TRUTH & REASON

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Sunday 13 March, 2022Vol 27. No 9833

Continued on page 8

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Ganduje: Nigeria’s Challenges Linked to Faulty Foundation Laid by Colonialists... Page 5

Sixth Batch of 301 Nigerian Evacuees Arrives from Ukraine... Page 12

ENERGY POLICY MAKERS…L-R: Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Upstream Regulatory Commission, Mr. Gbenga Komolafe; US Secretary of Energy, Jennifer M. Granholm; Minister of State for Petroleum, Chief Timipre Sylva; and Secretary and Legal Adviser, NUPRC, Yemi Anyaenchi, at the CERAWeek Energy Conference in Houston, Texas, United States… weekend

Continued on page 5

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja

Despite the decision of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its allies, OPEC+, to raise

crude oil production by 340,000 barrels per day last month, the gap between the group’s actual output and target still widened to 890,000 bpd, according to the cartel’s report.

It was also a month that saw Nigeria raise output to 1.51 million bpd, a marked improvement from the previous few months when the country struggled to produce between

1.2 million bpd and 1.4 bpd.Nigeria has been constrained

in meeting its OPEC allocation for months, and as of January had as much as 300,000 barrels per day deficit, mainly due to

ageing upstream infrastructure and sabotage as well as technical reasons.

Despite the over 1.7 million barrels per day output allowed by OPEC+, the country had

managed to increase production to about 1.4 million, the highest in recent times, going by the latest OPEC review.

Continued on page 12

Anxiety as PDP National Caucus, NEC Meet Over Presidential TicketChuks Okocha in Abuja

There is anxiety among members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the national caucus of the main opposition party and the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meet on

from name-calling and backstabbing.

Rather, he said, the party must be ready to put its house in order ahead of the planned national convention of the party holding in Abuja on March 26, 2022.

The embattled Chairman of the Caretaker/Extraordinary

Again, Crude Oil Production by OPEC, Allies Falls by 890,000 bpdNigeria ramps up output to 1.51m bpd

Buhari Reads Riot Act to APC Leaders, Cautions against Name-calling, Backstabbing

GLOBAL RECOGNITION FOR GENDER INCLUSION……United States Ambassador to Nigeria, Mary Beth Leonard (left), and Kwara State Governor, Mr. AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, at the International Women's Day Awards Gala hosted by the UNDP/UN Women in Lagos…recently

Says national convention still holds March 26 Bello, el-Rufai, Fayemi meet president in LondonIyobosa Uwugiaren, Deji Elumoye, Chuks Okocha and Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

President Muhammadu Buhari has appraised recent developments in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and warned the leaders and members of the party to desist forthwith

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BUHARI READS RIOT ACT TO APC LEADERS, CAUTIONS AGAINST NAME-CALLING, BACKSTABBING

Kemi Olaitan in Ibadan

Kano State Governor, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, has attributed the challenges of nation-building in Nigeria to the faulty foundation laid by the colonial masters.

Ganduje made the assertions at the launching of the N250 million Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje Lecture Theatre and Award yesterday at the University of Ibadan.

Ganduje was the Guest Speaker, bagged the Most Distinguished Alumni Award.

The governor said that the faulty foundation laid by the colonial masters was purely done to actualise their interests and not for any genuine development of the country.

“The challenges of nation-building in Nigeria are attributable to the very faulty foundation laid by the European colonial masters.

“These were purely done to actualise their interests and not for any genuine development of the country,” he said.

Ganduje said that the colonial rule divided Nigeria into North and South without much concern for the peculiarities of the two regions.

He said that the division was without concern for the difference in land tenure systems, local government administration, education and judicial systems.

Ganduje said the challenges of nation-building should be a matter of concern to all, adding that there was a need to reflect on the journey so far to build and leave a better legacy for the future.

“From this historical legacy, therefore, regionalism has been a major challenge to nation-building in Nigeria. Under these conditions, it was easy for prejudice and fear to thrive.

“Nation-building is about building a common sense of purpose, sense of shared destiny and collective imagination of belonging.

“Nation-building is about building the tangible and intangible threads that hold a

Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) of the party and Governor of Yobe State, Mai Mala Buni, is expected back in the country on Monday to assume the leadership of the party.

As Buni is being expected back to take over, the acting Chairman of the party and Niger State governor, Mr. Abubakar Sani Bello; Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai and their counterpart in Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, arrived London last night to meet with Buhari.

This is as the ruling party has clarified that the National Secretary of the party, Senator John Akpanudoedehe, did not resign his position, and was not sacked by the party.

As the governors elected on the platform of the ruling party await the outcome of the meeting between Buhari and some stakeholders of the party, they have also mounted pressure on Akpanudoedehe to sign the notice of the scheduled meeting of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party.

President Buhari, in a statement issued yesterday by his spokesman, Mallam Garba Shehu, tasked the leaders and membership of the APC to stop mudslinging ahead of the forthcoming national convention that will lead to the election of new national leaders to run the party for the next four years.

He also urged them to remain steadfast and maintain their unity if the party is to continue in the path of victory and its dominance at all levels throughout the country.

The president asked the APC members to look at the once-powerful, “main opposition'' Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) now enfeebled and adrift and learn lessons in disunity, mismanagement and corruption.

He warned that ''they (PDP) failed in 16 years in power and a failure as opposition.

“Yes, we are entitled to our share of dissent and intra-party discord. These are common in all parties, left and right all over the world.

''But parties splintered by competing egos destine themselves to the worst possible fate".

According to him, ''As the country prepares for the long run-up to the 2023 presidential election, we all expect a robust debate on the issues that matter and what is going in the APC should be a reflection of this, not the infighting we are seeing. There must be no more distractions ahead of the convention to choose new leaders.''

President Buhari recalled that the APC started with a confidence of victory, adding that the party today enjoys that confidence in nearly two-thirds of our 36 states.

Yet, he noted, this is a party that has been in existence barely for eight years, becoming the dominant party because it has thrown open its doors to defectors from other parties, big and small.

This alone, in addition to the fact ''we didn’t start on the note of arrogance of power, nor see government as a vehicle for self-aggrandisement, to be held at all costs, but a vehicle to bring development to all without discrimination-political, ethnic or regional to our dear country made this success possible.''

The party, the president further noted, is proud of the fact that in its short period of existence, it has won two general elections decisively and despite losing a few states in 2019, it steadfastly expanded its pan-Nigerian outlook with significant defections of the opposition governors and parliamentarians into its fold.

''Given all that is at a stake, we can expect contests into offices as we are now faced with to be heated although candidates and their promoters for party offices are not so much debating policy differences differences of management, personality, character, and suitability for the most important leadership roles in our country and therefore the continent.''

Buhari also stressed that for more than a week, the

internal management affairs of the APC have been afforded generous media coverage – over and above its importance to the voters of Nigeria.

He said: "It is important to ask what benefits the poor are getting during the period of intense negative coverage.

"When precisely the party’s convention is held and who is the party’s chairman is hardly a matter for the average voter: vastly more important is who convention delegates will elect as the party’s flagbearer in the coming weeks to take forward the party’s platform to the people in the general election in February next year.

"It is, therefore, important for the media to put such matters into perspective. No one is debating policy differences here. That is for the general election. None of the declared aspirants and any of those that may step forward will change because of who may be in the party in the chairman’s seat. It is essentially the same party.

"Of course, the media are welcome to comment on the content of the character of the potential APC candidates; discuss their suitability for leadership; scrutinise their offer to the membership. But to focus on the routine internal divisions and magnify them into what they have become today is a waste of everyone’s time, amounting to no more than a discussion over seating

arrangements.This is not what Nigerians

talk of in their communities. They incline only for things that matter."

Bello, el-Rufai, Fayemi Meet Buhari in London

Meanwhile, the acting Chairman of the party and Niger State Governor, Bello; Kaduna State Governor, el-Rufai and their counterpart in Ekiti State, Fayemi, arrived London last night to meet with Buhari.

A source in the ruling party said the visit was informed by “the urgent need to brief the president on events since the new Acting Chairman took over as well as bring him up to speed with the preparations for the March 17 NEC meeting and the March 26 National Convention.

“The team is also in London to check up on the President as he takes his deserved rest,” the source added.

The source added that the governors’ visit will put a final seal on all of APC’s plans for the National Convention, especially its NEC meeting believed to be a major determinant of what would happen at the March 26 convention.

Buni to Return This Week as Party

RETIRED BUT NOT TIRED…Former Ogun State Governor, Chief Olusegun Osoba; wife of the celebrant, Mrs. Anne Awonusi; her husband, Prof. Victor Awonusi; and Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, during the presentation of a book titled, ‘Functional Approaches to Language and Literary Studies – Essays’ in honour of the Prof. Awonusi's retirement from the University of Lagos and his 70th birthday in Lagos…yesterday

Ganduje: Nigeria’s Challenges Linked to Faulty Foundation Laid by Colonialists

political entity together and give it a sense of purpose,” he said.

The governor said that the nation’s founding fathers tried to deal with the challenge by adopting federalism and advocating a policy of unity-in-diversity.

According to him, the lack of consolidation of Nigerian federalism around commonly shared values and positions continues to undermine our

efforts at nation-building. “This could be seen in the

division between ‘indigenes’ and ‘settlers’, which has been a source of domestic tension and undermined our efforts at creating a common nationhood,” Ganduje said.

He urged Nigerians not to see themselves as victims of their history, but be more responsible to overcome the challenges posed by their history.

Ganduje said leadership was a critical factor in nation-building, adding that it has to do with personal qualities of integrity, honesty, commitment and competence of individual leaders.

“Leadership is a critical factor in nation-building that has to do with personal qualities of integrity, honesty, commitment, and competence of individual leaders at the top.

“And the collective qualities of common vision, focus and desire for the development of the elites as a whole,” the governor said.

He said that was the reason why the nation must have a leadership that is committed to the rule of law, has a demonstrable sense of fair play and democratic tolerance.

“Another important aspect of nation-building is the building

of common citizenship.“A common nationhood

cannot be achieved while citizens are living such parallel lives.

Nations are built by healthy and skilled citizens.

“On grounds of both equity and efficiency, we need to promote the access of the bulk of the Nigerian population to basic education, health, and housing,” Ganduje said.

Continued on page 10

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AGAIN, CRUDE OIL PRODUCTION BY OPEC, ALLIES FALLS BY 890,000 BPD

DONE DEAL…L-R: Chief Operating Officer, Lagos Business School, Dr. Charles Irenso; President/Chairman of Council, Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria, Dr. Bayo Olugbemi; Associate Dean, Lagos Busines School, Prof. Yinka David-West; and Registrar/CEO, CIBN, Dr. 'Seye Awojobi, during Execution of a collaboration agreement between CIBN and Lagos Business School on MBA/SMP/ACIB Programme in Lagos…yesterday ETOP UKUTT

Although there are issues surrounding the sustainability of the current upward trend of the country’s supply to the global market, it is seen as a good sign for the nation’s oil and gas industry.

The latest report showed that production from OPEC+ participants was 38.25 million bpd in February, up from 37.91 million bpd in January, but below the target of 39.14 million, according to an Argus survey, which shares insights and analyses about energy and commodity markets worldwide.

But oil prices rose at the weekend, although they experienced their biggest weekly declines since November on fears of escalating bans on Russian oil as against efforts to bring more supply to the market from other major producers.

In a week of volatile trading marked by talk of Russian oil embargoes then potential supply additions from Iran,

Venezuela and the United Arab Emirates while fighting escalated in Ukraine, Brent, Nigeria’s benchmark fell 5.2 per cent after hitting a 14-year high of $139.13 on Monday.

In the same vein, US crude was dropped 6.6 per cent after touching a high of $130.50 at the start of the trading week.

A day earlier, crude oil prices fell significantly, tumbling from a 2008 high of $130, about the largest single-day percentage decline since April 2020.

Nigeria's benchmark oil dropped 13 per cent to $111 a barrel, while the WTI crude oil which topped $130 at the height of trading earlier in the week, lost 12 per cent.

The latest report indicated that notably, the quota-exempt OPEC members, Iran and Libya raised output by a combined 170,000 bpd in February, with the north African country accounting for 130,000 bpd of this after an early-January restart of four crude and

condensate fields.But 14 of the wider group's

19 members, including Nigeria, produced below quota in the month, as dwindling spare capacity, underinvestment and infrastructure restraints have constrained output increases.

The OPEC+ group's stance on rising prices is that they are down to geopolitics and not market fundamentals, with the organisation’s Secretary-General, Mr Sanusi Barkindo, saying during the week that "we have no control over current events."

Barkindo stated that despite the surging crude oil prices, there’s no shortage of the commodity in the market, although he admitted that not all member countries are currently able to fulfil their obligations because of capacity constraints.

OPEC+ ministers will meet on March 31, to decide a production strategy for May, when five countries — Russia,

Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait and the UAE — will see upwards revisions to the baseline levels that determine their quotas and compliance.

This would see the combined monthly output quota increase move to 432,000 bpd from 400,000 bpd, which could go some way to satisfying calls for the group to raise the pace of production increases.

Minister of State Petroleum, Mr Timipre Sylva, last week said that the absence of long-term investment in the oil and gas sector, as well as insecurity, should be blamed on Nigeria's current low crude oil production.

Sylva stated that this development was responsible for the inability of Nigeria to meet the OPEC quota in recent times in addition to the speed with which International Oil Companies (IOCs) and other investors were withdrawing investments in hydrocarbon exploitation.

Emma Okonji

Legal experts in Nigeria who attended the two days stakeholders' forum on National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) Bill 2021 in Lagos, which ended at the weekend, have picked holes in the new propositions contained in the proposed bill, which is a Repeal and Re-Enactment Bill 2021.

The legal practitioners described the bill as infiltrating and an attempt to unnecessarily duplicate the regulatory powers of some existing government agencies in the country.

They made their positions known during a webinar session on ‘Stakeholders’ Engagement for Legal Practitioners in Nigeria on National Information Technology Development Agency Bill, 2021.

This followed an earlier stakeholders’ engagement meeting held by NITDA in Abuja to consider the proposed NITDA Bill 2021 which, among other things, was aimed at changing NITDA from an IT Development Agency, to a regulator of the information technology industry ecosystem.

The webinar, which was put together by the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Committee of the Nigeria Bar Association Section on Business Law (NBA-SBL), in collaboration with the NITDA and Farisad Investment Limited (FIL), was attended by stakeholders within the legal ecosystem, who reviewed the new provisions in the proposed Bill.

During the webinar anchored by the Chief Executive Officer of FIL, Sanusi Musa, the NBA President, Mr Olumide Akpata, after his brief remarks, raised three fundamental concerns on the proposed bill, which, he

said, should be looked into by stakeholders at the webinar. Akpata was represented by the ICT Committee Chairman for NBA-SBL, Mr Rotimi Ogunyemi.

The tripartite concerns raised by Akpata, were around how the bill will align with the Startup Bill before the National Assembly; how the NITDA Bill intends to navigate its way within the broadband context of other regulatory functions; and what will be the implications of the penalties for violation of certain sections of the bill on the ICT business environment.

Other legal experts spoke on other areas of conflict of the proposed NITDA Bill with existing legations of some other organisations, including the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Computer Professional Registration Council of Nigeria (CPN), Federal Completion and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unity (NFIU), Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), among others.

Each of the Acts establishing all these existing agencies was looked into vis-à-vis the new provisions in the NITDA Bill and it was unanimously agreed by the legal stakeholders that there were regulatory conflicts that may be detrimental to the peaceful regulatory atmosphere being experienced in the nation’s digital economy space.

Aside from some of the provisions overlapping on the regulatory functions of other agencies, the legal experts observed that a number of the provisions in the bill are ambiguous, unclear and

capable of exerting substantial regulatory conflict in the system.

The legal practitioners called on those that drafted the NITDA Bill 2021 to go back and review it and ensure that they address all the areas of regulatory conflict with existing regulatory powers and functions of other agencies. Some of the stakeholders also called for an outright expunging of the conflicting sections from the bill, stating, however, that if NITDA wishes to collaborate with other agencies in some critical areas of regulations, it is better to simply “resort to signing Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) with other concerned agencies instead of interloping into

their regulatory roles.”The stakeholders further

stated that NITDA was supposed to be an ICT policy development and implementation agency and should not unnecessarily arrogate regulatory powers to itself, which are already being exercised by other agencies.

Justifying the need for the review of the NITDA Act, the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Ibrahim Pantami, who was represented by his Technical Adviser, Prof. Saliu Junaidu, said the NITDA Act 2007 is one of the laws that require a repeal and re-enactment to keep it in tune with the developmental regulation direction of the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy

(NDEPS), 2020-2030.Also justifying the need for

the bill, Director-General of NITDA, Kashifu Abdullahi, said the scope of ICT has widened over the years with a lot of convergence and expansion in technology platforms being used by businesses and governments for delivery services. “Considering that NITDA Act is almost 16 years old, we consider it necessary to keep the Act up-to-date with the current reality in the Nigerian digital economy space,” Abdullahi said.

While providing information on the new provisions in the proposed NITDA Act 2021, Director, Legal Service Department at NITDA, Emmanuel Edet, said: “We know that some of the

areas we would like to be regulating fall into the existing regulatory functions of some agencies, which informed why NITDA’s emphasis would be on collaboration."

Responding to a question raised on over-regulating the ICT ecosystem, Edet said: “It is better to over-regulate than to under-regulate. NITDA’s vision is to evolve into a development/regulatory agency.”

He said while the major challenge identified so far by stakeholders has been the issue of regulatory overlap, NITDA would take a look at this and also put all the observations, comments and inputs by stakeholders into consideration, for further work on the proposed bill.

Say bill conflicts with regulatory powers of existing agencies

NBA, Others Kick against Proposed NITDA Bill 2021

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NPA Inaugurates First Non-oil Export Processing Terminal in Lagos

Eromosele Abiodun

The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has flagged off the first non-oil export processing terminal, situated in Ibeshe-Ikorodu, Lagos State.

The Ibeshe-Ikorodu facility is designated as EssLibra Terminal.

The EssLibra Terminal is an integrated logistics off-dock terminal, ready for all export activities such as stuffing, on-site customs clearance and barging services.

The agency said the terminal covered an area of 120,000 square metres (sqm) that includes an export processing zone, trailer park, RoRo facility and fuel dump.

Speaking at the flag-off ceremony, the Managing Director of NPA, Mr Mohammed Bello-Koko, asked all agencies involved in the export processing value chain to deploy adequate personnel and work in synergy to ensure efficiency and quick turnaround in the processing of export cargoes.

While commending the management of EssLibra for the quality of facilities at the terminal, he assured them of the readiness of NPA to remove all impediments against the seamless handling of locally manufactured exports and agro-allied commodities.

Bello Koko asked the management of the terminal to resist the temptation to veer off export processing for which the facility was built.

According to him, the rationale for the establishment of the terminal is to have a one-stop shop where all inspection, consolidation and stuffing of export-bound cargo will be conducted in a synchronised manner to eliminate all the delays that rendered Nigeria’s non-oil exports uncompetitive.

He said the NPA management would effectively implement all government policies geared towards the promotion of exports, as well as strengthening indigenous capacity through the promotion of local content.

“We took cognisance of local content in the certification process of this terminal, and this is why I expect the host community to take ownership of this

WORTHY RECOGNITION… The Alale of Ajileteland, Oba Kazeem Aderibigbe Amosu IV (left), conferring a chieftaincy title on Mrs. Adebisi Olaotan as the Yeye Mesho of Ajileteland, during his first year anniversary on the throne in Ajilete, Ogun State…recently

BUHARI READS RIOT ACT TO APC LEADERS, CAUTIONS AGAINST NAME-CALLING, BACKSTABBING

James Sowole in Abeokuta

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo yesterday refuted the claim that he had endorsed the South-east for the presidency ahead of 2023 elections.

Obasanjo’s rebuttal was in reaction to a report quoting him to have backed the region to produce the next president.

The report stated that Obasanjo made the endorsement while receiving

a presidential aspirant, Mr. Mao Ohuabunwa, in Abeokuta, Ogun State, on Thursday.

But in his reaction, the former president tackled Ohuabunwa, accusing him of being the brain behind the report, and insisting that he (the aspirant) put words into his mouth.

Obasanjo spoke through his Media Aide, Kehinde Akinyemi, in a statement made available to journalists in Abeokuta.

He said: “If that was the way the presidential aspirant wanted to approach his ambition, such was the

wrong way.“He came here and the

former president received him as a gentleman and in

the spirit of his 85th birthday celebrations only for him to go and put words into his mouth. Baba is not that sort

of man and if that is the way he wants to fulfill his ambition, that is a wrong way.”

Obasanjo Refutes Claim of Endorsement of South-east for Presidency

However, the APC Director of Publicity, Mr. Salisu Dambatta in a statement issued yesterday said the National Secretary never sent any resignation letter.

Dambatta stated: "Further to the media conference earlier held by the Spokesman of the APC Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC), Mr. Ismaeel Ahmed, the party wishes to note that the Secretary of the CECPC, Senator John James Akpanudoedehe, never sent a resignation letter to the party to the best of its knowledge and neither was he sacked as some social media blogs speculated. All those are utterly false.

"The APC is one family, the Caretaker is one unit. We have an Acting Chairman who is racing against time to deliver a convention and committee members that are united in supporting him in carrying out that onerous mandate," Dambatta explained.

He called on the public to disregard social media stories that are not rooted in fact or even sound reasoning.

THISDAY checks however revealed that the twist in APC’s narration may not be unconnected with the firm stand of the INEC not to recognise the Niger State Governor, Bello as the acting Caretaker Chairman.

Bello, who assumed the leadership of the party last

Monday had written the electoral body notifying the commission of the party's decision to convene for an emergency National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting.

The ruling party had scheduled its NEC meeting for Thursday, March 17, 2022, where it is believed that the leadership quagmire would be resolved.

It was gathered that Bello, upon resumption as acting Caretaker Chairman transmitted a letter dated March 8, 2022, informing INEC of the change of guard at the party’s national secretariat.

However, INEC in a letter signed by the Secretary to the commission, Mrs Rose Oriaran-Anthony and dated March 9, 2022, said the party must give it 21 days’ notice and that the letter was not signed by the party’s Chairman and Secretary.

It was gathered that INEC's response forced the party’s stakeholders to bring Buni back to ensure that the emergency NEC meeting and the national convention of the party are held as scheduled.

In a related development, the governors elected on the platform of the ruling party are said to be waiting for the outcome of the meeting between Buhari and some stakeholders as part of the ongoing efforts to resolve the leadership crisis in the party.

It was gathered that the Attorney General of the Federation and the Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami was in London, while Buni also flew to London from Dubai to be part of the meeting.

A source, who pleaded anonymity said: "Malami is in London. His mission is two-fold: one, to let Buhari know of the outcome of the Senate rejection of the amendment of Section 84 (12) of the Electoral Act; two, to report on issues going on in the party. Buni was also in London but is expected back today or tomorrow"

Investigations showed that the NEC meeting of APC will go on as INEC has no power over the internal control of the parties.

Another party source told THISDAY that the Secretary, Senator Akpanudoedehe and the acting Caretaker Chairman and the Governor of Niger State, Bello met with one of the founding fathers of the party on Friday in Abuja.

At the meeting, it was gathered that the party chieftain urged Akpanudoedehe to sign the notice of the NEC meeting.

The source said some APC governors are also talking to the secretary to see the need to sign the notice and save the party from destruction.

The source noted that all efforts are to ensure that the convention date of the party is not postponed.

Denies Sacking Akpanudoedehe

In a related development, Buni is expected back in the country on Monday to assume the leadership of the party.

One of Buni's aides informed THISDAY yesterday that as soon as the Yobe State governor returns to the country, he would take charge of the affairs of the party.

The aide, who pleaded anonymity, also stated that the acting Caretaker Chairman and Governor of Niger State, Bello is expected to vacate the seat for Buni to avoid dragging the party into any illegality.

He said: "He (Buni) is expected back on Monday and of course, with the position of INEC which made his position very clear and if you have read the dailies today, even the secretariat has backtracked and confirmed that he's still in charge.

"As soon as he's back, obviously, the next thing is to take charge. I am sure the party or the acting chairman now will not want to drag the party into any unconstitutionality or any illegality."

Also, Buni's Director-General for Media and Publicity, Mr Mamman Mohmamed said the acting chairman had stated in unambiguous terms that he was in an acting capacity.

He stressed that whenever the substantive chairman comes back, the acting chairman would have to give way.

Mohammed said: "This is what we expect and this position is very clear by the regulatory body of political parties, which is the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). INEC as an institution has said that as far as it is concerned, Governor Buni remains the chairman of the party.

"I'm sure nobody will want to act in another illegality. So, he is coming back and I am sure the acting chairman will vacate his seat for the substantive chairman.”

Asked if Buni will go ahead with the NEC meeting slated for Thursday, Mohammed said it would be part of the issues that would be considered when Buni is back.

The ruling party has also clarified that Akpanudoedehe did not resign his position, and was not sacked by the party.

There was confusion at the national secretariat of the party last Tuesday over the fate of Akpanudoedehe.

While there were reports that Akpanudoedehe had tendered his resignation having read the handwriting from the new leadership, he had insisted that he was still the secretary except the President said otherwise.

terminal and support its operations, because of the multiplier benefits to the host community”, a statement by Ibrahim Nasiru, general manager of NPA’s corporate and strategic communications division, quoted Bello-Koko as saying.

On his part, the Managing Director of EssLibra Nigeria Limited, Yemi Adunola, thanked the NPA and its technical partners, the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), for their unalloyed support.

He pledged his company’s readiness to render efficient services and a commitment to continuous improvement through sustained investments in human capital and requisite technology.

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ANXIETY AS PDP NATIONAL CAUCUS, NEC MEET OVER PRESIDENTIAL TICKET

Claims Payment: NAICOM to Begin Annual Ranking of Insurance CompaniesFestus Akanbi

The National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) has said it will commence the ranking and rating of insurance companies in line with the number of claims received and settled on annual basis.

The Commissioner for Insurance, Mr. Sunday Thomas, said this at the 2022 retreat for financial correspondents in Uyo,

Akwa Ibom State capital, at the weekend.

Thomas said the commission would also publish such ranking for the insurance consumers.

He said that although claims payment was an issue in the industry, the commission he added was doing all it could to bring non-settlement of claims was brought to its barest minimum.

According to him, the commission is trying to open

up the market across the geo-political zones by reaching out to the states where insurance penetration is perceived to be very low.

”We expect the industry to respond to these efforts by bridging the supply gap and ensure they follow up on the commission’s move to create awareness among high ranking policy makers.

“This is to prove that the industry is ready for the booming opportunities

awaiting them across the country.

“Let me inform you that the commission will soon be unveiling its sandbox to give room for innovative expansion of insurance reach out.

“The web aggregators’ guideline is also aimed at opening access to insurance and also a means of creating a convenient market for insurance.

“We can gladly say that the Nigerian Insurance

market has undergone substantial structural and regulatory reforms over the years following the market development initiatives being implemented,” he said.

Thomas added that the theme of the retreat, ' Improving Insurance Access through Market Development and Innovation in 2022 and Beyond,’ was to consolidate on his administration’s agenda of developing the market and deepening penetration.

Michael Olugbode in Abuja

The sixth batch of 301 Nigerians fleeing from the war-torn Ukraine arrived at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja,

yesterday evening. Airport authorities and

officials were at the airport to receive the evacuees.

The returnees, mostly students stranded in Sumy for weeks, arrived the country

aboard Azman Air.The students had for the

past one week flogged the social media with appeal to Nigerian government to evacuate them from Sumy, which was surrounded by

the Russian soldiers.The flight, according to

reports, left Hungary around 3p.m.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Geoffrey Onyeama, in an earlier

tweet, had announced the evacuation and applauded the efforts of the Nigerian Mission in Hungary, Poland and Romania.

The fifth batch of Nigerian evacuees had arrived early

Friday at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

They arrived on a plane owned by Air Peace, one of the airlines billed to airlift Nigerians returning from Ukraine.

They were airlifted from Poland where they had fled following the war in Ukraine.

A total of 123 Nigerians were evacuated on the fifth flight, according to the federal government.

The evacuees, according to the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), also got free SIM cards loaded with airtime to allow them reach their family members courtesy of a partnership between NiDCOM and MTN.

The evacuees also received $100 for transportation as did the batches that arrived before them.

PROMOTING EDUCATION… L-R: Pro-Chancellor and Chairmen of the Governing Council, Denis Osadebe University, Asaba, Prof. Robert Ikomi; Pro-Chancellor and Chairmen of the Governing Council, University of Delta, Agbor, Prof. Emmanuel Nwanze; Delta State Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa; and Pro-Chancellor and Chairman, University of Science and Technology, Ozoro, Chief Godson Echiejile, shortly after their inauguration at the Government House, Asaba…weekend

Sixth Batch of 301 Nigerian Evacuees Arrives from Ukraine

Monday (tomorrow) and Tuesday to take a decision on the presidential ticket of the party, THISDAY has learnt.

In a memo to its national caucus, the main opposition party has directed members of the caucus to consider whether geopolitical zoning is in the interest of the PDP in winning the presidential election in 2023.

The party also urged its national caucus to determine the implications of throwing the presidential ticket open.

With the election of its National Chairman, Dr Iyorchia Ayu from the North, it was expected that the party’s presidential candidate would emerge from the South.

But the main opposition party has been playing hide-and-seek games with the issue of where its presidential candidate would come from, raising concerns that it might throw the ticket open, against the popular agitation for power to shift to the South.

Unlike the PDP, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has set the necessary machinery in motion to choose its presidential candidate from the South.

THISDAY gathered that the

two organs of the PDP will decide whether to zone or throw open the presidential ticket of the party for the 2023 general election.

PDP NEC will also decide on the recommendation of the 2019 Elections Review Committee set up by the party to assess its performance in the last general election.

The committee headed by the Governor of Bauchi State, Senator Bala Mohammed had in its recommendation submitted to the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party on May 21, 2021, urged the party to allow interested party members to vie for the 2023 presidency, irrespective of their geopolitical zones.

The committee had anchored its position on the fact that across the land, Nigeria boasts of good hands capable of bailing the country “out of her current quagmire.”

The report of the committee had stated that: “In line with certain unwritten conventions of the nation’s history, many people think that, for fairness and equity, the North-east and South-east geo-political zones that have had the shortest stints

at the Presidency, should be given special consideration, in choosing the presidential flagbearer of the party, for the 2023 elections.

“While we admit that this is a strong argument, we should not lose sight of the fact that Nigeria is endowed with many capable and very experienced leaders in every part of the country. Moreover, the exigencies of the moment demand that nothing should be compromised in choosing the leader, with the attributes to disentangle the country from the present quagmire.

“Therefore, we think that every Nigerian, from every part of the country, should be allowed to choose the best candidate, through a credible primary election; as a way of institutionalising a merit-based leadership recruitment process, for the country.”

Receiving the report, the former leader of the party under Prince Uche Secondus had pledged that the NEC would set up a technical committee to review the report, but it never did.

THISDAY gathered that the report of the Bauchi State governor’s committee would

form the main agenda of the national caucus meeting and NEC meetings of the PDP.

A source within the party’s NWC told THISDAY at the weekend that: "These two organs of the party will look at the report of Governor Bala Mohammed’s committee and in their wisdom decide to either throw the presidential ticket open or zone it to one of the six geo-political zones of the country.

"In the memo to the national caucus, there are variables we want them to consider. One is whether geopolitical zoning is in the interest of the PDP in winning the presidential election come 2023 and two, what will it cost the PDP if it throws the presidential ticket open.

"Three, as a party in opposition whether zoning in the PDP is in the overall interest of the party,” the source explained.

THISDAY gathered that after the National Caucus and NEC meetings, the party’s NWC will still take the issue to the Board of Trustees (BoT) and the PDP governors as well as the National Assembly caucus before a final decision would be reached.

Appointment of Mobilisation Director Divides PDP Govs

Meanwhile, the governors of the PDP are already divided over the appointment of a substantive director of mobilisation and organisation for the party.

The Department of Mobilisation and Organisation of the party is the engine room of the PDP in terms of the election of all delegates, both ad-hoc and statutory delegates, as well as election management.

The department is under the control and supervision of the National Organising Secretary, Umar Bature, who is a nominee of the Sokoto State Governor, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal, who is a presidential aspirant.

THISDAY gathered that a governor from one of the South-south states is the arrowhead of those who want the substantive director replaced with a new director from either Delta State or Imo or Kogi State, so as not to give any presidential aspirant undue advantage.

However, it was learnt that some other governors of

the party and the incumbent National Organising Secretary, Umar have rejected the names of those recommended for appointment for the position of new Director of Mobilisation and Organisation.

The National Organising Secretary who is a member of the National Working Committee has argued that he was not aware of the said appointment until the nominees were invited for interview.

An internal memo sighted by THISDAY, which was signed by the National Secretary of the PDP, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, listed those invited for the interview to include: Stephen Onuh from Kogi State; Dr Okey Mbionwu from Imo State and Mr Chukwuma Chinoye from Delta State.

However, the National Organising Secretary is insisting as the head of organisation in the party that there is no need for a change of baton in the mobilisation because the primary elections are already very close.

Following the disagreement, the PDP has suspended the planned appointment of a substantive director of mobilisation and organisation.

EDITORIAL

The recent revelation by the federal government that about 70 per cent of military personnel are currently engaged in domestic policing operations in the country came as no surprise. But it is nonetheless disturbing that soldiers have practically taken over the civil

space. “That is not what the army is sup-posed to do. But we must do that to solve our security problems,” said the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha.

The police ordinarily are responsible for maintaining public order and safety, enforcing the law, and preventing, detect-ing, and investigating criminal activities. But we have come to a situation where these roles are performed mostly by the military. There is therefore an urgent need to strengthen the capacity of the Police Force so that it can efficiently perform its constitutional duties. For that to happen, personnel of the police will also need to be restructured, retooled, re-armed and re-

trained. The

inabil-ity of the police to perform satisfacto-rily is ac-centuated by acute manpow-er short-ages. The United Nations recom-mended ratio of 1: 450 is

obeyed more in the breach. Nigeria has a police force of about 370,000, serving a population of about 212 million, a ratio of almost 1: 600. This is grossly inadequate. Egypt, for instance, has a ratio of 1: 186 while South Africa is 1:366. The poor staffing is worsened by the deployment

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The inability of the police to perform satisfactorily is accentuated by acute manpower shortages. The United Nations recommended ratio of 1: 450 is obeyed more in the breach. Nigeria has a police force of about 370,000, serving a population of about 212 million

of police personnel to secure prominent people in society at the expense of many communities.

Perhaps, a professional and well-structured police would make up for the shortfall in number by their ability to gather crucial intelligence to fight crimes. But the police are also ill-motivated and professionally ill-equipped to perform their important duty of protecting the populace. As the situation is, what the polity can boast of at present is a police force that is easy game for a more sophisticated world of crime.

As the nature of insecurity in Nigeria has become complex, we understand why soldiers are being drafted. In carrying out police roles, the military rightly derives its power from Section 217 (2c) of the constitu-tion. The implication however is that by its deployment across all the 36 states, the military has become overstretched such that it could hardly muster enough strength for its core constitutional mandates of suppressing insurrection and defending Nigeria’s territorial integrity.

However, given the state of insecurity in the country, it will be quite difficult to reverse this ugly trend. Past attempts to recall the military from internal secu-rity roles were met with stiff protest

by governors of the states. But we cannot continue this way. For the military, having to unduly operate within civilian spheres has its downsides. Besides undermining their capacity to defend the country against external aggres-sion, the military is often accused of excessive

use of force in their civil operations. Apart from providing the military and police

with adequate tools for their constitutional responsibilities, fresh recruitment has become a national emergency and should be treated accordingly. Luckily, Nigeria has in abun-dance able-bodied men and women to fill the vacuum. The other day, some of them went to the Ukrainian Embassy seeking permission to fight for the European country.

Overall, we need a comprehensive security sector reform to reshape and reorganise, especially in the areas of policy and doctrinal changes, manpower recruitment and retrain-ing, equipment, remuneration and welfare as well as civil relations. In addition, the various calls for the establishment of state police deserves urgent constitutional attention. While a combined technique of intelligence, law enforcement and special operations may help in containing the resurgence of criminality in the country, the political leadership may also look at the wider implications of drafting in the military for resolving every internal secu-rity challenge.

