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Chevron, Shell, Others to Remit N341bn JV Revenue to NNPCL in September Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja Four oil companies - Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL), Mobil Producing Nigeria (MPN), Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) and First E&P are expected to remit N341.091 billion to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited

(NNPCL) this September, THISDAY has learnt.

The proceeds, which are from the sale of domestic crude oil in June this year, are only due to being offset this month in line with the 90-day payment terms between the parties involved.

However, an analysis of the data from the NNPCL showed

that the figure fell short of the amount collected as crude oil payables from the oil companies in August.

Last month the NNPCL received N422.37 billion for 8.887 million barrels of oil for May 2022 domestic crude payable in August 2022 from its Joint Venture (JV) partners.

The companies that remitted monies in August were Chevron, Mobil, the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC), Total, First E&P, as well as Addax Petroleum.

But this month, the number of firms that would pay the national oil company has dropped to four.

From the newly released data, Mobil had the highest domestic crude production with 2.849 million barrels, followed

by Chevron with 2.817 million barrels.

In addition, SPDC owed 948,598 barrels worth of cash while First E&P owed the NNPCL domestic crude worth

650,011 barrels.

In monetary value, CNL will pay N131.317 billion, the equivalent of $332.61 million while MPN will remit N134.81 billion, worth $341.4 million equivalent to the greenback.

In addition, SPDC is Continued on page 6

Osime, Majekodunmi-Oniru Debut Perspectives on ARISE News… Page 6 Sunday 4 September, 2022 Vol 27. No 10008

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Five Months to Elections, ADC Suspends Presidential Candidate, Kachikwu BIDDING MABOGUNJE FAREWELL… L-R: Former Ogun State Governor, Mr. Gbenga Daniel; Governor Dapo Abiodun; Chief of Staff to the President, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari; and former President Olusegun Obasanjo, at the funeral service of Emeritus Professor Akin Mabogunje at Cathedral Church of Our Saviour, Ijebu Ode…yesterday

Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has suspended Continued on page 12

Southern PDP Stakeholders Mobilise against Ayu, Cracks in Party Widen Wike, Makinde, Fayemi, Omisore meet in London Dispute stalls govs’ meeting Rivers, Abia, Oyo absent as Atiku meets party’s guber candidates I am not leaving the PDP, Ikpeazu clarifies Chuks Okocha in Abuja Ahead of the meetings of the Board of Trustees (BoT), and National Executive Committee (NEC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday, respectively, the cracks in the main opposition party have widened with the southern stakeholders mobilising against the National Chairman of the

party, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, THISDAY has learnt.

THISDAY gathered that the Rivers State governor, Mr. Nyesom Wike; Oyo State Governor, Mr. Seyi Makinde; Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi and the National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. Iyiola Omisore, also meet in London Continued on page 5

CEMENTING TIES WITH US… Vice President Yemi Osinbajo (left), and the United State Vice President, Kamala Harris, during Osinbajo’s courtesy visit to Harris in Washington DC...weekend

Shun Leaders Who Build Ethnic Walls, Religious Barriers, Jonathan Advises Youths… Page 12

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CELEBRATING WITH THE NEWEST OCTOGENARIAN… L-R: Celebrant, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu; former President Goodluck Jonathan; and Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma, at the 80th birthday lecture in honour of Iwuanyanwu in Owerri...yesterday

SOUTHERN PDP STAKEHOLDERS MOBILISE AGAINST AYU, CRACKS IN PARTY WIDEN at the weekend to explore the areas of collaboration ahead of the 2023 elections.

While Wike and Makinde are of the PDP, Fayemi is of the APC. This is coming as Abia State Governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, yesterday clarified that he would not leave the main opposition party, explaining that his alliance with Wike was to negotiate better deals for the South-east.

The meetings were scheduled to decide the composition of the chairman and membership of the party's presidential campaign council.

With the renewed calls for Ayu’s resignation, there was palpable tension within the camp of the presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar following the accusation that he was shielding Ayu from resigning.

THISDAY gathered that the PDP stakeholders from the South, including the supporters of Wike, are mobilising for a showdown with Ayu’s supporters over his continued stay in office.

Investigations have also revealed that the role played at the party’s presidential primary by the Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum and Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Bello Tambuwal, has made it difficult for the governors to unite and intervene on issues affecting the party.

The southern stakeholders are demanding that Ayu should relinquish his position for the South-west as a strategy against Senator Bola Tinubu’s presidential bid on the platform of the APC. Investigation revealed that the demand for Ayu to step down is no longer seen as a campaign of Wike, but as a southern agenda.

A member of the NEC from the South who spoke to THISDAY off the record argued that with Atiku from the North-east, Ayu from the North-central and the Chairman of the PDP Governors Forum, Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State from the North-west, the southern members of the party have been marginalised.

"There is nothing for the South other than the Office of the National Secretary held by Senator Samuel Anyanwu and the vice presidential candidate, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa,” he told THISDAY. "Ordinarily, the agitation that Ayu must step down should not

necessarily be seen as a Wike’s agenda, but the need for the balancing of power and justice.

"This issue came up during the October 2021 National Convention and even Ayu openly said on ARISE NEWS Channel that he would step down if a northern presidential candidate emerged.

"It is not because of Wike. No, it is because of balancing and justice. It is to give the South a sense of justice and belonging.

This is basically what the various organs of the party through the BoT, National Caucus and the NEC will decide before the ratification of the members of the presidential campaign council," he added.

The source explained that Atiku’s camp has been thrown into panic because there is a strong suspicion that the presidential candidate is backing Ayu. “This is the time for the presidential candidate to speak out and prove to Nigerians that he can take tough decisions.

Atiku's continued silence on the matter of agitation for Ayu to step down is not golden," he said.

Another PDP stakeholder from the South told THISDAY that Ayu would bring only little value to the table.

"What is Ayu bringing into the campaigns that Atiku cannot sacrifice him? I can't believe that Atiku is this weak to take a tough decision. Let us see how all these will go with the national caucus and NEC meetings.”

Also speaking on the issue, a former governor elected on the platform of the PDP said the manipulations and horsetrading that took place at the presidential convention and the nomination of Okowa as the vice presidential candidate have divided the once-united PDP governors forum.

The former governor noted that because of the role played by the Chairman of the PDP Governors, Tambuwal, a meeting of the party's governors cannot be called to intervene on issues affecting the party.

The former governor said the governors have thrown their weights behind Atiku and Wike, stating that this is the time for the presidential candidate to step in and restore normalcy within the party members.

The former governor said it

is a complete falsehood to think that there is no crisis at hand.

It was further gathered that the Governors of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde; Enugu State, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi; Abia State, Dr.Okezie Ikpeazu; Bauchi State, Senator Bala Mohammed and Benue State, Mr. Samuel Ortom have lined up behind Wike to insist that Ayu must go.

However, Okowa; Akwa Ibom State Governor, Mr. Udom Emmanuel; his counterparts in Edo State, Mr. Godwin Obaseki and Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri have thrown their weights behind Atiku.

THISDAY learnt that the governor of Taraba State, Darius Ishaku are said to be sitting on the fence.

The trio of Wike, Ortom, and Makinde left Nigeria for London on Friday.

The trip to London, it was gathered was to conclude plans for their mobilisation for the NEC and national caucus meeting.

Wike, Makinde, Fayemi and Omisore were also said to have met in London to explore areas of collaboration ahead of the 2023 elections.

The source explained that other members of the group were expected to meet them at the London meeting yesterday.

A source close to the Wike’s camp simply told THISDAY that the members of the camp would not leave anything to chance.

“This is Atiku's time to show leadership and he should not fail the party. He should weigh in on the matter before NEC and the outcome should be announced there.

"This is the hour of reckoning for Atiku and Ayu. But, if he should play the ostrich, we will help him to lose the election,” the source said.

THISDAY also learnt that Wike is not relenting in his bid to ensure that the NEC and national caucus of the party force Ayu to resign the same way Prince Uche Secondus was forced to vacate the seat as the national chairman.

It was learnt that a series of meetings have been lined up this week in the fight for the soul of the PDP. "If the PDP survives these series of meetings unhurt, then it could be said that it can win the presidential election.

"This is because there are strong forces against Ayu and

we live to see how he can survive it. It is either the PDP breaks or Ayu goes," a chieftain of the party told THISDAY. The source said that as of Thursday about 10 members of the National Working Committee (NWC) have signed that Ayu must go.

It was gathered that even other presidential aspirants that took part in the presidential primary are not happy with the Ayu-led NEC as nobody has reached out to them.

According to them, Atiku met only Tambuwal because he stepped down for him.

nation and how as one, we can mobilise Nigerians for the task of ousting the ruling party and commencing the rebuilding of Nigeria.”

Some of those present at the gathering were governorship candidates of Kaduna, Plateau, Katsina, Lagos, Delta, Yobe, Jigawa, Nasarawa, Kwara, Benue, Borno, Ebonyi, Niger, Kano and Sokoto states.

Wike, Ikpeazu’s Preferred Successors, Makinde Absent as Atiku Meets PDP Guber Candidates

Meanwhile, as controversy continues to trail the activities of Wike’s camp, Abia State governor, Ikpeazu, has said that he has no intention of leaving the party.

Ikpeazu, who spoke in a telephone interview with journalists yesterday, said that what was important for him was for the PDP and Atiku to decide on how they are going to include the South-east in the scheme of things within the party.

Ikpeazu who stated that his party was willing to vote for the PDP in the February 23 presidential election, said that as of now, the PDP has not made clear what positions are available for the South-east, should the party emerge victorious in the 2023 election.

Ikpeazu stated that although they have engaged in different discussions with other parties, his focus remained on the PDP and how the South-east would be accommodated favourably after the elections.

According to the governor, “forget all talks of leaving the PDP. I am not leaving the PDP and I don’t think other governors are planning to do so. But the point is that the South-east was denied tickets for the presidency in both the PDP and APC. That leaves us unsure of where we are going, and what roles we will play after the 2023 elections.

That is my concern. That is what I am fighting for. Our votes are for the PDP if we receive assurances of our position in 2023 from the PDP, where I belong in the first place.

“It is not about playing hard with the PDP. It is about knowing what we will be given after the elections. These are things we need to sort out early before we commit to anybody. It is not

Meanwhile, the PDP governorship candidate in Rivers State, Siminialayi Fubara, and his counterpart in Abia State, Uchenna Ikonne, were conspicuously absent when the presidential candidate of their party, Atiku, met with PDP 2023 guber candidates yesterday.

Both Fubara and Ikonne had the backings of Governor Nyesom Wike and Okezie Ikpeazu to clinch the gubernatorial tickets in their states.

The meeting held at a time Wike and some governors are in London to deliberate on strategies needed to survive the crisis rocking the party.

Wike has been at loggerheads with the party leadership since he lost the presidential ticket to Atiku. The crisis worsened after Atiku picked Governor Ifeanyi Okowa as his running mate, ignoring the recommendation of those who shortlisted Wike.

Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State was also absent at the meeting which held in Abuja yesterday.

Confirming the meeting on his Facebook page, the former vice president said it was to review the state of the nation and how the party could mobilize supporters and other Nigerians behind the party for the 2023 elections.

The PDP presidential candidate said: “Today, I met with the governorship candidates of the PDP at my residence in Abuja. It was an opportunity for us to x-ray the state of the

Ikpeazu: I'm Not Leaving PDP, Just Concerned about South-east

enough for us to vote for the party. It is about where we are going to be positioned after the election. You don’t run blind in politics. Yes, truly, we are not happy with the outcome of the primaries but that does not mean I am planning to leave the PDP. That does not mean my faith is shaken in the party. But it is about working things out properly. That is my concern.

The South-east cannot continue to be treated as an outsider in the politics of the country. If we don’t have the presidency and the vice presidency, we are asking for something better, something good for the zone. We can’t just vote or deliver our state for the fun of it. We must be sure of why we are voting,” Ikpeazu explained

I Never Said Wike is Not His Children’s Father, Says Ayu Meanwhile, the National Chairman of the PDP, Ayu, has denied making disparaging remarks about Wike.

In a statement issued yesterday, Ayu distanced himself from social media posts which quoted him as demeaning the Rivers State helmsman.

Ayu, who posted some of the screenshots on his Twitter account, described the comments as “mischievous and senseless”.

“One post, from one Lawal Garba, purporting to be from me states that I said I cannot talk to a man who “cannot father a child!”

“Another post, with a photograph of Wike and a lady with some children claims that the governor is not “the biological father of his three kids.”

Ayu said nothing can be more diabolical and amateurish, adding that descending low is neither in his character nor nature.

The opposition leader noted that those planting the stories against the PDP and him were showing their lack of intelligence.

“I state, categorically and without equivocation, that the posts are completely false. Even the inelegant construction of the posts puts them beneath my personality.

“I never said anything after Wike’s statements the other day and do not intend to say anything in response”, the statement added.

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SEEKING CREDIBLE ELECTIONS… L-R: Head, European Union Delegation to Nigeria and Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Ms. Samuela Isopi; Delta State Governor and vice presidential candidate, Peoples Democratic Party, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, and the presidential candidate of the PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar at a meeting on the 2023 elections held at the EU secretariat in Abuja…recently

Osime, Majekodunmi-Oniru Debut Perspectives on ARISE News Vanessa Obioha Veteran journalist and former Editor, THISDAY Style, Ms. Ruth Osime, is bringing her years of experience to bear on

the launch of a new talk show named Perspectives, which airs on Africa’s fastest-growing TV channel, ARISE News.

Osime is joined by Olaterora Majekodunmi-Oniru, a recognised

entrepreneur and development speaker with over 16 years of experience in finance, technology, global trade and consulting.

Showing Saturday mornings from 11am to noon Nigerian time,

Perspectives takes a deep dive into the issues of the day and takes people’s viewpoints on such issues.

The first episode on September 3 dissected the role of women

Atiku, Tinubu, Obi, Others to Pay N10m as Kogi Enacts Law for Campaign Billboards Ibrahim Oyewale in Lokoja The presidential candidates in the 2023 general election are to pay N10 million to paste posters or erect billboards in Kogi State, according to a new law on campaign billboards and posters passed by the state government.

Some of the affected presidential candidates are Senator Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC); Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP); Mr. Peter Obi of Labour Party, and Justice Peter Umeadi of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), among others.

Similarly, candidates vying for the governorship position in the state will pay N5 million while senatorial and House of Representatives candidates are to pay N2 million and N1 million, respectively.

Those seeking to contest for House of Assembly and council chairmanship seats are to pay N500,000.

These payments followed the passage of the Kogi State Signage Agency Establishment Bill into law by the House of Assembly.

The assembly, under the leadership of Hon. Matthew Kolawole, after adopting the report of the Joint Committee on Commerce, Judiciary and Justice, said the bill would regulate the outdoor display of signage and advertisements in the state.

The lawmakers argued

that it would also curb the indiscriminate pasting of posters on sidewalks, walls, bridges and public buildings which defaces the state.

The bill seeks for the establishment of a signage agency to carry out such regulatory responsibilities as permits would be issued before anyone or organisation can paste posters or erect billboards at designated

places.

Recall that a month ago, the Anambra State government through the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the state Signage and Advertising Agency (ANSAA), Mr. Tony Ujubuonu, issued a public notice directing presidential candidates of all political parties in the country to pay N10million each to paste

their campaign posters in the state before the billboards and posters could be mounted and pasted.

While the presidential candidates were mandated to pay N10 million, senatorial candidates would pay N7million, House of Representatives candidates would pay N5million, and state House of Assembly candidates would pay N1million.

in politics, and highlighted the fact that leading contenders for major positions ahead of Nigeria’s 2023 elections, are all men.

The show also focused on primary and secondary school students’ preparations ahead of the new academic year.

In addition to it being broadcast on TV, episodes of Perspectives will be available to watch across ARISE News’ digital channels.

Osime was previously a longstanding editor of THISDAY Style, and her 19-year tenure created a standard for style reporting in Nigeria.

A pioneer of many firsts, Osime mentored a new generation of fashion and lifestyle writers who today are leaders in different fields of the industry.

Osime has been Co-Producer of the ARISE Fashion Week, and is expected to bring verve and deep insights to her new role

as Anchor.

Named as one of the most powerful women in Nigerian journalism in 2020, her wide network will help draw expert panellists to the topical issues of the day.

Majekodunmi-Oniru, who in 2016 was listed in Forbes’ 30 Most Promising Young Entrepreneurs In Africa, is passionate about Africa’s development, progressive innovation and ethical governance.

She serves as non-executive board leader, keynote speaker, TV judge and expert advisor to partner companies and institutions.

Her leadership career developed from General Electric to Bank of America Merrill Lynch and later, Lars Magnus Ericsson, where she traveled the world working as Global Consultant and later as Head of Sales.

CHEVRON, SHELL, OTHERS TO REMIT N341BN JV REVENUE TO NNPCL IN SEPTEMBER expected to remit N45.23 billion, equivalent to $114.58 million even as First E&P will pay N29.71 billion, which is equivalent to about $72.27 million, according to the information contained in the presentation to the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC).

In all, the four companies have an outstanding payment for 7.265 million barrels cumulatively, worth $863.961 million, an equivalent of N341.091 billion.

Although the NNPCL should make remittances from crude oil sales to the Federation Account, which are shared by the three tiers of government monthly, it has not been able to do this in the last seven months.

The NNPCL blames massive oil theft, deterioration in upstream infrastructure as well as outright assets sabotage for its inability to meet the Organisation of Petroleum

Exporting Countries (OPEC) quota for over a year.

The National Petroleum Investment Services (NAPIMS) manages the equity holdings of the federal government JV operations with many contractors and also supervises the mechanism of funding the operations through the cash-call process, usually on a 60-40 per cent basis or 55-45 per cent basis.

The little received from oil sales is spent on petrol subsidy expected to exceed N4 trillion this year alone.

The total spending on the controversial and opaque petrol subsidy regime now exceeds revenue, with the NNPCL outstanding debt on what it terms under-recovery hitting N1.044 trillion in July.

THISDAY reported on Friday that the firm deducted N448.7 billion as subsidy, a record high since the re-emergence of under-recovery payment early last year.

There was no receipt from export crude oil at all during the month, while in the whole of July just about N400 billion was the gross domestic crude oil and receipts, implying that the amount spent on petrol subsidy for the month exceeded the total oil sold for the month by roughly N48 billion.

In addition, for the whole of the month, no project outlined by the national oil firm was paid for aside from the one for subsidy, according to a THISDAY analysis of the information.

Some of the scheduled monthly payments by the NNPCL include those for national domestic gas development, frontier exploration services and renewable energy development.

In a related development, global oil giant, Shell will replace its Chief Executive Officer, Ben van Beurden, next year, Reuters reported at the weekend, quoting two sources at the company.

The CEO is preparing to step down from Shell next year and the oil and gas supermajor has started a selection process for a successor, the report stated.

Dutchman, van Beurden, 64, became CEO at Shell in 2014, and has steered the supermajor through two major oil price routs and industry downturns, as well as the recent move of the company’s headquarters and tax residence from the Netherlands to the UK. In recent months, Shell has dropped ‘Royal Dutch’ from its name as it moved its tax residence to the UK from the Netherlands and made its share structure simpler for investors to value and understand.

The supermajor has also accelerated investments in renewable energy and other clean energy solutions, including hydrogen.

Before becoming CEO in 2014, van Beurden was head of downstream at Shell, which

he joined in 1983.

According to Reuters sources, Shell has shortlisted four potential candidates to succeed van Beurden. These include Wael Sawan, currently Integrated Gas, Renewables and Energy Solutions Director at Shell; Huibert Vigeveno, Shell’s Downstream Director, Shell’s Chief Financial Officer, Sinead Gorman; and Shell’s Upstream Director, Zoe Yujnovich.

Sawan is the front-runner to succeed van Beurden, although Shell’s board succession committee, which should pick the next CEO, hasn’t made any decision yet, one of the sources told Reuters.

Whoever the next CEO is, they will have to manage the company through the energy transition and will likely feel even more pressure than van Beurden to speed up emissions reductions and targets at Shell, while keeping shareholders happy with dividend growth.

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WORKING TOGETHER FOR THE YOUNG...

L-R: Manager, Corporate Communications and Public Affairs, Nestle Nigeria, Victoria Uwadoka; Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Mr. Sunday Dare; Country Human Resources Manager Nestle Nigeria, Mr. Shakiru Lawal; and Public Affairs Specialist, Nestle Nigeria, Mrs. Edidiong Peters, during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Federal KINGSLEY ADEBOYE Ministry of Youth and Sports Development with Nestlé Nigeria in Abuja…recently

Shun Leaders Who Build Ethnic Walls, Religious Barriers, Jonathan Advises Youths Buhari, Atiku, Okowa rejoice with Iwuanyanwu at 80 Ejiofor Alike in Lagos, Deji Elumoye in Abuja and Amby Uneze in Owerri Former President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday urged young people to reject those trying to divide the country with ethnic and religious politics ahead of the 2023 elections.

This is coming as President Muhammadu Buhari and presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar and Delta State Governor and vicepresidential candidate of the PDP, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, have felicitated with businessman, publisher and sports enthusiast, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, as he celebrates his 80th birthday today.

In his speech yesterday at Owerri, the Imo State capital, at the 80th birthday symposium of Iwuanyanwu, former President Jonathan noted that Nigeria’s politics is steeped in ethnicity and religion “to the detriment of our country and our collective roots. I think we need to reduce this.”

The event was organised by the members of the Correspondents' Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Imo State chapter.

“Luckily, we are in an election cycle; so, my challenge to the youth is to take charge of their future; by electing those who believe in our unity and will promote peace and progress, not those who will erect ethnic walls and religious barriers among our people.

We have over-ethnicised our politics to the detriment of our country and our collective growth. We need to stop this.

“Collectively, if we work together and accommodate our differences, we can build

a nation where everybody will have a sense of belonging, and everyone’s rights will be guaranteed. That is the way we must go; a Nigeria where equality and justice reign,” Jonathan explained.

Jonathan, who also quoted the statements made by the late Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa and

Chief Obafemi Awolowo, argued that if Azikiwe was used as a representation of the Igbo intellectual vision for Nigeria at that time, it would show clearly that the Igbo stand on the unity of Nigeria.

“Today, if people see things differently, it only indicates that there are fundamental issues

that, as a nation, we need to address. As a nation, we have challenges, but we should not be slaves to our challenges.

Let us get over the obstacles and move forward.

“We have to adapt. We must not conform to perceived aberrant behaviour considered to be politically correct. Let us look at the case of Rwanda,

which had a gory experience of genocide; they reconfigured their nation so that in today’s Rwanda, the tribe is no longer an issue. They all see themselves as one people. The incoming Nigerian leaders must take deliberate steps to whittle down the ethnic cleavages pulling us apart and pulling the nation backwards. So, my

appeal to all Nigerians is to de-emphasize our differences and focus on the issues that bind us,” Jonathan added.

The former president noted that the Igbo people have remained at the forefront of Nigeria's unity and development since independence, adding that they deserve recognition.

FIVE MONTHS TO ELECTIONS, ADC SUSPENDS PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE, KACHIKWU its presidential candidate, Dumebi Kachikwu, from the party.

This was made known in a statement issued yesterday by the party’s Deputy National Chairman (Politics), Dr. Bamidele Ajadi.

But in a swift reaction, Kachikwu said he remained the presidential candidate of the party in the 2023 general election.

Also, the state chairmen of ADC have declared that the suspension of Kachikwu, as null and void.

ADC accused Kachikwu of making false, misguided and defamatory videos, which he circulated, among other infractions.

Ajadi disclosed that the decision was taken after an emergency National Working Committee (NWC) meeting held on Friday, September 2, 2022.

He noted that the NWC strongly believed that to demean the character of the founders and financiers of ADC smacks of crass irresponsibility, gross indiscipline, disingenuous scandalisation and blackmail, and completely unfit of someone who wants to be President of Nigeria.

The party noted that there

had been several actions, publications and utterances in the past aimed at maligning the ADC national officers, which the NWC chose to ignore, for peace to reign.

It added: “The NWC viewed with great concern the baseless and defamatory video made, published and circulated by Mr. Dumebi Kachikwu, which was intended to disparage and impugn the integrity and image of a peaceful and transformation-oriented African Democratic Congress and its national officers.”

The party also observed that Kachikwu’s speech in the said video contravened the principles and values upon which ADC was founded and the specific provision of Article 16 of the ADC constitution.

Quoting the party’s constitution, Ajadi said: “Act(s) conduct or utterances likely to bring the party into hatred, contempt or ridicule; engaging in dishonest practices, defrauding the party, its members or officials; engaging in anti-party activities; unauthorised publicity of party dispute or fractionalisation or creating parallel party organ(s) at any level; engaging in any other activities likely to cause disaffection among Party members or likely to

disrupt the peaceful, lawful and efficient conduct of party business; belonging to any such factional group or organ; collusion or conspiracy to convene unauthorised meetings, shall constitute acts of gross misconduct.”

Ajadi also observed that the NWC strongly believes that demeaning the character of the founders and financiers of ADC smacks of gross indiscipline.

“His negative actions and/ or inactions so far, have put in jeopardy the fate and prospects of all our candidates contesting for various offices across the country.

“The committee of the whole house, in a very clear and unequivocal term, condemned the said video in its entirety and described it as a piece of badly crafted blackmail and mudslinging, and thereby unanimously recommended his immediate suspension from the party from today, Friday, September 2, 2022.

“This resolution would be forwarded to the National Executive Council for further actions.”

Reacting to the suspension Kachikwu said the “illegal” constituted National Working Committee (NWC) lacks the power to suspend him.

He also said that the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party is set to appoint an Interim Caretaker Committee to run the affairs of the party after the expiration of the Ralph Nwosu-led National Working Committee (NWC) on August 28.

The presidential candidate explained that the chairman of the party initially asked people to speak with him on his plan to extend the tenure of the NWC by one year, which he declined.

“He has asked everyone to speak with me that I should give him a one-year extension and I said to him that's absolutely out of the question”, Kachikwu said.

To perfect his plans, Kachikwu alleged that Nwosu called the NEC meeting, but barred the state chairmen from attending the meeting where his tenure was extended.

Also, the state chairmen of ADC have declared that the suspension of Kachikwu, as null and void.

State chairmen of the party, however, told a news conference in Abuja yesterday that a National Working Committee (NWC) whose tenure had elapsed could not suspend the candidate.

They said the tenure of the

NWC lapsed in August.

Addressing the news conference, Mr Kingsley Ogga, Chairman of Forum of State Chairmen of ADC noted that the NWC had earlier convened a “fake and kangaroo’’ National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting on August 26.

He said the fake NEC meeting lacked the constitutional requirement of seven days’ notice to be held.

“The said meeting was overcrowded with unknown persons and miscreants. State chairmen walked out of the meeting as non-NEC members were seated in large numbers.

“The purpose of the illegal meeting is best known to the National Chairman, the National Secretary and other members of the NWC. “The said purpose was revealed when the fake meeting purportedly extended the tenure of the NWC. “It is, therefore, important to state here that what transpired on Aug. 26 at the ADC secretariat was fake, unconstitutional, null and void and of no effect,’’ Ogga said.

He called on INEC to disregard the illegal suspension of Kachikwu and prevail on ADC to convene to elect a new NWC.

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US Promises to Support Nigeria's 2023 Elections Deji Elumoye in Abuja The forthcoming general election in Nigeria formed the centre stage at yesterday’s bilateral meeting in Washington D.C between the United States and Nigeria with the US pledging its support towards ensuring that Nigeria holds a free and fair poll in February 2023.

At the meeting between the US Vice President, Kamala Harris and her Nigerian counterpart, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, the United States government while expressing optimism that Nigeria's general election will be free and fair, also disclosed that in the last year it had committed $7 billion for food security and humanitarian assistance to African countries.

On its part, Nigeria hailed the US Inflation Reduction Act, saying both countries could work together on climate change and global challenges.

Speaking while welcoming Osinbajo to the meeting held at the Ceremonial Office of the White House, Harris stressed that the US remained committed to supporting free and fair elections in Nigeria next February.

According to her, "We have confidence the elections will be peaceful and reflect the will of the people and of course, we do feel very strongly, as I know you do, that Nigeria is and must remain a bastion of democracy for West Africa".

She stressed that Africa's leadership is important to surmounting global challenges, adding that US looks forward to strengthening the relationship with Nigeria.

Her words: "Africa's leadership is key to confronting all of the global challenges we face and to that end, Nigeria is key. So, we look forward to strengthening our partnership. I bring you greetings from President Joe Biden; I was just with him and he and I remain committed to strengthening our relationship with Nigeria, and with Africa, as a continent as a whole and we also look forward to hosting you in December at the Summit here in Washington."

The US Vice President while stating that the two nations will also discuss the urgent issue that affects the continent of Africa and the world, which is the issue of food insecurity disclosed that the US had committed $7 billion in food security and humanitarian assistance to African countries over the past one year alone.

Harris welcomed Nigeria’s Energy Transition Plan, describing Osinbajo’s commitment to the issue of the climate crisis, saying "Mr. Vice President, you have been an extraordinary leader on this issue and I know this is something that you feel very strongly about and you've been very adamant about the role Nigeria can play in addressing this crisis that faces us all.

"I congratulate you, for example, on your Energy Transition Plan, which I know pledges carbon neutral energy by 2060, ambitious goals, but important goals, and under your leadership, I have no question, that they will be achieved."

Responding to Harris's address, Osinbajo noted that "we very strongly believe that we (Nigeria and US) in the coming years, will need to work together again on so many global challenges that are varied, and they come up very frequently now from promoting peace and security, to tackling global health issues and climate change and of course, economic adversity."

Speaking specifically about

Nigeria's Energy Transition Plan, he said "the plan is important for us because we see especially, the climate crisis as two existential issues; one is the crisis itself, second the energy poverty which is an issue for us in our part of the world.

"So, while we look forward to the 2060 carbon neutrality goal, we are also hoping that even within a shorter period by 2030 we will deal with the issue of energy poverty.

"We look forward to the coming years and months for even greater collaboration and stronger ties between our countries to create a fairer, more prosperous and perhaps a greener, also freer nation and nations and the world," the VP added.

He then commended the US for its innovative approach to addressing Climate Change, noting that "I must also congratulate you because of

the Inflation Reduction Act and again, in particular, this is historic especially for those of us who are paying attention to all the issues of Climate Change."

Osinbajo further noted the United States’ leadership in the area of Climate Change saying "we are all excited to queue behind the US and see that we get many of these objectives.”

The Vice President told his counterpart that Nigeria’s

recently launched Energy Transition Plan (ETP) is the country’s master plan for addressing the issues of climate crisis and energy poverty.

He disclosed that Nigeria would require investment support towards the implementation of the Energy Transition Plan, referring to his earlier meetings in the past few days in the US Capital at the World Bank Group, the US Treasury and the US Agency

for International Development, USAID. Excited about the responses to the Nigerian plan so far, Osinbajo declared “we are anxious to get all the support we can.

"In the last few days, I have been talking to a few of the agencies here, the World Bank, USAID, in fact, the Treasury Secretary yesterday also. And they have all been positive and shown indication that they will be very helpful.”

THANK YOU VISIT… President of the Enugu State Medical Students' Association, State University of Medical and Applied Sciences, Mr. Chinaza Ndubuisi Ekwueme (left), with Enugu State Governor, Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, during the presentation of an award to the governor when the medical students paid a 'thank-you' visit to Government House, Enugu…yesterday

FG Berates ASUU, Insists on ‘No-work, No-pay’ Policy Ibrahim Oyewale in Lokoja The Minister of State for Education, Goodluck Nanah Opiah, has slammed the Academic Staff Union Universities (ASUU) over the lingering impasse between the union and the federal government.

Opiah, while expressing dismay over the more than the 200 days old strike embarked upon by ASUU since February 14, 2022, said the federal government has done its best to resolve the issues raised by ASUU. He accused the union of being adamant to call off the strike.

The minister who spoke when he visited Federal University Lokoja (FUL), Kogi State, said the ‘no-work, no- pay’ policy stands.

He said: “The federal government cannot pay lecturers for what they did not work for.

The strike has continued to portray the country in a bad light and has succeeded in causing more pains for parents and students.”

He said that the federal government has done so much on infrastructural development in all higher institutions across the country.

He charged the Vice chancellor of FUL, Prof. Olayemi Akinwumi to appeal to lecturers to come back to work adding that their prolonged stay- athome has done more harm than good to the future of Nigerian students.

He said: “The federal government led by President Muhammadu Buhari has done so much especially in infrastructural development in our tertiary institution.

Because, anywhere you go, you will see the presence of TETFUND, buildings, vehicles and all manners of institutional

assets.

“Those who think that lack of infrastructure is one of the reasons they went on strike should think again. Mr. Vice Chancellor, let me use this opportunity to appeal to you, to also appeal to our lecturers to come back to work because our children are suffering.

“Our country’s image is going lower. Our parents are

not happy, and these lecturers are also parents to some of our students. Contrary to what they think, some of us also have our children in Nigerian universities and they are also suffering.

“Although, if we stay on strike forever, it means our children will be out of school forever. It is not in our own interest. There is nothing that

has gone wrong that we cannot get corrected through dialogue.

I know that, almost everything that ASUU brought forth for discussion between the federal government has been resolved.

“Except that, now that ASUU want to be paid for all the six months that they were absent from duty. And the federal government is saying no, we cannot pay for those days you

did not work. For once, let us activate the principle of no work no pay which is natural. It is only a thief that goes to eat where he didn’t work.

“And so if there should be any appeal for the federal government to do otherwise, lecturers should come back to the class room to beg and appeal and renegotiate because this thing is no longer funny.”

Nigeria Recorded 48 New Cases of Monkeypox in Six Days, Says NCDC UK detects new strain traced to Africa

Onyebuichi Ezigbo in Abuja

Nigeria recorded 48 additional cases of monkeypox between August 8 and August 14 2022, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), has said.

This is as the government of the United Kingdom said it had identified a different strain of monkeypox infection in an individual who recently travelled to West Africa.

The NCDC said the 48 cases were recorded in 16 states.

It stated that Lagos State topped the list of new infections with 15 cases, while Abia and Ogun recorded five cases each.

Benue, Edo, Rivers and the FCT had three cases each; Bayelsa and Ondo had two cases each, while Cross River, Anambra, Gombe, Imo, Katsina, Oyo and Osun recorded one case each.

The latest infections raised the number of cases in Nigeria since the beginning of the year to 220, the NCDC stated, adding

that the infections were recorded in 29 states.

It stated also that of the 220 infections, males accounted for 144 cases, while females accounted for the 76 others.

It added that four monkeypox deaths had so far been recorded in four states – Delta, Lagos, Ondo and Akwa Ibom.

Monkeypox has killed a total o0f 12 persons in Nigeria since September 2017, the NCDC stated.

Since the re-emergence of monkeypox in September 2017, 1,042 suspected cases have been reported in 35 states in Nigeria.

The ongoing outbreak of monkeypox, a viral disease, was confirmed in May 2022.

The initial cluster of cases was found in the United Kingdom.

Monkeypox is symptomised by a rash that may be located on or near the genitals or anus and could be on other areas like the hands, feet, chest, face, or mouth.

The rash will go through

several stages, including scabs, before healing. The rash can initially look like pimples or blisters and may be painful or itchy.

Meanwhile, the UK government has identified a different strain of monkeypox infection in an individual who recently travelled to West Africa.

The latest development was reported on the official website of the UK government.

The report noted that the “preliminary genomic sequencing conducted by UKHSA indicates that this case does not have the current outbreak strain circulating in the UK.” This is the second time the UK would be linking monkeypox infection to West Africa since the current outbreak started. The first was confirmed in an unidentified individual who travelled from Nigeria to England.

The UK noted that the unidentified individual with the

new strain has been admitted to the High Consequence Infectious Disease (HCID) unit at the Royal Liverpool University Hospital “in line with standing advice from the Advisory Committee on Dangerous Pathogens (ACDP).”

According to Premium Times, it also noted that contact tracing of close contacts of the individual is underway but no further linked cases have been identified.

“UKHSA and the NHS have well-established and robust infection control procedures for dealing with cases of imported infectious disease and these will be strictly followed. The risk to the general public is very low,” said the incident director at the UKHSA, Sophia Maki.

“We remind everyone who is planning to travel to west and central Africa to be alert for the symptoms of monkeypox and to call 111 if you have symptoms on your return,” the official said.

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THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER SEPTEMBER 4 , 2022

BUSINESS

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

Budget 2023: Between Revenue Shortfall and Huge Borrowing The Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, last week revealed WKH IHGHUDO JRYHUQPHQW·V SODQV WR ERUURZ RYHU 1 WULOOLRQ DQG VHOO QDWLRQDO DVVHWV WR ÀQDQFH WKH EXGJHW GHÀFLW LQ DW D SHULRG ZKHQ DOO LQGLFHV DUH SRLQWLQJ WR D VKDUS IDOO LQ JRYHUQPHQW earnings. Festus Akanbi, in this report, captures the fear of economic analysts, who warned that excessive borrowing will further hurt the economy, especially in a transition year

U

nlesssomethingunexpected happens, the 2023-2025 MediumTermExpenditure Framework (MTEF) and Fiscal Strategy Paper (FSP), unveiled by the federal government’s economic team headed by Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, ZainabAhmed, during a public hearing with the House of Representatives Committee on Finance last week may not lead Nigeria to the “promised land” in a transition year. $V ÀQDQFH DQDO\VWV SXW LW WKH GRFXPHQW VKRZHG that come 2023, Nigeria’s sustenance will be dependent on the magnanimity of creditors, both local and foreign, a situation which they feared could be complicated by distractions to governance that are expected to come along the way as the current administration gears up for the transition to a new government next year.

