With Crisis in PDP, Discordant Interests in APC, Politicians

Transcription

Osinbajo, Joseph Sanusi Disagree on Naira Devaluation
CBN: Naira stronger than dollar in purchasing power parity
Abimbola Akosile in Lagos
and James Emejo in Abuja with
agency report
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo
yesterday reaffirmed the Federal
Government position that the
country’s currency would not be
devalued in spite of pressures
to act otherwise.
But a former Central Bank of
Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Mr.
Joseph Sanusi, warned that
delaying the devaluation was
akin to “postponing the evil day.”
The different positions were
taken at a town hall meeting
that the Vice President held with
his co-tenants in Victoria Garden
City (VGC) on the Lekki-Epe axis
of Lagos, according to a News
Agency of Nigeria (NAN) report.
At the event, Osinbajo reechoed President Muhammadu
Apex bank redeploys directors
Buhari’s position, insisting that
devaluation was not on the table.
“That is the position of
government,” he said.
However, Sanusi, a VGC
resident, advised the government
to either devalue the currency
or stop the confusion between
the official and parallel market
exchange rates.
Sanusi said allowing an official
rate at N197 per dollar while
the parallel market sold for over
N300 was “distractive”.
“Naira is already devalued
and government not accepting
it is postponing the evil day,”
Sanusi said.
Sanusi, who was governor
of the apex bank between
May 29, 1999 and May 29,
2004, is the third former CBN
Continued on page 6
Military Releases New List of 100 Wanted Terrorists... Page 10
Sunday 28 February, 2016
Vol 21. No 7613
N300
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TR
UT H
& RE A S O
N
With Crisis in PDP, Discordant Interests in
APC, Politicians Realigning for New Party
Iyobosa Uwugiaren,
Olawale Olaleye,
Omololu Ogunmade and
Onyebuchi Ezeigbo
A growing number of
politicians are making moves
for a realignment of political
power in Nigeria towards a
new political party, THISDAY
has learnt. This is amid crisis
in the main opposition party,
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP),
and conflicting interests in the
ruling All Progressives Congress
(APC).
It was gathered that
discussions among politicians
from the two leading parties
towards the floating of a new
party started in earnest some
months ago, and it was fast
gathering momentum. Insiders
said the new political move had
the support of some serving
governors from both the APC
and PDP, key principal officers
of the National Assembly, and
some aggrieved political leaders
across the six geo-political zones.
A former senate president, Ken
Nnamani, is being prevailed
upon to act as the arrow-head
of the emerging party, it is
gathered.
Nnamani announced his
resignation from PDP on
February 6, saying, the party
had abandoned “the path of its
noble vision and values”. He
was elected Senate President
in 2003. In his statement titled,
“PDP, the Burden and My
Conscience,” Nnamani said
he was fed up with the state
of things in the party. But said
he was quitting “without any
iota of bitterness.”
He stated, “I do not believe I
should continue to be a member
of the PDP as it is defined
today. This is certainly not
the party I joined years ago to
help change my country. I do
not also believe that the PDP,
as it is managed today, will
provide an opportunity for me
to continue to play the politics
of principles and values, which
I set for myself as a young man
on leaving graduate school and
working for a large multinational
in the United States in the 70s
and 80s.”
Nnamani did not announce
an intention to join any political
party, but he promised to remain
politically active.
A former Senate Chief Whip,
who chose not to be named,
confirmed the emerging political
moves. He said, “Go and talk to
many political elites across the
country today, you will hear and
confirm huge frustration among
them. Nobody seems to be happy
Continued on page 6
Saraki,
Dogara
Reject
N10bn
Budget for
Official
Residences
Damilola Oyedele in Abuja
Senate President Bukola Saraki
and Speaker of the House of
Representatives, Hon. Yakubu
Dogara, have rejected the
N10 billion estimate for their
official residences in the 2016
budget proposal of the Federal
Capital Territory Administration
(FCTA).
The FCTA had proposed
Continued on page 6
A
BUHARI IN QATAR
President Muhammadu Buhari (left) received by Qatar Minister of Energy and Industry, Dr Mohammed Bin Saleh Al-Sada,
at the Emiri Diwan Wing of Hamad International Airport, Doha ...yesterday
WEEKLY PULL-OUT
28.02.2016
SLIDING DOWN THE
ENTERTAINMENT SLOPE
2
SUNDAY FEBRUARY 28, 2016 T H I S D AY
T H I S D AY SUNDAY FEBRUARY 28, 2016
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SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2016 • T H I S D AY T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R
PAGE SIX
OSINBAJO, JOSEPH SANUSI DISAGREE ON NAIRA DEVALUATION
governor that would speak-out
on government’s economic policy
as it affects devaluation and
foreign exchange rate.
Last October, former CBN
Governor, now Emir of Kano,
Lamido Sanusi, had called on
government to devalue the naira
and warned that Africa’s biggest
economy was in danger of a longterm slump unless government
confronts slowing growth.
“Let’s stop being in denial, we
cannot artificially hold up the
currency,” Sanusi had counseled,
and noted that President Buhari
“needs help on the economy.”
His predecessor in office,
Professor Charles Soludo, in
his appraisal of the state of
the economy last November,
had also said the politics of
naira devaluation and CBN’s
promotion of fixed exchange rate
was not good for the economy,
and warned that “The economy
has always done worse in fixed
exchange rate regime. Capital
will fly out. Such policies do
more harm than good. Capital
flight in a country that is in dire
need of capital is bad. Private
capital is on the run.”
Reiterating government’s
position yesterday, Osinbajo
said CBN will operate in line
with the speech delivered by
President Buhari after he was
elected to come up with flexible
exchange rate to be supported
by strong monetary policies.
He said the foreign exchange
policy of government was to
stop unnecessary consumption
of imported goods and promote
local manufacturing.
Osinbajo also said government
met a falling revenue profile in
May 2015, which was down by
about 70 per cent compared to
the same period of the preceding
year.
He also said in spite of the
high cost of about $22 to produce
a barrel of crude oil, now selling
at about $33 dollars, no fewer
than 38 per cent of the foreign
reserve was spent on importing
petroleum products.
The Vice President said the
previous administration was
spending about N20 billion
on food importations annually,
which reduced the nation’s
foreign reserve drastically from
about $40 billion to about $25
billion.
As a result, he said, the current
administration was bent on
diversifying the economy from
crude oil to agriculture and solid
minerals production.
Osinbajo said the focus on
agriculture was to make Nigeria
self-sufficient in rice, poultry and
palm oil production as well as
develop the entire agriculture
value chain to create wealth
and jobs for the teeming youth.
The vice president further
stated that the current
administration targets 2018
for complete reliance on refined
petroleum products, adding that
the petrochemical industry,
railway infrastructure and
provision of other infrastructure
were atop the priority of the
federal government.
He told the VGC community
that the major areas of focus
of the Buhari administration
were security, governance,
anti-corruption and economic
rejuvenation.
According to him, Boko
Haram insurgency had been
degraded as a “military might”
although pockets of suicide
bombings still take place.
“This is a challenge we
must tackle going forward
but the other challenge is the
over 2 million people displaced
by insurgency who need
resettlement,” he added.
He said the idea was to resettle the people back to their
farming occupation first, but that
would be after the entire Northeast land had been de-mined.
He restated that in governance,
corruption was a critical issue
because “the whole system, both
public and private, is replete with
corruption which has become the
rule rather than the exception.
He recalled the armed
purchase scandal “where a huge
amount of money was spent but
unfortunately it went into private
pockets.”
He recounted that fake
Armoured Personnel Carriers
(APCs) and fake bullet-proof
vests were purchased for soldiers
thus endangering the lives of antiterrorism combatants. “Unless
we seriously fight corruption
through a systematic rebirth of
our public system, the future of
the country is in grave danger,”
Osinbajo said.
He said the administration
had a robust plan to uplift
education standards through
the recruitment of 500,000
additional graduate teachers
to serve in the rural areas,
development of materials for
teacher education and focus on
science, engineering, technology
and mathematics education.
He said Buhari had put
together an asset recovery
team, adding that looted assets
and funds recovered would
be returned to the federation
account.
Osinbajo also announced that
all idle mining licences issued
by the past administrations were
being mopped up, while the
government was reviewing the
contract signed between the CBN
and Systemspec on remittances
made into the Treasury Single
Account (TSA).
Meanwhile, despite the
volatility in the value of the naira
as measured against the United
States dollar, CBN yesterday
said the national currency was
stronger than the greenback as
far as the purchasing power
parity of the two currencies is
concerned.
The CBN Deputy Governor,
Financial System Stability, Mr.
Joseph Nnanna, who spoke with
THISDAY, noted that the position
of the local currency in relation
to the dollar might not be as
bad as it is currently painted
in some quarters when viewed
in the light of the purchasing
power parity, which offers a “true
determination of the value of a
currency.”
The purchasing power parity
(PPP) compares two currencies
in different countries based on
the price of similar goods.
Nnanna expressed dismay that
Nigerians had apparently taken a
position against the naira pointing
out that the current volatility
in foreign exchange was largely
induced by speculative activities.
"You would agree that N100
could buy more items than $1
would buy in America," he said.
Giving an analogy to buttress
his point, he said:"With N100,
you can buy maybe two corns
and this is a corn season, but
with $1, you can't buy a corn in
America. So in that comparison,
which is the stronger currency?
The money that can buy two
corns or the one that cannot
buy a single corn.
According to him, "We can buy
two corns for N100 now because
this is their harvest season and
corn is available. If our people
didn't go to farm to plant corn,
can we have corn to buy? If corn
is off season, N100 will not buy
you a corn, it will become more
expensive.
"I just brought this illustration
to tell you that a country's
currency is a measurement of
the total productivity of that
country. If we don't produce,
there's no way our currency can
be strong and unfortunately for
Nigeria, we produce what we do
not consume and we consume
what we do not produce."
" That's why everybody is
looking for dollars to import
from abroad and when you
WITH CRISIS IN PDP, DISCORDANT INTERESTS IN APC, POLITICIANS REALIGNING FOR NEW
PARTY
with what is happening in the
APC and the PDP. And some of
us have come to a conclusion
that there is urgent need to have
a new and credible platform to
save this country.
“You will be shocked to
know that the agitation for a
new political platform is more
pronounced in the North, in spite
of the fact that we currently
have a sitting president from
the North. It shows how
frustrated people are in the
country today.”
Another enthusiast of the
emerging political grouping,
who is a prominent leader of
APC, also told THISDAY in
confidence, “The hope that things
will change for the better, with
President Muhammadu Buhari
in power, is being dashed by the
day. As I speak with you today,
the soul of the APC is gone.
Go to the national secretariat of
the party, they will tell you.”
It was learnt that some
desperate efforts recently by
concerned leaders of APC
to iron out things among
themselves were frustrated
by the political hawks around
Buhari, who are already
strategising for 2019.
“What you are likely to
have in the coming months
is a congregation of old PDP
members in the APC pulling out
to form a formidable political
party with some progressiveminded members of the present
PDP,” the APC leader said last
night in Abuja.
The special caucus meeting
held last week by APC was said
to be part of the measures to
halt the tide of disenchantment,
which promises to seriously
threaten the ruling party. Very
little was achieved by the
meeting following the absence
of President Muhammadu
Buhari, who was unavoidably
absent. But another meeting
is being contemplated for this
week, where aggrieved APC
members would be expected to
table their grievances before the
party and the government.
Many APC members are said
to be calling for the removal
of the national chairman, John
Odigie-Oyegun, citing poor
leadership. It is suspected that
the replacement for OdigieOyegun would come from the
North as part of a grand plan to
put the president in a position
of comfort as far as party
administration is concerned.
But that is expected to meet
with resistance, as party leaders
from other parts of the country
are likely to oppose the idea.
Generally, many leaders of the
party are said to be unhappy
with the current status of the
party and the government,
having been shut out of the
decision-making process, despite
their commitment to the success
of the party.
One of the problems believed
to be delaying the manifestation
of the idea of a new party,
according to the promoters, is
the question of the personality
around which the party will be
built. They want a personality
that would sell, like Buhari did,
for the APC.
Indications of how the
politicians are readjusting
towards the eventual formation
of a new party are clearer in
PDP. The party has lurched from
one crisis to the next since it
lost the general election to APC
last year. The high turnover of
PDP national chairmen since
the election is symptomatic of
the crisis within.
Adamu Muazu resigned
under pressure as PDP national
chairman on May 20 last year,
accused of leading the former
ruling party to a devastating
defeat at the polls. He was
replaced by Haliru Bello, who
was appointed acting national
chairman on May 25 last year
and was sacked on February 10
this year. Bello was succeeded
by the PDP deputy national
chairman, Uche Secondus, who
worked in acting capacity until
February 16, when he handed
over to the newly-appointed
national chairman, Ali Modu
Sheriff. Sheriff’s appointment
has been enmeshed in
controversy.
Though, PDP says it has
resolved its leadership crisis
following an agreement to let
Sheriff run the affairs of the
party for three months, until
the national convention, when a
new national leadership of the
party would be elected. There
are fears that PDP may come
out of the national convention
more divided than it went in.
This is due to the very huge
likelihood of a clash between
the PDP governors, who were
the main force behind Sheriff’s
emergence as national chairman,
and other groups and interests
in the party that had opposed
his choice.
In recent times, some
prominent PDP members have
resigned from the party without
joining other parties, in what
is seen as a strategic move
to help nurture the expected
new political platform. Besides
Nnamani, Samuel Ogbemudia
and Dalhatu Sarki Tafida have
recently left PDP, but did not
defect to other parties.
In APC, the National
Assembly has been the main
theatre of war. Senate President
Bukola Saraki and House of
Representatives Speaker Yakubu
Dogara won their positions last
June against the wish of the
party, in connivance with PDP
legislators. Sources say Saraki’s
current trial by the Code of
Conduct Bureau may prepare
the ground for the consolidation
of the moves towards a new
party. Both Saraki and Dogara
belong to a bloc within the party,
the New PDP, which believed
they needed to be compensated
for their contributions to the
victory of APC.
do that, importing from abroad,
you are actually exporting jobs
and creating unemployment. So
when people are saying the naira
continues to fall, what we are
saying is that our productivity
has continued to decline," he
added.
According to him, "at the
moment, the exchange rate you
see in the parallel market is due
to speculations. Nigerians are
taking position against their own
currency which is unfortunate.
If you look at the purchasing
power parity, which is a true
determination of the value of a
currency, you would agree that
N100 could buy more items than
$1 would buy in America."
On the high rate of the dollar
at the parallel market due to
shortage at the official window,
the CBN deputy governor
said:"Yes, it is a good issue but
the dollar is scarce, we don't use
dollar in Nigeria, we use the
naira-Is naira scarce? Naira is not
scarce; the reason why they are
looking for the dollar is because
they want to import, they are
importing the things we don't
have; but those things they are
importing are the things we can
produce.
"I go back to my first analysis
that a currency is as strong as
the GDP of that country; so if
we can produce locally, we don't
need the dollar but because we
are not producing, that's why
people need the dollar to import."
Asked if they would not be
forced to consider a devaluation
of the current and review its
policy on the 41 items banned
from accessing forex from the
official window, Nnanna said:"We
do not see any need to devalue
the naira as of now."
He added:"If the time to
devalue the naira comes, we
would do so but for now,
there's no reason for that. At
the so-called parallel market or
black market, where they are
selling a dollar at N375, how
many people are patronising the
market? Are they smugglers? Are
they people, who want to take
away money from the country?
If you make your money in a
genuine way, will you truly
spend N375 for $1?"
Continuing, he said:"We didn't
ban any item; This CBN you
see here has no power under
the constitution or the laws of
central bank to ban any item.
All what we said is simple: we
don't have dollars, so these items
like toothpick, textiles, eggs that
we can produce in Nigeria-we
don't have dollars to give to you
to import them.
According to him, “If you
want to use toothpick...If you
want to eat egg, go to the poultry
and buy egg, our egg is also
good, if you want to eat rice,
please go to Nasarawa State,
go to Ebonyi State, go to Kebbi
State, they have rice. That's what
we are saying but if you have
your own dollar and you want
to bring those goods, we clap
for you and say go and bring
them but with your own dollar."
Meanwhile,
the
naira
appreciated to N320 against the
dollar at the parallel market last
Friday, higher than the N330 to
a dollar it recorded the previous
day. However, a shakeup has
occurred at the CBN with the
portfolios of some directors
reshuffled.
According to sources within
the CBN, Mr. Edward Adamu,
has taken charge as the new
Director of Human Resources
while Olasukanmi Gbadamosi is
now Director, Legal Department.
Besides, Dr. Alvan Ikoku has
emerged the new Director, the
Trade & Exchange Department
(TED). Chizoba Mojekwu is
now in charge of the Capacity
Development Department, which
takes care of the International
Training Institute (ITI) Learning
Centre.
Also affected in the
redeployment
exercise
was Director of Corporate
Communications,
Ibrahim
Muazu, who has now
been posted to the Strategy
Management
Department
(SMD).
THISDAY however gathered
at the apex bank yesterday that
though the development could
not be refuted, there had not
been any official statement on
the deployment.
Muazu, in a telephone
interview, said a formal
communication would be
made next week to provide a
clear picture. No replacement
had however, been announced
for a new spokesperson for the
apex bank.
SARAKI, DOGARA REJECT N10BN BUDGET FOR
OFFICIAL RESIDENCES
N6 billion for the residence
of the Senate President and N4
billion for that of the Speaker.
While Speaker Dogara
currently resides in a rented
apartment, Senator Saraki was
living in his personal house
in Maitama until late last year
when a fire incident forced
him to move into an official
guest house.
THISDAY however gathered
that Saraki and Dogara have
rejected the huge figure in the
budget proposal. Their position
on the issue was premised on
the fact that it was too high
considering the state of the
national economy and that
such proposal would create
the impression that they were
insensitive to the state of the
nation.
The two presiding officers
were said to have agreed that
the cost of the buildings should
be reduced to N1billion each,
thereby saving the country the
sum of N8billion. Already
their position have been
communicated to the chairmen
of the Committee on FCT in
both chambers.
"Yes, they feel the budget is
too high at this time when the
economy is yet to be revived,"
a source told THISDAY.
The source added that
Saraki and Dogara were
also conscious of the need
to be recognized as a propeople parliament, and not
accommodate ostentatious
spending.
"People
would
not
remember that the residences
do not belong to the Senate
President and the Speaker.
True, the residences are to be
occupied by whoever holds
these offices, but if they allow
it, with the current state of
the economy, that would be
considered insensitive," the
source added.
It was gathered that
the position of the Senate
President on the issue had
been reflected in the report
submitted by the Senate
Committee on FCT to the
Appropriation Committee.
7
8
FEBRUARY 28, 2016 • T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R
SUNDAY COMMENT
Editor, Editorial Page PETER ISHAKA
Email peter.ishaka@thisdaylive.com
WHEN MONARCHS BECOME ENDANGERED SPECIES
W
The security agencies could do more in curbing the crime of kidnapping
hen the Niger Delta militants
kidnapped a few expatriate oil
workers in the creeks in 2005
to protest the negligence of the
region by successive governments at the centre, little did
anyone imagine that in just 10
years, the act would become a
menacing career for criminals. That exactly is what
has happened. Across the land, the act of kidnapping
for ransom has become a growing industry such that
hardly a day passes without the report of one kidnap
or the other.
However, in recent times, the kidnap of traditional rulers has become
the latest attraction
for these criminals.
On January 21 this
year, the body of an
Obulu Uku monarch
in Aniocha North
Local Government
Area of Delta State,
HRM Obi Akaeze
Ofulue111, was
found in a thick bush
somewhere around
Edo State. He was
52. The monarch had
been kidnapped on
January 5 along Obio/
Igbodo road, within
his Kingdom. Some
Fulani herdsmen were
reported to have been
arrested in connection
with the kidnap and
eventual murder of
the king.
The list of
endangered monarchs
is long. On January 29, the traditional ruler of
Olomoro community, in Isoko-South Local Government Area, HRM Isaiah Aghaza 1 was kidnapped
and whisked away by some men in an SUV car. Few
days after, kidnappers again struck in Imo State
when the monarch of Nguru Nweafor community
in Aboh-Mbaise Local Government Area, HRM
Oswald Anyanwu, was abducted.
The monarchs, perhaps unsure of any other
With the
increasing
sophistication
of value added
services
offered by
communication
networks
especially the
tracking system,
we wonder why it
is difficult for the
police to monitor
the calls being
made by these
criminals during
negotiations for
ransom
Letters to the Editor
O
ver the years, there have
been heart-rendering
epistles on how various
past government have
plundered the bounty of
our polity. Hence, the debate of ‘who will
bell the cat?’ comes to the fore. The hash
tag, #Dasukigate has gone viral. Permit me
to quickly add- #Tompologate. Of note, the
suffix ‘gate’ is associated with every major
political scandal across the globe, but of
recent, has gained prominence in Nigeria.
Before 1972, the word “Watergate” was
known as a luxurious apartment complex
in Washington, D.C. but, in the summer of
that year, it became associated with one of
the greatest political scandals in history.
No gainsaying that law is amoral!
However, stricto sensu, can we delineate
justice from morality, especially when
one considers trite principles. A cursory
look at the current economic downturn
official means of enforcing their will, resorted to
using unorthodox means in getting their colleagues
released. Now traditional rulers, like ordinary
mortals, literally live in fear. Yet in all cases, the
police appear helpless. The governing mercantile
logic among the kidnappers must be that the abduction of monarchs is bound to attract huge attention
and sympathy, which could in turn translate to
heftier ransoms from the monarch’s subjects.
T
S U N DAY N E W S PA P E R
EDITOR TOKUNBO ADEDOJA
DEPUTY EDITORS FESTUS AKANBI, VINCENT OBIA
MANAGING DIRECTOR ENIOLA BELLO
DEPUTY MANAGING DIRECTOR KAYODE KOMOLAFE
CHAIRMAN EDITORIAL BOARD OLUSEGUN ADENIYI
EDITOR NATION’S CAPITAL IYOBOSA UWUGIAREN
T H I S DAY N E W S PA P E R S L I M I T E D
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF/CHAIRMAN NDUKA OBAIGBENA
GROUP EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS ENIOLA BELLO, KAYODE KOMOLAFE,
ISRAEL IWEGBU, EMMANUEL EFENI, IJEOMA NWOGWUGWU
GROUP FINANCE DIRECTOR OLUFEMI ABOROWA
DIVISIONAL DIRECTORS PETER IWEGBU, FIDELIS ELEMA,
MBAYILAN ANDOAKA, ANTHONY OGEDENGBE
DEPUTY DIVISIONAL DIRECTOR OJOGUN VICTOR DANBOYI
SNR. ASSOCIATE DIRECTORS ERIC OJEH
ASSOCIATE DIRECTORS HENRY NWACHOKOR, SAHEED ADEYEMO
CONTROLLERS ABIMBOLA TAIWO, UCHENNA DIBIAGWU, NDUKA MOSERI
GENERAL MANAGER PATRICK EIMIUHI
GROUP HEAD FEMI TOLUFASHE
ART DIRECTOR OCHI OGBUAKU II
DIRECTOR, PRINTING PRODUCTION CHUKS ONWUDINJO
TO SEND EMAIL: first name.surname@thisdaylive.com
hat traditional rulers who ordinarily are
the custodians of traditional values and
norms have become easy prey for kidnappers is an indication of how low society
has lost its values and essence. But it is
also a testimony to the increasing sophistication of
these criminals that they could easily get to these
royal fathers who are never alone. But more worrisome is that too often, even when the security agencies are involved in the rescue bids of kidnapped
persons, ransoms are still paid, after which the
victims are then abandoned by their abductors for
law enforcement agents to “rescue and recover”.
We worry about the ease at which kidnappers
operate in our country today. We worry even more
that they now target traditional authorities. With
the increasing sophistication of valued added services offered by communication networks especially
the tracking system, we wonder why it is difficult
for the police to monitor the calls being made by
these criminals during negotiations for ransom.
But whatever may be the case, we call on security
agents to redouble their efforts in dealing with this
dangerous trend that is fast turning our country
into a huge jungle.
We must, however, highlight the fact that our
various communities have a critical role to play in
tackling this problem. Kidnappers are not ghosts.
They are human beings and they live within communities. Now that traditional rulers have become
targets, members of our various communities must
realise they have a critical role to play in providing
useful information to security agencies that should
also begin to act with despatch. They must act and
in time in all cases. Above all, we call on government at all levels to begin to address social issues
like unemployment and poverty which help to feed
this crime. With ransom being paid for victims,
kidnapping now seems to be a serious vocation for
some idle hands.
TO OUR READERS
Letters in response to specific publications in THISDAY should be brief (150-200 words) and straight to the point. Interested readers may send such letters along with their contact
details to opinion@thisdaylive.com. We also welcome comments and opinions on topical local, national and international issues provided they are well-written and should also not be
longer than (950- 1000 words). They should be sent to opinion@thisdaylive.com along with the email address and phone numbers of the writer.
TOMPOLO, EFCC AND THE LAW
in our fatherland can only be examined
from the lens of the menace - ‘corruption’, a clog in the wheel of our nation’s
caravan ride to ‘the land flowing with
milk and honey’.
As events unravel, Nigerians are
patiently watching the drama being
played out in the matter brought by the
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) against former General
Officer Commanding for the Movement
for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta
(MEND) Government Ekpumupolo,
alias Tompolo. Remarkably, EFCC had
filed different charges against Tompolo, including diversion of N34 billion
belonging to the Nigerian Maritime and
Safety Agency (NIMASA) to personal
use and laundering of N22.6 billion.
The matter is currently before Justice
Buba of the Federal High Court, Lagos.
Tompolo had through his media adviser
and consultant, Mr. Paul Bebenimibo
given a hint of his readiness to appear
before the court “at the appropriate time”.
Thereafter, he had unsuccessfully applied
to the court seeking to quash the bench
warrant issued against him, only to
have his arrest warrant renewed. Upon
the issue of a bench warrant against
Tompolo, he is definitely compelled to
speak to the alleged lies and simulation
of grand self-importance of EFCC.
The Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission (EFCC) had declared
him wanted for failing to honour the
summons of the court over his role in
alleged financial misappropriation at the
Nigerian Maritime Administration and
Safety Agency (NIMASA). The honourable court recently granted the request of
the anti-graft agency to freeze his assets.
Tompolo has emphatically denied reports
that he plans to blow up oil pipelines over
the deployment of troops in the Niger
Delta. In order that the virgin delicacy,
justice is not simply savoured, but its
aroma also convinces bystanders of its
worthiness, the Temple of Justice should
never be hesitant to employ the law as
a bulldozer pulling down the Tower of
Babel challenging her supremacy.
In a similar vein, former President
Goodluck Jonathan had recently revealed
that he would speak on the allegations
that his government abused funds
meant for the procurement of arms,
called #Dasukigate, when the time is
appropriate. But when will the time be
appropriate for Jonathan and Tompolo to
do the needful?
Shouldn’t Jonathan ‘speak now or
forever remain silent while we await
the lion to leave the jungle for the city?
That, for many, will be demonstrative
of quintessential sportsmanship, which
had won him global acclamation. But
we do hope it won’t be too late by the
time he decides to let the cat out of the
bag, considering that he has charisma
but not immunity from prosecution.
A hindrance to Jonathan’s prosecution
would be the plausible argument that
President Buhari-led federal government
has turned the anti- corruption fight as a
witch-hunt on PDP leaders. Of note, the
ill-luck of Goodluck is contagious and
so his allies, like Tompolo have become
casualties. Only time will reveal, the
anticlimax of this! Looking at the clock,
it seems to us that their hands are not
moving. Their fingers are intertwined.
Nevertheless, let’s keep our fingers
crossed. Like dialectics teaches, tempus
fugit! Time, no doubt is the indisputable
barometer with which the destiny of
mortals is measured.
Michael O. Ogunjobi, Lagos
9
10
T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R • FEBRUARY 28, 2016
SUNDAYNEWS
News Editor Abimbola Akosile
E-mail: abimbola.akosile@thisdaylive.com, 08023117639 (sms only)
2016 UTME: JAMB Gives
Pass Mark for Conduct
– As hitches threaten exercise
Emmanuel Ugwu in Umuahia
and Funmi Ogundare
PROMOTING
INITIATIVE
L-R: CEO, Nigeria Leadership Initiative (NLI), Dr. Yinka Oyinlola; Chairman Heirs Holdings and UBA Plc, Tony O. Elumelu, CON; and Fellow
NLI & Partner, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Taiwo Oyedele, at a Q & A session with Elumelu hosted by The Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF) - in
conjunction with NLI in Lagos...yesterday
Four Inactive Power
Plants Back on Stream
Chineme Okafor in Abuja
Four Independent Power
Plants (IPPs), which belong
to the governments of Rivers and Akwa Ibom States
but were partly inactive for
a long time, have come back
on stream and now generate
a cumulative average of 96.04
megawatts (MW) of electricity into the national grid.
THISDAY
gathered
yesterday from sources at
the National Control Centre
(NCC) in Osogbo that in the
last two weeks, the gas power stations: 3x12MW Trans
Amadi gas turbine power
station, 4x25MW Omoku gas
turbine power station and
150MW Rivers IPP, as well
as 90MW Ibom IPP have all
been generating electricity
into the grid.
The development was
further confirmed by the
Managing
Director
of
System Operation/Market
Operation, a subsidiary of
the Transmission Company
of Nigeria (TCN), Mr. Dipak
Sarma. He said the development was true, and that the
plants now generate into the
national grid.
Sarma, however, referred
the paper to the NCC, from
where it was gathered that
22.29MW has in the last few
weeks come from Omoku
on the average, while Trans
Amadi generates on the
average, 20.73MW and Rivers IPP, 28.02MW. The Ibom
IPP contributes an average of
25MW into the grid.
“It is a positive thing in
the grid. There are three generating stations that have not
been producing for a long
time now but have started
generating now.
“They are all in River
State: Omoku, Trans Amadi
and then Rivers IPP. For a
very long time they have not
been producing but recently
they started producing
and contributing into the
national grid. 22. 29MW
from Omoku, Trans Amadi
is 20.73MW and Rivers IPP
28.02MW, that is what has
been happening,” said the
NCC source.
The source further said:
“This is an average production from them in the last
two weeks. And Akwa Ibom
is also 25MW now and they
are all contributing. However, Rivers IPP was producing
as much as 140MW earlier in
the month but them generation went down. It would be
nice to confirm from them
the reason for that drop.”
On-grid power generation
from the daily report of the
System Operations showed
that as at 6pm Friday, the
country’s power plants generated up to 3,869.6MW for
distribution to the 11 electricity distribution companies
(Discos).
The
report
further
showed that the generated
power was allocated to the
11 Discos in the ratio: Ikeja
Disco – 370.89MW, Abuja –
284.35MW, Eko – 271.99MW,
Benin – 222.53MW and Enugu – 222.53MW. Others were
321.44MW for Ibadan Disco,
135.99MW for Jos, 197.81MW
for Kano, 197.81MW for
Kaduna, 160.72MW for Port
Harcourt and 86.54MW for
Yola.
Meanwhile, the Kano
Disco has appealed to its customers in its franchise area to
exercise some patience over
the further drop in power
generation, claiming that allocation to it has gone down
to 84MW.
The Disco said in a statement that at the current
generation profile, it is getting an average supply of
80-90MW. Its Chief Technical
Officer, David Omoloye, said
in the statement that it was a
helpless situation from poor
gas supply to generation
companies.
Military Releases New List of 100 Wanted Terrorists
• Unveils combat motorbike battalion
Michael Olugbode and
Senator Iroegbu
The Nigeria Army yesterday established a motorbike battalion to give teeth
to its counter-insurgency
war in the North-east.
The Army also released
another list of 100 suspected members of the terrorist
sect, Boko Haram, wanted
for various act of terrorism
in the country, even as one
of the major roads leading
to Maiduguri, MaiduguriDamboa-Biu road closed
to traffic for over two years
was opened.
The Army had late last
year published the first set
of 100 suspected members
of the terrorist sect, Boko
Haram wanted by the Nigerian state.
The Chief of Army Staff
(CoAS), Lt. Gen. Tukur
Buratai who launched
the Motorbike Battalion
of the Nigeria Army at
the 25 Task Force Brigade,
Damboa, Borno State
said the decision for the
introduction of the combat
motorbike is to ensure that
“our roads are safe.”
He said the combat
motorbike would ensure a
force multiplier effect and
give the military an edge
in the ongoing counter-insurgency war in the Northeast. He said with the
introduction of the combat
motorbike “our troops will
be able to pursue the Boko
Haram anywhere.”
He added that “the
reach of the motorbike
will be very important and
TheJointAdmissionandMatriculation Board (JAMB), at the weekend,
kicked-off the conduct of its 2016
Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination across the country and
eight other foreign countries.
Thisisasvarioushitchesmarred
the exercise across the country, from
reports from different centres and
locations.
The board had explained that
the examination, which has been
divided into two splits, is expected
to last not more than 14 days starting from February 27 and that a
total number of 1,589,175 candidates
applied for it, which included 201
visually impaired persons.
The Registrar, Prof. Dibu Ojerinde said it was the first examination
it would be conducting under the
presence administration, and that
the board after the closure of registration had to reopen its portal for
candidates who couldn’t complete
the process of the 2016 registration
to do so.
According to him, “the board
wants to use this opportunity to
clearly state that the federal ministry
of education and JAMB will not be
doing this again and prospective
future candidates should take note
as registration will close as indicated
on our advertisement.”
He said the 180 cut-off point is
a minimum requirement and not
an indication that one is admissible,
adding that other factors, criteria of
admissions will also follow in arriving at what constitute admissible
cut-off point.
Emphasising on incidence of examination malpractices and other
related offences, the Registrar said
the board would continue to use the
biometric verification machine to
verify candidates before admitting
them for the examination.
THISDAY monitored some
of the centres in Lagos, where the
UTME kicked-off between 11 am
and 12noon. The conduct of this
year’s examination went without
hitches but for some candidates
who did not print out the right
e-registration slips containing their
Buhari Seeks Better Conditions for
Nigerian Pilgrims in Saudi Arabia
Tobi Soniyi in Abuja
will ensure that we can
improve on our successes.”
On the reopened road,
Buratai said: “The road
from Maiduguri through
Damboa to Biu is now
opened for motorists. The
safety on this road is in
care of the Brigade Commander of 25 Task Force
Brigade. I do not want to
hear any attack on this
road; motorists plying this
road must be safe.”
The CoAS appealed to
the public to come out with
information that would
assist in the arrest of terrorists, adding that many
terrorists in the first list of
100 wanted were identified
and arrested.
He said the new list of
100 suspected terrorists
is for the members of the
public to identify and report their whereabouts so
that they could be brought
to justice. He said: “The
hundred Boko Haram
members declared wanted
have their faces on the
poster. The members of the
public should look at the
poster very well and report
appropriately.”
On the reopened Maiduguri-Damboa-Biu road,
Secretary of Borno State
Chapter of the National
Union of Road Transport
Workers (NURTW), Alhaji
Adamu Musa, expressed
appreciation to the CoAS
for making it a reality. He
however called for between
20 and 30 checkpoints on
the road in order to check
against the threat of the
terrorist sect.
centre/registrationnumbers,aswell
as temporary network problem.
Some of the centres where the
examination took place in Lagos
include Yaba College of Technology (YabaTech), West Midland
Communication Limited, Ikeja,
Electronic Test Centre (Etc), and in
JKK on Ikorodu road.
At, JKK, the JAMB supervisor,
Mrs. Fatima Mohammed said 295
out of 300 candidates assigned to
the centre reported early for the examination, adding that there were
no problems with the biometric
machine, technical equipment and
no late coming on the part of the
candidates.
At the Yabatech centre, the
Coordinator of the board’s national
headquarters, Lagos annex, Dr.
Beatrice Okorie said out of the 180
candidates assigned to the centre,
only one was absent. She however
noted that some of the candidates
flouted the rule that they should not
come to the centre with any item
other than their slips and biros.
While only one session of the
examination held at the weekend,
Okorie said there would be two
or three sessions daily in various
centres for the 14-day duration of
the examination, adding that out
of the 30 split centres, 23 split two
centres will start conducting their
examinations from March 7.
Meanwhile, more than 40
travelers were yesterday arrested
and convicted by a mobile court at
Uzuakoli in Bende local government of Abia state for failing to observe the monthly environmental
sanitation exercise.
It was gathered that the defaulters were going for a funeral ceremony when they were nabbed by
security agents, who immediately
arraigned them before a mobile
court presided over by a magistrate.
The convicted sanitation
defaulters were fined between N1,
000 and N5, 000 each. According to
eye witnesses, students who were
among the arrested defaulters were
treated as “minors” and discharged
without any fine while one of the
drivers was handed three months
prison term with an option of
N10,000 fine.
Following the completion of
talks with rulers of the Saudi
Arabian Kingdom, President
Muhammadu Buhari has
directed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the National
Hajj Commission, NAHCON
to sit down with the Saudis to
negotiate improved terms
and conditions for Nigerian pilgrims performing the
Umrah and the annual Hajj.
A statement issued yesterday by the Special Assistant
to the President on Media
and Publicity, Mr. Garba Shehu said the president issued
the directive after the Saudi
authorities accepted to freely
and openly discuss outstanding issues with Nigeria.
Buhari, among other
things, requested the Saudis
to conclude all issues with the
Nigerian Hajj Commission,
such as the undetermined
outcome of their investigation
into the stampede at Muna
last year, where 274 Nigerians
reportedly lost their lives.
There is also the case
of compensation for six
Nigerians killed in the crane
incident in the precincts of
the Kaaba and 35 others from
the stampede whose DNA
profile is feared to be missing.
Buhari equally charged
the ministry and NAHCON
to seek a reduction of fees
associated with the Umrah
Visa.
Among the 17 issues
discussed at the initial meeting between the officials of
both countries, Nigeria appreciated the increase in the
number of Nigerians entitled
to attend Umrah pilgrimage
but asked that the 76,000 seats
maintained for the Hajj be
similarly increased.
11
NEWS
FORMIDABLE
TEAM
L-R: Special Adviser (SA) to Bayelsa State Governor on Media Relations, Mr. Francis Agbo; Governor
Seriake Dickson; Deputy Governor, Rear Admiral Gboribiogha John Jonah (rtd); SA to the Governor on
Security, Boma Spero-Jack, and the SA on Treasury, Revenue and Accounts, Timipre Seipulou, during the
swearing-in of the three SAs at Government House, Yenagoa...recently
TAKING
STOCK
L-R: Managing Director/CEO, Nigerian Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO), Norbert Bielderman; Chief
Executive Officer, Nigeria Stock Exchange (NSE), Oscar Onyema; and Chairman, NAHCO Plc, Suleiman Yahyah,
at the stock exchange, Lagos...recently
Buhari: Nigerian Universities Should
be Repositories of Quality Education
• As Tinubu, Aloma Muktar, Ekwueme bag honorary degrees
Paul Obi in Abuja
Visitor to University of Abuja,
President Muhammadu Buhari
yesterday urged Nigerian
Universities to be repositories of
quality education and reliable
academic staff members.
The president explained that
adequate facilities for capacity
building have been provided
for the academicians through
the Tertiary Education Trust
Fund (TETFund) and Needs
Assessment Presidential Revitalisation Fund to make them
more relevant to the needs of
the society where they operate.
He said: “The universities
should be repositories of vibrant
and cost effective solutions for
the private sectors, but only the
right steps can secure the best
relationships in this regard. You
must develop a more labour
relevant curriculum.”
At the joint convocation of
the University of Abuja, the Visitor, represented by the Director
Tertiary, Federal Ministry of
Education, Hajia Abdullahi
Hindatu, said prevailing economic realities in the country
also behooves the academic
staff members to develop cost-
effective solutions for the private
and public sectors to move the
country out of the woods.
Meanwhile, authorities of
the University of Abuja, broke
a seven-year jinx, graduating
over 25,000 students in various
academic disciplines, spanning
social sciences, arts, engineering, and education among
others.
However, while there have
been a growing number of first
class students churned out from
public and private Universities,
only eight first class (Honours)
degree holders were harvested
within the seven-year period
from UniAbuja.
Another 2,324 undergraduates bagged Second
Class Upper Division. Of the
total 25,875 graduants, former
Vice President, Alex Ekwueme;
former Governor of Lagos State,
Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu;
two former Chief Justices of
Nigeria, Justice Maryam Aloma
Muktar and Justice Idris Kutigi
bagged honoris causa.
Deputy Senate President,
Senator Ike Ekweremadu and
Senator Abdulfati Buhari, who
chairs Senate Committee on
ICT and Cyber Crime bagged
Ph.Ds.
Also Vice Chancellor of the
University, Prof. Micheal Adikwu stunned the graduants and
participants when he advised
them not to go about looking for
white-collar jobs as there was
none in existence.
He said the harsh economic
realities had eroded such prospects, noting that they must
plow back their academic
resources into becoming selfreliant, and contribute to the
over-all growth of the nation.
His words, “It is important
for you to appreciate that many
of you are going into the job
market when the nation is faced
with serious challenges in both
the economic and social sectors
of the society with equally serious demands on the citizens.
“I urge you to use your
personal initiatives and seize
the opportunities that still
abound in the country to be self
employed. This is a sure way to
pull ourselves out of the present
economic down-turn which the
unfavourable global economic
situation has forced on us”, he
added.
Honoris causa recipient, Tinubu who responded on behalf
of other recipients said the need
for fundamental restructuring
both politically and economically necessitated the current
administration of President
Buhari.
He said the government was
committed to lifting of 20 per
cent of Nigerians out of poverty
within the first four years of this
administration.
“While confronting multiple
major challenges, I believe this
government has the chance and
the mission to better our society
and forge a new model for our
political economy.
We have demonstrated the
courage and determination
to change a non-performing
government through a democratic election. This electoral
success has brought new challenges. These challenges are
numerous and we must brace
up and confront them. “We
dare not rest on the satisfaction
of electoral victory alone. We
must continue to strive toward
democratic governance that
can usher in a progressive era of
broad prosperity, development,
democracy and human dignity
for our people. This is our preoccupation; our desire.
Ministers Pledge to Improve Access to Vaccines at
First Conference on Immunisation in Africa
Abimbola Akosile
With one in five African children lacking access to all needed
and basic life-saving vaccines,
ministers of health and other
line ministers of countries have
committed themselves to keep
immunisation at the forefront of
efforts to reduce child mortality,
morbidity and disability.
At a landmark Ministerial
Conference on Immunisation in
Africa held from 24-25 February,
in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia the
ministers signed a declaration
to promote the use of vaccines to
protect people of all ages against
vaccine-preventable diseases
and to close the immunisation
gap by 2020.
The conference, which was
hosted by the World Health Organisation (WHO) Regional Offices for Africa (AFRO) and the
Eastern Mediterranean (EMRO)
in conjunction with the African
Union Commission (AUC), was
the first-ever ministerial-level
gathering with a singular focus
on ensuring that children across
the continent can get access to
life-saving vaccines.
“Our children are our most
precious resource, yet one in five
fail to receive all the immunisations they need to survive and
thrive, leaving millions vulnerable to preventable disease,”
said Minister of Health for
Ethiopia, H.E. Dr. Kesetebirhan
Admasu. “This is not acceptable. African children’s lives
matter. We must work together
to ensure the commitments we
make in Addis Ababa translate
into results,” Admasu added.
A new report issued at the
conference paints a mixed picture on vaccine access, delivery
systems and immunisation equity in Africa. Routine immunisation coverage has increased
considerably across Africa since
2000, measles deaths declined
by 86 per cent between 2000 and
2014, and the introduction of
new vaccines has been a major
success.
However, one in five chil-
dren still do not receive all of the
most basic vaccines they need,
three critical diseases - measles,
rubella and neonatal tetanus
- remain endemic, and many
countries have fragile health
systems that leave immunisation
programs vulnerable to shocks.
In June 2016, Prime Minister
of Ethiopia, the host country for
the conference, HE Hailemariam
Desalegn, will present the Addis
Ababa Declaration on Immunisation to the African Heads of States
at the 26th Summit of the African
Union. Support from heads of
state will further empower countries to increase efforts to mobilise
resources for national immunisation programmes.
FG Challenges Private Sector on
National Industrial Growth
Clement Danhutor
The Federal Government yesterday challenged the Organised
Private Sector (OPS) to come up
with new ideas to turn Nigeria
into an industrial giant.
The Minister of Industry,
Trade and Investment, Dr.
Okechuku Enelemah stated
this in Kaduna, at the opening
ceremony of the 37th Kaduna
International Trade Fair. He
said the administration would
accommodate new ideas for
inclusive and sustainable
economic development of the
country away from oil.
According to Enelemah, the
task of transforming Nigeria
into an industrial giant cannot
be achieved without the needed
collaboration with the private
sector, according to a News
Agency of Nigeria (NAN)
report. “In this regard, the
ministry of industry, trade and
investment will welcome ideas,
suggestions, proposals and
initiatives from all stakeholders
on how to chart the path for an
inclusive and sustainable economic development”, he added.
He stressed that such contribution would go a long way
in assisting the administration
to review and update existing
development policies and strate-
gies to enhance the industrialisation of the country.
Enelemah noted that the
theme of the fair, ‘Promoting Solid Minerals Sector for
Sustainable Economic Development’ was in tune with President Muhammadu Buhari’s
desire for change.
“The theme has reinforced
the necessity for a paradigm
shift from oil to promoting
non-oil export products to
diversify the revenue based of
the economy. This remained the
major priority of this administration,” he said.
He stressed that diversification of the country’s economy
was necessary in increasing
investment inflow into key areas and job creation. “The areas
include mining, agriculture and
manufacturing among others
for enhanced and rapid industrialisation,” he said.
The minister was represented at the event by the Minister of
State, Industry, Trade and Investment, Hajiya Aisha Abubakar.
Also speaking, the National
President, Nigerian Association
of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture
(NACCIMA), Mr. Bassey Edem,
noted that Nigeria has vast
alternatives to oil in its untapped
solid mineral deposits.
Wike is after My Life,
Says Senator Abe
Anayo Okolie
The All Progressives Congress
(APC) candidate in the Rivers
South-east senatorial district rerun, Senator Magnus Abe, has
alleged that Governor Nyesom
Wike is after his life.
Abe who alleged this yesterday in a statement signed by his
spokesperson, Mr. Parry Saroh
Benson, expressed fear that his
life could be in danger because
of the level of conspiracy against
him by the governor.
The senator said there had
been a meeting of militants in
Ogoni sponsored and masterminded by Wike against him.
“There is an evil in Rivers State
and I have chosen to speak
against it. If anything happens
to me, Nigerians, Rivers, Ogoni
people and my family should
hold Governor Nyesom
Wike and his PDP people
responsible because the threat
against my life is too much.”
Abe, however, fears a
situation where he could be
attacked and Wike would
paint it another. He noted that
the Ogoni people love him
and would not do such except
outsiders or those who could
be sponsored by the state
government.
The senator, who represented Rivers South-east
senatorial district from 2011
to 2015, and is also praying to
be re-elected, expressed belief
that the governor and PDP
see him as a strong voice from
APC that must be silenced
at all cost. Abe stated that
“all their plans would fail, as
Ogoni people are now wiser.”
12
NEWS
INDUSTRY
EXPERTS
FRESH
DOCTOR
L-R: Sales Director, EXFO Middle East/Africa, Tim Percival; Technical Manager, Sumitomo Electric,
Dr. Busola Odejimi (middle) flanked by her parents, Mrs. Adetoun Odejimi and Mr. Bayo Odejimi at the
10th induction of graduating medical doctors, held at the Lagos State University College of Medicine
(LASUCOM) in Ikeja, Lagos...recently
Girish Devadas, and Chairman, Building Industry Consulting Service International (BICSI) Nigeria,
Boye Oyerinde, at the BICSI Nigeria breakfast workshop in Lagos...recently
Herdsmen-farmers Clash: Encourage
Ranching, NCGF Urges FG
Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City
As a result of the continued
clash between Fulani herdsmen and farmers across the
country, the national leadership of the Nigeria Christian
Graduate Fellowship has
called on the Federal Government and cattle owners to
adopt the use of ranches for the
upkeep of livestock.
The group made the call
yesterday while briefing journalists in Benin City, shortly
after its National Council
Meeting, ahead of its 2016
national conference.
The body which faulted the
donation of land by the federal
government to cattle-rearers,
described such an action as
not only unconstitutional, but
should therefore, be quietly
withdrawn.
“We also like to say that
government has no right
whatsoever to acquire land
and give to businessmen free.
The cattle-rearers are running
their business; they sell their
cows and they make money.
Let them use their money to
go and buy land and do their
own businesses,” the religious
group added.
Several clashes between the
two groups of farmers over the
grazing of cattle have led to
the loss of lives and properties
in different states, including
Benue, Ondo, Edo, Delta and
Enugu.
The National President
of NCGF, Dr. Samuel Itina,
explained that history had
shown that in spite of the
availability of grazing reserves
and dams in the northern part
of the country, herdsmen had
continued to unleash havoc on
villages and farms.
Itina also noted that an extension of such reserves to the
south would only spread and
deepen the crises, especially
as there had been reports that
many of the herdsmen are
fully armed.
He, therefore, urged the
government to consider the
practice in other countries, including the US and Kenya, that
operate zero grazing policies
through ranching, in order to
stop the incessant conflicts and
create jobs for the unemployed
youth.
“We would want the government, in the interest of peace
in Nigeria and the security of
this nation, to go back and stop
the operation of the grazing
reserves and rather encourage
people to start ranching, as the
way forward”, Itina said.
Elected PDP Reps Demand Certificate of Returns from INEC
Dele Ogbodo in Abuja
Eight members of the Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP), who
claim they were duly elected in
the March 2015 House of Representatives’ elections by the
people of Anambra state, yesterday, called on the Chairman
of the Independent National
Electoral Commission (INEC),
Prof. Mahmud Yakubu, to release their certificate of returns
without delay.
Their arguments were predicated on the rulings of both
January 29 and February 24
by the Supreme Court, which
upheld the initial judgment of
the High Court that declared
them duly-elected members to
represent Anambra State at the
national level.
Meanwhile, the group has
petitioned the National Judicial
Council (NJC) on the conflict of
interest over the Supreme Court
judgment, adding: “We aver
that the verdict of the Appeal
court cannot supersede that of
the Supreme Court judgments.”
Present at the media briefing,
in Abuja, were the members representing the eight constituencies: Hons. Emmanuel Nweke,
Benedict Obaze, Charles Odedo,
Princes Ifeyinwa Anazonwu,
Mrs. Uchenna Obi, Dr. Ejike
Nwene, Julius Oforma, and they
were led by Anthony Offiah,
the group’s spokesperson, who
averred that the landmark judgment of Supreme Court was
clear, unambiguous and without controversy on its rulings.
Recalling how they emerged
on PDP’s banner to contest the
elections, Offiah said: “Prior
to the commencement of the
primary elections that trump us
up, there was a leadership tussle
in Anambra State Chapter of
PDP that snowballed into a legal
action before Justice H A Kganjiwa of Federal High Court,
Port Harcourt, Division in suit
No FHC/PH/CS213/2013 Ejike
Ogwuebego & Anor v PDP &
Ord.
“In the course of the matter
and before the primary elections that produced us was
commenced, the learned Justice
ordered INEC and PDP to deal
with the Ogwuebego-led State
Executive Committee in all
election matters in Anambra in
keeping with the dictates of the
order.”
HesaidINECwentfurtherto
monitor the election, midwifed
by the Ejike Ogwuegbego-led
executive committee in compliance with PDP guidelines
from which the eight members
emerged, adding that this list
was accepted and the names
were published as duly elected
members to contest the March
28 2015 elections.
Gov Bello Demolishes All Round-abouts in Lokoja
Yekini Jimoh in Lokoja
The residents of Lokoja woke up
yesterday morning to find out
that all the roundabouts in the city
had been demolished by the state
government.
The demolition may not be
unconnected with rumour making around that rituals had been
planted in all the roundabouts in
the Lokoja metropolis.
THISDAY reliably gathered
that the first roundabout that
was demolished was the
Lugard roundabout at the front
of Government House. Other
roundabouts demolished are the
one along Obasanjo square, NTA
junction, Federal Medical center,
and ‘welcome to Lokoja junction’.
THISDAY gathered that the
demolition started at about 4am
yesterday morning as the state
Ministry of Works was said to
have been in charge following a
directive from the state Governor,
Alhaji Yahaya Bello that all
roundabouts in Lokoja must be
demolished within two days.
Feelers reaching THISDAY
alleged that government took the
decision for spiritual cleansing
as it was alleged that previous
administrations performed rituals in those areas. Also, Governor
Bello is yet to move to his official
residential apartment situated in
government House for reasons
best known to him.
When newsmen contacted
the Chief of Staff to the Governor,
Mr. Edward Onoja on the demolition, he said the governor took
the decision to make the state
capital clean.
Onoja, who debunked the
rumour that they demolished
the roundabout based on juju
scares said it was not true. He also
mentioned that the roundabouts
were removed so that they can
build others with fountains and
flowers.
“By the nodal status of Lokoja
as the gateway to the North, East
and West, it is supposed to be an
attractive State capital in order to
meet the expectations of potential
tourists.
Anambra Re-run: 1,000 Ex-gov
Obis Can’t Stop Me, Says Umeh
Charles Onyekamuo in Awka
The candidate of the All
Progressives Grand Alliance
(APGA) in the March 5, re-run
poll in the Anambra Central
senatorial district election,
Chief Victor Umeh has asserted that even if 1,000 agents
of the former governor of the
state, Mr. Peter Obi are plotting to stop him in the election,
they would not be able to stop
him.
Umeh was reacting yesterday at Ichida in Anaocha
Local Government Area of the
state after a campaign tour of
the area to a rumour that Obi
and his cohorts were sponsoring serial court matters to stop
the March 5 election, and to
deal with him.
He said it was all balderdash, and that such sinister
plans would crumble because
according to him “those are
not the plans of God and the
people of my constituency.
“Since 2012 Obi has been
plotting my downfall. But God
has been thwarting his evil
plans against me because God
knew the many battles I had
fought to sustain him in office. I
don’t bear any grudges against
him, but he has continued to
fight me, covertly and overtly.
“But as for the March 5
rerun, Obi and his cohorts
cannot stop me because God
is with me and my people are
behind me. You can see, even
in Agulu, his home town, the
people, including the traditional ruler, Igwe Innocent
Obodoako, came out en masse
to welcome me. They said ‘we
don’t know any other person
except you’. They said my performance at the 2014 national
conference stood me out. So,
1,000 Obis and his group cannot stop me”, Umeh said.
FrieslandCampina
WAMCO Named Best CSR
Company in W’Africa
FrieslandCampina WAMCO,
Nigeria´s dairy giant and makers of Peak, Three Crowns and
Friso milk brands, has been
named the company with
the best CSR programmes in
West Africa (2015) by Capital
Finance International (CFI.co,)
a London-based, global print
journal and online resource
reporting on business, economics and finance.
The award was announced
in the latest edition of CFI.co
online, covering Africa, Asia,
the United Kingdom, United
States of America, the Middle
East and Europe.
FrieslandCampina
WAMCO, an affiliate of Royal
FrieslandCampina of The
Netherlands – the world’s
largest dairy cooperative,
pioneered corporate citizenship projects in Nigeria in
2004 – long before corporate
social responsibility (CSR)
became fashionable. “Since
then,
FrieslandCampina
WAMCO has maintained
three corporate citizenship
programmes; a water project,
school adoptions, and a tertiary endowment fund aimed
at offering financial support to
research in food science in six
universities. The endowment
also includes a Best Graduating Student Award,” CFI.co
reported.
To date, the company’s water project has unveiled over
40 solar-powered boreholes
while its school adoption
programme has equipped 18
public secondary schools with
education support materials..
In addition to these
three
main
projects,
FrieslandCampina WAMCO
actively supports about 30
charitable organisations across
the country with both grants
and products. The company
has also partnered international aid organisations to
offer nutrition relief to thousands of internally displaced
people who fled from terrorist
attacks in parts of northern Nigeria and now live in refugee
camps.
13
NEWS
AWARD
OF MERIT
R-L: Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige presenting an award to Executive Chairman,
Greenlife Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Dr. Obiora Chukwuka as winner of The Sun Businessman of the Year
2015, as his wife Mrs. Oby Chukwuka looks on at The Sun 13th Annual Awards held in Lagos...recently
VITAL
GESTURE
L-R: Community Chairman, Oke-Ayadi Community, Dr. Felix Akinsete; Member representing Ondo West LGA,
Ondo State House of Assembly, Hon. Ade Adeniyi; Nominator of Oke-Ayadi Community, Ogunniranye Kayode;
Portfolio Manager, Economic Empowerment, MTN Nigeria, Ms. Foyinsola Oyebola; and Oruntan of Ondo
Kingdom, Chief Festus Ayotunde Awosika, at the unveiling of a 500KVA transformer donated by MTN to OkeAyadi community in Ondo State...recently
Anyaoku: There’s Much to
Celebrate in Mimiko’s Govt
Clement Danhutor
Former Secretary-General of the
Commonwealth, Chief Emeka
Anyaoku, has said there is a lot
to celebrate in the Dr. Olusegun
Mimiko led seven-year-old administration in Ondo state.
Anyaoku, who arrived the
state recently, took time out to
visit some of the projects of the
Mimiko-led
administration
ahead of the symposium he
chaired as part of activities marking the 7th anniversary of the
Mimiko administration.
Speaking with newsmen
shortly before his departure from
the state, at the weekend, Anyaoku described the administration ‘s achievements as novel in
all sectors of the state’s economy.
He said Governor Mimiko in
the last seven years has demonstrated uncommon leadership
in all sectors, particularly in the
health sector, and thus urged
other states to copy the Ondo
example in qualitative healthcare
delivery, to achieve the goal of
Nigeria being a Medical Tourism
destination.
Labelling the Mimiko-led
government achievements as
“true transformation” Anyaoku
said Nigeria wouldl realise its
dreams if the kind of welfare services provided by the Ondo state
government become a common
sight in other parts of the country.
Anyaoku had earlier on
Wednesday at the symposium
organised to mark the Mimiko
government’s seven years of
existence, called for a national
summit on socio-economic and
political challenges in the country.
Speaking at the symposium,
Anyaoku, urged President Muhammadu Buhari to convene “as
a matter of urgency”, a national
meeting of economic experts to
solve the present economic challenges confronting Nigeria, even
as he opined that true federalism
would aid political stability in
Nigeria and reduce centrifugal
forces.
He listed centrifugal forces
to include: socio cultural groups,
activist and political groups and
violence groups, adding that
Nigeria has not been strange to
centrifugal forces since independence.
The well-attended symposium, held at the International
Event Centre, The DOME, also
had former Governor, Major
General Babakayode Opaleye
(rtd.) in attendance. Other dignitaries at the occasion among
others were Senator Femi Okunrounmu, Otunba Kunle Olajide,
Dr. Amos Akingba, Amb Omolade Oluwateru, and members
of the academic community.
Discussants at the Symposium
chaired by Chief Anyaoku
were: Senator Ben Bruce, Senator
Shehu Sani, Mr. Labaran Maku,
Chief Dan Nwanyanwu, Mr.
Yinka Odumakin and Miss Idris
Katus.
FG Moves to Partner Nigerian Youths on Potentials
Shola Oyeyipo
The Minister of Information
and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has assured that
the Federal Government
will partner the youths to
ensure the actualisation of
their God-given potentials.
The Minister gave the assurance weekend when he
formally declared close the
4th edition of the annual Social Media Week, held at the
Landmark Centre in Lagos.
“‘In our efforts to diversify
our economy away from oil,
I am confident that we have
great options in the creative
industry and the infinite
possibilities that an empowered young Nigerian can
spin. We will partner the
youths to make it possible
for them to actualise their
dreams,” he said.
Alhaji Mohammed said
there is no better platform
than the Social Media
Week, which has garnered
5 million mentions on social
media, and attracted 30,000
people, in addition to 500
speakers, over four years,
to engage with the youths
who, he said, formed the
vanguard of those who
helped to bring about the
much-needed change in the
country.
“In this respect, we hope
to play a more active role in
subsequent editions (of the
Social Media Week),” he
said.
The Minister, who also
fielded questions from the
audience on issues ranging from Boko Haram to
tourism and the country’s
image, congratulated the organisers of a gathering that
provides the ideas, trends,
insights and inspiration to
help people and businesses
understand how to achieve
more in a hyper-connected
world.
Earlier, while welcoming
the Minister, the Convener
of the Lagos Social Media
Week, Mr. Obi Asika, expressed the hope that the
federal government would
collaborate with the organisers to ensure that the 5th
edition, to be held in 2017, is
even bigger than the previous editions.
According to the organisers, the annual event
features a central stage
for keynotes and panels,
multiple rooms for workshops, master-classes and
presentations, and an area
dedicated to co-working,
networking and interactive
installations.
Social Media Week
Lagos is the largest, tech,
new media and business
conference
in
Africa,
with thousands of people
participating
annually.
Participants come from all
over Africa and elsewhere
around the world to explore a wide range of topics
like education, business,
entertainment, technology,
art, banking and politics.
Mimiko Named Speaker for LBS Conference
The Ondo state Governor, Dr
Olusegun Mimiko has been
named the Keynote Speaker
at the 2016 edition of the
Africa Business Conference
(ABC), being organised by the
Lagos Business School (LBS).
Previous keynote speakers at the conference include,
respected business mogul,
Aliko Dangote, CEO, Dangote
Group of Companies, Tony
Elumelu, Chairman of Heirs
Holdings and Founder, Tony
Elumelu Foundation among
others. The theme for this
year’s conference is ‘Africa
Rising: Leveraging the power
of a Younger Generation’, and
is billed to hold in Lagos on
the 3rd of March.
In a letter intimating Governor Mimiko of his choice as
speaker at the LBS organised
conference and signed by the
Dean and President of the
school, Dr. Enase Okonedo
and Oladiwura Oladepo
respectively, the organisers
said the gesture will afford
the Governor opportunity to
be at the forefront of educating and enlightening business leaders on opportunities
existent in Africa and to also
showcase his government
and its economic contribution
to the continent .
Speaking with newsmen
on Mimiko’s invitation to the
planned conference, Ondo
state Commissioner for Information, Kayode Akinmade
said guests to the event will
have much to learn from the
Governor especially, as his
seven-year-old government
has made Ondo state a global
benchmark through some of
its initiatives.
He said the success-
ful implementation of the
Mimiko-led
government
programmes has attracted the
commendation of statesmen
throughout the nation even
across political divides, and
also elicited public acknowledgement of his government’s
modest achievements.
Target audience to the
conference are managers and
senior managers of organisations seeking new opportunities for their organisations as
well as aspiring and practicing entrepreneurs seeking for
growth opportunities.
Olajumoke Unveiled as Shirleys
Confectionery Brand Ambassador
Adedayo Akinwale inAbuja
In what could be seen as
an effort to retrace her steps
back to the job that gave her
fame, bread seller cum model,
Olajumoke Orisaguna, who
has become a toast of many
corporate organisations since
rising to stardom, was unveiled
yesterday in Abuja by Shirleys
Confectionery.