Editor, Editorial Page PETER ISHAKAEmail peter.ishaka@thisdaylive.com

Letters to the Editor 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.

Since attaining indepen-dence in 1960, Nigeria has come a long way. Sometimes the road has been smooth, many

times it has been as rough as they come as the country continues to delicately navigate its way to a future that many hopes would see every Nigerian child in school, steady power supply, solid infrastructure, and sustain-able social security for a popula-tion that is poised to explode in the years to come.

Th negotiation to craft a nation out of the Nigerian state has taken in the bitterly attritional civil war of 1967-70, military coup after military coup, a democracy blighted by corruption and just a whole lot along the way. Were the Giant of Africa not forged from the fire of colonialisms adversity, perhaps, Nigeria would have long lost its spine to the crushing

burden placed on a young country.

In 2015, a momentous decision was handed down by Nigerians as they sat in judgment in polling units spread across the country: a party that had vowed to spend at least 60 years in power was forced to eat its words. It was doubly historic because for the first time not only did an incumbent lose an election at the highest level in Nigeria, the incumbent loser was gracious in defeat.

The APC was to reprise its vic-tory at the polls in 2019 but with the tenure of Mr. Muhammadu Buhari having entered its home stretch, Nigerians are poised to flash his scorecard. From all indications, it appears the scores will not be kind on Mr. Buhari and his supporters.

The ruthless transience of power has ensured that the

performance of the incumbent counts for little for those who have their eyes on the throne that democracy will render vacant in 2023 and their supporters. Already, across the country, the posters have gone up even as the fingers rise with voices to indicate that the race will be as closely fought as any has been in Nigeria in many years. It promises to be close even if the concerns that it will be business as usual are valid.

As Nigerians count down to the elections, some questions are unavoidable. One which is perhaps more unavoidable than others bothers on what whoever feels himself sufficiently qualified to lead from Aso Rock will be bringing to a country smarting from the appalling ineptitude and inertia of leaders across the country.

To govern Nigeria is not a tea

party as many have testified. The perks may seem lavish in a country where impunity reigns. However, no one who is serious enough can discountenance the banana peels piled up along the path of whoever would become the president. It is an almost impossible task which is why all those who tout one candidate or the other must warn those whose cheerleaders they have become that the road is forbiddingly long. The warning is necessary just in case there are heads buried in the sand.

In 2015, Mr. Buhari had hardly settled into office when Nigerians grew weary and wary of someone they had proclaimed a messiah just months before. It took him all of six months to constitute his cabinet. Usually, such a lengthy period of time would have bespoken introspection and circumspection about whom to entrust the unenviable task of making a country that had retrogressed work again. However, when the list of the chosen went up, Nigerians were disap-pointed to find many people of suspect

NIGERIA AND THE 2023 GENERAL ELECTIONintegrity and competence on the list.

Those who already by clairvoyance or clear thinking can predict who will be Nigerias best president ever must watch what they say and how much support they give to those they back no matter the inducement given that all Nigerian politicians are practically the same.

Experience has shown that loudly complaining about a leader once they are in office is like flogging a dead horse. Experience has also shown that trying to oust them is like trying to squeeze a camel through the eyes of the needle.

So, guaranteeing that Nigeria has good leaders in place begins from campaigns and runs through until election day. Collecting money for votes is as short-sighted as it gets because it guarantees that the public purse will be squeezed for every last investment made while governance will suffer.

– Kene Obiezu, keneobiezu@gmail.com

The government needs to strengthen the capacity of the Police to perform its constitutional duties

1 3 T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R MARCH 13, 2022

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R MARCH 13, 202214

OPINION Jimoh Olorede contends that the judgment is curious

I was in my state, Osun, on Tuesday, when the bizzare news of the sack of the Governor of Ebonyi State, Dave Umahi and his deputy, Eric Igwe, by a Federal High Court in Abuja, ordering them to vacate their seats as the sitting governor and deputy respectively, over their defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC) from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) broke. The breaking news was rather bizzare, and by it, I became flabbergast-

ed. I was particularly shocked because inter-party defection by politicians in Nigeria has almost become an integral norm which characterizes the intrigues, intricacies and antics of our politicking.

In their stylistic selfish politicking (political activity aimed at winning support for oneself), many of the Nigerian politicians would leverage on the goodwill of a political party which enjoyed public mandate only to defect to another party with the paraphernalia of their former party.

Nevertheless, the order of Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Abuja High Court declaring the defection of Governor Umahi and his deputy as illegal, null and unconstitutional stimulates disturbing questions, especially as the list of political office holders (especially governors) who defected from one party to another in Nigeria is inexhaustible. So, what makes Umahi's case different? Moreso, Umahi's defection in 2020 antedated the defection of the Cross River State Governor, Prof. Ben Ayade, in May 2021, to the same party, and nothing happened, at least, not yet.

Nevertheless, the legal intelligence and constitutional proofs of Justice Ekwo for sacking Ebonyi Governor and his deputy appeared sane. In his judgement, Justice Ekwo ruled that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) won the election in March 2019 and not the candidates. This is hardly contestable! It implies that Umahi would have lost the election if he had contested on the platform of the APC. Consequently, the court held that "having defected to the APC, the governor and his deputy cannot transfer the mandate of the PDP to the APC".

The presiding judge also stated that there was enough evidence to show that the second defendant (APC) contested the Ebonyi State Governorship election held in March 2019, with its own candidate, and lost. So, citing section 221 of the constitution (Prohibition of political activities by certain as-sociations), which states: "No association, other than a political party, shall canvass for votes for any candidate at any election or contribute to the funds of any political party or to the

election expenses of any candidate at an election", Justice Ekwo ordered the PDP to immediately send names of replacements to INEC for conduct of fresh election, since the party, APC, to which Umahi has defected lost the Ebonyi gubernatorial election held in 2019.

Also, on the sanity of Justice Ekwo's judgement, the court opined that the "Immunity Clause" in section 308 of the Nigerian Constitution is not absolute, adding the "clause is a veritable constitutional shield" and not for political reasons. Again, this induces curiosity considering the spate of politicians' defection in Nigerian politics. And this curiosity presupposes a discernible mind to ask questions. Does it imply that certain provisions in the Nigerian Constitution validate George Orwell's assertion in his book, “Animal Farm” that "All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others"?

In Nigeria, the application of constitutional provisions by the judiciary obviously leads to confusion. Often times, the interpre-tation and application of constitutional provisions depend on the litigant's prowess to either intelligently outwit the legality of such provisions or smartly refuse to be outwitted by the provi-sions. Should we conclude this was the case in Umahi's instance, as the presiding judge stated in his rulings that the defendants (Umahi and his deputy) in their counter affidavit were "evasive and insufficient" to competently challenge the plaintiff's (PDP) originating process?

Like prostitutes, between 2013 and 2021, not less than nine governors in Nigeria (Umahi inclusive) 'dissolved' their 'politi-

cal marriages' with their parties, married another 'political husband' and divorced him, just to 'remarry' their former political husband. It's obvious Nigerian politicians take solace in decamping from one political party to another, as they do so with contumacy and effrontery. For instance, in November 2013, five governors from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Rabiu Kwankwaso of Kano, Aliyu Wamako of Sokoto, Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara, Murtala Nyako of Adamawa and Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers States joined the APC after staging a walk out on the PDP national convention in Abuja. Funny enough, despite the fact that PDP was the ruling party, the defected governors "transferred the mandate of the party (PDP) to the APC", (the action upon which Justice Ekwo based his judgement on Umahi's case), and nothing happened.

Also, Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto, who was elected Speaker of the House of Representatives under the platform of PDP, defected to the APC in 2014. He later won the gover-norship ticket of the APC and defeated the PDP candidate in the 2015 election. In 2018, Tambuwal returned to the PDP, and nobody raised the insufficiency of the "Section 308: Immunity Clause" which restricts legal proceedings on the President, the Vice President, Governors and Deputy Governors.

In 2018, Governor Ortom of Benue State decamped from the APC to the PDP. Ortom "transferred the mandate of the APC to the PDP" and nothing happened. The Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, elected in 2016 on the platform of APC, also dumped the party for PDP for reasons of his rift with his predecessor, Adams Oshiomole, and in 2020, Obaseki was re-elected as governor of the state. Professor Ben Ayade of Cross River State was the last governor, in this category, who decamped from one party to another. In May last year, 2021, Ayade dumped the PDP for the APC.

Contradictory to the above, Justice Inyang Ekwo in his rulings that led to the sack of Ebonyi Governor and his deputy said Umahi and Igwe did not controvert the deposition that total votes scored in an election belong to a political party. Again, this sounds sane, but however its insanity induces curiosity in relation to the precedents described above.

THE SACKING OF EBONYI GOVERNOR OVER DEFECTION

Like prostitutes, between 2013 and 2021, not less than

nine governors in Nigeria (Umahi inclusive) 'dissolved'

their 'political marriages' with their parties, married another

'political husband' and divorced him, just to 'remarry' their

former political husband

You have heard politicians say before, in every election cycle, that “This election is the most important election of our lifetime”. No time is this rhetoric truer than now in Nigeria. The 2023 election will be the most important and most consequential election of our life time because we are One Election-Not One Genera-tion, away from reclaiming and fixing Nigeria,

and setting her on the path to sustainable progress. We cannot afford to fail. The consequences are simply unthinkable and unimaginable.

We won’t be able to do so if we allow the old and broken politics of division, self-promotion and self-interest to con-tinue to hold sway in our country. We need a new

politics anchored on a selfless leader with bold ideas and a proven record of public service to lead and nurture this vision. In my considered opinion, no one fits the bill better than the Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo; a cool, calm, and steady man who has served as Vice to our dear president in the last seven years. He is cool on the outside but burns on the inside for Nigeria. In the seven years that he has had the honor to serve as VP, he dedicated his life to making Nigeria better a place for all. He is committed to building a country that is more inclusive and guarantee shared prosperity to all.

President Buhari and VP Osinbajo in 2015, inherited a country that was deeply fractured/divided. The economy was in a tailspin from long term abuses, corruption, and misapplication of public resources. Oil, the dominant source of revenue for the

country was facing supply and price challenges, but they rolled-up their sleeves and got to work. They knew things were bad and expected to face challenges, but they couldn’t have imagined or expected the strong headwinds that confronted them; but they stayed the course. And today, Nigeria is better for it. But their job is not fully done, hence the need to keep the VP in power to continue from where the president will stop.

We are not where we want to be, but we are not where we used to be. We have made real progress and we need to sustain it. Who is better to build on and sustain the progress we have made better than Yemi Osinbajo who has had a front row seat in the last seven years and has been at the core of ground-breaking efforts at

combating poverty in the country? I can’t think of anyone better than Prof. Osinbajo, a man who is a heartbeat away from the president and understands what needs to be done ur-gently. He will hit the ground running in the right direction. It

THE MOST IMPORTANT ELECTION OF OUR LIFETIME

is possible to hit the ground and run in the wrong direction. The image of a young man running in a school relay team, who received the baton and started running in the wrong direction with vigor, strength and assurance of victory, should remind us that things could go horribly wrong if we make the wrong decision or choice.

Our mission is not going to be easy and it is not supposed to be easy. Nothing great and destiny defining is easy. But with God on our side, all things are possible and we will overcome. We will birth a new Nigeria based on fairness, equality, equity, and empathy. Nigeria will become a rising tide that lifts all boats.

We have heard some say that the VP is contesting against Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, his leader and the man who appointed him as Attorney-General and Commissioner of Justice, Lagos State between 1999-2007, and may have also recommended him to the president to be vice president. They said he will be betraying his leader if he contested against him. The extremists among them said he is a traitor for even considering the idea. Well, I have news for them. The VP is not contesting against Tinubu, he will be contest-ing to be president of Nigeria, a position all Nigerians have equal stake and a say. We will be the last people to minimize the role Tinubu or anyone used of God to play in VP Osinbajo’s life, in fact we are grateful to them for allowing

themselves to be used of God in fulfilling His plans in VP’s life. We pray that God bless them.

But the relationship between them was not one-sided as they want you to believe. It was a mutually beneficial and reinforcing relationship. Tinubu as governor needed a brilliant, courageous and reform-minded attorney to be AG and Commissioner of Justice in his government and VP Osinbajo, an outstanding professor of Law and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, fitted the bill. We are witnesses to the ground-breaking reforms he carried out in the State Judicia-ry and the landmark cases he instituted and won during his time as the AG of Lagos State, that helped the government when the then president moved against the state. He was not a nonentity as they want you to believe. That is a bunch of malarkey – apologies to president Joe Biden.

Bob Strauss, one of the greatest chair of the DNC said, “Every politician wants the people to believe that he built the log cabin in which his mother gave birth to him”. But we know this is not true. In our life journeys, we will always

need help and helpers. That is how God designed life to be. It is a cycle of dependence and inter-dependence, no one is self-sufficient; we all need help.

Every superstar is standing on the shoulders of stars. Osinbajo and others contributed to making Asiwaju the superstar he is today. Osinbajo is also hoping that Asiwaju will somehow and someday allow him to stand on his shoulders and those of others in the coming days to become a superstar in the finest tradition of mentor and mentee

Prof. Osinbajo is unarguably one of Nigeria’s and Africa’s finest, sharpest, and brightest legal minds. He is a consummate academic, a loyal and compassionate public servant, a relentless reformer, a devoted husband and father, and a God loving and fearing man. That’s the mission and purpose of the New Tribe. We will succeed by the grace of God.

Practitioners of the politics of cynicism and division have asked us: “Are you not afraid of failing considering you have no money and money bags supporting your causes?”. Our answer is: What we lack in money we have in abundance in conviction and broad acceptance of our ideas and aspirant in the country. We are committed to birthing a new Nigeria under the leadership of VP Osinbajo. We are not afraid because we are at a place where the only thing to fear is FEAR itself. We are

emboldened and comforted in our pursuit by the words of late Senator John McCain that “we have been taught correctly that courage is not the absence of fear but our capacity to act in spite of our fears”. Stand up with me and together, let us call on Osinbajo to run for president of Nigeria. Sometimes the man chooses the moment. At other times the moment chooses the man. The moment has chosen Osinbajo to be president of Nigeria and he cannot refuse or reject the calls by millions of Nigerians to stand up on their behalf and lead them to a more prosperous and fairer country. If he doesn’t, he should be prepared to deal with the consequences. The youths are counting on him to get in the fight on their behalf. We shall win and together, we shall build a new country for ourselves and our children.

The moment has chosen Osinbajo as the next President of Nigeria, writes Kurtis Adigba

Read full article online - www.thisdaylive.com

–

15 T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R MARCH 13, 2022

LETTERS

Aristocracy, mob-ocracy, geron-tocracy, plutoc-racy, democracy, monarchy, and

others are the many differ-ent types of government in today's world. However, among the lot, democracy or representative govern-ment is deemed and believed to be the best type of government.

Nigeria which became a sovereign state in 1960, had alternated between military government and democracy until 1999 when the fourth republic came into existence. But there is no disputing the fact that the successive military regimes we had in Nigeria put the clock back in our dear country, causing Nigeria to get stuck in the morass of economic quagmire and technological backward-ness.

Although the leaders of the successive military governments we had in Nigeria in the past said that their military regimes were corrective, they contributed in no small measure in the weakening of our bonds of unity, entrenchment of corruption in Nigeria, the strangulation of our economy, bastardization of our educational system, and the violation of our fundamental human rights.

As to how the successive past military governments caused our economic, political, and technological woes, a few examples will suffice. Not only did Ibrahim Babangida entrench corruption in Nigeria, he also caused the abridgement of our politi-cal evolution and growth through the cancellation of the June 12, 1993 presi-dential election. And Sani Abacha, who possessed sanguinary proclivities, stole Nigeria blind. Thank-fully, the death of Sani Abacha, which gladdened

ROTATIONAL PRESIDENCY AS AN IMPERATIVE IN 2023 the hearts of countless Nigerians, heralded the birth of this current politi-cal dispensation. Abacha's successor, Abdusalami Abubakar, conducted a general election. The return of democratic governance in 1999 after Nigeria had survived the political trouble caused by the cancellation of the June 12, 1993 presidential election marked the dawn of the fourth republic.

One characteristic fea-ture of the fourth republic is that the principle of rotational presidency, though not captured in our constitution, has been operative in Nigeria since 1999. Then, the major political parties in Nigeria fielded presidential candidates, who hail from the southwest of Nigeria. Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, who became the executive president of Nigeria in 1999, was helped to power by northern political interests and other influen-tial kingmakers.

At that time, not a few Nigerians were amenable to a Yoruba man's acces-sion to the pinnacle of political power in Nigeria. Their lending support to Obasanjo's political candida-ture was a placatory move to assuage the feelings of the Yoruba people and right the wrongs in our political polity. The coalesc-ing of forces that helped Chief Olusegun Obasanjo to become our civilian president in 1999 heralded the dawn of the unwritten principle of power rotation in Nigeria. Rotation of power at the apex political level between the north and south has guaranteed the existence of political stability in Nigeria. To say that the unwritten principle of rotational presidency is a child of necessity and moral imperative is to state an obvious and indisputable fact.

Nigeria could have dismembered were

will complete his second and last term in office.

Now, owing to the violent happenings in Nigeria in the recent past, common sense dictates that the presidential seat be ceded to the southeast geopolitical zone, the homeland of the Igbo ethnic group. Nigeria as currently constituted, sits on the three legs of the tripod namely, the Igbo, the Yoruba, and the Hausa/Fulani. The Yoruba and Hausa/Fulani people(s) had produced the president of Nigeria in this current political dispensation. Chief Obasanjo, a Yoruba man; Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar'Adua , a northern Muslim of Hausa/Fulani stock; and Muhammadu Buhari, a Fulani man, had taken turns to preside over the affairs of Nigeria in this new political dispensation.

Since the inception of the fourth republic, the political pendulum of rotational presidency has been swing-ing between the north and the south. But the southeast has not produced the president of Nigeria. In the interest of peace and unity, egalitarianism, and political equity, the presidential seat should be ceded to the southeast, the homeland of the Igbo people. But why should the Igbo people be supported in their quest to produce Nigeria's next president?

The answer is not far-fetched. Since the end of

the Yoruba people not placated and compensated for the unlawful and unjust cancellation of the June 12, 1993 presidential election. So Chief Obasanjo, a Yoruba man , led Nigeria for eight years on the political platform of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP). During his reign, he made giant strides in the area of telecommunication. However, his botched third gambit, which was designed to elongate his stay in office, became a blot on his escutcheon.

Chief Obasanjo handed over political power to Al-haji Umaru Musa Yar’Adua , a northern Muslim, who died in power. The power vacuum created by his death could have caused another political upheaval in Nigeria but for the doctrine of necessity proposed by Professor Dora Akunyili, which paved the way for the emergence of Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, as the successor of Alhaji Yar'Adua in office. Dr. Jonathan hails from the Niger Delta region, the goose that lays the golden eggs for us.

Dr. Jonathan completed the remainder of the term of office of his predecessor in office and ruled for one term. But his unprepared-ness for Nigeria's leadership

challenges caused his lackluster and uninspir-ing performance as the national leader of Nigeria. His trademark tardiness, indecisiveness, and lack of political will to change Nigeria's status quo ante marked and marred his leadership of Nigeria.

President Buhari, whose desire and hunger to become the president of Nigeria was insatiable, rode on the coattail of Dr. Jonathan's maladministration to win the 2014 presidential slugfest. The merger of ANPP, ACN, and other political parties to form a political coalition called APC, on the platform of which he contested the presidential election helped his political cause, too. Soon, Buhari

GOVERNOR FINTIRI HAS MISSED IT

As 2023 approaches, Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri is get-ting more confused, politically. Two

factors are responsible for this – greed and miscalcula-tion.

Fintiri wants the Adamawa political field to be all for himself. He has centered the Adamawa socio-political-economy around himself and himself only. Furthermore, the governor is also mixing-up many things, or he has failed to differentiate between party politics, being state governor in a political party like the PDP, and the intricacies of Nigerian politics. Failure to understand these three things is a good sign of poor politics.

As the governor, Fintiri has failed to manage the complex nature of Adamawa politics; he failed to consolidate his position as governor so as to oil PDP politics and prepare the party for the

2023 elections. As of now, it is so glaring that Fintiri doesn’t have on his side a single Adamawa senator, and some of the most important stakeholders in Adamawa PDP are not with him - he has lost more important people than those he gained.

Adamawa politics is segmented one by ‘default’- each geography has its own stakeholders and pattern of voting. These stakeholders often determine the pattern of voting. Fintiri is com-mitting a costly blunder by believing that he already has a bloc vote waiting for him, he forgot that a bloc vote always comes with a promise or a fulfilled promise. In 2019 he made some promises - he got the support he needed. In 2023, the bloc vote will only come with a promise - which Fintiri has not redeemed. For example, during a by-election recently, the PDP lost a councillorship election in Lamurde-Numan

Federation; while the party has the sitting governor and his deputy from that area is a clear pointer to the big problem at hand.

The truth of the matter is: most PDP stakeholders in Adamawa are not happy with Fintiri. If he truly wants to understand the gravity of the situation, let him do a simple reality-check on local government by local govern-ment - his current rapport with some stakeholders before his election, during his campaign and now. Fintiri should also check the current impression on him by the 42 people who supported the impeachment of former Governor Murtala Nyako and his deputy to pave the way for him to be acting governor.

On the other hand, Fintiri’s moves to venture into the politics of the presidency- his maneuvers to be a vice-presidential candidate in particular - is one of the most unthought-

the Nigeria-Biafra civil war, the defeated Igbo people have been marginalized in our scheme of things, treated with utter contempt, viewed with suspicion, and regarded as second class citizens in Nigeria. The maltreatment of the Igbo people in Nigeria is one of the causes of the resurgence of pro-Biafra sentiments and rhetoric in our country. In the recent past, the southeast quaked with IPOB'S violent agita-tion for the creation of the independent country for the Igbo people. Until now, the entire southeast is shut down every Monday as a gesture of solidarity with the detained IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu, by Igbo people.

But if Nigerians other than the Igbo people should lend support to the Igbo people's jostling to produce the president of Nigeria, it will cement our national unity, make for the political stability of Nigeria, and put an end to the IPOB's endless agitation for the creation of the state of Biafra.

Each country in our today's world reserves the right to evolve a variant of democratic culture, which is suitable for her, and which will guarantee her unity, political stability, economic prosperity, and technological advance-ment.

ful political attempts. If Fintiri gets the VP ticket with Peter Odili or Gover-nor Nysom Wike - the big question is - which votes is Fintiri bringing from the North? The answer to this question is simple- Fintiri is dreaming while awake. It is like a school head boy thinking of replacing the headmaster.

On comparing Atiku’s politics with Fintiri’s or putting Atiku and Fintiri on the same political scale or thinking that Fintiri can tin-ker with Atiku’s presidential ambition - even if one is a sworn-political-enemy of Atiku, we all know it is an insult to Atiku to make such comparison. Atiku’s experience in the politics of the presidency is over three decades old.

Our political life has become a shambolic interplay of madness. The current APC crisis feels like watching The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. The drama is high-octane, probably bloodier than a Spaghetti Western. The sad reality is that millions of poor Nigerians bleed too. In this plot, the difference

TALE OF YAHOO POLITICSAll Progressives Congress to punish some governors who he accused of working with the embattled Na-tional Chairman, Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC), Gov. Mai Mala Buni to frustrate the party from holding its March 26 National Convention.

In a statement issued in Abuja, Lukman identified Buni’s alleged collaborators as Yahaya Bello of Kogi State, Hope Uzodinma of Imo State and Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State. He also mentioned other party leaders including Senate Chief Whip, Uzo Kalu who have actively supported Buni to undermine the decision to organise the national convention of the party.

While seeking their punish-ment by the party, he advised the party to be vigilant as the days leading to the March 26 national convention could sound the death knell for the party or otherwise.

Some have affirmed that APC might not have a Presidential candidate, the Zamfara shadow is still strong. Also there was a dissenting judgement in the Akeredolu case that frowned at Buni’s position as Chair-man in the APC and also a sitting governor. I ask will the APC learn and when will Yahoo politicians leave Nigeria?

is that we have Yahoo Governors, and not like Clint Eastwood (The Jury is Out). Two camps are struggling for the soul of the party, one group wants Buni out. They say he is the problem with the APC. APC has not been successful at doing a conven-tion because of contending forces. These forces have pulled the party back like the recoil of a gun. Even Physi-cists can’t ascertain who are the Scalar or Vector forces in the APC - some say the party is gone. Former Minister of Works, Adesoye Ogunleye, says it can be salvaged, and also made a case for Bola Tinubu to be president. INEC recently affirmed that Buni, the Yobe State governor must continue because they are not aware of the new Acting Chairman, Gov Bello of Niger State, who was mandated by President Buhari and the non-Yahoo Governors to ensure normalcy returns to the APC. For good measure, I wonder how Gov Bello, who recently complained that Boko Haram has taken over his state can still run a party, while his state is on fire.

Recently, Gov Akeredolu of Ondo State called some gov-ernors Yahoo governors (a word for internet fraudsters). He said they were trying to wreck the party for their selfish interests. Who are the yahoo governors? The immediate-past Director-General of the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF), Salihu Lukman asked the

Read the full article online - www.thisdaylive.com

16 THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER MARCH 13, 2022

The Week in Review... The Week in Review... Edited by: Ejiofor Alike

As a fallout of the on-going war between Russian and Ukraine, the price of international benchmark, Brent crude oil traded nine per cent higher to close at $128.60 per bar-rel Sunday, the highest price seen since 2008 as the market continued to react to supply disruptions.

The surge was also in response to the possibility of a ban on Russian oil and natural gas.

Brent had risen to $139.13 at one-point on Sunday before closing at $128.60.

According CNBC, the price of US crude oil also surged more than eight per cent in early trading on Sunday evening. Precisely, the West Texas Intermediate crude futures, the US oil benchmark, traded eight per cent higher to above $125 a barrel, the highest since July 2008. At one point, the price rose to $130.50 the previous Sunday evening before retreating.

The Nigerian Upstream Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) onday gave a notice of withdrawal to some marginal elds

bid winners over their inability to proceed with the creation of a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) meant to ensure that drilling from the eld ensue soon.

The commission also appealed to winners of the 2020 marginal eld bids to show understanding and work with the regulator to

resolve the contentious issues thrown up by the cumbersome model used in awarding oil elds in ay 2021, before the commencement of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021.

The Chief Executive of the Commission, Mr. Gbenga Komolafe, who was reacting to the frustrations expressed by some of the winners, assured that though it was an inherited problem, the NUPRC had been doing everything within its capacity to resolve the matter in the interest of parties involved in the transaction.

It also emerged that the National Assembly put on hold further legislative action on the letter from President Muhammadu Buhari seeking amendment to Section 84(12) of the Electoral Act 2022.

The decision was based on a court injunction, which temporarily stopped the institution from taking any action on the legislation.

Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court Abuja on Monday temporarily restrained the National Assembly from deleting or taking any further steps regarding Section 84 (12) of the Electoral Act 2022.Ekwo made the order while delivering ruling in an ex parte application brought by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) challenging the legality of the National Assembly’s decision to amend a bill already signed into law by the president.

The Nigeria Extractives Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) Monday revealed that oil companies’ liabilities to the federation as at December 31st 2020, was N1.32 trillion or $3.17 billion compared to the N2.6 trillion owed in 2019.

Giving highlights of the NEITI 2020 oil and gas industry report released in Abuja, the Executive Secretary of the organisation, Dr. Ogbonnaya Orji, stated that the number of defaulting companies also dropped from 77 in 2019 to 51 in 2020.

The reports presented were the oil and gas as well as mining and Fiscal Allocation and Statutory Disbursement documents for the year under review. Orji stated that the current debts were collectable revenues that due to the Federation by the defunct Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) and the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS).

Another major event of the week was the sack, Tuesday, of Ebonyi State Gover-nor, David Umahi and his Deputy, Kelechi Igwe, for defecting from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) by Federal High Court of coordinate jurisdiction. This was, however, contrary to a ruling by a Federal High Court in Gusau, Zamfara

State, which a rmed Bello Matawalle as the governor of Zamfara State, in a suit by PDP, challenging his defection to APC.

The court, which was presided over by Justice Inyang Ekwo, however, sounded a strong note of warning to governors that, the immunity clause in section 308 of the 1999 constitution as amended, was

not absolute, and therefore sacked 16 members of the state House of Assembly on the same ground, but in a similar suit.

But the governor had immediately dismissed the court ruling, which had caused instant uneasy calm in the state as null and void, saying he was still in charge as governor of the state, and that the judgment was particularly bought.

Crude Price Surges to 13-year High of $129/bl

NURPC Gives Withdrawal Notice to Bid Winners

N’Assembly Suspends Amendments Pending Legal Advice

Court Sacks Ebonyi’s Umahi, Igwe, 16 Lawmakers

NEITI: Companies Owed FG N1.32tn in 2020, Oil Revenue Dipped by 40%

Also, during the week under review, President Muhammadu Buhari, ignoring the ruling by a Federal High Court in Abuja, which temporarily restrained members of the National Assembly from deleting or taking any further steps regarding Section 84 (12) in the constitution, Tuesday, wrote to the House of Representatives seeking removal of that part of the constitution that mandates government appointees to resign their positions three months ahead of primary elections of political parties in the newly signed Electoral Act 2022.

Observers questioned whether a court of law can stop the National Assembly from performing its lawful duty of law making.

The Coronation Merchant Bank (CMB), Tuesday, projected that the federal government’s domestic borrowings in 2022 would exceed N2.6 trillion while estimating that in ation and GDP growth rates would be 13.88 per cent and 2.6 per cent respectively this year.

The CMB added that the country might experience weak portfolio investment in ows due to negative real interest rates as the headline in ation rate remained in double digits.

These predictions were contained in its Economic Review and 2022 Outlook titled “Blend of Optimism and Uncertainty,” which was released yesterday during a virtual CMB 4th edition of its Interactive Session Series themed “Nigeria’s Economic Landscape – a Blend of Optimism and Uncertainty.”

The Lagos State Special O ences Court sitting in Ikeja Friday sentenced one Udeme Upong, who is standing trial alongside convicted kidnap kingpin, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike, also known as Evans, to ve years imprisonment

Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo convicted and sentenced Upong after he changed his plea to guilty.

The judge also held that the ve-year jail term will start counting from the date he was remanded in prison.

The convict, and his co-defendants, Evans, Joseph Ikenna Emeka, and Chiemeka Arinze were arraigned before the court on a seven-count charge of murder, attempted murder, conspiracy to kidnap and selling of rearms by the state government on October 23, 2017.

They were alleged to have attempted to kidnap the Chairman of the Young Shall Grow Motors, Vincent Obianodo.

The federal government on Wednesday said the absence of long-term investment in the oil and gas sector as well as insecurity should be blamed for Nigeria’s current low crude oil production.

A statement by the Senior Adviser, Media and Communications, Horatius Egua, quoted the Minister of State, Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, as having made the comment while speaking at a ministerial plenary, at the on-going Ceraweek, in Houston, Texas.

Specifically, Sylva stated this development was responsible for the inability of Nigeria to meet the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) quota in recent times.

Although Nigeria’s OPEC production quota is pegged at 1.8 million bpd, but in the last few years, the country has struggled between 1.3 and 1.4 million bpd. Sylva insisted that the speed with which International Oil Companies (IOCs) and other investors were withdrawing investments in hydrocarbon exploitation had further contributed significantly to Nigeria’s underperformance.

The newly installed Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Olalekan Balogun, on Friday, assured that he would not let down the people of Ibadanland and Nigeria in general.

The monarch made the pledge in his rst public speech shortly after Oyo State governor, Seyi Makinde, presented the Sta of O ce and Instrument of O ce to him as the 42nd Olubadan of Ibadanland.

Speaking after receiving the sta , the Olubadan thanked the governor for the gesture, saying: “I want to assure all that I will not let the people of Ibadan down. I will not let the people of Nigeria down.”

The traditional ruler thanked all the eminent personalities, including the traditional rulers, serving and former governors and National Assembly members present for honouring him with their presence.

Buhari Ignores Ruling, Writes House to Delete Section 84 (12)

FG’s Domestic Borrowing to Exceed N2.6tn in 2022, Says Report

FG Blames Waning Investment, Insecurity for Low Crude Production

Olubadan Installed, Promises Not to Let down Ibadan People

Sale of Firearms: Court Sentences Evans’ Co-Defendant to Five-Year Jail Term

WELL-DESERVED HONOUR…Governor of Anambra State, Chief Willie Obiano (left), and his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. James Eze, during the award of the ‘Distinguished Anambra Commander Medal’ to Eze for his outstanding achievements in his profession and contributions to the prosperity and good image of Anambra State, in Awka...recently

For the rst time since the country returned to democracy in 1999, the Senate yesterday reneged on an agreement it reached with a sitting president as the lawmakers overwhelmingly threw out a bill seeking to amend the new Electoral Act 2022.

According to analysts, that was the rst time the National Assembly would reach

an agreement with a sitting president and go against it.

The Executive request was made by President Muhammadu Buhari to amend the Electoral Act signed into law on February, 25 2022.

Buhari had requested that the National Assembly should delete Section 84 (12) which mandates government appointees to

resign their positions three months ahead of primary elections of political parties in the newly signed Electoral Act 2022

Owing to the development on the Red Chamber yesterday, pundits argued that there might be distrust between the executive and the National Assembly going forward, adding that it could negatively impact future bills.

Senate Turns down Buhari’s Request to Amend Electoral Act

SUNDAY MARCH 13, 2022 • T H I S D AY 17

SUNDAY MARCH 13, 2022 • T H I S D AY18

19THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER MARCH 13, 2022

BUSINESS Editor: Festus Akanbi08038588469 Email:festus.akanbi@thisdaylive.com

As it is now, Nigeria cannot take advantage of the rising prices to earn the much-need foreign exchange to cool a practically overheating economy, reduce borrowing and improve on its infrastructure.

President Muhammadu Buhari has always in his reminisces of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) days, blamed the party and its leaders for failing to grow all facets of the nation’s economy when oil prices rose above $100 under their watch.

While there has been no marked fundamental shift in the structure of the Nigerian economy from when the PDP was in power and what obtains currently, one thing the nation always looked forward to, was the increase in the prices of hydrocarbons to stabilise the economy, especially at times when the foreign exchange market begins to run riot.

At the last check, the 2022 budget has a de cit of about N6.25 trillion, approximately 3.39 per cent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), despite oil surging above $130 per barrel.

Indeed, this de cit is to be nanced mainly by borrowing from domestic sources being N2.57 trillion; foreign sources-N2.57 trillion; multilateral/bilateral loan drawdown N1.16 trillion; and privatisation proceeds projected to be N90.7 billion.

On December 22, 2021, the National Assembly approved a N17.126 trillion ($38 billion) budget for 2022, anchored on an oil price benchmark of $62 per barrel.

The approved oil price assumption was higher than the $57 per barrel price that Buhari had proposed to the parliament on October 7 and also higher than the oil price benchmark of $40 per barrel adopted by the government for the 2021 budget.

Nigeria also retained the oil production target of 1.88 million bpd, including condensate production of between 300,000-400,000 bpd, for its revenue calculation in 2022.

If things were normal, as it is, Nigeria should be saving about $70 per barrel of oil that it sells, given that its benchmark price in this year’s budget stands at $62.

Given the current dynamics in the global market, the often-repeated blame by the president on past administrations for not transforming the country at a time of rising prices of fossil fuels no longer holds water.

Although, the issues bedeviling the petroleum sector, Nigeria’s cash cow, are not recent, what is di erent with the current situation is that they appear far worse than what was obtained in the past.

While in the past, even ordinary Nigerians without much knowledge of how the economy works would heave a sigh of relief once the prices of oil started rising, many are now lost as to why there has been hardly any impact.

This is despite the price of the commodity rising from a low of $10 in 2020, due mainly to the Covid-19 pandemic to a high of $130 this week. So, Nigerians ask: Where is the windfall?”