There is also the fear that going into an elecWLRQ \HDU ZLWK WKH EXUGHQ RI PRXQWLQJ GHÀFLW in addition to a load of unresolved issues like the controversial policy of fuel subsidy, energy crisis, mounting debts, foreign exchange market instability, oil theft, and the attendant failure to maximise the current spike in crude oil price, may create a nightmare for the incoming administration.

Revenue Shortfall Nigeria’s pathetic situation is also underscored by the erosion of revenue from the sale of crude oil, Nigeria’s major revenue earner, prompting analysts to warn of a bleak future unless a major economic turnaround happens.

Their fear was said to have been kindled by the 29 per cent crash in crude oil revenue in WKH ÀUVW TXDUWHU RI DFFRUGLQJ WR VWDWLVWLFV from the Central Bank of Nigeria. The CBN, in its latest economic and statistical report for the ÀUVW TXDUWHU RI VWDWHG WKDW HDUQLQJV IURP crude oil dropped to N790billion from N1.1trillion UHFRUGHG LQ WKH SUHYLRXV TXDUWHU ZKLFK ZDV IURP October to December 2021.

Nigeria’s crude oil and gas earnings in the ÀUVW TXDUWHU RI ZHUH DOVR SHU FHQW ORZHU than the N956billion revenue recorded in the same period in 2021. According to the report, oil UHYHQXH IRU WKH ÀUVW TXDUWHU RI DFFRXQWHG IRU 38 per cent of the country’s gross revenue, which stood at N2trn in the period under review, while non-oil revenue, at N1.1trillion, accounted for 62 per cent of total earnings. In comparison, in WKH IRXUWK TXDUWHU RI RLO UHYHQXH DFFRXQWHG for 46 per cent of gross revenue, the same as the ÀUVW TXDUWHU RI On Borrowing Spree Meanwhile, the Minister disclosed that the federal government will borrow over N11 trillion DQG VHOO QDWLRQDO DVVHWV WR ÀQDQFH WKH EXGJHW GHÀFLW LQ 6KH DOVR VDLG WKH JRYHUQPHQW·V EXGJHW GHÀFLW LV H[SHFWHG WR H[FHHG 1 WULOOLRQ if it should keep the petroleum subsidy for the HQWLUH ÀVFDO F\FOH ([SODLQLQJ WZR VFHQDULRV RI WKH EXGJHW GHÀFLW WR WKH FRPPLWWHH WKH PLQLVWHU VDLG WKH ÀUVW RStion involves retaining the petroleum subsidy IRU WKH HQWLUH ÀVFDO \HDU $FFRUGLQJ WR KHU LQ WKH ÀUVW VFHQDULR WKH GHÀFLW LV SURMHFWHG WR EH N12.41 trillion in 2023, up from N7.35 trillion budgeted in 2022, representing 196 per cent of total revenue or 5.50 per cent of the estimated GDP. In this option, she added, the government would spend N6.72 trillion on subsidy.

She explained that the second option involves keeping the subsidy till June 2023 and that this

President Muhammadu Buhari, the leadership of the National Assembly and some members of his cabinet at the signing of the 2022 budget

VFHQDULR ZLOO WDNH WKH GHÀFLW WR 1 WULOOLRQ which is 5.01 per cent of the estimated GDP. In this option, the PMS subsidy is projected to gulp N3.3 trillion.

6KH QRWHG WKDW WKH ÀUVW RSWLRQ LV QRW OLNHO\ WR EH achievable based on the current trend while the VHFRQG RSWLRQ ZRXOG UHTXLUH WLJKWHU HQIRUFHPHQW of the performance management framework for government-owned enterprises that would VLJQLÀFDQWO\ LQFUHDVH RSHUDWLQJ VXUSOXV LQ 7KH SURMHFWHG GHÀFLW XQGHU WKH VHFRQG RSWLRQ WKH PLQLVWHU VDLG LV H[SHFWHG WR EH ÀQDQFHG through new borrowings from local and international sources. This will include a total of N9.32 trillion in new borrowings, comprising N7.4 trillion from domestic sources and N1.8 trillion from foreign sources. The government is expected to generate N206.1 billion from privatisation proceeds and N1.7 trillion in multilateral project-tied loans.

Theminister,wholamentedthatthefederalgovernment may be unable to provide for treasuryfunded capital projects next year, especially due to dwindling revenue and payment of subsidies on PMS, also pointed out that crude oil production challenges and PMS subsidy deductions by the NNPC constitute a major threat to the country’s revenue growth targets. )XUWKHUPRUH WKH EXGJHW GHÀFLW LV SURMHFWHG WR be N11.30 trillion in 2023, up from N7.35 trillion in 2022 which is 5.01% of the estimated 2023 *'3 DQG GHÀHV WKH WKUHH SHU FHQW WKUHVKROG DV enshrined in the Fiscal Responsibility Act, 2007.

Analysts said the two proposals have budget GHÀFLWV IDU DERYH WKH VWLSXODWHG WKUHVKROG LQ WKH Fiscal ResponsibilityAct.According to the existing $FW WKH GHÀFLW PXVW QRW H[FHHG WKUHH SHU FHQW of the GDP. However, the law makes provision for the President to cross the threshold with the approval of the National Assembly.

+DQJLQJ RQ )LVFDO &OL; In its analysis, Cowry Asset Management, in a report said the N19.76 trillion proposed for the 2023 budget by the federal government while its revenue underperformance and expenditure H΀FLHQF\ DW ERWK IHGHUDO DQG VWDWHV OHYHOV DUH DW YDULDQFH OHDYHV 1LJHULD KDQJLQJ RQ D ÀVFDO FOLͿ According to the document, the aggregate federal government revenue available for budget IRU WKH ÀVFDO \HDU LV SURMHFWHG DW 1 WULOlion (15.1% or N1.51 trillion less than the 2022 Budget), while the aggregate expenditure level is projected to be N19.76 trillion.

A breakdown of the aggregate expenditure shows that there are Statutory Transfers of N722.11 billion, Debt Service of N6.31trillion, Sinking Fund of N247.73 billion, N1.20 trillion to service borrowings from CBN, and Recurrent (non-debt) expenditure of N8.52 trillion.

Meanwhile, a total of N6.15 trillion is provided for personnel and pension costs and then N4.37 trillion has been set aside for capital expenditures in 2023, representing 15% of the total expenditure (short of the 30% target set by the current administration), and is 25.4% less than the 2022 provision of N5.86trillion.

1DLUD 'HYDOXDWLRQ LQ WKH 2ͿQJ" According to further analysis from Cowry Asset Management, “Key assumptions of the SURSRVHG EXGJHW UDLVH WKH ÁDJ WKDW PRUH Naira devaluations will be made a reality as the federal government hopes for an exchange rate of N435.57/USDasagainst2022(revised)projections of N410.15/USD. Also, with projected daily oil production at 1.69mbpd and the oil price benchmark at $70, subsidy payments (N6.7 trillion) may likely gulp earnings from oil sources as the federal government has failed to take advantage of the current rise in the oil price which is above the $73/b in the 2022 revised projections.”

According to the report, “The above is predicated on the upward-pressure swings in prices which are heavily driven by the current and lag HͿHFW RI WKH JOREDO SULFH VXUJH GXH WR WKH 5XVVLD Ukraine war, domestic insecurity, rising costs of imports, exchange rate depreciation as well as other supply-side constraints.”

The analysts believed the recourse to the international debt market will put the Debt 0DQDJHPHQW 2΀FH '02 XQGHU VHULRXV pressure in 2023 (election year) dampened by rising yields.

Some observers alleged that the document submitted to the National Assembly has all the features of a budget capable of causing serious upsets for the coming administration.According to them, the CBN Governor will bear the brunt of the heavy reliance on domestic debt given the FXUUHQW OHYHO RI OLTXLGLW\ ZLWKLQ WKH V\VWHP DQG the attendant pressure on commercial banks.

They, therefore, wondered why all the National Assembly did was endorse the document without the expected rigorous scrutiny.

Although many Nigerians appear uncomfortable with the latest borrowing plan, the PLQLVWHU ZDV FRQÀGHQW WKDW 1LJHULD KDV EHHQ able to consistently without defaulting, service her debt, adding that the country does not have any projections even in the near future, to fail in its debt obligation.

Speaking further, Ahmed said although the amount currently used to service the country’s debt had overshot what was appropriated for in the budget, measures have been put in place to manage the situation.

While lamenting that revenue generation KDG UHPDLQHG D PDMRU ÀVFDO FRQVWUDLQW IRU WKH FRXQWU\ VKH VDLG HͿRUWV ZRXOG KRZHYHU IRFXV on improving tax administration and collection H΀FLHQF\ Given the heavy burden of the oil subsidy policy on the 2023 budget, one wonders why it LV VWLOO GL΀FXOW IRU WKH RXWJRLQJ DGPLQLVWUDWLRQ to do the needful since the majority of Nigerians have come to realise that the subsidy regime is fraught with corruption and it has continued to be a major economic drain pipe.

A school of thought argued that although the SUHVHQW DGPLQLVWUDWLRQ PD\ ÀQG LW GL΀FXOW WR EH decisive about the issue of oil subsidy as doing so may be a political suicidal on the eve of a major election, they believed that government can step XS HͿRUWV DW SXWWLQJ DQ HQG WR UHYHQXH OHDNDJH through crude oil theft.

She added that there would be tighter enforcementoftheperformancemanagementframework for Government Owed Enterprises (GOEs) that ZRXOG VLJQLÀFDQWO\ LQFUHDVH RSHUDWLQJ VXUSOXV dividend remittances in 2023.

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FINANCE

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19

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER SEPTEMBER 4 , 2022

FINANCE y you work for an embassy or an international organisation, it is counted as a remittance. o “So, there are so many components of remitWWDQFHV %XW WKH FRPSRQHQW RI LQÁRZV WKDW FDPH iinto this country so far, we are at $2.4 billion.”

Nnaji said the central bank is working with P Pakistan to learn more about how the scheme ccan help Nigeria. The CBN is also partnering w with the Deposit Money Banks (DMBs), the 0 0LQLVWU\ RI )LQDQFH DV ZHOO DV IRUHLJQ DͿDLUV tto improve its remittance policies.

Counting Gains of CBN’s ‘Naira-4-Dollar Scheme’ Fifteen months after it rolled out its policy of the ‘Naira-4-Dollar Scheme’, the CBN has begun to count the gains of the policy described as an incentive that pays naira to senders and recipients of international money transfers. Festus Akanbi, who reviews the policy, says what is needed are the complimentary HͿRUWV RI WKH ÀVFDO DXWKRULWLHV WR HQDEOH WKH DSH[ EDQN·V VXQGU\ SROLFLHV WR boost forex earnings and management to yield the desired dividends

N

otreadytobeoverwhelmed by the persistent dollar scarcity, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has continued to explore ways to quench the thirst for foreign exchange by government, businesses and individuals as the last quarter of the year 2022 beckons.

The reality is, as the year progresses, the demand for forex, especially the United States dollar is mounting, a development which analysts said has left the monetary authorities with no other choice but to ration the available foreign currencies.

Already the federal government is proposing to spend N3.36 trillion for petrol subsidy in 2023 based on the 18-month extension announced in early 2022. Recall that last week, the minister disclosed that the government was spending N18.39 billion daily on petrol.

Market watchers said despite the instability in the foreign exchange market, it will be unfair to under-report several initiatives put in place by the current leadership of the CBN in meeting the rising dollar needs of businesses and government given the fact that most of the triggers of the rush for dollars are beyond the apex bank.

One such initiative was the “Naira-4-Dollar scheme”, which was launched on March 8, 2021, and which was initially scheduled to end in May 2021. However, after its initial successes, the &%1 VDLG WKH VFKHPH LV WR FRQWLQXH LQGHÀQLWHO\ It is an incentive that pays naira to senders and recipients of international money transfers.

The policy is aimed at boosting the dollar supply in the country at a time of foreign ex-

change crunch that has forced the central bank to devalue the naira more than once a year.

According to the bank, recipients of diaspora remittances through CBN’s International Money Transfer Operators (IMTOs) will now be paid N5 for every $1 received as a remitWDQFH LQÁRZ What this means is that if you received a $1,000 diaspora transfer, CBN would simply credit your account with an additional N5,000 (N5 * 1,000).

7KH VXFFHVV RI WKH VFKHPH ZDV FRQÀUPHG LQ May this year by the CBN after it has run for exactly one year as it disclosed that diaspora remittances surged 1,667% from $6 million to $100 million weekly.

Excitement Over Rise in Diaspora Remittances in 1Q The CBN’s self-assessment was corroborated by the position of the Chairman and Chief Executive of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Mrs. Abike DabiriErewa, who acknowledged the rise in Diaspora UHPLWWDQFHV HVSHFLDOO\ LQ WKH ÀUVW TXDUWHU RI this year.

She thanked Diaspora Nigerians for what she noted was the rise of remittances in the ÀUVW TXDUWHU RI WKH \HDU E\ SHU FHQW UHSresenting the seventh consecutive quarterly increase in diaspora remittances since the last quarter in 2020.

NiDCOM’s spokesperson, Abdur-Rahman Balogun, in a statement last week quoted Dabiri-Erewa as having said that the increase in remittances by Nigerians abroad played a VLJQLÀFDQW UROH LQ ERRVWLQJ 1LJHULD·V *URVV 'RPHVWLF 3URGXFW *'3 ZKLFK KDV DQ LPSDFW

on its socio-economic growth.

“As the world recovers from the global pandemic and confronts instability of many NLQGV ZH ZDQW WR KRQRXU WKH HͿRUWV RI DOO those who continue to support their loved ones despite the challenging circumstances,” Dabiri-Erewa said.

1L'&20 REVHUYHG WKDW WKH UHFHQW ÀJXUHV UHOHDVHG E\ WKH FRXQWU\·V ÀQDQFLDO VHUYLFHV industry regulator, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) showed an increase in remittances in quarter one of 2022 to $5.16 billion from $ 4.29 billion same period in 2021.

Big Haul 6DWLVÀHG ZLWK WKH SHUIRUPDQFH RI WKH VFKHPH HVSHFLDOO\ LQ WKH ÀUVW HLJKW PRQWKV RI WKH CBN announced last week that the “Naira 4 Dollar Scheme” attracted $2.4 billion in diaspora remittances between January and August this \HDU VXUSDVVLQJ WKH ÀJXUH UHSRUWHG ODVW \HDU According to the Director, Trade and Exchange department of the central bank, Ozoemena Nnaji, the total amount gathered between January to August was above the $2.9 billion recorded between March to December 2021.

“We have seen an increase in the Naira4-Dollar in terms of remittances. For example, in 2021, we were able to record $2.9 billion of FDVK LQÁRZV VR IDU WKLV \HDU ZH KDYH UHFRUGHG $2.4 billion. So, in half of the year, we have gotten almost what we got in the year 2021,” she stated.

She explained, “We have a component of remittances which include workers’ compensation, anyone that worked in Nigeria, even if you are a Nigerian but are paid in dollars because

Replicating Success in Naira-4-Dollar on IIEFX Window With the modest success recorded with the N Naira-4-Dollar Scheme, the CBN decided to m move the scheme from the IMTOs to the IEFX w window in February 2022. The CBN issued g guidelines stating that for every US dollar repattriated and sold at the Investors and Exporters W Window, it will enable a payment of N65.

In other words, similar to the Naira-4-Dollar S Scheme, eligible participants who bring in d dollars will receive a N65 incentive payment ffor every $1 brought via the IEFX window.

F For example, if an eligible participant brings $$100,000 via the IEFX window, that participant g gets N6.5 million.

Explaining the interconnectedness of the v various dollar-generating policies, the CBN * *RYHUQRU *RGZLQ (PHÀHOH ZKR VSRNH DW WKH eend of a recent Bankers Committee meeting, sstated that the success of the CBN’s Naira44-Dollar plan has prompted the central bank tto implement the RT200 rebate scheme.

He said “As regards the FOREX markets for eexample, on the inadequacy of FX supply and cconstant pressure on the exchange rate, I believe that the lessons we have learnt from our policies on remittances can be applied in improving VRPH DVSHFWV RI ); LQÁRZ LQWR WKH FRXQWU\ $V we know, there are four major sources of FX LQÁRZ LQWR 1LJHULD 7KHVH DUH 3URFHHGV IURP oil exports; Proceeds from non-oil exports; Diaspora remittances, and Foreign Direct/ Portfolio Investments.”

Unquenchable Appetite for Forex Apart from the controversial policy of subsidy, which gulps a substantial chunk of the nation’s foreign exchange earnings, a combination of unfavourable government policies is forcing many Nigerians to seek opportunities elsewhere with corresponding pressure on Nigeria’s foreign exchange market.

Analysts said the forex market has been recording an unrelenting pressure from parents who seek better education for their children abroad as a result of the seven-month-old industrial action by members of the Academic 6WDͿ 8QLRQ RI 8QLYHUVLWLHV $688 ZKLFK KDV paralysed the nation’s university education. The development is said to have raised demands for Business Travel Allowance (BTA) in banks.

Unfortunately, the situation is so bad that many banks have decided to ration this among their customers.

Findings showed that thousands of applicants go through this harrowing experience as they get their Personal Travel Allowance (PTA) in two or three tranches depending on what is available in the banks’ vaults. Some get $1,000, $2,000, or more and are asked to access the balance in their dollar debt cards, which are usually not enough for their spending needs abroad because of banks’ spending limits.

According to the CBN’s rules, Sales of PTA shall be for travel to be undertaken not more than 14 days from the day of the purchase of PTA. Applicants could be account holders or non-account holders in the bank. PTA shall RQO\ DSSO\ WR MRXUQH\V RI QRW OHVV WKDQ ÀYH KRXUV RI ÁLJKW WLPH Some applicants for PTAhave, however, found ‘smarter’ ways of getting their dollar supply E\ KDYLQJ PXOWLSOH DSSOLFDWLRQV LQ GLͿHUHQW EDQNV WKXV FKDOOHQJLQJ WKH HͿHFWLYHQHVV RI commercial bank measures at rationing.

Experts argued that although the apex bank LV PDNLQJ D IUDQWLF HͿRUW WR VWDELOLVH WKH QDWLRQ·V foreign exchange market, Nigeria would only EHJLQ WR VHH WKH UHVXOWV ZKHQ WKH ÀVFDO DXWKRULWLHV FDQ PXVWHU HQRXJK FRQÀGHQFH WR EORFN DOO the loopholes. For instance, they argued that the time had come to stop the policy of fuel subsidy to conserve foreign exchange which is badly needed by the productive sector of the economy.

They also called for discipline, which can RQO\ PDQLIHVW LQ WKH ZD\ JRYHUQPHQW DͿDLUV DUH EHLQJ FRQGXFWHG DUJXLQJ WKDW WKH ÀVFDO authorities cannot expect normalcy in the foreign exchange market when members of government still engage in ventures that amount to waste of resources.

20

T H I S DAY, T H E S U N DAY N E W S PA P E R • SEPTEMBER 4, 2022

CONVERSATION WITH MY BILLIONAIRE FRIEND ayo.arowolo@thisdaylive.com 08086447494 (SMS only) PERSONAL FINANCE SAVINGS BUDGETING COMMODITIES

AYO AROWOLO

GOLD

INVESTING

Putting It All Together…On the Path to the Next Phase (4)

T

his is the fourth set of the wrap-up exercise I embarked upon four weeks ago with my Billionaire Friend. My meeting with him four weeks ago was a short one: it was essentially a review session, and we went through the entire project and looked at the feedback from the readers. My friend confirmed we needed to move to the next phase but that would require a recap of what we have done so far to put people in the picture again. So here is the fourth set of recaps. Enjoy.

SESSION 23 BUILDING WEALTH, NATIONAL SECURITY AND FRANCHISING

business of their investment interest. Hence in a franchise arrangement, one does not have to worry about building a recognised and trusted brand, developing well-trained support teams, and finding reliable advisors to help them to manage their businesses. The franchisor provides all these in the franchise arrangement”.

10. BUSINESS FRANCHISE “A business franchise allows franchisees to pay franchise fees and get the system developed by the franchisor with the right to use the franchisor’s name for a specific number of years, which is usually spelt out in the operating franchise agreement.

The business franchise is the most common type of franchise, which allows wealth builders to buy the licence to businesses with established brand names. Such wealth builders’ new franchise businesses would often be supported by the category of the franchise throughout the initial stages of business. Such support may continue to be extended throughout the life of the franchise businesses.

In return for this business support, franchisees will be exposed to having access to experienced professionals and the right to use the brand name of the franchisor. The franchisee is however obligated to pay royalties to the franchisor regularly as per the agreement reached between both parties. The best example of this class of franchise arrangement is found in the fast-food industry. The global example of this class is Kentucky Fried Chicken and McDonald’s. The Nigerian examples include Tantalizers, Tastee Fried Chicken, and Chicken Republic. These franchisors allow franchisees to use their trademarks and brand names and take advantage of the economics of their supply logistics and the secrets behind their menu of foods. This arrangement sometimes requires the franchisors to continuously train their franchisees to ensure the maintenance of famed products and services of top quality in line with the franchisor’s standards. They may also guide their franchisees with internal audits to help block income leakages.

Marketing expertise is provided chiefly to franchises to optimise franchisors’ profitability, business expansion, enhanced business images, etc.”

In total, this arrangement benefits both the franchisee and the franchisor. It is highly recommended for newly retired employees who do not have business ownership experience to take advantage of the available franchise support system to start good businesses of their own.”

Wealth and National Security 1. “National security is essential to wealth building and sustenance because wealth creation only thrives in peaceful environments and nations. It relates to direct threats to the physical well-being of the population and jeopardises the stability of a country, its economy and institutions.

2. National security threats could show up in incidents of hostile government takeover —terrorism, the proliferation of weaponry and stockpiling of Artist Impression of my Billionaire Friend chemical weapons — which can destroy any nation’s security. It also includes cybercrime and infiltration by hostile governments and terrorist groups.

Cybercriminals have hacked economic institutions, National security is essential to government websites, private bank accounts and wealth building and sustenance national power infrastructures. National security could also be adversely affected by natural disasters because wealth creation only such as hurricanes, earthquakes and the likes of the Covid-19 pandemic’s recent occurrence. National thrives in peaceful environments security is therefore crucial for providing a conducive and nations. It relates to direct environment for the funding or hindrance of wealth threats to the physical well-being creation, building and sustenance”.

3. “It is important for governments to put national security and emergency responses in place, to allow of the population and jeopardises them to identify and thwart human-made destructions the stability of a country, its to national peace and stability, which would go a and institutions long way in promoting business and wealth-building economy activities. Nigeria is currently witnessing several violent attacks, kidnapping, banditry, farmland invasion by 7. “Buying a franchise generally reduces the herdsmen and inter-communal tensions, leading to outbreaks of violence and disruption of economic risk of freshly going into some unknown business activities and wealth building. The outcome of all terrain. However, it still requires and involves lots this is the high rate of unemployment in Nigeria of hard work and commitment of franchisees to and its attendant effect on social tensions and strife. ensure their success. Therefore, wealth-builders need Domestic capital formation is also hindered and to ensure that the businesses for which they obtain foreign direct investments are affected. Meanwhile, franchises are those that they have an interest in government spending on education and security and about which they can see themselves enjoying is low, which has negatively affected the level of doing on a day-to-day basis. This requires wealth 11. PRODUCT OR SINGLE OPERATOR builders to carry out some business overview, FRANCHISE security and retard national economic growth”.

This franchise focuses on giving out franchise 4. “One way is for wealth builders to always investigations and research before seeking to be pre-emptive, to insulate themselves strategically obtain franchises, to ensure that their franchise licenses to individuals who sell products and delivery from the impacts earlier mentioned, by employing business is one in which they have interest or services in specific fields. The franchisors in this arrangement allow franchisees to use their brand insurance policies to reduce the probability of losses. passion and management expertise”. Franchising is 5. “It must be admitted that the problems of usually used as a means of distributing products or names and trademarks, provide them with uniforms and equipment to properly represent franchisor national security are universal but the difference services involving the owner of such products or between one country and the other, in terms of services called a franchisor, who has an established brands and provide support to franchisees to deliver wealth development, incomes, earning capacity, size/ trademark for a business system that enables a products and services to third parties. Product franchises are an excellent option for start-up quality of GDP and employment generation capacity, franchisee to pay royalties and often an initial fee has to do with how effectively and optimally that for the right to do business under the franchisor’s wealth builders, independent contractors and home businesses. The investment outlay needed under national security is handled for providing conducive name and management system”.

8. Opening a franchise involves a relatively low this franchise class is usually smaller than that of environments. Also of importance is the need for the empowerment of the country’s judiciary, for risk of doing business because of the presence of the business franchise. Examples of independent fast, adequate and unbiased judgments against full support of the franchisor. Franchisees must be contractors’ franchises are companies that have infractions, and clear and transparent penalties fully aware of overriding regulations and contents already established good names and reputations against the perpetrators of security lapses. This is of the agreements reached with their franchisors for their contracting services in their field of work very important because every properly-managed and must factor into their operations what would and issue franchise licence to franchises.” nation is fully aware that lapses in national security make their franchise successful. Usually, franchisors 12. MANUFACTURING FRANCHISE can, and do occur, and negatively affect growth issue franchise licences as a way to expand their “Manufacturing franchises are the third and development. Well-managed nations generally businesses and create widespread branches in a appoint their judges on merit, empower and fund way they could not have achieved on their own. classification of franchise arrangements. In a their judiciaries and honour the sanctity of the rule of Thus, franchisors seek out wealth builders to help manufacturing franchise, the franchisor allows law. These are necessary ingredients for the growth them expand and grow their businesses through the franchisee to produce products and provide and development of wealth in well-managed societies franchising at a minimum cost. On another end, services using the franchisor’s brand name and franchising allows franchisees to benefit from the trademark. This type of franchise is very popular and nations”. opportunity to run their businesses with the licence with food and drink companies in the manufacturing industry. The best example of this franchise is with and support of franchisor companies”.

SESSION 24 9. “Franchise business arrangements have soft drink companies. Here, the parent company Building wealth through franchising 6. “Franchising is a form of business enterprise for globally proven to be successful for wealth would produce a concentrated syrup and then sell it along with the right to use its brand and trademark building legitimate wealth through the acquisition builders, with little know-how about the line of of a licence to do business with the brand and/or trademark of a company by an individual or group Franchise business arrangements have globally proven to be of people, to enable them to carry out some specified commercial activities in the name of the issuer of successful for wealth builders, with little know-how about the the licence. Franchisees are usually people with line of business of their investment interest. Hence in a franchise some capital, either borrowed or accumulated, who want to own their business but do not know much arrangement, one does not have to worry about building a recognised about how to start. In a franchise arrangement, a wealth builder can enter into a business relationship and trusted brand, developing well-trained support teams, and in which the franchisor allows the franchisee to sell finding reliable advisors to help them to manage their businesses. his products, services and intellectual property in the franchisor’s registered trade name and brand”.

to a bottling franchisee company which would mix the syrup with various ingredients and then sell the bottled drinks. An unlimited choice available to wealth builders who still feel very passionate and ambitious after building their franchise businesses to successful levels, but want to expand to other locations or other businesses, is to simply retain control of their existing franchise and continue generating profits from them while expanding to other businesses outside their franchise.”

13. “Indeed, franchises of all classes have many advantages over other entry strategies for new business builders, who have problems and difficulty coming up with original ideas about which business to engage in. The first advantage of franchising is instant brand recognition. When wealth builders start businesses of their own, they have to build their brand recognition from the start. This is usually difficult at the beginning, especially with business builders who have to compete in areas with existing strong competitors.

In such places, it is better to enter into business as a franchisee of an existing strong franchisor.

Under that arrangement, the franchisee business builder will use the logo and brand power of the strong, existing franchisor to attract loyal customers and generate good revenue and profitability.

The second advantage is the corporate support provided under franchise arrangements for start-up business builders. This is so because most corporate franchisors go out of their way to succeed and thus, give strong support to their franchises to ensure their success too. We must not be unaware that business builders starting their businesses for the first time would most likely go through tough times because they are entering unfamiliar terrain.

The corporate support provided by franchisors also includes providing classes and training workshops to ensure that franchisees know how to better open and manage their businesses. The franchisors also provide some mentoring, coaching and consultancy for their franchises. The power of the franchisor’s entire brand, therefore, grows appreciably for his ultimate benefit”.

14. “A big advantage of franchising to wealth builder franchises is the strength and benefit of a continuous flow of revenue during the lifespan of their business. This is the biggest advantage of franchises as a business for wealth builders.

Once franchise owners can run their business well and get comfortable with their location, they can continue to collect monthly revenue above their expenses, thereby resulting in profits that should grow over time.

15. Another advantage of franchising as a business arrangement for wealth builders is flexible responsibilities. Being franchise owners, wealth-builders would be confronted with many responsibilities. However, once the business of their franchisee has gathered some momentum of its own, then the franchisee would be better able to control their responsibilities. Before then, the franchisee’s responsibilities are shared flexibly to minimise the risk exposure of the franchisee of their businesses. Franchisors in some cases help to hire managers and other professionals for their franchises to ensure the delivery of high-quality franchise arrangements.

16. “However, you must be warned that franchising is not all bed of roses, as some problems may arise and constitute low ends for franchise businesses.

The first of these is start-up cost. Most franchises require huge initial investments which may not be easily available to many start-up wealth builders.

Hence, franchise businesses may not readily be available to wealth-builders with small capital.

Indeed, franchising generally requires good access to capital for its success, which is most often obtained through bank loans, equity contributions or cooperatives. However, if capital is obtained via bank loans, as against cooperatives, equities or relying on accumulated savings of some years, such franchises could be exposed to economic and high-interest rates, especially in countries with a high cost of capital, such as Nigeria. This is one low end of franchising as a viable form of wealth building.

17. “High inflation rates are part of the problems of franchise businesses in Nigeria. As of today, the survival of many franchise businesses is threatened by the high cost of diesel, high inflation in the input costs of raw and packaging materials for business operations and the poor quality of human capital in Nigeria. The bad geographical location of a franchise business can be a sure way to failure.”

Read the full article at https://www.thisdaylive.com

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 4, 2022 • T H I S D AY

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THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER SEPTEMBER 4 , 2022

SUNDAY INTERVIEW

Okowa

IFEANYI OKOWA: South-east Votes will Be for Only PDP and Labour Party The vice presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party and Governor of Delta State, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, spoke to select journalists in Kano on how his party would tackle the challenges facing the country if voted into power in 2023. He also spoke on the party’s chances in the South-east and his relationship with Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, among other issues. Ibrahim Shuaibu captures the excerpts:

W

ith your emergence as the vice presidential candidate of PDP, you are accused of betraying the trust of the South? ,Q WKH ÀUVW LQVWDQFH P\ HPHUgence is an act of God and I want to give God the glory. Second, whatever debates, whatever issues, whatever comments people have made, for us is politics. ,I \RX·UH D SROLWLFLDQ \RX ZLOO GHÀQLWHO\ XQGHUVWDQG WKDW SROLWLFV has to be played. All that went on was just politics.

I do not believe that any of them would say that I was not TXDOLÀHG WR EH EHFDXVH LI \RX JR RQ WKDW WUDMHFWRU\ , WKLQN E\ *RG·V grace I have a very rich track record in governance. Having left medical school and worked with the government for some time, I went into private practice. After that I found myself in politics in 1991, where I started from a very lowly place not because it could pay my bills but I just wanted to be in politics. In 1991 I was a secretary in the local government council. I contested and ZDV HOHFWHG DV WKH /RFDO JRYHUQPHQW FRXQFLO FKDLUPDQ 7KH ÀUVW elected local government council chairman in my local government Ika Northeast all in 1991.

Thereafter, working with the PDP, I got appointed into vari-

RXV R΀FHV DV FRPPLVVLRQHU LQ WKUHH GLͿHUHQW PLQLVWULHV spanning nearly eight years. I did make an attempt to run for the governorship in 2007. I came out second in the primaries. I eventually became the Secretary to the State Government in 2007. By 2010 I resigned to go and run for the Senate. I won a landslide election to represent my zone from 2011 to 2015.

And the famous National HealthAct was actually read and passed by the committee I actually chaired. Then thereafter I ran for the governorship of Delta State.

They didn’t give me much of a chance because the governor then didn’t support me. By God’s grace I won the elections in the primaries with a landslide. I have been JRYHUQRU IRU WKH ÀUVW DQG WKH VHFRQG WHUP There is a lot that we have achieved. So, nobody has JRQH WKURXJK WKH WUDMHFWRU\ WKDW KH LV QRW TXDOLÀHG EHFDXVH WKH\ NQRZ WKDW ,·P TXDOLÀHG DQG ZKHUHYHU , KDYH IRXQG myself, God has used me to make a mark. Even as we have made a mark in Delta state. There is no doubt as to that.

If you talk about building peace, Delta state is one of the most peaceful states even though it is multi ethnic. And because of the peace, when I came in, we were fourth in oil production. But within three years we have risen to

number one in oil production. That is mainly because we had a ORW RI HQJDJHPHQWV DW GLͿHUHQW OHYHOV DQG ZH DOVR WRRN GHYHORSment to the creeks. Because that was not usual in the past. We took development straight into the creeks and we encouraged the people because they saw hope as they have development in the creeks. So, I’m talking about the creeks deep down the waters, in places that would ordinarily be slump areas. But we brought life to those communities as these are things other people considered they should not do because it takes a lot of money to truly develop the creeks and that has helped us a lot.

In the education sector, today we have four universities running.

Even when ASUU is on strike the four universities are in session because we met with all the sands they have requested for. And is good enough for us. Because we had just one institution in the beginning, Delta State University, we found that a lot of our children could not get space in the university. We did a study and ZH IRXQG RXW WKDW LQ DERXW 'HOWDQV ZHUH TXDOLÀHG but only about 4800 got admission. That means there were a lot of gaps and we needed to bridge the gap. We have several other institutions. Many people will rush to build new universities because they want to take them to their villages and we have to grade the existing institutions. Today we are proud that we have three other universities from the existing one. I know we

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER SEPTEMBER 4 , 2022

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SUNDAY INTERVIEW Okowa: South-east Votes will Be for Only PDP and Labour Party WKH 1RUWK LV VSHDNLQJ LQ D GLͿHUHQW GLUHFWLRQ WKH SHUVRQ IURP 6RXWK ZHVW KDV D YRLFH RI KLV own. When you put all these together you will see that something is going wrong; we don’t need a soothsayer to tell us that something is going wrong with Nigeria. There are so many YRLFHV RI DQJHU H[SUHVVHG LQ VHYHUDO ZD\V $QG ZH DUH EHJLQQLQJ WR KDYH D GLVFXVVLRQ RI WKH IRXQGDWLRQ DQG D IUDFWXUH RI WKH IRXQGDWLRQ WKDW KROGV WKLV FRXQWU\ WRJHWKHU 6R ZKHQ \RX VHH VXFK D WKLQJ ZH VKRXOG EH IULJKWHQHG IRU 1LJHULD DQG LI \RX ZDQW WR SOD\ SROLWLFV \RX QHHG WR EH D OLWWOH ELW PRUH FDXWLRXV %XW XQIRUWXQDWHO\ PDQ\ SROLWLFLDQV ZDQW WR JR DORQJ WKDW SDWK 7KH OHYHO RI LQVHFXULW\ LV VR KLJK %HFDXVH RI WKH LQVHFXULW\ PDQ\ RI RXU IDUPHUV FDQ·W HYHQ JR WR IDUP 3HRSOH DUH VFDUHG WKH\ FDQ·W HYHQ travel by road. Even the very poor are looking for D ZD\ WR Á\ ZKLFK HDWV GHHS LQWR WKH HFRQRP\ HDWV GHHS LQWR WKH OLWWOH WKDW WKH\ KDYH 6R WKHUH DUH IHZ FKDOOHQJHV WKDW ZH KDYH 7KH HGXFDWLRQDO system is what it is today.

6R LQ WKH PLGVW RI WKHVH VR PDQ\ FKDOOHQJHV WKDW DUH DOUHDG\ RYHUZKHOPLQJ WKH $3& JRYHUQPHQW ZKDW VKRXOG EH WKH ZD\ RXW" :H QHHG WR WKLQN %XW XQIRUWXQDWHO\ ZH DUH WDONLQJ DERXW so many sentimental issues and are not looking into the realities on ground.

6R LGHDOO\ , ZRXOGQ·W ZDQW WR WDON DERXW WKH 0XVOLP 0XVOLP WLFNHW EXW WR VRPH H[WHQW ,Q D FRXQWU\ WKDW KDV D VKDN\ IRXQGDWLRQ ZKHUH SHRSOH DUH JHWWLQJ WRR VHQVLWLYH WR LVVXHV EHFDXVH RI WKH KLJK OHYHO RI IDLOXUH RI WUXVW OHW PH SXW LW LQ WKDW ZD\ ,I \RX JR IRU D 0XVOLP 0XVOLP WLFNHW WKDW WUXVW GHÀFLW EHFRPHV ZLGHQHG 6R WKHUH LV DQ LVVXH %XW LI ZH KDYH JRRG JRYHUQDQFH DQG HYHU\WKLQJ LV PRYLQJ VPRRWKO\ SHRSOH ZRXOGQ·W WKLQN LQ WKDW GLUHFWLRQ WKH\ ZRXOG EH ORRNLQJ at who would perform.