The latest move came a
couple of days after she was unveiled by Stanbic IBTC in Lagos.
While unveiling her, the Chairman of Shirleys Confectionery,
Mr. Amarachi Iwanyawu said
the company thought it was
necessary to unveil her as the
face of the company because of
what the company deals in.
According to him, “We are
actually sympathetic and very
happy about the grass to grace
story of Jumoke, we thought it
necessary for Shirleys Confectionery because it has a trace to
what we are actually selling.”
Speaking,
Orisaguna’s
Manager, T.Y Bello said she was
overwhelmed by the contract
they signed with the company.
Bello, who was represented
by Ms. Azuka Ogujuiba, said
despite the fact that Jumoke has
risen to stardom, it has never
changed the person she was
initially.
On her part, Orisaguna
said had it been she was a lazy
woman she wouldn’t have
risen to stardom, while urging those in search of jobs not
to sit down idle while waiting
for the job of their dream; but
rather make do with whatever
they have now.
Holy Trinity Lagos Holds
Love Feast Initiative
Valentine’s Day, a day set
apart to celebrate love on
February 14, is celebrated
even in countries that practice religious extremism.
Valentine’s Day is so popular
that it is now second only to
Christmas in the exchange
of gifts and cards. Estimated
billions of naira is spent on
Valentine celebration on
“loved one” every year in
Nigeria.
In response to this commandment, members of
Holy Trinity Lagos went out
on Valentine’s Day to demonstrate love in a “Unique”
way. Holy Trinity went
out to feed 5,000 of the less
privileged in our society.
Holy
Trinity
Lagos
went to communities in
Obalende, Sura, Idumota
and Apongbon at different
locations on Lagos Island
to demonstrate true love in
an initiative tagged “Love
Feast” on Sunday February 14. The Love feast is a
HTL’s outreach initiative to
celebrate our love for the less
privileged.
Holy Trinity Lagos hopes
to make this an annual
event and would welcome
partners in this initiative
to help demonstrate the
love of God to a hitherto
unreached/forgotten set of
people. Holy Trinity Lagos
worships every Sunday at
the Muson Centre, Lagos
from 9.00am to 10.30am.
Chi Introduces 315ml Hollandia
Chi Limited has introduced Hollandia Gogurt “Grab ‘n’ Go” packs in
response to yearnings of commuters. According to the company,
it is a uniquely handy packs filled with Hollandia Yoghurt for easy
accessibility of consumers in transit and in traffic. With the new
innovation, the product is expected to keep consumers going
while commuting. The new pack is said to have been pegged
at a flat rate of 100 only, thereby making the drink affordable
to consumers. The pack has been specifically designed in a
dynamic shape with an attractive cap on its head, making it very
trendy and attractive for the youth. Speaking on it, Managing
Director, Chi Limited, Mr. Deepanjan Roy, said: “As a company,
we are always mindful about the wellbeing of our consumers
and the society in general, hence, we thought of ensuring that
consumers continually get refreshment and nourishment even
in challenging traffic situations. The Hollandia Yogurt ‘Gogurt’
Grab n’ Go 315ml pack is healthy, refreshing, fulfilling and a
real delicious delight”.
14
15
16
THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER • FEBRUARY 28, 2016
INTERNATIONAL
The SIRA and the Psychology of Hallucinations: The
Challenge of Foreign Policy and Democratisation
T
he SIRA means Society for International Relations
Awareness. It was established in 2012 as a nonprofit making, non-governmental, educational,
research oriented, and foreign policy advocacy,
body. It has as main objectives the promotion of
a ‘better appreciation of Nigeria’s international
relations and foreign policy’; holding ‘periodic
roundtable on Nigeria’s foreign policy; relating
closely with ‘foreign policy decision makers, experts and other
stakeholders;’ contributing ‘positively to Nigeria’s foreign
policy,’ and promoting ‘research and publication on Nigeria’s
foreign policy.’
These objectives are noteworthy, especially in understanding
the challenges of foreign policy and democratization. Firstly,
the declared objectives are all tactical, and, therefore, fall under
strategic calculations. The ultimate objective of the SIRA is
deductible from its name: creation of public awareness on foreign
policy, especially about what it means, how it can be used as
instrument of nation building, regional and global cooperation
for global peace and security. As such, the aforementioned objectives of the SIRA are nothing more than the means, the manner
or way of creating the awareness. For instance, holding periodic
roundtable on Nigeria’s foreign policy cannot be an objective per
se and if it is, it cannot but be a limited objective meant for attainment of the ultimate objectives. In other words, the roundtable
must have a purpose for which it is organized and the periodicity
of the roundtable cannot but also be associated with the need to
keep abreast of current developments, etc.
In appreciating better Nigeria’s international relations and
foreign policy, it must first be noted that ‘appreciation’ involves
evaluation, meaning that the SIRA has a self-given burden of
engaging in research inquiry. Consequently, if the SIRA is talking
about better appreciation of Nigeria’s international relations
and foreign policy, it is deductively being implied that emphasis
will be on foreign policy as a technique or tactic. In other words,
if Nigeria’s relations with, say Lusophone Africa, are to be
investigated, questions cannot but be raised on the approach, on
its operational modalities in such a way that comparisons and
contrasts can be made.
In the same vein, seeking to contribute positively to Nigeria’s
foreign policy can be an objective but the manner of contribution
raises questions: When is ‘contribution’ considered positive
or negative? When foreign policy is criticized, will it not be
considered in Nigeria as unfriendly and therefore negative, even
if the negative contribution may be constructive with in-built
factors for national survival? Who determines the positivity of
the contribution and at what level of the continuum of national
development does the contribution begin to be positive?
Again, seeking to promote research and publication cannot
be a long-term objective. At best, it is an immediate short-term
objective meant to enable the attainment of some other objectives. Consequently, the declared objectives constitute modalities
of implementation of creation of awareness in international
relations. And without scintilla of doubts, the SIRA derives its
relevance and importance from its name, intention to create
awareness and from the methods of doing so. As the SIRA is
making strenuous efforts to create awareness through research
and publications, development of ties with policy makers and
holding periodic roundtables, it is doing well. But to what extent
can the SIRA go in light of the systemic challenges of political
governance in Nigeria?
Nigeria’s Foreign Policy and Democratisation
The SIRA, in collaboration with the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES),
organized a meeting of experts and stakeholders on Nigeria’s foreign
Policy and Democratization on Thursday, 25th February, 2016 at the
Ladi Kwali Hall, Sheraton Hotel, Abuja. The meeting, in terms of
organizational structure, was divided into three sessions: opening
remarks, lead paper presentation, and brainstorming session.
The session on opening remarks focused attention on the rationales
for the meeting and the need to investigate the linkages between
foreign policy and democratization. How does foreign policy assist in
the democratization processes? How does democratization also help
in attaining the objectives of foreign policy, and particularly in terms of
foreign policy formulation and implementation processes? To what
extent are the people of Nigeria involved in the making of foreign
policy? Why has democratization effort not led to the democratization
of foreign policy? In fact, can foreign policy making or foreign policy
execution be the business of the generality of the people? Should it be
simply taken as an elitist affair?
In her welcoming address, the Resident Representative of the FES
in Nigeria, Mrs. Seija Sturies, noted that ‘Nigeria is in a new phase of
her political dispensation that calls for different ways and change from
the past in trying to build a new Nigeria.’ In this regard, she believes
that ‘foreign policy is one of the strategic key sectors that must be taken
seriously.’ Put differently, the belief is that foreign policy and democratization are intertwined and should go pari passu in the building of a new
Nigeria. In the making of a new Nigeria of our dream, foreign policy,
and, in fact, international relations can be exploited to impact positively
on domestic policies and development. This explains in part why Mrs.
Sturies noted further that ‘it is a well known fact that a country’s foreign
policy and democratic process determine its place among the comity of
nations. It is in line with this that the FES, Nigeria, present in the country
since the 1970s, a German independent, non-profit organization
committed to promoting democracy, peace and social justice, partners
VIE
INTERNATIONALE
with
Bola A. Akinterinwa
Telephone : 0807-688-2846
e-mail: bolyttag@yahoo.com
Buhari
with SIRAover the years to promote a better understanding and
appreciation of Nigeria’s international relations, foreign policy and
democratization.’ And perhaps more interestingly, ‘this year, FES has
decided to expand the relationship with SIRAby involving not just
experts but stakeholder as well,’ she submitted.
The observations of Professor Amadu Sesay, the Baaluwe of Idanre
in Ondo State and an original member of the SIRA, are similarly
pertinent. He noted the need to leverage on the change in Nigeria’s
foreign policy, especially in light of the symbiotic relationship between
foreign and domestic policies. In other words, he subscribes with the
school of thought that argues that foreign policy is an extension of the
domestic policy, and as such, not much can be done externally without
the domestic policies serving as foundation for foreign engagements.
Professor Sesay explained that foreign policy interactions, internally
and externally, under normal circumstance should be aimed at the
pursuit of the national interest, thus underscoring the centrality of
foreign policy as an instrument of nation building.
Consequently, in terms of challenges that the meeting should deal
with, he called for the articulation of the current challenges with which
Nigeria is faced and how to also seek their mitigation, using foreign
policy as instrument. Explained differently, foreign policy can be used
to serve the purpose of advancing the national interest, especially at
this time when there are different threats to national unity, when the
price of the crude oil is on the decline, and when the problem of youth
unemployment is also deepening.
In the thinking of Professor Sesay, in an increasingly integrated
world, ‘tackling these fundamental challenges requires partnership
with credible external and non-state actors. In defining the partnership, he suggests an inclusive foreign policy in which the Nigerian
Diaspora connection is underscored and in which roles for women
and other groups in the society, especially at the level of the ECOWAS
region and Africa as a whole, are also accommodated.
Lead Paper and Brainstorming Issues
Ambassador Eni Eneije Onobu, former Nigeria’s Principal
Representative to Liberia, delivered the lead paper for general discussion. The thrust of his paper is that, until of recent, especially as from
1997, democracy was not a major component of Nigeria’s foreign
policy calculations. In other words, times are not only changing,
foreign policy issues are also changing. He recalled the Tafawa Balewa
doctrine of the 1960s and noted that the principle of non-interference
which was religiously adhered to has given way not just to interference but particularly to intervention, as at today.
Without doubt, Ambassador Onobu cannot be more correct
as Nigeria led the whole world in 1963 in making reservations to
Article 2 Paragraph 7 of the UN Charter on non-interference in the
affairs within the domestic preserve of other sovereign states. When
President Sylvanus Olympio of Togo was assassinated, Nigeria’s
Minister of External Affairs, Dr Jaja Wachukwu, formulated two
exceptions to the principle of non-interference: assassination of leaders
of friendly countries and apartheid. Dr. Wachukwu posited that under
no circumstance should apartheid and subjugation of the Black man
in any country be considered a domestic affair. Besides, he argued that
Nigeria cannot be indifferent to the killing of her allies in Africa. What
is happening now in Africa is that new exceptions are being added.
These include the principle of no forceful change of government
anymore in Africa. Any unconstitutional change of government can
warrant external intervention.
In fact, Ambassador Onobu underscored the roles Nigeria has
played in promoting democratization as a major element of foreign
policy. Nigeria played active parts in Sierra Leone in 1997 to restore
democracy. He also reminded how Chief Olusegun Obasanjo
convinced the coup makers in Sao Tome and Principé to return power
to President de Menezes who was ousted when he was on official visit
to Nigeria in 2006. There was also the case of the Côte d’Ivoire in which
the leader of opposition, Alassane Ouattara, was duly elected and the
defeated Laurent Gbagbo refused to accept defeat. Nigeria provided
the leadership for the world through the ECOWAS, in the quest for
restoration of orderliness in the country. In fact, Nigeria came directly
into confrontation with South Africa in the process.
In essence, Ambassador Onobu argued that democracy should
be promoted as an element of foreign policy, that foreign policy is
elitist, foreign policy is quite good when people are carried along in its
making and it is designed to protect the national interest. He said that
foreign policy must not be simply designed to serve Nigeria’s interests
only but also those of Africa, especially in light of Nigeria being an
African power. If Africa is strong, Nigeria cannot but be also strong
and vice versa. He argued that if Nigeria is not a power in Africa, she
cannot be a power elsewhere. He advised that foreign policy should be
managed by those specifically trained for it so that everyone can be in
the position to enjoy the foreign policy dividends.
The brainstorming session was quite scholarly especially
in terms of debate on whether foreign policy should be considered
elitist or not; whether there should be a choice between foreign policy
isolationism and foreign policy activism; the mésentente between
foreign policy theorists and foreign policy implementers; the need or
not to review Nigeria’s foreign policy of largesse; and foreign policy
summersaults which do not allow for continuity and efficiency. In
essence, most observations supported the need to investigate the extent
to which the foreign policy principles and values of the 1960s are still
valid as at today; the need to ensure that foreign policy making has
research inputs; the need to prevent misinterpretation of foreign policy
goal as being limited to material or financial gains; need to do away
with money politics and pay greater attention to how representatives
are elected into the National Assembly; and the need to articulate a
foreign policy agenda that will enable continuity of Nigeria’s leadership in Africa.
WhatFutureforForeignPolicyandDemocratisation?
The meeting did well in investigating the main issues in foreign
policy and their linkages with democracy. However, the main problem
militating against a democracy-induced foreign policy was not
addressed: the attitudinal disposition of the foreign policy makers. The
issue is not simply about the making and implementation of foreign
policy, or that the policy makers have their biases but the fact that,
many a time, final foreign policy decisions do not always reflect the
recommendations of the diplomatists that do know and who make
recommendations on the basis of their empirical knowledge acquired
overtime.
For instance, it is only in Nigeria that people who are at best irrelevant to diplomacy seek to influence the presidency on critical foreign
policy matters. It is unimaginable that the Government of Nigeria
contemplates a review of its policy on the Saharawi Arab Republic
(SAR) to the advantage of Morocco. Nigeria led the whole of Africa
in getting international support for the POLISARIO and the eventual
admission of the SAR into the then Organisation of African Unity. Until
the dispute between the SAR and the Kingdom of Morocco is finally
settled on the basis of truth and fairness and the principle that what
Morocco never had ab initio in terms of ownership over land, Morocco
cannot today legitimately lay claim to it.
Consequently, there are two areas that the SIRAcan begin to
examine if it is to meaningfully contribute to the use of democracy
to enhance foreign policy goals and use of foreign policy to serve the
purpose of national development. The first is to seek the extent to
which President Muhammadu Buhari (PMB) wants to be great, and
secondly the extent to which he wants to leave a foreign policy legacy.
Explained differently, PMB is apparently working towards greatness
with his anti-corruption drive. However, there is nothing to suggest
that, if the greatness is attained, PMB will allow the greatness to evolve
into foreign policy legacy. Foreign policy direction is yet to be made
clear after nine months in office. The elitist character of foreign policy
making in Nigeria necessarily also rules out democratization.
One good way of ensuring democratization of foreign policy is
to allow the diplomats to handle foreign relations externally and
internally but predicated on citizen diplomacy. If PMB succeeds in
instilling discipline and culture of hard work and patriotism, and
introduces citizen diplomacy, the international community cannot but
be more interested in engaging Nigeria in the conduct and management of global affairs. Nigeria’s international image will be positively
enhanced. Consequently, the issue of foreign policy being a preserve,
exclusive or not, of Mr. President must be addressed before seeking
the democratization of other foreign policy processes. Without doing
this, the SIRAmay be engaging in hallucinatory research projects as
every president in Nigeria, probably with the exception of President
Yar’Adua, made efforts to be fully in control of foreign policy. In fact, the
SIRAcan only be living in a world of hallucinations by seeking to deal
with great issues when it does not have its own means to do so.
17
intErnational/nEws
Britain, EU Membership and World Peace
B
asking in the euphoria of a “successful renegotiation” with the European in Brussels last
week, British Prime Minister David Cameron
announced June 23 for a crucial referendum that
would determine the future of Britain in the European Union. Cameron’s action was consistent
with his 2013 campaign promise to re-negotiate
Britain’s continued membership of the EU in line
with the wishes of the British people.
For the world community outside Europe, its difficult to appreciate Britain’s position. Why leave the EU at this point? The answer to
this poser formed the crux of negotiations between Prime Minister
Cameron and his colleagues from the 28-member continental body.
British people are worried with the increasing number of
migrants into Europe from the crisis-torn countries of the world like
Sudan, South Sudan, Libya, Syria,Afghanistan, Burundi, Central
African Republic, Nigeria, Mali etc. Migrants from these and other
countries have in recent years swollen the population of EU member countries with the concomitant pressures for jobs, accommodation, health care and educational facilities, public transportation
and other social services and infrastructure. In the face of this, British
people fear that the migrants flooding into Europe might erode the
social benefits regime in the United Kingdom thereby compromising the welfare of the British citizens.
What this really means is that British attitude is fuelled by the
anticipated rather than real consequences of the influx of migrants
since Britain is yet not a major recipient of the migrants as its
Germany and other EU countries.
Over the decades, Britain has never been enthusiastic about
membership of the European body. In the 1960s when Britain opted
to join the European Common Market as it was then called, French
President, Charles de Gaulle opposed Britain’s membership of the
body and any negotiation of special conditions for her proposed
membership. It was until 1973, after the death of de Gaulle that
Britain joined the European Community o her own terms.
Since joining the EU, Britain has operated her membership
largely on her own terms. First, she refused to accept a common currency, Euro preferring to preserve the Pound Sterling as her national
currency. Second Britain refused to join the Schengen agreement
which provides for a common visa for all European citizens thus
easing free movement of people within the members –countries.
Even the vexed issue of migrants fromAfrica and Middle-East,
whereas The EU has since settled on the payment of benefits to
the migrants Britain has ruled out any payment of benefits to the
migrants including those from EU countries until after several years
of residency. In fact Britons loathe the migrants not just for the fear of
job losses and erosion of their welfare schemes but also for the fear of
introduction of alien cultures which the migrants might bring to the
British society.
The European Union leaders desperate to keep Britain in their
fold conceded to just everything Cameron asked for. Top on the
list of concessions is that Britain won’t be part of a “European
superstate” which the EU looks to create in the near future. Such
“closer ties” are intended to have a common foreign policy for
EU, common security and common currency in addition to the
other integration structures like EU Parliament among others. The
concessions also include the decision that Britain will not join the
Euro and protect her national economy with “a full say over the
rules of free trade and single market while remaining outside the
euro.”
union,” Obama said last year several months before last weeks
agreement in Brussels.
Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel in a tweet said “We
overcame our differences to reach a good agreement. (Its) now up to
British people to decide.
In spite of these concessions, EU would still wait for the crucial
with
moment in June before it would celebrate as British citizens would
have to decide at a referendum.And that is where the headache
really is.Although Cameron would be campaigning for Britain’s
Cletus Akwaya, Ph.D
stay, he has opposition from his Conservative Party Leaders who
e-mail: cletusakwaya@yahoo.co.uk prefer exit from EU. How he manages the intra-party division
on the matter to secure a “yes” vote at the upcoming referendum
will depend on how much assurances he gives the conservative
British about their future and that of their children and perhaps their
children’s children should Britain remain the EU.
Britain should have anticipated the very measures she is opposed
to at the time of joining the EU even though it can be argued that
nobody anticipated how successful the European Union would
become in its integration effort.
Integration theorists have for long contended that membership
of international organisations especially functionalist bodies like EU
lead to erosion of sovereignty and this ought to have been clear to
Britain from the start.
As the oldest political entity in Europe and with an obviously
more advanced economy, Britain should move towards accommodating the concerns of fellow European nations rather than this
attachment to old tradition.After all, the real reason of promoting
free trade and free movement of people was a post-Second World
War measure adopted by Europe to reduce tensions, forge unity and
possibly avoid another devastating war.And in retrospect, the EU
has succeeded in maintain peace in Europe. If this is the case, why
would Britain ought out.
Other hand, while Britain prefers to maintain a rather loose
relationship with the EU she appears desperate maintain a “special
relationship” with the US. In recent history, Britain has stood with
Cameron
the US on virtually every crucial decision no matter how unpopular
such decisions are if only she would maintain the friendship of the
Americans.
It is clear that the EU granted the concessions simply out of
Unfortunately, Britain is not emulating her ally in matters of manconvenience as the exit of Britain (Brexit) would mean that EU would
aging immigration issues and other matters of common concern.
be without her second largest economy, next only to Germany. More
For instance, whileAmerica has annually increased the quota of US
importantly, Europe would be denied of her second member of the
visa lottery to welcome other citizens of the world, the UK is sending
powerful United Nations Permanent Security Council where it has
out even those who have lived in the UK for decades.
two members, the other being France.
Only recently, the UK adopted a new immigration policy that
In justification of the EU decision, President of the European
would see over 29,000 Nigerians deported from the UK. Thousands
Council, Donald Tusk, said the agreement did not compromise “our
of other nationals would also be sent out of the UK by virtue of the
fundamental values.”
same policy. The big question is, how did these people enter the
“I deeply believe that the United Kingdom needs Europe and
UK and stayed for years without the UK security system raising an
Europe needs the United Kingdom,” Tusk said. “To break the link
eyebrow?
now would be totally against our mutual interest. We have done all
As a major international player in world affairs and given her
we could not to let that happen. But the final decision is in the hands
special relationship with several countries under the auspices of
of the British people” he stated in Brussels after the two-day talks that
the Commonwealth, Britain should be the catalyst for world peace
produced the agreement.
by being part of the solution to the problems that affect humanity
German Chancellor,Angela Merkel like Tusk said the EU leaders
across boundaries. It is high time Britain played a more positive
showed by the concessions, they clearly wanted Britain to stay .
interventionist role in global affairs of which the migrants problem is
“We believe we have now given a package to David Cameron
a significant part.
to elicit support in Britain for Britain remaining a member of the
The world community expects Britain to redouble her efforts
European Union,” she said.
in resolving the crises that caused these populations to leave their
On his part, U.S. President Barack Obama urged Britain to stay
countries of origin to flood Europe in search of safe havens as illegal
in the EU as he argued that the UK as a member of the EU “gives
migrants.
us much greater confidence about the strength of the trans-Atlantic
WORLD
PANORAMA
Russia Election: Putin Warns of ‘Foreign Foes’
T
resident Vladimir Putin has warned that Russia’s “foes
abroad” are preparing to interfere in the country’s
September general election.
He told the FSB security service that such attempts
must be thwarted. He also said the activities of more than
400 foreign intelligence agents had been foiled in Russia
in 2015. Moscow has long accused the West of trying to
influence the poll through encouraging mass protests - a
claim denied by US and European officials. Addressing top FSB officials in
Moscow, President Putin said: “Unfortunately, our foes abroad are getting
ready” for the parliamentary elections scheduled for 18 September.
He said the techniques were well-known and urged the security service
to “suppress any attempts at foreign influence”.
“This is a direct threat to our sovereignty,” Mr Putin warned, adding that
the FSB must work “assiduously” to defend Russia’s interests.
Russia blames the West for political interference in neighbouring Ukraine
and Georgia, where street protests - also known as “colour revolutions” led to the ouster of political leaders in recent years.
The US and EU deny this, accusing the Russian authorities of harassing
the opposition and stifling the freedom of speech.
Relations between Moscow and the West have deteriorated since
Russia’s annexation of Ukraine’s southern Crimea peninsula in 2014 and its
alleged support for pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine.
Both the US and the EU have imposed sanctions against Russia, despite
Moscow’s denial of any involvement in the Ukraine crisis.
Earlier this month, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev warned
that strains between Russia and the West had pushed the world “into a
new cold war”.
Culled from bbc.co.uk
President Putin urged the FSB to “suppress any attempts at foreign influence” in Russia
18
FEBRUARY 28, 2016 • THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER
OPINION
A Letter to The Senate President
T
Shayo Holloway appeals to the Senate to reconsider its position on the hike in electricity tariffs
he decision of the Senate to dis-allow the
proposed electricity tariff increase came as a
surprise. By this act, the Senate may have set
the power sector back as this sends an alarming signal to investors as it will scare away foreign investments, a catalyst in any developing
economy. The Senate could have demonstrated
a liberal understanding of the fundamentals of
the sector by granting the tariff increase, but tied to measurable milestones such as agreed distribution loss reduction
targets, increase in meter coverage, better collection metrics,
and better customer experience. Cost reflective tariffs are
necessary for improved performance of the sector. The
recent planned implementation of increased electricity
tariffs for distribution companies, unpopular as it may seem
with some stakeholders, is a vital step towards ensuring
financial viability of the privatised distribution companies
and the entire electricity value chain back through to the
privatised generation companies and their fuel suppliers. It
is also a clear indication that the government is serious about
making electricity privatisation to succeed. It is a fact that
power supply has dropped significantly in most parts of the
country due to various factors such as pipeline vandalism,
unavailability of treated gas, low water levels at the major
dams, etc.
Furthermore, the Senate could have made the expedition
of meters a tie-in to tariff increase. With meters, consumers will only pay for power consumed, thereby managing
consumption better; rather than the notorious estimates!
It should be mentioned that estimated billing is not
unique to Nigeria; the practice is still present in developed
environments, but mainly when meter readers are unable
to gain access to properties to take meter readings. Meter
installation targets should be a major performance index
for the distribution companies, with clear targets that are
measurable and transparent to consumers.
It lends to worry that the recommendation of a
bonafide agency, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory
Commission (NERC), an independent body responsible for
regulatory functions of the sector, which would have carried
out necessary due diligence, was nullified in one fell swoop.
The magnitude of the damage to the regulatory powers of
NERC by the Senate is a real risk for the power sector.
The crash of the oil price is a good reference to
re-examine our corporate model. Diversification of the
economy is an imperative. Power will be a major driver
of this renaissance as long moribund sectors take flight!
Manufacturing will grow exponentially, with attendant job
creation and growth of the real economy.
The era when government funded everything is gone.
With exponential population growth and rapid urbanisation,
those days left this shore a long time ago, while the boom
price of oil was the opiate. Private capital is needed to
develop our infrastructure (power, water, roads, housing,
etc). Private capital, whether local or foreign, will not come
The Senate could have demonstrated a liberal understanding of the fundamentals of the
sector by granting the tariff
increase, but tied to measurable
milestones such as agreed distribution loss reduction targets,
increase in meter coverage,
better collection metrics, and
better customer experience
if there are no clearly defined institutionalised processes.
Even the most benevolent investor wants the appropriate
enabling environment where the rules of investment are
clear with comparable return on investments relative
to the risk taken by the investor. If there is no clarity
for investors, then investors are scared off and forced to
seek more conducive climes to invest. The recent action
of the Senate may have already done some damage of
stopping much needed direct investments in the power
sector. A country blessed with potential and population is
an investor’s haven! But if they fail to see the necessary
security and due process, they would rather invest in
smaller African countries which are now a major competition for investment. Investors are already knocking on
the doors of other West African countries such as Ghana,
Benin, and Cote d’Ivoire; Nigeria must not lose that edge!
Nigerians want steady power supply. Most homes have
become their local power generating utility. Nigerians
should have a better quality of life as experienced when
we travel abroad. We missed the train a long time
ago; it’s time for us to jump back on it. We want to live
dignified as in advanced economies, and not continue
living like Neanderthals.
We need to take hard and realistic review. If the
Senate is concerned about affordability of tariff by
the vulnerable segment of the society, there are other
instruments such as government subsidy, which could be
explored. We should not throw away the baby with used
bath water!
Nigerians can see the multiplier effect of stable power
supply; we hope the Senate will reconsider this sensitive
matter and support the change agenda of the current
administration.
Nigerians can no longer remain in darkness, whilst the
rest of the African continent develops! Let’s collectively
support the direction of the new administration in this
area.
Holloway is a former Group Managing Director,
Lagos Water Corporation
Whose Budget is Before The National Assembly?
ItisthePresident’sbudget.Itisfundamentallywrongforhisappointeestodisagreewithit,arguesOsita Ogbu
A
lot has been said and written on the 2016
budget currently before the National Assembly. There is no doubt that this was a budget
put together in a hurry. It started seemingly
from zero-based and quickly migrated back to
the lazy envelope system. What you then have
is neither zero-based nor a well-thought-out
envelope-based budget. The padded figures,
the inconsistencies, the allocations within and between ministries, departments and agencies lacked equity and strategic
direction. Some unpatriotic, value-challenged civil servants
further complicated the matter by exploiting the newness of
the ministers and their non-surveillance instinct to create a
budget of their own. I am inclined to believe that the exposé
on this budget must have embarrassed the president because
the president that Nigerians voted for to bring change would
not have allowed this level of exaggeration, misallocation and
unprofessional job. I have often wondered aloud, in matters
like this, who is protecting the president? Does the president
currently have a structure that can avert this in the future? In
a matter as important as the budget, the ultimate authority
through his proxy has to invoke the dictum, “trust but verify.”
But I want to address a much more fundamental question
– Whose budget is before the federal legislature? Watching
the budget defence at the National Assembly got me extremely worried. Ministers are disputing and disowning the
figures in their budgets and heads of parastatals are openly
disagreeing with their ministers. The exchange between
the Minister of Finance and the Comptroller General of
the Nigeria Customs Service in the open got me troubled
too because the Minister, as the Treasurer of the country,
should have supervisory control over one of the key revenue
generating agencies – the Customs -as it has always been.
Let’s be very clear: the budget before the National Assembly
is the President’s budget – no minister, head of department,
parastatal or agency can or should alter it. The idea of going
before the National Assembly to argue for more resources
or for re-allocation is to grossly misinterpret their roles.
The ministers, on behalf of their parastatals and agencies,
should be invited to clarify and defend the president’s
budget for their respective ministries as people carefully
selected because they share and are willing to advocate the
president’s vision.
The president and his vice are the only elected members
of the executive. The visioning and the strategic direction
he wants to take the country are his responsibility and
cannot be out-sourced. But he can outsource the translation
of his vision and strategic thoughts into programmes
and projects to his ministers and the civil-service. That
is why the president can exercise great latitude, with due
respect to the extant laws, in merging, de-merging of
ministries; in appointment or de-appointment of personnel; in allocating and de-allocating resources to certain
ministries in accordance with priorities and options that
he thinks best translates his vision to reality for the benefit
of the populace. The negotiations and bargaining that the
budgeting process often entails are to clarify the vision,
to link vision to plan, for internal consistency, to offer
alternative pathways to actualising the vision, to inject
equity and to remind the president that he is the president
of all. But all of this must be concluded before the budget
is presented. Since the president is the visioner, elected on
the basis of what he promised the electorate, it is therefore
fundamentally problematic for his appointees to disagree
with his budget or to ask for more or less from the
National Assembly. How else can you hold the president
responsible for the management of the economy after four
years if the budget, one of the most important instruments
for managing the economy, is outside his control? This
later point must agitate the minds of the legislators and
moderate their actions as they play their appropriation role.
The budget is an annual plan of the government. It
should, strictosenso, be derived from a long and mediumterm plan. Now that the budget is functionally and
structurally aligned with planning in one ministry, one can
expect greater cohesion between the budget, especially the
capital budget and medium or long-term plan. I must say
that I strongly supported this move. If the president has a
four-year plan, the budget would be an annual expression
of that plan. If the president is able to negotiate and agree
on his four-year plan with the National Assembly, it would
make the annual budget exercise smoother and simpler
and the defence less dramatic. We are not there yet, but it
is what we should aim for.
And that brings me to another important point that
I want to make. In an environment such as ours with
numerous developmental challenges, including issues of
national integration, planning and budget effectiveness
would require elite consensus. We cannot afford to play
politics with everything. All energy and resources of this
nation must be channelled where it would benefit the
nation most. The discordant tone among the elite and the
sense of alienation that it fuels weaken socio-economic
planning and derogates it as a developmental tool. The
pull and tug, sometimes witnessed between the executive
and legislature and between political parties, and the
winner takes all mentality, exacerbates our fault lines
and denigrates our sense of oneness. The absence of a
collective sense of purpose blurs the vision of leadership
and offends the principles of long-term planning. This is
because people would not be willing to make the necessary sacrifices and compromise; and, more importantly,
leaders would be unwilling to commit to building strong
and credible institutions that can tie their hands and force
them to think beyond their tenure. To build elite consensus requires a pragmatic, disciplined and charismatic
leader.
In their book entitled Resilience, Andrew Zolli and Ann
Marie Healy talk of a translational leader as a requirement
for building a resilient economy, an inclusive economy that
is planned for all. Such a leader would enlarge the tribe,
the Nigerian tribe; weaving together different constituencies and different hierarchies. He is a leader who would
resist the temptation of his party, which says our time has
come to chop; a leader that thinks and acts differently,
discerning of the big picture but can also pay attention to
details; a leader with ability to connect with groups that
may feel alienated; a leader that courageously promotes
the change that endures, rewarding competence wherever
it is found and fighting to restore ethical behaviour among
all classes of the society. Such a leader would have the
courage of American President John Adams who lost an
election to Thomas Jefferson because he negotiated an
end to the war with France against the wishes of many
in his party; and the courage of Abraham Lincoln whose
emancipation proclamation was made in the face of war,
anger and bitterness. President Muhammadu Buhari can
join the league of these distinguished, courageous leaders
who acted selflessly and create a new national ethos for
Nigeria. And he deserves all our support.
Ogbu, a former Chief Economic Adviser to the
President, is a Professor of Economics and Director,
Institute for Development Studies, University of
Nigeria, Nsukka
19
LETTERS
Agatu Killings: An Appeal for Urgent Action
F
or more than eight
hours on February
23, 2016, a mysterious helicopter
hovered over four
communities in Agatu local
government area of Benue
State where some Fulani
herdsmen were engaged in
battle with the natives. The
mission of the helicopter,
which flew into the area from
neighbouring Nasarawa
State, was not clear, but there
were claims by the natives
that it was dropping food,
arms and ammunition for
the Fulani insurgents.
The helicopter saga
added a new chapter to the
tempestuous relationship
between the people of
Agatu local government
area and the Fulani
pastoralists, which erupted
sometime in 2013 following
the massacre of hundreds
of people at Okokolo-Agatu
by the Fulani. The attack on
Okokolo-Agatu turned out
to be the beginning of many
others, which left more than
1000 people dead and many
villages destroyed by the
invaders.
The earlier attacks on
Agatu in 2013 coincided
with similar attacks by
Ortom
Fulani pastoralists in other
parts of Benue State, including Gwer West and Guma
local government areas.
But whereas attacks on
other local government areas
subsided, Agatu communities continued to be raided
by the invaders at will. After
the first attack on OkokoloAgatu, the emboldened
Fulani warriors spread their
destructive activities to other
settlements like Okpagabi,
Edumogbo and Egwuma.
Preliminary investigations
showed that the attackers
often came across River
Benue from Nasarawa State
in many large boats. In view
of the relative ease with
which they disappeared
after each attack, it was
obvious that the attackers
either lived within some
communities in Nasarawa
State or lived in established
camps in that state. During
the second wave of attacks,
the Fulani warriors entered
Agatu through Bagana in
Kogi State. It was through
the Bagana route that they
attacked Okpanchenyi,
Onicha k’Oladukwu, Usha
and Oweto settlements.
While the people were
trying to recover from
these attacks, the Fulani
attackers struck again,
rushing through Edumogbo,
Okpagabi, Enungba, Engla,
Usha, Okpanchenyi, Ekwo,
Warri and Ikpele villages as
if on a mop-up operation.
When the attacks and
the attendant destruction
to lives and property
became too horrendous to
comprehend, the federal
authorities half-heartedly
sent some troops to Agatu.
The security men sent into
the area, however, restricted
most of their activities to
Obagaji, the headquarters
of Agatu local government
area and Oshigbudu, the
commercial nerve-centre of
the local government area.
That, perhaps, explains
why the rampaging Fulani
warriors started the new
wave of attacks, which
symbolically started from
Okokolo-Agatu, just a few
kilometres from Obagaji. In a
matter of hours, the village
was sacked by the invaders
and with no form of defence
IMANSUANGBON AND THE RICE CONNECTION
T
he thrust of
government is
ultimately connected
to generous and
compassionate
minds. At a time in human
evolvement, there was no
government. It was everyone
to his or her self, the survival of
the fittest. The famous Thomas
Hobbes ‘State of Nature’ was
a philosophy that explains the
evil of individual self-interest.
The spirit to give or to extend a
helping hand to those in need is
the beginning of civilisation and
a responsible government.
Therefore, only an evil mind
will grudge generosity or be
unhappy with the kindness of
man to humanity. Luckily for
the human race, such minds are
always in insignificant minority
in all societies.
I have no doubt that the
people of Edo State will reward
the philanthropy of their son,
Ken Imansuangbon in his
contest for the governor of Edo
State this year, 2016. Edo people
are enlightened and appreciative of good gesture. This is
validated by the outcome of
previous elections in Edo State
where the electorate voted for
verifiable positive antecedents
as against sentiments and
other parochial considerations.
Imansuangbon’s involvement
in Edo State APC governorship
primaries and the general
election in 2016 are anchored on
this background.
In a newspaper article on
February 24, 2016, entitled: “Edo
Politics and the Perennial Pretenders,” the author expressed
his grudge for the distribution
of rice by Imansuangbon to
the people of Edo State. The
sermon of the bishop of my
church will continue to be my
reference point. In the sermon,
he challenged all aspirants to
show evidence of their past
kindness to their neighbours.
He added, “If you say Ken
Imansuangbon has been throwing one kilogramme of rice to
the people, show us where you
threw one cup of rice to the
beggars on the street”. According to the bishop, those who
will use their personal resources
to assist the needy in the society
are doing the work of God. It is
unfair to castigate the generous
minds. The children of God
always pray for generous
minds.”
Ken Imansuangbon has
repeatedly told the story behind
his annual rice sharing to the
effect that it has no direct link
with his gubernatorial ambition.
It is an appreciation of a
woman who gave his mother
and his siblings rice to eat
during a Christmas celebration
many years ago when his
family could not afford a cup
of rice. He made a vow to
God that if he is blessed in the
future, he will give rice to Edo
society. Imansuangbon keeps his
promises; and this is why Edo
people have been appreciative
of him, trusting that he will
keep to his promise to serve
Edo State creditably when and
if elected as governor of the
state.
The lawyer-politician has
never assumed that he can feed
the entire people of Edo State
with rice, a gift targeted at the
low class and some vital institutions and organisations in Edo
State. In December 2015, seven
churches were visited in Benin
City with many bags of rice,
ranging from 10kg, 25kg and
50kg, as gift. Several orphanages
in Benin City and the home for
Internally Displaced Persons
arising from the Boko Haram
crisis were visited with many
bags of rice. The University
of Benin Teaching Hospital
(UBTH) got many bags of
rice in addition to N1 million
in appreciation of its good
works. Security agencies and
Benin prison equally received
the Christmas rice gift. Major
motor parks across the 18 local
government areas of Edo State
were visited with the Christmas
gift to target some members of
Edo public. This is not meant
to exaggerate the good gestures
of Ken Imansuangbon, but
to expose the intentions of
those complaining about his
philantrophy.
In July 2015, Ken Imansuangbon gave scholarships and
different awards to the winners
of the annual Ken Imansuangbon Essay Competition. Edo
children in their hundreds in
junior secondary school, senior
secondary school and tertiary
institutions, both public and
private in Edo State, benefited.
The award ceremony was held
at the University of Benin main
auditorium. The Deputy ViceChancellor, who represented the
VC acknowledged the generosity of Ken Imansuangbon to
Edo people and advised that the
generosity should be expanded
by establishing rice farms.
The advise of the DVC was
taken and the programmes of
Imansuagbon as governorship
aspirant in Edo State that
is already in circulation has
agricultural development,
with the cultivation of rice as a
cardinal objective.
It is important to emphasise
that the aim here is not to
recount Imansuangbon’s
philanthropy. It is to advise
his political critics and their
sponsors not to be unkind to
God and begrudge his son that
is doing good to humanity.
And to make it clear that Edo
people and the APC delegates
will not vote for sentiments,
bogus claims and parochial
considerations.
Ken Imansuangbon is
undisputedly qualified to be
elected as the next governor of
Edo State. He has the academic
qualifications. He has the experience and clear evidence of a
job creator and a man that can
generate income for Edo State,
and not to rely on allocation
from Abuja. Even his critics, in
the article, still mentioned the
capacity of schools owned by
Imansuangbon in Abuja. He is
a regular tax payer with known
means of income, and whose
credibility is not in doubt. He
has no previous or current
issues with security agencies on
financial matter or any other
bothering on crime.
Michael Omorege, Okada,
Edo State
S
left in them, the survivors
migrated to neighbouring
villages, including UgbojuAchega, Akwu, Aila and
Odugbeho. If the migrating
natives thought that respite
was theirs in exile, they were
mistaken because the Fulani
warriors pushed their luck
further by attacking Akwu,
Ugboju-Achega and Aila
villages. Unless government
intervenes in the crisis immediately, it is just a matter
of time before Obagaji
would fall into the hands of
the Fulani attackers.
Like in the previous
attacks, many men, women
and children are being killed
by the attackers without
any form of provocation.
Houses, farm produce and
other property worth several
millions of naira are being
burnt or destroyed by the
attackers. In addition, more
than 200, 000 school-age
children have been unable to
attend classes continuously
since the crisis started, just
as schools, health centres
and government facilities
in the affected areas have
been abandoned, with some
of them ransacked by the
invading Fulani herdsmen.
The series of attacks on
Agatu communities came
as a surprise to those who
were familiar with the
relationship between the
Idoma and the Fulani. For
as long as this writer can
remember, Fulani pastoralists have lived in many
communities among the
Idoma. Although the Fulani
made their homes in the
bush, contacts between them
and the Idoma were without
rancor, at least until 2013
when the Fulani started the
series of armed attacks on
many Agatu villages.
Apart from feeble attempts
at resolving the Fulani-Agatu
feud, no government has
taken concrete steps towards
finding a permanent
solution to the crisis. A
recent peace meeting
between the governments of
Nasarawa and Benue States
ended with a communiqué
that failed to address the
Agatu issue. As major
stakeholders in the Fulani
insurgency in the North
Central geopolitical zone, the
Agatu should have been at
that meeting; but they were
not represented.
What is happening in
Agatu demands more than
the passing glance it is
attracting in government
circles. As citizens of our
great country, Nigeria, the
Agatu deserve the protection of the government of
Nigeria. The federal government should send enough
military personnel to protect
the people of Agatu against
these attackers. The security
agencies should collaborate
with the government of
Nasarawa State in the
bid to identify the camps
being used by the invaders,
because from most accounts,
the attacks were coordinated
from that end. Since the
routes are known, it
shouldn’t be difficult for the
military to locate and flush
them out of their camps in
Nasarawa State.
From the events of
the past two weeks
in Agatu, it is obvious
that the attackers have
become bolder and more
sophisticated, especially with
the use of up-to-the-minute
weapons and the mysterious
helicopter. Using modern
technological facilities, it
shouldn’t be difficult to
identity the helicopter that
was used in the recent attacks on Okokolo-Agatu and
neighbouring settlements.
The government must get
to the roots of the matter by
identifying the sponsors and
perpetrators of these attacks
on Agatu communities. The
time for procrastination on
how to resolve the crisis in
Agatu is over; urgent efforts
should be made to resolve
this issue before it becomes a
full blown genocide.
Nats Onoja Agbo
onojagbo@yahoo.com
DSTV’S SHOCK TO THE SYSTEM
hock, I was told
by my secondary
school English
teacher, a Ghanaian, is used in the
negative sense. Surprise, my
former teacher said, conveys
positivity. I believed him
then. These days, however, I
believe that lesson less. Why?
There are unpleasant surprises which, by definition,
arise from events one would
rather forget. Of course, I have
also told myself that it is possible to experience a pleasant
shock; a feeling so jolting in
intensity but pleasurable all
the same.
Went through such on
Tuesday when MultiChoice,
owners of DStv, announced
that they were making
football, the king of their
content available to subscribers of their Compact and
Compact plus bouquets.
It was a stunning
announcement and I had
to read reports of the
announcement slowly to
be sure my eyes were not
seeing something else. Being
a Compact subscriber, I was
on the third tier. Ahead
of me were Premium and
Compact Plus subscribers-in
that order. Prior to last
week’s announcement,
Premium subscribers got all
the matches of the English
Premier League, Compact
Plus subscribers got 80 per
cent, while those in my
category got 60. But with the
new announcement, I and
Compact Plus subscribers
now have access to what
Premium subscribers
enjoy-and at no additional
cost. The new arrangement
grants me access to the full
complement of matches
of the English Premier
League, Spain’s La Liga
and this year’s European
Championship. Two new
channels have been created
for football on Compact.
SuperSport 11 (DStv Channel 231) will be the home of
the English Premier League,
while SuperSport 12 (DStv
Channel 232) will beam La
Liga in high definition.
This implies that I have
been spared trips to pubs
to watch games that I’d
ordinarily not have access
to. Shock, yes. But a pleasant
one.
It was accompanied by
similarly big ones. The
company announced a
slash in the prices of its
hardware. The Explora HD
decoder, which initially sold
for N71,000, now goes for
N30,000 with a month, while
the price of Zapper HD
decoder slides from N18,500
to N12,500 with one-month
subscription.
Tanimola, a digital
journalist, writes from
Ibadan
20
21
T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R •FEBRUARY 28, 2016
BUSINESS
Editor Festus Akanbi
Email festus.akanbi@thisdaylive.com
QUICK TAKES
National Economic
Conference
As the Nigerian economy continues
to reel from low oil prices and its attendant consequences, presidency
sources confirmed yesterday that
President Muhammadu Buhari is set
to convene a major national economic
conference next month. One official
in the presidency said the president
himself would declare the conference
open and participate in deliberations
with government officials, the legislature,andtheprivatesector.Thedecision
by the president to hold the economic
conference may not be unconnected
tothegrowingclamourbyNigeriansof
influenceon theneed to stemtheeconomicslidethroughapublicdiscourse
whereparticipantscouldairtheirviews
andproffersolutionsonthemeasures
to stem the economic decline. One of
suchcallswasfromNobellaureate,Prof.
Wole Soyinka, who expressed grave
concern over the precipitous decline
oftheNigerianeconomyandcalledfor
an“emergencyeconomicconference”.
PriortoSoyinka,aconferenceofsimilar
magnitudewasalsomootedlastmonth
atthe65thNationalEconomicCouncil
(NEC)meeting.NECisaconstitutional
advisory council to the president.
NEITI Board
Dollars being exchange for naira at a bureau de change
Experts Watch as Naira
Stops One-way Slide
The meteoric rise in the value of the naira last week was astonishing,
especially when pundits had forecast that a dollar may be exchanged
for as high as N500 by the end of this month. Kunle Aderinokun
and Olaseni Durojaiye who have been keeping close tabs on the
forex market, examine the trend and present the views of experts
T
hough the gains
were
reversed
last
Thursday
with the dollar
sold at N330, the
naira staged a
comeback earlier
in the week in a form that many
described as not only dramatic
but also unprecedented. On a day
(Wednesday) the International Monetary Fund once again categorically
told the Central Bank of Nigeria
(CBN) to remove restriction on
forex, the naira was exchanged for
the dollar at N250/$ from N310/$
it stood a day before.
The dramatic rise of the value
of the naira started the previous
weekend when the greenback
was sold at N362 after rising to
an all-time high of N391 some
days earlier. Subsequently, the
naira continued to gain strength.
Like the proverbial cat with nine
lives, the naira came back to life.
But what could have breathed life
MONEY
into the naira?
Positive Fundamentals
The latest development on the
naira may not be too surprising, after all, fundamentals are
tending upwards. For instance,
penultimate Friday, following
suggestions that OPEC might
finally agree to cut production
to reduce the world glut, crude
oil prices surged as much as 12
percent. Brent crude closed up
$3.30 at $33.36 a barrel in New
York after falling below $30 the
day before. Even though the
prices came down a while after,
it also went up few days later.
And last Tuesday, as speculations
were rife about falling U.S. shale
output, oil prices (US crude
futures) gained as much as 6
per cent or $1.84, or 6 percent,
to close at $31.48 a barrel, rallying
above $32 at one point. Besides,
positive news is coming from the
meetings by Nigeria’s President
Muhammadu Buhari and King
Salman Bin Abdul-Aziz of Saudi
Arabia as both countries are now
committed to the rebound of crude
oil prices and stable oil market.
This was subsequent upon the
agreement by Russia and Saudi
Arabia to freeze production, which
has given fillip to the prices of oil.
The implication being that there
was an accretion to Nigeria’s foreign
reserves once after five months.
According to the Central Bank
of Nigeria (CBN), the reserves
increased by $13 million from
$27.793 billion previous Friday
to $27.806 billion last Monday.
Analysts Greet Rebound with
Cautious Optimism
While market watchers saw
the sharp increase in value of
the naira coming, even though
not expected to have happened
so fast, they are however of the
opinion that the rebound may
not be sustainable. According to
them, the naira is still volatile.
Besides, the dramatic recovery
of the national currency was
welcomed by operators in the real
sector and some analysts, tracing
the development to government’s
resolve not to devalue the naira
even as it faced so much pressure
to do so.
Amidst calls to devalue, President Muhammadu Buhari argued
at various times that the country
did not have the competitive
advantage to devalue and that
he was yet to be convinced on
the need to devalue the naira.
While the devaluation debate
persists, analysts feared that going
forward, the challenge of greater
import costs on businesses was
expected to further impact both
the core and food inflation rates
as cost push factors weaken
Cont’d on Pg. 22
The prompt re-constitution of the
NationalStakeholdersWorkingGroup
(NSWG) of the Nigeria Extractive IndustriesTransparencyInitiative(NEITI)
by the federal government has shown
Nigeria’scontinuedcommitmenttothe
global Extractive IndustriesTransparencyInitiative(EITI)process.Executive
Director, Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ),
David Ugolor, said on Thursday that
the reconstitution of the NSWG has
rekindled hope that Nigeria may
escape the suspension from the
global transparency and accountability group for breaching the group’s
operational principles and guidelines.
In recent months, Nigeria was facing
the threat of a possible suspension
from the 49-member EITI for failure
to publish the 2013 NEITI oil and gas
auditreportonorbeforetheDecember
31, 2015 deadline,The publication of
the audit report before the expiration
of December 31 of every successive
year is a mandatory obligation by all
EITImembercountries,failureforwhich
it would attract instant suspension.
Customers’ BVN
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has
directed all banks to allow their customershavingdifficultiesinlinkingthe
bank verification numbers (BVNs) to
their accounts to effect the necessary
corrections.LastyeartheCBNhadsaid
that any bank customer without the
BVNwouldfromNovember1,2015be
deemedtohaveinadequateknowyour
customer (KYC) information. Equally,
the bank had clarified that a Nigeria
resident’s bank account without the
BVNwouldbeallowedtooperateas“No
customerinitiateddebit”accountuntil
theholderofsuchanaccountobtained
and attached a BVN to the account.
Regardless,theCBNdirectorofBanking
and Payment Systems Department,
Dipo Fatokun, said on Thursday the
CBNhadreceivedreportsofcustomers
facing difficulties linking their BVN to
their account due to discrepancies in
their records on the BVN database
and core banking applications with
the DMBs. To resolve the problems,
Mr. Fatokun said the CBN approved
thatcorrectionofdatesofbirthonBVN
record could be corrected once with
the relevant supporting documents
evidencing the correct date of birth.
28
BUSINESS/MONEY
Experts Watch as Naira Stops One-way Slide
operating margins amid demand pressure
in the forex market.
Executive Director, Corporate Finance,
BGL Capital Limited, Femi Ademola, notes
that “the appreciation of the Naira against
the US dollars from about N400/US$ on
the 18th of February 2016 to N270/US$ on
the 24th February 2016 has been anticipated
although, the rate of the appreciation was
faster than expected.” This, he points out,
is because “the demand for the foreign
exchange in the last few months has been
largely artificial.”
Ademola explains that “since the declining
oil price resulted in a lower value of the
Naira exchange rate, it follows that an
increase in oil price would also reverse the
Naira exchange rate trend and the currency
will strengthen against the dollars.” As
such he believes “since the oil price has
been firming up consistently over the last
few days, it is not strange that the Naira
is also gaining value.”
Pointing out that “this is not the first
time that the IMF is advising the CBN
to float the local currency and I think I
agree with the idea,” he however, says
he had also argued that “it should be a
part of the whole economic plan which
should include structural reforms and the
provision of enabling environment for local production so as to increase exports
and produce substitutes to the expensive
imported goods.”
In essence, the BGL analyst attributes
the appreciation of the Naira to “the
improvement in oil price which leads to
increase in supply of foreign exchange on
one hand, and the reduction in speculative
and artificial demand as the Naira exchange
rate appeared to reach an unsustainable
low level on the other hand.”
Speaking along the same line, former Chief
Economist at African Finance Corporation
(AFC) and CEO, Nextnomics Advisory
Limited, Temitope Oshikoya, notes that
“the same factors responsible for the sudden
fall in the Naira were responsible for its
rise: speculations and uncertainty, which
tend to lead to exchange rate overshooting
on both sides.” “Oil prices have fallen by
about 70 per cent since June 2014. The
official exchange rate was around N150
to the dollar around that time. A full and
proportional effect would be a 70 per cent
depreciation from N150 to about N250-265.
On the other hand, using inflation differential
approach and using the current level, the
Naira should be around N220.”
Asking ‘why the run to N400?”, Oshikoya
states that, “ it is the microstructure of
the foreign exchange market that is being
manipulated. Buy on the rumor, sell on
the news.”
He lists the factors that led to the fall in
the Naira to include: “kick out of the BDCs
from sourcing dollars from the CBN, the
rumour that school fees, medical tourism
and travels would be kicked out from official sources, and the expectations that the
MPC would devalue the Naira at its next
meeting. On the other hand, he points out
that, “the rise has been triggered by the
pronouncements of President Buhari stating
that read my lips: no new devaluation in
the near future, the clarifications by CBN
that schools fees and medical tourism are
not yet excluded, and the efforts of the
BDCs to clean their own act by trying to
self-regulate their members to buy and
sell within a band.”
To the CEO of Eczellon Capital Limited,
Diekola Onaolapo, “the reason for the
sharp rise in the value of the naira is as
inexplicable as the sharp drop in its value
last week.”
As such, Onaolapo adds: “We have no
reason(s) to believe that the current gains
are sustainable over the coming weeks. He
recalls that in recent months, the value of
the naira in the parallel market has largely
been driven by activities in the gray market
which is outside the purview of the formal/
official economy. “That said, the intense
volatility in the FX market is negative on
the Nigerian economy. This is because it
inhibits the ability of businesses and investors
to adequately plan for new investments
in the country due to the unstable nature
of the naira.”
Cont’d from Pg. 21
Central business district, Lagos
Emefiele
This, the chief executive believes, further
reiterates “our call for the CBN to introduce
a managed floating system for the naira,
to allow the currency find a true and
stable level that will promote stability
and confidence in the nation’s economy.”
He argues that “the current pegging
of the currency is not sustainable and it
promotes arbitrage which rent seekers will
continue to exploit at the detriment of the
whole economy.”
Rebound Excites Real Sector
Also reacting to the rebound, President,
Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN)
Dr. Frank Jacobs expresses delight, saying
it is a welcome development. According
to him, it means well for the real sector.
Exclaiming that, “this is good news!
excellent news!,” Jacobs adds that, “all
along I believe that the performance of
the naira against the dollar was artificial. I
Adeosun
believe some organisations and individuals
hoard the dollar expecting that the naira
will be devalued. Now that they realised
that the President (Buhari) won’t toe that
line they have started selling dollars.
“That is the only plausible reason for this
kind of recovery. The people who stored
dollars expecting devaluation now know
better and are now selling what they have
stored up in their private vaults,” he states.
On his part, Director-General, Lagos
Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI),
Muda Yusuf, welcomes the recovery, he
however insists that the basic economic
steps must be taken to normalise the forex
market arguing that businesses cannot plan
with the current scenario that is playing
out in the forex market.
Yusuf says “It is still a volatile market;
we need to allow the market to settle before
making far reaching statements. I am not in
a position to speak on what is responsible
for this. However, we need to still address
the fundamentals. Businesses can’t plan
like this, economy don’t like this; we need
to have a stable market. We need to take
steps to normalise the situation.”
As for a renowned chartered insurance
broker, Ayodapo Shoderu, “It must obviously
have the hand of the government. To the
best of my feeling, it is the intervention
of government that is responsible for the
recovery as a reaction to cries of the people.”
“We are happy that it has at least gone
down to N250 to $1; we hope it will still go
down a great deal more because Nigeria
is no more an agricultural country, it used
to be; we have shifted our dependence to
oil and almost everything that is used or
consumed in the country now depends on
the price of the USD,” posits Shoderu, who
was also the immediate past Chairman of
Council, Nigerian Council of Registered
Insurance Brokers (NCRIB).
23
BUSINESS/MONEY
Concerns over Forex
Demand for Tuition Fees
Following the disclosure that demand for foreign exchange to pay tuition fees constitutes
a huge chunk of forex demand on Deposit Money Banks, Olaseni Durojaiye takes
a look at the issues
B
esides the decision to devalue
or not, one of the fallouts of the
increasing pressure on the naira
owing to the speculative activities
in the nation’s foreign exchange
(forex) market and the increasing
demand for the United States
Dollars (USD) as against a shrinking supply
side, appear to be the revelation that demand
for forex for tuition fee was huge among forex
demand on Deposit Money Banks (DMBs). The
indication first emerged when some DMBs
published lists of their forex transactions in
the dailies.
The second indication came with the announcement by the Bankers’ Committee after its last
meeting during a post-meeting press briefing.
Sources familiar with goings on in the banking
system told THISDAY that, “forex demand
for tuition fees is significant” and reasoned
that “for Bankers Committee to have called it
out while addressing the press speaks a lot; it
means it is significant and has attracted their
attention,” he stated.
A note from Afrinvest Research obtained by
THISDAY corroborated same. The note stated
that “Following the Bankers’ Committee meeting
that took place last week it was reported that
international School Fees payments and Health
demands constitute the bulk of foreign exchange
utilisation demands on Deposit Money Banks
(DMBs), speculations concerning the currency
have grown considerably.”
The report also stated that, “our view is that the
uncertainty surrounding the outlook of the naira
is more worrying as this amplifies speculative
attacks and round tripping by speculators who
bet on higher margin between the interbank
market rate and the BDC/parallel rate.”
Unsurprisingly, the trend has spurred concerns
among analysts. While some worry that the trend
hold bad omen for the country’s educational
system, others insist that it is a reflection of the
craze for everything foreign among Nigerian.
Other still fear that tuition may be a disguised
conduit for the infamous round tripping.
Opinions are however divided on the claim
that a percentage of foreign exchange purchased
supposedly to pay tuition fee abroad ends up
in the parallel market.
A banker with a leading second generation
bank who craved anonymity told THISDAY
that, “this is the first time I am hearing such
allegation. Not even in our zonal meetings have
I heard anything like that so I don’t want to
believe that some of the forex bids end up
being sold at the parallel market.”
However, an economist and research analyst
with a Lagos-based economic advocacy group,
Rotimi Oyelere, opined that the disclosure by the
banks amounted to “a moral overhang playing
out” adding that “it has come to their notice
that Nigerians are becoming aware of how
Nigerian banks are aiding and abetting illicit
transactions and encouraging round tripping.
“The Bankers’ Committee is on a face-saving
mission. It has come to their notice that Nigerians
are becoming aware of how Nigerian banks
are aiding and abetting … encouraging round
tripping and even funding the parallel market.
I think the moral overhang is playing out here.
Allocation disclosure would not create jobs,
support local industries nor expand national
output when genuine manufacturers are not
funded. The banker’s committee just wants
to justify its forex distributions. The pertinent
question that needs to be addressed is what
proportion of allocated forex is actually used to
support local capacity? What is the importance
of skewed distribution to favour tuition fees
payment and other frivolous expenditure when
manufacturers that need machinery, inputs and
technical expertise cannot access it?”
A cuurency trader flaunts dollar and naira bills
In response to queries whether the trend
may lead to forex demand for the purposes
of medical tourism and tuition being barred
from assessing forex from the official market,
Oyelere responded thus: “If National/ CBN
earnings from exports of oil and non-oil continue
to cascade, the apex bank would be compelled
to exclude tuition fees forex demand from the
official window as it continue to tighten its
vault and save the nation’s reserves from total
erosion.”
On his part, Executive Director, Corporate
Finance, BGL Capital Limited, Femi Ademola,
told THISDAY that, “the use of foreign exchange
is usually reported in some periodic reports
published by the CBN, some in aggregates
and others in more details. However, the
information does not reach the critical mass
of the public that now needs to be enlightened.
In my opinion, the publication by the different
banks about the use of the foreign exchange is
to inform Nigerians on the source of demand
for the FX, reorient them on the need to focus
on the use of FX for productive use and more
importantly, to obtain public support for the
government on the handling of the economy,
especially the foreign exchange issue as it affects
the general public.
Continuing, Ademola added that, “it can be
inferred from the publication that the sale of
FX at official rate for tuition fees is equivalent
to subsidising the exchange rate for the elites
who use them for non-productive uses. Now,
that is a very strong weapon to garner public
support for government policies.”
However, responding to a question on the
likelihood of excluding tuition fees from list
of needs that are allowed to source forex at
the official market is a possibility arguing that
many of the CBN policies were products of
deliberations and recommendations of the
Bankers’ Committee.
According to him, “most policies of the Central
Bank of Nigeria (CBN) originate from a decision and then recommendation by the Bankers
Committee, a committee of all Nigerian Banks
MD including the CBN. The Bankers Committee
Most policies of the Central
Bank of Nigeria (CBN)
originate from a decision
and then recommendation
by the Bankers
Committee, a committee
of all Nigerian Banks
MD including the CBN.
The Bankers Committee
has recommended that
the payment of tuition
fees be added to the list
of products and services
prohibited from seeking
foreign exchange from
the interbank/official
market. However, the
CBN has not adopted the
recommendation yet but
it may be adopted in the
future
has recommended that the payment of tuition
fees be added to the list of products and services
prohibited from seeking foreign exchange from
the interbank/official market. However, the CBN
has not adopted the recommendation yet but
it may be adopted in the future. It is therefore
necessary for us to start looking for alternatives
to accessing foreign exchange from the banks
for the payment of tuition fees.”
However, Ademola added that, “again, I don’t
think that this method is sustainable in the long
run. We may have to make the entire foreign
exchange market to be a single one by floating
the currency and I think the current situation
is a good preparation towards that exchange
rate mechanism,” he stated.
Way Forward
Going by THISDAY findings among respondents, the likelihood of the CBN excluding tuition
fees from the official forex is high especially if
the current pressure on the naira against the
greenback continues unabated. However, a
decision in that regard may wait until after
the next quarterly meeting of the Monetary
Committee Meeting of the CBN which comes
up in April.
Oyelere told THISDAY that decision may be
taken in the second quarter of the year. “The
apprehension contributed to the recent demand
pressure witnessed at the parallel market segment
of the forex market. This is the bottom line, the
nation’s spending is higher than its receipts and
in a bid to achieve equilibrium there would be
continue exclusion of less important items on
the preference list,” he argued.
