SUNDAY 29TH SEPTEMBER 2019

Mailafia, Ex-CBN Dep Gov, Wants Salary Cuts for Public Servants FG’s recurrent expenditure in 2018 stood at N5.85 trillion while total revenue earned was N3.86 trillion Ndubuisi Francis in Abuja Amid dwindling revenue and rising recurrent expenditure, a former deputy governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria

(CBN), Dr. Obadiah Mailafia has recommended salary cuts for public servants at the highest echelons of the federal and state governments.

The federal government’s recurrent expenditure in 2018

(including statutory transfers) stood at N5.85 trillion while total revenue earned the same year was N3.86 trillion. A record N2.09 trillion was also deployed in debt service, even as personnel cost stood at over

N2.1 trillion.

The federal government’s 2020-2022 Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and Fiscal Strategy Paper (FSP) projects personnel cost at over N3 trillion in the

2020 budget.

In an interview with THISDAY, Mailafia who expressed concern over the rising fiscal challenges in the country, canvassed salary cuts for public servants at

the highest echelons.

Mailafia who was also the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in the 2019 polls said: Continued on page 8

Our Mindset Unhelpful to Nation-building, Fashola Laments… Page 83 Sunday 29 September, 2019 Vol 24. No 8938

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Ndagoso to President: It’s Time to Unite Nigerians Says infrastructure without security is useless EFCC: NGOs in North-east to seek clearance before moving cash John Shiklam in Kaduna and Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja With Nigeria’s 59thIndependence Anniversary less than two days from today, the Catholic Bishop

of Kaduna Archdiocese, Most Rev. Mathew Man'oso Ndagoso has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to seize the opportunity of the current mood of the nation to unite Nigerians, the division being

a direct consequence of his election.

Ndagoso, who was perturbed about the state of security in the country, also said it would amount to a waste of resources building

infrastructure in an atmosphere that does not enjoy peace.

But thePresident of the CLCN, Thomas Adekoya, who also lamented the security situation in the country, said the seeming hopelessness as

far as security is concerned was an indication that government had reached its wits end.

Meanwhile as part of measures to contain terrorfinancing, the Chairman of

the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr Ibrahim Magu, yesterday called on the Nigerian Army to ensure that NonContinued on page 8

Buhari: Kaduna ‘Islamic School’ a House of Torture, Place of Slavery Commends Police for acting quickly to rescue 400 persons

Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja President Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday in Abuja, described as a house of torture and place of human slavery a Kadunabased Islamic school, where no fewer than 400 men and boys, who had been chained up by operators of the centre, were rescued by the police last Thursday. Buhari, who condemned in strong terms the detention, abuse and torture of people at the Rigasa centre under the guise of running an Islamic school, however, commended the police for discovering the “horrific hub.”

The President was in New York, where he participated in the 74th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), when the discovery was made.

But he returned to the country yesterday to lend his voice to wide condemnations of the illegal detention and inhuman treatment.

In a statement by his

spokesman, Malam Garba Shehu, Buhari said abuse of the fundamental rights of citizens, whether they are children or adults, will not be condoned by his administration. He commended the police for arresting “operators of the unedifying, so-called 'reform institution’”.

The statement said the President was glad that Moslem leaders had condemned the claim that the place was an Islamic school, adding that the unwholesome act of the centre’s operators is embarrassing.

Buhari recalled his earlier remarks that children needed to be protected from evil influences and street roaming by sending them to school.

He had stated in June while inaugurating the National Economic Council (NEC) for the period 2019-2023 that it was criminal for parents to Continued on page 8

SELLING GATEWAY STATE IN NEW YORK...

L-R: President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Mr Akinwumi Adesina, with Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun at the Africa Investment Forum Roadshow held in New York ...recently

Bayelsa APC Tussle: Party Risks Repeating Rivers, Zamfara Scenario… Page 8

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Bayelsa APC Tussle: Party Risks Repeating Rivers, Zamfara Scenario Alex Enumah in Abuja If utmost caution is not observed, the All Progressives Congress (APC) risks experiencing the fate that befell the party in Rivers and Zamfara States in the last general election.

At the moment, Bayelsa State APC is embroiled in numerous legal battles over the alleged shoddy manner the primary election for the November 16, 2019

governorship election was conducted.

The matter is made worse by the alleged continued evasion of court processes by the APC governorship candidate in the state, Hon. David Lyon and his deputy, Degi Biobarakuma.

An aggrieved stakeholder in the party, Peter Ozobo had dragged Lyon and Biobarakuma to the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court, alleging a default in

the conduct of the primaries that produced them.

In the suit with reference number: FHC/ABJ/ CS/1095/2019, Ozobo and others were seeking the disqualification of the candidate, claiming that they did not hold direct primary elections at the wards in the state and that a majority of the party members were excluded from voting in the election.

They also alleged that

results were written in wards where primaries did not hold.

In addition, the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) gubernatorial candidate and his deputy, Senator Duoye Diri and Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, in another suit also sought the leave of the court to disqualify the APC candidate for being wrongfully nominated by his party.

Counsel to the PDP, F.N Nwosu, claimed that the APC governorship candidate has

remained evasive by dodging court bailiff, who arrived Yenogoa, the state capital to serve him and his deputy with court processes in the two suits.

According to Nwosu, the bailiff, who had gone to Yenagoa to serve the respondents with the process was directed back to Abuja to meet them at the Nicon Luxury Hotel on Thursday, from where he was then directed to the Abuja home

of the Minister of Petroleum, Chief Timipre Sylva.

At the end of the day, the bailiff was asked to go back to Yenagoa and wait for them, as they could not receive court processes in Abuja.

It would be recalled that similar abuse and disregard of court processes denied the APC from fielding candidates in Rivers state in the last election and made it to forfeit Zamfara to PDP in the same manner.

for this period. “While the government at the centre has introduced a number of programmes, including the school feeding programme, which is now in 32 states in the country, with 9.8 million children in its roll to encourage school enrolment and enhance the health and learning capabilities of pupils, state and local governments are obliged under the law to ensure that every child of school age goes to school throughout the crucial nine

years of basic education. “To stop unwanted cultural practices that amount to the abuse of children, our religious and traditional authorities must work with the federal, state and local governments to expose and stop all types of abuse that are widely known but ignored for many years by our communities.�

Meanwhile, men of the Kaduna State Police Command, who carried out the raid on the centre, described as both an Islamic and correctional school,

said they acted on a tip-off.

Some of those rescued, who narrated their ordeal while speaking with journalists, corroborated the president’s position, when they described the centre as a place of horror and torture.

The Kaduna State Police Command said they had arrested seven men in connection with the incident, disclosing that those rescued have been handed over to the state government for rehabilitation.

when he was killed by gunmen.

What made Fr. Tanko’s murder more gruesome was the fact that his assailants not only killed him, they set his body ablaze in his car.

"Earlier that same month, Rev. Fr. Paul Offu of Enugu Diocese was also murdered.

And if you recall, Rev. Fr. Clement Ugwu was kidnapped and later killed about five months before Fr. Offu, also in Enugu. “Combining the killings of these anointed men of God with others happening daily in our country reminds us of Thomas Hobbes ‘Life in the state of nature’ in which human existence is described as 'solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.

He said nothing lends credence to the seeming state of hopelessness than the recent moves by some governors to negotiate with bandits.

"Perhaps nothing demonstrates the fact that our government has lost grip of the security situation in the country than what happened in Katsina State recently, when the State governor, with the whole gamut of his security apparatus, went into a forest to negotiate with kidnappers and other forms of criminals terrorising the state.

"While we can condone the federal government negotiating with Boko Haram for the release of Chibok girls and other similar hostages, the

Katsina example only shows how deep the nation has sunk in terms of securing its citizens.

"If we hold dear that the protection of lives and property; and the welfare of citizens is the greatest responsibility of any government towards its citizens, then our present day government has fallen far short of the expectation of Nigerians, no matter any other achievements it may credit itself with.

"Nigerians are tired of losing their dear ones to these killings; Catholics are tired of mourning and burying their priests, who are daily murdered for no just cause.

"We therefore renew our call on the governments at the federal and state levels to wake up to their responsibility of protecting the lives and property of citizens."

Speaking during courtesy visit to the Theatre Command, Operation Lafiya Dole at Maimalari Barracks, Maiduguri, Borno State capital, Magu, urged the command to as a matter of urgency ensure that humanitarian organisations obtain clearance from EFCC before doing so.

Magu, who spoke though

Head of the Maiduguri Zonal office, Lawrence Iwodi, said the commission was keeping an eye on the activities of persons and groups serving as humanitarian or aid workers within this region.

"We have successfully compiled the list of all the Nongovernmental organisations operating in Borno and Yobe States also their financial activities are monitored by the EFCC, especially on the movement of cash�, he said.

According to him, the EFCC had monitored undeclared cash above N1million by individuals and organisations in Borno and Yobe states, adding that the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) had also ensured that such cash movements were reported.

Magu tasked the Nigerian Army to as a matter of urgency ensure that any humanitarian aid organisations moving or distributing cash to beneficiaries obtained clearance from the EFCC, before doing so. “We made it mandatory for any person or group moving cash especially in areas seriously affected by the insurgency to notify the EFCC�, he stated.

Responding, the Theatre Commander, Major General Olusegun Adeniyi, said the command under his watch would not allow humanitarian aid workers to move undeclared funds in and out of the North-east.

(MDAs) of the government that failed to subject their activities to audit scrutiny rose from 148 in 2014 to 323 in 2018, the former CBN chief recommended that completing the annual audit by the MDAs should be a pre-condition for access to subsequent budgetary allocations. “That would compel MDAs to do the necessary. I would like to see further legislation to strengthen the role of the Auditor-General. For example,

the office should be under the control of the Council of States and not the government of the day or the Presidency,� he said.

According to him, the Office of the Auditor General for the Federation should report to the Council of States and the Supreme Court which can take legal action against an MDA that fails in its fiduciary duties to manage public finances in a prudent and accountable manner.

BUHARI: KADUNA ‘ISLAMIC SCHOOL’ A HOUSE OF TORTURE, PLACE OF SLAVERY keep their children out of school and called for the cooperation of states and local governments to tackle the high incidence of out-of-school children in the country.

The statement said regarding the Kaduna school, “The place has, indeed, been described as a house of torture and a place of human slavery. The President holds the view that children will be safeguarded from roaming the streets and protected from all evil influences that assail idle hands and idle minds,

when they are sent to school. “When he inaugurated the National Economic Council for the year 2019/2023 at the Presidential Villa, in Abuja, President Buhari warned that keeping children away from school is a criminal offence. “He also stressed the need to take seriously and enforce the statutory provisions on free and compulsory basic education, citing Section 18(3) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, which he says places on all of us (public leaders

and political office holders) an obligation to eradicate illiteracy and provide free and compulsory education. “He added that 'Section 2 of the Compulsory Free Universal Basic Education Act provides that every government in Nigeria shall provide free, compulsory and universal basic education for every child of primary and junior secondary school age. “It is indeed a crime, he stressed, for any parent to keep his child out of school

NDAGOSO TO PRESIDENT: IT’S TIME TO UNITE NIGERIANS Governmental Organisations (NGOs) moving cash in the North-east seek clearance from the Commission before doing so.

The anti-graft agency had recently raised the alarm that some NGOs maintain over 50 bank accounts and warned bankers against collusion with sponsors of terrorism.

Military sources have also raised concerns over NGOs who made advance payment for hotel accommodation for upwards of 10 years, making it difficult for travelers to secure hotel accommodation in Maiduguri.

In his homily before the commencement of the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the Catholic Laity Council of Nigeria (CLCN), on Saturday in Kaduna, at Our Lady of Apostles Catholic Church, Ndagoso since the elections were over, the President should make conscious efforts to unite Nigerians now.

The Clergyman noted that it was public knowledge that Nigerians were sharply divided following the election of Buhari and that since the exercise was over, the president must make efforts to unite the people, urging thefederal government to must wake up to its responsibility and address the declining security situation across the country.

Ndagoso, who also spoke with journalists shortly before

the NEC meeting said the responsibility of government, whether democratic or military dictatorship, was to safeguard the lives and property of her citizens.

"Anybody who cares for this country must be concerned about what is happening today regarding the insecurity.

What is happening in the Northeast, which has crept into the Northwest, Southeast and Southwest is becoming alarming!

"I have made this call before and I will still make it that the responsibility of any government either through the ballot or barrels of the gun or through whatever means is to safeguard the life and property of the citizenry.

"I keep saying if you build roads, build hospitals and other infrastructure, if there is no peace, all these things are useless.Any responsible government must endure that there is peace in the country.

Now that elections were over, the President must ensure integration of Nigerians," he said.

Adekoya, on his part, noted that the security situation has affected the image of the country negatively in the international community and therefore called for the restructuring of the country since the present structure seemed to be unmanageable.

"If the managers of the nation’s security have reached

a cud de sac or simply put, have reached their wits end in terms of securing our lives and property, then, it means the present structure has become unmanageable.

"The federal government should therefore, as a matter of urgency, initiate moves for the restructuring of the country and saddle the federating units, which we suggest should be the six geopolitical zones, to secure themselves.

"It is saddening that our country, Nigeria, has continued to be in the eyes of local and international communities for the wrong reasons," he said.

Further lamenting the security situation, Adekoya said, “For the past three months, or since we gave the last state of the nation address, no single day has passed without news of one gruesome killing or the other; one case of kidnapping or the other, raping of minors by matured men, including those who descend as low as raping their own innocent daughters.

"From the foregoing, it is clear that insecurity has continued to dominate our national discuss. However, our greatest worry is why the Catholic Church should be at the receiving end of some of the most bizarre of these killings. “Late August, 2019, Rev. Fr. David Tanko was on his way to Takum in Taraba State to attend a meeting that would seek ways to end the renewed age-long Tiv/Jukun crises,

EFCC: NGOs in North-east to seek clearance before moving cash

MAILAFIA, EX-CBN DEP GOV, WANTS SALARY CUTS FOR PUBLIC SERVANTS “The admonition to cut your coat according to your size is a time-tested and wise one.

It is self-evident that our burgeoning debt of N24 trillion is becoming rather unsustainable. The salaries and emoluments being doled out to legislators is a scandal in itself. “A poor country like ours cannot afford to pay the highest salaries for parliamentarians anywhere in the world – higher than the

United States, Britain, Canada, India and the nations of real existing democracy. “There is no justification for it. There is need for some salary cuts for the highest echelons in government. This will send the right signals that we are committed to fairness and equity. But uncontrolled expansion of the public service creates its own problems. We have to get rid of all ghost workers.�

He admonished that human

resource audits must be conducted every couple of years to get rid of all who are on the payroll illegally, adding that a state government recently uncovered hundreds of dead teachers still receiving salaries. “Ever since Aristotle, the wisest statesmen have understood that a good state is one that is run on the same principles of prudence as your typical household. You must keep a tab on inward and

outward movements of cash. “It pays to live within your means. And you must certainly avoid going on a spending spree with the recklessness of drunken sailors. Above all, you must develop the culture of saving and investing for tomorrow,� he admonished.

On the recent audit report from the Auditor General for the Federation, that the number of ministries, departments and agencies

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ SEPTEMBER 29, 2019

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SUNDAY COMMENT

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

T HE R ISING COST OF GOVERNANCE Government cannot afford to be spending money it does not have

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ince the return to democratic rule in 1999, Nigerian public officials have cultivated the wasteful habit of undertaking frivolous foreign trips under one guise or the other. But perhaps the most egregious is the convergence in New York, United States, every September by governors for the United Nations General Assembly to which they are neither invited nor have any role to play.

The indices of poverty across the country make it difficult for us to understand the recklessness that drives this annual jamboree. A simple calculation of travel cost for the governors and aides, their accommodation, feeding and allied expenses show that it is a colossal waste of public funds.

No matter the spin from government officials, emerging facts suggest that the nation’s finances and the economy are already in dire straits.

While there is nothing wrong for a country to face temporary economic setback so long as the managers are capable and indeed able to fix it, what is tragic is that we continue to live in denial with public officials wallowing in profligacy. As things stand, there is no rational justification for deploying about 80 per cent of our annual national budget on recurrent expenditure, and about 60 per cent revenue on debt service. In many of the states, the ratio is far worse.

Unveiling the 2020-2022 Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and Fiscal Strategy Paper (FSP) recently, the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs Zainab Ahmed revealed that there would be a spike in personnel cost (including pensions cost) from N2.45 trillion in 2019 to over N3.4 trillion in 2020 due to the recent decision of the federal government to create five new ministries. This new personnel cost is yet to be factored in when the full implementation of

We are worried that while government revenue continues to dwindle, there is no conscious effort to cut down expenditure on the recurrent side either by the federal government or the 36 states

the new minimum wage rolls off the ground. Although the federal government recorded a N3.86 trillion revenue in 2018, it expended N5.86 trillion on recurrent expenditure, meaning that N2 trillion was borrowed to fund recurrent expenses. Meanwhile, recurrent expenditure is expected to increase from N4.3 trillion in 2019 to N4.7 trillion in 2020.

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S U N DAY N E W S PA P E R EDITOR SHAKA MOMODU DEPUTY EDITORS OLAWALE OLALEYE, TOBI SONIYI MANAGING DIRECTOR ENIOLA BELLO DEPUTY MANAGING DIRECTOR KAYODE KOMOLAFE CHAIRMAN EDITORIAL BOARD OLUSEGUN ADENIYI EDITOR NATION’S CAPITAL IYOBOSA UWUGIAREN MANAGING EDITOR JOSEPH USHIGIALE

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

e are worried that while government revenue continues to dwindle, there is no conscious effort to cut down expenditure on the recurrent side either by the federal government or the 36 states.

Nothing speaks to this rather disturbing scenario than the increase in the number of ministers from 37 in the first term of the Buhari administration to the current 43. In the states, governors are still appointing hundreds of special assistants with no specific job functions.

To compound the challenge, transparency and accountability in ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) are at the nadir as official corruption is still high. The audit report for 2016 recentlyreleased by the Office of the Auditor General for the Federation is very instructive.

The number of government agencies that have failed to subject themselves to scrutiny under the present administration has doubled.

It is unacceptable that amid a debilitating revenue squeeze, governments at all levels have continued to revel in financial recklessness. What, for instance, would justify the N5.5 billion being earmarked by the National Assembly to purchase exotic cars for its members at this period? Why should the Federal Executive Council (FEC) continue to preside over the award of contracts when the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) Board should have been constituted to play its statutory role?

The federal government had in 2016 announced with fanfare the creation of an Efficiency Unit (EU) in the Ministry of Finance to eliminate waste and corruption in procurement processes. That unit appears to have become irrelevant since its pioneer head, Ms. Patience Oniha moved to a higher calling as the Director General of the Debt Management Office (DMO). Yet a nation that spends more than it generates to sustain civil servants and public officials is surely on a journey to perdition.

We hope the authorities at al levels will move quickly to steer the ship of state out of this rather dangerous trajectory.

SUNDAY PHOTO

Sanwo-Olu where are the Street Lights?... Street Lights in many parts of Lagos are no longer functioning...Darkness Everywhere. Adeniran Ogunsanya Street, Surulere, yesterday night Photo: Etop Ukutt

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NEWS

Acting News Editor Gboyega Akinsanmi E-mail: gboyega.akinsanmi@thisdaylive.com, 08081986590

State House Fails Freedom of Information Compliance Rating NERC, Fire Service are top ranking public institutions Gboyega Akinsanmi

A coalition of civil society organisations yesterday released a survey of 191 public institutions and 12 security agencies, rating the State House, Abuja among most non-transparent government establishments.

The coalition, in its seventh survey on the compliance of public institution, said the

State House is the third least responsive among the public institutions rated in the 2019 Freedom of Information and Compliance ranking.

The survey was conducted by the Public and Private Development Centre [PPDC] in collaboration with BudgIT Information Technology Network, Media Rights Agenda, Connected Development

(CODE) and the Basic Rights Watch.

The survey measured the compliance of public institutions and security agencies with the Freedom of Information Act based on their level of disclosure of public finance.

The survey ranked the State House 189 out of 191. Only the Nigerian Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS) and the

Federal Ministry of Transportation ranked lower on the table of all public agencies.

It revealed that the Federal Ministry of Defense, the Defense Intelligence Service, and Nigeria Immigration Service were the three most unresponsive security agencies, according to the FOI ranking.

It added that while the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory

IN RHODES-VIVOUR’S HONOUR...

Justice of the Supreme Court, Justice Bode Rhodes-Vivour, his wife and Managing Partner, Doyin Rhodes-Vivour & Co., Mrs. Adedoyin Rhodes-Vivour and Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Tanko Muhammad at the conferment of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) on Mrs. Rhodes-Vivour in Abuja… recently

Commission (NERC) emerged the most compliant public institution, the Federal Fire Service came tops in the security agency category.

In an interview with Premium Times, an anti-corruption campaigner, Mr. Lanre Suraj said the development “is setting a bad precedent for other lower office holders and ministries.”

According to him, when the head which is the State House that is directly involved with the fund usage on behalf of the president is unwilling to volunteer information then it is already setting bad precedence.

He explained that noncompliance with the FoI Act “is a major blight to whatever achievement in the fight against corruption the government can make claim to.”

He disclosed that the State House failed in the five indices of the 2019 ranking, saying it did not have FOI desk officers or conduct FOI trainings for staff, the survey indicated.

Premium Times reported that the president’s office neither published or submitted its annual FOI report to the Attorney General of the Federation’s office in the year under review as required by law.

It added that State House was equally flagged for ‘no disclosure’, ‘no proactive disclosure’ and ‘no response’ in the level of responsiveness to requests for information.

Former President Goodluck Jonathan signed the Freedom of Information Act in 2011 after it had been stalled in the National Assembly for 12 years.

Buhari has since committed to transparency and accountability in government, and has pledged to full implementation of the principles of the open government.

His office, however, is one of the most non-compliant public institutions since the maiden edition of the FOI ranking in 2013.

The State House was inducted into the ‘FOI Hall of Shame’, an initiative of Media Rights Agenda launched in July 2017 to shine a spotlight on public officials and institutions that are undermining the effectiveness of the FOI Act. Suraj, also Chairman of the Civil Society Network Against Corruption (CSNAC) commended the National Electrical Regulation Commission (NERC) and the Nigerian Fire Service for their outstanding performance respectively in their categories – public intuition and security agency.

“Those living by the law should be encouraged but it is important we enforce a sanction on those falling to adhere to the law,” he said.

He decried the fact that financial dealings of most public institutions are still shrouded in secrecy.

Osinbajo’s Harassment, Attack on Presidency, Says UK Group Gboyega Akinsanmi

A group of Nigerian patriots based in the United Kingdom, Nigeria 2015 Group (N2015G) has described the travail of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo as an attack on the Presidency.

N2015G, a campaign group by members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and supporters of President Muhammadu Buhari, said the vice president has demonstrated unflinching loyalty to the vision to his principal to free Nigeria from the scourge of corruption.

The group expressed the concern in a statement its Senior Campaign Strategist, Mr Charles

Eze issued at the weekend, noting that the unrelenting persecution of the vice president “is an attack on the presidency.”

Buhari had penultimate Wednesday set up an Economic Advisory Council (EAC), appointing Prof. Doyin Salami as the chairman of the council, Prof. Ode Ojowu, Dr. Shehu Yahaya, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo and Mr. Bismark Rewane as members.

The advisory council would replace the Economic Management Team (EMT), which the office of the vice president had early set up as an economic advisory body to the National Economic Council (NEC)

before it was disbanded.

After its constitution, the Presidency had also removed the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the National Social Investments Programmes (NSIP) from the Office of the Vice President, a development that sparked public outrage.

With these developments, a former deputy spokesperson of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. Timi Frank had alleged that Osinbajo mismanaged N90 billion allegedly made available by the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) for 2019 election campaign purposes. The FIRS had, however,

denied the claim, saying it did not have such funds.

But in its statement Friday night, the UK group said it saw the unrelenting attacks on the vice president as attacks on the presidency, which it said, should be stopped in the interest of over 200 millions Nigerians.

The statement said the vice president had demonstrated the unwavering vision of Mr President “to grow a country free from the scourge of unbridled corruption and the capture of state resources by the few who deprive the great majority of Nigerians access to basic infrastructure

necessary for the attainment of self-sufficiency and pursuit of happiness.”

It, also, observed that Osinbajo’s leadership of the economic team of Buhari’s government had culminated in the biggest and most focused peoplecentred investment in social welfare and wealth creation programmes in Nigeria’s history.

The statement said both Buhari and Osinbajo “have shown a clear departure from a past where trust was often in short supply between the President and the Vice President in previous governments at Aso Rock Villa seat of the Federal

Government of Nigeria.

“We stand with and are in total support of Osinbajo. We are most pleased by his actions and responses to these mendacious accusations. We are most gratified that Osinbajo continues to show to Nigerians that leaders can be positively different.

“His decision to waive his constitutional immunity to clear his name, his advice to his lawyers to take all necessary measures to bring the offending parties to the hall of justice, his direct and fearless public engagement with all debates is both reassuring and radically unheard of from the hallow chambers of Nigeria’s political power base.

Kumuyi: God’ll Re-write Nigeria’s History Soon

Ambode’s Probe Will Weaken APC, Group Warns

Chibuzor Oluchi

Adedayo Akinwale

The General Superintendent of Deeper Christian Life Ministry (DCLM), Pastor William Kumuyi has called for renewed hope in God, saying the Lord will rewrite the history of the church in Nigeria, following the wave of divine visitation, spiritual awakening and unprecedented revival currently moving across the church in Lagos.

He gave the assurance at the Ministers’ Development and Networking Summit held at the African Bethel Cathedral, Ikorodu in conjunction with the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN).

The programme, which was tagged ‘Growing your Church, was designed to break all denominational barriers and empower the body of Christ not

just in Lagos State, but also across the federation.

At the summit, Kumuyi said denominational barriers had been the bane of the church in Nigeria, noting that the barriers had rendered it unproductive to deliver the heavenly divine purpose of winning the world to Christ.

Instead of fighting a common enemy, he said: “we are fighting one another. We are looking down on one another. We are pushing one another until the church is not even sure on which ground it stands.

He explained that the vision of the summit “is to make the church in Nigeria strong by injecting power into the local churches. The body of Christ in Nigeria is losing relevance, hence the need to develop the ministers especially at the grassroots.”

Speaking on undeniable power of united faith in the Saviour’, Kumuyi explained that the church in Nigeria “must be united in faith to lead sinners to the Saviour, Jesus Christ.

Recovery will come by leading the people to their Saviour. The pursuit is to make the body of Christ strong in Nigeria.”

Taking his text from Mark 2:1-12, Kumuyi urged the church to manifest the same faith the friends of the man who was sick of the palsy manifested that got the man healed. They lowered through the roof the bed on which the sick man laid for Christ to heal him.

According to the cleric, to cause the desired revival in Nigeria and win souls for the kingdom of God, the church must manifest “United unwavering purpose, unselfish pursuit, unrepentant

A socio-cultural and political organisation, Lagos Renaissance Group (LRG) has condemned call by some groups to probe former governor of the state, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, saying such calls can expose the state and the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the needless cracks and invasion of political enemies.

The group alleged that a September 24 protest by Lagos Youth Vanguard (LYV) against the former governor was part of the political game to rubbish pro-people projects he successfully implemented for four years.

The group gave the warning in a statement its chairman, Mr. Daniel Awesu and its Secretary General, Mr. Abdul-Quadri Enikanolaiye, saying call for Ambode’s probe could expose

the state to the needless cracks and invasion of political enemies.

Members of the Lagos Youth Vanguard (LYV) had demonstrated at the Lagos state house of assembly on Tuesday, demanding the probe of the former governor for alleged corrupt activities.

The patron of the group, Mr. Rasak Olokooba and its President, Mr. Ibrahim Ekundina led other protesters, who alleged that Ambode deliberately laid landmine through the obvious improper, inappropriate and insufficient content in his handover note.

However, in its two-page statement, the group acknowledged that in a democracy, genuine protests and criticism were permitted, though moneyinduced protests and attacks by faceless elements “are harmful to any democracy and social well being of a society.”

The statement cited the deci-

sion of the Lagos House of Assembly to investigate 820 buses, which Ambode purchased while he was in office and the search of Ambode’s residences by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

It claimed that these “are indications of political assaults on Ambode in order to rubbish his rich and enviable credentials and pedigree. All the campaign of calumny against Governor Ambode will continue to fail in the face of logic as the man lives in the minds of the people.

“It will only be an act of feigning ignorance or mischief if anyone living in Lagos State is oblivion of the tremendous and daring but short-lived propeople policies and program the former Governor Ambode designed and implemented during his four-year tenure (2015-2019).”

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 29, 2019 • T H I S D AY

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T H I S DAY, T H E S U N DAY N E W S PA P E R ˞ Ͱ͡, Ͱ͎ͯ͡

NEWS Resolution of OML 25 Conflict, Signal for More Investments, Say FG, NNPC Wike urges oil companies to respect MoU

Francis Sardauna in Katsina

Ernest Chinwo in Port Harcourt The federal government and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation yesterday said peaceful resolution of issues surrounding OML 25 would encourage more investors to the Niger Delta.

With the resolution of the OML 25 dispute, Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike called on oil companies to respect the memoranda of understanding (MoU) signed with host communities to ensure peaceful and productive operations.

These came up yesterday when the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, GMD of NNPC, Mallam Mele Kyari and the Managing Director of Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), Osagie Okunbo paid a courtesy visit to Wike at the Government House, Port Harcourt.

OML 25 has been in conflict for over two years with the host community insisting that SPDC should relinquish

its hold on the oil field located at Kula in Akukutoru Local Government, Area, Rivers State, citing its failure to honour MoU with the host community.

At the session with the governor and some state officials, Sylva said the peaceful resolution of the disagreement was a good signal that should encourage investment in the Niger Delta region. “This is a good signal. We should deepen it. The Niger Delta has struggled for peace.

We have lost more than we have gained,� he said.

He said some people were deliberately fuelling problems for business opportunities “to miss Rivers State. This is the right time for all stakeholders to work for more investors in the state.�

Sylva said the successful resolution of the OML 25 conflict was a good starting point to change the narrative in Rivers State. “Let us use this opportunity to turn a new leaf. Let us use this as a model to replicate it in other communities. Oil is a

depleting resource. One day, we may wake up and oil companies would have left because it is no longer profitable for them. Oloibori is an example.�

He charged leaders “to work to resolve all the emerging challenges to enhance development. Let us try and close ranks as a people and ensure that the problem is put to rest finally.

We hope this will signal the beginning of a new chapter.�

In his remarks, Wike expressed happiness that the conflict had been finally resolved, saying his administration would continue to develop the right environment for all investors to operate in the state.

He said the oil companies

“should also respect the Memoranda of Understanding signed with the host communities. As the SPDC goes in, whatever they have agreed with the communities should be implemented. “If they implement it, they will do their work. If they don’t implement, there will be another round of crisis. And

then, they will call government to come in. Ours is to make sure that people carry out their businesses in a very conducive environment. This is the role the Rivers State Government will always play.�

He said the focus of the Rivers State Government “is for the OML 25 to be operational and productive.�

Zamfara Shuts Down School, Suspends Workers over Desecration Of Qur’an Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara has sent all staff of Shattima Model Primary School, Gusau, on an indefinite suspension following alleged desecration of the Holy Qur’an in the school.

The school has also been shut pending a full investigation by the state Basic Education Commission, according to a statement issued in Gusau on Saturday by Yusuf Idris, the Director-General, Press Affairs to the governor.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that pages of the Holy Qur’an were discovered around 11 a.m. on Friday in the sewage of the school.

There have been reports of alleged abuses of the Holy Book in the state since late 2017.

The incidences occurred

at Danturai Primary school, State Library, Farida General Hospital, and Rabi’a Jumaat Mosque, among others, all within Gusau metropolis.

The governor, who is currently in the United States, said the government would fish out the perpetrators.

He directed the deployment of three additional security guards to all public primary schools in the state capital. “Government will deal ruthlessly with anyone with a hand in this dastardly act, however highly placed,� he said and urged residents to be more vigilant.

Matawalle said people should report suspicious movements in their areas to security agencies or Sharia commission officials for prompt interventio

CELEBRATING EXCELLENCE...

L-R: Ogun State Governor, Mr. Dapo Abiodun; overall winner of Mathematical Association of Nigeria (MAN) Mathematics Competition and student of Welkin Int’l School, Gabriel Akogun; Proprietor, Welkin Int’l School, Mr. Francis Adebayo Beckley and Deputy Governor of the state, Mrs. Noimot Salako-Oyedel at the repositioning our education for outstanding performance forum in Abeokuta, Ogun State‌ recently

I Inherited N32bn Pension Arrears from My Predecessor, Says A’Ibom Okon Bassey in Uyo

Akwa Ibom State Governor, Mr Udom Emmanuel yesterday revealed that his administration inherited a whopping sum of N32 billion pension arrears from previous administrations.

He gave the figure at a session with journalists in Uyo, the state capital, noting that since he assumed office, he had been paying pension alongside the salaries of civil servants.

He said: “Even when things were so rough, we did not owe even a day salary. Statutory allocation or no statutory al-

Adegboruwa Asks FG to Declare State of Emergency in Judiciary Akinwale Akintunde

A human rights lawyer, Mr. Ebun Adegboruwa, yesterday backed the claim of the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Ibrahim Muhammad that the judiciary in the country was not truly independent.

Adegboruwa, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), called on the federal government to declare a state of emergency in the judiciary with a mandate to make it truly independent.

He canvassed the position in a response to THISDAY inquiry noting that the best way “to describe the judiciary is to say that judges are weeping and they are weeping very

profusely.�

The CJN had warned governments at all levels to allow the judiciary to enjoy its independence without undue interference, noting that the judiciary would never be subservient to anybody.

He had at the inauguration of 38 new SANs maintained that the judiciary under his watch will uphold the tenets of the constitution as the supreme law of the land He had lamented that despite the fact that the 1999 Constitution provided for separation of powers and independence of the three arms of government, he continued to go cap in hand to beg for funds to run the

judiciary, a situation he said had impacted negatively on the administration of justice in the country.

He said it was time for the judiciary to take its destiny in its hand, insisting that the judiciary would borrow “a leaf from other climes where things are done rightly so that we do not keep repeating the same mistake and expect to make progress in our administration of justice.�

Backing CJN’s claim, Adegboruwa acknowledged that the judiciary “is not independent given that judges have to go cap in hand to the executive, for fund. He who pays the piper must surely dictate the tune.�

location we have fixed date to pay salary. “All those who said they have not received their salary or pension, tell them to come with evidence that they are state government workers. “I inherited pension arrears of over N32 billion but there is no human being who had worked in the state civil service that can say he does not get his pension on time. As we are paying salary, we are paying pension. We are clearing gratuity turn by turn.�

Also, the governor disclosed that he had approved a release of promotion arrears for the

over 6,000 workers, who took part in the 2017/2018 promotion examinations.

In an interview with journalists, the State Head of Civil Service, Mr. Effiong Essien confirmed Emmanuel’s decision to approve and facilitate the release which he said would pave the way for the 2019 promotion.

He said the governor also approved the release of funds for the scheduling of the pre-promotion examination seminar and subsequent conduct of the Administrative and Professional Officers Compulsory Class Examination (APOCE) and other promotion

formalities.

Essien described the governor’s gesture as another demonstration of his usual sincere concern for his workers, saying in addition to regular payment of salaries and gratuities, the state government was also constructing affordable houses for workers.

He said the two housing estates located at Ikot Ntuen Nsit in Nsit Ibom local government area, along Abak Road and Ikpedip Ibiono /Itak Ikono, along Uyo Ikot Ekpene Road wouldn ensure that public servants own their own houses on a rent- to-own basis.

How T.B Joshua Saved Us from S’Africa, Returnees Claim Kayode Fasua

Some victims of xenophobic violence in South Africa recounted their ordeal at the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN), saying the sight of Prophet T.B Joshua shedding tears on television forced the country’s government to intervene and stop the attacks.

Some returnees from South Africa gave the account at the SCOAN headquarters in IkotunEgbe, Lagos where they converge to appreciate the founder for his timely intervention.

Speaking with journºalists, the returnees claimed that they received information that South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa was moved by the sight of Prophet Joshua shedding tears on Emmanuel TV, over the attacks on foreign nationals in

South Africa.

One of the returnees, Mr. Uche Nwaochasaid:“Wejustreturned from South Africa voluntarily. I do not even know where the problem of Africans attacking Africans came from. “We all agreed to come here to appreciate Prophet T.B. Joshua and what Emmanuel partners have been doing in our lives. We do not joke with his prophecies. We always watch Emmanuel TV. “That was what saved us.

The tears that Prophet T.B. Joshua shed last Sunday during the live Sunday Service broadcast saved many lives.

It reduced the catastrophe.

After the Sunday Service where Prophet Joshua shed tears, there was calm everywhere.

The police and politicians were confused.

“We particularly gathered that President Ramaphosa was moved by the tears shed by the man of God and he promptly waded in, mandating the security agencies to halt the madness. “We took the opportunity of the calm to board the plane and head back to Nigeria. Many Nigerians are still coming. They don’t want us. We can see that.�

Lamenting his misfortune, Nwaocha also said, “I was involved in the baking business. “I baked chin-chin. I am proud to say it. I built the business from the scratch. But everything went down the drain following the attacks.

Africa should help us. The United Nations should help us and particularly. The federal government of Nigeria should come to our assistance.

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T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ SEPTEMBER 29, 2019

OPINION The Path You Take Determines Your Future Zhou Pingjian celebrates China at 70

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ince the founding of the People’s Republic of China on 1stOctober 1949, the Chinese people have brought enormous changes to the country, creating an unprecedented miracle of development in world history.

Once labeled the “Sick Man of East Asia”, life expectancy at the beginning of the new republic was around 35 years. It rose to 77 years in 2018. The illiteracy rate in China stood at 80% in 1949, today the newly-added labor force has received over 13.3 years of education on average. The average years of schooling for the Chinese rose to 10.6 years in 2018 from 1.6 years in 1949. In 2019, the gross enrollment ratio in higher education rises to 48.1% from 0.26% in 1949.

Not capable of producing even a tractor in 1949, we now have a comprehensive industrial system in China, now the only country that has developed all the industrial categories of the United Nation’s industrial classification. As the world’s largest industrial producer, China ranks the first in the output of 220 products. Over the past 70 years, China’s GDP has averaged an annual growth rate of around 4.4% for the first three decades and 9.5% for the last four decades, lifting more than 700 million people out of poverty. By 2020, all people living below the current poverty line will be taken out of poverty. In a short span of several decades, China has accomplished what took developed countries hundreds of years to accomplish. This clearly shows that the Chinese people are following the right path. This is, without a doubt, something to be proud of.

