SUNDAY 3RD January 2021

FG Imposes 6 Months Travel Ban on 100 Passengers for Flouting Covid-19 Rules Publishes their passport details Lagos Archbishop: Enforcement of safety protocols more effective than lockdown Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja and Ugo Aliogo in Lagos The federal government, yesterday, slammed a sixmonth travel ban on 100 passengers, who failed to

comply with the standard airport protocol, which mandates incoming passengers to subject themselves to post arrival Covid-19 PCR test, seven days after arriving in the country.

However, to underscore its seriousness about the travel ban, the federal government has immediately published the passport numbers of the defaulting passengers in an advertorial signed yesterday

by the Chairman, Presidential Task Force on Covid-19, Mr. Boss Mustapha.

This is as the Catholic Archbishop of Lagos Archdiocese, Rev. Dr. Alfred Adewale Martins, has advised

the PTF to ensure that people continue to observe basic Covid-19 non-pharmaceutical protocols, rather than contemplate another lockdown in 2021.

According to Mustapha,

who is also the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the ban, which was based on presidential authority, took effect from Continued on page 16

National Assembly, INEC Clash over Proposed Voting Rights for Child-wives… Page 9 Sunday 3 January, 2021 Vol 25. No 9401

www.thisdaylive.com TR

Muhammadu Buhari

Yemi Osinbajo

Kayode Fayemi

Sanwo-Olu

UT H

& RE A S O

N400

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Godwin Emefiele

Zainab Ahmed

Mai Mala Buni

Aliko Dangote

Abdulsamad Rabiu

Nyesom Wike

Osagie Ehanire

Chikwe Ihekweazu

21 FACES TO WATCH IN 2021

See story on pages 5& 8

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2 1 FA C E S TO WATC H I N 2 0 2 1 . . .

Willy Obiano

Babagana Zulum

Uche Secondus

Nasir El-Rufai

Bola Tinubu

Burna Boy

Wizkid

Bruce Onobrakpeya

Aisha Yesufu

Our Reporters With 2021 already in its third day, certain individuals, by virtue of their current standing, aspirations or projections, look set to define how the year would ultimately turn out for the country. These individuals, apart from the influence they wield and their capacity to cause changes in certain areas of the body politic, the followership they enjoy, as well as their network of contacts, have also made their places inevitable in the new year.

Those identified in this report are just a few of the persons who would ultimately sculpt the new year and define its bearing, but they seem ready to be constant and present at every turn as the year runs through its many curves.

From politics to economy, art and entertainment, these individuals have left imprints in the previous year, which make their role in the new year clearly inevitable.

The actions or inactions of these 21 people is likely going to affect you, for good or for bad in this 2021.

Muhammadu Buhari Naturally, everything revolves around the President of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari. Either by choice or default, he is a regular face to watch out for this new year as the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.

The president has been under intense pressure from different parts of the country and for many reasons, but chiefly issues bordering on leadership and good governance. While some stakeholders have continued to ask him to rejig the nation’s security architecture to enable the government contain growing insecurity, many have called for restructuring to address some of the imbalances in the country.

Of course, the president has yet to address these demands. With the new year just taking off, it is almost certain that the pressures would intensify.

Not to forget, the youth are watching and waiting for the promises made during the EndSARS protests around the country to be fulfilled.

Terrorism Still an Issue Despite official narrative that the Nigerian military has maintained a technical victory over the terrorists in the country, the situation on the battlefield suggests otherwise. The insurgents have continued to launch unceasing attacks.

The infamous Boko Haram terrorist group has also continued to be an issue in the body politic, especially with the recent kidnap and subsequent release of the Kankara schoolboys in Katsina, hometown of the president.

With the state of insecurity in the country, it is almost certain that not much, perhaps, would be different this year.

Yemi Osinbajo As the number two citizen, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo occupies an office that puts him out there for attention. Although he was not engaged as much as many

had envisaged in the year that just ended, it appears he is going to be very much in force in 2021, courtesy of his principal.

Suffice it to say that the vice president had gone a bit quiet immediately after the 2019 elections and not so much was conceded to him last year in terms of responsibility, even though he made fleeting appearances at different times.

But this year, there are strong indications that the vice president might be productively re-engaged in view of the many challenges that currently beset the government.

Chikwe Ihekweazu As the roll out of the COVID-19 vaccine gathers momentum in 2021, Nigerians would be looking up to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) to ensure that the country gets the vaccine at the appropriate time.

The Director General of NCDC, Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, and other officials of this government, whose agencies were largely unknown until the outbreak of the deadly virus in the country, played a key role in limiting the spread of the disease.

The general expectation is that an early arrival of the vaccine in the country would help in managing the challenges associated with the vaccine, which ultimately would lead to the removal of restrictions in movement and other activities.

Bola Tinubu Former Lagos State governor and one of the national leaders of the ruling APC, Bola Tinubu, is beginning to come out strong with his intended presidential bid. No doubt, the clock is ticking for that critical decision, whether to run or not. But if early signals are anything to go by, 2021 is the year things will rev up his presidential ambition.

Tinubu had earlier denied sponsoring those promulgating his presidential ambition. But with the calibre of those in the South West Agenda (SWAGA) now selling his candidacy around the country, it is evident the politician has given nod to their move in expectation that power would shift to the zone.

0Tinubu is also going round the country in disguise. It is evident that he would pay serious attention to his presidential bid, which is billed to grow stronger in the new year.

Kayode Fayemi

Governor of Ekiti State and Chairman of Nigeria Governors Forum, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, has grown in stature, both on the political front and in name recognition. Heightening this is his rumoured presidential ambition, which makes him an active player in 2021.

For the better part of last year, Fayemi was the issue. Not only have his own people begun to project the possibility of his presidential bid, supporters of the ambition of Tinubu also see him as a major factor that could stand in the way of the latter’s ambition.

Typically, Fayemi is unlikely to say anything or respond to anyone, what is certain, however, is that the presidential talks around him will begin to assume a bigger dimension.

Mai Mala Buni The Yobe State Governor, Mai Mala Buni, is also the National Chairman, Caretaker Committee of the ruling APC. This position ordinarily confers a lot of responsibility and attention on him.

With the tenure of his committee recently extended while the party is expected to hold a national convention later in the year, Buni is a major factor in the new year. He would be active, definitely.

Although Buni’s position has earned him enemies both within the ruling APC and the opposition PDP, he has tried to look away while making peace with some of the aggrieved persons in the party.

Willy Obiano Anambra State Governor, Chief Willy Obiano, is unlikely to face any serious governance this year, as succession battle stares him in the face. He would be completing his two terms of eight years this year and coming from a minority party, there’s no debating the fact that the battle to succeed him would start early and it would be fierce.

0In Anambra State, the battle to succeed Obiano would naturally elicit and open up old rivalries. The ruling APGA would be trying to retain the state while both the APC and the PDP would also make effort to outrun APGA, the Anambra election offers an interesting year.

Godwin Emefiele At a time the country is impressively managing its second recession amid a pandemic, the place of the Governor

of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, needs no debate.

With monetary policies defining the different strata of the economy, Emefiele is a force in 2021.

The tone of monetary policy from the Emefiele-led CBN would definitely play a crucial role in defining the direction of the economy in 2021.

Already, the biting economic recession is impacting negatively on households and firms, making it difficult for them to meet basic needs in an economy battling high rate of poverty.

All eyes would be on the CBN this year to roll out ammunitions needed to combat the economic downturn in order to return the economic to the path of growth.

Emefiele, recently assured Nigerians that just like policymakers did in 2016, when the economy slipped into recession, the fiscal and monetary policy managers would join forces to address the present economic challenge.

Consequently, Emefiele said emphasis would be placed on strengthening the development finance initiatives of the CBN in order to stimulate greater production and reduce unemployment.

In order to reflate the economy, the CBN recently raised its COVID-19 targeted facility to households and firms from N150 billion to N300 billion in order to accommodate more Nigerians.

Zainab-Ahmed As the Minister of Finance, Dr (Mrs) Zainab Ahmed holds the key to lifting Nigeria from recession. A lot will depend on her actions.

She will have to push through difficult reforms that are needed to return the nation"s economy to growth.

She will have to build on her deft management of economic policies which earned her the African Finance Minister of the Year.

Already she is engaging strategic international partners to help the country navigate an extremely challenging economic environment.

She is one of those who will impact our lives in 2021.

Aliko Dangote The Dangote oil and gas refinery, which is expected to become operational this year, will be a game changer for Nigeria. Africa’s richest man, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, had assured Nigerians that despite the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the refinery would be inaugurated this year.

The refinery is expected to address

Nigeria’s perennial problem of fuel importation as well as enhance the country’s foreign exchange earnings. Nigeria currently has very limited refining capacity and imports a significant amount of refined petroleum consumed in the country.

The Executive Director, Strategy, Capital Projects and Portfolio Development, Dangote Group, Mr. Devakumar Edwin, had said: “Our focus is to sell it in any part of the world. I am ready for all the markets. The volume is so large, obviously, I can meet the requirements of all the products of Nigeria and I’ll still have surplus to export.”

Abdul Samad Rabiu The BUA Group, which has continued to add value to the Nigerian economy, is another organisation to watch in 2021. BUA Cement recently signed an agreement with Sinoma CBMI of China for the construction of three new cement plants of three million tonnes each per annum in Edo, Sokoto and Adamawa states.

The nine million tonnes combined capacity expansion project, estimated to cost about $1.05billion, will create job opportunities for young Nigerians in these three states.

Upon completion, it will bring BUA Cement’s total capacity to 20 million metric tonnes. The project is the single largest contract ever awarded in the Nigerian cement industry for the construction of new cement plants at the same time and by a single company.

These three new plants are in addition to BUA Cement’s already existing six mmt pa plants in Edo State, three mmtpa plants in Sokoto State, and another three mmtpa BUA Cement plant in Adamawa, which will be inaugurated in the second quarter of 2021.

Chairman of BUA Group, Abdul Samad Rabiu, said the expansion decision was to transform the manufacturing Continued on page 8

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NEWS

Amid Global Crisis, UN Plans Food Systems Summit Ndubuisi Francis in Abuja Amid increasing global food crisis particularly, among poor nations in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General, António Guterrez is to convene a UN Food Systems Summit.

This is aimed at raising awareness and shape global commitments in transforming food systems with a view to tackling hunger, reducing diet-related diseases and restoring planetary health.

The FSS is designed to launch bold new actions to transform the way the world produces and consumes food, delivering progress on all 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

According to the UN scribe, it is unacceptable that hunger is on the rise at a time, when the world wastes more than one billion tonnes of food every year.

He said: "It is time to change how we produce and consume, including to reduce greenhouse emissions.

Transforming food systems is crucial for delivering all the Sustainable Development Goals. As a human family,

a world free of hunger is our imperative."

There are rising fears that Nigeria and many African countries were on the verge of a food crisis occasioned by various challenges including floods, climate change effects, insecurity and locust invasion, among others.

But following the disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic, the Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), an agency of the UN, QU Dongyu recently declared that, "the shocks of 2020 will reverberate long into 2021."

Dongyu noted that the extraordinary challenges faced this year, from the pan-continental desert locust upsurge to the global pandemic, the number of people facing emergency levels of acute food insecurity might rise further "unless we act now and act at scale."

In planning for 2021, the UN therefore considered a promising food systems summit in the face of current realities.

According to information

pasted on the UN website, Antonio Guterres called for collective action of every global citizen to radically change the way food was produced, processed, transported, marketed and consumed.

The proposed summit would build on a number of global events and platforms as well as their agreements and collaborative actions.

Preparations for the summit will explore synergies between multiple regional and national initiatives that support the transformation of food systems and draw knowledge from the sources to inform the summit’s recommendations.

The event will follow five action tracks, which include ensuring access to safe and nutritious food, shifting to sustainable consumption patterns, boosting nature-positive production, advancing equitable livelihoods and building resilience.

Meanwhile, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has called for a planet-based diet, which researchers define as eating habits that benefit both human health and the

natural environment.

The call was contained in its report, 'Bending the Curve: The Restorative Power of Planet-Based Diets", which detailed the ways countries could improve human health and restore the environment through sustainable diets.

To develop their recommendations, researchers at WWF analysed dietary patterns in 147 different countries and found five strategic actions achievable through dietary shifts.

They called on countries to reverse biodiversity loss, live within the global carbon budget for food, feed humanity on existing cropland, achieve negative emissions, and optimise crop yields.

The report broke down global food system solutions into national-level ideas to improve diet.

The Lead Author and Global Food Lead Scientist for WWF, Brent Loken said: “Individual countries will have the tools and the data that they need to say, ‘If I want to take this on, what are the implications for me?

“One of the most surprising things is just the sheer impact. Increasing your meat consumption by a few grams per day makes a huge difference,” Loken told Food Tank.

According to the calculator, if everyone in the United States reduced their red meat consumption by just

650 Calories (about one steak), it would prevent 274 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions, the equivalent of taking 59 million cars off the road.

WWF believes that focusing on diets at the national level rather than the global level is important, because a solution that works

2 1 FAC E S TO WATC H I N 2 0 2 1 industry and increase Nigeria’s cement production capacity.

would continue to be in the news.

Nyesom Wike

Nasir El-Rufai

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, is technically the leader of the main opposition PDP and he is not playing it calm. Somewhat brash and pugnacious, he would certainly play things up in this new year.

Importantly, there are hints already that Wike might be interested in the country's presidency. He is also allegedly looking in the direction of a certain northern colleague, with whom he had always wanted to be president.

Either on the choice of candidate or the likelihood of zoning the presidency, Wike is one force that would not be pushed aside. With his role in the emergence of Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State, Wike has claimed his spot in 2021 and on merit.

The Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, is by disposition a media delight.

And with his constant position on power shift and the 2023 general election, this year offers him more opportunity to further assert and position himself. It is not an error to put him on the 2021 watch list.

0El-Rufai had said at different times that it was inconceivable to imagine the North retaining power in 2023 after Buhari’s eight years, even though some of his utterances had been interpreted to mean he was positioning himself ahead of 2023.

0However, while he is already being paired with two of the likely contenders from the South – South-west and South-south – El-Rufai has yet to state what his plans are. But the suspicions alone are strong enough to keep him in reckoning.

Babagana Zulum Professor Babagana Zulum is the Governor of Borno State. Unfortunately, he has consistently been in the news for the unpleasant reason: growing insecurity in the North. And with the tide of attacks not subsiding, he is by every consideration a face to reckon with in the new year.

Last year, Zulum was attacked about four times by armed groups suspected to be terrorists. Indeed, with the frequency of the attacks, Zulum almost insinuated that the military was behind some of the attacks against him, which led to the loss of some men.

However, while the governor slowed down a bit towards the end of last year in his confrontation with the federal government, there are no indications that his plight and those of his people would change anytime soon. Zulum

Aisha Yesufu Feminist and rights activist, Aisha Yesufu, was in her best for the better part of last year and so, there’s a carryover effect of many of her feats into the new year. With her role in the #EndSARS protests, she promises to be very much around this new year.

This is particularly so because she has not limited her intervention to any particular consideration but intervenes in all issues, given their importance to the polity and humanity in general.

She not only attacks governments, but also often goes after individuals and institutions anytime they step out of line. Her recent intervention in the matter of Don Davis Archibong, an 11-year-old, who was allegedly molested at Deeper Life High School, Uyo, Akwa

Ibom State.

Burna Boy Since 2018, Afro-fusion artiste, Burna Boy, has amplified greatly. From making 'Ye' his comeback anthem to releasing his 'African Giant' album, fetching a Grammy nomination in 2019, winning BET International Act of the Year, and following it up with another album release 'Twice As Tall' in 2020, another BET win, another Grammy nomination and MTV Africa Music Awards nomination too.

With the collection of accolades, 2021 is certainly looking bright for the young music star. The focus will mainly be on his Grammy nomination. As the first Nigerian artiste to be nominated consecutively in the Global Music Album category, expectations are high that Burna, who has been very ambitious in his musical pursuits, would bring the glittering gramophone award back home.

0 If he succeeds in doing so, it will be the first time a Nigerian artiste would clinch a Grammy in that category, which has been mostly won by Brazilians and South Africans. He will also outshine the Kuti brothers, Femi and Seun Kuti, who had been previously nominated in the category. Furthermore, it would break the Grammy jinx in that category finally for Nigerian music and validate Afrobeats as the dominating sound of Africa and, perhaps, the world.

Wizkid 'Made in Lagos', the longawaited album, which was finally released last year, received rave reviews from critics. It made British Vogue's 12 Best Albums of 2020; 'Essence', a song from the album was one of United States former President Barack

Obama's favourite songs of 2020; the album was also the longest-charting Nigerian album on the UK albums chart for the new decade, the list to Wizkid's achievement last year is nearly endless.

But like Burna Boy, Nigerians are hopeful that he would have a shining moment at the 63rd Grammy Awards. He was nominated alongside American superstar, Beyoncé, in the Best Music Video category for 'Brown Skin Girl', off the visual album 'Black is King'. Wizkid is likely to veer into more fashion endorsements in 2021.

0Last year saw him advertising Puma Suedes for international fashion brand JD. Ahead of his album release, he advertised an array of merchandise for fans to purchase. His love for fashion is not hidden, having walked the runway for Dolce & Gabana's SS19 menswear alongside supermodel, Naomi Campbell, in 2018. Perhaps, people might see more collaboration in the new year.

Bruce Obomeyoma Onobrakpeya Bruce Obomeyoma Onobrakpeya, an 88-yearold printmaker, painter and sculptor, who has exhibited in such prestigious venues as the Tate Modern in London, UK, the National Museum of African Art of the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, DC, USA and Malmö Konsthall in Malmö, Sweden, lights up the local arts scene with his biannual Harmattan Workshop in the town of Agbarha-Otor, Delta State.

The workshop that not only attracts artists from all over the country but also from outside the country will be holding this year in February and August as planned. The purpose-built venue for the workshop, according to the artist, is designed in such a way that the participants

would be able to observe the COVID-19 safety protocols.

He would be an issue in the new year.

Babajide Sanwo-Olu The Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, is by every definition a major character in the New Year.

As the governor of Nigeria’s commercial nerve centre – the country’s microcosm – SanwoOlu’s leadership choices helped to shape many of the events of last year and this was from the start of 2020.

From the first index of Covid-19 in February of 2020 to the commercial motorcycle and tricycle crisis, explosions in different parts of the state, collapse of buildings and the #EndSARS protests, SanwoOlu’s 2020 was completely eventful, albeit not enviable.

Therefore, going into the New Year, it is without doubts that 2021 already has a place – better described as distinctive – for the Lagos governor, who has not fallen short of expectations in his leadership, even when it seemed there was confusion on the horizon.

Bolstered by his honesty, friendly disposition, capacity and collegiate approach to leadership, Sanwo-Olu’s Lagos definitely looks forward to a promising 2021, prepped to recover from the ruins of last year and appears determined to take the chances of prosperity in the New Year.

Uche Secondus From the moment he assumed leadership as the National Chairman of the main opposition PDP, Mr. Uche Secondus has not left anyone in doubt that he understood his briefs and why he must step up to the challenge before him.

Without playing to the gallery, the PDP under the command of Secondus, hasn’t

done badly so far in its role as the opposition party by constantly engaging the ruling APC, putting it on the spot and often boxing it to the defensive corner.

Suffice it to say that the PDP had grown from the timid, uncoordinated and confused party it was immediately after it lost the 2019 elections to not just a barking opposition but one capable of biting and leaving an enduring scar on its victim.

With the journey to 2023 likely to be one of the main concerns of political actors this year, Secondus, without much ado, is positioned to lead some of the challenges that are related to the prospects of the next elections in 2023. He is therefore a factor in 2021.

Osagie Ehanire Like many of his colleagues around the world, the Minister of Health, Professor Osagie Ehanire, was expectedly not prepared for the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.

But unlike some of his colleagues too, he stood up to the challenge and today the Nigerian Covid-19 story is different, despite some of the obvious inadequacies.

From taking extreme precautions at the nation’s borders and airports as well as prescribing instructive safety protocols, his leadership at the health ministry in conjunction with other interest groups like the Presidential Task Force and the NCDC, has helped to contain the menace of the virus and subdue its spread significantly.

Of course, the virus has been carried over to the New Year, which means the battle is far from being over. This reality, as a result, entrusts the Ehanire leadership with a certain degree of expectations in the sustained fight against Covid-19 and at the centre of this coordination is the health minister.

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National Assembly, INEC Clash over Proposed Voting Rights for Child-wives Commission: Voting age remains 18, amendment inferior to constitution Falana explains why proposed modification can’t succeed Proposal conflicts spirit of constitution, Usoro posits Odinkalu, women groups kick Chuks Okocha in Abuja Controversy over the planned introduction of underage voting, widely alleged to be disguised in a cloak of child-wives’ rights by the National Assembly Joint Committee on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has escalated, with INEC insisting on the sacrosanctity of the constitutionally recognised voting age of 18 years. INEC said no matter the amendments to the Electoral Act, it will remain inferior to the 1999 Constitution.

Some legal experts also gave voice to the debate.

Renowned human rights activist and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mr. Femi Falana, said the proposed amendment would fail because about 25 of the 36 states of the federation, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), had already adopted, enacted, and domesticated the Child Rights Act. Similarly, a former president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Paul Usoro, said the planned amendment of the Electoral Act to accommodate child-wives voting conflicted with the spirit of the Nigerian constitution. Usoro said child marriages were illegal and attracted penalties under the Child Rights Act. A former chairman, Governing Council of the National Human Rights Commission, Dr. Chidi Odinkalu, and some women groups have also kicked against the alteration, describing it as a criminal abuse of the constitution.

The National Assembly Joint Committee on INEC had recommended that married girls under the age of 18, otherwise known as child-wives, should be recognised as eligible voters.

The committee made the recommendation to a technical committee appointed to work on a new electoral act proposed by the federal lawmakers. The technical committee is made up of lawyers, lawmakers, INEC officials, and civil society organisations (CSOs).

At a public hearing organised by the joint panel a fortnight ago, some stakeholders recommended that married underage girls should be considered eligible to vote.

Chairman, Senate Committee on INEC, Senator Kabiru Gaya (APC, Kano), said the recommendation was a unanimous decision of the joint panel.

Gaya said, "The joint committee has proposed that if a lady, who is not up to 18 years, is married, she should be considered to be mature enough and be eligible to vote."

But reacting to the proposal in an interview with THISDAY, INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education, Festus Okoye, said any amendment of the electoral law inconsistent with the constitution remained invalid.

According to him, “The right to vote is fundamental to democracy and it is given to those that understand its import and importance and who can make rational choices

and decisions. In this context, sovereignty is imbedded and imbued in the people and governments derive their power and authority through the exercise of sovereignty by the people.

"In Nigeria, the right to vote is a constitutional right and the constitution is the fundamental law of the land. By section 1(3) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), if any other law is inconsistent with the provisions of the constitution, the constitution shall prevail and that other law shall to the extent of the inconsistency remain void.”

Okoye explained, "By sections 77(2) and 117(2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), every citizen of Nigeria, who has attained the age of 18 years residing in Nigeria at the time of registration of voters for purposes of election to any legislative house, shall be entitled to be registered as a voter for the election.

“Furthermore, by section 132(5) and 178(5) of the constitution, every person who is registered to vote at an election of a member of a legislative house shall be entitled to vote at an election to the office of President and Governor of a State.

"The implication of the combined provisions of sections 77(2), 117(2), 132(5) and 178(5) of the constitution is that the National Assembly can only alter the voting age in Nigeria through the constitutional alteration of sections 77(2), 117(2) 132(5) and 178(5), utilising its legislative powers in section 9 of the constitution.”

The INEC commissioner said the National Assembly could not change or alter the voting age in Nigeria through the instrumentality of the Electoral Act. “In the hierarchy of laws in Nigeria, the Electoral Act is an inferior legislation,” he stated, adding, "Since the constitution has made elaborate provision on the voting age in Nigeria, the legislative powers of the National Assembly cannot be exercised inconsistently with the constitution. In other words, an inferior legislation cannot add to or subtract from what the constitution has provided.

"If Nigerians believe that the voting age should be lowered, then the constitution must be altered to provide for it. It cannot be brought about through amending the Electoral Act.” He also spoke on the spirit of the constitution with the regard to voting age.

Okoye stated, "The present confusion relating to voting age for all married women is a product of a clear misunderstanding of the intendment of section 29 of the constitution relating to renunciation of citizenship. Section 29(1) of the constitution provides that any citizen of Nigeria of full age, who wishes to renounce his Nigerian citizenship, shall make a declaration in the prescribed manner for the renunciation. For the purpose of renunciation of citizenship, section 29(4)(b) of the constitution deems any woman who is married to be of full age.

IFEKAEGO NNEWI...

Prof. Kingsley Moghalu, former Deputy Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria and 2019 presidential candidate, salutes the crowd after his conferment with the Nnewi traditional title “Ifekaego Nnewi” (“that which is greater than money”) by Igwe Kenneth Orizu III at the latter’s 57th annual Ofala festival... recently "Section 29 of the constitution has nothing to do with voters’ registration but deals solely and specifically with renunciation of citizenship. Therefore, to change the voting age in Nigeria, the National Assembly shall alter the provisions of the constitution and the proposal for such must be supported by two thirds majority of all the members of the National Assembly and approved by a resolution of the Houses of Assembly of not less than two-thirds of all the states.

"The Electoral Act cannot provide for the age threshold for voters’ registration, as the constitution has covered the field in that area.”

Falana spoke in a similar vein.

He said, “Even though Section 29 (4) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria regards every woman who is married to be of full age, Nigeria has ratified the Child Rights Convention and enacted the Child Rights Act, which regards any person under 18 years as a child.”

The Lagos-based lawyer also said, “The amendment cannot succeed as 25 out of 36 states have adopted and enacted the Child Rights Act. Under the law applicable in the 25 states and FCT, any person under 18 is a child.

“It is so sad that child marriage is being promoted by some legislators at a time that Saudi Arabia has banned the backward practice, which has nothing to do with the religion of Islam.”

On his part, Usoro said, “Actually, the age for eligible voters is stipulated by Section 12(1)(b) of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended), which states that ‘a person shall be qualified to be registered as a voter if such a person has attained the age of 18 years’. It is not a stipulation of the constitution.

“That said, do we need to amend this unequivocal and unconditional provision of the Electoral Act to accommodate child-brides that are under

18 years of age? That would actually conflict with Section 21 of the Child Rights Act, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, which in unmistakable terms and for unimpeachable reasons, prohibits child marriage by stipulating that ‘no person under the age of 18 years is capable of contracting a valid marriage, and accordingly, a marriage so contracted is null and void and of no effect whatsoever’.”

The former NBA president stressed that there were penalties in the Child Rights Act against adults, who engaged in, perpetrated or promoted such child marriages and betrothals.

He stated, “The point to note is that a person under 18 is universally considered a child or a minor and, therefore, subject to parental control and protection.

Indeed, the Child Rights Act in its Section 277 defines a child as ‘a person under the age of 18 years’ and the ‘age of maturity’ as ‘the age at which a person attains the age of 18 years’.

“Those are the benchmarks that are used universally by the civilised world in which ranks we number ourselves and that is the benchmark that informs the voting age of 18 in countries with systems of democracy and laws similar to ours, notably the United States of America (see the 26th Amendment to the US Constitution) and the United Kingdom (see Representation of People Act, 1969).

“Apart from the illegality of opening the voting eligibility window for child brides under 18, pursuant to the express provisions of the Child Rights Act, as afore stated, we should also worry about the floodgates that such a move might open. If child brides are permitted to vote, why should we discriminate against our precocious kids (boys and girls) under 18, who now graduate with outstanding classes of first degrees and diplomas, but are not permitted to vote?”

Usoro wondered why the lawmakers did not also propose

that child labourers should be allowed to vote. He said, “The reason for that blanket exclusion is simple: despite their circumstances, they are all still minors and yet to attain the age of maturity, which in general terms would imbue them with the discernment for independent judgments for which they can be held accountable. We should not underestimate the essence of accountability.

“Children under 18 are generally not held accountable for their actions, because they are yet to attain the age of maturity – this is enshrined in our criminal statutes, among others. Voting is a major consequential undertaking and should be permitted only for those persons, who have attained the age of maturity and understand and can be held accountable and responsible for the consequences of their actions, including, but not limited to, voting in governments and persons into office.”

Usoro advised the National Assembly, saying, “What we should all do is actually to enlarge the coast of child protection by faithfully and fully enforcing the provisions of the Child Rights Act and not find ways to subvert the provisions of the Act by, for example, reducing voting age eligibility for child brides.

“Such subversion of the laws would have huge ramifications and consequences for our country and for the individuals in whose favour we purport to so subvert the laws. With the greatest respect to our legislators, that is not one of the significant challenges facing us as a nation right now and we should not elevate the voting amendment to that status howsoever.”

Odinkalu, Women Groups Kick Against Amendment Odinkalu called the proposed amendment of the Electoral Act a criminal abuse of the constitution,

saying, "Abuse upon abuse!

It's bad enough to advertise a tradition of abuse inherent in the practice of child brides in today's world.

"Rather than commit to eliminating that, they seek to incentivise it and grant it electoral advantage. That is criminal abuse of the constitution."

The Nigerian Feminist Forum said the National Assembly should be ashamed for taking part in a deliberate act of misconduct and injustice by legitimising the suffering of underage girls forced into marriage rather than being put in school.

Speaking on behalf of the forum, Ihuoma Obibi reminded the National Assembly that the Child Rights Act recognised children as those below 18 years and called on the legislature not to use the bodies of Nigerian women to play the politics of who would rule the country.

Obibi said, "The National Assembly should remember that the Equal Opportunities Bill needs to be passed and has been there for more than 12 years. This in itself is an utter disgrace and allows us to question exactly what the lawmakers are doing there."

President, Women Arise, Dr. Joe Okei Odumakin, said the amendment, if pushed through, would encourage child marriage.

Odumakin called on members of the National Assembly to throw "this horrible proposal into the trash can, as it does not in any way present us as a serious nation committed to the advancement of the future of the girl child."

She said it was worrisome that at a time the world was improving upon every known framework and advocacy towards advancing girl child education and an end to underage marriage, some politicians were making moves to further worsen the menace of child marriage by advancing a terrible practice for selfish political gain.

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SUNDAY JANUARY 3, 2021 •T H I S D AY

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ JANUARY 3, 2021

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OPINION

Ambassador Leonard-Accreditation

Looking Back on 2020 with a Sense of Optimism in 2021 Mary Beth Leonard

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was proud to arrive in Nigeria and begin my third ambassadorial posting last November. 2020 will long be remembered as the year of the pandemic COVID-19, and we will look back and honor the lives of the more than 1.5 million people worldwide who lost their lives to this vicious pandemic. 2020 also marked 60 years of bilateral diplomatic relations between the United States and Nigeria, and much has been accomplished over the course of that time as democracy and a free and open business environment continue to grow. Allow me to provide a bit more detail about accomplishments achieved with our Nigerian partners.

The international community came together in times of a health crisis. Over 60 members of the U.S. Mission in Nigeria - from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), USAID, and the U.S. Department of Defense’s Walter Reed Army Institute of Research - stood side by side with Nigerian counterparts at the National Center for Disease Control, Presidential Task Force and Nigerian military to strategize, plan, and effectively implement treatment of Nigerian citizens over the past nine months. In 2020, the United States provided more than $73 million in assistance for the COVID-19 response.

This includes the delivery of 200 ventilators pledged during a conversation between Presidents Buhari and Trump in April, epidemiological COVID detection surveys, technical assistance, and service plans.

I whole-heartedly congratulated Nigeria in August for attaining a wild polio virus-free status and recognized that no country could have achieved this great feat without the support of its partners. This effort, buttressed by the Centers for Disease Control and USAID investments of approximately $220 million dollars combined over the last eight years, demonstrated the dynamism of state and local activities to strengthen surveillance, join in polio campaigns, create polio outbreak response plans, and encourage routine immunization.

The President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) enrolled its one millionth Nigerian patient this year. Our team has been engaged in a year-long surge activity that is now enrolling 6,000 new patients

per week across the country. The National AIDS Indicator Survey (NAIIS) armed us with the data we needed to target the disease more effectively. We are doing just that with our partners at the Nigerian AIDS Control Agency, state governors, health commissioners, and State AIDS Control Agencies, and the Ministry of Health. Together, we are identifying patients, providing them life-saving treatment, and suppressing their viral loads to levels which can no longer transmit the disease. We are within reach of an AIDS free generation after twenty years of sustained commitment.

Two-way trade between our great nations has expanded to a value of over $9 billion. The United States is proud to be one of the largest foreign investors in Nigeria. Programs offered through our Foreign Commercial and Agricultural Services, like Prosper Africa and the West African Trade Hub, will continue to facilitate business that benefits both our countries. During a U.S. Chamber of Commerce December, the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy shared that Nigeria’s digital economy contributed more than 17 percent to the national GDP in 2020. Broadband penetration increased by 10 percent this year and as more Nigerians engage in secure and reliable online banking and retail, small and medium enterprises will be able to expand their online platforms and services.

The United States actively supports the expansion of internet infrastructure in Nigeria, with the U.S. Trade and Development Agency this year providing over $3.6 million in project preparation assistance aimed at expanding reliable broadband connectivity to thousands of Nigerians. In 2021, we expect to see additional opportunities to reduce the digital divide.

President Buhari recently signed the U.S.-Nigeria Open Skies agreement that will permit increased aviation links, generating new two-way trade and commercial opportunities. With the right policy environment, these trends will lead to even greater business and employment opportunities in 2021.

The United States is a steadfast supporter of Nigerian democracy. Nigerian youth mobilized and brought international attention to police abuse and successfully called for police reforms.

We will seek opportunities in 2021 to contribute

technical assistance in the national and state-level efforts to follow-through on #EndSARS commitments.

In November, we welcomed Counselor Brechbühl’s delegation who came to raise U.S. government concerns about ongoing violence in Nigeria, human rights, and religious freedom, and to enhance U.S.-Nigerian cooperation in preventing atrocities. This past year we encouraged all stakeholders, including INEC, political parties, and security services, to make significant improvements to electoral processes. We congratulate INEC and the Nigerian people for the credible and largely peaceful Edo and Ondo State elections where voters felt their votes counted. We support public monitoring groups, such as YIAGA, to build public confidence in election results. Moving forward, the United States will continue to consider consequences – including visa restrictions – for individuals responsible for undermining the Nigerian democratic process or for organizing election-related violence.

Finally, no country can advance the well-being of its people without peace and security. Our ongoing U.S. security cooperation programs with Nigeria include equipment sales, grants, education, and training programs.

Countering Boko Haram and ISIS-West Africa remain top priorities for both of our nations. Maritime security cooperation, through joint exercises such as Obangame Express, demonstrate the strength of our partnership to end piracy and encourage economic activity in the Gulf of Guinea.

We look forward to Nigeria hosting the U.S.-Nigeria Binational Commission this year. The Commission remains a premiere platform of engagement for our governments to expand cooperation and advance shared goals, particularly in the areas of trade and investment, development, good governance, and security cooperation.

With our 60 years young relationship, there is much to look forward to this year. We wish the Nigerian people quality moments with loved ones over the holidays, and time to rejuvenate the spirit as we welcome a new year of engagement and partnership.

––Ambassador Mary Beth Leonard, is a United States Diplomatic Mission to Nigeria.

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JANUARY 3, 2021 ˾ T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R

EDITORIAL

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

COVID-19 SECOND WAVE AND HEALTH WORKERS Government should provide the necessary equipment to front-line health workers

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he recent alarm by the Abuja branch chairman of Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Enema Amodu, that no fewer than 20 medical doctors lost their lives to COVID-19 within a period of one week should worry critical stakeholders in the health sector. That these victims include consultants, professors and resident doctors point to the rapid rate of infections since the second wave of the deadly virus. Sadly, as scary as the statistics may seem, the threat is not exclusive to doctors. Hundreds of other health workers have been infected at one point or the other in the course of interacting with COVID-19 patients or samples. Not many have lived to tell their stories.

Our main concern is with the official response to the challenge.

Despite the high risks associated with being on the front line of the fight against COVID-19 pandemic, health workers in the country have not been adequately motivated.

Their families are at risk. Many of them work without the essential personal protective equipment (PPE). Majority are not insured. While we understand the expensive nature of PPE, no cost can be put on the lives of our health workers. Failure to invest in the protection of medical personnel would mean gambling with their lives and that of their family members. If they withdraw their services, we will not get the needed workforce to treat the growing spread of the virus. We hope the authorities will look into all these issues and offer comprehensive measures to contain the problem.

Globally, over a million health workers have been infected by the virus through exposure to infected

persons while a significant number have lost their lives to it. The International Council of Nurses in October said over 1500 nurses in 44 countries have died from the disease. The council added that there is a possibility of over 5,000 deaths among its members battling the pandemic across the world.

With most countries experiencing the second wave of COVID-19, which experts suggest is more virulent and spreads faster than the earlier strain of the disease, there is need for the Nigerian authorities to put in measures to ensure its spread is halted, especially among front-line health workers whose health and wellbeing are vital to the successful treatment and survival of the population against the pandemic.

The federal government and the 36 states should ramp up the proposed insurance health package for all health workers at the front-line of the fight against COVID-19

Letters to the Editor

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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

he Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 has warned that Nigeria was experiencing the second wave of the pandemic and that the increased numbers of infection and death were due to it. The NMA president, Innocent Ujah, has called on government at all levels to provide PPE, running water, soap, gloves and hand sanitisers to doctors and other health workers attending to COVID-19 patients. “We have also advised the federal government to ban flights from the United Kingdom and the United States because passengers from these places are the ones compounding our cases here,” he said.

Across the country, the level of compliance with the COVID-19 protocols is still very low.

Churches and Mosques still gather crowds for Sunday services and Jumaat prayers respectively.

Social outings like weddings and burials are still being conducted without regard for the protocols.

In many of our schools, there are no basic tools for temperature screening, students moved around without face masks while there is no running water for handwashing. As things stand today, there is still much to worry about.

Meanwhile, The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) should work with the federal government and the authorities in the 36 states to ramp up the proposed insurance health package for all health workers at the front-line of the fight against COVID-19. The package must be appreciable enough to motivate them to keep fighting for the country. While the PTF has said it was putting new measures in place to ensure the virus does not spread further, it should prioritise the provision of PPE to the workers because without them, we truly have nothing to win the fight against the pandemic.

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.

NIGERIA AND SPECTRE OF INSECURITY

t is no longer news that the world in the year 2020 was ravaged by the novel COVID-19 pandemic with over 81 million confirmed cases and almost two million deaths recorded in 222 countries.

While the world is being ravaged by the Coronavirus pandemic and permanent solution is being sought, Nigeria has been turned into a theatre of killings through the activities of terrorists, notably the notorious Boko Haram terrorist group and its splinter group, Islamic State

West Africa Province (ISWAP).

From January up till 31 December, 2020 the Northeast states, most especially Borno State, were terrorised on a daily basis. Hundreds of thousands of people, most especially innocent people, lost their lives.

While all these unnecessary killings continue, the government keeps claiming that the terrorists have been defeated or decimated. But the fact remains that the terrorist groups are very much on ground in the Northeast,

terrorising innocent Nigerians as well as military formations.

The military has lost many of its personnel, while humanitarian aid workers have been killed.

Many school, markets, places of worship such as churches and mosques were either destroyed or burnt down by the Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province.

In the year 2020 alone, between the two notorious terrorist groups, Boko Haram and ISWAP, more than 50 terror attacks were carried

out with thousands of deaths recorded.

The most recent terror attack by the Boko Haram terrorist group was the killing of 11 Christians on Christmas Eve in the village of Pemi, Borno State. This was about one month after the killings of 110 farmers in Koshebe village, Borno State.