As a reminder, in the heat of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, the oil market took what would unargu-ably be its greatest hit in history, with some blends slumping to the negative territory and sellers o ering monetary o ers to buyers to pick the commodity.

But riding on the back of the Covid-19 recovery and current Russia and Ukraine tensions, oil price this week has surged above $130 as the market remains very uid and could even reach higher levels in the coming weeks. Brent price, Nigeria’s benchmark, had not touched $90 since 2014.

The Subsidy ConundrumNigeria has not been able to get the full bene ts

of rising oil prices because a large portion of the revenues it gets therefrom is used in paying for huge petrol subsidies. To be sure, this is not the fault of the ordinary Nigerian.

To put this in proper context, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited. paid over N1.4 trillion for the purpose last year and this has gone even worse this year, as it was unable to remit a kobo to the federation account in January.

But subsidy administration in the country remains highly opaque. So much so that Nigeria’s Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Mr. Timipre Sylva, in a moment of frustration, last month expressed

Emmanuel Addeh writes that while in normal times, Nigerians should be upbeat about the soaring oil prices in the international market, it is causing gloom back home at the moment.

High Oil Prices, Broke Nation

Port-Harcourt refinery

doubts over the country’s daily petrol consumption gures, describing them as crazy and opaque.The minister agreed that there’s nothing that

needed to be done that had not been done to solve the problem for decades, even before this administra-tion, but without success.

Sylva agreed that the gures released by the concerned authorities were questionable, stressing that the best solution to the issue would have been to completely remove the subsidy.

The minister alleged that a few persons were holding the rest of the country to ransom, explaining that the rich rather than the most vulnerable in the country gain more from the payment of subsidies than the poor.

Rising Prices Bad for Nigeria, Says FGAt a separate forum, Sylva expressed concerns over

the current increasing international prices of crude oil, saying the surge was not good for the country.

The minister maintained that Nigeria’s comfort zone for oil prices was between $70 and $80.

However, the minister’s assertion ran contrary to similar sentiments expressed by the Group Managing Director, NNPC, Mallam Mele Kyari, last year, who pegged the country’s area of comfort at between $50 to $60.

Although Sylva did not particularly explain why higher oil prices were bad for Nigeria, he stated that at the moment, Nigeria wasn’t gaining anything from the soaring prices.

When Kyari spoke on the same issue last year, he had mentioned that the need to ensure that Nigeria’s customers do not look for cheaper alternative sources of energy accounted for the country’s discomfort with the rising prices.

Despite oil almost hitting $130, the dollar at the black market remains at over N570/$1, and Nigeria’s foreign reserve earlier last month fell below $40 billion.

Massive ImportationA corollary to the payment of subsidies is the

almost 100 per cent importation of all its products including petrol, diesel, kerosene to some extent, and even gas, although the country has over 206 TCF of proven gas reserves.

As it is, Nigeria does not re ne a drop of products, so it imports all it needs to power the economy, costing billions in dollars, thereby eecing Nigeria of the much-needed forex. Both the funding of subsidies and the importation of products are largely opaque.

Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed, has also expressed her frustration on the matter because the rising oil price has little impact.

“The high price of oil means that we would be able to earn more revenue...But we also have the challenge of having to buy petroleum products for

use in-country, because we do not have functional re neries. So that eats into the revenues we would have otherwise realised,” the minister said.

Under-productionNigeria has not been able to meet its produc-

tion allocation by the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), so it has signi cantly under-produced for various reasons, ranging from technical to community issues, to ageing upstream and inability to restart its oil assets.

Despite rising Brent prices, the diminishing pace of Nigeria’s oil fortune is threatening the economic health of Africa’s biggest economy as the country’s oil rigs hit the lowest in six years.

While data obtained from Baker Hughes showed that Nigeria’s oil rigs, which depict the level of oil production activities by operators, have reduced signi cantly, OPEC’s data also indicate Nigeria’s oil production has slumped to an average of 1.35 million barrels per day in the last number of the month, from an oil production of 1.7 million bpd in 2015.

What this means is that with falling royalties and taxes, government revenues will also be negatively impacted.

Thinning Resources, Growing PopulationUnlike small countries like Qatar and Saudi

Arabia with small populations, Nigeria does not have a population policy, or where it exists, it is not implemented.

Despite its huge oil reserves, Nigeria has one of the lowest production per capita among oil-producing countries in the world, producing less than a barrel per 100 people.

In Saudi Arabia, for instance, it is about 28 barrels per 100 people, in Kuwait it is roughly 60 barrels per 100 people, while in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) production per capita is 32 barrels per 100 people.

For mostly religious reasons, despite the urgent need to do so, Nigeria has refused to do something about its surging population, precipitated by a very high birth rate. So, even if oil prices move higher than it is today, chances are that it will still be a drop in the ocean.

Grim Economic IndicatorsAlthough oil prices rose by over 50 per cent in 2021,

the Nigerian currency, the naira, fell 55.92 per cent in 2021, declining in value from N363/$ to N566/$, according to a new report by the Financial Derivatives Company (FDC) Limited.

The Lagos-based research and consultancy rm further stated that the country’s income per capita shrank by 3 per cent to $2,100 during the year 2021, with Nigeria hit by two recessions in two years.

With life expectancy at 55.75 years, the 4th lowest

in the world, and the unemployment rate at 33.3 per cent, still the 4th highest in Africa, the report stated that Nigeria’s misery index hit 48.7 per cent last year.

Added to that, the FDC document indicated that 93.3 million Nigerians are currently neck-deep in poverty, even as diaspora remittance dropped by 26.09 per cent to $17 billion.

Till the end of the year, the report stated that gas prices rose 127.8 per cent, house rent by 50 per cent, particularly on Lagos mainland, while diesel prices increased 79.5 per cent.

The silver lining, however, is that Nigeria may soon be able to streamline its massive spending on the importation of petroleum products if everything goes as planned this year.

With the planned completion of the humongous Dangote Re nery, worth roughly $20 billion and covering around 250,000 hectares, the foreign exchange frittered on importing re ned products could be retained in-country.

Once in full operation, the re nery is expected to produce petrol and other petrochemical products such as polyethylene and polypropylene.

Recently, Central Bank Governor, Godwin Eme ele, said the federal government currently spends about 40 per cent of its dollar earnings on the importation of petroleum products, putting pressure on the local currency.

“By the time the Dangote re nery begins operation, it would be a major FX saving source for Nigeria. Right now, the overall forex we spend on imported items, the importation of petroleum products consumes close to 30 per cent,” he said.

In addition, the NNPC last year brought in some contractors to rehabilitate the country’s re neries. Hopefully, this is seen to logical conclusion to curb the importation of the massive product.

World Bank’s TakeThe World Bank has also been explaining why

it appears that Nigeria is not fully bene tting from the current oil boom.

A recent statement dubbed: “Time for Business Unusual,” noted that while the Nigerian govern-ment’s scal position typically improves when oil prices rise, this will not be the case this time.

The report stated that in contrast with past periods of high oil prices, two factors are preventing the government from fully bene tting from the current boom. According to the Bank, they include a drop in oil production and secondly, increasing cost of petrol subsidy.

“Oil production has fallen below Nigeria’s estimated capacity and the OPEC+ quota due to ine ciencies and emergency shutdowns in the production and distribution processes for Bonny Light, Escravos, and Qua Iboe crudes,” it stated.

20 THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER MARCH 13, 2022

ECONOMY

First Bank Nigeria Holding (FBNH) Plc was in the news again last week when the holdco announced the replacement of its former company secretary, Mr. Seye Kosoko with his former deputy, Mr. Adewale Arogun-

dade on March 7, 2022, in an acting capacity.According to a statement signed by the chair-

man of the board of directors, FBN Holdings Ahmad Abdullahi, which was published on the website of the Nigerian Exchange, Kosoko has now been transferred to First Bank to support its public sector activities. The notice reads: “In accordance with Nigerian Exchange Limited’s (NGX) Rule Book, the Board of Directors of FBN Holdings Plc wishes to notify the NGX and the investing public that Mr. Adewale Arogundade, Assistant Company Secretary, FBN Holdings Plc, will assume the role of Acting Company Secretary e ective March 7, 2022. This is following the transfer of the erstwhile Company Secretary, Mr. Seye Kosoko to our Commercial Banking Subsidiary, First Bank of Nigeria Limited to support and further strengthen our Public-Sector Business in line with our Talent Management Framework.”

New AppointmentsIt could be recalled that a number of board

appointments have taken place to coincide with the emergence of billionaire business-man and Chairman, Geregu Power Plc, Mr. Femi Otedola as the foremost shareholder of the Top Tier 1 bank.

First was the appointment of the former Chief Executive O cer of Fidelity Bank, Mr. Nnamdi Okonkwo as the new chief executive of the holding company. This was followed by the appointment of a new chairman of the bank, Alhaji Ahmad Abdulahi after the resignation of the former Chairman, Mr. Remi Babalola. However, it was the appointment of Mr. Julius Awotuga, a top o cial of Geregu Power to the board as a non-executive director that bore the signature of Femi Otedola.

Last week’s transfer of the former Company Secretary of the First Bank Holding (FBNH), Mr. Seye Kosoko, to the commercial banking subsidiary, has been described as a last-ditch effort to avert a division on the board of the bank given the role he played in the run-up to the emergence of Mr. Femi Otedola as a shareholder with the highest stake in the holding company, reports Festus Akanbi

FBNH: A Last-ditch Effort to Avert a Divided House

However, the redeployment of the Kosoko has continued to draw some reactions, with some observers insinuating that the removal of the former company secretary from his posi-tion was a punitive measure for his alleged indiscretion during the struggle for the highest stake in the Holdco’s shareholding.

As the struggle for the majority equity stake in First Bank Holdings, blew into the open, in the last quarter of 2021, it was on record that Kosoko rst denied knowledge of the massive acquisition of the shares by Otedola, claiming that the bank had not received any such noti cation of a signi cant holding by Otedola from the authorities as is typically the case.

However, in a follow-up communication to the Nigerian Exchange Limited, Kosoko con rmed that it had received noti cation from APT Securities and Funds Limited that; “Mr. Otedola Olufemi Peter and his nominee, Calvados Global Services Limited have acquired a total of 1,818, 551,625 units of shares from the company’s issued share capital of 35,895,292791.

One of the most controversial press releases signed by Mr. Kosoko claimed that Mr. Tunde Hassan-Odukale of Leadway Assurance was the single largest shareholder of the bank.

The letter triggered a query from the Nigerian Exchange requesting that the bank clarify the statement. Kosoko signed the response to the query, explaining how they arrived at the shareholdings of the bank.

Some analysts that spoke with our corre-spondents alleged that his transfer from the board may be connected to his handling of the controversy that trailed the competition among the powerful shareholders of the bank.

A letter dated October 18, 2021, which was widely circulated on some social media platforms suggested a group of related parties, and Mr. Tunde Hassan-Odukale the current Chairman of First Bank Nigeria Ltd owned about 5.36% of FBNH.

In the letter titled “Noti cation of 5% Shareholdings in FBN Holdings Plc,” signed

by Kosoko and addressed to the Registrar Gen-eral Corporate A airs Commission, he listed entities related to Mr. Odukale which when combined, gives his group 5.36% ownership of the HoldCo.

The letter stated that “in accordance with the provision of section 119 (2) of CAMA 2020, we hereby notify the commission that the cumulative equity stake of the referenced shareholder in the company is now above the 5% threshold at 5.36%.” The letter listed all the entities as “Leadway Assurance FBN Shares Purchase Update Breakdown of Ownership” suggesting that they are owned by one and the same person.

The list of companies included in the let-ter as related parties to Mr. Odukale shows Leadway Pensure PFA, a registered Pension Fund Administrator with a shareholding of 375, 194, 599 units or 1.05% ownership. There were eight other entities including Leadway Assurance and related associate companies with a combined 3.46%.

Pencom, however, clari ed that PFAs hold investments in trust on behalf of Retirement Savings Account Holders, pointing out that such shares cannot be deemed part of the holdings of a group related to Mr. Odukale. Without Leadway Pensure PFA, the total shares purportedly related to Mr. Odukale, therefore, came down to 4.16% as detailed in the letter.

IndiscretionKosoko’s controversial claim that Hassan-

Odukale of Leadway Assurance was the single largest shareholder of the bank prompted the authorities of the Nigerian Exchange to request further clari cations from the bank. It could be recalled that it was also Kosoko that eventually signed the response to the query, explaining how they arrived at the shareholdings of the bank.

The NGX authority had written the group, demanding explanations on why the sharehold-ings of Mr. Hassan-Odukale and his related parties were in two parts of 4.16 per cent and 1.20 per cent respectively.

It also requested FBN Holdings to clarify the rationale behind factoring in an equity stake of 1.05 per cent belonging to Leadway Pensure PFA in the 1.20 per cent.

Preemptive Strike to Stabilise FBNHAnalysts described the transfer of the former

company secretary as a means of averting further controversies, especially with the regulators. “By issuing statements that earned his organ-isation a query from the regulators, Kosoko was exposing the holdco to an avoidable crisis which cannot be taken lightly by the board,” a bank director said.

The development is also seen as a sign of what to come under a board and management that is determined to make its sta accountable for their actions.

According to an investment analyst, Mr. Lawrence Igbokwe, Kosoko ought to have realised that it would not be business as usual with the emergence of Otedola as the single largest shareholder of the company.

“It was obvious that the former company secretary had taken a side and since his “candidate” has lost out in the power play, the most reasonable thing to do was to move away from the board,” the analyst said.

He added that given his awed arguments in favour of the Hassan-Oyekales, which later back red with the intervention of Pencom, which invalidated Kosoko’s claims, going further, his action on the board would be treated with suspicion by the current board which is said to be favourably disposed to the position of Otedola as the single largest shareholder of the holding company although Otedola had clari ed that he did not acquire the bank’s shares because he wanted to be chairman of the bank.

“I am simply an investor who saw an op-portunity in the nancial institution and decided to take advantage of it through the investment I have made. My interest, contrary to speculations is not to become chairman of the bank or its Holdco. Moreover, I am in semi-retirement,” he explained,” he said.

Otedola Chief Executive Officer, FBNH, Nnamdi Okonkwo

21THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER MARCH 13 2022

In 2015, the CBN stirred the hornet’s nest when it cut o 41 imported goods and services from access-ing the o cial foreign exchange window. The banned items cut across agriculture, manufacturing, pharmaceutical, aviation, and con-

struction among others. Subsequently, fresh items including cotton, rice, and tomatoes were added to the list.

This move was part of e orts by the apex bank under the leadership of Mr. Godwin Eme ele, to among other things reduce the undue pressure on foreign exchange and stimulate local production of goods and services that the country could manufacture.

Not a few questioned the rationale for the central bank’s incursion into agriculture and other critical sectors of the economy rather than restrict itself to monetary policy mandates. However, the fact that the success or e ective-ness of monetary policy also depended on happenings in the general economy leaves much to be desired.

For instance, to strengthen the value of the Naira, experts believed that the country must boost local output and export to earn foreign exchange rather than continue to rely on imports which put a strain on foreign reserves. It can, therefore, be argued that all CBN’s special intervention programmes are well thought out and in the interest of the economy. The CBN’s move to restrict access to forex for certain items is in line with President Muhammadu Buhari’s mantra that Nigerians eat what they produce and produce what they eat.

Notwithstanding, the development sent jilters across sections of the economy as the bigwigs who fed fat on massive importation at the detriment of the economy kicked against Eme ele’s policy direction.

At a period when the economy was at the mercy of global oil price as well as the eternal reserves under pressure, the CBN governor, knowing that the pattern of importation was unsustainable in the long run, stuck to his guns and carried on with the policy which has today vindicated him.

Anchor Borrower ProgrammeFollowing the ban of items from o cial

forex, the CBN also launched the Anchor Borrowers Programme (ABP), which had so far proven to be one of the most successful agricultural intervention programs by the government to date.

Of particular reference is the revolution in local rice production which had seen the country drastically slash its food import bill. The ABP had also brought an unprecedented revolution in wheat production, tomato, and cotton among other improvements in the agricultural value chain.

Today, Eme ele is held in high esteem because of its vision and passion for the Nigerian economy.

Many Nigerians had wondered what the fate of the country would have been if the economy was still highly dependent on the importation of food to meet local consump-tion during the COVID-19 pandemic when countries shut their border to contain the scourge. At that time, the ABP was already up and doing while the country had grown enough grains to meet local demands.

Massive Impact on AgricultureAs rightly alluded to by the CBN governor

recently, restriction of foreign exchange access to 41 import items had been in the national interest and had helped to save the economy from collapse. He also rea rmed that agri-culture remained a strong pillar and saving grace for the Nigerian economy.

Eme ele, who expressed satisfaction over the level of interest shown in agriculture and the tremendous impacts recorded in the last six years, further wondered how the country would have coped with the rising prices of

James Emejo writes on the sustained commitment of the Central Bank of Nigeria towards developing the agricultural sector

Analysing CBN’s Fixation on Agriculture

food and commodity items across the world – especially the current distortion in global supply chain occasioned by the Russian -Ukrainian war - without the foresight to revamp agriculture.

The CBN governor, after an inspection tour of the palm plantation at Odighi Village in Ovia North East Local Govern-ment Area of Edo State recently said the Central Bank had assumed a pivotal role since 2015 when President Muhammadu Buhari had directed that “we produce what we eat and eat what we produce” by coming up with several initiatives aimed towards repositioning the sector to create employment opportunities as well as grow the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the country.

A visibly elated Eme ele, shortly after his assessment of the farm attested to the giant strides already being recorded in the production of maize and cassava and expressed optimism that in the next 12 months, palm produce harvests would have commenced following the apex bank’s intervention in the sector.

Remarkable Impact in Rice No doubt, the unprecedented revo-

lution in local rice production has had an invaluable impact on the economy. According to Eme ele, following the suc-cesses recorded in the implementation of the ABP, the country had been able to signi cantly reduce rice importation from Thailand by over 99.83 per cent within the past seven years.

Eme ele, at the unveiling of the mega rice pyramids in Abuja recently added that rice imports from Thailand alone were valued at 1.3 million metric tons as of 2014, adding that by 2016, importation from the same country had fallen to only 58,000 metric tons.

The CBN governor further disclosed that as of the end of 2021, Thailand only exported 2,160 metric tons to Nigeria, thereby saving the latter foreign exchange

and helping preserve local jobs. Among other achievements, he said the ABP was launched in 2015 to curtail exces-sive imports adding that “we have seen incremental reductions in rice imports from Thailand”.

CottonThe apex bank’s intervention in the

Cotton, Textile, and Garment (CTG) sec-tor had been unprecedented. Eme ele, last year said the revival of the economy remained crucial for strengthening eco-nomic recovery, boosting employment and wealth for Nigerians.

According to him, the apex bank’s intervention in the sector had led to the creation of 620,000 direct and indirect jobs since the e orts to reposition the sector began in 2019, has disbursed a total of N44 billion between 2019 and 2020 across the CTG value chain while monitoring recovery over the period.

Further listing the gains from its intervention programme in the sector, Eme ele said nine ginneries had been resuscitated while cotton had been ginned all-year-round for the rst time in 10 years.

At a meeting with critical stakeholders in the CTG sector, the CBN governor also disclosed that over 278,500 hectares were nanced by the apex bank in 2019 and 2020 adding that over 90,000 Metric Tons (MT) of cotton seed was harvested while the industry capacity of ginneries increased from an average of 19 per cent to 51 per cent.

He said the textile sector got 100 per cent of their major raw materials (cotton lint) at a CBN- subsidised rate of N440,000 as against the market price of N593,000 adding that the industry had an increase in production of over 10 million meters of yarn materials.

TestimonialThe President, National Cotton As-

sociation of Nigeria (NACOTAN), Mr. Anibe Achimugu, while attesting to the revival of the textile sector, brought about by the CBN commended Eme ele’s commitment towards repositioning the sector.

In an interview with THISDAY, he said, “Before we came on board in 2019 as it were, Nigeria was producing about 80,000 metric tons of seed cotton but in 2019, we produced 123,000 metric tons; in 2020, it went up to 132,000 metric tons.

“On average, Nigeria is now producing about 150,000 metric tons of seed cotton. And before we started in 2019, there were only about ve ginneries that were fully active but as we speak today, we have about 23 ginning companies that are active today.

“It is a lot more di cult to revive the textile companies because it has to be sustainable after years of rot. But the determination of the CBN to support the CTG sector is there and the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari is also interested in the revival of the textile sector.”

It is also on note that state governors, the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), under which all commodities associations belong, have all commended the resolute commitment and vision of the CBN govern-ment to reset the economy and reduce its exposure to external shocks.

CBN’s Policy ThrustIt is however noteworthy that the apex

bank’s ve-year policy thrust (2019 to 2024) is driven by the need to support continued growth and development of the Nigerian Economy to achieve better macroeconomic indices amidst in ation, unemployment, and foreign exchange concerns

Eme ele said, “The CBN will remain com-mitted to ful lling its mandated objectives of price and exchange rate stability. We will continue to work to safeguard the stability of our nancial system while supporting the development of a payment system infrastructure that will improve access to credit for all eligible Nigerians.

FINANCE

Emefiele

CONVERSATION WITHMY BILLIONAIRE FRIEND

ayo.arowolo@thisdaylive.com 08086447494 (SMS only) AYO AROWOLO PERSONAL FINANCE SAVINGS BUDGETING COMMODITIES GOLD INVESTING

WEALTH CAPSULE 6

The Essence of Wealth is More Important than Wealth Itself (2)Not all lives are vanity. Life is a game whose beginning is zero but the ending doesn’t have to be zero. Nelson Mandela pushed life’s envelope from 0 to 1, which is everyone’s ultimate assignment on earth. The fi rst examination is to fi nd one’s X while the second is to add value to it: X+1 = Self-actualisation.

Notorious dictators like General Sani Abacha, Field Marshal Idi-Amin Dada, Mobotu Seseseko, etc., who mercilessly looted their respective countries and left robust foreign bank accounts for their children, lived in vain because they found and destroyed X. Consequently, their children and children’s children can never leverage their names nationally or internationally. In nature’s bank, they remain debtors, their respective ledgers are in deep red, with huge negative carry-forward balances which may take up to the 4th generation in their lineage to balance - Tim Akano

It takes generosity to discover our essence, through others. If you realise you are only a violin, you should open yourself up to the world by playing your role in the concert - Jacques Yves Cousteau

I was at my Billionaire Friend’s place at the agreed time, and as usual, all security protocols were observed. My Billionaire Friend ushered me in straight to the same garden where we had last discussed. The scenery never loses its beauty.

I’m sure Eden would have looked like this. We chatted a bit but without wasting any time, he hit the ground running.

“My boss, I think there is the need to anchor last week’s subject properly on its philosophical foundation. This would help the readers to understand the importance of that topic to the wealth-building process we have been discussing.”

Very well then, I enthused.“Okay, my boss. Let us go back to God’s instructions

in Genesis. Read it out and let me explain a few points from it.”

I read it out: “And God blessed them and God said unto them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fi sh of the sea and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moves upon the earth”.

Then my Billionaire Friend took over: “Inside that command by God, there was an inherent power to make it happen but there is a process for everything to happen the way it is commanded. God sent every single one of the human beings he created as a seed to the world.”

He spoke like a sage. “For that seed to become fruit-bearing, it fi rst must be buried in the ground as a seed; it is the decomposed seed that eventually becomes a tree that eventually grows fruit-bearing branches. There is no other way for a seed to become fruit-bearing; the way to the harvest realm is to ground.”

“Unfortunately, I have observed that many people don’t want to pass through the process. They want to start bearing fruits without fi rst being planted as seeds. And you know why? The process of turning from a seed into a fruit-bearing tree is a very messy one. The seed fi rst has to be messed up. It is like the labour time for a woman who is about to give birth to a child. It is a tough process and many people would want to avoid that process. But unfortunately, there is no shortcut to success. It is the same when you are trying to build a business that would create a nest for others. You have to be buried fi rst before you now shoot out as trees that now provide shelter for so many other people”.

“That is the way God breeds all his ambassadors. There is no shortcut. The way to the top is down fi rst. When the woman in the labour room eventually gives birth to a baby, she is fl ooded with joy and happiness that cannot be described unless you experience it personally.

“Here is what I have discovered in the process of building wealth: when you break this thing called “Life”, you would discover that happiness should be the central goal of all men. Our living is best enriched through the pursuit of happiness, we live and lead quality lives when we are happy. We would see the beauty of the stars and not worry about the hustle of the next day. Happiness is gold. Building wealth can only be meaningful if such wealth gives happiness to others. True wealth is measured by how much impact it makes. Little wonder Nigerian

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit –John 12:24”

“That is the way God breeds all his ambassadors. There is no shortcut. The way to the top is down fi rst. When the woman in the labour room eventually gives birth to a baby, she is fl ooded with joy and happiness that cannot be described unless you experience it personally”

“I have discovered that when real God’s ambassadors, those who have gone through the process of being buried in the ground as seed, give, they hardly draw attention to themselves. But in Nigeria and a few other countries when those who call themselves philanthropists donate some pieces of computers to schools or donate boreholes to some communities, they usually call a world press conference. Truly, those are not God’s ambassadors. As the Bible says: they have received their rewards. “

Read the full article at htt ps://www.thisdaylive.com

22 T H I S DAY, T H E S U N DAY N E W S PA P E R

HipPop Singer, David Adedeji Adeleke a.k.a Davido would say, we rise by lifting others”.

“Indeed, happiness is the central ingredient to meaningful living by man. True happiness, from utilising the principles of positive psychology, for life’s fulfi lment, is the very foundation of that special area of psychology. Happiness helps humans to lead a useful life. This issue of studying how to remain happy began with early humanist thinkers like Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow. However, the father of modern positive psychology is Martin Seligman. Martin Seligman espouses that happiness

is best obtained by giving unto others, as different from receiving. Hence, the essence of acquiring wealth, includes very importantly, looking and closely exploring, what makes life really meaningful”.

“Meaningful living has been found by Martin Seligman, to be central to making human living more purposeful and useful to oneself, others, one’s society and nation. Seligman’s thesis is this: The essence of acquiring wealth not being limited to building wealth for wealth sake alone, but about using the wealth built and the process of building the wealth for the pursuit of happiness for one’s self, family, non-family members, one’s society, and one’s nation. Even employees at senior positions should make it a duty to expose and develop their subordinates to the knowledge of building wealth, provide opportunities for subordinates to grow, while such bosses continue to pursue the building of their own wealth.

“This is what is gives happiness to living. Life is not just about surviving. Life is not just about living, but making impactful contributions to the lives of others in need, one’s society and nation, in line with the philosophy of positive psychology. It is about deriving authentic happiness from giving

inspiration to subordinates, giving them happiness, and letting subordinates love to work for their bosses. This is the very essence of positive and meaningful living.”

“I submit that the essence of building wealth is more with deriving happiness in habitually giving unto the needy others, from the wealth possessed and not in holding wealth, solely for oneself and family. From experience, the philosophy behind such habitual benevolence, as in the school of positive psychology, has personally been found to give me incredible happiness, deep satisfaction, inspires me to continue to do more”.

“Again, my observation of the successes of others through my inspiration has been an incredible source of happiness for me. Over the years, I have come to realise that, whatever you give out to needy others, you will always eventually get rewarded in multiple folds.”

WE CAME HERE WITH NOTHING AND WITH NOTHING SHALL WE DEPART, WHEN OUR TIME IS UP.

“Everything we own here on earth is only on a lease to us; it would pass on to others when we die. The best decision that the wealthy should make, is to remain detached away from the glamour and ego of their wealth and create happiness for themselves, through habitually giving and giving to society’s needy”.

“Man was not created to own anything. As mere trustees, everything owned by man does not belong to man. We need to learn from Alexandra the Great, who was the ruler of Persia but died at thirty-three years of age. Alexandra the Great was quoted to have asked his pallbearers to ensure that medical doctors line up the route to his grave and that both his hands must extend outside his coffi n throughout the procession to his grave. When asked why this was his request, he informed them, “I want the world to see that even as great as I was, before my death, no doctor could save me from dying”. Again, when asked, why he wanted his two hands extended outside his coffi n, he said “I want the world to see that even though, I owned so much of the world, I took nothing away. By so doing, my two hands would be seen by all, to be empty to my grave”.

I have observed over time that even though my Billionaire Friend is a wealthy man by all standards he is very frugal in many ways, hardly displaying his wealth as many wealthy individuals I know do. So I asked him how he came about the rules of life he now lives by

My Billionaire Friend shot back: “I have lived by that rule since I was 32. My knowledge of positive psychology and theology has guided me in being aware and conscious that, I am a mere TRUSTEE with all that I may possess, in life. Indeed, we humans own nothing here on earth”. “We came to this world with nothing and we shall leave with nothing. We are mere trustees of God almighty. As provided by the Bible in the book of Genesis, God is known to have created everything and decided on the sixth day to create man by saying, “let us create man in our own image”, to manage all I have created. Hence, we are merely only managing whatever wealth we own, while living, and at death, whatever we own surely belongs to God”.

Matthew Wealth Images

SUNDAY MARCH 13, 2022 • T H I S D AY 23

SUNDAY MARCH 13, 2022 • T H I S D AY24

13.3.2022A WEEKLY PULL-OUT

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

An Advocate of Women and Girl-child Equality

Dr. Sindy Zemura

Dr. Sindy Zemura is a dreamer, a risk taker and a believer in humanity. Though born into a blended family that came from and lived between two countries of South Africa and Zimbabwe, her humanitarian gesture has spread beyond her roots.

Concerned about women and the girl-child, Zemura, in 2010, founded Southern Africa Embrace Foundation, an international charitable organisation whose aim is to promote and advocate the well-being of marginalised women, children and orphans.

She tells Funke Olaode why she is passionate about humanity and her impression of Nigerians.

COVER T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R MARCH 13, 2022 5 0

I Once Convinced Myself I Would Be the Next Naomi Campbell

Her gorgeous appearance can easily give her away as one of the global supermodels: smooth skin, slim figure and an intimidating height. She would later admit that she once toyed with the idea of becoming a model before her

career tilted towards humanity. Today, Dr. Sindy Zemura is known as a humanitarian, entrepreneur and philanthropist with a focus on empowering women, girls and the youth. In 2010, she founded the Southern Africa Embrace Foundation (SAEF), aimed at promoting and advocating the well-being of marginalised women, children and orphans.

Armed with various degrees acquired from Africa to Europe and America before settling down in Canada in 2005, Zemura always knew that she wanted to work with the less-privileged. To her, it was a trait inherited from her late father.

“I was blessed to be born into a family that was well up. My father was a businessman and politician in the 70s, 80s and early 90s before he passed on. He had a big heart. He was a giver; he ran multiple charities and donated a lot to people nationwide and regionally within Southern Africa. In doing so, he ensured that as his children, we got involved in volunteering in the charity work and took us with him to some of the rural and marginalized communities to give to the poor.”

Though the seed of humanity was sown into her young mind, Zemura didn’t understand the depth of giving until after her father’s passing in 1993. “I knew that I wanted to carry his legacy and what he had taught us to do and become. He instilled in us the spirit of Ubuntu (togetherness), love and empathy for everyone. I used to dream that one day I will support millions of people around the world, help children go to school and help to eradicate hunger and diseases.”

Guided by her father’s spirit of love, Zemura vowed to keep her father’s legacy alive.

“When I migrated from South Africa 23 years ago, I carried this dream and I kept hoping that the right time would come to launch it. I wanted to someday lead an International organization that will have an impact on the continent by empowering those less fortunate. After I lived in Ireland, the United Kingdom, the USA and then moved to Canada in 2005, I was introduced into a volunteer society that re-birthed the desire to establish my own organization with a focus on eradicating poverty, gender-based violence and promoting education, HIV Awareness, women empowerment through socio-economic programmes.”

Zemura had a clear vision of her dreams and realised she needed a platform to achieve her laid-down goals. This led to the birth of SAEF.

“SAEF mission is committed to advocating, supporting, and promoting education, ending gender-based violence and socio-economic empowerment of marginalized youth and women while the main goal is to envision a strong alliance of African communities that are educated, sustainable, self-reliant, prospering and empowered with open access to life potential opportunities. We envision an impact of one million lives by 2030.”

Through SAEF, she has continued to touch lives but was reticent about listing the foundation’s success story. “We don’t want to blow our trumpet. But the fact that 11 years later the organisation still stands and is growing in its impact and reach around Africa is a success. It is not about the numbers for us, it is about each life we serve and the gratitude that comes from that realization. We, of course, have to celebrate that we have continued serving to this day, supported over 2000 children with educational sponsorships, life necessities and engaged with several communities to do so. Above all, the footprint of our work is spreading across Africa and the Diaspora as we continue to learn and grow.”

Her humanitarian gesture has received the United Nations endorsement with the accreditation to hold the ECOSOC - Special Consultative Status which is the highest recognition NGOs receive from the UN after going through vigorous application checking on the validity of the work they do and getting voted for by the approval committee.

Basking in the euphoria from the global organisation’s recognition, she said, “Many organizations have applied several times for this status and haven’t been successful which also usually takes years to attain because it’s a very competitive application and the process is

empowerment of women through various programmes. My desire is to launch by mid-year - 2022 and of course, do so for long term purposes.”

Gender inequality is still a burning issue globally. More women still need to break the glass ceilings, especially in male-dominated fields of endeavour. In Zemura’s view, this is achievable, even though there is slow progress at the moment.

“We can look at the global advocacy and activism work that has been put into it for instance such as the Beijing Women’s Conference of 1995, others such as the annual Commissions Status of Women (United Nations) and most recently the launch of the Generation Equality, that’s pushing ahead for Gender Equality. We are seeing more women taking up or being elected to positions of leadership across the globe, more so in the West and unfortunately less in Africa but it is progress.

“We are experiencing a surge of intergenerational mentorship and co-leadership of women leaders passing on the baton to younger women who are unapologetically going into spaces of leadership to serve alongside male leaders. Today, compared to three decades ago, we celebrate all these ‘baby steps’. I am a believer that maybe our generation will see it come to fruition in 2030 as per the UN SDGs Goals but if not, certainly in generations to come, it will happen.”

Zemura still preserves her youthful looks. Modelling was on her mind when she was much younger. She even toyed with the idea of becoming the next Naomi Campbell. As a teenager, she’d print out every picture of Campbell in the magazines, imitating her accent and fashion sense.

“I modelled in high school during events and when I moved to the USA during my mid-20s, I attempted it but the industry was just too big and brutal for a young person with not much footprint in the USA. When I moved to Canada, I signed up for a modelling school and worked with a modelling agency in Toronto for a while. I guess that’s not where I was meant to be because as much as I wanted to dive into it, it often felt empty, it was too harsh and didn’t like the uncertainty of a long-term career so I went back to corporate work as an accountant and then to my first love – NGO work to support marginalized people and I have not looked back since. I am very passionate about my calling and my success lies in that.”

Her fashion choices are largely influenced by personal taste. Not keen on following trends in popular culture, she could just be wearing clothes beyond three seasons as long as they look great.

“There is something about a good-looking woman, her confidence, power and intelligence show in the way she dresses and carries herself. I am inspired by women like Michelle Obama. I am a conservative dresser. I am not crazy about wearing brands. I purchase popular brands when I can but I’m not religious about them either. I also adore African Prints; my soul becomes alive in African print. I feel connected to my roots. I do a lot of moderating and speaking engagements globally so I intentionally wear African print or African-made clothing to showcase the pride of who we are.”

Zemura as a humanitarian is also an adventurer who is at her best seeing the world for leisure. She loves connecting with people from various backgrounds.

“Though I am very sociable, I am also very private and a bit of an introvert. My best relaxation is when I am with my two daughters at home in Toronto as well as with my grandmother and mom back home in Southern Africa. I enjoy my quiet space, though I work a lot with people. Most times, I crave my own time – silence, tucked indoors and watching documentaries, movies and listening to old R&B from the 80s and 90s, worship songs and of course South African music, house, kwaito, amapiano among others. Recently, I have started reading a lot of inspirational books.”

As the conversation drew to a close, she was asked about her impression of Nigeria and Nigerians.

