SUNDAY 28TH JANUARY 2024

Shettima: Those Opposing Relocation of CBN, FAAN Depts Acting as Mischief Makers

Relocation for the interest of the generality of Nigerians, VP insists Says Ododo will provide good governance in Kogi

Deji Elumoye in Abuja and Ibrahim Oyewale in Lokoja

Vice President Kashim Shettima has faulted the position of those opposing the federal

government’s decision to relocate some departments and units of the Central Bank of

Nigeria (CBN) and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) from Abuja to Lagos,

describing them as mischief makers.

Shettima, who spoke

yesterday as a Special Guest Continued on page 5

AFCON 2023: Super Eagles Beat Cameroon to Set up Q’final Clash with Angola… Page 63 Sunday, January 28, 2024 Vol 29. No 10518

www.thisdaylive.com TR

UT H

& RE A S O

N

N500

NCAA Suspends Mattini Airline’s Permit over Ibadan Incident, NSIB Begins Investigation… Page 6

Our Policies Seem Difficult, But will Produce Positive Outcomes, Tinubu Assures Nigerians

John Shiklam in Kaduna

President Bola Tinubu has told Nigerians that his administration’s policies seem difficult, but will produce

desired positive outcomes.

He solicited the support of Nigerians for his government’s economic policies “despite the difficulties currently experienced.”

Speaking at the 43rd Convocation ceremony of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, where 25,432 students graduated with various degrees, the Minister

of Education, Professor Tahir Mamman, who spoke on behalf of the president, said the various difficult policies would produce positive outcomes.

“I would like to solicit for

understanding and support will yield the desired results of Nigerians towards the in no distant future,” he said.

Speaking on the role government’s economic reform programmes inspired by the of universities in national difficulties involved. We are very Continued on page 5 much hopeful that these policies

Bribery Allegations against Naval Chief Baseless, Says Navy, Matawalle Promises Investigation CNS has no business with oil bunkering contract awards, Navy clarifies

Ejiofor Alike in Lagos and Kingsley Nweze in Abuja

The Nigerian Navy has described the allegations against the Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, as false, untenable, and baseless.

This is just as the Minister of State for Defence, Mr. Bello Matawalle, has pledged to investigate the allegations of corruption against the naval chief, stressing also that the allegations may be mischievous and frivolous.

An online report had accused the Naval Chief of releasing several oil tankers impounded for transporting stolen crude oil off Nigerian shores after receiving kickbacks in millions of dollars.

However, the Nigerian Navy, in a statement issued yesterday by the Director of Information, Continued on page 5

NEW LANDLORD OF LUGARD HOUSE…

L-R: Wife of the new Governor of Kogi State, Mrs. Sefiya Usman Ododo; Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo; and the state Chief Judge, Justice Josiah Majebi, after the swearing-in of the governor in Lakoja…yesterday

Go Hard on Terrorists in Plateau, Other States, Lagbaja Orders Troops… Page 8

2

SUNDAY JANUARY 28, 2024 • T H I S D AY

SUNDAY JANUARY 28, 2024 • T H I S D AY

3

4

SUNDAY JANUARY 28, 2024 • T H I S D AY

5

JANUARY 28, 2024 • T H I S DAY, T H E S U N DAY N E W S PA P E R

NEWS OUR POLICIES SEEM DIFFICULT, BUT WILL PRODUCE POSITIVE OUTCOMES, TINUBU ASSURES NIGERIANS development, President Tinubu said Ahmadu Bello University among other Nigerian universities have contributed immensely to research and development, hence the need for them to partner with industries and entrepreneurs to commercialise their ideas.

Tinubu said universities are known for research and innovations, which provide the necessary ingredients for the development of societies.

He noted that ABU enjoys an enviable status in its contribution to research and innovations, especially in the areas of agriculture, medicine, and engineering among others.

He also called on the graduates to be job creators and job seekers, adding that opportunities available to them are limitless and open to them to conquer.

According to the president, “Universities are known

as citadels of research and innovation, which provide the necessary ingredients for the development of societies.

Ahmadu Bello University enjoys an enviable status in its contribution to research and innovation, especially in the areas of agriculture, medicine, and engineering among others.

“I, therefore, urge the university to publicise their research and collaborate with industries and entrepreneurs

SHETTIMA: THOSE OPPOSING RELOCATION OF CBN, FAAN DEPTS ACTING AS MISCHIEF MAKERS of Honour at the 10th Annual Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Lecture and Merit Awards in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, said the relocation was in the interest of Nigerians.

This is just as the vice president expressed absolute confidence of President Bola Tinubu’s administration in the ability of the new Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Usman Ododo, to deliver the dividends of good governance to the people of the state.

Speaking in Maiduguri, the vice president said President Tinubu’s ‘Renewed Hope Agenda’ would not make any policy or decision to be sectional, or at the detriment of some geographical location of the country.

Represented by his Special Adviser on Political Matters, Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, the vice president said the late Sir Ahmadu Bello, the Sardauna of Sokoto of blessed memory lived a worthy life of emulation for the betterment of the North and the country as a whole.

Speaking on the theme: ‘Creating Pathways for Peace: Tackling Banditry and Insurgency through Good Governance for Sustainable Development in Nigeria’, Shettima commended the members of the Foundation for not only choosing Borno State as the venue for the lecture, but also for the theme, which he said, is apt and timely, given the numerous security challenges affecting the state, the North-east, and the country in general.

He said: “The event, in line with President Tinubu’s vision, has brought about many critical stakeholders, including traditional rulers to collectively brainstorm and chart a new way forward in bringing lasting solutions to end insecurity, banditry, kidnapping, poverty, corruption and all other social vices in the region and the nation in general.

“Recently, there were those opposing the federal government’s decision over the planned relocation of some departments and units of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) from Abuja to Lagos. I want to reassure the people of the North that the move is in the interest of the generality of Nigerians.

“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s ‘Renewed Hope Agenda’ would not make any policy or decision that would be sectional, or at the detriment of some geographical location of the nation; therefore, those opposing the relocation process of some of the departments should desist, or else they are acting as mischief makers,” Shettima stated.

In his speech, the Chairman, Board of Trustee of Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation, and former governor of Niger State, Dr. Muazu Babangida Aliyu, said, the gathering was to commemorate the significant milestone and enduring legacy of Sir Ahmadu Bello, whose vision and leadership continue

to inspire northerners in their quest for a better Nigeria.

The Guest Speaker, Professor Tijjani Mohammed Banded, whose paper dwelled extensively on tackling insecurity through good governance, suggested that “for the North to have sustainable development, all hands must be on deck with those in government to rebuild trust and work for peacebuilding, provision of quality education, modernisation of agriculture, building infrastructures, rebuilding civil service and building credible media.”

The Chairman of the occasion, Gombe State Governor, who is also the Chairman of Northern Governors’ Forum, Inuwa Yahaya, said the Foundation, since inception, has played a greater role in creating peace, unity and progress’ amongst Nigerians, describing these as some of the legacies of late Sir Ahmadu Bello.

He promised that the 19 state governors would continue to support the sustainability of the Foundation.

Also, the Chief Hosts, Governor Babagana Zulum and the Shehu of Borno, Dr Abubakar Ibn-Umar Garbai Al Amin El-Kanemi commended the organisers for choosing Borno as the venue, pointing out that it would accord the people an opportunity to proffer lasting solutions to the insecurity and poverty ravaging the state and the entire North.

Ododo will Provide Good Governance in Kogi, Says Shettima In another development, Shettima has expressed absolute confidence in President Tinubu’s administration in the ability of the new governor of Kogi State, Ododo, to deliver the dividends of good governance to the people.

Shettima spoke yesterday at the inauguration of Ododo and Salifu Joel Oyibo as the governor and deputy governor of Kogi State, respectively, at the Muhammadu Buhari Square in Lokoja, the state capital.

According to him, the change of baton would not disrupt the dividends of good governance, noting that "Kogi State remains bound by the ideals and promises of a unified council of leaders and the largest party in Africa, the All Progressives Congress (APC)”.

Delivering his speech titled: 'Standing Together, Standing for the People,' the vice president conveyed what he described as the heartfelt goodwill of President Tinubu to the people of Kogi State, saying the president holds absolute confidence in Ododo as the new helmsman of the state.

His words: "The President remains committed to collaborating to optimise the vast potentials of Kogi State and bring to fruition the aspirations of its illustrious people.

"This historic day is not an orphan; it is born from a collection of sacrifices and an inventory of commitments

to serve the people. This historic day is the ultimate demonstration of faith in Alhaji Usman Ahmed Ododo, a man fit for the shoes he is about to step into".

Shettima who described former Governor Yahaya Bello by his nicknames, “indefatigable White Lion”, and “the people’s lion," pointed out that the historic inauguration of Ododo as his successor "is an eloquent referendum on" Bello's stewardship.

"We are not here by accident, for none of us would ever escape our destiny. It’s this fatalism in our service to humanity that inspires our humility to stay on track. We are here merely because we are chosen by the people to represent their ideals.

"While political parties embody ideologies, it is the people who uphold the value system that appeals to our humanity, and Kogi State is fortunate to have our trusted patriots safeguarding their interests," he added.

He implored the new governor not to despair because of the difficult economic situation of the country.

The vice president stressed that while "it is precisely during these tumultuous times that leaders of note proves their resilience," he pointed out that it is the same resilience that sets Nigerian leaders apart, as they navigate through challenges that shape the nation's collective destiny.

While canvassing for collective efforts in governance and teamwork among members of the APC in the state, he pointed out that nobody functions in isolation.

"As His Excellency, Governor Usman Ahmed Ododo assumes the weight of leadership today, we must appeal to the pillars of the party in Kogi State to work as a team. “Our ability to manage this weight shapes our future and influences our image, and we must remain ambassadors of the party, wherever we are and in whatever we do," Shettima added.

In his inaugural speech, Governor Ododo pledged to build on the achievements of his predecessor to move the state forward.

The governor, who promised not to betray the people's trust, also pledged to pay attention to the health, education, agriculture and infrastructural sectors.

Ododo singled out President Tinubu for praise for his commitment to the conduct of free and fair elections.

The new governor pledged to hit the ground running by completing critical projects left behind by Bello.

To match his words with action, Ododo announced the appointments of the Secretary to the State Government, his Chief of Staff and his Chief Press Secretary, among others, even as he also forwarded the list of his commissioner-nominees to the state House of Assembly for confirmation.

for commercialising such ideas.

“Today, the higher education sector is witnessing tremendous growth, internalisation and impact, from globalisation.

This is facilitated in part by partnerships, collaborations and the use of information and communication technology.

“The initiative of the university in developing a regional and internationalisation policy aimed at attracting international staff and students is a right step in the right direction.

The federal government is complementing these pragmatic efforts through its recent approval of transnational education in Nigeria.

“This policy allows universities and investors abroad to set up institutions within Nigeria, owned by them or collaborate and partner with existing Nigerian institutions.

“Gone are the days when Nigeria was bottle-lapped in the areas of knowledge and cooperation. Overall, therefore, this gives Nigerians access to quality education based on

global standards and also saves foreign exchange.

“On our part, this government acknowledges the critical roles of tertiary institutions in achieving the aims of this government to place the nation on the path of development. We will continue to support the institutions with suitable policies and resources that will facilitate their roles.

“Our students will also enjoy such support such as the student loans that we have now expanded to cater for those pursuing skills-based courses, in addition to those in the universities,” he said.

The president congratulated the graduating students, urging them to use the knowledge they have acquired for societal development to justify the resources expended on their studies.

“You are, therefore, expected to be job creators, rather than job seekers. The opportunities available are limitless and open to you to conquer,” he added.

Chancellor of the University and the Obi of Onitsha,

Nnaemeke Alfred Ugochukwu Achebe commended the federal government for removing the federal universities from the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS), adding that the decision will go a long way in guaranteeing the autonomy of the universities.

The Vice Chancellor of ABU, Professor Kabiru Bala, said of the 25,432 graduating with various degrees, 647 bagged PhD, 5,167 Masters, 40 MPhil and 955 Post Graduate Diplomas.

He said out of 11,916 graduates with Bachelor’s degrees, 182 earned First Class degrees, 3,902 earned second-class upper degrees, and 11,552 graduated with second-class (lower division).

The convocation ceremony was graced by the Governors of Kaduna and Zamfara states, Senator Uba Sani and Dauda Lawal, respectively; the Emir of Zazzau, Ambassador Ahmed Nuhu Bamali; former Governor of Cross River State, Donald Duke, and many other dignitaries.

BRIBERY ALLEGATIONS AGAINST NAVAL CHIEF BASELESS, SAYS NAVY, MATAWALLE PROMISES INVESTIGATION Rear Admiral Adedotun AyoVaughan, denied the allegations against Ogalla, stressing that the CNS has no business with oil bunkering contract awards.

He said the arrested vessels mentioned in the report were involved in crude oil theft and illegal oil bunkering, clarifying that they have not been released as alleged.

The statement read: “The allegations that the Chief of the Naval Staff accepted over $170 million in bribes as well as alleged involvement in multibillion-naira contract splitting fraud in the last six months are untenable, baseless and untrue.

“Firstly, there are clear procedural requirements in the arrest, detention, and release of any vessel or persons found culpable in the maritime environment. It is not until these processes are duly concluded that such vessels are released to appropriate prosecuting agencies for further action.

“Indeed, all arrested vessels mentioned in the publication that were involved in crude oil theft and illegal oil bunkering are being investigated and none of such vessels has been released as alleged.”

Ayo-Vaughan also said it was not within the power of the Chief of Naval Staff to award oil bunkering contracts, adding that only the NNPCL had such power.

“The CNS does not award or oversee oil bunkering contracts; the award of such is the sole prerogative of NNPCL. “Also, all contracts awarded by the Navy follow due process in line with the laws of the Federation. The Nigerian Navy and her roles are an offshoot of the constitutional provisions and duly guided by extant laws and regulations of the land.

“The policing roles of the Navy empowered her to monitor the maritime domain of the nation. These among others include the arrest of vessels that contravene any of the maritime laws and SPOMO Act 2019,” he added.

He accused some unarmed persons described as disgruntled elements who he said were feeling the heat of the several operations by the Navy of making efforts to blackmail Ogalla.

Ayo-Vaughan added that the elements had believed no individual could confront them, but following the operations, they had been put on their toes, adding that this had resulted in blackmail.

“The service is aware of the coordinated frantic efforts to blackmail the office and person of the CNS by some disgruntled elements who are feeling the heat of the Nigerian Navy’s renewed vigour to fight crude oil theft and illegalities in the maritime domain as well as those who have in one way of the order shortchanged the Navy before now.

“Specifically, the continuous rejuvenated operations towards curbing oil theft have given the oil thieves sleepless nights hence the decision to engage in the malicious publications. It would be recalled that the Nigerian Navy recently launched Operation Delta Sanity, which provided for a holistic, more robust roadmap towards the reinvigorated stance of the NN (Nigerian Navy) towards the fight against crude oil theft and other forms of illegalities in the Nation’s maritime environment.

“Indeed, the NN is aware of these antics as it is expected considering the current resolve of the NN to engage oil thieves head-on. The cartel hitherto believed no individual could confront its ranks. Fortunately, the recent achievements of the NN in this regard have put them on their heels hence the resort to cheap blackmail through immoral and compromised online media publishers,” the statement added.

He also promised Nigerians that the blackmail wouldn’t distract the service in their resolve to deny oil thieves freedom in the country.

“Pertinently, the NN will continue to ensure legitimate businesses in the maritime domain thrive seamlessly. Also, these distractions will in no way retract the NN’s resolve to confront these criminals who must be brought to justice for Nigeria’s economy to rebound.

The security and economy of the Nation are greater than any group of persons that think they must continue to drain the country,” he explained.

The statement urged the members of the public to discountenance completely the malicious publication completely because it is totally untrue, completely baseless and a figment of the shallow imagination of the writer, his publishers, and their unpatriotic sponsors.

Matawalle Promises Investigation

Meanwhile, the Minister of

State for Defence, Matawalle, has pledged to investigate the allegations of corruption against the naval chief.

A statement issued at the weekend by the Director of Information, Press and Public Relations in the ministry, Mr. Henshaw Ogubike, stated that Matawalle while reacting to the allegations against Ogalla, said that the administration of President Bola Tinubu has zero tolerance for corruption in the public service.

“Though these allegations might be mischievous, the Ministry of Defence is committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity and accountability within the Nigerian Armed Forces.

“The allegations levelled against Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla are serious,” he said.

“Matawalle harped on thorough investigation, saying that it was imperative to emphasise the need for a thorough and impartial investigation to ascertain the truth of these claims,” he added.

Speaking on the source of information, he said: “We respect the role of the media in fostering transparency and holding public figures accountable.

“At the same time, we urge responsible journalism that adheres to the principles of fairness, objectivity, and accuracy.

“Accusations of this nature can have far-reaching consequences for the reputation of individuals and institutions, and thus, it is crucial to avoid premature judgements.

“In the light of the allegations, we assure the public that the Ministry of Defence will collaborate fully with relevant authorities to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the matter.

“We remain committed to the principles of due process and fairness, ensuring that findings will be based on concrete evidence and legal standards.

“It is our collective responsibility to maintain the trust and confidence of the Nigerian people in the institutions that safeguard our nation’s security.

“We call for patience as the investigative process unfolds and trust that justice will be served in accordance with the rule of law,” the statement added.

6

T H I S DAY, T H E S U N DAY N E W S PA P E R • JANUARY 28, 2024

NEWS

ALL EYES ON HIGHER RETURNS…

L-R: Former Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Mr. Niyi Adebayo; New shareholder of Dangote Cement Plc, Mr. Femi Otedola; Chairman of Dangote Cement Plc, Alhaji Aliko Dangote; and former Governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, at the Dangote Cement Distributors’ Awards Nite in Lagos…Friday

NCAA Suspends Mattini Airline’s Permit over Ibadan Incident, NSIB Begins Investigation Chinedu Eze The Nigeria Civil Authority (NCAA) has suspended the operating permit of Mattini Airline Services Limited, pending the completion of investigations into the runway incident involving a Challenger CL 601 aircraft, operated by the firm.

This is coming as the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) said it has dispatched its investigators to the scene of the serious incident for investigation purposes.

A private jet operated by the

airline, which had departed Abuja with 15 persons on board, overshot the runway while landing at Ibadan Airport on Friday.

There was no fatality in the incident.

In November last year, a similar serious incident happened when a private jet, HS25B with call sign, 5NAMM operated by Flint Aero overshot the runway at Ibadan Airport, but nobody was affected.

A statement issued yesterday by the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at the NCAA, Mr. Michael Achimugu,

said that the Permit for NonCommercial Flight (PNCF) of the airline, with the registration number: N580KR would remain suspended, pending the outcome of the ongoing investigation.

The agency said that the suspension was in accordance with Section 32 (4) of the Civil Aviation Act 2022.

The apex regulatory body also hinted that it had further initiated safety and economic audits of all private jet operations in Nigeria.

The statement read in part: “NCAA is aware of the runway excursion involving a Challenger

CL 601 aircraft, operated by Mattini Airline Services Limited, with registration marks: N580KR at Ibadan Airport on 26th January 2024.

“Mattini Airline Services Limited holds a valid Permit for Non-Commercial Flight (PNCF).

While the NSIB is conducting the safety investigation, the NCAA has initiated an economic inquiry into the operation of the aircraft viz-a-viz the terms and conditions of the PNCF as detailed in its Annexure.”

Also, a statement by the Director of Public Affairs and

Consumer Protection at NSIB, Mrs. Bimbo Oladeji, said investigation into the serious incident involving the Challenger 601-3R aircraft had commenced.

Oladeji also promised that the bureau would release the preliminary report as soon as possible.

According to the statement, the incident occurred at about 10.55 am (local time) with 12 passengers and three crew members onboard.

Oladeji said the aircraft was en route Ibadan from Abuja, but on final approach to landing on Runway 22, it overshot the runway.

She reiterated that there was no fatality, as all 12 passengers and

three crew were safely evacuated.

Also, NSIB said that it had deployed “a Go Team” to investigate the serious incident.

“As the investigating agency, NSIB needs and hereby solicits your assistance. We want the public to know that we would be amenable to receiving any video clip, relevant evidence, or information any members of the public may have of the serious incident; that can assist us with this investigation.

“The bureau will appreciate that the public and press respect the privacy of the people involved and not assume the cause of the serious incident until a formal report is released,” the statement said.

I will Be Your Leader Once You Join APC, Ganduje Tells Kwankwaso, Others Oyedele: FG Not Recruiting Ahmad Sorondinki in Kano The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, has reminded all and sundry, especially the leader of the Kwankwasiyya movement and former governor of the state, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso that once they defect to the APC, then he becomes their leader.

Ganduje, who spoke in a viral audio clip, stressed that when it comes to APC, he remains the number one person who matters the most.

He said: “If you are talking about APC, we are the leaders of APC; not in local government, not in state, not zones but national as a whole.

“If you are an APC membership

card holder, you are a subordinate and follower of the national leader.

The same thing with leaders at ward, state and zonal levels.

“If you defect to APC today, you are our subordinate and follower. It is important for you to note this; a child of the household and a stranger are all under the care of the head of the house.”

Ganduje, who was speaking to the supporters of the APC in Kano, called on them not to panic or exercise any fear about someone coming to join them in the party.

He added: “Don’t be afraid if someone comes to your house to get one thing or the other. For you to go to his house looking for anything and for him to come to your house which one do you prefer?

“One who has what to offer is the one who welcomes others.

One that doesn’t have anything to offer is the one looking for where to enter. Lend me your ears, I want to tell you a story.

What is the work of the national chairman of the APC? Is it in Kano State alone? 36 states and Abuja wherever I go I am the King, I am the Sheikh, I am Modibbo, I am Alanguburo.

So, same thing here at home.

We are calling on the NNPP to pack those perishable fruits where they will be preserved in a fridge so that they will not get spoiled or rotten.

“We are calling on them to come back to APC. Is that a crime? One who has something is the one to beg; one who has something is the one who gives.

“As I told you people, whoever you are and your status in the party even if you are ‘Jagora’ (leader) once you come to APC then your grandfather is here!”

Ganduje added.

Kwankwaso is called Jagora by Kwankwasiyya adherents in Kano and other parts of the country.

Ganduje, who has been in Kano since late Thursday evening, had been engaging with the party stakeholders and supporters across the state.

He had, after a stakeholders’ meeting, extended a hand of fellowship to Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, and others to join the APC. But the governor had rejected the call, saying that it did not follow a formal channel of communication.

ECOWAS Court: We Took 64 Decisions in 2023 Michael Olugbode in Abuja

The ECOWAS Court of Justice has recorded yet another milestone in the number of decisions delivered in 2023.

Statistics from the court’s Registry Department indicated that 64 decisions comprising 59 judgments and five rulings were delivered in 2023.

This was a remarkable progress from the 41 judgments rendered in 2022 and 2021, consecutively.

This, according to the court, is the highest number of judgments delivered in any year since the court’s inception in 2001.

In his New Year message, the President of the court, Justice Edward Amoako Asante, said the remarkable feat was an attestation to the diligence of the college of judges supported by “staff’s commitment, collaboration and focus.”

“The other indices are also encouraging as we succeeded in reducing the number of pending

cases to 165 at the end of 2023 compared to 180 at the end of 2022,” he added.

Justice Asante also enjoined staff to brace up for an anticipated increase in a number of human rights cases that may be filed before the court following unrest in the sub-region, including attempted coups in member-states.

He expressed optimism that the court will exceptionally deliver on its mandate in 2024, considering the recent additional recruitments and

promotions to boost the productivity and performance of the court.

From its inception in 2001, the court has delivered 402 judgments on a total of 678 cases filed within the same period.

The statistics also indicated that since inception, the court has held 1,440 court proceedings, and rendered 29 decisions on 41 applications for revision of judgment filed, while 168 cases including those filed at the beginning of 2024 are presently pending before it.

‘Area Boys’ to Collect Taxes James Emejo in Abuja The Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, Mr. Taiwo Oyedele, has said the federal government is not recruiting ‘area boys’ to collect taxes.

During an interview on television on January 17, 2023, Oyedele had stated that his team was planning to involve all stakeholders in implementation - including louts popularly called area boys.

The proposal to involve area boys in tax collection had sparked public outcry.

Reacting to the criticisms, Oyedele, in a statement issued yesterday on X, said his comment was taken out of context.

According to him, you cannot recruit a person to do the job they are already doing, whether they are legally engaged or otherwise.

“We have over 40 taxes and levies which states and local governments are authorised by law to collect across Nigeria, including road taxes on trucks, buses and bicycles, wheelbarrow, kiosks and shops levies,” he said.

“In many cases, area boys are engaged to collect these taxes, which they often do through crude, unorthodox means and harassment.

“Painfully, these taxes yield very little revenue to the government despite the huge burden they place on small businesses, artisans and

transporters,” he explained.

Oyedele said the issue he raised in the interview was not about employing more tax collectors but about finding common ground with those already involved, who have an unofficial stake in the system.