Nigeria has become the number one terrorist-hit country in Africa, while Boko Haram has become one of the deadliest terror groups not only in Nigeria and Africa but in the world.

Unlike other terrorist groups, Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province also engaged

in the kidnapping of schoolgirls and schoolboys. They kidnap at will.

What is worrisome is the fact that the Nigerian government keeps saying that the terrorists have been defeated while they continue to attack, kill and kidnap both civilians and military personnel.

One keeps wondering how an extremist group terrorised a section of the country for over five years without the government finding a permanent solution to their activities.

–Agunloye Adewunmi Bashiru, bagunloye@ gmail.com

SUNDAY JANUARY 3, 2021 • T H I S D AY

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T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ JANUARY 3, 2021

OPINION

2021: MAY YOUR ROAD BE SMOOTH Olusina Thorpe Prays for a Better New Year

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ate Dr. Tai Solarin was one of Nigeria's foremost, courageous and steadfast social activists.

He was also a compelling writer with radical messages. In one of his famous write ups, titled: “May Your Road Be Rough”, which he penned on January 1st, 1964, Solarin wrote: “I am not cursing you; I am wishing you what I wish myself every year. I, therefore, repeat, May you have a hard time this year, May there be plenty of troubles for you this year! If you are not so sure what you should say back, why not just say, 'Same to you'? I ask for no more”.

Though many people misinterpreted Solarin's prayer as a curse, the main intent was to bring to fore the intricate relationship between the bumpy roads of life and success. The bottom line is that success is not achieved on a platter of gold. It comes through continuous struggles and battles on the turbulent waters of life.

In Solarin's words, life, if it is going to be abundant, must have plenty of hills and vales. It must have plenty of sunshine and rough weather. It must be rich in obfuscation and perspicacity. It must be packed with days of danger and of apprehension.

However, as much as one finds Solarin's postulation somewhat engaging, as we move into the New Year, I wish to take a radical departure from his position. Being a staunch believer in the word of God, I fully understand the power in the spoken word.

In Numbers 14:28, the Almighty God said: “…As truly as I live…as ye have spoken in my ears, so will I do to you”. This implies that whatever we say is what we get. Therefore, based on my profound respect for the integrity of God's word, I won't be joining Solarin to wish or pray for a rough road in 2021. No! Besides the grievous spiritual implication of wishing oneself or others a rough road, in view of our tough experience in 2020, it would be foolhardy to wish for a rough road in the New Year. We had enough hurly-burly in 2020.

2020 was a year that many would not want to remember in a long time. It was a most trying year, full of heartaches and pains.

It was a year when dreams and hopes were shattered. It was a year of losses and sorrow for many. The COVID-19 pandemic obviously complicated 2020. Take it or leave it, in 2020, COVID-19 caused the entire world anxious moments, as no terrorist organization has ever done.

As of Friday, January, 2021, the number of people who have died as a result of the pandemic globally has exceeded 1, 820,000.

This shows the massive impact the virus had on the world.

Thousands of flights were cancelled, music and sporting activities postponed and in some cases cancelled. Some nations were on

lock down for weeks, thus leading to colossal economic losses.

Being the nation's commercial and industrial never-centre, Lagos was understandably the epicenter of the pandemic in the country.

Without a doubt, COVID-19 stretched Lagos' resilience, but the government valiantly rose to the occasion, receiving accolades from far and near.

Sadly, as the state was steadily getting out of the debacle, the EndSARS violence reared its ugly head. The sheer magnitude of the destruction occasioned by the violence would make even a heart of steel cringe. By the time the mindless orgy of viciousness was over, many public and private assets in Lagos were left in absolute ruins.

Aside from the two major decisive events with far-reaching consequences, the state equally experienced scores of ugly occurrences such as fire outbreaks and building collapse among others.

It is, thus, in view of this that I am wishing Lagosians a smoother 2021. Unlike Solarin's curious entreaty, my prayer is that 2021 would be a better year for us all. I pray it would be a year of lesser turbulence and heartaches. I pray it would be a year of total recovery from the losses of the preceding year. We had enough of a bumpy road in 2020. So, in 2021, all we hope and wish for is that the road would be smoother and pleasant.

However, this would not just happen via mere prayer and wishes.

We must all come together, both the people and the government, in order to be on the same page. The people must shun vices such as spreading fake news (which caused grievous havocs in 2020), indiscriminate dumping of refuse, and flagrant disobedience of traffic rules, cultism and other such untoward tendencies.

On its part, the state government, in its usual style, is poised to take the state to greater heights in 2021. The 2021 budget, christened, 'Budget of Rekindled Hope', was carefully designed to meet the aspirations of our teeming youth and the people by focusing on sec-

My prayer is that 2021 would be a better year for us all. I pray it would be a year of lesser turbulence and heartaches. I pray it would be a year of total recovery from the losses of the preceding year

tors with job creating potential such as agriculture, construction, technology and security.

The goal is to improve the economic conditions and social safety needed for the youth and all hardworking Lagosians to flourish. Resources will be committed to sectors that need to grow for the residents to become more self-reliant and economically empowered.

Apivotal crux of the 2021 budget will be the promotion of an entrepreneurial culture among Lagosians. In light of this, micro, small and medium enterprises will be strengthened because their activities help to facilitate socio-economic advancement. The current administration has done a lot to support the entrepreneurs in the state through the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund, (LSETF) and it is set to do more by providing technical and financial support so that they can in turn generate employment that will stimulate equitable economic prosperity.

The government is set to consolidate its gains in the technology sector for accelerated economic growth and job creation. In order to achieve this, it will collaborate with major players in that space like Oracle, Microsoft and Google to prepare our youths for the IT job market. As it focuses on job and wealth creation, it will also prioritize the security of lives and property as well as local intelligence gathering in the communities by increasing significantly the number of Neighbourhood Watch Officers over the next two years.

All these will be achieved through the state's human development MDAs comprising the Ministries of Education, Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Wealth Creation, (including LSETF) and SDGI. Consequently, the cumulative budgetary provision towards human capital development effort from these MDAs total's N148.57billion. No doubt, for Lagos, the 2021 outlook looks promising.

On a final note, in 1986, P.A. Elton wrote the following concerning Nigeria: “Nigeria and Nigerians will be known for corruption worldwide, but the tide will turn and Nigeria will also be known to righteousness worldwide. Many shall take hold of a Nigerian saying, ‘we will go with you for we have heard that God is with you’. I pray this prophecy shall be fulfilled right in our own generation and beyond.

As I welcome everyone on board the New Year, I pray that our journey through the year would be smoother, more enriching and safer.

Happy New Year and best wishes!

––Thorpe is Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information and Strategy, Alausa, Ikeja.

Getting It Right As A Nation The nation’s reward system should be appropriate, writes Adewale Kupoluyi

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any things are wrong with our dear country.

The truth is that there is no nation under the sun that does not have its peculiar problems, which could be social, political, economic, or classified under other headings or even a combination of all. The issues bordering on values, morals, and ethos deserve utmost consideration in the sense that they centre around the people. That is why the challenges facing us as Nigerians are not only social, political, and economic in nature, but they cut across the cherished ideals of values, morals, and ethos.

Hard work, integrity and reward system of cherished ideals are hardly recognised here unlike what is obtainable in other climes where people are honoured, compensated, and adored for what they have been able to contribute to societal upliftment.

A manifestation of this was seen a few days ago when it was announced that a national essay competition would be taking place among undergraduates in Nigerian universities. According to the organisers, the first prize winner would get a laptop computer while other lower categories of winners would get android telephones and other prizes. It should be placed on record that the organisers deserve commendation for encouraging scholarship, creating thinking, and promoting writing skills. This is the kind of intervention that the nation needs to engage the young ones productively.

After all, they have the option not to promote something that can add value to the people and society. The organisers would most likely be running the programme based on passion and available budget to uplift the reading and writing culture. Mental empowerment is so critical to the emancipation of man by nurturing the mind in such a way that the citizenry becomes informed and stimulating purposeful leadership through sound education.

We may ask that what does it take to successfully partake in a national essay competition? Apart from adhering to the strict rules and regulations, applicants are expected to be well-read, devote quality time, be disciplined, versatile, meticulous, and possess the ability to embark on research.

Hence, the efforts involved before winning any standard essay competition or academic exercise are enormous and should, therefore, be well compensated, not only to appreciate such

participants but to celebrate mental tasks and encourage others to have the proper mindset that hard work pays. Today, many youngsters are too impatient and do not want to work, but they want to get rich quickly and live in affluence. Unfortunately, our society encourages the worshiping of ill-gotten money.

The bone of my argument is that every work, vocation, and profession should be appropriately compensated and rewarded without giving the erroneous impression that one is either better or more important than the others. Teachers, farmers, scientists, medical workers, legal practitioners, judicial officers, artists, musicians, public servants, journalists, sportsmen and women, engineers, and other professions should be accorded due respect and reward in their own rights.

This is the thrust of the Adams Equity Theory of motivation, which was developed by John Stacey Adams, an American behavioural psychologist. It argues that the level of reward, when compared with sense the level of contributions, affect motivation. Adams reveals that individuals want a fair relationship between inputs and outputs for they want the benefits or rewards that they receive from their work to the contributions or inputs that they provide. The inputs could be in the form of time, education, prior experience, loyalty, adaptability, resilience, flexibility, and determination, among others. What is seen as a fair reward is shaped by the cherished ideals that are anchored on societal and social norms. Adams then recommends that leaders should ensure the establishment of a culture of fairness to bring about the desired motivation.

For the nation to do well, unnecessary attention should no longer be accorded activities that spin money at the expense of our cherished ideals, otherwise, we would continue to send the wrong message that real hard work, decency, and creativity do not pay. Without prejudice, the recent winner of the Big Brother Naija competition that was crowned winner of the reality television show, is an example. The winner, who suddenly became popular overnight, won prizes close to about N100 million in what many observers have described as glorified pornography because the housemates were alleged engaged in immoral acts.

Another Nigerian boxer earned around £6-10 million within minutes of a bout, just as many politicians at all levels get fat salaries and allowances against the criticism that the fastest

route to riches in Nigeria is to join politics.

How much does a professor earn? How much is the monthly salary of a school teacher, lawyer, or public servant including members of the armed forces and the police? What they get as salaries are nothing, but peanuts. This is the dilemma of working hard and the reward system in Nigeria.

This is the imbalance that should be corrected. No wonder that many graduates abandon their disciplines and become fashion designers, make-up artists, and hairstylists overnight where they can make quick money without much mental stress and dumping what they learned in schools. We need to start getting it right before it becomes too late. We should learn from the experience of other nations that are making progress in terms of human capital, productivity, and the upholding of cherished ideals.

Our leaders should ask themselves the kind of nation they wish to bequeath to the younger generation. For instance, in the United States of America, Great Britain and advanced democracies that we copy, every profession is appreciated and rewarded appropriately. Hence, the foundation laid in such climes does not give room for the mad rush or jumping from one profession to another for sudden fame or wealth. This reorientation can be made possible thereby increasing the emoluments of teachers, professors, and other professionals to commensurate with their diligence, toil, qualifications, and experience. National honours and awards should no longer be given to politicians and their friends, but those who work hard across the board irrespective of their religion, tribe, or class. We should stop worshipping money, greed, impunity, and persons with questionable sources of income.

The institutions of the family and religion should sit up and play a more active role in bringing back the cherished ideals.

There should be a drastic reduction in the remuneration of politicians and political office holders while the wages of well-educated workers should be increased significantly to reduce brain drain and boost the existing low morale among the working class.

––Kupoluyi wrote from Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Ogun State.

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

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ JANUARY 3, 2021

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LETTERS

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NDI-IGBO AND 2023 PRESIDENCY

y my educated guess, it will take four decades to put Nigeria together after the exit of President Muhammadu Buhari. Nigeria is like humpty-dumpty – broken, amputated and cannibalised.

The Buhari administration has wrought irreparable damage on the country across sectors. The mess is deep and stinks. The next president of Nigeria in 2023 will have to be a night soil man; in our parlance – a shit parker; agbepo; onye obulunsi.

All government institutions have caved in under the fatal incompetence of the Buhari administration. In fact, every sector with a semblance of life before the erosive coming of the “recession team’’ has been wizened by the tainted touch – a reverse Midas touch -- of the current administration. To be clear, it appears there is nothing left to salvage.

As a matter of fact, the debilitation of institutions by the Buhari administration was deliberate. The government wanted to rule unchecked and unfettered. It is the reason it menaced the judiciary by dispatching DSS operatives to break down doors of judges like armed robbers in the dead of night, hounding and arresting judges in 2016. The government even took its paranoia beyond the stratosphere, removing the chief justice of Nigeria who is from the south and installing another from the north. By dint of that, it effectively wolfed the judiciary.

The government also succeeded in appropriating the national assembly. The national assembly essentially became the minion of the executive – cowering, genuflecting and catching cold anytime the first arm of government sneezes. It is the reason I disagree that the legislature is the symbol of democracy as popularly believed. The symbol of democracy is the critical and vocal masses – the free people. The legislature can wed the executive as we have seen in the case of Ahmad

I reasoned that having a president of Igbo extraction in 2023 will help to foster oneness and unity.

I had said: ‘’I believe healing will begin for Nigerians when political justice is seen to have been done to all. At that point we can build a country defiant to disunity.

But political justice must be done to all first to get to this stage. ‘’In the name of all that binds us as a country, we must begin now to work for a “red cap with an isi-agu” in Aso villa in 2023. Nigeria is for all of us, and we must work towards a society where justice breathes in the busy streets of Aba; where it hovers across the brown roofs of Ibadan, and where it strolls on the fine sands of Sokoto.’’

As noble as this stance is, I believe Ndi Igbo need to really consider the perilous corollaries of their quest for presidency in 2023. If the intention is just to have an Igbo president so as to fulfil a psychological longing, I think we need to probe our objectives. As it is, I doubt if any president that comes after Buhari in 2023

Skydiving Without A Parachute

R

Nwodo, President Ndi Igbo

Lawan/Femi Gbajabiamila’s national assembly and the Buhari administration.

Perhaps, the most affected victim of the Buhari administration’s Sadim Touch is the security institution. Lack of cohesion and disharmony is diseasing the military and paramilitary organisations. Owing to the president’s refusal to give the spent service chiefs, who have overstayed beyond retirement, the boot, the promotion of some officers has been stunted. There is rancour and bitterness in the military; this explains why the war against insurgency

and banditry is not making any progress. The government infected the military, which was known to be apolitical and professional, with politics and nepotism.

In fact, the Buhari administration has infected every institution of government with nepotism. Again, it will take decades to inoculate these agencies against the virus. Really, it is not that there was no nepotism in the national life before Buhari’s government, but the current administration made it a state policy.

Insecurity is now a quotidian experience, and

abnormal normality. It is nearly six years in the life of this administration but there is nothing to celebrate.

Nigerians cannot travel on the roads for fear of bandits; they are not even safe in their own homes. Insecurity has devoured the country.

No one is spared. Citizens cannot afford basic necessities and the economy is in tatters.

But what is worse, there is no hope of respite from these plagues.

In the past, I have made arguments for a Nigerian president of Igbo extraction in 2023. My position was influenced by patriotism.

GOVT SCHOOL M AITAMA A ND EXTRA LESSONS

G

overnment Model Secondary School, Maitama, Abuja, runs extra lessons for her students after the school hours and equally gets paid for doing so from the parents whose children participate in the extra lessons.

It is a welcome development but something is wrong about it and should be corrected before it is too late. The teachers that take these students during the

will do much. He/she will spend four or eight years cleaning up after Buhari. It is the reason I see the 2023 presidency as an entrapment.

Conversely, we could forge alliances with progressive groups with the primary aim of achieving restructuring or devolution of power to states ahead of 2023.

That is, we support any candidate from any section of the country who has indemnifiable commitment to restructuring. We extract that commitment. The reason for my argument is a president of Igbo extraction pushing for restructuring will be resisted by the north.

In fact, it is a campaign fail if any candidate from the south-east preaches restructuring. The nagging fear and suspicion that the Igbo will secede from the country if they get to power is intense.

So, what do we hope to benefit from Igbo presidency if we cannot have restructuring?

Let’s forget 2023 presidency, it’s a trap.

––Fredrick Nwabufo is a writer and journalist.

extra lessons teach in the same school but prefer attending to the students only when it is time for the extra lessons.

It may interest you to know that during the school hours some of the teachers go for their personal businesses after signing the attendance register, and return when it is time for the extra lessons.

Some of these teachers that manage to stay without going out after signing the register still

don’t attend to students.

They log into social media platforms to chat, post, and do other things to while away time until the period for extra lessons.

Parents whose children attend extra lessons pay N3, 000 per each student at the end of every month.

This is cheating. The teachers in question collect their salaries at the end of every month for doing nothing. And thereafter, collect what

the parents’ pay for extra classes to add to their salaries. Therefore, it is obvious that those who can’t afford to pay the needed amount for the so-called extra lessons, their children won’t learn anything since these teachers don’t teach during the school hours.

The FCT Ministry of Education should discourage the unhealthy practice.

––Awunah Pius Terwase, Mpape, Abuja.

ecent happenings in Nigeria are firm indication for national cohesion.

The current polarization is akin to that of the 60s which left a scar in our history.

Apart from the polarization, the livelihood of people has never been this bad, heightened by the effect of coronavirus and other sundry economic issues. it reminds one of Fantine in Les Miserables that sold her front tooth to buy food - I pray we don’t get to that level.

When Victor Hugo wrote his famous book, it was a reaction to societal happenings. My reactions to the state of Nigeria today is akin to skydiving without a parachute, banking on gravity's grace.

Almost everything is against us, the economic indices and the general state of play. It makes me more sad when the presidential spokesperson says wailers should calm

down.

I will like to say, I wail for God and country and I want the best for my country. I will constantly wail until things get better.

I will also like to call on us as Nigerians to give the leadership a chance at redemption, let’s see if they would turn a new leaf, a new page; let’s see how they will fight COVID-19 in 2021; let’s see how hitherto proposed infrastructural projects will help the people. Let’s see if the CBN will work at harmonizing forex regime; let’s see if the security situation will get better; let’s see how many people will come out of poverty in 2021.

These are my priorities as a patriot. I want to see my country stand twice as tall and if it would require my wailing I will continue to wail for God and country and I will always support my country.

–Rufai Oseni, rufaioseni@gmail.com.

MaybeAPoll Was Rigged

W

ell Mr. Trump, you were right, some polls could be rigged!

The annual Gallup poll for the most admired man in the world has placed Donald Trump at the top of the list and not for the first time. One of the problems with politics and polls is that it is not always the result you expected or wanted. I can accept that Michelle Obama was the

most admired woman in the world but at the same stage shouldn't it now be the most admired person?

Interestingly the top people for the 20th century only included three politicians in the top 10 with Mother Theresa being the most admired. Doing charitable works is more important and produces a better outcome for many.

––Dennis Fitzgerald, Melbourne, Australia.

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

NEWS

Six Killed, Three Kidnapped as Bandits Invade Two LGAs in Niger Laleye Dipo in Minna Six people have been killed in Niger State and three others kidnapped as bandits invaded two local government areas in the state. Five persons were killed at Babban-Rami village, while one person was slayed at Sabonrijiya, all in Mashegu

Local Government Area.

Those kidnapped were ladies and they were abducted from their house at Barakuta in Bosso Local Government Area.

An eyewitness told THISDAY that the first incident occurred on Thursday about 11.30am, while the

abduction happened on Friday evening.

The eyewitness said those killed at Babban-Rami were returning from their farm in a Toyota Canter truck after harvesting grains, when the gunmen waylaid them.

It was learnt that the bandits, who were riding on

motorcycles, raced after the truck and sporadically shot at those in it, killing five of them, while one person escaped with bullet wounds.

The bandits did not go with the harvested grains after killing the farmers.

The person killed at Sabonrijiya was also shot

by the bandits.

The raid at Barakuta village took place about 8pm on Friday, according to an eyewitness. The bandits were said to have invaded the community, also riding on motorcycles, and shot sporadically. In the confusion that followed, the gunmen

took the three ladies away, it was learnt.

The police could not be reached for comments, but the Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Ahmed Ibrahim Matane, confirmed the incidents. Matane condemned the attack on innocent farmers by armed bandits.

Uwaleke: Adopt Whistle-blowing, TSA to Boost States’ IGR Ndubuisi Francis in Abuja A former Commissioner for Finance in Imo State, Prof.

Uche Uwaleke has advised states across the country to adopt whistle blowing, treasury single account (TSA) and International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS) mechanisms, among others to plug leakages in their internally generated revenue (IGR) pool.

Uwaleke lamented that most state governments have not been able to generate revenue sufficient to cater to recurrent spending let alone capital expenditure, noting that in 2019, for example, states' IGR represented just about 21 per cent of total revenue with the bulk of nearly 60 per cent coming from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) distribution.

In a paper on “Enhancing IGR in States”, which he made available to THISDAY, Uwaleke, who is also the President of the Capital Market Academics of Nigeria and a former Head, Department of Banking and Finance, Nasarawa State University, observed that sub national governments in Nigeria comprise states and local governments, which have powers under the Constitution to collect certain types of revenue.

According to him, effective collection of these revenues should make them less dependent on monthly federal allocations, which according to him, they have failed to do.

He said: "Regrettably, most state governments in Nigeria have not been able to generate revenue sufficient to cater

for recurrent spending let alone capital expenditure. In 2019, for example, internally generated revenue (IGR) of states represented just about 21% of total revenue. The bulk, nearly 60%, came from FAAC distribution.

"The importance of IGR to state governments cannot be overemphasised. It is one of the indices for horizontal allocation of FAAC revenue to states. IGR effort is equally one of the criteria for the World Bank’s grant to states under the States Fiscal Transparency, Accountability and Sustainability Programfor-Results (SFTAS).

"Unfortunately, IGR of most states of the federation is very low making them dependent on federal allocation. The bright spots are a few states such as Lagos State and Rivers State with significant proportion of IGR." An analysis of IGR by states in 2019, he said, revealed that Lagos State ranked highest with 29.88 per cent of total state government’s IGR followed

by Rivers, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and Ogun States with 10.52 per cent, 5.59 per cent and 5.39 per cent respectively.

He stressed that the remarkable achievements recorded with respect to IGR in Imo State during the administration of Governor Emeka Ihedioha was noteworthy as the state’s IGR had tripled within a short period of seven months.

Uwaleke listed some of the challenges impeding IGR generation in states as inadequate data on taxable

persons, poorly-funded state bureaux of statistics, poorly-funded state internal revenue services (IRS), undue political interference/lack of autonomy for IRS, rivalry/lack of coordination between the tax office and other revenue generating ministries, and inadequate application of technology in revenue collection, among others.

He added that the issue of corruption on the part of revenue collectors, who engage in deliberate underassessment of taxpayers and

multiple taxation, which fuel tax aversion, poor taxpayer education, ineffective/crude ways of enforcing revenue collection, and high cost of tax collection especially, when consultants are involved, were part of the challenges militating against robust IGR generation in states.

As a first step to plug revenue leakages, Uwaleke urged states to operate treasury single accounts and create passwords for their governors, commissioners for finance, and chairmen of IRS

to view daily inflows even as he advocated the clean up of the payroll through biometric capture of civil servants and pensioners.

According to him, a whistle blowing policy should be introduced by each state, as well as ensure the adoption of International Public Sector Accounting Standards as Lagos State has done, minimise person-to-government and government-to-person cash transactions by using Fintech.

Uwaleke attributed low tax compliance and high tax

aversion to poor record of most state governments in utilising tax revenues, adding: "Many don’t see the justification for paying taxes, when basic infrastructure such as motorable roads and clean water are not provided.

“The 2019 ICAN Accountability Index (ICANAI), framework for assessing public governance practices, indicated that Kaduna State ranked first with an overall score of 72.7 per cent while Edo State ranked last with a score of 15.1 per cent," he said.

Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State (3rd left) with his deputy, Hon. Mrs. Cecilia Ezeilo (left), Chairman, Ezeagu Local Government Area, Hon. Chukwudi Ani (right), Chairman of Enugu State Council of Traditional Rulers, HRH Igwe Amb. Lawrence Agubuzu (2nd right), Chaplain, Government House, Enugu, Rev. Fr. Chinedu Ozoude (2nd left), Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Vita Gracia Limited, Chief Dr. Nnamdi Vitalis Ozonweke (middle) and his wife, during the inauguration of a .road in Umudim, Mgbagbu-Owa, Ezeagu LGA, constructed by Chief Ozonweke for his community, yesterday

FG IMPOSES 6 MONTHS TRAVEL BAN ON 100 PASSENGERS FOR FLOUTING COVID-19 RULES January 1 and would run through June 30, 2021.

The PTF boss said the defaulting passengers had been notified of the decision for breaching the public health protocols, within ambit of the law and would be prevented from travelling out of the country during the period.

The latest move by government followed the threat it issued on December 24 last year to publish the list of the passengers for either failing to have their Covid-19 PCR test after arriving the country or for presenting fake Covid-19 PCR result on arrival.

On the same day, the PTF further disclosed that only about 60 per cent of the passengers due for testing actually presented themselves for testing after seven days, saying their attitude was responsible for the community spread of the virus.

It claimed that 168,818 in

bound travellers were captured on the portal, and of that number, 77,025 (47 per cent) made payment for post arrival testing; while 64,405 (84 per cent) of the number were due for post-arrival test.

It lamented that 20,216 (31 per cent) have not shown up for post arrival test thereby endangering members of the community and breaching the protocols they signed up to.

It also raised the alarm that since the opening of the international space in September last year, the average number of daily imported infections in the country in last 100 days was about seven cases, compared to 100-150m reported new infections in the community, while the Test Positivity Rate in travellers arriving Lagos has doubled to 6.3 per cent.

Meanwhile, Lagos Archbishop Martins, while speaking during his New Year

message with the theme: ‘Be Courageous, Don’t Enter the New Year with Fear’ hinted that lockdowns have always created many other problems.

He averred that the Church has a huge role to play in the fight against Covid-19 especially, in educating people on what needs to be done and how it needs to be done to stem the tide of the pandemic.

“I will suggest that the church should follow the Covid-19 protocols that have been laid down by government, it might be uncomfortable, but it is a small price to pay for safety of oneself and others. I hope there will not be another lockdown,” he stated.

The clergy, however, tasked governments at all levels to be proactive in addressing the myriad of fears being expressed by the citizens.

Martins also expressed concerns over the rising

insecurity – from kidnappings, ritual killings, endemic rape; the ongoing health crisis triggered by the coronavirus pandemic; and the challenges from the current economic recession, collapse of some industries, and worsening poverty.

According to him, “Government needs to urgently address the insecurity issues by putting in place appropriate measures and policies that would mitigate against the projected renewed economic challenges that may come with the New Year.

“There is need for more pragmatic approaches in tackling the health challenges occasioned by the new strain of the Covid-19 virus in order to guard against another round of total economic lockdown in view of the colossal losses it would cost the entire nation.

“We thank the good Lord for making it possible for us

to see the beginning of the New Year 2021. We pray that the souls of our brothers and sisters, who died in the year 2020 may rest in peace.

“In this New Year, my admonition to Nigerians is to be bold and courageous and not to allow fear to rob them of the joy of seeing a New Year. I understand so many predictions have been going around on the social media that the year 2021 will be a tough year. But I urge you to be strong and not be afraid.

“Rather than succumb to fear and its corresponding apprehension, people should be optimistic and place their hope and trust in the Almighty God, who is able to turn around all things for good. Yes, there are ominous situations that indicate that the year would be tough but faith and trust in God should make us optimistic and encourage us to go into the New Year

with courage.

“Let us start each day with prayerful optimism and go about our responsibilities with utmost caution and in strict adherence to the Covid-19 protocols. However, as we pray with hope for divine intervention, we must also be prepared to work hard and be more productive in order to make the New Year a good and fruitful one. Each one of us is required to make necessary sacrifices and meaningful contributions towards the growth of our nation.

“Certainly, government has a crucial role to play by diligently attending to its constitutional responsibilities without playing unnecessary politics with issues that affect the daily lives of the masses. For instance, so many challenges came up in 2020 in various areas: particularly in the economic, health, security, and education sectors.”

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ 3, 2021

GAVEL

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Editor: Olawale Olaleye SMS:08116759819 email:wale.olaleye@thisdaylive.com

Gbajabiamila with Buhari

%XKDUL¶V 8QHQGLQJ &RQWURYHUVLDO 6XPPRQ The controversy over the summon of President Muhammadu Buhari by the House of Representatives over the state of security in the country resonated last week after media reports that the House leadership apologised to the Presidency, reports Adedayo Akinwale

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herecentsummonofPresident Muhammadu Buhari by the House of Representatives to address it on the security challenges in the country was in the front burner last week following media reports that the Green Chamber had jettisoned the idea, after the leadership of the House allegedly apologised to the Presidency.

The House leadership, it was reported, found that the initial invitation had assumed ethnic and political dimension, while some of the lawmakers behind the motion to invite Buhari were reported to have apologised to the Presidency.

The said lawmakers claimed that their motion was not intended to embarrass the President, contrary to insinuations in some quarters.

Hence the House decision to invite the President followed a recent gruesome killing of 43 rice farmers in Zabarmari community in Jere Local Government Area of Borno State by the Boko Haram insurgents.

Expectedly, the heinous act by the insurgents resulted to long hours of debate in both Chambers of the NationalAssembly and generated heated debate, even as resolutions were reached.

In recent time, similar resolutions had been reached, where the legislators called for the sack of the Service Chiefs, but Buhari’s trust in them has not waned.

Moving the motion on behalf other 10 Borno State lawmakers at plenary, Hon SatomiAhmed urged the President to, among other things, declare a state of emergency on security matters.

But, HonAhmadu Jaha, one of the co-sponsors of the motion raised a point of order saying a prayer was omitted. He said in the original motion, all the sponsors agreed that Buhari should be invited to brief the House on the true state of security of the Nation was removed, adding that he was shocked by the removal.

The lawmaker stressed that he risked his life several times and wanted it to be on record and

in the hearts of his constituents that he was not silent on the insecurity of the region.

While his amendment got overwhelming support from other lawmakers, the Speaker, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila and the majority leader, Hon. Ado Doguwa opined that it was not necessary as security issues couldn’t be discussed openly and therefore pleading for the understanding of their colleagues not to summon the President.

Gbajabiamila said that inviting the president to the floor might not be the best way to go, adding that there were other ways to engage him. He said the prayer calling for a state of emergency on insecurity allowed for far reaching decision and was enough to address the many demands of the region.

The Speaker, in an attempt to calm the very rowdy session, ruled that plenary be suspended and members go into an executive session to resolve the matter.

Reconvening after an hour from the closeddoor meeting, Jaha, who earlier insisted on the invitation as the key prayer of the motion, was asked to formally move the motion for the President’s appearance.

This was followed on December 2, by the assurance by the Speaker, who said President Buhari had pledged to honour the invitation so as to explain what he was doing about the rising wave of insecurity in the country. He told State House reporters in Abuja, after leading a delegation to a meeting with the president, that they came to convey the resolution summoning him to appear before it.

Gbajabiamila said aside from conveying the resolution to the president, they also had the intention of fixing a date for his appearance.

Asked what was his perception of the President’s handling of security threats ravaging the country, Gbajabiamila said the president was concerned about the worsening insecurity, but said he would avoid pre-empting the president until he appears before the House. According to him, when Buhari appears before the House, he

would not be there to address only the lawmakers, but would use the platform to address the country.

However, few days before the President historic appearance before a joint session of the National Assembly, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami (SAN), said the House lacked the power to summon the President.

Despite Malami’s claim, the House insisted that it was empowered by the constitution to summon anybody.Aside from disagreement between the two chambers, the invitation assumed ethnic and political dimensions in the House, while some of those behind the motion were shocked at the political colouration given to it.

The House leadership was alleged to have a hidden agenda on the motion with a view to undermining President Buhari.

A principal officer said: “The House of Representatives has foreclosed or dropped any immediate or future plans to invite President Muhammadu Buhari over insecurity in the country, because a harmless motion has become political.

“I can tell you that we will no longer revisit the invitation. But we will be interacting with Service Chiefs and other ministers in charge of the nation’s security. The opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its lawmakers capitalised on the motion to cast aspersions on the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.

“What we never intended became the issue.

Some governors and strategists in government insinuated that the House leadership was working for a different political interest. That was why they pulled the strings from the Senate. At a point, the row over the invitation was turned into a North-South divide if not for the political dexterity of the House leadership.

“We also got intelligence that some of those lawmakers, who sponsored the motion, because of Zabamari rice farmers went through the back

door to the Presidency to apologise over their insistence that the President must appear before the National Assembly.”

But in a swift reaction, the House insisted that it never apologised to the President or Presidency over the motion requesting Buhari to brief the nation on the state of insecurity in the country.

Spokesperson of the House, Hon Ben Kalu, in a statement insisted that the President or the Presidency as the case may be, never sought for an apology from the House for carrying out its constitutional responsibility to the Nigerian electorate.

He explained that the House never apologised to anyone for exercising her constitutional mandate and the NinthAssembly of the House under the leadership of Gbajabiamila.

Kalu stated: “It has come to the knowledge of the House that few sections of the media reported that the House apologised to the Presidency over the resolution of the House, which arose from the motion sponsored by members from Borno State, requesting for the invitation of the President to brief the nation on the state of insecurity in the country.

“The President or the Presidency as the case may be, never sought an apology from the House of Representatives for carrying out her constitutional responsibility to the Nigerian electorate.

Where then did the media get the report that the House as an institution apologised to anyone? Media professionals are advised to uphold the ethics of their profession.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the House never apologised to anyone for exercising her constitutional mandate and the 9th Assembly of the House of Representatives under the leadership of Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila will not do anything to desecrate or destroy the critical institution of democracy – the Legislature. We strongly believe that President Muhammadu Buhari subscribes to these democratic ethos and ideals as well.”

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SUNDAY JANUARY 3, 2021 •T H I S D AY

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THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ 3, 2021

BUSINESS

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

As AfCFTA Takes Off… On January 1, 2021, the African Continental Free Trade Area officially took off. It is the culmination of interminable years of political momentum towards Africa-wide free trade.

Nosa James-Igbinadolor looks at the place of Nigeria within the new free trade area

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he African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), has finally taken off across the continent. Originally scheduled to kick off on 1 July last year, the coronavirus crisis, and other factors stalled the proposed take-off.

It was in March 2018 that African heads of state and government held an extraordinary summit in Kigali, Rwanda and agreed to establish the Free Trade Area.

The agreement to create the AfCFTA went side by side with the Kigali Declaration, which called for the “operationalisation” of the AfCFTA and for the start of the more ambitious Phase II talks, which would cover competition policy, intellectual property and investment. A protocol on the free movement of people was also signed.

The AfCFTA, according to South Africa President, Cyril Ramaphosa, will boost intraAfrican trade, it will promote industrialisation and competitiveness and contribute to job creation, and it will unleash regional value chains that will facilitate Africa’s meaningful integration into the global economy. The AfCFTA will also improve the prospects of Africa as an attractive investment destination. It will help advance the empowerment of Africa’s women, by improving women’s access to trade opportunities which will in turn facilitate economic freedom for women, and expand the productive capacity of countries.

“To support this, we must strengthen women’s participation in the continental economy by ensuring there is greater public procurement earmarked for women-owned businesses. We must ensure that there is sufficient support given to women-owned SMEs and cooperatives in both local and regional economies,” the South African leader emphasised In addition to increased trade flows both in existing and new products, the AfCFTA has the potential to generate substantial economic benefits for African countries. These benefits, according to the International Monetary Fund, include, “higher income arising from increased efficiency and productivity from improved resource allocation, higher cross-border investment flows, and technology transfers.

Besides lowering import tariffs, to ensure these benefits, African countries will need to reduce other trade barriers by making more efficient their customs procedures, reducing their wide infrastructure gaps, and improving their business climates. At the same time, policy measures should be taken to mitigate the differential impact of trade liberalisation on certain groups as resources are reallocated in the economy and activities migrate to locations with comparatively lower costs.”

The expectation is that services and goods should be flowing freely in and out of the participating countries, making the continent the biggest free trade area in the world.

The free trade initiative could create an integrated market with a total GDP of over $3 trillion, according to US think tank, Brookings Institution.

The AU says that the agreement will create the world’s largest free trade area. It also estimates that implementing AfCFTA will lead to around a 60% boost in intra-African trade by 2022.

The continent currently lags behind other regions of the world in terms of continental trade. According to the African Development Bank (AfDB), intra-Africa exports amount to only 16.6% of total trade.

In 2018, the African Export-Import Bank reported that only 15% of international trade

by African countries takes place within the African continent. This percentage compares unfavourably with other continents such as Europe (67%), Asia (58%) and North America (48%).

Buhari

In July 2019, Nigeria finally signed the AfCFTA after pulling out days before the agreement was due to be signed in March 2018. President Muhammadu Buhari said he needed further consultations in Nigeria.

Trade within Africa is dominated by trade within regional blocs and not trade between regional blocs, therefore, most trade and investment takes place close to home.

Intra-regional trade in sub-Saharan Africa is currently very concentrated, with some 66% of the regional demand for intra-regional exports accounted for by just 10 countries, including Côte d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Africa and some other Southern African countries Tensions continue to exist between smaller and larger states across the continent when it comes to trade and market access. This is because the possible forward and backward linkages between their economies – the creation of transborder value chains – have not yet been established.

As noted by Professor Carlos Lopes of the University of Cape Town in 2018, “once studies have been done, it will be possible to establish which countries can specialise in which elements of which supply chains.

For example, the South African car industry uses leather, but South Africa is not a major leather producer; but other African countries could supply the leather. So, the key is to establish these linkages. Once the agreement is ratified, the opportunities will emerge.”

For Nigeria, the prospects for increased trade across the continent represents an opportunity to expand its balance of trade as well as its balance of payment.

The country’s trade with the other countries that belong to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) remains poor—as do aggregate trade flows among all the ECOWAS member states. The vast majority of Nigeria’s exports to the ECOWAS are mineral fuel and oils, agricultural and manufacturing forming a miniscule percentage of the country’s exports to the sub-region.

The figures are even more dire when it comes to trade across the wider continent.

Adebayo

Simply put, Nigeria is not doing much trade with other African countries and the AfCFTA represents a veritable opportunity to expand trade, grow the economy and engender development.

The service sector makes up 65% of the world’s output and over half of Nigeria’s economy, and as Gbemisola Alonge noted in Stears Business, “for Nigeria to fully reap the benefits of a closer Africa, it needs to think beyond the ancient focus on goods and position itself to win in the services game. The service sector is an escalator for new economic growth in Nigeria and plays a more significant role than industry in the economy through its contribution to Gross Domestic Product (GDP), capital imports, and employment.

In August, just a few months after celebrating its signing the AfCFTA, Nigeria imposed a ban on the movement of all goods from countries with which it shares a land border: Benin, Niger and Cameroon, effectively banning all trade—import and export—with its neighbours. The border closure has impacted Nigerian consumers and exporters with traders being refused entry of goods, even those for which they have already paid customs duties, and consumers facing inflated prices of imported food products—with some products having doubled in price.

The closure of the Nigerian border went against the spirit, and the letter of the AfCFTA, and as noted in a Brookings Institution report, is “inconsistent with its 44-year long commitment to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), West Africa’s Regional Economic Community which Nigeria spearheaded in 1975, and is one of the eight building blocks of the AfCFTA. Under the ECOWAS Protocol, member states committed to the establishment of a common market, including through the liberalisation of trade by abolition, among member states, of customs duties levied on imports and exports, and the abolition, among member states, of non-tariff barriers in order to establish a free trade area...

