SATURDAY 25TH MAY 2024

Worst Days Over, Tinubu Tells Nigerians

Reveals his govt in one year stopped further bleeding of country Accuses governors of suffocating local government

Deji Elumoye in Abuja, Nume

Ekeghe and Kayode Tokede in Lagos

President Bola Tinubu yesterday,

told Nigerians that the worst days are over for the Nigerian economy, assuring that his administration would continue to take steps to deliver the dividends of democracy.

Speaking when he received a delegation of the Yoruba Leaders of Thought at the State House, the President, according to a statement issued by his Media Adviser,

Ngelale,

According to him, the past 12 months have been fulfilling for his

administration despite the presence of some challenges being addressed frontally.

www.thisdaylive.com

Chuks Okocha in Abuja and Ahmad Sorondinki in Kano.

Governor Abba Yusuf of Kano State

Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi 11, saying that the amended Emirate law has

KANO... Governor Abba Yusuf of Kano State (right) presenting an appointment letter to the reinstated 16th Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi 11, in Kano…yesterday

Concerns as Senate Moves to Amend CBN Act

Nume Ekeghe

Some economists and policy analysts have expressed concern over the move by members of the National Assembly to amend the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Act 2007, saying it may end up eroding the powers of the apex banking sector regulator.

They warned that the exercise would not only put the country in bad light, but would also send negative signals to investors.

In addition, they stressed that having an independent central bank remains the accepted practice across all major world economies.

The Senate Committee on Banking, Insurance and Other Financial Institutions during the week invited members of the public to a one-day public hearing expected to hold in Abuja, next Thursday.

Some of the stakeholders invited

James Emejo in Abuja, Nume Ekeghe and Kayode Tokede in Lagos

Nigeria's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate slowed to 2.98 per cent, in real terms in the first quarter of the year (Q1 2024), compared to 3.46 per cent in the preceding quarter, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said yesterday.

The growth was however, higher compared to the 2.31 per cent recorded Q1 2023.

According to the Nigerian GDP Report Q1 2024, released by the statistical agency, in the quarter under review, aggregate GDP stood at N58.86 trillion in nominal terms compared to N51.24 trillion in Q1 2023, indicating a year-on-year nominal growth of 14.86 per cent.

Growth was driven mainly by the services sector, which recorded a growth of 4.32 per cent and contributed 58.04 per cent to aggregate GDP.

The non-oil sector contributed 93.62 per cent to growth in real terms, lower than 95.30 per cent in the preceding quarter as well as 93.79 per cent in Q1 2023.

The sector grew by 2.80 per cent in real terms during the reference quarter compared to 0.28 per cent in Q4.

On the other hand, the oil sector contributed 6.38 per cent to the economy in Q1 compared to 4.70 per cent in Q4 and 6.21 per cent in Q1 2023.

The real growth of the oil sector was 5.70 per cent (year-on-year) in Q1, indicating an increase of 9.91 per cent when compared to -4.21 per cent in the corresponding quarter Oil sector growth also decreased by 6.41 per cent compared to 12.11

to make presentations at the public hearing include the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy; the Attorney General of the Federation; the CBN; President, Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN); among several other organisations.

The bill was sponsored by Senator Tokunbo Abiru and co-sponsored by all 41 members of the Senate Committee on Banking, Insurance and Other Financial Institutions.

Key aspects of the legislation the lawmakers are seeking to amend include the establishment of a 7-member Coordinating Committee for Monetary and Fiscal Policies to be chaired by the Minister of Finance; tenure of CBN Governor and Deputy Governors to be set at a single non-renewal term of six years for the Governor and the Deputy Governors; appointment of

per cent in Q4 2023.

However, quarter-on-quarter basis, the oil sector recorded a growth rate of 13.77 per cent in the review period.

In Q1, average daily oil production rose to 1.57 million barrels per day (mbpd), compared to 1.55 mbpd in Q4 and 1.51mbpd in the corresponding quarter of 2023.

According to the report, agriculture contributed 21.07 per cent to GDP in real terms in Q1, lower than 26.11 per cent in the preceding quarter and 21.66 per cent in Q1 2023. Manufacturing contributed to 9.98 per cent to growth in Q1, lower than 8.23 per cent in Q4 and 10.13 per cent in Q1 2023.

Also, trade contributed to 15.70 per cent to GDP, lower than 15.50 per cent the preceding quarter as well as 15.97 per cent in Q1 2023. Furthermore, the Art, Entertainment and Recreation sector contributed 0.31 per cent to real GDP in Q1 compared to 0.21 per cent in the preceding quarter.

However, reacting to the GDP figures for Q1, Head, Financial Institutions Ratings at Agusto & Co, Mr. Ayokunle Olubunmi, said the performance may have surpassed expectations given the rate of Naira devaluation within the period in review.

But he said the growth estimates was not good enough given that it was almost at par with population growth rate, adding that the performance would not be enough to catalyse the economy.

He told THISDAY, "I think also its GDP growth was higher than what people expected given the level of devaluation.

"Although it looks better it is not good at the same time because if you

a minimum of one career staff of the Bank in the Committee of Governors and appointment of at least one female among the External Directors.

In addition, the bill is seeking to establish the position of Chief Compliance Officer in the rank of a Deputy Governor, who reports directly to the Board and may occasionally be summoned to appear before the relevant committee of the National Assembly; Limit to Temporary Advances to the federal government; Issuance of New Legal tender to replace existing ones and in view of the fact that the Governor of the Bank also serves as the Chairman of the Board, the bill proposes that the Board Committees should be headed by Non-Executive Directors instead of the Deputy Governors.

Furthermore, the bill proposes that the CBN Governor appears on a semi-annual basis whilst the

analyse it, you notice that it is almost at the rate at which the population is growing."

He also predicted that growth was likely to sluggish in the second quarter.

According to him, "The second quarter, the GDP growth may not be that high. The second quarter is where we had the full impact of the devaluation and economic activities were actually affected.

"The second quarter is where the CBN’s contractionary policies were implemented.

So, in summary, the GDP growth is positive because it is not negative and also because it is almost at par with the population rate.

"However it is not significant to catalyse the economy. Given the state of the economy, we need around 4 per cent growth."

Olubunmi said, "For now, it is going to be difficult for us to have a high growth rate because if you look at the contractionary policy of the CBN is going to reduce the volume of economic activities.

"Since the tightening, credit to the private sector has reduced.

However, for now, to increase growth, there have to be boosters from the fiscal side and resolve some structural issues we have in the economy.

"For instance, insecurity and also infrastructure issues such as power if improved can enhance manufacturing activities."

Meanwhile, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) at its just concluded liquidity mop-up this week raised an estimated N1.8 trillion from Open Market Operation (OMO) and Nigerian Treasury Bills (NTBs)

WORST DAYS OVER, TINUBU TELLS NIGERIANS

His words: "It has been challenging. It has been fulfilling as well. We took over, and we have stopped the bleeding. I can say categorically now that Nigeria is no longer bleeding. And it will not bleed to death, but rather will now move to prosperity. That is the promise that I made to you all, and it is also the charge that you gave to me.

"We are managing to swim through the pond. The current is not a good one. We will turn the tide. We are turning the bend. This I assure you. I am being very careful. The worst is over for Nigeria. We will prevail.

"I thank the team who have been working really hard. All I can promise is that we will do whatever it takes. We are determined and we will work so that all Nigerians can feel the impact of good governance."

The President also called for more effective local government system that fosters community development and delivers the essentials of governance within a strengthened federal structure.

He said: "Local government administration is being suffocated. People are looking at the opportunity to ensure that they survive and become more purposeful through community development

programmes. What I will not support is any effort to make the local government a unitary system by handing all core responsibilities to the federal government. That is criminal when there is a federal system.

"We have a federal system. There is state and federal administration. States must do whatever is in the best interest of their own process of administration. There is no one-sizefits-all. That is what we should do by looking at the revenue formula and we must be consistent with federalism; fiscal federalism. Those are the things you should expect from me, not the knee-jerk reactions ahead of elections.

"Our population is growing. It is getting larger. The geographical requirement is getting bigger, so we still want more space for housing. The population is growing. So that is the basis for flexibility at the local government level. We must grow and expand."

Tinubu, also called for the deepening of governance and the reinforcement of leadership across all levels of government and institutions, adding that his administration was committed to encouraging fiscal federalism and strengthening the system to enhance inclusion and equity for all Nigerians.

National Assembly in the exercise of its constitutional duties should reserve the power to invite the Governor to make presentations from time to time as the need arises; proposes publishing a monetary policy report and an interim financial report every six months; proposes that where the Governor fails to make a report to the President and the National Assembly as required by Law, he should be served with a warning letter by the National Assembly and if the failure persists, by a recommendation from the National Assembly for the Governor’s suspension from office by the President, among others.

However, analysts have warned that while some of the proposed amendments to the CBN Act are commendable as they were designed to entrench the culture of compliance, strengthen corporate governance, and reposition the Bank

as investors massively went for long term government securities.

T-Bills are short-term debt securities issued by the government to make up for budget deficit and fund projects, while OMO is basically designed to be a short-term market instrument that the CBN uses to control the supply of money in the economy.

The auction results seen by THISDAY revealed that CBN sold an estimated N1.16 trillion during the OMO auction of May 22, 2024 and sold N638.98 billion NTB when it conducted its auction on May 24, 2024.

For the NTB auction, investors demonstrated robust demand with N1.59 trillion subscriptions across three tenors during the auction held on May 22, 2024.

However, they offered a total of N508.98 billion, with subscription levels significantly surpassing the initial offer, highlighting the continued appetite for fixed-income securities amidst a volatile economic landscape.

Despite the oversubscription, only about N638.98 billion was allotted to investors with the 364-day bill securing the most.

The 364-day treasury bills for 20.69 per cent in stop rates suggesting a true yield of about 26.1 per cent. NTBs interest are paid upfront, thus the actual yield is higher than the nominal rates offered.

The heightened interest in treasury bills could be attributed to a spate of increase in the Monetary Policy Rate (MPR), which has made government securities more attractive to yieldseeking investors.

In the 91-day NTBs segment, where investor interest was subdued, the CBN offered N331.01 billion as subscriptions,

for improved performance in attaining its mandate, some others could erode the Bank’s autonomy and weaken the independence of monetary policy, at variance with international best practices.

“The proposed Coordinating Committee for Monetary and Fiscal Policies concerning monetary policy will undermine the Bank’s independence in achieving its price stability mandate. Including Fiscal and Monetary Policy Coordination in the CBN Act could undermine the CBN's operational independence and weaken the Bank’s flexibility in deploying appropriate policy frameworks in a dynamic economic environment to achieve its mandate.

“The proposed amendment will promote undue political interference in purely economic matters, as the fiscal authority would dominate the proposed committee's membership

however, totaled only N124.92 billion, which was well below the amount offered.

Eventually, only N60.69 billion was allotted, with the range of bids for this tenor spanning from 15.0000% to 20.9410%, and the stop rate settling at 16.5000%.

This lower subscription and allotment, in comparison to the offer, suggest a preference among investors for longer-term securities.

For the 182-day treasury bills, the CBN’s offer stood at N9.3 billion.

Subscriptions came in significantly higher at N33.21 billion, while the allotment was N28.46 billion.

The bid range for these bills varied between 16.8000% and 22.0000%, concluding with a stop rate of 17.4490%.

The 364-day treasury bills attracted

and chairmanship,” a source who pleaded to remain anonymous said.

Lead Consultant, ECOWAS Commission (Industry & Private Sector Development), Prof. Ken Ife, in a recent study showed that central bank’s independence was crucial to ensure that the regulatory institution continues to meet its objectives.

The respondents strongly agreed that it was desirable to maintain central banks’ independence.

“Nevertheless, an overwhelming majority still favours central bank independence,” he said, stressing the need for central bank’s independence, combined with a high level of transparency and accountability.

According to the research findings, central bank independence must be accompanied by sufficient “central bank accountability to achieve the democratically determined objectives of monetary policy.”

the most substantial interest. Against an offer of N168.67 billion, subscriptions soared to N1.43 trillion, resulting in an allotment of N549.83 billion. Bids for this category ranged from 18.5000% to 26.6780%, with a final stop rate of 20.6900%.

For the OMO auction, the CBN offers bills worth N500.00 billion –N75.00 billion for the 95-day,N75.00 billion for the 179-day and N350.00 billion for the 361-day – to investors. Demand was healthy as total subscription settled at N1.16 trillion (bid-to-offer: 2.3x), as the CBN allotted all available bids across the three tenors – N10.00 billion for the 95-day, N5.65 billion for the 179-day and N1.14 trillion for the 361-day – at respective stop rates of 19.00% (previous: 18.99%), 19.74% (previous: 19.48%), 22.49% (previous: 21.50%).

"Healthcare upgradation is ongoing. Road rehabilitation and construction is ongoing. Education development is ongoing. I am charging you to look at what is going on in the States. Pay attention to your State governors. Tell them to take their responsibilities seriously and make the people the focus of their development plans. Once there is synergy, then I can assure you that Nigeria will be one of the best nations that you will see anywhere on earth.

Tinubu assured Nigerians that his administration would ensure they get value for every kobo spent, and that his government would leave a lasting legacy of prosperity to future generations, while removing the yoke of poor governance and expanding access to qualitative public goods.

"We will get value for our money, and it is not for ourselves, but for our children. Our children will not inherit the burden of bad governance. Yet, they will enjoy the prosperity of Nigeria as a blessed nation from our very hands; from our sweat. We will bequeath to them a nation full of pride and prosperity," he further said.

While thanking the delegation of eminent Nigerians, the President urged continuous support for and faith in Nigeria, assuring them that

his government would live up to expectations.

"I can tell you that Nigeria is no longer printing paper money and deceiving itself that it has a base for survival. Nigeria went through terrible labour pains, but we have seen the baby coming out alive," the President stated.

Earlier in his remarks, the National Secretary of Yoruba Leaders of Thought, Hon. Bayo Aina, who spoke on behalf of the Convener, Mr. Tajudeen Oluyole Olusi, commended the President for his prioritisation of investment in infrastructure across various sectors.

“We salute your timely initiative to upgrade, construct and modernise the infrastructure of our nation in health, aviation, transportation, as well as the education sector. We commend you for your commitment to providing responsible, responsive, and accountable governance in this country.

“At this point, we state without equivocation our total commitment to the vision of greatness that you have articulated, which is the destiny of Nigeria, not only within Africa, but globally and among the comity of nations before the end of the 21st century," the National Secretary of the group added.

"Yesterday we had series of meetings with the king makers, members of the House of assembly and security chiefs before we finally signed the new law repealing all the appointments of the former emirs as well as all the district heads and other appointments made by the previous administration," he said.

He maintained that the law was made to reinstate the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), out of the conviction that he was victimised by the immediate past administration.

While congratulating the 16th Emir, the governor urged him to use his wealth of experience and knowledge to revive the glory of the Kano emirate.

"We hope and pray at this material moment of the emirate, you will use your wealth of experience and knowledge to revive the past glory of the emirate council. It is our prayer that in your new stint to be guided by the Islamic teachings as you are known.

"Use your position to unite all the adherence of Mal Ibrahim dabo. Use your position to bring harmony to the emirate and the state as a whole by uniting all the Islamic sects for peace and development to continue to reign in the state," the governor prayed.

On the newly amended Emirate Council law, the governor maintained that, the new law was promulgated out of strong conviction that it was meant to restore the lost glory of Kano State.

According to him, the law was passed after following due constitutional processes, explaining that the government tried to amend it to avoid unforeseen circumstances. He said it was foolhardy for the opposition to challenge the law which according to him, was constitutionally made, urging the Kano people to remain calm as no court could change the law.

"I feel happy and elated today.

I give glory to God for giving me the ability restore the lost glory of Kano State.

Governor Yusuf had on Thursday, assented to the Kano State Emirates Council (Amendment number 2) Bill, 2024 after it was passed by the state's house of assembly. The law had sacked all the five emirate councils created by former governor, Abdullahi Ganduje and repealed the deposition of Muhammadu Sanusi in 2019. Meanwhile, protest followed Thursday announcement by Yusuf of the reinstatement of Sanusi as Emir after signing the new Kano Emirate Council Law.

A federal high court in Kano had ordered the State Government not to enforce the new law.

Speaking with reporters during the demonstration yesterday, Abdullahi Saleh, coordinator of the Northern Nigeria Peace and Development Foundation, said Yusuf took the actions to “rubbish” his predecessor. Saleh said President Bola Tinubu should intervene to prevent a breakdown of law and order.

“A lot had been going wrong in the State but the Concerned Patriots of Nigeria had thought it best to allow Kano State to sort out its thorny issues.

“However, Thursday’s brash actions of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf of Kano State, who sacked five Emirs to reappoint Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi as the 16th Emir of Kano has awoken us to the urgency of raising the alarm about the destructive excesses of the state governor.

“Since being sworn into office, Governor Abba Yusuf has had a string of loutish acts that run like a hardened criminal’s rap sheet.

“This latest stunt of sacking five Emirs to install his acolyte was achieved by manipulating the Kano State house of assembly, which he had successfully turned into a rubber stamp for endorsing his illegal acts.

SEALED DEAL…

R-L:

Adelabu: Electricity Tariffs May Reduce

Gradually as Nigeria Raises Power Production

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja

The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, yesterday stated that as Nigeria continues to ramp up the generation and distribution of electricity nationwide, the country will achieve economies of scale, leading to a gradual fall in tariffs.

Adelabu said the recent rise in electricity tariffs for Band ‘A’ customers was temporary hardship, expressing optimism that the tariff will drop gradually as the country’s power sector increases its output.

Speaking at the sectoral briefing by ministers in Abuja, organised by the Ministry of Information, the

minister stated that the cost-reflective tariffs for the premium customers were introduced to drive liquidity in the sector.

He pointed out that this was similar to the initial price surge observed in the telecommunication sector, which eventually saw prices decrease over time.

“The electricity tariff might look expensive at the moment. But I’m optimistic that these tariffs will go down. We know how much we were buying sim cards when telecoms companies just came. We knew how much we were buying telephones.

“But gradually as we scale up

Agbakoba: GovernmentTinubu-led Slow in Implementing Key Policies

Wale Igbintade

Former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Dr. Olisa Agbakoba, SAN, has identified slow implementation of key policies as the major challenge facing the administration of President Bola Tinubu, stressing that “government needs to be more passionate, needs to be more urgent.”

Assessing President Tinubu's 365 days in office, Agbakoba noted that while he has made right policy choices, implementation of these

policies have been a challenge.

According to Agbakoba, to fully realize his transformative vision and deliver on his campaign promises, it was crucial for Tinubu to focus on key areas that would make the most impact, such as security, power, and an emergency industrial revolution.

The legal luminary said the current pace of implementation is slow, and that the nation wants to see the same urgency and decisiveness demonstrated by a former President of the United States of America, President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Nigeria, Germany to Partner on $130bn Global Hydrogen Market

Deji Elumoye in Abuja

Vice President Kashim Shettima yesterday expressed Nigeria’s readiness to tap the $130 billion global hydrogen market by partnering with the Republic of Germany in the development of its green energy sector.

The idea, according to him, is the advancement of the country’s hydrogen market in line with its renewable energy objectives and the global energy transition plan from fossil to green sources.

Shettima stated this when he played host to a German

delegation led by a member of German Parliament and Hydrogen Commissioner, Federal Ministry of Education and Research, Mr Till Mansmann at the State House, Abuja.

Underscoring the importance of strong partnership between Nigeria and Germany, the Vice President, in a release issued by his Media Assistant, Stanley Nkwocha, said, “We cannot run away from the fact that sooner than later we have to do away with fossil fuels and resort to green energy for a sustainable world and an inclusive economic growth.

in generation, transmission and distribution, these prices will also go down. It’s a temporary hardship that will lead to a permanent gain,” Adelabu said.

He stated that for the first time in the country’s history, the power Distribution Companies (Discos) can guarantee 20 hours of power supply for a minimum of 15 per cent of customers under the Band ‘A’ category, stressing that no previous administration was able to ensure

such a level of power supply to even 1 per cent of customers.

He also highlighted that the government had facilitated enhanced service levels in the sector as Discos now address customer complaints promptly.

“In distribution, our Discos are more responsive and active. Today, Discos will send you information and updates of power outages at a given period of time. Now, they have woken up to their responsibility because

of improved regulatory oversights.

“For the first time in the history of Nigeria, we have what is called guaranteed improved service level. It might be for Band ‘A’ today, but no government has ever guaranteed 20 hours of supply not to even 1 per cent of consumers. But to 15 per cent of consumers, we said let us start from here.

“And we have guaranteed service level for Band ‘A’ customers with the introduction of cost-reflective tariffs to

that Band, a key liquidity condition suitable for driving investment,” he noted. He further declared that the fastest way of providing energy access to 95 million Nigerians that are currently unserved will be through Distributed Energy Resources (DRE). He reiterated the federal government’s commitment to achieving the energy transition target of net zero carbon emissions by 2060 also through the DRE programme.

Otti: We've Ended Old Practice of Sharing Abia's Money Without Working for People

Emmanuel Ugwu-Nwogo in Umuahia

Abia State Governor, Alex Otti has said that his administration has done away with the old practice of sharing state money to stakeholders by those at the helm of affairs.

He made this known yesterday in Umuahia at a town hall meeting for Abia Central Senatorial District as part of activities to mark his first anniversary in government coming up on May 29.

The Governor also invited the Obi of Onitsha, HRM Alfred Nnaemeka Achebe to inaugurate three completed roads in Aba - Ehi Road, Old Court Road and Kent Road - that are all interconnected.

Addressing the people of Abia Central, comprising Isialangwa South, Isialangwa North, Osisioma, Umuahia South, Umuahia North and Ikwuano Local Governments, Otti said that sharing public funds deprived government of enough money to work for the people.