That said, we are soberly aware that China remains the world’s biggest developing country and is still at the primary stage of socialism. While China’s economic aggregate is big, when divided by 1.4 billion, it sits at only around 70th place in the world, lagging behind many countries including Seychelles, Mauritius and Equatorial Guinea. China’s per capita GDP has yet to reach the world average and East Asia and Pacific average. While China’s overall productive forces have significantly improved and in many areas its production capacity leads the world, China’s prominent problem is that its development is unbalanced and inadequate.

This has become the main constraining factor in meeting the people’s increasing needs for a better life. Moreover, over 74 million people currently rely on our basic living allowance system; every year, more than 10 million people join the urban job market; several hundred million people need transferring out of agriculture and settling in urban areas; and we have more than 85 million people with disabilities.

For China, enabling all 1.4 billion people to live a comfortable life is still going to be a long-term tough job.

The path you take determines your future. The key to

China’s development has been the Chinese people, under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, pursuing a path that is suited to China’s national conditions. This is a path based on the Chinese context. This is a path that puts people’s interests first. This is a path of pursuing reform and innovation.

This is a path of pursuing common development through opening up. No matter how many difficulties and obstacles are there on our road ahead, the Chinese people will unswervingly follow the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics under the leadership of the CPC. Any external disturbance or containment cannot shake our confidence and courage, let alone block the historical trend of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

At present, the world is undergoing profound changes unseen in a century with various global challenges on the rise.

Under such circumstances, no country can stay immune on its own. All countries need more than ever before to strengthen communication and coordination, respect each other’s development path, make the pie of mutually beneficial cooperation bigger, jointly safeguard international equity and justice, firmly safeguard multilateralism and continuously promote the democratization of international relations. China stands ready to make positive contributions to this end.

As an African saying goes, “if you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together.” The Chinese people have always believed that China will do well only when the world does well, and vice versa. China has grown from a poor and weak country to be world’s second largest economy. What it relied on was not military expansion or colonial plunder, but the hard work of its people and our efforts to uphold peace.

History has shown that confrontation, whether in the form of a cold war, a hot war, or a trade war, will produce no winners.

China has grown from a poor and weak country to be world’s second largest economy. What it relied on was not military expansion or colonial plunder, but the hard work of its people and our efforts to uphold peace

We believe that there exist no issues that countries cannot resolve through consultation as long as they handle these issues in a spirit of equality, mutual respect, mutual understanding and accommodation. We will continue to pursue a mutually beneficial strategy of opening up, advance high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, so as to share our development opportunities with other countries and welcome them aboard the express train of China’s development. China will stay as determined as ever to build world peace, contribute to global prosperity and uphold the international order.

Never forget why you started, and you can accomplish your mission. China and Africa have always been a community with a shared future. No matter how developed it becomes, China will always see the countries of Africa as our time-honored friends. No matter how the international situation evolves, China will work unremittingly to strengthen solidarity and cooperation with African countries guided by the principles advocated by President Xi, namely the principle of upholding justice while pursuing shared interests and the principle of sincerity, real results, affinity and good faith.

Both China and Nigeria are major developing countries of great influence in the world. Since the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1971 and strategic partnership in 2005 in particular, the all-round, wide-ranging and high-quality bilateral cooperation between China and Nigeria has been a pace-setter for China-Africa cooperation. In recent years, thanks to the strategic guidance and personal commitment of President Xi and President Buhari, China and Nigeria have significantly enhanced political trust and secured fruitful outcomes in practical cooperation. China-Nigeria relations are at their best time in history and face new opportunities of growth.

China and Nigeria are born brothers. Our joy is shared and happiness doubled on the occasion of October 1stcelebration every year. The brotherly South-South cooperation between China and Nigeria is equal-footed and mutually beneficial. We firmly support Nigeria in pursuing a development path that suits Nigeria’s national conditions. We have every confidence that under the able leadership of President Buhari, Nigeria will achieve even greater success in its national development. We stand ready to work with Nigeria to enhance mutual trust, jointly pursue Belt and Road cooperation in greater synergy with Nigeria’s Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP), effectively implement the outcomes of FOCAC Beijing Summit, and elevate the strategic partnership between China and Nigeria to a new level.

––Dr. Pingjian is Ambassador of China to Nigeria.

Albatross of A Divalent Nation The violence against Nigerians in South Africa is unfortunate, writes Eleje Willy

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oxing Day of 2002 will remain indelible in my memory. It was the first time ever I drove to Accra from Lagos with wife by road and was inspired to put up an article of my diary entries ‘A Christmas Experience in Ghana’, which THISDAY was kind enough to publish on Sunday, January 5, 2003. That article represents parenthesis to this social commentary, so permit my liberty to quote a copious excerpt.

On Benin, I wrote “…communism foist on them by Mathew Kerekou and his erstwhile cronies, is an enduring vestige…Benin is somewhat Spartan but not self-denying…Cotonou is a curious amalgam of ascetic-ostentation, a continuum of dream beaches for Caucasians to forge their own passion amidst squalor…Our down-town repast was a sumptuous Beninois recipe and one could get to pick up a pre-recorded tape of Claudette et ti Pierre… before driving into Cotonou, we had taken a look at Porto Novo, in all its seeming reclusion and drove by on our way, a retinue of commuter buses, driving over from Abidjan in troubled Ivory Coast. Berne: sleepy cities, exotic layouts, contented complacency, xenophobia, pre-occupied leisure, stoic inertia....”

Before delving into the synopsis of my foregoing quotation, let me observe that, if statistics are anything to go by, Nigerians have suffered more casualties than any other nationality, in what is now tagged xenophobic attacks of foreign nationals in South Africa. But when your son weeps all the way home for injury sustained in fracas with your neighbour in his own home, you’d first commiserate with him, then admonish his wrong before talking of his right left in your home. So, let me first express deep feelings of sympathy for all our compatriots that lost lives or livelihood in this tragedy.

Nigerians are fond of being with other people but today, branded as recidivists, they’re hounded in the USA, persecuted in Libya and South Africa.

Implicit from my parenthesis is how the sophisticated explorer and a petty trader would make something differently from the same tour and how their choices can be so divided. The Nigerian

is known to be widely travelled yet their values stay locally denominated in diaspora. With the head, they do but not the heart in Rome as the Romans do. They only just began to affect political outcomes from demographics in their countries of domicile but their peer review remains locally denominated.

This should be an actionable objective of our socialization.

On the other hand, South Africa has proved a bad host.

Not a society found complicit in savagery can possibly have consideration of own-self. To begin with, it is a cherished ethos of humanity that the host who kills guests he welcomed into his own home cannot be good for name. A host would rather pay the supreme price in protection of his guest. Such was the chauvinist gallantry of Adekunle Fajuyi, a Yoruba, in protection of Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi, an Igbo and for a just or un-just cause to show, was rather ennobling. But the Zulu, Xhosa, kill in the name of xenophobia, even their own Sons in-law in full glare of the world, which could be reasonable but can never be justified.

It’s just like taking a swipe at a house-fly perched on one’s scrotum.

European settlers would not give up to South Africans, their own land, which if sooner had been kind, but later turned out even more, for delay saw to their endowment with advanced nationhood. But Nigeria was one of, if any that arose in defense of South Africa. So, like Jacob, they got blessed in disguise of Esau that paid the price. Now, that one good turn deserves another, is a universal truth which all mankind holds self-evident.

However, South Africans impounded and never released an aeroplane load of bullion, killed in their country, Lucky Dube that rendered a melodious lyric against apartheid, never honoured Sunny Okosun, for his anti-apartheid musical crusade.

The soul of South Africa is expectedly juvenile. After all, they have not been long on their own to know themselves. Xenophobia or bigotry and indeed apartheid, must be pre-judicial, and pre-jurisprudence is always lacking in understanding. Such primitive pre-conception of own brothers, on whom they inflict

the calamity, from which they emerged a great nation, is casting a pall of doubt on Mandela, whose image all the world holds in high esteem. But when the Petre-dish gets full of oil, the lid takes a lick.

South Africa might one day pay a dear price for mere misdemeanor. My mind was all but made up around their supposed malice, until I watched in Lusaka, a little South African girl child who could have been mine, in utter disgust about the misbehaviour of her compatriots, howling on top of her voice ‘enough is enough, stop it now!” I then said to myself, there surely are no bad people, only persons - though one bad apple spoils the whole basket.

But shocking is that, on the out-play of the infra-dig scenario, one Nigerian radio station provided its platform for a South African tourism vendor, leaving me to wonder, whether indeed their entire programming were sober.

We Nigerians need to love ourselves to be loved by the world. Nigeria has exercised significant restraint, never to be misconstrued as weakness, but as the chunk of meat excised with the bile-duct, if all the flesh will not be embittered. In a strained relationship, make up ensues with exchange of pleasantries followed by a talk of things over and down to earth-ness. But South Africa looks like talking down on and not with Nigeria. We know that two wrongs never make a right and should the two ‘big brothers Africa’ get into a brawl, the spirit of African letters of faith in continental free trade would be compromised.

Nigeria may be falling apart in di-valence, but knows how to stand up to a common foe, so ‘South Africa’ might just be the albatross of whatever it is, at stake on the country’s divide.

When Super Eagles are on international turf, we do not care whether it was ‘Papillo’ or Tijani Babangida that scored, if only it would underscore a win for everyone. We are Nigerians, we can cleverly improvise, bubbling over in high spirits, given to enterprise.

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ SEPTEMBER 29, 2019

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LETTERS Nigeria at 59: Restructuring As The Way Forward

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f you have, like my humble self ever wondered how our crop of patriotic founding fathers would feel, should they be brought back to life to see the Nigeria of today, you would be compelled by sheer moral compunction to call on our current political helmsmen to govern us differently. They should exercise more dexterity and be more nationalistic in handling the country’s rather intricate, socio-economic and political affairs.

Certainly, the heroes of the struggle for Nigeria’s political independence would ask what has made the difference between countries such as India, Malaysia, Indonesia and Nigeria, whose independence came within the same decade or two, if not quality leadership, or the absence of it. They would cringe at the crying shame of a people still struggling for economic survival in the midst of the vast natural resources, 59 years after.

They would wonder just how, like the prodigal son, we have squandered huge revenues from our God-given oil and gas, solid minerals, agricultural and tourism potential and ask our leaders to explain why we are currently trapped in state and federal government debts running into trillion of Naira.

The likes of Michael Imoudu, T.A. Bankole, A. A. AdioMoses, M.A Tokunbo and T.A Songonuga, who once ran the affairs of the Nigerian Trade Union Congress(NTUC) would even ask our state

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Buhari governors to explain just how it has become difficult to pay a minimum wage of N30,000 at a time our honourable lawmakers cruise around in luxury automobiles, with some state governors boasting of private jets flying over children studying under trees in their long-forgotten states!

The handwriting is on the wall, as it was back in the Biblical times. But some of our political helmsmen, with self-serving and greed-driven agendas, rather than nationalistic principles have blatantly refused to read it. The call for the holistic restructuring of my dear nation, Nigeria has reached a crescendo, reverberating across the national space.

But some have obstinately turned deaf ears to it, or heed

its clarion toll.

So, we caution, as we have to do under trying times such as this, out of sheer patriotic fervor that Nigeria, can no longer be ruled the way it is being run against the ethos of equity and justice. Nigeria can no longer be ruled by the tools of treachery, the weapons of witch-hunt and the cudgels of coercion, worse still under a democratic dispensation.

Recent signs in the political horizon are scary enough.

To begin with, not a few observers of the polity would agree that Nigerians have not been as divided along ethnic and religious cleavages as we find ourselves today.

For instance, while some concerned Nigerians had expected President Muham-

madu Buhari to be guided by the noble mantra of nationalism and give out political appointments to guarantee ethnic equity, that of his First Term were obviously skewed in favour of the North and his political acolytes.

Now, we are in his Second Term and the paradigm is yet to shift. Add the controversial RUGA policy and the increasing vexation of the Myetti Allah group in national discourse. What about the inexplicable move by the Katsina State governor, Alhaji Aminu Masari hobnobbing with armed bandits in the name of a spurious amnesty?

So, the lives of their voiceless victims are worthless compared to that of the mindless killers!

According to Umar Sani, spokesperson of the PDP presidential campaign, Masari’s recent move is a clear indication of the failure of security across the country.

Yet, there is another worrisome development that is currently riddling the political sphere that calls for utter caution and concern.

Barely five months of Buhari’s second term, the issue of the geo-political zones to produce the 2023 presidency has taken precedence over how to pull Nigeria out of the ignoble status of the world’s poverty capital. There are already posters of the Kaduna State governor, Nasir el-Rufai adorning the walls of some cities as he reportedly gears up for the plum political post.

Both Babachir Lawal and Ahmed Yerima of the Arewa

The National Water Resources Bill

t is a common knowledge that the Ijaw Youths Council recently issued a release which among other things stated that if the government should reintroduce the controversial water Resources Bill formally stepped down by the 8th Assembly, the South will do everything lawful to resist the passage of the bill. They said that this bill should not become another petroleum law that has denied the Niger Delta people from controlling the resources in their land.

Clearly, some may characterize this fresh threat as a familiar “music;” however, to others, it`rings apprehension that the nation is having on its hands a situation that unless we repurpose our priority may constrain the nation’s key resource, affect a wide swath of people; depress the economy, and adversely affect the socioeconomic well-being of the nation. The bill which emanated from the executive arm, among other things, seek to establish a regulatory framework for the water resources sector in Nigeria, provide for the equitable and sustainable development management, use and conserve Nigeria’s surface water, groundwater resources and related matters.

From the above explanation evolves the most telling evidence about the bill’s good intention which is signposted

in the federal government’s resolve to promote judicious management of the nation’s water resources in addition to the possibility of the bill if passed, acting as an enabler to the nation’s attainment/ achievement of the orchestrated Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) as preached by the United Nations.

But despite ‘these virtues and attributes, the worries expressed by the Ijaws and other residents of the region can neither be described as unfounded nor unique as there are visible ingrain challenges/ consequences arising from its nature, impact, and strategy- a feat that has since mirrored the entire document (bill) as a body without a soul.

Going by the content of the bill, it is easy to situate without labour that the greatest ill associated with it lies in its tendency to dissenfranchising, and separating Nigerians from ancestral ownership of their water rights and handover some to a set of federal technocrats by confusing Nigerians with the fallacy that “ownership rights to water is the same as water use rights.’’

Also working against the bill is the accompanying belief by Nigerians with critical interest that the urge to have the bill passed is driven not by love for having the nation’s water resources judiciously managed

or for the nation to develop agriculturally as claimed by the lawmakers, but by sectional and parochial interests such that some pro bill senators in the outgone 8th Assembly used barefaced inaccuracies to mislead the Senate and drum up support for the bill.

For example, it has been claimed on the floor of the outgone Assembly Senate that the World Bank is waiting on passage of the bill into law to “grant” trillions of naira to develop Nigeria’s irrigation infrastructure. This cannot be further from the truth. The World Bank would never and cannot ask a nation to dispossess her citizens of their inherited and cultural rights to water as a condition for granting loans.

Another obstacle that confirms the bill as plagued however seems not to raise so much dust but could be costly in economic and political terms if ignored, is the asymmetrical support structure given to the bill. It is barefaced that virtually all the senators in the former assembly that queued behind the bill were from water-poor states and regions that stand to gain from the passage of the bill.Interpretatively, this lopsided support given to the bill looking at commentaries was fuelled not by the burning desire for the public good but for sectional gain. Glaringly as

it stands, this trend no doubt has become a pernicious problem embedded in our administrative culture that will be too difficult to eradicate.

And has also necessitated the question as to how the nation can redistribute lands from land-rich states to land-poor states since the bill if passed as it is without amendment could conceivably make inter-basin transfers of water to be undertaken by the federal government without consent from or even consultation from indigenous communities… exactly like crude oil and associated problems of mean, wicked and evil inequities.

The bill in the writer’s views has justified the fears

by Nigerians with discerning minds that the federal government by this move to acquire more power may not be interested in the devolution of power as currently demanded

by Nigerians or maybe paying lip service to the imperativeness and urgency of having this country restructured. Accordingly, the whole argument by the FG becomes even vaguer when one remembers that some of these items will be better handled and serves the greater good to the greater number of the people if left in the hands of the state, the local government or private owners.

––Jerome-Mario Utomi, Lagos.

Youth group are making it loud and clear that the North is not about to hand over the presidential baton to any other section of the country in the next dispensation.

This has expectedly triggered off worries, anger and disbelief in some of those zones. Some people are even thinking of how Nigerians can go their separate ways, a move that is against the grains of the 1999 Constitution and is treasonable!

In response, however, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, a chieftain of theAfenifere group said: “People are talking of breaking up because the term of coming together has been abrogated by the Northern Muslims who are dominating us. This is why the young elements, extremists in the South East, South South and Middle Belt are yearning for break –up just because of their refusal to yield to our demand for peaceful co-existence”.

This situation calls for utmost caution, especially from the executive arm of government.

Truth be told, Nigeria cannot be governed by instilling fear in the hapless, hungry and hounded citizenry. Unity is never forged by the fierce

flames of fiat, or by feisty, fratricidal force of inequity.

No! Not in a democracy and not in the 21stCentury for a country made up of some 200 million people of diverse ethnicity, culture, class and religion.

Rather, unity evolves out of the clear understanding of who we are as a people and the mutual respect for our obvious differences. There is a bond of brotherhood that binds us all, if only we are humble enough to admit it; that we are here to complement one another’s efforts and overcome our weaknesses.

Let us therefore, listen to the voices of reason. According to the President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Nnia Nwodo, restructuring of Nigeria is the answer to the wave of agitations currently hitting Nigeria. At a lecture titled: ‘Restructuring Nigeria: Decentralisation for National Cohesion’ delivered in 2017 at the Royal Institute of International Affairs, Chatham House in London, he said: “Our present constitution is not autochthonous.

–Ayo Oyoze Baje, Lagos.

(See concluding part on www.thisdaylive.com)

Jabu, An Educational Colossus

I

was once uncertain of what I wanted to become. I thought having a degree in a marketable field would set me on the path for financial security. At that time, having money was what mattered most especially, to life and living.

This may seem personal, nonetheless, it is more than my story or that of my school.

It is a chorus of unheard voices and a breakdown of the unmeasured effect of Joseph Ayo Babalola University (JABU), on me and a host of others. I therefore write at the behest of all who would love their experience shared; the likes of me.

Upon resumption in October 2019, I will be in my finals. Whenever I reflect on my life, what I have learnt and the path I am threading, I am entreated to make peace with whatever is to come, because I have been moulded into an astoundingly confident speaker and writer. God's green earth holds a special place for me.

There would be no story without an experience that precedes it. I enrolled in JABU, September 2016, into the department of Mass Communication. Prior to that time, I had a science -based academic background; notwithstanding, the department consciously submerged me to its depth, to rise as a full breed communicator. A transformation that could only be achieved by an institution carefully dedicated to the improvement of its students.

There has never been a university unrepentantly relentless in its quest for instilling discipline in every being that dwells within its confines

as JABU, a place where things are done in the most prim and proper fashion, that outstands and outshines the general views of private institutions.

An attribute worthy of note and reverence.

Interestingly, it stands distinguished as the foremost entrepreneurial university in Nigeria, but more remarkably it has proved itself as a formidable force for nation-building, by producing leaders whose concerns are what they can offer above what they can get in return. I have been inspired by the exploit of many who have come and gone and some who remain.

Frantically, it has not been entirely benign, as JABU has had its fair share of a troubled past and its consequence.

Regardless, it has risen above all odds and its mantra ever stands for - Knowledge and Godly Service. I was, and I am still exposed to a monumental standard of learning that has a commonality with world leading universities.

I have met countless students within JABU whose ambitions are motivating. A positive ambience gives rise to all round development, of which I am a chief beneficiary.

I now have a purpose and I have been set on the path for selfless service and financial freedom.

I daresay, I am indeed confident to matchup to any student in the world and be respected, for I am a product of Joseph Ayo Babalola University, an indomitable haven of knowledge.

––Lance Momodu Jnr, reallancespeaks@gmail. com.

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SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 29 2019 • T H I S D AY

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 29, 2019 • T H I S D AY

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S ÍşÎ Ëœ ͺ͸͚Π˞ THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER

INTERNATIONAL People’s Republic of China at 70 and the Challenge of Global Leadership: The Lessons for Africa

T

he 70thAnniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) was celebrated in Nigeria on Sunday, 22nd September, 2019, instead of October 1, 2019, at the Oriental Hotel, Lekki, Phase I. The non-celebration of the National Day of the PRC on October 1st is simply in due respect to their host country, Nigeria, which also has October 1 as her National Day. Holding the Chinese day before October 1st gives room for the Chinese delegation to Nigeria to take active part in the celebration of Nigeria’s own National Day. The celebration of Chinese National Day on other days also explains in part why Sino-Nigerian relations are always witnessing increasing efforts at a warm rapprochement.

Four other factors also explain the rapprochement: Third World mentality, population factor, shared foreign policy posture, and economic interests.As regards, Third World mentality, Beijing authorities never consider their country as a developed one, but as a developing State, in fact, as the biggest developing country in the world, and by so consideration, China is presented as belonging to the Third World.

It is important to note at this juncture the hostility of the United States to this Chinese claim of being a developing country. US President Donald Trump complained at the ongoing 74th United Nations GeneralAssembly about what he called China’s ‘massive market barriers,’ practice of products dumping, as well as forced technology transfers. He was particularly embittered by the fact that the World Trade Organisation failed to compel China to liberalise. In asking for drastic changes to the international trade system, President Trump advised that China, the second biggest economy in the world, ‘should not be allowed to declare itself a developing country at the expense of others.’ Whether China is or not a developing country will remain for a long time a matter of debate. What is indisputable, and as made known to the world by the Chinese Consul General of the People’s Republic of China to Nigeria, Chu Maoming, himself, is that ‘after 70 years of development, China today stands at a new historical starting point.

China’s per capita GDP comes to $10,000 from less than $100, and the average life expectancy in China comes to 77 from 35. Especially since China started its reform and opening-up in 1978, China’s GDP has averaged an annual growth rate of around 9.5%, and more than 700 million Chinese people have been lifted out of poverty.’ ‘Beyond that,’ he further submitted, ‘as the second largest economy, the largest industrial producer and the largest trader of goods in today’s world, China contributed over 30% of the global economic growth over the recent years. Today, China enjoys a harmonious society, prosperous economy and rapidly advancing science and technology, while the Chinese people enjoy a happy life that they dreamed for generations. Just as H.E. President Xi Jinping said, today, we are closer to, more confident in, and more capable of making the goal of national rejuvenation a reality than ever before.’ On a more serious note, is there really any country that is not developing or that has stopped its development process? The mere fact that some criteria are put in place to differentiate between and among levels of development in international relations does not imply that there is a crescendo beyond which no country can go in the continuum of development ladder. Consequently, China cannot be wrong by claiming to be developing. It is precisely the manifestation of the factor of ‘developing’ that the Chinese Consul General has referred to in his statement above.

And true, when China is compared with Nigeria and many other countries put under the Third World categorisation, there is no disputing the fact that China is far more developed than all other countries in the group. China is more economically developed. China truly has the second biggest economy after the United States as at today.

In this regard, Nigeria and China have this factor of big economy in common, as Nigeria has the biggest economy in continentalAfrica and this provides a strong basis to attract one another.

What is also important about China, considered as a developing country or as having a bigger economy than that of Nigeria, is that no one believes or sees China as an imperialist. China is generally seen as the chief proponent of win-win policies in its economic cooperation programmes withAfrica. Even where suspicions of Chinese imperialism do exist,African leaders generally believe that they are gaining from it. This observation is particularly true at the level of Nigeria.

Like Third World mentality, population serves as another major

VIE INTERNATIONALE with

Bola A. Akinterinwa Telephone : 0807-688-2846

e-mail: bolyttag@yahoo.com

Chu Maoming, Consul General of the PRC dynamic of Sino-Nigerian rapprochement. China has the biggest population in the world. The population of China was put at 1,433.783, 686 as at Monday, September 23rd, 2019, based on Worldometers elaboration of the latest United Nations data (vide China Population (2019) - Worldometers https://www.worldometers.info> china-p).

Nigeria has the biggest population inAfrica. Policy makers have always advised that lessons be drawn from how the Chinese government has been able to manage its big population. Nigeria’s population, as also provided by the Worldometers, is 202, 139,745 people on the basis of current United Nations data as at September 23rd, 2019.

With this, Nigeria represents 2.61% of total global population.

Athird dynamic is special economic interest. Its foundation was laid during the administration of President Olusegun Obasanjo, especially in the mid-2000s, when he specifically asked his Chinese counterpart to take Nigeria along when the Chinese would be going to the space again.As explicated by Chief Obasanjo, ‘this twenty-first century is the century for China to lead the world.And when you are leading the world, we want to be close behind you. When you are going to the moon, we don’t want to be left behind.’ Former President Olusegun Obasanjo made this comment on a lighter mood when addressing China’s President Hu Jintao inAbuja, inApril 2006. The statement was made, just to appreciate the level of development of the Chinese. It was in light of this appreciation that he opened widely Nigerian doors to the Chinese and that various economic cooperation agreements were done. Today, the Chinese see Nigeria as a second home inAfrica (for details, vide BolaA.Akinterinwa and Ogaba D. Oche, eds., Nigeria-China Dialogue Series: Issues in Contemporary China-Africa Relations, No. 1: NIIAand CICIR, August 5-9, 2013, 197 pp).

Chinese economic investments are not only flourishing, but are also competing well with those of the traditional partners of Nigeria.

Chinese investments are in the critical areas of the economy. There is also a Sino-Nigerian entente on the use of their national currencies

But,at the epicentre of the dynamics of Chinese success in the past 70 years,is the factor of humiliation.It was humiliation arising from the‘oppression of imperialism,feudalism, and bureaucratic capitalism,which weighed like mountains on the backs of the Chinese people.’As noted by the New Horizon Press in 1990,‘the history of Old China following the Opium War of 1840, was one in which China was tragically bullied, humiliated and plundered by big powers.This was the prelude to October 1st, 1949 when a new China, the People’s Republic of China, was established and that Chairman Mao Zedong came up with the principles of‘starting anew,’‘putting the house in order before inviting guests’ and ‘leaning to one side.’The principles required renouncing all the diplomatic ties the Kuomintang Government had established with foreign countries. It is against the background of these three principles that the 70th Anniversary of the Founding of the People’s Republic of China,and particularly the gradual transition from a land of poverty to that of an emerging el dorado and wealth, should be understood.

for bilateral trade. The Chinese are investing in the infrastructural sector. The construction of the railway lines is being handled by the Chinese. The airport inAbuja is currently being refurbished, with new structures also put in place. The accommodation being given to the Chinese inAfrica, and particularly in Nigeria, is precisely what is giving the traditional allies of Nigeria sleepless nights.

Afourth major dynamic, and perhaps most important, of the rapprochement is shared foreign policy interests. Nigeria is on record to be against the pre-1949 Kuomintang government and to have spear-headed the recognition and acceptance of China at the United Nations.And perhaps more significantly, Nigeria took the principled stand that the People’s Republic of China has sovereignty over Taiwan and Hong Kong. Even though Taiwan has re-united with mainland China, Hong Kong has not. The policy of Beijing is that Hong Kong can maintain its western capitalist system but it must remain an inseparable part of mainland China, hence, the official policy of One China, Two systems. In fact, in a joint communiquĂŠ signed in 2006 by China and Nigeria, it was stated that Beijing was ‘the only legitimate government representing the whole of China and Taiwan is an unalienable part of its territory.’ This was, and is still, the official position Nigeria has always adopted, and this has always gladdened the hearts of the Beijing authorities. The gladness was partly reflected in the mania of celebration of the 70thAnniversary of the People’s Republic of China in Nigeria.

Another important dynamic of the rapprochement is the place of ‘vacuum-created politics.’ Following Nigeria’s civil war, international politics was vehemently against military dictatorship inAfrica, and particularly, in Nigeria in the period from 1970 to 1998. The hostility of the Western world created a vacuum of opportunity for the Chinese to occupy, to the extent that the relationship led to Nigeria becoming an important source of oil import for China.

In the same vein, when the United States and its allies hesitated to give assistance to Nigeria in fighting the insurgents in the Niger Delta region, the Government of Nigeria took advantage of that to deepen ties with China, leading to the supply of equipment, arms, training and limited technology transfer. It should be recalled here that Nigeria and China did an agreement on the development of communications and space technology, the cost of which was put at $311 million. It should also not be forgotten that it was thanks to China that Nigeria was able to launch her communications satellite (NigComSat-1 in 2007.

The value of Sino-Nigerian trade increased from $384 million in 1998 to US 3 billion in 2006. The volume of the trade amounted to US$7.8 billion in 2010. This represented more than 100% increase in value. There were not less than 40 Chinese official development finance projects in the period from 2000 through 2011 in Nigeria, when Nigeria became the 4th biggest trading partner of China inAfrica.

In essence, all the identified foregoing dynamics are best summed up in a 2014 BBC World Service Poll, which revealed that 80% of Nigerians view Chinese influence positively. Only 10% considered it negatively, thus making Nigeria the most-pro-Chinese in the world.

Why wouldn’t the Chinese be quite happy about this? Why would the Chinese Consul General not be in a very happy mood to deliver a new message of hope and better days to come?

ChuMaoming’sMessage

The speech of the Consul General of the People’s Republic of China, Chu Maoming, was an important dimension of the celebration.

He tried to draw public attention to the various efforts at national development, self-reappraisals, and how the Chinese face daunting development challenges with increasing commitment, This is a source of happiness in itself. It is therefore not surprising that Mr. Chu Maoming not only warmly welcomed all the distinguished guests and friends present, but also invited all of them ‘to share our (Chinese) joy in celebrating this occasion,’ for one good reason: ‘this festive occasion provides us with a good opportunity to walk through the 70 years of the People’s Republic of China and to embrace the coming of the Chinese dream of great national rejuvenation.’ He underscored the point that ‘on 1st October 1949, under the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC), Chinese people put an end to the century of wars and humiliation after decades of heroic struggles, and established the People’s Republic of China.’ This development enabled the 5,000-year-old ancient civilization to embark on ‘a new and promising journey of development’ He recalled how the Chinese people rallied together in their socialist. revolution following the First National People’s Congress of 1954, and leading to the establishment of socialism as the basic system of government. In the words of Mr. Maoming, the socialist construction ‘laid down the fundamental political preconditions and institutional foundations for all development and progress in contemporary China.’ It also laid down a solid foundation for China’s development, prosperity, and strength and the Chinese people’s affluence.’ And perhaps more importantly, he laid emphasis on the 3rd Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee in 1978, which prompted the launching of the reform and opening-up to the world, the 18th National Congress in 2012, when the CPC rallied the Chinese People and began to build a moderately prosperous society in all respects, and adoption of the principle of openness and the launching of the Belt and Road Initiative.Above all, the Chinese are now simply working ‘to build an open world economy and a community of shared future for humanity, which guides the socialism with Chinese characteristics entering into a new era.’ (See concluding part on www.thisdaylive.com)

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THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER Ëž ÍşÎ Ëœ ͺ͸͚Î

BUSINESS The Lingering Appetite for Rate Cut 08033204315, 08111813084

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Given the new condition set for the possible reduction in monetary policy rate (MPR), the monetary and fiscal authorities must work to ensure the downward path, which inflation had towed in recent months is sustained in the interest of the economy, writes James Emejo

O

ne of the key expectations of businesses and the ordinary Nigerian from the outcomes of the regular meetingsoftheMonetary Policy Committee (MPC) meetings is no doubt, the decision on the trajectory of the MPR, which gauges interest rate.

Thisisbecause,toalargerextent,itgoestodetermine in part, the economic well-being of the ordinary Nigerian and serves as an impetus for investment.

The MPR is the rate at which the CBN lends to commercial banks and often determines the cost of borrowing or the amount of interest rate the latter charge on borrowed funds.

According to a senior lecturer in the Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension, University of Port Harcourt, Dr. Anthony Onoja, a change in interestratehaseffectonthecomponentofthegeneral price level of imported goods and this will affect all economic agents in the country.

Also, writing in the European Journal of Business and Management, on the “Assessment of the Effect of Inflation on Nigeria’s Economic Growth: Vector Error Correction Model Approach�, in their 2017 piece,EzeOnyebuchiMichaelandNwekeAbraham Mbam of the Department of Economics, Ebonyi State University,Abakaliki, had further established that inflation affected Nigeria’s economic growth negatively and insignificantly.

Accordingtothem,generally,highinflationimposes welfare costs on a nation, hinders efficient allocation of resources by affecting the role of changes in the relative price level, and as well discourages investments and savings in an economy as it creates unpredictable future prices. “The situation also affects financial development becauseitmakesfinancialintermediationmorecostly, andthepooraremostlyaffectedbecausetheyrescind in holding financial assets that provides a hedge against high inflation and decreases a country’s international competitiveness by making exports more expensive.

Oneofthebiggestproblemsconfrontingthegrowth of SMEs, which are deemed to have a catalytic effect on the economy, is the access to affordable financing, resulting from high borrowing costs.

Majority of the enterprises, big and small, which had collapsed recently blamed high interest rates amidst other infrastructural challenges for their fall.

Also, investments had been slow as a result of the reluctance of owners to seeking funding because of high interest rates charged by banks.

OneofthekeyproblemslimitingtheCBNincutting interest rate had been high inflation rate, which had distorted macroeconomic policies in recent times.

For instance, after holding the rate at 14 per cent for close to two years since 2016, as a result of inflation in particular, among other economic variables, the apex bank, in a move that took investors by surprise, in March this year, finally resolved to cut interest by 50 basis points to 13.5 per cent.

Since then, there had been expectations that the MPC will further ease monetary tightening to boost growth of the economy.

But, faced with further inflationary pressure and given that the MPR cannot be below the inflation rate, hopes for cheaper funds had continued to dim.

However, the announcement last week by the CBN Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, that it would further reduce the benchmark rate should inflation decline to single digit, practically leaves the economy at the mercy of inflation, and further suggest the MPC may have in actual fact reached its limit on available options.

Yet, it provides a framework with which investors predictthelikelydirectionofinterestrateinthefuture.

According to reports by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), inflation dropped in January 2019 when it declined to 11.37 per cent from 11.44 per cent in December in 2018.

CBN Headquarters, Abuja

The headline index further reduced to 11.31 per cent in February and 11.25 per cent in March but resorted to the upward trajectory in April when it climbed to 11.37 per cent- and further to 11.40 per cent in May- before falling to 11.22 per cent in June, 11.08 per cent in July and 11.02 per cent in August.

However, Emefiele, who may have been overstretchedbyconsistentenquiriesonwhenanotherrate cut was likely had said:�How soon do I see interest rates coming down? I’m not seeing that coming this year. During the course of 2020, we may be able to see that but I can’t see that until we begin to see the numbers showing inflation is trending downward. “Unfortunately it’s been sticky coming downwards as soon as it hit about 11 per cent. The Monetary Policy Committee would love to see it at about 9 per cent before beginning to aggressively think about easing.� But, it would not be the first time the CBN governor had foreclosed a reduction in interest rate at least for now.

In July, he told journalists after the two-day meeting of the MPC that it was not in a hurry to bring down the MPR. According to him, like we said, we will like to see Inflation trend into single digit territory. “That the CBN itself has set an inflation target of between six to nine per cent and because we are still above that threshold, we will only cautiously either through signaling, but we are not going to be in a hurry to moderate or to bring down the MPR. “However, without necessarily altering or adjusting the MPR, that we can take other measures like the measure that we adopted by prescribing minimum loan deposit ratio to the banks. “Thatwillhelpinadrivetoincreasetheloansdeposit and indeed, because banks themselves know that if they do not do what we want, as raised in the guidelines, we would take the money that they have and put them in CRR and because they know that it is a big challenge for them, that is why the rates are beginning to trend.�

Nevertheless, analysts have continued to benefits of interest rate reduction and need to also boost the growth of the economy.

However, speaking in an interview with THISDAY, economist and Chief Executive, Global Analytics Company, Mr. Tope Fasua, said economic managers should look more to achieving double digit growth “even at the risk of double digit inflation�.

He said:�Inflation is at 11.04 per cent today. So if the CBN and fiscal authorities can work together to keep depressing inflation to the point that it drops below

doubledigits,perhapstheMPCcanexperimentwith reducing base rate.Areduction in rates is meant to increase inflation. “There are however a few points to note. First, the link between inflation and rates in Nigeria is broken or not as tight as predicted in the textbooks or as happens elsewhere. In other words we haven’t seen lending rates moving in lockstep with movements in MPR.�

According to Fasua, the banks seem unmoved and lending rates remain high even when they reduce deposit rates. “Second is my position that we do not need to worry that much about inflation. The Philip’s Curve in economicscapturestheinverserelationshipbetween inflation and employment. “When you employ more people, inflation rises as more people have more money to spend. That is a fact that works even in Nigeria. So when you keep inflation low, you are therefore not targeting employment. In this age where technology takes out millions from the job market we seem not to have any plans for our teeming millions of youths.�

He said:�Yet without mass employment there is no economicdevelopment.Withoutmassemployment there is no security therefore there will not be solid investments in industry. I believe strongly that at this stage Nigeria should target double digit growth even at the risk of double digit inflation.�

He added:�Consistent growth will alter the status of our demographics and increase per capita income in an irreversible way in a few years time. Indian economy grew at 5 per cent last quarter and they complained. Chinese economy has slowed to 6.5 per cent growth and they are panicking. We are growing at 1.94 per cent. This is a sad commentary. We cannot be pursuing plastic, meaningless ambitions.�

Also,economistandformerDirectorGeneral,Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI), Dr. Chijioke Ekechukwu, said the economy had long awaited further reduction in interest rate.

According to him, Nigerians have been waiting for that time when the inflation rate will reduce to a single digit. It is expected that MPR will be reduced at that time. This will in turn reduce interest rates for borrowing from financial institutions. “Prices of goods and services will be reduced. The other effect is that more money will be available in the system which may increase the demand for foreign currency and thereby increase the exchange rate of naira to dollar further.�

Furthermore, a source who pleaded anonymity

on the issue stressed the need for synergy between the monetary and fiscal authorities to address key macroeconomic challenges Speaking to THISDAY, he said:�The CBN are simply saying they will focus on their core mandate of financial stability - exchange rate , interest rate and inflation, even at the risk of trading off growth. “This message also implies that there is yet to be synchronisation of monetary and fiscal policies.

This underscores the importance of the newly appointed economic advisory council, who should advise on having synchronised monetary, fiscal and trade policies that will ensure both exchange rate, interest rate and inflation stability on the one hand, and effective fiscal as well as trade policies that will support growth of the real sector and improved employment on the other hand.�

Experts had further cautioned against the federal government’s plan to raise value added tax (VAT) from 5 per cent to 7.5 per cent, stressing that this could fuel inflation and further cause distortion in the economy- ultimately dashing the hope of MPR reduction.

Nonetheless, Onoja, who is also the West African Regional Representative, African Association of Agricultural Economists (AAAE), had welcomed a reduction in MPR adding that “Given the level of poverty, high level of unemployment of about 25 per cent in the country and very low capacity utilisation which combines with poor infrastructural base to weaken economic growth�, cutting interest rate will be of benefit to the economy.