Specifically, all 15 ECOWAS countries are committed to eliminating customs duties, quotas and quantity restrictions and accord

each other most favoured nation treatment.”

Supply side constraints such as the current government’s topsy-turvy macroeconomic and monetary policies as well as underdeveloped physical and institutional infrastructure remain a threat to Nigeria’s effective participation in and efficient derivation of critical trade and economic benefits from theAfCFTA. Thus, while market access is there, supply-side constraints limit the country’s ability to respond to the opportunities inherent in the AfCFTA and remain a barrier to Nigeria’s competitiveness.

Nigeria’s inability to take advantage of the US designed African Growth an Opportunities Act (AGOA) might be pointer to the country’s ability to take advantage of AfCFTA. The AGOA project initiated by the United States of America in 2,000 was to help develop trade and facilitate exporting over 6,000 goods into America with no tariff.

The trade agreement primarily set out to galvanise the African economy.

Though AGOA programme has been on for the past 20 years, Nigeria has never taken full advantage of the potentials due to its overreliance on oil. The country is said to have exported goods worth less than $10 million to the U.S under the programme in 20 years.

It is pertinent that Nigeria responds to the opportunities presented by AfCFTA by designing policies and promote market access for Nigeria’s exporters of goods and services, spur growth and boost job creation.

It is also critical that the country moves swiftly to eliminate barriers against Nigeria’s products, spur the industralisation of the country by providing an expanded platform for Nigerian manufacturers and service providers for connection to regional and continental value chains, improve competitiveness, and stimulate increase in exports of goods and services across the continent. The government must also provide a platform for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) integration into the regional economy and accelerate women’s empowerment.

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THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ 3, 2021

BUSINESS/MONEY noted the legal and regulatory uncertainties that Nigerian businesses may face regarding convening virtual meetings, particularly in the wake of current economic and social constraints precipitated by COVID-19, which underscore the need for companies to adopt a more practical style of holding meetings. The objective of the document was simply to provide non-binding guidance to the market and other stakeholders on carryingoutsuccessful,productive,andrewarding virtual meetings. This was also done to ensure investors are not denied corporate actions due to them, in light of the pandemic.

Stock exchange market comeplex

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he year 2020 will certainly go down in the history books as one of the most challenging years of modern existence.

Early in the year, a global pandemic took the world by storm necessitating a significant change in life and work as we know it. On 23 and 24 March 2020, The Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) took steps to preserve the health and safety of its stakeholders by activating its Business Continuity plan which saw the transition to working from home and remote trading in response to the spread of the COVID-19.

Since then, The Exchange has maintained seamless working and trading operations, experiencing zero down time.

Furthermore, NSE has displayed remarkable resilience, continuing to deliver on its mandate to provideaplatformforIssuersandInvestorstomeet their financial objectives even in the toughest of times. Since March 2020, NSE has listed securities worth over $4.5 billion (N1.72 trillion) while it provides support for secondary market activities.

Stakeholders have certainly reaped the benefits of The Exchange’s efforts over the course of 2020, evidenced by increased activity in the market.

Market Activities Players in the Nigerian equities market appear to be riding the waves of the market rally with market capitalisation currently at 19.2trillion while Year-to-Date (YTD) return standing at 37.1per cent as at Friday, 18 December 2020. At least twice in 2020, the NSE has been dubbed the best performing exchange in the world, according to Bloomberg. It would also be recalled that on Thursday, 12 November 2020, the NSE All Share Index (ASI) posted its largest daily gain in more than five years. The ASI rose beyond the set threshold of 5per cent, triggering a 30-minute trading halt of all stocks for the first time since the circuit breaker was introduced in 2016.

What is also noteworthy is that as a multi-asset Exchange hub, The Exchange continues to recognise opportunities in the alternative investment asset space and is working assiduously with stakeholders to deepen market activity across these asset class. In the fixed income space, capitalisation has risen to N17.7trillion from N12.9trillion as at the end of 2019 as a result of increased listing activity from the federal government and Nigerian corporates.

The Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) segment of the market continues to enjoy investors’ atten-

tion with the NewGold ETF returning 78.36per cent, the Vetiva S&P Nigeria Sovereign Bond ETF returning 45.93per cent, the Lotus Halal Equity ETF returning 43.99per cent, and the Vetiva Industrial ETF returning 55.79per cent as at Wednesday, 2 December 2020. In September 2020, The Exchange listed two new ETFs from MeristemWealthManagementLimited-Meristem Growth (MERGROWTH) and Meristem Value (MERVAL) ETFs which are expected to further attract market activity.

Digital Resilience Following the activation of its Business Continuity Plan and transition to remote working and trading, The Exchange remained resolute in its commitment to ensure zero disruptions to operations for any of its stakeholders. It leveraged its existing digital assets to ensure a continuous flow of information and activity in the market and continues to explore creative solutions to enhance stakeholders’ experience during this period. Consequently, all brokers have access to the requisite platforms to trade remotely and seamlessly including FIX Protocol, X-NET and VPN. Furthermore, NSE has continued to implement its commitment to improve market integrity, reduce market asymmetry and improve the flow of information into the market with the upgrade of several platforms. In 2020, The Exchange released an upgrade to its Data Portal, X-Data Portal; Issuers’ Platform, X-Issuer; and its whistleblowing portal, X-Whistle.

The upgrade of the X-DataPortal is in line with the desire of the NSE to continue to provide an exchange that is easily accessible leveraging digital technology. Speaking in an interview, the Chief Executive Officer, NSE, Mr. Oscar N. Onyema, OON stated, “The enhanced X-DataPortal has been equipped with market-focused features that will complement the NSE website and other NSE portals in response to stakeholders’ increased demand for easy access to data. Given the importance of Market Data in investment decisions, we remain resolute in our commitment to provide capital market participants with more channels to access relevant market information required for making investment decisions.”

On the back of the critical role information plays in driving a vibrant capital market, The Exchange introduced its revamped X-Issuer to the market with new features that will enable easy, convenient and more reliable submission and dissemination of company information, corporate actions, directors’ and insiders’ share dealing information, financial statements, earnings

forecasts, meeting notices, and much more. It is expected that the upgraded X-Issuer will further enhance the experience of issuers and expedite the discharge of post-listings obligations in a cost-effective and efficient manner.

Of course, the importance of investor protection cannot be emphasised. Speaking on the introduction of the upgraded X-Whistle, the Executive Director, Regulation Division, NSE, Ms. Tinuade Awe, stated, “The Exchange is pleased to introduce the upgraded X-Whistle to the market with robust features that will allow people with information about misconduct to come forward to report it and to provide all stakeholders with the means of expressing their concerns in a responsible and effective manner. In 2019 alone, the complaints, tips and referrals received have led to investors’ restitution in excess of N1.4 Billion. The X-Whistle will, therefore, further equip The Exchange with the tools required to properly assess reports, carry out the necessary investigations and resolve issues efficiently.”

The Exchange also introduced, SentryGRC, a platform that automates back-office functions like Governance, Risk Management and Compliance.

With SentryGRC, organisations can pursue a systematic and organised approach to managing GRC-related strategy and implementation, thereby creating an enabling environment for increasing efficiency and effectiveness alongside reducing costs.

Stakeholder Interventions As an Exchange, NSE leveraged its thought leadership and goodwill to influence decisions aimed at ensuring continuity for the business community amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

Key stakeholders engaged include the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), CorporateAffairs Commission (CAC), Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Trade and Investment. These advocacy engagements yielded significant outcomes including extension of time for Issuers to file Audited Financial Statements for the year ended 31 December 2019 and extension of time for Dealing Member Firms to submit their Audited Financial Statements for the year ended December2019andQuarterlyReportsforQ1:2020.

NSE further engaged the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) on the exclusion of the ICAN stamp and seal in audited financial statements.

On its part, The Exchange issued a Guidance Document on Companies’ Virtual Board, Committee, and Management Meetings to the market on 15 April 2020 as part of its ‘Guidance and Leadership Thought’ series. The Exchange

Masks for All Nigerians The NSE’s efforts in 2020 also included the fight against COVID-19 in Nigeria with a total of N100 million. Out of this sum, The Exchange redeemed its pledge of N60 Million to the Capital Market Support Committee for COVID-19 (CMSCC) with the donation of ambulance and N27,500,000 cash. The CMSCC is a Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)-led committee set up to galvanise the capital market ecosystem to play an active role in curbing the spread of COVID-19 in Nigeria.

The balance N40 million was devoted to the “Masks For All Nigerians” campaign with the aim to galvanise responsible corporate citizens and individuals to donate face masks to Nigerians, especially low-income households. The NSE kicked off the campaign with an anchor donation of 110,000 face masks distributed in areas where it has operations and areas that are greatly affected by COVID-19. The Exchange also executed a nationwide media campaign to amplify the importance of adhering to guidelines on COVID-19 from relevant health authorities including social distancing, wearing of face masks, and the imperative of personal hygiene.

Also part of the Masks for All Nigerians campaign was an Employee Giveback Programme tagged 500 Shades of Kindness, which led to the donation of over 3,000 face masks to schools, transport workers and communities around NSE. In addition, The Exchange received support from 13 companies bringing the total number of masks donated under this campaign to 609,490 masks.

Stakeholder Engagement The Exchange has also successfully transitioned many of its physical engagements to digital events.

TheseincludeitsflagshipClosingGongCeremony, which first went digital via Instagram Live on Thursday, 16April 2020 with the Managing Director, Sterling Bank Plc, Abubakar Suleiman, as the special guest. Since then, The Exchange has commemorated new listings, outgoing and incoming members of management teams, international celebrations, and more with its virtual Closing Gong ceremony.

Another notable virtual engagement at the NSE in 2020 was the special webinar hosted on Wednesday, 10 June 2020 to highlight the impact of COVID-19 on the global capital market and the resilience of securities exchanges in supporting economies.Thewebinarthemed,“CapitalMarkets in a Pandemic”, featured a panel session headlined by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of NSE, OscarN.Onyema,OON;CEO,LuxembourgStock Exchange (LuxSE), Robert Scharfe; CEO, London Stock Exchange (LSE), Nikhil Rathi; and CEO, World Federation of Exchanges (WFE), Nandini Sukumar, and moderated by Correspondent of Cable Network News (CNN), Eleni Giokos.

Public and private sector industry leaders also leveraged the platform of The Exchange to highlight the significant benefits of privatisation of State-owned Enterprises and the impact on economic growth and development. This webinar was hosted by the NSE in collaboration with the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) and the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC) on Tuesday, 17 November 2020 was themed, “Privatisation in Nigeria and the Outlook for Subnational Economic Development.”

The event featured eminent personalities including His Excellency (H.E.) Kayode Fayemi, CON, Governor, Ekiti State, and Chairman, NGF; LamidoYuguda, CFA, Director General, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC); Chairman, PresidentialEconomicAdvisoryCouncil,Professor Doyin Salami; Executive Secretary, NIPC, Ms. Yewande Sadiku; Governor, Lagos State, H.E. Babajide Sanwo-Olu; Governor, Ogun State, H.E. Dapo Abiodun; Director General, Bureau of Public Enterprises, Mr.Alex Okoh, CEO, Financial Derivatives and Member, Presidential Advisory Council, Mr. Bismarck Rewane; CEO, Chapel Hill Denham, Mr. Bolaji Balogun; MD/CEO, Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority, Mr. Uche Orji; Partner & Chief Economist, PwC Nigeria, Dr. Andrew Nevin; Governor, Kaduna State, H.E. Nasir El-Rufai; Governor, Bauchi State, H.E. Bala Mohammed; Chairman, Board of Directors, First Bank of Nigeria, Ms. Ibukun Awosika; and CEO, InfraCredit, Chinua Azubike.

21

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ 3, 2021

BUSINESS/BRANDS & MARKETING

&29,' 5+* 'LVLQIHFWDQW 6DQLWLVHU WR WKH 5HVFXH In what looks like a swift response to the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, RHG Health and Wellness Pharmaceutical Limited has developed, produced and is seeking to distribute health and wellness products to all the northern states, Lagos and Port Harcourt as well as other parts of Nigeria. In this report, Raheem Akingbolu, who visited the company’s factory in Kaduna writes on its level of preparedness to help check the spread of the infection in the country

T

he global hand sanitiser market has been observing tremendous gains lately, owing to the rising COVID-19 cases worldwide and the momentous rise in product demand. Since last year when the pandemics broke, not a few researchers have established that alcohol based sanitisers carry the ability to kill over 99.9 per cent infectious germs while ensuring the cleanliness and safety of the hands.

As a result of these findings, more manufacturers in the health and Fast Moving Consumer Goods sector of various markets are extending their brand portfolios to include production of hand sanitiser which is generally used to decrease the presence of infectious agents on hands and palms.

In its June edition, Market Study Report predicted that hand sanitiser market would witness tremendous revenue growth over the forthcoming years as enterprises, governments, and non-profit organisations team up to control the impact of the coronavirus. Through innovation, the market landscape has further bifurcated into liquid, gel, foam, and others.

Scarcity and RHG’s Timely Entrance When the news of the first COVID-19 career person was reported early this year, the first challenge faced in Nigeria was scarcity of sanitiser, disinfectant and nose mask. In a country that mostly depends on foreign goods at a time the borders were closed and international movements were restricted, accessing common goods became a big task. In a jiffy, prices of sanitizer and nose mask rose to the roof top until most Nigerians devise means of producing nose mask with local fabrics and citizens resorted to local gins as sanitisers.

However, in the last 10 months, many manufacturing companies in Lagos, Port Harcourt and some South East States, have gone into local production of Sanitisers. But despite its huge population, scarcity is still prevalent in the north as the little ones being brought to the market are not enough to meet the demand rate.

It was however a cheering news recently when the news broke that RHG Health and Wellness Pharmaceutical Limited was set to explore the market with RHG Sanitiser, Safee Disinfectant and other products.

In a statement announcing the brand entrance, it was stated that the company seeks to develop, produce and distribute health and wellness products to all the northern states of Nigeria with the focus on providing high quality products at affordable rates to its customers.

The statement further stated that in the immediate term, the company will produce hand sanitizers and disinfectants and in the longer term, its product offerings will increase to include vitamins, dietary supplements, syringes and saline solution.

Based in Kaduna State, RHG Pharmaceutical was established in 2020 to develop, produce and distribute health

Hand sanitizers

and wellness products to the 19 Northern States in Nigeria. In particular, the company was established in response to the current COVID-9 pandemic that has affected societies across the world.

Beyond the north, the management of the company has pointed out that it seeks to bridge the healthcare gap that currently exists in the country, particularly the Northern region where diseases due to poor hygiene, sanitation and nourishment are highest.

To ease distribution and market networking, RHG was said to have recently processed a facility and warehouse, which it seeks to repurpose for the production of its health and wellness products.

Meanwhile, in order to scale up, the company seeks funding from private equity firms and possibly the Central Bank of Nigeria, to facilitate the expansion of the facility and acquisition of necessary manufacturing equipment.

Responding to issues related to stan-

dard and quality, it was stated that the company will focus on ensuring that the quality of its health & wellness products exceed industry standards and are available to customers at affordable rates.

In line with this, it was further stated that RHG adheres to World Health Organisation guidelines for the local production of hand sanitisers and disinfectants, which the company had started producing since 17th of June.

With four source options for the supply of raw materials and appropriate regulatory certifications, the promoters of the brand are committed to take the bull by the horn in satisfying their consumers.

Brand Offerings Produced in 200ML, 500ML, 20L sizes, Safee Disinfectant according to the promoters, kills 99.9per cent of bacteria and viruses and is in form of disinfectant spray with peppermint. Specifically, the 3-in-1 disinfectant spray is an antiviral, antibacterial and antifungal and effective

against Coronavirus The small convenient sized bottle has been designed and produced for on the go protection, and is ideal to keep in the office, kitchen, bathroom or public living areas.

For the sanitiser, which comes in 55ML, 500ML, 5L, 20L, sizes, RHG, it is capable of killing 99.9per cent of germs. With this instant formula, which is enriched with soothing moisturising gel and vitamin E, the product is said to be rinse free and dries out in 30 seconds or less.

It is believed that the small convenient sized bottle would be perfect for on the go protection, and ideal to keep in cars, offices, bags or pocket of children over seven years (7+) with supervision.

Pundits believe that if the brand promoters can grow necessary awareness among consumers towards maintaining health and hygiene, demand for RHG products will rise next year as demand of hand sanitisers and disinfectants due to the spread of COVID-19 increases.

22

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ 3, 2021

BUSINESS/ENERGY

6HHNLQJ 6SHHG\ 5HVROXWLRQ RI 6KHOO 5LYHUV *RYW .LGQH\ ,VODQG &ULVLV With the on-going bickering between Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) and Rivers State Government that has caused huge economic losses in the last eight days of 2020 and looming environment hazard, it is expedient that the concerned parties come to the table to resolve the issues once and for all. Kunle Aderinokun reports

O

n Wednesday, December 23, 2020, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice of Rivers state, Prof. Zaccheus Adangor, SAN addressed journalists. The media event was sequel to the state government’s sealing of Kidney Island in execution of a judgment delivered by a Rivers State High Court given teeth by the Supreme Court’s November 27, 2020 affirmation of said judgment.

At the briefing, the Attorney General noted that Rivers State Government has secured the enforcement of her interest in the acquisition of 45 per cent equity stake in Oil Mining Lease (OML) 11 and Kidney Island in Port Harcourt. Kidney Island now belongs to the Rivers State Government pursuant to a certificate of purchase registered in the Lands Registry as No. 6 at page 6 in Vol. 46, Port Harcourt.

The certificate of purchase was issued by the order of the High Court of Rivers State on July 23, 2019 and September 25, 2019 following the purchase of the facility.

Kidney Island serves as operations and logistics support base for OML 11 which is owned by Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC). OML 11 is comprised of 33 oil and gas fields including the contiguous Kidney Island which it uses as operations and logistics support base. But Kidney Island is not utilised just by Shell alone. Other parties like Conoil, Amni, Oriental Energy, Moni Pulo and Century Energy Services require access to the Kidney Island facility to facilitate their own operations.

The action was taken on Kidney Island despite Shell’s application for a stay of execution of the judgment. The AngloDutch company had described the state government’s action as “premature” and subjudice.

Industry watchers, however, heaved a sigh of relief when news filtered out on December 31, 2020 that the governor had ordered the unsealing of Kidney Island for the operators following a meeting with NNPC GMD, Mallam Melo Kolo Kyari.

While this is good news for all concerned, it still leaves room for anxiety because according to a press release from the RVSG, “Kyari commended the government of Rivers state for their cooperation, while further discussion to resolve the underlying issues continue.”

With the sealing of Kidney Island, the logistics operations facilitated and supported by SPDC and its technical partners were stalled. But that is not the key issue of concern of this piece.

The key issue of concern is the economic impact of the recent stand-off between SPDC and the Rivers state government.

A consideration of the sealing of Kidney Island as it concerns the operations of all interested parties, SPDC’s stalled drilling programme and rig operations as well as operational levies and fees due to regulators like the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) and Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) will show, according to a reliable industry source, that the country lost $5million daily between December 23, 2020 and December 31, 2020.

Commenting on the issue before the unsealing, an industry source who did not want to be named noted that “This ongoing action might seem like just news, but it has serious implications for the

Wike

industry and I wonder why the Federal government, the Minister of Petroleum and even the other members of the JV – NPDC, Total and Eni are keeping quiet. This action is reminiscent of what happened to Wilbros at Choba and it is going to have a huge economic impact on the country. SPDC and RVSG should sit around a table and sort this out. 2020 has been a difficult year for the industry and this will only make things worse.”

To understand what is fully at stake, one has to look at the variables to fully comprehend how the on-going legal impasse affects the community and economy.

Kidney Island provides direct employment to well over 500 members of the community with another estimated 2,000 indirect community jobs. Industry sources indicate that in compliance with extant local content policy directives, over 19 on-going contracts at Kidney Island are being executed by community contractors. These contracts which are valued at millions of dollars were in jeopardy thanks to the Rivers state government’s action.

Third party clients who require access to Kidney Island to facilitate their operations were already bristling since the sealing of the island had denied them access to their warehoused materials especially with all port operations stuck since 23rd December. This would have impacted companies like Conoil, Amni, Oriental Energy, Moni Pulo and Century Energy

Okunbo

Services.

Industry sources indicate that the value of stored materials at the facility was over $30million, but that also was not the main concern. With access denied, third party users were already considering legal action against the Rivers state government which would not augur well for the state but a bigger concern lay in the health and safety challenges posed by a fuel barge loaded with Diesel which had been sitting at the dock. This was important to consider because a spill would have be ironic especially when you ponder on the fact that the whole SPDC and Rivers state issue has its origin in a disputed spill from the tail end of the civil war.

For a country that is staring down the tunnel of a recession and in need of a shot in the arm post COVID-19, the on-going altercation between SPDC and Wike does not augur well for Foreign Direct Investment. Industry sources indicate that talks with investors on further development of the facility are at risk of termination while SPDC is believed to be considering an alternative base in Lagos, if this matter is not resolved amicably.

Abandoning the facility in Rivers state could mark the end of Kidney Island’s economic viability, which would be tantamount to a pyrrhic victory for Governor Wike and the Ejama-Ebubu community in Eleme local government area of Rivers state.

They would have succeeded in killing

the goose that lays the golden egg.

What then is the way forward? The intervention by Mallam Kyari is timely and fortuitous and offers the contending parties a unique opportunity to dialogue.

Kidney Island represents a key strategic asset to both SPDC and the River state government. A prolonged stand-off will be devastating to the economy of the state, the bottom line of SPDC and other interested parties as well as the economic well-being of the communities.

As canvassed in an earlier intervention, the way to go is to find a compromise position. How do we keep Kidney Island, which continues to produce and provide much needed revenue and employment for the people as a going concern?

SPDC must find a way to work things out with the Rivers state government even though one can surmise that from a corporate reputational point of view; SPDC will not want to be seen as having been bullied into submission while the state government, which is ostensibly fighting for its people, will not want to be seen to have been cowed by a foreign corporate entity.

But while they bicker, the community and the economy suffer. Both parties must pay attention to the logistical and economic imperative of keeping Kidney Island open as not just a support base for Shell and OML 11, but for other interested parties as well as a source of revenue and economic empowerment for the community and state.

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPA P PER ˾ ͻ˜ ͺ͸ͺ͹

23

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24

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ 3, 2021

SPECIAL REPORT

,QVLGH /DJRV .LRVNV +RZ 5HWDLO %XVLQHVVHV 6WD\ 6PDOO *URZ %LJ It’s a cliché, but true that the economy, employment rate, and ease of doing business in Nigeria, the most populated country and biggest economy by gross domestic product, are all headed south. But moving northward is the resilience and resourcefulness of kiosk retailers operating in the country’s ever-expanding informal sector: staying small but growing big. Bayo Akinloye reports

N

igeria’sinformalsector is worth N40 trillion and that includes the micro- and small enterprises. At the moment,thecountry’s gross domestic product amounted to $410 billion in 2019, recording the highest GDPinAfrica (South Africa’s GDP was worth $350 billion and ranked as the second-highest on the continent and three NorthAfrican countries, Egypt,Algeria, and Morocco, followed suit). Yet, the country remains vulnerable to the global economic disruption caused by COVID-19, particularly due to the “pronounced decline in oil prices and spikes in risk aversion in global capital markets.”

Besides, as of November 2020, the World Bank noted that 40 per cent of Nigerians (83 million people) live below the poverty line, while another 25 per cent (53 million) are vulnerable and with the pandemic, many of these 53 million people couldfallintopoverty.Theeconomicimpacthinges on oil prices. Oil accounts for over 80 percent of exports, a third of banking sector credit, and half of the government revenues. Oil prices also affect growth in non-oil industries and services, with additional pressures arising from foreign portfolio investors’ reassessment of risks and domestic liquidity management.

Inside this bubble, Lagos’ informal sector is beginningtobuckle.InLagosStatealone,according to the Executive Director of Micro Enterprises, Bank of Industry, Toyin Adeniji, the informal economy employs about 5.5 million people (about three-quarters of the state’s 7.5 million labour force). A 2016 report indicated that the informal sector made 41 percent of contributions to the country’s national GDP; a few years later, in 2018, it rose to 65 per cent.

“Ifoneweretoprofferanestimation,itcouldvery well be posed that with steadily increasing growth and activity, the informal sector’s contributions to our 2019/20 GDP would potentially surpass 70-80 percent.

“However, this year is unlike any we could have imagined – and for those whose welfare are reliant on the daily income of the informal sector, and who cannot ‘work from home,’ the reality is bleak,” said Adeniji.

Unemployment and underemployment are expectedtoincrease,affectingpoorhouseholdsand increasing the share of the population vulnerable to falling into poverty. Only agriculture is expected to positively contribute to growth in 2020, the BoI director suggested. But there is no killing Lagos kiosk retailers often called ‘mallam’ or ‘aboki.’

Lessons from the Kiosk Call it a ramshackle wooden box, a hole-in-thewall mini-mart, a carved-out container.

Oftennondescript,thousandsofretailkiosksdot Lagos’ sprawling landscape (ghettos and GRAs) and are like multi-coloured murals.Akiosk often has two large by-the-side collapsible windows, raised up to add breadth and width to the small structure and provide a wider display of wares.

If lived in, the kiosk has a small window. The woodenkiosksareeasytoassembleanddismantle.

Some have called it a lean, mean, fighting machine: it costs little to nothing to set up. The cost of maintenance is said to be minimal. It does not depend on electricity (lack of regular supply of electricity in Nigeria is said to have crippled many promising and already thriving businesses, not just in the micro, small and medium enterprises but also big-time industry players).

Cramped with consumer goods, from chewing

Kiosk

gum to condom, aboniki to kulikuli, alabukun to 7-Up, the kiosk is nothing but a one-stop-shop for consumables. You can buy a cigarette there and do not have to worry about how to light it.

How Retail Kiosk Operators Stay Small, Grow Big It’s a cliché but true that the economy, employment rate, and ease of doing business in Nigeria, the most populated country and biggest economy by gross domestic product, are all headed south.

But rising on the north is the resilience and resourcefulness of kiosk retailers operating in the country’s ever-expanding informal sector: staying small but growing big.

Considered unglamorous compared to supermarkets, big stores, and other expansive shops in Lagos, kiosks and their operators are somewhat despised, but largely patronised by the masses.

In Ojota (in Kosofe Local Government Area) alone, there are at least 57 retail kiosks managed by ‘mallams’ and ‘abokis.’

One kiosk retailer, Adamu, since 1986 has been plying his trade at the head of Olatunji Street in Ojota, along Ogudu Road. His kiosk remains largely the same, weather-beaten and nondescript. He sells consumables: biscuits, candies, lighters, matches, alabukun, Kulikuli, aboniki, teas, powdered milk in the sachet, chewing gums, condoms, cigarettes, paracetamol (and other over-the-counter analgesics), plasters, pens and pencils, noodles, sausages, among others.

The list is endless.

He has recently acquired a medium-sized cooler to keep some drinks for sale. The kiosk is

jam-packed, every item lined up horizontally and vertically in delicate poise, indicating organisation and attention to detail.

“Adamu is more than a trader. He’s a life-saver,” a resident told THISDAY. “It was in the middle of the night and my child was very sick. I rushed to Adamu’s kiosk and with one knock, he opened his kiosk. It was the 7-Up and alabukun that I bought from him that night that saved the life of my child.”

This incident illustrates two things that keep retailkiosksinbusinessevenduringthisCOVID-19 pandemic: selling consumables and running an almost 24-hour business. These ‘mallams’ or ‘abokis’ have been running a round-the-clock business for decades. To date, no big-time mart stay up late for business as the kiosks do.

Some kiosk retailers even serve as watchmen David, a kiosk retailer, explained how the business can be started.

“Itusuallystartswithgettingaplaceforyourself.

And that is not as difficult as renting an office or a shop. I have worked here as a security guard for some time now.”

Regarding how he started his micro-enterprise, he disclosed: “With the good relationship I have built with my boss, I felt free to approach him for a kiosk; for a space just by the fence. He granted it, and that’s mostly what I needed for a start.”

His story is similar to that of many other kiosk retailers. They work as watchmen in a compound or street and saw a need to augment their meagre salary.

“All you need is a carpenter and a design according to the space you were given. How much you pay (for erecting the kiosk) depends on how big or small you want it to be and your shop is set,” added David. That is not all there is to kiosk retailing. Knowing the little things one’s environment needs is a qualification that every kiosk retailer must acquire as that also plays a major role in determining their success.

Kiosk retailers admitted how hard they have been the butt of jokes and uncouth remarks. Yet, they have learnt to be friendly and sometimes helpful in the neighbourhood. By keeping their kiosks what they are and reinvest the profits in farming, educating their children, living a spartan life, delaying gratifications and selling anything that the community wants that sells. They also understand the need to sell on credit to trusted customers.

Venture Capital and Reinvestment Every venture needs capital, and anyone who takes on a business is always concerned about how much he needs to start. For kiosk retailers, that is not always the case. Semiu, who operates a kiosk on a Lagos street, told THISDAY: “It’s a case of cutting your coat to your cloth. There is no rule about that. If you have N,5000, you start with N5,000. If you have N10,000 you start with N10,000.”

According to a study of kiosk retailers in Zaria, Kaduna State, by Shuaib Ndagi Sayedi and Dr. A.M. Abu-Abdusamad, 41.9 per cent of those surveyedgotventurecapitalfrompersonalsavings, 35.4 percent got venture capital through “various

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ 3, 2021

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BUSINESS/MONEY

3ULRULWLHV IRU &%1 DV ([SHUWV 6HW $JHQGD LQ Kunle Aderinokun and James Emejo aggregate analysts perspectives on the performance of the Central Bank of Nigeria in its regulatory and developmental functions - and conclude that though the apex bank had exceeded expectations particular in the role it played to sustain the economy amidst the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic last year, more strategic interventions are still required to boost the real sector and set the economy on the path of recovery and growth amidst the current recession

T

here is almost a general consensus that the CBN has performed creditably well in its primary mandate of price stability as well as developmental role especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and the associated economic downturn.

The last few years had witnessed unprecedented CBN programmes in key sectors of the economy, including agriculture, manufacturing, health, entertainment and massive support for Micro Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (MSMEs) in the country.

The CBN Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, had in June 2019, following a rare reappointment for a second term in office, unveiled his plan aimed at strengthening the economy by implementing policies that seek to boost the confidence of investors, encourage local production and enhance non-oil exports, price stability as well as massive job creation.

Emefiele had launched an ambitious policy direction for the CBN, targeting double-digit growth, single-digit inflation, $12 billion non-oil exports by 2023 and raising financial inclusion to 95 per cent level by 2024.

He also pledged to retain managed-float exchange rate and announced a bank recapitalisation that will see banks raise their capital base above the N25 billion minimum level that one of his predecessors, Prof. Charles Soludo, introduced in 2004, among other things.

The CBN’s huge intervention in agriculture particularly the Anchor Borrowers Programme (ABP) which had witnessed massive revolution in local rice production remained an enduring signpost of the positive impact of the apex bank’s Cbn Headquarters numerous interventions.

As a result, it has become a truism that save for performing not only monetary, but parts of fiscal the incursion of the CBN into agriculture, Nigeria policy with its interventions in key sectors. would have found it difficult to feed its population They opined that the bank had done so much amidst the world-wide lockdowns put in place to in 2020 to manage Nigeria’s volatile economy, curtail the spread of the pandemic - a development which still found itself in recession amidst the which shut down world economies, crashed oil COVID-19 pandemic. price which is a major source of revenue for the Analysts held that the interventions by the CBN country - and therefore putting a strain on foreign contributed significantly to the moderation of reserves. economic contraction recorded in Q3 2020.

The question was how and where could the However, in setting an agenda for the CBN country had gotten the foreign exchange to import for this year, they stressed the need to focus on food especially rice which is a household staple continuous stimulation of domestic production - considering that Nigeria hitherto spent billions and growth and further stressed the need for of dollars on food import bills on annual basis enhance regulatory oversight on the activities prior to the CBN intervention. of financial institutions in the country.

However, at the onset of the pandemic, the apex They stressed the need to further tweak the bank had floated the N50 billion CBN COVID-19 interest rate and forex policy regime as well as Targeted Facility to douse the impact of the pan- a deliberate policy intervention to drive down demic on vulnerable households and businesses. lending rates and discourage the banks from apThe intervention which has since swollen to about plying multiple charges, noting that this would N300 billion had brought huge relief to Nigerians constitute great disincentive for savings. and economy in general.

The Managing Director/Chief Executive, Of note is also the establishment of the N100 Credent Investment Managers Limited, Mr. billion health care sector fund to boost research Ibrahim Shelleng, said the CBN’s handling of and local production of medical equipment, as the FX situation could be much better, adding well as several other interventions in the cotton that multiple exchange rate system provides too and garment sector and power among others. many avenues for arbitrage and round tripping.

Also, last year, the CBN amidst daunting odds, According to him, a definitive, holistic policy had managed to stimulate increased bank lending would go a long way in providing clarity and give to the real sector by deploying its monetary policy confidence to foreign investors. tools into action.

Shelleng said,“To be fair to the CBN, they have It also reigned in the high interest rate regime had to handle aspects of the economy that should and lowered the Monetary Policy Rate from 12.5 normally be handled by the federal ministry of per cent to 11.5 per cent even amidst high interest finance. So they are essentially carrying not rate regime - all in an effort to boost production only monetary, but parts of fiscal policy with its and stimulate economic recovery from recession interventions in key sectors. among others.

“I think the intervention programmes need to be Analysts, who spoke in separate chats with more far reaching, so perhaps utilising an agency THISDAY particularly praised the performance of approach to disbursing and more importantly the banking regulatory institution for essentially recovering these funds is key. I would still like to

see an all-round reduction in interest rates, but acknowledge that this may have its downsides in creating excess liquidity and subsequent inflation.

She said,“In terms of the regulatory aspects of financial institutions,I think more needs to be done in driving down lending rates. The reduction in deposit rates has not necessarily led to a reduction in lending rates and as such the customers are ultimately left underserved. I think from the regulatory point of view the CBN needs to provide heavier sanctions for banks that continue to exploit customers with high lending rates.

“With this also, the multiple charges levied by banks is highly insensitive given the current climate.

In a time of an economic downturn, the banks need to play their part in aiding the economy out of recession. Excessive charges discourage deposits.”

Former Director General, Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI), Dr. Chijioke Ekechukwu,commended the CBN’s programmes in the real sector particularly manufacturing as well as deposit interest rate regime but called for more efforts to slash lending rates to boost the economy.

He said,“CBN has done very well in interventions in various sectors of the economy. In the Foreign Exchange market, in agricultural value chain, in manufacturing and indeed using the monetary policy tools to stimulate the economy. Notable in their efforts is their ability to bring down deposit interest rates.

“However, the interest rate reduction has not achieved desired outcome, as lending rates are still high. Consequently, CBN needs to enforce lending rate Cap and create a minimal spread between the deposit rates and lending rates of various Deposit Money Banks.”

Also on his expectations for the CBN this year, acting Managing Director, UCML Capital Limited,

Mr. Egie Akpata, further admitted that the CBN had recorded achieved historical achievements in 2020, particularly bringing down the 1 year FGN borrowing rate to near zero despite rising inflation.

He said the CBN should continue to partner the Debt Management Office (DMO) to keep the FGN borrowing rates down, noting that short and long-term rates are off their November lows and might increase marginally going forward.

He added, “But CBN is unlikely to go back to the days of paying interest rates well above inflation as this will have a catastrophic impact on FGN debt service to revenue ratio.

“The very low interest rate regime would need to be maintained by the CBN for at least one more year for it to have the impact on the real sector that is desired. Many investors are still waiting for the days of risk-free rates above inflation to return. If CBN holds rates down long enough, a very large amount of money will go into real sector investments, which would lead to more output, job creation and economic growth.

“The CBN has run out of runway with the Naira and is likely to take some more decisive steps to balance the foreign exchange market and reduce the parallel market premium.They have already allowed the I&E window trade to N410 and are likely to allow further depreciation of up to 10 per cent during the year.”

Akpata said,“Despite Naira bond rates below FGN Eurobond rates, I would expect the CBN to benefit from a very large FGN Eurobond issue.

Based on the budget signed by Mr. President, over $4 billion could be raised from the Eurobond market in Q1 2021 and this will have a big impact on FX reserves and the mood in the FX market.

“But the CBN would need to find a way to raise cost effective 1-year USD to clear out the backlog of Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPI) still trapped in Nigeria.

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THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ 3, 2021

BUSINESS/MONEY 3ULRULWLHV IRU &%1 DV ([SHUWV 6HW $JHQGD LQ &RQW¶G IURP 3J “Nigeria credit still sells in the international market and CBN can easily raise 1-year USD at 3 per cent which can deal with the FPI backlog decisively.The COVID-19 pandemic is likely to be a factor for several more quarters so it is unlikely that the CBN would increase interest rates in 2021 despite rising inflation.

“Their logic would be that rising inflation is driven by factors outside their control - weak naira due to oil crash, 100per cent rise in electricity cost, huge increase in petrol and transport costs due to removal of fuel subsidy, break down in logistics right from the ports etc.Higher interest rates would not fix any of these issues.”

The analyst also prevailed in the CBN to regulate credit supply and interest rate based on money supply, maintaining that it is duty of the apex bank to continue to use monetary policies to control inflation.

Also in an interaction withTHISDAY in expectations from the CBN in 2021, President, Capital MarketAcademics of Nigeria,Prof.Uche Uwaleke, said no doubt, the activities of the central bank had contributed significantly to the moderation of economic contraction recorded in Q3 2020.

He, however, observed that the forex pressure remained a challenge adding that given that the supply of forex is exogenous to the apex bank, it should continue to implement its demand management initiatives including the restrictions on forex with respect to certain items to encourage domestic consumption and conserve scarce forex while the plan to unify exchange rates should be pursued gradually.

According to the former Imo State commissioner of finance,“The remarkable performance of the stock market in 2020, despite COVID-19, is in my view, a direct product of the low interest rate environment which the CBN deliberately fostered that lowered yields in the fixed income market and made in investment in riskier asset classes such as equities attractive.

“So, I would advise the CBN to continue to strengthen its development finance initiatives including through scaling up these interventions especially in the Agriculture value chain to increase output in view of fact that the inflationary pressure is coming more from the food component.

“The CBN should also continue along the path of accommodative monetary policy till economic

Emefiele

recovery is achieved. In 2020, the MPC reduced MPR from 13.5 per cent to 11.5 per cent.”

Besides, the Chief Executive Officer, Global Analytics Company, Mr. Tope Fasua, called for sustainable foreign exchange management regime for the country as well as increased support to boost domestic production.

He said the devaluation of the Naira would not have significantly hurt the economy if produced most of peoples’needs were produced locally.

He said,“It often takes time and tremendous

efforts to fill this gap but we must be honest and start immediately.”

Fasua said,“Perhaps a good place to consider an agenda for the CBN for 2021 is the news reaching us of a further devaluation of the Naira on the 31st of December to N410 to the US Dollar.

“The CBN has its work cut out for 2021. We cannot afford a straight line devaluation of the Naira and I have always favoured a Managed Floating regime for an economy like ours with low productivity and low economic complexity.

“The CBN should try and buy time by continuing to focus on how its intervention can grow productivity and deepen economic complexity.

It will be an incredibly difficult task, but we have no choices in this matter. Inflation will go up a little bit more because of the many Keynesian type interventions we have already embarked upon, just as every other nation in the world.”

According to him,“The focus cannot therefore be on inflation targeting or reduction but how we can create jobs and improve industries. Of course we should continue to see how we can substitute imports.”