Though maintaining anonymity, the banker
with the leading second generation bank aligned,
saying, “It is a possibility. Tuition fees may be
excluded from the official forex market if things
continue like this.”
24
BUSINESS/INDUSTRY
Government’s Quest for Non-oil
Export-led Economy Gathers Support
Olaseni Durojaiye looks at the Federal Government’s quest to diversify the economy from
the oil sector
A
s the country takes headlong
this challenging year, as had
been severally predicted by
both analysts and international finance organisation,
particularly due to the
slump in oil prices at the
international market, economy watchers have
hailed the efforts of the federal government
at diversifying the economy from oil. The
initiative, described by some economy watchers
as a paradigm shift many believe holds the
key to revamping the Nigerian economy.
However, analysts argued that government
cannot embark on the journey to diversify the
economy alone and contended that a major
determinant in the success of the initiative
to diversify the economy would depend to a
large extent on how the private sector aligns
with the vision.
“Nigerian businesses have a major role to
play if the economy must diversify from oil
sector into other sectors particularly agribusiness
and manufacturing. As a matter of fact, the
smart way to go for any Nigerian business
is to veer into manufacturing of goods that
the country has its major raw materials in
abundance,” an economist, Oye Makinde,
stated, adding that, “it’s a win-win for Nigerian
businesses to do so, both on the medium
and long term considering that the need for
foreign exchange to import raw materials is
eliminated; that way what you get is, they
produce in Naira and earn foreign exchange
from their exports.”
Among other wholly-owned Nigerian businesses, BUA Group appears to have aligned
with government’s policies of diversifying the
economy with bias for export and generating
foreign exchange. This is discernible from the
company’s medium term strategic posturing,
particularly in its cement and sugar operations.
The group, which currently plays in a handful
sectors of the economy including infrastructure
concession and port management, real estate
and extractive industry, is one of the leading
lights in sugar and cement production through
which it currently targets the international
commodity market.
Diversifying its Operation
BUA Group has over the past few years
embarked on a series of strategic acquisitions
which has seen the group’s business portfolio
expand to include the Cement Company of
Northern Nigeria (CCNN), Obu-Edo Cement,
BUA Flour Mills, BUA Sugar Refinery in both
Lafiagi, Kwara State and Bassa, Kogi State;
BUA Pasta, BUA Ports and Terminals, and BUA
Estates amongst other agribusiness holdings.
The company made its initial foray into
business in 1988 and has grown from strength
to strength over the years contributing to the
growth of the Nigerian economy in the process.
The company’s operations at the time led to
the formation of its manufacturing concerns;
the flour plant in Lagos, which was driven by
huge demand for flour at the time being its
premier manufacturing concern. The group
now has flour mills, pasta plants, a sugar
refinery in Lagos and another one that is
soon-to-be-commissioned in Port Harcourt,
River State; vegetable oil processing mills and
the cement projects.
Medium-term Strategy
BUA Group’s recent divestment of its flour
business to Olam International in a deal worth
$275million is seen by industry watchers as
a major milestone for the group. Besides that
it is a demonstration of commitment to its
medium-term strategy, observers opined that
it aligns with the need for a strategic focus
on business areas with greater potential for
export where the sourcing and utilisation
of foreign exchange is less and most of the
materials needed for production can be sourced
locally, whilst also positioning its current line
Coffee Beans meant for export
of foods and infrastructure businesses for
market leadership.
Commenting on the deal, Executive Chairman
and Chief Executive Officer of BUA Group,
Abdulsamad Rabiu, explained that “Over the
years, we have run one of the largest and most
efficient flour milling businesses in Nigeria and
are confident in the value it will add to the
buyer’s operations. Our group’s strategic focus
will now be to diversify to business areas with
greater potential for export where the sourcing
and utilisation of foreign exchange is less and
most of the materials needed for production
can be sourced locally whilst also positioning
our current line of Foods and Infrastructure
businesses for market leadership.”
Aligning with Government’s Policy
It will be recalled that BUA Sugar Refinery
acquired the Lafiagi Sugar Company formerly
owned by the Federal Government and its
plant located in Lafiagi, Kwara state in 2010.
Having successfully turned around the plant
and upped its production capacity, significant
work has gone into its 20,000-hectare sugar
plantation in Lafiagi. This is besides extensive
work that is going on at its 50,000 hectares
of farmland in Bassa, Kogi State in the same
North Central Nigeria as Kwara State.
Industry watchers contended that the
acquisition comes with multiple benefits.
These include employment generation in the
host communities and beyond, community
development as well as giving the country a
stronger foothold in the international sugar
market which would in turn fetch foreign
exchange and boost its GDP on the long run.
According to Rabiu “with global prices of
crude oil plummeting and demand for foreign
exchange going up, BUA’s projects will help
create badly needed jobs in Nigeria, diversify
the group’s business further, and stimulate
the Nigerian economy as well as support the
government’s roadmaps for the agriculture
and extractive industries,” he stated.
As part of its medium-term growth strategy,
BUA Group is expanding the backward integration of its sugar plantations in Kwara and
Kogi states in Nigeria in an effort to reduce
Nigeria’s dependence on imported raw sugar
while supporting the value chain in sugar
production within the country.
“Extensive work is ongoing in our 20,000
hectares of farmland in Lafiagi, Kwara State and
another 50,000 hectares of farmland in Bassa,
Kogi. The two operations form the fulcrum
of our backward integration programme for
sugar and this will further reduce Nigeria’s
dependence on imported raw sugar while
supporting the value chain in sugar production
within Nigeria. We recently started production
of cement from our 3 million metric tons per
annum cement plant in Obu, Okpella, Edo
State,” a company official stated.
Similarly, indications are that the firm is
determined to replicate same strategic approach in its cement business. With most of
the raw materials for cement currently being
sourced locally, the company has scaled up
its operations significantly with minimal
dependence on foreign exchange and will
soon start exporting to neighbouring countries
from both the Obu mining site, Edo State and
Sokoto plants which are currently undergoing
3.5million Metric tons Per Annum (MTPA)
and 1.5million MTPA capacity expansions
respectively to bring the Group’s cement
production capacity to around 10 million
MTPA by 2018.
“We believe BUA Group will be one of the
top five companies in Nigeria within the next
few years, provided it sticks religiously to its
growth strategy,” Makinde noted.
Corporate Social Responsibility
To activate its corporate social responsibility
(CSR) policy which is conceptualised to impact
its host communities from state to village
and ward levels, the company established a
Community Relations Committee. Membership
of the committee is made up of thought leaders
drawn from state, local and community levels;
at the core of its objectives at inception was to
serve as an effective mechanism between the
company and the communities and to advise
the management on all matters relating to
community relations. The untiring efforts of
the committee manifested in the inauguration
of several interventionist projects in different
parts of the country.
BUA group, through Cement Company of
Northern Nigeria (CCNN) practically built the
Kalambaina resettlement town from scratch.
The company bankrolled electrification and
installation of transformers of the new town
and constructed several access roads. This
is besides the construction of a mechanised
borehole, complete with water tanks, all in 2014.
The same year, the company also constructed
and equipped Islamiyya School and a modern
Primary School in Kalambaina resettlement
village to bring primary education closer to
the people of the town. The adoption of the
erstwhile Wurno Road Model Primary School
has not only transformed it into a modern
school, it has also caused a name change as
it is now known as Sokoto Cement Primary
and Secondary School.
Chief executive officer of the group told
THISDAY that, “being Nigerian-owned and very
proud of our indigenous roots, we are keenly
aware of our corporate social responsibility
to our host community and the country as a
whole which is why we frequently give back
to our host communities through donations,
sponsorships of various initiatives and projects
related to sports and health care through the
BUA Foundation.
“At BUA, we have a passion for what we do.
We are not only helping to grow the Nigerian
economy, but also touching lives, I think what
is really important is to do things right, to
work hard for your company and for the
people around you,” he stated.
It was also gathered that these are in addition
to other donations, assistance and sponsorship of events such as the annual Argungu
International Fishing and Cultural Festival and
support for programmes which have direct
impact on local communities.
CCNN, according to a resident of the seat
of the Caliphate, Mallam Babakura Maishanu,
“has been partnering the state government since
the company was acquired by BUA group.
They have intervened in the state in areas that
include education, housing, road construction,
health as well as skill acquisition and youth
empowerment; and this has further endeared
the company to the government and people
of Sokoto state,” Maishanu stated.
25
BUSINESS/TELECOMS
As MTN Moves for Amicable
Resolution of Fine Dispute...
The withdrawal of the case that was instituted against NCC by MTN, and the
subsequent payment of N50 billion by the telecom firm, is a show of MTN’s
bid to douse the heightened tension between it and the NCC in order to open
fresh opportunities for dialogue and settlement, writes Emma Okonji
T
he Nigerian Communications
Commission (NCC), the
telecoms industry regulatory
body, on October 26, 2015, in
a surprise but decisive move
imposed a whopping N1.04
trillion fine on MTN Nigeria
for contravening its directives on SIM card
deactivation. Although NCC said it acted
according to the law establishing the NCC
Act of 2003, but the fine became a subject
of discussion within and outside Nigeria
because of the huge amount involved. In
the history of Nigeria, no regulatory body
or government at all tiers, has imposed such
huge fine on any organisation, not even on
oil companies that polluted the aquatic life
of the Niger-Delta region.
Having been convinced that it could not let
go such amount of money and still remain
in business, MTN decided to be diplomatic
in handling the matter. One of its diplomacy
strategy was a plea bargain it opened with
NCC and the Federal Government, before
resorting to court action to seek legal redress,
when the plea bargain appeared unsuccessful.
Although the court action was viewed as a
strategy to beat the December 31, 2015 deadline
given by NCC for the fine to be paid, MTN
did not discontinue with its plea bargain, but
continued to appeal to NCC and the Federal
Government to drop the fine against it.
Last week, MTN announced that it had paid
N50 billion to the Federal Government and
had also withdrawn the case from court, as
steps toward amicable resolution of the issue.
MTN’s withdrawal
After four months of calculated delay in
paying the N1.04 trillion fine imposed on MTN
by the NCC, MTN, last week, decided to pay
N50 billion as part of the fine, and went ahead
to withdraw the case. Although the action of
MTN was said to be a precondition given to
it by government for amicable resolution of
the issue, MTN was believed to have accepted
the condition since it will open avenues for
it to continue to press government to rescind
its decision on the fine.
MTN Nigeria Chief Executive Officer, Mr.
Ferdi Moolman, speaking on the issue said:
“This is a most encouraging development.
It demonstrates a willingness and sincerity
by both parties to work together towards a
positive outcome”.
He explained that MTN Nigeria had paid N50
billion to the federal government as a gesture
of good faith and commitment to continued
efforts towards an amicable resolution.
Impact of N1.04 trillion fine
Just like the thoughts of MTN management,
many telecoms analysts and subscribers
have said that the N1.04 trillion fine was
outrageous and capable of putting MTN
out of business, but the fact remains that
there was an infraction on the part of MTN
and the law has to take its course. When
the infraction of MTN is placed side by side
with the law, which stipulates that a single
infraction on SIM card attracts N200,000 and
it was discovered that MTN had 5.2 million
infractions, a simple Mathematics explains
it clearly that 5.2 million infractions at the
rate of N200,000 per infraction, amounts to
N1.04 trillion. Yes, it has been established
that MTN infractions attracted N1.04 trillion,
but the issue now is that MTN has said it
cannot pay such amount of money and still
remain in business.
However, the consolidated statement of MTN
One of MTN outlets in Lagos
Nigeria and its subsidiary as at December
31, 2014, which was exclusively obtained by
THISDAY, showed that the company had
current assets comprising inventories, trade
and other receivables, current investment,
restricted cash, and cash and cash equivalents
of N402 billion.
The amount is far less than the 25 per cent
reduced fine of N780 billion, talk less of the
actual fine of N1.04 trillion.
MTN’s profit and loss accounts showed
that it posted revenues of N824.8 billion, a
profit before tax of N290.6 billion and profit
after tax of N209 billion in 2014.
MTN’s unaudited (management) accounts
up till December 31, 2015, showed that its
total cash and investment available stood at
N355 billion.
Going by the financial statistics, it is obvious
that MTN cannot pay such fine. The issue
therefore is that should MTN be forced to
face the law, and go out of business that is
sustaining millions of Nigerians through direct
and indirect employment? The impact of the
fine is huge both on MTN and the Nigerian
economy, especially now when the federal
government is trying to reduce unemployment
rate by creating jobs. Financial analysts have
however warned that government must put
the interest of the country above other interests.
Why fine was imposed
NCC, which imposed the N1.04 trillion
fine on MTN, had at some point, expressed
surprises over the huge amount of the fine,
but has continued to insist that there are laws
guiding the regulatory powers of NCC and
that the laws must be upheld.
According to the Director, Public Affairs of
NCC, Mr. Tony Ojobo, “There is a law guiding
SIM card registration and the law is not new.
It has been there since 2011, and MTN is a
signatory to the law, just like every other
licensed telecoms operator in the country.”
According to Ojobo, the growing concern
on its network, and NCC had no option than
to fine MTN in line with the law.
Fine as Litmus Test on NCC’s law
All eyes are on NCC to see how best it will
handle the issue of MTN fine, even though
NCC had consistently said the Presidency,
through the Office of the National Adviser,
is already handling the matter.
Ojobo had however told Nigerians that
NCC acted according to law, based on the
number of unregistered SIM cards found on
the MTN’s network, amounting to 5.2 million,
despite repeated warnings from NCC, which
MTN did not heed to.
He also said the action of MTN to drag
NCC to court on the issue of SIM card, was
an opportunity to test the powers of the NCC
law in court. But the withdrawal of the case
last week, seems to have vindicated NCC.
Minister of Communications, Adebayo
Shittu
over insecurity in the country, prompted the
Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA),
to hold a meeting with NCC and telecoms
operators, where the operators were advised
to deactivate all unregistered and improperly
registered SIM cards on their networks. It
was believed that most crimes committed
in the country like kidnapping and armed
robbery, were perpetuated using unregistered
SIM cards for communication, knowing fully
well that they could not be traced because
their SIM cards were not registered. After
close monitoring, NCC discovered that only
MTN refused to carry out the instruction of
unregistered SIM deactivation, among other
operators. Despite repeated warning, MTN
still refused to deactivate the 5.2 million
unregistered and improperly registered line
Fine and the human face of government
As mixed reactions greet the manner in which
government is handling the MTN fine issue,
most Nigerians have however commended
government for showing human face on the
matter. According to them, if government
had decided to force MTN to pay the N1.04
trillion fine, NCC would have long enforced
the payment or better still, withdrew the licence
of MTN, without minding the huge economic
effect in the area of job loss.
Now that MTN has withdrawn the case, as
directed by government, the action will no
doubt open a new vista of opportunities for
MTN to address and conclude on the matter.
Many may have blamed government for
being too soft in handling the issue with
the NCC fine, but the truth remained that
government may have considered the interest
of the country, hence it decided to play along
with MTN diplomacy. But whether MTN
will be allowed to pay less than the N1.04
trillion fine or not, the truth is that MTN
must have learnt its lessons about respect
for extant laws.
26
INTERVIEW
Omotola: Tariff Increase Not
Antidote to Electricity Crisis
Mr. Lai Omotola is the Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of CFL Group
of Companies, one of Nigeria’s foremost infrastructure development companies. In this
interview with Gboyega Akinsanmi, Omotola discusses diverse challenges undermining Nigeria’s power sector and federal government’s decision to spoon-feed indigenous
power companies at the expense of the masses
C
an the recent increase in electricity tariff
guarantee stable supply of power in the
country?
have real challenges ahead for this industry. Can
these companies really weather through?
This industry needs financial muscles. Two things run
with the players in power sector. First, the indigenous
companies are not known names in the electricity industry.
What is their antecedent? These are just entrepreneurs
that saw opportunity and took advantage of it. There is
nothing wrong with it. But as an entrepreneur, you must
know when to take your business to the next level. The
people that started Coca Cola are not the ones running
Coca Cola today. But when you hold on to the assets and
do not look at how you will take the business to the next
level, there is a problem. Second, the challenge is in the
business model. The real challenge is not in the Electricity
Sector Reforms Act. It is in the business model? I will
give an example. Dangote is known for cement. That is
why it is easy for Dangote to set up cement factories
in different African countries. Do you know the reason?
It is simply because the template is already made. He
goes to every country with the same template and the
same team because that is what he has been doing for
the past 30 years. Is it not amazing that the same Dangote
is building $15 billion dollar refinery? Is it not amazing
that the same Dangote is not a player in the electricity
industry in Nigeria?
The new tariff regime will not produce
desired result the way the Minister of Power,
Mr. Babatunde Fashola, has painted it. The
reasons are not too far-fetched. The reasons really border
on two main factors. One is the technical capacity of our
indigenous companies as it were today. Two is the financial
capacity of the indigenous companies to bring together
necessary infrastructure that can guarantee steady supply
of electricity in the country.
Does that suggest that the power assets were sold
to the investors without established expertise and
capacities in the electricity industry?
A bidding process was actually put in place. The government will also look at two factors, which I just explained.
But indigenous investors are only required to bring a
technical partners. The government looks at the kind of
partnership the technical partner has with the indigenous
investor without much emphasis on equities. At inception,
we said it was not enough for indigenous companies to
just bring technical partners. It would have been better
for indigenous companies to bring the technical partners
that would also bring equities into that partnership. That
is lacking today. If the technical partners bring equity, it
means they are not contractors. They are also investors.
Now, the indigenous companies will now be able to leverage
their technical competence and financial wherewithal. As
far as this sector is today, we do not have a dominant
foreign equity player.
If the foreign technical partners did not bring equity,
how then did the indigenous investors managed to
acquire the power assets?
Power infrastructure development is probably the most
financial intensive project in Nigeria today. So, we need
people with deep pocket. In 2013, the federal government
and Bureau of Private Enterprises raked in about $2.6
billion. Nigerian banks provided about 80 percent of
the fund. Ordinarily, it should not be that way because
foreign investors are supposed to bring their own equities.
But most of the funds were sourced from the banks. It
is now creating pressure on our financial system. The
Nigerian banks are the major, if not the sole, financiers of
the acquisition of the power assets. There are two factors
that determine lending in Nigerian banks. One is the high
interest rate. Two is the tenure of their funds. These two
factors cannot successfully help power sector. They can
only act as working capital incentive. Already, interest rate
has gone on the high side. Even, the value of dollar to
naira had doubled over the space of two years. The effect
is that the accounts of our indigenous companies are not
doing well in the banks. If their accounts are not doing
well with the banks, the ability of the companies will be
stalled. The ability of the indigenous companies to pay
loans will be stalled. Finally, the ability of the indigenous
companies to generate additional funding will be stalled.
Does it mean the federal government does not
really understand the financial status or capacities of
these indigenous companies before increasing tariff?
The federal government perfectly understands that there
is a financial problem. It understands that the problem
was created by the inability of these indigenous investors to generate adequate funds that the industry really
requires. Aside, the federal government and investors
under-estimated the sector. Instead of coming out clean,
the federal government decided to use another strategy.
The strategy is to help the indigenous companies through
the increase of electricity tariff. The strategy will only help
the indigenous companies service the loans at the expense
What should the federal government do in this
kind of situation now that electricity tariff has been
increased at the expense of the masses?
Omotola
of the consumers. When the loans are serviced, there will
be a little opportunity for the banks to raise adequate
capital for expansion. But that is neither here nor there
because even our banks are also in serious trouble.
Beyond their financial challenges, can you provide
more insight into the technical challenges these
indigenous companies are facing?
There are a lot of leakages in terms of revenue collection. The ability to collect revenue is not there at all. To
collect revenues, the indigenous must deploy technology.
On technical competence, the indigenous companies are
lagging behind. Aside, a lot of people are using illegal
electricity. Some are tapping from underground armour
cables. Many are bypassing the pre-paid metres. The
revenues that the distribution companies are supposed
to generate are not coming due to these acts of sabotage.
The indigenous companies can only solve the challenges
with the use of technology. Again, technology will cost
good money. Another issue is estimated billing. It is the
cash cow of power business. Now, the federal government
directed the indigenous companies to meter everybody in
two years. It should be other way round. The companies
should have provided stable electricity supply first before
increasing tariff? What we find now is that we are giving
you two years to meter all consumers. If the sweetener is
the estimated billing and the billing will rise by 45 percent,
then the cash flow will increase from estimated billing. It is
a simple arithmetic. The proposal of the National Electricity
Regulatory Commission (NERC) on disputed bills cannot
work. NERC has proposed that once bills are disputed,
the consumers should not pay the disputed bills. Rather,
they should pay what they paid last. Subsequently, the
consumers can write a letter and a body of people will
look into their complaints. Ikeja Distribution Company,
now Ikeja Electric, has over 450,000 customers. How many
complaints will they attend to? Do they have capacity?
You can see that it is not going to work.
With the picture you have painted, it appears we
The federal government is trying to spoon-feed the
indigenous companies. These are private companies, but
the federal government gave them subvention. They have
received the first subvention from the Central Bank of
Nigeria (CBN). It is just a drop in the ocean. It has not
worked. Another one is coming. If the minister is sure of
himself, let him sign an indemnity to or guarantee Nigeria
that if the power is not stable in two years, he would resign
because we have had enough talk. Nothing will change
tremendously in two years, even with electricity tariff
hike. Also, a proper business model should be deployed
and original players with established expertise should be
allowed in the electricity industry. An enabling environment
should equally be created in a way that Nigerians will
begin to see the future.
On what basis should the federal government
provide the indigenous companies subvention since
the power assets are now fully in their hands?
It is not about intervention, but a real re-appraisal of
business model. Investors must understand profitability
will not come in five years. Our banks can only finance
for two or three years. Between two and three years, our
banks want to see their funds coming back. So, our banks
are not suited to fund power sector. The minister said
no bank would want to fund the industry because the
price is not bankable. Can Fashola tell us, which of the
banks he is referring to? If Fashola is referring to Nigerian
banks, the business model of the indigenous companies
will not work? The interest rate and fund tenor will not
make it work. Instead, the federal government should
set up a finance development bank to fund this kind of
strategic projects. If our local banks will play any role,
it will be in the area of working capital provision. This
is a complete shift from what we have today. For those
companies to survive, they need very low interest rate
with very long-term loan. Also, they need a robust capacity
to handle these projects. If you walk around the streets
anywhere in Nigeria, you will see dilapidated transformers,
overhead cables still running and former NEPA vehicles
just repainted among others. These are signs that finances
are very weak. But you can only see our people unhappy
and indigenous companies in crisis. Electricity tariff hike
is not the solution.
ENCOUNTER
27
Ajaegbu: Forex Challenge Causing
Flight of Foreign Investments
Immediate past President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) speaks
on wide range of economic issues in an encounter with Olaseni Durojaiye and bares his
mind on varied issues bordering on the economy
E
ven with the economic hardship that adopting
devaluation will bring to workers in the country,
the policy has been described as inevitable if
the country must navigate out of the current
economic crisis it is faced with. This assertion was
made by the Chief Executive Officer of Heritage
Capital Markets Limited, Chide Ajaegbu, who pointed out
that there is no easy way out of the current crisis.
Ajaegbu, who is the immediate past President of Institute
of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), stated this in
a state of the economy interview with THISDAY. While
calling for a dispassionate and transparent handling of the
forex regime, he however, cautioned that devaluing the naira
should not be totally left to the dynamics of the market.
“The continued hold on the value of the naira in the forex
market, particularly against the greenback in my view is
unsustainable; it is doing a terrible harm to foreign direct
investment to this country. It is actually a policy that must
be revisited immediately. The President must be told that
economics does not obey orders. We have to ultimately
devalue. We can’t be deluding ourselves selling dollar N199
to $1 when the market rate is N307 (as at when the time of
this interview) to $1. You know that it is not sustainable; it
is unrealistic. The international community knows the right
rate. I am not saying you should completely deregulate
the currency but you need to make an attempt towards
achieving what the market dynamics is saying. But for you
to sit somewhere and say you are going to sell N199 when
the market is saying N307 is ridiculous and unsustainable,”
he stated.
Lamenting the effect of the tight hold of the CBN on the
forex market, Ajaegbu stressed that, “because the capital
market is made up largely of foreign investors, they are
exiting the market. So you have an oversupply of most
of the stocks and then you have glut in the market. Of
course that is basic economics; when you have excess supply
over demand, price will go down. That is what we are
experiencing and until we are able to get the right value
for our currency they will not be able to come in because
they are not going to go through the black market. So, we
need to devalue to be able to encourage foreign investors
to come in not just in the capital market but also in other
facets of the Nigerian economy.
“Saying that you will not devalue the currency when
you truly know that the true value of the currency is about
50 per cent more than you are using to transact is simply
ridiculous; it absolutely doesn’t make sense. And ultimately
we must devalue if the price of crude oil continues to decline.
By the time our foreign reserves come below $20 billion
government will start looking for realistic measures to deal
with issue of the devaluation of the naira. As it is now, we
are just in a utopian world in terms of the exchange rate
that we are using to transact business vis-à-vis the dollar.”
Tracing the genesis of the current crisis to age-long overreliance on oil, Ajaegbu said Nigeria was also opting for
the easy way which explained why the country failed to
diversify at the height of the oil boom. He explained that
even after the current crisis abate, the country runs the risk
of another slump if the country’s economy managers failed
to diversify the economy.
He explained that shale oil, and other renewable energy
source pose similar threat as that of fall in oil price adding
that unless the country’s economy is diversified, it risks a
return of the current economic challenge when other less
expensive sources of energy are discovered in 10 to 15years
time.
“Today we are grappling with a very dramatic drop in
crude oil price and because successive governments had
not dealt with the issue of diversification of our economy
and corruption, we consistently seem to fall into major crisis
when there is volatility in the crude oil market.
“There is no doubt that things are going to get worse in
the economy before it gets better. There will be massive loss
of jobs across all sectors irrespective of whatever policy you
bring in place. The key thing I think government has got
right is the recovery of looted funds and the focus on effective
tax collection. A lot of countries in the world today depend
essentially on taxation for the running of their government.
But we, Nigerians, have a way of going for the easy way
out - crude oil is the cheapest way. It made everybody lazy
to think, to work and now there is no crude oil.
“Besides, ultimately, in the next 10 to 15 years, there will
be alternative sources of energy to crude oil and if truly we
Ajaegbu
are serious about the viability of this project called Nigeria,
I think this is the right time, if not late, for government
to start thinking seriously about how to actually diversify
the economy because in 15years time, it is either crude oil
will sell for $5 - $10 or there will be far cheaper alternative
sources of energy to crude oil. The only reason we are still
talking about export of crude oil today is because the cost
of crude per barrel is lower than the cost of production of
Shale Gas and Oil in the United States of America because
these things have been discovered in massive quantities in
the US. The moment crude oil sells for may be $50 - $55,
our ability to export crude oil or refined products will drop
dramatically because the competition coming from Shale Gas
and Oil will totally overtake us,” he stressed.
Reacting to the refund of cautionary fees to Bureaux de
Change operators after the CBN stopped sale of forex to them,
he hailed the initiative but responding to the appropriateness
or otherwise of such fund being channeled to financing
infrastructure deficit he responded thus:
“If investing in any form of infrastructure is going to give you
Today we are grappling with a
very dramatic drop in crude oil
price and because successive
governments had not dealt with
the issue of diversification of
our economy and corruption,
we consistently seem to fall
into major crisis when there is
volatility in the crude oil market
the desired returns, why not? But the key thing in a capitalist
set-up is profitability; so nobody is going to run a charity
with his or her refund. And it is actually the responsibility of
government to provide or renew infrastructure in a country.
If government does not have enough funds to meet this
responsibility, they have a lot of options like the PPP and
concessions. So, whether the estimated N100 billion refund
to the BDC operators will be invested on infrastructure will
depend on the direction they want to go. But I know that
most of them will try and diversify their businesses.
However, N35 million is not a lot of money. If you are
talking about infrastructure, you are talking about trillions
and government knows where to go. We have the pension
fund which is over N5 trillion, the TETFund, which is also
over N5 trillion, there is the options of PPP and concessions,”
he explained.
While maintaining that devaluation is an eventuality that
is bound to happen, he, however, declined to put a date to
when the government will come round. “I don’t know; I can’t
put a date to it. As you know we have a very opinionated
President. I think he needs to be convinced. I also think we
need to remove the toga of ‘I won’t listen to the IMF’ because
it is a global village and the direction is that you have to
devalue the currency because you are not earning enough
to sustain the value of the naira. That is essentially what it
is all about and there is nothing else to it. We will devalue
but whether it will happen in March or April I don’t know.
But I know we will do it, not because we want to do it but
because we will be forced to do it because that is the right
thing to do. However, the right thing to do is to allow the
market to determine the value but that will be dangerous. It
needs to be managed. Nobody ever advocates 100 per cent
devaluation. So, it has to be managed. So, the percentage
will depend on how that fits into the overall strategy of
the government to manage the economy in the next one,
two, three years. I am sure that the technocrats are by now
simulating the impact whatever percentage of devaluation
will have on the economy in case the President makes up
his mind,” he concluded.
28
BUSINESS/ENERGY
A Precise Task Awaits Adio
and the New NEITI Board
President Muhammadu Buhari last Tuesday announced a new National Stakeholders Working Group (NSWG) for the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency
Initiative (NEITI). The NSWG has as its Executive Secretary and Chief Executive,
Waziri Adio, a seasoned journalist. Chineme Okafor writes that their job is quite
a clear-cut one
S
et up in 2004 to help advance
the practice of due process,
transparency and accountability
in payments made by companies
operating in Nigeria’s extractive
industries as well as receipts of
these revenues by the federal
government, the Nigeria Extractive Industries
Transparency Initiative (NEITI) has since
its inauguration remained in touch with its
mandate.
From its management interventions via
periodic audits and reports of activities of
operators in the country’s oil, gas and solid
minerals sectors, NEITI has been able to
open up for broader debates, chronic issues
of underhand dealings in the way Nigeria’s
natural resources are mined.
Regularly, NEITI, a national affiliate of
the 48-member global Extractive Industries
Transparency Initiative (EITI) has reported
and put in the public domain how Nigeria
has used revenues accruals from her minerals
to develop its structures.
Using the EITI framework on standard
accountability of natural resources mining,
vis-à-vis what the country has gained and lost
over the years from the mining of her mineral
resources, NEITI has to an extent ignited and
pointed the interest of the Nigerian public
to what happens in the extractive sectors.
In addition, NEITI has used these principles to
deliver some very critical results that promote
open and accountable management of Nigeria’s
natural resources, strengthen government and
company reporting systems, inform public
debates on minerals resources mining, as
well as enhance the trust quotient between
stakeholders in the extractive sphere: countries,
companies and civil society.
Adio
Immediate Tasks before the New Board
As a matter of resolve, the new board for
NEITI which was on Tuesday reconstituted
by President Buhari has before it the very
first task of seeing that Nigeria retains its
status as an implementing and compliant
country of the framework.
At the moment, the country stands the risk
of being suspended from the framework by
the EITI for its failure to meet up with the
deadline for the submission and publication
of audit reports of activities in her oil and
gas industry for 2013.
Because of the decision of the government
to disband NEITI’s former NSWG, works on
the audit report was halted, meaning that
the December 2015 deadline that the EITI
gave to the country to submit its findings
was missed.
Buhari had dissolved the NEITI board along
with other federal boards in October 2015.
He had also delayed in constituting a new
board to sign off on the audit report which
NEITI said was ready.
That delay could result in Nigeria having
its EITI-compliance status, which it earned
in 2013, suspended. Experts in this regard
believe that such suspension could put the
country in a bad light before global investors
in the extractive industries, notably oil and gas.
According to them, it could suggest that
the country is shy of opening its extractive
industries operations to standard business
transparency and accountability.
EITI, in its condemnation of the development
stated that Nigeria may not be fortunate to
miss being suspended. It hinged its stance
on established tenets which all countries of
the movement must abide to.
The Deputy Head and Regional Director
for EITI in Africa and Middle East, Eddie
Rich, said at a meeting in Abuja that though
the reasons advanced by NEITI for missing
the deadline were clearly understandable,
decisions on the issue would however be
guided by extant rules of the EITI.
Rich said at the meeting, with civil societies
and the media when the new chair of EITI,
Fredrik Reinfeldt, came calling, that: “We have
a standard with requirements and rules and
that is the currency, that is the power, that
is why you value the EITI standard, that is
why other countries value it.”
He further added: “So, getting this rare
balance between a very understandable real
politics issue, you have here in Nigeria and
the need for the straight interpretation of the
requirements. I can’t say with any confidence
which way that is going to go. I have to
tell you there is a significant possibility of
Nigeria’s suspension and I am sorry to have
to say that.”
Rich also explained that if Nigeria is suspended eventually, it has the opportunity of
getting the suspension automatically lifted
if the audit reports are published within six
months.
“But if it fails again, then the country will
have to publish the 2014 reports before the
suspension can be lifted,” he said, adding that
despite EITI’s understanding why Nigeria
missed its reporting deadline, it is still an
organisation that is guided by rules with
standard requirements that has to be enforced.
The new NSWG, which Adio has the
mandate to guide as NEITI’s Executive
Secretary, would have to make hays while
the sun shines to avoid Nigeria’s suspension
from the movement.
The EITI believes that natural resources, such
as oil, gas, metals and minerals, belong to a
country’s citizens, and that its extraction can
lead to economic growth and social develop-
NEITI said over $7.5
billion, which represents
underpayments, underassessment of taxes,
royalties and rents as
revealed by several of
its independent audit
reports, as well as $11.6
billion, which represents
outstanding total dividends
arising from loans and
interest repayments from
the federal government’s
investment in the Nigerian
Liquefied Natural Gas
(NLNG) company were still
outstanding payments due
to Nigeria
ment, however, when poorly managed, it has
too often led to corruption and even conflict.
It thus advocates for more openness around
how a country manages its natural resource as
an essential measure against possible misuse
of these resources.
EITI, in its advocacy, holds out that when
these resources are well used, it can benefit
all citizens and perhaps subdue instances of
social conflicts amongst state parties.
The benefits therein of being a compliant
country are multifaceted and they include an
improved investment climate for countries
through clear signals to investors and international financial institutions that the government
is committed to greater transparency.
It also includes the strengthening of accountability and good governance frameworks
of countries for all to see the way mining
operations are done and revenues paid and
used; that way greater economic and political
stability is promoted in countries and conflict
based around the oil, mining and gas sectors
are eventually subdued or avoided.
Also for investors and companies, a
compliant country gives less of political and
reputational risks which opaque governance
and mismanagement of mineral revenues
seem to breed.
Another task, which the new board must
consider making a priority is the recovery of
$18.1 billion unremitted oil and gas revenues
from oil and gas companies operating in
Nigeria which the NEITI had reported in
its past audits.
NEITI said over $7.5 billion, which represents
underpayments, under-assessment of taxes,
royalties and rents as revealed by several of
its independent audit reports, as well as $11.6
billion, which represents outstanding total
dividends arising from loans and interest
repayments from the federal government’s
investment in the Nigerian Liquefied Natural
Gas (NLNG) company were still outstanding
payments due to Nigeria.
NEITI’s former chief, Hajia Zainab Ahmed,
once said that while these monies were still
outstanding, issues around their recoveries had
not been adequately addressed in the past.
Coming at a time Nigeria’s financial receipts
are lean, the recovery of these outstanding
monies should be pursued vigorously with
the political will and seriousness it deserves.
Luckily, the new board has as its chairman,
Kayode Fayemi, who as the Minister of Solid
Minerals Development, should muscle
whatever political weight that is needed in
this regard.
Additionally, the board should make good
efforts to create and sustain good working
relationship with key stakeholders. It is
through this that seamless communication
on operational requests could be adequately
guaranteed especially considering the tendencies
of covered entities to deny NEITI information
needed for its audit activities.
Again, strengthening the input of the Interministerial Task Team (IMTT) and getting
the National Assembly to deliberate on the
findings of NEITI reports as demanded in
the Act establishing the agency would add
some tinge of flavour to the remedial job
that NEITI does. After all, it is on the audit
findings of NEITI that the legislators mostly
rely for probe of activities in the country’s
oil and gas sector.
Nothing therefore stops it from holding a
legislative deliberation on every audit reports
of NEITI. The benefits of such action are farreaching in both policy and political context.
29
BUSINESS/AVIATION
Corruption, Stagnation and
Decay in Aviation Sector
With the nation’s teeming population, one expects rapid growth and development
in the nation’s aviation industry; rather corruption, poor infrastructure and lack of
skilled manpower seem to stunt progress in the sector, writes Chinedu Eze
A
viation industry analysts and
economists agree that the least
the Nigeria air transport sector
could contribute to the Gross
Domestic Product (GDP) is
12 per cent. But currently it
contributes only 0.4 per cent
and they attributed this meagre contribution to
the failure of past governments to harness the
opportunities inherent in the sector over the years.
Nigeria has high population of air travelers but
it does not have successful airlines; the country
is import-oriented but it does not have big cargo
airline operators; the country has diversity of
agricultural produce but it does not export
much. The analysts say the situation is so dire
because there has been lack of vision and sincere
commitment to developing the sector in the past.
Corruption
Now, revelations have indicated that the sector
may be corruption-ridden with the exposure of
the rot in the Nigerian Airspace Management
Agency (NAMA) by the Economic and Financial
Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Although the details of the alleged corruption
in the agency have not been confirmed but penultimate week EFCC stormed the headquarters
of the agency in Lagos, following a tip-off.
Acting on the information and possible bank
reports, officials of the anti-graft agency were
reported to have spent about eight hours, conducting searches and asking questions on the activities
of critical staff of the agency, a development,
which exposed the illicit activities that had been
going on in the agency over the years.
THISDAY learnt that the EFCC officials
quizzed top NAMA officials some of whom
were detained and alleged huge amounts of
money were discovered in their accounts. In
continuation of the investigation, EFCC few days
later arrested more officials of the agency and
NAMA workers were still in shock over the
startling revelations.
NAMA sources revealed that some of the
officials arrested by the EFCC had gone for
good, considering the alleged gravity of their
obnoxious activities and “the huge amount of
money they have allegedly stolen and assets
traced to some of them. However, one of the
officials who spoke to THISDAY denied any
infraction stating that those who were innocent
would be set free.
Last Sunday Air Traffic Controllers of the
agency under the aegis of the Nigerian Air Traffic
Controllers Association (NATCA) declared support
for the effort of the federal government through
the EFCC to sanitise the aviation industry and
urged government to carry out comprehensive
investigation into all aviation agencies.
The controllers in a statement signed by
President and Secretary of NATCA, Victor Eyaru,
and Olawode Banji, respectively said the recent
expose from the EFCC’s visit to the Nigerian
Airspace Management Agency was shocking
and an attestation to the endemic nature of the
unfortunate corrupt practices going on in the
agencies.
“Sadly, Nigerian Air Traffic Controllers have
continuously discharged their all -important and
safety critical duties with epileptic equipment of
which communication at the two Area Control
Centres in Kano and Lagos is mostly affected. The
nation’s radar equipment, Total Radar Coverage
of the Nigerian Airspace (TRACON), after close
to 10 years of its installation, has no backup to
cater for period of failure.
The existing radar equipment has almost outlived
its designed lifespan and requires replacement.
No navigational equipment is at its best as well,”
the statement said.
Automatic car park and new international terminal under construction at Lagos airport.
Airport Remodeling
Since 2012, the federal government has been
carrying out the remodeling of airport facilities
and has gone far to revamp most of the airport
terminals, but work slowed down about two
years ago and as the Federal Airports Authority
of Nigeria (FAAN) resorted to completing the
on-going rehabilitation projects with internally
generated revenue, work on the terminal was
slowed further. But many of the airports under the
management of the agency has been completed
and put to use, including work on the airport
terminals in Abuja, Kano, Ilorin, Owerri, Enugu,
Ibadan, Kaduna, Yola, Maiduguri, Katsina and
Benin.
The General Manager, Public Affairs of FAAN,
Yakubu Dati, said government was also building
new terminals in Kano, Port Harcourt, Enugu,
Lagos and Abuja and work on these projects are
at advanced stage. In Lagos, he said, FAAN had
embarked on the expansion of the international
terminal in addition to the new terminal that
would be completed later this year or early
next year. There are also other facilities like
the automated car parks in Abuja and Lagos
airports and transit hotel in Lagos targeted for
West coast passengers who may be connecting
flights from Lagos.
“The new terminal we are building in Lagos
when completed will be processing about eight
million passengers per annum and when combined
with the existing terminal, we will have about
22 million passengers capacity per annum. Also
we are building automated car park which will
be completed by the end of this year,” Dati said.
He also said the agency was working towards
the auditing of the four international airports in
the country by the International Civil Aviation
Organisation (ICAO) and the Managing Director
of FAAN, Saleh Dunoma, is putting every effort
to provide the critical facilities to ensure that
Nigeria passed the audit, which would lead
to the certification of the airports.
However, the CEO of Bi-Courtney Aviation
Services Limited (BASL), Christophe Penninck,
said for Nigeria to permanently end the airport
infrastructural decay and to develop its airport
facilities, it must have to privatise and he offered
different models of privatisation, which include
full privatisation, joint venture and management
contract.
He explained that the management contract
style must be run like a private sector; electricity
must be constant, landing and navigational aids
must be upgraded and the fiscal environment
must change, as domestic airlines must get some
level of protectionism.
This would give rise to the review of multidesignation of foreign airlines to various airports
in Nigeria. He also said that agricultural goods
must be transported by air, which means that
cold room facilities must be developed at the
cargo terminals.
Penninck said out of 22 airports under
the management of FAAN only about four
are profitable, which include the airports in
Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and Kano and
suggested that to make the other airports viable,
government must consider the takeover of
these airports by the states where they are
located; otherwise they could be closed.
Landing Aids
But beyond the airport terminals, there is
safety critical infrastructure that ensures safe
flights in their takeoff and landing, which are
located at the airside of every airport and these
include instrument landing system, airfield
lighting and others.
FAAN said that it is focusing on providing critical equipment on the airside of all
its airports in order to enhance landing and
takeoff of flights.
The authority noted that while it continues
to work on the rehabilitation and expansion of
airport terminal facilities, it has now focused
on providing landing aids, not only to meet
the conditions for the certification of nation’s
airports but to enable flights take off and land
in low visibility occasioned by adverse weather
situations.
Dati explained that the authority kicked off
the installation of airfield lighting at 13 airports
and the work has reached advanced stage
in many of the airports, adding that test-run
of the one at the Margret Ekpo International
Airport, Calabar was done last week and it is
working perfectly, while others have reached
advanced stage of completion.
He said FAAN was also collaborating with
the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency
(NAMA) to ensure that all critical navigational
and landing aids were provided at the airports.
“In order to urgently install all the necessary
landing aids, FAAN and NAMA are collaborating
with the International Civil Aviation Organisation
to ensure that the provision of airside facilities
meet the given international standards.
“Some of the airports already have airfield
lighting but we need to replace dead bulbs
which we have almost completed. We decided to
concentrate on airport development on runway
and provision of airfield lighting and bulbs
to enhance safety,” Dati said.
Handicaps
Nigerian airlines face tough times operating
in the country because of poor landing aids,
which FAAN said it is rectifying. Hopefully
the agency would complete the projects in
time to put an end to the huge losses domestic
airlines incur on daily basis.
Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) had said
domestic airlines lose over N20 billion annually
to flight cancellation due to poor landing aids.
During harmattan, haze and other weather
changes that hamper visibility, flights are
cancelled because the visibility may be below
the accepted weather minima for the various
airports in the country. But according to aviation experts, if all necessary equipment were
provided at the airports, aircraft can land at
zero visibility and many modern aircraft have
Global Positioning System (GPS), which enable
them to land with corresponding instrument on
ground at the lowest visibility. But the failure
to provide such safety critical equipment has
made it difficult for the airlines to utilise the
GPS in the aircraft.
FAAN says it is poised at this time to provide
these critical facilities. This it must do in order
to earn the certification of these airports from
ICAO without which many international carriers
will continue to shun operating into Nigeria.
30
BUSINESS/PERSPECTIVE
Ideologies Don’t Deliver
Results for the Poor
Oby Ezekwesili
I
n this first of a three-part article, my
aim is to get President Muhammadu
Buhari to re-evaluate his obvious
discomfort with the workings of a
market economy and change; so that
he can effectively lead the Change
agenda that he promised Nigerians. To
the extent that the engine of wealth creation
and poverty reduction is the private sector
when enabled and not when crippled, this
intervention is necessary to lend my voice
to that of other concerned Nigerians.
The reason is simple. Even though the
president currently invests enormous air
miles and time in chasing the proverbial
foreign direct investment, it is easy to observe
the antipathy that he has with choosing
the right sets of instruments to support
the intrinsic capacity of the private sector
to drive economic growth. Nothing gives
away so much in terms of how the president
considers business as his forex policy stance.
In my career, I have had the privilege of
interacting closely with newly elected leaders
of countries. Generally, most of these leaders
start their presidency with a desire to quickly
deliver on campaign promises. The problem
however is that the complexity of managing
economies, especially troubled ones, often
diverges terribly from the easier rhetoric of
campaign promises. In no other continent
is this more prevalent than Africa. This is
of course due to many reasons that include
the absence of data-anchored-issues-based
campaigns and the poor interest or even
lack of capacity of the electorate to push
for such.
Many presidents assume office with good
intentions but faulty ideological notions of
what it takes for economies to grow and
improve the lives of citizens. The more
entrenched the ideologies and doctrines that
leaders hold on to, the harder it is for them to
embrace economic pragmatism. Meanwhile,
pragmatism has loyalty only to empirical
and analytical evidence which show that
a particular economic solution will deliver
the right results for the overall good of the
citizens. An evidence based policy method
helps in shaping the pragmatic leader’s mind
since their overriding vision is to produce
good development results for country and
citizens. Therefore, the foundation on which
a leader’s policy thought rests can be a
useful indicator of whether he/she would
succeed or fail with economic management.
Let me start by telling the story of one
of the leaders of a country in Africa that
subsequently became a champion of economic pragmatism. We met that president
within the first month of his inauguration
to discuss his economic policy priorities. He
had come to power after what was a very
bloody presidential election to turn around
a severely damaged economy where citizens
had become perniciously impoverished by
successive regimes of bad governance. The
president had campaigned on an agenda of
taking on his country’s destructive elite class
by tackling grand corruption and improving
the lot of the poor. The expectation of his
poorer citizens was therefore extremely high.
At that first meeting, we made the president
to understand that he had a Herculean task
which would require him to constantly make
tough economic policy choices.
He was however still caught up in the
euphoria of his mandate and the strong
socialist ideology he had championed in his
exuberant years in opposition politics. He
assumed, as he lectured us at our meeting,
that he had the power to will anything he
wanted into existence for his people. He
tore at the fundamentals of our counsel
that economic management is always
constrained by scarce resources, thathis
country’s case was very severe and so
I am however not at all a
fan of President Buhari’s
economic management.
Our president’s economic
policy direction should
worry even the most ardent
of his admirers. From his
interest in reviving federal
government ownership
of a national airline to
his obvious comfort with
exchange controls, the
president has left no doubt
that ideology is strong
in the way he thinks of
growing the economy. Each
time I have listened to the
president reminisce on his
economic policy stance of
1984-1985; I worry that
Nigerians will struggle
with his economic ideology
Buhari
would require restraint on his part in the
design of a serious stabilization program.
Faced with serious balance of payment
and crippling fiscal crisis, the president
was nonetheless determined to take all the
ideological command and control actions
that would exacerbate the situation.
While we advised economic pragmatism
based on analytical and empirically driven
policy options, the new leader consistently
rebutted with well-worn ideological stance
on monetary, fiscal and financial policy and
structural reforms. When he spoke about his
proposal, the scale of his priority spending
and the fiat with which he wished to see
the national currency “bounce back”, I
knew that the well-meaning leader we
were listening to on that day had a steep
learning curve that had to be flattened.
Convinced that his country needed him,
I felt that what he had to do was to learn
quickly that it is sound economic policies
and not wishful nationalist aspirations that
enable a leader achieve good intentions for
the poor. It took less than four months for
him to realize that the more he applied
the wrong ideological solutions, the worse
the economy became and the noisier the
groans of his citizens. At a point, he realized
that if he did not structurally adjust his
thinking for the benefit of the economy, he
would imperil not just his own vision for
governance but would ironically harm the
poor to whom he had promised a better life.
The good thing is, that president was open
to learning and did in fact learn so fast that
he went on to become a counsellor/mentor
on “economic pragmatism” to other elected
leaders within his sub-region.
That president was elected to a second
term despite the strong fight put up by the
opposition party. The poor to whom he
made promises that he mostly kept during
his first term by running an economy that
had started marginally improving their
erstwhile stagnated condition, returned
him to office to continue with sensible,
pragmatic economic management. And
so, even though it took enormous work
and plenty of shouting matches between us,
that president finally eschewed outdated,
harmful, needless ideology and embraced
sound economic principles that grew his
economy and began turning things around
for his people.
Whenever I tell the story of that president,
the audience asks me when his turning
happened. The answer is, once heaccepted
the need to unlearn his dogmas and became
open to learning new things.He unlearned
stifling ideology and instead learned how to
accept and use the principles of the market to
solve his country development problems as
often as relevant. He learned how to deploy
the enormous powers of a president more
appropriately to the things that the market
cannot solve. He learned that his policy
leadership role and provision of basic services
for citizens and critical infrastructure/quality
skills for business depended on how much
analytical evidence guides his decisions. All
that learning transformed and retooled him
to lead for results. The experience of that
president leader proved to us that “The
best politics is good economics”.
As I thought of the current economic policy
brouhaha since the advent of President
Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, the
similarity with the president in my story
could not be more striking seeing they share
the same ideological mindset, pro-poor base
and anti-corruption fervor.
Let me quickly insert here that I am
a fanatical supporter of our president’s
anti-corruption agenda because one knows
from analyses how much of an obstacle to
economic growth and development, poor
governance is to the Nigerian society and
economy. So, President Buhari is right to
make tackling corruption the cornerstone
of his presidency.
All things considered, I am one of those
Nigerians who would readily march to
protest any duplicitous attempt in the guise
of “breach of rule of law”--where it is not
factual--to truncate the reinvigorated efforts
of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Like most Nigerians who
are absolute in support of the anti-corruption
war, one wants the Commission to record
successes through effective investigation,
intelligent prosecution through the courts
and conviction of all those proven to have
engaged in corruption. The EFCC will not
always get it right in this fight but theirs
is a task that should get the support of
all Nigerians who have ever wished for a
decent society.
I am however not at all a fan of President
Buhari’s economic management. Our president’s economic policy direction should worry
31
BUSINESS/PERSPECTIVE
Ideologies Don’t Deliver Results for the Poor
even the most ardent of his admirers. From
his interest in reviving federal government
ownership of a national airline to his obvious
comfort with exchange controls, the president
has left no doubt that ideology is strong in
the way he thinks of growing the economy.
Each time I have listened to the president
reminisce on his economic policy stance
of 1984-1985; I worry that Nigerians will
struggle with his economic ideology.
Why do I think so? Well, because contrary
to what our president may believe, and
despite the good intentions that were behind
them, a number of those policy thrusts of
1984-85 actually failed on account of every
indicator that is globally used to measure
economic progress. For example, manufacturing capacity dropped below 20% and many
jobs were lost. The anxiety of many people
that economic history could repeat itself
during President Buhari’s latest incarnation
was always legitimate. Counterfactually
though, there was (and still is) hope that he
would listen to the team he has assembled
and learn through economic evidence that
the world has changed since he last tried
to swim against the tides of market forces
about 30 years ago.
However, the president’s now well publicized and known stance on the acute foreign
exchange crisis has magnified nervousness
about his economic management history
and ideology-centered policy direction. The
envisaged persuasion by his team and the
anticipated learning by the president, which
many had hoped would help mitigate anxieties may not be happening or perhaps not
as quickly as would serve the interests of
his primary constituency- the poor.
So strong is the president’s view on the
value of the Naira that he uses words
like “murder the Naira” to foreclose any
consideration of alternative perspectives.
It is precisely because of this manner of
framing tough economic policy choices
that the country is at this time engaged
in an unhealthy debate that lacks empirical
foundations and nuance. But we can turn
around this unhealthy debate and raise the
quality going forward. That explains why I
want to address what one sees as the root
of the president’s economic management
style and preferences. It is from that root
that the president bears the fruits of his
views and statements like the recent ones
on monetary policy. I therefore choose to
address the hobbling ideological crushes of
our president because if not tackled head on
now, they are lethal enough to undermine
his economic management and derail the
economy with severe consequences for
everyone.
Our president urgently needs citizens’
help in order to unlearn his ideas of old that
government knows better how to allocate
production resources. True, Nigeria has
oscillated from a command and control
regime with government as driver in resource
allocation to a more market oriented system
since the past 30 years. We however can be
said to now have a broad coalition and even
near consensus that the market economy
framework has served us better.
Before 1999, economic growth was low,
fragile, patchy and volatile hovering and
the lost decades of the 1980s and 1990s saw
average growth rate of below 3 percent
trailing the higher rate of population
growth of 3.3 percent. It was only in some
of the few years of the 1986-1988 when a
measure of disciplined market reforms were
implemented that Nigeria recorded economic
growth as high as 5-6 percent. Afterward,
as politics began to trump economics and
indiscipline set in, economic growth stalled
throughout the 90s. It resumed again with
the implementation of a comprehensive
scale market economy reforms between
2003 and 2007.
Not only did those reforms help the
country achieve macroeconomic stability
as a prerequisite even if not a sufficient
condition for growth, but it did in fact
begin to grow and reached as high as 6-7
percent annually. Since then, the Nigerian
economy has grown yearly for about nearly
a decade and a half at an average of six
percent annually. Although growth does
not automatically reduce poverty, it is a
Ezekwesili
fact that without it, no economy stands
a chance of ever reducing the number of
the poor. Even then, our macroeconomic
stability was hard won through very tough
and costly market economy type reforms.
It has remained one of the most enduring
features of economic management under
three administrations. If it unravels, it will
set Nigeria back terribly.
Currently, the danger is that we seem
to want to return to the pre-1986 era of
command and control that was inimical to
economic growth. What the president needs
now is to save the economy and save the
Nigerian poor that form the largest base
of his supporters. There seems a hesitation
on his part to admit and embrace the near
global consensus that market economy has
delivered better than all other economic
systems despite its known limitations.
What several neo-socialists especially in
Nigeria have refused to admit is the evident
failure of the socialist/communist economic
system that influenced even Russia, China
and India to all embark on Change and thus
modify their economic thinking toward a
pragmatic acceptance of the market principles.
These former bastions of command and
control of economic factors of production
realized that in order to achieve better
economic growth than in the past, they
needed to embrace the market economy.
In 1978, the then Chinese leader, Xioping
Deng embraced the principles of the market
and China implemented them vigorously
and with great discipline. It was within
less than three decades of abandoning
communism and embracing what China
calls “socialist market economic principles”
that it achieved the record two decades
long double digit growth that helped lift
600 million Chinese out of poverty by
growing its Gross Domestic Product from
$150 billion USD in 1978 to $10 trillion
USD in 2015. The rhetoric of communism
had sounded very attractive in previous
decades but had impoverished the people
and kept China stagnant. Until 1978, China’s
income per capita was factually lower than
some countries in Africa.
For Nigeria however, our economic
policy inconsistency of the decades of the
80s and 90s led those years to be called
“lost decades” in our history. At the same
time China discovered the benefit of the
market principles in growing economies
faster, conversely we suffered the collapse
of our economy during many cycles of
bad policies. The discipline of the market
system in efficiently allocating scarce
resources is what should most recommend
it to a Nigerian society where we all agree
that indiscipline and a tendency to abuse
administrative and discretionary decision
powers are the bane of good governance.
Even the president recently stated to our
collective shame abroad that Central Bank
directors were abusing the exchange control
to their personal benefit. The fact is, such
misdeed is not new. The most associated
reason for failure of state owned enterprises
in Nigeria according to studies is the “abuse
of public power for personal gain” which
is instructively the definition of corruption
by Transparency International.
As one who detests the demagoguery of a
nationalism-laced pillage of public resources
than has been our experience in the last
five decades of our independence, I am
unapologetically a champion of a market
system with the right amount of regulation
and intervention when there is obvious
“market failure”. We however would have
to learn how to design policy interventions
that can help to achieve social inclusion so
as to mitigate the inequality that market
based solutions generate in the wake of
its efficiency.
I am neither a laissez-faire free market
ideologue nor believe in the other extreme,
a stultifying government control. I am for
economic pragmatism all the way. Command
and control harms the intrinsic creativity and
innovation of the market system which lies
within private sector. Economic pragmatism
is what has helped more economies in the
world including in Africa to grow faster
and better. At the turn of the millennium, as
many more policy makers on the continent
began to discard outdated ideologies and
began to rely on evidence-based persuasive
argument for market solutions, the continent
began to grow.
For Africa and Nigeria more, it is instructive that there is no exceptionalism
to the positive impact that the discipline
of the forces of the market can have on
outcomes. Market forces universally allocate
scarce resources more efficiently, simple.
Mastery of how to intervene effectively as
The current severe crisis
of scarce foreign exchange
resources in a country that
earned well over $1 trillion
dollars in the last decade
and a half is indicative
of the underlying cost of
indiscipline which has a
serious economic cost and
implications for Nigeria
government when “market failure” occurs
is what differentiates the performance of
one economy from another. That is why
I believe that as a leader whose personal
mantra is discipline, if our president were
willing to learn how well market forces
can help him enforce discipline in the
allocation of scarce production factors, he
could potentially win this crisis.
The current severe crisis of scarce foreign
exchange resources in a country that
earned well over $1 trillion dollars in the
last decade and a half is indicative of the
underlying cost of indiscipline which has a
serious economic cost and implications for
Nigeria. Take the matter of managing our
oil windfall, which other countries including
the new comers like Angola have learned to
do well. We failed at it during three previous
boom cycles of the 1970, 1980s, and 1990.
It was not until 2004 that Nigeria finally
set up an oil-based fiscal rule. Through
it, the Federal Government succeeded in
entrenching a political arrangement (even
if not constitutional) to set aside “surplus”
from higher oil prices above an agreed
budgetary oil benchmark price.
In 2013, I delivered a Convocation Lecture
at the University of Nigeria Nsukka and
called the attention of the then Federal
Government to addressing the troubling
possibility that the fifth oil boom would
end with the savings in Excess Crude Account (ECA) depleted and no new stock
accumulated. Less than a year after that
speech and six years after record high oil
prices that could have easily built up foreign
reserves including ECA to as much as $100
billion Dollars, the news was regrettably
tragic. At the World Economic Forum
in Davos, Switzerland in January 2014,
the then Minister of Finance – Dr Ngozi
Okonjo-Iweala stated that “the depletion
of the Excess Crude Account to about
$2.5 billion has made the country more
vulnerable than it was in the past and put
the economy of the country at great risk”.
With that statement, it was safe to
conclude that because of indiscipline, the
fifth oil boom ended with a big bust for
Nigeria. That great risk that the former
minister warned of fully materialized and
threw the Nigerian economy into crisis.
Presently, all that Nigeria has is $2.5 USD
billion of Excess Crude Account and a fast
depleting foreign reserve of $27billion. The
basic fact is that as fiscal -spending actions
expanded - an accommodating monetary
policy that supported humongous money
supply into the economy reigned. It is one
reason that the Central Bank of Nigeria is
presently caught up in a knot where it is
both wanting to shore up the Naira and at
the same time battling a near intransigent
liquidity excess problem. This will of course
be worsened by a proposed 2016 budget
that seeks to expand public spending on the
back of massive borrowing. With all these,
the effort at controlling and commanding
the demand for foreign exchange can only
worsen already bad economic distortions. It
is these distortions, more than dollar demand
side issues that form the crux of our current
account and fiscal crises.
Like the president in my story, ours has
to be open to unlearning old ideologies and
embracing new economic thinking models
of pragmatism. He will need to allow the
principles of the market enforce discipline
upon all economic agents to redirect the
path of our beleaguered economy. That way,
we can avoid the inequalities created by
publicly funded subsidies to those who
least merit it as has happened with the
forex pricing situation. We can end the
corruption and rent seeking aided by the
power of administrative discretion that is
handed to a few. We can stop the high cost
of ineffectual administrative enforcement
in controlled economies.
Let us drop old ideologies like China
did and permit the market to work for
us. Actually, let us allow the forces of the
market to discipline us. It disciplines, better.
Shall we, Mr. President?
–Ezekwesili is former World Bank
Vice President (Africa).
32
NIGERIA’S TOP 50 STOCKS BASED ON MARKET FUNDAMENTALS
FORTE OIL PLC: Increased
operational efficiency leads to
notable rise in profitability
F
orte Oil Plc increased
operational efficiency
leads to remarkable rise in
profitability despite notable
decline in its top line earnings.
The 2015 result is comforting
and promising at a period
when companies in the oil
and gas industry across the globe are
recording substantial decline in top-line
and profitability due to crude oil trading
at its lowest price in about 10 years.
Forte Oil has kept up with its
regular dividend payment, and has
recommended a total dividend payment
of N4.493 billion (on the basis of N3.45
per share) for every 50 kobo share, which
is higher than the N2.50 per share paid
last year.
Forte Oil Plc (Forte Oil), a downstream
oil marketing company has been
in existence for over 50 decades
during which it has undergone several
restructuring arrangements. It
started operations originally as British
Petroleum (BP) before changing to
African Petroleum (AP). In 2007, Zenon
Petroleum acquired 28.7% stake in the
company through shares divestments
by the Nigerian National Petroleum
Corporation (NNPC).This was followed
by a restructuring exercise that led to the
adoption of the brand name “Forte Oil
Plc” in December 2010.
Forte Oil is a strong downstream
petroleum company with about 500
retail outlets located across the thirtysix (36) states of the country.This has
increasingly helped to enhance the
company’s visibility and sales strength.
DECLINE IN REVENUE DUE TO
MARKET INSTABILITY
For the Full year which ended December
2015, Forte Oil showed a decline of
26.75% in revenue to N124.62 billion
from N170.13 billion recorded in the
corresponding period of 2014 resulting
from reduced petroleum products
importation by the company due to
prolonged delays by the government
in making subsidies payment. Also,
the incessant scarcity in the supply of
petroleum products also resulted in low
revenue.
Cost of sales also followed suit with
a substantial decline of 29.94% to
N106.25 billion in December 2015 from
N151.66 billion in December 2014.The
reduction in cost of sales was as a result
reduced operational expenses in the
power generation segment.
SUBSTANTIAL DROP IN COST OF
OPERATION IMPACTS ON REVENUE
DECLINE
Expectedly, due to the substantial drop
in cost of sales in the full year of 2015,
gross profit reduced by a negligible
0.56% to N18.36 billion from N18.46
billion in December 2014. Hence, gross
2014.