He said:�The move will ease access to credit by investors/traders and even the unemployed youths who have viable proposals for their business and can access credit from the banks.

He said:�With the endorsement of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement recentlybyNigerianGovernment,internationaltrade (exports of Nigerian made goods and imports of relevant raw materials for the industries) will be boosted. This will help create job opportunities as it happens when aggregate demand is stimulated in an economy. The multiplier effect will trigger economic growth and development. “With access to savings and credit, which will be stimulated by the implementation of this policy, it is expectedthatcapacityutilisationandnewinvestments will flourish at least in the next few years if other macroeconomic variables are well controlled thus increasing the chances of meeting the set growth target of about 2 per cent for 2019.�

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THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER Ëž ÍşÎ Ëœ ͺ͸͚Î

BUSINESS/ECONOMY

Unlocking Opportunities in Nigeria’s Non-Oil Sector In spite of the corrective measures over the years, the imbalance in Nigeria’s export trade has persisted with the non-oil sector accounting for just about six percent of the country’s exports revenue. Economic experts have therefore come up with ideas to unlock opportunities in the sector. They argued that it will set the pace for real economic growth if the government takes needed steps to implement them, reports Bamidele Famoofo

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il is the oxygen that keeps Nigeria alive.At least statistics made available by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) support the claim. Data from both government institutions shows that the oil and gas sector, which currently accounts for less than 10 percent of the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), contributes about 70 percent of government revenues and over 90 percent of export revenues.

According to the Managing Director/Chief Executive of Nigerian Export-Import Bank (NEXIM Bank), Mr. Abubakar Abba Bello, the implication of this is that the economic growth of the country is dependent on developments in the oil sector, such that when oil price is high, revenue from oil grows, (based on the assumption that production target is achieved), then the economy also grows and vice versa.

Further evidence of the strong correlation of the oil sector with economic growth was presented by Bello in a paper titled, ‘Unlocking Opportunities in Nigeria’s Non-oil Export Sector’, at the 2019 Annual Conference of the Financial CorrespondentsAssociation of Nigeria (FICAN) which held last weekend in Lagos.

The NEXIM Bank boss, who delivered a keynote address at the event, showed that with the collapse of the global oil price in 2015, due largely to supply glut and weak economic growth, the nation’s economy was negatively impacted in three major ways. Lower government revenues with attendant budgetary pressures at all tiers of government; decline in export revenue, which fell from $97.82 billion in 2013 to $82.95 billion in 2014, $46.11 billion in 2015 and $34.70 billion in 2016 before recovering to $63.09 billion in 2018; and weakening of macro-economic variables with naira exchange rate devaluation, rising inflation and high interest rates.

As a result of the ripple effects of the fall in oil price in 2015 was that the Nigerian economy slipped into recession in 2016, recording five consecutive quarters of negative GDP growth before recovering in the second quarter of 2017, following improvements in international oil price and increased availability of foreign exchange in the country. “Besides revenue volatility, the oil sector is also associated with the Dutch disease phenomenon, often manifesting in Naira exchange rate appreciation, which makes other products less competitive in the export market. I am sure that many of our farmers would bear testimony to the positive impact on the agricultural produce of the collapse of oil price in 2014-2015. “But even of more significance is the fact that the oil sector is an enclave, relying mostly on capital-intensive technology, with attendant consequences of low employment, which makes the sector incapable of generating enough jobs to addressthegrowingchallengeofunemployment in Nigeria, particularly amongst the youth,�

Bello noted.

He called on the government to fully diversify the economy and move away from the dependence on oil to ensure sustainable growth and development.

Overview of the Non-oil Sector At the moment, Nigeria’s non-oil exports sector, which comprises mainly of agricultural commodities and solid minerals, constitutes 97 percent of Nigeria’s exports. Crops like cocoa, cotton, palm oil, palm kernel, groundnut, and rubber were major export commodities. However, between 1970 and 1974, non-oil exports dropped from 43 percent to seven percent due to a rapid increase in the international oil price and Nigeria’s production. The ensuing Dutch disease led to the movement of resources out of the non-oil sector, contributing to its neglect

A rice plantation

and lack of investments in the erstwhile export sectors, particularly value-added export. It has been observed that Nigeria lost about $10 billion export opportunities in crops like cocoa, oil palm, cotton and groundnut alone.

In spite of the corrective measures over the years, the imbalance in the nation’s export trade has persisted with the non-oil sector now accounting for just about 5%-7% of Nigeria’s exports by value.

As a result of the above, the sector is currently characterized by a systemic decline in the contribution of total exports to GDP. The figures from 2014 to 2017 have been below the global average of exports to GDP of about 30 percent, according to World Bank data.

Other challenges of the sector are few destinations for export, with the dominance of limited number of agro-allied commodities such as cocoa, rubber, leather, shrimps/fish, sesame, cashew, and cotton, which account for over 60 percent of non-oil exports; insignificant contribution of the other agricultural sub-sectors like shea, ginger, cassava, yam, sweet potato, cowpeas and pineapple to export revenues, although Nigeria is one of the highest producers of these commodities, according to data from the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO); low export performance of the mining sector, which contributes less than three percent of total non-oil exports and one percent of GDPannually, even though Nigeria has over 34 solid minerals in commercial quantities; inability of Nigeria to develop significant footprint in services export, despite the dominance of services in the GDP. Bello also identified inadequate funding from financial institutions, high cost of operations, quality standards, logistics issues and policy constraints on the part of the government as other major challenges bedeviling non-oil sector.

Strategies for Change Head of Tax and Corporate Advisory Services of PwC Nigeria, Mr. Taiwo Oyedele, who was a member of a crop of seasoned professionals assembled by FICAN to proffer solution to the challenges limiting growth in the non-oil sector at the 2019 Annual Conference, said Nigeria the tax system in Nigeria must be reformed if the economy must grow. Citing the recent case

of increment in Value Added Tax (VAT) from 5 percent to 7.5 percent by the government, he said: “Some of us argued against it because I think the VAT system needs a reform first before an increase in rate.�

According to him, the government’s decision was taken without adequate consultations with stakeholders in the economy, adding that an increase of 2.5 percentage points will not make the desired impact in revenue generation.

The tax expert strongly believed Nigeria’s VAT system needed reform, especially when you draw a comparison with countries where the system is working. “In the other countries, they compare us with, those countries have a threshold, and so small businesses don’t have to worry about VAT and are excluded from VAT burden. Secondly, those other countries give you full credit for every VAT you pay whether you are consuming services or assets but in Nigeria, there is no input VAT. The effective cost in VAT is more than the five percent we see.� “WhenyouthinkabouttheVATsystem,Iwould say, we have to create a Nigerian solution for a Nigerian problem. There is a report that says Nigeria is the number one in the world in terms of the percentage of our income that we spend on food. That percentage is 60 percent on the average. And in Nigeria, if you go to the poorest people, that percentage is between 80 to 120 percent. It means the poor people in Nigeria cannot even feed with what they earn. They have to borrow or buy food on credit, just so they can survive until tomorrow. Now when you are increasing VAT rate in an environment like that, you have to exclude those that are already vulnerable, by making what they consume to survive to be zero interest or exempt,� Oyedele explained.

Speaking further, Oyedele stated, “What we told them behind closed doors is to say, when you reform Nigerian VAT system to be a proper VAT, you exclude small businesses that are struggling, and also exclude what poor people consume to survive. Then you can even make VAT 10 percent, so that the people who bear the burden are people who can afford it, in line with the kind of agenda. Exclude businesses so that they don’t have to pay VAT on their investment and production. Companies don’t exist; they are

vehicles for a human being to carry out their endeavors. So we have to reform the system to align with a proper VAT system.�

In his own submission, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Heritage Bank, Mr. Ifie Sekibo, who was represented by the bank’s Divisional Head, Strategy and Business Solutions, Mr. OlusegunAkanji, identified education, health, infrastructure and stable policy environment as crucial factors that would aid Nigeria’s quest to unlock opportunities in the country’s non-oil sector and diversify its economy.

Akanji said that countries with better educated and healthy citizens as well as improved infrastructure and stable policies were better positioned to benefit from the non-oil exports.

He said: “We need educated citizens if we are going to earn money from the non-oil sector. The essence of education is that it enables countries to add value to their primary products because countries that have the technology to process cocoa, for instance, into chocolate gets more money than the countries that grow, but cannot process it. So, if you want to make money from the non-oil sector you have to make sure that your citizens are educated. Any country that has educated its citizens stands a better chance to earn more from the non-oil sector. “When you educate a people and you keep them healthy they will produce. The biggest earning for any economy is people. China and India probably earn more than any other country through remittances of their citizens who are working abroad and remitting substantially home. Good education also positioned India as a major global player in software technology.�

Speaking further, he added: “Nigeria needs to focus on qualitative education by evolving a transformative approach to education. That is the education that will lead to massive production of software.

We must also evolve a means of funding technology because it is the easiest way to earning higher revenue that can end our reliance on oil. If it is well done, some big corporations will buy these applications. We have to fund our educational system because we do not have a choice as far as developing applications are concerned.

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A transmission power installation

Finding Lasting Solution to Nigeria’s Power Problem Efficient generation and distribution of electricity in Nigeria has over the years remained a sore point and the major threat to economic growth and development after poor macroeconomic policies of government. Varied measures including the transfer of major power infrastructures from government to private hands have failed to engender efficiency in the sector. Nosa James-Igbinadolor writes

N

igeria has a calamitous electricity situation that is the second major constraint to economic development after bad macroeconomic policies of government. Some 55 per cent of the population has no access to electricity and out of the total energy consumption, traditional biomass such as firewood and charcoal accounts for 86 per cent of energy use in the country. The gap between production capacity and demand in combination with poorly maintained generation installations and a poor national and regional electricity grid, results in unstable and unreliable electricity supply for both households and companies The electricity challenges over the years, was a widely accepted analogous testament to the ineffectiveness of the Nigerian state. For most Nigerians, the incapacity of successive state-run electricity management companies including the then National Electricity Power Authority, NEPA and its successor PHCN, aptly expounded and exemplified the failure of the state in the delivery of basic and efficient services to its citizens.

The abysmal situation hasn’t changed much with the privatisation of the bulk of the nation’s power sector. It was in August 2010 that former President Goodluck Jonathan, presented a roadmap on the power sector reform to stakeholders and investors in the power sector, aimed at transferring the running of power utilities to the private sector. The Power Sector Reform Roadmap, which preceded the then existing Electric Power Sector Reform Act of 2005 (EPSR Act 2005) passed under the leadership of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, incorporated the privatisation of the state-owned Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN). Thus, it was that when in late 2013 almost all of the six power-generation plants

and 11 distribution companies unbundled from PHCN were finally sold, there was high public expectation that the new owners would ensure a swift end to the intermittent power outages in the country While the privatised power companies may have been unfettered from the debilitating state officialdom that hitherto constrained their operations, their autonomy has not stimulated efficiency gains as they continue to encounter lingering organisational and operational challenges that continue to hinder progress in the electricity sector including an outdated and poorly maintained transmission network, which the government still owns, but put under private management.

The federal government projection in line with Vision 20:2020, aims at a target of 40,000MW by 2020. This according to an analysis carried out by Vetiva Capital, “would imply significant investments from the private sector, as the roadmap estimates suggest an annual investment of $10 billion (N1.5 trillion), which effectively amounts to about 81per cent of Nigeria’s 2010 capital expenditure budget.� A recent study published by the French Development Agency and the European Union, agreed with the position that Nigeria’s power distribution sector would need to invest more than USD 10 billion in the next five years to reach reasonable standards in quality of supply and service.

Less than three months to the beginning of 2020, it is clear that the country has not only missed that target, but would be unable to come near that mark anytime soon. Just as the state has failed to deliver efficient electricity to Nigerians, the private sector has also failed to do so.

The poor state of electricity supply in Nigeria has severely imposed significant costs on the manufacturing sector as the rickety power grid remains and is often cited as the most critical growth restraining factor in the economy. With a potential to generate 12,522 megawatts (MW) of

electric power from existing plants, the country is only able to generate around 4,000 MW at best.

A 2015 report by GIZ noted that “2, 700 MW of power generation capabilities are regularly lost due to gas constraints in a country with one of the largest natural gas deposits in the world. Up to 500 MW are lost due to water management, while several hundred megawatts are regularly lost due to line constraints.� In April this year, power generation in the country was significantly reduced due to a gas pipeline leak that forced the shutdown of Egbin, Omotosho, Olorunsogo and Paras power stations. The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) said the four power stations were completely shut down due to leakage on the Escravos-Lagos Pipeline System gas pipeline.

The adverse toll on the economy is glaring as industries continue to close down or relocate out of the country as a result of poor power supply.

According to the National Bureau of Statistics(NBS), Real GDP growth in the manufacturing sector stood at 0.81per cent in the first quarter of 2019 (year on year). This was lower than in the same quarter of 2018 by -2.59 per cent points, and the preceding quarter by -1.54 per cent points.

Foreign investment in manufacturing is virtually non-existent as investors remain naturally unwilling to bear the burden of investing in private power infrastructure that will support their businesses.

Consequently, neighbouring countries including Ghana and Ivory Coast have become major manufacturing investment destinations in the sub-region at the expense of Nigeria.

The failure of the private sector to efficiently deliver is clearly visible across all the states in the country. In virtually all the thirty-six states, darkness pervades the major cities as well as the long unattended to rural areas. In Edo state, the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) supplies just six hours of electricity to homes in the state during the day, while virtually no home or business is able to access power from

the company between 9pm and 9am every day.

The situation is not different in most states. Last November, a visibly agitated governor of Edo state, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, ordered the Managing Director of the BEDC, Mrs. Funke Osibodu, out of his office over the atrocious electricity supply situation in the state. The governor posited that, “The BEDC has been an obstacle all the way.

They will not provide electricity and will not allow you to get alternative sources of power.

The state will not allow it.� He added that, “As Governor of Edo State, we have lost confidence in the BEDC. We don’t want them here. We are in darkness. Let us remain in darkness until we find people who are capable of delivering electricity. This is our position.�

An Abuja based Lawyer and power sector specialist, Shakede Dimowo, opined that the failure of the market to deliver where the state had failed was simply due to the incapacity of the generating and distributing companies to invest in new infrastructure and thus expand their generating and distribution capacities.

Dimowo noted that many of the private power operators had struggled to make progress, especially as they have had to contend with challenges, including ageing facilities requiring substantial amounts of investments to upgrade and expand, shortage of gas supply for thermal plants and high levels of unpaid electricity bills.

This opinion was corroborated by sources within various generation and distribution companies, who spoke to THISDAY. According to a senior management staff of the Jos Electricity Distribution Company, who spoke on condition of anonymity, the problem in the GENCOS is that they are not generating enough and they are not generating enough because they have refused to invest in new infrastructure.

The source further noted that “because virtually all GENCOS in the country generate power either through hydro or gas, they have had to face the lingering challenge of poor and irregular gas supply from the NNPC as well as the persistent issue of low power generation during the dry seasons as a result of low water volume at Kainji, Jabba and Shiroro�.

A major issue that has sedated new investment by the GENCOS and DISCOS has been the uneconomic energy tariffs especially the pricing of electricity, which the private utilities have long demanded a review of. Between 2015 and 2019, the average electricity tariff climbed from N12 kWh to about N32kWh and is slated to go up again by about 30 per cent in 2020. It was against the persistent calls for government review of electricity tariffs that the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, recently approved an increase in the tariff payable by power consumers across the country with consumers having to pay an additional sum of between N8 and N14 for every kilowatt-hour of energy as from 2020.

Whether this increase in electricity cost would incentivise the electricity companies to invest in new and better infrastructure that would ultimately lead to a corresponding increase in output, remains to be seen.

Dimowo agreed that investors in the sector were not motivated to invest in new infrastructure as the “tariffs are not cost reflective and this weakens the finances of the utilities and ultimately harms their capacity to deliver efficiently.�

The President of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria(MAN), Mr. Mansur Ahmed, rejected this position earlier this month when he argued that the DISCOS ought to build capacity to deliver and operators at that level should also have enough resources to be more effective. According to him, the industrial consumers are already the ones paying the highest rate and subsidising other consumers. So, to continue to increase the tariff when neither the quantum nor the quality of electricity supply has improved is not fair to the manufacturing and industrial sectors. “We do understand that the power sector is in a very difficult situation and a lot needs to be done to firm things up. It goes beyond just increasing tariff. The sector needs to be completely restructured and overhauled. They should ensure that proper capacity is built and the private operators, especially at the distribution level, must have the capacity and resources to run this sector properly. “That really goes beyond just throwing money into the sector. Already, the government has invested hugely in terms of capital and interventions.

Over a trillion naira has been thrown into this sector with very little improvement to show for it. “Increasing tariff and injecting funds into the system is not the solution that will get us out of this situation. In the manufacturing sector, electricity is one of the most critical inputs. “There is no way our products can be competitive if we have to cope with this kind of energy supply and the cost of it. Clearly, we cannot continue to do what we have been doing all over again. Something drastic must be done to change the situation.

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The Clarion Call to Boost Economic Growth

Despite the downward trajectory in inflation in consecutive months, the federal government must move to support local production capacity and act with a sense of urgency to suppress the variables that trigger the headline index, reports James Emejo

Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed

T

he Consumer Price Index (CPI), which measures inflation, maintained a downward trajectory to 11.02 per cent (year-on-year) in August compared to 11.08 per cent in July.

The data indicated that inflation fell to its lowest in three-and-a-half years, a level last seen in February 2016, according to the CPI report for August as released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

Inflation had dropped in January 2019 when it declined to 11.37 per cent from 11.44 per cent in December in 2018.

The headline index further reduced to 11.31 per cent in February and 11.25 per cent in March, but resorted to the upward trajectory in April when it climbed to 11.37 per cent- and further to 11.40 per cent in May- before falling to 11.22 per cent in June, 11.08 per cent in July and 11.02 per cent in August.

However, the disinflation continued despite several policy pronouncements on restrictions on the import of some food items, minimum wage as well as the recent border closures.

The NBS said: “The border was only closed 20 August 2019 with only 11 days of 31 days for any significant impact to be felt either way on prices. “The inflation rate is also the average prices for the whole month and not only the price of goods and services in the last few days of the month. “Furthermore, the harvest season and existing weak consumer demand and their natural effect to slow down food and other prices will also play a major role in determining the direction of inflation. “Against this backdrop, in August 2019, all major indices slowed except urban inflation year-on-year.�

CBN Governor, Mr. Godwin EmeďŹ ele

The 0.06 per cent drop in inflation was facilitated partly by food inflation, which dropped to 13.17 per cent in August compared to 13.39 per cent in the preceding month.

The food index was moderated by muted increases in prices of oils and fats, meat, bread and cereals, potatoes, yam and other tubers and fish.

However, given the continuous stability in the exchange rates, core inflation, which excludes the prices of volatile agricultural produce, also dropped to 8.68 per cent within the reviewed period; down by 0.12 per cent when compared with 8.8 per cent in July, the NBS stated.

The deceleration in inflation will even provide greater reprieve for the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), which had set an inflation target of between 6 to 9 per cent but had been struggling to contain its rise in recent times.

A further disinflation can provide the apex bank sufficient leverage to tinker with the monetary policy rate to stimulate the real sector.

Economic analysts have called on the federal government to develop measures to stimulate local production capacity and be cautious in increasing the Value Added Tax (VAT) as inflation drops to a three-year low.

Last week, the World Bank Vice President for Africa Region, Mr. Hafez Ghanem, maintained that Nigeria’s growth, which had averaged two per cent in the last two years was “not enough to reduce poverty.�

According to him, to make the desired impact however, the economy needed to grow by an average of between five per cent and seven per cent annually- much faster than the population growth rate.

Analysts who spoke to THISDAY said the marginal decline in the headline index, notwithstanding, a lot still needed to be done

to grow the economy.

Also, commenting on inflation, Chief Executive of Global Analytics Company, Mr. Tope Fasua, told THISDAY that there was nothing much to cheer about the slight reduction in inflation and urged authorities to concentrate efforts at pursuing a double digit growth target.

Fasua said: “It’s important to prise through headline inflation to decipher the components.

Usually food inflation is high in Nigeria and closed at 13.39 per cent last quarter and that is the driver of our inflation. “A reduction of 0.06 per cent in headline inflation is not significant cause for cheer and certainly not enough impetus for a reduction in policy rates. “However, my take remains that a developing economy should be more ambitious in terms of growth and productivity and not begin to set goals like plateaued economies. “Inflation is therefore not our big problem but growth. A GDP growth rate of 1.95 per cent in the face of 2.8 per cent yearly growth rate in population is a disaster therefore and we must do everything to target double digit GDP growth rate for a sustained period.�

Also, former Director General, Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI), Dr. Chijioke Ekechukwu, said: “We should just make concerted efforts to ensure that factors that may increase prices of goods and services are avoided. “These factors include tax or VAT rate increase, petroleum products prices, power and energy bill increases, exchange rate increases etc. “Local production capacity should be improved upon and investment of both foreign and local should continue to be enhanced. “The marginal decline in headline inflation to 11.02 per cent from 11.08 per cent is only indicative that we can gradually achieve the

projected single-digit inflation rate before the end of first quarter of 2020. “Much as the rate of decline is marginal, the impact may hardly be felt in the consumer market space. It is therefore, not yet uhuru.

CBN may not need to reduce rates in the circumstance just by this insignificant decline in inflation rate.�

Also, a Senior Lecturer at the Lagos Business School, Dr. Bongo Adi, said: “While we are looking at the positive side, we also have to look at other sides. The truth of the matter is that the purchasing power of people has been affected too much and what happens when there is a fall in aggregate demand? A fall in aggregate demand will trigger a forced reduction in the prices of goods and services. “So, if you look at it from the per capita income of people, what you would observe is that there is a huge depression on the capital income of the generality of Nigerians. So what it means is that, yes; inflation is going down, but it is not because there is increased productivity or increased income; the reason is simply because purchasing power has been drastically reduced.�

On his part, Head Research United Capital, Mr. Wale Olusi, said there was no surprise in the drop in inflation. “I don’t think there is any surprise; there is a lot of harvest and there is a lot of stability in the forex energy environment and increase in food harvest supported by a sustained moderation in headline rate, month-on-month inflation also slightly below one per cent as against the previous month. “Going forward in September, we think things might change because all this thing about government closing Seme border and its impact on food prices like we have heard over the last couple of weeks, these are things that might affect the trajectory of prices in September,� he stated.

Speaking on the outlook for inflation, the Head Research at Agusto & Co, Mr. Jimi Ogbobine, said Nigeria might experience inflationary pressures going into 2020.

Ogbobine identified inflation drivers by then to include the minimum wage, which would put pressure on prices and a hike in electricity tariff that would affect the energy component of the core index. “It is advisable for the central bank to rein in inflation ahead of these price pressures in the offing,� he added.

In his contribution, Professor of Finance at the University of Lagos, John Emeka Ezike, said it would take only increased economic activities and sustained productivity to maintain the present level of seemingly favourable inflation the country is witnessing now.

An economist and Chief Executive Officer of Treasure Capital and Trust Limited, Mr. Tom Achoda, asked the CBN to evolve a monetary policy that would enhance productivity in order to maintain the low inflation.

Achoda said the current low trend might be deceptive because it could be an indication of low purchasing power of consumers.

According to Ghanem, the World Bank VP, in order to fight poverty you need several things. First, you need to get the economy to grow faster. The Nigerian economy has been growing within the past two years at 2 per cent and that’s not enough to reduce poverty. “You need to be growing at a much faster rate than the population growth rate so you need to be growing at between 5 per cent to 7 per cent and you need to make sure this growth is inclusive so it is well distributed among the population.�

He said the federal government is already working towards improving the narrative adding that the World Bank is also doing its best to support the former’s efforts.

He further stressed the importance of human capital development, especially the need to empower women.

He said the federal government needed to purse “economic transformation and also diversify the Nigerian economy, develop industries, agriculture and in that regard, I would stress in today’s economy that you need to invest in the digital economy. “Digitalisation and the links to the rest of the world, access to technology and information are becoming increasingly important for the growth of industry, agriculture, services. “I will say that Nigeria has a comparative advantage because you have a young, creative entrepreneurial Nigerians who if given access to the digital economy create a lot of economic development and growth. “If you want economic transformation, you need to also ensure adequate infrastructure including power and improved transportation.�

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With GDP Decline, Economy Not Out of the Woods The contraction of the economy for two consecutive quarters, especially in agriculture, calls for concern and out-of-the-box strategy by economic managers to restore it to the path of growth, writes James Emejo

F

or the umpteenth time, analysts have warned that unless something is done urgently to reposition the economy, it could be on the brink.

But their worry, like any other Nigerian is not totally unfounded.

The recent economic data has not been encouraging to say the least.

For an economy which is aiming at economic diversification as well as hoping to reduce the unemployment rate is currently at 23.1 per cent, as well as seeking to grow at 3 per cent this year, two consecutive contraction of its growth rate ordinarily calls for concern.

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) last week stated that Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate dropped to 1.94 per cent (year on year) in real terms in the second quarter of the year (Q2 2019) compared to 2.10 per cent (revised estimate) in the preceding quarter- from 2.38 per cent in Q4 2018.

According to the GDP Report for Q2 2019, the Q2 estimate represented a –0.16 percentage point contraction of the economy.

Average daily oil production of 1.98 million barrels per day (mbpd), was slightly less than the 1.99mbpd (1.96 mbpd revised) in Q1 and 7.6 per cent higher than the 1.84 mbpd recorded in the same quarter of 2018.

The economy was largely aided by the non-oil sector which contributed 91.18 per cent to GDP while the oil GDP accounted for 8.82 per cent of growth Aggregate GDP in nominal terms was valued at N34.944 trillion, an increase of 9.8 per cent over the N31.79 trillion in preceding quarter and 13.83 per cent over the performance in Q2 2018.

Real GDP was estimated at N16.90 trillion.

However, of particular concern was the decline in agriculture which is seen as critical to the economic diversification objectives of the present administration.

The sector grew by 1.79 per cent compared to 3.17 per in the preceding quarter, representing a decline of -4.81 per cent relative to Q1.

Only week, during his keynote address, Senior Agriculture Economist, World Bank, Dr. Adetunji Oredipe, pointed out that socio-political peace, economic stability, and food security remained essential for the development of any great nation.

He said while the greatest and most significant resource of any group of people, are human beings, “a hungry, poor, and war-threatened group of people are incapable of accelerating economic development and are incapable of competing on the global front for positive ideas, creativity, or innovation.�

He said in order to achieve the transformation of the agricultural sector and effectively claim a significant share of the $1 trillion market, government must effectively effect a structural change in the labour composition of the sector from the current status.

The World Bank economist said for the country to maintain its share of the continent’s agriculture GDP by 2030, Nigeria will need to grow its agriculture sector revenues by a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.7 per cent, adding that to achieved this, national agriculture budget to GDP would have to be sustained by at least 7 per cent annually.

Oredipe, among other things, emphasised that the current farming population is ageing rapidly and is unable to meet the increasingly complex challenges of markets and technology.

He noted that to feed the rising population well into the future, the country will need young commercial farmers.

But more importantly, it could be argued that even if the youths decided to embrace farming in the long run, the insecurity across the country, particularly the threats posed by the activities of herdsmen remained a huge challenge as farmers have practically boycotted their farmlands for fears of being attacked.

And to a larger extent, it could be argued

Chairman, Economic Advisory Council, Dr. Doyin Salami

that this scenario may have accounted partly accounted for the poor performance of agriculture in relation to Q2 GDP. Speaking recently at the Agriculture Summit Africa, organised by Sterling Bank Plc, Oredipe said: “These anticipated rewards and positive changes will only happen if Africa’s farmers and agribusinesses undoubtedly can receive expanded access to more capital outlays, uninterrupted electricity, modernised and well-irrigated land areas to cultivate high-value nutritious foods. “For Nigeria, it is a great window of opportunity to harness the countless opportunities that exist in the agricultural value chain towards building a sustainable economy thereby creating hope for realizing our much-desired national development and sustained food security.�

The Economic Growth and Recovery Plan (ERGP), the current plan aimed at fashioning growth in the years 2017-2020, was developed to restore economic growth and lay the foundations for long-term structural change. The ERGP recognises that non-oil productive sectors like agriculture and agro-allied industries (the agri-food sector) play a significant role in economic development, economic growth, and job creation. “More importantly, the pride of any government is the attainment of higher level of development in such a way that its citizens would derive natural attachment to governance.�

Nevertheless, analysts have continued to express their disappointment over the weak GDP growth, cautioning that urgent measures are needed to avert an economic crisis.

However, commenting on the performance of the economy, economist and former Director General, Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI), Dr. Chijioke Ekechukwu, said the weak growth represented a warning signal for the country to evolve urgent measures to stimulate growth. “It is a warning signal. We need to get our

fundamentals right again. It is an indication that different sectors are dropping in their business activities,� he said, adding: “Some portfolio investors exited the country to where their returns will be higher and that has been happening since last year.�

He said insecurity in the country was also responsible for the drop in Direct Foreign Investments and in the drop of agricultural output and explained that there was need to stimulate the economy by making funds available to all sectors at little or no cost.

Similarly, Chief Executive, Global Analytics Company, Mr. Tope Fasua, said the performance indicated among other things that the economy is yet to be diversified.

According to him, even the presidency has acknowledged that we may be close to a fiscal crisis. Mr. Garba Shehu, the presidential spokesman said just that days ago. We know that crude oil has been trading at below the $60 benchmark for weeks now.�

He said what the second quarter result showed was that the economy was yet to be diversified and that productivity and capacity utilisation was very low. “What is more? Nigeria is not ambitious with its growth or future,� he said, and added: “Indians are complaining that their GDP growth rate fell to 5 per cent from 8 per cent in the last quarter. That is a $2.5 trillion economy pushing to grow faster.�

China, he said, was awfully worried that growth slipped from 10% to 6.5 per cent, protesting that when critics in Nigeria we speak of a double-digit growth, indoctrinated dogmatists would say the country was not ripe for it. “We wait for the IMF to tell us we couldn’t do better than 2 per cent. It is a great tragedy. But it seems it will get worse, much worse, before it gets better,� Fasua said.

The Chief Executive Officer, Financial Derivatives

Company Limited, Mr. Bismarck Rewane, pointed out that typically, second quarters were usually known for slowdown in economic activities.

He, however, noted that the sectors that slowed, such as agriculture which employs 25 per cent of the workforce in Nigeria and construction as well as those that contracted, which included wholesale, trade, manufacturing and real estate, were those that employ a lot of people in the economy.

Rewane said: “This is a black eye and we need to do a lot more. It was quite clear that the sectors that had intervention funds have not responded.�

According to him, the way out is to allow for an increase in lending, increase in economic activities and a reduction in interest rate.

However, he noted that the second quarter was the period in which the country had no cabinet and as such there was more uncertainty, which he reasoned people responded to.

He explained: “So, it was a spillover of the first quarter; You can run, but you can’t hide.

The reality is that without fear of contradiction, unemployment rate might go higher than 30 per cent when the data is released by the NBS. “So, we are at the tipping point, especially when population is now at 2.7 per cent and our GDP growth is 1.94 per cent. The gap between potential GDP and real GDP is widening. Therefore, your recessionary gap is increasing. So, we have some difficult days ahead and there is no mistake about that.�

On his part, the Chief Executive Officer, Cowry Assets Management Limited, Mr. Johnson Chukwu, called for appropriate policy mix for the sectors that either slowed down or contracted in the GDP report.

He said: “This is a report card of the economy, which basically shows how effective government policies have been. So, we need to look at those activities that would spur growth in the manufacturing sector. “I think one fundamental thing that we must understand is that consumption level is low, so we need to stimulate consumption. This is because without consumption, there won’t be manufacturing “So, the demand level in the economy is very weak, which is why a lot of Nigerians are worried.

One of the ways to stimulate consumption at a time like this is through public works. Unfortunately, government is not in a position to fund public works. “So, the appropriate way to respond is to come up with public-private partnership initiative to attract private capital, so as to restore consumption.�

Chukwu, said there was need to review the power sector privatisation and see how to make it more effective.

In his contribution, the National President, Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), Mr. Uche Olowu, attributed the development, especially the slowdown in agriculture GDP to the insecurity challenges.

He said: “The security issues in the agriculture sector was a major factor, so this was expected.

So, government has to address the challenge of insecurity to allow for free movement of persons from one place to the other, to enable free flow of goods and services, so as to spur economic activities. “Secondly, you know the Central Bank of Nigeria has just increased the loan-to-deposit ratio and the federal government is reducing domestic borrowing, to free up liquidity for the real sector. “That is expected to spur economic activities and there should be basic alignment of the fiscal and monetary authorities, to create additional incentives to rejuvenate economic activities.�

But by and large, the onus now rests on the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Sabo Nanono, who has promised to tweak some of the existing agricultural policies- to live up to expectations and turn around the fortunes of the sector as well increase its share of GDP going forward.

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YEMISI SHYLLON

Shyllon

How I Became Executive Director of a Multinational at 33 Mâ€şĂĄĂ˜n‚r݈ n¸‚hĂ˜s‚e~ϿnsĂ˜ĂĄeâ€šĂœĂ seĂ ĂœĂ?Ă›Ă˜Ăšeâ€šĂşâ€şĂœĹ“â€şĂ n¸‰‚›ne‚úøn‚sense‚{rĂ˜nĂşe‚ôeĂœĂ˜sĂ˜â€š |h¥ÛÛ›n‰‚ ø‚ âeøÛĂ&#x;h¥‚ ørĂ&#x;‚ ú›ÛÛeĂşĂ&#x;›r‰‚ Ă˜s‚ ø‚ ĂœĂ¸n‚ ÂťĂ˜ĂĄen‚ Ă&#x;›‚ ›r¸erĂ›Ă˜ness‰‚ e~ĂşeÛÛenĂşe‚ øn¸‚ Ă nĂşâ€şĂœĂœâ€şn‚øĂ&#x;Ă&#x;enĂ&#x;Ă˜â€şn‚Ă&#x;›‚¸eĂ&#x;Ă¸Ă˜Ă›s΂ÒĂ&#x;â€šĂ¸â€šÂ¸Ă˜nner‚he‚h›sĂ&#x;e¸‚º›r‚seĂ›eĂşĂ&#x;‚sĂ&#x;øººers‚›º‚ –—|ÕÒô‚ Ă˜n‚hĂ˜s‚h݈ se‰‚|h¥ÛÛ›n‚¸eĂ›Ă˜ĂĄere¸‚âhøĂ&#x;‚ú›à Û¸‚eøsĂ˜Ă›ÂĄâ€šÂşĂ˜Ă&#x;â€šĂ˜nĂ&#x;›‚øn‚MĂ“Ă’â€šĂœĂ¸sĂ&#x;erúÛøss‚›n‚ Ă˜nĂĄesĂ&#x;ĂœenĂ&#x;΂Bamidele Famoofo‚œresenĂ&#x;s‚Ă&#x;he‚Ă&#x;øÚeøâø¥‚ºrâ€şĂœâ€šĂ&#x;he‚enú›à nĂ&#x;er‚ Self Discovery s a young man studying engineering at the university, Shyllon discovered who exactly he was and what he wanted to become in life. Knowing that he was cut out to become a technocrat, and not an entrepreneur, given his low appetite for risk, he decided early in life never to borrow money or lend money to people; but to cultivate the habit of saving at least 10 percent of his earnings which he religiously put aside to invest in businesses that would later yield good fortunes for him. “An entrepreneur borrows to maximize returns because of his huge-risk appetite. But technocrats don’t have such an appetite for risk. So they refrain from borrowing,â€? he explains. “I was a bureaucrat and had never pretended to be an entrepreneur. I did not borrow to be able to build the wealth l have today because l knew l must save.

You must always save your income regularly. At least 10 percent of your income must be put aside as a saving.�

While everything around him suggests that he is wealthy, Shyllon

A

will never agree with that notion. Rather, he says, “I’m not a rich man, l never set out to become rich, but to be comfortable and live a simple life.�

He warned that a lot of people have got their fingers burnt by trying to do things they are not cut out for, reiterating the need for every individual to decide very early in life the path they wish to follow to become what they want to be in life. “I have done more than just to work to satisfy my appetite as l have been able to set aside enough to make me live a comfortable life,� he points out.

Planning for retirement Because Shyllon had a difficult background, he took the decision early in life to make the best of every opportunity that came his way to become comfortable as he would say. Life after retirement was indeed a big priority to the billionaire. “l remember on one occasion when l was an executive director in a multinational company. I had an expatriate working for me. He was 60 years old at that time and during a dinner with him, l asked

him: ‘What are you going to do when you retire?’ He answered, ‘Are you sacking me?’ I responded in the negative. He told me he had never given retirement a thought. “Though l was young at that time, about 33, l had started planning my retirement. You have to start planning your life early in life so that you can have early rest from your mid-50s and you can live comfortably. Otherwise, you will find out that you are old and you have nothing to fall back on. You must be ready to acquire education on how to invest your savings to get optimum returns while planning your retirement,� he recommended.

Passion for arts Shyllon’s upbringing as a prince did not have any role to play in his success. He says growing up in the palace did not spur his interest in arts collection. “If you go to the palace in Abeokuta, you won’t see the kind of things that you find in my place now. I think what prompted me to invest in arts is first that I’m an artist. l can draw.�

Shyllon would have opted to study arts at the university but for

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THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER Ëž ÍşÎ Ëœ ͺ͸͚Î

To Be a Millionaire Don’t Spend Like a Billionaire

Cont’d from pg. 24

his uncommon knowledge of mathematics. “l was very good at mathematics and that pushed me out of arts. But during the holidays when l was at the University of Ibadan, l would go to the library of the Yaba College of Education to study, and when I’m tired of reading; l would go to the arts section to see the works there. And that was how l began to collect arts from the time l was in my second year at the university to date.�

Shyllon says becoming an art collector does not have anything to do with his background as a prince, as it was primarily borne out of passion and his love for culture.

Though dealing in arts is not a business to make money for Shyllon, arts have given him lots of exposure and international connections. He has been a guest of Harvard University and various art fairs in the world. It has given him the opportunity to deliver lectures and give talks in this area that he did not have formal training.

Many colours He is a stockbroker, lawyer, marketer but primarily an engineer. He is also an investor with massive investments in shares, real estate and arts, among other things. His insatiable search for knowledge made him a man of many colours. Contrary to the popular saying, ‘jack of all trades, master of none’, Prince Shyllon was able to become a master in every field of knowledge he delved into.

Apart from searching for knowledge, he loves adventures. “I studied engineering because of mathematics.