“I always respected Nigerians for being smart and intelligent, quick thinkers and all that but unfortunately, there are those Nigerians who are outlaws and they made most of the world believe that all Nigerians are bad people. I have since been around and become great friends with some amazing people from Nigeria over the past 15 years. My impressions are so much different. Most Nigerians are very giving, supportive, make great friends, are hard workers, very intelligent, respectful and my goodness- energetic.

“I absolutely admire their work ethics of excelling and sometimes exaggerating because they know and love the perfection of service and delivery. Nigerians are achievers and truly whenever I am around those I am blessed to know and work with, I am always inspired to be better each time. I have become an honorary Nigerian and even got named ‘Uwakmfonabisi Mfoniso’ by my now Nigerian village,” she enthused.

rigid. This status grants the organisation more leverage, influence and participation in the work of the United Nations. We celebrate every step regardless of small and or great.”

Zemura’s definition of success is embedded in the appreciation she receives for her efforts.

“As an African girl having this imaginary world of living overseas, my fairy tale world has become a reality though I have not attained it all. I get to spend my time and serve around the world alongside notable global leaders from all spheres of life, I have sat in rooms with those making decisions for our world, spoke and moderated over one hundred events in places of decision-making and power.

“I also had the honour to hold a lead consultant role at the first-ever inaugural African Union Office of the Youth Envoy as Special Advisor and Team Lead – Intergenerational Dialogues Plan, in that capacity, I developed training, brochures, reports, policy documents and a toolkit which today was adopted by the African Union as a guide to use for Intergenerational Mentorship and Co-leadership for the empowerment of youths across Africa. I celebrate this success because along with my team, we were able to impact and reach over 80 million youths from Africa and Diaspora. Today the AU Youth Envoy Office has a portfolio on Intergenerational Dialogues which was born from the work we did. Lastly, not counting many other achievements over the years be it professional or academic, I have been honoured beyond my imagination with recognitions and awards, that’s a measurable success but to me, it’s truly hearing the next person saying thank you, you have inspired me or because of you I am changed – that’s success!”

While her organisation is open to supporting several initiatives, she said most times the decision is based on the foundational pillars of the organization. “We live in a world

where things change and some are not in our control and so at times, we could decide to work on a project that is outside of our initial pillars but is considered a need. For instance, when the covid-19 pandemic started, we had to switch our programmes and go into supporting scholars with PPEs in addition to their school bursaries, of course, this was something outside of our scope but we had to step up because it has been a need.”

The Canada-based SAE Foundation has representations in seven Southern African countries, with Zemura declaring that the next move is Nigeria. “Nigeria ‘for us’ is a big market for open possibilities to serve from a grassroots level. We hope to continue the mission to support the education of children because Nigeria holds the highest number of children out of school, especially the girl child – the education of the girl child is of great importance. As well, we envision serving the women of Nigeria who too have much to give to Africa by empowering those affected by gender-based violence and launching some economic programmes to help women out of poverty.”

With the SAE Foundation embracing Nigeria and Nigerians, Zemura said Nigeria would see more of her. “Yes of course so much of me - God willing and if I could take up residence in Nigeria for a bit I would. I have fallen in love with West Africa and Nigeria is one country I am personally hoping to strengthen my connection and presence at. As a Foundation, we are looking into Nigerian partnerships that we can build on a long-term basis as well. Personally, I am hoping to connect, learn and share with people of the same interests in Nigeria, especially women as I grow my brand because the vision is there. I firmly believe that where there is a vision God will bring the provision. I am currently talking with potential partners and my strategists on expanding into Nigeria to support children’s education and the socio-economic

Zemura

INTERNATIONAL51THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER MARCH 13, 2022

Telephone : 0807-688-2846e-mail: bolyttag@yahoo.com

Bola A. Akinterinwa

VIE INTERNATIONALEwithT

he Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) organized a hybrid-virtual seminar on ‘Russia-Ukraine War and the Imperatives of a New Global Order’ on Wednesday, 9th March 2022 at the institute. The seminar was quite significant for various reasons. First, the theme of the seminar, by talking about imperatives of a New Global Order (NGO), intrinsically implies a request for a new order. But why have an NGO? Why

seek an end to the current world of unipolarity? Where do we move to, if unipolarity comes to an end: bipolarity, tripolarity, quadripolarity or pluripolarity?

Second, the seminar was noteworthy because of the caliber of the speakers and quality of the intervening interlocutors. The paper presenters included General Ishola Olasehinde Williams (rtd), former Chief of Training, Operations and Plans (CTOP) at the Defence Headquarters, Abuja; Dr. Olufemi Adetuyole Otubanjo, Professor of Comparative Politics and International Relations, Federal University, Oye, Ekiti State; Ambassador Olusegun Akinsanya, former Nigeria’s Ambassador plenipotentiary to Ethiopia, with concurrent accreditation to Djibouti, and Permanent Representative to the African Union and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa; and Dr. Femi Nahzeem Mimiko, Professor of Political Science and former Vice Chancellor of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akugba, Akoko, Ondo State.

Third, perhaps more importantly, the organization of the seminar came on the heels of a very thought-provoking statement made by the French president, Mr. Emmanuel Macron, at an internal meeting. He said that Western hegemony appears to be nearing its end. In his words, ‘yes, I must admit that Western hegemony may be coming to an end. We have become accustomed to an international order based on Western hegemony since the 18th Century… We are used to this greatness that gives us absolute dominance over the global economy and politics, but things are changing.’

And more importantly, President Macron also had it that what is changing ‘is a transformation of the international order. ‘This is the perception of the incumbent French president, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. It is against this background that the NIIA seminar is quite apt. If things are changing, if the current Western order is to be done away with, what replaces it? Who will be the new actors? What will the new international questions look like? Will the situation be a change and continuity or a change in continuity? Time will shed light on the problematique and the varying perspectives at the seminar.

Problematique and PerspectivesThe first leg of the problematique is how to manage the emerg-

ing change of hegemony. Professor Jean-Baptiste Duroselle of the University of Paris 1, Panthéon-Sorbonne has theorized that ‘tout empire périra, that is ‘every empire shall perish.’ President Macron’s statement is a reconfirmation of Professor Duroselle’s submission. In this regard, while Professor Femi Mimiko, believes that the likelihood of a new global order is remote and that the current Western hegemonic world will still subsist, President Macron holds a contrary view.

As posited by Professor Mimiko, there is no reason why a powerful country, and for that matter, a nuclear and a veto-wielding power like Russia, would be complaining and not listened to. Any President of Russia would have, under normal circumstances, acted along the same line as Vladimir Putin considering how Russia is being treated by the West. And more importantly, he argued that, even though American power may be perceived to be on the decline, there is no disputing the fact that the United States remains economically vibrant and militarily strong.

Besides, even in the event of a new power, like China, coming out to challenge the United States, Professor Mimiko contends that China is most likely to pursue a policy of strengthening her ties with the United States in protection of her interests rather than adopting policies of hostility. Consequently, the status quo cannot but continue to be in his eyes.

On the contrary, in the eyes of President Macron, ‘when the emerging nations find their own national culture and begin to believe in it, they will gradually get rid of the “philosophical culture that Western hegemony has instilled in them in the past. And this is the beginning of the end of Western hegemony. The end of Western hegemony does not lie in economic decline, not in military decline, but in cultural decline. When your values can no longer be exported to emerging countries, that is the beginning of your decline.’

NIIA’s Seminar on Russo-Ukrainian War: When Diplomatic and Military Actions are not Equal and Opposite

Professor Otubanjo explained the problematique differently. It is the conflict between the West’s belief in sovereignty and Russia’s emphasis on the protection of the national interest. As explicated by him, ‘the West is trying to uphold a principle it has not always respected. The irony is that national interest is, often, used to violate sovereignty.’ Without any whiff of doubt, Professor Otubanjo could not have been more correct as the list of past invasions by the United States is long.

Additionally, Professor Otubanjo identified Russo-American enmity as another element and dynamic of the invasion. As he explained it, when Putin became president of Russia in 2000, his first act ‘was to apply to join the NATO with the aim of working for a peaceful and more prosperous Europe,’ but Europe objected to it, considering that ‘Russia was too large and its policies not sufficiently democratic.’ The excuses given for the rejection of Russia’s request might be tenable, but they were, at best, secondary. The main untold rationale cannot but be to avoid a strong challenger to American policy stand.

In this regard, the policy stand of the United States is noteworthy: opposition to a strong Russian influence in Europe, opposition to a Europe that would be free from Russian threats, opposition to a strong Europe that would be independent of the United States and the NATO, and most importantly, opposition to a polycentric world. The arguments of Professor Otubanjo lent much credence to the position of President Macron that the exclusion of Russia from being part of European strategic calculations largely explains the decline in and rejection of European hegemony by emerging great powers.

The virtual contribution of Professor Kola Ezekiel Ogundowole was also quite interesting from three perspectives: First, he not only studied in Russia but also married a Russian academic. His contributions were experiential and a primary source. Second, he was a university mate of President Vladimir Putin, and in fact, Putin

was two years his junior. And third, he sees the Russian invasion as an intra-family misunderstanding. As he presented it: ‘Russia and Ukraine are not just neighbours. More than that. They both, including Belarus, claim one and same ancestral root – “Kievski Rus.” Similar to the Yoruba nation’s claim to “Ile-Ife” as the common ancestral home of all ethnic Yoruba, the “Source.” The Slavic nation generally admit that position of having the “Kievski Rus” as their common source.’

From the perspective of Professor Bola A. Akinterinwa, the war is a fortiori between the US-led NATO and Russia and secondarily, between Russia and Ukraine. He argued that, contrarily to the submissions of some scholars that the 1823 Monroe Doctrine is the immedi-ate rationale for the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the George Bush Doctrine and particularly the gentleman agreement he reached with Gorbachev in September 1990 on non-expansion of the NATO were the deep rationales for the invasion.

The Bush Doctrine, he observed, is predicated on three main pillars: that the United States must never allow any country to challenge it; the United States must remain superior and the primus inter pares, and that the United States must be very cautious of the USSR/Russia. The Russo-American gentleman agreement, which the United States is trying to vehemently deny but which declassified documents have lent credence to, has it that, if Russia would accept that Germany be accepted as a full member of the NATO, there would never be an expansion of the NATO beyond Germany. However, this agreement has been thrown into the garbage of history by the United States.

And true enough, the NATO that had 12 original members at its inception in 1949 – Belgium, Denmark, France, Iceland, US, UK, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Portugal, Canada, Italy, and Norway – registered the accession of seven more countries in the period from 1952 to 1982: Greece, Turkey, Germany, Spain, Poland, Hungary, and Czech Republic.

Russia did not fail to register her complaints about this. Despite Russia’s complaints, NATO’s expansion continued. Poland and Hungary joined the NATO in 1999, while, in between 2004 and 2009, Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Romania, Lithuania, Croatia, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Albania also acceded to the NATO Treaty. It was the turn of Montene-gro and North Macedonia to join in 2017-2020. Russian complaints continued but reached their crescendo in the continuum of anger in 2021 when Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia and Ukraine also aspired to join. Then Russia saw the whole expansion as an anti-Russia agenda and as enough is enough, that is, enough of disregard for Russia’s security concerns.

Before then, Russia had given the last friendly warning to the US and many seasoned US foreign policy experts had advised US government against such NATO expansion, but the advice has been to no avail. The implications of the warning are made clear by Russia at the 2007 Munich Conference: ‘NATO has put its frontline forces on our borders. This expansion reduces the level of mutual trust. And we have the right to ask against whom is this expansion intended? And what happened to the assurances our Western partners made after the dissolution of the Warsaw Pact.’ Thus, the common saying that prevention is better than cure, or the need for a defensive-preventive aggression, appears largely to have informed the Russian aggression. All former Soviet allies have been gradually incorporated into the NATO framework which Russia finds very contestable.

While Russia believed she is invading to ensure self-survival and self-preservation, Dr. Rita Agu of the NIIA argued at the seminar that Russia acted ultra vires, based on UNGA Resolution 2625 on general principles governing friendly relations and Article 2(4) of the UN Charter which prohibits ‘the use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any State.’ What is noteworthy about Dr. Agu’s argument is that Russia’s action is illegal, but she still admits that ‘despite the failure of the UN Security Council to prevent the conflict in Ukraine, international law has proven generally inef-fectual when it comes to checking great powers’ actions.’ Thus, which takes priority: international law (sovereignty) or National interest (national security)?

Impending Pluripolarity and ImplicationsProfessor Otubanjo rightly pointed out that the contemporary world

is playing host to polycentricism in terms of power configuration. But beyond this fact, the challenge is ascertaining the character of the impending polycentric world: is the world moving from the unipolar world of the United States to bipolarity in which the principal actors will be the United States and China or the United States and Russia? Will the movement be to tripolarity that will encompass the United States, China, and Russia or to quadripolarity in which the European Union will also be a stakeholder? And more concernedly, will it be pluripolarity in which case countries like India and Japan and more States will also be included?

Besides, when discussing new centres of power, should the defining criterion be holistic – military, economic, cultural, technological, global influence, etc? Whatever is the case, the Russian-Ukrainian war is more of a catalytic agent of major setbacks for the NATO countries because they have bargained for what they cannot easily cope with. Several questions are now raised about past invasions by US and its NATO allies and particularly about the contradictions in US foreign policy behaviour. Shortly after the end of World War II, the United States is on record to have been acting contrarily to what it preaches: values of democracy at home on the one hand, and promotion of dictatorial regimes and increasing anti-American sentiments abroad, on the other.

Read full article online - www.thisdaylive.com

One observation made by General Ishola Olasehinde Williams at the NIIA seminar, and which requires further special reflections is the international character of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. General Williams noted that

the Ukrainians have never accepted to be part of the former USSR. He asked what Russia needs influence for and drew attention to the fact that if Russia has been behaving as a good parent to all member constituents of the USSR, there would not have been any good basis for them to leave their union. More significantly, General

Williams observed that, considering the ongoing killing of several Russian soldiers, President Putin may end up being killed by the soldiers. This is a tenable hypothesis. However, the more critical international question that is begging for attention is how to control the abuse of state power by the great powers. The world is witnessing

the movement from unipolarity to pluripolarity. A pluripolar world cannot but also be hegemonic. Why is there no counter-hegemonic platform to serve as check and balance? For the umpteenth time, we submit that the Nigeria-

initiated Concert of Medium Powers, which was articulated by Professor Bolaji Akinwande Akinyemi, but which was myopically set aside, needs to be revisited. It has become a desideratum. Nigerians must learn how to appreciate

Professor Akinyemi’s hard thinking by providing a Black Bomb and leadership for Africa

Putin

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GLITZ PERSONALITY

5 2 T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R MARCH 13, 2022

Zain Asher: Her Incredible Journey to the Top The name Zain Asher will surely ring a bell if you are a frequent viewer of Cable News Network International. She’s a charming news anchor largely associated with some

business programmes on the channel. Asher, who is also the sister to the Oscar-winning actor Chiwetel Ejiofor, was on The Morning Show on ARISE NEWS Channel to share her inspiring story and the strength of the Nigerian women in commemoration

of International Women’s Day. Vanessa Obioha reports.

From a young age, Zain Asher understood the strength of a woman. Born to Nigerian parents based in the United Kingdom, the Cable News Network International (CNN) news anchor was surrounded by exemplary women whose

lives played a critical role in becoming the woman she is today.

One of those women was her mother. She was the compass that guided her as she navigated the rocky roads of life. Appearing on The Morning Show on Arise News Channel, Asher spoke passionately about her mother whose impact on her life is detailed in her book ‘Where the Children Take Us.’

“My mother is a strong Nigerian woman. She was a single mother.”

She recalled how their lives were upended following the news of her father’s death.

“On September 3 1989, she got a call which I would say was the worst day in our lives, and the voice on the other end of the line basically said ‘your husband and your son have been involved in a car crash. One of them is dead and we don’t know which one.’ That happened to my family and it turned out to have been my father who had passed away but initially they thought everybody in the car had been killed. It was only when they got to the morgue and began unloading the bodies that they realised my brother was still breathing and that brother went incredibly to be nominated as best actor at the Oscars,” she said.

That brother is Chiwetel Ejiofor who has starred in some Nollywood and Hollywood films such as the Biyi Bandele’s film adaptation of novelist Chimamanda Adichie’s novel ‘Half of a Yellow Sun’ and the Netflix film ‘The Boy that Harnessed the Wind’.

Asher watched her mother overcome the challenges that came with widowhood, ensuring that they never lacked while instilling in them moral and Christian values.

“My mother raised us and thanks to her, we ended up surpassing all expectations. My sister is a medical doctor and my other brother is a very successful entrepreneur and it was only because of the kind of mother that we have. I really wanted to educate the rest of the audience about the special growth that Nigerians have. They are warriors, they are fighters and my mother is a queen.”

Beyond her motherly duties, Asher recalled that her mother was an advocate for successful black stories. Therefore, she was always pointing to personalities from the Black race, particularly Nigerians who were breaking away from the conventional mould.

One of such women is the journalist Femi Oke whom Asher disclosed was a role model in her journalism career.

“When I was growing up as a young girl in London,” she began, “I would see Femi Oke on the screen and as part of my mother’s desperation for images of black success, every time she came on, my mother would shout to us, ‘Nigerian on CNN’ and we would run downstairs and sit in front of the TV. So, as I grew older,

Femi Oke moved around different media organizations in the UK. Eventually, I came to America and one day, I turned on my TV and I saw Femi Oke on CNN. I was so moved by how well this Nigerian woman had done. I sent her an email, just telling her what she meant to me, growing up and seeing her on TV some years ago.”

Asher must have wished upon a thousand stars that Oke replied and her prayers were answered.

“She replied, gave me her phone number and said I should call her at any time. I called her and we kept in touch over the years and eventually, maybe five to 10 years later when I had an interview at CNN, I reached out to her and she really indeed worked me through how the interview process at CNN was like, how to answer the questions and what a typical day at CNN is like, what they expect of me, taking me on what to say and what not to say. Obviously, it worked out perfectly and I owe a lot to Femi Oke.

“So, seeing a Nigerian woman in that role from the age of maybe 17 onwards, not only was it a beautiful representation of my culture but it changed my entire life. And that is, I hope something I can continue to do for other people. That is why when people reached out to me, I would always write them back because Femi Oke did that for me,” she said.

Still extolling her mother, Asher noted that there was a universal level of inspiration in what her mother did.

“She would find stories and articles about black success in The Guardian, The Times, The Independent, etc. She would carve out the news and paste it on our walls. She wanted to change our subconscious to believe in ourselves. So, anytime we came from school, the first thing we saw were images of Blacks’ success on our walls, in the kitchen, in the bedroom. That changed the image we had of ourselves and she told us that we could have what those people had.

“When my brother went into acting, my mother would each evening read Shakespeare in her shop. She was a chemist. She would read Othello, 12th Night and others just so she could push my brother better. Initially, she was like why don’t you become a doctor? But the teachers told her it would be crazy to not let him be an actor because he is very talented. She agreed and so she began studying Shakespeare on her own. She is a remarkable woman whose education was interrupted during the Biafran war.”

Born Zaina Ejiofor, Asher (she got the name from the Bible for what it represents) graduated from Oxford University where she studied French and Spanish and graduated with a distinction in oral Spanish.

In 2006, she earned a Master’s degree from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism. She is fluent in French, Spanish and Igbo (her native Nigerian dialect).

Before pursuing a career in journalism, Asher said that she worked as a receptionist with a production company and was keen on becoming a top echelon. The job was her first when she graduated from the university. However, providence already charted a better path for her. The experience however is still instructive to her.

“Because I was the receptionist, it was my job to serve water to anyone who was coming to apply for the job I wanted. I had to serve water to them. The message for the younger ones is that success is never in a straight line. You see

me on CNN, but it was very difficult to get there. The hustle was real. Trust your struggles. You trust that despite all the pitfalls, that if you continue to push, and work hard – I really, really worked hard to get to where I am – that one day, the struggle will pay off. Whatever it is that you want to do, if there is a way now to start on the job that you have to do the job that you want, then start doing it.”

Based in New York, Asher regularly fills in on CNN’s premier business programmes such ‘Quest Means Business’, ‘The Express’ and ‘First Move with Julia Chatterley’. She currently anchors the network’s primetime, global news show ‘One World with Zain’.

In addition, she has anchored CNN’s special coverage around #MyFreedomDay, a global call to action that raised awareness on modern-day slavery all over the world, as well as the deaths of Fidel Castro, boxing legend Muhammad Ali and singer George Michael. Before joining CNN, Asher was a full-time reporter for Money, where she

wrote personal finance articles. Asher also was a TV reporter at News 12 Brooklyn, reporting from Brooklyn, the Bronx and Connecticut.

Speaking on the theme of this year’s International Women’s Day ‘Breaking the Bias’, Asher said it was important for women who are in positions of power to use their influences to uplift other women rather than engaging in unnecessary rivalry.

“Sometimes I get asked, what sort of bias hinders you the most? Is it being black or is it being a woman? Because in the US you have to contend with both and I think that when you are in a position of power, for me, the most important thing is that we all, as women, use our superior influence to lift other people. Yes, I have a platform, CNN but we all have platforms. It doesn’t matter where you are. We all need to use our spheres of influence to lift other women and stop competing with one another. We should use our positions of power to pass the baton to the younger generation”, she said.

She wishes to see a world where women’s achievements are not gendered but seen as regular exploits of human beings.

Asher

Zain Asher

GLITZ ENTERTAINMENT

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R MARCH 13, 2022 5 3

Are Celebrity Sex Tape Leaks the New Normal?

The trend of leaked sex tapes is becoming the new normal in the Nigerian entertainment industry. Since last year, Tiwa Savage, Oxlade and now Harrysong have had their sex tapes leaked or about to be leaked.

Following the outcomes of these unusual leaks, many male creatives now see it as their shot at fame.

There was once a time when the mention of leaked sex tapes of celebrities elicit some sort of remorse. Going by musician Harrysong’s demeanour towards his blackmailer over his sex tape, we may be settling into a new era where celebrities are indifferent to leaked sex tapes.

The ‘Beta Pikin’ singer had last week disclosed on social media that a ‘runs lady’ he had sex with is threatening to release his sex video. According to him, he had made some payments to keep his blackmailer mum but to no avail.

Similar to the route taken by Savage, which many termed as ‘owning the narrative’, his move to intimate the public is considered strategic. But while the consequences might not be similar to those of Savage, blackmailers are inherently keen on shaming their victims,

Stories by Vanessa Obioha

Inspector Alicia and The Professor in Money Heist

iREP 2022 Kicks Off This Week The 2022 iREP International Documentary Film Festival will be kicking off this week in Lagos and virtually.

The festival which is the most prominent documentary festival in Africa will feature conversations, training, workshops, mentorship sessions and producers’ roundtable among other niche items that distinguish the festival from others in its class.

Opening on Thursday, March 17, the festival will take place at multiple locations such as Terra Kulture in Victoria Island, Art Factory hall of the Crown Troupe in Bariga, and Freedom Park, Lagos Island.

About 70 films from 28 countries across four continents will be

screened at the festival with the critically acclaimed film ‘President’ by Camilla Nielsson announced as the opening film, while ‘Garderie Nocturne (Night Nursery)’ directed by Moumouni Sanou, will close the festival.

The theme of the 12th edition of the festival continues in its tradition to spark conversations around the African continent. Themed ‘Unfiltered: African Stories. Stories from Africa’, the organisers explained that the theme is to examine “how Africa is being represented or otherwise by filmmakers and storytellers who engage her issues.” iREP will run till Sunday, March 20.

Nigerian-gospel singer, Lanre Teriba popularly known as Atorise, and his Tungba-gospel music group are ready to storm the United States of America on an extensive musical tour that will take him across 21 cities of America.

Tagged ‘Breakthrough’ the news has caused a frenzy in the United States as several music promoters have booked him to perform his unique sounds at concerts in Indianapolis, Minneapolis, Chicago, Dallas, Miami, Philadelphia and other cities.

Speaking on the tour slated for May 2023, the singer, Atorise said “this tour is a great way to rejoice as the world begins to open up again after the global pandemic. I can’t wait to see all of my fans throughout America.”

The tour will kick off in Houston, TX to celebrate Memorial Day weekend in May. Teriba will also perform at the ‘Summer 2022 African Pop-Up Festival’ in New York from June 25 to 26. The annual event is powered by Akin Akinsanya to celebrate African music, food and culture across America.

In August, Atorise will be among other international gospel artists to perform at the International Cultural and Music Convention (ICMC) night at the ICCS SUMMIT in Washington DC from August 26 to 28, hosted by All Christian Network.

Gospel Singer, Lanre Teriba to Embark on American Music Tour

Nelson Chamisa, the subject of iREP’s opening film

with the public ready to feast on the content.

On the other hand, given the fast-paced world we live in today, Harrysong’s nonchalant attitude may work in his favour. But this boldness may arise from how male figures are viewed in leaked sex tapes.

For a long time now, the trend of praising men in sex tapes has been normalised. Men are usually praised for their agility and dominance in such short videos. Although objectified, it is done in a way that enlarges egos with a promise of no consequences.

This is different for female figures, however. When Savage’s video leaked, it elicited an array of reactions. But most dominant were those who called her out for even agreeing to film the passionate moment with her lover, calling the action ‘unladylike’. A better portion went on to accuse her of using the video for promotional purposes. She had just released her ‘Water & Garri’ EP at the time.

Harrysong has made it clear that the only person he owes an apology to is his wife. This may explain his concerns: protecting his

family. At the time of filing this report,

Harrysong’s sex tape is yet to be released but anything can happen in the foreseeable future.

While it is easy to conclude that the damages caused by a leaked sex video are a permanent dent on the reputation of the celebrity, it is often female-specific.

Last February, up-and-coming Nigerian singer Ikuforiji Olaitan, popularly known as Oxlade, made social media rounds, but not for his music. His sex tape and two nude videos had been distributed by denizens across various social media.

Just happening months apart, one may assume that the backlash would be blistering, especially for the fact that it wasn’t rumoured; no statements were made before to influence the emotions of the public, yet, he earned the nickname Spiderman for the sex position he assumed. That video alone went on to inspire dozens of memes, all praising and idolising the singer.

While Tiwa Savage incurred losses after the leaked sex tape, it is the opposite for Oxlade, who recently signed a deal with the International record label,

Harrysong is blackmailed over a sex tape

On Thursday, March 10, the American actor Jussie Smollett who stole hearts with his tenor and looks on the American TV series ‘Empire’ was sentenced to five months in prison for falsely reporting to the police that he had been the victim of a racist and homophobic attack in 2019.

Smollett on January 29, 2019, reported to the police that two masked men, one of whom he believed to be white, had attacked him in downtown Chicago. The attackers, he said, hurled homophobic and racial slurs at him, then put a rope around his neck and poured a chemical substance on him.

However, two Nigerian brothers, Olabinjo and Abimbola Osundairo, who were arrested over the case told investigators they

American Actor, Jussie Smollett’s Price of Fame

Smollett reacts to his sentence in court

were paid to take part in a hoax. Smollett was rearrested but later released when the charges were dropped. The case was reopened in 2020 and the trial began last year.

The presiding judge, James B. Linn admonished the actor while delivering the sentence, saying that he had premeditated the hoax because he craved the attention.

Columbia Records. Arguably, society is slowly signalling

to the male gender that it is okay to flaunt one’s junk in the glare of the public on social media. This notice should however be corrected if any form of nation-building is to be attained.

Lanre Teriba

54 T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R MARCH 13, 2022

with KAYODE ALFRED 08116759807, E-mail: kayflex2@yahoo.com HighLife ...Amazing lifestyles of Nigeria’s rich and famous

The beauty of politics in Nigeria is that there is always something to amaze. That factor of surprise and awe often goes a long way in defining the outcomes of elections. For Ogun East Senatorial District, the source of astonishment is none other than Segun Senbanjo, the Country Director of Nord Oil. According to recent reports, Senbanjo has declared his intention to represent the district under the auspices of the All Progressives Congress (APC) come 2023. And if you are staring into the distance trying to imagine why the name doesn’t ring a bell, it is because Senbanjo is no politician. Or maybe he is an undercover politician — if such things exist.

The ambition of Senbanjo to ascend the senatorial ranks has caused much astonishment in Ogun East and other parts of the state. The man has always been known to a few as a forthright businessman with a good mind for investments. As such, Senbanjo’s rumoured attempt to start moving resources and forces into the pipeline in hopeful anticipation of 2023 has been widely ridiculed as an errant rumour or something from the same stables as Jack and Jill.

In truth, it is not that Senbanjo cannot represent the people of Ogun East at the floor of the Senate. On the contrary, he has a commendable educational and business profile that shows him off as an erudite person. But this is clearly not enough for most observers. After all, knowing that a knife is sharp and having that knife stabbed into one’s sides are different. So, the people sniggering at the Nord Oil man’s ambition cannot be blamed.

You can rely on Senbanjo when the game is one of the energy sectors, or trading, or investments. Senbanjo is a maestro in all these. But he has not left any notable mark in politics in Nigeria, so he doesn’t appear to have much leverage in that regard. But if he really intends to run, then one can only conclude that Senbanjo is brave.

Segun Senbanjo’s Tall Ambition

Glad Tidings as Iyabo Obasanjo ComesOut of Her Anonymous Cocoon

Birthdays are glorious events. Last week, we saw the splendid birthday celebration of a former military general, head of state, democratically-elected president, and politician extraordinaire, Chief Olusegun Aremu Obasanjo. But the strong man’s birthday was not the only magnificent thing on that day. There was also the reemergence of his darling daughter, Senator Iyabo Obasanjo.

Until the 85th birthday ceremony of former President Obasanjo, the face of Senator Iyabo has been scarce. It was a joyous occasion and the attendees of the event were glad that father and daughter are back together as the powerful duo they once were. But why did Iyabo cast off the limelight previously, choosing instead to enter her anonymous cocoon?

Like many other influential political figures, Iyabo faced her fair share of criticism. Of course, being the daughter of the legendary Senbanjo

Person of Phenomenon: Tony Elumelu Wows an

Audience in the UK

At the rate things are going, Nigerians will eventually take over everything. This is not a prophecy. Any informed person with enough vision can tell you that with people like Tony Elumelu as blazing torches in the corporate sector in Nigeria, Africa, and beyond, it is only a matter of time before all things settle in favour of Africans in general and Nigerians in particular.

A few days ago, Elumelu was among the handful of prestigious individuals who shared the stage with the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Boris Johnson as they celebrated the March 8 International Women’s Day. Even as Johnson made calls to the world to improve girl-child development and women’s participation in nations, Elumelu was also available to make both social and economic calls for inclusive development.

The central point of the event to some people was the new global partnership that Elumelu represented United Bank for Africa (UBA) to form with 10 other organizations. The punch of this alliance was to boost the access of female children to quality formal education, Elumelu

The average Nigerian believes that established clergymen are superstars. After all, there is no other way to explain how some of them only speak words and manage to win the trust of their congregants. However that may be, Pastor Matthew Ashimolowo is now only a superstar based on the words he has spoken in times past. His star wattage can be attributed to the tall tower of accomplishments with his name in the builder’s spot. At 70, the man is essentially the president of a small nation.

Nigerian pastors outside the country face many challenges. Ashimolowo was not exempted from this ‘rule’ when he took up residence in the United Kingdom (UK). For a man that allegedly hawked foodstuff as a boy in the streets of Kaduna, Ashimolowo’s current status as the number one UK Pastor did not come from empty sermonizing.

The Grace and Prosperity of Mattew Ashimolowo at 70 … His Matchless Exploits in the Vineyard of God

and also increase the different means through which these girls and their older counterparts can be gainfully employed in developing countries.

You can imagine Elumelu on the stage presenting point after point to show the bigwigs of the multinational world the needs of the African girl-child. You can picture him with grace and boldness, dishing out convincing facts, enough to make his audience discard their mildly derisive and discounting perspectives.

Considering the big-name organisations that will be partnering with UBA (including Microsoft, PwC, Standard Chartered, Coursera, etc.), it is only a matter of time before Elumelu’s role in the advancement of the African dream of across-the-board development becomes a reality. Then again, this has always been what Elumelu and his team are intent on achieving.

Indeed, Elumelu is a phenomenon, one that is rarely seen anywhere.

Ashimolowo

Instead, the man gritted his teeth so that he can pursue the divine vision and raise others to be like him. And he has.

One of the biggest churches in the UK, Kingsway International Christian Centre (KICC), began as a result of Ashimolowo’s vision. That was far back in 1992 while his mates were looking for political appointments in Lagos and Abuja. In the past three decades, Ashimolowo has affected tens of millions of lives in the UK, Nigeria, Ghana, Zimbabwe, and many other places. His fortune is in the millions of dollars.

Ashimolowo’s philanthropy is another reason for his popularity. The man has always preached to impact lives and demonstrates what it is like to be a good example. As a result, Ashimolowo has always tried to wear the sandals of the underprivileged (which is no great feat considering his background). Ashimolowo has consequently helped countless widows, orphans, and other people who have no means to live satisfyingly. More than this, Ashimolowo has taught others to do the same.

Obasanjo, many people (including Iyabo herself) attributed much of this persecution to her being surnamed Obasanjo. However, the persecution did not last for long after her time in the Nigerian Senate where she represented Ogun Central Senatorial District, Ogun State, from 2007 to 2011.

Many people may remember Senator Iyabo for an open letter to her father in 2013 (a letter that became a public commodity in 2017). In the letter, Iyabo shared intimate details regarding growing up in the household of her father, a man that seemed to like power more than anything else, and would not blink an eye before sacrificing the happiness of his immediate relatives for his objectives.

Iyabo’s letter had a powerful impact on the informed in the days that followed its publication. Her words: “I won’t be your legacy, let your legacy be Nigeria in the fractured state you created because … I pray Nigeria survives

Obasanjo

Oyin Adeyemi: An Amazon Who is Shattering the Glass Ceiling

The world as it is traditionally interpreted is split between men and women. Together, humanity gets on the path of development and marches to progress. But some people manage to stand out. Oyindamola Lami Adeyemi, the founder and overall boss of Still Earth Construction and Realty is one of such people. Even now that geniuses have begun to appear in droves, Adeyemi’s position as a pioneering Amazon of contemporary times remains unshakeable.

The March 8 International Women’s Day celebration has reminded everyone of the jewels of inestimable worth that are active women. Adeyemi, who belongs to this class of women, continues to be mentioned in conversation over and over again. But this is no surprise: Adeyemi’s momentum is not the type that time and tides can affect. Instead, hers is the onward and upward way of progress and prestige.

Some people view women with massive intellectual ability in the thick of things as a threat. Such people will find Adeyemi to be the most dangerous type of woman for her

intellectual capacity. Every doubt of her ability is swiftly cleared in light of what she has accomplished with Still Earth Construction and Green Renaissance Initiative, the prestige she has added to Tirex Petroleum & Energy as its Executive Chairperson, and the overriding charm of her personality which is never deterred by refusals or criticisms.

Adeyemi is extraordinaire. Due to her seeming humility, news of her many business adventures and achievements have been put under wraps, only for end-of-the-year awards. Even so, Adeyemi shines bright like a diamond.

There is a ceiling for corporate success, for males and females, young and old people, the educated and semi-literate. Adeyemi has positively smashed this ceiling, breaking to the next level ahead of her peers Adeyemi

your continual intervention in its affairs,” resonated with many people and cast both Iyabo and her father in a different light. And then she disappeared.

HIGHLIFE

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Wise men invest in the times, they do not only count the clouds and measure the land. Such is Bunmi Ariyo, the former personal assistant of the past Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode. Today, Ariyo appears to have washed his hands off anything that has to do with politics. Instead, his heart beats for property acquisition and sale, as well as the dynamics and gymnastics of the agricultural sector.

There is no doubt that Ariyo is the kind of person to ponder deeply before pursuing anything. This attitude has served him well, especially during the past administration of the Lagos State government. As readers might remember, his role in Ambode’s

Shining Bright Like Diamonds: Hajia Bola Shagaya Shines at Int’l Women’s Day Event in Lagos

Off-politics: Bunmi Ariyo Shifts Focus to Real Estate and Agriculture

Shagaya

Olive Branch: Orji Uzor Kalu Mend Fences with Anyaso Human relationships are like buildings

that can only be erected after some time. The foundations may be perfect, but moss might still grow across the walls. This is the case with former Abia State Governor, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, and his protégé, the boss of Ceecon Oil and Gas, Chima Anyaso. After what onlookers can consider many years of acrimony, the mentor and mentee duo have finally put the past behind them.