Then you begin to look at what is going on QRZ SHRSOH ZLOO VHH WKHVH IDFWRUV DV LI KH LV WU\LQJ WR JR WKURXJK WKH &KXUFK DQG WR PDNH LW ORRN OLNH GULYLQJ WKH &KULVWLDQV LQWR SROLWLFV , GR QRW EHOLHYH WKDW WKH &KXUFK VKRXOG DFWLYHO\ JR LQWR SROLWLFV EHFDXVH LW LV QRW WKHLU FDOOLQJ But people are just hanging onto anything they ZDQW WR UHDFK EHFDXVH WKH\ ZDQW WR YRWH HYHQ DW WKH GHWULPHQW RI WKHLU IDLWK , GRQ·W EHOLHYH WKDW LV WKH ULJKW SDWK WR JR ,Q D GLVWRUWHG VLWXDWLRQ DV ZH KDYH LQ WKLV FRXQWU\ ZKR EHVW ÀWV WKH SRVLWLRQ RI SUHVLGHQW" 6RPHERG\ ZKR KDV WKH FDSDFLW\ IRU WKH H[SHULHQFH 7KH OHYHO RI FDOPQHVV WKH ZLVGRP DQG WKH UHDFK RXW DFURVV 1LJHULD WKDW ZLOO EH DEOH WR SXW D WHDP RQ WKH WDEOH JDWKHU D WHDP WRJHWKHU SXW SHRSOH RQ WKH WDEOH DQG WDON WR HDFK RWKHU $QG then from day one he is able to start professing solutions and then getting the people to be able to move this nation again. Starting to move this QDWLRQ DJDLQ VWDUWLQJ WR UHEXLOG WKH IRXQGDWLRQ 0DQ\ RI WKHP ZKR DUH WDONLQJ WRGD\ FDQ·W ÀOO LW %HFDXVH \RX FRXOG KDYH VRPH OHYHO RI H[SHULHQFH when you are put into a situation where you KDYH D ORW RI FKDOOHQJHV \RX JHW FRQIXVHG LI \RX GRQ·W KDYH WKH UHOHYDQW H[SHULHQFH , KDYH WR VSHDN RQFH WR SHRSOH ZKR DWWDFN PH , GLGQ·W VD\ SHRSOH GRQ·W KDYH H[SHULHQFH EXW WKH\ GRQ·W KDYH HQRXJK H[SHULHQFH WR GHDO with the Nigeria of today. The Nigeria of today requires somebody who has a wide level of H[SHULHQFH DQG ZKR KDV WKDW FDSDFLW\ DQG WKDW personal dominion to be able to handle issues LQ VXFK D ZD\ WKDW ZH FDQ WUXO\ VD\ \HV ZH FDQ trust this one to take us on this path. , VHH RQO\ $WLNX $EXEDNDU DPRQJVW DOO RI WKHP ,Q WKH\ FDPH LQWR SRZHU ZH KDG issues though the issues appear to be worse QRZ 7KHUH ZDV QR GRXEW ZH KDG LQVHFXULW\ ZH KDG D YHU\ SRRU HFRQRP\ DV DW WKHQ 7KLQJV appear to be going worse than they are now. %XW WKH TXHVWLRQ ZH KDYH DQG WKDW H[SHULHQFH LV YHU\ UHOHYDQW DQG LV JRLQJ WR KHOS 7KH FRQWUDVW made at that time is relevant and is going to help.

But the greatest thing that goes with him is that KH LV RQH SHUVRQ WKDW LV NQRZQ DQG FDQ UHDFK RXW WR SHRSOH DFURVV WKH VWDWHV RI WKLV QDWLRQ , EHOLHYH KH LV RQH PDQ WKDW KDV WKDW FDOPQHVV ZH QHHG LW WR EH DEOH WR SXW SHRSOH WRJHWKHU WR EH DEOH WR DFFRPPRGDWH RWKHU SHRSOH·V YLHZV DQG WR EH LQFOXVLYH LQ JRYHUQDQFH <RX·UH QRW JRLQJ WR ORRN IRU D GLFWDWRU 6RPH RI WKHP ZKR PD\ QRW EH GLFWDWRUV WKH TXHVWLRQ LV ZLOO WKH\ EH FRQVXPHG LQ WKDW R΀FH EHFDXVH RI WKH FLUFXPVWDQFHV RI WKH WLPH 6R ZKHQ \RX WDON DERXW SHRSOH OLNH 3HWHU 2EL \HV KH KDV VRPH UHOHYDQW H[SHULHQFH EXW KRZ ELJ LV WKDW H[SHULHQFH" , NHHS RQ VD\LQJ , VDLG LW EHIRUH DQG , ZLOO NHHS RQ VD\LQJ LW DJDLQ , GRQ·W ZDQW WR FULWLFL]H KLP KH ZDV JRYHUQRU IRU eight years. Let’s try to understudy everything DERXW KLP ZLWKLQ WKRVH HLJKW \HDUV , WU\ QRW WR WDON DERXW LW VR , ZLOO OHDYH LW DW WKDW

Okowa

1LJHULDQV ZDQWHG FKDQJH EHFDXVH LI \RX VWLOO ORRN EDFN LQ WKH ODVW RQH \HDU WR WKDW HOHFWLRQ HYHQ LQ WKH ODVW IHZ PRQWKV \RX ÀQG WKDW DOO PDQQHU RI WKLQJV DUH SUHVVXUHG OLNH SHRSOH MXVW ZDQWHG D FKDQJH :H GRQ·W ORRN DW WKH GHSWK RI LVVXHV ,W LV LPSRUWDQW WKDW 1LJHULDQV EHJLQ to look at the depth of issues and now seven \HDUV GRZQ WKH OLQH KLWWLQJ WKH HLJKWK \HDU ,·P VXUH WKDW QRERG\ DQWLFLSDWHG WKDW 1LJHULD ZLOO be where we are today. That is the real issue.

That has not stopped the PDP from being a The APC leadership has a sort of power QDWLRQDO SDUW\ :H KDYH UHPDLQHG D SDUW\ UHOHYDQW sharing plan where the running mate will YHU\ UHOHYDQW LQ HYHU\ VWDWH RI 1LJHULD <HV WKH handle issues of security while the president $3& SHRSOH KDYH LQGLFDWHG WKHPVHOYHV DQG will handle the economy; do you have a similar now and we know that there are a whole lot of plan in place?

LVVXHV JRLQJ RQ DOO RYHU WKH SODFH %XW , EHOLHYH , EHOLHYH WKDW WKH SUHVLGHQF\ LV D WHDP DQG WKDW ZH DUH ERXQFLQJ EDFN :H VDZ LW LQ 2VXQ WKDW WHDP ZLOO FRPSOHPHQW HDFK RWKHU %XW WKH VWDWH /RWV RI WKLQJV DUH JRLQJ RQ LQ 2JXQ VWDWH ,I SUHVLGHQW LV WKH ERVV DQG WKH YLFH SUHVLGHQW DV- \RX JR WR 2QGR VWDWH \RX FDQ ÀQG WKLV WRR LQ WKH sists him to do his job. The two of us are a team 3'3 6R WKH LVVXH LV WKDW HYHQ LQ WKH VRXWKZHVW LQ JRYHUQPHQW %HFDXVH KH LV JRLQJ WR KDYH WR ZKHUH WKH $3& FDPS LV IRUPHG \RX FDQ VHH DSSRLQW VHYHUDO SHRSOH PLQLVWHUV VSHFLDO DGYLVHUV WKH 3'3 VSULQJLQJ XS ZLWK JUHDW VWUHQJWK ,I VSHFLDO DVVLVWDQWV DQG HYHQ UHDFK RXW WR RWKHU \RX FRPH WR WKH QRUWK ZKHUH ZH DFWXDOO\ ORVW people who may not be in government to make D ORW RI JURXQGV \RX FDQ VHH D ORW RI VWUHQJWK LV WKHLU FRQWULEXWLRQV WR JRYHUQPHQW SDUWLFXODUO\ EHLQJ EXLOW LQ ,Q .DWVLQD VWDWH MXVW D IHZ GD\V EHFDXVH RI WKH VLWXDWLRQ ZH ÀQG RXUVHOYHV LQ DJR ZH VDZ PDVVLYH GHIHFWLRQV WR WKH 3'3 -XVW 7KH RUJDQLVHG SULYDWH VHFWRU LV LPSRUWDQW WKH \HVWHUGD\ ZH UHFHLYHG WKH .DQR VWDWH IRUPHU traditional institution is important if you want JRYHUQRU 6HQDWRU ,EUDKLP 6KHNDUDX ZKR WR JHW LW ULJKW 7KH UHOLJLRXV OHDGHUV ERWK 0XVOLP HYHQ GHFLGHG WR DEDQGRQ KLV VHQDWRULDO WLFNHW OHDGHUV DQG &KULVWLDQ OHDGHUV DUH LPSRUWDQW 7KHUH +H ZDV YHU\ GHÀQLWH DQG ZDV OLNHO\ JRLQJ WR LV H[WHQVLYH FRQVXOWDWLRQ DQG WKDW·V ZKDW ZH ZLQ WKDW WLFNHW EXW KH GHFLGHG WR DEDQGRQ LW ZDQW WR GR 7KDW·V ZK\ , WDONHG DERXW LQFOXVLYH But the truth is there are some people who are JRYHUQDQFH DQG , NQRZ ZKHUH LW·V KHDGHG WR thinking about Nigeria at the moment and if +H LV VRPHERG\ ZKR DFWXDOO\ ZDQWV WR OLVWHQ WR ZH DUH RQ WKH SDWK RI UHVWLQJ ZH PXVW LGHQWLI\ people and he is a person who wants to learn even D YHKLFOH WKDW ZLOO WDNH \RX RQ WKDW SDWK DQG ZKHQ KH KDV D ZKROH ZHDOWK RI H[SHULHQFH 7KDW 3'3 LV WKH RQO\ YHKLFOH WKDW FDQ WUXO\ WDNH XV RQ LV WKH SDWK ZH DUH JRLQJ %XW EHLQJ VSHFLÀF WR WKH WKDW SDWK 6R \RX ZLOO ÀQG WKDW ZH FRQWLQXH WR &RQVWLWXWLRQ RI WKH )HGHUDO 5HSXEOLF RI 1LJHULD , EXLOG VWUHQJWK DFURVV HYHU\ZKHUH LQ WKH QDWLRQ GRQ·W ZDQW WR WDON DERXW WKHLU SROLFLHV ,I WKH YLFH DQG WKHUH LV QR JHRSROLWLFDO ]RQH ZKHUH ZH GRQ·W SUHVLGHQW ZLOO WDNH FKDUJH RI VHFXULW\ LV KH QRZ KDYH VWUHQJWK DQG WKHUH LV QR JHRSROLWLFDO ]RQH JRLQJ WR SUHVLGH RYHU WKH VHFXULW\ FRXQFLO DW WKH ZKHUH ZH DUH QRW JRLQJ WR FRPSHWH IDYRUDEO\ IHGHUDO OHYHO" , GRQ·W XQGHUVWDQG WKDW EHFDXVH 6RPH RWKHU SDUWLHV PD\ FRPSHWH DQG PD\ MXVW WKHUH LV D FRPPDQGHU LQ FKLHI ,V WKHUH D UHYHUVDO EH KROGLQJ RQ WR FOXVWHUV RU VWDWHV %XW 3'3 LV RI SRVLWLRQ" , ÀQG LW DEVXUG WKDW KH VD\V WKDW JRLQJ WR FRPSHWH LQ HYHU\ VWDWH DQG FRPSHWH KH ZLOO WDNH FKDUJH RI WKLV 3RVVLEO\ WKH\ KDYH reasonably well.

DJUHHG WKDW KH LV JRLQJ WR EH WKH FRPPDQGHU So that national lead is there and people have LQ FKLHI , GR QRW NQRZ , DP QRW DW WKHLU SDUW\ FRPH WR UHDOLVH WKDW WKH\ KDYH PDGH D PLVWDNH , ZRXOGQ·W ZLVK WR WDON DERXW WKDW DQG ZRXOG QRW QHHG WR JR EDFN RQ WKDW SDWK 7KH LVVXH RI WKH HFRQRP\ LV DFWXDOO\ D WHDP 7RGD\ ZH DUH JRLQJ RQ WKH SDWK RI D FDPSDLJQ HͿRUW 7KHUH LV QR SUHVLGHQW RU YLFH SUHVLGHQW WDONLQJ DERXW 1LJHULD WDONLQJ DERXW RXU XQLW\ WKDW WDNHV FKDUJH RI WKH HFRQRP\ 7KH SUHVLGHQW talking about the need for us to realise that our ZLOO SURYLGH OHDGHUVKLS VXSSRUWHG E\ WKH YLFH greater strength is in our oneness and together SUHVLGHQW %XW WKHUH LV D WHDP WKH HFRQRPLF WHDP ZH FDQ WDNH RXUVHOYHV RXW RI ZKHUH ZH DUH LQWR will be right on ground to deal with issues and D PXFK EHWWHU SODFH UHFUHDWLQJ KRSH WRJHWKHU HYHQ EH\RQG WKH HFRQRPLF WHDP ZH NQRZ WKH :H DUH WKH RQO\ SDUW\ JRLQJ ZLWK WKDW PLQGVHW , LPSRUWDQFH RI WKH RUJDQLVHG SULYDWH VHFWRU LQ EHOLHYH ZH DUH GRLQJ ZHOO LQ RXU DSSURDFK WR WKH moving this nation forward. We will leverage that issues that are on ground and we are reasonably with the president providing leadership. That SUHSDUHG WR VWDUW RͿ IURP GD\ RQH LV ZKHUH ZH VWDQG WKDW LV ZKDW LV ULJKW IRU WKLV %XW UHDOLVLQJ WKDW LW LV D YHU\ GL΀FXOW WDVN , QDWLRQ DQG WKDW LV ZKDW $WLNL $EXEDNDU ZLOO GR ZLOO FDOO RQ 1LJHULDQV WR EH SDWLHQW ZLWK XV EXW slowly and steadily we would get ourselves out How are you going to retain the national of where we are working with every stakeholder posture of the PDP with politicians in the LQ 1LJHULD WR EH DEOH WR ZRUN PXFK IDVWHU DQG regions like Peter Obi in South-east, Tinubu GRLQJ ZHOO DQG ZH ZLOO VWD\ IRFXVHG in South-west and Kwankwaso in the Northwest pulling crowds?

What is the relationship between you and :HOO ÀUVW ZKHQ D SDUW\ KDV VWD\HG IRU VL[WHHQ Wike? \HDUV \RX ÀQG WKDW ZKDW KDSSHQV LV WKDW D ORW $V , VDLG DW WKH EHJLQQLQJ P\ HPHUJHQFH DQG of people want to try something new and then WKH FULHV DERXW LW LV DOO EXW SROLWLFV DQG FRPSHWLWLRQ EHFDXVH LWV SROLWLFV D ORW RI GLVDJUHHPHQW EHWZHHQ $ ORW RI SHRSOH ZLOO EH TXDOLÀHG DQG DV , GLG VD\ WKHP JHW LQWR WKH SDUW\ DQG WKDW ZDV ZKHUH ZH LQ P\ LQWHUYLHZ ZLWK $ULVH79 DQG &KDQQHOV VR IRXQG RXUVHOYHV LQ EHFDXVH RI VHYHUDO LV- PDQ\ RI XV DUH HPLQHQWO\ TXDOLÀHG WKDW , KDSSHQ VXHV DQG WKHQ ZH ORVW HOHFWLRQV 1RZ EHFDXVH WR EH FKRVHQ DQG , WKLQN LW LV *RG·V JUDFH ,·YH

6R LQ WKH 6RXWK HDVW KH GHÀQLWHO\ ZLOO EH DQ LVVXH IRU XV EHFDXVH RI WKH VHQWLPHQWV WKDW FRPH LQ %XW , NQRZ WKDW WKH 3'3 KDV D YHU\ VWURQJ URRW LQ WKH 6RXWK HDVW DQG , NQRZ WKDW WKH FRQWHVW LQ the South-east is going to be between the PDP DQG WKH /DERXU 3DUW\ 2EYLRXVO\ ZH ZLVK WKDW KH LV QRW RQ WKH ZD\ EXW VLQFH KH LV WKHUH LV JRLQJ WR EH D UHDO FRQWHVW EHWZHHQ WKH WZR SDUWLHV LQ WKH 6RXWK HDVW QRW WKH $3& EXW WKH 3'3 DQG the Labour Party.

spoken about that.

6HFRQGO\ LQ WKH VRXWK 6RXWK ,·P LQ WRUFK ZLWK DOO P\ FROOHDJXHV DV D SDUW\ DQG DV D IDPLO\ We are all talking with governor Wike and the SURFHVV LV EHLQJ OHG E\ RXU SUHVLGHQWLDO FDQGLGDWH EHFDXVH KH LV WKH OHDGHU DQG ZH EHOLHYH WKDW LW LV WKH EHVW RSWLRQ , WKLQN WKDW VRRQHU WKDQ ODWHU ZH ZLOO EH DEOH WR KDYH WKH LVVXHV UHVROYHG %HFDXVH , GRQ·W WKLQN WKHUH DUH PDQ\ 7KH LVVXHV ZRXOGQ·W EH DERXW WKH YLFH SUHVLGHQF\ DW WKH PRPHQW EHFDXVH WKDW LV DOUHDG\ D VHWWOHG PDWWHU , EHOLHYH WKDW WKHUH DUH IHZ RWKHU TXHVWLRQV WKDW QHHG WR EH DQVZHUHG ,V D QRUPDO SURFHVV DQG LV SDUW RI SROLWLFV 7KHUH DUH UHDVVXUDQFHV WKDW ZLOO QHHG WR EH PDGH , EHOLHYH WKDW LV RQ WKH WDEOH LV EHLQJ GLVFXVVHG ,I LQ D SROLWLFDO SDUW\ HYHU\WKLQJ MXVW JRHV RQ VPRRWKO\ WKHQ WKDW FDQ·W EH D SURSHU SROLWLFDO SDUW\ $ IDPLO\ WKDW LV ODUJH \RX GHÀQLWHO\ KDYH LVVXHV ZKHQ \RX DUH WU\LQJ WR GLYLGH WKLV WKLQJ EHFDXVH there are so many people who are interested. ,·P VXUH WKDW WKHUH DUH VRPH SROLWLFDO SDUWLHV HYHQ VRPH RI WKRVH WKDW \RX PHQWLRQHG WRGD\ WKDW DUH EXV\ VHWWLQJ RXW RU GDQJOLQJ WKHLU YLFH SUHVLGHQWLDO WLFNHW 7KH\ GLGQ·W ÀQG DQ\ FUHGLEOH SHUVRQ WR SLFN ,W WRRN D ORW RI WLPH IRU WKHP WR PDNH WKDW GHFLVLRQ 7KHQ XQGHU WKH 3'3 EHFDXVH ZH KDYH D ORW RI TXDOLÀHG SHUVRQV WKDW·V ZK\ LW FDXVHG D NLQG RI LQLWLDO GLVFXVVLRQ WKDW ZH KDG FRQFHUQLQJ WKH 93VKLS %XW , WKLQN WKDW ZH DUH ZRUNLQJ KDUG WR WDFNOH LW DQG ZH DUH DOVR PRYLQJ DKHDG WR WU\ WR PHHW DV PDQ\ SHRSOH DV SRVVLEOH EDFN LQWR RXU IROG :H DUH EHJLQQLQJ WR VHH VXFK JDLQV DQG PDQ\ PRUH ,W ZLOO EH VHHQ LQ WKH FRXUVH RI D IHZ PRQWKV WKDW WKH SUHVLGHQWLDO FDQGLGDWH we are aware of has met with governor Wike in $EXMD DQG UHFHQWO\ WKH\ PHW RYHUVHDV QRW RQO\ ZLWK KLP EXW ZLWK WKUHH RWKHUV RI RXU FROOHDJXHV 6R , EHOLHYH ZH DUH ZRUNLQJ RQ WKDW DQG WKLQJV resettled.

What will the Atiku/Okowa government do to step down oil theft in the country?

The issue of oil theft is something that we QHHG WR DOO ZRUU\ DERXW EHFDXVH ZH KDYH JRWten to a situation where we are not even able WR PHHW RXU TXRWD $W VRPH SRLQW LQ WLPH ZH ZHUH SURGXFLQJ PRUH WKDQ ZKDW ZDV DOORFDWHG WR XV EXW QRZ HYHQ ZLWK WKH DOORFDWLRQ ZH DUH QRW DEOH WR PHHW WKDW TXRWD 6R WKHUH LV FDXVH WR ZRUU\ /LNH ZKDW LV JRLQJ RQ ZLWK NLGQDSSLQJ SHRSOH EHJLQ WR VHH WKDW OHYHO RI FULPLQDOLW\ EH XVHG DV D PHDQV RI HPSRZHULQJ WKHPVHOYHV WKH\ EHJLQ WR VHH LW DV D MRE LW RXJKW QRW WR be so and is really very bad. What started in VPDOO ZD\V KDYH FRQWLQXHG WR JURZ LQ WHUPV RI WKH LOOHJDO UHÀQLQJ WKDW ZH KDYH JRLQJ RQ in the Niger Delta region and is beginning to XSVFDOH :H DUH DZDUH WRR WKDW LW LV QRW RQO\ WKH ORFDOV D ORW RI SHRSOH DUH QRZ EHJLQQLQJ WR SXW WKHLU KDQGV LQWR LW , EHOLHYH WKDW ZH QHHG WR HQVXUH WKDW WKH FRPPXQLWLHV ZRUN FORVHO\ ZLWK WKH 113& OWG DQG WKHLU VXEVLGLDULHV DQG WKH RWKHU FRPSDQLHV WKDW DUH WKHUH ZRUNLQJ YHU\ FORVHO\ ZLWK WKH VHFXULW\ DJHQFLHV %XW WKH FRPPXQLWLHV PXVW KDYH D ORW RI VWDNHV and a lot of involvement for us to be able to PRYH IRUZDUG %HFDXVH PRVW RI WKH SHRSOH ZKR GR LW DUH IURP WKH FRPPXQLWLHV DQG HYHQ WKRVH FRPLQJ LQ IURP RXWVLGH ZLWK IXQGV WR get engaged in this will still have to use some SHRSOH ZLWKLQ WKH FRPPXQLWLHV 7KHUH KDV WR EH VLQFHULW\ RQ WKH SDUW RI WKH VHFXULW\ DJHQFLHV ZKR ZRUN LQ WKRVH DUHDV SDUWLFXODUO\ ZLWKLQ WKH FUHHNV :H QHHG WR JHW WKHVH FRPPXQLWLHV LQYROYHG LQ VXUYHLOODQFH SURFHVVHV DQG , WKLQN WKDW LV KDUGO\ EHLQJ GRQH DW WKH PRPHQW , KRSH WKDW ZH ZLOO JHW LW IXOO\ ULJKW %HFDXVH WKH FKLHI RI GHIHQVH VWDͿ ZLWK WKH *0' RI WKH 113& /WG UHFHQWO\ KDG D WRXU DQG WKH\ PHW ZLWK WKH JRYHUQRUV , WKLQN WKDW ZH FDQ VWDUW WKLV SURFHVV WR JHW LW ULJKW %XW , DOVR EHOLHYH WKDW WKHUH LV D VKRUWDJH RI SURGXFW DQG WKDW KDV FRQWLQXHG WR HQFRXUDJH ZKDW LV JRLQJ RQ SDUWLFXODUO\ ZKHQ \RX WDON DERXW WKH GLHVHO DQG WKH UHVW VR WKH\ DUH LVVXHV WKDW KDYH WR EH DGGUHVVHG ,I LQ WKLV FRXQWU\ WRGD\ WKH\ DUH UHÀQLQJ HQRXJK SURGXFWV DQG WKH SULFLQJ LV JRRG DQG WKH SURGXFWV DUH HYHU\ZKHUH DQG WKHUH LV QR VFDUFLW\ \RX ZLOO ÀQG WKDW WKH OHYHO RI LOOHJDO UHÀQLQJ ZLOO UHGXFH %XW ZKHQ WKHUH LV VFDUFLW\ LW FUHDWHV WKH SUREOHP E\ LWVHOI DQG LI \RX JLYH PRUH URRP WKH SRWHQWLDO WR GHYHORS WKHPVHOYHV EHFRPHV PRUH VRSKLVWLFDWHG DQG LW EHFRPHV UHDOO\ GDQJHURXV -XVW DV ZH KDYH LW HYHQ LQ ZKDWHYHU LV JRLQJ RQ ZLWK NLGQDSSLQJ WKH PRUH PRQH\ WKH\ PDNH WKH\ EX\ PRUH JXQV WKH\ EHFRPH PRUH GDQJHURXV PRUH VRSKLVWLFDWHG and the issues are there.

Read full interview online - www.thisdaylive.

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OPI NION

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T H I S D AY MONDAYSunday MARCH 14, 2022 2022 4 September, Vol 27. No 10000

opinion@thisdaylive.com

www.thisdaylive.com

MUSTAPHA: A PATRIOT AT 66

OLAWALE OLALEYE pays tribute to Mustapha, lawyer, administrator, and Secretary to the Government of the Federation

Leaders must be capable of leading across groups at the juncture where wide ranging experience, diverse expertise and varied identities intersect, writes ANYA O. ANYA

REBUILDING TRUST THROUGH CREATIVE LEADERSHIP O

See Page 28

MEASURING AREWA’S POTENTIAL The north should make use of its abundant potential, urges AISHA SHUAIBU

See Page 28

EDITORIAL IRABOR’S INCONVENIENT TRUTHS

See Page 53

ver the last 30 years, management science pioneered by the Centre for Creative Leadership in the United States has developed strategies that have enabled us to manage diversity in multi-national and multi-cultural organisations in a manner that builds trust and fosters co-operation within WKH UHOHYDQW RUJDQLVDWLRQV VXFK WKDW HIÀFLHQF\ is optimized while an atmosphere of peace, order and understanding prevails. We can apply these strategies to our current national situation. Most adult Nigerians would admit that our nation has not been this divided even in the worst period of the civil war. We have insurrection in the North East, banditry and kidnapping within our territory in the North West. In the North Central zone as well as in the Southern Zones we have kidnappers and the rampaging Fulani herdsmen. All the indicators suggest we are currently at war but without the social consciousness that goes with a war situation.

Nigeria is a multi-religious, multi-ethnic and multicultural conglomeration of nationalities.

In such a society two countervailing social forces are likely to collide: the need for differentiation, divergence and uniqueness in contradistinction to the need for integration, convergence and belongingness. Inherent in such a situation is the emergence of the great divide – between Us and Them. The core issue here is about identity. :LWK WKH GHÀQLWLRQ RI RXU LGHQWLWLHV FRPHV the welter of phenomena encapsulated in our core values and our belief systems: how we GHÀQH RXUVHOYHV DQG KRZ ZH ÀW ZLWKLQ RXU society become relevant. Hence our identities GHOLPLW WKH ERXQGDULHV ZKLFK GHÀQH XV DQG them. While historical boundaries which GHÀQH WKH OLPLWV RI LGHQWLW\ HPHUJH LQ VRFLHWLHV either in the promotion of social structures within the organization or societies, the boundaries which matter most today are often psychological and emotional. Consequently these become part of the inner dynamics found in human relationships, namely, lack of trust, lack of respect, lack of a common purpose, need for safety to overcome threats and lack of ownership. These problems arise not from what people do or how they do them but on who they are. Thus identities and thence cultural imprint matters. So where do we go from here? we ask again It is important to note that boundaries may be borders that limit human potential, circumscribe creativity and innovation thus hampering social change. Boundaries may also represent frontiers where the most advanced thinking and breakthrough possibilities reside. The difference between limiting borders and limitless frontiers can be transformed by leadership. The challenges of boundaries may require extending beyond present boundaries and pursuing new frontiers where groups collide and intersect. Hence the need for new ways to bring together new groups which often includes new ways to approach leadership.

For example, when functions or societies operate as silos with little trust and respect

IRU HDFK RWKHU DQ\ GHÀQHG FRPPRQ JRDO cannot be achieved. A leadership that can span the boundaries becomes an effective remedy, giving leadership across the groups.

Their effectiveness under such circumstances can be enhanced when they show direction (understanding, common goals and strategy), alignment (coordination of resources and activities) and commitment (pursuit of collective success beyond that of any single group).

It was the late Albert Einstein who had observed that problems cannot be solved at the current level of awareness that created them.

We had observed earlier that we are presently in a state of war without the consciousness that goes with this state of affairs. Hence we need to create a new kind of leadership. Boundaries VSDQQLQJ OHDGHUVKLS KDV EHHQ GHÀQHG DV WKH ability to create direction, alignment and commitment. Given the welter of colliding forces that have shaped and continue to shape our relationships in the modern world including advances in technology, changes in global climate and demographics in the new environment shaped by expanding globalization, we should not be surprised that old boundaries are being dismantled even as new boundaries are being erected. It should be clear that in the emerging new world gone are the days when leaders and followers work within intact groups where both share culture, values and interests.

The leaders for these times must be capable of leading across groups at the juncture where wide ranging experience, diverse expertise and varied identities intersect. Such leaders must learn to manage boundaries, forge common ground or purpose and discover new frontiers. We should remember however WKDW WKH ÀUVW VWHS LQ VSDQQLQJ ERXQGDULHV LV to create and strengthen existing boundaries because you need to see boundaries clearly

before you can bridge or span them.

Finally, boundary spanning leadership is an instrument for the transformation of societies.

You need to create the environment for transformation and in the pursuit of this goal, three objectives need to be pursued, namely, create opportunities for interaction between the groups with a focus on creating a different future, identify and understand identitybased values, beliefs and perspectives that can lead to transformation if changed; and create opportunities for renewing, revisioning and reimagining change in themselves and their environment.

As Edmund Burke observed, “a nation is not governed that is perpetually to be conquered”. Nigerian leaders of an earlier generation agree with him. The late Tafawa Balewa suggested that Nigeria existed as one country only on paper. Indeed, he refers to it as a British intention for the country. Indeed in the view of the late Obafemi Awolowo, Nigeria is merely a geographical expression.

So the Nigerian nation is yet to be built.

There lies the challenge before us all which is to build a nation where trust, sincerity, justice and equity are domiciled and where each citizen’s life and property are protected. *LYHQ WKH ÀVVLSDURXV SRWHQWLDO RI WKLV SXWDWLYH nation, the boundary spanning leadership model seems most appropriate. In the pursuit of this vision and national goal a number of WDVNV QHHGV WR EH WDFNOHG 7KH ÀUVW LV WR WDFNOH the problem of restructuring and devolving power to the sub-national levels of authority so that problems are tackled expeditiously at the levels where they occur.

It has been said that great things will happen as long as no one cares who gets the credit.

So, it is with Nigeria’s effort at restructuring.

The implementation of the report of the 2014 National Conference should be the beginning of Nigeria’s march into nationhood. For embedded in the bowels of that Report is a brand-new constitution for our new nation. If RXU QHZ OHDGHUV FDQ ÀQG WKH FRXUDJH WR XQYHLO the embedded constitution and present it to WKH 1LJHULDQ 3HRSOHV LQ D UHIHUHQGXP WKH ÀUVW blocks in the architectural foundation of the New Nigeria would have been laid.

We need a new leadership cadre to drive the Nigerian vision and liberate the Nigerian Peoples from an emerging totalitarian oligarchy-plutocracy wrapped in the swaddling cloth of corruption and rampant poverty that our politicians are determined to drive us into – a no chance cul de sac. These new leaders must be driven by a vision that incorporates the seven virtues in a national code of values, namely character/ integrity, competence, conviction, courage, charisma, commitment and compassion. The emergence of such a creative leadership is the challenge facing the new Nigerian leadership elite incubating in the womb of the new youth movement.

Prof Anya, OFR, NNOM, is a statesman, scientist and boardroom guru

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T H I S D AY SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 4, 2022

OLAWALE OLALEYE pays tribute to Boss Mustapha, lawyer, administrator, and Secretary to the Government of the Federation

The north should make use of its abundant potential, urges AISHA SHUAIBU

MUSTAPHA: A PATRIOT AT 66 If there’s anyone not getting enough credit for all he’s been doing to help the JRYHUQPHQW RI WKH GD\ À[ PDQ\ RI LWV challenges and deliver on its promises, no one, arguably, can take the place of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Gidahyelda Mustapha.

Although not his design, Mustapha, KDV VLQFH DVVXPLQJ RIÀFH EHFRPH WKH engine room of the Muhammadu Buhari administration, in addition to his rather RYHUZKHOPLQJ RIÀFLDO UHVSRQVLELOLWLHV as the scribe of the federation.

Five years ago, when Mustapha joined the Buhari administration, his coming onboard was timeous.

The presidency at the time needed a stabilizer, who would create a synergy amongst the various tendencies in the government, the presidency in particular, for seamless interaction and this bridge-builder came right on time.

What’s even more curious, is that, President Buhari, seemed to have recognised early in the day, the capacity of the SGF to hold his own and deliver on all assignments – from the basic to the most complicated – and understood where and how to deploy him, outside of his primary concerns.

To the awe of many people in the government, Mustapha, has been the bulwark of the administration, overlapping the functions of many RIÀFHV LQFOXGLQJ EHLQJ DQ XQRIÀFLDO adviser on critical issues of government, guided strictly by national interest and the many internal contradictions of the government.

Even more noteworthy, is how his pieces of advice, have helped to shape decisions in the party and guide on steps to take, whenever things get to a head.

Understandably, his engagements in the government scaled up after the passing of the former Chief of Staff to the president, Abba Kyari.

Thus, aside designing the activities of the president and offering advice, where necessary, he has also been a mediator in many instances, not to talk of his headship of many ad hoc committees, created to address situations. Yet, in all of these, Mustapha, has never been found wanting.

When you consider the agencies under his watch cum his responsibilities, then, LW·V QRW GLIÀFXOW WR WHOO LW LV QRW DQ RIÀFH for the inane. These agencies include the Code of Conduct Bureau, National Lottery Trust Fund, Federal Road Safety Corps, Nigeria National Merit Award, National Hajj Commission of Nigeria and Nigeria Atomic Energy Commission.

Others are Nigeria Christian Pilgrim Commission, Niger Delta Development Commission, National Agency for the Control of Aids, New Partnership for African Development, National Poverty Eradication Programme, and the National Lottery Regulatory Commission.

However, when you consider his background as a lawyer, in addition to his education, exposure and experience, it’s not hard to tell how he has been able to navigate his many responsibilities, which include handling matters related to the prerogative of mercy, petitions and appeals to the President.

He is also charged with the responsibility of processing requests for duty tours and medical treatment RI JRYHUQPHQW RIÀFLDOV DEURDG +H coordinates and manages National Honours Awards.

The SGF is responsible for the supervision of some government agencies as directed by the president like the New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD), while also serving as the frontline advisory LQVWLWXWLRQ WR WKH RIÀFH RI WKH SUHVLGHQW +LV RIÀFH PRQLWRUV DQG FRRUGLQDWHV the implementation of government policies and programmes in line with the programmes of the ruling government as well as ensures harmonisation in the policies of the government.

Mustapha is the one, who evaluates the performance of the ministers and Permanent Secretaries on behalf of the president. He maintains mandate acceptance documents signed by PLQLVWHUV RQ DQ DVVXPSWLRQ RI RIÀFH Apart from serving as the Secretariat of the National Council of State, the Federal Executive Council and other Constitutional Councils, chaired by the president or the vice-president, his RIÀFH DOVR SURYLGHV VXSSRUW VHUYLFHV WR administrative tribunals, commissions and panels of enquiry.

Mustapha equally coordinates public VDIHW\ PDWWHUV DQG WKLV KH H[HPSOLÀHG during the COVID-19 pandemic, when he coordinated the presidential response team.

He, no doubt, represents the president whenever delegated to do so, and liaises with Secretaries to State Governments in situations, when policies of the federal government, have to be implemented at the state levels.

However, when all these are combined, it is without a doubt that Mustapha is very hands-on and his ability to coordinate activities of government as well as make peace amongst members of the administration, is not a gift domicile in everyone.

He has consciously stayed away from scandals, avoided enemies, but FRQWLQXHG WR SD\ VXIÀFLHQW DWWHQWLRQ WR KLV RIÀFH SURWHFW KLV ERVV DQG KLV RIÀFH ZLWKRXW SOD\LQJ WR WKH JDOOHU\ With maturity and experience, he has acquitted himself as deserving of his RIÀFH Therefore, on the occasion of his 66th birthday, today, it becomes a matter of responsibility and recognition of the contributions of a patriot, distinguished Nigerian, and decent family man, who has continued to give his all in the service to fatherland.

Olaleye is a staff of THISDAY

MEASURING AREWA’S POTENTIAL The future of Northern Nigeria looks bleak as the long-term abuse and reluctance from Northern leaders to prioritise the people has set a deteriorating motion that has been impossible to recover from.

Arewa as said in the Hausa dialect is at the very bottom of the development ladder as majority of its growing population remains uneducated, jobless and at the mercy of a worsening insecurity situation. Exploitation, especially during election seasons remains the order of the day from politicians seeking loyalists and blind followership instead of focusing on healing the land that has been left to rot. Knowing that the visions of Sir $EXEDNDU 7DIDZD %DOHZD WKH ÀUVW DQG RQO\ Prime Minister of Nigeria) and Sir Ahmadu Bello (the Premier of the northern region and Sardauna of Sokoto) for a united, progressive and socio-economically advanced Arewa is far from attainment is truly heart-rending.

Their life’s work has been drowned by the incompetence of visionless, heartless “excellencies” that are nothing near excellent.

