Malami while explaining the process of extradition stated that the United States is expected to write the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who in turn would communicate the justice

ministry before any action with regards to extradition could be initiated in a high court of law. The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) following a warrant of arrest issued by a California District Court, had served the Nigeria Police an arrest warrant for Kyari over his alleged involvement in a $1.1 million fraud perpetrated by Husspuppi. In a chat with THISDAY, a human rights lawyer, Mr. Tosin Ojaomo, said Nigeria must adhere to the provisions of the constitution on the issue of an extradition request by the United States. "It is possible that the AGF has not received any

a capacity of 30, 000 bpd and was built in 1992,” explained the NNPC source, who spoke in confidence. Accordingly to the source, a refinery with 50 per cent petrol yield and zero per cent Low Pour Fuel Oil (LPFO) is way more valuable than a refinery with say 30 per cent petrol and 20 per cent LPFO. “This is simply because PMS (petrol) is way more valuable than LPFO,” it noted. According to the NNPC top source, a new refinery with 95 per cent availability is way more valuable than an old refinery with say 85 per cent availability, noting that this is simply because the new refinery will be making money in many more days in a year. “In addition, every manufacturing plant has fixed costs; so, a small refinery will have higher fixed costs per barrel and therefore lower profitability,” the source stressed. The Dangote refinery, with a single crude oil distillation unit, when completed, around mid-next year will be the largest single-train refinery in the world.

Corporation

arrest to the Interpol, it will no longer be a matter for Nigeria's extradition process, wherever he is seen outside Nigeria he (Kyari) will be arrested", he said. According to him, "We must always think of the provisions of our constitution. An accused person is presumed innocent until proven otherwise. "We must not convict anybody. He has to be convicted by a court of competent jurisdiction". Meanwhile, Kyari, who appeared before the panel on Wednesday and Thursday, insisted that nobody made any payment to him contrary to the claim made by the suspect in the US.

WE ARE ON COURSE... L-R: Enugu State Deputy Governor, Mrs. Cecilia Ezeilo; Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi; Convener/Chairman, Central Organising Committee, Ife-Emelumma Enugu West Unity Rally for Gburugburu, Senator Ben Collins Ndu; and State Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Hon. Augustine Nnamani, during the rally at Awgu Local Government Secretariat…yesterday

HOLLYFRONTIER TO ACQUIRE 97-YEAR-OLD 115,000BPD REFINERY FOR $2.6BN billion, whereas feedstock gas be seen from Sinclair Oil's Loses N9.1bn this year, has shown. arrears stood at N1.5 billion. NNPC and Dangote’s website, one has a capacity to Community, For its June operations, the refinery deal caused outrage of 85, 000 bpd and was NNPC lost N1.109 billion in earlier yesterday, especially on built in 1924, the other has Workers’ Protests social media, with a section of Nigerians comparing it with HollyFrontier’s business agreement with Sinclair. They argued that if HollyFrontier could buy the 678,000 barrels per day facility for $2.6 billion, there was no business sense in NNPC acquiring 20 per cent of Dangote refinery’s 650, 000 for $2.7 billion. But a top NNPC source said that people were erroneously interpreting the deal to mean that HollyFrontier is buying 678, 000 bpd refining capacity from Sinclair for $2.6 billion. The source explained that it is the combined business: HollyFrontier and Sinclair, that will have the refining capacity of 678, 000 bpd after the acquisition. The source further disclosed that HollyFrontier already has refineries, and is only adding Sinclair's two refineries, with a combined capacity of 115, 000 bpd to its portfolio. Out of this 115,000 bpd capacity, the first refinery with a capacity of 85,000 bpd was built in 1924, that is 97 years ago, while the second refinery with a capacity of 30,000 bpd, was built in 1992. “So, only two refineries are being purchased. As can

communication from the US but the police have started the procedure. It is the prerogative of the AGF to initiate the process and to review the police report. "The issue of extradition is not automatic. It is also important that the accused could go to the US to clear his name. If he refuses then the extradition process will be activated", he said. "It has always been our contention that if the law provides a way to do a particular thing, we must do it in accordance with the law. "The issue again is that immediately the US issues an international warrant for his

In another development, the NNPC has lost roughly N9.181 billion to shutdowns, mostly as a result of host community workers and contractors' protests in the Niger Delta, a review of reports on its activities from January to July this year has shown. Public demonstrations due to alleged negligence of the host oil communities where oil companies operate have been a major cause of disruptions to the national oil company’s operations in the region, which produces Nigeria’s and gas resources. The NNPC maintains a Joint Venture (JV) relationship with oil companies in the Niger Delta, with such shutdowns causing huge losses to both the national oil company and its partners. In July, NNPC’s total losses hit N1.644 billion due to such disruptions, while JV cost recovery was $147 million or about N56.6 billion when converted with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) exchange rate at the time. Government priority projects cost $40.5 million, about N20 billion, while export crude oil was N4.48 billion and Nigeria LNG feedstock was N13.8

terms of lost products as a result of shutdowns, whereas export crude volume was 2.7 million barrels, valued at N69.3 billion or $181.1 million, going by the CBN's N382.80 to a dollar exchange rate at the time. In May, total products losses were worth N961.3 million, a huge difference of about N680 million from the succeeding month. Still, in May, government priority projects gulped N15.8 billion while export crude oil stood at N723.8 million and export gas was N6.09 billion, as NLNG feedstock gas recorded during the month stood at N20 billion. In the preceding month of April, product losses due to shutdowns stood at N1.639 billion, export crude was N35.7 billion and export gas was worth N10.1 billion. Similarly, in March, product losses recorded, according to the national oil company, hit N1.618 billion, while export crude oil remained N30.9 million, an equivalent of N11.7 billion, given an exchange rate of N378.88. In the same vein, February figures showed that the NNPC export crude oil was N9.2 billion, while Nigeria LNG feedstock gas was worth

N15.904 billion and 6 million barrels of crude were lost to shutdowns, resulting in about N1.41 billion. For its January operations, the national oil company forfeited 2 million barrels to shutdowns, due to host community issues, generator failures, maintenance, sabotage, among others, standing at a loss of about N800 million, going by the N380 exchange rate. Most of the losses were due to the activities of disgruntled community workers and contractors who had issues to sort out with the oil companies. For instance, according to NNPC data in March, SPDC declared force majeure in January, due to the shutdown of Trans Forcados Pipeline (TFP) as a result of community issues over outstanding payments. In April, it was reported that Addax production into Brass was curtailed due to workers strike, while Seplat shut in 43, 000 barrels of oil due to third-party interference. Its May report indicated that Pan Ocean shut down production due to workers’ action, same with Jisike, which was abandoned as a result of industrial action by petroleum workers. Additionally, in July, NNPC announced that Eroton production was shut down

as it was vandalised, coupled with what it described as community disturbance. In the same month, Seplat Jisike's low stock was shut in due to the Addax contract personnel strike. In June, Batan station was shut down due to unpaid community workers' and contractors’ salaries, the same way that Kokori station was closed due to the same problem. Also, Aiteo shut down some flow stations due to community issues around the same time, the NNPC data stated, while Jones Creek station completely went down due to unpaid salaries of surveillance contractors. Similarly, in April, the Egwa flow station came down due to community agitations, leading to a loss of 36, 000 barrels, while Olomoro and Uzere suffered the same fate due to agitations by community workers and unpaid contract staff salaries. Royal Dutch Shell had recently begun massive divestment from its onshore and shallow water assets, saying its long-term business plan does not align with its activities in the area, with recent information revealing that it plans to completely sell off one of its subsidiaries, Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC).

AUGUST 8˜ ͺ͸ͺ͹ ˾ THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER

INTERNATIONAL Nigeria’s International Image: Beyond Political Chicanery, National Insecurity and Institutional CorruptionSetting for Nigeria’s Foreign Policy

he image of any given country, locally or internationally, can be evaluated by varying factors: National Development Index, extent of state and human security, military strength, demographic factors, territorial size, political stability, quality of leadership and followership, national behaviour, etc. For example, Nigeria, which was not among the first ten most populous countries in the world in 1950, occupied the seventh position in 2020. As projected by the United Nations World Population Prospect, Nigeria is expected to replace the United States as the third most populous country in the year 2100, pushing the United States to the fourth position and coming only after India and China. With this projection, Nigeria’s international image is expected to be bright and positive, especially bearing in mind the likelihood of Nigeria becoming a bigger market economy when the population rises. However, the situation in which Nigeria currently finds herself is such that the future is, at best, very bleak. Nigeria is currently challenged by many crises, including crisis of legitimacy and existence. First, there is the challenge of national insecurity, largely induced by boko haramic insurgency in the North East, armed banditry in the North West, Fulaniherdsmen conflict in the Middle Belt and Southern Nigeria, growing agitation for self-determination and secession, state terrorism and balancing the error of terror, etc. In fact, Nigeria’s international image has been seriously tainted due to Nigeria’s many avoidable challenges. Bishop Mathew Kukah described the situation in Nigeria on a lighter mood thus:‘Nigerian educational systems have surprising outcomes. The smartest students pass with First Class and get admitted to Medical and Engineering Schools. The Second Class students get MBAs and LLBs to manage the First Class students. The Third Class students enter politics and rule both the First and Second class students. The failures enter the underworld of crime and control the politicians and businesses. And best of all, those who did not attend school become prophets and Imams and everyone follows them. What a paradox of life. This can only happen in Nigeria where corruption is the order of the day.’If we liken Bishop Kukah’s observation to what currently obtains in Nigeria in terms of political chicanery, national insecurity, and institutional corruption, it can be rightly posited that Nigeria’s current challenges have their roots in Bishop Kukah’s observation. Challenges and Image Implications The first, and perhaps the most critical, challenge is the crisis of legitimacy and existence. Nigeria acceded to national and international sovereignty on October 1, 1960. Even though Nigeria can lay claim to more than six decades of sovereign existence, there has not really been a united nation-state. National unity was first seriously threatened in 1966 to the extent that a civil war broke out in 1967 and lasted for about 30 months. No meaningful political lessons for nation-building were learnt from the war, which was fought on the basis of use of force:‘to Keep Nigeria One, is a Task that Must be Done.’How can Nigeria be kept one as at today? How can the task be a must? Can national unity be enforced again? When the 1967-1970 was fought, it was basically an alliance of the North and South West against the Igbo South East. In the new war that appears to be in the making, the alliance may be quite different. Unlike the limited support of the South-South for the secessionists in the 1967 war, it is most likely that the Southern Nigeria will be united to resist what is perceived as likely Northern invasion. The drums of both secession and war have always been beaten since the end of the 1967 civil war in 1970. In 2000, some Northern leaders threatened a breakaway. This prompted Mr. Christian Chukwuma Onoh, lawyer and businessman, who was elected Governor of Anambra State in 1983 to plead that Nigerians should be allowed to‘part in peace’(vide“Break-up Imminent. Northern Leaders Threaten Nigeria,”Tell Magazine, no.12, March 2000). This threat implies that the current threats of secession have antecedents. If the antecedents were taken with kid gloves, why is the treatment of fresh threats taken with professional boxing gloves? Why is it that the North wanted a break-up? Again, a Senator of the Federal Republic from the north, Senate Leader AbdullahiYahaya, made it clear that‘the North can’t be intimidated or blackmailed by the so-called minority southerners. The political structures and institutions that is (sic) in place in the North can’t be broken by some hatred reddened so-called Southern Governors. Nobody can ban the Hausa Fulani open grazing in Nigeria without the endorsement of the President and the consent of the Miyetti Allah. Southerners are all learners when it comes to politics. Wait and see how it will unfold.’ Many issues are raised in the foregoing: What is the motivation behind

VIE INTERNATIONALE with

Bola A. Akinterinwa Telephone : 0807-688-2846

e-mail: bolyttag@yahoo.com

Monguno SenatorYahaya’s point of observation that southerners are learners and that they should wait and see the outcome of the whole show? Why the use of‘some reddened so-called Southern Governors’? Why talk about ‘so-called minority southerners’? Without doubt, answers to the questions explain the existing Cold War between the Northerners and the Southerners in Nigeria. What is the likelihood of a peaceful coexistence in the foreseeable future? On the issue of institutional corruption, Nigeria’s global popularity has been to the extent that the country has had to be described as‘fantastically corrupt’by a British Prime Minister many years ago. Rather than have the problem meaningfully addressed, those who are generally involved in acts of corruption are celebrated. And true enough, the judicial system also raises more questions than answers, especially in terms of how people are accused, prosecuted, discharged and acquitted in Nigeria, but prosecuted for the same offences in other jurisdictional competencies and found guilty. In the case of the first elected Governor of Bayelsa State, Chief Diepreye Solomon Peter Alamieyeseigha, he was convicted and jailed, having confessed to offences of criminal abuse of office and corrupt enrichment. However, the Government of Dr. Goodluck Jonathan gave him a state pardon, which prompted public protests. There was, for instance, the“Say No Campaign Nigeria,’’a coalition of civil society organisations fighting corruption and impunity, which protested in Abuja against the government in 2013. In the words of the convener of the protest, and Executive Director of CISLAC, Mr. Auwal Musa, pardoning Alamieyeseigha had‘turned Nigeria into a comedian in the committee of nations. It is an issue of serious concern to see government pardon a person convicted for plundering the country’s economy and diverting public funds kept in trust and jumped bail in the United Kingdom.’More interestingly, Mr. Musa declared‘a formal disapproval and objection of the pardon by calling on Government to reverse the pronouncement and repatriate Alamieyeseigha to London to go and clear himself with the Metropolitan Police.’ In the same vein, Mr. Jaye Gaskiya, the National Coordinator of the United Action for Democracy, called on the Judiciary‘not to give soft landing to corrupt people,’arguing that‘we are tired of corruption and Government is not doing anything about the perpetrators.’(vide‘’Groups

General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB), former and only military president of Nigeria, justified the position of PMB differently during his exclusive and thought-provoking interview with the Arise News Television last week. In the eyes of IBB, the people of Nigeria agreed as far back as the early 1950s to be united as one country and one people. Consequently, even if there are several ‘talk shops’ in the country today, there cannot be any going back on national unity. Most unfortunately, this thinking is very myopic in interpretation, misguided in strategic calculation and misrepresented in application. There is absolutely nothing wrong in seeking to be strongly united. But the whole wish to be united cannot but be totally wrong and misplaced when the defining principles on which such unity is largely predicated are not respected by parties to the decision. Besides, an agreement done today must not be expected to remain valid eternally without ensuring that the environmental conditionality of the agreement remains sustainable. In my view, there is nothing like indivisibility or indissolubility of any nation or nation-state in global politics. One set of people decides for the general public and such decision stands the test of time until another set of people raises the inadequacies of the status quo, for purposes of an amendment to the decision. It is very undemocratic to insist that a decision cannot be altered or should only be altered on the basis of a constitutional provision that is contested. Democracy is a priori an instrument of dialogue, not a catalyst for dictatorship.