“We propose to eliminate many of these taxes and harmonise a few of them that may be appropriate and devise a civil means of collection using mobile phones,” he said.

Oyedele said the issue he addressed was sensationalised and taken out of context.

According to the tax expert, he was talking about how to “get the buy-in of those who currently collect these taxes (and obviously benefit from doing so beyond whatever they are being paid officially)”.

“I did not mention any word like recruit or employ,” he said.

“My thought on it beyond the legal aspect was to consider the social dimension and find a practical solution that has a high chance of success.

“The idea being that government could train the collectors to behave in a civilised manner and pay them decently so that it is comparable to what they currently make.

“Their new role will be to drive and monitor compliance. The payers will pay less and be treated with dignity. Government will earn more, and society will benefit – a win-win outcome for everyone.”

SUNDAY JANUARY 28, 2024 • T H I S D AY

7

8

T H I S DAY, T H E S U N DAY N E W S PA P E R • JANUARY 28, 2024

NEWS

PROMOTING TRANSPARENCY…

L-R: Chief Financial Officer, NNPC Limited, Mr. Umar Ajiya; EITI’s Deputy Executive Director, Mr. Bady Baldé; Group Chief Executive Officer of the NNPCL, Mr. Mele Kyari; Executive Secretary, NEITI, Dr. Orji Ogbonnaya Orji; and Executive Vice President, Business Services, Mr. Danladi Inuwa, after the presentation of EITI’s report to NNPCL in Abuja…recently

Go Hard on Terrorists in Plateau, Other States, Lagbaja Orders Troops Over 30 gunmen killed in fierce clash with soldiers

Seriki Adinoyi in Jos The Chief of Army Staff, Lt General Taoreed Lagbaja, has ordered troops to adopt a more aggressive posture against terrorists causing mayhem in Plateau and contiguous states.

Lagbaja has also pledged the readiness of the Army Headquarters to address deployment gaps in Plateau State, promising also that the soldiers deployed to the state would impartially discharge their constitutional responsibility for the sake of peace and unity.

This is coming as at least 30 gunmen have been neutralised by

troops of Operation Hakorin Damisa, and several others arrested with ammunition when the gunmen allegedly took advantage of the relaxation of the 24-hour curfew imposed on the Mangu Local Government Area (LGA) to attempt an attack on the people.

General Lagbaja, who made the pledge while on an official visit to the governor of the state, Mr. Caleb Mutfwang, also disclosed that the Army Headquarters had mobilised special forces from across the country to Plateau State overnight, adding that he was in the state to give marching orders to the troops.

PDP Demands Release of Abducted Lagos Chairman, Others We’re on the trail of abductors, says Ogun CP

Chuks Okocha in Abuja

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has demanded the immediate release of the Chairman of the Lagos State chapter of the party, Mr. Philip Aivoji, who was abducted last Thursday on the Lagos-Ibadan expressway.

But the Ogun State Police Command said it was on the trail of Aivoji’s abductors.

Aivoji was abducted at the Ogere axis of the Lagos-Ibadan expressway, alongside nine other party members who were with him.

They were said to be returning from the party’s Stakeholders’ Zonal Caucus Meeting held in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital when they were abducted.

The party in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, in Abuja yesterday, expressed concern about Aivoji’s well-being and safety, especially considering his age.

Ologunagba condemned the spate of kidnap for ransom, mindless killings, marauding of communities and other acts of terrorism across the country.

He said that the ugly trend called for urgent action by President Bola Tinubu to ensure the release of all those held in kidnappers’ dens in various parts of the country.

“Our party however appreciates and commends the efforts of our gallant men and women in uniform

for their patriotism, courage and determination in the fight against terrorism, kidnapping and other social vices.

“This is despite daunting challenges.

“The PDP charges the security high command to take urgent steps to secure the release of Aivoji and all other Nigerians trapped in abductors’ camps in various parts of the country.

“Our party calls on Nigerians to be alert and continue to support our security agencies in their efforts to safeguard our nation at this very critical time,” Ologunagba said.

Meanwhile, the Ogun State Police Command has said it was on the trail of Aivoji’s abductors.

The state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Abiodun Alamutu, who said this while speaking with journalists in Abeokuta promised that the police would catch up with the abductors of the party chieftain.

He said that the police had engaged the gunmen in a gun duel which forced the abductors to release nine of the abducted while the PDP Chairman was taken away.

“It is true, they were kidnapped on Thursday evening at Ogere on the Lagos-Ibadan expressway.

“Our men engaged them and in the process nine of the victims were released but the PDP chairman was taken away,” he said.

The Director, Army Public Relations, Maj. Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu, in a statement issued yesterday, said the Army Chief was in the state where he urged the troops to go hard on the terrorists.

The statement read, “The COAS ordered troops of the 3 Division Nigerian Army and the Joint Task Force Operation Safe Haven to adopt a more aggressive posture and decisively stamp out terrorists causing mayhem in Plateau and contiguous states.

“Gen Lagbaja was on an operational tour to Plateau, following a recent disruption of peace in Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State.

“The Army Chief also ordered troops to go hard on those disturbing the peace of the Plateau and neutralise any terrorist annihilating people and burning or destroying property and other economic valuables.”

Onyema also said the COAS, at the 3 Division, was briefed that the attacks were recurring because they had a political background with cultural sentiment.

He said: “The COAS, who had earlier been briefed on the security situation by the General Officer Commanding 3 Division and Commander Operation Safe Haven, Major General Abdusalam Abubakar, acknowledged that the security dynamics on the Plateau are complex due to its political background, interwoven with cultural and economic sentiments.

“These he added, account for the prolonged duration of the conflicts and the escalation in its lethality.

Gen Lagbaja inspected the arms and ammunition recovered by the troops and commended them for not allowing the crisis to escalate to other parts of the state.”

He noted that Lagbaja, notwithstanding, charged the troops to live up to the expectations of all peace-loving and law-abiding residents of the Plateau.

He urged the troops to remain disciplined, dutiful, responsive, and responsible, adding, however, that the full weight of the law would be brought down on any personnel found compromising.

Lagbaja also paid a courtesy call to the Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang.

Speaking on the allegation that his men were complicit and taking sides, he said they had investigated the claims but found it baseless and lacking any element of truth.

"These allegations are unsubstantiated and are not true; in fact, even the governor whom I spoke with earlier confirmed this despite initially holding a contrary

view.

Responding, the Plateau State Governor, Mutfwang, disclosed that he had never doubted the capability of the Nigerian Army and other security agencies in delivering on their constitutional mandate Sources in Magu said that some soldiers were also injured in the clash with the gunmen which happened at Satguru and Tyop villages before the arrival of the COAS to Mangu.

The sources said: “The incident occurred between 7 am and 7:30 am when the gunmen came in their numbers and started attacking some communities along Gindri road. In no time, the soldiers were alerted and immediately responded.

“About 30 of the gunmen were killed while more than 50 of them were arrested with guns and ammunition. Four soldiers were equally injured.”

Three Billion Video Gamers Worldwide Risk Irreversible Hearing Loss, WHO Warns Says 50,000 sound levels exceed permissible limits Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja The World Health Organisation (WHO) has raised the alarm over the health danger posed by high sound levels to video gamers.

It said that studies by researchers suggest that game sound levels often near, or exceed, permissible safe limits, adding that greater public health efforts are needed to raise awareness of potential risks.

Quoting a research study published in the Open Access Journal - BMJ Public Health., the global health body warned that: "Video gamers worldwide may be risking irreversible hearing loss and/or tinnitus - persistent ringing/ buzzing in the ears.”

"What evidence there suggests is that the sound levels reported in studies of more than 50,000 people often near, or exceed permissible safe limits,” the researchers added."

WHO explained that given the popularity of these games, greater public health efforts are needed to raise awareness of the potential risks.

According to WHO, while headphones, earbuds, and music

venues have been recognised as sources of potentially unsafe sound levels, relatively little attention has been paid to the effects of video games, including e-sports, on hearing loss.

It said gamers often play at high-intensity sound levels and for several hours at a time.

It estimates that there will be more than three billion gamers worldwide in 2022.

Giving details of the study, WHO said that the researchers tried to build an evidence base and that they trawled research databases looking for relevant studies and white papers, newsletters, reports, and proceedings.

In addition, it said some 14 peerreviewed studies from nine countries in North America, Europe, South East Asia, Asia and Australasia, involving a total of 53,833 people, were included in the review.

"Eleven were cohort (epidemiological observational) studies, six of which looked at the associations between hearing and computer or video games; four focused on gaming centres or

personal computer rooms, which are popular in Asia; and one focused on mobile devices.

"Reported sound levels ranged from 43.2 decibels (dB) (mobile devices) up to 80-89 dB (gaming centres), while length of noise exposure varied by mode and frequency of access–from daily to once a month, for at least an hour at a time, averaging three hours/week.

"Impulse sounds consist of bursts lasting less than one second, with peak levels at least 15 dB higher than the background sound. One study reported that impulse sounds reached levels as high as 119 dB during gameplay; permissible exposure limits are around 100 dB for children and 130–140 dB for adults," it said.

In providing the background for the study, researchers said that the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), in collaboration with the World Health Organisation, described a time–intensity trade-off, known as an exchange rate, for permissible levels and duration of exposure.

For example, it said a permissible noise exposure level of 80 dB for

40 hours a week with a three-dB exchange rate means the permissible exposure time halves with every 3 dB increase in noise level: at 83 dB it’s 20 hours; at 86 dB it’s 10 hours; at 92 dB it’s 2.5 hours; and at 98 dB it’s 38 minutes.

For children, the permissible noise exposure level is defined as 75 dB for 40 hours a week.

Children can therefore safely listen to an 83 dB sound for around 6.5 hours, 86 dB for around 3.25 hours, 92 dB for 45 minutes, and 98 dB for only 12 minutes a week, the researchers said.

WHO statement said that six studies had reported on video gaming prevalence among young people, which ranged from 20 per cent to 68 per cent. Two South Korean studies reported a prevalence of gaming centre use at around 60 per cent.

Five studies evaluated associations between gaming and self-reported hearing loss, hearing thresholds, or tinnitus. Of these, two found that school pupils’ gaming centre use was linked to increased odds of severe tinnitus and high-frequency sound hearing loss in both ears.

SUNDAY JANUARY 28, 2024 • T H I S D AY

9

10

T H I S DAY, T H E S U N DAY N E W S PA P E R • JANUARY 28, 2024

NEWS

MEDIA ENGAGEMENT…

L-R: Field Manager, Global Action Team, Lions Club International, Michael Di Maria; Area VIIIB GAT Leader, Gbolagade Adebisi; CA8 GAT Leader, Dr Hastings Chiti; Lions International VicePresident, Fabricio Oliveira; Incoming International Director for Africa, Princess Adetope Tychus; and former International Director, Olugbenga Lawal, at the Lions International Constitutional ETOP UKUTT Area VIIIB media chat with the International First Vice-President, in commemoration of his visit to Nigeria in Lagos... Friday

In 2027, Nigerians will Be United by Poverty, Insecurity as Factors to Choose Leaders, Says Sule Lamido Chuks Okocha in Abuja

Former Minister of Foreign Affairs and two-time governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido, has said that hunger and poverty would be the determining factor for Nigerians in electing the next set of leaders in 2027.

Lamido also said that character and personality will play a more crucial role than money in 2027, stressing however that both the

administration of Muhammadu Buhari and that of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu have dragged the nation 20 years back as disunity, and hatred pervade the land.

The former Minister, who said he could not explain why his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) could not adhere to its constitution by holding the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting quarterly, urged the party leadership to summon the NEC meeting, adding

that it is constitutionally stipulated that the meeting should be held quarterly.

Lamido said the impunity within the PDP was due to the governors’ decision to ensure that their lackeys were brought into office without regard to integrity and capabilities Lamido who spoke in an interview with THISDAY, said that the PDP will not go into any merger with any other political party because they only want to grab power and

not to improve on the welfare of Nigerians.

According to him, "The determining factors for the presidential election in 2027 would be how the poor and the rich survived and how insecurity was addressed within the years preceding the elections.

"If people are working and whether you are a Muslim or a Christian, if you are not happy in this country called Nigeria, we

With 150 Companies and $27bn Investments in Nigeria, India Interested in More, Says Envoy Michael Olugbode in Abuja About 150 Indian companies have invested more than $27 billion in Nigeria in the last four decades, the Indian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Gangadharan Balasubramanian has revealed.

Balasubramanian disclosed this in his address at the anniversary celebration of the 75th Republic Day of India, organised by the Indian mission on Friday night in Abuja.

He noted that India remains interested in investing more in Nigeria.

The envoy, while describing relations between India and Nigeria as excellent, said India will continue to play a significant role and contribute to the global economy.

He added that the recently concluded Indian Presidency of G20 showcased the country’s readiness to effectively play a global role.

He said India stands shoulder-toshoulder with Nigerian friends in the

joint journey towards development and that the Government of India is committed to further strengthening such ties.

Balasubramanian also said: “India and Nigeria enjoy strong and historical relations. With the ties dating back to before Nigeria’s independence, our bilateral relations have been nurtured by the leadership of both countries.

“Our economic and trade relations are strong and growing. Currently, nearly 150 Indian companies with an investment of $27 billion are in Nigeria, mainly in the manufacturing sector and employ the largest number of people after the federal government.

He noted that: “Owing to the special relationship, India had invited Nigeria as a Guest Country during her presidency of G20. We had a memorable visit of President Bola Tinubu to the G20 Summit in September 2023 that consolidated the ties further.

“Out of the 14 billion dollars

promised during this visit as an investment into the Nigerian economy, 7 billion dollars has already been signed immediately after the visit.”

The envoy reiterated his country’s commitment to deepen the India-Nigeria ties in terms of the recent visit by India’s External Affairs Minister, Dr. Subrahmanyan Jaishankar for the Joint Commission meeting held in Nigeria.

The envoy attributed progress made by his country to the working of his country’s Constitution adopted in 1950, saying from the end of the last century till now, India has become one of the fastest-growing emerging economies.

He said: “Today with more than 3.7 trillion dollars in GDP, her economy is the fifth largest in the world. Education, health and economy have been consistent targets of successive governments in India resulting in all-round improvement of the standard of living of Indian citizens.

“We run one of the world’s largest health insurance schemes, made education a fundamental right, continue with the biggest welfare initiative in providing food grains to a significant percentage of Indian citizens, increased the paying capacity of the people and provided equal opportunities to all.

“We have drawn up schemes to uplift the vulnerable and on gender equality, passed legislation providing 33per cent reservation for women in parliament, to name a few.

“Starting from 1964, we have been providing scholarships for a large number of short-term courses under the Indian Technical and Economic Partnership to people around the world.

“We have become a significant development partner through Lines of Credit and Grants-in-Aid to the global south, which today stands at 39 billion dollars, which includes more than 12 billion dollars to Africa,” he added.

Transparency: EITI Rates NNPCL High in Compliance Kyari insists no public fund withheld

Global transparency body, Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), has scored the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited very high in its latest global assessment.

This was disclosed by EITI’s Deputy Executive Director, Mr. Bady Baldé, during a visit by an EITI delegation to the Group Chief Executive Officer of the NNPCL, Mr. Mele Kyari, in Abuja.

Baldé who said the delegation’s visit was to communicate the group’s findings in its recent global assessment to the company said NNPCL fared very well among companies in the same category, adding that only Equinox

of Norway fared better than NNPCL in the assessment.

A statement by the Chief Corporate Communications Officer, NNPCL, Olufemi O. Soneye, said Baldé, however, said there was still room for NNPCL to improve, stressing that compliance with global EITI standards would help boost the company’s credibility.

The EITI boss also urged NNPCL to remain engaged to play an active role in its Nigerian unit, the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI).

Earlier in his welcome remarks, Kyari highlighted some of the key changes in the operations of the

NNPCL since its transformation into a commercially focused limited liability company in 2021.

He acknowledged that the NNPCL’s partnership with EITI/ NEITI has made it a much more reliable company.

He, however, expressed disappointment with NEITI for going public with its report that NNPCL failed to remit some monies into the Federation Account instead of seeking clarification on any perceived gap in its assessment.

He explained that NNPCL was holding no public funds back and that what NEITI reported as nonremittance was what was due to the company as payment for taking the

burden of fuel subsidy on behalf of the federal government.

He disclosed that NNPCL would have released its Audited Financial Statement (AFS) for 2022 since June 2023 but could not do so because it had no substantive Board of Directors at that time, adding that the AFS will be published on the company’s website in the next few days.

On his part, the Executive Secretary of NEITI, Dr. Orji Ogbonnaya Orji, called for the reconstitution of the NNPC/NEITI Joint Committee on Reconciliation, stressing that the committee could help in straightening out any grey areas.

have been able to find a common unifying denominator.

"These will be the determining factors. Our national security, our national economy, our national stability, our national cohesion - that bond of brotherhood and sisterhood have all gone. We are back to where we were in 1998 after the death of Abacha when PDP was formed.

The difference then was that the economy was fairly stable and security was fairly stable. But the economy and security can only be enjoyed if there is an environment where we mutually believe in each other, and there is mutual trust and mutual respect because if there is no trust - if we don’t believe in each other as a people, as brothers and sisters, as Nigerians, no matter what you do, the economy will not be important to them.

"It will not be business as usual.

How did the poor survive and how did the rich manage to stay afloat in this biting and harsh economic activity? How did the people survive the increasing inflationary trends?

The absence of bread in the streets of France was one of the basic reasons that necessitated the French Revolution.

“The people will certainly ask questions. It is a three-page scenario.

One page is for the PDP era in government another page is for the APC era in government and the third page is for Nigerians to compare and contrast. Mark my words, it would not be business as usual. Questions would be asked and answers must be given. What happens to the economy and what happens that there are more poor Nigerians and the rich are getting richer?

"What happens is that there is too much insecurity in Nigeria.

Who are those Nigerians behind the gruesome inter-ethnic rivalry?

Who are those stoking the crisis?

These are questions that would be brought to the table when the time comes," he stressed.

He explained that within that period, "character and personality will play much more crucial role than money as Nigerians would look for a pan-nationalist who will unite the country more than someone that will be throwing money around.

Questions will be asked and answers will be given," he stated Speaking on why the PDP has crept to such a level of impunity, he blamed the governors of the party that settled for mediocrity, instead of competence and integrity.

He asked: "Who was the first chairman of the PDP? Was it, not the former vice president, the late Dr. Alex Ekwueme who was succeeded by the late Solomon Lar, then we have Audu Ogbeh, Barnabas Gemade and later Ahmadu Ali and others.

“But what do we have subsequently? You know what we have because the governors elected on the platform of the party fund the party and now dictate the pace.

They nominate their lackeys who will protect their interests. So, in the process, there is no longer integrity and competence. This is what is happening in the PDP. You can compare the quality in the earlier part of the PDP as a political party and what we have now. Again, compare and contrast and it will not take you time to know why the PDP is in such a situation. We will reinvent the party," he added.

On the merger of political parties, the former governor of Jigawa State dismissed the talks of alliances and mergers saying, "Mark my words; there won't be any merger. Let me put it this way, PDP will not be part of any merger. We are organic.

"PDP was formed as the party for the people. That is why we are the people’s party. Other political parties are just a party to grab power. They are not ideologically driven. Check the APC for instance, the former national chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu was a former governor of Nasarawa State and a PDP member.

The incumbent chairman of APC was elected a former deputy governor of Kano State. He was a PDP member. This is what I am saying that these political parties were just formed for a power grab.

There is no background ideology.

What did these leaders stand for than to grab power?

"Look at the APC and the subsequent transformation from 1998 to date, can you count the stage past so far. It is because of the quest for power grab. PDP is organic. There is no ward out of the 774 wards that you cannot find the PDP. We are rooted in the people.

So, we are organic", he explained On the allegations that the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike has pocketed the PDP, he said: "Wike is an asset to the party, but he needs to be refined in his ways.

"If you say that you bought clothes or wrappers for your mother, does it mean that before you were born your mother was without clothes? Someone has to fund the party, once in a while, but you cannot say because you fund the party, you claim that you are above the party. Let me tell you, the party is supreme and no individual is above the party.

"So, I don’t think Wike should pocket PDP because you can’t pocket your own mother. Before Wike, PDP was being financed, before Wike PDP was buying wrapper to cover its nakedness," Lamido explained.

SUNDAY JANUARY 28, 2024 • T H I S D AY

11

12

SUNDAY JANUARY 28, 2024 • T H I S D AY

SUNDAY JANUARY 28, 2024 • T H I S D AY

13

14

SUNDAY JANUARY 28, 2024 • T H I S D AY

SUNDAY JANUARY 28, 2024 • T H I S D AY

15

16

SUNDAY JANUARY 28, 2024 • T H I S D AY

THISDAY, The SUNday Newspaper • January 28, 2024

Business

17

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

Bumpy Ride Ahead as Bad Roads Threaten Gains of Port Harcourt, Dangote’s Refineries

In the wake of Nigeria’s ambitious strides in local oil production through Port Harcourt and Dangote refineries, a less conspicuous adversary emerges—the dilapidated state of the country’s road infrastructure. Festus Akanbi, in this report, delves into how bad roads will undermine the very benefits these refineries seek to bestow upon Nigeria’s economic landscape

P

erhaps, the scarcity of foreign exchange and the attendant strains on the economy is the biggest battle confronting the current administration.

This is because there is hardly any analysis of the pervading economic downturn in the country that doesn’t single out the catastrophe in the foreign exchange market as the underlying factor for the current chaos.

There seemed to be a consensus that once the government can get the existing refineries working again, and the pressure by importers on foreign exchange for fuel import is reduced significantly, the heat in the FX market will subside and the economy will pick up again.

As Port Harcourt, Dangote Refineries Begin Production

This perhaps is the reason why so much hope is placed on the rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt refinery and the readiness of the Dangote refinery to start producing petrol.

No doubt, Nigerians hold high expectations for crude oil production by the Port Harcourt refineries, anticipating enhanced energy security and a reduction in the country’s dependence on imported refined products. They hope that successful operations at the Port Harcourt refineries will lead to increased domestic production, thereby stabilising fuel prices and ensuring a more reliable supply chain.

The anticipation is not just for economic gains but also for the potential to create jobs and boost local industries, fostering a more sustainable and self-reliant economy.

Similarly, Nigerians eagerly anticipate the contribution of Dangote refineries to crude oil production. Expectations are centred on the refinery’s capacity to significantly reduce the need for fuel imports, ultimately curbing foreign exchange expenditures and bolstering the nation’s economic resilience. Additionally, there is hope that Dangote refineries will introduce innovative practices and technology, setting new standards for efficiency and environmental sustainability in the oil and gas sector. Nigerians look to these refineries as beacons of progress, aspiring to witness a transformative impact on both the economy and daily lives through increased local refining capacity.

A tanker driver wriggling himself out of one of the nation’s collapsed roads

East-West Road, An Eyesore

Port Harcourt Refinery

Poor Road Infrastructure as an the union had at several times fixed bad nation into the throes of uncertainty Albatross and despair.

As much as Nigerians nursed the hope of an eldorado as these two major refineries roared to life, the question is how will they distribute their products given the sorry state of the Nigerian roads.

The Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) in November last year threatened to withdraw services over the government’s alleged unwillingness to fix the nation’s deplorable roads.

The threat followed a major accident on Independence Day that claimed the lives of Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTDs) and other citizens on the Ologbo end of Warri-Benin highway.

According to the union, Nigerians are being wasted daily through the “callousness, insensitivity and negligence of leaders whom citizens entrust their lives to.”

NUPENG, in a statement, recalled that

administration awarded the 188km EastWest Road, from Warri in Delta State to Oron and Eket in Akwa Ibom State through Kaima in Bayelsa State, and Ahoada, Port Harcourt to Ogoni in Rivers State.

According to reports, the road, which was conceptualised in the early 70s to boost the economy and easy movement in the oil reach Niger Delta region, cuts across Edo, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, AkwaIbom and Cross River states, but the road currently ends in Oron, Akwa-Ibom State as the last phase that will cross the bridge to Calabar in Cross River State has not yet been constructed.

The East-West Road contract was said to have been awarded in four sections and the Eleme-Onne axis section of the road has become a nightmare for road users.

Reports say that sections I and II of the roads, covering Warri to Kaima and Onne Port Junction to Eket township have been completed, but Section IIIA, covering Port Harcourt/Eleme Junction to Onne Port Junction, which is just about 15 kilometres, has been neglected, despite lofty promises by each administration through the ministers of Works and Niger Delta Affairs.

Analysts said the importance of the collapsed section of the road is underscored by the fact it plays host to over 300 oil and gas companies, making it a huge industrial hub that generates a lot of wealth and resources for the federal and state governments.

The huge oil and gas activities in that section of the road, as well as other activities involving heavy-duty trucks plying the road daily, have worsened the state of the road, making it a nightmare for commuters.

Several lives have also been lost, with residents and road users often sleeping along the road due to its impassibility. A journey of less than 30 minutes now takes about seven to 10 hours or even more.

portions to make them passable for members and other road users.