"Things have changed for the better in Abia. Gone are the days when federal allocations and internally generated revenue are put on the table and shared," he declared.

The Abia Chief Executive "apologised to those who may be disappointed" that he has charted a new course and "doing things differently" thereby depriving individuals the opportunities of

lining their pockets with public funds.

"Abia's money will be used for Abia," he insisted.

Otti described the town hall meeting as "a meeting with kingmakers," noting that it was the people of Abia that made him governor hence "I owe responsibility to all of you individually and collectively because without you I would not be governor."

He restated his commitment to fulfill all the promises he made during electioneering, saying that he was working tirelessly to expand economic opportunities in the state and give Umuahia a befitting status of capital city.

The Chairmen of the six

component LGs of Abia Central used the occasion to present their scorecards after six months in the saddle with the Governor assuring them of every support they need to function effectively.

The people of Abia Central passed a vote of confidence on "the promise keeping governor (Otti) as moved by the member representing Ikwuano/Umuahia federal constituency, Hon Obi Aguocha.

Earlier at the inauguration of the three linked roads in Aba, the governor told the huge crowd that turned up to witness the event that his administration "is rewriting the story of Aba", by tackling its infrastructure deficit.

As Western Funding Dries, Nigeria Intensifies Bid to Host $5bn First African Energy Bank

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja

The federal government has ramped up its bid to host the first energy bank in Africa, the African Energy Bank (AEB), with President Bola Tinubu approving $100 million as share of the initial equity requirement.

A statement yesterday by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Petroleum, Nicholas Ella, said the technical inspection

team from the African Petroleum Producers Organisation (APPO) and Afrexim Bank- the joint promoters for the establishment of the AEB had completed their mission in the country. It stated that the team was in the country to validate Nigeria’s readiness to host the headquarters of the continental bank which is set to be established in July 2024. Algeria, Benin, Egypt, Nigeria,

South Africa, Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire were among the initial main candidates jostling to host the headquarters of the emerging AEB, and all organisational work to create the bank must be completed by June 30. As the West continues to pile pressure on oil companies from their countries to halt the funding of fossil fuels, the AEB says its mission is to provide a powerful impetus to energy development on the African continent

through investment, including in the private sector. The initiator of the creation of the bank is APPO, headquartered in the capital of the Republic of Congo, the city of Brazzaville. APPO unites 18 countries. But following the first bidding round in early 2024, Nigeria, Ghana, Benin, and Algeria have now been pre-qualified to proceed to the final round of bidding.

Group Chief Executive Officer, NNPCL, Mr. Mele Kyari presenting a souvenir to the Chief Executive Officer of Schlumberger, Mr. Olivier Le Peuch, during the signing ceremony of a technical partnership agreement on bolstering upstream operations between the NNPCL and Schlumberger, held at the NNPC Towers in Abuja…recently

GLAD TO MEET YOU.…

Fubara to Detractors: We'll Channel Our Energy Towards Delivering Good Governance

Ibunge in Port Harcourt Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, yesterday, said rather than fighting his detractors who are bent on distracting his government, his administration would rather channel all its energy towards delivering good governance, implementing people-centric policies. He said his government was determined to execute sustainable

$4.7m, N830m

impact projects and ensure that dividends of democracy are constantly delivered to the people.

Fubara, who said fighting his detractors would be a waste of energy, stressed that his administration would

set a new bar in improving the quality of life and socio-economic status of Rivers people.

He made the assertion, yesterday, during the flag-off of the OkaniaOgbogoro Road project in Obio/

Properties Allegedly Linked to Emefiele: After Losing Forfeiture Order, EFCC Approaches Another Court

Wale Igbintade

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has obtained an interim forfeiture order of the sums of $4,719,054, N830,875,611 and several properties allegedly linked to former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Godwin Emefiele. Justice Yellim Bogoro made the order following an ex-parte application by the EFCC’s counsel, Bilkisu Buhari.

However, the forfeiture order came 10 days after Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke of the Federal High Court in Lagos, had vacated a similar interim forfeiture order sought by the EFCC on monies domiciled in Nigerian banks and properties allegedly linked to Godwin Emefiele.

A Certified True Copy of the order revealed that Justice Aneke had on May 14, 2024, vacated the interim forfeiture order he placed on the sums of $4,719,054, N830,875,611 and properties belonging to CEO of

Deep Blue Energy Services Limited, Anita Joy Omoile, in the suit, which the EFCC had failed to successfully link to Emefiele.

After hearing I.C. Ifediora, Counsel for the Respondent applied moved in terms of the motion and the EFCC counsel, Buhari, Justice Aneke held, “An order of this Honourable Court is made vacating/discharging and/ or setting aside the Orders of this Honourable Court granted ex-parte in this suit on 4th December 2023.

“That the ex-parte Orders of this

Honourable Court made on the 4th day of December 2023 are hereby vacated/set side,” the court declared while ruling in suit number FHC/L/ CS/2484/2023 filed by the EFCC against Omoile.

The anti-graft agency had asked the court for the following: “An interim order forfeiting to the Federal Government the funds warehoused in the accounts particularised in Schedule ‘A’ which funds are reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities.

Shareholders Approve FCMB’s Plan to Raise Additional N150bn Capital

Dike Onwuamaeze

The Shareholders of FCMB Group Plc have authorised the company to raise additional capital of up to N150 billion through the issuance of securities comprising ordinary shares, preference shares, etc. subject to the regulators’ approvals.

The shareholders gave the approval yesterday, in Lagos, during the 11th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the FCMB Group Plc.

The Group Chief Executive Officer of FCMB Group Plc, Mr.

Ladi Balogun, said raising the additional capital would enable the group to secure a national banking licence as required by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). Balogun said: “Our first objective is to secure a national licence, which is what we will be doing by the capital raising” that have been approved by shareholders at this AGM.

He said that the group, “will now be proceeding to raise capital up to N150 billion initially that will take us substantially clear of the national

licence and we hope to conclude that by the end of Q3 2024.

“Then we will commence the subsequent phases and the Phase Two will be to consolidate the bank’s franchise while the Phase Three will be starting sometime next year where we will close out the gap between Phase Two and Phase Three.

“We have very clear plans and we have a number of options and any combinations of the options that we have will get us there.”

He added: “One of the advantages

that we have as a group is that we are much more than a bank. The value of our individual businesses within the group is far greater than our market capitalisation.

“So it gives us a lot of options and I am very confident that these options will gradually be falling in place and by next year when we come to the AGM for the 2024 financial year end, we should have certainly surpassed the requirement for national banking licence and be very advanced on meeting the international licence requirement.”

NAIP Seeks Policies to Attract Pharmaceutical Investors

With its 27th Annual National

of Nigeria (NAIP), has called on the federal government to provide key infrastructure like good road network, energy and intervention funds for local pharmaceutical companies to spring up.

For them, when the government creates an enabling environment more investors would be attracted into the sector.

Speaking ahead of the conference, tagged Oluyole 2024, expected to

Cormode Cancer Champions Club Launched in Secondary Schools

The Cormode Cancer Foundation has announced the launch of the Cormode Cancer Champions Club, an innovative initiative aimed at Nigerian secondary schools.

Akpor Local Government Area.

While urging the people of the area to continue to conduct themselves peacefully in the face of all the assaults, the governor said the detractors want his government to miss its goal of achieving a successful government.

"If we fight with them, we will be wasting our energy. So, what we need to do is to continue to do that thing which we have promised our people.

"Our style will be to set a standard that will be above them so that when they come, they will see what we are doing. Everybody will see that it is about the people, and they will say 'but they are working for the people'. So, that will be our style of leadership," he said.

Fubara, insisted that the Okania-

Ogbogoro Road project would not end at the stage of flag-off but will be completed and inaugurated in the next five months.

According to him, what is important for members of the benefitting communities and their leaders is to give the contractor the necessary support without any act of sabotage to deliver the project on schedule.

Fubara further said: "I know a lot of people are wondering why we decided to think of this particular road now?

"We are already embarking on a very big project in this state, which is the Port Harcourt Ring Road, and a lot of our people are suffering because of the ongoing construction work on the Ring Road. There is pressure on the direct access areas used by the people.

Tamuno: Abuja Will Become Hub for Film, Entertainment Industry in Africa

The GMD of Abuja Investments Company Limited (AICL), Maureen Tamuno, has conducted a comprehensive inspection tour of the Abuja Film Village, underscoring the company’s commitment to fostering the growth of the industry.

During the inspection, Tamuno, accompanied by senior management officials and a team of experts, toured the film village area which is about 4000 hectares of Land in the Kusaki-Yanga district of the FCT.

According to a statement, Tamuno expressed commitment to supporting the growth of the film sector in Abuja and emphasised the

importance of creating an enabling environment for creativity and innovation.

The Abuja Film Village, a project birthed through a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) initiative is envisioned to be the hub for film production and entertainment excellence.

It would be done in phases providing state-of-the-art studios, soundstages, post-production facilities and an enabling environment for Film makers, hotel and resort, luxury apartments, Waterpark, golf course, sports area etc.

Funmi Ogundare

attract foreign exhibitors from India, Germany and Egypt, the National Chairman, NAIP, Kenneth Onuegbu, said the country was far behind with universal health coverage.

A statement yesterday, explained that the programme seeks government support to ensure its success and sustainability. Dr. Denise Ejoh, a distinguished cancer survivor and the driving force behind the Cormode Cancer Foundation, emphasised the significance of this initiative.

about cancer to remove the stigma surrounding it. By educating our children, we can foster a more informed and compassionate society," she said.

"As a survivor, I understand firsthand the importance of early education

The Cormode Cancer Champions Club would offer comprehensive education on cancer, addressing the disease from its medical aspects to the social implications.

“So, we have assembled a team of very top government, stakeholders, professionals to come and help us address key issues affecting universal health coverage in the country. The level we are as a country, to be honest with you, is that we are far behind. The government has to do quite a lot to address infrastructure, create the enabling environment for companies to thrive and for our industry to thrive.

“We have a lot of gaps honestly, because we cannot be talking about universal health coverage when internally here, we cannot even move forward.

The Rector, Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH), Dr. Abdul Ibraheem, disclosed yesterday that the institution has received donations worth N26 billion for legacy projects. These include a 150-acre landed property at Snake Island for a Green Campus initiative by Chief Rasheed Babatunde Fanimokun, as well as a hostel building at Epe campus donated by Lady Christine Doja Otedola. He explained that it has also secured significant funding of N3.5 billion building complex at its Yaba campus to be named ‘Folawiyo Entrepreneurship Centre’ in honour of late Chief Wahab Iyanda Folawiyo by Chief Rasheed Babatunde Fanimokun and N1.93 billion in research grants (local and international).

The Rector, who disclosed this while giving an account of his stewardship

in the last one year since he assumed office, explained that the move was aimed at enhancing its infrastructure and resources.

He said the college had signed an MoU with Choice International Group on SILK Road College, adding that through the collaboration, 25 students of the School of Engineering were awarded full scholarships to study Automobile and Automation Technology in China, as part of its strategic partnership.

"We owe our progress to the hard work and sacrifices of those who came before us. The foundations they laid have allowed us to build and be innovative. Their vision and dedication continue to inspire us as we strive to uphold and enhance their legacy. Our achievements are a continuation of their labour, and we honour their contributions by pushing the boundaries of what is possible," he stressed.

Blessing

L–R: Immediate Past President of Chartered Institute of Nigeria (CTIN), Adesina Adedayo; Deputy Vice President, Simon Kato; Vice President, Innocent Ohagwa ; President, Mr. Samuel Agbeluyi, and Vice President Kashim Shettima, during a courtesy visit to the vice president at the Presidential Villa in Abuja... recently GODWIN OMOIGUI

Oluchi Chibuzor

conference coming up in Ibadan, Oyo State, from June 4th to 8th, 2024, the Association of Industrial Pharmacists

Baba-Ahmed: Soyinka Scared of What Peter Obi Will Offer Nigeria

Nobel laureate says former LP presidential candidate unfit to be Nigeria’s president

The Vice-Presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 general election, Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, yesterday, responded to a statement by Prof. Wole Soyinka, in which the Nobel laureate had said Peter Obi was ’unfit” to govern Nigeria. Speaking in an interview monitored on Arise News Channel, Baba-Ahmed, argued that Soyinka was scared of the positive developments Peter Obi would bring

to Nigeria. He explained: “The learned elder statesman, Prof. Wole Soyinka, is scared in advance about what good Peter Obi would bring to Nigeria. He is scared in advance that the end is still looking likely for his principal, for bad governance. What Soyinka is doing now is an attempted distraction.”

Baba-Ahmed said he was not going to join issues with the Nobel laureate, saying he would continue to pray for the elder statesman.

“The Intellect does not give you right to insult anybody, I remember this Soyinka insulting late General Sani Abacha. Nothing gave him the right to do that,” he added. Responding to a question of why Obi hasn’t made efforts to stop members of the Obidient from attacking Soyinka, Baba-Ahmed: “There is no way Peter Obi and my humble self can control the Obidients. Peter Obi entered a canoe without a life jacket and he paid for it. So, it is not the work of Peter Obi

to control the Obidients, it is the responsibility of Wole Soyinka to maintain his respect and dignity.” Soyinka, had during an earlier interview, claimed that Obi encouraged his followers addressed as ‘Obidients’ to attack him and others with opposing views online in the build-up to the 2023 presidential election.

When asked what he thinks about the movement, Soyinka said; “It has to do with education. I didn’t read all these (insults by Obidient Movement)

MRA: Abduction of Global Upfront Newspaper Editorin-Chief Unacceptable, Describes Police as ‘Gun for Hire’

The Media Rights Agenda (MRA), yesterday, condemned as appalling and unacceptable, Wednesday’s abduction of Mr. Madu Onuorah, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of the independent online news outlet, Global Upfront newspaper, by operatives of the Nigeria Police Force for allegedly defaming a reverend sister based in the United States.

Observing that the Nigeria Police had progressively become a “gun for hire” at the disposal of rich or powerful individuals or organisations who wish to silence journalists or to punish them for critical reporting, MRA argued that by constantly diverting and wasting Nigeria’s security resources to hound journalists all over the country at the behest of government officials, other rich and powerful individuals, as well as organisations, the law enforcement agency has become incapable of performing its most important function of ensuring the security of Nigerians, resulting in an upsurge in violence crimes across Nigeria.

At about 6.00p.m. on May 22, 2024, 10 heavily armed policemen reportedly stormed Onuorah’s home in Lugbe area of Abuja in two Sienna buses and in the presence of his wife and children,

forcibly arrested and took him away without presenting any warrant of arrest or disclosing any reason for his arrest.

The police had seized Onuorah’s phones to prevent him from reaching his family, friends, and lawyer despite pleas from his family. He was initially taken to the Lugbe Police Station from

where he was later taken to Enugu.

In a statement condemning the actions of the Police, MRA’s Programme Officer, Ms Esther Adeniyi, described as ridiculous and nonsensical the claim by the Police that Mr. Onuorah was only arrested “after efforts made to formally invite him failed”, saying it

is a clear indication that the journalist was never invited by the Police and that there was no justification whatsoever for the huge public resources apparently wasted in dispatching policemen from Enugu and Ebonyi States to Abuja to abduct the journalist and bring him to Enugu.

Ozigbo: Soludo Using Appointees to Run Anambra LGs is Corruption

David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka

A chieftain of Labour Party (LP) and former governorship candidate, Mr. Valentine Ozigbo, has described the use of appointees by the Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, to run the local government areas of the state as "corruption".

Ozigbo was reacting to a recent court order in Abuja, which restrained the Accountant General of the Federation and the Federal Minister of Finance from further remitting funds due to the 21 local government areas of Anambra State to the Soludo-led state government.

In a post he made on his verified X handle, Ozigbo described the use of appointees as chairmen of local government areas as not only corrupt but also illegal.

Ozigbo said: "While this news is not entirely cheerful, given that it involves funds due to the local government areas of Anambra, it is a welcome development.

"The corruption-laden use of appointed caretaker committees to manage the affairs of local governments has been consistently deemed illegal.

"It is unfortunate that Anambra's Governor Chukwuma Soludo has

continued this practice since his inauguration on March 17, 2022, despite promises to the contrary.

"Over the past two years, approximately N175 billion may have accrued to these LGAs. Now, imagine the impact this substantial sum could have had on schools, healthcare institutions, markets, and the lives of the people in LGAs like Ayamelum, Ogbaru, Idemili South, and Ekwusigo, which have felt little to no government presence.

"Consider that this approximated N175 billion is not part of the state government's allocation or the internally generated revenue in Anambra.

Pate: FG Has Improved Healthcare Services, Infrastructure

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, has said that the federal government is delivering on its promise of revamping the health sector. Speaking at the Ministerial Press Briefing on the achievements of the present administration in the health sector, Prof. Pate said apart from expanding access to healthcare, the ministry was able to execute 201 projects.

The minister said that he and his team took an initial step of studying the situation, consulting stakeholders including the states governments, development partners, civil society and the private sector before articulating an agenda, which is in line with the President's Renewed Hope Agenda.

At the primary health care level, Pate said that the ministry has, "through the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, laid out a plan to reach the 13,000 primary health care centres and expand them to 17,000 Primary Health Care Centres,

to refurbish them to make them functional to deliver essential services, whether it's immunisation, maternal newborn and child health services, or treatment of non communicable diseases."

On the commitment to retrain 120,000 frontline health workers, the minister said that the government has reviewed and updated the training guidelines and curriculum for these frontline health workers.

He said that trainers have been trained in almost all the states, adding that training will commence in all

the 36 states in the next one week

According to Pate, at least 120,000 frontline health workers serving rural populations will be equipped with the necessary skills, supported by the infrastructure and equipment over the next three years,

He further said that 1,400 Primary Health Care Centres are now equipped to provide skilled birth attendance, funded through the National Primary Heath Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) and the National Health Insurance Agency (NHIA), covering the 8,300 facilities.

but of course, some links were sent to me, especially when facts were ‘being manufactured.

“When I read these things, I was disgusted. There’s no other word for it. I really was disgusted and I know

that it was orchestrated. I know that there is a relay mechanism, which is triggered into action by those who control what we call the trolls of the Internet, and so my disgust and contempt.

Late Jnr Pope: Boat Driver Not Certified, NSIB Preliminary Report Reveals

Kasim Sumaina in Abuja

The preliminary report by the Nigeria Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) of the boat accident involving Jnr Pope and 11 other nollywood movie production crew at the Anambra River has revealed that the boat driver was not certified to drive.

The Bureau further revealed that the fibre boat was not registered with the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) as the outboard engine fibre boat was carrying 12 passengers and one boat driver.

It stated that the rowdiness in the boat distracted the driver and he was not looking out as required, adding that the boat which was on high speed, however, collided with a crossing Canoe after the occupant jumped out on sighting the fast approaching boat. The preliminary report further added that the boat collided with the canoe at a high speed which resulted in the boat capsizing and all persons onboard flung into Anambra River, leaving 5 people fatally injured and 7 people rescued.

IYC Warns Against Smear Campaign, Ethnic Crisis

Olusegun Samuel in Yenagoa

The umbrella body of Ijaw youths worldwide, Ijaw Youths Council (IYC), has warned against plot by some individuals to embark on smear campaigns and devious acts capable of throwing the fold of the National Association of Professional Divers (NAPD) and its associates into crisis.

The Chairman, IYC Central Zone, Comrade Perekosufa Ineife, alleged at a news conference in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital, that some identified members of the NADP and their associates who are of Urhobo origin from Delta State were victimising, maligning and intimidating the

legitimate leaders of Ijaw extraction in the NAPD. Ineife warned them and their willing actors including diving companies and institutions, to desist from all further harassment, defamation and intimidation directed towards an Ijaw son, Mr Yamboizibe Dickson, the legitimate and rightful President of the NAPD and his associates. Ineife warned: "It has come to our attention that some persons from Urhobo in Delta State and their cronies have been engaged in a continuous pattern of behaviour designed to attack, blackmail and victimize our sons. This behaviour is unacceptable and will not be tolerated.

CBN Fires Six Directors, Senior Management Staff

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) yesterday, relieved six of its Directors and several other top management staff of their duties.

It was gathered that most of those affected were Deputy Directors, Assistant Directors, Principal Managers and Senior Managers.

The CBN in one of the sack letter informed those affected that the exercise was in line with the new strategic direction of the Bank.

“As a result of this review, I have been directed to notify you that your services will not be required with effect from Friday, May 24, 2024. Your final entitlements will be calculated and paid to you in due course. Thank you,” it added.

Chuks Okocha in Abuja

Signatures, Stanley Ezeani, at the 'SheCan' Conference sponsored by Optiva Capital Partners, held in Lagos…yesterday

Time to Grade...

Yahaya Bello and the EFCC

ISecond, your decision to implement painful decisions which are indeed necessary to make our country a better place for our generation and those yet unborn is reassuring and I commend you for this symbolic leadership gesture which is today generally acclaimed as a leadership that deals in hope. I am very confident that the bitter prescriptions though painful are very necessary to take us there. Mr President, there is today a very disturbing issue in our dear state that needed your urgent attention. This has to do with the present persecution of our former governor, Yahaya Adoza Bello by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). This ugly event is today becoming very embarrassing to the people of the state, the APC as a political party and all lovers of justice. I remember vividly the contributions of our former governor,Yahaya Bello to your victory in the last Presidential election in the state and the nation in general having served as the Director of Youth of your Presidential Campaign Council. I also remember how his leadership gave you the most resounding victory in Kogi State and the north central states where you got almost 80 percent of popular votes in the last election. For a man who worked assiduously hard to ensure your victory and that of the party to be left alone to be embarrassed by the EFCC is to say the least embarrassing to the people of the state. We want to say in clear terms that we are not saying you should shield him from prosecution because he is not above the law.

But we are begging you to compel the EFCC to follow due process by not denying him his fundamental human rights.