protest Alamieyeseigha’s pardon, demand repatriation to UK for trial,’’ Premium Times, April 10, 2013). What is noteworthy about this case of Alamieyeseigha is that he was under prosecution and conviction in the UK, when he jumped bail and escaped to Nigeria, where he was given a state pardon. In this case, how is Nigeria expected to be perceived internationally? Can Nigeria ever be perceived as a country that is seriously fighting corruption that had been institutionalised? Alamieyeseigha did not commit a political offence but a crime against the State. Consequently, why pardon crimes? If Nigeria’s state pardon is seen from the perspective of ethnic solidarity, that is, from the perspective that the then President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, was also from Bayelsa State like Alamieyeseigha, in which way has the pardon helped to nip institutionalised corruption in the bud? Have the manifestations of ethnic sentiments not been shown variously under subsequent governments? In which way can Nigeria’s image of a deeply corrupt country be redeemed for good? Can the perception of Nigeria by the British as a‘fantastically corrupt’country be easily changed, with the recidivist character of institutional corruption? The most recent case in Nigeria cannot allow for such a perception. It is the case of indictment of a Deputy Commissioner of Police, Mr. Abba Kyari, who was indicted by a district court in the United States. Mr. Kyari has it that one Mr. Ramon Abbas, alias Hushpuppi, contacted him to assist in the recovery of a N8 million for a friend. The claim of Hushpuppi is different: he said he gave money to Kyari to help arrest and jail‘one of his rivals in Nigeria after a dispute over a $1.1 million scam on Qatari business people,’’a claim that Kyari has vehemently refuted. It was alleged that Kyari even requested for the sum of $1.1m as gratification. Kyari again denied the allegation, but admitted to having collected only N300,000k for clothing purposes. Abba Kyari’s problem has not been helped by the United States’FBI which has released the contents of conversations between him and Hushpuppi. The conversations have revealed that Hushpuppi wanted Kyari to arrest Chibuzo Vincent Kelly and detain him for a long time. Kyari responded that he would get in touch with his team to do something about it. Hushpuppi then requested for a bank account number to which to send money to the team. Abba Kyari complied and the conversations have not only led to the suspension of Kyari by the police authorities, they have also prompted the US government to ask for the extradition of Kyari the US for trial. Noteworthy in this case is that, in the eyes of Nigeria, Abba Kyari is a ‘super cop’, while in the eyes of Americans, he is nothing more than a ‘dubious cop.’So is the case, in the eyes of the international community, with Diezani Allison-Maduekwe, former Petroleum Minister, who looted Nigeria to the bones and marrow. Assets already recovered from her have been valued at N47.2bn: jewellery, N14.46bn; forfeited houses, US $80 million; etc. Existential Survival and International Image The story of James Ibori is not in any way different. He also recklessly looted public funds in Delta State, and damaged Nigeria’s international image. The damage is not only at the individual level of Ibori, but particularly by the Federal Government of Nigeria. Government sends out conflicting signals. James Ibori was accused in the United Kingdom of money laundering and was first convicted in 1991 for stealing from DIY shop in London. He returned to Nigeria thereafter and joined politics. Indeed, he was elected the Governor of Delta State in 1999. When James Ibori placed an order for a private jet through his solicitor in London in 2005, the British police began to monitor him. Ibori escaped arrest in Nigeria after his supporters attacked the police, but this did not prevent his arrest in Dubai in 2010 and his extradition to the United Kingdom where he was convicted on 10 counts of fraud worth a total amount of almost £50m. Even though he was cleared in 2009 in the Nigerian law court, he was, still convicted in the United Kingdom. What is always cleared in Nigeria is generally not cleared elsewhere. After his conviction, he was kept in the immigration detention centre to buy time to deal with how to recover about £57m from him. When he was eventually released, he returned to Nigeria and sued the British Home Office for what he called unlawful detention. He won the case and was awarded just £1 (one pound) as compensation. More interestingly, in 2012, Ibori was again convicted of stealing about $165 (£117m) from Delta State. How do we explain his recidivist attitude in stealing? Why is this type of attitudinal disposition not reckoned with during election time, especially in terms of qualification eligibility? Why is it that the general public, more often than not, also acquiesce to institutional corruption? The overall implications of the foregoing is not simply manifested at the level of Nigeria’s external image, but particularly at the level of threats to Nigeria’s sovereign existence. At the level of international image, Government’s non-coordination of its public pronouncements is a major problem and dynamics of international animosity towards the Government of Nigeria. For instance, the Accountant General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris, told Nigerians in May 2021 that the sum of £4.2m, recovered from Ibori Loot, had been returned to the Government of Delta State, which promptly and vehemently denied such a refund. The denial prompted the Director of Information, Press and Public Relations in the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, Mr. Henshaw Ogubike, to provide a clarification that‘the issue of the £4.2m Ibori Loot has not been properly resolved’and that the money‘is still being awaited after which the issues around it will be resolved before further action is taken.’Thus, the image or message being sent outside is a government that is not well coordinated, which is most unfortunate. Read full article online - www.thisdaylive.com

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ JUNE 24 2012

ARTS & REVIEW A

PUBLICATION

8.08.2021

Panoramic Meditation On Trade Capitalism and Dispossesion 2020 to 2021

FOR NDIDI DIKE, THIS IS WHAT IT MEANS TO BE AN ARTIST IN TIMES OF DISTRESS An ongoing solo exhibition in Lagos featuring recent installations by British-born leading Nigerian artist Ndidi Dike addresses issues bordering on the general lack of preparedness during the pandemic and the concurrent upheavals swirling around the excrescences of materialism. Okechukwu Uwaezuoke reports

mixed-media installation holds court somewhere beyond the exhibition hall’s entranceway. It is, at first glance, visually overwhelming. Sooner than later, a momentary fog of incomprehension clears up as it becomes more and more coherent and intelligible. An extensive, panoramic polyptych – composed of monochrome archival images and photographs taken by the artist from Lagos markets – almost forms a quadrilateral enclosure around a cluster of 3-D arrangements of detached auto parts in the form of totem poles and an assortment of fleshtone fibreglass face masks, suspended on metal spikes. Also courting the viewer’s attention from its position amid this cluster stands a horned Ikenga sculpture as a symbol of Igbo man’s aspiration for individual success and penchant for upward mobility. This installation, titled“Panoramic Meditation On: Trade, Capitalism and Dispossession”, bears the hallmarks of Ndidi Dike’s resourcefulness and diligence. Like the others adorning the exhibition hall of the Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island-based Art Twenty-One Gallery, the work was produced between 2020 and 2021. According to Dike, it“uses the panoramic format to suggest the passage of time and a macro perspective on the centrality of marketplaces to African lifeworlds—both historically and in the present.”Indeed, the British-born leading Nigerian female artist is right about the continent taking the cake as the Global North’s dumping ground and the site for the unscrupulous plundering of natural resources. Yet, beneath this apparent fixation of the African on“marketplaces”lurks the will to survive and a commendable resilience that ultimately evolves into the informal economy. As part of an ongoing exhibition, titled Working

through an Impasse, the installation joins forces with the rest in the hall to proclaim Dike’s“new formal and technical approaches to problems that remain unresolved”. Talking about the exhibition, which opened on Saturday, July 17 and ends sometime in September, it is the first solo exhibition by the 1984 University of Nigeria, Nsukka graduate since 2016. She had intended to hold this career-defining show sometime in early 2020.“At the time, I envisioned titling the show, Intersections and Realities of an Aesthetic Vocabulary. As the title suggests, I was really thinking about ways to tie together and develop conceptual and material ideas found in my past work—engagements with the aesthetics of marketplaces, assemblage, globalisation, the politics of the Global South, and the ever-changing realities of world trade.” But then, the COVID-19 pandemic, with the ensuing federal government-imposed lockdowns, forced her into an interregnum of introspection that led to a reexamination of what it means to be an artist in times of distress. A glance at her surroundings and keeping abreast with the incredible happenings on the international scene convinced her to recalibrate her ideas for the show. For the pandemic – as the ultimate leveller – has exposed the feet of clay of the proud edifice of global capitalism. “At the beginning of my sequestered lockdown in mid-March 2020, when ordinary life in Nigeria and other parts of the world was on pause, I found myself going off on tangents, my mind racing in so many directions,”she recalls.“I went into a deep freeze of sorts, a reflective mode and period of anxiety about my future as a full-time artist. What’s more, I found myself overly concerned about the social, economic, and political impact of the virus on Nigeria, my country with its population of 200 million-plus people...”

Ndidi Dike Of course, it was not unexpected that these government-imposed measures against the pandemic unleashed untold hardship on a greater percentage of Nigerians. For most people, frequent power outages, living in cramped hovels called “face-me-I-face-you”, dependence on meagre daily incomes for survival and visiting crowded markets are daily realities, which make adherence to social distancing impossible. Beyond these, other concerns are bordering on racial and political upheavals against inequalities. These are what Dike considers the impasse that she has to work through. Thus, she conceived the art installations in this exhibition, which she sees as“the unending process of working through the realities that challenge our dream of a full and healthy life replete with care, kindness, and collective joy.” But, a“full and healthy life replete with care, kindness and collective joy”will remain elusive so long as the spectre of unfulfilled promises

of modern sanitation infrastructures continues to haunt Nigeria. Hence another mixed-media installation, titled“The Luxury of Distance: Between Empathy and Apathy”, expresses the metaphor of the unfulfilled promises of the 60s and 70s. Seven spotless white washbasins – each containing shiny gold appropriated water taps – on white cuboid plinths, are positioned in grids marked out with white tape on the gallery’s floor to evoke social distancing guidelines. Suspended above all this are clusters of gold-sprayed bottles of hand sanitiser. “I conceived the overall installation in order to raise questions about the efficacy of social distancing practices in the Global South, the scarcity of sanitation resources, and the inadequacies of local governance to ensure the health and safety of the nation,”Dike says about this work. Yet another mixed-media installation, titled“The Reckoning”, evokes the violence unleashed on black people in the US and elsewhere in the world. Hundreds of batons, typically used by policemen, are placed in single slots within a large grid structure. While they obviously symbolise police brutality, they also represent the bodies of their black victims slotted into dark, cold refrigerators of morgues. Many of these batons bear tags with the names of Nigerian and black American victims, whose deaths in recent years led to the BlackLivesMatter and EndSARS protests. The work, according to the artist, was partly inspired by the comments by Professor Wole Soyinka while responding to the racial upheavals in the USA, on June 10, 2020. The Nobel laureate was reported to have drawn parallels between“the kind of dehumanisation of black peoples going on in the United States”and “the sort of dehumanisation on our own soil by our own people, whether it’s by leadership, whether it’s by the military, whether it’s by the police, or whether it’s by any kind of institution of state or private enterprise…”

EDITOR OKECHUKWU UWAEZUOKE/ okechukwu.uwaezuoke@thisdaylive.com

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER AUGUST 8, 2021

ARTS & REVIEW\\EXHIBITION

WITHDEJIOLUOKUN,CONTEMPORARY ARTGOESMOTIVATIONAL… Okechukwu Uwaezuoke

here is something so hard to ignore about this wig-sporting glamour boy in the photograph. Really, few fashionistas would fail to be baited by his mafia-esque outfit – a black fedora hat and black suit jacket – which matches his gleaming ebony complexion. Besides, his seeming to back the viewer, while at the same time showing his half-profile, heightens the viewer’s curiosity. This 31 x 39-inch fashion photograph is titled “Wander”, the exhibition catalogue informs. It is strategically positioned in the Terra Kulture’s recently-relocated exhibition hall, which is now on the ground floor. The exhibition? It is Deji Oluokun’s aboutto-conclude first solo outing, titled RCVRY, which opened at the Victoria Island, Lagosbased cultural centre on Saturday, July 24. The exhibition, which could have ended on Monday, August 2, was extended for another week. Back to the photograph, titled “Wander”. The explanatory note – “Man is just as learned and experienced as far as he wanders around in life. The farther you go, the further you go.” – should aid the viewer in his further musings about this work. And about the others too. Otherwise, how does a viewer wend his way through the thickets of such conceptual titles as “Curried”, “Sanctuary”, “Sicily”, “Hue”, “Carnal” and the “Utopia” and “Estate” series, among others? Beyond these titles, a message lurks within the exhibition title, RCVRY, which should actually be spelt as R-E-C-O-V-E-R-Y. Oluokun opts for the former spelling as a nod to the penchant of the Millennials and their Generation Z kindred spirits for abbreviation. So, RCVRY is meant to be a motivational rallying cry to this segment of the Nigerian young population to regain their self-esteem through the rediscovery of their potentials. Through this exhibition, Oluokun – a self-taught digital artist and a fashion photographer, who holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Ibadan – engages his audience through three mediums: digital art, the more conventional visual arts and fashion

photography. An experienced art director, with over seven years in advertising and creative design, he is driven by a passion that transcends just creating art. Rather, he appropriates art as a means to answering questions or, at least, seeking answers to them. “I have a story for you,” the artist who goes by the moniker TDo tells viewers in what he calls the exhibition’s official trailer – which sounds more like a teaser. “You see… I come from a small town, where you either belong to the ‘What is the point?’ or ‘What is your best?’ tribe. ‘What is the point?’ guys don’t like to change anything. They don’t care how far you can go in life; they are just comfortable. ‘What is your best?’ guys? Yeahhh! My guys! They are the movers, the challengers, they never quit, they see everything, EVERYTHING around them as a way to break through.

I initially set out to be one of them, but I got tired. The consistency is draining. But, I don’t want to stop. I CAN’T STOP. I am not a quitter. I have so much in me and this is just the beginning. This is a recovery stage in my life. I stand for the ‘What is your best?’ tribe. So, I ask you… Are you with me?” Those, who were with him at the exhibition’s opening on Saturday, July 24, were promised “guest performances, celebrity appearances and of course, eccentric fashion and style all in line with The Deji Oluokun brand.” With his works already been featured in First Magazine, Intra Magazine, Osengwa, among many others, he says the exhibition is meant “to increase awareness about digital art and fashion photography and their relevance to the younger generation and the field of modern art.”

Kunle Adewale

Building Bridges with Arts for Cultural Diplomacy Yinka Olatunbosun

T Wander

TRIBUTE

CELEBRATING RACHEL ONIGA’S ARTISTIC LEGACY Yinka Olatunbosun

hough she hailed from Delta State, Rachel Oniga was a Lagos girl; born in Ebute Meta. She grew up for the most part in the Surulere neighbourhood and is a product of an all-girls school in Abule-Ijesha area of Yaba- Blessed Girls. Energetic, she was fond of singing and dancing to keep her own company as a young girl. From Surulere, she would walk all the way to Mushin to watch movies at Rainbow cinema. Her father took her away from Lagos to Edo State just to tame her wild and free-spirited nature. But even as a child, she would write her own drama scripts and make her friends act out some roles. After her education at the Federal School of Science, she worked as a computer programmer. Later, her meeting with Lai Ashadele of The Village Headmaster fame gave impetus to kick off her acting dreams. She worked at Ascoline Nigeria Limited, a Dutch Consultant Company briefly and then veered into acting after her divorce. Her first movie role came with the movie Onome, after which she starred in‘Sango,’a historical movie directed by Obafemi Lasode. Other movies credited to her name include Passion of Mind, Power of Sin, Restless Mind and more. She was also famed for the Wale Adenuga’s television series, Super Story. When the news of her death broke on July 30, it was shocking for many fans who adored the phenomenal actress as many were still recovering from the sting from Sound Sultan’s demise. At 64, Oniga was only getting stronger on screen with her mind-blowing characterisations that she

VISUAL ARTS

Rachel Oniga always delivered with pure naturalness. She did quite a lot of television series before the ace cinematographer, Tade Ogidan considered her for a major movie role in Owo Blow. At first, she was apprehensive that she wouldn’t be able to deliver on the role because she wasn’t a native speaker of Yoruba language but with much encouragement, she took on the role of Mama Wole, a single mother who is being sexual harassed by her landlord. As a

single mother in real life, that role was a walk over as she had valley-deep emotions to recall in order to interpret the role. Chief Daddy is probably one of the easiest movies to remember where she plays the character of Chief Daddy’s sister in the tragi-comedy. As the matriarch of the family, she understands that the will left by her late brother supersedes all the antics that the family members are up to. She acts as the bridge-builder with a few pints of bad blood against the legal wife of the widow. But the revelation of Chief Daddy’s surprise package, his mistresses and hangers-on, had a profound effect on the way her character as well as importance in the plot was diminished. Oniga melted the viewers’hearts with her depiction of Chief Segun Adeniyi’s wife, a wealthy woman lacking finesse in the movie The Royal Hibiscus. She loves her daughter to bits and is very fond of her husband but their financial woes and her desire to see her daughter get married weigh her down. Oniga’s role is quite convincing in the way she pays lip service to her heathy diet routine. For most women, the quest to healthy feeding is an on-going battle and Oniga delivered that role effortlessly. But beyond her acting skills, Oniga had worked tirelessly to ensure that the movie industry is sanitised- not populated by unskilled or untrained actors. She joined the movement to call for better welfare of cast and crew but the whole effort seemed to backfire with she and her colleagues who were activists then were blacklisted by movie producers. After getting her groove back on screen, she remained unstoppable till she had her last breath. Those artistic works will continue to preserve the memories of an ingenious cross-over actor, one of the finest ever made.

he 2021 edition of the Kunle Adewale Day was a virtual commemoration with participants drawn from Nigeria, US, Egypt, Ireland, United Kingdom and Cyprus. In 2019, the leading artist, Kunle Adewale was honoured by John Cranley, the Mayor of Cincinnati, Ohio, as August 2 was designated as the Kunle Adewale Day in the US. The day was set aside in recognition of his role in using artistic tools to enhance the practice of medicine. This edition, whose theme was “Arts for Cultural Diplomacy”, explored the potential of using arts to build bridges for good governance, social development, economic empowerment and as well as health care delivery. Distinguished participants for the virtual commemoration include Jennifer Foltz, Deputy Public Affairs Officer, US Consulate Lagos, Dr Ayobami Ogundare; CEO of Ooni of Ife Global Outreach representing the Royal Young African Leadership Forum of His Imperial Majesty, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi. In his opening remarks, Adewale reiterated the relevance of arts in sustainable development. “Art can be used as a voice for the voiceless, a hope for the hopeless. Arts can help to build relationships for good governance and sustainable development for global good across cultures,’’ he said. Dr. Annette Akinsete, CEO/National Director, Sickle Cell Foundation Nigeria in her remarks commended Adewale for his significant contributions and relentless commitment to the practice of Arts in Medicine. She added that thousands of lives had been touched in Nigeria, United States and others parts of the world where the impact resonates. “Kunle Adewale is bringing people together from around the world for a global good,” she added. In the Keynote address delivered by Dr. Yewande Austin, an activist, artist, ambassador and Founder, Change International, Virginia, United States, the need for collective effort was highlighted. The panel discussion focused on building bridges through arts with panelists such as Dr. Manale Elewah, Founder Art2Care Egypt and Board member of Arts in Medicine Fellowship; Annie Ruth, Founder of Eyes of the artist Foundation, Cincinnati Ohio; and Bakare Mubarak, the tallest model in sub-Saharan Africa and African culture ambassador. The panelists spoke on the intersection of arts with politics, good governance, cross-cultural exchange and community building, citing examples such as Black Lives Matter in the US and EndSARS. Finally, the Kunle Adewale Day rounded off with the Virtual Art Workshop from Brandon Hawkins, Co-Founder, Soul-Palette, Cincinnati Ohio. The event was hosted by Franca Ebomah, Esther Ehindero, Onyinye Ubah and Temi Popoola. Guest Musicians included Sinmidele Ayodeji and Churemi.