On his part Associate Professor of Agricultural Economics at University of Port Harcourt,Anthony Onoja, said the CBN had done so much in 2020 to manage Nigeria’s volatile economy, which still found itself in recession amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

Onoja, who called for the need to regulate credit supply and interest rate based on money supply as this is the duty of the apex bank to continue to use monetary policies to control inflation- pointed out that there were aspects of the CBN“mandate that were wrongly tempered with especially the foreign exchange regulations that sometimes favoured those, who have Bureau De Change or specially favoured groups and such people could take advantage of the differences in the official exchange rate of US dollars to Naira in Nigeria to make abnormal profits.”

According to the university scholar, there should be a dispassionate narrowing of the rate of foreign exchange rate differentials in the nation’s economy to make the foreign exchange allocation pareto efficient.

“The policy of allowing foreign remittances into the domiciliary accounts of the intended beneficiaries is a laudable one which is billed to improve the value of Naira in the forex market.

“I think the central bank has a role to play too in ensuring that Nigerian traders maximise the opportunity being offered by the incoming African Continental FreeTrade Area (AfCFTA) agreement whose regime has started on January 1, 2021.

“Export financing particularly those in agricultural trade and other commodity trades from Nigeria that have undergone some value addition should be encouraged by CBN.The research sector needs funding too.”

,QVLGH /DJRV .LRVNV +RZ 5HWDLO %XVLQHVVHV 6WD\ 6PDOO *URZ %LJ &RQW¶G IURP 3J forms of gifts,” and 22.6 percent got theirs through loans from individuals.

“It is important to note that none of the leaders got his venture capital through a loan from the bank. This could be because banks do not advance loans to non-existent businesses. This means the majority of leaders got venture capital to start kiosk business by personal savings or self-effort in flyover area Kwangila-Zaria,” the researchers said.

The same report revealed that 35.5 per cent started the business with less than N10,000, 25.8 per cent with between N10,000 and N20,000; 50 per cent started with over N50,000; 9.7 per cent started with between N21,000 and N30,000; 6.5 per cent had between N41,000 and N50,000 to start retailing.

Isiaka, another kiosk retailer along Ikorodu road said he has been in the business for over 20 years.

“I resigned from my workplace because my employers didn’t want me to operate a kiosk while I worked for them as a security guard. So, I came here. Since then, I’ve been doing this business for more than 20 years now,” he explained.

Many of the kiosk retailers, who spoke with THISDAY admitted that they had no intention of expanding their kiosks or moving to a big shop. According to them, the profits made are reinvested in farms back home in the northern part of the country or even in neighbouring Niger and Chad. They travel home from time to time to farm. While they are away, they often have somebody deputise for them. Some of the kiosk retailers said they have large families they are not ready to bring to Lagos.

For Isiaka, there is another reason. “I work with a company. They gave me this space to do this business. I get paid monthly while I’m still doing this business. That’s why I’m not thinking of getting a shop.”

Some kiosks are inherited. Semiu inherited his kiosk from his father. But there are instances of some retailers selling their kiosks to potential retailers as they move up north to invest fully in their farms. Sometimes, they bring in a relative to take over.

Sanwu-olu

Adebayo

Musa at Biode Park in Ojota said, “I just came here. My brother travelled back home. So, I’m here in his stead.”

“When my father decided to go back to the north finally, he brought me to operate the kiosk,” stated Semiu.

Alhaji, another kiosk retailer, explained that he has two wives and has been able to support his family.

“I have been traveling so much recently, and soon I will be travelling again to my country, Burkina Faso, to see my new wife because she is pregnant. If I don’t have this kiosk, it would have been difficult for me because the transport fare is high,” he revealed.

kiosk retailer, said: “They come as early as the beginning of the year to sound a warning of impending payment of our dues. Afterwards, enforcement follows. And if you can’t pay, they will lock up your kiosk.”

The kiosk retailers also understand what it means to have ‘Lagos sense’ to ensure their businesses stay small but grow big. Mustapha, another retailer, explained: “Sometimes they come in two different groups. You pay the first group and the other comes later asking for the same fee. That’s why it’s good to get a receipt from them so that you will show any one of them who comes asking again.”

How much do they pay to the government?

“We only pay N3,000 for the whole year,” said David. “By June, they must have started to collect the money, and that’s the only money we pay to them.”

Baruwa, whose kiosk is at Ogudu road added:

Paying Their Dues to Local Councils Lagos government prides itself on its huge internally-generated revenue. In its revenue drive, it does not overlook kiosk retailers. Ibrahim, a

“I pay to council every year. Why shouldn’t I pay? I give them N2,000, and that’s all I pay for the year.”

But sometimes, some of the retailers do not have to pay probably because council officials are not able to cover all the streets.

“I don’t pay to the council; they don’t come here. I have not seen anybody here asking me to pay any money,” admitted Husseini.

The macroeconomic situation is more challenging now than in 2015-2016 when oil prices fell sharply and Nigeria experienced its first recession in 25 years. In the current situation, Nigeria has fewer buffers and policy instruments to cushion adverse effects, according to the World Bank.

While Nigeria has made some progress in socio-economic terms in recent years, its human capital development remains weak due to under-investment, leaving its economy especially vulnerable to the COVID-19 outbreak and its consequences. Inequality, in terms of income and opportunities, remains high, and has adversely affected poverty reduction. The lack of job opportunities is at the core of the high poverty levels, regional inequality, and social and political unrest.

With COVID-19, the country’s “recession is likely to push an additional five million Nigerians into poverty in 2020, bringing the total newly poor to seven million” last year.

To provide the Nigerian government with “timely evidence” to guide its policy response, a new high-frequency survey – the Nigeria COVID-19 National Longitudinal Phone Survey (COVID-19 NLPS) – was initiated in the country.

The survey implemented by the National Bureau of Statistics with technical support from the World Bank was designed to measure and monitor the economicandsocialimpactsoftheCOVID-19crisis by tracking households’ welfare and behaviour every month over a period of 12 months. The survey began in May 2020.

The survey covers important topics including knowledge and concerns about the pandemic, access to food and other basic needs, employment and income loss, and safety nets and coping strategies.

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WEEKLY PULL-OUT

03.01.2021

BLESSING AMIDU A GEOLOGIST WITH AN IMAGINATIVE MIND

Blessing Amidu, a geologist working in the oil and gas sector tells Vanessa Obioha how a family joke is becoming a historic feat in the film industry ASSISTANT EDITOR OLUFUNKE OLAODE/funkola2000@gmail.com

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COVER

I Want My Animation to Cause an Earthquake in Nigeria

T

here are mainly two kinds of people you find in the arts and entertainment field: those who are art-inclined but studied a different course, and those who are talented and pursued a course in arts. Blessing Amidu falls in the first category.

As a young girl, she evinced an interest in arts but was stuck with the idea of studying medicine.

“I was an A student in my art subjects: literature, government, etc,” she explains. “But everyone in my family studied Law. From my siblings to my cousins, everyone is a lawyer in my family. I wanted to do something different so I stuck with sciences.”

She, however, settled for Geology when she didn’t meet the requirements to study medicine. In retrospect, it wasn’t a bad choice, she points out. With the fate of doctors in the country right now, Amidu is glad she didn’t pursue her medical dream.

But there is one dream that she has harboured since childhood and is finally coming to pass: making animation.

“I loved watching cartoons.

Back in my younger days, I watched ‘Voltron: The Defender of the Universe’, ‘Deadman’. My favourite cartoon back then was ‘Bigfoot and Wildboy’, that was in the 70s. Bigfoot was a giant character that fights off crime and aliens from invading his forest home,” she recalls nostalgically, wondering how she ended up studying geology.

“It’s a wonder you know,” she adds, “that part of me has always been there. Sometimes, I ask myself what am I doing in the oil and gas. I should be in the entertainment industry.

I think it was just a matter of time for that side of me to come out.”

Indeed, it was only a matter of time before Providence led Amidu to her true calling.

After writing scripts and producing works for churches, Amidu will finally have the spotlight on her. For the first time in Nigeria, a feature-length 3D animated film, ‘Ladybuckit and the Motley Mopsters’ (LBMM) will premiere in cinemas within and outside the country. The production is the handiwork of Amidu and her production outfit, Hot Ticket Productions.

The film was inspired by her children, who inherited their mother’s love for the animated world. It all began as a joke.

“I have two girls and twin boys.

They are always fond of mimicking cartoon characters and one of the boys is always in his underpants. So one night, while we were watching cartoons, he strolled into the room in his underpants. Immediately, it struck me that why don’t I make an animation. I mean, looking at them, the way I have to chase them around the house to brush their teeth or take the bath, it just began to unfold. I told them about it and we all laughed it off but when my first girl who was 13 at the time and have a penchant for sketching made sketches of characters, I thought to myself that this thing could really work,” she narrates.

What Amidu didn’t realise then was that it was easier said than executed. It would take her almost three years to finally achieve this dream. Her first attempt failed.

She didn’t give up. She dusted her hands and resumed work. Again,

AMINDU

the production proved futile. Not a few advised her to throw in the towel but being a woman who doesn’t see failures as stumbling blocks but steps to greatness, she rolled up her sleeves one more time. They say the third time is a charm and it worked for Amidu.

At last, everything fell into place.

“If I didn’t have the kind of passion I had,” she notes, “I would have abandoned this project,” she confesses.

The result of her late nights, scouting talents, carrying out research on a film format that is still a niche in the country, and her resilience is a picture-perfect 3D animation that focuses on a young girl who finds herself amid strange characters that eventually changed the course of her destiny.

Amidu applied her geology knowledge by adding a historical fact in the creation. She takes viewers to

Oloibiri, a community in Bayelsa State where crude oil was commercially discovered in 1956.

“The prominent story from Oloibiri has been that of violence. We are able to tell Oloibiri from another light. We are showing the good sides of Oloibiri and what possibly it could be. It’s a different narrative that no one has ever seen.”

Animation which is valued at $270 billion globally is still a budding industry in Nigeria. Quite distinct in form and production, it is confronted by myriads of challenges that range from funding to casting. In Amidu’s case, getting the right skillsets was a major problem.

After much consultations — including hiring the services of Bisi Adetayo, who reportedly worked with HBO on ‘Game of Thrones’ and serves as the director and lead animator of LBMM — Nollywood stars like Kalu Ikeagwu, Patrick Doyle, Bimbo Akintola, Bola Edwards, are featured. There are also fresh voices of 11- and 13-year-old Jessica and David Edwards. Popular music producer and songwriter, Clement ‘DJ Klem’ Kponu and, versatile film composer, Ava Momoh, are the brains behind LBMM’s original 14-tracker album.

Amidu who has worked in the oil and gas sector for 15 years reveals that the animation gulped $1 million.

Despite the limitations, there is a growing emergence of animators.

Take, for instance, Kanso Ogbolu, who entertained fans during the lockdown period with his ‘FreaktheFxxkout (FTFO)’ series. There is also Ridwan Moshood, winner of Cartoon Network Africa’s Creative Lab competition.

He recently opened an animation production company Pure Garbage, to produce a series of his award-winning original property, ‘Garbage Boy & Trashcan’.

Amidu is also thinking in that direction. She hinted at the possibility of having other animated series from her production outfit.

With the dwindling fortunes of oil and gas in Nigeria, the Lagos State indigene (by marriage) believes that the creative economy is the way to go. She opines that while animation is still a niche in the country, it has the potential of expanding with an enabling environment.

“The challenge has always been if we had an enabling environment to bring out that level of creativity that will match international productions.

Creativity is also stifled because of finance. It is a shame that this is coming 60 years after independence.

The creative economy should have started over 10 years ago.

“The oil industry as it stands now, I don’t know how long it can sustain the economy. We should be able to diversify to areas such as tourism and entertainment. The time is ripe to invest in creativity and diversify instead of over-reliance on oil and gas.”

She adds that there is an overwhelming reception to animation in the country.

“The kind of fulfilment Amidu has over the completion of this project is almost indescribable.

“I just feel on top of the world,” she gushes. “It’s not been a smooth ride and there are times I asked myself who sent me on this mission.

But I’m glad we surmounted these challenges. My first satisfaction is bringing my dream to fruition. I want this animation to cause an earthquake in the industry where many like-minded people will begin to do amazing work in that field. But I’m happy, my kids are happy, and each time I go online and see reactions anticipating the premiere, I feel good and have no regrets whatsoever.”

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GLITZ FOCUS

Simisola Alabi

The Nigerian Doctor Helping People to Find Secret to Long, Healthy Life Simisola Alabi, a young Nigerian medical doctor in the United Kingdom and a frontliner in the fight against the ravaging coronavirus is on a mission to make people live better and longer, writes Vanessa Obioha

“D

octors only contribute 10 to 15 percent of your overall health. I’m interested in exploring the rest,” is the popular mantra 43-yearold medical doctor Simisola Alabi lives by.

In her 20 years of working in the medical field, Alabi has found only one resonating truth: prevention and wellness have to be the answer to the future.

“I’ve seen how sick people can be and how painful and difficult it can be. For some illnesses, there’s no rhyme or reason.

A few days ago I had a 20-year-old patient who suffered a brain tumour. He didn’t do anything to cause that. It just happened. But in most other illnesses, you can see the point where it starts.

“So rather than go through years of pain or difficulty, why don’t we choose a lifestyle or practice that will help you not get the disease, and even if you get it, it will help you live well

with it. I always think that the answer to health is not really in the hands of doctors. The answer to good health is in the hands of the public,” she explained.

It’s not every day one hears such gospel from a medical doctor, but Alabi is not just any kind of doctor. Born to Nigerian parents, Alabi has studied medicine at all levels and lives a life predicated on the works of her mentor Dr. Yinka George. It was the late George who encouraged her to pursue a career in medicine when Maths posed a threat.

“I always wanted to study medicine from when I was very young, but I think as I got into my teens I kind of lost it. I just thought…,” she paused, then continued: “Well, I don’t really know Maths and in Nigeria, Maths was crucial for medicine and I thought I’ll just do something else. But I met Dr. Yinka George, who was my mentor, she’s still my mentor, she’s no longer alive. She knew I wanted to become a medic and I told her it’s not going to work for me because of Maths but she believed and assured me that I will become a doctor.”

Alabi eventually passed Maths but already filled in Biology as her course.

She emerged the best in that department.

Her colourful result was the conviction her mentor needed that Alabi ought to be a medic.

“If I wasn’t a medic, I will probably be in the fashion world. Maybe become the next Anna Wintour or do something in showbiz.” Today, she is a frontliner in the fight against the ravaging coronavirus in the UK, ensuring that vaccinations get to the right people. She also consults at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH).

Alabi had an enviable relationship with her mentor.

“She is a woman I don’t want people to forget,” she puts it succinctly, revealing that she wrote a book about her in 2020.

George who passed on over two decades ago, to her was a woman of many parts: a doctor, a mentor, and an entrepreneur. She described her as a leading woman of her time. So deep was

their connection that to date, she still uses her stethoscope. In George, Alabi found the true meaning of wealth and success.

“First of all, she taught me that nobody is indispensable. Secondly, she taught me that for one to be truly wealthy, you have to be making an impact in the life of somebody else, because wealth in itself, really means nothing,” she stated.

“If we really look at money, by the time you have a house, you have a view, there’s really not much else you can do with it. But if you actually start something, if you start a business, you’re employing and supporting people, then that really creates an impact.”

It is this nugget that Alabi is using to preach her gospel of wellness. Through her Beyond Wealth Conference (BWC) founded in 2019, she is encouraging people to examine their life and make the right choices to live longer. It is her way of keeping her mentor’s dream alive. The conference avails her the opportunity to push for health policies, design, commissioning, and mentor young people.

In its maiden edition, the organisers awarded a scholarship to a medical student.

Like her mentor, Alabi wears many hats: a teacher, writer, entrepreneur, healthcare leader mother, and wife.

In Nigeria, the Ondo State indigene found the condition of the primary healthcare appalling.

“I’ve been on the campaign in Nigeria for years. I kind of got fed up with primary healthcare. It is important to organise primary care so that every single person knows where they’re registered to. When a pandemic happens, we organise populations, and so we can only know the population through health records. We don’t have any structure, what we have is unfortunately messy, because the health centres are not well equipped, they’re not well staffed and primary care is not a recognised thing because of vested interests,” she lamented.

She added, “The way they are demanding Nigerians to register for BVN and NIN, they can do the same with health records.”

In the meantime, she is taking her campaign of wellness to Nigeria in an unusual manner.

“Wellness for me is divided into physical and mental wellness. They’re both linked obviously. Underpinning all of that are spiritual and financial wellness. But really, wellness is about your mental health and your physical health. Understanding your health helps you a lot in the long run. The whole essence of wellness is about understanding who you are when everything is taken away. I don’t like to tell people to go running or do one exercise, you just need to know that your body needs to move. Your body needs to be moving regularly and how you move it is entirely up to you.

“Some people would like to go for walks or runs or dancing or going up and down the stairs, but that needs to happen most days. If your body moves, you find out your mental health also improves because there’s a link between your movement, and how happy or sad you are. Mental health is a massive thing but we don’t talk about it enough in Nigeria.

Mental health affects your body, your body affects your mind. They are so interlinked. This is a very good time of the year to reassess or to assess — if you’ve never done it before — where you are as a person. Forget about what anybody else is doing. Forget about social media, it’s not real anyway. Where are you in your own life?

How are you in your mind? How are you in your body? What are you putting inside your mouth? What’s coming out of your mouth?

Write it down. Where do you want to be? If you’re someone who cannot climb the stairs without breathing heavily, are you making the conscious steps to climb the stairs without breathing heavily? Wellness is just really about you.”

She also underscored the importance of supplements such as Vitamin D which is one of the products of her supplement company Vine Health.

“Vitamin D is so crucial at this point because there’s a link between vitamin D and so many things such as diabetes, depression, COVID. And there is vitamin D deficiency in our community.

I don’t recommend a diet. I always say eat everything in moderation. Moderation is the key to life. Alcohol is a difficult subject because alcohol comes with a lot of diseases.”

These measures are what Alabi sees as the way to live a better life.

“People have little things in practice that make them healthy. Some people live for more than 100 years. It’s not because they have a longer lifespan in their family. It’s about the choices they make. 50 per cent of your health is down to the choices you make,” she said.

“You can’t really come into the fullness of wealth unless you are healthy. It will be fantastic to get a book where I could get everybody’s health secrets.”

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SUNDAY JANUARY 3, 2021 •T H I S D AY

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ JANUARY 3, 2021

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POLITY

Despite the Pandemic, Ogun Remains in Safe Hands In a year that has been mostly ravaged by the corona virus pandemic with the attendant lockdowns and uncertainties, the Ogun State government, helmed by the debonair Governor Dapo Abiodun, has continued to implement the plans behind his Building the Future Together agenda - the kernel of which is to give Ogun State focused and qualitative governance whilst creating the enabling environment for a public-private sector partnership, which is fundamental to the economic growth of the state and individual prosperity of the people of Ogun, writes Lanre Alfred

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asked, in adherence with the dictates of the season; and garbed in blue native attire with dark sunshades to match, Prince Dapo Abiodun, the executive governor of Ogun State could, however, not mask his excitement during the inauguration of the Agbeloba Aquaculture Hub in Owiwi, Ewekoro Local Government Area of the state, which is being promoted by the former President of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo.

There, Governor Abiodun revealed his administration’s plans to have an allied agriculture-based airport to help develop the state as a destination of choice for agriculture in Nigeria, saying, “We are looking to have an airport based on agro-allies from which agricultural products like the ones we have here can be transported by air outside the country and still arrive fresh to other destinations. We are seeing these kinds of things that will complement everything we are doing.”

As he walked around the hub, Governor Abiodun commended the former president for his investment and commitment to agriculture, a sector he described as the surest path out of the poverty and unemployment that plague the country.

“We believe that we can grow what we eat and we want to congratulate former President Olusegun Obasanjo for his tireless and continuous preaching. We, as a government, believe in what Baba (Obasanjo) is doing and we will continue to advocate for this because we see ourselves quickly becoming the food basket of this nation,” he said.

The governor added, “It is important to note that Baba (Obasanjo) did not start his agricultural revolution just yesterday.

He is a legend who is fondly remembered for his popular farming program ‘Operation Feed the Nation (OFN),’ long before Obasanjo Farms Nigeria Limited.

“That was 45 years ago when he was Head of State, and aged only 38 years old. At that time, Baba had seen that the future of our great country is in agriculture. And even after leaving office, we are pleased that he did not leave the OFN that he started. It is a reminder that now more than ever; we need another Operation Feed the Nation (OFN). This time, it has to be urgent and with its own initiatives.”

Governor Abiodun said that his administration is confident that the bid to turn the state into a special zone for processing agricultural products would soon become a reality and pointed out that in the next year, at least 5,000 young people from the state will receive mentoring, support and linkage to profitable agro-investment firms as a prelude to setting them up in their respective businesses.

The former president commended the governor for all his initiatives in the area of agriculture and encouraged him not to relent. Indeed, in the last one year, the Abiodun-administration has recorded many achievements in agriculture noteworthy, the launch of the Anchor Borrowers Programme in partnership with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). A poverty-eradicating initiative that will provide inputs, service support and training required for farmers through a single-digit loan and guaranteed off-taker, the ABP idea is in fulfilment of Abiodun’s promise to increase food production and create employment opportunities for Ogun people, especially youth and women involved in agriculture and create another avenue to boost the nation’s self-sufficiency in food production. The state has facilitated the crediting of the CBN with over N700Million and 3,500 farmers drawn from all 20 LGAs. There is the Ogun Broiler Project, which provides day-old chicks, feeds, inputs and training to young farmers and buys the chickens after six weeks. To date, it is reported that about 9,000 youths have benefitted from the scheme and they make a profit of about N130, 000 in each six-week cycle. There are also the Joint Ogun State and International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) Value Chain Project, which is ongoing across eight LGAs including Obafemi-Owode, Yewa North & South, Ijebu North & East, Ifo, Odeda and Odogbolu; and the FADAMA Graduate Unemployed Youths Scheme (GUYS), which credited 200 beneficiaries with a total grant of over N74Million with varying individual amounts depending on the chosen agricultural enterprise including cultivation of cassava, maize, rice, yam and vegetables as well as the rearing of poultry, fisheries, piggery, snailry, large ruminants and agro-processing, among others. Worthy of mention also is that the state government has constructed four solar-powered boreholes to make a total of 11 of the type, resulting in 2,500 beneficiaries of the Ogun State Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP) having access to safe drinking water while it partnered with the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology to distribute improved varieties of plantain, banana, and pineapple to 100 farmers as a way to promote increased productivity of farmers.

Amid the extraordinary challenges and uncertainties wrought by the immediate impact of the corona virus pandemic, many governors and political leaders are under pressure not to buckle

Abiodun or bumble in continuing to build a more prosperous, equitable and sustainable society. The acute awareness of this has made Governor Abiodun quicken his pace and double his efforts in all areas of the state’s life. Last May 29, which was the thick of the pandemic when the world had literally ground to a halt, the Abiodun administration clocked one year in office and the governor also clocked 60 years old. There was, however, no celebration or fanfare to mark the momentous day.

But the governor made a state-wide address during which he reeled out his administration’s achievements. He agreed that the pandemic tested his administration’s effectiveness but, “Because we are a government that has been focused, deliberate, methodical, driven by an unwavering commitment to serve and one that enjoys tremendous goodwill of our people, we confronted the pandemic headlong...and we have been able to record notable achievements in all sectors of our dear state in the last one year.”

Pivoting his achievements on the ISEYA acronym (meaning Infrastructure, Social Welfare and Wellbeing, Education, Youth Development, and Agriculture and Food Security), the governor disclosed that as a quick fix mechanism to address the deplorable condition of roads when he came into office, the Ogun State Public Works Agency which is proving to be efficient and responsive in rehabilitating intra and intercity roads was established. He listed several intra-city roads that had either been rehabilitated or newly constructed, surmising, significantly, that the very essential Ijebu-Ode – Epe Road, a major link between Ogun and Lagos States and an alternative to the busy Lagos -Ibadan expressway, which had been in a state of disrepair leading to abandonment by commuters for several years, is now nearing completion.

Governor Abiodun said, “But for the COVID-19 pandemic and the requirement for physical distancing, we would be formally commissioning some of these roads as part of the activities marking the first anniversary. Nonetheless, I am happy to report that the activation of some of the completed projects, is on-going for immediate use and benefit of the good people of Ogun State, thus, bringing relief to the large population of our people who commute on these roads on daily basis, either to go to work or to journey to neighbouring states.”

In the area of energy, Governor Abiodun admitted that a major national challenge to both industrial growth and domestic wellbeing is the availability of regular power supply. According to him, “In our usual deliberate approach, we have taken a number of strategic steps to significantly improve power supply in the state, which includes the establishment, for the first time in the state, a power and energy board; commencement of power audit to dimension the power requirements in the state to determine the needs and improved provision of power supply in phases while its output will serve as input into the Light Up Ogun Project aimed at improving power supply to critical locations and sectors in the state; and procurement and installation of transformers to some communities across the state through the Local Government Transition Committees.

Governor Abiodun also disclosed that his administration recognises transport as a critical sector and an enabler of economic activities and well-being of the people while appreciating the need to strategically manage the sector beyond the almost exclusive focus on and unstructured management of transport

unions. In this regard, he said, “We have upgraded the hitherto Bureau of Transport to a full-fledged Ministry of Transport, which will, among other mandate areas, coordinate and streamline activities in the transport sector, evolve a system that will help to strategically determine and prioritise new roads to be constructed or existing roads that should be rehabilitated by the relevant agencies. It will also manage the transport unions in a structured way including maintaining a database of the operators for safety and security as well as revenue generation. The new ministry is further charged with the responsibility to explore other modes of transport in the state, especially the railway.”

The governor further stated that the multi-dimensional roles of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) as a most potent economic sector on its own, an enabler of other sectors and strategic tool for operational efficiency of public sector administration are globally recognised, adding, “ICT offers tremendous opportunities for employment generation and wealth creation for our teeming youth as well as their global competitiveness.”

Therefore, the Ogun Tech Hub and Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (Stem) Centre was created to serve as a knowledge platform where citizens connect, share, build new skills and competencies to solve local challenges that improve the quality of life of Nigerians. According to Governor Abiodun, the hub was conceptualised to make Ogun “the one-stop-shop for technological innovations across Africa where start-up companies will conveniently be set up. This step is, firstly, a result of the collaboration of tech enthusiasts and private sector players largely independent of our government.”

He continued, “The development and deployment of the Ogun State Job Portal is yet another demonstration of our commitment to leveraging on the potentials of the ICT for socio-economic transformation. Our ultimate goal is to ease the availability of broadband Internet connectivity across the State and access by educational institutions, health facilities, government offices, and industry, among others. The many ICT initiatives of this Administration have received both local and national accolades, with two awards by the Federal Ministry of Digital Economy and Communication – Best State in ICT Penetration and 2nd position in ICT Human Capital Development.”

To reduce the unemployment rate in the state, Governor Abiodun created the Ogun Job Portal in August 2019, which aims to link the state’s unemployed youths with matching job opportunities in the labour market. Within a few weeks, the governor said, “Over 120,000 unemployed and underemployed youths had registered on the portal. Potential employers can post their vacancies on the portal and it acts as the first point of call for employers looking for qualified people to hire. To date, about 300 firms, both within and outside Ogun State have filed their vacancies and requested to tap into the great potentials of the job portal.

For instance, The Federal Capital Development Agency (FCDA) recently just hired nine engineers through our portal.

“Our government has also advertised its available vacancies on the portal. In February 2020, Ogun State recruited 1,000 people from across all 20 LGAs into the Ogun State Environmental Protection Agency (OGEPA). In the same month, 400 youth artisans were recruited across crafts (plumbing, electrical and building) as Direct Labour initiative into the State Ministry of Housing’s Building Programme. We recruited 1,500 teachers to the public schools across the 20 LGAs in the State through the same platform.”

Giant strides were also recorded in the area of health like the rehabilitation of two General Hospitals in Ijaye, Abeokuta; and Ilaro; on-going rehabilitation of 236 Primary Healthcare Centres; recruitment of medical officers – resident doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other healthcare professionals in various cadres into the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital (OOUTH), Sagamu; immunisation of almost 1.3 million children against polio, an approximately 33% increase from the total recorded number in the previous year; provision of life-saving intervention to 8,000 women during the Maternal and Child Health Week; and regular medical outreach offering free medical examination including free eyeglasses, immunisation, blood pressure and sugar level checks, Hepatitis counselling and vaccination.

In the period under review, there was an upgrade of selected state hospitals to provide the prevention of HIV from Mother to Child (PMTCT) and Anti-retroviral Therapy (ART) services; purchase of a new collection of medical equipment, which includes a Dialysis Machine; Mobile Digital X-ray machine; High-Resolution Ultrasound Machine; new intensive care beds; twelve new ventilators; eight CPAP machines; 10 new Ambulances and a logistics truck just to mention a few; and completion of the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) floor of the 250-Bed Hospital at Abeokuta, with capacity for 18 available beds, eight of which are high dependency and 10 ICU. (See concluding part on www.thisdaylive.com)

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THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ ͱ˜ ͰͮͰͯ

High Life Iconic Tunde Folawiyo: Man Who Inspires Other Men to Success

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tanding out among equals without losing oneself is no small feat. The corporate jungle is a dog-eat-dog environment, and humane champions seldom rise to the top of the food chain. Tunde Folawiyo has shown — and continues to show — that people can build successful business empires without becoming apathetic and cold-blooded gladiators.

Tijani Babatunde Folawiyo (Tunde Folawiyo, for short) is the MD of Yinka Folawiyo Group, a director at MTN Nigeria, founder of Folawiyo Energy, among others.

An all-round businessman, Folawiyo captains several company boards and committees, and has earned his space on the shelf of Africa’s top business leaders and levers of innovation and progress.

Folawiyo’s professional life is as fascinating as one would expect of a brilliant man who balanced personal pursuits with a filial obligation.

Trained as an economist at the London School of Economics and as a lawyer at University College London, Tunde Folawiyo carved out a niche that allowed him to excel in different economic sectors and industries.

Folawiyo took over Yinka Folawiyo Group in 2008 after the demise of his father, Wahab Folawiyo. Before this time, Tunde Folawiyo had practiced law, served as Vice President in an oil-related organisation (Association of Indigenous Petroleum Explorers & Productions (NAIPEC)), and as a Non-Executive Director of Access Bank. With these experiences, Tunde Folawiyo cemented the business interests of Yinka Folawiyo Group, and made the company a commanding entity in the energy, shipping, engineering, agriculture, and Real Estate industries.

Folawiyo’s integrity, dedication, and meticulous approach to administration and management have earned him accolades left and right, including the 2010 recipient of the African Leadership Award, an upperlevel chair on Forbes’ List of Africa’s Wealthiest, and many more.

Tunde Folawiyo is one of those responsible for young Nigerians taking a humane, innovative, and visionary approach to business. His relevance (from the early 1980s to date) is something that motivational speakers regularly draw attention to.

Folawiyo

with KAYODE ALFRED ͮͶͯ​ͯʹ͵ͳͷͶͮ͵˜ E-mail: kayflex2@yahoo.com

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

Corporate Amazon, Patricia Obozuwa, Joins Coca Cola Africa as Vice President Irrespective of background, age, or gender, diligence, and brilliance always shine. As a new year begins, Patricia Obozuwa’s attentive and persistent efforts have already landed her an upper-level role in the African division of the world’s largest beverage company, Coca-Cola.

Obozuwa recently disclosed the good news that she has been assigned a top leadership role in Coca-Cola Africa: Vice President, Government Affairs, Communications & Sustainability for Africa. Thus, it is expected that Obozuwa will actively participate in the various sustainability programmes that Coca Cola in Africa is set to do.

Thus, Obozuwa is likely to assist in the delivery of the following social programmes of Coca Cola in Africa: improving access to water; Ekocentre (which provides renewable energy, safe drinking water, internet services, other essential resources, and a meeting place, for Africans in rural areas); healthcare; sports; sustainable packaging of Coca Cola products; and youth development. Thankfully, Obozuwa is experienced in these and

Obozuwa

more.

Obozuwa has made a name for herself as a corporate Amazon. Until her recent appointment into CocaCola in Africa, she was the Chief Communications & Public Affairs

Officer for General Electric (GE) Africa, a chair she has maintained since 2012. Before then, Obozuwa was the head, External Relations, Nigeria and Corporate Communication Leader, sub-Saharan Africa at Procter & Gamble (P&G) —another chair she maintained for seven years.

Obozuwa’s approach to leadership and accomplishments in P&G led to her appointment in GE, and her work at GE (including how she established ‘GE Lagos Garage,’ a hub for advanced manufacturing skills development that has produced over 600 graduates in Nigeria to date) pushed her towards the frontiers for all visionary organisations to see. And Coca-Cola was the first to grab her.

Obozuwa is a smart and innovative leader. Her emphasis on African growth through youth development and information and technology has helped her get footholds in Nigeria, Kenya, Mozambique, Ethiopia, Ghana, Tanzania, Angola, and other Francophone West African countries.

These and more are what CocaCola saw and appointed her ahead of others.

The secret of How Rita Dominic and Fidelis Anosike Became Lovers

Dominic and Anosike

Love, the magic that does not require spells, but binds, entangles, and transforms. After playing various

cinematic roles across the spectrum of the human experience, Nollywood star, Rita Dominic, has caught the love flu.

As it tends to happen with things like love and marriage, the silver screen icon had managed to keep everything under wraps, until recently.

Nigerian social media space is currently cooking with the news of Rita’s love life and story. After the actress uploaded a picture of her mystery man, with a congratulatory “Merry Christmas” and a heart emoji, folks were quick to connect the dots. Of course, the fact that he’s holding our Rita in a lover’s cuddle really helps the analysis. Well done, Fidelis Anosike! Well done!

Although there were whispers here and there of romance between Rita and some guy, the Instagram post is the only substantial evidence. Interestingly, even friends and relatives did not know that Fidelis is the lucky man, not to mention well-meaning Googlers who periodically

Love in The Air as Julius Rone Serenades Wife, Yutee, at 43 Julius and Yutee Rone are among Nigerian personalities who celebrate one thing or another in December, and therefore make the end of every year a time of soirées, clinking flute wine glasses, music, grooving, and every other custom of a thriving and respectable assembly. This year, Julius Rone serenaded his wife, Yutee, as he always does, celebrating her 43rd birthday.

Utibe ‘Yutee’ Rone is the heart and soul of the Rone family, as the actions of Julius Rone are wont to communicate. Similar to an old, wedded pair that always finds reasons to cherish themselves, Julius Rone has built a tradition around celebrating Yutee’s birthday, and that of 2020 was just as sparkling as that of 2019.

Last year broke the dam on unmet expectations, as the COVID-19 pandemic impacted economies, families, and individuals. Thus, Julius Rone’s adherence Rone

divine the details of Dominic’s love life.

A fine woman on all accounts, Rita has never got on the marriage wagon but has remained one of Nigeria’s far-shining spinsters. Now that Fidelis has swept Rita off her feet and away from the hall of bachelorettes, what else is there to say?

It’s a good match, as some folks have pointed out.

On the matter of how they met, became lovers, and managed to keep it all under wraps until now, Fidelis is not unfamiliar with the ticks and tocks of the media industry. He is the founder and CEO of Folio Media Group, the multimedia company that owns Daily Times newspaper, Miss Nigeria pageant, and the brains behind Times Heroes Award and Nigeria Our Heritage.

Whether a nuptial ring is in the offing, as folks are speculating, remains to be seen. On the whole, Rita and Fidelis are a match, one made in the media.

this time to serenading his wife was more than a customary gesture. An understanding husband like Rone who can find?

But Julius’ love and devotion are understandable. At 43, some women lose their mental and bodily vitality, finding reasons to complain about everything and anything. But not Yutee. 2020 was just as difficult for her as it was for others — more difficult, in fact, with the many rumours that dragged her name and character through the mud.

But Yutee Rone has remained her lovely self: the dust gathered and thrown at her has served to gild her runway. Yutee remains the brilliant fashion designer who raised her own company from the ground up in 2007 and is one of the most notable Abuja-based brains behind Africa-styled women’s wear.

With the Rone family, the conclusion of the matter has always been that life is good. Their businesses are thriving superlatively, their kids are adorable, and their matrimony is like time-sweetening wine.

Like the interlocking teeth of a jigsaw, is Julius and Yutee Rone: complementary and fitting.

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THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ ͱ˜ ͰͮͰͯ

HIGHLIFE

Golden Era, Dakuku Peterside Turns 50

Peterside

The year 2020 was tough, but many people were able to cross into the New Year. Some, like former Director-General of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dakuku Adolphus Peterside, entered a golden age—the age of 50.

Considering how far Dakuku Peterside has come, it is not difficult to assume that he is in his early 60s.

However, as President Muhammadu Buhari stated in his celebratory message on Dakuku’s 50th birthday, the Riversborn politician and administrator is a natural nation builder, a lawmaker with “quintessential grace, using his wealth of knowledge to reform public institutions for greater efficiency.”

Peterside burst onto the political stage around 2003, when he served Rivers State as Special Adviser to Governor Peter Odili. Afterward, Peterside was appointed the Executive Director, Development and Leadership Institute; between 2007 and 2011, Peterside oversaw the construction and every related project in Rivers, meeting the requirements of a Commissioner of Works.

Dakuku Peterside arrived at the national political space in 2011, serving

as a lawmaker representing AndoniOpobo-Nkoro Federal Constituency of Nigeria. He accomplished much in this station, especially when he headed the Committee on Downstream Petroleum Resources, oversaw the Petroleum Development Fund, and delivered over 30 papers (in five countries) on how best to leverage the oil and gas industry.

Almost immediately after his term as a member of the House of Reps, President Buhari appointed Peterside the director general/CEO of NIMASA, and charged him with overseeing all things related to Nigerian shipping, maritime labour, and coastal waters: the inspection of naval vessels, provision of rescue services, etc. Although Peterside racked up merits as Nomads boss, President Buhari did not renew his appointment in 2020.

According to recent reports, Dakuku Peterside is making a name for himself in various industries and sectors across the globe: including oil and gas, maritime regulation and security, allround development, and leadership.

That is the life of Dakuku Peterside at 50, and at a glance: impactful, impressive, and inspirational.

FCMB to Investigate Allegations against MD After an online petition calling for the sack of the Managing Director of First City Monument Bank (FCMB), Adam Nuru, fetched more than a thousand signatures, the board of the bank has agreed to investigate the paternity scandal which the chief executive is embroiled in.

In a statement signed by the Bank’s Group Head, Corporate Affairs, Diran Olojo, the bank said that it is fully aware of “several stories circulating across several media platforms about our bank’s Managing Director Adam Nuru, a former employee Ms. Moya Thomas and her deceased husband, Mr. Tunde Thomas.

“While this is a personal matter, the tragedy of the death of Mr. Tunde Thomas and the allegations of unethical conduct require the bank’s board to conduct a review of what transpired, any violations of our code of ethics and the adequacy of these code of conduct ethics. This will be done immediately.”

Nuru has been accused of causing the death of Thomas, an Executive Director of GDL Asset Management Company Ltd after the deceased was said to have learnt that Nuru allegedly fathered the two children from his marriage to Moya, a former employee of the

bank.

According to reports, Thomas only got to know about his wife’s affair with Nuru after she relocated to the United States with their two children. At the time, she had resigned from FCMB. However, it turned out that the news devastated Thomas such that he suffered a stroke. He would later recover and attempted to start life afresh. But it wouldn’t be so. Thomas didn’t end up like the rising phoenix. His hope of finding love in the arms of another woman was truncated after he suffered a heart attack on December 16, some days to his introduction ceremony to the family of his newly pregnant girlfriend. He was said to have died instantly.

