SUNDAY 13TH SEPTEMBER 2020

Mali’s Military Agrees to 18-month Transition Government Tobi Soniyi with agency report Mali's new military leaders have finally agreed to establish an 18-month transition government until an election can take place, following last month's coup, BBC reported

last night.

Spokesperson Moussa Camara said the interim government would either be led by a military officer or a civilian.

The pledge came after three days of talks with opposition and civil society groups on a

timeline for Mali's return to civilian rule.

Ousted President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta fled the country last week.

The 75-year-old former leader flew to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on 5 September for medical

treatment, after suffering a minor stroke, military officials said.

His former chief of staff said he could be away for up to 15 days.

After the coup, West African leaders said they wanted a rapid return to civilian rule.

Mali's new military rulers had previously said they wanted the interim period to last for two years.

"We make a commitment before you to spare no effort in the implementation of all these resolutions in the exclusive interest of the Malian people,"

Col Assimi Goita, the head of Mali's military junta, said.

President Muhammadu Buhari alongside other ECOWAS leaders had earlier demanded for the composition of a transition government in Continued on page 8

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Northern, Southern Leaders Resolve ‘to Pull Nigeria Back from the Brink’ Decry deterioration in governance, economy, security Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja North and southern leaders of Nigeria, comprising the

Northern Elders’ Forum (NEF), Middle Belt Forum, Ohaneze Ndigbo, Afenifere and Pan Niger Delta Forum

(PANDEF), yesterday, resolved to work together with the sole aim of pulling the country back from the brink.

Decrying the general state of governance, the economy and security, they also expressed their commitment to support

and involve themselves in all activities targeted at improving the Nigerian constitution for the purpose of meeting the

yearnings and aspirations of all Nigerian citizens.

Continued on page 8

Six Days to Edo Election, INEC Declares No PVC, No Voting Abdulsalami’s peace committee to meet Buhari Gov Uzodinnma, storms Edo, mobilises Ndigbo PDP, APC accuse each other of underhand tactics to rig Chuks Okocha in Abuja and Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City With just six days to Edo governorship election, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared anyone without Permanent Voter’s Card (PVC) will not be allowed to vote.

This is contrary to reports that the electoral umpire might have resolved to use the incidence forms for voters, whose PVC malfunctions during the Saturday, September 19, governorship election. The commission has said there was no such intentions and that those without their PVCs stood

no chance of voting at all.

Also, the commission has debunked allegation that the reappointment of some of INEC’s national commissioners whose tenures are expected to elapse in November has been tied to the victory of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Edo election.

As a result, the National Peace Committee led by a former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, is likely to meet with President Muhammadu Buhari soon with a view to soliciting for the neutrality of all security agencies and the INEC during the Edo governorship election.

Continued on page 5

Malami: Rule of Law Not a One-way Traffic Arrangement... Pg 8

MOBILISING IGBO FOR APC...

Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu (left), with Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State when Uzodimma was honoured by Igbo Youth Union, an arm of Ohanaeze Ndigbo where he urged Igbo to vote for for the APC candidate in Benin City...yesterday

Mali’s Military Agrees to 18-month Transition Government Tobi Soniyi with agency report Mali's new military leaders have finally agreed to establish an 18-month transition government until an election can take place, following last month's coup, BBC reported

last night.

Spokesperson Moussa Camara said the interim government would either be led by a military officer or a civilian.

The pledge came after three days of talks with opposition and civil society groups on a

timeline for Mali's return to civilian rule.

Ousted President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta fled the country last week.

The 75-year-old former leader flew to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on 5 September for medical

treatment, after suffering a minor stroke, military officials said.

His former chief of staff said he could be away for up to 15 days.

After the coup, West African leaders said they wanted a rapid return to civilian rule.

Mali's new military rulers had previously said they wanted the interim period to last for two years.

"We make a commitment before you to spare no effort in the implementation of all these resolutions in the exclusive interest of the Malian people,"

Col Assimi Goita, the head of Mali's military junta, said.

President Muhammadu Buhari alongside other ECOWAS leaders had earlier demanded for the composition of a transition government in Continued on page 8

Bisi Abiola Trying to Secure Release of Step-sons from Detention...Page 9 Sunday 13 September, 2020 Vol 25. No 9287

www.thisdaylive.com TR

UT H

& RE A S O

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Northern, Southern Leaders Resolve ‘to Pull Nigeria Back from the Brink’ Decry deterioration in governance, economy, security Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja North and southern leaders of Nigeria, comprising the

Northern Elders’ Forum (NEF), Middle Belt Forum, Ohaneze Ndigbo, Afenifere and Pan Niger Delta Forum

(PANDEF), yesterday, resolved to work together with the sole aim of pulling the country back from the brink.

Decrying the general state of governance, the economy and security, they also expressed their commitment to support

and involve themselves in all activities targeted at improving the Nigerian constitution for the purpose of meeting the

yearnings and aspirations of all Nigerian citizens.

Continued on page 8

Six Days to Edo Election, INEC Declares No PVC, No Voting Abdulsalami’s peace committee to meet Buhari Gov Uzodinnma, storms Edo, mobilises Ndigbo PDP, APC accuse each other of underhand tactics to rig Chuks Okocha in Abuja and Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City With just six days to Edo governorship election, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared anyone without Permanent Voter’s Card (PVC) will not be allowed to vote.

This is contrary to reports that the electoral umpire might have resolved to use the incidence forms for voters, whose PVC malfunctions during the Saturday, September 19, governorship election. The commission has said there was no such intentions and that those without their PVCs stood

no chance of voting at all.

Also, the commission has debunked allegation that the reappointment of some of INEC’s national commissioners whose tenures are expected to elapse in November has been tied to the victory of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Edo election.

As a result, the National Peace Committee led by a former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, is likely to meet with President Muhammadu Buhari soon with a view to soliciting for the neutrality of all security agencies and the INEC during the Edo governorship election.

Continued on page 5

Malami: Rule of Law Not a One-way Traffic Arrangement... Pg 8

MOBILISING IGBO FOR APC...

Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu (left), with Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State when Uzodimma was honoured by Igbo Youth Union, an arm of Ohanaeze Ndigbo where he urged Igbo to vote for for the APC candidate in Benin City...yesterday

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Abiodun Advises Foreign Govts, Investors to Replace Aids with Partnership Kayode Fasua and Omolabake Fasogbon Ogun State Governor, Mr. Dapo Abiodun has urged foreign governments and investors to work out symbiotic partnership programmes with subnational governments in the federation rather than doling out development aid to them.

For the impact of donors and philanthropies to be felt, Abodun argued, there was the need for them to have a deep understanding of the challenges of the people and come up with detailed strategies of addressing them.

Abiodun stated this while speaking at a virtual humanitarian and philanthropic roundtable organised by Foreign Investment Network (FIN) on Friday, saying the people would only participate and take ownership on projects that address their concerns.

He said: "What this means is that not just on the part of the government, private donors, philanthropies must also develop a more in-depth understanding of the challenge of the people and then define a clear vision and detailed strategies with an action plan.

"This strategy must also include a tool to measure impact. Philanthropy should

address the challenge of the people, not the fancy of the donor. And that has been one major bane of philanthropy in this part of the world and why it has not had the positive impact that it should have had", he explained.

He noted that there had been an increase in the number of institutional philanthropy in the past years, which included private individuals, corporate entities and families, though regretted that there was little impact on the socio-economic development of the country.

Quoting from the Organization for Economic, Cooperation and Development (OECD and Development Assistant Committee (DAC) statistics, the governor disclosed that donors in the last 60 years have granted a total sum of $502bn to sub-Saharan Africa, which is worth over $866bn in current price, just as the United States annual aid between 2002 to 2015 rose from $2bn to $8bn, while additional development assistance of $89bn was granted to Nigeria, to support her development goals.

He lamented that despite the huge amount, little impact was felt from the receiving population, adding that his state has created a viable development partnership with investors and donors and

consider the interest and needs of the people, as projects were situated, not for individuals or group, but the needs of the recipients to enable them take ownership, which would guarantee sustainability of the project.

"Our approach is that once projects and investments are

at the needs of the people, the people will not only take ownership of these projects which in turn guarantees the sustainability of the projects. “By doing this, the issue of multi million naira projects with zero impact on the people which are laying waste will not even

arise. Let me say that this approach has continued to help in the last one year of the successful implementation of the “Building our Future Together� Agenda, Abiodun noted.

Abiodun emphasised that the introduction of town hall meetings in the process of

putting together this year's budget, was to allow for wider and deeper inputs, more practical way of identifying the needs and expectations of the people. So that the government could strategically allocate resources towards the successful execution of projects.

BUILDING BRIDGES...

Ambassador of Cote D'ivoire to Nigeria, Traore Kalilou (left), with Minister of Foreign Aairs of Nigeria, Georey Onyeama, when they discussed bilateral issues, at the Foreign Ministry in Abuja... Friday

SIX DAYS TO EDO ELECTION, INEC DECLARES NO PVC, NO VOTING This is as the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) accused each other of underhand tactics to rig next Saturday’s election.

But some Edo community leaders in the state, led by their chairman, Dickson Omoregie, Friday called for peace in the elections, by asking for a critical review of security deployment and zero interference of other agencies of government, who have roles to play in the management of the election.

In the same breath, the Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinnma, yesterday stormed Benin City, the Edo State Capital, where was being honoured and seized the opportunity of the occasion to mobilise the Igbo community in support of the APC and its candidate, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu.

Speaking exclusively to THISDAY on the procedure for the election should the PVC malfunction, INEC’s National Commissioner in charge of Voter Education, Information and Publicity, Festus Okoye, said there would be no voting without the voter’s card readers.

"The Commission will continue to improve on its technological solutions. The Smart Card Reader remains a veritable tool for verification and authentication in the accreditation process. Our resolve is to make it more robust, more efficient and smarter. “We will continue to improve on the Smart Card Reader Technology.

The Commission has not

commissioned and has not carried out a study that indicates that authentication using the Smart Card Reader has reduced from 80% to about 30%.

"The Smart Card Reader has brought credibility to the electoral process and the Commission will continue to deploy it. We have made it smarter and more robust and we will continue to improve on it. Only persons with the Permanent Voters Cards whose name appear on the voters’ register will move towards the verification and authentication ladder. “Those that are not in possession of the Permanent Voters’ Card and whose names are not on the voters’ register will not be allowed to vote.

The Smart Card Reader will continue to be used for verification and authentication," he explained.

On why INEC would the Z-pad technology in the Edo governorship election instead of the former Iris scam technology, Okoye said, "The Commission will continue to control its technological solutions and will never allow technology to drive the process. The Commission has been test running a couple of technological solutions and the facial recognition software for secondary accreditation is one of them.

"The Commission deployed the solution to the Nasarawa Central bye-election and noticed challenges with its performance. We are back on the drawing board perfecting it, aligning it and making it more robust as a secondary accreditation solution.

“The Commission will continue to use the Z-pad to upload polling unit results to the Result Viewing Portal. The Commission will only deploy technological solutions it has tested with small bye-elections and is confident of their performance in bigger elections.

A responsible Commission will not gamble with a big end of tenure election conducted in the shadow of a pandemic," he said.

However, addressing the allegations that the INEC national commissioners, whose tenures are due to end in November would be rewarded with a reappointment if they traded off Edo state governorship election in favour of the APC, he dismissed it as untrue.

"Every national commissioner knows his entry and exit date. All the national commissioners are accomplished professionals and some of them are looking forward to returning to their normal lives. More fundamentally, national commissioners are focused on delivering the two-end of tenure elections taking place under the shadow of a pandemic.

"The two elections are crucial to the democratic process and most national commissioners are fine-tuning the programmes of the departments they supervise. It is counterproductive to engage in speculative assumptions and make deductions that are not backed up with verifiable and cogent facts."

Okoye, therefore, challenged the PDP to produce evidence that one of national

commissioners is working in cahoots with the APC to swap and compromise the list of Supervisory Presiding Officers.

"Those with proof of tampering or doctoring or compromised list of Supervisory Presiding Officers should come forward with the evidence. The long-standing policy of the Commission, which is in the public domain, is to recruit Supervisory Presiding Officers from Ministries, Departments and Agencies of the Federal Government.

"These categories of officers apply for recruitment through INEC dedicated portal with their photographs, identity cards and attestation. The applicants are further vetted before they are issued with letters of appointment. The activities of the Commission are carried out transparently.

All the political parties contesting the election will be at the Central Bank for the distribution of the materials.

"All the political parties were availed of their statutory right to nominate polling agents. The Commission is constitutionally mandated to organise, undertake and supervise elections. Plotting and conspiracy do not form part of the mandate of the Commission. Our responsibility is to organise a good and acceptable election in Edo and Ondo States," Okoye explained.

Thus, ahead of Tuesday’s peace accord signing amongst all the political parties contesting the Edo State governorship election, indications are rife that the

chairman of the committee, General Abubakar has been scheduled to meet privately with President Buhari on the need for a free and credible election in the state.

The committee headed

by Abubakar met Friday to perfect how to ensure peace during the September 19 governorship election at a popularly hotel in Abuja last Friday, where it was resolved that the former military head of state should meet President Buhari.

A source at the meeting, who hinted at the development, said the idea of meeting the president was to ensure that all security agencies and INEC remain neutral in the election.

"We cannot keep quiet as the drumbeats of war in the election is becoming too load.

We cannot keep quite and bloods are shed in the name of election. Election should be seen as service and not violence," the source said.

However, accusing each other of underhand tactics to rig the election, while the PDP cried over alleged suspicious movement of persons from Lagos and other parts of the country into the state, the APC has asked the federal government and the people of the state to rein in Governor Godwin Obaseki and the PDP whom it alleged of fostering insecurity in the state.

State Publicity Secretary of PDP, Chris Osa Nehikhare, who spoke on behalf of the party’s Campaign Council said: “We have just been alerted that 10 Hummer buses left Ojo Military Cantonment in Lagos for Auchi, Edo State

this morning. This is one out of over 10 such calls we have received in the last 48 hours.�

He urged the various security agencies in the country to pay more than the usual attention to these movements in order to ensure that Edo voters were insulated from harm before, during and after the election in the state.

Nehikhare stated: “We are liaising with the relevant security agencies to ascertain the mission(s) of these persons flocking into the state and we advise members of the public to watch out for persons whose presence and activities in their neighborhood, are suspicious and report same to the police and other law enforcement agencies.�

On its part, the APC in a statement by the Chairman, Media Campaign Council, Mr. John Mayaki, accused Governor Obaseki and his party, of several security breaches in the state in the build-up to the September 19 elections in Edo State and asked all the relevant security agencies to take adequate note in case of any breach of law and order before, during and after the election. “We want Governor Obaseki and the PDP to give Nigerians the assurance that Edo State will not degenerate into a full blown crisis-riddled polity by answering to the following reports that we have received concerning the elections. Youths in Edo have informed us of the mass concentration of arms currently stored all over the state for the elections.

Continued on page 11

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NEWS

Malami: Rule of Law Not a One-way Traffic Arrangement Says a balance of both sides is respecting the law Tobi Soniyi Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami has addressed the constant allegation of abuse of the rule of law and disrespect to court orders by the President Muhammadu Buhari administration, saying the misinformation lies in the assumption that the rule of law is a one-way traffic arrangement.

Speaking during the week on the Arise Television Morning Show, Malami contended that since the accused and the accuser rely on the same rule of law, the balance of the principles, process and procedure of the rule of law is what speaks to its application. “Let me start by addressing the first question, which is, what the rule of law means to me. I want to give a general response to it regarding what constitutes the rule of law.

A rule of law is operated within the context of the law, taking into consideration the prevailing rights within the law and enforcing them.

Taking into consideration the prevailing rights available to individuals and personalities as enshrined in the constitution over legislation. “So, in essence, a rule of law is about compliance.

A rule of law is about upholding the tenets of constitutional requirements, the constitutionally established rights, upholding them and ensuring that they prevail. For you to put the rule of law into proper context, you need to understand what the rule of law means and how it operates, then you will have to situate it, access it, and x-ray it within the context of the constitution and prevailing legislations. “So, now, what are the constitutional provisions, what are the legislative provisions, as far as compliance with court orders and judgments

are concerned. First, if you are talking of a judgment of a court of law, a judgment is passed against the interest of the government, and what are the remedies available to the government. “For instance, in a simple case of bail application, someone is charged with treason before a court of law, he files an application for bail, and the court of law granted an application for bail. So what is the rule of law element associated with application, both on the part of the government and the accused? On the part of the accused, the rule of law component is that the accused has been granted bail and he is entitled to bail. “On the part of the government, the rule of law component is that if the government is aggrieved and not happy with order granted, it may want to consider the possibility of appealing the order, to consider the possibility of filing an application to set aside the bail that has been granted, if it is indeed within the context of law. “There are grounds that justify the application for setting aside the order. Thirdly, to consider the possibility of staying the execution of the order, if indeed an appeal has been launched by the government. “So, within the context of the rule of law, if the government decides to appeal and file an application for stay of execution, if the government decides to file an application for setting aside, both the government and the accuser are operating within the context of the rule of law, and the way the judicial processes and system operate, is not for the government to follow it hook, line and sinker, and unconditionally comply with the court order, where it has a legislative power to appeal and file an application

for stay of execution. “So, when the government decides not to release the accused, on the grounds that it has filed an application for stay of execution, and the application for stay of execution is being considered and determined by court, you are still operating within the context of the rule of law, because the rule of law gives an opportunity for the accuser to apply for bail. It is the same rule of law that gives the government the opportunity to challenge the order by way of an appeal, stay of execution or by section aside. “So, it is the act of submission to court and not resulting to self-help that constitutes the rule of law and the components in general situation. The rule of law is not a one-way traffic arrangement.

While you have to consider

the interest of the accused in criminal cases and the interest of the government, what are the interests that are provided?

Are the two operating within the context and spirit of law or they are resulting to self-help?

Provided you don’t result to self-help and if you applied for an exercise of the right of privilege, you’re indeed operating within the context of the rule of law. “It is never a one-way traffic affair, whereby you look at it from the perspective of complying with an order or judgment hook, line and sinker without factoring the associated counter rights and privileges available at the expense of the other. So, that is the rule of law and that is the constitutional context of it,� he explained.

When asked to address the future of the EFCC with respect to the rule of law,

he contended that, “Our understanding of the rule of law as I have stated earlier, is a function of the constitution and function of the law, and not taking into consideration what remedies, redress and options are available for you in law provided your actions are rooted in law, and they are never arbitrary. “I think the clear position is that you are operating within the context of the rule of law, more so, when a public interest and individual are in issue, the responsibility and office of the Attorney General is to ensure the public interest. “So, I think that makes the record clear as far the function of rule of law is concerned and we shall continue as a government to operate within the context of taking advantage of what options and remedies that are available to us as a

government within the context of the constitution and existing legislations and I think the rule of law, is about law and if the law provides that you have certain options, and you take advantage of those options, you can never be charged for operating arbitrarily. “I think the function of the rule of law is the function of the law. Is there a law in existence that supports what you are doing? If the answer is yes, certainly, you’re operating within the context of the rule of law. The issue is when you decide to go over the prevailing legislative options, redresses, and remedies available to you, if your remedies are rooted in law, and you’re pursuing a remedy within the context of the law and you’re operating within the context of the rule of law, and not otherwise.�

MOURNING THE DEPARTED...

L-R: Former Kebbi State governor, Senator Adamu Aliero; All Progressives Congress National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, and former Sokoto State governor, Senator Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko, when Asiwaju led a delegation to visit Wamakko in Sokoto to commiserate with him over the death of his daughter, Sadiyya...\

MALI'S MILITARY AGREES TO 18-MONTH TRANSITION GOVERNMENT Mali, led by civilians, as well as the return of the country to constitutional government within the next 12 months.

The demands of both Buhari and ECOWAS were made at a virtual Extraordinary Summit of ECOWAS Heads of States and Governments on the sociopolitical crisis rocking Mali.

According to a statement then by the president’s media adviser, Femi Adesina, Buhari harped on briefings

by ECOWAS’ Special Envoy, former President Goodluck Jonathan, saying it showed that the regional body’s engagements with the new military leadership in Mali

were yet to achieve the desired results in several key areas.

However, the president was swift to add that he was happy to hear the news of President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita’s release from detention, adding that the preparedness of the military rulers to free other detainees is welcome.

President KeĂŻta was overthrown on 18 August following mass protests against his rule over corruption, the mismanagement of the economy and a dispute over legislative elections.

The coup sparked international condemnation, but it was welcomed by many

Malians.

Mr KeĂŻta was detained by the military, but later freed.

This was the fourth coup in the West African state since it gained independence from France in 1960.

A previous coup in 2012 led to militant Islamists exploiting the instability to seize territory

in northern Mali. French troops helped regain territory, but attacks continue.

The coup leaders earlier promised to respect international agreements on fighting jihadists.

Thousands of French, African and UN troops are based in the country to tackle the militants.

with time and experience.�

However, in the communiquÊ, it was stated that the Chairman, Nigeria Governors’ Forum and Governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi; Chairman, APC Governors Forum and Kebbi State Governor, Atiku Bagudu and Chairman, PDP Governors Forum and Governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal were fully briefed on the initiative and its resolve.

The communiquĂŠ reads in part: "The meeting noted the grave dangers Nigeria is facing especially, in the areas of deterioration of governance, the economy, security, political intolerance, worsening social and inter-communal cohesion, poor performance of democratic and electoral

structures, declining faith in leadership and those charged with leadership at all levels which have combined to push our beloved country to the brink. The meeting identified the primacy of pulling Nigeria back from the brink and resolved to deploy their individual and collective efforts to achieve that objective."

The southern and northern leaders, the communiquĂŠ stressed, further committed themselves to work with other organisations, groups and governmental organs at all levels to improve the quality of governance, democratic and electoral processes as well as on all matters that can positively impact and improve the economic wellbeing of the Nigerian citizen.

NORTHERN, SOUTHERN LEADERS RESOLVE ‘TO PULL NIGERIA BACK FROM THE BRINK’ The socio-cultural and political organisations stated this in a communiquĂŠ issued by the Convener, Ambassador Ahmed Magaji, after its consultative dialogue on the state of the nation and the critical challenges facing the country, held on the 9th and 10th of September in Abuja.

The communiquĂŠ revealed that the consultative dialogue was convened and facilitated by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, following a fairly extensive consultation, support and encouragement received from elder statesmen, traditional, religious, political and business leaders across the length and breadth of Nigeria.

The former President set the stage for the dialogue, when he said only self-deluded

people would claim that all is well in Nigeria.

The former President equally decried that Nigeria was slowly becoming a failed state and a basket case that urgently needed to be pulled from the brink of collapse, adding that many of the problems plaguing the country today were due to the recent mismanagement of Nigeria’s diversity.

Obasanjo stated: "I do appreciate that you all feel sad and embarrassed as most of us feel as Nigerians with the situation we find ourselves in. Today, Nigeria is fast drifting to a failed and badly divided state; economically our country is becoming a basket case and poverty capital of the world, and socially, we are firming up as an unwholesome and

insecure country. “And these manifestations are the products of recent mismanagement of diversity and socio-economic development of our country.

Old fault lines that were disappearing have opened up in greater fissures and with drums of hatred, disintegration and separation and accompanying choruses being heard loud and clear almost everywhere. “I believe Nigeria is worth saving on the basis of mutuality and reciprocity and I also believe it can be done through the process of dialogues rather than talking at each other or resorting to violence. It will amount to dangerous and destructive self-delusion for anybody to claim that all is well in Nigeria

today,� he maintained.

The former President lamented that rather than work on fixing the country and ensuring that grievances among several units within the country are addressed, some are fixated on the 2023 Presidential election.

According to him, “Some people are obsessed with 2023, I believe that with death, destruction, debt, disease, deceit, disbelief, disenchantment, doubt and suspicion around, we need to see our way through to 2023 and beyond in some form of unity of purpose, reasonable security, shared values, true democratic practice, inclusiveness and shared society. That is why we are here. No constitution is even permanent; it is dynamic

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ SEPTEMBER 13, 2020

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EDITORIAL

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

THE EDO STATE GUBERNATORIAL POLL The INEC and security agencies must work harder for a peaceful election

W

ith less than a week to polling day, there is an urgent need for the authorities to confront the threats of electoral violence that loom in Edo State. In recent weeks, there have been allegations and counter-allegations of arms and ammunition being stockpiled. Even if some of these allegations can be dismissed as the usual pre-election wolf-crying by politicians, there have also been some bloody ‘dress rehearshals’ in the course of the acrimonious campaigns. Yet despite the posturing by the principal actors and their supporters, if there is any election that proves conclusively that politics in Nigeria is devoid of either ideals or principle, the comNigerians are ing gubernatorial increasingly losing contest in Edo State confidence in the is a classic. electoral system While12 political parties are on the because of its ballot, the contest susceptibility to is essentially manipulation. between the Peoples This is another Democratic Party opportunity for the (PDP) represented electoral body to by the incumbent Governor Godwin make a difference Obaseki and the All by correcting the mistakes of the past Progressives Congress (APC) that has Mr. Osagie Ize-Iyamu as its flagbearer. Both were rivals in reversed political parties in the last election in the state. The same PDP people that were attacking Obaseki four years ago when he ran on the platform of APC are now his promoters and defenders. His former APC allies are now political foes. Ditto for Ize-Iyamu who has found accommodation with the APC bigwigs who called him unprintable names four years ago when he contested as the PDP gubernatorial candidate.

However, the electoral competition this time around is more intense as the campaigns are reduced to a contest of personalities, laced with harsh rhetoric, hateful speeches, vandalism

Letters to the Editor

and threats. In terms of capacity for violence, the two rivals are just about evenly matched. There have been several clashes, helped in an environment heaving with small arms and other weapons, and swollen further by criminal networks that have reportedly infiltrated the state. All factors considered therefore, the prognosis for the election does not look good.

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

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

ince an ‘end justifies the means’ approach to politics has over the years provided the incentive and motivation for power seekers to believe that all is fair and acceptable in electoral politics, the success or failure of Edo poll will depend largely on the capacity of the security agencies that must remain neutral throughout the entire process. No less important also is the role of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as an impartial arbiter. Nigerians are increasing losing confidence in the electoral system because of its susceptibility to manipulation. This is therefore another opportunity for the electoral body to make a difference by correcting the mistakes of the past. Fortunately, INEC has had ample time to prepare and get its act together by ensuring that all logistical problems like late arrival of ballot papers and voting materials to polling centres are not repeated. So, there is no room for excuses. And since the election will be conducted in the midst of the pandemic, INEC should also collaborate with the Presidential Task Force and the State Task Force to ensure that voters and officials are not endangered in the course of performing their civic duty by complying with the Covid-19 health protocols.

To ensure a smooth conduct of the election, there has been a number of well-meaning interventions by critical stakeholders. Some few weeks back, the Oba of Benin, Ewuare 11, called the two warring parties and secured their commitment to peaceful conduct before, during and after the election. On Tuesday, the Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah-led National Peace Committee will be in Benin, again to get the combatants to sign a peace deal. But the onus is still on the politicians in both APC and PDP to give peace a chance.

At the end, the choice of who governs Edo for the next four years is that of the residents of the state to make. That is what is before them on Saturday. May the best candidate win.

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.

MEMO TO THE CONSTITUTION REVIEW COMMITTEE

C

onstitution making or amendment process in any democratic polity is a herculean task due to its participatory modality - listening to people of different ideas, values and aspirations. A unanimous constitutional arrangement is unrealistic even in the most homogeneous sovereign state. The integration of everyone’s purview into constitutional configuration is impracticable.

Invariably, every multifaceted state would always encounter more cumbersome controversy on constitution review exercise. And Nigeria

can't be an exception in this respect. The review committee should just maintain a high level of commitment, sincerity, openness and due process in carrying out the proposed exercise.

Nigeria needs a well deserved constitutional framework than the current document, even considering the regular challenges that usually bedevil other multifaceted sovereign states in nation-building.

Although Nigerians are unanimous in the quest for constitution review, the absence of a unified modality for the task has been a persistent obstacle. This exact chal-

lenge has also begun to rear its ugly head. Once and for all, the committee must fashion out a workable modality for the assignment ahead.

Having found this workable ground, the following provisions of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, should be reviewed. The argument that national security is subservient to the rule of Law as determined by the president is a threat to the entire provisions of the 1999 Constitution.

The democratic institutions created by this constitution as well are liable to suspension at will. The provisions in Sec 6(b) and Sec 36(1)

and (4) should therefore expressly subject national security- related matters to court determination.

The unenforceable proviso of fundamental objectives and directive principles of state policy under Sec 6(c) should be rescinded. The proviso subjects the constitutional objectives of Nigerian government at all levels to their whims and caprices.

The Nigerian government has chosen mis-governance contrary to the dividends of democracy enshrined in the objectives of state policy under Chapter two.

Therefore, the provisions in Chapter two should expressly be enforceable in the court.

Immunity Clause in Sec

308 must be removed to strengthen Nigeria's democracy. The inclusion of state police in provisions under Sec 214 is essential to complement and revamp the moribund internal security architecture in the country.

Lastly, the Nigerian constitution is inconsequential if government officials continue to choose the court’s order to obey. On the grounds of contempt of court, there should be provisions that empower the court to declare the seat of any erring public officers vacant.

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

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NEWS

Acting News Editor ÌÙãÏÑË ÕÓØÝËØ×Ó E-mail: ÑÌÙãÏÑ˲ËÕÓØÝËØ×Ó̶ÞÒÓÝÎËãÖÓàÏ˛ÍÙט͸΀͹ͽͺͻͽ΁ͺͽͻ ̙Ý×Ý ÙØÖã̚

FG Approves 13 Percent Derivation for Revenue Generated from Mining Tobi Soniyi The federal government has approved a 13 percent derivation to states for revenue generated through mining to encourage collection of mining tax in states.

Minister of State, Mines and Steel Development, Dr Uchechukwu Sampson Ogah,

disclosed this when he paid a courtesy visit to Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State during his tour of mining sites to interact with miners and communities.

Ogah said the officials of the ministry were in Bauchi to seek synergy between the state and the federal government as it relates to

mining in line with the economic diversification agenda of President Muhammadu Buhari.

According to him, collaboration between states and the federal government as well as community leaders was imperative to smooth mining operations in Nigeria.

He said: “Almost all the

minerals are in Bauchi state.

“Bauchi is one of the key states that we are proud of in terms of deposit of mineral resources but our concern is that the resources are yet to be harnessed by the state government due to some challenges,” he said.

He claimed that the ministry was already promoting the min-

UNITED WE STAND...

L-R: The Managing Director/Chief Executive of Federal Housing Authority (FHA), Sen. Gbenga Ashafa and former Group Managing Director of Polaris Bank Limited/the candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC) for Lagos East senatorial bye-election, Mr. Tokunbo Abiru during a consultation meeting held at Magodo, Lagos ...Friday

eral potentials of Bauchi state to serious mining investors willing to invest in the state.

“We have visited the areas where the mining ore is being processed and that is why we are preaching that no mineral should be taken out of Nigeria in raw form but have to be processed so that we get all the components to add value to what we are exporting,” he added.

In his response, the governor called on the federal government to establish a robust funding mechanism to enable genuine miners access financial interventions, adding that giving financial assistance to genuine miners will go a long way towards reducing, tackling and discouraging illegal mining operations in the country.

Mohammed said: “We have recognised your passion, energy, drive and determination to make sure you leave the mining sector better than you have found it.

“We have abundant natural resources in Bauchi that, if well harnessed and supported by the federal government, can sustain Nigeria as a whole.”

He said the state government was working to create some value chains around many mining opportunities of the state to increase its revenue generation, adding that despite the abundant natural resources in Bauchi, both the state and the federal government were not benefiting from them because of the activities of illegal miners

and advocated for community engagement to overcome the situation.

He noted that his administration will continue to work with the ministry to provide a level playing ground for genuine investors to come and invest in the state for the benefit of both the state and the federal government.

Giving insight into the country’s mining sector, the Managing Director of the Nigerian Export Processing Zone Authority (NEPZA), Prof.

Adesoji Adesugba recently said that the country could earn well over $10 billion yearly from the gold and jewel manufacturing sector, if properly harnessed.

He said: “We are always talking of other industrial minerals and oil and gas but nobody has ever looked at that sector that has the capacity to fetch Nigeria more than $10 billion annually.

According to him, it is gratifying to note that the Gemological Institute of Nigeria (GIN) Lugbe, Abuja, has already been established as the first of its kind in the African sub-region to train gemologists and jewelers for the benefit of the economy.

The NEPZA boss recalled the role played by the governor in the establishment of the GIN while serving as the Minister of Mines and Steel Development, saying prior to that, the nation did not have any gemological institute which meant it was unable to ascertain the quality of gems.

Bisi Abiola Trying to Secure Release of Step-sons from Detention Tobi Soniyi One of the wives of the late Chief M.K.O. Abiola, Mrs Adebisi Abiola yesterday in Lagos said that she and other members of the family were trying to persuade the police to release on bail two sons of the late politicians currently detained by the police In a statement issued by a counsel to the Abiola’s family and widow, Mr. Debo Adeleke, Abiola’s widow said other members of the family were already making efforts to secure the release of Kasim and Aliu who were arrested on

suspicion they had a hand in the robbery before the police were served with the suit.

According to the statement, Kassim Abiola and Aliu Abiola were arrested by the police because of their conduct during the investigation.

She explained that her steps sons were arrested for alleged unruly behaviour which roused suspicion of possible complicity in the September 2 robbery incident in the MKO house before the police were served with the court’s process of a suit filed by her step sons.

She also described as wrong and ill advised the fundamental rights enforcement suit filed by Kassim and Aliu.

The lawyer also said reports based on the fundamental rights enforcement suit filed on behalf of Kassim and Aliu by the respected Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN) were untrue.

He described the late MKO Abiola as an icon who “paid the supreme price in sacrificing his life for Nigeria.”

He said the entire members of the Abiola family thereby pleaded passionately with the

We’ll Continue to Be Ruthless against Bandits, Kidnappers, Vows Buratai Francis Sardauna in Katsina The Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Tukur Baratai yesterday said the Nigerian Army would continue to be ruthless, decisive and aggressive against the marauding bandits terrorizing the North-West region of the country.

Buratai stated this at a session with journalists at the Special Army Super Camp IV, Faskari, Katsina State, noting that the army would continue to adopt evolving security strategies to end bloodletting facing the region.

The chief of army staff was at the Special Army Super Camp to assess the progress of Operation Sahel Sanity in the North-west region.

He said the troops had shown courage and determination to tackle prevailing cases of banditry, kidnapping, cattle rustling and smuggling of firearms bedevilling the region.

He explained that the Nigerian army was determined to work hard with civil administration to have a country devoid of acrimony or rancour.

He said: “So far with the brief I received this afternoon (Saturday), I am highly impressed with the level of commitment, dedication and loyalty of the troops.

“Be assured that we will be ruthless to all those criminals who are bent on disturbing the peace and security of our country. We called on the people of the states to support the troops

collectively to achieve the desired objectives of having a secured Nigeria.

“We will not tolerate this attitude or conduct of molesting, kidnapping, killing and raping of innocent girls and women. We are determined to work hard with civil administrations to have a secured and peaceful Nigeria”.

Earlier, Major Adamu Ngulde, while briefing Buratai on the achievements recorded by the troops, said 103 bandits were killed and 137 kidnapped victims rescued in the last two months of the operation.

He said the troops arrested 149 bandits, recovered 3,948 rustled cows and 1,627 rustled sheep and 39 bandits’ logistics suppliers within the period under review.

public, particularly the press to be wary and cautious of any publication regarding the Late Chief MKO Abiola’s family so as not to dishonour and disrespect the memory of the late sage.”

The lawyer said Kassim and Aliu Abiola were arrested by the police during investigation of the robbery because of the auspicious manner they responded to questioning by the police.

He wrote: “It is on record that while the policemen were interviewing the family members, Mr. Kassim Abiola

conducted himself in a very rude, ungentlemanly, provocative, embarrassing and suspicious manner and all efforts by other members of the family to make him act in a responsible manner failed.

“It is further on record that Mr. Kassim Abiola did not only throw tantrums at the police but equally threatened to deal ruthlessly with one of the senior police officers whom he (Kassim) claimed to know personally to the extent of describing the said senior police officer’s car and the location where he will deal

with him.

“These unguarded vituperations and violent conducts by Kassim infuriated the police and he was subsequently invited for further interrogation for demanding the reason for the presence of the police men in his father’s house. “lt is equally noteworthy to mention here that his junior brother, Aliu Abiola joined him in his tirade of abuse against the policemen who were only trying to interview them and all other persons at the residence with a view to investigating the crime.

Bauchi Removes 1,269 Doctors, Health Workers from Payroll Segun Awofadeji in Bauchi The Bauchi State Government has identified and removed 1,279 staff from the payroll of the ministry of health as part of efforts to sanitize the nominal payroll system of the state.

The State Governor, Senator Bala Abdulkadri Mohammed who stated this yesterday during a public parley with stakeholders on problems associated with the management and payment of salaries of civil servants, held at the Command Guest House Bauchi, said that among the health workers removed from the payroll were 100 doctors.

The governor said that Bauchi State is facing a monumental task

of sorting out what is clearly a corrupted salary regime, adding that the state civil service has suffered from systematic attrition which is bastardized by fraudulent practices and outright corruption.

“What appeared to be a simple issue of sanitizing the nominal and payroll and sorting out the arithmetics, suddenly turned out to be a problem and seemed to defy all nominal formulas that will bring solution. The problem is much more challenging than I envisaged.

“In the year 2015, the salary bill of Bauchi State, both state and local government was N4.5 billion, as I address you today, we are nearing N7 billion.We have not employed at all, even when civil servants have died or retired, but we still continue

to experience spontaneous rise in the payment of salaries “In the ministry of education, we have 6,000 staff reflected on the payroll while the Head of Service has a record of 5,000 staff which was sent four days ago to the ministry.

There is the case of 110 staff whose salaries were stopped from the state treasury due to inconsistencies recorded between their nominal and payroll records” he said Earlier in his presentation, the State Commissioner of Finance, Umar Sanda Adamu said that when the governor came into office in May 2019, he made a promise to sanitize the payroll of the state civil service because the number of civil servants in the state was over bloated .

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NEWS Ondo 2020: PDP Challenges Buhari to Ensure Credible Election /DPHQWV JRYHUQDQFH GHÀFLWV XQGHU $3& JRYHUQPHQWV

James Sowole in Akure The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday challenged President Muhammadu Buhari to ensure a free and fair election in the forthcoming Edo and Ondo State Governorship elections saying time is up for All Progressives Congress government in Nigeria.

Besides, the opposition party decried governance deficits under the government of All Progressives Congress (APC) at the federal and state levels.

The National Chairman of the PDP, Mr. Uche Secondus; Sokoto State Governor, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal and his Oyo State counterpart, Mr. Seyi Makinde made this call yesterday at the official inauguration of the party’s rally ahead of the Ondo State governorship election slated for October 10.

Among others, the inauguration, where the party flag was presented

to the PDP governorship candidate, Mr. Eyitayo Jegede, was also attended by a former governor of Osun State, Chief Olagunsoye Oyinlola and his Ekiti State counterpart, Mr. Ayodele Fayose.

For hours, the heart of the state capital stood still, as vehicular and human traffics were temporarily disrupted as party supporters from the 18 local government areas of the state trooped to the venue of the rally.

Speaking at the inauguration, Secondus gave copious reasons the electorate should vote out the APC in Ondo State, pointing out failure of the APC governments at the federal and state levels one after the other.

