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US: Rights Abuses, Impunity Hinder Our Full Partnership with Nigeria Chineme Okafor in Abuja The United States has said human rights abuses and impunity by the military hinders its ability to fully partner with Nigeria on security related issues. Speaking on the topic, "Nigeria: Challenges and

Prospects for Advancing Durable Peace", at the US Institute of Peace on Thursday in Washington, DC, US Under Secretary for Political Affairs, Thomas Shannon, Jr., noted that his recent meeting with Nigeria’s foreign affairs minister, Geoffrey Onyeama, at the United Nations General Assembly indicated that

the country was aware of the need to moderate the conduct of her military both on and off the battlefield in its security of the country. A copy of Shannon’s remarks obtained by THISDAY at the weekend, explained that rights abuses and impunity by the military could tarnish Nigeria’s

reputation across the globe, undermine citizens’ trusts for them, as well as impede counterterrorism efforts. Recently, Nigeria’s military has had a running battle with rights group over its conducts in its fight against terrorists in the Northeast, as well as in containing agitating groups

like the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), with the likes of Amnesty International (AI) frequently accusing it of extrajudicial killings and various degrees of rights abuses. Shannon, however said: “On security issues, Nigeria is an important leader and partner in the Lake Chad Basin

collaborating with its neighbours to defeat the scourge of Boko Haram and ISIS-West Africa. The United States supports this and other efforts to bring security and stability to citizens affected by violence. “At the United Nations last Continued on page 15

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Nigerian Leaders Seek a Better Nation at 57th Anniversary Police beef up security in North, Niger Delta Our Correspondents Notable leaders of thought, yesterday, joined millions other Nigerians across the world to celebrate the nation’s 57th independence anniversary,

as they unanimously in their respective messages sought a better country in unity and peaceful co-existence. Former Military President, General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida, in his message, asked

Nigerians to always embrace peace and dialogue, because "they are the antidotes for conflict resolution", adding that, "though the nation is bedeviled with senseless agitations and conflicts, there is the need for

careful appraisal of our journey to nationhood". He, however, declared that, "The resilience of the armed forces of Nigeria to curtail secessionists’ agitation throughout our nation's post-independence

era has reduced tensions and unnecessary destruction of lives and property." "As an active participant in the Civil War and as a retired military officer, with the hard lesson learnt, I will never be tired

of calling for the oneness and unity of our great nation. We will forever be ready to sacrifice for a united and prosperous Nigeria when called again.” Continued on page 10

Buhari:CallsforRestructuring Inspired Divisive Agitations Says national, state assemblies proper & legal fora for national debate Promises to address genuine grievances Seizes occasion to render stewardship, describes Anchor Borrowers Programme as outstanding success Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja President Muhammadu Buhari has said recent calls for restructuring provided avenue for “highly irresponsible groups to call for dismemberment of the country.” He said his government could not and would not allow such advocacy. In a national broadcast on Sunday morning to commemorate Nigeria’s 57th independence anniversary, President Buhari noted that calls for restructuring were quite proper in a legitimate debate. He, however, said “proper dialogue and any desired constitutional changes should take place in a rational manner, at the National and State Assemblies.” He said, “These are the proper and legal fora for National debate,

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not some lopsided, undemocratic body with pre-determined set of objectives.” The president’s independence anniversary broadcast came on the heels of the agitation of South-east based youth dominated secessionist group, Independent People of Biafra (IPOB), which was recently checkmated by the deployment of troops to the South-east and its proscription by government. Recalling sad memories of the civil war between 1967 and 1970, the President said, “As a young Army Officer, I took part from the beginning to the end in our tragic civil war costing about 2 million lives, resulting in fearful destruction and untold suffering. Those who are agitating for a re-run were not born by 1967 and have no idea of the horrendous consequences of the civil conflict which we went through.” He expressed disappointment in South-east leaders over their Continued on page 10

CELEBRATING CULTURE… L-R: Mr. William Steue; wife of Lagos State governor, Mrs. Bolanle Ambode; Superintendent, American International School of Lagos, Mr. Gregory Rayl; and Mrs. Funke Ade-Ojo, during the school's cultural day in Lagos…recently Kola Olasupo

