SUNDAY 19TH NOVEMBER 2023

To Ramp up Oil Production, FG Moves to Resolve Dispute over Sale of $1.3bn ExxonMobil’s Assets Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja

ExxonMobil’s oil asset sale which has now been held up for close to two years.

It wasn’t clear what the details of the meeting which took place in Abuja were, but the Minister

The federal government has met with a team from Seplat Energy, to resolve the stalemate arising from the proposed $1.3 billion

of State, Petroleum (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, hinted that it bordered on ways to resolve the prolonged altercation.

On his verified X/Twitter handle, Lokpobiri stressed that

the matter needed to be quickly settled because Nigeria wants to ‘‘aggressively’’ ramp up its crude oil production, which has tanked for more than three years.

However, under the deal

it will be one of the biggest divestments in Nigerian history, since energy majors like Shell Plc started offloading unwanted assets

unveiled in February 2022, Seplat had agreed to pay the sum for an Exxon unit that holds a 40 per cent operating stake in four shallow-water licenses.

If the transaction succeeds,

Continued on page 5

See eCopy of THISDAY Style on www.thisdaylive.com Sunday 19 November, 2023 Vol 28. No 10448

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Jonathan: I’d Have Relocated My Mum If Diri Had Lost Election… Page 5

Obi: African Leaders Have Turned Their Countries into Gigantic Criminal Enterprise Says professor’s salary for 30 years can’t buy Nigerian legislator’s car

Chuks Okocha in Abuja

The presidential candidate of

the Labour Party (LP) in the last general election, Mr. Peter Obi, has said that African leaders

have turned the continent into a gigantic criminal enterprise, insisting that poor leadership, and

not colonialism is responsible for Africa's problems.

Obi, in a statement issued

yesterday by his media aide, Michael Jude Nwolisa argued that the accumulated salaries of

a professor for 30 years cannot Continued on page 5

Universities Won’t Embark on Strike Again, Tinubu Declares Says dialogue, negotiation should be prioritised by labour unions Pledges to establish synergy with academic unions Fidelis David in Akure Barely 24 hours after President Bola Tinubu cancelled the controversial deduction of 40 per cent of Internally Generated Revenues (IGRs) from federal universities across the country to avert crisis, the president has said his administration will take all necessary actions to ensure that universities do not embark on strike actions again.

He said constructive dialogue and negotiation should be prioritised over actions that negatively impact the welfare and future of Nigerian students.

Tinubu said the federal government was willing to establish

synergy with all the academic unions within universities in the country as well as exhaust all avenues for dialogue before any strike actions.

Speaking at the 33rd convocation ceremony of the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), Tinubu expressed the hope that the cooperation of the unions with the federal government would ensure the needed educational development in the country.

Tinubu, who was represented by a former President of West Africa College of Surgeon (WACS), and a visiting Professor of the National Continued on page 5

Gov Yusuf Accepts Ganduje’s Challenge, SWEET VICTORY...

Heads to Supreme Court... Page 10 The President-elect of Liberia, Mr. Joseph Boakai, who was declared winner of the presidential election in Monrovia…Friday

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Jonathan: I’d Have Relocated My Mum If Diri Had Lost Election Ex-president comments unfortunate, Sylva replies Olusegun Samuel in Yenagoa Former President Goodluck Jonathan has said he would have relocated his mother, Mrs. Eunice Ayi Ebele Jonathan, to Abuja if Governor Douye Diri had lost the governorship election held

penultimate Saturday in Bayelsa State.

Jonathan spoke on Friday night when he visited Diri in Yenagoa, the state capital.

The visit came almost one week after Diri defeated the candidate of the All Progressives Congress

(APC), Timpre Sylva, to secure a second term as governor of Bayelsa State.

But Sylva has said the comments by former president were unfortunate.

The former president hailed Governor Diri’s efforts at tackling

PDP Govs Clash With Wike over Planned Return of Anyanwu as National Secretary Chuks Okocha in Abuja Leadership tussle is brewing between the governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, over the planned return of Senator Samuel Anyanwu as national secretary of the party.

Anyanwu was defeated at the just concluded Imo State governorship election held on November 11.

Before his defeat, pressures had been on him to hand over the office of the national secretary and concentrate on his governorship campaigns.

A former national youth leader of the PDP, Sunday Udeh Okoye was nominated by the South-east to succeed Anyanwu, but the power tussle did not allow him to assume office.

However, a court order by the Federal High Court sitting in Enugu State had in October ordered the PDP to replace Senator Anyanwu as the party’s National Secretary but the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) did not enforce the order.

Penultimate Tuesday, as the NWC was planning to swear in Okoye, Anyanwu, was said to have rushed to Abuja, and the planned ceremony was stalled.

Anyanwu presented the PDP NWC with a court order directing him to resume his office as national secretary.

However, the intervention of

the governors stalled his return, A source close to the PDP governors told THISDAY that Anyanwu was stopped to avoid Wike assuming absolute control of the party's leadership.

Reacting, the acting National Chairman of PDP, Ambassador Illya Damagum said that Anyanwu would not assume office till the conflicting court orders are resolved.

He said: "Since there are conflicting court orders, we urged the two sides to stand down and we have agreed and appointed the Deputy National Secretary to continue to act as Secretary pending the time, we will resolve all the issues; the conflicting court orders and resolutions of the South-east.

So, there is no conflict and we are together and thinking together on this issue."

The tussle over the position of the national secretary started when the chairman of the PDP Board of Trustees (BoT), Adolphus Wabara wrote to Anyanwu to hand over the office of National Secretary and concentrate on his campaign as a governorship candidate of the party in Imo State.

But Wike disagreed and openly tongue-lashed Wabara.

According to Wike, the BoT of the PDP did not have the authority to declare who could occupy the office of national secretary of the party.

Wike also expressed dismay that the former senate president referred to Hon. Emeka Ihedioha as “former governor of Imo State” in his letter to the acting chair of

TO RAMP UP OIL PRODUCTION, FG MOVES TO RESOLVE DISPUTE OVER SALE OF $1.3BN EXXONMOBIL’S ASSETS in the late 2000s.

Former President Muhammadu Buhari, who doubled as Nigeria’s oil minister, endorsed the sale in August last year, before swiftly rowing back after the country’s energy regulator, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) rejected his approval.

State-owned Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) which holds 60 per cent of the permits — had opposed the sale and sued Exxon in the capital, Abuja, claiming it had the right to acquire the blocks itself from the US major.

The national oil company insisted that it had the first refusal rights and has since then blocked the deal between Seplat and ExxonMobil. But Seplat had disagreed with the NNPC. “What we are buying are shares sold by US companies, so that is a completely different animal because we’re buying a company,” Seplat’s Chief Executive, Roger Brown said recently.

The “hidden value” for Seplat in the Exxon deal is the natural gas in the blocks, according to Brown, whose firm is already one of the largest domestic suppliers of the fuel to Nigerian power plants.

Also in June, THISDAY reported that officials of ExxonMobil visited

President Bola Tinubu in Abuja, where the president pledged to ensure competition in the oil and gas industry in the country.

Exxon Nigeria controls four oil mining leases (OMLs 67, 68, 70, 104) and its portfolio includes one of Nigeria’s largest export facilities, the Qua Iboe Terminal.

It also has a 51 per cent interest in Bonny River Terminal and Natural Gas Liquids Recovery Plants at East Area Projects (EAP) and Oso. Lokpobiri noted that the meeting with the Seplat team was fruitful, describing it as a significant step to ending the stalemate.

“In pursuit of resolving the ExxonMobil and NNPC divestment dispute, as per our mandate to aggressively increase production, I engaged in constructive discussions with Seplat Energy, led by its Managing Director, Mr. Roger Brown.

“Our deliberations were incredibly fruitful, marking a significant step forward in ending the impasse and paving the way for the nation to reap prosperity from the assets acquisition,” Lokpobiri added.

In a bid to remove all the bottlenecks to Nigeria’s oil output, the federal government had during the week withdrawn court cases against Eni and Shell.

the PDP. In his letter to the acting national chairman, Wike said: “Your Excellency, permit me to observe with respect that the Board of Trustees (BoT) lack the moral authority to intervene on the issue of who occupies or should occupy the Office of the National Secretary of the Party,” the minister wrote in his response to Wabara, which was obtained by THISDAY.

insecurity, saying his re-election means the state would be a lot safer.

While congratulating the governor for winning the election, Jonathan, who himself is a former governor of the state, said if he had lost, the gains made in curbing insecurity would have been lost.

“We don’t want to go into an unnecessary crisis in the state.

Results have been declared and we believe the election was conducted.

“We believe the governor won the election and we plead that people should accept it and work with the governor. Let all of us support him so that the state will move ahead.

“There should be nothing that will push the state backward.

We should think about the development of the state starting from the issue of peace and security in the state, within this last period - three years plus, there have been

significant improvements in terms of cultism kidnapping, and so on.

“I was saying before this election that if Diri loses this election, I would have relocated my mother to Abuja.”

While recounting how his cousin was kidnapped and killed, Jonathan expressed optimism that with Diri returning as the governor of the state, the situation would soon be a thing of the past.

“My cousin was kidnapped two times - on one of those occasions, one of my cousins, Solo, was killed because they threw him into the river and he didn’t know how to swim.

“So, we’ve passed through hell in this state and we’ve seen a little light at the end of the tunnel.

“So, people should calm down, and allow Diri to focus on governance so that he will be able to propel this state forward so that we will benefit as citizens

of the state,” he added.

Diri had earlier in the day received his certificate of return from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for a second term in office.

He would be sworn in for another four-year tenure next year.

However, Sylva reacting to Jonathan’s comments said the comments by Jonathan on the outcome of the poll was unfortunate.

Sylva, in an Instagram post, said he “sincerely” hoped that the former president was misquoted.

“Former President Goodluck Jonathan’s statement is unfortunate,” he wrote.

“I sincerely hope he was misquoted. Let me just quote our respected Wole Soyinka: “you can take the hippopotamus out of the swamp but you cannot take the swamp out of the hippopotamus.”

UNIVERSITIES WON’T EMBARK ON STRIKE AGAIN, TINUBU DECLARES Universities Commission (NUC), Prof. King-David Terna Yawe, said the synergy would help to create an atmosphere of peace and tranquillity in all campuses.

The president said his administration was committed to tackling all challenges confronting the education sector in the country and to reposition the sector.

“I would like to enjoin all the unions in our universities to cooperate with the government to deliver the needed development by ensuring an atmosphere of peace and tranquillity on our campuses.

“On our part, we will ensure that motivational activities are put in place to ensure improved productivity. Reciprocative actions would be expected from our universities as the government works hard to raise the bar of a conducive teaching and learning environment.

“To whom much is given, much is expected. Dialogue, patience, and positive engagements are better means of achieving results than strike actions. Industrial disharmony does nothing but disrupt life, waste time, and elongate the academic calendar.

“Therefore, all avenues for dialogue must be explored and exhausted before strike actions are considered, and as the last resort”

He said his government was not unaware of the challenges facing higher educational institutions in the country, particularly the universities, assuring all Nigerians that his government was making frantic efforts to address the situation holistically.

"We will ensure that educational institutions get their dues to perform their statutory duties optimally. To put this in motion, one of my first actions as the President of Nigeria after my inauguration was the signing of the Students Loan Bill into law.

On the students’ loan, he said: “This Act will enable indigent students in all our tertiary institutions to have access to interest-free loans which they would pay back at their convenience in the future when they are gainfully employed.

“Under my watch and as I have said in my manifesto, no student will drop out of school as a result of inability to pay school charges.

"There are many good plans this government has in the pipeline for the university community in particular and the higher education sector in general. Your welfare, including human and infrastructural development will be the priority of the federal government and I have no doubt that we can achieve stability in the university academic calendar if we come together as

critical stakeholders. However, this cannot be achieved unless a peaceful teaching and learning environment is guaranteed, and purposeful and participatory governance is fostered.

My government would not shirk its responsibilities in this regard,” he added.

Tinubu called the organised private sector operators and international partners to collaborate with Nigerian universities and research institutes in the areas of research funding and the utilisation of research outputs for national integration and development.

He said since everyone was aware that university education is capital-intensive, stakeholders have a role to play because the government alone cannot fund the universities.

The president said: "This will also rub off on our graduates in the areas of value addition, experience, hands-on training, exposure, and less expenditure on employees' engagement and training. If this kind of learning environment is achieved, we will have students who will be well-focused, and eschew all forms of violence and other anti-social behaviours. Hence, I believe that today's graduands have been certified not only for their academic standing, but also for being worthy," Tinubu explained.

The federal government, in a letter dated October 17, 2023, titled ‘Implementation of 40% automatic deduction from internally generated revenue of partially funded federal government institutions,’ said it would begin the deduction with effect from November 2023.

The letter signed by the Accountant-General of the Federation, Mrs. Oluwatoyin Madein; and the Director of Revenue and Investment, Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, Felix Ore-ofe Ogundairo, said the autodeduction policy of gross IGR was in line with the Finance Circular with reference number: FMFBNP/ OTHERS/IGR/CRF/12/2021 dated December 20, 2021.

But reacting, the Committee of Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Universities had written a protest letter, demanding that the government rescind the plan.

The Secretary-General of the Committee of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities, Prof.

Yakubu Ochefu, had argued that the government could not be demanding 40 per cent of varsities IGR when it had refused to grant them autonomy.

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) had also kicked against the planned deduction.

OBI: AFRICAN LEADERS HAVE TURNED THEIR COUNTRIES INTO GIGANTIC CRIMINAL ENTERPRISE buy a Nigerian legislator’s official vehicle.

He explained that the problem of Africa, and indeed Nigeria, rests squarely on leadership, adding that unless it is tackled the continent will continue to stagnate.

The LP presidential candidate said the challenges being faced in most parts of Africa stem from the failure of leadership, stressing that this has continued to burden the continent and slow down its developmental journey.

Obi, who spoke at the 12th Zik Annual Lecture Series in Awka, Anambra State capital, at the weekend, explained that Nigeria, and indeed Africa, cannot be continuously complaining of colonialism, and alleged exploitation from the Western powers for many years without addressing their own challenges.

The ex-governor of Anambra State faulted the claim by the former President of Malawi, Her Excellency, Dr. Joyce Hilda Banda, that Africa's under-development was caused by the Western colonisation of Africa.

The LP presidential candidate said Africa should look inward and tackle the leadership challenges contending with its development.

According to him, "Yes, we were colonised many decades back, but today it is African leaders who have turned Africa into a gigantic criminal enterprise."

He restated his resolve to continue to lead a crusade for the demand of accountable governance and ethical leadership, which he said, will lead to the emergence of a new Nigeria.

Obi lamented the high level of corruption and mindless looting of public funds by the leaders, who do not care for the welfare of the people, are part of the criminal setup that needs to be dismantled.

According to him, the people are suffering from poverty, unemployment, and lack of access to healthcare and education.

Explaining how leadership failure has continued to stifle development in Nigeria, Obi said: "If you are employed in a university, and you work hard for several years, you will hopefully

become a professor. A professor in a standard Nigerian university earns N400,000 per month. If you earn that amount for 30 years without spending a dime from it, your accumulated salary will amount to N144 million, which is not up to the amount we use to buy a car for a legislator in Nigeria. That is the problem we are facing in Nigeria.

"Over 36 federal universities where we have over 10,000 professors, over 40,000 workers, and over a million students receive overhead funds of less than N4.5 billion annually. This total overhead amount is not even up to what the federal government has allocated for the acquisition of a presidential yacht," Obi explained.

He restated his determination to continue to work towards the emergence of a New Nigeria where integrity and accountability will be enthroned and public resources will be invested for the good of the people.

Earlier in her speech, the former President of Malawi, Her Excellency Dr. Joyce

Hilda Banda, blamed Africa's under-development on Western colonisation of Africa, which she argued, has continued through economic exploitation of Africa, as witnessed in many African countries.

Banda, however, urged African leaders to always be frugal and prudent in the handling of public resources, knowing that such resources must be used for the benefit of the people.

She urged Nigerians to always celebrate and follow the legacy of the late Nnamdi Azikiwe, who she said, is a yet unsung hero, that played a critical role in the liberation of Nigeria and Africa.

Other dignitaries at the event were the Governor of Anambra State, Prof Chukwuma Charles Soludo; the Governor of Oyo State and Chairman of the event, Mr. Seyi Makinde; the benefactor of the event, Senator Ben Obi; the Vice Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Prof Charles Esimone; many royal fathers, captains of industry and members of the academia.

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SEARCHING FOR INVESTMENTS… L-R: Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume; Minister of Defence, Alhaji Mohammed Badaru Abubakar; APC National Chairman, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje; and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, during the president’s departure for the G20 Compact with Africa Conference in Berlin, Germany at Presidential Wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja...yesterday GODWIN OMOIGUI

Gov Yusuf Accepts Ganduje’s Challenge, Heads to Supreme Court Former gov explains how APC nailed NNPP in Kano Chuks Okocha in Abuja Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, yesterday accepted the challenge of the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, to contest his sack by the Court of Appeal at the Supreme Court.

This is coming as Ganduje has opened up on what his party used to nail Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP).

The Court of Appeal in Abuja had on Friday upheld the nullification of the election of Governor Yusuf by the state election petition tribunal.

The appellate court, in a unanimous decision by a threemember panel of justices led by Justice Moore A. Adumein, held that Governor Yusuf was not a valid candidate in the gubernatorial election held in the state on March 18.

Shortly after the verdict, a boastful Ganduje had dared Yusuf to go to the Supreme Court, expressing optimism that the APC would trounce the NNPP again at the Supreme Court.

Ganduje, who applauded the appellate court for dispensing justice, said he was sure that the NNPP would still want to try their luck in the apex court, but assured them of another round of defeat.

“Probably they will go to the Supreme Court which is part of democracy. There is nothing wrong for them to go to the Supreme Court.

We too, are ready to meet them in the Supreme Court. And Inshallah, we will win in the Supreme Court as well.”

Yesterday, Yusuf and his party, the NNPP rejected the Appeal Court judgment and declared their resolve to take the case to the Supreme Court to retain his seat.

Yusuf announced this in a post on his X page.

He wrote: “After careful study and rigorous stakeholders’ engagement, my team and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), have decided to approach the Supreme Court on the miscarriage of justice, delivered by the Appeal Court, yesterday in Abuja.

“We are optimistic that the Supreme Court will by the grace of Allahu SWT, set aside

these miscarriages of justice by the Tribunal and the Appeal Court, and reaffirm our mandate, as given by the good people of Kano State.

“Furthermore, I call on the good people of the Kano State to continue to go about their legitimate businesses, as we have taken all the necessary measures to ensure the security of their lives and property as a cardinal responsibility.

Meanwhile, the founder of NNPP, Dr. Boniface Aniebonam, has described the sack of Yusuf as a rude shock.

“I do know that it is only the NNPP and its members that can determine who is a member of the party or not.”

“Our hope is alive ahead of the Supreme Court judgment in due time.

In a related development, Ganduje has also opened up on what his party used to nail Governor Yusuf and the presidential candidate of the NNPP, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.

Reacting to the Appeal Court’s judgment, Ganduje said Kwankwaso was so desperate to

become president that he did not notice INEC had closed accepting nomination forms when he joined the NNPP. The APC national chairman said they were aware of the development and had waited for the right time to strike.

Ganduje said, “They were in PDP and when the crisis heated up and they were punched repeatedly they left the party and started groping for a platform.

Unfortunately, they ran into a political party symbolising fruit.

They were given tickets because their leader was daydreaming; their leader was ambitious to be the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, but he was frightened.

“And because they desperately wanted a governor in Kano State, the party gave them a ticket to contest. But they made a serious blunder because when they joined the party, INEC had closed the submission of nomination forms. But they were blind and uneducated. They went into the ring without making careful observation of this.

“They did not know that we laid

Abbas: House will Strengthen Security Agencies to Tackle Complex Challenges Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, has promised that the 10th House would strengthen the security agencies as part of the efforts to tackle complex security challenges bedeviling the country.

He also stressed the need for a comprehensive approach to national security and to strengthen the capacity of the Armed Forces and other security agencies.

Abbas gave the assurance yesterday at the opening of a twoday post-inauguration retreat for members of the House Committee on Defence in Abuja.

He noted that the Green Chamber would continue to support the efforts of security

agencies through adequate funding, provision of modern equipment, ramping up training, and improving the welfare packages for security personnel.

Abbas noted that this would involve a coordinated effort between the executive, legislature, and judiciary and with other stakeholders such as civil society organisations, the private sector, and the international community.

His words: "As legislators, we have a critical role in ensuring that the necessary legislative frameworks are in place to support the national security architecture.

"As we all know, the security of our nation is a collective responsibility, and the legislative arm of government has a critical role to play in ensuring that our

armed forces and the police are well-equipped and adequately funded.

"These challenges have brought to the fore the need for a robust national security architecture that can effectively address these challenges.

"Addressing these challenges requires a combination of socioeconomic policies, effective governance, and community engagement."

"I am confident that with the support of the National Defence College and the collective efforts of all stakeholders, we can create a functional understanding of Nigeria’s national security architecture and higher management of defence-related issues and build a more secure and prosperous future

for our country."

On his part, the Chairman of the House Committee on Defence, Hon. Babajimi Benson, said the retreat was designed to equip members with the necessary tools in the performance of their legislative duties.

He added that the committee would continue to interact with the defence establishment to find lasting solutions to the challenges and would leverage knowledge garnered from the retreat to improve appropriation to the defence sector within the available resources.

Benson noted: "As representatives of the people, we are concerned about these challenges because we must always answer to our constituents.

in wait. We took the file, submitted it to Dr. Nasiru Yusuf Gwuna, and told him to hold it tight. When we filed a petition at the Kano governorship election tribunal,

we told the court that they were not fielded by the party. We told the court that when INEC closed accepting names of candidates, they did not join the party.”

Senior Civil Servants Urge Tinubu to Cancel Directors’ Promotion Exams Peter Uzoho Senior civil servants in Federal Civil Service have called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to, as a matter of urgency, cancel the recently conducted promotion examinations for directors in the country.

The civil servants also urged Tinubu to use his discretion to appoint permanent secretaries through a transparent and judicious process that places emphasises on seniority, experience, and qualification, among other credible criteria used in the past.

The senior civil servants also rejected the purported results of the examinations, which claimed that only 20 directors out of 85 initially invited to sit for promotion examinations to the rank of Permanent Secretary scaled through the exercise.

One of the top senior civil servants, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of victimisation, alleged that the invaluable experience garnered over the decades by the directors were not taken into consideration.

The official noted that despite the fact that the position of a permanent secretary is a political appointment that should reflect Federal Character Principle, some states, including Bauchi and Ebonyi do not have a representation as they claimed that their directors failed the exams.

“Apart from gender imbalance in the so-called examination that denied adequate female representation who sat for the exam, there are other controversies that are now coming to light,” he explained.

Another senior civil servant, who also spoke on the issue, quoted some sections of the 199 Constitution as amended, which gave the President powers to directly

appoint Permanent Secretaries "Section 171(1)(2)(d) gives Mr. President the constitutional powers to directly appoint Permanent Secretaries without the questionable exam conducted by the Federal Civil Service,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Centre for Public Accountability has also called for the cancellation and review of the recently concluded promotion examinations.

A statement by the Director of Public Governance Monitoring, CPA, Nuhu Adams, alleged that the process was marred with huge controversies.

“We followed the recently concluded Promotion Exams from Directorship cadre to Permanent Secretary rank and discovered it was marred with huge controversies that call for total cancellation and review of the entire process.

“It will be recalled that 85 Directors from five states of the federation and two geo-political zones, namely North Central and North- east zones sat for promotion exams on the 6th of November, 2023, with results released on the 7th of November, 2023.

“It was reliably gathered that long before this exercise, there had been complaints about the composition of the Examination Committee.

“As a result of this controversy and lack of trust in the exercise, four of the qualified directors refused to show up to write the said exam despite initially registering for it.

This is aside from the Directors that declined to register for the exams due to lack of confidence in the selection process that would end up producing permanent secretaries already predetermined by the Head of Service.”

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AT GUILD OF EDITORS’ INDUCTION… L-R: Deputy Director, News, ARISE NEWS Channel, Mr. Ohi Odiai; Deputy Editor, THISDAY, Obinna Chima; Director, News, ARISE NEWS Channel, Abuja, Mr. Sumner Sambo; Managing Director, THISDAY, Mr. Eniola Bello; Editor, THISDAY on Sunday, Mr. Davidson Iriekpen, and Editor, Nation’s Capital, THISDAY, Dr. Iyobosa Uwugiaren, after the induction of Sambo and Iriekpen as members of the Nigerian Guild of Editors in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State…weekend

National Assembly will Support Appointment of Supreme Court Justices, Says Akpabio NJC: We're not aware of list of 22 justices for the apex court Alex Enumah in Abuja The President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio has disclosed that the National Assembly is ready to do everything within its powers to support the appointment of justices to the bench of the Supreme Court.

This is coming as the National Judicial Council (NJC) has said that it is not aware of the shortlist of

22 justices made by the Federal Judicial Service Commission (FJSC) for the bench of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.

Akpabio, who reiterated the commitment of the federal lawmakers towards the speedy dispensation of justice, expressed concern about the excruciating working conditions of justices of the apex court.

Your Acts of Betrayal Won’t Go Unpunished, Bello Tells Cabinet Members

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja and Ibrahim Oyewale in Lokoja

The Governor of Kogi State, Mr. Yahaya Bello, yesterday accused some members of his cabinet of betrayal before and during the just-concluded governorship election in the state, vowing that their acts of betrayal would not be ignored.

Speaking during a closed-door meeting with stakeholders in the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lokoja, the state capital, the visibly angry governor, maintained that he would “cut off” even his fingers if they decided to hinder him from “going far”.

A source privy to the meeting told THISDAY last night that an angry Bello alleged that many of his so-called allies betrayed him because of his choice of Usman Ododo as his successor, describing some of them who he said were going around telling people that he disappointed them in unprintable words.

The governor maintained that he forewarned all of those he alleged to have sold him out, insisting that “all of those disgruntled elements” moved against him “after everything I did for them.”

“I was fighting known enemies while enemies within were pulling me down,” saying “God punish you all”.

He added: “They said if it can't be me, then it can't be Ododo.

They were busy conniving and conspiring with the opposition.

They call themselves leaders, but were misleading the people,” and rained more curses on them.

He told them mockingly that

he was smarter than all of them, accusing them of collecting peddling lies against him. “Shame on you all,” he said.

Bello warned that if he ever heard the “leaders” threaten any of their subordinates, he would deal with them severely.

He singled out a member of the National Assembly from the state whom he said was “wrecked” by his brothers before he (the governor) revived him from his alleged financial bankruptcy.

“Today, you are a second-term serving senator. You were laughing with us while you went behind to text opposition messages to hinder our party from having 25 per cent in some local governments,” he added.

As governor of Kogi State, Bello said he had outsmarted members of his kitchen cabinet who attempted to sell him out to the opposition and used the occasion to reveal that he would issue a “questionnaire” to all the 21 local government chairmen.

He added that those who benefitted the most from his government were “the enemies within causing problems,” insisting that “I virtually provide everything for them”.

“You all combined are not 10 per cent of what I am made up of.

Shame on you all,” he repeated.

Bello assured the people of Kogi West that payback time would soon come and called on leaders to educate their people and be selfless.

To the Okun people who he said stood behind the “Kogi Agenda” and “ignored their brothers with fruitless mission,” Bello promised to reward them.

Speaking at the All-Nigeria Judges’ Conference of Superior Courts, which was held in Abuja, Akpabio said the National Assembly would do everything in its power to support the appointment of justices to the apex court.

He said: "Our judicial officers are often burdened to resolve conflicts of monumental dimensions and yet, my Lords still struggle with mundane and trivial survival needs and work tools. This is a situation that is now exacerbated by the challenging economy that this administration is battling with and which we are working very hard to improve upon.

"The legislature is determined to improve the judiciary through very intentional appropriations and we are going to work closely on this.

"We are aware that the number of Justices on the bench of the Supreme Court has dropped drastically below the constitutional requirement. It is a matter of national interest

that we immediately initiate the due process of law to address the shortfall at the apex court. In this way, the legislature is ready to play its role," Akpabio said.

While observing that the judiciary and the legislature share a unique relationship, Akpabio disclosed that the lawmakers always seek to identify ways in which parliament can help the judiciary to remain strong, productive, and independent for the benefit of Nigeria.

To this end, he stated that stringent resource allocation, transparent and merit-based appointments, and removals are some of the measures that the legislature will entrench to assist the justice sector in regaining its glory.

The issue of the appointment of justices to fill vacant positions at the apex court has dominated legal and public discourse for some time now, owing to the continued depletion of the bench in recent

times.

Currently, the Supreme Court has only 10 justices short of its full complement of 21, owing to retirements and deaths in the last two years.

Barely three years ago, the bench boasted of 20 justices, which cascaded a few months later with the retirement of justices who had attained the mandatory retirement age of 70 years, while about three justices were snatched by the cold hands of death before their retirement.

Both members of the bar and bench have on several occasions acknowledged the extra burden the depletion has brought on the remaining justices, especially in an election year like this when nearly all pre-election and post-election matters reach the apex court.

With the 10 justices currently on the bench of the apex court, the Supreme Court can barely form two panels of five justices each

to hear appeals emanating from the lower court and cannot form two panels of seven justices in a constitutional appeal.

Meanwhile, the NJC has said that it is not aware of the shortlist of 22 justices made by the FJSC for the bench of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, contrary to the reports which claimed that the judicial body had received the list.

The FJSC had reportedly sent a list of 22 justices from the Court of Appeal for consideration by the NJC for elevation to the apex court.

But NJC’s Director of Information, Mr. Soji Oye, said that the nomination had not been brought to his knowledge.

The FJSC list, released on Thursday, showed a regional distribution of nominees, with North-central and South-east each having six nominees, and Northeast, South-west, and South-south each having two nominees, while North-west has four nominees.

Globacom Licence Renewal Swells Rank of Unified Access Services Coys to 11 Festus Akanbi After its first 10 years of an impressive run, Globacom Limited, Nigeria’s second national operator (SNO) owned by business magnate, Mike Adenuga (Jr.) has secured the renewal of its licence for another 10 years of operation.