By statistic, seven out of 10 Nigerians born today are from Northern Nigeria. Recent data shows that among the 15.01% growth in population between 2016 and 2019, 68.7% belonged to Arewa, doubling that of the South which was reported at only 5.85 million within the same time span (National Population Commission, 2022). To point ÀQJHUV DW 3UHVLGHQW %XKDUL·V DGPLQLVWUDWLRQ as the object of blame would be ignorant and inaccurate as the problems in Arewa began a long time ago when power was passed down from one monger to another.

Families, particularly those in grassroot communities hold part of the blame as they lack the ability to provide for children they cannot afford but continue to have. Northern Nigerian men with no decent work or earnings continue to insist upon marrying more than one woman, contributing to the horrendous statistics out of the region. The former Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi was a strong advocate for the education of Nigerians across the country on family planning with a focus on the North due to its prolonged Almajiri problem. The Emir and former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) described it as a social issue that required urgent attention, warning that in years to come, the poor children of today who aimlessly roam the streets will be a danger to society tomorrow. The prevailing issues of drug abuse among youth is a disturbing preview of exactly who these youth will become, should we just watch them and do nothing. The Emir’s efforts were unfortunately met with criticism from conservatives set in their ways and unwilling to welcome change, even though it was a ÀJKW IRU WKHLU RZQ JRRG The catalyst for development everywhere is empowerment through education. While we hold government accountable in the provision of our basic human rights, we must apply the same level of justice to ourselves.

Arewa is rich in population, resources and history that has proven useless towards its sustainable development as the masses are too busy with mindsets of ethnocentrism and backwardness. The preservation of traditional norms should not interfere with the liberation of a people. Northern Nigerian leaders must realise that their biggest responsibility to this region is granting access where there is none. Failing to provide basic infrastructure to your people to guarantee their wellbeing and prosperity is failing to

lead, period. What we risk by continuing to neglect the Northern Nigeria situation is that eventually, it will destroy itself and swallow the rest of the country whole. The World Bank’s 2022 poverty assessment UHSRUW LGHQWLÀHG 1RUWKHUQ 1LJHULD DV WKH “global headquarter of poverty” being directly responsible for the country’s increased poverty rate of 65.2%. People unaccustomed to purposeful living have nothing to lose and should they choose to, will take others down with them.

The data from Northern Nigeria is scary and getting worse. It is an injustice to the country to ignore these numbers. It isn’t all bad news, though. It is within our capacity to identify a means to an end even if that appears unattainable. For the leaders we choose, we must choose the daring and compassionate ones. Arewa is in desperate need of changemakers able to address the systematic barriers that hinder the implementation of effective policies. Within the people, we must be cooperative and improve planning in the family unit. It’s simple, stop marrying women and birthing children you can’t take care of!

Through the lens of its growth potential is Arewa’s solid mineral goldmine, its historic sites and architecture and agelong successful businesses. A 100-yearold leather processing company in Kano State, GB Tannery export its leather to companies all over the world. Leather from Kano has been used in the production of goods by renowned world fashion brands like Bottega Veneta, Gucci, Balenciaga and Alexander McQueen. It’s a bitter taste in the mouth to imagine Nigerians travelling to shop these goods without realising they are paying a fortune for raw materials from their own homeland, but also unable to access goods of similar quality directly from Northern Nigeria should they want to. Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo had said in 2021 that Nigeria’s leather industry is capable of generating over one billion dollars by 2025. Prosperous industries as such strengthen the job market and promote innovation. Northern Nigerian leaders must abandon corruptive practices, align their priorities and create an enabling environment for local businesses to thrive, generating income for the states, among RWKHU EHQHÀWV %HVW VDLG E\ 6LU 7DIDZD Balewa himself, “political independence is totally inadequate, if it is not accompanied by stability and economic security”. We might as well welcome back colonisers to keep us in line since we insist on neglecting the largest region in the country.

Shuaibu is a member of THISDAY

Editorial Board

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T H I S D AY SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 4, 2022

EDITORIAL

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

IRABOR’S INCONVENIENT TRUTHS

C

Apprehended terrorists and insurgents should be tried expeditiously

destroyed strategic installations and have openly hief of Defence Staff, General Lucky engaged the state in armed combat. Moreover, these Irabor has raised a serious matter on terror suspects are so dangerous and sophisticated that the lingering insecurity in our country. they easily plan breaches of prisons and collaborate Hundreds of terrorists arrested by with external agents to overwhelm prison guards, security forces are yet to be investigated, thereby complicating the general security challenge processed or brought to trial, he disclosed of the nation. The recent attack by the Islamic State last week. The import of Irabor’s concern is the hint West Africa Province (ISWAP) operatives on Kuje that the recent spate of prison breaks across the country Prison in Abuja where hundreds of inmates (including may be directly traceable to terrorists trying to free their detained members) were let loose is a graphic their fellows held in these centres in order to strengthen illustration. and reinforce their ranks. It seems incongruous to task Meanwhile, the delay in the trials of the captured security forces to go all out and apprehend terrorists insurgents runs contrary to the government’s policy as and then fail to bring them to justice. Whether this enunciated in the National Security Strategy 2019. The decision arose from frightening negligence, dangerous speedy trial of these detainees has therefore become tardiness or wilful oversight, it is an issue that must be necessary for several addressed immediately. reasons. One, it will enable Ordinarily, the those who have no case to investigation, trial and Over time, the slow pace of crime investigation and trial of suspects answer or those not found possible conviction of guilty to be discharged and terror suspects does not has remained a feature of justice administration in Nigeria. To extend acquitted. Two, it would ÀW LQWR QRUPDO FULPLQDO RU help to decongest the civil proceedings. Terror this to the trial of terrorists, insurgents and enemy combatants is to correctional facilities such suspects arrested in the course of anti-insurgency that military personnel who trifle with our most consequential national security challenge and anti-terrorist provide security especially military operations are for the Maiduguri centre not just mere criminal could be freed for other suspects. They are ‘enemy combatants’. The standard duties. Three, a speedy trial and conviction of all those international practice is to try such suspects in found guilty would reassure the people and serve as a approved military courts. The object of such trials deterrence to future would-be terrorists. should be speed, deterrence and a quick dispensation However, the military is not blameless on this of appropriate justice. In the Nigerian context, all problem. Under a curious “de-radicalisation that is required is for the president to seek approval programme”, hundreds of Boko Haram insurgents from the National Assembly for the setting up of have been reintegrated into the communities. Former these military courts as part of emergency security Senate Leader, Senator Ali Ndume was highly critical measures. of the idea. “Many among those released have since In normal anti-crime operations, the responsibility run away. They will never repent. The government of security forces ends with combating, neutralising should know what to do about them, but not or arresting suspected terrorists and other violent reintroducing someone to you, who has killed your criminals and handing them over to state security, parents or your relations”, said Ndume who argued police and judiciary. In the best anti-insurgency that the insurgents believe the government has traditions, such suspects should be held in military failed “and that is why they (insurgents) are being detention facilities for added security instead of pampered.” civil correctional institutions. If we insist on normal What the authorities must understand is that there civilian trials for suspected terrorists, it is squarely can be no effective deterrence against the agents of in the province of these other agencies to investigate insecurity if the link between crime and punishment and prosecute those of them in detention. remains hazy because of institutional tardiness.

From Irabor’s revelation, however, the work of Over time, the slow pace of crime investigation and investigation and prosecution so far is so slow that trial of suspects has remained a feature of justice administration in Nigeria. To extend this to the agents of violence and criminals may be tempted to trial of terrorists, insurgents and enemy combatants conclude that there are no immediate consequences LQ JHQHUDO LV WR WULÁH ZLWK RXU PRVW FRQVHTXHQWLDO for their crimes against the state and society. Yet, national security challenge. these are persons that have killed innocent citizens,

Letters to the Editor

Letters in response to specific publications in THISDAY should be brief(150-200 words) and straight to the point. Interested readers may send such letters along with their contact details to opinion@thisdaylive.com. We also welcome comments and opinions on topical local, national and international issues provided they are well-written and should also not be longer than (950- 1000 words). They should be sent to opinion@thisdaylive. com along with the email address and phone numbers of the writer

LETTERS NIGERIA’S 20 MILLION OUT-OF-SCHOOL CHILDREN If there is anything those who are into the development of countries are convinced about, it is that no society can truly develop without putting children, often its youngest demographic, at the center of any development. This has so often proven an irreducible requirement in the building of strong and sustainable countries.

For Nigeria, development has been a real struggle. The country`s independence came in 1960 and it did not come too soon as it was at about the same time that many other African countries who were under the iron ÀVWV RI FRORQLDOLVWV IRXQG LQGHSHQGHQFH WRR For Nigeria, the road has been a rough one.

A slew of brutally disruptive military coups had long put to paid any hopes the Giant of Africa would have an easy ride. Democracy did return in 1999, but every other day, Nigeria`s painful struggles as a country begs the question whether the country was not irreparably damaged during those heady

days.

Nigeria is far from an easy place to be a child. Those tender, innocent and vulnerable years are better lived elsewhere than in the country where shocking conditions RIWHQ PDNH IRU D QRWRULRXVO\ GLIÀFXOW environment for children.

In Nigeria, it is a common refrain that ‘children are the leaders of tomorrow’.

Whatever that means has never conduced to clarity. The emptiness of what has become a mantra for the mendacious is highlighted by the fact that many of those who as children were told ad nauseam that they are leaders of tomorrow have long come of age and grown old without ever seeing it come to fruition.

The poverty which grinds through Nigeria GLVSURSRUWLRQDWHO\ DIIHFWV FKLOGUHQ &RQÁLFWV and insecurity strip children of many forms of security, with every day bringing with it even more challenges for children in Nigeria.

To compound the present predicament

of Nigerian children is the fact that the future is looking bleak for the millions of children who are currently out of school.

7KH 8QLWHG 1DWLRQV (GXFDWLRQDO 6FLHQWLÀF and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) recently revealed that according to the latest global data on out-of-school children, Nigeria has about 20 million of them.

According to the organization, the new and improved methodology used to arrive DW WKH ÀJXUHV UHYHDOHG WKDW ZRUOGZLGH million children and youth between the ages of six and 18 worldwide were out of school. )RU GHFDGHV ÀJXUHV EHWZHHQ PLOOLRQ DQG PLOOLRQ ZHUH EDQGLHG DERXW as the number of out-of-school children in Nigeria. The sharp spike in the number of has been put down to the Nigeria`s degenerating security situation.

The report by the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) and Global Education Monitoring (GEM0 also showed that sub-

Saharan Africa remains the region which has the highest number of children and youth that are out of school. Some 98 million children and young people are excluded from education in the region.

7KHVH QHZ ÀJXUHV DUH ZLWKRXW GRXEW beyond alarming. There is an inexorable link between education and poverty. They are joined together in a vicious cycle, consequently feeding off each other. :LWK WKH WHUURULVWV VWDONLQJ 1LJHULD ÀQGLQJ ample time and opportunities to haunt Nigerian schools and students, there is no doubt that if the situation is not checked, these numbers will continue to rise with the passage of time.

To get children enrolled in school and stay in school requires painfully deliberate efforts.

There is no other way.

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A

WEEKLY PULL-OUT

4.9.2022

Chinonso Clark Grooming a Generation of Transformative Leaders Chinonso Clark is a lawyer, writer, social entrepreneur and leadership development coach whose preoccupation is equipping young leaders with the capacity required to tackle emerging societal challenges.

The Delta State-born executive director of Success of Nations and Governance, a non-profit organisation committed to youths, believes that a better Nigeria is possible with concerted effort. She reveals to Funke Olaode why being an agent of change is her cherished obligation.

ASSISTANT EDITOR OLUFUNKE OLAODE/victoria.olaode@thisdaylive.com.

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T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾SEPTEMBER 4, 2022

COVER I’m on a Mission to Help Individuals and Organisations Transform and Improve Quality of Life across the African Continent

Clark

F

or many aspiring youths in search of leadership positions, Chinonso Clark has become a valuable mentee through her platform and has continued to be an inspiration to many.

Being the Executive Director of Success of Nations and Governance (SONG AFRICA) has drawn her closer to the pulse of the people.

As a non-profit organization, SONG AFRICA is committed to equipping youths for leadership roles in public service towards the transformation of communities and African nations at large. Clark is also the Founder of The Well Woman Warrior, an organisation promoting the spiritual, mental and social wellbeing of young women.

With several years of experience in the development sector, she has led high performing teams and implemented several initiatives positively contributing to the social and economic empowerment of women, men and children in Africa. She is committed to working with individuals and organizations with a vision to advance social impact in Africa, with special focus on gender equity, poverty alleviation, and advocacy for good governance.

Recently, SONG AFRICA organised

its annual conference where various speakers were invited. Among them was the founder of Coscharis Motors, Cosmas Maduka. Youths were delighted; emerging leaders were inspired as they listened to Maduka - an example of a successful individual who rose from ‘Zero to Hero’.

Tagged ‘Inspire 300,’ the leadership conference’s objective was created to equip young leaders with the capacity required to solve the problems of today and tomorrow, with focus on solutions to the problems plaguing Nigeria’s social development.

Brimming with ideas, Clark’s solid academic and leadership backgrounds may well have prepared her for this role. Clark’s credentials include a master ’s degree in International Commercial Law from The Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, Scotland. With senior partnership at a corporate law firm and a media agency, she worked her way to the top while grooming her turf with various leadership courses from The Lagos Business School, amongst others.

She is a creative and experienced professional entrepreneur, skilled in Leadership, Administration, Strategic Marketing and Communications, Management of Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and Stakeholder

Management. With an innate ability to provide solutions to complex problems, she consults for SMEs and Nonprofit Organisations on issues of leadership, mentoring, corporate social responsibility and program implementation. She is a multidimensional individual who is committed to living fully and serving others.

Describing herself, she said: “She wears many caps. I‘m a lawyer, writer, and a social entrepreneur. I’m the founder of The Well Woman Warrior, an organization equipping and encouraging women to live with a God lead sense of identity, enabling them to break out of societal stereotypes, in order for them to live a life of impact and legacy. I am also the co-founder of One Flag Media, a media production and communications company, curating Africa’s story to the world,” she said.

A chip of the old block, learning under the tutelage of parents who have been entrepreneurs is a blessing in disguise as it helped her in navigating through her career life.

“My parents are from Delta State. My dad is from Aniocha South, and my mum is from Ika South. They have been my mentors. They established a privately owned primary and secondary school in Lagos over 30 years ago. The school is still very active, has grown considerably over the years, and has impacted thousands of people who are now spread across the globe. They’re also pastor and run their own ministry.

I’m the first of five children, three girls and two boys.

“My parents played an essential role in helping me becoming who I am today. They gave me a rock solid foundation, by equipping me in the ways of God. They also ensured through a lot of sacrifices that I had the best education they could afford. My dad encouraged me to read extensively, and exposed my mind to the possibilities of all I could be as an individual at a very young age. I got into the university at the age of 14, and he absolutely believed I had the capacity to excel regardless of the opinion of the chosen university’s admission committee. I watched him defend my intellectual capacity to them, and that image has stayed with and informed me since. He always told me I could do anything I set my mind to do, and taught me to see through a lens not defined by my gender. My parents made me see myself as a blessing, as a gift to the world. Their affirmation has helped me become the woman I am today.,” she said with pride.

Armed with a degree in Law, and after her call to the Nigerian Bar, she started her career in a law firm in 2010. “It was during this period, I decided I was better suited for corporate law practice. I was then appointed as the company secretary of one of the leading pharmaceutical companies in Nigeria. From there, I was given more responsibility, becoming In-house legal counsel responsible for overseeing corporate transactions and other legal matters.

After working for a few years, I decide to move to the UK and further improve myself with a master ’s degree in international commercial.

On my return from UK, I started a company with the goal of providing writing and research services to individuals and SMEs. While running this company, I worked with a leading media and communications agency in Lagos, acting as their head of corporate strategy, marketing and communications. It was during this period I got an offer to work with an NGO focused on rehabilitation, education, and empowerment of persons living in vulnerable communities in Nigeria. Since then, my work in the development sector has spiraled to include: advocacy, community intervention programs, leadership development programs, and other social impact programs,

all geared towards the implementation and acceleration of the United Nation’s Sustainable Development goals.”

Multi-dimensional individual, Clark may be considered jack of all trades but she is certainly a master of all. “Interestingly, this is a nickname I’ve bagged within my inner circle who like to tease me constantly, saying: She is a Jack of All Trades and Master of All”. I feel there’s a lot of truth in that statement, for I’ve always felt that God has blessed me to be a multi-dimensional individual. I feel I’ve been blessed with various gifts like the man with five talents in the Bible. Hopefully like that story, God will give me more. I’m committed to serving the world fully with all my gifts. This is the responsibility I feel God has placed on us all. This is why I work, why I do what I do, without flinching and with courage from God. I like to constantly learn new things, and always ask questions (sometimes to the annoyance of my dear husband). I learn in order to be better for myself and others.

By God’s grace, I’m able to successfully combine all my responsibilities at the companies I lead, and produce results on all fronts.”

And on her mission and vision for Success of Nations and Governance (SONG Africa) where is currently an executive director, Clark said it is a nonprofit organization founded by Dr. Mark Igiehon. “Our vision is to train and equip active and aspiring public leaders with the skills and character required to influence and deliver successful governments in Africa.

“Our mission is to create a platform for equipping and mentoring young professionals who will be change agents and influencers of successful governments.

We also provide a network for exchanging practical ideas, while serving as a repository for solutions to the various political, economic, and social issues hindering good and successful governance in Africa.

“Since 2015, we have organised youth focused programmes across various locations in Nigeria, the United Kingdom, and Kenya, directly and indirectly impacting the lives of over 5000 African youths. These programs have been geared towards equipping young people with the skills and mindset required to be influential and transformative individuals in their societies.”

SONG AFRICA’s focus is on building leadership that will lead to good governance. How does she think this can be achieved in a climate that pays lip service to education? “I believe this can be achieved through training and mentorship. We need more role models with a clear track record of effective personal leadership. Role models with unquestionable morals, and are active in civic participation that contributes to society’s development.

Unfortunately, mismanagement has led to an overtly materialistic society that celebrates wealth gained through questionable means, boycotting the process of hard work that leads to sustained growth.

For her, mismanagement is at the root of inequality of wealth and social justice, where the few benefit to the detrimental cost of the many. In order to move forward, there must be a change in orientation as a people.

“We must begin to understand the role of personal leadership as it relates to governance,” she continued. “We’re responsible for our own actions first.

We must also begin to develop a social consciousness that reminds us that we are part of an ecosystem, and our actions as individuals affect the quality of life of others. Personal leadership speaks to having integrity as an individual, being accountable, and maintaining a morally upright system, with the understanding that you have a responsibility to conduct your affairs in a manner that preserves and fosters the progress of society as a whole, and not just for the few.”

Clark may be young but currently burdened and on the verge of making the society a better place.

“You and I have a responsibility to fulfill in our quest to transform our society into what and how we dream it should be. Let’s start where we are. Be the change you want to see. Model moral uprightness. It can be as basic as obeying traffic rules, not littering the road. Taking one step at a time, and working together with the right values, we’ll soon enough see the positive dreams of our country come true,” she urged.

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SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 4, 2022 • T H I S D AY

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THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER SEPTEMBER 4 , 2022

INTERNATIONAL ‘Nigeria, We Hail Thee’ and ‘Arise O Compatriots’’: Foreign Implications of Killing Nigeria Softly Nigeria Softly

‘N

igeria, We Hail Thee’ was Nigeria’s first National Anthem, the lyrics of which was done in 1959 by Lillian Jean Williams and music of which was provided also in 1959

by Frances Berda.The Anthem was adopted as Nigeria’s National Anthem when Nigeria acceded to national sovereignty on October with 1, 1960. But, for various reasons, including the need to promote indigeneity of ownership and also inspire Nigerians, the Anthem was replaced in 1978 under the military administration of General Olusegun Obasanjo, with‘Arise O Compatriots.’ InspiringNigerians Telephone : 0807-688-2846 and securing public trust and support, especially after the reckless e-mail: bolyttag@yahoo.com killing of Murtala Mohammed on 13 February 1976, a new anthem of the type of ‘Arise O Compatriots,’ became a desideratum in the mania of the former Soviet Union, which has changed its National Anthem two times:‘The State Anthem of the Soviet Union was the national anthem of the USSR and the regional Anthem of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic from 1944 to 1991.’Before then, it was ‘The Internationale’ and was changed during World War II to inspire all citizens during the war.

When compared, Nigeria’s 1960 National Anthem had three stanzas while the 1978 National Anthem has only two. Again, while the 1960 anthem considered Nigeria as a‘motherland,’the 1978 anthem sees Nigeria as a ‘fatherland.’The preference for fatherland may be explained by ‘too-ism’ policy of the Tafawa Balewa administration which protested to France against the use of‘La Nigéria’unless within the context of ‘La Fédération du Nigéria. Nigeria saw herself to be mature and therefore wanted to be referred to as ‘Le Nigéria.’ Put differently, Nigeria apparently asked why‘Le Niger’and‘La Nigéria?’

The choice of‘fatherland,’rather than‘motherland’as from 1978 was to underscore the masculine factor, self-maturity, self-reliancism, leadership and determination to attain greater heights.

More important, the opening sentences of the two anthems are noteworthy. The 1960 anthem says‘Nigeria We Hail Thee.’The 1978 anthem says ‘Arise O Compatriots.’With ‘Nigeria, We Hail Thee,’ the authors of the anthem simply recognised the positives attributes of Nigeria in terms of diversity of tribes and language and togetherness by resolution. But these attributes are not good enough to build a sovereign nation, hence the concluding sentences of the third stanza: a request was made to the God of creation to kindly ‘grant this our one request, help us to build a nation where no man is oppressed’ in the hope that such a nation that will be free from oppression will foster peace, abundance and engender divine blessing for Nigeria.

As for ‘Arise O Compatriots’ it assumed that a Nigerian nation already exists and that the nation is either slumbering or sleeping, Buhari hence arising to serve the fatherland. In serving the fatherland, God is asked to direct and guide Nigerian leaders, help ‘our youth the as nothing more than a geographical expression. Has Nigeria truth to know, in love and honesty to grow, and living just and true; changed from being a geographical expression? Indeed, rather great lofty heights attain…’ Most unfortunately, however, the two than obey and serve, it is the gradual destruction of Nigeria that anthems have been completely bastardised in breach of the anthem has come to characterise the political governance of Nigeria objectives and destroyed softly on daily basis, thus creating a bleak with particular emphasis on institutional corruption. future for Nigeria.

First, what is the exact figure of litres of Premium Motor Spirit (Petroleum) consumed daily in Nigeria? The figure is currently generating much controversy. As queried by Colonel Hameed HailingandKillingNigeriaSoftly Ali, the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Nigeria, We Hail Thee’was an anthem of patriotism, of better days during the hearing on the MediumTerm Expenditure Framework to come and of a special expression of gratitude and a plea to God (2023-2025) before the House Committee on Finance, how do Almighty for a better self-reliant Nigeria. Even though the anthem we explain that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation had been replaced, it is argued here that, before it was changed, its (NNPC) puts daily consumption of PMS at 60 million litres and essence had been completely neutralised. For instance, the expression 98 million litres are lifted daily from the depots? of ‘though tribe and tongue may differ, in brotherhood we stand’ In this regard, he disagreed with the NNPC claims that petrol became meaningless with the 1962 crises in the then Western contributes largely to the amount of money set aside for subsidy.

Region, the January 1966 coup and the counter-coup d’état that In his words, ‘the issue is not the smuggling of petroleum… If followed in the country, as well as the 1967-1970 civil war of national we are consuming 60 million litres of petrol per day by their unity. In other words, there was nothing like brotherhood or any own computation, why in the world would you allow the lifting genuine intention to build a Nigerian nation. All that were done of 98 million litres per day? ... So how do we get to 60 million were more of promotion of ethnic politics and self-preservation. every day? If you say this petrol is smuggled, if you release 98 General Yakubu’s theory of 3-Rs (Reconciliation, Reconstruction, million litres, and then we use 60 million litres, the balance will and Rehabilitation), and particularly the pretention that there was be 38 million litres. How many trucks will carry 38 million litres? no ‘victor and no vanquished,’ meant nothing, as the complaints Everyday. That’s almost 500. Which road are they following? and agitation of the Igbo people for a separate Sovereign Republic Where are they carrying this thing to? (Vide ChannelsTelevision clearly show that the building of a Nigerian nation has been more report, September 1, 2022). of an aspiration. Nothing is truly being done to build a nation, not The point being made here is the fact of official institutional even with the introduction in 1973 of the NYSC scheme following corruption. The NNPC is not apparently honest with the figures the end of the civil war. publicly given, especially in light of the arguments put forward In fact, with‘Arise O Compatriots,’whose lyrics was composed by by the Comptroller General of the Customs Service. This is one Ben Odiase, the Director of the Nigerian Band, it is Nigeria that is calling manifestation of the killing softly of the Federal Republic of on all Nigerians to obey Nigeria’s call and to serve the fatherland. But Nigeria. For most enlightened Nigerians, the notion of Nigeria which Nigeria is making the call on Nigerians to come out and serve? is not a big deal. It is still a child’s play.

Chief Obafemi Awolowo is on record to have considered Nigeria

Bola A. Akinterinwa

In essence, it is not clear whether PMB is in charge of politico-economic governance of Nigeria. If he is, questions must be asked on the NBET-Azura Power Plant contract. Nigerians will need to know more about how a payment contract can be executed without the approval of the Federal Executive Council and contrary to the advice of the Minister of Justice of Nigeria. Monthly payments of $33m to the investor to supply gas for the purposes of electricity generation and without regular supply of electricity is an expression of disrespect for treaty obligations. In this regard, can it be true that there was no Federal Executive Council approval for the contractual payments? Indeed, Nigeria’s old and new National Anthems, ‘Nigeria, We Hail Thee’ and ‘Arise O Compatriots’ did not bargain for this type of Nigeria of deliberate frauds and political chicanery. Hailing Nigeria in the 1960s and early 1970s was genuinely for a better Nigeria. Calling on Nigerians to build a better Nigeria in 1978 was also to upgrade the spirit of ‘Nigeria, We Hail Thee.’ The Nigeria has been victim of gradual killing since 2015 and this cannot be the objective of the founding fathers of modern Nigeria. Consequently, killing Nigeria softly is disempowering Nigeria internationally, strengthening the foundations of disintegration, and paving way for greater jihadist terrorism in the West and Central African regions

“

“

VIE INTERNATIONALE

Secondly, there is incompetent governance as a problematic. Professor Jide Osuntokun has noted that‘our country is not mobilised for production and productivity. We all rely on collecting commissions on oil and gas exports and our people, apart from the salaried ones, do not pay taxes, and our country is almost unique in this respect.This is why we do not have a government that responds to the wishes of the people, because it can exist while ignoring the people because it does not depend on their taxes.’

Besides, in the eyes of Professor Osuntokun, the government of PresidentMuhammaduBuhari(PMB)ismainlychallengedbyinsecurity, collapsed economy and corruption, over administration, too many States and too many Local Governments, over centralisation and concentration of too much power in the centre, and devaluation of the Naira, all of which‘are intricately interwoven.’What is noteworthy about these problems is not their existence but their raison d’être.

Whytheirexistenceinthefirstinstance?Insecurityislargelyaresultant of both Fulanisation and Islamisation agenda. Colonel Muammar Gaddafi made it clear to African leaders that there would not be peace in Nigeria until the country is divided into Muslim North and Christian South. It is therefore not surprising that wherever territory the Boko Haram succeeds in occupying, it always quickly installs its flag of independence and sovereignty. Thus, one objective of the Boko Haram insurrection is to make Nigeria an Islamic State and where it is difficult, to limit it to northern Nigeria to begin with. This is why Sharia law predominates in the North and why there is religious misunderstanding in the country.

As regards Fulanisation agenda, not only has the Governor of Bauchi State, Bala Mohammed, revealed in Channels Television interviews on 16 September 2019 and on 15 February 2022 that foreign Fulani herders would benefit from the Federal Government’s Rural Grazing Area (RUGA) agenda and that Nigeria has a lot of ungoverned space that could be occupied and economically made use of by foreign Fulani herders. In other words, Nigeria is to play host to all Fulani herders coming from West and Central Africa.

If we reckon with the AU agenda of continental integration, there is nothing wrong with accommodating one another in Nigeria, especially as a leading country in Africa. However, there is no terra nullius in Nigeria, and therefore the incoming Fulani herders can only be forcefully settled in Nigeria. This is precisely what is ongoing in Nigeria: forceful acquisition of titled land from legitimate owners and giving the land to Fulani herders. Again, this is killing Nigeria gradually and softly the future of which cannot but be very bleak.

Thirdly,accordingtotheChathamHouse,quotingtheTheEconomist’s “Catch me if you can, African kleptocrats,”about $582 billion has been stolen from Nigeria since 1960 and not less than N11trillion has been diverted in the power sector alone since 1999 while N1.3 trillion public funds was laundered between 2011 and 2015. In fact, the quoted The Economist, has it that Britain’s International Corruption Unit says that it had confiscated $117m loot from Nigeria since 2006, and ‘another £791 million has been frozen worldwide thanks to its work.’

Fourthly, there is the issue of dirty petrol saga in which there is presence of methanol in four petrol cargoes imported through the Direct Sales Direct Purchase (DSDP) suppliers.‘Under the DSDP contract, NNPC sells its crude oil to selected middlemen for refined petroleum products. But the contract of dirty petrol saga showed NNPC sold its crude oil to middlemen who sell the product to an international buyer, making super profits thereafter, proceed to get cheap petrol from another refiner in Europe.’ Most unfortunately, the number of middlemen is on the increase and they are bent on making more gains than adding value and by so doing, increasing the expenses of the NNPC. Dealing with middlemen and not with refiners directly is killing Nigerian softly (Oladehinde Oladipo’s Dirty Petrol Saga…’Business Day, February 14, 2022.

ForeignImplications Nigeria is indisputably on the path of national disintegration apart from the domestic agitations for separation. Extra-Nigerian forces also appear to be aiding and abetting the dismantlement of Nigeria. France was once identified as aiding the Boko Haramists, a situation that has prompted a public protest and demonstration in front of the Embassy of France in Abuja some two years ago. And more recently, a French pilot, Rémy Quignolot, was arrested in Nigeria with his helicopter believed to be owned by General Abdulsalaam Abubakar.The helicopter was reported to be carrying food, ammunitions, weapons, to the bandits, kidnappers, insurrectionists, herdsmen and cattle rustlers. Consequently, the various manifestations of the killing of Nigeria softly cannot but continue to be of major interest to them. It cannot but be of interest to see the killing of Nigeria speedily and deepened.

PMB rightly believed that his RUGA policy settlement would‘attract a lot of investments to Nigeria’and that‘in the next five years, each RUGA settlement will provide nothing less than 2,000 employment opportunities…job creation, access to credit facilities, security for pastoral families and curtailment of cattle rustling.’However, as much as PMB is looking at the benefits of his RUGA policy, he is also most unfortunately ignoring that foreign investors cannot but have their own politico-economic objectives, which may include the dismantlement of Nigeria for obvious reasons: neutralise Nigeria that has been the main leader in Africa challenging the Euro-American hegemony in global governance. It is not in the interest of the West to have any strong African State with the capacity to successfully challenge it in international relations.

Read full article online - www.thisdaylive.com

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THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER SEPTEMBER 4 , 2022

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

ENGAGEMENTS

The Nonsense in PDP Chidi Amuta

T

he race for the 2023 presidency is looking more like a tripartite sprint among unequal parties.

In that race, the advantage of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) should ordinarily have been defined by two factors: age and a minus sign. It is the oldest of the three major contenders. Most importantly, it has since yielded power to the All Progressives Congress (APC) which is mired in a swamp of its legacy of endemic incompetence and dismal approval rating. Yet, the PDP has in recent times fatally injured itself through endless crises and internal wrangling. The party does not seem to be in any hurry to get up and run towards the elections. Instead, the PDP seems to have chosen a permanent wrestling match of the stunted egos of its leading lights over the possibility of victory in the imminent 2023 general election.

The ongoing brawls in the PDP could be part of the culture of discord in parties. But beyond a certain scope, internal wrangling within political parties can become a national security concern because of what parties mean to the survival of a stable democracy.

Though they are playgrounds for political animals, parties are first and foremost institutions of state stability. Parties are by nature vulnerable institutions.Theymayhouserowdypoliticalmammals, but they have intrinsic rules, nonetheless.

Though designed to serve a democratic end, they are subject to authoritarian drifts because of the nature of politicians as scheming animals and politics itself as a treacherous game that alters its own rules continuously.

The tragedy is that of a political party with the longestinstitutionallongevityandmemoryinpost military Nigerian politics which has degenerated intoafreeforallbeerparlor. Thoughoutoffederal level power for the last seven and a half years, the PDP has managed to retain grassroots loyalty, membership and name recognition. It has also retainedarecognizablebasicinternalmechanism.

But its integrity in terms of quality of leadership has suffered tremendously since 2015.

A handful of ambitious governors have literally hijacked the party executive, installing pliant cronies of doubtful credibility at will and using the leveragetoadvancetheirpre-scriptedambitions.

The emergence of Mr. Uche Secondus as party chairman for instance was a classic instance of this miniaturization of the party for reasons of personal manipulative forecast. The governor of Rivers State, Mr. Nyesom Wike left his untidy imprintontheparty’swobblyleadershipfromthe momentoftheSecondushandpickedascendancy.

Throughout his stewardship as PDP national chairman, Wike hardly disguised his interest in the tenure of the rudderless Secondus as his ‘Man Friday’ for reasons other than the good of the party.

In the previous life of the party as the party in power, President Olusegun Obasanjo made sure that successive party chairmen were frequently changed more like disposable underpants. In his eight years as president, Obasanjo let party chairmen file past like hurriedly picked damsels in a pageant of middle-aged men. The roll call: Barnabas Gemade, Audu Ogbeh, Amodu Ali etc. filed past quickly at Obasanjo’s behest.

Now in the absence of a president in office, a power vacuum has left the field of party headship manipulation open to the most influential governors in the party. This mantle has naturally been usurped by the combustible Wike who is easily the most ambitious and financially enabled of PDP governors in the current era. He appears to have the largest war chest of loose cash and a fittingcomplimentofrecklessspending,careless talk and elephantine ego.

Wike has thus emerged as a veritable political gadfly. His interest in the leadership of the party has trailed his personal political ambition.

It was of course his democratic right to seek his party’snominationattherecentprimariesforthe presidentialticket.Itwasalsotheresponsibilityof thepartydelegatesgatheredinAbujatoelectthe most fit and proper person to fly its presidential flag at the 2023 general election.

Even after losing out to Mr. Atiku Abubakar at the presidential primary, it was still in order for Wike and any other PDP front liner to vie for the vice-presidentialslot.Again,WikelostouttoDelta

Wike state governor, Ifeanyi Okowa. With that reverse, Wike should ordinarily have gone home to lick his wounds and restrategise foramoresensiblepoliticalpathway.Hedid not. Instead, he seems to have opted for a careeroftroublemakingandhabitualrabble rousing. In the process, he has relentlessly challenged the party at every step. He has derided the party leadership, frontally confronted the presidential candidate, Atiku, and blatantly affronted him at every opportunity. He has even demanded the resignation of party chairperson, Dr. Iyiorcha Ayu, a veteran of the original PDP. Ostensibly, Wike is now championing the causeforNorth-Southgeo-politicalbalance in the leadership of the PDP. In reality, he has merely grafted his personal political ambition onto larger geopolitical issues in the party. It is of course true that the PDP cannot survive on the basis of perpetuating a northern hegemonic dominance in its leadership. A situation in which the presidential candidate, national chairman and chairman of Board of Trustees are all from Nigeria’s northern hemisphere is untenable and unacceptable in a national party properly defined.

No doubt, these are anomalies that a responsible party leadership should urgently redress through the processes and mechanisms available in its constitution.

The recourse to grandstanding, hurling of crass abuses and open recrimination by Wike and his acolytes is uncalled for. By resorting to these rough tactics, Wike and his friends are converting party wide problems into vehicles for propelling personal vendettaagainstAtikuandthepartyleadership for his (Wike’s) deserved rejection for

both the presidential and vice-presidential slots.

In furtherance of his private power crusade, Wike has proceeded to recruit some governors and a few aggrieved party leaders to split party ranks and degrade the support for Atiku’s candidacy.

Of course, splits along tendencies and loyalties in a party are normal political phenomena. But a sustained campaign of personal vendetta and unguarded subversion of one’s own party cannot be excused in the name of partisan freedom.

Membershipofapoliticalpartycomeswithdefinite behavioral requirements and ground rules.

In the context of party supremacy, no single individualcanplacehimselforhispersonalinterests above the coherence and corporate interests of the party. Such disruptive behavior becomes even more consequential in an election year where the party faces a crucial power contest with other parties.

Clearly, then, Wike has allowed his right to dissent to undermine the supremacy of the PDP as an institutional pillar of the Nigerian state and its democratic stability. In this regard, Wike is in active consultation with the leadership of another party, the APC. It is on record that he invited several APC kingpins to commission his many public relations projects. He is on record to have made a series of reckless utterances and outbursts against his party’s chairman and its presidential candidate. He has just accused the party chairman of subversive arrogance.

Even as an ambassador of the party in his state, Wike has engaged in a series of autocratic displays against his fellow citizens simply for believing differently. He has locked up and openly disrupted businesses owned by politicians who dare to oppose him or support his opponents in the party. He has threatened to demolish hotels and event venues that dare host meetings of opposition political groups, terming them ‘criminal

cults’ to suit his convenience. As a feature of his political method, Wike has perfected a rhetoric thatindiscriminatelyrainsinvectivesonperceived opponents.Addtothistherecklessdeploymentof demagoguery and authoritarian antics to frighten hisopponents.Ademocratically-electedgovernor in a republic has no business carrying on like an imperial tyrant in a banana republic.