T H I S D AY SUNDAY OCTOBER 1, 2017

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2017 • T H I S D AY T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R

PAGE TEN NIGERIAN LEADERS SEEK A BETTER NATION AT 57TH ANNIVERSARY Former Secretary-General of Commonwealth, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, said, “We should of course celebrate our 57 years of existence as a sovereign country, but at the same time, must resolve to deal effectively with the challenges, some of which are existential, facing the country. The undeniable reality of the current state of affairs in Nigeria is that the country, since the civil war, has never been as divided as it is now in the face of armed insurgency in the North-east, a threat of secession by some elements in

the South-east, rampaging Fulani herdsmen wreaking havoc in parts of the country, militancy in the Niger Delta, an economy just recovering from recession and incalculable damage being done to the country’s development by massive corruption.” To effectively tackle these challenges and put an already divisive country on the road to political stability and its deserved development, he said, “We must move from our present nominal to a true federalism. In other words, we must restructure the country’s present governance

architecture.” President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki, has called on Nigerians, regardless of their ethnic or religious affiliations, to work for peace, unity and stability of the country, even as he congratulated Nigeria for sustaining its status as a united and progressive country. In a statement by his Special Adviser, Media and Publicity, Mr. Yusuph Olaniyonu, the Senate President said it was necessary for all leaders: political, traditional, religious and business, to close ranks in

order to initiate and implement ideas and strategies that would further develop the country and increase the standard of living of the citizenry. "It is apparent that the need for peace, unity and stability in our nation cannot be compromised. Our togetherness, abundant resources and diversity are our greatest asset. Therefore, let us refrain from tendencies that tend to pull us apart”, Saraki said. On his party, the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, also called on Nigerians to be optimistic that

BUHARI: CALLS FOR RESTRUCTURING INSPIRED DIVISIVE AGITATIONS perceived failure to dissuade their young men from persistent agitation for secession, but praised their South-south counterparts for providing what he described as responsible leadership in their region. “I am very disappointed that responsible leaders of these communities do not warn their hot-headed youths what the country went through. Those who were there should tell those who were not there, the consequences of such folly,” the president said. He said the government was keeping faith with its pursuit of peace in the Niger Delta through dialogue with stakeholders, assuring that genuine grievances in the region would be addressed. The president said, “Government is grateful to the responsible leadership of those communities and will pursue lasting peace in the Niger Delta.” Seizing the occasion to render stewardship, the President said, "In the past two years, Nigeria has recorded appreciable gains in political freedom. A political party at the centre losing elections of state governor, National Assembly seat and even state assemblies to the opposition parties is new to Nigeria. Added to these are complete freedom to associate, to hold and disseminate opinions." Buhari said another demonstration of the country's political freedom under his administration was exemplified in the ruling party losing governorship, National Assembly and State Houses of Assembly polls to opposition parties.” He also described people's freedom to associate without any threat as a further show of prevalent political freedom which he described as a mark of political development. On security, Buhari who said the government was working assiduously to ensure the release of the last set of Chibok girls, disclosed that the military in its commitment to operational efficiency had established mobile strike teams in the North-east to serve as the platform for final conquest of Boko Haram. While thanking the armed forces for decimating Boko Haram's strength in the North-east, Buhari thanked neighbouring countries and the international community for their collaboration with Nigeria in the fight against terrorism. Furthermore, he said the military had succeeded in establishing naval presence in the Lake Chad Basin in pursuit of co-ordinated efforts to avert the re-launch of Boko Haram activities in the North-east. "Nigeria is grateful to its neighbours and the international community for the collective efforts to defeat this world-wide