Some very important state governors who the EFCC categorically mentioned even before they left office as having cases established against them are presently walking free in the country and some of them are presently serving as prominent members of your administration which we do not have any problem with because the laws of the land stipulate that every citizen is assumed innocent until proven otherwise by a court of competent jurisdiction. The question we seem to ask daily with no answer is, why is the case against our former governor different?

Mr. President, as the father of our nation, we are seeking your indulgence by asking you to please ask the EFCC to follow the due process of the law in this case. We believe if this is followed our former governor will not hesitate to present himself before the EFCC and the courts to answer the charges against him.

Barr Halima Alfa Gaya, PhD, Lokoja

AIA Case for Nurturing both Boy and Girl-Children

The boy-child has long been neglected in proper nurturing, attention and care by the society, civil society organizations and eve n parents. They do little or nothing to raise awareness about the challenges faced by boys. Societal vices, domestic abuse, and fraud, most of which are carried out by boys, have been greatly propelled by society in Nigeria and other countries. The view often displayed is that young boys are resilient or less vulnerable and, hence, do not need the same level of grooming and protection young girls need. The adverse impact of this is that the boys eventually grow up to become bad fathers, husbands, and menace to the society.

Consider an example of a Nigerian father, with sons and daughters, who inadvertently perpetu-

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ate stereotypes by being more focused on raising his daughters. He is protective of his daughters, knowing every time they move out of the house and warning them against all the dangers lurking around. But he does not do the same for his boys. The boy-children get the freedom to frolic with unhealthy companions who introduce them to criminal activities like theft, robbery, cultism, gang violence, rape, use of hard drugs, yahoo fraud, and even ritual. Between 2021 and 2023, there was an incredible rise in money rituals by teenage boys in Nigeria. This unbalanced practice unconsciously sustains harmful bias and societal imbalances in Nigeria.

Equity in the development of both genders can only be possible when they are equally nurtured and given a chance to grow and flourish. There are plethora of reasons why boy-children should be equally groomed. The first is to address the root cause of social vices. Making conscious efforts to address the root causes through comprehensive education and awareness campaigns for both genders.

The second reason is to promote gender equality.

The third is to break the cycle of toxic masculinity. By inculcating values such as empathy, respect, and accountability in young boys, I strongly believe society can break the cycle of toxic masculinity at the tender age of the boychild. Encouraging the expression of emotions and teaching healthy ways of coping helps the boy-child to be able to cope with life challenges without aggressive behaviors.

The fourth is the empowerment of boys as agents of change. A boy-child has a lot of potential to become a change agent in their communities and beyond. When taught the core values of life, society can empower a boy to channel his energy and aspirations into constructive enterprises that add value to society.

There is also the need for positive role models. Providing boy-children with positive role models that depict integrity, compassion, and ethical conduct impacts them greatly during their developmental stages. Mentorship programs and projects that expose boys to successful and upright men and women widen their thinking and can inspire them to excel in every facet of their lives.

Bright Okuta, Lagos

GRADUATING CEREMONY…

R-L: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) 2023 governorship aspirant in Abia State, Chief Lucky Igbokwe; son, Rain Igbokwe; wife and celebrant who graduated in Health Informatics, Mrs. Divine Igbokwe; and Naya Igbokwe, at the 51st Liberty University commencement ceremony held at William Stadium, U.S.A...recently

Fagbemi: Nnamdi Kanu's Case Difficult, Let's Leave it to Court

Says FG to deploy £2m proceeds of crime on Abuja-Kano road

The Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, yesteday stated that the case of the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, is a difficult one and since already in court should be left to the law to have its way.

Fagbemi stated this while responding to questions at the Sectoral Ministerial Briefing on the first anniversary of the President Bola Tinubu administration.

The Igbo nation agitator has been in custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) since his rearrest in 2021.

He was first arrested in 2015 and held in custody until 2017 when he was admitted to bail and then fled

the country a few months after when soldiers attacked his family's home in Abia State.

Responding, the AGF pointed out that there is a remarkable difference between Kanu's case and that of the convener of #RevolutionNow protest, Omoyele Sowore.

He said, "Sowore and Kanu are not the same, when it comes to the first one I didn't have difficulty to say, go, but I have difficulty with the second one."

While pointing out that Kanu is being held in accordance with the constitution, he observed that, "the matter is still in court, let's wait for the court".

Recall that Sowore was arrested in 2019 and prosecuted for allegedly calling for the forceful take over of

CIPM Elects First Northern President in Historic 55th AGM

The Chartered Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria (CIPM) celebrated a momentous occasion yesterday as it convened its 55th Annual General Meeting (AGM), commemorating a milestone in its illustrious history.

The event not only marked the transition of leadership from the previous administration but also set records with the highest-ever voter turnout.

the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.

However, the federal government through the office of the AGF in February this year filed a notice of discontinuation of the case.

Meanwhile, he claimed that Tinubu in the last one year has done a lot for the judiciary, especially in the area of welfare of judicial officers.

According to him, Tinubu apart from increasing the budgetary allocation for

judiciary in the 2024 appropriation has also approved the increase in the wages and salaries of judicial officers for the first time in nearly 16 years, adding that the administration also increased the retirement age of judges from 65 to 70.

Fagbemi pointed out that the administration as part of delivering on campaign promises introduced various reforms as well as partners with other arms of government and international development partners.

Report: Why Humanitarian Response in North-west is Absent

Adedayo

A new report has revealed that the framing of banditry in the North-west has diminished any appetite to expand humanitarian aid to the region by the international non-governmental organisations and other actors.

It said while the North-east has had a major humanitarian response spanning more than a decade, the humanitarian efforts in the North-west

have been almost entirely absent.

The report noted that the Northeast is commonly framed as an ideologically driven insurgency of Islamic extremism, a compelling narrative of an understandable threat that helped galvanise domestic and international attention, including an international humanitarian response.

Beyond Politics and According to Need—Overcoming Disparities in Human Responses in Nigeria', was launched yesterday in Abuja.

of the conflict in the North-west has worked to effectively depoliticise and deprioritise the region’s crisis.

Research Fellow at the Humanitarian Policy Group and co-author of the new study, John Bryant, said the stark differences are primarily a consequence of how respective conflicts are understood in both regions by the state and humanitarian actors.

With over 1,000 members participating in the election and an additional 1,000 members engaging in the virtual AGM, this year's event was a testament to the institute's growing influence and commitment to democratic processes.

'You

The AGM witnessed the historic appointment of Mr. Ahmed Ladan Gobir as the new President and Chairman of the Governing Council, marking the first time a Northern president has been elected since the institute's inception. Mr. Gobir’s inauguration signals a new era of inclusivity and diversity in CIPM’s leadership.

Are A Detribalised Nigerian', Otuaro Hails Pa Clark At 97

Immediate past deputy governor of Delta State, Deacon Kingsley Otuaro, has described Ijaw national leader, Pa Edwin Kiagbodo Clark, as a detribalised Nigerian with relentless pursuit of a better Nigeria.

Celebrating the life and legacy of the elder statesman, Otuaro in a statement issued yesterday highlighted Clark's pivotal role in enhancing the Ijaw identity and his commitment to justice, equity and good governance in Nigeria. According to the statement titled: '97 Cheers for an Icon: Kingsley Otuaro Honours Chief Edwin Clark', the former deputy governor acknowledged that the elder statesman has long been recognised for his relentless pursuit

of a better Nigeria.

"Chief Clark, a distinguished elder statesman and the pillar of the ClarkBekederemo dynasty, has long been recognised for his relentless pursuit of a better Nigeria.

"As doyen of Clark-Bekederemo dynasty, you quickly built the family to reckon in diverse endeavours! In one rare package, you are a total embodiment of the indomitable Ijaw spirit and strengths of our heroes past, forging better perception for the Ijaw identity in Nigeria!.

"Yet, you have trudged on, detribalised; pursuing justice for all regardless of tribe and tongue, in glow of an unquenchable limelight! An incurable optimist, you hoped for a better Nigeria, with sincere labour!", he said.

The report carried out by NEEM Foundation in support of ODI and Humanitarian Policy Group title: 'Aid

He said: “In contrast, the framing

“State and international actors commonly describe the crisis as one of ‘endemic banditry’ or ‘lawlessness’ driven fundamentally by underdevelopment. Both of these characterisations are incomplete and simplistic, but have shaped the perceptions of donors and other actors that in turn drive discrepancies.

Musawa: Nigeria’s Strength in Our Diversity

Agnes Ekebuike

The Minister of Art, Culture and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musa Musawa, has called on Nigerians to celebrate the country's cultural diversity, describing it as a source of strength and unity.

Musawa, who stated this at the 2024 World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development (World Culture Day) on Tuesday, emphasised the need to appreciate and promote Nigeria's diverse cultural heritage.

In a statement by her Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Nneka Ikem Anibeze, the minister urged Nigerians to take pride in their culture and recognise its potential to drive economic development, social and mental well-being, and national unity. She noted that the country's plurality of culture and ethnicity should be leveraged to promote dialogue, understanding, and peaceful coexistence, rather than allowing differences to divide us, encouraging Nigerians to see their

diversity as a source of strength and unity, rather than a source of conflict.

“The World Culture Day is an opportunity to remind and help us to understand the value of cultural diversity and the vital role it plays in ensuring peaceful co-existence as a vital tool for socio-economic growth and development.

“It is a day for deep reflection on where we are as a nation. Taking into cognisance that our dear country is characterised by plurality of culture and

Polo Fine Jewellery Forges Official Retail Partnerships with Fope And Pomellato

A new era beckons as Polo Fine Jewellery proudly unveils its official partnerships with FOPE and Pomellato, two illustrious Italian jewellery brands synonymous with exquisite craftsmanship and timeless elegance. Nestled within the echelons of Polo, Nigeria’s premier luxury retail company, these collaborations signify a harmonious blend of heritage and innovation, tailored to the discerning tastes of Polo’s esteemed clientele. Deeply rooted within the rich goldsmithing traditions of Italy, FOPE and Pomellato trace their origins to the historic cities of Vicenza and Milan respectively. Luxurious yet

versatile, comfortable and genderless, minimalist yet refined. FOPE Jewellery’s aesthetic revolves around the gold components from which the iconic FOPE mesh was born, and the Flex’it technology, which makes the jewellery flexible, embodying a cool sense of contemporary elegance. Pomellato on the other hand, has pioneered the use of a rainbow palette of coloured gems that were not conventionally found in mainstream jewellery design. These are jewellery pieces that transcend trends, space and time, to be worn all day, every day.

In a statement reflecting the

significance of these partnerships, the Executive Director of Polo, Jennifer Obayuwana, remarked, “Celebrating craftsmanship deeply rooted in tradition, our collaborations with FOPE and Pomellato are timely, where each piece tells a story of virtuosity and passion. As we join forces, we honour the heritage of artisanal excellence while embracing a vision that transcends borders. Together, we invite you to experience the artistry of Factory Jewellery Precious Expert (FOPE) and Pomellato, where every creation is a testament to timeless elegance and global sophistication.”

ethnicity, it behooves on us to change the narrative on people who are culturally, ethnically and religiously different from us, in order to curb terrorism, kidnapping and banditry and other negative vices as we forge ahead as one people with a common goal.”

Alex Enumah in Abuja

Ugo Aliogo

Sylvester Idowu in Warri

Akinwale in Abuja

Ferdinand Ekechukwu - 08035011394

Email: ferdi_adthisday@yahoo.com

Savage Xtra: Playing Wizkid’s First Album Changed My Life

Uche Barry Nwachukwu, a.k.a Savage Xtra, is a beacon of hope and symbol of resilience for aspiring artistes and fans alike. His music, with its infectious beats and uplifting messages has the power to brighten lives and inspire dreams. Savage Xtra’s creative process is a harmonious collaboration with his producer, where he transforms his idea into soul-stirring melodies. Writing all his songs himself, he weaves his life experiences into each note, making his music a reflection of his odyssey. Hell tells Ferdinand Ekechukwu about his forthcoming album, his musical journey, what the album mean to him and more…

Canyouspeakonyour upcomingalbumand itscomposition? Oh well, ‘Young, Blessed and Dangerous’ is my second studio album. And one was 2021, and this is coming in 2024, in compliance to what I also promised my fans. It’s an album that describes my current state of mind and character, energy too. The album is a 14-track body of work and its best understood when you listen to it, I appreciate.

Arethereanyartistefeaturedonthe album?

I have a couple of artistes on the project. I have Ejima 042, I have Moseric, I have GoodLife, I have Ononi, I have Styles Omata, I have GhostD, I have Phloryda, and Jahplaka on the project.

Can you tell us about some of the songs on the album, any videos shot, ifany?

Well we have ‘Blessings’ out, currently I have the visuals out on YouTube and TV stations. We also have ‘Pay Me’ which is also out and banging. We have ‘Paper’ out, and its talking about the resilience

what I need for my daily activities. We album is billed for June, 2024.

Whatdoesthisalbummeantoyou and what’s the backstory?

This album for me I see it like a victory project because you know my music is very real, telling my real life day to day activity. So, going through pain and coming out of it successfully through the help of God and also trying to vocalize what I have experienced. I made the project from a place of peace and tranquility.

your life experience. How?

Well, my real life is literarily what experienced as a kid, the things I’m experiencing now, the things I have experienced as a teenager you know, as a young adult, and my everyday life, starting from my family to my everyday vibe. I just keep it very real.

What genre of music do you do?

My genre of music is afrobeats yeah and I also do a little bit of trap on some afrobeats artiste because I have a lot of afrobeats, that’s what I believe in.

What’syourmusicjourneylike?

My music journey has been hectic! I little bit of ups and down but you know I have been going I mean I don’t have plans of stopping until I get everything I feel that I deserve.

Areyousignedtoanyrecordlabel, which other artistes are on the label?

And I also co-owned the record label. housing Florida, GoodLife, Moseric, Shawn Hybrid, me of course, Sava Xtra and also Damascus.

What’syourperspectiveaboutNigerian musicontheglobalstageatthemoment?

I feel like afrobeats, Nigerian music has saved the world from a lot of things, let me just keep it as brief as that.

Wizkid has been that artiste that when I look at him I see hope yeah because I think it literarily changed my life. Burna also a huge fan of Asa. I’m also a big fan of Adele. These are like the people some certain things in my life. Savage Xtra

Why Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti’s Biopic is Much Talked About

Barely a week after it opened in cinemas nationwide on May 17, 2024, Funmilayo Ransome Kuti, a new biopic on the life of Fela Anikulapo-Kuti’s mother, has by far been adjudged one of the best biopics out of Nollywood in recent times. Not faultless, online reviews and comments complement loud rounds of media buzz orchestrated by the producers.

Having its lead female cast members like Omowunmi Dada, Joke Silva, Kehinde Bankole on social media to deliberately drive the

Aalso stars Adunni Ade, Adebayo Salami, Jide Kosoko, Dele Odule, Ibrahim Suleiman, Bikiya Graham-Douglas, Yewande Osamein, and Iyimide Ayo-Olumoko.

The biopic was screened to an exclusive audience on Sunday, May 12, shortly before its second release at the cinemas and was attended by its cast and the crew who came out from the guests including the governors of Lagos and Ogun state, Babajide Sanwo–Olu and Dapo Abiodun, who graced the occasion. Ransome-Kuti, a revered Nigerian educator,

s he chats newshounds, most of whom are of the arts and entertainment in Lagos, Nigeria, the fervour of his was glaring and appealing, such that encapsulates his prowess and precocious status in the Nigeria music scene. of his wave making songs resonated, alongside the videos played to the delight of the guests who, having heard some of the songs by chance on social media, instantly acknowledged the rising star, Keys the Prince, with thumbs of approval.

Interestingly, one of the songs, ‘Left Right’, which bop sequel was also previewed same day, dropped Friday, May 24th, 2024, featuring afrobeats underrated superstar, Mayorkun in the remix. The original track, which took social media and music airwaves by storm, has been a fan favorite.

The remix, accompanied by a captivating music the song’s popularity. The visuals capture the essence of the song and showcase the dynamic collaboration between Keys the Prince and Mayorkun “The Mayor of Lagos”

activist, and mother of Afrobeat legend Fela Anikulapo-Kuti. It chronicles her journey from her days at Abeokuta Grammar School to her marriage with Isreal Ransome-Kuti, against colonialism and patriarchy through the Abeokuta Women’s Union she founded with her husband.

and colonial leaders who stood in the way of justice and fairness. A critic noted reasons Bolanle Austen-Peters’ biopic on the late Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, based on the life of the activist, is as relevant today as it would have been in the early 20th century

Signed to 5K Records, an imprint of Sony Music UK, Keys the Prince (also known as Omo London) is known for his unique incorporation of percussion and samples from classic songs. This sound has garnered him a loyal following in both the UK and Nigeria.

“Left Right” pays homage to iconic gospel musician, Yinka Ayefele by sampling the chorus of Ayefele’s hit song. This homage adds a layer of nostalgia to Prince’s breakthrough song. Remarkably, Keys the Prince appears a positive entry into the music scene and one promising star to watch.

Igovernment that oppresses its people, a people too used to oppression are all familiar tropes.

the life of the famous educator, activist, wife, mother, and giver of good trouble than any Social Studies class ever would. How is it that a woman so resplendent and noble could to drive a car in Nigeria?

“Austen-Peters could not have sought to answer this question at a better time. The parallels between Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti and modern-day Nigeria are stark, or maybe nothing has changed all these years since British colonial rule was brought to its knees.”

n the bustling world of content creation, where words wield the power to inform, entertain, and inspire, one company stands out for its exceptional ability to craft compelling narratives: “GrandiHub. Founded by a visionary Nigerian writer and filmmaker, Nnamani Grace Odi, GrandiHub is on a mission to redefine the landscape of script writing, novel writing, and article writing with a unique blend of creativity and professionalism,” a statement by the founder read. It added further that, “GrandiHub emerged from a passion for storytelling and a desire to help others bring their creative visions to life. With a deep understanding of the nuances of different genres and formats, she

founded GrandiHub to cater to a diverse clientele, ranging from aspiring novelists to established

“At the heart of GrandiHub’s service. Their approach to script writing is meticulous, ensuring that every character, dialogue, and plot twist is crafted to per- fection. Whether it’s a gripping drama, a laugh-out-loud comedy, or an edge-of-your-seat thriller, GrandiHub’s scripts captivate audiences and leave a lasting impression.”

Nnamani Grace Odi, a Nigerian of Grandihub and the co-founder of Nnamani Music Group, started her entrepreneurship at an early age by writing scripts for movie directors in 2020. She has worked with writers like Kingsley Ogoro, Dickson Ekhaguere, UncleBigDreams and more.

Ferdinand Ekechukwu

Ferdinand Ekechukwu

Ferdinand Ekechukwu

Keys the Prince and Mayorkun in a scene from the video

Jackson Agbai:

I Derive Joy in My Employees Growing, Achieve their Life Goals

He was born under special circumstances, grew up in short-lived opulence, then catapulted back into life of penury and by only dint of stubbornness and suicidal tendencies, he came back on track, read Law and providence smiled on him during early practice. Jackson Agbai would later find himself playing crucial roles in the banking industry before a stint with foreign exchange trading, importation and real estate from where he has built a chain of hotels under the Dover brand. He narrated to Ahamefula Ogbu his challenging journey to success, insisting that easy money never lasts

Howdidyoustartlife,where,how and under what circumstances were you born?

Well, I was born by a woman that historically, in the village setting, met her husband once, just one night and then became pregnant. He did not show up again until I was born and was already two years. He had issues with the government that warranted him not being around. Then on one of the occasions , they allowed him to come home, he told them he had a young wife and he came home to see the young wife for just a day; not even a full day, it was supposed to be for some hours,butwhateverhappened,theysaidtheywere to take the train at Uzuakoli but before they knew what was happening, the government official that brought him there fell asleep and by the time he woke up, the train had left and would come back same time the next day at three o’clock, so they had to sleep. So that same night, he met with his wife, my mom that’s why in Abiriba my home place, you see people call me Nwa otu Abali which means child of one night.

So basically, that is the story of my birth and he did not come around again until I was two or three when the war was about to start and my father had to leave Nigeria and escape to Cameroon to start life all over again.

When the war started, my mom was maybe 25 or 26, and she had my brother at 16 and me and my younger sister who died in Ozu Abam in 1969. So, you had a woman who is a young girl of 25, 26 or 27, battling with three kids and the adversities of almost like a single mother but luckily she took us through all of that.

Then after war, luck shone on my father and he becameverywealthy.Soimmediatelyafterthewar, hesentforusexceptourmother,meandmybrother andmyhalf-sister,sowewenttoCameroon,Victoria. When we were going, we went through Cotonou by plane. Then, coming from a civil war to a life of luxury and opulence. Barely a year after we arrived in Cameroon, my father built a new house where there was a swimming pool, a yatch, everything. I remember my primary one, two three, we went to school in 404 initially after we arrived and then Mercedes 450 later. We had all the luxuries, had home teachers and there were mainly teachers in primaryschool,PresbyterianBoysSchool,Victoria. Our Headmaster was equally the Headmaster of the country, was the Headmaster of the lesson

teachers in Cameroon. So virtually all our neighbours around came to the house free. It was a kind of house you saw wealth and how wealth attracted people.

IrememberthePrimeMinisterofCameroon then called Estimona used to come to our house almost every six months to have dinner, and all the football, Cameroon is a football playing nation; those who played Lawn Tennis, were always in our house. Our House was the center of activities and my father was the Patron of all the clubs.

What was your childhood ambition?

Growingup;yes,atthattime,ataveryyoung age, my ambition was to be a lawyer and the reason was that people said I could argue. And then the circumstances of my father’s absence at that time I was born revolved aroundthe lawyers,about the court system and so everybody always said, oh you will be a lawyer. That was it, so at a very young age without knowing what it was, I wanted to be a lawyer.

What type of child were you, stubborn, pliant?