Takentogether,then,Wike’srecentactionsinside the PDP amount to a gross abuse of all known rules of party membership. To that extent, Wike’s actions amount to serious anti party offences, and they qualify him for appropriate disciplinary sanctions in the context of the principle of party supremacy.

In a liberal democracy, the principle of party supremacyisanunwrittencodethatprotectsparties as institutions from the excesses of overbearing members who may want to place themselves above the party. In that sense, parties use the principle of party supremacy to mimic the larger dictate of democracy which places the interests of the whole society above individual interests.

This is the principle of majoritarian prevalence which undergirds every open democracy. In that context, the subordination of individual ambition to the party’s collective will and interest becomes an overriding imperative.

An unfortunate situation has been created in the PDP. It is the spectacle of one man versus the party: Wike versus PDP. This must not be allowed to persist except the party wants to sacrifice its electoral chances on the altar of a private ego war between Wike and Atiku as the dominant forces in the new PDP. This is a problem that can be solved through the rigorous invocation of the principle of party supremacy.Underthedoctrineofpartysupremacy, therefore, the range of sanctions that the Wike factor now deserves should include suspension foraspecificperiodoroutrightexpulsionfromthe party.Infact,anoutrightimmediateneutralization of the Wike factor through his outright expulsion from the party would be the most expedient.

That single act will resolve the issues at stake by exposing Wike’s political vulnerability. He will have no party platform to continue flexing and distracting the party. His supporters will desert him in a matter of weeks. He cannot join the APC this late without losing his followers in a state which has long remained a PDP dominant state and in which he desperately needs to secure the governorship. He cannot expect Rivers state PDP voters to vote for any other party just because he says so.

Outside the PDP, Wike’s political relevance and nuisance value will quickly expire and evaporate.

The fear that he could split the party at the national level is unfounded. No new parties can be formed or registered now, definitely not for the 2023 election.

Wike has no significant national political followership, nor can he purchase it off the shelf.

He only has a media nuisance value. He has little or no followership in the South-south where he has alienated most of the governors and political leaders.HeisunwantedintheSoutheastandbarely tolerated in the entire North. His gambits to use the incumbency value of the Southwest in the presentAPCconfigurationwillcaveinthemoment they discover that he has no more platform to be of electoral value.

Left alone in the cold political wilderness, Wike is likely to rant, rave and fume for a few weeks and fade into tragic insignificance and political inconsequence.Hisrentedcrowdwilldissipatejust as his cheering band will now play its last elegiac tunestoanaudienceofonemiserablemaninfaded glory. His supporters will dwindle. None of the other governors now clinging to him will resign their membership of the PDP in sympathy with Wike. He will be left to battle alone for dear life in the brackish waters of Rivers politics where his rough tactics have created a pool full of fierce injured political sharks. They will bite him very hard in his lonely days without a party platform.

Thereafter, Atiku can reunite the party and prosecute his campaign free of these irritating distractions.Thepartycanreadjustthedistortions in its geopolitical outlook as part of strategies to strengthen its drive for a balanced nationwide votercatchment.Thechallengeofenforcingparty supremacy remains the urgent joint responsibility of both Atiku Ayu. They cannot afford to shirk that responsibility unless they want to sacrifice the stake of the party in the 2023 general election.

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾SEPTEMBER 4, 2022

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HighLife Olusegun Runsewe: Marketing Nigeria to the World

Runsewe

Otunba Olusegun Runsewe, the Director-General of the National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC), is continually showing himself as a hero of his people.

With his every action strengthening the evidence of his devotion and dedication to the cultural identity of Nigeria, Otunba Runsewe is on the way to wearing Nigeria as his face and name. But this is exactly what the people want—to have an official attend the duties of their office to the point of venerating Nigeria and its values.

Runsewe’s continued passion for Nigeria’s cultural presence in the African continent and out in the world beyond is astonishingly refreshing. Among his peers, there is virtually no other person who has soaked up the requirements of his position and lives day after day making strong attempts to discharge his duties. The result of Runsewe’s work is that the culture and crafts of the people of Nigeria are receiving more recognition and regard.

Recently, Runsewe spoke at the official opening of the 15th International Arts and Crafts (INAC) in Abuja. The conference which was held at Ladi Kwalu Hall, Sheraton Hotels and Towers, focused on the theme, ‘Networking Nigerian Crafts to the World.’ During his time at the podium, Runsewe focused on the practical values of Nigeria’s cultural markers, especially the crafts, convinced of their usefulness for reducing crime and tension in the country and beyond, as well as promoting Nigeria as a place worthy of foreign investments.

Runsewe’s speech to the prestigious guests at the event was refreshing and motivating.

It showed Nigeria to be more than just lands, rivers, and people. It revealed Runsewe’s heart for the country, a patriotism that convinced him to dress only and ever in traditional attire.

And so, with his every word and action, Runsewe is marketing Nigeria to the world. Given enough time, the neighbouring countries will surely come to know of Nigeria’s cultural uniqueness, and this will spread to the rest of the world.

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

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

Another Beautiful Year for Bola Atta, Amazon of Corporate Communication There are some words that in Nigeria’s corporate assembly can only be used to describe certain people. For Bola Atta, the Group Director for Marketing and Corporate Communications at the United Bank for Africa (UBA), one such word is outstanding.

Even as she recently added a new year to her age, this quality so perfectly captured in her work and lifestyle has only become more authentic.

For Atta, it is the start of something awesome. Ever since making her way to the corporate scene, the extraordinarily beautiful lady has shown superb skill in the management of people and resources. And so, quickly claiming the title of Amazon based on her achievements, she is currently accepted by the natives of Nigeria’s high corporate jungle as a superlative talent.

It is still surprising to many people that Atta has over 30 years of experience in the corporate sector, with a large fraction of that period spent shuffling across the fields of “What is this life,” asks Welsh poet William Henry Davies, “if (because we are) full of care we have no time to stand and stare?”

The enterprise of relaxation and recreation is one that a pitifully few Nigerian governors have gotten a good grasp of. But not Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri. Currently, Diri is enjoying the encomium of his biggest supporters after his investments in Bayelsa’s football team, Bayelsa United, started paying off.

Diri made sure to announce the good tidings that have bumped into Bayelsa in the form of Bayelsa United being promoted to the Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL), the league of elite football teams in the country. From Diri’s announcement through his chief press secretary, it is apparent that the Bayelsa Governor is very excited and cannot wait to see his boys bring one trophy after another home.

Diri’s unhindered happiness comes from Bayelsa United’s return to NPFL, after beating Ebonyi State’s team, the Cynosure of Abakaliki, two to zero. In his congratulatory

banking, commerce, communications, publishing, entertainment, and even media. However, she knew from the very start that her destiny had been grafted into the tier of management, so she did not have to begin her career from the lowest rungs. And yet, while it may be easy to assume that the good life was handed to Atta, nothing could be further from the truth. Whether it is in the realm of education or experience, the lady ceremoniously referred to today as the Amazon of Corporate Communications in Nigeria had to strive for herself. This is why the regard for her from her subordinates, peers, and superiors is genuine.

Ultimately, with her new age, Atta will continue to climb higher and higher on the corporate ladder. It will not be altogether surprising if her domain in UBA becomes one of the main pillars for the supreme status of the bank among its peers. What is even more certain is that whatever she becomes a part of in the near future will shine with the same intensity as her brilliance.

Senator Douye Diri’s Love for Sports Paying off

Diri

Atta

message, Diri made sure to appreciate every individual and group that contributed to the success and current momentum of Bayelsa United, including the team coach, Diepreye Teibowei. Diri also encouraged the team to continue to grow stronger, faster, and better, making their fellow Bayelsans even more proud of them.

By every indication, Diri’s joy knows no bounds. He does not at all regret the investments his administration has made to encourage sportsmanship in Bayelsa, especially in football. Unsurprisingly, as the Governor himself explained, these investments are yielding sweet fruits, with both Bayelsa United and Bayelsa Queens adorning the State with brighter colours than what is obtainable from the other Nigerian states. As such, Bayelsa is gradually standing out among its peers for more than its regional advantages.

Now, it boasts greater athletic potential.

Diri’s love for sports and his sportspeople is a welcome relief for the citizens of Bayelsa everywhere. For once, everybody is united in their assessment of recent events.

Inspiring Mileage of Tolu Ibitola at 40: Real Reason Youngest Chief of Staff to Ekiti State Governor Ticks All the Boxes

Ibitola

There is a lot to be said about the appreciation from family and friends, but much more from superiors. One group is more likely to be flexible with the truth while the other group, is miserly. For Tolu Ibitola who just clocked 40, the appreciation from Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi is enough to live through another decade in pristine rapture. Even so, it is no secret that Ibitola earned every word of praise from his

boss.

Ibitola continues to make history as the youngest Chief of Staff (CoS) in the state fondly known as the Fountain of Knowledge.

And despite the acclaim that accompanies his position, as well as the tight bond between Ibitola and his boss, Fayemi, it is really his knowledge and dedication that has brought him thus far.

As a way of commemorating Ibitola’s 40th birthday celebration, Fayemi said a few choice words, enough to collapse any misunderstanding about how much he is grateful for his CoS. Fayemi noted that Ibitola’s time on earth and as an assistant has been significant, and this is not unconnected to his dedication which is at an ultimate height, his conviction which is audacious and unashamed, his unforced humility, and his unfailing loyalty.

And it is with such brilliant colours that Ibitola

earned the trust and respect of Governor Fayemi.

Indeed, when Fayemi appointed Ibitola, the latter was only 39 and this made the news nationwide. But people did not talk much considering that Ibitola had multiple academic degrees from prestigious tertiary institutions, including the University of AdoEkiti, Robert Gordon University, Scotland, and Harvard University, USA. Of course, it also helped that Ibitola has worked with Fayemi on multiple occasions, including as his PA (Personal Assistant) between 2010 and 2014. And in all that time, Ibitola has shown himself to be beyond trustworthy.

So, at 40 and beside Governor Fayemi, Ibitola is giving his best as CoS. And with what can be seen, the best is yet to come for the good people of Ekiti.

Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe Gradually Proving Her Mettle There was a time when Fidelity Bank ranked at the bottom of the list of successful Nigerian banks. Then came individuals like Nnamdi Okonkwo who shook and spiced things up. And when he left, many onlookers assumed that it was the end of the golden era for the bank. But Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe, the MD/CEO who took over from Okonkwo is proving these premature clairvoyants wrong.

With reports about Fidelity Bank preparing to acquire Union Bank UK Plc in the news waves, who dares to illustrate Onyeali-Ikpe with dull ink?

Things are looking hot and spicy at Fidelity Bank. According to the tidbits from news engines across the country, the bank is set to get a 100 per cent equity stake in Union Bank UK Plc, thereby placing itself for inestimable success and expansion in the years to come. And the person that made this all happen is none other than Onyeali-Ikpe.

With the completion of the acquisition, Onyeali-Ikpe’s Fidelity Bank will have a strong presence in London and be in a better position to match the influence that some of the bigger Nigerian banks have earned themselves thanks to years of preparation and capable MD/CEOs. Nevertheless, Onyeali-Ikpe is no less than any of these MD/CEOs and so it is only a matter of time before she leaves them all behind. And the acquisition of Union Bank UK Plc is simply the most recent evidence of her guts and grandeur.

With her over 30 years of professional experience in the banking sector, it is no surprise that Onyeali-Ikpe is unmatched among her peers. This is why since she assumed the Fidelity Bank MD/CEO position on January 1, 2021, it has been one case of victory after another.

Therefore j, it is almost certain that she has not only proved her mettle and continues to do so, but that she is in a good place to lead the next generation of managers in Nigeria’s banking sector.

Onyeali-Ikpe

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T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾SEPTEMBER 4, 2022

HIGHLIFE

Fayose’s Failure as Ekiti PDP in Cul-de-Sac

There are fires in the fields and fires at home. At this rate, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) might as well just pack up and return in 2031. But is relaxation still possible for people like Ekiti State’s former Governor, Ayodele Fayose? Or will the continuing contest for authority and the consequent political crises in the party rattle even the nest he has built up for himself in case of failure?

Things are not looking bright and beautiful for the Ekiti State chapter of PDP. Although even the federal level is locked up in a messedup situation, the Ekiti chapter is taking things a bit too far. As things stand currently, the leaders of the party in the state are scrambling from pillar to post to reassemble their members, resuscitate vision and valour, and return from political death to life. To be honest, this string of processes is very likely to take more than the customary meeting of ward councillors and local government chairpersons.

Fayose’s apparent inadequacy is not helping matters. Since losing the governorship election in the state to the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Biodun Oyebanji. Even the Social Democratic Party (SDP) got to smash its figurative fists in Fayose’s face by coming second in the election, fielded by the candidacy of Chief Segun Oni. So, Fayose’s candidate, Bisi Kolawole, did not only come third (last) in the gubernatorial election but also heralded the death throes of Fayose’s influence in the party.

Or so it appears.

At the moment, Ekiti PDP needs a lot of political might and influence to drag itself out of the sludge that Fayose’s failure has landed it in. And while it may not only be the former Governor’s fault, he was the front-runner and will continue to be blamed for the June 18 governorship loss. And, depending on who is talking, for the ongoing predicament in Ekiti PDP.

New Lease on Life for Sally Mbanefo The daily rising and setting patterns of the sun have shown that life is a voyage between two diametrically opposite ends.

Thus, much care and caution are required to be successful and unblemished by time’s cruelty.

Unfortunately, even someone as gorgeous and influential as Sally Mbanefo fell victim to this temperamental life. Thankfully, the day is bright once again for her, so this period signifies her new lease on life.

Mbanefo is one of those people whose life at first seems to be set. The former DirectorGeneral of the Nigeria Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) is not only enchantingly beautiful but also has the brains to rattle an unsuspecting genius. Despite the loss of face and fortune that announced her failings to the public some years ago, things are getting better for her.

When some people got to know about Mbanefo, she had just been sacked from being NTDC DG by the federal government. At first,

Mbanefo

she tried to weather the storm by continuing her bright and brilliant lifestyle. However, it

Fayose

became evident that there were forces that would prefer her far away from the place of power. And so, she retired to her home, Anambra State, and was soon appointed the Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs, Indigenous Artworks, Culture, and Tourism.

Despite the position of commissioner, anybody with a working mind could tell that Mbanefo was not what she used to be. For one, her once dazzling lifestyle had taken a hit, dimming significantly as a result. Not soon after, even though she continued to adhere to the duties of her role in Anambra, she began living under the radar, waiting for her day in the sun.

Apparently, that day is here and times are changing in favour of Mbanefo. Even though there is not yet a big package in the form of a juicier appointment delivered to her doorstep, Mbanefo has undoubtedly unpacked the tempest that once beset her.

Now, even though she is still living at the edge of the glitters and gold of high-tier society, Mbanefo has regained her peace and might soon regain her groove.

Bola Okolie: Queen of Premium Drinks Celebrate Three Decades in Style As a whole, women are marvellous.

But beautiful women are more marvellous.

However, there are no words that effectively capture the sheer marvelousness of women who are both stunningly beautiful and successfully brilliant. These women, with Bola Okolie as a fine example, are the true delight of any and every human society. And considering that Okolie has done much to revolutionize the gathering of the higher tiers of this society, the acclaim for her work is immeasurable.

These are happy times for Okolie with the celebration of 30 years of good business with her brainchild, the top drinks service company in Nigeria, Bonix. Since setting up Bonix, Okolie has spiced up gatherings with additions of colourful concepts such as the LED Bar and Lounge, systematic party chaperone service, and many others. With Bonix in operation, many soirées have won the heart of attendees

with their thoughtful impressions and top-tier provisions for wine and drink.

As a way to clink celebratory glasses for Bonix’s 30 years in the business, Okolie commanded that Sunday, August 28, 2022, be the gathering date for some of her best clients, associates, friends, and relatives. The event tagged #BONIXEPERIENCE3.0, which was held at the Whitestone Events Center, Oregon, Ikeja, Lagos, had different individuals of prestige and repute in attendance.

It was indeed a show of character and evidence of Okolie’s still-growing influence as many of the attendees were garbed in the party colours of black with a touch of orange.

And as she is wont to do, Okolie was up and about, hugging friends in surprised delight and fascinating onlookers with her uninhibited and tinkling laughter.

Indeed, all things are bright and

Okolie

beautiful for Okolie, the renowned queen of premium drinks in Nigeria.

Bonix is gaining more and more ground with the high and mighty, even though Okolie continues to carry herself humbly, not overly flaunting her peerless style.

Lai Mohammed, Gov AbdulRazaq’s Fight Gets Messier: How Kwara Gov Takes Over Tinubu Campaign, Leaving Minister in the Cold

Lai Mohammed.

Crazy things are happening in Kwara, the State of Harmony. Given the 2023 presidential elections, more fractures are showing themselves within the main political parties. For the All Progressives Congress (APC), the majority of these fractures are resting on the renowned dissonance between Kwara State Governor

AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed.

According to the most recent reports, AbdulRazaq has subtly found a way to thrust out Mohammed from the current power tussle in the Kwara branch of the APC. This time, however, it is not a matter of who will be head of the party in the state but who is in charge of directing the progressively influential ship that is the campaign group of APC presidential candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Ordinarily, neither AbdulRazaq nor Mohammed is directly involved in the current tussle. However, their representatives, Kwara APC Chairman, Bashir Bolarinwa, and his deputy, Abdullahi Samari, are reportedly digging it out. Keeping in mind that Bolarinwa is considered to be Mohammed’s righthand man in Kwara while Samari is AbdulRazaq’s, the back and forth between them is the same as a scuffle between Mohammed and AbdulRazaq.

First, AbdulRazaq’s people accused Mohammed’s people of being less than

honest with the financial handling of the party, especially taking into account Tinubu’s campaign group and agenda in Kwara. Responding to the accusation, Mohammed’s group is saying that they did pretty well with the 2019 elections and will repeat the same in 2023. However, if recent reports are anything to go by, Mohammed’s group is losing the support of the people, while AbdulRazaq’s group is gaining more momentum and influence.

This is not the first time that such a thing is happening between Mohammed and AbdulRazaq. Ever since the latter took up the gubernatorial position, he has been at odds with the Information and Culture Minister. Even though they are not worn out from the scrimmage, the fate of their party is on the line and the implications of continued discord are far more severe than the uninitiated can imagine. But neither AbdulRazaq nor Mohammed are political babes, which makes their continuing feud all the more absurd.

Erelu Bisi Fayemi: The New Double Chief These are great times for the wife of Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi, the majestic Erelu Bisi Fayemi. Having assessed her lifestyle, work, and growing legacy with the eyes of genuine royalty, the imperial cabinets of ErinmopeEkiti and Otun-Ekiti decided to honour Bisi with new chieftaincy titles. With the new titles, Bisi has claimed her position in Ekiti as true royalty with dual chieftaincy prerogatives.

The good people of ErinmopeEkiti and Otun of Moba Local Government Area, Ekiti State, were delirious with joy in anticipation of the coming initiation ceremonies for Bisi.

When the time came, the monarchs of the towns, the Oore of Otun, Oba Adekunle Adeagbo, and the Obaleo of Erinmope-Ekiti, Oba Sunday Aikuraiwo Aniyi, shared the limelight with the First Lady as they respectively conferred on her the titles of Fiwajoye of Otun-Ekiti and Yeye Oba of Erinmope-Ekiti, both of which are reportedly the highest chieftaincy titles in the communities.

The initiation ceremony was held on Saturday, August 27, 2022, and had many prestigious individuals in attendance. Among these were the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, and Governor Fayemi. And despite the excitement captured in the faces of the attendees, one could tell from the noble comportment and grace of Bisi that she truly was extraordinary and deserving of double chieftaincy.

The accomplishments of Bisi, in many ways, are no less than her husband’s. Known as the matriarchal figure in Ekiti, one that does not sit idly by, Bisi has established herself and the Fayemi household as intentionally progressive and interested in the everyday lives of the good people of Ekiti. On this front, she has been captured time and again as a strong advocate for women and children, as well as the underprivileged, clearing the path to self-dependence and growth for them.

It is on account of these contributions that two different communities found her worthy of chieftaincy. So, even among chiefs, she sits supreme.

Fayemi

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LOUD WHISPERS

with JOSEPH EDGAR (09095325791)

Duke of Shomolu: Abstinence is Best Cure For those of us who grew up in the 80s, we were not told to use protection when having sex, we were told to practise abstinence. Who ‘abstaining’ help? We did not abstain o, instead we dived in and carried everything that needed to be carried and shared the experiences.

Anyways, now in my 50s, abstaining is now looking like my lot. I had a long talk with my very brilliant friend Dr. Vincent Nwani who is ‘Obidient’. Like most politically aware ‘youths’, he stands for Peter Obi. He is rabid and very dedicated to the course. He called the other day, saying “Chief Coach, it looks like you are lukewarm towards our movement. We need people like you in the struggle.”

I was at the famous Alade Market in Ikeja being cheated by a very ‘wicked’ woman who realising that I was a ‘single’ father trying to do ‘going back’ to school shopping for his son, Alvin (Alvin is late Erelu’s son) tripled the cost of everything.

I replied: “My brother, Vincent. I cannot in my right conscience vote for any of these top three contenders. I would rather exercise my right of abstinence than contribute to the further damage of Nigeria.”

I could hear him breathe heavily.

Yes, it was Khalifa Muhammadu Sanusi II that first put the thought in my head.

He had told me at a private meeting that if this is the best we can throw up as Nigerians at this time, then it is really sad. Since then, I have been thinking very seriously about my choices come 2023.

I have looked very critically at the top three and have come very sadly to the conclusion that neither will provide the kind of leadership needed at this time.

So, what do I do?

At 53, I will hunker down as we fly into continued turbulence come 2023 and hope that we will not crash before 2027.

It is not all darkness. Obi and his ‘Obidient’ movement have forged a

reawakening making him the John the Baptist of Nigeria. I see him as the forerunner who has only come to announce the new leader who should emerge in time for 2027.

Obi is a major member of the power structure that has beheaded Nigeria.

He has provided only an arrowhead for the movement and does not own it but what he has done is to cement the movement, position it and give it a tiny seat on the power table. He will ‘cave in’ and cut a deal with PDP at some point, losing his puritanical image and paving the way for credible leadership that will emerge in 2027.

So, my people, it is sad that at my age, I will not use my thumb print to help install another ‘son of a wh$re’ in my second to the last very active election cycle. I’d rather skip and wait for 2027 because these ones we are seeing are merchants of darkness. Come and beat me.

NYESOM WIKE, PEPPER DEM That the expansive Governor of Rivers State is a sore loser is no more in contention. Since his double whammy loss at the PDP primaries, Nigeria has had no rest. Rightly he has been on the podium screaming that he is now the talk of the country.

True, how will he not be the talk when he will not let us rest. He has cried all over the place, abused, taunted, caused enough confusion, crossed party lines and generally behaved like a spoiled brat.

I saw a video of him recently in all green, sarcastically taking his colleagues out. Daring them to deliver their states and stop talking about him. As he spoke, his court jesters would break into song and he, like a loose-headed Emperor, would start dancing ‘kwashiokor’ dance. He is such a character. The musician even hailed his ‘designer suit’. Me I did not see any designer anything o.

What I saw was the Nigerian flag put together by a tailor in Obi-Akpor for him to manage that day.

Wike can only be an issue in a demented society like ours. What is his claim to fame but the huge resources of Rivers State? A career

politician who has not earned an entrepreneurial kobo in his life but suddenly with a despotic hold of a state’s resources suddenly turns himself to the ‘issue’. If Wike was Governor of Taraba State with no disrespect, will we all be so enamored by his parochialistic tantrums? I doubt it.

The mumu PDP people who are even allowing all of this to happen and can’t call his bluff are even more senile than him.

Imagine the whole world flying everywhere to go and woo him?

For what na? That they cannot call his bluff simply illustrates my earlier position that there is no true leadership that will come out of this 2023.

If Wike is now the issue in Nigeria, please count me out. Sad.

listen to your children and just go before na diaper we go dey supply for the Chairman’s office at the Secretariat. Respect yourself and just GO.

IYORCHIA AYU, LISTEN TO YOUR CHILDREN The stubbornness of geriatric disposition. I just form that phrase o. Like my brother, the big-headed politician from Edo State who used to speak grammar that even the Queen will find hard to understand me, I have formed new one for prehistoric grandpa- Mr. Ayu. This man has been there, seen it all, fumbled and wobbled all over the

place through the centuries and is still standing here and calling people ‘children’.

I was born in 1969 and I am in near retirement now, handing over my structures to fresh legs and minds.

This one is still standing here with dentures and saying that ‘children do not understand the vision of PDP.’ Please, if you listen to Mr. Ayu, you will think when he is talking about PDP, he is talking about the Republican Party of the US or the Conservative Party of the UK. This ‘yeye’ PDP that has somersaulted all over the place that he is standing and talking about o.

Why won’t the party be floating rudderless with this kind of leader?

Is it not the same man Obasanjo sacked some years ago that they have gone to recycle and bring back to lead them as they attempt to get back in power?

What has he brought to the table?

All these stubborn grandpas who will not just voluntarily leave the stage are becoming endemic. They are everywhere o. In APC, they even remain the preferred candidate. I just tire.

Pa, please let me stop before you curse me, me I cannot afford that, but if I was to advise you, I would say,

Wike

Ayu

Aderinwale

Edgar

NIYI AKINTOLA: THE YORUBA SAN My big brother, the very goodlooking Hon. Chike Ogeah hardly gets angry and when he does, he prefers his anger in private.

But this time, he no gree o. He said, “Edgar, write am say, when we discuss the matter, that I was traumatized to a point of numbness that a SAN can be so bigoted and narrow-minded.”

Egbon Chike vex o. Really vex o.

Me, I just laugh because I have reached the point of, ‘what else can happen’. Oga Chike was numb at such flatulence but me, I have been numbed ever since by the collective ‘stupidity’ we evoke as a nation.

How can a rational mind explain this one now. This Baba is saying that Yoruba people met in Ibadan and decided to ignore Olumide Akpata and that if not for some of them that broke ranks, the ban would have been total. He did not

Falana

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LOUD WHISPERS stop at that but went on to call the well-respected Akpata, a boy and a transaction lawyer.

You see, if someone follow these kinds of things, you will do something stupid, like walking up to Yoruba-Ibadan SAN and pissing on his cheap shoes.

Elder ooooo, agba, person of age na him dey talk like this. Getting angry is to fuel his nearsightedness. That was his moment in the limelight and he took it and fired from his half erect member, a dud missile that went nowhere.

Let’s not humour him by taking him and his ilk seriously. Olu Akpata is a fine gentleman. He went into an Association and upturned years of arrogant hierarchy that was suffocating the institution, replaced it with vibrancy and all they could pay him with was to steal phones.

My Oga Chike, please let’s calm down. History vindicates the saints; Akpata will be vindicated no doubt.

Let’s just ignore, me, I have ignored since. Let’s do Afang one of these days, so you can calm down-make BP no go nack you for matter wey no get meaning. Rubbish.

FEMI FALANA, LET’S STOP PUTTING ‘FIRE’ Me, I have tried to avoid daddy. The last time I wrote about him, it was the aforementioned Chike Ogeah who called me when I was on top of a woman to ask me, “Wetin Femi Falana do you oo?”

I immediately climbed down and started to fear. “Oga Femi dey vex o, he say you yab am last week for your column.”

My people since then, no matter what Oga talk and he can mistalk many times, I keep a distance and no look for him trouble o. Me, wey never chop na him I go come dey hire transaction lawyers to defend me for court?

But seriously, on this ASUU matter, I think daddy should rise above his career in ‘social criticism’ and play a more consensual role instead of putting more fire. ASUU may be legally right, but the economics of the issue is not helping their matter. The government’s ineptitude is worsening the matter.

If you see the report of how much the government is owing CBN, you will get kidney stones. I tell you. So, saying that the government all of a sudden has paid international airlines and as such should in the same vein do something about ASUU shows a remarkable lack of understanding of the economics of the issue – please sir, don’t vex with that statement o.

You see sir, we have to forge a middle ground. Government is broke!

The fact that they are doing some unconstitutional and backyard things to meet demands in other areas does not mean that they should be encouraged. You should kindly use your weight to join the negotiations with a view of securing a middle of the road solution and not encourage them to hunker down.

This thing is very simple my Lord. Tertiary education should never have been the government’s responsibility in the first place. If it is in the constitution then too bad. Let the government let go, put in place firm regulatory structures and set up strong welfare schemes that would protect indigent students and sell the schools straight. Use part of the money they realise to pay the backlog of salaries and entitlement and set up an annuity for the rest and just back off.

ASUU too should also look elsewhere for their funding. Why is UNILAG on strike with the goldmine they are sitting on? If this is not hypocrisy I don’t know what else is.

Please my lord, let’s stop putting fire in the matter and be a little bit more consensual. The economics of the situation is not helping ASUU and they can go on strike from now till eternity, the Government will still not be able to meet their demands. Simple.

Chike abeg be on standby to follow me go beg o, in case daddy vex again o.

A GODSON, DELE ALAKE, SPEAKS You know when you are a direct beneficiary of a warped system, it will be hard to be objective. Bros has said that there is nothing wrong with godfatherism and went ahead to compare Awolowo with this one we are seeing today o.

The mistake Oga is making is that he is confusing godfatherism to mentorship. What Awo did was

mentor, guide and empower his people using a clear ‘left of centre’ ideology. That is why you see such intellectual giants like Bola Ige, Baba Jakande, Ebenezer Babatope and the late former Ogun State Governor, Bisi, something flourish.

Please, can you compare yourself or Gbaja to these people I just mentioned. You that you are under the school of godfatherism, what is the ideology of your school, what is the expansive vision of your school towards the society? Have you ever seen the masterpiece they are talking about? Running errands under a godfatherism school can never be likened to the tutelage dem Jakande got under Awolowo.

My brother, godfatherism is evil as it builds a close structure where the currency of trade is loyalty and nothing else. See Ambode, Aregebesola and maybe Fashola at some point and see how they were treated when they dared to ask questions.

FUNKE AKINDELE, WAKE UP

Akindele

Did you see the video of mummy celebrating her 45th birthday? She wore a white garment and appeared in one church and promptly went into a trance. My people, the image catch me o. I have a major weakness for women in that gown and when they go into trance the thing used to sweet me o.

I engage one sef. My third wife is a white garment person. The mother of my very beautiful daughter Annette who just celebrated her 17th is a white garment person o.

When she puts on the white garment, my head used to turn o. There is something sexually powerful (I’m sorry o, don’t beat me o, na my fetish) about a full curvaceous woman in that gown and jumping up and down in a trance. Kai, I am sick o. The thing used to turn my head and that is why I used to just go to the White Garment churches that litter Shomolu and just sit-down and be waiting for them to enter the trance.

White garment church trance is more powerful because the women used to just scatter and if you position well, you will get the full view. But the Pentecostal one, the mumu ushers will be carrying wrapper so that once

the woman goes in the spirit, they will now use the wrapper to cover them.

Those ones are not serious abeg.

The white garment own na war o. Everything and everything is displaced o. Wig will fly out, padded bra will find its way, fake bottom will disappear and if the message is very powerful maybe coming from a very powerful prophet, the shaking and gyrating used to be earth shaking. You will just be seeing breasts jumping up and down and the men will be struggling to contain the tremor. I will be very quiet and be studying the situation as a well-known researcher.

That is how I got carried away and gave one bele o.

So, watching our PDP running mate of Lagos, going into a mild trance brought back memories. As a political player, she controlled her own. She didn’t scatter well and even though the chest heaved, it did not scatter like it should have when she was not a candidate. But anyway, I enjoyed the show small and this has made me pray for a defeat in the election because when she goes to court, she will go back to the church and this time the shaking and scattering will be massive in a bid to overturn the defeat. Oya aduraaaaaaaaa.

Under Awo’s style, was it like that?

Please, just keep quiet and continue to be enjoying the crumbs that come from your being such a good student and follower and leave us to be wallowing in our servitude. Just sha know that #thereisgod. Lol! BIMBO ASHIRU – ‘EGBON’ HAS ‘JAPA’ When I first saw the pictures out of Ontario Canada, I was afraid o. My fear was that my very influential big brother and newly minted Chairman of the huge indigenous conglomerate – Odua Group, also has japa.

The way people are running away, I would not be surprised if one day President sef japa. But I relaxed when I got a call from him later in the night.

He was with super brilliant Investment banker Mark -George who is the Executive Director Investments of the group and they were, on the back of the ongoing Canada – Nigeria Business and Investment Expo holding meetings with strategic Canadian players in the agriculture, innovation and technology, construction and medical sectors.

They also had very fruitful discussions with the Ontario State legislature, the premier of the State – Doug Ford and the Minister of Economic Development. I even heard that the Honourable Minister of State FCT – Dr Ramatu Aliyu Tijani also participated in the talks.

Nice one.

AYO ADERINWALE: THE BLUES OF THE MATTER Dr. Reuben Abati fresh from his wahala with Nyesom Wike appeared at this real august occasion. It was the 60th birthday of one of Nigeria’s most cerebral fellows, the great Hon. Ayo Aderinwale.

We were all instructed to wear blue and come with an empty stomach.

That was how I appeared at one of the most elegant events I have attended in recent times. The Federal Palace Marquee venue of the event was turned into a huge mantle of blue. The hall was so beautiful that I opened my mouth in amazement.

I sat with the elegant Kolade OjoOsagie with his very beautiful wife.

Between Kolade and I, five plates of small chops vanished.

Chief Obasanjo who has been Ayo’s main Oga for the last 30 years leads a mantle of very prominent Nigerians to celebrate a very brilliant and astute Nigerian. Oga Ayo is a successful entrepreneur who continues to create jobs and empower youths while still contributing to seminal discussions on Nigeria.

It was a beautiful event I tell you and the high point was during his vote of thanks when he said the following immortal words: “And I want to thank my crazy brother, the pornloving, Afang-eating, coke-drinking Duke of Shomolu.”

Kai, my head swell o. See all these big Yoruba people with big agbada and my Oga remember to greet me. I was happy o. When I got home, I told Duchess, you see why it was good that you did not take the advice of your sister, Roli, who asked you to leave me when you caught me with the sales girl at Awosheyin Street.

Today, you will not have been with a man that has just been celebrated by a man who was celebrating his 60th in the most elegant fashion and with some of the most prominent Nigerians in attendance.

Happy birthday my Lord and may God give you many fruitful years and more prosperity. Well done sir.

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Adebayo Adeoye bayoolunla@gmail.com; 08054680651

SOCIETY WATCH

Ayodele Subair: A Tax Reformer with the Midas Touch

Of Ambode’s Flipside of Power It was Providence, the unchanging changer, that transported him from relative obscurity to prominence. Before our eyes, he became the Governor of the Centre of Excellence to the chagrin of some and admiration of others.

Between May 29, 2015, and midnight of May 28, 2019, Akinwunmi Ambode, a chartered accountant, held the reins of power in the state. While he held the position, many sought his listening ears for so many things. Life couldn’t be any better.

But the Epe-born technocrat turned politician allegedly stepped on some powerful toes who vowed with everything they had never to forgive him or support his re-election bid. And they never did as his political party, the All Progressives Party (APC) elected Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu in his stead.

He, however, didn’t go under without

Ambode

Ex-Ooni’s Wife, Naomi Silekunola’s Heart Still Wounded

Subair

Who is your Man of the Year?

Alternatively, who deserves the award for the Man of the Year?

No doubt, not a few members of the public will name several prominent individuals who are deserving of this award. But what is not in doubt is that many will vote Ayodele Subair, Executive Chairman, Lagos Inland Revenue Service (LIRS), as their Man of the Year. If you ask them why, they will quickly reel out his achievements and sterling performances as the head honcho of the LIRS. With the wave of his professional wand, he has pivoted the operations of the tax payment institution into a seamless and exceptional process. He is reputed to have injected lifeblood into the state’s economy with his tax reform, a development that has boosted his profile. He is recognised for introducing many competitive innovations that today place Lagos far above its contemporaries, while he has also scored many firsts since he took over at the agency.

For instance, his Whistle-Blower Initiative has been applauded by many, including a civil society organisation, Vanguard for Transparency and Accountability. The group described the recently launched initiative as an exemplary boost to the anti-corruption crusade. It also lauded the Subair-led LIRS management for sustaining its pace-setting records in tax management reforms in Nigeria.

The President of the anti-corruption crusade group saidthattheinitiative,whichsubjectsthe operations of LIRS to public scrutiny, would promote openness, accountabilityand ultimately enhance citizens’ participationingovernance,therebyboostingtheirtrustin theactivitiesofasensitiveagencyofgovernment.

Meanwhile,staffoftheagencyarealsoveryconfident of promotions based on merit as Subair is reputed for fairness and principled disposition regardless of pressure from politicians and social influence as the chairman restated the commitment of the management to the welfare of its staff strengthened by the belief that a motivated workforce will lead to greater productivity He said: “We take the welfare and career development of our workforce as a key metric in our journey to always deliver our statutory role as a revenue agency. In 2019, we approved a 70% salary increase for staff from Assistant Revenue Manager and below, and a 50% increase for Revenue Manager and above.

“This is the most significant salary review in the Agency to date. A total of 3,608 members of staff were promoted between 2017 to 2021 and all our staff do not pay for standard medical services.

“We also ensure that performance bonuses are paid to all staff, based on clearly defined and documented processes while union dues are remitted timely and correctly with all other statutory deductions such as pensions.”

a fight, as he fought like a wounded lion.