The petition titled, ‘Compel the CBN & board of FCMB to dismiss Adam Nuru on ethical grounds (marriage scandal)’ on the online platform change.org attributed his death to the betrayal of his wife.

Nuru is accused of “gross misconduct based on ethical grounds and an unjustifiable economic oppression by the elites (Adam Nuru) against the less privileged in the society.

The MD has been doing everything possible to sweep this case under the carpet. We implore

Nuru

the Central Bank of Nigeria as the apex regulator and the board of FCMB to investigate this for the integrity of the bank and Nigerian banking industry.”

The clamour for Nuru’s sack reverberated mostly on Twitter in the past few days but some argued that the personal matter of the Managing Director shouldn’t affect his professional life.

Neither Nuru nor Moyo has made a public statement.

Governor Dapo Abiodun Serenades Ashiru as He Adds Another Year

Ashiru

The words of Governor Dapo Abiodun to Otunba Bimbola Ashiru: “It is no common grace to have one’s birthday follow closely after the birth of Christ.

May your merry day bring good tidings, Otunba Bimbo Ashiru, as you celebrate the grace of God to begin another year of your long life. Happy birthday, Otunba Adeona Fusigboye of Ijebu land. Hearty cheers!”

The governor, when he takes his time to compose something as heartfelt as his message to former Ogun State Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Ashiru, it is because the latter is deserving of such a gesture.

At 57, Otunba Ashiru is not an unknown character in the Nigerian political, business, and social scene. A bit of Ashiru’s prestige evolved from his forebears, the renowned Ijebu-Ode royal lineage (particularly that of his maternal Owu-Ijebu ruling house).

However, much of the regard and honour due to Otunba Ashiru answer to his own merits.

With a knack for ‘owning’ every position and chair, Otunba Ashiru has earned a mischievous reputation of being the best peg for admin holes—a cap that fits every head. Otunba Ashiru has upheld this quality in every endeavour: as a board member of the Southwest Odu’A Investment Group; as a twoterm commissioner for Commerce and Industry; as a businessman and business leader; in his various banking divisions at Stanbic IBTC; as a Nigerian, Yoruba man, husband, and father.

Otunba Ashiru cuts the figure of a man accomplished long before his afternoon, not to mention his twilight years. Governor Abiodun joined respectable Nigerians as they celebrated an experienced administrator, unreserved businessman, happy family man, and a lover of good work and people: Otunba Abimbola Ashiru. Truly, a man of uncommon grace.

War of Words between Tunde Bakare And Femi Fani-Kayode

Bakare

W

hether as influential oracles of the people or as eloquent inquisitors and champions of truth, Pastor Tunde Bakare and Femi Fani-Kayode (FFK) stand on equal footing. What happens when these self-styled voices of a generation turn against themselves?—exactly what is happening now.

FFK recently faulted Pastor Bakare’s position on the merits of All Progressives Congress (APC) National chieftain, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. According to FFK, Bakare’s buttering up to Tinubu is incompatible with his (Bakare’s) position as a man of God. Thus, declared FFK, Bakare should stop using the pulpit to spread his propaganda.

FFK’s diatribe (interestingly titled “Who is Squeezing Bakare’s Balls?”) drew on the fact that Pastor Tunde Bakare openly condemned Tinubu just a year ago, attributing the underdevelopment, corruption and instability of the Nigerian economy to selfish leaders like Tinubu; now, 14 months later, the same Bakare hallows the same Tinubu, styling him a paragon of democracy and development.

Possibly because his pastorship requires that his words be salted with grace, Pastor Tunde Bakare allegedly poked at something that happened with FFK about 30 years ago. Drawing from the gist, FFK was afflicted with something that mandated him to spend some time in a Bible School in Ghana.

According to reports, that is all that Bakare has said about FFK’s query on who is squeezing his testicles.

This is not the first time that Pastor Bakare is commenting on politics or Tinubu (as FFK pointed out). In the same vein, this is not the first time that FFK is criticising abuse of clerical positions for what appears to be personal choices or preferences. Furthermore, FFK is not the only notable sociopolitical commentator accusing Bakare of misusing the pulpit— what FFK brought to the table is a stark portrait of Bakare’s apparent vacillation on Tinubu.

It is still too early to decide how all these will end. But the war of words continues with Pastor Tunde Bakare’s reputation (and integrity) on the line, and Femi Fani-Kayode poking at figurative private parts.

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THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ ͱ˜ ͰͮͰͯ

Adebayo Adeoye bayoolunla@gmail.com; 08054680651

Premium Nightclub, Niteshift Coliseum, Up for Sale If the reports reaching Society Watch are anything to go by, then Ken Calebs Olumese might have resolved to put up his famous Niteshift Coliseum for sale. A source disclosed that the sprawling outfit sitting on over 1,900 square metres, is being put for sale at a price of N600m.

According to the source, many potential buyers have approached the Edo State-born septuagenarian with different offers. Until this development, Olumese had shocked many when he shut down the place, turning it into an event centre.

Also, Olumese, in the face of the daunting challenges, had subsequently maintained a low profile, while also kicking some “bad habits,” that many thought had become his permanent features.

It will be recalled that Olumese, famously called Guvnor, had resigned his well-paid job with a multinational company to establish the nightclub, despite fears expressed by some of his friends and relatives.

As proof of his steely resolve to survive the inclement circumstances prevalent in the industry as well as his passion for the business, he was never troubled, even when the outfit was gutted by fire twice.

In its glory days, the nightclub, for a long time, had reigned supreme as the premium nightclub in the heart of Lagos. It used to be a melting pot for the high-flying and high net-worth personalities around town and was synonymous with class, sophistication, and poise.

The nightclub was successfully lifted far above many of its contemporaries as many top professionals, who know their onions patronized it for relaxation and networking. It also served as a forum for professionals, entrepreneurs, and opinion leaders as well as a venue, where the eminent class of Nigerians and foreigners relaxed, discussed and had uninhibited fun.

Its multi-purpose nature and cozy ambience had given it an irresistible appeal to a cross-section of Nigerians and foreigners, with class and panache.

It played host to several government officials, retired and serving, such as a former Inspector General of Police, Tafa Balogun; former state governors including Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, Jolly Nyame, Olusegun Osoba, Akinwunmi Ambode of as well as the incumbent governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, among others.

Dangote

Group Defends Aremo Adesegun Oniru

Oniru.

It is a fact that Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, a former governor of Abia State, has, at different times, suffered undeserved humiliation in the nation’s political space. But like a true fighter, he has always triumphed over his adversaries.

Perhaps, this explains why he has become a reference point and a colossus of some sort in politics in Nigeria. On Sunday, December 27, 2020, the chief whip of the Senate showcased his high network when he pulled powerful government officials, top politicians, business moguls, and captains of industries to his country home at Igbere, Abia State for the 10 years’ remembrance of his late father, Chief Johnson Uzor Nesiegbe Kalu.

The grand event, which held at Camp Neya, Igbere, Abia State, had in attendance the President of the Senate, Senator Ahmed Lawan; Governor of Enugu State, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi; Governor of Ebonyi State, Dave Umahi; Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodinma; Governor of Anambra State, Willie Obiano and Minister of Science and Technology,

A few months ago, Aremo Adesegun Oniru had lost the “opportunity” to ascend his father’s throne. Just when you thought he had suffered enough humiliation, he faced yet another one as seen in a viral video recently.

The Lagos businessman was allegedly blocked by certain individuals who identified themselves as family members, in an attempt to undermine his popularity and acceptability in Iruland, while he was on his way to the palace of the new Oba of Oniru, Oba Gbolahan Lawal, for a meeting.

It was gathered that the Aremo had wanted to meet with the traditional ruler to secure the bail of one of his staff, who was allegedly abducted by some thugs.

In its reaction to the incident, a group called Iru Progressive Vanguard is calling on the members of the public to disregard the tissue of lies against one of its own.

It further urged the public to disregard what it described as “untrue stories damaging the reputation of the former Lagos State Commissioner for Waterfront and Infrastructure Development.”

In a statement released recently and made available to Society Watch, the group’s secretary, Olamide Adedoyin, described the story as petty and laughable, lacking substance worthy of promulgation, adding that it showed the current leadership in Iru has no meaningful purpose and direction for the people of Iru, aside from to sit and monitor the esteemed Aremo Adesegun Oniru and his family.

The group said, “We are still trying to process the idea of a king, having absolutely no ambition, aside from his desperation to stain the reputation, integrity, and legacy of the immediate-past Oniru and his family.

“It is important to state that we are not in any way surprised by the disastrous direction of Gbolahan, and we do not expect any good to come out of a man who claimed to be king but goes about posting and pouting on social media with his directionless friends who also claim to be ‘royal fathers.’

“Gbolahan is the least honest, least humble, and least qualified for the stool he occupies. Little wonder he’s been overwhelmed by the demands of royalty, as his evident high-handedness and inability to unite families and communities within Iru. “This report has confirmed that Gbolahan is slowly becoming a monster in Iruland. In their desperation to publish the lies, the promulgators failed to state the facts that the Aremo only went to the palace to retrieve his staff who was violently abducted by Gbolahan’s thugs and taken to his palace.”

The group, therefore, called on the people of Iruland to “be vigilant, watchful, and be wary of the enemy within, who has lobbied himself to become an unpopular king and encourage them to join hands and resist Gbolahan’s draconian reign of terror.”

When Senator Orji Kalu Hosted Powerful Political Class

Kalu

Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu. Other dignitaries in attendance included Minister of State for Mines and Steel, Dr. Uche Ogah; a former Governor of Abia State and senator representing Abia Central Senatorial zone, Senator T. A Orji; a former Managing Director of defunct Diamond Bank, Dr. Alex Otti; a former President of the Senate, Anyim Pius Anyim; Minority Leader of the Senate, Enyinnaya Abaribe; Deputy Whip of the House of Representatives, Nkeiruka Onyejiocha; the spokesperson for the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu; former Army Chief of Staff, Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika, Prophet Chukwuemeka Odumeje, among others.

Billionaire Princess Folashade Omotade Set to Expand Her Coast Princess Abiodun Folashade Omotade is not your regular Lagos society woman. Omotade, who is an inspiration to many, comes across as an ambitious woman, as she has her hands in many sectors of the economy.

This woman of substance is often described as a restless soul, who is constantly driven by an ambition to rule her world.

Not one to joke with whatever she lays her hands on, her business tentacles spread as far as shipping, oil and gas, real estates, manufacturing, and consultancy. And she conquered all the sectors she found herself. In fact, she is a woman with a Midas touch, anything she touches turns into gold.

Today, she is one of the top players in the nation’s business firmament and her exciting journey would certainly inspire anyone who wants to succeed in the industry.

As far as she is concerned, opportunities abide everywhere, except for those who have set some limitations for themselves.

Interestingly, in a society where many successful women have reportedly allowed fame, success, and sometimes stardom to turn their heads, she recognizes that only God is the unseen hand behind her success story; and she submits absolutely to His will.

However, in spite of her great accomplishments, one can say that the Abeokuta, Ogun State-born businesswoman is still a story waiting to be told.

For a woman whose eyes are on the future, it is not surprising that she is trying to expand her business interest.

Though the details are still sketchy, our source revealed that she had expended several millions of naira on this new investment.

Omotade

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ ͱ˜ ͰͮͰͯ

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with JOSEPH EDGAR ̡͸΁͸΁ͽͻͺͽͿ΁͹̢

‘Death to 2020’ That is how I was looking for something to watch on Netflix.

Everybody has been shouting Netflix.

That is how I got a huge TV set as a Christmas gift. I was happy o. So, I asked my daughter to put Netflix on the thing make I watch. But wait o, the people that gave me the TV later call and say na air conditioner dey for my name that I should return the TV and come and collect AC. I say please I have sent the TV to Uyo, that they should leave me. Mbok, that is not the story abeg. So that is how

I stumbled on a documentary with the title above. It caught my attention, and they were talking about the events of the year in a humour-filled manner. It was exciting except for the horrible things that have happened this year. So, as I review the past year because by the time you will be reading this, the mumu year would have passed. It was terrible o.

People died o. Even my Erelu died and I don’t think there is any Nigerian family that did not grieve over a loved one.

The pandemic crashed down and as I

write, 11 people just died, the economy collapsed into a recession, ineffectual or is it ineffective government policies led to social unrest leading to the worst peace-time carnage witnessed in Lagos and some other cities. That year was horrible o. Na prayer o, that whatever it is that triggered all that tragedy should take pity on us and let up.

We are entering the New Year with a roundly stubborn pandemic driven by our own stupidity. Na just prayer o.

God help us.

Buhari

Kukah

Gbajabiamila

Amolegbe

Gate

REVFATHER MATTHEWKUKAH – CRUCIFY HIM This short man can look for trouble o. Is he the only Rev Father in the country?

Only him will see that there is nepotism and all that thing he has said. Who is he? Who is his father? When he does not have wife and be having sex why won’t he be talking rubbish? But wait, that is me trying to be sarcastic in support of this man of courage but Nigerians being what they are will not see the irony and taking my words on face value and be saying what is wrong with Duke? Why is he abusing Kukah? So, let me be in plain support of his position. The man did not call for any stupid coup. He just said the things that need to be said and the best thing to do is not to be looking for his ‘never used’ balls to crush. We should be looking deeply at his statement because that is the bane of our problem since 2015. Reading all sorts of meanings and trying to distract us from the very stringent import of his message is mischievous and irritating - sorry for my harsh words. When men have lost their courage to speak, the Father continues to speak. It is not today that he has been speaking. He was a thorn in the face of military tyranny so why should he be any different now? Mbok, let’s focus and face the things he said with a plan to address the issues. Mbok

leave Father alone, no be him do us.

must apologize to the rest of us too. This country no be am.

Ibeziakor before he chop my head.

Very passionate about the markets.

We spend nights talking about deepening the markets. Welldone guys. It’s not that your Oga will be walking around and be frowning and be saying no money, he should pop the champagne abeg. Well done.

FEMI GBAJABIAMILA – PLEASE, DON’T TRY IT I have tried to caption this piece with all the power that I can, hoping that the Editor will not change it. Don’t ever try it. Apologies for what? They say your House apologized to the Presidency for inviting the President to come and address it on the ongoing Insecurity in the country. Thankfully, it has been denied and your spokesman has come out to say they did not apologize anything. Apologize for wetin na? In the theory of separation of powers as enshrined in our tenets, you have all the constitutional powers to summon, call, carry on your head or pull by the collar of the president to come and answer questions. So, nothing in that and the President is obliged to answer the call and go and answer question. We are not operating a monarchy and the President is not the clan head of Anyiam Nsit but a democratically elected President who owes the people who put him there some explanations anytime they demand it. This is why some of us are saying we should push for the strengthening of institutions, structures, and processes. We must move away from the cult of personalities and allow for the constructive strengthening of the polity. If you apologize, then you

NIGERIAN STOCK EXCHANGE – APPLAUSE WELL DESERVED I am sure my brother Olumide Orojinmi who is their brand custodian will be happy with this my piece. The last time I yapped them at the break of the Healthplus wahala, he called. He said, “Edgar you do not understand the issues.” I look him gorimapa, I say, me?

We start to go back and forth finally arriving at a huge Conference with their Director Jude being a major speaker.

Over 500 SMEs attended. So, you can now imagine my deep pleasure when I saw the news that the NSE emerged the best-performing Equity-based Bourse globally. It was Bloomberg that made the announcement o and not one yeye platform like that. The NSE was said to have grown by over 300 points. As a major player in the Capital Market and a once-upon-a-time Stockbroker, I am very happy o. Congratulations guys, keep up the good work. You have a very strong and credible team from outgoing Oscar, to my ‘boy’ Olumide not the aforementioned Olumide but the one that worked with me at BGL and then the great Jude, one of the most brilliant stockbrokers in the market. Mbok let me also mention my brother Tony

TUNDE AMOLEGBE – THE GIANT EMERGES While still on the Capital Market, let me send a belated congratulations to my Egbon Tunde Amolegbe who emerged the President of the Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers recently. As a rookie stockbroker, he and Egwakhide Longe were some of the very few I used to look up to. Let me add Bolaji Balogun. Their trades used to be very strategic and the way they defended their positions used to give me goose pimples. Those days, to move a price you must be able to defend it in the horseshoe.

Not now that you will have to hide behind buttons and screens. Those days na open debate and you must be sure of your facts. Tunde shown like a thousand stars. Today as President of our Institute, I am sure he would be bringing to bear his vision of a much more robust contribution of the institute to National development. Well done sir.

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LOUD WHISPERS BILL GATES – CONFUSION BEGETS YOU This brother has been reported to have said to date he doesn’t understand our low figures on this Covid matter.

I just dey look am, no be him fault, when our people will continue to be pushing the negatives instead of the strong positives that this whole thing is throwing up. The truth is that we have the best Covid management therapy in the world with over 80% discharge rate and a reduction in the mortality rate from the initial 2% to o.82%. As I write a fresh 1100 have been infected and about 1,000 discharged the same day.

Why we are not trumpeting this beats me. My brother Gates, no need to be confused, na just God wey dey pity us.

A country where people are still dying from malaria and common catarrh and you want to add Covid? Is God such a merciless God? He knows how to balance it o. God has looked at us with pity and say, this Covid no be una own otherwise this our 200m people na only seven of us for remain and na for Daura them for all dey. Bro it is not rocket science, we have herd immunity, we have been battling malaria forever so when any illness comes with malaria symptoms that is a piece of cake and the hardship and poverty have hardened us. See the people dying unfortunately are the elites – sorry to say. Go to Oyingbo market and see the suffering and you think common breeze like covid will push down a truck pusher or the woman carrying seven baskets on her head with the eighth one on her buttocks so that she can feed her family?

Please bring another pandemic, no be this one.

THE DUKE WENTMAD Yes oh! I went mad this Christmas and Boxing Day. My play, The Duke Has Gone Mad went on show. The fear that followed this showing cannot be imagined. The pandemic raging, the Lagos state guidelines, and the Federal Government guidelines all combined in throwing the fear of the Lord into me. But the very beautiful people at the Lagos Safety Commission especially my brother Adedayo Oduyemi made life bearable for me. When the Lagos state guidelines came out asking us to seek clearance from the Commission, I just tire. Everybody knows what usually comes with Government things. Out of frustration, I call my other brother Tope Akande at Lasaa and he say call Dayo. Dayo say I should go to website and apply. I say na wa. I applied and within seconds someone was calling me for interview.

Kai, I weak. After the interview, my clearance was in my mail. I was asked to pay the regulated fee and I paid, and my certificate came out. No bribe, no stress, no queue, nothing. This is the new Lagos o. At the event, two Safety Marshals came in and inspected everything making sure we met the guidelines. Very professional. No gragra. I was happy o. well done guys, with institutions like Lagos Safety Commission, there is still hope oh.

ONOFIOK LUKE –THE GATHERING MOMENTUM I am garnering more than passing interest in partisan politics. I am thinking that at my age, I should jump off the fence and enter the trenches.

But fear still dey catch me so I am still watching. But this young brother has really caught my fancy. I have written about him recently on this page but during my play he came, and we talked extensively about the situation not only

wealth and redistribute it in Akwa Ibom is infectious. He will be pushing a major theatrics clinic with Professor Ahmed Yerima in the New Year. An empowerment clinic that should see over 5,000 youths in a two-week session acquiring and sharpening their skills in the space. Not only that, but he would also be frontlining a major production that should engage about 500 Akwa Ibom Youths over the Easter period.

These and more are just making me really look at this young man differently.

I am watching oh, very closely.

Luke

Mba

in Akwa Ibom but nationally. At his age he is already a two-time Speaker of the State House of Assembly and now is in the House of Representatives.

His thought processes align very

vigorously with mine and those of the aspirations of the youth who seem not to understand how to go about it. His plan on leveraging on the creative industry to create jobs, create

NNAMDI OKONKWO - BANKER OF THE DECADE RETIRES This my brother was recently named Banker of the Decade by one major media house.

The title didn’t sit well with me for reasons I will not talk here. So, I sent a very strong message on my whats app and you know say na 10,000 people be that. Kind and legendary Richard Ikiebe, one big oga for the media firm reach out with some constructive arguments. We went back and forth and agreed to a middle ground. Well, this is not to remove from the obviously immense contributions of Mr. Okonkwo to the industry in a long and distinguished career.

I say well-done bro and no

Okonkwo

matter my misgivings about the award, I still feel that you arrow-headed some level of revolution in the bank, leaving it in a far better place than you met it. Saw you the other day at the Southern Sun with my brother the hard-working Charles Aigbe, would have loved to shake your hands and say well done, but you were obviously in a hurry for a meeting. I chased you, followed you into the hall, and saw that you were addressing a world press briefing so I respect myself.

Anyways, this is wishing you well in future endeavours.

Well done and God bless.

FRANK MBA – CONGRATULATIONS SIR I have just learnt of your recent promotion to Commissioner of Police.

As the police’s spokesman, your work is cut out for you. For me I don’t think your job is limited to just issuing those press releases or explaining one police move or the other or announcing the capture of some market women. I do not know what your Job description is, but I think if it is not there the matter of image, police attitude towards society and police -civil engagements should be uppermost in your mind.

I believe that if the police are very courteous, respectful, and engaging better educated the society will respond appropriately. So, training and retraining in this area must be priority to you my brother. Let’s have humane police officers, policemen who genuinely care and not policemen who add to the trouble. See one of your men SP Aliyu in Ikeja is an example of what I am talking about. When one of your people robbed me at ketu. Real life policemen in uniform, the way Aliyu went after them making sure me and my wife were Ok, I come dey ask if na real Nigeria policeman.

I later came to the realization that there are plenty like him in the force.

Why not start initiatives that will put people like that in the forefront.

Organize community football matches between the Police and their host communities, concerts etc. please leave all those wooden police conferences and enter the fray. Let’s push for a gentler police force. Unlike that DPO for Alausa wey catch me when tanker was exploding, and we were all running away. The frown from the woman alone make piss catch me. If I were to choose between running to her for safety or facing the fire, I for chose the fire. Sadly, she no give me choice as she catch me for over 10 hours. They call you tire that day o. But anyways, from reputation, you are a fine officer, so I challenge you this morning to go out there and spearhead the founding of a new police force with a gentler kinder image. I know you can do it. I owe you afang when you are ready let me know.

I go send am. No come collect o, I no get power for una wahala. Well done bro.

TOOLZ – GOD BLESS YOU Toolz is the popular radio personality who just rustled the bird’s nest with a statement that those who falsely accuse people of rape should be given equal punishments as rapists if not more. As expected mumu people have started taking her to the task. What could be worse than being falsely accused of a heinous crime like rape for whatever reasons? The damage to reputation, the dislocation to life that come with it. My people, I support this statement wholeheartedly. I have seen men suffer needlessly on this matter, I tell you. Don’t let me say more, but to just say, wellspoken sister.

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ JANUARY 3, 2021

63

INTERVIEW

Samuel Uche

Until Government Addresses Inequality, There Won’t Be Peace in Nigeria Dr. Samuel Chukwuemeka Uche, Prelate of the Methodist Church, Nigeria, spoke to Funke Olaode about the state of the nation particularly, the recent #EndSARS protests, saying except government addresses the prevalent inequality in the system, Nigeria may not know peace. Excerpts:

F

aced with various crises, what’s the role of the church in shaping the nation?

The Church should be involved in advocacy and like the mouthpiece, the voice of God and the nation, and that has been our role since the inception of Methodism in Nigeria.

If you return to history, you will know that the Methodist mission was the first to land at Badagry on 24 September 1842; followed by the Anglican, Henry Townsend, who came on 24 December 1842.

The two celebrated joint communion and Eucharistic service in Badagry. The place where they took away slaves was also the place they returned as slaves. If you know Nigeria very well, anywhere there’s a government headquarters you will have Methodist.

For instance, if you go to my home in Okigwe, you will see the House of the District Officer, then, the house of the Methodist missionary. They share one fence. If you go to Marina, you will see the State House and from motion to Nigerian Ports Authority, the expanse of land there is owned by the Methodist Headquarters.

We are always sharing with the government, because we came with the government. We have been in politics but you may not know that Nnamdi Azikiwe was a student of Methodist High School, Lagos, Victoria Island. That was where he did his secondary education before he went for his higher secondary certificate at King’s College.

Chief Obafemi Awolowo did the same. He studied at Wesley College, Elekuro in Ibadan. So, if you trace it, Michael Okpara was a student of Methodist College, Uzoakoli. He finished and did high elementary also before he was sent overseas by the Methodist missionaries.

So, we have been at the forefront of politics. But the church has been apolitical and not partisan. The church allows her candidates to be in governance but they are there to advise. So, every church that knows its onions, when and how to cut it cannot stand aloof when things are going wrong in your country.

What’s your take on the #EndSARS protests? #EndSARS means so many things. It means lack of employment. It represents hunger, police and army brutality, marginalisation, impunity in the government, inequitable distribution of offices based on geographical setting and federal character.

Those things are lacking, because you know in Nigeria, one tribe wants to dominate Nigeria and things must fall apart.

According to the legendary Chinua Achebe, when things fall apart, the centre cannot hold. That is what we are suffering.

There is a lot of inequity, so, until the government addresses the issue of equity, there will be no peace. Moreover, the young people…it’s like what they did to George, a black man in Minnesota in United States of America, who was knelt on the neck and screamed, ‘I cannot breathe.’

Go and see the Senate, old people are sleeping there and taking home bogus salaries and allowances. At the end of the month, one person goes home with N13m while teachers are paid a stipend including journalists. I told President Muhammadu Buhari that half of the salary of a senator can give employment to 1,460 graduates if they are paid a N100,000 each.

If that is multiplied by 109 senators, because each state has three senators including the Federal Capital Territory, you will know the amount of job they would generate. 109 multiplied by I,460; this is coming from just the Senate. Then, from the House of Representatives, we generate equivalent of that too. How are you re-circulating and replicating old people and the young ones are suffering?

As long as young people continue to suffer, there will be increase in hooliganism, armed robbery, kidnapping and cybercrimes. We must address the problems of Nigeria once and for all by doing things right. The Bible says when the righteous is in authority, people rejoice but when the wicked is in authority, people cry.

What do you think about restructuring?

Nigeria is too big to be one country. But we are not saying that we should disintegrate and go away. If we can maintain the regional structures, that is, South East can have a central government and states could be contiguous administrative units under the South East Region. If one goes to Australia, they have regions like Sydney. But they are one government.

If you go to America, they are called United States of America.

Each state has its police, immigration, customs, army, etc., but

If there is regular supply of electricity, the welder in the village will not struggle to come to Lagos. I was in Israel last year, any corner you visit, there is light even though their cable went underground, anywhere you want to wash hand, in all the lavatories they built in the wilderness, there is a tap for both hot and cold water running 24 hours a day, seven days a week and 365 days in a year.

People are there making it, each place we went, people are there buying things. They are very well developed. Why can’t we learn from such people? Look at the roads in Nigeria. When I was growing up, there was trunk ‘A’ road, which was the federal road. There was trunk ‘B’ road, which was state or region and trunk ‘C for the local government.

The worst thing that is happening in our country is the local government. I understand they share this money. When they come to the state government, which takes a chunk of it and use the remaining to pay salaries and nothing remains for goods and services. That is part of the reason for the suffering. We have to be honest. There is deliberate creation of poverty in our country.

Uche they are called United States of America. So, restructure means that we can come closer to each person, instead of collecting and sharing money; each generates its own money and pays a percentage to the center. And people will have a sense of belonging.

Are you suggesting that people should go back to the regional system of government?

Now, they have what is called the geographical zones, which was started by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and it has been adopted by other parties, so, why not have six regions in the country or even more regions, but there must be a central administration headed by one person just as Donald Trump is heading America but it is united states. There must be some federal, state and other laws. There should be a federating system in Nigeria, because is too big as a country.

Looking at the total decay in education, power, health and infrastructure, what’s the way out of the mess?

You may not be born at a certain period in Nigeria but I was privileged to be at the time Dr. Michael Okpara was the premier of the Eastern Region. We had two sources of power then. One was from Oji River and coal in Enugu (ECN). The fastest growing economy in the whole of Africa was the Eastern Region. We had food in abundance. I remember that when garri was sold in cups, my mother would buy from a rural market at 36 cups per shilling.

Then, we would come back to town and sell 18 cups per shilling. So out of every shilling, my mother would make 12 cups.

That was how I went to a secondary school, because she helped my father, who was a church teacher to raise money and train us and we ate very well.

In secondary school then, every Saturday we had two boiled eggs per student at breakfast. On Sunday, we were sure of rice that was why we would wash our white shirt and trousers iron them very well and after service. We would eat rice. Four students shared a whole chicken.

Just as people were recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic, electricity tariff was increased.What’s your thought on that?

The government gives money from one side and takes it from another side. They said the increase in the minimum wage to N30,000, which means nothing. There is hyper-depression.

Prices have gone up by more than 50 per cent. It means that you are giving people salary and taking it from another end. People liked when they were earning N18,000 and fuel was going for N85.00 per liter, and goods and services were cheaper.

If one earns N30,000 and goes to the market with it, it means nothing. So, it will increase crime. Another issue about Nigeria is that our government is not creating enabling environment for private entrepreneurs and industries to thrive. If they allow private investors to drive, with energy, which is germane and good roads, supply of potable water, these are the things that Nigerians want.

Talking about poverty, was that why the palliatives did not get to the people?

I was surprised that palliatives meant for the people were allegedly preserved. Are they calling for another COVID-19, when the church is praying for the pandemic to go? I am happy those warehouses were broken for people to carry what belong to them. I did not see it as looting.

What did your church do for members during the pandemic as many churches neglected their hungry members?

We donated for both sides. My wife distributed food items massively and money inclusive. We equally gave to the Lagos State government.

Still on the state of the nation, countries are talking about diversification of their economy. For example, Dubai considered a desert, is now the fourth most visited country in the world, and sits atop barrels of crude oil untouched.

Nigeria’s economy relies mainly on oil.When oil dries up, what becomes of the nation?

We are not planning for the rainy day. My father told me that the most foolish man is the man that eats the fat yam and the seedling. When we were growing up, we had yam barn. My father would plant yam, while my mother planted cocoyam and cassava. She never went to market to buy yam or cocoyam or fermented cassava (akpu).

Every four days, my mother would take us to the farm to uproot cassava, soak in water and in the next four days, there was enough food always at home. That is what I recommend for every family. Do not wait for the government. Get involved in farming. The most important thing that will expose wretchedness is hunger. If everybody is well fed, one may not be involved in some criminalities. While we ate, we also sold some of the farm produce.

Diversification of the economy also involves technological development, when artisans are technologically empowered even though that one needs energy, then, there is also commercial agriculture, subsistent arable farming, which means cultivation of food crops, poultry and aquatic culture are other means we can maintain to feed ourselves as a nation if we want.

If countries like Japan that do not have oil are fed by ICT, Bill Gates are rich on their own platform. I have also heard that cars that will not use oil are being manufactured to hit the road soon.

At that time, what will happen to Nigeria? When I was a bishop in Owerri, I told our people the advantages of diversification many years ago. Our gas is untapped. We have quantum deposit of untapped gas, why not tap them and use them for our economy?

We only know how to steal money. I am a religious leader, who does not sit in Lagos only. I go to villages, to every part of Nigeria, where the roads are not motorable. Sometimes, I go with motorcycle, paddle canoe to cross. I know Nigeria more than those sitting in Abuja, because they fly by air. I go by road, rail, and water.

Our people are eating all their eggs. The government in power is not planning for tomorrow and the unborn generation. They want to finish everything and take loans from China and other developed countries. They have taken loans that they cannot pay and they will leave it as a liability for the incoming generation, it is unfair.

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POLITY Nigerians Will Not Welcome PDP, The University of Lies in 2023 Garba Shehu

majority of Nigerians, rebuilding a battered economy, putting in place long-delayed infrastructure and managing a novel coronavirus hese days, so many people pandemic in a very competent and impressive are saying so many things, manner as to earn the commendation of the indulging mostly in the World Health Organization, WHO. abuses of others and as In those their 16 years, a period in which official spokespersons we make the deliberate choice of a barrel of oil sold for as high as USD 140 staying out for the most part. Dollars, they blew a golden opportunity to grow the economy to soaring heights. They But it is hard to ignore could have used the enormous earrings to the shameful and disgraceful claims made increase power generation, modernise the by the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP which is making the false claims rail and fix roads and bridges as the present administration is currently struggling, with that Nigerians are dissatisfied with the lesser incomes to do. About 800 road projects present and wished for the return to the are currently ongoing in the six geopolitical years of locusts. zones of the country.

At the rate they are going, it is not for The malaise of the PDP administration is fetched to agree with another politician manifested in the collapse of local food proin describing the PDP as a “university of falsehood”, in which the bigger the lies their duction, replaced by a daily average spending of USD 5 million in rice importation. Today, functionaries can tell, the higher in rank not a kobo from the central Bank of Nigeria is they are promoted to. used to fund the importation of food. In effect, It is too soon for their evil records to we eat what we grow. PDP broke the economy be washed away or forgotten. They held by killing industrialization. In those 16 years, onto the throne of power for sixteen years textile industry, the largest employer was fighting for their own happiness, not that killed. Thirty eight major textile companies of the majority of Nigeria. They turned the closed down business in Nigeria between country into a nation of scams promoting 1999 and 2009. They killed the nation’s corruption to an industrial scale, exploitmanufacturing competitiveness. The nation’s ing the country’s oil, mineral and land budding industry virtually fled to neighbourresources for selfish reasons. ing countries – Ghana, Cote D’Ivore and PDP’s lasting legacy will be the far away Kenya were all transforming into catastrophe that was the power expansion program in which USD 16 billion was taken manufacturing hubs at our expense. In 2006, two of Nigeria’s leading tyre manufacturers, from the treasury without a megawatt of Michelin and Dunlop, relocated their factories electricity added to the grid system.

The Buhari-led administration is on the to Ghana citing epileptic energy supply in other hand fighting for the happiness of the Nigeria as the chief reason.

T

Over those 16 years, PDP told stunning tales of economic growth and peddled rates as high as the windmill without industrial growth, without agricultural growth, without investment and without jobs for the teeming youths.

In sum total, they gave the nation a lost half-generation.

In terms of ease of doing business we have, as of today, gained 39 places up the ladder in the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business Index from where we were 2015 and in two of these years, we were adjudged as being in the top ten of the reforming economies of the world. The Nigerian Investment Promotion Council (NIPC) in 2017 completed a long-overdue revision of the list of activities that can benefit from Nigeria’s Pioneer Status Incentive, which grants beneficiary companies a 3 to 5-year tax holiday. The revision, done more than 10 ten years after the last one, has modernized the List, expanding the tax holiday incentives to qualifying companies in E-commerce, Software Development, Animation, Music, Film and TV. The main reason for the defeat of the PDP in 2015 was corruption. The present administration at the center led by President Muhammadu Buhari has so far presented a corrupt-free image of itself. It has succeeded in abolishing grand corruption at the top.

Today, you are sure that no one will call the Governor of Central and ask him to bring hard cash- Naira, Pounds, Dollars, Euro or Renminbi.

This is attested to by world leaders including the outgoing American President,

Donald Trump who commended President Buhari for “significantly bringing down the level of corruption in the country.”

Today, we have given the world its best performing stock market. Covid economy notwithstanding, Nigeria stands as the number one country in Africa in the International Monetary Fund, IMF 2020 Economic Outlook’s rating of countries. Using countries’ GDPs, the IMF lists Nigeria among the world’s first 26 countries.

There are many today who take for granted the declared victory over the Boko Haram terrorists, forgetting the reign of the bomber who made it almost impossible for regular attendance in markets, Churches and Mosques in many of our cities, including the Federal Capital City, Abuja.

With increased procurement of military aircraft, weapons, equipment and ammunitions, the remaining task of ridding Borno State of Boko Haram is well on course.

Military procurements and increasing recruitment will ensure the the momentum of ridding the Northwestern and North Central States are equally rid of kidnapping, cattle rustling and banditry.

Yet, the so-called Nigeria’s major opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) says many Nigerians who are already fed up with the “ Misrule“ of President Muhammadu Buhari and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and are-hold your breath- yearning for its (PDP) return to power in 2023.

Don’t believe their toxic statements.

––Garba Shehu, SSAP Media And Publicity, Abuja.

PERSPECTIVE

Ayade, an Outstanding Person in 2020 ã ÙÝÞ ßÞÝÞËØÎÓØÑ ÏÜÝÙØ ÙÐ ÞÒÓÝ ãÏËÜ ÓÝ ÙàÏÜØÙÜ ÏØÏÎÓÍÞ ãËÎÏ ÙÐ ÜÙÝÝ ÓàÏÜ ÞËÞÏ áÜÓÞÏÝ Firsts Baba Isa

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Ayade

hat defines this choice for me is his near prophetic proclamation about the use of facemask during the heat of the COVID-19 pandemic. Obviously, COVID-19 defined and redefined our lives and the whole world as we see it this year and many persons will choose their heroes and champions based on their response

to this pandemic.

Why many might argue, including myself, that Cross River State’s response especially, in terms of testing, falls below par, I will never forget the governor’s bold declaration that the best way to prevent this virus is to wear a facemask. The governor added that once you wear a facemask, social distancing is no longer necessary.

He was attacked. He was called names. The Obuduborn professor stuck to his guns. And he walked his talk.

He went about with beautiful and fashionable facemasks.

When flights resumed, I have flown close to 20 times.

Whenever I’m up there in the sky, sitting shoulder to shoulder, rubbing arms with the passenger sitting close to me but with a facemask firmly tied to my face, I remember the governor. The guy damn well knew what he was talking about. With facemask, we don’t need social distancing.

Very often, I go back to watch that video, where governor Ayade made those declarations. I love to watch it now.

Then I watched it with alarm and some confusion, because it was only Ayade that was saying something different.

But today I watch that video with some pride. I see the confidence he exuded, the assured smile and prophetic arrogance. It is difficult not to remember that show of courage and uncommon brilliance by the Cross River State Governor.

As the world continues to battle this deadly virus, we know humanity will overcome; we always do. I salute all the caregivers, who are at the frontline sacrificing all to combat this virus and I don’t intend to forget people like Governor Ayade, who saw the future and was bold enough to declare it.

ARTS & REVIEW A

PUBLICATION

03.01.2021

TOWARDS A MONEY-MAKING

NATIONAL GALLERY Cover continued on Page 66 Professor Okachi

EDITOR OKECHUKWU UWAEZUOKE/ okechukwu.uwaezuoke@thisdaylive.com

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ARTS & REVIEW\\ART-ICLES

TOWARDS A MONEY-MAKING

NATIONAL GALLERY Not even the gloomy prognosis of this year seems capable of dampening the enthusiasm for a more selfsustaining art sector, as Professor Emmanuel Wesley Okachi’s paper in a National Gallery of Art’s recent stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja corroborates. Okechukwu Uwaezuoke reports

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other things. “The suspicion by the rtists,” Professor political class over the years has Emmanuel been that the creative industries Wesley Okachi (especially the visual arts) are only reminded his but a drain in the national purse as audience, “have they lack the capacity to generate always been at reasonable wealth for the nation. the forefront of This has hence affected the will for unusual thinkfavourable policies that will impact ing and perception of life. They are often the industry positively.” personalities with innovative, creative This should explain not only and revolutionary ideas by projecting into why the visual arts sector seems the future. Fela Kuti in the entertainment less-recognised than such creative industry, Chinua Achebe’s novel, Things disciplines as entertainment, Fall Apart and Leonardo da Vinci whose music, fashion and film industries, creative spirit led to a range of invenbut also the fact that the Central tions, spanning from military hardware, Bank of Nigeria and Bankers architecture, aviation and medicine are all Committee left out the visual arts good examples of [the] creative genus that as a beneficiary of their initiative. impacted their societies.”