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ AUGUST 8, 2021

CICERO

Editor: Ejiofor Alike SMS: 08066066268 email:ejiofor.alike@thisdaylive.com

IN THE ARENA

PushingTheir Atrophied Visions, APC, PDP Court Implosion With consequential slip-ups and a grasping, fractured political elite, both the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party are courting imminent implosion, Louis Achi writes

ignificantly, the world views Nigeria at times from the most puzzling prisms - crises, corruption, starvation, political regression and more. This is largely selfinflicted and with a history. But what clearly may not be disputed is that there is a dearth of statesmen and statesmanship in the nation’s political space. This reality has definitely impacted the political environ-

ment. Political parties and electoral systems are the most important ingredients in every democracy. Political parties play a major role in democratic processes around the world. They are supposed to increase predictability and the transparency of policy outcomes. This, in turn, facilitates better accountability between voters and their representatives. Parties save politics from becoming a dispersed and even possibly a contradictory set of actions. But in Nigeria today, this time-honoured traditions have apparently been flipped on their heads. In 22 years of the Fourth Republic, two major political parties that have held power at the centre, controlling the presidency, are the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC). While the PDP has ruled for 16 years, the APC is in its sixth year. The hopes of transformative governance vested in both parties by Nigerians over the past 22 years have largely come to naught. With their atrophied visions, Nigeria still remains a transitional democracy. Both have demonstrated puzzling incapacity or unwillingness to make the necessary effort to respond to the challenges encapsulated in the nation’s peculiar history. This scenario may have prodded the Economist of London to observe that: “One of the deepest mysteries of modern Nigeria is how so big a country, filled with so many well educated people manage to spend so much time getting nowhere...The military depredations....would matter less... but Nigerian democracy, when occasionally it surfaced, was never a shining example of the genre.” The ruling APC is currently enmeshed in self-conjured crisis. The violent conversations among its leaders, legal grey areas and the physical violence that overshadowed its penultimate Saturday’s ward congresses considerably diminished the orderliness and peace expected of a progressives’ platform - so-called. It could be recalled that following the successful power grab by the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), last year, the platform effectively centralised itself as key power block out of the four foundational political entities that joined forces to defeat the PDP in 2015. The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami and Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State belong to the CPC block. The current enervating internal dissonance apparently flows from this ‘coup,’ which the other coalition members are pushing back against, especially against the background of the cold calculations ahead of 2023 elections. Last June, many APC governors prevailed on Buhari to sack the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) and install Buni as the interim chairman. Buni was mandated to lead a 13-member caretaker committee to conduct a national convention within six months for the election of a new leadership. Fifteen months on, Buni is still exercising that constitutionally disputed mandate which was extended. Buni’s dual mandate as executive Yobe State governor and national party Caretaker Committee Chairman has further fuelled the party’s internal crisis. According to sources, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo was mandated by Buhari to ensure the party benefits from what seems to be a legal warning from the recent Supreme Court ruling, which had a 4-3 verdict with the justices questioning

the constitutional validity of a sitting governor holding an executive post such as national party caretaker chairmanship. While a last-minute cancellation of the congresses was on the table penultimate Friday night, APC governors reportedly explained to Osinbajo that the majority of them would rather prefer to go on with the congresses. A few others felt an outright cancellation of the congresses would be inevitable if it went ahead. Eventually, what could pass for a patchy congress was held. But the Supreme Court, in its written judgment on the Ondo State governorship election, has affirmed the leadership of Buni as Chairman, Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) of APC, clarifying that it is legal and lawful. The apex court also held that Buni’s position as Acting Chairman of the CECPC is not contrary to the provision of Section 183 of the Constitution as same is on a temporary basis which is not akin to executive office or paid employment as envisaged by Section 183 of the Constitution. While this represents some relief to the embattled party, it does not hide the internal indiscipline, extreme greed by many of its influential members their and puzzling lack of empathy for their poverty- stricken constituencies. Today, the APC has become an all-comers sanctuary where ‘sinners become saints’. According to Solomon Dalong, an APC chieftain and former Minister of Sports, while speaking in a BBC Hausa programme, APC has failed Nigerians. “Our party, the APC is like a dying party because, as I am talking to you right now, they

have dissolved the party completely, it has no members, even the President is not a member.” Following its birth in 1998, the PDP held lots of promises. It could of course be recalled that the party metamorphosed from the G-34, a formidable political platform founded by some of Nigeria’s most respected politicians who fearlessly waged the war for the enthronement of democracy. The vision of its founding fathers was essentially to win political power through democratic means in order to institute a democratic government as well as deepen the democratic culture. But after 16 years on the saddle, considerable hope was betrayed. The party became bedevilled by indiscipline and a compelling failure to exercise power to the beneﬁt of Nigerians. Whereas the PDP was expected to mirror the ideals of the progressives who were its founding mentors, the party, in much of its 16 years, rather strangely chose a pathway at odds with strengthening democracy. Though it could not be denied that the Yar’Adua/Jonathan phase lit a candle in the darkness of electoral and governance roguery that defined the party’s excursion in power. Today, with so many defections by its governors, party executives and other elected members to the APC, it is a point of debate whether PDP can survive the current crisis that has pitted some of its NWC members against national chairman, Prince Uche Secondus whose circumspect supervision of the PDP as a potent, viable opposition party has become questionable.

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

Anambra Guber Election and Judicial Rascality

Muhammad

The ruling by Justice Chioma Nwosu-Ikpeme of the Court of Appeal sitting in Awka berating a Jigawa State High Court and Imo State High Court for bringing the name of the judiciary to disrepute through their conducts is most encouraging if judicial rascality is to be curbed. The Appeal Court, which also dismissed an application challenging the judgement of an Awka High Court of Anambra State, which declared the former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Professor Chukwuma Soludo as candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), in the November 6, gubernatorial election in the state, also descended heavily on Anambra State politicians for travelling around the country, shopping for judges that would give them favourable judgements. Justice Nwosu-Ikpeme accused Anambra politi-

cians of shopping for judgments to enable them to contest in the November 6 governorship election. She ruled on a motion by Chike Onyemenam counsel to Jude Okeke, who claims to be the national chairman of the APGA, seeking to stop the execution of the order made earlier on July 18 by Justice Charles C. Okaa of the Anambra State High Court in Awka directing the INEC to recognise Soludo, as the APGA candidate in the November 6 gubernatorial election in the state. She demanded punishment for the judge of the Jigawa State High Court, Justice Ubale of Birnin Kudu, and his counterpart in the Imo State judiciary, Justice B. C. Iheka, for what she described as their unprofessional conduct by dabbling into the Anambra State gubernatorial election controversy and gave consequential judgments on it. She also wanted the lawyers, who took the cases

to the state high courts in Jigawa and Imo states disciplined for professional misbehaviour. Justice Nwosu-Iheme was angry that Anambra politicians were going round the country shopping for judgments, rather than appear before the courts which have the territorial jurisdiction to entertain the election. She accused some judges and lawyers of indulging such politicians to bring the legal profession into public contempt. The Supreme Court had warned against this ugly practice it described as forum shopping. The apex court had also warned courts of coordinate jurisdiction against issuing conflicting orders. It is high time the National Judicial Council (NJC) and Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) punished judicial officers and lawyers indulging in this judicial rascality.

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ AUGUST 8, 2021

BRIEFINGNOTES Can Disu Wear Kyari’s Big Shoes on Intelligence Gathering? Ejiofor Alike writes that the new Commander of the Inspector General of Police (IG)’s Intelligence

Response Team, Deputy Commissioner of Police Tunji Disu, may have to up the ante on intelligence gathering to wear the big shoes of his predecessor, DCP Abba Kyari, a crack detective

n an apparent move to boost the capacity of the Nigeria Police to gather intelligence and respond swiftly to violent crimes, its high Command had created the Inspector-General of Police (IG) Intelligence Response Squad (IRT), and the Special Tactical Squad (STS). Unlike the Police Mobile Force (PMF), and other special response outfits, which are merely the attack arms of the police, the IRT is reputed for its intelligence gathering capacity and ability to also attack. IRT is well-equipped with human and material resources to gather intelligence and respond appropriately. The IRT is also equipped to carry out the functions of PMF and SARS in confronting bandits, terrorists, kidnappers, armed robbers and other violent criminals. Despite the numerous allegations that he soiled his hands with the innocent blood of many Nigerians and also connived with criminals to rob innocent people of their money and property, DCP Abba Kyari had no doubt excelled in investigating, detecting and responding to violent crimes across Nigeria. Before he moved to Abuja to head the IRT, Kyari, as the head of the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) in Lagos was behind the arrest of the leader of a notorious robbery gang believed to have terrorised Lagos and other South-west states for 14 years. The robbery kingpin, identified as Abiodun Ogunjobi, aka, Abbey Godogodo, had met his waterloo in July 2013 when SARS operatives led by Kyari, laid ambush for him at his mansion at Egbeda area of Ibadan, Oyo State. Godogodo’s gang came to national limelight on July 7, 2013, when it murdered seven persons at O4 Hotel, a popular hotel in Ajah area of Lagos, including the owner, Olarinwaju Subair. His gang had also killed two security guards at a popular hotel, along Apapa Road, Ebute-Meta area of Lagos State on the same day. Godogodo had coordinated several bank robberies in Kwara, Ogun, Oyo, Ekiti and Osun states and had also killed no fewer than 50 policemen, before Kyari brought him to justice. Kyari’s SARS had also played prominent role in the fall of a notorious kidnapper, Henry Chibueze, who had terrorised the South-east, South-south and other parts of the country. Armed with an AK-47 assault rifle, Chibueze

Disu had on February 16, 2013, stormed the home of his girlfriend, Miss Sandra Ijedinma, at Igando area of Lagos State, and opened fire on everyone in the apartment. His girlfriend, Sandara, her elder sister, Mrs. Praise Ozor and her two children died in the attack. He also went to a nearby street where one of Sandra’s elder sisters had resided and killed her and three of her children, bringing the death toll to eight, before he fled. The notorious kidnapper was angry because Sandra had called off their relationship, after she learnt that her fiancé was a kidnapper.

While he escaped to Ivory Coast, Kyari had trailed his gang members to Abia, Delta and Rivers states, where he arrested seven members of his gang, who were behind the kidnap of a British national, Diction Lee, abducted on Airport Road, Ikeja, few minutes after he arrived Nigeria. He later regrouped with his gang in Imo State and kidnapped over 200 persons in South-east and South-south, killing most of his victims. However, when he attempted to kidnap the tribunal judges, handling Election Petition in Imo State, at their lodge, in Disney Hotels, along Onitsha -Owerri Road, in July 2015,

the operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS), swooped on him, but he escaped with bullet wounds. DSS operatives later rearrested him, while treating the wounds in the house of his elder brother’s wife, in Ohafia, Abia State. When Kyari joined the IRT, the outfit on June 2017 arrested a suspected vicious kidnapper and armed robber, Mr. Chukwudubem Onwuamadike, aka, Evans, less than a month after the police placed a N30 million bounty in return for information leading to his arrest. In recognition of this feat, Police Service Commission (PSC) had in April 2018 approved special promotion of 45 police officers and acting appointments for another 13 officers who played major roles in the arrest of Evans and 21 members of his gang. Kyari’s IRT had also tracked and arrested the alleged Taraba notorious kidnap kingpin, Mr. Bala Hamisu, aka, Wadume, at Ibi town in Taraba State on August 6, 2019, during which the IG’s team suffered heavy casualties in the hands of the military personnel, led by Captain Tijani Balarabe, who rescued the suspect before he was rearrested by the IRT several days later. Indeed, Kyari broke the record in the crimebusting efforts of the Nigeria Police Force. But with his alleged unholy alliance with Hushpuppi, there are strong indications that the ‘super cop’ may have also engaged in other grievous unprofessional conducts in the course of his exploits. However, his achievements in crime fighting and intelligence gathering cannot be obliterated. His successor, Disu, also an excellent police officer, had led the Nigeria Police contingent on African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS) to quell the crisis in the war-torn Darfur in 2005. He had also excelled as the Commander of the Lagos State Rapid Respond Squad (RRS), popularly known as the “Good Guys”, which reduced the high rate of crime drastically in the state. Until his new appointment, Disu was the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Department of Operations, Force Headquarters, Abuja. The new head of IRT is an exceptional operations officer but in the area of intelligence/investigation, he was only known to have served as the Deputy Head of the State CID, Rivers State. Disu may have to up the ante on intelligence gathering to fit into Kyari’s big shoes.

NOTES FOR FILE

Abba Kyari’s Dramatic U-turn It is not always advisable to hastily react when one is accused of any wrongdoing. This is what happened in the case of the suspended Commander of the police Intelligence Response Team (IRT), DCP Abba Kyari. Kyari came under fire after Ramon Abbas, the self-confessed international fraudster better known as Hushpuppi, who is being tried in the US, alleged that he bribed the officer to arrest one Vincent Chibuzo, a co-fraudster. Immediately the news broke, Kyari rushed to release a statement on his social handles narrating how he only connected the socialite to a fabric dealer whom Hushpuppi paid about N300,000. His response was the most unintelligent piece an intelligence officer can ever drop. Perhaps he thought like every issue in the country, the matter would be quickly swept under the carpet as it broke.

Having seen the overwhelming evidence against him, the senior police officer has removed the part where he said Hushpuppi sent N300,000 for clothes, saying the Instagram celebrity only called his office about two years ago that somebody in Nigeria“threatened to kill his family here”. The suspect, Kyari said, was trailed and arrested, but after investigation, they discovered there was no actual threat to anyone’s life and“they are long-time friends who have money issues between them hence we released the suspect on bail”. He also said his office was reached a second time to help recover N8 million. “Nobody demanded or collected any money from Abbas Hushpuppi. He can be interviewed publicly in the presence of the world media by the people holding him to confirm this,”Kyari wrote in the new post.

“He also called for another case in June 2020 and complained about a financial transaction with a second person whom he said his friend sent N8 million to and pleaded for his friend’s money to be recovered. He sent transaction slips and other evidences to prove their case against the person. “All these can be verified from the Hushpuppi since he is still in custody. And it can be verified from person who collected 8 million naira from Hushpuppi’s friend whom they complained about is alive and is in Nigeria.” Coming from a high-ranking police officer in the calibre of Kyari, who is touted as super cop in the country, not a few Nigerians expressed their disappointment. They believe that he should know better that this is clearly an after-thought. He should have carefully weighed his comments before reacting. Who knows what he would say next.