This further infuriated some of his party chieftains who vowed to end his political career. His failure to secure his second term bid to govern the state had forced him out of the ornate Lagos State Government House, unceremoniously.

Immediately after he handed over power to Sanwo-Olu, he began to taste the cold side of powerlessness, as the attention he used to get unsolicited dwindled. Amidst all this, Ambode is reportedly left alone in the cold to paddle his own canoe.

In a bid to try his popularity, he reportedly sold a dummy indicating his interest to contest the last governorship primary of the APC, and later Labour Party.

But this was later confirmed to be untrue as he seems to be done with politics, at least, for now.

Silekunola

“Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned” so says an old axiom.

Many were shell shocked in December 2021 when Queen Naomi Silekunola, now estranged wife to the Ooni of Ife, His Imperial Majesty, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, posted her separation from the monarch. She would later release an epistle on her verified Instagram account, disclosing that she had relinquished her role as an Olori to the youthful Ife monarch.

Her conspicuous absence from the palace

on her hubby’s sixth coronation anniversary that December was the first signal things are rocky in the union. Many days after taking a voluntary exit from the palace, some sources revealed that she regretted posting the messages on social media, calling off her union with the king rather than addressing the issues personally with him. After the incident, she was reportedly reprimanded by her mother, whom many thought orchestrated her exit from the palace.

Some had predicted that the matrimonial ‘crisis’ would be settled in no time. But this is not to be as the mother of one has since become a history in the life of the monarch.

However, it seems the light-skinned former queen is still embittered over the development. She comes across as someone who still nurses a deep wound in her heart, as she has refused to get the whole saga off her mind.

It was gathered by Society Watch that since she left the palace unceremoniously, she has taken the fight to social media, particularly Instagram, sending subtle jabs at the monarch.

Following her encounter with the Assistant

Commissioner of Police at the AIG’s office (Zone 17) in Akure last week, she wrote: “No woman deserves to be bullied. Walking away from abuse should not take away your fundamental human rights and dignity as a woman. What just happened with the Assistant Commissioner of police at the AIG’s office (Zone 17) in Akure is a pointer to the fact that the system has failed womanhood again. Does it mean that walking away from a relationship means you should commit suicide?”

Reacting to the post, her sister, Simi Oluwaseyi, wrote: “No woman deserves 1% of what you went through, still going through. You have really tried and enough is enough!!!! It’s about time the sleeping dog wakes!!!”

Still seething with anger, Naomi wrote in reply to her sister’s comment that “It will be a rude awakening you know when I am pushed I will rather d*e…..thank you all for standing by me through this very difficult period, they don’t know what’s going on but God will be faithful.”

When Nigeria’s High Commissioner, Tamuno, Hosted Dangote, Wigwe It was Theodore Roosevelt Jr., the 26th president of the United States, who said: “Keep your eyes on the stars, and your feet on the ground.”

This popular quote, undoubtedly, has been the motivation for Dame Maureen Tamuno, Nigeria’s High Commissioner to Jamaica. Since her appointment by President Muhammadu Buhari in 2021, she has proved to be a round peg in a round hole. She has diligently been handling her briefs with the practised gait of a public functionary.

The Rivers State-born diplomat is a restless and hardworking woman. Once she sets her mind on a project, she pursues it with gusto and determination. Besides, she has been very busy rewriting the NigeriaJamaica bilateral relations.

Earlier in February, she set up the NigeriaJamaica Joint Commission, the first of its kind in Nigeria. Also, last August, she facilitated Nigeria’s huge participation at the Jamaica 60th Independence anniversary, where Nigeria

Dangote, Tamuno and Wigwe

displayed her rich cultural heritage such as Ada Ada (a cultural performance depicting the Igbo traditional marriage); “Spoken Words on Motherland” presented by a Jamaican student in a high school in Calabar); Unity Dance (a cultural performance showcasing

the major ethnic groups in Nigeria); Nigerian solo Highlife song performed by a Nigerian doctor; a cultural performance by Seki Cultural Troupe from Rivers State in Nigeria as well as a Nigerian contemporary dance. This was the first time in the history of Jamaica that Nigeria would be given such an opportunity to display its cultural heritage to the world.

To say her ingenuity and laudable efforts are yielding fruits is like stating the obvious, as some Nigerian investors are said to be tinkering with the idea of investing in Jamaica. A source disclosed that two billionaire investors, Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote and Access Bank Managing Director, Herbert Wigwe, were her guests in Kingston, where they had a dinner and discussed the possibility of investing in Jamaica so as to strengthen the bilateral relations between both countries.

“The meeting was an informal one though. Very soon, Dangote noodles will be establishing its factory in Kingston,” it was gathered.

Prominent Evangelist, Esther Ajayi, Celebrates

Ajayi

Rev. Mother Esther Ajayi, the founder of the Love of Christ of Generation (C & S) Church, London and The Esther Ajayi Foundation, is no longer a stranger to the general public.

This woman of substance, on Friday, September 2, held a vigil in commemoration of the 15th anniversary of her ministry.

The celebration, it was gathered, ends today Sunday, September 4, with a mega, star-studded thanksgiving service. It will also mark the first anniversary of the LOC Cathedral, OniruLagos, which was opened with pomp and circumstance by Pastor Enoch Adeboye. The opening ceremony was also attended by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Ooni of Ife, HIM Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi and many celebrated

Nigerians.

In fact, it seems the woman, fondly known as Iya Adura, has entered a covenant of sorts with her Creator to dedicate the rest of her life to the service of humanity.

Apart from her passion for Christ, she is also a well-known philanthropist who has touched and changed many lives through her ministry and humanitarian foundation. She has dedicated much of her life to supporting grassroots initiatives.

Iya Adura, who loathes people singing her praise over such acts of humaneness, is also the brains behind the popular Faith Fit Club, an initiative that encourages people to eat and live a healthy lifestyle.

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ JUNE 24 2012

ARTS & REVIEW A

PUBLICATION

4. 9.2022

An Artist and What It Takes to Carve a Niche For their aesthetic uniqueness, Emeka Ilechukwu’s works are well sought-after in both the local and international art scene, Okechukwu Uwaezuoke reports

S

imply pouring himself into his creative process...

It makes sense that Emeka Ilechukwu sums up his modus operandi this way.

“That's why it’s quite difficult to separate my private and professional life,” he clarifies. “If I try to be too ‘professional,’ the authenticity might be lost. So, I try to remain my authentic self.”

Odd, nonetheless, that he also describes the process as both “intellectually and physically demanding”, even after acknowledging his being prenatally well-equipped for the task. “Some of my creations take as much as one year to finally be satisfied with them. Some take as little as two weeks. It depends on the work, the flow of ideas, and the surge of energy at any given time.”

The 1997 Institute of Management and Technology, Enugu graduate undoubtedly owes his exposure to diverse materials to his formal training as a sculptor.

This, in a manner of speaking, accounts for his assertion that working with any material—both conventional and nonconventional—comes naturally to him.

That is, if the viewer detects a nuanced meaning of the word “naturally” as an allusion to the kind of spontaneity that comes from regular practice.

“But these days, I work more with metal and wood.” His penchant for these mediums seems like such a big deal since most of his recent works attest to his long interaction with them. “The way metal responds to tools is fascinating, and metal brings some complexities into the equation that no other material can.

Wood, on the other hand, gives room for certain kinds of textures, engraving, carving, etching, etc.”

That’s why it strikes the viewer as odd that he would ascribe intellectual rigour to his creative process. But, as for their being physically demanding, the painstaking details of the end-products attest to that. Besides, doesn't his statement imply that the lines between his private and professional life have become blurred? “My studio is in my house, though in different sections of the house.”

And his family? How do they fit into all this? He acknowledges them for having played “a vital role” in his professional career so far. His wife, Desola, for instance, collaborates with him as a partner, while his four teenage children each contribute their quota as well. Their efforts are supplemented by the concepts and ideas he cloaks in visible forms in his works, which he explains percolate from his private and public activities.

Thus, the 47-year-old continually seeks to distil his inner visions and aesthetic impulses, not just in 3-D formats but also as drawings and paintings. Indeed, he explains that his works are intended to

Enyimba 3, welded metal

Lagos Rhythm

Emeka Ilechukwu

“inspire hope and motivate courage” in his quest to add “aesthetic value to the world.”

Yet, discerning either hope or courage in the 2021 acrylic on canvas and thread painting, which—with the best of the artist's intentions—is

Mmemme

supposed to be a paean to his wife of 19 years, is exactly what his audience will be hard put to accomplish. At best, the 36 x 46-inch portrait painting, which is titled "Desola" (after his wife’s first name), should be seen as his personal expression of gratitude to the woman who had stood beside him through the years as he sought to advance his career.

“Though not a professional artist, she has joined hands with me to advance my career in ways beyond measure. Despite our background and ethnic differences, she has proven to be a strong ally. She has stood with me through thick and thin and life's vicissitudes.”

Talking about the artist’s message of hope and courage, chances are that they are most evident in the works, done either in African teak and pine wood or in welded metal. Consider the African teak and pine wood carving that he refers to as “Mmemme”. The 74 x 42-inch carving's title, which is an Igbo term that roughly translates to “celebration,” derives from the artist's sense of success and, possibly, a big sigh of relief, after working so hard to create the piece. “I tried to capture the intricacies and behind-the-scenes

work that produces beautiful results,” he explains.

Almost everything about the work's neo-traditional motifs conjures up the coordinated behind-the-scenes efforts that usually precede local festive occasions. Ilechukwu had to personally research the weeks-long preparations that go into four-hour events in order to understand their time and financial costs.

“In my thinking, to make friends and family happy for four hours takes weeks and months of planning,” he muses. “I concluded that happiness and joy can be expensive; it takes lots of work. On the flip side, we cannot afford anarchy and chaos; the cost of the latter far exceeds the cost of joy in gigantic proportions.”

Another African teak and pine wood carving, titled “Lagos Rhythm”, further explores these musings on the theme of celebrations. In the 80 x 44-inch work, which like the previous one was produced in 2022, he reenacts his experiences of weekend parties in Nigeria’s commercial capital city, Lagos.

“Local musicians, largely uninvited, welcome guests at the car parks and alleys leading to the event venues with songs of praise and eulogies to the admiration of the guests,” the artist notes about these events, known in local parlance as “Owambe”. “Interestingly, these musicians bring life and vigour; they prepare guests to get into party mode, and I was quite elated the first time I experienced their heartwarming welcome.”

Ilechukwu discerns something else at these festive gatherings: the revellers' propensity to bask in the musicians' frequently extravagant praise-singing.

As a result, he concludes that traces of vanity exist in all men.

So much for the artist’s direct allusion to the hope and courage message so far. In the aforementioned works, this message appears to be more implied than explicit. But, with other titles like “Victorious” and “Enyimba”, he tackles it headlong in welded metal works, which he produced in 2022.

Proclaiming more of the message of hope in the African teak and pine wood that he titled “Communal Life”, he extols communal life as “the foundation for viable and sustainable development in any given society or group of people with a common purpose.”

But then, aficionados and collectors worldwide seem more interested in his works’ aesthetic uniqueness than in their messages. Even as a senior partner of his art production company, Emeka Ilechukwu & Associates, which conducts mentoring programmes for art students and young up-and-coming artists, he has been prolific enough to hold five solo exhibitions and feature in 50 salons, as well as over 13 group exhibitions both within and outside Nigeria.

EDITOR OKECHUKWU UWAEZUOKE/ okechukwu.uwaezuoke@thisdaylive.com

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THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER SEPTEMBER 4 , 2022

ARTS & REVIEW\\POTPOURRI

OmoLaw Makes the Universal Particular in Racy Biography Powered By Poverty: A Story of Adversity, Ambition, Diligence and Triumph, by Lawson Omokhodion, SME Media Limited, Lagos 2022, 404 pages Chido Nwakanma

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awson Omokhodion, in this beautiful narrative, particularises the universal phenomena of poverty in telling "a story of adversity, ambition, diligence and triumph". It is arresting and didactic. His story LV D WULEXWH RI JUDWLWXGH DQG UHÁHFWLRQV RQ PDQ\ VLJQLÀFDQW PLOHVWRQHV LQ D OLIH WKDW intersects with Nigerian history.

Poverty serves as the peg upon which the author leans to share a rich account of his life, trials, and triumphs.

Powered by Poverty covers 22 chapters, a prologue, a foreword, and a preface. It tells the journey so far of the 70-years old Chief Lawson Omokhodion, Knight of the Catholic Church, an eminent citizen of Edo State, journalist, a senior bank executive and one of the pioneers of the structured management trainee programme of old.

The Lawson Omokhodion autobiography follows a trend of Africans bucking the Western literary canon that falsely claims that "poverty is rarely the main theme of a literary work" but a sub-theme arising from the fact that the main character or group is poor.

Omokhodion's book addresses some of literature's ten most common themes. They include coming of age, good versus evil, courage and heroism, health challenges, survival, love and marriage, and prejudice.

The time and place dimension enriches biographies. Powered By Poverty contains a rich depiction of time and place. The story of Nigeria from the 1960s to date is seen initially from the eyes of a daring and focused young lad to that of an adult with strong footprints in various areas. They include the Nigerian civil war, the PHULW EDVHG VFKRRO V\VWHP WKH LQÁXHQFH RI WKH Catholic Church, student unionism and aluta, journalism and the evolution, triumphs and trials of Nigerian banking.

Lawson Omokhodion hails from Ujemen, Ekpoma, Edo State. He went through Holy Cross Primary School, Benin City, Immaculate

BOOK REVIEW Conception College and Edo College, Benin City, and the University of Lagos, where he graduated with Upper Honours in Mass Communication.

He earned a Master of Business Administration degree from Arizona State University, Tempe, the USA, as part of the Management Development Programme of the Centre for Management Development and back to higher levels in Nigerian banking.

His rich and variegated career includes returning to work in the Centre for Management Development, pivoting to his training as Business Editor of Newswatch and ThisWeek magazines, then ([HFXWLYH (GLWRU RI 7KLV:HHN RQ WR $9& )XQGV and a banking career with All States Trust Bank.

He then moved on to international banking as an Executive Director at the African Development Bank in Abidjan.

Lawson Omokhodion earned the monicker

OmoLaw as a student. It stuck over the years and described an aggressive yet friendly, courageous man of integrity, tested and proven over many encounters. OmoLaw courageously expressed his convictions through his schooling, career, and life.

He is outspoken in his views about his life's time and place dimensions and its epochal events. That candour shows the most in the chapters on the unlamented StructuralAdjustment Programme of General Ibrahim Babangida, the Prof Chukwuma Soludo Banking Consolidation programme that WKH DXWKRU GHVFULEHV DV D ÀDVFR DQG WKH SHQFKDQW of Nigerian leaders to shoot the country in the foot. %DQNLQJ &RQVROLGDWLRQ )LDVFR LQ &KDSWHU is a must-read. It is a studied demolition of the bank consolidation exercise by a participant observer. Chief Omokhodion was managing director of Liberty Bank when the new Central Bank Governor Prof Charles Soludo announced the scheme. Omokhodion disputes the touted claim of the success of the exercise but submits instead that it failed the system, depositors, cost loss of lives, disrupted careers and cost the economy huge losses.

Soludo raised the capital requirement for a banking license from N1b to N25b. Omokhodion notes that the similar provision in the UK was six million pounds, equivalent to N1.5b in 2004. There were 89 banks, of which 62 were operationally sound, 14 were marginal and 11 unsound.

The Soludo Consolidation dictated a uniform EDQNLQJ UHJLPHQ ZLWK QR URRP IRU GLͿHUHQW FDWegories. He says it failed "because of the absence of SURGXFW GLͿHUHQWLDWLRQ ODFN RI VSHFLDOLVDWLRQ DQG WKH H[LVWHQFH RI WKH RQH VL]H ÀWV DOO V\QGURPH Omkhodion submits: "The CBN banking consolidation programme announced in July 2004 was not properly thought through. There were no consultations. The federal government was too distracted and did not subject the CBN governor to a session where experts and concerned public could participate in robust questions and answers. The policy was mechanical and antipeople; ill-advised and ill-conceived. It was an arrogant display of the naked power of coercion.

Its imposition was reminiscent of the Nigerian

Arinze Stanley’s Visual Odes to Resilience In a forthcoming exhibition in the US, Lagos-based artist Arinze Stanley Egbengwu gives the thumbs-up to the Nigerian youth for their resourcefulness in a country impoverished by greed and ineptitude. Okechukwu Uwaezuoke reports

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trio of practically identical blackFODG IHPDOH ÀJXUHV VKURXGHG in an aura of unapproachability, stands on a low pedestal in the foreground, in front of a hardly perceptible, densely packed mob of demonstrators.

Above them, a lightning-stricken sky broods, ominously hinting at an impending Apocalyptic scenario.

(YHQ DW ÀUVW JODQFH LW LV HYLGHQW WKDW WKHVH EODFN amazons with Sphinxlike countenances are the artist’s metaphors for the three branches of government: legislative, judicial, and executive.

Talking about metaphors, the graphite pencil work by Arinze Stanley Egbengwu, titled "Communion," swarms with them. In the work, such familiar objects as the scales, blindfold, toga, double-edged sword, cobra, bricks, garri, (a local meal made from ground and fried cassava URRWV DQG DVVDXOW ULÁH DVVXPH KLGGHQ³DQG VRPHWLPHV IDPLOLDU³PHDQLQJV )RU LQVWDQFH while the symbols often associated with Lady Justice essentially retain their meaning, the artist associates other symbols like the cobra with "the venomous elements of backwardness", the human skull with not only with death but also with "the

Arinze Stanley impact of religious bias and sentiments on the OHJLVODWLYH DUP DQG WKH DVVDXOW ULÁH ZLWK SRZHU Thus, the Imo State University graduate expresses the Nigerian youth’s perplexity in the face of the glaring ineptitude and corruption among

JRYHUQPHQW R΀FLDOV 2I FRXUVH WKHUH LV DOVR the not-so-veiled allusion to the anti-police brutality protests – tagged EndSARS – which paralysed socio-economic activities all over Nigeria for weeks.

Indeed, isn’t this what the solo exhibition, titled De-Construct, which features nine large-sized SRUWUDLWV VHHPV WR EH DOO DERXW" )RU WKH \HDU old artist, lionising the highly-misunderstood Nigerian youths, to whom he credits a "resilient spirit", is an attempt to reconstruct their muchmaligned image. And, perhaps, in the process, he will be able to disentangle their image from the web of misconceptions and stereotypes that cling tenaciously to them.

Back to the three vixens in the work, "Communion". On the left-hand side, facing the drawing is the depiction of the legislative arm in the garb of a chief priestess, who wields a mace RU SHUKDSV WKH VWDͿ RI 0RVHV DV D WHVWLPRQLDO of leadership. But then, this mace is attached to a skull, which represents the deaths caused by lousy legislature and leadership. She is also holding the snake of a cobra, whose body is wound around the feet of her companions.

1H[W WR KHU VWDQGV WKH EDUHO\ LGHQWLÀDEOH /DG\ RI Justice as the representation of the judiciary arm.

military era.

There were too many casualties. The consolidation exercise was an attempt to cure the ills of the banking system by killing the industry" -pp 253-254.

"How SAP crippled Nigeria" builds on the narrative of the failure of the governments of Muhammadu Buhari, SaniAbacha, and Ibrahim Babangida. SAP was duplicitous in OmoLaw's account and birthed a new Nigeria: "A new Nigeria had emerged. But it was not a better Nigeria. Shortages, cost escalation, and penury LQWHQVLÀHG 7KH SHRSOH EHFDPH LQFUHDVLQJO\ UHVtive. The military government became more repressive and thinner in patience."

The chapter "Struggle for the soul of Africa" narrates the author's experience at the African Development Bank. It captures how Nigerian leaders regularly short-change the country in those international organisations.

This book reads in some parts like a racy novel that tugs at your emotions. Such is the experience following Chief Omokhodion's battle with cancer.

Powered By Poverty is a gratitude journal. The RWKHU UHDVRQ LV HVFDSLQJ WKH GHWHUPLQHG HͿRUW RI WKH 1XKX 5LEDGX OHG ()&& WR WDU KLV UHSXWDWLRQ and career with the charcoal of a crime he did not commit.

OmoLaw anchors his narrative in "The Pains RI )DPLO\ /RYH LQ &KDSWHU ,W LV D SULPHU RQ poverty alleviation through the tested and assured route of education, hard work and family love.

There are a few editing glitches. The standout error is the mention of "Dr Christopher Okigbo" alongside Wole Soyinka and Chinua Achebe as persons who visited President Babangida to intercede for Mamman Vatsa. It was Prof John Pepper-Clark.

Powered By Poverty is instructive and courageous and would stir debates. The author delivers straight punches and a thrilling narrative as a journalist.

Nwakamma is on the Adjunct Faculty of the School of Media & Communication, Pan Atlantic University, Lagos.

What was supposed to have been her blindfold now hangs loosely beneath her jaw, proclaiming her compromised credentials. Grains of "garri" ÀOO RQH RI KHU MXVWLFH VFDOHV ZKLOH WKH RWKHU ÀOOHG with water, tilts the balance to one side. This is a nod to the popular Nigerian street slang phrase "Water don pass garri," which alludes to imbalance. Meanwhile, her rumpled toga, proclaiming her insouciance, clings to her well-built frame as if she had been involved LQ D VFX΁H +HU GRZQZDUG SRLQWLQJ VZRUG seems to pierce through a sheaf of paper, labelled MCMXCIX (or 1999) in roman numerals, which to an informed viewer is a veiled reference to Nigeria’s Constitution of that year.

On the right, the third lady, as the executive arm, ZLHOGV DQ LQWLPLGDWLQJ DVVDXOW ULÁH DOOHJHGO\ homemade, that denotes unbridled power.

Curiously, despite the menacing, combative demeanour of these three, they seem to be apathetic about the potential threat of the snake (corruption) curled around their ankles and hindering their possible forward movement.

0RYLQJ RQ WR )UXLWV RI /DERXU DQRWKHU ZRUN in this exhibition, it depicts a white-clad priestlyORRNLQJ ZRPDQ VLWWLQJ RQ D EULFN ER[ ÀOOHG ZLWK IUXLWV³VHHPLQJO\ ÁRDWLQJ DERYH D ERG\ RI VWLOO ZDWHU³LQ D IXWLOH DWWHPSW WR DFKLHYH DQ impossible task: crack palm kernel shells with D IRDP 7ZR DGGLWLRQDO KDQGV ZLWK WKH ÀQJHUV spread menacingly) seem to project from both sides of her head.

While the work symbolises the futility of trying to survive in Nigeria, it also gives a tacit thumbs-up sign to the Nigerian youth for their resourcefulness, even in an impoverished country that has been blessed by nature with under-utilised natural resources.

Read full Article online - www.thisdaylive.com

67

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER SEPTEMBER 4 , 2022

CICERO

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

IN THE ARENA

Is ASUU Targeting Pyrrhic Victory?

Apparently miffed by the federal government’s dodgy rhetoric, the Academic Staff Union of Universities last week extended its six-month-old strike to an indefinite industrial action. Louis Achi, however, writes that the university lecturers may record a pyrrhic victory

T

he “comprehensive, total and indefinite strike” declared by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) last week has indisputably turned the six-month rollover industrial action into a major national crisis. The union argued that the federal government has failed to satisfactorily meet its demands.

Having lost confidence in the present administration, some ASUU members had argued that negotiations should be suspended till a new administration takes over from the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration in May 2023.

It could be recalled that on February 14, 2022, the ASUU called out its members on a onemonth warning strike over the non-implementation of the Memorandum of Action (MoA) it signed with the federal government in 2009.

The government’s insistence on adoption of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) as a payment platform for all federal workers, among other factors, represented further sticking points in the face-off.

The union had proposed the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) as an alternative platform for the payment of its members’ salaries following discrepancies highlighted in the use of IPPIS. The warning strike which turned into a full-blown action that has dragged for six months last week transitioned into a “comprehensive, total and indefinite strike”.

At the core of the contentions are academic autonomy, improved staff welfare and the nonpayment of public universities revitalisation funds, which amounts to about N1.1 trillion. But the federal government has said it doesn’t have the money to pay such an amount, citing low oil prices during the current administration.

However, ASUU has outlined steps the government should take to end its six-monthlong academic strike. Speaking on a national television programme, ASUU President, Prof.

Emmanuel Osodeke, said the government must exhibit transparency. He insisted that “government should tell us and Nigerians - the money that has been alleged to have been approved for revitalisation - how much is it and where is it lodged? When will it be released?”

The varsity don also said that the government must clearly state its position on the UTAS, a

payroll system which ASUU wants as a replacement for the IPPIS. His words: “Three, have they accepted the agreement we reached with their panel? They should come and tell us this, and not go to the press…strike is a symptom of a problem; any day you sort out that problem, you will not have strike.”

In his reaction to the unfolding drama, the Chairman of ASUU, University of Lagos chapter, Dele Ashiru, stated that the federal government had declared war on ASUU, srressing that the lecturers in public universities are only responding to the unacceptable treatment with the indefinite strike.

According to Ashiru who spoke mid last week as a guest on a national television programme, “government has declared war on our union.

We are only responding. Six months or seven months down the line our members are suffering the consequences of a strike caused by the government. If you deploy the weapon of hunger upon people - that is a war.”

Dismissing claims that the government has met 80 per cent of the demands of ASUU, Ashiru said, “not one item (has been met), even the one that requires no money. For example, we desire that a government White Paper on Visitation Panel be released. Up till

now, more than two years, (Minister of Education), Adamu Adamu cannot release White Paper.”

On his part, a former Vice-President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Issa Aremu, who also spoke on the same programme said the issue at hand is a “legacy crisis” and there is a need for “a new paradigm shift to handle the labour dispute in the education sector”.

Further according to Aremu, “there have been shutdowns of public universities 16 times since 1999 and it amounts to 62 months, that comes to roughly about five years plus,” adding that both parties should note that “industrial dispute is not industrial warfare” and should resolve the crisis through “timetested collective bargains which have resolved trade disputes”.

The emerging consensus is that the federal government must concede that it has displayed inexcusable insensitivity by not stoutly tackling ASUU’s demands and taking urgent needful action. It has reacted to industrial conflicts in the aviation, electricity and petroleum sectors with some dispatch while largely ignoring the trade dispute in the public university system.

Deducible from this footing is that education enjoys low priority in government’s national

development calculations. This impression is unfortunately reinforced by the government’s diversion of limited funds to constructing standard gauge rail lines and the purchasing expensive, high-profile vehicles for neighbouring Niger Republic.

Victor Ecoma, Anthropologist and a Fellow of its world body, RAI, London has cautioned the federal government on the no-work-nopay approach it is pushing. His words: “The no work, no pay maxim drawn from Trade Dispute Act Vol.15 CAP T8 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 was aimed at discouraging industrial actions by workers. The law did not take cognizance of workers who on resumption must go back to deal with the work load left undone for the period of a strike.

“This is the case with the operation of the university system. Yes, time is lost in relative terms but the backlog of work still remains and has to be done if post-strike progress must be made.”

Curiously, amidst the strike action that has taken another turn, the Minister of Education, Adamu reportedly travelled out of the country and was being expected to come back to the country on September 2, 2022.

But beyond the seeming clueless dithering of the core promoters of this critical academic niche, to fundamentally address and resolve the funding challenges of public tertiary institutions require far more imagination and leadership.

Dr. Aliyu Ibrahim offers a direction: “There is need to convene a national education summit, where various stakeholders in the country including ASUU and the federal government, governors, the National Assembly, pro- chancellors, civil society organisations, even UNICEF and the business community, among others, to develop and agree on a sustainable funding model, in which public universities will be given subventions, and then they will generate additional revenues for their sustenance. Reasonable increment in tuition is unavoidable.

A database for academic staff should be established, this is with a view to control academics from taking up many visiting appointments at a particular time for quality control.

The appointment of Vice Chancellors should be reviewed; being a Professor is not enough.

Evidence of the ability to attract grants and mentor upcoming academics should be key requirements”

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

Why Ayu Should Be Called to Order

Wike Ayu

The comment credited to the National Chairman of the t Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, lastweekwastheheightofarroganceandinsensitivity for f apartyseekingtoreconcileallaggrievedmembers.

Ayu, who spoke to BBC Hausa Service, described governors and other party chieftains calling for his g resignation as “children”. r Speakingwithsomucharrogancehesaid:“Iwasvoted as a PDP chairman for a four-year tenure and I am yet to t complete a year. Atiku’s victory doesn’t affect the chairman’ s position. I won my election based on our c party’ s constitution.” p “I didn’t commit any offence. I’m only reforming the party so I’m not bothered with all the noises. I know I’m p doing my work and I didn’t steal any money so I see no d

reason for all these talks. When we started the PDP journey,wedidnotseethesechildren.Theyarechildren whodonotknowwhyweestablishedthisparty.Wewill not allow one person to come and destroy our party,” he added.

By calling governors and former governors who rehabilitated him from political oblivion and made him their national chairman such derogatory name, Ayuhasdemonstratedthathevalueshispositionmore than the victory of the party in 2023 general election.

Even coming after at a time when the presidential candidate of the party, Atiku Abubakar, told Ayu and otherstoallowhimhandlethedisagreementWikewith the party, is rather unfortunate.

Heseemstohavecrossedthereadlineandbetrayed

thosewhohavesympathyforhimandportrayedhimself asamanwhodoesnotwantreconciliationintheparty.

Thathecoulddescribethosecallingforhisresignationinuncouthandirresponsiblelanguageshowshehas no regard for anyone. Little wonder there is pressure onhimtostepdown.Hiscommenthasgivenhimaway asamanwholacksdiplomacyandleadershipqualities.

What manner of a party leader would display such arrogance and pomposity at a time when he should seriously be busy seeking to bring all PDP members together to unseat the All Progressives Congress (APC)?

Atiku, Benue State governor, Samuel Ortom and otherPDPleadersshouldcallAyutoorderbeforeego and arrogance rob them of victory in 2023.

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER SEPTEMBER 4 , 2022

68

BRIEFINGNOTES Can Shekarau Garner Kano’s Votes for PDP? With the defection of a former Governor of Kano State, Senator Ibrahim Shekarau, to the Peoples Democratic Party, Ejiofor Alike reports that the main opposition party is now strategically positioned to struggle for a fair share of the votes in the state with Governor Abdullahi Ganduje’s All Progressives Congress and former Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso-led New Nigeria People’s Party in the 2023 general election, even as the Labour Party continues to build its structure around the youths

T

he chances of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) emerging victorious in the 2023 general election brightened last Monday with the formal defection of a former Governor of Kano State, Senator Ibrahim Shekarau to the main opposition party.

Before the PDP welcomed Shekarau back to its fold, he had been in the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) led by a former Governor of the state, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, for about three months.

Shekarau had, in May 2022, dumped the All Progressives Congress (APC) after he parted ways with the Kano State Governor, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje.

Before he joined the PDP, Shekarau, who is representing Kano Central at the Senate had hinted at defecting from Kwankwaso’s NNPP citing “betrayal of trust.”

Kwankwaso and Shekarau had dominated Kano State politics since 1999 until the emergence of Ganduje in 2015.

Since the return of democracy in 1999, none of them has been able to establish political superiority over the other as political power in the state has continued to oscillate between the two political gladiators.

However, the entry of Ganduje in 2015 slightly altered the political equation in the state but neither Shekarau nor Kwankwaso has had the upper hand over each other.

Shekarau stamped his feet in the politics of the state when he floored the then incumbent governor Kwankwaso of the then PDP in the April 19, 2003 governorship election in the state. He, not only frustrated Kwankwaso’s reelection bid but also got reelected for a second term in 2007, still on the platform of the All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP). When Shekarau’s tenure expired in 2011, Kwankwaso defeated his anointed candidate, Alhaji Salihu Sagir Takai and returned for his second term, which was truncated in 2003.

After the ANPP and Kwankwaso’s faction of the PDP merged with other political parties to form the APC, Shekarau left the APC for the PDP in 2014 in protest against what he described as handing over of APC structure in the state to Kwankwaso, the then governor of the state.

He was appointed Minister of Education by the then President Goodluck Jonathan in July 2014.

But in the build-up to the 2019 general election, precisely on September 8, 2018, Shekarau dumped the PDP and returned to the APC in protest against the dissolution of the State Executive Committee of the PDP and the setting up of a caretaker committee by the party. He ran for the Senate in the 2019 general election and won on the platform of the APC. With Kwankwaso in the opposition PDP during the 2019 general election, Shekarau and Ganduje

Shekarau joined forces in the APC to floor Kwankwaso and his supporters.

President Muhammadu Buhari of the APC won all the 44 local government areas of the state with 1,464,768 votes, representing 78.9 per cent of the total votes cast to beat the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, who polled 391,593 votes of 21.1 per cent.

Kano had registered 5,391,581 registered voters, out of which 2,006,410 voters were accredited for the presidential election.

With Kwankwaso, Shekarau and Ganduje going their separate ways, their new parties will struggle to share these votes in 2023.

Shekarau left the APC again in May 2022 for the NNPP and spent only three months before rejoining the PDP last Monday.

Before he joined the PDP, many analysts believed that the bulk of the votes from Kano in the 2023 general election would be shared between Ganduje’s APC and Kwankwaso’s NNPP. Many analysts however believe that Shekarau’s entry into the PDP has altered the permutations.

Being a formidable force to reckon with, Shekarau is expected to garner a large chunk of the Kano votes for the PDP. While the Labour Party (LP) continues to build its structure in the state around the youth, the structure of the APC rests on Ganduje, while Kwankwaso controls the

structure of NNPP. s Shekarau’s defection to the PDP and the value he will w bring to the table have eclipsed the distractions suffered by the main opposition party in the hands s of o Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State.

Speaking shortly after he was welcomed to the PDP P on Monday, Shekarau urged his supporters to t work for the party’s victory in the 2023 general election. e The senator said, “I welcome our dignitaries to this t memorable occasion, particularly the PDP presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar; former p Vice-President Namadi Sambo; the PDP National V Chairman; PDP governors and other guests.

C “I, Ibrahim Shakarau, inform you that from Monday, August 29, 2022, my supporters and M I have dumped the NNPP and joined the PDP. “I have written to the NNPP National Chairman, chairmen at the state, local governments, and ward c levels of the party that I have dumped the NNPP. l “I have equally written to INEC Chairman and to the t Kano State Resident Electoral Commissioner of INEC that I am no longer contesting the senatorial I position on the platform of the NNPP.” p Speaking on his latest defection from the NNPP, Shekarau said, “All the agreements we had with S him h (Kwankwaso) were betrayed by Kwankwaso and a his boys and they did not accommodate one single person from my camp. s “We reached an agreement to accommodate my m supporters into various elective positions in the t party, but until now, the committee set up could not accommodate one single person apart c from the senatorial slot given to me. f “I will never be a party to injustice. My integrity is i utmost and not any political position that will w make me compromise it and that of my people.

Nobody will use position or money p against my integrity. a “I am a man of honour and integrity but his governorship candidate (Abba Yusuf) who g was w given the responsibility to look at areas to t accommodate my people into various elective t positions never for one single day do so or even call for meeting let alone accepting my supporters to contest.

“Nobody will use money to change my conscience. I was a governor for eight years in Kano and people believed in my integrity.

“I am still living in a rented house in Abuja and never allocated a single plot of land to myself when I served as governor in Kano and I challenge anyone who knows my plot of land to expose it.”

Welcoming Shekarau to the party in Kano, the national chairman of the PDP, Iyorchia Ayu, boasted that “…we’re going to win Kano and we’re going to win everywhere.”

Indeed, the entry of Shekarau into the PDP will boost the party’s chances in the 2023 general election if it is able to reconcile all other aggrieved members of the party.

NOTES FOR FILE

Keyamo as an Attack Dog

Keyamo

As an attack dog of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Mr. Festus Keyamo, has taken it upon himself to pick holes with any comment from members of the opposition,particularlythePeoplesDemocraticParty (PDP), whether right or wrong.

ThiswasexactlywhathedidlastweektotheGovernor of Delta State and vice-presidential candidate of PDP, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa.

Okowa had faulted the comments credited to the vice-presidentialcandidateoftheAPC,KashimShettima, whoattheNigerianBarAssociation(NBA)conference penultimate week in Lagos, declared that if elected in the 2023 elections, he would concentrate on fighting insecurity, while Bola Tinubu, the APC presidential

candidate, would focus on fixing the economy.

Reacting to the comment, Okowa said it would be absurdforavicepresidenttotakechargeofthenation’s securityastheroleisspeciallytheresponsibilityofthe President as the Commander-in-Chief who presides over the Security Council.

But Kayemo, in his characteristic manner of double speaking,saidthe1999Constitutiondoesnotrestrict the vice-president from handling security matters.

Countering the PDP vice-presidential candidate’s position in aTwitter post onWednesday, Keyamo said since the president can assign any responsibility to his deputy, it will not be absurd for a vice-president to handle security matters.

“I respectfully disagree, your Excellency. Under the

1999 Constitution, the President may assign any responsibility within his purview to either his vice presidentorministers.Thismayincludesomeaspects of security issues too. That is why, for instance, you have a Minister of Defence,” Keyamo wrote.

WhathedidnottellNigeriansiswhethertheMinister of Defence has the powers to deploy troops without the directive from the president or not.

The only time vice president has the powers to take charge of the country’s security is when he is made the acting president through the transmission of a letter to the National Assembly to that effect. As a senior lawyer, Keyamo knows it but his penchant to fault virtually everything may have beclouded his sense of reasoning.