Secondus, who said Nigeria was sitting on a keg of gunpowder, said everything including the economy, security system, social services and other things that made life meaningful for Nigerians had collapsed.

He said: “The only thing that is left for President Muhammadu Buhari is to ensure a free and fair election. The only thing that the APC administration relies on because of its failure is to rig election.

“The current Governor Akeredolu

in Ondo State has failed and he relies on rigging in the coming election. Let me tell you, if you rig the forthcoming election, you shall not escape the wrath of God and the people.

“A vote for the PDP next month is a vote for the government of

the people by the people and for the people and not a government for Akeredolu and members of his family.”

Tambuwal, also Chairman of PDP Governors Forum (PDP-GF) said the APC government had failed in all the promises made to Nigerians.

He said: “APC has inflicted pains on Nigerians not only in Ondo State but also all over the country. When APC should give us succour as a result of the COVID-19 Pandemic, the government gave us more pain by increasing electricity tariff and fuel price.

LASTMA Loses 18 Officers in Eight Months The Lagos State Government has disclosed that no fewer than 18 of its traffic personnel died in active service between January and August.

The General Manager of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), Mr Olajide Oduyoye gave this figure on Friday during an inspection of LASTMA’s facilities by the Lagos State House of Assembly Committee on Transportation.

While inspecting LASTMA’s facilities, the general manager expressed concern over flagrant violation of traffic law. Such violations he said included indiscriminate parking of vehicles along the roads and the improper planning approval given to filling stations and event centres.

He said the agency had staff strength of 4239, three officers had been dismissed while 18 had died

from active service.

The LASTMA boss said that 13,461 vehicles were involved in traffic violations between January and August this year.

Oduyoye told the committee that the agency was facing numerous challenges such as inadequate provision of space for impounded vehicles.

Oduyoye said other challenges included non-availability of zonal office, change/refresh rooms for officers, non-availability of functional patrol vehicles and inadequate recovery vehicles.

He noted that the agency lacked signage that was required for speed limits and no parking on the highway.

The committee also visited Lagos Bus Services Limited (LBSL), Lagos State Drivers Institute (LASDRI) and the Lagos State Number Plate Production Authority.

Tinubu, Lawan Condole with Wamakko over Daughter’s Death Onuminya Innocent in Sokoto The National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the President of the Senate, Dr. Ahmad Lawan yesterday condoled with Senator Aliyu Wamakko, on the death of his 23-year old daughter, Sadiya.

At different fora yesterday, they expressed shock at Sadiya’s sudden passage, describing it as sad and tragic.

During a visit to Wamakko yesterday, Tinubu said: “We are

here to thank God for you. In everything, He has taught us to be grateful and faithful.

“Whatever He allows to happen to us, we should thank Him. Bereavement is not easy, particularly of a daughter, but that is the way God wants it.

“If we lament more than this we will be sinning, hence, we must accept it as an inevitable act of God. “God knows what to do and we should accept it faithfully. We have been asked to faithfully accept all what He ordains, in time of sorrow and happiness.”

‘Authorities Not Giving Southern Kaduna Needed Attention’ Some Nigerians who participated in an online voting on how to stop the killings on Southern Kaduna have said that the government is not given the situation in Southern Kaduna the attention it deserves.

A human rights defender,

Dr Chidi Odinkalu has posted the question on his twitter handle (@ChidiOdinkalu); Do u think #SouthernKadunaMassacre will be contained if @NigerianGov & @PoliceNG were to decide to send there 1 DIG, 1 AIG & 8 Commissioners of Police, like they have sent to capture #EdoDecides2020?

WE SHARE YOUR VISION...

Representative of the Nigerian Universities Engineering Students’ Association (NUESA), Happy Omorogiuwa (right) presenting a souvenir to PDP gubernatorial candidate and Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki (left), during the governor’s meeting with members of the Edo State Chapter of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, in Benin City.

Release Panel Report on Military Compliance with Rule of Law, AI Tells Buhari Tobi Soniyi Amnesty International (AI) has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to release the report of the Presidential Panel to Review Compliance of the Armed Forces with Human Rights Obligations and Rules of Engagement.

AI, a non-governmental organisation, lamented that the failure of the federal government to release the report of the panel three years after the report was submitted was a setback for rule of law.

In a statement by its Media Manager, Mr. Isa Sanusi, the

organisation The statement, which quoted AI’s Country Director, Mrs. Osai Ojigho said: “The failure of Nigerian authorities to release the report of the presidential panel that purportedly investigated compliance of armed forces with human rights obligations and rules of engagement, three years after the report was submitted to the President is a gross display of contempt for victims.”

“Many Nigerians showed incredible courage to testify to the panel, in the hope that, at the end it will lead to justice.

“But three years is so long and

too long for victims to continue waiting for the release of the panel’s report; which is a key step to justice for victims”, the statement said.

Consequently, the statement called on President Muhammadu Buhari “to fulfill the promise he made in 2015 to end impunity by immediately releasing the report.

“Victims and the larger public in Nigeria deserve to see and scrutinize the findings. Previous such investigations have ended up without any tangible outcome on the side of justice.

“Nigerian authorities have the

duty to ensure that the country’s security forces comply with international law obligations and ensure prompt, thorough, independent and impartial investigations of all allegations of violations.

“Hundreds of victims and witnesses described horrific violations committed by Nigeria’s security forces, including rape, torture, enforced disappearances, extrajudicial executions and razing of villages and homes during public hearings organized by the Panel in Abuja, Enugu, Kaduna, Maiduguri, Port Harcourt, and Lagos.

Six Days to Edo Election, INEC Declares No PVC, No Voting “We also have reports of mass infiltration of thugs and PDP militants, who have been lodged in hotels within the state and border towns. Fake personnel in security uniforms have also been spotted all over Edo State, some of them in bars and joints,” he said.

Revealing more threats to the state security architecture, the APC pointed out that, “30 feet fellows; we found out, have been allocated to work in strategic polling units and hijack election materials, while APC chieftains have been kidnapped or marked for abduction. False charges have been levelled against illegally arrested and detained APC chieftains and several SAs and SSAs have been armed for the election.”

Also, the party alleged that the governor runs a strike force called the ‘WABIZGAN’ and that the force has been assigned to undermine a free and fair conduct of the election in Edo State.

In the same vein, Omoregie, while addressing a press conference on behalf of the Edo Community Leaders said, “We will like to thank our royal father and the chairman of the Edo state traditional council, the Oba of Benin for his wise and timely counsel to the contesting political parties, the contestants and their teeming supporters across political divides, which did set the tone for this press conference, which is primarily centred on the need for a peaceful and well administered election across the state despite the inflammatory and aggressive rhetoric during campaign periods”.

According to him, “We urge the electoral umpire and relative security details to abide by these institutional provisions with due diligence to create an enabling environment for the peaceful conduct of the Edo election.

“As we evolve as a democratic nation, steps must be taken to

reduce electoral violence through enabling policies, building strong and adaptive institutions and promoting inclusion in governance, where winners don’t take it all.”

The group, therefore, called for a rethink of the electoral security, lower electoral stakes, support for democratisation beyond elections, resolving existing conflicts at local levels to promote inclusion and reforming the existing electoral system to addressing the yearnings of minorities in the country.

Furthermore, the group appealed to all persons of political interests in Edo State to eschew politics of violence and demagogue, especially, as they affect the young people, emerging leaders and established sons and daughters of the state, who are not just the pride or human capitals, but “our rare guards, considering how tribal our regional and national politics have become.

“For it is of basic wisdom to note that a community, which pulls down its walls during local squabbles, will be left bare, exposed and vulnerable, when faced with external aggression. Friends, we need our bests to negotiate and defend our strategic interests within the wider Nigeria’s democratic and political context.

“To our daddy politicians, we are saying, ‘Please, calm down’ for there is life outside politics and a people, way of lives, civilisations and state to protect, sustain after every election,” Omoregie stated.

Meanwhile, the Imo State Governor, Uzodinma, who seized the occasion of his reception by the Igbo Youth Union (IYU) in Benin, a youth wing of the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohaneze Ndi Igbo to canvass votes for the APC described Obaseki’s tax policies as anti Igbos and therefore urged the Ndigbo in Edo State to vote for Ize-Iyamu and the APC.

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A SIGN OF VICTORY...

A crowd of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) supporters at the governorship campaign flagoff of Mr. Eyitayo Jegede in Akure, Ondo State ...yesterday

Citing Rising Population, Mohammed Urges RMAFC to Increase Allocation to Bauchi Segun Awofadeji in Bauchi Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Mohammed yesterday pleaded with the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) to consider increasing allocation to Bauchi State due to its current population increase and capacity.

The governor made this request when RMAFC’s officials paid him an advocacy visit at the Government House, Bauchi, promising to work with the commission to enhance the integrity of the state’s database.

Specifically, the governor observed that good data and statistics were key in ensuring execution of meaningful development to the citizens.

He expressed confidence that with their visit and having been briefed on the current population increase in the state, the commission would act promptly to ensure an increment in the state’s revenue allocation.

He said: “We are highly delighted to receive a high powered delegation from the commission. I am happy that in my previous discussion with the commission,

Subsidy: Politicians Inciting Nigerians Against Govt, Says Kyari Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mallam Mele Kyari, has alleged that politicians benefiting from in-built sleaze in the petrol subsidy regime in the country are inciting the people against the government’s deregulation policy. Kyari stated this during an interview on TVC, a Nigerian television channel.

The NNPC boss stated that the “massive corruption” stopped by the removal of the buffer paid to petrol marketers by the federal government had prompted the unnamed wealthy Nigerians to move against the government. He reiterated that subsidy on petrol had never really benefitted poor Nigerians, saying it is the rich who own fleets of cars that are being subsidised by the government.

Kyari said even with the N162 pump price of the product, Nigeria remained the country with the cheapest price of petrol in the West African sub-region.

According to him, “When you say critics, I think you need to segment. When you make

such a decision, who is really the beneficiary of this subsidy we talk about? It’s the elite that benefit from it.

“The massive corruption that you see in the downstream sector of this industry is perpetuated by the elite and you cannot avoid this situation except this deregulation takes place in the industry.

“I am not a politician, but there are politicians who are coming to play in this. There are people who may be current beneficiaries of some of the wrong things that happen as a result of deregulation who will be hurt by this and the next thing they will do is to pull resources together and incite people to see the removal as an act against the people of Nigeria.”

The federal government recently announced the complete removal of subsidy on petrol, a situation that jerked the pump price up to about N161 per litre, up from about N145. The product had sold for about N123.50 earlier in the year.

The federal government has now decided to fully allow market forces determine the price of petrol.

so much had been done to bring equity and justice to all the federal entities including the FCT. “Our population has increased, but our allocation is yet to be increased for us to provide the required social amenities to the citizens of the state, we must request for constitutional amendment to ensure equity and justice in the revenue allocation.”

He noted with satisfaction, the foresight of President Muhammadu Buhari in supporting the commission to embark on the initiative of collecting data that would assist

various states to provide the required services to the citizenry.

He commended the commission for working towards enhancing the integrity of the database that would be used for the allocation and disbursement of revenue.

“Our problem in this country is lack of data, you cannot have any meaningful development without good data and statistics.

I see this advocacy as the beginning of new Nigeria”, the governor said.

He assured the commission of his state’s total commitment to work with

the commission to achieve the set objectives beneficial to both the state and the federal government.

Earlier, leader of the delegation and Chairman, Indices and Disbursement Committee of the Committee, Dr Chris Akomas had said officials of the commission were in the state for an advocacy visit and sensitization campaign on new policies introduced by the commission that required involvement of stakeholders.

He said the commission had deployed technology to enhance the integrity

and credibility of database systems and to ensure transparency and accountability in revenue mobilization and allocation.

“Your Excellency, our visit to you today is part of our sensitisation campaign and advocacy to seek for continued support with your administration on the advancement and strengthening of IGR. “In 2018, similar exercise was conducted without achieving the desired results. We therefore look forward to your support to work together to ensure the success of this exercise”.

Court Finds Access Bank Liable for Illegally Blocking Firm’s Account

Activist Tackles Okunbo on Edo Poll, Says Obaseki’s Reelection Guaranteed

Tobi Soniyi

Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City

A Lagos State High Court has held that Access Bank illegally placed a Post No Debit (PND) order on the accounts of Blaid Construction Limited.

Consequently, the trial judge, Justice I.O. Harrison (Mrs) ordered the bank to pay the company 5 Million for breach of banker/ customer relationship and failure to give value to cheques drawn on the company’s accounts.

In its statement of claim, the company had asked the court to order the bank to pay it N500 million for denying it access to its accounts. Harrison after reviewing the arguments of the parties found that Access Bank was in breach of its banker-customer relationship and that the company had suffered a loss as a result of this.

The plaintiff had claimed that it had a long standing banker/ customer relationship with Access Bank and that by this relationship the bank was obligated to allow it unrestrained access to funds on accounts maintained with the bank and that the bank give value to all cheques drawn on the accounts.

It further argued that in September 2015, the bank in dereliction

of its duty and without any order of court, placed restriction on its accounts, and deprived it of the opportunity to access the funds in the accounts.

In its defence , the bank said it placed a post no debit alert on the plaintiff’s account in obedience to a letter from the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offenses Commission.

However , the judge found that the bank placed a post no debit on the accounts of Blaid Construction Limited, the first plaintiff and that of Blaid Properties Limited (2nd plaintiff) even though ICPC requested for post no debit to be placed only on the account of the second defendant.

Access Bank said it blocked the accounts of both companies because both companies had only one BVN and that the signatories for the accounts of the two separate companies were the same .

The judge rejected this argument describing it as untenable because the two companies were separate entities.

The judge further found that ICPC lacked the power to order banks to place a post no debit alert on bank accounts without obtaining first an order of court.

A human rights activist, Osamudiamen Osakpamwan has warned Captain Hosa Wells Okunbo not to smear the good name of Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki in the build up to the September 19 Edo State governorship election.

Osakpamwan, also an environmentalist, declared that it was unfortunate the billionaire had allowed himself to be used by former APC National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, against the hardworking governor.

He expressed this concern yesterday in a statement he issued in reaction to Okunbo’s recent interview in favour of the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, “The statement said Okunbo decided “to go against a mass movement. He will realise that his partisan position is a wild-goose-chase on September 19 despite the obvious truth that Obaseki’s re-election on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party

(PDP) is a certainty.

Insisting that the governorship election “is bigger than one man,” Osakpamwan declared that voters would speak loudly on September 19 and re-elect Obaseki.

He said this election “is beyond Godwin Obaseki as an individual, it is beyond Captain Hosa, Adams Oshiomhole or IzeIyamu. The election is about the people. It is about the sustenance of good governance, which the people have witnessed in the past four years of the Obaseki administration.

“The people are not willing to go back to the days of CDAs and EDSTMA’s harassment.

The people are not willing to go back to the reign of terror where thugs rained fire on market women and commercial bus drivers, and ‘agberos’ held sway on the streets of Benin. Obaseki’s legacies must be upheld and consolidated on.

“A thousand endorsement of Ize-Iyamu by Captain Hosa cannot withstand the people’s resolve, just like a hundred thousand headlights cannot match the Milky Way.

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 13, 2020 • T H I S D AY

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T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ SEPTEMBER 13, 2020

OPINION

ASUU AND THE CULTURE OF CYCLICAL STRIKES Chuu Krydz Ikwuemesi argues the need to invest more in education

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hen I was rounding off my BA studies in Fine and Applied Arts at University of Nigeria in 1992, my set was caught up in the web of the ASUU strike of the Babangida era which lasted for six months. Following my NYSC programme in Rivers State which ended in 1994, I was employed as Graduate Assistant in my alma mater. After about one year into my Graduate Assistantship, another ASUU strike occurred, this time in the bloom of the Abacha dictatorship.

With the fire-eating Prof Umaru Gomwalk as Sole Administrator then at University of Nigeria, the strike situation was very tense at Nsukka, especially with the sacking of about 200 academic staff, including myself, in connection with the strike. Of course, many colleagues gave up and apologised to Gomwalk at various points in the struggle and were recalled. However, 11 of us, including the then ASUU President Professor Asisi Asobie, starved for 32 months, only to be recalled in December 1998 on the directives of General Abubakar, after a sudden death had snatched Abacha from the corridors of power.

Since 1998, there has been many more industrial actions by academic staff of Nigeria universities. A cursory or critical look at the strikes reveals that they are based on the same issues. Not only does this betray the insincerity and irresponsibility of successive governments, it is a source of worry for anyone who cares about the future of Nigeria as a developing nation. Generally, strikes by ASUU border on university funding, infrastructural development, so-called “earned allowance”, as well as issues of students welfare. In all this, little or no emphasis is placed on the poor remuneration of academics in Nigeria. While bread-and-butter politicians feed fat on the commonwealth, Nigerian academics on who may depend the nation’s development are washing face and hands with spittle. Nigerian academics are among the least paid in the world. Even some of the other African countries we would ridicule are doing better. When I was a visiting

scholar at University of Dar-es-Salaam two years ago, the Head of the Department of Creative Arts there told me that his responsibility allowance was 400 USD a month. At the time, I was also head of my department back home and the entertainment allowance was 300 naira per month. Responsibility allowance is one of the points of the ASUU strike, as it has never been well defined or paid adequately. In view of this, I am surprised that ASUU continues to downplay issues of its welfare while championing the cause of students and university administrations.

To this extent, one would expect that the union would enjoy the support of students, university administrators and the public, but this has not been the case. The fact that ASUU now fights for students also betrays the quality of students of the day – a generation that is arguably heir to corruption and violence, nurtured by the disturbing tendencies of a society which has become more apocalyptic than prophetic. Perhaps, the famous remark by Margaret Thatcher that “There is no such thing as society” should make us worry if indeed ours is a society, especially in Edmund Burke’s idea of society as partnership between the living, the dead and the unborn. A society should approximate a geography of hope, shaped by sound morals and robust education system, if we understand education to mean the transmission of traditions and the conversation between generations. As Jonathan Sacks says, education is, in

I was once marched out of a KLM flight in February 2010 on my way to Amsterdam by officials of the NDLEA on suspicions of drug trafficking. When I remonstrated forcefully, they mumbled that I was too well dressed to be a university teacher

addition to family, “the twin vehicles through which society passes on its accumulated wisdom to the next generation”.

Unfortunately, this generation of Nigerian leaders do not value education. They glorify politics, corruption, and the new fangled “salvation-by-shopping”.

This is why the education budget in the country has continued to dwindle over the years. Rather than declare the education sector as a disaster area, government politicizes the issues. For instances, one had thought that part of the so-called Abacha loot would have been directed towards the education sector, rather the funds seem to have been deployed to other less pressing issues of national importance.

Yet, a developing nation that neglects education neglects its future.

It is the dangerous neglect of education that logically sustains the poor fortunes of teachers and academics in these parts. Yet, in the words of Jonathan Sacks, “Teachers are the unsung heroes of our society, under-recognised, underpaid, and often desperately unsupported”, although they are “among a civilisations most precious assets”. We must begin to seek a re-moralised, re-humanised society that can “restore to education its true dignity as a citadel of cultural continuity, and to teachers the honour due to those who are the trustees of society’s bequest to is children.” The poor perception of teachers here is so ingrained. I was once marched out of a KLM flight in February 2010 on my way to Amsterdam by officials of the NDLEA on suspicions of drug trafficking. By the time they realized their mistake, the flight was already in the air. When I remonstrated forcefully, they mumbled that I was too well dressed to be a university teacher and that my name seemed complicated. The foolery cost them hotel accommodation, meals and fresh ticket to continue my trip the next day.

––Dr Ikwuemesi is an associate professor of fine arts at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.

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

Nigeria, LAPITE’S Policies And SAWORO-IDE The hike in prices of utilities leaves plenty to worry about, writes Oludayo Tade Jogbo is unstable. Our leaders are looting.

The masses are thirsty people are starving. Our government should wake up (Saworo-Ide, 1999)

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ost-colonial Nigeria has become a complex forceful contraption where a few corners what belongs to the majority and justify their actions with deceit, force and various silencing mechanisms. Though its handlers claim to be practising democracy, it is a democratic experience which pushes agenda through warped logic and subtle dictatorship. While the creation of the world started with light, Nigeria thrives on generator economy with billions budgeted yearly to service government offices.

Regardless of the principal stakeholders, its handlers shocked their countrymen and women with the increment of electricity bill and pump price of petroleum product. This is done in a bid to meet the demands of money-lending neo-colonialists’ institution. Without electricity, companies privately generate electricity while consumers pick up the bills due to increasing cost of production. Informal business men and women cannot thrive due to unease conditions of doing business. The electricity distribution companies cannot provide meter and their workers enrich themselves through estimated billing and private sorting. Communities purchase electricity cables and transformers.

Yet, they pay the electricity distribution companies that will make money from it for installation. It has not been this bad when Abolore Adigun (9ce) sang about how poor economic management was making Nigerians ‘mad’. Olamide, also known as ‘Badoo’ followed this up with ‘Poverty die’ song, as Nigeria leads as the global headquarters of the poor. Falz de Bahd guy was worried about the country when he released ‘This is Nigeria’ to unpack the rape attitude of the Nigerian system where corrupt people continue to win elections and are admitted into the hall of fame of ‘Lapite’s party in jogbo kingdom. From ‘change’, people of Jogbo added 4 + 4 = 8 and got next level treatment from ‘Lapite’ and his parasitic advisers.

Directed by Tunde Kelani and released in 1999, “Saworo-Ide (Brass Bells)”, a Mainframe production is an allegory that captures what was and what is affecting Nigeria. It shows how the kingdom of Jogbo was subverted by king Lapite and his parasitic chiefs who were instrumental to his ascendancy to the throne. Just like the bitter policy of hike in fuel price against the promise of fixing local refinery which would have made it needless importing fuel or paying ‘frauducy’ otherwise called subsidy, people of Jogbo were

served bitter pills of lack of electricity, water, hospitals and other essential things of life. Just like the civic public are being clamped down or are shrinking in Nigeria, the media, activists and labour leaders are either silenced with death or arrested through the instrumentality of the police. Lapite and his chiefs opened their economy to foreigners to destroy their kingdom through reckless exploitation of forest resources which is the mainstay of Jogbo economy.

Lapite and his chiefs pretended to be interested in developing the kingdom but arranged with foreign investors to send their share of the loot to their foreign accounts. Lapite’s chiefs approach the investor for their share. Lagbayi, the investor, insulted those in power of asking to be paid kickbacks even when king Lapite has agreed to favour them with laws. The Foreign Direct Investor insults Jogbo chiefs who ask for kickbacks saying ‘the dogs want theirs, the goats, the frogs, and even puffy-cheeked cats too with their flowing robes and tall caps, peddling dubious documents but we will not forget you. We shall award you contracts and release funds for you’. The chiefs also negotiated that their kickbacks be paid into foreign accounts. Through this, Jogbo people only see companies with little or no impact felt since monies return to investor’s enclave through transactional leadership structure.

Lapite’s policies strain the hapless with consequences of rising poverty, insecurity, banditry, and infrastructural deficit. This twist of fate unleashed by Lapite against his social contract with people of Jogbo which is to protect local industry, conscripted Jogbo people to mobilise against foreign investors working illegally across the kingdom. Their leaders were arrested and the press who dared to ask questions during king Lapite’s anniversary was arrested. Musicians sing about the restiveness in jogbo occasioned by bad policies of Lapite. An elderly man at the doorstep of the king, Opalaba had warned the chiefs not to allow Lapite swear to an oath or take traditional incision of saworo-ide. He reasoned that those who become king in Jogbo don’t become rich because they serve their people but whomever wishes to be rich must not commit himself to the traditional oath taking. Lapite acted the script and failed to take the oath which would have made him accountable to the people, hence his daring and despotic attitude.

Saworo-ide as a drum of change was emplaced to hold Onijogbo accountable. Not taking oath by Lapite, exposed the people of Jogbo to heartless policy because Lapite was not bound to them. Nigeria’s own Lapite has failed to ensure local refining of jogbo’smainstay commodity which is against his promised next level. When jogbo people protested against king ‘Jona’, they described his reign as fraudulent and clueless. If elected, Lapite, a former military dictator promised to check graft, improve Jogbo’s

economy and ultimately end insecurity. But six-years into the reign of Lapite, people of jogbo are poorer and more miserable than they were under deposed King Jona.

Lapite and his family who promised to fix community health and stop people from going to foreign land to seek medical help leads the team of the privileged who seek medical help in foreign land. Not even the mighty ‘kuruna’ plague which restricted his movement and shut the economy of Jogbo and those of other kingdoms makes him rethink his selfish disposition. Rather, Lapite’s queen was among the first to ride on state horse to the land of foreign investors to see her doctor while millions of Jogbo people die of malaria because Lapite could not provide quality health care for them.

In contemporary jogbo, lyrics of songs by town musicians reflect the confounding state of jogbo kingdom where it is hard for people to plan their lives due to incoherent policies of Lapite.

Informal discussions among jogbo people query why King Lapite should spend billions on refineries that is not refining products and no one is made to answer for it? They cannot understand why Lapite creates loopholes for parasitic associates and now asks the masses to face the consequences? To them, is increment in the prices of utilities the new normal for jogbo people to live with? They are also worried why hitherto active pressure groups and Unions are docile allowing Lapite’s reign to make life unbearable for the masses. The hapless think the pressure groups and Unions are co-creators of present day hardship facing jogbo kingdom. This is a kingdom where the minimum wage is $78 dollars per month. While some will conform and adjust to the new normal hardship, those unable to reach their goals will innovate with new dimensions of corruption and criminality.

Is there any difference between king Jona’s reign and king Lapite? Were jogbo people right to have rejected Lapite three times before a ranking chief positioning himself to become king in the future packaged Lapite as the messiah that Jogbo needs?

Opalaba in Saworo-Ide warns us to weigh the consequences of our actions before going ahead with it. He sings: Kò ì yé won, yí ò yé won lóla, (They can’t understand now, they will understand tomorrow). As at today, Jogbo is bitter; her people are bitter and more hopeless than ever before. The tunnel is getting longer to see any light. The kingdom still awaits Bosipo (the restorer), who will use agogo eewo (gong of taboo oath) to check parasitic chiefs and make them accountable to the people of Jogbo so that this kingdom can be great again.

––Dr. Tade, a sociologist, sent this piece viadotad2003@ yahoo.com.

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R Ëž SEPTEMBER 13, 2020

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LETTERS

AS BANDITS TAKE OVER ABUJA

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othing puts greater timbre on the parlous state of security in the country than the denudation of the virtual hedges and moats around the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), and the disarray of the phalanx of boots in the city. Abuja was once assumed to be impregnable and residents lived with a false sense of security. But the terrorist blitzes in the national’s capital in 2013 and 2014 jolted many out of the reverie.

With the dawning of the Buhari administration, the bombing in the city petered out.

The security forces also appeared to have nicked the insecurity in the north-east to subsidence at the time. I recall that in 2016, Tukur Buratai, chief of army staff, in a fit of showmanship presented a flag reportedly retrieved from the last frontier of the

Minister of FCT, Musa Bello insurgents to President Muhammadu Buhari.

But a few months after the "big show", the insurgency metastasised.

What really happened?

As a matter of fact, the FCT enjoyed a bit

of calm from terrorism but with flickers of other crimes like armed robbery, one-chance operations, rape and car-jacking. However, as the Buhari administration lost its compass by

sleight of abominable incompetence, the entire security bearing of the city and the country caved in – from Borno, Kano, Katsina, Zamfara to Niger, Kogi, and Nasarawa bandits expropriated pieces of earth.

While some of us in Abuja had looked on the devastation of insurgency and banditry in other parts of the country from a ‘’safe’’ distance and with a smirk of privilege, "the doom" comes right at our doors. Really, the Buhari administration has failed spectacularly to secure Nigerians everywhere and anywhere.

The government has also failed to secure the very corners from where it sits to preside over the country. What an extravagant failure!

Abuja is home to the headquarters of the DSS, the police, the army, the air force, the navy, the NIA, the DIA,

EFCC, FOI DENIALS: A REMEDY

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atters related to Freedom of Information denials by the EFCC reared a head recently at a seminar organized by an NGO in Benin City. Since signing up or onto the Open Government Partnership (OGP) the Edo State government has sought to work with civil society to realize a partnership based on the idea of ‘co-creation’. Part of the action plan is to push for openness, accountability and transparency in governance. It also involves the often argued issue of ‘domestication’ of international treaties and laws that Nigeria is signatory.

And therefore, in line with the idea that a ‘domesticated’ FOI law is going to be functional in Edo State just the way it is at the federal level, organisers considered it wise to bring journalists, civil society activists and stakeholders together to look at firming up the ‘domestication’ of the FOI, so that at the end of the day nobody would complain that they were not involved in shaping a domestic FOI for Edo State.

So, what are the issues?

They are many but this discussion focuses on issues of frivolous denials of requests for information by MDAs, and the inability of the law to protect the rights of an applicant under Section 21 of the FOI. There are many instances as well, where the law empowers a denial – national security, international affairs and all other situations highlighted under Section 12, and which a public official may cite in denying a request for that piece of information. The onus therefore falls on the applicant to want to use the services of a lawyer to make

an appeal against a denial.

In that case, several nuances within the context of that appeal makes it very difficult for that appeal to hold simply because the case would be heard before a judge, and ‘summarily’ handled (whatever that means). To be clear, the applicant would be needing something close to N200, 000.00 to hire a lawyer to pursue his appeal. And the result of that appeal could go either way. What then this means is that the applicant’s inability to afford the legal fees effectively checkmates his/her right to ascertain if the denial by the MDA is a frivolous one or not.

Recent reports have indicated that a new law for the EFCC will make provision for an ombudsman to be known as ‘director general’.

Even though we believe that that position is totally unnecessary, what we believe has precipitated it is the sometimes arbitrary disposition of the EFCC in handling FOI requests. We say this with all sense of responsibility and refer anyone in doubt, to the EFCC-FOI page on its website.

There the EFCC says in her ‘Report made in compliance with section 29 of the Freedom of Information Act 2011, that (i) it has only received 10 applications and processed them all within five days, (ii) that all applications received and denied under the FOI fall under section 12 (1) (a) (vi) (ongoing criminal investigation) and (iii) that there have been no appeals whatsoever to their denials and rejections.

Now, just as the law empowers the applicant under Section 2 or 4, so it does in balancing the ‘right’ of the public institution to

refuse to give you information. It will be good to realize that if a public institution like the EFCC refuses to give you information, it must be information it guards very jealously and which might be information likely to frustrate ‘ongoing investigations’. But at what point do we draw the line between arbitrary refusals on the basis of ‘ongoing investigations’, to the point where refusing to give information actually scuttles that investigation and jeopardizes it? At what point can an institution like the EFCC actually know as a matter of fact that information it gives you on the basis of the FOI will jeopardize an ongoing investigation?

So let’s say that as a citizen or as a journalist (who has all the time in the world), that I actually came up with the fee for an appeal, have appealed against the EFCC denial and won the appeal.

What then happens? Section 7(5) of the FOI Act 2011 recommends that if a case of wrongful denial of access is established, ‘the defaulting officer or institute shall on conviction be liable to a fine of N500,000.00’.

But what does the above mean for a fact, considering that the EFCC has said on its website that no one has actually appealed against denials of requests for information?

Does awarding an applicant half a million served the public interest, helped an ongoing investigation or actually deterred the public institution from frivolous or arbitrary denial of requests for information? What then happens to an item of information which becomes stale because a refusal has been proven by law to have been unreasonable? How

has these frivolous denials actually helped an ongoing investigation, judging from the fact that so many EFCC cases take close to 10 years or more, and at severe costs to prosecute?

Prior to the announcement of a plan by the federal government to repeal the EFCC Act (2004), and replace it with an ‘efficient’ EFCC 2020 Act, we recommended to the seminar in Benin City that a N10 million award be to the applicant proven by a court of law to have been arbitrarily denied requested information. We make this same recommendation to those who are thinking of repealing the EFCC 2014.

But why N10 million?

N10 million because that amount would make a public official weigh the matter carefully first before latching on to Section 12 to slap an applicant with a denial. It does nothing to enrich anyone, yet provides a safety net for the process and strengthens it. Getting a director – general to make the EFCC ‘more efficient’ will compound matters and make the commission slower and clumsier than it is. In our line of work, we have found out that rather promote an investigation, a frivolous denial actually messes it.

A denial can be an opportunity as well - we have found out that some of the information the EFCC hoards or declines to give is already out there on the streets and seeking it from the EFCC is basically to ascertain its veracity and credibility. That should be the spirit behind the passage of the FOI Act 2011. ––Bob MajiriOghene Etemiku, deputy executive director of CERLSI.

and other security and paramilitary agencies.

But right under the lenses of this octopus of agencies, bandits are attacking communities within the territory and on the fringes of the city. What a phenomenal shame! If they cannot secure their base and the areas around it with diligence, can they secure anywhere else in the country?

The DSS and the police, in particular, appear to be very dutiful in combating civil protests and in arresting dissenters. This is while the nation is taken up in galling insecurity. The expertise of these agencies is demonstrable on the civilian population, not on those who have picked up arms against the state.

Just a few days ago, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) issued an anticipatory warning to its officers, saying Boko Haram insurgents had set up hotbeds in Abuja and that they were oiling their cannons to launch attacks on five locations across the nation’s capital.

In an internal memo, H.A. Sabo, comptroller of enforcement at the customs headquarters, asked officers to be on the alert. He spelt out the locations in Abuja, Kogi and Nasarawa where the nurseries of these terrorists are bubbling. “Information reaching the comptroller-general of customs (CGC) reveals the existence of Boko Haram terrorist (BHTs) camps in and around the Federal Capital Territory," the memo read. “Further reports have it that they are planning to attack some selected targets within the territory. They are reported to have set up their camps in the following identified enclaves: Kunyam Bush along airport road, off DIA Staff Quarters - Abuja; Robochi/Gwagwalada forest; Kwaku forest, Kuje, Abuja; Unaisha forest in Toto local government of Nasarawa state and Gegu forest, close to Idu town in Kogi State. “Consequently, you are to be at alert and security conscious of your environment at all

times.’’ What is most disconcerting in the memo is the tone of helplessness by the customs – "consequently, you are to be at alert and security conscious of your environment at all times". What could be more dispiriting?

If an agency in the security network is gripped by trepidation, then it is a serious cause for alarm. We should all be worried.

On Thursday, bandits pushing violence in the Gwagwalada axis of the FCT struck at Tunga Maje, a suburb of Abuja, reportedly kidnapping 20 people after a vehemence of brutality on the community. The community has become a select victim of the invaders who attacked the area some weeks ago. What is telling about the recent attack is that it happened just days after the customs’ memo was reported.

There is no reprieve from torment for the residents of Tunga Maje who have to endure intolerable trauma. The government has failed them just as it has failed other Nigerians in states under the reign of bandits and insurgents.

Also, there have been coordinated attacks by bandits in other parts of the FCT – in Kuje where a traditional ruler was kidnapped and in Pegi where nine people including a 12-year-old were abducted. And with every successful onslaught, these gunmen are revivified and excited to inch into the city centre. There have been three reported attacks on a road in Life Camp so far.

Insecurity anywhere should concern us all.

First, the security crisis was localised in Borno, then it mushroomed in Yobe, Bauchi and Adamawa; it took the form of banditry in the north-west, and now it is metastasising in the north-central -- with Abuja as a trophy target.

We must not discount insecurity anywhere. We are all potential victims.

One thing stands out: The Buhari administration has failed on security in all axes – even in its house! ––Fredrick Nwabufo is a writer and journalist

Let's Not Drop The Ball

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t is pleasing to see that the Whitehouse Lawn is being repaired after the damage caused during the Republican National Convention which should never have been held there.

Is there any truth that

there will also be sand bunkers, tees and 18 holes added so that the President can devote more time to his main priority, Golf?

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER Ëž ÍšÍťËœ 2020

BUSINESS

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

Fuel dispensing nozzle

Fuel Subsidy: What Will Buhari Administration Do Differently?

Emmanuel Addeh writes on the issues surrounding the recent removal of subsidy on petrol by the federal government, aggregating the views of the various opposing camps on the matter that has dominated national discourse for weeks

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o be sure, the debate over the retention or removal of petroleum subsidy has raged for decades, with various thought leaders taking opposing sides of the very divisive subject.

In essence, while in some other parts of the world, a decision to review the payment of fuel subsidy may be a purely economic one, in Nigeria the highly charged issue goes beyond that, it is also a political phenomenon.

Opinions differ as to when subsidy, which is generally a sum of money or a form of buffer fund granted by the state to help an industry or business keep the price of a commodity or service low, crawled into the Nigerian economic lexicon, but what is not debatable is that it has dominated conversations in every government since the late 70s.

Although the debates were not as stringent and were far less exacting in the early days of the calls for fuel subsidy removal, because according to analysts, the country had lots of cash to play around with in the 70s and early 80s, recent developments, including dipping government revenues have brought to the fore the need to rethink the country’s spending.

Subsidy in Brief Before the recent removal of subsidy from the pump price of petrol and government’s decision to fully deregulate, the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) kept a pricing template, which detailed the components used in deriving the daily/monthly guiding products prices.

It basically employed the import parity principle, which comprised elements like landing cost, margins for the marketers, dealers, and transporters

and the jetty-depot plus through-put expenses It also included lightering expenses, Nigeria Port Authority’s (NPA) charges, cost of fund, storage margin, distribution margin, taxes, among others.

These components are then computed and submitted to the federal government through its agencies which thereafter reimburses the marketers whatever differentials exist between the inbuilt costs and the pump price.

For about four decades , the federal government has paid that differential on behalf of the Nigerian people. However, it now insists that apart from the fact that government subsidies are no longer fashionable, it doesn’t have the funds to shoulder the growing financial burden.

History of Resistance In the country’s recent history, every government has had to deal with huge resistance that followed every price increase, although government insists liberalisation does not always connote price increase.

From the military era to the advent of civilian governance, the story of pushing back on any attempt to tamper with fuel price has been the same.

Suffice to say that when the government of President Goodluck Jonathan welcomed the country into 2012 by announcing the removal of petrol subsidy, the subsequent nationwide protests that followed were not only massive, but threatened the very foundation of that government.

At the time Jonathan took the decision, the pump price of fuel was N65 against a landing cost of N139. The government therefore contributed a N73 subsidy, for an annual total of N1.2 trillion (about $7.6 billion), or 2.6 per cent of the country’s GDP at the time.

Aweek after the announcement of the subsidy’s

removal, industrial strikes and demonstrations spread nationwide, forcing the government to bring down the new petrol price from N141/ litre to N97/litre.

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s government was even more chaotic as the administration grappled with growing cost of fuel subsidy. On several occasions, there were strikes throughout the entire country grounding economic activities in major cities.

For instance in 2003, the industrial action was to convince the government to reinstate the entire fuel subsidy and reduce oil price from N40/litre to N26/litre.In June of that year, Obasanjo decided that the federal government would reduce the subsidy, effectively resulting in more than a 50 per cent increase in fuel price from N26 /litre to N40/litre.

He argued that the money saved from reducing the subsidy would be put towards improving national health and education services.

The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), then led by erstwhile national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. Adams Oshiomhole, declared a “total and indefinite� general strike.

Public transportation was grounded, service sector workers, store owners, bank employees, oil workers and union members, food sellers, and air traffic controllers stayed off work.

Airlines cancelled or delayed flights, while government offices were shut as Obasanjo continued to declare the strike illegal because it violated the court order that strikers must provide the government 14-day notice of strike action.