menace of terrorism. Not even the most organised and most equipped police and security forces in the world can escape the menace of modern day terrorism as we have seen in recent years in Europe and other parts of the world. "But we are not letting up. Our Armed Forces in an effort to enhance the operational capability of troops of Operation Lafiya Dole have established Mobile Strike Teams in the North East. These will ensure the final push to wipe out the remnants of Boko Haram. "In addition, through targeted air strikes most of the leadership and identified logistics bases and routes of the insurgents have been neutralised. The armed forces have established a naval presence in the Lake Chad Basin as part of the coordinated military efforts to curtail the movements or re-emergence of the sect in the area. "Government is working round the clock to ensure release of the remaining Chibok girls, as well as other persons in Boko Haram captivity. Government will continue to support the Armed Forces and other security agencies to fight not only terrorism, but kidnapping, armed robberies, herdsmen/ farmers violence and to ensure peace, stability and security in our country," he added. On economy, Buhari who said his government would accelerate moves to tackle the country's challenges in this second half of his administration, also said the government would be alive to its effort to diversify the economy especially with what he described as the outstanding success of "anchor borrowers programme" launched in 2015. He listed the success of the programme to include: N43.92 billion released through Central Bank Nigeria (CBN) and 13 participating institutions; 200,000 small holder farmers from 29 states of the federation and 233,000 hectares of farmlands for the cultivation of rice, wheat, maize, cotton, soya beans, poultry, among others. He said with respect to the economy, government had remained pro-active in its diversification policy. The president further said the government had since December last year produced 7 million of 50 kilogrammes of fertiliser with 11 plants while 2.1 million metric tonnes had been reactivated and $150 million saved in foreign exchange adding that another N60 billion had been saved in subsidy. He said the move had resulted in the fall of the price of fertiliser from hitherto N13,000 to N5,500 adding that a presidential initiative to ensure the creation of 10,000 jobs by each state had

begun. Admitting that power supply has remained a huge problem in the country, Buhari however, said power generation attained 7,001 megawatts capacity on September 12 adding that with increasing investment in the power sector, Nigeria hopes to achieve 10,000 megawatts of power supply in 2020. The president said an investment avenue created for manufacturers, investors and exporters by the government had yielded $7 billion since its creation in April and consequently improved investors' confidence while inflation rate has continued to drop and exchange rate appreciating from N525/$ in February to N360/$ at the moment. He commended some state governments for supporting presidential agricultural initiative to boost the cultivation of rice, palm oil, rubber, cashew, cassava, potatoes and others crops. "Since December last year, this Administration has produced over 7 million 50Kg bags of fertiliser. Eleven blending plants with a capacity of 2.1 million metric tons have been reactivated. We have saved $150 million in foreign exchange and N60 billion in subsidy. Fertiliser prices have dropped from N13,000 per 50Kg bag to N5,500. "Furthermore, a new presidential initiative is starting with each state of the Federation creating a minimum of 10,000 jobs for unemployed youths, again with the aid of CBN’s development finance initiatives. "Power remains a huge problem. As of September 12th, production of power reached an all — time high of 7,001 Megawatts. Government is increasing its investment, clearing up the operational and financial log jam bedeviling the industry. We hope to reach 10,000 Megawatts by 2020. "Key priorities include better energy mix through solar and Hydro technologies. I am glad to say that after many years of limbo, Mambilla Power Project has taken off. Elsewhere in the economy the special window created for manufacturers, investors and exporters, foreign exchange requirements has proved very effective. Since April, about $7 billion has come through this window alone. The main effect of these policies is improved confidence in the economy and better investment sentiments. "The country has recorded 7 consecutive months of lower inflation, Naira rate is beginning to stabilize, appreciating from N525 per $1 in February this year to N360 today. Broad-based economic growth is leading us out of recession. In an effort to stabilise the