The truth is the deplorable state of road infrastructure in Nigeria, particularly around Port Harcourt refineries and Dangote refineries, is nothing short of an ominous threat to fuel distribution. These roads, scarred by neglect and riddled with potholes, embody a harrowing journey for fuel transporters.

The emotional toll surfaces as these critical arteries crumble under the weight of inefficiency, rendering the transportation of fuel a perilous undertaking. The heartache intensifies as delays mount, costs soar, and the prospect of fuel shortages looms over communities that depend on these vital resources.

It’s a poignant narrative of how dilapidated infrastructure not only jeopardises economic progress but also plunges the

Just last week, President Bola Tinubu noted that concerning infrastructure development in Rivers State, he had heard the cries of prominent Rivers sons, with particular reference to the Eleme Junction-Onne axis of the East-West Road, linking the Port Harcourt Refinery. On this, the President said the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, is a strong adviser and would follow up on the issue for prompt action.

Despite the billions of naira earmarked for the construction of the East-West Road in the South-South region, which crosses through many states, the project has failed to be realised while the road remains a death trap.

President Olusegun Obasanjo’s

Today, the East-West road in Nigeria is plagued by severe deterioration, marked by potholes and inadequate maintenance, hindering smooth transportation and impeding economic activities in the region.

An oil industry analyst who spoke with THISDAY on condition of anonymity raised questions bordering on the conditions of these roads.

“As Nigerians await Dangote and Port Harcourt refineries to roll out products, are there infrastructure like roads for the distribution and evacuation of the products?”

He pointed out that as of today, Port Harcourt-Aba road, up to Enugu is bad, and so is Port Harcourt-Owerri road. Port Harcourt to Warri is also in shambles because of the collapse of the East-West road. The Warri-Benin and to Auchi has completely failed too.

In Lagos, where Dangote Refinery is located, the Lekki-Epe road is not in its best form either, and oil industry analysts said the gain of local oil production may be eroded by the problem of poor infrastructure in Lagos and in other parts of the country.

To fully realise the gains of local oil production, there is a need for the Tinubu administration to prioritise road infrastructure in 2024. It is an issue that should be placed above any political consideration. Definitely, the time to act is now.

18

SUNDAY JANUARY 28, 2024 • T H I S D AY

Sunday 28 January, 2024

T H I S D AY Vol MONDAY MARCH 14, 2022 27. No 10518

OPI NION

opinion@thisdaylive.com

www.thisdaylive.com

GIVING THE YOUTH THE SAILS TO COAST FREDRICK

NWABUFO asserts that the Tinubu administration is committed to investing in the youths

See Page 20

IN DEFENCE OF IZE-IYAMU

Ize-Iyamu is right, Orhionmwon local government is neglected, argues Monday Nabulele

See Page 20

EDITORIAL

THE STATE OF UNIVERSITY EDUCATION LS

OO

SCH

See Page 45

119

THE LION-HEART OF NIGERIAN POLITICS Eyitope Ogunbodede pays tribute to Rotimi Akeredolu, former Governor of Ondo State

I

t is a harrowing experience writing this piece on Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Odunayo Akeredolu, who many prefer to call by his alias of “Aketi”. I am united to Aketi not only by his and my membership of the Owo Community in Ondo State or by virtue of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), of which he was a committed alumnus, but also as bosom friends. Oluwarotimi Odunayo Akeredolu (SAN, CON), born on 21 July, 1956 in Owo to Reverend Jacob Ola Akeredolu and Lady Evangelist Grace Bosede Akeredolu of Aderoyiju family of Igbotu, EseOdo, in Ondo State, passed on to glory on December 27, 2023 while serving his second term as Governor of Ondo State.

He studied Law at the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University OAU), graduating in 1977 and was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1978. He served as the Attorney-General of Ondo State from 1997 to 1999. In 1998, he attained the enviable status of a Senior Advocate of Nigeria. He was chairman of the Legal Aid Council from 2005 to 2006.

He became president of the Nigerian Bar Association in 2008. In 2012, the Nigerian Bar Association named its new secretariat in Abuja after him for “his selfless service”. He was a Managing Partner at the Law firm of Olujinmi & Akeredolu, which he co-founded with Chief Akin Olujinmi, a former Attorney-General and Minister for Justice of Nigeria.

Akeredolu was sworn in as the governor of Ondo State on 24 February, 2017 in Akure, the Ondo State capital, having won as the flagbearer of the ruling party, the All Progressives Congress (APC). While at OAU as a student, he served as president of the Law Students Society.

He was also an active member of the National Union of Nigerian Students (NUNS), which metamorphosed into the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) in 1980.

Akeredolu displayed great passion for Obafemi Awolowo University, his alma mater. Their Law firm, Olujinmi & Akeredolu, are External Solicitors to OAU and it handled many cases for the university pro bono. He eruditely delivered the OAU Convocation Lecture at the December 2021 convocation during which Professor Yemi Osinbajo, representing the Visitor, humorously referred to him as “the Commander-in-Chief of Amotekun Forces”!

Akeredolu was an ardent lover and supporter of the African culture. During one of his invitations to OAU, he was officially welcomed by the Kegites Club. To the surprise of all that were present, he took the microphone and sang some old Kegites tunes, which were unknown to the current members. He was their “World Songito” and composed many songs for the Kegites during his student days at Great Ife. The Kegites Club, with the motto “Unity in Diversity”, is the first socio-cultural club in the world, founded in 1962 at the Ibadan campus of the then University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) by students. There are now branches nationally, UK, India, USA and others. Akeredolu was, until his death, working on a befitting World Headquarters for the Kegites Club at OAU. I do hope the project will be completed.

A major lesson to learn from Aketi’s life and times is that when we think as mere mortals that it will be long, God in His own

mysterious ways may decide to make it gloriously short for His own purpose. Dying at 67 years is untimely and saddens us but it is comprehensible because we are mere mortals that can be called home at any time or age. In the case of Akeredolu, we have every reason to be thankful because, while he has physically departed, his legacy, good deeds, love for humanity and memory will live forever.

Aketi demonstrated very clearly the numerous positive contributions that can emanate from the toils of a genuine patriot, committed leader and political strategist. He was an epitome of humility, commitment, competence, tenacity of purpose and absolute dedication. He was a political leader that refused to play “politics” with his people.

When I challenged him on his posture on some trending issues during his campaign for second term, he simply retorted “Tope, I will only promise what I know is possible. If I fail, I will go back to my law practice. It is not a do-or-die matter”.

In the heat of his bid for a second term, the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party at a press conference falsely alluded that I was the Returning Officer invited by INEC for the (Ondo State) governorship election. The party further disclosed that it was rejecting my appointment because I was “a known crony of Governor Akeredolu of the All Progressives Congress and hails from Owo, the same hometown as the APC candidate”. The embarrassment to me was mitigated when INEC immediately countered the spurious assertion, informing the public that “the Returning Officer for the Ondo Governorship election is not from Ondo State and not from the university mentioned

in the said press conference.”

Aketi called me and asked in his characteristic humorous manner “Tope, what is this falsehood that they are peddling about you? If they truly know you, they will know that you will never accept INEC’s invitation to serve as the Returning Officer for Ondo State where I am one of the candidates. Don’t worry, it is all politics and will soon be over.” I met Governor Seyi Makinde at the book launch of Professor Tope Alonge at Ibadan in March 2021. It was a great surprise to me that he openly apologised for the embarrassment that the misrepresentation must have caused me. I was not expecting any Governor in Nigeria to tender an apology to an “ordinary” citizen. In that rare gesture, Governor Makinde actually deviated from the norms and exemplified humility at its best. His attitude to power is worth emulating and my respect for him has soared since that Ibadan meeting.

All who know Akeredolu will agree that he was not the conventional politician whose main preoccupation is to talk and act in ways that sway the voters and endear them to support him. He not only declined chieftaincy titles but officially adopted the sobriquet “Arakunrin”, the Yoruba equivalent of “Mister”. Even as governor, he refused every opportunity to play to the gallery. An example will suffice. He was at a wedding ceremony in Akure on my invitation.

At the end of the church service, he pulled me aside and jokingly expressed in Owo dialect his displeasure on the physical condition of the church. Three days later, he called to inform me that he had taken a decision to personally and anonymously complete the construction of the church, and that I should not disclose to the church that he was the benefactor.

When construction materials were deposited in the church, the leadership called me to find out who was the generous donor. I told them the donor said I should not disclose, and they misinterpreted my statement to mean that I must be the one. When I found that the renovation of the church was being arrogated to me, I called Aketi to let him know that I needed to divulge the information to the church. Though he raised a serious objection, I went ahead to let the cat out of the bag! The church members were in utter bewilderment because it came from an angle they never imagined. The church was completely transformed within a few weeks.

That is Aketi for you!

It will surprise many to know that in 2019, when the staff of OAU were being kidnapped along the Ife-Ibadan express road, I ran to Aketi in Akure for advice. He listened attentively to me and retorted “Tope, we will find a solution to the problem”. He immediately called the then AIG in charge of Zone II comprising of Ondo, Oyo and Osun States, Mr. Adeleye Oyebade (who later retired as DIG in 2020): “Leye, I want you to please help us look closely into this challenge on Ife-Ibadan road. The VC of OAU is with me now and the university community is worried”. I am aware that DIG Oyebade (rtd.) immediately swung into action and, working assiduously with the then Commissioner of Police in Osun State, Mrs. Abiodun Ige, they combed the entire landscape and found a solution. The rest, as they say, is history.

Prof Ogunbodede is the immediate past Vice-Chancellor of Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife

20

T H I S D AY SUNDAY JANUARY 28, 2024

FREDRICK NWABUFO asserts that the Tinubu administration is committed to investing in the youths

GIVING THE YOUTH THE SAILS TO COAST

“W

e must give hope and assurance to our teeming youth population.

God has blessed Nigeria with a vibrant youth population, ready to learn, and capable of competing in the global economy of the 21st Century.

Leadership is what is necessary,’’ these are the unvarnished, profound, and scintillating words of President Bola Tinubu.

At a meeting with Ms. Reeta Roy, President and Chief Executive Officer of Mastercard Foundation, on Wednesday, the President foregrounded his administration’s resolve to support public-private partnerships designed for creating dignified work and employment opportunities for Nigerian youths.

True to its purpose, the Tinubu administration has been unfurling innovative and targeted initiatives to give flight to the dreams of Nigerian youths. This is in the full apprehension of the boundless abilities, resilience, grit, and excellence of Nigeria’s bubbling youth population. The youth are the most valuable resource of our nation, and even with basic accoutrements to function, they will always exceed expectations and defy every stereotype.

The administration through the ministry of communications, innovation, and digital economy has been in the pursuit of the noble vision of ‘’inspiring the use of technologies, especially Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies like UAV, IoT,AI and Blockchain to optimise different sectors of the economy’’.

The ministry has been initiating programmes for skill development and deployment, as well as mobilising support for the nation’s coruscating technology biome, of which the youth are the primary habitues.

The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) has also been introducing schemes tailored to the entrepreneurial needs and pneuma of Nigerians, particularly the youth. For instance, the undergraduate internship programme, a scheme where students in tertiary institutions can get hands-on entrepreneurial training through internships in top organisations.

There is the communisation of access to finance for small businesses with the signing of a N5 billion MSME Fund between SMEDAN and Sterling Bank. The fund is a loan portfolio of single-digit interest rate and zero collateral. With the initiative, small businesses can access funding from as little as N250,000 to as much as N2.5 million.

There is also the MSME Matching Fund

by SMEDAN and the Bank of Industry to ease access to finance for small businesses across the states at a single-digit interest rate

and without collaterals. The conditional grant scheme where nano businesses across the 774 local government areas are given N50,000 each is another anodyne to help fledging businesses.

The Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Technical, Vocational, and Entrepreneurship Education recently announced a conditional grant of N500,000; a business start-up fund for budding entrepreneurs who are able to market their skill. Also, the Office of the Special Assistant to the President on Youth Initiatives (Delivery & Monitoring) has been laying the groundwork for seminal initiatives aimed at ‘’empowering the youth, transforming futures, and catalysing sustainable youth development’’ in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda.

In September 2023, the President launched the National Talent Export Programme (NATEP) to bolster Nigeria’s foreign exchange earnings and create one million indemand jobs nationwide over the next five years. The initiative seeks to orient Nigeria as an export hub for talent outsourcing in Africa, following the example of India, Bangladesh, Mexico, and The Philippines.

These are but a few of the youth-centred programmes of the administration, and with many others across different agencies and ministries already in full steam, and some in the pipeline.

The Tinubu administration is the first to deliberately, progressively, and percipiently mainstream women and youth in governance for which the leadership continues to be celebrated across quarters.

This effort, among others, shows wholesale faith and trust in the young people and women of Nigeria.

At the meeting with Mastercard Foundation, the President made further profound asseverations, and commended the Foundation’s initiative, which aims to create 10 million jobs for young people in Nigeria, stating that the programme aligned with his Renewed Hope Agenda for economic development and job creation. ‘’We believe in what you are doing. We are determined to run an inclusive government and change the dynamics and perception of this country. Nigeria is the largest economy in Africa and, as such, must take its leadership of this continent very seriously. The incubation is growing, and we are earning a good reputation, and we will continue to do that across sectors of the economy in order to achieve sustainable growth. We are ready to work with you and remove all impediments, and we have assembled a great team to work with you.

Nwabufo is Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Engagement

IN DEFENCE OF IZE-IYAMU

Ize-Iyamu is right, Orhionmwon local government is neglected, argues Monday Nabulele

I

have read the letter to Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu by the Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Chris Osa Nehikhare. For the benefit of those who have not seen the letter, Chris sets out from the first paragraph to distract attention from Ize-Iyamu’s interview on Arise TV – where he made robust and persuasive argument about how Orhionmwon Local Government has been abandoned and marginalized by the political elite, especially Governor Godwin Obaseki, over the years, and the urgent need for the people to begin to address them.

In his letter, Chris, rather than address the issues raised by Pastor Ize-Iyamu, resorted to attacking his person. And argued how Obaseki had barely served for eight years, brought so much development and impactful project to Orhionmwon Local Government. According to him, the local government is currently benefitting from Obaseki-led government - with several projects improving the lives of thousands of residents in the LGA. In an attempt to sell deceits to his target audience, he employed common fallacies: ‘’Ad Hominem’’ – an attack on the person (this time around, Ize-Iyamu), rather than on the issues he raised on Arise TV. Chris’ assumption may be that if Ize-Iyamu proves to be unacceptable in some way his views must also be judged unacceptable.

Another strategy employed by Chris in his letter is what communication minds consider as ‘’Straw Man Fallacy’’ – a diversionary tactic.

However, Chris failed woefully in his strategy – he falls flat in an attempt to divert attention from the issues raised by Ize-Iyamu and score obstructive political point.

In a polluted political environment, in which Chris and his boss are experts, there are some certainties that are so apparent, which for some very selfish reasons, those currently working for Governor Obaseki may not accept.

Chris is from Orhionmwon, and has been serving Obaseki-led government in the past six years or so, and there is no road to his village. He should be ashamed he is being used to disparage the agitation and grass root mobilization by the people of Orhionmwon to produce the next governor of Edo State Ize-Iyamu said everything that the people of Edo State are aware of in his interview: that Orhionmwon has not produced a governor, senator, minister, speaker or chairman of party in the state. But, Chris’ argument was that the local government has produced a minister, a person of Chris Ogiemwonyi, who was made a minister of state and kicked out hastily after a short stay - despite his impressive credentials.

Ize-Iyamu also argued during his interview that Orhionmwon had no light or water. Is Chris in doubt? He, nonetheless, agreed that the local government has the largest land mass in the state - as Ize-Iyamu rightly stated.

But have the people benefited from it?

It is on record that Governor Obaseki without consulting with the people of Orhionmwon or paying any compensation, seized their land and gave it to friends and business associates. How has Orhionmwon benefited from this? Chris also brazenly agreed that Orhionmwon has the largest gas reserve in Nigeria.

But, what is the local government’s benefit? Has Obaseki-led government, which Chris currently serves, protected or stimulated the economic rights of the host communities?

The commissioner talked about modular refineries; but the refineries are the initiatives of the federal government, and not Obaseki. As a matter of fact, the All Progressives Congress-led

federal government - through the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDBD), has a huge investment stake in one of the refineries, Durport Refinery. Chris ought to know that the refineries presence in Orhionmwon is no favour to the people, but borne out of the fact that the gas deposit is there.

The critical question is: what has Orhionmwon people benefited? They don’t have light, no water, no hospital, no job and other basic amenities.

Yes, Ize-Iyamu was Chief of staff and later Secretary to the Edo State government at a time; but those appointment do not make him Executive Governor or chief executive of the state. In any case, those positions were given to him when he was representing Oredo Local Government in politics until the people of Orhionmwon persuaded him to relocate to his ancestral home in Orhionmwon. And it is to his credit that he fought for Orhionmwon to have a deputy governor, when he nominated Pius Odubu as deputy to former Governor Adams Oshiomhole.

But then, that office can still not be equated to the office of a governor.

Against the very feeble claim by Chris in his letter, Orhionmwon producing members of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) is also not a favour - since the membership of the commission is statutory, it is derived from Orhionmwon’s status as a frontline oil and gas producing local government.

And it is disappointing to note that the huge opportunity that Orhionmwon had to produce for the first time a chairman of NDDC, was aborted by Governor Obaseki-led government – the government that Chris currently serves. Can Chris tell the people of Orhionmwon what he has attracted to the local government or village - as an indigene since he became commissioner?

Chris should know that the issues raised by Ize-Iyamu during his interview are about the total neglect and marginalization of Orhionmwon by all successive governments, especially Governor Obaseki, and the urgent need by the people to rally round him in the coming election – as part of the efforts to right the wrong.

Again, the issue is also about exploitation of the local government – where the huge resources from Orhionmwon have been diverted for the past seven years to the detriment of the people. So, whatever political point that Chris wanted to score in his letter, he falls flat.

Nabulele writes from Benin City

45

T H I S D AY SUNDAY JANUARY 28, 2024

EDITORIAL

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

THE STATE OF UNIVERSITY EDUCATION

I

I n ve s t m e n t i n u n i ve r s i t y e d u c a t i o n i s i n a d e q u a t e . I t i s a m i s t a ke

n 2020, the year of Covid-19 pandemic when almost Overall, be it public or private, the State of University Education everything was disrupted, the National Universities speaks to the concerns of critical stakeholders regarding tertiary Commission (NUC) undertook a very important education in the country. Despite its important role in the society, assignment. In ‘The State of University Education in Nigeria, it is evident education is inadequately funded in Nigeria. There is 2020,’ fourth in the series, the NUC painstakingly chronicled dearth of qualified academic staff to drive the universities. Most the academic environment in Nigeria, and in the process of the institutions of higher learning are not only suffering from highlighted the successes and challenges of university education inadequate infrastructure, ill-equipped laboratories, overcrowded S L O in our country. It is a report that will serve the administration of classrooms, but they are ill-staffed. Indeed, the Committee on O President Bola Tinubu and other critical stakeholders if we must Needs Assessment of Nigerian Public Universities, had long CH S address the challenge of tertiary education in Nigeria. identified these challenges.

As the immediate past Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu With a robust environment for learning, quality teachers wrote in the foreword to the publication, “Keeping the doors and international competitiveness, the Nigerian university of learning open was a challenge for the Nigerian University system, once attracted the best from Africa and beyond, to system in 2020” while the report “has exposed the strengths study. The products could match the best anywhere. In the last and weaknesses of the Nigerian University System with new few decades, however, the system has suffered benign neglect, data, recommended solutions for government to implement and many are increasingly questioning the ability to maintain and allowed us to gain an exclusive look at the educational comparable standards in the knowledge world. landscape post-Covid-19.”

The situation has deteriorated further since the publication Particularly striking was the demographics of the university with the continued registration of new universities by both system in the year under consideration. From just over 2000 government and private individuals without the backing of students in 1962, some 2.1 million students enrolled for adequate resources. Only recently, a bill to establish 47 new full undergraduate and postgraduate courses in Nigerian universities went through second reading in the House of universities in 2019. The National Representatives. If passed, it will Open University of Nigeria push up the number of public (NOUN) topped the list with Given the dwindling resources of government, the tertiary institutions need to and private universities to 309.

479,966 undergraduate and 101,983 think out of the box and find more creative solutions to the problem. Elsewhere, With the proliferation of these post-graduate students. Despite the institutions, teachers who can’t universities have explored several ways of raising money to fund their then raging war against the Boko hold their own as senior lecturers Haram insurgency, particularly operations. The common avenues include donations, endowments, scholarships in respectable universities are in Borno State, the University of being hired as professors and even and bursaries, professional chairs, gifts, grants, and consultancy services Maiduguri held second position vice chancellors in some of these with 59,226 students while Ahmadu new universities. The implications Bello University was ranked third are clear: limited skilled human with 50,673 students. The University of Benin, University of resources have contributed to the declining quality that has Ilorin, Bayero University Kano, University of Nigeria, University continued to elicit concern from stakeholders. of Port Harcourt, University of Lagos and the University of Jos, all The situation is exacerbated by brain drain. Many senior S U N DAY N E W S PA P E R federal universities, followed suit. Overall, 68 per cent of students academic staff, due to poor remuneration, continue to take their editor davidson iriekpen in the country enrolled in federal universities while the states’ services to countries where they are more appreciated. The Deputy Editors FESTUS AKANBI, EJIOFOR ALIKE universities had 26 per cent of enrolment. Despite their number, depletion of scholars inside faculties is also aided by inability to Managing DirecTOr Eniola Bello all the private universities in the country enrolled only five per attract visiting scholars from other academic environments.

Deputy Managing Director Israel Iwegbu cent of the students’ population.

The birth of TETFUND opened a window of opportunities as Chairman Editorial Board Olusegun Adeniyi Another noteworthy information from the publication is it initiated the funding of many postgraduate students to some EDITOR NATION’S CAPITAL IYOBOSA UWUGIAREN the percentage of total enrolment by geopolitical zones. The prestigious universities in Europe and North America. Even THE OMBUDSMAN KAYODE KOMOLAFE Northcentral had most enrolment with 40 per cent, followed by though this window itself was abused by many recipients who Southwest with 17 per cent; South South, 15 per cent; Northwest, reportedly collected scholarship funds but avoided travelling 11 per cent; Southeast, 10 per cent, and the Northeast, 10 per cent. It abroad for training, TETFUND has started something remarkable is difficult to explain but in all the public universities, the teaching by promoting national research culture which will flow into T H I S DAY N E W S PA P E R S L I M I T E D staff were outstripped by non-teaching staff with the University of encouraging academic staff to stay in Nigeria instead of migrating Editor-in-Chief/Chairman Nduka Obaigbena Calabar having the most staff of 11,294, 7,681 of them were nonoffshore. And though the present administration should be Group Executive Directors Eniola Bello, Kayode Komolafe, academic. The University also had 597 professors, the highest in commended for approving some N683 billions for the public Israel Iwegbu, EMMANUEL EFENI the country. Curiously, however, the top 10 universities with the universities, the decay in the system is deep, and it may not yield Divisional Directors SHAKA MOMODU, peter Iwegbu, highest percentage of First Class graduates in 2020 were private much.

ANTHONY OGEDENGBE universities, a trend that has continued till this day.

Thus, while we support the clamour for increased funding, DEPUTY DIVISIONAL Director OJOGUN VICTOR DANBOYI However, while the private universities were unaffected by the we nonetheless think that given the dwindling resources of snr. associate Director eric ojeh paralysing and prolonged strike embarked upon by the Academic government, the tertiary institutions need to think out of the Associate Director Patrick Eimiuhi Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) in the public universities for box and find more creative solutions to the problem. Elsewhere, CONTROLLERS ABIMBOLA TAIWO, UCHENNA DIBIAGWU, NDUKA MOSERI most of the year, they also switched easily to technology-mediated universities have explored several ways of raising money to DIRECTOR, printing production CHUKS ONWUDINJO tools to impart lectures during the lockdown. Their emphasis fund their operations. The common avenues include donations, on the use of multi-media to complement traditional teaching endowments, scholarships and bursaries, professional chairs, TO SEND Email: first name.surname@thisdaylive.com enabled students to undertake practical and tutorials in interactive gifts, grants, and consultancy services, and more. This newspaper sessions. Many of the public institutions dependent mostly on the has long argued for such a move. The holes in the system are lecture mode of instructions were caught unprepared. many. We need all the package to dispel the current crisis.

Letters to the Editor

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

LETTERS

WHY QUALITY EDUCATION IS ESSENTIAL

“What sculpture is to a block of marble, education is to the soul.”

-Joseph Addison, 1711.

“Often slow and unseen, there is a crisis in education – one of equity and inclusion, quality and relevance – which is having a devastating impact on the futures of children and youth worldwide. In the face of escalating climate change, democratic erosion, persistent inequalities, growing discrimination, hate speech, violence, and conflict on a global scale, education emerges as a powerful tool to both address and prevent these challenges in the future. Moreover, when effectively shaped and implemented, education becomes a long-term investment with increasing returns.” - United

Nations website.