Four persons reportedly died on the first day of the protest, including a 37-year-old man, Patrick Danjaba, who was his way home in Karu, Abuja,

when police shot and killed him.

During the rally, police arrested 88, including four journalists, in the Port Harcourt version of the protests. Two persons, Chisa Nwoko and Izuchukwu Nzenwefe, were reported to have been killed.

On July 1, the then Governor of Lagos state, Mr. Bola Tinubu, now a chieftain of the ruling APC , criticised the federal government’s decision to raise petrol prices and supported the strike as a justified action.

Tinubu spoke when 20 human rights organisations, under the United Action for Democracy (UAD), marched to his office to deliver a letter to be sent to Obasanjo over their dissatisfaction with the decision.

Nine grueling days later, the NLC announced that it would accept the government’s new proposal to set the price of fuel at N34/litre and called off the general strike, just three days before President George Bush was billed to visit the country on July 11 of that year.

How Long Can Buhari administration hold out? “Giving subsidies is a two-edged sword. Once you give it, it’s very hard to take away subsidies.

There’s a political cost to taking away subsidies�

Najib Razak, former Prime Minister of Malaysia In the coming days, the pressure on government to back down on the decision to remove subsidy will continue to mount.

Given the body language of the federal government and its existing commitment to international finance organisations like the World Bank, International Monetary Fund and other global development partners that have clearly and unmistakably

16

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 13, 2020 •T H I S D AY

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER Ëž ÍšÍťËœ 2020

18

BUSINESS )XHO 6XEVLG\ :KDW :LOO %XKDUL $GPLQLVWUDWLRQ 'R 'LÍžHUHQWO\" maintained their position against freebies given by governments to their people, the Muhammadu Buhari is not likely to budge soon.

But as it is, international crude oil prices will continue to rise, all things being equal. But there lies the problem, which ordinarily should be a positive development, since the country’s foreign exchange earnings are expected to grow with higher prices.

The snag, actually, is that if at the current price of about $45, Nigeria is buying petrol at N161, keeping other factors constant, at double that amount for the sale of crude oil in the international market, Nigerians, mostly impoverished, will be expected to shell out N322 per litre of fuel.

That is not an impossibility, considering that just a few years ago, Nigeria sold its crude for over $100 a barrel per day.

Against the pivotal essence of petroleum products in Nigerians’ daily life, the public rage over the government‘s decision will intensify. Constitutionally, the president is not allowed to seek a third term.

So, he may not play to the gallery or back-track to win re-election.

That said, the administration still has roughly three years to soak the pressure that will continue to build as the effect of deregulation bites harder, at least in the short to medium term before the country becomes self-sufficient in refining. Will Buhari back down?

Lessons from Other Climes In March of this year, the government of Angola, Africa’s second largest oil producer, behind Nigeria, said it was set to bring an end to subsidies on fuel prices, amounting to more than $3.5 every year.

The government noted that it had realised the importance of removing subsidies, due to a combination of factors, including the fact that Angolan state oil company, Sonangol, had requested a tax break, given the burden of absorbing the cost of the subsidy on its balance sheet.

In addition to the significant expenditure that would no longer be incurred because of this subsidy, the Angola government just like its Nigerian counterpart, contended that there were considerable quantities of fuels subsidised byAngolan taxpayers that are sold in neighbouring countries.

Oil makes up over 90 per cent ofAngola’s exports just like Nigeria with oil sales making up 80 per cent of the government’s budget.

Again, like Nigeria, it currently imports 80 percent of its demand for refined petroleum products, including gasoline, diesel, aviation fuel and Jet B for gas turbines, oil fuel, asphalt and lubricants. Only 20 per cent of refined products is sourced locally.

For Algeria, another African country with large deposits of crude oil, the country said it will raise the price of petrol and diesel to reduce its consumption and imports as the economy comes under pressure due to a sharp fall in energy revenue, according to a revised 2020 budget plan a few months ago.

Under the new measures outlined by the cabinet, the budget will be based on an oil price of $30 a barrel, down from $50 in the previously approved plan.

Algeria is trying to diversify its economy away from oil and gas and has changed its previous plans for this year by mainly reducing public spending by 50 per cent and delaying scheduled investments in sectors including oil and gas. Overall subsidy spending, which includes also basic foodstuffs, medicine and housing, among others, accounted for 8.4 per cent of the gross domestic product.

Algeria currently produces about 30 million tonnes of refined products a year and imports large quantities to meet growing domestic demand, but aims to stop imports this year and begin exporting in 2021 after completion of the upgrades at its refineries.

As for Egypt, another major oil producer inAfrica, its spending on fuel subsidies dropped by about 65 per cent to 21 billion Egyptian pounds ($1.34 billion) in July-March, 2020.

Egypt spent 60.1 billion Egyptian pounds on fuel subsidies in the same period a year earlier. Over the past three years, Egypt has phased out subsidies on most fuel products as part of an IMF-backed economic reform programme.

Mid last year, the country announced applying the fifth and final tranche of fuel subsidies. From then, it noted that the cost of fuel production on the prices was variable and not fixed as it relates to the global market.

Since 2014, the state also committed to lifting energy subsidies gradually over five years, before it clinched a $12 billion loan from the IMF. FG, OfďŹ cials Defend Subsidy Removal The NNPC has come out to defend the federal government’s decision to remove the subsidy on petrol, insisting that allowing market forces determine prices was in the overall interest of the poor.

Group Managing Director of the corporation, Mallam Mele Kyari, posited that the practice was

Buhari

Kyari

Wabba

Ahmed

corruption-ridden and only served the interest of the elite.

Kyari said the move to deregulate the market took a long while, because it was difficult convincing President Muhammadu Buhari to sign off on the move because he (Buhari) was worried that the poor would be negatively affected by higher prices.

He said: “Petroleum subsidy has been a big issue for over 20 years. Every corruption you are aware of in the downstream sector of the industry is in one way or the other connected to fuel subsidy. “Several licences were given to people to build refineries across the country and none could deliver, maybe only just a few. The reason is very simple, because people are not sure when you produce petroleum products what price they are going to sell. “Because we know that those prices are not market determined and there will be a subsidy element in it, everybody failed to deliver on it. The end result is that this burden is left to the NNPC and the government as a whole.�

The NNPC boss argued that the anger being expressed by the people due to the growing prices of the product might be justified, but noted that it was grossly misplaced. “Government has to provide that gap that exists.

It’s easy for people to get angry that prices have gone up. Just like other commodities because there can be challenges that people will naturally face,� he opined.

According to him, the brunt of the sleaze in the subsidy system was borne by the poor who he said are being misguided by the elite who are gaining from it. “Subsidy is an elitist thing. Only the elite have three, four, five cars. They have many cars in their houses and fill their tanks. The ordinary man loses in infrastructure, hospitals are not built, schools are not built. Ultimately, the brunt of the corruption is borne by the ordinary man. “The outburst is understandable, but misplaced because Nigerians are not aware of the opportunities lost� he said.

For the PPPRA, its future non-involvement in the fixing of the pump price of petrol, was to allow the interplay of market forces prevail.

The agency noted, however, that it will continue to monitor the operators in the downstream petroleum sector to ensure that marketers do not abuse the freedom that has come with the deregulation of the pump price of petrol.

Executive Secretary of the PPPRA, Mr.Abdulka-

dir Saidu, explained that as it stands, the job of the agency henceforth is to ‘police’ the marketers and prevent profiteering at the expense of consumers. “The government pronouncement that the sector is deregulated means that prices strictly obey the forces of demand and supply. You could have a regulator that will always stand as a watchdog to see how these forces play out and how the interest of both operators and consumers will be protected� he said.

The PPPRAboss posited that its function henceforth is to ensure that operators in the downstream play fairly and consumers of petrol in the country are not short-changed.

Saidu said that the confusion on the role of the PPPRA stemmed from the fact that this is a transition period, noting that very soon Nigerians will enjoy the choices that accrue from a liberalised market, even with the PPMC as a marketer like some private operators.

As for the Minister of State, Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, the removal of subsidy was an inevitable decision which was taken by the federal government in the long-term interest of Nigerians.

He said that successive governments in the country had all desired to achieve deregulation, but lacked the political will. “At other times, the time was not very appropriate because the product you are talking about is very sensitive to the price of crude oil,� he added. “We must understand that this was an inevitable policy direction especially at this time of COVID-19.

COVID-19 saw oil prices at the zero zone, something that has never happened before. “Some countries had to pay people to evacuate their crude oil, meaning they were selling their crude oil at minus. “Here in Nigeria, the price of our crude went down to less than $10.At that time our earnings were not able to support such, so it became inevitable because subsidy itself is a very tricky thing. “We were subsidising at two ends, it’s like we were burning our candles at both ends. You are subsidising at the pump and subsidising the foreign exchange that is used to import this product. So, if you put all the subsidies together, it came to more than N1 trillion every year,� Sylva noted.

What are the Alternatives?

On this, the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), says that in furtherance of the federal gov-

ernment’s plan to expand alternatives to petrol, it is intensifying the deployment of gas dispensing facilities all over the country. “The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) has issued directives to deepen the utilisation of domestic LPG CNG, LNG and auto-gas as alternative fuels for Nigerians. “The directives are in furtherance of the federal government’s aspirations to provide affordable fuels and ensure domestic gas penetration and expansion in Nigeria while entrenching price freedom for Nigerians,� the DPR Director, Mr. Sarki Auwalu, said.

He added that the DPR had carried out a nationwide audit of all retail outlets and categorised them into three groups with a view to ascertaining their readiness for the deployment of add-on facilities for gas products.

The DPR boss noted that about 9,000 retail outlets which represent 27 per cent of total number of retails outlets in Nigeria are in category 1 and have been identified as suitable for immediate integration of add-on facilities based on robust safety assessment and technical considerations by the agency.

On her part, the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed, explained that all the decisions were geared towards weathering the current headwinds posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. “Our country Nigeria is going through a difficult economic period because of the crisis of the covid-19 pandemic. This same crisis has also given us the opportunity to undertake some reforms that have been very difficult to carry out in the past. “In general, we have developed a fiscal stimulus package of N2.3 trillion, about $5.9 multi-sectorial economic plan. The design is to be able to minimise the impact on the economy, to prevent contraction of the economy and prevent businesses from collapsing and also to protect the poor and vulnerable. “Specifically, in relation to the extractive industry, we took the opportunity to remove fuel subsidy that has been a significant drain on our resources and on the economy. “This we have been able to do by adopting a price modulation mechanism and government has removed fuel subsidy provision from its revised 2020 budget and also from the Medium Term Economic Framework (MTEF) for 2021-2023. We don’t have plans to incur any expenditure on fuel subsidy. “What that means is that the price of refined products PMS (petrol) will be determined by the global price of crude oil, so the price will keep changing according to how the global market operates� she said.

Feeble Opposition Although it’s still early days yet, the opposition to the increase in the pump price of petrol has been largely subdued with a handful of pro-labour civil society organisations, largely faulting the government’s position on the removal.

The CSOs in collaboration with the Trade Union Congress (TUC), said the ruling party had during its campaign in 2015, said fuel should not sell for more than N34 per litre, wondering why the government is hiding under the umbrella of subsidy.

Secretary of Joint Action Front (JAF) one of the groups, Abiodun Aremu, said: “This regime, like previous regimes since 1999, is an agent of international capital. The regime by its pronouncement that over N10 trillion was spent on fuel subsidy must be exposed for its lies and atrocities.� ‘’We should no longer go on with this unjust system of exploitative rule.

The regime was not elected by Nigerians on the basis of private looters but for public interest.

Nigerians must be prepared for a long drawn struggle to end the unjust rule of exploitation and dehumanisation,� he said.

TUC, on its part, described subsidy as the height of deceit by the federal government.

Its President, Quadri Olaleye, expressed surprise that in the build-up to 2015 general elections, Nigerians were told that there was nothing like subsidy by this same government. “We were further told that fuel should not cost more than N34.50 per litre. It was one of their cardinal campaign promises that the refineries would be fixed,� he argued.

The opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) also accused the federal government of pushing Nigerians to the wall. “It’s arrogant display of insensitivity and total disregard to the demands by the citizens,� a statement issued by its spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan, said.

From the look of things, the Buhari administration doesn’t appear like it’s about to review its position on the removal of subsidy.However, a recurring fear has always been whether the savings therefrom will get to the poor as trumpeted by the current government.

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER Ëž ÍšÍťËœ 2020

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BUSINESS/MONEY

$V (PHĂ€HOH 7LJKWHQV 1RRVH RQ )RUH[ 0DQLSXODWRUV Nume Ekeghe writes on efforts by the Central Bank of Nigeria to sanitise the foreign exchange market and stabilise the value of the naira, which has come under speculative attack in recent times

T

he Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) last week took a major step to arrest the agelong practice of manipulating the foreign exchange (forex) market by moving against some organisations that have been making unauthorised forex transfers abroad.

Consequently, the apex bank has placed a post-no-debit (PND) instruction on the bank accounts of 38 companies, including Premier Lotto Limited, SV Gaming Limited, R & S Lotto Limited, over allegations of forex manipulation.

THISDAY learnt that there had been a lot of gaming and illegal transfers abroad by the affected companies.

The apex bank, it was learnt, has decided to put a stop to the underhand deals in the interest of the economy.

The CBN, in a letter addressed to all banks, dated September 4, 2020, and signed by its Director of Banking Supervision, Mr. Bello Hassan, a copy of which was obtained by THISDAY recently, had directed that the bank accounts of the 38 banks should be frozen.

The letter stated: “You are hereby required to place the underlisted accounts on PND with immediate effect and revert with the account names, numbers, currencies and balances of all accounts placed on PND.�

With the PND placed on the accounts of the companies, transactions won’t be allowed on the accounts.

Other companies, whose accounts were frozen, are Over the Top Entertainment Limited, Beaufortbet Nigeria Limited, TM Gaming Network Limited, Fumsky Bureau De Change, 3D Scanners Bureau De Change, Blue Sleevers Bureau De Change Limited, Maiburgama Bureau De Change Limited, Upront Movers Limited, Pocasharks Ventures, Incel Trading & Supplies Limited and Savvy Corp Limited.

Also on the list are Barkoli Trading Company Limited, Comm. Professional Limited, Blue Wall Nigeria Limited, JNFX International Limited, Suxus General Trading Limited, Escale Oil & Gas Limited, Triune Resources & Energy Limited, Exchange Telecommunications Limited, Vingt Communications Limited, Incel Mega Resources Limited, Camberwell Logistics Limited, Godoni Enterprises Limited, and Crescentpillars Investment Limited.

Others are Carisbrooke Global Enterprises, Nitegale Global Resources Limited, Northline Limited, Befour Energy & Allied Services Limited, Tasmara Integrated Services Limited, Incel Integrated Services Limited, Laketrail Investment Limited, Tamrose Ventures Limited, Roots Mining Company Limited, Rapid International Procurement Limited, and Springcreek Capital Limited.

Shedding more light on the reason for freezing the bank accounts of the 38 companies, a top CBN official, who pleaded to remain anonymous, accused them of illegal purchase of forex and repatriation of same abroad.

The official said: “To be honest, these are some of the people who have been putting pressure on the black market. They are so many and we are going after them gradually and we would ensure that they face the law. “There is impeccable proof that one of the gaming companies, (name withheld), is suspected to have illegally siphoned over $420 million over a period of 18 months under the pretext of paying for software that can be procured by local software engineers. These funds were illegally transferred to their companies in Mauritius solely for the purposes of money laundering and economic sabotage.�

According to the official, the plan by the CBN is not only to penalise the companies, “but also the banks and their managements that allowed such illegal transfers to go through their systems.�

He described the activities of the companies and the banks that enabled them as economic sabotage, money laundering and insider trading, saying CBN will ensure not only prosecution but withdrawal of the licences of those found wanting. “CBN is going to punish these companies and individuals to serve as a deterrent to others. Those of them involved in the gaming business, their business is in naira. Some of them would say they are paying for technical services. Assuming they even have the approval to take money out, why are they not in the official market? Why go to the black market?

That means there is something illegal they are doing without documentation. “We are accusing them, especially the gaming companies, of money laundering, illegal transfer of forex out of Nigeria.

Most of them open accounts in Mauritius and other safe havens for them to move monies out of Nigeria and then do whatever they like. “Now, they would say they are paying for technical services.

Were those fees authorised officially by the CBN? The sole institution responsible for forex dealing in Nigeria is the CBN. Did they obtain the CBN’s approval? “They don’t even have the National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP) approval, even if they say

EmeďŹ ele

it is for software purchase, as some of them claimed. Indeed, one of them that went to NOTAP, the approval wasn’t granted because the so-called software they claimed they wanted to import can be manufactured locally,� he added.

The official alleged that the companies had contravened the Money Laundering Act, which carries with it stringent penalties that include the withdrawal of their licences and prosecution.

Sustained Efforts to Sanitise FX Market The latest move by the central bank comes few days after it phased out the third party Forms ‘M’.

This is another policy some companies had been taking advantage of to over-invoice and illegally cart away the country’s forex.

Also recently, the CBN installed a product price verification mechanism, which now helps prevent overpricing or mispricing of imported goods and services, as part of its continued efforts to ensure prudent use of the scarce foreign exchange resources and eliminate incidences of over-invoicing, transfer pricing, double handling charges and avoidable costs that are ultimately passed to the average Nigerian consumers.

The apex bank had vowed to unveil and prosecute, “buying companies� that had been engaged in the unwholesome practice of forex manipulation.

It was learnt that the forex fraud in the process used to be perpetrated by companies buying houses that are invoiced at inflated prices abroad, which they then offer to original equipment manufacturers (OEM). The companies then go abroad to cream off the forex often at 40 to 60 per cent of the transaction amount.

But it is not the first time the CBN had cautioned over the apparent abuse of the iconic Form “M� which is key for accessing foreign exchange for importation of goods.

The CBN had in June 2015 excluded importers of 41 goods and services from accessing foreign exchange at the Nigerian foreign exchange markets in order to encourage local production of these items. The list has now risen to 43.

The measures were taken to sustain foreign exchange market stability and ensure the efficient utilisation of foreign exchange as well as ensuring that optimum benefit is derived from goods and services imported into the country.

Nigerians had however tried to manipulate these restrictions, which also apply to rice, toothpicks, tomato, fish palm oil, textile among others by tinkering with the Form M. Analysts have thrown their weight behind the moves by the apex financial regulatory institution over the various measures introduced to address the fraudulent practices in the forex market.

The analysts also encouraged the CBN to follow through with its sanctions if positive results must be achieved.

Speaking to THISDAY on the development, Managing Director/Chief Executive, Credent Investment Managers Limited, Mr. Ibrahim Shelleng, said: “Well, certainly, it’s a good move

by CBN and even well overdue to be honest. In the past, the Form M has been abused by allowing companies to access cheaper funds from CBN at official rate and round tripping the funds to the parallel market thereby making a spread. “This was done by over inflating prices of imported goods.

This ultimately gets passed onto the consumer and creates cost-push inflation without adequate mechanisms to control and verify prices of imported goods.�

Also commenting on CBN’s new policy regime, an Associate Professor of Agricultural Economics at University of Port Harcourt, Anthony Onoja, said the move, “will reduce corruption in the foreign exchange market.�

He said: “The move will, on the long run, shore up the value of naira which has been eroding rapidly since the beginning of this year. The central bank is getting more creative in addressing the foreign exchange depreciation problem with this policy. “Many foreign exchange racketeers are certainly going to run out of business soon and dollar will be more available in the market thus forcing down the price of US dollar in Nigeria.

This will promote foreign trade and improve the capacity utilisation in the manufacturing sector and other real sectors using foreign exchange for their businesses.�

On his part, Prof. Uche Uwaleke of the Nasarawa State University, while commending the initiative, however pointed out that the real challenge for the CBN is how to ensure that these laudable measures are not circumvented thereby defeating the purpose for which they were put in place.

He said the CBN should be ready to apply sanctions to serve as deterrent, noting that the rule for export proceeds repatriation had been in the CBN books before now but would appear to be observed in the breach by some exporters.

He said: “I have not stopped wondering where people who hawk forex in the black market get their hard currencies. The CBN should device means of checking round tripping to ensure that the banks are not diverting forex to the parallel market.

Uwaleke said: “It goes without saying that the economy is going through challenging times as a result of the decline in crude oil price made worse by COVID-19. “To provide a context for the CBN’s recent measures regarding forex, it is pertinent to realise that the Q2 negative growth in real GDP, high inflation rate, increase in inflation and downturn in virtually all macro indicators are all partly attributed to scarcity of forex following collapse in oil price since oil revenue accounts for over 90 per cent of our forex receipts. “This precarious supply situation is exacerbated by spurious demand for forex, activities of speculators and sharp practices.

So, the CBN is faced with a double whammy sort of situation.�

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER Ëž ÍšÍťËœ 2020

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BUSINESS /MONEY

Herbert Wigwe

Kennedy Uzoka

Ebenezer Onyeagwu

Segun Agbaje

As Tier-1 Banks Post Mixed Performance at H1...

Nigeria’s top five commercial banks recorded mixed performance as at half year of the financial year ending December 31, 2020. While some grew their bottom-line, others did not as profit dropped compared with the position in the corresponding period of 2019. Bamidele Famoofo reports that there are projections that the pressure on earnings will not abate in the second half of the year

D

ecline in income from investment securities and drop in yields on assets were two major factors that affected the earnings of banks in the first half of the financial year ended June 30, 2020.

But analysts were not surprised by the results as they said the decline was expected givenincreasedcapitalallocationtoriskasset creation given the CBN’s loan to deposit ratio (LDR) policy, as well as the impulsive drop in yields on assets from the prior year.

The impact is a mixed performance posted by the banks, particularly the top five which their half year financial performances were reviewed by THISDAY. Access Access Bank Plc recorded a marginal decline in profitability. On the earnings per share (EPS) of N1.73 (-8.9 per cent vs. H1-19), the bank’s board has proposed an interim dividend of N0.25 per share (H1-19: 0.25/s), which equates to a yield of 3.9 per cent based on the closing price of N6.40 as of the 3rd of September 2020.

The bank recorded an interest income decline of 9.6 per cent y/y to N246.72 billion in the period, pressured by the decline in income from investment securities (-31.4per cent y/y to N74.00 billion).

Analysts believe the decline in income from investment securities was expected given increased capital allocation to risk asset creation given the CBN’s LDR policy, as well as the precipitous decline in yields on assets from the prior year. This decline was steep enough to offset growth in other contributory lines, as income from loans and advances to customers (+0.3per cent y/y to N160.61 billion) and banks (+7,598per cent y/y to N6.72 billion), as well as cash and balances with banks (+11.5per cent y/y to N5.39 billion) all expanded over the period.

Interest expense expanded moderately over the period, advancing by 2.3 percent y/y to N120.52 billion, with the most pressure exerted by interest on deposits from financial institutions, which rose by 48.8 percent y/y to N34.07 billion, and offset the declines from deposit from customers (-11.6per cent y/y) and debt securities (-31.3per cent y/y). The bank seems to have now optimised its deposit base and is taking advantage of the synergy with the defunct Diamond Bank, as cost of deposits declined by 27.9 percent from the Q4-19 standalone period to the Q2-20 period. While there was a moderate growth in expense on deposits from customers q/q in Q2-20 (+4.2per cent), the run rate would still be well below expense in 2019FY. Non-interest income grew by 194.5 per cent y/y to N138.85 billion, supported by strong growth in income from investment securities (3,152per cent y/y to N134.84 billion), primarily driven by derivative instruments, which offset the substantial FX revaluation loss recorded (+988.7per cent y/y to N57.6 billion).

Operatingexpensesincreasedsubstantiallyduringtheperiodby40.0 per cent y/y to N174.29 billion, given the effects of the consolidation with Diamond bank. Given the significant year-on-year expansion in operating expenses, the bank’s cost-to-income ratio (after accounting for LLEs) deteriorated to 70.1 percent from 66.1 percent and 55.0 percent in the previous quarter and corresponding period of the prior year, respectively.

Consequent on the growth in income relative to expenses, the bank recorded a profit before tax growth of 1.8 percent y/y to N74.31 billion, while PAT settled 1.4 percent lower y/y at N61.03 billion, given the higher income tax expense (+19.7per cent y/y).

Zenith Zenith Bank recorded strong earnings growth over the corresponding period of the prior year. On the EPS of N3.30 (+16.6per cent vs.

H1-19), the board has proposed an interim dividend of NGN0.30/s

(H1-19: 0.30/s), which equates to a yield of 1.7 percent based on the closing price of N17.20 as of the 3rd of September 2020.

Interest income grew by 1.1 percent y/y to N216.95 billion, supportedprimarilybytheincomefromloansandadvancestocustomers (+11.6per cent y/y to N128.37 billion) as risk asset creation has been strong in the year so far (+13.8per cent YTD to N2.62 trillion). The other contributory line recorded a decline – investment securities (-18.1per cent y/y). The decline in income from investment securities was expected, as yields across assets have pared significantly from the prior year.

Also, interest expense declined by 17.4 percent y/y to N59.55 billion, reflecting lower interest cost on borrowings over the corresponding period of the prior year (-50.7per cent to N17.00 billion) and despite the increased cost on deposits from customers (+13.3per cent to N42.54 billion). Consequent to the decline in interest expense, net interest income settled higher by 10.5 percent y/y at N157.41 billion. After accounting for credit impairment charges (+74.2per cent y/y to N23.92 billion), net interest income (ex-LLE) settled 3.7 percent higher year-on-year. The exponential growth in LLE is in line with our expectations, given the application of the ECL model and the expected impact of the pandemic on the bank’s risk asset quality both at present and going forward.

Continuingthetrendduringtheyear,non-interestincome(NII)was strong, settling 6.2 percent higher y/y at N116.49 billion. The strong growth recorded was supported by expansions in FX revaluation gains (+239.6per cent y/y to N22.02 billion), and gains on investment securities (+30.4per cent y/y to N58.83 billion). This expansion in NII, alongside the growth in net interest income, led to an expansion in operating income of 4.8 percent y/y to N249.97 billion.

Operating expenses growth was moderate, as the bank continued to focus on cost management in the face of moderate gross earnings growth. Operating exoenses grew by 7.1 percent y/y to N135.85 billion, with the most pressure exerted by other operating expenses (+16.6per cent y/y to NGN21.22 billion) such as I.T, and maintenance costs. Consequent to the Opex growth relative to operating income growth, the bank’s cost-to-income ratio (ex-LLE) settled higher at 54.3per cent relative to 52.7 percent and 50.9 percent in the prior quarter and the corresponding period of the prior year.Also, profitability was stronger,withprofit-before-taxsettling2.2percenthigheryear-on-year.

However, profit-after-tax settled 16.8 per cent higher year-on-year, on account of a 54.8 per cent decline in income tax expense.

UBA The bank recorded a weaker performance for the period. On the EPS of N1.24 (-23.5per cent vs. H1-19), the board has proposed an interim dividend of N0.17/s (H1-19: 0.20/s), which equates to a yield of 2.6 percent based on the closing price of N6.55 as of the 1st of September 2020.

Interest income increased by 0.3 percent y/y to N205.59 billion, supported by the growth across major contributors to the line, with the largest contributions coming from loans and advances to customers (+9.9per cent y/y to N113.89 billion), and loans and advances to banks (+77.5per cent y/y to N2.17 billion). However, income from investment securities (-9.5per cent y/y to N83.04 billion) declined as yields on assets have fallen in 2020 across OMO and other fixed income instruments. We expect this line to remain under pressure through the year, and as such underperform FY-19.

Interest expense declined by 9.0 percent y/y to N86.26 billion despite growth across most major interest expense lines. However, the reduced cost on deposits from customers (-19.9per cent y/y to N53.38 billion), as the bank’s CASAmix improved during the period (78.5per cent vs. 73.5per cent in H1-19), was able to offset the impact.

Consequent to the growth in income and decline in expense, the bank recorded an expansion in net interest income of 8.4 percent y/y.

The bank still has some scope for gains here given that the CBN has now reviewed the minimum rate on savings deposits down to 10.0 percent of MPR (30.0per cent previously). Analysts expect this will sustain net interest income growth in the year, even as interest income from loans may pare q/q through the rest of the year.

Non-interest income grew during the period by 6.7 percent y/y to N77.74 billion, driven by the growth in fees and commissions income (+7.0per cent to N38.58 billion) and FX revaluation gains (+619.8per cent to N7.80 billion). As expected there were declines in income from investment securities (-19.6per cent y/y to N13.84 billion) – given the LDR limit which reduced capital allocation –, and FX trading (-7.3per cent y/y to N13.37 billion) – given FX illiquidity.

Operating expenses settled 20.6 percent higher year-on-year, driven primarilybyincreasedpersonnelexpense(+19.9percenty/ytoN44.57 billion) and regulatory costs – AMCON levy (+12.1per cent y/y to N22.42billion)andNDICpremium(+12.2percenty/ytoN5.58billion).

Consequently, the bank’s cost-to-income ratio (ex-LLE) settled higher at 69.8 percent relative to 60.9 percent in the corresponding period of the prior year. This pressured the trickle-down from the income line and resulted in profit-before tax declining significantly by 18.7 percent y/y to N57.13 billion. Consequently, profit-after-tax settled 21.7 percent lower y/y at N44.43 billion, despite a lower income tax expense (-6.2 percent y/y to N12.70 billion).

GTB The bank reported a 1.5 per cent y/y increase in gross earnings (GE) to N225.1billion, despite pressure on interest and non-interest income amid extreme regulatory environment and global public health crisis. However, PBT and PAT dipped by 5 per cent apiece due to sharp increase in operating expenses and impairment charges.

Surprisingly, interest income came in 3.2 per cent stronger, settling at N153.7billion.An evaluation of the driver of interest income revealed that this was driven by an increase in the volume of loans disbursed and a surge in financial investment securities, which counter-poised the impact of lower asset yields. However, non-interest income fell 2.0 percent to N71.4 percent, as net fees & commission income tumbled 34.0 percent to N22.3billion despite a 43.5 per cent surge in FX trading gains to N7.7billion.

Notably, the sharp drop in fee & commission income is traceable to regulatory changes following the apex bank’s decision to slash charges. Thus, e-banking income fell 32.2 per cent to N4.8billion, bank charges slumped 28.9 percent to N3.1billion and corporate finance fees tumbled 76.5 percent to N1.2billion. Still, COVID-19 induced lockdown was culpable amid reduced transaction volumes.

As observed across the sector, impairment charges jumped 210.0 percent to N6.8billion, certainly triggered by increased probability of default due macroeconomic weaknesses.

Cost to Income Ratio (CIR) came in at 43.2 percent following a 19.2 percent jump in OPEX to N83.3billion. Management attributed this to VAT and naira devaluation induced inflation, increased regulatory cost (AMCON & NDIC due to a surge in total assets & deposits), as well as COVID-19 donations. Accordingly, PBT and PAT slumped 5.0 percent lower to N109.7billion and N94.3billion respectively. This weighed on net margins and profitability ratios as PAT margin, annualised ROAand ROE moderated to 41.9 percent, 4.6 percent and 26.8 percent respectively.

FBN FBN Holdings Plc reported gross earnings of N296.4 billion for the six months ended June 30, 2020, showing an increase of 5.8 per cent, from N280.3 billion for the corresponding period of 2019. Net interest income rose 7.4 per cent from N141.7 billion to N131.3 billion in 2020, while non-interest income grew by 46.8 from N54.6 billion to N80.1 billion in 2020.

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THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER Ëž ÍšÍťËœ 2020

BUSINESS/PERSPECTIVE

Mele Kyari

Ferdinand A. Bariwei, MD, IDSL

Why Nigeria Must Achieve $10 Per Barrel Oil Production Cost Ifeanyi Onuba

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ith the negative impact of the C o ro n a v i r u s pandemic on global economy which had led to an unprecedented decline in the global price of crude oil, cutting the cost of oil production by Nigerian oil companies had become imperative.

Based on official statistics, Nigeria is one of the oil producing countries that has the highest cost of oil production.

For instance, while it costs an average of $8.38 to produce a barrel of crude oil in Saudi Arabia, it costs Iran and Iraq about $9.08 and $10.57 respectively.

According to the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Mele Kyari, it costs Nigeria about $17 to produce a barrel of crude oil.

With the negative impact of the Coronavirus pandemic on global economies, the price of crude oil dropped to an all time low of about $21 per barrel in April from $46 in February this year.

But while the global crude oil market has started experiencing a rebound in activities, thus making the product to sell for about $44.94 per barrel, experts have said that it had become compelling for the Federal Government to, as a matter of survival, cut the price of oil production.

The Federal Government had in a bid to reduce the impact of revenue decline in the 2020 budget proposal revised downward the revenue projection for the 2020 by N3.3tn from the initial approved amount of N8.41tn to N5.08tn.

The reduction in revenue projections was due to the negative impact of the Coronavirus pandemic,which had led to unprecedented drop in global crude oil prices.

So far, in Nigeria, the very visible impact of the pandemic has been huge, especially in relation to government finances, capital flow reversals and loss of income to businesses and households Based on the revenue parameters upon which the revised budget proposal was made, the Federal Government had reduced downwards the oil price benchmark from $57 per barrel

to $28 per barrel.

Similarly, the oil production volume was cut from the initial 2.18 million barrels per day to 1.7 million barrels per day.

Before the revision, the Federal Government had projected to generate about N8.42tn revenue to fund the budget, while debt service was estimated to gulp about N2.45tn.

These developments have heightened fears about the ability of the government to finance its expenditure for the current fiscal period.

It is understandable to see how frustrating the current high production cost must be for Nigeria, a country whose main source of income is oil revenue.

Not only are oil prices low, the country’s production cost is high and the country is battling to produce more than two million barrels of crude per day.

According to the World Bank forecasts, crude oil prices would rise gradually from an average of $42 per barrel in 2021 to $44.5 per barrel in 2022 and $47pb in 2023. It is also expected that Brent crude oil prices may average $41 per barrel during the second half of 2020 and $50 per barrel during 2021.

What this means is that there is slim possibility that oil price would rise above $60 per barrel.

The implication of this is that except Nigeria starts reducing the price of crude oil production to about $10 per barrel, it would be difficult to maximise revenue to be generated from sale of oil.

The NNPC GMD gave credence to this when he warned that unless oil companies reduce their cost of production, they may not have a business in the current low oil price environment.

He said with oil prices hovering around $40 a barrel, many oil companies in Nigeria reporting huge cost of production will not have a business as the industry re-adjusts to the new normal of low prices.

While speaking on the way forward for the industry, Kyari said local producers employ gimmicks including inflating the cost of associated risks and personnel costs which guts revenue available for taxation.

He threatened that the government would revoke contracts and cancel projects of any firm that would not adhere to the production cost of $10 per barrel.

He said with such high production costs, countries such as Nigeria might soon be out

of business if eventually oil price drops to $30 per barrel.

The NNPC Boss said, “In a production environment like Saudi Arabia, it’s about $5 (to produce) a barrel. You can’t do it here. The best of our production system is at about $15 to $17 to a barrel. “So there are many countries which cost of production is at least $30 and we are one of it. “So when crude oil goes to $32 and you are producing at $30, you are out of business. “And beyond that also, there are competition because people are producing at lower cost than you are. “And then that depresses the potential of coming out of the impact of Coronavirus for a long while to come.�

There is no contending the fact that operating in Nigeria’s troubled Niger Delta region is fraught with risks. The kidnapping industry which Lagos-based SBM Intelligence firm said is worth over N7bn was birthed in the region as oil workers, especially expatriates became prime targets.

While Companies pay millions yearly to government’s security agencies to protect their personnel and facilities, oil sector experts said there is need to leverage on digital processes for optimal efficiency in the oil sector.

Speaking on Thursday at the Asset Management Operational webinar series, organised by the Integrated Data Services Limited of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, the Stakeholders said time had come for operators to embrace innovations that will ensure optimal use of resources as well as reduce cost of operation to $10 per barrel.

Sophia Weaver, Manager, Production Technology, First E&P, explained that the past few years have been challenging for the sector with so much volatility exacerbated by the Coronavirus pandemic.

She said that continuing with the conventional model of operation would not yield the desired growth in the sector.

Weaver stressed the need for operators to be more responsive to fluctuating oil prices, adding that there is need to exert control over the rather high cost of operation to ensure process efficiency.

She said, “Achieving operational excellence involves transforming the way we work and digitalize our processes in areas such as oil well and reservoirs management, drilling, logistics and supply chain management.

“Process digitalization involves the use of digital data and technologies to transform existing business process into more efficient, optimised, more profitable and value adding operations. “There is need for us to begin to see data as the new oil, data is critical to the development of the sector.�

To achieve operational efficiency that would guarantee cost reduction, experts said there is need to re-engineer traditional processes, optimisation of resources and reducing waste by addressing perennial issues associated with operational inefficiencies in the sector.

The Managing Director, Integrated Data Services Limited, Ayebateke Bariwei, while speaking on the development emphasized the need to adopt digitalised process in order to enhance productivity and improve system efficiency.

He said, “Process digitalization is about unlocking new value by using digitalised data to change the way things are done. “Our objective is to ensure that we operate in the industry bringing the unit operating cost to $10/ barrel by 2021.�

There is also the need for regulators to develop an operating environment that encourages process digitalization and help operators thrive in the sector.

Since the operation cost cannot decline in isolation, there is need for an enabling environment that would be built on incentives. This would help operators modify their ways of doing business.

Experts also agree that the country is still lacking the adequate data to aid effective decision making by operators.

According to the Chief Operating Officer, Nigerian Petroleum Development Company Ltd, Western Niger Delta Edirin Abamwa, operators are not traditionally set up to mitigate disaster shut down that would affect production cost. “It is time to move away from the traditional ways, there are a lot of development that enable operators establish census and determine if machines are operating optimally, these are still lacking among operators today,� he added.

While Nigeria depends significantly on oil revenue to finance its annual budget, there is need to look inwards to ensure that cost of production is drastically minimised for the country to maximize profit from oil revenue.

Onuba wrote in from www.thewhistler. ng

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER Ëž ÍšÍťËœ 2020

22

BUSINESS INTERVIEW TIMIPRE SYLVA

We Can’t Keep Subsidising the

Pockets of Some Rich Nigerians The Minister of State for Petroleum, Timipre Sylva, in this interview with select journalists, insists subsidy removal was done in the best interest of Nigerians. Sylva also addresses other pertinent issues. Adedayo Akinwale brings the excerpts

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hat do you think of the controversy surrounding the removal of fuel subsidy?

I believe that this discussion around subsidy has been a vexed issue that has captured the imagination of this country for a long time now.

Successive administration have attempted to deregulate. But sometimes, some administration lacked the political will and at other time, the time was not good for it. And why did I say the time was not good for it? Does that imply the time is good for it now? The problem around deregulation is that people must understand first and for most, that the product we are talking about is a derivative of crude oil. It is refined from crude oil. Therefore, it has a direct relationship with the price of crude oil. If the price of crude oil goes up, then you expect that it would reflect in the price of the derivative. So, the best time to achieve this we looked at was the time when crude oil prices are low so that Nigerians will get the benefit of those low prices. In March, when we announced the deregulation, the prices were low and that advantage was transferred to the consumer. So, we brought down the price of petrol. The unfortunate thing is that when we brought down the price of petrol, nobody reacted in the market place. The prices were the same. Nobody reduced their prices because price of petrol had reduced. Even bus fares, taxi fares were the same. It did not go down when we reduced the pump price of petrol. We thought that those people in the market; the transport drivers and transport owners would reduce their price. But nobody reduced their prices. But anytime there is even a kobo increase in the pump price of product, you see that people will increase their prices triple fold and four fold. At this moment, let Nigerians not be fooled; there are people who are ready to take advantage of every situation to create anarchy and chaos. And it is this people that are at work now. Is anybody saying that this policy direction is a wrong policy direction? That is the discussion we should be having. If it is a wrong policy direction why has every successive government attempted to do the same thing? Because it is something that is unsustainable. Subsidy is unsustainable.