polity, he said the government had provided financial support to the tune of N1.642 trillion to the states to enable them pay salary arrears and pensions." On the fight against corruption, the president said corrupt elements had been attempting to frustrate the fight, using what he described as "judicial obstruction and political diversion." Nevertheless, he said to achieve optimal result, the government had empowered a team of prosecutors, assembled detailed databases and accelerated the recovery of stolen funds as he listed the administration's institutional reforms to include: enforcing Treasury Single Account, Whistle-Blowers Policy and Integrated Payroll Personnel and Information System. Buhari also listed further hopes of improving anti-graft war to include the signing of multilateral agreements with some countries as well as improved cooperation of the judiciary with federal government in the war against corruption. He commended the National Assembly for refocusing its oversight committees as he called on Nigerians to join the war against corruption by refusing to accept bribe, reporting unethical practices and blowing the whistle. "We have signed multi-lateral cooperation agreements on criminal matters with friendly countries. There are signs of increasing cooperation from the Judiciary. Recently the Chief Justice of the Federation directed Heads of all our courts of first instance and appeal to accelerate hearings of corruption cases and dismiss any judicial officers found to have been compromised. Justice Salami has just been appointed to chair the judiciary’s anti-graft committee. Government expects a lot from this committee. "I commend the National Assembly for refocusing on its oversight committees. They should, in addition, ensure swift passage of enabling corruption laws. But fighting corruption is a bottom to top operation. I call on all Nigerians to combat corruption at every turn. By not asking for and refusing to accept a bribe, by reporting unethical practices or by blowing a whistle, together we can beat corruption. "The government on its part will work for accountability at all levels - federal, state and local governments. Change will then be real. As we enter the second half of our term of office, we intend to accelerate progress and intensify our resolve to fix the country’s challenges and problems," he submitted.

the country would overcome her challenges. In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media, Mr. Uche Anichukwu, Ekweremadu said although Nigeria was bedeviled by myriad of challenges, it would bounce back to reckoning, with a positive mindset and leadership. “I am an optimist. As a matter of principle, I prefer to see the positive sides of life without also overlooking the problems. At 57, we have no doubt we have our challenges as a nation. But we have also made progress. We survived a civil war to remain one country,” he said. Former President of the Senate, Senator David Mark however called for a renaissance spirit among Nigerians as a panacea to the current socio-economic and political challenges. Mark, in a statement, called on Nigerians not to despair despite the difficulties, but to re-enact the indomitable spirit, that has seen the nation through tough times in the past. "We can surmount our challenges if we collaborate and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara urged Nigerians to strengthen the bond of unity and cohesion as a people of common interest and destiny in the process of nation-building. Dogara, in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Public Affairs, Turaki Hassan, said Nigeria would only attain greatness in an atmosphere of peace, unity and stability and therefore enjoined the citizens to shun every harbinger of hate, division and violence. Deputy Speaker of the House, Hon Sulaimon Lasun Yussuff, on his part, appealed to Nigerians to continue to live together in harmony, love and peace. Lasun, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Wole Oladimeji, reiterated his call for unity and peaceful co-existence, which according to him are the major cores of prosperity. A former Inspector General of Police (IGP) and Chairman of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Alhaji Ibrahim Coomasie, in a telephone interview with THISDAY, decried the level of division among Nigerians, which he noted had led to skirmishes and agitations around the country. He urged Nigerians to do away with the divisive tendencies that have continued to threaten the corporate existence of the country. Afenifere Leader, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, harped on the need for restructuring and urged President Buhari to restructure the country to save it from crisis. “If he is sincere about keeping this country together in peace, this is the major problem. Don’t deceive yourself. If there is no political stability, there cannot be peace; if there is no peace, there won’t be progress… “Right now, we are being forced live together under a constitution that was enforced on us by the military containing things that were not in the agreement before independence. They should go back to the constitution that was formed by our founding fathers. I am old too enough for someone to be telling me unity first. Some of those people shouting unity were not born when we fought for independence. Why should they be afraid to go back to that constitution? Are they wiser than the founding fathers?” A former governor of Ogun