The licence renewal increases the number of unified access services licenses to 11 companies in the Nigerian telecoms market.

The renewal of the 10-year unified access services licence (UASL) of Globacom by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), becomes effective from December 1, 2023, through November 30, 2033.

The development is regarded as a challenge to the indigenous operator to continue to lead in terms of quality service in the country.

According to a report by Technology Times, at the weekend, Adenuga’s licence renewal comes as another reprieve for his telecoms

group, Globacom, following the recent restoration of regulatory services to the Nigerian SNO by the telecom’s regulatory agency, NCC. Meanwhile, Globacom’s licence renewal increases the number of unified access services licences to 11 companies in the Nigerian telecoms market.

Other unified access licensees include: MTN Nigeria Communications Plc, Intercellular Nig Plc, Airtel Networks Limited (Formerly Celtel Nig Ltd), Smile Communications Nigeria Limited, Megatech Engineering Ltd, NATCOM Development Investment Ltd, Global Independent Connect Limited, Mafab Communications Limited, MPS Technologies Limited, and Open Skys Services Limited.

The renewal was said to have followed the decision of Globacom to successfully clear its outstanding debt obligations to the commission for unpaid Spectrum Fees, Numbering Fees, and Annual Operating Levy (AOL).

The company reportedly

paid N154 billion to the federal government, which is part of the spectrum licence renewal fees for the company.

The NCC, in a recent press statement, disclosed that it has stepped down planned enforcement action against Globacom over its breach of extant regulations by failing to pay its debts despite several demand notices.

As confirmed by the spokesperson for the NCC, Reuben Muoka, the regulatory services were said to have been restored after Globacom “successfully cleared its outstanding debt obligations to the Commission for unpaid Spectrum Fees, Numbering Fees, and Annual Operating Levy (AOL).”

According to him, NCC “has also stepped down planned enforcement action against Globacom over its breach of extant regulations by failing to pay its debts despite several demand notices.”

The commission, Muoka said, had temporarily withdrawn the suspension of regulatory services

to Globacom in a letter dated May 22, 2023, titled “Re: Continuous Breach of Commission’s Laws and Regulations.”

The NCC spokesman said that the “lifting of the suspension of regulatory services to Globacom followed its meeting the conditions set out in the directives suspending regulatory services to the service provider by the Commission.”

The report also quoted the NCC as saying that the introduction of unified or converged licensing was to encourage the growth of new applications and services; simplify existing licensing procedures to ease market entry and operations; engender regulatory flexibility to address market and technological developments; promote efficient utilisation of network resources, “so that individual networks may be used to provide a broad range of ICT services.” It also sought to encourage “a full range of operators, including large-scale and micro-entrepreneurs.”

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HURRAY! MAMA IS 85…

L-R: Son of the Celebrant, Mr. Ogba Akpedeye; Celebrant, Mrs. Theresa Akpedeye; Daughters of the Celebrant, Mrs. Asanimo Omezi; and Dr. Rukevwe Ugwumba, during a church service to celebrate, Mrs. Akpedeye's 85th birthday in Warri…recently

PDP Rejects Outcome of Kogi Election, Heads to Court Declare Ajaka winner, SDP tells INEC Chuks Okocha and Oghenevwede Ohwovoriole in Abuja The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kogi State has rejected the outcome of last Saturday’s governorship election in the state and vowed to take legal steps to reclaim the people’s mandate.

This is coming as the Social Democratic Party (SDP), has told the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to review the results of the Kogi governorship poll and declare the party's candidate, Mr. Murtala Ajaka as the duly elected governor of the state.

Addressing a press conference yesterday in Abuja, the state secretary of the PDP, George Daika, and the state Publicity Secretary, Dayo Akande, the party said it took seven days before announcing the rejection of the election to enable INEC to review the outcome of the election as contained in the 2022 Electoral Act. PDP said since INEC did not do the review that it had commenced the necessary legal action on the process.

In the statement read by the state secretary, the party said: "We have rejected the result as declared by INEC, and as a party, we would take all measures, within the ambit of the law, to reclaim the mandate of the people of Kogi State.

“We have commenced actions necessary and in accordance with the law with a view to arresting this glaring broad daylight robbery against the people of Kogi State and our governorship candidate, Senator Dino Melaye by the APC government and its collaborators."

PDP said it has evidence that there was over voting in 17 out of the 21 local government areas in the state.

"There were cases of over voting in 17 out of the 21 LGAs in the state.

There is clear evidence to back this up. We have cases where the total number of votes was more than the total number of PVCs collected, yet, INEC claimed that they conducted credible elections. We had cases where huge sums of money were seen with INEC officials at the polling units."

"The PDP rejects the results as announced and the declaration of Usman Ahmed Ododo as the winner of the governorship elections of November 11, in our dear Kogi state by NEC".

He stressed further: "As you are aware, before the date scheduled for the election, we had raised several concerns about plots to rig the gubernatorial election in Kogi State where we revealed that the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the state governor, Alhaji Yahaya

Bello, had resolved to deploy already preloaded BVAS to some areas in Kogi State.

"We also hinted that the APCled government in Kogi State had distributed NYSC and police uniforms to civilians to perpetrate their evil plans to rig the election.

"Our fears were confirmed last Saturday when before the governorship election commenced at the polling units, results of yetto-be-held elections found their way to the public space.

"Some agents of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) were also found with already written results of elections that were yet to be held.

"We however found it incredulous that the anomalies above notwithstanding, the State Gubernatorial Returning Officer after seeing clear evidence of overvoting and reports of electoral fraud declared Usman Ahmed Ododo of the APC as elected with some conjured votes which is different from the number of accredited voters, among other factors.”

Meanwhile, the SDP has told the INEC to review the results of the Kogi governorship poll and declare the party's candidate, Mr. Murtala Ajaka as the duly elected governor of the state.

National Chairman of the SDP, Shehu Gabam made the demand on behalf of the party during a press conference at the party's national secretariat in Abuja over the weekend.

Gabam stated that the party was amazed how the umpire issued two separate press releases, and later turned around to admit an exercise characterised by over-voting, pre-filled and mutilated results.

He noted that INEC must redeem itself by being above board in the Kogi governorship election.

"We, therefore, seek the cancelation of polling units affected by over-voting, reverse the observed irregularities, rescind the result declared by the Returning Officer and declare the proper result, rescind the erroneous and unlawful return of Ahmed Ododo and declare Murtala Ajaka dully elected as the governor of Kogi State.” Chuks Okocha and Oghenevwede Ohwovoriole in Abuja The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kogi State has rejected the outcome of last Saturday’s governorship election in the state and vowed to take legal steps to reclaim the people’s mandate.

This is coming as the Social Democratic Party (SDP), has told the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to review the results of the Kogi governorship poll

Tinubu Hails Liberians as George Weah Concedes Defeat Congratulates Boakai for emerging president-elect Deji Elumoye in Berlin As Africans hail Liberians and their leaders for making the continent proud, President Bola Tinubu yesterday congratulated the government and people of Liberia on the successful conduct of the presidential election.

According to a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, Tinubu also congratulated the President-elect, Joseph Boakai, who won the mandate of the people.

Tinubu, however, enjoined the Liberian President-elect to unite the country and build on the popular support expressed through the ballot box to deliver good governance to the people of Liberia.

The statement said President Tinubu commended President George Weah for demonstrating uncommon leadership by conceding the election and averting any form of socio-political crisis.

He said President Weah’s great act of democratic sportsmanship is exemplary, particularly at this time in West Africa, when democracy is

under attack by malign actors who are bent on subverting the will of the people.

“I commend President George Weah for his sterling example, undiluted patriotism, and statesmanship. He has defied the stereotype that peaceful transitions of power are untenable in West Africa.

“He has demonstrated that the outcome of elections in the sub-region need not become the propellant of violence and unrest and that the will of the people must always be respected,” Tinubu stated.

George Weah, the incumbent president and football legend, conceded defeat on Friday evening after nearly complete returns showed opposition leader Joseph Boakai leading with 50.89 percent of the vote.

“Ladies and gentlemen, tonight the CDC (party) has lost the election, but Liberia has won.

“This is the time for graciousness in defeat, to put national interest above personal interest,” he said in a speech on national radio.

Results published by the electoral commission after tallying the ballots from more than 99 per cent of polling

stations gave Weah 49.11 per cent of the votes cast.

The 78-year-old Boakai beat Weah by just over 28,000 votes.

Weah said he had spoken to Boakai “to congratulate him on his victory”.

“The Liberian people have spoken, and we have heard their voice. However, the closeness of the results reveals a deep division within our country,” Weah said in his speech.

Around 2.4 million Liberians were eligible to vote on Tuesday, but no turnout figures have been released.

Dozens of Boakai’s supporters danced in celebration outside one of his party’s offices in the capital Monrovia.

The elections were the first since the United Nations 2018 ended its peacekeeping mission, created after more than 250,000 people died in two civil wars in Liberia between 1989 and 2003.

Meanwhile, Joseph Boakai, who is expected to win the presidency in Liberia after incumbent leader George Weah conceded election defeat, has four decades of political experience behind him.

Boakai was vice president from 2006 to 2018 to Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Africa’s first elected female president, who rebuilt the ravaged country after a civil war left an estimated 250,000 dead.

This week’s vote was Boakai’s second run for the top job after he lost tAo President George Weah in a 2017 run-off.

The two faced off again in a second-round vote on Tuesday, following last month’s hard-fought first ballot, in which neither secured an outright victory.

Boakai, 78, has castigated the record of his opponent, a former international star footballer, and emphasised his own experience in office, proposing a “rescue plan” for the West African country.

He has pledged to improve infrastructure, invest in agriculture, attract investment, open the country to tourism, and restore Liberia’s reputation.

“His motivation is to rescue Liberia from the current state it is in,” Mohammed Ali, Boakai’s Unity Party spokesman, told AFP ahead of the vote.

and declare the party's candidate, Mr. Murtala Ajaka as the duly elected governor of the state.

Addressing a press conference yesterday in Abuja, the state secretary of the PDP, George Daika, and the state Publicity Secretary, Dayo Akande, the party said it took seven days before announcing the rejection of the election to enable INEC to review the outcome of the election as contained in the 2022 Electoral Act. PDP said since INEC did not do the review that it had commenced the necessary legal action on the process.

In the statement read by the state secretary, the party said: "We have rejected the result as declared by INEC, and as a party, we would take all measures, within the ambit of the law, to reclaim the mandate of the people of Kogi State.

“We have commenced actions necessary and in accordance with the law with a view to arresting this glaring broad daylight robbery against the people of Kogi State and our governorship candidate, Senator Dino Melaye by the APC government and its collaborators."

PDP said it has evidence that there was over voting in 17 out of the 21 local government areas in the state.

"There were cases of over voting in 17 out of the 21 LGAs in the state.

There is clear evidence to back this up. We have cases where the total number of votes was more than the total number of PVCs collected, yet, INEC claimed that they conducted credible elections. We had cases where huge sums of money were seen with INEC officials at the polling units."

"The PDP rejects the results as announced and the declaration of Usman Ahmed Ododo as the winner of the governorship elections of November 11, in our dear Kogi state by NEC".

He stressed further: "As you are aware, before the date scheduled for the election, we had raised several concerns about plots to rig the gubernatorial election in Kogi State where we revealed that the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the state governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, had resolved to deploy already preloaded BVAS to some areas in Kogi State.

At Waziri Adio’s Book Launch, Stakeholders Task Public Officers on Integrity Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt Stakeholders in Rivers State have urged public officers, especially those in the corridors of power, to value integrity while in service and ensure that they achieve the purpose they are called to service.

This call was made yesterday in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital, during the launch of a book titled: ‘The Arc of the Possible,’ published by the former Executive Secretary of Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), Mr. Waziri Adio.

In his address at the event held at the Port Harcourt Club, Senator Magnus Abe, noted the need for the society to encourage those who have good intentions and developmental ideas for the country.

Abe, who was the chairman of the programme, regretted that values are placed mostly on things that bring setbacks to the country.

He said the young ones are not encouraged to read books that would develop them and earn them better life in the future, because the society prefers to "reward agents of immorality, violence, crisis" and other vices.

The former governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the state, explained that "the book deals with an aspect of Nigeria that we never say anymore in the country.”

According to the former Rivers

East senator, “Waziri explained how he tried to separate public finances from his personal finances".

He, however, urged the current public office holders to get a copy of the book and read it, adding that it will create a real change that will positively impact on the nation's development.

In his speech, the governorship candidate of Accord Party in the 2023 general election in the state, Dumo Lulu-Briggs, noted that the society does not reward people for merit.

He said: "Struggle is the essence of life. We all need to live. Our society today does not reward merit".

On his part, the author of the book, Adio said governance is a moral enterprise, stressing the need for strategies for a better future.

Speaking with THISDAY at the event, Adio said: "The challenges are still there in creating a better society and the resources to work for all Nigerians. Especially now, things are tougher than the time when I was there for the country.

"This is 2023; what we are struggling with now as a country is a far cry for what things were three years ago. But that is what it is; there are decisions we should have taken a long time ago that were delayed. We just have to bear the brunt now, hopefully, until the government has to do what they will for things to get better."

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19TH CONVOCATION CEREMONY… L-R: Vice Chancellor, Enugu State University of Science and Technology, Prof. Aloysius-Michaels Okolie; state ‘s Governor and University’s Visitor, Dr. Peter Mbah; and the best graduating student, Ms. Barbara Ijeoma Ikeonyia, during the 19th Convocation of the university…weekend

Ogun, Three Other States to Benefit from N500bn Afreximbank Support Fund James Sowole in Abeokuta Ogun State is to benefit from a N500 billion financial support being packaged by the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) in conjunction with Access Bank, Governor Dapo Abiodun has said.

The Gateway State is to benefit from the fund along with three other states in the country. The

three other states are Anambra, Oyo, and Ekiti.

The governor stated this weekend in Cairo, Egypt, while speaking at the end of the Intra-African Trade Fair, put together by Afreximbank.

Abiodun said the fund would be helpful in financing and accelerating infrastructural development in the state, noting that the state government has

Police Intensify Search for DPO Killer 2Baba, Arrest Second-in-command The Police are close to apprehending the notorious cult leader, David Okpala Okpolowu, also known as 2Baba, who spearheaded the brutal killing of the popular crime-fighting Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Ahoada-East Local Government Area, Bako Angbasim.

Agbasim was killed and his body dismembered by 2Baba and his dreaded Iceland cult group terrorising Ahoada-East, an area known as a safe haven for violent cult activities.

The Police have been on the trail of 2Baba since the incident occurred with the state government

placing a bounty of N100million on his head.

Some of the foot soldiers of the cult leader had either been killed by the police or arrested as the security agency intensified search for the most wanted criminal. But progress in his search was reportedly made at the weekend following the capture of his second-in-command by the police in Bayelsa State.

The Bayelsa operatives, acting on intelligence, were said to have rounded up 43-year-old Onyekachi Ikowa at his hideout in Yenagoa, the state capital.

North-west Govs Seek AfDB Support for Agriculture, Security Governors from the North-west geopolitical zone have appealed to the African Development Bank (AfDB) to incorporate their states into the next phase of its Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones programme.

The appeal came during a meeting in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, between the governors and AfDB President Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, which focused on agriculture, security, and other crucial development issues in the region.

According to a statement on Saturday by Sulaiman Idris, the spokesperson for Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal, the states want AfDB assistance to stimulate agricultural growth and address security challenges impacting overall prosperity.

The SAPZ initiative being implemented in some states aims to end raw commodity exports by processing them locally. However,

the North-west region missed out in the first 2021 phase.

Lawal said incorporating the zone now would enable unprecedented agricultural expansion, significantly transforming the economy.

The governors of Zamfara, Kebbi, Katsina, Sokoto, Jigawa, Kano, and Kaduna states told the AfDB president that their region holds major potential requiring attention.

The statement partly read: “The meeting between the Northwest governors and Dr. Akinwumi Adesina has opened doors of opportunity for the seven states in the region.

“The governors of Zamfara, Kebbi, Katsina, Sokoto, Jigawa, Kano, and Kaduna informed the president of the AfDB about the significant areas in the region that require attention.

already signed the framework agreement.

He said: “The highlight of our participation at the IATF was the signing of a significant framework agreement with Afreximbank and Access Bank Limited.

“This agreement grants us access to a substantial amount of N500 billion in conjunction

with three other Nigerian states.

“This financial support will play a pivotal role in financing the creation of trade and trade-enabling infrastructure.

“Its purpose is to accelerate economic diversification through infrastructure development, in line with the Africa Sub-Sovereign Network Initiative.”

Abiodun disclosed that the Ogun State team met with the President of Zimbabwe, Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa, and the Malawian President, Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera, during which issues of mutual benefits were discussed with the two leaders.

The governor noted that discussions with the Zimbabwean

president centred around collaboration in the agricultural sector, adding that the groundwork for the establishment of a partnership between the two governments was laid.

According to the governor, discussions with President Chakwera focused on fostering a mutually beneficial socioeconomic relationship.

B’Haram Attacks Yobe Gov’s Security Personnel, Kills One Policeman, Injure Others One police officer was reportedly killed with at least six security personnel allegedly wounded when Boko Haram terrorists fired at security operatives returning official vehicles belonging to Yobe State Governor, Alhaji Mai Mala Buni, from Maiduguri to Damaturu after attending a successful 24th convocation ceremony of the University of Maiduguri.

Governor Buni was in Maiduguri where he joined

other dignitaries to attend the ceremony, but disengaged to board a flight to Abuja for another official engagement.

Sources told THISDAY that the security vehicles in the convoy came under fire between the troubled spot of the JakanagMainok Expressway.

Further investigation from sources revealed that “troops leading the convoy with MRAP, a gun truck and another vehicle conveying the police and DSS were

targeted.

“Consequently, the troops responded with heavy fire, forcing the terrorists to retreat. Unfortunately, one police officer paid the supreme price, even as two soldiers including a driver and four policemen were wounded.

“Terrorist casualties were unconfirmed as at press time.

“The security operatives returned safely to Damaturu, the Yobe State capital, while the wounded personnel and

the driver were evacuated to an undisclosed hospital for treatment.” sources said.

Meanwhile, the Director General of Media and Press Affairs to Governor Buni, Mohammed Mamman, in an interview confirmed the incident but insisted that only three security personnel were wounded, even as he said, the convoy successfully reached their destination, as the wounded ones are responding to treatment.

Military Moves against Terror Leaders, Troops Kill 50 Insurgents, Arrest 122 Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja The Nigerian military high command said yesterday that it targeted the leadership of terror organisations undermining the security of the country even as troops vanquished 50 terrorists and arrested 122 others.

A statement issued in Abuja by the Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj Gen Edward Buba, said the armed forces intensified operations against the non-state

actors, which he said were yielding results.

He said the ongoing counterinsurgency and counter-terrorism operations ensured that the country remained safer each passing day as the evil forces were being decimated.

He said the operations of the last week resulted in the killing of 50 terrorists and the arrest of 122 others.

“Troops also arrested 49 perpetrators of oil theft and rescued

182 kidnapped hostages. In the South-south, troops denied oil theft estimated at N128,066,825.00,” it said. Furthermore, troops recovered 66 assorted weapons and 11,474 assorted ammunitions.

They include one conqueror APC, one GPMG, one NSVT gun, one GT3 rifle, 25 AK47 rifles, four pump action guns, two locally made AK47 rifles, three locally made guns, one locally made revolver guns, four locally fabricated pistols,

four long dane guns, two locally made hand grenades, and one bandolier. Others are 574 rounds of 7.62mm NATO, 640 rounds of 7.62mm special ammo, 150 rounds of 12.7mm ammo, five rounds of 9mm ammo, 10,520 live cartridges, five vehicles, 27 mobile phones, 12 motorcycles, three boating radios, one Motorolla HHR, three bicycles, one solar panel, one solar charger controller, one radio receiver and the sum of N75,909,290.00 among other items”.

PIA: Oil Companies Owing Host Communities N1tn, Says HOSTCOM Environmentalists have revealed a pressing concern at COP28, pointing to Nigeria’s staggering four per cent annual forest loss, the highest on a global scale.

In a semin C Olusegun Samuel in Yenagoa The Host Communities Producing Oil and Gas (HOSTCOM) has expressed concern that two years after the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021 took effect, host communities in the Niger Delta had not started receiving benefits from the three per cent of oil companies’ operational cost prescribed by the

law.

The National President, HOSTCOM, Benjamin Tamaramiebi, said this during a press briefing in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital, while reacting to some media reports suggesting that host communities were against the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission getting involved in the day-to-day management of the trust fund.

Tamaramiebi lamented that oil firms operating in the Niger Delta had not remitted three per cent of their annual production costs

to the trust fund as prescribed by the law. He claimed that the accumulated unremitted three per cent had amounted to N1 trillion.

He said, “It is sad to say that after two years of the enactment of the PIA in 2021, the operating companies failed to provide the meagre three per cent of their annual production cost to the host communities.

“What is the fate of the communities at the moment? From my assessment, from 2021 till date, over

N1 trillion, if converted from $500 per year, which is about $1 billion, is owed to the host community development trust fund.

“This is what is supposed to come into the host community development. But that has been denied to the communities.”

Tamaramiebi complained that all global Memorandum of Understanding and the MoU that the oil firms used to sign with host communities through cluster development boards had been suspended and attention shifted to the PIA.

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NEWSXTRA Fagbemi: We’ve Learnt Our Lessons from P&ID Arbitration Alex Enumah in Abuja The Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Mr. Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), yesterday disclosed that one of the major lessons Nigeria learnt from the fallout of her recent victory over Process and Industrial Development (P&ID) at the London Arbitration, is to ensure that the lawyers engaged in future arbitration are competent and experienced.

Speaking recently at the 2023 Annual Conference of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, Nigeria Branch, which was held in Lagos, Fagbemi added that the lawyers must also be patriotic and morally upright.

The AGF, who pointed out that there was something wrong with the manner Nigeria was defended in the arbitration, urged African leaders to endeavour to follow the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb) London Centenary Principles in improving their perspectives, culture, jurisprudence, and operation of arbitration practices and procedures.

According to the minister, “the judgment highlighted the fact that arbitrators can probably do

better than they currently do in ensuring that they intervene, especially when the issue of incompetent representation is quite obvious during the proceedings”.

He argued that Nigeria would have lost a whopping $11 billion to a “company with no assets and that has made no investment,” but for the establishment of the court, the award against Nigeria was obtained by fraud.

“Like the P&ID case, Nigeria is currently involved in other international commercial and state-investor arbitrations, which are ongoing outside Africa for transactions that occurred in Nigeria. It is not unlikely that had the P&ID arbitration been conducted in Nigeria, the outcome would have been different as some of the challenges that Nigeria faced in the proceedings might have been avoided”.

He expressed confidence that Nigeria’s current reforms through the AMA 2023 and the National Arbitration Policy will prevent the country from slipping into such a cul-de-sac again.

“To drive home this point, the majority decision by Lord Hoffman and Sir Anthony Evans, awarded to P&ID the sum of

Sanwo-Olu, Abiodun, Makinde, Soyinka, Others to Grace Clark’s Book Presentation Wale Igbintade The public presentation of “Brutally Frank”, an autobiography detailing the public life and achievements of the elder statesman and former Federal Commissioner for Information, Chief Edwin Clark, will hold on Tuesday, November 21, at the MUSON Centre, Onikan, Lagos State.

The event will be attended by prominent Nigerians including Governors Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos), Dapo Abiodun (Ogun) and Seyi Makinde (Oyo).

Others expected to attend the event are; Nobel laureate Professor Wole Soyinka, Oba of Lagos, His Royal Majesty, Oba Riliwan Akiolu and Afenifere leader, Pa Ayo Adebanjo as the father of the day.

According to a statement issued yesterday by the Chairman, Local Organis-

ing Committee, Professor Hope Eghagha and National Coordinator, Ambassador Godknows Boladei Igali, the book presentation will commence at 10am The statement read, “The Local Organizing Committee (LOC) cordially invites you to the public book presentation of “Brutally Frank,” an enthralling autobiography by the eminent Ijaw leader and fearless National Statesman, Chief, Senator, Dr. E. K. Clark.

“This landmark occasion will take place on Tuesday, November 21, 2023, at the MUSON Centre, Onikan, Lagos at 10 am.

“We are delighted to announce a distinguished lineup of guests for this grand event.

These include the Governors of Lagos, Ogun and Oyo States as special hosts.

“The legendary Professor Wole Soyinka will grace us as the Special Guest of Honour. “

Ilorin Descendants in US Congratulate Sulu-Gambari on 28th Anniversary Wale Igbintade The Ilorin Emirate Descendants Progressive Union (IEDPU), United States of America branch has congratulated the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari, on his 28th anniversary on the throne of his forefathers.

The union, in a statement signed by its chairman, Alhaji AbdlFatai Na-Allah and secretary, Ishaq Olanrewaju Adisa, expressed delight that the emir’s tenure has been very peaceful and eventful.

The statement reads, “The Executive Committee and entire members of the Ilorin Emirate Descendants Progressive Union

(IEDPU) United States of America (USA) Branch Inc. have joined the sons and daughters of the Ilorin Emirate to felicitate with the Emir of Ilorin and Chairman Kwara State Council of Traditional Rulers, Maimartaba, Dr. Ibrahim Sulu Gambari, on his 28th anniversary on the throne.

“The union noted the peace, tranquility, and all-round progress that has been witnessed not only in the Ilorin Emirate, but the entire Kwara State since the beginning of the reign of His Eminence over 28 years ago.”

“The union prayed to Almighty Allah to grant his eminence a sound health and long life,” it added.

$6.597 billion-plus interest at the rate of seven per cent from 20th March, 2013. However, Chief Bayo Ojo (SAN) – the FRN (Federal Republic of Nigeria) - appointed arbitrator, in his minority decision, awarded the sum of $ 250 million to P&ID as fair compensation”.

Other lessons, Fagbemi said Nigeria learnt from the outcome of the P&ID case included the issues of statutory or regulatory non-compliance, corruption, and the negative impact of

inter-agency squabbles on state defence, among others.

Fagbemi also observed that the totality of the lessons had substantially shaped the country’s perspective on arbitration and will serve as a guide in dealing with other cases.

While recognising the role technology played in instant arbitration and the future, the AGF, stated that the Ministry of Justice on its part is considering and actively taking steps to adopt and encourage the use of safe

and ethical technology.

“In concluding this address, I wish to recommend that African States (both public and private stakeholders) should be guided by the CIArb London Centenary Principles in improving their perspectives, culture, jurisprudence, and operationalization of arbitration practices and procedures.

“The London principles comprise of 10 fundamentals including: an arbitration law providing a good framework for the process, limiting court in-

tervention, and striking the right balance between confidentiality and transparency; an independent, competent and efficient judiciary; an independent, competent legal profession with expertise in international arbitration; a sound legal education system; the right to choose one’s legal representative, local or foreign; and ready access to the country for witnesses and counsel; a safe environment for participants and their documents; good logistical support.

HARVEST OF AWARDS… L-R: Growth and Portfolio Project Lead, Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited, Uche Johnbosco; Exploration Manager, Gogo Eneyok; Head NGO and Human Rights Relations, Mercy Elegbe; Head, Seismic Processing, Magnus Kanu; Senior Production Geologist, Abidemi Belgore; and Senior Geophysicist, Ernest Ikpolo, at the awards and recognition night of the 2023 annual conference of the Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorationists held in Lagos… weekend

FG Raises N585m to Pay Fines for Inmates Michael Olugbode in Abuja The federal government has commenced the release of 4,068 inmates languishing in correctional facilities across the country over their inability to pay fines.

The government said N585 million was raised by corporate bodies as Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) for that purpose.

Speaking during the flag-off of the programme yesterday, the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi

Tunji-Ojo, said the initiative is part of the efforts to decongest prisons in the country.

He said, “It’s with great pleasure that I stand with you today to flag off the release of 4,068 inmates sentenced to various terms of imprisonment with the option of fine and compensation in custodial status nationwide.

This is in a bid to decongest custodial centres as well as make ready proper reformation and rehabilitation of offenders to take place.

“As of yesterday, November 17, 2023, there were about 80,804 inmates in 253 custodial facilities nationwide with a total installed capacity of less than 50,000. It shows that our custodial centres are overcrowded, necessitating this initiative we are flagging off today,” The minister said inmates with over N1 million in fines will not benefit from the programme.

Tunji-Ojo added that a stipend would be given to support benefiting inmates.

He said: “Most of the inmates are indigents who cannot afford to pay their fine languishing in custody. The total fund of N585 million was raised by corporate bodies as Corporate Social Responsibility for this purpose.

“Hence, all inmates in custodial centres who have fines or compensation not exceeding 1 million are qualified and will benefit from this gesture. In addition, we are also providing each of them a stipend to enable them to stand in their community.”

NDA Produces Army’s First Professor

FG Plans to Secure Coastline with Guards

John Shiklam in Kaduna

The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, has disclosed plans by the federal government to establish coast guards, as part of efforts to enhance security along coastlines in the country.

Oyetola spoke in his Iragbiji hometown in Osun State yesterday at the 32nd edition of the annual Iragbiji Day celebrations, where money was raised for different community development projects.

The former Osun State governor, who said there were conscious efforts to further secure marine environment in the country, mentioned the existence of the Deep Blue Project that deploys gunboats and other equipment for security on the coastline.

Speaking on the plans to further enhance security along the nation’s coastline, Oyetola said, “We are already looking at the possibility of establishing coast guard which will be design essentially to ensure the safety of our

The Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) has conferred the title of a professor on the Head of the Department of Mechatronics Engineering, Lieutenant Colonel Abubakar-Surajo Imam.

Imam is now a Professor of Mechatronics Engineering.

Mechatronics is a multidisciplinary field that combines mechanical engineering, electronics, computer science, and control engineering.

He is said to be the first professor among serving personnel in the history of the Nigerian Army.

The Registrar of the Academy, Brigadier-General, A.M Tukur, announced the promotion in a statement in Kaduna.