Let us look at it: Subsidy means that you buy the product at a certain price and then you reduce the price and sell it at a loss to the people. It is something that is good to do. It is something that our president would like to do so much because of his love for the common man.

But is it is something that can be sustained in perpetuity? You get the product and sell it at less at the pump. And that is not the only subsidy. You also subsidise the effects that is used to import the product.

So at the end, the subsidy is going on two ways. It is like burning your candle from both ends. How long can that candle last?

So in the wisdom of the President and all of us, we felt that it was time because this subsidy is something that cannot be sustained in perpetuity. It is time for Nige-

Sylva

rians to face reality and do the right thing.

What is deregulation going to do? It is going to free up a lot more money. At least from the very beginning it will save us up to a trillion and more every year. Already, we have taken up the budgetary provision for subsidy which is about N500 billion in the budget. Also, we have taken off the excess forex price that special rate that was given to NNPC which also came at a cost. So, all the money that we used to defend the naira at that time to subsidise the dollar will now be freed up for development. And, I believe that going forward, we will begin to see a lot more development, a lot more money available to the government that will be put into critical infrastructure instead of being burnt in our cars. And, let us look at subsidy critically. Who are the beneficiaries of subsidy? When a few years ago you have this subsidy scam all over the place all the monies that were taken by all the subsidy thieves and so on, how many poor people were among those people?

Subsidy only provide opportunity for rich and unscrupulous Nigerians to steal and enrich themselves at our expense, at your expense. So, ladies and gentlemen,

deregulation is actually a policy direction that is good for the common Nigerian. It is going to produce a lot of opportunities.

Before now, you would asked: Why has the refining sector not developed? It is because no refinery can operate commercially in Nigeria with subsidy. If you have a refinery and you refine your product and you are expected to sell it at a subsidised rate, how is the refinery going to make profit and survive? So, nobody wanted to invest in refineries. And that is one of the reasons why our refineries became unsustainable as well because they were refining and selling at a loss.

So, every time they came back to government to ask for money. Anytime any part got bad they had to come back because they were not operating commercially.

So, they don’t have money to replace those parts. That was why we were refining and selling at a loss. With deregulation, it means that refineries can operate commercially. And then you can see a lot more investment in that sector and it is going to create a lot of opportunities and jobs for our people. With deregulation, it also means that marketers can import product by themselves

and sell at market rates to Nigerians. It is going to create a lot more activities and opportunities. So, deregulation is going to really open up. You know what happened in the banking sector with deregulation. We had a few banks but today I cannot count the banks because that sector was deregulated. You see what deregulation did for the airline sector; we had only Nigeria Airways those days.

When the sector was deregulated you see that the sector has become a major employer of Nigerians. Deregulation has always been good for sectors. Look at the deregulation of the telecom sector, look at the revolution that it has created for Nigeria and for Nigerians. So, why are we shying away from deregulating this sector that is going to provide a lot of opportunities if we deregulate because we believe that once we deregulate there would be a lot of investment coming into Nigeria to build refineries because at that point it will become commercially viable for them to build refineries because all these issues we are talking about will not be there. Even the NNPC can easily find the funds to even fix their refineries because it will then be commercially

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER Ëž ÍšÍťËœ 2020

23

Atiku Should Suggest Alternative Policy for Deregulation viable because you are going to operate refineries commercially. Why are we running away from this thing? It is people who are political about it. They want to politicise everything that are saying all kinds of things about the policy direction that has been taken especially at this time.

At this time, the funds available to government has also diminished. You heard yesterday that we lost 60 per cent of our earning due to COVID-19 and its attendant difficulties. So, are things expected to go the same way ? They say the definition of madness is to continue to do the same thing and expecting a different result. Are we going to continue as a country to do the same thing and expecting a different result and all of us are just blaming ourselves? Let us reason together, gentlemen. This is something that is necessary to be done now. Because even if you say that we want to bring back subsidy, where is the money? How much are we earning? When 60 per cent of your money has already been eroded by of course, the erosion of demand. I mean, how much is the crude oil price of today? Some of you will know. It has even dropped from forty something dollar to thirty something dollar today (Thursday) after all the effort we have put in today to shore up the prices, look at where we still are. Our production dropped. Our OPEC quota is 1.412 million barrels. You can imagine and that sold at how much? It is sold at $35 to $40. How much is coming to this country today and how much do you want us to continue to subsidise petroleum products?. This is a very critical time in the history of this country and in the history of the world. Everybody’s patriotism will be called to question. And, I believe that you as Nigerians should come together with the government, rally your friends, rally Nigerians to support the government to achieve this because in the long run it is better for all of us to achieve it because of the benefits it will create; the jobs and opportunities that it would create.

Alhaji Atiku Abubakar kicked against the increase in price. Would you say Atiku was just playing to the gallery?

Of course, it is very clear to everyone including yourself that he is playing to the gallery. What other solution does he have ? This is somebody that already told Nigerians that if he was president he would have sold NNPC. Didn’t he say so before? That is, he would have commercialised NNPC. Would he have been operating subsidy in an NNPC that has been commercialised? So, we should be very careful with some of these leaders who speak from both side of the mouth because today they are on the wrong side of the divide. He said and he swore that he was going to sell NNPC. That means NNPC was going to be privatised. So, a privatised NNPC would have still be subsidising? That meant that he never ever thought one day of keeping subsidy if he were president. Today, what other policy direction does he have? Has he suggested something else? He did not suggest something else. He is just playing to the gallery. Is he even here while he is saying this? Is he in Nigeria? I am sure he is not.

He is probably enjoying himself in some beautiful island somewhere, vacationing, his legs crossed and you believe him? You cannot believe people like that. Is what I am saying here today wrong? Are you not seeing that we are being truthful about what we are trying to do? This is in the interest of Nigerians and let us not follow these politicians who want to politicise everything. At this time of our national life we should jettison politics and try to salvage the national economy first which is at risk now in our best interest.

What would be the fate of Petroleum Equalisation Fund (PEF) in a deregulated oil sector regime?

And how soon will the nation’s four reďŹ neries be resuscitated?

PEF will no longer after the petroleum industry Bill (PIB) even petroleum products pricing regulatory agency (PPPRA) will no longer exist. They will

Sylva

be subsumed under what is called the authority. But, I do not want to go into discussing the PIB now. They will reincarnate in a different form but not exactly in this form but of course, I do not want to preempt the passage of the PIB. It is for the National Assembly now. So, there is going to be a role for them. They are not going to be obliterated. But they will be subsumed.

Talking about refineries; what we have done is to sequence the rehabilitation of the refineries. We are going to start first with Port Harcourt refinery. In Port Harcourt, we have two refineries; the old refinery and the new refinery. The old refinery of 60,000 barrels and the new refinery which is a total capacity of 250,000 capacity barrels. Now, there is going to be a third refinery within Port Harcourt refinery which is going to collocate, it is going to be a private refinery in Port Harcourt. That project will be signed in the fourth quarter of 2020. And by the first quarter of 2021, work will start in earnest.

Discussions are ongoing with rehabilitations of Warri and Kaduna as well. And I want to assure you that with deregulation it would not be difficult for us to fix these refineries because this will be commercially viable ventures now and properly managed. Government is not going to continuously manage them. We want to put the Operate and Manage contract so that the professionals, managers of refineries will take over the management of these refineries. Before now, because of subsidy no professional will take over the management of a refinery when he is going to be producing at a loss. But now, every professional manager of refinery is interested in managing these refineries.

There is a lot of interest in managing these refineries because of this policy direction.

We believe that the four refineries in Nigeria will soon be rehabilitated and be brought back to production because of deregulation.

What do you make of the timing for the removal of subsidy in the face of the COVID-19 challenges?

This government is a pro-people government and it is in the interest of Nigerians for us to do this. Nobody saw COVID-19 coming. Did you? So, we

react to the situation. This is happening today because the government is being proactive and realistic on the basis of COVID-19 which was not anticipated. To give it a human face, we are introducing an alternative fuel. We are giving auto gas. Gas will now become a fuel for our cars. This programme will be rolled out within the next one month. So, if you go to a filling station and you convert your car to dual capability or dual fuel, then you drive into a typical filling station you will find gas LPG, you find CNG and NLG being sold. So, if you look at the price of PMS versus the price of gas and you think that gas is cheaper which of course, it is going to be cheaper. Gas will even be cheaper that PMS as it is today. So you see that we are also giving an alternative to the ordinary Nigerians. You now have a situation where tricycle, I pass my neighbour generators etc. will convert to gas. So, you connect your gas cylinder in your house to your generator and it becomes easier for you, cheaper and cleaner. We are not just deregulating, we are also giving you an alternative to make it easier for the average Nigerians. What I want you to begin to really understand more is how you are going to transit from fuel to gas, and you will see that you will not miss much. The average transporter will probably even be better off with gas.

So we are introducing it as an alternative at least to cushion the effect so that when you go to a filling station you have options. And that programmes will be rolled out within the next one month. And it is going to create a lot of opportunities and jobs. So, you see that deregulation has not taken away the human face from this government. This government is still a government of the people and by the people.

Have you considered the conversion of the fuel vehicle into gas?

Won’t it cost a lot of money?

No. We have taken it into consideration.

It is not going to cost that much. There are companies that are coming and have started doing it. You will be shocked how easy it is.

On palliatives to cushion the effects of subsidy removal on the citizenry‌ I believe that the measure we have

taken is going to be in the best interest of this country. We have been attempting to do it over the years but you know that it is just a matter of time before this thing is done. If this administration does not do it another administration will do it. I remember I saw the former Governor of the Central Bank, Sanusi Lamido, he said at that time when they were talking about deregulation, crude oil prices were over a $100. So, from what he told us, they were earning about $16 billion from crude oil.

Today, we earn less than half of that. And yet, he said at that time they were spending all of that earning in the importation of petroleum products. Today, this government is earning much less than that. When we say our earnings have reduced to 60 per cent, we are not talking in relation to $100 per barrel. What we achieved last year was that oil price was at sixty something dollar per barrel.

This year, we have lost more than 60 percent of that value that we have last year. We are not even talking in terms of the $100 oil which was the reality at the time of previous administration. So, at this time, where do we have the money to continue to subsidize? Subsidize a product that at the end of the day it would not be in the interest of the common man because the people who are taking advantage of the subsidy are not the common people. The people who are feeding fat from subsidy are not the common Nigerians. Are we going to continue to subsidise the pockets of some rich Nigerians? Look, let us face it: If this government were corrupt it would have been easier for them to continue to make money out of subsidy.

But it is because the government is not corrupt that it is saying we should make it more transparent. Let all Nigerians see what we are doing and it should be in the public domain and interrogate what the price of PMS constitute. So, we are bringing it to you and democratising the process of pricing PMS instead of government sitting back and some people coming up and fixing the prices while some unscrupulous business people taking advantage of the situation. We cannot continue with that as a nation and that is why we have come to tell Nigerians.

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T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R Ëž ÍšÍťËœ ͺ͸ͺ͸

FOCUS Ă’Ă‹Ă–Ă–Ă?Ă˜Ă‘Ă?ĂŽËœ Ă“Ăœ Ă?Ă‹Ă?Ă?ËŞĂ? Ă–Ă–Ă?Ă˜ Ă‹Ă“Ă˜ĂžĂ‹Ă“Ă˜Ă? Ă–Ă“Ă‘Ă’Ăž Ă™Ă&#x;ĂœĂ?Ă? Ă?ĂšĂ–Ă™ĂŁĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ ÞÒĂ? Ă?ĂžĂ?ĂœĂ˜Ëœ Ă&#x;Ă˜Ă?ĂĄĂ?ĂœĂ Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă?Ă™Ă?Ă&#x;Ă? Ă™Ă? Ă?Ă‹ĂœĂ–ĂŁ Ă‹Ă Ă“Ă‹ĂžĂ™ĂœĂ?Ëœ Ă?Ă˜ĂžĂœĂ?ĂšĂœĂ?Ă˜Ă?Ă&#x;ĂœĂ“Ă‹Ă– Ă?ĂšĂ&#x;Ă˜Ă• Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ? Ă–Ă™Ă˜ Ă&#x;Ă?Ă•Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă“Ă–Ă– Ă‹ĂžĂ?Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?Ù×ÚËĂ?Ă?Ă“Ă™Ă˜ Ă™Ă? ÞÒĂ? Ă‹Ă˜Ă‘Ă™ĂžĂ?Ă?Ëœ ĂœĂ“Ă˜Ă?Ă? ĂœĂžĂ’Ă&#x;Ăœ äĂ?Ă? Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă™Ă˜ĂŁ Ă–Ă&#x;Ă—Ă?Ă–Ă&#x;Ă?Ëœ Ă?Ă™Ă&#x;Ă˜ĂŽĂ“Ă˜Ă‘ Ă’Ă‹Ă“ĂœĂ—Ă‹Ă˜Ëš Ă™Ă? Ă“Ăœ Ă?Ă‹Ă?Ă?Ëœ Ă’Ă“Ă?Ă? Ă–Ă–Ă?Ă˜ Ă˜ĂŁĂ?Ă—Ă‹Ëœ Ă?Ă&#x;ĂžĂ? Ă‹ Ă?åËÞÒĂ? ĂžĂ’ĂœĂ™Ă&#x;Ă‘Ă’ ÞÒĂ? ÞÙĂ&#x;Ă‘Ă’ Ă?Ă™ĂœĂ?Ă?Ăž Ă™Ă? Ă“Ă˜ĂŽĂ&#x;Ă?ĂžĂœĂŁ Ă?Ă’Ă‹Ă–Ă–Ă?Ă˜Ă‘Ă?Ă?Ëœ Ă›Ă&#x;Ă“ĂœĂ•ĂŁ ËŠĂ‹Ă?ĂœĂ™Ě‹ĂšĂ™Ă–Ă“ĂžĂ“Ă?Ă?ËŞ Ă‹Ă˜ĂŽ Ă?Ă&#x;ĂœĂ“Ă™Ă&#x;Ă? ĂŽĂ?ĂžĂœĂ‹Ă?ĂžĂ™ĂœĂ? ÞÙ Ă?Ă&#x;Ă?ĂžĂ‹Ă“Ă˜ Ă™Ă˜Ă? Ă™Ă? Ă?ĂœĂ“Ă?Ă‹ËŞĂ? ĂŒĂ“Ă‘Ă‘Ă?Ă?Ăž ĘŽĂŁĂ?ĂœĂ?Ëœ ĂĄĂœĂ“ĂžĂ?Ă? Louis Achi

Onyema, CEO of Air Peace airline

A

t the level of small talk, you could hardly get the better of Chief Allen Onyema, the founding Chairman and CEO of Nigeria’s aviation behemoth - Air Peace. But for the plucky, unassuming lawyer and entrepreneur more at home with analysis and action, this trend of dialogue could pall easily. He certainly needs these traits.

The modern aviation industry is certainly not for the lily-livered. With the ever-increasing demand for flight and innovative new technologies on the horizon, the coming years are set to be very exciting. Nevertheless, to achieve its potential, airlines, airports and subsidiary companies need to overcome the challenges of the aviation industry sooner rather than later.

Increasing volatility in the energy, geopolitical and economic environment, security, digital transformation, tweaking customer experience, fluid national and international regulatory operating environments, realignment of information management from different data bases, implementation of IATA’s New Distribution Capability (NDC) standard targeting improvement and enhancement of how customers make bookings are just some key arenas that forward looking operators must navigate to survive. Besides effectively managing and retaining talent in the industry, the new normal birthed by the disruptive COVID-19 pandemic which almost stifled the sensitive sector of course cannot be left out of the laundry list.

According to Ernst & Young, a multinational professional services firm, understanding the aviation industry’s biggest challenges and issues in 2019, 2020, and in the future, will enable companies to gain a competitive edge in the race for sustainable, profitable growth. It is against the backdrop of these tough hurdles that Air Peace is clearly setting the standards for airline operation in Nigeria, while expanding its international footprint.

Air Peace, flying domestic and international routes, is a private Nigerian airline founded in 2013 with its headquarters in Lagos. Within seven eventful years, the carrier has grown its fleet to over 30 wide and narrow-body aircraft with four more on order or planned.

Waylaid by detractors

Curiously, since Chief Onyema delved into the challenging business of aviation by floating the Air Peace Airlines, a business he conceived to create jobs to the teeming unemployed citizens, so many negative stories have trailed this vision. Some of the allegations range from the ordinary through the bizarre and to the absurd.

His words: “Suddenly, everybody became interested, ‘how did he get money? Who is he fronting for? So, this is Nigeria where we belong. I’ve done things for this country that I deserve to be given one of the highest awards ever. It was my programme that led to the amnesty being given to the militants; it led to relative peace everybody had in Niger Delta today. When Shell discovered what I was doing, they came in and started bankrolling it in millions; Chevron and other oil companies joined.�

From THISDAY checks, since 1992, Chief Onyema had become successful in business, real estate and law practice. By 1995, he had already owned estates in Lagos and other cities in the country. This was before he veered into the business of Nonviolence Conflict Management with which he contributed majorly to the peace in the volatile Niger Delta.

Initially, some allegations held that Air Peace was owned by the former First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, with Onyema as a front. Eventually, the former Aviation Minister, Stella Oduah’s name also came up.

Apparently leaning on the wisdom that the more the merrier, Timi Alaibe was also named as the owner of Air Peace. Then, Kingsley Kuku name was dragged in. Both were co-ordinators

One of the Air Peace plane of the Amnesty Programme that helped end the Niger Delta militancy.

Pretty few know that long before Kuku’s appointment, Onyema had already been a major player in the programme.

There is no other organization on the continent that is involved in the Kingian Nonviolence Transformational Training of violent people except Allen’s Foundation for Ethnic Harmony in Nigeria (FEHN). His organization has always been the obvious choice because of its track record of expertise in handling people of violent disposition.

It could be recalled that he made history in Obubra, Cross River State where for over a year he held the place down for his nation, ensuring no life was lost there. He handled the transformational programme of the entire 30,000 ex-militants registered under the Amnesty in Obubra. The role played by his group was attested to by the international community that visited there.

These services were of course handsomely paid for.

By as far back as 2005, Onyema had decided that violent militancy must give way to intellectual discourse. He started training youths all over the country in nonviolence principles and practices. He took the philosophy to the Niger Delta and started training youths and militants. He took them abroad for further trainings. It’s worth noting that at this time, there was no amnesty programme.

It was not until 2006 that Shell, on noticing the impact being made by one man for his country, contacted Allen to allow them bring militants from their host communities for this training.

Chevron, also on noticing that the programme was making waves and changing lives of hitherto violent persons, keyed into Allen’s world too. They were all paying for both the local and foreign programmes of Allen running into millions.

As a result of the reports reaching the Presidency under Yar’Adua then about the impact of Onyema’s programme in the region, Timi Alaibe was instructed to appeal to the militant leaders to allow their wards go for this transformational programme and this happened. Willy-nilly, these moves foreshadowed the critical role Onyema was to play in Yar’Adua’s novel amnesty programmed that reined in militancy in the region. The rest is history.

Onyema had once expressed his ‘irritation’ about a perennial rumour that he had been fronting for Patience Jonathan in operating Air Peace, saying he had “never met� the former Nigerian First Lady in his life.

The University of Ibadan law graduate revealed he grew up in Warri, but moved to Lagos shortly after graduating from the University of Ibadan and becoming a lawyer in 1989. When he moved to Lagos in 1990, he initially joined a law firm, where he worked for a few years before going into real estate. It was in real estate he became fortunate from selling lands in Lekki and other priced areas in the Nigerian commercial capital.

His words: “By 2008, I was receiving about 18 per cent interest on my deposits. I was building estates from interest alone.� He revealed it was in 2008 that he discussed launching Air Peace with his wife, and getting a licence for the airline took several years with exhaustive efforts.

According to him, “I brought my finances into it (Air Peace) while getting support from the banks too. When I had gone halfway with the acquisition of my aircraft, I discovered that it was more than I thought. So I borrowed money from the banks.

Fidelity Bank is there for anyone who cares to see. I pay the bank daily from sales. It is automatic.�

Since then, Onyema said Air Peace has become so successful that commercial banks can no longer pass on any opportunity to do business with it, even as he emphasised that the company was wholly owned by him.

The Controversial US ‘Indictment’

A Nigerian-owned, offshore based online publication had reported late last year and rehashed the same report recently that the founder of Air Peace, moved more than $20 million from Nigeria and other sources through US bank accounts in a scheme that involved organizations he founded in his home nation and false documents related to the purchase of airplanes.

The publication quoted the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia.

But the Chairman/ CEO of Air Peace, Allen Onyema, has described bank fraud and money laundering allegations by the United States Attorney as false and directed his legal team to do the needful..

Responding to the shocking allegations, Onyema described them as false, stating that he “has never laundered any money whatsoever as every aircraft bought was transacted through the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).�

Onyema said: “I can confirm to you that all allegations are false and are in no way in line with my character as a person and as a business man whose only aim has been to build Nigeria and improve wellbeing. As the press statement clearly stated, these are indictment that only contains charges. I am innocent of all charges and the US government will find NO dirt on me because I have never conducted business with any illegalities. “Be rest assured that I also have my lawyers on this and these mere allegations will be refuted. I never laundered money in my life, neither have I committed bank fraud anywhere in the world. Every Kobo I transferred to the US for aircraft purchase went through the Central Bank of Nigeria LC regime and all were used for the same purpose. The American companies that received the funds are still in business. I never took a penny from any US bank or Nigerian bank. I am willing to defend my innocence in the US courts.�

Patriot, Philanthropist with Air of Peace

Driven by a passion to help in dire human situations, Onyema has made several and remarkable interventions within and outside the Nigerian space. It could be recalled that Onyema made available an Air Peace plane to evacuate Nigerians in South Africa, who had indicated interest to return home as a result of xenophobic attacks.

An appreciative Federal House of Representatives had held a session in honour of Onyema. The House passed a resolution asking President Muhammadu Buhari to give a National Award to the Anambra State native in recognition of his patriotism, which the Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, asked the Clerk of the House, Patrick Giwa, to transmit to the President immediately. The lawmakers also vowed to give the first priority to Air Peace when flying to any part of the country.

Today, Onyema is not only the National Chairman of Foundation for Ethnic Harmony in Nigeria (FEHN), he has also been appointed into the Executive Board of The Global Nonviolence Conference Series Inc. USA, with notable world leaders as Hon. Dr. Andrew Young and Suarez Ramos as members. By this appointment, which was confirmed in April 2007, he became the second African ever to be so appointed to the Global Board.

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WEEKLY PULL-OUT

13.09.2020

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OBA OLUFOLARIN OGUNSANWO FROM THE TAX OFFICE TO THE THRONE The delightful tunes from traditional drums amidst pomp and circumstance rent the air. The confluence of culture, class, and colours were in full display. He exudes opulence, affluence, and royalty. In royal splendour, he sits majestically on a sofa. His white royal apparel, his shimmering beads belie his majesty.

Intermittently, the crowd chorus, ‘Kabiyesi oh.’ On August 6, His Royal Majesty, Oba Olufolarin Olukayode Ogunsanwo, Telade IV, became the 55th Alara of Ilara Kingdom in Lagos State. Funke Olaode writes about the childhood and career of Oba Ogunsanwo and his ascension to the throne

he air was literarily filled with excitement. It was a mixture of culture, class, and colours.

The traditional drummers were in their best elements as delightful tunes oozed out.

The voluntary traditional dancers gyrated to the tunes as they staggered in ecstasy. It was a rite of passage in preparatory to the throne of their ancestors. It was a new dawn as somebody of affluence and influence is going to open a new vista in their domain. The joy was unmistakable. History was made that day because the community had just witnessed another installation of a new Oba after 60 years.

The elderly and the young were excited to see a new king installed. The last Oba, His Royal Majesty Oba Akeem Okunola Adesanya ll, who joined his ancestors in October 2018 spent 58 years on the throne.

To everyone, the new monarch is a breath of fresh air.

Sitting majestically on a sofa, he exudes opulence, affluence, and royalty. His white royal apparel is matched with his shimmering beads. He looks magnificent and radiates warmth as his subjects intermittently chorused, ‘Kabiyesi oh!’

A man of few words, he would shake his head in admiration of the accolades.

Until August 6, His Royal Majesty, Oba Olufolarin Olukayode Ogunsanwo, Telade IV, Alara of Ilara Kingdom in Lagos State was a public servant having worked in Lagos State where he rose through the ranks to become the executive chairman of Lagos Inland Revenue Service.

The mantle of monarchy fell on him when he was called upon to serve his people. Throwing light on his selection as Alara of Ilara, he recalled.

“I was selected by the Kingmakers as the 55th Alara of the Ilara Kingdom after the demise of my predecessor, His Royal Majesty Oba Akeem Okunola Adesanya ll, who joined his ancestors in October 2018 having spent 58 years on the throne.

He was the longest-reigning monarch in Lagos State having become an Oba at the age of 16. He passed on at the age of 74. In November 2019, the Kingmakers requested that it is the turn of Telade my Ruling House to produce the next Oba Alara of Ilara Kingdom.

“Having received a notice to jump-start the process from the state government through the Eredo Local Council Development Authority then eight of us were picked as contestants and the list was forwarded to the Kingmakers in Ilara. The rest as they say is history. I was crowned on Thursday, August 6, 2020, and His Excellency, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu presented me with the Staff of Office and Instrument of Appointment on Sunday, August 16, 2020.”

Recounting his journey to the throne, Oba Ogunsanwo says everything is divine.

“Well, it is God that chooses kings. I never knew I was going to be a king. As said earlier, the last Oba reigned for 60 years. It was after Oba’s demise that there was a declaration that there is an Oba to be chosen and an oba has to be selected, elected, and appointed to take charge of the leadership of the community. It has been a wonderful experience going through the traditional rites.

“I see it as another call to service having served Lagos State for 26 years and moved through the ranks to become the Executive Chairman Lagos State Internal Revenue Service. Even my stint in the service was also a call to duty to assist the government to get revenue for the betterment of the citizenry. It is with tax money that most

ASSISTANT EDITOR OLUFUNKE OLAODE/funkola2000@gmail.com

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COVER

A Monarch’s Call to Service things are done, infrastructure, roads, education, transport, health services and so on. So when the opportunity came and I was called, I prayed about it, I consulted and I said why not, let me go and serve my people. As the Yorubas will say ‘Ile la bo, isi mi Oko’ all that we have been trying to do in the service let us come and try it here and see how we move this community forward.�

From a tax office to the throne, Oba Ogunsanwo believes his ascension was a revolution as he enumerates the potential of Ilara. Speaking on his plans for Ilara Kingdom, he said efforts are being made on various programmes that will drive his community’s economy. “No one can beat the serenity and peaceful ambience of this kingdom.

You must have noticed and observed the potentials that we have in this community. It only takes a visionary leader and someone that has the passion for his people to actually want to be on the right side of history to come and change things and to ensure that the community excels in every aspect. We are blessed here with agriculture, in terms of farming and fishing. We have a lot of viable land, good soil, good weather and then we are surrounded by water all over the place, up to the lagoon then to the ocean. So fishing is part of the natural resources that the Almighty God has given to this community. “There is a huge potential also for tourism here, and then we have a lot of human capital resources as well.

We have capable hands, we have people that are well-read. And if we all join hands together and put our heads together, I want to believe that this community will become a mini London where everybody will want to be and the community will be very proud of. So part of what we intend to do is to partner with the Lagos State government, through ‘The THEMES AGENDA’ of Mr. Governor, Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu. We are going to partner with the state government and we are also going to take some initiatives as well to invite private investors to come and see the kind of things that they can do to improve the economic potentials of the community.�

Another project that is dear to the new traditional ruler is youth empowerment through vocational training. “The empowerment of youth is also very key. We will also try and see that we assist our children to continue to be educated and not only educating them but also to be self-reliant. Because you can’t wait for the government to do everything for you. So with that we intend to create some vocational institutions where when our children go to school during the day and may be at the weekend they can come back to learn some things. Things like renewable energy, welding and artwork. And we also look at areas where modern technics of producing or providing farm products. For instance, if you have a cassava farm, it is not only to be producing that cassava and be selling but we can have an industry, a kind of cottage industry that can use the cassava to produce garri. We are Ijebus here and all of you know what they call garri Ijebu. These are things that we are known for even our fishing industry also, we want to see how we can micro-manage it in such a way that we can preserve the fish and we can package it in such a way that we can even begin to export to other neighbouring countries and internally within Nigeria. Then we also look at the tourism potentials of this community and then we want people to come in here. These are things we want to do and that is one of the reasons why I accepted to come and lead my people. To come and be with them and then let see how we can move the place forward,� says the monarch.

Oba Ogunsanwo as a modern monarch is also a grassroots man. And if there anything that delights his heart it is his presence amongst his subjects.

Did he miss being in the city? “When you came in here didn’t

Oba Ogunsanwo

you see that there is a lot of peace around here away from the hustle and bustle of Lagos?

Everything is fresh here, the ambience and everything is just great, and everything is just fresh. So, those are some of the things that people don’t know that they can enjoy here.

With all the road networks that the government

is doing now, this will be the next place that people can actually come and live.

And once the government is able to put the Fourth Mainland Bridge and improve on the multimodal transport facilities: the use of water, land and by road, people can move from one end of the state to another.

So many people can actually live here and be working in Lagos and it will decongest Lagos.

That is part of the agenda which we want to work with the Lagos state government.

And I pray that very soon, maybe when we are celebrating our first, second and third anniversary we will always have things to point at and say God has actually helped us to achieve our goals.�

Oba Ogunsanwo as a traditional ruler is also a strong Christian. How does he strike a balance between the two? “Whether you are a Christian, Moslem or a traditionalist, the Christian will say in Jesus name and by the grace of God, the Moslems will say Isha Allah, or by the grace of Almighty Allah and the traditionalist will say by the grace of Eledumare. One thing that is common to those three religions is that we all call on the Almighty God. Of course, when you an Oba you are spiritual head. So as a ruler you need to have a lot of wisdom and when you are trying to apply that wisdom correctly, you must also have the fear of Almighty God.�

Born on September 23, 1967, in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital. Oba Ogunsanwo read Economics from the then University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) and graduated at the age of 21. After his one-year mandatory youth service with Wema Bank Plc, he joined the Lagos State Civil Service in 1991 as an Inspector of Taxes Grade ll. He got to the top by becoming the Executive Chairman of the revenue agency.

Reliving his childhood, he said. “I come from a very humble background. My father (who is still alive) was a retired civil servant and my mother (also alive) was a retired headmistress. In those days, when you talk about a teacher’s child, it depicts a very good background, a good upbringing. They taught us humility and hard work. And there is no shortcut to the top than through hard work and then serve your God diligently. My father is 83 and my mother is 78 and I am the third child of the family but to God be the glory it has been a very good experience and am happy to have been born through these great people.�

Speaking further about his Ibadan root and his love for his community right from his childhood. “I was born in Ibadan my parents were working in Ibadan then even though my dad was born in this community. I grew up in Ibadan but every year we come home for Salah. So we used to come home for Ileya just like the period that just past, and each time we come home, I remember those days, we will go to the stream to fetch water. “We go swimming in the river and all those things, so each year I always look forward to it. I am in love with the community, I am very, very proud to come from this community, I love my people and I have always been coming home. I built a country home here and I didn’t know God was preparing me ahead. So like I said everything was divine.�

A committed family man, Oba Ogunsanwo is happily married with children. Away from family life no doubt his newfound status must have robbed him of his privacy. He waved it off. “I have been my normal self even up till now nothing has changed. A friend sent a congratulatory message to me.

We attended primary school at the same time in Ibadan and he started saying things like from my young age, I have always lived and comported myself like a king. That everything about me the aura radiates that of a king and that there is no quality that they are looking for in a king that I don’t have.

I have always been a private person, even with the throne you can see that it is a traditional stool. There are certain things I can’t do anymore. That is what the throne demands and I have accepted it.�

Amidst his coronation, Oba Ogunsanwo was awarded from afar with an honorary doctorate of Arts by the European-American University of the Commonwealth of Dominica. “Sometimes, you don’t know that people are watching your actions or inaction and they give honour to whom it is due at the appropriate time. I will continue to cherish this honour for the rest of my life because it came at a time that I just ascended the throne and will be a constant reminder of my responsibility and pact with my subjects,� he promises.

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ SEPTEMBER 13, 2020

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GLITZ/TRIBUTE

Ige at 90: We Never Expected Him to Be Assassinated 19 Years ago Born on September 13, 1930, in Osun State, he grew up to become one of Nigeria’s best brains and pragmatic politicians. His oratory and sagacity earned him the nickname, ‘Cicero of Esa-Oke’. Until his gruesome murder on 23 December 2001, Chief Ajibola Ige (SAN) was former Minister of Justice and the Attorney General of the Federation. In death, he remains in the consciousness of many Nigerians.

As his family celebrates his 90th posthumous birthday, his son, Muyiwa Ige speaks with Funke Olaode

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Muyiwa

hief Bola Ige would have been 90 on September 13, if he wasn’t murdered and is alive today.What did you miss about your father?

I must premise this by saying that, before being an outstanding statesman and legal luminary, he was a great husband, a fantastic father, and a doting grandfather. Obviously, we never expected him to be assassinated 19 years ago. Since his demise on 23 December 2001, life has been very challenging, to say the least. You will recall that within 16 months of his assassination, my mom, Hon. Justice Atinuke Ige also transited to the great beyond.

Her untimely death was a result of her darling husband’s death. She died of a broken heart. So, I miss both of them. As we celebrate and reminisce the life of my father, at this auspicious 90th-year posthumous birthday, I will say that I miss his wise counsel, his undiluted and unflinching love, and the excitement of his physical presence that was special (though I cherish the fact that his spirit is with us). He truly was a great man, and I thank God for the legacy they both left behind. I truly have a goodly heritage.

The late Chief Bola lge was known as an apostle of good governance, transparency, and unity. What part of his ideologies do you think is missing in Nigeria’s polity today?

What part of his ideological leaning is missing today? I will say a great part is missing. My father believed in the emancipation of the common man. His socialist ideological bent was devoted to elevating the plight of the masses and downtrodden. They placed themselves at the service of the nation -- the qualities of true statesmen. Whereas, in this era, our politicians are lording it over us, and are placing the nation at their service. These are diametrically opposed notions. My father had been relevant, socially and politically from a very young age. He used to write, under the pseudonym, Leo Biga, in the West African Pilot in the early 1950s, and was very active in the Student Christian Movement. As a matter of fact, at age 29, a youthful Bola Ige was on the same platform with the great Martin Luther King Jnr., in Athens, Ohio at the Quadrennial held in 1959. He was also the National Publicity Secretary of the defunct Action Group in 1962, at age 32. He was the commissioner for Agriculture in the Western State under Gen. Adebayo and was the first executive governor of Old Oyo State in 1979, and more.

You mentioned that the late lge’s political trajectory started at a young age. What, in your view as a scion of Ige, is lacking in today’s youths risking their lives for greener pastures?

As a scion and the ‘arole’ of the Ige family, I will say that my late father loved young people. Were he to be alive today, he would have ensured that the torch of leadership be systematically passed on to the younger ones, and the older ones should sit back and ‘jeun omo’.

What, we, young people need is good mentoring. We also need continuous leadership training and active relevance in our communities. My father also believed that we must Organise, Organise, Organise. Young people must also challenge the establishment and build a strong network. You know that leadership and power are not served a la carte. We must seek to be involved and by our activities and charismatic engagement, it shall come. The strength of the youth of this period (the millennials and Generation Y-not?) is the broad base and access to knowledge bank that is thriving in the world today. This should be deployed positively and strategically, for the collective good.

Our youths are unfortunately risking it all, in search of the elusive ‘golden fleece’. These are desperate measures and we must all look

L-R: Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., a co-student and co-Secretary of the 18th Ecumenical Student Conference who later became a legal icon, the late Ajibola Ige at the daily news briefing during Students’ Conference held at the University of Ohio, Athens Ohio between December 27, 1959 and January 2, 1960 SOURCE: TUNDE MADEHIN inwardly to correct the anomalies of this nation. My father, when asked if Nigeria was worth dying for, his retort was, ‘It is better to live for Nigeria than to die for her.’ That means we must collectively make it a better place for all to thrive.

But President Muhammadu Buhari signed the Not Too Young to Rule bill which encourages younger people to participate in politics. How has the bill fared? Has it achieved its purpose considering the fact that Nigerian political space is still dominated by older people with governors using national assembly as a retirement haven?

The signing of a bill does not mean relinquishing and yielding to the youth. The first question is, are we well-organised and fully mobilised to displace the older generation? We also know that they refuse to grow or have a succession plan. They have also made politics expensive and cost-prohibitive. Hence, the seemingly ‘sit tight’ notion. We must encourage them to yield the political space by intelligently creating advisory roles for them, and using God-given technological talent to address this.

It is a shame that some governors (after having governed over all the senatorial districts in their various states) would want to represent one senatorial district. Very sad. By the way, please interrogate this: how many true statesmen that governed successfully ever went to become a senator? I will give good examples of thoroughbred statesmen here: Baba Ajasin, Bola Ige, Jakande, others like them. They never did.

What did the lge generation get right in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s in terms of governance and economy to achieve a better society that Nigeria is lacking today?

They were lucky because they were politically conscious earlier on.

The pre-independence activism also helped them. Most of them, as young Turks, were saddled with leadership roles very early. They were also driven by ideology. The question is, why are those protocols of yore not relevant or applicable today? It boils down to a lack of ideologically grounding in this present age. Cross-carpeting is the order of the day today. You do not even know who is a progressive and who is a conservative. There is too much ‘jeun-jeun’ politics now.

How will young Nigerians chart the path of leadership for a better Nigeria?

The young Nigerian must be prepared to serve. Selfless service comes at a huge cost. It comes with humility, integrity, honesty and the will to want to emancipate the common man. They must be willing to be mentored. Politics and those who wish to play politics must be associated with the nobility of service and public spirit. There is a huge potential for excellence in this country. This must be harnessed, trained and deployed for the collective good. The future is bright and is in the grasp of the ever dynamic Nigerian youth.

As the only surviving son of lge, apart from your brief stint as a commissioner during the first tenure of then-Governor Rauf Aregbesola in Osun, you have not been active in national politics. It this deliberate or you are being careful?

I thank God for the opportunity to serve. I can proudly say that we worked very hard to deliver the dividends of democracy during the first term of Ogbeni Aregbesola’s administration. As the Arole Ige, I know there is a huge responsibility on my head and shoulders, because of the legacy my father left behind. I am relevant politically and remain a major stakeholder. I believe you are asking if I will ever vie for elective office. The answer is yes, at God-appointed time. It’s all about service and I am willing to serve my people and nation.

Looking at the state of the nation, are we moving forward or backward and how do you think the present leadership can replicate what lge and co did during their foray in politics that set Nigeria on the right path in areas like education, economic and the general well-being of the nation?

The state of the nation is poor and not encouraging. COVID-19 dealt a huge blow in 2020, fuel price and electricity tariff hike is on, food prices skyrocketing, the currency has depreciated, the masses are facing hardship; unemployment is very high, standards of education and health are below par, and we have security challenges everywhere.