I think I was pliant but I was equally stubborn. I knew exactly what I wanted at a very young age; I knew that justice was central to my being. At a very young age, I fought injustice. I believe in fair hearing. Any of my relations, siblings, whether my elder brother, my sister or my junior ones if they hadissueswithanybodyinthosedays,what happened was that if there is a fight you just come and join your own siblings to fight the next but I never did that; I always wanted to know what exactly was going on and then I would, based on what I knew, try to make peace. The only time I get above this is if I realise that you know the life or wellbeing ofmysiblingwasinjeopardyotherwisevery early I was a bit stubborn and I knew what I wanted very early. During the war, three days I remember not eating because I said I was not going to eat a soup without salt and my mother didn’t understand. Other people were eating but I said I wasn’t going to eat that food without salt and there were so many times in life I question things. I grew up questioningthings;Iquestionedmymother,

I questioned my father.

What indelible experiences of childhood can you recall?

First three years in primary school and by my primary four; someone who was driven to school now had to trek three miles to school; one who didn’t know anything about farming had to go to farm virtually every weekend; someone who didn’t know how his uniform was sown had to go and let older people lend you their own and because they may be too big for you, you have to use the back plantain stem as belt to hold it and someone who didn’t know how your school fees were paid, you are now being called upon among those who didn’t pay their fees. Then society was crude at that time, they stand you up on your locker and flog you. So, for me it was quite traumatic and I think it was part of the reason I got withdrawn and the fact that as a young person I was passing exams very well and so a lot of my father’s and family friends saw me as a special child and suddenly when the wealth was no longer there and you people had become poor, the same people that saw you and say hello

won’t even answer your greetings again so it was traumatic and part of it was that it encouraged me to be focused, determined.

One of the other childhood experience was in my secondary school when I had issues with my step mum or with my Dad because that was when my asthma resurfaced; that was during Christmas in class three and they insisted I should be fetching water even when I was suffocating. I went to fetch water the first day and came back and I was almost dying so when they asked me to go back to fetch water I said I wasn’t going and my father came and said I should go and I insisted I wasn’t going unless they bought my drugs for me, that if I go I could die. My father insisted and said that will be the end of my education if I didn’t go to fetch the water and it was the end of my education it seemed when they were going back to Aba and they left me and I went to my mum who was in the village at that time and shedecidedtotakemetoherfather’sjuniorbrother who lived in Cotonou as an apprentice to learn how tosellokrika.So,ontheappointedday,myunclehad in-laws in Umuahia so we went to Ikenezizi close to Imo River. He usually spends a few days there

Agbai

Hard Work Pays, Easy Money Not Sustainable

before proceeding to Cotonou, so we went with his children and wife. So during that night, maybe around4amtheasthmastarted,Istartedcoughing and coughed myself to the road. I remember seeing a woman preparing her wares for the market, I remember her looking back, so I trekked to where they have the tower now at Umuahia. I got there around 7am, I remember around 5 am when early cars were coming, if I see a car I will think they are coming for me and I will jump inside the bush and continue when the car passed. I was directed to the train station where I explained to the ticket masters that I was going back to school and didn’t havemoney.TheytookmetoschoolandIexplained totheschool;thatIdidn’thavemyschoolfeesthatmy unclewillpay.Itwasachangingexperiencebecause whatever I have is because I was able to complete my secondary education, so it was traumatic for me so that was how I was able to go to school. Later my uncle came back and I sent people to him and he wasabletoverifybecausebythentheyhadalready published my name in the Statesman as a missing person, that’s how I was able to finish secondary school in the next two years and took JAMB once and went to university.

What drives you in life?

Fear of failure

Why fear of failure?

Maybebecauseofmychildhoodexperiencewhere we had everything and suddenly everything was gone; so I live with the trauma, the fear that nothing is given; that no matter the height, that if you don’t take certain rational pragmatic decisions, it might affectyou,yourchildrenandeverythingyouhave,so formeIjustdon’tbelievethatyouhavegottenthere.

How did you transit from being a lawyer to banking?

Providence. As a young lawyer after my NYSC, I was in Aba where I was to aspire to become a judge. AsIwasdoingmypractice,oneofthosedaysIhada man,ChiefDikeUdensithatIhadgonetopreviously. You know if you want to practice you meet people you think should be able to patronise you. So, I had gone a few times and did not succeed then one day suddenlyhefoundhimselflookingformeandwent to my father’s place and they referred him to my uncle’s place where I was staying. So he gave me a brief, that brief involved customs and they said he imported contraband goods under decree 20 of 1988 which deals with life imprisonment. I was lucky through God’s grace in the case and was able to extricate him from the case and the goods, his boys and his trucks that were impounded were all released. That made me a sudden hero in Aba because all the big lawyers he had gone to told him it was not possible and because he was a very successful and prominent person that created trust, it was a break for me so I became his lawyer and he gave me all his briefs to be their lawyer, Dubic Breweries, Dubic industries and other companies, so a few months later people approached him to investinabankandhebroughtdocumentstomeand IvettedthemsoIdidtheincorporationdocuments. When the bank was licenced he now approached meandsaidthathehasbeenadvisedthatthemost important position in the bank might not be the chairman or the MD but the Company Secretary if there is dispute tomorrow he would be handy. Thatwashowhetalkedmeintobeingthecompany secretary because initially I was not willing to go because after what I did for him, many clients started patronising me and as a young man, I was doing well, I already had a 504, had a flat and savings by 1990 of over N200, 000. For a young man it was a lot of money when my house rent was about N2000 so that was it. That what led me into taking the gamble added to the fact that I wanted to go into corporate practice and the best place to do that is Lagos. At that time I got into the banking industry not by design but by providence.

Whatdoyouconsideryoursaddestexperience in life so far?

I have two. One will be leaving the bank under the circumstances I did and the other is personal… the issue of divorce.

How did you meet your wife?

Well, I met her through the brother, I didn’t want to marry anybody from Abriba because of the matrilineal system. Somehow, after a lot of disappointments I became friend with the brother, one of those who asked why I was not interested in women and I said I had had some disappointments and he said come and see my sister, well I never really had any interest but that was it.

When do you recall as your breakeven point in life?

I think while I was in the bank but I think the first was that opportunity to become a lawyer, that opportunity for my education because every other thing depends on it, every other thing I have come from it.

WhendidtheideaofDoverHotelscometoyou?

What happened is that when I left the bank I went into foreign exchange, but because of the nature of foreign exchange, I combined it with real estate. We built estates in Abuja and sold but whenObasanjogovernmentstartedmonetisation policy, you know government was like an off taker of all those construction and real estate in Abuja, so when they say they will pay you and you go and find your accommodation, I had two estates that I just finished and I didn’t know what to do with them and I couldn’t sell so I had to lease them out but at thatpointIrealisedthat theproblemyouhavewith tenants is the statutory encumbrances because if your tenants refuse to pay you, there are statutory notices you have to issue and you still have to go to court and take the permission of courts to quit them. Sometimes it might take you three years of four and closer to real estate but without the problem of the encumbrances, I think is hotel because if you have a guest that doesn’t pay all you need to do is lock the room, you don’t need to go to court to evict them so that was the elementary thought, I did not have a clear picture. Also from my own father’s experience, I realised early in life that you can’t go wrong with real estate and for me, hotel represents real estate on a different level, that gives you income daily unlike the other one that gives you either monthly or yearly so while it is giving you income the land keeps appreciating and the property keeps appreciating. So by late 2002, I started looking for land and found the first in Lekki and we started construction and by 2004 we were ready. I was advised to bring in foreigners to help run it since I didn’t have the experience. Ibroughtinforeignerswhoranitfor19to20months when I realised they were not adding value and I just told myself that I have stayed on board of a bank for 10 years and realised that every business is a function of marketing, operation and control; once you deal with these three issues whether it is manufacturing, banking or other business then you are good, the other thing is that you learn the nuances on the job. So having watched them for 19 months, we disengaged them and took over.

What do you consider the biggest headache as an entrepreneur?

Manpower, human beings

What of power?

Power is secondary, the greatest problem is human resources, human beings

Why do you think so?

It is so because of our historical background as a people. In my thinking, the ideal worker we saw is civilservantswhopushedpapersaroundandatthe end of the month they get paid whether the work

is done or not and so unconsciously we internalised those processes of the civil service where we see work as a social and not an economic activity. You see people when they are going to work they dress as if they are going to church so in the civil service whether you work or not there are subventions you will be paid but in the private sector what you produce is what you are paid with. Also we have a culturewhichbelievesthatprayerismoreimportant thanwork,sometimesbeggingpeopleismorethan doingtheworkevenwhentheBiblesaysobedience is better than sacrifice; a lot of us believe oh, okay I will beg him. In the work place those who insist that the rules of the company must be obeyed become the enemy of the workers.

You have been into private business, bank and entrepreneur shall we soon see you in politics? I am not sure. I have been involved in politics since 2003,helpingmyfriendscampaignsayinglet’sturn around our state Abia State. Whether I will run for public office, if not that nothing is outright I would havesaidnobutinlifeoneofthelessonsIhavelearnt is never to say I will never do this thing because all thethingsIsaidIwouldnotdoIhavedoneallofthem so it is better I don’t say I won’t.

You are doing your traditional retirement of Igboto Mma, does that mean you are also dropping working and business as tradition supposedly implies?

I would say in real terms yes. I will be dropping the knife in Abriba as tradition demands. We are governed by the age grades and we have 13 age grades and at apex, the age grades is Uke Ji Agbala, once you get there it is mandatory that you drop the knife which means no one will call you to come forcommunalwork,noonewillcallyoutocomeand contributemoneyforanythingortohelpthemclear any bush. So, in real terms I am dropping the knife in Abriba, but in real life we have seen that we will continuetostruggle.ChiefAfeBabalolahasshown us what people can do even when they are 80. We have seen how much he has been able to transform the university which he started building at 80, so we must continue working to better humanity.

Have you ever had a near life experience?

Ihavehadnearlifeexperiences;Ihavehadaccidents that were not so life threatening but I could have died,butformethetraumasthatIhavegonethrough in life are near life experiences.

What do you consider your most fulfilling experience?

ThatIamabletocreatejobsforpeoplethatyousee some of your workers join you as single people and you see them within the organisation get married and start seeing the first set of people going into university while working and for me I think that is most fulfilling.

Do you have regrets in life or what you think if you had a second chance you will do them differently?

I have regrets, there are so many things that if I was given a second chance I will do differently but what I try not to do is dwell on them, they are past and gone so we do not dwell on them but as for regrets as human being, even tomorrow when you look back at yesterday you wish you had done them differently.

But none in particular that holds special place?

So many. Maybe growing up I would have been more obedient, less objective because I grew up as a very objective and vocal person so I could voice out what I think is wrong. When you do as a young personyouaretaggedasstubbornespeciallyifyou are in an environment where you are not with your mom, you attract hatred and sometimes the kind of negative energies around you, those are things that if I had a chance I will do differently.

What is the effect of success in your life style?

Unfortunately, I don’t see myself as being as successful, maybe if I do then that will be when I would be able to gauge the effect on me. I still work seven days a week, after church I am back in my office between here and Lekki working that is because in my mind I am yet to see myself as if I am successful.

How do you handle pressure from the opposite sex because you look handsome and rich?

Well the first thing is to say that it is not just a function of the opposite sex, we as human beings are attracted to qualities we see as ideal whether that is same sex with us or opposite sex so I refuse to think it is anything about sex. I remember when I bought Jaguar in 2002, and went to a bank, parked

it and it didn’t mean anything to me so I went to see my account officer so some staff, DGMs and GMs werecirclingaroundthecarandIrememberayoung girl there called Jaqline saying can you see, if it was women they will say we have big eyes but see what menaredoing.Humanbeingslikegoodthingssolet us be serious and not fool ourselves by saying the opposite sex or you are super human being, we are not but when you are serious with your work, the opposite sex will not find it comfortable because people love easy life so when you are serious an hardworking, they will not find you comfortable whether the opposite sex or not when they know you are not going to give them easy life, they will moveontootherthingswheretheywillgeteasylife.

How do you relax?

That’s one question I have been trying to answer. I relaxbyworking,readingphilosophicalandhistorical books, they give me great joy. Sometimes I relax by listening to Bob Marley and Fela

Whatcrazythingdoyourememberdoingwhile growing up?

Sleepingfewtimesontopoftreestoavoidpunishment by seniors in school.

What’s your costliest life possession?

Outsidethehouse,theChattelwouldbemywatches

Where do you see Dover hotels in the next five years?

In the next five years I am hoping we would have opened branches in Aba and Abuja and hope to open one in UK

Assuming one says you are a billionaire or trillonaire, which of them will be right?

Well the point is either of them doesn’t mean you have the cash but that you have assets so I think mostofusarestillcongregatingaroundthefirstone

That is the billionaire class?

Yea.

Yousaidyoumaynotruleoutgoingintopolitical office, are you sure you won’t get angry at the way Abia is being ruled and say let me go and correct that?

At least today you are seeing changes. Maybe in the past, yes but what I saw in life is never say never because anything can happen. In 2019, they were saying come and do this and that. I remember one of our friends who was planning for it in 2019 but before the time he was gone. I try to take things in small measures. We can impact society without being in government

Taking the way you started life and where you are today what advice do you have for Nigerian youths?

My advice to them is that hard work never kills. The idea that you can make easy is not feasible and easy money is not sustainable. Easy lifestyle is not sustainable.Thatiswhythosewhohadeasymoney in the 90s where are they now? When you struggle, you will be intentional and strategic than when you pickeasymoney.Itisnotasprintbutalongdistance thing so that all your planning s will be long time. We are talking about computer and AI, fine but every day you wake up you have breakfast and it is people that produced it even the shirt you wear was produced by somebody, so if your knowledge of the computer is not so that it will tend towards production then it is misplaced. The youth must be value added people, anything that doesn’t add value is not worth itself, I mean real value.

What’s your preferred brand in dressing? Jeans, senator and the Abriba dresses.

Not any of those global brands?

No, the problem is that those brands do not add any real value. I give you an example, my son was crazy about a brand and I kept talking him out of it. One day I traveled to the US and a friend wanted to take me out for shopping and he bought me a shirt, Hugo boss at Nostrum, a high end shop at $85 and two other wears. A few days later, I went to 21st century mall and saw the same material, samecoloursamequalityandIboughtitfor$35,so whenIcamebackIcalledmyson,turnedthebackof the two shirts and I asked him to touch them and he said no difference, then I turned them and showed him that one was at $85 and the other at $35 so the person selling at $35 is already making his profit so the $50 difference added no value though there is what they call Geffen goods which people buy because they are expensive, not because they have any real value

Agbai

NUPRC: Unlocking Investments in Nigeria’s Hydrocarbon Resources with Licencing Rounds

Ifeanyi Onuba

On May 7, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), announced the commencement of the 2024 Licencing Round at the Offshore Technology Conference which was held in Houston, Texas, United States.

The commencement of the Licencing Round demonstrates Nigeria’s commitment to advancing its oil and gas sector and a reflection of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s leadership aimed at attracting the attention and involvement of international investors.

Twelve new blocks namely PPL 300-CS; PPL 301-CS; PPL 3008; PPL 3009; PPL 2001; PPL 2002; PML 51; PPL 267; PPL 268; PPL 269; PPL 270; and PPL 271 including 7 old blocks in the 2022 mini-bid are on offer by the NUPRC.

The broad objectives of the 2024 Licensing Round are to grow the Nigeria oil and gas reserves, enhance Nigerian content development, attract foreign direct investment, contribute to a long-term global energy sufficiency, boost Nigeria’s oil and gas production, expand the opportunity for gas utilisation, create job opportunities, and create value for the Nigerian government and investors.

The Licencing Round offers selected blocks spanning diverse geological formations with great potential for economic growth and energy security for shared prosperity. The regulatory framework, anchored by the Petroleum Industry Act 2021 aimed at entrenching fairness and transparency, thereby fostering confidence among investors.

Since the commencement of the PIA in 2021, the NUPRC under the leadership of the Chief Executive, Engr. Gbenga Komolafe, has taken up the statutory responsibility of ensuring compliance with petroleum laws, regulations and guidelines in the upstream oil and gas sector.

The new dynamics in the global energy arena necessitated that Nigeria, a country that has long depended on the explorations of oil and gas as the mainstay of its economy, re-examine its strategy to secure investments in the energy sector while meeting the global climate goals.

As a country, Nigeria boasts of 36.966 billion barrels of oil which ranks her second in Africa, 8th in OPEC and 11th in the World. Nigeria is also richly endowed with 208.83 trillion cubic feet of natural gas reserves with an upside potential estimated at 600 TCF.

Aside from the hydrocarbon potentials, Nigeria is blessed with potentials for green and blue hydrogen, solar, wind, biomass and other sources of renewable energy to leverage for the right energy mix in the energy transition regime, as well as critical minerals such as lithium, manganese, copper, graphite and nickel for development of clean energy technologies.

Indeed, Nigeria’s potentials are derived from its human, natural and material resources which must be mobilised to propel her on a path of economic growth and development and for her sustainable energy future.

Unfortunately, in the years preceding the enactment of the PIA (2021), investments in the Nigerian oil and gas industry declined mostly due to regulatory uncertainty, de-funding of fossil fuel development occasioned by energy transition and the global call for decarbonisation.

However, the Commission under the leadership of Komolafe is charting a new course in the upstream petroleum sector through the 2024 Licensing Round. The 2024 Licensing Round is different due to the decision of the government to eliminate entry barriers. This is because under President Tinubu, who is the Minister of Petroleum Resources, the government has become a lot more proactive and pragmatic in ensuring that entry does not constitute a barrier to investment in exploration blocks offered.

The Commission Chief Executive, Engr. Gbenga Komolafe gave credence to this when he said that Nigeria’s approach aligns with global energy sustainability goals, as he emphasised environmental, social, and governance considerations.

As the government navigates through the complexities of the global energy transition, the future that the NUPRC foresees for the Nigerian petroleum industry is one that should promote the utilization of the country’s hydrocarbon resources for shared prosperity, energy accessibility, affordability, sustain-

Broadly speaking, competitive entry fees that are responsive to prevailing realities will be adopted in the 2024 Block licensing rounds. Also, considerations for the commerciality of projects will be made on a case-by case basis for the determination of appropriate entry fees

ability, security as well as energy independence and energy sovereignty.

This is why the NUPRC, under the leadership of Komolafe has adopted a pragmatic approach, ensuring competitive entry fees and commercial viability for investment. The Licencing Round is expected to be a huge success for Nigeria and it is a big step towards growing the nation’s oil and gas reserves through aggressive exploration and development efforts, boosting production, expanding opportunities for gas utilisation and end-to-end development across the value chain, strengthening energy security and economy, providing an occasion to gainfully engage the pool of competent companies in the oil and gas sector with a multiplier effect in employment opportunities, enabling the transfer of technology, valorizing petroleum assets in the Nigerian territory and attracting investments.

The 2024 Licencing Round marks another significant milestone in the ongoing development of Nigeria’s upstream petroleum sector.

Aligned with the Petroleum Industry Act 2021 (PIA), this Licencing Round aims to foster further exploration and investment in the country’s promising petroleum basins. Managed by the NUPRC, this round operates within the robust legal and regulatory frameworks set forth by the PIA, designed to attract new investors and propel the exploration phase in Nigeria’s petroleum landscape.

The 2024 Licencing Round represents an opportu-

nity for both domestic and international stakeholders to engage in the exploration and development of Nigeria’s hydrocarbon resources. Under the stewardship of NUPRC, this licencing round promises transparency and competitiveness in the allocation of exploration blocks.

Central to the success of the 2024 Licencing Round is the availability of high-quality geological and geophysical data. The National Data Repository (NDR) of the NUPRC, in collaboration with multi-client partners, is committed to providing access to extensive seismic datasets. The Commission has assured that it would make available to prospective bidders access to the latest and most accurate information for informed decision-making.

In line with the objectives of the Licencing Round, a mix of deep offshore, shallow water and onshore blocks will be made available to interested investors. The offering comprises a diverse range of exploration prospects, catering to varying technical and operational preferences.

Emphasising a holistic approach to resource management, the 2024 Licencing Round prioritizes environmental, social, and governance (ESG) considerations. Komolafe said the NUPRC is committed to ensuring that exploration activities are conducted in a manner that minimises carbon emissions and mitigates environmental impact.

By incorporating ESG criteria into the licensing process, he said stakeholders can contribute to sustainable development while harnessing the nation’s natural resources.

Komolafe said, “The Licencing Rounds represent an opportunity to reinforce Nigeria’s commitment to openness and transparency in line with the principles of the Nigerian Extractive Transparency Initiative.

“On the global scale, the Licensing Round will no doubt be beneficial to all stakeholders and will in the long run contribute to long-term global energy sufficiency. Interestingly, the Licensing Round process was formulated in cognisance of global energy sustainability goals. “The implementation process will, in addition to technical and commercial considerations, pay the requisite attention to strategies, processes and implementable plans consistent with net zero carbon emission targets, eliminating gas flares as well as overall environmental, social and governance (ESG) considerations.

“Broadly speaking, competitive entry fees that are responsive to prevailing realities will be adopted in the 2024 Block licensing rounds. Also, considerations for the commerciality of projects will be made on a case-by case basis for the determination of appropriate entry fees.”

The Minister of State for Petroleum (Oil) Heineken Lokpobiri who spoke on the criteria and relevance of the Licencing Round explained that the reason for lowering the signature bonus for new oil blocks is to allow investors to use the resources to fund their exploration.

He said the government would support the NUPRC to succeed in regulating the upstream oil and gas sector as the success will determine what happens to the mid-stream and downstream sectors.

Lokpobiri said, “Instead of asking you to pay a signature of $200 million, we are reducing it to the nearest minimum. So, we expect you to use your money to start exploration immediately.