And when l discovered that those who combine engineering and a study of business are high fliers,� he notes. “I decided to take an MBA. I remember that when l was resigning from Caterpillar now Mantrac to take my MBA, my manager called me and asked me why l was leaving (because l was one of his best boys then). I remember l told him ‘I want to occupy your seat’. Though l felt l had talked too much when l turned to go, he called me by my name and said, ‘Yemisi whenever you need a job, you have one here’. So, when l was to do my three months’ attachment during my MBA class, l went back to Caterpillar and got a job.�

Thereafter, the ever mobile Shyllon became a director at 31 at Nigerite Limited. He became the youngest of all the directors in the company then. “But there was one man who had an HND in admin and personnel that got the attention of the chairman when he spoke in law. But when l spoke, the chairman picked a hole in it and the same thing applies to the finance man. So, l went to the University of Lagos and registered for law, and before you know what had happened, l found myself becoming a lawyer. As per stockbroking, l found myself having so many shares. I saved 10 percent of my money to be able to achieve that. It was so large that l felt rather than depend on people to manage it for me, l needed to acquire knowledge about how to do it myself. I then registered to take classes in stockbroking and eventually became a certified stockbroker.�

Shyllon disclosed that his search for knowledge and the need to empower himself for the future made him venture into all the areas he went into in his early days in life.

Wealth Secret “When your status rises, don’t let your taste catch up with it.� This was the principle that guided Prince Shyllon in building massive wealth for himself.

Shyllon learnt very early in life, not only to live within his means but to make sure that his crave to spend never measured up to what he earned during his working days. “I was living in Papa Adedoyin’s house in Olodi Apapa in 1983 when l joined Nigerite. I paid N2,400/ annum as rent for a 2-bedroom accommodation with a garage for my car and a two-room boys’ quarter. But my housing allowance was N65,000 in the same period. But l decided to stay on in Olodi Apapa for two years.�

What he did was to save for two years which amounted to N130, 000, and he invested that in a very good business. A few years later, he was able to build a five-story building somewhere in a highbrow area of Lagos which is now fetching him big money. “I won’t talk about it. So, always make sure your expenses are far below your income,� he simply adds.

Shyllon did not stop there. He continued to seek more opportunities to invest in real estate.

He ended up investing in a very beautiful project, which earns him dollars at the moment. “I spend

Shyllon making some points about his art works

Children Away Prince Shyllon and his wife are still bubbling with life even in the absence of their children - all of whom have left home in search of greener pastures. His collection of arts has helped him to cope with the absence of his children. He said having a good plan for retirement was another factor that has helped him during retirement. Shyllon has about 18 people working in his house. “So, we are always busy with people around us. I have an accountant, ICT staff, documentary photographer, gardeners, cooks, etc and they all keep me busy. Interactions with people from outside asking me for interviews or to respond to public domain issues via the email; social media also keeps me busy. But really, all of us must create time to work out how we are going to face the realities of being lonely at old age or retirement. “All of us are going to face this problem especially because of what our country is turning to. The children are disappearing to look for greener pastures elsewhere.�

naira here and l earn dollar elsewhere. I have the opportunity of living where l earn a dollar from, but here, on about two acres of land, I’m leaving my life the way I’m managing it and earning my income somewhere else. It pays better this way than to pretend to be what you are not.�

Family Despite his business schedule as a top career person in his working days, Shyllon created the time to raise his children. He paid particular attention to his children, making sure they got the best of education. But as usual, he educated his children based on the principle of not allowing his expenses to match his income. This is what he revealed: “My daughter got admission into the Grange School and l was about making a payment to register her.

But suddenly, l woke up one night and decided against it. I realized sending them to public school would help her face the challenges of life early.

Private school is an aided education. These schools have a goal - it is to get good results in an aided manner. We decided ( l and my wife ) to allow them to go through the public schools, where we know they would learn to become independent and get results that are not aided.�

However, the couple decided that after their public school education to the university level, they could go anywhere they like in the world for further studies.

Meanwhile, it’s doubtful that the Shyllons would take such a decision they took some 20 years ago concerning their children’s studies today considering the declining standards of education in the country today.

“But if it was now, l may have to think twice. Even then, we did not just put them in public schools. We had full-time teachers for them at home. I was also a teacher. When l came back from work, l would roll up my sleeves and teach them the core science subjects like Mathematics, Physics, and Chemistry.

Teachers also came here and l used to supervise them while teaching my children at home.�

Advice He said someone in his 60s who still haven’t made it or built anything for himself, still has hope. “It would then depend on his energy level. If the energy level is very low, he should find people of like minds to form cooperatives to put together little cash individually and conceptualize something that can grow into which the money would be invested.�

Another way around such an unfortunate situation, according to Shyllon, will be for the individual to consider the option of trading. “Trading will be the best option for such people.

They need to identify something that they can buy and sell. You can buy jointly through a cooperative and sell individually. You must look for arbitrage and identify places that need what you can supply.

People don’t know, for instance, that there is a fortune in selling simple items like a blade, button, and threads which tailors use in making clothes.�

He also recommended making an investment in bonds, treasury bills, and mutual funds. But said investing in shares is not an option for anybody now. “You can buy for up to N10,000 and earn interest on it. l don’t advise that people buy shares now because the market is very volatile. You can buy treasury bills from the secondary market too or go into mutual funds. But l will recommend bonds because it is more stable. That way you can build your fortune gradually and before you know it, it becomes very big. Another area to invest is land.

Some of us made money from buying and selling land. A land of N10,000 in Lekki a couple of years back was sold for about N500 million recently. About two acres around Maryland in 1993 and 1994 were bought for N1.3 million and 1/3 of it was recently sold for N220 million.�

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Ëš

Is Cashless Policy Necessary for the Economy?

Though it may have come at a cost, the full implementation of the cashless policy could facilitate Nigeria’s development aspirations by attracting foreign investors, writes James Emejo

T

he banking industry has once again come under the spotlight following the announcement by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on the full implementation of the cashless policy effective from March 31, 2020.

In circular, “Re: Implementation of the Cashless Policy,� which was addressed to all banks, the apex bank had further announced the commencement of charges on deposits in addition to already existing charges on withdrawals.

The charges, which became effective last Wednesday, stipulate three per cent processing fees for withdrawals and two per cent processing fees for lodgements of amounts above N500,000 for individual accounts while corporate accounts would attract five per cent processing fees for withdrawals and three per cent processing fee for lodgements of amounts above N3,000,000.

The apex bank further stated that for now, the charges on deposits would apply in Lagos, Ogun, Kano, Abia, Anambra, and Rivers states as well as the Federal Capital Territory.

However, in an anticipated reaction, Nigerians from all sectors of the economy have expressed worry over the full implementation of the cash initiative especially the charges on banking transactions.

Their worries stem from the fact that the banking public is already grappling with existing charges charges for sundry transactions including ATM maintenance fees, duty stamp, transfer deductions, SMS, among others.

They also feared that the decision could hurt small businesses which are vital for the growth of the economy.

However, the apex bank had insisted that implementing the cashless policy was in the interest of the country as neglecting it could be costly.

In a swift move, following agitations from the public, the House of Representatives had urged the CBN to suspend the charges imposed on cash deposits in the implementation of its cashless policy until the apex had made due consultations with all relevant stakeholders.

The lawmakers further resolved to mandate the House Committee on Banking and Currency to interface with the CBN to “ascertain the propriety, relevance and the actual need for the implementation of that aspect of the cashless policy at this time, considering the prevailing economic situation of the country and to report back to the House within four weeks.�

The House expressed deep concern that “the implementation of cashless policy on withdrawals has negative impacts on micro, mini, small and medium scale enterprises, which are clearly the engine room for growth of the economy and employment generation, thereby throwing many of them out of business and sending more Nigerians into poverty. forcing more traders and micro investors to carry cash about with its attendant security challenges.�

It noted that “while the impact of the cashless policy on withdrawals is still staring us all in our faces as well as other numerous burdensome charges by Nigeria’s Money Deposit Banks heavily impacting on businesses, the CBN deemed it necessary to impose the implementation of cashless policy on depositors,without due consultations with all shades of stakeholders who will be impacted by the policy.

The lawmakers added that “this overbearing burden aimed at closing down majority of micro, mini, small and medium businesses in Nigeria, is also aimed at enriching Nigeria’s Money Deposit Banks owned by a privileged few without any known financial contribution to the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation.�

Also, commenting on the issue, economist and former Director General, Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI), Dr. Chijioke Ekechukwu, though praised the

A POS machine ... transaction via through point of sale has signiďŹ cantly increased over the years

cashless policy as having its overwhelming benefits to the economy, but noted that the aspect of the bank charges could negativity impact small businesses.

In an interview with THISDAY, he said:�Much as the benefits of cashless initiatives abound, which are; to reduce cash handling charges, to reduce cash movement cost, to reduce vault insurance cost, to reduce robbery on the road and at the bank etc, it does not justify the imposition of these charges by CBN. “Rather than these charges, they should give incentives to customers that do volumes in electronic transactions. If a bank customer knows that he will get 5 per cent of the amount of money transferred electronically, many customers will rather go electronic.�

He said:�So instead of imposing charges, they should give incentives to customers to encourage them do more electronic transactions. If they must impose charges at all, they should reduce the percentage.

They are rather very high and can deplete the customers’ monies unnecessarily.

The former banker further noted that “Bank customers are already paying and having many charges in their accounts.

Maintenance costs are sometimes higher than COT charges which they claimed to have removed. The stamp duty charge for every amount paid or withdrawn from a customer’s account is rather exploitative, especially for accounts that have multiple, little deposits, like schools and many businesses with multiple deposits and withdrawals.�

However, in dousing all the concerns associated with the CBN initiative, the CBN Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele said there was no need for concern, noting the cashless policy initiative, was not an entirely new scheme compared to what was in operation.

He noted specifically that apart from reduction in cash processing cost which are punitive and often passed on bank customers, there had been total evidence of proliferation of e-channels for life style comfort But importantly and in what should concern well meaning Nigerians particularly the relevance of country in the Global space especially its ability to court investors confidence in the economy, Emefiele said the cashless policy remains a mandatory

tool in this regard.

Speaking at the recent Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting, he explained that the latest announcement on cashless policy was a “strategic timing of these actions because on Monday, September 23rd, the mutual evaluation by GIABA on the country’s anti-money laundry and CFT regime will begin.�

According to him, passing the mutual evaluation positions had become inevitable for Nigeria to be seen as a safe and credible destination for financial transaction across the world.

The Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA) was established by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Authority of Heads of State and Government in the year 2000.

The creation of GIABA is a major response and contribution of the ECOWAS to the fight against money laundering.

The CBN governor had further noted that:�GIABA will be in Nigeria to access the rate at which Nigeria has embraced anti-money laundry and CFT regime. It is important that we display and show to them that Nigeria is indeed in conformity with their practices as enshrined in their anti-money laundry and CFA laws.�

According to Emefiele, the country’s inability to prove its commitment under the GIABA- anti-money laundry regulations could have far-reaching problems for Nigeria.

He said:�If we don’t do what we are doing today, where if they pass us negative, even your so-called cards (credit/debit) that you carry abroad, you will not be able to use them. “It is in our own best interest that we are seen to be working in line with best global practices so that we can have a comfortable and convenient life in future.�

Nevertheless, he said:�While I truly sympathise with the banking public and regret the inconvenience that this may cause or certainly is causing bank customers: the cashless policy in Nigeria is not new. It was first launched in 2012. And several engagements were held across multiple stakeholders before we started this policy in 2012. “In deed, it was under my predecessor, I didn’t start it. At inception charges have

always been on deposits and withdrawals.

And this started since 2012. Withdrawal charges have been in place, only deposit charges are new today. “At inception when it was contemplated, if you deposit money in the bank above a particular threshold in which case, for individuals N500, 000, for corporates, N3,000,000- you are charged. “For withdrawals, if you also withdraw above a particular threshold you are charged, since inception in 2012. But it got to 2014, after some engagements from different stakeholders, we agreed that it was too early to begin to charge people who want to deposit money in the banking system because we agreed at that time that there was a lot of cash outside the banking industry and that there’s no need to penalise people who would like to bring their cash from outside the banking industry into the banking industry- that we should relax the essence of charging people for depositing money in the bank but retain those who want to withdraw cash from the bank. “We expect that over five years from 2014 to 2019- all the cash that would have been kept in people’s pillows, mattresses, by five years, we should have been able to bring them back into the banking industry.

And that’s why we are saying at this time that we would like to return back to that.�

He said:�So what we are saying today is not new. But by March 2020, now we are only returning back to the sixth state where currently withdrawal charges are holding There are six states, it’s not all over the country. But the entire cashless proceeds will have to permeate the entire Nigeria

by March, 2020.�

He said:�So, this policy is no way designed to disenfranchise hardworking Nigerian businesses as some of the media analysts have been saying- many of whom have indeed embraced electronic payment channels and online digital marketplaces.�

Emefiele said:�Since the policy was first launched, currency management cost have continued to increase year-on-year at an average annual growth rate of 33 per cent.

Notwithstanding, electronic transactions have increased within the economy. We have provided alternative channels and people have embraced it.�

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 29, 2019 • T H I S D AY

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˜ ˞ SEPTEMBER 29, 2019

MARKET NEWS

NSE, GRI, Dangote Cement Host Sustainability Forum for Stakeholders Goddy Egene

practitioners last Thursday in accounting and investment Lagos. communities.

According to the NSE, Speaking at the event, The Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) in partnership with the workshop, driven by Divisional Head, Shared Dangote Cement Plc and the need to demonstrate the Services, NSE, Bola Adeeko, Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) relationship between financial said: “We recognise that held a capacity development and nonfinancial functions and sustainability should not be workshop on sustainability the strong synergy between separate from core business value proposition and reporting the two in achieving business strategy as it involves operating for accountants, financial continuity, brought together over in a way that takes full analysts and communication 70 participants from the media, account of an organisation’s A Mutual fund (Unit Trust) is an investment floor of the Nigerian Stock Exchange. vehicle managed by a SEC (Securities and A REIT (Real Estate Investment Trust) is an Exchange Commission) registered Fund Manager. investment vehicle that allows both small and Investors with similar objectives buy units of the large investors to part-own real estate ventures (eg.

Fund so that the Fund Manager can buy securities Offices, Houses, Hospitals) in proportion to their that willl generate their desired return. investments. The assets are divided into shares that An ETF (Exchange Traded Fund) is a type are traded on the Nigerian Stock Exchange. of fund which owns the assets (shares of stock, bonds, oil futures, gold bars, foreign currency, GUIDE TO DATA: etc.) and divides ownership of those assets into Date: All fund prices are quoted in Naira as at 26shares. Investors can buy these ‘shares’ on the Sep-2019, unless otherwise stated.

impact on the planet, its way businesses now define people and the future. At value creation.� the NSE, we continually seek Also speaking, Group Chief innovative initiatives to build Sustainability and Governance, competence for businesses Dangote Industries Limited, within our ecosystem. This Dr. Ndidi Nnoli, said: “Our workshop is designed to help work in Dangote Cement Plc accountants, financial analysts showcases the importance of and communication practitioners mainstreaming sustainability as respond to new demands the key to engendering holistic resulting from changes in the business impact, innovation and Offer price: The price at which units of a trust or ETF are bought by investors.

Bid Price: The price at which Investors redeem (sell) units of a trust or ETF. Yield/Total Return: Denotes the total return an investor would have earned on his investment. Money Market Funds report Yield while others report Year- to-date Total Return.

NAV: Is value per share of the real estate assets held by a REIT on a specific date.

value creation. The workshop, scheduled during the United Nations 74th General Assembly, supports the implementation of SDGs in Africa by establishing the positive correlation between financial and non-financial (ESG) functions and the potential synergy between responsible business growth and sustainable development.�

DAILY PRICE LIST FOR MUTUAL FUNDS, REITS and ETFS MUTUAL FUNDS / UNIT TRUSTS AFRINVEST ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD aaml@afrinvest.com Web: www.afrinvest.com; Tel: +234 818 885 6757 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Afrinvest Equity Fund 142.30 144.24 -9.55% Afrinvest Plutus Fund 100.00 100.00 12.80% Nigeria International Debt Fund 272.39 272.39 -0.30% ALTERNATIVE CAPITAL PARTNERS LTD info@acapng.com Web: www.acapng.com, Tel: +234 1 291 2406, +234 1 291 2868 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn ACAP Canary Growth Fund 0.88 0.89 4.45% ACAP Income Funds 0.77 0.77 35.16% AIICO CAPITAL LTD ammf@aiicocapital.com Web: www.aiicocapital.com, Tel: +234-1-2792974 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn AIICO Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 12.35% AIICO Balanced Fund 2.37 2.41 7.00% ARM INVESTMENT MANAGERS LTD enquiries@arminvestmentcenter.com Web: www.arm.com.ng; Tel: 0700 CALLARM (0700 225 5276) Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn ARM Aggressive Growth Fund 14.45 14.88 -12.91% ARM Discovery Fund 331.92 341.93 -6.93% ARM Ethical Fund 28.17 29.02 -0.23% ARM Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 12.39% AXA MANSARD INVESTMENTS LIMITED investmentcare@axamansard.com Web: www.axamansard.com; Tel: +2341-4488482 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn AXA Mansard Equity Income Fund 93.36 94.02 -7.74% AXA Mansard Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 0.00% CAPITAL EXPRESS ASSET AND TRUST LIMITED info@capitalexpressassetandtrust.com Web: www.capitalexpressassetandtrust.com ; Tel: +234 803 307 5048 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn CEAT Fixed Income Fund 1.86 1.86 10.92% CHAPELHILL DENHAM MANAGEMENT LTD investmentmanagement@chapelhilldenham.com Web: www.chapelhilldenham.com, Tel: +234 461 0691 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Chapelhill Denham Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 13.61% Paramount Equity Fund 12.15 12.26 2.91% Women's Investment Fund 108.56 109.29 4.86% CORDROS ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmgtteam@cordros.com Web: www.cordros.com, Tel: 019036947 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Cordros Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 11.96% Cordros Milestone Fund 2023 96.05 96.76 Cordros Milestone Fund 2028 96.98 97.86 CORONATION ASSEST MANAGEMENT investment@coronationam.com Web:www.coronationam.com , Tel: 012366215 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Coronation Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A Coronation Balanced Fund N/A N/A N/A Coronation Fixed Income Fund N/A N/A N/A EDC FUNDS MANAGEMENT LIMITED mutualfundng@ecobank.com Web: www.ecobank.com Tel: 012265281 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn EDC Nigeria Money Market Fund Class A 100.00 100.00 12.18% EDC Nigeria Money Market Fund Class B 1,000,000.00 1,000,000.00 12.07% EDC Nigeria Fixed Income Fund 1,111.33 1,117.76 11.82% FBNQUEST ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD invest@fbnquest.com Web: www.fbnquest.com/asset-management; Tel: +234-81 0082 0082 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn FBN Fixed Income Fund 1,244.81 1,245.59 11.22% FBN BALANCED FUND 140.46 141.39 -1.62% FBN Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 12.46% FBN Nigeria Eurobond (USD) Fund - Institutional N/A N/A N/A FBN Nigeria Eurobond (USD) Fund - Retail N/A N/A N/A FBN Nigeria Smart Beta Equity Fund N/A N/A N/A FIRST CITY ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD fcamhelpdesk@fcmb.com Web: www.fcamltd.com; Tel: +234 1 462 2596 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Legacy Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 10.72% Legacy Debt Fund 3.54 3.54 9.18% Legacy Equity Fund 1.06 1.08 -13.29% Legacy USD Bond Fund 1.07 1.07 3.80% FSDH ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD coralfunds@fsdhgroup.com Web: www.fsdhaml.com; Tel: 01-270 4884-5; 01-280 9740-1 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Coral Growth Fund 3,011.47 3,042.87 0.93% Coral Income Fund 3,009.54 3,009.54 9.82% FSDH Treasury Bills Fund 100.00 100.00 12.55% GREENWICH ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmanagement@gtlgroup.com Web: www.gtlgroup.com ; Tel: +234 1 4619261-2 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Greenwich Plus Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 11.21% Nigeria Entertainment Fund 111.03 112.07 2.91% GROWTH & DEVELOPMENT ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmanagement@gdl.com.ng Web: www.gdl.com.ng ; Tel: +234 9055691122 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn GDL Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 12.37%

INVESTMENT ONE FUNDS MANAGEMENT LTD enquiries@investment-one.com Web: www.investment-one.com; Tel: +234 812 992 1045,+234 1 448 8888 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Abacus Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 11.72% Vantage Balanced Fund 2.16 2.19 0.28% Vantage Guaranteed Income Fund 1.00 1.00 15.80% Kedari Investment Fund (KIF) 129.04 128.83 3.13% LOTUS CAPITAL LTD ďŹ ncon@lotuscapitallimited.com Web: www.lotuscapitallimited.com; Tel: +234 1-291 4626 / +234 1-291 4624 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Lotus Halal Investment Fund 1.17 1.19 6.30% Lotus Halal Fixed Income Fund 1,122.39 1,122.39 9.97% MERISTEM WEALTH MANAGEMENT LTD info@meristemwealth.com Web: http://www.meristemwealth.com/funds/ ; Tel: +234 1-4488260 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Meristem Equity Market Fund 9.91 9.99 -7.39% Meristem Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 11.12% PAC ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD info@pacassetmanagement.com Web: www.pacassetmanagement.com/mutualfunds; Tel: +234 1 271 8632 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn PACAM Balanced Fund 1.29 1.31 4.98% PACAM Fixed Income Fund 11.99 12.04 7.32% PACAM Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 12.16% SCM CAPITAL LIMITED info@scmcapitalng.com Web: www.scmcapitalng.com; Tel: +234 1-280 2226,+234 1- 280 2227 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn SCM Capital Frontier Fund 123.06 123.12 1.72% SFS CAPITAL NIGERIA LTD investments@sfsnigeria.com Web: www.sfsnigeria.com, Tel: +234 (01) 2801400 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn SFS Fixed Income Fund 1.03 1.03 10.45% STANBIC IBTC ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD assetmanagement@stanbicibtc.com Web: www.stanbicibtcassetmanagement.com; Tel: +234 1 280 1266; 0700 MUTUALFUNDS Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Stanbic IBTC Balanced Fund 2,369.37 2,380.78 2.34% Stanbic IBTC Bond Fund 205.30 205.30 7.97% Stanbic IBTC Ethical Fund 0.84 0.85 -11.05% Stanbic IBTC Guaranteed Investment Fund 267.06 267.17 10.09% Stanbic IBTC Iman Fund 147.00 148.62 -9.90% Stanbic IBTC Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 11.94% Stanbic IBTC Nigerian Equity Fund 7,569.30 7,651.44 -10.88% Stanbic IBTC Dollar Fund (USD) 1.14 1.14 5.62% Stanbic IBTC Shariah Fixed Income Fund 100.65 100.65 0.00% UNITED CAPITAL ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD Web: www.unitedcapitalplcgroup.com; Tel: +234 803 306 2887 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn United Capital Balanced Fund N/A N/A N/A United Capital Bond Fund N/A N/A N/A United Capital Equity Fund N/A N/A N/A United Capital Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A United Capital Eurobond Fund N/A N/A N/A United Capital Wealth for Women Fund N/A N/A N/A QUANTUM ZENITH ASSET MANAGEMENT & INVESTMENTS LTD service@quantumzenithasset.com.ng Web: www.quantumzenith.com.ng; Tel: +234 1-2784219 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Zenith Equity Fund 9.97 10.14 -6.11% Zenith Ethical Fund 11.22 11.39 -6.61% Zenith Income Fund 22.31 22.31 10.38% Zenith Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 11.82%

REITS NAV Per Share

Yield / T-Rtn

5.40 117.09 53.10

-44.85% 5.40% 2.63%

Bid Price

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

8.45 87.77 70.89

8.55 89.67 72.25

-15.09% -25.16% -20.02%

Fund Name FSDH UPDC Real Estate Investment Fund SFS Skye Shelter Fund Union Homes REIT

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS Fund Name Lotus Halal Equity Exchange Traded Fund SIAML Pension ETF 40 Stanbic IBTC ETF 30 Fund

VETIVA FUND MANAGERS LTD Web: www.vetiva.com; Tel: +234 1 453 0697 Fund Name Vetiva Banking Exchange Traded Fund Vetiva Consumer Goods Exchange Traded Fund Vetiva GrifďŹ n 30 Exchange Traded Fund Vetiva Industrial Goods Exchange Traded Fund Vetiva S&P Nigeria Sovereign Bond Exchange Traded Fund

funds@vetiva.com Bid Price

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

3.37 5.55 12.02 10.73 148.86

3.41 5.63 12.12 10.93 150.86

-15.64% -27.07% -17.75% -13.06% 12.68%

NAV Per Share

Yield / T-Rtn

108.34

17.40%

INFRASTRUCTURE FUND Fund Name Chapel Hill Denham Nigeria Infrastructure Debt Fund

The value of investments and the income from them may fall as well as rise. Past performance is a guide and not an indication of future returns. Fund prices published in this edition are also available on each fund manager’s website and FMAN’s website at www.fman.com.ng. Fund prices are supplied by the operator of the relevant fund and are published for information purposes only.

A

WEEKLY PULL-OUT

29.09.2019

Victoria Awomolo Fighting for Women, Standing for All

ASSISTANT EDITOR OLUFUNKE OLAODE/funkola2000@gmail.com

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Victoria Awomolo

How We’re Using FIDA for Women Empowerment, Child Rights

Her smart outlook reflects the agility of a young lawyer taking a brief to the courtroom as she emerges to join the retinue of lawyers who had converged on Eko Hotel and Suites for the 59th Annual Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association recently.

Beautiful, elegant and classic in a long skirt and matching jacket. She cannot be missed in a crowd. Meet Mrs. Victoria Olufunmilayo Awomolo, a legal Amazon and one of a few female senior advocates of Nigeria. She is an intellectual who combines brain with beauty and at almost 62, the legal icon is still versatile and agile.

A former chemistry teacher-turned-legal icon, you can describe her transition from teaching to law dramatic. Her elevation to the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria is a benefiting and beautiful feather to her cap.

She was also recently elected the Africa Regional Vice President (RVP) of FIDA International at FIDA Convention in the Bahamas. As FIDA converged on Nigeria in October for its annual conference, Awomolo tells Funke Olaode about the association’s mission and vision

S

Awomolo

he exudes elegance in all facets of life: love and law. In her profession she has equally recorded successes, rising through the ranks to become one of the most successful lawyers in Nigeria. And with a charming and loving husband, Asiwaju Adegboye Awomolo (SAN) who played a vital role in becoming a lawyer, she has soared high and break the glass ceilings.

But for this Kogi State-born legal diva, there is no such thing as an overnight success. As she believes that for those who crave for success, it is either they embrace diligence to refine themselves or their ability to prepare when opportunity knocks. She embraced both to achieve her goals.

Born in Ilesha in Osun State over six decades ago, the young Funmilayo attended Salvation Army Primary School, Ilesha and later gained admission to IIesha Grammar School for her Secondary education. She later proceeded to Kwara State College of Technology for her ‘A’ levels. Her insatiable quest for knowledge motivated her to pursue a degree course in Chemistry at the University of Benin where she graduated in 1981.

Done with her scientific sphere, a decade after graduation, she went back for a second degree in Law at the University of Ibadan where she graduated in 1996. At UI, she graduated as the best graduating student in Labour Law. In 1997, she headed to the Nigerian law school where she graduated with a Second Class Upper Division (2:1) and was called to the Nigerian Bar in February 1998. Thereafter, she immersed herself into the law profession, climbing mountains, conquering law territories. In 2013, she took the silk by becoming the 18th woman to be

appointed a senior advocate of Nigeria.

Looking at her life trajectory, it would appear that the Yeyemofin of Igbajo Land is destined to belong to the bench because when she graduated from Ilesha Grammar School, she was employed as a court clerk in Kwara State Judiciary where she worked for one year. Her love and passion for the legal profession and her desire to equip herself more for greater exploits in the law practice with a view to positively impact humanity and make useful contributions to national and global development, has made her to attend so many conferences, which include: Nigerian Bar Association, International Bar Association, Common Wealth Lawyers Conference and FIDA Convention and Regional Congresses.

She is a member of the Nigeria Bar Association, International Bar Association, Commonwealth Lawyers Association, International Federation of Women Lawyers Association, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (UK) Fellow Charted Institute of Arbitrators of Nigeria.

She has held several elected and appointed positions which include, Secretary Organizing Committee, NBA Conference Ilorin 2007, Secretary, International Federation of Women Lawyers(FIDA) Kwara State Branch (20042006), Chairman, Organizing Committee, Two decades of FIDA (NIG) Abuja Branch and Vice Chairperson, International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) Nig Abuja Branch (2013-2016). She is presently the FIDA International Regional Vice President (Africa North & West), a post she was elected into in the Bahamas in 2017.

Over the past decades, she has combined law with humanity both as an advocate for women empowerment and girl-child education.

In a couple of weeks, October 11 to 15, 2019 to be precise, FIDA will converge on Nigeria for its annual conference with the theme, ‘Growth

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A Nigerian Lawyer Changing Women’s Narratives of women and children in Africa: Beyond Rhetorics’.

Throwing more light on the aims and objectives of FIDA, she said the ideology is to bring women lawyers from the African continent together.

“The ideology behind FIDA is to bring women lawyers together and look at issues of women and children in our society. There are challenges militating against women such as widowhood, inheritance, genderbased violence that is rampant, rape, sexual violence, etc. These are the issues that we take up and try to advocate against them especially where rights are involved.

“We go to prisons and pay prison fines for women, teach the women skills amongst other things. FIDA is not a woman activist group; we are into human rights that involve women and children. FIDA is over 50 years in Nigeria. We are in the 32 states of the federation and more states are coming up to be inaugurated. It is a non-governmental organization which depends on grants, on donations.”

On the theme of the conference, she noted: “The question is where are we?

We have developed. But how far have we developed and how well? Look at the political space in Nigeria, the percentage of women in the Legislature is small and it is getting lower and lower every day. We have only seven women in the senate out of 109; seven female ministers in a total of 43 and the same with the house of representatives. Out of 350 senior advocates of Nigeria (SAN), only 22 of us are women. The first woman to become a SAN was Chief Folake Sholanke in 1981. It has been a very slow journey for women to reach the peak of this profession in Nigeria.

“We cannot continue to see our women stagnant, we need them to grow and develop. The congress commences on October 11-15 2019. This is Africa and African issues are going to be discussed. We are going to look at different issues concerning our children and women in Africa so that we can make recommendations.”

One of the issues militating against women is financial empowerment. Is FIDA going to address that?

She said, “The second day of the congress, Saturday 12th is our skills acquisition and 50 women have been pencilled down for this empowerment programme. It is not about teaching them and letting them go. We want to give them materials that will start them up.

We will teach them how to be skillful and industrious.”

Today’s women are changing the narratives, recording many successes, breaking the glass ceiling. Although, there is still a school of thought that believes women should be seen and not heard.

“Yes, this issue came up at the justconcluded NBA 59th Annual General Conference in Lagos. Women tend to be very slow at pursuing a career due to a lot of factors that are solely related to women.

Looking at the statistics, more women study law now than men in the last 10 years. Also, more women get a first-class at the law school, but immediately they are called to the Bar, a lot of factors come in: marriage, childbearing, cultural biases, and the rigours of practice, thereby obstructing the furtherance of career. These are some of the factors that inhibit our growth to the highest level in the legal profession.

And so you find more women that go into ministries, banking sector, the corporate organisations.”

Does FIDA also handle the issue of gender equality?

“Yes,” she said. “That’s the basis of our goal. We are affiliated with the United Nations, we go there every year and come back home and then deliberate. The last General Assembly, there was a gender equality bill that was brought back by Senator Olujimi and I was going to come out on FIDA’s position. Unfortunately, the gender equality bill didn’t see the light of the day. Up till today, the papers are still on my table. We were not able to defend it. But thank God for the VAPP – Act (Violence against Persons Prohibition), it deals very

We ca n to se not conti stagn e our wo nue ant, w men t h deve em to g e need comm lop. The row and 11-15 ences o congres s 2 n and A019. This October going frican is is Africa su We a to be disc es are re go usse d i n a conce t differe g to look. nt rn and wing our ch issues so th omen in ildren a A recomt we can mfrica mend ake ation s

Awomolo

much with issues about violence against men and women. That act is being used now by NAPTIP and by other agencies to deal with offenders.

“We also have the child right act. Children now have rights in Nigeria. We now have this set up in most states of the federation’s family courts so that if there’s any infringement on any child, these courts handle them separately.

We have collaborated with other agencies and big players in the actualization of these laws.

We advocate for gender equality, going to the markets, going to villages, discussing with traditional rulers and stakeholders.”

Passionate and compassionate about God and humanity. Being at the centre sometimes could be an instrument to influence and enforce policies. Would Yeye Asiwaju of Igbajoland like to throw her hat into the political ring?

“Yes, if I have the opportunity and feel safe about it because the way politics is being played in Nigeria calls for caution and intense passion. At my age, I must be careful.

I won’t just jump into politics, I would rather wish to be approached to come and represent my people,” she stated.

Awomolo is the epitome of an ideal wife,

caring mother, role model and blessed with wonderful children who have responded to the training. Her husband, Asiwaju Adegboyega Solomon Awomolo (SAN), has been a pillar of support in every step of the way.

When the legal diva is not busy with legal briefs, she relaxes at home with her loving husband.

“Every law brief ends at the chamber and the same with my husband so we can spend quality time together. He is a man that I love and respect. He is my number one inspiration.”

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High Life

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

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

Globacom Gains Points… As Nigerians Move to Indigenous Networks

Ovia

A Woman at the Top: Astounding Womanhood of Kay Ovia The name Jim Ovia certainly rings a bell for every man and his dog.

The founder and chairman of Zenith Bank has been in the limelight for so long; he has all but attained iconic status. The name Kay Ovia, on the other hand, rings a bell to few. And the amazing wife of the Zenith Bank supremo wouldn’t have it any other way.

She could be forgiven for riding her husband’s coattails to garner some reflected fame but Kay is cut from more authentic cloth.

She blends grace with reserve, magnificence with taciturnity. She is hardly likely to shun a well-meaning invitation. But, having arrived garbled in all the accouterments as befits someone of her status, she is never going to try to be the centre of attention or belle of the ball.

She does not traffic in public admiration and has no use for hired vuvuzelas. It does not matter that she is married to Jim Ovia, one of the biggest powerbrokers in the banking sector. She is her own person and plies her own trade, away from the blinding glare of cameras fishing for gossip.

Kay is the chairman of the board of directors of Cyberspace Limited, a leading software engineering company in Lagos. She also holds forth at Quantum Markets Limited, where she is the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer. She is an alumnus of Enugu State University of Technology (ESUT) where she holds an MBA degree in Management.

Her love for humanity knows no bounds and she spares no expense to translate this into impactful action. She has floated several initiatives to transform the lives of the youth, especially the underprivileged ones. She is the initiator of the Star Rising Talent Hunt for children and young people. Her stated motive is to unearth gems that might otherwise forever remain undiscovered due to deprivation.

Despite her unassuming nature, Kay cannot quite avoid the limelight. She doesn’t speak much but her actions sing her praises louder than she could ever have.

The furore generated by the xenophobic attacks on Nigerians in South Africa might be winding down, but its impact continue to be felt. After repeated evidence that South Africans might take a less congenial view of their Nigerian counterparts than otherwise expected, Nigerians at home are gradually coming to the conclusion that a known devil might be better than an unknown angel after all.

It is well documented how some ruffians took advantage of the ruckus to lay waste to the Nigerian axis of several South African businesses.

They plundered and pilfered and damaged properties worth billions of Naira. And, even though the vast majority of Nigerians don’t subscribe to their destructive tendencies, there is a general shift from the positive attitude towards South African enterprises in the country.

In many cases, people are moving from SA businesses and embracing their Nigerian competitors. From banking to telecommunications, the migration, still just a trickle, might become a flood.

According to findings, many Nigerians, in a fit of patriotic fervour and righteous anger over the xenophobic attacks, are dumping other network providers for their very own Glo Mobile. Frustrated by the government’s perceived lackadaisical response to the unprovoked attacks on their countrymen living in South Africa, they’ve turned to boycotting services offered by South

Adenuga

African companies.

MTN’s loss is Globacom’s gain. The company

founded by trillionaire businessman, Dr. Mike Adenuga Jnr, has been enjoying a deluge of new registrations in recent weeks as people ditched their MTN sim cards en masse. In response, Globacom has deployed new technology to ensure it meets the ever-expanding needs of its teeming customers Recall that the communications sectors was an effective duopoly heralded by exorbitant costs of sim cards and astronomical call charges. That all changed when Glo entered the market in 2003 and crashed rates with its innovative per-second billing system and 2.5G technology. The company went on to pioneer many more products that have made telephony more accessible to millions of Nigerians.

Little wonder Globacom is regarded as a national trºeasure and its founder, Adenuga understands the rudiments of the business landscape enough to tame the odds and he has done just that. He also understands that to be a man of honour and substance requires indeterminate exploits at dawn through dusk in honest industry. The trillionaire titan knows that honour and longevity, like celery, flourishes in the dark shade – far from the blaze of disconcerting neon lights. And as the fallout from the xenophobic attacks lingers, the masses, having dumped their sim cards from other networks, have found shelter in the warm embrace of Glo’s quality call and data services.

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HIGHLIFE

Who Is after Rabiu Yadudu?

T

A few days back, Chief Rasheed Ladoja, the former governor of Oyo State turned 75. The elder statesman of Ibadan politics was in high spirits as he marked the occasion with family and friends.

Though he was not short of visitors and congratulations, including from the state government, it was a muted celebration. To an observer, it was plain to see how far Ladoja’s stock had fallen in the political calculations of the state.

Even though he was instrumental in the emergence of Seyi Makinde of the Peoples Democratic Party as the new governor, his contributions are seen as incidental rather than critical, to PDP’s surprise victory.

Ladoja has been out of circulation for a while. It was not too long ago that he was the centre of attention in Oyo State politics. While his shadow loomed large over the state’s corridors of power, everyone put on a show in front of him as they tried their utmost to get into his good books.

Ladoja

Gbenga Elegbeleye Plays Big in Betting Business

Elegbeleye

Former Director General of the National Sports Commission,

Otunba Gbenga Elegbeleye, proves the maxim that when one door closes, another opens. Having given the tough terrain of politics a crack, the native of Àkókò in Ondo State found the waters too muddy to wade through. Faced with setbacks and opposition at every turn, he decided to ditch that arena, at least temporarily, and return to his first love, sports.

But while rumours abounded that the former honorable member of the House of Representatives representing Àkókò North-East/West would float a sports-related venture, perhaps a football club, Gbenga decided to surprise everyone. He had observed how NairaBet and Bet9ja, the two biggest players in the sports betting industry, were raking in the big bucks. Not someone to let go of an opportunity, Gbenga decided that he wanted a piece of the fat pie.

Thus he established iBet not too long ago. The latest sports bookmaker in town has already seen a boom in customers that far surpassed Gbenga’s wildest dreams. Effectively, it has become his cash cow and the popular

dude doesn’t joke with the venture.