We have not moved forward nor got ahead at all. Additionally, the dynamics of governance today is very different from their era. Recall, I mentioned that they were steeped in ideology. Now, the leaders today are just ‘winging it’. There is no concrete or domesticated ‘Marshall Plan’ for development.

It is 19 years since Chief Ige was murdered and to date, his killer hasn’t been found. Is the family hopeful you’ll get justice for him?

We pray for justice. That will bring closure. We all know that the suspects are walking free in this land. However, they know that they are not free. The blood of Bola Ige will avenge and God will do right by us.

Remember that my father was a sitting Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation. He was also Deputy Leader of Afenifere and Asiwaju of Esaoke land at the time. I trust that a responsible government would want to apprehend and bring to book those that committed the dastardly act. I know and believe that everyone will get his or her comeuppance.

If he were to be alive today, what would you have said to him?

I would have said, ‘I thank you, daddy, for giving us a wonderful legacy.’ He would have been very proud of his Ige grandsons, three prosperous nations, and he would have prayed the prayer for the youth that ‘May you be greater than we’. To God be all the glory. Rest on, daddy. You remain forever alive in our lives.

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GLITZ PERSONALITY

The Bridge to The Future The President of Performing Musicians Employers Association (PMAN), Pretty Okafor’s mission to restore structure and confidence in the musicians union has not been a smooth ride, yet he is unfazed by the constant attacks and threats, writes Vanessa Obioha

S

ince the lockdown began in late March, Pretty Okafor has not stepped out of his house. Even when it was temporarily lifted, the musician and President of the Performing Musician Employers Association of Nigeria (PMAN) has yet to see the busy streets of

Lagos.

He doesn’t miss the hustle and bustle of the city, he says. He is sporting a white, patterned shirt, his hair twisted in locks. He hasn’t been to the barbershop in a while.

Perhaps, because he is an introvert, he finds the isolation comforting and productive. He spends most of his time in his office (at home), working tirelessly on his numerous projects and holding more meetings than during the pre-COVID times. The only time he comes out is when he is bored. By now, his family is accustomed to his long hours of work. They are however compensated by the bonding time they share with him afterward.

Seven years ago, Okafor predicted that the world was shifting to a digital space, the mobile phone precisely. Nobody paid him any attention. They called him a madman. Today, his prophecy is heightened in the pandemic. “You can purchase any goods or services from your phone. It’s one place you make orders and they bring it to your doorstep, be it food or clothes,� he says. We watch current news on our phones, we watch TV and listen to the radio on our phones. We haven’t been able to go out for five months but we have been communicating. So you can do everything via your phone.�

While the capricious coronavirus pandemic may have rattled a lot of people in the music industry, Okafor is unperturbed. He and his team are prepared for times like this. However, he is pained that the music industry could not tap fully the opportunities presented by the pandemic. “If we have gotten it right, this period would have been the best time for musicians to start making more money, make a more realistic gain when it comes to royalties,� he acknowledges. “Though it didn’t catch us unaware because we already have some structures in place.�

The good news however is that the pandemic has increased the interest of the corporate bodies in the creative industry. “The corporate bodies are even sponsoring any online campaign or project. They sponsor comedy skits and run their ads on it. So, it is the creative economy that is creating more content now. I tell you what,� he continues, leaning closer to his camera to drive home his point. “Without the creative industry, corporate bodies are not going to make N1.�

Then, he points out: “It has come to a level where everything is done on the phone. We carry out transactions, buy, sell, and engage people with our products on the phone. In the past four months that the country has been on lockdown, I haven’t stepped out of the house. “I have not seen any billboard, electronic display unit, or mobile BRT ad. Who is buying it? The brands are looking for space on your phone. From Instagram, Facebook to TikTok,

without the creative content, they cannot sell. So the corporate bodies cannot operate without the creative economy but yet we are not recognised in the country.�

He revealed in a 2017 interview with THISDAY that the creative industry in Nigeria is worth N9 billion.

In the same vein, he presaged that the economy was going into recession in 2015. By 2016, the federal government announced that the country was indeed slumping.

Despite his vaticinations turning to reality, Okafor would not label himself a clairvoyant. His prescient nature, he says, is based on facts and research. “I look at trends, connect the dots, and see what is obtainable in the future. It is not rocket science but it’s baffling that not everyone sees it.

My wife and daughter once said I’m a prophet because of the way I analyse and predict things but I don’t think I’m that.�

His uncanny attention to detail led him to discover the shady deals in PMAN as well as the Copyright Society of Nigeria. He raised the alarm on the stolen properties of PMAN by members of the union under a false identical name, Performing Musician Association of Nigeria.

In March, Okafor disclosed that recent reports from the auditing firm, KPMG revealed that COSON collected over N1.1 billion in royalty and licensing fees from users in 2017 but distributed only N225 million to holders, while over N800 million is unaccounted for.

The infighting in COSON and also with other Collective Management Organisations (CMO) and regulatory bodies in the music industry has grabbed headlines for too long. On one side are those who are in support of Tony Okoroji, the embattled chairman of the CMO. On the other hand are the group of directors including Efe Omorogbe, accusing Okoroji of misappropriating funds. There is also the long battle of legality between COSON and Musical Copyright Society of Nigeria (MCSN).

To be sure, Okafor clarifies the role of PMAN. “PMAN is a musician’s union. Whether you are a member or not, PMAN must manage and regulate your welfare.�

He further reveals that the union had no intention to be part of the infighting in COSON. “It was after six months that we waded into the matter because we have given the parties involved time to settle their differences. There is someone who believes that he is a demigod and cannot report to anybody in the music industry, including the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) which I ordered to take action against COSON. He sued everybody including me, not PMAN. He understood that he cannot sue PMAN because PMAN owes COSON. I think that’s where he was advised wrongly because you can’t pick a fight with a soldier.�

With his gentle mien, Okafor’s introvert nature is often mistaken for cowardice. He is quick to remind anyone that he grew up in the ghetto where survival is a daily race and cannot be intimidated.

The more we talk about COSON, the more forceful his words. “All we are asking him to do is to simply allow an external firm to audit what COSON has been

OKAFOR

doing in the past 10 years. If anybody refuses to do that, then that person is a crook, a criminal. When you do that, all hammers are going to come down on you and that was why COSON was proscribed at the tail end.

They were not sincere and were fighting an unjust cause.�

Okafor traces the genesis of COSON’s divisive stance to its inception. He believes that if the young ones who joined Okoroji when he left MCSN to start COSON back in the day were aware of his manipulative ways, they would probably have left. “Because nobody was checkmating him then, he is used to getting things done his way. He is used to driving propagandas and blackmailing people. He tried to kill MCSN so that COSON would be in charge of collecting royalties but it lost the battle at the Supreme Court when the court recognised MCSN as the only and authorised CMO in Nigeria. I think that’s what got Okoroji bonkers and he started misfiring left and right. “I think my only crime with Okoroji is that I signed an order asking COSON to be audited by an external firm. I have never been intimidated by anyone, certainly not him. When he found out that I was a guru in marketing communications and his propaganda against me wasn’t working, he lost it.

He went to Facebook to announce that he was suing me and I replied that I was suing him double the amount and waiting for him to serve me papers. He never served me any paper to date. “Two years later, he is singing that he won a suit against me. What suit? Am I NCC that revoked your licence or MCSN that proscribed you? Right now, COSON

is naked. They don’t have a licence to operate in Nigeria. Till the time they were proscribed, COSON has collected about N5 billion but cannot account for it. “The directors noticed it and demanded an explanation, instead of giving them one, you sue them to court. If you are not a thief, why are you doing that? Meanwhile, MCSN submitted to the forensic audit as authorised by NCC.�

Apart from the royalties war, Okafor sees greed and insincerity as major blocks in the music industry. “If you don’t have discipline, you will be selfish, greedy, and incapable of handling the public property.�

One of Okafor’s objectives when he assumed the role of PMAN’s president was to restore structure and faith in the union. To a large extent, he has achieved this. He takes pride in the newly released digital CMO by MCSN, GoCreate app which will manage the revenues from streamed works of artistes on any platform.

The app is similar to a barcoding technology he proposed a few years ago. Before it officially launched, the app has over 2000 registrations. In partnership with MCSN, Okafor is confident that musicians will benefit from it.

Sometime in 2019, Okafor considered leaving PMAN but his excos thought otherwise. They believed he is the bridge linking the old and new artistes and without him, the union would lose its relevance. More than once, his life has been threatened by many who sees his campaign for a transparent union as a hammer in their works.

But Okafor is unfazed, he admits he gets unpretty by insincerity and is determined to erase it from the union. Nevertheless, he reveals that his time in the union is ticking. He believes he is almost done with his mission. When will he take his bow? This year? Next year? “Soon,� is the only answer he offers.

SEPTEMBER 13, 2020 ˾ THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER

53

High Life Senator Gbenga Ashafa: Right Peg in Right Hole

G

ood things always eventually find their way to those who wait, and better things almost always flow in the direction of those who are competent.

This is the narrative that accompanies Senator Gbenga Ashafa on his very recent and very celebrated appointment to the Federal Housing Authority (FHA).

The hills on distant lands and streams flowing around the bend all agree that Ashafa’s new role is fitting and well-suited to his unique sweet of abilities.

When news of the appointment was posted on social media by Gawat Jubril, Senior Special Assistant on New Media to Governor Babajide SanwoOlu, jaws in high places dropped. After a while, resounding claps—in the form of congratulatory messages—began to permeate social media space.

Senator Gbenga Ashafa was appointed the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Federal Housing Authority (FHA) of Nigeria—alongside the appointment of AbdulMumin Jibrin as the new Executive Director, Business Development (Commercial, Corporate and Social Housing)—by President Muhammadu Buhari. Without question, this presidential edict is the result of much consideration and a standing testament to the proven efficiency of Senator Gbenga Ashafa.

Folks like Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, and Kano State Governor, Umar Ganduje, were the first to publicise their approval of Ashafa’s new mantle, agree that his appointment to the development of the Housing Policy is a plus for the Federal Government, and that Ashafa is just the right man for the role.

These seemingly dominating comments are not without basis. Since serving the Nigerian public service as a Youth Corps member in the ‘80s, Ashafa has taken the modalities of government duties as seriously as he would instructions from Up High. This is why his devotion, commitment and dedication landed him better-positioned roles, particularly that of a Senator representing Lagos East Senatorial District.

In his senatorial assignment, Ashafa ran the affairs of the Senate Joint Committee on Land Transport, Marine Transport and Aviation, as well as the Senate Conference Committee on the Nigerian Railway Authority Bill.

Because the work of Senator Gbenga Ashafa has only grown in scale and depth, it isn’t all that difficult to tie his present-day status as one of the most versatile administrative figures in government, to the old days when he was Director of Planning—in Lagos State government—and then Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Lands Bureau.

Ashafa

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

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

Mutiu Sunmonu not in a Hurry!

They say that human life is like a long sentence, that moments and memories are letters, and choices and decisions are punctuation marks. Once strung together, meaning ensues. Unravel, and meaning is lost.

In many ways, this is true for Mutiu Sunmonu, the Chairman of the construction empire, Julius Berger, and former MD of Shell.

It’s been a little over three years since he lost his wife; he remains loyal to her memory, as single as he was before he met her.

When numbering the most eligible adult bachelors of Nigerian society, one would not get to the toes before mentioning Sunmonu.

Experienced eyes have noted that while most men in his position are like ice-cream that meets the tongue and immediately melts away, Sunmonu is like seasoned meat that takes a bit of time and a bit of fine drink. As a result, many women are ready to take up this task and be that fine drink, but it isn’t working.

Sunmonu is renowned for a number of achievements: a first-class degree in Mathematics and Computer Sciences from the University of Lagos; peerless contributions

to the IT-infrastructure development of Shell; his years of executive positioning in the same Shell; his bossmanness in Julius Berger; and the depth of loss that accompanied the demise of his wife, Funke, in 2017.

It would seem, even today, that there is no replacement for his late wife. Although women are known to flock around him, many renowned and noble in the eyes of everyone else, it would seem as if Sunmonu isn’t interested. Apparently, the reported blend of gentleness and warmth that his wife exhibited during their time together is something that cannot be imitated or surpassed.

Perhaps, only someone like his wife will bring him out of his one-man hobbies of reading and golf, and let him see the world in pink and yellow again.

In any case, the general understanding regarding Mutiu Sunmonu’s singleness is that he really has moved on, but is taking his time to step into the stream of marriage. After all, they say that it is impossible to step into the same river twice.

Sunmonu

Bezos’ Ex-Wife Now World’s Richest Woman, after He Recently made $13bn in One Day

Jeff Bezos (right ) and ex wife, MacKenzie Scott

MacKenzie Scott — philanthropist, author and ex-wife of Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos — is now the wealthiest woman in the world. Scott’s net worth is now $68 billion, propelling her past L’Oréal heiress Francoise Bettencourt Meyers, according to Bloomberg’s Billionaire index.

Scott received a quarter of Bezos’ Amazon shares in the couple’s divorce settlement in 2019. That equated to a 4% stake that was worth more than $35 billion at the time. She is now the 12th wealthiest person in the world.

This comes about a month after it was reported that Bezos added $13 billion to his net worth, the largest single-day jump for an individual since

Aisha Buhari And Dolapo Osinbajo: Amazing Amity Between Nigeria’s Top Two Ladies

Buhari

Osinbajo

There is a kind of friendship that tarries long and hard, that is neither frazzled in the heat of differing opinions nor stiffened as a result of long distance. This is the kind of friendship deserving of praise and imitation, and the very one that exists between First Lady Aisha Buhari and ‘Second Lady’ Dolapo Osinbajo.

Given the choice of a best friend, most men and women at the apex of power would prefer those they’ve grown up

with and know inside and out. It is very rare to find someone who qualifies at that height—someone whose personal agendas are not incongruent, but running in the same direction as desired.

That is the narrative for both Dr. Medayese Aisha Buhari and Barrister Dolapo Osinbajo. They found themselves in identical political positions, became kindred spirits, and now share a friendship much deeper than the name of First or

the Bloomberg Billionaires Index was created in 2012. For context, that’s more than the combined total worth of Nigerian moneybags, Aliko Dangote, Abdul Samad Rabiu and Femi Otedola.

Amazon.com Inc shares surged 7.9%, the most since December 2018 on rising optimism about web shopping trends, and are now up 73% this year.

Bezos, Amazon’s 56-year-old founder and the world’s richest person, has seen his fortune swell $74 billion in 2020 to $189.3 billion, despite the US entering its worst economic downturn since the Great Depression. He’s now personally worth more than the market valuation of giants such as Exxon Mobil Corp, Nike Inc and McDonald’s Corp.

Second Lady.

It might have started with their husbands jointly manning the Titanic Ship that is Nigeria, but that cannot explain why Aisha and Dolapo are very fond of each other. Pictures abound on the internet that are proofs of the heartfelt and flourishing rapport between Lady Buhari and Lady Osinbajo.

There are pictures of one whispering into the ears of the other, of the second helping to adjust the head-tie of the first, of both of them apparently giggling at some private joke, and more and more.

These pictures warm the hearts of those who see them, and even cool—if slightly—the rising tempers of folks who have made a habit of repudiating every plan and policy of President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.

Most admirably, Ladies Aisha and Dolapo are the very symbols of unity and harmony. Aisha Buhari is a beauty therapist and author, a Muslim, and a native of Northern Nigeria. Dolapo Osinbajo, on the other hand, is a lawyer and natural social champion, a Christian, and the granddaughter of Chief Obafemi Awolowo. They can’t be any different.

However, both Aisha and Dolapo relate on the basis of how they are alike—women in power, staunch advocates of women and children rights, and paladins of a united and prosperous Nigeria—rather than how they are unalike.

In more ways than one, the friendship of First Lady Aisha Buhari and Second Lady Dolapo Osinbajo is phenomenal, and something that others will do well to emulate.

54

SEPTEMBER 13, 2020 ˾ THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER

Adebayo Adeoye bayoolunla@gmail.com; 08054680651

SOCIETY WATCH

Rahma Indimi’s Fantasy

Property Merchant, Ajibola Bisiriyu’s Wondrous Structures Ajibola Bisiriyu is one of the wave-making construction giants in the country. Interestingly, in spite of his rising profile, the Executive and Managing Director, Direct Construction Company loathes unnecessary attention or praise singing; he would rather make his achievements and success speak for him.

Sometime ago, the well-travelled construction mogul had submitted to the wishes of his people to contest election into the Lagos House of Assembly to represent the OshodiIsolo Constituency I. But for some personal reasons, Jibola, as he is fondly called, later withdrew from the race to give his business more attention, a decision that is gradually paying off for him.

His construction conglomerate is responsible for redefining the Lagos Skyline with state-of-the-art palatial architectural masterpiece.

Even now, he has vowed to leverage on his synergy and partnership with another popular construction company, Brains and Hammer, to deliver quality, affordable and luxury homes to Lagos residents - a promise he is currently keeping with, given his list of projects littered across the state.

The United Kingdom-trained technocrat, boardroom guru, politician, philanthropist and humanitarian has never relented in his quest to learn more.

He has always sharpened and harnessed his skills when it comes to construction. Before the lockdown, he had travelled around the globe, learning how modern architectural infrastructure could be replicated in Nigeria, therefore placing Lagos as the Paris, Dubai and New York of Africa in terms of jaw-dropping edifice.

Despite his numerous projects currently under construction on the Lagos Mainland and Island, sources averred that his soon-to-be completed Antilia Mini Estate 12 units of five semi-detached project situated at the highbrow, palace way Oniru Estate, Victoria Island is heavenly.

Sources said, “The building will conveniently boast all the luxurious housewares you can never imagine. The most attractive and juicy part of the condominium is an uninterrupted power supply system, a central water treatment and sewage system, a cinema house, main and private lounge, swimming pool and a well-equipped gymnasium.”

Indimi

That Rahma Indimi, daughter of Borno State-born billionaire oil magnate, Alhaji Mohammed Indimi, is confident is not in doubt.

Apart from her privileged background, her marriage to Mohammed Babangida, the first son of former Nigeria’s military Head of State, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, has further enhanced her chances of getting a mention in the media always.

Even so, since the marriage packed

up, there has always been one awful story or another about the couple. At different times, they have had to drag each other before different courts in the country over the custody of their four kids, making them hit the cover pages of many publications in the country.

Curiously, while the couple warms up to appear in court for the next proceedings in the lingering marital palaver, news filtered in, last week, that the estranged couple are back in each other’s arms.

What fuelled this rumour was not unconnected to a statement credited to Rahma. It all began when a news website accused Rahma of cropping off the kids of Mohammed’s second wife, Umma, from the family portrait they took with the patriarch of the family, Babangida, during the last Sallah celebrations in Minna in July.

Reacting to the news, Rahma, via her Instagram page, attacked the website, claiming the story was false and that she and her estranged husband had reconciled.

“How is this even news? Kai, anything to make money abi? Well, first of all, there are three of my children in the picture, not two. Secondly, I do not have my co-wife’s permission to post her children and Muhammed specifically told me no social media. Muhammed and I have reconciled and we are in a good place. So please stop sh**t stirring,” she had said.

However, a source denied the claim, saying it was just a figment of her imagination.

According to the source, Mohammed

has only had to relax some of his actions towards her, Rahma, because of his children whom he loves so much; hence, the invitation extended to their mother to be part of the last Sallah at the family home.

The source added that Mohammed knows the import of huge responsibilities thrust on him as the heir to the Babangida Dynasty and does not want any form of distraction.

“Moha, as fondly called, is more concerned about his image and people’s perception of the family. That’s why he hardly attends parties and events, and most importantly, abhors all this social media razzmatazz.

“Besides, it’s already too late for Rahma to win back Mohammed’s heart, as he cannot quickly forget what actually transpired all through the time they have been separated,” the source added.

He added that Mohammed has moved on and feels content with his first love, Aisha Umma Wali, the daughter of Ambassador Aminu Wali, whom he married in 2008 as second wife, after some unresolved issues with Rahma, who moved out of their matrimonial home with her kids.

It will be recalled that Rahma, who owns Deva Petals and Fashion Cafe, a luxury fashion platform in Abuja, announced in July 2016 her final split from Mohammed. Prior to that decision, efforts by the two influential families to bring them back together failed over irreconcilable differences.

Popular Televangelist, Bishop Tom Samson’s Gaudy Lifestyle His well-known companion is the Bible.

He never fails to claim that he has read the holy book back-to-back several times, making his fans believe that he is truly committed to his calling.

But any critical mind would wonder if Bishop Tom Samson, General Overseer, Kingdom Royal Church, has studied and imbued the teaching in Mathew 6-12: “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourself treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

He is one of the few so-called “men of God” whose gaudy fashion styles have been subjects of criticism by some critical members of the

society.

Known for his I-don’t-care attitude, the flamboyant Delta State-born televangelist is also a car freak.

He reportedly has in his garage a Rolls Royce Phantom worth over N200m, a Hummer Limousine worth N80m, and a Bentley car, among other luxury cars.

As proof of his insatiable taste for worldly acquisitions and obsession, he is also said to own several eye-popping mansions in Lagos and Ogun states. Only recently, he was reported to have completed another mansion in Lagos, which a source described as an architectural masterpiece.

His newly-completed all-white mansion named Royal Villa, which sits on several hectares of land, has been turned into a Mecca of sorts. In the view of many, his lifestyle is a pointer to his abiding belief that prosperity takes preeminence

Samson

over salvation. Or how else does one explain the reason or rhyme in his alleged plan to acquire a private jet to mark his forthcoming 55th birthday?

City Businessman, Rotimi Ajanaku’s New Move When you encounter Otunba Rotimi Ajanaku, a businessman and socialite, you can easily conclude that he is a child of destiny.

Even if you pretend not to be interested in his humble beginning, his rising profile will catch your attention, undoubtedly.

In reminiscence, when he started out little, involving in buying and selling, not a few jeered at him, while some others also made him the anvil of their sneer attacks. But today, by dint of hard

work, perseverance, and strong faith in God, he owns one of the biggest real estates in the country.

Last week, the politician launched his new business line, Dux Oil. At the event, his friends, business as well as political associates all gathered in Ibadan Oyo State to felicitate with him.

This may just be another beginning of his inspiring journey, as the handsome dude has his eyes set on the future.

In line with his fellow-feeling, he established ORAF Foundation, a foundation that supports local education, sports, and health causes in his hometown in Nigeria.

Over the years, through ORAF, he has been assisting the down-trodden with economic power. He believes philanthropy is all about thoughtfulness, care, going beyond the expected, and becoming involved.

Ogun Monarch, Oba Olaniyan’s Day with History

Bisiriyu

It was an interesting two-in-one event, last weekend, when the newly installed Onipokia of Ipokia in Ogun State, Oba Yisa Adeniyi Olaniyan, celebrated his 50th birthday and marked his coronation as the traditional ruler of the boisterous community.

Oba Olaniyan, while he lived in the United States, had piloted the popular Afro-Heritage Entertainment Awards, before he glided to the palace.

Expectedly, the urbane and graceful monarch, alongside his delectable queen, Olori Folasade, didn’t leave any stone unturned to make the event classy and glamorous.

Leading a retinue of dignitaries to the celebration venue in Ipokia town was

the Alaafin of Oyo, His Imperial Majesty, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi; Paramount ruler of Yewaland and Olu of Ilaro, Oba Olugbenle Asade Agunloye IV, top government officials, traditional rulers and Nollywood actors, among others.

With smiles beaming all over his face, the pleasant and unassuming monarch, who was the first king to be installed by the Governor Dapo Abiodun administration, assured all and sundry that his reign would herald growth and development to the town.

Unanimously elected by all kingmakers in Ipokia kingdom, perhaps due to his exquisite poise, carriage, maturity and intelligence, Olaniyan, who is the 46th Onipokia of Ipokia Kingdom, is described as sociable, humorous and amiable.

Oba Olaniyan

SEPTEMBER 13, 2020 ˾ THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER

55

LOUD WHISPERS

with JOSEPH EDGAR (09095325791)

Malami vs Magu – Rumble on the Rock Me I used to like this kind of fight.

This one will be more interesting than the type Fela used to call roforofo. This one is not that type that we used to see in Oshodi where the two combatants will be circling themselves and will not touch each other after hours of wetting the appetite. This one is looking like it will beat the ongoing Big Brother Nigeria in excitement. The two of them are able and willing, they have enough arsenals within them, poach to keep us glued to the ringside should this go the way analysts have predicted. I even just saw a report credited to this Malami that in whatever capacity they summon him, whether as Malami or the Attorney General, he is ready. Magu’s team has also sent a very strong signal that they want him. This

promises to be the fight of the century.

You see, me I remain very excited and eager. The accusations levelled against this Magu bighead are plenty o. It will really be highly miraculous if he can surmount them all, especially as these allegations could now be used against the administration that had vaunted its anti-corruption stance. Well, na make we dey look before the thing go come go turn to ‘na me, na me’ because that is how this kind of things used to end. Salami owes this generation of Nigerians a strong duty to allow this fight go on unedited and live so that we can really take our time and cry for this country. The healing has started and with this Malami vs Magu fight, we will begin to get our redemption. Na wa!

Malami

Magu

EMIR SANUSI – START WARMING UP You know you can like to be the only one talking in the room. That is how you will just be talking and be dishing out facts like say you are Microsoft software. That talk that they say you have said that politics is not for you is totally unacceptable. Please withdraw it and go and get ready. We are no longer interested in talking heads but in doers. So please remove all those big big flowing gowns you like to wear and remove the turban and come and enter the ring. At least you are no longer the Emir so you can jump into the fray. Shebi you say, you know all that has gone wrong and have been postulating the solutions even from your bathroom, the time has come for you to stand up and really be counted.

I have gone back as far back as when you were Managing Director of First Bank to listen to all your speeches and have come to the conclusion that you should no longer be doing spectator. You see, once the economy is repaired, decentralized and vibrant, most of the problems we are facing will diminish. I am not saying that you are the solution, very far from it. All I am just saying is that we really need to start corralling people with strong economic pedigree to begin to take strategic economic decisions. We are tired of this litany of confusion that is the bane of our leadership.

So leave that toilet seat for now and gird your loins and join the fray so that Shomolu people can begin to mobilize for you. Meanwhile, how is that your pair of slippers? The one you wore the day my brother kola brought me to visit you on Victoria Island some days after you emerged from your temporary internal exile and a few days before Governor ElRufai Covid announcement. Please greet the slippers for me. Thank you.

PASTOR IBIYEOMIE – RAGE ON THE PULPIT Did you see the clip? I was shocked and amazed at this clip. Mbok, the man of God dressed like a casino manager complete with armbands and baldhead was screaming bastard all over the place o. ‘He is a bastard, he is a bastard o, a bastard o… he screamed.

I come dey ask, wetinnnnnnnnn?

When did we fall to this point? Before they say I am yabbing man of God, but seriously my people see this one na. I wrote a scatting commentary about this particular episode on Ripples.NG and come and see the attacks. The people of ‘God’ came at me o. God save them sha, nobody call me bastard na, only Rotimi come dey talk say, I should stay clear and should not allow myself to be dragged into what I don’t know. You see, the rise of Christian militancy is disturbing. Their inability to tolerate critical assessment of the preaching and practice of Pentecostal Christianity is really scary.

If you say anything about any ‘man of God’ you are in trouble. The other day, I wrote something about one Baba suit and the whole denomination down to Ebiere my best friend who never pay her tithe - I know cos I dey owe her salary- come dey shout at me. My dear Pastor, it is WRONG to call a person such a name? Totally and I will not hide under - touch not the anointed - not to tell you my mind. You were out of order and you must apologise. Simple.

Don’t come and call me bastard o, me I am not Freeze who will now wear cloth, carry camera and be speaking big English. Me, I am Shomolu o. We no sabi English. Just do the right thing ‘man of God’ just say sorry. Kai.

Afolayan in his upcoming movie citation moved faster. Shebi it is ‘shyness’ that want to kill me? At the end of my Play Emotan of which you saw, you came out of the foyer at the Muson Centre and I met up with you for photo opp. I wanted to ask you to play a role in my upcoming project Aremu. I wanted you to be Obj’s mother but the thing refused to come out of my mouth. As I looked at you and you spoke to me saying well-done, well-done, my mouth open and nothing came out. Kai. I was ‘fearing’. That was how I missed the opportunity. Then, I saw you speak to the governors at one session – those ones apparently didn’t really listen to what you had to say judging from what we are seeing todayanyways, your diction, charisma and command of the audience struck me again. I could see that you would be able to command a theatre audience especially with your voice quality and deliberate delivery. I started to think about asking my sister Folake Ani -Mummuney if she could assist.

Devil struck again, each time I called her, I will just say – how are you ma and I hope you are ok? Well I can only just be very happy for my brother Kunle because this move would deepen the quality of the industry and draw more influential people into its fold. I look forward to seeing this movie even as I pray that your performance would loosen my tongue and give me the courage to once again try to ask you, if you could by any teeny-weeny bit chance be interested in coming on stage.

Welldone ma and welldone Kunle for this coup.

Let me refresh your memory. He was the only commissioner in the Ambode cabinet who had the guts to resign at the height of his principal’s wahala with those who own the master plan of Lagos. He had left to join forces with the PDP, showing a rare strain of courage in a muscled down society. Well what most of you also still do not know is the fact that Mr Oluwo is a distinguished investment banker who has devoted so much to the industry, rising to be the Executive Director of one of the biggest Pension Fund Administrators in the country. I saw him recently, gray hair on his shaved head and he was smiling. Edgar something is about to happen in Lagos, he told me conspiratorially. I said – you mean it? He said yes but hold, don’t say anything o. keep it secret. So I swear by my grandfather’s withered testicles that I will not tell a soul. So as I am telling you people now, some of you don’t know how to keep secret o. Don’t go and start telling people that the Duke has said that Wale Oluwo has said that something wants to happen o. I did not say anything o. kai.

IBUKUN AWOSIKA – I AM NOT HAPPY I have seen news reports about your movie debut. My brother Kunle

WALE OLUWO’S IMPENDING HURRICANE You may not remember Wale Oluwo.

TOPE FASORANTI – A JOLLY GOOD FELLOW My lord and brother, a Director at Zenith Bank, celebrated his birthday last Wednesday. That is how I jumped on third mainland bridge to rush from Shomolu to his Ajose Adeogun Victoria Island office to celebrate with him. Five hours after, I still dey traffic, the bobo come send me virtual cake.

I just laugh. Anyways, let me just say a huge happy birthday to this very wonderful guy who continues to play a vital role in his organisation and by extension the economy. Welldone sir.

Sanusi

Awosika

Oluwo

Fasoranti

ARTS & REVIEW A

PUBLICATION

13.09.2020

ANEHITA ALETOR’S

JOKER AND VIGNETTES OF AN UNTOLD STORY Aletor

EDITOR OKECHUKWU UWAEZUOKE/ okechukwu.uwaezuoke@thisdaylive.com

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T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ SEPTEMBER 13, 2020

ARTS & REVIEW\\EXHIBITION

ANEHITA ALETOR’S JOKER AND VIGNETTES OF AN UNTOLD STORY

Anehita Aletor’s ongoing solo exhibition in Lagos dredges up unknown stories from familiar traditions and offers light-hearted takes on life’s experiences. Okechukwu Uwaezuoke reports

G

ranted, the Lagos art scene may still be leagues away to a full bounce-back. Yet, the undeniable hints of its resilience in these uncertain times of the COVID-19 pandemic are hard to ignore. Hence, Anehita Aletor’s solo exhibition, which opened yesterday (Saturday, September 12) at the Lekki-basedAqua 27 Mall, along Chevron Drive in Lekki, should surprise none of the local exhibition circuit’s habitués.

The exhibition, which is on until Friday, September 18, is titled the Untold Story Series and Joker Series. As for its title, it is an allusion to the two series of the recent works by the 2003 Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma banking and finance graduate.

On the Untold Story series, it consists of a collection of paintings, which were originally planned for an exhibition that was supposed to be held by the Edo State Ministry of Arts and Culture. The series of paintings, Aletor explains, was inspired by the stories and folklores shared among the peoples of the state’s diverse cultural communities. And these stories and folklores were not only the ones she heard from her father but also the ones that Edo State indigenes were taught even right from their primary school years.

But, the trouble was that these stories were always based on the narrators’ exaggerated versions.

Hence, the self-taught artist hopes to stir up a level of appreciation, as a reminder to her audience that Oamen they are relatable experiences that can be likened to how people live and feel today. “[It is a reminder] that we are not so different from who lived in those by-gone years when it comes to human emotions and how some things affect us human beings,” she adds.

Take the acrylic on canvas painting titled “Queen Iden: The Untold Love Story”, for instance. It shows a king and his wife locked in a warm embrace. According to the oral tradition, his wife had voluntarily offered her life as a propitiatory sacrifice to the gods for her husband’s misdemeanour. Another acrylic on canvas painting, titled “Adesuwa, the King’s Court”, depicts the king, as a family man, in a warm homely setting with a household pet, a leopard.

Then, there is the mixed-media she titled “Oamen”, which is based on the stories that her father told her. “This work tells at a glance the history and pride of the Esan tribe through the use of vibrant colours, motifs and selected materials,” she says.

Also in this series, she offers her own interesting perspective of the legendary Oba Akengboi, who, though not much written about in history, resonates with the youths because of his dread-

locks. Also on account of this distinguishing feature, parallels are often drawn between him to the 2018 American Marvel Comics-based superhero film’s character, Black Panther.

Meanwhile, the Joker series offers a humorous and lighthearted take on life. Metaphorically, the artist sees life as a game. “In the theatre of life,” she muses in a verse. “Everyone has a role to play./ Enjoy the show/ [before] the curtains fall.”

Because this is a series, which was originally inspired by the theatrical and historical vintage European clowns, the buffoon-like figures express the artist's sense of humour and sarcasm. According to her, they theatrically and poetically allude to wealth, politics, love, family and both masked and unmasked emotions. Thus, she keeps reminding her viewer that life is a game and a theatre. Among the paintings in the series is “Poker Face”, which birthed the series and the rationale behind it all.

The Edo State-born artist has meanwhile come a long way since her first attempt at portraiture. And this was when she drew a portrait of President Muhammadu Buhari during his brief stint as Nigeria’s military head of state while she was in

the kindergarten.

Art has always stalked her like a shadow even when she thought that it was not the kind of vocation that was worth her while. She had in the meantime kept abreast with the developments in the art scene until she was invited to a paint-and-sip event by her old high school friends in 2017. This marked a turning point in her life. So, 18 years after she had abandoned art, she discovered that getting back into the swing of things was not so difficult. Not even the fact that she was initially assailed with doubts could discourage her.

One thing led to another as she got more and more confident.

Then, along the line, she came up with the brand name “Anothersoloartist”. Since she already had a white-collar nine-to-five, art became an after-work activity, which earned her the moniker “the artist at sunset”.

And, of course, there are her three teenage children, on whom she lavished so much affection and attention. They soon began to be drawn into the exciting world of art practice like their mother, albeit under her supervision and tutelage.

Her efforts, before long, began to pay off and put her in the limelight. She became more and adept with the use of acrylic paints even when she would now and then try her hand on installations. Collectors began to take interest in her works and she found herself working on commissions. In just one year, she recalls, she was able to complete and deliver a total of 28 commissioned artworks, which included drawings and paintings. All this was while her sights were set on building her private collection and creating a home gallery.

Featuring in both local and international group exhibitions further burnished her career and bolstered her confidence.

And to think that she had, six years after her graduation from Ambrose Alli University in Ekpoma, trained as a certified aesthetician and holistic therapist from the UK-based schools: Carlton Institute in Windsor, Ray Cochrane Institute in London and the London School of Beauty and Makeup! Suddenly, her art, which has become her main life’s passion, extended to mentoring and teaching children and young adults in a bid to build up a team of young creative people.

BOOKS

Nigerian Writers on the Crisis of Appreciation Yinka Olatunbosun Nigerian writers are some of the first professionals to put Nigeria on the world map. To be sure, Nigeria produced Africa’s first Nobel Laureate in Literature long before the world began to be fascinated by Nollywood. Yet, writers are placed on the lowest rung on the creative sector pyramid.

This amongst many other issues was raised during a recent webinar organised by the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA). With the theme “In Search of A Better World: The Role of The Writer,” the webinar was a convergence of some of the best minds in Nigerian literature to discuss some of the social realities in the world of the writers and their commitment to documenting them.

Moderated by the playwright and poet, Obari Gomba, the conversations revolved around humanity with interventions from other writers in diaspora. On his part, the author, Uche Peter Umezurike expressed the view that writers should be able to create characters that recreate a world that includes the “other” people.

“We should be open to the different ways that people behave or experience humanity,” Umezurike said. “We shouldn’t venerate literature that discriminates against the ‘other’ so that we don’t devalue otherness. What binds us together is our humanity and vulnerability and they are more important than the things that divide us such as religion, gender, tribe, race.”

For the Palestinian translator and poet, Alice Yousef, writ-

ers should be willing to take risks because a form of bravery comes from taking risks. “We need to break the barrier of comfort to take risks,” she argued. “We should not be afraid to displease the reader or some readers. It is a part of our psychological response to our environment to write for change and be an activist; to protest issues that hit us hard.” She added that the writer is entitled to her own voice which is both unique and powerful. She lamented the slow rate of translation of literature written in indigenous languages as one of the challenging factors in the crisis of appreciation.

Nigeria’s leading poet, Remi Raji noted that the poet’s first duty is to make love to the language. In addition, the writer must sew philosophy to time, to conjour and arrest power. With allusion to the biblical reference that in the beginning was the word, Raji said that writing is the first profession.

“The Nigerian state lacks the moral courage to claim its writers,” Raji said. “The likes of Okigbo and Achebe are self-made authors. There is no residency for writers that is sponsored by Raji the Nigerian state. Not having a residency is like not having a organisations to create foundation, libraries and hubs where stadium for footballers. Streets should be named after writers. writers can meet and exchange ideas or even seek financial Let’s stop having make-shift cultural agencies and ministries support. “There should be a creative writing art fund. The with no coaching for writers. Organisations such as Cadbury writer is at the lower rung of the Nigerian creative industry and NLNG sponsor writers to conferences. We need pen pyramid. There is a budget for the creative industry for 2019 centres in primary and secondary schools. Nigeria has 55% of and 2020. How much of this goes to the writers?” he asked resident writers in Africa. There is no creative writing school in rhetorically.

Nigeria. We are wasting away our writers. We need a union not The webinar was punctuated by poetry readings by an association of writers because this is a struggle.”

Christine Yohannes and Uche Peter Umezurike.

In addition, he urged the government as well as corporate

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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ SEPTEMBER 13, 2020

WORLD OF SCIENCE with Kofo Babalola

ThreeBlackWomenWhoLedTheWayforBlackFemalesinScience

I

t takes courage to look beyond the divisions that harbour restrictions in our societies. It is easier to stay in a position that doesn’t create disturbances to our societal norms. In the past, we hear of stories of the segregation between the black man and the white.

We often don’t realise that there were more victories in that era than downfalls we often remember not to forget. One in particular was a real time story of three black women that did their part in the space industry. They broke boundaries and sought-after things that were not easily granted to them because of the colour of their skin.

A historical moment that should have been celebrated during the time that it happened, is now setting the tempo for young black females like me to envision themselves in high-ranking positions in the field of science.

They were pioneers of a movement that is inspiring young black girls to take up a career in the field of science.

This movement is still taking place several years down the line from the times that these barriers were broken. Katherine Johnson, Mary Jackson and Dorothy Vaughan were amongst many others that worked as ‘computers’ in the Langley Memorial Aeronautical laboratory. They handled the mathematical calculations of the many activities that took place in space during their times. Katherine who stood out from the rest, with a highly cerebral mathematical brain, joined the Space Task Force that worked on getting Astronaut John Glenn into space and back safely.