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Endless Tussle between IG and PSC over Police Recruitment Until the dispute between the Nigeria Police Force and the Police Service Commission over who has powers for recruitment is resolved by the Supreme Court, the rivalry between the two bodies over the yearly recruitment exercise will persist, Alex Enumah writes

T

he recent public spat between the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and the Police Service Commission (PSC) over who has the powers to recruit police constables, has fuelled the need for the intervention of the Supreme Court on the matter..

Trouble started when the advertisements by the PSC calling on interested applicants for recruitment of police constables went viral.

But in a swift reaction, the NPF issued a counter statement informing the public that the exercise was false, adding that it had not commenced any recruitment into the Force contrary to a publication by the PSC. The statement signed by the Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), Olumuyiwa Adejobi, urged Nigerians to ignore the publication, claiming that the NPF is the appropriate agency responsible for police recruitment.

Adejobi said: “The Nigeria Police Force wishes to inform well-meaning members of the public that it has not commenced the 2022 police constables recruitment into the Nigeria Police Force contrary to a publication on Page 21 of Daily Sun Newspaper of Thursday, August 11, 2022 by the PSC. “The police similarly states unequivocally that the advert has no connection with the Nigeria Police Force nor is it in tandem with the police recruitment process, and should be disregarded in all its entirety,” the statement said.

The statement denounced the PSC website, which was advertised as the portal for the exercise, stressing that it is not associated with the Nigeria Police Force.

“The Nigeria Police Force hereby calls on all stakeholders and intending applicants to discountenance the information in both the newspaper and on the portal as the website is not the official portal for police constables recruitment,” the statement added.

Following the NPF’s reaction, the spokesman of the PSC, Ikechukwu Ani, confirmed that they had differences with the police with regards to the 2022 recruitment exercise.

According to him, “The PSC notes the publication of the Nigeria Police Force with regard to the 2022 constable recruitment exercise. The commission wishes to state that all contending issues around the exercise will be resolved between the two parties in the interest of the country.

“All interested applicants and other Nigerians desirous of a career in the Nigeria Police Force should exercise patience while these issues are being resolved. The commission will continue to strive to give Nigerians a police force they will be proud of,” Ani added.

Part 1 of the Third Schedule to the 1999 Constitution (as amended) states that PSC “Shall be responsible for the appointment and promotion of persons to offices (other than the office of the Inspector-General of Police) in the Nigeria Police Force; dismiss and exercise disciplinary control over persons (other than the IG) and formulate policies and guidelines for the appointment, promotion, discipline and dismissal of officers of the Nigeria Police Force.”

On the other hand, Section 18(1) of the Nigeria Police Act 2020, which was assented to by President Muhammadu Buhari, states that: “The responsibility for the recruitment of recruit constables into the Nigeria Police Force and recruit cadets into the Nigeria Police Academy shall be the duty of the InspectorGeneral of Police.”

This is not the first time the PSC and NPF would clash on the same issue. Since 2018 when President Buhari gave a nod for the recruitment of 60,000 police constables (10,000 each year), only 10,000 men have been recruited in the last four years due solely to the same disagreement.

Smith Ideally, no fewer than 40,000 officers are supposed to have been enlisted into the Force by now to address the lingering manpower challenge the police is facing, in line with the directive of the president.

When the approval was given in 2018, the arrangement was that 10,000 men each would be recruited in 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022, but the disagreement between the two organisations halted the exercise from 2019 until late last year when the issue was partially resolved.

Following the directive of the president, the police and the commission laid claims to their constitutional powers to conduct recruitment for the police.

The commission filed a suit before a Federal High Court in Abuja which was dismissed in December, 2019 for lack of merit.

In a response, the office of the Attorney General of the Federation pleaded with the court not to nullify the recruitment exercise because it has gone through significant stages with millions of naira already spent in the process.

In the application filed by the SolicitorGeneral of the Federation and Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Justice, Mr. Dayo Apata (SAN), the AGF argued that recruitment was not stated by the Nigerian Constitution as one of the functions of the PSC. He contended that by the provision of Section 153(1)(m), (2) and Section 215(1)(b) and Paragraph 3 Part 1 of the Third Schedule to the Nigerian Constitution 1999 as well as sections 6 and 24 of the Police Service Commission Act, “the Police Service Commission is sole statutory body exclusively empowered and responsible for the appointment, promotion, dismissal and exercise of disciplinary control over persons holding or aspiring to hold officers in the Nigeria Police Force except the Inspector General of Police.”

However, after losing at the Federal High Court, the commission approached the Court of Appeal in Abuja, which in 2020 agreed with its prayers and nullified the recruitment of 10,000 police constables. It held that the Police Act relied on by the IG “is null and void being in conflict with the constitutional pow-

Baba ers vested in the Police Service Commission.”

Justice Emmanuel Akomaye Agim, one of the three justices of the court, in his concurrent judgment, ruled that Paragraph 30 of part 1 of the Third Schedule to the 1999 constitution gives the power to the commission to appoint persons into offices in the Nigeria Police “and does not exclude constables and cadets to the Nigeria Police Academy.”

However, the then Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, approached the Supreme Court in October 2020 where he appealed the judgment.

He contended, through Counsel to the NPF, Dr. Alex Izinyon (SAN), that the Court of Appeal “erred in law when it held that the provision of Section 71 of the Nigeria Police Regulations 1968 made pursuant to Section 46 of the Police Act is inconsistent with the provision of paragraph 30 Part I of the Third Schedule to the 1999 Constitution.”

But the appeal was stalled following the police filing its brief out of time. The organisation subsequently regularised its filings in June 2022, with the appellant brief served on the respondents.

Following the disagreement, the PSC has suspended the ongoing recruitment exercise. In a statement last week, Ani said all contending issues around the exercise would be resolved between the two parties in the interest of the nation. The commission also said all interested applicants and other Nigerians desirous of a career in the Nigeria Police Force should exercise patience while these issues are being resolved.

THISDAY gathered that before the suspension of the current recruitment exercise, over 3,000 had applied through the portal.

Some of the applicants, in separate interviews, expressed their frustration and berated the authorities of the commission and the NPF, describing the disagreement between them as demoralising and unhealthy.

The Nigerian Constitution is supreme, and any law or action which is inconsistent or incompatible with any of the provisions contained in the constitution is null, void and of no effect.

Many have argued that since the PSC derives its powers from the constitution, it su-

persedes the Police Act which is the creation of the National Assembly, and as such, cannot take preeminence over the constitution.

It is against the background, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Dayo Akinlaja has argued that Paragraph 30 of the Third Schedule to the Nigerian Constitution, as amended arising from Section 153(2) vests the PSC with the powers to appoint persons to any office in the Nigeria Police Force other than the office of the IGP. “I cannot therefore fathom any basis for the tussle for control of recruitment. Beyond all contradiction, the constitution is the supreme law of the nation; it follows that whatever other law that may give any perceived vestige of power to the contrary can only null and void,” he said.

In his response, the Principal Partner of Oghenevweta, Mr. Godswill Ojakovo, said in all cases, the constitution prevails over statute.

He quoted Section 1 subsection 3 of The 1999 Constitution (as amended) which states clearly that “If any other law is inconsistent with the provision of the Constitution, the Constitution shall prevail, and that other law shall to the extent of the inconsistency be void.”

Quoting Justice Sylvester Onu, in the case of Governor of Oyo State v Oba Ololade Afolayan (1995)8NWLR (Part413) Page 292 SC to buttress his point, Ojakovo said the provisions of an ordinary statute are subject to and cannot render nugatory the provisions of the Constitution.

He also posited that where the provisions of an Act are inconsistent with the Constitution, the Constitution will prevail. He added that the Constitution is superior to the statute or Acts.

He further quoted the decision of Justice Galadima in Adeyanju v WAEC (2002)13NWLR (Pt 785) page 479 where he held that where the provisions of an Act are inconsistent with the Constitution, the provision of the Act and rules become void to the extent of its inconsistency.

This is why many are calling on the Supreme Court to urgently resolve the dispute between the two agencies once and for all for peace to reign.

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Atiku, Tinubu, Obi, Wike’s Jamboree in London, Paris, Dubai Having destroyed Nigeria’s security architecture and truncated the development of the country’s basic infrastructure through bad governance, the Nigerian political class, including the presidential candidates of the major political parties and some governors recently embarked on what a former Minister of External Affairs, Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi, and others described as a ‘jamboree of shame’ by holding political consultations in London, Paris and Dubai, ahead of 2023 general election, Ejiofor Alike reports

A

strange and disturbing development in Nigeria’s politics is the penchant for frequent foreign trips by presidential candidates of major political parties ahead of every election

season.

Before any general election, it has become a pastime for the political class to waste scarce resources and taxpayers’ money on foreign trips to hold meetings that are supposed to be held in Nigeria.

This development became noticeable in 2015 when in its desperation to wrestle power from the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the then opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) repackaged its presidential candidate as a born-again democrat, General Muhammadu Buhari, to deliver his famous speech at the Chatham House in the United Kingdom.

It is a common knowledge among Nigerians that the performance of the APC-led administration in the past seven years did not in any way reflect the beautiful speech President Buhari delivered at the Chatham House on good governance, security, economy, anti-corruption and democracy.

But this trend of holding political meetings, consulting with foreign powers, and others who do not vote during Nigeria’s elections has continued ahead of the 2023 general election.

The presidential candidates – Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives (APC) and Mr. Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP) – recently held separate meetings with Rivers State Governor, Mr. Nyesom Wike in London, Paris and Dubai.

Other political leaders at the meetings include Oyo State Governor, Mr. Seyi Makinde; Benue State Governor, Mr. Samuel Ortom and Abia State Governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, among others.

Many of the leaders who embarked on these frivolous trips have held positions that gave them the opportunity to make Nigeria an eldorado but they allegedly utilised the chances to feather their own nests and left the country worse for it.

One of the pioneers of these frequent trips is the presidential candidate of the PDP, Atiku, who once had the opportunity of attracting development to all parts of the country, or at least, his home state of Adamawa and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, when he was the vice president for eight years.

But he could not use the opportunity to make Abuja or Yola, the capital of his home state suitable for meeting with the members of his political camp and his aggrieved opponents. Atiku is known to have held series of meetings in Dubai and London with other Nigerian politicians, instead of holding these meetings in Nigeria. The former vice president has since made Dubai his second home because Lagos or Abuja or Yola could not provide him the needed comfort for a deserved rest.

On their part, the presidential candidate of APC, Tinubu and his counterpart in the LP, Obi, as well as their supporters have regaled Nigerians with the endless stories of how they delivered good governance as state chief executives.

For instance, Tinubu and his supporters boast on every occasion that the former

Atiku

Lagos State governor will build Nigeria as he built Lagos. Without anyone interrogating this claim, Tinubu has unwittingly admitted that the Lagos he built is not suitable for him to hold consultations with other Nigerian politicians.

Of course, if his guests at such meetings survive the traffic nightmare in the state, they may have to settle social miscreants or have their convoys blocked, if not attacked. The streets and highways in Lagos have been taken over by weaponwielding and in some cases, charm-bearing social miscreants who extort money from motorists on behalf of transport unions, local governments and community leaders.

It is not surprising that the former Lagos State governor jets out to serene environments in Paris and London to hold meetings with his allies at every slightest opportunity.

Obi also boasts of not only building Anambra but also saving money for his successors to complete any unfinished projects. However, Awka, Onitsha or Nnewi can’t still provide the needed comfort and security for Obi to hold his strategic meetings.

Maladministration by successive administrations has made Lagos, Abuja, Awka and Yola unsuitable for holding strategic meetings by the political class.

While residents of Lagos are groaning under lack of basic infrastructure and traffic gridlock, the activities of social miscreants have also compounded their nightmare. Apart from lacking basic amenities required of a modern state capital, Awka is

Tinubu

still being threatened by activities of army of unemployed youths masquerading as unknown gunmen and cultists. Similarly, Abuja and Yola are also being threatened by insurgency and banditry.

Many Nigerians believe that if these meetings are held in these major Nigerian cities, it will boast the confidence of investors in Nigeria and showcase the country as a preferred destination for investments.

But by holding these consultations in foreign lands, Atiku, Tinubu, Obi, Wike and their allies are demarketing the country they want to lead by giving the impression that no part is safe for them to hold important meetings.

While one or two of the presidential candidates are believed to have underlying health challenges and are using foreign consultations to seek medical care away from the prying eyes of Nigerians, others resorted to these wasteful adventures to prove that they have the support of foreign governments and Nigerians in the diaspora.

Worried by these wasteful trips, the Nigerian Academy of International Affairs, a body of former foreign affairs ministers and retired diplomats, had recently condemned Atiku, Tinubu, Obi and serving governors, among others, for holding political meetings in London, Paris and Dubai.

In a statement by its President and former Minister of External Affairs, Prof.

Bolaji Akinyemi, the academy described the recent political meetings held by some presidential candidates in London, Paris and Dubai as ill-advised and unwitting

Obi

jamboree of shame.

Akinyemi, who issued the statement on behalf of 17 other former foreign affairs ministers and retired diplomats, lamented that some horse-trading, which dominated their so-called talks on bringing “enduring hope to Nigeria,” centred on counting their chickens before the eggs are hatched.

He said the ill-advised and unwitting jamboree of shame displayed by the leading political leaders in London, Paris and Dubai “has demonstrated once more that the Nigerian environment created and polluted by them is not conducive to their vainglorious self-importance and unearned esteem.

“Consequently, and because of their Neo-colonial mentality which blinded them from seeing and appreciating the goodwill and resilience of Nigerians, they preferred savoury Western atmosphere”.

Rather than finding solutions to diverse challenges confronting the country, Akinyemi lamented that deliberations at the meetings focused on dividing and allocating the national cake to themselves even before the cake is baked, as regards allocation of principal offices of the National Assembly, ministerial posts, Secretary to the Government of the Federation and others.

He argued that the political leaders should have devoted sufficient time to finding solutions to the pervasive insecurity, economic recession and poverty in the land, which are some of the problems which they caused or contributed substantially to their creation.

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER SEPTEMBER 4 , 2022

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

Again, Senate on Trial over Buhari’s Nomination of INEC’s RECs After rejecting the nomination of a presidential aide, Ms. Lauretta Onochie, as national commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission for being a member of the All Progressives Congress, the Senate is being pressurised to also reject President Muhammadu %XKDUL·V UHTXHVW WR FRQÀUP KLV IRXU QRPLQHHV DV 5HVLGHQW (OHFWRUDO &RPPLVVLRQHUV RQ DFFRXQW of their membership of the ruling party and alleged corruption, Udora Orizu reports

B

arely one year after the rejection of the nomination of a presidential aide, Ms. Lauretta Onochie, as national commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on account of her membership of the All Progressives Congress (APC),President Muhammadu Buhari has again asked the Senate to confirm another four card-carrying members of the ruling party as Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs).

On July 26, 2022, the Senate announced Buhari’s appointment of 19 RECs following the expiration of the tenure of the outgone RECs in 19 states. The president said the request for confirmation of the nominees was in accordance with the provisions of Section 154 (1) of the 1999 Constitution Nigeria (as amended).

Of the 19 nominated RECs, 14 were new appointments, while five were reappointed. The new nominees included Pauline Onyeka Ugochi (Imo); Muhammad Lawal Bashir (Sokoto); Prof.

Ayobami Salami (Oyo); Zango Abdu (Katsina); Queen Elizabeth Agwu (Ebonyi); Agundu Tersoo (Benue), Yomere Oritsemlebi (Delta); Prof. Yahaya Ibrahim, (Kaduna); Dr. Nura Ali (Kano); Agu Uchenna Sylvia (Enugu) and Ahmed Garki (FCT); Hudu Yunusa (Bauchi); Prof. Uzochukwu Chijioke, (Anambra); and Mohammed Nura (Yobe).

The reappointed nominees included Ibrahim Abdullahi (Adamawa); Obo Effanga (Cross River); Umar Ibrahim (Taraba); Agboke Olaleke (Ogun); and Prof. Samuel Egwu (Kogi).

In a swift reaction, nine Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) last week kicked against four of the nominees and urged the Senate not to confirm them.

The current controversy over the submission of the names of the four nominees to the Senate came barely one year after the controversial nomination of Onochie who is a presidential aide, and card-carrying member of the APC. Although Onochie denied being a member of the APC, the evidence to the contrary was overwhelming and her appointment was rejected by the Senate.

Onochie’s nomination had generated controversy with critical stakeholders such as the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Middle Belt Forum (MBF), Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), many CSOs, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and a cross-section of Nigerians vehemently kicking against it on the grounds of her being a registered member of the ruling APC. They stated that her choice was not in order given her alleged ‘partisanship and identification’ with the APC, arguing that it violated Section 14(2a) of the Third Schedule of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which states that “a member of the commission shall be non-partisan and a person of unquestionable integrity.”

But when the Senate finally rejected her nomination, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on INEC, Senator Kabiru Gaya, told Nigerians that even though the petitions against her boiled down to her involvement in politics and alleged membership of a political party, her nomination violated the federal character principles as there was already a serving national electoral commissioner from Delta State, Mrs. May Agbamuche-Mbu. He said: “In the case of Ms. Onochie, we have studied her curriculum vitae and other relevant documents, followed by exhaustive interaction around the petitions against her nomination, which she responded to accordingly, including attesting that she is not a registered member of any political party.”

According to him, the committee, bound by the provisions of Section 14(3) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) on federal character principle, refused to recommend Onochie for confirmation.

“Therefore, based on the provisions of Section 14(3) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) on federal character principle as earlier stated, and in order for the committee and the Senate to achieve fairness to other states and political zones in the country, the committee is unable to recommend Ms. Onochie for confirmation as a national electoral commissioner for INEC,” he reportedly explained.

Reacting to the latest nomination of RECs by President Buhari, the nine civil societies which are working to strengthen

Lawan Nigeria’s electoral process, called on the president to withdraw four nominees on the grounds that they either belong to a political party or have been previously indicted for corruption.

According to the CSOs, the nominees “fell short of the threshold of non-partisanship and impeccable character.”

The CSOs included: Yiaga Africa, The Kukah Centre, International Press Centre (IPC), Centre for Media and Society,The Albino Foundation, Elect Her, NigerianWomen Trust Fund, Partners for Electoral Reform and Inclusive Friends Association.

In a press conference, the CSOs faulted some of the nominees for being partisan and of questionable past.

In his address, the Director of the IPC, Mr. Lanre Arogundade, said Bashir, the nominee from Sokoto State, was a governorship aspirant under the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2015 elections. He also alleged that Agu, the nominee for Enugu State, is believed to be the younger sister of the APC Deputy National Chairman, South-east. According to the statement, the nominee for Imo State, Onyeka, who is a former Head of ICT at INEC in Imo State, gained notoriety for alleged corruption and connivance with politicians to undermine elections.

He said Agwu, a former Accountant-General in Ebonyi State, was suspended allegedly on the grounds of incompetence and corruption in 2016.

The appointments, he noted, have grave implications for the credibility, independence and capacity of INEC to deliver credible, transparent, inclusive and conclusive elections.

Arogundade also said their appointments would significantly undermine the neutrality and impartiality of the commission and will increase mistrust in Nigeria’s electoral process.

“By the combined effect of Section 156(1(a) and Third Schedule, Part 1, Item F, paragraph 14(1), these individuals are constitutionally prohibited from any appointment as members of INEC. It will be against the sacred spirit of the Constitution to accept their nomination. Given their antecedent and close affinity with political parties, it is improbable that they will remain neutral and objective if successfully screened as INEC REC.” Also speaking, a Board Member of Yiaga Africa,

Ezenwa Nwagwu, disclosed that investigation and analysis by the civil societies showed that some of the nominees put forward by President Buhari failed the constitutional test of non-partisanship and unquestionable integrity. According to him, evidence abounds that some of the nominees are partisan, politically aligned, or previously indicted for corruption.

Citing Section 156(1)(a) of the 1999 Constitution which prohibited the appointment of any person who is a member of a political party as a member of INEC, Nwagwu said: “We contend that the appointment of these individuals as RECs will significantly undermine the neutrality and impartiality of INEC, and it will increase mistrust in INEC and Nigeria’s electoral process.”

Another member of the group, Jake Epkelle of the Albino Foundation, was worried that the appointments did not reflect the principles of non-discrimination and inclusivity – with regard to Persons with Disability (PWDs).

While he stressed the need to make the electoral process more inclusive, representative and qualitative, he said the appointment of PWDs would provide the pulse required to give effect to the provisions of the Discrimination Against Persons Living with Disabilities Act, 2018, and other legislations and guiding principles in that regard.

The CSOs, therefore, rejected the appointments and urged Buhari to withdraw their nomination in the public interest and in furtherance of his commitment to leave a legacy of a truly independent electoral institution.

They also called for a thorough examination and background checks of the credentials of the nominees.

The Senate was also specifically asked to reject the nominees that fall short of the threshold of non-partisanship and impeccable character.

“In making nominations into INEC, President Buhari should be guided by the judgment of the Federal High Court on affirmative action wherein the court directed that all appointments must comply with the 35% affirmative action for women. In the same vein, the President should ensure the representation of Persons with Disability (PWDs) and young people in the appointments,” the CSOs said.

However, with pliant Dr. Ahmad Lawan still in charge of the Senate, many have expressed doubt about the capacity of the lawmakers to muster the needed political will to reject the four REC nominees.

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NEWS

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

FG Agrees to Pay $496m Claims on Ajaokuta Steel Complex Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja The federal government yesterday disclosed that it had agreed to pay $496 million to settle a multibillion dollar claim from Global Steel Holdings Limited following the termination of a contract to upgrade the country’s steel plants.

The figure was revealed in a report by Mining.com, an online news medium with focus on the global mining and metals industry.

As shown in the Mining.com report, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Abubakar Malami confirmed the resolve of the federal government to pay the claims.

After a prolonged dispute, the federal government had signed a renegotiated concession agreement with Global Steel Holdings Limited for the Nigerian Iron Ore Mining Company (NIOMCO), Itakpe.

The agreement had taken place after years of mediation and there had been hopes that Nigeria would begin to produce steel. But that never materialised.

The negotiations for amicable resolution of the Ajaokuta crisis had dragged on since 2008, leaving the country’s steel and industrial sectors largely in comatose.

But the news medium quoted Malami, who it said led the negotiations, as having said that the government had managed to get a 91 per cent cut on the original claims of $5.258 billion.

“I pay tribute to President (Muhammadu) Buhari for his dedication to resolving this problem and wrestling back a crown jewel of our national industrialisation plans rather than leaving the endeavour to the future administration to deal with,” he was quoted as saying.

Global Steel Holdings Limited, an Indian company, won the concession of the Ajaokuta steel mill for 10 years, but the agreement was revoked when the federal government accused the firm of asset stripping, a development that led to a court case between the two parties.

To resolve the matter, NIOMCO

was reportedly ceded to the GSHL for the remaining period of the concession in line with an agreement reached during mediation talks.

Global Steel, which is linked to India’s Mittal family, had between 2004 and 2007 acquired rights to Nigeria’s entire state steel industry via five major concessions and share purchase contracts.

The deal also included access to Nigeria’s iron ore reserves and the central railway network. But in

2008, the government of the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua terminated the contracts.

Global Steel sought arbitration at the International Chamber of Commerce, Court of Arbitration in Paris the same year.

Between 2011 and 2020, Global Steel and the Nigerian government made several attempts to settle but failed, according to Mining.com.

Nigeria is said to have been losing billions of dollars in revenue and job creation opportunities for

the last 35 years on the project, although the federal government reportedly sunk over $10 billion to start milling.

The project, which as far back as 1994 was said to have reached 98 per cent completion, has the capacity to provide direct employment for 10,000 technical staff and indirect 500,000 unskilled upstream and downstream employment.

The steel plant was designed to produce 1.3 million tons of liquid

steel per annum in phase one, with a built-in capacity to expand its production to 2.6 million tons of flat iron and steel products in its second phase.

The plan for phase three was to produce 5.2 million tons of various types of steel products, including heavy plates and has the capacity to become a major catalyst for the production of industrial machinery, auto-electrical spare parts, shipbuilding, railways and carriages.

Fuel Tanker Fire Razes 10 Buildings in Ogun Segun James Ten buildings were consumed by fire when a tanker laden with 45, 000 litres of Premium Motor Spirit crashed, spilling its content at Ifo in Ogun.

A statement issued on Saturday in Lagos by Mr Ibrahim Farinloye, Zonal Coordinator, South West, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), said the incident occurred at

about 7.00 a.m. on Olambe Matogun Road, Ifo. “Though, no life was lost or anyone sustained injury, but about 10 buildings were consumed in the incident. “The situation was mitigated with most of the content spilling into the canal close to the scene. “This saved the community from serious incident that could have affected more people,” Farinloye said.

Ex-Militant Leaders Ask Buhari to Confirm PAP Boss Tenure Extension Olusegun Samuel in Yenagoa A group of former militant leaders under the aegis of the Movement for Sustainable Development of the Niger Delta (MSDND) yesterday asked President Muhammadu Buhari and the National Security Adviser, Major General Babagana Monguno to extend the tenure of the Interim Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Col. Dixon Dikio.

They also asked the presidency to confirm him as the substantive Coordinator of PAP to sustain and stabilise the relative peace enjoyed across the Niger Delta since his appointment.

In a statement by its National Coordinator, ChiefAyibatekena Olodin, the group commended the laudable achievements of the PAP under its interim administrator.

The group, which comprises ex-militant leaders, elders and other stakeholders, said Dikoi’s tenure extension and confirmation will provide the needed intellectual to coordinate and interface with ex-militants, beneficiaries of the PAP, youths and elders across the Niger Delta. The group stated that the Presidential Amnesty Programme under Dikio had done exceptionally well in the last two years.

It observed that Dikoi’s expertise “is urgently needed in the renewed fight against crude oil theft in order to calm down frayed nerves following the commendable award of the surveillance contract to a former militant leader, Chief Government Ekpemupolo (a.k.a Tompolo) which will benefit thousands of families across the region and our national economy.”

OAU Faculty Celebrates Academic Excellence Yinka Kolawole in Osogbo As the nation’s universities await the resolution of the ongoing strike of the Academic Staff Union of University, the Faculty of Dentistry of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) Ile Ife is in a celebratory mood following its rating in the latest ranking of the Global Academic Ranking of World Universities (GRAS).

A statement at the weekend quoted the Dean Dentistry Faculty of OAU, Prof Morenike Toyin Ukpong as saying that “The major driver of this noble

achievement is the high-quality collaborative research outputs from the Faculty.”

According to the 2022 GRAS ranking which was released recently, Nigeria featured as follows, Faculty of Dentistry, Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), and Veterinary Sciences of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta emerged in the 201-300 groups. while in Psychology, University of Nigeria, Nzukka emerged in the 401-500 groups.

However, an elated Ukpong said the news came as a surprise as well as a morale booster.

ATWAR AGAINST AUTISM …

L-R:Co-founder, Multikids Inclusive Academy, Ghana, Dr. Amanda Budge; Head, Occupational Therapy Department,National Orthopedic Hospital, Dr. Abimbola Akinyelure; Executive Director, Color of Autism Foundation, USA, Mrs.. Camille Proctor; Consultant Emergency Psychiatrist, Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Abeokuta, Dr. Oladipo Sowunmi and Chief Executive Officer, Behaviorprise Consulting Inc, Mr. Lanre Duyile, at the 12th annual Autism conference held in Lagos ... recently

FG Generates N600bn VAT in Three Months Festus Akanbi The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has said the aggregate Value Added Tax (VAT) was reported at N600.15 billion for Q2 2022.

This is according to the VAT Q2 2022 Report released in Abuja yesterday.

According to the report, this shows a growth rate of 1.96 per cent on a quarter-on-quarter basis from N588.59 billion in Q1 2022.

The report said the local payments recorded were N359.12 billion, while foreign VAT payments contributed N111.13 billion in Q2 2022.

It said on a quarter-on-quarter

basis, electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply recorded the highest growth rate with 116.47 per cent, followed by accommodation and food service activities with 42.44 per cent “On the other hand, activities of extraterritorial organisations and bodies had the lowest growth rate with 42.39 per cent.

“This was followed by activities of households as employers, undifferentiated goods- and services-producing activities of households for own use with 36.57 per cent.”

In terms of sectoral contributions, the report showed the top three largest shares in Q2 2022 were Manufacturing with 33.08 per cent,

information and communication with 18.98 per cent, and mining and quarrying with 10.60 per cent.

“On the other hand, activities of households as employers, undifferentiated goods- and servicesproducing activities of households for own use recorded the least share with 0.03 per cent. “This was followed by activities of extraterritorial organisations and bodies with 0.05 per cent; and water supply, sewerage, waste management and remediation activities with 0.13 per cent.”

The report, however, said, on a year-on-year basis, VAT collections in Q2 2022 increased by 17.16 per cent from Q2 2021.

The report brought to the fore the ongoing legal battle between the Rivers State Government and the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) over the right to collect VAT in the state.

The Rivers State Government had urged the Supreme Court to set aside the Court of Appeal’s September 10, 2021 ruling ordering it and the FIRS to maintain status quo on the issue of VAT collection, the subject matter of a pending appeal.

It had also urged the apex court to disband the panel of the court, which gave the interim order and order another one to be constituted to hear the case.

Tinubu: No Need to Hurl Insults at Rival Parties Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja The presidential candidate of All Progressives Congress, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu yesterday said his campaign would not engage in an exchange of insults with other political parties.

Tinubu, former governor of Lagos State, however mourned

the death of 51 people who lost their lives in the recent flooding that occurred in Jigawa State, describing it as devastating.

He made the remarks during a meeting with the northern state lawmakers of the APC in Abuja yesterday.

“We do not need it; we are smarter, we are brilliant, we

are courageous,” Tinubu said.

“We are not like them. Why do we have to worry about them?

But just wait for the calendar, the day of the voting.”

Also at the meeting, Tinubu’s running mate and former Borno State Governor, Senator Kashim Shettima urged the North to rally around Tinubu ahead of the election next year.

Shettima, currently representing Borno Central in the Senate, argued that Tinubu was instrumental to the emergence of President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015.

“This is payback time,” Shettima said. Meanwhile, the state lawmakers said they have begun organising a door-to-door campaign activity for Tinubu in the region.

FG Records N524.25bn Fiscal Deficit in One Month Dike Onwuamaeze The federal government recorded N524.25 billion fiscal deficits in May, from N643.09 billion in April.

The figure was revealed in the monthly economic report of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on fiscal sector development.

The report revealed that the disproportionate reduction in expenditure and revenue outcomes

resulted in a contraction in the overall fiscal deficit, during the period.

It said: “Following the 14.0 per cent decline in government spending and 7.2 per cent fall in FGN retained revenue, the provisional fiscal deficit, at N524.25 billion, was 18.5 per cent and 1.5 per cent below the

level in April and the budget benchmark, respectively.”

The government’s fiscal operations remained anchored on the extant fiscal framework to pursue macroeconomic stability, income generation, and the expansion of fiscal space to boost infrastructural development, among other objectives.

The revenue challenge

persisted in May 2022, as the federation and the federal government recorded shortfalls of 35.8 per cent and 7.2 per cent, relative to the respective monthly targets.

However, the overall fiscal deficit of the FGN contracted by 1.5 per cent, relative to the target, driven, largely, by a 14.0 per cent drop in aggregate expenditure.

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾SEPTEMBER 4, 2022

GLITZTRIBUTE

Iwuanyanwu, a Colossus at 80

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T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾SEPTEMBER 4, 2022

GLITZTRIBUTE Kashim Ibrahim-Imam

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t is extremely difficult to find words suitable enough to describe some men, just as it is equally arduous to pay them a deserved tribute on a single page of a newspaper. Their accomplishments and impacts on humanity are vast. They are like a sprawling road: the more you travel, the more they extend. They are like the elephant explored by blind men, with each forming an impression and describing the massive beast based on the part of it he experienced.

Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, Aha eji eje mba Ndigbo (a name that opens doors), is certainly one of them. Dr. Kingsley Ozumba Mbadiwe must have had him in mind when he coined terms like “Men of timber and calibre”, “The caterpillar”, and “The political juggernaut”, for he has etched his name in gold with profound impacts on the nation in very many respects. It will not be wrong to describe him as a jack-of-alltrades and master of all.

The story of Chief Iwuanyanwu is that of resilience and doggedness, and can-do spirit. Although he was not born into a rich family, Iwuanyanwu, by dint of intellect, hard work, entrepreneurship, patriotism, and public-spiritedness, has worked his way through the rungs to occupy a pride of place on the pages of Nigerian history.

By sheer brilliance and character, Aha eji eje mba earned federal and international scholarships that saw him through the University of Nigeria Nsukka where he studied Civil Engineering, emerging the best graduating student.

He went on to demonstrate his exceptional brilliance through his cutting edge researches in flexible placements and hydraulics, resulting in his invention of flexible pavement made of asphaltic concrete, introduction of a new bridge design that did away pile foundations, and the design of an Ocean Berge with composite section of empty drums.

Meanwhile, Chief Iwuanyanwu demonstrated his business acumen and ingenuity early in life when he rose from an employee of Hardel and Eric Construction Company, a civil engineering firm where he worked after graduation, to becoming an employer and entrepreneur by acquiring the firm from its foreign owners. Once his hands were on the plough, there was no looking back and no stopping him.

Beside construction and engineering business, he soon spread his business tentacles to aviation, shipping, real estate, medical equipment, furniture production, plastic production, banking, agriculture, publishing, insurance, among others, to join the ranks of wealthiest Nigerians at a time.

In the field of journalism, Chief Iwuanyanwu founded the Champion Newspaper, which was one of Nigeria’s leading and most influential national dailies at a time. So influential was it that a former Vice Chancellor of the University of Calabar once described it as “the major paper we have east of the Niger, a paper that is indigenous to our people, that is the voice of people, this part of the country”. Many leading lights and editors in the Nigerian media industry today cut their teeth in Champion Newspaper and owe gratitude to Chief Iwuanyanwu for giving them the pedestal to rise on.

There is something that stands Chief Iwuanyanwu out among his peers: he gave freely of not just his resources, but also of himself to his people, nation, and humanity. The more he prospered, the more he expanded his spheres of philanthropy - sports philanthropy, health philanthropy, educational philanthropy, etc.

Whether it is by way of scholarships to thousands of indigent students; making millionaires through his mentorship

and many enterprises; building and donating hospitals, schools, churches, roads, and a blood bank; his unspoken charity to orphanages; and by his many other giant strides in philanthropy through the Iwuanyanwu Ambulance Foundation where I am a trustee or the Iwuanyanwu Foundation, he has continued to save and lift lives.

The Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport Owerri, Imo State is yet another symbol of the Igbo tenacity and self-help development model, as it was built through community fundraising.

And Chief Iwuanyanwu’s contributions to the actualisation of that dream will never stop echoing among his people and in the aviation industry.

He accepted the responsibility of chairing the committee on the airport set up by General Ike Nwachukwu as military governor of Imo State.

When the project appeared to have stuck, Chief Iwuanyanwu, in his characteristic benevolence, rose to the occasion by raising and loaning the money to the state. But he later rejected a refund.

When the initial non-commissioning of the completed airport by the Federal Government was surmounted, but the Nigeria Airways would not fly to Owerri, Chief Iwuanyanwu deployed his private jet to service the new airport. He also acquired more aircrafts to service the airport. That was how the Oriental Airlines was born. Not long after, the Sam Mbakwe Airport picked up and has remained one of the busiest airports in Nigeria.

In fact, surveys in recent years place it among the three busiest airports in the country. That is the power of vision and determination by a people and their public-spirited daughters and sons like Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu.

After the civil war, football became more than a game for the Igbo, who put in their whole being into Rangers International Football Club of Enugu to re-launch themselves into national and international reckoning. Upon the creation of Imo State in 1976, the state government founded the Spartans Football Club of Owerri. But it was not as successful as envisaged. As a sports enthusiast, who sees football as another philanthropic channel to empower the youths, Chief Iwuanyanwu took over Spartans in 1985, rebranded and rebuilt it into a national and international contender known as Iwuanyanwu Nationale Football Club of Owerri.

In 1988, Nationale came close to lifting the African Cup of Champions Clubs (now CAF Champions League trophy), but for their loss to Algeria’s Entente de Setif, which many blamed on poor officiating.

The club churned out players that made the country and Africa proud. Former African

Whether it is by way of scholarships to thousands of indigent students; making millionaires through his mentorship and many enterprises; building and donating hospitals, schools, churches, roads, and a blood bank; his unspoken charity to orphanages; and by his many other giant strides in philanthropy through the Iwuanyanwu Ambulance Foundation where I am a trustee or the Iwuanyanwu Foundation, he has continued to save and lift lives.

Footballer of the Year, World Under 17 Championship winner, EUFA Champions League winner, and Olympic gold medalist, Kanu Nwankwo, grew from the ranks of Nationale, starting from the feeder academy - Iwuanyanwu Comets. Also, Nigeria’s heroic USA ’94 team comprised about seven Nationale players. The club reverted to Imo State government around 2006 and became Heartland Football Club. That is the profoundness of Chief Iwuanyanwu’s contributions to Nigerian football.

An Igbo champion, Chief Iwuanyanwu is unapologetic in fighting the cause of his people whether in peacetime or wartime.

During what he describes as the defunct Eastern Region’s war of survival, Iwuanyanwu not only led from the front at the war fronts as an infantry solider, he equally brought his intellectual depth to bear. He was drafted into the Biafra Research and Production Unit headed by Professor Gordian Ezekwe. With little access to armaments from the outside world, this group of researchers put on their thinking caps, producing armaments, including the dreaded Ogbunigwe. Such was their ingenuity and many still wonder why Nigeria is still overwhelmingly dependent on arms importation when the country should be a major exporter.