THE COMPANY’S
PERFORMANCE WAS
IMPRESSIVE AS IT
GREW ITS OTHER
INCOME BY AN
EXTRAORDINARY
189.76% TO N4.05
BILLION IN 2015 FROM
N1.39 BILLION IN THE
FINANCIAL YEAR OF
2014. ON THE OTHER
HAND, DISTRIBUTION
EXPENSES ROSE
NOTABLY BY 10.97%
TO N2.75 BILLION
IN DECEMBER 2015
FROM N2.48 BILLION
RECORDED IN PERIOD
OF 2014 WHILE
ADMINISTRATIVE
EXPENSES ALSO
FOLLOWED SUIT WITH
A RISE OF 18.67% TO
N10.97 BILLION FROM
N9.24 BILLION OVER
THE SAME PERIOD
profit margin increased to 14.73% in
December of 2015 from 10.85% in the
corresponding period of 2014.
The Company’s performance was
impressive as it grew its other income
by an extraordinary 189.76% to N4.05
billion in 2015 from N1.39 billion in the
financial year of 2014. On the other hand,
distribution expenses rose notably by
10.97% to N2.75 billion in December 2015
from N2.48 billion recorded in period of
2014 while administrative expenses also
followed suit with a rise of 18.67% to
N10.97 billion from N9.24 billion over the
same period.
The outstanding growth in other income
leads to a noteworthy turn-around in
earnings as operating profit for the year
ended, December 2015 which increased
to 6.78% to N8.69 billion from N8.14
billion in the corresponding period of
PROFITABILITY MARKERS SOAR
DESPITE REDUCTION IN TOP LINE
For the financial year of 2015, the
Company’s management was able to
effectively manage its cost of finance
by decreasing it by a remarkable
21.34% to N1.68 billion from the 2014
figure of N2.13 billion. This is expected
as the half year statement indicated
that finance cost was reduced
massively by 246.43% to N494m from
N337m in the corresponding period of
2014.
Thus, profit before tax grew to N7.01
billion showing a significant decline
of 16.75% in December 2015 from
N6.01 billion recorded in the year 2014.
Expectedly, net income for the year
followed by a substantial 30.01% to
N5.79 billion from N4.46 billion over the
period of 2014.
REDUCTION IN ASSET QUALITY
Total assets declined by 12.55% to
N121.8 billion from N139.24 billion
in December 2014 as the Company
received payments on outstanding
subsidies of previous periods
which reduced the company’s trade
receivables. The decline resulted from
the slump in current account balance;
showing significant decline in cash and
cash equivalents by 27.15% to N11.7
billion from N16 billion in December
2014. Inventories also declined by
17.56% to N10.06 billion in December
2015 from N12.20 billion in December
2014. Property, Plant and Equipment
growth is attributable to the N8.9 billion
paid for the major overhaul exercise of
Forte Oil’s 414MWGeregu power plant
aimed at optimising and increasing its
generation capacity from 414MW to
434MW.
However, the Company’s total liabilities
declined by 20.47% due to current
liabilities declining by a substantial
27.42%. Total liabilities declined to
N75.48 billion from N94.9 billion in
December 2014. The decline can be
attributed to 37.75% and 34.91%
in Company’s overdraft and trade
creditors respectively.
Return on Asset (ROAA) rose to 4.44%
from 3.65%. Also, Return on Average
Equity (ROAE) increased to 12.79%
from 10.28%. Also, the Company’s after
tax margin stood at 4.65% compared
to 2.62% in December 2014.
WE MAINTAIN HOLD
RECOMMENDATION
Myriad of developments that are
expected to change the shape of
this industry norms are expected
evolve over the medium term. The
passage of the Petroleum Industry
Bill (PIB) attains its first reading at
the National Assembly. Also, we do
Valuation Metrics 26-Feb-16
Recommendation
HOLD
Target Price (N)
341.62
Current Price (N)
342
Market Cap (N'm)
445,449
Outstanding Shares (m)
1,302
EPS (N)
4.45
PE Ratio
76.88
Forward EPS
4.57
Forward PE
42.57
Source: BGL Research
Audited 2015 Full Year Results
Turnover (N'm)
124,617
Profit Before Tax (N'm)
7,012
Profit After Tax (N'm)
5,794
Pre-tax Margin (%)
5.63
Audited 2014 Full Year Results
Turnover (N'm)
170,128
6,006
4,456
Pre-tax Margin (%)
3.53
Shareholding Information
Shareholders
% Holding
Zenon Petroleum
22.91%
Thames Inv. Incorporated
14.72%
ZSL Nominees
11.71%
ZSL A/C FOZ
11.34%
Femi Otedola
11.78%
Free Float
27.05%
1,302
Source: Company Data 2014 AC, BGL Research
expect major shift to increase power
supply with positive implications for the
downstream oil and gas at the prospect
of increase in fuel consumption; and in
reorganisation of the subsidy regime.
In this regard, we are of the opinion that
Forte oil is appropriately position to
benefit from such reorganisation.
However, we are cautious in valuing
Forte Oil Plc’s shares, given the key
price multiples - price to earnings, price
to book value based on the company’s
current performance and the use of
the Sustainable Growth Rate through
which we arrive at a projection of gross
revenue and net income of N138.39
billion and N5.957 billion respectively
for full year 2016; leading to a forward
EPS of N4.57. In furtherance of our
valuation, we arrive at a target price of
N341.62 over the next one year. Since
this represents a downside potential of
a negligible 0.11% on the current price,
we recommend a HOLD on the shares of
Forte Oil Plc.
33
NIGERIA’S TOP 50 STOCKS BASED ON MARKET FUNDAMENTALS
NIGERIAN BREWERIES PLC: Earnings
dampened by tough operating
business environment
N
igerian Breweries
(NB) Plc, the largest
brewing company
in Nigeria by market
capitalization and
operational scale, is
a renowned name in
the consumer goods
segment.
The brewer has a robust brand
portfolio which includes names
such as Maltina, Star Lager Beer,
Gulder Lager Beer and Heineken
Lager Beer. The company has eight
operational breweries across
Nigeria, and ultra-modern malting
plants in Aba and Kaduna.
The company recently released
its full year 2015 year ended result
showing a not so impressive
performance due to a number
of operational bumps and
economic factors. Nevertheless,
the company’s management has
kept up with its regular dividend
payment, and has recommended a
total dividend payment of N28.54
billion (on the basis of N3.60 per
share) for every 50 kobo share,
which is lower than the N5.75 per
share paid last year.
ECONOMIC UNCERTAINTY IN THE
COUNTRYWEAKENED NIGERIAN
BREWERIES PLC’S GROWTH
POTENTIALS
The brewing company released
its audited December 2015 result
showing a modest growth of 10.3%
in revenue to N293.91 billion in 2015
from N266.37 billion in 2014, while
net income declined by 10.5% to
in corresponding year of 2014. The
sluggish performance of Nigerian
breweries can be attributed to
increased competition in the
brewing sector, proliferation of the
market with cheaper beers and
insecurity in the northern part of
the federation which has affected
the company’s distribution etc.
moreover, the importance of the
Nigerian beer market cannot be
overemphasised in the company’s
operations, as sales in Nigeria
continue to account for more than
97% of total revenue.
Furthermore ,the company’s cost
of sales grew by 15.8% to N151.44
billion in 2015 from N130.79 billion
in 2014 due to increase in raw
materials which the company uses
to make beer, mostly sorghum.
However, the company’s gross
profit increased by 5.07% to
year on year, while its gross profit
margin decreased to 48.47% in
NIGERIAN BREWERIES
IS THE BIGGEST
PLAYER IN THE
SECTOR WITH A
TOTAL INSTALLED
CAPACITY OF 15.4MHL.
GUINNESS NIGERIA
PLC IS THE SECOND
BIGGEST PLAYER WITH
5.5MHL INSTALLED
BREWING CAPACITY
WHILE CONSOLIDATED
BREWERIES OCCUPIES
THIRD POSITION WITH
3.7MH
2015 from 50.90% in 2014.
SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN FINANCIAL
CHARGES AND OPERATING
EXPENSES IMPEDES STRONGER
GROWTH IN NET INCOME
Operationally, Nigerian Breweries Plc
recorded 5.2% decrease in operating
profit to N61.75 billion December
2015 from N65.44 billion in December
2014. The reason for the reduction
in operating profit can be traced
to a 14.5% spike in distribution/
admin and other expenses to N80.72
billion in 2015 from N70.44 billion
in 2014. The reason for the spike
in operating expenses was due to
cost associated with extensive
repairs and maintenance carried
out on the company’s warehouses
during the financial year. In addition
to cost incurred in various forms of
advertising which was used to further
strengthen the company’s brand via
radio jingles and TV commercials, sales
promotion and also cost associated
with staff strength increase, to
help cope with its growing clientele
base. The company also recorded a
significant 71.8% drop in other income
to N483.91m from N1.72 in 2014 due to
reduction in income from the sale of
obsolete assets. These contributed to
the decline in operating profit earlier
mentioned.
Furthermore, the company’s incurred
financial charges to N7.71 billion from
N5.40 billion year on year, reflecting
a 43.7% change. The rise in financial
charges was further highlighted in
the company’s balance sheet which
showed that short term loans during
the year increased by 344% to N34.61
billion from N7.79 billion in 2014. This
prevented a stronger growth in their
pre-tax earnings which declined by
11.3% to N54.51 billion from N61.46
billion. Profit after tax also followed
suit with a 10.5% dip to N30.06 billion
in December 2015 from N42.52 billion
in December 2014.
GEARED TO BENEFIT FROM THE
MERGER WITH CONSOLIDATED
BREWERIES
The Nigerian brewing space is
currently controlled by two major
players accounting for about 90% of
the market, while other fringe players
control the remaining share. Nigerian
Breweries is the biggest player in the
sector with a total installed capacity
of 15.4mhl. Guinness Nigeria Plc is the
second biggest player with 5.5mhl
installed brewing capacity while
Consolidated Breweries occupies
third position with 3.7mhl. Other
players are International Breweries
Plc, Champion Breweries Plc and
Jos Breweries Plc which among
themselves control about 2% of
market share.
WE MAINTAIN OUR HOLD
recommendation despite market
share capacity of NB Plc
The performance of Nigeria Breweries
Plc in the half year of 2015 has not
been impressive due to increased
competition while significant increase
in financial charges has continued to
put pressure on the Company’s profits
quarter on quarter. No doubt the year
has been tough and challenging with
operating challenges such as the
continued poor state of transport
infrastructure, insecurity, high input
costs and unreliable power supply.
This is in addition to the contraction in
household consumption expenditure
during the year as a result of the
restrictive economic activities in the
country around the election tensions
and oil price tumble.
Furthermore, we expect the company
to start to benefit from its merger
with consolidated breweries which will
enhance its market share and brand
leadership position in the future.
Based on historical year-ended
financial performance and in
conjunction with the findings of our
analysis of the current operating
landscape, we revise our projected
Valuation Metrics 26-Feb-16
Recommendation
HOLD
Target Price (N)
113.74
Current Price (N)
99.05
Market Cap (N'm)
785,377
7,929
EPS
4.82
PE Ratio
20.55
Forward EPS
5.09
Forward PE
19.46
Forecasted DPS (N)
3.80
Audited Full Year 2015 results
Turnover (N'm)
293,906
54,514
38,056
Pre-tax Margin (%)
18.55
Audited Full Year 2014 results
Turnover (N'm)
266,372
61,461
42,520
Pre-tax Margin (%)
23.07
Shareholders
Holding (%)
Shareholders
Holding
%
Heineken Brouwerijen B.V.
Distilled Trading Intl B.V.
60.00
37.73%
16.36%
Stanbic Nominees Nig Ltd
16.27%
Public Float
29.64%
Source: Company Data, BGL Research
full-year ended December 2016
revenue of N292.08 billion and net
income amounts of N40.18 billion,
leading to a forward earning per share
of N5.09. We also project a dividend per
share (DPS) of N5.09.
Using the PE (Price to Earnings) method
of valuation, we arrived at an intrinsic
value of N136.07 while the dividend
discount model (DDM) resulted in
a value of N91.39; giving an average
12-month target price of N113.73. Since
the target price represents an upside
potential of 14.83% on the stock price
of N99.05 as at February 26, 2016,
we maintain our recommendation
on Nigerian Breweries Plc to a HOLD
despite the strong industry leadership
potential of the Company.
34
BUSINESS/TRANSPORT
How Relations between PhoenixTide
and Tidewater Went Awry
A severed relationship between Nigerian-owned PhoenixTide Offshore and Tidewater
Marine, a foreign firm, has brought to the fore how easy business relations can go
awry, reports Kunle Aderinokun
I
n the light of the ongoing reforms at the Federal
Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) aimed at strengthening
it and enabling it to accelerate revenue generation to
buoy the Nigeria’s embattled economy, PhoenixTide
Offshore Nigeria has asked the federal government
to investigate how Tidewater Marine Inc, a foreign
firm operating in the maritime sector, allegedly evaded
taxes running into billions of naira.
Document obtained by THISDAY, revealed that PhoenixTide
Offshore Nigeria owned by the former Minister of Commerce, Chief Bola Kuforiji-Olubi, has also alleged Tidewater
manipulated an expatriate quota to the tune of about N20
billion and failed to remit its own share of the mandatory
share of the 2.2 percentage of profits made by companies
in oil and gas business to NIMASA and FIRS in accordance
with Cabotage Act.
PhoenixTide Offshore Nigeria Limited is a 100 per cent-owned
Nigerian marine logistics company providing services to oil
and gas companies operating in deep-water exploration and
production. A 60/40 joint venture was established between
PhoenixTide and Tidewater, to form Tidewater PhoenixNigeria
Limited, to tackle the challenges preventing Tidewater from
operating in Nigeria. The challenges came as a result of the
Nigerian Coastal and Inland Shipping (Cabotage) Act 2003
which was enacted by the National Assembly on April 30,
2003 and became effective on the 1st of May 2004.
However, responding to PhoenixTide’s allegation, the Counsel
to Tidewater Marine, Babatunde Ajibade SAN, argued that
PhoenixTide Offshore was only out to tarnish the image of its
client after a futile attempt to make it pay a compensation in
the sum of $100 million when it severed business relationship Minister of Transport, Rotimi Ameachi
with the former.
for its operations, notwithstanding the tax concessions given
“When my client informed them that it was no longer
to foreign companies which in this case should have applied
interested in continuing its business relationship with them,
only to the income earned by Tidewater as supplier of technical
they demanded a sum of approximately $100,000,000 (One
services to PhoenixTide and not the whole of the revenue
Hundred Million US Dollars) as compensation. The campaign
earned on the business with PhoenixTide, thus depriving the
of calumny that they have since mounted against my client’s
Federal Government of the right quantum of corporate income
business interests in Nigeria, is in our opinion, a direct result
tax and education tax.”
of my client’s refusal to be blackmailed into paying them
Pointing out that, four years after the notice given by Tidewater
this stupendous sum, which has no basis in the agreements
for cessation of their business venture with PhoenixTide, a
between the parties,” Ajibade stated.
company they managed and controlled since its incorporation,
But Counsel to PhoenixTide Offshore, Ade Adedeji SAN,
sources, noted that, “the Nigerian directors of PhoenixTide
refuted Tidewater Marine’s claim, wondering why Phoenix
are still not closer to ascertaining verifiable accounts of the
Offshore would have demanded $100 million compensation
business over the course of nine years of relationship with
when the severance of the relationship was at the instance
Tidewater.”
of Phoenix Offshore and not Tidewater.
“A report of Tidewater’s financial and fiscal infractions against
According to Adedeji, “It is mischievous and rather out
the Federal Government and its Nigerian partner PhoenixTide
of context to have suggested that PhoenixTide demanded
was drawn to the attention of the FIRS since October 2012, and
$100million compensation from Tidewater for severance of
to date that agency is still investigating this report, although
business relationship when the severance was as a result of
it demanded US$14million back taxes from Tidewater in
PhoenixTide insistence on Tidewater to open their books and
September 2014 which Tidewater consistently endeavoured
fulfull their tax and other financial obligations to the Federal
to wriggle out of with threats to sue both NIMASA and the
Government.
FIRS, suggesting reconciliation and giving information on sale
“ It may interest you to know that PhoenixTide joined
of vessels and duplication of invoices.
the Office of the Attorney-General in the suit initiated by
“What is incontrovertible is the fact that the IOCs returning
PhoenixTide and rather than the former Attorney-General
levies on behalf of the federal government to NIMASA, will
joining issues to recover debts owed the Federal Government,
they curiously filed an application seeking to resist joinder,” not accept liability for funds that NIMASA is not entitled to
based on the contractual obligations of the marine services
he added.
contractor with the IOCs, and which is not in their possesSources close to PhoenixTide Offshore and the Kuforiji-Olubi
sion having deducted same from sums paid to the contractor,
family noted that Tidewater’s refusal to give various government
PhoenixTide. Furthermore before a system for direct collection
agencies actual figures on revenue triggered PhoenixTide’s
of levies from contract sums by the IOCs commenced in
refusal to sign for the release of funds held by Total Nigeria
NIMASA on 1st April 2009, Tidewater had assessed itself for
Plc to the tune of $40 million. This was captured under
levies due to NIMASA which it paid either by cheques or
contestable outstanding liabilities incurred by Tidewater in
bank transfers to that agency. All these are documented in
the name of PhoenixTide as its vehicles of operations in the
papers and analysis in the possession of FIRS.”
marine business for oil and gas from 2004 to 2013 in addition
“PhoenixTide, while seeking protection for itself in 2013
to other millions of naira.
brought an action in the Federal High Court under the
It stated that the fact of the matter was that “the firm was
Settlement and Non-Prosecution Agreement, signed by
allegedly involved in the non-remittance of N4.11 billion taxes
Tidewater in 2011 with the Federal Government to which
on expatriates hired by Tidewater and was also alleged to have
PhoenixTide was a party. Tidewater challenged this action on
refused to disclose revenue to enable FIRS calculate taxes,
the grounds of lack of jurisdiction relying on their contract
hence refusal of Phoenix to sign for the release of profits
with PhoenixTide as having a foreign jurisdiction clause (a
held by Total Nigeria Limited.”
matter which the English courts had determined was under
According to the source,“Tidewater Marine and its associates
English jurisdiction). However on the 6th of March 2015,
in the name of PhoenixTide are being made liable for these
Abang J in giving his judgement stated that “the claim before
to the Federal Government of Nigeria and others. And it
this court falls squarely within the Admiralty Jurisdiction of
was necessary to establish to Tidewater that PhoenixTide was
this Court under section 251(1)(G) of the 1999 Constitution
its main vehicle for conducting business in Nigeria, which
as amended. The place of performance of the contract is in
enabled it through PhoenixTide to operate in the Nigerian
Nigeria. Under Section 20 of the Admiralty Jurisdiction Act
coastal waters as marine technical services provider, but did
any agreement by any person or party to any cause, matter
not make appropriate returns in the name of PhoenixTide,
or action which seeks to oust the jurisdiction of this court
the contracting party and make correct payments to FIRS,
is null and void if it relates to any admiralty matter falling
LIRS, RIRS, NIMASA and other regulatory agencies in the
within the jurisdiction of this court”.
name of PhoenixTide.
“On the issue of “locus standi” which had been tested in
“And that this amounts to an impersonation resulting in
the Commercial Court in London, as to whether an action
manipulated returns to these agencies in its name and that
could be brought under the settlement and non-prosecution
of Tidex Nig. Ltd by not allowing PhoenixTide to take credit
agreement by PhoenixTide against Tidewater, the English court
under Justice Michael Burton had determined (in spite of
legal opinion obtained from Oba Nsugbe SAN, QC – a UK
legal practitioner) that PhoenixTide had no right to bring
up such a claim under this agreement. Yet Abang J (who
one might add would be the constituted legal authority to
determine this issue as the governing law here is Nigerian
Law) thought otherwise stating that under clause 9 of the
said agreement PhoenixTide clearly had the right to bring
about the action.
“This matter it must be stated is extremely pertinent as it
formed an important issue in the English jurisdiction case
and had the matter not been so frivolously dismissed by the
UK judge he would not have been afforded the opportunity
to state that English jurisdiction applied.
“This turn of events should not come as a surprise to the
discerning Nigerian public as Tidewater have been able to
obtain ex parte orders in the UK Commercial Court with
manipulated evidence and untruths which the court seems
to have accepted as the truth for reasons best known to it.
“It is highly unsurprising in an environment where every
Nigerian is painted with the tar brush as being corrupt, a thief
and a liar. What justice is available to people who Tidewater’s
hierarchy describe as bloody Africans daring to challenge a
major corporate organisation in the Western world?
Ironically the self-assured and self-justified foreign corporation, Tidewater which has consistently refused to provide
verifiable serially consecutive bank statements of its receipts
in US Dollars and Naira of the proceeds of its business with
PhoenixTide, insists that the English commercial court must
compel the non-executive chairman of PhoenixTide who has
even resigned her appointment from the company on health
grounds and downsized her equity in the company, should
provide Tidewater with a list of her bank accounts, bank
statements and evidence for reasons of withdrawals and
lodgements into these personal accounts remotely related
to the operations of PhoenixTide, nor containing any funds
belonging to Tidewater on the excuse that her asset declaration under duress is inadequate especially as she has been a
onetime minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and a
former chairman of one of the largest banks in Africa, south
of the Sahara, UBA,” the source narrated in the document
made available to THISDAY.
As it stands, THISDAY checks revealed, a British Court has
frozen the assets of Bola Kuforiji-Olubi and her son Tokunbo
following the ex parte motion requested by Tidewater on
21 April 2015, which was granted on the 22 April 2015. A
source close to the family of the Kuforiji-Olubis, pointed
out that “this was as a result of Tidewater’s inability to get
the type of judgement they wanted in Nigeria and thus, a
corporate matter was turned to a personal matter.”
Meanwhile, in his reaction, Tidewater’s Counsel, Babatunde
Ajibade, noted that “all the agreements they signed with my
client, they voluntarily and willingly acceded to the insertion
of exclusive jurisdiction clauses by which they agreed that
any dispute that arose between the parties would be settled
before the High Court in London, England.
He added:“ Immediately a dispute arose between the parties,
my client commenced an action against them before the High
Court in London, England in accordance with the terms of
the agreements entered into between the parties, pointing out
that “they participated in these proceedings before the High
Court in London and challenged its jurisdiction to hear the
case and that this challenge was dismissed on the basis of
the settled position of the law that parties are free to agree
on where and how to settle their disputes and that once
such agreement is reached, a party will not be allowed to
resile from it unilaterally.”
“They did not challenge this decision of the High Court in
England either by way of appeal or at all but chose instead
to ignore the further proceedings in that court including its
subsequent default judgment against them with impunity,
which is what resulted in the contempt proceedings they are
currently facing in that court,” he added.
But Phoenix Offshore’s Counsel, Ade Adedeji, explained
that,“In all the cases instituted in Nigeria, Tidewater has gone
on appeal to challenge the decisions of the lower court. In
the case instituted by PhoenixTide, they had brought an
application to challenge the jurisdiction of the court among
other prayers. Their application was dismissed and they have
since gone on appeal.
“In the interpleader summons instituted by Total seeking to
pay into court the sum outstanding on account of contracts
executed by PhoenixTide, the court ruled in favour of Total
and PhoenixTide that the money should be paid into court
pending resolution of issues between parties. This ruling is
also being challenged at the Court of Appeal by Tidewater.”
35
BUSINESS/MEDIA
Same Brand, Same Status
In a renewed positioning effort, Coca-Cola has unveiled the ‘One Brand’ global marketing
strategy to unite all the brands from the Coca-Cola stable. Raheem Akingbolu reports
T
he Coca-Cola families all over
the world are currently in a
celebration mood. In the last few
weeks, promoters of the brand
at various locations have been
rolling out the drum to celebrate
a landmark breakthrough. From
Paris to Dubai, UK to Nigeria, the story is the
same; the world’s No. 1 brand is reengineering
through the ‘one brand’ global marketing strategy.
Coca-Cola’s ‘one brand’ approach, which is
tied to “Taste the Feeling” campaign, is like
a reconciling tool conceptualised to bring its
four product variants – Coca-Cola, Diet Coke,
Coca-Cola Zero and Coca-Cola Life – under the
Coca-Cola master brand instead of being marketed
as separate products. With it, the company is
telling the world that all the variants are of the
same status.
In Dubai, where over 70 journalists drawn from
Africa and Eurasia were present, global leaders
in Coca-Cola Company, led by the Executive
Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of
The Coca-Cola Company, Marcos de Quinto,
emphasised the fact that the “Taste the Feeling”
campaign, which uses storytelling and everyday
moments to connect with consumers around the
world, extends the global equity and iconic appeal
of the original Coca-Cola across the trademark,
uniting the Coca-Cola family under the world’s
number one beverage brand.
On why the company suddenly made a Uturn towards the path it tread 10 years ago, de
Quinto admitted that the company had since
realised that the more it positions Coca-Cola as
an icon, the smaller it becomes. “The bigness
of Coca-Cola resides in the fact that it’s a simple
pleasure – so the humbler we are, the bigger
we are. We want to help remind people why
they love the product as much as they love the
brand.”
He said the campaign was supposed to fulfil
80 per cent of the needs of consumers while
also responding to the needs of people who
want to limit the consumption of sugary drinks
as Coca-Cola Zero, Light and Diet made with
artificial sugar, will, for the first time, be better
positioned.
“We are emphasising that Coca-Cola is for
everybody,” the Chief Marketing Officer said.
“Coca-Cola is one brand with different variants,
all of which share the same values and visual
iconography. People want their Coca-Cola in
different ways, but whichever one they want,
they want a Coca-Cola brand with great taste
and refreshment.”
The ‘One Brand’ strategy features the product at
the heart of the creative, celebrating the experience
and simple pleasure of drinking a Coca-Cola, any
Coca-Cola. It also underscores the company’s
commitment to choice, allowing consumers to
Bottles of Coke
choose whichever Coca-Cola suits their taste,
lifestyle, and diet. The “Taste the Feeling” campaign
is expected to be rolled out across the Middle
East and North Africa regions in the first half of
2016 starting from Morocco, with strong focus
on outdoor, visuals and digital advertisement.
Speaking further, he explained that the new
strategy shows that the company can adapt more
quickly to changing consumer needs. “It will
do this by making consumers more aware of its
low or no calorie variants while strengthening
the overall brand.”
Beyond the media unveiling, the company has
invested very well in advertising to show its full
range of Colas. The television advertisements,
which was shown to the media in Dubai features
all four variants in the final frame. It is also clear
through the ad material that the new packaging
will clearly highlight the benefits of each variant.
Also, the branding of every Coca-Cola can and
bottle will be in the same style with different
colours to distinguish each variant while the
marketing spend for lower, no sugar and calorie
colas has been doubled.
The strategy which is expected to roll out
all over the world this year has already been
launched in the UK and Paris.
According to Bobby Brittain, the Brand’s CMO
for the UK and Ireland,” ‘The ‘One Brand’ strategy
has had a positive effect on sales in the UK.
During the 52 weeks ending 25 December, Coke
as a trademark grew in the UK. Sales of diet
coke and coke zero also increased but coke life
was the only variant to see a decline in sales.
Giving the back ground of the campaign, the
Vice President, Global Creative, Connections and
Digital for the company, Rodolfo Echeverria,
said Coca-Cola took the decision to integrate its
multiple campaigns in an attempt to popularize
its iconic product. He pointed out that creative
ideas from 10 different agencies across the world
were collated for the new campaign.
“Coca Cola has turned to be a very important
icon. People are wearing Coca Cola in their
shirts but we want people to also consider the
product, which provides refreshment, a fantastic
taste and uplift every time you drink in terms
of Coca Cola.”
He pointed out that the campaign to be rolled
out in the first quarter of 2016 is grounded in
the empowerment of consumers with choice.
He said: “There is nothing quite like the taste of
an ice cold Coca-Cola. The campaign creative was
designed to celebrate the notion that the simple
pleasure of drinking an ice cold Coca-Cola makes
any moment more special. A simple pleasure
you can access and afford.
“The universal moments and storytelling depicted
in the campaign were created to resonate with
our consumers globally. We are going from open
Happiness to exploring the role Coca-Cola plays
in happiness,” said Rodolfo Echeverria.
“Taste the Feeling’ will bring to life the idea
that drinking a Coca-Cola is a simple pleasure
that makes everyday moments more special.
While Coke’s award winning ‘Open Happiness’
campaign leaned heavily on what the brand stands
for over the last seven years, ‘Taste the Feeling’
will feature universal story telling with the product
at the heart to reflect both the functional and
emotional aspects of the Coca-Cola experience,’’
explained Rodolfo Echeverria.
XLR8 Beats DDB, Three Others to Clinch MTN Business
M
TN Nigeria
has appointed
XLR8, a
leading
communications consultancy to handle its content
development and management
brief. According to an inside
source, five agencies from different backgrounds, including the
winner pitched for the account.
Others are DDB, Anakle, and
eMagination Limited. Mitee,
the incumbent agency on the
business also participated but
lost. The participating agencies
were drawn from Advertising,
Digital Marketing and Public
Relations agencies.
The telco company was said to
have expressed satisfaction with
XLR8’s presentation during the
exercise and having worked
on the brand before as a PR
consultant, it is believed that the
agency would deliver perfectly.
Confirming his agency’s victory in the exercise, Calisthus
Okoruwa told THISDAY on
telephone that his team was
humbled to have been chosen
from a very distinguished and
formidable list of agencies. He
admitted that other organisations that lost in the exercise
must have equally put forward
compelling presentations.
XLR8 was one of the two PR
agencies that lost the Public Relations business of the telecom
company last year. It was on
the business from 2007 to 2015
alongside Marketing Mix.
Early last year, MTN reviewed
the business and invited nine
agencies for presentation. The
invited agencies include, JSP
Communications, Mediacraft
and Associates, Black House
Media, Brooks and Blakes and
Leap Communications. Others
are; Soulcom Communications,
a subsidiary of Udeme Ufot’s
SO & U, DKK Associates, and
of course the then incumbents
–Marketing Mix and XLR8.
In May, 2015, the result came
out and DKK and Brooks and
Blakes won.
With the new appointment and
other businesses won by XLR8
in the last few months, observers are beginning to see the
agency as one of the Marketing
Communications companies
that will shape the industry this
year.
Okoruwa
36
TRAVEL
Edited by Demola Ojo
Email demola.ojo@thisdaylive.com
At Ooni of Ife’s Palace
A visit to the Ooni of Ife’s palace points towards a renaissance for a city that
thrived in medieval times, writes Demola Ojo
T
here is no doubt that IleIfe is enjoying a breath of
fresh air with the coming
of Ooni Adeyeye Ogunwusi
(Ojaja II). The ancient Yoruba town with centuries of
history is a trending topic
due to the force of the personality that
now sits on the throne once occupied
by the legendary Oduduwa, widely
regarded as the father of the Yoruba people.
The larger-than-life image of the
Ooni can be felt way beyond Ife:
billboards depicting the monarch line
the Ife-Ibadan expressway as far away
as Ikire, a few towns from Ife, to the
first major intersection in Ife, where
the road linking Ife to Ede joins the
one linking Ife to Ibadan. However, the
most visible image at this intersection
– formerly known as Mayfair Roundabout - is a mammoth replica of the
Ori Olokun, the Yoruba sea goddess of
wealth.
The Ori Olokun – one out of about
20 medieval brass sculptures unearthed
in Ife - first put the ancient town on
the global map a little over a hundred
years ago, when German explorer Leo
Frobenius became the first Westerner
to set eyes on them.
The lifelike rendering of sculptures
from medieval Ife is exceptional in
sub-Saharan African art and the
European, who could not imagine that
such works were of African origin,
came up with the theory that this great
art was evidence of the lost Atlantis of
the Greeks. He further declared that
the Yoruba deity, Olokun, was the same
god as the Greek Poseidon.
Just like the Ori Olokun, the Ooni’s
palace has been around for centuries,
and is a historical monument that
houses various important relics. Next
to it is the Ife Museum, well known
for its archaeological exhibits of the
Yoruba Ife art of terra-cotta and other
bronze figures dating back more than
700 years.
The palace is a beehive of activities,
because of the multitude that have
come to see the Ooni for one reason
or the other, and also because of heavy
construction work going on within its
expansive premises.
The black Bentley with “OONIRISA”
customized number plates just outside
the meeting hall is evidence the Ooni
is around. The meeting hall itself bears
evidence of renovation. A noticeable
difference is the carpet which covers
the length and breadth of the hall; it is
purple, the colour of royalty and it has
the royal insignia bearing the name
of the present king imprinted on it in
multiple places.
White is the other dominant colour,
while there are touches of gold and
brown. Leopard skin is also a recurrent
motif, although this is centred around
the Ooni’s sofa, which along with
other seats on his elevated platform is
white too.
There are pictures on the wall which
capture epochal moments in the lives
of Oonis past and present.
At the centre of the activities is the
Ooni, dressed in all white, with a
white crown, white beads and white
shoes to match. His palace guards
sit on the floor around him. Guests
approach him, prostrate then kneel, sit
or crouch as they discuss issues with
him.
Ooni Ogunwusi is very animated
as he converses with his visitors. He
gesticulates to complement his strong
voice; his actions are very regal. He has
a genial disposition and is also very
witty; you can hear his guests laughing
Ooni Ogunwusi in his palace
Entertainers at the meeting hall
at his humourous statements. His
background in the hospitality industry
shines through. Suddenly it hits you.
He is not just the custodian of the
culture that has the potential to attract
hundreds of thousands of tourists the
world over, he is an attraction himself.
There are dozens of people seated
in the hall waiting to take turns to see
the king, some individually, others as
a group.
Entertainment is provided by court
praise-singers who hail the king in
Yoruba language, while there are
performers with talking drums. At a
point, the Ooni shows of his skills
with the drum, an attestation to the
The lifelike rendering of
sculptures from medieval
Ife is exceptional in subSaharan African art and
the European, who could
not imagine that such
works were of African
origin, came up with the
theory that this great art
was evidence of the lost
Atlantis of the Greeks
fact that he’s a man with different sides
to him.
Ooni Ogunwusi is bent on making
Ife a viable tourism destination in
Nigeria. This is no mean feat; Nigeria
is not renowned for attracting leisure
travellers, while Ife – with its heyday
between 1000 to 1600AD - presently
lacks many of the facilities that will
make it a hospitable destination. But
the monarch’s plan is not a sudden
reaction to ascending the throne.
About a year ago, before any indication of him becoming king, the Ooni
told some tourism journalists at his Inagbe Resort in Lagos how he planned
to replicate the resort in the six
geo-political zones across the country.
Ife was one of the locations mentioned.
The same group of journalists was at
the palace as the Ooni confirmed plans
to declare Ife a tourism zone.
“There are too many mysteries in
this land…this is where everything
started from,” he said reiterating an
earlier assertion that the Tower of
Babel and Noah’s Ark can be found
at Oke Ora, “which stretches for like a
thousand miles”.
The mysteries will be rebranded so
tourists will come see them. “It’s very
magnetic. I already told the world a
little bit of the story but people want to
see. You know seeing is believing, so
we will let them see.”
Central to the plan for making Ife
attractive to tourists is the Ife Grand
Resort currently under construction
“for those coming to see the mysteries.”
According to the Ooni, it is far bigger
than the Inagbe Resort in Lagos. At the
very least, it is expected to be as grand.
It will help in filling the hospitality
void, providing world class accommodation and leisure activities for
those coming to experience a culture
that is not only alive and thriving in
other parts of West Africa, but also in
the Americas.
A
WEEKLY PULL-OUT
28.02.2016
SLIDING DOWN THE
ENTERTAINMENT SLOPE
T H I S DAY, T H E S U N DAY N E W S PA P E R • FEBRUARY 28, 2016
38
covER
Nigga Raw
Tony One Week
Lord of Ajasa
Jeremiah Gyang
SLIDING DOWN THE
ENTERTAINMENT SLOPE
Nseobong Okon-Ekong chronicles how the quicksand of the Nigerian entertainment industry
shuffles the pack of artistes and buries the dreams of many erstwhile promising talents
Mr. Raw: It’s all About
Business
L
argely credited for
his localising the
rap music genre in
Igbo, Okechukwu
Edwards Ukeje,
has been known
by many aliases,
beginning with Dat N.I.G.G.A.
Raw. He announced his
presence on the Nigerian
music scene with the hit song,
‘Obodo’ which featured,
popular comedian, Klint Da
Drunk. He later shortened
his moniker to Nigga Raw.
These days, he prefers to be
addressed simply as Mr. Raw.
From Benson and Hedges
‘Grab Da Mike’ to Start Quest
contests, his path into the
Nigerian music scene was well
prepared. When he finally
announced his preparedness to
embrace music full time, the
public looked onto him with a
lot of promise because he hopes
for the enduring search for that
authentic Nigerian musical
identity. Although his debut
album, Right & Wrong was a
commercial success, he has not
been able to re-enact the magic
that saw the entire country
eating out of his palms.
Mr. Raw also became
very much sought after by
his colleagues who wanted
his unique use of Igbo and
Pidgin English to boost the
performance of their recording,
making him to collaborate
with other artistes like Flavour
N’abania, Duncan Mighty,
Phyno, Illbliss, 2Face, M-Josh
and Slow Dog.
Despite his fame as a solo
artist, Raw has collaborated
with numerous other musical
artists including Flavour
N’abania, Duncan Mighty,
Phyno, Illbliss, 2Face, M-Josh
and Slow Dog.[5]
Although he owns Raw
Deal Entertainment, Mr. Raw
has branched into several
other businesses within and
outside the country, which he
sees as a kind of back-up and
retirement plan in anticipation
of his eventual exit from
the entertainment business.
Apparently, this distraction has
led to a set-back in his career
as a musician.
Tony One Week:
Distracted by Politics
To him belongs the singular
honour of being the first
entertainer to win an elective
position in Nigeria. Tony
Muonagor, better known as
Tony One Week achieved this
feat when he was elected into
the Anabra State House of
Assembly in April, 2011.
One Week has also
become known as a man
who distinguishes himself
in everything he does. He
is popular musician and
Nollywood actor. He also went
ahead to add the distinction of
being a politician of note.
Respected for his ability
to mainstream a type of
entertainment made popular
by a socio-cultural group, he
has maintained his identity
as ‘gyration master ’ since his
debut as a singer in 1998. The
following year, he directed his
first movie titled ‘Holygans’.
Although One Week has the
good fortune of being in a class
of his own, with respect to his
kind of music, his attention is
also very much needed on the
39
COVER
Eddy Montana
African China
Danfo Drivers
Jazzman Olofin
Tony Tetuila
KAS
political terrain where he still
plays an active role.
Lord of Ajasa: Declining
Struggle
In Lagos and the
Southwest, arguably, Nigeria’s
headquarters of entertainment,
Olusegun Osaniyi, better
known as Lord of Ajasa was
welcome to the entertainment
scene with a near cult following
for being a pathfinder.
The late Dagrin and the
current wave-making Olamide
have Lord of Ajasa to thank
for opening their eyes to the
potential of rap music in
Yoruba. His collaboration with
9ice on ‘Le Fe’nuso’ was the
game changer that turned the
industry around for good.
However, Lord of Ajasa has
since not been able to produce
the magic wand that pushed
him into the consciousness of
Nigerians.
African China: From Flow
to Trickle
With critical messages that
resonated with the condition
of the people, Chinagorom
Onuoha, better known as,
African China could easily pass
as the ‘voice of the masses’. His
debut, ‘Crisis’ was a massive
hit that surprised everyone,
particularly for winning many
awards.
At 18 years in 1996, African
China had already placed a bet
on music as a career. Singing
in Pidgin English, he chose
Reggae/dancehall to engage
the people.
In recent times, African
China has been more
focused on running his
entertainment business known
as 45 Entertainment. The
company is into sound, artiste
management, DJ services and
studio production. He recently
told journalists that his current
engagement is fine ‘as long as
it is bringing money.’
Although he still manages to
command a trickle of concerts,
the frequency of performance
dates coming his way has
dwindled from a deluge of
engagements to a trickle of
dates that are few and far
between.
Danfo Drivers: Two
Drivers Going No Where
Their hit single, ‘I am a
Danfo Driver, Suo’ raged
through the entire country like
wild fire, giving instant fame to
the duo of Mountain Black and
Mad Melon of Danfo Drivers
(real names Jimoh Olotu and
Omeofa Oghene respectively).
Straight out of Ajegunle,
the fame catapulted them to
heights and took them to places
they only knew in their dream.
A couple of albums after,
they are still not able to hit
home with the same impact
that brought them to the scene.
The Danfo Driver duo may
have acquired university
education which they hitherto
lacked, but their musical career
has not been impacted with the
kind of gusto that once made
them a household name.
Jazzman Olofin: All Jazz
no Sound
He had simply breathed new
life into an existing song or so
he thought. Therefore, when
Muyiwa Olofinkuade, better
known as Jazzman Olofin hit
the top mark, largely from his
re-mix of Fuji music artiste,
Adewale Ayuba’s ‘Bubble’
(which he re-named, ‘Raise
the Roof), he must have been
surprised.
Thinking that was a winning
recipe, Jazzman applied that
distinctive beat again and
again, but without similar
success. Staying true to a
particular method was not a
total loss though, at least, he
carved a recognisable identity
for himself, such that when
his song starts playing, you
knew it was Jazzman Olofin
just as sure as the string of
beads on his neck and wrist
that had become his fashion.
Many colleagues sought to
work, desiring that distinctive
flavour. He was so hot, at the
time, that he could afford to
call the bluff of the reigning
record companies, moving from
Kennis Music to Storm Records
with such ease, at a time
many promising artistes were
begging for a chance.
KAS: Left in the Lurch
With one song, ‘Fimile Baby’,
Karounwi Olakunle Shobayo,
better known as, KAS ruled the
nation’s clubs and airwaves
held the nation. There was this
particular hook, ‘Omo Yoruba
ni mi o’, a phrase, used to
make the song appealing to the
listener.
Soon enough, other
musicians tried to go KAS one
step better. Darey actually
sang, ‘omo Hausa ni mi o’.
‘Fi Mi Le’ written and
produced by KAS reportedly
sold over 1.2 million copies in
Nigeria in the first week alone,
earning him several awards
world wild. Other successes
and recognition worth
mentioning was the privilege
of writing the theme song,
‘Like a Bottle’ for Hennessey
tour in 2010. His company
KAS Entertainment also signed
Nollywood actress Tonto Dikeh
for a singing career.
But like a candle in the
wind, with no one to lean on,
the flame of KAS limited fame
extinguished fast.
Tony Tetuila: In Search of
Greener Pastures
Anthony Olanrewaju
Awotoye, better known as
Tony Tetuila, surprised many
when he contested for a place
in the Kwara State legislature
in 2015, but failed to get the
ticket of his party, the All
Progressives Congress, APC.
An erstwhile member of the
pop band, The Remedies (along
with Eedris Abdulkareem and
40
covER
2Shotz
Ikechukwu
Sauce Kid
Ruggedman
Brymo
Lynxxxx
Eddy Montana), which defined
a period of modern Nigerian
music, he went on to have a
relatively successful solo career
after the split of the group.
His song, ‘You Don Hit My
Car ’ was a street anthem for
many seasons. He left Nigeria
for many years to live and
work in Ghana, only returning
to show interest in politics.
Apparently, Tetuila is
more interested in politics
and business now than in
performing before a crowd of
appreciating audience.
2Shotz: From Music to
Movies
Nigerian rap music sensation,
William Orioha, better known
as 2Shotz has been in the news
for the wrong reasons in recent
times. His former girlfriend and
Nigeria’s Big Brother Africa
contestant, Beverly Osu, accused
him of battery.
To confirm that his anger
sometimes gets the best part
of him, his estranged wife,
Precious Jones, also complained
she was physically abused by
him.
But 2Shotz himself is not
one to take an injury lying low.
He went public when he had
a brush with law enforcement
agents. He was also in court to
challenge Nokia for allegedly
using his work without
permission.
The artiste who is also
the CEO of Umunnamu
Entertainment has extended
the horizon of his creativity
beyond music into movies,
even as his music career
appears to have taken a dip.
has totally disappeared from
the music scene.
Ikechukwu: Rap Royalty
Gone Broke
Sauce Kid: No Spicy Stuff
Ikechukwu Onunaku
entered the Nigerian rap music
scene from America with so
much promise. He boastfully
called himself, ‘son of the soil’,
‘son of a king’ and went about
his business like rap royalty.
In the manner of performers in
that genre much of his lyrics
were self-adulation. His first
album “Son of the Soil” and
the follow-up, ‘Life and Times
of Killz Vol. 1’ followed this
pattern of flattery.
Arguably, Ikechukwu’s best
known work was the smash
hit ‘Wind Am Well’ featuring
D’banj and Don Jazzy.
Lately, Ikechukwu appears
to be concentrating more on
film and video production
Ruggedman: Off the
Radar
Going by his stage name,
Ruggedman, you may think
Abia State-born rapper,
Michael Stephens, is a violent
man. But that is wrong. He
may have a few controversies
recorded against his name but
definitely not.
After producing his own
songs and successfully
launching them, he earned
the bragging right to lecture
everyone who cares to listen on
‘Naija Hip Hop 101’.
A multi award winning
talent, Ruggedman appears to
need some new lessons as he
A recent change of moniker
has not impacted much on
the career of Nigerian rapper,
Babalola Falemi, who now
wishes to be known as Sinzu.
But many remember him as
Sauce Kid, the very talented
artist who bombed the music
scene with the hit, Carolina.
He was one of the artists that
Storm Records placed a bet on.
Not too long ago, Sauce
Kid was rumoured to be in
trouble for a financial crime in
America. Denying involvement
in any shady deal, he released
an album titled ‘Industreet‘
that has an illustration of
a man with hands shackled
behind his back.
The new work has, however,
not revved the engine of back
to life.
Brymo: Yet to Hit the
Goldmine
Everyone agrees Olawale
Ashimi, better known as,
Brymo is a brilliant artiste.
Unfortunately, the controversy
surrounding his departure from
his former label, Chocolate
City became a huge hurdle that
threw a spanner in the wheel
of his career for a long time. A
gifted songwriter with a great
voice, he cuts the picture of one
who is determined to overcome
every adversity.
Following Oleku by Ice
Prince in which he featured,
his fame soared. He did not
disappoint with his own single,
‘Ara’ which was a chartburster.
While he continues to
be a delight everywhere he
performs, even attracting
interest from the movie
industry as composer and
producer of soundtrack, many
do not understand what has
stopped Brymo from making
the kind of commercial success
expected of him.
Jeremiah Gyang: Stunted
Talent
He is so hugely multitalented that he plays
practically all musical
instruments and does so very
well. Perhaps, nothing best
illustrates the big hope that
Jeremiah Gyang represented as
the fact that the guy who calls
himself Africa’s rapper No. 1
and now runs one of Nigeria’s
most successful record
companies, Jude Abaga, better
known as MI used to carry his
bag. So what exactly has held
Jeremiah Gyang down from
shooting up into the sky like a
rocket with his career?
Ten years ago, Gyang hit the
scene with ‘Na Ba Ka’, an album
that showed his amazing power
as an instrumentalist and singer,
It was a collection of songs that
had a strong appeal and carried
it above the ordinary Christian
sentiments that it expressed.
Everybody loved the song and
clapped along.
A terrific live performer,
Gyang is not clearly where
Cont’d on pg.65
65
COVER
Olu Maintain
Eedris Abdulkareem
Naeto C
Sasha P
Obiwon
Faze
Cont’d from pg.40
who lost its clap.
LYNXXX: No Clear Path
Through a dint of hard work,
Chukie Edozien, better known
by his stage name, Lynxxx,
became the first Nigerian
artiste to be endorsed by the
global brand Pepsi without
having any piece of music that
was a commercial success. One
thing going for Lynxxx is that
he understands the business of
show business.
He is one of the early (in a
growing number) of artistes
from an affluent background
who came out unapologetically
to take a stand for their career
in music. Much as he has
everything going for him,
Lynxxx has hit it big as a
musician.
Olu Maintain: Keeping An
Uneven Keel
One song defined Olumide
Edwards Adegbolu, better
known by his stage name,
Olu Maintain. Following the
monster hit ‘Yahooze’, the
expectation for a meteoric rise
in his career was real.
But nine years after
Yahooze, Olu has not been
able to meet the expectation
of everyone who credited him
with the ability to become
one of the biggest artiste from
Nigeria.
9ice: Dashed Hopes
Perhaps his mouthful of
a name, Alexander Abolore
Adegbola Adigun Alapomeji
Ajifolajifaola led him to choose
a stage name that is short,
sharp and adorable, 9ice.
And he teased the appetite of
Nigerians with nice music in
his debut album, featuring the
hit, ‘Gongo Aso’.
Try as he does, it has been
impossible for him to produce
another hit to keep him on the
high pedestal that he reached at
the onset of his career.
Chikwe, better known by his
stage name Naeto C. Born
to affluent parents, he calls
himself the only MC with a
Masters degree.
Naeto C truly loves music
and has been consistent since
he came on the scene. However,
he has not been able to deliver
that monster hit that would
catapult him from an average
artiste to an excellent musician
on top of the charts.
Eedris Abdulkareem: Lost
Stem
Sasha P: Fashion Business
as new Focus
Arguably, Eedris Turayo
Abdulkareem Ajenifuja, is one
of the biggest influence to a
generation of young Nigerians
who saw in him a success story
they could replicate.
An entertainer, songwriter
and performer with
demonstrable temper in his art
as in his temper, Eedris was the
most noticeable member of the
defunct Nigerian hiphop group,
The Remedies. His aggressive
attitude stood him out.
When The Remedies
collapsed Eedris began a solo
career that many thought would
keep him on top of the ladder
for a long time.
But more than six studio
albums after, Eedris failed to
take his place as the king of
Nigerian rap music.
NAETO C: Can’t See the
Distance
Perhaps, no other Nigerian
artiste has demonstrated the
importance of getting a good
education like Naetochukwu
Her claim to First Lady of
Nigerian Hip Hop may just
be all sound that would take
more than appearances to
substantiate. As much as many
believed in the promise that
Anthonia Yetunde Alabi better
known as Sasha P offered,
the female rapper, musician,
businesswoman, lawyer and
motivational speaker has not
been able to ride on the wave
of that trust to deliver hit songs
that can sustain her memory.
Sasha had a unique
opportunity to hug and remain
in the limelight because she
came on the scene when there
was hardly any Nigerian
woman in Hip Hop music. But
she failed to seize the moment.
Sasha has since made public
her intention to focus on her
fashion business.
Obiwon: Committed to
Winning Souls
When it comes to Obiora
Nwokolobia-Agu, better
known by his artistic
name, Obiwon, no one
is in doubt that he holds
s t ro n g c o n v i c t i o n s . H e
has demonstrated this by
quitting his job in a bank for
m u s i c . A s a s i n g e r, m u s i c i a n ,
s o n g w r i t e r a n d re c o rd i n g
artiste, he switched mode
again to become a music
minister and evangelist.
O n l y o n e w i t h s t re n g t h o f
character would take these
self-defining steps.
However, Obiwon has not
showed similar staying power
in coming out with songs that
can take him to the mountain
top of the music industry. And
it does not look like he would
happen anytime soon now that
he is also a committed preacher
of the gospel.
Faze: Dropping from the
Race
One of the the cross that
Chibuzor Orji, better known
by his stage name, Faze, has to
carry is his membership of the
defunct Nigerian hip hop group
Plantashun Boyz which also had
BlackFace Naija and TuFace,
better known as 2face Idibia.
The pressure on Faze and
Blackface is to measure up to
the commercial success of their
former team member, Tuface.
For a long time, it looked like
Faze was not terrified of going
up against Tuface.
He held out a promise his
best-selling debut, ‘Faze Alone’,
but Nigerians are still waiting
for that earthquake of a hit
from Faze that would decorate
him with winning medals.
66
EntERtAinmEnt
with nsEoBong okon-Ekong
08114495324, nseobong.okonekong@thisdaylive.com
Passion for Revenge Premieres on Telemundo
P
assion for Revenge,
the new telenovela on
Telemundo Channel
which premiered last
Monday brings horses
and humans in a love, betrayal
and revenge triangle. The story
revolved round the Gallardo
brothers whose thirst to avenge
their sister’s death will be tested
by the powerful chords of love.
Leading Pay-TV DStv in
continuation of its commitment in
providing the best entertainment
to its teeming subscribers
treated its Telemundo fans to an
evening of entertainment with
the pre-screening of its latest
telenovela series, ‘A Passion for
Revenge’, last weekend.
The novela is the second to
debut on the channel this month
and is also available to GOtv
subscribers.
Held at Posh Cafe, Ikoyi,
the evening kicked off with
telenovelas fans aptly called
‘Passionistas’,- a word coined from
the pay-off line of the telenovela
channel- given complete
makeover by Savoir-Faire Beauty
Makeover. With the new look,
they had the opportunity to leave
with mementos from the red
carpet and the selfie booth where
they posed with posters of the
leading acts of the novela.
The open-air venue was
enhanced by the colourful and
intimate setting of white seats, a
DJ stand, and a huge HD-screen
projector situated strategically
at the centre of the pool. Soon
after, refreshments flowed with
ease while the DJ dished out an
eclectic mix of songs, particularly
from Latin America.
On-air Personality Aderonke
Adebanjo played the host with
such sleek that endeared her to
the crowd. Having welcomed the
guests, she waxed her linguistic
prowess by teaching the guests
some common expressions in
Spanish. But that was not all.
Passionistas found themselves
WINNERS EMERGE IN DSTV /
EUTELSAT STAR AWARDS
Winners have emerged in this
year’s edition of the DStv Eutelsat
Star Awards. At the ceremony held
in Nairobi, Kenya, rising student
interest in science and technology
was also celebrated.
The fifth edition of the DStv
Eutelsat Star Awards, organised by
MultiChoice and Eutelsat, reached
a record participation with nearly
2,000 entries from 18 countries.
The winner in the Essay Category,
Ayawen Asuinura from Ghana
won a trip to Paris and onwards
to a launch site to witness a rocket
blast into space to place a satellite
into orbit. This is the first win in the
essay category for Ghana that has
already produced two winners in
the poster category.
The runner-up in the essay category was Sara Eribo from Equatorial Guinea who wins a trip for two
to visit MultiChoice facilities and
the South African National Space
Agency near Johannesburg.
In the essay category, students
were asked to interpret the quote by
L-R: Marketing Manager, DStv, Chioma Afe; Ronke Adebanjo of Smooth FM, and Public Relations Manager, Gotv, Efe Obiomah,
during the Telemundo Viewing party tagged ‘A Passion for Revenge’ held at Posh Cafe, 21 Cameron Road Ikoyi, Lagos...recently
learning a salsa step or two by
the sultry dancer Serena and her
partner. Two lucky couples got the
chance to grace the dance floor
and show off their dancing skills.
The guests previewed the first
episode of the gripping tale of
revenge and love. With A-list
telenovela stars like Fabian Rios,
Aaron Diaz, Sonya Smith, Ana
Lorena Sanchez, the novela brings
all the steamy passion that the
channel is known for.
The story began with the
discovery of the body of Alma
Gallardo by Captain Fernandez
Nestor. Through a series of
flashbacks, details of the love
story that led to the death of the
Gallardo girl were unveiled.
Alma, a rodeo star and sister
to the Gallardo brothers: Arturo,
Flavio and Samuel- fell in love with
Ignacio del Junco, who unknown
to Alma was still married. He had
told her that he was separated
and genuinely eager to divorce his
unloving wife Cayetana whom he
had three daughters with.
Their love is so true and pure but
Alma hid her relationship from
her brothers until she fainted at
a rodeo competition. A trip to
the hospital revealed that she
was pregnant which angered her
brothers. They sought to know
who the man in her life was and
ambushed Ignacio with a warning
not to mess with their sister.
Meanwhile, in Ignacio’s
household, things were rocky.
Sofia, Ignacio’s favourite daughter
was married to an abusive
Leonardo who interestingly,
Cayetana adored. Sofia tries to
break away from her husband but
her mother won’t let her, rather
she blames her for Leonardo’s
actions.
Ignacio, a wealthy man who runs
stables had been experiencing
losses in his business. He suspects
someone is sabotaging his horses
and carried out an investigation.
He would later discover that
Leonardo was behind it and throws
Socrates “Man must rise above the
Earth, to the top of the atmosphere
and beyond, for only thus will he
fully understand the world in which
he lives” and to show how satellites
help understand and take care of
our planet.
In the poster category, Mallon
Marume from Zimbabwe scooped
the first prize for artistic creativity
and will visit Eutelsat in Paris to
understand how satellites are operated and piloted in space and the
many ways they benefit users. This
is a consecutive win for Zimbabwe
as Joseph Mahiya won top honours
in the essay category last year.
Benjamin Ibanda from Uganda was
the runner up in the same category.
The four winning schools attended
by the overall award winners and
runners-up were also rewarded with
a DStv installation, including dish,
TV set, PVR decoder and free access
to the DStv Education Bouquet.
Paolo Nespoli, an ESA (European
Space Agency) astronaut chaired the
jury of the Awards for the third year
in a row, assisted by an international
panel of skilled industry experts:
Ronke Bello, CEO at Innovative
Technology Literacy Services Ltd,
Nigeria; Dr Jane Munga, Policy
Advisor, Kenyan Ministry of Information, Communication, Technology and Research, Kenya; Dr
Perkins Muredzi, Dean of School
of Industrial Sciences and Technology, Harare Institute of Technology
(HIT), Zimbabwe; Melt Loubser,
GM: Broadcast Technology, MultiChoice Africa and Rodney Benn,
Regional Director, Eutelsat.
The keynote speaker was Kenya’s
Cabinet Secretary in the Ministry of
ICT, Hon. Joe Mucheru who said: “It
is important to note that His Excellency President Uhuru Kenyatta
and his government is determined
to promote holistic development
of the country covering all sectors
with particular focus on leveraging
science and technology in the delivery of services in all sectors of the
economy including ICT and education. Therefore, it is gratifying to
note the effort by both MultiChoice
Africa and Eutelsat in ensuring that
we nurture interest and build capacities in science and technology.”
him out of the house on the night
of his anniversary.
He had earlier confided in his
house help Soledad that he would
divorce his wife to be with Alma
who was already pregnant for
him. He had also given Alma the
document of ownership of Alma’s
home which at the moment was
mortgaged.
Cayetana having found out
that her husband had a mistress
through a mysterious video sent
to her by an unknown person was
determined not to grant Ignacio’s
divorce request.
An embittered Leonardo
sought revenge on his father-inlaw by plotting an air crash. The
devastating news of Ignacio’s lie
about his marital status hit Alma
furiously like a punching glove
than his death. She obstinately
went to his home to pay him her
respect but was confronted by
Cayetana who mistreated her in
front of her family and threw her
out.
LAGOS INT’L JAZZ FESTIVAL
HONOURS BENSON IDONIJE
Inspiro productions organisers
of Nigeria’s first and premier Jazz
festival and the largest Jazz festival
in sub-Saharan West Africa - The
Lagos International Jazz Festival
(LIJF) has released plans for this
year’s event. The festival themed
Benson Idonije
67
ENTERTAINMENT
T
CELEBRATING AT GRAND OAK’S FIESTA
he ripples on the waterfront
were not the only beautiful sight
on February 14 at Ember Creek,
Awolowo Road. There were red
bows tie that spelt gentlemanliness
and elegantly dressed women who
accompanied them. At the poolside,
young ones were spotted with wine
glasses and dancing shoes.
Behind them, the DJ was spinning
classic love songs and their visuals
were projected before the audience. As
love was in the air, red and white petals
danced in the swimming pool; the
psychedelic lights engulfed the space.
That was made possible by Grand
Oak and Brand World Media. Both
partnered to heighten the romantic
nightlife in Lagos before the Monday
morning rush. It felt like a get-away, a
sweet escapism from the inevitable
tensed atmosphere at home. For once,
couples had the chance to be at peace
without the distraction of their children
or the worries about school fees. Yes, it
was affordable vacation right there in
Ikoyi.
The VIP lounge was filled with
more men than women who found
tranquility with the bottles. The free
samples of St. Lauren were deposited
freely at every table. After watching
it poured from the bottle into the
disposable transparent cups, this
reporter savoured the pleasant taste of
fermented grapes till the last drop. The
discerning female attendant brought
another bottle to prolong the orgasmic
feeling.
The Category Manager, Grand Oak
Limited, Olayinka Amuwo explained
the rationale for the freebies.
‘Jazz in the Megacity’ holds from
April 29 to May 1 2016.
This coincides with the end of
the April Jazz Appreciation Month
and the April 30th UN-recognised
International Jazz Day.
This year’s festival is dedicated to
honour veteran broadcaster, music
writer and legendary Jazz critic Benson Idonije aka Benjay who turns
80 this year and is also a prelude to
Celebrate Lagos@50 in 2017.
Lekan Babalola two times Grammy award winner is curating this
year’s event with a strong emphasis
on music education and showcasing
the Next Rated in Nigerian Jazz and
Jazz related music.
Student bands from several of the
city’s leading music schools will
be featured on the 1 venue 4 stage
grand finale. These schools include
the Span Academy of Jazz and Contemporary Music, 10 Strings Music
Institute, The Peter King School of
Music and others.
The first Lagos International Jazz
Festival was held in 2008 and after
a brief hiatus is now its 4th edition.
The event seeks not only to position
Lagos State as a global Jazz tourism destination but also showcase
the best of the city’s Jazz and Jazz
related music practitioners on an
international platform.
The 2015 edition of the festival
was dedicated and honoured the
founder of the Cape Town International Jazz Festival tagged ‘Africa’s
Grandest Gathering’ Rashid Lombard.
The venue and complete line up
for the event and will be released at
a later date the organisers stated.
Fun time at the party
“I am in charge of black Mystique
whiskey and St. Lauren non-alcoholic
fruit drink. We decide to partner Brand
world limited who are also celebrating
love in a unique way at Ember creek to
give couples the opportunity to celebrate
in their own special way. You can see the
ambience and how it evokes the serenity
that couples need to talk and reminisce.
“St Lauren has been in the market
for eight years now. We rebranded in
2014. We have partnered with various
organisations and been involved in
several events to drive the uniqueness of
St. Lauren. Black Mystique was launched
in 2015 quarter four. We want young
Drake and Rihanna
RIHANNA’S ‘WORK’ VIDEO,
PSQUARE DRAMA, TONTO DIKEH
AND MIKE ODIACHI DOMINATE
GOOGLE HOT TRENDS FOR THE
WEEK
It has been a mixed bag on
Google Search this week, with love,
sibling drama and the ever-busy
hands of the grim reaper all vying
for the attention of Nigeria. Topping the list is Rihanna’s smoking
hot video for her latest hit, ‘work’,
which features her on and off beau,
Drake.
Also claiming a top spot this
week is PSquare, whose troubled
relationship with big brother Jude
has kept the twins in the headlines,
with Tonto Dikeh’s pregnancy
and the sad passing away of Nollywood veteran, Mike Odiachi
completing the line-up.
people that love life to enjoy scotch
whiskey. A lot of young men love the
premium tasting whiskey,” he said.
As for the women, Amuwo said that
they don’t need a special occasion to
drink the non-alcoholic fruit drink. “Even
after a long day’s work, they can pop the
St. Lauren and relax. Black mystique is
similar to any whiskey men can get in any
high class bar,” he said.
In the same vein, the CEO Brandworld
Media, Clara Chinwe Okoro, expressed
her confidence that the success of the
Valentine party will call for more in future.