The calculations that needed to be made to cause Glenn to orbit Earth needed the expertise of a smarter brain than a human. This was when computers were introduced to facilitate a faster and more effective way of calculating however, Johnson was still called to doublecheck the work done by the machine.

There was a slight uncertainty on the accuracy of this device which created space for Johnson who proved to show a high-level of accuracy at all times. Credit for the complex calculations that she performed by hand was given to her, as even the astronaut had great faith in her hand calculations than the computer’s very own.

It was recounted by her that Glenn’s last words before his launch were, “If she says they’re good, then I’m ready to go.” In that moment, he put his trust in her hand calculations as she double checked the accuracy of the numbers that came out of the computer.

This is a powerful message that will continue to resonate in our lives as we see at this point

in time a shift in focus away from the division created between black and white. The focus was put instead on trying to get the person that was best suited for the job, no matter the colour of their skin.

At that moment, it is mesmerising to think that, Katherine Johnson was that person that they needed for the calculations for the trajectories. Without her expertise in looking beyond into the places that many of her white counterparts couldn’t reach, they might not have been able to obtain the numbers that were needed to ensure that the astronaut would return back safely.

She had a hand in the historical moment of the launching of America’s first human into orbit of planet Earth. She made history even when she didn’t know it. She was one of the firsts for many things, but she was very much unaware of these achievements at that time.

This was shown as she didn’t blow her trumpet to the ground-breaking feats that she should have rightfully claimed. Her story was not told until recently. The mark she made in the history of space travel was almost going to be forgotten if it wasn’t for the book written

by Margot Lee Shetterly’s in the year of 2016, ‘Hidden Figures’.

Her work that she left behind would have been erased in the click of the fingers and little black girls wouldn’t have been able to witness all that she did. They wouldn’t have had the opportunity to see someone that looked just like them in a position that was predominately dominated by white men.

It was safe to say that these roles were not given to a woman, yet alone a black woman.

Her tenacious nature and the drive she had to take a hold of a position that paralleled with her expertise was also seen in a woman that goes by the name of Mary Jackson. She like Katherine Johnson was a black woman of great intelligence, however, her niche was not in calculations.

Although her brain didn’t work on the same speed in which Katherine’s did to solve mathematical calculations, she still had an analytical brain that caused her to become a female engineer. She led the way for black female engineers as she, being the first to be a black female aeronautical engineer, opened a few of the many shut doors that aspiring black female engineers would have met along the way in their journeys.

In her chasing her dreams of becoming an engineer, she broke the stigma that a great majority had of blacks not being intelligent enough to work in the field of science. She was black and unapologetically working in

a field that was seen by many as too difficult for those with the same skin colour as her. In her journey to becoming an engineer, she was required to take up certain extra courses that were taught in an all-white institution.

Despite the many hinderances she faced, she mustered up the courage to look beyond.

She didn’t allow this obstacle to stop her from progressing her knowledge to another level.

She believed that even though rules were put in place in that moment, it didn’t mean that it wouldn’t ever change to work in one’s favour.

The ability she had to see the possibility of her being accepted into these classes against all odds, enabled her to be the first black African American female to become an aeronautical engineer. If she didn’t take a risk in trying to bend the rules to work in her favour, she wouldn’t have made history and she wouldn’t have fulfilled her full potential. There was nothing she was going to lose in trying to enter the spaces that were unfairly against the entrance of blacks.

She had to be the first to take a chance against the system that was built to tear down the black man. Her success in gaining a seat at a table filled with white men should be seen as a testament to her bravery. She fought till the end without giving up.

The third woman portrayed in the hidden figures was Dorothy Vaughan, who acted as the helm of the division of the black women working as ‘computers’. She was working in a position that did the work of a supervisor but was not getting the pay of one. She was similar to the rest in that she possessed a persevering character which kept her pushing to be promoted to other positions in the company.

This led her to become the first black woman to become a supervisor in the company and one of the first in the company to learn the first high-level programming language. She later taught this skill to others and put this skill to great use in the programming of the IBM computers that eventually arrived.

These stories resonate with me as a young black girl studying mechanical engineering.

I often see parallels with experiences I have had despite living in a society that is open to diversity. In recent times, the inclusion of all has become eminent in every aspect of our lives which makes it easier for one to pursue their dreams.

However, the lack of representation of blacks in rare positions like these is what dwindles the desire to occupy these spaces.

Many tend to pursue paths that have a history of being pursued by people that look like them.

There is a sense of familiarity that we feel when we see our fellow blacks occupying the same spaces that we are in. There is a feeling of apprehension when we don’t see people that look like us nearby when we need help to be pulled up when knocked down.

This was something I knew I was inevitably going to face, knowing that I was not made for studying subjects of the arts as I didn’t have the flair for these essay-based subjects. I was more inclined to getting a better score in a maths-based subject than in an essay for a humanity-based subject.

This drew the line between me and many black students as I was the only black in all my classes in the last two years of my studies before the start of university. Therefore, applying for a university course that again had less of people that looked like me was not something that was difficult to come into terms with.

To my surprise there were more blacks in my course in my year which made things bearable as I had a few to lean on. This made the process of coming to terms with the fact of being the only black girl much easier, as I knew it would have been much worse to be the only black person studying the course.

It is comforting to hear stories like these because the recognition of a black person’s achievement is something we don’t see often.

The act of unravelling the hidden stories of blacks making a difference in different parts of the world, will act as a fuel in sparking inspiration in the youth.

We need to not only tell our stories but help each other to shine a light on the impact that we are making as a black community. In building each other up by praising each other for the things each one of us have achieved will prevent stories like these from being stuck in their hiding places. The lateness in the acknowledgements of the work done by people like Katherine Johnson, Mary Jackson and Dorothy Vaughan would have been prevented.

The powerful tool of storytelling should be utilized to spread the awareness of the different spaces that we, blacks, are occupying. We need to see the black changemakers especially in the science field being brought out today, as this is a space that we don’t often see enough blacks occupying.

We need to learn from them the things that they are doing to differentiate themselves from the rest and how we can follow in their paths of creating change. We can’t allow history to repeat itself of the lack of documentation of the ground-breaking works done by a black person.

PERSPECTIVE

The First Lady Edo People Need

John Mayaki

W

e seek, in these desperate times, a proper first lady for the people of Edo State, for you only have to look at a man’s wife and his relationship with her to know the type of man he is. Aman, who is joined to an intemperate wife and is disposed to accede to all her wishes, will very likely possess a flexible morality and no mind of his own. Astrong man with good character married to a strong wife with compassion will be a formidable pair.

While the people of Edo State do not say any man is joined to an intemperate wife, we say that we are all fired up to gain a strong couple with unwavering compassion, humility and strength of character.

Already, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu is a powerful philanthropist with a history of displaying compassion. He lives and breathes a better life for Edo people. The best marital decision he therefore made was entering into conjugal bliss with the inimitable and remarkable Prof Idia Ize-Iyamu, nee Omoregie. Without needing to mention the evident love between the couple, it is clear that her calmness matches his assuredness, so there is no danger that he may stutter and hesitate in a manner that will put her off her game, as has been known to be the norm in Edo state these days. If anything, she is strong enough to inspire her husband, something that anyone who watched the Obamas during their stint in the White House would have observed. Osadebey Avenue desperately begs for that nobility and regal conduct from its first family.

To determine who would be a proper first lady for the people of Edo, a few things must be brought to mind. The first is indigeneity.

Accounts are sparse, few and far between where a woman not indigenous to a people went ahead to become a good queen or

matriarch for them. It simply is difficult. Many successful queens are usually indigenous to the kingdoms that they find themselves.

While in issues of business and industry, the current first lady may be experienced enough to motivate her husband, governing the people of Edo State is not the same thing. She needs an understanding of the people, the culture and the voices of the people. This is something that Prof. Mrs. Ize-Iyamu has in abundance, her father having drilled into her through his life’s example, the principles of empathy and philanthropy towards humans in general and Edo people in particular.

To put things in perspective, we have a governor on the one hand, who, even though he was part of an administration that built a hospital that should have moved Edo healthcare to the next level, he preferred to spitefully and with misguided vindictiveness close down the hospital and hound the governor who built it.

On the other hand, we have a governorship candidate whose wife is a Professor of medicine and who will ensure her husband does everything possible to move healthcare from the disastrous level it currently is to the next level. Who would you choose? It’s a no-brainer.

It was because the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) knew of her ability to be a tour de force in the APC campaign that they decided to attack her person by conjuring up imbecilic stories about her family, warning her to stay away from her husband’s campaign.

Of course, they failed. The Omoregies came out in their numbers to declare their support for the Ize-Iyamu candidacy. The Obasekis joined suit and declared their support for Ize-Iyamu, taking time to denounce their son.

While individually, there are reports she is a great person, it is unfair to juxtapose her with the significantly more empathetic and philanthropic Professor Mrs. Ize-Iyamu, who has spent more time

in Edo and is in tune with her people. Professor Idia has been able to display remarkable understanding of the POI SIMPLE agenda because her family, her children and her entire life and father’s legacies are tied to the development of Edo State. She would not side even with her husband if peradventure, he treads the wrong path - she supports what she believes to be good. There is no clear indication that the current first lady understands the MEGA (failure?) agenda of her husband, which seeks among other things to divide Edo State along religious, political, ethnic and social lines. What has she done for the people of Edo State apart from, at one time, distributing chickens to the widows in the state? Her husband’s poverty-inducing policies have no doubt made the widows kill and eat the chickens, for we no longer hear anything about them. No happy clack clacking in the poultries. No eggs sizzling in the pans. Just the growl of hungry stomachs and the glare of red, angry eyes.

While the Professor, a daughter of Edo, has not shied away from going into the markets and speaking to the women she will soon serve as first lady, the alleged industrialist has not been able to muster in her heart that same level of commitment. We cannot blame her. She simply does not have it in her. She was forced away from her comfort zone by her husband and dragged to be the first lady in Edo State where she did not grow up, can barely speak the language and cannot empathise well enough to be the first lady we want her to be. She, with her husband, needs to go.

The current first lady showed immense promise, but that was the end of the matter – a ‘show’. Professor Idia has not only shown promise, she has been living the life of a first lady for a long time and would be a fitting role model for any woman interested in going into a leadership position. We have chosen who we want in power, and it is the Ize-Iyamu family.

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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 ˾ SEPTEMBER 13, 2020

CICERO

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

IN THE ARENA

Situating Abuja’s Security Threat Alert Beyond the lame excuses, the alleged security threat to Abuja must be taken seriously. Louis Achi writes

A

n internal memo dated September 4, 2020, issued by the Comptroller Enforcement of the Nigerian Customs Service, H.A. Sabo, allegedly on behalf of the Deputy Comptroller General Enforcement, Investigation, and Inspection, stated that the Boko Haram terrorist group has established camps in and around Abuja, the FCT. Clearly, these could not have been tourism camps.

A copy of the intelligence report sighted by THISDAY read: “Further reports have it that they are planning to attack some select targets within the territory.

“They are reported to have set up their camps in the following identified enclaves: Kunyam bush along airport road off DIA staff quarters, Abuja, Robochi/Gwagwalada forest, Kwaku forest Kuje -Abuja, Unaisha forest in Tata Local Government of Nasarawa State, Gegu Forest close to Idu town in Kogi State.”

Flowing from this security threat alert, all security agencies in the country have been reportedly ordered to be alert and security-conscious at all times while many residents of the capital city are on edge.

In something of a curious Trumpsque play-down of the security warning, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media, Garba Shehu, perhaps to stem public alarm and because NCS is not a core intelligence agency, reluctantly confirmed the scenario that was no longer a secret.

His words: “The Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Col. Hamid Ali (Rtd) has confirmed that the intelligence arm of the agency made certain discoveries of security nature and in line with their duty to the nation, they have drawn the attention of security and intelligence agencies to what they found.

He has, however, not authorised the issuance of any internal memo to his commands on the subject of their discovery.”

It could be recalled that the devastating September 11, 2001 terror attacks on the US scripted by the baleful Al Qaeda terror group, led by Osama Bin Laden represented an unimaginable strategic surprise, exposing American vulnerabilities. But there were intelligence warnings, met with very tepid responses.

In July 2001, J. Cofer Black, CIA’s counterterrorism chief and George Tenet, CIA’s director, met with Condoleezza Rice, then National Security Advisor, to inform her about communications intercepts and other top-secret intelligence showing the increasing likelihood that al-Qaeda would soon attack the US. Rice listened but was unconvinced, having other priorities on her mind. Secretary of Defence Donald Rumsfeld questioned the information suggesting it was a deception meant to gauge the U.S. response.

Almost a month later, on August 6, 2001, the President’s Daily Briefing (PDB), entitled “Bin Ladin Determined To Strike in US” warned that Osama bin Laden was planning to exploit his operatives’ access to the U.S. to mount a terrorist strike: “FBI information... indicates patterns of suspicious activity in this country, consistent with preparations for hijackings or other types of attack.”

Rice responded to the claims about the briefing in a statement before the 9/11 Commission stating the brief was “not prompted by any specific threat information” and “did not raise the possibility that terrorists might use airplanes as missiles.” The rest is history.

The problem of risk communication in the context of imperfect intelligence regarding a prospective, rather than actual, terrorist attack presents its peculiar challenges. This is especially so when the difficulty of offering tactical warning without a prior strategic analysis and the tendency to focus on the vulnerabilities of a society rather than the intent of the terrorists is the dominant thread.

Part of the challenges in conclusively rolling back and defeating the extant Boko Haram insurgency include lack of/or

Nigeria Buhari Maiduguri Boko-Haram Military diminished intel-sharing between agencies, poor priority funding and provision of battlefield equipment, tepid responses to earlier attacks and a failure to grasp the magnitude of the terrorists’ ambitions.

With socio-economic pressure mounting on citizens, flowing from debatably quirky policy logic, any successful terror attacks targeting the federal capital territory would send the wrong signals to the international community and the implications can be best imagined. More, it certainly would not send the right signals to the domestic constituents either.

The terror group’s successful attacks on the Police headquarters and UN Building, both in Abuja, during the former President Goodluck Jonatha administration, are bloody incidents not easily forgotten.

The Boko Haram is an amalgam of actors including Islamic extremists, the angry and marginalised youth, who have been incited, mobilised and supported by some shadowy crisis entrepreneurs to destabilise the Nigerian polity. Its members are recruited locally and from neighbouring African countries including Benin, Chad, Niger, Sudan, Somalia and Mauritania.

More recently, the group has reportedly commenced the recruitment of women into its fold as couriers for arms and ammunition, suicide bombing and for intelligence gathering and operational information purposes. It also allegedly uses street-traders and hawkers for gathering operational information and launching attacks on targets.

The Responses of the Nigerian Defense and Intelligence Establishments to...

Nigeria is sliding into anarchy on account of the Boko Haram insurgency as the defense and intelligence establis...

The Nigerian defense and intelligence establishments contend that the sect has links to international terrorist organisations such as Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), which operates principally in the Sahel region.

The group opposes the constitutional secularity of the

Nigerian state, repudiates western education, democracy, and seeks to fight for its version of justice. The operational base and activities of Boko Haram have been in states in the Northeast geo-political zone. Its operations have been extended to other major northern cities and extending southwards.

The Defence Headquarters has confirmed the plot by the terrorists to unleash mayhem on Abuja. In a statement issued by the Defence Headquarters a few days after the NCS alert and signed by the Coordinator, Defence Media Operations, Major-General John Enenche, the apex security body reassured residents of the federal capital territory and contiguous states of their safety.

“The Armed Forces of Nigeria and other security agencies have been on red alert to combat crime and ensure effective surveillance of the Federal Capital Territory and other States of the country. This is imperative sequel to a purported memorandum from the Nigeria Customs Service warning its staff on a possible attack on the FCT. “The Armed Forces of Nigeria working together with other security and response agencies, particularly the core intelligence agencies, hereby assure the general public that preventive and preemptive intelligence are ongoing. The general public is thus advised to go about their lawful businesses undeterred,” the defence headquarters told jittery residents.

For good measure it further assured “the general public that the offensives against the common enemies of this nation will not cease until normalcy is restored in all parts of the country.

Hence, the general public is equally enjoined to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity accordingly.”

The nation’s military and other security agencies have sustained a long, bruising but inconclusive war against the terror group. Although all the territories previously occupied by the terror group have been retaken, the Boko Haram still poses a dangerous threat to the security of the nation. Its latest threat to attack Abuja can only be taken tepidly at the nation’s peril.

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

A World Capital for Afflictions?

F

Ehanire

or many months now, Nigerians both home and away, had battled the stigma of being classified as the headquarters of poverty, successfully taking over from India.

This sort of classification was a sore in the hearts of many people, who thought the country deserved better, but could not contest the statistics conceding that “horrible status” to

them.

As if that was not enough, just a few days ago, a new status was added to this classification and that’s Nigeria, dusting India again to become the headquarters of under-five deaths in the world.

UNICEF, in a report titled: ‘Levels and Trends in Child

Mortality’, claimed Nigeria recorded an estimated average of 858,000 under-five deaths in 2019 as against India, which ranked second with 824,000 deaths out of 5.2 million underfive deaths globally.

Curiously, this is coming two years earlier than the World Bank had projected that Nigeria would take over from India as the world capital for deaths of children under the age of five by 2021.

Whatever it is, this is a clarion call to leadership for service and good governance. Nigerians cannot continue to be calibrated in the worst of assessment, when the indices for such justifications can be turned around, where leadership is up to the challenge. Being the capital for all sorts of afflictions isn’t cool and government must rise up to this challenge.

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ SEPTEMBER 13, 2020

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BRIEFINGNOTES

Waiting on Malami’s Testimony As the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami gets set to testify against former EFCC chairman, Ibrahim Magu, before the Justice Ayo Salami Panel, it may seem that the last is yet to be learned of the Magu era, writes Shola Oyeyipo

T

he Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, has agreed to testify before the Justice Ayo Salami Panel investigating the embattled former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu. However, questions are being asked as to the motives of the nation’s number one law officer.

The decision by Malami, SAN, to testify against the sacked EFCC boss, Magu, in his ongoing trial by the Special Presidential Panel, has raised the stakes in the power game in the Presidency and a clear indication that Magu might not get a soft landing after all.

Magu’s problem is as old as his tenure as the chair of the anti-corruption body. In the first instance, until his last day in the office, the Senate never confirmed him as the substantive Chairman of the EFCC. The Senate, led by former Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Sraki, had based its decision not confirm him on two scathing security reports written by the Department of State Security (DSS) on two different occasions. The report had indicted Magu and probably concluded that he was not fit enough to be given an assignment as sensitive as the chairmanship of the EFCC. Part of the leaked memo read: “An officer appointed as the Acting Chairman of the EFCC should by all means be one of impeccable credentials with proven integrity and capacity to lead the nation’s fight against graft in high and low places. Thus far, it is Malami evident from Magus’s antecedence that he is by no means that kind of person.

“His relationship with (one) Umar Mohammed, which involved disclosure of very sensitive and classified documents in his possession shows lack of professionalism and has soiled his integrity.

More so, for an officer, who was indicted and nearly dismissed six years ago, to again be involved in similar circumstances, it is clear Magu is a perennial offender and cannot change.”

Ironically, the document of this scathing and damaging indictment was sent to no other person than Malami himself, who has never been a fan of Magu due to power play within the corridors of power.

It was a known fact that while Malami was in the camp that also involved the late Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari, and the former DirectorGeneral of the DSS, Lawal Daura; Magu has always been in the camp of the National Security Adviser to the President, General Monguno.

It was, therefore, not surprising when that scathing security report against Magu found its way into the public space. This was in May 2017.

The Senate, which was led by a group not really a fan of the Presidency then, found a veritable platform to latch on and deny Magu clearance.

To crown it all, the memo that finally nailed Magu’s coffin was also written and submitted to the President by no other person than Malami, the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice. And the first paragraph of the memo was enough to nail any public officer.

It reads: “The Acting Chairman of EFCC is not acting in the overall best interest of the country and the policies of this administration, due to its Mismanagement and Lack of Transparency in Managing Recovered Assets; Diversion of Recovered Assets for Personal Enrichment; Neglecting to investigate the P & ID case as directed by the President; Flagrant Disobedience to Directives and to Court Orders due to the following…”

He was not done. “For Foreign currency recoveries, EFCC reported a total naira equivalent of N46, 038,882,509.87 while the naira equivalent of the foreign currency lodgments were N37, 533,764,195.66, representing a shortfall of N8, 505,118,314.21. These inconsistencies cast a serious doubt on the accuracy of figures submitted by the EFCC. “It is the committee’s view that the EFCC cannot be said to have fully accounted for cash recoveries made by it. While EFCC reported total Naira recoveries of N504, 154,184,744.04, the actual bank lodg-

ments were N543, 511,792,863.47.

“These discrepancies mean that EFCC’s actual lodgment exceeded its reported recoveries by N39, 357,608,119.43. This is an apparent case of manipulation of data in a very brazen and unprofessional manner and this has greatly eroded the public confidence in the anticorruption efforts.”

However, Magu, his lawyer and his loyalists have vehemently denied these allegations and claimed that the embattled senior police officer was a victim of power play and being targeted by those who were feeling his ruthless pursuit of stolen funds all over the world. In fact, no time had the regular cliché of this regime – corruption is fighting back – was more poignant than when the travails of the embattled EFCC chairman started.

Beyond this, however, is the fact that the Magu saga shows how divided the Buhari Presidency has been since day one. Buhari’s core message during the campaigns of 2015 was that he would fight corruption to a standstill and that those who dipped their hands into the public till in previous administrations would have to vomit whatever they had stolen.

The appointment of Magu to succeed Ibrahim Lamorde was seen as a masterstroke. And Magu went about his duties with so much ruthlessness and determination. But there was a problem: Magu’s focus was opposition figures.

In fact, many accused him of ignoring or refusing outright to investigate any member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), who had a petition submitted against him to the Commission.

One particular case was that of the suspended National Chairman of the party and former governor of Edo State, Adam Oshiomhole. The EFCC had to say it needed an injunction to even investigate the petition against him.

But today, the hunter has become the hunted.

Magu is in the dock and the person, who has volunteered to testify against him is no other person than his nemesis, Malami. But analysts have been asking questions as to what the motive of Malami is. Is it really altruistic? Is he working in the interest of the administration?

Sources told THISDAY that Malami might have submitted a memo to the President or is on the verge of doing that to whittle down the powers of the Chairman of the EFCC. In fact, he wants the Commission to have a Director-General and not a Chairman. If that is the case, then, there is a political angle to the whole matter and which further questions the motive of Malami in his new ‘offensive’ against Magu.

NOTES FOR FILE

It’s Goodbye to Subsidy Regime!

Mele Kyari

The recent removal of subsidy on fuel, which though has generated controversy amongst the people, is a welcome development. This is because if done sincerely it would save the nation so much money and close an ugly chapter in official corruption for good.

Subsidy removal had remained the solution to the sleaze in the downstream sector of the petroleum industry, but which some people had politicised for obvious selfish and political reasons. An attempt by former president Goodluck Jonathan to stop the fraud in 2012 was met with stiff opposition from across the country in a coordinated protest that almost crippled the nation for weeks.

Incidentally, a majority of those in power today coordinated the opposition and protest to the proposed subsidy removal by the Jonathan government on account of concocted lies, the reality of which is beginning to dawn on them now. Unfortunately, there can’t be any protest, because subsidy removal is the way to go. It is not sustainable and there is no alternative to the choice.

Therefore, while it is good to celebrate the removal and commend the courage of the leadership to do so, it is also important to re mind the Nigerian populace that this evil would have been long put behind them since 2012. Whether or not they do not find it easy now, it is an evil day that would still come, ultimately.

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ SEPTEMBER 13, 2020

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CICERO/TRIBUTE

Bizos, a Gift to the Oppressed, Passes!

Funke Aboyade

T

he photo below was taken with George Bizos at the Annual Conference of the International Bar Association in Auckland, New Zealand.

He was in Auckland to receive the Bernand Simon’s Memorial Award, the IBA’s top human rights award.

I admired him greatly. I had read so much about him. He was, notably, Nelson Mandela’s lawyer at the 1963 Rivonia Trial and was credited with adding the words, “if needs be” to Mandela’s famous speech in the dock. “It is an ideal, which I hope to die for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I’m prepared to die”.

He had also represented Steve Biko, Chris Hani and Winnie Mandela. He had taken up Zimbabwe opposition leader, Morgan Tsvangirai’s defence in another high profile trial, which grabbed international media headlines, especially given that the judiciary in President Robert Mugabe’s government was then under siege. Tsvangirai was acquitted and discharged just about a month previously.

I walked up to him and introduced myself. He was quite friendly and receptive. He agreed to grant me an interview, which subsequently took place at Aboyade with Bizos in New Zealand back in 2004 the Stamford Plaza Hotel, Auckland.

The result was my interview with him, headlined the world, Justice Akinola Aguda, who served as that “George Bizos...South Africa’s Gift to the Oppressed” country’s Chief Justice. published November 9, 2004 in THISDAY. Bizos spoke to me about his escape from NaziGeorge Bizos was a man of many parts. At some occupied Greece, where he was born, his relationship point, he was also a judge of the Court of Appeal, with Nelson Mandela and the ANC, South Africa’s Truth Botswana and well acquainted with Nigeria’s gift to

and Reconciliation Commission, his law practice and life generally.

A few lines from the interview: Responding to my question whether it came as a surprise that Mandela and his co-accused had escaped the death penalty in the Rivonia trial, he said, “They could well have been. We expected it, we thought it may well happen...the judge had said some unkind words about them, that they really were doing this...for selfish motives, because they wanted black revolutionaries to come to power.

“The international media, world opinion really helped save their lives, because even though the regime said, ‘we will hang them if the judge sentences them to death; we don’t care about international opinion’. I don’t think they were so sure they would actually do that.

“It was always suspected that the judge might have got the message that it would be better if he did not pass the sentence, because there would have been absolute uproar throughout the world”.

South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that George Bizos passed away peacefully at home, from natural causes, aged 92.

I was momentarily sad that such a courageous man, a loyal man, an astute legal mind had gone the way of all mortals, but then, I remembered his legacy and was glad and honoured that our paths had once crossed.

He was a man of great wit too. I recall his parting shot when I asked him if he had any plans to retire from the law.

“I have no plans...I feel well! I’m not told by anybody that I can’t handle the work, because I’m too old or a dodderer, so, I’ll continue until somebody whom I respect; my colleague, tells me, George, you’ve lost it!”

George Bizos, November 15, 1927 to September 9, 2020.

Requiescat in pace!

In Edo, the Violent Can’tTake It by Force!

Olusola Ajani

F

rom the creeks, cities and hinterlands of Edo State, there are muffled but menacing echoes of violence as the September 19th governorship election draws nearer. The on-going campaigns are pockmarked by tense and occasionally violent altercations between supporters and critics of the incumbent, Godwin Obaseki and his main challenger, Osagie Ize-Iyamu, which have renewed concerns about the spectre of violence in Nigeria’s politics.

A foretaste of this was experienced in July, when supporters of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and the All Progressives Congress, APC, clashed at the hallowed grounds of the palace of the Oba of Benin. Ahead of the flag-off of the PDP governorship campaign in Benin City, the Edo State capital, its candidate, Governor Godwin Obaseki led some governors and leaders of the party from the South-south to the palace.

There were reports that solidarity and combative songs rend the air as tempers later went beyond control, resorting in the thugs employing an assortment of weapons, including firearms, cutlasses and others. In the process, several persons were reportedly injured while others scampered to safety as some of the cars parked at the palace gate were badly damaged.

The police later intervened and restored normalcy but the message of what laid ahead had been succinctly passed that not only ballots would be counted; bodies too!

Of course, there were accusations and counter-accusations about, who the aggressor was as the APC, through John Maiyaki, chairman of its media campaign council, stated: “Booed by the people at the entrance of the Palace of our great Oba for handing the state to the PDP tax collectors, who are unconscionably feasting on our collective patrimony, Mr Godwin Obaseki, as an act of revenge, instructed the thugs and cultists he has spent the past few weeks recruiting in the state and beyond to attack the people with dangerous arms.”

“This criminal and heartless action not only affirms our repeated warnings that Mr Godwin Obaseki fully intends to prosecute the election with violence and thuggery, but it also shows his lack of empathy, conscience, and respect for the lives and dignity of the people he was elected to serve.”

On his part, Crusoe Osagie, Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Communication Strategy, said the thugs were sponsored by the APC, its candidate, and the former National Chairman of the APC, Adams Oshiomhole, who, he alleged, had engaged thugs to cause mayhem in the state before then.

Osagie said further, “We are appalled by the deployment of thugs to the sacred grounds of the Oba’s Palace by the APC, Ize-Iyamu and Oshiomhole to harass guests, who are in the state for the flag-off of Governor Obaseki’s campaign and had visited the palace to pay obeisance to His Royal Majesty, Omo N’Oba N’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba Ewuare II, the Oba of Benin.

“While we respect the boundaries of politics as it relates to the palace, it is reprehensible that the APC, its candidate and their enablers would sponsor thugs to desecrate the palace, which is a clear case of desperation to score cheap points.

“This conduct is not a trait of Edo people and is condemned in the strongest possible terms, as we are courteous and welcom-

Obaseki and Ize-Iyamu ing to guests.

It is obvious that these persons were mobilised for this task by those, who have no regard for the palace nor want the progress and development of the state.”

Between then and now, the tones are yet not conciliatory; rather, they are getting more confrontational by the day. The foregoing underscores why the recent intervention of the Oba of Benin is commendable.

On Tuesday, September 2, Oba Ewuare 11 held a peace meeting with Obaseki, Ize-Iyamu, Oshiomhole and a former National Chairman of the APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun among other party leaders at the palace, where he warned them to desist from inflaming the polity with their utterances and conducts.

Expressing his anger and sadness at the turn of events, the monarch said, “Please don’t turn the state into the city of blood.

I appeal to the two gladiators and all politicians to ensure peace and stop the shooting and violence in the state. I want assurances from you people to me, and the people of the state of a peaceful atmosphere in Edo State. Your home and families are here, so give peace a chance. We are all afraid that the state will burn to ashes.”

The Oba further appealed for a peaceful election and warned them not to pay lip service to the traditional throne, which he reiterated is not partisan, and committed them in advance to bipartisan displays of conciliation at the first sight of electoral violence.

Violence is an alter ego of every election all over the world.

An incumbent, who fears losing an election can use post-election violence as a means to cow election officials and judges in the adjudication of a disputed election, or even as a means of extorting a power-sharing deal when defeated.

It could also be a spin-off of spontaneous demonstrations fuelled by outrage and fear of electoral manipulation, which can

drive supporters into the streets, where violence is a consequence of inappropriate or militarised police response. All of these indices are omnipresent in Edo State with the incumbent’s guns-blazing stance to remain in office despite blissfully underperforming and, consequently, eroding the goodwill that ushered him into office in 2016.

In the time past, and judging by every poling variable that points at a crushing defeat for Obaseki, the election would have been called for the opposition even before going to the polls. But things are different now.

Thanks to several electoral reforms embarked upon by the Muhammadu Buhari administration, which have erased the patchwork quilt of partisan state officers, amateur volunteers, and passé equipment to help administer elections, and by so doing, raised the integrity of Nigerian elections, there is no disputing that votes would count in Edo State.

It is not state-sponsored violence and sabre-rattling or electoral manipulation that will win the election; it is speaking to the core of what the people desire; the time-tested solutions being proffered to the myriad of challenges besetting the state and acceptability of the candidate and the party.

So, unlike the biblical quote that ‘From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and violent men take it by force’, Edo State might have suffered violence in recent times, it would not be taken by a man that is facing an impending exile from power.

However, only Ize-Iyamu, whose SIMPLE Agenda (which stands for Security and Social Welfare, Infrastructure Development, Manpower Development, Public/Private Partnership, Leadership by Example and Employment Creation) resonates well with the people, would get their votes.

––Ajani wrote from Abuja

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ SEPTEMBER 13, 2020

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SUNDAYINTERVIEW Idahosa Okunbo

Okunbo...Obaseki has failed abysmally

Obaseki Lacks Character for the Office of Governor Captain Idahosa Wells Okunbo, a renowned billionaire businessman and philanthropist from Benin, has remained an issue in the politics of Edo State since the battle for the governorship peaked ahead of the September 19 election. Although he had been forced out to address some of the issues hovering around him a couple of times, he however held a holds-no-barred interview recently, where he clarified some of the concerns about the governorship election. Excerpts:

H

ow did you part ways with Governor Obaseki?

I want to thank you for honouring my invitation. I am a very press shy person. I hardly grant interviews but I find it very important and relevant at this time for me to also talk. I have written but I think I should talk. Thank you for the question about Edo. Facts are facts and a lie will remain a lie. You will get real facts today.

First, I consider myself an elder statesman of this country, I also consider myself a relevant stakeholder in my state. Just as important as that market woman, who is also a stakeholder that sells tomatoes and pepper so I have always wished my state and I still do.

At the beginning, when Governor Godwin Obaseki approached me in 2016, that he wanted to run for the governorship of Edo State, he came in the company of a friend, Noggie Meggison, to

my house in Ikoyi (Lagos) and that day, I unveiled to him the relationship between me and his late father, who happened to be like a father to me. In fact, he nurtured me in my youth. I told him the relationship between his father and me; that as a child, I was his father’s friend and that I had no choice but to support his ambition. After that, he kept coming to my house with Rasaq Belo-Osagie.

When he came, he respected me and we respected each other.

We ate together and the relationship was very cordial and I was happy that at least, somebody from the private sector like myself had come into the governorship race in Edo State apart from the relationship I had with the father, which was very dear to me.

When it came to the time to support financially, he came to me in Abuja with the same Rasaq and I did my little bit to support him and thank God it is the same candidate today that is also his opponent again.

What then happened?

He was elected as the Governor in 2016 and I was very elated and as we continued, the political class that helped him get were all coming to me including Rasaq Belo-Osagie that brought him to me. I want to start mentioning names now so that there can be reference. They were complaining about how he was treating them and how he didn’t want to see them anymore after being elected and I kept calming them down.

I even quarreled with Rasaq, when I said, “Rasaq, leave this man alone”, and I kept talking to the political class and said, listen, I know investment bankers, you can’t squeeze anything out of their hands. They said he was not implementing the plans and projects that they had agreed He said he was gathering money to improve our state. I said so be it. He said he was developing our state and I said so be it. So, I said let him be but I kept going back to him to say my brother, please, manage these people.

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SUNDAY INTERVIEW

t 5)&3& 3& /0 A*'4 "/% A#654 0#"4&,* )"4 '"*-&% t I told him, you have found yourself in the political turf, so please manage them, because I believe there are so many attributes of leadership; the ability to manage people, perseverance and patience are very important.

I told him that, when you have even more than ten workers in your establishment, you will have different kinds of people and the ability to manage them to achieve your desired goals is what is important, because as I was fighting the political class, I was advising him on how to manage them because for me, the state was my major concern; development of my state is top priority all the time.

That was why when I was going to China to meet some investors, I mentioned it to him and he was willing to come, I was excited that he was willing to come. I bought his ticket and that of his aides.

We went to China and we met my investors and we spent good time together. I did that and paid all the bills not, because I have too much money but what I wanted to show to my brother was look, I am not coming for government purse. I wanted to show him that I wanted to help genuinely and I seriously meant well for him, but to my surprise, the things that started unfolding after, I couldn’t believe it. I began to wonder what I had done.

For instance, when the President was coming to Benin for the Army Day, I reached out to the Presidency, the President had seen my products, the President had eaten products from my farm, the President loves the products, so I wanted to use that opportunity of his coming to Benin to invite the President to commission my farm and I also thought that was an opportunity for Godwin, the Governor to also showcase the farm as one of his achievements.

I was therefore shocked to hear from the grapevine that he never wanted the President to come to my farm. I went again to confirm if the President was going to come to my farm and I did. Then I got a phone call from Godwin and he said, ‘I learnt the President was coming to your farm, he will come but he was not going to come out of the car.’

I was wondering, how will the President come to my farm for the commissioning of my farm and not come out of the car?

Whatever I am saying here today, God Almighty knows that I am saying the truth. He gave me that call and I laughed, only for the event to be cancelled, because there was an incident in Maiduguri and the President had to go to Maiduguri. I began to think, what was going on here.

Most of these things started last year. It is very true that a few people had approached me that I should come and run against him. But for me, let me be honest, I will be the last person to quarrel with any government that is performing or any government at all, because at the very beginning, when Godwin told me his plans for Edo State – if Godwin presents to you his plans for Edo State on PowerPoint, you will kiss his feet.

It is like in the Bible, when the devil said take all this and bow before me and Jesus said get thee behind me Satan. And as we progressed, all those packages that he presented, none was done I learnt most of them were all on paper and they continue to be on paper and consultancy services attached to most of them. Of course, as we speak, most of those projects are not on ground and I can’t be deceived. Some can be deceived but I cannot.

A situation, where you have 600 children packed in a room selling propaganda on social media, of projects that are not there?

It is appalling. That is why most of our brothers in the Diaspora are sold on his agenda, but they do not know that most of those projects are just not on ground. You can’t continue selling propaganda, because when you tell lies continuously, it becomes truth in some peoples’ ear.

You sell propaganda, you impoverish them and then when it is election time, you now throw corns at them and tell them to see white and call it black. I will not allow that in a society I grew up in. I don’t live permanently in Benin but I have always retraced my steps to my home, because there is a saying that a child that doesn’t remember where he comes from is lost. I am completely in touch with my environment back home. I know that is where I am from and whatever I can do to relate with my people, I always do.

Like I said, a lot of people approached me to run for Governor of Edo State and most of the people that did, will tell you I said I wasn’t interested, because I have set a trajectory for my life and over the past 32 years, I have been involved in business and before that, I was a very good professional pilot. And at 63, my mates that ran for governorship did that in 1999 and I was not ready to start learning new things.

That is one of the reasons I tried to help Godwin, because in his old age, he could not learn new things, and that is why he fell a victim. He found himself in politics, which was not his turf, it was not his forte and he would have sought God’s wisdom to be able to manage the position he had found himself. That was why I was talking to him and trying to mediate in the matter, because I never wanted him to fight anybody, not to talk about fighting me.

When he started fighting the political class, I told him, when he came to my house, I said GO, please if you keep fighting these guys, they have a boss, who is Comrade Adams Oshiomhole and very soon, you and Adams will quarrel. He said God forbid instead of him and Adams to quarrel he will resign from being governor.

I said okay and not long, Adams became Chairman of APC and the people on ground whom he was fighting now found solace in Abuja and they came to seek help from him. I was watching and comrade started helping some of them through his position.

And the quarrel started. He became angry with Comrade and complained why Comrade was helping people that were fighting him in the state.

Then it came to their primaries and the full-blown quarrel erupted. I went to him and tried settling them. I went once, then the second time, I said GO my brother, your position today is

Governor and Comrade is Chairman of APC, I don’t think there is anything both of you will sit in front of the President and ask for our state that we would not get.

I said please, this quarrel should never happen. I said let’s nip it in the bud for the sake of everybody. I was in his house for three hours. I knelt down, begging. I said for the sake of the state I don’t want this animosity to continue, whatever it takes, please close it out.