Kyari

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ AUGUST 8, 2021

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Jega

Beyond APC, PDP and Jega’s Political Sermon Iyobosa Uwugiaren writes that while the former Chairman of the Independent Electoral Commission, Professor Attahiru Jega, has rightly accused the Peoples Democratic Party and the All Progressives Congress of failing to address the leadershipquestioninthecountry,theformerINECbosssupervisedthediscredited process of recruitment of the present discredited political leadership.

iven the disruptive political culture of Nigeria, especially with huge lack of internal democracy that has been widely, but audaciously exhibited by the dominant political parties: the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC), the recent call by former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega, on Nigerians not to vote for the two parties in 2023 general election, is well-timed and politically precise. But his fair comment has swiftly attracted impulsive and hash criticisms from some political commentators, who have advised him to “simply shut up’’ and stop any attempt to “impress anybody,’ since it was the northern political agenda he implemented in 2015 that brought Nigeria to the present political catastrophe, as represented by the six years of President Muhammadu Buhari-led government. Nonetheless, a thorough examination of Jega’s message will point to the fact that he was correct. To be sure, the two dominant parties have steadily but suspiciously stimulated grave incidences of electoral rigging, and violence. While accusations and counter-accusations of fraud and malpractice have been extensive, countless lives have been lost and property destroyed. For APC and PDP, political analysts said winning elections in Nigeria has been a serious business, having become a sure way of gaining access to state resources. The “real owners’’ of the two parties have never been concerned by the fact that as an ambitious democratic state, periodic free, fair and credible elections in Nigeria should be one of the pillars for nourishing democracy. The political actors in the PDP and APC have never acted in a principled manner or played by the rules. Perhaps, that may explain why many political

monitors are not shocked about the current crises enveloping the two parties. Indeed, unfolding events within the parties in the past few days have suggested that this is not the best of times for the ruling APC, and the main opposition PDP. Both parties are presently manacled by electionthreatening interminable squabbles ahead of the general election, which is about 20 months away. For the APC, the crises arising from the ward congresses are fast tearing the party apart across many states. While fresh trouble has hit the PDP with six national officers resigning on Tuesday. Even though the aggrieved party men cited “bad treatment” allegedly exhibited by the PDP National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, as reasons for their action, insiders said the real reason could be located within the many political hawks struggling for the soul of the party, ahead of the 2023 general election. There have been calculated plans and counter-plan to kick Secondus out of his plum position, with many insiders linking it to his political disagreement with his governor, Mr. Nyesom Wike of Rivers State. The six PDP’s national officers, who resigned their positions include, Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Diran Odeyemi; Deputy National Legal Adviser, Ahmed Bello; Deputy National Women Leader, Umoru Hadizat; Deputy National Auditor, Divine Amina; Deputy National Organizing Secretary, Hassan Yakubu; and Deputy National Financial Secretary, Irona Alphonsus. However, the crises generated by the ward congresses of the APC in many states have continued to aggravate, with several court injunctions being instituted to nullify the outcome of the congresses of the party. Within this context, Jega may be right to say that the two major parties are like a Siamese twins of corruption and crisis, and that it was high time Nigerians looked for a trustworthy substitute. This was the professor of Political Science’s message, when he recently spoke on a British

Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) Hausa programme, advising Nigerians to dump the two parties because of their bad antecedents. But he also quickly gave himself out as an aspiring-selfish politician when he said, ‘’That is why I have since registered with the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP). I am now a PRP member looking for ways to help Nigeria.’ The political scholar believes now is the time to construct a platform, which every good Nigerian should join and contribute towards building the nation on the right path. He postulated that it was the lack of good leadership in the country that threw the nation into its current problems, which had led to the series of agitations for the country to be balkanised. Jega’s comment may sound fair. However, many political commentators are aware that the former INEC chairman was influential in enthroning the current discredited political order. ‘’Someone needs to tell Attahiru Jega to simply shut up. Who is he trying to impress? He should first admit that the northern agenda he worked for led to this calamity’,’ a political commentator/ journalist, Mr. Sunny Igboanugo, recently argued. Before the 2015 general election, the then INEC chairman said what the electoral commission aimed to achieve was a general election, in which Nigeria would take its rightful place in the global order of nations - where electoral democracy had come of age. For some fair-minded political observers, Jega and his team were able to conduct a credible general election in 2015. The argument was that going by the country’s previous experience, the Jega-led team displayed a high level of ground-breaking spirit in the organisation and management of the 2015 general election. However, other right-thinking Nigerians also argued that the card reader machines ‘’deliberately configured to fail in several places’,’ especially in the

Southern part of the country, created room for Jega-led INEC to skew the 2015 election in favour of his ‘’tribesman,’ Buhari. In the controversial 2015 election, there was the upsetting issue of under-aged voters issued with PVCs in the northern part of the country, during the March 28 polls. Some of the states identified in this alleged malpractice were Kano, Kaduna, Jigawa, Katsina, Gombe, Bauchi, Katsina, Borno and Kogi states. To be sure, a team of European observers led by Dirk Verheyen and Joelle Meganck had decried the spate of underage voting that characterised the election in the north in their reports. They reported that minors presented valid PVCs. Jega-led INEC was also accused of voter suppression in the south through the instrumentality of the PVCs. For example, while there were about five million voters from the South-east in the 2011 elections, only 2.6 million votes were recorded in 2015. In contrast, the total votes from Jigawa and Kano states (Jigawa used to be a part of Kano State), was 3.1 million, even double that of Lagos State, which had only 1.4 million. In fact, over 1.8 million scandalous votes were recorded in Kano without any invalid vote - in spite of what many observers described as high level of illiteracy in the state. Several months before the election the issue of underage voting was brought to the knowledge of INEC, and Jega’s response was not really convincing as he only stated that any under-aged voter who presents himself or herself to vote on election day would be arrested. However, in spite of Jega’s assurances, thousands of under-aged voters were alleged to have been allowed to vote on March 28. While Jega appeared to have made sense through his recent comment, the argument is that the source of the message is discredited and polluted. The former INEC boss is accused of creating the prevailing political mess, because of his alleged questionable role in the 2015 general election. The election, some observers argued, did not meet the minimum standards of free and fair polls. As Prof. Osita Agbu has argued, ‘’a free and fair election is a desideratum for the existence of democracy. A democratic government ideally denotes government composed through the freely given consent of the people as expressed in an election. Once the element of free consent is absent in an electoral process, then the outcome is no a longer democracy, but dictatorship.’ Apart from those who accused Jega of foisting a government that lacks strong legitimacy on Nigerians, the National Secretary Caretaker/ Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) of the crisis-ridden APC, Senator John James Akpanudoedehe, in a statement, said the judgment of Jega lacked scholarly research and was not evidence-based. The APC said Jega got it wrong to have said the ruling party had failed to meet expectations of Nigerians just like its predecessor in office, the PDP. “While Professor Jega is right about the PDP, a party under which he served as the Chairman of the nation’s election management body, we reject his comparison of the APC with the PDP. Professor Jega got his facts wrong and mixed up in his baseless comparison of the PDP with the APC’’, the running party explained. “It is, however, instructive to note that having recently abandoned his academic pursuit and blindly plunged into the arena of PDP’s brand of politics, the erstwhile electoral umpire as a politician can make such political statements occasionally while trying to launch his political career in a mushroom political party’’, APC further slammed Jega. On its part, the PDP cautioned Jega not to further infuriate Nigerians by trying to dry-clean “the rudderless, inept and debauched APC, despite the unbearable devastation the APC has brought to the nation in a space of six years.’’ Reacting to Jega’s comment, the National Publicity Secretary of PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, had emphasised that “it is worrisome that Jega, who only recently and rightly so, described the APC and the Buhari administration as a failure, “is now attempting an image laundering with such a warped comparison, just a few weeks after he was offered a juicy appointment as Chairman of Governing Council of University of Jos by President Buhari.” In all, what is evident is that PDP and APC may have failed to respond to leadership question in the country and by extension, the socio-political and economic challenges. However, many people believe that Jega supervised the discredited process of recruitment of the present political leadership in the country.

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ AUGUST 8, 2021

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APC Congresses in Ekiti Expose Tinubu, Fayemi’s Tussle over 2023 The recent ward congresses of the All Progressives Congress have deepened the perceived strained relationship between the supporters of the National Leader of the party, Senator Bola Tinubu and the Governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi over the rumoured 2023 presidential ambitions of the two giants of the ruling party, Victor Ogunje writes

Tinubu

t all began like a rumour that all was not well between the former Governor of Lagos State, Senator Bola Tinubu, and the Governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi over the alleged clash of their rumoured ambitions to occupy the Presidential Villa in 2023. While none of the APC leaders has publicly indicated interest to contest 2023 presidential election, the battle for the control of the Ekiti State APC by the supporters of the two party chieftains has clearly shown that both men are in opposing camps. However, the peddlers of the rumours have remained consistent that the 2023 presidential ambition was responsible for the persistent clashes between their supporters in Ekiti State. Rather than back down as the two leaders have also denied the war rumour, their supporters have remained tenacious in the struggle. Today, the seeming strained relationship has become the issue that dominates the politics of Ekiti State. The two APC leaders parade intimidating credentials in the Nigerian political records. While Tinubu is a former Senator and two-term governor of the most influential state in Nigeria, Fayemi is a former minister, the Chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, and a secondterm governor of one of the most educated state. Tinubu has been widely adjudged as an enigma in the Nigerian politics. As a member of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), his positive strides were felt as one of the backers of the ill-fated Chief MKO Abiola’s presidential bid. After the collapse of the Alliance for Democracy (AD) in 2006, Tinubu conceived and founded the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), where

Fayemi

Fayemi and many other foot-soldiers cut their teeth in politics and rose meteorically to political stardom. Though, Fayemi must have undergone political pupillage under Tinubu, the Ekiti State governor was never a political neophyte as well. Having armed himself with a PhD in War Studies, Fayemi had positioned himself as a political strategist and academic of repute. At various times, he had overtly confessed that Tinubu remained his political leader. Putting it succinctly, he undertook part of his political tutelage under the former Lagos State Governor. This fact remains incontestable. The two APC leaders had so many things in common. They had fought together as members of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO). They also coalesced efforts, funds and intellectual acumen as members of ACN to pull the rug off the feet of the seemingly invincible Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the South-west region, part of the South-south and the national level. Fayemi, who never wanted to be drawn into any battle with Tinubu, had always maintained that the APC National leader remained his leader. He puts it lucidly that nothing can separate the them. The seeming cold war was wrapped under their belly and they displayed maturity to keep it away from the public view. But their foot-soldiers’ misdemeanours have betrayed their efforts to conceal this fact. Supporters of Tinubu and Fayemi in Ekiti State and the South-west have been hurling insults at each other over the rumour that their principals were nursing presidential ambitions. This clash of interest has further widened the gulf, despite the attempt by the two leaders to keep skeptics guessing whether the simmering

war was a fact or fiction. Leading the supporters of Tinubu in Ekiti State was a former Minister of Works and ex-member of the National Assembly, Senator Dayo Adeyeye. Adeyeye’s is the National Chairman of a Pro-Tinubu camp under the acronym Southwest Agenda for 2023 (SWAGA). He has other formidable allies like Senator Tony Adeniyi, the man who prosecuted Fayemi’s case against Segun Oni for three and half years and former speaker, Ekiti State House of Assembly, Hon Adewale Omirin, the man who rode on the governor’s back to become speaker between 2011 and 2015. Though the Special Adviser to the President, Senator Babafemi Ojudu has not overtly confirmed his alleged membership of SWAGA, his closeness and fraternity with Tinubu remains indisputable. In this battle, he has been on the fringe, launching vitriolic attacks against the State Working Committee (SWC) of the APC and Fayemi, describing the SWC as a mere lame duck. However, the just concluded ward congress had blown the lid off the whole scenario and the world has come to that lucid conclusion that truly, there is a commotion within the nucleus of APC in the South-west. The congress exposed the existing enmity between the two camps. Though, the feud between Tinubu and Fayemi might not be as terrific, bitter and magnified as their loyalists made it to look like. Before the day of the congress, there was ominous signal that the exercise would be crisis-ridden. Few months ago, the APC SWC loyal to Fayemi had proscribed SWAGA in Ekiti

and threatened to slam whoever propagated the group’s ideals with suspension. But the group’s leaders and members ignored the threat. Prior to the congress, the SWAGA members, through their state chairman, Senator Tony Adeniyi alleged that the Hon. Paul Omotosoled APC Caretaker Committee in Ekiti was hoarding the forms and preventing its members from gaining access. Adeniyi alleged further that the body also secretly inaugurated Chief Abejide-led congress committee across 177 wards to oversee the election against the statute that stipulated that only the APC Ward Congress Committee from Abuja, led by Alhaji Yusuf Galambi could exercise such powers. Adeniyi said the consensus arrangements being proposed by the National Caretaker Committee of the party, would not work in the state. The group had also said the consensus in Ekiti would not work as a result of some unilateral decisions already being taken by the state government and its caucus, which they warned could have a grave democratic consequences if imposed. Adeniyi said: “We hereby state categorically that the APC in Ekiti State are fully prepared to go for Direct Congresses immediately after the registration/revalidation exercise. We are not, and shall not be part of any unilateral ‘consensus’ arrangement whatsoever. “The beauty of democracy is allowing everybody to have their say, even when the majority would have their way. The only civilised way to prove our numerical values is through congresses, not by any proxy,” Adeniyi reportedly said. In spite of this, the party adopted consensus substantially in virtually all the 177 wards, which the SWAGA said was contrived to stop its members from vying for positions. The group also called for outright annulment of the election, where a man was killed in Ado Ekiti Ward 10. Addressing journalists on the alleged shoddy conduct of the congress, the SWAGA chieftain, Senator Dayo Adeyeye, said: “The Ward Congress purportedly took place in Ekiti State. But the manner of its conduct was nothing near all democratic norms as it was warped, disorderly, perverse and can only pass for a charade. “As witnessed yesterday, the presence of INEC officials was not felt at the congresses. In most of the centres, members of the Tokan-Tokan group took over the INEC job. The presence of the law enforcement agents was also very insignificant. We witnessed a situation where people waited agitatedly from dusk to almost dawn, in a decoy deployed to frustrate voters. “In places like Ijero, Ado Ekiti and Oye local councils, extreme violence was visited on people, leading to one death in Ado Ekiti Ward 10. Several people were also wounded and properties destroyed. We have the video clips of some of these heinous incidents. “We are hereby telling the CECPC, our party members nationwide and indeed, all Nigerians, that there was no congress in Ekiti State yesterday. What happened was a charade that cannot pass the test of democracy and it is totally unacceptable”. But faulting the position flaunted by SWAGA, the APC Director of Media, Mr. Sam Oluwalana, said it was an incontrovertible fact that the congresses in the wards were peacefully concluded, contrary to what the group was canvassing. “Further, we would like to disabuse the minds of the public on insinuations being peddled about a purported clash between supporters of Governor Kayode Fayemi and supporters of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, in the state. Our respected national leader is well known to have contributed to the growth of the party in Ekiti State and the entire country, and we as a party are aware of the very cordial relationship between Asiwaju Tinubu and Governor Fayemi. “Conflict entrepreneurs are advised to look elsewhere for a different narrative to bolster their divisive tendencies, and not fan embers of discord where there is none. “We encourage any genuinely aggrieved party member to seek redress through the party’s internal conflict resolution mechanisms, and to desist from sponsoring false media narratives that are injurious to our collective interests. Together we are greater than the sum of our individual parts”, Oluwalana reportedly stated. The next few months would be so interesting in Ekiti as the two groups intensify efforts to outdo each other.

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ AUGUST 8, 2021

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AbdulRazaq, Mohammed’s War in Kwara Brightens Saraki’s Future Hammed Shittu writes that the supremacy battle between the Kwara State Governor, Mr. AbdulRahman Abdulrazaq and the Minister of Information and Culture, Mr. Lai Mohammed, has spread like a wildﬁre, brightening the political future of the former President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki

our political camps within the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara State had joined forces during the 2019 general election to design a popular slogan called “O To Ge” (Enough is Enough), and wrestle power from the Saraki dynasty that had been in control of the state for over 40 years. The four camps were led by Chief Iyiola Oyedepo; the Minister of State for Transportation, Senator Gbemisola Saraki; Chief Sunday Fagbemi and Mr. Lai Mohammed. With their collaboration and gang-up against the former Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, the APC won all the state and federal legislative elections. APC had also crowned its victory with the election of the incumbent governor of the state, Mr. AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq as the 12th executive governor of the state. But instead of managing their success at the polls, the stakeholders have been embroiled in crisis, which led to the factionalisation of the party into two camps. The crisis has enhanced a greater acceptability of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader and former Senate President, Saraki in the political calculations of the state in view of the love and commitment showed to him by the youths, women and other stakeholders during the recent Eid-el-Kabir celebrations in Ilorin and other towns of Lafiagi and Patigi in the Kwara North senatorial district of the state. The Kwara APC crisis got to a peak shortly before the recent ward congresses with three of the four camps now under one group called ‘APC Loyal’ with separate party state secretariat located at Flower Garden area, GRA, Ilorin. This faction has Hon. Bashr Omolaja Bolarinwa as the state chairman of the party after he was allegedly removed from the office by the governor while the second group backed by the governor and called “AA Group,” has its state secretariat located at Commissioner’s Lodge Area, GRA, Ilorin. This faction is being headed by the former state deputy chairman of the party, Alhaji Abdullahi Samari. The recent registration and revalidation exercise further polarised the APC members as accusations and counter accusations of alleged marginalisation and manipulations trailed the exercise. Though the Mohammed-led group wrote a letter to the national secretariat of the APC to allege marginalisation of their group from in the exercise and the party leadership ordered the registration of the group, the directive is yet to see the light of the day . Also, the recent comment by the governor at a book launch of “O To Ge,” written by Oro- born publisher, Mr. Tony Oyeyiola, has worsened the crisis. At the event in Ilorin, the governor, represented by his deputy, Mr. Kayode Alabi, traced the genesis of the crisis to his refusal to fund a campaign structure that was formed without his prior knowledge or input as the governorship candidate of the party in 2019. The governor also said that some cabals within the party who received hundreds of millions of naira as cam-

AbdulRazaq

paign donations, did not deliver a kobo to him. He had also alleged that party officials were equally barred from campaigning with him until the presidential election had been won and the pendulum was clearly swinging in his favour. “Party officials got the instruction not to attend my campaign. A few of them can testify to this. I went round the whole of Kwara North without the party. However, they stylishly joined the campaign after the presidential election when it was clear Kwarans that had decided in our favour. I am not aware of any decent democracy where a candidate would not be given the privilege of shaping the direction of his own campaign. It is even worse that my campaign was boycotted because I refused to be led by the nose,” he had reportedly explained. However, the Minister of Information and Culture, Mohammed, who was also the leader of the party when the election was conducted, had responded to the governor’s allegations. Mohammed, who spoke at the official inauguration of a new state secretariat of the party in the state located at Flower Garden area, GRA, Ilorin, had claimed that he single-handedly, through family and friends, raised all the funds for the prosecution of the elections in the state, including the House of Representatives by-election for Irepodun/Ekiti/Oke-Ero Constituency, which preceded the 2019 general election. “I never diverted APC 2019 general election campaign funds for my personal use as alleged by Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq. I singlehandedly with the support of friends and family raised all the monies for the Oke-Ero/Isin/Ekiti/Irepodun Federal Constituency by-election of November 2019 that brought Hon. Tunji Olawuyi to the House of Representatives. “I challenge anybody here to say he gave the party one penny apart from what I gave them. I challenge anybody here to say he gave logistics support to the party. I did that by the grace of God. I distributed 500 motorcycles and 20 vehicles. And many of the beneficiaries are here today,” he had reportedly said.