“And if you breach any of the conditions, we will act. We want to give this thing (blocks) to the men with the big pockets that can provide the funding.

“As government, we are here to support the most strategic agency in the oil and gas industry. If the upstream doesn’t succeed, mid-stream and downstream will be a failure.” According to the petroleum minister, the Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led government is willing to provide a safe environment for companies willing to invest in the country. He said, “We are not playing politics. We are giving the blocks to people who have the wherewithal to undertake the project.

“This is my first bidding round as minister, and I hope there will be more bid rounds on those blocks that are lying fallow.”

With the government’s drive towards attracting investments to the oil and gas sector, the NUPRC has been deploying best practices and technology to ensure strategic and responsible utilisation of the vast natural resources for the benefit of all Nigerians.

Onuba, a chartered accountant, writes from Abuja

Komolafe

TRIBUTE

Celebrating Rukevwe Ugwumba at 54

Shedrack Onitsha

As the sun rises on this remarkable day, we celebrate not just another year, but the life and achievements of an extraordinary individual—Prof. Rukevwe Ugwumba. As she turns 54, we honor her exceptional contributions to medicine, and public health, and her unwavering dedication to improving the lives of others.

Today, we celebrate not just another woman, but a remarkable woman, an esteemed professional, and a true humanitarian, Ruky as fondly called by friends and associates. Professor Ugwumba’s life is a testament to dedication, excellence, and an unwavering commitment to improving the lives of others. A woman whose major drive is to see others happy and living a fulfilled life.

Ugwumba, affectionately known as Dr. Love, has established herself as a cornerstone in the field of Family Medicine. As a professor at the University of Saskatchewan College of Medicine in Canada, she imparts knowledge and wisdom to future generations of doctors. Her special interest in Public Health and Infectious Diseases has guided her illustrious career, making a profound impact in Canada and beyond.

Ugwumba’s career is marked by a series of prestigious roles and accolades. She served as the Consultant to the Senate Committee on Health at the National Assembly in Abuja from 2015 to 2019, where her efforts helped shape policies for accessible and affordable healthcare for all Nigerians. As the Special Adviser on Health Monitoring to the Governor of Delta State from 2011 to 2015, she championed programs that significantly improved maternal and child health, reduced mortality rates, and enhanced healthcare access.

Her academic journey began with an MB BS degree from the University of Benin, where she graduated with honours and was the Best Student in Internal Medicine. She furthered her education at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, receiving the Langley Memorial Prize for the Best Master’s Thesis. Her extensive qualifications include full registration with the General Medical Council of the UK, membership in the Royal College of General Practitioners, and fellowship with the College of Family Physicians of Canada.

Ugwumba’s impact extends beyond her administrative and clinical roles. She is an examiner for medical students, resident doctors, and foreign medical graduates in Canada, shaping the future of

Ugwumba

medical practice with her expertise and compassion. Her humanitarian efforts are evident through her kind bedside manner and dedication to patient care, earning her the moniker “Dr. Love.”

Throughout her career, Ugwumba has spearheaded initiatives that have left a lasting legacy. From supervising public hearings that led to significant health bills in Nigeria to addressing the EU ban on Nigerian dry bean exports, her work has been pivotal. In Delta State, her leadership in health monitoring resulted in groundbreaking programs for hypertension, diabetes, cancer screening, maternal and child health, and communicable disease prevention.

As a triple chief, Ugwumba holds the titles Obor’esiri and Ugochukwutumnonye, reflecting her status as a healer and a divinely blessed individual. Her deep-rooted commitment to service is further exemplified by her NGO, the Jesu-Marie Empowerment Foundation. Through this organization, she provides education, skills acquisition, and health services, empowering communities and fostering

positive change.

Over the years, Ugwumba through her philanthropic gestures has empowered over 1000 women and youths across the three Senatorial Districts of Delta State. This gives her a strong grassroots political base amongst the you women folks and the youths whom she easily connects with.

Going into the 2019 general elections, Ugwumba was one of the frontrunners for House Representative ticket on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), for Ughelli North, South and Udu Federal Constituency slots, and for the intricate crisis in the party at that time which robbed her of the ticket, the story could have been different today. Even with these momentary setbacks, she remained undoubtedly a loyal and committed member of the APC in Delta.

As a chieftain of the party in Delta, she did not only deploy her network of supporters across the state for the 2019 elections. She was one of the most visible faces throughout the APC Presidential and Governorship elections campaign traversing the lengths and breaths of Delta State with Senator Ovie Omo-Agege with the President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, mobilizing women and youths, her efforts and that of others gave the party a very good outing in the last elections.

Though, Prof. Ugwumba has not been fairly treated by the party that she has given so much of her time and resources in serving, she has remained in the forefront in the quest to having a united and stronger APC in Delta State ahead of 2027 elections.

A woman of immense capacity, which if fully engaged by the leadership of her party, will be a great asset to the APC and Nigeria at large, because she has so much on her sleeves to offer.

Ugwumba’s life is a testament to dedication, excellence, and an unwavering commitment to improving the lives of others. Beyond her professional achievements, Ugwumba is a loving wife to Emeka Ugwumba and a devoted mother. Her life is a testament to the power of compassion, dedication, and the relentless pursuit of excellence. Today, as we celebrate her 54th birthday, we honour not only her professional milestones but also the profound impact she has made on countless lives globally.

Ugwumba, you are a true Amazon—a beacon of hope, a healer of the land, and an inspiration to all. Happy Birthday! May your journey continue to be filled with success, joy, and the fulfilment of your noble mission.

Shedrack Onitsha, A Media and PR Consultant writes from Ughelli, Delta State

Ohoba Regency Tussle: Need for Gov. Uzodinma to Stop Looming Anarchy

There is need for Governor Hope Uzodinma; top members of the Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs Ministry in Imo State, security agencies and all well-meaning stakeholders in Ohaji/Egbema Local Government Area of the state, who cherish peace and tranquility to quickly wade into the regency tussle in Ohoba.

Ohoba is gradually emerging as a potential security risk because of the unfolding event in this sleepy community daily. If not arrested, this could be devastating and may lead to the loss of lives and property as well as substantial revenue to the state.

Since the official announcement of the transition of HRH. Eze Philip Onwuka Anyanwu, Ezechinyerugo IV of Ohoba Ancient Kingdom, to the great beyond, at the age of 108 years and after 48 years on the throne, on March 10, 2024, by one of his younger sons, Mr. Greg Anyanwu, there has been intense apprehension in the community over who should ascend the regency stool, pending when a new king would be installed. It is repugnant and bizarre that the children of the deceased who was the oldest and longest serving traditional ruler in Imo State until his death, have divided into two groups and daily make utterances that weaken the integrity of the respected Ohobo traditional stool.

Unfortunately, today, two of the late traditional ruler’s children – his first son, Dr. Armstrong Fidelis Anyanwu and another, Mr.

Stanley Anyanwu – have continued to lay claim to the stool, parading themselves as the rightful regent. The situation has damaged the fragile peace in this oil producing and agrarian community, posing serious security risks to the community.

Few days ago, there was a bloody fracas that left many injured and several others scamper for safety at a funeral ceremony held in Alaka, one of the villages in the community. The incident allegedly occurred following the announcement of the arrival of Armstrong, one of the contestants of the stool at the venue, which didn’t go down well with Stanley’s group.

Since that incident, the level of fear and trepidation in Ohoba community has increased tremendously over concerns of reprisal attacks.

Therefore, Uzodinma and all the people that matter must step in and address this family conflict which is gradually ballooning into a community crisis.

Ohoba is strategic and a major revenue earner for Imo State and must not be allowed to go to the dogs.

This community houses Adapalm, a major non-oil revenue earner for the state in the past, which has the potential of completely transforming the fortunes of Imo State.

The community also plays host to Seplat Energy, an indigenous Nigerian oil and gas company, which has just built and inaugurated its Assa-North-Ohaji (ANOH) gas processing plant in Imo State, with Ohoba as one of the host community.

The plant, with a capacity of 300 million standard cubic feet per day (mmscfp/d), would deliver dry gas, condensate, and Lique-

fied Petroleum Gas (LPG) to both domestic and international markets.

Furthermore, Ohoba also hosts Waltersmith Petroman Limited, operator of the Ibigwe Marginal Field and the 5000 barrels per day Waltersmith Modular refinery, both located at Ohaji. Currently, the company is in the process of developing some wells in Ohoba community.

Despite the presence of these oil companies in the area, Ohoba remains one of the most impoverished communities in the state with acute deficiency in basic infrastructure such as power, hospital, good road, and quality school, making it a fertile ground for violence and arm-conflict.

Governor Uzodinma, these are the reasons why you and other critical stakeholders must step in urgently to safeguard these multibillion dollar investments and nip the looming danger in Ohoba in the bud.

There is need for the restoration of dignity in the traditional institution in this ancient kingdom, especially at a time that the elders that ought to know the truth appear to have soiled their hands.

Today, all manner of abnormality reign in the community with arrest and counter-arrest by youth of both camps now the order of the day.

Also, the state government should step in and help the people of Ohoba who are mostly fear-ridden at the moment, to ascertain if their traditional stool is rotational or hereditary since the elders that ought to have helped resolved this matter appear to be taking sides.

There are also indications that Ohoba does not have a constitution to guide them on this issue and this is another area where the

Uzodinma government and other stakeholders can help guard the community in addressing the problem staring them in the face.

The whole essence of all these is to prevent the looming anarchy in this sleepy community. Governor Hope Uzodinma, the time to act is now!

Alam, wrote in from Owerri

Kosiso Alam

FEATURES

Return of Muhammadu Sanusi as Emir of Kano

The 14th Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II was on Thursday reinstated to the throne four years after former Governor Abdullahi Ganduje deposed and banished him from the state, writes Ahmad Sorondinki

E

mir Muhammadu Sanusi’s return to the exalted traditional throne of the ancient city of Kano was met with mixed reactions from the public. Some welcomed his reinstatement as a traditional leader and champion of social and economic reforms, while others questioned the political motives behind his return.

Muhammadu Sanusi 11, born July 31, 1961, known by the religious title Khalifa Sanusi II is a current Emir of Kano and the Spiritual leader in the Tijanniyah Sufi order of Nigeria.

He succeeded his great-uncle Ado Bayero to the throne on 8 June 2014, taking the name Mohammed Sanusi II, and becoming the 14th and the 16th Emir (Sarki), the only Emir who ascended the throne four years after he was dethroned.

He became the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria in 2009, and was sacked in 2014, by former president Goodluck Jonathan, after alleging that $20 billion (£12bn) in oil revenue had gone missing.

He was also the only Monarch in Kano that was named by the Time magazine in its list of influential people in 2011. He was awarded a special award at the Global Islamic Finance Awards for his role in promoting Islamic banking and finance in Nigeria.

In the mid-1990, the new Emir who many residents view as Islamic Scholar, rather than a traditional ruler, quit his well-paid job as banking risk manager to deepen his knowledge of Arabic and Islamic studies by going to study in Sudan.

Sanusi, who previously served as the Emir of Kano, was controversially removed from his position by the former Governor of the State, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, in 2020. His outspoken criticism of some government’s policies had not only endeared him to the hearts of many but, on the other hand, made him a target for those in power.

Some supporters of Sanusi were thrown into jubilation, following the announcement of his reinstatement by the Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, on Thursday at Government House.

The Governor, made the announcement shortly after assenting the newly passed Kano State Emirate (Repeal) bill into Law by the State House of Assembly. He said, the new law would bring unity to the people of Kano and foster sustainable socio-economic development for the State and the Country at large.

He further articulated that the return of Muhammad Sanusi II back on throne would propel peace and prosperity, adding that the repeal of the council law was in realisation of his campaign commitments to restore the lost glory of the state and its rich cultural heritage.

He emphasised that the signing of the bill symbolised the restoration of the revered legacy of the Kano emirate, which has withstood the test of time of over a thousand years.

“Everyone should go about his or her normal activities in the State, we have done what we believe is in the best interest of the State and its people. I want to inform the good people of Kano that today, we reappointed Sanusi Lamido Sanusi popularly known as Muhammadu Sanusi the II as the 16th Emir of Kano while the five former emirs are expected to vacate the palaces within 48 hours,” the governor said.

On the early hours of Thursday, the State House of Assembly had passed the new law which abolished the five Emirates and also passed the Kano Emirates Council bill 2024, abolishing the five Emirates created by Ganduje.

The bill, titled the Kano State Emirates Council (Amendment No. 2) Law, 2024, was sponsored by Lawan Hussaini Chediyar Yan Gurasa, the Majority Leader and representative of the Dala Constituency. Ganduje had carved out Rano, Bichi, Karaye, Gaya, and Kano Emirates , before dethroning the former Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi 11 in 2020. According to the new law, all offices created under the repealed law have been dissolved, and district heads appointed or elevated under the previous legislation are to revert to their former positions.

The return of the 14th and now the 16th Emir of Kano in the Fulani dynasty, was seen as a victory for those who support his progressive views and advocacy for justice and social change.

Barely four years after his return, Emir Sanusi continued to speak out on important issues, including

insecurity, education, poverty alleviation, and gender equality.

Some of his admirers, consider his return to the throne, as not only served to amplify his voice and influence in the community, but as a voice to the voiceless.

In 2019, shortly after general elections, Sanusi, fell out with the former Governor of Kano, which resulted in the splitting of the Kano emirate into five and appointed four more emirs to weaken his overbearing influence.

According to Ganduje, Sanusi was removed “in order to safeguard the sanctity, culture, tradition, religion and prestige of the Kano emirate”, accusing the emir of “total disrespect” of institutions and the governor’s office.

Justifying the removal of the former Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria, the then Secretary to the Kano State Government, Alhaji Usman Alhaji, had said the monarch was disrespectful to the Office of the Governor.

He had maintained that the persistent refusal of the former Emir to attend official meetings and programmes organised by the government without any lawful justification amounted to total insubordination. This, among several others, were part of what had informed the decision of the state government to dethrone the monarch then.

He had also stated that on so many instances, Mallam Muhammadu Sanusi II had breached Part 3 Section 13(a-e) of the Kano State Emirate Law 2019 and which, if left unchecked would destroy the good and established image of the Kano Emirate.

He had said, “this removal is made after due consultation with the relevant stakeholders and in compliance with Part 3 Section 13 of the Kano.

Furthermore, the State government then had accused him of selling properties and mismanagement of Emirate’s funds but, he later secured a court order stopping the probe.

Subsequently, a panel of investigation was set up to investigate the Emir, which he blatantly refusal to appear before it.

As the battle of supremacy between the two elephants raged then, eminent Nigerians had to wade in, some of whom included former military ruler General Abdussalami Abubakar, General Mohammed Wushishi and Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, among others.

During the meeting, members of the committee had pleaded the former governor on the need for him to reconcile with Sanusi, and discard the issue of the creation of the new Emirates in the state.

On December 22, 2019, a statement signed by Adamu Fika, had disclosed that, “against the background of the crisis in Kano, a matter that has since degenerated into serious tension within the State, with likely consequences on peace and security with the possibility of spilling into neighbouring States, a group of elders, under the chairmanship of General Abdulsalami Abubakar to intervene.

“Two State governors are also members of the committee. They are Governor Kayode Fayemi former chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum and the former Governor Aminu Bello Masari of Katsina State.”

The statement added that other members of the committee include: Alhaji Adamu Fika, Wazirin Fika, General Muhammadu Inuwa Wushishi, Alhaji Abdullahi Ibrahim, Dr. Dalhatu Sarki Tafida, Dr. Umaru Mutallab, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari and Sheikh Sharif Ibrahim Saleh.

The committee had wanted to meet with Ganduje but the meeting couldn’t hold because the governor was traveling for lesser hajj then.

Similarly, the Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II, who then visited the former Governor over the matter, pleaded with Ganduje to reconsider his government’s decision on the creation of additional emirates in Kano State. “I am very worried and concerned over the issue, I urge you to please reconsider your decision your excellency. When I had a meeting with his Eminence over the issue, he said that reconciliatory moves were being made to settle the issue.

“Your Excellency, I appeal to you on behalf of myself and my brothers, please even if you are offended, please tamper justice with mercy. I advise you to please approach the issue with lots of caution and maturity,” Oba Ewuare had appealed.

As many attempts then to broker peace between Ganduje and Sanusi were unproductive, the battle assumed a new twist, as the State government slammed various allegations bordering on corruption against the Emir.

No doubt, the reinstatement of the former Central Bank Governor as the 16th Emir of Kano would open a new chapter in the annals of the history of the 1000 year-old Dabo or Fulani dynasty.

Although, many saw Sanusi’s first appointment by the former Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, as controversial and his six years cluttered with controversy, his dethronement as controversial, as well as his reinstatement by Governor Abba Kabir is also not left with some controversies.

This is because some persons see Sanusi’s reinstatement as a payback time for Governor Abba of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), who the new Emir was alleged to have supported during the 2023 campaign. Notwithstanding the reinstatement, Sanusi strongly believes he has accomplished his aged-long ambition to become the Emir of the most populous State in Nigeria. “I have achieved my greatest ambition in life. Even if I am confined to my grave from here, I left nothing to regret in life.”

“Becoming the Emir of Kano, is what I admired and revered most in my life. I have accomplished my mission in life. I have nothing to be proud of on this planet than to become the Emir of Kano,” he had said in one of his interviews.

As soon as the Emir Sanusi resumes office, many people may want see how and where he would focus his attentions, his duties and responsibilities as the traditional leader of Kano. Only time will tell what the future holds for Emir Sanusi and the people of Kano, but one thing is certain his return has reignited interest and discussion about the role of traditional leaders in modern Nigeria.

Emir Muhammadu-Sanusi-II

FEATURES

FRSC: Preventing Avoidable Deaths on Nigerian Roads

Kasim Sumaina

Over the years, precious lives have been cut short due to no fault of theirs and many dreams shattered as a result of overloading and over speeding.

Families have had cause to bury their love ones when least expected after hugs, kisses and goodbyes in various motor parks across the country. Sometimes, many lives are lost through accident as a result of reckless overloading and over speeding by drivers across the highway. Over-speeding and overloading are important risk factors for road traffic accidents and every year many people die as a result of road traffic crashes in Nigeria.

Owing to this unfortunate occurrences, the Corps Marshal, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Dauda Ali Biu, recently directed Commanding Officers to commence patrol operations, as well as organise adequate Mobile Court operations along critical corridors.

The Corps Marshal urged the commanders to go after trailers loaded with human beings and animals plying highways due to the increasing rates of road crashes involving over loaded trailers and lorries.

He said analysis revealed that vehicles carrying animals, goods and people, interstate buses and mass transit systems remain significant contributors to road accidents and fatalities.

According to him, addressing these specific categories of vehicles required targeted interventions and a multifaceted approach. He added: “The issue of non-adherence to traffic lights, particularly in the nation’s capital is a cause for concern. Such blatant disregard for traffic regulations not only endangers lives but also undermines the credibility of our enforcement efforts. “We must redouble our efforts to ensure strict enforcement of traffic laws and hold violators accountable for their actions.” THISDAY findings revealed that scores of lives have been lost in recent months. For instance, the emergency rescue teams of the Corps endured another over three hours of inferno in its bid to rescue road traffic victims at the scene of a fatal crash that claimed 19 lives on 28 April, 2024, at Okene bypass, on the Okene-Lokoja highway in Kogi State.

The collision resulted in a fire inferno that burnt the victims to death. The report, also revealed that the crash which was caused by route violation ‘One Way’ and wrongful overtaking, involved 22 people all male.

Unfortunately, 19 people out of the 22 victims were killed and one injured. The remaining two victims who got rescued by FRSC operatives without injuries survived the crash because they complied with traffic regulations on compulsory use of seatbelt.

Additionally, it was gathered that 87 persons died from road accidents in just one month as a result of overloading, over speeding, reckless driving and loading animals with passengers. Biu, who disclosed this in his monthly routine analysis stated: “Between December 15, 2023 and January 15, 2024, road crashes, also referred to as road accidents, claimed the lives of 335 persons.”

He added: “On fatalities recorded from December 15, 2023, to January, 15, 2024, the corps recorded a total of 335 deaths nationwide as against 350 recorded in the same period in 2022. This represents four per cent reduction.”

According to him, between December, 15, 2023 and January

15, 2024, which marked the period of the special patrol operations, a total of 634 road traffic crashes took place nationwide, as against 535 in the same period in 2022 representing 19 per cent increase.

The 2023 crashes involved 4709 people, as against the 4162 recorded in 2022 signifying 13 per cent increase.

“Meanwhile, the total number of people injured increased by 17 per cent as the corps has a record of 2,055 people injured in 2023 against 1762 in the same period in 2022. “Also, the corps rescued a total of 2,319 persons in 2023 signifying 13 per cent increase when compared to a total of 2,050 recorded in 2022. “Between March 31 and April 30, we lost 87 people. They were all burnt behind recognition as a result of vehicles carrying fuel and exploding when the accidents happened.

Some of these incidents happened in Obajana, where we lost 13 on March 31. At Ogbomosho, we lost 19 people on April 14 in yet another raid crash involving buses.”

He further said, “In Kano, we lost 11 on April 19, the following day, April 20, we lost eight persons in Otukpo, Benue State. While on April 30, in Nsukka, we lost 17 persons again. All burnt beyond recognition.

“We were battling with the news of the April 28, when we got the report of April 30 that another 17 persons have died. I can tell you that I couldn’t sleep that night. All these accidents happened with buses carrying fuel.”

The Corp Marshal explained that major road crashes and deaths in 2024, showed that in an instant in January, 16 people were killed when a commercial bus lost control and plunged into a ditch on the Kano-Kaduna expressway, as a result of over speeding, resulting to loss of control of the vehicle by the driver.

The report also showed that on January 19, at least 10 people were killed and 12 others injured when a bus and a car recently rammed into each other in Nigeria’s northern state of Jigawa.