State and prominent leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Olusegun Osoba, said “We have suffered too much setback which has affected all aspects of our lives – economy, security, education, politics, infrastructure and even justice system. Virtually all aspects of growth have been affected in the last 57 years. “However, hope is not lost at all for Nigeria in spite of what we are passing through as a people and a nation. A lot must be done about Boko Haram in the Northeast; IPOB in the South-east, insurgencies in the South-south and inadequate governance in the South-west. Indeed, all these have really affected the economy of South-west.” Spokesman for the Northern Elders Forum (NEF), Prof. Ango Abdullahi, while expressing disappointments on the state of the nation, said the elite were responsible for the problems bedeviling the country and that Nigeria would not have been where it is today if the elite had played their role well. First Republic Minister and leader of the Ijaw Nation, Chief Edwin Clark, opined that a majority of Nigerians want the country to continue as one strong and united nation, but argued that since restructuring has remained a recurring decimal, government must have to provide the template for reconstructing the country and advocated that Nigerians must join hands with President Muhammadu Buhari to stop corruption. “My message for Nigeria is that we are all one. We all belong to one united country called Nigeria and we should not allow religion, ethnicity and politics to override the interest of Nigeria. We should all regard Nigeria as a first before any other thing.” Ambassador Yahaya Kwande, in his message, urged the political and religious leadership to strive more in uniting the country even as he backed the various calls for restructuring of the nation. Citing developed nations like Britain, Germany, USA and France, he said “They took advantage of their diversity to build a strong nation. We have both the human and natural resources to make a strong nation, and we must harness them.” Police Beef Up Security in North, Niger Delta The Nigeria Police yesterday said it had beefed up security measures across the country ahead of today’s independence celebrations following recent hate speeches and ultimatums targeting the national day. Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Jimoh Moshood, announced this in a statement released in Abuja. Moshood said as part of the measures to forestall any breach of the peace, especially in areas where groups had made demands accompanied by threats of violence, the police had deployed Assistant Inspectors General and Commissioners of Police to different parts of the country. In a related development, the military said the Chief of Defence Staff, General Gabriel Olonishakin, would be visiting troops fighting the Boko Haram insurgents in the North-east during the 57th independence festivities. SEE CONCLUDING PART ON WWW. THISDAYLIVE.COM

T H I S D AY SUNDAY OCTOBER 1, 2017

OCTOBER 1, 2017 ˾ T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R

SUNDAY COMMENT

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

NIGERIA AT 57: TIME FOR A RESET? The country is in dire need of reform

iding the surge of giddy good feelings associated with the period, President Muhammadu Buhari, accompanied by many dignitaries, last Friday, attended a special Juma’at service in commemoration of the nation’s 57th Independence anniversary. After the service, Bukola Saraki, the Senate President, asked reporters a rhetorical question: “What are we congratulating ourselves for?” to which he answered himself: “We have achieved a lot. We have been able to maintain our peace despite our diversity. The most important thing now is for us to stay together. We should continue to pray for the unity of Nigeria.” In many ways, Saraki was right. Despite the formidable challenges and obstacles, Nigeria has managed to remain one. All factors considered, that is almost akin to a miracle. But many will challenge the Senate president about other assumptions. With the new level of violence across the country and with many extremist groups sprouting out in different corners, Nigeria is a nation trapped in perpetual conflict. The union, to say the least, is still an uneasy one. Will Nigeria survive? After almost six decades of existence, it is a difficult question. Yet Nigeria started on a bright note. After independence in 1960, the regional governments went to work in the bid to make a difference in the lives of their people. The regions competed to show that they could do things better, as they brought new energy and resourcefulness to government and administration. But it was not to last. In 1966, the army struck and Nigeria has been on the slide ever since. Following three years of a brutal and bitter war, and after almost two decades of civil rule, the country is still in dire straits. Virtually everywhere, the news is grim. It was Lee Kuan Yew, the founding father of

Singapore, who said that the ultimate test of the value of a political system “is whether it helps to improve the standard of living for the majority of its people.”