“I think love is the ultimate thing that
every human desires. If a brand has a
personality that fits into love, we can
as well build that around an event.
So, we designed an event that is in
consonance with the key index that
this brand represents.
“We hope this will be an annual
event and we just designed it as
something people will cherish even if
they had to pay a token for it,” she said.
She seems to favour non-alcoholic
beverages and had given her thumbs
for some of the Grand Oak products
that she had tasted. “I tasted the
Bacchus wine last week and that is
what I have been drinking any time I
come to this bar,” she declared.
SWEATY WORK
a show in Benin about nine years
ago.
Guys, please settle your matter
biko.
Ri-Ri is well known for not being
afraid to put it out there, but this
time around, the ‘good girl gone
bad’ has upped the stakes for steamy
music videos with her latest effort
for her track, “work”, featuring
some bumping and grinding with
rumoured love interest Drake
‘Drizzy’ Aubrey.”
“Work” is a sultry dancehall track
about two lovers. Rihanna seeks a
deeper, meaningful connection in
the relationship, but the male character, played by Drake, is only interested in sex. This narrative is similar
to Rihanna and Drake’s previous
collaborations, “2010’s “What’s My
Name?” and 2011’s “Take Care.” The
song is Rihanna’s 14th leader, lifting
her past Michael Jackson for the
third-most No. 1s all-time.
PSQUARE AGAIN O
PSquare!!!! O gini? Ki lo de o?
We know all publicity is good
publicity, but this is a bit much,
wouldn’t you agree? First it’s giving
bro Jude a swift kick out the door,
then it’s the rumours that Nigeria’s
baddest dance duo are splitting up
and now, it’s police and court matter?
The gist is that sheriffs from
the Lagos High Court and FSARS
stormed Squareville, home of the
duo last Friday, with a court order to
seize the property, based on allegations of fraud filed against the twins.
Apparently, Paul, Peter and Jude,
were paid over N8m in January
to perform at a show but failed to
turn up and there’s already a case
of fraud against the trio in court
stemming from failure to appear at
IS SHE OR IS SHE NOT?
It’s enough, already, ok? The
rumours haven’t stopped circulating since pictures emerged online
with a small bump on Tonto
Dikeh’s stomach. So is it what
we think or is it just a muffin top
from too much takeout?
Last year, the actress was reportedly pregnant, but nothing came
out of the gist and wisely, the
actress is staying silent about it
this time too. Why should she say
anything, really? After all, dem no
dey hide pregnancy o.
ADIEU MIKE ODIACHI
Veteran Igbo actor, Mike
Odiachi sadly passed away last
week at the age of 51. He died of
complications related to diabetes
at the Ikorodu General Hospital.
Odiachi was renowned for his role
in the highly acclaimed movie,
‘Igodo’ where he was buried
alive. Odiachi, who hails from
Asaba, Delta state, was married
with children. RIP Mike.
DEDE ONE DAY REMEMBERED
Nigerians also remember Nollywood comic actor, Dede One Day
who reportedly died of high blood
pressure in December. The Abaraised Comedian and Nollywood
actor slumped while serving as the
master of ceremonies at a traditional marriage in Ogwe community of
Ukwa west LGA in Abia state. May
his soul rest in peace.
68
ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
High Expectations on the Oscars Tonight
Vanessa Obioha
D
espite the diversity controversy that trailed this year’s
Oscars nominations, the
motion picture industry is
full of hopes for the nominees
tonight.
One of the most canvassed hopefuls is
Leonardo DiCaprio who has been nominated six times in The Academy. The theory
surrounding his campaign for an Oscar
is his enigmatic and peerless role in ‘The
Revenant’. Although he had won awards
for the movie, not a few think that the time is
ripe for the American actor to take home an
Oscar.
Sylvester Stallone also got eyes fixated on
him. The two-time nominee is likely to win
his first Oscar tonight in the category ‘Best
Supporting Actor’ for his role in ‘Creed’.
Stallone, whose history in Hollywood is one
of struggle and determination, may enjoy
another spotlight after his 40-years fame in
‘Rocky’.
Rachel McAdams is also on the spotlight
after her immersive role in the thriller
‘Spotlight’. The 88th Academy Award will
likely leave a historic footprint tonight.
Leonardo DiCaprio
Adeled
ADELE SHINES AT BRIT AWARDS
The ‘Hello’ crooner is having a fantastic
comeback with her album ‘25’. At the
British version of the Grammy awards held
recently, Adele stole the spotlight with four
awards. She won the British Female Solo
Artist, British Album of the Year, British
Single of the Year, and Global Success
Award.
She also clinched the number one spot at
Billboard 200 recently. Unlike her Grammy
performance that was marred by a technical
glitch, Adele dazzled her crowd with a medley of her songs at the O2 Arena, London.
Other artistes who shared in the limelight
include Justin Beiber - International Male
Solo artist award; Coldplay - Best British
group, One Direction-British Artist Video of
the Year
There were also performances from
Rihanna and Drake, Annie Lennox and
Lorde who paid tribute to David Bowie
among others.
VAN DAMME RETURNS IN NEW
AMAZON TV SERIES
The action-pack star Jean Claude Van
Damme is set to star in a new comedy-action
series Jean Claude Van Johnson by Amazon.
In the series, the tough actor shows his soft
side as a famous martial arts pro/actor who
moonlights as a black ops private contractor.
His feature will be a first-time in a smallrole film after his Expendables 2 exploits.
Shooting will commence in May.
XZIBIT COMING TO ‘EMPIRE’
Season 2 of TV series ‘Empire’ already
parades an impressive guest-star list. The
newest addition to the series is the ‘Pimp My
Ride’ host Xzibit. The rap artiste and actor
will play the role of Leslie ‘Shyne’ Johnson,
Lucious rival.
Like Lucious, he has managed artists,
started record imprints and sold a few joints
but struggles daily with drugs, guns and
extortion. He has deep hatred for Lucious
and will spend most of his time in the series
upstaging Lucious. His role according to the
producers will be a multi-episode arc.
Other artistes who have made guest
appearances in the series include Ludacris,
Vivica Fox, Alicia Key, and Chris Rock
among others.
WHO STOLE MICHAEL JACKSON’S
STATUETTE?
There are speculations that one of the late
pop legend Michael Jackson’s prized possessions is missing. It is an Oscar ‘Gone with
Roman Reign
Michael Jackson
the Wind’ statuette which the singer had
purchased in a Sotheby’s auction. Jackson
bought the statuette in 1999 for $1.54 million,
although its worth has declined over the
years.
However, Jackson’s attorney is pleading
with the thief to return the possession as it
right belongs to the singer’s children.
The movie revolves round a young girl
whose government scientist father has gone
missing after working on a mysterious
project. She takes part in search of her father
and encounters incredible creatures along
her way. Production is expected to kick off
later in the year.
BETWEEN KESHA AND DR. LUKE
Last week in the wrestling universe was
grippingly intense; from the jaw-dropping
victory of Roman Reigns in the triple threat
match with the beast Brock Lesnar and maniac brother Dean Ambrose to his battering
by the World Heavyweight Championship
winner Triple H. The build-up to WrestleMania 32 is speedily gearing up.
At Fastlane on Sunday, emotions were
shattered as Brie Bella failed to defeat
Charlotte to win the Diva Championship
title. Following her husband Daniel Bryan’s
retirement and her twin sister and former
diva champion Nikki Bella in hospital, Brie
had hoped she will score a victory and make
her family proud. Charlotte defeated her
through a counter-submission.
It was a big night for Big Show, Ryback
and Cane as they dazzled The Wyatt family
with an unexpected win despite the shady
attempts by the leader of the pack Bray
Wyatt to win the match.
Once again, Jericho was stunned by the
phenomenal one AJ Styles. The latter defeated
the former in an intense match and so far been
acclaimed the best match of the night. Jericho
couldn’t hide his appreciation for the new
WWE addition as they shook hands.
They would later team up to defeat the
Social Outcasts on Monday night Raw. Their
winning streak continued in Smackdown
where they once again defeated The New
Day with help from the Strongest Man Mark
Henry in a six-man tag team match.
There was no escaping of the Suplex city
for Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose as
Brock Lesnar unleashed his weapon on
them in the main match of the main event.
Aware that they have a common enemy, the
brothers teamed up to eliminate the beast
but the beast was one step ahead of them.
He wasted no time in devastating their
moves as he takes turns in sending them to
An ongoing protest with the hashtag
#FreeKesha is the latest conflict to hit the
international entertainment industry.
After a New York Supreme Court judge
refused to grant ‘Tik Tok’ singer Kesha a
preliminary injunction that will allow her to
make music outside her six-album contract
with Dr. Luke’s Kemosabe Records, a flood
of protesters have crept out to support the
singer.
Kesha had sued her producer Dr Luke for
emotional and sexual abuse in 2014. Although the producer denied the allegations,
it has not quietened the outcry from fellow
stars and the public for justice to be served.
The next hearing will be on May 16.
ANGIE STONE & SEQUENCE WANT
TO FUNK UP BRUNO MARS
Angie Stone and rap group Sequence is
not taking Bruno Mars and DJ Mark Ronson
burgeoning fame with ‘Uptown Funk’ hit
lightly. In a wave of fresh accusations, the
group is accusing the latter of copyright
theft.
The song is reportedly a sample of the
group 1979 ‘Funk You Up’ hit. Following
their winning at the Grammys when the
group noticed that the artistes did not mention their names as one of the writers of the
song, the fight is said to take a very drastic
turn. The suit is still ongoing.
AVA DUVERNAY TIPPED TO
DIRECT DISNEY CLASSIC
Selma director Ava Duvernay is having a
good year as she will be officially directing
Disney’s Adaptation of ‘A Wrinkle in Time’a Madeleine L’Engle’s 1963 fantasy classic.
Written by Jennifer Lee who co-wrote and
directed ‘Frozen’, Duvernay is expected to
bring magic on the screen with this movie.
WWE UPDATES
Suplex city. However, each time he tries to
steal a win with either of the brother through
FYO, he is countered by the other.
The beast will also taste the venom of the
defunct Shield group as Dean and Roman
sends him flying on the announcement table
twice. Roman’s superman punch and spear
was all that was needed to send the beast to
sleep.
With the beast away, the brothers threw
friendship out of the window and attacked
each other. Lunatic Dean appeared to have
the upper hand as it took a while before
Roman could gather his thoughts and set his
mind on the motivation behind the match:
Wrestlemania.
Before Roman could claim victory over
Dean, the beast returned and with amazing strength sent the two brothers away
to Suplex city. He was already closer to
claiming victory when he engaged Roman
in a Kimura lock, looking for a submission
victory. But Dean would appear with a
steel chair and beat the hell out of Brock.
He meted out same brutality to Roman but
Roman finally clinched victory with an
unexpected spear that sent Dean to sleep.
In its true sense, last Monday Raw was as
raw as it could be. Surprises kept springing
up from all sides of the ring and they came
in all shades of retribution. The first to set the
ball rolling was the unexpected return of the
prodigal McMahon son, Shane.
Shane came in time to interrupt the acceptance speech by Stephanie McMahon who
was awarded the prestigious accolade of the
Vincent J. McMahon award. Shane made
startling revelations of his involvement in
running the company behind the scene. This
clearly unsettled Stephanie.
Shane however demanded to be in
charge of Raw after he accused Stephanie
and her husband Triple H of running the
organisation down. Vince on the hand was
reluctant to grant Shane his request but later
did on one condition: that he fights with
the Undertaker in a Hell in a Cell match at
Wrestlemania.
Ryback was the epic heel turner at Raw.
He abandoned his team mates Big Show and
Cane during their Fastlane rematch with
The Wyatt Family, causing them a loss.
69
Onoshe
Nwabuikwu
airtimeplus98@gmail.com
Highlight on High Lites with IK
H
igh Lites With IK
which began airing
on November 22,
2014 is hosted by
Radio/TV presenter,
IK (Ikponmwosa) Osakioduwa. I
watched the show religiously in
the beginning even when I wasn’t
always sure of its objectives. But
this what IK had to say: “High
Lites With IK is a refreshing and
light-hearted take on current
affairs and societal issues around
us. We’ll focus on pop culture and
people making the news – all with
a very healthy dose of wit, laughter
and fun. This is a news show with
a difference and people should
expect to get incredibly entertained
whilst also getting informed.”
I watched a recent edition of
‘High Lites With IK’ on Friday,
February 19, 2016 on Africa Magic
Showcase, dstv 151 dubbed the
Dance edition. The show opened
with a dance routine from Hilary
Jackson (featuring three dancers)
dancing to Micheal Jackson’s Bad.
IK came on to talk about different
types of dances, more like dance
trends. The news segment featured
odd new about dance from around
the world. And one random item
about The Game being sued for
assault. The interview segment
featured dancers: Wale Rubber,
Captain Quest and Bimbo
Obafunwa on the couch.
On one hand, there was a
‘healthy dose of wit, laughter and
fun’ in that edition of ‘High Lites
With IK’. Naturally funny, IK
appears like one who can take on
any broadcast challenge off the
cuff, ‘wing it’ and do very well.
But there’s only so much
‘winging it’ that can be done
especially on a weekly basis. In any
case, if we place the dance edition
‘Buhari’s frequent travels’, FEC says trips are
meant to attract foreign investment.”
-AIT, Thursday February 18, 2016, 12.21 am-ish.
‘FEC “describe” President Buhari’s foreign
trips as critical to Nigeria’s quest for economic
emancipation.’
-NTA, Thursday February 18, 2016, 5. 23 am-ish
Two different perspectives on the same news
item. But they’re not that different, on a closer
look. The real reason FEC (which no longer meets
weekly) feels the need to react is because of
Buhari’s ‘frequent travels’. What these ‘frequent
travels’ are ‘meant’ to achieve is one thing. The
actual foreign investments (not investment) they
have succeeded in attracting is another.
As for Nigeria’s ‘quest for economic
emancipation’, I think a trip to space may help us
achieve this faster. Emancipate yourselves first,
FEC.
side by side IK’s original intentions
as earlier mentioned, there would
be many gaps that need filling.
For one, it needs a strong frame/
structure which would consistently
help to flesh out its core objectives.
It also needs some solid research:
Why was there nothing by way
of videos, even pictures to show
viewers who the dancers on
the show were? Is it assumed
that everyone knows them?
Everyone…in Lagos? Abuja? Or the
rest of Africa?
Whereas ‘High Lites…’ is
supposed to be a ‘light hearted
take on current affairs societal
issues around us’, there wasn’t
that much currency on the dance
edition. By the way, which current
affairs should take precedence,
the US? Nigeria? Or Africa? Even
as I’m not sure when that dance
edition was produced, it was far
from being a “news show with a
difference” except the emphasis
is only on being different and not
news conscious.
There is also the question of
whether ‘High Lites…’ is skewed
towards entertainment or politics?
Last year, with the elections in
Nigeria, ‘High Lites…’ found
humour in politics but that
focus appears to have shifted to
entertainment. This raises another
question: Who do the producers
think of as the average watcher of
‘High Lites…’? And so on.
However, we do need to put
everything in perspective. I’m
drawn to watching ‘High Lites…’
because IK is a very versatile
and intelligent presenter. Not to
mention mischievously funny.
All of these attributes listeners/
viewers have seen him display in
the course of presenting especially
as host of the Big Brother Africa
reality show. Conceptually, ‘High
Lites With IK’ is not beyond IK’s
abilities.
How Do You Like Trevor Noah On ‘The Daily Show’?
W
hen news came
sometime in 2015
that South African
comedian Trevor
Noah was going to be taking
over from Jon Stewart, who had
hosted The Daily Show (TDS)
for 16 years, South Africans
must have been overjoyed. It
may be safe to say that Black
people everywhere rejoiced that
one of theirs was doing well.
Was there a tiny part of me that
wished Trevor were Nigerian or
that Nigeria being the acclaimed
T
Giant Of Africa, should always
be on top? Possibly, yes.
I’d just discovered Trevor
shortly before he landed The
Daily Show job. I thought
him not only very funny but
intelligent. He handled racial
issues with such depth yet
managed to remain funny.
But the Trevor Noah on The
Daily Show (Comedy Central)
is not the same as the Trevor
Noah on comedy tours. Nor can
he afford to be the same Trevor
Noah. While one is daring, the
other has to fit into an already
established structure in which
he is an outsider who must not
rock the boat. In this already
established structure, he may
be unable to be as daring as his
predecessor who was an insider.
And so there are times when
this other Trevor Noah will selfcensor while trying to perfect
this balancing act. Which is not
to say Host, The Daily Show
doesn’t look good on his CV.
So which Trevor Noah do you
prefer?
An Underwhelming Grammys
he 58th Annual Grammys
Awards were held on
February 15, 2016 at
the Staples Center, Los
Angeles, USA. I watched it a
few days later on Vuzu Amp
(dstv channel 114). The show
started well enough with Taylor
Swift performing her song ‘Out
Of The Woods’. I liked host LL
Cool J and a few others. But
after the show, I was left rather
underwhelmed. Was I alone in
COME AGAIN?
‘Focus: “Deeping” the electoral process.’
-NTA, headline, One On One, Wednesday,
February 17, 2016, 1.41 pm-ish.
This is but a slight error. Although the jury’s
out on whether Nigeria’s electoral process needs
‘deepening’. How do you deepen a process
anyhow?
this? Bear in mind, my feeling
underwhelmed is a function of
my Nigerian roots.
Here in Nigeria, our awards
just like the market, are all
about popular music. And
you had a grammys with
performances from all sorts of
musicians and music genres.
Even the eagerly awaited
performances from Adele and
Lady Gaga didn’t help. Adele
looked but didn’t completely
sound the part. Yes, there’s been
some explanation as to why
she appeared to sound ‘off ’.
I kept waiting for Lady Gaga
till the show ended. She was
unrecognisable as she dressed
like David Bowie and performed
his songs in a tribute.
The whole stage arrangement,
or whatever the technical term
is, didn’t work for me. I feel it
may have subtracted some glitz
from the event.
‘NFF’s failure to provide official “quarter” forced
Sunday Oliseh to coach Eagles from Belgium’Dalung’.
-AIT, Thursday February 18, 2016, 12.32 am-ish.
Perhaps the NFF should not stop at providing
Oliseh with official ‘quarter’. What about whole
official accommodation? By the way, you need
to keep your attention on Dalung. Looks set to
amuse us, if nothing else.
‘Former Senate Leader, Victor Ndoma-Egba says
“APC has the carriage to move Nigeria to higher
heights.”
-NTA, Thursday February 18, 2016, 5.13 am-ish.
I’m not sure whether the APC is going to
need any help from the proposed (and yet to be
functional) national carrier in moving Nigeria to
these heights. But it’s good to know that we’re
currently at some height which will only needs
APC’s special type of carriage to extend us from.
I suppose for now Senator Ndoma-Egba should
impress upon the APC to use its considerable
carriage to move its party out the depths it’s
sinking.
‘FCT minister “appeal” to Defence headquarters
to reopen “barricated” roads around its
headquarters to ease traffic flow.’
-NTA, Thursday February 18, 2016, 5.15 am-ish.
And here I was waiting for the FCT minister.
It’s now official: The FCT does have a minister,
Mohammed Bello. At least unlike his predecessor
Bala Mohammed who blamed civil servants for
hiding that FCT streets were full of beggars/
motorcycles, this new minister knows there are
barricades around his office. Yay!
‘Buhari to punish budget adjusters.’
-Channels TV, News Track caption, Wednesday,
February 24, 2016, 1. 01 pm-ish.
‘Buhari vows to punish those behind budget
distortion.’
-Channels TV, News Track caption, Wednesday,
February 24, 2016, 4.46 pm-ish.
“I’ll deal with those who ‘padded’ the budget.”Buhari
-Silverbird TV News caption, Wednesday,
February 24, 2016, 1. 16 pm-ish.
Journalists are really working over-time to
create this impression of toughness. All you read
of reports of even routine meetings are: “Minister
X ‘orders’…” or “Gov Y summons, threatens bla,
bla…”
On this subject of purported budget
distortion, AIT perhaps has the best version:
‘President Buhari says severe sanctions await
those who distorted 2016 budget’ . I like this
because it leads one naturally to ask: What
awaits those who presented a distorted budget,
knowingly? Do we need to appease amadioha,
the god of thunder on their behalf? Don’t we the
people deserve even a teeny weeny apology? Or
are we too inconsequential?
AIRMAIL
Searching For The Young & Restless
I will be grateful if you can use your good
offices to inquire from Multichoice why the
programme ‘Young and Restless’ was removed
from Dstv channel 250 e.tvA. I have checked the
programme listing of e.tvA online and discovered
they still run the programme between 9.30 am to
10.30 am but surprisingly not on Dstv .
I have been watching this series since the
early 80s and will be sad if am not able to watch
this family programme again.
Thank you.
Victor Adeyelu victoradeyelu@gmail.com
70
FOCUS
The Epiphany that Produced
Re-defining Serenade
Funke Olaode
I
was speaking with one of the most
prolific Nollywood producers
recently and she made mention of
how it is becoming increasingly
difficult to sell films to DStv now.
“In those days, M-Net used to run after
us for films but now we are the ones
running after them and they are even
rejecting films now,” she said.
This is a novelty for folks who are
looking for that spice that drives life
from routine drudgery to sparkling
spontaneity. The experience may still be
limited to an exclusive circle of patrons
who can afford the pleasure to celebrate
people in bespoke ways by giving them
an experience of a lifetime.
As people continue to devise new
ways in pursuit of sensual pleasure,
they have come up with a method
of personalized entertainment fare
tailored to individual taste. Called the
serenade, it is a cocktail of creative
artistic compositions done in honour of
someone or a group of people.
The compositions incorporate music,
comedy, art and craft, dance, decor,
petals, flowers, skits and other intimate
details tailored to the recipient are
creative artistic compositions in honour
of someone or a group of people. The
composition may incorporate music,
comedy, art and craft, dance, decor,
petals, flowers, skits and other intimate
details to tickle the recipient.
This is the new task Ebere Amaoma
has set for herself as she begins her reign
as the new face of Nino Charmaine
with slogan, ‘serenades redefined’. The
new company floated in 2013 involves
a group of creative professionals who
love to delight by creating amazing
experiences and exquisite memories
through sweet, heart-warming, fun and
jaw-dropping surprise.
Serenades are strictly for lovers.
They can be gifted by/to anyone you
love /appreciate or group of people
you want to celebrate. “You know the
most precious things we have in life
are moments, so if you’ve got a chance
to make someone happy; do it. Do it
with our serenades! Trust us it is so
much more fun than a box gift. We have
removed from being only for the love
element; we have expanded to corporate,
family members, employees, siblings,
Cast of Tinsel
Amaoma, CEO NinoCharmaine
mentors etc. Basically, you can serenade
anybody as against traditional belief that
it is meant strictly for lovers alone,” she
said.
The serenade vocation appears to be
what Ebere is cut out for. What with a
childhood filled with the propensity to
spring surprises. Always the one who
brings about a dramatic change to the
environment time on time for birthday of
a family member, she had an epiphany
about it one day in her quiet moment. I
have been testing the market since 2013
and to know what the reactions would
be.
With 14 serenades in Abuja in recent
times, business has been good for Ebere.
She has been to offices like First Bank,
FCMB and the home of individuals to do
her thing.
A serenade session requires team
work. The company works with an array
of world-class entertainers in music,
comedy, visual art, dance, pen-coloursketch artists and many more genres.
Currently there are over 20 persons in
12 different teams that she works with.
Once they get details about the person
to be serenaded, concepts are created for
the serenade.
Paying attention to details she says is
what makes Nino Charmaine unique as
the company easily connects with the client
and recipient. “We go above and beyond
the script to ensure the experience we leave
the recipient with is incomparable. We
handle everything (logistics inclusive) from
start to finish so that your surprise goes off
without a hitch.”
While it has been a roller coaster for
Ebere and her team since they set out
to redefine how people express their
feelings, she is not shying away from the
challenges facing her new idea.
She explains. “Considering Nigerian’s
mentality, the current social political
outlook it has been challenging. The
cost depends on what the client wants.
For instance, if you want 10 dancers, 10
singers, a guitarist all this cost money. If
you just want us to do something nice
and lovely, it is affordable. We have done
a birthday for someone before and we
were told she loves to laugh a lot so we
got a comedian and just did a one man
show for her and she was just laughing
for almost 30 minutes in her living room.
This is different from going to eateries.
We can serenade you in the comfort of
your home.”
It may have taken three years to
launch out, but it has been worth the
wait. “Working at lifestyle outfits
abroad just opened up the mind and
gave me the conviction that people can
appreciate. We don’t do copy and paste.
We customise our serenades for our
clients.
“We just want to affirm that serenade
goes beyond professing love to loved
ones. We always advise people to go
out of the way to serenade. They don’t
have to wait for special occasions such as
birthday, anniversary and Valentine. This
is the best kind of surprise. We have seen
clients who have asked us to serenade
their mothers. It is a great feeling,” she
concluded.
EVENT
Music Celebrities Celebrate Tosin ‘CuteKimani’ Adekeye
Ferdinard Ekechukwu
I
t was an inspiring and exciting
moment as top rated Nigerian
music celebrities gathered
to celebrate the one year
anniversary of Africa’s Digi-Culture #KimaniOffAir with @cutekimani.
#KimaniOffAir which is Nigeria’s
most popular and engaging Tweetchat
started in February 2015 with YBNL
boss Olamide.
The #KimaniOffAir tweet chat
was borne out of the need to create a
platform where fans and celebrities
can connect, a platform that serves
as source of inspiration to young and
nascent Nigerians.
In its over 52 tweetchats, this
vision has been manifested expressly
having guests like Don Jazzy, Eddy
Kenzo, Vanessa Mdee, Denrele, Femi
Hamzat, M.I, Debola Williams, 2Face
Idibia, Audu Maikori, Toyin Lawani,
Patoranking, Uti, Terry G, Adekunle
Gold, Ice Prince, Juliet Ibrahim,
Chidinma and a host of others on its
platform, generating an average of 10
million impressions per episode.
The #KimaniOffAir anniversary
kicked off with three days of
giveaways to its fans courtesy Airtel
Nigeria with a radio/social media
hangout with fans and friends like
9ice, Reekado Banks, Jesse Jagz,
Dayo Amusa, Jaywon, Female DJ
Lo, Dswade, Firematic Boss Martin
Fayomi, Terry Apala and many others.
Tosin ‘CuteKimani’ Adekeye is the
founder of the social media tool; an
award winning MediaPreneur, media
icon with a very strong background
in cross-channel communication via
Radio, Television and Digital.
CuteKimani is a firm believer in
the progress and development of the
Nigerian youth for in it inherently lies
the future of the nation
She presently serves as the Head of
Media and PR, AfroMusic Pop TV, a
social commentator and Influencer.
Kimani
76
ROMANCE
U
The Hope of Love in Telenovelas
ntil three years ago,
telenovelas were like rare
diamonds on our screens that
attracted eager viewership
with each new drama.
Competition was subtle among terrestrial
stations that struggled to increase their
ratings. Each telenovela then came with its
own uniqueness and intrigues.
From the days of ‘Wild Rose’, ‘Maria de
Los Angeles’, ‘The Rich Also Cry’, ‘Lady of
the Rose’, ‘Secrets of the Sand’, ‘No One But
You’ to ‘Isaura The Slave Girl’, telenovelas
were staple delight in most Nigerian
homes, no matter when it was being aired.
These compelling stories come in different
shades of love drove women, both old and
young, insane.
It was a sure sight to see women
hurrying home to catch the latest episode so
that they could give a recap the next day of
all the suspense and drama and predicting
plausible action on subsequent episodes
to friends, colleagues or neighbours.
The telenovela market in Nigeria has
experienced a subtle boom.
However, the game changed in 2013
when DStv decided to run 24 hrs telenovela
channels on its platform. With the birth of
Telemundo, the audience of telenovelas
quadrupled. Soon after, the cable TV
launched other telenovela channels like Zee
World, Eva which increased viewership.
Nowadays, there is an aggressive battle
of telenovela supremacy on our screens.
Every entertainment channel is trying to
leverage on the huge potential market the
soaps provide.
No doubt, the Latin-American
telenovelas’ popularity lean on its teeming
female fan base and is believed in some
quarters to have surpassed Nollywood’s
popularity in recent times. The introduction
of Asian soaps too has also increased the
demand for telenovelas, a trump card
that Zee World exclusively enjoys at the
moment on DStv with series like ‘Married
Again’.
For viewers who do not love these
soaps, it is hard to comprehend what the
craze is about. The storylines always seem
the same. Girl falls in love with a man,
obstacles get in the way, but they overcome
it at the end. Sometimes the storylines tilt to
siblings’ rivalry, family reunion and the list
goes on and on. To some, the plots appear
unrealistic, but the denizens of telenovelas
hold different views.
For starters, they cannot get enough of
the pretty faces or macho men that leave
bits of jealousy and admiration. In addition
to the attractive personalities, the exotic
locations and glamour that come with each
soap are very appealing. A major attraction
MY CRAZY WORLD OF
ROMANCE
Vanessa Obioha
Email: vaysylver@gmail.com
JenCarlos Canela and Carmen Villalobos of Telemundo’s ‘My Heart Beats for Lola’
of soaps is the intense passion that comes
with them. The way the actors provoke
our senses with their words and actions is
simply incredible.
While the argument that the plots are
thematically similar sounds justifiable, there
is no denying the fact that embedded in
these themes are lessons that the viewer can
easily relate to in their daily lives.
Like any fiction, producers of these
telenovelas have used the various
narratives to engineer social change in
their environments. Human trafficking,
drug abuse, domestic violence are some of
the familiar themes that the soaps revolve
around. They are expository in nature.
For instance, in Telemundo’s ‘My Heart
Beats for Lola’, viewers experience the
trauma human-trafficking and prostitution
can have on women and children. In
another series ‘Someone is Watching’
and ‘Behind Closed Doors’, viewers are
exposed to the world of psychopaths.
Sometimes the narratives explore
familiar themes of love, greed and jealousy
that end up gnawing at our conscience.
Tragedy is sometimes thrown in the mix
like in the case of ‘Forbidden Love’ where
we saw Bruno (JenCarlos Canela) deal with
a forbidden passion ignited by his uncle’s
wife, Bianca (the late Monica Spear).
These stories evoke powerful emotions
that have made us love some characters
and hate others.
There are scenes when the viewer is
tempted to shoot the villain from her couch
while in other scenes he or she may want to
jump into the screen and rescue the damsel
in distress in case the hero is taking too
long.
This particular technique of the
producers to provoke such powerful
emotions from viewers is apparently the
Midas touch.
The characters too are built in such
a way that the viewer can identify with
them in reality. It is easy to see a character
that reminds you of a nosy neighbour or a
Casanova or even your partner.
At the end of the day, the viewer can
point to one or two scenarios played by
these characters that easily relate to their
lifestyle or of someone they know.
Nigeria’s first telenovela, ‘Taste of Love’
produced by Shileola Ibironke’s Micro
Media Limited, premiered two years ago.
The show starred Nollywood stars Blossom
Chukwujekwu and Makida Moka.
The story revolved around the MusaPhillips and Pepple families. Ibrahim MusaPhillips is convinced that Jonathan Pepple
has betrayed him and caused the death of
his wife, Maria. Until the real dark truth
comes out, their children, who fall in love
with each other, will have to overcome the
family hatred.
Albeit one cannot overlook the strong
message of love that is communicated
in these stories. Whether love between a
man and a woman, a parent and a child,
neighbours or strangers, it is definitely true
that telenovelas provide a hope for love.
Perhaps, this explains why women
are addicted to the soaps. In a world
where love is scarce and hearts are broken
mercilessly, telenovelas offer a ray of hope
that love still exists in this cruel world,
irrespective of its fictional setting. It restores
our faith that love can indeed conquer all,
no matter the time it takes.
They make us laugh, cry, scream, argue
but at the end of the day, they give us a
reason to cling to love, to believe in love
again, even if it seems unrealistic at the
moment or different from your situation.
Watching Olvido in Eva’s ‘A Love to
Remember’ or Micaela in ‘Perfect Woman’
reinforces the fact that love resides in the
purest and innocent hearts and love is
possible in the most impossible situations.
Each of these themes have semblance in
the real world and proves that telenovelas
act like catalyst to love.
SOMETIMES THE
NARRATIVES EXPLORE
FAMILIAR THEMES
OF LOVE, GREED AND
JEALOUSY THAT END
UP GNAWING AT OUR
CONSCIENCE. TRAGEDY
IS SOMETIMES
THROWN IN THE MIX
LIKE IN THE CASE OF
‘FORBIDDEN LOVE’
WHERE WE SAW
BRUNO (JENCARLOS
CANELA) DEAL WITH A
FORBIDDEN PASSION
IGNITED BY HIS
UNCLE’S WIFE, BIANCA
(THE LATE MONICA
SPEAR)
EXHALE...
Do we Lack Good Judges for Reality TV Shows?
T
his is a question that’s been on
my mind since the recent unveil
of judges for The Voice Nigeria.
I was so excited when Africa
Magic made the announcement last
year that there would be a Nigerian
adaptation of the popular American
singing competition.
Of all the singing reality TV shows,
The Voice is my best because of all
the drama it brings with it. Unlike
other competitions where most
of the attention is focused on the
contestants, in The Voice, the judges
are important characters that add to
the intrigues of the competition.
What makes The Voice judges
exceptional is their unique appealing
charisma which one can either hate or
love. I love Adam Levine’s bitchiness
and Blake Shelton’s gentle giant poise.
The other two rotating judges also add
spice to the show depending on their
personality.
Therefore, I had greater
expectations that the judges chosen
for The Voice Nigeria would have
appealing character that will fit the
script. Bearing in mind that The Voice
is coming a bit late on our screens,
there is a ray of hope that 2Baba, Waje,
Timi Dakolo and Patoranking will live
up to their American counterparts. It is
very imperative that they do because
that’s the selling point of the show.
However, their selection brings to
fore the lack of good personalities
that can attract audience on reality
TV shows. What is mostly obtainable
on the shows are popular faces who at
times don’t fit the script.
Either they have little knowledge
of their responsibility or lack the
charisma to attract audience. Of
course, organisers often harp on the
celebrity status to get high ratings
but if the celebrity fails to deliver, the
ratings would take a nose dive.
Now if the organisers widen their
search instead of leaning on the
celebrity factor alone, perhaps, they
can get personalities that will not only
bring drama on stage but also exhibit
adept professionalism.
assistant editor nseobong okon-ekong
senior correspondent funke olaode
CONTRIBUTORS
vanessa obioha, temilolu okeowo, kelechi nduka
THISDAY ON SUNDAY
editor adetokunbo adedoja
deputy editors festus akanbi, vincent obia
STUDIO
art director ochi ogbuaku jnr
THISDAY NEWSPAPERS
editor-in-chief & chairman nduka obaigbena
managing director eniola bello
deputy managing director kayode komolafe
72
ARTS &
REVIEW
A
KEEPING THE SPIRIT HIGH
AT ARTISTS’ VILLAGE...
PAGE 77
PUBLICATION
28.02.2016
THAT PHENOMENON
CALLED WINDECK…
Anna Maria Windeck
EDITOR OKECHUKWU UWAEZUOKE/ okechukwu.uwaezuoke@thisdaylive.com
74
ARTS & REVIEW\\TELEVISION
THAT PHENOMENON
Television audiences
in both Anglophone
and Francophone
Africa have been
held spellbound
by the charms of
an exhilarating
Angolan soap
opera, Okechukwu
Uwaezuoke writes
N
ow, how does Victoria
Kajibanga wriggle out
of this one? Suspense,
palpable suspense,
hangs in the air.
Well, isn’t it heartwarming to see this
ever-scheming and
two-faced beauty on the spot! Then,
the recently-widowed Isaura Voss
and her daughter Luena close in
on her with their million-Kwanza
question…
Skip this scene. Windeck, showing
every weekday on Africa Magic
Channel 151 on DStv, heaves with
many of such moments. Much of the
action in this exhilarating Angolan
soap opera, which was launched
on July 2012, 2012, swirls around a
Luanda-based publishing house of
the fashion magazine, Divo. Audiences across the continent are held
spellbound by the charm of this
glamorous series.
By the way, kudos to Semba Comunicação for its assemblage of first-rate
actors and actresses, plush décors
and eye-pleasing establishing shots.
It was obvious the Angolan company
had its sights on the best when it went
for a convincing cast that included
the former Portuguese-born former
Miss Angola Micaela Reis (as Victoria
Kajibanga), the two famous icons
of the Lusophone cinema scene Ery
Costa (as Xavier Voss) and Grace
Mendes (as Rosa Bettencourt) and
two male models Celso Roberto (as
Kiluanji Voss) and Fredy Costa (Artur
Domingos), among others.
Beneath Windeck’s love-story
veneer, lurks a tale of intrigues, ambition, blackmail, deception, diligence,
homosexuality, treachery and even
murder. Xavier Voss, the owner of
Divo and the father of Kiluanji and
Luena (played by Edusa Chindecasse) sits on top of the Voss Empire.
Enter the ever-calculating Victoria,
who worms her way into the heart
of the philandering Xavier and gets
CORRIGENDUM
A photograph that appeared on this
page last week was wrongly captioned
“Dozie and mum”. The correct caption
should read “Dozie with the actress Ngozi
Nwosu”. Also on this same page, the
name “Onyiriuka” was wrongly spelt as
“Onyiruka” in the article’s intro.
Both errors are regretted.
- Editor
A scene from Windeck
Victoria and Anna Maria
herself into Divo even when she doesn’t
have the needed skills. This infuriates
her sister Anna Maria (Nadia Silva) who
throws her out of her house. But like the
proverbial cat with nine lives, Victoria
shrugs off this temporary setback and
moves in with her collaborator Henda
Salvador (Joel Benoliel) who lives with
Artur (Freddy Costa). Since ending up in
Kiluanji’s arms at all costs is her ultimate
goal, not even Anna Maria’s vituperations can stop her.
She eventually wangles her way into
the Voss mansion in a masterstroke by
winning Kiluanji’s confidence. Thus,
she steps into a battlefield swarming
with Luena and her paramour Tchyssola
(Marta Faial), Xavier (who has been led to
believe that she is infected with HIV
virus) and Kassia (Solange Hilario),
the daughter of his ex-mistress Rosa
Bettencourt. The latter, acting out her
mother’s script, claims to be pregnant
with Kiluanji’s child and later conveniently loses it. Egged on further by
her devious mum, she comes up with
another story of a terminal illness.
The viewers are also deftly introduced to the other Vosses: Wilson
(Eric Santos), his racist, cantankerous
and loquacious wife Ofelia (Tania
Burity) and their children Lweji (Ailsa
da Conceicao) and Lukeny (Clelio
Marcio) as well as their maid Celia
(Joana Cacador). Fortune would later
smile on this relatively poorer Voss
family in a curious twist in the plot.
But it is interesting to see to what
lengths ambition drives the characters
in their bid to climb the rungs of the
social ladder. For the desperate duo,
Victoria and Henda, making their
ascent into the bourgeois class of the
Voss is a do-or-die affair. Schemes
after schemes edge Victoria towards
her goal, trumping Rosa and her
daughter in the process.
Still, it is as though fate had decreed
that she would never cross the boundary line between the have-nots and
the haves. Much like in the game
of Snakes and Ladders, the viewer
roots for her sister Anna Maria as she
ascends the social ladder thanks to her
75
ARTS & REVIEW\\TELEVISION
CALLED WINDECK…
Xavier Voss and Rosa Bettencourt
Isaura Voss
eventual marriage to Kiluanji while she drops to the
bottom.
Bizarrely, there seems to be this obsession with
class system in the Angolan society of Windeck.
Apparently, one can either be born or married into
the upper class. Nothing in-between seems possible.
Perhaps, this partly explains Victoria’s failure to
transcend her circumstances of birth. Otherwise,
why would Ofelia’s deprived background prior to
her marriage to Wilson be an issue? Or why would
the fact that Xavier was adopted (and therefore not
a thoroughbred Voss) matter to anyone? And then,
the hard-working honest folks at the Mofete seem to
know their place in the social ladder and are content
with it.
Yet, aren’t even the much-envied and swoonedover Vosses beset with human imperfections?
Besides being a womaniser, Xavier is the archetypal
self-centred capitalist. He seems, for instance,
unmoved by the adverse effects of his foibles on
both Divo and his family. Taciturn Isaura is as classy
as she is wily. Wilson is easily fooled by Victoria and
is often henpecked by his wife, Ofelia. The latter’s
imperiousness jars on the viewer’s sensibilities.
As for Kiluanji, his naivety is legendary. Lukeni,
his cousin, shares the desires of the commoners
and even aspires to become a Kuduro artist to his
mother’s consternation.
Not even the other key characters like Anna Maria
and Artur are spared of imperfections. While the
former’s unbridled emotional outbursts leads to her
temporarily losing Kiluanji to her sister, the latter’s
veneer of respectability is sullied by his sexual
preferences and his inability to curb the excesses of
Henda and his cousin Sebastiao (Mendes Lacerda).
Through the fictional world of Windeck, the
viewer sees Angola in another light. Faded are the
memories of those years of civil war. Luanda is
shown as a glittering city basking in crude oil-driven
economic boom.
So far, Windeck remains the most successful soap
opera in the continent and has an Emmy Awards
nomination to show for it. Even as its viewers enthuse about its many pluses, many cite its cloning of
Mexican soaps as a minus. Yet, in spite of this fact, its
brilliance edges the other soaps on the African Magic
channel far into the shade.
Perhaps, the soap’s only obvious flaw is its signature tune, which to a conservative viewer inflicts
an incalculable damage on its image. It’s a pity that
many first-time watchers of the soap, who stumbled
upon it on their African Magic channels, would have
had to endure the duration of this segment before
getting into the action.
76
ARTS & REVIEW\\LITERARY CAFÉ
LITERARY CAFÉ
GOURMET MAG IS
THE GUIDE
Ferdinand Ekechukwu
L
Oladimeji
DEMYSTIFYING EGYPTIAN
NOMENCLATURE
T
Yinka Olatunbosun
o be sure, Toluwalase Oladimeji’s
latest scholarly piece titled, “English,
the Language of the Gods”, unlocks
the secret behind ancient Egypt’s
nomenclature. The paper is aimed at
proposing a theory which states that
Egyptian Pharaohs have names that
when translated in English are attached
to intent and purpose. The writer also postulates that
the encoded messages may be perceived by reading
the original scripts in their proper context and that
they are relevant for our time. He claims in the paper
that the Egyptian names tell informed social history
and world view. For instance, Hatshepsut becomes
Heart-She-Shoot when pronounced in English.
Amenophis becomes a-man-of-peace while Amenotep becomes a-man-of-depth.
The writer’s interrogation led him to the hold the
view that Egyptian cultural heritage is a reservoir of
sorts for recorded literature that illustrates history,
mythology, religion, mathematics, medicine, astrology, astronomy, art and science. He suggested that
English is the language of aviation, commerce, Internet, pop music and sports. For Toluwalase Oladimeji,
English, which is arguably the most internationally
accepted language of communication is perhaps the
secret code of ancient Egypt’s nomenclature.
The author paid a visit to Egypt for the sake of this
research. As a Nigerian, he found a lot of parallels
between the encoded names of Egyptian rulers and
Yoruba nomenclature. He makes an interesting
find: A Yoruba Queen Tiye (Taiye). Oladimeji writes
“Queen Tiye wore a twin uraei head-dress’’. This is
a very important symbol as Tiye (Taiye) means the
“first of twins” in Yoruba language, Nigeria. The
twin head-dress she wore was therefore a symbolic
representation of the fact that she was a twin.”
Oladimeji’s discovery would no doubt have been
seen by many as a flash in the pan if it was just the
Pharaohs, or a few of them, alone who shared this
English heritage. Even their gods and the queens
have names that describe the personality and
disposition of each of the deities and human figures.
For the author, a few examples will not be enough
to suffice: Amenophis (A-Man-of-Peace), AhmoseNefertari (I-Must-Never-Tarry), Thoth (Thought) and
Horus (Horrors). Consequently, he produces a table
of 250 translated names.
This literary effort is a treasure trove of uncommon facts about sparsely known linguistic romance
between ancient Egypt and England of the future.
And it does not stop there. It proves and substantiates
facts confirmed through empirical findings, discredits
others it is convinced stand on feet of clay, while
touching even on the subject of the final place of rest
of the Bible’s revered apostles of faith.
In the case of Ahmose-Nefertari, who was a queen,
she wasted little or no time when dealing with state
affairs, hence “I-Must-Never-Tarry/Wait”.
As things stand, Oladimeji, as a student of history
carefully explains the methodology and cites similar
examples of the interplay of other words in modern
English. In doing this however, he does not lay claim
to perfection, as he notes that this process leaves room
for a margin of error.
Annually, hundreds of tourists-borne planes from
across the globe touchdown in Egypt as many desire
to satisfy their curiosity about Egypt’s legendary Pharaohs and see the relics of their past. For these hordes
on an annual pilgrimage, a sight of the mummies, a
feel of the pyramids and some smattering knowledge
of the country’s storied past are enough delight to
whet their appetite more visits. Unknown to them
however, there is more to Egypt than being a mere
melting pot of cultures and a fascinating museum.
This is the gap Oladimeji’s literary effort “English, the
Language of the Gods’’ has come to fill.
Even present day America is not left out in his
interrogation as he states that the coded messages are
significantly meant for us today. “Amenta” which he
translates as (America) is described by ancient Egypt
“as foremost of the Westerners.”
For researchers and students of history, Oladimeji’s work is a collector’s item, rich in information
garnered over time, yet likely to generate heated
scholarly debate of significant proportion. Still, the
author’s cerebral research, authoritative claims
and in-depth analysis are a fertile ground for future
works. The piece has thus established the prominence
of English as a global lingua franca which is beyond
mortals, owing much to higher powers as it relates
with men and points to the future.
ove for food and drinks is not out of
place. For me I love food and I love wine,
for the simple reason that good amount
of quality food intake keeps you in check
and gladdens your heart with moderate
dose of wine.
By virtue of what I found myself doing, one have
been part of exotic food and wine tasting events,
courtesy of friends and industry colleagues. The
Wines of South Africa Grand Tasting Nigeria 2013
at the Federal Palace Marquee comes to mind.
So is the launch of Chapeau range of wines, by
Intercontinental Distillers Limited, at La Mango
Restaurant Lagos.
At these events the organisers treat guests
with assortment of fine foods and choice drinks.
And so, I was at the launch of Gourmet Guide
Magazine, with hope there will be much to taste,
eat and drink!
The not so colourful occasion had in attendance
presidential spokesman Femi Adeshina, ably
represented by Dr. Olukayode Oyeleye, Special
Adviser to former Minister of Agriculture, Dr.
Akinwunmi Adeshina, in his keynote speech
explores the nature of food, agriculture and
climate change. Programmes Coordinator, Unilag
FM, Mrs. Bisi King-Paul and a host of other special
guests graced the occasion alongside journalists,
colleagues and family and friends of the publisher
of the magazine, Lydia Enyidiya Eke.
Quite frankly I was chanced to see the magazine
(prior to its unveiling) the first time with a
lecturer friend, Mrs. Joy-Rita Mogbogu of the
Department of Mass Communication, University
of Lagos, at her office. Upon flipping through,
the magazine sparkles with images of assorted
recipes and delicacies that stimulates hunger and
leaves you salivating.
I was pretty much attracted by its cover as it is
colourful and appealing as the pictures of mouthwatering dishes in it. And then I had asked her for
a copy but she had just one left for herself.
Not quite long after I got to know a programme
on Unilag103.1FM shares the same name
(Gourmet Guide With Lydia), being an occasional
listener of the station, I could not have followed
the program, which has been running since
September 2008, closely. Good that the print version of it has been unveiled, a plus to albeit scarce
literatures on culinary, one is of the opinion that it
will help extend the frontiers of its targets/reach
to people like this writer.
Imagine a world without food and drinks and
everything edible that usually go with them!
Imagine a world without agriculture! How insipid
and difficult our world would have been. It is a fact
that apart from breathing, the most essential life
sustaining requirement is what to eat and drink as
well as agriculture, notes the magazine.
Gourmet Guide Magazine is all about food,
drinks and eateries as it relates to health, and of
course agriculture and many more that is beneficial to human lives. Not many are predisposed
to the right diet and healthy living in this part is
perceived to be inadequate in our environment
today and we all could give one or two different
reasons to that. Through this magazine readers
are presented with culinary guides and information that ups nutritional value.
The magazine dwells on anything “eatable” and
drinkable, including their accompaniments; all
kinds of cooking oil, seasonings and flavourings,
all of which
make a complete
gourmet delight.
Its contents
range from
feature articles
on Fruit Value
to Add Ins or Accompaniments
and Eatery Run,
Drinkable Water / Yoghurt,
Health Tips
and Gourmet
Industry to
Food News, In
the Kitchen to
Market Guide
and Cooking
Tips.
The publisher
of the Gourmet
Guide Magazine,
Lydia Enyidiya
Eke, is a health, food and nutrition journalist.
She has worked with Guardian Newspaper. And
now Senior News Reporter/Producer/Anchor of
Gourmet Guide With Radio Unilag 103.1FM.
77
ARTS & REVIEW\\DRAMA
Artists in performance
KEEPING THE SPIRIT HIGH AT ARTISTS’ VILLAGE
Yinka Olatunbosun
T
here’s a tendency to think in
terms of bottles when reference is made to “spirit” in the
context of the Abegi tradition
at the National Theatre
Lagos premises. But the high
concentration of intoxicating spirit of the artists who
converged on the Artists’ Village last Tuesday
was not distilled. It was a product of shared
passion and creative energy for the arts. It was
exactly a month since a pre-emptive bulldozer
destroyed some of the structures that housed
visual artists, dancers, percussionists, actors,
singers and others under the supervision of the
Director-General, National Theatre, Kabiru
Yaradua. Instead of taking to the streets or the
social media to protest this unfair treatment,
the artists under the watch of the Co-ordinator,
National Council for Arts and Culture, Lagos,
Aremo Tope Babayemi decided to celebrate the
indestructible spirit of arts by bringing together
both the alumni and the resident artists to
perform at the premises.
Fela Anikulapo Kuti’s “Unknown Soldier’’
was playing on the loud speakers as the artists
were “taking five’’ after the first session of
performances by various artists. Later, the
international dance exports, Qudus Onikeku
and Adedayo Liadi who is famous, amongst
other performances, for his special appearance
in the hit gospel song by Infinity, Olori Oko
thrilled the audience with their dance steps,
defying the scorching sun and the hot sand.
They made jaws drop effortlessly.
Hassan Ibrahim, the one-half of the music
sensation “Zule Zoo” famed for the Kerewa
smash hit was also there. He had been a
resident of the Artists’ Village for more than 20
years and owed his career to the training he got
from the cultural centre.
“This is the only place where you can find
the variety of artists in the whole of this country,” he began. “But we thank God. It is blessing
to us because we are smiling to the bank based
on the promise of the Minister. Attention has
been brought to this place. We thank Kabiru
for putting himself into trouble and making
us better for it. It is worth celebrating because
we know we are not criminals and we are not
politicians. We are not hoodlums. We put smile
on people’s faces. You can earn a living as an
Special mascot
artist and take care of yourself, train them to
any level. It is not an ordinary profession. It
is highly spiritual. Artists cannot be brought
down. We have been rehearsing outside. But
with the kind of Minister God has given us,
we believe that before the rains, we will have a
better artists’ village. He came here four times
to talk to us. From what I have seen so far, he
knows what is good for a professional.”
For his fans who might be wondering about
his career in music since the ban of the video
of Kerewa, he is working on himself while
producing other artists.
“The advice I got from older artists is to
come out with what is in vogue and that bit of
Zule Zoo. I will put more new school in it and
there will be lots of dances,” he promised.
Isioma Williams, a dance consultant whose
studio was destroyed in the demolition exercise while he was away from Lagos recalled
that the felled structures were constructed by
artists as support to the government facility to
cater for at least 50 art organisations.
“We built some of these structures on
our own from the money we get from our
performances outside this place. I can’t even
think right for now. Some of my properties
are missing. I am still hanging around trying
to see what can come out of the promise of the
Minister. He is a new person to us and we want
to have some faith in APC that they will do what
they promised. That is why we are marking
one month of demolition to keep our body and
soul together. Some of us need the shelter for our
work. Some jobs that my team members had
been consulted to do had been destroyed in the
demolition. Some clients have been reasonable. I
have clients from outside the country in Canada,
London, South Korea and a lot of countries like
that to do research. Even some of the National
Theatre staff made use of the facility here for
their research,” he observed.
He also noted that the premises of the National Theatre used to be the rehearsal venues
for many artists but since the current DG of the
National Theatre came, the rules had changed.
“Most of us did our rehearsals at the corridors
of the theatre and nobody disturbed us. They
knew we were artists. But now, we have security
personnel who would chase us away from the
premises. Imagine such directive for a public
space which is locked up at 6 pm. every day.
Back then in England, the theatre is for all. You
can go there and rehearse without seeking
permission. It is just amazing the way we think
here in Nigeria,” he said.
Seun Awobaja, a dance major who grew up
in the same neighbourhood as 9ice, Olamide
and King Sunny Ade also mirrored the high
expectations of other artists in his comment.
“There are lots of mixed feelings right now.
We have heard some rumours about possible
cabinet reshuffle and we hope the Minister
stays. You can’t fight for art. Art fights for itself.
We are just having fun here today and rekindling our spirit. Here, we belong to one family.
We may have our differences but we are united
by the art,” he said.
The performances which commenced at 10
am ran till 6pm with performances from Segun
Adefila’s Crown Troupe of Afrika and fresh
rap artists who were mischievously rhyming
“Kabiru’’ in their lyrics.
“I have a lot of mad children,” said Aremo
Babayemi as he pointed to the performers ahead
while this reporter settled into a plastic chair
beside him, smiling. His use of the word “mad”
is generally acceptable in the art given the fact
that artists in the first year in any Nigerian institution are initiated into “madness” as a ritual
to break away from the internal inhibitions that
could hamper the free spirit of performance.
But once you can perform without being
self-conscious, you are presumed to be “mad”.
Theatres are also called “mad houses”.
That understood, this reporter watched
Aremo curiously in his relaxed state that was
markedly different from the way he was on
the day artists gathered at Freedom Park for a
crucial meeting with Professor Wole Soyinka
on the demolition a few days after it was done.
The smoke from the cigarette between his
fingers wafted into the air like the incense of
burnt offerings. He courteously passed the
beverage coaster to this reporter who was
frantically driving off the flies from the brim
of her filled cup. It is a way of extending a
welcoming handshake without necessarily
doing so. He did so, earlier that morning by
the way.
Of course, he was glad that the artists
have channelled their frustration into their
creativity which he thought is a sign of respect
for the Minister who had called for peace at
the Artists’ Village repeatedly.
“The Minister for Information and Culture
wants the buoyancy of cultural activities. This
is what we do. If we don’t work, we don’t eat.
We are not agitating; we are not demonstrating. You can see the ambience. Today is a busy
day for the artists. Today is the opening of the
Lagos Theatre Festival at the Freedom Park.
We are also having artists’ night in honour of
our departed colleague, Mike Odeachi, former chairman, NANTAP, Lagos in Ikorodu.
“We have not felt the impact of any minister in
15 years as we have with Lai Mohammed in
the past three months. We don’t know how he
is managing to combine the workload of the
combined ministries. He has been responsive.
We hope this misfortune of the demolition
brings an era of development to the arts. We
want to contribute to national development
and orientation. We want to be part of the
change agenda. Our problem in the last 20
years in the arts sector from my point of view
as a professional arts manager is the lack of
leadership and direction coming from the
centre. The government cannot do everything. The government has to partner with the
private sector as well as practitioners. We are
closer to the time when the right conversation
can happen. I don’t know the Minister personally but he has commanded our respect. We
want to work with him,” he said.
78
ARTS & REVIEW\\ENCOUNTER
NIGERIAN-BRITISH AUTHOR
PLANS BIG FOR GIRLS
A
Yinka Olatunbosun
UK-based Nigerian
author Ibitola OjoyeAdebayo is about to put
smiles on the faces of
the Nigerian girls with
her literary piece titled,
My Name is Lizzie
Adams. The author
who recently won at Best Author at
the Nigerian Writers Award had been
taking her campaign for the girl-child
to the global audience using her books
and the online media such as podcasts,
Youtube channel and online television
show. She had a brief session with
journalists in Lagos last week and she
spoke on why her novel, Acceptance
has received recognition since it was
published. Her contemporary romance novels often come with a twist
that makes it intriguing for a young
reader.
“I want to give young girls mentorship,” she explained. “I am also dealing with many contemporary issues
such as sexuality. So that girls can
know that love is not all about loveydovey. Sexuality is in our community
right now. It is not something that is
often talked about in most African
cultures. A lot of young girls learn
about sex from their peers. If you want
your child to act a certain way, that
education must start from home. A
lot of parents have issues in this area.
They don’t talk to their children about
their sexuality. It is like a taboo.”
The novel Acceptance is being converted into a screenplay by a Nigerian
director based in the UK called Fred
Nwaka. It has a sequel, Acceptance
into the Darkness. Acceptance is a
drama about love, loss and betrayal
and is the first of a series of novels.
It shows the tragic consequences of
secrets and lies and what happens
when an ordinary girl is let down and
pushed to the extremes by the people
she loves that is her husband and her
family.
“We have intentions to see the book
turned into a movie. We have got a lot
of feedbacks from our readers who
want to see it on the big screens. Hope
fully, you will see it very soon,” she
revealed.
The author who is a trained pharmacologist also explained why her
writing tends to be afro-centric. Having lived most of her life in the UK,
she thought her writing was to serve a
good purpose.
“I was brought back to Nigeria
to spend five years in the boarding
school. At first, I wasn’t happy but
after a while I got used to the system
and I made new friends. I met my
grandparents and I understood the
culture. I understand the reason I was
brought back to Nigeria. That reason
has influenced my writing which is
a blend of the western and African
cultures. I am actually grateful for
the opportunity that my parents gave
me to integrate with the culture. I am
encouraging parents in diaspora to
bring home their children to integrate
them into the system. To be honest,
there is no place like home. Minorities
in every society are very restricted.”
Part of the restriction she encountered as a writer was in earning the
confidence of Western publishers. But
she was determined to write because
Ojoye-Adebayo
of her goal of empowering the girlchild.
“There were a lot of rejections
initially. But I didn’t need a publisher to
tell me that my book was good. I knew
it was good.’’
Love and Romance as Focus of ANA Reading
Ojoye-Adebayo
Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA)
monthly reading series are observed in the Lagos
as a tradition of writers living in the city.The last
edition coincided with the eve ofValentine’s Day
and the Chair, ANA Lagos, Femi Onileagbon rolled
out messages to the literati to congregate for a
Valentine Special, somewhere in Surulere.With
the theme, “Sex, Love and Romance”, the poets
and other writers aroused the interest of the
gathering with strong use of imagery, humour and
elements of romance.
Furnished with poetic license, many poets
took the liberty of the theme to exhibit personal
flair for writing, express passion without the
usual critical reaction at the end of each reading.
Although OlatunbosunTaofeek who is fast
gaining the reputation of a subjective if not
intolerant critic made attempts to infuse some
critical appreciation to the session, the writers
collectively agreed not to heat up the session with
pungent critical remarks but to make the session
enjoyable.
Bukola Onigbanjo’s piece asserts that sex
is spiritual which triggered moments of intellectual arguments. As if that was not enough, Olu
Okekanye’s piece, “MyValentine Path” paints
some vivid mental pictures of coital pleasure in its
poetic lines such as “drive me hard until I reach my
crescendo” and “legs wide open’’. At this juncture,
Taofeek had to ask, albeit cautiously about what
sets romance writing apart from pornography.
The informed response was that it is the use of
language that distinguishes between the two.
Another argument that arose from the poem
was on the writer’s view on who gets more
pleasure during intercourse, the giver or the
receiver. Other readings that followed focused on
platonic relationship between man and woman
where there’s mutual respect.The interlude at the
session was provided by Seye Aluko who sang his
poetry with his acoustic accompaniment.
The reading became more interesting with the
arrival of other renowned writers such asToni Kan,
who is considered as one of the “godfathers of
Romance” in Nigerian literary space.
79
CICERO
Editor Vincent Obia
Email vincent.obia@thisdaylive.com
IN THE ARENA
Buhari’s Belated Admission of Budget Padding
The president’s comments in faraway Saudi Arabia about a fraudulently distorted budget, which has been the
subject of controversy, is disturbing, writes Vincent Obia
T
ravels, trials, and the
budget seems to be
a fitting headline for
the story of President
Muhammadu Buhari’s
presidency so far. Since
his inauguration on May
29 last year, virtually no
week has passed without the president travelling to one foreign land or
the other. Those who have charted
his foreign trips say he has spent
about two months of his about eight
months’ presidency abroad.
Corruption trials, too, have grabbed
the headlines since the inception
of the present administration. The
revelations of grand larceny have
been mind-boggling to Nigerians.
They only hope the revelations and
prosecutions would bring about the
much needed recovery in terms of the
purloined national wealth and the
bruised national image.
But the budget saga has, no doubt,
brought the greatest embarrassment
to the country. When last month the
senate broke the story of the distortions in this year’s budget, it drew stiff
rebuttals from the presidency. The
administration twisted and turned. In
the end, it acknowledged inconsistencies between the budget presented
to the National Assembly by Buhari
last December 22 and the document
later circulated to the legislators for
debate. The president later made a
formal request to Senate President
Bukola Saraki and Speaker of the
ezeibe.aguwa@thisdaylive.com 08093842953
House of Representatives Yakubu
great job with his team. The minister became almost
Dogara for withdrawal of the budget to, according to
half his size during the time, working night and day
him, correct errors in it.
to get the budget ready, only for some people to pad
Despite the supposed corrections, during the
it.
budget defence sessions in the senate, ministry after
“What he gave us was not what was finally being
ministry raised misgivings about strange variances
between the figures they had presented to the budget debated. It is very embarrassing and disappointing.
We will not allow those who did it to go unpunished.”
office and what later came out in the final document
With that admission, questions are being raised
they were called to defend. One minister even attribwhy Buhari choose a foreign land for the disclosure
uted the discrepancies in the budget estimate of his
of such weighty national blunder. And why did he
ministry to the handiwork of “rats”.
wait for so long a time before admitting the grand
The president remained silent on the issue of
corruption that occurred right under his nose?
fraudulent adjustment of the budget figures. He
Was he afraid such admission might cost him some
merely acknowledged the existence of errors in the
political capital at home? Or was the president trying
financial plan.
to prove a point as regards steadfastness and seriousBut in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, Buhari admitted
ness before the international investing public – which
there had been a padding of the budget and vowed
are said to be the primary targets of his many foreign
to punish those involved. Speaking in Riyadh while
addressing the Nigerian community in Saudi Arabia, trips?
Buhari seems to be taking special pleasure in
he said,“The culprits will not go unpunished. I have
presenting his government as an upright, fearless,
been a military governor, petroleum minister, miliand corrective enclave in the midst of a crooked
tary Head of State and headed the Petroleum Trust
people. Not long ago, he told the UK Telegraph that
Fund.