Things are looking up for those in the camp of Kalu and Anyaso, especially people that have been looking forward to their reunion. According to the latest word on the streets, the men who have so much in common have resolved their differences and are looking towards the future with their characteristic optimism charged with an understanding of the times and near-boundless resources.

Based on the narrative from informers, Kalu and Anyaso settled their feud at the tail-end of 2021. More than that, the duo eased off work and the festivities during the busy

Christmas period to catch up on old times. As a result, there is more likely to be the kind of business and social collaboration they had during the heyday bouncing back again.

Considering that these men obviously missed each other’s company, what could have separated them in the past? There are many opinions.

According to one source, business interests drove a wedge between Kalu and Anyaso. A different source insists that it was political power combined with business interests. What seems to be the common denominator is the fact that the separation was messy, far messier than the end of the romantic relationship between Anyaso and Kalu’s daughter, Neya, some years ago.

But all that is in the past now. Although the split might have caused Anyaso some political position over the years, there is no question that the reunion will bring even better opportunities to both parties. A timely olive branch is a shield against famine. Kalu

Otunba Timehin Adelegbe, the Great at 60 Truly, the best people are like old wine,

getting better the older they grow. When comparing Otunba Timehin Adelegbe with the majority of his peers, the words of John Acton that ‘great men are almost always bad men’ tends to come to mind. But this is not the case for Adelegbe whose greatness appears to blaze ever brighter.

A few days ago, the man of the people of Owo/Ose Federal Constituency, Ondo State, celebrated his 60th birthday. As some of the attendees clearly expressed during and after the celebrations, to have Adelegbe as a representative political figure is the blessing of many lifetimes.

The entire Ondo took time out to celebrate one of its sons last weekend. As goodwill messages were pouring out, Adelegbe’s peers from outside Ondo finally got to see what it means to be a practised politician and one that is beloved

locations in Lagos. At the end of the day, Ariyo was able to buy controlling interests in some of these locations, including GRA and Ikeja. And that was how Ariyo became a noted figure in the real estate adventures of Lagos people.

But real estate is not the only industry that Ariyo has left politics for. He has also managed to clinch a good position for himself in Nigeria. Otherwise, why would he allegedly abandon an opportunity for a possibly brilliant political career? What if he could have ended up as the executive Governor of Lagos? But for one as intelligent as Ariyo, there are likely no regrets in his decision.

to his people—two hitherto contradictory concepts.

Adelegbe’s birthday was heavily marked in Ondo, that is true, but he was also celebrated in other regions of the Southwest and Nigeria as a whole. Why? Because Adelegbe is simply an exception when it comes to the archetypal politician in Nigeria in contemporary times.

Adelegbe did not build a great reputation for himself by flattering people every time he opened his mouth. He does not resort to threats, has no scandals against his character or wealth, and very few adversaries across the party systems in the country. The man is exceptional in his bearing, excellent in his actions, and yet, exacting in his office as Owo/Ose Federal Constituency representative.

At 60, Adelegbe cuts the perfect figure of one who is dedicated to the needs of the people, however many they are. No wonder the people love him. It is not just sentiment; Adelegbe knows how to get into the heart of the people, and he has.Adelegbe

government catapulted him to the peak of administrative power in the State.

However, unlike many others, Ariyo did not lose his mojo when Ambode lost his footing. While Ambode battled it out with godfathers and opportunist associates, Ariyo somehow maintained his loyalty to the governor without falling out with anybody. At the end of the day, Ambode was sent packing but Ariyo found a branch upon which to perch. And he perched.

Since that time, Ariyo has flourished on the branch he perched on. He began acquiring landed properties, some of which could only be found in the choicest

Many a time, anything that has to do with established Nigerian women is labelled with the Obama-styled ‘CAN’. This is the case in business, politics, social development, and more. As evidence of this ability of the Nigerian female across the board, the March 8 International Women’s Day saw a number of the typical Nigerian boss lady brought before the public. Even the peerlessness of billionaire businesswoman Hajia Bola Shagaya was celebrated and recognised for its impact in recent times.

Ever present in such climes, Fidelity Bank took up the vanguard position to collaborate with thriving media entrepreneur, Linda Ikeji, to celebrate the leading women and achievers in various industries in Nigeria. It was designed as a networking event, and the quality of women that attended cannot be measured with language. Even so, to have someone like Shagaya in attendance is proof that the event could not have been more high-profile.

Shagaya’s presence at the networking event brought colours to the already colourful gathering of powerful and influential women. It takes something extra to shine and stand out in a crowd that consists of people like Fidelity Bank’s MD/CEO, Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe; mega businesswoman, Apostle Folorunsho Alakija; prestigious entrepreneur and socialite, Opral Benson; MD/CEO of Eleganza Group, Shade Okoya; global phenomenon, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie; potent lawyer and Chairperson/CEO of Brittania-U Nigeria Limited (BUNL), Catherin Iju Ifejika; super humanitarian, activist, and former Nigerian Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili; media legend, Taiwo Ajai-Lycett; Heritage Bank Director, Mary Bassey Akpobome; and Board Chairman of Dizengoff Nigeria, Onari Duke. Somehow, Shagaya still shone.

At present, it does not take much to recognise that Shagaya’s genius, charm, and beauty have very little to do with her age. At 62, she is fresh! More than that, she is an inspirational figure who motivates women to be and do better everywhere she goes. Her gait is unparalleled, and the grace upon her life is legendary.Adeola

Mutawali title perfectly depicts the eminent standing of Dr. Alimi, a legal scholar who was not only the first holder of PhD in law from the Emirate but is also known for his exemplary conduct, philanthropy and sterling contributions to socio-political development of the Emirate and nation in general.

Alimi, elder brother to the incumbent Governor of Kwara State AbdulRahman Abdulrazaq, is a shrewd businessman, accomplished lawyer, administrator and notable lover of education. He is the founder of the prestigious Bridge College Ikoyi Lagos and managing partner of AbdulRazaq (SAN) & Co.

He was educated at Ahmadu Bello University, where he earned his law degree, and is an alumnus of University of Hull in UK, where he did his LLM and PhD in Law, both between 1982 and 1986. He’s an alumni laureate of the Hull University.

Alimi is also famous for his PhD thesis on Human Rights Protection in Africa, a groundbreaking scholarly work that formed the framework for the establishment of the African Court of Human Rights. He sits on the board of several blue chip companies. He is on the board of First Bank Holdco Plc. He was also the PDP governorship candidate in Kwara State in 1999.

Alimi is married to Mrs Kafayat Foluke AbdulRazaq, who was first female

Mutawali: Ilorin Stands Still for Alimi AbdulRazaq Next Friday, March 18, all roads

lead to the ancient town of Ilorin as an outstanding son of the soil Dr. Alimi Abdulrazaq will be turbaned as the Mutawali of Ilorin by the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari.

For followers of Ilorin Emirates and indeed Kwara’s socio-cultural and political history, the name Abdulrazaq commands respect for its outstanding feats in community and national development, rich noble ancestry, and positive influence.

At the coronation to be witnessed by the creme de la creme from across Nigeria, Dr. Alimi will be stepping into the impeccable shoes of his illustrious father and first lawyer in the entire northern region Alhaji AGF AbdulRazaq SAN who was the first Mutawali of Ilorin. The late billionaire lawyer was also the President of the Nigerian Stock Exchange.

Mutawali, meaning the “Chancellor of Exchequer” (Minister of Finance) of the Ilorin Emirate, is one the most exalted in hierarchy of titles in the courts of the northern Emirates. Some eminent Mutawalis include the late President Musa Yar Adua of Katsina Emirate; the Mutawallin Gwandu, Governor Bagudu of Kebbi; the Mutawalin Sokoto, Governor Aminu Tambuwal; and Mutawalin Borno, Kashim Imam, who is Chairman of TetFund.

The traditional significance of the

Commissioner of Finance in Lagos State, a former non-executive director of Julius Berger Plc, and is currently Group Vice Chairman of Transcorp Nigeria Plc.

AbdulRazaq

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LOUD WHISPERS with JOSEPH EDGAR (09095325791)

Dave Umahi: Sunset at Dawn

call form an obviously entitled ‘emir nephew’ with his now over-bloated ego calling the Chairman.We that cannot call Chairman nko? Air Peace had better get their acts right if they are going to be a world-class brand because these things happen more often than not and will still happen tomorrow morning. It is not to be sending out yeye press statements; it is putting professionals in strategic places in the system that would ensure world-class engagement with the public and not this kind of person who authored that disgrace of a press statement. My own two pence.

NONSO OKPALA: NGX ON HIS MINDMe, I sha like to claim. I have claimed Nonso since o and I have written a lot about him on this page. He is my friend and brother o. His giant strides in the business world are beginning to evolve into a major storm.It was recently announced that he has taken a major bite of the premier holding company in our capital market, the NGX. That this is a remarkable move cannot be discounted, I tell you. The NGX was recently embroiled in some small tremor when Corporate Governance was breached. Some individuals wanted to hold board positions in both the Holdco and the subsidiary which is the trading floor itself. We screamed o. Every right-minded person screamed and thankfully common sense prevailed. Nonso’s

UKRAINE: IS THIS FOR REAL?Even Europe and the US that are directly involved have been doing nothing but cosmetic responses while the madness is going on in Ukraine. This person is throwing bombs everywhere, killing and maiming innocent women, children and throwing up a very terrible refugee problem and the response we are getting from the rest of the world are cosmetic gestures that just panders to the reality on the ground.They are selling Chelsea, they are refusing to show them Premiership, they are kneeling all over Europe in empty symbolic gestures. Musicians are refusing to play concerts that have Russian attendees, supermodels are refusing to walk the runway and the UK Parliament is there shouting ‘aye, aye’ instead of sending a decisive message to this person that the world will fight back.It is as a result of this ‘global cowardice’ by the rest of the world that opportunistic and comedic Nigerians have beseeched the Ukrainian Embassy here in Nigeria offering to go and fight in Ukraine. You see why Nigerians are a different species. We have our own challenges here o, they have not gone to join the Nigerian Army, it is the Ukrainian Army they want to go and join.Come and see Civil War veterans, veterans of riots at the various bus stops in Nigeria and all sorts of ‘mercenaries’ who have seen action in various beer parlours all volunteering

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R MARCH 13, 2022

to go and fight in a war that they don’t even know what it is all about. If you ask them who Putin is now, they will say “shebi he dey play for Chelsea.”Well, if not for the innocent citizens of Ukraine who are really suffering, I would have laughed when they were asked to pay $1,000 to go and fight. I opened my mouth in disbelief. So, I will come and pay to go and defend your country. These Ukrainian people sef funny. People are volunteering to go and die in your country and you are asking them to come and pay? Please don’t let me even say what is on my mind before I am accused of insensitivity. Not their fault at all.

AIR PEACE: NOT SO PEACEFUL AFTER ALLWell, at the break of this issue, I restrained myself. This was because my position was contrary to public angst and since I am not from Kano or not related to the Emirate either by marriage or ‘girlfriendship’, I decided to hold my breath so that I will not run into turbulence that was really not my business.Well, since the thing has been overtaken – you know in Nigeria, na one issue per day- let me come and put small mouth.You see my own is the initial press statement released by Air Peace and signed by one woman like that. That statement was way, way too rude, condescending and reeked of too much ‘superiority’ that I stepped back to ask myself what was going on.Granted that the request allegedly

made was way out of line, this was still representative of a respected segment of your market. All hands would have been put on deck to use this opportunity to ‘sell this market’.For me, Air Peace missed the opportunity. If I were Mr. Onyeama, I would have gone out of my way to ensure the comfort of the first-class traditional ruler and push the narrative out there while doing that to among others consolidate my market presence in the space.That statement was almost abusive. It was involving itself in a catfight with the Emir’s nephew and a brand as visible as Air Peace should never allow itself to be dragged into such a public ‘roforofo’ with such a visible subject.All those cheering you on social media have not ‘entered’ a plane in their lifetime and those who actually buy the tickets will be watching and saying if they can ‘abuse’ an Emir of these standing like this, what will happen to me?Remember that the issue that must have led to this situation a la delay at the Banjul side is a daily occurrence in the sector. Whatever must have caused that delay at the Banjul end should have led to the airline bending over backwards to make amends at this end.This is not to say that a taxing plane should be stopped for the Emir but knowing fully well that a disruption occurred at the Banjul end, contingency plans should have been made at the Lagos end to ensure a smooth transition and not to wait for a

Volodymyr Zelenskyy Suleiman Okpala Obasanjo

I am really excited at the Federal High Court judgment pushing Governor Umahi and his Deputy out of office. The judgment, in summary, says that since the votes they used to assume office belonged to PDP, then they are no longer eligible to remain in office and that the PDP should submit names of the ‘real’ owners of the positions.If you see how happy I am at this judgment, you will laugh. I used to really wonder how

our ogas’ used to be jumping up and down like ‘abutata’ without even taking cognisance of ideology, principles, or any of those things that responsible leaders should take into consideration before taking positions. Once one person has jumped, they will jump. See this one that calls himself Governor. He got to the position as PDP— a right of centre party —and after some time just jumped to APC — a left of centre party.

Umahi

He must have woken up that morning, called his deputy who did not even have a choice on the matter — abi you want to remove food from his table, ‘oya, make we move’ that one would have said, ‘oya.’ That was how they jumped. This court judgment, if upheld, should go a long way in instilling discipline, cohesion, and some form o f p r i n c i p l e d p o l i t i c s i n t h e system. It has really been a jungle out there. Kai.

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57 T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R MARCH 13, 2022

VFD Group’s incursion into the place will further strengthen corporate governance, reposition the firm and open it up to other sectors for increased revenue generation. Well done guys.

STERLING BANK: A HEART RESET?I read a report on my friend Ugo’s Nairametrics. The report in question was one on Sterling bank. I didn’t see a byline hence I cannot quote the person but if I have never seen a hatchet job, this was one.Someone is obviously after the top rate Management as led by hardworking and visionary Abu Suleiman. When analysis goes deep and starts pulling out very technical figures to prove a point you will begin to agree that there is a problem.The writer first went back to a five-year plan where he claims that the Bank had set for itself a target of doubling its revenue by double digits, year on year, reducing the cost of funds by 5% and having returns on average equity above peer with a 5% market share all based on its HEARTS initiative.HEARTS is an acronym for the sectors the Bank had decided to concentrate on: Health, Education, Agric, Renewables and Transportation. The report went ahead to dimension its 2021 full-year report. It told us that gross earnings grew marginally to N149b as against N138b in the previous year and that profit grew by a ‘whooping 14%’ but Return on Equity was ‘just 9.4%’ and there the wahala starts.It starts to table indices that analysts and general observers really do not engage with and laments when the bank will start rewarding its shareholders since its share price has been ‘just 10k in the last five years.It now concludes by stating that if we remove Agric, the remaining part of their focus makes up about 5% of the nation’s GDP and as such, the bank should start following the money for the sake of its shareholders.My thoughts: This is a bogus analysis, thrown up by a hatchet-man with mischievous intentions. I have seen this report on many platforms, and it keeps being circulated and reoccurring which tells me that some sinister game is ongoing.In a recent Zoom session with Abu Suleiman the MD at Sterling bank, I had asked him a very clear question. I had said: “his drive towards these ‘hard’ sectors would need a long-term view and how would he marry this with the short-term expectations of shareholders.” His answer was very crisp and clear: someone has to do it and I agree thoroughly.What is the essence of our financial intermediaries’ all chasing the short term money-generating sectors and throwing up huge and bogus profits while the underlying economy keeps suffering? It’s very easy to chase things like fund arbitraging, forex play and rent-seeking patronage to generate the kinds of figures we are seeing from other players but with no pertinent impact on the underlying economy.The manufacturing system is in comatose from lack of funding to increased cost of funds, unemployment is skyrocketing, reducing purchasing power and capacity utilization is at its lowest and firms are selling their inventories at rock bottom prices to cut costs to stay in business. It is a war zone out there and the only group that is smiling are the financial arbitrators.So, one bank now says, we are going to buck the trend, we are going to go to the areas that nobody wants to go because it is not attractive as a result of the risks, low margins,

Baba’s work ethic is still very amazing as we hear that his day is filled with energetic activities leading his aides to struggle to catch up.Happy birthday, Sir, and God continue to bless and protect you for us.

INI EMEMOBONG: ‘AFANG’ DIPLOMACYIni is the youngest member of the current Akwa Ibom State Exco. He handles the Information portfolio rising from the state Publicity Secretary of the PDP. That he has brought some very strong moves into the portfolio can be seen with the way the state up until very recently has been sold in the media.Anyways, if you are a keen follower of this page, you will see that I have taken a very strong position in the ongoing wahala in my home state. I have stated my disdain for the process that threw up the kneeling successor. They said it was God that chose him. Apparently, God had taken Governor Udom to the side of the mountain near the Oron River and had told him “ My son Udom, Udo Eno is your successor.”My people, a comedic appeal of this nature I have not seen in my short years in politics. Others used to sha do ‘wuru wuru’ to the answer as in we will all know what is about to happen o but the godfather will still give us small respect and do one ‘baru’ exercise. This one just drops his own just like that – take it or leave it.One big political player told me during the week that it was inexperience playing out. Anyways, today is not for that matter, it was about my friend and brother who called me and said, “Edgar, you have been going about eating Afang everywhere, come and taste my own. My madam cooks some of the meanest Afang you can ever taste.”My people, it was not a day for politics. If you see this soup, you will trip. The Madam put 12 pieces of meat and the green of the soup was lush. The taste was something else and I downed it with fresh juice; everything my doctor said I should not eat. I ate it o.That I enjoyed the meal was an understatement and I tried very hard not to bring up the matter of our state before my brother asked me to stand up and go. It was only when I had almost finished the food that I asked him, “wetin be your own position for this matter?”Bro do like he no hear, and waka go change TV channel. I leave am o before they cancel another potential future invite.I had fun with my brother, his beautiful wife, and wonderful friends. Thanks so much.

CHIDINMA: MISS CELL 2022Well, me I don’t know how to handle this one. So, I have just seen a post showing this beautiful lady facing trial in a murder case strutting around in a beauty pageant in prison which we are told she eventually won and was named Miss Cell 2022.Now, I am confused as to how to engage on this one. On the one side, it shows a softer side of prison life throwing up the strong possibility of rehabilitation and re-engagement with the wider society after it all but on the other side, this lady is facing a gruesome charge of murder. Her case is very sensitive because of the strong possibility of influencing a whole swath of our youths.Her mannerisms since all these started has been anything but exemplary. She struts to court with no care as if she is on a catwalk. For me, this just sends the wrong signal to the youths and now the beauty pageant?I don’t even know what to say. Make I just keep quiet.

My brother has cried out that his own sex tape will soon be released and that he was being blackmailed and that he is tired of paying and paying. My brother, me, I am not in a very good mood nowadays and I’m certainly not in the space of viewing any lurid black ass in some very funny poses. So, please do whatever you have to do to stop this disaster that you say is about to unfold.Instead of crying out on social media, isn’t the right thing to do is to report to the authorities? I really do not understand this penchant for social media, especially with things that are as clear as this. You are being blackmailed, meaning that you know the person, instead of rushing to the

police you are coming to forewarn us so that we do what?Trying to use this one to grow traffic or to achieve any other thing is sick. Please spare us all these dramas and do what you really have to do, except there is no sex tape.As for anybody who has my own sex tape anywhere in this world, because the way this thing is going it is looking like nobody is safe o. Please wait small before you release the thing. Wait let me win my senatorial election because by that time it will be weightier. Senatorial sex tape as against sex tape of Shomolu boy wey dey struggle na. You sef see am.Sex tape everywhere, I don tire.

and the rest but with immense potentials of reworking the economy and triggering genuine economic opportunities and one mumu is going to write this kind of report trying to rock the boat at Sterling.If nobody invests in education, how do we get the strong human capital to rebuild the system at all levels — politics, economy, health? If we do not push healthcare, how do we keep ourselves healthy? We all see the damage that health tourism does to the economy and also how the dilapidated health care delivery system in our country can no longer cater to the needs of the nation.Abu and his team have been bold to go this route. Instead of declaring zillions as profits that would be shared amongst a few, they have decided to bite the bullet and go to the real economy and say, “you know something? Let’s fold our sleeves and do this.”They should be encouraged instead of being hounded by such an amateurish write up by half-baked CMS bus stop capital market analysts. This just makes me sad and angry.

Abu, please keep the fight, it will not be so easy but keep struggling, your reward is assured.

CHIEF OLUSEGUN OBASANJO: HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAYIt was Papa’s birthday during the week and we were regaled with a lot of activities that were organised to celebrate the grand day. Seminars and conferences were held but the one that caught my attention was that of Daddy’s attempting to play football and also the one where he was playing squash which has been his favourite pastime for a long while.For him at that age to even adorn the jersey complete with boots and attempt to jog on the field at his age is a remarkable one. I saw as Baba ran on the field, moved the ball, received his accolades, and generally ran around with the ball.This captured the imagination of the nation. At his age, he can still do this. A lot of people half his age have already been bogged down by erectile dysfunction, let alone an octogenarian on the field and playing squash like there is no tomorrow.

HARRY SONG: PRELUDE TO ARMAGEDDON

Songs

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R MARCH 13, 202258

SOCIETY WATCH Adebayo Adeoye bayoolunla@gmail.com; 08054680651

Air Peace Boss, Allen Onyema’s Uncommon Discernment

Konga Boss, Nnamdi Ekeh’s Quest for Knowledge

Controversial Monarch, Oluwo of Iwo, Gives Marriage Another Shot

Even at a young age, Umar Mohammed Nasko has proven that he is indeed a fearless man. While some of his age mates keep complaining that they are not given a chance to make their voices heard in the nation’s political space, this young man has been a top policymaker in Niger State.

He resigned as Chief of Staff to the Governor of the state and emerged as the candidate for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) by defeating the then incumbent deputy governor of the state, Alhaji Ahmed Musa Ibeto, and many others in the primary election of the party.

When he threw his cap in the ring to contest for the number one job of the state at 39, many considered this as an insult, as he would be contesting alongside others who are older than his father. But what many of his critics failed to realise is that occupying a leadership position is not strange to him.

The light-complexioned man, popularly known as Sarkin Aiki (King of work), had held many key positions in the past where he performed excellently. So, it was not surprising when he was endorsed and anointed by his former boss for the 2015 governorship election in the state. Obviously, his closeness to the former governor, many, including his friends and admirers, had seen him as the successor to Babangida. In other words, many had thought that Nasko would coast home to victory. But this was not to be, as he lost to the opposition APC candidate, Abubakar Sani Bello.

Shortly after the election, the former Commissioner of Tourism and Culture’s fame began to wane and his political structure almost crumbled.

Again, he threw his cap into the ring for the 2019 governorship elections in the state and in no time gained back his lost popularity and defeated other heavyweights in the PDP, including a former Nigeria Ambassador to South Africa, Ambassador Ahmed Ibeto, among others.

With this, he had hoped that his dream would be realised. But alas, it turned out to be another wild goose chase. He was left in the cold again!

However, a source disclosed that the handsome politician remained unperturbed, despite the loss. Instead, he is making political consultations and has not given up on his philanthropic gestures.

Society Watch gathered that the man would be gunning for a senatorial seat to represent Niger North Senatorial District.

One of the popular sayings among the Yoruba is: “There is no respect for a king without a queen.”

It seems that the Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrasheed Akande, has finally understood the import of this proverb, as he has once again been struck with the cupid arrow.

It was gathered that he has decided to give marriage a second shot years after his former wife, Chanel Chin, a Canadian, left the palace in a controversial manner.

The monarch who loves to court controversy is set to marry Princess Firdauz Abdullahi of the royal family in Kano. The wedding is billed to hold on March 19, 2022, at the residence of the Madakin of Kano, in the ancient city of Kano. A reception, strictly for ladies, will later be held at The Gidan Rumfa, the palace of the Emir of Kano.

It was also gathered that the beautiful bride-to-be is the niece to the Emir of Kano, Aminu Ado Bayero.

Meanwhile, in February, the office of the

Umar Nasko’s New Political

Move

Ekeh

palace had vehemently denied a letter that surfaced on social media where the monarch reportedly begged for the sum of N20 million from the Osun State government towards the wedding. But sources close to him confirmed the authenticity of the letter, saying he was only embarrassed with the leakage of the letter.

The messy breakup of his earlier marriage that produced a son named Oduduwa had been followed with accusations and counter-accusations that went viral for many months. It was so messy that it was the talk of the town.

Among other reasons, the Oluwo accused her of being an ‘agent’ planted in the palace by his enemies and that she filmed their bedroom activities, which she allegedly tried to use to blackmail him.

Since he ascended the throne in 2015, his name has almost become synonymous with controversy. It is, however, inexplicable if the confident and outspoken king deliberately courts controversy or not.

financial intervention from his father, as he successfully turned the business into a mega fortune a few months after.

Indeed, within the first year of operation, Yudala became the best online retail market in the country. Its merger with Konga in 2017 will for a long time be rated as one of the most remarkable in the country.

Today, he is in the league of many successful young men who have turned their dreams into reality around the world. Young Ekeh believes in working hard in silence and allowing success to make the noise.

Very quiet and dynamic, the high-flier who stops at nothing to fulfil his dreams is an accomplished young man who has inscribed his name in gold. He is a restless soul, who is always in quest of knowledge to make him stand out in the sector.

This, perhaps, is the motivation for putting in for an MBA at the prestigious Oxford University Saïd Business School in England.

He is expected to round off his course in September 2022. It is even more interesting that he is an alumnus of the University of Lancaster, Lagos Business School as well as Harvard.

In the thinking of many, Chief Executive Officer, Konga, Nnamdi Ekeh, is just a regular guy who had an opportunity at a very young age and was fortunate enough to gather the right resources to bring his dream to fruition. But those who know the son of the billionaire entrepreneur, Leo Stan Ekeh, better claim that he is a creative young man full of pragmatic ideas.

The Imo State-born dude had started Yudala at the age of 19 as a fresh graduate when many of his mates were still oblivious of their future. He had discovered a lacuna in the market where the main choices for shopping were either the informal market or the unstructured retailers.

In fact, those who say his paths had already been laced with roses because of his background seem to forget that many of his mates born with the proverbial silver spoon have abused the privilege out of sheer indiscipline and lack of focus.

No doubt, Ekeh had hit the ground running immediately he received the desired

As the biblical King Solomon is blessed with wisdom, so also is Chairman of Air Peace, Allen Onyema. He has always exhibited traits of shrewdness in business as well as divine wisdom and continually deplored these for the betterment of humanity.

His recent misunderstanding with the Emir of Kano, Aminu Ado Bayero, was another testimony that indeed Onyema is a man with uncommon discernment. But for his sagacity, the matter would have escalated especially by some undesirable elements.

At an award ceremony last week, the billionaire businessman appealed to aggrieved persons and groups in the misunderstanding to sheathe their swords and allow peace to reign. Onyema said that Air Peace was born out of peace and, in that respect, he will not be used as an agent of destruction.

He said: “Let me make it clear that the Emir of Kano is my brother, as well as Isa Bayero.

Does the Cap Fit Godwin Emefiele?In life, there is no crime in dreaming

big.Even so, dreams should be followed

with actions, especially when it is a big dream.

One person whose dream seems to be coming true in the face of stiff condemnation and speculations is the boardroom guru and quintessential corporate and economist giant, Godwin Emefiele.

The incumbent Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Emefiele has been touted in many creditable quarters as a very good material for the number one job in the country.

However, despite the speculations surrounding the presidential bid, Emefiele

Oba Abdulrasheed Akande

EmefieleNasko

It’s on record that Isa Bayero was very instrumental in the setting up of Air Peace in Kano. So, I will not like to be used as an instrument that will destabilise this country.”

Onyema disclosed that what happened was just a misunderstanding, adding that “I hereby call on everybody to keep his or her sword and let this thing end. I don’t want this issue to degenerate into an ethnic issue, so I am appealing to everybody to move on.”

Onyema’s arrival on the aviation scene caused a stir in the industry, particularly when he reeled out beautiful promises to his potential customers. And being a man of honour and integrity, he has continually made good his promises, making Air Peace the darling of many travellers.

He is impeccable with his words and speaks with integrity. He only says what he means using the power of his words in the direction of truth and love.

Onyema

remains undaunted, leaving the spur of the moment to dictate the political pace.

Already, various groups have been clamouring and mounting their support for the Delta State-born banker to contest for Nigeria’s highest public office.

But if Emefiele considers what many presumed as a big dream and is ready to take over the driver seat of the country in 2023 as being widely clamoured, his efficiency will not be in doubt as he had done in the last eight years to strengthen and stabilize the economy through his headship of the CBN.

Give or take, the CBN governor has all it takes to take on the battle for the presidency when the whistle blows for now all things being equal.

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER JUNE 24 2012

ARTS & REVIEWARTS & REVIEWA PUBLICATION 13.3.2022

An oil painting of an Obitun dancer... That is what Oliver Enwonwu calls his rst painting. But that is not entirely accurate, because he had previously created works

in watercolour and pastel. Nonetheless, he would rather that the painting be known as his rst since it was his rst full- edged oil painting. The Obitun dance, by the way, is a maiden dance from Ondo State in southwest Nigeria.

The painting, which depicted a maiden performing a solo dance against a backdrop of blue hues, was produced sometime in June 1994. This was shortly after he and the rest of his family had returned to Lagos from Onitsha, where they had gone to bury his father, the late legendary Professor Ben Enwonwu. “It wasn’t a very good painting, but my mother, of course, was very supportive,” the 47-year-old narrates. “I remember spilling a lot of medium. The oils were all over the place…”

While he worked on this painting, his mother would occasionally pose for him so he could capture the dancer's movement on canvas. She, as an ever-supportive mother, eventually purchased the painting and resold it for a pro t two years later.

Over time, a sort of partnership developed between mother and son, with the mother buying up his subsequent paintings when-ever he needed money for his desires as an undergraduate, which were mostly nice pairs of jeans and designer shirts. “This was what money was good for when one was in the university,” he quips.

A ashback to when, as a much younger boy, he made himself useful around his father as he painted the portrait of Nigeria's rst chief justice, Adetokunbo Ademola, that was to adorn the walls of the Metropolitan Club in Victoria Island, Lagos. “I remember that he would mix some paints for me and ask me to do the books in the library, to demarcate the books with straight lines, because at the time he was doing the painting his hands were shaking due to the advancement in age.”

Before then, he recalls, his father’s studio used to be a sanctum of some sort for a very long time while he was growing up. “I remember that… he wouldn’t want anyone around him because he believed in absolute quiet to inspire creativity.”

To enforce this “absolute quietness”, the late renowned artist would go around the house to make sure the children were engaged in some useful activity. The latter used to dash o to

nd something to do whenever they heard the sound of his footsteps and walking stick approaching. “Stop loitering around! Make yourselves useful, make yourselves useful!” he would say.

Not even their friends, who came to visit or called them on the phone, were spared from their dad’s stern reprimand. He would ask them if they didn’t have anything useful doing at home. But this only lasted until he noticed that his son, who was then a student at Kings’ College, Lagos, had the artistic gift. He not only encouraged him but even helped him with his class assignments. “Of course, I would do extremely well and better than all my classmates,” Enwonwu reminisces.

Obviously, it was a source of pride for the

elderly Enwonwu in the fact that his son could draw. As a result, he did everything he could, to teach him the fundamentals. He even once proudly announced to his wife that their son, Oliver, could draw with mathematical precision. This was after he had allowed the latter to redraw on a piece of paper to ensure that he wasn't tracing.

Thus, the elderly Enwonwu, impressed by his son's abilities, would often advise him when to consider a painting nished. He believed that as an artist, the latter ought to know when to stop and when not to add anything else to a painting. He would occasionally exclaim that his son’s painting was done in the classical style.

None of this, however, was enough to make the younger Enwonwu hesitate about choosing biochemistry over ne arts as a university major. He believed studying bio-chemistry would be more challenging than

ne arts because he had virtually learnt the rudiments of art at his father's feet. Besides, while still in secondary school, he was an all-rounder who excelled in both science and the arts, graduating with distinction in all disciplines. So, why would he not do something he could enjoy?

Looking back years later, he says, “It has been a very enriching experience for me because I sharpened my observatory skills,” and alludes to his love of research and the interdisciplinary nature of the talks he gave

under the auspices of the Ben Enwonwu Foundation and Omenka Gallery to buttress his point.

Enwonwu, who now holds a Master’s degree in visual arts with distinction from the University of Lagos, seeks to elevate black culture through his works to challenge racial injustice and systemic racism in the tradition of his late father. This, he says in his brief bio, is “by celebrating the cultural, political and socio-economic achievements of Africans through an examination of African spirituality, black identity and migration, contemporary African politics, Pan African-ism and the global Africa empowerment movement.”

Having served the Society of Nigerian Artists as its president from 2009 to July 2021, he is now more focused than ever on his studio practice and proclaims, by way of explaining the Afro-centric tinge of his paintings: “I can only express who I am.”

He sees himself rst as an African before considering himself a global citizen. Having spent most of his life in Lagos, he deems it extremely important to share his narrative the way he wants it, not only for himself but for the generations coming after him. Now, he feels a compelling need to dispel the negative media stereotypes of Nigeria as a corrupt nation and as a land of poverty and hunger.

Hence, his paintings—the portraits, espe-

EDITOR OKECHUKWU UWAEZUOKE/ okechukwu.uwaezuoke@thisdaylive.com

cially—have become tools to project the true image of Africa. “Comprising mainly of the ‘Body of Power’, ‘Signares’, ‘Belle of Senegal’, and ‘Wanderers’ series, my portraits are of subjects not always known personally to me and are often idealistic; completely invented or recalled from memory. However, a connecting thread runs through the series evidenced by the fact that the gures all appear con dent and their gaze remarkedly self-contained and unabashed,” he further corroborates in a statement.

About possible in uences of his father's works on his paintings, he acknowledges that they both share a central theme: woman-hood. Like his famous father, he painted the Onitsha masquerade, Agbogho Mmuo, capturing its lithe and graceful move-ment while dancing on canvas. Indeed, masquerades and dances feature in the works of both father and son. But that's where the parallels end. While the elderly Enwonwu, who was also a sculptor, appeared to prefer warmer colours such as yellow, his son seems more inclined to subdued tones. The younger Enwonwu, unlike his father, neither repeats lines nor outlines his

gures with strong, bold lines. “While his works have a more painterly e ect, mine is tilted towards realism,” he says. “My works are a contemporary interpretation of my father’s works. Or, better still, I’d like to see my works as a conversation with his.”