A good education is very important. In the Holy Scriptures, for example, we are strongly encouraged to acquire wisdom. In Proverbs Chapter 3, Verse 21 [b] we read: “Safeguard practical wisdom and thinking ability.” Also, Proverbs 4:7 says: “Wisdom is the most important thing, so acquire wisdom, and with all you acquire, acquire understanding.”

Wisdom implies a breadth of knowledge and a depth of understanding. Understanding adds strength to wisdom, contributing greatly to a person’s discretion and foresight, which are also notable characteristics of wisdom. The Biblical sense of wisdom lays emphasis on sound judgment, based on knowledge and understanding; the ability to use knowledge and

understanding successfully to solve problems, avoid or avert dangers, attain certain goals, or counsel others in doing so.

Education is closely related to wisdom and understanding in the sense that education involves the gradual process of acquiring knowledge and understanding. Education holds the key to a better life. A good education prepares people to cope successfully with life in today’s society. It equips them with academic skills, including the ability to read and write well and to do arithmetic. Moreover, it affects their interaction with others and helps them build up wholesome standards of morality. Also, as human society becomes even more complex, a good education takes on greater importance.

Everyone deserves to be properly equipped

with the necessary skills required for them to function effectively in the world.

In earliest society, the family was the basic unit for imparting education. The father was the head of the family and was therefore responsible for the education of his household. Today, parents continue to be the primary ones responsible for the education of their children, especially their early education. However, in some areas today, parents sometimes send their sons to school but not their daughters. Perhaps some parents think that it is too expensive to educate their daughters and believe that girls can be more useful to their mother by staying at home all day.

Daniel Ighakpe, City Pride Schools, AmuwoOdofin, Lagos

A

weekly pull-out

28.1.2024

Bella ADENUGA-Disu

Powering Ambition Bella Adenuga-Disu could be enchantingly sweet. When she talks, her voice wafts like rose-fragrance waltzing in the wind. In such a blissful moment, the beautiful daughter of multibillionaire, Dr. Mike Adenuga, Jnr., metamorphoses into a silhouette of delightful aplomb, captivating everyone with her charm, like an old minstrel delightfully pawing at her mandolin.

But Bella is no minstrel nor does she feverishly paw at the strings of any mandolin; all she has is her charm and smile. If genius were genetic, then, it is no surprise that Bella has stepped fully into her father’s highflying entrepreneurial shoes, writes Lanre Alfred edited by: VANESSA OBIOHA/vanessa.obioha@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 28, 2024

47

COVER

Lessons from the Boardroom Pundit’s New Year Message

Disu

B

ella Disu-Adenuga is ravishing in soul and physique. Thus it becomes really hard not to love her. She is the kind of daughter every father prays for. Book smart and business savvy. A cursory look at Bella shows why genius is the gene of the Adenuga clan. It seeps from one generation to the other, like the expensive but subtle fragrance worn by Kings and coveted by minions living close to royalty.

Being the daughter of a billionaire is enough fame already. When you are now the daughter of one of the richest black men in the world, the entire black race should literally worship the grounds that you tread. Men should bow and women should genuflect when you as much as look in their direction.

If you were ostentatious, unruly and wild a la Paris Hilton, the world would wave it off as a non-issue; it comes with the terrain, they would say just to cover up for your excesses.

But Dr. Mike Adenuga Jnr’s daughters are not moulded like other billionaire’s kids. They are decent, somewhat Spartan in candour yet respectful.

These enviable traits, among others, manifest in their poise, gestures and spoken words. Consider Bella’s composure at Glo’s high-octane Classy ‘Twenty and Unlimited’ celebration recently. In her welcome address, the Executive Vice Chairman of Glo hailed the successes that have trailed the brand in the last 20 years, and appreciated Nigerians for their

support towards what Glo has become, and still to become.

“We promised Nigerians the best in telecommunications, and we have done just that. At 20, we have a lot to be proud of. Our slogan, ‘Glo with pride’ definitely encapsulates our journey,” she said.

Bella, as she is fondly called, knows how to hold her ground, tame business rivals and avoid distractions capable of impeding the smooth roll of her exploits in every field of endeavour. Even as a billionaire’s daughter, Bella keeps a low-profile and avoids any form of scandal that can jeopardise her name and that of her family. She is one young lady who has matured more than her age.

Bella is unusual. She exudes the savvy of the ancients, the type of spunk that spurred medieval Amazons to dare and surpass exploits that were the exclusive preserve of men. She glows from the inside out; every brilliant shade of her persona, from her enthralling felinity to her assertiveness, conveys a sphinx-like allure. The woman is a fire starter no doubt; a stunning equivalent of a contemporary superwoman. posh and intelligent. A renowned icon of female power on the business realm, Bella is a star, a pioneer and workhorse with monumental focus.

These towering traits have led in no small measure to her speedy rise up the entrepreneurial ladder of commerce and acclaim. Her meteoric rise, according to a lot of her friends and business associates, is actually worthy of her exertions and diligence

in her patient, steady march along the path of ambition and entrepreneurship.

She was a precocious 14-year-old when she was admitted into the University of Massachusetts, Boston. She has been at Globacom since 2004. Despite her father’s wealth and high profile job, she has a good head on her shoulders, shuns silver-spoon affectations, and even before her marriage in 2010, never dabbled in the debauchery prevalent among her peers. Bella, indeed, has put in the work and has earned everybody’s respect and love for her work ethic and effortless people-skills.

Indeed, she has evolved from a shy young lady learning the ropes in her father’s company into the shot-caller at Globacom as the Executive Vice Chairman. Globacom is the flagship brand in the Adenuga billiondollar empire and Bella is the face.

In her role as executive vice chairman, she has been representing her father across the globe, at international business meetings, hobnobbing with global political and business leaders.

There is no gainsaying Bella exemplifies a totally modern yet timeless construct of audaciousness and femininity which manifests as a blend of dashing individuality, genius and noble pedigree.

Yes, she is reputed to have inherited her dad’s back-breaking work ethic, saying, “We exchange work text messages at 3am.” No wonder she was honoured recently with the ‘Chevalier dans l’ordre des Arts et des Lettres’ (the Order of Arts and Letters) usually given by the French government to recognise eminent artists and writers, and people who have contributed significantly to furthering the arts in France and throughout the world. The award is given at three levels: Commandeur (Commander), Officier (Officer), Chevalier (Knight). Bella got the Chevalier (Knight), which comes with a medallion worn on ribbon on the left breast, for having shown an abiding commitment to important social issues and her “significant contribution to the enrichment of the French cultural inheritance.”

Aside Globacom and Abumet, Bella is also a director at construction giant Julius Berger Plc, where Adenuga has a controlling stake. She also owns CobbleStone Properties & Estates Limited, a property development and marketing company, which has a robust portfolio of residential and commercial properties in Nigeria, handled and oversaw from conception to execution the Mike Adenuga Alliance Française Centre, Ikoyi, Lagos.

The latter project was inaugurated by the French President, Emmanuel Macron who commended Adenuga’s love for the arts and investment in the centre, and Bella’s endearing enterprise. The company, in 2019, unveiled a 10-storey high rise apartment complex called ‘Sisi Paris’ comprising 18 units of luxury serviced apartments; 9Nos 3-bedroom apartments with a 2-room BQ and nine 4-bedroom apartments. It also has an expansive 3-bedroom penthouse with a 2-room BQ and was officially launched Saturday. Paris is the name of her daughter.

It is often said that wisdom sprouts from pain, and that misery digs deep into a beleaguered soul, leaving within it, wide silvery nuggets. Simply put, the greater vicissitudes you face, the wiser you are expected to become. But this can’t be the only way the universe works. The world view of a boondocks resident, for instance, could pale in comparison with the acquired wisdom of a billionaire daughter, like Bella. Indeed, a ghetto younker, for all his or her fabled street cred may be found wanting in depth and native intelligence - whether on or off social media, her every action and statement could validate notions of inverse profundity. On the other hand, the ravishing daughter of Adenuga Jnr, cuts a remarkable portrait by her inspiring deeds and thoughts.

Aside from her enviable exploits in philanthropy and the corporate business sector, Bella radiates an outward wisdom whose roots are innate Bella Disu’s New Year message is chock-full of wisdom. It references gratitude and growth as a dividend of planning. It highlights discipline and resilience too.

Bella does not subscribe to the billionaire heiress archetype, thus she does not carry on like an entitled princess breezing through the world like a safe little haven where all her dreams automatically manifest and where all wrongs are automatically righted.

According to her, “Growing up, there was a plaque on my father’s desk that read, ‘Man does not plan to fail, Man fails to plan.’ Perhaps seeing this so often in my childhood ingrained planning in my subconscious. I always have a schedule, routine, and alarm. Some might think, ‘What’s the point? After all, so many external factors can alter our plans.’ While this is true, a good plan serves as a beacon to keep one on track with targets,” she said.

She has found that in moments of uncertainty, plans give her hope and a sense of control. “They’ve been a tool for success across all aspects of my life, and I adapt them as needed. This adaptability is a crucial part of my second theme for 2024 - resilience.

Bella, a confessed avid reader of several books on self-development, management and leadership makes a big case at every opportunity for the benefits of progressive knowledgeseeking.

For instance, in her 2024 message of hope to Nigerians, via Instagram, the billionaire heiress stated that, “From my readings and, indeed, my experience, resilience is an attribute that we must all develop. The tough times will come. As a dear friend counsels, ‘Our path in life is not linear. If we plot our graphs, they will have squiggly lines, peaks and troughs.’ Knowing this, we must prepare to get through tough times. I write this very much as a charge to you but also a reminder to myself. Yes, there are numerous sayings: ‘Tough times don’t last, tough people do,’ ‘It’s always darkest before dawn.’ Don’t get tired of them; add them to a list and remind yourself when necessary!”

Continuing she said, “I leave you with a quote from Dean Becker: More than education, more than experience, more than training, a person’s level of resilience will determine who succeeds and who fails....It’s true in the Olympics and it’s true in the boardroom.

“As we take on 2024, ‘not greeing for anybody,’ a good plan and a resilient spirit will be of service!” said Bella.

“Happy New Year! Everything good, everything in life that you wish for yourself, a cornucopia of offerings, I wish for you and more this year!” she added.

There is no way anyone could dismiss Bella as just another entitled brat. Despite being a daughter to the multi-billionaire chairman of telecommunications giant, Globacom, she has chosen to venture beyond the comfort that her father’s fame and fortune offer her on a silver platter, expertly negotiating her way through a universe that has not always made space for women, charting her course and fearlessly taking up a conspicuous space for herself.

Inadvertently, the power and pull of her entrepreneurship attainments have made space for and inspired a new generation of young women who are willing to challenge their fears and achieve greatness.

Bella personifies the parable of the proverbial apple that doesn’t fall far from the tree. The daughter of Adenuga Jnr, whose entrepreneurial ingenuity and vision gifted Africa Globacom - to bridge the communication gap in the continent, portray and project Nigerians and Africans in good light and spur them to achieve their dreams - is gradually carving her name in the hall of fame of Nigeria’s industrial heroines and global corporate titans - making history every hour, page after page, volume after volume as if nature were holding up a monument to her exploits.

Aside from her remarkable exploits in the business world, Bella has made enviable forays into the humanitarian sector too, donating generously to noble causes. For instance, she is the founder and President of the Bella Disu Foundation, a nonprofit organisation, which seeks to help less-privileged children by providing them with education and employment skills.

She is also a promoter of the French language and culture through the Alliance Française Project at the Mike Adenuga Alliance Française Centre in Ikoyi, Lagos State.

Bella is listed as a “benefactor” of music by the Musical Society of Nigeria (MUSON) Wall of Fame for her contributions in encouraging a better environment for musical learning.

She is married to Jameel Disu, a venture capitalist, and they have three children.

48

HighLife All-Round Increase: ABC Orjiako Peaks Seplat Stake

Orjiako

Good things come to the patient and diligent. Dr. Ambrosie Bryant Chukwueloa Orjiako, fondly called ABC Orjiako, fits this bill. Starting 2024 by reaching for the skies, the efforts of Orjiako are yielding sizable fruits. In his number one brainchild, Seplat Energy, Orjiako’s claim has peaked, increasing by almost N9 billion, the equivalent of $10 million.

This is a great time to be Orjiako or the other heavyweight investors in Seplat Energy. With every decent rise in the company’s market value, shareholders are endowed with significant bump-ups in their financial assets, translating into a legit fortune.

This year, Seplat Energy has enjoyed considerable growth in market shares.

According to reports, the company’s market capitalization has reached a staggering $1.6 billion—and surpassed it. This increase emerged from the appreciation of the company’s shares by 10 per cent at the start of 2024, gladdening the hearts of Seplat Energy shareholders.

Naturally, few of these shareholders have grossed more benefits than Orjiako.

Based on the reports, the Seplat Energy chairman has a 6.43 per cent stake in the business. Since this translates to around 37.8 million ordinary shares and each share is priced at over N2,500, Orjiako’s stake comes to more than N94 billion or $100-plus million.

It pays to be a practical visionary, a seemingly conflicting combination of ideals that has worked for Orjiako.

With his business successes, especially the founding of Seplat Energy in 2009 alongside Austin Avuru, it is easy to forget that Orjiako is an orthopaedic and trauma surgeon.

So mighty is Orjiako’s work at Seplat Energy that it is constantly redefining the oil and gas sector in Nigeria. Currently, it tops the list of energy companies on the Nigerian Exchange, peaking as the largest.

All of this is happening with Orjiako as the company’s chairman.

With Seplat Energy’s recorded success at the start of 2024, what will the rest of the year bring? Other oil and gas tycoons better gather around Orjiako to learn the secret to his success.

T H I S D AY, T h e S U N D AY N e w s pa p e r JANUARY 28, 2024

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

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

Ladi Adebutu: What Money Cannot Do Does Exist

In a world of only bees and flowers, trees fall in one direction and remain there for life. In the world of man, nothing is so certain, not even the influence of affluence. For example, despite having more affluence than he knows what to do with, Chief Kessington Adebutu could not turn his son, Senator Ladi Adebutu, into a governor.

In Ogun State, intentions are clearly judged and methods are useless in the face of consequent verdicts. From the look of things, most Ogun natives and residents prefer Prince Dapo Abiodun to Senator Ladi. How else can one explain the consecutive losses that the latter has eaten from the hands of the former? Notably, Ladi is no ordinary man. His father, Chief Adebutu, is the lord behind Baba Ijebu Lotto, the business initiative calling in mountains of mint money to the family. Following this affluence, Chief Adebutu wields

Adebutu

considerable influence in Ogun’s political and social fabrics.

Public commentators claim that the Adebutu affluence-fuelled influence helped Ladi clinch his senatorial title.

Chief Adebutu is supposed to have effortlessly exerted sufficient financial might to position his son favourably, thus earning him the senatorial seat. But the same effort, or double, triple, or 10 times 10,000 times the effort has failed to achieve similar results in the gubernatorial.

By electioneering count, Ladi has lost the governorship seat to Prince Abiodun twice, the first time in 2018 and the second in 2023. Adding the cases in court, especially the last contest whose Abiodun-must-go Ladi-sponsored adventure dragged itself into the Supreme Court, one could say that Ladi lost to Abiodun five times or more.

In a world that thinks that money equals god, and what money cannot do does not exist, here is the Ogun governorship seat waving at Senator Ladi from a distance.

Aisha Babangida: Planting Hope in Lost and Forlorn Hearts

Babangida

In the lush landscapes of Ondo, hope is a strong sentiment capable of keeping an incapacitated person on their feet and a person without vision aiming at a positive target. Aisha

Babangida, Chairperson of the Better Life Programme for the African Rural Woman (BLPARW) is strengthening her position as a fountain of hope in Nigeria and beyond. Ever committed to this pursuit, she is greatly loved and respected around the world.

The world is not a friendly place. The individual waiting to be pampered by the elements will soon find themself strung out and on their last breath. But wellmeaning people like Aisha have taken on the responsibility of restoring hope and restoring humanity’s trust in itself. Her songs are circling the clouds and bringing a rain of confidence in the future’s many opportunities.

Maybe she inherited it from her mother, the prime First Lady of Nigeria, the late Maryam Babangida. During her lifetime, Maryam made sure to account for the

underprivileged. While her husband was still in office, her presence kept many going, hoping, and trusting in the government of the day to offer avenues to live comfortably and without relying on the scraps of a difficult life.

Where the government failed, First Lady Maryam filled the gaps. Where she stopped, her daughter, the honourable Aisha, took up the charge. Today, the initiative her mother founded and left behind, BLPARW, has roots thicker than bonsai trees and branches reaching people’s hearts and minds.

With Aisha, human kindness is as necessary in life as milk is to a newborn.

Therefore, when she throws herself at charity and benevolence, it is not so she can make a name for herself. Rather, it is to secure the lives of victims of calamities, catastrophes, and/or unfair circumstances. In this way, she is planting hope in the hearts of the lost and forlorn.

For Soludo and Obi Onitsha, Good Times are Here In the battles between giants, the ordinary noble must know where to cast loyalties or keep silent. Thankfully, despite leaning on an insecure branch before, the traditional ruler of Neni in Anaocha Local Government Area, Anambra State, Igwe Damian Ezeani, has been restored to his monarch status, thanks to the reconciliatory exercise between Anambra State governor, Chukwuma Soludo, and the Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Nnaemeka Achebe.

It was a harrowing set of weeks for some as it seemed as if Governor Soludo was going to upturn the traditional institution due to perceived wrongs and Igwe Achebe was going to use every means possible to correct him publicly. But the horror of such an outcome never came to pass, thanks to the timely intervention of well-meaning individuals and the realisation of truth from the dignitaries involved.

The entire dilemma appeared to start from

Igwe Ezeani. It was he who took the step of conferring a chieftaincy title on someone from another region without the authorization of the latter region’s monarch. According to public commentators, it was a matter of Igwe Ezeani recognising Soludo’s political rival, Senator Ifeanyi Ubah, with a chieftaincy title.

As Igwe Ezeani did not appear to have the backing of the strong, he received the lashing of Soludo in the form of an immediate suspension. Although there were complaints against Soludo’s actions, many of which accused him of being power-hungry, all such complaints were uttered in hushed tones.

That is, until Igwe Achebe came up and used his ancient machete.

When it seemed as if war would break out, Soludo’s side relented. The outcome was the reinstatement of Igwe Ezeani and Soludo’s reconciliation with everybody else under the smiling encouragement of Igwe Achebe.

Soludo and Achebe.

Senator Ubah was not included, but that is likely a fight for another day.

Now, all matters have been settled between the traditional stools in Anambra and Governor Soludo. Peace has returned and good times are here.

Powerful Man: Toyin Subair Becomes Go-to Guy. in Abuja Human relationships are good and can be considered a pillar for personal growth and development. Few people know this fact better than media entrepreneur and investor, Toyin Subair. Since cashing in on his connection to President Bola Tinubu, Subair has only grown more popular and influential, eclipsing many individuals he met on the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) stage of power and prominence.

Before the outburst of presidential appointments from the current administration, Subair must have known that his time had come. He must have envisaged himself riding above the clouds to gracefully and effortlessly

wield the mantle of influence. When the opportunity came, he was not surprised and adapted to it like a fish in water.

One still recalls the earlier days when President Tinubu announced the appointment of Subair as the Special Assistant on Special Duties and Domestic Affairs. It raised the expectations of some and emboldened others to the fact that the president rewards loyalty and merit. At present, this conviction has not changed, especially with the amount of power reportedly to be wielded by Subair, now the go-to guy in Abuja.

Indeed, Subair had the ears of President Tinubu before the latter

succeeded Muhammadu Buhari. Back then, it was Subair and a handful of others who occupied the visitor’s list, drowning his ears with well-deserved praises and ideas. Subair’s area was that of media and entertainment, eventually translating to the depth of public relations (PR) that was wielded in the favour of the president during the election that saw him take over Aso Rock Villa.

Today, all of Subair’s moves are reflected in the eyes of people hoping to earn his favour.

He remains loyal to the president and has even claimed that he is nothing more than a domestic staff in Tinubu’s household. Of course, this is only true from a presidential perspective. In the eyes of others, Subair’s power is as high as the sky and as vast as the oceans.

Subair

T H I S D AY, T h e S U N D AY N e w s pa p e r JANUARY 21, 2024

49

HIGHLIFE

Sanwo-Olu: The Governor Giving Master Classes on Good Governance

Sanwo-Olu

The democratic system of government has been around for so long that active proponents of its ideals should have mastered it by now. But they have not, leaving people like Lagos State

Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, to demonstrate the good points of democratic governance. And what a good job the man is doing.

Different state governors in Nigeria occupy certain positions in the minds of the people. For Sanwo-Olu, it is all about good governance and a propensity to realise the wishes and aspirations of the citizenry. In this regard, Sanwo-Olu’s prestige surpasses any other governor at present and even in the past, effectively qualifying him for a spot in history’s books of legends.

Nigerians all over are still celebrating Sanwo-Olu for engendering baby steps toward sustainable growth and development in Lagos.

The governor’s efforts have started to yield fruits in the form of rising public-private partnerships targeted at maximising the natural and human resources of the state.

Recently, the matter of insecurity in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), gravitated the attention of corporate giants to Lagos.

Believing Sanwo-Olu’s state to be a more enabling and far more security-sensitive environment than Abuja, many of these businesses have started to move to Lagos.

It helps that Sanwo-Olu has established the necessary infrastructure for these ventures. It is on this account that a person like Femi Otedola, businessman extraordinaire, can commit N1 billion to bolster the security agenda of the state. It is also on this account that the state has seen a rise in the number of sizable infrastructural donations, including educational and medical institutions.

Undoubtedly, Sanwo-Olu’s efforts in governance are yielding the fruits envisioned by the heroic sages of the past, including those who fought and died for the nation.

With the opportunities present, Lagosians can be considered blessed to have SanwoOlu as governor.

Tinubu Paves Way for Businessman, Samuel Dossou-Aworet in Sale of Shell Assets Talent is good and diligence is great. But starting as outstanding and managing to maintain this position might require a fortuitous encounter or a friend looking out for one’s interests. Samuel Dossou-Aworet, pan-African businessman and chairman of ND Western has entered the door opened due to a possible relationship with President Bola Tinubu. This puts him in a better position than in the past to achieve his vision of Africans developing Africa.

Thanks to the British energy giant, Shell Plc, the way has opened for Dossou-Aworet and a few others to make new and strong corporate moves. Among the recently actualised of these moves, Dossou-Aworet and his colleagues are set to take over some of Shell’s assets in Nigeria.

With this acquisition, the operations of Western corporations in the country will be better balanced with the operations of indigenous businesses.

When Shell announced its decision to sell off one of its subsidiaries, Shell Petroleum

Development Company Ltd (SPDC), many energy businesses showed interest. DossouAworet was one of these. However, their interests did not yield any positive outcome until the emergence of President Tinubu.

Recently, with Tinubu’s presidential approval, the deal was sealed and SPDC was sold off to a consortium of five companies led by Dossou-Aworet’s ND Western Ltd. The others are Aradel Holdings, First E&P, Waltersmith group, and the Petrolin group. Together, the consortium is known as Renaissance.

The main source of joy to Nigerians is that four of the five companies that make up Renaissance are indigenous, and the only ‘outsider’ is Dossou-Aworet’s ND Western.

Despite being from the Republic of Benin, Dossou-Aworet has shown a remarkable passion for pan-African businesses, showing a determination to position indigenous African businesses as the main drivers of their economies.

Dossou-Aworet

Aiyedatiwa Draws Battle Lines with Odu, Akinterinwa, Others; Dissolves Cabinet

Aiyedatiwa

Wahala is when someone has laboured to enter into a position of prestige and rest only to find thorns planted on his seat. Wahala is exactly what Ondo State governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, is facing at present. Despite looking like he has the upper hand against his detractors, the former deputy governor may just fold under the pressure one of these days.

Governor Aiyedatiwa has launched a new move against those perceived to be against him and his new position. According to reports, the governor has given the directive to dissolve the State Executive Council, effectively firing the cabinet members of his former boss, the late Rotimi Akeredolu.

Aiyedatiwa reportedly thanked all the now-outgoing officials for their work and asked them to hand over all necessary documents and office signatures to their immediate subordinates. Furthermore, the governor asked all the affected officials, including all of Akeredolu’s Senior Special Assistants (SSAs) and Special Assistants (SAs) to return the ownership of government properties in their current possessions.

On any other day or place, this news would not produce any shocking effect. However, in the case of Ondo and with individuals like Princess Oladunni Odu and Wale Akinterinwa, dissolving Akeredolu’s cabinet is tantamount to Aiyedatiwa drawing the battle lines.

For context, before Aiyedatiwa’s cabinet-dissolving directive, Princess Odu was the Secretary to the Ondo State Government (SSG) and Akinterinwa was the state Commissioner for Finance. Both of them allegedly stood against Aiyedatiwa while Akeredolu was still alive and governing the state.