He said the promotion was ratified during the NDA Council Meeting in September, and took effect from October 1, 2022.

The registrar said that the council’s decision was a reflection of the confidence and recognition of the contributions of Imam to the Department of Mechatronics Engineering of the

Academy.

He said the new professor has provided exemplary services and upheld the standards of excellence expected in his field.

“This recognition not only honours Professor Imam but also highlights the commitment of the Nigerian Defence Academy to acknowledging and rewarding outstanding contributions within its academic community,” he added.

Tukur further said, “On behalf of the Commandant and staff of the Academy, I sincerely congratulate you on your well-deserved promotion.

“It is expected that you will continue to work hard to justify the confidence.”

Imam, who hails from Kankia in Katsina State, has a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Bayero University, Kano, Kano State.

He also holds a master’s degree in Mechatronics from Newcastle University, United Kingdom, and a PhD in Mechatronics and Robotics from the same university.

coastline.

“We have not less than 853 kilometres of coastline in Nigeria and about 10,000 perimeter of inland waterways. If we want to ensure coastal tourism, we must provide adequate security. We are working with the Navy, Marine police and others to ensure security.”

Reacting to the conversion of the Sustainable Development Goals Skill Acquisition Centre located in the town to camp the Osun United Football Club by the state government, the minister said he had taken the matter up and insisted that the facility should be used for the purpose it was built.

He said, “It is very unfortunate that the projects that meant to allow our youths to acquire skills are now being turned into camp for football. I don’t have problem with football but you can’t convert the facility that is meant to assist our youths in the area of skill acquisition to camp.

16

SUNDAY NOVEMBER 19, 2023 • T H I S D AY

17

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER NOVEMBER 19, 2023

BUSINESS

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

2I 6XUJLQJ ,QÁDWLRQ DQG $YRLGDEOH /DERXU &ULVLV Rather than gloating over the eventual resolution of the labour issue that precipitated a two-day VWULNH ODVW ZHHN ZKLFK FRLQFLGHG ZLWK WKH UHOHDVH RI D GHSUHVVLQJ LQÁDWLRQ ÀJXUH IRU 2FWREHU E\ WKH National Bureau of Statistics, the federal government should rather focus on policies and actions WKDW ZLOO UHVWRUH FRQÀGHQFH LQ WKH HFRQRP\ LQ WKH ODVW TXDUWHU RI WKH \HDU ZULWHV Festus Akanbi

A

fter initial prevarications that incensed the organised labour to press for a showdown on Tuesday, November 14, the federal government, through WKH R΀FH RI WKH 1DWLRQDO 6HFXULW\ $GYLVHU on Wednesday was able to persuade the ODERXU XQLRQV WR VXVSHQG WKHLU LQGHÀQLWH strike triggered by the savage beating and the arrest of the President of the Nigerian /DERXU &RQJUHVV -RH $MDHUR LQ 2ZHUUL Imo State on November 1.

NLC had earlier listed six conditions it said must be met by the federal governPHQW EHIRUH LW FRXOG FDOO RͿ WKH VWULNH 7KH conditions contained in a series of posts via LWV R΀FLDO ; KDQGOH LQFOXGHG WKH DUUHVW DQG prosecution of Special Adviser to the Imo State Governor on Special Duties, Chinasa 1ZDQHUL SROLFH R΀FHUV DV ZHOO DV WKXJV involved in the attack on NLC President Joe $MDHUR LQ 2ZHUUL DQG DUUHVW SURVHFXWLRQ DQG GLVPLVVDO RI &KLHI 6HFXULW\ 2΀FHU LQ ,PR 6WDWH *RYHUQPHQW +RXVH LGHQWLÀHG as SP Shaba.

The frustration over the strike which led to the closure of some public and private R΀FHV ZDV FRPSRXQGHG E\ WKH UHSRUW RI WKH National Bureau of Statistics on Wednesday ZKLFK SXW 1LJHULD·V LQÁDWLRQ ÀJXUH DW SHU FHQW LQ 2FWREHU D SHU FHQW LQFUHDVH IURP WKH SHU FHQW OHYHO DWWDLQHG LQ September.

The NBS said in the latest consumer price LQGH[ &3, ZKLFK FDSWXUHV WKH LQÁDWLRQDU\ trend in Nigeria’s economy, that the headline LQÁDWLRQ UDWH RQ D \HDU RQ \HDU EDVLV ZDV SHU FHQW SRLQWV KLJKHU FRPSDUHG WR SHU FHQW UDWH RQ WKH FRUUHVSRQGLQJ SHULRG LQ 2FWREHU +RZHYHU WKH ODWHVW LQÁDWLRQ UHSRUW DSpeared to have been overshadowed by the disruption in the economy caused by the labour crisis.

6HWWLQJ WKH 6WDJH IRU /DERXU 6KRZGRZQ Following the notice of an impending workers’ protest, the federal government went to court to restrain labour, but the strike did not only begin as planned, it was also joined by the judicial workers union, paralysing activities across the nation.

6RPH RI WKH D΀OLDWH XQLRQV WKDW MRLQHG WKH strike are the Petroleum and Natural Gas 6HQLRU 6WDͿ $VVRFLDWLRQ 3(1*$66$1 DQG WKH 1DWLRQDO 8QLRQ RI (OHFWULFLW\ (PSOR\HHV 18(( 2WKHUV LQFOXGHG WKH $VVRFLDWLRQ RI 6HQLRU 6WDͿ RI %DQNV ,QVXUDQFH DQG Financial Institutions (ASSBIFI) and the National Union of Banks Insurance and )LQDQFLDO ,QVWLWXWLRQV (PSOR\HHV 18%,),( ,Q WKH HGXFDWLRQ VHFWRU WKH $FDGHPLF 6WDͿ Union of Universities (ASUU), National Association of Academic Technologists 1$$7 6HQLRU 6WDͿ $VVRFLDWLRQ RI 1LJHULDQ 8QLYHUVLWLHV 66$18 $FDGHPLF 6WDͿ Union of Polytechnic (ASUP), Colleges of (GXFDWLRQ $FDGHPLF 6WDͿ 8QLRQ &2($68 DQG WKH 6HQLRU 6WDͿ $VVRFLDWLRQ RI 1LJHULD Polytechnics asked their members to stay RͿ ZRUN $WWDFN RQ 2QH $WWDFN RQ $OO Labour industry commentators, who faulted the argument on the political di-

PHQW RI WU\LQJ WR XVH WKH FRXUWV WR VWLÁH D lawful protest and attempting to break the ranks of the unions in the state. It said the authorities were undermining the NLC in the state by foisting on the state council a leadership not constituted by the provisions of the constitution of the congress.

NLC, which also dismissed insinuations about the motive of the strike, said organised ODERXU ZDV VHQVLWLYH WR WKH VXͿHULQJV RI 1Lgerian workers, occasioned by fuel subsidy removal, hence, the need for a nationwide strike to express the grievances of workers.

File photograph of members of the Nigerian Labour Congress, during a protest

Mushin Market, Lagos mension brought into the crisis, especially by the Imo State government, argued that it would be unfair to overlook the harassment RI $MDHUR E\ R΀FLDOV RI WKH VWDWH JRYHUQPHQW They insisted that the labour leader’s ordeal ZDV D GLUHFW DͿURQW WR WKH 1LJHULDQ ZRUNHUV whom Ajaero represents.

“Today, it is Ajaero, tomorrow another 1LJHULDQ FRXOG EH HTXDOO\ KDUDVVHG LI WKH labour fails to use whatever it is in its arsenals to protest the savage beating given its leader,” a Lagos-based analyst said before the strike ZDV FDOOHG RͿ Labour, which said the plight of Nigerian workers remained the major concern in all of its undertakings, however, said it would not condone the desecration or humiliation of its leadership.

But National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, seemed to pre-empt the labour leadership when he announced that those believed to have attacked Ajaero had been arrested and were already in custody.

There was also a crucial intervention by the National Assembly leadership, which stepped into the national impasse, pleading with the labour movement to review their

VWDQG DQG FDOO RͿ WKH QDWLRQZLGH strike.

However, the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), a non-governmental RUJDQLVDWLRQ 1*2 FDOOHG IRU vigilance by the hierarchy of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria WR VWDYH RͿ HQFURDFKPHQWV RQ LWV independence and integrity by the executive arm of government.

Apart from demanding that the government arrest all those involved in the brutality against Ajaero during a protest in Imo State, organised labour also accused the state government of violating workers’ rights by LOOHJDOO\ VDFNLQJ RYHU ZRUNHUV The labour union further accused the state government of owing workers and pensioners RYHU PRQWKV DUUHDUV GHFODULQJ thousands of workers/pensioners ghost workers/pensioners, and not properly implementing the national minimum wage.

It accused the Imo State Govern-

5LVLQJ ,QÁDWLRQ The NBS revealed that pressures on doPHVWLF SULFHV LQWHQVLÀHG LQ 2FWREHU DV WKH lingering challenges stoking prices remained LQWDFW DPLG WKH LPSDFW RI WKH ORZ EDVH HͿHFWV from the prior year.

7KH UHSRUW VDLG WKH IRRG LQÁDWLRQ UDWH LQ 2FWREHU URVH WR DQ DYHUDJH RI SHU FHQW RQ D \HDU RQ \HDU EDVLV DERXW SHU FHQW SRLQWV KLJKHU FRPSDUHG WR WKH SHU FHQW rate recorded in the corresponding period RI 2FWREHU The report shows that food prices, which maintained a consistent rise across the country for months, deteriorated further in the last couple of months as a result of the impact of the government’s inconsistent policies, like the removal of fuel subsidy in the pricing template of petroleum products as well as the inability to rein in the slide of the exchange value of the Naira to international currencies, like the dollar.

6LQFH 0D\ ZKHQ WKH SUHVHQW DGPLQLVWUDWLRQ FDPH WR R΀FH WKH UDWH RI LQÁDWLRQ KDV continued to climb, with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) tweaking its monetary policies in an attempt to stabilise prices.

According to the Statistician General of the )HGHUDWLRQ DQG &KLHI ([HFXWLYH 2΀FHU RI the NBS Mr. Adeyemi Adeniran, the increase LQ WKH KHDGOLQH LQGH[ IRU 2FWREHU ZDV attributable to the increase in some items in the basket of goods and services at the divisional level.

These increases, he said, were observed in Food and non-alcoholic Beverages +RXVLQJ :DWHU (OHFWULFLW\ *DV RWKHU )XHO &ORWKLQJ DQG IRRWZHDU 7UDQVSRUW )XUQLVKLQJV +RXVHKROG (TXLSPHQW DQG PDLQWHQDQFH (GXFDWLRQ DQG +HDOWK 2WKHUV DUH 0LVFHOODQHRXV *RRGV 6HUYLFHV 5HVWDXUDQWV +RWHOV $OFRKROLF %HYHUDJHV 7REDFFR .ROD 5HFUHDWLRQ &XOWXUH DQG &RPPXQLFDWLRQ Analysts believed there is an urgent need for President Bola Tinubu to personally wade into the labour crisis, especially given the VSLUDOOLQJ LQÁDWLRQ ZKLFK SDLQWV D SLFWXUH of a bleak end of the year for the Nigerian people. Already, the tension over the rise in hardship is pushing the people to the EULQN DQG RQO\ D TXLFN UHVROXWLRQ RI WKH LVVXH will avert a deterioration of the economic situation.

They also expressed the hope that the two-day labour unrest must have sent the signals to the authorities to address all the issues raised by the unions especially on the welfare of the Nigerian workers to avoid similar actions that may erode the modest economic gains of the current administration.

18

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER NOVEMBER 19, 2023

TELECOMS

What Adenuga’s Enterprise Spells for National Prosperity Mike Adenuga, one of Africa’s shrewdest businessmen and entrepreneurs, is Nigeria’s gift to the continentandtheglobalbusinesscommunity.Thismuchmanifeststhroughhisunparalleledcontribution to industry and academia. Just recently, he endowed the Dr. Mike Adenuga (Jnr) Professorial Chair in Entrepreneurship Studies at the Entrepreneurship and Skills Development Centre, University of /DJRV ZLWK LPPHQVH EHQHÀWV IRU WKH DFDGHPLF FRPPXQLW\ Lanre Alfred writes

B

illionaire magnate, Mike Adenuga, makes his fortune work for humanity. His enterprise thrives where commerce rebirths thus unfurling into a sprawling empire that employs over one million Africans and

expatriates.

Aside generating massive employment, his business interests provide unparalleled support for governments and communities on theAfrican continent. As his business empire manifests as WKH VWXͿ GUHDPV DUH PDGH RI KLV H[SORLWV JLYH DQ industrial scent that blossoms through the odds.

The depth at which Adenuga thrives as a business strategist and colossus comprises his personal song, his exclusive canvas and the energetic thumbprint that he leaves upon the world.

This is why he is persistently on song. His LQÁXHQFH VSDQV WKH JDPXW RI FRQWHPSRUDU\ OLIH from business to sports, entertainment, politics and academia, Adenuga is constantly the thrust of studies and elevated discourse.

Just recently, the University of Lagos (UNILAG), in Akoka, Lagos, experienced the Globacom chairman’s golden touch as he endowed the Dr. Mike Adenuga (Jnr) Professorial Chair in Entrepreneurship Studies.

The chair was endowed by Adenuga to focus interest in research that supports enterprise creation and development in Nigeria.

The Director of the centre, Professor Sunday $ED\RPL $GHELVL ZLOO GHOLYHU WKH ÀUVW 6SHFLDO Annual Lecture as Occupier of the Professorial Chair on Tuesday, November 28, 2023.

The lecture titled: ‘Revolutionising the Nigerian Economy to Create Decent Jobs and Sustainable Wealth: The Sole-Ladder, The Sole-Option and the Sole-Platform,’ will be delivered at the J.F. Ade Ajayi Auditorium.

Major players and stakeholders drawn from the private and public sectors are expected to attend the lecture which would address and SURͿHU VROXWLRQV WR VRPH RI WKH LGHQWLÀHG GLUH challenges facing the society. Otunba Abimbola Ashiru, the ebullient Chairman of Odu’a Investment Company is a Special Guest of Honour.

The Special Annual Lecture series which is WR EH GHEXWHG E\ WKH ÀUVW &KDLU 2FFXSLHU DQG Professor of Entrepreneurship, Hub and Strategic Management, Professor Adebisi is part of the cardinal objectives of the Professorial Chair.

Many have marvelled over Adenuga’s secret strategy and staying power for remaining relevant across various spheres of human existence. To this end, not a few pundits have argued that if the enterprise titan is persistently celebrated, it is because he had paid his dues when it mattered most.

Adenuga appreciates the sun every morning because he has lived through the dark. Having braved and survived the rigour of starting a business and sustaining it through an era when Nigeria frustrated the ease of doing business, Adenuga emerged from the wilderness of enterprise as an entrepreneurial genius.

He commands the reins of the enterprise even DV KH VWURNHV LWV VHFUHWV ,W LV DOPRVW PDJLFDO KLV capacity to fondle desire from a subtle nudge into a wild grope. A grope against the elements.

Against reality. Few men are indeed gifted at such enterprise, like Adenuga.

Adenuga’s role in job creation has had a deep impact on millions of lives, locally and

Adenuga on a global scale.

There’s a common thread here. All of his projects are the kind of futuristic fantasies you ZRXOG ÀQG LQ WKH KHDUW RI DQ DPELWLRXV \RXWK Yet Adenuga makes no secret of the fact that he was inspired by his passion to exploit his God-given talents and improve his immediate environment and humanity in general.

There is a lot to learn fromAdenuga’s business culture. Globacom, for instance, has been heralded for its innovative data-driven design approach, which seeks to understand each customer and what they are looking for in a telecommunication experience. This way, the company tailors the experience to each customer and builds features that resonate with each user to make communication, exciting, safe and enjoyable.

His company learns from the innovations in personalising customer feedback and experience and applies it to how it personalizes daily experiences for its teeming customers. Over time, Adenuga has led his telecoms franchise beyond the cusp of making this a common practice into an era where it manifests as common practice.

We can also take learning from Adenuga’s innovation strategy as a whole — which has focused on transforming the telecommunication industry. His company, Globacom, is innovative even in its approach to customer service.

At work, in the boardroom, and beyond, his capacity for humane leadership is inspiring. Adenuga is not particularly interested in making more money to splurge on himself.At 70 years old, he has amassed a staggering fortune.

Instead, what has consumed him recently is how to commit his fortune impactfully to the lives of society’s impoverished. :KLOH LW PD\ EH WHPSWLQJ WR YLHZ KLV HͿRUW DV a simple philanthropic exercise in transactional leadership, Adenuga’s charitable gestures show KRZ D FDUHIXO DQG KXPDQH XVH RI D΁XHQFH FDQ transform something straightforward into a higher cause through servant leadership.

Over the years, Adenuga came to believe that

his vast fortune could be put to use solving some of the world’s most challenging problems. Yet, while a leader’s total devotion to a cause greater than themselves lies at the heart of the concept of servant leadership, it is not always enough to persuade others to take action. (ͿHFWLYH VHUYDQW OHDGHUVKLS RIWHQ HPSOR\V fundamental negotiation skills to convince others - internal and external publics of his organisation - to come on board. This noble trait of Adenuga has established him as one of the most successful and respected entrepreneurs of all time. He is known for his long-term investment strategy that focuses on growing his companies with VWURQJ IXQGDPHQWDOV DQG D NQDFN IRU SURÀWDELOLW\ Adenuga is also well known for his frugality and dedication to giving back to society through philanthropy. Additionally, Adenuga has a reputation for being honest and transparent in his business dealings, which has helped to earn him the respect of both investors and the general public.

There is an encouraging irony in the fact that the most successful capitalist of our times is not a UXWKOHVV UDLGHU RU D ÁDVK\ VSHFXODWRU EXW D SDWLHQW long-term investor and patriot, who commits his genius and enterprise to fostering local industry and a sound, sustainable business empire.

Adenuga’s enterprise was spurred by an overriding ambition to make money but also by an overwhelming need to help the needy and remain positively rooted in his community.

He endeavours to uplift and provide through his platform, opportunities for Nigerians to thrive, whatever their calling. For instance, the company recently signed three top Nigerian music artists, Asake, Kizz Daniel, and Chike, as its brand ambassadors.

The company’s decision is aimed at showcasing these icons as role models for aspiring young Nigerians in a time when positive heroes and mentors are in short supply. This move not only supports the growth of music, Nollywood, and sports but also encourages youth to pursue their

dreams by looking up to these ambassadors as mentors.

The unveiling ceremony took place at Globacom’s corporate headquarters, Mike Adenuga Towers, Victoria Island, Lagos, in celebration of the company’s 20th anniversary. Globacom believes in highlighting the potential of youth and enterprise and aims to inspire young people to achieve their goals through focus, passion, and dedication.

On Adenuga’s watch, Globacom is committed to promoting the entertainment sector, recognising its ability to showcase Nigeria to the world and transform lives. By appointing these stars as ambassadors, the company hopes to inspire a new generation of visionary young individuals who can overcome challenges and achieve more while retaining hope in the face of adversity. )RU WKH ODWWHU LW RͿHUV D VXEVWDQWLDO VRXUFH RI income and exposure, allowing them to reach a broader audience and expand their fan base.

7KLV ÀQDQFLDO VXSSRUW FDQ EH LQVWUXPHQWDO LQ producing high-quality movies, music, music videos, and stage performances, ultimately raising the bar for creativity and production standards in the industry.

Furthermore, it creates synergies between WKH ÀQDQFLDO DQG HQWHUWDLQPHQW VHFWRUV GULYLQJ innovation in both industries as they collaborate on innovative payment solutions, digital music distribution, and more. Overall, these partnerships are shaping the music industry by infusing it with new resources, technology, and RSSRUWXQLWLHV IRU DUWLVWV WR WKULYH ZKLOH RͿHULQJ companies a unique way to engage with their target audience.

OnAdenuga’s watch, Globacom also thrives on peculiar strengths. And as they say: the strength of an enterprise subsists in its capacity to traverse unimaginable tracts in pursuit of phenomenal DQG XQOLNHO\ SD\RͿV *OREDFRP GRHV WKLV ZLWK XQULYDOOHG ÀQHVVH 7KXV LWV SKHQRPHQDO JURZWK over the years.

One thing Adenuga understood quite early was the dynamics of the African public and social spheres. For instance, he painstaking built a telecoms giant that asserted his genius and carved his niche in the public sphere by typically engaging consumers both in their active moments and during moments of downtime, when there LV D OXOO LQ WKHLU DͿDLUV WKDW LV ZKHQ WKH\ DUH moving between one point or activity and the next, and their attention is free for new inputs.

In the virtual realm, Adenuga’s Globacom engaged in real-time connections and dynamic execution while serving up any one of hundreds or thousands of variations of impactful mesVDJLQJ WDLORUHG WR WKH FRQVXPHU·V SURÀOH DQG increasingly, location—within milliseconds.

As its targeting of its customers improved in the public sphere, it became less intrusive of it, in their estimation. More importantly, the telecoms giant created content, projects and initiatives that targeted the growth of its business public and subscribers. It made sure, for instance, that all of its messaging and corporate social responsibility projects align with the consumers’ experience at the moment they encounter the ad.

Adenuga created and sustained initiatives that helped people reach personal objectives.

It integrated its business interests with a range of solutions for customers in every stratum of society. $QG 1LJHULD LV WKH PDMRU EHQHÀFLDU\

19

NOVEMBER 19, 2023 • T H I S DAY, T H E S U N DAY N E W S PA P E R

SOFT FINANCE

INVESTMENT | ECONOMICS | FINANCE | MONEY | E-COMMERCE

with

AYO AROWOLO ayo.arowolo@thisdaylive.com 08086447494 (sms only)

Perspectives On Investment Options Two fund managers share perspectives on investment options. these categories of investors can achieve their long-term investment objectives and protect their wealth over the long term.

Having had the privilege of working with several HNWIs, I have observed some interesting trends in their investment strategies.

Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Investing In recent years, there have been some noticeable trends in investing, one of them being the rise of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) investing. This type of investing involves selecting companies that meet certain ESG criteria, such as sustainability, social responsibility, good corporate governance, and labour practices. HNWIs are increasingly becoming aware of the impact their investments have on the environment and society and are seeking investments that align with their values as they seek to address social and environmental issues through their investments.

MICHAEL OYEBOLA-TEN REASONS IN FAVOUR OF INVESTING IN MUTUAL FUNDS

Investing in Nigeria’s dynamic and evolving financial landscape can be rewarding, but it also comes with its fair share of challenges and risks. For investors seeking a balanced, diversified, and professionally managed approach to wealth accumulation, mutual funds present an attractive opportunity.

And here are several reasons why you should consider mutual funds as a preferred investment vehicle.

Diversification and Risk Mitigation One of the primary reasons to invest in mutual funds is the opportunity for diversification.

Mutual funds pool money from multiple investors and invest in a diversified portfolio of assets, which include stocks, bonds, real estate, and more.

Diversification spreads risk across different asset classes, reducing the impact of poor performance in any single investment. For an individual investor, creating such a diverse portfolio can be challenging and costly. Mutual funds provide an efficient solution.

Professional Management Mutual funds are managed by experienced and skilled fund managers who make investment decisions on behalf of investors.

These professionals have access to extensive research, data, and market insights, enabling them to make informed investment choices. This level of expertise can be invaluable, especially for investors who lack the time, knowledge, or inclination to manage their investments actively.

Affordability and Accessibility Mutual funds are accessible to a wide range of investors, making them an inclusive investment option. Investors can start with relatively small amounts of money, sometimes as low as 500, allowing them to participate in the financial markets even with limited capital.

This accessibility democratises investment opportunities, ensuring that more Nigerians can benefit from the potential returns offered by various asset classes.

Liquidity Investors in mutual funds enjoy high liquidity.

Unlike some other investment options, mutual funds allow investors to buy or sell their units on any business day at the fund’s prevailing Net Asset Value (NAV). This flexibility means that investors can access their funds quickly in times of need or when they spot new investment opportunities.

Regulation and Investor Protection The Nigerian Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) regulates mutual funds, ensuring a level of transparency and investor protection. Fund managers must adhere to strict regulatory guidelines, provide regular reports to investors, and act in their best interests. This regulatory oversight helps to build trust and confidence among investors.

Compounding Returns Mutual funds allow investors to benefit from the power of compounding returns. As the fund’s investments generate income and capital gains, these earnings are reinvested into the fund, potentially leading to exponential growth over time. The longer an investor stays invested, the more pronounced the compounding effect becomes, helping you build wealth steadily.

Professional Asset Allocation One of the key benefits of mutual funds is professional asset allocation. Fund managers constantly assess market conditions, economic trends, and asset class performance to adjust the fund’s holdings accordingly. This active management can help optimise returns and manage risk over time.

Variety of Fund Options The Nigerian mutual fund industry offers

Michael Oyebola

One of the primary reasons to invest in mutual funds is the opportunity for diversification. Mutual funds pool money from multiple investors and invest in a diversified portfolio of assets, which include stocks, bonds, real estate, and more. fund options to suit different investor preferences and risk tolerances. Whether you are looking for equity funds, fixed-income funds, money market funds, Shari’ah-compliant funds, infrastructure funds, UDS funds, etc., there is likely a mutual fund that aligns with your investment objectives.

Investing in the Nigerian Economy Investing in mutual funds in Nigeria is not just about financial gain; it also supports the growth and development of the Nigerian economy. By investing in local businesses and government securities, mutual funds contribute to job creation, infrastructure development, and overall economic stability.

Convenience and Ease of Management Investing in mutual funds is hassle-free compared to managing a portfolio of individual stocks and bonds. Investors do not need to worry about tracking individual investments, monitoring the market daily, or making tactical decisions. Instead, they can focus on their broader financial goals while the fund manager takes care of the day-to-day investment activities.

Steady Income Stream For income-oriented investors, mutual funds can provide a steady stream of income through dividend distributions and interest payments. This can be particularly attractive for retirees or those seeking to supplement their regular income.

In conclusion Investing in mutual funds in Nigeria offers a myriad of advantages for both novice and experienced investors. From diversification and professional management to liquidity and tax efficiency, mutual funds provide a comprehensive solution for building wealth over time. Additionally, they contribute to the growth of the Nigerian economy by channelling investments into various sectors.

It is however crucial for investors to conduct thorough research and select mutual funds that align with their financial goals and risk tolerance. While mutual funds offer numerous benefits, they are not entirely risk-free. It is essential to understand the

Odiri Oginni

Investing trends are constantly evolving and reshaping the investment landscape as investors seek to capitalise on new opportunities and mitigate risks. Understanding these trends and incorporating them into investment strategies can lead to better performance and higher returns specific characteristics and historical performance of each fund.

In summary, mutual funds represent a compelling opportunity for investors looking to grow their wealth while benefiting from professional management and a diversified portfolio. As Nigeria’s financial markets continue to evolve, mutual funds are poised to play an increasingly significant role in helping investors achieve their financial aspirations.

Michael is the founder of moneycounsellors. com, a research, data and information platform where investors can find data, information and analysis on mutual funds, pension funds and annuity products in Nigeria.

ODIRI OGINNI: INVESTING TRENDS AMONGST HIGH NETWORTH INDIVIDUALS Investing trends are constantly evolving and reshaping the investment landscape as investors seek to capitalise on new opportunities and mitigate risks. Understanding these trends and incorporating them into investment strategies can lead to better performance and higher returns. However, investors should always be aware of the risks involved and should seek professional advice before making investment decisions.

High Net-worth Individuals (HNWIs) are individuals with unique investment needs and objectives, and their investment trends are crucial indicators of the overall economy’s health as they are often at the forefront of investing trends.

Their investment strategies are evolving in response to changes in the economy and society.

It is essential to understand these trends and to develop investment strategies that meet the unique needs of HNWIs. By staying abreast of these trends,

Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs).

Another trend is the growth of passive investing through exchange-traded funds (ETFs). ETFs are investment funds that track a particular index or sector and are traded like stocks. Passive investing has grown rapidly in recent years as investors seek to lower fees and diversify their portfolios. This trend has disrupted the traditional active management industry and has forced fund managers to compete on price and performance.

Alternative Investments Alternative investments are gaining popularity as HNWIs are increasingly turning to alternative investments such as private equity, private debt, hedge funds, and real estate. These alternative assets provide HNWIs with greater diversification, higher returns, and access to unique investment opportunities that are not available in traditional asset classes. These investments offer the potential for higher returns but also come with higher risks. HNWIs are attracted to these investments because they provide diversification, which helps to mitigate the risk of market fluctuations.

Private equity, for example, has been an attractive investment option for HNWIs, with returns outpacing those of the stock market. Real estate, on the other hand, provides HNWIs with an inflation hedge and a tangible asset that can be appreciated over time.

Artificial intelligence (AI) This is another trend that is transforming the investment industry. AI-powered algorithms analyse large sets of data and identify patterns that can be used to make investment decisions.

This technology has the potential to revolutionise investing, to improve the accuracy of predictions, and to minimise risk. With the advent of roboadvisors, which are AI-powered investment platforms, it has become easier for investors to access sophisticated investment strategies.

Multi-generational wealth planning This is becoming more important as HNWIs are increasingly focused on multi-generational wealth planning. They want to ensure that their wealth is protected and passed down to future generations. As such, HNWIs are investing in trusts, family offices, and other structures that can help to preserve and manage their wealth over the long term.

International Investing International investing is another major trend among HNWIs. HNWIs are increasingly investing in companies and assets outside their home country to diversify their portfolio and mitigate geopolitical risks. International investing provides HNWIs with exposure to new markets, currencies, and assets that are not available in their home country. In the same vein, investment in dollar-denominated assets is increasing as HNWIs are looking for opportunities to invest in multi-currency assets. These foreign markets offer the potential for high returns but they also come with higher risks. HNWIs are attracted to these markets because they provide diversification and exposure to economies that are expected to grow faster than developed economies.

•MRS ODIRI OGINNI is the Managing Director of United Capital Assets Management

20

T H I S D AY SUNDAY NOVEMBER 19, 2023

The National Assembly should sit up, writes JOSEF OMOROTIONMWAN

IS THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY ASLEEP?