“In the same vein, [the] Heritage An assertion like this – though needful as Bank N5bn Creative Industry an admonition in an environment that celFund Initiative equally excluded ebrates philistinism – tends to trail off into the visual arts even when the the humdrum through being repeated too MD/ CEO described the creative often. Yet, it was appropriately prefaced industry as one leeway to solving the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria’s art the unemployment challenge,” he lecturer keynote address, which was delivadded. ered at a stakeholders’ meeting held at the In his projected vision of the Radio House in Garki, Abuja, on Monday, potentials of a new NGA and a December 21, last year. The address, titled revamped visual arts sub-sector “Imperatives of Making the National Galwould be like, Professor Okachi lery of Art Revenue-Generating”, mainly painted an alluring picture. Besides dredged up issues bordering on making the fact the parastatal being able the parastatal a self-sustaining entity. to fund its such recurrent expenThe event, during which the COVID-19 ditures as staff allowances, he protocols were strictly adhered to, was also cited a boost in efficiency and initially planned as a retreat before it was professionalisation of its services changed to a stakeholders’ meeting. As for through the drastic reduction of the National Gallery of Art – more often bureaucratic bottlenecks, among abbreviated as NGA –, it was established others. in 1993 for the promotion and presentation Hence, it helped that he did of creative visual arts in Nigeria. This was not leave his nebulous allusion in fulfilment of the recommendation of to “resource mobilisation” to the Nigeria’s cultural policy, which derived audience’s conjectures. According from the UNESCO document on the to him, “[it] may be a management World Decade for Cultural Development process that involves identifying (WDCD). people who share the same values With its headquarters in Abuja and the as your organisation and taking main exhibition space at the National steps to manage the relationship.

Theatre building in the Iganmu area of It, therefore, refers to all activities Lagos, the gallery currently maintains six involved in securing new and branches in the country’s six geo-political additional financial, human and zones. material resources for an organisaIndeed, the fact that it has been mandattion which involves making use of ed, as a parastatal of the Federal Ministry and maximising existing resources of Information, Culture and Tourism, to to advance its mission.” collect, preserve, document and present His postulations on the way contemporary Nigerian artworks positions Art works on display by National Gallery of Art at its exhibition, titled Art of Benin Kingdom, held at Protea forward for the NGA may sound it as a potential global tourist destination Hotel, Benin on August 22, 2019 like could have been dismissed as and money-spinner. Yet, the poor funding utopian had he not hinged them on the parastatal having “a of this repository for the country’s creative spirit has greatly the critical stakeholders in overcoming the challenges; idenstrong yet flexible structure and accountable, transparent limited its capacity to rise to the occasion. tifying the outlook of a new NGA and a revamped visual arts governance practices”, adding: “Its structure and good Sure enough, there had been the award of grants to artist sub-sector; describing the relationship among the art agencies governance will allow it to respond to shifting priorities’ of and art scholars by the gallery as well as the acquisition and in the cultural sector as well as suggesting ways for the gallery its supporters and new responsibilities towards its clients/ collection of contemporary Nigerian artworks, holding of can supplement its funding. donors while creating a positive climate for its staff.” both permanent and temporary exhibitions, organising Premising his paper on what he called a “tripod stance preTo a member of the audience, who might have been lost in of competitions and talent hunts and the sponsorship and sentation” (the what, the why and the how), he first identified the dense undergrowth of the nearly one-hour-long address, encouragement of research in the arts, among others. But, insufficient funding, legislation, inadequate office complex, the lecturer’s address resolved into clarity and perked up Professor Okachi cited the “dwindling cash inflow from the government policy, lack of synergy amongst stakeholders in with his following concluding statement: “By the members of major source of the nation’s income”, which has adversely the industry and wrong perception, among others as some the National Assembly Committee on Culture and Tourism affected the nation’s capacity to “sufficiently fund its budget”, of the challenges faced by the NGA. Then, he explained why enacting the requisite law, the Ministry of Information and as “impacting negatively on the successful execution of a revenue-generating NGA would be desirable and, finally, Culture striving to change the societal perception about the assigned mandates of [the government] parastatals.” made his recommendations on how resources could be art and its inherent potential and consciously taking the Hence, his call to the agencies “to diversify their respective mobilised. building of a befitting NGA Complex in Abuja as a first-line sources of funding”. In sketchy outlines, he outlined the Professor Okachi’s succinctly-itemised paper obviously left priority, supporting the need for the NGA to engage in objectives of his address as follows: understanding why his audience with no doubt about his understanding of the resource mobilisation to supplement government funding the NGA should become revenue-generating; what should challenges faced by the industry in the creativity-stifling enviand the collaboration and synergy of stakeholders in the inbe done to realise the parastatal’s mission (interrogating its ronment. “One of the contending issues in visual arts and culdustry will result to a Parastatal that will achieve its mandate, current Act as an example); establishing the impediments to tural administration in Nigeria has been the role in promoting become viable and sustainable.” making the gallery self-sustaining; investigating the roles of the growth of the Nigerian economy,” he had argued, among

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CICERO

Editor:Olawale Olaleye Email:wale.olaleye@thisdaylive.com, SMS: 08116759819

IN THE ARENA

COVID-19: The Battle This Time!

As sneaky COVID-19 variants enter the fray aback the second wave of the dangerous viral outbreak, only knowledge-based intervention templates powered by science-driven policies and self-responsible footing by citizens offer safety. Louis Achi writes

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riting in The Atlantic, 72 hours ago, Zeynep Tufekci noted that, “There is much we don’t know about the new COVID-19 variant – but everything we know so far suggests a huge danger.” Tufekci is Associate Professor at the University of North Carolina and studies the interaction between digital technology, artificial intelligence, and society.

Indisputably, a new variant (or variants) of the coronavirus is spreading across the globe. It was first identified in the United Kingdom, where it is rapidly spreading, and has been found in multiple countries. Viruses mutate all the time, often with no impact, but this one appears to be more transmissible than other variants – meaning it spreads more easily.

Wading into the unfolding public health crisis, the hugely respected General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, brought a theological perspective to the deadly viral threat. He stated that for every Covid-19 vaccine discovered, there is a new variant in the making, and “this will continue until the high and mighty admit that safety is of the Lord”.

But preceding Tufekci’s scientific insight and Adeboye’s theological position, Nigeria’s entry into a second wave of coronavirus infections had become official.

The number of COVID-19 cases detected in the country in the past two weeks indicates that a second wave of the outbreak has begun, said Boss Mustapha, Secretary to the Government of Boss Mustapha delivery, to strict enforcement of protocols by agencies like the Federation and Chairman, Presidential Task Force on the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) for Nigeria, COVID-19, mid last December. Mustapha stressed that the country was at risk of losing not only the gains from the hard become priority.

Current mathematical models of SARS-CoV-2 transmission work of the last nine months but also the lives of citizens. and control show that physical distancing could mitigate the “We are in a potentially difficult phase of the COVID-19 pandemic and this has subsequently been backed up by resurgence. Accessing the hope offered by the arrival of the empirical analyses of related case data. The other tools like vaccine is still some time ahead,” he said. masking up and disinfection of surfaces that are touched Health Minister Osagie Ehanire had earlier announced often, especially in public facilities are also critical. that the government would receive 20 million doses of a But ultimately, it has been scientifically established that COVID-19 vaccine by January 2021. vaccines represent the ultimate biological weapon of caging According to The Economist, “In recent weeks, two variants of the coronavirus have spread with ferocious speed in Britain COVID-19 and its emerging mutants. More recent human history attests to this. and South Africa. They have mutations that make them a lot Currently, there are still many unknowns, but much more contagious. Although so far, they do not seem to be any concern has focused on whether this new variant would deadlier, for every ten people that older variants would infect throw off vaccine efficacy or cause more severe disease. in Britain the new one infects 15. Early data suggests that the But with some degree of relief, an initial related study has South African variant burns just as fiercely. indicated that it did not do either. And while more data is “Just now, the world is rightly focused on approving, making and administering vaccines. Alas, it also needs to face needed to feel truly reassured, many scientists believe that this variant will not decrease vaccine efficacy much, if at all. up to the fact that, before jabs come to the rescue, the new But some other scientific views believe a more transmisvariants will spread, creating deep difficulties for policymaksible variant of COVID-19 is a potential catastrophe in and ers.” of itself, because higher transmissibility subjects people to a But looking at the big picture of a pandemic that has more contagious virus spreading with exponential growth. prostrated the globe, panic or fear is hardly the appropriate The uncertainty in understanding the COVID-19 variant’s survival response. This is where sovereign governments, exact mechanisms means that scientists don’t know if the policy formulators and global health agencies take the centre existing tools – masks, distancing, and disinfecting – are as stage – from public education, vaccine development and

effective as they were compared with an identical scenario with the regular variant.

But, cut to the bone, the variant is still a respiratory virus, so the basic tools will not change, and they will all continue to work. In fact, they have become more important, but government might need to be stricter: less time outdoors, better masks, better ventilation and more disinfection of high-touch surfaces.

It’s important scientifically and comforting to know that vaccinated people are a lot less likely to get sick in the first place. One hundred million vaccinated Nigerians will mean 100 million people with much less (or hardly any) risk for any symptomatic COVID-19 especially, severe disease. That’s an enormous gain.

It is at this juncture that the help of theological leaders, who are powerful opinion molders need to be enlisted.

Significantly, much of the opposition to vaccination flows from this arena. There has been a laundry list of antipathy and objections against vaccination but not backed by knowledge being purveyed by surprisingly educated folks.

Notwithstanding that many see these whispered, scary narratives about vaccines as old wives tales, it important that government engages with critical stakeholders in an open, transparent manner to resolve niggling doubts about the veracity of human vaccines in halting and reversing the COVID-19 rampage, including those of its new variants. This will help shape the battle this time.

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

T Bello

Still Politicising Coronavirus

here’s an everyday rise in the numbers of new infections from the Covid-19 pandemic. This, again, has been accentuated by the second wave of the virus, which has been marked as lethal, globally. Unfortunately, the attitude of a majority of the Nigerian people hasn’t changed towards the virus – largely acting as though it’s a fluke.

While the attitude of some Nigerians to the virus could be worrisome, that of some leaders is to say the least stupefying. Where leaders are meant to show personal ex-

ample, which could help contain the spread, particularly from the angle of believability, some are busy going about disputing empirical facts as far as the virus is concerned.

A major culprit here is the Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, who has embarked on a subtle campaign against the Covid-19 pandemic, disputing claims and questioning facts, which clearly do not lie. Leaders like Bello are a problem to any society and do not fit anywhere near power. As far as the fight against Covid-19 is concerned, Bello is an enemy of the people and the state. His position on the matter is indeed shameful!

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ JANUARY 3, 2021

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BRIEFINGNOTES

Father Kukah’s Friendly Fire How the President Muhammadu Buhari-led federal government is making a fuss over the obvious truth told by the Bishop of Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, Most Rev. Matthew Hassan Kukah, in his Christmas message, is bemusing, writes Shola Oyeyipo

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resident Muhammadu Buhari and his supporters in the corridor of power are always in a state of paranoia, when any reputable person or group attempts to chastise the administration over its numerous failures and obvious inability to stay true to their electoral promises.

Despite the obvious failures of the All Progressives Congress (APC) leadership, the list of people the government media crew has attacked, when speaking truth to power is daily growing, but the person currently making headlines is the Bishop of Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, Most Rev. Matthew Hassan Kukah.

The clergy, in his Christmas homily titled: “A Nation in Search of Vindication” and with nine punchy subheadings, called out the Buhari-led federal government for its actions and inactions that are having grave consequences on Nigeria and Nigerians. As usual, some agents of the government were quick to lash out at him, and even alleging that he was propagating the idea of coup.

Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed and the Chairman, Buhari Media Organisation (BMO), Niyi Akinsiju, both led the onslaught this time around. While Mohammed contended that Kukah’s speech was aimed at stoking the embers of hatred, sectarian strife and national disunity and also, an attempt to bring about a change of government without election, Akinsiju’s position was that the Bishop used the pulpit to sow division, discord and fuel an agenda of anarchy.

The real source of concern is not that the pro-Buhari elements came out to defend the administration that has superintended over a nation, where people are killed in droves and the killers walk free; that is what they are paid to do, but the issue is, juxtaposing Kukah’s criticisms with government’s reaction, it will not be wrong to conclude that Nigerians are in a hopeless situation, because this government seems insensitive to its failures.

The real issues identified by the preacher bordered on nepotism, northern or should one say Fulani agenda, the perplexing level of untamed terrorism, banditry and kidnapping. Perhaps the part that got the government tensed was where he said: “There is no way any nonNorthern Muslim president could have done a fraction Father Kukah of what President Buhari has done by his nepotism and gotten away with it.” ing economy, social anomie, domestic and community violence, Basically, everything the Man of God said in his message kidnappings, armed robberies etc. Ours has become a house of was true and they were definitely not designed to instigate the horror with fear stalking our homes, highways, cities, hamlets and citizenry against the leadership. He just spoke the minds of a lot entire communities. of Nigerians, including northerners, who are direct victims of the “The middle grounds of optimism have continued to shift and large-scale insecurity. It is left for the government to make amend many genuinely ask, what have we done to the gods? Does Nigeria or continue the way things are. have a future? Where can we find hope? Like the Psalmist, we Kukah said: “This Christmas is again coming against a backdrop ask; from where shall come our help?” he lamented just as many of so much pain, sorrow and uncertainty in our land. We all seem Nigerians are lamenting in the corners of their rooms not knowing to have become sedated and inured to pain. Tragedy has been who next will be the victim of their hopeless circumstances. standing as our gatekeeper. For over ten years now, at almost each Though the fans of the government got the adrenaline over his Christmas, a dark pall of horror, sorrow and death has consistently comment that, “Every honest Nigerian knows that there is no way hung in our horizon threatening to eclipse the promises of the any non-Northern Muslim president could have done a fraction joy of Christmas.” of what President Buhari has done by his nepotism and gotten No rocket science is required to understand what the preacher away with it,” because “There would have been a military coup a elucidated in the above paragraph. In past years, there have been long time ago or we would have been at war,” every right-thinking attacks on places of worship particularly, around Christmas period. Nigerian also knew he was correct on this. Very many Nigerians So, he bemoaned the endless woes. have decried the nepotism seen under the Buhari administration “Ours has become a nation wrapped in desolation. The prospects and one will wonder where it is strange to be called out for it. of a failed state stare us in the face: endless bloodletting, a collaps“The president may have concluded that Christians will do nothing

and will live with these actions. He may be right and we Christians cannot feel sorry that we have no pool of violence to draw from or threaten our country. However, God does not sleep. We can see from the inexplicable dilemma of his North.”

This statement did not instigate violence. Instead, it shows that there is inequality in the country.

This inequality will only be addressed by another well-meaning administration, obviously not this present leadership.

Even if the government feigns ignorance, many people absolutely agree with Kukah’s position that the citizens “are hungry, angry, thirsty and starving,” that “the roads to the graveyards are busier than those to the farms,” that ours is a “derelict nation which is still unable or unwilling to protect its citizens,” and that “our country drifts almost rudderless, we seem like people travelling without maps, without destination and with neither Captain nor Crew. Citizens have nowhere to turn to.”

His reference to the incident at Chibok, Dapchi and recently Kankara, where bandits abducted some children before they were rescued are not fictitious! These are realities that have confronted Nigerians as a people and shaped global narratives about the state of affairs in the most populous black nation on earth.

Though very critical, he was actually kind to the government at some point by noting that there have been “grey areas of hope, flickers of light, achievement and so on,” and urging the people to cling tenaciously to these flickers of hope and not despair.

Either the ruling party or the government and their supporters like it or not, issues raised by Kukah cannot be swept under the carpet. They are salient and could haunt the country years to come.

Hence, his position that “This government owes the nation an explanation as to where it is headed as we seem to journey into darkness,” is appropriate.

Considering the Kukah-FG situation, one can only but pity Lai Mohammed, with the odious responsibility of defending a government that has since lost its goodwill among the people. Therefore, his rhetoric such as Kukah’s message was capable of stoking the embers of hatred and disunity or triggering unintended consequences were only designed to diffuse the facts contained in such admonition.

“While religious leaders have a responsibility to speak truth to power, such truth must not come wrapped in anger, hatred, disunity and religious disharmony,” Mohammed stated, but forgot that many religious leaders were not only feeling the pang of bad leadership but also the pains of government’s poor choices characterised by widespread insecurity, poverty and deaths.

Kukah did not call for a violent overthrow of government as the minister made it look, rather, he pointed out that Nigerians and people around the world were not happy about the state of affairs in the country.

“The United Nations has wailed. The Pope has wailed. Cardinals, Archbishops, Bishops, Priests, Pastors have wailed. Emirs have wailed. Politicians have wailed. The Sultan has wailed”, Kukah said, borrowing Femi Adesina’s description of Buhari’s critics.

Interestingly, these wailings will not stop, and the lamentations will continue until a government that feels the pain of Nigerians comes to power.

NOTES FOR FILE

For Don Davis’ Sanity!

Archibong

The story of a certain young boy, Don Davis Archibong, who attended a Deeper Life High School in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State has been doing the rounds for sometime now. The 11 years old, who was a boarder, was allegedly ill treated, starved and abused in school by some of his seniors.

His mother, Mrs. Deborah Okezie, had gone to the social media to cry out to Nigerians to help her fight the injustice, presenting the different

pictures of the boy before he left for school and after in a video that went viral. This naturally incensed some Nigerians, who had since pounced on both the school and church authorities, not leaving out the state government too.

Unfortunately, with the situation, it appears there are moves to play down the case by messing up the facts as it were. Already, the state government had announced handing off the case with officials of the

education ministry getting personal with Mrs. Okezie.

This back and forth could last for as long as the gladiators desire. It is, however, important to ponder the boy’s sanity. If the investigation is not tampered with and allegations are true, everyone should be worried for the sanity of the young boy. It is certainly too much to deal with at that age. And to think this happened in an offshoot of God’s house, the truth must be unearthed.

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ JANUARY 3, 2021

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CICERO/REPORT

Putting Closure to Gana’s Terror Reign By continuously arresting other members of the late Gana terrorist group in Benue State and environs, the Nigerian Army 4 Special Forces Command are determined to put an end to the ignominious reign of the group, writes Igbawase Ukumba

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n September last year, the operation “Ayem Akpatuma III” of the Nigerian Army killed Benue’s dreaded terrorist, Terwase Akwaza, otherwise known as Ghana. The Army consequently addressed a press conference on that night in Doma Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, the headquarters of the 4 Special Forces Command, where the lifeless body of Ghana was paraded.

Commander of the 4 Special Forces Command, Major General Moundhey Gadzama Ali, while parading Gana’s remains said, “I invited you (journalists) this evening to witness another breakthrough by troops on Operation AYEM APKATUMA III. At about 1200hrs today, we received strategic information on the movement of the dreaded bandit named Terwase Akwaza aka Gana along Gbise-GbokoMakurdi road.

“Troops on operation AYEM APKATUMA III moved swiftly and mounted snap road blocks along routes at 1300hrs. There was a meeting engagement with the convoy of the dreaded bandit, where a shootout ensued and Gana was killed. During search, the following were recovered, five AK 47, one FN rifle, two Beretta pistol, three pump action guns, one locally fabricated sub machine gun, ten dane gun, 19 browsing pistols, 35 fabricated revolver pistols and two fabricated mortars.”

Ammunitions found, according to Major General Ali, “include 766 rounds of 7.62mm Special, 27.9mm rounds, 26 Pump Action Cartridge. Other items recovered were one machine, two waist charms, two finger ring charms and two fabricated Improvised Explosives.”

He explained further that 40 of the late Gana’s men were captured in the operation and were currently in custody to be handed over to the civil authority for prosecution.

“Ladies and gentlemen of the press, here lies the body of the terrorist that has made the entire northern part of the north Central untenable for peace Suspected Late Gana’s Chief Priest (front) with Suspected Gangs Members loving Benue and Taraba citizens popularly known as Iorlumum, while speaking to journalists during his parade, mission in the bush so that I will still convey him back to Gana,” Ali said, presenting the lifeless Gana. said he had a problem at his house. the town. As you carry him back, he pays you between Suffice it to recall that after eliminating Gana, some According to him, “I am a herbalist hence four N500 or N1,000. school of thought said his Second-in-Command had suspected Gana’s criminal boys approached me and I “As any member of the gang hires you to carry him inherited his powers and magic. But in October last year, provided them with my services and they went back. on your bike around the vicinity, people in the town will Ali paraded the Second-in-Command by name Kumaor stigmatise you as belonging to the criminal gang. That was Again they came back to me that I should provide them Fachii popularly known as Commander. why I decided to join them in the bush. When I joined the with magic for disappearance. But I asked them why were According to him, “The late Gana’s Second-in-Comthey asking me for disappearing magic considering their criminal gang in the bush, I was detailed to be robbing mand was at Abaji village in Katsina Ala Local Governtender age. I refused to do it for them and they became travellers on the road. All monies collected by me were ment Area of Benue State at night in his girlfriend’s house angry and wanted to kill me and I escaped. given to Gana through his emissaries at intervals. The through useful intelligence gathering from good citizens “At about 5:30pm, I was at the Katsina Ala head bridge, group of Gana’s criminal gang which I was recruited into of the locality. When the dreaded Gana was paraded when Army detected my suspicious movement and argave me a gun to facilitate my performance.” before you, I mentioned that some of his kingpins have rested me. It was the Army that saved my life from those When asked if he was really the Second-in-Command been arrested and some of them are on the run and we Gana boys that I am still alive today,” Gbagh Iorlumum to the late Gana, Kumaor Fachii denied that he was are in pursuit of them. claimed.

Second-in-Command to the late gang leader, saying “It “This afternoon, seated before us here is the Second-inTerpase Orlanga, who was also among the 41 suspected was not Gana that gave me that rank, but the SecondCommand. After the episode that we had with the late members of the Gana’s criminal gang arrested, said, “We in-Command rank was given to me by members of the dreaded Gana, some school of thought said his Secondwere at the burial rites of my cousin brother, Patrick group that I was detailed to work with for Gana.” in-Command had inherited his powers and everything.

Aondakaa, for three days sleeping there. So around Asked if the late Gana handed over powers to him And low and behold, our troops have gone in pursuit 5:00am, security came and arrested us from there. That is before he was captured, Fachii denied that Gana handed of them and today before you is Mr. Kumaor Fachii, the what brought me here. over his powers to him, but said Gana handed over the Second-in-Command that has inherited his powers. We “They arrested us demanding information about Gana’s powers to one Azonto, who according to him, is the late therefore called you to witness the Second-in-Command squad. For me, I told them I don’t know because in our Gana’s brother and was still in the bush around Gbishe parade, and we assure you that they either surrender or Mbatyula community, the Gana boys have killed about area. are raided.” thirty people since 2016. They even killed my uncle’s wife.

However, in an effort to capture the inheritance of the General Ali however disclosed that the Gana’s SecondSome of us that are here, Gana’s boys killed our people. late Gana’s powers and magic, Aondofa Cephas (AKA in-Command was the 76th person in the Special Forces’ Azonto), the 4 Special Forces Command intensified opera- So, we don’t know anything about Gana’s boys.” custody, apart from the late Gana and other four that had When asked if the people at the deceased’s wake keep gone where they belong, assuring them that the rest of the tions in the Benue valley in December, 2020 and additional were arrested, Iorlumum claimed that the Army arrested 41 suspected members of the Gana’s criminal gangs were group would be picked up soon. arrested, bringing to total of 119 suspected members of the everybody at the wake keep, with the exception of the Items recovered by the troops and paraded alongside elderly and children. Although he explained that it was criminal gangs now with the Army. the Gana’s Second-in-Command included one locally yet time to bury the deceased, however as Tiv culture “I would like to state that, before now it was unfathmade AK-47, hunting guns, automatic rifles that can demands, members of the family of the deceased assemble omed for Gana’s name to be mentioned among the Tiv, fire cartridge and mortal tubes that the terrorists have at the deceased homestead every night to mourn him Jukun or Kuteb for fear that, Gana under the direction of fabricated. hence they were all there. the Chief Priest in the blood boiling pot of his shrine and Gadzama concluded: “We are also aware, from the brief “It was there that security came and arrested us. In our his gang members will go after you. interrogation we have made, that they are making plans village, we only know the late Gana as an armed robber “Today, I am pleased to inform you that, not only did to start producing explosive devises. But by the grace of and kidnapper, as I mentioned earlier that he killed people the Special Forces snatch the Chief Priest but, I am glad God, they can’t get anywhere. We are on their trail.” in my village,” Orlanga claimed. to tell you the dreaded shrine has been razed to dust.

Fielding questions from journalists whilst being But General Ali, dismissed Orlanga’s claims that the The Chief Priest, who has been responsible for preparing paraded, Fachii, claimed he started operation with the deceased was a strong supporter of late Gana, which he charms for the gang using human parts of kidnapped gang sometime in 2018. Before joining the gang, Fachii said Orlanga knew about and was dodging the truth. persons, has been captured,” he said. also claimed that he was a commercial motorcyclist.

Ali has however declared the inheritance of Gana’s Ali added that one of Gana’s Commanders in charge of Fachii said: “From motorcycling, I went and joined the powers and magic, Aondofa Cephas (AKA Azonto); armed robbery called Torkuma died under Special Forces group in the bush. Initially, I didn’t know the group until alongside one Teryima Ihyabee (AKA Clerk) and another siege while in hiding in a village at suburbs of Katsina a day that one of them hired me to convey him into the simply identified as Bajo; who were both at large at the Ala. bush on my motorcycle, where instead of discharging time of filing this report, wanted.

The suspected Chief Priest to the late terrorist, Gbagh me to go, he asked me to wait for him to complete his

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ JANUARY 3, 2021

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CICERO/INTERVIEW

JACKSON OJO

What Buhari, APC Should Do Before Trouble Erupts in Niger Delta Jackson Lekan Ojo, a member of International Security Association Switzerland and a chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress, bares his mind on security concerns in Nigeria and sundry issues in this interview with Yinka Kolawole. Excerpts:

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s a security expert familiar with politics in the NDDC, what do you think about the interim management put in place by President Muhammadu Buhari?

Nigerians are already clamouring for substantive management for the NDDC but recently President Muhammadu Buhari appointed another interim management headed by Mr. Effiong Okon Akwa as an interim administrator, who was until his recent appointment NDDC’s acting executive director of finance and administration.

Well, Akwa’s appointment was as a result of the corruption allegations against the former interim management committee put in place last February and led by Prof. Kemebradio Kumo Daniel Pondei. You know that Pondei emerged NDDC’s helmsman shortly after the acting Managing Director, Mrs. Jol Nunieh, was sacked in a controversial manner.

However, before now names were forwarded to the National Assembly for substantive management, but the government later appointed an interim management. Well, I want to believe that if the substantive management is put in place now, the forensic audit that is ongoing will be jeopardized.

As people are protesting for the substantive management in the area, the Niger Delta people are also clamouring for the same but people should realize that Akwa that was appointed had relationship with the minister and Niger Delta. I want to believe that all this is a political game, which is already playing out because of the replacement from Akpabio’s area.

Did the minister have the power to appoint the NDDC management?

As a security expert, I want to say categorically that the minister has no power to appoint anybody on the NDDC management committee but the president of the country, President Muhammadu Buhari, has that power to do so. Also, if the sole administrator was appointed from Bayelsa, there may not be any noise form any quarter.

What is your reaction to the incessant kidnapping and increased terror attacks in the country?

Security should be the business of everybody. What people don’t know is that security matter should be handled carefully, when you provided security on the radio, newspaper or television, it’s no security at all.

I think there must be a security summit, where traditional rulers, religious leaders, politicians, and opinion leaders would meet and proffer solutions to it. Also, there’s a need for recruitment of more men into the army. It’s permissible by law to invite retired military officers to assist in tackling the problem because of their experience, but it will be on contract basis.

Equally, I want to believe that allowances and salaries of military personnel should be paid promptly to serve as motivation to them.

On sexual abuse, there is no value system anywhere again.

Nobody is following culture and tradition again and the situation in which women dress half naked on the street is too bad. Men and women are iron and magnet when iron meets with magnet, it will meet. That is the situation for now.

Recently, the Reformed Niger Delta Avengers said they would not allow NDDC to defend the budget for 2021, whereas 2020 is ending soon, NDDC has no budget.

What do you think?

This should not be allowed to continue. If the people listened to them and there is no budget for 2021, that will be 24 months of no budget in Niger Delta and at the end of the day, if the people of no budget in Niger Delta start agitating, we will have problems on our hands.

Two days of the Avengers coming out in the Niger Delta, Nigeria will feel it more than two months of what we saw in Lagos recently during the #EndSARS protests. I have been a voice for the country by the special grace of God. I am a chieftain of APC but most of the times, when I talk some people ask me if I am still a member of the party. What is wrong is wrong. I am not being sponsored by anybody and I can tell you that no one is bankrolling me.

Do you have an idea of who could be behind these issues? Why would people push for their own budget defence to be put on hold?

In security as in journalism, there are some pieces of information you have, if you divulge that, there will be problems. Yes, I know that the defunct Niger Delta Avengers has some very educated members, who were highly exposed.

Ojo There are some figures at the federal level that are behind this, pushing these boys to heat up the tension in the Niger Delta. If Niger Delta has lost 12 months budget and they are still clamouring for another 12 months just because there is somebody somewhere that said it could no longer be business as usual, there is a problem.

NDDC is an intervention agency but this is an agency, whereby some persons are taking contracts running into billions and they never know the contract site and they will be paid 100 percent, whereas some people borrowed money from the bank and have completed their contracts for the past 10 years and they have not been paid. This is because they don’t belong to the right clique.

The powerful ones will collect contracts, they will collect the 100 percent because they see themselves as untouchable and they will not do the contract. And Akpabio has come and said no it cannot be business as usual.

He is saying let me replicate what I did in my state for eight years since the opportunity has been given to me as a minster of Niger Delta Affairs. Akpabio is saying if 10 kobo is budgeted for this place, we must spend it judiciously. This is why they are not happy with him. He pushed for the forensic audit of the place and Mr. Akpabio stepped on toes.

We must be careful because if oil production stops in the Niger Delta, the economy of this country will be grounded and when it is grounded, it will affect the entire Africa. Some powerful figures are behind the demand by the Reformed Niger Delta Avengers that Akpabio should not be allowed to defend NDDC’s 2021 budget until substantive board of the agency is inaugurated.

They are clearly trying to frustrate the minister but, in the end, the Niger Delta as a whole will suffer for it. What they should have been doing is calling for increment in the budgetary allocation to the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs and the NDDC, not pushing for the budget to be put on hold. The question to ask here is what are the senators of the nine states of the Niger Delta doing in the senate?

They are not representing their people. What are their House of Representatives’ counterparts doing? Can’t these people speak with one voice with high volume and support the minister so that the budget can be made to run in the interest of all? So, I advise the father figures that are pushing these boys to stop.

What is APC doing about this?

Let me be bold to tell the world that it does not mean that Adams Oshiomhole offended the entire party but Oshiomhole offended some persons within the party, because they saw him protecting the interest of a particular person. That was why he lost out. The removal of Oshiomhole brought about the defeat of the party in Edo State.

Who is in charge of the party today? We have only one leader, Mr. President, and don’t forget Mr. President is a person but the presidency is an institution. So, APC has nothing to do today, what matters most is the people of Niger Delta that are bearing the consequences. They need to come together, all the governors of the Niger Delta regardless of their political affiliations.

If you look at it, there is no governor today in the Niger Delta that belongs to the ruling party. So, instead of them to come together to back up the issue of Niger Delta, they are not doing that because they think Akpabio will take the glory.

Some of the senators representing the nine states of Niger Delta today are PDP. So, when APC senators from Niger Delta raise an issue – a developmental issue – PDP senators will not support the same. This is wrong. They need some level of political understanding.

Are you not worried that the militants may go back to the creeks if nothing is done to meet their demands?

Can’t your party leadership intervene?

If you are talking about APC or the leaders in the Niger Delta concerning this matter, it will not yield any position result. Today, the APC caucus in Niger Delta is not together.

They speak from different points of view.

But I want to tell you clearly, the Niger Delta Avengers are not illiterates and they are not demonic. Some of them are Christians while others are Muslims. They need to be talked to and I am sure they will see reasons to back out eventually.

Before the expiration of the 21-day ultimatum, I believe something positive will happen. What we must do is for the leaders of the Niger Delta to rally round Akpabio and once this happens, the boys will toe the path of peace.

These things are happening because some people just believe that they must enrich themselves while giving out stipends to the boys. This is not going to work. What happened recently in Lagos is a tip of the iceberg. We should not pray something like that erupt in the Niger Delta. We won’t be able to recover from it for many years.

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COVID-19 patient treatment

2020, COVID-19 and Reflection on Human Immortality Tunji Olaopa

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he year 2020 will go down in history as the annus horribilis for the human race; the year that millions of lives were forfeited to a tiny and inanimate virus with no sensate hope or ambition. Yet, the coronavirus has decimated millions, and left many millions more cowering in our helplessness. This is one terrible year when most humans, for whom death is often a distant thought, came face to face with the possibility of a sudden demise from a COVID-19 ambush. 2020 has been the very definition of uncertainty for everyone, from the mighty to the lowly. We all got sucked into the vortex palpable fear—no one knew when the virus will strike, where it could be contracted, or how fatal it could be. COVID-19 became the most lethal of all the enemies humans have ever contended with. And it fueled our uncertainty in the very fact that we had no certain fact about its character and modus operandi.

As the usual tradition goes with the coming of a new year, we all welcomed 2020 with hope and resolutions.

Governments made budgets, humans made plans, organizations made projections. The year was to be the usual in the trajectory of human activities and busyness. Children will be born, and adult will grow old and die. There will be achievements all around the world, and calamities too. The usual diseases will keep ravaging humanity, from cancer to tuberculosis. All the states of the world would battle their normal internal crises and predicament, and few resolutions would be made. And yet, we all neglected what had been on humanity’s radar since humanity began its civilizational march many centuries ago; the very underbelly of humans’ desire to transcend themselves.

COVID-19 brought humanity very low. It humbled us at the very height of our civilizational achievements. Ralph Waldo Emerson, the American philosopher, once perceptively remarked: “The end of the human race will be that it will eventually die of civilization.” Since the Stone Age, and then the Industrial Revolution, humanity has grown beyond its cradle which is the earth. We not only concretized the fragility of the earth; we also have turned our attention to the space. Humanity has arrived at what Mark Twain called the “limitless multiplication of unnecessary necessities.” This validates the Yoruba adage that when humans have eaten and are surfeited, they then look for unnecessary distractions.

After civilization had settled the issue of survival, it was then time for humans to transcend themselves, especially through the discoveries of science and technology and its limitless possibilities and dangers in ways that are often indistinguishable. When humans cracked the secret of the atom, we arrived at the nuclear reactor as well as the nuclear atomic bomb. We now contemplate a posthuman world with the breakthrough with artificial intelligence.

In its very essence, civilization commenced as humanity’s search for survival. It has now been transformed into an

exploration of our possible immortality. To be human is not only to be mortal, but to also have the capacity to perceive the infinite, which we do not see in our finitude. Humanity is trapped in the yearning for infinitude; the desire to undermine our mortality and live forever. Abraham Lincoln puts it better: “Surely God would not have created such a being as man, with an ability to grasp the infinite, to exist only for a day! No, no, man was made for immortality.” And so, once the first land was tilled and farmed, agriculture enabled humans to conquer starvation. But it also enabled an abundance that helped us to keep staving off death.

With medicine, humans started to invade the genetic code to hold off the principle of ageing encoded into our being.

We started battling diseases and sicknesses, and also death.

Immortality therefore lies in the achievement of civilization for humanity. We have to keep overreaching ourselves in other to be able to overreach our mortality.

Unfortunately, civilization is what makes you sick, says Paul Gauguin, the French post-impressionist artist. But more than this, civilization already puts in stock the pointer to what will eradicate humanity—the nuclear threat, and the virus. Since the combined effort of humanity’s brilliant scientists unlocked the secret of the atom, the human race has remained on the precipice of self-destruction. When Hiroshima and Nagasaki snowballed into the atomic mushroom, we saw in that catastrophe, the possibility of undermining our own race for immortality. That is the paradox of civilization: it contained the seed for our immortality and our destruction in unequal proportion. In other words, we are more likely to be destroyed than to achieve immortality.

If humanity is destroyed, then there will be no one left to remember us. This is where the insight of Emerson leads us—the civilization we have invented to ensure our immortality is what will most likely kill and efface us and all the infinitude we ever hoped for.

The reality of our accelerated mortality came alive in 2020. Nature rebelled against the unmitigated assault on her sanctity and exploitation. A family of the coronaviruses jumped its boundary and landed in the civilized space of humanity. And we were not prepared because we have always underestimated the virus. After all, we seem to have got the structure of most of the viruses we know and their epidemiological features. The common cold is one of the most dangerous ailment afflicting humanity, but we seem to have tamed it. What can we not tame? Yet, we have arrived at the limit of human hubris. And it is neither yet from aliens in outer spaces nor from artificial intelligence. It is from a lowly virus that is inorganic and inanimate. There is less we know about the virus and its behavior than we really know.

The novelty of the coronavirus effectively undermines the accumulated scientific knowledge about its type that we have stockpiled for decades.

Mercifully, 2020 has also become the year in which humanity has managed to get an understanding of the vaccination that will stop the virus in its deadly track. Of course, human beings have the resilience to always overcome whatever adversity is brought on them either naturally

or by their own efforts. But then, humanity has brought itself too many times to the precipice of destruction not to take notice of the dangerous side of our existence and the search for immortality. Essentially, it is human hubris that brought the pandemic of 2020 upon us. It is our inability to take stock of our civilizational progress and how far we are willing to go to transcend our humanity. It is certain that the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines, for instance, and all the others almost ready for us will provide instant relief from the scourge of the COVID-19. But should the fact of the vaccines, or human resilience in the face of troubles, blind us to how far-fetched our search for immortality is, or how dangerous?

Hippocrates, the ancient Greek physician, has a piece of wisdom we can draw on: “A wise man should consider that health is the greatest of human blessings, and learn how by his own thought to derive benefit from his illnesses.” What insight do we need to urgently derive from this pandemic, and from others that have afflicted humankind? What deep lessons does COVID-19 teach us in 2020? It is simple: there is a need to de-escalate humanity’s rush for self-destruction. If this family of coronavirus could make the fatal jump into the human host, there are so many more that can. Thus, the arrival of the breakthrough in vaccination against the coronavirus ought not be interpreted as the resumption of our human normality or the onslaught against nature.

On the contrary, it ought to be a time to pause and reassess what it means to be human, and what civilization ought to mean.

And more than this, we need a redefinition of what it means to be immortal. Humans can only be immortal in the face of posterity and the state in which we leave the world.

Posterity is our immortality. Unfortunately, the logic of civilization is often oriented towards a further exploitation of the universe with scant thought for what future generations will make of the progress we have achieved, and the failures we leave behind. It ought to be clear to humanity now that civilization is amok.

From the First to the Fourth Industrial Revolution, humans are barely managing the benefits of progress since we are ever confronted with the threat of imploding the world as we know it. 2020 and the pandemic make it very clear to us that we are nearer destruction, and the undermining of our own immortality, that we imagine. The COVID-19, uncontained, has the capacity to kill the whole of humanity.