The incident, according to reports was caused by wrongful overtaking due to the flouting of traffic rules which caused the two vehicles to collide head-on. The vehicles immediately went aflame and burned beyond recognition, wreaking more havoc.” “Also, due to speeding and reckless driving, on

January 2, six persons lost their lives while 11 sustained injuries in a multiple road crash at Aliko Filling Station on the KadunaZaria expressway. “On January 10, three persons died, and three others were injured in a road accident that occurred on the Enugu-Abakaliki expressway, in Ebonyi State.

The corps marshal, while speaking on preventive measures to curtail these incidents, said: “We investigated and discovered that these buses carry fuel while traveling because they claim there is fuel scarcity and some others claim they prices of fuel are cheaper in some areas than another.

“To address this, we have started searching all vehicles and anyone with fuel, we remove it and make sure they don’t travel with it. In the last one month ago that we started this operations, out of 100 vehicles, all of them were carrying gallons of fuel in the vehicle. “We will also continue to pursue this prosecution. Unlike the misconception people have that we are out to get fine. No, Road Safety is not established to make fines, rather, we were established to save lives and properties. It is not a revenue generating organisation for the federal government.

“Our idea now is that instead of asking you to go and pay the paltry sum some of money as fines, we have decided to prosecute serious offenders and work with the court to get them to pay the maximum fines, which may be jail term or large sum of money as fines.

“We are also taking our messages to the grassroots and calling on the media to also help us disseminate information that would educate the members of the public on the dangers of overloading ans over speeding.”

On plans for reducing crashes and possibly deaths from road crashes this year, the corps marshal said the management of the FRSC has set target of reducing the percentage of road crashes as accidents have already started from December 2023 into January 2024.

Biu, while highlighting the focus for the year 2024, noted: “Moving forward, we must prioritise the enforcement of speedrelated offenses such as the installation of Speed-Limiting Devices, and implement homegrown initiatives to address the root causes of road accidents. Collaborating with the judiciary in our operational efforts and engaging with the stakeholders.

Supporting Victims of Abuse, Domestic Violence

It’s no longer news that the 2020 lockdown due to Covid-19 pandemic served as eye opener to the daily occurrences in many homes, particularly as it relates to violence, abuse and molestation of women and children. With only about three of such cases reported out of ten incidents, many are withdrawn before taken to the courts. At the courts, many have been struck out due to judicial technicalities while others have suffered prolonged postponements and giving the impression that justice delayed is justice denied.

Report findings have been conducted among 88 legal professionals and 17 judges in Nigeria with the aim to assess various aspects of the judicial system and come up with workable solutions for the good of all, particularly for victims of abuse. This is not forgetting perceptions of controversial decisions, the impact of the decisions on the victims and public trust, the effects of complaint procedures in addressing judicial corruption, external pressures and influences in judicial decision making; reporting and addressing corruption within the judiciary and influence on judicial outcomes, salary transparency and remuneration for judicial officers. Executive Director, Citizens’ Gavel, Nelson Olanipekun, and his team in the report, “Assessing Judicial Integrity: Challenges and Recommendations for Reform in Nigeria,” noted that findings from the research revealed that 92 percent of online poll with 119 respondents express deep distrust in the

fairness of the judiciary and with only five percent indicating trust, revealing significant credibility challenges.

In similar polls, 62 percent of lawyers expressed concerns about the transparency and clarity of judicial proceedings and decisions while 96 percent of the legal profession expressed significant reservations about the frequency and impact of external pressures of judicial decision-making.

Moreso, the survey’s findings shed light on the significant challenges confronting the Nigerian judiciary, which encompasses concerns regarding transparency, accountability, external pressures and corruption which have taken toll in the discharge if justice for the victims. Both legal professionals and judges express deep-seated apprehensions about the integrity and independence of the judiciary, underscoring the necessity for comprehensive reforms to tackle the systemic issues.

On external influences and decisions, 31 per cent of judges and 96 percent of lawyers expressed concerns about external influences and decisions, indicating a shared recognition of outside pressures affecting decision- making processes. Still yet, 55 percent of lawyers, according to the survey, expressed concern about the consistency of judges and judicial officers in adhering to the code of conduct, hinting at potential controversies when ethical standards differ. However, still on external influences, a notable 91 percent also expressed concerns regarding the clarity of rulings’ justifications, with only 11 percent indicating that judges consistently provide clear expectations.

In adherence to ethical standards, 55

percent of lawyers voiced concerns over the consistency of judges’ and judicial officers adhering to the established code of conduct, hinting at the potential for controversial decisions when ethical standards are not uniformly applied. According to the survey, a significant majority of 71 percent of judges’ report varying levels of encounter rates, indicating that controversies were not isolated incidents, but rather a recurring feature. This suggested that issues of ethics and controversies were intertwined within the Nigerian judiciary and this goes ahead to interfere with justice that should be rightly served the victim.

In terms on integrity and professionalism among judiciary colleagues, a majority of as much as 76 percent acknowledged high standards of integrity and professionalism among many judges, suggesting internal efforts to maintain ethical conduct and address misconduct within the judiciary. This according to the survey is a positive perception that reflects a commitment to upholding integrity and professionalism, which can contribute to fostering a culture of accountability and transparency within the legal profession.

In the case of judges’ perception of corruption’s influence, 47 percent acknowledged a moderate influence and 35 percent perceived a slight influence. This indicated recognition among a significant portion of judges that corruption does impact judicial decisions to some extent, albeit not universally undermining the integrity of every decision. However, “a minority six percent views corruptions influence as high, indicating significant concerns about

its profound effects on judiciary integrity and outcomes.”

This is not to say that despite acknowledging the presence of corruption within the judiciary, 12 percent of judges maintain confidence in the integrity of the judicial process, believing that corruption does not influence the quality of judgments. This divergence in perception, according to the survey highlights varying levels of confidence in the judiciary’s ability to resist corrupt influences and uphold decision- making integrity.

To effectively restore public trust and confidence in the judiciary, it is paramount to adopt a multi-faceted approach. Some of them include the idea of implementing measures to enhance transparency in judicial proceedings, including providing clear justifications for rulings and ensuring consistent application for ethical standards and develop guidelines and training programmes for judges to improve clarity and transparency in decision- making processes. This would have to do with a review and reform complaint procedures to make them more accessible, trust worthy, and effective in addressing allegations, as well as establish centralised reporting channels to provide support and guidance to individuals, victims and organisations engaging with the complaint process. Another solution is to “Strengthen measures to resist external pressures on judicial decisionmaking, including implementing safeguards to protect judicial independence as well as conduct regular assessments of external influences and corruption risks within the judiciary, with a focus on identifying and addressing systemic vulnerabilities.”

Kuni Tyessi

FRSC officials on duty

FEATURES

Examining Africa Plus Partners’ 40,000

Bedspace Hostel Initiative for Students

It is an understatement to say that there is a huge gap in the provision of hostel accommodation to students in Nigeria’s higher institutions as most of them (for those who have at all) can hardly provide for more than 20 per cent of their students’ population.

And with the increasing number of students seeking admission into the country’s tertiary institutions, the situation has become dire even with depreciating funding for such institutions.

With the gap estimated to be in excess of 80 per cent, this bold initiative by the Africa Plus Partners Nigeria Limited (APPNL), therefore represents a new horizon in efforts by both the private sector and the government to improve living and reading conditions for students in tertiary institutions across the country.

In a bold move to stem this embarrassing shortfall in the availability of standard accommodation for students in public universities nationwide, the federal government initiated several policies to devolve and share development activities with the private sector under a Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement.

One of such is the lease structure which forms the basis of the Federal Government National Student Housing Project. This laudable initiative, which aims at providing more than 38,000 bed space accommodation for students of tertiary institutions across the country became the concept for the partnership between APPNL and TETFUND.

The first pilot phase of the project would involve the construction of 1,600 bed capacity hostels in 24 universities, polytechnics and Colleges of Education across the six geopolitical zones of the country, with 800 bed capacity for males and 800 bed capacity for females. The hostels would further consist of 32 reading rooms, common rooms, cafeteria and restaurants, laundromat, 200 car parking space, grocery shops, salons with the rooms equipped with personal wardrobes, en suite bathroom, 24/7 site support, access control and 24-hour security and surveillance.

At the ground breaking of Africa Plus Partners’ 1,600 bed space hostel at the Akwa Ibom State University, Ikot Akpadem in Mkpat Enin Local Council, the federal government which lauded Africa Plus for the initiative said it had earmarked N98.2 billion as counterpart funding for the initiative.

Managing Director of Africa Plus Partners, Mr Adeniran Ajakaiye, in his introductory remark said the company initiated the project when it discovered that the gap in hostel accommodation in Nigeria had been in excess of 80 per cent.

This, Ajakaiye said constituted danger to the students because such conditions could not offer them adequate protection and a good reading and learning culture and environment.

“And that is why we at Africa Plus Partners have carefully curated an accommodation scheme to cater to approximately 40,000 students in tertiary institutions across the country and this is in tandem with our desire to enable students focus on reading rather than living,” the MD explained.

Managing Director of Family Homes Fund, Abdul Mukhtar, while giving an overview of the project said he felt fulfilled and expressed joy that the University would be the first state owned institution to benefit from the initiative.

The federal government under the leadership of President

Bola Tinubu and the guidance of Edun according to him, was fostering a transformative Students Housing Programme across the nation with the first phase projected to deliver 38,400 bedspaces in 24 tertiary institutions across Nigeria.

The government’s contribution is championed by Family Homes Funds Limited (FHFL). FHFL is a housing development initiative focused on providing affordable homes for Nigerians on low to middle income.

With over 15,000 houses across Nigeria, FHFL is promoted by the government as part of its Social Intervention Programme employing innovation and strong partnership in addressing the housing challenges in Nigeria and creating over 84,000 direct and indirect jobs and stimulating the local economy in the process.

APPNL, the main financier of the initiative is a SEC- licenced specialist asset management company focused on infrastructure fund management in Nigeria and across sub-Saharan Africa. It currently manages Nigeria’s first equity-based Naira denominated infrastructure fund-the Africa Infra Plus Fund (AIPF I).

APPNL obtained approval from SEC for a total programme size of N200 billion for its second Fund, AIPF II. Having completed Series I of AIPF II, the total funding capacity of AAPNL currently is more than N400 billion. AAPNL strives to harness resources at its disposal to unlock tremendous opportunities and leverage its structuring capabilities to maximise profitability, enhance its investors’ wealth and value of its managed funds whilst ensuring sustainable social development and preservation of the environment.

APPNL through the Triple A Consortium (which includes ARC and Afrinvest), was appointed as one of four independent asset managers for the Infrastructure Corporation of Nigeria Limited (InfraCorp), a world class infrastructure development vehicle set up by the Central Bank of Nigeria in conjunction with the Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) and the Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority to catalyse and accelerate investment into Nigeria’s infrastructure sector via the creation of a N15 trillion Infrastructure Fund.

Finance Minister and Coordinating Minister of the Economy Mr. Wale Edun, who was represented by his Permanent Secretary Mr. Udo Ekanem, at the occasion, said the project was aimed at tackling deficit in hostel accommodation for students in order to improve reading and learning culture amongst them.

The Minister who commended Governor Umo Eno for his commitment to educational advancement in the state and lauded the partnership between Africa Plus Partners and TETFUND that has led to the initiative and also appealed for support for President Bola Tinubu in his quest to lay a strong foundation for the development of Nigeria especially in education by helping students to grow in innovation and creativity.

In a remark at the occasion, Executive Secretary of TETFUND, Sonny Echono, said the Fund would spend N72 billion for the building of modern hostels in tertiary institutions across the country in the next two years and applauded its partners in the project, Africa Plus Partners and Family Home Funds for their commitment and drive towards providing conducive residence for undergraduates to boost innovative learning and research.

Echono, commended successive Governors of the State for effective partnership with the federal government and promised that more of such projects would be done in the institution as part of the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu, further explaining that the Fund would intervene in 36 hostels in higher institutions in Nigeria this year with N24 billion and would double the funding next year, providing N1 billion for those involving Public Private Partnership (PPP), collaborations and N0.5 billion for those without PPP. For the AKSU project, the Executive Secretary said the Fund would contribute N1 billion while Africa Plus Partners would provide the main funding to the tune of N4 billion. Also in a remark, Governor Eno, who was represented by the Education Commissioner, Mrs. Idongesit Etiebet, commended initiators of the hostel project for their efforts meant to boost learning environment for students maintaining that the measure of growth of any society is represented by investment in education said the state government has continued to pay deep attention especially to education at the foundation level to enable students develop their potentials early enough.

The State government, Eno stressed has been working on meeting challenges of state-owned higher institutions by making investments in infrastructure and paying bursary to indigenous students in all public tertiary institutions across the country while education has continued to enjoy critical recognition in his administration’s ARISE Agenda.

Sanwo-Olu, Wahab, Save Nnobi, Odelola Residents from Noise Pollution

Few days ago, the Lagos State Government announced that it shut over 840 event centres and social facilities for safety violations and non-compliance with the extant laws of the state in the last one year.

Commissioner for Special Duties and InterGovernmental Relations, Gbenga Oyerinde, who disclosed this, noted that in one year, the Lagos State Safety Commission carried out enforcement action at 840 facilities, including event centres, clubs, lounges and hotels and construction sites for safety infractions in the interest of public safety.

He cited example with the Lekki Conservation Centre, Quilox, among others. The move, he said was in line with the Governor Babajide SanwoOlu’s THEMES Plus Developmental Agenda to mitigate risks and protect life and property of government and citizens of Lagos State.

While those who reside around areas where the 840 facilities were shut down would obviously be thrilled by the state government’s action, residents of Nnobi, Odelola, Odutayo and

some other adjoining streets are unfortunately undergoing excruciating pains caused by noise pollution from a popular facility – Whiteley Event Centre, located on Nnobi Street, which the state government has turned a blind eye to.

The facility is alleged to be owned by a member of the Federal House of Representatives, Hon. Lanre Okunlola, who represents Surulere II Constituency in the 10th National Assembly.

Just as in the past few days, the Lagos Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA), with the active supports of the Commissioner for Environment, Tokunbo Wahab, has been working to bring sanity to the state, it would be nice for the state government to save residents of Nnobi, Odelola, Odutayo and others from noise pollution during the day and at night, almost all weekends.

People who go to work from Mondays to Fridays are not able to have decent rest during weekends because of the activities at Whiteley Event Centre. These residents are not asking for too much. All they require from operators of Whiteley Event Centre is to ensure that the stipulated LASEPA guidelines on standard

approved noise be adhered to.

They are demanding that the guidelines which state that, “the standard approved noise level in residential areas shall not exceed 55 decibels during the day and 45 decibels at night,” are fully complied with, so that when they in their houses, they can rest properly and have descent conversation.

People living with noise pollution feel irritable, frustrated or angry and If they cannot control the amount of noise in their environment, the impact on their mental health intensifies. Noise pollution is a common cause of sleep disturbance which is a challenge residents of this neighborhood face presently.

In May 2023, Tunji Bello, the then Commissioner for Environment, reportedly carried out a free test for 250 residents to ascertain hearing defects caused by noise pollution, during the 8th edition of the State’s ”Noiseless Lagos” campaign, held in Ikeja.

From what residents of Nnobi, Odelola, Odutayo and other adjoining streets have suffered due to noise pollution from Whiteley Event Centre, if the present Commissioner decides to

repeat same test in the aforementioned area, the outcome would jolt him because of the damage that has been done to their hearing.

According to the Harvard Medicine magazine, noise pollution does not only drive hearing loss, tinnitus, and hypersensitivity to sound, but can cause or exacerbate cardiovascular disease; type 2 diabetes; sleep disturbances; stress; mental health and cognition problems, including memory impairment and attention deficits; childhood learning delays; and low birth weight.

Similarly, Medical News Today reveals that a 2018 review, showed that “there is evidence that short-term exposure to noise pollution can temporarily raise blood pressure and increase blood viscosity. There is also an association between long-term exposure to noise and higher rates of cardiovascular disease.”

Therefore, residents of Nnobi, Odelola, Odutayo and adjoining streets are appealing to Sanwo-Olu, Wahab and operators of Whiteley Event Centre to save them from noise pollution so that they can derive comfort, joy, well-being, relax, procreate and have decent conversations with their families when they in their respective homes at weekends.

Ikenna Nicholas Ukwa

Proposed hostel initiative

Zach Atoyebi

AUTO WORLD

Pi-CNG Commissions Fixit45’s Workshop for Conversion to CNG-powered Vehicles

The Presidential CNG Initiative during the week inauguration of a workshop built by Fixit45 for the conversion of vehicles from the use of petrol and diesel to compressed Natural Gas (CNG),

The workshop, located at Ilupeju, Lagos, is also a centre for CNG conversion training and installation that is being done with technical support and collaboration with Mijo Autogas Pvt, India, an original equipment manufacturer.

Oluwagbemi said the nation’s CNG landscape has witnessed tremendous growth in the last six months, saying it was a demonstration of what are geared towards making life better for the people by enabling good policy.

Oluwagbemi stated that the government is fully committed to the CNG programme, saying, “We need at least 3,000 workshops like Fixit45 across the country if we want to have this reliable, cheaper and cleaner future we are talking about. We need over 4,000 refueling stations.

“We require more than 400 to 500 major mother stations, as well as CNG plants to extend the current rate of CNG across the country. We need to invest in major transmission pipelines. We need to complete the Ajaokuta–Kaduna–Kano (AKK), which is about a $4 billion project that the NNPCL is currently building and other gas projects. We need to connect a critical pipeline

L-R: Business Development Consultant, FixIt45, Pradeep.K.Sham; Chairman, (Pi-CNG), Micheal Oluwagbemi; MD, Mijo Autogas Pvt, India, Ravi Mittal; VP Commercial, FixIt45, Chioma Ahueze; co-founder, Fixit45, Pankaj Bohhra; Service Advisor FixIt45, Aisha Jibowu; and CFO, FixIt45, Goodluck Ikporo, at the official inauguration of first CNG Training and Installation Centre at Ilupeju, Lagos… recently

system to ensure gas move across Nigeria.

“Some of these are ongoing while others have been completed to ensure that the country achieves its plan of having a million vehicles converted by 2027. So, we are excited to have the inauguration here in Lagos.”

Oluwagbemi said, “We are grateful to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu who enabled us to set out

FG Promises to Purchase Innoson’s CNG-powered Buses

The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, has said the federal government would in future include Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing Company Ltd (IVM) in the award of contracts for the production of CNG-powered buses, as part of the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) Initiative.

The minister stated this after a tour of the IVM factory complex and its multi-billion new plant, in Nnewi. The new plant, which will be opened soon, has an installed capacity to manufacture 30,000 CNG vehicles annually, according to the automaker.

Innoson Vehicles pioneered the manufacture of autogas vehicles, including buses of varied capacities, about two years ago, which was the reason the company wondered why they were not included in purchase of buses by the Presidential Committee.

According to the minister, “Today is a different day. I can assure you that we will make a move towards making amends from what has happened yesterday to make our person (referring to Dr. Innocent Chukwuma, CON), proud of where he comes from, and that he is from Nigeria.” Ekpo commended the Innoson Group Chairman, Dr. Chukwuma, for investing keenly in the

manufacture of CNG vehicles and aligning with President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to using the CNG Initiative to dampen the effect of the removal of fuel subsidy on the masses.

He said the massive production of vehicles that run on CNG by Innoson is giving a boost to the transition from petrol and diesel to gas.

Reacting to the minister’s assurance, Dr Chukwuma echoed his belief that the exclusion from the contract awards for the CNG buses by the Presidential Committee should be regarded as a thing of the past while expecting a fairer process in the future.

According to him, “Anybody can make a mistake, and you cannot kill that person for making a mistake. Maybe, the committee never knew the extent IVM had gone in manufacturing CNG vehicles (since 2022). I am sure that as of today, they are now aware of what we are doing, and they will not do such a thing again.

“But, it is not compulsory that they will use IVM to start the implementation of the CNG Initiative. They can use anybody’s brand to start. But, they will later understand the true position of things as time goes on. We are all working together to move the nation forward.”

The Innoson Chairman also commended the President for the CNG Initiative, following the removal of petrol subsidy, and for directing

on this journey that is now catalyzing into the kind of change and development we are getting in the sector.”

Besides commissioning the workshop, he said, “We have come to see some of the interesting things that Fixit45 is doing to set Nigeria on the path of cleaner, safer, cheaper and more reliable source of energy in the transportation sector.

“Nigeria is a gas country with the highest gas

reserve in Africa, top seven in the world and, yet, energy poor. The country is the second highest Niger Delta, we continue to burn gas. “In the

of waste.

“Indeed, since we have energy riches, gas being in the 30 0f 36 Nigerian states, the reality is that the future of a cleaner, safer and more reliable energy in the transportation sector can only be in the gas sector. So, when the president came in last year, he felt it is not genuine that a country so blessed like us, should still be experiencing energy poverty.

“Every now and then, we have queues for PMS that we import and are equally subsidized. There is not just shortage; there is massive smuggling of that resource that is supposedly subsidized. The money that should have been spent on roads, hospitals, and education is spent rather on subsidizing our neighbours who then enjoy

of government resources does not go to those things that matter.

“The government and the President said no, this is no longer tenable. We cannot continue to subsidize poverty, import unemployment and export jobs why we remain energy poor. To change the conversation, the President said it is time for Nigeria to depend on the natural gas that God blessed it with.”

government ministries and agencies to key in into the momentum for Nigerians to follow suit.

Chukwuma further stated, “We have confidence in President Tinubu because he knows how to handle any situation. He is an expert and he showed it in Lagos State as governor. So, we still believe he will do it with Nigeria.

“All these things we are doing here are part of our efforts to support him, so that the government can be able to make Nigeria great. With all these things we are doing and everybody’s support,

the President will surely make Nigeria great. I am building this new CNG factory now and the President is expected to commission it very soon.”