A

combined reading of sections 80, 81, and 82 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), easily reveals that the makers of our constitution had the best intention for the nation and its finances, hence they gave us a system of accounting that was made into a watertight compartment, a system which thrived on the sound accounting principle that for every debit, there must be a corresponding credit; a system in which at the beginning of the financial year, the Legislative Assembly would sit down and carefully distribute the estimated revenue to the different departments of government in such a way that pilfering was almost completely eliminated!

The system also recognized that in the course of the financial year, there would occasionally arise some revenue and expenditure items that were not foreseen at the time of passing the year’s Appropriation Bill.

In obedience to the tenets of the Consolidated Revenue Fund, such unforeseen revenues and expenditures are accommodated within the context of Supplementary Appropriations.

In the type of pseudo system that we operate, the National Assembly is supposed to authorize every project and appropriate funds for its execution. In essence, no project can ever exist without legislative approval and authorization. That was the noble intention.

In utter contradiction to the above arrangement, as imperfect as it is, one still gets the impression that after the hurly-burly of what they call the appropriation period of about two months from November to December, the National Assembly simply goes on recess for the rest of the year. That’s a permanent recess!

In the 10 months of their recess, the President steps in to play the role of the National Assembly.

Of course, this is good. After all, nature abhors a vacuum. One man now becomes the President, Commander-in-Chief extraordinaire for the entire country.

Essentially, the National Assembly has now constructively defined itself as a part-time Legislature. This almost lends total credence to the idea that many Nigerians have canvassed for too long that what Nigeria needs is a part-time Legislature, preferably unicameral, that would meet a few weeks in the year; to rapidly approve a budget for the President; and give amendatory approval for actions taken by the President while they were away.

Members of such National Assembly would be entitled to sitting allowances for their few days of work.

Contrarywise, we have in Nigeria today, a National Assembly that is earnestly part-time but gets full-time pay and in the end, this produces a Sole Administrator as President! We lose on all fronts.

The pitfalls here are many. We shall attempt to restrict ourselves to the most recent happenings.

Recently, our state governors sat down somewhere in Abuja in what was called a meeting of the Council of States. They awarded themselves N5 billion each as palliatives to cushion the effect of subsidy removal on their citizens. We hear that N2 billion has been released to each of the governors. In some states, all that left the award was the cost of announcing on television that the state was going to make its transport service free to all its citizens – even where it was clear that there was not a single bus left in the transport service.

Essentially, the entire amount was “palliated” into the governor’s pocket.

With the loud noise that greeted the initial release, we may never know what has happened to the balance of N3 billion.

We are only concerned here with the extrabudgetary nature of the transaction. We searched but in vain, to find the source of this expenditure item. It is nowhere in the 2023 Appropriations.

We quickly assumed that it must have been tapped from savings from the fuel subsidy removal. That makes it more offensive.

We have not seen this supplementary appropriation that brought the amount into the Consolidated Revenue Fund.

Palliatives have since become the name of the game. Where is the National Assembly in all this? The President is constantly in a tug of war with organized labour. At the peak of their imbroglio, we saw an accountable organized labour that constantly said “we shall take this to our members and see what they think about it”. We also expected to see a President who would say, “I hope I get the necessary approval from the National Assembly.”

Instead, we saw an unaccountable Presidency that did not think there was a role for the National Assembly. It took the National Assembly for granted.

Occasionally, when the Speaker and the Senate President intervened, they only did so to plead for the President — the very President who had pleasantly usurped their functions.

In all magnanimity, the President is everywhere creating programs and projects, and dishing out money for them, in a system where no project and program should exist without legislative approval and appropriation.

Apparently, the National Assembly has since abandoned its duty post and the President is wallowing in illegalities!

Omorotionmwan writes from Canada

CHIMA CHRISTIAN argues why self-help should not be an option

INCESSANT KILLINGS IN THE MIDDLE BELT Nigeria’s Middle Belt region has faced, and continues to face crisis of civilisational proportions. Attacks on indigenous communities, often but wrongly labelled farmer-herder crisis, have continued unabated. Every now and then reports of attacks on sleepy communities, and the number of people killed during such attacks, make national headlines. What is not usually reported is the number of people displaced, and what happens in those displaced communities after such violent relocation of indigenous peoples has happened.

For starters, when a community has been UHSHDWHGO\ DWWDFNHG SHRSOH ÁHH VHHNLQJ refuge in IDP Camps or neighbouring communities. When this happens, one would expect the deserted communities WR UHPDLQ HPSW\ %XW ZH ÀQG RXW WKDW populations, often speaking the language DQG KDYLQJ DQ DIÀQLW\ ZLWK DUPHG LQYDGHUV settle in and occupy those lands, killing or threatening to kill every indigenous land owner that dares to come back. This is true of Moon Council Ward in Kwande Local Government Area of Benue State as it is true of more than 68 communities in Mangu Local Government area of Plateau State.

These two LGAs are only a minor highlight of what is going on today in several parts of the Middle Belt.

In all these, the response of the government and the establishment media have been far from helpful. The government has failed in its duty to protect and enforce the rights of the people. The media has continued to misreport and mischaracterise these events.

These have given rise to populist sentiments calling on the people to arm themselves and defend their lands in the face of the obvious inability or unwillingness of the government to do so.

As we implement all reasonable strategies to halt the mindless killings and the violent usurpation of the rights of indigenous peoples of the Middle Belt region, we will also have to push back on this often fantasised idea of arming the people to “defend” themselves. To be sure, this idea sounds beautiful, but the end thereof are the ways of death.

I tell you the truth, once the Middle Belt gets to that threshold, they will completely eject invaders out of their lands in less than three months. They will do this not minding the presence of Nigeria’s security forces whose stock in trade has been disarmament of the locals.

Take this for an example. If anyone told the Nigerian Police and soldiers that a time will come when they will become endangered species in the South East region, would they have believed it? Today, the situation is so EDG WKDW SROLFHPHQ VROGLHUV RSHUDWLQJ LQ the region, even in state capitals, cannot go to work, or come home from work cladded in their uniforms. They must disguise themselves once they are not in their full formation, or else they stand a grave risk of being captured or killed by local militias.

As we speak, the anger of the everyday Middle Beltan against Nigeria’s security forces whom they deem either compromised, incompetent, or both, is welling up. If we do not intervene, it will only be a matter of time before that anger and the lived trauma of the people come bursting at the seams.

Advocates of non-state armed confrontations as a way to end the invasion of the Middle Belt must be called upon to answer a pertinent question; What happens to the region when the invaders are gone, and the indigenous peoples begin pointing their guns at each other’s jugular?

The Middle Belt retains the capacity to

hurt itself much more than any invading force can hurt it. From historical and even present-day realities, we know this to be true. We also know that once equipped, the people will undoubtedly UHVXPH ÀJKWLQJ ROG WULEDO HWKQLF ZDUV with new tools. This is why all policy designs around solving the problem must be broad enough to factor in what happens to society after the problem has been solved Those advocating for an uncontrollable experiment in the Middle Belt should be reminded that the fastest way to cure any sickness, especially debilitating ones, is to kill the sick person. Because once the carrier of the disease or sickness is gone, the sickness goes with him or her.

Yet, that is not even a considered option when we, or our loved ones, fall sick.

We take our time to go through sometimes slow, painful and expensive routines as prescribed by experts. Even when we take drugs, we do not ingest all of them at once, we space them out as recommended to avoid badly damaging ourselves in a bid to get rid of an ailment.

In some cases, conditions have to be managed till the grave comes calling because attempting a wholesome cure ZLOO ÀUVW NLOO WKH SHUVRQ EHIRUH LW UHPHGLHV the situation.

If we know this to be true, why then do we prescribe chaos and guaranteed destruction when it comes to dealing with sicknesses at the societal level?

Why are we insisting that burning down the house is the best way to exterminate rodents?

I acknowledge that the situation is dire. Having personally visited a few of the hurting communities, and IDP camps in at least three states in the region, and seen the scope of the humanitarian disaster occasioned by this crisis, I am also in a hurry to see that the pains end like yesterday. Having also seen the protection these invaders enjoy, the possible accomplices they have in positions of authority, and the lethargic response of the political elite, self-help also seems appealing.

It is agreed that political and diplomatic solutions to issues of this nature are both long and intricate. More so, there is no guarantee of immediate answers as the politico-diplomatic pathway is the one most susceptible to lengthy protocols and even lethargy. Yet, we must painfully follow and iterate on this route till it works for the Middle Belt. The alternative, I am afraid, has to be immediately abandoned for it only solves the problem by creating ten new ones.

Christian, a Public Policy Analyst, is the Executive Director of Africa’s Morning Centre for Public Policy and Good Governance

21

T H I S D AY SUNDAY NOVEMBER 19, 2023

EDITORIAL

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

ISSUES IN OFF-SEASON ELECTIONS The authorities must come up with a solution to the worrying problems of elections

D

ue to their limited number, off-cycle elections are ordinarily expected to produce better outcomes than general elections. But that has not been the case as the problems associated with general elections are often serially repeated, VRPH LQ WKH ZRUVW IRUPV /DVW ZHHN WKH 1DWLRQDO 3HDFH Committee decried cases of violence, intimidation, and vote-buying, among other vices that characterised the November 11 off-cycle governorship elections in Imo, Kogi and Bayelsa States. “The persistence of the culture of vote-buying, intimidation, and voter apathy, among others are disturbing,” the committee, headed by former Head of State, Abdulsalami Abubakar, noted in a statement. “A democratic culture will only grow if we participate in cleaning up the process of our elections because, in the end, we are the victims.”

This is an assessment shared by several stakeholders.

Electoral irregularities, and security concerns often associated with the main elections were prevalent in the three states while the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officials appeared helpless.Evidentlyworriedbytheseincreasingirregularities, former President Goodluck Jonathan, after casting his vote at his country home in Bayelsa State, canvassed the need to do away with off-cycle elections. He urged the National Assembly to enact a law that would end it, arguing that a time may come when even the presidential election would be off-season.

Unfortunately, it may not be that easy. Off-cycle election, an entirely Nigerian phenomenon which came into being in 2006, is increasingly being ingrained in our system. The 1999 Constitution as amended sanctions it. Off-season elections are primarily due to court rulings which overturn election results. And as the courts continue to play a major role in our elections, the number of states conducting off-season elections would likely be lengthened, except cases are speedily dispensed. Section RI WKH 1LJHULDQ &RQVWLWXWLRQ VSHFLÀHV WKDW D JRYHUQRU YDFDWHV WKH RIÀFH IRXU \HDUV IURP WKH GDWH WKH\ ÀUVW WDNH WKH RDWK For now, eight states conduct off cycle elections.

They include Anambra, Edo, Osun, Ondo, and others.

It started when Peter Obi, then of All Progressives

Grand Alliance (APGA) in Anambra State, successfully challenged the election of Chris Ngige, then of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) through a court process that lasted for three years. Since the constitution says a governor is entitled to four years, Obi was sworn in for a fresh period of four years from the day of his victory in court. Most of the other off-cycle elections followed the same trajectory. In Imo State, for instance, the 2019 polls elected former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Emeka Ihedioha as governor. But a Supreme Court ruling in January 2020 declared victory in favour of Hope Uzodimma who, by INEC results, came fourth at the election. Meanwhile, Uzodimma’s tenure started counting from 2020. Kogi’s governorship election EHFDPH RII VHDVRQ IROORZLQJ D FRXUW UXOLQJ WKDW QXOOLÀHG Governor Ibrahim Idris’ victory in 2007 and ordered that a by-election be held in 2008.

Essentially because of the desperation by politicians, off-season elections are now marred by controversies.

Instead of enhancing public trust and building confidence in the electoral system, the exercise, in many aspects, has deepened the crisis of legitimacy in our elections. From late arrival of polling materials and officers to polling stations to ballot snatching, and thumb printing to thuggery and killings, vices were widespread. In many polling units in Imo State, voters reportedly stayed away from exercising their civic rights due to fear of violence. In Bayelsa State, there were reports of violence with the PDP candidate and incumbent Governor, Douye Diri and the main opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Timipre Sylva, a former governor of the state, trading damaging allegations.

In Kogi State, there was less of violence but more of another nightmare: There were pre-filled election results forms EHIRUH WKH HOHFWLRQ VWDUWHG LQ ÀYH /RFDO *RYHUQPHQW $UHDV of Ogori-Magongo, Adavi, Ajaokuta, Okehi and Okene, prompting INEC to cancel the results. Besides, votes were freely sold. Operatives of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) reportedly seized millions of naira from suspected vote buyers and sellers.

Beyond the logistical nightmares that are now associated with off-season gubernatorial elections, we must find a constitutional response to the challenge of making INEC to conduct elections every other day. As President Jonathan has said, it is an aberration that bodes ill for our democracy.

We must find a constitutional response to the challenge of making INEC to conduct elections every other day S U N DAY N E W S PA P E R EDITOR DAVIDSON IRIEKPEN DEPUTY EDITORS FESTUS AKANBI, EJIOFOR ALIKE MANAGING DIRECTOR ENIOLA BELLO DEPUTY MANAGING DIRECTOR ISRAEL IWEGBU CHAIRMAN EDITORIAL BOARD OLUSEGUN ADENIYI EDITOR NATION’S CAPITAL IYOBOSA UWUGIAREN THE OMBUDSMAN KAYODE KOMOLAFE

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

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LETTERS

AN NDDC GOVERNING BOARD AT LAST At the risk of rehashing cliches, I commend President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for appointing a substantive Governing Board for the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). It is a step in the right direction. I congratulate members of the Governing Board of the NDDC on their appointment.

To members of the NDDC Governing Board, I will rehash another cliche, it’s time to hit the ground running. There is absolutely no time for bickering among members of the Governing Board, the NDDC is in the eye of

the storm, so much is expected of the commission.

In some critical circles, the NDDC is variously and sarcastically referred to as ‘Na Dem Dem Commission’ and ‘Na Dem Dem Chop’. While these sarcastic interpretations of the NDDC acronym are subject to the views of their purveyors, it is a veritable reminder that much is expected of the NDDC, more so when its primary role as an interventionist agency is considered.

Thankfully, the NDDC Governing Board has a positive

trail to follow, the trail set by Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, Managing Director of the NDDC who has been in the leadership of the commission since the beginning of the year. Ogbuku has been proactively engaging critical and relevant stakeholders in the Niger Delta region through the PublicPrivate Partnership initiative in the campaign to ensure the sustainable development of the Niger Delta region.

Over the past nine months, Ogbuku’s PPP initiative has proven to be sustainable, progressive and popular with stakeholders. The PPP

is a veritable programme that brings together everyone in sustainable development of the Niger Delta development value chain. The PPP ensures that everyone in the value chain receives their due.

It brings together; the project, the project managers and the project EHQHÀFLDULHV The PPP trail is a veritable trail I encourage the NDDC Governing Board to embrace, follow, strengthen and build on in order to write their names in marble and ensure their legacy in the sands of time.

Ebitu Oku, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State

A

WEEKLY PULL-OUT

19.11.2023

AMOS GWAMNA MAGAJI

HOW MY MEDICAL DOCTOR AMBITION WAS THWARTED An encounter with Hon. Amos Gwamna Magaji leaves you in awe. He is intellectually driven and he was as one of the brightest in his younger days to the extent that everybody concluded that he would be a medical doctor.

Fast-forward to his later years, a prolonged strike put his ambition on hold and he ended up in human physiology.

From his aborted dream of becoming a medical doctor to his success story as a business tycoon, pastor and now a politician, Magaji, a PDP lawmaker representing Zangon Kataf/Jaba Federal Constituency of Kaduna State in the 10th National Assembly’s strength lies in believing in himself. Hon. Magaji, who chairs the House Committee on Health Institutions in a brief encounter tells Funke Olaode his story and hope for the restoration of security to his Southern Kaduna constituency.

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

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R NOVEMBER 19, 2023

23

COVER

I Have Faith in the New Administration to Restore Security in Kaduna

I

t was an unscheduled interview that happened on the corridor of a luxury hotel somewhere in Ikeja, Lagos one sunny afternoon.

Amos Magaji has demonstrated the indomitable spirit that dwells in him, which underscores his unwavering support for his people. Looking dapper in a black suit, he is actually one of the ‘big boys’ in the House of Rep. But Magaji finds great strength in simplicity, which propels the conversation to dig deep to know more about his life, ideas and milestones.

To say that Magaji has the seed of greatness in him, a sound mind and potential for growth is like stating the obvious. He would later admit that his first code of success is being intentional about every move either in public or private.

“Prior to my foray into politics, I was in the private sector, consulting in occupational health and safety in Abuja and Lagos.

So, you would be surprised that I never set out to be a politician,” he said as he opened up the conversation.

Magaji is intellectually driven and scholarly inspired. The traits nurtured as one of the brightest in his younger days that everybody concluded that he would be a medical doctor. “With modesty, my brilliance has always stood me out and I thought by now I would have been a professor but somehow I went through medical school and it was very tough.

“I have always wanted to be a medical doctor, not because I wanted to be but maybe after every quiz competition, when you represent your secondary school and you come out brilliantly, your teacher will say, ‘I hope you will be a doctor.’ I don’t know whether the dream was internally generated or it was imputed to me by the voices of many people I heard growing up. Because if you are doing well in school everybody will suggest you become a medical doctor. Then, I decided to write JAMB and put in medicine that I have been hearing in my head. I was the best student in geography, biology, and physics.”

Magaji has had his fair share of disruption in Nigeria’s education sector. In an unfortunate twist of fate, after spending close to a decade pursuing his dream, he jettisoned the idea and ended up in Human Physiology, which is still part of medicine. “None of my classmates spent less than 10 years at medical school. But I moved to Human Physiology. I was actually heartbroken but I believe in God and His will.”

Holding firmly to God’s instructions, Magaji still had the ambition of pursuing his early dream. With basic courses undertaken during his undergraduate days and a degree in HP, he was assured. Instead of joining his classmates in MBBS Class after graduation, he went for the mandatory National Youth Service Corps. After service, he got a job and moved on. Today, he has a master ’s degree in Health Management, a professional certificate in Health and Safety and a PhD in Environmental Management.

By the way, Magaji is also a Pastor in House on the Rock. His reference to the Bible intermittently gave him away. He is firmly rooted in the words of God who guided him in that disturbing moment.

“I wanted to be a medical doctor but it didn’t materialise. There was no real disappointment. At the point I wanted to leave MBBS to study human physiology, I had a dream and I was praying. I actually

Magaji

went on fasting for 21 days. I was just praying to know the direction God wants me to go. Then, I dreamt that I saw a sun coming out which signified the dawn of a new day, the sun rose. So, when I went there, it wasn’t the sun that came but in the colour of the sun, words of hope came out. So, I said what does that mean?

Then God took me to Jeremiah and said there is hope in your end.”

Magaji’s ambition may be thwarted but he has made it up through his commitments to the nation as a politician. He is currently Chairman House Committee on Health Institutions. With successes trailing him in the private sector where he has operated for over two decades, why did he throw in the towel to be a politician? His response: “The truth about it is that I have always been involved with my people but not in politics. If you had called me in 2018 to go into politics, I would have rejected it. But the bible says many are the plans in a man’s heart but it is the counsel of the Lord that shall stand.

And that is what I believe happened to me. I wasn’t even sure I would be in politics but suddenly I found myself in it. I think it was divine.”

Kaduna has been in the news for the wrong reasons due to ethnic/ religious crises that have defied solutions. What steps are being taken to dowse the tension in Southern Kaduna? Magaji said he is hopeful.

“There are a lot of interventions concerning that. We are grateful for the establishment of a unit called Operation Safe Haven (local), which has also been helping to curb the crises. The unit is part of the office of the Chief of Defense Staff. Of course, we are also grateful that we have the Chief of Defence Staff from Zangokataf. I believe that with the new administration at both federal and state levels, a lot will be done to ensure that the security situation in Kaduna is restored.”

As Chairman House Committee on Health Institutions, loads of responsibilities fall on his table.

Throwing more light on health situations, he emphasised that it goes beyond “Phensic and Panadol.”

“A nation thrives with a healthy population particularly development of children and women of childbearing age. But we also have some very salient problems in our society right now, especially with

people within my constituency, which is insecurity.

“Insecurity has affected the availability of food in rural areas within Nigeria especially the northern part of Nigeria and largely part of Kaduna State.

In my constituency right now, many people are not able to go to their farms, so cultivating food becomes a problem.

That is problem number one.”

Shedding more light on food fortification, he remarked that the need to survive has overshadowed the quest for quality food.

“And when you are talking about food fortification, which is the topic of discussion at the Forum where we met, people are not taking it very seriously because they are just looking for food to eat and survive. So, if you tell them let’s fortify our food, what they are actually looking for is that ‘let me have food that I will eat and survive, whether the food is rich in nutrients or not.’ And of course, food fortification also comes with the cost. At the point where the economy is not going the way everybody would have wanted in Nigeria, that becomes a problem again.

When you are telling people to make sure they eat food that is fortified, people will tell you where they get this food from.

“But then, the legislation is there that encourages or mandates every large-scale food producer to fortify their food before they even bring it to the market. Even when the food is fortified, there are issues with transportation, storage and distribution of food. Within those chains, our food gets contaminated.

Even if you have fortified food, retaining food becomes a challenge.

People now have to eat contaminated fortified food. These are issues and areas we need to closely monitor to ensure that when people are given food, they are food that is safe.

“And with the current situation in the country, farmers normally put chemicals on their farm produce to save them from weevils and so on. And those chemicals have their duration, their lifeline, and the time it will take the chemicals to wear down so that you can consume them. For instance, as a farmer, if you have bags of beans and corn, and you apply chemicals and probably the produce was supposed to be safe for consumption in October and suddenly you hear that in August the bags are selling for so high. You too want to make quick money. And of course, you as a buyer do not know what the farmer has put in its own store. So you bring the food product, sell it out, and then people will eat and before you know what is happening, they will start having food poisoning. And if something happens, they will now start looking at the stepmother, that she is the one probably that has killed them. Not knowing that the problem of food poisoning, most times comes from the storage, transportation and retaining those food products. It is very good to have fortified food but it is also very important for us to make sure that the food that people are getting is safe.”

Hon. Magaji wears many caps. He is a husband, father, politician and pastor even right from his university days.

He started as a Baptist then went to a Ministry called CRM, and later House On the Rock. His busy schedule as a politician hasn’t taken the shine off his responsibility as a dutiful husband and father.

“I am a family-oriented man. Again, I am just blessed with a wife who understands, if not I think politics and all the exigencies of the work affect the family. I have handled my responsibilities well without one affecting the other. For instance, I love to unwind by listening to music and going to the gym. Family is everything so I create time for my family,” he stated.

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R NOVEMBER 19, 2023

24

HighLife

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

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

Bankole Omisore: The Powers behind the Growing Successes of Gov. Adeleke Behind every successful man is a powerful woman—so the saying goes.

The case of Osun State governor, Ademola Adeleke, is a bit different. Behind him is a team of specially trained change-makers, including the brilliant Bankole Omisore.

Today, Omisore is likely the most powerful individual in Osun, overshadowing his boss’ influence by a long shot.

Governor Adeleke’s dirty laundry has not been aired in a while. Things are taking a turn for the worse for him in this regard. This time, the calumnious speculations revolve around the Dancing Senator’s joviality, now regarded in some quarters as fatuous and unproductive. But there’s a rainbow within this dreary cloud—in the person of Omisore, Adeleke’s Special Adviser on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Multilateral Relations.

Rumour-mongers claim that Omisore arrived at Adeleke’s side at the behest of a former Senate President whose administrative help the governor

Omisore

was unable to obtain. Not minding the authenticity of this claim, Omisore has demonstrated remarkable mastery of governmental oversight. His contributions to

governance in Osun have turned criticising eyes away from Adeleke’s presumed miscarriages.

Reports allege that Adeleke’s cabinet consists of individuals who recognise Omisore’s value and defer to him in all things. The governor is consequently cast in the cinematic arrangement as the August emperor, chancing upon power but having little ability to handle it effectively.

It is not necessarily a bad thing that Omisore is very good at assisting Adeleke. By every indication, Adeleke recognised the international relations and digital communications expert, evidenced by how much power was delegated to him. Continuing this train of thought, Adeleke can rest easy, outsourcing governmental problems to teams headed by Omisore, and letting fault-finders exercise their jaws.

As long as people like Omisore stay by Adeleke’s side, the governor will shine. If this is not enough reason to be jolly and dance at every opportunity, what is?

Hadiza Bala Usman: When Power Prevails over Bias Ashiru

Bimbo Ashiru’s Midas Touch Holding back praise and commendation has its benefits, chief among them being forcing the worker to continually improve on service delivery. Because Bimbo Ashiru, Chairman of Odu’a Investment Company Limited, meets every criterion of excellent leadership, there is no point in withholding praise. Prince Dapo Abiodun, Ogun State governor, recognizes this, setting off a series of reasons for the acknowledgement of Ashiru’s Midas touch.

Ashiru is proving himself to be one of the best assets of the South-west in his role as Odu’a Chairman. Blaring the trumpets after a careful assessment of the man’s contribution over the years, Governor Abiodun declared that Ashiru continues to push the limits of excellent leadership, completely loyal to the corporation and inspiring a similar height of commitment in other Odu’a operatives.

Abiodun’s assessment is only the latest among a long line of praises.

Since Ashiru emerged as the Odu’a Group Chairman, great changes have come to the corporation. For one, it has become more visible across Nigeria.

Secondly, it has unified the efforts of the Southwestern governors to set up a reliable launching pad for economic growth in the region.

Ashiru’s work as Odu’a Chairman has also seen increased creativity across the South-west, not to mention a stronger sense of belonging among the influential working class.

Ashiru has always been like this, bringing excellence to every office. When he was in banking, it was the same. When he dipped his hands into the political stream as the Honourable Commissioner for Commerce and Industry in Ogun, it was the same.

For Ashiru, such a colourful track record is only normal.

Bala-Usman

Authority, influence, and prestige are derivatives of power. When power is in force, it prevails over all else, including bias.

This truth became even more apparent after President Bola Tinubu handed over the ministerial neighbourhood watch to Hadiza Bala Usman, former Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA). At present, everything and everyone kowtows before her delegated might.

Gender is not a strong thing in governance, usually. But sometimes it is, and Usman might hold this sentiment. Her history in governmental service is marked by heavier power play than some women can brook. But those days are far behind the Zaria native as her new position sets over as lord over Tinubu’s ministers.

President Tinubu made Usman the head of his administration’s Result and Delivery Unit (RDU). Still serving in her capacity as his Special Adviser on Policy Coordination, this assignment places Usman as the class monitor

over the ministers, each of whom must now focus on delivering the best possible outcomes in their respective offices.

Usman’s RDU headship is a turnaround for her. In the previous administration, the height of her public service was her heading of the NPA. However, due to a disagreement with the former Transport Minister, Rotimi Amaechi, her superior, she was thrown out of office.

Her exit from the NPA was nowhere near dignified, but Usman’s present position rubs out any stain on her dignity.

Presently, every minister defers to her, recognising that the direction of her thumbs can make or mar their work.

The ancients say that the guiltless have nothing to fear, but which minister dares to proclaim themselves so until Usman declares it?

It is all very interesting to watch grown men pander to Usman’s every demand.

The game has turned on its head as having the whistle to speak highly of or scarify ministerial commitment and service delivery makes her the biggest man on the block.

Well-deserved Honour …Gov Seyi Makinde Becomes Jagunmolu of Ondo Kingdom Diligence, dedication, and vision are great values. Because Seyi Makinde, Governor of Oyo State, embodies these values, he is making progress with his people. Makinde is so effective that his success is attracting the admiration of prestigious individuals from other states in Nigeria. The title of Jagunmolu of Ondo Kingdom is the latest token of this admiration.

The good people of Oyo cannot be prouder of their governor than they are at the moment. Pride is the only way to express their hearts at the decision of the Osemawe and Paramount Ruler of Ondo Kingdom, Oba Dr. Victor Adesimbo to install Makinde as the Jagunmolu of Ondo Kingdom.

The monarch’s conferment ceremony coincided with his 17th coronation ceremony and 70th birthday.

Adding Makinde’s new chieftaincy title to the double celebration, Oba Adesimbo recognised the governor’s contributions to Oyo and the Southwest in general. With the additional highlight of a book launch in honour of the king, the celebration was very colourful.

Makinde’s new title is well-deserved by every indication and good sense. Since coming into power, the man has committed himself to good governance, doing nothing less than his best to meet the expectations of his people.

All of Makinde’s accomplishments tie directly to the promises he made to the Oyo people. These include the provision of safe, adequate, and efficient transport infrastructure; the

Gov. Makinde and his wife, Olufunke

revitalisation of rural economies, with a cyclesystem of empowerment and patronage; social inclusion for women and formerly marginalised groups; and many more.

As many people have declared, Makinde’s uncomplicated style of governance is a model that his peers should

emulate. He is not only the spark of hope for many in Oyo or the South-west; the other states and regions in Nigeria can greatly benefit from copying him. Perhaps, when that happens, virtuous traditional leaders like Oba Adesimbo would recognize the good work of Makinde’s peers.

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HIGHLIFE

Usman Ododo and Yahaya Bello: A Tale of the New Kogi State…Will Their Honeymoon Last?

L-R: Bello and Ododo

The off-season governorship elections in Nigeria for 2023 have come to an end. Whether it is in Bayelsa, Kogi, or Imo, the outcomes of the elections have been as foreseen. This is especially true in Kogi, home of Governor Yahaya Bello, alias White Lion. The question now arises: will his appointed successor, Usman Ododo, continue in the role of godson

as he takes over from Bello?

The election in Kogi brought many Nigerians to the realisation that Bello is not as plain and uncomplicated as presumed by the media. The man self-titled White Lion has a strong personality and an everything-must-gomy-way-ness. Observers regarding this aspect of the Ebira man were not surprised when Bello’s

means got Ododo into first-place position.

Ododo, a man slowly shaping himself into another Bello, is a cause of worry for some Kogites. One, he is not well-known across the nation as he seemingly appeared out of the political nowhere to earn Bello’s grace. Secondly, he appears to be cut from the same cloth as his boss, with confidence bordering on arrogance and a determination to have his way at any cost.