And we have barely even managed to get it arrested. And who knows what the future of more scientific and technological breakthrough holds? The coronavirus is insisting on the imperatives of weighing human progress on the scale of morality. Civilizational progress is not an unconditional good. It needs to be tempered by further thought on how our immortality can be retained in the womb of the future of those yet unborn.

––Prof. Tunji Olaopa, Retired Federal Permanent Secretary & Directing Staff, National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, Jos, tolaopa2003@gmail.com, tolaopa@isgpp.com.ng.

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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 ˾ ͻ˜ ͺ͸ͺ͹

Lessons on First Anniversary of Ile Arugbo Alabi Olayemi Abdulrazak

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t is exactly one year on January 2, 2021 that the Kwara State Government took official possession of a portion of land otherwise known as Ile Arugbo or Ile L’Oke, depending on which side of Kwara politics one may belong to. Until the takeover, the land housed some shelters where the late Senator Olusola Saraki, and later his children, gathered their political followers to share largesse of various kinds. That facility until recently was notorious for annual stampedes and mysterious deaths of hundreds of people, mostly the aged.

The days leading January 2, 2020, the very day the land was taken over by the government, were charged. Precisely on December 28, the government issued a statement announcing the reclamation of the land from a firm, Asa Investment Limited, which is purportedly owned by the late Saraki on the ground that the land belonged to the government, was meant for construction of a secretariat, but was dubiously gifted to the firm without a dime paid to the public coffers or any document lawfully transferring its ownership to any private person. On December 29, Senator Bukola Saraki fired back, accusing the government of witch-hunt and unfairly targeting his family. But much more instructive was Senator Bukola Saraki’s claim in his statement that the land lawfully belonged to his father, that they have documents to back their claim to the land, and that they were going to court to reclaim their inheritance!

I found a few things curious about the Asa Investment Limited: it ceased existing decades ago after it was struck off the record of the Corporate Affairs Commission due to dormancy and non-payment of dues. Its shareholders and directors died many years ago. A shocker: no Saraki was ever a shareholder in the firm while it existed, yet Sarakis are laying claim to it and the public land purportedly gifted to it. My verdict: Asa Investment Limited existed only as a conduit for suspicious activities.

There is something else to note: on the morning of January 2, 2020 when the shelters were demolished and the government took possession, the Sarakis claimed the action was subjudice because they had secured a court injunction restraining the government from doing so. This made many people, especially people outside Kwara, to take a position against the government for acting contrary to a court injunction. However, to this date, the Sarakis never produced the court injunction dated between December 28 and January 2nd when the government took that action. Looking back now, this suggests that Sarakis had lied over their claim. It took about a week after January 2 before they actually went to court to restrain the government from proceeding to erect anything on the land.

A cardinal argument of the Sarakis was that they had a lawful claim to the land which they were ready to prove before the court. Every analyst, legalist, and columnist who took positions on the celebrated matter hinged their arguments on the existence of a right of occupancy or certificate of occupancy which the Sarakis said they possessed.

Everyone waited to see the star document produced before the court. The case the Sarakis filed had since begun in court. However, exactly a year after, at no time have the media reports on the matter from the court revealed how the Sarakis have now produced the document showing their ownership of the land to counter government’s claim that what the Sarakis did was to convert public land to their family inheritance.

At a point, rather than produce the right of occupancy document, the media reported how Sarakis were mobilising community leaders to resolve the matter out of court. The court, apparently not seeing any document, at some point advised both parties to find amicable solutions to the logjam. That did not happen. Then parties returned to the court. Sarakis refused to open their case, they refused to bring documents or witnesses to prove their case. Instead, they constantly sought adjournments after adjournments.

On August 6, 2020, the court officially lifted its injunctions restraining the government from erecting any structure on the land. The court went ahead to fine the Sarakis for clearly wasting the time of the court. That signalled something: the court already knew there was no res to be destroyed anymore. The court, in good conscience, could no longer restrain the rightful owners of the land, the government, from using its land.

Saraki’s Family House In Ilorin, ‘Ile Arugbo.’ Demolished By Kwara State Government

Another Demolished house by Kwara State Government Of course, Sarakis would take none of it. They later asked the judge to recuse himself from the case because he lifted the temporary restraining injunction. On December 26, not wanting to set a bad precedent, the court struck out the request for the judge to stand down. There is no merit to the argument, the judge held. Of course, the case will continue.

One year after, the Sarakis have not substantiated their claim of ownership to the land. While we wait for them to do so, there are lessons to take away. One, we must be slow to take positions against government’s decisions. Two, there is something strange about the Sarakis of Kwara: they have a very annoying sense of entitlement.

Whether in his body language or utterances, Bukola Saraki still believes Kwara is his inheritance.

His statement on Ile Arugbo on December 29, 2019 had entitlement written all over it. Today, his claims have proven to be false. When he recently came to Kwara purportedly for his father ’s remembrance prayers, his carriage suggested a man totally ignorant of why people got tired of him. I do not pray he or his lackeys ever learn the whys.

There is something else to note. Apart from the annual death rituals associated with it, Ile Arugbo represented some of the most backward features of Kwara under the Sarakis. It is gratifying to note that the characteristic gathering of old people who queued to collect N200 and food has disappeared. While it is open for improvement, the social investment programme of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq with a component that gives elderly people some bi-monthly govern-

ment grants to support themselves is a decent and much more humane replacement for the practices in Ile Arugbo. This is so for three reasons: there is no pretence that AbdulRazaq is using his personal money to take care of these elderly, vulnerable people. Also, this stipend is paid to them at their doorsteps. This is contrary to them being bused under the most dehumanising conditions to go collect N200 from a politician who claimed he was doing so from his own private pocket. Finally, government’s social protection for the poor is a major policy advice by various global development bodies to stem the tide of extreme poverty and hunger.

Some persons have called the social investment cosmetic and unsustainable. Apart from them missing the point, these critics are hypocritical because they were in fact known foot soldiers of the Sarakis. Condemning an institutionalised support for the elderly while looking away when the same senior citizens were dehumanised at Ile Arugbo is the height of hypocrisy no one should listen to.

Finally, in the spirit of the essence of this article, one truly hopes to see that document that proves Sarakis’ ownership of the land. As a Kwaran, I know this document will never come. But much more important is a need by every patriot to ensure that our state is forever rid of a repeat of the era of Sarakis again. Even without them in the saddle, it would take decades to regain what the state has lost.

––Alabi, a political scientist, writes from Ilorin.

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THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ ANUARY 3, 2021

INTERNATIONAL 2020: The Year of International Controversy and When the Whole World Could Not Breath

M

odern international relations began in 1648 with the signing of the Treaty of Westphalia, while contemporary international relations started in 1870, with the outbreak of Franco-Prussian war. In this era of modern and contemporary international relations, the world has been witnessing more of crises and conflicts of survival, largely characterised by wars and health hazards. The decades of the 20s have been quite notorious.

For example, On January 21, 1720 Sweden and Prussia signed a peace treaty to end their war, the Great Northern War, between Russian and Swedish empires (1700-1721). On May 25, 1720, the Grand St. Antoine, a Ship, reached Marseille, France, and by so doing, brought Europe’s last major plague outbreak. On June 9, 2020, Sweden and Denmark signed a peace treaty. Thus, the Eighteenth Century had its own share of global challenges.

The Nineteenth Century was not in any way different. The decade of the 1820s began with the Peterloo Massacre of 1819, followed by Cato Street Conspiracy of 1820 and the Radical War in Scotland in 1820. The Gregorian calendar began on January 1, 1820 and ended on December 31, 1829. In the same vein, on May 20, 1820, the agreement done between Spain and the Quadruple Alliance (Britain, France, The Netherland and Austria), on February 13, 1820, by which Spain’s claims over Italian possessions of the French throne and the Austrian and the Duchy of Savoy trade Sicily for Sardinia were resolved, came into force. Thus, the world of 1820 was not different. It was a world of cholera outbreak.

Additionally, the 20th Century was not better. It was worse.

The year 1920 witnessed the good news of the establishment of the League of Nations, but also sadly, the first worst terrorist attack on the United States in its political history. In 1920, the US Constitution was amended twice in a single year and women were given the right of vote. As good news as this could be, on September 16, 1920 at the corner of the busiest Wall Street, an improvised explosive was detonated from a horse-drawn cart.

The whole width of the Wall Street was enveloped with flame.

Thirty-eight lives were lost. On the right to vote, even though it was as far back as 1638 that the struggle for right of women to vote began with the demand for such right by Margaret Brent and her women’s suffrage movement, it was not until 1920 that the right was conceded. But this right never meant the right for everyone to breath.

And true enough, the year 1920 was not only the year the Ku Klux Klan, a genocidal domestic terrorist organisation, was revitalised, but also the year US President, Woodrow Wilson suffered medical challenges (brain damage, partial blindness, paralysis, etc, as a result of internal blood clotting) and his wife, as First Lady, became the first woman, de facto President of the United States for about one and a half years. And perhaps most importantly, the year 2020 has been the mother of all the decades of the 20s. It was a special year the whole world could not breath for various national and international considerations.

Inability to Breath: the National Dimensions

The notion of inability to breathe in 2020 is traceable to George Floyd, a hip-hop and 46-year-old artist, who was inhumanly and very brutally killed on May 25, 2020 by a Minneapolis policeman, following a telephone call to 911 by a store employee that George Floyd had bought cigarettes with a counterfeit $20 bill. When the policemen arrived, four in number, one of them, Derek Chauvin, pinned him down beneath the police patrol vehicle while the three other officers were happily watching the thorough bastardisation and brutalisation of a fellow black American. The brutalisation took many forms: violent arrest on the basis of the yet-to-be verified allegation of spending a counterfeited $20 bill; struggle between the accused and the policemen to the extent of pushing the accused under the running board of the police vehicle; kneeling down on the cervical vertebrates of George Floyd for not less than eight minutes, in such a way that the vertebrates were completely dismembered. He was more than half-dead before going to finally die in police custody.

The essential point about the foregoing narrative is that when Derek Chauvin knelt down on the neck of George Floyd, as if he was praying to God or defending the rule of law in America, George Floyd was dying gradually and he cried out, ‘I cannot breathe.’ This was how the notion of inability to breathe became

VIE INTERNATIONALE

Bola A. Akinterinwa Telephone : 0807-688-2846

e-mail: bolyttag@yahoo.com

Ghebreyesus, W.H.O President an emerging conceptual issue in international relations. How many countries of the world can actually breathe in the current globalising world of imbalance of power? Which people in Africa can lay a good claim to breathing well? In which way is George Floyd’s inability to breathe different from the inability of the people of Nigeria to breathe?

In an interview granted to the University of Harvard Gazette, on June 4, 2020, by a Sociology Professor, Orlando Patterson, of John Cowles University, Professor Patterson said that ‘the killing of George Floyd was ‘especially chilling, because of the nonchalance, the sense of complete indifference, the disdain for someone’s life that the police officer showed as he killed Floyd.

We have seen videos of brutality in the past, but this one came right after a series of police killings, and it simply reached the breaking point’ (vide Liz Mineo report entitled ‘’Why America Can’t Escape its Racist Roots).

This is precisely the origin of inability to breath which is being manifested in democratic governance in various forms and in international relations. The manifestations can be explicated at two complementary levels: national and international. At the national level, the examples of Nigeria and the United States are good illustrations. At the international level, the Brexit and COVID-19-induced inability to breathe will serve as illustration cases.

As regards inability to breathe in the United States, it started with George Floyd as noted above, even though there was the case of a black woman, Breonna Taylor, who was shot at by three Kentucky policemen (Jonathan Mattingly, Brett Hankison and Myles Cosgrove) in a botched raid on March 13. As noted in a lawsuit report by Ben Crump, a lawyer who was also representing the family of Ahmaud Arbery, another black man killed in Georgia earlier on in February, the Louisville police officers forced their way into the Breonna Taylor’s house in Louisville, Kentucky, and ‘blindly fired’ her and her boyfriend, Walker.

Breonna Taylor was an EMT worker and was not armed. Walker had a licensed gun. Both of them were fast asleep when the police came and claimed they came with a warrant of arrest. They claimed to have knocked at the door several times but no one responded, hence the decision to force their way inside forcefully.

Breonna Taylor and her boyfriend, believed that the intruders were simply burglars and therefore fired at the policemen in self-defence when they forcefully entered the house. The police

Without whiff of doubt, 2020 was a year of controversies nationally and internationally. While President DonaldTrump made strenuous efforts to bring US esteem down by ridiculing the US electoral system for personal selfish gains, the political selfishness in Nigeria is best explained by self-deceit and presentation of lies and wrong interpretation of facts as truths. One current illustration of this observation is what Bishop Mathew Kukah reportedly said about the use of coup making in changing Government in Nigeria. A failed or wounded WASCE student cannot interpret Bishop Kukah’s statement, as reported, as advocating military coups. It is only Nigeria’s political hypocrites that can always have the effrontery to misinterpret his simple expression of English language, not because of lack of intellectual acumen, but because political survival in Nigeria is always defined by untruths. Government is fighting corruption but the fight has its politics of protection. Government is fighting terrorism and banditry but those who are aiding and abetting the vices are also in government, etc. Whoever is not honest with himself can never be able to be honest with other people. Nigeria of today is a terra cognita for political dishonesty and therefore will not be able to breathe in the foreseeable future because of this

mercilessly shot at Breonna Taylor eight times and took her life.

She could not breathe at all.

In this regard, what does inability to breathe mean? If there was a warrant of arrest and the carrier of the warrant could not get access to the house, what prevented the law enforcement agents from blocking access into and from the house until the suspects in the house would be compelled to come out? If the policemen forced their way in, but only to discover that the wanted suspects were not inside, would the forceful break-in have been lawful?

How would people that were fast asleep be expected to hear any knocking, if the knocking was not violent? If the knocking were to be violent, would the violent knocking not have necessarily sent signals of danger to Breonna Taylor and her boyfriend, and therefore of the need to prepare for self-defence?

The truth of the matter, so far, is that the real suspect being looked for was neither Taylor nor Walker, but a suspect who, at the material time of killing, was in the custody of the Louisville police. Additionally, the residence of the real suspect was more than one kilometre away. The belief of the policemen was that the car of the real suspect was being packed near the place of Breonna Taylor. With this type of flimsy excuses to aggress black people, the movement of the ‘Lives of Black Women Also Matter’ has continued to gain strength and ascendancy. Indeed, many people could not breath in the United States as a result.

The inability to breathe was complicated by many complex factors: protests, led by black movements, against the killing of George Floyd; the killing of a 29-year-old Jacob Blake, by a white police officer seven times on his back outside an apartment in Kenosha, Wisconsin, on August 23rd, 2020 in the presence of his three children. This development prompted more protests, compelling President Donald Trump to advise all state governors to take effective measures to nip in the bud all protests, and failure to do so would warrant the deployment of the use of the US military forces to contain the protests.

At the level of Nigeria, inability to breathe does not simply emanate from police brutality, as encapsulated by the #EndSARS protests, but especially from insecurity and dishonesty-driven governance of Nigeria, at both the state and federal levels of government. Political governance in Nigeria is hardly about protection of the people but that of manifestations of opportunism and exploitation and killing Nigeria softly and gradually.

And true, in Nigeria, people put in public positions to protect the people and ensure national security are precisely the very people also thwarting the objective. Government, more often than not, thinks after decision-taking, and hardly before. In 2020, there was the case of abduction of the Government Science Secondary School Boys in Kankara, Katsina State, the home State of President Muhammadu Buhari (PMB).

On December 11, 2020 hundreds of gunmen, riding on motorbikes, arrived at the boarding secondary school, held more than 300 boys in the school in hostage, and herded them away on motorbikes without anyone being able to accost anyone of them.

The abduction of the ‘’Kankara Boys’’, as they are now referred to in Nigeria’s political lexicon, is quite thought-provoking and does not allow law-abiding Nigerians to truly breathe.

First, PMB was coincidentally or otherwise in Daura on holiday. Daura is about 209.4 km via Daura-Katsina road, Katsina State, and yet the hoodlums had the effrontery to attack when PMB was nearby. Second, presidential men claimed that only ten pupils were abducted, whereas 344 pupils were eventually released. Government said it never paid any ransom but one of the abducted pupils revealed the contrary as his captors later made it clear. Alleged bandits reportedly wanted to be well treated rather than in ransom paying. In the eyes of many observers, kidnapping is now a big business in Nigeria and this is why Nigerians will not be able to breathe in the foreseeable future

Inability to Breath: the International Aspects

At the international level, especially at the plurilateral level, inability to breathe in 2020 was largely driven by bad governance and intolerance of opposition parties, increasing insecurity and inability to effectively contain it, as well as by the COVID-19 pandemic. At the plurilateral level, for instance, there were the cases of the abduction of an opposition leader, Paul Rusesabagina in Rwanda and the ECOWAS intervention in Mali.

Regarding Rwanda, Mr. Paul Rusesabagina, who had been living in exile following the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, alleged that he was first kidnapped in August 2020, blind-folded and had his legs tied up. He was arrested in Belgium and whisked to Rwanda, expectedly to be tried for genocidal crimes. Some reports also have it that he travelled to Dubai, from where he returned to only find himself in Rwanda unknowingly.

Why it is difficult in Rwanda to breathe was not because of alleged offences of genocide, but apparently because Mr. Rusesabagina had co-founded the Rwandan Movement for Democratic Change (MRCD), based abroad, and had been very critical of the government of President Paul Kagame. This is the aspect that has been very painful for the government of President Kagame and probably why terrorist charges are now brought against him. He was accused of 13 offences, including terrorism financing, recruiting child soldiers, forming a rebel group, and complicity in murder.

Read full article online - 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 ˾ JANUARY 3, 2021

CICERO/INTERVIEW

Nwawuba: Call for Restructuring Is Legitimate to Strengthen Nigeria’s Unity Hon. Henry Nwawuba is a two-time legislator at the green chambers of the National Assembly. In this interview with Amby Uneze, he bares his mind on a number of issues including his rumoured defection to PDP. Excerpts:

A

s a ranking legislator at the National Assembly, what’s your experience been so far?

The House of Representatives is the most representative parliamentary body in Nigeria with every ethnic, religious and social tendency well represented. It is the broadest deliberative body in Africa. Being a ranking member has therefore afforded me the opportunity to experience firsthand, the thought processes and sentiments that exist across the country.

It has been an exciting experience seeing people of various backgrounds coming together to discuss Nigeria from their various perspectives with all the drama. Most importantly, my faith in the country has been rekindled seeing that every part of Nigeria has similar issues to contend with and my colleagues having a similar resolve to confront them.

You are representing one of the largest federal constituencies in the country, how have you been able to ensure effective representation?

The Mbatoli/Ikeduru Federal Constituency (MBAIKE) for short is one if not the most dynamic constituencies in Nigeria and indeed one of the most enlightened. Its communities have prominent sons and daughters, who operate at the highest echelons of the public and private sectors. I have been privileged to benefit from the wise counsel of elders and youths of the constituency and I have found it easy to build consensus among them.

I have established an open channel of consultation and communication with my constituents, always briefing them of our efforts and the challenges we face. I am happy that I have been able to channel the energies of the constituency towards conversations of development. Even those who disagree with our vision restrict their viewpoints to development issues.

It’s been an exciting time managing different expectations and egos.

In your candid opinion, what are your modest contributions/achievements to your constituency and Imo State?

You earlier mentioned that we are among the largest constituencies in Nigeria but regrettably, federal presence had been before now very rare in the area. Upon assumption of office, I took up the issue of this neglect with the various departments and agencies. For instance, I made sure the NDDC recognised my area in the distribution of infrastructural projects, because Imo State is part of their mandate area.

Today, there are many roads being constructed by the agency. I have also ensured an improvement in the employment of Mbaike youths in the federal civil service, the armed forces, the police and paramilitary agencies. Very important for me is the stimulation of small business through training and empowerment schemes. It gives me great joy, when I see women and youth groups, who are beneficiaries of our empowerment schemes contributing their quota to national development at that level.

Most importantly, for me, is to make laws for greater social justice and inclusivity in the affairs of Nigeria for the benefit of all. As the Chairman of the Legislative Agenda of the 9th Assembly, I shall ensure that all Nigerians including my constituency enjoy the full benefits of nationhood.

You are rumoured to be planning to join the APC to enable you run for a higher office in 2023, how far have you gone with that arrangement?

I have debunked this insinuation at several platforms. I do not know where this rumour is coming from. I can tell you categorically that I am here today, because the PDP provided a platform for me to serve my people and I therefore, have no moral justification to abandon this platform. I want to also tell you that Imo State is predominantly a PDP state in sspite of the setbacks we suffered at the Supreme Court.

The people are still resolutely PDP and I have never contemplated swimming against such a tide.

Your zone, (Owerri zone) or Imo East is believed to have been treated badly in terms of the governorship of the state. Do you subscribe to the view that the people of the zone are their own problems?

Politics is a game of give and take but the most important thing is for the attainment of peace and development with justice and fairness. No constituent part of a state should feel left out as far as the affairs of the state are concerned. There have been conversations on issues of equity among the senatorial zones and there have been genuine concerns, which I am

Nwawuba sure the elders and leaders of the state will give consideration to at the appropriate time. It is not a case of the people of Owerri being a problem but of course, there is the need for greater synergy and harmony among the leaders of the zone.

Prominent Nigerians have been calling for Restructuring of the country; do you see that option as Nigeria’s road to greatness?

Every Nigerian should be concerned about emerging tendencies that seem to weaken the federation.

Even buildings are regularly renovated for them to remain. I have not seen a building that will remain intact for 100 years without renovation. The call for restructuring is a legitimate one to strengthen the basis of our union. The call is one to recalibrate and correct the areas where we have fallen short as we move forward. Nigerians should develop the habit of a constant dialogue on how to continue our coexis-

tence as one country.

As a youth, what would be your suggestion to the federal government as a way of carrying them along to be part of the country’s desired progress?

The recent #EndSARS protest has shown the capacity of the Nigerian youths to organise in a sophisticated manner. Before the protests were hijacked by criminal elements, we saw a well-choreographed movement, where demands were articulated and submitted to the federal government.

The prompt response of the federal government is an encouraging first step and I encourage the government to leave the channels of dialogue open and emphasise less on crackdowns. Crackdowns only incubate conflicts for future escalations. I, however, wish to appeal to the youths to harvest the same passions and express them at the ballot box and not through disruptive conduct.

75

THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ JANUARY 3, 2021

THE ALTERNATIVE

with RenoOmokri

Start Living The Good Life

T

his week’s #TheAlternative, is an excerpt from my last book, Start Solving Problems, released in June 2020. Below is a full chapter in the book, which has helped many people around the world transform their lives and achieve their dreams. And it is my belief that it will help readers of my column access a Christ-like mind that enables them live the good life here on Earth.

The purpose of life is to enjoy it within the boundaries set by God. If you are not enjoying life, you need to start enjoying it now. Nothing and no one is stopping you from enjoying life except yourself. Do not wait until you hit it big. Happiness is a choice. Celebrate the fact that God gave you consciousness irrespective of where you are in life.

The purpose of life is to live a life of purpose. So live purposefully, not carelessly. Purpose in your mind that you will live the good life no matter what. Christ died for you to have it. God has given you everything you need to live it. There is absolutely nothing anyone can do to stop you from living the good life once you decide that, that is what you want to do.

And this is not some pie in the sky Pollyanna-ish philosophy. I am talking about something that God’s word promises and which I have and am still experiencing.

Nobody knows if he or she will be alive tomorrow, thus it is foolishness to postpone your enjoyment of life till tomorrow. There is no reason why you should not enjoy life right now. The purpose of life is not to live it. It is to enjoy it!

God is not going to give your life meaning. He already gave you His word, and your brain and mind. Start living the good life by using these resources to give your life meaning. God is available to do for you what you can’t do for yourself and not what He has empowered you to do.

I am an ambassador of faith, motivation and the John 10:10 life that Christ promised to those who believe in God through Him, because I have experienced that, that life is possible if you apply the principles in God’s word.

It does not matter if you are going through storms.

External storms should not affect your internal joy.

Rather, your internal joy should permeate your storms and calm them.

Rain does not fall when the sky is blue and beautiful.

Rather, the darker the cloud, the more rain it brings.

Learn from that. The challenges in your life are your period of rainfall. Those are the times when you grow.

Crisis comes with opportunity. Opportunity brings growth. Growth allows you to live the good life and extend it to others.

Build your character because that is the infrastructure that will enable you live the good life in a sustained manner otherwise you will have the good life today and the not-so-good life tomorrow. Character is essential.

Many people make a mistake and think they can build the good life on the strength of shallow things like their looks and physical attributes. It is not possible to do so because as we age, physical attributes deteriorate.

Your nails start falling off three days after death. Hair follows on the fourth day. At sixty days, only bones remain. All the money we spend on hair, nails, make up, gone! The only thing that you develop in life that outlasts your death is your character. Therefore, you can only consistently live the good life to the extent that you consistently develop your character.

That is why Proverbs 4:18 teaches as follows: “The path of the just is like the shining sun, That shines ever brighter unto the perfect day.” (NKJV).

Notice that our light does not shine bright. No. It shines brighter each new day. That indicates a continuum of growth. It is that growth continuum that ensures that we consistently enjoy the good life.

As part of your character development, you will need to always have goals and targets. They give you something to aim for in life. Without goals and targets, life will be aimless. The discipline required to achieve your goals and targets is key to character development.

In trying to achieve your goals and targets, you will naturally face obstacles. Do not focus on them. Be aware of them, but do not fixate on obstacles. Instead, focus on possibilities. What you focus on will dominate your life.

Naturally, bees sting. But their honey is sweet. If you focus on the sting, you will never get the sweet.

Heaven is not just a place God’s children go to when we die physically. Heaven is also a place successful, purposeful and contented people live while alive. There is a literal heaven in the afterlife, but by your actions and or inactions, you can make this life a heaven or hell.

When I talk about living the good life, I do not refer to a ‘good’ life built on the back of crime and sin. That is why I am particular about character development. Money made in ways that ruin your character is money that

THE PUBLIC SPHERE with Chido Nwakanma

cannot consistently give you the good life.

No matter how rich you are, you still grow old and die. As you are accounting for your millions with your accountant, remember you will also account for your life with the great Accountant. It is good to make money. But it is best to make heaven!

And one thing we learn from the parable of the rich man and Lazarus is that character and memory are the only things that we will take with us from this life into the next. We see that both Lazarus and the rich man retained their character and their memory, but they did not retain their Earthly status.

Lazarus did not make it in life, but his righteousness took him to heaven. The rich man made it in life, but his wickedness took him to hell. Do not be deceived by wealth without character. It can give you the good life for a time, but it cannot give you the good life for a lifetime.

Your money will not be buried with you. Your power will not be buried with you. Your pride will not be buried with you. You will be buried with your memories and character. In life, do not just make money, power and pride. Make good memories and character.

And in living the good life, you must not race with the car in front of you. Drive your life at your pace. If you race with the car ahead of you, you never know what can happen. You may get the accident meant for the car you are racing with. Run your own race.

Do not allow the things that this world sees as a drawback hold you back from living a good life. God has already given you permission to have the John 10:10 life.

Do not consult your background or educational status before you make up your mind that the good life is for you.

Yes, you may or may not have done well in school.

You may or may not have a degree. It does not matter whether or not you failed in school.

Examinations are a test of memory, not a test of intelligence. Do not feel you are unintelligent because you failed an examination or you did not get a degree.

It is better to fail at school but win in life than to pass at school and fail at life. And as long as you have God and His son, you will pass in life and you can start living the good life.

Start Solving Problems is available at WHSmith, Barnes and Noble, amazon, eBay, and wherever good books are sold.

@ChidoNigeria https://www.facebook.com/chido.nwakanma

Agenda 2021

C

onsiderable excitement has attended the entry of the New Year 2021. Much of it comes from relief at the end of the horrible 2020. Eternal hope in the human heart is the other impulse as people wish and pray for a better year.

Caution is a dominant theme. Even the rambunctious seers couched their prognostications in loose and general terms to avoid the serial failure they suffered in 2020. The best that we can venture is to state that 2021 has potential to yield many successes for Nigeria and Nigerians.

Agenda 2021 is the concern of all citizens, for self and for the country.

Nigerian Year of Gas Expansion 2021 is the year of gas in Nigeria, according to pronouncements by two critical organs, the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, and the Central Bank of Nigeria.

2021 is the Nigerian Year of Gas Expansion that will see Nigeria pivoting to compressed natural gas (CNG).

The Central Bank has laid out N250billion to back the “ambitious” programme.

The N250billion intervention facility would stimulate investment in the gas value chain. The CBN lists up to 20 types of projects the facility would fund.

Minister of state for Petroleum Timipre Sylva said in December 2020 that the Federal Government will kick-start the distribution of compressed natural gas as a key transport fuel “by the end of 2021”. It is part of a strategy to gradually replace high-sulphur gasoline.

The National Gas Expansion Program focuses on the distribution of CNG and liquefied petroleum gas across stations operated by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation.

Sylva claimed, “The [Muhammadu] Buhari administration is focused on developing the country’s natural gas resources, as part of the government bid to key

into the global shift from crude oil to gas.” The minister added that “The plan to develop CNG into alternative automobile fuel will also afford Nigerians cheaper, cleaner and additional fuel.”

This column wrote on the pivot to gas before the formal launch. The advertised late take-off date is a dampener. Nigeria is already late to this party. It is surprising that policy makers continue to doodle and fail to treat the matter as urgent and important.

The reality is that the world is moving rapidly away from petroleum. Demand has declined, while prices are falling. The combination of reduced demand and lower prices will accelerate in 2021.

Many countries are implementing their alternative energy plans with gusto. In December Britain celebrated the growing success with wind power. Wikipedia records that“The United Kingdom is one of the best locations for wind power in the world and is the best in Europe. Wind power contributed 20% of UK electricity generation in 2019, making up 54% of electricity generation from renewable sources.”

The UK is generating 54% of its electricity from renewables. They have set a deadline of 2030 to move away from petrol even for vehicles. Many other countries have done so.

As the world moves away from our primary resource, Nigeria continues to doodle on the alternatives. We should be developing alternatives urgently, both for income and self-preservation. What is the emperor doing as Rome burns?

A president in Ishiagu and red cap The beginning of 2021 means the effective countdown to change of government in 2023. The people of the South East have staked a legitimate claim to have one of them serve as President of Nigeria from May 2023.

It is baffling, therefore, that there are no contenders yet for the Office of the President from the South East.

Is the cutlass not sharp or are there no wielders? How do the Igbo intend to wrest this diadem without an early start?

Many of our folks envision Mr Peter Obi as a candidate with high potentials and acceptability. Obi has a sterling record for governing Anambra State in the best traditions. He was vice-presidential candidate to Abubakar Atiku in the 2019 elections. Peter Obi has also done a good job of visibility across platforms, engaging as a public affairs analyst and contributor to national discourse. Please, what holds Peter Obi from formally declaring for the race?

Governor David Umahi has engineered positives in infrastructure in Ebonyi State. He has rebranded Ebonyi from the poor cousin of the Igbo to the admired sibling. There is a swagger in the steps of Ndi Ebonyi nowadays.

There is talk of an alleged presidential ambition by Dave Umahi. He has made some moves, including switching allegiance to the APC from the PDP that gave him so much in the last 21 years of democracy in Nigeria. His move caused turmoil in his home state.

What then is holding Umahi back? When would he drop his hat in the ring?

People mention other names as “potentials” from the South East. They include Ogbonnaya Onu, Orji Uzor Kalu and OsitaChidoka. It is all audio, as today’s generaton would put it.

2021 is oru la naomume for Ndigbo. Is it true that the Igbo desire to struggle for, acquire and control Nigerian state power in 2023? Where is the evidence?

The race would require formal declarations, not guesses, setting up structures, building alliances. They would need to network from home and across the other zones. It is a marathon.

On your marks for 2023, dear South East politicians.

More on Agenda 2021 in the coming weeks.

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ ͱ˜ ͰͮͰͯ

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NEWS Nigeria Not Ready as AfCFTA Takes off, Say LCCI, MAN

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

&LWH LQIUDVWUXFWXUH GHÀFLW SURGXFWLRQ FDSDFLW\ DV FRQVWUDLQWV &KDOOHQJH )* WR LPSURYH SROLF\ HQYLURQPHQW FRPSHWLWLYHQHVV Gboyega Akinsanmi Nigeria is not yet ready to take full advantage of the $3.4 trillion intra-continental trade deal heralded by the coming into force of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), Lagos Chambers of Commerce & Industry (LCCI) and Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) have said.

The two bodies enumerated infrastructure deficit, quality and high cost of production as well as poor policy environment, among others, as fundamental challenges attesting to Nigeria’s unpreparedness for the intra-continental trade bloc.

In separate interviews with

THISDAY, LCCI’s Director-General, Dr. Muda Yusuf and MAN’s President, Mr. Mansur Ahmed explained diverse challenges that would undermine Africa’s biggest economy from benefitting optimally from the trade deal.

AfCFTA, a trade agreement the African Union (AU) brokered among its 54 member-states with the goal of creating a single market and a single currency union.

At its inauguration on March 21, 2018, no fewer than 44 African countries including Algeria, Angola, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, South Africa and Sudan signed the trade agreement in Kigali, Rwanda.

But Nigeria withheld its assent from the agreement, citing lack of

wide consultations with relevant stakeholders.

Amid protracted criticism, President Muhammadu Buhari eventually signed the trade declaration at the African Union summit in Niamey, Niger on July 7, 2019, about one year and six months before AfCFTA eventually became effective on January 1, 2021.

Now that AfCFTA has come into force, Yusuf, LCCI’s directorgeneral, told THISDAY that Nigeria “is not fully prepared yet for the $3.4 trillion intra-continental trade bloc, which according to analysts, could become the world’s biggest trade block.

Citing diverse challenges associated with the African

biggest economy, Yusuf argued that it would take some time for the AfCFTA to take shape due to what he ascribed to the issue of readiness first on the part of economic players.

He explained the readiness on the part of economic players “to mean the capacity to produce and the capacity to produce competitively.”

According to him, trade is, essentially, about competitiveness.

He said: “If you are not competitive, you cannot get any serious value from trade. So, we have a major weakness in our real sector because of the enabling business environment challenges.”

He noted that most manufactur-

BUDGET OF HOPE . . .

Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwoolu and his Deputy, Obafemi Hamzat at the signing of 2021 Budget of Hope and Restoration at the State House, Marina... Friday

ing industries in the country “are able to survive largely on the back of our protectionist policies.

“In other words, it is either we have very high tariffs or we have outright import bans to protect them. That is what is sustaining most of them, especially those that fall within the SME category.

“For multinationals and conglomerates, perhaps because of their sizes and economies of scale, the average costs will be much lower and they may be more competitive. For SMEs, there is a very high risk. That is the readiness on the part of the economic players.”

LCCI’s director-general, also, explained diverse constraints, which according to him, were connected to institutional readiness.

He noted that the institutional readiness “has to do with the readiness of the customs and all regulatory institutions. It is not clear how ready they are.

We know the lag we have in terms of policy pronouncement and implementation.

“Let us look at the case of land border reopening, for instance. As at today, vehicles can still not come in. At least, we had this pronouncement almost two weeks ago,” Yusuf observed.

He buttressed his position with the concern of the AfCFTA secretariat, which he revealed, had at different times expressed concern about institutional readiness, especially on the part of customs of many African countries.

In all these situations, LCCI’s

director-general urged the economic players in the country “to moderate our expectations.

AfCFTA implementation is likely to be gradually. There is still a lot of fine-tuning to do. There is a lot of reforming and restructuring of institutions to do.”

He, however, expressed concern about the institutional capacity of African countries “to enforce the rules of origin.

Among others, the rule of origin challenge is one of the biggest.

“What the rule of origin says is that the goods that will be traded under AfCFTA are goods that are produced within the countries that sign the agreement or goods that have substantial local content.

We have a continent with weak institutions.

“A lot of these institutions compromise, not only in Nigeria, but in other parts. They would bring goods from China and all sorts of places, repackage and present it as if it is from Africa. So, enforcing the rules of origin is a major challenge, which requires that institutions are ready.”

Ahmed, MAN’s president, largely shared the concern of LCCI’s director-general about the capacity of Nigeria to compete effectively under the new intracontinental trade regime.

He admitted that there “are many areas in which the country is not ready at the moment,” though observed that there “are other areas in which we are ready for the African trade agreement.”

PAPS Asks CBN to Obey Court Order on N37.4bn Promissory Notes

Tobi Soniyi

The Patriots for the Advancement Of Peace and Social Development (PAPS) has called on the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to obey the orders of a Federal High Court, Abuja, restraining it from going ahead to process the N14.9billion promissory notes belonging to Zamfara State in favour of the United Bank for Africa (UBA).

Also, the Zamfara State Government through its counsel, Ahmed Raji (SAN) has asked the apex

bank to exercise administrative prerogative by halting the redemption of the said promissory note.

The patriots made the call in a statement by its Chairman, Dr Sani Shinkafi at the weekend, warning the CBN against going ahead to give effect to the first promissory note of N14.9 billion.

It, also, told the apex bank not to honour the promissory note, bearing in mind that there was a subsisting order of the federal court restraining it from giving effect to the said money.

The government had approved

the cancellation of N37.4 billion promissory notes allegedly sold by the immediate past administration of former Governor Abdulazeez Yari in the state on the grounds that the process for the sale of promissory notes was not properly followed by the past administration.

The amount in question was a refund made to the state for the execution of federal roads by the immediate past administration in the state.

The court had on December 24, 2020 restrained CBN from acting

upon or processing or further processing the N14.9 billion promissory note belonging to Zamfara State government in favour of the United Bank For Africa (UBA).

The trial judge, Justice Nkonye Maha had after hearing an ex-parte application brought by the Zamfara State government and argued by Ahmed Raji (SAN) ordered the CBN not to do anything to destroy the res of the case.

The judge had ruled thus: “After hearing Ahmed Raji, SAN Learned Senior Counsel to the applicant appearing with W.A.

Adeniran moves in terms of the motion paper. And the court having taken into consideration the evidence before me, with the oral and written submissions of the Learned Senior Counsel to the plaintiff/applicant in this proceeding.

“And upon hearing that there are exceptional and compelling reasons to warrant the exercise of the court’s discretion in this proceedings and pursuant to Section 6 of the 1999 Constitution as amended and order 4(2); order 26 rules (1)(2)(3) (8) and order 56 rules (1)(2) of the court’s Civil Procedure Rules 2019. It is

ordered that the ex-parte application dated 23rd, December 2020 but filed on December 24th, 2020 is granted in the following terms: “That the prayer is granted as prayed.

“That an order of interim injunction is made restraining the 1st defendant (CBN) from acting upon, processing further any redemption in favour of the 2nd defendant (UBA), of the promissory note in FGN/PN/2018/SG/21 valued as N14,906.105.512.93 pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.

NCC, NIMC Explain SIM Replacement Policy Sowore: HURIWA Asks Police to Respect Constitution Emma Okonji

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has come up with a detailed explanation on how the SIM replacement policy would work.

They provided the details in a joint statement issued yesterday after lifting the suspension order on the replacement of Subscriber Identification Module (SIM) cards, by the federal government.

The statement was jointly signed

by NCC’s Director of Public Affairs, Dr. Ikechukwu Adinde and NIMC’s Head of Corporate Communications. Mr. Kayode Adegoke yesterday.

In the joint statement, the

agencies, which are members of the technical committee set up by the Ministerial Task Force on SIM-NIN integration, gave further insight into what is expected of all registered telecoms subscribers, when they begin the process of SIM replacement.