Nigerians’ high reputation for criminality was mak“Never had I heard the words, ‘budget padding’.
ing it difficult for them to be accepted abroad.
Our Minister of Budget and National Planning did a
“Some Nigerians claim that life is too difficult
back home, but they have also made it difficult for
Europeans and Americans to accept them because of
the number of Nigerians in prisons all over the world
accused of drug trafficking or human trafficking,”
Buhari said.“I don’t think Nigerians have anybody to
blame.”
Such strong comments by the Nigerian president
about his country in foreign lands or policy statements abroad serve no useful purpose.
Of course, a transparent and forthright leadership was what Nigerians wanted when they were
choosing a change to the Buhari presidency. But such
aspiration certainly does not include denigrating
speeches about the land and the people, which tend
to pander to foreign prejudices.
In any case, hope for the change Nigerians voted
appears to be fading very rapidly, what with the
various national humiliations, like the budget saga,
which have persisted. Before the international
community – particularly, the foreign investors – too,
hope for a new deal under Buhari may fade if he does
not sit down to put the domestic environment in
order.
P O L I T I CA L N OT E S
The Mindless Killings in Benue
T
Chief of Defence Staff, General Gabriel Olanishakin
he reports last week from Benue State
about the cold-blooded murder of
over 100 natives in Atagu Local
Government Area should make any
government very angry and spurred
to act to bring the perpetrators to
justice and forestall further occurrence. Sadly, the federal government never
really expressed any anger at the massacre
suspected to be carried out by Fulani herdsmen.
The government must rise to the occasion,
and put effective measures in place to halt the
growing impunity and criminality of the cattle
herders.
It is dangerous for the authorities to give
the impression that certain groups within the
country are uncontrollable, or are being sheltered from the law.
– Vincent Obia
80
CICERO/INTERVIEW
Masari
Masari: The Havoc Visited on
Nigeria by PDP is Unimaginable
Katsina State Governor Aminu Bello Masari, in this interview with Tokunbo Adedoja, warns that states face the danger of collapse as a result of the poor state of their finances occasioned by the slump in prices of crude oil and seeks
urgent steps to rescue them from the precipice. He also speaks on the ongoing anti-corruption crusade of the APC-led
Federal Government , his experience as governor and the challenges facing Katsina State
I
t’s been nine months since you have
been governor of Katsina State,
how has it been?
Well, actually it has been very hectic
and very challenging, not that we are
entirely surprised as to what we met on
ground but the depth was not what we
envisaged to meet because we can say
we met a failed educational institution, a failed
primary health care system, a failed agricultural
system because the expenditure on agriculture,
98% was for procurement of fertilizer. Then
we met a system of water supply that had not
received any increase through the professional
system for the last eight or so years. We also
met a very serious situation of insecurity.
You know we have seven local governments
bordering a major forest that started right
from Senegal to Mali, Niger, Nigeria and going
up to Central Africa Republic. So this cattle
rustling, I think probably with the exception of
Zamfara, was more serious in Katsina, covering
seven local governments with a stretch of 125
kilometers which we have to police, we have
to ensure peaceful atmosphere for people
to be able to go back to their communities
because the cattle rustlers forced people out
of their homes and villages. In brief, this was
the situation we met on ground. It took us
about three months to completely finish with
our in-depth analysis on education, health,
agriculture, water supply and security because
these are our priorities. Even when we were
campaigning, we mentioned that education
was our number one prioriry. Because we have
seen the dismal performance of our students in
WAEC and NECO examinations.
What have you been able to achieve in
your focal areas, because you mentioned
education for instance?
For instance, we Immediately set up an
education committee even before election and
the education committee had a responsibility
of looking at the foundational education, that
is visiting all the primary schools and we have
an infrastructure committee that followed
them to all the schools they visited and they
visited 22,272 primary schools, public primary
schools across the state and also visited all the
The kind of havoc
visited on Nigeria by
PDP is unimaginable.
It can only happen
in Nigeria, not in any
other country. Even
this banana republic
will not allow the
kind of mess that was
visited deliberately on
the nation
over 387 junior secondary schools in the state.
They gave us condition report of the schools,
that is 70 percent of the classes at primary
level were virtually no longer what you can
call classes. The remaining 30 percent are what
you can say that minor repairs can make
them habitable. We have a population of over
1.5 million students but we don’t have sitting
arrangement for up to 200,000. I think the
sitting arrangement was for a paltry number
of about 140,000. All others were either sitting
on the floor or on bare-ground. And again,
we have shortages of over 3262 classrooms at
primary school level. What I am telling you is
at the primary school level. That was what we
were able to discover. And we also discovered
that the teaching staff, about 60 percent had the
requisite qualification to be teachers but they
don’t have the knowledge - because they are
not having any refresher course, they are not
attending any training either organized by the
ministry of education or the primary education
board. So the moral had gone down seriously.
So when we calculated, we found that you
81
CICERO/INTERVIEW
• NIGERIANS ARE READY TO MAKE SACRIFICES, BUT THOSE RESPONSIBLE FOR OUR WOES MUST BE PUNISHED • Continued from Pg. 80
need about 15,000 plus teachers in our primary
schools covering fields like english, mathematics, sciences, arts and religious studies. And we
discovered that out of these, what we had was
not more than 6000 plus. So the primary school
system needs about 9000 teachers in order
to have a ratio that is recommended by the
Nigerian standard. Like I said, so when we talk
about the 3,262 additional classes to house 50
students per class, we need to have additional
3,262 classes. And then 90 percent of schools are
not fenced, so there is a lot of encroachment,
you cannot secure the schools especially after
closing,even here in Katsina the urban centre.
To take you back a little bit. Two weeks ago, I
visited a major primary school in the centre of
Katsina that trained most of the elites you see
from Katsina local government. It has a population of 6,700 and it has about forty something
classes, and none of the classes has chairs or
desks, none of the classes has a floor, all the
floors are gone, and on the average, which I
saw, the headmaster said they were housing an
average of 160 to 180 per class of 50. I visited
Hadis secondary school that also produced
many of the elites here in Katsina, I went to
a class, JSS3. I said what is the population?
They said 167 in a class. So I entered the class,
I was standing by the blackboard. I said let’s
take a headcount, we counted 109. Supposing
the others were present, about 58, where were
they going to sit? Those who were sitting on
the floor were putting their books on their laps,
and the whole of the class, only two girls could
answer what is your name? how old are you?
From which primary school you graduated
into college? We also discovered that we had an
enrolment of 371,000 in primary and secondary
schools but only 300,000 are attending. Even the
300,000, the ratio of teacher to pupil is about 1to
120. And in most of the schools you don’t have
English and mathematics teachers. Last year,
from the public school system, I think over
40000 enrolled for WAEC and NECO exams,
about 46,000 precisely, but only 4,600 were able
to have five credits, that include English and
mathematics. That was a paltry 10 percent.
But when we go and separate the public from
the private schools, we found that from the
public schools, only 370. So even if you take
a population of 46,000, you are getting 10
percent of that. And this was a situation where
the government was paying for NECO, was
paying for WAEC. It is like taking good money
and throwing into bad business. So, after
cataloguing all these, then we decided to begin
massive rehabilitation of the schools, to restore
them and make them habitable and they are
today. We were talking about furniture, we also
discovered that as at today, we cannot provide
furniture because a class which is supposed
to have 50 is having 160. If you put furniture,
then there will be no space for them. So the
best thing is to see how you can accommodate
as many as possible, as we construct more
classrooms we start disengaging. When we
reach about 60 per classroom that is when we
will start to bring chairs to settle and accommodate the students. So this is the situation.
And I want you to remember that from the
office of UNICEF and other statistics that they
did in 2013 and 2014, only 20 percent of school
age children are going to school. And then
you ask yourself where are the remaining 80
percent? And out of this 20 percent, this is what
we are getting. And of the 10 percent you are
not sure all of them will make it to degree level
or to diploma level. So what we are saying is
that in the next 20 years, we can have a hall as
big as this area, the whole of the area filled with
people and then you say is there anybody from
Katsina? And you can hardly get one because
without education we can’t move forward. It is
impossible.
But how did the state get to this pitiable
position in education?
That is the question. To be fair to the late
President when he was governor he started
the process of decongesting the schools and
building more schools, enhancing the feeding
for boarders. But the immediate past governor,
when he came, part of what he did, the
commissioner that the late President said they
should inherit, the commissioner for education,
so that he could continue with the programme,
he sacked him. And today, I visited three
schools in the extreme end of the state, Funtua.
I left my house by 6am and I was there by
able to pay salaries. But the reality is that the
problem is deeper than having this ad-hoc
measure of bailout. We have to have a budget
support programme, that this is the budget of
a state and this is what the state can get, then
the central bank with the Federal Government
and whatever agency will have to have a way
of supporting that project. Because we cannot
allow the country to collapse. We have to sit
down and see how we can have these budget
support funds. It is too costly to allow this
system to collapse. The consequences are more
than any measure that one will take now in
order to restore sanity. And also we as political
leaders will also look inward and the people
also must look inward. We also must have the
courage to look at the people and tell them
the truth and to invite them and be truthful to
them by telling them what the situation is. It is
now the time of what can you do for Nigeria
because Nigeria has nothing to do for you
now. It has done (a lot for Nigerians) before,
because when people were getting everything
free they thought it will be free forever. Now it
is payback time.
But even looking at the bailout issue,
it is like a vicious cycle. You give them
bailout this month, they use the money
to pay salaries and in a couple of months,
they are back to the same spot.
Masari
8am. I inspected some of the renovations we
gave for primary schools and then I went to
the secondary school that I attended in 1964,
none of the structure of 1964 is useable. When
I entered the class, even a displaced person
cannot live in that place because what is left of
the ceiling was hanging on the children. Then I
asked the principal that supposing this one falls
and injures the pupils, what would you do?
He said they will remove it and leave the zinc.
So if it rains and you are in the class, there will
be serious leakages and then the sounds of the
rain on bare roof will make teaching impossible.
And in that school, none of the classes has less
than 160. The one that I saw that had less than
160 had 158. Most of the classes, the windows
and the doors were down. So if you close
school now, the class will remain open because
there are no doors and windows. So I am just
giving you background information. That
was why we said as a starter, we will introduce
mock exams. It was conducted last year. Even
the mock that was internally arranged, it was
arranged for 46,000, but only 4,600 got five
credits that include English and mathematics.
Even the 10 percent was still at the mock level.
16,000 thousand got three credits that had no
English or mathematics. 29,800 got nothing.
And then people are saying that government
should pay for WAEC and NECO for this kind
of students and we said no. This year, for those
who got three credits and above, government
will pay for WAEC and NECO as it has been
doing. Because here the people were being
told that everything is free. Then, crude oil was
selling for over $100 per barrel, today it is $30.
So it is just one quarter. So we said for everybody, except those who passed three credits
and above, government will pay for NECO, as
a warning. Next year we will not pay. Those
who get three credits, we will only pay for
NECO. Those who get five credits and above
in our own mock exam, we will pay for their
WAEC and NECO. Those who cannot make
it, we are thinking of having remedial studies
for those who are interested. We have also
embarked on complete rehabilitation of nine
secondary schools. Four of which are for girls.
Despite the lack of funds that we are facing, we
have a team that is willing and has the political
will but unfortunately for us, we don’t have the
money. The struggle now is how to even pay
salaries. All the renovations we are going to do
in the health centres, in the education centres,
we will start with the N10 billion infrastructure
facility offered to us by the Central Bank based
on the money we had in the excess crude
account. That excess crude account will be a
collateral for each state to collect the N10 billion
and in our own case, we are spending N3billion on education, N2.5billion on health, N2.5
billion on water and N2 billion on agriculture.
This is how we intend to spend the N10 billion
we are getting. The little resources we may
be able to save, then they will also be added
while servicing other areas, especially the issue
of security. We are spending a lot of money
on it. We are spending nothing less than N100
million every month to service the military, the
police, the SSS, and the civil defence in order
to control the menace of cattle rustlers across
the state. And unfortunately, we have built
a society that you have not taught them civic
responsibility of paying taxes. When you say
tax, it is like you touch somebody with fire.
But there is no way we can make any progress
without internally generated revenue, because
the revenue they are collecting, some people
are pocketing it, especially at the local level.
That is where we have our major problems,
managing our local governments. Today, we
can say about 28 of our local governments
are insolvent. What they are getting cannot
meet their overhead and other obligations on a
monthly basis.
The falling price of crude oil has led to
a dip in the revenue accruable to states
from the Federation Account. Sometime
last year, some states were given bailout
and I am aware that even now some
states are finding it difficult to meet their
basic obligations. How serious is the
situation?
I think if there is any word that is more
than serious, it is more than that. I am telling
you as at today, some states after federation
accounts (allocation) are going home with less
than N60 million. Some are in the negative,
majority cannot pay salaries from the federation
account allocation. That is why in some states,
like Imo, they have started reducing the size
of their workforce and every state governor
is looking for where to block leakages so that
at least at the end of the month they will be
An average Nigerian is
prepared to make sacrifice
if he sees that those who
are responsible are also
punished. But if you
don’t punish anybody,
why should he make
any sacrifice for you.
Tomorrow somebody will
take his sacrifice and run
away with it and he gets
away with it
This is what I am saying. You have to have
a sustainable system. That is why I am talking
about a budget support programme. This is
the budget of the state and this is the amount
accruable to the state; the difference, how do
we finance it? Do we finance it by ways and
means? Or do we finance it by borrowing
from outside? Or do we support it by inviting
World Bank? How do we support it? Do we
raise bonds, which have maturity period of 20,
30, 50 years in order to aid the budget support
programme and have a much more realistic
budget approach, planning approach to predict
that in the next two, three years this is the
likely economic scenario. If we can build about
two or three more scenarios, whichever one
comes, this is the approach. We are a planless
nation that is why we find ourselves in the
position we are. We had the money, we had the
opportunities, but there was no foresight to see
what was coming. We were busy expanding
consumption, we were not creating sources of
revenue, we were not investing because I do
believe that with the way our currency is going
and the world economy is going, saving of
money is not the issue but investing it today.
Because if you don’t invest your naira, if you
have N1000 today, if you don’t invest it and
you leave it there until next week, it loses value
because for the last six month naira has been
going down and it is still going.
As things are now and as someone
at the helm of affairs of a state, do you
foresee serious labour crisis?
That is why I am saying that if there is a
united approach to the issue, we can solve
it. Labour is Nigerian labour and they know
the problem. It is not that anything is under
the table. Everything is on top of the table, the
source of revenue is known and despite all
efforts to block the leakages, whether money
was recovered, they know this is how much
was recovered, so in order to avert that, the
best option is a budget support approach
built around a permanent solution and not an
ad-hoc solution. It is no longer bailout, because
the way we are going, even the Federal
Government will start asking for bailout. So the
reality on ground is unless something happens
in the world oil market, the price of oil and
other commodities rise, the issue of revenue
accruable to states and local governments,
including the federal government will be going
down to a level that no any tier of government
can manage until there is a united front. And I
believe it is doable. Real leadership emerges out
of crisis. We now have a situation where we
need leadership that has the courage, the vision,
the credibility, the creativity to pull Nigeria
out. Because if you pull Nigeria out, you are
pulling the states out. But this leadership must
be united and focused and agree that yes,
we have a problem. Because the way we are
going, actually it will reach a level where it
Continued on Pg. 82
82
CICERO/INTERVIEW
•Beyond Bailout, StateS need Budget Support programme • Continued from Pg. 81
is no longer politics. Because whoever comes
tomorrow cannot do magic. The money is
just not there. Why can’t we sit down and
agree on what to do and how to rescue our
nation. And I believe that there are ample
opportunities. If you concentrate on agriculture,
it is a limited opportunity, if you concentrate
on solid minerals is a limited opportunity. But
these are not even the opportunities that you
get tomorrow. You have to plan for them, the
benefit of which will come with time. But what
do you do from now till the time?
Is there a conversation going on now
among your colleagues and with the
federal government?
Of course, we discussed these issues at the
economic council. These are issues that are
well known to everybody, even those who are
pretending not to know, they know. There is a
proverb in hausa language that you can only
lie with your mouth but your inner self knows
the truth. Everybody knows that we should
thank our God, had PDP won election, even
if Nigeria exists, we don’t know what type of
existence by now because the country would
have collapsed. Because what will follow the
political crisis coupled with the economic crisis
would have crippled the country.
My concern now is that your party
rode to power on the crest of the change
mantra. Your party promised Nigerians El
dorado. But now we don’t have that and
your party and the government seem to
be in a fix. Are you worried about this?
We are not really very much worried as
such. Like I said when we started, we knew it
was bad but we did not know that it was as
bad. But now Nigerians know that the nation
has been wreaked. An average Nigerian knows
that. What an average Nigerian wants to see
are those who are responsible being punished
so that he can make sacrifice. An average
Nigerian is prepared to make sacrifice if he
sees that those who are responsible are also
punished. But if you don’t punish anybody,
why should he make any sacrifice for you.
Tomorrow somebody will take his sacrifice
and run away with it and he gets away with
it. The reality is when the people know the
truth, when the people have the confidence that
the leaders are really sincere, honest, objective
and willing to get back whatever is looted and
ready to do whatever they can do with the little
resources, block all the leakages, put everything
on the table for everybody to see, people
will make sacrifices. Nigerians made sacrifices
before, this country went through civil war
without borrowing a kobo. It happened. So
Nigerians, they have the capacity, the resilience.
The kind of havoc visited on Nigeria by PDP
is unimaginable. It can only happen in Nigeria,
not in any other country. Even this banana
republic will not allow the kind of mess that
was visited deliberately on the nation.
In spite of all these you have said there
are still views that the anti-corruption
crusade is selective. There are people who
believe that the focus is on the opposition.
You see, what they fail to understand is that
the APC government of President Muhammadu Buhari is fighting corruption squarely
and he can only fight those that he knows,
and he has challenged Nigerians, even in his
broadcast, to give him evidence. The ones that
we are doing, we are doing on the basis of
evidence. If you give me evidence I will move
against any person or group of persons. Above
all, APC is putting a wedge on itself such that,
when I say you have done something that is
bad, then I have no moral right to do it. And if
there is a punishment, you are sanctioned, you
are punished, I know if I do it and tomorrow
somebody succeeds me, I know I will be
punished. So really, what APC is doing is a
crusade by putting a break to impunity. We
say OK, you have wreaked the nation, you
have taken so much, return it or face the law.
If APC was not sincere, they will call you
behind closed door and say you have taken so
much, so much is missing, so let’s share. You
know you have taken, so willingly you will
bring, maybe, half of it. And then I will keep
quiet. But we said no, let’s go to the market
place, this is the amount I discovered that you
have taken, where is it? I think the journalist
also have a very important role to play. We
Masari
feel that this is a crusade not for APC, not for
Muhammadu Buhari, but for Nigerians. And
those big names that are hiding under the law
or the protective custody of journalism should
be exposed. Because the rot have gone round,
we are all involved – the politician, the military,
the technocrats, the journalists, the lawyers, the
judiciary. No group can claim that it is not part
of the mess that Nigeria is going through. We
are all responsible. It is only when it comes to
liabilities that you may be liable and I may be
not. But collectively we share the responsibility,
maybe when he was doing it you saw him but
you didn’t talk. That makes you responsible.
Let me digress a bit. Let’s talk about
the situation in the North. When it comes
to statistics regarding child and mother
mortality, number of school age children
out of school, illiteracy and poverty, the
North is top on the table. You are one of
the governors from the North, what are
you and your colleagues doing to rescue
this region?
Let me start to buttress the point that you
made. I think in 2013, the bureau of statistics,
a federal government agency, gave an analysis
that Katsina was the second most poorest state
in Nigeria and that from the revenue chart,
Katsina was No. 7 in terms of how much
Katsina was collecting from the federation
account and the second only to Kano in
the northern part of the country, but it was
rated among the poorest. So it was not about
whether we didn’t get money, No, the state
got money. And again, in the same year,
Okonjo-Iweala, a minister under Jonathan’s
PDP gave an example of what a state was
getting which she said was more than some
African countries’ budgets put together. And
then if you take what the northern governors
were getting, it was more than the budget of
West African states. This was information that
came from the office of the minister of finance
of a PDP government and also the bureau of
statistics, a federal agency. Then, Katsina State
government was PDP. Katsina was only better
than Sokoto based on that survey. So what
is the reason? Two critical things. We have
abandoned education. There is no way you
can fight poverty without addressing public
education. Education is the surest way of lifting
majority of the people out of poverty. You
destroyed public education, along the line you
destroyed public infrastructure. So what we
have are almajiris, an army of almajiris roaming
the streets. For those who even go to places
they call schools, when they go they have no
teachers, no desks, nothing, so they go back
home. In most of the villages, even the children
go to school only during dry season, during
raining season they go back to farm. In some
villages, on market days they don’t go to school
because they prefer to go to the market and do
some hawking and get some money. You have
destroyed the health institutions. When I visited
one of our general hospitals, I shed tears. I saw
a ward with some beds with no mattresses,
with one patient and a pile of rubbish. So it’s
also a ward and a dumpsite. Then the means
of livelihood is agriculture, you concentrated on
buying fertilizer where there is heavy corruption. You bring fertilizer and concentrate it on
people who don’t go to farm. You allocate it to
political supporters who don’t go to farm, you
allocate it to party, that party has no farm. All
the fertilizers are going to end up in the market
at a higher price to the farmers. And normally,
in this place, fertilisers come around September
when you are already too far into the season.
At the time they were looking for it, it was
not there. So in a way government didn’t
do anything about improving agriculture.
The population is growing, the soil is now
over-cultivated, no fertilizer, no improved seeds,
so production fails, and when production
fails, it means what you produce cannot feed
your family. You have to start looking for how
to supplement. That was what the previous
government did to agriculture. In our own case,
we brought fertilizer, we said no politics. Education, medicine, social assistance no politics. All
Katsina state indigenes, in fact every Nigerian
residing in Katsina has a right to what everybody gets. These are issues that are beyond
politics. The highest I can go into politics on
that is if they say they are bringing fertilizer
and this is a company of the opposition party,
I will not give you (contract) because you may
bring a bad one. But in terms of distributing to
farmers, there should be no partisan approach
to it, and we did it and it worked. Now we are
distributing pilgrimage slots, because issue of
pilgrimage is very important to the people. We
said no politics, I don’t want allocation for my
son, I will not allocate to any big man. There
is a system, anybody who wants to go on
pilgrimage, let him follow the queue. So there
are certain things that are beyond politics and
this is exactly what we are doing and what we
want others to do. With regards to collective
approach, the northern governors realized the
situation and that the only way out for us is to
pursue two things- education and agriculture.
To some extent, solid minerals. And of recent,
we northern governors nominated some of our
colleagues to go and start talking to the Islamic
Development Bank and other development
agencies in the Middle East for investment in
the area of agriculture and this time around,
we are having a comprehensive approach to
agriculture. Like we have started doing in Katsina State we are having soil condition survey
of all the farmlands in Katsina state and we are
going to know the number of farmers that we
have in Katsina State and we will know the
types of implements that are needed in various
parts of the state. So by doing soil condition
survey, we will also know the types of fertilizer
and the quantity to be procured. These are
what the northern governors are doing. We are
going to have a complete value-added chain
right from cropping, improved seeds, extension
services, market processing and adding value.
It is not going to be that we produce cotton
and we ship it outside, we produce groundnut
and we ship it outside. No, we will go to the
extent of garment making. And all of us are
in the process of tapping into solar power, we
are inviting various companies because there is
abundance of sunlight. And again, next month
I will go to Czechoslovakia, we have started
talking to a Czechoslovakia company to build
industry for irrigation equipment because
we have large bodies of water in Katsina, in
fact only one of the large bodies of water is
enough for Katsina. But we have three large
dams. I think apart from Kano, nobody has
the quantity of stored water more than Katsina
and they are all idle. So even if we focus
on agriculture, because we are looking at a
Nigerian which should now survive without
oil, because the world is moving to cleaner
energy sources and oil will be losing value.
The sun provides a more cleaner source of
energy. We have a project of 305 MW – one
180MW, one 125MW. And just now I received
a letter about a company that is also interested
in 100MW. Now with the level of security in
the country, there are companies that are willing
to invest and if they see us that we are sincere
about fighting corruption, they will come. And
if they see our judiciary that it is really working
they will come because they wouldn’t want to
come and invest one N1 billion in a state and
one day one governor wakes up and says he
has canceled your certificate and the judicial
system cannot protect you. So you must have
a sound judicial system that is independent
and leadership that is credible. So they are only
coming to invest where they are sure that their
money is not going to be stolen.
Let’s go to your days in the parliament.
You were able to preside peacefully over
the affairs of the House of Representatives
shortly after the turbulence session of
Speaker Ghali Na’abba. How were you
able to do that and how has that your
experience in the National helped your
relationship with the State House of
Assembly as a governor?
First of all, you have to understand that at
the national level you will get the best out of
those who serve not all the time but most of
the time because of their experiences of living
and working with various sections of the
country. If you reduce it to state also, like here,
I have a local government that I come from, I
have a senatorial district that I come from but I
have to work with others that come from other
local governments and senatorial districts. So
if I bring that experience on the management
of people and resources, it can also work very
well. Fundamentally, you have to be a fair
and just leader and you must not be selfish,
so people will respect you. You know that
respect is earned, it is not given. What is given
is opportunity to demonstrate that you can be
trusted. That was what we had in Abuja, we
demonstrated it. Even when I was campaigning, I said I was going to be a leader and not
a ruler. And we ran the House successfully,
properly and transparently and there was no
day that we had serious shock. We had series
of disagreement with the executive but I always
said we belonged to the same party, you don’t
have to go to market and abuse your wife and
beat her before everybody knows that she is
your wife or that you are in charge. So I think
that the kind of running battle and press coverage we had with Obasanjo between 2003 and
2007, we didn’t have it in 1999 to 2003 because
most of the issues we had with Obasanjo
between 1999 and 2003 were personal, not
really national. Even the accusation of nonimplementation of budget and things like that
were predicated on certain things some people
wanted to be done and were not done. Even
when there was this issue of money that was
displayed on the floor, I refused to sign. Because
when you say people should sign to impeach
Obasanjo and they are giving people money
83
CICERO/INTERVIEW
Oji: National Assembly Must Open
its Budget for Public Scrutiny
George Oji is a journalist and the Executive Director, Friends in the Gap Advocacy Initiative (FGAI) – a parliamentary watchdog. In this interview with Anayo Okolie, he expresses concern that with the completion of the
defence of the 2016 budget by the Ministries, Departments and Agencies of Government (MDAs), there was
yet no peep into the budget of the National Assembly as their allocation is still shrouded in secrecy
A
s a parliamentary watchdog,
your group has consistently
advocated the need for the
National Assembly to open
up its budget for public
scrutiny, was that objective
achieved this time around?
containing the pioneering senate’s legislative
agenda. So, the National Assembly must come
out and explain in detail, like the executive and
the judiciary do, how its allocations would be
utilised. It is not enough to say that the budget
of the National Assembly is N115 billion, and
that the amount is very infinitesimal compared
to the N6.08 trillion national budget. The
lawmakers must be able to explain to Nigerians
how the budgeted amount will be applied. This
is what representative governance is all about.
Budgeting is one of the areas
we have been trying to engage the National
Assembly to ensure openness and transparency.
This is because since the commencement of the
current democratic dispensation, the budget of
the National Assembly has consistently been
shrouded in secrecy. At best, the only thing
Nigerians get to hear is the amount allocated
to the National Assembly; nothing is revealed
about the budget breakdown. This is where our
concerns stem.
During the budget defence by the
MDAs, the National Assembly was able to
discover several anomalies in the document?
But the National Assembly is supposed
to be financially autonomous?
Oji
If that is the case, then why do we still
have National Assembly Budget?
Villa were made public by the lawmakers
themselves during the last budget defence. The
point we are making here is that the National
Assembly, like the executive and the judiciary
must come clean on its budget in line with the
change philosophy of the present administration
and the pledge of the Senate President, Bukola
Saraki.
Yes, only to the extent that the payment of
the salaries and allowances of the lawmakers
are drawn from the first line charge or the
consolidated revenue fund of the federation.
The National Assembly budget covers the
salaries and allowances of the entire bureaucracy that make up the parliament, including
the National Assembly Service Commission, the
National Institute for Legislative Studies (NILS),
budget office of the National Assembly as well
as the legislative aides and ironically some
spurious allocations to the lawmakers.
So, what else is left out?
Like the case of the executive and the
judiciary, Nigerians would want to know how
the allocation to the National Assembly is
shared among the various competing sectors
and departments of the National Assembly.
Nigerians are interested in knowing for instance
how much was allocated for the maintenance
the assembly grasses and flowers, how much
was allocated for the purchase of cars for the
lawmakers and the bureaucrats, how much
was allocated for travels and trainings, how
much was allocated for the purchase of computers, how much was allocated for repainting
of the buildings, how much was allocated for
maintaining security at the complex and so
on and so on. This is not asking for too much.
After all, such details as the cost of providing
food and entertainment for the Presidential
But the National Assembly has said that
it budgeted the sum of N115 billion for its
services this year?
That is exactly the point we have been
driving at. Don’t forget that between 2010
and 2014, the National Assembly consistently
had an annual budget of N150 billion for five
years running, but nobody was told how those
huge allocations were expended. The simple
interpretation of that was that for five years
running, the National Assembly spent the same
allocation on the same sub-heads, meaning that
if the sum of say N23 billion was allocated for
the purchase of computers in the 2010 budget,
the same amount was also budgeted for the
same item in 2015, 2012, 2013 and 2014 budgets.
That is the point we are making. The National
Assembly has both a moral and statutory
burden to explain to Nigerians how its budget
allocations are utilized. This is one of the promises that the Senate President, Bukola Saraki,
made to Nigerians after his emergence in office
as well as on a number of other occasions,
including during the adoption of the document
Yes, those discoveries were made possible
because the process was made transparent. That
goes to the root of our demands. But besides
that, there were several other lessons that the
public drew from the last budget defence
exercise. First, it exposed the fraudulent nature
of many Nigerian civil and public servants.
What those workers simply did was to take
advantage of the ministers who were new
in their offices and tried to perpetrate those
huge fraud. You saw instances where some
of the ministers who are supposed to be the
chief executive officers of the ministers openly
disagreed with the budget of their ministries.
What this means simply is that the ministers
were kept in the dark about the entire process.
The exercise also revealed that what we have
been practicing over the years here as budgeting is simply plain fraud. We saw instances
where the MDAs were simply repeating the
figures and allocations year in and year out. If
you are practicing real budgeting, there is no
way the allocations will remain stagnant. Once
that is the case, the entire exercise becomes
suspicious and questionable.
That is exactly the point we are making with
the budget of the National Assembly. Like I
pointed out earlier, for five years running, the
budget of the national Assembly ran on a free
wheel; from 2010 to 2014, the budget of the
legislature was on auto pilot of N150 billion
annually.
How come that the discoveries were not
made in the previous years’ budgets?
I don’t think that it would be correct to sustain such an assertion. The experiences of my
group engaging the National Assembly over the
years revealed that these fraudulent manipulation of the budget were actually noticed by the
lawmakers but were unfortunately negotiated.
The issue of padding the budget for instance
is not anything really new to those who are
conversant with the working of the National
Assembly. In fact, I dare say that it is actually
the lawmakers that introduced this dubious
practice. In the time past, it was actually the
legislators who taught the civil servants to pad
the budget, which were later negotiated when
the funds were released. If you cast your minds
back to about five years, the practice then was
that each time the executive sends the budget
to the National Assembly, by the time the
legislators were done with it, the final outcome
or figures were always usually higher than the
figure sent by the President. You know that the
lawmakers will always rationalize their action
by using the provisions of the law, in this case,
the constitution to explain the law gives them
the powers to restructure the budget the way
they deem fit. You remember that it was in
those years that it was really very rewarding
becoming a member of the National Assembly.
What is currently happening is in line with the
change in government. The present administration of the All Progressive Congress (APC),
which ascended to power on the philosophy of
change and with a mandate to right the wrongs
of the immediate past Peoples Democratic Party
(PDP) administration, is trying to do everything
to walk its electoral talks.
Many Nigerians also expects the change
to include some thoroughness in the way
the budget itself was prepared?
That is true. But don’t also forget the fact
of the delay in the constitution of the Federal
Executive Council by President Buhari, which
impacted in the entire process.
But he gave the impression that he was
looking for angels to work with him?
That is a matter for another time. The point
to take away here is that because it took time
to put together the ministerial team, which was
not ready until about the tail end of October,
after they had been screened and confirmed by
the senate, the Government only had about one
month to prepare the budget.
Don’t forget also that there was pressure to
send the budget to the National Assembly on
time before the lawmakers closed shop for the
year.
Even though one is not trying to make
excuses for the administration here, the truth of
the matter is that all these factors combined, for
an administration, which was for many years in
opposition, to impact on the entire process.
• MASARI: THE HAVOC VISITED ON NIGERIA BY PDP IS UNIMAGINABLE• Continued from Pg. 82
to sign, so where did you get the money? So
there was a contradiction. The accusation was
that Obasanjo was bribing and you are also
giving members money to sign, then where did
you get the money? Really, it was all politics.
So some of us decided not to be part of it. On
my relationship with members of the House
of Assembly, I know the rights of members
of the House of Assembly and I gave them
their rights. Now, our parliament is 100 percent
APC, but today our budget has been with
them for more than two months and we have
never asked them to rush. Let them take their
time and do their job, because by doing their
job they will be helping us. Something that is
hidden by our civil servants or some mistakes,
they will spot it and help the system. And they
run their affairs in the House and we also run
our own. We meet at party level and discuss
issues and highlight the position of the party
and say this is the role of the executive and this
is the role of the parliament. Once we agree
on that, then everybody will go and pursue it.
So, really we don’t have problem. I personally,
I am proud of being a member of the House
than any other thing. I am more proud of being
speaker of the House than being a governor,
afterall when I was speaker I was the only
person, all others were small speakers at the
state level. But today I am a governor from
a poor state of Katsina among 36 states. In
terms of political profile, it has not lifted me
up. But in terms of responsibility and what
you can bring to your people, there is a world
of difference. Even if you are Senate President,
you are limited to the functions of the law and
oversight, whereas a local government chairman with executive powers can do things that
will impact on the quality of life of the people
more than you. So as governor, I am now in a
position to do things that will directly impact
the people more than what I would have done
as speaker, where most of it would be peddling
of influence - I want this for my state, I want
this for my people. It was a position, I don’t
want to call it power without authority, it was a
position of power of influence and by protocol
No 4. That’s all.
Your state is privileged to have produced
two Presidents – late Yar’Adua and
incumbent President Buhari. First, what
benefit accrues to a state when it produces
the President. Two, let’s cast out minds
back. Frosty relationships existed between
the Presidents and all the governors of
their states. President Obasanjo had
issues with Governor Gbenga Daniel,
President Jonathan had Issues with
Governor Timpre Silva and later Governor
Seriake Dickson, and many believe that
Dickson would not have had a second
term had Jonathan been re-elected. Do
all these worry you because you also
have a President from your state? What
is the relationship between you and the
President?
Well, I think you have even forgotten one.
Yes, Obasanjo played a role in bringing Daniel
because Daniel came in 2003 and he had a
running battle with Obasanjo but they were
able to patch it in 2007 to go through elections.
But shortly after that the truce collapsed. And
also the late President (Yar’Adua) had started
having serious battle with Shema (Immediate
past governor of Katsina) even before his
death, the battle line was drawn. Yes, Silva and
Jonathan, you saw how it ended. He made
sure that Silva did not contest election and I
know from what papers were saying, from the
body language, especially of his wife, we knew
the relationship between him and Dickson was
also sour.
In my own case, I am taking note of all those
things and I am praying that Katsina would be
different. I know the President, he is a gentleman, he is a man of few words but action. I
am also conscious of the fact that he is from
Katsina, most of the people around him are
from Katsina. If anything happens in Katsina,
sometimes he may even know it before me.
So, I am watching my back (laughs).
84
CICERO/ENCOUNTER
On the Trail of Atiku’s Chilhood
Friend, Associate
Recently, the media was awash with reports of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s visit to two of his childhood friends in Song, a visit that brought back old memories of their growing up days. Daji Sani later embarked
on a trip from Yola to Song where he encountered the two friends who took him down the memory lane
T
he journey to Song town, headquarters of Song Local Government Area of Adamawa State, in
embattled North Eastern corridor
of Nigeria, is not after all a walk
in the valley of death. But the two
hours road trip from Yola, the
state capital to Song was paved
with heavy security checkpoints manned by
fierce-looking combatant soldiers -a tangible
reminder of the sad tale that terrorism has been
telling our nation.
Our mission to Song was to tap and scoop
exclusives from the fountain of wisdom of
old classmates and political allies of former
Vice President Atiku Abubakar who he visited
recently in Song. However the two prominent
and illustrious sons of Song visited extolled
Atiku’s lifestyle and his past life. They
described Atiku as a life-saver, team building
“Bulldozer” and a “humble leader that Nigeria
need in this generation.”
Ayuba Musa Mamawa, 70, a former
commissioner in Adamawa State and one of
Atiku’s childhood friends and classmate told
THISDAY that he knew the former VP as far
back as 1958 at Jada senior primary school.
“I met him in 1958 when I attended Jada
Senior Primary School. The Turaki and I were
classmates but we only spent three months
together in Jada before I was transferred out.
But we met again in the Provincial School in
Yola and we were there from 1961 to 1965 till
we finally graduated”.
He said they were 40 friends in their group
and he and Atiku were closer adding that
Atiku later joined the Nigerian Customs Service
while he went to Kano to pursue further
education. He said they didn’t meet for long
time, until Atiku came for a condolence visit
for the death of one of our community leaders,
Katuka. And recently he paid him a surprise
visit in his house in Song.
“He heard I was ill and he came down here,
not minding his exalted position and tight
schedule. He left everything in the city to visit
me in this my small house. He even had lunch
with my family and supported me financially.
I thanked him and I pray that God would
reward him abundantly for this his kindness.
May God give Atiku what he wants in life “
he said
Mamawa said when they were growing up
he never expected him to be this influential
and rich but God’s destiny for man is unchangeable as he further added that Atiku had
some leadership traits as a youngster, such as
his comportment and carried himself socially;
He explained that despite the fact that he was
an average student, he was always fond of
people and it was hard to see him alone. He
always mixed freely and made people laugh. It
was difficult to be sad while with Atiku.
“ The way he acted, out spoken and his
neat appearance – all spoke volumes about
the character of the latter day Turaki. He
was a great team player and protector of his
colleagues. In fact we called him Bulldozer,
for his bravery but a very humble chap who
loved to carry people along. His classmates
and other students were always around
him because he possessed a charisma that
attracted people to him. We were always
playing football; very small improvised thing
made of plastic products. We played at the
school premises with other boys. It wasn’t an
organized soccer game. But a mere child’s play
of kick and run routine.”
He described Atiku as a socialite that other
people would naturally like to flock around
him saying that the reason for this is not
farfetched because Atiku has a unique style
of doing things. “Atiku chose to like people
around him and always want to assist others.
He loves people; especially the poor ones. He
always sits with them, and encourages them.
At times, engage them in debates over vital
With family of the Song
issues of community development”.
“Atiku is modest, honest, kind, peopleminded and also very bold. He has all the
high attributes of a great leadership. He always
wants to see people faring well. For instance,
look at all the developmental projects and businesses he has established in Adamawa and all
over Nigeria, and elsewhere in Africa. He did
most of them not because of personal monetary
gains, but he loves to create job opportunities
for others. He has employed more than 2000
people. If every wealthy Nigerian emulates
Atiku, by investing locally, there wouldn’t be
poverty in the country.
“Atiku is confident, helpful and fearless. He
is well-focused and knows what he wants to
achieve. As a young person he was defensive
and protective of his colleagues. Of recent, he
came to the rescue of the entire Adamawa State
when we were almost overrun by some bad
boys. He personally took it upon himself to see
that the situation ameliorated and the anomaly
corrected” he said.
Handicapped Community Leader, Alhaji
Mamuda Aliyu Song, a political associate of
Atiku, not only revealed his (Atiku) political
background and also how the VP saved his
life. Aliyu Song who is presently on a wheel
chair and had undergo series of surgery on
his spinal cord in Saudi Arabia by the help of
Atiku, said he knew the former VP in the days
of SDP and NRC
“ I first met the former Vice-President when
he retired from the Nigerian Customs Service
and had newly joined politics during the days
of SDP and NRC. Atiku sent for me to meet
him at his residence in Jimeta- Yola, When
I arrived his residence, he said he had been
hearing about my political feat and that he
had retired from Customs, and would want
us to work together to enable him achieve his
political goals.
“Initially, it was very difficult for the people
of Adamawa State to accept Atiku as a leader.
But we started selling his ideals to the public
through our political contacts across the state
in a bid to get the support of the people.
Already, some of us knew he was sellable and
apparently the best candidate for the people
of Adamawa, in view of his unique and
dynamic attributes which made it easier for us
to galvanize support for him.
“Apart from the issue of acceptance in
the state, he also had the late General Sani
Abacha‘s factor to contend with. The former
number two man went through many political
hurdles to get to where he is now. At that
time because of the rivalry between the former
head of state, Late General Sani Abacha
and late General Shehu Yar’adua who was
Atiku’s political mentor; even if Atiku had
won the governorship election in the days of
SDP and NRC, Abacha who was the Head
of State would have used his veto power to
quash the election for obvious reasons. Atiku
actually contested against Dr Bala Takaya in
the governorship polls, won the election but
because the poll was allegedly disputed it was
cancelled,” he said.
Aliyu Song explained that in 1998 Atiku was
among the founding fathers of the PDP both
in Adamawa and Abuja and because of his
attitude of embracing everybody, be it Christian
or Muslim and his overwhelming contributions
in the party, the stakeholders resolved that he
should run for governorship election under the
platform of the PDP in the state.
He said despite these challenges, they never
gave up on his ambition until 1998 when
Atiku was finally elected under the platform of
the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Later as
Governor –Elect of Adamawa State, Turaki
was chosen by former President Olusegun
Obasanjo to be the Vice-Presidential candidate
of the party, and he subsequently became
Obasanjo’s Vice President (1999 -2007).Adding
that the attribute of carrying everybody along
and not sidelining others whether they are his
tribe or religion was the thing that helped Atiku
above other candidates who wanted to contest
against him.
“These traits still make Atiku a formidable
leader of men and no wonder he employs
workers from different parts of the world in
his many companies today. Another attribute I
know him for is that he likes helping the poor,
the less-privileged and orphans. When the
people discovered that he had these attributes,
his campaigns in 1998 to 1999 were easy as
the electorates were telling us to go to sleep
promising us that they would vote for Atiku,
which they did as promised. He defeated his
closest opponent Dr Bala Takaya at the polls
to emerge as governor- elect, before he was
drafted to Abuja to be running mate to former
President Olusegun Obasanjo.
“Even though he has gotten what he wanted
to an extent he has never left my sight unlike
other politicians who usually use and dump
their subordinates,” he said.
Aliyu Song described Atiku as a man of
honour and a good leader who keeps his
words. “He once told us that the reason why
he fought the Obasanjo’s third term agenda to
a standstill was because he had sworn with the
Quran to defend the Constitution of the Federal
Republic Nigeria which permits only two terms
and he was not ready to violate the constitution
which he stood for till the end.
“He knew what the resolute action would
cause his interest yet he stood firm. Being
a stumbling block to Obasanjo‘s third term
agenda, he was denied the opportunity to pilot
the affairs of this country. However, despite
the odds stacked against his political ambition
of becoming the President, he co-founded the
defunct Action Congress (AC) which metamorphosed to Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN)
and later integrated into the ruling party, the All
Progressives Congress (APC). And due to his
tenacity and determination he never gives up
on politics. Presently he is one of the strongest
members of the APC despite his travail in the
party as he couldn’t win the party’s presidential
primaries held in Lagos State. His continuous
stay in the party is a clear demonstration of is
high quality as a true democrat.”
According to him, The VP did not visit him
for any political gains. But he visited to find
out his health condition and that of his family.
During his visit, he said he will continue
to encourage and support the incumbent
governor, Senator Mohammed Jibrilla Bindow,
to translate a developmental plan to reality for
Adamawa people.
He said Bindow is an action governor whose
developmental works within the few months of
his tenure are beginning to speak for him, and
that he believes that Bindow will not disappoint the people . And that the governor needs
the support of all the people”.
When he was asked where they have been
to with Turaiki , he said “ l will not forget in
85
CICERO/ REPORT
Umeh’s Bid to Make APGA Rallying Point for Ndigbo
Anayo Okolie writes on the hints of great promise in Victor Umeh’s politics
T
hat the Igbo do not have
a rallying point and
spokesman at present
is not in doubt. What is
in doubt is the kind of
personality qualified for
the role that was played
by Dim Chukwuemeka
Odumegwu-Ojukwu before his death on
November 26, 2011 at the age of 78.
The Eze-Igbo Gburugbru had committed himself to the cause of Ndi-Igbo,
even to the detriment of what was a
promising military career. And at death,
Odumegwu-Ojukwu was buried with a
fanfare befitting a former Head of State.
Some attributed this to the fact that the
then President Goodluck Jonathan and the
Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen. Azubuike
Iherijika, were of Eastern Nigerian origin.
Others said it was symptomatic of a
country appreciating the man, who was
widely described as a rebel with a cause,
better when the truth of his struggle
dawned on Nigerians, albeit belatedly.
Umeh
If there is anyone who learnt at Odumegwu-Ojukwu’s feet, especially when
the sage was at the peak of his politics –
contesting twice as presidential candidate
of All Progressives Grand Alliance – and
has qualities that stand him in good
stead to step into Odumegwu-Ojukwu’s
large shoes in national politics, he is Chief
Victor Umeh. The Ohamadike has gone
through the APGA ranks, having served
the party at different times as National
Assistant Secretary, National Treasurer,
National Chairman, and now a member
of the APGA Board of Trustees, within the
party’s 15 years of existence.
Those who know him say Umeh’s
meteoric rise is a result of his integrity
and consistent love of justice.
Just as former Anambra State Governor
Peter Obi is recognised as having
contributed immensely to democracy by
successfully challenging the attempt by
the Peoples Democratic Party and its then
candidate, Dr. Chris Ngige, to rob him of
his electoral mandate, Umeh is seen as the
wheel on which Obi rode. It was Umeh
who introduced Obi to APGA. It was
also Umeh who ensured that Obi got the
APGA governorship ticket, of course, with
the blessings of Odumegwu-Ojukwu.
Chief Okey Nwosu was said to be the
favourite for the APGA ticket, but he
belonged to a group that was no longer
in the party’s mainstream, the Chuba
Okadigbo group. Okadigbo himself had
joined the All Nigeria Peoples Party,
which is now defunct, and was running
mate at some point to General Muham-
madu Buhari.
Obi emerged through a democratic
process as APGA’s flag-bearer in Anambra
State and his campaign was methodical
and well organised. At every level, Umeh
featured, to the extent that when the
Independent National Electoral Commission declared Ngige governor-elect
without the latter scoring majority of
lawful votes, Umeh was Petitioner’s
Witness One for Obi. It was Umeh who
actually coordinated Obi’s case both at the
Election Petitions Tribunal and Elections
Appeal Tribunal, liaising with leaders of
Obi’s legal team, like Senator Nathanial
Anah and Dr. Onyechi Ikpeazu, both
Senior Advocates of Nigeria, to ensure
victory, despite the delay tactics employed
by Ngige’s lawyers.
But, ironically, today, Obi is not only in
PDP romancing the same people who had
worked hard to deny him his mandate,
but he would also do everything in his
powers to stop Umeh from becoming a
senator. Obi has left APGA, but it was
through APGA that he got his mandate
and the full tenure that followed.
Between Odumegwu-Ojukwu and Umeh
Umeh played an important role in the
reversal of Obi’s impeachment and his
return to office. Members of the Anambra
State House of Assembly had impeached
him through a dubious process that
involved what amounted to a substantive
service on Obi without an order of court.
In that legal duel, Umeh played the role
of a coordinator. Umeh, it was learnt, was
the one who proposed the idea of challenging Obi’s impeachment in court while
his deputy, Dame Virgy Etiaba, should be
sworn-in as governor.
Umeh said in an interview, “It was
Ojukwu and I that went to Awka to
install him. We got Etiaba to summon the
Commissioner of Police and the Director
of State Security Service and briefed them
on what we were about to do.”
Besides, following Dr. Andy Uba’s
governorship victory, Obi was at the
Supreme Court to seek interpretation of
his tenure, whether it commenced on the
day his counterpart, Ngige, wrongfully
assumed office or when his own mandate
was restored by the court. Umeh said he
was the one who encouraged Obi to seek
tenure interpretation.
“If there is any Igbo man who God
has raised to defend the Igbo cause, it is
Umeh. The young man is very useful to
Igbo land,” said former special adviser
to ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo on
environment, who was once an APGA
chieftain in Imo State, Chief Martins
Agbaso.
Umeh
At the time of Agbaso’s travails in the
Imo State governorship race, Umeh was
among those who supported him in the
legal battles with Ikedi Ohakim and the
PDP-led federal government. There were,
certainly, others, like Paschal Dozie and
his kinsman, Navy Captain Emmanuel
Iheanacho (rtd).
Umeh was also instrumental to the
emergence of Owelle Rochas Okorocha
as governor of Imo State. At a time when
the quest for the governorship ticket of
APGA caused a clash between Okorocha
and Agbaso, it was Umeh who intervened
and mediated peace. He was said to have
helped Jude Agbaso (Martin’s brother) to
become Deputy Governor of Imo State
in a re-alignment of political interests between Okorocha, who wanted the APGA
platform to achieve his governorship
ambition, and the Agbasos of Emekuku
(Owerri North Local Government Area)
who held the party structure in the state
at the time.
That Jude Agbaso was impeached two
years later was because both Okorocha
• On the trail Of atiku’s ChilhOOd friend, assOCiate •
hurry when some friends and I travelled with
Atiku to Gembu in Taraba State for a holiday.
Friends like pastor Bitrus, Chief Emmanuel and
others. The holiday was also meant to discuss
matters of great significance to the development
of the state.
“Sadly, many people empowered by Atiku
politically were fond of disappointing him.
Atiku is a team player. His plan is always to
gather like-minded people together to develop
the state. But, unfortunately, some folks used
him as a ladder to rise to power and later
become intoxicated with power thus forgetting
their roots.
“ Aside, whenever I am with him, Turaki
would always ask of many people who were
on our state campaign train in 1998. Atiku
always remembers those he has worked with
-even those who are now dead. He goes to
their families to show kindness and expressed
gratitude. And those still alive are regularly
visited as his tight schedules permit” he said.
He described Atiku as down to earth,
humble, industrious, detribalized and patriotic.”
In fact if we have five people like Atiku
Abubakar in this country, Nigeria will be a better place for all to live prosperously. Atiku does
not forget old friends and colleagues despite his
present status. He is always willing at all times
to render assistance to the poor. Whether you
are poor or rich or illiterate or educated, he will
want to respect you for who you are, he is a
down to earth kind hearted” he said.
According to him, “for instance, imagine a
lowly me here sitting on a wheel chair for quite
a long time now; receiving Atiku as a surprise
guest in my house in Song. From his far away
Yola base, he came to see me because he knew
I have been ill.
He was even the one that paid all the bills
for my medical trip to Saudi Arabia, four times,
to undergo spinal cord surgery. I was operated
twice on my waist, one on my back and lastly
on my neck on different occasions.”
Aliyu Song said despite Atiku’s tight
schedule , he has made time to be visiting
him and catering for his family’s well-being
since his disability. He explained that; so many
and Martin Agbaso rebelled against the
APGA leadership. Rochas was already on
his way to the All Progressives Congress,
and Agbaso was moving in the PDP
direction. Both groups were eager to wrest
power from each other.
Umeh was quoted as saying, “When
Rochas made the allegation that Martin
Agbaso was part of a plot by PDP chieftains to unseat him, he said the truth,
because I asked Martin about it and I was
not satisfied by his answer.”
Umeh came to limelight leading the
struggle for the routing of pioneer National
Chairman of APGA, Chief Chekwas
Okorie. But the former APGA national
chairman, who is currently vying for the
Anambra Central senatorial seat in the
court-ordered rerun election scheduled for
March 5, has also struggled for the good of
APGA and to defend the Igbo cause.
As the people of Anambra Central go to
the polls, many expect that they will avail
themselves of the opportunity for quality
representation in the Senate by voting
Umeh.
Continued from Pg. 84
people have benefitted from Atiku.
“Recently, he visited me and my family, ate
with us and took picture with all members of
my family.
I was so honoured and proud to know the
Turaki. he also visited his primary school
classmate in Song, Alhaji Ayuba Mamawa, a
one-time commissioner in Adamawa State. He
gave the Commissioner who had been sick
a surprise visit and catered for some of his
medical expenses.
“It takes someone with a humble
background to do what Atiku is doing for the
underprivileged. He knows the true meaning
of pain and how to alleviate it. Atiku does not
want anyone to lack. He has created over 5000
job opportunities for Nigerians in Adamawa
State and nationally. Atiku, without sounding
blasphemous, is a savior in human form. He
actually saved my life, and I am honestly glad
he did. Atiku is not selfish “.
“One day I asked the former VP why his
children were not in politics. He said he didn’t
want his children to join politics because he
won’t want to be self- centered. He also said
that a father will naturally want to support his
children to be above others in achieving their
goals - be it political or otherwise. He also told
me that he preferred to assist a poor man to
become something in the society. That is the
other side of Atiku that many people don’t
know.
“Many people in Nigeria have benefitted
from Atiku’s largesse and became something
in this country as a result of his tenderness and
kind heartedness. These attributes of his are
the real reasons why he stands out every time
among his colleagues and friends.
“ I pray to God to grant Atiku all his heart’s
desires, both private and public. We are proud
of Turaki; he is an epitome of humility and
good leadership. I also pray that God will
promote him to greater heights, for he’s imbued
with astute leadership qualities. Unlike most
rich people who are arrogant and pompous,
Atiku identifies with the downtrodden. His
children too are well disciplined, hardworking
and humble. Atiku leads by example,” he said.
86
CICERO/REPORT
A Glimmer of Hope for Resolution
of PDP Leadership Crisis
Onyebuchi Ezigbo writes on the latest effort to settle the PDP crisis
T
he dust raised by the
emergence of former
Borno State Governor,
Senator Ali Modu Sheriff
as national chairman
of Peoples Democratic
Party appears to be gradually settling. Except for the
pending court case by a former presidential
aide, Ahmed Gulak, and the disagreement
over Sheriff’s tenure raised by some former
PDP ministers, he seems to be having some
respite. There is an arrangement to let him
run the affairs of the party for three months,
before the next national convention.
Misgiving
Contrary to fears that Sheriff’s emergency
would precipitate crisis of immense dimension
that might lead to further implosion of the
party, there has, instead, been more effective
attempts to restore peace to the party. Before last
Tuesday’s stakeholders meeting to resolve the
conflict, the Sheriff leadership of the National
Working Committee of the opposition party
had faced a serious challenge both from party
stakeholders and members of the public who
saw him as a highly controversial figure not fit
to head the party.
Those who opposed Sheriff said a party
struggling to lift itself from the frustrations
of electoral defeat suffered at the last general
election deserved a man of integrity and impeccable character to lead it. Leading the opposition
against Sheriff were members of the party’s
Board of Trustees and former PDP ministers
who initially rejected him and asked him to
resign, The BoT of PDP met on Monday and
insisted that Sheriff must resign as chairman.
Members of the board said that Sheriff was
not an option for the post of national chairman
of the party. The acting chairman of the BoT,
Senator Walid Jibril, at a press conference said,
“We as the conscience of the party are still of the
strong view that Senator Ali Modu Sheriff is not
an option to be the party’s national chairman.”
Impunity
A PDP chieftain from Abia State and
former of Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr.
Ojo Maduekwe, who expressed the concern
of his colleagues, said leaving PDP was not
an option for him. He said PDP had made
some mistakes in the past by not building on
its successes and also not checking impunity,
which eventually led to the party’s fall.
In a similar vein, the forum of PDP former
ministers met in Abuja and resolved to
insist on their rejection of Sheriff as national
chairman due to the illegitimacy that brought
him to power. In a resolution after their
meeting, the forum relaxed their stance on
Sheriff’s resignation but called for the conduct
of congresses at all levels of the party that
would lead to the national convention to be
held on March 28.
Chairman of the forum, Tanimu Turaki,
said the former ministers felt that the process
used to appoint the national chairman was
flawed. “In the first instance, the person
who presided over the meeting was barred
by court injunction and to the best of our
knowledge that injunction has not been lifted.
We believe that we should not give room
for impunity. If the BoT chairman changes
the position of BoT it will not change our
position. We stand by them and we still feel
the way we feel.
“Unless there are new reasons for us to
reconsider our position we stand on our
ground. But there will still be room for
consultation.”
Among those who were at the meeting are
John Odey, former minister of Solid Minerals;
Musa Sad; Jerry Gana; Femi Fani-Kayode;
Prof. ABC Nwosu; Josephine Aneni; Maduekwe; Prof. Tunde Adeniran; Amb. Aminu
Sheriff
Wali; Shetima Mustapha; and Mallam
Ibrahim Shekaru.
Another pressure group, PDP Rescue
Group, led by Ambassador Wilberforce Juta,
had earlier met last Sunday to register their
grievances over the emergency of Sheriff as
chairman of the party. Juta warned that the
current National Working Committee of the
party must not attempt to extend its tenure,
adding that the March expiration date of their
stay in office remains sacrosanct.
PDP Governors Forum
It took the intervention of the PDP Governors
Forum and other party leaders, like the Deputy
Senate President, Ike Ekwerenmadu, to broker
a middle-course deal that will accommodate
all interests. It was in a surprise deal that was
reached at a reconciliatory meeting of major
organs of the party, made up of the governors’
forum, Board of Trustees, National Assembly
caucus, and the NWC held at the Ondo State
Governors Lodge in Asokoro. The party
resolved to put an end the leadership crisis and
forge ahead as one family. Addressing journalists at the venue of the stakeholders meeting,
the governor of Ondo State, Dr. Olusegun
Mimiko, said all the major organs of the party
had agreed to support the Sheriff-led leadership
in order to forge ahead and maintain stability of
the party.
With regard to the position of the other
stakeholders like the PDP former ministers
forum, Mimiko who was flanked by Sheriff,
governors of Rivers, Akwa Ibom , and Ekiti
states, Ekwerenadu and Senate Minority Leader,
Godswill Akpabio, said the critical stakeholders
of the party had been reached out to and
they had agreed to back the new chairman to
organise the convention. Mimiko assured that
within the next two weeks, a timetable will be
rolled out, culminating in the holding of the
national convention in three months.
“You are all aware of some controversies
generated by the appointment of our new
national chairman. I want to let you know that
all organs of the party, the governors forum,
National Assembly caucus, BoT have agreed to
stand by our national chairman to ensure that
our party moves forward,” Mimiko said.
He continued, “We have put behind us all
the controversies in the last few days and I want
to assure you that we are together as a party.
We have also mandated the national chairman
and the National Working Committee to put
in motion immediately the proces of ensuring
that within three months, a national convention
of our party is called. And we will brief all
our members nationwide within the next two
weeks of the timetable in that direction. In the
next two weeks, the timetable will be out, all
cumulating in our national convention within
three months.”
Corroborating what the chairman of the
PDP governors’ forum said, the chairman of
the BoT, Senator Walid Jibril, said the members
of the BoT had also agreed to back down on
their rejection of the new national chairman
and cooperate with other organs to see to
the actualisation of the national convention
within the next three months. He called on the
aggrieved members to sheath their sword and
embrace the leadership of the party.
Compromise
Negotiation with aggrieved PDP stakeholders
was held at Ekweremadu’s residence. It involved
the leadership of the party, BoT and the former
ministers’ representatives. The delegation of
the aggrieved ex-ministers of the party was
led by the former governor of Kano State
and ex-Minister of Education, Shekarau. The
ex-ministers stated that Sheriff was the wrong
choice for the post of chairman of the party.
Others that spoke at the meeting were former
Minister of Environment, Mr. John Odeh, and
Fani-Kayode.
At the parley, Ekweremadu told them that
while the feelings of various critical stakeholders
of the party could not be brushed aside, it
would not be in the interest of anyone to allow
the extreme positions they held to destroy the
party. An agreement was reached in line with
the constitution of the party, to ensure that
Sheriff completes the remaining term of the
current NWC.
Ekwerenmadu pleaded with the aggrieved
parties, saying, “Sacrifice is expected on both
sides – by those who are pro-Sheriff and those
who are anti-Sheriff,” adding that three months
should not be allowed to destroy the party.
With this scenario, the party has been able to
calm the agitation for leadership change, which
may now be shifted till the next three months to
a considerable level.
But what remains unclear is whether Sheriff
will be expected to handover to a new man
as chairman after the convention in May or
he would still contest for the position. The next
three months will be interesting as the main
opposition party tries to sort the issues out.
87
CICERO/INTERVIEW/RIGHT OF REPLY
Umanah: Supreme Court Has Enriched Our Democracy
Following the Supreme Court verdict that confirmed the election of Mr. Udom Emmanuel as the duly elected governor of Akwa Ibom State, the Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mr. Aniekan Umanah, in this
interview with Davidson Iriekpen, speaks on the issue and other matters in the state. Excerpts:
S
ince the February 3 verdict of
the Supreme Court that confirmed Mr. Udom Emmanuel
as the governor of Akwa Ibom
State, the political temperature in the state has seemed
to change. What exactly is the
situation?
First, I will like to say that the Almighty God
did justice to Akwa Ibom State. The people voted
massively for his Excellency, Governor Udom
Emmanuel, in the April 11, 2015 governorship
election, and, of course, they expected the
mandate to be confirmed. So the Supreme Court
did exactly what was expected and, indeed,
restored the sanctity of the judiciary.
You may recall that when the governor
returned from Abuja after the appeal court
judgement, he told the people of Akwa Ibom
State not to waiver because he believed that the
Supreme God would work to restore justice.
He had always expressed confidence in the
judiciary as the last hope of the common man.
His belief in the sanctity of the law and judiciary
has been justified. Since that judgement, which
confirmed Governor Emmanuel, the people have
been happy. So the mood here has been that of
celebration, joy and thanksgiving to the Almighty
God.
I often told the press that those who had no
political base nor structure here had engaged
in falsehood and propaganda, confusing those
they could outside the state. They said they will
take over Akwa Ibom, and we wondered how?
What do they have to suggest they can win any
election in the state? Again, looking at the reasons
the Supreme Court gave for setting aside the
judgement of the appeal court, it clearly explains
everything even for a lay man to understand. Let
me join my voice in condemning those who are
vilifying their lordship, the Justices of the Supreme
Court, and the judicial institution.
Were there people who out of fear of the
unknown left PDP for APC in Akwa Ibom
State?
In his broadcast to the people shortly after the
Supreme Court ruling, the governor said it was
time for greater work for the greatness of the
state. He extended the olive branch to everyone
completed in one week.