In a profound sense, successive governments in Africa’s largest economy have not done much to improve the standards of living for majority of the people

Letters to the Editor

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

n a profound sense, successive governments in Africa’s largest economy have not done much to improve the standards of living for majority of the people. Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is among the lowest in the world. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, 100 million Nigerians were living in absolute poverty as at 2012 while the World Bank put the country’s level of poverty at 33.1 per cent as at 2014. The situation is now getting worse. Even more alarming was a recent report on fragile states index (FSI) for 2017, categorising Nigeria as the 13th most fragile state in the world. Compiled by the Fund for Peace (FFP), a Washington DC-based organisation, the report showed that Nigeria retained her 2016 unenviable position, indicating that not much progress had been made in the effort to remedy the political and socio-economic conditions that were dragging the country down the slope. However, nothing less was expected because of the rising tension occasioned by hate speech, divisive comments and a polity obsessed with ethnicity, religion and regions. Buhari was hailed as a strong man who would deal efficiently with Nigerians problems when he assumed power in 2015. Indeed, in his acceptance speech, he said, “Change has come and a new day and a new Nigeria is upon us.” However, as Buhari must have found out, the challenges are enormous. Happily, many Nigerians are of the belief that he is equal to the task and there are reasons for optimism, at least with the administration’s war against the country’s devastating malaise – corruption. We see in the present debate over restructuring of the federation for efficiency as also well intended. The nation should be freed from the stifling centralisation of power which has been the bane of innovation and enterprise. The least the government can do is to encourage the conversation and bring the wishes of the people to fruition. We wish all Nigerians the best on this 57th anniversary of our independence as a nation.

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.

GOVERNOR FAYOSE PRESIDENTIAL AMBITION

ne significant attribute one cannot take away from the Executive Governor of Ekiti State, Mr Ayo Fayose, is his close relationship with the people of Ekiti State, especially the masses. Mr. Ayo Fayose has earned himself a reputation in this regard and this feature has qualified him as a grassroot politician. He is always in the news, not for inauguration of state projects or any form of positive initiatives, but for being very critical and censorious of this present administration. I am constrained to agree that he is playing the roles of opposition anyway but his antics are now boring

and at peak of banality. His constant efforts at bringing the Buhari’s administration to its toes have made him a bigwig and stakeholder in Peoples Democratic Party. I used to be a fan of Mr. Ayo Fayose until the day he sponsored a newspaper advertorial during the buildup to the 2015 general election where he reminded Nigerians how all former heads of state from the North East died in office; therefore and according to his political calculation, Buhari who is also from the North and who was then the APC presidential aspirant could also die in office. This barbarity displayed by him didn’t go down well with right thinking Nigerians and he wasn’t even remorseful or

apologetic. Recently, the internet went agog when people woke up to the news that Mr. Fayose has declared his intention to become the next Nigerian President. In all fairness to Mr. Fayose, he has no legal impediment or encumbrance to aspire to such sensitive position but I vehemently assert that such ambition could remain a dream. My reasons are not far-fetched. One would have expected that someone with such a big aspiration would have played his game wisely, strategically and tactically from inception but naivety, tokenism and cronyism engulfed his sense of political arithmetic. The following are reasons I believe Mr. Ayo

Fayose’s presidential ambition is a farce: One, he has made himself the enemy of the North. Records have it that Northern part of the country has the highest collection of permanent voter cards across the country and has the highest number of votes in our electoral history. This position translates to mean that Mr. Fayose, being a sworn enemy of the North, cannot win most states in the North. Two, he is a friend of the East. Mr. Ayo Fayose has demonstrated his undying love for the Igbos and the South East generally through his words and conduct but unfortunately all the votes of the Igbos in general cannot make him a president. He should go and ask the former President Goodluck Jonathan. Three, he will have less support

from the South West. Already, most of the states in the southern part of the country are governed by the APC and the fact that controversies dogged Mr. Ayo Fayose’s path in government, he may not be the best from a state with intellectual resources. Four, PDP has already zoned the presidential ticket to the North. Mr. Fayose’s ambition might cause a division in the PDP and cause a great distraction to the party; therefore the party might be on another adventure to division and fracture. Let Mr. Fayose continue chasing shadow till we await the coming of real and serious- minded PDP presidential aspirants. ––Bakare Muhammed Funso, Lekki, Lagos

T H I S D AY SUNDAY OCTOBER 1, 2017

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2017 • T H I S D AY

FOR THE RECORD

We areTackling Our Challenges in Earnest Muhammadu Buhari

The APC Government’s Campaign rallying cry to restore security, re-balance the economy and fight corruption was not all rhetoric. The country must first be secured. The economy must be rebalanced so that we do not depend on oil alone. We must fight corruption which is Nigeria’s Number One Enemy. Our Administration is tackling these tasks in earnest.