Odu and Akinterinwa have also declared their intentions to participate in the 2024 Ondo gubernatorial election, initially hoping to succeed Akeredolu. With the latter’s passing and Aiyedatiwa’s recent move, the barriers to their gubernatorial aspirations have thickened significantly.

What are the palm lines saying?

Will Odu, Akinterinwa, or any of the others affected by Aiyedatiwa’s cabinet dissolution stand by and watch? Or will they take up their slings and arrows, ready to fight the governor? The lines are drawn and the coming days will tell the victor and the vanquished.

With Love from Geneva… Okonjo-Iweala Commends Abike Dabiri-Erewa Lionesses seldom share the same bathing corner as gazelles. This fact is embodied by the seeming sisterliness between the DirectorGeneral of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, and the Chairman/CEO of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Honourable Abike Dabiri-Erewa. The former has, once again, hailed the latter, paving the way for good things to be said about Dabiri-Erewa.

Nigeria is winning all over with the works and accomplishments of Dr. Okonjo-Iweala at WTO. During the recent World Economic Forum (WEF), especially, Okonjo-Iweala shone brilliantly, motivating foreigners on the same level as her to look at Nigerians with new eyes. With Okonjo-Iweala shedding a bit of her limelight for Dabiri-Erewa, it is only natural that the latter would also win some honour for the nation.

It was Dabiri-Erewa who made the move to salute Okonjo-Iweala in Geneva, Switzerland.

Leading a delegation during the 14th Global Migration Forum, the NiDCOM boss brought her people to visit the WTO boss, reminiscing about the good old days and collectively contemplating Nigeria’s potential as a first-rate nation in the future.

Okonjo-Iweala, being her optimistic self, hailed Dabiri-Erewa as one of the changemakers in the nation, wearing the interests of the people on her shoulders. According to the WTO boss, Dabiri-Erewa’s NiDCOM was doing great work in the diaspora, borrowing the human resource and talent pool to overturn negative narratives about Nigeria.

It seems that from the perspective of OkonjoIweala, Dabiri-Erewa is helping to put Nigerians in the diaspora on the global map, securing them as would a mother lioness faced with hyenas intending to swallow her cubs. This aspect of Dabiri-Erewa has not changed since she took up the NiDCOM top position, even though she can be strict and unsmiling in her duties as Mama

Abike and Nkojo

Bear.

With Okonjo-Iweala’s ‘love from Geneva’ commendations, Dabiri-Erewa’s prospects just took on a new shine. Perhaps, and hopefully, they will get world leaders to listen more seriously to her arguments the next time the welfare of a Nigerian in the diaspora is at stake.

Kyari

Kyari: Quiet Moves With Loud Impact

Flattery has never been a good thing, although it occasionally helps keep a person’s neck attached to their shoulders. In the case of national matters, it does nothing but encourage evil men to go on being evil. However, this is not the case for some of the entities encouraging the Group CEO of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL), Mallam Mele Kyari, to continue doing a good job.

Over time, many Nigerians have complained about the hardship in the nation. Believed to be caused by every individual in power, these Nigerians included Kyari in the list of corrupt and corrupting power wielders. But others have come out in the defense of Kyari, arguing that NNPCL has flourished under his supervision and care and will soon transform the economy of Nigeria into something magical.

Among the most recent entities lauding the work of Kyari is the Centre for Convention on Democratic Integrity (CDDI).

CCDI’s Permanent Representative to the ECOSOCUnited Nations and Chairman of the Civil Society Policy Forum of World Bank/African Countries Caucus, Comrade Olufemi Aduwo, has come forward to appreciate Kyari’s contributions.

According to Aduwo, Kyari’s management of the NNPCL has greatly impressed the Civil Society Policy Forum of the World Bank, particularly with how rapidly the economy is being developed. In his opinion, it is all the more impressive that Kyari has managed to accomplish all these even though he has only spent a handful of years in the office of NNPCL as the group CEO. Aduwo’s comments have brought into perspective some of the contributions of Kyari, including the successful passage of the Petroleum Industry Act 2021, the refreshed vision and operational strategy of NNPCL, and the oil and gas industry’s reinforced link to the Nigerian economy.

It has all made many informed Nigerians appreciate Kyari’s presence and duly celebrate him.

In the coming years, once the fruits of Kyari’s efforts have bloomed, he will truly be loved and respected for his contributions.

50

T H I S D AY, T h e S U N D AY N e w s pa p e r JANUARY 28, 2024

Loud Whispers

with Joseph Edgar (09095325791)

Abdulrasaq Balogun: A Wonderful Kind of a Man It was during the heady days of the Sanwo-Olu reelection matter. You all knew where I stood and it didn’t matter that I was an “omo Igbo,” I took sides with the incumbent and received a lot of flak from both sides. Anyways, that was how I was invited to a TV interview at the Lagos television to discuss SanwoOlu and why I was standing with him.

That was how I entered the place and sitting beside me was one dark goodlooking man with beards like Kenny Rogers. They said he was the Executive Secretary of the Lagos State Security Trust Fund. I just laughed, wondering why them bring “guguru defence” come siddon with me for TV. I will just blow this one off the screen, I said to myself.

My people, by the time this Dr started to talk, we all opened our mouth o.

His eloquence, clarity and data on his fingertips were just too much.

The presenter ignored me and faced him squarely. Even me, I started to interview him too. He was so very clear as to his mandate, the need to work very effectively with the police to combat crime was beautifully rendered and he finally killed me when he talked about the invincible security architecture that surrounded Lagos.

After the interview, I walked up to him in humility and begged to be his friend.

During this last week, I had a brief session with him in his office and ohh my God, he blew my mind. The strict

corporate governance that pervades this initiative leading to a cashless impact driven partnership with the police? The equipment and other logistics support to the police, a strong private sector partnership leading to the constitution of the Board with very powerful private sector drivers, and the confidence that this has garnered over the years leading to such bumper donor support including the latest N1 billion donated by the very powerful Femi Otedola, all making the LSSTF a super powerful example of a beautiful marriage between government and the private sector for a noteworthy cause.

By the way, na me advice oga to make that donation. Thank you.

Asue Ighodalo: A Declaration of Weight “Edgar, you had spoken to me about Asue but listening to him has totally convinced me.” This was my friend Joy all the way from Abuja.

I was so proud of her because living in Abuja now is like living in Gaza and despite that, she still had the presence of mind to follow Edo politics as prescribed by me. I replied, “My sister, you get sense.”

It is no longer news that I have declared for Asue Ighodalo and my reasons plenty. He is the first of all the candidates to give me a coke drink. It’s like Asue is a man of conviction, he had known very early that he would need me on this run and for five years every other week, he would either invite me to his office or send me a bottle of coke.

Watching Asue the other day on TV during his declaration was a marvel. He spoke like Obama, he held the audience and understood very clearly what we call “TV blocking” in the Arts. His elocution, clarity and deep passion for Edo shone through. Asue is a total package o, come and see the way he was punching the air with his fist, showing us his bangle, the

same bangle I had begged him to give me to no avail.

Seriously, Edo needs a leader with a clear understanding of its issues, a distinct ability to build structures and fuel it with a wide ranging network in delivering relief in key sectors.

You people will be wondering why I am so fixated with his candidacy, apart from the fact that I am an Edo In-law with one of my wives from there – Fugar to be precise — the fact that such a cerebral and tribally-detached individual has decided to come out of his comfort zone to throw in his hat is very exciting and encouraging.

Asue calls himself “AI”- another clever notation and I call him brilliant. Once he wins, I will marry another wife from Edo to consolidate my positioning in the state. Mbok, let the brilliant people lead, abeg. Thank you.

This my brother has been nothing but inactive. Very far from exciting and with no drama. He just “dey” as we say in Shomolu. I even hear that to convene MPC na war.

The only exciting thing so far is the movement of his banking supervision department back to Lagos. A move that has given Ali Ndume boil in his armpit.

My people, in this forex crisis, I have seen a report from oga governor stating that the naira is still undervalued. Me, I am not an economist but I know when someone is trying to use reverse psychology on us, basically, wanting to use our head. Something that has fallen to N1,700 to the pound in weeks and this one is saying it is still undervalued. Did we appoint you to come and tell us this one? Is it until the thing reaches Zimbabwe proportions before you will know that some sense needs to enter the matter?

The man must have looked at the thing very well and seeing that there is no solution in sight, especially from his angle, he come say the thing is undervalued. Undervalued ko, undervalued ni.

Please, what are the short to midterm solutions to this matter

before we start to look at the long term? There has been no emergency stopgap measure to stop the daily fall of the naira which is impacting inflation in such a Malthusian proportion. If it is to come out and say that it is still over valued then anybody, even Portable or Charles Okocha can be CBN governor.

Oga, in case you have not noticed, the naira is sinking. Prices are ballooning, there is nothing like basic healthcare anymore, headache will kill you because of the cost of paracetamol.

You cannot for the life of me be saying what you have just said. You cannot because it is even worsening the situation o.

Mr. Cardoso, if you cannot halt this thing, even if it’s temporary, just go. Abeg just go. The solution is not with you or in your monetary policy, the solution is supply. Oga supply o. Someone should give me a blackboard and let me teach this Cardoso basic economics.

Ramp up supply, push policies that will open up solid minerals, gas, agric, in the mid to long term. In the short term, push more diaspora remittance, monetise japa - let people pay to run away - grants, cut cost of governance, shed weight, push government withdrawal from

Ighodalo

Cardoso

Balogun

Yemi Cardoso: The Naira, Our Titanic This latest CBN Governor is on a different trajectory o. In the past few years, we have had very sexy CBN Governors and have come full circle from the very garrulous to the eccentric.

Edu

Buhari

51

T H I S D AY, T h e S U N D AY N e w s pa p e r JANUARY 28, 2024

a lot of things, ramp up private participation, beg OPEC to increase our quota, block leakages in the oil sector, encourage the likes of Dangote to build more refineries, beg companies not to go, do any and everything to bring in the dollars, host international sports and entertainment events, World Cup, Grammys anything but don’t just seat down there and be wearing “Bassey Okon” suit and be saying naira is undervalued. Kai. Betta Edu as the Praying Child It is now very clear that it was naivety, inexperience and the jumpy nature of this person that was her undoing.

The tomfoolery has continued with many bands crying and supplicating to her God for restitution. This kind of madness has not really happened before in this country. Where a public official has been indicted on allegations of such magnitude and weight, investigations are still ongoing and people are forming different imbecilic bands asking for her reinstatement.

They have even formed prayer bands and all sorts of women praying and doing a whole load of crap seeking her reinstatement.

Thankfully, someone must have called her to order and she has released a statement denying her involvement with these praying bands and seeking patience for the investigations to run its course.

That is the way it should be. Let the investigation finish na, for all you know maybe she was even hypnotised while in office and that will give her a strong justification for reinstatement. Abi, she cannot be blamed if she was not with her senses when she signed off a memo for a flight to Kogi, a state with nothing that looks like a modern motor park talk less of a functional airport.

Mbok Betty, make we hear word.

You are not the first government official on this pathway nor would you be the last, abeg make we rest.

Thank you.

Buhari: Asiwaju Said all That?

You see this Adesina book is a book that I have campaigned very vigorously for us not to read. At Maddtimes, we have caricatured three books that he should have written instead of this attempt at vain glorification of a leader that should be studied by the most brilliant psychologists.

Excerpts from the book that I have seen have continued to regale me with laughter. This one that he just told us of how he mentioned to his principal the defining speech of the epoch as given by President Tinubu made me laugh so hard that I almost choked over the big snail Duchess had put in the last bowl of afang I was eating.

So, Tinubu had given his “olule and emilokan” speech while they were in Spain on one of those meaningless jaunts that characterised the era. To Mr. Adesina, this was an era defining speech and as such it had to be broken down in very simple terms to oga - remember that oga was a strong exponent of ‘I am not

aware.’

So, he convened a meeting of eggheads, including the incredibly controversial Tunde and other such big taxpayer funded officials and they all came up with one solutionbreak it to him gently on the flight home.

You see the kind of people that lead us? A full committee fueled by taxpayers’ money to come up with a very simple solution that my

three-year-old would have brought up. Well, Chief Adesina now went to drop the bombshell and oga was reportedly ,according to him, to have just said, “He said all that?” and moved on.

Now, if Adesina does not want to give us a full gist, why bother. After all, we didn’t ask him to write the book na. Which one is all of this “half gist.” I can swear that Buhari could not have just said that and

Tony Elumelu: The Trillion Naira Man Some bad bele people will be thinking that I do not like Mr. Elumelu. What is there not to like especially as he had just delivered a N1 trillion capitalisation of his bank, UBA. Mbok, see me, I am a capitalist o, a real dyed in the wool capitalist.

When I saw that report, my love for Mr. Elumelu deepened.

The third company to ever do that on the exchange, the best performing banking stock of last year with the share price continuing on that trajectory and crossing the 250% mark and throwing the share price to a brilliant N29?

What is there not to like o? His people accosted me the other day and were calling me names in laughter– Edgar, you are a troublemaker, Edgar, you just like to look for our trouble, what can we do so that you stop fighting me?

With this kind of result, I can even give my late mama to

Elumelu

Tony to take as a second wife.

This result is worth being effusive about. I am reading the result over and over again and wondering if this is possible.

I called my analysts friends and asked them a simple question, “how una see this UBA result?”

And they all marvelled. They talked about innovation, streamlined decision taking, strategic positioning in critical growth sectors and the positioning of a well-grounded management team led by Oliver Alawuba, a quiet but wellgrounded operative like I have heard.

When he won’t be inviting me to all the white garment parties, why won’t I be stroking him once in a while. But from these results which impact not only the markets but the economy at large, Mr. Elumelu is beginning to well position himself as a major factor of economic positivism in these times. Africa is truly in your hands bro. Kai!

kept quiet. Femi no just want give us the full gist so that it will not spoil launching things. Na wa.

Anyways, this book does not come with an altruistic motive, hence the need for us not to take it too seriously. Mbok, come and buy my book- Anonymous Nipples instead, it makes more sense. Thank you.

Doyin Salami, ItWasn’t Me Let me quickly give one fast gist.

That was how the Nigerian British Chambers asked us to come and pay N10,000 to listen to the very erudite and brilliant Dr. Doyin Salami give the economic outlook for the year 2024.

You see, Dr. Salami and his brother, the jerry-curled Bismarck Rewane have been doing these same things for years. They are the economy’s version of Pentecostal preachers.

They will just be talking and talking and mostly theory and price of garri will just be going one side and they will be talking the other side.

Anyways, I asked a very simple question on various WhatsApp groups that I belonged to and “kata kata” burst o. I asked, “Mbok, what would the chief economic adviser to the Buhari administration, which some have judged the worst ever to the economy really have to say less than one year after that madness?”

My people come and see abuse o.

“Fans of life” came at me o. But me ke, I cannot run and hide o. I stand. As they abused me, I abused them back.

As they shouted, I shouted back. I told them very clearly that even if the NBCC didn’t understand the timing and invited him, he himself should just dodge, at least for now.

Then at midnight, my egbon Femi Awoyemi of Proshare called. Kai, he made me regret the question I had asked Dr Salami. He took me through the “sufferings” of Baba in office. He showed me very clearly how thankless the job was. How ineffective the office was and when I asked why he didn’t resign, he told me things that I cannot say here o, no matter the bowls of afang you throw my way.

That talk messed me up and made me feel like apologising to the erudite Doctor of Economics. Femi did a yeo man’s job in pining my eyes to the hypocrisy of government viz-a-viz listening and working with brilliant technocrats like Dr. Salami.

So, it was a subdued Duke of Shomolu that walked into the session. After all, I had paid, so let me go eat the food and go home. Dr. Salami spoke very brilliantly, complete with graphs and all. He simplified the discussion and gave us very positive peeks into the economy with strong provisos that the government would have to put in place for it to work.

It is no wonder that he is today regarded very highly as an expert on the economy, he really justifies his public perception. The man head hot.

I just sat down there staring at the table and wondering when he would finish so we could eat.

Then it happened. At the very last question during the Q an A, one man asked the question “Dr. what justification do you have…….. and ended it with “I didn’t hear you resign…….”

Me just look my brother Taju with a smile and mouthed – No be me.

Kai.

52

T H I S D AY, T h e S U N D AY N e w s pa p e r JANUARY 28 2024

Adebayo Adeoye bayoolunla@gmail.com; 08054680651

Society Watch

When Aisha Achimugu Hosted the HNIs at 50th Birthday

Olowolafe

Billionaire Businessman, Tunji Olowolafe’s New Job

When Dr. Tunji Olowolafe, a medical doctor quit medical practice in 1988 and ventured into manufacturing, many could not fathom any plausible reason why he should quit a thriving and noble job for the uncertain and fluctuating nature of Nigeria’s business climate.

But despite the discouragement, he was adamant to go ahead and refused to be bogged down by the morbid fear of failure.

But what many didn’t understand at the time was that it was a well-thoughtout decision. The beginning was tough though, but Olowolafe has never for once regretted his decision.

A very silent African billionaire — people hardly get to hear much about him — he is not one of your moguls that celebrate their duels in frivolities.

The business magnate is one of those top Nigerian figures whose charm and connections enable them to cautiously command both political and economic power. He has remained a huge success ever and is listed among Nigeria’s richest.

He is the chairman of GZ Industries (GZI) —West Africa’s leading aluminium manufacturer and he is dedicated to addressing Nigeria’s infrastructural gaps. The business magnate is also a nonexecutive Director of Infracorp Nigeria —a $15billion infrastructure investment entity.

Aside from his entrepreneurial interest, one critical area Olowolafe has also hammered on is how best Nigeria and the entire continent can realise her full potential.

To him, the only antidote to true freedom and prosperity is to ensure a stable democracy, rule of law and quality education. Olowolafe has quietly been working towards achieving this. He has combined his strategic contributions to Nigeria’s infrastructure and promoted a promising future for the country under visionary leaders like him.

One of those aims is gradually coming to fruition with his acceptance of his recent appointment as the Chancellor of Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti by the Visitor to the University, Governor Abiodun Oyebanji.

It was gathered that Olowolafe was selected by the governor given his devotion to improving his homeland and contributions across various sectors of the economy. A world fellow of the Duke of Edinburgh, Olowolafe has previously served as a member of the Ekiti State Covid-19 Resource Mobilisation Committee.

Exactly 10 years ago when pretty Abuja businesswoman, Aisha Achimugu marked her 40th birthday, the country virtually stood still with parties that attracted creme de la creme of society from Abuja to Lagos. Because she is a silent player in the oil and gas sector, many who didn’t know were full of questions, ‘how did she pull it off?’

The mother of three not only enjoyed herself but also spread the love with visits to orphanages and gifts to needy.

Fast forward to 2024 January. For a woman with panache, sophistication and taste for the uncommon, it was only normal that she marked the special day in a way that would live up to her status but also billing of an A Class celebrity, after all, 50th birthday only comes once.

Grenada was the destination for the first leg of the birthday party where she and a select group of friends kicked off the soiree, blessing the island with her generosity. It was therefore no news that

the Grenadians welcomed her with open arms.

She revealed that she was indeed deeply honoured that Grenadians accepted her as one of their citizens, she also highlighting what being 50 meant to her. In her words, “I enjoy giving back to the society. God has been good to me and the least I can do is give back. This celebration will not have been complete if I don’t give back to the society. It’s not enough and it’s not complete. I look forward to coming back, like I told the Prime Minister, I look forward to helping in finding solutions to the challenges the country have especially in education, healthcare and women empowerment. These are areas that give me joy.”

She also promised to grant scholarships to five students in the country in continuation of her activities in Nigeria through her SÀM, a non-governmental organisation dedicated to philanthropic activities named after her sons.

Achimugu

Nkeiruka Oly-Alawuba’s Milestone

Oly-Alawuba

For Nkeiruka Oly-Alawuba the esteemed wife of Oliver Alawuba, Group Managing Director of UBA Group, her exemplary work ethic and dedication to her scholastic pursuit have solidified her status as a trailblazer in the field of nutrition. As her star continues to shine, her indelible mark on the academic landscape and unwavering dedication to advancing the field of nutrition serve as a testament to the enduring impact of her scholarly contributions. For this outstanding accomplishment, the extremely brilliant woman has ascended the prestigious position of full Professor of Nutrition as the Governing Council of Imo State University finally recognised her remarkable career journey and dedication to excellence.

To mark the significant milestone in his wife’s academic and professional endeavours, her husband, who heads

UBA Group operations across 20 African countries, the UK, USA, France, and the UAE, expressed his profound joy and conveyed his heartfelt appreciation to the Governing Council of Imo State University for officially approving his wife’s promotion to the esteemed rank of full Professor. As he celebrated his wife’s extraordinary accomplishment, he acknowledged her unwavering dedication, hard work, and sterling reputation as a highly respected and internationally published academic.

Oliver expressed immense pride in his wife’s achievements and conveyed his confidence that she is destined for even greater honors in both her career and social endeavors. Her remarkable journey serves as an inspiration to aspiring academics and professionals, underscoring the transformative power of dedication, perseverance, and a steadfast commitment to excellence.

Africa’s Top Designer, Mudi, Set to Give Mum a Befitting Burial “A mother’s love for her child is like nothing else in the world. It knows no law, no pity, it dates all things and crushes down remorselessly all that stands in its path,” writes Agatha Christie.

No doubt, Africa’s leading fashion designer, Clement Mudiaga, otherwise known as Mudi of Africa, and his siblings are blessed with a loving mother. Their mother, Margaret Enajemo, was a one-in-amillion whose love and care guided them in becoming’who they are today.

Her love was sweeter than the flower of love. It is therefore painful when such a sweet mother leaves her children and transits into eternal glory, no matter how many years she has spent on earth. No one would want such a sweet soul to ever die.

So it would be an understatement to say that

Mudi is distraught as the grim reaper struck and took his mother away recently at the age of 92.

Society Watch gathered that though the multiple award-winning fashion designer is in pain, he is comforted that the woman lived a fulfilled life. So, all roads will lead to Warri for the funeral of the departed mother.

The Delta State-born trailblazer is a detribalised Nigerian whose circle of friends cuts across the who-is-who in high society, including captains of industry, monarchs, politicians, socialites and celebrities that he has built over the years. So, one would expect that the funeral would be an assemblage of high-profile personalities.

Over the years, Mudi’s multiple awards serve as proof of his ingenuity and contributions to the industry, and has also consciously been recreating and positioning his brand to meet international standards.

Mudi

Wale Akinterinwa’s Guber Ambition Receive Boost

Akinterinwa

With less than three months to the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary elections for the November governorship election in Ondo State, it is gradually becoming an indisputable fact that Wale Akinterinwa has become the recurring name in the state political circles. The former Commissioner for Finance has recently gotten his political ambition leaped to the sky even beyond his own imagination.

As gathered, the Ile-Oluji-born thoroughbred accountant is top of the bill on the list of contenders for the race to the Alagbaka governor’s office.

Sources say Akinterinwa has emerged as the most preferred person to become the next Governor of Ondo, this is according to the report released recently in Akure, the state’s capital, by Research Frontiers, a Political and Socio-Economic Research Bureau.

An opinion poll conducted among critical political stakeholders in the state placed Mr. Akinterinwa ahead of the pack with 55%, while the incumbent Governor, Mr. Lucky Aiyedatiwa, trails with 25%.

Others include Chief Oluwole Oke with 5%, Princess Oladunni Odu with 5%, and Senator Jimoh Ibrahim with 5% while the other contestants like Odimayo, Lebi and Akinfolarin have little or no significant impact, and collectively polled 5%.

Research Frontiers said it polled a sample

population of 1000 people drawn from the 18 local government areas of the state.

The sample population was drawn from influencers, state and ward party leaders, media, party elders, senior citizens of the state, and other political actors in the state.

The poll was conducted online and also physically. The respondents were asked to appraise the leading aspirants on 10 parameters with weighted ratings.

According to the report of the opinion poll, his rating was justified with the explanation of the feedback from the poll respondents who said that based on his extensive working knowledge of the process of governance in Ondo, his pedigree, mastery of development economics, integrity, reputation, leadership orientation, high level of political sophistication and willingness to lift the underprivileged, he is ahead of other aspirants.

ARTS & REVIEW THISDAY, The Sunday Newspaper • JUNE 24 2012

A

publication

28. 1. 2024

At Singapore’s ART SG, Retro Africa Ups the Ante

Barely a year after its participation in Art Basel Hong Kong, Retro Africa Art Gallery resumed its Afro-Asian cultural exchange narrative in Singapore with an exhibition of the works of Ken Nwadiogbu. Okechukwu Uwaezuoke reports

N

o doubt, for RetroAfrica, its first-ever outing at the prestigious ART SG in Singapore, which ended on Sunday, January 21, must have made quite an impression on the event’s estimated 45,000 attendees.