Government is carrying out the projects
through a very methodical and scientific process
to ensure success. And when they are completed,
Akwa Ibom will be a better place.
to come and join hands towards the development
of the Akwa Ibom because the state is bigger than
anyone political party or interest. He did that from
the stand point of a statesman and he should be
applauded for that. The governor has done his
part, we, however, did not see any movement
of any consequence, because those people that
were mentioned were not even with us from the
primaries, so their position or movement was
inconsequential.
What is your response to the allegation
that some persons employed by the state
government more than one year ago as
teachers and others in the civil service have
not been paid salaries since their employment?
The governor has consistently said that
the focus of his administration is industrialisation. But nine months down the line, many
people are wondering what has happened to
the industrialisation promise. What is your
take on this?
The industrialisation process is alive. He has
performed ground breaking ceremonies, which
is a starting point in industrial process. I have
often said that industrialisation or developing an
industry takes a lot of time. It involves various
levels of approvals, authentication and licensing.
For instance, he performed the ground breaking
ceremony for the Automobile Assembly plant
from MIMSHAC Group in July last year. Today,
the firm is on site with container loads of equipment. They had to go through licensing and other
registration processes, ditto for several others.
The Electric Meter Manufacturing Plant is
on course and will roll out meters in about six
months. A memorandum of understanding
has been signed for the take-off of the Coconut
Plantation and Processing Refinery. Same goes
for the LED Manufacturing Plant. With tonnes of
containers of appliances and pre-fabricated steel
structures on ground, a smooth process is assured.
Also, the Fertiliser Blending Group that came
to Abak has started work on site. Investors are
coming from all over the world to invest in Akwa
Ibom.
In furtherance of the governor’s noble agenda
of developing the state into a strong economy
with abundance of business and employment
opportunities in the Gulf of Guinea, over 1, 000
youths have been engaged for ORACLE training
and certification, while 200 others were sent to
Israel for training in agriculture, with another
200 trained in the power sector. Gladly, the state
Umanah
now has a license to produce additional 540
megawatts electricity, thus, the critical need for
trained personnel to man the power sector. The
governor is also developing the aviation sector.
Work is on-going to complete the second runway
in record time, while efforts are also in top gear
for the development of the main terminal building
and the cargo terminals. And the newest project
is Akwa Ibom Entrepreneurial and Employment
Scheme, which will engage and empower about
10,000 youths to work for themselves. Clearly, the
industrialisation promise of the governor is on.
What is your reaction to the recent
advertorial mocking the publicised achievements of the governor?
They are certainly not justified. The publication
is false and meant to put the administration in
bad light. All the projects of the government
are on-going. Government is constructing over
140 kilometres of road. Work is on-going on
Eket-Ibeno Road, Eket-Etinan Road, Ikot Udom
Road in Ibiono and Mkpat Enin axis. Also Eket
urban remodelling is on course, and so on. People
must realise that no project can be started and
On the civil service employment, government
found out that there was racketeering, where
some people gave out fake appointment papers
to unqualified candidates. So government had to
set up a committee to verify and ensure that only
qualified persons were employed. That process
is over and those genuinely employed have
undergone biometric capturing, they were put
on the payroll and they got their January salaries.
You can be sure their arrears will be considered
and paid in due course. In the teaching service, a
certain syndicate also sold appointment letters to
unqualified candidates, who neither had National
Certificate of Education nor degree in Education.
You cannot allow people who are not qualified to
go into the classrooms as teachers. The seeming
delay is not intended to hurt anybody. Since
government has started with the civil service you
can be sure that issues in the teaching service
employment will also be sorted out and salaries
paid to qualified and genuine employees.
How would you describe the relationship
between Governor Udom Emmanuel and his
predecessor, Senator Godswill Akpabio?
Governor Emmanuel and his predecessor,
the Senate Minority Leader, Chief Akpabio, have
maintained a cordial relationship, thus, showing
a good example of how a predecessor and a
successor can relate well in the interest and for the
development of the state. You need to understand
that in line with the agenda of the sitting governor,
there is inclusiveness in Akwa Ibom State.
The governor invites all former governors,
both military and civilian, stakeholders and elder
statesmen. He consults with them on important
state matters. I want to disabuse the minds of
the people about the relationship between the
PDP, Rivers State Government: Dancing on Graves
I
Sylvester Asoya
n an article entitled, “APC and the Politics of Demagoguery,” Dr. Austin Tam
George, the Rivers State Commissioner
for Information and Communications,
made a number of incorrect assertions based on false assumptions and
outright falsehood. Ordinarily, it would
have amounted to a waste of breath
replying to his zealous but misguided and
strategically erroneous write up. However,
in our African setting, the upbringing of a
child is the collective responsibility of all the
elders in the community. It would, therefore,
be remiss of me not to put Austin Tam
George on the right path for two related
reasons: first, to assist him to focus on his job
and, second, to set the records straight for
the sake of history and posterity.
A little preamble would be apposite.
Austin Tam George hitherto presented himself as a non-aligned, non-political activist
canvassing for the good of Rivers State and
Rivers people but he was actually looking
for a job in the Nyesom Wike contraption.
However, his methodology since he got his
dream job creates the impression that he is
pursuing an ethnic agenda clothed in PDP
apparel. Otherwise, how does one explain
his favourite pastime of making sponsored
attacks on the APC and President Muhammadu Buhari?
Let me advise Austin Tam George that
his primary responsibility is to interpret the
policies and programmes of the Rivers State
Government to the residents of the state.
Wike
If he is able to secure the understanding
and acceptance of Rivers people and
secure the reputation of the government,
he would have succeeded. He has a huge
task in this respect. How does he persuade
Rivers people who were disenfranchised by
violence during the 2015 general elections
that the government in place means well for
them? How does he convince Rivers people
that the insecurity that stares them in the
face daily is a choice they made? That moral
burden is not discharged even by a Supreme
Court judgement.
Furthermore, it is also a fact that the APC
is burdened by its avowed commitment to
rebuild a country that was almost destroyed
by the PDP. When the mass looting of our
common heritage was going on, Austin
Tam George and his current employers saw
nothing wrong in it. Austin was blinded
by his ethnic agenda. Fortunately, APC has
chosen the path of truth and full disclosure
to national rebirth.
The party does not claim to have solved
the myriad of problems in Nigeria. We have
repeatedly admitted that we met a mess that
would require sacrifice by all Nigerians as
well as time, to resolve.
PDP has its own problems that it created.
It would, thus, be unfair for anyone to
claim that the APC wants to see the PDP
vanquished.
In the article under reference, Tam George
disrespectfully took on the national chairman
of the APC. For the umpteenth time, at
no time did the National Chairman of the
APC condemn or criticise the justices of
the Supreme Court. When a fifth columnist
posted that falsehood on social media, the
APC chairman issued a statement denying
it. Regrettably, people like Austin Tam
George prefer to make unending reference to
a falsehood that has been officially denied by
the purported author.
Again, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, the APC
candidate in the 2015 governorship election
in Rivers State did not at any time incite
the military against Rivers people; rather it
is Chief Nyesom Wike who keeps referring
to the Nigerian military as Boko Haram
army; consistently dismissing the Nigerian
military as lacking the capacity to contain the
insecurity he has engineered to exercise free
reign in Rivers State.
For the avoidance of doubt, at no time did
Dr Dakuku Peterside call for a purge of the
leadership of security agencies. It is apparent
that Austin Tam George is on a journey of
mischief.
We have faith that in the March 19, 2016
re-run elections in Rivers State, Rivers
residents will vote and their votes will count,
unlike what happened in 2015 when the
power of guns and militancy held sway.
Now that Wike and the PDP will not have
unlimited access to result sheets, they appear
to have chosen maximum violence, which
is the only path they know. Reports indicate
that 24 persons were killed in one day in
Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government
Area (ONELGA), while the Senatorial Office
of Senator Magnus Abe was burnt in Bori,
Khana Local Government Area (KHALGA).
Against this background, it is advisable
for Austin Tam George to focus on working
with his party members towards reconstructing the national leadership of their party to
earn the support of Nigerians. He also needs
to learn how to interpret the policies and
programmes of Rivers State Government
and change her image from notoriety to
something positive. Otherwise, he would
be remembered as a pseudo propagandist,
a character who was diametrically opposed
to himself, and sang discordant tones in
accordance with the dictates of his pay
master.
–Asoya is media aide to Dr Dakuku
Peterside.
88
CICERO/ISSUE
A Black Birthday for Rev. King as
Supreme Court Rules
Nine years of legal battle to save the founder/General-Overseer of the Christian Praying Assembly,
Chukwuemeka Ezeugo, popularly called Reverend King, from death row ended on a sad note for him on
Friday, his birthday, as the Supreme Court upheld his death sentence. Anayo Okolie writes
F
riday was supposed to be a memorable
day for the founder/General-Overseer
of the Christian Praying Assembly,
Chukwuemeka Ezeugo, popularly
known as Reverend King, but it turned
out to be the opposite. The death sentence passed on him by the High Court
and the Court of Appeal was upheld by
the Supreme Court on his birthday.
Black Birthday
Ezeugo received torrents of birthday wishes and
words of encouragement from within and outside
Nigeria on Friday. One of the messages, which was
sponsored as an advertorial in a daily newspaper
read: “Daddy, you are a great counsellor. Daddy,
you are the messiah of the world. Our prayers have
been answered by sending you, our dear G.O., to
come and deliver us from the hands of the enemy
of God…No amount of conspiracy can change our
mind or stop us from following you. Daddy, you are
a rightful judge and a judge cannot be judged by his
subject. We shall follow you forever in Jesus name.”
That advertorial and others like it show that his
church members might have woken up Friday
morning with high hopes, to at least show Ezeugo
their loyalty, love and support on his day with the
belief that a miracle could still happen.
Arraignment
Ezeugo was arraigned on September 26, 2006 on
a six-count charge of attempted murder and murder
of his church member, Ann Uzoh. He was alleged to
have poured petrol on the deceased, Uzoh, and five
others.
Justice Joseph Oyewole, who is now a Justice of
the Court of Appeal in Calabar, had in his judgement
held that there was sufficient evidence linking the
accused person to the commission of the crime.
Oyewole convicted and sentenced Ezeugo to 20 years
imprisonment for the attempted murder, and death
by hanging for the offence of murder.
Not satisfied with the judgement, Ezeugo took
the case before the Court of Appeal. In his Notice of
Appeal, dated January 16, 2007, he asked the appeal
court to quash his conviction and death sentence.
On June 10, 2008, the Court of Appeal granted
him leave to argue additional 16 grounds of appeal
through an amended notice of appeal filed on June
15, 2008 through his lawyer, Mr. Olalekan Ojo.
Defence
Ojo argued that his client did not commit the
crime and was not at the scene of the incident.
He insisted that the deceased, Uzoh, had in two
statements she made after the incident and before
her death stated that she got burnt in a generator
accident and that the cleric was not responsible for
her injuries.
The lawyer said the Investigating Police Officer
had tendered statements which stated that Ezeugo
was not responsible for the burns that led to Uzoh’s
death. He alleged that the trial judge refused to
admit in evidence the statements that exonerated
Ezeugo from the crime.
Ojo contended that had those “vital exhibits” been
admitted, rather than expunged by the trial judge,
they would have operated to cast serious doubt
on the case of the prosecution. He maintained that
Justice Oyewole’s refusal to admit the exhibits in
evidence “occasioned a great miscarriage of justice”
against his client.
Despite the argument by Ezeugo’s lawyer, the
Court of Appeal sitting in Lagos affirmed the judgement of a Lagos High Court delivered on 11 January,
2007 that Ezeugo should die by hanging for the
murder of Uzoh.
The lead judgement read by Justice Fatima Akinbami and supported by two other judges, Ibrahim
Salauwa and Amina Augie, resolved all the grounds
of the appeal against Ezeugo because the judge said
the witnesses gave evidences of how the victim was
killed, especially the evidences from the 10 prosecu-
Rev. King
tion witnesses.
According to one of the witnesses, Ezeugo ordered
one of them to bring matches and ordered another
to pour petrol on the victim before he set her on fire.
However, all the witnesses unanimously stated that the
victim was set on fire by Ezeugo.
The judge, however, said: “The contradictions in the
evidences of the witnesses are not substantial in fact
and material. The most important thing was that the
essential ingredient of murder is the intention to kill.
All the witnesses gave evidences of how Ann was
burnt to death on 2 August 2006. 20 exhibits were
gathered.”
In his conclusion, Akinbanmi said: “the evidences
against the appellant were overwhelming and damag-
In a unanimous judgement, the
apex court held that the two
lower courts were right to have
sentenced Ezeugo to death by
hanging for the murder of a
member of his church. Justice
Sylvester Ngwuta, who delivered
the lead judgement, resolved all
the 12 issues the Reverend raised
in his appeal against him.
ing. Therefore, all the grounds of appeal were
resolved against the appellant. The judgement of the
Lagos High Court delivered on 11 January, 2007 is
upheld and affirmed.”
Akinbanmi added that it was sad that the appellant, a religious leader, who is supposed to give
succour to people and be a living example, could
do a thing like that, giving people stone instead of
bread, scorpion instead of fish.
Supreme Court
Again, Ezeugo was not satisfied with the verdict.
He approached the Supreme Court, and asked that
the judgement be upturned. But the Supreme Court
on Friday affirmed the concurrent judgements of the
High Court of Lagos State and the Court of Appeal,
which slammed a death sentence on Ezeugo.
In a unanimous judgement, the apex court held
that the two lower courts were right to have sentenced Ezeugo to death by hanging for the murder
of a member of his church. Justice Sylvester Ngwuta,
who delivered the lead judgement, resolved all the 12
issues the Reverend raised in his appeal against him.
The justice said the first five counts against Ezeugo
were for attempted murder, which carries a penalty
of 20 years imprisonment, while the sixth count
was for murder, which attracts a death sentence by
hanging.
Ngwuta, in the judgement, held that the 20 years
imprisonment for attempted murder was no longer
necessary, adding, “From the fact of the case, the
scene could have been taken from a horror movie.
“Having considered the arguments of parties in this
matter, I am of the view that the appeal has no merit.
The appeal is hereby dismissed and the judgement of
the Lagos State High Court, which was affirmed by
the Court of Appeal, is hereby affirmed.”
89
PERSPECTIVE
Fight against Corruption and the Rule of Law
Lai Mohammed
I
n the ongoing national debate on
the Federal Government’s anticorruption fight, critics have said,
time and again, that the battle is
being waged without respect for
the Rule of Law. This accusation
is unfounded. For one, this administration is a product and true
advocate of the Rule of Law. Secondly,
there is no greater proponent of that timetested legal principle than Mr. President
himself. Therefore, I want to state, for the
record, that this Administration has been
fighting, and will continue to fight the
anti-corruption battle, within the confines
of the law.
That corruption is a major challenge to Nigeria’s development and
economic growth is a fact that has now
been accepted, both by Nigerians and
non Nigerians, as an unquestionable
truth- - an axiomatic truism if you may.
That is why the Buhari Administration,
since its inauguration, has left no one
in doubt regarding its commitment to
ridding Nigeria of corruption, as captured
poignantly in President Buhari’s statement
that “Nigeria must kill corruption before
corruption kills Nigeria.”
In the pursuit of this objective, the
administration has actively set itself on
the path of combating corruption head-on.
This fight is being carried out on all fronts
- the legal as well as the institutional, the
criminal as well as the socio and communication fronts. The Presidential Advisory
Committee, which was inaugurated in
August 2015 by the Presidency, is charged
with formulating a cohesive strategy for
attacking corruption at all levels and
presenting such to the President to add to
the rich body of counsel he gets on issues
from his cabinet, and the whole structure
of the Federal Government.
It is also worth mentioning that early
this year, precisely on Jan. 18th 2016, the
Ministry of Information and Culture,
where I preside, launched a National
Sensitization Campaign Against Corruption, with a view to alerting Nigerians to
the evils of corruption and carrying them
along in the efforts by the government to
tackle what is undoubtedly a cankerworm
that has eaten deep into the fabric and
body of our society. The strategy we have
adopted is to count the cost of corruption
by highlighting how the huge sums of
money being looted would have benefitted
Nigerians. In other words, we decided
to strip corruption of its hitherto abstract
status and give it a face.
That explains why, at the launch of
the National Sensitization Campaign, we
told Nigerians that in just seven years
(2006-2013), only 55 Nigerians allegedly
stole 1.34 trillion Naira. We did not release
that information to vilify anyone, hence
we did not name those involved even
though their names, the courts in which
they are being tried and other details are
already in the public domain. However,
we concentrated on what that amount of
money would have done for our people.
We did say, for example, that if just one
third of that amount had been recovered,
we would have been able to construct
about five Lagos-Ibadan Expressways;
would have built one ultra-modern
hospital in each of the 36 states, would
have built 20,062 housing units and 183
schools, as well as educate 3,974 children
up to tertiary level at the cost of 25.24 million Naira per child. These figures were
arrived at by using World Bank rates.
Also, consider this: in US dollar terms,
the 1.34 trillion Naira translates to about
$6.8 billion -- an amount that is more than
the combined average yearly revenues
of four sovereign African States: Eritrea
($1.145 billion), Niger ($2.415 billion), Benin
Republic ($1.964 billion) and Togo (1.115
billion).
Our decade-old experience in fight-
Buhari
ing corruption has had its ups and
downs, successes and failures, shifting
priorities and very low moments. Fighting
entrenched corruption can sometimes be a
very lonely road to travel in our part of the
world, where a true community of genuine
corruption fighters are assailed from every
side by unwary recruits of the looters
among us, in our communities, places of
work and worship.
This battle has always portended certain
discomfort, even calamity, for those who
choose to throw themselves into it. The
late General Murtala Ramat Mohammed,
perhaps the first Head of State of modern
Nigeria to actively acknowledge, probe
and sanction high level corrupt practices
in government, was gunned down in
cold blood, 40 years ago, in a failed coup
d’état orchestrated by corrupt military and
civilian elements.
Recall that in recent times, the resurgent
EFCC that is now demonstrating institutional resolve against corruption was systematically castrated in late 2007. Versatile
criminal investigators were thrown out and
the place turned upside down. The effect
of that ill-advised intervention was felt for
a very long time. However, the current
government is striving to rebuild the
agency and other anti-corruption vehicles,
even as it tackles a myriad of other emerging security and criminal threats.
Not unexpectedly, corruption has started
fighting back, and the fight has been fast
and furious.
One of the platforms they have tried to
manipulate is the media. Their paid agents
are everywhere, everyday, in virtually all
media, talking and writing about the Rule
of Law! But I am glad to say that the media
has availed itself ceditably and refused to
be manipulated.
The other platform they are trying to manipulate is the judiciary, the bastion of the
principle itself. When cases of corruption
with overwhelming evidences are taken
to court, the expectation in saner climes is
that the accused persons very quickly own
up, serve time, the victims get restitution
and the society embarks on a healing
process. If the accused persons fail to own
up, they are expected to mount a vigorous
defence aimed at quickly exonerating them,
not to prolong the case by employing legal
technicalities. But that is not the case in
Nigeria. Here, once someone is accused of
grand corruption, it is taken like a badge of
honour.
Rather than hide their faces in shame,
they become even more emboldened. They
hire the costliest senior lawyers to exploit
or manufacture legal loopholes. That, to
my mind, is the Ruse of Law. In the name
of ‘Rule of Law’, corrupt persons continue
to hold on to and vigorously defend their
‘entitlement’ to the proceeds of crime.
Happily, we can say all that is receding
into the past. We are beginning to see
a groundswell of people’s anger against
corruption. There is now more genuine
public participation in government anticorruption initiatives.
Now to the issue of the Rule of Law.
Very simply defined, it is the subjugation
of every person and every conduct within
a given area to the laws of the time that
are generally accepted as a guide of the
conduct of the people within that given
area. In the context of the fight against
corruption, Rule of Law implies that every
person or agency involved would act
within the dictates and confines of the
law. It implies further that there is one law
for everyone and that no one is above the
law. In other words, Rule of Law is the
antithesis of impunity.
The World Justice Project, WJP, describes
the Rule of Law as a system in which
government, public servants and agents
in the society, including individuals and
private entities, are accountable under
the law. The WJP further adds that it is a
system where justice is delivered timely
by competent, ethical and independent
representatives and neutrals that are
of sufficient number, have adequate
resources, and reflect the makeup of the
communities they serve. It states that such
laws must be publicized, clear, stable and
evenly applied to everyone.
In response to the ongoing anticorruption efforts of the government, an
increasing number of voices has emerged
in defence of suspects being indicted for
various acts of corruption by the courts
of law under the banner of upholding the
Rule of Law. Let me stress that the Rule
of Law is not and was never intended to
be used as a line of defense for suspects
undergoing trial for corrupt practices in
the courts of law that are lawfully constituted and endowed with the legitimate
authority to carry out same trial.
Similarly, it is does not exist as an instrument of protection for suspects whose
alleged action is at the cost of the public
good. In other words, the Rule of Law
was never intended to be an instrument of
potential economic oppression of the poor
by the elite. There is nothing questionable
in this administration’s approach to fighting corruption. The government is bound
by law and is following the rule of law in
its anti-corruption efforts. Were this not the
case, the accused persons so far charged
would not be having their day in court.
Social pluralism can hardly be given as
basis for ignoring the cost of corruption to
peace and security and national development. Corruption has cost Nigeria security,
lives, territories and the displacement of
millions, in addition to causing many
children to be out of school, destroying
infrastructure and compromising institutions of government, etc.
Each society has used methods expedient
to it to fight corruption at different times
in their own history. Singapore, at one
time in its history, fought corruption by
suspending rule of law and fundamental
rights. Some developed countries today
ignore rule of law and fundamental rights
in their fight against terrorism. The current
Nigerian government has not requested
for emergency powers to tackle corruption,
even though some school of thought
unequivocally believes that Nigeria is in
an emergency, with high unemployment,
unpaid salaries, reduced income, insurgency, reduced oil income and primitive
looting of the treasury by the immediate
past administration.
Other points of consideration in the fight
against corruption and rule of law include
the following:
Whether suspects can be detained at
all and for how long; whether detained
suspects are entitled or not entitled to
bail; whether suspects who get bail can
be re-arrested on the grounds of fresh
offenses against them; whether terms of
bail should be lenient or punitive; whether
government should challenge the bar and
the bench in the fight against corruption or
stand aloof in view of separation of powers,
in spite of some untoward occurrences in
some sections of the judiciary; and whether
government can recover stolen assets in lieu
of conviction by the courts.
There are also the issues of whether
government is entitled to demand accelerated hearing of corruption cases to enable
it secure convictions and enforce the laws
accordingly; whether government should
canvass justice for millions of Nigerians
deprived of livelihood and thrown into
poverty, above the technicality of law
through which accused persons wish to
escape justice without any iota of remorse
or compensation to victims of corruption;
whether government should ignore the
role of senior lawyers who allegedly shield
criminals and frustrate justice, and whether
government is entitled to reopen egregious
cases of corruption ignored by previous
administrations in spite of overwhelming
evidence
These and many more are the issues
that resonate in the debate on corruption
and the Rule of Law. Suffice to say that
the government of President Muhammadu
Buhari would have achieved much more
in the fight against corruption, but for its
determination to follow the rule of law
even though its wheels grind so slowly.
There is the vain hope by treasury
looters that by bringing up Rule of Law, the
mandate and operational tactics of agencies
would be more favourably interpreted.
What they seek, however, is to go outside
the scope of the laws setting up the agencies, which have clearly set out their raison
d’être, functions and powers, within the
larger frame of the constitution.
It is important to state here that the
entire idea of fighting corruption is a
constitutional imperative. Section 15 (5) of
the Constitution gives a cardinal reason
for statehood: “The State shall abolish
all corrupt practices and abuse of office.”
So, President Buhari is only giving life to
this very important provision, with all his
targeted actions against corruption and his
rallying cry to all Nigerian patriots in the
forefront of the war.
––Mohammed is the Minister of
Information and Culture
90
PERSPECTIVE
The Day Anyaoku, Ndigbo Stood up for Obiano
James Eze
F
or the Igbo resident in
Lagos, Friday, February 19,
2016 will remain memorable for quite some time; not
so much for what it was but
for the hope it represents.
As they trickled into the
Shell Hall of the MUSON
Centre to share an evening with Chief
Willie Obiano, the Governor of Anambra State, it is doubtful whether most
of the members of the Aka Ikenga,
League of Anambra Professionals
(LAP), Ndigbo Lagos and other Igbo
groups who came colourfully dressed
knew what to expect. It was a special
evening, made more so by Obiano’s
two-year account of stewardship
which he came to share.
But Obiano did not waste time in
setting the agenda. With his eyes
firmly set on the crescendo, he began
by pointing out that the event was
a home-coming of sorts to him. “.
I bagged both my first and second
degrees from the University of Lagos
and for over twenty five years, I lived
among you here; pursuing my career
from the oil and gas sector to banking.
Over the years, I made friends here;
evolved into a man here, got married
and ended my career on a glorious
note here. And when I answered
the call to serve our beloved State as
governor, I got the highest support,
encouragement and prayers from you
people here.” After establishing his
rootedness in the Lagos community,
Obiano made a bold admission of his
own humanity with an appeal for
forgiveness by so many friends and
well-wishers who “felt neglected or
disrespected by their inability to reach
me since I took on the full weight
of my office.” Quoting Archbishop
Desmond Tutu that “forgiveness says
you are given a chance to make a new
beginning,” the governor expressed
his sincerest regrets and pleaded for
a chance to make things right with
anyone who felt done in by the bureaucracy of his office. It was a classic
mea culpa that is rare among Nigerian
leaders. But it proved very effective
for its purpose, soothing frayed nerves
and setting the stage for a very lively
evening.
Before he plunged into the full range
of his two-year Account of Stewardship, Obiano showed enough presence
of mind to recall a cardinal vow from
his inaugural address. Modulating his
voice to meet the occasion, he quoted
the passage that “the time has come to
prove to ourselves that the entrepreneurial spirit for which our people are
known all over the world can take firm
roots at home; that together as one, we
can be masters of our own house!” He
also recalled that he had assured the
people that “under my administration,
we have no choice than to decide
whether we are truly the sons and
daughters of our fathers and true heirs
to their long history of pioneering
excellence!” He therefore submitted
that his achievements in the past 23
months had sufficiently “answered the
question of whose children we are.”
From this premise, the governor
launched out a detailed account of
his achievements that covered his
economic blueprint known as the Four
Pillars of Development with its thirteen
Enablers. He deliberately spiced up his
account with verbal queues that were
carefully laced with Igbo language to
elicit reactions from the audience and
sustain interest in his narration. His
effort drew intermittent applause that
bloomed to a crescendo when in conclusion he appealed to Ndi Anambra
from across the world to lend a hand
in building the state. Pointing out that
Anambra had become the safest state
Chief Emeka Anyaoku, former Secretary General of the Commonwealth making his remarks
in Nigeria, Governor Obiano declared
that “the future is looking brighter and
brighter but with your assistance and
belief in the government of Anambra
State, we can take possession of our
tomorrow from today.” The applause
that followed reverberated in the huge
hall and set the stage for the documentary that offered a graphic account of
his stewardship, aptly titled, “Two Years
of Excellence.” The documentary is the
Obiano story, told from multi-perspectives including his commissioners, key
industrialists, farmers, helicopter pilots
down to ordinary citizens who bore
witness to the change that the governor
had wrought in the state in two years.
It was the documentary that tellingly
drove home the fact of Obiano’s high
achievements and erased all doubts
about his administrative competence.
Consequently, when the documentary
ended, what was originally designed
as a Question and Answer session to
enable the governor get a first-hand
feedback from the people became a onesided flow of praises and encomiums
for him. The feedback was understandably much but the most remarkable
came from the former Secretary General
of the Commonwealth, Chief Emeka
Anyaoku. For one who is not known to
make easy comments on Nigerian leaders, Anyaoku’s comment on the night
was possibly the greatest endorsement
Governor Obiano has received from
Anambra’s numerous distinguished
citizens. Said he “Whenever I visit home I see evidence
of Governor Willie Obiano’s activities.
Driving from Enugu to Onitsha and
Obosi, the evidence stares me in the
face. In my last trip I was passing
through Awka and there was His
Excellency, Chief Willie Obiano commissioning one of the bridges. And this
evening, what we have all seen struck
me deep because what we have all seen
in the documentary confirms my view
that in Governor Obiano we have a
governor with a vision for the state and
much more important than that; with
a strategy. There are many leaders who
have visions. But there are very few
leaders, the world over, and when I say
the world over, I’m sure you know that I
have had interaction with many countries around the world. There are very
few leaders who have strategic capacity.
And there we have in Anambra State, a
leader who has strategic capacity.
“I am always pained that Anambra
State, endowed as it is with human
resources, people who have attained
great heights not just in Nigeria but
all over the world, but if I may talk
about Nigeria, it was very striking that
when Nigeria celebrated its 50th Independence Anniversary and the federal
government decided to recognise 50
people who were deemed to have made
outstanding contributions to the development of the country that Anambra
State had 5 of the 50. And yet Anambra
State, until very recently, didn’t have
much to write home about. Until very
recently, Anambrarians had 80% of
their assets invested outside Anambra
State. For me, that’s a very embarrassing
situation. But you couldn’t blame them
because in Anambra State, they didn’t
have the grounds for bringing back
their investments. But that is changing
and changing very fast under governor
Willie Obiano. He is creating the basis
for investment in Anambra State. He is
creating the basis for attracting Anambrarians to come home and play some
role and they are feeling very safe. That
is something we should broadcast to
our people all over the world.
“And for that I must say that he
encapsulated in the documentary that
we saw the different aspects of the development plans. Really, not just plans
but activities, because Nigeria is sometimes very good at drawing plans but
not very good at implementing them.
But here we have a situation where the
plans are clear and the implementation
is getting on actively as we pray it does.
And as was said earlier, I would say
jidekwa k ‘iji! I suspect that when you
say to somebody that he should hold
on to what he or she is doing, it means
that he or she is doing very well. So I
say jidekwa k’iji. And finally, on behalf
of the aging group that I represent here,
I want to thank you, Your Excellency
for the excellent work you are doing in
our state and indeed when I go to other
states you have given me the reason not
only to be proud but also to boast.”
As would be expected, Anyaoku’s
vote of confidence drew a very loud
applause. But Anyaoku was not alone.
Mr. Ifeanyi Ubah, the Chairman of
Capital Oil and proprietor of Premiership Club, Ifeanyi Ubah FC who
also ran against Obiano in the last
gubernatorial race was full of praises
for him. Thanking the governor for
an excellent performance, Mr. Ubah
declared – “Tonight, we have all
seen from the documentary that we
watched, why governor Obiano is The
Sun Governor of the Year. I contested
the gubernatorial seat with him and
it was a keen contest. But what we
want is the progress of Anambra
State. I am not a sycophant. I have
seen that Governor Obiano is not a
greedy governor. He is a contented
man. Contentment is the key word.
Let’s move the state forward. We have
so many great men in Anambra State.
The time has come for all these great
people to rally round the governor so
that we can build our state. It is time
that we all remember that Anambra
is our own and a journey of a million
miles starts with a step and a step
in the right direction is supporting
the government to move the state
forward. So, Akpokue, I congratulate
you for the award you will be given
tomorrow. Don’t be afraid. God is
with you. I will support your second
term bid.”
Following the same line of appraisal, famous Nollywood actor,
Pete Edochie wondered whether
there would still be some work left
for Obiano’s successor to do after
he had served two terms in office if
he maintained the same work rate
throughout his years. In specific
terms, Edochie told Obiano – “Many
people have ruled Anambra State but
it was only you that made Awka look
like a state capital. We are immensely
proud of you.
In the history of Anambra State,
no governor has ever called on the
people and they responded in full
as they did tonight. You are the only
one who has achieved this degree of
respect among our people. I watched
the documentary that we were shown
this evening with awe when I realised
that you had only spent two years in
office. In two years, you have covered
almost every part of Anambra State.
When you have done 8 years in office,
would there still be some challenges
left for your predecessor to handle?
We are standing firmly behind you,”
he declared in a guttural voice.
–Eze wrote from Awka (eziok-
wubundu@gmail.com).
91
PERSPECTIVE
Saraki and Legislative, Governance
Institutions: A Synergy That Works
A
Chuks Okocha
part from the partial
amendments of the 1999
Constitution in 2010 by
the National Assembly, all
further attempts to amend
the constitution have failed.
The nearest attempt towards
amendment of the constitution by the seventh National Assembly also
failed due to what has been identified as time
constraints. It was to guard against becoming
another victim of time that the eighth Senate
under the leadership of the Senate President,
Dr. Abubakar Saraki, commenced in time
efforts to amend the constitution and block
potential and identified loopholes.
Already, the Senate has set up a fresh
constitution amendment committee under
the chairmanship of the Deputy Senate
President, Ike Ekweremadu. As part of the
strategy to ensure timely amendment of the
constitution, the senate president went a step
further by soliciting the support and synergy
between the National Assembly and the 36
states Houses of Assembly. This is necessary
and strategic because for the constitution to
be amended, such amendment must receive
a positive attention from at least two third of
the Houses of Assembly. It is also to afford
the lawmakers at the Houses of Assembly the
opportunity to make their own inputs into the
amendment of the 1999 Constitution.
In his meeting with the chairman, Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures of
Nigeria, Ismalia Abdulmumini Kamba, Saraki,
who is also the chairman of the National
Assembly, urged the members of the Houses
of Assembly in the 36 states to collaborate with
the National Assembly in ensuring a timely
amendment of the 1999 Constitution this year.
The senate president reiterated the importance of the amendment of the constitution,
saying it is a crucial assignment to be carried
out by both the eighth National Assembly
and state legislatures in order to deepen
democracy and move the country forward.
He said it was necessary for the leadership of
the Houses of Assembly to ensure that they
make their input into the document when it
gets to them without delay and transmit same
Saraki
to the National Assembly for its quick passage.
According to the senate president, “I enjoin
the state Houses of Assembly to partner with
the National Assembly by taking this constitution amendment exercise very serious in order
to start implementing the new constitution
this year. We need to continue to do our
best for those that elected us into positions of
authority.”
He stressed that for the impact of the
exercise to be felt early enough, “all hands
must be on deck to ensure that it is passed this
year.”
Saraki reiterated the need to sharpen the
legislative skills of lawmakers to meet international best practices through the capacity
building programmes of the National Institute
of Legislative Studies.
Earlier, Kamba, who is also Speaker of the
Kebbi State House of Assembly, commended
the leadership qualities displayed by Saraki
since his assumption of office. He thanked the
National Assembly for the trainings organised
for its members by NILS, saying it has helped
to enhance the legislative activities of state
lawmakers nationwide.
Saraki has used every opportunity available
to him to emphasise the crucial role of capacity
building for legislators in the improvement
of their legislative activities, particularly, their
oversight functions and entrenchment of
good governance. Such was the case when
the United Kingdom Parliament, under the
auspices of the Africa House London, led by
Mr. Emmanuel Finndoro-Obasi, visited the
senate president in Abuja recently. FinndoroObasi canvassed the need for exchange of
ideas and knowledge among legislators,
saying it would go a long way in building
capacity and experience in parliamentary
procedure.
Responding, Saraki stressed that governance was a participatory endeavour, stating
that knowledgeable hands should share
ideas in order to ensure the success of the
administration.
According to the senate president, “I cherish
this relationship, the visit is very timely. I
think we are better with Nigerians in the UK
parliament. It is a signal of a brighter tomorrow for our democracy.
“We have been clamouring for partnership
between advanced democracies of the world. I
believe we stand a better chance sharing ideas
and experiences with the U.K. Parliament.”
In a similar vein, Finndoro-Obasi said
their mission was to promote good trade
relationship between Africa and the U.K.,
saying Nigeria is their starting point. He
added that Nigerians in the diaspora were
eager to partner with government at all levels
in ensuring that positive change was felt by
the citizens.
Finndoro-Obasi called on governments to
continue embrace policies that promote locally
made goods, saying that is the only panacea
for the nation’s dwindling economic situation.
The senate president also played host
to the incoming Secretary General of the
Commonwealth, Patricia Janet Scotland. Both
leaders discussed how to deepen investment
relationship with Nigeria and the Commonwealth countries. At their meeting, the senate
president told his visitors that there were huge
prospects in the Nigerian economy.
Saraki assured the incoming scribe of the
Commonwealths that with the President
Muhammadu Buhari administration and the
new direction of governance in the country,
“Nigeria is committed to partner in bilateral
trade relationship with every member country
of the Commonwealth.”
He stated that to strengthen the Nigerian
Small and Medium Scale Enterprises and
improve on the trade and investment capacity
of the country, the Senate was committed to
enacting enabling laws for investors to regain
the confidence in doing businesses in Nigeria.
Saraki said the visit was an indication that
Commonwealth countries were interested
in doing business in Nigeria. He explained,
“There have been some perceptions over the
years that foreigners have lost interest in doing
business in Nigeria, but that is not true.
“The President Muhammadu Buhari
administration is committed to doubling
bilateral trade relations with any country that
shows genuine interest in investing in our
economy.
“We are faced with lots of challenges, we
must address unemployment and in doing
this, our environment must be conducive for
business to triumph. We hope to come out
with reform to make things work better. I
am confident with the crops of lawmakers in
the National Assembly. Our focus is on the
welfare of our people and with the zeal and
commitment, it is achievable.”
The senate president said despite the challenges that the Nigerian economy faced at the
moment, it was still experiencing a remarkable
growth, adding that through diversification
of the economy, which is the new focus of
the present administration, “Nigeria is ready
to work closely with you to ensure that the
objective of the organisation is realisable.”
In her remarks, the Commonwealth
Secretary General Designate, Rt. Hon. Patricia
Janet Scotland, said the Commonwealth
represented one-third of the world population,
assuring that on her resumption in office by
April this year, she will build synergy with
the Nigerian government in the areas of
parliamentary activities and the judiciary.
Scotland, who hails from Dominican
Republic in the Caribbeans, is the first woman
to be appointed Secretary General out of the
six past heads of the Commonwealth.
–Okocha is Special Assistant to the
Senate President on Print Media.
Semenitari and the NDDC Challenge
Sheddy Ozoene
M
argaret Hilda Thatcher performed so
well by taking on tough tasks in her first
tenure as British Prime Minister. His US
counterpart, President Ronald Reagan
who couldn’t stroll to his local church
without adequate security, marveled
that Thatcher could make the long-haul
trip to the troubled Falkland Islands,
unannounced. In any case, her heroics were so profound
that Thatcher’s supporters told voters, during her re-election
campaign in 1983, that she was the best MAN for the job.
Even Russian leader, Leonid Brezhnev said Thatcher was
“trying to wear the trousers of Winston Churchill”.
All these underscored her character: she was indeed a
woman of iron will—committed, focused and fearless. And
on most of her promises, she delivered.
There are no Thatchers here but Nigeria’s Ibim Semenitari
qualifies as one woman made for tough jobs too. She simply
dares where devils fear to tread, and delivers on her promises too. Over the years, the seasoned journalist whose career
has taken her to some leading newspapers and magazines
within Nigeria, including a stint as Journalism Trainer/Editor
with the BBC World Service Trust, has proved that she
could well hold her own, not only in the newsroom but in
the murky waters of Nigerian politics.
Today, she sits atop the Niger Delta Development
Commission as acting managing director. Anyone with
an understanding of the region, its intricate politics, and
peculiar development realities will conclude that the task
of translating President Buhari’s development vision for the
volatile Niger Delta into reality, is not a tea party. But the
award winning investigative journalist, editor and publisher,
is not a political rookie either. She had served the Rotimi
Amaechi administration as Commissioner for Information
and Communications. Managing the public image of such
a swashbuckling governor at a particularly tempestuous
period like Amaechi’s tenure as Rivers state governor did
not come easy, but it proved to be the test that brought out
her true character.
Those years of stewardship in her home state, proved her
as a performer and as a strong-willed lady who can be relied
upon to get the job done. And did she get the job done?
The Rivers state opposition will not forget her in a
hurry. She proved capable in managing the vociferous lot
-- word for word and action for action --diffusing in the
media, the several crises that the opposition designed to
upset the Amaechi administration. Her actions contributed
substantially in ensuring that Amaechi concluded his tenure
on a particularly high note, against all odds.
Semenitari’s performance in the communications
directorate of the Buhari Presidential Campaign Organisation
during the 2015 presidential campaign, was perhaps, the
turning point. While at the directorate –though her principal,
Amaechi, was at the time also heading Buhari’s campaign as
Director-General -- her effectiveness and zeal did not escape
the strict scrutiny Muhammadu Buhari is well known for.
The would-be President must have made mental notes,
going by the assignment he eventually found her worthy of
after removing Mr. Bassey Dan-Abia as Managing Director
of the NDDC last December. When the President tapped
Ibim for the tough job, it became obvious that her new
assignment would make her tour of duty in Amaechi’s
Rivers state, look like a picnic.
To say that the appointment was scary is to put it mildly
considering the much expected of the regional intervention
agency. The NDDC has been deep in rot. Allegation had
been rife that it had become in recent times, a cesspool of
corruption and unnecessary financial controversies so much
that regional leaders in Niger Delta perceive it not as a tool
for regional development but as an avenue for distribution
of political patronages. At the same time, the harsh realities
of underdevelopment were pervasive in the region which is
still reeling from the effects of environmental degradation.
Since her appointment, however, she has worked so hard
to give a lie to that perception that the NDDC was another
Father Christmas, or cash cow for indolent politicians and
leaders of the zone. She had launched efforts to refocus the
agency, its management and staff towards its original vision
and mission, with a wake-up call to brace up for hard work
to meet the needs of the people. Her success in so short a
time indicates that the NDDC is indeed being repositioned
for better service delivery to communities within the Niger
Delta.
It is a really hard job, but a duty she has committed to
perform with commitment and her trademark zeal. With her
stated good understanding of the challenges of the region
and an in-depth knowledge of how the commission ought
to be intervening in terms of development, the hope that
her tenure may well prove the turning point in that region’s
development, may not be wrongly placed. The winner of the
CNN African Journalist of the Year Awards (she is the first
Nigerian female journalist to win the coveted price), Ibim
has over the years proved to be a woman with determined
go-getter spirit.
Many women have in recent years proved themselves in
public service, and the likes of Ngozi Okonjo Iweala, Dora
Akunyili, Ifeako Omoigui readily come to mind. If Madam
Semenitari continues, as she has started, to rise above the
unnecessary politics that has blurred the vision of successive
leaders entrusted with the management of NDDC over the
years, then she is jolly well coasting home to resounding
success. And a place in the annals of the nation’s public
service history.
_Ozoene is Publisher/Editor-In-Chief
People&Politics Magazine.
92
PERSPECTIVE
The Pope was right
The Test of Our Christianity
Every Christian necessarily believes in judgment day. All
may not agree on the format of the final judgment but on the
principle of retribution, there can be no doubt. In order to stay
on the path of righteousness on earth we need road-markers
and milestones to help us measure the genuineness of our
claim to Christian identity. Such can be occasions when we
hold a mirror to our life and sincerely evaluate where we stand
because an unexamined life is simply not worth living. Jesus
taught as much in the Bible through different parables, which
he told the people. Just think of the Parable of the unforgiving
servant (Mt. 18: 23-135), the parable of the Good Samaritan (Lk.
10: 25-37) and perhaps most clearly and coherently, the parable
of the final judgment (Matt 25). In our own experience today it
is not difficult to see those who truly try to live Christian lives
and those who do not. What we find difficult to do, for fear
of being labeled hypocrites and judgmental fanatics, is to point
such out such failings to those who are concerned. Yet even
the Bible puts on us the responsibility of calling our brothers
and sisters to order whenever such is found necessary. These
days the witness of John the Baptist who told King Herod to
his face how wrong it was for him to marry Herodias, the wife
of Philip, his brother, is regrettably not commonplace. Hazy
declarations, political correctness and doom-saying, disguised in
prophecies and visions, have become the more common way of
speaking truth to power.
Pope andTrump
That is why one must commend the direct and scathing
remarks of Pope Francis about the Republican Presidential
candidate hopeful, Donald Trump, not too long ago.
Interviewed on his flight back from a trip, the Pope challenged
Mr. Trump on whether he is a true Christian given that all
Firm Faith: Right Reason
Most Rev Emmanuel Ade Badejo
Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Oyo
fredebadejo@yahoo.com
0803 949 4219
he seems to do is build walls with his words and plans. Indeed, Mr.
Trump’s claim to fame in the American Presidential race so far, apart
from his business success, is the capacity to rally votes and following
through very alienating comments on many sensitive issues including
immigration and religion. The Pope knew very well that he would
receive a backlash by challenging Mr. Trump to show more Christian
qualities. And Mr. Trump did give the Pope a piece of his acerbic tongue,
though he has since toned down his attack, thereafter calling the Pope all
sorts of nice-guy names. The focus of this reflection, however is not on
the details of the exchange between the Pope and Mr. Trump. It is rather
on the imperative of rousing Christian leaders and consciousness to the
urgent responsibility of “walking the talk” and speaking up for the truth
whenever the opportunity presents itself.
Christians have social responsibility
No excuses are at all acceptable for Christians today especially those
who are in positions of leadership. For the umpteenth time it must be
said that evil thrives because good people are quiet. All Christians are
baptized into Jesus Christ and by implication, into the truth. Jesus himself
said that the reason he came is to bear witness to the truth (Jn. 18:37).
The opportunities to stand up and speak up for the truth are not rare
or far between. They present themselves daily and indict all Christians,
especially leaders who can, but do not take them. For example, how
many Christian leaders are doing all they can to speak and act against
policies and activities which undermine human life in all its
forms in their daily dealings? How many are acting against
poverty, child abuse, women trafficking and superstition in our
society? How many, given the platform have looked into the
eyes of powerful politicians and businessmen and told them
to stop cheating and stealing from the mouth of the poor? Did
Jesus not say I am the way, the truth and the life and did he
not demonstrate his option for the downtrodden? How many
religious leaders live a modest life to challenge the culture of
waste and extravagance eating away at our society today? Yet
these practical issues are the real litmus test of our Christianity.
Whoever Denies me
Jesus clearly declared in the Bible that there will someday be
consequences for standing by him or against him. “I tell you,
whoever acknowledges me before people, the Son of Man
will also acknowledge before the angels of God. But the one
who denies me before others will be denied before the angels
of God” (Lk. 12: 8-9). There are two main recognised forces in
the world, the force of light and the force of darkness. Truth
belongs to the light and falsehood to the darkness. Those who
worship God and love Jesus will naturally align with the forces
of light. Jesus himself declared that the devil is the father of lies
and prince of the world. In confronting the elements of evil he
told his followers that they will have troubles which will not
be in vain. “You will have trouble in the world; but courage!
I have overcome the world (Jn. 16:33). The thoughts of G. K
Chesterton are relevant here. To paraphrase him, he said we do
not need a Christianity that moves with the world but one that
moves the world. It all boils down to the need for Christians to
do an examination of conscience from the least to the biggest.
The question is: Wherever we are, do we deserve to be called
“salt of the earth”?
Abia Governorship Poll and the Supreme Court Judgement
“In everything, give thanks:
for this is the will of God in
Christ Jesus concerning you”
(2 Thessalonians 5:18)
A
Alex Otti
s I stand before you, I am
moved, but nothing moves
me more than the continuous
show of love, support and
solidarity by millions of poor
and less privileged Abians who
have refused to succumb to the
frightening power of injustice,
rather have chosen to uphold a life of dignity by
expressing their resentment to the injustice that
denied them the right to choose who governs
them.
The presence of this mammoth crowd today
brings back to life the interesting memory of our
campaign period when you all trooped out en
mass to welcome us and give us that emotional
support and solidarity that inspired us to journey
on even in the face of difficulties.
I still recall that unforgettable day in this same
Etche Road field when you emotionally displayed
the outpouring of love that spoke volumes of your
irrepressible desire for change.
From you, I got a bag of handkerchief with
which to clean my face and brighten my vision
while at the battle field.
You gave me a bag filled with Aba made shoes
which you wanted me to wear while I traversed
the terrible Aba roads. Above all, you blessed me
with a portrait of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior
whom you wanted to guide and protect us while
the Abia battle for freedom lasted.
Make no mistakes about it, Christ was our
inspiration, He is our inspiration and will forever
remain our inspiration, so none should question
the efficacy of his powers. I say this because
some of you had sent me texts and mails, almost
questioning the existence of God. Someone had
threatened that he will not worship God again if
He allowed our victory to be so brazenly stolen.
I want to use this opportunity to respond to such
people by quoting Dr. Ben Carson. He told a story
of a man who asked God where he was when
the Popular preacher, Myles Munroe, wife and
his associates were killed in a plane crash? God
answers, “the same place I sat when John the
Baptist my Servant was beheaded. When Stephen
my Servant was stoned to death. When Paul my
Servant was murdered in Rome. The same place
I sat when my only son was brutally crucified,
wounded, bruised and killed. I have not moved
from my position.” I can assure you that for God
to allow this to happen, there must be a purpose.
I have no doubt that it will become manifest in no
distant future.
You are all aware how this journey started, it is not
the usual Nigerian political game where many step
out either to be heard, to be seen, to be settled, or to
capture political power by all means in order to meet
selfish political and economic gains.
Without sounding sanctimonious, my ambition
and decision to venture into the Abia political terrain
was borne out of a genuine desire to arrest the
socio-political and economic rots ravaging our dear
State of Abia, and for which our state and people
have gained a notorious and laughable status of
mediocrity. I felt this should stop before a people
once respected for their bravery, hard work and
ingenuity are held in perpetual bondage, hence my
decision to venture into the battle field.
Initially, friends, associates, and loved ones thought
I was taking a crazy decision leaving my exalted position in the bank to come and run for governorship
especially when I had over six years left to stay in my
position as an MD/CEO of a respected bank in the
country, and thus did everything humanly possible
to dissuade me. But I insisted on pursuing my divine
ambition of salvaging Abia which I consider more
honorable, more altruistic, more people oriented, and
more humanitarian knowing fully well that I have
the capacity, the skill, the exposure and the burning
desire to re-write our chequered history.
Gladly I must confess that, while some opposed
this life saving adventure of mine, my wonderful
wife, my children and many of my loved ones,
friends, associates and well wishers were bold and
brave enough to urge me to go ahead not minding
the challenges ahead, and of course they gave me the
necessary support I needed to achieve the little we
were able to achieve.
While I never assumed that the battle would be
a tea party, considering the virile and formidable
structure of the anti democratic cabal holding the
state down for years, I never imagined that human
beings would exhibit such bestial attitude in a
desperate desire to hold on to power against the
collective will of the people.
While we set out to pursue the governorship project in the most peaceful, decent and civilized manner,
touring every nook and cranny of the state preaching
the gospel of change and good governance, the PDP
and its agents deployed state apparatus and criminal
brigandage to violently stop us from exercising
our constitutional and democratic rights. We were
stopped from using public facilities and institutions
built by tax payers money and collectively owned by
Abians. Our campaign billboards, flexes and posters
were destroyed on daily basis without just cause.
The state owned radio station that should have
been allowed to generate money for itself and
become self reliant by collecting money from all
parties for adverts and other programmes was
seized, personalized by the PDP led government and
Otti
used to preach hate against me, my party APGA,
and our supporters.
Violent attacks were planned and executed
against me on many occasions. For example we
were attacked at Ikwuano through a high ranking
PDP official there, yet we won convincingly in that
L.G.A because the people resolutely wanted change
and thus resisted the power of the gun.
At Isialangwa North, a notorious political thug
and cultist deployed by PDP led the operation that
attacked my convoy even without provocation,
of course it would have been bloody if we hadn’t
shown restraint.
At Isialangwa South, the INEC office there was
burnt down just to prevent our House of Assembly
candidate from being declared the winner of the
election. In many parts of Obingwa like Ogbor-Hill,
Seven Up axis and Obikabia areas, my supporters
were openly threatened and warned not to come
out and vote if they would not be voting for PDP
and their candidates.
The impunity in that L.G.A manifested to the
fullest on election day when the T.C Chairman of
Obingwa and numerous other thugs were caught
red handed and arrested by soldiers as they brought
in dangerous arms and ammunitions as well as
thumb printed ballot papers and ballot boxes stuffed
with fake results which was aimed at achieving
victory through the back door.
In Aba, they deployed hundreds of thugs and
other criminal elements who violently moved
round the city brandishing machetes and other
dangerous weapons and littering the city with
coffins, caskets and fetish objects threatening to kill
the very determined Aba electorates if they stepped
out to vote for me. These were the PDP sponsored
atrocities that manifested in Abia because some
agents of darkness wanted to remain in power
at all cost. These series of PDP electoral impunity
was climaxed with the violent invasion of the
INEC headquarters in Umuahia where former
Governor T.A. Orji and other agents of political
violence criminally stopped the INEC Returning
Officer and the Resident Commissioner from
declaring me winner of the election. Pause for a
moment and imagine a scenario where my team
and I returned fire for fire by invading the same
collation centre and countermanding the then
governor. It would have resulted in bloodshed.
My people, while we accepted our fate with
equanimity after the fraudulent declaration of my
opponent as the winner and proceeded to the
court to seek redress peacefully, our opponents
continued to preach and practice violence.
From denying my supporters the right to
peaceful gathering, to burning down of INEC
office in Obingwa to ensure we did not have
access to the election materials for inspection
and forensic investigation as ordered by the
tribunal. The climax of their evil plot was the
attempt to assassinate me on July 23, 2015 in
Abuja. They may think no one saw them, but
God saw them. I am 100% sure that the attack
was masterminded by PDP in Abia State. I will
not disclose more as it is still a subject of police
investigation. I only escaped through the grace
and mercy of God who moved me out before
over 10 heavily armed men struck, unfortunately
my police orderly wasn’t lucky enough as he
was murdered in cold blood, leaving behind a
poor hapless widow to raise their little children.
This is one of the several reasons we organized
this thanksgiving service. Because the name of
the Lord must be praised. To God Be the Glory.
Considering the procedural nature, the soundness and thoroughness of the judgment of the
Court of Appeal which unanimously declared
me the winner of the governorship election on
31st December, 2015, eliciting joy and spontaneous celebration in every nook and cranny of the
state, all men of good conscience who detest
election rigging and violence had thought that
the supreme court would toe the same path of
honor to give you Abia masses the justice you
desperately desired, but for reasons which we
are yet to ascertain, they ruled otherwise.
Although the judgment ran contrary to what
happened in the election and clearly hurts the
conscience of millions of Abians who have
remained in a sorrowful mood since after the
judgment, we are not like them that resort to self
help, criminality, and violence, therefore we must
accord our Judiciary its institutional respect. That,
however, does not mean that we must agree
with them. If anything, we believe and strongly
too that the judgement was a miscarriage of
justice.
(See concluding part on www.thisdaylive.com)
–Being the text of a speech by Dr. Alex
Otti, at a thanksging service in Aba recently
93
PERSPECTIVE/RELIGION
Nostalgic Memories of Muazu’s Days at Wadata Plaza
Tony Amadi
T
he near civil war that engulfed the Peoples Democratic
Party (PDP) overAli Modu Sherrif’s chairmanship has
not happened before and it is amazing how one wing
of the party leadership can foist their will on the party
and think they can get away with it. Unlike the present
chaos that greeted the appointment of Sheriff,Ahmadu
Adamu Mu’azu’s entry into the PDP Chairmanship,
was well celebrated across party lines throughout the
country.
If Nigerian politics is infested with a few more of the Ahmadu
Adamu Mu’azu, then not only will our political culture advance for
the better, the political space will never be overheated by loudmouthed
politicians who do not know that what comes out of their tongue is
capable of putting the entire country on fire. Of course I am talking about
the former National Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party, Mu’azu,
and the legacy of politics of nonviolence and no personal attacks that he
left behind to guide the party in the future.
His political philosophy permeated throughout the party over
the period of his leadership. A newspaper had accused him of “not
embarking on campaign different from the ones organized by his party’s
Presidential Campaign Council in states,” but he simply ignored the
question and focused on the campaign task ahead. The media further
criticized him for not speaking against the then presidential candidate of
the All Progressive Congress, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd).”
Muazu detests politics of acrimony and would not engage in brinkmanship knowing that what was important was the legacy he would leave
for historians to take note of.
Why should he dwell on the abuse of the opposition leaders as the
main diet of his campaign? Why should he run parallel campaigns
when the party has articulated strategies by its Presidential Campaign
Council of which he is the Chairman? Why should he be pouring invectives on the opposition presidential candidate where there is no need to
do so? Why should he engage in the demonization of Buhari when he
can successfully poke holes into the opposition argument and expose it
as mere propaganda? The biggest problem of Nigerian politics of this
present republic is the penchant to attack political opponent’s personalities
rather than going for the jugular by shredding their manifesto to show
that they add no value to the advancement of the country and its
democracy.
Dr. Mu’azu’s model is rather than engage in political fisticuffs and
fight, it was better to examine the opposition strategy, poke holes into it
and show the inconsistencies in their argument. It was better to expose
the futility of the opposition’s position, their ill-thought out campaign
promises and their desperation to win at all cost instead of mounting
abusive language and using crude methods to tackle political opponents.
I recall when he issued a statement accusing the five governors who
left his party with PDP manifesto and foisted it on their new government
under the opposition APC who accused the PDP and its presidential
candidate of cluelessness. When these ungrateful governors were
pointing accusing fingers on the PDP, they forgot that their remaining
four fingers were pointing back at themselves and their futility.
Those governors were indeed ashamed of their senseless criticism of
their former party when they realized their ill-conceived ideas would
not sell. Mu’azu is a quiet operator who doesn’t even use sirens when
he is on the move and does not carry along retinues of media men for
Muazu
the world to know that he is working effectively. He is a politician who
knows what he wants and how to get it without anyone knowing what
he is doing. They don’t call him Game Changer for nothing. He raised
the status of the PDP higher than what he met on taking over the party.
On the eve of the presidential campaign kickoff by the party under
his watch, Mu’azu took exception to perceived injustices in the PDP in
which those who did the hard work for the party usually end up getting
nothing when the party wins elections and thereby ensure that, monkey
de work and baboon de chop.
That speech at the beginning of the campaign was very telling.
Fearlessly Muazu developed a symbiotic relationship with the then
president, Goodluck Jonathan as party chairman and this is not for
nothing. I watched them closely at work interacting during the long
36-state campaigns of last year’s general election, holding hands as they
alight from the presidential jet or hopping into presidential choppers. It
was the realization of this togetherness that some people thought that
some negative reporting of Mu’azus’ political activities would do the
damage and push the then president and Mu’azu apart. The tactic
failed of course as the former Chairman, politically suave and smarter,
showed his detractors that they could not match his usually advanced
methods in planning and implementation.
Mu’azu operated quietly and achieved highly. Olisa Metuh, PDP’s
National Publicity Secretary was quick to denounce the APC tactic
during the campaign to bring down his Chairman when he attested to
the Chairman’s moral high ground when he said that: “Our National
Chairman, as the face of the PDP, has remained restrained despite
numerous unwarranted provocations, a stance which does not in any
way detract from his commitment to the campaigns but reinforces our
values and dedication to unity, peace and stability of our dear nation”.
He went further to attest that “This exemplary style of politics (by the
Chairman) played a significant role in reducing the tension in the polity
ahead of elections and has already endeared our party to a majority of
Nigerians and key stakeholders in the electoral process. It is to the credit
of the National Chairman that his leadership stabilized our party at its
critical moment and successfully achieved unity among our leaders and
members while strengthening the confidence of Nigerians in the PDP as
the only vehicle to deliver true democracy dividends to them”.
When Dr. Mua’zu became the National Chairman of the party in
January 2014, the gang of five governors had just left a void, precipitating
a huge crisis which was aimed at crippling the party and its tremendous
structures. It did not take Dr. Mu’azu long to devise the strategy that
returned the PDP back in pole position. Mu’azu knew the game and
knew how to checkmate the plot.
Mu’azu’s political mantra is simple. “Don’t abuse personalities. Go
for the issues and you can deliver the knockout punch if you articulate
well. What use is it when you mount the rostrum to abuse people,
heat up the polity and get the whole country boiling and unleashing
violence? There is no better way of playing the politics of violence than
abusing your fellow politician. If you don’t keep your tongue in check,
you will commit more slaughter than Boko Haram, because as leaders,
the followers follow your every word and your body language tells the
masses what to do.”
Throughout his period as Chairman of the party, Mua’zu always
admonished the media to strike a balance in their stories and stressed
that it was important to take things easy in order not to spin out of
control and damage the country in the process.
Perhaps the biggest achievement of the former PDP Chairman was
the fact that he encouraged former President Jonathan to throw in the
towel and save the country from further bloodshed as it became clear
that the former opposition party, the APC was winning the last election.
The Gbagbo (Ivorian President) model was already creeping into the
critical joints of the party hierarchy as well as the Jonathan presidency
and even former President Obasanjo was busy with his famous letters
accusing President Jonathan of setting the agenda to introduce the
Ivorian President’s style of leading the country to disaster.
Mua’zu figured that Nigeria, having already lost many souls as a
result of Boko Haram insurgency could ill-afford another round of
butchering fellow Nigerians as a result of political unrest after the general
election. Coupled with Jonathan’s already known position that his political ambition to get a second term was not worth the blood of a single
Nigerian enabled Mu’azu to push through his non-violence agenda.
Today, Nigeria is better for it. Former President Jonathan is happy
today globetrotting the world as a revered elder statesman, observing
critical elections across the world and enjoying the afterglow of having
succeeded where others are now facing the International Criminal Court
in The Hague for crimes against humanity. Not many will remember
the part played by Mu’azu in the whole scenario.
It is also important to note that Mu’azu brought into the Nigerian
political space the culture of resigning political appointments when such
a resignation would ensure peace and harmony in the country. Rather
than watch his party in turmoil because of personal interests, he was
ready to resign the position and let peace reign in the land. He was sick
in a hospital bed abroad and wouldn’t stand the furor generated by his
remaining as party chairman when the PDP lost the presidency in 2015.
There were good reasons why he should not resign, but he handed
over his resignation letter to stop the din created by his remaining in
office. That is an epoch making act, especially in Nigeria where the
culture of tenacity is the order of the day.
And for Mu’azu, he has done the best he could to leave a strong
legacy for the future of the PDP, still the largest and most experienced
party in Africa.
-Amadi is a veteran journalist
Ondo and States Peer Review
T
Dele Awogbami
oday, Ondo State, no doubt is a
cynosure of all eyes. It is a state,
whose programmes have become
the template for both local and
international organisations,
including other state governments
in Nigeria. The new Ondo State
began with the assumption of
office by the incumbent governor of the State, Dr
Olusegun Mimiko, a former commissioner for
health under two administrations, former secretary
to the State government and minister of housing in
the administration of former President Olusegun
Obasanjo. He assumed office as the 4th civilian
governor of the 40 year-old State. The Iroko as he
is popularly called, Dr Mimiko was sworn-in as
governor of Ondo State, the Sunshine State in a grand
style following his declaration as the duly elected
governor of the State by the Court ofAppeal in Benin
after about 22 months of legal battle.