But Chief Iwuanyanwu is also an epitome of love for one’s country. Amidst some separatist agitations in recent years, the elder statesman, who is the Chairman of the Ohanaeze Elders Council, remains one of the tempering voices of wisdom from the East and an ardent champion of a united, but restructured Nigeria. He stated emphatically in a 2017 interview that the ‘‘Igbo have never mandated anybody to go and talk about secession”. Instead, he believes that returning Nigeria to her post-military rule structure, enshrining rotational presidency and state police etc. in the constitution would release the potentials of every part of Nigeria, cure the complaints of marginalisation, stave off the rising threats of insecurity, and bring out the best in the country.

It suffices to add that there is no local government area in Nigeria that Chief Iwuanyanwu does not have a close friend where he could pass the night or stay as long as he wants. He is a patron of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youths, Arewa Youths, and O’odua Youths.

His patriotism is also well reflected in his brand of politics. He is not only a civil engineer, he is equally a political engineer, who has been at the heart and founding of several political movements and parties in Nigeria. He was at the centre of the National Republican Convention, which started as the Liberal Convention and played a prominent role in the formation of the United Nigeria Congress Party (UNCP) and aspired to the presidency of Nigeria three times.

Yet, despite his accomplishments and the heights attained, Chief Iwuanyanwu remains very simple, unbelievably approachable and unassuming. He is a man I have known and related closely with for decades. And in all these years, he remains a forthright, trustworthy, firm, and principled man.

Therefore, as this exceptional elder statesman clocks 80, he deserves all the accolades and encomiums coming his way. I join his family, friends, associates, and the nation in celebrating and wishing him well. May God grant him many more years in good health and happiness so that the nation can continue to drink from his brimming well of knowledge, experience, benevolence and intellect.

Happy birthday, Aha eji eje mba, FNSE, MFR, OFR, CFR, the colossus of our time, and an unapologetic patriot. * Ibrahim-Imam is President, King’s College Old Boys Association and Director and member of the Editorial Board, THISDAY Newspaper.

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GLITZTRIBUTE

... A Life of Amazing Grace Emma Agu

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s you read this piece, Owerri, the Imo State capital, would be bristling with activities.

Not only Owerri. For indeed, the reason for this celebratory mood, is a man of many parts, a man for all seasons, a national icon who has left indelible footprints on the sands of time. Thus, as the Muslim faithful gather for the traditional Jumaat this Friday, just as their Christian counterparts had done last Sunday, prayers will be offered to God, in thanksgiving for the life of a man whose 80 years on earth rings like a fairy tale.

Chief Dr. Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, CFR, the subject of this tribute, will turn 80 on Sunday, September 4, 2022.

The Great Architect of the Universe, the Incomparable God, had fashioned him as a builder of men (and women), a humanist, an extra-ordinary mentor, a pace setter and a great leader. Before the Muslim faithful round off their prayers on Friday, September 2, some distinguished alumni of the once allconquering Iwuanyanwu Nationale Football Club, Owerri, will file out at the Dan Anyiam Stadium, Owerri, to honour this epitome of patriotism, who came to the rescue of the then Spartans Football Club before renaming it Iwuanyanwu Nationale.

Though the club now goes by the name Heartland Football Club, not many will forget that without the intervention of Chief Iwuanyanwu, in January 1986, Spartans was already destined for the scrap heaps of history, as no other individual or organisation, accepted to take over the club when the sponsor, the Imo State Government decided to stop funding it. That would have meant job losses, truncated careers, loss of income and disorganized families.

Iwuanyanwu’s patriotic intervention ensured that, for many years, Nationale FC served as the incubator for producing a line of highly successful footballers who became world beaters and some, highly successful investors. Nwankwo Kanu, Emmanuel Amuneke, Mobi Oparaku, Sunny Ikwuagu, Sam Oparanozie and many other members of the Iwuanyanwu Football family, are among the superstars billed to participate in this celebratory event to mark a milestone in the life of this great Nigerian.

The Nationale intervention is emblematic of Iwuanyanwu’s investment philosophy: a nobility of spirit that derives from the premise that, creating wealth at one’s cradle is, perhaps, the greatest contribution the person can make to national development and humanity. Thus, he made Owerri the hub of his sprawling business empire: Hardel & Enic Construction Company, Enic Advertising Ltd, Magil Industries Limited, National Post Newspapers, Sunrise Insurance Brokers and Oriental Airlines. Confirming Iwuanyanwu’s unparalleled contribution to Imo State, in 2021, Achike Udenwa, a former Governor of the state, told a delegation of the management of Champion Newspapers Limited that after the state government, Chief Iwuanyanwu was the biggest employer of labour in Imo State. We had visited the governor to acquaint him with plans to

commence the production of the Eastern edition of the Champion Newspaper titles in Owerri; an investment that marked the effective commencement of simultaneous printing (of newspapers) in Nigeria.

So, you need not go far, wondering why the Owerri branch of the Correspondents Chapel of the Nigerian Union of Journalists are organizing a lecture to mark Chief Iwuanyanwu’s 80th birthday. It is to appreciate a business mogul whose heart melts for society and who, through his investment in the media, provided several platforms for their colleagues to ply their trade as well as paving the way for very successful engagement in other areas.

Former Information Minister, Labaran Maku, former Deputy Governor of Nasarawa State, Silas Agara, foremost political analyst Emeka Omehie, Mass Comm Professors Olubunmi Ajibade (University of Lagos) and Odicha Ude (Ebonyi State University, the cerebral civil society advocate Nkechi Nwankwo, former Commissioner for Sports in Abia State, Emeka Inyama, the unbeatable multi-lingual sports journalist and Administrator, Paul Bassey and yours sincerely, were among the many journalists who rose to greater heights of achievement, on the back of Chief Iwuanyanwu’s media empire.

Chief Iwuanyanwu many never know that Silas Agara, the humane and hardworking statistics graduate, of the University of Jos, was among the corps members who composed a song to welcome him to the premises of National Post in Owerri, in 1997/98.

But he will remember that Mbadiwe Emelumba, the present Commissioner for Information and Strategy in Imo State was pioneer Editor of the National post and if my recollection is correct, Silas Agara served.

That is why the journalists are rolling out the drums in a very big way by attracting the highly cerebral Dr. John Nnia Nwodo, former PresidentGeneral of Ohanaeze Worldwide, to deliver the birthday lecture at which former President Goodluck Jonathan will preside as Chairman! The blockburster lecture has been tagged “Igbo Quest for Nigeria’s Unity”. How apt!

How timely!

For despite Iwuanyanwu’s emotional attachment to Owerri, despite his undying passion for Igboland, here is a man whose commitment to national unity has often provided ammunition for his political opponents, to fire missiles at him. Thus, when he ran for President, a venture he threw his heart and mind into, it was to mainstream the Igbo into a united Nigeria, anchored on justice, equity and fairness. Right from time, Iwuanyanwu had never seen any contradiction in being a committed Igbo man and a nationalistic Nigerian. The activities of his signature philanthropic organisations: Iwuanyanwu National Ambulance and Iwuanyanwu Foundation cut across the nook and cranny of Nigeria.

While the former served as first respondents to accident victims as far as Sokoto and Ilesha, the Foundation awarded scholarships to students all over the country.

One of such cases threw up a precarious scenario where the company’s recruitment policy, that placed a huge premium on diversity management entailed that a particular candidate who outshone all others, in a recruitment exercise for reporters, was to be dropped because employing him would disrupt the rigorous diversity balance that was being benchmarked.

However, as pioneer editor of the Daily Champion, I was flustered that a well-intended policy could have the unintended consequence of inflicting injustice to the candidate and denying the organisation the services of a potential superstar. The dilemma was resolved when it was revealed that the candidate in question, a young man from Delta State, was actually a beneficiary of Chief Iwuanyanwu’s scholarship throughout his days at the University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN). At the end of the day, the candidate was employed. The person in question went on to have a very distinguished career in both ThisDay and the SUN newspapers as well as serving as Chief Press Secretary to two ministers of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

It is a measure of God’s fidelity that today, at eighty, through years of health challenges, human betrayal, disappointments in politics and several vicissitudes of life, Chief Iwuanyanwu walks the tarmac of the airport in the caring arms of his lovely wife, Frances; that he could still counsel his adorable children led by Lady Nwadiuto Iheakanwa, play with his grandchildren, laugh with friends and even run around, not as a politician but as a statesman, engaging compatriots all over the country, in search of unity, based on justice. equity and fairness.

Such pragmatism has played key roles in Chief Iwuanyanwu’s leadership style. His compassion, sense of duty, profound knowledge of human behaviour, all resonate in various the organisations where he has served the nation with integrity and patriotism. The Raw Materials & Research Institute, the Lottery and Pools Betting Company, the National Sports Development Fund, the Council of the University of Calabar pay tribute to an enduring life of service to country and humanity.

Does the above mean that Chief Iwuanyanwu is a perfect human being? Far from it! He will be the first to admit that he is not perfect. He took everyone, including the clergy through an emotional turmoil, while making a speech when he was being honoured by the Anglican Communion, at the Cathedral of the Transfiguration of our Lord (CATOL), Owerri many years ago. With head bowed and inclined at an angle, his eyes misty and voice obviously penitential, Iwuanyanwu remarked that he did not know why God had been so merciful and the Church so gracious despite what, in his words, were his obvious limitations and shortcomings. For minutes, the church remained silent. Then the applause.

That is Iwuanyanwu for you. The loving and caring husband to his beloved late wife, Lady Eudora of blessed memory. Those of us who were close to the family were scared at the fate that could befall him after Lady Eudora’s death. That was the second time I saw him cry. The first was in his bedroom, at his residence in Victoria Island. An Oriental Airline aircraft had crashed in Libya, leading to two fatalities, the Captain and another person on board. I was the General Manager in charge of publications of Champion Newspapers at the time.

He had invited me over to discuss the matter. While talking, I noticed that he was sobbing and, muttering words like: “what will I tell the people who lost their dear ones”; “Why did I go into airlines business if it is going to lead to the death of people?”

It is a measure of God’s fidelity that today, at eighty, through years of health challenges, human betrayal, disappointments in politics and several vicissitudes of life, Chief Iwuanyanwu walks the tarmac of the airport in the caring arms of his lovely wife, Frances; that he could still counsel his adorable children led by Lady Nwadiuto Iheakanwa, play with his grandchildren, laugh with friends and even run around, not as a politician but as a statesman, engaging compatriots all over the country, in search of unity, based on justice. equity and fairness.

His has been an amazing life. I will not be surprised if the hymn, AMAZING GRACE, is sang, all of eighty even times on Sunday September 4, at the birthday service billed for the CATOL, in gratitude to God who has taken Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, CFR, Aha-ejiagamba of Igboland, to this octogenarian milestone.

This is wishing Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu happy birthday and God’s abiding love always.

Agu is pioneer editor of the Daily Champion in 1988, and later, managing director/editor-inchief for eight years between 2000 and 2008 when he voluntarily disengaged from the newspaper.

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B AC K PAG E C O N T I N UAT I O N EVEN WITH PENSIONS, IT’S ALL POLITICS words, they were not going to lose one kobo of their entitlements. The temporary gap, in the absence of budgetary allocation, was to be covered by the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD).

However, the politicking continued into the Buhari administration. There was a “breakthrough” in 2019 when the new attorneygeneral countered the previous legal opinion, declaring that the head of service and perm secs are not “employees” but “appointees” of the president and that they should not be subjected to the contributory scheme as stipulated in PenCom guidelines. The ministry of finance then directed that retired heads of service and perm secs should be placed on “salaries for life” via the integrated payroll and personnel information system (IPPIS) platform. By the way, IPPIS is for active workers, not retirees.

Pensions and salaries are not the same thing, legally speaking.

It did not take long for a letter to land on Buhari’s desk seeking approval to exclude the head of service and perm secs from the contributory pension scheme and place their entire retirement burden on the government.

Buhari approved. It appears the senior civil servants, having reached the peak of their careers, believe they should be treated like former heads of state who are on salaries for life. But if they are political appointees as they are trying to define it, all they will be

entitled to at retirement will be a severance package and not salaries for life. If they want to be treated as civil servants, they cannot exit contributory pension. But they want to have their cake and eat it too.

In my opinion, Buhari did not get good legal advice before issuing the directive — and I don’t have to be a lawyer to know this. One, section 318 of the constitution defines “public service” to cover presidential appointees. Two, sections 2, 3, 4 and 6 of the PRA place all federal public officers — “employees” and “appointees” alike — under the contributory scheme. The only ones expressly exempted are judicial officers, personnel of the armed forces, personnel of the intelligence and security services, and employees who had three or less years to retire as at June 25 2004 when the scheme was launched. The head of service and perm secs are not listed for exemption anywhere.

I think there are two obvious remedial options before Buhari. One is to withdraw the directive entirely and return the head of service and perm secs to the contributory pension scheme before other government “employees” and “appointees” begin to develop ideas about agitating for “life salaries” too. The second option is for the president to seek an amendment to PRA 2014, Rule 020810 and the 1999 Constitution to expressly exclude the head of service and perm secs from the contributory pension scheme if he so desires. Judicial office holders and elected

officers are legally excluded from contributory pension. But a presidential directive can never supersede a law.

It is not just the senior civil servants that are seeking to undermine the pension reform and weaken a watershed policy in our history.

The police force has been coming up with all kinds of schemes over the years to exit. They see pension as a billion-dollar industry with plenty idle funds. After a wave of high-level lobbying, the federal government allowed them to set up a pension fund administrator (PFA) in 2013. But they are still subject to regulation

by PenCom. To take the funds off the eyes of PenCom, the police are lobbying yet again that they be exempted from the contributory scheme, like the armed forces. However, as I have noted, the armed forces are expressly exempted by law.

There are reports that some retired deputy inspectors general (DIGs) and assistant inspectors general (AIGs) have been enrolled on IPPIS to enjoy “pensions for life”. This was never part of the pension guidelines or the law. It is alleged that some are collecting from both sides — the IPPIS and the police PFA. These are the things that depress you about Nigeria.

We do not want the system to work. When revolutionary policies are put in place, our first instinct is how to subvert them. That is when you see us at our best: plotting, scheming, lobbying, campaigning and politicking to punch

holes for selfish purposes. We hardly see things from the prism of progress and development.

I can go on and on highlighting the wiles and schemes we instinctively come up with to slow down Nigeria’s progress — just because of what we stand to benefit as individuals. When we try to replicate some things that work excellently elsewhere, we end up with the worse version because of personal interest. With monetisation, for instance, we should never talk about official cars again as such are already built into the payments. But some of the beneficiaries have found a way around it by buying what they call “project cars” from public purse and converting them for both official and personal use. That is double jeopardy for the lean treasury. Pray, who will love this country?

For Nigeria to get out of jail, we must get our politics and policies right. Politics must be played with a single purpose: for the greater good of the society, not personal comfort. Policies must be developed and applied with a single purpose: for the greater good of the society, not personal comfort. No matter what we say or do, no matter who we elect as president, governors and lawmakers, and no matter how many times we amend the constitution, we are headed for nowhere as long as personal interest trumps communal progress in our individual or collective thinking. That is why we play politics with everything — not just in political parties but with pension reform.

And Four Other Things…

PEACE IN THE MUD When Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the PDP presidential candidate, and Governor Nyesom Wike held peace talks in the UK a little over a week ago, the resignation of Dr Iyorchia Ayu as the party chairman was the major item on the agenda. Wike and his allies maintained that Ayu was too “divisive” and “arrogant” to continue as chairman, minus the little detail of the need for geo-political balancing. Atiku promised that they would get a “feedback” within two weeks. With Ayu declaring those asking him to resign as “children” and Wike reminding him that the “children” picked him from the “gutter” and made him chairman, can we safely conclude that this is the awaited “feedback”? Anti-climax.

ORTOM AND PMB That Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue state is not a fan of President Muhammadu Buhari is universally known. He recently alleged that Buhari had directed security agencies to go easy with the “criminal herders”. Presidency fired back, describing it as “cheap, dog whistle politics”. But please help me understand something. The same Ortom, in a keynote address at annual convention of the Idoma Association USA in August 2019, said: “As of today, we have convicted 81 herdsmen. Some have paid fines; others are still in prison as I talk to you.” In Ondo state, several “herders” have been sentenced to life imprisonment and death. Buhari has not raised an eyebrow.

Bewildering.

THE ASUU ISSUE It is now over 200 days that the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has been on strike. Federal government had insisted that university workers be enrolled on the integrated payroll and personnel information system (IPPIS) apparently to weed out ghost workers. ASUU is asking for better funding for the universities, in addition to full autonomy — that is, government should pump in more money but not ask questions about how it is spent. Sadly, it is our children that are suffering the devastating and irreversible consequences of this perennial face-off. One administration after the other, one ASUU president after the other, it is strike at the slightest provocation. Frustrating.

GOODBYE GORBACHEV I grew up disliking Mikhail Gorbachev, the former Soviet leader who died at 91 on Wednesday. I believed he and other world powers were aiding and abetting apartheid in South Africa. Ras Kimono, the late reggae singer, reinforced my hostile disposition with his song, ‘Kill Apartheid’, in which he listed Gorbachev and his contemporaries — Ronald Reagan (US), Margaret Thatcher (UK) and Pieter Botha (South Africa) — as the enablers of racial segregation. Gorbachev was the leader of the Eastern bloc in the Cold War against the West. Well, his policies of Perestroika and Glasnost led to the disintegration of Soviet Union and the fall of communism. They fell in love with him. Interests.

is managed as a profit-facing entity should be run, and move more aggressively on gas, including approving more NLNG trains. But we need to prioritise stamping out the lingering and worsening haemorrhage of oil theft. Without that, the promise of the remaining years of oil will only be a mirage. *Rev-up Non-Oil Revenue and Tax Compliance*: The non-oil component of aggregate revenue has increased dramatically in the last few years.

Ordinarily, this should be good news, as Nigeria appears less oil-dependent. But that is not the full picture. Nigeria is still plagued by the volatility of oil revenue, and the relative improvement in non-oil revenue is largely a reflection of the underperformance of the oil sector. With more focus and greater efficiency, the country can generate more than five times its present non-oil revenue.

As a starting point, we need to diversify and expand non-oil exports to maximise their potential for foreign exchange and for government revenue. Oil and gas still constitute more than 85% of Nigeria’s exports. We need to identify at least five potentially big export earners and deploy a suite of pragmatic policies to support their growth. For example, Nigeria is the world’s leading producer of cassava but does not feature at all in the global trade in cassava or cassava pellets or starch. We need to ensure that we have more things and in significant quantity to sell to the world than oil.

Improving the efficiency of tax collection will be the most critical component of addressing the revenue challenge. Currently, Nigeria’s has one of the lowest tax-to-GDP ratios in the world, lower than the average in Africa, lower than its poorer neighbours. Clearly, Africa’s biggest economy is not leveraging its GDP for tax purposes.

But significantly boosting tax revenue does not necessarily mean an increase in tax rate or an over-burdening of the very few who pay taxes, which has been the default position in recent efforts to increase tax revenue.

What the country needs to do is to expand its tax base by bringing more individuals and entities into the tax net, ensuring greater compliance, and collecting taxes more efficiently and more strategically. We may need to review some tax

expenditures that amount to incentives to businesses but lost revenue to government to see whether they are achieving the intended purposes and to assign sunset clauses. Waivers and exemptions, such as pioneer status, fall into this category.

The VAT is now our biggest source of taxes but even VAT can perform better with fewer exemptions, alignment with regional average, and greater compliance. We may need to also increase ‘sin taxes’ as well as taxes and duties on luxury items.

Personal income taxes constitute the bulk of government revenue in most countries. Not so here. There are a few reasons for this. One is because we have a large informal sector and there is an inherent difficulty in tracking the incomes of those not formally visible. Second is that the formal part of our economy is capital intensive, with most of the value going to owners of capital (according to the NBS, >60% of GDP by income goes to capital, which makes taxes by companies higher than taxes by individuals).

And three because the state tax authorities that collect the personal income tax mostly lack the capacity to do so efficiently.

Personal Income Tax (PIT) has consistently been under N1 trillion. We need to change the structure of our formal sector in favour of labourintensive industries especially agro-processing and manufacturing. We need to provide incentive for compliance for payment and filing of income tax returns, even for those in the informal sector. And we need a single and efficient revenue authority that can collect all revenue not just at the federal level but across tiers of government.

Even when tax evasion is a crime, most people loath paying taxes, especially when they see their government as wasteful and insensitive.

Government needs not only to be less wasteful and less insensitive it also needs to build trust, invest in sensitisation, simplify the tax code and increase the ease of compliance, tie tax payment to incentives, and frontload benefits of tax compliance so that citizens can see good reasons to entrust their hard-earned money to the state. In tax matters, compliance is more effective and cheaper than enforcement.

Concluded

ON NIGERIA’S DIRE REVENUE CHALLENGE (3) partnership arrangements that can additionally boost government revenue in the short term and on a consistent basis. Getting government agencies to continue to run some of these key facilities is suboptimal. Take the few new rail service. The facilities are grossly under-utilised, given the opportunities that exist for restaurants, bookshops and other goods and services. The fares charged could hardly cover basic maintenance for facilities built with foreign loans.

For this option to deliver the desired revenue and value to society, it will be important to come up with a list of viable assets, categorise them in terms of readiness and options, prepare proper business cases for these entities, and ensure that the sales and partnerships are transparently and accountably done. *Increasing Oil Revenue*: For the first time since it became an oil producing country, Nigeria is not benefiting from high oil prices. It is not securing a corresponding increase in net oil revenue or in its foreign exchange reserves. This is largely because of many factors: reduced oil production, increased oil theft, reduced federation share of oil, and steady hike in deductions by the national oil company for petrol subsidies and other reasons.

According to the latest Nigerian Development Update from the World Bank, Nigeria’s gross oil and gas revenue is projected at N7.76 trillion for 2022 but the deductions are projected at N5.02 trillion (with N4 trillion for petrol subsidy alone), and net revenue at N2.74 trillion. This means that only 35% of the oil and gas revenue will be available to the federation while subsidy alone will gulp about 52% of gross oil revenue.

Nigeria’s petroleum sector has witnessed sharp decline in a few years due to historical and recent choices. Oil production has shrunk from 2m barrels per day to between 1.2m bpd and 1.4m bpd, the percentage of government’s take from the shrunken output has diminished to about 30% of total production as the companies have moved offshore where they have better terms and are better protected from ballooning oil theft, and government’s take is barely enough to cover domestic supply of subsidised petrol.

This perfect storm negatively impacts not just the fiscal position of all tiers of government, but

Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed also the external reserve, the exchange rate and even inflation.

Despite its present challenges and how its mismanagement has imposed a drag on the country, the petroleum sector still remains a major pathway for boosting government revenue. Even in the context of the discourse on energy transition, the oil sector (especially gas) still holds substantial revenue potential for the country, much more than its present underperformance suggests.

And even if oil price tumbles to $50 per barrel, Nigeria can do multiples of its current earnings from the sector.

We need to regain lost capacity and return to 2 million barrels per day or even higher. We need to close lingering discussions on Final Investment Decisions (FIDs), address issues around some contentious oil assets, launch new bidding rounds, incentivise more explorations, cut losses, reduce costs (Nigeria has one of the highest production costs in the world), expand local refining capacity, ensure that NNPC Limited

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER SEPTEMBER 4 , 2022

79

SUNDAYSPORTS

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

Man City Miss Chance to Go Top of Premier League Aston Villa Manager, Steven Gerrard, hopes his side can use their 1-1 draw against champions Manchester City as a foundation to kickstart their season.

City missed a chance to go top of the Premier League as Leon Bailey’s equaliser earned Aston Villaanexcellentdraw atVillaPark,whilethepoint took Villa out of the bottom three.

“No-one gave us any hope or any chance before a ball was kicked,”said Gerrard.

“I’m really pleased and proud of what the players gave us and no-one can begrudge us a point, and it’s a big point.

“But the players need to take that confidence moving forwards.You hope it’s a foundation but it’s only a big point if you reset and back it up against Leicester and Southampton.

“The danger is if you think you’re moving in the right direction but don’t reset.There has been a lot of external noise and rightly so, but it’s now for me to lead even more and be stronger.

“Weneed tosticktogether and keep developing.”

The league’s top goalscorer Erling Haaland got his 10th goal in six games when he was in the right place at the back post to volley in Kevin de Bruyne’s superb cross.

Serena Williams...’evolving away’ from tennis likely after the ongoing US Open

Serena: From Mean Streets to Grand Slam Tennis Queen

S

erena Williams went from learning tennis on public courts in a notorious American gangland neighborhood to becoming a superstar for a generation and perhaps the greatest player in history.

Now, the 40-year-old legend is heading for retirement after almost certainly playing her last match, a three-set defeat to Ajla Tomljanovic at the US Open on Friday.

“I’m ready to be a mum and explore a different version of myself,” she said as she looked ahead to family time with daughter Olympia.

Serena became an African-American icon in a white-dominated sport, winning 23 Grand Slam titles and smashing aside milestones with a determination as powerful as the raw energy that defines her shotmaking magic.

Serena and her sister Venus, a seven-time Grand Slam winner, were executive producers on the movie“King Richard”that told the Hollywood fairytale of them being taught tennis by father Richard Williams while growing up on the tough streets of Compton, California.

TRIBUTE “I am still just that girl with the racquet and a dream and I’m just playing for that,”Williams said after a 2013 US Open title.

She wound up living the dream as she won seven Australian Open titles, three French Opens, seven Wimbledon crowns and six US Opens to stand agonizingly just one shy of matching the all-time record for Slam singles titles set by Margaret Court.

Serena won her first Grand Slam title at the 1999 US Open at age 17 and in 2017 captured her 23rd and most recent major title at the Australian Open while pregnant with Olympia.

She gave birth to her daughter in September 2017 and spent six weeks bedridden after a pulmonary embolism, but battled back to make her return to competition five months later in Fed Cup doubles alongside Venus.

Williams, whose husband is Reddit founder Alexis Ohanian, twice completed a “Serena Slam” by winning all four major titles in a

row. She did it in 2002-2003 starting with the 2002 French Open and again in 2014-15 starting with the 2014 US Open.

She had a chance to complete a calendar-year Grand Slam in 2015 but was upset by Italy’s Roberta Vinci in the US Open semi-finals.

“I never really want to focus on the numbers,” Williams said. “I started playing tennis not to be the greatest but just because I had a racquet and a dream. Now people are saying I could be (the greatest), but for me, I’m just not there yet.

“People like Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova and Steffi Graf, they are just, to me, the ultimate icons in the history of women’s tennis.”

Williams brought a style and power to her game, at times her fashion designs distracting from her dazzling on-court efforts.

She won the most recent of her 73 career WTA titles in January 2020 at the Auckland Open, her only crown as a mother.

Four times Williams had a chance to equal Court’s all-time record but lost in the 2018 and 2019 finals at both Wimbledon and the US Open.

Ghana Again Stop Nigeria from Qualifying for CHAN Duro Ikhazuagbe

G

hana last night stopped Nigeria from qualifying for the 7th African Nations Championship (CHAN) scheduled to hold in Algeria next year with a 5-4 defeat in penalty shootouts in Abuja.

Barely five months after Ghana’s Black Stars similarly stopped the Super Eagles from qualifying for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, lightning struck a second time on the MKO Abiola Stadium in Abuja as the Black Galaxies denied the homebased Eagles the chance to file out in CHAN 2023 next year.

The hosts had cancelled the 0-2 deficit they brought from Cape Coast last week in the reverse fixture in Abuja to drag the match into shootouts.

Two well-taken second half goals by Muhammad Zulkifilu and Chijioke Akuneto drew the fixture level and meant the lottery of penalties would

Ghana defeat Nigeria again, beat Super Eagles 5-4 on penalties decide the winner.

Substitute Maurice Chukwu crashed his kick, Nigera’s third penalty, against the crossbar in the

shootout while Ghana converted all their five penalties to grab the ticket to the final.

Nigeria created a hatful of chances in a ferocious first half, but Babatunde Bello’s long-range shots either failed to find target or were punched away by goalkeeper Ibrahim Danladi, and free headers presented to Valentine Odoh and Zulkifilu were wasted.

The introduction of Akuneto in the second half brought more urgency to Nigeria’s game, and the Eagles B shot ahead in the 77th minute after Zulkifilu connected home gloriously from a pull-out.

With the seconds running out, in the fourth minute of time-added-on, Akuneto powered home after a corner kick was flicked into his path

by Samuel Amadi for the goal that dragged the game into shootouts.

Coach of the Eagles, SalisuYusuf was too shocked to attend the post match conference, knowing, perhaps, sun had set on his national team job.

Super Falcons Battered in Kansas City World champions USA got the better of an under-strength Nigeria 4-0 in an international friendly at the Children’s Mercy Park, Kansas City, Missouri on Saturday.

Thenine-timeAfricanchampionshadintheirranks four members of the U20 girls who reached the quarter finals of the FIFA U20Women’sWorld Cup in Costa Rica last month, and missed the services of midfieldTrojans Ngozi Okobi-Okoeghene and Halimatu Ayinde. Defender and Captain Onome Ebi, who got injured during the Women AFCON finals in Morocco, is still on the sidelines.

Sophia Smith put the home team ahead in the 14th minute, and Lindsay Horan made it two after 25 minutes. With the first half winding down, Smith made it three from a simple tap-in just into time-added-on, with goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie at sea.

Seven minutes into the second period, Alex Morgan made it four for the Americans from the penalty spot.

Both teams will clash again in the second of a two-match tour at the Audi Field in Washington D. C on Tuesday.

RESULTS PREMIER LEAGUE Everton Brentford Chelsea Newcastle N’Forest Tottenham Wolves Aston Villa

0-0 5-2 2-1 0-0 2-3 2-1 1-0 1-1

Liverpool Leeds West Ham Cry’Palace Bournemouth Fulham Southampton Man City

LA LIGA Mallorca R’Madrid Sociedad Sevilla

1-1 2-1 1-1 0-3

Girona Betis Atletico Barcelona

SERIE A Fiorentina AC Milan Lazio

1-1 3-2 1- 2

Juventus Inter Napoli

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“I have been quiet thinking that we will reconcile. Now that you have brought in arrogance to say you were elected, where did you campaign?

Show me where your poster was, anywhere in this state.” – Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, lambasting the National Chairman of PDP, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, for describing him and others calling for his resignation as children.

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Even with Pensions, It’s All Politics

I

n my upcoming debut book, ‘Fellow Nigerians, It’s All Politics’, which will go on sale in October 2022 (you heard it here first), you will find a familiar thread in my contributions to the debate on the Nigerian project over the past two decades: that the progress of the country is hardly at the heart of leadership. Although the most common template for the diagnosis of Nigeria’s problems and challenges today popularly centres solely on the 1999 Constitution and the president, I have often tried to point attention to the roles of the three levels of government — federal, state and local — as well as the place of politicians, policy makers and civil servants in the underdevelopment of Nigeria.

For some reason, we often downplay the role of civil servants and public officers in our underdevelopment. Not that we do not discuss it at all, but we tend to gloss over it. The absolute truth, though, is that if public servants do their job diligently and patriotically, the system will run far better than it currently does and Nigeria will be a much better society. There will be proper policy thinking and policy making. There will be proper implementation of policies. There will be strong institutional resistance to the selfish manipulation of policies. However, it seems intrigues for self-seeking purposes drive too many government actions and decisions. And so, we are where we are.

Recently, President Muhammadu Buhari

Buhari was misled, I would say, into approving a recommendation that may end up harming the pension reform initiated by the Obasanjo administration in 2004. The reform has been a success story so far, at least at the federal level and in the private sector. We used to have only the “defined benefits” scheme — whereby employers

bore the entire pension burden, with accumulated arrears sending retirees to an early grave. The introduction of the “contributory pension scheme” has created another economy, enabling a new culture of saving towards retirement by employees and employers. It saves us the headaches of budgeting and “cash backing”.

However, as we love to do things in Nigeria, some senior civil servants have been working hard to undermine the Pension Reform Act (PRA) 2014. In February 2015, the head of the civil service of the federation and permanent secretaries sought to be excluded from pension regulation under section 6(2) of the act by the National Pension Commission (PenCom). Their argument was that they are “political appointees” and not “employees” of the federal government.

The implication: unlike other civil servants, they would be excluded from the contributory scheme.

Instead, they would be placed on “salaries for life”, with the government bearing the full burden as it was before the reform.

The attorney-general of the federation, in his legal advice to the head of service in March 2015, referred to a number of laws. One, section 173(1) of the constitution requires that the right to earn pension and gratuity in public service shall be regulated by law. Two, Certain Political Public Holders Act 2002 says benefits shall be paid to only those enumerated in the law based on the scheme of service. Three, Rule 020810 of the Public Service Rules 2008 stipulates the

compulsory retirement age of all pensionable officers in the public service. The AGF concluded that the “political appointees” referred to in section 6(2) of the pension law are those entitled to retirement benefits.

In simple logic, even though the head of service and permanent secretaries may want to consider themselves as “political appointees”, they are bound by law to retire at the age of 60 or after having been in service for 35 years, and are therefore within the ambit of those whose retirement benefits should be under the regulation of PenCom. While the regulator cannot prescribe the quantum of the benefits of the senior civil servants since the law is clear on that, it is allowed to establish a uniform set of rules, regulations and standards for the administration and payment of the retirement benefits. After the attorney-general’s opinion, PenCom rolled out the guidelines in 2015.

The head of service and perm secs were asked to open retirement savings accounts (RSAs) and make pension contributions like the rest of us.

Also, since their benefits are already defined by law — guaranteeing that government would pay them 100 per cent of their terminal benefits as pension upon retirement — PenCom said the federal government, as the employer, is statutorily obligated to pay the shortfall in case the RSA savings do not cover the 100 per cent. In other Continued on page 78

WAZIRIADIO On Nigeria’s Dire Revenue Challenge (3) POSTSCRIPT

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n case anyone needs a reminder, Nigeria’s revenue challenge was dragged into focus again on Monday. Mrs. Zainab Ahmed, the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, told the House of Representatives that the deficit in the projected N19.76 trillion budget for 2023 will range between N11.30 trillion and N12.41 trillion, the range a function of whether petrol subsidy will be for six or 12 months and whether capital expenditure will be funded from government revenue or only outside of it.

Beyond budget deficits and fiscal responsibility requirement, a more important way to look at the minister’s presentation is through the revenue lens. From the expenditure and revenue figures, it can be extrapolated that the projected aggregate revenue for the Federal Government (FG) in 2023 is between N7.35 trillion and N8.46 trillion. This indicates that the expected aggregate revenue is between only 37.20% and 42.81% of the projected expenditure for the year.

The Medium-Term Fiscal Framework (MTFF) puts projected debt service at least at N6.30 trillion and personnel for Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and Government Owned Entities (GOEs) at N5.33 trillion. This puts debt service at between 74.47% and 87.71% of expected

aggregate revenue and FG’s hard expenditure (debt service and personnel costs) at 137% of projected revenue. The picture acquires darker hues once you factor in the fact that projected revenue is hardly fully realised.

Nigeria’s current revenue challenge cannot be overstated, even after taking due cognisance of spending and governance issues. In earlier instalments of this series, I made two key points: one, we cannot borrow our way out of this fiscal hole; and two, FG needs to eliminate and block wastes and leakages within and outside of government to give itself more fiscal headspace.

Eliminating petrol subsidy, estimated to cost at least N500 billion per month in 2023, is one obvious candidate. That is a tidy sum that can be repurposed to more useful areas, especially if channelled into sectors that will benefit the poor and disempowered. But there are other areas of leakages as well, including money retained by government agencies as collection costs or as a portion of internally generated revenue, and usually frittered on bogus expenses.

As stated earlier, trimming fats and blocking drain-pipes can only be a good starting point, not the panacea to Nigeria’s mounting fiscal problems.

Ultimately, government’s revenue needs to go up and be more prudently and impactfully applied.

Today, I will conclude this series by focusing on three areas for boosting revenue in the immediate to long term. *Sale and Concession of State Assets*: It must be said upfront that asset sale should be seen as a stop-gap measure, and not as a sole or a sustainable revenue strategy. As an asset sold cannot be sold again, and since there is a finite stock of such assets, it is reasonable to expect that there would be a time with no viable assets to sell again. There is also the challenge about inter-generational equity: how investment by one generation is pawned off by another to meet its immediate needs without a care for the coming generation. This means that asset sale has to be handled with utmost care, including ensuring that adequate value accrues and possibly earmarking resultant revenue for human and physical capital that will benefit the coming generation.

That said, there are many underperforming or dormant yet viable assets that government and the larger society can get good value for by selling whole or parts of them or by handing them over to private management in return for sizeable upfront cash and reasonable cash-flow.

For example, the government can reduce its stake in Nigeria Liquified Natural Gas (NLNG) from 49% to between 30% and 40%. Similarly,

government can reduce its joint venture stakes in onshore oil assets from 55% or 60% to about 45% when the Incorporated Joint Ventures (IJVs) are set up, and it can mandate NNPC Limited to speed it up its public offer process to reduce government’s stake in the company from 100% to between 60% and 80%. Sizeable dollar revenue in billions can accrue from this set of assets if well managed.

Many public assets that are rotting away or lying fallow like stadia can be concessioned to achieve multiple goals: raise upfront and steady revenue, reduce stress on the public purse, ensure proper maintenance and value addition, and put the assets to better use. Stadia across the world host major events outside their original use, including concerts. Think about that, and then think about the fate of a prime asset like the national stadium in Lagos. Also, think about postal service remaining under government control while sitting on prime property across the country.

Then think further about major airports, railways, roads and ports etc., that can be better run, and better maintained and even upgraded through a range of public private Continued on page 78

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