Mohammed

“I want them to explain to Nigerians about what happened to the N70 million that Hon. Olawuyi kept that the governor refused to give us during the by-election. When we raised money to prosecute that November 2018 by-election and gave them but, to our biggest surprise, like two days to the election, we could not reach them through their phones again to release funds we raised,” he had added. However, the minister was not kept waiting for long before he was challenged as a member of the House of Representatives, representing Ekiti, Irepodun, Isin, Oke-ero Federal Constituency, Hon. Abdulraheem Tunji Olawuyi Ajuloopin, swiftly described his allegation as frivolous. Giving the details of what transpired, Ajuloopin stated that a North Central governor reached out to him on personal grounds to donate for the 2018 byelection, “and when the minister got wind of the donation, he immediately reached out to him (House member), asking him to bring the money. “However, I immediately contacted a few of our trusted party elders to intimate them of the development, but they counselled me against sending the money to the minister based on his antecedence with money. “Also, on my own, I personally gave Alhaji Lai Mohammed the sum of N32.5million, with the full knowledge of the former party chairman, Bashir Bolarinwa, for election purposes; the minister and Bashir Bolarinwa cannot deny this”. Also, the members of the state House of Assembly faulted a claim by Mohammed, that he single-handedly raised fund to execute the election of members of the ninth legislature in the state. The Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Hon. Yakubu Danladi-Salihu, in reaction to allegations raised by the minister, said the only individual who could claim to have offered the members massive support during the election was Governor AbdulRazaq, who was the APC governorship candidate at the time. The Speaker, who spoke through the Deputy Speaker of the House, Hon. Raphael Olanrewaju Adetiba, explained that Mohammed was not in the campaigns

and elections that produced the ninth legislature, and should not claim to have personally raised fund for their election. However, the state APC Caretaker Committee Treasurer, Mr. Dantala Yaro, and the Financial Secretary, Mr. Mohammed Tajudeen, had insisted that Mohammed actually provided funds and logistics for the election campaigns of all the APC House of Assembly candidates in the 2019 elections. Addressing reporters in IIorin, Tajudeen, had reportedly said that the lawmakers in their statement confirmed the receipt of the sum of N500,000, but mischievously claimed that the money was from the national secretariat. Yaro also corroborated the position of the financial secretary. “As custodians of the party accounts, we want to restate that the said money was released to them by Alhaji Lai Mohammed and transferred to them through the party account,” Yaro had said. The recent ward congresses in the state finally confirmed the full blown crisis in the party as each of the two groups organised separate ward congresses where separate ward executives emerged for the 193 wards in the state. Meanwhile, as the Kwara APC crisis worsens, the major opposition party, PDP, led by the former Senate President, Saraki has been enjoying a renewed support of the people of the state, a signal that the voters in the state still have trust in PDP and its leadership ahead of 2023 polls in the state. During the recent Eid-el-Kabir celebrations, Saraki was treated with a heroic welcome at the Eid praying ground, Ilorin, as the shouts of ‘Oloye,’ ‘Sai Bukky’, ‘Sai Saraki,’ by the jubilant crowds, rented the air at the praying ground. He came into Ilorin, the state capital for the first time after the 2019 elections to celebrate Sallah with his people. As the Waziri Ngeri of Ilorin Emirate, he had joined the Emir of Ilorin and the Emirate Council at Eid to observe the two rakah nafilah at Ilorin Eid praying ground. In the usual tradition for which his family is known, Saraki distributed Sallah rams, cows, foodstuffs and money to his political structure, traditional and spiritual leaders, youth and women groups, and the less-privileged families. Saraki went peacefully to Eid with fewer numbers of his political family members in a very short convoy. But when he was about walking out of the praying ground, after the prayers, the jubilant residents, in their numbers, cheered him to show love and their apparent regrets for their actions in the 2019 elections. Saraki also paid a condolence visit to Lafiagi in Edu Local Government Area of the state to sympathise with the Lafiagi Emirate Council over the death of their monarch and he was cheered by a mammoth crowd in the town. Also at Patigi Town in Patigi LGA of the state, the people of the town showed him love and pledged to join his train so as to bring new governance to the State of Harmony come 2023. With the current crisis in APC in the state, the present rise in the political image of Saraki and his massive acceptance by the youths, women and other stakeholders may assist the PDP to re-clinch power come 2023.

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ AUGUST 8, 2021

GAVEL

Editor: Ejiofor Alike SMS: 08066066268 email:ejiofor.alike@thisdaylive.com

As Court Removes Odey as Cross River North Senator... Penultimate week, the legal battle over the Cross River North senatorial seat was put to rest as the Appeal Court sacked Senator Stephen Odey and declared Agom Jarigbe as the senator-elect. Deji Elumoye and Udora Orizu examine the legal tussle between the two seasoned legislators

he death of Senator Rose Oko (PDP, Cross River North), in March, 2020, led to months of legal battle among politicians in the senatorial district who wanted to replace her. Constitutionally, her demise necessitated a by-election to produce her replacement for the senatorial seat, which became vacant. However, for almost a year, the process was enmeshed in controversy. How the Legal Tussle Began In March last year, there was serious disagreement over the list of delegates arising from the Ward and Chapter congresses held on March 7 and 21, which were meant for the September 5, 2020 Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) primary elections. The PDP National Working Committee (NWC) confirmed the list, which was endorsed by the National Organising Secretary of the party, Col. Austin Akobundu (rtd) on April 26, 2020. The Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, Rivers State presided over by Justice I. M. Sani, had also affirmed the list and barred the NWC of the PDP from altering the March 7 and 21, 2020 Ward and chapter executives’ congresses that produced the April 26 list for the PDP Cross River North senatorial primary elections scheduled for September 5, 2020. One of the candidates for the primary election, Hon. Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe, was disqualified from contesting by a divided PDP committee set up to screen aspirants, leaving Stephen Odey and two others in the race. But the counsel to Jarigbe, Mr. Ifedayo Adedipe (SAN) went to court, challenging the disqualification, and asking that it be set aside. Justice Sani ruled in favour of Jarigbe and held that the 1st defendant (PDP) and 2nd defendant, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) have no right to alter or modify the list of elected officials that was a product of the process that took place on the 7 and 21, and that the list should be used for the September 5 senatorial primary election. Eventually when the primary election took place, both Jarigbe and Odey held parallel primaries. In the December 5 main election, the party went into the election with two candidates as the Federal High Courts in Calabar and Abuja declared Odey and Jarigbe as the candidates of the party, respectively. PDP won the election and INEC, on the next day, declared Stephen Odey as the winner of the by-election having polled 129,207 votes to defeat the candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr Joe Agi who scored 19,165 votes. Jarigbe immediately headed to court, praying the court for an order of interim injunction restraining INEC from issuing a certificate of return or swearing-in by way of admittance of Stephen Odey or any other person in his stead as the senator, representing the Cross River State North senatorial district, pending the hearing and determination of the substantive motion on notice. Odey was however sworn in in December 2020 by the Senate President, Dr. Ahmed Lawan, despite the legal tussles. Few days later, Jarigbe got a judgment in his favour from the Appeal Court. The Abuja division of the

and not Odey. Consequently, the court invalidated the Certificate of Return earlier issued to Odey by INEC. Delivering judgment in consolidated Suit No CAL/C/NAEA/SEN/167/2021, the Appeal Court said the election tribunal, erred in law by ignoring earlier judgments by superior courts that recognised and declared Jarigbe as candidate of the PDP and winner of the by-election. In ordering INEC to issue a Certificate of Return to Jarigbe, the Appeal Court said: “Two certificates of return cannot exist in the eye of the law. The judgment of the election tribunal is hereby set aside.” Reacting to the judgment, Jarigbe’s counsel, Emmanuel Ukala (SAN), who was represented by Mr. Joe Oloko, said the judgment was a welcome development for deepening the roots of democracy in the country, especially as it related to intra-party democracy. Also reacting to the judgment, in a statement issued by his media team, Odey described the Appeal Court verdict “as a clear rape on justice and on our nascent democracy, yet we are strong and remain strong going forward. “For the judges to depend on an earlier judgment between John Alaga vs Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe who never contested for the Cross River North Senatorial District By-election is a gross and brazen display of injustice; a broad daylight robbery! I appreciate all your dedication and commitment throughout this trying period. Count on my continued love for you all always. Be rest assured that we shall continue to work together as a team and win bigger.”

Jarigbe

Court of Appeal had in its judgment declared him as the duly nominated candidate of the PDP and the rightful winner of the election against Odey, who was declared by INEC and sworn in by the Senate. The court also ordered the electoral umpire to immediately issue a Certificate of Return to Jarigbe and withdraw the one earlier issued to Odey. INEC immediately complied with the court ruling and issued a fresh certificate of return to Jarigbe, as the winner and duly elected candidate of the PDP to represent the district in the Senate. The certificate of return was handed over to Jarigbe by the INEC’s Director of Voter Education, Mr. Festus Okoye. Dissatisfied with the judgment of the appellate court, Odey approached the Supreme Court, which ruled against him. In the split decision on February 25, the apex court dismissed the appeal filed by Odey challenging the judgment of the Court of Appeal. Several months after the Supreme Court ruling, Jarigbe was not sworn-in by the Senate President. Jarigbe had however expressed optimism that he would be sworn in by Lawan. He had argued that if he was not sworn in immediately because of certain bureaucratic protocols that had to be followed, the man who was attending the plenary illegally, should be stopped

from desecrating the parliament. But Odey insisted that the judgment of the Supreme Court was being misinterpreted, adding that the judgment did not declare his seat vacant. He said: “The Supreme Court struck out my appeal. I walked away. The order is clear. Did you see where they said ‘sack Senator Odey’ here? Did you see where they said they invalidated his certificate here? He (Jarigbe), even wrote a letter to the Clerk, saying the Supreme Court judgment is in his favour, how?” The Senator averred that Jarigbe was only playing to the gallery as all the issues had been resolved. Odey’s Short-lived Membership of Senate While all these were ongoing, there was the Cross River State Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Calabar over the tussle. The tribunal in its judgment on June 18, 2021 invalidated the election of Odey as the authentic candidate of the PDP. However, the legal fireworks took another dimension on July 30, when the Court of Appeal sitting in Calabar declared Jarigbe as the Senator-elect. In a judgment, the three-man Appeal Tribunal headed by Hon. Justice Chioma I. Nwosu, held that Jarigbe was the lawful candidate of the PDP for the December 5, 2020 by-election,

Legislative Interventions by the Duo Despite the legal tussle, both Jarigbe and Odey carried out their legislative duties in both chambers. While Hon. Jarigbe has served the National Assembly for six years, (four years as member of the green chamber in the 8th House and two years in the current 9th House), Senator Odey on his part served as a Senator for seven months. Jarigbe in the previous and current Assembly sponsored various bills, including the Bill for the establishment of a Federal Medical Centre Ogoja, which is awaiting presidential assent. Also in the Eighth House, he chaired an ad hoc committee that investigated revenue leakages in the oil and gas sector from January 2016 to January 2017. On his part, Odey in his seven months stay in the Red Chamber sponsored three bills, two of which had passed second reading waiting for concurrence and assent while one passed first reading. Odey in his brief stay at the Senate also facilitated N30,000 survival fund for 384 members of his constituency and moved motions for urgent government intervention of three Federal roads in Cross River North senatorial district. The roads are Okuku- Echumoga-AlifokpaYache- Benue community border road, Yahe- Ebo- Wanakom- WanikadeWanihem- Benue community border road and Imaje-Abuochiche- AkpakpaGakem road. With this latest ruling by the Appeal Court which is the last court in preelection matters, Jarigbe is expected to be sworn-in as Senator once the Senate resumes plenary on September 14.

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER AUGUST 8, 2021

ENGAGEMENTS

with ChidiAmuta e-mail:chidi.amuta@gmail.com

A Cop and the Cult of Mammon Chidi Amuta

agodo GRA, Lagos. 10 a.m. Saturday, June 10, 2017. My ordinarily serene estate neighborhood suddenly erupted in unusual cacophony. Loud shouts of joy broke the Saturday morning peace on the streets close by. Collections of residents gathered to celebrate some unexpected but apparently cheery event. Unknown to this reporter, the police had just made an unusually remarkable arrest two streets away. I enquired from my domestic staff what was going on. It turned out that a team of crack detectives mostly in mufti had just arrested the notorious alleged kidnapper, Chukwudidumeme Onwuamadike alias Evans, right in my neighborhood. The relief radiated throughout Lagos and neighbouring states that had for months been traumatised by the kidnapping exploits of Evans and his franchise network of vicious kidnappers. Mr. Evans did regale the media with accounts of his exploits soon after his arrest though he is still standing trial for the offences. Unknown to me, Evans was a close neighbour, having recently bought a newly completed luxury duplex two streets away from mine. The buildings, which were going for some frightening nine figure price tags, had recently been snapped up by a new set of moneyed landlords. The story of Evans’ arrest quickly spread in the media. It turned out that the Inspector General of Police’s Intelligence Response Team (IRT) had meticulously scoped the estate for weeks in a bid to track down the suspected kidnapper. Sometimes, the undercover detectives had reportedly disguised as refuse collectors or power company technicians on duty around the suspected neighborhood. On this fateful Saturday morning, they zeroed in on Mr. Evans right in his bedroom and arrested him with minimum effort or resistance. In a dramatic exclamation resonant with his Catholic upbringing, the alleged villain exclaimed at the moment of his arrest: “It is finished. This is my end…!” Among the trove of exhibits the police recovered in his house were a jute sack containing several military grade assault rifles, countless rounds of ammunition and several cell phones and numerous sim cards. The police team was led by a Deputy Superintendent of Police, Mr. Phillips, under the overall command of then Assistant Commissioner of Police Abba Kyari as head of the IG’s Intelligence Response Team (IRT). Mr. Abba Kyari’s name subsequently and gradually assumed mythic dimensions as the ‘super cop’who would deploy the latest tracking technologies to unravel the communications and itinerary of tough criminal lords around the country. But in 2019, Mr. Kyari’s winning team, including some of the heroes of the Evans Lagos operation, ran into a storm in Taraba State. A special operation by the team was dispatched to arrest the notorious kidnaper Hamisu Wadume. On their way back to Jalingo with their quarry, they were attacked by soldiers who killed three of the police officers and freed the kidnap kingpin. The subsequent inter agency bickering and investigations led nowhere. It was a good operation that suddenly went bad. Nonetheless, this unfortunate incident did not quite dim Abba Kyari’s rising profile both in the police hierarchy and among the public. At the height of the recent wave of IPOB related violence and criminality in the South-east, President Buhari ordered a special security crackdown in the region. The new Inspector General of Police, Mr Usman Alkali Baba, drafted Mr. Abba Kyari to lead the police component of the operation. Some degree of progress was being recorded in the pacification of South Eastern Nigeria through a rough combination of indiscriminate arrests and a spate of extra judicial liquidations by the police and the military. Amnesty International has just released a report indicating that at least 150 innocent persons may have been killed by security forces in the South-east operation so far. Legal minded civil society activists and lawyers in the South East have raised uneasy eye brows about Mr. Abba Kyari’s methods and those of his counterparts in the military contingents deployed in the South-east. In spite of a trove of suspicious awards and