Interestingly, many people are congratulating Bello on Ododo’s victory at the polls instead of Ododo himself.

Some public commentators think that this is already a bad sign even though Ododo continues to maintain a humble posture before the White Lion.

Over the years, many godsons knocked down their godfathers for the simple joy of it. Will Ododo emulate these individuals and find a way to nail down Bello once he secures the gubernatorial mantle and is in Lugard House?

Very few share the idea that the honeymoon between godfather White Lion and godson Ododo will not last. But only time will tell. In the meantime, Kogites are praying for positive change and respite from tyrannic governance.

Is Power Minister, Adebayo Adelabu, Under Intense Pressure to Deliver?

The Nigerian power sector is seeing all kinds of things these days. With the notable drops in the frequency of power delivery to households, it seems as if the nation is reverting to the days of Up NEPA—assuming some regions and communities ever left. With such matters at hand, how can Adebayo Adelabu, the Minister of Power, rest easy?

Adelabu is starting to feel some of the heat associated with overseeing a ministry as proverbial upside-down as power. Before now, the former banker and politician appeared to take everything in stride, exhibiting an attitude that indicated calm and control. But from the decisions so far made, Adelabu is not the calmest minister in President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet.

The matter of a hike in tariff is among the earliest follow-come components of Adelabu’s ministerial prowess. The possible increase in electricity pricing sent the masses complaining. Even though Adelabu has assured Nigerians that no such thing will happen now

due to other prevailing issues, especially petrol price hikes and Naira devaluation wahala, the votes of confidence for Adelabu are reducing.

It is a good thing that Adelabu is benign enough to recognise that certain policies would cause havoc in the country. But even he knows that this benevolence gets him nowhere without strong positive moves from him.

Perhaps, this is why reports that the federal government wants to create 340,000 jobs via the power sector by 2030 are all over the place.

Undoubtedly, Adelabu is under pressure to perform. Why else are there so many initiatives, projects, and promises to get Nigerians into a waiting posture?

Plans are good and active planning is welcome. But even better is action.

Adelabu is doing something, but he must hasten whatever this thing is to deepen the impact of his position. Otherwise, Nigerians might add him to the list of perfunctory ministers and drag his seat from under him.

Adelabu

Prince Segun Akanni Unveils Activities for the 2024 Edition of Pan-Afrika Drum in Canada

Akanni

Reaching new heights is the aspiration of achievers. Prince Segun Akanni, the Publisher of The Drum Online Media and Executive Director of the Global Forum for Human Rights and Sustainable Development embodies this

fact. Even as he concludes his review of the maiden edition of the Drum Festival, Akanni is putting the gears into action for the next one.

According to news bearers, the media man remains committed to helping to redefine the prestige of African traditions, focusing on Nigeria. As the 2024 edition is scheduled to take place in Canada, same as last year’s, the drummers are ready to titillate the hearts of all and sundry, Nigerians and outsiders alike.

Based on Akanni’s lineup of activities, the 2024 Drum Festival will start rolling on Thursday, June 27, 2024, at Fuzion Banquet Hall, Britannia Road, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. The theme of the event will be “Exploring the Dynamism of African Drums and Canadian Multiculturalism for Global Unity, Inclusivity and Development,” and the host will be Akanni’s The Drum Online Media Incorporation.

Like the event’s maiden edition on July 28, 2023, Akanni intends to take Canada by storm. This time, there will be a courtesy visit and interactive sessions with prestigious individuals such as the Premier of Ontario, Honourable Doug Ford; the Mayor of Brampton, Mayor Patrick Brown; the Mayor of Toronto, Mayor Olivia Chow; and the Mayor of Kitchener, Mayor Berry Vrbanovic.

In addition, there will also be lecture presentations and beauty pageant shows.

All of these activities will further deepen the highlight of the event about drum competitions and the simple delight of appreciating the arts.

Without question, Akanni’s reputation in Canada will reach a new height. In this, he is not only holding himself up but also the pride and delight of his Nigerian and African brothers there will him or away.

Kelvin Obasuyi Becomes First Nigerian Black Leader Scholar at Oxford Being first is often the sign of eminence in one thing or another. Nigeria has seen many firsts in many things.

Even so, the recent recognition of Kelvin Obasuyi as Nigeria’s first black leader scholar at Oxford brought a new flavour to the nation. This prestige is unique and could pave the way for greater distinction in the future.

Oxford University honoured Obasuyi as one of the most exceptional Black or Mixed young leaders undergoing a Master’s degree programme in Business Administration (MBA) at the Saïd Business School. With this recognition, Obasuyi is the first of many to come, bringing glory and pride to the nation of

his birth.

Obasuyi’s distinction comes on the heels of the Oxford Black Scholar Program.

It is one of the provisions that the university has made to certify and empower black business leaders from all over the world based on their academic virtues and potential for leadership.

Although such programmes are meant to display the university’s commitment to inclusivity, diversity, and representativeness, it is a source of pride for many.

Obasuyi’s emergence as one of the leading figures at the business school has motivated many young and bright minds from Nigeria. Although many of these Nigerians have some

ways to go before reaching Obasuyi’s height, the 56 Capital founder has paved a new path for them to walk in.

This is not Obasuyi’s first time distinguishing himself.

He did so as a new graduate of Economics from Covenant University; as a Technical Project Manager at Standard Bank Group from 2017 to 2021; as a Project Manager at First Bank of Nigeria from 2021 to January of 2023; and as a business analyst at Clear Voice Interpreting Services, UK, from February 2023 to July 2023.

In short, Obasuyi’s recognition from Oxford University is well-deserved. It is an honour for him and other Nigerians in the UK.

Obasuyi

Jack-Rich

Jack-Rich Goes Low Profile There is a time for everything: a time for action and a time to rest from action.

The founder and president of Belemaoil Producing Limited, Tein Jack-Rich, has appeared to have decided to rest from all action. After a taxing presidential campaign and the apparent absence of remuneration for all his work, what can the businessman do other than take a break?

The campaigns and subsequent electoral exercise that brought President Bola Tinubu to power in 2023 were influenced by the input of many people, including JackRich. The Belemaoil man was a contender for the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential ticket. However, he retired in the face of superior political prestige.

Despite pulling back from the presidential race, Jack-Rich stood with Tinubu throughout the campaigns. So committed was he that he lent the campaign team one of his offices. True to his calculations, Tinubu won and Jack-Rich allegedly prepared to receive the returns on his investments—to no avail.

Rumours abounded in the early wake of Tinubu’s reward sessions, a nomination here and an appointment there, but Jack-Rich’s name was never included anywhere. Things got so awkward that rumour millers attempted to lend the South-south man a hand by claiming that he had paid N500 million for a ministerial slot. JackRich denied this claim and the issue died; a failed experiment.

Currently, the man has rested from his labours. Although once in a while someone mentions him in conversation, Jack-Rich has disappeared from the political limelight. This is not necessarily bad, especially because several scandalous reports had begun to make the rounds around his matrimonial home.

If he cannot become Nigeria’s president, a minister, or a governor, at least, Jack-Rich can remain a married man. Better to fade from public view for a time than to lose his good name, lovely wife, and thriving business because of politics. At least, this is the estimation of some observers over Jack-Rich’s low visibility.

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LOUD WHISPERS

with JOSEPH EDGAR (09095325791)

DAPO ABIODUN: WILL APOLOGY BE PROPER? A few months ago, I had written on these wishes and not mention pages a scathing commentary against his name- but his Governor Dapo Aboidun on the back strides in aviation, of the destruction of Senator Gbenga sports, real estate Daniel’s property (I think the building and the rest belongs to his wife). Then the Sagamu will continue mayhem occurred and I tied it and fired to leave me in some very well aimed missiles which I a gasp. Hiring think didn’t sit well with one “paddy” over 200,000 who threatened me with everything he Nigerians, this had. bobo is simply He sent text messages and said he something was the publicity secretary of the APC else, especially in Ogun State. He even called me an his legendary “Amala journalist” amongst all sorts penchant of within the limits of his lexicon. I replied shunning the and asked him to come and fight, but as limelight, adding it is wont to be, he ran. to his mystique.

Anyways, that was how I carried myself My brother, that to Ikenne on a visit to a very inspiring was how I found Nigerian who is doing things. He wants myself at the new Ogun to remain anonymous so I will respect his State Agro Cargo Airport in

Abiodun

shock and amazement.

The Commissioner for Works took us round the site and I felt like hugging and really apologising to Prince Dapo Abiodun.

Aghhh! Projected to employ over 30,000 Nigerians when it’s completed - they even called it one name o, Aeropole or something like that, meaning that it would have restaurants, office complexes, hotels, shopping malls, etc. In fact, what they told me

was that the airport was just 10% of the proposed development.

My people, they took me to the fourkilometre runway and I shouted again.

It can carry any size of planes except the airbus which they told me was on its way out. His Excellency Governor Abiodun kept calling my host, he was in a hurry. He had given a deadline for December 2023 and the contractors were working feverishly to meet the deadline.

Already planes have started landing and even the Vice President, Shettima, used the place on a recent visit to the state. I hear it will be the home of Value Jet, Nigeria’s most recent entry into the aviation industry.

Governor Abiodun if only for this one, I say sorry. Don’t vex, it’s the devil that pushed me that time, don’t vex egbon mi.

Ajaero

Fani-Kayode

Prof. Soyinka

Ribadu

JOE AJAERO’S INEFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP This oga is gradually positioning himself as the worst NLC president in history. His tenure is so ineffective, lacking in cohesion and basically just looking like what in Shomolu we used to call Otun Obo. Otun Obo are those people who could not play football to save their lives. That is the worst thing that could ever happen to you in Shomolu those days. You will be derided, laughed at and just generally mocked.

This is what Joe is turning out to be- an Otun Obo in the field.

Since this regime, it has been one threat or the other of a national strike or something.

Shakara everytime o and nothing massively will happen.

This latest one just tire me. The man flew into Imo to receive the beating of his life. The worst beating of any Labour president since 1912, complete with black

eye and inability to speak English again as a result of the concussion thrown up by the blows.

The nation was incensed and some of us called for a national blackout until those who were responsible were apprehended and brought to their knees. The NLC called a national strike and rightly so. Yes na, I agree the country has gone to the dogs, but going this low as to brutalise a representative of Nigerian workers was taking the madness too far.

But my ineffective brother as usual bungled the whole thing.

Lacking in mobilisation capacity, he called a very ineffective strike. What we in Shomolu call “okobo” — that is eunuch in English — the strike saw only his office and some tiny cubicles in some states go on strike. Even the Imo workers that he was “fighting” for ignored him and went on solidarity march to those

who ordered his beating and, in a few hours, they called off the strike.

How this man wants to lead a credible opposition against this occupation force that APC has turned into is what I am wondering o. Nigerians, are you sure this Joe na bazooka so? This na dud missile. Empty.

bluster, tough guy ‘gra -gra’ and area boy antics and in spite of his membership of …. (me I cannot talk this one o), he received the flogging and trouncing of his pitiful life in the Kogi State governorship election.”

Now if this is not wicked, I do not know what else to call it and I do not know how Dino will react to this. Maybe when he is weaned off his inhaler, he will attempt a response but I suspect he will let this one pass, because the performance was well deserving of this FFK attack and even more.

Mbok, what was that Dino? That outing was very amateurish and clownish. No fight at all and all we could now see was you whizzing and fainting and being dragged into a car and given all sorts of first aid treatment for only God knows what.

You must think that the lives of your brother citizens in that leadership challenged state is something you should be

FEAR FEMI FANI-KAYODE ANY DAY In response to the very disgraceful and career ending performance of political pantomime star, Dino Malaye in the last elections, the most caustic mouth in Nigerian politics, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode had this to say: “Poor Dino, despite all his loud and boastful rantings, puerile noise-making, clownish behaviour, crude bumfuckery, infantile court jesting, nauseating gorilla-dancing, gratuitous insults, foul-mouthed

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joking with. Sad thing is that you would never even allow a serious challenge to emerge from your party on the madness that is Yahaya Bello only for you to now go and dance naked in the marketplace.

My brother, you deserve this FFK missile and more.

PROF WOLE SOYINKA: A KONGI’S HARVEST Have you guys seen the picture of Kongi without shirt and a very young boy they have said was Gbenga Daniel by his side?

That was the peak of his powers, when he held Nigeria down with the power of his intellect and boldness.

Today, in the twilight of his years, we are confronted with a weak Nobel laureate and one that has really lost his bite and firing blank bullets that really do not make any impact on anything.

Kongi’s problem plenty. Apart from the obvious and very inevitable slowdown that comes with age, his confusion as to how to engage this his kinsman in power has further complicated his matter. He finds it very difficult to stare Tinubu in the face and speak truth to that one. Now instead of doing that, he remains deflective, commenting on things that do not make sense to a people who have started eating raw grass to stave off starvation.

Coming out against Buhari’s ban on social media at this time when the economy is reeling, judicial rascality being the other of the day, mayhem in offsite states carrying out elections and general despondency occasioned by a leadership lacking in true legitimacy but backed my legalese is nothing but what I want to call Kongi’s showboating.

My dear Professor, if you cannot face your aburo, Mr. Tinubu and give him the same fire you are known for, then just retire. You deserve a well-rested retirement. You have really tried; you have been a beacon of hope all of these years and we are truly well appreciative of your contributions to socio-political activism.

My great one, let’s just agree that the dusk has come. The sun has set and as such we should recede to the forests of a thousand demons to commune with our gods and other such entities that must have inspired such great scholarly works.

It’s over. The music has stopped playing, retire and just go sir.

We are facing true and real danger that can push the country into the precipice if we are not careful and we need leaders in opposition who are not only clear-eyed but also clearvisioned and not compromised by relationships or what not in engaging power very candidly.

With all due respect sir, just go.

Thank you.

NUHU RIBADU’S LAMENTATION My brother, this your last statement as reported that you have inherited a bankrupt country was just a dance to the obvious. We already know that nau, and have known that since Buhari’s first term. So rehashing

it and telling us is to achieve what exactly?

Maybe the statement is aimed at eliciting pity and understanding from a beleaguered nation or for us to now say- eya, pele just do your best.

My brother, it can never work

Sanwo-Olu

BABAJIDE SANWO-OLU: NOW LET’S WORK My Excellency, shine shine bobo and the most handsome Governor of Lagos since Group Captain Gbolahun Mudasiru, congratulations at your recent victory at the Court of Appeal.

Not that we expected anything less with the way the judiciary has been running recently. That notwithstanding, we still receive this victory with immense joy.

Oya, now that the distraction is finally over, can we now get back to work? You know I do not joke with you and take your success as a personal commitment to Lagosians. Remember how we jumped up and shouted for you especially when it was really dark, when the reelection was looking like it would not happen. We stood firmly and screamed that Sanwo-the boy is good; he is our candidate, as a result, your success is now a firm responsibility we owe the people.

So apart from the wonderful infrastructural push with the inauguration of the bridges and the blue train and with your immense support of the entertainment industry as a viable source of job creation and the rest, a lot still has to be done my brother.

Lagos is dirty. Simple. Insecurity

is seeping in, the roads need to be looked at, despondency is creeping in, your agencies are running riot and oppressing the people with all sorts of madness. The issue of land grabbing is now an epidemic stymieing genuine development. The police and judiciary are either complicit or totally helpless especially with the alleged colluding of traditional stools and other such type institutions, the situation is dire.

Your last term should be legacy building. You would have to be very deliberate in entrenching yourself in the big shoes of your predecessors. Unlike other states, the shoes before you are huge o. From Jakande, to Tinubu, to Fashola and even Ambode, you are faced with predecessors that have been great and legendary.

So, you must sit down and look at your programmes again very critically with the aim of forging a strategy that will make us have the urge to build a statue for you when this is over.

You must stand tall after it all, I believe very strongly in you and your ability to deliver the Lagos of our dreams. Oya let’s work, enough of the lethargy. Let’s work.

that way and the reason is very simple. You told us that you were 30 years in preparation, you told us that you knew all the issues and had solutions. In case you have forgotten, we can send to you all the campaign footage including the Emilokun speech in Abeokuta. So, we cannot now turn back and be saying this one na.

The country has been bankrupt for some time now and if there were no preferred solutions, when we carried ourselves to Bourdillon or wherever it was to beg to be led by he whose turn it is, he should have just said, “guys, the case is bad, the country is bankrupt and as such, I cannot deal.”

Then we would have said, okay sir we know that but we have looked very far and wide and have seen no other person that has the ability to save us. We saw your brilliant performance in the way you tripled revenues at Deloitte and the way you moved Mobil to top global 500 and finally the way you transformed Lagos from a backwater economy into what it is today, so come and do your magic.

At that point, he would now give us a “Non complicit document” for us to sign. The document will state very clearly that it will be at “my very best”, meaning that he would not be held responsible if he doesn’t turn things around and all of us will sign.

But no ooo, that was not what happened o. Shebi you were there when he shouted “emilokan” and if you do not understand the meaning of the word, it is an Ibibio word which means “if I fail, catch me.” So my brother, stop calling Buhari’s name in this matter.

Buhari, that one has done his worst and has gone to his cows, it is your turn as proclaimed, just do it. Simple.

MR. IBU: THE TRAVAILS OF A COMEDIAN This man’s problem is not his health challenges but the “useless” people that he has called family. This one has turned his very critical health issues which remain life-threatening to a caricature, distracting the rest of us from the very real threat to his life.

The bickering and the fighting is so much that people seem to have just detached from the whole mess. Now the issue is not the unfortunate incidence of his amputation but now the sordid sexual triangle between them bordering on incest as splashed all over social media, the quarrelsome madness between his wife and “adopted” daughter and the meddlesome interference of so-called social media influencers making the whole thing look like a circus.

The lesson that I have learnt from this is not to get my leg amputated when I have a mad family around me and with access to publicly-donated funds.

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Adebayo Adeoye bayoolunla@gmail.com; 08054680651

SOCIETY WATCH

Toyin Kolade Goes Poetic for Hubby Who would have thought that popular socialite and businesswoman, Iyalaje Toyin Kolade, is a poet of sorts?

Indeed, who would have imagined that she had worshipped at the temple of Venus, the Greek god of love, so much so that she knows the spirit and letter of love this much?

But the birthday of her husband, who is also a customs top shot, Kayode Kola, has brought out this hitherto hidden side of her when he celebrated his birthday last Tuesday.

In her poetic tribute entitled ‘An Enchanting String of Words to my Better Half on His Birthday,’ Kolade described her husband as a good man.

“My better half; words fail me if I am to describe how good of a man you are,” she wrote. “It’s explainable.

I can also say it’s abstract because I can feel it and perhaps beat the law of abstract; I can also see it. Even those whose path has crossed yours can also testify to how good you are and I am sure all the good you have done over the years has taken you this far and it will continue to take you beyond your imagination.”

She concluded by wishing him good health and more years as they “both grow older and enjoy what we have laboured for. Our children will do good things in our lifetime and your health will not fail you.”

Kolade

Shagaya

Abisola Bamidele: A Cultural Icon Creating New Vistas

Sim Shagaya’s New Beautiful Dream The name Sim Shagaya would surely ring a bell among many whose innovations contributed largely to the growth of the e-commerce industry in Africa. Despite many challenges he faced in the industry, his name would remain in the book of time for his revolution and remodelling of the industry which today has become a multi-billion-dollar business.

Shagaya’s entrepreneurial spirit led him to establish DealDey in March 2011. In quick succession, he founded Konga, an online marketplace in 2012.

He later sold the e-Commerce giant to tech billionaire, Leo Stan Ekeh in a mouthwatering multi-billion naira deal.

With lots of cash to play with after trading off Konga, Shagaya shifted focus to online education and in his usual characteristics; he is blazing the trail once again.

In 2020, Shagaya embarked on his most life-changing venture, perhaps his life’s biggest assignment: uLesson, an innovative digital educational platform aimed at empowering African learners and redefining learning experiences. In the last few years of its existence, uLesson has impacted millions of youths in the continent with over 10.6 million lessons watched, 3.6 million questions attempted, 810,000+ live lessons attended, and 3.5 million app downloads.

As the Founder and CEO of uLesson, Shagaya is undoubtedly keen on leaving a lasting legacy on the nation’s education clime, tapping on the potential of digital education. With the significant increase in the number of candidates registering for the Joint Admissions and Matriculations Board (JAMB), a considerable number of these candidates not securing admission into conventional universities, Shagaya is bridging the gap by joining the league of university owners in Nigeria.

Recently, the dynamic entrepreneur who was named by Forbes as one of the 10 most powerful men in Africa, launched Miva Open University, a division of his uLesson Group. Shagaya will lead as the Chancellor of the new Open Distance eLearning University providing undergraduate programs in a variety of fields such as Computer Science, Cyber Security, Data Science, Software Engineering, Public Policy and Administration, Economics, Accounting, and Business Management.

In addition to the existing course offerings, Miva Open University has plans to expand its curriculum to include nursing and law programs.

Bamide

While growing up, her curiosity and determination set her on a path of innovation and social impact. Today, Abisola Bamidele has grown to become a visionary and an accomplished female entrepreneur and philanthropist.

Fondly called Lady BisBam, the 53-year-old’s advocacy for the preservation of culture and tradition has fueled her brand as “Alaga Iyawo”

(Traditional Wedding MC) for over 30 years and still counting. She is known and recognized at home and abroad for excellence and experience.

Call her a restless soul and you may be right, as she loves to explore. This has launched her far above many of her counterparts. Society Watch gathered that after records of accomplishments and success in her chosen career, she embarked on another entrepreneurial journey with Bisbam Global Ventures, a groundbreaking venture she founded 10 years ago.

Bisbam Global Ventures now stands as a testament to her dedication, offering a one-stop sanctuary for Aso Oke, Aso Ebi, and resplendent traditional bridal ensembles. She complements this with her brainchild “Arewa Jewelry Shop” which showcases the finest pieces, celebrating the heritage of Nigerian culture.

Also, her ability to identify market trends and adapt to evolving industries quickly has

propelled the company to success. all these combined have made her a role model for aspiring entrepreneurs, especially women in business. She became an advocate and a pioneer of an online Family Building Forum, called HOME BUILDERS, which has close to 80,000 members. Driven by a desire to mend fractured families, this thriving community now unites nearly 80,000 members across the world, serving as a testament to its impact on the lives it touches.

Lady Bisbam established the “Alaga Academy,” otherwise known as ‘The Rising Stars’. This esteemed institution imparts invaluable mentorship and guidance to budding talents, fostering a legacy of empowerment and producing over 150 accomplished graduates. These graduates are now well-established and are doing exploits in their respective areas.

Again, Billionaire Gas Mogul, Julius Rone, Shines Like Diamond Think of a billionaire businessman blessed with money, brains, confidence, and oratory power, and the name of Julius Rone, OFR, Group Managing Director, of UTM Offshore Limited (UTMOL) will pop up.

It is an incontestable fact that the serial entrepreneur is one of the few Nigerian business moguls who rub shoulders with other high-networth individuals around the world. For many years, he has been busy cutting deals beyond the shores of the continent of Africa while also proving that good things can also come out from this side of the world. The Delta-born top player in the gas sector, as gathered, exhibited that he is not only wealthy but also brainy. This he has not failed to flaunt whenever the occasions arise, and the occasions seem to arise so many times lately and Rone has never been found wanting.

In fact, a source revealed that this is the reason he is being invited to seminars, forums and business meetings around the world

where he has dazzled many with his talent like the great Roman orator, Cicero.

Once again he shone brilliantly like a diamond recently at the LNG shipping and terminals Conference in London. The man, full of ingenuity, mesmerised his audience while he spoke about The Role of Policy Instruments and Government Support for the FLNG Project such as Investment Incentives, Regulatory Framework, where government policies can provide financial incentives such as tax breaks, grants, or subsidies to attract private investment in FLNG projects. These incentives, he explained, can help reduce the overall project cost and encourage private sector participation.

The very brilliant businessman also talked about how governments play a crucial role in creating a favourable regulatory environment for FLNG projects, which includes establishing clear guidelines for environmental protection, safety standards, and permitting processes. A well-defined

Rone

regulatory framework provides certainty for project developers and investors.

Not only that, he also touched on other topics, such as market drivers for exploiting gas in Nigeria.

Senator Ifeanyi Ubah Climbs the Mountaintop

Ubah

That billionaire businessman turned senator, Ifeanyi Ubah is fast becoming a force to be reckoned within Nigeria’s political climate is surely stating the obvious. It is no longer news that the Nnewi-born businessman’s political expedition before now was laced with more thorns than roses. At different times, he suffered undeserved humiliation in the nation’s political space. And on several nights, he kept vigil in deep communion with his Creator, asking Him to fight his battles for him.

Mercifully, his prayers have been granted, considering that he has just triumphed over his adversities, emerging a hero and pumping his fist.

Now, the senator representing Anambra South Senatorial District can climb the mountaintop to shout Hallelujah, singing the song of joy and dance of victory as his trouble and persecution seem to be over, at least for now.

First, the criminal charge filed by the

Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) against him and his company, Capital Oil and Gas Limited, was dismissed by the federal high court sitting in Lagos. The charges of N135 billion naira before the court in 2019 were withdrawn by AMCON. Just when Ubah was basking in the euphoria of the AMCON case, the Court of Appeal affirmed him as the winner of the 2023 Anambra South Senatorial District Election.

The court delivered judgement in the appeals filed by the candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Hon Chris Azubogu, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chris Uba and the candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Obinna Uzor.

The declaration is further proof that the man, who is also a top player in the oil and gas sector in the country, has finally nailed the political coffin of a former Anambra political godfather, Chris Uba.

SUNDAY NOVEMBER 19, 2023 • T H I S D AY

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P.Diddy Evades Potential Legal Storm with Swift Lawsuit Settlement Stories by Vanessa Obioha

P.Diddy

In a surprising turn, music mogul Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs swiftly settled a federal lawsuit filed by his former partner and R&B singer, Casandra Ventura, popularly known as Cassie.

Ventura had accused Combs of rape and physical abuse spanning over a decade. The settlement, announced within a day of the lawsuit, brought an unexpected end to what could have been a dramatic and damaging trial for the influential figure.

While the details of the agreement remain undisclosed, both parties released statements expressing their desire to resolve the matter amicably.

Ventura stated “I have decided to resolve this matter amicably on terms that I have some level of control. I want to thank my family, fans and lawyers for their unwavering

support.”

“We have decided to resolve this matter amicably. I wish Cassie and her family all the best. Love,” said Combs in a statement. The swift resolution prevented a potential legal storm for Combs, who faced a series of serious allegations. The internet has already been buzzing with video snippets hinting at a cycle of abuse linked to Combs, drawing attention to past incidents, mysterious deaths of those close to him like the late rapper Heavy D and actress Kim Porter, and controversies surrounding his music label such as the suspicious contract release of the girl group Danity Kane from his music label Bad Boy Records in 2009.

Ventura, in the lawsuit, alleged that Combs, prone to an uncontrollable rage, usually subjected her to beatings, plied her with drugs and made her have sex with male prostitutes while he filmed and masturbated.

The singer, famed for her single ‘Me & U,’ started a relationship with Combs in 2005 when she was 19, and he 37.

The relationship which ended in 2018 followed a pattern of control and abuse and included a forced entry into her home in 2018 where he raped her.

“After years in silence and darkness,” she said in a statement after filing the lawsuit, “I am finally ready to tell my story, and to speak up on behalf of myself and for the benefit of other women who face violence and abuse in their relationships.”

Combs through his lawyer Ben Brafman had vehemently denied the allegations claiming that Ventura has persistently demanded $30 million “under the threat of writing a damaging book about their relationship, which was unequivocally rejected as blatant blackmail. Despite withdrawing her initial threat, Ms. Ventura has now resorted to filing a lawsuit riddled with baseless and outrageous lies, aiming to tarnish Mr. Combs’s reputation and seeking a payday.”

But Ventura’s lawyer Douglas Wigdor responded in a statement that Combs offered Ventura eight figures to silence her and prevent the filing of the lawsuit.

The lawsuit detailed instances of Combs’ alleged control, including threats made towards rapper Kid Cudi and coercive

‘Inside Life 2’ Unveils Vulnerable Moments with Rexxie, Liya and Eltee Skhillz

L-R: Skhillz, Liya and Rexxie star in ‘Inside Life’

Iyke Bede For the next nine weeks, the trio of Eltee Skhillz (Olowu Taiwo), Liya (Abdusalam Suliyat), and Rexxie (Ezeh Chioma) will take viewers across Africa on their monumental journey to stardom in the second season of ‘Inside Life,’ a series that received rave reviews for its showcase of Erica Nlewedim in its debut season.

With the pilot episode aired yesterday, it provides insight into the creative process of each artiste, summarising their daily routine, as well as introducing viewers to their close-knit circle. Skhillz is a family-oriented individual who believes in ‘keeping the money in the family.’ Liya, on the other hand, maintains a fairly private life that also accommodates close friends, while Rexxie’s reserved but affable nature positions him to attract company from far and wide.

Originally planned to showcase one personality per season, the second season tagged ‘New Wave’ presents a new twist that accommodates more personalities to shine at the same time, as explained by Channels Head, Paramount Africa, Busola Komolafe: Aside from showcasing their glamorous lifestyle, the series maintains its skin-deep approach of exploring

vulnerabilities, ones often associated with their ascent to fame and the struggles of sustaining the momentum.

“I take mental health very seriously,” the ‘Melo’ singer said, explaining the pressure—mostly from internet denizens—that accompanied the expectations for her career trajectory after breaking into the limelight.

She continued: “I feel mental health is overrated, especially in Africa, Nigeria. I feel it can make or break you as a person, so you want to guard it like your life depends on it.

Losing his mom, Henrietta Kosoko, to diabetes in 2016, Skhillz revealed his emotional response during the private screening of the pilot episode. Seeing his mom’s pictures reeled in, he expressed a poignant moment, wishing she could witness his current level of success. This experience has inspired him to help others facing similar challenges.

“My mom died of stage 4 diabetes. We (including twin brother, sister, and younger brother) are looking to help people who are going through the same process. We are creating a platform whereby we would be able.to build a foundation for them.”