Oliver Enwonwu From the Black and Proud series, 2020, oil on canvas, 62.5 x 62.5cm

From the Wanderer series, 2020, Oil on canvas, 92 x 62cm

Through his paintings, Oliver Enwonwu projects an idealistic image of the African and, referencing the same themes as his late dad, hopes to dispel the negative Western stereotypes of the black man. Okechukwu Uwaezuoke writes

INITIATING A CONVERSATION BETWEEN TWO GENERATIONS, OLIVER ENWONWU KEEPS IT IN THE FAMILY

ARTS & REVIEW\\ART-LOGUE

60 THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER MARCH 13, 2022

The metallic mesh part of the building re ected the rising sun and a ray of hope. Guests for the media brie ng to herald the rst of the two buildings donated by the British-Nigerian artist, Yinka Shonibare CBE RA arrived in

trickles and their banters were cut short with the arrival of the host. The UK-born artist may have made regular visits to Nigeria where he grew up till his late teenage years but this time, the reception was quite di erent. He would speak with vigour on his non-pro t, Guests Artists Space which is an initiative of his long-standing charity organisation, Yinka Shonibare Foundation. The two-fold donation is dedicated to facilitating cultural exchange through tailored residencies, public programmes and exhibition opportunities primarily for creative practitioners from Africa and its diaspora.G.A.S. Foundation, as an ambitious charity project founded in 2019 by Yinka Shonibare CBE RA and a board of directors, o ers great opportunities for individuals in the elds of contemporary art, design, architecture, agriculture and ecology with space and resources to research, experiment, interact, share, educate and develop work.On the one hand, the GAS edi ce in Oniru is a sight to behold, modern with a rooftop that gives a bird's eye view of the neighbourhood. Designed by Ghanaian British Architect Elsie Owusu in col-laboration with Lagos-based architect Nihinlola Shonibare of NS Design Consult, it is furnished with live-work units and multipurpose gallery space.As part of the launch on Friday February 25, an exhibition featuring a selection of works acquired by Shonibare over the last two decades are on display. The collection of photographs, sculpture, paintings, works on paper and mixed media collage curated by Temitayo Ogunbiyi draws in each viewer into contemplating contemporary art in conversation with works from Nigerian modernism and antiquity.On the other hand, the lush 54-acre Ecology Green Farm in Ijebu is the home to Shonibare's second building. Designed by Papa Omotayo of MOE and interior design by Shonibare, it o ers a resi-dency space for artists, scientists, agriculturists and researchers with a sustainable infrastructure and food security for the host community. All materials used in the construction were sourced from the community: 40,000 bricks from soil were used for the foundations.The art world needs to evolve: there is a rich vein

of talent out there but we might lose them if the status quo of the last thirty years remains. We are working with the local community whilst opening doors for the next generation, equipping them to thrive not just survive, he said.

The rst oor of the Oniru building has been set aside exclusively for Shonibare. The elevators wouldn't stop on that oor unless he is expecting you to visit him. Although he had broached the subject of this charity project during our last encounter, it was gratifying to see what he has to contribute- a bold project in a grossly under-funded sector of the economy.It gives me a lot of joy and I am very happy to

be here. It is no longer a concept. People can see it and support us more. I am very happy about it, he began.Fortunately, it is one project that many have o ered to support in order to make it sustainable. What came as a surprise is that Shonibare is also setting the pace in linking arts to social justice with his ecological intervention. He is not oblivious of the needs of the average Nigerian. Many artists actually make works of art about

things in the world that concern them,” he said. “I know that food sustainability is an issue in Nigeria. I know that food is expensive for some people and Nigeria does import a lot of food and if we are also concerned about the environment, we don't want things that we can grow here to be imported. That is even bad for the environment. And I also know that there is a lot of unemployment in Nigeria and if I create something like agriculture, many people can work there and many people can have more businesses and sell their produce. I know that this is much better- creating something

SHONIBARE: BUILDING BRIDGES BETWEEN ARTS AND OPPORTUNITIES

Yinka Shonibare

like this is much better than sending money to a community where you have something that can develop skills and employment. People have that forever. Not everywhere in Nigeria is like Lagos so it will bring some more opportunities to the rural areas.”Coincidentally, this project was launched in the same year that the revered artist would turn 60. His life story has been a source of inspiration for many: at 18, he contracted transverse myelitis, an in ammation of the spinal cord which resulted in a long-term physical disability. Undeterred, Shonibare went on to study Fine Art at Byam Shaw School of Art (now Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design) and then at Goldsmiths, University of London, where he received his MFA degree, graduating as part of the Young British Artists generation. Afterwards, Shonibare worked as an arts development o cer for Shape Arts, an organisation that makes arts accessible to people with disabilities and has exhibited at the Venice Biennial and at leading museums worldwide. When asked if at 60, he had accomplished more than he ever thought he could, a smile warmed up his face.That’s very interesting because as you know, I

got a virus in my spine when I was very young. I got a disability as a result of that. The time I was unwell, if I was told that I could actually get to this age, I wouldn’t believe it. I think I have more than surprised myself too. I could manage to do everything I can now. I am grateful for that. That’s why I am very happy to support others. I actually got the opportunity that made it possible for me to

y. There are so many opportunities in Europe and I noticed that in Nigeria, the same opportunities don’t exist and I want to provide that. There are many talented people just like myself that their lives can change dramatically just because somebody gave an opportunity to them. I think that is important. His investments in Nigeria's creative economy are straight from his heart and pocket. As one with moderate taste and self-indulgence, he considers doing this project as a natural thing.I am not somebody who needs many things. I

don’t need expensive cars or any of those sorts of things so I would rather do social things, he explained.Shonibare's works embody discourses on race, postcolonialism, identity and globalisation. With the cultural exchange programmes and multi-cultural art residencies that G.A.S would curate, it is expected that the centre will foster better mutual understand-ing of cultures and strengthen humanity. Given Shonibare's commitment to these, he reacted to the resurgence of new global movements that tend to revisit the issue of racial discrimination.I think that it is very sad that the George Floyd

thing happened in America. It is very sad that black people still don’t have social justice and I think it is backward thinking. And I think that is the point of having this residency too- to open people's eyes. If you bring somebody from another culture here, maybe they have never bought any black people or maybe they don’t know anything about Africans, when they come here, they learn more and realise that we can all learn from each other and that would broaden their minds. I think any kind of racism is based on narrow-mindedness and so you need to open their eyes so that they become educated. It is lack of education that is causing some of these problems. I think if you have an international residency like this, people learn more and become enlightened and slowly, some of these things get resolved.”There are plans to ensure an interdisciplinary struc-ture for the residency. Among other opportunities, the participating artists would re ne their craft, learn about global markets for arts and broaden their perspectives.I know a lot of people internationally and they

will come here to do projects, have talks about their works. Based on my experience, you’d never know who is in the audience and get opportunities. I got my own opportunities the same way. You just might never know who sees your work. So, I am providing that platform for people and hopefully, somebody would see their work show it in another art fair or many exhibitions or museums. But if people don’t have the platform rst, they won't have an opportunity.”As a conceptual artist, Shonibare has always been a perpetual project manager. Needless to say, project management is the way forward for rebuilding the art sector in the post-pandemic period. To meet the demands of the project economy, he shares ideas on what makes a project work. Without good project management, you don't

realise your goals,” he declared. “You have to be strategic and organised and you have to be an expert in foreplanning. And you have to be able to mitigate any risk. And you have to be quite fast in thinking. To make a project like this in Nigeria is not easy at all. I came across quite a lot of obstacles that i don't even want to repeat here but if you are determined and you plan properly, you could mitigate most of those di culties and it is something I am used to doing. And I actually like challenges. If somebody says I can't do something, I will want to do it more. This is proof that it is possible to make this kind of project here. He left with the promise that he would visit Nigeria more but as regards making an autobiography at 60, he responded, Well, I am still young. Maybe I will do that someday. I still have so much to do before doing that."

At the inauguration of the Guests Artists Space in Oniru, Lekki, Lagos, the British-Nigerian artist, Yinka Shonibare CBE RA unfurls the motivations behind his ambitious charity project for artists and the society at large in an exclusive interview with Yinka Olatunbosun

“Is there a free press in Nigeria?” J rg Armbruster, a German television journalist, asked me this question with an un-mistakable twinge of concern in his voice. His unexpressed reassurance that he would

understand if, for fear of my safety back home, I refrained from answering any of his questions lurked behind the apparent harmlessness and matter-of-factness of this particular question. It was sometime in April 2009 and I was among a group of foreign journalists huddled around a conference table, during a press conference he was hosting for the Goethe-Institut in Berlin that sun-drenched morning.So, how did I respond? I'll tell you about it as we go along. But, strictly speaking, that isn't relevant here because I wouldn’t want to stray from my brief, which is to review the book Pen Parrot. Su ce it to say, Ambruster’s question dredged up issues revolving around the word “freedom” and our

NAVIGATING AROUND THE DILENMA OF INTERESTSOkechukwu Uwaezuoke

Pen Parrot book cover

BOOK REVIEWperceptions of it. For example, do the guarantees of our fundamental rights, as well as the removal of external constraints and deterrents to the free exercise of our will, imply that a society is free?These thoughts about freedom kept buzzing around in my head, nonetheless. This is even as I skimmed through the engaging stories in the 91-page collection of investigative reports originally published in the community newspaper Fresh Insight between 2015 and 2021. Talking about the collection, the stories are classi ed under subheadings such as agriculture, royalty, crime, education, and health according to their homogeneity. For the journalists, these are, in a sense, streams of expressions to which they can apply their resourcefulness and tenacity. Indeed, it is their tenacity in uncovering the facts that makes the stories so excitingly worth reading. Almost a decade in the game, Fresh Insight has remained committed to its purpose of exposing wrongdoing. While this stance understandably

earns it formidable enemies in government circles, it also continues to endear it to the state's opposition parties. This means that it has had loyal readers on both sides of the political divide at some point over its seven-year lifespan. Perhaps, this is why Dr Abdullateef Isiaka Alagbonsi of the University of Rwanda’s College of Medicine, in the book’s preface, described what this newspaper is doing as “a perilous job”. And he added: “Not every medium, which is for-pro t, can be anti-government.” In case this point was overlooked, Fresh Insight is not a non-pro t organisation. Indeed, it is not quite similar to the privately-owned French satirical weekly Le Canard Encha n , which also relies on investigative journalism and leaks from inside the French government, political and business circles, as well as jokes and cartoons, but does not accept advertisements. “Over the years, Fresh Insight has emerged as a foremost investigative media house, exposing societal rots, sharp practices, massive corruption, ensuring the voiceless are given a voice and making rm stand on issues bothering on socio-political and economic inequality, human

rights and democratic development,” the book’s introduction corroborates. “This self-imposed mandate is being faithfully and consistently carried out even at the detriment of the brand's commercial interests.”

61THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER MARCH 13, 2022

CICERO Editor: Ejiofor AlikeSMS: 08066066268 email:ejiofor.alike@thisdaylive.com

I N T H E A R E N A

If the All Progressives Congress does not quickly put its house in order, it would only have itself to blame, Olalekan Adigun writes

Whatever does not kill, as they say, makes one stron-ger. So, when circumstances happen to us mortals, most of the time, it is how

we react or respond to them that matters. This seems to be the situation with Nigeria’s ruling party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), today.

Since its historic victory in the 2015 presi-dential election, the APC does not seem to have mastered the art of managing victories. For the most part, it still looks like or behaves like an opposition party. I’ve never seen a ruling party in Africa more bullied than the APC. In some cases, APC members are made to feel helpless, hapless, and abandoned.

Apart from basking in the glory of being in power, APC members don’t really feel so. In June 2020, at a meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari, the party’s National Executive Council (NEC) dissolved its National Working Committee (NWC). One would have expected this should have been a once-and-for-all solution to the lingering litigation and numerous crises facing the party. This was not to be. Even though NEC set up Caretaker and Extraordinary Conven-tion Planning Committee (CECPC) with just one job – to usher in newly elected party leaders, the Mai Mala Buni-led team is yet to deliver two years later. One then wonders why? Is the APC under some sort of spiritual spell? Are they on a deliberate journey to implosion?

Noticing some dangerous political games by some CECPC members, governors elected on the party’s platform quickly gave the president and overall leader the heads up. The Buni-led team seems compromised. The constant attempts to prevent the convention from taken place became suspicious – and for good reasons. Weren’t they just going to conduct the convention by December 2020? How many more months will they need if six months isn’t enough time to hold a conven-

APC: A Journey to Implosion or Growth?

tion? The Buni-led team started importing ultra-progressive elements. A committee that had just one job description – to usher in a new set of party executives - soon started finding new jobs for itself to elongate their stay in the office. They started conducting new membership registration: a waste of time and resources, if you ask me. They did anything and everything to buy time.

Even though it was clear that the CECPC’s continuous stay at the Muhammadu Buhari House portends further danger, APC mem-bers pretend that all is well with the party. While some APC members may pretend, others still live with the horror of Zamfara and Rivers happening all over again. If such happened again, it would be the opposi-tion’s biggest gain. These fears are founded because the alarm, this time, came earlier. The first time could be taken as stupidity, but the

second time will be a disaster!The opposition, the People’s Democratic

Party (PDP), gave a timely warning recently when its spokesperson, Debo Ologunagba, told us that the APC is “not a political party under our laws but a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) which became legally nonoperational when, on December 8, 2020, it dissolved its national, state as well as local government structures and handed its affairs over to a team of ‘political undertakers’ known as the CECPC.” The PDP’s statement went further to state that APC is operating without an NWC, NEC, or a Board of Trustees (BoT) which means the party is “plagued by confusion and fierce infighting by its various warlords with two National Chairmen, multiple factions in the states, and a national secretariat now taken over by security agencies.”

While one may easily dismiss the PDP’s

P O L I T I C A L N O T E S

El-Rufai, the Reluctant Presidential Hopeful The Governor of Kaduna State, Malam

Nasir El-Rufai, can be blunt and unsparing, when dealing with issues, no matter who is involved; what you must also know about him is that he is two-faced and sly. That’s equally innate.

When the undulating journey to 2023 started to pick, El-Rufai was one of the first set of people, who though unsolicited, said it was either power moved to the South or nothing. In fact, he not only sold and pushed this idea, he sustained it for a long time.

But, as it has come to be known, it was only convenient to do so at the time. El-Rufai is smart - very much so - and you can only underrate him at your peril. Calculated and

futuristic, he’s a damn good pretender. Last week, El-Rufai had spoken about

the possibility of the presidential ambition of the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi and how much Buhari loved and respected him.

Prior to this, he was alleged to have quietly discouraged as many friends as possible from running for the president of Nigeria, because the country was irredeemable and did not want his friends to waste their hard earned money and precious time, on an ambition that could demonise and undo their credibility.

Then, suddenly, having promulgated all these ideas and discouraged others, same

El-Rufai does not mind to reluctantly run for the president of the country, however, if the incumbent, Muhammadu Buhari, asked him to.

This diminutive fellow must think he was speaking to some simpletons from Zombie United. That he is deceptively unchanging is a fact he only is blind to. People tag along with him on anything, only for political exigencies.

Exposing his true intentions in the thick of a leadership crisis in the ruling APC, may not have been planned, but has clearly revealed the masquerade and his false southern solidarity all along. El-Rufai should just wait, the chaff would be separated from the wheat soon. It’s a matter of time.

El-Rufai

statement as alarmist, the APC has so much to worry about, and for good reasons. The PDP has, technically, not lost power or its old tricks. Old habits die hard. We saw this in full display in Rivers, Zamfara, and Bayelsa states during the 2019 elections. The APC would be soundly deluded to think the PDP is inter-ested in winning the 2023 elections by votes. The PDP fully expects Rivers, Zamfara, and Bayelsa will all repeat themselves at all levels in 2023, leaving APC to wailing!

Even though a party with 23 state governors may come across as one that is too big to fall, the PDP does not appear to be leaving any stone unturned in its ambition to “take over” in 2023. Having lost two consecutive elections, the PDP has realized that taking a “great fall” from power is always easier than getting back to the top. The example of Mexi-can Partido Revolucionario Institucional (PRI), which held on to power for an uninterrupted 71 years from 1929 to 2000, winning every presidential election, suffices here. Though it lost power peacefully in 2000, it had to wait another 12 years to return to power at the national level in 2012. So, the thinking that APC may be too big to make such a great fall may have been misplaced.

The recent developments within the party and the behaviour of some APC leaders should be a cause for concern. The frequent postponement of the extraordinary conven-tion shows that something is not right. At this point, the party must take some deci-sive actions against people who attempt to sacrifice the party for their immediate political ambitions. Things like that should never be tolerated. I support all actions taken in the past few days to weed out subversive elements from the party. Since the party was formed about eight years ago, it has not undergone any major purges. The APC is now at the moment of truth. Most (if not all) ruling parties face the challenge of managing inter-nal conflicting interests. But, what usually happens is that they either come out stronger or they implode altogether. The APC will need to take this firm decision on or before March 26, 2022.

62 THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER MARCH 13, 2022

BRIEFINGNOTES

At no time in Nigeria’s history did terrorists and other criminals ravage all parts of the country as now. Even during the Civil War, most parts of the country were safe except the old Eastern Region. While the Nigeria’s gallant military appears

to have restricted the activities of Boko Haram terrorists to small parts of the North-east, other forms of terrorism have taken over all parts of the country. Kidnapping, cultism, ritual killings, bullion van robbery and other violent crimes are also so prevalent in the country that some of the country’s major highways have been taken over by criminals. Many gallant policemen who challenged these criminals paid the supreme price. When the federal security agencies appeared to have turned a blind eye to the activities of some of these criminals, non-state actors led by the Igbohos and Kanus had to spring up to contain the activities of land grabbers, killers and kidnappers masquerading as cattle rearers. But gunmen are still on rampage, killing innocent civilians, policemen, and other security agents freely. The case of South-east is particularly worrisome. Today, the Nigeria Police appear to have been so overwhelmed by the activities of criminals that soldiers have been deployed to do the job of the police, including the control of traffic in some major cities. Successive police leaderships, including the current one have made efforts to equip the police, motivate the officers and men, and also tackle the challenge of manpower shortage but the working conditions in the force have remained pitiable. This has worsened insecurity nationwide. Even the heavily policed and militarised Lagos is becoming unsafe. In the most recent case of suspected ritual murder, a BRT driver, Mr. Andrew Nice was accused of allegedly killing a 22-year-old Oluwabamise Ayanwole, and disappearing into the thin air for days. According to a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mr. Ebun Adegboruwa, the driver, who was shabbily dressed at the time of arrest, had confessed in a TV interview to having carnal knowledge of the deceased, in a very remorseful fashion.

Adegboruwa alleged that the driver was “hurriedly packaged” and “dressed in specially designed Lagos State Government outfit and now well tutored to claim innocence to set up the cock and bull story of hijack.”

If the claim by the driver that gunmen hijacked the BRT bus is true, then it means that Lagos has joined the league of most insecure states.

While the police are challenged by shortage of manpower, poor welfare conditions for officers and men, lack of equipment, and low morale, some of the personnel have also colluded with criminals to aggravate the state of insecurity in the country. The Nigeria Police lack adequate arms and ammunition, patrol vehicles, combat

The new police dress code introduced by the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Usman Alkali Baba, to promote what he described as the variety of ethnic and religious backgrounds of policewomen is a misplaced priority as it will not boost the failing capacity of the Nigeria Police to tackle insecurity in the country, Ejiofor Alike writes

IG’s New Police Dress Code a Misplaced Priority

Baba

NOTES FOR FILE

helicopters, adequate motivation, bullet-proof vests, steel helmet and other resources, including ordinary petrol to fuel patrol vans. Two recent embarrassing robbery incidents in Ibadan, Oyo State and Uromi in Edo State exposed the helplessness of the Nigeria Police in the face of violent crimes. In the early Febru-ary attack on a bullion van around Idi-Ape area of Ibadan, the armed robbers killed two police officers, two civilians, and made away with unspecified amount of money, according to the Oyo State Police Command. In well-coordinated attacks by the armed robbers on four banks in Uromi in the same month, about 20 armed robbers raided the banks for several hours and carted away undisclosed amount of money after killing policemen and civilians. After armed robbers and other violent criminals have wreaked their havoc, the police will issue statements, claiming to have launched a manhunt for the robbers. But the question is: Where are the police reinforcement teams, helicopters and other response squads during these robberies? Why can’t police quickly mobilise land and aerial teams to pursue and kill these criminals at the

crime scenes or before they escape, as was done by the South African Police in a video that was released recently? In the video, which went viral, the South African police deployed helicopter to pursue and kill all the bullion van robbers who were escaping with their loot. Why can’t the Nigeria Police emulate this feat and stop promising to go after armed robbers after every successful robbery operation? This is what should worry the Inspector General of Police (IG), Mr. Usman Alkali Baba, and not a new dress code that doesn’t even repel bullets. While the country is in a dilemma on how to tackle insecurity with many losing confidence in the federal police and calling for the creation of state police, the IG is preoccupied with how to design a new dress code for policewomen to reflect the country’s cultural and religious diversities - the very issues that constantly divide the country. While other countries are promoting nationhood, Nigerian leaders are promoting the country’s ethnic, cultural and religious diversities to score cheap religious and political points. The spokesman of the Nigeria Police, Muyiwa Adejobi, had told a nation bewildered by insecurity that the IG

approved a new dress code to allow female personnel to wear stud earrings, and headscarf under their berets or peak caps as the case may be while in uniform.

Adejobi disclosed in a statement that: “The dress code was unveiled at the IGP’s meeting with Strategic Police Managers on March 3, 2022”.

The statement further stated that the IG had noted that the Nigeria Police workforce has of-ficers from every local government in the country with a variety of ethnic and religious backgrounds, and an increased inclusion of female folks.

According to him, this brings the need to guarantee inclusion, gender mainstreaming, ethnic and religious diversity in the work place for optimum output and professionalism.

“This has informed the improvement for effective global workforce diversity management. Other countries that have adopted same dress code include Canada, the United States of America, Sweden, Turkey, Australia and the United Kingdom amongst others,” the statement added.

It was convenient for the IG to emulate Canada, United States of America, Sweden, Turkey, Australia, and United Kingdom on dress code that promotes all the issues that fuel division among Nigerians, but they can’t emulate how the well-equipped policemen in these countries respond swiftly to violent crimes. IG and his team are not worried by the fact that the police in these countries respond to violent crimes within 5 -10 minutes, while the Nigeria Police respond hours after the crimes have been committed because of lack of equipment, shortage of manpower and low morale. Baba and his team also failed to realise that while religious, culture and diversity promote unity and nationhood in the countries they seek to emulate, these factors are responsible for Nigeria’s disunity. Of what importance is a police-woman’s culture, ethnic or religious background in the discharge of her duties? These factors being promoted by the IG with his new dress code will only promote religious and ethnic affiliations in the force instead of esprit de corps. Though the police statement did not mention hijab, many Nigerians knew that its use was also approved.

Many Nigerians have alleged religious under-tone in the dress code. A retired Deputy Inspector General of Police, (DIG), Parry Osayande, has faulted the approval of hijab for female police officers, describing it as illegal.

Nigeria is failing as a nation because the ruling class promotes issues that divide the country and ignores what promotes nationhood. Baba should be worried that Nigerians are calling for the creation of state police because of the decreasing capacity of the federal police to tackle crimes. A dress code that can’t repel bullets should not be his priority.

As Soludo’s Online Recruitments Ignite FireFrom his comments after his election

on November 6, 2021, it was clear that he would soon fall out with some entrenched interests in the state. So, when it was reported last week that members of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in Anambra State had protested plans by the Governor-elect, Prof. Charles Soludo to select Commis-sioners and Senior Special Assistants through applications on online portals, it did not come to many as a surprise.

The former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), after winning the November 6 governorship election, had

asked those who wanted to serve in his government to apply online.

By Tuesday, it was gathered that no fewer than 22,000 persons had applied for the posts of commissioners, senior special assistants, among others.

But politicians in APGA had report-edly rejected the online method, stating that Soludo did not consult them before taking such decision. They condemned the recruitment method for political appointees, describing it as strange.

Many politicians who described his action as an insult, have questioned whether he filled online form before

former President Olusegun Obasanjo gave him appointments as Economic Adviser or the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria.

“Did he secure votes that made him governor from online device? We mobilised votes for him physically in our wards and local governments; so, why should we express our interests to work in his government online?” one of them queried.

This is just the beginning and it shows that by the time he assumes office, he would have the political class to contend with.Soludo

CICERO/ISSSUES63THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER MARCH 13, 2022

Since the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, Senator Bola Tinubu, signified his interest to contest for the presidency in 2023, many of his known key associates in the South-west have remained silent over his ambition, Vanessa Obioha writes

Osinbajo Fashola Aregbesola Fayemi

The tempo of political activi-ties in Nigeria was raised when the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Bola Tinubu declared what he described as his life-long

ambition to contest the next presidential election in the country.

Since the former Governor of La-gos State unveiled his plan to aspire to become the fifth democratically-elected president of Nigeria in this present democratic dispensation, he has received endorsements from all parts of the country. Tinubu’s declaration of interest to occupy the presidential seat did not come as a surprise to many political analysts. Those who have been following his political strategies easily connected the dots. Even before he publicly revealed his ambition, groups such as the South-west Agenda for Asiwaju 2023 (SWAGA), led by former Sena-tor Dayo Adeyeye, had begun to roll the drums. When he went to inform President Muhammadu Buhari of his intention, he also told journalists that becoming the President of Nigeria was his life-long ambition.

However, there has been a deafening silence from many of his erstwhile political associates from the South-west, who once took every word he spoke as the gospel. Ever since Tinubu, who is revered as a kingmaker in the South-west, threw his hat to the presidential ring, the leading lights among his associates in the geo-political zone have de-clined to endorse or oppose him.

Considering his wide influence in the zone and the array of political bigwigs among his associates, Tinubu’s announcement to run for presidency was expected to have been greeted with fanfare, with his strong allies singing his praises to the high heavens. But the reverse is the case as his political allies appear to be watching the political develop-ments before taking sides. Those who are expected to swim or sink with him have decided to either sit on the fence while developments unfold or oppose him behind the scenes.

It is believed that some of his associates also want to taste power and therefore would prefer that he remained the oil that would lubricate their smooth transition to power.

The Loud Silence of Tinubu’s Associates

Ever since Tinubu, who is revered as a kingmaker in the South-west, threw

his hat to the presidential ring, the leading lights among his

associates in the geo-political zone have declined to endorse

or oppose him

After all, since he left the governor-ship seat in Lagos State over a decade ago, he has played the role of godfather so perfectly, churning out governors, and ministers. He also contributed significantly to the emergence of President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015 by rallying other political bigwigs to deliver about 2.5 million votes from the South-west to support the votes of Buhari’s traditional 12 million followers.

Tinubu has consistently main-tained a tight grip on Lagos State, playing a pivotal role and continu-ously determining who gets what, when and how in the state. He was instrumental to the emergence of the current Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola as the governor of the state from 2007 to 2015. He also anointed Fashola’s successor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode. He also stamped his authority in the state when he frustrated Ambode’s second term bid, describing him as a performing governor but a bad party man. Tinubu replaced Ambode with the present Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu whose fate on the issue of second term will also be deter-mined by the former Lagos State Governor.

Tinubu had also spread his political tentacles beyond Lagos State. He was responsible for the emergence of Governor Gboyega Oyetola in Osun State. During one of his recent consultations over his presidential ambition in the South-west, he had revealed how he helped the likes of the Minister

of Interior, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola to become Osun State governor. Aregbesola played key role in Tinubu’s emergence as Lagos State governor, having worked as his campaign director.

Tinubu had also recalled how he supported the incumbent Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi and the former Governor of Ondo State, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko to retrieve their mandates.

“I helped Mimiko get his mandate through court after two years that he was elected. I helped Fayemi get his mandate after three years. It took Aregbesola three years and 10 months to get his mandate. We have helped many people like that.

“We helped Buhari sack them (PDP). We supported him to com-plete his eight-year term and I have told him I want to succeed him. He said I should go ahead, that is why I came to seek the support of the traditional rulers,” Tinubu report-edly said.

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo was also the Lagos Attorney Gen-eral and Commissioner for Justice during Tinubu’s administration. Osinbajo was behind the success of Tinubu’s administration during the state government’s legal battles with former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administra-tion. Ambode, who was at different times the Auditor General for Local Government, Permanent Secretary of the state Ministry of Finance and the Accountant General of the State, was also part of the team that helped to raise the state’s internal revenue.

The increase in the state’s IGR helped Tinubu’s administration to sur-vive the financial challenges caused by the seizure of the statutory alloca-tions of the local governments in the state by the federal government.

However, none of the aforemen-tioned has publicly declared support for his presidential bid and their body language has not suggested that they will do that any time soon. Areg-besola’s recent outburst over the second term ambition of Governor Oyetola was a strong indication of the bad blood among Tinubu’s allies.

His only strong ally, who voiced out his reservations about presidential ambition was the Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters, Senator Babafemi Ojudu. Ojudu however did not toe the mudsling-ing path but simply argued that his preference for Osinbajo was a matter of principle.

Others have remained silence, sitting on the fence or working behind the scenes to truncate his ambition.

One wonders why those who had worked together with him in the past under a mutually beneficial arrange-ment have turned their backs on him. While some political analysts have accused some of his allies of betray-ing him, other analysts have blamed the attitude of his allies on his alleged overbearing attitude and style of politics.

Now that he has declared his inter-est in the presidency, many of his well-trusted allies are fighting for personal survival and many not want to sink or swim with him any longer.

Tinubu took the bull by the horns when he dared his disgruntled allies and announced his aspirations. However, if his quick declaration was to make his allies with similar ambi-tion to shelve their dreams, then this objective is far from being achieved.

It is believed that more aspirants will emerge from the South-west. Osinbajo’s undeclared ambition is already ruffling feathers in his camp.

Tinubu’s influence on the political landscape has fetched him a massive followership in the South-west. It is likely that anyone who leaves his camp may not be really missed be-cause there are thousands of people who can fill their space. But the rate at which his political associates turn their back on him and move on is a cause for concern.

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER MARCH 13, 2022

CICERO/REPORT

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A Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday stirred the hornet’s nest when it sacked Governor of Ebonyi State, Mr. David Umahi, and his deputy, Dr. Eric Kelechi Igwe, over their defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All

Progressives Congress (APC), thereby reigniting the debate.

The court also ordered the 15 members of the Ebonyi State House of Assembly, including the Speaker, who defected from the PDP to the APC to immediately vacate their seats.

In his judgment, Justice Inyang Ekwo held that the total number of 393,042 votes Umahi secured at the March 9, 2019 Ebonyi State governorship election belonged to the PDP, hence could not be legally transferred to the APC. The court noted that both Umahi and Igwe’s defection to the APC, not only threw out the PDP, but also the votes that belonged to the party.

Justice Ekwo held that the governor and his deputy failed to adequately defend the substan-tive issues concerning their defection. He further held that Umahi and his deputy cannot claim to be unaware of the “consequences of their act of defection.”

The judge pointed out that “the constitution is put in jeopardy when the will of the electorate who voted for a political party can be brazenly merchandised by candidates without conse-quence.” He noted that the “constitution does not treat the issue of defection lightly,” referenc-ing Section 221 of the 1999 constitution.

Declaring the continued occupation of office by Messrs Umahi and Igwe unconstitutional, the court said it is in “breach of the provisions of Section 179 (2) (a) and (b) of the 1999 Constitution.”

“It would be constitutionally wrong for a person who was not sponsored by one political party, to defect and become a member of another political party before the expiration of the period he was elected,” the judge held.

“The APC cannot govern Ebonyi State through the 3rd and 4th defendants (Messrs Umahi and Igwe), when it did not win the election that produced them. “Having defected to another party, they cannot hold onto the votes of the plaintiff (PDP) to remain in office,” the court declared.

The judgment did not stop there, as the court went further to order 15 members of the Ebonyi House of Assembly, including the Speaker, who defected from the PDP to the APC as soon as the governor defected, to immediately vacate their seats.

Justice Ekwo held that their defection was unlawful and that having abandoned the politi-cal party on which platform they stood election, they could no longer occupy the seats.

The judge consequently declared their seats vacant and restrained them from further parad-ing themselves in the capacity of members of the Ebonyi State House of Assembly.

However, Umahi who did not see anything wrong with his defection in November 2020, said the judgment was purchased. Speaking at a press conference in Abakaliki as soon as the judgment was delivered, Umahi, who said he was still the governor of Ebonyi State, added that he was not surprised that the judge delivered the judgment in favour of the PDP.

According to him, Justice Ekwo was on a mission to embarrass the APC and the federal government, saying, “I feel sorry for the Nigerian judiciary”. He said he would appeal the judgment.

Umahi declared: “I am still the Governor of Ebonyi State and there is no tension at all. In the first place, there is no constitutional provision for any hatchet man to remove a governor. There are three ways whereby a governor can vacate his office: it is either by death, resignation and impeachment. There is no other constitutional provision that empowers a hatchet man to turn the Constitution upside down.

Umahi

“I have listened to the judgment of Inyang Ekwo and it’s very obvious that he was on a mission. He was making all effort to upturn the rulings of the Appeal and Supreme Courts, on issues like this. We have heard the rumours before now that he was determined to give judgment against all known laws and the Constitution, first to embarrass the APC, and to equally embarrass the federal government.

“For me, I do not feel worried; but I feel so bad for the judiciary in Nigeria. The execu-tives may have problems; the legislature may have problems, but the moment justice could be purchased, then we are in trouble in Nigeria. It’s obvious that the ruling this afternoon is clear evidence that this country is in trouble.

“And let me tell you, this same judge has over 10 cases against the Ebonyi State Government with him. And you can imagine what he is going to rule. We have petitioned him to NJC and we will follow it up to the end to ensure that this man (Ekwo) is brought to justice. I want you to disregard the judgment because it’s null and void.”

Umahi had in November 2020 dumped the PDP on which he was elected for two terms, and moved over to the APC. Owing to the development, Senator Sonni Ogbuoji approached the court by way of originating summons and asked it to hold that the governor, having defected to the APC from the PDP, ought to vacate the office.

Ironically, when the same suit came up for judgment before the Abakaliki Division of the Ebonyi State High Court penultimate week, Justice H. A. Njoku dismissed it. The judge ruled that the governor did not flout any provision of the Electoral Act or the constitution to warrant his removal from office.

When this happened the Ebonyi State Chapter of the PDP, vowed that it would appeal the judgment delivered by Justice H. A. Njoku at the Court of Appeal, describing it as a sham. It added that the judge erred in delivering the judgment and that it would

petition the National Judicial Council, stressing that the judge’s conduct debased the judiciary and abused court processes.

There is no doubt that what Umahi and the state government did not understand is that Justice Ekwo’s judgment may have again rekindled a fundamental question of who actually contests an election in Nigeria between a political party and a candidate.

While Section 109(1) (g) of the 1999 Constitution was purposely couched to ensure that state lawmakers who defected from the political parties which they used to enter the assemblies were not allowed to retain their seats, unless such defectors are able to justify their action, same was not clearly defined or stated for governors. For this reason, many governors have uncontrol-lably defected and nothing happened to them.

But on many occasions, the Supreme Court has emphasised sanctity of Section 221 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) The section states: “No association, other than a political party, shall canvass for votes for any candidate at any election or contribute to the funds of any political party or to the election expenses of any candidate at an election.”

For example, in a locus classicus by the court in 2007 in the case of Amaechi vs INEC, Justice George Oguntade who deliv-ered the lead judgment made it explicitly clear that without a political party in Nigeria, a candidate cannot contest election. He said since there was no provision for independent candidacy in the Nigerian Constitution, it is a political party that wins election in Nigeria not the candidate.

According to him, a good or bad candidate may enhance or diminish the prospect of his party winning an election but that at the end of the day it is the party that wins or loses an election.

Justice Oguntade noted: “Without a political party, a candidate cannot contest. The primary method of contest for elective offices is therefore between parties. If

as provided in Section 221 above, it is only a party that canvasses for votes, it follows that it is a party that wins an election. A good or bad candidate may enhance or diminish the prospect of his party winning but at the end of the day it is the party that wins or loses an election.”

Also in the case between James Faleke vs INEC, in 2016, the Supreme Court again reemphasised the sanctity of Section 221 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) when it dismissed the appeal filed by James Faleke to challenge Governor Yahaya Bello

Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun who delivered the lead judgment held that Yahaya Bello, having become candidate of APC, and legally sponsored by the same party can lay claim to the votes scored by the party in the November 21, 2015 poll, even though the late former Governor Abubakar Audu was the party’s candidate.

“By virtue of the provisions of Section 221 of the 1999 Constitution, it is the political parties that actually contest elections. The governor, having become a candidate of APC, and legally sponsored by the same party can lay claim to the votes scored by the party in the Nov. 21, 2015 poll,’’ she held.

The latest was the Zamfara case where the apex court voided the primaries of the APC in the state and declared the election of the then ruling party candidates in the 2019 general election void.

The apex court had consequently directed that the party with the next highest number of votes should be declared the winner, paving the way for all the PDP candidates, including Governor Bello Matawalle that came second in the poll to be declared elected by the Indepen-dent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The court took the position because in the eye of the law, it is the political parties that win elections in Nigeria and not the candidates.