The statement said the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Ibrahim Pantami “has approved a SIM Replacement Policy for subscribers whose SIMs have been lost, stolen, misplaced or damaged subject to some conditions.”

The statement listed the conditions to include: “That the subscriber presents a National Identification Number (NIN); that an effective verification of the NIN is carried out by NIMC; and that the rel-

evant guidelines and regulations of NCC concerning SIM replacement are fully adhered to.”

It, also, explained that the policy was part of the federal government’s efforts “to reduce the burden on subscribers and simplify the exercise, and that the policy will enable telecommunications service users who need to replace their damaged, stolen or misplaced SIMs to re-establish access to telecom services.”

It, further, explained that the federal government’s drive “to ensure all subscriber registrations are linked with National Identification Numbers, was on course and that all stakeholders in the industry were working together to ensure the process is carried out as seamlessly as possible.

Tobi Soniyi

Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has beratee the Inspector General of Police Mohammed Adamu and the Nigeria Police Force for incessantly physically tormenting and harassing publisher of saharareporters Mr. Omoyele Sowore.

In a statement, the association said the arrest of Sowore for carrying out peaceful protests was wrong.

The rights group said the arrest of the activist confirmed the intelligence it got before the New Year that the year 2021 would be tough for civil rights campaigners in Nigeria because the federal government

would unleash what it called ‘scorched-earth anti-activists policies which components will include forced disappearances, armed abductions and mass arrests of human rights activists.’

HURIWA said the reported threat to the lives of Sowore and his associates by armed police from the Federal Capital Territory’s command who rounded the protesters up during their solemn cross over candle lights procession was not just unconstitutional and illegal but a violation of the rights to religious freedom, freedoms of movement, association and peaceful assembly as guaranteed by chapter 4 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria of 1999 as amended.

It said: “This Nigeria Police Force has indeed refused to heed the

voice of reason to change their terrible modus operandi as a force for evil and as an anti democratic reactionary elements.

“The Nigeria Police Force needs to be tailored and refocused to confront and combat widespread violence tearing apart the fabrics of our nation state and join the men and officers of the armed forces to battle the expanding frontiers of terror attacks in the North East of Nigeria and the North West.

“The police should learn to respect the constitutionally protected and guaranteed fundamental freedoms of the citizens. What Sowore and his associates did by assembling in Gudu junction in the nation’s capital has in no way constituted any threats to the national security interests of Nigeria.”

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NEWSXTRA Ayoade: Nigeria is Neither Federal Nor Republic

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An Emeritus Professor of Political Science, University of Ibadan, Prof.

John Ayoade has said the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as currently being referred to, is neither federal nor republic.

Ayoade, a member of the 2005 National Political Reform Conference (NPRC) and Director of Studies of the defunct Centre for Democratic Studies (CDS), justified his position on the ground that the governing document of the federation lacked foundational philosophy, an essential ingredient that defines a republic.

He expressed these views on Arise News Channels, the broadcast arm of THISDAY Newspapers Group on Thursday, pointing out diverse reasons the National Assembly should not continue with the amendment of 1999 Constitution

(As Amended).

At different times since 1999, socio-cultural leaders, minority groups, pro-democracy activists and academics, among others, had called for an entirely new constitution.

The agitation compelled former President Olusegun Obasanjo to convene the National Political Reform Conference (NPRC) in 2005 and former President Goodluck Jonathan to convene the National Conference in 2014 aimed at replacing the 1999 Constitution (As Amended).

However, none of the efforts aimed at replacing the 1999 Constitution (As Amended) yielded positive outcome due to the claims and counter-claims of inserting a third term under the Obasanjo administration and perhaps due to

Jonathan’s failure to win reelection.

Amid the renewed attempt by the National Assembly to amend the 1999 Constitution (As Amended), the emeritus professor provided different reasons that disqualified the National Assembly from producing a constitution for Nigeria.

According to him, the nation is neither federal nor a republic in the real sense of it.

“That is basic. What we have now is not a federal constitution.

It is not a republican constitution”,

he explained.

He said: “It is a uni-federal constitution. What do I mean by republican? Actually, from the origin, a Republic is a democratic state. Nigeria is not a democratic state for now.

“The 1999 constitution cannot guarantee a democracy for Nigeria in its present state. That is why I think those two flaws are very important and must be addressed.

“Third, the 1999 constitution

has no foundational philosophy.

It does not really tell us where we are going or where we want to be at any point in time. It is a constitution that is written just for the sake of governance.

“A constitution should define the goals. A constitution should define or agree with the aspirations of the people. It is not just a piece of composition. It is not a novel. It must have a set of goals.

It must have a philosophy. The absence of foundational philosophy

flaws the constitution in a fatal manner.”

The emeritus professor faulted the argument that throwing away the 1999 Constitution for an original governing document would create a vacuum in the federation.

Ayoade said throwing out the document for a new one midwives by the people “does not leave any vacuum. Because it belongs to the people, the people must be involved in such a way that their interests are guaranteed.

Uwaleke: How States Can Boost IGRs Ndubuisi Francis in Abuja A former Commissioner for Finance in Imo State, Prof. Uche Uwaleke has advised states to adopt whistle blowing, treasury single account (TSA) and International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS) mechanisms, among others to plug leakages in their internally generated revenue (IGR) pool.

Uwaleke lamented that most state governments have not been able to generate revenue sufficient to cater for recurrent spending let alone capital expenditure, noting that in 2019, for example, states’ IGR represented just about 21 per cent of total revenue with the bulk of nearly 60 per cent coming from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) distribution.

In a paper on ‘’Enhancing IGR in States’’, which he made available to THISDAY, Uwaleke who is also the President of the Capital Market Academics of Nigeria and a former Head, Department of Banking and Finance, Nasarawa State University, observed that sub national governments in Nigeria comprise states and local governments, which have powers under the Constitution to collect certain types of revenue.

According to him, effective collection of these revenues should make them less dependent on monthly federal allocations, which he lamented, they have

failed to do.

He said: “Regrettably, most state governments in Nigeria have not been able to generate revenue sufficient to cater for recurrent spending let alone capital expenditure. In 2019 for example, internally generated revenue (IGR) of states represented just about 21% of total revenue The bulk, nearly 60% came from FAAC distribution.

“The importance of IGR to state governments cannot be overemphasised. It is one of the indices for horizontal allocation of FAAC revenue to states. IGR effort is equally one of the criteria for the World Bank’s grant to states under the States Fiscal Transparency, Accountability and Sustainability Program-for-Results (SFTAS).

“Unfortunately, the IGR of most states of the federation is very low making them dependent on federal allocation. The bright spots are a few states such as Lagos State and Rivers State with significant proportion of IGR.” An analysis of IGR by state in 2019, he said, revealed that Lagos State ranked highest with 29.88 per cent of total state government’s IGR followed by Rivers, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and Ogun states with 10.52 per cent, 5.59 per cent and 5.39 per cent respectively.

He stressed that the remarkable achievements recorded with respect to IGR in Imo State during the

Akeredolu’s Chief of Protocol Dies in Autocrash James Sowole in Akure Mr. Tosin Ogunbodede, Chief of Protocol to Ondo State Governor, Mr. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, has reportedly died alongside his driver from an accident.

Ogunbodede passed on about a fortnight Akeredolu’s Commissioner for Regional Integration and Special Duties, Prof. Bayonle Ademodi died after a protracted illness.

Multiple sources within the government confirmed Ogunbodede’s sudden passage to THISDAY last night.

One of the sources claimed that Ogunbodede and his driver were involved in an auto accident

along Ilesha road from where they were rushed to the Wesley Guild Hospital, Ilesha.

According to the source, the victims died at Wesley Guild Hospital.

Another source told THISDAY that one of the occupants of the vehicle was said to be in critical condition at the same hospital.

However, according to the source, the identity of the third person is yet to be known.

Akeredolu appointed Ogunbodede, a lawyer and former staff member of Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo, Ondo State as Chief of Protocol when he assumed office in 2017.

QUEEN MARK@90. . .

L-R: Director General, Public-Private Partnership in Rivers State, Eddy Mark; Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike; Chief Operating Officer, Upstream-NNPC, Adokiye Tombomieye; Celebrant, Mrs. Queen Mark; Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal and Lead Consultant, Nuel Mark Group, Emmanuel Mark, at the 90th Birthday celebration of their Matriarch in Port Harcourt, Rivers State... recently

Bauchi Gov Canvasses Sacrifice, Discipline to End COVID-19 Segun Awofadeji in Bauchi Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Mohammed at the weekend urged residents of the state to brace up for the second wave of COVID-19 believed to be deadlier than the first wave of the pandemic.

Mohammed, a former Minister of Federal Capital Territory, said fighting the pandemic successfully would require sacrifice, discipline and utter commitment on the part of all citizens nationwide.

He gave the charge in a message he addressed to the people of Bauchi on Friday to mark the advent of 2021, urging them to observe COVID-19 guidelines and protocols with due diligence.

He said: “We must see and treat

this disease as a clear and present danger that requires sacrifice, discipline and commitment to fight it. We handle it with kid gloves only to our collective peril.

“We must be on the same page with health professionals and obey the already known protocols of handling the pandemic,” the governor in his New Year message.

The governor congratulated the people of the state, for overcoming the myriad of challenges that came their ways in 2020, especially with the COVID-19 and its associated consequences.

He said: “Never before have the people been so gruesomely tested from Yellow and Lassa Fevers, to the Covid-19 to the slowdown in the economy, ecological disasters and looming security challenges.”

He described 2020 as a year

of unforgettable experience given the peculiar challenges of the year in which people were confronted with daunting health, economic, security and social challenges.

He, however, urged the people of the state, and indeed Nigerians in general, irrespective of ethnic colouration, political differences or religious persuasions to unite in ushering Year 2021, a year of restoration and revival.

He said: “But the good news is that you took it all in stride, relying on our historical resilience and a rich heritage of trust, in God Almighty who, through the intervention of our religious and traditional rulers and all men and women of goodwill, spared Bauchi State the ordeal of succumbing to these vicissitudes.

“Looking back, I am convinced that our ability to survive these challenges was due, in part, to elite consensus which helped to galvanise the masses towards the dictates of survival.

“For, no matter the orchestrations and drama of politics, we can confidently say that Bauchi State is the quintessence of the triumph of politics of engagement, collaboration and stake-holding over the politics of division and rancour”.

“Thus, like adversaries in a shipwreck, we were acutely aware that our survival depended on our ability to confront our monsters together: quite often, hunger, disease, unemployment, natural disasters and insecurity respect no boundaries or recognise any distinctions.

Edo, Delta, Ondo, Ekiti to Get 90,870 Metres

Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City

Edo, Delta, Ondo and Ekiti States are poised to get at least 90,870 metres in a new drive to improve power supply, the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) has disclosed.

BEDC’s Head of Public Affairs, Mr Tayo Adekule disclosed the plan in a statement he issued in Benin City yesterday, saying the National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) allocated the metres to the BEDC. Adekule noted that the metres would be distributed under the National Mass Metering programme

(NMMP) starting from Edo. He said the planned metering “will cover three other BEDC franchise states in a phase manner on a selected distribution transformer covering 90,870 customers over a period of six months.”

He explained that out of the total number of meters allocated to BEDC, Edo would get 40,995, Delta 22,247, Ondo 19,453 and Ekiti 8,294.

“The meters will be distributed through the BEDC Meter Asset Provider (MAP) for its franchise areas. Metering under this scheme is free and customers will not have to pay,” BEDC’s spokesperson

further stated.

He, however, said that all premises had to be enumerated and would be certified by the electricity inspectors before installation of the meters.

Adekule said: “Customers who have collected tellers for metres under the MAP and have not paid shall not pay any amount to acquire a metre.

“Any amount paid to the account of MAP shall be refunded in 21 days subject to customers providing the account details for the refund.

About 20 percent of the metres are three phase while 80 percent are single phase.

“Customers in Band A which include those with a minimum of 20 hours supply, Band B minimum of 16 hours and Band C minimum of 12 hours of power supply will benefit from the metering during the exercise.

“Band D with a minimum of 8 hours and Band E with a minimum of 6 hours of power supply will benefit from the metering in the second quarter of 2021,” he added.

Adekunle, also, said the court case between BEDC and Civil Society Organisations in Edo would soon be over, disclosing that lawyers of both parties have resolved to settle out of court.

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NEWSXTRA

Lokoja-Abuja Road: Kidnap Victims Recount Ordeal, Indict Security Agencies

Army personnel behind my abduction, alleges Ekiti victim Gboyega Akinsanmi and Victor Olakitan in Ado-Ekiti Lokoja-Abuja expressway, a highway that connects the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to the South, has turned an arc of evil where kidnappers are operating daily without let or hindrance, kidnap victims have alleged.

The victims, who had paid different amounts of ransom before their release, have also alleged complicity between the criminal groups kidnapping travellers along the highway and some bad eggs in the police.

They recounted their ordeal in the hands of kidnappers in separate sessions with THISDAY yesterday, describing the expressway as one of the danger zones nationwide while lamenting the failure of the security agencies to ensure the security of lives

and property along the corridor.

Like Kaduna-Abuja highway, Lokoja-Abuja expressway has, in the recent years, been infamous for the activities of criminal elements, abducting unsuspecting commuters and motorists for ransoms.

Despite the increasing rate of kidnapping along the expressway, security agencies, especially operatives of the Nigeria Police Force and the Department of State Services (DSS), have not been able to guarantee public safety and order along the LokojaOkene wing of the Lokoja-Abuja expressway.

Speaking privately with THISDAY on Friday, one of the kidnap victims claimed that his relatives and in-laws had to cough out a ransom of N2.5 million before his captors eventually released him from captivity.

He narrated how he was

abducted “along the Lokoja-Okene expressway just before Christmas.

I was surprised to know that it was the police officers that first contacted my family. They first demanded N10 million, which my people could not afford during economic hardship.

“After going back and forth, my captors eventually agreed to N2.5 million. One of them rode to a popular Total Filling Station in Okene to collect the ransom. He collected and counted the money

in the filling stations before he left.

Nobody challenged him while counting the money.”

Likewise, an entrepreneur, whose manager was kidnapped along the Lokoja-Abuja expressway, alleged the complicity of the security personnel in the incident, citing frustration she suffered in the hands of the security agencies.

She claimed that she reported the incident at the Okene Police Division and the Department of State Services (DSS) almost

immediately after the incident occurred, but claimed that they could not resolve the crime.

When the security agencies were not forthcoming, the entrepreneur, currently running a trading service firm in Abuja, lamented that she was compelled “to negotiate with the captors of my manager before they finally released.”

She disclosed that the kidnappers “demanded N20 million, which we could not source. We

pleaded with them. They first collected N2.75 million. But after they collected the money, they refused to release my manager.

“They demanded for additional money. After pleading and pleading with them, we paid over N5 million before they finally released my manager. All through the period of negotiation, we did not hear from the police and DSS. But immediately after we paid the money, they started calling us.”

ASUU Accuses Umahi of Harassing Its Members Okon Bassey in Uyo The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has accused Ebonyi State Governor, Mr. David Umahi of harassing and victimising its leaders and members in the state’s tertiary institutions.

ASUU’s Coordinator, Calabar Zone, Dr. Aniekan Brown made the allegation at a news conference he addressed in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital yesterday, warning against violation of the rights of its members.

The Calabar Zone comprises seven universities across four states including Abia State University, Akwa Ibom State University, Cross River University of Technology, University of Calabar, Ebonyi State University, Alex Ekwueme University and University of Uyo. Brown alleged that Umahi had directed the acting Chairperson of Ebonyi State University, Comrade Ikechukwu Igwenyi to resign and to leave the state.

He alleged that the governor gave the threat message “to their colleague on Christmas Eve when

political stakeholders from his area paid him a visit.

“During the visit, the governor was said to have accused our members of being the ones that have made the state not to see peace, an allegation he has not been able to prove or substantiate.

“It became a cause of concern to ASUU that as political stakeholders in Ohaozara, led by Chairman of Local Government Area, Ms. Nkechi Iyioku and Commissioner for Local Government & Chieftaincy Matters, Mr. Samuel Okoronkwo visited Umahi at his country home in Uburu on December 28, 2020, the outcome was a threat to mobilise youths and traditional rulers from the area to occupy Igwenyi’s family house.”

ASUU’s zonal leader, also, said similar instruction was given to youths, technical advisers and faculty presidents in EBSU on December 29, 2020 when they paid a Christmas visit to the governor.

Glo Partners Benin Great GSM Village Data grandmasters, Globacom, has thrown its weight behind the Benin Great GSM Village with the sponsorship of the association’s business promotions carnival held in the Edo State capital.

The Great GSM Village is the only recognized and registered association in Benin City, Edo State, housing the full complement of ICT professionals empowered to train technicians in the repair of GSM products and sale of the devices.

Globacom had recently signed an MOU with the association for exclusive branding of the village as well as sponsorship of the carnival for a period of five years.

Speaking at the carnival, Globacom’s Regional Manager, Primary, Mid West, Mr. Augustus-ndu Offor, assured the GSM Village

of the company’s continued collaboration to enhance the growth of the association that provides jobs for thousands of Edo youths.

He noted that the network had always empowered Nigerian youths to achieve their dreams and contribute to Nigeria’s economic development.

He also thanked the executives and members of the association for giving Globacom the opportunity to partner with them, and appealed to them to ensure that the facilities provided by Globacom were well utilized.

Chairman of the Village, Mr. Aminu Abraham, in his remarks, showered encomiums on Globacom for providing the needed ambience for the celebration with its upscale exclusive branding.

REWARD FOR HARDWORK. . .

R-L: Inspector-General of Police, Adamu Mohammed; a new Commissioner of Police, Ali Muhammed and his wife Zainab Muhammed during decoration of 13 Assistant Inspectors-General and 23 Commissioner of Police in Abuja... recently

Finally, Family Resolves to Bury Lulu-Briggs March 13 A prominent business mogul in the Niger Delta and founder of Moni Pulo Limited, High Chief Olu Benson Lulu-Briggs will finally be laid to rest on March 13, Chiefs of Oruwari-Briggs House of Abonnema kingdom in Akuku-Toru Local Government Area, Rivers State have said.

They unveiled the plan to bury the business mogul at the weekend two years after he passed away at the age of 88 and following protracted controversies that followed his passage.

The burial of the philanthropist have suffered several setbacks following disagreement between the wife of the deceased, Mrs Seinye O. B Lulu-Briggs and his children which degenerated into court cases.

Addressing journalists Friday night, the acting Head of Oruwari-

Briggs House of Abonnema, High Chief A. B. Ajumogobia, noted the cause of set back on the burial date.

Ajumogobia, a retired Navy Captain, said: “The major reason we could not plan the burial ceremony was because of more than 15 months we could not take custody of the mortal remains of High Chief O. B. Lulu-Briggs because of the series of court cases that denied the family from taking custody of the body.

“The controversies that surrounded the demise of our Paramount Head were widely reported in the mass media.

“Even when on December 23, 2019, a High Court in Ghana ruled that the body be released to the family led by Chief Dumo LuluBriggs, the matter was appealed up to the Supreme Court before

the body was finally brought back to Nigeria on March 16, 2020 into the waiting arms of the prevailing Covid-19 restrictions.

“Activities towards the burial date begin on March 8 with drama and tributes at the University of Port Harcourt, Choba.

“It is our pleasure at this point to break the news that the late High Chief Olu Benson Lulu-Briggs, the Iniikeiroari V of Kalabari Kingdom and Paramount Head of Oruwari Briggs House of Abonnema will be committed to mother Earth on Saturday, March 13.”

The chiefs also appreciated Rivers State Governor, Mr. Nyesom Wike for approving a state burial for the late patriarch.

Meanwhile, Chief Dumo Lulu-Briggs, son of the deceased

has also lauded Wike for his untiring efforts to broker peace within the Lulu-Briggs family during the past two years of his demise.

Dumo expressed gladness that at last his father “will be buried after years of disagreement. I am indeed very excited that at long last my father will be laid to rest.

“On March 13 by the grace of God Nigeria and indeed the world will be here in Abonnema. That is the pleasure of the mind, friends and associates will travel from near and far to come and pay their last respect.

“He was a man of very good worthy beginnings. He is a household name because of how he impacted people’s lives. He built a home for the elderly, hostels for students, medical laboratories for learning, medical bills, enhancements etc.

I am very happy that such a great man relates to me.

Bauchi Procures N759m Patrol Vehicles to Fight Banditry, Kidnapping Segun Awofadeji in Bauchi The Bauchi State Government yesterday disclosed that it had earmarked N759 million to procure patrol vehicles to support the fight against banditry, kidnapping and other criminal elements across the state.

The Commissioner for Finance, Alhaji Umaru Adamu disclosed the plan after the meeting of the Executive Council (EXCO) at the banquet hall, Government House, Bauchi.Adamu stated that the vehicles, when procured, would in no small measure boost the

ongoing fight against kidnapping, banditry and other forms of criminality in the state and even beyond.

He said that the state council meeting, which the state governor, Sen. Bala Mohammed presided, observed that the proposal for the procurement of the vehicles was concluded following a memo presented by the finance ministry for ratification following an earlier approval by the governor.

Adamu said the state recognised the fact that security is one of the issues affecting the Northeast.

The commissioner noted that

Bauchi is known to be a peaceful state in the region, which has been affected by insurgency, activities of kidnappers, armed bandits and other criminal activities.

He said the security challenge “is taking its tolls on the state. The memo to purchase the vehicles was adopted following omission of the state by the North East Development Commission (NEDC) in the provision of 200 security vehicles to all the states in the sub region.”

He said the security agencies have requested for the state

government’s assistance to provide them with security vehicles, and the governor, having realised its importance, considered their request.

He said although the security agencies requested for 200 security vehicles, the governor looked at the quantum of the amount and decided to go for something more affordable, owing to paucity of funds.

According to the commissioner, the governor decided that for the first tranche the state should buy 50 units of JAC Pick Up at the rate of N15 million each.

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ 3, 2021

SUNDAYSPORTS

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

PREMIER LEAGUE

Son Scores 100th Goal as Spurs Climb to Third Duro Ikhazuagbe with agency report

S

on Heung-min scored his 100th goal for Tottenham as they returned to winning ways in the Premier League against Leeds.

Spurs’ first league victory since 6 December lifts them to third in the table, with Leeds remaining 11th.

While Jose Mourinho’s side merited their 3-0 win, Leeds played a significant part in their own downfall.

Goalkeeper Illan Meslier’s misplaced pass led to Harry Kane opening the scoring with a penalty after Ezgjan Alioski fouled Steven Bergwijn.

Kane then turned provider, with a curling cross from the right that was swept in by Son at the near post as the hosts doubled their advantage.

While Leeds streamed forward at every opportunity and carved out chances of their own, they often left themselves exposed in defence and were fortunate not to be more severely punished by Mourinho’s side.

As it was, Toby Alderweireld’s near-post header rounded off the scoring at the start of the second half, with Meslier again culpable as he fumbled the ball over the line.

It was a welcome outcome for Mourinho, who called the situation around Wednesday’s postponed match against Fulham “unprofessional”and is also likely to have been unimpressed by three of his players breaching coronavirusrules by attending a party over Christmas.

Son Heung-min (right) scored his 100th goal for Tottenham Hotspur in the 3-0 defeat of Leeds...on Sunday afternoon

The only negative of the day for Spurs was the stoppage-time dismissal of defender Matt Doherty for a second booking.

The problem for Spurs fans and Mourinho over recent weeks has been you are never

Eberechi Eze’s Stunning Solo Goal Breaks Sheffield’s Hearts Eberechi Eze brought back the memories of Argentine football legend, Diego Maradona as Crystal Palace returned to winning ways by beating Sheffield United 2-0 at Selhurst Park on Saturday- their first win in five Premier League matches.

With barely two seconds before the half time break, Eze scored a stunning solo goal to break Sheffield United’s hearts.

The England U21 international of Nigerian descent breezed past a number of players from the half-way line before nonchalantly rolling the ball into the far corner.

Former Manchester City’s defender, Micah Richards compared Eze’s goal to what Maradona did against England at the World Cup in Mexico in 1986.

“But Eberechi Eze’s goal, he turned into Maradona for a second,”gushed the former defender on BBC Radio 5 Live.

Similarly, former Chelsea midfielder Steve Sidwell was full of praise for Eze following that his magnificent strike, saying he replicated the type of goal Arsenal’s all-time top scorer Thierry Henry used to score for the Gunners.

“We thought Eberechi Eze was cool and calm and composed but this goal! He just weaves in and out of the Sheffield United team,”Sidwell said on BBC Radio 5 Live.

“If there’s a player you could compare that finish to it would be Thierry Henry he just slots it in the bottom right corner.

“He glides through the Sheffield United team and slots a cool finish past Aaron Ramsdale. What a goal, I always love watching Eze he’s just got so much talent.”

Eze’s other goal in the Premier League - against Leeds United in November 2019 - was also scored from outside the box.

Palace manager Roy Hodgson was forced into an early change, bringing in Eze in the 39th minute after Schlupp

Eberechi Eze...stuns Sheffield United with solo goal

suffered an injury.

Sheffield United are now winless in their 17 Premier League games this season (D2 L15) – the longest ever winless run from the start of a Premier League campaign.

quite sure exactly what to expect from this Tottenham team.

There is the side that is ruthless, relentless and showed clinical efficiency during victories over both Manchester clubs and

their north London rivals Arsenal.

And there is the one that stuttered and at times retreated while conceding late goals that cost them points in fixtures with Crystal Palace, Liverpool and Wolves.

PochettinoTakes over fromTuchel at PSG Former Tottenham and Southampton boss Mauricio Pochettino has been appointed head coach of Paris St-Germain.

The Argentine, 48, who succeeded Thomas Tuchel, has signed a deal until 30 June 2022, with the option of an extra year.

Pochettino, who played for PSG between 2001 and 2003, has been out of work since being sacked

by Spurs in November 2019.

PSG are third in Ligue 1 and will face Barcelona in the last 16 of the Champions League in February and March.

German Tuchel was sackedon 29 December after two and a half years in charge.

Pochettino will take his first training session on Sunday following the French league’s winter break.

He said he was“happy and honoured”to take on the role and that the club“has always held a special place in my heart”.

“I return to the club today with a lot of ambition and humility, and am eager to work with some of the world’s most talented players,”said Pochettino.

“This team has fantastic potential and my staff and I will do everything we can to get the best for Paris St-Germain in all competitions.We will also do our utmost to give our team the combative and attacking playing identity that Parisian fans have always loved.”

PSG chairman and chief executive Nasser AlKhelaifi said Pochettino’s return“fits perfectly with

Mauricio Pochettino...new PSG Coach

our ambitions”, adding:“It will be another exciting chapter for the club and one I am positive the fans will enjoy.”

Pochettino began his managerial career at Espanyol and spent 18 months at Southampton before joining Tottenham in May 2014.

He guided them to the League Cup final in his first full season, while two third-placed finishes sandwiched a runners-up spot in the Premier League in 2016-17.

A former Argentina defender, Pochettino led Spurs to the Champions League final in 2019, where they lost to Liverpool.

Golden Eaglets off to Togo for WAFU Tourney Five-time world champions Nigeria and three-time worldchampionsGhanaheadlinetheseven-teamWest African Football Union (WAFU B) U17Tournament taking place in Lome,Togo 5th - 20th January 2021.

Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets flew into Lome on Sunday morningfromLagos,withasquadof25playerswhoare expected to pick the ticket from theWAFU tournament to represent the region in this year’s CAF U17 Cup of Nations taking place in Morocco.

Pedigree,prideandcareeraspirationaside,theEaglets are sure to derive some kind of vicarious motivation

from the below-par outing of the Nigeria U20 Boys at the WAFU B U20 Tournament in Benin Republic last month.

Nigeria conquered the world in 1985, 1993, 2007, 2013 and 2015,and alongside Ghana have dominated cadet football on the African continent, with Mali, Cote d’Ivoire and Senegal to be reckoned with as well on the basis of investment and focus on youth development.

The Eaglets’first encounter in Lome will be against the Ivorians, at the Stade Municipal on Wednesday

from 4pm,and should serve as a pointer to how much the Eaglets are keen to conquer Africa again.

On Saturday at the same venue, they are to clash with Ghana’s Black Starlets in a potentially explosive encounter between two teams with eight world titles between them.

Hosts Togo will open the two-week tournament against Niger Republic at the Stade Kegue onTuesday, hoursbeforeGroupA’sotherteamsBeninRepublicand Burkina Faso clash at the same venue.Nigeria,Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire make up the three-team Group B.

Sunday January 3, 2021

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Price: N400

MISSILE

Odinkalu to National Assembly “It’s bad enough to advertise a tradition of abuse inherent in the practice of child brides in today’s world. Rather than commit to eliminating that, they seek to incentivise it and grant it electoral advantage. That is criminal abuse of the Constitution.” – A former Chairman of the Governing Council of the National Human Rights Commission, Dr Chidi Odinkalu reacting to a plan by the National Assembly to allow women who are married but not yet eighteen to vote during elections.

CHIDIAMUTA Dissent and the Failing State Debate ENGAGEMENTS

e-mail:chidiamuta@gmail.com

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igeria enters the new year draped in curious contradiction. A protracted sixtieth anniversary celebration has recently been interrupted by an untidy debate about the nation’s very survival as a viable state. The question is simple: Is the Nigerian state failing?

Among most enlightened Nigerians, there is now an inconvenient consensus that the Nigerian state is in a free fall. Subscribers to the failing state submission concede that Nigeria may not have failed completely but that the state is in desperate disrepair. We are witnessing what we may call a ‘failed state debate’ which has now fanned out into two flanks. Majority of sensible citizens are warning that the general insecurity and severe widespread poverty in the nation indicate a free descent into a possible state failure.

On the contrary, the incumbent administration, its acolytes and spokespersons insist that all is well with the Nigerian state. The trouble is that professional trouble makers and habitual naysayers cannot appreciate the wonderful work of the Buhari presidency. At this point, the tentative concession is that while both sides wear a garb of patriotism, neither has a monopoly of it.

State failure is not such a complicated matter after all. Its symptoms show up in little things that ordinary people can measure in their very daily lives. Simply put, state failure occurs when the state serially fails to discharge its part of the social contract that binds people and their government. It means that people leave their homes unsure that they will return in safety because forces of violence have taken over the streets and highways. It means that when confronted with danger in the normal exercise of civic rituals, citizens can no longer trust in the capacity of the government to protect them from dangerous people. The superior coercive power of government that should serve as the amour of protection for the people is outgunned by non -state actors.

Children check into schools, left in the care of teachers, but are casually trucked away by vicious gunmen. They cry in fear and desperation for the state to come and save them. No one heeds their cry for days. A husband and wife set out on a journey. They are abducted by men of violence and the man watches rough bandits rape his wife and he dares not challenge them for fear of instant death. People get inured to providing nearly everything for themselves in the knowledge that the state is indifferent to their plight. Even the routine reassurances of government cannot be believed any more because of a long tradition of betrayal and disappointment. Basic trust in the authority and capacity of the state to act as the last guarantor of citizens rights is dismissed even by children as a crude joke. The open corruption of high state functionaries and even security officials is so rampant and commonplace that it has become the butt of beer parlor jokes.

A failing state crumbles in meeting its obligations to multiple constituencies. First, the state fails its citizens when it can no longer guarantee life, limbs or livelihood. Second, the state fails itself when it loses confidence in its own institutions and begins to incorporate crude things like ‘civilian JTF’ or hires local hunters to bolster up the sophisticated arsenal of the armed forces. Third, the state fails the comity of nations when its voice is muffled by ineptitude at home and manifest weakness abroad.

In a failing state, the pursuit of happiness for the citizens becomes a futile race because lives cannot be guaranteed let alone thrive into contentment.

Happiness becomes a rare commodity because basic survival is overwhelmed by existential hazards of an imminent nature. Dangerous obstacles block

Buhari the aspiration of the majority to basic livelihood.

A state in which the high priests of officialdom cannot agree among themselves on a credible explanation for any of its multiple policies is nothing but a confused rabble of disconnected egos, a discordant choir in a congregation devoid of a creed. A state that meets most of these embarrassing criteria is at best a faltering state teetering on the brinks of total failure. Nigerians have a right to decide for themselves how things stand in our commonwealth today.

The supporting indicators are not far fetched. It ought to concern the fierce defenders of today’s incumbency that in today’s Nigeria, the presidency sends out more condolence messages than it can find cause to send out congratulatory messages to Nigerians. Hardly a day passes without numerous reported incidents of kidnappings, abductions and unnecessary killings. Sometimes, whole urban neighbourhoods are cordoned off by marauding gangs of dangerous hoodlums and organized criminals. Sometimes, they openly address letters of intent to neighbourhoods and even copy the police, stating where they will strike next. Even when the police reassures people, they tend to believe the criminals, not the police.

What has driven many to the frightening conclusion that the Nigerian house could fall is the scope of blood letting and the industrial scale of loss of human lives that we now witness daily. It seems as if human sacrifice is feeding the insatiable appetite of some unkind gods. In the dark ancestry of our ancient cultures, human sacrifice was performed when the community was beset by forces that overwhelm the leadership.

There was the belief that the human sacrifice would assuage the gods and bring peace, security and succor to the community.

In today’s Nigeria, the state has unconsciously degenerated to a stage where many have come to see the spate of blood -letting that greets our daily experience as nothing short of human sacrifice to some insatiable blood deity. The incapacity of the state allows countless citizens to be wasted on a daily basis. But instead of bringing succor to our national community, the modern day mass human sacrifice of Nigerians by bandits, Boko Haram, armed robbers, the police and even the army does not bring Nigerians peace or succor.

Instead, each serial murder breeds even more blood letting in a charmed cycle of violence that now defies rational explanation. The dividend of democracy should be order and security of life and limbs, not a harvest of orphans, widows and quantum misery This is the effective background to the raging ‘failed state’ debate. Two strident voices from two complementary realms have come to dominate

the conversation in recent days. The first is from a global instrument of power, the Financial Times of London. The second is the voice of a Nigerian citizen who is however empowered to speak on God’s behalf, Bishop Mathew Kukah.

The Financial Times editorial of 22nd December, 2020, is not necessarily novel in inspration or original in content. It says nothing that the Nigerian media has not been trumpeting in the last three years or more. However, given the international audience, political gravitas, title integrity and respectability of the Financial Times (FT), the authorities in Abuja seem to have lost a bit of sleep in the aftermath of that largely advisory editorial. What FT did was merely to summarize the present state of the Nigerian reality by highlighting the sheer ineffectuality of the incumbent administration’s strategies and policies.

Widespread insecurity calls to question the basic obligation of the state to guarantee the life of the citizens. A regime of organized crime fuels unchecked corruption that drains the state of the money to pursue development and social services.

In turn, a fairly stable democratic arrangement is made untenable by the dominance of too many bankrupt states presided over by overbearing autocrats as governors.

In the tradition of great journalism, however, FT is kind enough to point in the direction of redeeming ideas for the Nigerian state. These include a restructuring of the Nigerian federation to reduce the centers of fiscal waste and unproductive entitlement. In addition, a population with over 40% aged under 40 years can only hope to make progress if the affairs of state are managed by a younger population. Gladly, FT acknowledges the vast competence, talent and entrepreneurship of Nigerian youth, an energy that made a rowdy public showing during the recent ENDSARS protests all over the country. Predictably, FT is reluctant to credit the Buhari presidency with the sincerity and executive capacity to take the decisive steps required to rescue the Nigerian ship of state from perilous waters let alone unleash its monumental potentials.

On his part, Bishop Mathew Kukah, true to his known tradition of politically engaged theology, delivers an unsparing but true critique of the Buhari administration against the backdrop of the very obvious decay and near collapse of the Nigerian state. There is nothing in Bishop Kukah’s Christmas message that is unpatriotic, subversive or even new. Nor is it fair for regime apologists and ethnocentric megaphones to brand his criticism unfair or minimally treasonous. The Bishop simply holds Mr. Buhari accountable for betraying his campaign undertakings as a politician. Nigerians have done that variously in recent times. The Bishop points to Buhari’s undisguised nepotism and nativism in key federal appointments. The bulk of the Nigerian elite have been hammering on that repeatedly based on clear statistical evidence.

Bishop Kukah drew attention to the obvious and quite embarrassing ‘northernisation’ policy of the Buhari administration. All this is squarely in the public domain and falls squarely within the purview of fair patriotic commentary by a concerned citizen of our republic.

There is also nothing In the Bishop’s Christmas message that detracts from the responsibility of a man of God to his congregation or to his nation. To believe in God and truly worship Him, men and women must first be alive. A state that cannot guarantee the safety of life and property of its citizens is an aberration in the sight of God in any religion. The primary responsibility of religious leaders is in fact the duty to ensure that government is responsible for the basic needs of the people and guarantees the atmosphere of law and order which make the pursuit of all

faiths possible. The will of God cannot be done on earth if the earth is emptied of its human content because princes and principalities have failed to protect those who live on earth. The recklessness of political leaders who betray their campaign promises is a reckless defiance not only of the social contract which binds people to their ruler but also a defiance of the bond between humanity and God in every religion. Therefore, Kukah’s message is at once a correct civic duty, a spiritual service and a patriotic responsibility.

It becomes difficult to see the point in Minister Lai Mohammed’s mischievous mischaracterization of Bishop Kukah’s well intentioned Christmas message. There is nothing in Kukah’s message that is more incendiary than the general outrage of Nigerians at repeated incidents of insecurity.

Citizens ranging from the Sultan of Sokoto, Wole Soyinka to groups like the Northern Elders Forum, Ohaneze, Afenifere or the Ijaw leaders forum have raised their voices as well. Indeed every responsible editorial page of our myriad media titles has been an active voice in the quest for a more accountable and secure Nigeria.

For the custodians of the incumbent realm, the troubling crux of Bishop Kukah’s message is its bold critique of the quality and orientation of the Buhari presidency, especially the matter of undisguised nepotism. There is nothing new in stating that the divisiveness and incompetence of this administration falls far short of the best that Nigeria is capable of. It has been repeatedly pointed out by the broad majority of enlightened Nigerians. At the root of the present crisis is the deliberate, systematic hijacking of the strategic heights of state power by President Buhari and its casual wholesale apportionment to the northern half of the nation. That apportionment also happens to coincide with a sectarian divide between Christians and Moslems, which makes it all the more dangerous for political stability and national security.

I suspect, however, that the allergy of Buhari’s Information Commissar and other power apologists to the Kukah message is coming from concerns higher than the content of the Bishop’s Christmas message. The trouble may be Bishop Kukah’s strategic location in our contemporary national matrix. He is located in the middle of every conceivable fault line in today’s Nigeria. He is a Bishop of the Catholic church with easily the largest Christian following of the traditional churches. He is based in Sokoto, headquarters of the historic Sokoto caliphate. He is a citizen of Kaduna state, a hotbed of the Christian-Moslem divide and the troubling settler –indigene fractiousness.

Above all, Bishop Kukah has grown a voice that is at once impeccably patriotic and unfailingly trenchant, articulate, courageous and sometimes fiercely libertarian. His views resonate with the media and elite circles from Lagos to Sokoto, London to Washington, Rome to Jerusalem and even Mecca. Therefore, Mr. Lai Mohammed’s reaction to the Bishops’ Christmas message is a cry of desperation from a sanctuary of power trapped in its own mesh.

Ruling party officials and the usual presidential messengers have added their voices to the defense of the realm. Copious rehashes of ongoing government projects and programmes have been cited as evidence that the state is all well and good.

None of the programmes, I am afraid, addresses the raging storm of overwhelming physical and economic insecurity. No length of railway tracks or span of bridges and highways make it any safer to travel from one point to the other in this dangerous place.

NOTE: This piece continues in the online edition on www.thisdayliive.com

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