That night, I left and that same night, when I got home, I got a call from common friend in Lagos, who told me that Godwin said you should stay out of this matter, otherwise, you might be a collateral damage. I said, collateral damage? Me? I said should I ask him? He said ask him. The next morning I called him, I said Ogierebor that is what I call him, I said Ogierebor, this is what this guy told me, he said yes; it is fight to finish o. You better stay away so that you will not be caught up in the middle. I said Thank you!

But I said I won’t relent. I reached out to elders, who were more powerful than myself.

Was that the day after you saw him?

Yes, and because of that, the dispute was never resolved till today.

Now, let’s talk about myself. There was a particular Sunday that THISDAY published a story on its front page and I know that newspaper front pages are very serious.

The headline was NPA Cancels SAA and they put a bogus figure that we were earning; that we were operating illegally and that the person behind this company, OMSL, my name was mentioned and they twisted it that I was interested in the governorship.

That particular write up was a big embarrassment to me, and co-incidentally, Jim Ovia was hosting Emefiele at the Civic Centre that day on his reappointment as CBN Governor. I was there at the venue and some friends were questioning me if I was interested but I was responding to them that I was not.

As I was leaving, thank God, Godwin was coming in. We were outside. He pointed at me and embarrassed me in front of everyone, shouting “incoming Governor”. I held him, that is the photograph you guys see of both of us and cuddled him and I said: Are you one of them?

I took him back inside the venue and in order to disabuse the minds of those who had interrogated me earlier, I went behind his seat and grabbed him and they took our photograph. That photograph is what people see and I left. As that incident grew, SAA saga grew. Everywhere I went, they told me this is political, your problem is political, and somebody actually told me he was behind it.

But I did not believe it and one evening, I went to his house and we were outside among some common friends. I told him, I said GO, they told me that you are the one behind my saga at NPA. He said no no. I am not the one. He carried his phone and dialed someone very important whom I also respect. He told the person, why is Hadiza harassing my brother now, the guy replied (he was on speaker), Godwin you said that man is the man troubling you in Edo State.

Hadiza is fighting your battle for you, are you not the one who sent her or have you changed your mind? He quickly switched off

the phone. I said Godwin, I have caught you, you are the one who caused this and you are going to repair it for me.

The common friends that were there included Anselm Ojezua, Barr. Austin Alegeh, SAN, former NBA President, my friend Peter Okundaye was there, Chief Oseni Elamah was there and a few others. You can call any of this people. I don’t lie. He now told me and said on Tuesday, we will see in Abuja. I never saw him After that, I was called in NNPC. I was called that there was an enquiry and the Adhoc Committee on Pipeline Security and Oil theft wanted me make a presentation. The night before that presentation, I went to my brother, I said I will be making a presentation to the Sub-Committee and you are the Chairman. He said no problem, you have nothing to fear just come, make your presentation and that will be it.

The next day, the oil majors were there, Shell was there, NNPC management was there, Aiteo was there, different people were there. The industry was complete. I went with Chief Ayiri Emami. I went with him so he could talk about how we have been managing the Community since our operations covered his community.

He does not work for me, but he was there. That day to the admiration of everyone that was there, I presented flawlessly. The only question was from my brother, he said, how are you paid, what is your contract like?

Who asked that question?

The Governor, he was the Chairman. I said Your Excellency NNPC has my full dossier; they have the payment terms and legal has my contract. There is huge network of pipelines in this country and I was only handling four – Escravos to Warri, Bonny to Port Harcourt – just four. There are many, you have the transnational lines, where losses are being recorded.

But of all the lines, the ones my company was taking care of were performing above expectations and there were no losses, because my contract is performance related.

I work for NNPC. I don’t work for Amnesty Office. NNPC is a structured organisation where contracts are properly drawn.

NNPC is like a relay, your performance will impact on the next person; the next person’s performance will impact on the next etc before the oil finally gets sold. My four lines that I was taking care of were the best. I pride myself at being the best at what I do.

When the report came out, my brother wrote the report like I was the one handling all the whole pipelines in Nigeria, despite all I was doing, giving the impression that we were responsible for the losses. It was only my name he put there. I was not upset, because I am a businessman and the principle of every businessman or human being is, there are three things you must not fight “God, Government, Gun”.

I’m very conscious of those three things and that was why I was patient. I am still not fighting Godwin, I am continuously defending myself, and that passed. Then write-ups started coming out. They started attacking me. I finally wrote: “CAPTAIN HOSA SPEAKS, LEAVE ME OUT OF POLITICS”, it was well published and circulated.

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Abubakar Malami

Malami

P&ID Saga Exposed Our Age-long Impunity Attorney General of the Federation and Minister for Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), has said by placing the national interest above any other, the Muhammadu Buhari administration has abolished the practice by unscrupulous Nigerians to collude with foreigners to milk the country.

He spoke on Arise News Television. Tobi Soniyi brings you the excerpts:

H

ow much of a victory is the judgment of the UK Commercial Court granting Nigeria’s application for extension of time to apply to set aside the judgment P&ID obtained against Nigeria?

Talking from the perspective of victory, I maintain that it is a victory calling for celebration. But for the purpose of putting the victory into perspectives for proper appreciation by Nigerians, I think you have to look at it from the implication of what could have happened if such victory was not achieved.

First, looking at the volume and size of the arbitrary award, which amounts to $10billion, and then looking at it from the angle of its implication, and the fact that such victory and other victories, which predate that of September 4, were not recorded, it could have amounted to perhaps, an attack on the national assets of the Nigerian State both locally and otherwise.

Looking at it further from the implication of such attachment on our national budget, its volume and size, an amount that could have been enough to address our national budget as it relates to health and education combined together. Looking further, the victory is an implication that could translate into an attachment of commercial assets and maybe inclusive of the national reserve.

The total implication of this is an outright negative effect on our financial standing, locally and internationally. It would certainly affect our economy that is fragile, taking into consideration the prevailing financial situation internationally.

So from these perspectives, you can imagine the implication, taking into consideration the volume which translates into one-third of our national budget, and its effect on our educational and health sectors to the extent that we cannot have anything left to address our educational and health sectors respectively at a time – an implication that will have an unimaginable negative impact on our economy’s financial standing internationally.

Recall in your reaction to the development, you had said

heads would roll.When is that starting?

I think heads have started rolling already taking into consideration extensive investigation as to the genesis and circumstance of the procedural and associated compromises along the way. Heads have started rolling against the background that certain elements were charged to court.

Heads have started rolling taking into consideration that certain convictions have been recorded, arising from misgivings associated with the P&ID contractual saga. Indeed, heads will continue to roll taking into consideration that investigations are still ongoing and not in anyway averted.

How solid is the evidential threshold considering these are criminal allegations about persons. How confident are you?

I think the strength of the associated allegation can best be seen from the dual pronouncement. Aconviction recorded from the cases that were initiated at its best reserves to the Nigeria component of the criminal cases that were initiated and exceeding pronouncement to the effect that it is indeed apparent that the commercial court in the UK agreed with our presentation that there are reasonable grounds for suspicions, and commission of offences relating to corruption and fraud.

I think the combined effect of the two: the comprehensive investigation that led to the arraignment and charge and conviction in the Nigeria component of the case and the civil component by which we succeeded, in an unprecedented manner, in establishing a case before criminal court, a case that earns us victory as a nation.

Avictory in the sense that we were accorded the opportunity for extension of time on the strength and weight of the evidence presented, relating to fraud and corruption. So, the combined effect of this goes to establish a point that are not only reasonable grounds, but strong grounds that have already established a criminal case of corruption, fraud and associated infraction.

Indeed that has been further consolidated by a civil pronouncement of a UK commercial court to the effect that there are reasonable grounds for not only suspicions, but in effect, a case of fraud

and corruption could be established.

Let’s touch back on the background and lessons learnt if any.This was a case inherited by the Buhari administration, but we do understand there was a consideration for settlement.Tell us why that was a consideration, when you look at the case? It was not subjected to procedural rigours, requisite organs of government were not signing off in this contract, so why was the government willing to settle initially?

Well, within the context of the possibilities that were considered for settlement, as you rightly know, government operates in continuity. Settlement aspect was something that was inherited by the government of Buhari. The time we came on board, we found an existing position. Government had indeed offered to P&ID an amount within the region of over $800 million, which was turned down by P&ID, which was claiming around N6 billion through arbitral proceedings.

Notwithstanding the continuity principles on the basis of which the government is expected to operate, we found that elements of the offer as being excessive, unreasonable and baseless against the background of limited appreciation of the prevailing fact and circumstance. Even, if we are indeed submitting to the principles of continuity of government, there is need perhaps as well to unravel the existing undertones, which left in our minds much to be desired, within the context of our transparency and accountability and this is how in the end, our mission to save the country of perhaps advancing the sum of $800 million that was rejected by P&ID. We felt it could have an extra-ordinary negative effect on our economy, putting into consideration the prima facie of possible compromises. There was need for us to have a second look on the entire process. Unfortunately, looking through the entire processes, it came to light that there were a lot of misgivings, a lot of compro-

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the undertone and compromises, criminal conspiracies undertone and corruption and fraud that sailed into the whole P&ID saga, and ensure that in the end, people are charged and prosecuted.

The lesson for us to understand that there were a lot of such other contracts that have been tried by previous administration that was no way intended to be executed from the outset and today, that culture of impunity has been effectively checkmated by the administration of President Buhari by ensuring that first, the interest of the country as it relates to the commercial and economic aspect of it, is adequately protected.

Secondly, the public interest will reign supreme as against the greedy interest of the few and the government is set to do what it needs to do to ensure the public interest and that there are consequences for wrongdoing.

mises, a lot of apparent collusions, criminal conspiracies that could be inputted arising from the conduct of the principal characters involved therein.

I think our conclusion was not out of place, taking into consideration the procedural and process breaches associated with the conduct of the parties. For instance, a ministry that is saddled with the development of policy, now coming in to sign a contract and committing the federal government to an agreement that runs into billions of dollars in volume without allowing the necessary procedural steps to be taken.

P&ID offered to put in place gas plants in Calabar for the purpose of receiving gas from Exxon Mobil and Addax, processing line gas for the purpose of energising the power project in the country.

So, that’s logical and by implication places you on the assumption that the starting point for P&ID is to acquire a land on which the project is expected to be constructed, so the question is whether there was such land and if it was acquired by P&ID, my answer is that there wasn’t any land.

There was no evidence of land acquisition on the basis of which the facility sought would have been placed. Now, if it was a project that was to be executed or perhaps or the parties had a clean mind to establish, it is equally logical that those agencies of government that are responsible for the grant of associated permits, for instance, talking about department of petroleum resources, there ought to have been presented before the department, a feasibility study, geological survey, and associated seismic data establishing the possibility of having that facility on the ground.

It may interest you to know that no such feasibilities were presented before the DPR. There were no approvals and permits associated with the generated geological survey that were presented, considered and approved, and permits granted. Then, as one you are talking of a third party company that was expected to provide line gas.

In this circumstance, you are talking of Addax and Exxon Mobil.

So, by implication, the contract required the accommodation of Exxon Mobil and Addax as being parties to a contractual agreement, which requires having a tripartite agreement involving the federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Addax and Exxon Mobil on the other hand and indeed P &ID. The point of interest here is that this contract was executed between P&ID and Ministry of Petroleum Resources, the third party that was expected to provide the gas taking into consideration that Ministry of Petroleum Resources did not have one, was never factored into consideration, either by way of sideline negotiation or much less of being a party to the contract.

So, in essence, you cannot have gas right from the outset, those contractual agreements that would see to the provision of the gas

by Addax and Exxon Mobil were not taken into consideration, so if you’re now signing a contract in respective of an item, subject or commodity that you don’t have, how then can you provide what you don’t have?

The Federal Ministry of Petroleum doesn’t have the gas, it is Addax and Exxon Mobil that should naturally have the gas and be the ones to supply. Yet the Ministry of Petroleum Resources

has negotiated, consummated and concluded an agreement for the provision of gas by a third party and the third party was never factored into consideration.

The third party never factored into negotiation, and made a party to the contract and then you expect the execution of that contract. The agreement is such an agreement that should be vetted by the office of the Attorney General of the Federation. The office is saddled with the responsibility of professionalism, skills and expertise to look into this agreement.

What are the steps taken thus far? Shasore issued a statement saying he treated the case as it ought to be treated.

What lessons do we have to learn since we have people that were in that case prior to that time? Apart from P&ID, there are other cases that are on ground as regards arbitration.

You talked about one that is also brewing – the Eurafric Power Limited/Sapele deal, will Nigeria keep going for arbitration, knowing that these things are not cheap?

The greatest lesson we have to learn from the P&ID saga is that we need to understand clearly that a culture of impunity and compromises, breaches in process and procedure has long been established and been rooted in Nigeria governance structure before the coming onboard of this government under the leadership of President Buhari.

Another lesson that needs to be learnt is the fact that under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari, a new culture has already evolved and the greatest lesson arising from that culture is that there is no room for impunity, compromises and breaches in processes and procedure.

But the major lesson I think needs to be learnt from the culture of impunity that has prevailed before coming of the government of President Muhammadu Buhari, was the fact that collaboration necessary and required for governance was in most cases deliberately sidestepped out of desire to achieve compromises. It was prevalent in the system.

For instance, the Ministry of Petroleum is involved in a contract it doesn’t have the required skill to handle that will ensure that the interest of the government is adequately protected. Then the ministry is signing an agreement without allowing the necessary collaboration to prevail in their conduct and execution of the agreement. It is a clear lesson of impunity.

It is a clear lesson of compromise that is intended to shortchange the nation and in essence not allow other components of government to do the needful in terms of providing the necessary support to ensure that the interest of the government is adequately protected. In essence, the greater lesson is the fact that there was impunity, and that the era of impunity has substantially been displaced by the administration of President Buhari. Asystem that allows the little resources of the nation to be compromised, taken away for the purpose of addressing a sham contract that was rooted in corruption, compromises and procedures is no longer the case.

The further lesson is that government has resolved to ensure that at the end of the day, there are consequences for wrongdoing and that, in effect, is what translated to the extensive investigation of

Is there still the possibility of an out of court settlement with the P&ID, because some people talk about the proposal of the Nigeria government to settle out of court? Is that possibility still on the table? We have been talking about other cases, which you alluded to and I’m sure many people listening to you will like to know what the update is with regards to other cases of arbitration involving contracts and disagreements, the global steel holding (Ajaokuta steel Company); where are we with the Mambilla hydro project involving Sunrise, there were issues regarding settlement out of court – where are we with those two cases?

Generally speaking, when it comes to judicial or arbitration proceedings, one cannot rule out wholeheartedly, and with clear finality conclude that there should not be the possibility of settlement. Settlement is an attribute of judicial and arbitral proceedings, so you cannot rule out the possibility.

But then, where fraud, corruption, material misrepresentation, compromises on processes and procedures are the issue, I wonder at what point you can submit to the settlement arrangement taking into consideration what responsibility we have as a nation of sustaining, upholding the public interest.

As such, I cannot rule out the possibility of settlement/out of court being a natural attribute of judicial proceeding, but the fact remains that where fraud, corruption, criminality, conspiracies and material misrepresentation are concerned, it is indeed a tall order.

Regarding the other two cases, my answer is general, we have not indeed closed the door as it will allow the possibilities of settlement. For instance, in respect to these two you’re talking about, there have been some levels of engagement that are intensive and ongoing out of the desire of the Nigeria state to promote its public interest.

The public interest relating to Ajaokuta is the interest of having some levels of self-sufficiency in steel production. The interest relating to the smelter company as well has some level of public interest. Within the context of the public interest, juxtaposing with some other considerations, you have to weigh your gains and form an opinion as to which option is the best. Is the option of perhaps, settlement or if indeed the public interest supports the settlement arrangement, then you go for it.

So, in essence, the Nigeria government with particular reference to the Ajaokuta Steel and smelter company has proposed the possibility of settlement and inclusion of Mambila. The settlement considerations are indeed on the table, but the fact remains that as a government, it is the public and indeed national interest that is at the heart of negotiations and settlement.

There is nothing that can make us compromise the public and national interest. So, our major consideration is not the settlement in its own right, but upholding the public and national interest and nothing will make us shift from that policy that is indeed established – a policy that upholds the administration of President Buhari.

A lot has been said about those who played critical roles in the success achieved. However, we like to move attention to what has been playing out with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). A lot has been said about yourself and your ofďŹ ce, and the roles you are playing in that.What are your general thoughts before we move on to the speciďŹ cs? What do you have to say to critics that you are scheming for more powers to control the EFCC, for instance, the allegation made by the former Acting Chairman of the EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, that you as well should be investigated?

Well, I think the function of investigation is a function of factual situations with facts on the ground. I think that none in the system is above investigation provided that you don’t enjoy constitutional immunity. But the fact remains that the P&ID matter is indeed a collective responsibility.

The successes associated with it is a function of collaboration among the agencies of government and then within the context of collaboration those misgivings that are identified, if there are individuals or perhaps institutions that are found wanting, the government will do the needful in line with investigation and prosecution and from the point of taking the necessary steps arising from the lessons learnt.

So, if the office of the Attorney General or personality of the Attorney General, Abubakar Malami, is called to question, it is only natural to investigate and I think that neither the office of the Attorney General nor Abubakar Malami enjoys immunity, and if by any stretch of imagination along the line, certain breaches and compromises both in terms of processes and procedures, have now perhaps manifested, arising from the conduct of Abubakar Malami or the Office of the Attorney General as it relates to arbitral proceedings, it is only natural that there should be an investigation.

Neither the office of the Attorney General nor Abubakar Malami claims exclusivity as far as investigation is concerned. So, if there are reasonable grounds, if there are serious grounds for suspicion

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of an offence, compromises, criminal conspiracy, associated with P&ID, I think it is only natural against the background of the provision of the government of President Buhari to ensure that at the end of the day, no stone is left unturned as far compromises that injure the national interest are concerned. I think it is not out of place to consider the investigation if there are reasonable grounds for so doing.

There have been calls that you should testify before the Justice Ayo Salami panel. Is it something you will go for when you are called upon? Second, what is your view on the state of rule of law in Nigeria?

Within the context of the rule of law as you clearly stated, as the chief law officer, Attorney General of the federation and Minister of Justice, it is my duty to assist whatever investigation that is ongoing locally and internationally. I have signed and executed eight witness statements before the commercial court in the UK, which witness statements translated into the victory we are seeing today.

So, the idea of testimony, interference of the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation and with particular reference to Abubakar Malami before any panel or tribunal local and international, for the purpose of supporting an investigation that will now see to the establishment and unraveling of the truth that is associated with an issue under consideration is not new and I will in no way exercise any restraint as to honouring an invitation for the purpose of supporting, any inquiry or investigation.

If indeed the Ayo Salami panel invites Abubakar Malami as an individual or the Office of the Attorney-General of the federation, for any testimony, clarification, examination or cross examination for that matter, Abubakar Malami will gladly, with the spirit and context of the rule of law, be there to testify, be cross-examined, and examined.

Our position as a government is to be submissive to the rule of law and the component of it requires that when we are called often to clarify issues, to be examined and cross-examined, Abubakar Malami will wholeheartedly be there and cooperate with the inquiry institution, and that, indeed, was an attribute of this government that translated into the victory we are seeing today arising from P& ID. Abubakar Malami has along the line, and within the chain of the arbitral process submitted to uncountable invitations, responded to uncountable requests for clarification of issues and indeed executed uncountable witness statements for the purpose of putting the record straight. The case before Justice Salami will certainly not be an exception. If Abubakar Malami is invited in person or Abubakar Malami as the Attorney General is invited, Abubakar Malami will gladly be there to support the existing inquiry.

Let’s rephrase the question on the rule of law.You are the chief law ofďŹ cer of the federation and as the only minister of the federation that is expressly mentioned in the constitution of Nigeria, many people will like to know, what does the rule of law mean to you, because one of the criticisms is that under your watch, Nigeria has not been respecting court orders? It was also under your watch that we had the controversy about national interest being more important than the rule of law, the interpretation of which is quite varied. My question is, what does the rule of law mean to you as the Chief Law OfďŹ cer of the federation and will you say that under your watch, you have done enough to defend the rule of law?The other part about the suspended chairman of the EFCC’s counsel,Wahab Shittu, says that rather than your allegations on corruption, and insubordination, that the victory in the P&ID case is a conďŹ rmation that Ibrahim Magu did very well and he was the one in the driver’s seat to bring Nigeria to this point.What is your response to that?

Let me start by addressing the first question, which is, what the rule of law means to me. I want to give a general response to it regarding what constitutes the rule of law. Arule of law is operated within the context of the law, taking into consideration the prevailing rights within the law and enforcing them. Taking into consideration the prevailing rights available to individuals and personalities as enshrined in the constitution over legislation.

So, in essence, a rule of law is about compliance. Arule of law is about upholding the tenets of constitutional requirements, the constitutionally established rights, upholding them and ensuring that they prevail. For you to put the rule of law into proper context, you need to understand what the rule of law means and how it operates, then you will have to situate it, access it, and x-ray it within the context of the constitution and prevailing legislations.

So, now, what are the constitutional provisions, what are the legislative provisions, as far as compliance with court orders and judgments are concerned. First, if you are talking of a judgment of a court of law, a judgment is passed against the interest of the government, and what are the remedies available to the government. For instance, in a simple case of bail application, someone is charged with treason before a court of law, he files an application for bail, and the court of law granted an application for bail.

So what is the rule of law element associated with application, both on the part of the government and the accused? On the part of the accused, the rule of law component is that the accused has been granted bail and he is entitled to bail.

On the part of the government, the rule of law component is that if the government is aggrieved and not happy with order granted, it may want to consider the possibility of appealing the order, to consider the possibility of filing an application to set aside the bail that has been granted, if it is indeed within the context of law. There are grounds that justify the application for setting aside the order.

Thirdly, to consider the possibility of staying the execution of the order, if indeed an appeal has been launched by the government.

So, within the context of the rule of law, if the government

decides to appeal and file an application for stay of execution, if the government decides to file an application for setting aside, both the government and the accuser are operating within the context of the rule of law, and the way the judicial processes and system operate, is not for the government to follow it hook, line and sinker, and unconditionally comply with the court order, where it has a legislative power to appeal and file an application for stay of execution.

So, when the government decides not to release the accused, on the grounds that it has filed an application for stay of execution, and the application for stay of execution is being considered and determined by court, you are still operating within the context of the rule of law, because the rule of law gives an opportunity for the accuser to apply for bail. It is the same rule of law that gives the government the opportunity to challenge the order by way of an appeal, stay of execution or by section aside.

So, it is the act of submission to court and not resulting to selfhelp that constitutes the rule of law and the components in general situation. The rule of law is not a one-way traffic arrangement.

While you have to consider the interest of the accused in criminal cases and the interest of the government, what are the interests that are provided? Are the two operating within the context and spirit of law or they are resulting to self-help? Provided you don’t result to self-help and if you applied for an exercise of the right of privilege, you’re indeed operating within the context of the rule of law.

It is never a one-way traffic affair, whereby you look at it from the perspective of complying with an order or judgment hook, line and sinker without factoring the associated counter rights and privileges available at the expense of the other. So, that is the rule of law and that is the constitutional context of it.

I think the proper perspectives if you want to look at the victory arriving from the P&ID, are the perspective of institutions. I wonder how one personality can claim a victory associated with an institution, the office of the Attorney General, perhaps, developed about six witness statements in support of a case that led to the victory.

Abubakar Malami can never in law and logic claim or personalise the victory simply, because he has deposed to multiple statements that led to it. If for example, the Nigeria Police Force, played a part as well, and the Inspector General of Police (IGP), in his personality as individual, has not come out to claim exclusive victory over it, even though the office of the IGP played a key role.

Again, the Minister for Information and Culture, Hon. Lai Mohammed played an extraordinary role in perhaps putting across the Nigeria case in local and international public space. Hon. Lai Mohammed has not claimed exclusivity of the victory. The Minister of Foreign Affairs as well provided the secretariat services, coordinated the necessary processes, in the UK that supported us and assisted us in putting our case across comprehensively and effectively.

The Minister of foreign affairs, Geoffrey Onyeoma, is not claiming exclusive victory. So, I wonder where a personalised claim to victory can fit into the circumstances of a collaborative support and approach. The Ministry of Finance was equally there and the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) played a key role out of a burning desire to ensure that foreign reserves and commercial assets locally and internationally were not touched.

The CBN Governor, Emefiele is not claiming exclusive victory arising from P&ID. So, I wonder where an individual’s personal interest can fit into the process that was institutional and intergovernmental and a result of which was a collaborative effort. My

answer is clear – that there is no room for institutional or personalised claim, but then the room that exists is the institutionalised room for collaboration. The victory was indeed a collaborative and not individual effort.

What is the future of the EFCC, because all of the past chairmen of the agency have had to leave unceremoniously, and that is what is playing out at the moment? What will be the right reforms for the EFCC in your own opinion? Also, just recently, the ministerial retreat was concluded and the President charged cabinet members including yours sincerely, to be alive to responsibilities and this is around the issue of the rule of law in Nigeria and the international picture it paints of the country. Is it going to be business as usual, because you have tried to describe the rule of law and what it means to you? But other people feel otherwise that the country is not being put in good light under this administration, when it comes to rule of law, will it be business as usual or should we expect reforms?

Our understanding of the rule of law as I have stated earlier, is a function of the constitution and function of the law, and not taking into consideration what remedies, redress and options are available for you in law provided your actions are rooted in law, and they are never arbitrary.

I think the clear position is that you are operating within the context of the rule of law, more so, when a public interest and individual are in issue, the responsibility and office of the Attorney General is to ensure the public interest.

So, I think that makes the record clear as far the function of rule of law is concerned and we shall continue as a government to operate within the context of taking advantage of what options and remedies that are available to us as a government within the context of the constitution and existing legislations and I think the rule of law, is about law and if the law provides that you have certain options, and you take advantage of those options, you can never be charged for operating arbitrarily.

I think the function of the rule of law is the function of the law.

Is there a law in existence that supports what you are doing? If the answer is yes, certainly, you’re operating within the context of the rule of law. The issue is when you decide to go over the prevailing legislative options, redresses, and remedies available to you, if your remedies are rooted in law, and you’re pursuing a remedy within the context of the law and you’re operating within the context of the rule of law, and not otherwise.

Institutions, generally, are functions of law. EFCC was established by law and within the context of the law, EFCC is supposed to operate. So with that in mind I think, there is no room for the Attorney General to unilaterally and exclusively without recourse to the legislation and amendment to the prevailing rule of law to take a decisive position. It is a function of law and legislation.

The office of the Attorney General does not have the function of lawmaking. Lawmaking is indeed an act and exclusive preserve of the National Assembly. I’m not in a position to state outright or perhaps answer yes or no, taking into consideration that the function of amendment, and reforms associated with the EFCC are indeed functions of law and with that in mind, I feel strongly that you pass that question to the National Assembly for answers.

The office of the Attorney General and Abubakar Malami don’t have a ready-made answer for it, because whatever answer I put across will be preempting the functions of the National Assembly.

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

ENGAGEMENTS

Biafra and the Amnesty Option

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wo contradictory images and news feeds recently competed for this reporter’s attention. The first was a ceremonial outing in the North East displaying rows of ‘repentant’ Boko Haram combatants in neat government uniforms. They were being admitted into an amnesty programme to rehabilitate and reintegrate them into normal social life. The second is a mammoth procession of angry citizens in the streets of Enugu. They were protesting the killing of over twenty unarmed ostensible IPOB sympathizers by security forces. The killings were a reprisal for the earlier death of two security men following a needless altercation with IPOB members.

The Boko Haram is a ceremony of beneficent national forgiveness and reward for those who have levied war against the fatherland but have now ‘repented’. The Enugu spectacle is yet another outrage against a tradition of vicious bloody repression of citizens for merely exercising the right to remember a sad patch of our national history. The latter marks Nigeria out as one of the rare places in the world where gatherings in commemoration of a people’s past is criminalized to the extent of meriting summary group death sentence without trial.

I am neither a Boko Haram zealot nor an IPOB enthusiast by any stretch of the imagination. I have an allergy to all movements that question the sovereign sanctity of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Therefore, I remain a devoted federalist Nigerian until someone convinces me that the unity and value of Nigeria has become either an impossible mission or a futile endeavor.

Even then, my patriotic optimism is often baffled by the Nigerian definition of justice and equity. For instance, I am trying to make sense of the assessment scale of our security establishment.

It takes some uncanny expertise to determine what type of threat to national security qualifies for point blank shooting of unarmed marchers and which qualifies for federally funded amnesty for dangerous armed criminals and patented terrorists.

In the public mind, however, there is now a swarm of nagging and urgent questions about the recurrent Biafra killings and protests competing for answers. They include the following: How come that after over fifty years of the end of the Nigerian Civil War and the formal surrender of Biafra, the memory and nostalgia for Biafra remains so active as to still torment the Nigerian state? If Biafra has remained alive and perennially resurgent as to constitute a permanent national security threat and nightmare, how come that no Nigerian government has tried to find out why and to engage that faction in any form of dialogue? Why are the IPOB members not being allowed a window to vent and ‘repent’ from their devotion to Biafra in order to qualify for federally funded amnesty as is being applied to calm other areas of dark clouds in the nation? Why has there been no ‘hearts and minds’ programme to convince pro-Biafra sympathizers that a united Nigeria is better than the Biafra option? Ultimately, why has there not been any mention of an amnesty programme for IPOB members as a way of degrading the Biafra spring and addressing the neglect and undisguised marginalization of the South East and its immediate geo strategic neighbourhood?

It is no longer important whom the Nigerian state decides to brand a ‘terrorist organization’ or which bandit squads our state and federal governments decide to cuddle, hug or appease with troves of cash. The right of the state to brand its perceived adversaries by whatever nomenclature it chooses is an area where politics, disinformation and security myth making meet and mix.

Obviously, something curious has emerged from Nigeria’s current internal security strategies. Between amnesty and rehabilitation for repentant Boko Haram militants and the repeated ‘bullets for protests’ approach to the IPOB and pro-Biafra threat, we have the two contradictory faces of Nigeria’s current internal security doctrine. One is the selective deployment of the compassionate face of the state to readmit errant citizens who are willing to renounce violence and insurgency to embrace normal life. The other is the deployment of the coercive jackboot of the state to beat down dissident unarmed citizens in a bid to enforce a pax Nigeriana at the expense of basic citizenship rights. Obviously, the former approach, the amnesty strategy, has proved more effective than the jackboot approach in dousing some of our more recent troublesome internal security challenges.

Since the rise of intense militancy in the Niger Delta, amnesty has emerged as a distinct and effective strategy for containing potent threats to national security. In Nigeria’s peculiar case, amnesty is the recourse of a nation in existential crisis. Fifty years after the end of the civil war, the national order on which a new Nigeria was created in 1970 has virtually collapsed. The all powerful federal behemoth of the 1970s and 1980s is everywhere assailed. The forces against national order are forces championing causes that are antagonistic to the ‘One Nigeria’ dictum of the war years.

These forces range from regional political rabble rousers to ethno –nationalist militias. Add sectarian fundamentalists and insurgents, outright organized crime syndicates and roving anarchist common thieves. Most of them have managed to acquire incredible firepower, sometimes enough to effectively challenge the coercive capacity of the state. Matched in force and sometimes outgunned by audacious competing factions, a vastly weakened federal security and war machine has been forced to seek accommodation with some of the factions, hence the amnesty recourse.

Buhari The picture is a bit more complex. The sudden emergence of humungous wealth in unexpected hands has de-mystified the state. There are now individual citizens and groups of citizens who are arguably richer than some of our sovereign entities.

The ability of such non -state actors to raise private armies to counter the state has been openly demonstrated by agents like Tompolo and similar wealthy warlords. Big guns and uniforms are no longer the exclusive preserve of governments nor do they frighten people as before. At election times, individual politicians have been known to import military grade weapons and clone large amounts of service uniforms for their thugs to match the official security outfits. At the height of the Niger Delta militancy, for instance, the various war lords and gangster chieftains in the Niger Delta region assumed various military titles from ‘General’ to ‘Field Marshall’ and once openly introduced themselves as such at a meeting with President Goodluck Jonathan in Aso Rock.

This virtual balance of terror between the state and its competitors has given rise to negotiations between our sovereigns and armed outlaws. We have seen negotiations between governors and bandits in states like Katsina and Zamfara. There have also been a series of talks between the federal government and Boko Haram mostly through third party sovereign proxies like Chad and even Switzerland. Of late, there have been legal engagements between the federal custodians of national order and regional interrogators of that order as in the recent legal tussle between the Attorney General of the Federation and the governors of the South Western states over the legitimacy of the regional security outfit, Amotekun.

The nature of the competing challenges to hegemonic Nigeria differ in places. The Niger Delta militancy was a struggle for economic justice, environmental responsibility, social justice and greater political inclusiveness. Though it presented a direct military challenge to the federal government mostly in a sensitive place, the solution could not possibly be solely military. The introduction of the Amnesty Programme was a creative solution.

It was designed to empower the youth of the region with skills, education, start up capital and therefore a future of hope and some fulfillment. It would also deprive the war lords and terror merchants of the foot soldiers to foment more trouble. Call it creative appeasement but it has worked fairly well in reducing militancy in the region to negligible levels.

With Boko Haram, we are in a different terrain. Boko Haram is a mix of sectarian fundamentalism, faith based insurgency, doctrinal revolt against the secular Nigerian state and its JudeoChristian Western ethos. In some sense, the Boko Haram revolt is a civilizational contestation (‘Western education is evil’). It has also graduated into a political challenge of the Islamic orthodoxy of the hegemony status quo in the northern parts of the country.

Most importantly, Boko Haram has emerged as a veritable challenge to the territorial integrity of Nigeria. The group attempted establishing a Caliphates in the hitherto less governed spaces in the border regions between Nigeria, Niger, Chad and Cameroun.

The Boko Haram insurgency has been an open declaration of war against the federal state. That war has lasted over a decade and is far from over. The Nigerian Civil War lasted just two and half years!

The adoption of the amnesty strategy in the case of Boko Haram is somewhat troublesome. The insurgency has not ended. It has not been called off or defeated. Mr. Shekau, the terrorist gang leader, has assumed a curious immortality that has defied forensic science or even plain honest common sense. A man is either dead or alive. Dead men do not make propaganda videos!

Above all, the Boko Haram insurgency is part of an international terrorists movement that is now headquartered throughout the Sahel, having been expelled from most of the Middle East and

the fringes of Europe.

Globally, the standard procedure for extracting penitence from jihadist fundamentalists is a de-radicalization programme followed by careful monitoring and rehabilitation before amnesty.

In Nigeria, the amnesty strategy has also become an instrument for the distribution of national wealth, opportunities and patronage to places of previous neglect and marginalization. Such appeasement has taken the form of re-direction of opportunities, the establishment of novel government institutions and the allocation of emergency funds to address perceived injustices and denials. In the case of the Niger Delta, the amnesty package has included the creation of the Federal Amnesty Programme, the NDDC, the Ministry of the Niger Delta as top ups to the existing 13% derivation revenue allocation to states in the region. Taken together, these gestures translate into a quantum of resources funneled to the region in the service of equity and justice.

In the North East which is the theatre of the Boko Haram insurgency, a similar massive infusion of resources has taken place over the last decade. A presidential committee of some of our most wealthy citizens has been empanelled with a mandate to raise and allocate funds for the alleviation of the more dire humanitarian consequences of the Boko Haram war. Massive humanitarian assistance has flowed in from different contries and major international organisations in aid of the victims. A North East Development Commission, modeled after the NDDC but with a mandate to rescue, rehabilitate and develop the region has been established.

In dealing with the pro-Biafra movements as an internal security challenge, therefore, it is curious that the Nigerian state has been less than even handed. By branding IPOB a terrorist organization and resorting to shooting its members whenever and wherever they gather, government admitted that the pro-Biafra threat is a credible security challenge of no less a magnitude than either Boko Haram or Niger Delta militancy. However, live bullets and teargas have not nearly removed the attraction of secessionist thinking among the pro-Biafra groups. The nomenclature you use to describe an adversarial group of citizens does not diminish the nation’s responsibility to those citizens as of right. And on the scale of transgressions, there is nothing in the conduct of the pro-Biafra groups that disqualifies them from experiencing the compassionate embrace of the state through amnesty as being implemented in both the Niger Delta and now the North East.

I agree that the activities of the pro-Biafra movements sometimes disturb the peace. Once in a year, they declare some markets closed in memory of their war dead. Their rallies can sometimes turn unruly and intimidating. They fly the expired flags of Biafra which evokes sad memories in some. On memorial occasions, Biafra freedom songs are sung by an ageing breed of warriors in twilight reminiscences of a dying heroism. Their separatist message makes many edgy and reminds the older generations of their days as emergency soldiers, refugees or war destitutes. IPOB operates a radio station that abuses people with big titles and self importance. A few times in the recent past, their diaspora wings have gone the unusual mile of slapping or flogging high Nigerian officials visiting foreign lands. Their diaspora demonstrations muddle up the photo opportunities of dignitaries sent abroad to decorate our sad tales elegant language.

But in spite of these excusable transgressions, the IPOB gang remain dissidents with an ancient cause and some sense of limits.

They do not throw IEDs around street corners. They do not have or deploy suicide bombers nor abduct young school girls.

They do not kidnap expatriate workers or blow up gas or oil pipelines. They hardly return fire against those who shoot their unarmed members for sport either. The pro-Biafra people only have a consistent message to Nigeria: “Treat us fairly and justly as Nigerian citizens lest we face the road to Biafra!”.

Nigeria urgently needs to think again. More than five years of force and intimidation have not quite dissuaded people in the South East from yearning for Biafra as an alternative reality because of a feeling of exclusion from the Nigerian gala. Not even the special security operations –“Operation Python Dance” etc. have yielded any dividend that is beneficial to the furtherance of the business of Nigeria. This approach has instead further alienated the region and deepened the psychology of victimhood and sense of “otherness”, It is time to explore the route of compassion with something that has worked for other unhqppy place in our land.

An amnesty programme and a regional development commission targeted at the needs of the South East is perhaps the most sensible road untraveled. The South East happens to be the easiest place to derive value for resources spent on a federally funded amnesty and special development scheme. This place is the natural ecology of self- driven entrepreneurship and wealth multiplication. Therefore, an amnesty programme with a strong entrepreneurial assistance component is likely to dissuade many youth from seeking salvation in a Biafra that is not quite in sight.

Such a programme will give access to the millions of youth in the South East to capital as an entitlement in return for loyalty to Nigeria.

Nigeria’s abiding moral obligation to the memory of Biafra has become like the ghost of Hamlet’s father, forever restless, forever roaming and recurrent. The Japanese born British writer and winner of the 2017 Nobel Prize for Literature, Kasuo Ishiguro, poses the abiding question in terms which ought to haunt leaders of moral conscience in today’s Nigeria: ‘Can stable, free nations really be built on foundations of willful amnesia and frustrated justice?’

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THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ EPTEMBER 13, 2020

INTERNATIONAL PMB’s Advice on Tenure Elongation or FrancophoneAnglophone Rivalry: Quo Vadis for Regional Integration?

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t the 57th Ordinary Session of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Heads of State and Government, held on Tuesday, September 8, 2020 at the Mahatma Gandhi International Conference Centre, Niamey, Republic of Niger, Nigeria’s leader, President Muhammadu Buhari (PMB), made an important and thought-provoking speech in which he raised some critical issues bordering on constitutiondriven good governance and self-succession. The speech is commendable because it has a presidential flavour, strategic focus, and an objectivity of purpose, even though it is presented as if PMB is an extra-African president, rather than as an African or a Nigerian president. This is one area of the speech that I have qualms with. The rest of the speech is quite befitting of Nigeria as a leader in Africa, in general, and West Africa, in particular.