Even though Tuesday’s verdict has the potential of causing a major political change in Ebonyi State, it is, however, not likely to take immediate effect, as parties to the suits still have the opportunity to exhaust their rights of appeal up to the Supreme Court level.

Last Tuesday’s judgment by a Federal High Court sacking the Ebonyi State governor, his deputy and the state’s lawmakers for defecting from their political parties to the ruling All Progressives Congress has again rekindled the debate on whether a governor can be removed from office over defection or not, Alex Enumah writes

Umahi Swims in Murky Waters

65

GAVELTHISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER MARCH 13, 2022

Editor: Ejiofor AlikeSMS: 08066066268 email:ejiofor.alike@thisdaylive.com

For the rst time, since the return of democratic rule in 1999, the National Assembly went against agreement reached with sitting president by throwing out President Muhammadu Buhari’s request to amend contentious

clause 84 (12) which abridges constitutional right of appointees to vote and be voted for.

Since after the 2011 elections, there had been agitations for the electoral law to be amended to enable it to accommodate the use of technol-ogy and generally improve the electoral process. However, attempts to amend the Act in various assemblies have been futile.

For decades, the rubber stamp tag has continued to trail lawmakers in both chambers. In Nigeria there exist three arms of government that include the Executive, Legislature and Judiciary. These arms of government function on the principle of separation of powers, however, it is common knowledge that the main power resides with the executive arm, particularly, the presidency.

Though the 9th Assembly has been insisting on its independence, its actions and inactions since their inauguration, have reinforced the idea by many Nigerians that it is a “rubber-stamp of the executive”.

An example can be seen in the way the lawmakers con rm ministerial nominees of President Buhari, with clearance given without any detailed inquiry into their background and capacity to serve as ministers. The rubber-stamp tag by Nigerians can also be seen in how fast the lawmakers approve loans for the executive arm of government, despite rising debt pro le, cry by Nigerians and members of the opposition in the chamber to discourage the loan.

Another instance can be seen when in December 2021, despite the resolve and threat by many senators to overrule President Muhammadu Buhari’s veto of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, the Senate, backed down from its resolve. In place of the move, which had seen the collection of signatures for the proposition, the upper chamber resolved to liaise with the House of Representatives on how best to handle the president’s rejection of the electoral reform bill.

The president had on December 21, 2021, again rejected the bill based on the provision on direct primaries. So, when he spoke during an interview on Channels TV, January 5, it was no surprise that the legislature known to always heed to majority of his requests, included his suggestion of consensus as an option in the electoral bill.

Buhari had in the interview stated his readiness to sign the Electoral Act Amendment Bill after the National Assembly makes the necessary adjustments.

He said such changes must include the addi-tion of consensus candidates, indirect primary options to the mode of selecting a candidate for an election, as against the initial direct mode as the only option to conduct primaries by political parties.

The new bill passed on to the President on January 31, 2022 corrected the issue of direct primaries and rather added the indirect and consensus means of selecting candidates as alternatives. However, the House of Representa-tives again introduced another controversial provision in which it proposes that all political appointees seeking to contest elective o ces should resign long before declaring their interest. The provision led to some close aides of the president and governors moving against the bill and urging the president not to sign it into law.

Before Buhari nally signed the bill into law on February 25, 2022, he was said to have reached an agreement with both the Senate and the House of Representatives for the lawmakers to expunge the controversial Section 84(12) in the Act which deprived federal appointees their constitutional rights to vote and be voted for ahead of primary elections of political parties.

The RejectionDespite commitment to the president last week

reneged on that agreement and overwhelmingly threw out the bill seeking to amend the newly signed Electoral Act, 2022. The bill was unani-mously rejected by the lawmakers when it came for second reading on the oor during plenary, amidst a mild drama.

There were strong indications before plenary that the senators would kick against the bill despite the position of the President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan that the red chamber would go ahead to consider the bill notwithstanding a court order barring it from doing so.

The court had, in a ruling delivered by Justice Inyang Ekwo, on an ex-parte application by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), barred the President Muhammadu Buhari, the Attorney General of the Federation and the Senate President from tampering with the newly amended Act.

The court maintained that the Electoral Act, having become a valid law could not be altered without following the due process of law. The move to reject the bill was signaled by a point of order from Senator Adamu Aliero for it to be stepped down after the Senate Leader, Yahaya Abdullahi, moved a motion for the bill to be read a second time.

Aliero, who came under a point of Order, drew the attention of his colleagues to the provision of Rule 52(5) of the Senate Standing Order.

The Order 52(5) provides that, “Reference shall not be made to any matter on which a judicial decision is pending, in such a way as might in the opinion of the President of the Senate prejudice the interest of parties thereto.”

Aliero, therefore, advised the upper chamber to step down further consideration of the bill pending the vacation of a court order delivered by the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Monday.

The senator maintained that going ahead with the amendment of the Act would be clear con ict with the subjudice rule in law which prevents the legislature from deliberating or considering any matter already before a court of competent jurisdiction.

Aliero explained: “Going ahead to consider the bill obviously will mean that we are disrespecting that order, and this is an institution of the Senate – the symbol of Nigeria’s Lawmaking body. We should not be seen to be disobeying the court order. No matter how bad that court order is,

practiced including Nigeria, we don’t need to be told that if we want to run for o ce, we have to resign. That is a sine qua non that we don’t even need to debate.

“Yet here we are today in Nigeria, and people think they can sit in an o ce and contest an elec-tion and become candidates and continue to sit in that o ce until the date of election. So, how would we continue to debase democracy in this way? Mr. President, I think, a cursory look at this paper shows that this paper is dead on arrival. And I urge you, my colleagues, to help us to continue to deepen democracy by insisting that this bill not be read a second time in any manner whatsoever.”

The rejection of the bill continued with the bombshell from the APC Senator, representing Kogi West, Smart Adeyemi, who also, vehemently, expressed his disapproval to the consideration of the bill.

Adeyemi said, “one of the hallmarks of de-mocracy is justice, fairness and equity. Indeed, Mr. President, it is a settled matter in law that you cannot be a judge over you own case. In any election, where people have the added advantage of holding executive power, either by proxy or directly or by appointment, for such people to have access and compete with others who came from the street, I think is an unjust society. Therefore, Mr. President, I disagree with all the arguments on the need to consider a decision that has already been settled.”

A last minute move by the Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege, to save the bill from sudden death by swaying his colleagues’ standpoint, also su ered a devastating blow.

Omo-Agege said: “The framers of the con-stitution, knew that a day like this will come. And notwithstanding, it clearly stipulated in the constitution those provisions with quali cation and disquali cation on running for political o ce. If it was their intent that for holding a political o ce, you should not contest election, they would have so provided.

“There were some provisions some of us voted for at the beginning of section 84(2) that says no political party shall seek to disqualify anybody by importing into the process a provision for quali cation or disquali cation not otherwise provided for in the constitution.”

When the bill was eventually put to a voice vote for second reading by the Senate President after its consideration, it received a resounding ‘nay’ from senators in the majority across party lines.

The Senate President made a futile attempt to save the bill when he put the question for a voice vote the second time and the senators maintained a resounding ‘nay’ again, leaving the presiding o cer no other option than to hit the gavel in favour of the anti-bill lawmakers.

At the House of Representatives, the lawmak-ers promised to obey court order barring the lawmakers from amending the bill.

The Spokesman of the House, Hon. Benjamin Kalu who made this known while brie ng journal-ists after plenary last, Tuesday hinged the Green Chamber’s decision to obey the court injunction on the principle of separation of powers, saying that when any issue is before the court you don’t interfere.

According to him, if the Executive didn’t want that 84 (12), it falls on them to seek the attention of court for the removal of that injunction, before the legislature will be allowed to touch it.

Will the Rejection Brew Distrust Between the Executive and Legislature?

From the debates on if the bill should be amended or not, it’s clear that regardless of the court ruling or not, lawmakers do not want that section expunged. Surprisingly most lawmakers from the ruling APC agreed with the opposition. With this rejection, it is believed that going forward there might be distrust between the executive and the National Assembly, which could negatively impact future bills sent to the executive for assent.

Electoral Act: N’Assembly Speaks with One VoiceUdora Orizu writes that members of the Senate and House of Representatives, last week, rejected further amendment to the Electoral Act, 2022 as requested by President Muhammadu Buhari

Lawan

we should respect it. So, I’m of the opinion that we should stop considering this bill pending the time the court set aside that order, and I think I’m speaking the opinion of my colleagues here.”

The Senate President, while ruling on Aliero’s point of Order, insisted that the move by the upper chamber to amend the Electoral Act was in line with exercising its constitutional duties amid following due process.

Lawan said: “To be speci c to this particular request, for us in the Senate, it is to look at the request and follow our due process. Looking at the request does not mean granting the request. Members of the National Assembly are at liberty to review the request to see if the arguments by the executive arm of government are convincing enough.

“If the arguments are not convincing enough, the National Assembly can deny the request, and that is how it is. We have no encumbrance from that order. So, it is for senators here to decide to vote for this amendment or vote against it. I think we are not breaching any law, in fact, we are trying to promote democracy because to do otherwise may mean that one day someone will go to court and say that the Senate of the National Assembly should not sit.

“I want to appeal to all of us, that we are on the right course and my ruling remains that we are going ahead to consider the proposal which the Leader of the Senate is leading the debate. At the end of the debate, we are going to vote, and the vote will decide the fate of the bill. I’m sure all of us know that whatever we do here is to protect democracy and the sanctity of the upper chamber.”

The Senate Leader, was then given the oor to lead the debate on the Electoral Act Amend-ment bill.

The real drama started unfolding when the Minority Leader, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (Abia South), kicked against the deletion of Section 84(12) of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill as requested by President Buhari.

He said: “There are certain things that we see which we think we don’t even have to come here to debate. One of those things is the fact that in every democracy, all over the world, there are certain rules which we don’t need to be told about.

“One of those rules is the fact that you cannot be a referee and a player on the same eld. It is either you’re a referee or a player. So, every other place in the world where democracy is

66THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER MARCH 13, 2022

ENGAGEMENTS with Chidi Amutae-mail: chidi.amuta@gmail.com

Mr. Putin is Nearby

The military junta in Mali recently chased away the French ambas-sador to the country. In quick response to a degenerating reciprocal diplomatic nastiness, President Emmanuel Macron or-dered the withdrawal of a French

stabilization force of over 3500 from Mali. The French troops had in 2013 gone to save the government in Bamako from being toppled by Islamic jihadists advancing from its northern regions and poised to overrun the country. The French troops quickly neutralized the jihadist advance and saved Mali from becoming an Islamic fundamentalist state.

Quite significantly, the Bamako junta has quickly signed on a contingent of 1000 Russian mercenaries to replace the withdrawing French troops. The Russian mercenaries came from the infamous Wagner Group which enjoys the support and patronage of the Kremlin and corporate Russia. The Wagner Group is backed Yevgeny Prigozhin, Putin’s intimate friend.

The Group is reportedly also in cahoots with cells of the Russian Mafia. In the raging Ukraine invasion, for instance, a contingent of 400 mercenaries from the Wagner Group were dispatched to infiltrate into Kyiv for the sole aim of assassinating President Zelensky. Ukrainian intelligence uncovered the plot and it has been frustrated so far. Undeterred, Moscow is reportedly in the process of increas-ing the Ukraine Wagner Group mercenary task force to 1000, to carry out various destabilization operations in the light of the frustration of the Russian mission in Ukraine.

The Russian mercenaries in Mali are merely an expeditionary force tacitly supported by the Kremlin to probe a strategic opening in the region. With close links to Russian intelligence and big business, the Wagner Group mercenaries are out to explore new areas of strategic vulnerability and declining Western influence in troubled spots around the world.

In the short run, the Russian mercenaries are likely to neutralize the jihadist menace in Mali and wherever else they go in West Africa, making their services an attractive security option to more troubled countries. These would be countries from which the French may still withdraw or those with ineffective national security apparatus.

The Russian mercenaries may however have a wider interest than instant cash payments for their services. In return for securing vital mineral locations, they might negotiate mineral prospecting rights and contracts for major Russian corporations. If the venture becomes lucrative, an ambitious and aggressive Moscow might see an opening to expand its strategic influence in West Africa if only to fill the gap being left by a major West European power.

If what is happening in Mali is an indication of the direction of developments in West Africa’s French speaking states, the presence of Moscow inspired mercenaries and hordes of Chinese contractors and free lance minerals marauders in the region could herald a tectonic shift in the strategic character of the region.

French speaking countries bordering the Sahel have recently begun to witness a systematic reduc-tion in French influence and support. Social and economic circumstances are worsening as France curtails its economic support for its erstwhile colonies. Islamic jihadist insurgents have recently ramped up pressure on these countries, squeezing their weakened security forces.

In turn, their fragile democratic governments are being systematically overthrown by ambitious military adventurists. In quick succession, Mali, Guinea, Burkina Faso and Chad have all recently witnessed military coups. In each case, the cocktail of justifications by coup makers have included the bad handling of jihadist insurgency and terrorist pressure by elected governments.

As French troops leave Mali in an untidy haste, the possibility that French military stabilization forces in the other West African countries could- also decline is clear and present. French domestic opinion in an election year is against continued support for its long -standing African former colonies and dependencies. There has of late been a general weariness about the continuation of colonial liabilities among the French populace.

The return of military juntas in the region is a convenient reason for a weary France to pull support from its prodigal African dependents. After all, military regimes are anti democratic and a

Putin

major European country like France can use this string of new dictatorships in former colonies as enough reason to cut off or drastically aid and support. Clearly, the resurgence of political instability in French West Africa as evidenced in these silly coups is a product of two major factors: a reduction in France’s interest and support and security pressure from increasing Islamic jihadist armed activity in the Sahel.

The Sahel has since been recognized as a strategic nightmare for West Africa, Europe and indeed the rest of the world that is worried by the expansion of Islamic jihadist violence. Similarly, illegal migration of unskilled Africans across the Meditarennean with transit through the Sahel remains a headache for Europe. The Sahel is a hostile, barren, poverty stricken and unstable zone that spans many West African countries. Guinea, Mali, Cote d”Ivoire, Chad, Niger, Burkina Faso and Nigeria are all in the direct footprints of the Sahel.

By all estimates, the Sahel has become the world headquarters of jihadist terrorism. In 2021, the Global Terrorism Index reported that half of all those killed in terrorist attacks worldwide were from sub Saharan Africa with the Sahel recording the highest figures. The Institute for Economics and Peace records that the Sahel accounts for 35% of the sub Saharan terrorist casualties. By most accounts, the lead-ing jihadist group affiliated to al- Queda in the region is Jama’t Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin. In different countries in the Sahel, this umbrella group goes by different local names and parades diverse iterations.

In all of these countries, the spread of Islamic jihadist terrorism has in recent years compli-cated the task of individual national security and bedeviled regional strategic stability. In addition to the armed jihadist activity, these countries are all subject to the impact of climate change induced by the southward expansion of the Sahara desert . Drought has shrunk agricultural land. Agricultural communities have gotten poorer. There has been a forced southward migration of large populations and increased unemployment. Many of the unem-ployed and hungry youth have joined violent jihadist movements thereby destabilizing some the countries.

Mali has set a dangerous precedent. The junta in Bamako has used the face off with France as a distraction from its reluctance to honour previous pledges to hand over power to elected democratic rulers. The Mali precedent is that of replacing a colonial military presence with rogue mercenary elements from Russia. The possibility that the other juntas in the neigbour-hood could buy into the propaganda and seek Russian help against their own jihadists is within the zone of possibility.

This development is coming at a time when France is actively re-assessing its relationship with its former colonies. The economic benefits have shrunk. The cultural affinity is dying. The security assistance budget is getting too bloated for a France that is faced with severe economic challenges at home.

The impression that France’s Mali disconnec-tion has created goes beyond a quarrel between a former colony and its old master. It signals an impending shrinkage in a major Western interest in West Africa. For historical reasons, there is hardly any other Western contender that could fill the vacuum that France could leave in its West African former colonies. And in the context of present day global power competition, Rus-sia and China are ever so eager to rush into strategic spaces vacated by the West. The new contest in world affairs is between the liberal democratic West and an ambitious autocratic alliance of China and Russia. Western appetite for foreign markets and sources of raw materials is declining while China is hungry for a global sphere of influence. Russia, a rogue ambitious state thrives on dark schemes involving arms and violence in vulnerable places.

The Chinese are already copiously present in West Africa as contractors, concessionary lenders of funds for development and vendors of different wares. They are involved in financing and actual execution of major infrastructure projects ranging from railroads to airports, highways and bridges. Russia does not have credit or technical aid to export. But it has excess capacity in terms of redundant Soviet era veterans, an array mothballed military hardware and major corporations with an appetite for mineral rights, raw materials for their industries and government contracts. Cash strapped West

African countries that cannot defend themselves in spite of their large standing armies are easy prey to such nefarious Russian influence. The danger of an expansion of Russian influence could become real in the event that more West African countries collapse into a heap of insecurity and economic hopelessness.

Russian influence in Africa remains sporadic and uncoordinated but cannot be ignored as a significant part of the strategic future of the continent. 2019- inaugural Russia-Africa Summit in Sochi attended by 43 African countries. It was a forum for Mr. Putin to critique the West’s policies towards Africa. Nonetheless, Russia’s trade with Africa is only 2% of Africa’s goods trade with the rest of the world. A Russian bank VEB now under Western sanctions is a share holder in the African Development Bank. Even then, Russia’s economic and military interest and roles in some African fragile states remains substantial. Russia is the largest arms supplier to African countries, a net extractor of mineral and other resources and a prop for fragile even if unpopular regimes .

Central African Republic is host to 2000 Wag-ner mercenaries where they are protecting the government from being overrun by rebels. They are being paid in gold and diamonds. In Guinea, Rusal, a major Russian aluminum company has three mines which supplied their factories in Ukraine, now closed, with bauxite from mines in Guinea. The junta in Guinea has chased away the Ukrainian envoy in the country to placate Mr. Putin.

On March 2nd, the UN General Assembly voted on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Of the 54 African member states, 28 voted against Russia while 17 abstained and 8 refused to show up. Towards Russia or more precisely the old Soviet Union, some elite nostalgia still exists in some African countries. Many of the first and second generation African elite in the days of the Cold War studied in the USSR. Ideological nostalgia towards the ‘evil empire’ is strongest in places like Mozambique, Angola, Zimbabwe, Namibia and South Africa where political parties that pioneered the independence and anti racist struggles were backed by the old Soviet Union. This does not signal an unconditional love for the West among African nations. African countries are yet to forget the Western destabilisation of Libya in 2011.

For Nigeria, the last decade has witnessed a resilient insecurity, insurgency and jihadist crimi-nality. Boko Haram has been joined by ISWAP in an unholy alliance that does not bode well for Nigeria. Their combined force has made the insecurity in parts of the North east even more problematic and intractable. Over a decade has gone by and no one can see the end of the insurgency in parts of northern Nigeria. A new wave of banditry and various iterations of casual terrorists now provide Boko Haram and ISWAP with captives. Between an outright counter insurgency war and what ought to be a crime control operation against free lance bandits lately branded terrorists by Abuja, no one knows the dividing line any more.

The seemingly intractable nature of these challenges has tempted many otherwise sensible political leaders and opinion leaders to throw up the mercenary option. It no longer matters to anyone that the mercenary option implies a tacit vote of no confidence in Nigeria’s large security forces on whom so much resources have been committed in the last 10 years and more. In the public perception, all the big generals and their dazzling medals, the sophisticated aircraft, fleets of armoured personnel carri-ers and assorted weapons seem to have been neutralized by bands of roving untrained rag tag terrorists. The call for the engagement of mercenaries is therefore a cry of helplessness and desperation.

As part of this sad twist to our narrative, the Jonathan administration in 2014 briefly engaged some South African mercenaries in the fight against Boko Haram just before the 2015 elections. No one can say for certain how effective this gambit was. Recently, Mr. Zulum, the Governor of Borno State, which is the epicenter of jihadist terrorism and insurgency in Nigeria, has advocated the engagement of mercenaries to contain the expanding influence of the insurgents. This governor has been in the front line of the ravages of the terrorists and is perhaps in the best position to offer a realistic assessment of how things stand.

NEWS News Editor: Gboyega AkinsanmiE-mail: gboyega.akinsanmi@thisdaylive.com,08152359253

The All Progressives Congress (APC), Ebonyi State Chapter, has warned the Peoples Democratic Party’s nominee to take over the Office of Governor of the state, Iduma Igariwey, to stop arrogating ‘His Excellency’ title to his name.

APC told Igariwey, who is also a member representing Afikpo North/South Federal Constituency that it was wrong for him to parade himself as

governor.The APC argued that the

lawmaker could only become governor after Umahi had completed his tenure in 2023, and not through a disputable court ruling.

The APC stated this in a statement signed by its Publicity Secretary, Ogbuatu Chidi Simba, yesterday.

The statement read: “The attention of the ruling All Pro-

Stop Parading Yourself as Ebonyi Gov, APC Tells PDP Nominee

KTN Extends Application for Nigerian AgriFood Companies Innovation Exchange Programme

Fayemi: Nigerians Should Outgrow Bigotry, Ethno-religious Biases

Palm Oil Boom: Nigeria Losing Multibillion Dollars for Not Supporting Small Farmers

KTN Global Alliance Africa has extended the closing date for large Nigeria-based companies and global organisations with subsidiaries in Nigeria from the AgriFood sector wanting to find rapid innovative solutions to their industry challenges to apply for the innovative exchange programme.

The application will now close on March 31, 2022.

KTN Global Alliance Africa is a six-year project, funded by

UKAid, that aims to promote job creation, inclusive growth and poverty reduction through knowledge transfer, skills build-ing and opportunities to support businesses and innovations that can deliver scalable impact.

“Investing in AgriFood is critical for both the nation’s economy and society as a whole,” KTN said in a statement signed by the Africa’s Regional Lead, Sophie West

“It is an integral part of

the solutions necessary to meet Sustainable Develop-ment Goal (SDG) targets and Nigeria’s Vision 2030 ambition to make Nigeria the top three most food-secured country in Africa through the application of digital technologies and innovations.

“The iX Challenge Pro-gramme is a quick route to access solutions from other sectors to solve those challenges.”

Some of the identified

challenges from the AgriFood sector include using technology to increase food productivity and production, identifying innovative approaches to deliver efficient vegetable production, reducing wastes and emissions in the environment.

Others are applying cost-effective solutions to identify or reduce counterfeit products and identifying supply chain solutions to reduce post-harvest waste of perishable goods.

Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi yesterday expressed concern over Nigerian politics and political conversation, saying citizens should have outgrown bigotry, tribalism and ethno-religious biases.

According to him, it was time to rekindle the candle of a new Nigeria. The coming 2023 transition had provided “another opportunity to take a new day at making a new Nigeria of our dream.’’

Fayemi stated these during a birthday symposium in honour of the Chief Executive Officer, Connected Development, Hamzat Lawal, at 35 in Abuja.

He said Nigerians should build a consensus around major challenges and develop a national template in leadership positions.

The governor described nation-building as an unfinished business before every generation, adding that it was always a pressing

business of the day that must be done urgently.

He said, “These challenges that ail our country today, provide us with the opportunity to take a position and take a stand and walk for the resolution of such challenges.

“Nigeria will belong to those who are prepared to stand up, stand firm and take control of their destinies as the late Senator Robert Kennedy once said that it

is from numberless diverse acts of courage and belief that human history is shaped’.

“We can all do a bit in our little ways to cause a beautiful change that will lead us to make our country and indeed the world a better place. I am personally uncomfortable with the practice of our politics and our political conversation; we should have outgrown bigotry, tribalism and ethno-religious biases.

Kunle Aderinokun

The Oil Palm Growers Associa-tion of Nigeria (OPGAN) has raised the alarm that Nigeria is losing billions of dollars over inability of its smallholders, constituting 80 per cent of the market getting funding and organised to gain from the current palm oil boom in the international market.

OPGAN President, Mr. Joe Onyiuke, who spoke to THIS-DAY at the weekend on the heels of recent surge in the price of crude palm oil at the international market, however acknowledged effort of the CBN in providing support to the players in the upper echelon of the industry, which only control 20 per cent of the domestic market.

While appealing to the apex

bank and other relevant authorities to support the smallholder farmers to boost production, he pointed out that, “The government of President Buhari has done a lot for other smallholder farmers, but unfortunately, we, the smallholder farmers in oil palm have been neglected despite the huge supply gap in the country.”

Recently, Reuters reported that Palm oil had become the costliest

among the four major edible oils for the first time as buyers rush to secure replacements for sunflower oil shipments from the top exporting Black Sea region that were disrupted by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Crude palm oil (CPO) is being offered at about $1,925 a tonne, including cost, insurance and freight (CIF), in India for March shipments, compared with $1,865

6 7 T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R MARCH 13, 2022

gressives Congress (APC), Ebonyi State has been drawn to a broad daylight insanity and arrogation of the title “His Excellency” by Idu Igariwey to his name who claims to be Governor.

“Ordinarily, we would have elected to remain calm but we see the need to make some clarifications as thus:

“That Idu Igariwey is not the governor of Ebonyi State and can never be as no one has ever become Governor of

a State through appointment since the return of democracy in Nigeria and as such should desist forthwith arrogating himself as the governor of Ebonyi State.

“That if Idu Igariwe has the interest to contest which is not possible hence it is not the turn of Ebonyi South to produce the next governor of Ebonyi State, he should, first of all, resign his elective position as Member representing Afikpo North/Afikpo South Federal

Constituency at the green chamber.

“That he (Idu) should know that the office of the Governor is not for loafers and dementias but for men of great character, honor and willpower to take their immediate society to the next level.

“That we are very much aware of the frustration that he (Idu) lost the grip of his constituents as a result of his brutish lifestyle and as such his desire to remain in

power after 2023 election became truncated.

“We are using this opportunity to remind Mr. Idu Idariwe and those misleading him that Ebonyi State still has an active Governor, His Excellency, Engr Chief David Nweze Umahi whose tenure will end come 2023.

Henceforth, he should desist from arrogating himself with the name His Excellency and granting of a press release as the governor of Ebonyi State

Olusegun Samuel in Yenagoa

The Zonal Coordinator of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Traffic in Person (NAPTIP), Mr. Nduka Nwanwenne, has said the agency secured 500 convictions of human traffickers since its establishment by the federal government.

Nwanwenne said despite the fact that the agency was established at a Nigeria was at low ebb in organised crime, the agency started with one convic-tion in 2004 and has had over 500 convictions till date.

Nwanwenne, who made this known during a call on the Chairman of the State Gender Response Initiative Team (GRIT) Barr. Dise Ogbise in Yenagoa,, stressed that the issue of traffic in person for any purpose is not an isolated problem to Bayelsa or Nigeria, but a global problem,

therefore the need for collabora-tion with different stakeholders such as GRIT, security agencies, traditional and religious leaders.

Nwanwenne, who is in charge of Bayelsa, Delta and Edo states, was accompanied on the visit by the Bayelsa State Commander, Mrs.Abieyuwa Ehidenro, pointed out that building collaboration is enshrined in the law that established the agency.

He said Nigeria in 2003 signed to the transnational organized crime protocol.

He pointed out that NAPTIP is the Federal Government of Nigeria’s response to addressing the scourge of trafficking in persons, noting that NAPTIP is both an enforcement and welfare agency that enforce the law and also support victim to be reintegrated back into the society through capacity building.

Segun James

The Assistant General Overseer Admin and Personnel of The Redeemed Redeemed Christian Church of God, (RCCG), Pastor Johnson Odesola, has said that internal instrument to Directorate of Politics and Governance of the church is not targeted at a political aspirant as been insinuated, but to coordinate and support members who want to be involved in politics.

This was contained in a statement made available to journalists in response to the rumours that the recent memo on Directorate of Politics and Governance in RCCG is targeted at a political aspirant.

He said: “Regarding the internal instrument to Directorate

of Politics and Governance in The Redeemed Redeemed Christian Church of God that someone in sincere ignorance has dropped into the media which has been drawn to reactions in the public to the function of the Directorate.

He said the internal instrument to Directorate of Politics and Governance in RCCG helps to coordinate the engagement of our people who are willing to be involved in politics as well as mobilise support for them.

Odesola noted that nowhere in the statement was it mentioned nor insinuated that a particular political aspirant is being referred to. As would be expected, the Church has members that belong to several political parties, but would not itself get into partisan issues.

Michael Olugbode in Abuja

The European Union has said it will work towards removing barriers against, and strengthening the leadership and participation of women and girls and empowering them as agents of change.

In a statement to mark this year’s International Women’s Day, it said would entail improved sustainable policy and program-ming, including through education and employment.

The statement signed by the Head of the EU Delegation to Nigeria and the ECOWAS, Ambassador Samuela Isopi, also pledged to further strengthen

and support the protection and role of civil society and human rights defenders, in particular environmental women rights defenders.

In November 2020, the EU adopted the third Gender Action Plan which frames its engagement towards a gender-equal world until 2025 and concrete steps towards realising them.

One year after its adoption, the GAP III is now being implemented in around 120 countries, including Nigeria.

These country-level implementa-tion plans help cement greater EU cooperation and joint initiatives around political and operational priorities.

NAPTIP Secures Conviction of500 Human Traffickers

Directorate of Politics, Governance Not Targeted at Any Politician, Says RCCG

IWD: EU Pledges Support for Women

Human Rights Defenders in Nigeria

WELL DESERVED …L – R: Executive Secretary/Chief Executive, Nigerian Content Development & Monitoring Board (NCDMB),Engr. Simbi Wabote; Chairman, Independent Petroleum Producers Group (IPPG) & Waltersmith Group of Companies, Abdulrazaq Isa, and Minister of State Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, during the presentation of the Energy Personality of the Year 2021 award to lsa at the Nigeria International Energy Summit (NIES 2022) in Abuja...recently

NEWSXTRA T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R MARCH 13, 20226 8

Sylvester Idowu in Warri

Chairman of DAS Energy Services, Udu in Delta State, Chief Sunny Onuesoke has urged the Federal Government to support the Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola’s call for diversion of cargoes from Lagos ports to other ports in Nigeria in order to ease the congestion in Apapa, Tin-Can Ports and Lagos environs.

The minister, who spoke while on an inspection tour of the reconstruction work on the Apapa-Oshodi Expressway recently, noted that the Apapa port which was built in 1975

was no longer capable of handling the volume of imports and activities.

Fashola explained that it was time for some cargoes coming into Nigeria to be diverted to other ports than Apapa and Tin Can ports, hoping that diverting the cargoes will not only help to decongest the ports, but also control traffic in the premier port city.

Reacting to Fashola’s advice while addressing journalists on the sideline during the Gas and Energy workshop held in Lagos weekend, Onuesoke said diver-sion of cargoes to other ports like Warri, Koko, Sapele and Port Harcourt among others

will not only decongest Lagos ports and its environs but will equally boost the economy of Nigeria and states where the ports are located.

He argued that Lagos ports will continue to be congested, mainly because nearly all of the cargoes traffic that should be handled by Warri, Koko, Sapele, Burutu and Port Harcourt ports get stemmed at Lagos, only to be transported by road to their various destinations across the country.

This development, Onuesoke observed has resulted in higher landing costs to importers, higher risks of loss and damage to cargo with a higher insurance premium, heavy damage to inter-state highways with resulting short life span due to pressure from articulated vehicles, and loss of produc-tive man-hours amongst other costs that are not quantifiable.

The former Delta State Governorship aspirant on the platform of People’s Democratic

Party (PDP) explained that diverting cargoes from Lagos ports to other ports will not only reverse their fortunes as sea-land interface structures but will once again revive the once active but now dying market out-posts which the port towns of Warri, Sapele, Koko, Burutu and Port Harcourt were known for.

Onuesoke reiterated that Warri, Port Harcourt, Sapele and Burutu ports remained unique with an enormous capacity yearning for

development because of their strategic location in the heart of Nigeria’s oil and gas mineral deposits and their proximity to the Atlantic.

He adjudged the Deltan ports as ports of the future, which would fit snugly in the country’s agenda of oil and gas industry deregulation as they would serve as the hub of modular oil refineries and marine transporta-tion of petroleum products to neighbouring countries and beyond.

Support Fashola’s Call for Cargoes Diversion to Other Ports, FG Told

Omon-Julius Onabu in Asaba

President Muhammadu Buhari has said that his administration has consistently improved the lives of the citizens through the implementation of policies and programmes that bear directly on the social and economic well-being of the people.

He said that this was evident in the administration’s commitment to the building of certain infra-structure and opening windows of employment opportunities and financial schemes to stir various sectors.

Buhari stated this at the inaugu-ration of 68 housing units executed by the federal government under the National Housing Programme,

at a cost of about N1.7 billion, at Issele-Azagba, a suburb of Asaba, the Delta State capital.

The president was represented by the Minister of Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, who expressed regrets that the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Mr Festus Keyamo (SAN), billed to stand in for Buhari was absent as he lost his father.

While noting that the similar units of housing were executed by his administration in 33 other states of the federation, the president expressed delight that “the project has achieved the primary objective of improving lives,” especially as micro, small and medium businesses owners were being involved in the housing

Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

The Chief Press Secretary (CPS) of Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra State, Mr. James Ngwu Eze, was among the dignitaries and high achievers conferred with medals of honour by the Anambra State Government in a colourful ceremony held recently in Awka, the state capital.

The statement that announced Eze’s selection for the honour revealed that the Enugu-born Eze was awarded “the ‘Distinguished Anambra Commander Medal’

for his outstanding achievements in his profession and contribu-tions to the prosperity and good image of Anambra State.”

Eze, who is also a decorated poet and speech writer, has distinguished himself as a consummate communications expert and image manage-ment consultant through the years. He was at different times the External Communications Manager at Fidelity Bank Plc, and Senior Public Relations Manager at Airtel Nigeria.

A yet-to-be-identified dispatch rider in Lagos State has been apprehended with a baby in his courier box.

The undated video has gone viral. The suspect was said to have been caught in the Sangotedo area of Lagos.

The development comes amid the outrage over the murder of a 22-year-old fashion designer, who went missing after boarding a BRT in the area.

In the video, the infant was removed from the box while an enraged crowd was seen assaulting the dispatch rider.

One of the persons in the back-ground was heard saying “This is the child that was abducted.”

Reacting, Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) Adekunle Ajisebutu, said: “The attention of the Lagos

State Police Command has been drawn to a video going viral on social media alleging that a yet-to-be-identified dispatch rider stole a child found and recovered in a dispatch box

“The command wishes to inform the public that the incident said to have taken place in the Sangotedo area, Lekki, was not reported at any police station to enable the police to take appropri-ate actions.

“Notwithstanding that the incident was not reported, the Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Alabi, has directed that efforts should be intensified to locate the whereabouts of the alleged dispatch rider and the parents or guardians of the child to enable the police to investigate the incident.”

FG Improving Lives through

Intervention Programmes, Says Buhari

Obiano’s Chief Press Secretary, Eze Decorated with Medal of Honour

Outrage over Lagos Dispatch Rider

Caught with Child in Delivery Box

‘Nigeria Capable of Doubling Maize Production’

Police Kill Four Terrorists, Recovers 186 Animals in Katsina

Drug War: 650 NDLEA Officers Graduate from Army Infantry School

John Shiklam in Kaduna

Managing Director of ECOBASic Seeds, Brighton Karume, has said Nigeria has the capacity to double its maize production and achieve self-sufficiency, if 50 per cent of maize farmers across the country adopt hybrid maize seed varieties.

Addressing a press conference at its head office in Kaduna, Karume said currently over 90 per cent of the Early Gen-eration Seed (EGS) – breeder and foundation seed sourced in Nigeria are from research

institutions.He noted that only 10 per cent

of Nigerian farmers plant hybrid varieties, a situation, which according to him, had made it impossible for the country to meet the national demand for maize.

He said research institutions had been struggling to meet the rising demand for high-quality foundation seed from seed companies due to inadequate financial and technical support.

“This has a huge impact on the productivity and profitability of indigenous seed

companies, which ultimately limits farmers’ access to high-quality seeds, “he said.

He added that closing the national maize production and demand gap requires concerted efforts by players across the value chain.