Impressed with what he witnessed at the plant, including CNG buses in various stages of production and the evidence of huge investments at the new plant dedicated to the production of electric and autogas vehicles (CNG and Liquified Natural Gas, LNG), the Minister of State remarked that manufacturing activities at IVM were in line with “the aspirations of Mr. President.”

LSM to Deploy CNG Buses Across Nigeria Next Month

The Chief Executive Officer of Lanre Shittu Motors Ltd, Taiwo Shittu, Taiwo Shittu has said that by June 2024, his company will be deploying a large number of the LSM branded CNG buses at the airports across the country and for other mass transportation needs.

He said LSM mulled the idea of CNG vehicles and saw it as the future of the local automotive industry many years ago because of the abundance of excess natural gas in the economy as well as the economic benefits of using CNG buses by both the operators and the commuters.

Shittu assured that there are plans to start the assembling of the LSM branded CNG buses in Lagos using the best technology like in other parts of the world. Apart from assembling CNG vehicles from start to finish inside the LSM plant, the company

boasts of enough kits capable of converting petroI-powered vehicles to CNG, he said.

He allayed the fears of prospective customers of lack of quality aftersales maintenance of any stock order rolled out from the assembly plant.

He commended President Bola Tinubu for the ongoing reforms in Nigeria’s automotive sector and mass transportation initiatives in the country through the CNG buses project.

Shittu expressed delight over a number of measures by the current government towards rejuvenating the various auto assembly plants in the country with specific attention to assembly of CNG buses to boost public transportation and lessen the challenges faced by commuters.

Following the presidential directives that CNG buses must be a priority and preferred mode of transport by the various ministries, departments and agencies, the government

has shown its determination to encourage the local auto assembly plants.

For over 40 years, according to Shittu, LSM through the visionary founder and chairman, Late Alhaji Lanre Shittu has carved an enviable niche within the automotive industry through its quality products and services. Taiwo Shittu says, introducing the LSM branded buses is one of the many ways of immortalising him.

Shittu said, “We have taken proactive steps in the past years to offer quality training to our technicians at various stages, levels and categories of auto assembly and after sales maintenance services.”

Upon graduation and certification, the technicians are also deployed not only to the various LSM offices nationwide, they are also being sort after by other industry stakeholders within the nation’s automotive value chain.

L-R: Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo; Innoson Chairman, Dr. Innocent Chukwuma, CON; and another official in the ministry, after inspecting a fully-built CNG bus at IVM plant in Nnewi… recently

CNG-powered buses by Lanre Shittu Motors in Lagos

GLOBAL SOCCER

Ola Aina Ambushed in the Forest

Following the expiration of his contract with Italian side,Torino,Super Eagles defender,Ola Aina,joined Nottingham Forest on a one-year deal with the Premier League club having an option of another one-year extension.After an impressive season with theTrickyTrees, the club onTuesday announced the decision to exercise the one-year extension option in the 2023AFCON silver medalist’s contract,thereby ensuring he will remain at the club for another season and the full-back have expressed his delight at the decision

Nottingham Forest on Tuesday annouced the extension of Super Eagles defender, Ola Aina’s contract by one year, meaning the Chelsea academy product will be staying at the club till June 2025 to the delight of the Nigerian.

The 2023 Africa Cup of Nations silver medalist joined the English Premier League club on a free transfer from Torino last summer, and his first season at the club is nothing but encouraging.

“Nottingham Forest is pleased to confirm that it has activated a one-year extension in Ola Aina’s contract,” the club announced on their official website on Tuesday.

“The 27-year-old has enjoyed a positive first season on Trentside having joined the club on a free transfer last summer.”

“Aina, who can play as right-back or leftback, made 22 appearances for Forest this season, establishing himself as a popular amongst supporters for his all-action displays on either side,” the Forest said.

Forest’s Chief Football Officer, Ross Wilson added, “Since Ola joined the club last summer, he has impressed all of us with his performances both on the pitch and also with the positive personality that he brings to the group every day. We are delighted that he will move forward with us.”

In his reaction, Aina said, “I’ve been really happy with my time spent here at Forest and the fans have been great. I’m really looking forward to seeing what the

future holds.”

Since joining the club on a free transfer last summer, the Nigerian international has made 22 appearances for the two-time European champions, showcasing his versatility on either side of the defense.

One of the highlights of Aina’s first season at the City Ground was when he outpaced one of the fastest player in the Premier League, Kyle Walker,in their defeat to Manchester City and it was one of the talking points of the game.

Recalling the moment when he took on and beat Walker in a foot race, a feat not many players, including Kylian Mbappé, can claim to have matched in recent times and Aina says his phone was “frantic” since a tweet from the Premier League that amassed 22,000 likes went viral.

“I remember when it happened I saw him and thought: ‘I might as well just try it’ – and I put everything into it,” says the 27-year-old Nigeria defender. “Afterwards he said something like: ‘You’re pretty quick’ and ‘You caught me flat-footed.’ But he was very chilled about it. He’s done the same thing to other players so many times.”

“Even though that clip shows I got past him, it wasn’t as easy as it may have looked,” says Aina.

Aina was clocked as the fastest player in Serie A during his first season in Italy after leaving Chelsea. Although he claims he can’t remember being timed over 100 metres since competing for his school in Romford in year 7.

“Football has always been the No 1

thing for me but I’ve always loved playing different sports,” says Aina. “I used to play rugby at school, mainly on the wing but I also tried inside-centre. I also used to do long jump at school and represented Essex in the English schools. I think I won a few times.”

The records show that Aina jumped 6.54m in 2011 – the sixth-best mark in English schools’ history at the time. However, he says he would prefer not to take part in a Premier League long jump competition. “I don’t think my knees can do it any more!”

Aina’s eyes light up when his time at Chelsea’s academy was mentioned and he remains close friends with several players with whom he came through the system, including Milan’s Fikayo Tomori and Reuben Loftus-Cheek, Tammy Abraham and Crewe’s Charlie Colkett.

“We were going into games knowing that we were going to win. Every game, whether it be a friendly, or FA Cup or youth Champions League. We were really close across the age groups too. Everyone chilled together off the pitch. I felt almost everyone was like a brother.”

But he has no regrets about the decision to go on loan to Torino at 21 after being restricted to three Premier League appearances for Chelsea. “I don’t look at it like that. Things change in football all the time and I think I just missed that era of young players being given more of a chance and breaking through as frequently as we’ve seen in the last few years. But I feel things

are meant to be and if I was meant to break through as a superstar youngster then I would have done it. I don’t look back on it with any regret or animosity.”

Aina made his move to Torino permanent in 2019 and is justifiably proud of what turned out to be a trendsetting role in young English players heading to Serie A. “Initially I was a bit nervous about going out there. But my loan went better than I expected – I loved the manager, Walter Mazzarri, the city and the team I was in. It was a bold move but it felt like a move that made sense for me. To see some of my close friends like Fikayo and Tammy come out to Italy after me is something I’m proud of.

Having captained England at under-19 level, Aina switched allegiances to his parents’ homeland, Nigeria, in 2017 and remembers attending his first training session with Crystal Palace’s Eberechi Eze, who has since been capped by England. Aina has 40 caps and was part of the squad beaten in January’s Africa Cup of Nations final by Ivory Coast after the hosts had almost been eliminated in the group stages before staging a remarkable recovery.

“It felt like we were fighting against destiny,” Aina says. “You could feel the weight of Ivory Coast against us. There were some decisions that could have gone our way but I’m not that kind of player –ultimately they did enough to beat us and fair play to them. We’ve been building this team since the 2019 Afcon when we came third with a really young team. Getting to the final was a progression that showed we are nearly there.”

Having been relegated while on loan at Fulham for a season in 2020-21, Aina could not resist the lure of the Premier League when Forest came calling. Known primarily as a right-back, he has established himself as the first-choice left-back since Nuno Espírito Santo replaced Steve Cooper as the manager.

“I am really enjoying my time here at Forest. I love it. It’s been great and they have welcomed me in with open arms. The club is fantastic and it’s a great experience playing at the City Ground. The atmosphere is amazing and it feels good to be here. I just want to finish the season and I’m sure stuff will sort itself out. Right now the focus is just being in the Premier League next season.”

As for the four-point deduction that forced Forest to fight for their lives and the controversies over his club’s public spat with the referees’ body the PGMOL, Aina – who says he wasn’t aware Mark Clattenburg was briefly employed as a refereeing consultant or that he officiates on Gladiators, believes both have made the players more determined.

“We’ve been very unlucky and I think some things could have been dealt with differently – that’s clear for everyone to see,” he says. “But the way we are as a squad is that we will moan about it for a bit and then just move on. We never dwell on things. All we care about is getting on the pitch and performing well. With thing having not gone our way, we have got closer together and fight for the badge and the club. Our fans can see that togetherness when we’re on the pitch. We have been relentless and won’t stop fighting until the end.”

Ola Aina matches Manchester City’s Kyle Walker for pace when both sides met at the City Ground

Can United Stop City from Reaching Another Milestone as Manchester Gets Divided?

For the second time in two years, Manchester United will be confronting Manchester City in the final of the English FA Cup as the two sides battle for honours today in the world’s oldest football cup competition. Just last weekend, the Citizens became the first club in England to win four straight Premier League titles and a win for the‘noisy neighbours’today would mean another milestone in English football as the Pep Guardiola’s men would become the first side to win both the league and FA Cup for two consecutive seasons.Though the Red Devils have not been up to speed in recent times, butTen Hag’s side would draw motivation from booking a Europa League ticket and also preventing their blue side rival from setting another record

Reuniting under the famous arch of Wembley Stadium for a repeat of last year’s Manchester derby showpiece, bitter rivals Manchester City and Manchester United do battle in the 143rd FA Cup final this afternoon.

While the Citizens are vying to retain England’s oldest trophy and hoist it aloft for the eighth time in their history, the Red Devils are out for revenge and are seeking to get their hands on the prestigious prize for a 13th time.

This time last year, Man City were marching towards a historic treble, with both the club and individual stars breaking a plethora

of records along the way. Although their aspirations of retaining the Champions League came to an emotionally exhausting end earlier this season, losing on penalties to Real Madrid in the quarter-finals, they remain on course to etch their name into the history books on the domestic front for the second time in the space of just six days.

Despite the best efforts of challengers Arsenal who pushed them right to the final day, Man City have been crowned Premier League champions once again after beating West Ham United 3-1 in front of a carnival atmosphere at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday, becoming the first team in English top-flight history to win four titles in a row.

Man City’s relentless drive to succeed season after season has been instilled by manager Pep Guardiola, who continues to cement his status as one of, if not the, best coaches the beautiful game has ever produced having now won six Premier League titles and 17 trophies in total during his eight years at the helm.

Guardiola, who has been rewarded with the Premier League Manager of the Season accolade, has admitted that he is now running out of things to achieve at Man City. With his contract set to expire in 2025, the Catalan has stated that he is “closer to leaving than staying”, hinting that next season could be his last at the Etihad.

MANAGING

DEPUTY

The 53-year-old was, however, reliably informed by Gary Lineker last weekend that he can create further history with Man City in today’s Wembley showpiece, as no team in English football has ever won the top-flight title and FA Cup in consecutive seasons. The Citizens could complete the league title and FA Cup double for the third time, something that has only been achieved

previously by Man United (1993-94, 1995-96 and 1998-99) and Arsenal (1970-71, 1997-98 and 2001-02).

Arsenal were in fact the last team to win back-to-back FA Cups (2014 and 2015) and have won a record 14 trophies in total, with Man United second on the all-time list with 12, while Man City can move into joint-third with eight triumphs along with Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur if they can come out on top this weekend.

Since losing 3-2 to Liverpool in the semi-finals of the 2022 FA Cup, Man City have won each of their last 11 games in the competition, scoring 34 goals and conceding only five times.

Man City, who boast a club-record 35-game unbeaten run in all competitions dating back to December 6, have every right to be optimistic of success against a Man United outfit whom they have already beaten twice in the Premier League this season (3-0 at Old Trafford and 3-1 at the Etihad). The last time they beat their rivals three times in the same campaign was back in 1969-70.

Although the Citizens are regarded as firm favourites to win today’s final, Man United can never be written off entirely in a Manchester derby and there is arguably more riding on this fixture for the Red Devils and particularly manager Erik ten Hag, who has come under mounting pressure to keep his job following an underwhelming 2023-24 campaign.

Man United enter their 22nd FA Cup final, the most by any team in the competition’s history, knowing they must beat Man City to qualify for next season’s Europa Conference League after their lowest-ever Premier League finish (eighth place) was

confirmed last weekend, despite beating Newcastle United and Brighton & Hove Albion in their final two games of the campaign.

Ten Hag has continuously highlighted the fact that his Man United side have been hampered with injuries and illness throughout this season, but that serves as no excuse for a number of below-par performances across all competitions. In the Premier League, the Red Devils have been condemned to a clubrecord 14 defeats and end the season with a -1 goal difference for the first time in 34 years. They also mustered their second-lowest points total (60) in a 38-game campaign.

The only competition that has brought an element of joy to Red Devils supporters this term is the FA Cup.

Ten Hag has vowed to ‘fight for the FA Cup’ and end their gruelling season that has ‘not been good enough’ on a much-needed high, but securing silverware at the expense of Man City might not be enough to save his job ahead of an expected summer overhaul by minority shareholder Sir Jim Ratcliffe. Man United enter today’s contest having lost six of their last seven meetings with Man City in all competitions, conceding 21 goals in the process, and they have lost each of their last three in a row. However, the Red Devils have come out on top in five of their last seven FA Cup encounters with their noisy neighbours, although both defeats during this run were at Wembley, including last season’s final when a brace from Ilkay Gundogan - including a 12-second opener condemned Ten Hag’s men to a 2-1 defeat.

Manchester City in quest for another English record with FA Cup

FA Cup Trophy

GLOBAL SOCCER

up the Europa Cup

Lookman, Osimhen, Nwabali, Ndidi, 19 Others for Bafana, Cheetahs

Nigeria’s Head Coach, Finidi George, has picked rave-of-the-moment, Ademola Lookman, African Player of the Year Victor, Osimhen and safe hands Stanley Nwabali among a crop of 23 players who will do battle with South Africa’s Bafana Bafana and the Cheetahs of Benin Republic in upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches.

George also selected goalkeeper Maduka Okoye, England-based defenders Calvin Bassey and Semi Ajayi, midfielders Wilfred Ndidi, Alex Iwobi and Alhassan Yusuf, and forwards Kelechi Iheanacho, Victor Boniface and Terem Moffi.

Remo Stars’ hard-as-nails defender Sadiq Ismael is called for the first time, with Turkey-based midfielder Fisayo Bashiru, Bayer Leverkusen of

New winners are expected to emerge in the international elite race when the 10th edition of the Okpekpe international 10km road race holds today in Okpekpe, Edo State, south-south Nigeria following the absence of defending champions, Daniel Simiu Ebenyo of Kenya and Kazakhstan’s Caoline Chepkoech Kipkiriu.

Ebenyo set a new 28:28 course record in his debut in the race last year but will not be available this time around because of the Kenyan trials for the 10,000m event same day in faraway

Germany’s Nathan Tella and lanky forward Paul Onuachu also called.

Nigeria confront South Africa at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium, Uyo on Friday, June 7, starting from 8pm, and then fly to Abidjan to tackle Benin Republic at the Stade Felix Houphouet-Boigny on Monday, June 10, starting from 4pm CIV time (5pm Nigeria time).

…Eagles for Bafana, Cheetahs Battles

Goalkeepers: Stanley Nwabali (Chippa United, South Africa); Maduka Okoye (Udinese FC, Italy); Ojo Olorunleke (Enyimba FC)

Defenders: Chidozie Awaziem (Boavista FC, Portugal); Bright Osayi-Samuel (Fenerbahce FC, Turkey); Sadiq Ismael (Remo Stars FC); Oluwasemilogo Ajayi (West Bromwich Albion, England);

Eugene, USA at the Prefontain Diamond League meeting.

In Ebenyo’s absence, country man, Edward Zakayo Pingua will lead the charge to not only win the title but also attempt to break the course record set last year.

Pingua has broken 28 minutes this year and is in fact one of just 50 men worldwide to have done that and a repeat performance of the 27:49 he ran in January in Ibiza, Spain will make him the first man in Okpekpe race history to run a sub-28 minute in the event.

Calvin Bassey (Fulham FC, England); Benjamin Tanimu (Ihefu SC, Tanzania)

Midfielders: Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City, England); Raphael Onyedika (Club Brugge, Belgium); Alhassan Yusuf Abdullahi (Royal Antwerp FC, Belgium); Frank Onyeka (Brentford FC, England); Alex Iwobi (Fulham FC, England); Fisayo Dele-Bashiru (Hatayspor, Turkey)

Forwards: Nathan Tella (Bayer Leverkusen, Germany); Victor Osimhen (SSC Napoli, Italy); Kelechi Iheanacho (Leicester City, England); Samuel Chukwueze (AC Milan, Italy); Paul Onuachu (Trabzonspor FC, Turkey); Ademola Lookman (Atalanta FC, Italy); Victor Boniface (Bayer Leverkusen, Germany); Terem Moffi (OGC Nice, France)

He will be challenged by Haftamu Gebreselassie of Ethiopia who has also broken 29 minutes in the event (27.48).

Meanwhile, top winners at the Okpekpe Race, men and women, can make a total of $22,000 each if they break the official course and African (World) records (subject to ratification under World Athletics rules).

This will be m ade up of the prize money of $15,000 and $2,000 for breaking the course record and $5,000 for breaking the African/World record.

AfroSport Awarded Rights to Deliver FIFA W’Cup 2026 African Qualifiers in Nigeria

Fans of Nigeria’s Super Eagles are set for a feast as the forthcoming FIFA World Cup 2026 African Qualifiers will be broadcast live on AfroSport and NTA networks, in Nigeria.

MMS/PC Plus Group, FIFA’s exclusive agency for the FIFAWorld Cup 2026 African Qualifiers in 41 Sub-Saharan African countries for a free-to-air broadcast, have awared AfroSport with the exclusive media rights of the competition to the millions of fans across Nigeria, as the

Barcelona have sacked manager Xavi with former Bayern Munich boss Hansi Flick set to replace him.

Xavi will take charge of Barcelona for the final time on Sunday, when they host Sevilla in their last La Liga match of the season.

team seeks to continue its excellent form following on from its outing at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations earlier this year. Afrosport has also been appointed as Host Broadcaster and together with National Broadcaster, NTA Network shall be responsible for producing the Nigeria National Team matches and presenting to the nation.

With an expanded final tournament taking place in the USA, Mexico and Canada

in 2026, up to 10 places are up for grabs, with the winners from each of the nine groups of six qualifying automatically, with another team having a chance through a playoff. With eight matches remaining to be played Nigeria, next Matchweek will offer two matches, at home against South Africa on 7 June at Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo, and three days later an away fixture against Benin, to be hosted in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire.

Rangers Go Spiritual, Give Thanksgiving in Church as NPFL Resumes

Ahead of resumption of the Nigeria Premier Football League, NPFL, this weekend after three weeks break, leaders, Enugu Rangers have gone spiritual in preparation of match day 33 fixture against visiting Bayelsa United.

There was a lot of dancing, praise singing, and thanksgiving as players, coaches, officials, and management staff stormed the Adoration Ministry Enugu, Nigeria (AMEN) under the fierce, Rev. Fr. Ejike Mbaka, to offer thanksgiving for the grace and blessings that the club has enjoyed in the NPFL 2023/2024

season.

With the resumption of the league this weekend after a three-week break necessitated by the backlog of rescheduled matches by Rivers United that was concluded on May 19, members of the ‘Flying Antelopes’, congregated at the Adoration Ground, Emene, Enugu, to thank and seek the grace of God to finish the season on a good note.

Rev. Fr. Mbaka while praying and blessing the team, charged them to be focused, determined, and

from Break

disciplined in the remaining fixtures stressing that he will continue to pray for the team as they prosecute the remaining matches of the season.

After the church service, team members were treated to a sumptuous five-cause dinner courtesy of the management and supplied by the official chef of the club, AmaKris Kitchen. It was a finger-licking experience for all as the team put preparations in top gear for the match day 33, NPFL fixture against visiting Bayelsa United scheduled for Sunday, May 26, 2024, at ‘The Cathedral’, Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium, Enugu.

Abioye Advocates Empowering Nigerian Youth Tech Talent for Future of Football Analysis

The convener of Sport Meet Tech Africa, a platform dedicated to the interweaving of sports and technology, Femi Abioye has appreciated the Entire Nigeria Football fraternity on the appointment of an All Nigerian but one coaching crew for the Super Eagles of Nigeria and uses this medium to address a pivotal moment in the development of football in our beloved country.

The recent appointment of an all-Nigerian coaching crew by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) marks a significant milestone in our national sports journey. It

Outlaws

is a testament to the talent and dedication that exists within our borders.

However, the inclusion of a foreign professional as a Football Analyst within the crew brings to light an area of opportunity for our local talent pool – the realm of football analysis.

Football analysis is no longer a luxury but a necessity in the modern game. It is the backbone of strategic planning and performance enhancement. As such, it is imperative that we invest in building the capacity of our own to manage these roles. By

doing so, we not only retain our national identity within the sport but also create a sustainable model for success that can be replicated across the continent.

He then called the attention of the Honourable Minister to the need for Capacity Building and Skill Development in taking advantage of leveraging technology to solve problems at scale in our sport ecosystem. There is a growing demand for skilled football analysts who can interpret complex data and translate it into actionable insights for team improvement.

Pummel Warriors to Emerge Winner of Flag Football Community Cup

Outlaws Athletics last Saturday emerged winners of the Flag Football Community Cup, beating Warriors 80-47 in the finals at the Meadow Hall, Lekki.