Picture this: a bustling art fair—indeed, one that is reputed to be Southeast Asia’s most significant—with a dazzling array of galleries overwhelmed many an aficionado. And amidst this vibrant sea of creativity, Retro Africa stood out, basking in the glory of its solo exhibition titled Journey Mercies: A Migration Symphony at its booth, which was listed among the best by the respected American art magazine, ARTNews, a publication that boasts a readership of 180,000 in 124 countries.

And talking about the exhibition, it featured Ken Nwadiogbu’s creative genius, which, curated with remarkable finesse, resonated with a profound impact, leaving an indelible impression on the minds of the viewers. For instance, the artist’s patented fusion of hyperrealism and contemporary elements—which he dubs “contemporealism”—transported viewers to a realm where black representation, identity, displacement, and socio-political dynamics intertwine with a magnetic force.

The very notion that the exhibition managed to capture the spotlight at this bustling four-day visual arts fiesta, where 114 galleries showcased their masterpieces from 33 different countries and territories, is an extraordinary achievement that demands recognition and applause.

Retro Africa’s presence alone is a testament to its years of dedicated passion. Founded in 2015, it has been a beacon of contemporary art and culture, not only for Nigeria’s capital city, Abuja, but for the entire African art community.

And the fact that its booth, FC28, in the Focus Sector, was hailed as the number one must-see by the prestigious ARTNews a year after it participated at Art Basel Hong Kong as one of only two African galleries was a thrilling validation of its unwavering commitment to sharing stories from the farthest reaches of the world. “To see [my booth] ranked as the number one booth by ARTNews felt like a nod to the power of telling stories from different corners of the world,” says its founder, Omodolapo Kola-Balogun. “I can’t help but appreciate the evolution of Retro Africa, now in its ninth year.”

Founded in 2015 with a co-founder she simply identified as Abdul (with whom she had since parted ways), Retro Africa has experienced consistent progress. The gallery holds profound significance to Kola-Balogun as a medium that, being fluent in French, enables her to bridge the gap between the Englishspeaking and French-speaking communities.

Besides the fact that the gallery’s collaboration with Nwadiogbu spans nearly seven years, it also helps that the artist’s profound exploration of universal themes, especially the poignant subject of migration, resonates

Nwadiogbu beside his works

Fly On, Ride Through, 2023

Woman and the serpent, 2023

across cultures. Apparently, his work seems to be embraced in Asia, where the narratives of displacement become a shared experience, which is genuinely heart-warming. Recently having graduated with a Master’s degree in painting from the Royal College of Art in London, where he has relocated after spending most of his life in Lagos, his artistic journey is a testament to his mastery of colour and storytelling. Talking about colours, the vibrant orange and yellow hues in his work symbolise energy, while the greens and blues abstractly convey themes of migration and rediscovery.

“As we move forward, we look to the future with anticipation,” Kola-Balogun adds. “The journey continues, and there’s much more we aim to accomplish this year and beyond—more stories to tell, more bridges to build, and more artistic horizons to explore.”

Last year, the gallery’s solo exhibition in Hong Kong created quite a stir with its

Kola-Balogun

display of the remarkable artistry of Victor Ehikhamenor. This year, Nwadiogbu’s remarkable pieces continued the Afro-Asian cultural exchange narrative in Singapore. The fact of being the sole black African gallery present in both locations transcends mere clout-chasing but rather attests to its trailblazing efforts. “In this evolving art landscape, where the spheres of influence are expanding, I see my role as a storyteller, weaving a narrative that goes beyond the confines of Western validation,” she explains. “It’s about forging new paths while cherishing the ties we build along the way. As African art takes its place on the global stage, ART SG becomes not just a fair but a platform for diverse voices and perspectives.

It’s a journey of art, culture, and shared experiences that transcend boundaries.”

Back to the artist, who first graduated from the University of Lagos in civil and environmental engineering, his artistic expression stems from a profound exploration of his personal journey, which he intertwines with a thought-provoking social critique. Each facet of his experiences holds significant importance in moulding his creative path, forging a unique artistic process that resonates with authenticity and originality. “His process is more than just a creation—it’s a performance, a catharsis, a healing,” corroborates Kola-Balogun. “It interrogates socio-political issues and challenges recurring themes that we grapple with regarding belonging and the minority experience, which forces us to think through not only the outcome of governmental failure but also its root cause.”

Nwadiogbu emerged as the esteemed recipient of the prestigious Future Awards Africa. This was in recognition of his remarkable contributions to Nigeria’s vibrant artistic scene. Among the significant milestones of his career was the exhibition of his extraordinary masterpieces at acclaimed art meets like the renowned Royal Academy of Art Summer Exhibition held in London in 2023. Moreover, he ventured into compelling collaborations, such as Retro Africa’s captivating solo exhibition titled Fragments of Reality, hosted at the esteemed Kristin Hjellegjerde gallery in 2023. Engaging in thought-provoking discourse, Nwadiogbu also actively participated in prominent events in 2021, like Thinkspace’s Ubuntu exhibition in Los Angeles and the Journey Mercies exhibition at London’s Bomb Factory Art Foundation. Additionally, he participated in reputed art events like Scope Miami, 1-54 London, Prizm Art Fair, and ART X Lagos.

Then, there are also his partnerships with such renowned names as Macmillan Publishers, Martell, Gant, and OPPO, as well as noteworthy ongoing collaborations, which include a special initiative with Hospital Rooms and an exciting venture with Netflix for the release of Top Boy’s third season. At the core of his purpose is the empowerment of young artists, which he accomplishes through creative partnerships, mentoring, and inspirational talks.

editor okechukwu uwaezuoke/ okechukwu.uwaezuoke@thisdaylive.com

54

SUNDAY JANUARY 28, 2024 • T H I S D AY

55

THISDAY, The SUNday Newspaper • January 28, 2024

CiCERO

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

IN THE ARENA

With Two Court Verdicts, Can NBC Let Broadcasting Stations Breathe?

With another judgment of the Federal High Court nullifying the Broadcasting Code that empowers the National Broadcasting Commission to impose fines on broadcast stations, Wale Igbintade writes that the commission should henceforth leave the broadcast stations to do their job

F

or the second time in less than a year, a Federal High Court in Abuja has declared null and void the provisions of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code authorising the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to impose fines on broadcast stations for alleged breaches of its Code. It ruled that administrative and regulatory bodies could not exercise judicial powers.

In the last five years, the commission has fined many broadcast stations for flimsy reasons. This has made many observers to see its actions as attempts to gag and curb press freedom.

They believe that the practice is an undemocratic behaviour only associated with military regimes and other dictatorships where only comments that glorify the regimes are considered acceptable.

No doubt when stations get fined because of comments made by people, especially from the opposition parties, it sends a signal to other stations not to interview those whose views are opposed to the government in power. It then becomes a ploy to deny opposition figures opportunities for media exposure. That’s promoting the air of oppressive heat.

While Section 39(1) of the 1999 Constitution states that “Every person shall be entitled to freedom of expression, including, freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart ideas and information without interference,” Section 22 expressly states that “The press, radio television and other agencies of the mass media at all times be free to hold uphold the fundamental objectives contained in the this and uphold the responsibility and accountability of the government to the people.”

It was against this backdrop that a group, Media Rights Agenda (MRA), sued the commission when on August 3, 2022, it imposed a fine of N5million each on Multichoice Nigeria Limited, owners of DSTV; TelCom Satellite Limited (TSTV); Trust-TV Network Limited; and NTA Startimes Limited for broadcasting a documentary about the state of banditry and security in Zamfara State. It said the documentary undermined Nigeria’s national security.

MRA’s lawyer, Uche Amulu, who filed the suit, asked the court to hold NBC’s action of imposing a fine on each of the media platforms and the station for broadcasting a documentary about the state of banditry and security in Zamfara State, adding that it is unlawful and unconstitutional and has a chilling effect on the freedom of media to im-

Ebuebu part information and ideas.

The group contended that it would deter the platforms and station from reporting the true state of affairs regarding the security situation in Nigeria, and therefore constitutes a violation of the rights of MRA, its members, and other citizens of Nigeria to freedom of expression, particularly their rights to receive ideas and information without interference, as guaranteed by the Constitution and the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights.

It also sought a declaration that the procedure adopted by the NBC in imposing the fines is a flagrant violation of the rules of natural justice and the right to fair hearing under Section 36 of the Constitution and Article 7 of the African Charter as the commission is the drafter of the Code, which provides for the alleged offences for which the media platforms and the station were punished, and which empowers it to receive complaints, investigate and adjudicate on the complaints, impose fines and collect fines.

It contended that the NBC, not being a court of law and not having been constituted in a manner as to secure its independence and impartiality, has

no power or competence to impose fines on broadcast stations as punishment or penalties for the commission of an offence as the competence to establish that an offence has been committed and to impose criminal sanctions or penalties belongs to the courts.

It urged the court to declare the fines unconstitutional, ultra vires, null and void, set them aside and issue an order of perpetual injunction restraining the NBC, its servants, agents, privies, representatives or anyone acting for or on its behalf, from further imposing any fine on any of the media platforms or station, or any other broadcast station in Nigeria for any alleged offence committed under the Nigeria Broadcasting Code.

Delivering judgment in the case, Justice Rita OfiliAjumogobia upheld the prayers and held that the NBC, not being a court of law, acted above its powers by imposing such fines, saying the regulator’s action was wrong and unjustifiable in a democratic society.

Incidentally, judgment is not the first time the court will stop NBC from imposing fines on broadcast stations. In May 2023, Justice James Omo-

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

tosho of the same court had given an order of perpetual injunction restraining the commission from imposing fines on broadcast stations in the country.

Ironically, it was the same MRA that sued the commission. In its originating motions marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1386/2021, and dated November 9, 2021, the group sought a declaration that the sanctions procedure applied by the NBC in imposing N500,000 fines on each of the 45 broadcast stations on March 1, 2019 was a violation of the rules of natural justice.

Its lawyer, Noah Ajare, among others, argued that the fines were in violation of the right to fair hearing under Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and Articles 7 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act (Cap AQ) Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

In his judgment, Justice Omotosho set aside the N500,000 fines imposed on March 1, 2019, on each of 45 broadcast stations. He held that the NBC, not being a court of law, had no power to impose sanctions as punishment on broadcast stations.

The judge further held that the NBC Code, which gives the commission the power to impose sanction, is in conflict with Section 6 of the Constitution that vested judicial power in the court of law.

He said the court would not sit idle and watch a body imposing fine arbitrarily without recourse to the law. He added that the commission did not comply with the law when it sat as a complainant and at the same time, the court and the judge on its own matter.

Justice Omotosho agreed that the Nigeria Broadcasting Code, being a subsidiary legislation that empowers an administrative body such as the NBC to enforce its provisions, cannot confer judicial powers on the commission to impose criminal sanctions or penalties such as fines. He also agreed that the commission, not being Nigerian police, had no power to conduct criminal investigation that would lead to criminal trial and imposition of sanctions.

The judge described the NBC’s act as being ultra vires and held that the fines imposed by the NBC as punishment for commission of various offences under its code were contrary to the law and hereby declared as unconstitutional, null and void.

With the latest verdict, it is high time the NBC stopped working hard to become an undemocratic, anti-press freedom tool in Nigeria. It is not too late for NBC to retrace its steps.

Ortom’s Web of Lies

Uzodimma

Ortom

Former Governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom, recently lied publicly when he said the G5 governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would replicate the support they gave President Bola Tinubu’s candidacy in the last general election in 2027 if he decided to seek re-election.

He stated this during a New Year luncheon hosted by the Minister of Federal CapitalTerritory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, in Rivers State.

Members of the G5 governors are Ortom; Wike; former Enugu State Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi; former Abia State Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu, and the Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde.

While four of the governors completed their second term in May 2023, Makinde, who was the only first-time governor at the time, was

re-elected in the March 18 governorship election.

The group led by Wike refused to back the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, in the February 2023 election due to the party’s refusal to remove its National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, to ensure balance in its leadership. It had canvassed the emergence of a southerner as the national chairman of the party since both Ayu and Atiku are both northerners.

Ortom said the G5 had no regrets supporting Tinubu in last year’s election and would back him for a second term.

It is surprising that Ortom, who did not even vote or endorse Tinubu for the 2023 election, is saying that he is planning to replicate support for the president in 2027.

Every Nigerian knows that of the five G5

governors then, Tinubu won in only two states - Oyo and Rivers – while he lost Benue, Enugu and Abia states.

It is on record that the current Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume, delivered Benue State toTinubu and APC, otherwise they would have lost the state.

Though Ortom had thrown his weight behind the popular clamour for power shift to the South, he publicly endorsed the LP presidential candidate, Obi. With his latest posturing, it is clear that the former Benue State governor is being clever by half by trying to deceive Nigerians.

It is within his constitutional rights to support Tinubu in 2027 but he should not tell Nigerians that he supported him in 2023.

56

THISDAY, The SUNday Newspaper • January 28, 2024

BRIEFINGNOTES

Is Anyone Listening to Danjuma Ali-Keffi?

The revelation by a former General Officer Commanding 1 Division of the Nigerian Army, Kaduna, Maj Gen Danjuma Ali-Keffi (rtd), that the air crash that killed former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, was linked to terror financiers is an opportunity for President Bola Tinubu’s administration to demonstrate the sincerity of its avowed commitment to fight terror financiers and crude oil thieves, Ejiofor Alike reports

T

he failure of successive administrations to unmask the prominent Nigerians allegedly behind terrorism and crude oil theft has given many citizens the impression that the past administrations paid lip service to the fight against terror financing and oil theft.

Despite the mounting evidence suggesting that powerful people were frustrating the war against terror and crude oil theft, the previous administrations failed to investigate the various leads provided by intelligence officials and other relevant stakeholders.

Nigerians were alarmed again with a recent allegation by a former General Officer Commanding (GOC) 1 Division of the Nigerian Army, Kaduna, Maj Gen Danjuma Ali-Keffi (rtd) that terror sponsors were behind the air crash that killed former Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Ibrahim Attahiru, and called on President Bola Tinubu to probe the air disaster.

Though shocking, Ali-Keffi’s claim did not come as a surprise to intelligence and security analysts as Nigerians had earlier been told that some powerful forces in former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration were allegedly sponsoring Boko Haram.

Speaking on a live television programme in August 2021, a former Deputy Director of Defence Administration, Commodore Kunle Olawunmi (rtd) had alleged that the Nigerian government knew those behind the Boko Haram insurgency in the country, stressing that some of them were serving governors and senators while others were working in Aso Rock.

Rather than utilising Olawunmi’s wealth of experience in military intelligence to unmask the enemies of Nigeria allegedly serving in Buhari’s administration, the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) had after the interview, reportedly invited him for questioning.

His lawyer, a human rights activist and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), who accompanied him to the DIA headquarters in Abuja, had told Premium Times that Olawunmi, returned home after what the senior lawyer described as a friendly chat with his “colleagues.”

The allegation was subsequently swept under the carpet, lending credibility to the retired military intelligence officer’s claim.

Shortly after Ali-Keffi’s revelation, the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Mr. Dele Alake, during a visit to the explosion site in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, revealed that since he commented on the involvement of powerful and highly placed Nigerians in illegal mining at the National Assembly, he had been receiving life-threatening messages.

“I said it openly; of course, I received threats, but we are undaunted because these things have to

Tinubu be said, and in any case, I wasn’t saying anything new, most people knew it.

“Many people have been saying it; I only gave it an official stamp, based on intelligence reports,” Alake reportedly added.

The question agitating the minds of many Nigerians, including some of the soldiers fighting the insurgency war is: If it is common knowledge in government and intelligence circles that powerful Nigerians are behind all these crimes, why is it difficult for the perpetrators to be brought to justice if the war being waged by the government is genuine and sincere?

Despite Alake’s allegation that he was being threatened, the hordes of security and intelligence agencies in the country, which take delight in hounding harmless Nigerians and violating human rights have not found it necessary to publicly unmask those behind the threat.

Before Ali-Keffi and Alake made their allegations, a former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of

Nigeria (CBN), Dr. Obadiah Mailafia had repeatedly claimed that the agents of former President Buhari’s administration were behind the nationwide killings.

It was not surprising that when Mailafia died in September 2021, his sharp criticisms of former President Buhari-led administration over its alleged complicity in the nationwide insecurity had fuelled concerns and suspicions on the cause of his death.

Though the Chief Medical Director of the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital (UATH), Prof. Bissallah Ekele, had claimed that Mailafia died of COVID-19 “due to comorbidities,” the Middle Belts Forum (MBF) and some public commentators had alleged foul play and called for an investigation.

Though much had been said about the involvement of powerful Nigerians in oil theft and terror financing, Ali-Keffi’s revelation was particularly striking, given his strategic role in Buhari’s administration, being an integral part of the administration’s security architecture.

In the no-holds-barred interview with THISDAY,

Ali-Keffi lamented that no less a person than the late chief of army staff and 11 senior officers and crew members died in a “suspicious” plane crash and the matter was swept under the carpet, as the full report of the crash investigation was not made known.

He said Attahiru devised the strategy to end terrorism in the North by cutting off the oxygen of terrorism, including funding and logistics, and to take down terror financiers, Ali-Keffi said.

Ali-Keffi, who had been billed to receive the late army chief, as GOC 1 Division in Kaduna, pointed to the sudden change of time for Attahiru’s trip to Kaduna, the change of aircraft, change of airport of landing, from the military airstrip to the Kaduna International Airport, his landing in a turbulent, stormy weather, and the ear-shattering explosion that occurred before the crash.

He also pointed to the fact that there was no crater or impact on the crash area, noting that the bodies of the passengers were flung out of the aircraft and burnt beyond recognition long before the aircraft came down, a strong indication that there was an “explosion”.

Ali-Keffi, who headed the Operation Service Wide (OSW), a presidential task force, which he was commanding at the time of Attahiru’s headship of the Nigerian Army, had as its primary mandate to dismantle the terrorism financing network in order to aid the fight against terrorism and insurgency.

Ali-Keffi had earlier written to Tinubu over his arrest, detention and compulsory retirement, following the revelations of a presidential investigative task force that he headed.

The inquest had exposed the involvement of senior government officials, a top banker, and top military brass in terrorism financing.

Ali-Keffi said he headed a presidency-instituted Board of Inquiry (BOI) convened by Major General Babagana Monguno (rtd), the former National Security Adviser (NSA), which sat in the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) for five weeks, from early January to late February 2020.

The retired military general said the BOI under his headship uncovered 295 oil tankers that conveyed petrol, with the major smugglers identified.

According to him, “The most worrisome aspect was that some of the individuals involved in financing Boko Haram terrorists and who were also involved in procurement and movement of arms and ammunition for Boko Haram and other criminal organisations had links with the military.”

President Tinubu should as a matter of urgency probe the cause of the air crash and Ali-Keffi’s allegation if he wants his administration to make a difference in the war against terror and oil theft.

It is not enough to accuse him of sour graves by the dismissing the allegations.

Notes for File

Gross Insubordination in Rivers State

Fubara

The obduracy, contumacy and gross insubordination never contemplated of happened in Rivers State last Sunday when the video of a local government chairman in the state calling Governor Siminalayi Fubara afoolishmancausedoutrageonsocialmedia with many twitter users asserting it as the height of political foolery.

The local government chairman had while addressing a crowd of political partisans said: “Today, Fubara is a foolish governor, he is not a mumu governor, he is a foolish governor.”

The local government chairman who was not publicly identified according to informationwasatthecentreofcontroversyin2016 when he was reportedly publicly flogged by security men loyal to Rotimi Amaechi during the rerun elections in the state.

The post has led to extreme reactions with many agreeing with the local government chairman that Fubara is indeed a foolish governor on the ground that he had been laidback in his engagement with his political rivals, particularly, his predecessor and FCT Minister, Mr. Nyesom Wike.

Others in their reactions, however, said that Fubara was being strategic in his approach to his battles with Wike and was only bidding his time in anticipation of the Supreme Court judgment on his election.

Since the video was made public, many have described Fubara as a weak governor for tolerating the LG chairman’s effrontery and gross insubordination.

They wondered why he has not summarily suspend him from office since sacking

him will require the support of the members of the state House of Assembly who are Wike’s loyalists.

Before leaving office as governor, Wike imposed members of the state executive council, domestic and personal staff and the leadership of the local governments on Governor Fubara. This has led to serious disrespect of constituted authorities.

The political feud between Wike and the governor has made the insubordination of the officials worse.

There is no where in Nigeria where a state official can disrespect a governor in this manner. Not even Wike as governor or FCT minister will tolerate this level of insubordination.

Though it is not known when Fubara would take up the gauntlet and be courageous enough to confront the crisis he is facing in the state, his supporters feel that after the Supreme Court judgment, he that pushes a king to the wall, sins against his own soul.

For now, they are anxiously waiting.

57

THISDAY, The SUNday Newspaper • January 28, 2024

CICERO/ISSUE

APC Divided against Itself in Edo

The looming crisis ahead of the governorship primary of the Edo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress if not managed properly, could spell doom for the party, Adibe Emenyonu writes

I

n preparation for the governorship primary election of the All Progressives Congress (APC) scheduled for February 17, 2024, in Edo State, 25 out of 29 aspirants, including, Prof. Oserhiemen Osunbor, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, Gideon Ikhine, Kassim Afegbua, have been screened out, setting the stage for the eruption of internal crisis in the party.

The screening committee, which was established to streamline the crowd of aspirants, and to ensure a smooth and conflict-free primary election was led by Professor Julius Ihonvbere, member, representing Owan Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has set the off-cycle governorship election in the state for September 21, 2024 hence the need for a primary election to pick the party’s flag bearer.

Some of the party leaders believe that the emergence of 29 persons jostling for the same position is a recipe for crisis. A party with the likes of former Governor, Prof Oserhiemen Osunbor, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, Mr. Lucky Imasuen, Senator Matthew Urhoghide, Mr. Dennis Idahosa, Gideon Obhakhan, Gideo Ikhine, Mike Onolemenme, Victor Eboigbe, and David Imuse, contesting for the governorship ticket is enough to generate tension and anxiety.

Added to the list are: Prince Kassim Afegbua, Prince Clem Agba, Ernest Afolabi Umaghighe, Anamero Dekeri, the petrol merchant, Joseph Ikpea, Senator Monday Okpebholo, Mrs. Victoria Amu, Festus Ebea, Ehiozuwa Johnson Agbonayinma, Mike Oshiobogie, Thomas Okosun, Emmanuel Okoebori, Madam Maureen Okoroagbo, and Prof. Saxone Akhaine.

Therefore, to reduce the tension associated with the long list of aspirants, the party leadership decided to set up a committee with a mandate to reduce the number to a manageable size with preference for aspirants who won their unit, ward, local government and state election for the party in the 2023 general election in the state.

Early on Thursday, January 18, the Ihonvbere-led special panel pruned the number to 10 from the initial 29.

Those who made that initial list, included, Major General Charles Airhiavbere, (rtd), Pastor Osagie Ize Iyamu, Dennis Idahosa and Chief Lucky Imasuen.

Others were the immediate past Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Prince Clem Agba, former Edo Commissioner for Information, Prince Kassim Afegbua, and Dr. Ernest Umakhile The list also had former Edo APC Chairman, Col. David Imuse (rtd); Senator Monday Okpebholo and Festus Ebea.

However, in a bid to further reduce the number of aspirants, the party pruned them to six - two each from the three senatorial districts - as directed by the stakeholders. It dropped 23 others with a proviso that they are, however, free to purchase the governorship nomination forms if they still want to test their popularity.

In the final analysis, the Ihonvbere’s committee recommended six aspirants that will go into the primary election. The successful aspirants, according to their senatorial district and following the outcome of the stakeholders’ meeting are: Dennis Idahosa, Lucky Imasuen for Edo South; Senator Monday Okpebholo and Col. David Imuse (rtd) for Edo Central; and Prince Clem Agba and Dr. Ernest Afolabi Umaghighe for Edo North.

Those who were dropped from the initial 10, include General Airhiavber, Pastor Ize-Iyamu, Afegbua and Ebea. However, Afegbua, Mrs. Amu, and Eboigbe, who were also screened out, expressed their acceptance of the committee’s decision, emphasising their commitment to the party’s unity.

Eboigbe, from Edo Central, urged his supporters to accept the outcome of the screening committee, emphasising that the party’s decision as paramount.

Amu echoed similar sentiment, emphasising her alignment with the APC’s vision and principles, stating her ambition is not greater than the party.

On his part, Afegbua, acknowledging his fate, emphasised the non-dogmatic nature of politics, stating that politics is not a do-or-die affair.

But one of the frontline aspirants, Ize-Iyamu has

Oshiomhole

Ize-Iyamu

Ganduje dismissed the Ihonvbere panel’s report, saying he remains the candidate to beat in the election.

While arriving the Benin Airport obviously from the screening which took place in Abuja, he declared that the viral report of his exclusion from the race and others by the Ihonvbere-led panel was a “mere rumour”. He announced that the National Working Committee (NWC) had given clear directives that all aspirants for the governorship race were free to purchase nomination forms.

He said: “I want to assure you that I am in the

race and by next week, by the grace of God, I will collect the form.”