“At the core of this effort is the need to accelerate aware-ness and widespread use of improved, disease-resistant hybrid maize seed varieties that can resist striga and fall armyworm infestation thereby boosting yield. It all starts with the right seed”, he said.

He maintained that, “If 50 per cent of farmers adopt and plant hybrid varieties, this singular act can double the country’s maize yield from the current two metric tonnes per hectare to over four metric tonnes per hectare, thereby causing annual production to increase to about 20 metric tonnes .”

Karume stated that, ECOBasic Seed was established to bridge the existing gap in early genera-tion seeds production in Nigeria so as to drive the sector with high quality seeds.

Francis Sardauna in Katsina

Police operatives in Katsina State have killed four terrorists in Kanyar-Nagora and Tugu Gari villages in Kankara and Matazu Local Government Areas of the state after a fierce gun duel with the hoodlums.

The spokesman of the state police command, Gambo Isah, who disclosed yesterday while briefing journalists in Katsina, said three terrorists were killed

in Kanyar-Nagora village and one in Tugu Gari.

He added that the police operatives also set ablaze terrorists’ enclaves at Yellawa and Hakin-Biri villages in Danmusa local government, including that of a notorious terrorist, Na-Iraqi, in Safana local government.

He explained that operatives of the command recovered 186 rustled cows, sheep and two operational motorcycles of the

terrorists during the fierce and sting operations in the affected villages.

Isah, a superintendent of police, said: “On 11th March, 2022 between 10:30hrs, a cred-ible intelligence was received terrorists in their numbers on motorbikes, shooting sporadi-cally with AK 47 rifles attacked Yanmama village, Malumfashi LGA and rustled cows and were on their way into the forest.

“The DPO of Kankara was alerted to block their exit route into the Rugu forest. The team succeeded in blocking the terrorists at Kanyar-Nagora and had a fierce gun duel with them. Three terrorists were neutralised and seven cows recovered.

“The team also successfully repelled the terrorists’ attack on Tugu Gari village and neutralised one of them and recovered 32 cows and 23 sheep.”

Michael Olugbode in Abuja

The National Drug Law En-forcement Agency (NDLEA), at the weekend scaled up its preparedness to wage relentless war against drug cartels in Nigeria when 650 officers of its Strike Force unit graduated from the Nigerian Army School of Infantry, NASI, Jaji, Kaduna state after weeks of rigorous

specialised trainings.Speaking at the ceremony,

Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (rtd) told the graduating Strike Force operatives “to be mindful that today is a milestone in your professional career in the agency. This specialised training and the skill acquired thereof will no doubt enhance your competence in the special role you are playing for

the agency in the war against illicit drugs.”

He said: “It is important that I should remind you that as the agency scales its operation against illicit drugs trafficking, your service will become increasingly essential to the successful attainment of our organisational goals. The special nature of your training requires that you serve as force multiplier to the conventional

NDLEA staff in the field. I have no doubt that you will measure up to the demand of the job because generations of military and paramilitary personnel have passed through this course and have distinguished themselves on the field. Moreso, the progress report I received, including on-the-spot assessment, confirmed that the objective of the course has been achieved.

CELEBRATING SUCCESS … L-R: Women in Successful Careers (WISCAR), Advisory Board Member, Mrs. Habiba Balogun; WISCAR Advisory Board Member, Mrs. Toki Mabogunje; Representative of UN Women to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Ms. Comfort Lamptey, Founder and Chairperson WISCAR, Mrs. Amina Oyagbola and the United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Mr. Matthias Schmale, at a dinner in honor of Ms. Comfort Lamptey recently held in Lagos.

NEWSXTRA CICERO/INTERVIEW6 9T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R MARCH 13, 2022

Chuks Okocha and Sunday Aborisade in Abuja

The Chief Whip of the Senate, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, has also denied the alleged plot to frustrate the National Convention of the ruling party, describing as unfortunate, allegations against him by the former director general of the Progressives Governors Forum, Dr. Salihu Lukman.

The former PGF scribe had in a statement, alleged that Kalu and some party leaders were working with Buni to undermine the March 26 national convention of the party.

But the former governor of Abia State, in a statement personally signed by him in Abuja, yesterday said Lukman’s accusations against him was far from the truth.

“In a statement credited to Lukman , he specifically noted that “there are other party leaders, including Senator Uzor Kalu who have actively supported His Excellency Mai Mala to undermine the deci-sion to organise the National

Convention of the party. “It is on this note that I

consider it necessary to correct the wrong impressions Lukman must be making efforts to create.

“There has been no time I participated in any collabora-tion or collusion to ensure that attempts to organise the APC National Convention are blocked.

“It will be recalled that on the December 15, 2021 , I made an appeal to the party and the Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee members to consider postponing the national convention earlier slated for February.

“I had warned that holding the convention in February without sorting out the minor disagreements that arose during the Congress would lead to implosion .

“I was worried that , the creation of factions which denied the party victory in so many states in the past elections may repeat itself. I, therefore called for a peaceful resolution of the crisis before holding the

Convention. No peaceful and tactful leader, would support a terrible scenario to reoccur.

“It is important to note that I have always stood for and sup-ported the party and Governor Mai Mala Buni only happened to be the Chairman of the party.

“Aside serving as the Chairman of the party, Buni is my old family friend and I cannot deny him because he is facing challenges today. We have been friends and family for the past 25 years.

“It is imperative to state that Buni has done very well for the party . His sterling leadership quality is what helped stabilise our great party across the six geopolitical zones, with high profile defections in our favour .

“In this time of challenge and misunderstandings, I am calling on the party leaders and stakeholders to guard their utterances to avoid creating more disharmony . Even in a nuclear family, disagreements and quarrels exist,” Kalu explained.

Kalu urged President Muham-madu Buhari to hear the two sides of the story so that the party can win together.

Kalu Debunks Alleged Plot to Frustrate APC Convention

Girl-child Empowerment, Panacea to Gender Discrimination, Poverty, Says OkowaOmon-Julius Onabu in Asaba

Delta State Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, has stressed the need for more programmes that would empower the girl-child as a means of tackling gender discrimination as well as poverty and low self-esteem especially among young and under-privileged female members of the society.

He expressed confidence that such deliberate intervention targeted at the girl-child was bound to improve the economic cum social status of girls and young women, which he said would engender a positive spiraling effect on society in diverse respect.

The governor made these remarks in Asaba at the graduation of beneficiaries of the 2021/2022 Girls’ Entrepre-neurship and Skills Training Programme (Project GEST).

He noted that empowerment of the girl-child within the age bracket of 18 to 30 years, which has become a major

public policy issue globally, has been a major plank in his administration’s job and wealth creation programme.

Okowa said, “Six months ago, the second cycle of trainees under the Girls’ Entrepreneurship and Skills Training Programme (GEST) commenced.

“It gives me great pleasure today to witness their inaugura-tion into the world of business and entrepreneurship.

“It is instructive that this event is taking place 48 hours after the 2022 International Women’s Day, with the theme `Gender Equality Today for a Sustainable Tomorrow’.

“The focus is on how to “Break the Bias” that women face every day in the global mar-ketplace and thereby accelerate gender parity, equality, inclusion, and diversity.

“This is in tandem with the philosophy of GEST, which is to tackle the is-sues of gender discrimination, poverty, early/forced marriage,

identity crisis, social and parental pressure, poor life skills (com-munication, decision making, goal setting) and low self-esteem, among young women.

“Today, as we resource and unleash 814 young women into the business world, we can beat our chests that this administration is recording significant milestones in breaking the bias against women in business.

“I urge the GESTpreneurs’’ to break free from the mindset of mediocrity, advising that to excel in the marketplace, they must make quality products and excellent service delivery their unique selling points.

“From your carriage, pre-sentation, and appearance, you should always exude confidence, and instill same in your prospective customer.

“The truth about business is that people believe in you first before they believe in your product; in other words, they buy into your personality first before they consider what you want them to buy.”

Francis Sardauna in Katsina

The Katsina State Governor Aminu Bello Masari, has urged aggrieved members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to sheath their swords and work for the party’s victory in the April 11 local government polls in the state.

Masari, while addressing the APC bigwigs at a stakeholders’ meeting in Government House yesterday ahead of the council elections, said the unity of the ruling party was sacrosanct.

According to him, all those aggrieved as a result of the recent local government primaries

should please sheath their swords and work for APC to win the April 11 local govern-ment elections.

“As I always say, it is better for my enemy in APC to win an election than for someone outside the party to win. So, all aggrieved members should be patient and tolerant. Those who succeeded should be accommodating. It has to be all-inclusive in order for it to succeed.”

Masari urged the leadership of the party to begin the process of reaching out to aggrieved members of the party and assist the party’s candidates across the

34 local government areas of the state to win the forthcoming council polls.

The State APC Deputy Chair-man, Bala Abu Musawa, while addressing journalists shortly after the meeting, refuted claims that the party had imposed some candidates in some local governments for the April 11 exercise.

He said the party would present APC flags to all its flag-bearers on 30 March in Kankia Local Govern-ment Area of the state and commence state-wide rallies ahead of the local government elections.

LG Polls: Sheathe Your Swords, Work for APC’s Victory, Masari Tells Aggrieved Members

Most Self-acclaimed Leaders of Terror are Gone, Others Need to Surrender, Says Amao

Ithan land assets?

-

Perhaps the biggest investment in Air equipment this decade has been the Super Tucano Jets. So far, how much impacts have these jets achieved?

How much precision do the Super Tucano jets have?

-

The Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Zulum, recently confirmed that thousands of insurgents have surrendered. What is influencing the high rate of surrendering?

-

Despite more than 36,000 that have surrendered, we still hear of attacks every day. How many Boko Haram / ISWAP members are fighting?

What is your assessment and outlook for the Niger Delta region?

-

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Amao

UNDERMI NI NG THE GENDER AGENDA

B A C K PA G E C O N T I N U AT I O N

70 T H I S DAY, T H E S U N DAY N E W S PA P E R

Buhari

000 barrels per day because total Federation entitlement sometimes doesn’t even amount to that. But because the national oil company has become the sole supplier of petrol, almost all of Federation’s oil now goes the Direct Sale Direct Purchase (DSDP) arrangement.

And this is where it gets really interesting. The national oil company is required to pay for the full value of the oil allocated to it but it is allowed to deduct costs upfront. It pays in Naira, not dollars, and mostly at a different exchange rate. By the time NNPC deducts costs of subsidy (sometimes called under-recovery or value shortfall recovery) and subtracts amounts for crude losses, pipeline repairs and maintenance, and sometimes fund for strategic projects, there is hardly any money left. In its February 2022 report to FAAC, the national oil company said the total value of domestic crude and gas revenue for January 2022 was N253.4 billion while the PMS (petrol) value shortfall recovery was N210.3 billion. So, subsidy alone wiped out 83% of value for domestic crude and gas revenue. The N3 trillion estimated for subsidy for 2022 was not based on the current price of crude oil. If crude stays above $100 per barrel, and it is likely to, subsidy will go north too, and may either equal or even surpass government’s total revenue from the oil and gas sector.

As stated earlier, NNPC pays for the value of the crude that it receives for domestic consumption in Naira. This can be justified since NNPC sells the petrol in Naira. But a major problem here is that Nigeria doesn’t earn corresponding foreign exchange from the bulk of the oil that still accounts for more than 80% of its exports. Note that through the DSDP, the national oil company basically tells the oil traders to give it petrol for the value of the crude they receive from it. While this arrangement ensures that petrol is available most times and at a subsidised price, it affects dollar inflows to Nigeria.

In January 2008, 69.4% of the dollar inflows that came through the CBN came from the oil sector. In September 2021, only 7% of the dollar inflow through CBN came from the same sector. While it is true that oil production in January 2008 was 2.1 million barrels per day against about 1.4 million per day in September 2021 and that oil price was $92 and $74 per barrels respectively, the difference in volume and price does not fully explain why oil inflow through CBN fell from $3.45 billion in January 2008 to $569.75 million in September 2021. You can plot a line from the commencement of DSDP to the dramatically reduced dollar inflow from oil, irrespective of oil price. So, if you are looking

for why the central bank is rationing dollars and your bank is limiting your monthly limit on your Naira card to $20 at a time of rising oil prices, now you have an answer.

In sum, potential increase in the ever-expanding subsidy, low or no spare production capacity, shrinking share of dwindling oil production, and decreasing dollar inflows are likely to stand between us and reaping corresponding benefits from the current oil shock which actually predated the war in Ukraine. Even if we are able to capture some benefits from the war and the sanctions, especially from the gas subsector, there is no guarantee that the benefits will immediately impact the mass of our people. However, most people, especially the vulnerable, are already feeling the pinch. To start with, we import a lot of things, including food items and intermediate goods. Higher energy costs and higher inflation in Western countries will pass through and affect prices here.

Second, we get substantial supply of some items from Russia and Ukraine, and both the war and the sanctions will constrain supply of these items and push up prices. For example, we rely on Russia for 26% and on Ukraine for 4% of our wheat imports. In 2019, we expended $1.48 billion on importing wheat, our third highest import. Price of wheat has increased by more than 60% in the last few months, and this has impacted the price of flour, and ultimately will touch the price or size of bread, a staple in many homes. The supply and price of fertiliser and cooking oil are likely to be impacted too because both Russia and Belarus are leading exporters of ammonia and Ukraine is the leading exporter of sunflower oil. The price of diesel has hit the roof, with grim implication for household and industries, especially at a time of erratic power supply. Both the IMF and The Economist have projected increased hunger and even possible unrests in Africa and the Middle East because of the war and the sanctions.

Third, there is likelihood of increased pressure on the Naira, as we need to find 50% to 100% more dollars to import wheat and other critical items. The CBN has rolled out an intervention to increase local production of wheat. Even if this works out, it won’t mature in time to take care of this immediate shock. The forex rationing is on already. It is reasonable to expect more.

Our economy is already in a hard place. Current hike in oil price may further constrain, rather than expand, the room for manoeuvre. But we have to manoeuvre, and quickly too. Government needs to swing into action, anticipating and responding to how our already pressed people are likely to take the hit. It is important to consider measures that can bring down food prices such as releasing grains from our reserves and removing tariffs and restrictions. That will be lost revenue for government but it will bring some ease to the populace. Having robust savings could have strengthened the hands of government to undertake other measures. Unfortunately, that window is not open. When the global meltdown hit in 2009, Nigeria had $20 billion in Excess Crude Account. As at January 17, 2022, the balance in ECA was $35.8 million.

Given that options are limited and the impacts will be immediate, Nigeria should rally other African countries to seek support or concessions from Western countries and multi-lateral institutions. We should also lead advocacy for the war to end because though it is not our war, we are on the economic frontlines, and we don’t have the flexibility that others have. But once the dust settles, we need to restart frank discussions not just about savings, perverse incentives, food and energy security, deregulation and subsidy removal but also about how we have done an awful job in managing our petroleum sector and what we can still salvage as we prepare for energy transition. Time is of essence on all fronts.

MANAGI NG RI SKS TO NIGERIA’S ECONO MY F RO M RU S S I A-U KRAI NE WAR

And Four Other Things…SO LONG, S.O.Pastor Sunny Obazu-Ojeagbase (S.O.), the legendary journalist who transformed sports journalism in Nigeria with Sports Souvenir, Complete Football and Complete Sports, recently died at 71. It was a life well spent, although I think he did not get the recognition he deserved from a country that ends up giving national honours to mediocre characters. I had done my internship with Complete Football in 1991 and gained something like part-time employment thereafter, and he gave me my first job in October 1993 straight after my national service — thanks to the mentorship of Dr Abdulmumin Alao, the editor at the time. Ojeagbase’s footprints will remain visible and indelible for ages. Adieu.

DEFECTION DEFECTSI understand the media outburst of Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi state following a high court judgment that he has to lose his position for defecting from the PDP, on whose platform he became governor. Defection is as moral as it is legal. Why leave the party that brought you to office and still retain the position? Having defected from PRP to NPP, Alhaji Abubakar Rimi resigned as Kano governor “on moral ground” ahead of the 1983 elections. This issue of defection has to be legally resolved once and for all, possibly through a constitution amendment. I don’t like it but it has become part of our evolving political culture and maybe it should be fully permitted. Reality.

RUSSIAN ROULETTEIt is now time for me to confess that I never knew how important Russia was to global economy until its war against Ukraine started. I knew Russia to be a big supplier of oil and gas to Europe but I never thought the country had any impact on food prices — until I started reading recently that it is a major exporter of wheat. The sanctions mean the prices of bread and noodles will go up in Nigeria because we import wheat from Russia. It is also a major producer of inputs into fertilizers, so we cannot escape higher food prices, coming at a time the world is still recovering from COVID-19. Soaring oil prices are, meanwhile, hurting homes and threatening global economy. Snookered.

WEIGHTY EIGHTYPastor Enoch Adeboye, the general overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), recently marked his 80th birthday to wide acclaim. It was well deserved. The former university teacher, who holds a PhD in applied mathematics from the University of Lagos, is many things to many people, but one interesting thing I find quite commendable about his ministry is how he has managed to bring millions across denominations and even across religions under one roof at the monthly Holy Ghost night. He has also managed to stay out of scandals in a terrain full of booby traps and landmines. I wish him a longer, healthier and more fruitful life ahead. Felicitations.

only Nigerian men to become citizens. An attempt to extend this right to the women was defeated.

An argument can be made that how many foreign spouses of the women would really want to take up Nigerian citizenship in the first place? But this completely misses the point about gender inequality. Why should the spouse of a man be entitled to citizenship by registration but that of a woman is not? We preach equality all the time. We say what is good for the goose is good for the gander. Or, more appropriately, what is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander. What many don’t know is that goose is female and gander is male. An amendment would have established the principle of gender equality, even if foreign male spouses would not take up Nigerian citizenship.

The bill for affirmative action — to give women at least 35 percent of elected and appointed spaces at federal and state levels — was defeated 34-53 in the senate but the house favoured it by 195-107. The indigeneship rights bill to allow a woman to be regarded as an indigene of her spouse’s state after a minimum of five years of marriage also failed to make the cut. The heaviest defeat came in the bill seeking to give reserved legislative seats to women: senate voted 58-30 and house 208-81 against it. For an amendment to pass, both chambers must agree. It then goes to the 36 state houses of assembly for concurrence. At least 24 must vote “yes” for any amendment to be final.

By the way, I am not in full support of all the gender bills. I do not support, for instance, that additional 111 legislative seats should be created and reserved for women. For one, we are going to be unnecessarily increasing the running cost of government

— assuming we believe every kobo should count. I would favour a different strategy: promoting gender equity among the parties. The lowest-hanging fruit is to make the parties reflect gender in picking candidates, rather than for us to blow up the size of the legislature. I would also propose that governorship and presidential tickets should have gender balance. And we need to start naming and shaming parties over gender issues.

I am in support of the indigeneship rights to the extent that it should apply to all, not just women or those who marry outside their states of origin. Every Nigerian should have a right to be treated as a bona fide citizen of where they reside and pay their taxes. They should enjoy every right and privilege accorded to “indigenes”. We have been complaining about this indigene thing for long. It is a scandal that the lawmakers have never taken any step to address it, despite the billions we spend on constitution review all the time. It is nothing but regressive thinking to be talking about “indigene” in a modern world where Nigerians are elected legislators or given appointments abroad.

On a fairly positive note, the bill seeking to give women at least 20 percent of the slots for commissioners and ministers sailed through. It should be 35 per cent; and who says it cannot be 50 percent? There is a latent assumption that we are doing women a favour and they should be thankful that 20 percent was given to them at all. I say “thank you” to the lawmakers for even making it a legal requirement at all — at least, it will be justiciable if the provision scales through at the state houses of assembly and becomes constitutional. But nobody is doing women a favour by promoting gender equity. It is

common sense and natural justice. Thank you, guys, all the same.

Let me come clean at this point: I have a daughter, three sisters and an army of aunties, female cousins and nieces. I may, therefore, not be an unbiased commentator on gender matters. I don’t want my daughter to be treated as a second-class citizen anywhere, much less in her own society. I don’t want her to be told that her future husband can molest her as a form of enforcing “discipline”. I don’t want her to be told she cannot be president, or senate president, or even speaker, or chief of army staff. I don’t want her to be told that because she is a woman, she is of less value to the society and should take the back seat. My daughter is not inferior to any man in any ramification.

I believe the origin of treating women as lesser mortals in the African society might have been rooted in primitive farming, when able-bodied men were used as tractors. Since male muscles are biologically stronger than female ones, our forefathers apparently preferred male children because they were better for business. Women were limited to fetching water, preparing meals and getting pregnant. But the world has changed over time. We now have tractors and pipe-borne water, so human beings have become incomparably more productive physically and intellectually. The gender chauvinism, passed from generation to generation, will take a lot of efforts and time to dismantle.

Women lag behind men for various reasons. Because the male child is preferred, he gets the necessary investment from birth. The parents want him to become a doctor, an accountant, an engineer, etc. The girl-child is not seen as adding much value, so she is being prepared to breed children and tutored to be “a wife

material”. She will not be on the table where critical decisions that shape society are being taken. Those taking the decision will continue to entrench masculinity. In the end, more will be given to the men who already have, while even the little that the women have will be taken away. Male domination is thus reinforced from generation to generation.

Our society can be quite funny. The same patriarchal system that treats women as second-class humans also celebrate them as heroines. On the balance, we celebrate our mothers more than our fathers. In Yoruba language, many prayers and sayings are positively tied to “abo” (female) than “ako” (male). We pray “odun yi ay’abo”, meaning this year will be fruitful/productive “like a woman”. There is “ako iba” — the severest form of malaria. Some pray to have a girl as first born — it is called “owo ero”, meaning you have started a family on a pleasant/less stressful note. Yet the same culture says a woman cannot talk or preside where men are gathered. The dissonance!

Back to my maiguard. Exactly two weeks ago, he called me excitedly: his wife had just been delivered of a baby boy. The scan was incorrect. Trust me to tease him: “Another Musa is born! Family land for you!” I now officially call him “Baba Bomboy”. You could see his raised shoulders. You would be mistaken to think it is only villagers that sell the fable that a boy is of more value than a girl. Many of our legislators are not any better. They junket across advanced countries and see how gender inequality is being addressed. It is not solely an African problem, we appear to be too slow in tackling it. We need to urgently retrace our steps. What is sauce for the gander is sour for the goose.

71

SUNDAY SPORTSTHISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER MARCH 13, 2022

Cistiano Ronaldo scored his first Manchester United hat-trick in 14 years as Tottenham were defeated in a thrilling encounter at Old Trafford.

The brilliant Portuguese put United ahead twice before head-

ing home the winner from Alex Telles’ corner nine minutes from time, the 807th goal of his career.

Tottenham twice responded to Ronaldo’s ef-forts, through a Harry Kane penalty and a Harry Maguire own goal.

But it was Ronaldo who had the final word, completing his first United treble since January

Edited by: Duro Ikhazuagbeemail:Duro.Ikhazuagbe@thisdaylive.com

Duro Ikhazuagbe

PREMIER LEAGUE

Cristiano Ronaldo (centre) celebrating his first hat trick for Manchester United in 14 years as the Red Devils defeated Tottenham Hotspur 3-2 ....yesterday

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has said that it is up to Mohamed Salah over whether the forward signs a new deal with the club.

Salah’s current deal runs until the end of next season. He was on scorer’s sheet as Liverpool defeated Brighton 2-0 yesterday.

The 29-year-old has previously saidhe wants to stay but that his future is in Liv-erpool’s hands and he is not asking for “crazy stuff”.

“Mo definitely expects this club to be ambitious and we are. It’s Mo’s decision. The club did what it can do, that’s how it is,” said Klopp.

“There’s nothing to say about it, it’s all fine.“From my point of view, it’s exactly like

it should be in this moment in time and everything is said.

“Nothing happened further, so no signing, no rejection or whatever. So we just have to wait for that, it’s completely fine.

“There is no rush in that situation.”Salah joined Liverpool from Italian club

Roma in summer 2017 and has scored 152 goals for the club in 237 appearances.

He has helped the club win the Premier League, Champions League, League Cup, FIFA Club World Cup and UEFA Super Cup during his time at Anfield.

Klopp Insists it is up to Mo Salah to Decide New Reds’ Contract

Falconets Hammer Senegal 3-1, Put One Foot in FIFA World Cup

Ronaldo’s First Hat Trick in 14 Years for United Wins Five-Goal Thriller with Spurs

Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has charged the State’s Sports Commission Board to develop 10,000 athletes in different field of sports in the next five years.

Obaseki gave the charge while inaugurating the Yusuf Alli led Sports Commission in Benin City, capital of the state.

He admonished them to pursue policies that would ensure Edo dominate the country in the development and training of athletes.

According to him, “Edo is synonymous with Sports. We owe what we met on the ground to the next generation by catching them young, and rethink sports with all resources we have.

“We have to catch them in schools and those outside school. Success to me will be when we have more than 10,000 Edo people, young men and women, who are so good in sports and can find opportunities locally, nationally and globally.

“People need to prepare for the global market, why can’t we start now?

We just have to catch them young whether it is in swimming, Tennis, Basketball, Table Tennis, Handball or football.

“We should be able to say in five years time, we have trained between ten thousand to twenty thousand, and if one thousand of those become global stars, see what that would do for us,” he stated.

Obaseki also tasked the sports commission

Obaseki Tasks Edo Sports Commission to Develop 10,000 AthletesAdibe Emenyonuin Benin City

board to tap into funding from the private sector to develop infrastructure and drive sporting activities while calling for total reforms and transparency in the administration of sports associations.

He said: “Private capital is fundamentally different

from the way government capital behaves. “There is a high level of transparency because

anybody who puts money down wants to see through where that money is going to and how that money is being spent.

2008, in a 6-0 win over Newcastle.The result was a major confidence boost for

United before Tuesday’s Champions League last-16 second leg against Atletico Madrid.

It also moves them back into the top four and keeps Tottenham in seventh, although Arsenal - two points behind in fifth - remain favourites to clinch the final Champions League berth as they have four games in hand.

There were reports that Ronaldo is now the Fifa-recognised all-time top goalscorer, surpass-ing Josef Bican’s 805 goals but there are doubts about the Czech-Austrian’s figure - which includes reserve games.

The debate around Ronaldo’s value to this United team has been going on from the moment their season started to unravel barely a couple of weeks

after his much-heralded return.At 37, it is clear his best days are behind him.Yet he remains capable of such moments of

brilliance that it is hard to see how this present squad would benefit from him not being there.

His opener was a prime example.Fred’s deft flick to the side helped consider-

ably but Ronaldo’s two precise touches teed up the right-footed shot that flew over Hugo Lloris and into the top corner.

The second was further evidence of Ronaldo’s ability to exploit weakness. He timed his run to perfection as Jadon Sancho made the most of Sergio Reguilon’s struggles within the Tot-tenham defensive line to deliver the low cross that his vastly experienced team-mate turned home with ease.

Two-time World Cup silver medallists Nigeria all but assured of a spot at this year’s FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup finals after a sterling performance condemned Senegal’s U20 girls to a 3-1 defeat on home ground in Thies on Saturday evening.

Effervescent winger Flourish Sebastine, who plays her club football for Edo Queens, hit a hat-trick in the encounter at the Stade Lat-Dior and left no questions about the Falconets’ enthusiasm and determination to fly Africa’s flag in Costa Rica in five months’ time.

The nimble-footed forward started the carnage as early as the 9th minute, and then hit two quick goals in the second half as Senegal, who reached this stage after penalty shoot-out defeat of Mali in the fourth round, fell totally apart.

Togolese referee Vincenta Amedome offered the hosts a consolation goal from the spot in the 89th minute, after captain Oluwatosin Demehin had tripped a Senegalese forward in the Nigerian box.

The Falconets produced a masterclass performance with silky touches, good po-sitioning, on-field aptitude and proficiency.

The return leg will take place at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin City on Saturday, 26thMarch.

L-R (front row): Permanent Secretary, Edo State Sports Commission (ESC), Sabina Chikere;Executive Director, (ESC), Hon. Frank Ilaboya; Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki; Executive Chairman, (ESC), Yusuf Alli, and Secretary to the State Government, Osarodion Ogie Esq., after inauguration of members of the commission, at the Government House, in Benin City...at the weekend

Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium

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My maiguard was looking downcast. I asked him what the matter was and he replied with the obligatory “I am fi ne sir”. I was not convinced. I probed

further and he fi nally opened up: his wife was expecting another baby — and, going by the scan result, “it is a girl again”. He has had three girls and is desperately looking for a boy, despite the economic situation. He was plainly frustrated and trying to blame the wife. I took time to explain to him what they taught us in O’Level Biology about XX and XY chromosomes and how it is the man, and not the woman, that determines a child’s sex. I could have been talking to a wall. As far as he was concerned, his wife was the “Abi-girl”.

I then went slightly off-topic. “But why do you even think you need a male child? I don’t have a son and I have never felt like I killed somebody,” I joked. He said he wanted to perpetuate his family name. I laughed intensively and asked: “Do you know how many Musas we have in West Africa?” It’s not as if we are talking about Mansa Musa. I told him a bit of my family history. My surname, Kolawole, is my father’s fi rst name. It is not my “family name”. My grandfather was Gabriel Komolafe. My father was Kolawole Gabriel. He chose his father’s fi rst name as

SIMONKOLAWOLESIMONKOLAWOLELIVE! simon.kolawole@thisdaylive.com, sms: 0805 500 1961

Undermining the Gender Agenda

“Look at the once-powerful, main opposition Peoples Democratic Party now enfeebled and adrift and learn lessons in disunity,

mismanagement and corruption.” – President Muhammadu Buhari asking members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to learn from

the failure of the Peoples Democratic Party.

Buhari to APC Members

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Minister of Women Aff airs, Pauline Tallen

Continued on page 70

his own surname. His three younger sisters answered Komolafe before getting married and discarding the name entirely.

In other words, the Komolafe “family name” was not perpetuated and the last time I checked, heavens have not fallen. But it even got more interesting some years ago when I asked my grandmother (God rest her soul) a bit of our family history. She said Gabriel and Komolafe were my grandfather’s baptismal and middle names. Basically, his surname was his own name! The family name is Adigun but he refused to use it because it was associated with the family cult, she said. I was aghast. In a world where people are fi ghting for male children to perpetuate family names, my own father and grandfather wilfully discarded theirs. Else, I would be answering Simon Adigun today!

Not that my story swayed the maiguard. Not that I gave up either. I told him that since he has brothers who have male children, the family name would survive. If my family wants the Kolawole name perpetuated, I said, my younger brother has a male child so “Kolawole” is already “preserved” (whatever that means). His response made me laugh the more. “Oga, you know you are a big man, so it may not affect you. It means a lot to have male children in my community. Otherwise, nobody will respect you.” But I can tell he loves his daughters dearly. He fi nally arrived at what might be his real worry: “If I don’t have a male child, I will not be entitled to family land in the village.” Oh dear!

Although I joked it away by asking him to buy land in Lagos instead, something hit me hard and stuck out at the end of our one-hour conversation: the odiously chauvinistic mentality of the traditional, patriarchal part of the African society which can still not understand that a female child is a full, complete human being. The girl-child is seen as a handicap and, ultimately, a nonentity. A bosom friend of mine who had a son after a succession of three girls was congratulated by a family member who told him pointedly: “Finally, you can now say you have a child!” Can you beat that? The reality is that some still have blighted brains about the female gender in 21st-century Africa. It is what it is.

As we can see in the case of my maiguard who would not be entitled to family land because he was yet to have a son, some traditional African communities do not only discriminate against the female gender, they also visit the consequences of the chauvinism upon the parents. The National Assembly has just voted on a number of proposed amendments to the constitution and — surprise surprise — the female-specifi c bills were fl ung out of the window. The most glaring gender bias was in citizenship by registration. Section 26 of the 1999 Constitution allows foreign spouses of

Nigeria’s economy, ordinarily, should secure more benefi ts than losses from the ongoing war in Ukraine. Based on current realities, the chances of this happening are

slim. If the war and the attendant sanctions on Russia linger, Nigeria’s economy may actually slip into a more desperate state. The country may earn little or no windfall from the ongoing spike in the prices of oil and gas; and the expected boosts to budgets, savings, foreign reserves, and the national currency may not materialise. Meanwhile, the expected losses from the war/sanctions are already manifesting. People are taking the hit in their pockets. Prices of food and other basic items are soaring and are likely to fl y higher with the dramatic increase in commodity prices. All of these are likely to have negative implications for unemployment and poverty, which are already sky high, and economic growth, which though now positive is still fragile. Government needs to anticipate and manage the looming risks, especially to the most vulnerable.

Nigeria has walked with two eyes open into another avoidable bind. An oil-producing country shouldn’t be in such an obvious risk at a time of record-high oil prices. Apart from those under sanctions, hardly is any other leading oil producer in such a terrible spot. Brent crude briefl y touched $139 per barrel on Monday,

the highest price since 2008. That same day, the price dropped to $130 per barrel and kept falling. As at Friday, Brent crude was trading at $110 per barrel, which is still $48 or 77% higher than Nigeria’s budget benchmark price of $62 per barrel. With this, Nigeria should be facing a bright, not a grim, prospect. And the conversation should be on how not to waste the windfall this time or at least about how to use part of the boon to cushion the likely negative economic effects of the war and the sanctions on the poor. Alas, that is not where we are.

So how did we get to this confounding pass?For many reasons, most of which are self-

infl icted, we are not in a good position to benefi t optimally from the current hike in petroleum prices. The fi rst reason is that our oil production has declined precipitously over time. We have moved from producing an average of 2.51 million barrels per day in 2005 to an average of 1.31 million barrels per day in December 2021. In 16 years, we experienced an almost 50% reduction in production, and the culprit is not OPEC+’s decision to curtail global oil supply. It is largely due to aging infrastructure, underinvestment, incessant vandalism, fi scal uncertainties, policy fl ip-fl ops, and industrial-scale theft of crude oil. Nigeria cannot even meet its current OPEC quota of 1.72 million barrels per day. Anyone talking of Nigeria having spare capacity now is just sounding off.

The second issue is that based on the changing structure of oil production in Nigeria, the Federation gets lower proportion of the oil produced. From getting 56% of the 828 million barrels produced in 2000, the Federation now gets less than 30% of an average of about 1.4 million barrels per day. According NNPC’s most current monthly report, the one for August 2021, the Federation lifted 192m barrels out of the total 682 million barrels for the period between July 2020 and July 2021. That’s 28.2% as Federation’share. It is important to note that while total production between the two years reduced by about a fi fth, the proportion of the total production lifted by the Federation shrank by half.

The major reason for this dramatic reduction of Federation’s share of oil is that production shifted away from Joint Ventures (which give government more oil) to Production Sharing Contracts (PSCs) and other production arrangements which are more favourable to the companies. According to a 2019 analysis by the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), production from JVs tumbled from 97% to 32% of total oil production between 1998 and 2018. Overtime, the oil companies moved upstream to take advantage of more generous terms and to avoid the challenges from vandalism, community issues, crude theft and unpaid JV cash calls.

Managing Risks to Nigeria’s Economy from Russia-Ukraine War

Continued on page 70

The third major development is the gradual but now consequential change in how we allocate the portion of oil that goes to the country. Federation’s entitlement is usually broken into two: federation oil export and domestic allocation. In 2000, the oil due to the Federation was 465 million barrels, out of which 36 million barrels and 429 million barrels were allocated as domestic supply and federation export respectively. But the allocation formula changed dramatically in 2005 when out of a total of 456.4 million barrels of Federation’s entitlement, 160.9 million barrels were allocated for domestic supply and 295.5 million barrels for federation export. This means that allocation for domestic consumption moved from a mere 7% of Federation’s entitlement in 2000 to 35% in 2005.

The proportion of Federation’s oil that goes to domestic consumption—offi cially called Domestic Crude Allocation (DCA)—kept leaping. This is because of the decision to keep allocating 445, 000 barrels per day to NNPC for domestic use despite the well-known state of its four refi neries and despite that both total production and Federation’s share keep shrinking as stated earlier. Now with daily production averaging about 1.4 million barrels and government’s take falling below 30%, the picture is more dire. Currently, NNPC doesn’t receive 445,

WAZIRIADIOPOSTSCRIPT