Accustomed to making moves behind the scenes in his role as producer, the two-time Grammy recognised hitmaker on Burna Boy’s ‘Twice as Tall,’ and Angelique Kidjo’s ‘Mother Nature,’ Rexxie revealed his hesitancy to open up on set during the principal photography.

‘Inside Life’ airs on Saturdays on MTV Base.

acts of voyeurism.

According to Ventura, Combs grew so angry about her dating the rapper Kid Cudi in early 2012 that he said he would blow up the rapper’s car. “Around that time,” the suit said, “Kid Cudi’s car exploded in his driveway.”

One striking claim involved an incident in a Los Angeles Hotel in 2016 when, after one of his voyeurism encounters, an inebriated Combs allegedly punched Cassie in the face, leaving her with a black eye. She attempted to leave the room when he fell asleep but Combs woke up and followed her into the hallway, where he threw glass vases at her, sending glass shattering throughout the corridor. The hotel’s security cameras reportedly captured the incident, but the lawsuit implied that Combs paid $50,000 to suppress the footage.

An influential figure in the music industry in the U.S., Combs is revered by many for his role in commercialising hip-hop. He is one of the top billionaires in the music industry and also executive-produced Burna Boy’s Grammy award-winning album ‘Twice As Tall.’

While the lawsuit’s abrupt end prevented a legal showdown for Combs, it however left a dent in his reputation. It will take time for him and his team to navigate the aftermath and restore public perception.

Gbenga Adeyinka Takes Laffmattazz Global in 2024 As the Laffmattazz Unity Tour approaches its grand finale, the convener Gbenga Adeyinka the 1st has announced ambitious plans to internationalize the renowned comedy show. The revelation came during a press conference detailing the Lagos finale, set to unfold on Sunday, November 26, at the Balmoral Convention Centre in the Federal Palace Hotel, Lagos.

Adeyinka emphasized the need for Laffmattazz to transcend Nigeria’s borders, marking a strategic shift.

He also disclosed that this year marked the last time the tour will feature six cities in the South-west. Future editions will tour only three cities: Lagos, Abeokuta and Ibadan.

For 13 years, Adeyinka has steered the Laffmattazz tour across Southwestern states, not just as a source of entertainment but as a platform for emerging comedians. This year’s Unity Tour carries special significance, serving as a response to the disunity following the recent general elections.

“2023 will go down in history as the year where we allowed tribe and religious diversity to thrive and cause disunity amongst us because of politics. My team and I decided to use what we have to correct this and we set out on a Unity Tour across South-west Nigeria. We ensured that entertainers with different political and religious leanings perform, entertain and preach the gospel of unity using the Laffmattazz platform,” he said.

The veteran comedian shed light on the theme ‘Lagos Again,’ stating, “Last year, we had our first edition in Lagos after 12 years of touring the South-west and we tagged it ‘Lagos At Last,’ and I dare say it was so successful.

Lagos would always be home and we decided to round off the Unity Tour in Lagos, hence, Lagos Again.”

The tour, which commenced earlier this year with shows in Abeokuta, Akure, Osogbo, Ilorin, and Ibadan, boasts a lineup of top-tier musicians and comedians, including Ali Baba, 2Baba, Adewale Ayuba, OmoBaba 1, Ruggedman, and Kojah Kaze, among others for its finale.

Adeyinka

FunnyBone, Ushbebe, Others Echo Laughter at RedLens The third edition of RedLens Comedy Night will remain memorable for its lineup of stellar comedians who light up the venue with their bag of jokes. From FunnyBone, Ushbebe, Laff Doctor, Tomama, and Jester to other artists and comedians, the event provided an enthralling experience for attendees.

Endorsed by the Lagos State Tourism, Art, and Culture, and supported by the Lagos State Signage and Advertising Agency (LASAA) and Lagos State Internal Revenue Service (LIRS), the event, fully powered by RedLens Entertainment, continues to provide a platform for both A-list and emerging comedians and young artists to showcase their talents to the world.

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ JUNE 24 2012

ARTS & REVIEW A

PUBLICATION

19. 11. 2023

Mining Nuggets from Local Symbols At a gallery in Paris, France, Ozioma Onuzulike’s signature ceramic reconstructions of palm kernels and yam seedlings are captivating a global audience with their universally recognisable nuggets.

Okechukwu Uwaezuoke reports

S

o far, for the ceramic artist Ozioma Onuzulike, it’s been a binge outing. He has, this \HDU PDGH VLJQLÀFDQW IRUD\V in the local and international exhibition circuit, leaving indelible imprints on the industry’s consciousness in his wake. This is while he strategically kept himself within range of its radar. Could it, therefore, have been any busier for this University of Nigeria, Nsukka lecturer, who has chalked up two recent solo exhibitions in New York and Paris, following closely on the heels of each other after three group shows in Paris, London, and Nsukka, and participation in several art fairs in New York, Chicago, Mexico, Geneva, London, and Lagos?

“It’s [been] challenging,” he confesses, in allusion to keeping up with the demands of these outings. “But remember, I work with a team of studio assistants, including members of my family. So, they too are my hands for the laborious studio processes.”

Talking about the more recent solo exhibition, which opened on November 9 at WKH $ÀNDULV *DOOHU\ LQ 3DULV DQG LV RQ XQWLO December 9, its title, When Hearts Beat with Lofty Dreams, is derived from a poem that the artist wrote in 1997.

3UHGLFWDEO\ WKLV H[KLELWLRQ³D VLJQLÀFDQW one for that matter—focuses on the prestigious Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, Maine, USA, alumnus’s iconic series: the Palm Kernel Shell Beads Project and Seed Yams of Our Land. This, the galOHU\·V R΀FLDO SUHVV VWDWHPHQW FRUURERUDWHV WKXVO\ ´&HUDPLF WDSHVWULHV VLWH VSHFLÀF installations, and clay sculptures take over the 180 m2 space at 7 rue Notre-Dame-deNazareth, examining the mechanisms of social ascension through the presentation of objects of pomp and prestige.”

Apparently, Onuzulike takes cues from upscale apparel and fabrics, which he distils, for the appreciation of his growing audience, LQWR D UDQJH RI VLWH VSHFLÀF LQVWDOODWLRQV DQG ceramic wall pieces from the Palm Kernel Shell Beads series. In contrast, “Tendrils” I DQG ,, DSSHDU WR ÁRZ GRZQ IURP WKH FHLOLQJ RͿHULQJ WKH YLHZHU D IDVFLQDWLQJ DHVWKHWLF tangle—one with a following that spans demographics. As both tangled roots and headdresses, they support the notion of upending the existing order.

Sadly, the intellectual illusion of a more egalitarian world imperceptibly deals a mortal blow to the otherwise admirable concept of striving for social advancement.

For as long as humans live and freely choose their lives’ paths, egalitarianism as a notion will remain illusory. Clothing, meanwhile, could be—and is indeed—a symbol of PHPEHUVKLS DQG D VRFLDO LGHQWLÀHU ZKLFK is why the artist creates imperial blouses, ÁRZLQJ JRZQV FDOOHG ´EDEDQULJD µ DQG royal shirts out of a fusion of ceramic and glass beads strung together with copper wire. Nonetheless, it is also known that the hood does not necessarily make a monk.

Then, the fact that the works that make up the Palm Kernel Shell Beads series are only clay-formed simulations of palm kernels is one that must be stressed. Now, here is the subtext lurking beneath these works: The artist appropriates these palm kernels—which are the core of palm fruits from which palm

Guests looking at Dry Season III, 2023, earthenware and stoneware clays, ash glazes, recycled glasses, iron oxide engobe, burnt wood and copper wire

Ozioma Onuzulike with Tendrils I, his new palm kernel shell beads installation format

Beaded Blouse with two front pockets for August meeting

Beaded shirt with alligator skin design, 2023, earthenware and stoneware clays, ash glazes, recycled glasses, iron oxide engobe and copper wire

oil is derived and which are often picked for food by the poorest people (thus also becoming hallmarks of destitution)—for his motivational message, bordering on the resilience of the human spirit. That, in other words, is his way of saying that a pauper can aspire to become a king. Hence, the artist challenges individuals in positions RI SROLWLFDO DQG ÀQDQFLDO DXWKRULW\ WKURXJK his titles to transform their societies’ dark pasts into bright futures where “hearts beat with lofty dreams.”

Of course, the wealth-generating potential of both palm fruits and palm kernels might as well be interpreted as a metaphor for Africa’s economic exploitation, the aesthetic refrain of the artist’s opinion that “Africa’s natural resources have been at the base of its woes.”

Upon closer inspection, the works’ astounding delicacies and suppleness proclaim from the rooftops the artist’s deft manipula-

tion of a medium—bordering on the intuitive—that few among his peers would dare to attempt. This is what obviously sets him apart in an art scene teeming with an overabundance of talents.

Moving on to the Seed Yams of Our Land, Onuzulike further extends the metaphor of colonial exploitation, which can occasionally take the form of violence. Here too, the yams, a prestigious and revered food crop among the Igbo people of south-east Nigeria, are not real. Rather, they are also ceramic simulations of tubers, which are arranged in rows, sorted, and ordered as if in a barn. They all conjure still bodies wrapped in body bags, even if they are depicted in various forms and degraded conditions.

Through them, the artist also draws comparisons between the way African

slaves were once crammed into slave ships like mere commodities and the way they are currently, as illegal migrants, packed into trucks and boats, hazardly travelling the GHVHUW DQG WKH VHD LQ WKH KRSHV RI ÀQGLQJ a more favourable environment in which to “grow.” Many have, meanwhile, been known to have died while in transit.

Indeed, the series Seed Yams of Our Land, which was once the title of an exhibition he held two years ago at the Kó Gallery in Lagos, metaphorically alludes to Africa’s youth population as its yam seedlings, which, to the Igbo people, are pointers to every family’s hopes for sustenance and wealth.

Thus, Onuzulike, a fellow of the Civitella Ranieri Centre, Umbertide, Perugia, Italy, where he once participated in a residency programme under the UNESCO-ASCHBERG Bursary for Artists, mines useful universally relevant nuggets from symbols that are rooted in Nigerian and African society.

EDITOR OKECHUKWU UWAEZUOKE/ okechukwu.uwaezuoke@thisdaylive.com

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THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER NOVEMBER 19, 2023

ARTS & REVIEW\\POT POURRI

)URP 2EMHFWV WR $XGLHQFHV Jess Castellote

I

n 1999, Stephen Weil wrote a seminal article titled "From Being about Something to Being for Somebody: The Ongoing Transformation of the $PHULFDQ 0XVHXP UHÁHFWLQJ WKH widespread shift in perspectives on museum practice in the last decades of the 20th century. This period saw a growing emphasis on education and a visitor-centered approach, underlining the importance of museums serving people rather than objects, stressing the transformation of museums into vibrant centers for people rather than mere custodians of objects.

This idea may seem self-evident, but it still needs to be repeated: public museums exist to serve the public. This shift brought about profound changes in Western museums and holds great importance for African museums as they seek to adopt a more visitor-centered approach, shifting the focus from objects to stories and, through them, to people.

This evolving museum landscape marks a departure from the old mindset in which museums were perceived as what sometimes has been described as a "salvage and warehouse businesses" or as “cemeteries for old objects”. For decades, museums have been transitioning from being mere curators of collections to becoming dynamic educational institutions. Their primary responsibility is no longer centered solely on preserving objects. This change is driven by a growing recognition of the importance of engaging audiences and making art and culture more accessible and relevant to the public. It involves abandoning the old paradigm where museums were seen as repositories for old, rare, and valuable objects, with visitors playing a passive role. Undoubtedly, the traditional museum model, characterized by quiet galleries and demands for silence and reverence for artifacts, is

Castellote

MUSEUMS evolving into a more visitor-centered approach.

Museology, the science, and practice of managing museums, has undergone a fundamental change in emphasis, moving from collections to audiences and from objects to stories. This storytelling approach helps visitors connect with the art on a personal level, fostering deeper appreciation and understanding. Museums are now weaving narratives and stories around their collections, fostering a deeper appreciation, and understanding of art. At the Yemisi Shyllon Museum of Art (YSMA) of the Pan-Atlantic University in Lagos, where I work, we are actively participating in promoting these goals. We no longer see ourselves solely as repositories for art, history, and culture but as active contributors to fostering curiosity, promoting critical thinking and interrogation,

and encouraging active engagement.

This shift from objects to audiences has led us at YSMA, and at many other museums on the continent, to adopt educational approaches that encourage visitor engagement. The visitor-centered paradigm extends beyond the physical museum walls, with exhibits and programs designed to cater to diverse audiences, ensuring accessibility and inclusivity. Museums are becoming more active members of their communities, collaborating with local organizations, hosting events, and inviting community input to meet the needs and interests of the people they serve. Outreach programs, partnershipswithschools,andcommunity-focused exhibitions are some ways we do this. Museums exist to serve the public by providing educational experiences that are accessible, relevant, enriching, and of course, also enjoyable. We are making FRQFHUWHG HͿRUWV WR EH PRUH DFFHVVLEOH WR D ZLGHU range of visitors, regardless of age, background, or social and educational status. This involves FUHDWLQJ SURJUDPV WKDW UHVRQDWH ZLWK GLͿHUHQW people and communities.

The relevance of museums increasingly depends on their ability to engage with their audiences.

Visitors are no longer seen as passive observers but as active participants who interact with exhibits, share their perspectives, and create meaningful connections with the content. Museums have transitioned from being staid institutions to vibrant hubs of interaction and dialogue, with the visitor's experience taking center stage.

This transformation in museum practice represents a fundamental shift, emphasizing the evolving role of museums as educational, community-centered institutions. In the 21st century, African museums must serve the public E\ RͿHULQJ HQULFKLQJ FKDOOHQJLQJ DQG G\QDPLF experiences. The African museum community is progressively embracing a visitor-centered paradigm that celebrates the power of storytelling

and audience engagement to remain relevant and meaningful cultural institutions. Visitors are no longer passive observers but active participants in a journey of discovery, learning, and personal growth, and museums are here to serve them.

African museums can harness the power of their collections to tell compelling stories that resonate with their communities, transcending geographical, cultural, and historical boundaries.

Informal learning methodologies adopted in museum exhibitions and programs place the learner at the center of the experience. Museums are no longer staid institutions but vibrant hubs of interaction and dialogue, where the visitor's experience is paramount. The transformation of museums from being about something to being for somebody represents a profound shift in museum practice and one that points at the evolving role of museums as educational, community-centered institutions.

This shift of emphasis from objects to audiences has, in recent times in the West, brought a risk of populism and commercialization of the museum experience. In some unfortunate cases, museums have been driven exclusively by market logic, leading to blockbuster exhibitions, aggressive advertising and merchandising, and a gradual shift towards the entertainment and tourism industries.

While we cannot predict the future of African museums, if current trends continue, we may see museums adopting more experiential approaches to the way they display and organize their collections to have a greater impact on their audiences. For museums to remain relevant and meaningful FXOWXUDO LQVWLWXWLRQV WKH\ KDYH WR RͿHU multifaceted services that enrich society and help individuals develop.

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86 %DVHG 1LJHULDQ $XWKRU 0DNHV &DVH IRU $UW )XQGLQJ Yinka Olatunbosun

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US-basedauthor,CashOnadele popularly known by the pen name Aye Kooto has urged the Lagos state government to consider giving incentives to the arts sector. He made this call during an interview session at the two-day workshop held at the Lagos Book and Art Festival 2023.

Inside Kongi's Harvest, he had a great mentorship session with undergraduates of the University of Lagos and on the second day, pupils drawn from select public primary schools enjoyed D JUHDW WLPH ZLWK WKH SUROLÀF DXWKRU ZLWK titles. Known by the pen name "Aiye-ko-ooto," Onadele has been described as a philosopher, playwright and poet "Cash Onadele". He blends original rain forest echoes of Yoruba indigenous KHULWDJH DQG FXOWXUDO LQÁXHQFHV LQ KLV ZRUNV Onadele has built the world's largest library of individual poetry work produced by any single author.

At the 25th edition of LABAF, Onadele engaged the youths on the value of literature while unveiling an endowment for literature prize in Yoruba

Captionsss

LITERARY CAFÉ and English languages.

"I have done that in my alma mater which is Loyola College. Yesterday,November 13 I spent the entire day with undergraduates from the University of Lagos, Department of Creative

Arts. I coached them on the art of writing short stories and novellas. I think it is right to give back," he revealed.

Onadele added that one of his plays, Yellow Tulips, published in 2020 is set to be produced by the leadership of CORA. For him, it is gratifying to be accepted at home despite being away from the Nigerian shores.

"I am discussing the possibility of weekend masterclasses in Nigeria in the new year," he continued. "We need to harmonise the relationship with the university that is interested in a university that has a masters programme in creative art and also vetting the curriculum as well as additional faculty. There will be a business element. I could teach the technical part while others can teach how you market your books in Nigeria. I won't be a specialist in that. But initially, we can start with the technical part."

Onadele considered it imperative to rekindle interest in theatre by demanding for more playwriting and providing incentives to writers as well as theatre producers and directors.

"I hope that those of us that are writing should write more plays to give directors more materials to choose from. It is important for the state governments to show some interest in this area and show some incentives whether through sponsorships or grants. Theatre is capital intensive. Many actors are being drawn away to the screen.

Without the theatre, there won't be Hollywood or Nollywood. We need to continue to weave a GLͿHUHQW QDUUDWLYH :H QHHG WR FRQWULEXWH WR LW , will make sure that by next year, I add one more play to my repertoire," he promised.

$NH %RRN )HVWLYDO 5HWXUQV IRU WKH WK (GLWLRQ Yinka Olatunbosun

A

ke Arts and Book Festival, a vibrant celebration ofAfrican literature and culture, returns to Lagos from November 22 to 25 with a promise to showcase the continent’s rich diversity and talent.

Unveiling the exciting line-up of events of festival, which will hold at the Bon Hotel Ikeja, the festival director, Lola Shoneyin, said during D SUHVV FRQIHUHQFH WKDW LW ZLOO IHDWXUH GLͿHUHQW events. Attendees can look forward to captivating book chats, thought-provoking panel discussions, WKULOOLQJ ÀOP VFUHHQLQJV DQG SRSXODU SDOP ZLQH and poetry nights.

Since the festival aims to explore the depths of

the books will have a focus on blood ties. Some of them are completely engaging with the theme of family and of course, some of them are not we're not looking for every single book to be about that blood ties, this year's theme, "Blood Ties," delves but a decent handful. It talks about the best things into the concept of family and the complexities about family and the scariest things about family and ties." that lie within.

Other high points of the event include music "Blood ties are looking at family, the concept of family, and the complexities of family,” Shoneyin concerts featuring BANTU and a publishing event.

"We are doing the Africa connect reception where explained. “This year, Ake reviewed our publicaWLRQV ZH WROG SHRSOH WR VHQG D UHÁHFWLRQ RI SRHWU\ African writers especially the Nigerians will be RU QRQÀFWLRQ ZRUN DURXQG WKH WKHPH RI EORRG WLHV able to meet some of the International Festival and I can tell you that I was shocked by the number directors,” she continued. “We also are doing of creative works that were submitted that depicted something called the great African book quiz, the toxicity and the heart of the real challenges that which everybody will be able to participate in.

We have a wonderful selection of books that have SHRSOH RIWHQ ÀQG ZLWKLQ IDPLOLHV 6RPHWLPHV LW FDQ EH YHU\ GL΀FXOW 6RPHWLPHV been donated to us by 'One World Publishers in water is thicker than blood. Some of the stories the UK. So, there will be lots of book prizes for the that we are going to be looking at and some of winners of that competition.”

BOOK FESTIVAL

Shoneyin

33

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER NOVEMBER 19, 2023

CICERO

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

IN THE ARENA

When Credible Elections Become Elusive The experience from the recent governorship elections in Bayelsa, Kogi and Imo states has shown that the Independent National Electoral Commission did not learn from the mistakes of the 2023 general election, Wale Igbintade reports

T

he off-cycle governorship elections in Kogi, Imo and Bayelsa states have come and gone.

While Governor Hope Uzodimma and Mr. Usman Ododo of the All Progressives Congress (APC), were declared winners in Imo and Kogi states respectively, Governor Duoye Diri of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was reelected in Bayelsa State.

In line with the tradition, the opposition political parties and their candidates have cried foul and rejected the results declared in the three states. The implication of this is that they may contest the election results in court. This development is expected to hurt the finances of not only the candidates and their parties but also the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), whose failure to conduct acceptable elections often leads to protracted litigations.

Before the polls, stakeholders had described the process as another litmus test for the INEC in view of the controversies that trailed the conduct of the 2023 general election. They had expected INEC to learn from the last elections and regain the confidence of Nigerians by organising free, fair, transparent and credible polls. But this was not to be.

Generally, a free, fair and credible election is one in which the electorate is free to make their choices through the ballot without fear, inducement, threat, or intimidation from anyone, and all contestants given a level-playing field to compete without anyone enjoying any undue advantage over the other(s). The process is also conducted with transparency, and the results devoid of manipulations.

Following the failure of INEC in the three offseason elections, some have written the commission off, accusing it of colluding with the three incumbent state governors to manipulate the process in their favour.

Election observers believe that INEC officials condoned irregularities as manifested in several people who were caught with pre-filled result sheets before the elections started. The commission allegedly uploaded fictitious figures into IReV, especially in Imo State where it declared APC winner in all the 27 local government areas, including areas where there were no elections due to insecurity.

The same thing happened in Kogi and also in Bayelsa, where the commission was forced

Yakubu to cancel 24,000 ‘voodoo’ votes, though it has since denied manipulating figures in IReV. In Kogi Central Senatorial District huge amount of money exchanged hands for instance, investigation revealed that there was no election.

Results were written before voting even began.

This is why in his briefing in Abuja on the election day, the Chairman of the Centre for Democracy and Development Election Analysis Centre (CDD-EAC), Professor Adele Jinadu, explained that CDD observers reported that voting in 65 per cent of polling units observed in Bayelsa and 80 per cent of polling units observed in Imo started late. While this was different in Kogi, where this rate was 40 per cent, there were still pockets of late polls commencing across the state.

Also reacting when he appeared on a programme on ARISE News, foremost Nigerian constitutional lawyer and Founding Convener of the Civil Society Monitoring Situation Room, Clement Nwankwo, expressed disappointment.

“We had thought that given the disappointments in the 2023 general election that there would been some efforts by INEC to do a better

job, but apparently, this is a worse job and for some of us it is extremely sad to see elections conducted this way in this country,” Nwankwo said.

Nwankwo declared that the electoral system in this country had collapsed, pointing out that “we have to go back to the drawing board. Certainly, we cannot build anything to what is now.

“The system has been captured and it is delivering incredibly sad results, not in terms of who wins or who doesn’t win, but in terms of the process, in terms of the abuses of the process, in terms of citizens’ lack of confidence in elections as a way of running a referendum on those who have ruled them or given a chance for people to take over,” he added.

By conducting hotly disputed elections, INEC has failed to realise that it is always listed as a party in lawsuits instituted by those who feel cheated in the process.

There are cost implications when political parties and politicians engage in endless court battles over compromised primaries and major elections. For instance, after the 2015 elections, INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu disclosed that the commission was taken to court 680 times by litigants over the 2015 elections. He, however, explained that of the 680 court cases, 600 were dismissed while 80 were upheld.

Similarly, litigations after the 2019 elections were higher. About 1,689 court cases arose from the conduct of the 2019 general elections, according to the commission.

While more than 890 of the cases were preelection matters from the conduct of political party primary elections, 799 were election petitions that went to various tribunals across the country.

For the 2023 elections, a total of 1,280 political offices were contested, comprising the office of the presidency, 109 members of the Senate, 360 seats for the House of Representatives, 782 House of Assembly seats across the 36 states of the federation and 28 governorship positions.

Out of the total figure, 1,209 petitions are before the judiciary for adjudication, according to the President of the Court of Appeal (PCA), Justice Monica Dongban-mensem during the ceremony to commence the 2023/2024 legal year in Abuja, representing a whopping 94.453 per cent of the positions where votes were cast.

The implication is that the electorate have less say about who becomes their leader, as that re-

sponsibility has substantially been shifted to the judiciary.

As it is, only 71 offices are truly decided by the citizens, representing a paltry 5.547 per cent of the offices contested.

Due to INEC’s culpability in conducting fraudulent elections, many have argued that the commission should not be allowed to waste public resources to defend such frauds in court.

For instance, the Kogi State governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Murtala Ajaka, has alleged that the election was rigged in favour of Usman Ododo of the APC. He however said going to court to contest the outcome of the poll would be a waste of time as INEC would come as a witness to defend the outcome of the charade it conducted in the name of election.

“I have been around for the past 20 years. I know what it is. What am I going to court to do when the same INEC that did this is going to come as a witness to defend what they did? So, it is a waste of time. Except for the party people, I’m hugely disappointed. If the INEC chairman allows this to stand, they are looking for trouble in Nigeria,” Ajaka explained.

Worried by the level of irregularities and the culpability of INEC, the PDP governorship candidate in the state, Senator Dino Melaye had on the election day, called for the cancellation of the poll in five LGAs in the state.

On their part, the governorship candidate of the PDP in Imo State, Sam Anyanwu and his Labour Party counterpart, Athan Achonu have also called for the cancellation of the Imo State governorship poll.

For Yiaga Africa, the off-season governorship elections represented another missed opportunity to deepen democracy and rebuild trust and confidence in the electoral process in the country.

The Chair, Yiaga Africa Watching The Vote (WTV) Working Group, Dr Hussain Abdu, and the Executive Director, Yiaga Africa, Samson Itodo, said this on Monday in Abuja at the presentation of its final report on the elections in the three states.

The group expressed concern about the continuous decline in the quality of elections and the proclivity for lowering the integrity standards of elections irrespective of reforms introduced by INEC and reforms to the electoral legal framework.

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

The Cost of FG’s Delay in Arresting Ajaero’s Attackers

Uzodimma

Ajaero

ItwasagreatrelieffortheNigerianworkersandother loversofdemocracywhentheNationalSecurityAdviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, onWednesday disclosed thatthosewhoattackedthePresidentofNigeriaLabour Congress (NLC), Mr. Joe Ajaero, in Owerri, Imo State capital, on November 1 had finally been arrested.

Ribadu’srevelationapparentlyplacatedtheworkers andpromptedthemtosuspendtheirnationwidestrike.

Despite Ajaero’s obvious act of indiscretion by organisingprotestfewdaystogovernorshipelectionin the state, those who organised his torture ought to be treated as enemies of democracy and be prosecuted.

But rather than arresting the attackers and putting themontrial,theagentsofgovernment,includingGovernor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State, whose personal aide has been fingered to be behind several attacks on opposition elements in the state, had initially justified

the attack on Ajaero.

According to the labour leaders, the most annoying reactioncamefromthepresidencythroughtheSpecial Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, BayoOnanuga,whoinhischaracteristicmannerofmaking provocative, inflammatory and toxic comments, claimed that Ajaero’s error of judgment led to the life-threatening assault.

Intheirreactions,theunionsarguedthatonlyindividualswhoencouragegovernmenttosponsorhooliganism andlawlessnesstoachieveapredeterminedresultcan claim that an error of judgment by the president of the NLC should attract life-threatening assault by thugs and touts.

Onanugafurtherdemonstratedthemischiefcommon among those who found themselves in the corridors of power when he claimed that the Commissioner of

Police in Imo State under whose watch the incident happened, had been transferred out of the state.

The Inspector General of Police (IG), Kayode Egbetokun, while announcing the transfer, had made it clear thatitwastoensureneutralityinthegovernorshipelectionandnotbecauseoftheallegationmadeagainsthim.

TheIG,ratherthanarresting,paradingandprosecuting the suspects identified by the labour leaders, also resortedtothegovernment’scharacteristicmannerof buryingsensitivemattersunderthecarpetbyclaiming that he had ordered investigation.

Itisunfortunatethatthefederalgovernmentwaited until the labour unions inflicted colossal loss on the economy in a nationwide strike before rising to its constitutional responsibility of arresting those that attacked the leader of peaceful demonstrators in a democracy.

34

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER NOVEMBER 19, 2023

BRIEFINGNOTES 1·$VVHPEO\·V /DPHQWDWLRQV RYHU 6HOI LQÁLFWHG :RHV President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, obviously played the ostrich when he complained recently that the Nigerian legislature is the most ridiculed arm of government. Ejiofor Alike reports that with the federal lawmakers failing to enact laws that could make Nigeria the pride of the black race, ignoring the principle of checks and balances to become tied to the apron strings of the president, and their long years of avarice and ineptitude, the lawmakers should not expect a better assessment

I

n what was seen as a failed attempt to attract an undeserved sympathy of the highly impoverished Nigerian masses, the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio recently described Nigeria’s legislature as the most ridiculed.

Akpabio spoke in Abeokuta, Ogun State, at the 100th birthday colloquium in honour of a member of the Senate who represented Ogun Central in the Second Republic, Senator Kunle Oyero.

The colloquium themed: ‘Legislation in Nigeria: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow,’ was organised by the Abeokuta Grammar School Old Boys’ Association (AGSOBA).

Represented by the Ogun Central Senator, Shuaib Afolabi Salis, the Senate president said a number of Nigerians didn’t even see the necessity of the legislature, insisting that if there was no legislature in place in 2007, the country would have since had a life president.

“The one arm of government that people don’t really understand and it’s always a subject of ridicule and attack is the legislature. In fact, people sometimes don’t think the legislature is doing anything at all,” he said.

Akpabio argued that if there was no legislature, a number of things would have gone wrong in Nigeria.

“In the chamber, roles of the legislature are three: making laws, oversight function and appropriation.

Most of those senators were doing those things, but guess what? None of them returned back. This is because the metric of measuring the performance (of senators) by the people who vote is different from what the syllabus dictates.”

According to him, any member of the National Assembly that confines himself to these statutory roles will not get a return ticket even in his party.

He argued that the metric used by voters for measuring the performance of legislators is the number of transformers they donate to their constituencies, the number of funerals and naming ceremonies they attend, among others.