He added that: “When you are contesting for an election there are bound to be intrigues and all kinds of rumours and stories. The highest organ of our party issued a statement to the publicity secretary and specifically said that all those who have aspiration to run for governorship should go and collect the forms.”

The two-time governorship candidate of the PDP and APC also declared: “Let me announce

that by next week I will collect the form. I know there were rumours that some people have been excluded but by that NWC release that is not possible anymore. The only people that can exclude aspirants is the committee set up by the NWC. I want to assure you that I will contest and win the election.”

Another issue, which is capable of causing disaffection in the Edo APC is the mode of primary election. Already, the party is said to have approved direct mode of primary election. It also went ahead to announce its timeline for the governorship election where it would begin the sales of expression of interest and nomination forms for N10 million and N40 million, respectively, from January 10 to January 29. The party, according to the timetable displayed at the office of the National Organising Secretary, Sulaimon Argungu, also slated the party primary for for February 17.

Notwithstanding this information, the former National Vice Chairman, North-west of the party, Dr. Salihu Lukman, has described the decision of the NWC of the party to adopt direct primary election to produce the governorship candidate of APC in Edo State as illegal.

Lukman in a statement, maintained that the decision of the NWC was a clear usurpation of the powers of the National Executive Committee (NEC).

“The recent decision by the APC National Working Committee (NWC) regarding the 2024 Edo election, whereby the NWC announced that the party’s candidate will emerge through direct primary may be informed by the strong desire of party leaders to manipulate the process,” he said.

The former APC National Vice Chairman maintained that the decision of the NWC to organise direct primary contradicted provisions of Article 13.4(iv) of the APC constitution, which only empowers the NWC to ‘propose electoral guidelines and regulations governing the conduct of elections to party offices at all levels, and procedure for selecting party candidates for elective offices …to the National Executive Committee.

The party chieftain also faulted the reduction of the number of aspirants, cautioning the leaders of the party in the state against heating up the polity.

According to him, “there were already media reports alleging that APC stakeholders in Edo State had decided to limit the number of aspirants for the primary. We must appeal to our leaders, including Comrade Adams Oshiomhole not to be carried away by the aura of being today’s rulers and conduct themselves in the same mode previous rulers of Nigeria conducted themselves.”

Lukman emphasised that the debate around direct or indirect primary had been a constant issue in APC since 2014, stressing that part of the experience was that aspiring politicians and godfathers continued to impose their preferences.

Besides, there are worries that the pruning exercise may rob the party of victory in the election, given the exclusion of notable names from the list. Those who spoke to THISDAY on the issue said rather than reducing the number, the party could have as well asked everyone to go to the field to test his or her popularity since there was no zoning.

They also argued that none of those penciled down to contest the primaries can win the election for the party if they eventually emerge as candidate.

“Let’s face the fact; none of the so-called qualified candidates has the capacity and reach to win election,” a chieftain of the party told THISDAY. “Since there is no zoning,” said another party member who pleaded anonymity, “there shouldn’t have been any need to reduce the number of aspirants. The screening should have been to look at the propriety or otherwise of each of the aspirant coming forward to contest”, adding that the party leadership in the state is overreaching itself.

Another argued: “In one breath, the party is saying every member is eligible to contest and in another breath, it is complaining about the number of aspirants and making reduction.”

The days ahead will tell how the party will handle the ill-feelings among its members as it plans to dislodge the PDP in the state.

58

THISDAY, The SUNday Newspaper • January 28, 2024

INTERNATIoNAL

Nigeria-United States Relationship of Self-Deceit: The 4-Ds Diplomacy and Blinken-Tuggar Talks

T

he relationship between Nigeria and the United States is largely informed by a self-deceit-driven environmental conditioning in recent times. This factor of self-deceit partly explains why both countries cannot exist as mutually dependable allies. Under a normal circumstance, Nigeria and the United States ought to be the most reliable strategic allies in Africa by virtue of their shared values of presidential system of government. Both countries play host to big black populations, with Nigeria having the biggest in the whole world. There is also the factor of big democracy, and a significant Nigerian Diaspora population in the US. In spite of this, what used to be very inspiring about theAmerican people is now increasingly becoming very irritating. For instance, last week, former US President, Donald Trump, faced several criminal indictments: 13 charges, including racketeering, 3 counts of solicitation of violation of oath by a public officer, conspiracy to commit impersonating a public officer, 2 counts of conspiracy to commit forgery in the first degree, 2 counts of conspiracy to commit false statements and writings, conspiracy to commit filing false documents, filing false documents, and 2 counts of false statements and writings. Additionally, on last Friday, 26th January, Trump lost his defamation case against E. Jean Carrol. A Manhattan jury ordered Trump to pay $83.3m to her for damaging her reputation when Trump publicly claimed that she had lied when Carrol accused Trump of rape (see rt.com/news/591).

In a decent and civilised society, like the United States, one cannot but expect unreserved condemnation of people like Donald Trump.

America as a people, as an institution, as a government, and as a world leader, cannot afford the luxury of condoning societal indiscipline of the type of Donald Trump. Most unfortunately, American voters are not showing any concern about Trump’s indiscipline and more than 90 alleged criminal activities. What is most disturbing is his whiff of braggadocio that, even if he is convicted and elected, he will simply pardon himself. Any political system that allows for this must not be related with.

Consider the protracted Israelo-Palestinian imbroglio as another example. United States actively supports Israel. It has vetoed several anti-Israel resolutions at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). At the same time, it wants to be an official mediator. Amediator of any dispute must not only be acceptable to the disputants, but must not also have partisan interests. This is the stipulation of international law. United States’ role in the Israelo-Arab conflict is the first catalytic agent for the prolongation of the conflict. It is against this background that one should understand US Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken’s visit.

Issues in Nigeria-US Relationship At the level of security, there is the question of the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM). The AFRICOM is the mechanism for engaging routinely with African governments by using diplomacy, conferences, military-to-military engagements, non-commissioned officer development, military intelligence, chaplain engagement, as well as women, peace and security initiatives. The United States has always made strenuous efforts to make Nigeria another US military base, after the one in Djibouti.

Nigeria as another military base cannot but be like a triangular axis of coordination of all anti-terrorist activities in Africa.

Djibouti is located on the Horn of Africa. Its Lake Assal in the Danaki Desert is the saltiest in the world. Djibouti has only 23,200 km2 area. Its population as at 2021 was put at 1.106 million. The GDP in the same year was put at 3.483 billion USD. Though a small country with French and Arabic as official languages, the smallness of the country enables the United States to have control over the eastern and southern flanks of the African continent.

Interestingly, AFRICOM, which was founded in 2007, does not include the membership of Egypt which has been put under the responsibility of the United States Central Command. In other words, right from the eastern coastlines of Africa, from the south through Djibouti, to Egypt in the north, American

with

Bola A. Akinterinwa Telephone : 0807-688-2846

e-mail: bolyttag@yahoo.com

Tuggar security presence has been established. What appears to be left undone is US military presence in the western coastlines of Africa.

The considered suitable place is the Gulf of Guinea. And true enough, the region is considered to be of strategic importance.

The location is good for controlling terrorist activities in the area, meaning that Nigeria is the power to surely relate with.

It is against this background that the Washingtonian government considered the relocation of the Africa Command (AFRICOM) from Stuggart, Germany to Africa, with Nigeria in mind specifically. Nigeria, for various reasons, rejected the offer. The military wanted Nigeria to be the AFRICOM’s headquarters in Africa because of the military gains likely to accrue to Nigeria. The foreign policy elite considered the character of ex-territoriality of American security institutions the world over, especially in terms of blockade of access roads to the institutions, harassment by the US military, implications for political independence and sovereignty in rejecting the offer. The opposition to theAFRICOM was stiff to the extent that the Nigerian Government had to concede.

While the United States wants Nigeria to play host to the AFRICOM and Nigeria refused to take the offer, several smaller countries wanted to have the AFRICOM, but the United States did not want them. As a result, the US Government had to postpone the idea of relocation of the AFRICOM for ten years.

The United States does not want a Nigeria that will be powerful enough to challenge it in international relations. Nigeria is actually the de facto world headquarters of the black people in Diaspora. The United States’ leadership of the world is being challenged by the Chinese, apart from their trade war. Russia has fallen out of possible Russo-Western strategy for the conduct and management of global questions. The implication of this is the likely frequent use of US veto and Russian veto at the UN Security Council. France has lost her privileged influence and preferential treatment in many Francophone African countries. The most shameful case is that of the saga of unconstitutional change of government in Niger Republic. Africa’s current coups are no longer by the military but by the people. Most unfortunately for both the French and the Americans, their arch enemies are readily giving support to the African countries. The United States does not want Nigeria to accept Chinasation. What is Nigeria going to do with US offer of $45m for security assistance? This is self-deceit and most unserious. To what extent can the diplomacy of the 4-Ds be helpful? There is the need for more seriousness of purpose at the forthcoming March 2024 Binational Commission meeting which is expected to hold at the summitry level. Self-help is what is needed now, and not any international aid

“

“

Vie Internationale

The idea of relocation was initially informed by the opposition of Germans in Stuttgart. The question to address is this: would there have been a change in circumstance in the war on Boko Haram in Nigeria if the AFRICOM had settled in Nigeria? With or without the AFRICOM, why has the United States not been able to neutralise the Boko Haram, which is considered a terrible terrorist organisation by the Americans?

At the level of enhancement of trade, the United States established theAfrican Growth and OpportunityAct (AGOA) through a legislation on 18 May 2000. The cardinal objective was to bolster economic growth, political reform and ensure better economic relations withAfrica. More than 6,700 products are covered under the AGOAon the basis of the HTS-8 tariff classification. The HTS is the US ‘Harmonised Tariff System’ nomenclature,’ which is based ‘up to the 6th digit on the internationally-standardised “Harmonised Commodity Description and Coding System,” managed by the World Customs Organisation.’

Nigeria is a beneficiary of the AGOA. The extent of Nigeria’s gains from the AGOA is a matter of debate. According to the AGOA.info, Nigeria’s economic background was not good enough, in spite of Nigeria’s perception as Africa’s largest economy. Even though the banking sector reportedly recapitalised after the 2008-2009 global financial crises, ‘since then Nigeria’s economic growth has been driven by growth in agriculture, telecommunications, and services. Economic diversification and strong growth have not translated into a significant decline in poverty levels. Over 62% of Nigeria’s over 180 million people still live in extreme poverty.’

More disturbingly, AGOA.com also had it that Nigeria was ‘hobbled by inadequate power supply, lack of infrastructure, delays in the passage of legislative reforms, an inefficient property registration system, restrictive trade policies, an inconsistent regulatory environment, a slow and ineffective judicial system, unreliable dispute resolution mechanisms, insecurity, and pervasive corruption. Regulatory constraints and security risks have limited new investments in oil and natural gas.’ This was the background to, and problem during, AGOA processes. What really has the AGOA contributed to growth and development of Nigeria?

Brill.com noted in its “Benefits of Nigeria’s Participation in the African Growth and Opportunity Act,’ published in The African Review, that, from 2001 to 2022, ‘the lofty provisions of AGOA are laudable, even though unworkable, and given the environments within which the provisions of the trade policy were drafted and enacted, the subscription was carried out, and the implementation is pursued. AGOA helps to entrench Nigeria in its peripheral position of world economy…’ The conclusion of Brill.com is noteworthy: ‘rather than continuing to perform its historic economic rituals to global democratic capitalism Nigeria needs emancipation from the stranglehold of unremunerated primary exports or insolvency would scuttle it irretrievably into an ungovernable chaotic territorial entity.’

Most unfortunately, however, rather than having emancipation from unremunerated primary exports and non-dependence on foreign countries for economic survival, efforts are being strenuously made to use PBAT as a proxy ally in the execution of NATO’s security agenda. Some suggestions have it that Ivorian President intervened to ensure the appointment of PBAT as ECOWAS Chairman with the ultimate objective of using him to compel the release of the ousted President Bazoum of Niger Republic. Whatever is the case, and in light of the foregoing, of what use is the visit of the US Secretary of State?

4-Ds Diplomacy and Blinken’s Visit Nigeria’s foreign policy attitude under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, what we have referred to as Tinubuplomacy, is largely predicated on what Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, has called the doctrine of the 4-Ds: Democracy, Development, Demography, and Diaspora. None of the 4-Ds, with the exception of ‘development,’ is an objective, speaking stricto sensu. They are all instruments for achieving development. When the 4-Ds are interrogated in the context of the US foreign policy attitude, there is conflict of interest from which the argument of self-deceit is derived.

First, regardless of who the United States has as President, US foreign policy attitude remains the same. Promotion and protection of democracy remains a constant. The sermons of democracies not going to war with one another are often preached. So are protection of human rights. What is noteworthy in this case is that the rules of democratic games varies from one democracy to another. The emphases placed on them also varies. In fact, the conduct and management of democracy is another kettle of fish entirely.

President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden are only different in mania of approach in foreign policy calculations.

Their core mandate of defending US foreign policy interests is first priority. While Donald Trump does not bother much about diplomatic protocols and niceties, carelessly talking about Africa of shit-holes, always talking arrogantly with little or no regard to people with dark skin, and telling the world the bitter truth of what the United States stands for, President Joe Biden simply reflects the opposite.

Read full article online - www.thisdaylive.com

59

JANUARY 28, 2024 • T H I S DAY, T H E S U N DAY N E W S PA P E R

B AC K PAG E C O N T I N UAT I O N ‘LIES, DAMNED LIES, AND STATISTICS’ services. Above all, he wants the public to demand the provision of more amenities that will tackle poverty rather than weaponise the “poverty capital” claim that is, at best, “an estimate”.

There is also the interesting anecdote of a Briton who asked Fashola if there were banks in Nigeria. He found the question frivolous and uninformed. Fashola took time to explain to the man that Nigeria has over 20 banks, with many of them ranked among the world’s Top 1000 by reputable institutions and publications at various times. The man apologised but explained his question: “I was intrigued by what I read online about the federal government and state governments distributing money in Abuja.

Whenever I encounter such a headline, I am left contemplating why states must convene in Abuja… and collect cash. Could this not be facilitated through the banking system?”

The senior lawyer takes time to explain the revenue allocation mechanisms. The constitution and relevant laws are very clear on the membership of the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC): minister of finance (chair), commissioners of finance of the 36 states, two persons appointed by the president, and accountant general of the federation (AcGF).

Governors are not members. Two meetings are convened monthly, the first by the AcGF and accountants general of the 36 states where they receive and verify statements of income from

revenue-generating agencies, and the second by the FAAC where metrics are used to calculate the revenue to be shared by the three tiers.

(I would like to quickly insert this here: what the three tiers share at FAAC is “federation” — not “federal” — allocation. The use of the word “federal” is part of what distorts debates on our nationhood. Using the word “federal” allocation suggests that the money is coming from the “federal” government to the states and councils. This is incorrect. The money belongs to the federation, and federal government is just a tier of the federation. The constitution mandates that all revenues collected on behalf of the federation be paid into the consolidated revenue fund (CRF) from where they are shared by the three tiers. This little detail is sometimes lost in public discourse.)

There are several stimulating essays for those who are sincerely interested in discussing Nigeria’s development trajectory. We are fond of saying Nigeria produces only 4,000MW to power a $448 billion economy. Fashola thinks we are missing something. South Africa with 58,000MW has a lower GDP of $351 billion. This is not adding up. “By accepting the erroneous figure of 4,000MW, we have overlooked the substantial amount of electricity generated by solar power, industrial and individual diesel generators and independent power producers across the country,” he asserts. Chief Adebayo Adelabu, the minister of power, recently said

Nigeria gets an additional 40,000MW from generators.

What is Fashola’s point, though? He believes off-grid power is usually discounted but it is valuable. He lists the power projects executed in Lagos state when he was governor. They are off-grid but their outputs outstrip actual generation in The Gambia. He also lists the off-grid projects he inaugurated across the country when he was minister of power. The Rural Electrification Agency (REA), owned by the federal government, is undertaking solar projects in rural areas across the country but the outputs are not included in the assessment of total Nigeria’s power supply. Basically, Fashola is saying we use incomplete data in making categorical statements on power supply and GDP in Nigeria.

He says an assessment and redefinition of the problem led to the introduction of the mini-grid policy, with residential estates and small-scale factories encouraged to generate their own energy instead an endless wait for connection to the national grid which would require laying cables across thousands of kilometres, among several other costs. Sticking to popular sentiments about the state of power supply in Nigeria would not have helped, he maintains, also contending that “it is not necessarily accurate, nor is it academically rigorous, to attribute all developmental challenges to the paucity of electricity”. Even if we have 24/7 power

supply, manufacturing still faces big challenges.

No doubt, this book will invite controversy.

There may be questions as to what we should be more concerned with — waiting in pain and in vain for the accurate stats or confronting the largely unaddressed stark reality even without reliable data? More so, if the popularly held datasets are not realistic, why doesn’t he provide the accurate figures? If the housing deficit is not 28 million, what is it then? His approach is that we should wait for the census so that we can be more scientific, but the last one was in 2006 and we don’t know when the next will be. There may also be critical comments of some submissions which many will view as an attempt to offer excuses for government failures.

In all, I have three take-aways from this book. One, a major problem confronting us is the misrepresentation of the problem — “often in bombastic and hyperbolic terms” — which diverts our attention from an accurate diagnosis, to paraphrase Fashola. We will thus be looking in the wrong direction in trying to solve the problem. Two, how can we assess and address our challenges decisively if we are led more by sensational hyperbole and less by verifiable evidence? We need to interrogate certain assumptions, datasets and analyses that we have adopted in making policy decisions.

Three, beware: hyperbole has the tendency to make us downplay our little wins.

KILLING FIELDS Plateau state is back as Nigeria’s killing fields, with the renewed ancient ethno-religious war. The killings are not spontaneous; they are orchestrated. Nigerians will keep taking sides on the basis of religion and ethnicity but there will be no winners. Government must revise its security strategy in order to protect lives and property better than it currently does, but I reckon that the fuel of the killings is hate. Armoured tanks cannot extinguish it. Only love and tolerance can. I will continue to say this: until those who matter in these communities decide that they have wasted enough blood, there will never be peace and progress, no matter the number of soldiers on duty. Troubling.

POLITICAL CAPITAL The decision of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to move one of its units from Abuja, the federal capital, to Lagos is “heating up the polity” (don’t laugh). Those opposed are classifying it as anti-north and are making political capital out of it. But dig deeper and you will realise it may have nothing to do with the north. Most of those to be transferred are said to be children of the powerful, some of whom got the job by connections and hardly come to office in any case. But framing it as an anti-north move is a sure winner in an emotionally charged country like ours. This government has, like the one before it, been very poor and clumsy with communication and engagement. Shame.

PLASTIC POLICY The Lagos state government woke up one day and banned single-use plastics “with immediate effect”. No previous warning, no transition plan, no stakeholder engagement, no sensitisation. Just “with immediate effect”.

Companies had produced goods already packaged in these plastics and on the way to delivery points; some had stockpiled supplies for months ahead with bank loans; factories are fully in production and there will be consequences for jobs. And then you ban “with immediate effect” — reminiscent of the days of military rule. After the ban, sensitisation and stakeholder engagement will begin. Welcome to public policy making in 21st-century Nigeria.

Wonderful.

NO COMMENT Have we heard the last of the curious case of Umar Sadiq, the Nigerian striker who plays for Real Sociedad of Spain? He was in Nigeria’s squad to the Africa Cup of Nations in Côte d’Ivoire but was dropped at the last minute because of a report by the Super Eagles’ medical team that he had a knee injury and would be out for a while. It turned out it was just a bruise. He was back playing for his club a few days later. “Upon returning to my club and undergoing thorough examinations, the medical team revealed that I had only suffered a bruise, and as a result, I was cleared to resume training,” he explained, after an uproar.

Is this the misdiagnosis that we are so used to in Nigeria? Fantabulous.

And Four Other Things…

INITIAL COMMENTS ON NNPCL’S 2022 AUDITED ACCOUNTS underperformance in grim perspective is how our national oil company is not optimising its reserves. According to Wood Makenzie, NNPCL’s proven reserves in oil equivalent is 24.78 billion barrels. But its total production entitlement is below one million barrels per day, with crude oil accounting for just about 500,000 barrels per day.

By comparison, PEMEX (the Mexican national oil company) derives production entitlement of 2.45 million barrels of crude oil per day from proven reserves of 7.4 billion barrels and Petrobras generates production entitlement of 2.68mbpd from proven reserves of 10.47 billion barrels.

NNPCL has reserves twice or thrice that some of its comparators but is deriving entitlements less than a quarter of theirs. NNPCL is not maximising its reserves, which negatively impacts its revenue and assets. A key reason why NNPCL generates low revenue from its assets is because 51% of its revenue in 2022 came from sale of petroleum products, which is a low-margin business. The company looks more like a downstream company than a national oil company.

NNPCL trumpets that it made a record profit of N2.52 trillion in 2022. This has made the headlines. But the decomposition of the profit and some other segments of the report paint a less flattering picture. It should be noted that N1.172 trillion (or 46%) of the profit came from other incomes, including a N501.35 billion from gain in variation in prices of crude stock. But more interestingly, NNPCL had a liability of N2.15 trillion in 2022: N926.8 billion in unpaid royalty and N1.22 trillion in unpaid taxes. There is no note on why those liabilities were not paid or netted off the record profit.

The second issue arising from the 2022 financial statement is the extent to which NNPCL is leveraged and how this will negatively impact foreign exchange inflows into the country and oil revenue to the Federation. NNPCL entered into different financing arrangements that left it with a liability of N2.25 trillion that will be settled with future oil production. The report also revealed that NNPCL bought 20% stake in Dangote Petroleum Refineries and Petrochemicals Free Zone Enterprise (DPRP, FZE). The 20% stake was valued at $2.76 billion.

NNPCL secured a loan of $1.036 billion from Lekki Refinery Funding Limited, out of which it gave $1 billion to DPRP, FZE and incurred $36 million as transaction cost. The loan and the cost will be repaid to the lender in crude oil of 35, 000

Kyari barrels per day. The outstanding $1.76 billion of the 20% stake in DPRP, FZE will be paid to the refinery through crude oil of 300, 000 barrels per day (calculated at a discount of $2.5 per barrel of crude) and 100% of the dividend from its stake in the refinery.

There are many sub-issues here, including the level of due diligence involved in the valuation of the company. Who decided that this is a good investment by, or a good deal for, the country?

How was that decision arrived at? What guardrails were put in place? What level of disclosure was made to and the authorisation given by those who are custodians of the public asset?

In this deal alone, NNPCL pledged 335, 000 barrels of crude oil per day. NNPCL recently pledged another 90,000 barrels per day for the controversial $3.3 billion facility from Afrexim bank reportedly obtained to provide relief for the Naira. This brings the crude oil pledged by NNPCL for these two transactions to 425,000 barrels per day. The current data of Federation’s share of oil is not in the public domain (because those who should be disclosing them are not).

But my optimistic guess is that the current

Federation share of oil will be between 500kbpd and 600kbpd. So, the crude oil already pledged

by NNPCL for these two transactions alone will be between 70-85% of Federation’s share of oil.

Bear in mind that NNPCL has other pledges and forward sale obligations. Apart from the issue around the opaque nature of commodity-backed loans, NNPCL has made commitments that will deny our external reserves of forex flows and the Federation Account of future revenue.

The third point that I want to highlight from the financial statement is the issue of accountability.

NNPCL makes some investment decisions and charges some tidy sums as general administrative costs. Who exercises oversight on these investments and expenses? For example, NEPL (the upstream subsidiary of NNPCL) took a stake in a disputed JV asset and had to fork out $300 million in settlement to River State Government. Relatedly, NNPCL pledged 8000 barrels of crude oil per day to secure a $300 million deal to buy a gas asset from Chevron. The pretext was the need to increase assets even when most of NNPCL’s assets are underutilised. Who did the due diligence and who sanctioned the investments?

Also, NNPCL spent N114.28 billion (264.54 million) on repairs and maintenance, N193.41 billion ($448 million) on transport and travelling, N267.93 billion ($620 million) on security services and N496.36 billion ($1.14 billion) on other expenses (without a note to show breakdown). While the N266 billion ($615.74 million) as employees’ benefit expenses can be overlooked because of the need to attract and retain the best to our national oil company, it is important ask if the company is being competently run and if the country is deriving value from such investment.

One thing that might have escaped many Nigerians is that post-PIA, NNPCL receives 30% of PSC profit oil and gas as management fee. And that is not all. As can be gleaned from the 2024 to 2026 MTEF, the national oil company is also scheduled to receive 20% of NLNG dividend and 35% s of JV profit oil for NNPCL’s reinvestments (which is different from the 30% of PSC profit oil for the Frontier Exploration Fund, FEF).