The Outlaws Athletics, who had won all their games since the commencement of the Community Cup in classic display outclassed their opponent to record an unprecedented 80 points.

Speaking after the game, the co-owner of the Outlaws, Ized Uanikhehi, said they have been able to achieve their first target and that’s winning the Com-

munity Bowl with the next target beating the winner of the regular season, the Spartans.

According to her, what has been working for the team is the close-knit between all the players as nobody is inferior to another. “In our team we are family. We interact with each other well, we have everyone’s back, everybody is watching out for another,” she said.”

“Looking at some team, when there is a mistake, they take a go at the culprit, but we don’t do that to our team, we believe that if somebody makes a mistake they can come back from that

mistake and get a win.

We ensure that we understand mistakes and then we look out for the team members so that they can do better the next time. We are looking forward to playing the Spartans who are the winners of the last Season X as we have already won the Community Cup.”

On his part, captain of the losing side-Warriors Flag Football, Chuku Godswill, admitted that the best team won, while calling on people to watch out for his team ahead of the regular season later in the year.

Dolphin Swimming League Award Set for June 1

The 44-year-old, who had been contracted until 2025, was informed of the club’s decision during a meeting with club president Joan Laporta and sporting director Deco yesterday - exactly one month since it had been announced that he would remain at the club.

would leave the Camp Nou, but he was persuaded to stay by Laporta in April.

Former Spain midfielder Xavi announced in January that he

But recent comments from Xavi, in which he opened up about the club’s financial struggles, are said to have angered Laporta. Barcelona said they would like to “thank Xavi for his work as a coach” since taking charge in 2021.

Schools and students who distinguished themselves in season five of the annual Dolphin Swimming League will be rewarded for their efforts at the award ceremony scheduled for Saturday, June 1, at St. Saviour’s School, Ikoyi.

This foremost private interschool swimming tournament has continued to identify talents that have worked their way to the national limelight, with more schools participating.

According to the organisers,

the two-hour award ceremony will witness several laurels being doled out to outstanding schools and students who graced season five, with the aim of inspiring others to aim high in subsequent events.

All participating schools are expected to be present at the award ceremony, which kicks off at 10 a.m., as the main sponsor, Rite Foods, will also be part of the colourful event in Lagos.

More than 10 schools featured in season five of the champion-

ships, with several records set by the young swimmers this year, as plans are on to stage an improved edition in season six.

Meanwhile, the sports-loving Dankaro family has agreed to sponsor the trophies for season six of the tournament as part of their support for grassroots sports development in the country. They expressed satisfaction with the improvement of the league while pledging to continue to support school sports in the country.

Enugu Rangers players in jubilant mood as they stepped out of the Adoration Ground, Emene, Enugu ahead of tomorrow’s NPFL encounter against Bayelsa United slated for the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium,

Ademola Lookman lifting

2026 FIFA WORLD CUP QUALIFIER

Official, Personnel Differ

“P

LATINUMMortgageBank Ltd 2024 Calender”…

From hope to home: calendar!

“Peace in South East Project (PISE-P) and the people of Bende Federal Constituency humbly invites (invite) all to the….”

Wrong: A well deserved honour

Right: A well-deserved (note the vital hyphenation) honour

“The best we have got from our leaders is (are) lamentations and empty promises.”

“One NSCDC personnel (official) killed” ‘Personnel’ is a collective—the totality—of a workforce which cannot be used just for an individual.

“Killings: IGP orders deployment of tactical team, AIG to (in) Plateau State”

“The intrigues that followed the historic appointment was (were) revealed Wednesday….”

“Cross River, Oando Clean Energy to build 100MW wind power generating plant, others” Get it right: power-generating plant

“Flytime Fest 2024 wraps-up (wraps up) with electrifying performances”

From Igbo Elites Port Harcourt comes the next goof: “This is indeed a testimony to the large heart and unbiased heart you always extend to people of different extraction (extractions).”

“Industrial Champion in Africa Award: Another feather to (in) Lagos Free Zone’s cap

When you use ‘demand’ or ‘advocate’ as a verb, do not add ‘for’, please!

“The reason is because (that) our parties lack political ideologies.” (The PUNCH, May 2) This was contributed by Dr. Stanley Nduagu, Aba, Abia State, 08062925996. Additionally from Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, New Edition: Do not say ‘the reason because’ something happens…but say the

reason why that something happens. ‘By reason of something’ means because of something. An analysis, like the foregoing, brings out the technicality of language which puts off most readers! And from me: you can say ‘the reason why I came’ or ‘the reason I came’. Some books frown at the former, why most dictionaries approve it. That is grammaticality for you!

From Mr. G.O. Komolafe, Ilesa (08037277985) comes the next excerpt:

“Twice THE NATION ON SUNDAY COMMENT of May 19 used ‘severally’ and it got the meaning wrong. Note that the word is not the adverb of ‘several’, but the opposite of ‘jointly’ or ‘collectively’.

“230 perish in road crashes in Nasarawa” THE NATION ON SUNDAY also committed this same atrocity apparently from the same news source: “230 killed in Nasarawa road crashes in 12 months” The victims were not killed, but died/perished…! Except in unusual circumstances, roads cannot crash when accidents happen. What crashes are vehicles—not roads! We can have road/rail/ air/sea mishaps and respective contraptions could crash—not the means.

“Back to school (Back-to-school) resolution”

“Lagos official charged for (with) violating Tenancy Law”

“Only agriculture can solve Nigeria’s unemployment problem” ‘Unemployment’ is a present and clear problem globally. Therefore, there is no need for redundancies!

“Matches between the two teams (between the teams, preferably) in the past have (had) always live (lived) to expectations….”

“Harmattan hampers voters turn out in Jigawa Local Govt (LG) election” No news: voter turnout

“INEC reads riot act to staff” Fixed expression: the riot act—headline considerations should not vitiate stock entries.

“It must have been distraction (distractions) galore”

“This seems an insult, both on the spirit and letters of representative government.” Get it right: the spirit of the law (in this case, representative government) There is nothing like ‘the spirit and letters of…’! The correct expression means intention: the meaning or qualities that someone intended something to have, especially the meaning that a law or rule was intended to have. ‘The letter of the law’, conversely, means the exact words of a law or agreement rather than the intended or general meaning. (Source: Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, New Edition)

Still from Longman: Do not say ‘invitation letter’ or ‘complaint letter’. Say letter of invitation/complaint.

“It is a common sight in most police units and stations to behold all manners of faulty equipment....” Not my opinion: all manner of faulty equipment.

“They will only end up frustrating the good intentions of the president, thereby continually subjecting Nigerians into (to) servitude.”

“As popular as the two investigative panels he has put in place may appear, the power to investigate all issues are (is) vested in the respective legislative houses….”

“Charges of corruption against those in authority is (are) not new to Nigerians.”

“Although, personally, his integrity was never questioned, that of the members of his administration were (was) loudly condemned.”

“So (a comma) with dwindling earnings, the Buhari administration cannot (could not) be expected to maintain the same healthy foreign reserve as he inherited.”

Police English Usage

NIGERIAN policemen are supposed to be friends of the society. Alas, their adversarial comportment reminds one of colonialism. Cops

Okosuns, Rhodes: Massive Men Mired in May (1)

Though the critical mode is for intellectuals and opinion writers and commentators to dwell, in these few weeks of May and June, on the serious exercise of scrutinising the activities, actions, policies and posturing of the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Presidency, in its first year (29 May, 2023 - 29 May, 2023); we have elected here to take a break, more like a detour, to attend to the equally substantial assignment of honoring our great minds in the creative vortex; who gave all of their lives in pursuit of creative excellence and eternal legacies.

We remember the music and humanity of late musical freedom fighter and, later, soul searcher, Sonny Okosuns, who at the age of 61 took a final bow on May 24, 2008). Almost an annual obeisance, we unfurl our banner of adulation in memorializing his life, time and music...with a tribute dug out of immortality. I suppose worthy and worthwhile people will never really die… in our memories. This is to Oziddism, and its surviving acolytes.

“When I first read about Sonny Okosuns’ death, I was not shocked. I simply sighed in deep realisation that the older one gets, the closer the exit day from this stressful but unbelievably hopeful world. Since I’ve not written in a long while, and had not seen Okosuns for even longer, I decided to write my fondest thoughts of the militant artiste, and produce a well-researched epistle that will honour the depth and diversity of his musical and relational influences, in African music. You see, I’ve known Okosuns, in the flesh, since I was in Ijero Baptist (Primary) School, Ebute-Meta (Lagos) as far back as the early 70’s. He was my first superstar, living in the flesh down the road.

So, I began an elaborate pre-research process that would allow me cull very old materials and curry former sources that I had allowed to fallow since I “retired” from entertainment reporting. Then, gbam, Elder Steve Rhodes chose that period to die. I

was upset. Then I was numbed. And finally, I abandoned any pretension to a rational understanding of the sudden passages of people my family and I cherish without pre-conditions; people we respond warmly to regardless of circumstances, and people we regard with unfailing reverence. In exasperation of and submission to the cruel logic of inevitability, making mockery of my vain effort at preserving the immortality of man’s ingenuity, I decided to dump my research. I chose instead to write from the heart. Type whatever comes to my spirit based on my over two decades of professional and personal interactions. I lived less than 12 houses, and a road, away from the two-storied building Okosuns was living with his small family on Brickfield Road, Ebute-Meta, West Mainland, Lagos. I was barely 12 years old, in the early-to-mid 70’s; always star-struck every evening I had to go on errands. There were two basic “tourist attractions” for me on the

in other countries are very friendly and professional. On April 27, during my trip to Umuode en route to Aba, Abia State, a cop flagged me down just before Ore and asked for the tinted glass police permit for my Sport-Utility Vehicle (SUV). All explanations that I forgot it in my wife’s car when I took the SUV to my local mechanic for check-up preparatory to my South East trip fell on deaf ears! The presence of my wife and children did not make any emotional difference as the insolent and corrupt cop, (name and number withheld), standing and dangling a hunter’s gun as if we were in a war situation proximal to their rickety operational vehicle, insisted that I bribe him with N10,000 for contravening the law!

There was no hint of taking us to the station for a statement and subsequent ticketing or making pretensions about dragging me to a kangaroo traffic court! It took the intervention of a senior officer and a gentleman before the extortionist and unruly constable could accept N2,000, which I reluctantly paid to foreclose further time wastage because of the tender children aboard and the long, bumpy trajectory ahead. Otherwise, I do not succumb to such circumstantially exploitative demands.

Such extortive brazenness is the identity of Nigerian police nationwide! This kind of official (police) banditry should be limited to Lagos roads where it is a way of life for some disgruntled officers and men of the Lagos Police Command! The IGP, DIGs, AIGs and CPs should check the corrupt and beggarly language of their ‘boys’ while on illegal/outlawed (virtual roadblock) duty. Such foul and horrendous communication hallmarks irredeemable institutional degeneracy.

lower side of Brickfield Road, at the Iganmu end of my world: the majestic multi-spouting fountain in the foreground of the “Oboyata” mansion, and the large black and white cylindrical painting of the bandana-decked bust of Okosuns’ head, zipped across with arresting moniker - “Ozziddi”… at the door of his small apartment.

I would spend several ‘dangerous’ minutes in front of the “Oboyata” house, killing time while watching the water-spitting aquatic figurines… with constant sideway glances to catch a glimpse of the owner of the Ozziddi head.

The ‘times’ I spent in front of Okosuns’ rented home were ‘dangerous’ to my well-being, since I would always stay out longer than anticipated, and the object of my errand would have been in a sorry or diminished state. My guardian, a notorious advocate of “spare the rod and kill the child” was always at pains to understand what could make a 15-minute errand stretch to two hours. She would beat the dark lights out of me.

On another errand, long after the cane had been forgotten; my entire world would, again, get stuck in-between Oboyata and Okosuns’ spectacle… and the ‘beat’ went on….

Yet, in spite of all my “sacrifices”, I was only fortunate to see Okosuns once. The young man (in his late 20’s) was athletic-looking, small in stature with a constant slightly swaggering bounce when walking, or talking. He didn’t appear as huge and dominating as I had dreamt. He was not tall enough, loud enough or swash-buckling enough, like the heroes of the Bonanza (western TV series) that stole the hearts of the 70’s youth of Lagos.

He certainly did not notice me… or my ambition to hold his hands and hear him sing with his natural “high-octane” voice… until 15 years later.

As a reporter with Punch Newspaper, just breaking into the entertainment circuit of the late 80’s, I visited Okosuns’ palatial home in Ogba, Lagos - expectedly painted mostly in black and white - for an interview appointment. Of course, I did not tell him I had been his beady-eyed fan even before I heard his music; or that I could sing most of his songs (Papa’s Land, Fire in Soweto, etc) without acoustics.

We hit it off brilliantly - like old friends who had missed each other for 15 years. I met Nkechi, his adorable matronly wife, who ‘finished’ me with her warmth and smile.

After that first major contact, I knew we would gel as both objects of professional interest and bosom friends - a very difficult balance in the entertainment world. Several visits later, I gained more insight into the persona that is Okosuns. I saw his drive to humanize his fame and fortune by visiting me when I was ill; visiting my office to encourage our new publication in the early 90’s; attending my first daughter’s first birthday party; coming over to pray for me when my media business was under some sort of attack, about seven years before he died.

I saw beyond the man whose politics did not always sit well with me; yet, I understood he was first and foremost an entertainer; then a human being; then a crusading minstrel. Even the best of us sometimes get our priorities mixed up - and appear less than we set out to be.”

(To Continue)

Okosun

Gov Yusuf to Kano People

“We had a series of meetings with the kingmakers, extensive discussions with the Speaker, and we also sat with all the heads of security. At the end of the day, we all feel that we must restore what is due to the good people of the state” – Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf on the reappointment of Muhammadu Sanusi II as the 16th Emir of Kano.

OKEY IKECHUKWU

Trudging on, Bitter Lessons and All

As if addressing the current political situation in Nigeria, especially the diverse submissions of prominent leaders about democracy and the way forward for Nigeria, the philosopher, David Hume said: “There is nothing which is not the subject of debate, and in which men of learning are not of contrary opinions. The most trivial question escapes not controversy, and in the most momentous questions we are not able to give any certain decision. Disputes are multiplied, as if everything was uncertain; and these disputes are managed with the greatest warmth, as if everything was certain.”

While it is in the nature of things for disagreement and diverse points of view to emerge in human affairs, while it is also true that politics and democracy always go handin-hand with competing interests, and while some of them are altruistic and others are not, we must admit that disputation cannot be an end in itself. The endless thrashing about is becoming tiresome and too uninteresting to bear further endurance.

Again, let us remember the words of David Hume in his Treatise on Human Nature, where he admonished philosophy and philosophers thus: “NOTHING is more usual and more natural for those who pretend to discover anything … than to insinuate the praises of their own systems, by decrying all those which have been advanced before them. …. ‘Tis easy for one of judgment and learning, to perceive the weak foundation even of those systems, which have obtained the greatest credit, and have carried their pretensions highest to accurate and profound reasoning. Principles taken upon trust, consequences lamely deduced from them, want of coherence in the parts, and of evidence in the whole, these are everywhere to be met … and seem to have drawn disgrace upon philosophy itself…even the rabble without doors may, judge from the noise and clamour, which they hear, that all goes not well within.”

Hume’s words resonate so strongly with our present situation, does it not? Everything is in dispute, including the time of day and the condition of the weather.

One year into the Tinubu administration, the nation and its people stand perplexed and too worsted to even still articulate a clear complaint anymore. Yet, in the midst of it all, those who have any voice at all in the wider political landscape are screaming as if they are really sure of what they are saying. Thus, it is not just raining, but pouring down everywhere. The doubly irritating babble adds avoidable befuddlement to everything. Besides the regular grumblings about almost every measure taken by the government on any issues whatsoever, the opposition has not demonstrated any clear trajectory in its thinking and carryings on. And one year has rolled by.

On July 7, 2023, this column took a preemptive strike at those who were most probably warming up to celebrate President Tinubu’s first 100 days in office. The submission then was this: “…before his handlers prance off,

in a frenetic pace to make a good impression and show off their superstar, they should first answer this question: Does this government need to organize a State Event, complete with government officials, snivelling crumb-crunchers, genuine stakeholders and the president’s party members all lined up to reel off his specific and general achievements? I think not. We have had more than enough of such charades over the years. Tinubu can create a new precedent by putting an end to it. Tinubu must keep his eyes on the ball. Let us begin to do things differently.”

The article further said, concerning the celebration of 100 days in office which this column did not want to happen: “Now we need to move on, as a serious people. This pointless national engagement has cost the nation hundreds of billions of Naira in perfectly avoidable expenses for decades. Past governments at all levels have put too much energy, funds, fanfare and needless floodlights and festoons around it. And to what purpose? To tell Nigerians that the person they elected had been working for the first three months after being sworn in? Really? What else was he supposed to be doing? Why was he elected in the first place?

So, let us show some sobriety and maturity here; knowing that the money to be thus squandered can be put to better use in these days of starving citizens, abominable inflation, unaffordable automotive fuel and much more – including trekking under the sun because of high transport fares.

Tinubu should, instead, let his foot soldiers do more work of explaining and justifying all the moves he has made so far. Some of them are clearly unsettling for many people. Even the supporters are unable to present a coherent

narrative. Yes, whoever must make an omelette has to break some eggs; but the government must avoid a situation wherein the perception is that eggs are being broken just for the heck of it.

The Federal Government’s current decisions, actions and policy initiatives are foundational measures on which it is expected to build. They will make or mar Tinubu’s tenure. That is why their intent and purport should be simplified in the public domain.”

The above three paragraphs were penned some ten months ago. The spirit of it still applies today, as the government clocks one year in office. As was also said, then: “A leader is supposed to lead, is he not? This leading means, first, designing a comprehensive engagement strategy. It means thinking through the appropriate policies for dealing with various problems. It also means finding and deploying the right type of human capital for implementation. The criteria here must include competence and sensitivity to the existing, and subsisting, socio-political realities; two paradigms on which Buhari performed disastrously and delivered miserably. “

If things are not going as well as we all expected, that is partly the results of a subsisting national problem of a deeper nature; beyond the actions and inactions of specific governments. The nation has been a complete riot of political gymnastics for some time now; having acquired a political reputation that is peculiarly its own since the return of democracy in 1999. Party lines exist in name only, while political loyalty is mostly contrived. Political godfathers are still all over the place.

The opposition politicians, threadbare as their template for effective opposition is in real terms today, are still too self delusional to accept that they are probably bungling much more than those they are complaining about. Everyone believes he is right, at least as far as he/she is concerned, in all matters concerning what is good for the Nigerian state today.

It is all so very reminiscent of the crisis among the early Christians of the Church of Antioch, mentioned in the Bible. It was like a congregation, or fraternity, that was cheerfully affiliated to Bedlam. Nearly everyone had his own prophesies and visions. The Doctrine of Grace suffered diverse interpretations. Greek and Jewish converts, as well as those who came from Jerusalem to sort things out, nearly became the greatest enemies of the new faith.

Their behaviour was peculiarly their own. Their diverse views filled many otherwise interested and intelligent observers with misgivings. Thus, “Church of Antioch” became a metaphor for confusion, doctrinal inexactitude, apostacy heresy and arbitrary self-inflation. That seems to be the texture, and tenor, of our national politics today.

The damage done by Buhari to the APC, to national cohesion, to service delivery, to leadership sensitivity, to equity, to natural justice, to genuine democracy in a plural society, to the very idea of leadership and to the long-term interests of the north is incalculable. Everything that spoke to a better, and greater, humanity, suffered shipwreck under Buhari. Nigerians

lived for eight years with a president who did nothing, knew nothing and who was bothered about nothing.

It took Tinubu’s predecessor six months to appoint ministers. It took him practically one year to dissolve the Governing Boards of MDAs, and more years to reconstitute them. He retained most government functionaries for eight years, thereby forcing many carrier officers to either stagnate or retire without deserved promotions and fulfilment.

Has Tinubu set out new paradigms for leadership and statecraft? Is there a framework which, whatever it may be and in whatever way it is conceptualized, runs on the path that will eventually lead to lasting economic recovery, equity and holistic national cohesion? Is the government making the right type of investments that would lead to national development, instead of merely recording expenditure on all manner of projects; with neither positive impact nor tangible benefit? It is beyond hitting the ground running, or rolling out several decisions in a hurry. It has more to do with sustainability. The Tinubu government has much to make good, and for several reasons; as we trudge on; bruises and all.

Concerning the Banex Plaza Imbroiglio It has been in the news for about a week now. The drama started with some controversy over a telephone handset that was returned to the original seller by a buyer after some weeks of us MIage. The customer’s desire to take a new phone, instead of allowing the seller to resolve the identified battery problem, led to some disagreements. The fact of two soldiers getting involved in the matter, and the invitation of the plaza police to quell budding hostilities between the parties, was the next stage of the eventually unpleasant drama.

Then came further escalation of the disagreement, following consequential verbal hostilities, and the subsequent attack on the soldiers by some people around the plaza.

The plaza has been shut dy, following the incident, with the Director, Army Public Relations, Maj-Gen Onyema Nwachukwu, calling on the traders and managers of the plaza to identify and bring out those who attacked the soldiers.

A trending video in the media on the beating of two soldiers gives very bad optics. It looks like the National orientation Agency (NOA) has a job to do, in getting Nigerians to understand the near-sanctity of the military uniform.

All things considered, we have been told that the presence of the two soldiers in the plaza at the time, their involvement in a phone dispute and the circumstances under which they were laid hands upon would be thoroughly investigated and the plaza reopened for business.

The lesson for the genuine traders at Banex plaza, and other malls all over the country, is the need to get rid of Ndi oso afia, who do not own any shops; but who hang around markets and malls, to mislead and harangue innocent people into paying more than they ought to for goods. They would pretend to be part owners of shops they see anyone walking into and then swoop in to announce inflated prices.

Tinubu