President Buhari, for instance, referred to West Africa or the ECOWAS region as a sub-region in his speech many times, and, by so doing, made whatever he was saying to be subjected to misinterpretation and unnecessary misunderstanding. As made known by his Senior Special Assistant, Malam Garba Shehu, PMB has it that, ‘as it is, the challenges facing the sub-region are enormous: from socio-economic matters to security issues, the ECOWAS sub-region cannot therefore afford another political crisis, in the guise of tenure elongation.’

On ECOWAS sub-region, which of the sub-region does the President have in mind? In the eyes of the United Nations, the whole continent of Africa constitutes a region. Africa is one of the regions of the world. In order to fast track continental integration in Africa, the 1991 Abuja Treaty Establishing the African Economic Community (AEC) divides Africa into five distinct regions in its Article 1(d). The Article says a ‘region shall mean an OAU region as defined by Resolution CM/Res.464QCXVI of the OAU Council of Ministers concerning the division of Africa into five (5) regions, namely North Africa, West Africa, Central Africa, East Africa and Southern Africa.’

Additionally, as provided in Article 1(e) of the same AEC treaty, a ‘sub-region shall mean at least three (3) States of one or more regions as defined in paragraph 1(d) of this Article.’ This is one major reason why the quest of Morocco to leave its Maghrebin North African region to join the ECOWAS in the West African region is most ridiculous. This is also an important reason why PMB must be very clear in his mind what a sub-region means.

Without any whiff of doubt, it is very wrong for any President of Nigeria or any Minister acting on his behalf, to refer to West Africa as a sub-region, because Africa is the centrepiece of Nigeria’s foreign policy. This requires giving priority attention to whatever is African in character. If the then OAU leaders wanted to promote continental integration by redefining the UN conception of a region, why should any government official in Africa be still using and promoting the UN definition of a region in Africa? This is nothing more than working directly against African development.

African leaders ought to put on the African toga whenever they speak in Africa and elsewhere to reflect the African authenticity.

Truths about Tenure Elongation

The first critical issue raised by PMB is hostility to elongation of tenure of West African leaders, contrary to constitutional provisions. As he put it, ‘I urge us all to resist the temptation of seeking to perpetuate ourselves in power beyond the constitutional provisions. I commend those in our midst that have resisted such temptations, for they will be deemed exceptional role models in their respective countries and the sub-region as a whole.’ This advice, as good as it may be, is not quite reflective of the whole truth about tenure elongation in the political governance of Africa.

Besides, if the Constitution is the only determinant of presidential tenure, what about the temptation to amend the Constitution for selfish purposes and particularly for unlimited tenure in office?

For instance, PMB is talking about ‘temptation of seeking to perpetuate ourselves...’ He also commended those who have resisted the temptation. How do we explain and understand temptation in this case? One truth is PMB’s silence over the incumbent sit-tight leaders in Africa. Another truth is that the dynamics of tenure elongation vary from one country to the other in Africa, to the extent that many African leaders have become role models, while tenure elongation has also become a reference point. In other

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Buhari words, the problem goes beyond individual level of temptation to elongate tenure.

In the Côte d’Ivoire, for example, Felix Houphouet-Boigny was President for 33 years as at the time he died. This made him the longest-serving president in the world by then. How do we explain his frequent re-election? One reason may be one party system at a point in time. Another might be the complicity of the people.

French interest was also another issue.

In Togo, Gnassingbé Eyadéma led the country for 38 years and died in office. His son, Faure Gnassingbe, who was Minister of Equipment, Mines, Posts and Telecommunications from 2003 to 2005, was elected to succeed his father. First, why must he succeed his father? Is the political system that of a monarchy? Second, the 2005 elections in the country were fraught with critical allegations of fraud and violent protests. Yet, Faure Gnassingbe was re-elected for the third time because all efforts made by the opposition to limit presidential tenure to only two terms failed. In this case, if tenure elongation is to be thrown into the garbage of history, the effort should be at the level of how to enhance the people’s resistance in making any constitutional amendment on tenure elongation difficult, if not, impossible.

In Algeria, President Abdelaziz Bouteflika was re-elected for the fourth time in 2014 (1999, 2004 and 2009). He was 80 years old. He suffered a stroke in 2013 and, therefore, was partly incapacitated to act effectively as President. In fact, he was no longer able to participate in public functions. With this development, why was he still elected?

In Chad, President Idris Derby took power by coup in 1990.

He civilianised himself and was re-elected for the fifth time in April 2016. All the re-election results were always contested but the contestation has always been to no avail. What about Yahya Jammeh of The Gambia? He was defeated in the December 2016 presidential election but he vehemently refused to step down. It took the intervention of the ECOWAS, which threatened military invasion, to remove him from office, before President Jammeh accepted to go on exile.

The third term tenure of President Pierre Nkurunziza in Burundi is quite interesting and different. He was elected in 2005 by the parliament but re-elected on the basis of universal suffrage

PMB is asking for the delinking of the CFA franc of the UEMOA from the Euro, reserve pooling, design of the exchange rate mechanism, stabilisation fund, policy harmonisation, etc. With the various efforts being made by France to survive within the EU, it cannot but take a longer time before the special or preferential relationship between France and Francophone Africa can be done away it. It is visibly for the purpose of sustaining the preferential relationship that the Francophone countries have consciously and quickly adopted ECO, a name already reserved for the ECOWAS currency. Consequently, for as long as French interests in Francophone West Africa are not threatened by Nigeria, any advice from Nigeria’s PMB can be considered for possible acceptance. If France supports Alassane Ouattara in amending the Ivoirian Constitution to enable him have a third term, there is very little the ECOWAS can do, not to mention PMB’s advice. The truth remains that there is a Cold War within the ECOWAS which has not been helpful to regional integration. In this case, how good is the argument of ‘African solutions to African problems’? And which way forward?

in 2010. Even though the Constitution of Burundi provides for only two terms of five years each, President Nkurunziza re-contested in 2015 and the opposition boycotted the election in the belief that the president could not contest contrary to the constitutional provisions. However, the Constitutional Court ruled in favour of President Nkunrunziza on the basis that his first term in office could not count since he was elected by parliamentarians and not by the general electorate.

The situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), unlike in Burundi, clearly and generally reflects how African leaders behave concerning tenure elongation. When President Laurent-Désiré Kabila was killed in 2001, his son, Joseph Kabila, was appointed to succeed him ten days after. He was eventually elected and re-elected. At the end of his two-term constitutional tenure in December, 2017 he simply refused to step down, arguing that there were no funds for the election and that he would want to stay until December 2018 to compensate for the delays in the voter registration.

Let us put the foregoing analyses interrogatively: Yoweri Museveni of Uganda was elected president in 1986 and had five presidential terms. Why was the Constitution of the country amended to allow him elongate his tenure? In Angola, Jose Eduardo dos Santos succeeded President Agostinho Neto when he died in 1979. Following the peace deal signed with the main opposition, UNITA, its leader, Jonas Savimbi, took part in the first round of the 1992 presidential elections but lost to Eduardo dos Santos. Jonas Savimbi contested to no avail the result and opted to resume his guerrilla warfare. The United States was then supporting Jonas Savimbi. The former Soviet Union was giving support to Eduardo dos Santos. Why was this so? Tenure elongation cannot but be understood within the context of these factors of global competition.

Perhaps more interestingly, not seeking to perpetuate oneself in power cannot but begin with the non-tampering with the national Constitution. The moment the Constitution is amended, reviewed, modified, etc, and tenure elongation or life presidency is legalised, no one can have the right of complaint. The foregoing history of tenure elongation in African politics shows a general character of love for power, use of power to retain power and accumulate not only wealth, but also to control and ensure self-preservation.

Robert Mugabe, who was leader of Zimbabwe for more than three decades, was quoted as follows: ‘African Education System has surprising outcomes. The smartest students pass with First Class and get admission to medical and engineering schools. The Second Class students get MBAs and LLBs to manage the First Class students. The Third Class students enter into politics, and rule both the First and Second Class students. The failures join the Army and control politicians, who, if they are not happy with, they kick or kill them... Best of all, those who did not attend any school, become prophets and which doctors, and everybody follows...’ The import of this quotation goes beyond its ordinary meaning or a sarcasm, but clearly shows the nature and challenges of political governance in Africa: putting round pegs in square holes.

Apart from the issue of tenure elongation raised by PMB, he also advised on ‘the need to guarantee free, fair and credible elections,’ because ‘this must be the bedrock for democracy to be sustained in our sub-region, just as the need for adherence to the rule of law.’

This is an ideal that PMB cannot be said to strongly believe in. The recent Local Government elections in Ondo State lent credence to non-free, unfair and non-credible election. In many polling stations, no election took place. Election day was really the day for thuggery.

PMB’s advice was, therefore, nothing more than preaching ‘what I say, but not what I do,’ to borrow the words of Sir Victor Uwaifo.

Other critical issues raised by PMB are the saga in Mali, terrorism in the Sahel, the questions of ‘African solutions to African problems’ and regional single currency. He did not forget to also raise the issue of the COVID-19 pandemic. These issues can be generally addressed within the context of the renewed rivalry between and among the Anglophone and Francophone countries in the main, and between them and the Lusophones and Arabophones, in general.

TheTruism of Francophone-Nigerian Rivalry

Development in the West African region has been largely slowed down since the time of time of general independence of African countries in the 1960s. One major rationale has been the cold war between the Anglophones and the Francophone, minus the Republic of Guinea which has been sharing more regional values with the Anglophones than with the Francophone counterparts.

And true enough, the Francophone began regional integration efforts before the Nigeria-Togo-initiated ECOWAS in 1975. It should be recalled here that the Francophone had the CEAO (Communauté Economique de lÁfrique de l’Ouest, that is, West African Economic Community), membership of which was exclusively reserved for the Francophone. When the ECOWAS was established in May 1975, membership was open to all the 16 countries in the then sub-region. Membership included Mauritania by then. The rivalry between the ECOWAS and the CEAO was also much by then.

This situation was not helped by the mutual suspicions that characterised the bilateral ties between Nigeria and France, which had a protectionist policy vis-à-vis Francophone Africa.

(See concluding part on www.thisdaylive.com)

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T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R Ëž ÍšÍťËœ ͺ͸ͺ͸

Resilience [Forging Ahead] Part XXXII Bashorun J.K. Randle

and deprivation.�

n commemoration of the first one hundred days of the appointment of Professor (Ambassador) IbrahimAgboola Gambari as Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, Commander-In-Chief,Armed Forces of Nigeria, Resilience Television will on FridayAugust 21st 2020 devote prime time to a documentary on the President’s Chief adviser and ally. Much of it is already well known to the public, especially the international community, courtesy of the website of the United Nations where he served as Under-Secretary-General. “Ibrahim Gambari is an indigene of Kwara state in Nigeria.

Gambari was the pioneer Chancellor of his state’s university, Kwara State University [KWASU] in Ilorin. Professor Gambari attended King’s College, Lagos and bagged his first degree from the London School of Economics, specialising in International Relations. He obtained his Masters and Doctoral degree in Political Science/International Relations from Columbia University, New York, USA. Over the years, Gambari has had an illustrious career spanning academia, government and international diplomacy. He has held numerous leadership positions (both national and international) and gathered experiences that ratify his competency. Gambari was appointed Chairman of the United Nations Special Committee AgainstApartheid in 1990, a position he held till 1994. He was also theAmbassador and Permanent Representative of Nigeria to the United Nations in 1990 serving there for 9 years.

Between 1999 and 2005, he served the United Nations as it’s first Under-Secretary-General and SpecialAdviser to the Secretary-General inAfrica.At about the same time, Gambari was the Resident Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Mission toAngola. He operated as the head of the UN Department of PoliticalAffairs between 2005 and 2007. Professor Gambari also served as a one-time Minister for ExternalAffairs (1984-1985), joining theAfrican Union at the time as a national delegate.

Professor IbrahimA. Gambari has received several academic and national honours including the “Commander of the Federal Republic of Nigeria� (CFR) and the “Order of the Champion of the Oliver R. Tambo� (OCORT) of SouthAfrica.�

Perhaps we should refer to the book: “The DukeAnd The Soul Princess� by J.K. Randle “On the subject of the generation gap, we should acknowledge the incisive observations of Chief Remi Fani-Kayode, SAN, (ex-King’s College, Lagos; and Cambridge University) the Deputy Premier of the defunct Western Region of Nigeria who recently (at theAnnual Dinner of the Oxford and Cambridge Club, at the Metropolitan Club, Victoria Island, Lagos) lambasted the nouveau riche for not only coming into wealth and power through brazenly dubious means but also exciting the envy of the poor through their ostentatious display of such wealth and thereby compelling many (the deprived) to take to robbery in order to share in the free-spending but unproductive life-style which is the new vogue.

According to Chief Fani-Kayode: “This phenomenon was unknown in he 1930’s; 40’s; and early 50’s when integrity, honesty, intellectual achievement, class and style (not money) were the standards of society. The society cracked, the elite was subdued, the old standard was destroyed and a new class of unprincipled characters emerged, which increased from year to year up till today.

All the old virtues were discredited; wealth, lies, and cheating became the accepted norms for the struggle to the top. Mediocrity became an asset and the nation’s path to degeneration commenced without reaching the heights of excellence most nations attain before falling.�

Chief Remi Fani-Kayode, Q.C., SAN, CON died in October 1995.

I

Following the formal announcement of his appointment on May 17, 2020, Professor Gambari was very clear about his job description: “I shall provide the President with advice, making sure the machinery of government runs smoothly. It is about the President and not the Chief of Staff.

I expect to be a loyal and dedicated man in terms of my priority to the President. The Chief of staff is not to be the head but to serve the President and carry out duties appropriately.�

That statement, for reasons which are not entirely clear, reminded many of what General Yakubu “Jack� Gowon who was Military Head of State of Nigeria (1966 to 1975) was alleged to have said: “There are no bad rulers. There are only bad advisers.�

The very cerebral Secretary to the Government of the Federation (1972 to 1975) Mr. Charles O. to Lawson who attended Corpus Christi College, Oxford University promptly delivered a heavily nuanced and sarcastic response: “Some leaders deserve the type of advice they get.�

As for General Olusegun Obasanjo who was Military Head of State (1976 to 1979) and civilian President (1999 to 2007), he was as combative and blunt as ever.

When swearing-in his advisers, he did not mince words: “You are free to give me advice but I am not obliged to accept it.�

None of them resigned on the spot in protest.

We are not privy to what advice Professor Gambari has been giving to Mr. President. Depending on the tradition and culture of the country, case studies reflect huge differences regarding the obligation of the Chief of Staff to the President to document and disclose his advice. President Donald Trump of the United States of America has been vehemently adamant that it is covered by “Executive Privilege� along with his tax returns; his college transcripts and scores; military service/exemption; medical records etc.

Anyway, what is beyond doubt is that Professor Gambari’s credentials and temperament are formidable.

From the front page of “The Tribune� newspaper of 25th May, 2020 “Gambari: Why Buhari MadeARight Choice� “It is heart-warming to have such a quintessential gentleman, Professor Ibrahim Gambari, offering his services to Nigeria in the capacity of Chief of Staff to the President. Those that had the opportunity to encounter and relate with him while he served in diplomatic capacity can attest to his open-heartedness, impeccable character and integrity. This is a man that served the Nigerian nation for the most part of his life, who never compromised the interest and welfare of the Nigerian community in the United States ofAmerica. Having had the privilege of coming across and relating with him at close quarter on several occasions gives me the confidence to attest to his pedigree, capacity and ability to function optimally in his new office.

As a diplomat, Professor Gambari’s wealth of experience in Nigeria and offshore, gives him the credentials for the task ahead.

Beyond his sterling performance as a diplomat, I was thrilled by his outstanding performances in two of the many assignments he was given while serving outside Nigeria. The first was when he served at the United Nations Special CommitteeAgainstApartheid (1990) and the other, his service at the JointAfrican Union-United Nations Special Representative for Darfur (2010). The apartheid assignment made him to work closely with manyAfrican governments in the coordination of UN policy to eradicate apartheid.

Gambari Despite the weight that comes with his multifarious assignments, he believes that privilege comes with responsibility. He once said in an interview in anAfrican newspaper that, “I regard myself as a teacher by training and diplomat by accident, long accident, but nonetheless accident! In many ways, I have been privileged and with privilege come a lot of responsibilities.�

With his responsibilities as Chief of Staff to the President, I am wishing Professor IbrahimAgboola Gambari a successful tenure in office, and as you have always done, may you do well in your new assignment.�

Bukola Adetula We also have the benefit of his perception, perspectives and vision in his own words: “If we are to succeed in nation-building, we must have a leadership that is committed to the rule of law and has a demonstrable sense of fair play and democratic tolerance; a leadership with ability and integrity; above all else, we must have a leadership that can see beyond the ostentatious pomp of office. We must have leaders who have a vision for a Nigeria which is better than the one they inherited; leaders who will lead by deeds and not by words; achievers, not deceivers.

Leadership is not everything, but it is an extremely important factor. Unless we have leaders with ability, integrity, commitment, and vision, we cannot succeed at nation-building.

In today’s world, skills, industriousness, productivity, and competitiveness are the determinant factors of national greatness.

Not even the possession of the nuclear bomb is enough to make a nation great without reference to the industriousness and creativity of its citizens.�

At the appropriate time (perhaps in his memoirs) he will avail us of his candid opinion of his leader and President. Hopefully, he will match Chief Bola Ige’s candour: “I can’t be ChiefAwolowo (my leader). Let me just be Bola Ige. When you talk ofAwolowo, you are talking of a man who ate only when he was extremely hungry; and who measured the amount of water he drank.Aman who cannot be moved by the nakedness of women of easy virtues. Nothing moved him, yet he moved everything in his way!Aman who believed that thinking of the greatness of his country is a full-time job. He once told us: “Think inside your dreams, start thinking again when you wake up but if you did not wake up, you are a hero if you died thinking about the greatness of your nation.�

My leader was exceptional. He was like nobody else. So, I can’t be like him.�

History is on the side of Professor Gambari as virtually all the problems he is contending with have been with us for a while. Some even go back several decades.

Acase in point is the generation gap which the late Professor Tam David-West (an unrepentant Buharist) addressed about thirty years ago: “The generation gap is actually a fall out from the fissure in our social structure which is under considerable strain from our obsession with millions i.e. ruthless materialism.

It is instructive, to stress the point that, the means by which such millions are amassed is never called to question. For instance, it could be by cheating; stealing; by lying; by killing; by bribery and corruption; by manipulation; by contract inflation; by ‘pushing’ (cocaine); by ‘trafficking (in foreign currency), by irregular and illegal crude oil transactions; or similar self-serving smart practices. In a word, it could be dirty or godless millions. In a word it is apparently, totally irrelevant and uninteresting.

The end must justify the means.And in Nigeria, the cheer-raisers, the crawlers, the sycophants and the touts are never in short supply, to regularly dose the vanity of our soft millionaires, with the necessary adrenalin. There should be a new culture of reverse snobbery against these soft Nigerian millions. Such a psychological and social re-orientation will eventually cheapen these questionable millions as mega status indices in interpersonal relationships. I am worried because to the best of my knowledge, history has not known of a system that survived, operating the ethic of pockets of tremendous personal affluence living side by side with mass hunger

Professor Gambari is keenly aware of virtually all the grievances and fault lines in our social tapestry, political fabric and economic misalignments as well as financial misadventure combined with sheer folly and recklessness. They have been lingering for far too long. Now, we are hovering at the precipice.

The new Chief of Staff has been presented with a unique opportunity to make a significant impact and epic contribution.

We must join hands with him in the pursuit of the “Common Good� which simply translates as what is good and common (beneficial) to all of us without prejudice to race (tribe); gender; or religion. It all boils down to: WHAT THOSE WITH POWER MUST RENDER TO THE POWERLESS. After all, all pain is personal. Indeed, all lives must have a meaning and purpose (even those who are trapped in the grief of survival in the camps meant for IDPs (Internally Displaced Persons).

Living is learning and through the process of accepting every challenge as real we may succeed in changing the perspectives of the Chief of Staff and eventually the lens and prism through which the President, with the rank of General in theArmy, draws up his battle plans.

On the raging issue of structure and restructuring, we are entitled to remind ourselves of the encounter with Chief Ufot Ekaette, who was the Secretary To The Government of the Federation from 29th May 1999 to 28th May 2007 under General Olusegun Obasanjo.

Incidentally, Chief Ekaette was in Payne’s House, King’s College, Lagos (same house as Professor Gambari, although they were not contemporaries). The current National SecurityAdviser to the President, the dapper Major-General Babagana Monguno (Rtd) was also in Payne’s House!!

All it took to convince Chief Ekaette (and we do not have any reason to believe it would be any different with Professor Gambari) was to remind him that regardless of whether you were a science or arts student, in the Sixth Form at King’s College, the tutors – Norman John Miners and Tim F. Doust (both of them ex-Oxford University) would insist on introducing you to philosophy. They enjoyed the active support of the Principal (Headmaster) Philip H. Davies (ex-Oxford University).Also on the exotic list were classical Greek and Latin for the eclectic and adventurous. What bliss it was to savour Homer’s portrayal (in classical Greek !!) ofAgamemnon, the king of Mycenae and leader of the Greek army in the Trojan War (which lasted ten years).

He was a great warrior but selfish ruler, famously upsetting his invincible championAchilles and thereby prolonging the war and the suffering of his men.

Anyway, he got his comeuppance when he returned from ten years at the war front only to be murdered by his wife and her new lover !! He totally failed to read the “DO NOT DISTURB� notice on the bedroom door. While urging Professor Ibrahim Gambari to make his presence felt in the seat of power, we must add that the philosophy of “presence� is not incontrovertible. Indeed, the French philosopher, Henry Mensonage, who is the undisputed High Priest of “Structuralism� and “Deconstruction� has devoted years of study to proving the absence of presence.

He is unrepentant with his declaration: “I have always tried to stay true to the philosophy of absence – by not being there when needed.�

His definition of structuralism hinges on the concept that everything is a sign. “I am a sign; you are a sign. I am trying to signify to you and you are trying to signify to me.�

-––Bashorun J.K. Randle is a former President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) and former Chairman of KPMG Nigeria and Africa Region. He is currently the Chairman, J.K. Randle Professional Services.

(Readers should see concluding part on www.thisdaylive.com)

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER Ëž ÍšÍťËœ 2020

71

SUNDAYSPORTS

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

Arsenal, Liverpool Kickoff New Premier League Season withThrilling Wins against PromotedTeams

J

ust 48 days after last season’s delayed conclusion, the Premier League returned with a bang as Liverpool and Leeds served up a feast of goals to open the 2020-21 campaign.

Mohamed Salah hit a hat-trick as Liverpool kicked off their Premier League title defence with a thrilling 4-3 win against Leeds, while Arsenal turned on the style in a 3-0 victory at Fulham yesterday.

Jurgen Klopp’s side are English champions for the first time since 1990 and their bid for a record-equalling 20th title got off to a memorable start. Liverpool didn’t have it all their own way as Leeds came from behind three times before Egypt forward Salah finished them off with two minutes left.

Leeds are back in the top-flight for the first time in 16 years and Marcelo Bielsa’s team deserve credit for putting Liverpool under enough pressure to expose flaws in a team that won the title by 18 points.

After Liverpool lost the Community Shield to Arsenal last month, this was another warning that the Reds can’t afford to rest on their laurels.

Salah won a fourth-minute penalty when his shot hit Leeds debutant Robin Koch on his outstretched arm and he dispatched the spot-kick himself.

Leeds fashioned a stunning equaliser in the 12th minute when on-loan Manchester City midfielder Jack Harrison cut past Trent Alexander-Arnold and Joe Gomez before drilling a superb low finish into the bottom corner.

Virgil van Dijk restored Liverpool’s lead eight minutes later with a thumping header from Andrew Robertson’s corner. Leeds equalised again in the 30th minute when Van Dijk made a hash of a flicked attempt to clear and Patrick Bamford pounced to guide his shot past Alisson Becker.

A remarkable game produced more drama as Salah struck again three minutes later with a thunderous drive into the roof of the net. Leeds equalised for a third time when Mateusz Klich

Salah bagged a hattrick as Liverpool overcame Leeds 4-3

made a well-timed run to meet Helder Costa’s pass with a composed finish in the 66th minute.

But Liverpool won it in the 88th minute when Leeds debutant Rodrigo tripped Fabinho and Salah slotted in the penalty, leaving Klopp to sum up the feelings of both teams when he mouthed “wow� at the final whistle.

At Craven Cottage, Arsenal hit the ground running with the kind of confident display that has become their hallmark since Mikel Arteta took charge. Arsenal’s free-flowing attack was

too incisive for promoted Fulham andAlexandre Lacazette gave the visitors an early lead.

Brazilian defender Gabriel Magalhaes scored Arsenal’s second after the break in his first appearance since his close-season move from Lille.

Aubameyang added the final flourish with a typically eye-catching strike that emphasised why Arsenal are so desperate for the Gabon forward to sign an extension to the contract which expires at the end of the season.

Gunners boss Arteta had good news for

fans concerned Aubameyang might leave as he revealed their team’s talisman is set to accept the contract offer. “I’m really positive we are going to get it done very soon and hopefully in the next few days you will get some news,� Arteta told BT Sport.

With former Chelsea winger Willian providing a pair of assists on his debut, it was the ideal way for Arsenal to start a season that appears full of promise after last season’s FA Cup triumph.

New-look Chelsea Set to Start Havertz, Thiem, Zverev Faceo in US Open Final Werner against Brighton

Chelsea are set to unleash their new German stars on the Premier League tomorrow

Frank Lampard’s new-look Chelsea begin the new Premier League campaign away at Brighton tomorrow, withTimo Werner and Kai Havertz set to start following big-money moves, though the game comes too soon for Hakim Ziyech, Ben Chilwell and Thiago Silva, who is yet to train with his new teammates.

Werner scored when these sides played out a friendly draw two weeks ago – part of a government trial event for the return of supporters – and will be keen to make his mark in the league.

Despite seeing their season extended by their participation in the FA Cup and Champions League, Chelsea have been afforded just two extra days of

preparation time in comparison to some of their rivals.

The shorter turnaround has left Frank Lampard in a position where he is having to contend with a number of selection issues ahead of the showdown with the Seagulls.

Three of Chelsea’s new signings - Ben Chilwell, Hakim Ziyech andThiago Silva - will all likely have to wait for their competitive debuts.

While Chilwell and Ziyech are carrying ankle and knee injuries respectively, Silva is only due to begin training in the days ahead of the match.

With Mateo Kovacic serving a suspension for his red card in the FA Cup ďŹ nal, Jorginho is expected to partner N’Golo Kante in midďŹ eld.

At a time when Christian Pulisic is only just closing in on a full recovery from a hamstring injury, Callum Hudson-Odoi could get the nod from the start.

Kai Havertz andTimo Werner should be handed their ďŹ rst starts, while Mason Mount is likely to be preferred to Ruben Loftus-Cheek.

As a result of Silva being provided with a beddingin period on the training ground, Antonio Rudiger is competing with Andreas Christensen for a place alongside Kurt Zouma.

Like with Pulisic, Cesar Azpilicueta may be given more time to get over a hamstring injury, leading to Reece James being favoured at right-back.

RESULTS & FIXTURES Fulham

0–3

Crystal Palace

1–0

Arsenal Southampton

Liverpool

4–3

Leeds

West Brom

v

Leicester

2pm

Tottenham

v

Everton

4:30pm

TOMORROW 6KHÍżHOG 8WG

Y

:ROYHV

SP

Brighton

v

Chelsea

8:15pm

Thiem

Austrian Dominic Thiem will face German Alexander Zverev in today’s US Open men’s ďŹ nal after overcoming Russia’s Daniil Medvedev in a semi-ďŹ nal of high quality at the Arthur Ashe Stadium.

It was a match that saw Thiem beneďŹ t from a disputed decision in the ďŹ rst set then twice break back as Medvedev found the net.

Zverev earlier reached his ďŹ rst Grand Slam ďŹ nal in the most difďŹ cult manner after ďŹ ghting back to beat Spain’s Pablo Carreno Busta in a tense US Open ďŹ ve-setter. Fifth seed Zverev, 23, looked lost as Carreno Busta played smartly and precisely to race into a two-set lead.

But Zverev showed incredible resolve to turn the match around and win 3-6 2-6 6-3 6-4 6-3 against the 20th seed.

Thiem and Zverev are looking to win their ďŹ rst Grand Slam singles title, and the winner will be

the ďŹ rst male major singles champion born in the 1990s.

Thiem said: “It was deďŹ nitely anything other than a routine three-set win. The ďŹ rst set I got a bit lucky with this strange situation [Medvedev’s failed challenge]. “After that it was great tennis from both of us and I could easily have been two sets to one down.

He served for the sets in both sets.�

On facing Zverev, whom he has beaten in seven out of nine encounters, he added:“I’m really looking forward to that. We have such a great friendship and rivalry - it is really amazing that we face each other in a Slam ďŹ nal.â€?

The ďŹ nal will see a new Grand Slam champion crowned for the ďŹ rst time since the 2014 US Open, when Croatia’s Marin Cilic won.

The absence of 2019 champion Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer at the behind-closed-doors Grand.

Sunday September 13, 2020

TR

UT H

& RE A S O

N

Price: N400

MISSILE

Amnesty International to Buhari “The failure of Nigerian authorities to release the report of the presidential panel that purportedly investigated compliance of armed forces with human rights obligations and rules of engagement, three years after the report was submitted to the President is a gross display of contempt for victims.” – Amnesty International bemoaning the failure of President Muhammadu Buhari to make public the report of the Presidential Panel to Review Compliance of the Armed Forces with Human Rights Obligations and Rules of Engagement three years after it was submitted to him.

SIMONKOLAWOLE SIMONKOLAWOLELIVE!

simon.kolawole@thisdaylive.com, sms: 0805 500 1961

NESG vs CBN: A Battle of Wits?

A

midst the series of tough decisions rolled out by President Muhammadu Buhari as the Nigerian economy gasps for breath under the weight of low oil prices and the coronavirus pandemic, a mini-war broke out between the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) last week. In a statement with the title “Matters of Urgent Attention”, NESG dished out subtle and not-so-subtle criticisms of the CBN over its development finance, and questioned the transparency and sustainability of the interventions.

The CBN, in a reply dripping with fury, defended its record and called to question the intellectual authority of the NESG leadership.

As journalists, we love “two fighting” because it gives us a litany of headlines. But this is not a joke. We are discussing matters that affect the life of every Nigerian — rich and poor, high and low, northerners and southerners, schooled and unschooled. NESG was set up as a non-profit private sector organisation in 1996 with a mandate “to promote and champion the reform of the Nigerian economy into an open, private sector-led globally competitive economy”. Therefore, the face-off between NESG and CBN should be seen as a “contest of ideas” on the economic health of Nigeria and Nigerians rather than some media relief from the socio-economic tension.

Although NESG raised many issues, most were aimed at the CBN: the efficiency of the agriculture intervention under the anchor borrowers programme; transparency in foreign exchange transactions, disbursement of intervention funds, and price fixings “without appropriate policy clarity”; provision of “immunity” for CBN officials in the newly amended Banking and Other Financial Institutions Act (BOFIA); “distortions” in the liquidity and interest rate management; and the “quantitative easing” (what you and I would call pumping money into the economy) by the CBN to fund the large deficit caused by low oil prices and effects of the pandemic.

For one, NESG got it wrong when it said CBN was seeking immunity for its officials under the amended BOFIA. The provision, according to the CBN, “protects the Federal Government, the Central Bank of Nigeria and their respective officials against adverse claims for actions or omission in good faith exercise of powers under BOFIA and other specified statutes including the Central Bank of Nigeria Act and regulations…”

In fact, the “immunity” has been there as far back as 1991. This error makes NESG vulnerable to accusations of pursuing an agenda and questions its credibility, given the calibre of professionals within its ranks. Some also find it a bit curious that the NESG chose to go to the media rather than utilise its communication channels with the CBN and federal government.

But immunity is the smallest issue, if you ask me. The NESG wants the government to re-open our borders “given its negative impact on trade and employment”. Our work in ECOWAS, it said, “must also effectively harness trade opportunities within the sub-region”. That is, allow trans-border trade to continue unhindered. In an ideal world, you cannot fault the logic. In fact, some will argue that shutting the borders is primitive. But what do you do when, in practice, free trade becomes an open invitation to the smuggling of rice, eggs, cars, fuel and even arms — thereby ruining your own economy and security? This was not the intention of those who wrote the ECOWAS treaty.

Ideally, you say “beef up security then”.

Emefiele But what do you do when the people beefing up the security are the ones facilitating the illegal trade? The incentives to be corrupt or to corrupt the system are so high. It’s a no-win situation. Open the borders, you are damned.

Close the borders, you are damned. Yet we all know that the borders cannot be closed forever. But some will ask: what is CBN’s business with the borders? It’s a good question.

The CBN has, for all intents and purposes, become a major stakeholder having financed agriculture extensively and feeling threatened that if the borders are re-opened so soon, the gains particularly in rice and poultry farming will go down the drain.

The issue of border closure as it affects the economy should ordinarily be addressed by the ministry of finance or presidency, rather than the CBN. The bank still ventured an opinion, though, stating: “Benin Republic imports as much rice as China and nearly as much frozen chicken as the UK… In which country does the NESG think all these rice and chicken end up? How then can a Nigerian rice farmer or poultry owner survive?” However, the border closure also comes with unintended consequences. I would love to suggest how to effectively curb the illegal trade but I have no idea. ECOWAS countries should sit down and develop the solution. For now, Nigeria is the biggest victim.

On the power sector, I was initially critical of Mr Godwin Emefiele, the CBN governor, for the apex bank’s intervention. I kept asking: why should the CBN be providing loans to the power sector? Today, I look back and conclude that but for the CBN, the sector would have collapsed long ago. The liquidity problem was grave. The fiscal authorities did not want to approve tariff increase for obvious reasons.

You would be justified to argue that it was not CBN’s business to intervene. But doing nothing, especially when you have the leeway to provide the financial oxygen, also has dire consequences for the economy. Let’s now hope the industry will be saved with the new tariffs.

We can apply similar arguments to agriculture intervention. I wrote a sceptical article some years ago when Emefiele announced a forex ban on 41 import items, including rice. I argued then that what we really needed was a fiscal policy, not just a monetary one, to grow our agriculture and become self-sufficient. This is typically the position of free market economists. To them, restricting imports under any guise is a no-no.

We could not legally ban rice import because

of WTO rules, but we could stop funding rice imports. We could help our local industry grow and reduce the pressure on the exchange rate.

That was what CBN did and we have clearly made progress in rice farming.

The NESG made a valid point, in my view, about the sustainability of CBN’s interventions, especially the deficit caused by minimising the impact of COVID-19 on the economy. Their argument is that the government should “consider a strong communicating (communication) strategy that engages the people and prepares them for tougher times ahead whilst the current reforms take effect”. It said that the “current business as usual disposition is not sustainable”. Except there is something unsaid here, I think this is a fair point. The CBN cannot afford to pump money into the system for too long; at some point, the bubble will burst. It’s going to be a painful journey to recovery.

Still, the CBN defended its “quantitative easing” by drawing parallels with how central banks across the world reacted to the pandemic by expanding their balance sheets through monetary measures that would otherwise be considered “unorthodox”. The US Federal Reserve Bank provided loans to non-banking institutions and bought corporate bonds usually classified as below investment grade. The bank pumped a stimulus of $3 trillion into the American economy, and there is no plan to stop until the economic impact of COVID-19 begins to ease significantly.

We don’t know when. The European Central Bank also pumped in $1 trillion as the pandemic bit harder in the European Union.

Even the Bank of England that initially said it would resist “political influence” ended up opening its treasury to the UK government to save the economy. The UK government, in trying to save jobs, undertook to pay as much as 80 percent of staff salaries for certain businesses.

It provided “bounce back” loans of maximum £50,000 to small businesses, repayable over five years after a one-year moratorium. The government also did an “eat out to help out” scheme to save the eateries and restaurants. In all, the Bank of England injected over £750 billion into the UK economy by buying government and corporate bonds. Nothing is cast is stone about economic theories.

By the way, I am not against this battle of ideas. We can have a decent debate devoid of rancour and ill will. For instance, some think we should re-open our borders; others think it is premature except we want to hurt the little progress we have made. Check both ideas.

Neither is 100 percent right or wrong. In all policy decisions, there are always trade-offs. We left the border open for decades and suffered immense damage to the economy and security — but it also promoted legitimate trade and created legitimate jobs. We’ve now closed the border and have reduced smuggling and protected some sectors of the economy, but legitimate trade is also suffering! There must be a way out.

Emefiele has come under heavy criticism but the whole truth is that the economy is in a big mess. Fiscal mess. Monetary mess. We are in desperate times. We are taking desperate measures.

Even before the coronavirus pandemic, we were living on borrowed time. Our overreliance on oil was bound to drown us one day. The severe distortions that come with poorly managed oil-powered economies have damaged the normal economic, social and political order.

All the arguments about trade, agriculture and monetary policies, etc, are products of an economic and socio-political system built on a feeble petrodollar foundation. Let’s hope we have finally reached the turning point.

And Four Other Things…

HARDENED CRIMINALS Kaduna state lawmakers have passed a law prescribing castration for rapists. For sure, we need to tackle the rape menace with all our might, but I’m not sure the lawmakers got medical advice. They would have discovered that castration (removal of the testes, except they are talking about cutting off the penis entirely) does not prevent rape. A castrated man can still have sex but he cannot father a child. Castration can affect the ability of a man to have an erection, but even that can be taken care of with aphrodisiacs and medication. We should also realise that rapists are perverts — they are not just interested in having sex, but having it without restraint. It is not that I have a better punishment for rapists, but castration is not it. Overrated.

NAKED ABUSE Close to rape is sexual harassment. The Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, organised a webinar on Wednesday inspired

by Naked Abuse, a book by celebrated columnist and Ife alumnus, Mr Olusegun Adeniyi, on sexual harassment in African universities. In his remarks, Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo spoke my mind when he said: “The victim must always be seen as the victim. There cannot be an excuse, especially given the power configuration between students and lecturers, that the victim could have somehow invited the abuse upon themselves.” We only justify perfidy when we blame the victim. Imagine a robber accusing you of inviting robbery on yourself by having a car! Twisted.

GANA GONE The death of Terwase Akwaza, aka Gana, “the most wanted bandit in Benue state”, remains a mystery. Did soldiers kill him extra-judicially or was he really taken down in a gun fire exchange? It is scary, all the same, that he appeared to have enjoyed the sympathy of some politicians. I remember that in the early 2000s, some Niger Delta boys were bred as militias by one or two governors, only for them to become Frankenstein monsters that went completely out of control. Has it become a Nigerian culture now? The early growth of Boko Haram was fertilised by politicians who used and dumped the youth. Today, thugs and bandits operate fiefdoms all over the country.

Terrifying.

OSHIOMHOLE VS OBASEKI On Saturday, the governorship election will hold in Edo state. The key contest is a reverse of the 2016 poll: Mr Godwin Obaseki, then of APC now of PDP, squaring off with Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, then of PDP now of APC. After he got into office, Obaseki fell out with his Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, his benefactor. This governorship battle is, therefore, not an ordinary one. If it goes Obaseki’s way, that means he has taken out two heavyweights with one blow. If it goes Ize-Iyamu’s way, Oshiomhole would have made his point and Obaseki would likely fade into political oblivion. Clearly the stakes are extremely high. My plea to all: play well, play fair. Sportsmanship.

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