Kyari accolades, Mr. Abba Kyari’s trajectory of heroism has been trailed by clouds of allegations of professional impropriety, controversy and sometimes outright infamy. While he held sway in the Lagos police command, Mr. Kyari was once in charge of the notorious SARS unit. A 2017 Amnesty International review returned a damning indictment of this officer on grounds of a not so glorious record of human rights infractions. The report pointed to arbitrary arrests, ill treatment of suspects and alleged corrupt entanglements with proceeds of crime in cases that came under his purview. Unconfirmed eye witness chatter from his native Maiduguri home base have spoken of massive multi million Naira real estate acquisitions traceable to Kyari. Even if these end up being typical Nigerian beer parlor guesses, Mr. Kyari’s choice of company and undue visibility may have earned him such inglorious reputation. For instance, on October 28, 2020, a Lagos businessman, Afeez Mojeed, accused Kyari of defrauding him of the sum of N41m. He had petitioned the Judicial panel investigating the abuses of SARS to complain that in 2014, Kyari ordered his men to break into his home, accusing him of being an internet fraudster. During the operation, the complainant alleged that the combined sums of N280,000 and N50,000 were taken away from his wardrobe and car respectively. These monies were never returned even after he was charged to court by Kyari and his men who never showed up in court. The case was struck out for lack of prosecutorial interest or substantiated evidence. Nonetheless, Mr. Kyari is widely acknowledged as a pan Nigerian officer with a cosmopolitan outlook. A man who is widely recognized as a very good detective also enjoyed celebrity limelight and worrisome media visibility. He loved publicity and routinely invited camera crews to make video recordings of him and his team hunting down kidnappers even if he found none in most of those escapades of foolish showmanship. Deliberate showmanship and attention seeking in the media would ordinarily not be among the qualities of a good detective. Worse still, Mr. Kyari was severally on display in the company of sundry celebrities and wealthy men of doubtful enterprise at social occasions. For instance, he was a sight of public interest at the recent lavish funeral ceremony of the mother of one Mr. Obi Cubana in Oba at which there was an excessively vulgar display of sickening affluence and trivialisation of cash. A cop who deliberately courts such wide media publicity and who is comfortable in the company of businessmen of unclear wealth and undefined specialization undermines his basic credibility as a law enforcement agent. Correspondingly, businessmen with murky

lines of trade and fuzzy income streams who desperately court the friendship of prominent police chiefs may have something to hide or paths to cover. The most elementary attribute of good detectives is their love for the shadows, almost like professional spies. Mr. Abba Kyari frequently failed this test as has been revealed in the FBI documents on his murky association with Mr. Abbas Rammon, alias Hushpuppi, the opulent former Dubai based internet fraudster now on trial in California. The FBI’s charges against Mr. Kyari in the Hushpuppi case range from the bizarre to the sublime and outrageously laughable. In one of the charges, Mr. Kyari is said to have briefly converted his detective’s office into a fashion fitting and purchasing agency for the procurement of traditional attires for Mr. Abbas. Mr. Kyari served as the receiving clerk for payments to the dress maker in respect of which he generously supplied his account details for all manner of payments. The pledge of mutual allegiance between Kyari and Hushpuppi reads more like an adolescents’ playground script. For Mr. Kyari’s faithfulness in doing his criminal biddings, Hushpuppi undertakes to be Abba Kyari’s ‘boy’ forever! In a Facebook reaction to the FBI order of his arrest, Mr. Kyari admitted playing the ignominious role of garment procurement agent for Hushpuppi and saw nothing unethical or criminal about it. Neither did he regret such close association with a widely known internet fraudster. In another instance, he was charged with indirectly receiving orders or tips about criminals from Hushpuppi. On the directives of Hushpuppi, Mr. Kyari is alleged to have arrested a certain Vincent Chibuzor who was spuriously accused by Hushpuppi of threatening the life of his family back in Nigeria. It turned out that the fingered man-Vincent Chibuzor- was an ally of Mr. Abbas (Hushpuppi) in an internet scam operation in which the victim was a Qatar based businessman. Mr. Kyari had Vincent Chibuzor arrested and detained and sent the photos to Abbas as proof of mission accomplished. This ended up as a paid service for which Abbas requested for Kyari’s bank accounts for wire transfer payments which the FBI tracked and documented. It is further alleged that a total of N8 million was transferred to Abba Kyari by Hushpuppi for this single assignment. The FBI court documents further indicated that Mr. Kyari ran protection rings for ‘big men’ in society while restricting the freedom of their less privileged victims and rivals. His reputation as an effective cop and detective earned him a popularity that attracted more high profile ‘clients’. This revelation may eventually cast doubts on some of the successes for which Kyari was celebrated and rewarded.

While the specific details of the full FBI indictment of Mr. Kyari remain classified, the Americans seem determined in their bid to have Mr. Kyari extradited to the US for prosecution. As is typical with the FBI, the full details of Kyari’s criminal involvements with Hushpuppi will only be revealed when he is extradited and arraigned. His initial bluster has yielded place to administrative procedures by an embarrassed Nigerian police establishment. At first the Inspector General of Police ordered an internal investigation of the charge while granting audience to visiting FBI agents. Thereafter the IGP and the Police Service Commission have both instructed the suspension of Mr. Kyari who is now facing the internal police investigation panel. These are sensible due process measures on the part of Nigeria’s police authorities. In quick succession also, the Inspector General of Police has replaced the embattled Mr. Kyari with Mr. Tunji Disu, a Deputy Commissioner of Police in the Lagos Police Command as the new commander of the Intelligence Response Team. The mere fact of being fingered in the FBI inspired investigations is bad enough news for a cop who had shown considerable career promise. In all likelihood, Mr. Kyari is unlikely to regain his former position let alone enjoy the visibility and social media hype that brought him both past success and present perdition. He might as well say good bye to the loud ovations of Nigeria’s evanescent celebrity circus. The matter of Mr. Kyari’s possible extradition to the US to answer the charges against him is different matter entirely. It is not likely to be a very straightforward process. In spite of a subsisting extradition agreement between Nigeria and the US, there are complicated issues of judicial sovereignty and independence that must be addressed. Complicated legal processes in Nigerian courts must be overcome in order to clear the way for a possible extradition of Mr. Kyari. It is also quite possible that legal battles could become poisoned by Nigeria’s familiar noisy politics of religion and ethnocentrism guided by silly compass reading of straightforward matters. I hear that Miyetti Allah, the noisy cattle breeders association has already accused the US FBI of acting on behalf of Southern political interests! There could be more from where that came! Even without such predictable political posturing, I do not see Mr. Kyari’s extradition happening so quickly or easily. There is a precedent in the endless extradition procedures of late Kasumu Buruji of Ogun state. He was indicted by a US court and related drug enforcement agencies for narcotics related infractions. He launched a series of protracted legal procedures in Nigeria that stalemated the extradition process. He even went ahead to contest elections and became a senator. In the last general elections, Mr. Kasumu Buruji ran for the governorship of Ogun state and lost. He could not be extradited till he died in 2020. In the Abba Kyari case, the things that can happen quickly have already taken place. The Inspector General of Police has already initiated an internal investigation while Mr. Kyari has been suspended from service. The Police Service Commission has similarly suspended Mr. Kyari from service. The IG can still take further steps if the internal investigations return a verdict of guilty on the officer. While the public awaits the outcome of the police investigations into the Abba Kyari matter, we might as well bid Mr. Abba Kyari farewell from the Nigeria police as he regains the freedom to join the ranks of his favorite businessmen friends and associates as an ex-cop. However, his plight throws into bold relief so many issues in the relationship between police officers and the cult of money and celebrity. It even goes to the root of a corruption riddled police culture in Nigeria. There is a whole bag full of anecdotes on the troublesome relationship between police bosses and criminal gang leaders and people with murky money around the world. It is often said that if you are looking for the address of organized crime syndicates in New York, Mexico City or Sicily, you can save time by going straight to the office of the police chief. Include Lagos and Johannesburg to the mix of bad places and you are near home. (See concluding part on www.thisdaylive.

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

NEWS

Obasanjo Visits Benin Republic, Seeks Soft Landing for Igboho Yoruba leaders lobby French, British govts Claim Nigeria’s judicial process compromised Gboyega Akinsanmi Former President Olusegun Obasanjo held a meeting with President of Benin Republic, Patrice Talon in the first week of August to seek soft landing for an agitator for Yoruba Nation, Chief Adeniyi Adeyemo (a.k.a Sunday Igboho), a report by TheCable has revealed. Apart from Obasanjo’s intervention, THISDAY checks revealed that prominent leaders of Yoruba have been lobbying the international community and British to prevail on the Government of Benin Republic to reject Nigeria’s request to extradite the embattled agitator. These moves coincided with a revelation by Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu penultimate Saturday that the people of South-west states “are working behind the scenes concerning Igboho’s apprehension in the Republic of Benin.” Citing anonymous diplomatic sources yesterday, TheCable reported that Obasanjo was in Benin Republic in the first week of August 2021 and held a meeting with a Beninese leader

on the travail of Igboho. The report claimed that the former president travelled to Zanzibar, an island in Tanzania, on August 1 and re-routed to the Francophone country on his way back to Nigeria. The report, further, claimed: “He was said to have travelled to Benin Republic in the guise of condoling with Nicephore Soglo who recently lost his wife – Roseline Soglo. Roseline died on July 25 at the age of 87 in Cotonou. Soglo was president of the Benin Republic from 1991 to 1996.” According to the report, one of the diplomatic sources revealed that Obasanjo travelled to Zanzibar on August 1. Perhaps to conceal his trip, he re-routed to the Benin Republic. He was to condole with former President Soglo who recently lost his wife. Another source cited by TheCable said: “He also met with Patrice Talon. The purpose of the meeting was to seek soft-landing for Sunday Igboho. He is asking the Beninese authorities to grant the embattled agitator asylum and not to return

him to Nigeria. The former president intervened on the request of some south-west leaders.” A prominent socio-cultural leader in the South-west last night confirmed the veracity of the report, claiming that the leaders of Yoruba had held a meeting with Obasanjo and pleaded with him to use his diplomatic channels to secure Igboho asylum in the Benin Republic. The leader, who spoke anonymously with THISDAY, revealed that prominent leaders of Yoruba had been lobbying the international community to prevail on the Republic of Benin not to honour Nigeria’s request to extradite Igboho. The leader said: “We have lobbied contacts in french government. We have also lobbied British Government. However, France has much influence on the Benin Republic. There is every indication that

the Benin Republic will not extradite Igboho. “Definitely, they will not extradite him because we pointed the attention of France to the judicial process in Nigeria. Under the present administration, the judicial process in Nigeria has been compromised. “It is not wise to expose Igboho to face the compromised judicial process in a country where the government does not obey court orders. Most times, the court dances to the tune of the government. “Even where the courts have been courageous, the government has ignored them. Nigeria does not have a regime that upholds the rules of democracy and transparent judicial process. And the process cannot be trusted.” The leader pointed out that it was not difficult to convince the diplomatic community, especially Britain, France

and the United States, given the antecedence of President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration’s disregard to the rule of law and judicial decisions. The leader explained that the representatives of these countries “too are living witnesses to the socio-political dynamics in Nigeria. We had interface with all embassies in Nigeria. We told them our own stand. “We also told them the consequences for them. But they always look at the national interest before they make their decisions. We believe they cannot wait for Nigeria to explode before they act. We believe strongly that they will do whatever they can to salvage Nigeria,” the South-west leader said. The Department of State Services (DSS) had invaded Igboho’s residence in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, killing

two persons and arresting 12 supporters. Subsequently, the operatives of the International Criminal Police Organisation (INTERPOL) had arrested Igboho at the Cadjèhoun Airport in Cotonou while attempting to flee to Germany after the operatives of the DSS raided his residence. Igboho’s apprehension had ignited legal and diplomatic fireworks to secure the release of the embattled agitator from the custody of the Benin Republic. With the intense lobby to secure Igboho’s release, Sanwo-Olu had disclosed that the governors of South-west “are working behind the scenes concerning the apprehension and prosecution of Igboho at the Republic of Benin.” The governor had said although most of the strategies are not being made public, there are ongoing plans by southwest governors to address the situation.

MTN Group Repatriates $280m Dividend from Nigeria Emma Okonji South Africa’s MTN Group has repatriated its last year’s dividend of $280 million (R4.2 billion) from its local unit in Nigeria. The company reported the payout recently during the release of preliminary financial results for six months to June 30, 2021. The funds from Nigeria are part of approximately $650 million (R9.3 billion) in cash the pan-African telecoms giant returned from its subsidiaries. MTN had been struggling to get dividends out of its subsidiaries due to the challenges of securing foreign currency in Nigeria and some other markets where it operates. As a result, MTN was forced to suspend dividend payout for the 2020 financial year. The company also cited other reasons for the suspension, such as the timing of proceeds from an ongoing asset realisation programme (ARP) and the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. “Cash upstreaming from Nigeria remained challenging in terms of securing foreign currency in the market. During 2020, we upstreamed the equivalent of approximately R286 million from Nigeria, with approximately R4.2 billion yet to be repatriated as of 31 December 2020,” the company had said in March. The group has now fully secured its cash dividend from Nigeria, in what is one of the two positive developments concerning MTN that will come as a relief to shareholders. The group’s complete halfyear results are expected to be released on August 12 and it has told investors to expect between 75 per cent to 85 per cent drop in profit or earnings per share (EPS). This is due to an impairment charge involving

its Yemeni business and the decoupling of its operation in Syria. The sale of MTN Group’s 75 per cent stake in MTN Syria is part of ongoing attempts to exit markets in the Middle East over the next three to five years, with a plan to fully focus on core African markets. MTN plans to raise about R15 billion ($1 billion) from shareholding sales in markets outside Africa, proceeds which will be used to reduce its huge debt of nearly R50 billion ($3.5 billion) for the year to December 2020 as well as allocate more capital investments in Africa by 2025. In Nigeria, MTN, through its local unit, has earmarked N600 billion ($1.5 billion) over the next three years to expand broadband access in the country. For MTN Nigeria, half-year 2021 results show that service revenue increased by 24.1 percent year-on-year, despite the number of its mobile subscribers declining by 7.6 million (nearly 10%). “Operationally, our mobile subscribers closed H1 at 68.9 million, down 9.9% from December 2020. This was due to the regulatory restrictions on new SIM sales and activations, which was lifted on 19 April 2021,” MTN Nigeria’s CEO, Karl Toriola, said on an analyst call. While user numbers fell, MTN Nigeria company managed to increase service revenue to N790.3 billion (about R27 billion, $1.9 billion) driven by a surge in data usage. Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortisation (EBITDA) rose 27.6 per cent to N417.2 billion ($1 billion) while transaction volume for mobile money increased by 280.8per cent year-on-year to 55.6 million. Its total MoMo active subscribers reached 6.1 million,” the financial statement said.

BETTER HEALTHCARE... L-R: Senior Technical Adviser to the Minister of Health, Dr. David Atuwo; Regional Chief Operating Oﬃcer, Afreximbank, Mr. Abdoulaye Kone; Permanent Secretary Federal Ministry of Health, Abdulaziz Mashi; Director, Export Development, Afreximbank, Mrs. Oluranti Doherty; and Clinical and Medical Platforms, Kings College Hospital, London, Prof. Dayo Onitilo, during a workshop on African Medical Centres of Excellence in Abuja…recently KINGSLEY ADEBOYE

Gunmen Kill Husband, Abduct Wife, Daughter in Ekiti Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti Gunmen on Friday evening killed a man and abducted his wife and daughter to unknown destination in Ekiti State. The deceased, whose identities were yet to be ascertained, was said to be travelling with his wife and daughter in a Lexus 330 Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) at Ewu-Ayetoro-Ekiti road in Ido/Osi Local Government Area of Ekiti State, when the gunmen rained bullets on his vehicle. Though, rumour had it that there were five occupants in the vehicle, the Police Public Relations Officer, Ekiti State Police Command, Sunday

Abutu countered the claim, saying they were only three. It was gathered that the victims, who were said to be guests at an occasion in the area, were returning to their destinations when they were waylaid by some bandits. A source said: "The man and his family members were returning to their base when they were waylaid. The victim was shot in the head and chest. "They (the attackers) didn't take the vehicle; they only left the corpse of the man and took away the other people in the vehicle. "There was pool of blood inside the Jeep and this made people to suspect that those who

did the work were kidnappers". Confirming the incident, the Police Spokesman, Abutu, added that the sympathisers could not do much to save the victim, as he died on the spot. "The report we got was that, the family was traveling along that route and suddenly some suspected gunmen fired gunshots at them, killing the husband and taking away the wife and their daughter. "The police have mobilised to the spot and combing the surrounding forests with other agencies like the Amotekun Corps, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, local hunters and vigilance group. "Killing and kidnapping are

two evils all of us as patriotic citizens must join hands with security agencies to defeat. "Those perpetrating these didn't mean well for our country and we must all perceive them as enemies of this nation", he said. The traditional ruler of EwuEkiti, Oba Adetutu Ajayi, in Ilejemeje Local Government Area of Ekiti State, had a close shave with death, as he was shot by bandits on April 10, 2021. Also on June 10, 2021, two hotel workers in Ayetoro-Ekiti were kidnapped while the hotel’s security guard, who was inflicted with machete cuts, is still recuperating at an undisclosed hospital in the state.