He is always wheeling out new features that keep his customers happy and coming back for more. iBet’s fame has reached to the sky to the extent that the long duopoly of Bet9ja and NairaBet seems under threat. The two companies have begun to pay more attention to the threat posed by iBet. With Gbenga’s wealth of experience garnered through decades as a sports administrator in various roles, he possesses the industry knowledge to nurture his new baby into a giant in the betting industry.

Thanks to iBet and his other businesses, Gbenga remains a factor in the politics of his native Ondo. He is one of the top donors at the grassroots level and politicians regularly consult with him on important matters. Even as there are whispers that he might play a prominent role in the coming elections in Ondo, Gbenga, for now, is content to keep milking his sacred cow.

As Senator Ademola Adeleke and His Dance Fade Away‌ Perhaps Senator Ademola Adeleke should have been acquainted with these immortal words of Dante Alighieri: Worldly fame is but a breath of wind that blows now this way, and now that, and changes name as it changes direction. Perhaps, then, he would have understood earlier not to throw all his eggs in the basket of popularity bestowed on him by the curious collaboration between popular apathy and a musician’s voice.

The longer a man’s fame is likely to last, the longer it will be incoming. This should have been warning bells enough for the dancing senator who became an overnight sensation as he duked it out with the APC candidate and Senator Iyiola Omisore of the SDP for the rights to the Osun State executive governor’s Seat. With disaffection against the outgoing government of Rauf Aregbesola at its zenith, it seemed like fate would smile on Adeleke.

Ademola Adeleke is a Nigerian politician.

He was a senator representing Osun-west senatorial district until June 2019. He is from the Adeleke family of Ede in Osun State. In the state’s 2018 governorship election, Adeleke contested against Gboyega Oyetola of the All Progressives Congress. And won — but only fleetingly as it turned out.

be taken unawares by the machinations of an enemy during a fatal moment of weakness is one thing. To provide the foe with the instruments of victory is quite another. The Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, Rabiu Yadudu is in the soup. If claims from his harried camp are to be believed, Rabiu has fallen into a trap set by his detractors and he faces an uphill battle to extricate himself from the web.

As you read this, a dossier on the alleged misdeeds of Rabiu is on the desk of the new minister of aviation Hadi Síríka. Rabiu stands accused of serially and agrantly outing the doctrine of zero corruption, which is a central pillar of the President Muhammadu Buhari government. The repercussions, if he is found guilty, are too horrible to contemplate for Rabiu. He is running from pillar to post as he tries to jump off the frying pan of accusations before he becomes a cooked goose.

According to the report which was submitted by an anonymous anti-corruption group, Rabiu is a grandmaster of nepotism. He allegedly turned FAAN into his personal kingdom.

It was claimed that he dispensed with the strict rules and regulations of training and recruitment into FAAN. In its place, he allegedly operated a “business centreâ€? model where slots were bestowed on friends, associates and those who brought ďŹ nancial inducements.

As if that wasn’t enough, Yadudu was accused of enriching himself by inating the budget of the organization with bogus projects.

The money found its way into his already bulging pockets, according to the complaint. He allegedly made a deal with some vendors and some senior FAAN staff to inate costs in the accounts audits and procurement department.

The embattled FAAN boss faces a race against time to mount a convincing defence against his accusers and their accusations. Among other alleged misdeeds, he reportedly dispensed between N100,000 and N500,000 to various staff to induce them to cooperate with him. It was claimed his excesses began before his elevation when he was the director of operations of FAAN. Since news of the report broke out, Yadudu has been telling whoever cares to listen to his innocence. He claims it is the handiwork of his detractors who are looking for a chance to pull him down from the stellar job he is doing atop the nation’s aviation management agency.

The Independent National Electoral Commission had declared the election’s result inconclusive. It, thereafter, conducted a rerun after which the APC candidate was pronounced the victor. Screaming blue murder, Adeleke went to the election petition tribunal who declared that he had indeed won the election. Two more rounds of a legal tussle ensued, settled by the Supreme Court’s affirmation of the INEC declaration of the APC candidate as the winner.

Since then, the man who briefly captured the public imagination with his dance steps has lost his mojo. He is imperceptible now. He has become like the languid breeze blowing listlessly across withering meadows.

With the candle of his ambitions snuffled out and further legal avenues closed off, Adeleke has lost the will for further dancing. He hangs limply in the shadows, as his opponent feasts on the largesse of acquired power.

Adeleke

Yadudu

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HIGHLIFE

Citizen of Humanity‌Captain Hosa Okunbo Scoops Up Prestigious Lafayette Award No matter how many motivational books protest to the contrary, champions are made, not born. Some are born to champions and become champions in their own right. Others climb and claw their way from rubble and ruin to riches.

But whatever the coat and colour of champions, few excite the applause of the universal like Captain Hosa Okunbor.

Captain Idahosa Okunbo, the billionaire businessman and chairman of Ocean Marine Security Limited, an offshore asset protection company, OMS, is the cause of universal applause, and perhaps the product as well.

Even as the public cheer him on with each hurdle scaled, each terrain discovered, he is emboldened to do much more in honour of the people’s love.

Unlike his peers whose paths to prominence were paved by the sweat of forebears even before their birth, Captain Hosa wears his sweat on his brow, an unremovable badge of the sacrifice he’s made to get this far. Now, he sups on the high table of kings and noblemen and receives the reluctant obeisance from a neverending stream of grateful souls.

Even honour, that sly mistress, is always at his beck and call, running after him to hang new laurels around his neck in season and out of season. Each new stride for humanity’s sake is followed soon after by deserved news of accolades from home or abroad.

And so it was that the darling of the Niger Delta was honoured with the prestigious Order of Lafayette award at the United Nations Day

for Global Peace. The order of Lafayette is a patriotic, hereditary, nonpartisan, and fraternal organization established in New York City in 1958 by Colonel Hamilton Fish III (1888-1991), a former Congressman from New York and decorated veteran of the First World War. Captain Hosa was especially honoured for his distinguished role in encouraging, engendering and entrenching peace and harmony in Africa and the world at large.

He was presented with his award by His Excellency, Robert Blum, chairman of the Order of Lafayette Awards. Present at the auspicious and exclusive awards presentation were diplomats and political and economic leaders from all over the world who had all come to celebrate with one of their own.

Between Bala Mohammed and Bello Matawalle

T

-Mohammed

rue friendships, like willing handover of power after an electoral defeat, are rare things to behold in the Nigerian political space. More often than not, what obtains are tenuous alliances based on calculations of mutual beneďŹ ts after which a break-up, often rancorous, ensues. Politics has proved the death knell of friendships built over many years in other areas.

Yet, Governor of Bauchi State, Bala Mohammed and Zamfara Governor, Bello Matawalle share a close bond that transcends the transient terrain of politics. Theirs is a friendship for life forged in the ďŹ res of mutual aspirations for a better society and a shared desire to uplift the fortunes of the people of their respective states.

Although the story of their comradeship is unknown to many, it was their mutual goals that led them to contest for the number one seat in their respective states. It was the mutual determination to succeed that propelled them ahead when it seemed they had reached the end of the road following initial

negative signs. However, they eventually claimed their mandates through the courts and have since settled down to the serious business of governance.

Despite their busy schedules, the two governors never miss a chance to meet and reminisce on their friendship. The duo attended the 74th UN General Assembly together held at New York, United States Of America. An African Summit was organized on the sidelines of the annual global assembly. They used the opportunity to sell their states to investors and were said to have inked deals with several foreign companies.

After the serious business was concluded, the two friends were observed chatting jovially with one another. No doubt, they were reminiscing on the twists and turns they’ve experienced as friends and commenting on how far they’d come.

With agriculture on the front burner of their agenda for the next four years, it is expected that farmers will soon begin to see the results of improved mechanization, packaging, storage, and transport systems as governors Bala and Bello seek to outperform each other in their friendly duel to bring development to their respective states

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Okunbo

Anambra Lawmakersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Honourable Choice In Nigeria today, lawmaking is mentioned in the same breath with luxury-living. The power, prestige and perks of office of a Nigerian lawmaker can be irresistible.

One of the common things that show a lawmaker has â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;arrivedâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; is his or her brand new SUV. But it is no longer news that Anambra State House of Assembly legislators have rejected to be gifted foreign-made Prado SUVs at a time Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s federal lawmakers are jostling for such wonders on wheels.

In Nigeria, lawmakers are often synonymous with ostentation and disregard for public conscience.

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not the same with Anambra legislators who have demonstrated an enviable sense of public interest and loyalty to the people.

SocietyWatch gathered that the purchase of Toyota Prado SUVs would have cost the stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s taxpayers almost N1billion. Magnanimously, the lawmakers chose an honourable path requesting to have SUVs locally-made by Innoson Motors Limited.

They deserved a standing ovation. But that is not enough. Other lawmakers, particularly at the federal level, who are notorious for spending extravagantly on automobiles, should take a cue from the Anambra legislators.

The lawmakers must also be saluted for being able to look the state governor in the eye and say, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;We donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want Prado Jeeps!â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Meanwhile, SocietyWatch has learnt that some South-East and South-South states have been patronizing Innoson Motors.

The auto manufacturerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s factory is incidentally in Anambra State. So, why shouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t charity begin at home? It will be recalled that Nigerian senators preferred Toyota Land Cruiser.

The Eighth Senate spent at least N4 billion at that time to purchase the brand.

With the estimated current price of the vehicle now N50 million, the current Senate might need about N5.550 billion to get enough quantity for its members, and two additional vehicles.

Obiano

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R Ëž Ͱ͡ Ë&#x153; Ͱ͎ͯ͡

Í´Í°

Adebayo Adeoye bayoolunla@gmail.com; 08054680651

Marketing Communications Guru Abisoye Fagadeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day With History Abisoye Fagade is one of the leading lights in the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s marketing communications sector.

Over the years, the Oyo State-born professional has plied his trade to the admiration of many at home and abroad.

Interestingly, apart from his feats in marketing communications, Fagade has also been involved in nation-building through several initiatives including peace-related programmes, advocacy, job creation and entrepreneurship.

In recognition of his patriotic deeds, the former Oyo State governorship aspirant, penultimate week, won the Peace Achievers Award for his efforts in peace-building and leadership initiatives.

The award was conferred on him, as well as other distinguished Nigerians, who have done commendably well in areas of peacebuilding and social justice, during the 8th Peace Achievers International Conference and Awards ceremony held at the Congress Hall of Transcorp Hilton, Abuja.

The award ceremony, which also featured fashion runway and exhibition, was the high point of the commemoration of the International Day of Peace, a United Nations sanctioned holiday, which is observed annually on September 21.

Fagade is the founder and managing director of Abisoye Fagade Foundation and Sodium Group, a consortium that specializes in marketing communications, media, consumer goods, hospitality and oil, and gas business.

Folorunsho Alakijaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Wondrous Gift

Alakija

How much of Folorunsho Alakija, Africaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s richest woman and ViceChairman of Famfa Oil Limited, did you know?

To many, she is a billionaire and an oil magnate. To some others, she is a global citizen with a cosmopolitan outlook. No doubt, she fits perfectly

into these descriptions.

But beyond this, the beautiful woman of substance is a philanthropist par excellence. She gives without looking back!

In line with her avowed philanthropy and commitment to academic excellence, the oil baroness,

last week, inaugurated the Modupe and Folorunsho Alakija Teaching Hospital, in fulfilment of her promise to Osun State University last year.

This, it was gathered, coincided with the grand finale of the 8th convocation ceremony of the university, where she also got an award alongside other notable individuals such as Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.

The hospital, which will gulp N500 million, will be equipped with world-class community health unit, maternity, neonatal medicare, research, and diagnostic laboratories, state-of-the-art operating theatre, cutting-edge diagnostic imaging, inclusive of CT, MRI, ultrasound facilities, X-ray and radiotherapy suites.

Among other things, the hospital will help reduce the number of patients who are constantly flying out of the country for specialist medical care.

It is a fact that Alakija has successfully etched her name in the sands of time. She holds a pride of place in Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fashion industry and inspires the womenfolk a great deal.

Though she comes from a privileged background, she realized early in life that the surest way to success is through determination, clear vision and ceaseless prayers.

Indeed, all these have been her guiding principles in life.

Ex-Bank PHB Director, Samuel Ademosun In Debt Mess By all standards, Samuel Olufunmilayo Ademosun is a fulfilled banker.

His status makes him the envy of many: he is a former director of Bank PHB; he is chairman of Hometrust Saving & Loans Limited and Magna Building Society Limited; he is a former vice-chairman of Investment & Allied Assurance Company (IAAC) and CEO of numerous blue-chip companies, including H.T. Real Estate Limited, H.T. Asset Management Limited, Coral BDC Limited and Greenwich Trust Limited.

He is well-connected.

But sadly, his friends could not help him at the moment as he is gradually losing the respect hitherto accorded him by many, following an order of a federal high court sitting in Lagos granting the

possession of seven choice properties belonging to him and his wife, Toluleke, to the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) over N32,031,255,380.44-debt owed four commercial banks: Ecobank (N29,121,017.752), Union Bank Plc (N91,065,219.52), Polaris Bank Plc (N1,673,903,046,90) and Access Bank Plc (N1,014,040,445.81).

It was gathered that the properties were allegedly used as securities for credit facilities granted by the banks to both Hometrust Saving & Loans Limited and Magna Building Society Limited between 2007 and 2008.

Society Watch further learnt that AMCON, through its counsel, wrote demand letters to the respondents, which were ignored.

The respondents, it was also learnt, allegedly neglected to repay the loans.

Ademosun

Great Ogboruâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Stubborn Hope

Fagade

Ogboru

It is doubtful if anyone can totally dismiss the claim by those who described Delta State-born businessman-cumpolitician, Great Ogboru, as an unrepentant optimist.

This may not be unconnected to his seemingly stubborn hope amid several failed attempts to govern Delt.

For those who donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know, the multimillionaire businessman has been eyeing the position since 2003 after he returned from exile in 2000.

He contested and lost against former governors James Ibori in 2003; Emmanuel Uduaghan in 2007 and Emmanuel Uduaghan in 2011.

Described as a political prostitute, Ogboru has literally romanced various political parties since 2003, including Labour Party and All Progressives Congress

all in s bid to realize his ambition.

It was gathered that when he signified an interest in the governorship race in 2019 against Ifeanyi Okowa of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, the serial loser became the anvil of criticisms in the political circle. He was said to have spent so much money like a drunken sailor to realize his ambition.

But to his chagrin, he was thoroughly beaten and his ambition became another mirage.

Sadly, his inability to clinch the number one job in the state has further made him a subject of ridicule in some quarters as his ambition has been equated with the cold day in hell.

Ogboru, in his usual selfaggrandizement, challenged Okowaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s victory at the tribunal but his petition was dismissed.

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SOCIETY WATCH

Again, Honour Beckons Premier Lotto Boss, Kessington Adebutu Providence, no doubt, has literally lavished its favour on him.

But success, greatness and fame were never thrust on his laps on a platter of gold.

His is an intriguing story of a man who is determined to survive in life.

Indeed, if anyone had told Kessington Adebukunola Adebutu that he would someday become one of the gladiators in the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s business sector, he would have dismissed it with a wave of the hand.

But today, the man famously known as â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Baba Ijebuâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; is celebrated by all and sundry for the simple reasons that he has made hard work, self-discipline and accountability his watchwords.

For him, honour is never in short supply.

It comes in torrents and he is deserving of it.

Come October 19, the Iperu Remo, Ogun State-born billionaire will be conferred with the prestigious chieftaincy title of Odole Oodua by the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Eniitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II at the Ile-Oodua, the Ooniâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s palace in Ile-Ife, Osun State.

It will be the first of such a ceremony by the first-class monarch since his ascension to the throne as the 51st Ooni.

Interestingly, the event will take place a few days before the 84th birthday celebrations of the chairman of Premier Lotto. His birthday would be celebrated with

fanfare on October 24.

With the title, Adebutu will join the league of the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo and Chief G.O.K. Ajayi, who were honoured with the title pioneered by the great Oranmiyan as a prince of Ife. The traditional title of the Odole of Ife has been retained as part of Ifeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s social and political system and specially conferred on distinguished Oodua descendants who in present times can replicate the roles played by Oranmiyan.

Like his predecessors, Sir Adebutuâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s exemplary achievements and awesome potential for positive social transformation were crucial factors in his consideration for the prestigious position.

The billionaire is the Babalaje of Lagos, Olotu of Lagos and the Asoju Oba of Lagos.

He is also the Balogun of Iperu Remo, the Baba Oba of Iperu Remo, and Akogun of Remoland.

He was coronated as Bobaselu of Ondo by the Osamawe of Ondo Kingdom. The Octogenarian is also Baba Oba of Noforija Kingdom, Epe and the Baba Oba, Ebi of Idena, Iperuland.

Society Watch also gathered that he is billed to be conferred with the title of â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Asalu of Ode Remoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; on 10 October.

Tale of Two Friends: Barrister Collins Chikeluba and Ken Ahia

Collins Chikeluba and Ken Ahia

Collins Chikeluba, a lawyer, and Ken Ahia, (SAN), are best of friends.

Theirs is the type anyone can aptly

describe as â&#x20AC;&#x153;friends made in heavenâ&#x20AC;?.

In a world where most friendships are made for personal interest, theirs

Adebutu

have shown the true definition of friendship as it has stood the test of time while it has also transcended common friendship.

Since their paths crossed at the prestigious Nigerian Law School in Lagos, they have roamed and romped almost in the same direction for over 35 unbroken years, lending credence to the fact that their friendship has stood the test of time.

Individually, they have continued to keep the sanctity of the relationship between them, even as they pursue their inspiring journeys.

Luckily, these attributes have earned two resourceful businessmen from the east respect and trust in the society today.

Chikelubeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s father is a successful businessman of note. Perhaps, this explains the secret of his entrepreneurship traits. He runs Kohinoor Lagos, a one-stop centre and a business hub on Elegushi Road, Lagos.

On his part, Ahia birthed his firm, Ken Ahia and Associates, in 1994. He is presently an assessor to the Estate Surveyors and Valuers Registration Board of Nigeria as the appointee of the chief justice of Nigeria.

Ex-Jonathanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Aide, Kingsley Kukuâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Clandestine Moves

Kuku

Those who knew him when he was in the government would attest to the fact that Kingsley Kuku was definitely a colourful man.

He was among those who called the shots in Aso Rock. He was loved by many and had a large following, especially because he had so much money to throw around. In those days, many literally worshiped the ground that he walked on and his words were law. Besides, he had the listening ears of then-President Goodluck Jonathan.

No doubt, Kuku, a former chairman of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, enjoyed his life to the hilt in those days.

However, Kuku fell from his highly coveted position immediately after his principal lost the 2015 general election and then, his life came crashing.

Shortly after the new government of President Muhammadu Buhari came on board, the Ondo State-born former activist scampered abroad for fear of being arrested by the anti-graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission

claiming that he was going for a knee surgery at the Andrews Sports, Medicine and Orthopaedic Centre in Birmingham, Alabama, in the United States of America.

But this, it was gathered, was a dummy to escape being interrogated for his role in some corruption-related offences.

Since he left the shores of Nigeria, nothing has been heard of him except during the buildup to the governorship election in Ondo State when some of his friends and loyalists pasted his campaign posters. But it was said, that was just a stunt to test his popularity.

Just as many were wondering if the former special adviser on Niger-Delta Affairs had gone into total oblivion, Society Watch gathered that some top personalities in the All Progressives Congress-ruling government are negotiating a soft-landing for him, having allegedly indicated interest to join the party to enable him secure his most-cherished freedom.

Senator Buruji Kashamu Fetes Friends at Motherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Burial Without recourse to exaggeration, politician and businessman, Buruji Kashamu, has always proved to anyone that cares to know that he is a political gladiator and he knows how to pull a crowd to himself whenever the need arises.

The billionaire businessman proved that again last weekend at the 40-day, final burial ceremony of his mother when he pulled political heavyweights, high-flying business moguls as well as other crème da la crème to Ijebu Igbo, Ogun state for the event.

As gathered, the sleepy town of Ijebu Igbo came alive in honour of her mother, Alhaja Wulemotu Ebunoluwa Kashamu, who died at the ripe age of 92.

As disclosed, it was a rain of naira as money was showered on artistes on the bandstand as if it was going out of fashion.

Present at the event were ex-Secretary to Ogun State Government, Taiwo Adeoluwa, who represented his former boss, Ibikunle Amosun; former Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ibrahim Mantu; Senator Ifeanyi Ubah, Senator Ben Murray-Bruce, Senator Teslim Folarin, Senator Lekan Mustapha, Senator Obinna Ogba, Senator Soji Akanbi, Senator Duro Faseyi, Senator Adegbenga Kaka, Senator Sam Anyanwu, and Senator Rochas Okorocha.

Others were the Olu of Ilaro and Paramount Ruler of Yewaland, Oba Kehinde Olugbenle, former deputy governor, Prince Segun Adesegun; Prince Gboyega Isiaka, Otunba Rotimi Paseda, Prof Taoheed Adedoja, Chief Babatunde Badmus and Alhaji Muri Gbadeyanka and many other political juggernauts.

The senator also showcased his sense of hospitality as there were lots to eat and drink.

Kashamu

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LOUD WHISPERS

with JOSEPH EDGAR (09095325791)

Omoyele Sowore â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Hold Him â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Smallâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Please, is it the court or na DSS I should be talking to on this matter? Do not release Sowore just yet. Hold him small for at least another one week or more. I do not think he is repentant enough because he will come out again and be shouting aluta continua. I am telling you people; you will not believe me now. When it happens, you will say this yeye Duke said it o.

Please do not release Sowore, I am shouting it now. In fact, let him write â&#x20AC;&#x153;I will not insult the president 1,000 timesâ&#x20AC;? like they used to make us write in primary school those days. He should be given one pencil with no sharpener and no eraser so that it will take him so long to complete the assignment. If he misses any spelling, then we have more grounds to hold him down.

Insulting the president is not a small thing o and 50 days in the cooler is too small a punishment I tell you. The whole thing is looking like a badly-written comedy skit. Please hold him o, catch him. Let him sign all sorts of undertaking and let us monitor him like they do in the Big

BUHARI â&#x20AC;&#x201C; I SAY â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;M SORRY The moment I saw the charges they have levelled against my brother Sowore, fear begin to catch me. You see, there are two things I fear the most in this my life: jail and HIV. Any other thing, I will take it. But these two na my weakness. So the place where they say, insulting the president really make fear catch me o. Mbok, what is insulting the president, can they be a little bit more specific so that some of us will know how to be doing the thing? You see, writing column is not a must o. There are so many other things I can be doing safely than this weekly risk wey I dey take. Mr President, I have gone through some of my writings to see if there was any place I insulted you. I have seen some places that I may have come close but generally, I have never insulted you and will never insult you. But if in the course of my duty, you feel that somehow and somewhere I may have yabed you in a way that you will not like or may make mummy Aisha look you in one eye, please do not vex. Take it with the magnanimity of a father offended by his favourite child. He no reach to place a call to your people.

You know them na, the ones that will be wearing black and be jumping around like SWAT team. But daddy, if we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t insult you, who then will insult you na, is it Cameroonian gendarmes? Insult comes with the terrain. I can understand in 1983 because that time you did not ask for our permission to rule us. That one, you just â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;chanceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; us but this one, na we chose you na. So we can insult you na, not to abuse your papa sha but to ask you some pertinent questions about our future and our welfare. If that is what your people

Buhari

Brother house so that he can keep that his big mouth shut once and for all. Shebi he came out for election, how many people voted for him and he will now be insulting people that won more votes than there are Nigerians? For me o, I no pity am, he should be given the maximum punishment and flogged the way Fulani people flog people who want to come and marry one of those their beautiful damsels.

Well I am sure a lot of people will be wondering what is my own on this. Let me confess, I really do not understand Soworeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s politics. The thing no make sense to me and I see it more as rabble-rousing capable of distracting genuine agitation. So I invited him to the Afang summit so that we can hear him well and take him on, logic for logic, fact for fact and issue for issue. No be all this jumping up and down the bridge and shouting â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;I no go greeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. Well, as was the case, people were eager to engage him and we contributed the funds to pay for the Afang and palm wine. Well it was not to be as

he was picked up that morning and everybody scatter. Me, I run reach Uyo to be sure nobody will come for me o. The problem here is that the Afang was paid for and the woman had cooked. When we asked for refund, she say we should go and ask DSS and since me I cannot do that one, I went and sat with my friends and chopped all the Afang and pounded yam. So my fear now is that since the man is about to be released some people can now start asking for that session again and also their afang. So my people you see why Sowore should not be released just at this point because the Afang has been mismanaged and misappropriated. Now before the authorities will now jump on this matter to start inviting me for discussions on the missing Afang, they should remember that there are more pressing issues like the $9b to be resolved and allow us resolve this matter as a family one. Meanwhile, can we at least look at a January 2020 release date for our mini Mandela?

TOYIN SUBAIR AND THE AGEGE BREAD MERCHANT Now this is one gentleman I hold in the greatest esteem. The disrupter in-chief. Toyin Subair is a great man indeed. He was the one using his HITV, broke the monopoly that was cable TV in the country.

For ďŹ ve years he took the ďŹ ght to the monopolist and rubbed their nose in the dust. You see instead of relying on newspaper chants and rabble-rousing, he built a structure that enabled him create jobs, wealth and redeďŹ ne the space and then it crashed. We all laughed, we all mocked but I still respected him and then I ran into him at an upscale Bistro in Ikoyi. Looking as dapper as usual, I engaged him as we spoke, they came to take my

order. I had heard so much about their Agege bread and beans with dodo so I asked for the delicacy.

Toyin was still as passionate as ever as he talked about the entertainment industry, his passion.

I begged him to agree to talk to a group of youths under the auspices of â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Fuck up Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; ran by my sister Fatima Oladosu. He dodged, ďŹ nished his juice and ran away.

I just smiled and asked for my bill. Nigerians N5,600 for Agege bread!!!!!!!!!!!. I scream o. Agonyin beans and Agege bread N5,600, Nigeria we hail thee o. I never go near that place again o. In fact I warn my driver if he ever pass Alexander for Ikoyi, I go sack am.

Subair

are calling insult, then it is sad o my daddy. Anyways, my own is to make

Bakare

sure that I do not cross the invisible line that may have been drawn that

Balogun

Sowore

divides your tolerance level and your trigger level because unlike Sowore, some of us cannot stay one day without afang talk less of 50 days.

Anyways, my lord I like your moves this second term, letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s keep the momentum going and we may not have any need to ask Supreme Court definition of insult. Ok bye for now, have fun.

PASTOR BAKARE â&#x20AC;&#x201C; TALK! TALK! TALK! Mbok this man can talk. The talking is just too much. He wants to be the 16th president, it has been foretold. All that gibberish. We have not even finished the Osinbajo matter; the man has jumped the gun and is doing what he knows best, regaling his mumu followers with his anointing. That one is to make them continue to pay tithe o and not for the rest of Nigeria. Only God knows where all this is coming from. That is how they will be praying and be hallucinating and then, they will come and call it vision and expect that serious people will come and be taking them seriously. Let me tell you people one story: I used to follow my mother to Bethel Ministry.

Pastor Oduyemi, the man is late now and there was this Igbo man who wanted to be President just like this Bakare person. Every Sunday, he will bring out the man and be saying that Jehovah God has ordained him and chosen him to be the next president.

That one will now fall into anointing and be rolling on the floor and the pastor will be slapping him and the man will be shouting and be jumping while screaming â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Jesus, Jesusâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. I have never seen a bigger mumu in my life.

While MKO Abiola and Tofa were on the field canvassing votes, this one was inside church rolling on the floor

Ogundana

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SEPTEMBER 29 , 2019 ˾ T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R

LOUD WHISPERS o, from primary through secondary straight to LAUTECH. Just that I pity the boy, but the sacrifice has to be made.

El-Rufai

Wigwe

Uwaifo

and chopping sand. It was no wonder he did not even win his primaries.

That is the kind thing we are seeing here too. This one is shouting up and down in oversized suit inside his church in Ogba that he is the 16th president after Buhari. Where is DSS? This is the real insult. Not only to the exalted position of the President but to all 200 million Nigerians. Mbok, someone should tell him where to put all this his empty boast. I cannot just relate.

‘nack’ any female member of the team and victory is ours.

sprightly mother of three and a true patriot. She attended same secondary school although didn’t meet me but was brought up under the same credo of knowledge and discipline.

No wonder she quickly rose to the enviable position of commandant.

Now this son of a diseased mongrel cut her life short and did not even stop after hacking her into bits. I am happy he has been apprehended and much as I remain an ardent advocate of the rule of law, I sincerely hope that he would face the full weight of the law. To her relations and those she left behind, I say God will give you the fortitude to bear this painful loss.

Things happen for a reason and who are we to query God? Sad.

P&ID DELEGATION – A PIECE OF ADVICE For once in our lives, Nigerians should unite and give their full support to this team as they literally hold our lives in their hands. They have been sent to see how they can disentangle us from this albatross that these Irish people working with traitors in high places have put us. $9b in judgment payment will kill us.

Simple. We should just dissolve the country and farm ourselves into other countries because there is no way we will pay that money and not turn into Sodom and Gomorrah.

I sincerely wish the team led by Malami well. Mbok, Magu don’t go and open eye there o. This one is not for gra gra o. Take your time, listen well, use interpreter if you need and wear better suit o. Remember, they will be recording you so don’t vex my brother. I know this is annoying but na cunny sense we go use win this one. Remember, we cannot arrest anybody o, we cannot send the red jackets and shakara them o. These ones hold our ‘balls’. Let Malami do all the talking, you can advise him in Hausa or is it Fulani or even pidgin but let him do the engaging. Look for a babe on the other side and use her as the weak link. Be winking at her during the talk and in the evening take her for dinner and if possible take her to the other room. You will be doing it for Nigeria, it’s the patriotic thing to do. Once you get her, she will be giving us information that we need. Please my delegation, stand tall, fight for us, do not give up until you come back in victory. This is a fight you will win for us, you have been carefully chosen, the very best that we can muster and our greatest warriors.

We are waiting for the victory chorus and I the Duke of Shomolu will confer on you all with the highest honour in Shomolu when you come back.

God be with you. Magu remember, I believe in you and use the strategy –

OLAGOKE BALOGUN – HE IS SO FRESH Let me tell you people one story.

One day I flew into Uyo to see my mother. She was ill so I rushed her to the hospital and in the process I decided to check my BP. Mbok, the thing read 145/110. The nurse screamed, ‘Oga you have not died?’.

I look this one, what is wrong with her. She ran to the doctor to come and see ghost o. They remeasured me and it went higher 150/120. The doctor removed her glasses and asked if I have ever had stroke. I said the only stroke I have had na the one Mr. Ajayi my principal for Command gave me. She said I was a walking corpse and that I had to go into medication. I refused. Me, Duke of Shomolu and terror to Shomolu light-skinned damsels? I refused any medication o, because I hear the thing use to cause power failure. I called my doctor in Lagos who said I should come back for tests that I will not die that night. After the tests in which I came out in flying colours including my ‘instrument of mass destruction’ also passing, he said I had to lose weight and that the BP was lifestyle-induced. He offered diet. Mbok when I see what this man draw up I say make the stroke kuku come kill me na – just see, four spoons of rice, one morsel of eba, no sugary beverages, no carbohydrates, no meat, no egg. I just scream Abassiiiiiiii.

That was how I discovered So fresh and their wholesome meal. I started patronizing the place and before I knew it, I was meeting my weight level, getting the nutrients and come fine pass before. If you see me now, people will be saying I am 20 not knowing that I am 50 and power failure? Forget it.

That was how I now found out that this my brother and his lovely wife Abimbola who happens to be my friend Ife’s sister run the franchise.

Employing 150 Nigerians in 9 outlets and growing, distributing healthy food and keeping us healthy. One day I will tell his story perfectly well so that we can all draw inspiration. An oil worker coming to be selling fruits?

This is magic. Well done bro.

COMMANDER OGUNDANA – BUT WHY? This news hit me in a very bad place. Someone had killed this lovely navy commander. Young and

EL RUFAI – I HAIL YOU This governor has taken his son to a public school. Let’s look away from the symbolism of the whole thing and see the kind of message this very simple act is trying to pass.

In a country where international education is now a must for both elites and middle class and a governor decided to send his very fine son to a public school, then it is quite remarkable. Now whether he will remove the boy when we have all forgotten and send him to where he really belongs is not the point here.

Some people have said that it was just a publicity stunt, well that is their business because as far as I am concerned, let them continue to be doing publicity stunt, one day they will hang. The boy will say, daddy leave me, I am with my people. When we were in secondary school in Command all the big guns in the Supreme Military Council had their children in our school. Was it Aikhomu, Jemibewon, Abacha, Magoro, Nasko? They were all there and me I used to beat them in academics o. I tell you. I even saw Femi Jemibewon the other day in Ikoyi and he hugged me and was telling his people that I was his lord in school. So these boys whose fathers sent to local schools have grown up and destroyed the educational system and now will be sending their own children abroad. Which kind of generation is this? Real wasted according to prof. The wasted used to be reserved for his own generation but it is looking like the appellation is beginning to perfectly capture mine as well. We are all wasted. Mbok, El Rufai, the thing must complete

HERBERT WIGWE – PERFECT GENTLEMAN I have never really met him but once when I had gone for a job interview at Access Bank when he was still Deputy Managing Director.

I entered his office and he was busy but looked real good. We spoke for like five minutes and I could tell he was impressed. You know when like minds meet they bond. He could sense my magnetic appeal and charismatic disposition that he did not waste time to give his nod for me to meet the great Aig. That one blow my candle, in five minutes he say he no gree. I just look am and smile and say na Access Bank loss. How can this Ishan man just look me say I no fit for Access Bank? With all my intelligence, good looks and swag? I even buy new suit that day o. All that no move Aig and he just cancel me. I leave am to God as I enter my car back to Shomolu.

Ten years after on the trail of EMOTAN, I secured an appointment with Herbert through the great networker Chike Ogeah. I tell you if the man they collect money for linking, he go dey struggle with Aliko for Forbes. Anyways, here was I late in the night waiting for Herbert to finish his Exco and come see me.

I was determined o. Even if this Exco will finish 2am, me the Duke of Shomolu will meet him. It finished and he sent for me. I saw him seated on his desk, 31million customers, the biggest bank in Africa and a major change agent just sitting down there in a smile as the Duke of Shomolu was talking. He listened intensely, asked some questions and said let’s see tomorrow morning. Just like that o? Me I was thinking it was style to push me off o. But I put it to the Lord in prayers, the next morning I was there. I bath o, pour perfume, use olive oil and enter the building.

As I enter, he was there with people.

Recognized me, asked me to wait and eventually made my day. I for say, I love the guy but as I no be Bobrisky, let me leave it at the position of ‘admire’.

Herbert made a lasting impression and I must tell you I don suffer for Lagos looking for money for the Arts but this meeting made me feel like there is still hope. Herbert, this is to you, God bless .

VICTOR UWAIFO – A BINI LEGEND I met him o for the first time in my life and it was by accident. The Commissioner of Arts, Culture and Diaspora Hon. Osaze Ero in Edo State was the one that made it happen. I had landed in Benin that day to continue our discussions on Emotan and he said he was with the legend that I should come there. I didn’t believe o and I didn’t bath that day o. Anyways I went o and was just looking at Sir Victor Uwaifo with open mouth. He was fiiiiiiiine. Dark with full afro. Not wig o, full hair. He was shooting a promo for the NAFEST and he shook me. I prostrated, jumped up, ran and sat down. Hon Ero was, I am sure regretting that he invited me. The embarrassment was too much. I didn’t even know how to relate. I have met many personalities, but this was a legend I was meeting in flesh. I salute the maestro even as I luxuriate within the ambience of his Fulfulde. No worry even me I know know the meaning of wetin I just talk. The most important thing is that I met him and not you.

Kai.

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SEPTEMBER 29, 2019 ˾ THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER

THEALTERNATIVE

with RenoOmokri

A The Allegory in The Garden of Eden Account of the Fall of Man

W

hen Christ said “except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you” (John 6:53), He did not mean His literal body. Most people will accept this as true. The Son of God was obviously not advocating Papua New Guinea style cannibalism.

He was of course speaking of His figurative body and blood, which we partake in when we observe Holy Communion, a practice that began 2000 years before Christ came to Earth, as demonstrated by Abraham and Melchizedek in Genesis 14:18.

So, why do we take other Scriptural accounts that were meant to be taken figuratively, literally?

There are accounts in Scripture that were written in Hebrew and Aramaic and both of these languages tend to use polite words for things, places and situations that may be indiscreet to mention in decent company.

For instance, the word that would literally be translated as carnal copulation or coitus between a man and a woman is referred to as knowledge or know in the Old Testament of Scripture.

So, when Genesis 4:1 says “Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD.” The word knew in question is the Hebrew word ya-da‘ and it is a polite way of saying that Adam had coitus with Eve. That word is used in various tenses and adjectives of the word know, including knew, knowledge, knowing and to know. Bear this in mind, as I will connect the dots later. But first, let me share a first hand account of a girl who once lived and may still live in the ancient city of Benin. It is a true story.

Have you ever known or grown up with or watched an innocent, chaste young girl grow up? If you had, you will know that young girls can be quite impressionable and easily swayed.

For instance, I know of a young girl in Benin, an ancient city in Nigeria, in the early 90s who was like that. So innocent. So bashful. So chaste and pure. Until one day, this girl changed. What happened to her? Acertain big man in the neighbourhood had taken advantage of her.

No. It was not rape. This big man (now an ex Senator) was popular in the neighbourhood for his wealth and his philandering ways. Apparently, he had his eyes set on this innocent girl and one day, he ‘innocently’ gave her a lift, propositioned her, and in her naivety, she got carried away, and this man had carnal knowledge of her and they became habitual lovers.

It was clear to the whole neighbourhood that this girl had changed. Her eyes became open. She lost her innocence. Her

natural hair was no longer good enough for her. She got a perm.

And her terracotta skin would no longer do. It was a case of Tura to the rescue. The more she invested in Tura cream, the shinier and lighter she became.

Her dressing also changed. She became a Lolita. She would no longer talk to us, small boys and girls, in the neighbourhood. Her level had changed. She was now above us. She became a sisi. I do not know if this word is still in use in today’s Nigeria, but those Nigerians known as Bendelites, would catch my drift.

And then her sugar daddy tired of her, or maybe not. Maybe he just found a new impressionable young girl fresh out of secondary school and moved on. I do not know which. You never quite know with these things. But in any case, she became another in the long list of neighbourhood girls he had used and dumped.

The above is a true story. I know the name of the girl, the name of the ex Senator and the neighbourhood were this occurred in Benin, Nigeria.

But why is it relevant? It is relevant because it is an example of how an innocent girl can lose her innocence and literally have her eyes opened by having a sexual encounter.

I have read the Scriptures from cover to cover and in multiple translations as well as in English, Greek (New Testament), Aramaic and Hebrew. I have also visited Israel, Greece, Rome, Ethiopia, Turkey and many other places in search of deeper insight into Scripture.