It is an indisputable fact that the previous civilian
administrations in the State, beginning with Chief
Adekunle Ajasin, Chief Adebayo Adefarati and Dr
Olusegun Agagu, all of the blessed memory, had
contributed in no quantity measure to the development of the State.
Having been inaugurated as the chief executive
officer of Ondo State on the 24th of February 2009
at the Akure Sports Stadium in the presence of an
unprecedented crowd, Dr Mimiko promised to
work for the people of the State, he also promised
to share in their joy and sorrow. He came up with
a 12-point programme tagged a caring heart, which
encompasses all facets of the lives of the people.
One surprising statement of the governor as it
concerned the indigenes of Akure, the State capital
was that, “any indigene of Akure, who had travelled
out of the town for about five years would not be
able to recognise his or her family house anymore”.
Although the statement might be misrepresented to
sound like an abuse, but what the governor meant
was that the type of transformation to experience in
Akure would be unprecedented. Today, Akure the
State capital has attained the status of a real State
capital. Through the urban renewal programme of
his administration, the capital city today can boast of
the state of the art semi mechanised abattoir, Mother
and Child Hospital, International Event Centre
(DOME), New Shopping Mall, a number of dual
carriage roads with befitting road furniture, especially
the dualised Arakale road, which was an uphill task
for the previous administrations in the State, ultramodern markets and recreation centres among others.
According to the governor, the abattoir which is now
awaiting commissioning is capable of handling about
2000 heads of cattle within 24hrs under a hygienic
condition with state of the art facilities. During one
of his visits to the abattoir, Dr Mimiko noted that
“If you visit some of our abattoir, hardly could you
eat the meat processed there. This semi-mechanised
type of abattoir is what the new Ondo State needs.
This is fit for Ondo State and when it starts operation,
you will see how beautiful it is”. His urban renewal
programme earned him the UN- Scroll of Honour
Award, making him the second Nigerian ever to be
so honoured with the prestigious award.
Aside the globally recognised urban renewal initiative of the new Ondo State, its Abiye Safemotherhood
programme, which has achieved unprecedented
result and attracted global attention as the benchmark
for Africa and other developing nations, by the World
Bank has registered the name of the State in a global
medical lexicon.
In his testimony during a visit to Governor
Mimiko, Dr Oluwole Odutolu, a World Bank Team
leader on Performance Based Financing (PBF) rated
Ondo State high in primary healthcare delivery system, saying that the establishment of the State Primary
Healthcare Development Board has also added value
to basic healthcare in the State. He noted that the State
is unique because it runs a reform-oriented health
system which is globally acknowledged and well
accepted.
He said “Our visit to some Primary Health Care
Facilities across the state on the Performance Based
Financing revealed that Ondo state is a reform
oriented state that deserves World bank collaboration
to deepen its reforms”.
The first of its kind Mother and Child Hospitals
were established in Akure and Ondo to provide
quality healthcare to pregnant women with a view
to curbing maternal death in the State. To date, 43,000
deliveries had been taken both at the Akure and
Ondo hospitals, including about 9,000 caesarean
sessions free of charge. Interestingly, about 30% of
the pregnant women at the centres are from the
neighbouring Osun, Ekiti and Edo states. The newly
constructed Trauma Centre in Ondo has also saved
many lives of road accident victims from within and
outside the State.
Consequently, the State is second to none in the area
of education. Many state governments have visited the
State to understudy its educational policy, especially its mega school school concept and free school
shuttle bus scheme. In August 2015, the Ebonyi State
commissioner for education, Prof. John Eke led a
delegation of his state government to Ondo State
where he described the Ondo State educational
policy and infrastructure as the benchmark for the
continent of Africa.
Prof. Eke noted that he was in Ondo State
to understudy the giant stride and policy of
the Mimiko-led administration in the education
sector, stressing that the facilities put in place and
the political will of the Ondo State government
deserved to be emulated by other States. He
submitted that they were not disappointed after
being conducted round some projects and facilities
as well as educational policies of Ondo state.
He said “the giants strides of the present
administration in the Education sector in Ondo State
under a humble and pragmatic leader, Governor
Mimiko is unprecedented, laudable and worthy of
emulation”. According to him, Ebonyi State would
emulate the Ondo state example in all sectors to
fast track development in their State.
In the same vein, the Anamba State commissioner for education, Prof. Kate Omenugha also
led a high powered delegation from her State to
understudy the educational policy of Ondo State
and promised to domesticate such practice.
Prof. Omenugha stressed the need for the
exchange of ideas and programmes among state
governments with a view to exploring areas of
needs to the benefit of their people.
She noted that the report they received from the
delegation of Ebonyi State to Ondo State few weeks
ago encouraged her State government to send
them to understudy Ondo State programmes in
education, health and community development.
–––Awogbami, a public affairs commentator,
wrote from Akure
94
GAVEL TO GAVEL
Edited by Vincent Obia
Email vincent.obia@thisdaylive.com
The 15 members of Kogi State House of Assembly standing with their Speaker, Momohjimoh Lawal (4th from left)
Kogi Lawmakers Finger Governor
Yahaya Bello in Assembly Crisis
Following the bitter power tussle currently rocking the Kogi State House of Assembly, the House
of Representative has constituted a fact-finding mission to look into the crisis. Yekini Jimoh, in
Lokoja, looks at the crisis and the effort to resolve it
T
he faceoff that broke out recently
among members of the Kogi
State House of Assembly is assuming new dimensions almost
on a daily basis. National Assembly members from Kogi State
have intervened to try to resolve
the crisis, which started from disagreements
over the leadership of the Assembly.
The state House of Assembly is made up of 25
members, with the Peoples Democratic Party
having the majority of 14 while All Progressives
Congress is in the minority with11members.
Five members of the Assembly took part in the
rerun state assembly election held penultimate
Saturday following court judgements.
Genesis
Sometime last December, after the governorship election in the state, when it was obvious
thatAPC had won, there was an attempt by some
members of PDP and APC led by Hon. Godwin
Osuyi from Ogori/Magongo constituency of
Kogi Central senatorial district to impeach the
speaker, Rt Hon. Momoh Jimoh Lawal, who
happens to be his kinsman.
The reason given then by the Osiyi group was
that Lawal had failed to represent the interest
of the entire members of the Assembly and
that he embezzled funds meant for members.
The speaker and his supporters quickly
adjourned indefinitely, apparently, to avoid
being impeached by the Osuyi group.
But due to court judgements, some members
of the APC and PDP lost their seats, reducing
the number of legislators in the Osuyi group
drastically and virtually incapacitating the group.
Enter Bello
When Alhaji Yahaya Bello was sworn-in as
governor of the state, he tried to see how he could
work with the legislative arm of government.
THISDAYgathered that the embattled speaker
held a closed door meeting with the governor,
allegedly, over an attempt to replace him with
one of the seven members from APC. A source
alleged that the governor offered compensations to Lawal and the other PDP members to
support Hon. Ahmed Imam Umar of Lokoja 1
constituency. Though, Lawal has denied ever
collecting money from Bello for himself or other
lawmakers. Bello has said he never interfered in
the affairs of the Kogi State House of Assembly.
PDP National Leadership
Due to the bribe allegations, the national
leadership of PDP recently summoned PDP
members of the Kogi State House of Assembly to Abuja for an emergency meeting. The
party directed its members in the Assembly to
maintain the status quo as efforts were being
made to resolve the crisis. But they wondered
how APC with five members will take over the
leadership of the Assembly from PDP, which
has 14 members.
As a result of the intervention of the National
Working Committee of PDP, all the aggrieved
members of the party agreed to retreat from
the impeachment moves for peace to reign.
Impeachment
But barely a week afterwards, after the clearing
of the deputy governor nominee, Hon. Simon
Achuba, and the list of 21 special advisers for the
governor, the situation took a different dimension. Five members of the Assembly, mainly
members of APC, led by a PDP member, Hon.
Friday Sani, who is the Chief Whip, allegedly,
impeached Lawal as speaker.
It was authoritatively gathered that the five
lawmakers ofAPC, including, Sani, held a meeting with the deputy governor, Achuba, in his
office where the plan was hatched.
The purported impeachment of the speaker
did not take place in the chamber. It took place
in Sani’s office.
On the day of the alleged impeachment,
journalists were barred from covering the
proceedings, as security men ordered them
to wait outside until the end of the sitting.
Addressing newsmen shortly after the alleged impeachment, Sanni said the impeached
speaker had not demonstrated capacity to lead
the Assembly. He said the Assembly could not
be led by anyone as a soul enterprise, to the
disregard of house rules.
Sanni claimed the Assembly had followed
due process to remove the speaker, saying 15
members signed the impeachment notice,
whereas only seven members were required
to form the quorum to remove any principal
officer.
“With the Court of Appeal ruling, which
sacked five of our members, reducing it to
20, only seven members are required to form
quorum and we have more than that,” he said.
Sani said the Assembly had for some time
remained closed and inactive following the
ineptitude of the house leadership, adding
that the change in leadership was meant to
improve productivity, unity and togetherness.
Lawal
Reacting to his removal, along with other
principal officers of the Assembly, Lawal said he
remained the speaker, declaring his impeachment as null and void. He alleged that Bello
wanted him out as speaker of the state House
of Assembly at all cost and to replace him with
an APC member.
According to him, 15 out of the 20 members
of the Assembly passed a vote of confidence on
him, stressing that the purported impeachment
does not hold water.
95
GAVEL TO GAVEL/ BILLS, MOTIONS ET AL
Marafa: Will the Senate Wield the Big Stick?
For the better part of last week, Senator Kabiru Marafa was in the news. He had been accused of
disparaging the status of the Senate. Hence, the parliament looked prepared to place him on indefinite
suspension. Omololu Ogunmade writes
S
Prelude
enator representing Zamfara Central
senatorial district, Kabiru Marafa,
is now on Nigerians’ watch list. His
name reverberated across the polity
all through the week as a result of
plans by the Senate to send him back
to Zamfara over allegations that he
had persistently brought the upper chamber into
disrepute. Hence, all eyes were on the Senate
throughout the week to see if it would indeed
wield the big stick by suspending the trouble
pulling senator.
Marafa ran into troubled waters when he
granted an interview to a national newspaper
on February 7 where he affirmed the altruism
of the allegation by former President Olusegun
Obasanjo that the National Assembly was corrupt and also attempted to instigate the public
to utilise their constitutional powers to recall
senators.
This remark hit the Senate below the belt
moreso that Marafa has been the lone voice
in the chamber challenging and condemning
almost every move since the advent of the eight
Senate on June 9, 2015.
Marafa, a member of Senate Unity Forum
which pursued to no avail the emergence of
Senator Ahmad Lawan as senate president, was
aggrieved over the manner of Saraki’s emergence and would go the whole hog to express
his grievances. He had at different times had
a shouting match with some of his colleagues.
Daring Moves
However, some persons who admire his
courageous and daring acts, said they hated his
perceived violent nature as he had attempted to
beat up at least three senators since the seventh
Senate. They were Senators Paulinus Igwe (Ebonyi Central); Tayo Alasoadura (Ondo Central)
and Isa Misau (Bauchi Central).
Aside that, he was daring enough to raise
a number of points of order to condemn the
leadership style of Saraki at various times. He
was also the only one who did not only condemn Senate’s decision to raise the number of
senate committees from 56 to 65, describing
it as unconstitutional and a breach of senate
standing rules.
Therefore, he called for a reversal to the old
structure, describing the committees as illegal.
Consequently, he did not only reject his appointment as Chairman of National Identity
and National Population, he also dragged the
Senate to court over the claim of constitutional
violations over the constitution of the committees.
Senate’s Patience Exhausted
only Marafa, anybody that is here will not be
allowed to be misleading the public.”
Misau found a supporter in Senator Matthew
Urhoghide (Edo South), who said the action
of Marafa was embarrassing and no longer
acceptable.
“I want to say with every vehemence and every
element of responsibility that the publication as
contained in the newspaper smears the integrity
of this house. The leadership of this house that
I have so much reverence for has been brought
to total disrepute.”
After asking Misau to lay a copy of the newspaper, Saraki referred the matter to the committee
on ethics, privileges and public petitions and
was asked to report findings to Senate in one
week. Indeed, the committee submitted its report
last Tuesday without setting its eyes on Marafa.
Marafa
However, with the interview he granted on
February 7, 2016, the Senate felt Marafa had
exhausted all his lifelines and it was time to
curb his perceived excesses. So, it asked him to
explain to the committee on Ethics, Privileges
and Public Petitions why disciplinary action
should not be taken against him.
This move was spearheaded on February 16
by Misau, a former police officer, who raised a
point of order, saying Marafa’s interview had
brought the entire Senate into disrepute before
Nigerians and further threatened his continued
stay in the Senate.
He described the interview as misleading,
full of lies and unfortunate, coming at a time
the Senate was striving to pass the budget in
good time.
He said: “Senator Kabir Marafa granted
an interview misleading the public, telling
lies against this institution, the Senate. I think
I have been called more than 500 times from
my constituency in respect of this publication.
“I will not allow somebody who enjoyed the
seventh Senate to come and not allow us to do
our work properly here.
Mr. President, I think the leadership has to
do something about this. We cannot allow
one person to continue to tell lies against the
Senate, misleading the public. I think it is better
we take decision so that we correct things; not
Marafa Hails His Investigation
In his reaction, Marafa said investigating
him would only give him the opportunity
to open more can of worms. “It is a welcome
development. I am even happy that the Ethics
Committee will investigate me. I am ready to
make myself available.
It will give me the opportunity to say more
things space did not permit me to say in the
newspaper,” he said.
But last Monday, when the committee expected Marafa to appear before it, he stayed
away, claiming that he was not properly invited.
Whereas the committee had shortly after the
resolution, written him a letter inviting him to
appear before the committee, he replied that
he was in Kaduna, attending the burial of the
mother of his colleague, Senator Suleiman
Hunkuyi, and therefore requested for another
date beginning from last Monday.
Thereafter, the committee clerk called him
on the telephone and sent him a text message,
reminding him of the meeting then scheduled
for Monday. But Marafa claimed that he was
not properly invited and hence shunned the
meeting, perhaps, he expected to receive another
letter instead of verbal conversation.
Protesters in Solidarity with Marafa
Meanwhile, a group of young men under the
aegis of Open Society and Good Governance
Initiative on Tuesday stormed the National
Assembly to protest the planned move by the
Senate to suspend Marafa.
They displayed placards with various inscriptions such as “Suspend Saraki, not Marafa;”
“Stop suspending members;” Saraki, leave the
Senate and face CCT;” and “No to planned
suspension of Senator Marafa,” among others.
Kogi Lawmakers Finger Governor Yahaya Bello in Assembly Crisis
Also speaking, the deputy speaker of the
Assembly, Hon. Ali Aku, alleged that Sanni
and his group forged their signatures, adding
that it is not possible for few members of the
legislature to impeach 15 members that are
loyal to the speaker.
Relocation
Following the closure of theAssembly complex
by security agents, the 15-member Lawal group
in the Assembly, including the speaker, have
relocated to Abuja, where they have held a
sitting of the legislature.
They issued a summon to the state governor
to appear before the faction. Achuba was not
speared, as the factional lawmakers served
him an impeachment notice and suspended
the five members who impeached the speaker
a fortnight ago.
The Lawal group of legislators said the
governor was also to explain why permanent
secretaries, directors, accountants, cashiers of
parastatals, agencies, ministries and councils
area had to be sent on compulsory leave.
They said the five members who sat and
impeached Lawal, were suspended for acting contrary to the rules of the Assembly and
“claiming to have sat without a quorum and
forgery of signatures of 10 members in the
purported impeachment.”
The suspended members are Sani, Umar
Imam, John Abah, Lawi A.T Ahmed, and Bello
Abdullahi.
During the sitting in Abuja, which was
presided over by the embattled speaker, a
member, Hon. Omits Jimoh, a PDP lawmaker
from Yagba East moved a motion urging the
Assembly to summon the governor and begin
the impeachment process of the deputy governor.
The motion was seconded by Hon. Ali Aku,
another PDP member, from Omala. The sitting
had the maze, the symbol of authority of the
Assembly, strategically positioned.
Hon. Omiata, in a motion, stated that the
dissolution of the local government service
commission, which, he said, was a statutory
body created by law, was illegal and should
be reversed, adding that “abolishment of one
per cent from the joint account of state and local government without repeal of the law be
disregarded and the status quo be maintained
within.”
He added that all “institutions or directives
of the state government with respect to Local
Government Service Commission, State Joint
Local Government Account, Universal Basic
Education, Pension Bureau, contrary to the extant
law that established them, be disregarded.”
The lawmaker insisted that the House of
Assembly, being an institution created by law,
Leading the protesters, one Emeka Ude
described the planned suspension of Marafa
as anti-democratic, claiming that the proposed
suspension of the Zamfara senator would
further bring the crisis-ridden Senate into
disrepute, saying it would be an affront on
freedom of speech among lawmakers.
“Democracy thrives where there is fairness,
rule of law, freedom of expression among others.
In a situation where the legislature is foreclosing
the democratic space, that is an invitation to
fascism,” Ude said.
According to him, freedom of expression
among lawmakers should be encouraged and
not discouraged as he warned Saraki against
suppressing contrary views in the Senate.
He said if anyone needed to be suspended, it
was Saraki whom he said had a case to answer
before the Code of Conduct Tribunal, observing
that by referring Marafa to ethics’ committee,
Saraki was prepared to sanction the senator
whom he considered to be a thorn in his flesh.
Will the Senate Wield the Big Stick?
The report of the committee on ethics was
supposed to be debated on Wednesday but
the Senate deferred it. The trend was the same
on Thursday.
Marafa had accused the committee of denying him fair hearing by submitting its report
without hearing his own side of the story.
There were insinuations last week that the
senate might have opted to tread with caution
in view of Marafa’s subsequent allegation that
all the hues and cries about the 2016 budget in
the senate were a deliberate orchestration by
Senate leadership to use the 2016 Appropriation
Bill to settle scores with the presidency on his
trial before the Code of Conduct Tribunal.
This allegation irritated a number of senators,
prompting a statement by six of them, entitled:
“Enough is enough.”
The six senators were Alasoadura, Peter
Nwaoboshi, Rafiu Ibrahim, Obinna Ogba,
Misau and Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi.
An extract from the statement read: “We
are surprised that while others are preaching peace, the Senator from Zamfara Central
has continued to stoke the ember of disunity,
deploying all tactics, particularly falsehood,
character assassination, setting individuals and
institutions against each other and throwing
abuses as if he is at war with himself and must
therefore vent his anger on others.”
Nevertheless, can the Senate possess the
nerve to decide the fate of Marafa this week?
It is left to be seen as Marafa is confident that
no one can suspend him.
“whose operations are guided by prescribed
laws and rules, has no reference to recognise
any person or group of persons as the leadership of the Assembly other than Hon Momoh
Jimoh Lawal, as the speaker of Kogi House of
Assembly.”
Omiata explained that the governor should
by no means and in whatever guise communicate, receive or recognise anything from the
group of five led by Hon. Ahmed Umar, the
factional Speaker, and that any transaction from
the executive to or from the group of five shall
be considered as fraudulent and met with legal
resistance.
He, however, said the council chairmen
embarking on exercises that were capable
of breaching the peace of their council areas
should desist and return to status quo. The 15
members that sat adopted all the motions and
adjourned till March 8.
Conference of Speakers
Meanwhile, the Conference of Speakers of
State legislatures of Nigerian have condemned
the impeachment of Lawal, insisting that due
process must be followed. In a statement by
its chairman, Hon. Ismaila Kamba, the conference said the flagrant disrespect of the rule
of law should not only be frowned upon but
condemned as an illegality capable of setting a
bad precedent and if not reversed could cause
chaos and anarchy.
Kamba stated, “The conference acknowledges the constitution makes provisions for
the impeachment of public officers as a check
against tyrannical tendencies, but the constitution
equally provides for procedure to be followed if
the impeachment of such public officer becomes
imperative.”
Regarding Lawal’s impeachment, Kamba
said, “We condemn it in its entirety because the
way and manner the purported impeachment
was carried out was short of the due process.
We call on the relevant authorities to act in order
to save our democracy by calling those behind
such unconstitutional removal of the Speaker
to order.”
In another development, Senator Dino Melaye,
representing Kogi West senatorial district of the
state, has promised to help bring the crisis to an
end. He said this on Tuesday when Lawal and
the 14 other members of his group visited him at
the National Assembly and formally informed
him of the happenings at the state assembly.
Melaye, while addressing the 15 state lawmakers, said they should maintain peace, promising
to bring together the relevant stakeholders with
a view to ending the conflict. He said what
the state needed presently was how to move
forward and not crisis.
96
97
THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER • FEBRUARY 28, 2016
EVENT
T
he final burial ceremony of Late Alhaji Adamson Aruna, the Omorodion of Ivbiaro
land, Auchi, father of Mr. Habib Aruna, Chief Press Secretary to Lagos State Governor
Akinwumi Ambode, was held at Trans Amusement Park, Old Airport, Samonda, UI
Road, Ibadan recently. Here are faces of some of the personalities that graced the event.
L-R: Senator Adesoji Akanbi, Senator Olamilekan Solomon, Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, Mr. Habib Aruna, Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi and former Speaker of Lagos State House of Assembly,
Rt. Hon. Adeyemi Ikuforiji
Mr. Habib Aruna (middle), with his Wife, Felicia (right) and Special Adviser to the Governor of Lagos
State, Office of Overseas & Investment, Prof. Ademola Abass
R-L: Lagos State Commissioner for Information & Strategy, Mr. Steve Ayorinde; Chairman, Lagos State
Internal Revenue Service (LIRS), Mr. Olufolarin Ogunsanwo and a guest
L-R:GeneralManager,Ekofm/RadioLagos,Mrs.FunkeMoore;GeneralManager,Traffic L-R: General Manager, Lagos State Public Works Corporation, Engr.
Radio,Mr.YinkaAdagun;PermanentSecretary,MinistryofInformation&Strategy,Mr. Ayotunde Sodeinde and Special Adviser to Lagos Governor, Audit
R-L: Mr. Razak Aruna and Mr. Rilwam Bawa
Folarin Adeyemi and Managing Editor, Upshots Reports, Mr. Mojeed Jamiu
& Finance Control, Mr. Popoola
R-L: National President, Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Mr. Waheed Odusile, Mr. Habib Aruna,
Chairman, Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Lagos State Chapter, Mr. Deji Elumoye and Dupe
Olaoye-Osinkolu
L-R: PermanentSecretary,LandsBureau,Mr.BodeAgoro; AssistantDirector,Admin&HumanResource,LagosState
Government,Mrs.OyinadeNathan-Marshand AttorneyGeneralofLagosState,Mr.AdenijiKazeem
98
IMAGES
T
he Chairman and Chief Executive
Officer of Waltersmith Petroman
Oil Limited, Mr. Abdulrazaq Isa,
celebrated the exit of his mother,
Hajia Rakiya lsa Kutepa, during the
eight-day fidau prayers held at Lokoja,
Kogi State on February 14, 2016. Here
are the faces of some of the personalities
that attended the event.
Photos: Abiodun Ajala
L-R: Mr. Koye ldowu; Son of the deceaed, Mr. Abdulrazaq lsa; Mr. Robert Odiach; Mr. Danjuma Saleh and Hon. Hassan Saleh
R-L: Son of the deceased and Chairman/CEO, Waltersmith Petroman Oil Ltd, Mr Abdulrazaq lsa; Chairman, Senate
Committee on FCT, Senator Dino Melaye and Mr. lbrahim Wada
R-L: Kogi State Deputy Governor, Simon Azhubu and former Deputy Governor, Mr. Yomi Awoniyi
R-L: Dr. and Mrs. Biodun Olorunfemi
L-R: Gbenga Ademulegun and Taiwo Adeniji
R-L: Dr. and Mrs. Emmanuel Egbogah and Mrs. Evelyn Oputu
L-R: Alhaji Tajudeen Owoyemi, Mr. Andy Nwani and Murtala lbrahim
L-R: Mr. Dele Belgore and Mr. Danjuma Saleh
L-R: Chief Emeka Okwodu, Deacon Chuma Okwodu and Chief Nnachebe Ojike
99
IMAGES
L-R: Mrs Ngozi Nzegwu and Mrs Uchenna Okwodu
L-R: Sesi Sedoten Ogunbiyi and Mrs Kikelomo Oduwole
L-R: Abdullahi Musa and Mr. and Mrs. Peter Nmadu
L-R: Dr. Oliver Onyewuenyi and Eniola Bello
L-R: Alhaji Bukar Ali; Alhaji Umaru Alahassan and Maigari of Lokoja, Alhaji Mohammed Kabiru Maikarfi III
L-R: Ado Shuaibu; Paschal Madu and Dr. Jude Amaefule
L-R: Wole Ogunsanya; Bayo Adewale and Effiom Edet
L-R: Sami Orungbe; Taiwo Smith and Otunba Lai Oriowo
L-R: Mazi Victor Okoronkwo and Osten Olorunsola
R-L: Dr. and Mrs. Pax Harry
L-R: Segun Oloketuyi and Dr. Paul Orhii
100
SUNDAYSPORTS
Edited by Demola Ojo
Email demola.ojo@thisdaylive.com
Premier League: United
Threaten Arsenal Title Charge
M
anchester United and Arsenal
renew their rivalry today with
the former chasing a Champions League spot and the latter
loking tp close the five point
gap on frontrunners Leicester
City. United’s task is more difficult with Anthony Martial a
doubt but Louis van Gaal’s side expect to welcome back
goalkeeper David de Gea.
Martial injured his hamstring in the warm-up to
Thursday’s 5-1 Europa League Round of 32 win over
FCMidtjylland-aweekonfromthefirstlegwhereDe
Gea injured his knee in similar circumstances.
TheGunnershaven’twonintheleagueattheTheatre
of Dreams since September 2006, and they’ll have to
do without Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain following the
midfielder’skneeinjuryinTuesday’sChampionsLeague
defeat to Barcelona.
United are waiting to see whether two other recent
addition to their lengthy injury list, defenders Chris
Smalling(shoulder)andCameronBorthwick-Jackson
(unspecified), are able to make their comebacks.
There are signs the injury crisis at Old Trafford may
beeasingsomewhat,withthelikesofAntonioValencia
(foot)andAdnanJanuzaj(hamstring)arenearingreturns,
although they are doubtful for today’s game.
ArseneWengerisunsurewhenOxlade-Chamberlain
willreturnfromhiskneeinjury.TheFrenchmanconfirmedtheEnglandwinnerwillplaynopart,withthe
midfielderexpectedtobesidelined“forafewweeks”.
Gunners defender Gabriel will undergo a fitness
test ahead of the game as he looks to return from a
hamstring problem, while Jack Wilshere (leg), Santi
Cazorla (knee) and Tomas Rosicky (thigh) are all still
missing. Arsenal have won none and lost six of their
last eight Premier League trips to Old Trafford. The
Gunners’winagainstUnitedattheEmiratesearlierthis
seasonendedarunofeightPremierLeaguematches
without a victory against the Red Devils for Arsene
Wenger’s men (W0 D3 L5).
Arsenalhavedroppedsevenpointsfromwinning
positionsawayfromhome,thejoint-mostinthePremier
League along with Man Utd.
Only three players (Thierry Henry 20 in 2002/03,
FrankLampard18in2004/05andCescFabregas,18in
2014/15) have assisted more goals in a single Premier
League season than Mesut Ozil (17) in 2015/16.
ArsenalhaveonlywontwooftheirlastsevenPremier
Leagueawaymatches(W2D3L2),thisfollowingarun
of 12 away matches where they won 10.
Just21percentoftheattemptsArsenalhavemadein
thePremierLeaguethisseasonhavebeenfromoutside
the box, the lowest proportion in the top division.
First English Cup for Grabs as
Man City Play Liverpool
Coutinho
Liverpool’s Philippe Coutinho and Man
City’s David Silva are expected to be the
decisive players as both teams go head to
head for the first cup in England this season.
Liverpool’s 4-1 win over Manchester City
earlier this season was their best performance
under Jurgen Klopp so far. But they’ll come up
against a different City side in the Capital One
Cup final at Wembley today.
However in that game in November,
Vincent Kompany and David Silva didn’t
play while Fernandinho didn’t come on until
half-time, when City were 3-0 down. Sergio
Aguero was only half-fit, and substituted after
66 minutes.
However this City side, in personnel at least,
are starting to represent their best line-up
again - albeit with the absence of Kevin De
Bruyne, who was one of their best players in
the Liverpool defeat.
City have won 67 per cent of their games
with him in the team. That figure drops to 59
per cent when he has been missing. City have
kept seven clean sheets from nine Premier
League games when he has started and managed just four in the 17 he has missed.
City have also got Silva starting to ease his
way back into his game after injury. Aguero
is fully fit now and looks incredible. Fernandinho’s back. Analysts believe that if they go on
a long run - which they’re more than capable
of doing - you can’t really rule them out of
anything this season.
Oliseh: Eagles Can Beat Egypt
Seven-time African champions Egypt are
beatable because they are not as good as they
were four years ago, according to former
Nigeria coach Sunday Oliseh. Oliseh quit
as Eagles coach on Thursday after claiming
several contractual breaches by the Nigeria
Football Federation (NFF).
Nigeria will welcome the Pharaohs to
Kaduna on March 25 in the first leg of an
AFCON qualifying double header. Oliseh
quit a month to this all-important, but he has
restated his belief Nigeria could triumph to get
their AFCON qualifying campaign back on
track.
“Egypt are not as good as they were four
years ago, we can beat them,” he maintained on
a radio interview Saturday morning.
However, he reserved his comments on the
coaches who have been appointed to replace
him ahead of the matches next month.
PREMIERSHIP RESULTS
& FIXTURES
West Ham
Leicester
Southampton
Stoke
Watford
West Brom
1–0
1–0
1–2
2–1
0–0
3–2
Sunderland
Norwich
Chelsea
Aston Villa
Bournemouth
Crystal Palace
3:05pm Man United v
Arsenal
3:05pm Tottenham v
Swansea
David de Gea is back for United today
What to Know about New
FIFA Chief, Infantino
Infantino is a 45-year-old Swiss-Italian,
who will complete Sepp Blatter’s term and
serve until 2019. He was elected as the ninth
Infatino
FIFA president at the Extraordinary FIFA
Congress in Zurich. The election went to a
second ballot for the first time since 1974. The
new president was born in Brig, Switzerland;
6 miles from Blatter’s hometown of Visp.
Infantino is the second FIFA president
to be born in Switzerland. Prior to his new
role, he had been UEFA General Secretary
since 2009. He is also a qualified lawyer.
He was originally nominated after Michel
Platini was suspended by FIFA. Infantino
advocates expanding the World Cup from 32
to 40 teams.
Vision Statement: “Taking football
forward”.
Key promises: Implement strict and
independent control over monetary flows,
including public disclosure of payments to
elected FIFA members and top management,
as well as a clear and transparent bidding
procedure for the FIFA World Cup.
Torgah Leads West African Tour by Four Shots
From Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja
Vincent Torgah of Ghana last night
extended his lead at the West Golf Tour
in Abuja by four shots. The player from
Tema Golf and Country Club, took
charge with a level par 72 as the maiden
edition of the tournament enters its final
round today.
Nigeria’s Oche Odoh shot 73 to stay
four strokes out of the lead for sole
second position while another Ghanaian
Emos Korblah and Nigerian Gift Willy
are tied for third at four over par 220. Torgah, who shot 70 on day two on Friday,
holed five birdies in windy condition.
Harsh weather forced him to change
his game-plan, resulting in several shots
going right of the fairways. In addition,
he struggled to hole clutch putts..
“I made too many errors today because
the wind was a problem. I tweaked with
my game plan due to the conditions,
but it didn’t really work out as I missed
greens and struggled to save par,”
Torgah conceded.
He will play the final group with Odoh
and Korblah, who shot 70 to climb the
leaderboard. Odoh, with a combined
score of +2 over par 218 said he was
obviously feeling the pressure because
he was playing on home course.
He said he can handle the expectation
as he confronts Torgah, who beat him by
three shots the last time they both went
head to head at the Benue State Governor’s Cup in Otukpo last year.
Odoh made key birdie saves at the
16th and 17th before he closed with a 73
following a bogey at the last hole.
“The tournament is still very open
and there are still many players that can
win the tournament. I can handle the
pressure for sure,” Odoh said.
LEADER BOARD
Torgah -2
Odoh +2
Korblah +4
Willy+4
Liman Mohammed +5
Nji Presley +7
High Life
101
with LANRE ALFRED
08076885752, lanre_alfred@yahoo.com
...Amazing lifestyles of Nigeria’s rich and famous
And Royalty Falls in Love! Ooni of Ife,
Oba Ogunwusi Picks a New Wife
•Ife monarch set to wed Edo native, Wuraola
Obanor, soon after his marriage hit an iceberg
M
any a man in love with
a dimple makes the
mistake of marrying
the whole girl, said
Stephen Leacock, late Britishborn Canadian writer and
economist, in his famous work,
Literary Lapses. Leacock’s words
unarguably strike a sore point in
the life of Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi,
the Ooni of Ife. He is caught in
the cozy snare of his newfound
heartthrob, Wuraola Otiti Zaynab
Obanor. Unlike his estranged
wife, Olori Adebukola, Wuraola’s
love comforts the paramount
monarch of Ile Ife like a pregnant
bank swelled by meadow grass to
cushion the violet’s reclining head.
Now, for Wuraola, Ooni
Ogunwusi is faithful in
companionship and dauntless in
love. To seal his love for Wuraola,
Oba Ogunwusi has decided to
make a decent woman of her, and
plans to take her as his wife and
officially recognized queen of
Ile Ife kingdom. The paramount
ruler decided to seek his love
in Wuraola soon after his first
marriage to Adebukola crashed
due to irreconcilable differences.
Before news of his separation
from Adebukola was made
public, Oba Ogunwusi excited
speculations about the sanctity
of his marriage when he started
appearing at public events without
his queen.
According to a source very
close to the King, ‘’Adebukunola
never assumed the role of an Olori
and never moved into the Palace.
She left Ile-Ife town as soon as the
coronation was over and has not
returned there. She has not seen
the Oba eye to eye...” Information
filtering from the palace reveals
that the Ooni currently very happy
and smitten over his new bride.
He can hardly wait to be joined in
holy matrimony with Wuraola.
THE RICH ALSO CRY...AS THE
NAIRA DEPRECIATES, SILVER
SPOON KIDS TURN MENIAL
WORKERS ABROAD
A haughty spirit fades before the
arrogant man’s fall, like a hunting
horn whose sound dies on the
wind. This witty take on conceit
undoubtedly mirrors the sad fate
of Nigerians who happened on
sudden wealth and immediately
sent their wards to school abroad.
Many of them are biting their
fingers in regret and mounting
agony as you read. Their misery is
attributable to the high exchange
rate of the naira to the dollar. As
the economy declines as a result
of dwindling oil prices and fall in
the value of the naira in the global
market, many parents with kids
abroad are finding it difficult to
finance their ward’s education and
upkeep. Many have been forced to
cut down on the allowances they
send to their children abroad and
in some cases, parents are unable
to send money to their children
abroad. Consequently, many silver
spoon kids abroad have resorted
to doing odd jobs to survive.
Those who find themselves in
extreme situations have however,
resorted to desperate measures
to survive. While many male
wards have embraced menial
jobs to cope with the situation,
several daughters from prominent
families now sell their bodies in
exchange for hard currency, to
keep up appearances and maintain
their life of luxury. From Dubai to
Dagenham, Malaysia to Miami,
South Africa to South of France
and everywhere else in between,
many silver-spoon kids who used
to make the society scene bend
to their whims and wills, whose
presence and carryings-on evoke
anger at one’s poor parents, have
found prostitution the easier route
to making ends meet as funds
seem to have dried up from their
otherwise wealthy parents. That
is why you see them lurking in
lounges and nite clubs, keeping
to themselves but clinically
scrutinizing patrons to discern
the loaded ones to go home with.
Thus, when you are abroad next
time, don’t be surprised that the
young, well-spoken lady you are
humping and bumping may be
the daughter of the millionaire
industrialist from your state. Sad!
Bode Agoro
THE AMAZING LIFESTYLE OF
BODE AGORO
The tang of money is sweet like
nectar; the common procurer of
tastes and species of woodland
butterflies. Thus a chap with
money attains the visage of a
charmed man. Ask Hakeem MuriOkunola. The former Permanent
Secretary of the Lands Bureau in
Lagos state, became even more
attractive than he was before he
assumed duty. At his exit however,
his successor, Bode Agoro, has
caught the money bug. Agoro’s
recent designation and encounter
with money functions for him
as a procurer of people, plaudits
and prestige just like it did for his
predecessor, Muri-Okunola. There
Ooni Ogunwusi
is money in the Lands Bureau of
Lagos State and Agoro, like his
predecessor, is making the most
of it within the ambits of the law,
due process and professional
ethics. There is no doubt the new
Permanent Secretary is living big;
he has got a generous heart too,
like Santa Claus. This is why ladies
love Bode Agoro. He is flamboyant,
gregarious and bohemian. A
connoisseur of sort when it comes
to choice drinks, Agoro knows his
wines and cognacs as intimately as
a child understands his sandbox.
Until recently, he dwelt in relative
obscurity. But no sooner did he
assume his recent appointment
than he became the darling of his
subordinates at the Lands Bureau
and the coastal city’s high society.
Now in and around Lagos where
he lives, Agoro is renowned and
respected for his deep pocket and
la vida loca lifestyle. In his early
40s and with looks that good
money and good living have
helped to further burnish, you may
call him an Adonis for his gorgeous
dress sense and expensive taste in
designer apparels. No wonder he
has been described as a lady-killer
whose aura effortlessly draws
the finest species of womenfolk
ranging from blacks, blondes to
brunettes and exotic Orientals.
POLITICS NOT MUSIC...
ONYEKA ONWENU RESORTS TO
DESPERATE ANTICS TO SAVE
FACE AFTER JOB LOSS
Onyeka Onwenu is beyond
dispute a hilarious old dodger and
organizer of futility; the former
music star struggles to embellish
vanity as benevolence, and lies
as gospel truth even as you read.
She apparently finds it difficult
to distinguish between a madeup music note and politics of
Olori Wuraola
accountability. Not a few people
have condemned her claims that
she was relieved of her job at
the National Council for Women
Development because she is Igbo;
many have termed her claims
repugnant and a consequence
of bad judgment. Were Onyeka
known to fan such flames of
bigotry when the situation
favoured her, her critics wouldn’t
have descended too heavily on
her but Onyeka by her recent
utterance, established herself as a
woman and Nigerian whose words
should never be taken seriously.
It would be recalled that she sang
to high heavens and campaigned
that General Sani Abacha should
continue as eternal president
of Nigeria when the country
groaned under his dictatorship.
She was of the same disposition
when former President Goodluck
Jonathan rewarded her for her
loyalty to him as she campaigned
for his re-election without scruples.
Many are of the opinion that she
should be grateful that President
Muhammadu Buhari did not
sack her immediately he assumed
office. Onyeka was accorded
enough grace and respect by the
incumbent administration hence
she is currently doing herself a
disservice by fanning the flames of
Onyeka Onwenu
102
HIGHLIFE
S
Chicken! Despite his Tough Talk,
Nyesom Wike Chickens Out
ome men are sissies
by conviction; others
are sissies by nature.
The latter comprise
adult babies that
tirelessly project their
contempt for fear only to
scurry like rabbits fleeing the
shadow of a soldier ant, soon
after they are confronted by
a veneer of fear. You could be
forgiven for likening Nyesom
Wike, Rivers state governor,
to such spineless men. Wike,
despite his spirited show of
sacking his Commissioner for
Finance, Dr. Fred Kpakol, has
rescinded his decision, like
a Labrador that scurries to
swallow its vomit soon after
it gagged on its own faeces,
Wike lifted the suspension of
Dr. Kpakol.
Known for his daring,
thrill-seeking and
garrulous posture in the
world of politics, Wike,
the braggadocio governor
chickened out to the
astonishment and dismay
of his loyalists and political
pundits. Pundits are of
ethnic hatred in her desperate bid
to hold on to her office. The former
music star incurred the wrath
of Nigerians some months ago
when she appeared on a breakfast
show to lampoon the detractors
of former Nigerian First Lady,
Dame Patience Jonathan. Onyeka
particularly attacked Nobel
Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka;
she said Professor Soyinka had no
right to refer to Dame Jonathan
as ‘that woman,’ an act she
condemned as unbecoming of a
man of Soyinka’s stature. But those
who know Onyeka disclosed that
they were not surprised by her
recent antics.
INSTANT SUPERSTAR! ESTHER
NNAMDI-OGBUE, NEW PPMC
BOSS BECOMES EVERYONE’S
DARLING
Every patina of Esther’s
character, from her enthralling
femininity to her imperceptible
assertiveness, conveys a sphinxlike magnetism. She is a total
woman; an enchanting equal to a
post-modern heroine imbued with
style, engaging irresistibility and
intellectual depth. A distinguished
icon of female power on the
business realm, she presents a
perfect portrait of a celebrity
workaholic with intimidating
depth and drive for excellence.
Interestingly, Esther NnamdiOgbue, a lawyer, finally has her
shot at the limelight. But unlike
the random celebrity diva who
covets and jostles for her 15
minutes on the slippery slope of
acclaim, Esther’s renown is for
the long haul. Suddenly, the new
Managing Director (MD) of the
Petroleum Products Marketing
Company (PPMC), has become
everybody’s darling. Until she
was appointed to head PPMC by
Minister of State for Petroleum,
Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu, Esther
the opinion that for the
governor to have rescinded
his decision soon after Dr.
Kpakol issued a veiled threat
to him shows that there is
more to the matter than
anyone can imagine.
Wike rescinded the
suspension of Dr. Kpakol at
a special Valentine Couples
Night for Rivers State public
servants and political leaders
organised by his wife, Justice
Eberechi Suzzette NyesomWike, at the Government
House, Port Harcourt. He
said the suspension was
lifted due to intervention by
different political leaders
and as a show of love during
the valentine. It would be
recollected that Dr. Kpakol
threatened Governor
Wike that if his so-called
suspension was not reversed
within 48 hours, he will be
compelled to open ten cans
of worms that will lay bare in
public glare the nauseating
rot under which Wike’s
administration had been
struggling.
was relatively unknown to all the
people seeking to befriend her
right now. But immediately she
Esher Nnamdi-Ogbue
was pronounced as PPMC’s new
MD, Esther became the cynosure
of all eyes and the object of every
random male and female affection.
There is no doubt that her life has
remarkably changed; the lover of
expensive jewelry may now satisfy
her lust for the prized jewelry. Now
that she has access to an attractive
remuneration and treasure trove,
Esther may never lack in cash
and priceless jewels. Before her
appointment, Esther occupied
several important positions
within the Nigerian National
Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).
Earlier, she was General Manager,
Board Matters and Management
Committee Department (BMMC)
in the Corporate Secretariat and
Legal Division (CSLD) of the
NNPC, where she organised
Board/Board Committee meetings
amongst others. Her appointment
as the MD of PPMC is a major
recognition of the work that she
has done within the NNPC as
well as the experience that she has
acquired over the years.
WHO WILL SAVE PRESIDENT
BUHARI’S FIRST SON, YUSUF,
FROM POLITICAL VULTURES?
These are interesting times
for Yusuf Buhari. The first son of
Nyesom Wike
President Muhammadu Buhari can
neither soften into a naïveté below
the meekness of infancy to think
all men virtuous nor can he afford
to be tainted by the deviousness
and guilty pleasures characteristic
of the truly vile and corrupt.
Through the fog of warmth and
political patronage shown him by
various sections of the Nigerian
political class, Yusuf struggles
to attain clarity of vision as he
engages in a never-ending quest to
decipher between sincere friends
and acquaintances and otherwise.
No sooner did his father emerge
President of the Federal Republic
of Nigeria than he became the
sweetheart of Nigeria’s self-seeking
political class. As you read, a lot
of people comprising politicians,
lobbyists and businessmen are
trying to woo him by plying him
Yusuf Buhari
with gifts of expensive cars among
other things. But Yusuf, like his
dad, President Buhari, seems to
be immune to the lure of such
compromising luxury. The young
dude continually turns down
offers of help and rejects without
hesitation, such compromising
gifts and unsolicited expression of
goodwill. Sadly and to the chagrin
of his close relatives, some of
his very close friends have been
mounting pressure on him to
accept the gifts. HighLife findings
revealed that some of them have
even started accepting the gifts on
his behalf, without his knowledge.
Let’s hope the president’s son
will do the needful and expunge
such corruptible characters from
his retinue of friends lest they
permanently soil his image. Given
the clout and stature of the people
desperately seeking to woo him
with gifts, his father, President
Buhari, might need to intervene
before they succeed in corrupting
his dear son
EXPOSED! WHERE WOMEN
GO FOR ‘ENLARGEMENT’ AND
‘TIGHTENING’ OF FEMININE
FEATURES
Beauty flourishes in the brilliant
spokes of sunny minds, it enlivens
the plain and tame and captivates
in the devises of the creative
heart. This perhaps explains the
human fascination with prettiness;
everybody wants to look ravishing.
And Freda Francis understands
this much, that is why she spares
no expense and effort at cashing
in on the mortal want and need
to look beautiful. To this end,
Freda, a socialite and certified laser
specialist has created a niche for
herself as the CEO of the popular
beauty spa, Oasis Medspa, which is
located in the heart of Ikoyi, Lagos.
The spa is a corrective skincare
clinic that uses FDA approved
equipment to bring advance
treatment by experts mostly from
UK and America trained doctor/
aestheticians. Oasis Medspa has
overtime become a popular spot
for celebrities, rich and stylish men
and women, including politicians
as it employs the use of nonsurgical solutions to common
skin, hair and body complaints,
facials, massages and peel, elite
skin tightening, fat reduction and
laser hair removal. Oasis Medspa
also performs breast augmentation,
103
HIGHLIFE
Siju! The Deity behind City of David Pastor, Idowu Iluyomade
M
any a rich, privileged
woman totter into
vogue but it takes a
profound, perceptive
lady to mirror the
breadth and depth of burgeoning
trends to the world. However,
when such woman possesses the
verve and charisma to dictate and
often set the pace in whatever
social circuit she inhabits, she runs
the risk of affliction by societal
thought, that labels substance
and sophistication, particularly
when intense, as amoral. Siju
Iluyomade, lawyer and wife of the
Senior Pastor of the Redeemed
Christian Church of God (RCCG),
Idowu Olusola Iluyomade, is a rich,
privileged woman. She is profound
and perceptive too. Siju dictates
and sets the pace in her social
circuit; she’s got substance and
classiness and she is never amoral,
in the estimation of her friends,
family and church adherents. Siju
symbolizes the incontestable
affirmation of charm and élan as
acceptable traits in a virtuous
woman. Been a Christian, according
to Siju, should not sentence anyone
to the dungeons of bleakness
and aesthetic barrenness. Siju
glamourizes her trendiness and love
for high fashion as much as her love
for God.
Known to family, friends and
church congregation as Pastor
Siju, the pretty wife to RCCG’s City
of David, Victoria Island, Lagos’
spiritual shepherd, is dazzling
and chic and she is admirably
unapologetic for it. So smitten is her
husband by her, that he fondly calls
her “Sugar Baby,” a pet name which
they jointly share in private and
public to the envy and admiration
of all. Pastor Siju hardly wears or
repeats the same set of jewelries
over the long haul neither does she
repeat attires and designs within
and outside the church. During every
church service at COD for instance,
Pastor Siju is always the cynosure
of all eyes; she attracts admirable
stares every time she steps out
and into the church. Siju lives like a
queen; always dressed in designers
outfits like Zagliani, Hermes,
Marc Jacobs, Gucci, and Christian
Louboutin. Even when she attends a
function with A-list society women,
her style and fashion sense stand
out.
enlargement and vaginal tightening
procedure for women who are
not satisfied with their feminine
features.
sociability while in office and even
outside the corridors of power.
Beneficiaries of her friendliness
testify that when she was the first
lady, she honored all invitations
to events and high-octane parties.
Since she left the government house
however, fans of the former First
Lady have been wondering what
she had been up to. She is hardly
seen in the social and political
arenas and she has never been one
to lust feverishly for the spotlight.
Where is Abimbola Fashola? While
fans and acquaintances mull over
her likely whereabouts, let’s hope
Bolanle Ambode, incumbent First
Lady and wife of Lagos Governor,
Akinwumi Ambode, would take a
cue from her predecessor and tow a
path of nobility and enviable grace.
ABIMBOLA FASHOLA GOES INTO
ANONYMOUS COCOON
Many a man or woman who
had won and tasted power or
had it imposed upon him or her,
with much understatement, find
it extremely difficult to adjust to
life without power. Stripped of
the accoutrements and delightful
frills of office, they wander about
donning masks of moral fiber and
nurturing behind their masks,
an appalling and impregnable
conceit of themselves. They find
it even more cumbersome to
relate with ordinary folk they
FAR FROM HIS FATHER’S PATH...
SHINA PELLER DOMINATES THE
NIGHT CLUB SCENE
For those whose fathers are
great, the dilemma is all the same;
they live under pressure and the
daunting shadow of their fathers’
attainments. Eventually, very few
among them manage to best their
fathers’ attainments thus they are
Abimbola Fashola
had known before they came by
power. Ultimately, they choose to
live lives of quiet displeasure if
they no longer have access to the
corridors of power. Caught amid
ordinariness, if they do not blow
their own trumpets, it is because
they feel you are not fit to listen
to the performance. However,
Abimbola Fashola, former First
lady of Lagos State, is remarkably
different from such characters.
Since she left office with her
husband, Babatunde Fashola, at
the expiration of the latter’s second
term as Lagos governor, Abimbola
has been very quiet. A very nice
and decent woman, she maintained
a life of pleasant decorum and
Shina Peller
perpetually considered inferior
shades of their fathers. But Shina
Peller cuts a contradictory picture
to such dour portraiture. The son
of late Professor Abiola Peller, a
renowned magician, knew what he
must not do to survive quite early
Siju Iluyomade
in life; and that includes trying to
be like his father. Shina, despite
being known as “the one with the
magical hands,” has refused to tow
the path treaded by his father. Even
though his late father’s magical
prowess brought him fame and
fortune, Shina artfully scorns the
lure of life as a conjurer. The fairskinned proprietor of Aquila Oil
and Gas rather applies his mojo at
making money; thus alongside his
oil business, he established Quilox,
a nightclub, bar and restaurant
on Ozumba Mbadiwe Street,
Victoria Island (VI), Lagos. At its
establishment two years ago, the
exquisite nightclub drew to its
launch, the creme of Nigeria’s high
society. For instance, Governors
Ibikunle Amosun and Abdulfatah
Ahmed of Ogun and Kwara states
respectively witnessed the club’s
opening ceremony alongside other
influential figures and celebrities.
But that is hardly what makes
his story unique; since he opened
Quilox, the Lagos social scene has
improved tremendously. Shina
has virtually revolutionised club
business thus his club, Quilox, has
become a convergence point for
top businessmen, politicians, silver
spoon kids and die hard fun lovers
from across social divides. And
this, among other things, attests to
Shina’s success with his high end
bar.
BASH ALI… SAD, PITIFUL
DECLINE OF NIGERIA’S OLDEST
BOXER
If Bash Ali were a bird, he would
probably be a nightingale. If he
were a nightingale, would he, like
the sonorous bird, piteously die of
shame because another bird sings
better? Driven by his declining
stature and loss of relevance –
unlike the country’s soccer stars
– to the Nigerian State, Ali has
descended into a desperate strait.
Thus his desperation to vent
and reenact the impossible, like
the proverbial soldiers starving
to death in the battle trench; as
the drought persisted, the latter
abandoned prayers, marched
up the hills and began to shoot
at passing clouds to hurt the
heavens for abandoning them.
Like the metaphorical nightingale
and desperate soldiers, is Ali at
his tethers end? To most boxing
purists, Bashiru Lawrence Ali
a.k.a Bash Ali, a World Boxing
Federation (WBF) cruiserweight
champion has finally transcended
his vanity and the patchiness of
his fame to descend and wallow
Bash Ali
in infamy. There is no gainsaying
Ali has gone fallen from grace to
grass. While the cruiserweight
champion’s athleticism and natural
punching power brought him
acclaim early in his career, it is his
regression from a well-rounded
and promising boxer into some sort
of a national joke that has defined
his legacy.
Today, Ali is no longer an
imposing physical specimen as
he was in his youth; he can no
longer defeat opponents using an
array of skills: a stiff jab, left jab,
haymaker, combination punching
and evasiveness. He has lost form
but the aging pugilist desperately
hangs on to the glories of his youth;
for eight years running, he has been
desperately seeking government
aid to stage a comeback fight and
thus register his name indelibly in
the Guinness Book of Records as
the oldest boxer to ever win a fight
with a younger opponent alive.
Pity.
Sunday February 28, 2016
TR
UT H
& RE A S O
N
Price: N300
MISSILE
Ohanaeze Youths to FG
We want to appeal to the federal government to release Nnamdi Kanu. However, he
(Kanu) should not continue with hate or inciting broadcast from Radio Biafra if he
released. There is now a civilised way of even seeking for self-determination, and
that is referendum. It’s a better option than hate broadcast and protests.”
– Ohaneze Ndigbo Youth Council urging the federal government to release the detained Director of Radio Biafra and leader of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB),
Nnamdi Kanu
SIMONKOLAWOLE
SIMONKOLAWOLELIVE!
simon.kolawole@thisdaylive.com, sms: 0805 500 1961
Buharinomics and the Endgame Scenarios
I
love mathematics — it’s the calculations I
can’t stand. Check this out: evaluate (1/2
- 1/4 - 1/8 - 1/16 + ...) - 1. Goodness me,
what’s that about? But, at least, mathematics
is precision science. One plus one will
always be equal to two. Economics, however, is
not precision science. It is social science. And in
social science, you can’t always achieve precision
in analysing behaviour. Humans can react to the
same stimulus differently. Thus, economists say
“on the one hand” and “on the other hand”,
taking into account the variables. They say “all
things being equal” for a reason. An economic
policy can work in Kano and fail in Katsina.
But mathematics works everywhere.
Curiously, many economists and commentators
seem to be casting Nigeria’s economic crisis as
a mathematical problem. Their attitude is: you
either use my formula to solve the problem or
you will perish in hell. Anyone who disagrees
with them is an “economic illiterate” or “naira
killer”. I would rather think that whatever step
we take today is an experiment: we still cannot
say for sure what the end result would be. Some
policies work in the short run and damage the
economy in the long run. Some bring untold
hardship in the short run and prosperity in the
long run. Various countries have experimented
with same policies and experienced different
results.
Public debate in Nigeria is never civilised.
To disagree on policy issues is a universal
phenomenon, but the name-calling in Nigeria is
simply amazing. Personal opinions are presented as
canon and alternative views treated as blasphemy.
Yet opinions must differ. When the Asian financial
crisis broke out in 1997, the affected countries
chose different paths to recovery. Thailand, South
Korea and Indonesia adopted an IMF-inspired
structural adjustment programme (SAP) and slowly
recovered. Mahathir Mohammad, then prime
minister of Malaysia, rejected IMF’s prescriptions,
including devaluation — yet the economy also
slowly recovered.
Those who opposed Mohammad’s obstinacy
would later agree that whatever he was smoking
was of high quality. Malaysia’s case was quite
interesting. As the crisis threatened to topple the
economy, Mohammad refused all entreaties to
float or devalue the ringgit, which was then an
international currency. Within weeks, it had lost
50 per cent of its value following speculative
attacks, exchanging at 4.57 to $1 — up from
2.50. The stock market went into a meltdown.
Rating agencies described Malaysian stock as
“junk”. But Mohammad remained stubborn.
He arbitrarily fixed the exchange rate at 3.80 to
the dollar and stopped the ringgit from being
traded abroad.
Mohammad imposed tough capital controls,
making it impossible for foreign portfolio funds
to move out of Malaysia until after at least a year
of investment. Initially, the economy contracted.
Things went haywire. Foreign investors shunned
Malaysia. Mohammad became a laughing stock.
But he was flexible and kept tinkering. Things
began to settle. Currency speculators lost out. Forex
outflows dropped significantly. The overcrowded,
troubled banking sector was consolidated. He
then relaxed, and later removed capital controls
as exports rose and the country’s current account
deficit moved to surplus. Within three years,
the economy picked up.
It, therefore, baffles me when people think
Buhari
there is only one way to tackle a crisis and that
their way is the only way. Of course, President
Muhammadu Buhari is not Mahathir Mohammad
and Nigeria is not Malaysia. Malaysia was an
industrialised country before the crisis, unlike
Nigeria. And we should remember Malaysia
already had sound economic, infrastructural and
institutional backbone. It was like an injured
player returning to the game, not a rookie like
Nigeria being plucked straight from the academy.
Parallels are, therefore, not to be overly drawn.
On the one hand and on the other hand, the
variables are different, all things being equal.
Nigeria, a one-track economy, is facing its
own potentially defining crisis. The naira is
on a spiral. Clearly, the immediate cause is
that oil price has fallen, leading to a massive
reduction in forex inflow, leading to scarcity of
forex, leading to rationing of forex, leading to
a freefall of the naira in the open market. It is
obviously not Buhari’s fault. If oil price fell to
$30 under President Goodluck Jonathan, we
would experience similar challenges. Also, if
oil price rises to $120 under Buhari — as we
witnessed under Jonathan — there would be
enough petrodollars to make everybody happy.
We must never forget this fact in the midst of
these unending arguments.
Our disagreement is basically how to get out
of this mess which is damaging the economy day
by day. Those who favour official devaluation
of the national currency think it will address
the forex inflow crisis, boost foreign investors’
confidence, stem the outflow of investors’
funds, remove forex market distortions and
increase the revenue due to the three tiers of
government — which is currently shared at
N197 to $1 when indeed the street value is over
N300 — and help wipe off the budget deficits.
They think the naira has already devalued itself,
in any case, and general prices have adjusted,
but the government keeps deceiving itself by
pretending N197 makes sense.
But there is another side to the argument,
led by President Buhari himself. He says he
will not “kill” the naira by devaluing it, and
has picked out specific sectors he wants to
make forex available to at N197 to a dollar.
He believes only exporting countries benefit
from currency devaluation. The Central Bank
of Nigeria (CBN) has listed dozens of imported
items it will not fund as part of the rationing
of the forex reserves which are getting drained
by the day. The CBN insists it will continue to
make forex available only to “critical sectors”,
and those who want to import non-essential
items should source their forex elsewhere. The
stated aim is to stimulate domestic production.
To be sure, I do not think, for one second, that
simply restricting forex allocations will solve the
problem. Actually, I have always argued that
Nigeria’s real sector needs to be supported with
solid infrastructure and generous incentives to
fast-track industrialisation and purge ourselves of
this importation epidemic and forex illness. We
can even use tariff to discourage imports, even
though the World Trade Organisation (WTO)
will attempt to crucify us for raising barriers
to “free trade”. But we must stop casting our
current economic crisis in the single narrative
of devaluation. We are dealing with complex
human behaviour with several variables.
Since Buhari, the president, has maintained
that he will not devalue the naira, then we would
have to live with that for now. We cannot overrule
him. I have now chosen to look at the different
endgame scenarios for Buharinomics. There are
two extreme scenarios I want to share. The first,
which I call the “Sai Buhari!” scenario, is that
things work out fine in the end. Imports drop
sharply; pressure on naira falls; exchange rate
stabilises; speculators bite the dust; investment
in social infrastructure yields massive results;
domestic manufacturing picks up; and we
gradually overcome this economic hardship
within three years. Sai Buhari!
The second scenario, the “Chai Buhari!” one,
sees things get out of hand: naira slips into coma
as speculators enjoy a free ride; black market
hits N1000 to $1; prices of goods and services
go gaga; the CBN can no longer make forex
available for imports; we are queuing up to
buy milk, salt and rice; unemployment soars
as more factories close down; foreign investors
shun Nigeria; Buhari then runs to the IMF for
a $20 billion bailout as violent protests break
out nationwide; IMF asks Buhari to devalue the
naira, remove capital controls, abolish electricity
subsidy, increase fuel price, and cut social spending;
and Buhari painfully capitulates. Chai Buhari!
If I claim to know the endgame of Buharinomics,
I lie. This is not mathematics. This is about how
economic agents will interact and react under a
different temperature, humidity and pressure.
The fact that things are not going well today
does not mean we are doomed. Indeed, with
economic reform, things tend to get worse before
they get better. That is why we have to look
not just as short-term pains but also long-term
gains. That is why I ultimately favour flexibility.
In the Malaysia case, Mohammad was flexible.
He resisted the IMF, yes, but even in his own
policies, he evaluated results from time to time
and acted with the latest information and within
unfolding realities.
Meanwhile, there are certainly other possible
endgame scenarios. For instance, if oil price picks
up along the way, all this debate becomes an
academic exercise. Moreover, there are rumours
that some “saboteurs” are bent on making sure
Buhari devalues the naira, and they will do
anything to depress the naira in order to force
the issue. Some bankers, currency speculators and
top government officials are allegedly involved
in the conspiracy. If this is true, it is yet another
scenario I have not painted — the scenario where
things that work in other countries spectacularly
fail here because of the “Nigerian factor”. The
endgame, then, remains highly unpredictable.R
RIGHTOFREPLY
You Got it Wrong on “Church and State”
By Ekerete Udoh
In your column of February 14, 2016 entitled
“Devaluations and its Discontents” and in your
‘Four Things… section with the caption “Church
and State” you stated that “something revolted in
me when I saw the gathering of PDP supporters
at the Uyo Stadium last Wednesday to celebrate
the victory of Governor Udom Emmanuel, in his
election litigation”. You went on to say that you
found it “very objectionable the way politicians
hide behind God to waste scarce resources” and
that Governor Emmanuel can “simply kneel down
in his bedroom and thank God rather than hold
a politically-charged service” and you termed
the event “wasteful”.
First and foremost, I don’t think you have the
right to suggest to Governor Udom Emmanuel
how he should proceed to give thanks to God
over a consequential moment that occurred in
his life. It amounts to gratuitous insult to suggest
such. Governor Udom Emmanuel has the right
and spiritual latitude to praise God in any manner
he deemed fit or to gather faithful to praise God
for what He did for him, the good people of
Akwa Ibom State and for the deepening of our
democratic ethos, values and tradition.
The Supreme Court decision that affirmed the
mandate the good people of Akwa Ibom State had
given him, last April 11, helped restore confidence
and strengthened our democratic norms; this
was a great moment for our democracy and as
a man of deep Christian faith and masculinity,
Governor Emmanuel felt he needed to give thanks
to God in a decidedly expressive and expansive
manner. His motivation for doing such should
not be questioned or be put through unnecessary
layers of scrutiny.
READ THE CONCLUDING PART OF THIS
ARTICLE ON www.thisdaylive.com
Printed and Published in Lagos by THISDAY Newspapers Limited. Lagos: 35 Creek Road, Apapa, Lagos. Abuja: Plot 1, Sector Centre B, Jabi Business District, Solomon Lar Way, Jabi North East, Abuja .
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With Crisis in PDP, Discordant Interests in APC, Politicians

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