According to NNPCL’s reports to FAAC, the company retained N421.6 billion for management fee and FEF between August 2021 and October 2023. And in 2024, as contained in the MTEF, NNPCL is scheduled to receive N1.16 trillion for FEF, and as its management fee, its share of NLNG dividend and the earmark for reinvestment. Beyond the quantum of money going to the company and the fact that this is money not available to the Federation, questions should be asked about whether the country is receiving commensurate value from the company. To whom much is given, much is desired.

In its 2022 financial statement, Petronas showed how it was maximising public value for Malaysia.

It achieved 26 Final Investment Decisions (FIDs), signed six Production Sharing Contracts (PSCs), and made nine exploration discoveries, among others. When was the last time NNPCL closed an FID or signed a new PSC? What are NNPCL’s comparable achievements within the same period?

Does NNPCL have annual and measurable targets?

Are the targets aligned with its core mandate?

Who approves and tracks the targets? Who holds the behemoth to account?

For Nigeria to get the national oil company that it deserves, these and more are questions that should constantly be asked. And the interrogation should be done not only by political authorisers but also by citizens and civic groups. The company and the resources in its custody belong to all Nigerians.

60

T H I S D AY, T h e S U N D AY N e w s pa p e r JANUARY 28, 2024

NEWS

BRAND PROMOTION…

L-R:Director,FairandWhiteNigeriaLimited,LadyChinyereChibueze;formerBigBrotherNaijaHousemate,CynthiaNwadiora(C-Cee);Director,FairandWhiteNigeriaLimited,Mr.KenneChibueze;andSalesManagerofthecompany,Mr.SundayAdekoya,at theunveilingofC-CeeasthebrandambassadorofFair&WhiteOriginalGlutathioninLagos…yesterday

UN Asks Nigeria to End Death Penalty, Rights Violations Wale Igbintade with agency report The United Nations (UN) has urged the Nigerian government to abolish the death penalty.

Last December, the spokesperson for the Nigerian Correctional Services, Abubakar Umar, disclosed that Nigeria’s correctional centres have 3,413 inmates on death row.

Member-states of the global body called for an immediate moratorium on the death penalty pending its abolition from Nigeria’s criminal justice system.

The calls, according to Premium Times, were made at the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of Nigeria in Geneva, Switzerland.

Nigeria’s delegation led by the Attorney General of the

Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), is currently in Geneva for the UPR, which happens every four to five years.

The UPR is a unique mechanism of the Human Rights Council that calls for each UN member-state to undergo a peer review of its human rights records every 4.5 years.

While presenting Nigeria’s report of its human rights efforts, Fagbemi reeled out a plethora of laws and policies enacted by the government to curb rights abuses.

“Nigeria has enacted several legislations such as the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (2015), the Child Rights Act, and Anti-Torture Act amongst others to safeguard the rights of Nigerians,” the justice

Delta Emerges Nigeria’s Safest State for Oil and Gas Investments Delta State has won the safest state award for Oil and Gas investments in the country at the Nigeria Oil & Gas Forum and award night.

The award ceremony was organised by the founder Ms Nafisa Aliyu Haruna and sponsored by the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources held at the International Conference Centre, Abuja on Friday night.

Presenting the award, Ms Haruna stated that Delta State has contributed immensely to increased oil and gas production in Nigeria.

She stated that Delta State emerged first from the opinion pool carried out within the industry, as the safest in the oil and gas sector in Nigeria.

Receiving the award, Delta State Governor, Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori thanked the organisers for the well deserved award, saying the

state government remained irrevocably committed to ensuring peace and sustainable development of the state.

Governor Oborevwori who was represented by the Commissioner for Oil and Gas, Olorogun Vincent Oyibode, dedicated the award to God and to Deltans who’s mandate was reaffirmed by the Supreme Court last week Friday.

The Commissioner stated that the achievement of peace in Delta State, particularly in the oil and gas sector, is a testament to the implementation of the MORE agenda of the Governor Sheriff Oborevwori led administration.

He further stated that in implementing the MORE Agenda, the Governor awarded roads and brought Julius Beger to construct three flyovers, cloverleaf, pedestrian bridges and road expansion at the cost of N78 billion naira.

minister said.

The Attorney General said Nigeria’s quest for an improved human rights record led to the strengthening of public institutions to ensure accountability in the event of violations.

Fagbemi explained that the country had taken steps to “pro-

mote and protect the enjoyment of fundamental human rights of Nigerians.”

“Nigeria remains committed to the promotion of the rule of law and obedience to court decisions. Nigeria has designated the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) as the

independent National Preventive Mechanism against torture,” the AGF said.

He added that the Child Rights Act is now domesticated across the 36 states of Nigeria, while the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act is already adopted in many States across the country.

Speaking further on other areas of rights enforcement, the minister noted that the government set up investigative panels following protests over police brutality in Nigeria in 2020, with outcomes of the probe leading to payment of compensations to victims of violations.

FRC to Begin Physical Verification of N2.9tn Capital Projects Nationwide Ndubuisi Francis in Abuja The Fiscal Responsibility Commission (FRC) will tomorrow begin physical verification of select federal government capital projects across the six geo-political zones of the country.

The projects earmarked for the physical verification are those in the South-east, South-west, Southsouth, North-central, North-east and North-west geo-political zones of the country.

The value of the projects to be

verified in the six geo-political zones is N2.9 trillion.

FRC Chairman, Victor Muruako enjoined the staff who will be going out for the exercise to carry out the assignments with great diligence and a sense of purpose, adding that the exercise is one of the core mandates of the commission.

A statement issued by the Head and Strategic Communication Directorate at the FRC, Bede Ogueri Anyanwu said Muruako urged the team to ensure the

actual existence of the projects as well as monitor the progress of work.

The verification exercise, he added, is further designed to give fillip to the next level agenda of President Bola Tinubu’s renewed Hope Agenda in the area of prudence, value-for-money and transparency.

The effort is to meet the yearnings of the people, he stressed, noting that the verification must also be done within the ambit of the Medium-Term Expenditure

Framework (MTEF).

Muruako directed all the verification teams to submit the results of their reports as they come back to enable the Commission to send the same to the appropriate government agencies for further action.

The statement explained that the reason for the verification exercise was to ensure that the government embarks on projects that it can fund, adding that with MTEF, cases of abandoned projects will cease to exist.

Gunmen Kidnap Abia Varsity Deputy Vice-Chancellor The Abia State Police Command yesterday confirmed the kidnap of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academics) of Abia State University Uturu, Prof. Godwin Emezue, while purchasing fuel at a filling station at Umuopara.

The command’s Public Relations Officer, Maureen Chinaka, disclosed this in a statement issued on behalf of the state Commissioner of Police, Kenechukwu On-

wuemelie.

The statement read, “On 26/01/2024, at about 9.30 p.m., the Abia State Police Command received information that on the same date, at about 7 p.m., the Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Uturu ABSU, ProfGodwin Emezue, while in the company of his wife in their vehicle, was abducted by hoodlums while purchasing fuel at a petrol station in Umuopara,

Umuahia South LGA. “During the incident, the hoodlums confiscated his wife’s ATM card, dragged the Deputy Vice-Chancellor into a Lexus SUV, and drove away with the victim.

“The Abia State Police Command is deploying resources and assets including intelligence and technical aid towards unravelling the crime, and safely rescuing the victim from his captors.”

The statement noted that the police urged “Abians to remain calm and continue their legitimate activities while maintaining vigilance and being security conscious “Furthermore, we seek the cooperation of the public, especially by way of providing any useful information that could be helpful in these particular circumstances, and in attaining enhanced security in the state, generally.”

Oromoni, Pupil Killed in Lagos School, Laid to Rest After Two Years After two years of fighting for justice, a 12-year-old former pupil of Dowen College, Lekki, Lagos State, Sylvester Oromoni Jnr, was laid to rest yesterday.

The ceremony took place at the deceased family’s compound in Ogbe-Ijoh, Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State.

It attracted several dignitaries.

Emotions were high as family

members, friends and wellwishers wept while mourning his (Sylvester’s) untimely death.

Recall that Oromoni, who was allegedly tortured by some senior students of the college, died on November 30, 2021.

His death, which generated condemnation and a series of protests by civil society groups and women across the country as well as heated controversies,

has yet to yield any positive results.

The family, through the father of the deceased had vowed while marking the two years anniversary of their son’s brutal and untimely demise, that as a family, they would not stop crying out for justice for their departed son.

“As the father of the deceased, I cannot be tired or discouraged

from pursuing justice as I have promised my son to get him justice even if it will take thirty years to achieve it,” he said.

Sylvester’s father and the family had also threatened that if the inquest was not concluded before the end of 2022, they would be compelled to withdraw from it in order to take a different legal route to seek justice.

SUNDAY JANUARY 28, 2024 • T H I S D AY

61

62

SUNDAY JANUARY 28, 2024 • T H I S D AY

THISDAY, The SUNday Newspaper • January 28, 2024

63

SundaySports

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

AFCON 2023:

Super Eagles Beat Cameroon to Set up Q’final Clash with Angola

T

Duro Ikhazuagbe wo goals by Ademola Lookman sealed victory for Nigeria’s Super Eagles over Cameroon in the Round of 16 fixture of the 34th Africa Cup of Nations in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire last night.

With the victory over the five-time AFCON champions, the Super Eagles have now booked their quarter final date with Angola who triumphed over Namibia with three unreplied goals in an earlier Round of 16 clash yesterday.

Lookman who plays his professional football in Italy with Atalanta was the beneficiary of the good work started by African Player of the Year, Victor Osimhen. Lookman latched on Osimhen’s flick from the left flank to put Super Eagles in the lead in the 36th minutes. Cameroonian fans who were looking forward to a repeat of how the Indomitable Lions shocked Nigeria in the final of the 1984 final

RESULTS

Angola 3-0 Namibia Nigeria 2-0 Cameroon TODAY E’Guinea v Guinea Egypt

v DR Congo

... Angola Beat Namibia to Reach Q’finals

G

elsonDalascored twice as Angola shrugged off the early dismissal of goalkeeper Neblu to beat 10-man Namibia and reach the quarter-finals of the 2023Africa Cup of Nations.

Neblu was shown a straight red in the 17th minute for handling Bethuel Muzeu’s shot outside his box, but Dala put Angola in front with a tap-in seven minutes before the break.

Namibia defender Lubeni Haukongo was soon sent off for a second bookable offence and two minutes later Dala doubled Angola’s lead by powerfully heading home Fredy’s free-kick.

Mabululu’s neat finish following a swift counter-attack midway through the second half wrapped up victory and sent the Palancas Negras into the last eight for the first time since 2010.

inside the same Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny looked on in disappointment as Nigerians supporters celebrated.

The Atalanta man returned in the 90th minute to make it two goals for Nigeria and a sure-bet for the quarter final when he Lookman he connected home a cross by Calvin Bassey.

Osimhen, who was substituted with a couple of minutes remaining, was the first player to burst from the technical area as the Nigerian bench empties on to the pitch at the full-time plus added five minutes whistle.

The Super Eagles striker leapt, punched the air and then dropped to his knees, pumping both fists.

At the other end of the scale, a glum looking Samuel Eto’o, who sat in the VIP seats, appeared on the big screen.

Now president of Cameroon’s football federation, the former Barcelona and Chelsea striker has some thinking to do about what next for the Indomitable Lions who have now suffered four straight defeats in five meetings with the Super Eagles.

A

Victor Osimhen (right) hugs scorer of Super Eagles two goals, Ademola Lookman, in celebration as Nigeria defeated Cameroon 2-0 to reach AFCON 2023 quarter final ...last night

FFP Rules out Man Utd from Signing Osimhen this Winter Window ll hopes of Victor Osimhen switching Napoli for Manchester United in this winter transfer window may not manifest as Manager of the Red Devils, Erik ten Hag, admitted yesterday that UEFA’s Financial Fair Play (FFP) rule has ruled the English Premier League giants out of signing new players.

United, who will visit Newport County in the FA Cup fourth round today, lost forward Anthony Martial until April due to injury, leaving them with limited options in attack.

Forward Rasmus Hojlund, who was signed for £72 million in the close season, has only scored two goals in the Premier

League so far, while Marcus Rashford has four.

“I looked but there is no space. There is no space for FFP to do something about this lack of quantity in the striker position,” Ten Hag told reporters.

“Of course, Rashford can play as a striker. We have some other alternatives but it’s clear that Anthony is out for a couple of months and it’s a gap in our squad.”

The club signed midfielder Mason Mount and goalkeeper Andre Onana for big money in the close season and have spent more than £400 million in the last two seasons.

United are eighth in the Premier League, 16 points behind leaders Liverpool and Ten Hag admitted the FA Cup was their last chance of silverware this season.

“FACup probably is a last opportunity on the trophy and we go for it,” Ten Hag said.

United have been plagued by injury woes this season with defender Harry Maguire and Mount still sidelined.

Midfielder Casemiro and defenders Luke Shaw and Lisandro Martinez are available for Sunday, however, and goalkeeper Altay Bayindir will make his debut in the absence of Onana, who is away at Africa Cup of Nations.

However, Napoli President,Aurelio De Laurentiis , said yesterday that Osimhen will leave the Italian team in the summer.

De Laurentiis was responding to an interview that Osimhen, who is with Nigeria at theAfrica Cup of Nations, gave to American television network CBS, in which the 25-year-old striker said he had

already “made up” his mind about his next move.

Questioned by Italian media after a meeting of the Italian Football League, De Laurentiis said he was not surprised, even though Osimhen signed a contract extension with the Italian champions in December.

Italian media have reported that the contract contains a release clause of between €120 and €130 million.

Osimhen was the top scorer in Serie A last season, hitting 26 goals to propel Napoli to their first league title since 1990.

DeLaurentiissaidhehadbeenpreparing for Osimhen to leave ever since.

“We’ve known all this since last summer, which is also why negotiations for the extension of his contract, although friendly, took so long,” De Laurentiis said.

French Star Ends Aruna’s Smooth Ride at WTT Star Contender

Quadri Aruna got knocked out of the WTT Star Contender tournament yesterday in India

A

frican champion Quadri Aruna’s smooth journey which started by at the WTT Star Contender in Goa was halted on Saturday yesterday

by French teenage sensation, Felix Lebrun, who defeated the Nigerian 3-1 to advance to the semi-final of the men’s singles in India.

Aruna, the only surviving African in the competition following the first and second round exit of Egypt’s duo of Hana Goda and Omar Assar in the singles, had in the second-round beat Germany’s Ruwen Filus to set up a round of 16 tie against Alexis Lebrun.

Being their second meeting in a WTT event,Aruna was at his best against the senior Lebrun as the Nigerian came out stronger with a 3-1 (11-8, 8-11, 12-10, 11-8) win to progress to the quarterfinal against the younger Lebrun.

The bespectacled Felix who lost his first eeting against the Nigerian in 2023 must have been briefed by his brother on how to cage Aruna.

The French star started the encounter with an intention of avenging his brother’s defeat with 11-4 win in the first game.

Felix continued again in the second game with 11-6 win and Aruna wanted to make another comeback just like he did against Hugo Calderano at the WTT Cup Finals earlier this year against the younger Lebrun, but the French star thwarted this to win the third game at 12-10.

The world number 14 continues his fine run this year after finishing at the quarterfinal stage of the WTT Cup Finals in Doha earlier this year following his superb comeback against Brazilian Hugo Calderano in the first round of the championships and he is expected to lead Nigeria to the 2024 World Team Championships taking place in Busan, South Korea next month.

TR

Sunday 28 January, 2024

UT H

& RE A S O

N

Price: N500

MISSILE

Ganduje to Kwankwaso

“If you defect to APC today, you are our subordinate and follower.

It is important for you to note this; a child of the household and a stranger are all under the care of the head of the house” – National Chairman of APC, Dr. Ganduje, reminding the leader of the Kwankwasiyya, Rabiu Kwankwaso, that once he defects to APC, then he becomes their leader

SIMONKOLAWOLE ‘Lies, Damned Lies, and Statistics’ SIMONKOLAWOLELIVE!

simon.kolawole@thisdaylive.com, sms: 0805 500 1961

N

igeria is the world’s poverty capital. Most Nigerians live on less than $2 a day.

Nigeria’s economy is powered by only 4,000MW of power.

Even Republic of Benin has better road infrastructure than Nigeria. Over 70 percent of Nigerians are unemployed. Nigeria has a housing deficit of 28 million. Some 16 million Nigerian children are out of school. The 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria was written by the military. Unless we ditch the 1999 Constitution and write a new one, Nigeria will never develop.

Governors run to Abuja every month to share federation allocation. Nigerian president is the most powerful in the world. Etcetera etcetera and so on and so on.

If you have ever held any of these notions, or reinforced them without fact-checking, Mr Babatunde Raji Fashola, former governor of Lagos state, has a message for you: take a chill pill. That is not exactly how he puts it in his book, ‘Nigerian Public Discourse: The Interplay of Empirical Evidence and Hyperbole’, which will be presented on February 8, 2024 in Lagos. His underpinning arguments are: one, some collective assumptions about the development indices of Nigeria are not based on verifiable facts; two, policy decisions must not be founded on assumptions, suppositions or facts of dubious origins. A wrong diagnosis of an ailment will lead to a wrong prescription and treatment.

Fashola Fashola — who was minister of power, works and housing from 2015 to 2019 and thereafter minister of works and housing for four years — keeps to a theme that cautions public analysts, social commentators and public servants on the assertions they make while discussing the state of the nation. Some

WAZIRIADIO

pronouncements are disseminated with such “unwavering conviction” that it becomes hard to summon the courage to critically examine their veracity without appearing either naïve or contrarian, he notes, warning that “a mere conjecture or personal opinion, expressed with authority on a national platform, assumes the guise of an empirical principle which cannot be disputed”.

For a start, anytime you say most Nigerians are living on less than $2 a day and use it as a measurement of the poverty incidence, Fashola would want you to apply the brake. He famously challenged the $1/day measurement and is still not satisfied despite the doubling of the figure. His explanation may be controversial but it is profound, nonetheless. To be clear, he is not questioning the incidence of poverty in Nigeria, but he is unsure of the reliability of the data being used to declare Nigeria as the “poverty capital of the world”. Politically, this dubious distinction has been a potent campaign tool in the hands of opposition parties, which is to be expected in election seasons.

There are two issues here, as pointed out

by Fashola. The first is that the World Poverty Clock used data from 2013 and its forecast based on that to arrive at the conclusion that Nigeria was the poverty capital, effectively discounting economic interventions that took place years before the report was written. The report also used the General Household Survey of 2012/2013 and not the Harmonised Living Standards Survey. Using dollar as a measurement

without considering the purchasing power parity is also questioned by Fashola, who argues that what one dollar can buy in Nigeria is more than what it can buy in, for instance, the US. He uses the price of a bottle of Coke as a simple example.

The second issue from this is that the poverty data “presents a stark disconnection with the true identity of the Nigerian populace” by a narrow interpretation of “indigenous economics” — in Fashola’s words. The data neglects people’s disposable income. Fashola calls this “cultural economic relativity” which he says Western economists may not understand. The extended family system in Africa is so potent that “it could assist family members to offset rent, school fees, medical bills, sponsor children in school, and other expenses”. He quotes a study on Informal Safety Net which shows how people regularly receive helps ranging from N1,000 to N500,000 from family members.

Fashola’s proposition here is that these are also incomes, howsoever defined, but the poverty data does not countenance them and is confined to what is formally earned by the average Nigerian. He proposes a comprehensive study within the context of the African social support system for a more accurate assessment of poverty. He insists that efforts to reduce poverty in Nigeria by all tiers of government are not insignificant as evident in investments in transport, education, water, health and related

Continued on page 59

POSTSCRIPT

Initial Comments on NNPCL’s 2022 Audited Accounts

N

NPC Limited, Nigeria’s national oil company, released its 2022 audited financial statement late Thursday. The audited statement covered a 16-month period, extending to four months in 2021, presumably to account for when the corporation transmuted to a limited liability company. Notably, NNPCL has now released five consecutive audited reports, covering 2018 to 2022.

The current GCEO of the company, Mr. Mele Kyari, blazed this path of openness when in 2020 he promised to open up the books of the organisation.

He kept the promise. That year alone, NNPC released the 2018 and the 2019 audited financial statements in June and October respectively. The 2022 report should have been released last year going by the tradition established by NNPC in subsequent years. But better late than never.

Besides, it is conceivable that the delay could have been occasioned by the dissolution of the organisation’s board.

Prior to 2020, the public was denied complete access to the financial state of NNPC. Kyari, who often states—and correctly too—that the national oil company belongs to all Nigerians, began the process of steering the organisation towards the path of light. He and his team deserve ample praises for starting and sustaining this desirable

regime of transparency.

However, NNPCL could do much better with the level and the quality of its disclosures. Of late, the company seems to be relapsing to its opaque past. In 2016, two administrations before Kyari’s, the company started publishing monthly financial and operational reports. These reports provided near real-time and detailed picture of the organisation and the oil and gas sector. The last NNPC’s monthly financial and operational report published was for July 2021.

Also, the 111-page financial statement released on Thursday by NNPCL is not as detailed as it would appear or as it should be expected. For the 2021 financial year, the company released 21 separate audited financial reports. The current consolidated report lumps all parts of the organisation together. Without audited reports of all the subsidiaries, it will be difficult to know how the different components of the company are faring. And without an operational report alongside the financial statement, it is hard to really assess the performance of the national oil company. Additionally, a company with $20.4 billion annual revenue can surely do much better than just posting scanned copies of its audited accounts on its website.

As a national company and as an EITI supportingcompany, NNPCL should be disclosing more than it used to do, not less. It is simply unacceptable to

go from 21 financial statements all posted at once in 2021 to one statement in 2022. Also, NNPCL’s disclosures need to be more timely and more comprehensive and need to be presented in a more engaging manner. Petronas is the national oil company of Malaysia, and it is owned 100% by the government like our NNPCL. But the level, frequency and presentation of Petronas’ financial statements dim NNPCL’s and should put us to collective shame.

However, there are more fundamental issues peeking out of the audited statement that NNPCL posted on Thursday. I will touch on three for now.

The first issue is how poorly performing NNPCL still is in both absolute and comparative terms.

According to the financial statement, NNPCL recorded an operating profit of N694.29 billion (or $1.61 billion), a total revenue of N8.82 trillion (or $20.44 billion) and had total assets of N58.65 trillion (or $136 billion). That is an operating margin of 7.8% and an asset turnover ratio of 14.7%. Both indicators show that NNPCL was, financially, not in fine fettle.

Petronas, Qatar Energy, Petrobras and SaudiAramco are NNPCL’s comparators. They are all national oil companies; and like NNPCL, they are fully integrated companies and are strategically important for the energy security of their countries. Only two of them are listed: Petrobras of Brazil and Saudi Aramco, which is

98% by government and government entities.

Petronas of Malaysia and Qatar Energy of Qatar are still 100% government-owned.

In 2022, Petronas recorded operating profit of $31 billion, revenue of $75 billion, and had assets of $162 billion, which translated to operating margin of 40.89% and asset turnover ratio of 46.29%. On its part, Qatar Energy secured $26.7 billion in operating profit and $53.8 billion in revenue with total assets of $162 billion, amounting to 49.63% operating margin and asset turnover ratio of 33.20%.

Petrobras had $57 billion in operating profit, $124 billion in revenue and assets of $187 billion, which amounted to 45.96% in operating margin and 66.31% in asset turnover ratio. In the same year, Saudi Aramco got $305.09 billion in operating profit from a revenue of $604.37 billion and assets of $664.78 billion. This meant 50.48% operating margin and 90.91% asset turnover ratio.

In sum, these four comparators recorded operating margins of 40-54% (compared to NNPCL’s 7.8%) and asset turnover ratio of 33-91% (compared to NNPCL’s 14.7%). The trend is the same for most national oil companies. These national oil companies are surely sweating their assets. Not NNPCL. Another data point that puts NNPCL’s continued Continued on page 59

Printed Newspapers Limited.

Lagos:35 35Creek CreekRoad, Road,Apapa, Apapa,Lagos.

Lagos.Abuja: Abuja:Plot Plot1,1,Sector SectorCentre CentreB, B,Jabi JabiBusiness BusinessDistrict, District,Solomon SolomonLar LarWay, Way,Jabi JabiNorth NorthEast, East,Abuja Abuja. .

Printedand andPublished PublishedininLagos Lagosby byTHISDAY Leaders & Company Limited . Lagos: AllCorrespondence Correspondenceto toPOBox POBox54749, 54749,Ikoyi, Ikoyi,Lagos.

Lagos.EMAIL: EMAIL:editor@thisdaylive.com, editor@thisdaylive.com,info@thisdaylive.com. info@thisdaylive.com.TELEPHONE TELEPHONELagos: Lagos:0802 08022924721-2, 2924721-2,08022924485.

08022924485.Abuja: Abuja:Tel: Tel:08076290487, 08155555292, 08076290488 08155555929 All 24/7 ADVERTISING HOT LINES: 0811 181 3085, 0811 181 3086, 0811 181 3087, 0811 181 3088, 0811 181 3089, 0811 181 3090. ENQUIRIES & BOOKING: adsbooking@thisdaylive.com