How well do you know the Scriptures? I have a secondary school friend named Kehinde, who is now sort of a pastor and he wrote on Facebook that he has jettisoned all other translations of The Holy Bible and he just holds to his King James Version jeje (a Yoruba word meaning gently), and I laughed. If only he knew!

If you have only read one translation of Scripture, I urge you to read another one. And then another. Alot is lost in translation. For example, if I converted $100 into pounds today, I may get £80.30.

But if I tried to buy back $100 with that £80.30, I would not be able to. Why? Because value is always lost in the conversion process.

It is the same with Scripture. Scripture was not written in English. It was written in Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek. And when Scripture is translated, a lot of value is lost. That is why you should read multiple translations. But the best is to teach yourself the original languages or learn them professionally, then read original manuscripts in their mother language.

Why? Because Scripture was inspired by God, but translations were, in many cases, inspired by men. Men, like King James, who had his own agenda.

You have probably read Matthew 11:12 in the King James Version, which says: “And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent

take it by force.”

The truth is that what the original Greek says and what the KJV above says, are almost as different as night and day. You read the above and feel like taking the kingdom “by force”. But that is because it was translated at the behest of a king who had a conqueror’s mentality.

Let us read that verse in the New International Version and see if you will even recognise it: “From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been subjected to violence, and violent people have been raiding it.” Now, let us read it in the Contemporary English Version: “From the time of John the Baptist until now, violent people have been trying to take over the kingdom of heaven by force.”

Or consider Isaiah 45:11 in the King James Version, which says: “Thus saith the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker, Ask me of things to come concerning my sons, and concerning the work of my hands command ye me.”

Now, it appears to indicate that God wants us to command Him about the works of His hand. But, you must understand that that is what a King wants to hear, and since he paid for the translation, that is what his translators gave him.

But read it in the New International Version.

“This is what the LORD says-- the Holy One of Israel, and its Maker: Concerning things to come, do you question me about my children, or give me orders about the work of my hands?”

Let us also read the Contemporary English Version: “I am the LORD, the Creator, the holy God of Israel. Do you DARE question me about my own nation or about what I have done?” You can see from the NIV and CEV, that God is warning us not to dare presume to command Him. He is God and we are man. He is the Creator and we are His creatures.

Do you now see what translations can do? He who pays the translator dictates the translation.

Take something like leprosy. When you read the word leprosy in the King James Version, it is rarely referring to what you know as leprosy. The Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek words translated as leprosy, often refer to a variety of skin diseases, but the translators could not find an exact meaning for them, so a choice was made to call any skin disease leprosy.

You have probably read or heard of Naaman, the head of the Syrian Army in 2 Kings chapter 5. He is referred to as a leper in the KJV and many other English translations. But almost all scholars, and even the translators of the KJV, put a cautionary note indicating that the word leprosy, as used for Naaman, is a generic word for skin disease. It is more likely that Naaman had another type of skin infection.

(See concluding part on www.thisdaylive.com)

POLITY

A Tribute to The Warrior Femi Fani Kayode

T

he warrior is noble and strong. His resolve is firm and his commitment is total. His is to kill, to shed blood and to be killed. His is to die for his King and for a worthy cause. His is to protect and lay down his life for his faith, his nation, his people and his loved ones.

What manner of men are these whose spirit speak of such valour and nobility? Consider the ancient Spartans and the Roman warriors of old.

Consider the fearsome Vikings who believed that it was a curse to die a peaceful death and that the only way to heaven was to die violently and heroically in fearsome battle.

Consider the greatest warrior that ever lived, the noble and gallant Achilles, the pride of the Greeks and the glory of the Mermidans, who slew noble Hector and brought down the walls of Troy.

Consider Aragorn, King of Gondor, who saved the Middle Earth from the power of the Ring and from the hordes of Mordor.

Consider beautiful Legolas, Prince of the Elves, who gallantly stood behind him with his mighty bow and strong arrow.

Consider brave Horatio who stood at the Roman gate.

Consider Ragnar the Viking King who crushed his enemies under his feet and brought glory to his people.

Consider Kahl Drogo of the Dothraki who rode into battle with fire and fury and who crushed all that stood in his path.

Consider Jon Snow Targarayan of the Nights Watch who manned the wall, who rode dragons into battle, who loved Khaleesi and who saved the Seven Kingdoms from the army of the dead.

Consider Alexander the Great who said “lose your fear and conquer the world” and who established the greatest empire that the world has ever known.

Consider King David, the greatest of all Kings, who relished in blood and war yet who was a man after God’s heart.

Consider David’s “strongmen” who stood with him through thick and thin and who fought for him to the very end.

Consider their gallant Captain, the mighty Joab and the others, Abishai, Asahel, Eleazer, the Tachomonite, Shammah, Benaiah, Eliam, Igal and Uriah the Hittite.

These were David’s ‘’strongmen’’: all great and valiant men of

war whose courage was legendary and whose loyalty to their God and their King was unflinching and unquestionable.

Consider Richard the Lionheart, Shaka the Zulu, Robert the Bruce, Bonny Prince Charlie, Beowulf the Nordic King and William Wallace the liberator of Scotland.

Consider King Henry V of England who routed the French at Agincourt even though he was outnumbered by three men to one.

Consider Julius Caesar who came, who saw and who conquered. Consider Ertugrul Gazi who resisted the mighty Mongols, who rallied the proud tribes of the Orghuz and Anatolia, who called God’s name as he rode into battle, who laid the foundation for the Turkish state and whose brave son Osman Gazi was the founder of the mighty Ottoman Empire.

Consider Salahudeen the Compassionate, who fought the Crusaders, who re-took the City of Jerusalem, who rejected the path of vengeance and who showed the Christians mercy.

Consider Aslan, the great Lion of Narnia, who sacrificed himself, who rose again, who killed the white witch, who saved the world and who crowned Kings and Queens.

Consider the great Heracles who fought giants and monsters and who brought them to their knees. Consider the mighty Hercules whose father was a god, whose strength was unmatchable and who never lost a fight.

Consider Spartacus, who turned slaves into men. Consider Samson, who slew a troop with the jaw bone of an ass and yet who fell at the touch of a woman.

Consider Gideon who slew the Midianites, Jeptha who sacrificed his daughter, Joshua who brought down the walls of Jericho and Jehu, the son of Nimshi, who drove his chariot like a madman, who slew the witch-Queen Jezebel and who fulfilled prophesy by ensuring that the dogs ate her flesh and licked her blood in the fields of Jezreel.

Consider those that laid down their lives for our great and noble faith: Paul of Tarsus, the greatest of all the Apostles, who brought the glorious gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ to the gentiles and to the wider world.

Peter the disciple, who became the Rock on whom the Church of God was built. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Samuel, Stephen, Isaiah, Elijah, Daniel, John and all the other disciples and Prophets of old.

For martyrs and heroes that lived and died for God are also

gallant warriors who feared not death and who stood firm to the end in defence of their faith.

Consider George Washington who led his troops into battle and whose battle cry was “victory or death”. Consider the charge of the Light Brigade, the sheer courage and discipline of the famous 600, at the battle of Balaclava in the fields of the Crimea.

Consider Robert E. Lee and Ulysses Grant at the battle of Gettysberg, Oliver Cromwell at the battle of Nasby, Horatio Nelson at the battle of Trafalgar, King Leonides with his gallant ‘’300’’, at the battle of Thermopalye and Dilios the Spartan at the battle of Plataea.

Consider Generals Marshal, Patton, Eisenhower, Rommel and MacArthur in the great battles of the Second World war.

Consider Zhukov at the siege of Leningrad and his courageous exploits at the battle of Moscow. Consider Bernard Montgomery, with his fearless ‘’Desert Rats’’, at the battle of Alamein, Charles De Gaulle at the siege of Paris and Chiang Kai-Shek in the war against Japan. Consider Attila the Hun, Ghengis Khan, Peter the Great, Yoni Netanyahu, Hannibal Achuzia, Benjamin Adekunle, Crazy Horse, Marcus Garvey, Sitting Bull, Khalid Bin Al Waleed, Katsumoto the Samurai, Dieneces of Sparta, Hannibal of Carthage, Hector of Troy and the mighty Viking on the Bridge.

Consider our gallant Amazons and female warriors of old- Boudica of East Anglia, Joan D’Arc of France, Elizabeth 1 of England, Amina of Zaria, Moremi of Ife, Golda Meir of Israel, Margret Thatcher of Great Britain, Indira Ghandi of India, Idia of Benin, Funmi Ransome-Kuti of the Egbas, Benazir Bhutto of Pakistan, Esther of the Medes and Persians, Cleopatra of the Blue Nile and Egypt, Yaa Asantewaa of the Ashanti, Eowyn of Rohan and Nwayereuwa, Nwannediya, Ikonnia and Nwugo of Aba and the Igbo nation.

Consider Daenerys Stormborn Targaryan, the Mother of Dragons, the Breaker of Chains, the Khaleesi of the Great Grass Sea, the Ruler of the Seven Kingdoms and the Queen of the Iron Throne who burnt down Kings Landing.

Consider Arya Stark, the Lady of the North, who slew the Night King.

Consider Arwen, the beautiful Elf Queen, who lifted her sword in battle and who gave up immortality for the love of Aragorn.

Consider King Theoden and the Riders of Rohan at the siege of Gondor.

ARTS & REVIEW A

PUBLICATION

ARTHUB HOSTS DIVERSIFORM II PAGE 69

29.09.2019

ABAYOMI BARBER AN UNFLINCHING ADVOCATE OF NIGERIAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S ARTISTIC INDEPENDENCE Barber

EDITOR OKECHUKWU UWAEZUOKE/ okechukwu.uwaezuoke@thisdaylive.com

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ SEPTEMBER 29, 2019

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ARTS & REVIEW\\VISUAL ARTS

ABAYOMIBARBER:ANUNFLINCHINGADVOCATE OF NIGERIA’S ARTISTIC INDEPENDENCE Shunning the Western-coloured perceptions of African art, the nonagenarian artist Abayomi Barber asserts his artistic independence in naturalism and blazes a trail in the contemporary Nigerian art scene. Okechukwu Uwaezuoke reports

B

oredom was inevitable under the circumstances.

Being confined to a palace was not what Abayomi Barber had expected when he intimated his uncle about his plans to travel to England. But, to his maternal uncle, Oba Adesoji Aderemi (the then Ooni of Ife) confining him there was the right punishment for his audacious scheme to sail to England as a stowaway.

The Ooni had gone further to instruct Barber's elder brother, Ladepo, who was then living in the palace, to ensure he was kept there for another five years.

But, the younger Barber had no plans of spending five years in detention. Hence, he was already plotting his eventual escape. Fate, in any case, had better ideas.

About two and half months later, a festival to commemorate the Ooni’s ascension to the throne held. This was sometime in 1957. In attendance at that festive occasion, among other dignitaries, was the revered iconic nationalist Chief Obafemi Awolowo.

Barber did a portrait of Chief Awolowo and another of the then Minister of Education in the defunct Western Region, Stephen Awokoya. He first presented them to his uncle, the Ooni, who passed on the portraits to both Chief Awolowo and the minister. Impressed with his gift, Chief Awolowo requested to see the young artist.

This was how he got a scholarship from the Western Regional Government to study at the Central School of Arts and Crafts in London, UK from 1960 to 1962.

While in England, he studied the preservation and restoration of antiquities and moulded a statue of Chief Awolowo.

Unfortunately, a crisis, which engulfed the region, led to his scholarship being abruptly terminated. Nonetheless, he went on to study casting and moulding at Mancini and Tozer Studios in London and also worked as an art assistant at a studio owned by the Irish sculptor Edward Delaney. Later, he would work with the Croatian sculptor Oscar Nemon on five sculptors of British wartime prime minister Winston Churchill at St James studio.

Even long before his departure for England, Barber had proven his proficiency in the visual arts early in his life. As a primary school pupil, he was taken to the local shrines with his classmates as part of his history education lessons. It was at these shrines, that he not only learnt to identify the deities by their names, but also began to develop an uncommon interest in sculptures. Not long afterwards, he taught himself the art of sculpting and in no time became a full-fledged artist because of his drawing skills.

Abayomi Barber, Farewell and godspeed, Oil on Board, 20 by 24 Inches, 1998 Back then, he recalled, he used to draw portraits of his uncle, the Ooni. These he would present to the monarch each time he came visiting his parental home in Ile-Ife. Impressed, the Ooni would reward him with some money even when he chose to leave the portraits with the young artist.

At the instance of his uncle, he left his mother and relocated to Ilesa, where he opened his first studio. He was able to acquire this studio, which was a warehouse, thanks to his supportive uncle. Here, he produced sculptures of the town’s influential people.

From his new base, he frequently visited Lagos, which even then was already the country’s hub of artistic activities. There, he attended several art exhibitions.

When he was compelled by unsavoury circumstances to leave Ilesa, Lagos became his next natural destination. It was in this Nigeria’s most vibrant city that he enrolled for a programme in sculpture at the Yaba College of Technology, where he trained under the tutelage of the renowned British sculptor, Paul Mount.

The artist recalled Mount requesting to see his students’ portfolios with a view to assessing the level of their proficiency. The British art teacher was very impressed when he saw Barber’s portfolio, which featured his selfportrait in oil and a piece of sculpture he had cast with papier-mâché.

Shaking his head in an obvious admiration, the art teacher said the works were better than anything he would have done. Buoyed by the

compliment, Barber thought there was little or nothing he needed to learn from art schools. Dropping out of school, he continued to buy books that he would read. After all, he had reasoned, schooling was all about books. His reading regiment included comics, novels and philosophy books. And with so much time at his disposal, he concentrated on honing his artistic skills.

But then, there was also his other passion, which obtruded into his visual arts practice. And that was his love for music.

He soon discovered a band owned by one Dele Bamgbose and with a friend, Kunle Sijuade, requested to join the band. Choosing his preferred instrument tenor saxophone was no problem since he could already play the cornet back when he was still in primary school.

He was soon so engrossed in music that he soon neglected his visual arts practice.

Among his other activities while he was in Lagos was his stint in an advertising firm, doing the sketches for comic books such as Awo Rerin and spending some time at the Yoruba Historical society before his travelling to England on a scholarship.

Fast-forward to 1971, when he returned from England 11 years later. He became an arts fellow at the University of Lagos’s School of African and Asian Studies, which is now known as the

Abayomi Barber, Myossa in Blue, Oil on Canvas, 30 by 20 Inches, 1971 Centre for Cultural Studies.

The following year, he was commissioned to produce a portrait of the visiting Ethiopian leader, Haile Selassie. Among his many works that have engraved themselves in the industry’s consciousness are his famous Yemoja paintings, his Ali Maigoro sculptures and his surrealistic landscapes, which are displayed at the National Gallery of Modern Art. An unapologetic stickler for naturalism, he was displeased with the Westerninstigated and sanctioned notions of what African art should be.

Not so long afterwards, a coterie of devotees began to adhere to his artistic credo and cluster around him. Thus, he started his renowned informal art school in 1973 at his studio the university with the likes of Muri Adejimi and Olu Spenser as his best-known students. The products of his school, which eschewed “naïve” and “primitive” expressions of the Osogbo Art School, became accomplished artists by their own rights.

Strangely, his first ever solo exhibition, which he titled Abayomi Barber: A Retrospective, held in 1989. Nonetheless, in more recent years, the artist is recognised as one of the leading lights of the contemporary Nigerian art scene. Indeed, his over seven decades of art practice distinguishes him among his peers. This is despite the fact that his naturalistic paintings refuse pander to the Western notions of African art.

EXHIBITION

A SHOW CALLED ‘BEAUTIFUL’ Yinka Olatunbosun

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he old colonial prison turned creative hub, Freedom Park will come alive in October with an exhibition of paintings and drawings titled, “Beautiful: The Exposition.” Featuring works by Chidyma Ochu and Ronke Komolafe, the show will run from October 13 to 20

at the Kongi’s Harvest Art Gallery, Freedom Park. According to the curator of the show, Kennii Ekundayo, “the project brings to bear elements that have shaped the artists’ definition of beauty, ranging from aesthetic compositions to experiential leanings and process, all of which have been succinctly presented through their works, their words and collector’s intervention.”

Beautiful: The Exposition will run concurrently with the 2019 and 22nd edition

of the annual Felabration Festival with the theme, “From Lagos With Love.’’ In addition to this exhibition is a documentary screening which articulates interviews with 19 artists with diverse training, orientation and varying years of experience, from two years to five decades. It is titled Eye of An Artist. Some of the artists featured in the documentary are Chief Mrs Nike Okundaye, Professor Peju Layiwola, Muraina Akeem, Ayoola Mudasiru, Ayoola Omoovo, Ibe Ananaba, Oliver

Enwonwu, Sadiq Williams, Godwin Samuel, Raji Babatunde, Ugonma Chibuzo, Adekile Mayowa, Yusuff Aina Abogunde, Emmanuel Odumade, Abinoro Akporode Collins, Adeojo Oluwaseun and Sylvester Aguddah.

The third phase of the project is a book presentation by the Nobel Laureate, Prof.

Wole Soyinka. Titled, Beyond Aesthetics: Use, Abuse and Dissonance in African Art Traditions is a continuation of his three-part Richard D. Cohen lectures delivered at Harvard University in 2017.

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ARTS & REVIEW\\EXHIBITION

ARTHUB HOSTS DIVERSIFORM II Yinka Olatunbosun

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n the heart of a business district in Lagos Mainland, Ebute Metta lies this gallery known as Arthub. Its walls are currently lined with 30 works of ten young artists in a show, titled Diversiform II. It features Jimoh Lukman, Popoola Nurudeen, Bello Adedoyin Adelani, Ifeoluwa Alade, Afeez Akinlade, Paul Ogunlesi, Ajibo Ikechukwu, Ejiofor Ogochukwu, Ubong Etuk and Orowole Oluwole. This young collective sought to use the platform to express themselves in diverse media. From water colour to mixed media, these artists are set to entice collectors to Arthub on October 5 when the show opens.

At a press preview of the works, Jimoh Lukman, a graduate of Yaba College of Technology who makes his debut at the show. He is a painter and stained-glass artist who brings an interesting series of mixed media works to the fore. The pieces titled, “Ecstasy’’ and “Elevation’’ are indicators of the fact that Lukman enjoys the freedom to express self beyond the conventional style of painting using mixed media. He created a signature motif with glue mixed with colour and traced the sketch with ropes with a touch of charcoal Jimoh Lukman's work titled Ecstasy in its raw form. In “Symbiosis”, he transplants Side” which is a juxtaposition of the physical and the his knowledge of biology in the sphere of human spiritual world. relations.

“It is a great privilege for me to exhibit for the second “It shows a butterfly on a rose flower, the time. The first one was quite a great show,’’ said Ajibo. mutual benefit between the two during pollinaAccording to the artist, the work is meant to stimulate tion. The message there is that at every point in thinking in the viewer who is reminded that there is an our life we benefit from one another. The work accounting on the other side of life. The work has a glitter underscores the interdependence of the human effect at night. life. You can’t have it all,’’ he explained.

Popoola Nurudeen, who is the leader of this group of Upon his graduation in 2012, he has been a fullartists, is the best student in painting for the 2014/2015 time studio artist drawing upon the experience session and the overall best graduating student in the garnered during his industrial training period with Dr. Kunle Adeyemi where he learnt to experi- school of art, design and printing at YABATECH. His feministic slant showed through this new body of works ment with several materials.

Ajibo Ikechukwu Godspower, a very philosoph- in titles such as “The Procreation Joy” and “Ohun Ojuri Ni Ilu Eko”, both of which had aged women as subjects. ical artist, is also a graduate of Yaba College of “The joy of a woman having a grandchild is unTechnology (YABATECH). His landscape painting had been inspired largely by his experience in Jos, quantifiable,” Popoola explained as he pointed at the grandmother with a baby on her back. Perhaps drawn during the mandatory National Youth Service from his personal experience, this emotion captured Corps programme. The mountainous region in the painting is easy to relate with. Putting Lagos in constituted most of his subjects in this show. He came with a two-piece painting called “The Other perspective, the second work captures the distressed

aged women coping with the struggles of the urban life with little means.

“Ohun Oju ri ni ilu Eko means the struggles of Lagos.

This is an elderly woman who has passed through various degrees of distressing situations in the city and still is at loss at to what she has achieved over the years.

I used the black and yellow lines to make symbolic reference to Lagos. To show that she has seen several ups and downs in Lagos, I used different tones of yellow,” Popoola who has lived in Lagos for 30 years explained.

Paul Ogunlesi, who is currently studying for his Higher National Diploma at YABATECH, uses his “Self-Portrait” series to document the emotions spotted on people’s faces using water colour to give a glassy transparent effect.

“I used the wash technique,’’ Ogunlesi explained. “I take pictures sometimes unknown to my friends because I may miss the emotion written on their faces if I let them know.’’

His intriguing piece titled, “Untainted” was created with newsprint and acrylics on canvas. Some of his works had been collected in UK and the US. Ogochukwu Ejiofor, who couldn’t make it to the preview, is a versatile painter who holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka and MFA from the University of Benin. She enjoys exploring the use of waste materials to make installations and has been a part of eight group exhibitions in less than two years.

Reminiscent of the thug life that inform the lyrics of hip-hip artists, her “Street Love” series evoke the daily struggles in the city and the unwavering spirit.

For Ubong Etuk, the intricacies of his painting include exploring cultural themes and artforms as shown in his pieces titled “Maskorama’’ and “Couples’ Thought.”

On his part, Orowole Oluwole who currently works at Ovuomaroro Gallery and Bruce Onobrakpeya Foundation is the second prize winner at the “Off the Bin’’ Competition at LIMCAF 2014/2015. At Arthub, art connoisseurs will relish the visually appetising pieces he made in mixed media titled, “Ojuloge’’ and “Play Time.’’

Ifeoluwa Alade may not be totally new to the art scene having exhibited his works at the 2017 and 2018 editions of LIMCAF. The graduate of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife paints in oil, acrylics and water colour.

Alade has also enjoyed the tutelage of a master painter, Jonathan Imafidor and that shows in his ‘Beautiful Brain” and “Ikun Redi”. Bringing embroidery art to the show is Bello Adedoyin Adelani, a socially conscious artist who volunteered in the Art in Medicine project for sickle cell patients in Lagos. Her colourful contributions to the show include “Beauty Within’’ and “Olori’’.

The show which runs till October 15 is curated by Moses Ohiomokhare.

WORKSHOP

AN ARTIST’S TRUTHS FROM WALL TO WALL

Yinka Olatunbosun

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n 2016, Patrick Akpojotor shot into the limelight when he won the first ever Access Bank Art X Prize. Prior to that, he was known within the art community as one of the most promising young contemporary artists in Nigeria who has enjoyed some tutelage with Prof. Bruce Onobrakpeya as a studio assistant. He had a strong art background with rich foundation in Fine Art at the Auchi Polytechnic, where he graduated in 2008.

His latest body of works can be found at the Wheatbaker Hotel, Ikoyi where these tasteful pieces add some warm spectacle to the inviting ambiance.

During a press preview of the works, the curator, Sandra Mbanefo Obiago spoke glowingly of Akpojotor’s artistry of which she has been a keen follower for over a decade.

“His years of working with Prof Bruce Onobrakpeya has given him a deeper understanding of what it is to be an artist who has excellent work. As a curator, it is always so refreshing to find this kind of talent. Patrick does all sorts.

I have seen his wood work, paintings sculptures over the years,’’ she began.

For others, walking around the works provided the rare opportunity to engage the artist on the underlying issues raised in the works.

It is inevitable to be reminded of the popular song by Celine Dion titled, “If

the Walls Could Talk’’ when you spot the theme of this debut solo exhibition.

Called, “If Walls Could Speak,’’ it parades 38 oil paintings, pencil sketches, seminal works in wood, and an installation of copper sculptures, which represent the artists’ exploration of our subconscious connections between identity and the built environment.

To be sure, in 2016, Akpojotor had an unforgettable experience. He was deeply disturbed by the forceful ejection of residents of the waterfront slum community of Otodo Gbame in Lekki, that left thousands of people displaced. Through his paintings and wood sculptures, he vented his anger and frustration through buildings with human features and emotions that he created through his art work.

They became his signature technique.

The anthropomorphic structures with their cubist geometry, perspective, balance, and form, were his creative response to the realities of mega-city population pressure. His imagined structures and abstract compositions interrogate our sense of rootedness and belonging. It was this important body of work that earned him a top spot at the Access Bank Art X Prize later that year.

As Obiago rightly observed, Akpojotor’s works are pressure cooked by his environment, marked by over-population, congestion, chaos and more.

“I think what makes this body of works extremely timely is the fact that we are living in a very chaotic extremely

If Walls Could Speak Installation View populated, badly designed city of over 22 million people,” the curator said.

The curator added that the show features works from the last three years.

For the first time, the artist is presenting these wooden sculptures. Married to an artist, Akpojotor’s household is entrenched in art. With experimentation, he has developed a variety of pieces that in some parts pay homage to and immortalize people like the selfless medical doctor, Dr. Stella Adadevoh whose effort contributed to halting the spread of Ebola in Africa’s

most populous nation. In the work titled, “The House Stella Adadevoh Built,’’ the artist draws upon the virtue of integrity.

“Akpojotor’s works stimulate us to a refreshing experience of the artist’s intuition, childhood, the search of identity, adventure and romance with space,” Professor Jerry Buhari, art critic and Professor of Fine Arts at Ahmadu Bello University remarked.

If Walls Could Speak is supported by Louis Guntrum wines. It is open to the public till November 8, 2019.

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he children of Chief Mrs. Florence Omobolape Fatoki held her final burial and outing service for their mother at the Christ Anglican Church, Erin-Ijesa, followed by a grand reception with King Sunny Ade on the bandstand. Here are some personalities at the event.

Photographs by AKINYELE ABAYOMI Chief Gbenga Obisesan; his wife, Mopelola (nee Fatoki)

Dr. Dele Fatoki and his wife, Aderonke

L-R: Venerable Isaac A. Ojuade; Lord Bishop of Ilesa Diocese, Rt. Revd. Dr. S. Olubayo Sobowale; and his wife, Bolanle

Oladeji Fatoki and his wife, Aderonke

Modupe Fatoki and her husband, Sunday Ajibola

Monday Ojeikere and his wife, Oluwafunmilayo

Mr. Peter Fatoki and his wife, Oladunni

L-R: Chief Adebayo Adeyemi, Alhaji Olayiwol Ajadi and Morohunkola Olatunde

R-L: Senator Mojisoluwa Akinfenwa and her daughter, Mrs Bosede Isijola

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R Ëž SEPTEMBER 29, 2019

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IMAGES

Ambassador Akinola Falase and his wife, Chief(Mrs) Anastasia Olufunke Falase

L-R: Revd Simeon Adebayo and Mrs. Abosede Fagbuyi

Chief(Dr.) Isaac and Chief (Mrs.) Patience Akinmokun

L-R: Ayoola Omigbule, Prince Abiri Olaolu and Bolarinwa Gureje

L-R: Mr. Peter Iwegbu and his wife, Ruth.

L-R: Mr. and Mrs. Adesina Femi, and Mrs. Florence Adetunji

L-R: Yemisi Falope and Bolaji Akingbole

L-R: Chief (Mrs.) Fabusuyi Oluyemi, Chief (Mrs) Monsurat Adekoya and Alhaja Omowunmi Ajadi

L-R: Mrs. Tinuola Ayobolu, Mrs. Funke Shoyinka and Mrs. Adeola Maiyegun

L-R: Mrs. Olufunmilayo Aremu, Mrs Tola Osuna and Funmilayo Ekeolere

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A CELEBRATION OF LIFE…

t was a celebration of a life well spent as the Family of Olukoyede paid the last respect to their late mum, Mrs Marian Moroluke Fakoyede ( Olukoyede)fromSeptember19to21,2019inIkereEkiti, EkitiState..Itwas,indeed,ahighprofileeventthatdrewtopgovernment functionaries, top business personalities, leading ministers of the gospel to the town who all came to celebrate with the children of the deceased: PastorTaiwo Olukoyede, ApostleTony Olukoyede, Senior Pastor of His Purpose Church, Pastor Ola Olukoyede, Secretary to EFCC, Mrs. Kemi Balogun and Chief (Mrs.) Adenike Eke. Here are some of the personalities that graced the occasion

L-R: Pastor Taiwo and Mrs. Femi Olukoyede; Pastors Tony and Folake Olukoyede; Pastors Ola and Olaitan Olukoyede; Mr. and Mrs. Remi & Kenny Balogun and Chief (Mrs.) Adenike Eke

L-R: Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo and Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi

L-R: The Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi, Transport Minister, Rotimi Amaechi and other dignitaries and Ven. Dr. Bode Otenaike of St. Luke Anglican Church

L-R: Pastors Tony and Ola Olukoyede welcoming Mr. Femi Falana and Mr. Ayo Arowolo

L-R: Pastor Tony Olukoyede and Apostle General Anselm Madubuko of Revival Assembly, Lagos; Pastor Ola Olukoyede, Secretary to the Commission, EFCC

Some of Mama’s grandchildren and great grandchild

Mama’s children and spouses during her burial Thanksgiving service

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CICERO

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

IN THE ARENA

Nigeria at 59 Wither the Dreams of Our Fathers?

Nigeria’s 59th independence anniversary provides yet another moment of reflection for her leaders, writes Olawale Olaleye

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igeria’s 59th commemorative independence anniversary is on Tuesday, October 1. There’s a lot to talk about in her accursed trajectory to nationhood, especially given the current state of the nation; there’s yet a lot more to want to sincerely gloss over, because the more things change, the more they stay the same.

It is unlikely what the intention of government is as far as this year’s independence anniversary is concerned – whether to roll out the drums in celebration or activate the sober mode in reflection of how far the country has come – the latter appears a more instructive option.

But if government genuinely needs an advice, this is the time to ponder the state of the nation more seriously, more so as she looks forward to her 60thnext year. It is the time to interrogate her current status and review the possibilities of still being able to successfully chase the dreams of the founding fathers and actualise them.

Evaluating age as regards the growth and development of the human anatomy is not the same with societies. While humans decline in productivity with age and are slowed down even in physical response.

Nations however grow stronger in capacity, evident in their development and growth, often in comparison to their contemporaries. The older a nation, the more it embraces in terms of physical and institutional advancement.

Unfortunately, it appears the growth of Nigeria shares closely with the human anatomy, because the older she gets, the less productive she becomes in practically all spheres of her economic and political life.

In her 59years of independence, a majority of the people would rather speak well of the pre-inde- Buhari pendence era as boasting the beautiful days of the country or at the very best, the early days of her independence and post-independence era before the seemingly incompatibility of her people began to manifest.

It is therefore correct to note that the best of the country was witnessed between the first and the second republics especially, when there was healthy development competition amongst the regions.

Even though there was nothing like peer review at the time, the spirit to not want to be left behind descended heavily on the serious regions and the results of that era are still some of the things that can be pointed to, many years after.

But how a country that was first in many things in her early days suddenly look like a child in an adult’s body has continued to defy simple logic, particularly sound reasoning.

It is okay to argue that the period of military interregnum accounted for some of the nation’s underdevelopment and the poor leadership recruitment process it has suffered over the years. That, of course, can no longer suffice as the nation has celebrated 20 uninterrupted years of civilian rule since 1999.

From Olusegun Obasanjo to Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, Goodluck Jonathan and now Muhammadu Buhari, (who is serving

out his second term of four years even though his election is still being contested by Peoples Democratic Party’s Atiku Abubakar), Nigeria has battled the same challenges year in, year out without any significant headway.

From rudimentary issues of governance to policy formulation and execution and of course sound legislation upon which to build strong and enduring institutions, not to talk of dearth of leadership, have remained the curse-in-chief for the nation.

The days preceding the coming to office of Buhari were honestly hopeless. With palpable absence of leadership, which obviously was not hands-on, nothing signaled hope with the administration of Jonathan, which explained the shift to Buhari, a retired general without proof of capacity to deliver leadership or ability to change the tide for Nigeria.

But Buhari was lucky. He had everything and everyone rooting for him. It was anything but Jonathan. Buhari had staggering goodwill as much as humongous expectations from a people, who had been hitherto let down.

Sadly and contrary to expectations, Buhari has not proven to be any better. The tripod of economy, security and corruption upon which he came to power in 2015 is today proven to be a

total failure.

Pause a moment and ponder this: how do you explain the ceaseless pounding of the Nigerian people by an otherwise technically defeated terrorist group, Boko Haram? What can you make of the exaggerated success recorded in the selective fight against graft? Or what can possibly justify the clearly stagnant economy under the supervision of a government that promised to return governance to the people?

Yet, the same government coined some rather bland and thoughtless ‘next level’ antics just to secure a second term in an election that was generally acclaimed to have been fraught with irregularities.

How does a government secure re-election without sufficiently addressing the grounds for its election the first term?

This, of course, has been confirmed by the president’s recent setting of Economic Advisory Council to replace the Economic Management Team, as a direct response to the state of the economy.

Also, in spite of the claims by the government to having technically defeated the Boko Haram and that no part of the country was still under the grip of the insurgents, two members of the House of Representatives, Mohammed Tahir Monguno, and Ahmadu Usman Jaha claimed eight local government areas of Borno were still effectively under the command of insurgents.

Government is even yet to review its fight against fraud. But it is not far-fetched. With the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), losing a majority of its cases on the grounds that they were always badly put together, a leader needs not to be told that something is wrong with the head of that agency.

Curiously, the current head of the agency, Ibrahim Magu has served the longest in acting capacity even when another critical agency of government, directly under the supervision of the presidency, the Department of State Services (DSS), refused to clear him for senate approval.

How can therefore be genuine growth and development under such circumstances of incoherent and feeble synergy amongst crucial agencies and functionaries of government? That Nigeria is what it is today does not need any more interrogations.

It is a situation wrought upon herself by her strange choices especially of her leaders.

It is for these reasons that Tuesday’s independence anniversary celebration must provide the basis for reflections on the state of the nation and the way forward otherwise it might as well be taken that the dreams of the founding fathers about this African giant died a long time ago.

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

Insurgency and the Alternative Facts

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B uratai

wo members of the House of Representatives, Chief Whip Mohammed Tahir Monguno, representing Marte/Monguno/ Nganzai Federal Constituency of Borno State and his counterpart from Damboa/Gwoza/ Chibok Federal Constituency of the state, Hon. Ahmadu Usman Jaha, said in the week that contrary to information by the military, eight local governments in Borno States were still under the firm grip of the Boko Haram.

The duo spoke while the House debated a motion of ‘urgent national importance’ sponsored by Monguno and brought pursuant to Order 8, Rule 4 of the relevant

rules of the House.

Although the military has not deemed it fit to counter these claims, what this has done however is that it has defeated claims by government that it has “technically” defeated Boko Haram and that the terror group was no longer in control of any territory in the country.

Again, this development has done nothing but confirm the fact that all that the federal government had done over time is peddle ‘technical lies’ or at the very best, alternative facts, which ordinarily do not represent the truth in the real sense of it. Perhaps, this is the price for choosing a dishonest and inept government.

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ SEPTEMBER 29, 2019

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BRIEFINGNOTES

Atiku: Can the Supreme Court Change Anything?

Chuks Okocha interrogates some of the grounds of appeal by the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar

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rom 1979 till date, the Supreme Court has never delivered any judgment against an incumbent president in any post electoral contest, no matter the grounds of appeal. The closest the apex court has reached was in 2007, when in Four/three split decision was reached in the presidential election petition by General Muhammadu Buhari against President Umaru Yar’adua.

But that does not mean that the apex court cannot give judgment if and when presented with incontrovertible evidence by the appellant against the respondent.

This can only be done when the appeal by the PDP and its presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar is juxtaposed against the evidence and cross appeal of the respondent, President Buhari A close perusal and scrutiny of the first ground of appeal has to do with the documents relating to the educational qualifications of President Buhari as tendered by him and admitted by the court as exhibits.

Citing the relevant provisions of the electoral act, the appellants (PDP and Atiku/Obi) contended that neither were the documents pleaded by President Buhari nor frontloaded as legally required and as such could not have been deemed as properly admitted by the court.

On this ground, Atiku and the PDP argued that the Court of Appeal erred in law, when it relied on the phrase “overall interest of justice” to admit the documents and relied on it.

On another ground, there are errors raised by the appellants (PDP and Atiku/Obi) against the judgment of the presidential election petition court, involving the interpretation of the INEC form in section 76 of the electoral act 2010 as amended.

The court had held that the forms referred to in the section had to do with that used in the conduct of elections and not the form (CF001), which every candidate must fill.

Here, Justice Garba also held that a candidate was not required by the constitution and the electoral act to attach his certificates to the form before he could be adjudged to possess the requisite qualification to contest.

But Atiku and the PDP in their appeal argued that the court erred in law as the said form CF001 clearly provides a column for schools attended and educational qualifications with dates. Furthermore, in their submission, they contended that the form also contained a clear provision, written: “attach evidence of all educational qualifications” In the particulars of error, the appellants (PDP and Atiku/Obi) highlighted that the conduct of election starts with the screening of candidates and that no candidate could be screened without completing the form CF001, and that certificates were evidence of educational qualification.

The Supreme Court has also been invited to review the conclusion of the presidential election petition court, where it held that the petitioners did not plead that President Buhari’s failure to attach

Atiku...the firework is on his certificates amounted to lack of qualification to contest the election.

Referring to paragraphs 388-405 of the petition, Atiku and the PDP argued that they had pleaded and proven the allegation that President Buhari gave false information of a fundamental nature to INEC. They further brought to the attention of the apex court, a recent judgment it delivered on the 30th of July, where the apex court interpreted the meaning and standard of proof of false information in the case involving AA Modibbo and Mustapha Usman, where the Supreme Court sacked a serving member of the House of Representatives.

Citing the legal principle of stare decisis, the appellants (PDP and Atiku/Obi) contended that the Justice Mohammed Garba-led presidential election petition court failed to consider and apply the Supreme Court authority but merely referred to it.

Atiku and the PDP also submitted that the court of appeal’s conclusion was speculative, when it inferred that President Buhari presented his certificate to the army for documentation based on his army form 199a.

Their argument here is that, Justice Garba’s court did not rely on evidence led but by assumptions and presumptions that President Buhari possessed

the certificates he claimed. They have argued that commonsense held no role in proof of facts before a court, insisting that President Buhari himself failed to produce any single certificate in support of his claim.

The PDP and Atiku/Obi also described the lower courts position that President Buhari was “eminently qualified” as gratuitous and unsolicited.

The appellants (PDP and Atiku/Obi) further submitted that the Court of Appeal made a case for President Buhari in which none of his lawyers made, when it referred to a newspaper publication to validate his qualification.

The apex court has also been invited to review the position of the Appeal Court that the petitioners dumped their exhibits on the issue of unlawfulness of votes without calling their makers to testify.

Atiku and the PDP have argued that the exhibits tendered before the lower court were certified true copies of electoral documents, and being public documents, there was no need to call the makers.