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER AUGUST 8, 2021

NEWS

News Editor: Gboyega Akinsanmi E-mail: gboyega.akinsanmi@thisdaylive.com,08152359253

Governors’ Defection to APC, Indication of One-party State Dictatorship, Oshun Warns Gboyega Akinsanmi

The National Chairman of Afenifere Renewal Group, Hon. Olawale Oshun yesterday warned that the defection of some state governors to the All Progressives Congress (APC) was an indication that Nigeria was gradually sliding into a one-party state dictatorship. Oshun, APC’s pioneer Director of Administration, further warned that the controversial amendment to the Nigerian Press Council Act and Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation Act reinforced Nigeria’s gradual descent into one-party state dictatorship. He expressed this fear during an interview with THISDAY at the weekend, warning that the defection of the governors to the APC portended evil for the future of Nigeria as a federation. Apart from federal and state lawmakers, three governors had defected from the PDP to the APC between November 2020 and June 2021, a development that had shrunk the number of PDP governors from 16 to 13 The governors include Ebonyi State Governor, Chief David Nweze Umahi who joined the APC on November 17, 2020; Cross Rivers State Governor, Prof. Ben Ayade, who dumped the PDP on June 1, 2021 and

Zamfara State Governor, Alhaji Bello Matawalle, who moved to the PDP on June 29. Expressing concern about the trend of the high-profile defection, Oshun warned that the trend of high-profile defection portended evil for the future of Nigeria as a federation while it posed threat to democracy. He explained the centrality of opposition to democratic process, pointing out that every developing country and developed countries globally aspired to enable democracy in their domains. He, thus, said: “Democracy, almost always, entails a government and an opposition. When you talk of opposition, it is a virile opposition. This present defection, for me, can only put Nigeria on the road to dictatorship or one-party dictatorship. “Without any exaggeration, honestly, once you have one party system, what you have is the beginning of a fullblown dictatorship because the place of opposition will be eroded,” ARG’s national chairman warned about the looming danger of the lopsided defection. He emphasised the significance of opposition to robust democratic culture, though explained that it was not

enough “to have opposition parties that are not virile to stand up to the shenanigans of the party in government. “We need a minimum of two strong parties – one in government and the other out of government. The essence of the one out of government is to put the one in government in check. That is why we have

democracy. “If we have weak opposition parties that can be manipulated or that cannot stand up to check the adequacies of the party in government, we are already on the way to full-blown dictatorship. That is the way I see the present gale of people moving from the PDP to the APC.”

Beyond the high-profile leaders that defected from the PDP to the APC, Oshun pointed at different indicators, which according to him, attested to Nigeria’s gradual descent into one-party dictatorship. He cited the Nigerian Press Council Act Amendment Bill, National Broadcasting Commission Act Amendment Bill,

Hate Speech Bill, Social Media Bill or the NGO Regulation Bill, which showed that Nigeria was on the way to dictatorship. ARG’s national chairman acknowledged that the presidency and the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed in separate statement had distanced themselves from these controversial bills

N HONOUR OF SANWO-OLU … Lagos State Commissioner for Housing, Mr. Moruf Akinderu-Fatai (left) receiving on behalf of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu the 2021 Housing Friendly Governor of the Year Award from the Minister of State for Works & Housing, Mr. Abubakar Aliyu (right) at the 15th Abuja International Housing Show in Abuja… recently

Soldiers Watched Herdsmen Killing My People, Plateau Monarch Alleges Killings contravene Islamic teachings, says JNI

Seriki Adinoyi in Jos

Paramount Ruler, Irigwe ethnic nationality in Plateau State, Rev. Ronku Aku yesterday lamented the tragedy that befell his people in Bassa Local Government Area (LGA) following the recent invasion of their communities by gunmen suspected to be herdsmen. Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI),

Plateau State, described the recent killings in some parts of Plateau, particularly in Bassa, Jos South and Riyom LGA as “abominable and against the teachings of Islam.” The monarch made this allegation yesterday when the President of the Para-Mallam Peace Foundation, Rev. Gideon Para-Mallam paid him a condolence visit at his palace, Miango.

The foundation, committed to nation building through the promotion of peaceful coexistence and social justice in Nigeria, visited the monarch after a meeting with the internally displaced persons (IDP) and donated relief materials. Addressing the meeting, the monarch alleged that security operatives deployed to the communities told him that they did

Gunmen Kill Husband, Abduct Wife, Daughter in Ekiti Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti Gunmen have killed a man and abducted his wife and daughter to an unknown destination in Ekiti State, THISDAY has learnt. The deceased, whose identities were yet to be ascertained, was said to be travelling with his wife and daughter in a Lexus 330 Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) at Ewu-Ayetoro-Ekiti road in Ido/ Osi Local Government Area of Ekiti State, when the gunmen rained bullets on his vehicle. Although multiple sources told THISDAY that there were five occupants in the vehicle, the Police Public Relations Officer, Ekiti State Police Command, Sunday Abutu

countered the claim, saying they were only three. One of the sources claimed that the victims, who were said to be guests at an occasion in the area, were returning to their destinations when some bandits waylaid them. A source said: “The man and his family members were returning to their base when they were waylaid. The victim was shot in the head and chest. “They (the attackers) didn’t take the vehicle; they only left the corpse of the man and took away the other people in the vehicle. “There was a pool of blood inside the Jeep and this made people suspect that those who

did the work were kidnappers”. Confirming the incident, the police spokesman clarified that the sympathisers could not do much to save the victim, as he died on the spot. “The report we got was that the family was traveling along that route and suddenly some suspected gunmen fired gunshots at them, killing the husband and taking away the wife and their daughter. “The police have mobilised to the spot and combed the surrounding forests with other agencies like the Amotekun Corps, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, local hunters and vigilance group.

not rescue the people during the attacks because they had no order to repel the invaders. Aku said the destruction that took place in his kingdom had further exposed the handicap of the governors and the council chairmen as Chief Security Officers in their respective areas of jurisdiction in the country. He said, “I do not blame the Chairman of Bassa Local

Government Area or the Governor of Plateau State over the calamity that has befallen my people. At peace meetings, the governor will give order but the security men will go and do a different thing. “During the recent attacks in my communities, the soldiers and other security operatives were around as the invaders were

carrying out the attacks in Jebu Miango and advancing to other communities. We expected them to confront the invaders and stop the destruction going on but that did not happen. “The soldiers did not repel the invaders. When I enquired what was happening, some soldiers cried to me that they did not receive the order to repel the attackers on the communities.

Osborne Residents Protest Contractors’ Refusal to Obey Court Orders Oluchi Chibuzor

Residents of the Osborne Foreshore Estate in Ikoyi, Lagos state, yesterday protested the refusal of Lekki Gardens Estate Limited and Foreshore Waters Limited to comply with a federal high court order restraining them from going ahead with construction work in the estate premises. Bearing placards and donned in red vests with “Save Our Souls” imprinted on them, members of the Osborne Foreshore Residents Association (OSFRA) chanted “no to overbuilding”, in response to attempts by the Lekki Gardens to build 84 housing units in the

estate, after 28 were originally approved by the state. Speaking to journalists, OSFRA chairman, Chinwe Ezenwa-Mbah said the estate had secured a court order restraining the company and its Managing Director, Richard Nyong from further development plans. She said, “We are here to say enough is enough. People should build what they are approved to build. We are saying no to overbuilding. You cannot give somebody approval for 28 units and he is building 84, and Lagos state is asking us to look the other way. “We’re asking Lagos state to hear us, we have been crying to

them, they just ignored us (sic). “Physical planning will come here, the next two days they came back themselves and open it up. They told us they opened it for them (Lekki Gardens) to scale down, but instead of scaling down, they’ve been building. “We got a court order asking Lekki Gardens to stop all work, they only obeyed the court order for only one day, the next day they issued a letter and said ‘continue working, the court does not matter, that they are court of concurrent jurisdiction.’ I don’t know what that means in their dictionary or who is advising them.”

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER AUGUST 8, 2021

NEWSXTRA Resident Doctors Dare FG, Insist on Industrial Action Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja The National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has dared the federal government to carry out its threat of seizing the salaries of its members, insisting that it will continue its industrial action, which enters its seventh day today. With the latest position of the doctors, the federal government and the striking medical personnel seemed to have taken hardline positions on the dispute in the health sector. While the government has asked the striking doctors to call off their action and embrace further dialogue to resolve their

dispute, the doctors on their part, have vowed to continue with the industrial action until their grievances are addressed. Reacting to the threat by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, who had warned the striking doctors to either suspend their strike and return to negotiating table or be ready to forfeit their pay for the period they were not at duty post, the NARD President, Dr. Uyilawa Okhuaihesuyi told THISDAY yesterday that the doctors were not going to be intimidated by threats of salary seizure or sack. When asked about NARD’s response to the federal government’s threat, Okhuaihesuyi said:

“Let them go ahead and sack all the doctors but the strike will continue”. Okhuaihesuyi said it was not proper for the federal government to be threatening the doctors even when they have failed to pay some of them over seven months’ salary arrears and were yet to implement the Memorandum of Agreement it signed with the

association since December last year. He further said that the association was engaging in regular consultation with the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), for advice on the way forward. Ngige had while stating the federal government’s position on Friday warned the striking doctors to either suspend their strike and return to negotiating

table or be ready to forfeit their pay for the period they were not at duty post. Ngige said the doctors were not supposed to go on strike without giving his office 15 days’ notice. “Next week, I will escalate this issue because reconciliation has failed. I won’t meet them anymore because I have other things to do. I did two conciliations yesterday. Am I going to be wasting my

time with them? “I have other tools within the labour laws and I will do it. I invoked Section 43 of the labour laws this afternoon. I have communicated it to NARD. ‘’They will not receive money for the period they are on strike and it will never count as a period of pensionable position in their career,” the minister had reportedly threatened.

Sultan Directs Muslims to Look out for New Moon The Sultan of Sokoto and President General, Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, has directed the Muslim Ummah to look out for the new moon of Muharram 1443 AH, today. Abubakar issued the directive yesterday, in a statement signed by Prof. Sambo Junaidu, Chairman, Advisory Committee on Religious Affairs, Sultanate Council, Sokoto. “This is to inform the Muslim Ummah that Sunday, August 8, which is equivalent to 29th day of Dhul-Hijja 1442AH shall be the day to look out for the new moon of Muharram 1443AH. “Muslims are, therefore,

requested to start looking out for the new moon on Sunday and report its sighting to the nearest District or Village Head for onward communication to the Sultan,’’ he said. The Sultan prayed Allah to assist Muslims in the discharge of their religious duties. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that sighting of the new moon of Muharram will usher in the New Year 1443 AH in Islam. Muharram, the first month in the Islamic calendar, is one of the four sacred months mentioned in the Quran, along with the seventh month of Rajab, and the eleventh and twelfth months of Dhul-Qadah and Dhul-Hijjah, respectively, preceding Muharram.

ECOWAS Unveils Vision 2050 December 2021 Michael Olugbode in Abuja

The President of the ECOWAS Commission, Jean-Claude Kassi Brou, has revealed that the ECOWAS Vision 2050 will be validated and endorsed i n D e c e m b e r. The president said t h is in Abuja during the opening of a two-day retreat for the permanent representatives committee and ECOWAS resident representatives in member states on ECOWAS Vision 2050. He said: “You may recall

that the Authority of ECOWAS Heads of State and Government adopted the ECOWAS Vision 2020 in June 2007 as a strategic framework for the transformation of ECOWAS into a border less, peaceful, and prosperous region, the implementation of which came to an end in December 2030.” He added that: “In 2018, the Council of Ministers adopted a 5-phase roadmap for the preparation of the Post 2020 Vision, subsequently referred to as ECOWAS Vision 2050.”

Saraki, Experts to Discuss Potential of FinTechs Chuks Okocha in Abuja

Former Senate President Bukola Saraki will tomorrow host experts to discuss the untapped economic potentials of Financial Technologies (FinTechs). This event is the third in the monthly series of interactions under the Grow Nigeria Conversation (GNC). This month’s edition, which focuses on ‘Growing Nigeria with FinTechs: Bridging the gap between the rich and the poor’ will take place at the Co-Creation Hub, Lagos. According to organisers of the event, The African Politeia Institute (TAPI) and Adopt A Goal for Development Initiative,

the FinTech ecosystem possesses huge potentials that could benefit the Nigerian economy if properly managed. “Interestingly, beyond facilitating core financial transactions and increasing financial inclusion amongst the under-banked and unbanked, FinTech is fast evolving into agriculture, transportation, healthcare, education, insurance, asset acquisition, and other basic consumer needs. “While the total value of investments into fintech is on the rise globally totaling about $165 billion in 2019 (KPMG), in Nigeria, some are already projecting FinTech as the new oil or digital oil, raising about 439m in 2020 (Proshare).

WHEN ARCHBISHOP VISITS … L-R: Senior Society Steward, Wesley Cathedral Olowogbowo, Mr. Yemi Adegbayibi; Wife of the former Chaplin, Lagos State Secretariat, Dr. Omolara Oyadotun; Cathedral Steward, Mrs. Omolara Oyadotun; Archbishop of Lagos, Methodist Church Nigeria, Most Rev. Isaac Olawuyi; his wife, Funmi and former Chaplin, Lagos State Secretariat, Rev. Ayo Oyadotun, during Olawuyi’s visit to the diocese... recently

Mailaﬁa: Nigeria Risks Descent into Debt Distress Gboyega Akinsanmi

An erstwhile Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Dr. Obadiah Mailafia, has warned that Nigeria risks sliding into the realm of debt-distressed nations with the increasing ratio of revenue to debt service. Mailafia, a presidential candidate of African Democratic Congress (ADC) in the 2019 general election, lamented that in debt distress, all the

resources would be used to service debt rather than building economic, mental, social and strategic infrastructure that could guarantee citizens a better life. He expressed this concern in a four-page response to THISDAY’s inquiries on the disturbing percentage of national revenue to debt service. A budget implementation report had shown that the federal government spent N1.8 trillion in debt servicing

in the first five months of the 2021 fiscal year, representing 98% of total revenue earned during that period. Within the same timeframe, the report had revealed that the federal government earned N1.84 trillion in total revenue, which according to official records, represented a massive shortfall of the projected figure of N3.32 trillion. In 2020, the federal government generated N3.25 trillion

revenue compared with N2.34 trillion it spent on debt servicing, indicating that 72% of the national revenue went into servicing both domestic and external loans. Fitch Ratings, an international credit rating agency, had projected that Nigeria’s debt to revenue ratio could rise to 395% by 2022 with a proviso that the key challenge to debt sustainability stemmed from low fiscal revenue.

Police Warn IPOB against Enforcing Sit-at-Home in Anambra David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka The Anambra State Police Command has vowed to tackle the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) for threatening indigenes of the state to stay at home every Monday until its leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu will be released. The Commissioner of Police, Chris Awolabi gave this warning during a telephone conversation with THISDAY yesterday, noting that said the command was aware of IPOB’s order, but

are working underground to thwart it. According to the police commissioner, we are not used to doing our work in the open. We believe in covert operations. He said: “If you are in Anambra, you will know what we have been doing. IPOB is a prescribed group. What do you want me to say about them? We are working. “I do not believe in coming to the media to do my work. But if you were in Anambra, you

would have seen what we are doing. We are working on that.” Meanwhile, the South-east Coalition of Civil Society Organisations (SECSOs), has called on the people of the South-east to ignore IPOB and go about their duties. In a statement by its President, Dr Livinus Onwuteaka and its Secretary, Michael Orji, the group said the order was detrimental to the people of the zone, rather than to its benefits.

The statement read in part: “We have received reports claiming that the IPOB has directed the people of the Southeast to observe every Monday, with effect from next week, as a work-free day till its leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, is released from detention. “It is difficult for the people of the Southeast, nay Nigeria, to process the essence of the directive. They are not the ones who arrested Nnamdi Kanu, nor is he in their custody. Why should they be punished?

East Zone Should Produce Next Gov, Enugu West Tells Ugwuanyi Ejiofor Alike The people of Enugu West senatorial district have told Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi that it is the turn of Enugu East senatorial zone to produce the next Governor of Enugu State in 2023 based on the existing rotational arrangement, which was reaffirmed by the leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state during the state caucus meeting of the party in 2013.