Akpabio failed to acknowledge that donating transformers and attending funeral and naming ceremonies are mere philanthropic gestures by political leaders to help members of their immediate constituencies, their praise singers, and hangers-on.

Nigerian legislators are elected to make laws that promote good governance, advance democracy and improve the welfare of the people, but they have failed very woefully in all fronts.

Nigerians hardly see their importance. If they are not rubber-stamping every request from the executive, they are turning every oversight function to money-making ventures.

Despite several attempts to amend the 1999 Constitution, which gulped billions of naira of taxpayers’ money, the most important issues - devolution

Akpabio of power, fiscal federalism, and state police - have remained elusive.

Successive legislatures wasted billions of naira on public hearings across the states and geopolitical zones but merely scratched the constitution at the end of every exercise, while the laws made by the military are being used to run a democracy.

While the Nigerian government has continued to ask Nigerians to endure hardship for a better tomorrow, the lawmakers display extravagant lifestyles with mind-boggling salaries and allowances at the expense of the public resources considered ‘lean’ by the same actors in the corridors of power.

The Chairman of the Senate Services Committee, Senator Sunday Karimi recently indicted the National Assembly unwittingly when he dismissed a public outcry over the purchase of Toyota Landcruisers and Prados Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs), for 469

federal lawmakers as misplaced, claiming that the lawmakers settled for the SUVs because of the bad roads across the country.

By admitting that roads across the country are in bad shape, the Kogi Senator obviously confirmed what Nigerians already know - that the federal lawmakers, some of whom have been living on public funds since 1999, have failed woefully to make laws that will give Nigerians good roads and other dividends of democracy.

The lawmakers, by settling for SUVs, have obviously told the rest of Nigerians who have no access to public funds to acquire SUVs, that it is their fate to suffer on bad roads.

Karimi indicted other members of the ruling class when he noted that even ministers who were not elected ride in a convoy of several of such SUVs without a whimper from either the media or the public.

He also disclosed that governors, state legislators and local government chairmen are equally guilty.

“If you go to state houses of assembly today, check out most of them, before they were even inaugurated, the governor would have bought vehicles waiting for them, even local government chairmen. I drove the vehicle my local government chairman uses. So, why single out National Assembly?” he queried.

Both state and the federal lawmakers have also over the years abdicated their responsibility of providing checks and balances and became the rubber stamp of the governors and the president.

The worst National Assembly in this regard was the 9th National Assembly headed by the former Senate President, Dr. Ahmad Lawan.

Lawan had on several occasions rubbed it on the faces of Nigerians that the lawmakers would approve every request made by former President Muhammadu Buhari because “any request that comes from Buhari is good for the nation.”

Today, Nigeria is paying dearly for the sycophancy of Lawan and his colleagues.

This was evident in last Monday’s revelation by the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, that Buhari’s administration bankrupted Nigeria.

Ribadu, who spoke at the Chief of Defence Intelligence Annual Conference, said President Bola Tinubu’s administration was “paying back what was taken” or stolen.

In a no-holds-barred remark, the anti-corruption czar stopped short of saying that Nigeria was stolen blind by Buhari’s administration.

With Ribadu’s revelation, Lawan and other ranking lawmakers should hide their heads in shame.

If the 9th National Assembly had enforced the principle of checks and balances, and effectively discharged their statutory functions of making laws, oversight and appropriation, Buhari’s administration would not have plunged Nigeria into bankruptcy.

Lawan and his colleagues wasted legislative years in approving all manners of foreign loans without restraint.

It is even feared that Akpabio and his colleagues may beat the 9th National Assembly’s records.

Little wonder the Chairman of the AGSOBA colloquium, Senator Femi Okunrounmu, asked the current federal lawmakers in the country to emulate Senator Oyero’s virtues for Nigeria to become a better place.

“The Senate of Senator Kunle Oyero’s days jealously guarded the principles of separation of powers between the executive and the legislature and would not tolerate any form of executive interference in matters that were constitutionally the province of the legislature,” the elder statesman told Akpabio and his colleagues.

Until the federal lawmakers change Nigeria’s bad story by making good laws, history will not be kind to them.

NOTES FOR FILE

How FG Averted Another ASUU Strike

Mamman

The federal government on Friday averted a major strike when President Bola Tinubu cancelled the automatic deduction of 40 per cent from federal universities’ Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).

The Minister of Education, Prof.Tahir Mamman, conveyedTinubu’s decision to cancel the policy during his speech at the 75th Founder’s Day ceremony of the University of Ibadan.

In a memo addressed to the heads of the universities recently, the Ministry of Finance had notified them that with effect from this month, 40 per cent of revenues they generate internallywouldbedepositedintheiraccounts and deducted automatically via the Single Treasury Accounts (TSA).

Themovewaswidelycondemned,especially by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), and other stakeholders, who said it

was ill-advised and retrogressive.

For instance, a statement signed by ASUU National President, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, explained that universities were not revenuegenerating agencies, saying that the 40 per cent IGR deduction would further impoverish the university system.

Headdedthattheobligatoryfeespaidbystudents were for the provision of the necessary tools for them to be properly educated.

Osodekesaidtheuniversitieshavebeenstruggling to provide basic amenities like water, electricity, and necessary infrastructure for teaching and learning.

The union president added that many universities receive less than 120 million annually from the federalgovernmentasfundingsupportbutthatthey spend more than N1 billion annually on electricity.

Also, the Committee ofVice Chancellors of Nigerian Universities had written a protest letter to the

federal government, demanding that the government rescind the plan, adding that the government could not be demanding 40 per cent of varsities IGR when it had refused to grant them autonomy.

The directive had elicited reactions, with many wondering if the universities were agencies established to generate funds for the government?

But in a dramatic volte-face on Friday, Mamman said Tinubu conceded that the policy implementation was ill-timed.

Many feel that the policy clearly showed what happens when policies are not properly examined or thought through before they are issued. They thought that before embarking on such policy, the opinions of critical stakeholders in the education sector, especially ASUU and vice chancellors are considered.

In any case, it was good that the policy was cancelled.

It would have thrown the universities into crisis and possibly caused another strike.

35

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER NOVEMBER 19, 2023

CICERO/ISSUE

Weak Opposition as a Threat to Nigeria’s Democracy Chuks Okocha writes that if other political parties do not present themselves as a virile and effective opposition, Nigeria could slide into a one-party state

O

ne of the biggest deficits in the current Nigerian political space since the last general election is the absence of a robust, virile and effective opposition to the ruling party, the All Progressives Congress (APC). Today, many feel that the country is gradually drifting towards a one-party state, due to a lack of strong opposition.

In any constitutional democracy, the role of the opposition is to question, criticise, challenge, and audit the governments of the day and make the government more transparent and accountable. Even if these twin objectives may not be immediately achieved, the opposition exists nonetheless to put the people in power “on their toes” for the overall interest of the people.

In both the presidential and parliamentary systems of government, the underlying principle is for the opposition to provide checks and balances in form of alternative government, and the balance that can safeguard the integrity of the political process.

The opposition makes the ruling party in power to always sit up or have alternative views to its policies and programmes. It also curtails its excesses, and curbs maladministration and dictatorship.

In the First and Second Republics, Nigeria had a rich culture of opposition politics. The late Chief Obafemi Awolowo of the Action Group (AG) and later the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN), as an opposition leader, confronted the ruling government with hard facts and figures and an alternative vision of how Nigeria could be rescued. Even Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe and others were all opposition figures who also challenged the excesses of the ruling party and government.

Even during the military rule, there were formidable Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) such as Campaign for Democracy (CD), Movement for National Reformation (MNR), the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR) and many other organisations like the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) that stood up firmly against dictatorship and maladministration.

The likes of Chief Gani Fawehinmi, Prof.

Wole Soyinka, Aka Bashorun, Olisa Agbakoba, Femi Falana, Beko Ransom-Kuti, Ayo Obe, Ken Saro-Wiwa and many others went to jail for criticising the government.

But today there is hardly any strong opposition with constructive or disruptive views. Since the end of the last elections, the opposition political parties have gone to sleep, leaving the ruling APC and the federal government to ride roughshod over Nigerians.

While a few CSOs and NGOs still advocate for true democracy, others are ineffective as a result of their leaders who may have either been compromised, joined the government or are now tired.

Many observers believe that the current opposition is weak, uncoordinated, and ineffective.

Where the opposition parties are not internally polarised, fragmented and compromised, they are very ineffective and incompetent.

Currently in Nigeria, the main opposition are the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Labour Party (LP), but none of them have been able to rein in the excesses of the ruling APC. Before the APC took over power from the PDP, it employed a bunch of political campaign smears against the PDP. Since the assumption of office by President Bola Tinubu, nothing remarkable seems to have changed. Not only has the drastic removal of fuel subsidy increased the suffering and hunger in the country, the rate of unemployment has equally soared. The roads are in deplorable conditions. Though the administration seems to have made an appreciable impact in the area of security, there are still killings, kidnappings and high levels of insensitivity and nonchalance

Atiku

Obi and show of extravagance and affluence on the part of government officials, including, of course, members of the National Assembly. Yet it appears that there are no strong opposition parties that can vehemently criticise the ruling party as they did to the PDP in 2011 and 2015.

When the then President Goodluck Jonathan-led administration removed subsidy on petroleum products at the time, Nigerians bought petrol at N85 per litre compared to what obtains now where fuel sells for N588 or more per litre. Surprisingly then, President Muhammadu Buhari and his allies came out and protested on the streets.

Besides the drastic removal fuel subsidy for which palliatives have still not been given to Nigerians to cushion its effect, the humongous amount voted for official cars for President Tinubu, his wife and members of the National Assembly are some of the issues the opposition political parties and CSOs should have taken up against the government.

Also condemnable is the incarcerations of the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Godwin Emefiele and the former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Abdulrasheed Bawa.

Even when the courts have ordered that Emefiele be released, the federal government has refused to obey the orders.

Furthermore, the members of the opposition and CSOs kept sealed lips when the president of the Nigerian Labour Congress, Mr. Joe Ajaero was brutalised in Imo State during a demonstration.

If it were in the days of military dictatorship, CSOs would have been clamouring for his release through demonstrations.

Today on all sides, the country faces multiple crises. With no apparent end in sight, many people in some sections of the country live in fear and are waiting

for the worst to happen. It is believed that together, the opposition could have checked the ruling party on all fronts, benefiting the people.

Instead, many believe that ordinary Nigerians have been abandoned to their fates.

It was therefore not surprising that former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, recently called on opposition political parties to come together and create a more formidable front that will salvage Nigeria’s democracy.

Speaking when he received a delegation from the national executive committee of the Inter-Party Advisory Council Nigeria (IPAC), led by its national president, Yabagi Sani, Atiku said if there was no viable opposition, the nation’s hard-earned democracy would suffer. He added that opposition parties in the country need to form a coalition, saying Nigeria needs a strong opposition to stop the APC from turning the country into a one-party state.

“The project of protecting democracy in our country is not about just one man. You have come here today to say that we should cooperate in order to promote democracy. The truth of the matter is that our democracy is fast becoming a one-party system; and you know that when we have a one-party system, we should just forget about democracy.

“We have all seen how the APC is increasingly turning Nigeria into a dictatorship of one party.

If we don’t come together to challenge what the ruling party is trying to create, our democracy will suffer for it, and the consequences of it will affect the generations yet unborn,” he said.

He further chided the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for conducting the worst-ever general election in the country,” Atiku explained.

On his part, penultimate week, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi, said the party and the Obidient family have effectively accepted their new role as opposition. He stressed that after exhausting all legal and constitutional means to reclaim their mandate, they would now remain in the party as opposition and continue to put pressure on the federal government to do the right thing.

The former Anambra State governor said: “Going forward, we in the Labour Party and

the Obidient Movement are now effectively in opposition. We are glad that the nation has heard us loud and clear. We shall now expand the confines of our message of hope to the rest of the country. We shall meet the people in the places where they feel pain and answer their needs for hope. At marketplaces, motor parks, town halls, boardrooms, and university and college campuses, we all carry and deliver the message of a new Nigeria.

“As stakeholders and elected Labour Party officials, we shall remain loyal to our manifesto.

We will continue to canvas for good governance and focus on issues that promote national interest, unity, and cohesion. We will continue to give primacy to our Constitution, the rule of law, and the protection of ordered liberties.

We will offer the checks and balances required in a functional democracy and vie robustly in forthcoming elections to elect those who share our vision of a new Nigeria.

“Given our present national circumstances, there is a compelling need for a strong political opposition. We shall, therefore, remain in opposition, especially because of the policies and the governance modalities that we in the Labour Party campaigned for, especially reducing the cost of governance, moving the nation from consumption to production, reducing inflation, ending insecurity, promoting the rule of law, guaranteeing the responsibility to protect, and stabilizing the Nigerian currency; are not the priorities of the present administration nor is it interested in achieving Sustainable Development Goals,” he stated.

Also, a public affairs analyst, Tajudeen Ahmad Tijani, feels that though he cannot say that the current government is doing nothing about all the challenges facing the country, they are not doing anything revolutionary, especially now, when the people need it most.

“Even though this is not a campaign for the PDP to come back to power, the lives of the people have become unpleasant due to widespread inflation. There is no sense of direction. There is serious hunger across the country,” he said.

For now, Nigerians are waiting to see how the PDP and LP will put the APC and federal government on their toes.

36

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER NOVEMBER 19,, 2023

INTERNATIONAL Governor Sanwo-Olu and the Sabo Market Corruption Saga: Addressing the International Dimensions

W

The Truth and Sabo Market Corruption As noted above, there were three main stakeholders in the building of the old Sabo Market, Mr. Timothy Akinniyi to whom the building contract was given, Mr. Sanmi Lawal, who left the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs to focus on market business, especially on the extension of Oyingbo Market, and myself, Bola A. Akinterinwa. At the inception of the endeavour, there was no money. I took the first loan from the then Universal Trust Bank, Obalende Branch, Lagos. It was the loan that served as the take-off building capital and that enabled advertorials to be made and for work to commence. Thiss attracted interested market women and men to begin to make deposits.

In appreciation of this financial support, Mr. Akinniyi allocated, not only to himself, but also to me and Sanmi Lawal, some shops facing the main road, Commercial Avenue. All those who assisted in the granting of the loan in the bank, especially my wife, Yetunde, who was then a member of the UTB staff, were allocated shops. Many members of staff of the NIIA were also allocated shops. I paid for the two allocated special shops facing the Commercial Avenue for the purposes of a Francophone Bookshop. My wife also acquired the two shops in front of the second row of buildings facing the Commercial Avenue. I also helped six other Nigerians, including Mrs. Misafola Akinrinbola, a retired seasoned nurse, Olamide Akinterinwa, Mr. and Mrs. Funso and Feyi

“

VIE INTERNATIONALE with

Bola A. Akinterinwa Telephone : 0807-688-2846

e-mail: bolyttag@yahoo.com

Sanwo-Olu Olamigoke,Mrs.Adisa,allofwhomareNigeriansintheDiaspora.

In short, I had nine shops in my care, including my own shops and that of Mrs. Misafola Akinrinbola. The managers of the market never thought it fit to officially inform shop owners about their new policy developments.

When some of the owners of the shops travelled out of the country and were not available in their first year of absence to paytheannualduesrequiredbytheLocalGovernmentCouncil, some officials of the Council fraudulently changed ownership of two shops and sold them to new people.When I challenged the new buyers, I was told that the shops had been sold to them by some Local Government officials, whose identities were not revealed. Rather than use force to tackle the problem, I sent a letter to the incumbent Chairman, Mr. Omiyale.

In my letter to him, which was officially acknowledged, I raised the issue of two shops fraudulently acquired by some of his members of staff. He responded that he was not there by then and that I should not bother much about that, since a new structure would soon be put in place, and that the two shops in question would surely be replaced as all the shops would be sold. I agreed in the spirit of a gentleman. I and my group had nine shops in the market.When the reconstruction of the market began, four people, Mrs Comfort Adelosoye, Mrs Kemi Oni, Mr and Mrs Niyi Aina, and Mr. Idris Musa, who was occupyingmytwospecialshopsfacingtheCommercialAvenue,

Political governance in Nigeria is, lato sensu, driven by oppression of the poor and the lawabiding citizens. The Federal Government collected N260,000 deposit from me for a 3-bedroom semi-detached bungalow in Festac Town in 1994 when Alhaji Lateef Kayode Jakande was Minister of Works and Housing. The cost of the bungalow was N200,000. N40,000 initial deposit was required. General Abdulkareem Alabi Adisa who succeeded Alhaji Jakande increased the deposit from N40,000 to N200,000 and the total cost from Jakande’s N200,000 to N800,000.

As at today, there is no allocation and no refund. In Lagos State, I paid N500,000 for a plot of land under the Isheri North housing project under the military administration of BrigadierGeneral Buba Marwa. Even though the case of Isheri North project is far from being corruptiondriven or fraudulent, the truth is that since 1994 when I paid for the Jakande project and since 1996 when I paid for the Isheri North plot, there has not been any allocation or refund. Today, it is again the case of Sabo Market. Why are Nigerian leaders always wicked and ignoring the protection of justice, fairness, honesty and fear of God? Why should Nigeria remain fantastically corrupt? I had nine shops in the old Sabo Market and I am not asking for less or more.

We demand justice and fairness

paid for shops through me. My wife also made a deposit through me.

Thus I made an initial deposit of N21m for the shops.

The genesis of the fraudulent practice began with the non-official notification about all the allocation processes to all shop owners in the market. It was alleged that the Market leader was in charge of that responsibility. I never related with any market leader on shop demolition and re-allocation.The Local Government Council was collecting all legal dues from me and relating directly with shop owners.

The Council never related with me through any market leader when collecting various taxes from me as a shop owner. In other words, the Local Government Chairman, Kayode Omiyale, and the market developer,Mr.ChrisOnyekachiSimonoftheTotalValueNigeriaIntegrated Services, consciously disregarded my fundamental right to be first considered for allocation of shops. The developer wrongly ignored the law of the land by selling to chronies without any due regard to existing shop owners.

Secondly, the developer first put in place two rows of blocks and sold the shops to existing shop owners at N3m if on the ground floor, N2.1m if on the first floor. It is important to note here that it is with the monies paid by potential buyers that the developer was able to develop the market. However, the developer opted to sell shops on the basis of highest bidder, to politicians and ethnic relations. This is an area that researchers should turn their torchlight to.

The critical problem here is that when the other two rows of blocks were completed, owners of shops who could not be accommodated in the first two rows of completed blocks were asked to pay the new cost price of N5m for shops on the ground floor and N4m for shops on the first floor. I vehemently opposed any payment of money above what the old owners of shops paid.The developer argued the case of increase in the cost of building materials. I responded that should not be my own headache because he should have given me priority in the first instance as a shop owner, and more interestingly as the first financier of the demolished market. My arguments meant nothing to the developer.The developer simply made use of depositors’monies.

For the nine shops demolished by the developer for the purposes of the so-called ultra-modern market shops, which truly cannot be so described, I made a deposit of N21m which has been in the possession of the developer for more than two years now. The developer took advantage of my deposit and that of many others and still have the effrontery of not giving me priority. This is political recklessness cum a very fraudulent practice.

Thirdly,asnotedabove,IhavenineshopsandIrefusedtopayanynew rate. I raised this issue with Mr. Kayode Omiyale in his office. I requested for a tripartite meeting to comprise myself, himself and the developer to deal with the issue. At least, four times in his office, he promised to invite the developer but he always promised to no avail. I never for once doubted his excuses since from 8am till after office hours, people are always waiting for him. If you are a visiting party man, you can always be lucky to be quickly received in audience. Occasionally, when his assistants, who were always very friendly and receiving people with warmth, consider that I had been waiting for too long, they often go in to draw the attention of Mr. Omiyale to it and I would be called in, but calling me is only to be told the same excuse of inability to get the developer. In a nutshell, no tripartite meeting ever took place.

Eventually, Mr. Omiyale, to whom my 12 applications for shop allocation (nine for me and three fresh allocations) were submitted, was kind enough to give me the bank particulars and account number to which I should pay. I refused to pay the new rate of five million but promised to make deposits in anticipation of a meeting with the developer. Mr. Omiyale promised to do something about it and I accepted to pay the new rate for the fresh applications channelled through me.

If Mr. Akinniyi, Mr. Lawal, and I had not laid the foundation on which the new market is built, he would not have had it easily to build any new market. He took people’s deposit to make a headway and in the process opted to rob Peter to pay Paul. Based on this, I object to the opportunistic mainmise by politician Kayode Omiyale and contractor Onyekachi. I have nine shops and I insist on nine shops to be allocated.

Alternatively, special compensation must be paid to me for the nine shops. This is what Mr. Omiyale and Mr. Onyekachi do not want to do because they have illegitimately robbed peter to pay Paul. When enquiries about the current allocatees are completed, the dirtiness in the allocations shall be clearly shown. Meanwhile, Lagos cannot be rightly described as a State of Excellence if it continues to condone corruption. This is why Governor Sanwo-Olu should make haste slowly in going to commission the market. There are other people in my situation who have left their cases for God to handle but this is not the best approach to building a virile society free from toga of irrationalities, political chicanery and institutional corruption. In the State of Excellence, let the‘excellence’be defined by fairness, justice, integrity, honesty and objectivity of purpose at all times.

The International Dimensions

“

hen the British Prime Minister, David Cameron, noted in 2016 that Nigeria was ‘fantastically corrupt, he was apparently looking at corruption at the highest level and not at the lower levels. David Cameron, who was re-appointed the British Foreign Secretary last week Monday, 13 November 2023,cannotbuthavehisviewofacorruptNigeriafurtherstrengthened if he is told that the Governor of Lagos State since 2019, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has been programmed to commission the newly-built Sabo Market inYaba, in Lagos Mainland Local Government Area.The date of commissioning is yet to be made clear The Sabo Market, reconstructed to replace the old one built less than 25 years ago by Mr. Timothy Akinniyi, with the active support of Mr. Sanmi Lawal and Bola A. Akinterinwa, is good and welcome a development project. However it is very filthy in design and allocation, most unfortunate in ethnic projection, and very damaging in its internationalimplications,especiallyfortheGovernmentofLagoswhich preaches the gospel of Lagos as a State of Excellence.The current major pillars of contemporary international relations include human and humanitarian rights, justice and fairness for all in political governance, maintenance of peace and security, peaceful resolution of conflicts, and promotion of anti-corruption policies.

More important, the United Nations Convention against Corruption is about preventing corruption by criminalising it, promoting international cooperation on it, ensuring asset recovery, and giving technical assistance and exchanging information exchange on it.The Convention was done by the United Nations General Assembly on 31 October, 2003 in resolution 58/4/2003, which came into force on 14 December, 2005.The Convention, which is a resultant of the seven sessionsoftheAdHocCommitteefortheNegotiationoftheConvention against Corruption held between January 21, 2002 and October 1, 2003, deals with all facets of corruption ranging from bribery, abuse of functions in both the public and private sectors.

Nigeria is a signatory to the 2003 Convention, and, in fact, played an active part in the making of the Convention. By implication, the Government of Nigeria and all the constitutive States of Nigeria are pretty bound to prevent bribery, corruption and political irrationalities that have come to characterise the politics of re-building the Sabo Market, the allocation of shops and the injustice and unfairness on which both the Chairman of the Mainland Local Government, Mr, Kayode Omiyale, and the developer of the market, have based the allocation of the new shops. They adopted the crooked politics of robbing Peter to pay Paul and are asking the Governor of the State of Excellence to come and endorse it by commissioning the market.We vehemently oppose any manu militari commissioning of the market without first addressing all the public complaints.

Many of my readers may think that the following corruption narrative is not really a big deal especially in light of the rampant corruption that has become a way of life in Nigeria. It is important to note here that efforts are being made to change the current international economic order and environment. Besides, the likelihood of a change in power structure also appears to be imminent with the heightening of international insecurity. And perhaps more importantly, Lagosians cannot be singing the songs of excellence and at the same time be frolicking around with musical bands of corruption. The need for a State of Excellence is a desideratum.

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THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER NOVEMBER 19, 2023

ENGAGEMENTS

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

Nigerian Democracy and Its Deviants

T

he off cycle governorship elections in the three states of Bayelsa,ImoandKogihavecome to a rowdy and contentious end.

As is typical of all Nigerian elections in recent times, the electoral battlefront may have paused in those states. The scene will soon shift to the futility of mostly compromised courts and tribunals with the predictable outcomes .

As elections go, most estimates have concluded that what took place last Saturday is basically a compressededitionofthecontentiousFebruary 25th presidential election. All the footprints are complete. As it were, we have just witnessed a small parade of everything that is wrong with our fledgling democracy.

Vote trading was on open display. Political retail traders were out at the polling stations brandishing bales of Naira notes and a few dollars to buy and sell votes as necessary. For hungry voters, it was simple demand and supply of ‘stomach infrastructure’ and its accompanying cash backup. EFCC operatives and other likeminded security agencies who wanted to appear busy reported that they confiscated a paltry N14 million (a little over US$12,000) in cash from the vote traders in all three states!

Intimidationofelection officials and sabotage plots were in abundant evidence as well. Somewhere in the creeks of Bayelsa, for instance, some INEC official was abducted and his voting materials confiscated by unknown hoodlums.

He later reappeared to say that he had been released by his captors. End of drama!

Violence and intimidation featured predictably as well. In Imo, some polling units became battlefronts with gun wielding persons firing shotsinnoparticulardirectiontoscareoffvoters and party agents in familiar bold armed robbery operations. Apparently, paid political thugs in the service of party chieftains found other uses for their weapons in the ensuing confusion.

There were also reports of result falsification and tally tampering. In some local government areas in Kogi, results were reportedly ready before voting commenced! Pre-completed INEC result sheets were on display. Even INEC later confessed that something on the scale of a ‘sabotage’ went wrong in Kogi and so ordered freshelectionsinpartsofthestateforyesterday, Saturday the 18th of November.

Not to talk of open displays of violent acts in full view of security agents. At the state collation centre in Imo, a big free for all fight erupted.

The agent of one party was caught on video thoroughly beaten up, kicked and punched into a heap on the floor. Worse still, at the collation centre in Bayelsa, a party agent was killed in the excited brawl of clashing contested victories.

Sporadic incidents of ballot snatching were similarly reported. In one instance in Kogi, some ballot snatcher was reportedly shot dead by zealous soldiers.

A few familiar electoral curiosities emerged in the process of this election. In the whole of Imo state, for instance, it has been reported by some independent observers that there was hardly any electronic transmission or collation of results. It was mostly manual. Similarly, BVAS accreditation was by-passed in many places while manual accreditation was mostly the order of the day leading to reported cases of over voting for which some parties are headed for the tribunal to protest. Yet, as early as 10 am on Sunday, barely a day after polling, INEC announced the entire result for the state. An excited re-elected Hope Uzodimma took to the dance floor with his wife in the Owerri Government House to celebrate.

As usual, INEC’s technology devices worked in fits and starts or not at all. In many places, it was reported by journalists and observers that the voter accreditation BVAS platform did not work. INEC resorted to manual accreditation or, reportedly, no accreditation in some places.

The IREV uploading gimmick was hardly in evidence. Reportedly, only up to 50% of results in all three states had been uploaded on BVAS by Sundaynight,24hoursafterballoting!Perhapsit is about time we asked INEC to totally eliminate its fiddling with technology and go completely manual and analogue.

Sundry independent election observers have since issued reports full of reservations and outright indictments of the conduct of the

Yakubu

elections in all three states. As usual, INEC continues to carry a burden of lack lustre performance, incompetence and dodgy refereeing. YIAGA Africa, for instance, has issued a report that points out, among other failings, that INEC’s announced results for all threestatesincludereturnsfrompollingunitsin local governments where no voting took place!

INEC is being asked to explain the mystery of these phantom results. In a statement issued at 2pm on Monday, 13th November, the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room, opined that the failures witnessed in the February presidential elections repeated and even magnified themselves in this off cycle election. But so much for the parade and catalogue of bad things with Nigeria’s democracy.

On the contrary, the fact that the elections in those states have taken place is a plus for Nigeria’scontinuingattachmenttodemocracy.

It is also a plus that barely two days after the elections in the three states, all the results were announced. Furthermore, the degree of violence witnessed in all three states is still lower than what was feared given the backdrop of nationwide insecurity. Imo in particular had remained a hotbed of violent thuggery and suspected IPOB separatist insurgency. It was feared that pro-Biafra elements would outrightly prevent elections in significant segments of the state. The fact that there was hardly any IPOB related violence says something of previous security assessments and conclusions. To that extent, there would seem to be some improvement in the performance of the security agencies in protecting the elections as an important national democratic event.

Yet we cannot ignore the more fundamental and dangerous signs that these elections have underlined for the future of democracy in Nigeria. In all three states, voter turnout was abysmally low. This trend is merely an

intensification of what occurred in the February presidentialelectionswhichmakesitallthemore concerning. People who had better things to do just shunned the polling centres and went about their business. As in the presidential polls, only about 30% of registered voters showed up to vote. Less than 30 million of the registered 83 million voters nationwide actually cast their ballots for all presidential candidates in the 18 registered parties.

For instance, President Bola Tinubu’s incumbency is on the strength of less than 10% of registered voters. The matter of low voter turnout nevertheless deserves closer examinationanddeeperunderstandingifweare tosustainatraditionofdemocraticparticipation.

It is a serious commentary on the prospects of democracy in the country. To that extent, we must seek explanations and seek for remedies.

In the last decade, the spate of insecurity around the country has increased the risk involved in people going out to queue for long hours at polling stations where it has become hard to distinguish between party agents, hired thugs and plain dangerous criminals. On a few recent occasions, many who went out to vote have returned through hospital wards or come home with fractured skulls or broken ribs as a result of violent attacks by thugs. Ordinary people who have little or nothing to show for their previous exertions now weigh the risk to reward ratio of going out to vote and most prefer to stay home.

Even for the habitual voters who go out because there is an instant reward in the form of cash or food items from vote buyers have also begun to measure the value of these rewards in an inflationary situation. Inflation has eroded the value of anticipated financial or material rewards to hapless poor voters.