The prayers by the appellants (PDP and Atiku/Obi) was that the Court of Appeal’s decision should be set aside, and that the apex court should declare Atiku winner or in the alternative nullify the February 23, 2019 Presidential Poll and Order for a fresh election A similar issue to the PDP appeal to the apex court is the Election Petitions Tribunal in Adamawa State, which sacked two APC lawmakers for certificate forgery. Of particular interest is that of Musa Bororo, a member representing Mubi South constituency for bearing three inconsistent names.

The tribunal accused him of using three names, Musa Umar Bororo instead of “Musa Umar” which is the official name in the documents he submitted to INEC. This is contrary to the judgments of the 2019 Presidential Election Petition Tribunal, which held that, Mohamed Buhari was the same as Muhammadu Buhari, though inconsistent with the affidavits he submitted to INEC and names of the President in his form CF001.

But the APC in a counter appeal also wanted the court to remove at least 42 paragraphs from the PDP’s documents. The request made by the APC was similar to an initial request brought by the party, challenging the PDP’s petition at the tribunal.

With these, fingers remain crossed pending the determination of the case by apex court, in whom Atiku now rests all of his hope with 70-point grounds of appeal.

NOTES FOR FILE

Why Killing officers?

Ogundana

The recent killing of the Commandant of the Armed Forces Command and Staff College Secondary School, Jaji, O.O Ogundana, whose body was reportedly dumped in a shallow well makes it confounding, the spate of killings of the men in uniform lately.

She was reportedly killed by a man said to be working as a teacher in the school, where Ogundana was the Commandant, but the thoughts of killing men of the Nigerian security appears the new normal in a seemingly rudderless society.

In September 2018, the Nigerian Army announced that missing retired Major General Idris Alkali had been killed by a group of angry youths in Dura-Du District, Jos South Local Government area of Plateau State on the day of his disappearance.

In December of the same year, the killing of a former Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh was announced. He reportedly died from gunshot injuries sustained following an attack on his vehicle by unknown gunmen along Abuja-Keffi road, on Tuesday, 18 December 2018.

In August this year, three police officers on special assignment: Inspector Mark Edaile, Sgt. Usman Danzumi and Sgt Dahiru Musa, were killed by soldiers on the grounds of false alarm that they were kidnappers. The report of this investigation has just been handed President Muhammadu Buhari.

Days gone by when the sight of the uniform of any of the armed forces or the police resonated with fear let alone conceiving the idea of getting close to them. Those days may never return. These are clear indications of a dying value system. But some of these values can still be retrieved from the dungeon, where they had been thrown hopelessly.

But killing of officers by whomever and under whatever guys must no longer be treated with levity. Potential criminals now challenge men in uniform at will and even attack them. In some cases, they prevent them from carrying out their duties. That’s worrisome and except leadership takes this seriously, the nation is sinking further.

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CICERO/REPORT

Is Dialoguing With Criminals an Option?

With the failure of the Nigeria Police to protect lives and properties, the Katsina and Zamfara State Governments recently opted to dialogue with bandits and criminal elements that had hitherto terrorised some parts of their states. But is this the way to go? Asks Gboyega Akinsanmi

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bout three weeks, Katsina State Governor, Alhaji Bello Masari announced amnesty for bandits and some criminal elements in the state. His decision was borne out of frustration, given sustained onslaught on the people across all the local government areas in the state that are coterminous to Niger Republic.

Masari’s resort to granting amnesty to bandits was tied to three concerns he had expressed at different public fora. First, he lamented the untold consequence on the farming communities across all the frontline local councils in the state. As the All Farmers Association (AFAN) claimed, local farmers had to abandon their farms due to pervasive insecurity that has spiked food prices nationwide.

Also, evidence from the Katsina State Emergency Agency (SEMA) showed that banditry escalated the state’s humanitarian crisis. Between January and July alone, SEMA’s records revealed, banditry and kidnapping had forced over 33,130 persons out of their ancestral roots and filial homes.

This has left people with the options of putting up with their relatives in Daura and Katsina or living in different camps the state government set up for internally displaced persons in nine frontline LGAs. Masari equally claimed that the state government was coughing at least N100 million monthly to support security agencies in the fight against banditry without commensurate results.

Since December 2018, reports showed that the state must have coughed out at least N900 million to pay security operatives monthly allowances, which it set aside to boost their morale in the fight against the criminal elements.

This figure is not part of N181 million the state government allocated to procure no fewer than 50 patrol vehicles for all security agencies operating in the state.

With N100 million allocated for the operatives of the Nigeria Police, Nigerian Army and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), the state has yet to witness decline in the spate of armed attacks.

Amnesty for Criminals

Amid this dilemma, Masari announced the decision to grant amnesty for all armed bandits after a security and reconciliation meeting in Katsina on August 1. At the meeting, a communiqué was issued with a consensus that all security operatives “desist from attacking or killing any herdsman in any parts of the state and that sacrifice should be made by both sides to ensure peace across all LGAs.” The communiqué, specifically, emphasised the need to allow all herdsmen and their families go about their normal businesses, attend markets and worship places without molestation provided they no longer carry arms.”

Likewise, it urged the bandits, who had rustled animals from communities, to immediately return them to the state government or Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association (MACBA).

Aside returning rustled cattle, the communiqué advised the bandits “to surrender their weapons and immediately release all the captives that are now under their custody. We have seen some kidnapped victims from Zamfara. All states will intensify efforts to provide basic necessities that will make nomadic life meaningful like hospitals, schools and grazing reserves among others.”

Obviously, the terms of the amnesty to glorified bandits and kidnappers as though they were freedom fighters or agitators for certain defined rights are worrisome. But they are mere criminal elements that had killed without restraint across the Northwest states; kidnapped for ransom; rendered over 33,130 persons homeless within eight months and destroyed public and private assets worth billions of Naira.

The communiqués further revealed the identity of those behind abduction, kidnapping and killing across all Northwest states, especially in Kaduna, Katsina and Zamfara. It showed that they were Fulani herdsmen, who took law into their hands, because their cattle were rustled at one point or the other and because legitimate activities of farmers did not allow their animals graze without borders.

As reports revealed, most of these criminal elements were immigrants, who migrated to Nigeria from Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger Republic, among others.

Reports claimed that most of them could hardly speak Pulaar or Hausa. Rather, they speak French, suggesting that they were homeless immigrants, who came into Nigeria due to porous borders with neighbouring countries.

IG’s Incomprehensible Justification

Since its declaration, however, the amnesty has yielded some desired outcomes. For about six weeks, at least, armed attacks and kidnapping for ransom have relatively ceased. Within this period, the Katsina State Government had released 17 bandits that were arrested

Masari with one of the bandits after a successful negotiation in exchange for 61 persons that were abducted at different LGAs in the state.

Similarly, the state government announced N30 million as compensation to the bandits that eventually laid down their arms. But it was not clear whether the same government made provision for any compensation for the kidnapped that suffered psychological trauma for weeks in the captivity of the bandits. Already, some of the bandits had started surrendering their arms.

Given these instances, the amnesty produced results.

But it spoke volume about the capacity of the country’s security agencies, especially, the Nigeria Police to restore public order and safety. It also revealed that the Nigeria Police could hardly provide internal security in virtually all states of the federation with support from the state governments that have been denied power to take charge their own security.

Rather than address intrinsic challenges undermining the capacity of the Nigeria Police to end banditry and kidnapping nationwide, the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Adamu justified the decisions of the Katsina and Zamfara Governments to grant the armed bandits amnesty on defined conditions.

He claimed that the need to provide security was at the heart of the peace initiative. He argued: “When we are talking about peace initiative, there are a lot of things that we take into consideration. You give out something to get something. This initiative did not start with the bandits in the Northwest.

“Some years back, we were having issues in the Niger Delta. Those kinetic actions could not solve the problem until amnesty and peace initiative came up. What we had in Niger Delta then had gone. I think part of strategy to deal with challenges in time of insecurity is peaceful negotiation too.”

The Unanswered Questions

Curiously, Adamu’s justification raised a lot of questions about the country’s misplaced understanding of security. First, Adamu claimed that Katsina’s amnesty programme was designed to bring about peace in the affected states. He compared the model with the amnesty the federal government granted the Niger Delta agitators under the administration of former President Umaru Yar’Adua.

Second, Adamu’s defence never took cognisance of the history of the Niger Delta agitation, which is as old as the Nigerian federation itself. Unlike the armed bandits, the Niger Delta agitators are not criminals.

But they decided to take up arms after decades of social injustice, outright neglect and environmental degradation they had suffered under different governments until the Yar’Adua administration declared amnesty in June 2009.

Third, Adamu claimed that the security situation had

improved nationwide compared to the first two quarters of 2019. However, the inspector-general did not provide any evidence that showed correlation between crime reduction and improved economy, an important index globally accepted for the measurement of unemployment and internal stability.

As data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed, currently, unemployment rate stands at 23.1 per cent. The NBS data showed that the number of people classified as unemployed increased from 17.6 million in the fourth quarter of 2017 to 20.9 million in the third quarter of 2018, thereby indicating that over 3.3 persons lost their means of livelihoods within this period.

Since January, as shown in the NBS documents, the economic growth has been on a steady decline. For instance, the GDP shrank from 2.1 per cent in the first quarter to 1.94 per cent in the second quarter, which account for 0.16 per cent decline.

Even though inflation rate dropped from 11.08 in July to 11.02 per cent in August, the rate is an indication of economic hardship. These statistics indeed pose some questions, which the IG seemed to have forgotten to address.

Beyond the Pardon

Among others, all these data simply suggest that hunger is raging in the land more than anytime in Nigeria’s checkered history. Obviously, the data suggest that more unemployed people are being generated by the data amid poor economic performance. They suggest that the victims of the economic hardship are going into crime as alternative means of livelihoods.

The data also suggest that the bandits, who were pardoned today, may return to crime again if the economic hardship bites even harder.

Beyond these statistics, as a human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana, claimed penultimate Wednesday that the police were harassing law-abiding citizens while negotiating with bandits and terrorists.

Falana’s observation, however, raised questions about the approach of the Nigeria Police to public safety and security. This also suggests that the police need to review its operational strategies structured around professionalism, capacity building and public interests as against parochial elite interest.

The Masari administration, which spent over N1.2 billion to support security agencies in the fight against bandits, could not perhaps, have opted for negotiation if the security operatives had been able to restore public order in good time.

On this ground, only policing according to the rules of law, not according to the interests of the political elite, can guarantee public security and this time, engaging the culture of multi-level policing as imperative in a federal structure.

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CICERO/ISSUE

Sowore with Mrs. Joe Odumakin, his lawyer, Femi Falana and other well wishers

Sowore’s Short Walk to Freedom Alex Enumah writes about the ordeal of a rights activist and online news publisher, Omoyele Sowore, who recently regained freedom after 53 days in custody

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eptember 24, exactly 53 days after one of the Conveners of #RevolutionNow protest, Omoyele Sowore was in the custody of the federal government, a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja ordered his immediate release from detention.

Justice Taiwo Taiwo, had on August 8, 2019 given the nod to the Department of State Service (DSS) to keep Sowore, candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) in the February 23 presidential election in their custody pending the conclusion of criminal allegations against him.

Sowore was picked up in a Lagos hotel, by men of the security services on Saturday, August 3, for what the DSS described as ‘crossing the line’.

Before his arrest that fateful Saturday, the activist and publisher of SaharaReporters, an online news portal, had threatened to call out Nigerians to join him and his group to push out the Buhari administration over alleged corruption and ineptitude.

Sowore was also of the view that the election that brought Buhari to power for a second term was not credible.

The nationwide protest was scheduled for Monday August 5. Although pockets of protests took place in some parts of the country, Sowore at this time was already in custody at the DSS headquarters in Abuja.

To avoid running against the Provisions of the law, which stipulates that an accused person cannot be detained for more than 48 hours, the federal government then approached the court for an order to keep Sowore for the next 90 days pending its conclusion of investigation of treasonable felony among others against him.

The request was contained in an exparte motion marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/ 915/19 and filed on behalf of the agency by Godwin Agbadua.The order ex-parte was brought pursuant to Section 27 (1) of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 2013.

Delivering ruling in the exparte application on August 8, 2019, Justice Taiwo, rather than granting the 90 days as requested by the DSS, ordered that 45 days was enough for the officers of the Department of State Service to conclude investigation of alleged treasonable

felony and other charges against Sowore.

Justice Taiwo said after consideration of the argument canvassed by the DSS’ lawyer, Agbadua, he came to the conclusion that there was an allegation of commission of crime by the respondent and that investigation was still on going.

He added that since the facts were allegations “which must be proved at the appropriate place and time”, he was inclined, “ to grant the application only to the extent that the respondent shall be detained for a period of 45 days for the applicant to conclude its investigation”.

Justice Taiwo however said if at the end of the 45 days, investigation was yet to be concluded the applicant could apply for a fresh order but must not keep him without an order of court.

The 45 days elapsed on Saturday, September 21. But barely 24 hours to the expiration of the detention order, the DSS filed a seven count criminal charge against Sowore bordering on treasonable felony, money laundering and insulting President Buhari.

The charge which also included one Olawale Bakare also known as mandate, accused the defendants of committing the actual offence of treasonable felony in breach of section, 4(1)(c) of the Criminal Code Act, by using the platform of Coalition for Revolution, in August 2019 in Abuja, Lagos and other parts of Nigeria, to stage the #RevolutionNow protest allegedly aimed at removing the President.

Sowore was further accused of cybercrime offences in violation of section 24(1)(b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention) Act, by “knowingly” sending “messages by means of press interview granted on Arise Television network which you knew to be false for the purpose of causing insult, enmity, hatred and ill-will on the person of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

It also accused Sowore of money laundering offences in breach of section 15(1) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011.In addition the federal government on September 23, applied for an order to keep Sowore for another 20 days.

Though the court had adjourned till September 25 for the applicant to report on status of the case, the matter was however rescheduled for September 24.

When the matter came up, prosecution counsel,

Agbadua announced withdrawal of the application of the motion filed on September 23, seeking for extension of the detention order.He explained that the withdrawal was occasioned by the fact that the defenfant had already been charged with treasonable felony, money laundering as well as insulting the president.

He submitted that filing of a criminal charge that carries punishment of death is enough grounds for the court to allow for the detention of Sowore.

“The moment information is filed such a person cannot be said to be held illegally,” he said.

However, Sowore’s lawyer, Chief Femi Falana SAN reacting said, filing of information cannot metamorphos into a remand order.

Falana also submitted that treasonable felony, one of the charges against Sowore, was not a capital offence.

“He cannot ask the court to detained a citizen prospectively or in anticipation of arraignment of a defenfant under his custody,” Falana said.

He subsequently urged the court to make a consequential order for the release of Sowore since the earlier order expired on September 21.

Justice Taiwo in a short ruling held that there was no application before him for extension of the detention order and there were evidence that the prosecution has concluded its investigation of the defenfant. He accordingly ordered for the immediate release of Sowore.

Justice Taiwo ordered that Sowore be released to his lawyer, Chief Falana SAN, who must produce him whenever he is needed.He however ordered that Sowore to deposit his international passport with the court.

In compliance with the order, Sowore’s international passport with number A50255207 was on Wednesday September 25, deposited with the Deputy Chief Registrar of the Federal High Court, Abuja.

The passport was accompanied with a letter of compliance and a supporting affidavit of six paragraphs deposed to by Marshal Abubakar in the Chambers of Femi Falana SAN.Evidence of compliance served on the DSS, was received by one Ayuba Adam, a staff at the DSS headquarters.

Following the fulfillment of the court’s order by Sowore for his release, it is expected that the agency as law abiding would not hesitate to obey and release Sowore to his lawyer.

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CICERO/INTERVIEW

Gonzalez Llot

US Economic Embargo Hurting Humanity, Not the Cuban Revolution For60years,theUnitedStatesandherallieshavepursuedaneconomicembargoagainstCubainthehopeofdismantlingthe socialistrevolutioninstalledbyFidelCastrobuttonoavail.Tomarkthisyear’sAfricanContinentalConferenceofSolidarity withCuba,thePresidentofInstituteofCubandeAmistadconlosPuebios,FernandoGonzalezLlot,inthisinterviewwith OnyebuchiEzigbo,saidtheeconomicblockadehadonlyservedtoinflictsufferingsanddeprivationonCubansandother peoplearoundtheworld,whowouldhavebenefitedfromanunhinderedCubantradewiththerestoftheworld

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compensated.

The only country in the world that never accepted the compensation that the Cuban government was offering was the United States and why was that? Because by 1960, the US government was already preparing an invasion so they didn’t allow the US companies to accept the compensation, because the logic was with the invasion.

The issue would be solved because the Cuban government would be toppled which is an invasion of Cuba with an army of Cuban mercenaries living in the United States that was funded by the CIA and the US government to launch it on Cuba in 1961.

So, that was the logic that the US government was implying by telling the US companies to reject the compensation given by the Cuban government and now they have opened the US court to allow a US citizen to claim in court in the United States that a company abroad is dealing with properties that belong to them when they were the ones that never accepted the compensation.

As a matter of fact, they are allowing people that were not citizens of the United States back then but are now to use the legal system in the United States to sue a company from Italy, France, England and any part of the world that deals with Cuba.

In fact, they are trying to scare foreign investors.

Cuba is in need of foreign investors like any other developing country and they know that and what they are trying to do is scare off those potential investors. Those who are already investing in Cuba we could say they are staying and they are doing business with Cuba but there are many businesses around the world that would like to do business with Cuba but they are looking at Cuba as a risky investment and the United States government is trying to deny Cuba any resources that are needed for our development.

hat is your mission in Nigeria?

I am the president of the Cuban Institute for Friendship With People.

I am here in Nigeria to participate in the conference in solidarity with Cuba, which is the gathering of all the friends of Cuba on the continent to get together in Nigeria and discuss how to strengthen the solidarity. There are representatives from 20 different countries from Africa and about 100 delegates from different countries in Africa.

When we talk about lifting embargoes by the United States on Cuba. What are these sanctions and why were they put in place in the first place?

It is a long history of the United States government trying to have Cuba to be dependent on it. It dated back to 60 years from 1902 to 1960 or 1959. We have been striving for recognition and Cuba was almost a colony of the United States. Our economy was dependent on the United States; our politics was dependent on the United States. Basically, the Cuban government did all that the United States government wanted them to do and the Cuban revolution in 1959 stopped all that.

Ever since then, the United States government has recommended this full financial, economic and trade blockade and of course, back then our economy was dependent on the United States. Most of their items that Cuba consumes they blocked from coming in so the United States thought that by blocking it back then that Cuba will not resist it. Which implied that Cuba could no longer import from the United States.

The blockade has been there for over 60 years and its aim was to strangle the Cuban economy and if you go back to the official US document, it was written by then Secretary of State suggesting to the president to implement this kind of policy.

In that document, it is written in black and white that the Cuban government had the support of the majority of the Cubans and the only way to take that support from the Cuban government was to make the Cuban people undergo hardship and cause a scarcity of the basic things in life and make the economy in Cuba scream as they called it.

That was the logic behind this blockade of Cuba and they were thinking that the Cuban people would blame the government for their difficulties and that they would get rid of Llot the government but that hasn’t happened in 60 years. Now we have a new administration in the United States that has in the past two years implemented this blockade in the tightest way possible.

The government is going after every single financial transaction, the Cuban government and Cuban companies do in the world to obtain the resources it needs which goes from the supply of oil to Cuba and goes as far as confiscating them from all the countries that take the oil to Cuba.

They have gone as far as pressuring those companies that are shipping the oil to Cuba. They are denying US citizens to travel to Cuba. They are limiting the funds that Cubans can send to their people back in Cuba. So they are trying to strangle the Cuban economy and make the Cuban government and its people to kneel and accept the conditions the United States want for the Cubans. That is not going to happen. We in Cuba are going to resist any measures taken by the United States.

The fact is that we are going through very hard times, a very limited amount of diesel and oil for the economy to function. If you go to the streets of Cuba you will see queues of cars waiting to get fuels from the pumps, because there is a limited supply of fuel available. The state companies and state bureaucracy have been limiting the times and hours they could work in order to save fuel, because the power that is generated is limited but we are going to resist. The US government has been doing this for years and they have been unsuccessful, because we know what we want in Cuba. We support the efforts of the Cuban government and the Cuban people are aware of the origin of the difficulties we are going through.

The hostility of the United States has to cease and that is what we are asking our friends all over the world to accompany the Cuban people which they have done over the years understanding at this time in their life and history that Cubans are going through a difficult time and a response to that is for the Cuban people and friends of Cuba to demand the lifting of the embargo.

The US-Cuba dispute has global implications. Is there any role that the United Nations has been playing to resolve it?

The United Nations General Assembly every year for the last 26 years have been passing a resolution that Cuba has presented

in the General Assembly demanding the lifting of the blockade.

Every one of it passed with the vast majority of the government in the world in favour of the Cuban resolution. In fact, the only two countries that have voted against the bill were Israel and the United States, the remaining 192 countries in the United Nations Assembly voted in favour of the Cuban resolution demanding that the US government lifts the embargo.

But we can’t leave it all to the United Nations General Assembly. The United States government knows that the policy is rejected by the World and the US knows that the people of the world are also demanding the lifting of the blockade. They feel the pressure and moral pressure from the world for them to lift the embargo.

How is this embargo implemented and how does it hurt the Cuban economy?

We call it a blockade but it is actually an economic war against Cuba, because the blockade was enacted in 1960 and it is a whole set of rules, regulations, and laws that have been passed through the years. In 1996, the US passed the Property Burden act and what it does is to take the blockade to the international level and how do they do this?

Well, according to that law, any US citizen is open to take to US court any company that does business with Cuba if those businesses are in any way related to property that is allegedly confiscated by the Cuban government, during the trial of revolution.

The fact is that this law is unlawful in itself, because no property in Cuba was confiscated. Properties were nationalised.

Nationalisation is a principle of law that is agreed upon by all countries of the world, which is part of international law and there are many precedents like the Mexican revolution and the Russian revolution way before the Cuban revolution that went through the process of nationalisation.

The companies that were nationalised by the Cuban government and were put in the hands of the Cuban people and administrated by the Cuban people were all compensated for and to all the governments of all the countries. France has properties in Cuba that were nationalised and they were compensated by the Cuban government. Italy, Spain, and Canada had properties in Cuba that were nationalised and their governments were

Sixty years is a very long time. How did Cuba survive this blockade?

Up until the fall of the Soviet Union and the socialist states in Europe, we had a very fruitful relationship with those countries and basically all our trades and all the resources we needed were obtained from those socialist countries back then. We traded our products for their products.

With the fall of the Soviet Union and the rest of the socialist countries in Europe, that situation changed and Cuba had to assert itself in the world community. So it is very difficult for Cuba in these conditions to obtain credit from an important bank in the western government, because the United States is always pressuring those banks and those governments not to offer or grant those credits to Cuba so it makes trade for Cuba very difficult. The financial resources for Cuba are very scarce. Very few banks in the world will offer credit to Cuba.

They are considering Cuba as a risky business, because the United States is pressuring them not to offer and unfortunately, the United States’ economy is one of the biggest in the world and the banks will rather have an economic and financial relationship with the United States than Cuba.

A lot has been said about the Cuban relationship with Africa. Can you explain why Cuba is in love with Africa?

We consider ourselves part of Africa. If you look at Cuban history, millions of Africans were taken to the western hemisphere as slaves and Cuba received hundreds of thousands of them and we are descendants of those Africans that were taken to Cuba.

When we think of ourselves as Cubans we understand that the roots of the African people that were taken to Cuba inform very much of who we are and if you look at our culture; our music, our paintings, the way we dance, the way we talk, the roots of the African culture is right there so we have always felt that we owe Africa a lot in what we Cubans are. That is why, for us, it is so natural for us to come back to Africa and help Africa in every way we can.

We participated in the liberation of different countries in Africa.

We were in Angola for 14 years. I am a proud Cuban that was in Angola for two years, where I served in the Cuban army back in

Continued on Pg. 78

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FROMTHECOURT

Osinbajo and His Right to Sue Can Vice President Yemi Osinbajo waive his constitutional immunity under Section 308 of the Constitution and sue anybody, organisation or institution that allegedly defamed him? Davidson Iriekpen ponders this possibility within the legal context

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ice-President Yemi Osinbajo, last Wednesday, declared that he was ready to waive aside the constitutional immunity conferred on his office to clear any case of alleged corruption levelled against him.

The vice-president’s remarks came on the heels of allegations by a political activist and former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Timi Frank, that the number two citizen mismanaged about N90 billion released by the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) to prosecute the 2019 general election.

Frank, through a statement on Monday in Abuja, had alleged that he had reliable information from his sources in the presidency to this effect.

But the vice-president, in a statement authored by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Laolu Akande, via his Twitter handle, disclosed that he had already instructed that legal actions should commence against ‘Timi Frank and one Katchi Ononuju, who put their names to these odious falsehoods.’

In the statement, the vice-president also expressed his readiness to waive his constitutionally guaranteed immunity to ensure that the truth about the allegation was unearthed.

The statement read: “In the past few days, a spate of reckless and malicious falsehoods have been peddled in the media against me by a group of malicious individuals. The defamatory and misleading assertions invented by this clique had mostly been making the social media rounds anonymously.

“I have today instructed the commencement of legal action against two individuals, one, Timi Frank and another Katch Ononuju, who have put their names to these odious falsehoods. I will waive my constitutional immunity to enable the most robust adjudication of these claims of libel and malicious falsehood.”

Almost simultaneously, his solicitors, Femi Atoyebi & Co. wrote a letter to Google demanding that it immediately “remove and/or suspend the publication/broadcast of the defamatory publication” warning that if it “fails, refuses or neglects to remove the publication immediately, they would be compelled to consider legal options open to the vice president.

As usual, the issue has raised the questions some of which include: Can the vice president waive his constitutional immunity to enable take up “the most robust adjudication” of several baseless allegations, insinuations and falsehoods against his person and office? Can he sue anybody, organisation or institution?

Many analysts have said the vice president does have the right under Section 308 to say that he could not sue anybody, organisation or institution that defamed him.

They relied on the judgment of an Abuja High Court delivered on June 18, 2009 where the court sitting as an appellate court over the ruling of an Abuja Chief Magistrate Court on alleged criminal defamation charge filed against the publisher of Leadership newspaper, Sam Nda-Isaiah and three others, held that then President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua lacked the power to maintain the legal action against the suspects, because of Section 308 of the 1999 Constitution, which gives him immunity.

The alleged defamatory matter was a story published by the Leadership newspaper on the alleged ill-health of the president.

In arriving at the above decision, the two-man panel of judges led by Justice Abubakar Talba purported to adopt a liberal interpretation of Section 308 of the 1999 Constitution, and erroneously cited some cases including that of Tinubu V. I.M.B Securities (2001)

Osinbajo 16 NWLR (Pt.740) 670, and G.E.C V. Donald Duke (2007) 16 NWLR (Pt. 1059) 22.

This, they reckoned, supported the view that since the constitution conferred immunity from civil and criminal prosecution on a sitting president, vice president, governor, and deputy governor, that would invariably mean that these officials are estopped from instituting legal proceedings in their personal capacity against any person during their tenure of office.

The exact provisions of Section 308 are reproduced hereunder as follows: “308(1) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this constitution, but subject to subsection (2) of this section-(a) no civil or criminal proceedings shall be instituted or continued against a person to whom this section applies during his period of office; (b) a person to whom this section applies shall not be arrested or imprisoned during that period either in pursuance of the process of any court or otherwise; and (c) no process of any court requiring or compelling the appearance of a person to whom this section applies, shall be applied for or issued: Provided that in ascertaining whether any period of limitation has expired for the purposes of any proceedings against any person to whom this section applies, no account shall be taken of his period of office.

(2) The Provisions of subsection (1) of this section shall not

apply to civil proceedings against any person to whom this section applies in his official capacity or to civil or criminal proceedings in which such a person is only a nominal party.

(3) This section applies to a person holding the office of president or vice president, governor or deputy governor; and the reference in this section to “period of office” is a reference to the period during which the person holding such office is required to perform the functions of the office.”

Analysts believe that a cursory look at the provisions would show that the constitution never expressly stated that a person occupying the position of president, vice president, governor and deputy governor could not institute legal action against any person.

They argued that the section provides immunity from legal action to the officials mentioned therein without debarring them from instituting legal action in their personal capacity against other persons.

The issue was settled by the Supreme Court in the case of Bola Tinubu V. IMB Securities Plc (supra), and re-affirmed in the more recent case of Global Excellence Communications Ltd. & Ors. V. Mr. Donald Duke (supra).

In the case, the respondent, who was then the sitting Governor of Cross River State, had instituted an action in his personal capacity against the appellants, claiming various sums of money as damages for alleged libellous publication in the appellant’s news magazine.

A preliminary objection was raised as to the jurisdiction of the court to entertain the suit on the ground that Section 308protects the governor from being sued as well as debarring him from suing in his personal capacity during his period of office.

The trial court sustained the preliminary objection and held that by virtue of Section 308, the governor could neither sue nor be sued. But the decision reversed by the Court of Appeal and a further appeal to the Supreme Court through a unanimous dismissal dealt a great blow to it.

In delivering the lead judgment at the Supreme Court, Justice Walter Onnoghen cited with approval and adopted the dictum of Ayoola JSC in the earlier case of Tinubu V. I.M.B Securities Plc (supra) .

He said, “I am unable to construe a provision of the constitution that granted an immunity such as Section 308(1) as also constituting a disability on the person granted immunity, when there is no provision to that effect, either expressly or by necessary implication in the enactment.

“If the makers of the Constitution had wanted to prohibit a person holding the offices stated in section 308 from instituting or continuing action instituted against any other person during his period of office, nothing would have been easier than to provide expressly that: ‘no civil or criminal proceedings shall be instituted or continued by a person to whom this section applies during his period of office and no civil or criminal proceedings shall be instituted or continued against such person during his period of office’ or in like terms. The makers of the constitution in their wisdom did not so provide.”

In her own judgment, Justice Mukhtar simply stated: “It will be definitely wrong to read between the lines and in the process smuggle matters, which were not intended by the legislature into the provisions of S. 308 of the Constitution. Extraneous matters should not be imported into legislation, but they should be given their simple and grammatical meaning.”

Based on the decisions of the Supreme Court, it has become apparent that the question of whether a president, governor or their deputies can sue while in office had been laid to rest.

t ‘GONZALEZ LLOT: US ECONOMIC EMBARGO HURTING HUMANITY, NOT THE CUBAN REVOLUTION ‘ t ContinuedfromPg. 77 the 80s. Three hundred thousand Cubans went to Angola in a period of 14 years. We went to Ethiopia, we helped Zimbabwe, Namibia and it is only natural we do that, because we feel like we give back to Africa for the contribution Africa made for what we Cubans are. So, I wouldn’t say the relationship with Africa; we think ourselves as part of Africa.

For 60 years, other parts of the world including Africa has tried through resolutions at the United Nations to back Cuba on their cause, yet, the US embargo persists.

What new strategy do you think should be employed by these countries to assist Cuba?

The resolution is passed every year and I think it is important to keep going to the United Nations Assembly and having that resolution passed. It doesn’t matter if the United States publicly acts otherwise but I am sure that it takes that very well into account that of course, it depends on what kind of administration and the view of the current and past administration decided on how to deal with Cuba.

If you look at the last two years of the Obama administration, he adopted a different kind of approach on how to deal with Cuba and he was very much publicly against the blockade even though he didn’t do everything at his disposal to deal with the blockade but he was publicly against

the blockade. But now this new administration got into office and is implementing not just every rule against Cuba that is part of the blockade but is going further than any other president has with the blockade on Cuba.

That resolution needs to be taken to the United Nation, because it is the whole world denouncing the United States for that policy even though publicly they act like they don’t care. I know that they do and take note of the recommendation of the world but I also think that the people around the world need to work harder into denouncing the United States action and making a public denouncement of it. The effect of the blockade is not only on Cuba but the other countries, because the blockade has an extraterritorial effect.

If you are able to Google the law in the United States to sue a company from a different country, then, you are infringing on that country’s sovereignty. So, it is also a matter of realising for the people around the world that the blockade also affects them in the same way it affects the dignity of the people. They don’t have to go by a law that is passed by a congress in a different country. So, it is not only Cuba it affects; it also affects the sovereignty and dignity of the people of the world.

How will you describe the relationship between Nigeria and Cuba?

The relationship politically is very good

but I am not into all the details of the political or economic relationship but I think like any other country, there are potential to develop that relationship especially, in the economic field. I think there are things that we could do that would help each other in terms of trade or in terms of products that Cuba could provide to Nigeria or Nigeria can provide to Cuba. I think that there is room for development in that area even though it is an area, which I am not well informed.

In the past few days, you have had programmes organised by Nigeria-Cuba solidarity movement. Recently, a protest was held at the embassy. What did the protest stand to achieve?

It is part of what our friends from Africa decided to do in order to let the US government know that the people of Africa are very much against the policies that the United States is applying to Cuba and trying to make the Cuban people change the way we organize ourselves. So, it is our friends here that decided to take it to the US embassy and let them know that most Africans are not in support of what the United States is doing and further than that they are against it and the US government should lift the embargo.

How will you describe Fidel Castro, his revolution and present-day Cuba?

For me, Fidel Castro is a giant in history and he will forever be the historical leader of the Cubans seeing that Castro wasn’t bigger than the island of Cuba and he was a leader for the world and one day he would be recognised and I know most people recognised that but I know someday officially he would be recognised around the world, because his thinking went further than the Cuban frontiers.

He was thinking about humanity and he was thinking of how to improve the lives of most humanity not only for Cubans but of the whole world. He is dead but the revolution he led still lives and the people were the ones who carried out the revolution. He led us and we are proud followers of Fidel but I am telling you this because most people in the western world influenced by the western media portray Fidel and Cuba that when Fidel passed on, the Cuban revolution would be over and the fact is that he passed away but the ideas are still there and those are the ideas that we are following.

The revolution is there and the revolution will always be there and we will always keep his thinking, his ideas and his concepts very much alive even though he is not there. The Cuban revolution even though he was our leader and he will always be our leader, never depended on him personally; it depends on our people, who are the ones that carried out the revolution.

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 29, 2019 â&#x20AC;¢ T H I S D AY

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GLITZ PERSONALITY

Joel Kachi Benson

Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Pride, Africaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Trailblazer In VR Films Benson made history on September 7 at the Venice International Film Festival when he became the first African to win the prestigious VR award for his virtual reality â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Daughters of Chibokâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. His win has placed him in the limelight.

Vanessa Obioha writes about her recent encounter with the young filmmaker

T

Benson

The result of his curiosity was the award-winning â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Daughters of Chibokâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, a gripping tale about Yana Galang whose daughter is among the kidnapped girls that were abducted by the insurgents Boko Haram in 2014

he ambience inside the virtual reality lab of the Facebook NG Hub in Yaba, Lagos was exhilarating. Not even a downpour could douse the mood of the young individuals inside the lab. Some were seated in groups and others stood, all chatting. The camaraderie was infectious. Everyone knew each other and expressed a certain degree of enthusiasm that could only suggest a celebration. Inside one of the adjoining rooms in the lab sat Joel Kachi Benson, the first African documentary filmmaker to win the prestigious Virtual Reality award in the just-concluded Venice International Film Festival. He was dressed in black jeans and a t-shirt.

His short black spiky dreadlocks highlighted his youthful look. He swivelled in the seat, maintaining a calm and collected disposition as if he was unaware of the buzz around him.

Of course, he knew everyone was there for him. Since he won the award, he has been inundated with calls and messages from well-wishers and prospective collaborators. There were also requests for interviews from both local and international media houses. His name seemed to be on everyoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lips. On Twitter, there was a debate on his provenance.

People wondered if he was a Nigerian, and if Nigerian, what

part of the country was he from. The limelight was suddenly on him. He had just returned from a trip in Abuja that morning to join his friends at the lab to mark the outstanding milestone.

He has not been able to catch some sleep. He would later tell his friend and supporter, Judith Okonkwo of Imisi 3D that he felt his head was padded with cotton wool.

Despite the stress, Benson would never have missed the celebration for anything. They were part of his success story. In December 2018, Benson screened his first virtual reality film â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;In Bakassiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; to a motley audience. That screening took place at the hub and Okonkwo moderated the question and answer session. Virtual reality films were relatively new to the audience but they were impressed by its immersive state. They travelled with Benson into the simulated 3-D Bakassi Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp in Maiduguri. They walked with Modu Mustapha, the subject of the documentary as he tried to survive in an environment that reeked of hardship and frustration.

They felt his trauma when he relayed the heart-rending moment his father was killed in a suicide bombing. His mother absconded after that terrible incident and Mustapha was left with the responsibility of catering for his younger siblings and aged grandmother.

The film was lauded in international film festivals such as Cairo International Film Festival and the Berlin International Film

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Africa’s Virtual Reality Film King Festival. Early this year, Benson was commissioned to make a documentary on insurgency. It required him and his crew to travel to at least five states in the northeast region. One of them turned out to be Chibok. Benson’s inspiration was fired up.

“As a storyteller, you want to get to the root of the matter, and that was my main attraction to doing a story on Chibok, to find out the truth for myself. Were these girls really abducted? Does this place called Chibok truly exist? It was a story that I have always been curious about.

And I also wanted to make it in VR because for me, with VR, I can take people to Chibok,” he said.

The result of his curiosity was the award-winning ‘Daughters of Chibok’, a gripping tale about Yana Galang whose daughter is among the kidnapped girls that were abducted by the insurgents Boko Haram in 2014. The 11-minute film mirrors Galang’s pain as she hopefully awaits the return of her daughter. The documentary was first screened to the public on April 14 at selected Lagos Parks and Gardens across the state to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the girls’ abduction. It has since had private screenings at the British Council, Lagos and Ventures Park, Abuja.

In one of those screenings, Yana was present. The film was also made possible through the support of the Northeast Humanitarian Innovation Hub. ‘Daughters of Chibok’ turned out to be the only VR film in the continent that was selected to compete in the linear content category of the Venice International Film Festival. A total of 12 VR films were selected from around the world.

The win came as a surprise to him and to Yana. He recalled that he spent the next couple of hours preparing his speech. He was even more humbled to be in the same room with some of the biggest names in the film industry globally.

The young filmmaker was not only enthusiastic about his trailblazing victory as the first African to win the prestigious award but was proud that his success was a validation that young filmmakers like him can use the new technology to tell amazing stories. This was the kind of inspiration the young and hippy audience that rainy Saturday needed to hear. They were curious about him, his work, and how he sustained his passion. It would have been easy for Benson to attribute his success to diligence.

As a young man, Benson was crammed in a one-room apartment with his siblings and mother. His parents had split and the mother was left to provide for them. He had friends who were into cybercrime.

This was when the internet was still a luxury and the only way one could access the internet uninterrupted was to go to a cybercafe. While his friends looked for gullible victims online, Benson spent his time searching for famous and successful documentary filmmakers, new technologies in filmmaking, international film schools and any other knowledge that will enhance his skills in documentary filmmaking. At a point, his friends mocked him, asked him to stop wasting his time on documentaries.