The people of Enugu West senatorial district took the timehonoured decision yesterday during the well-attended solidarity rally tagged: “Ife-Emelumma Enugu West Unity Rally for Gburugburu”, held at Awgu Local Government Secretariat. The rally was graced by Ugwuanyi; his deputy, Mrs. Cecilia Ezeilo; the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Hon. Edward Ubosi; the Chairman of Enugu PDP, Hon. Augustine Nnamani; present and former

members of the National and State Assemblies, Chairman of Aninri, Awgu, Ezeagu, Oji-River and Udi LGAs, traditional rulers, the Clergy, among others. Speaking at the event, the Convener and Chairman of the Central Organising Committee of the rally, Senator Ben Collins Ndu, told Ugwuanyi that the people of Enugu West senatorial district have assembled to speak with one voice that the zoning of the governorship seat of the state favours Enugu East senatorial

district. Ndu who disclosed that the people of Enugu West are 100 per cent in support of Ugwuanyi and his decisions in respect of his successor in 2023, maintained that they firmly stand by the decision of the State Caucus of the PDP in 2013, that the governorship position of Enugu State should rotate to Enugu East senatorial district after the expiration of the turn of Enugu North senatorial district presently occupied by Ugwuanyi.

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ AUGUST 8, 2021

SUNDAYSPORTS

Edited by: Duro Ikhazuagbe email:Duro.Ikhazuagbe@thisdaylive.com

Leicester City’s Captain, Kasper Schmeichel leading the Foxes’ celebration shortly after defeating Manchester City 1-0 to lift the Community Shield at Wembley...yesterday

‘Senior Man’ Iheanacho Wins Community Shield for Leicester Denies former club Man City perfect start to new season Duro Ikhazuagbe with agency report

igerian international, Kelechi ‘Senior Man’ Iheanacho was the match winner at Wembley yesterday as he scored a late penalty against Manchester City to hand Leicester City the Community Shield. The Super Eagles forward who came into the

match as a substitute was barely 11 minute on when he was tripped by Nathan Ake. He stepped forward to hang the ball into the top corner from the resultant spot kick. ‘Senior Man’as Iheanacho is now fondly hailed therefore denied his former club the chance to start their new season on high. Interestingly, Iheanacho’s Super Eagles teammate, Wilfred Ndidi was in his element. Ndidi was at his destructive best, winning the ball back eight times, making five tackles and

contributing three interceptions, all good signs for Leicester before next Saturday’s Premier League opener at home to Wolves. The meeting of last season’s Premier League champions and FA Cup winners was absorbing in parts and looked to be heading for penalties until Iheanacho made the difference. Manchester City’s record £100million signing, Jack Grealish, was given his debut on 65 minutes, but he could not muster a clear-cut opportunity for a much-changed team.

Brume, Oborududu Get Benin City Agog for Historical Rousing Reception in Abuja Nigeria’sTokyo 2020 Olympics medalists Blessing Oborududu and Ese Brume arrived to a rousing reception at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja yesterday. Speaking with reporters at the Airport, Brume said: “I want to thank Almighty God for this feat, and also want to say a special thank you to the Minister of Sports, Honourable Sunday Dare for his unconditional support and care before, during and after my participation at the Games. “The medal is dedicated to all Nigerians that believe and supported me, the Minister. Honourable Dare, I’m proud I was able to repay their trust with a podium finish,” observed the Delta-born long jumper. On her part, Oborududu commended the Minister’s efforts throughout their stay in Japan. “It gladdens my heart to return home with a silver medal. I give glory and admonition to God. The Minister of Sports Mr. Sunday Dare was tremendous in his support throughout the Olympics and I am saying a big thank you to him. “To all Nigerians that supported me with prayers and words of encouragements, I can’t thank you enough”.

AITEO Cup Finals

The ancient City of Benin is on tenterhooks of high expectations as all arrangements have been concluded for this year’s AITEO Cup grand finale in the women and men’scompetitions,holdingattheSamuelOgbemudia Stadium today. The women’s final will commence at 4pm, with the men’s final starting at 6pm. Inthemen’sfinal,NasarawaUnitedaredeterminedto scooptheirfirstnationaltrophysincetheclub’sformation 18 years ago are to take on second-tier Bayelsa United who have had an amazing run in this year’s campaign. They defeated NPFL teams Rangers International of Enugu, Lobi Stars of Makurdi and Rivers United of Port Harcourt to reach the final. Nasarawa however, have experience and exposure to continental football at the level of CAF Confederation Cup a few years ago to count on. The Solid Miners have been looking for another opportunity. Victory today will restore them to the continent, and theybankonthemarksmanshipofSilasNwankwo(who emerged top scorer in this year’s Nigeria Professional FootballLeaguewith19goals)andthedeadballwizardry

of Chigozie Obasi to puncture the ambitions of Bayelsa United. Nasarawa United also have the quality of Anas Yusuf, Tebo Franklin, Shammasu Mohammed, Joshua Obaje and Adamu Hassan to thrust forward at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium. Bayelsa on the other hand are hoping to become the first team from Nigeria’s second-tier league to win the Cup in 20 years. ThelastclubtoachievethatfeatwasdefunctDolphins FC of Port Harcourt who defeated El-Kanemi Warriors 2-0 in 2001. Bayelsa have in their arsenal an efficient goalkeeper in John Shaibu, and can also count on the grit, guts and gumption of former Flying Eagles’ star Bernard Okorowanta, Inikurogha Okardi, Tarabina Biweribo, Endurance Ededibiri and Gabriel Biriduba when the going gets tough in Benin City. In the women’s section, Bayelsa Queens FC, who surprisingly pummeled perennial League and FA Cup champions Rivers Angels by five goals in the semi finals are buoyed up for a big encounter against FC Robo Queens of Lagos.

Ilkay Gundogan saw an arrowed free-kick superbly tipped over the crossbar by Kasper Schmeichel and the German midfielder also blazed over a first-time effort from 10 yards out. Striker Jamie Vardy was bright for Leicester but could not find a way past City goalkeeper Zack Steffen, who made a stunning reaction save to deny the Englishman. Leicester supporters have experienced five years of football that would have been beyond their wildest dreams - shock Premier League champions in 2016, surprise FA Cup winners last season and now heading into the new season in ideal fashion by clinching the Community Shield. Though they played in the Champions League after their title triumph, they have twice fallen away from the top four in successive seasons having looked well set for much of the campaign. The game was a rather even affair in the curtain-raiser to the new top-flight campaign which gets under way on Friday when Arsenal host newly promoted Brentford. Injury problems in defence for Leicester meant free signing Ryan Bertrand was given a start, while fellow summer recruits Patson Daka and Boubakary Soumare both came off the bench in the second period. But it was old boy Vardy who looked most likely to break the deadlock, though he showed a bit of rustiness with his finishing, smacking a bounce shot straight at Steffens from 12 yards out before the American kept out a shot with his trailing right foot while diving to the left. The return to action for Harvey Barnes, who hasn’t played competitively since February because of a knee injury, will be a huge positive for Rodgers and the Englishman showed some nice touches down the left flank before he was replaced by Iheanacho in the 79th minute.

Sunday August 8, 2021

‘COVID’

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“They will not receive money for the period they are on strike and it will never count as a period of pensionable position in their career” – Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, warning striking doctors to either suspend their strike and return to negotiating table or be ready to forfeit their pay.

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No, IBB, Power Rotation is Democratic

head of his 80th birthday, Gen Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, who ruled Nigeria as a self-styled military president from 1985 to 1993, spoke at length with ARISE TV in an interview aired on Friday. Answering a number of politically sensitive questions, IBB took a position on the thorny issue of what region should produce the next president. The state of play today is that the two leading parties, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and All Progressives Congress (APC), are yet to make any commitments as to where they will zone their presidential tickets. I guess a mind game is going on. Neither wants to risk losing. Therefore, where one party zones will influence where the other goes. Many would think it is already customary in Nigeria that power should alternate between the north and south. Even when there are no constitutional provisions to that effect, the politicians always hammer on having had a “gentleman’s agreement”. The incumbent, President Muhammadu Buhari, is from the north and would have done two terms of eight years by 2023. Southern governors elected on the platform of APC, the ruling party, have been saying there was a “gentleman’s agreement” in 2015 that the next port-of-call would be the south after Buhari’s tenure. In a multi-ethnic and politically inflammable country such as ours, I would say rotation is a no-brainer. But there are those who argue that democracy means “free choice” and voters should not be limited in their options. Let all who are interested throw their hats in the ring and let the people decide. Another aspect of this argument is that merit should come above any other consideration. Nigeria is in dire need of good leadership, it is argued, and we need the best of the best to be elected, no matter their region or tongue. I don’t think we can argue convincingly against meritocracy. In an ideal situation, where all things are equal, we should not be making any argument for inclusion, equity and equality. We should just throw the door open, assured that everything will be fine. But as the late Justice Abiodun Nuraini Kessington would say, “It is because parties to a case don’t trust the judge to do justice that they engage lawyers.” If Nigerians are very sure there would be fairness and justice in Aso Rock, not many will be fighting over where the president comes from. But there are fears of exclusion, fears of domination, fears of marginalisation. The constitution provides for federal character as part of the principles of fostering national cohesion and nation-building. This is supposed to be a kind of assurance and re-assurance, in a multi-ethnic and politically fragile entity, that nobody will feel left out. Power rotation can be a good instrument of inclusion in Nigeria. Babangida has chosen the “ideal” option, saying that where a president comes from shouldn’t matter, that it should all be about merit, competence and other synonyms. “Either we want to practise democracy the way it should be practised, or we define democracy on our own whims and caprices,” he said, appearing to suggest that power rotation is undemocratic. “If we are going to do it the way it is done all over the world, you allow the process to continue. It is through the process that you will come up with a candidate that will rule the country. His beliefs and qualifications should be considered before he throws his hat into the ring, regardless of where he comes from.” It is convenient to compare Nigeria’s democracy with America’s and go on about “the ideal”, but every country has its own history and peculiarities. Even in America, where some principles are firmly settled after over 200 years of democracy, there are still questions over equity and equality in the democratic process and the systematic disenfranchisement of Black voters. And as we

Babangida recently saw under Donald Trump’s presidency and his policies on health care and immigration, exclusion is still a major issue in the “ideal” American democracy. It is not for nothing that President Joe Biden Jr has the most diverse cabinet in US history after the Trump years. Is inclusion undemocratic? Theoretically, northern Nigeria has the numbers to decide where the president comes from. That is why many southerners believe the north holds the ace and the pronouncements of its leaders and power brokers on rotation matter a great deal. The north has 19 out of 36 states of the federation, further reflected in the fact that it has over 52 per cent of the registered voters, plus the visible reality that voter turn-out is always higher in the north than the south. Practically, though, the north is not monolithic and its votes usually go in different directions. In fairness, it has used its numbers — not once, not twice — to support a southerner against one of its own: in 1993, 2003 and 2011. In fact, in 1999, northern power brokers schemed for the two presidential candidates to come from the south-west as compensation for the June 12, 1993 presidential poll annulled by IBB. The annulment was one of the most antidemocratic attempts in our history, perpetrated by the latest theorist of “ideal” democracy. His renewed attempt at justifying the annulment still falls short. Meanwhile, many would argue that the north took the “power shift” decision in 1999 in enlightened self-interest to keep Nigeria together after a debilitating logjam. Whatever, the north has shown itself to be pragmatic in the power game. They know the line between “the ideal” and “the real”. Having keenly studied our political temperature in and out of season since Independence, I have often concluded that we need to evolve a peculiar political compromise to keep Nigeria together in order to enjoy some peace and stability — and progress. There are a million and one things wrong with us, but some continue to hurt us more than the others. The uncertainty over where political power will go “next” is a perennial source of tension in the body politic. This not only injures the polity, we now have a situation where those who feel denied political power become bitter enemies of a sitting president and try to make the country ungovernable, adopting every trick in the book. There is no doubt that since President Goodluck Jonathan defied the PDP rotation agreement in 2011, our polity has not recovered from it. I know people who disdained and criticised him solely because of the fact that he contested at a time the north had not fully used up its allotted eight years

in Aso Rock, a situation caused by the death of President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua after only three years in office. We now have a reverse: much of the hate Buhari has been receiving since 2015 stems from the bitterness of those who felt Jonathan was “chased out”. This has been fully cast as a “Fulani jihad” and every crime is now framed as being committed by “Fulani herdsmen”. So it goes. My argument in 2011 was that it was humanly difficult for Jonathan not to run after having been the substantive president for one year following the death of Yar’Adua. More so, there was no law barring him from running, although he was said to have entered into a “gentleman’s agreement” to do only one term, which he denied. I argued then that Dr Nelson Mandela was the only sitting African president to have declined a second term. My proposal, as ever, is to entrench rotation in the constitution so that the certainty can address a defining aspect of our nationhood that perennially inflames passion and hurts national cohesion. We need to seriously consider this option. I have a few more things to point out. One, I disagree with IBB’s insinuation that power rotation is undemocratic. A lot of things go into democracy in addition to voting. Political accommodation is one of them. Elite consensus, worked out politically, is part of the democratic process and cannot be termed undemocratic. Also, context matters a lot, beyond a rigid reading of democratic theory and practice. For democracy to thrive, it must be adapted to the political realities of its environment. Democracy acknowledges that all fingers are not equal. Balancing is part and parcel of democracy, especially in a developing country where political maturity is still budding. We cannot ignore this. The history of Lebanon, for example, is heavily rooted in religious lines. They had to devise a power sharing formula to calm tempers and have some political stability. The Arab country’s parliamentary seats are split between Muslims and Christians and proportionally divided among the different denominations within each religion. The president must always be a Maronite Christian, the prime minister a Sunni Muslim and the speaker of parliament a Shia Muslim. Lebanon is a democracy. The arrangement is not “ideal” and I am not proposing this for Nigeria because things are not that bad here, but the Lebanese realised they needed to have a country first before discussing the “ideal”. Two, I support “merit” by any means — but I refuse to accept that power rotation is anti-merit. No. I insist, and will continue to insist until I am proved wrong with solid evidence, that there is no part of Nigeria that does not have merit. There is no state, zone or region that does not have eminently qualified people to be president. As I typically say, I can give a list of five possible candidates per state. I do not buy the idea that the moment you zone presidency, then you are excluding merit. If it is the turn of your region and you refuse to put your best candidates forward and instead choose to nominate errand boys and misfits, you cannot turn around to blame power rotation for that. Finally, I find it antithetical that a country that has federal character in its constitution can think it is undemocratic to apply it to the choice of presidents. Why not discard the federal character altogether and settle for the “ideal” then? Also, the constitution says a presidential candidate must have “national spread” by scoring at least 25 per cent of votes cast in at least 24 states — a clear attempt at national integration. Yet, we cannot see the reason why power rotation is also a veritable tool of national cohesion. I totally agree that power rotation is not the ultimate solution to Nigeria’s problems — but it will, at least, address an emotive issue that always puts the country on the edge.

And Four Other Things… HABA KYARI! Abba Kyari, the deputy commissioner of police at the centre of a US indictment, initially rushed to Facebook (ill-advisedly) to make all kinds of claims when the court papers were unsealed. He didn’t even seek legal advice before posting. He has now sought to withdraw his curious claims about native caps and is trying to push the narrative that Ramon Abbas, the selfconfessed international scam artist better known as Hushpuppi, only engaged him as a debt collector. Smart? No. For a superstar cop that was so well decorated, it is a bit disappointing that he does not know much about digital footprint: all his posts have likely been archived. He is now trying to undo them. Crass. COVID-CUM-CHOLERA When I saw one headline that 20 people died from cholera in Zamfara, my reaction was that of empathy. Bandits kill them every day. It now seems they can survive bandits and still get killed by cholera. That is the lot of ordinary Nigerians. Cholera cases and fatalities are disturbingly on the rise at a time COVID-19 is making its third entrance into the dubious limelight. It appears Nigerians do not have any fears about COVID19 again. Some actually think it is a hoax or that it kills only “big” people — or that it is “ordinary malaria”. Whatever you believe, please protect others even if you don’t care about your own health. Always use a face mask correctly and keep a safe distance. Please. MEDIOCRITY MEDAL Can any Olympics be called Olympics if Nigerian administrators do not win a medal for mediocrity? The international embarrassment in Tokyo is so typical. A leopard does not change its skin, does it? We do things anyhow in this country. Ten athletes were disqualiﬁed for failing to meet the minimum out-of-competition drug tests requirement. Shot-putter Chukwuebuka Enekwechi had to be washing his jersey daily because he reportedly got only one for the entire Olympics. This country can kill your spirit! Something tells you Nigeria can be far better than this, but until we have the right people with the right attitude in the right places, we will keep disgracing ourselves home and abroad. Disgusting. IBB ON CORRUPTION Gen Ibrahim Babangida, former military president, claimed in his ARISE TV interview that corruption is worse today compared to the military era. “I think we are saints when compared to what is happening under a democratic dispensation. I sacked a governor for misappropriating less than N313,000,” he said. He may be right — I can’t say — but not just that the N313,000 of 1989 is not the N313,000 of 2021, military rule was shrouded in secrecy. Nigerians had no right to demand accountability. With democracy, more things are now in the open. Democracy also means accused persons can’t be summarily dismissed or jailed. IBB’s logic is called “false equivalence”. Dribbled.

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