Even more frightening is the tendency for the ritual of voting to become a low class affair. It is often the case in high brow neighbourhoods

that its is the domestic staff- gatemen, security guards, stewards, cleaners and janitors –who go to queue up for long hours to vote. As it were, the elite may have unconsciously ceded their democratic rights to the lower classes. The exception may only be during presidential elections when the stakes are elevated to a national level where larger interests come into contention.

In general, the elite or middle class voters are usually reluctant to go out to queue in the sun for hours to vote for a governor or state legislator whose impact on his life is questionable. For this group, there is a growing feeling of disenchantment with the ritual of democracy in a society where cycles of democratic change hardly translate into positive change in living circumstances. This feeling of democratic futility and alienation of the electorate gradually spreading among all social classes and groups.

This seems to be fuelling a growing new anti democratic consensus among the populace.

The more dangerous implication of this growing sentiment is the gradual death of belief in governments at all levels in the country among the generality of ordinary citizens. Distrust in government easily translates into voter apathy and a breakdown of sense of civic obligation.

The cynicism is widespread that government hasbecomeincreasinglyineffectualinproviding solutions to the common problems affecting the daily lives of the generality of people.

Thereisamorefrightfulparttothisalienation.

Those aged 18 to 24 can be described as our ‘democracy generation’. They came of voting age after the 1999 return to democracy and so have not known any other form of political organization and expression than democracy.

They ought to be the critical mass of our democracy vanguard but , alas, they are the ones mostlyafflictedbycynicismanddisillusionment about democracy and governance from most available evidence.

The ‘death of government’ has gradually emerged as a recurrent theme in Nigerian populardiscourse.Alongsidethisthemeiswidespread cynicism about democracy itself. People are now looking back at the experience of the last 24yearsandwonderingwhetherdemocracyhas in fact improved their lot or merely enriched a minority of politicians, public office appointees and their associates. Increasingly, the rituals of periodic voting now looks more like a sham and a charade. There is a street wisdom that politiciansonlyrememberthepeopleinfour-year cycles when they return in search of votes only to disappear into the cocoon of material comfort and privilege.

The summation of it all is therefore a tragic deficit in citizen trust in the state and the efficacy of its institutions to protect or deliver on their responsibilities. Distrust on the state and its institutions also amounts to a devaluation of the guardrails of democracy itself.

Most Nigerians distrust INEC and its ability to conduct free and fair elections. Similarly, the security agencies are seen as being in the service of the rich and powerful instead of out to defend the national interest of peace, security and democracy. In the same vein, the judiciary and the courts enjoy scant trust and respect in the minds of ordinary Nigerians.

In order to salvage Nigerian’s democracy, we need to return to fundamentals. We cannot assume that the mere existence of institutions of state designed to serve democracy is enough to sustain a democratic culture.

That is not enough. They have an inbuilt tendency to degrade and self destroy or be destroyed by ambitious politicians unless they are constantly surveiled by a vigilant civil society. We therefore need to return to the rubrics of democracy to see where Nigeria has derailed in the last 24 years and how and where our experience of democracy can be saved and improved upon.

Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt, authors How Democracies Die, drawing from the untidy experiences of America’s democracy under Donald Trump have provided some insight into what could happen to even the most entrenched democracy when its guardrails and guideposts are systematically assaulted and threatened by political rascality.

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NOVEMBER 19, 2023 • T H I S DAY, T H E S U N DAY N E W S PA P E R

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B AC K PAG E C O N T I N UAT I O N ATIKU’S RALLYING CALL TO THE OPPOSITION vituperations and brickbats — including a bitterly fought litigation and massive debate over iRev failure — the dust will begin to settle and there can be a proper postmortem, which should be more scientific and less emotional. As Waziri Adio, the respected columnist, would say, “Politics is a game of addition, not subtraction or division.” The PDP went into the election with subtraction and division and still expected to win. It lost erstwhile sure-banker geopolitical zones and still expected to win. I readily admit that politicians are constitutionally entitled to pre-election optimistic calculations, but the PDP’s math was simply not “mathing”.

Atiku knows quite a bit about the tendency for one-party state in Nigeria. As vice-president from 1999 to 2007, he was an insider as his party, the PDP, threatened to rule Nigeria for 60 years. By 2007, the PDP held 15 of 17 states in the south, unable to capture only Lagos and losing Anambra only because of an election litigation. The party also had 14 out of the 19 northern states — leaving only Zamfara, Kano, Bauchi, Yobe and Borno for the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP). That was a total of 29 out of 36 states! By 2008, Zamfara and Bauchi governors had defected to the PDP, albeit judicial victories would later snatch Ondo, Ekiti, Osun and Edo from their hands. The PDP was too mighty.

Some of us who are interested more in democratisation than politicking expressed worries about the PDP domination. It looked like it would last forever as the opposition parties kept going into elections with a divided front.

The ANPP, the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) and the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) were contesting elections and winning

only bits and pieces and always, predictably, complaining about rigging — until 2013, when their leaders finally came to their senses and decided to forge a united front against the PDP. Thereafter, the APC was born. We all know what happened next. I don’t think we need to reinvent the wheel.

Although Atiku was part of the breakaway PDP faction that joined in founding the APC, he returned to the PDP because of his presidential ambition. He knew there was no way he could successfully challenge a sitting president for the party’s ticket. He had tried and retreated against President Olusegun Obasanjo in 2003. He had also lost the PDP primary to Jonathan in 2011. But, fair enough, the PDP was strong in 2019 and Atiku had a respectable outing against APC/ Buhari. He got 11.26 million votes — or 41.2 percent — and won in 17 states, including the entire south-east and south-south, as well as the FCT. For comparison, Buhari got 15.19 million votes and won in 19 states.

Going into the 2023 elections with a divided house was PDP’s ultimate undoing at a time the APC was there for the taking after a series of missteps that angered millions of Nigeria.

The exits of Obi and Kwankwaso, unfortunately, weakened the PDP. To add insult to injury, five PDP governors, led by Chief Nyesom Wike, openly worked round the clock against Atiku. How was Atiku so confident he could win with a party that had broken into pieces?

Maybe he thought he would get bloc votes in the north and secure just enough elsewhere to fulfil the legal threshold. I would now think that since this strategy failed, he has finally admitted that defeating the APC needs a larger dose of reality.

Atiku’s rallying call to the opposition, no

matter anyone’s misgivings, is vital. For one, democracy without multiple choice lacks a competitive edge. What it creates is complacency on the part of the almighty party. There was a time in this country that to get the PDP ticket was the most important thing — the rest was a mere formality. The primaries were more important than the elections proper. Politicians were flocking to the PDP as opposition parties were mostly for decorative purposes. The PDP did not feel the need to raise its performance in power: victory was assured in every election.

That is why strong opposition is critical in a democracy, at least to keep the ruling party on its toes.

A united opposition will send strong signals to the ruling party that votes should not be taken for granted. Although we usually complain about rigging in Nigeria, there is also the little consolation that some states are difficult to rig. As strong as the PDP was, there were many states it could not rig when it was in power, especially in 2003, 2011 and 2015. The take-away from here is that without a strong opposition, the ruling party will only get stronger and stronger. Knowing that its power and might will come up against some limits in certain constituencies is a form of restraint, which is good for our democracy where the party in power unfairly controls the institutions that oversee elections.

There is a real fear that the APC might soon imitate the PDP of yore — with the help of the Nigerian political culture of defections to the ruling party. Because politics is bread and butter for most politicians, there are those who cannot imagine life out of the mainstream for long. As soon as they lose elections, they become vulnerable to the temptation of “returning home” — that is, to the ruling

party. In any case, Nigerian politicians change parties with ease. You can be in the PDP in the morning and switch to the APC at noon.

It is all about getting your daily bread. Some PDP governors might soon move to the APC to “align” with the political currents at the centre. This hurts democracy.

Of course, there are suspicions as to Atiku’s real motive in his call for the opposition parties to “merge”. It is being whispered that he wants to run again in 2027. Many think his latest battle cry is self-serving, that he wants Obi and Kwankwaso to return to the PDP so that he could ride on their backs to presidency. We must not forget that it was Atiku’s ambition that fractured the PDP ahead of the 2023 elections. He had also played a key role in weakening the PDP in 2013 by jumping on the bandwagon of disgruntled governors to defect to the APC. He pursued his ambition again but came third behind Buhari and Kwankwaso in the APC primary.

He has a history of putting personal interest above group interest.

If Atiku genuinely wants the opposition parties to come together in order to safeguard the future of our democracy, he has to come clean about his own motives. He would do well to be a strategist and kingmaker. Positioning himself as the flagbearer would only lead to suspicion and further divide the opposition.

A more nuanced and dispassionate appraisal of the 2023 elections would point to the fact that fractionalisation was the game changer. It helped the APC keep hold of power. Today’s opposition can learn a thing or two from the APC itself. After crying about rigging for ages, the opposition parties would not have unseated the PDP without a united front and strategic thinking.

And Four Other Things…

OIL BLOCKED Nigeria has terminated its $1.1 billion civil claims against Shell and Eni over OPL 245 and committed to no further legal action. The saga deserves a Netflix original. Despite spending millions of dollars on legal fees, Nigeria has lost every legal challenge to the transaction which saw Malabu, the original allottees, sell the oil block to Shell/Eni for $1.1 billion in 2011. For me, the key question has always been the “code of conduct” issue around Malabu’s ownership by a sitting minister and the son of a sitting head of state when it got the oil block in 1998.

Nigeria decided to pursue fraud arguments and failed in all courts and on all fronts. Meanwhile, such a rich oil block lay fallow for decades.

Waste.

I-REVOLUTION Allalong,we’vebeentold that iRev— theresultviewing portal — is the ultimate revolution against rigging in Nigeria. The presidential poll was rigged, according to a popular theory, because the iRev was “switched off”. Up till now, INEC has not satisfactorily explained why the iRev did not work after promising us heaven and earth about the “invention”. But… but… other elections in which iRev was used — including the recent off-cycle governorship polls — were rejected and described as rigged by those who lost. You mean rigging is still possible with iRev? That is not the impression we’ve had all along. In the end, you only scan and upload signed result sheets to iRev and nothing more. Hype.

LABOUR CRUISE So, the labour unions actually went on a national strike because Comrade Joe Ajaero, the president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), was attacked by locals in Imo state?

Really? You grind the already fragile economy of the whole country to a halt because of a case of assault on an individual in one of the 36 states? These union leaders need to start having a frank conversation with one another, otherwise they will soon overreach themselves. Is there anywhere else in the world where the life of an entire country is put on hold in this manner? There are far more important issues that affect Nigerians but the unions are undermining themselves with this kind of behaviour. Outrageous.

NO COMMENT In view of pressing economic needs amid a depreciating national currency, President Lazarus Chakwera of Malawi on Thursday cancelled all international trips for himself and other public officials. This took immediate effect, with all cabinet members on international trips asked to return to the country immediately. In place of sending an emergency bill to the National Assembly to pay for a yacht and maintain presidential jets, Chakwera directed a 50 percent reduction in the fuel allowances of ministers, permanent secretaries, directors, and all senior officials, saying the era of spending taxpayers’ money on “useless activities in the form of allowances” has ended. Leadership.

certain directions, especially on assumption of office. They will appeal to the need for urgency and your ego as a person keen on making the difference. It will be important to resist such because you can easily be sucked into other people’s power games. Change in leadership is largely seen as a moment for reset by the contending power groups within an organisation: those in control want to stay so; those who are not, want to seize control.

Without having a good grasp of the dynamics, the unwary CEO gets captured by one of the groups and starts, unwittingly, fighting other people’s battles. It will be important to learn to temporise, to treat the practised, fawning adulation of bureaucrats with amusement, and while remaining open to ideas, to view offers of help and even pieces of advice with some scepticism.”

Enthusiasm and good intentions are necessary, but not enough: “Professionals who get into government will need more than enthusiasm and good intentions to succeed.

Enthusiasm and good intentions are great and necessary but are not enough. Our public sector surely needs more competent and more public-spirited people, and we should continue to encourage as many people as possible to get involved in public governance.

However, being successful in other spheres of life and being keen on making a difference in the public arena would not necessarily guarantee success, as we have seen in too many instances.

“In addition to enthusiasm and good intentions, I will recommend a good dose of deliberateness, clarity, wariness and paranoia even. The starting point will be to get a good understanding of our public sector: how it

is configured, how it works, and how to get things done. The public sector is different from the private sector, the academia, the media, and the development sector. It has its own logic, its own pace, its own traditions, and a strong lobby invested in sustaining the status quo. Many things need changing, but you can’t change what you don’t understand.

Related to this is the need to know how to stay out of trouble. Heads of agencies double as the chief accounting officers and have direct responsibilities for all the processes and transactions.”

If you are interested in pushing for change, be ready for pushbacks: “Any public administrator who is interested in more than just moving things along should expect and should prepare for the backlash.

There is an entrenched constituency deeply invested in sustaining the dysfunctional status quo. If you are interested in changing things, know that you will be resisted and sometimes maligned. Pushing for change will come at a cost, sometimes personal. Whether you have the political support or not, know that there are moments you will be alone and that you easily could be sacrificed for political and other expediencies.

“You need to decide if public sector work is for you in the first place, and if your answer is in the affirmative, you need to be mentally prepared for the battles. You need to have the sagacity to navigate the minefields, to know when to insist or retreat, to build a solid support system and to studiously keep your corner tidy. The last part on strenuously staying above board is to ensure that you don’t make it too easy for them when they eventually come for you.”

SEVEN TIPS FOR NEW POLITICAL APPOINTEES CEOs in carrying out their administrative, managerial and leadership functions. From my experience, this is a big assumption.

“But even if the assumption holds true all the time, and in all contexts, it is important for the political heads of the institutions to know as much as their advisers and foot-soldiers, and for them to understand the way government functions, from the most routine activity like treating files to the sublime ones like government’s rules and processes. While private sector experience and professional skills are transferable and should enrich public sector work, there is no substitute for understanding how government works.

“Not understanding how government works not only limits the impact of political appointees but also makes them vulnerable.

Many good people with good intentions have been hobbled, and made open to manipulation and even blackmail, because of the lack of deep familiarity with Public Service Rules, Financial Regulations, and myriad of other rules and regulations, practices and mores, and circulars.”

Be wary, paranoid even: “As a new CEO, if they don’t prepare you, prepare yourself. Get a good head for numbers and be comfortable with the processes. Read thoroughly and always consult the financial regulations, the procurement law, the public service rules, and others. Remember this golden rule: trust but verify. Review everything that needs your signoff not just because you are responsible for the actions of those below you but also because you are personally liable as the chief accounting officer. It is better for you to assume everyone is trying to set you

President Tinubu up and stay out of trouble than to assume good intentions on the part of others and put yourself in avoidable trouble.

“There will be attempts to stampede you into

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NOVEMBER 19, 2023 • T H I S DAY, T H E S U N DAY N E W S PA P E R

SUNDAYSPORTS

SUNDAY SPORTS

Edited by: Duro Ikhazuagbe email:Duro.Ikhazuagbe@thisdaylive.com

World Cup Qualifiers: Omeruo: Eagles on Redemption Mission against Zimbabwe Today

O

n-field Captain of the Super Eagles, Kenneth Omeruo, has insisted that players of the senior national team are on a mission to redeem themselves when they play Zimbabwe today in the Match-day 2 fixture of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier in

P. S’Africa.

1.

Lesotho.

1.

Nigeria.

1.

Rwanda.

1.

Zimbabwe. 1.

Benin Rep. 1.

Rwanda.

Nigeria drew 1-1 with Lesotho in Uyo last Thursday to make this second match a must-win for Eagles if they want to avoid playing second fiddle to South Africa in the Group C pairing.

“We are on a redemption mission; a serious business is what we have

GROUP C W. D. L. GF. GA. Pts 1. 0. 0. 2. 1. 3 0. 1. 0. 1. 1. 1 0. 1. 0. 1. 1. 1 0. 1. 0. 0. 0. 1 0. 1. 0. 0. 0. 1 0. 0. 1. 1. 2. 0

Bafana Bafana Beat Benin, Lead Group C With Two-goal Edge After Super Eagles dropped two precious points against Lesotho last Thursday in Uyo, Bafana Bafana of South Africa defeated Benin Republic 2-1 in Durban yesterday to ascend the driver’s seat of Group C of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

Only the South Africans recorded a win in the three matches played on the Matchday 1 of the race to book tickets to the World Cup to be hosted

by USA, Mexico and Canada.

Bafana Bafana have three points while Nigeria, Lesotho, Zimbabwe and Rwanda have a point apiece from their draw results of the group. Only the Squirrels of Benin Republic are without a point yet.

Yesterday in Durban, Bafana Bafana got off to a great start when Al Ahly star forward, Percy Tau, opened scoring after just two minutes.

Khouliso Madau then scored

his first-ever goal for his country in first half stoppage time for the home team to go into the break 2-0 up.

However, Benin Republic fought back after the interval for Steve Mounie to pull a goal back in the 70th minute.

It was a cool finish by the experienced striker.

Nigeria’s Super Eagles could still topple the South Africans at the top of standings should the Kenneth Omeruo-led threetime African champions beat Zimbabwe today in Rwanda.

South Africa will have to wait till Tuesday to know if they can extend their stay at the summit of Group C after two -match days.

South Africa will be away in Rwanda on Tuesday for in their second game of the qualifiers, while Benin will be guests of shock troopers Lesotho in South Africa. Both matches will be played Tuesday.

come for. The pitch of the Huye Stadium here in Rwanda is poor but we can’t be bothered right now.

“We want to get into action and pick up three points,” gushed the Kasimpasa FC of Turkey defender on arrival in Rwanda early hours of yesterday.

Omeruo insisted that Super Eagles

players have refused to be bothered about the state of the artificial turf which is close to threadbare.

Sunday’s match will start at 3pmRwanda time (2pmNigeria time), and will be superintended

by Djiboutian official Souleiman Ahmed Djama, with his compatriots Liban Abdoulrazack Ahmed (assistant

referee 1), Rachid Waiss Bouraleh (assistant referee 2) and Mohamed Diraneh Guedi (fourth official) also in action.

Yohannes Ghirmai Ghebregziabher from Eritrea will serve as referee assessor and Raphael Lyson Humba from Malawi is the match commissioner.

RESULTS S’Africa 2-1 Benin Senegal 4-0:S’Sudan Niger 0- 1 Tanzania Euro 2024 France 14-0 Gibraltar Latvia 0-2 Croatia NPFL Doma 1-0 Plateau Bendel 2-2 Kwara Utd

AFCON 2023: Amokachi, Yobo, Musa, Say Eagles Can Do it Again Duro Ikhazuagbe Former internationals, Daniel Amokachi, Joseph Yobo and Ahmed Musa are unfazed by the sluggish start of Super Eagles to the 2026 World Cup qualifying series, insisting that ‘Nigeria Can Do It Again.’

Speaking at the “Let’s Do It Again” campaign launch for the Super Eagles at the Mike Adenuga Centre in Ikoyi on Friday night, Amokachi who belongs to the ‘1994 Golden Generation’ of the senior national team pleaded with Nigerians to give this team the opportunity to win the AFCON again, a decade after Late Stephen Keshi won it in South Africa.

“It is a decade now that Nigeria last won the AFCON trophy. I was Keshi’s assistant coach and I know what we went through

to achieve that feat. When we were going to play Côte d’Ivoire, the NFF had bought our return tickets already and were waiting for us to crash out. But all that changed when we played a game that was not expected and put the Ivorians to sleep while we matched into the final,”recalled Amokachi who was also in the Super Eagles that debuted at the Mundial in USA in 1994.

He said the bulk of players in the present squad do not have that mentality of old but are enthusiastic to play for Nigeria.

“Let’s support the team, let’s put that patriotism to ensure the boys are motivated. Fifty per cent of our players are foreigners. Let’s motivate them to know how we feel when they are defeated so that they can improve,” stressed the power forward fondly hailed “Da Bull”.

Yobo who captained Nigeria to win the 2013 AFCON describes the draw with Lesotho as a wake up call for the players.

“Super Eagles Can Do It Again”, began the former Everton defender.

“Draw against Lesotho is a wake up call. We are due to win AFCON again after a decade. No reason we cannot win it. Team work and intelligence play great roles to win a championship. Now, the players know that they cannot afford to make any more mistake in the qualifiers.”

Yobo also urged the sporting media in the country to watch the type of stories that they put out .

“Some stories scare some of these our foreign-born players .

The trolling of their families on social media do not help. One bad game does not make a player a bad one,” he noted.

Ahmed Musa who flew into Lagos from his base in Turkey for the launch of the campaign for Eagles, promised that Nigeria cannot afford to miss another World Cup after missing the last edition in Qatar.

“If 2013 Eagles can do it, this team can go to Abidjan to make it.

It wasn’t rosy when we won it.”

Some of the ex internationals in attendance include, Samson Siasia, Mutiu Adepoju, Amokachi, Yobo, Ahmed Musa, Shehu Abdullahi, etc.

Sports Minister, John Owan Enoh, FIFA Council Member, Amaju Pinnick, President of the NFF, Ibrahim Gusau and the federation scribe, Dr Sanusi Mohammed, Board Members Aisha Falode , Otunba Sunday Dele Ajayi amongst several others were all in attendance and spoke glowingly at the ceremony.

Oshoala Wins UEFA Women Champions League’s Goal of the Week The acrobatic over-the-head goal scored by Barcelona forward, Asisat Oshoala, has won the UEFA Women’s Champions League (UWCL) Goal of the Week .

The Super Falcons striker helped Barcelona Femeni hammer Portuguese club side, SL Benfica 5-1.

Oshoala came on as a second half substitute and the Nigerian rounded up the scoring, with the Catalan side’s fifth goal of the game in a grand style.

She acrobatically converted Caroline Graham Hansen’s cross into the back of the net in the 62nd minute after replacing Mariona Caldentey a minute earlier.

The former FC Robo Queens and Arsenal FC player made it consecutive seasons of winning the opening matchday goal of the week in the UWCL after achieving

the same feat last season.

She is one of Africa’s most decorated players and the continent’s most decorated women footballer.

After winning the Nigeria Women’s Football League (NWFL) Premiership once and the FA Cup twice, she proceeded to Arsenal FC where she won the 2015/2016 Women’s FA Cup. With Chinese side, Dalian Quanjian, Oshoala won the Chinese Women’s Super League in 2017 and 2018 before switching to FC Barcelona where she has won multiple titles like the league (four times), UWCL (twice), Supercopa (three times), and the Copa de La Reina (three times).

She is the record winner of CAF Women’s Footballer of the Year and is in the running to win her record-extending sixth title next month in Morocco.

Asisat Oshoala won the player of the month award with this her over-the-head kick against Benfica ladies...last week

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Sunday 19 November, 2023

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“Former President Jonathan’s statement is unfortunate. I sincerely hope he was misquoted. Let me just quote our respected Wole Soyinka: ‘you can take the hippopotamus out of the swamp but you cannot take the swamp out of the hippopotamus” – The candidate of the APC in the Bayelsa governorship election, Timipre Sylva, describing former President Jonathan on the outcome of the poll as unfortunate.

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SIMONKOLAWOLE Atiku’s Rallying Call to the Opposition SIMONKOLAWOLELIVE!

simon.kolawole@thisdaylive.com, sms: 0805 500 1961

A

s I was saying, the 2023 presidential election was won and lost fundamentally because of the fractured opposition, even though you are free to add one million other reasons to that.

Confronting a monster like the All Progressives Congress (APC) was already an uphill battle for a united Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the biggest opposition party — only for it to break into pieces before the general election.

Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the PDP presidential candidate in the election, finally appeared to have admitted this fact when he said this on Tuesday last week: “If we don’t come together to challenge what the ruling party is trying to create, our democracy will suffer.”

Although Atiku did not go the whole hog to admit that the opposition made things easy for the APC — he remains assured that he won the election — at least, he warned that the ruling party would soon take everything if the opposition did not unite. For some context, Candidate Bola Tinubu/APC won the presidential election with 8,794,726 votes, while Atiku and two former PDP members got a combined haul of 14,582,740 votes. While I accept that adding figures together this way might be overly simplistic and counterfactual, I could still bet with my laptop that APC

Atiku would not have won the presidential election if PDP had not divided its votes. I wish to remain adamant about my theory.

I may be wrong but I suppose Atiku is now reflecting on what might have been. Allow me to illustrate my argument. Historically, the south-east always voted for the PDP — since the dawn of the fourth republic in 1999. The

exit of Mr Peter Obi, who was Atiku’s running mate in 2019, took significant votes in the zone from the PDP. That is the hard truth. By the official results, the overall gap between Tinubu and Atiku was about 1.8 million votes. Obi, the Labour Party candidate, got 1.96 million from the south-east, most of which, all things equal, would have gone to Atiku/PDP. The party had polled 5 million votes from the zone in 2011 (pre-biometric era), 2.5 million in 2015, and 1.6 million in 2019.

Most Northern Christians, I would argue, never liked the APC. They have been associating President Muhammadu Buhari with Islamisation since the Sharia crisis of 2000. They naturally always chose the PDP, and this was made easier for them in 2023 with APC’s Muslim/ Muslim ticket. Atiku/PDP would have been the major beneficiary if not for the split. In 2019, the Atiku/Obi/PDP ticket got 1.9 million votes from the north-central, where northern Christians are concentrated. In 2023, Atiku/ PDP got 1.025 million while Obi/LP got 1.4 million. That was 2.425 million votes for the “PDP”, compared to Tinubu/APC’s 1.72 million in the zone. That is exactly what happens when you split your votes.

The cracked opposition also suffered a serious injury in Lagos, where the headline news was that Obi defeated Tinubu, the state’s political godfather. But that only hurt Tinubu’s ego,

not his chances. In fact, victory for Obi in Lagos was also victory for Tinubu. I would speculate that most of the 582,000 votes Obi got in Lagos would have gone to Atiku — given the pattern in recent presidential elections. In fact, the Atiku/Obi ticket got 448,015 votes in Lagos in 2019, compared to Buhari/APC’s 580,825. In 2023, the combined votes of Obi and Atiku came to 658,204 — about 100,000 more than what Tinubu got. I would wager that those who voted for Obi and Atiku would not have voted for Tinubu.

With the divided opposition, the Kano outcome also helped Tinubu. In my books, he was the biggest beneficiary in the state. Dr Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, the candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), left the PDP in anger before the 2023 elections. His political base is Kano, where he was twice governor. His crowd followed him to NNPP. He got 997,000 votes in Kano — just 3,000 shy of one million — while Atiku managed to poll 131,716. Basically, every vote for Kwankwaso in Kano was also a vote for Tinubu because it possibly would have been Atiku’s, in my calculations. I could go on analysing every single state and showing how the opposition made things smoother for the APC. I hope that after all the post-election Continued on page 38

WAZIRIADIO POSTSCRIPT

Seven Tips for New Political Appointees

Y

esterday, I was in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, to discuss my book, “The Arc of the Possible,” with an impressive mix of secondary school students and the professionals and the political elites of the city.

The event was organised by “The August Meeting,” a group keen on deepening the reading culture as a way of strengthening leadership capacities in Rivers and beyond, led by the amiable and cerebral Kingsley Wali. The event reinforced for me that we still have reasons to be hopeful about Nigeria.

In preparation for the event, I flipped through my book, a memoir of the five years I spent as the head of a federal government agency. The book was published by Cable Books two years ago. Recently, I have read some generous references to the book based on the actions of some of President Bola Tinubu’s political appointees. That is gratifying.

Today, I am sharing a few tips excerpted from different sections of the book. It is my hope that current and future appointees, as well as the appointive authorities and others interested in better governance in Nigeria, will find them useful.

Embrace the value of making haste slowly: “The received wisdom is that newly elected or appointed office holders should leap into action on assumption of office. This is to signal their readiness, telegraph a sense of urgency, and energise those they are going to be working with. It is, ordinarily, a good piece of advice. However, there are times when haste should be made very slowly.

Sometimes, it is good to take a deliberate pause, take some time to see what is there, compare the reality on ground to the assumptions held from the outside, and reflect deeply on all of these before deciding on what to do, and how. The race can commence after that. Running a government or a ministry or an agency is a marathon, not a sprint.

Therefore, understanding the lay of the land and having an appropriate strategy to cover the distance may be more useful than yielding to the impulse to just dash off at the blast of the whistle.”

Clarity on values and legacy will serve you well: “As they set out, political appointees need to ensure they have clarity in two important areas. The first is about values, being clear about what matters, and where the boundaries are. Life comes so fast

at people in public office, and not having clarity about where the lines are would leave most public officials very vulnerable in a very permissive environment where the most common lines are: ‘it is allowed’, ‘it is standard’, ‘everyone does it,’ ‘it is just to motivate your people’ and ‘this is Nigeria, you need to help your people’. If you get into government without a clear idea about your values, it is very unlikely you will come out with one. This level of clarity is also important about what you want your legacy to be. Though not everyone would have the same level of lucidity on the first day, it is still important to spend some time thinking about the end even before stepping out.

“There will be so many things to do, especially in terms of paperwork and meetings, that it is easy to get sucked into the motion of it all. But having a clear idea about where and how you want to make the difference helps with focus and discipline. However, such clarity must be backed by an appropriate strategy and diligent execution.”

Familiarise yourself with rules and processes: “Government is largely about rules and processes that define the scope of what is possible and sometimes constrain

action. Violating these rules and processes not only undermines the effectiveness of office holders but can also lead to embarrassment, scandals, dismissals, and prosecutions even.

Good intention or ignorance or the fact that no money is stolen is never an excuse.

Political appointees, who for good reasons are largely drawn from outside of the civil service, become incapacitated or get into trouble for not understanding these rules or for not knowing how to walk through the minefield of processes. There is hardly proper orientation for people brought in from outside the system. In fact, they are expected to hit the ground running. The civil servants are there to guide, but they either watch the self-righteous and all-knowing outsiders stumble or even set traps for them.”

Understand how the public sector works: “In the system that we run, most of the political appointees are drawn from the political and professional classes. This is understandable, especially because there is supposedly a professional and apolitical civil service that should undertake the technical component of the work and guide the Continued on page 38

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