But the filmmaker will not relent.

He knew what he wanted

I flew to the States, and that was the first time I wore a headset; I understood what that guy was telling me in 2017. It was like I was there. I think the first piece of work I ever saw in VR was a concert by Coldplay, and it was like I was at the concert; it was a different experience

Benson

and was bent on achieving it. His mother’s untimely passing halted his dream. He could not afford to go to university so he decided to try his hands on music with his brothers.

Luckily for him, a sponsor saw their potentials and decided to help them financially with their studies abroad.

On getting to London, Benson reignited his passion for film and studied at the Central Film School in London. In the last decade, he’s been making documentary films for corporate clients, travelling to different parts of the world and currently runs his own multimedia and VR360 company. In 2017,

however, he was introduced to virtual reality by a friend who told him about it. He didn’t really pay attention to him until a year later when a lady, Damilola Ogunbiyi commissioned him to make a 360 video of a project in Kano.

“I told her I don’t make such videos but she insisted that I figure out how to do it. Out of respect, I agreed to carry out a research. But I remember one thing she said to me as I was leaving her office that day, she said: ‘I want you to explore this. It will change your game.’ I went back home and I started researching about

virtual reality, 360-degree video and all of that. The more I researched it, the more I was intrigued. I went on YouTube and I saw videos in VR. I was really intrigued by it. I searched for anyone who was already into VR in the country but couldn’t find any.

So I decided to travel abroad and learn how to use it to create this video for the client.

“I flew to the States, and that was the first time I wore a headset; I understood what that guy was telling me in 2017. It was like I was there. I think the first piece of work I ever saw in VR was a concert by Coldplay, and it was like I was at the concert; it was a different experience.

I understood then what the guy was saying about being able to transport people to different places,” he explained.

Notwithstanding his doggedness to be good at his craft, Benson believes that his late mother’s prayers were responsible for his success.

Benson explained further, “I recall her waking up in the middle of the night praying for us. She would rub anointing oil on our foreheads and proclaim that we will never disgrace her, that we will always be successful. Her prayers I will say is the secret behind my success.”

Still basking in his win, Benson has however not abandoned his initial objective when he made ‘Daughters of Chibok’. His aim was to support women financially and emotionally. He wanted the film to draw attention to the plight of the women who are mostly living in poverty. This he made clear in his acceptance speech at the award when he reminded the world not to forget the daughters of Chibok.

“Everybody kept saying thank you for reminding us. It was interesting. I had people from Taiwan, Korea, Brazil, Australia, all over the world congratulating me.

Everybody from across the world had heard about Chibok, they knew about Chibok, but like what the women said, “Some of them had forgotten.

“So, the film served as a reminder and everybody seemed grateful about that – the opportunity to remind them. And not just remind them, but to take them there,” the young man from Umuahia state said.

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER Ëž ͺΠË&#x153; ͺ͸͚Î

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How Ready is the National Assembly for 2020 Budget?

SMS: 08116759819

Ă&#x17D;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x153;Ë? Olawale Olaleye Ă&#x2014;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2013;Ë? ĂĄĂ&#x2039;Ă&#x2013;Ă?Ë&#x203A; Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2013;Ă?ĂŁĂ?ĚśĂ&#x17E;Ă&#x2019;Ă&#x201C;Ă?Ă&#x17D;Ă&#x2039;ĂŁĂ&#x2013;Ă&#x201C;Ă Ă?Ë&#x203A;Ă?Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2014;

With the submission last week of the 2020-2022 medium-term expenditure framework and fiscal strategy paper (mtef/fsp) to the National Assembly for approval by the executive, the legislature appears ready to have the 2020 budget presented before it by President Muhammadu Buhari, report Deji Elumoye and Shola Oyeyipo

F

or the first time in the life of budget presentation under the current democratic dispensation, the old budget cycle of January to December may resurface with effect from next year. This is because the Executive has shown sincerity of purpose with the submission of the 2020-2022 Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and Fiscal Strategy Paper (FSP) to the two chambers of the National Assembly for approval last week.

The leadership of both the Senate and House of Representatives read the Presidentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s letter at plenary last Wednesday. The implication of the early submission of the budget documents is that once the MTEF and FSP drafts were approved by the Assembly within the next few weeks, it will create room for the Executive to use the approval to prepare the 2020 budget estimates that would then be laid before the joint sitting of the National Assembly by President Buhari.

With the look of things, President Buhari may present next yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s budget proposals before the Assembly latest by the end of October.

Already, barely 24 hours after the covering letter of the MTEF/FSPdraft were read at plenary, the Senate, last Thursday referred the draft to its committees on Finance and National Planning for further legislative duties and are to report back to plenary on Wednesday, October 2.

There is therefore the assurance that the Senate might this week debate the joint committees report on the document and possibly approve the MTEF/FSP draft. By implication, the House too might deliberate on the draft and also approve of the documents within the next one week or two.

The Senate President, Dr. Ahmed Lawan, had also given an assurance that the legislature was fully prepared to return the budget cycle to January to December as against the current system of June to May. Lawan was optimistic that if next yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s budget was presented by the Executive in October, all the relevant agencies would swing into action towards ensuring that the budget was passed latest by early December.

Highlights of the 35-page 2020-2022 MTEF/ FSP documents include pegging of the projected budget profile for 2020 at N9.12trillion as against N8.92 trillion for 2019, and $55 oil price bench mark as against $60 used for the N8.9trn 2019 budget.

It also include 2.1m barrel oil production per day as against 2.30m barrels per day approved for the 2019 budget; the official exchange rate of N305 per dollar used for 2019 budget will still be used in 2020; inflation rate is projected at 10.81% as against 9.98% for 2019.

Further breakdown of the 2020 budget proposal of N9.12 trillion including N36.38 billion from grants and donor funding shows that interest payment on debts is estimated at N2.45 trillion; provision for Sinking Fund to retire maturing bonds to local contractors is N296 billion; personnel and pension costs to gulp N2 67 trillion and N536.72 billion respectively; N40.71 billion has been earmarked for Basic Health Care Provision Fund; N22.73 billion for GAVI/Routine immunization in the service-wide votes (SWV) and N89.44 billion for the power sector reform programme.

Others include N1.01 billion (exclusive of capital in statutory transfers) for Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) capital expenditure with the total capital expenditure standing at N2.17 trillion.

President Buhari, in a one-page letter titled,

Oshiomole sandwiched by Senate President Ahmed Lawan and Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Submission of 2020-2022 Medium-Term Expenditure Framework And Fiscal Strategy Paperâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; addressed to both the Senate President, DrAhmad Lawan, and Speaker of the House, Hon Femi Gbajabiamila, canvassed for the early passage of the documents by the members of the two legislative chambers.

The President in the letter dated September 24, the day he addressed the United Nations General Assembly in New York, United States, was read at Wednesdayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s plenary by the leadership of the two chambers.

He commended the effort of the federal lawmakers towards ensuring a cordial working relationship between the legislature and executive arms of government.

According to the President, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Given our shared objective of returning the budget to a predictable January â&#x20AC;&#x201C; December fiscal year, with effect from 2020, I hereby forward the 2020/2022 FSP to the Distinguished Senate and trust that it would be extensively considered in order to facilitate the 2020 MTEF budget preparation.â&#x20AC;?

The four-paragraph letter read inter alia: â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is with pleasure that I hereby submit the 20202022 Medium Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper (MTEF/FSP) to the Senate/House of Representatives.â&#x20AC;?

Also, last week, Gbajabiamila, continued to emphasise the supremacy of the legislature to carry out oversight on the Executive arm.

The Speaker had penultimate Friday, expressed disappointment and embarrassment when most of the Service Chiefs chose to ignore a meeting called by the House leadership to discuss the deteriorating security situation in the Boko Haram ravaged Borno State.

A meeting had been called but rather than attend, the Chief of Defence Staff, General Gabriel Olonisakin; Chief of Army Staff, LieutenantGeneral Tukur Buratai; Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas and the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshall Sadiq Abubakar, were absent but sent representatives.

But the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr. MohammedAbubakarAdamu; the Comptroller-

General Immigration Service (CGIS), Muhammed Babandede and the Director-General, State Security Service (SSS), Mr. Yusuf Bichi, were personally present at the meeting.

Gbajabiamila instantly expressed disapproval for the show of disrespect for the National Assembly by the service chiefs, saying their action was at cross-purpose with the national interest.

He did not hesitate to call off the meeting and postponed it till last Monday.

According to him, the reason for the meeting was basically to address the insecurity situation in certain areas of the country, examine the challenges confronting the military and to come up with the legislations capable of addressing the problems. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Mr. President cannot work alone, he has to have people to delegate powers to as the Commander-in-Chief as dictated by our constitution, but because of the fact that Mr. President has delegated those powers to the Service Chiefs, we decided to call this meeting as representatives of the people. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This meeting was not called by a committee of the House; not that it matters; the meeting was called by the highest level of the legislature; it was calledpersonallybymeastheSpeakerofthehouse.

The House is an institution. I cannot understate my disappointment or our disappointment for the rest of the Service Chiefs that are not here.

According to him, there was a motion on the floor of the House on the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Super Campâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; the previous day but it was not discussed, because it was a security matter with the lawmakers expecting that all such issues would be deliberated upon.

By the rescheduled date, last Monday, it was a full House as the service chiefs arrived earlier than the 10am scheduled for the meeting.

The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Gabriel Olonisakin was quick to tell the lawmakers that the top hierarchy of the Nigerian security architecture would not divulge military strategies so as not to compromise its operations and endanger the lives of troops on the field.

And on their decision to send representatives to the previous meeting, the CDS argued that the officers, who represented them, were adequately

qualified to brief the National Assembly on military operations in Nigeria.

Olonisakin had noted that: â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is understandable that there must be some concerns about the security situation in the country. We are here to listen to those concerns that you have, that you need to express to and address, of course, with your support. â&#x20AC;&#x153;However, I need to state that military and operational strategies are not usually discussed in open forums such as this, because we may inadvertently be giving valuable information to the adversary through such discussions. This could compromise our ongoing operations, put the lives of our troops at greater risk and jeopardise future plans. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I will therefore crave the indulgence of the House leadership to allow us to listen to your concerns, observations and suggestions, and get back to you in a more appropriate forum.â&#x20AC;?

Responding, Gbajabiamila, said the National Assembly and the security chiefs are â&#x20AC;&#x153;fully in tandem and we are on one page,â&#x20AC;? adding that â&#x20AC;&#x153;I myself, together with some members, have been to Borno, I have been to Katsina, I have been to Zamfara, all in the last couple of months, because of the level of concern of the House and, if we have gone that far, then I believe it is important â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have invited the Service Chiefs to collaborate as we have been doing all along on the security situation in Nigeria. To a very large extent, things have improved but unfortunately, there is a sudden optic in the security situation. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know if we have moved from yellow to red as they would say in some other countries that is the reason why we have called this meeting to find out what the challenges are, why there is a sudden optic, what can be done â&#x20AC;&#x201C; it has come at a time when the budget is about to be presented; in the next week or two. So, it is very timely. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Money challenges too â&#x20AC;&#x201C; what can the House do? And that is why we are here and I believe it is very important. Security is one of the challenges of the government. We have an obligation to arrest the situation whenever we can,â&#x20AC;? the Speaker further said.

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NEWSXTRA Our Mindset Unhelpful to Nation-building, Fashola Laments Asks youths to take up task of nation-building from now Chineme okafor in Abuja The Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, yesterday said Nigerians were trapped in a messianic mindset that had ruined nation-building for decades.

Fashola regretted that rather than take up the responsibility of seeking credible leaders, the citizens were more interested in hero worship and search for a messiah. He spoke in Lagos at the 81st anniversary of the Ikoyi Club 1938, where he delivered a lecture on the youth and nation building.

The minister said the quest for messiah-like leaders was behind the general tendency

among the citizens to be easily dissatisfied and pissed off with its leadership.

He explained that the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s constitution initially failed to include the duties of its citizens towards nationbuilding, but emphasised the rights of the citizens. Analyzing how young Nigerians fought and gained independence for the country from British colonial rule in 1960, he stated that sticking to the mentality of electing messiahs had hindered development in Nigeria.

According to Fashola, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Indeed, until recently, our constitution only first provided for rights without prescribing

Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m Not Desperate to be Senator, Says Dickson Emmanuel Addeh inYenagoa Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson, at the weekend dismissed insinuations that he had a hand in the choice of Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpor, as the running mate to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in the November 16 governorship election, Douye Diri, because he wanted to be senator, adding that he was not desperate to be a member of the red chamber.

The choice of Ewhrudjakpor, his former Commissioner for Works and serving senator had generated misgivings as many opposed to him insisted that Sagbama, where the governor hails from could not produce the running mate to Diri, when the incumbent is from the same axis.

But Dickson, who spoke against the backdrop of insinuations that Ewhrudjakpor was picked as to give way to the governorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s senate bid, noted that the decision on running mate was purely Diriâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s.

Fielding questions from journalists in Yenagoa, the state capital, the governor said he was not desperate to be a senator and that he had other options like

taking up the teaching, writing or returning to farming, when his tenure expires in February. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The decision is subjective, which the candidate alone makes. Very often people misconstrue it. When I was to become governor, there was a name I was meant to have picked and I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get to pick the name, again, for purely subjective reasons, not objective. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I went for Admiral John Jonah, who was not even interested, who had just retired and who wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t even a party man. He wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t even in politics.

By doing so, it angered a lot of politicians from that area. Some of them went to the other side on account of that. â&#x20AC;&#x153;These are normal rumblings and grumblings, but the point is that first, the decision is that of a candidate, not that of governor Dickson. A candidate has to consider a lot of factors, chief of which is compatibility. You donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t contest for office of deputy governor. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When politicians have an ambition and they are not able to realise it, they start praying that the anointing should fall on them for the candidate to pick them. If it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t happen, it is subjective.

Lawmaker Condemns Discrimination against Nigerians at Eastern Ports A member of the House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee on Ports and Harbour, Hon. Ossy Prestige yesterday condemned the management of the West Africa Container Terminal (WACT) for discriminating against Nigerians at Eastern Ports.

Prestige, representing Aba North/South Federal Constituency, also accused the ports operators of violating capital flight regulation, claiming that they often repatriated funds generated in local currency without due process.

He made the allegation in a statement he issued after the adhoc committee inspected various seaports across the federation, noting that repatriation of such funds â&#x20AC;&#x153;weakens the Nigerian currency.â&#x20AC;?

With his vast knowledge of the workings of the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s seaports, the lawmaker condemned what he called the systematic displacement of Nigerian staff in the junior managerial level with nationals of other African states.

He said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;These Africans come under short term assign-

ment. They are paid in foreign currencies, as well as naira, given accommodation at the camp resulting increased expenditure running into N25 million in six months. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Prior to now these positions such as shift managers had Nigerians occupying them and doing their jobs effectively at minimal cost. This situation is inimical to national security.â&#x20AC;?

He berated the management for the increase in flow of foreign nationals into the work force, to the detriment of Nigerians.

According to him, the worrisome inflow has a high recurrent expenditure and a lot of skilled Nigerian workers do not have the opportunity to be employed.

He said bringing a Senegalese â&#x20AC;&#x153;to be in the Human Resources Department of the company is not appropriate at all. How can he function in such as sensitive department? â&#x20AC;&#x153;What does he know about our labour laws? Presently, all experts are segregated from the foreign nationals at the admin office. And you will talk about the principle of inclusion.

the duties we owe as citizens to our country. Between 1922 and 1999 we have had nine constitutions. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But remarkably, while all of them make provisions for rights of citizens, it was in the 1989 constitution that provisions were made for duties of citizens. The 1989 constitution provided for 10 duties but these have now been harmonised into six duties in the 1999 constitution that we now operate.â&#x20AC;?

He said because of such omission, Nigerians seemed to look at the country with a sense of expectation of what they could get from it rather than what they could do for their nation. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is therefore not unusual

to feel a sense of disappointment which is expressed in statements like â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;what is Nigeria doing for me,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; as against a sense of obligation that propels us to be driven by an urge and sense of duty to want to do our best for our country,â&#x20AC;? he stated.

The minister said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is perhaps why we expect messiah-like leaders, when indeed the youth and all of us are the leaders we are looking for. This is a mindset that has set us back and it is a mindset that we must urgently get rid of like a bad habit.â&#x20AC;?

He said such mindset often led the citizens to prefer foreign and imported goods and services to Nigerian made products and services,

adding, â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is a mindset that seeks answers in prayers, miracles and spiritualism. It is a mindset that credits and ascribes every little success that our hands achieve to the realm of miracles, religion and the unbelievable.â&#x20AC;?

Fashola also said the messianic mindset avoided responsibility and elected blame. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is a mindset that abdicates responsibility and it is a slippery slope from which we must turn around and embrace our responsibilities, especially our youth,â&#x20AC;? he said.

Fashola said due to the negative attitude to country, some Nigerians were leaving the country for other countries

and avoiding the responsibility of helping to build it at a time when citizens of other countries were applying to become Nigerians.

According to him, â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is a mindset that places self above others and it is unhelpful towards the task of nation-building. It is probably the mindset that suggests to many to flee Nigeria when things are difficult. For everyone that chooses to leave, please, remember that there are people also applying to be citizens of Nigeria. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Indians, Cypriots, Greeks, Lebanese, Chinese and other nationalities have chosen Nigeria as the place to invest and raise families and this cycle that started around the 1950s has not stopped.â&#x20AC;?

WELCOME TO COAL CITY ...

Enugu State Governor, Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (right) welcoming the Apostolic Nuncio to Nigeria, Most Rev. Antonio Guido Filipazzi (left) during the inauguration of the COVIAM Theologate Building at the Vincentian Community, Maryland, Enuguâ&#x20AC;Ś yesterday. With them is the Catholic Bishop of Enugu Diocese, Most Rev. Dr. Callistus Onaga (middle).

Ekiti APC Reschedules Council Primaries Gunmen Murder Kogi College of Health Sciences Student Amid Security Concern Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti The All Progressives Congress (APC), Ekiti State, yesterday disclosed that it had rescheduled the chairmanship and councillorship primaries citing security concern in some local government areas.

Consequently, the partyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s decision sparked anger among different aspirants seeking chairmanship and councillorship nominations on its platform across the state.

The Publicity Secretary of Ekiti APC, Hon. Ade Ajayi revealed the decision during a news conference held in Ado Ekiti, noting that a new date would be communicated to the aspirants.

The party had scheduled the chairmanship and councillorship primaries for September 28 in preparation for the council election that the State Independent Electoral Commission had slated for December 7.

At the conference, Ajayi said the party postponed the local government primaries in Ado and Ikole Local Government Areas.

This decision angered the aspirants and delegates and led to speculation that there were plans to impose some preferred chairmanship and councillorship aspirants.

Displeased by the postponement, some aspirants, their supporters and delegates have accused the party of plot to impose a particular candidate on the people.

Two of the aspirants, Alhaji Tajudeen Gidado and Mrs. Tosin Aluko accused the leadership of the party of being undemocratic, warning that they would resist any imposition.

In her reaction, Aluko lamented that the leadership of the party were determined â&#x20AC;&#x153;to impose a candidate. I just heard it now that the council primaries have been postponed. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I do not want to believe it because Governor Kayode Fayemi issued a statement last week that there would be primary election and that there wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be imposition. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have been waiting here since morning for the primary.

Some people are with the deputy chairman of the party now, Sola Elesin. They do not want the primaries to hold because of the plan they have to impose one of us as the candidate. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I do not know why they are doing this. They should allow people to make their choice because this is democracy. They are doing this because they want to impose someone. But the governor has come out to say he has no preferred candidate.â&#x20AC;?

Ibrahim Oyewale inLokoja Unknown gunmen have killed one Sule Moses, a 100 level student of the Department of Community Health, College of Health Sciences and Technology, Idah, Kogi State.

Multiple sources in the college confirmed to THISDAY that Moses was allegedly attacked and killed by unknown gunmen late hour on Thursday at a private hostel, off campus at the back of the college.

But in a statement he issued in Idah yesterday, the Provost of the Provost, Dr Nuhu Anyegwu described the attack on the student of the institution by the unknown gunmen as inconceivable and shocking.

Anyegwu described the deceased as a promising young

man, who conducted himself very well after gaining admission into the institution. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;â&#x20AC;&#x2122;On behalf of the college community, particularly the Governing Council and management of the institution, is deeply touched by this act of manâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s inhumanity to man. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;â&#x20AC;&#x2122;We sincerely extend the deepest sympathy of the management to the parents of the deceased and the entire college community over this shocking development.â&#x20AC;?

The provost, who also spoke to journalists on the telephone appealed for calm and cooperation, especially among the students of the institution.

He stated that the incident was immediately reported at Idah Police station that night, and that the police came there that night to convey the corpse to the mortuary.

National Sports Link Returns National Sports Link has resumed operation. Now an online newspaper, National Sports Link was created with the sole aim of educating and informing the general public the happenings in sports, politics, entertainment and other news items.

Established in 1992 as a hard copy by late High Chief (Dr) Ejikeme E. Nzeh, National

Sports Link suffered a great defeat from other competitors.

Reawakened by High Chief Obinna K Ejikeme-Nzeh, son of the late High Chief (Dr) Ejikeme E Nzeh, on July 31, 2019, National Sports Link regained its balance with the widest reach through innovation backed by excellent service delivery, highly motivated human capital and latest technology.

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SUNDAYSPORTS

Edited by Demola Ojo Email: demola.ojo@thisdaylive.com

La Liga: Real Madrid Stay Top after Draw with Atletico

R

eal Madrid stayed top of La Liga after maintaining their unbeaten domestic start with a goalless draw at city rivals Atletico Madrid yesterday. In a first half of few clear-cut chances, Diego Costa was inches away from sliding home Thomas Parteyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s low cross.

Gareth Bale should have given Real the lead in the second but blazed Nachoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cross over the bar. Jan Oblak produced a marvellous save to deny Karim Benzema late on.

Diego Simeoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s side thrashed Real 7-3 in New Jersey in pre-season, but the match at the Wanda Metropolitano was a much more cautious affair with only two shots on target in the first 45 minutes. Both those efforts came from Toni Kroos, who twice forced Oblak into action with low drives from outside the box.

Atletico failed to properly test Thibaut Courtois throughout the 90 minutes, although it was not for the lack of trying.

Costa almost slid in Parteyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s delivery, before Joao Felix - who marked his first competitive Madrid derby appearance with a lively performance dragged a fierce shot off target from the edge of the area five minutes before the break.

Real enjoyed the better of the openings in the second half, Bale scooping Nachoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s low delivery high over the crossbar from an excellent position.

Benzema thought he had snatched all three points for Zinedine Zidaneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s side with 15 minutes remaining but Oblak, diving at full stretch, kept out the Frenchmanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s goal-bound header with a strong left hand.

The draw lifts Real one point above Granada - who beat Leganes 1-0 earlier yesterday - while Atletico climb above Barcelona into third.

Eden Hazard (in white) could not help Madrid overcome Atletico but his team stays top

Man City Win to Keep Perfect Liverpool in their Sights Manchester City clung onto the coat-tails of Premier League leaders Liverpool with a hard-fought win against Everton yesterday after Jurgen Kloppâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s men extended their perfect start to the season.

Elsewhere, 10-man Tottenham put their recent wobbles behind them to clamber into the top four with victory against Southampton while Chelsea grabbed their first home league win under new boss Frank Lampard.

Liverpool won their seventh Premier League game out of seven to pull temporarily eight points clear ahead of Manchester City, thanks to Georginio Wijnaldumâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fortunate strike in a 1-0 victory at Sheffield United.

The European champions looked short on invention against the well-organised Blades until Wijnaldumâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s shot from the edge of the box 20 minutes from time trickled between the legs of United goalkeeper Dean Henderson.

Liverpool, who have won 16 consecutive league games, finished a single point behind champions City in the Premier League last season but are now setting a searing pace as they chase their first top-flight title since 1990. â&#x20AC;&#x153;For us it was important to win, we had unbelievably big chances,â&#x20AC;? Klopp told BT Sport. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In the first half we had two big chances and in the second one which we scored from. These games, they are not all beauties and you have to work hard for the results.â&#x20AC;?

City were under huge pressure to respond in the late kick-off at Goodison Park and took the lead through Gabriel Jesus midway through the first half.

But while Pep Guardiolaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s men were irresistible going forward, they looked shaky at the back, with makeshift centre-back Fernandinho and Nicolas Otamendi in central defence.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin equalised and both sides had further chances to score before a Riyad Mahrez free-kick and a late Raheem Sterling goal sealed a 3-1 victory, which kept City five points behind Liverpool.

Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino recalled his big guns for the 2-1 victory against Southampton at home, making 11 changes from the side that suffered a shock League Cup loss at Colchester in midweek.

Spurs had won just two of their opening eight games in all competitions before yesterday and looked in deep trouble when they were reduced to 10 men.

Tanguy Ndombele fired the home side ahead in the 24th minute but they suffered a blow when Serge Aurier was sent off after half an hour for two yellow cards.

Hugo Lloris then gifted Southampton an equaliser with a goalkeeping howler, Danny Ings dispossessing the Frenchman in his six-yard box and forcing the ball home before Harry Kane restored the home sideâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lead shortly before half-time.

The win lifted Spurs into fourth place in the Premier League, one spot behind West Ham, who drew 2-2 away to Bournemouth after beating Manchester United last week.

Pochettino said he was proud of the spirit his side had shown, saying it was an â&#x20AC;&#x153;amazing victoryâ&#x20AC;? for his team. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Unbelievable fightback from the team, scoring the goal with 10 men and then fighting all together in the second 45 minutes, keeping a clean sheet in the second half,â&#x20AC;? he said.

Chelsea boss Lampard said his sideâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 2-0 home win against Brighton, coupled with a clean sheet, would boost his playersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; confidence.

Speaking about the crop of young players coming through, he told the BBC: â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is great for the club and a long time coming.

Independence Day Golf: IBB Club Hosts Achimota Wale Ajimotokan Sports Minister Sunday Dare, who represented President Muhammadu Buhari, played the ceremonial tee off yesterday morning during the international matchplay between IBB International Club and Country Club, Abuja and Achimota Club 1928 of Ghana.

The matchplay was organised to commemorate Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 59th Independence Day. Dare was received by the Chairman IBB Club Board of Trustees, Gen IBM Haruna (Rtd), the Captain, Mr Sola Awoyungbo and the Chairman Independence Day Tournament Planning Committee, Senator Emmanuel Anosike.

While delivering the Presidentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

felicitation message, Dare said Buhari was delighted to have the Ghanaian contingent visit Abuja. He also expressed pleasure that the partnership between the two clubs had been ongoing for almost a decade. He added that the collaboration should go beyond sports. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The fact that I am here representing the president is evidential that golf is one of the sports that will enjoy the support of government. The President is really happy with what we are doing here, as he joins you and millions of Nigerians to celebrate the Independence anniversary. In 59 years, we have gone thus far in twists and turns, but in 59 years, we can look at this country and actually say it has progressed,â&#x20AC;? Dare said.

While describing the IBB Golf as

a reputable golf club, he said the president is committed to all round sports development, Speaking to reporters, Anosike thanked President Buhari for visiting the club, by detailing the minister to represent him.

Ghana, which is led by AVM Kadiri (Rtd) is in Abuja with a contingent of 40 golfers and tennis players.

The two clubs will play the singles matches on Sunday, while the Independence Tournament will climax on October 1 with an amateur tournament. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We will have a large field on October 1, playing the shotgun, with between 12-16 golfers teeing off on every hole.

In addition, we will have friends from Uganda, Rwanda and captains of clubs from Africa are to be part of this event,â&#x20AC;?

Anosike said.

Aina: Leaving Chelsea for Torino Was Right Move Former Chelsea wing-back Ola Aina says he is loving life in Italy but admits it was not easy leaving the Blues this summer. Aina joined Serie A side, Torino on a permanent deal after impressing on loan last season. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It was tough because that is all I knew, my whole life,â&#x20AC;? said the former England youth international, who spent last season on loan in Turin before making the move permanent in a â&#x201A;Ź10m deal. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It was a hard decision, but for me, just going on the season I had last season, it was right for me to do,â&#x20AC;?

Aina told London Weekly News.

Asked whether he considered trying to break in at Chelsea because of the clubâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s transfer ban, he said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;It would cross anyoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mind. I thought about it but I wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t sure if it would be the right time for me. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I had a lot of contact with Eddie

Aina Newton (the former player who is part of Frank Lampardâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s management team but previously looked after Chelseaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s legion of on-loan players). â&#x20AC;&#x153;I spoke with Eddie at length and in detail so we both came to sort of an agreement and he wished me all the best of luck and said if I ever needed

his help, or some of the staffâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s help in future, I could always knock on their door.â&#x20AC;?

In terms of his first-team opportunities at Chelsea, the Torino player said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;When Antonio (Conte) was there, I knew I had a bit of a chance but I was still young and still had a lot to learn. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I had a good season here in Italy on loan so I was really happy to come back. They exercised their option and it was sort of a no-brainer really.â&#x20AC;?

The only consolation for Quique Sanchez Flores, who was overseeing only his second game since being reappointed as Watford boss, is that his side do not have to play City every week.

After the high of his sideâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s spirited second-half comeback to draw against Arsenal last week, this was a reminder of why they are bottom of the table, and winless so far this season.

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Price: N400

MISSILE

Lawan to the Executive

“We should try to reduce frivolous items on the recurrent expenditure list, to increase our disposition to produce, ensure judicious expenditure process and to guarantee value-for-money.” – Senate President, Ahmad Lawan on how to reform the budget circle. He spoke at the Institute of Directors Annual Conference 2019.

SIMONKOLAWOLE SIMONKOLAWOLELIVE!

simon.kolawole@thisdaylive.com, sms: 0805 500 1961

Rhapsody of Subsidies and Realities

G

od forgive me. When Yemen’s Houthi rebels hit two key oil installations in Saudi Arabia a couple of weeks ago, I was not sad. I read somewhere that oil could hit $100 as a result and the little rascal in me smiled. I was thinking of the extra revenue for Nigeria, the impact on our forex reserve position, the lifeline for the naira and the infrastructure President Muhammadu Buhari could build with the extra income. I may not be able to vouch for Buhari’s ability to speak ex tempore in a panel discussion or give a Martin Luther Kingish speech, but I can say that if he has access to good money — as others had when oil was $100 — Nigeria will become a huge construction site.

My enthusiasm slowed down almost immediately. If oil price hits $100, the landing cost of petroleum products will also go up — since we rely on fuel importation. With the pump price for petrol fixed at N145 come rain or shine, it means the subsidy bill will also go up. Currently, petrol comes in at N194 — that is a subsidy of N49 per litre. There is also a forex subsidy because fuel importers get a concessionary rate of N305/$1 — as against the “FAAC rate” of N325/$1. That is another N20 per litre. The idea is to keep fuel prices low, but this is clearly a complete distortion of economic realities. NNPC deducts subsidy at source, so we are spending unearned revenue.

In the final analysis, if crude oil prices drop, we are damned. If crude oil prices rise, we are damned. They call it Catch-22.

If oil prices go down, our revenue will drop, forex inflow will drop, and the naira will come under intense pressure. It could be devalued in response to the forex crunch and other fundamentals. When oil prices went below $30 in 2016, our economy was sent into a tailspin.

We dipped into recession — although many would argue that Buhari’s policies made a bad case worse. The crunch certainly worsened poverty, heightened inequality and, inevitably, fuelled crime in the land. It was only when oil prices started going back up that we got some relief.

Nevertheless, when oil prices go up, things only get better, not that they become good.

Our revenue will surely go up, forex inflow will improve, the naira will breathe more easily — but much of what we are gaining in revenue will be sprayed on subsidies.

In the past when oil prices went up — even as high as $147 — we did not see proportionate levels of development. It was a case of economic growth fuelled by high oil prices, not economic development, which is what really impacts on the quality of life of the people. We merely raised wasteful expenditure, embarked on fancy projects, ballooned the civil service, increased public wage bills and put the treasury on the looting mode.

Today, Nigeria’s public finance is so debilitating and dire that anyone who understands simple arithmetic could develop a heart attack. Just take a look at the 2020 federal budget proposals. We propose to spend N9.79 trillion and generate N7.64 trillion. Look at it closely. We are going to be in deficit by N2.142 trillion. We have been perpetually in deficit for decades, in any case, but it keeps growing. Of the N9.79

Buhari

trillion proposed expenditure for 2020, we will service our debts with N2.45trillion.

That is about 32% of our income! We have not stopped borrowing by the way, so our children and grandchildren have their futures well cut out for them!

It gets scarier. The personnel cost for federal ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) is N2.675 trillion. For government-owned enterprises, there is an additional N218.8 billion. Put together, that is about 38% of the budgeted revenue. Overheads will be N280.3 billion for MDAs and N146.14 billion for the enterprises. Capital expenditure — the kind of projects that we can see with our naked eyes — will be N2.05 trillion. Did you notice something? We will spend N2.675 trillion on MDAs’ personnel cost and N2.45trillion on debt servicing but a mere N2.05 trillion on capital projects! It is not as if we have any choice — we must pay salaries and service our debts. Something must suffer.

Federal government expects to earn N2.454 trillion from oil next year. Hang on. The entire projected oil revenue cannot even pay the personnel cost of the MDAs! The personnel cost is N2.675 trillion. The oil revenue has not been sufficient to pay personnel cost since 2017. Meanwhile, personnel cost will be executed 100% because workers must collect their salaries and allowances, while, from experience, there will be no enough funds for capital projects. The average funding for capital projects has been 60% in recent years — and this was only possible through more loans. Overheads, which civil servants need to function well, also suffer along with capital projects.

You must have noticed that all we have been discussing is the federal budget. By the time we go to the states, we will be depressed.

Unfortunately, every discourse in Nigeria starts and ends with the federal government. In a recent report, Bloomberg noted that Nigeria “spends four times more money subsidizing fuel than building new schools, health centers and equipping new science labs”. All the figures used were from the federal budget.

The health and education budgets of the 36 states were completely omitted. Is this an indication that we do not reckon with the states — even though they have a key role to play in the development of Nigeria?

Actually, the states are in a worse position financially. They are complaining that they cannot pay the new minimum national wage.

They are under pressure to repay the bailout they collected from the federal government in 2016. We do not analyse the budget performance in states, looking at indications such as how much was released for capital projects compared to personnel cost and how well the states are doing in terms of financing education, roads and healthcare. I suspect it would be a gory story. Truly, we are in a fiscal mess as a nation. We do not generate enough income and even what we generate is spent mostly on items that aid consumption rather than facilitate production.

How do we get out of this quagmire? You are asking the wrong person. I do not know.

On paper, all that Buhari has to do, according to experts, is get rid of the subsidies and wastes, increase the taxes and adjust the exchange rate. These measures, they argue, will free up funds and provide the ground realities the economy needs to bounce back properly. Many experts have also argued that the personnel cost should be managed within reasonable limits — meaning the government at all levels must prune the civil service, get read of deadwoods and merge some MDAs. Estimates put the population of civil servants and political officer holders at five million nationwide. Humongous!

These measures look very easy and doable on paper. However, a “simple” N1 increase in the price of petrol will send everything haywire — from transport fares to the price of garri — and possibly cause civil unrest. An increase in the prices of bread and petrol led to the fall of President Omar al-Bashir of Sudan.

The price increases were necessary but the political backlash was fatal. In 2012, President Goodluck Jonathan removed fuel subsidy in a purely technical/economic decision, but the political cost damaged his presidency.

He never recovered from the backlash and there is a sense in which we can argue that it laid the foundation for his demise.

This argument can be countered. Unlike Jonathan, Buhari is not seeking any re-election, so the political costs might not be lethal. He came to office promising to fix the economy — as well as tackle corruption and insecurity.

But he cannot fix the economy by running away from taking the hard decisions that will definitely hurt Nigerians in the short run but build a sure foundation for the future.

We are paying huge bills that we cannot afford, just to keep electricity tariffs and petrol price low in order “to protect the poor”. So we would rather pour $5 billion into fuel subsidy than fund education, infrastructure and healthcare — which are more beneficial to the poor in the real sense.

I do not envy Buhari. He has picked an Economic Advisory Council made of eminent economists that will surely recommend bitter pills to him. But Buhari, from what I can see, thinks he has the mandate of the masses and whatever policies he adopts must protect the poor. He will have to deal with one thing: that what is economically right may be politically explosive. I do not expect him to get rid of subsidies in one fell swoop — that is if he will consider that option at all. At the same time, something has to give. We have a chronic revenue crisis. The economy will be brought to its knees if things continue the way they are now — expect, of course, oil prices hit $100 and above.

And Four Other Things…

THE NO. 16 As Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo faces a political crisis, purportedly ahead of 2023, a newspaper reports that President Muhammadu Buhari is already shopping for his replacement. It says a popular south-west cleric, apparently Pastor Tunde Bakare (who was Buhari’s running mate in 2011), has been tipped to replace Osinbajo as VP. Then a video suddenly surfaces with Bakare describing himself as No. 16 “in the scheme of Nigerian politics” — next to Buhari who is “No. 15”. Social media catches fire in an instant. The only problem, though, is that the video was recorded in February 2018 and has nothing to do with Osinbajo.

But this is how fake news works. Mischief.

P&ID UPDATE If you are too busy to follow the case between Nigeria and P&ID over the arbitral award, here is your briefing. Nigeria asked for two things: leave to appeal the enforcement order granted by the London court and a stay of execution on the award itself, currently valued at $9.6 billion (interests are still accumulating). Justice Butcher granted the leave to appeal the enforcement (you do not appeal in an arbitration; you only try to set it aside). The judge also granted stay of execution (the original award has not been set aside) on the ground that we should deposit $200 million within 60 days and we must also pay $250,000 (not $250 million) as legal costs to P&ID. Stay tuned. Unfolding.

ON SOWORE Omoyele Sowore, politician, publisher and activist, is supposed to be breathing the air of freedom now after he was granted bail by a federal high court in Abuja. However, the Department of State Services (DSS) has refused to release the man it arrested on August 2 ahead of a planned nationwide #RevolutionNow protest. DSS has filed charges — significantly accusing Sowore of treason, which carries the death penalty. Now, ladies and gentlemen, I think we are beginning to take this thing too seriously. I certainly oppose Sowore saying the DSS would cease to exist after the #RevolutionNow protests, but the DSS has to start learning how to obey court orders. Simple.

SAVING SIASIA Spare a thought for Samson Siasia, the former Super Eagles player and coach. His mother, Ogere Betty, was kidnapped at her Odoni residence in Sagbama, Bayelsa state, in July. The 76-year-old woman is yet to regain her freedom because Siasia cannot meet the ransom requirement. He was able to gather some funds to send to the kidnappers, but after collecting the money, which they considered inadequate, they have been detaining his messenger.

While we were at it, he was banned from football for life by FIFA over match-fixing allegations. He needs to raise money to pay for legal costs towards upturning the ban. “I feel abandoned,” Siasia told TheCable last week. Pity.

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