My dear Nigerians, October 1st remains a special date for all Nigerians as this marks the day when we attained one of the most precious of human desires — freedom.. Over the years the country has gone through trials and tribulations, but October 1st is always a day for celebrations. It is a day for thanks giving, reflection and re-dedication. It is also a day for remembrance. We should remind ourselves of the recent journey from 1999 – 2015, when our country happily returned to democratic rule. However, in spite of oil prices being an average of $100 per barrel and about 2.1m barrels a day, that great piece of luck was squandered and the country’s social and physical infrastructure neglected. We were left with no savings and huge infrastructure deficit. The APC Government’s Campaign rallying cry to restore security, re-balance the economy and fight corruption was not all rhetoric. The country must first be secured. The economy must be re-balanced so that we do not depend on oil alone. We must fight corruption which is Nigeria’s Number One Enemy. Our Administration is tackling these tasks in earnest. In the past two years, Nigeria has recorded appreciable gains in political freedom. A political Party at the Centre losing elections of State Governor, National Assembly seat and even State Assemblies to the opposition parties is new to Nigeria. Added to these are complete freedom to associate, to hold and disseminate opinions. Such developments clearly attest to the country’s growing political development. But like all freedoms, this is open to abuse. Recent calls on re-structuring, quite proper in a legitimate debate, has let in highly irresponsible groups to call for dismemberment of the country. We cannot and we will not allow such advocacy. As a young Army Officer, I took part from the beginning to the end in our tragic civil war costing about 2m lives, resulting in fearful destruction and untold suffering. Those who are agitating for a re-run were not born by 1967 and have no idea of the horrendous consequences of the civil conflict which we went through. I am very disappointed that responsible leaders of these communities do not warn their hot-headed youths what the country went through. Those who were there should tell those who were not there, the consequences of such folly. At all events, proper dialogue and any desired constitutional changes should take place in a rational manner, at the National and State Assemblies. These are the proper and legal fora for National debate, not some lop-sided, un-democratic body with pre-determined set of objectives. Government is keeping up the momentum of dialogue with stakeholders in the Niger Delta to keep the peace. We intend to address genuine grievances of the communities. Government is grateful to the responsible leadership of those communities and will pursue lasting peace in the Niger Delta. SECURITY On security, Nigerians must be grateful to our gallant Armed Forces for rolling back the frontiers of Boko Haram’s terrorism, defeating them and reducing them to cowardly attacks on soft and vulnerable targets. Nigeria is grateful to its neighbours and the international community for the collective efforts to defeat this world-wide menace of terrorism. Not even the most organized and most equipped police and security forces in the world can escape the menace of modern day terrorism, as we have seen in recent years in Europe and other parts of the world. But we are not letting up. Our Armed Forces in an effort to enhance the operational capability of troops of OPERATION LAFIYA DOLE have established Mobile Strike Teams in the North East. These will ensure the final push to wipe out the remnants of Boko Haram. In addition, through targeted air strikes most of the leadership and identified logistics bases and routes of the insurgents have been neutralized. The Armed Forces have established a Naval presence in the Lake Chad Basin as part of the coordinated military efforts to curtail the movements or re-emergence of the sect in the area.

Buhari

Government is working round the clock to ensure release of the remaining Chibok girls, as well as other persons in Boko Haram captivity. Government will continue to support the Armed Forces and other security agencies to fight not only terrorism, but kidnapping, armed robberies, herdsmen/ farmers violence and to ensure peace, stability and security in our country. ECONOMY With respect to the economy, the Government has remained pro-active in its diversification policy. The Federal Government’s agricultural Anchor Borrowers Programme, which I launched in November 2015, has been an outstanding success with: • N43.92 billion released through the CBN and 13 participating institutions, • 200,000 small holder farmers from 29 states of the federation benefitting, • 233,000 hectares of farmland cultivating eight commodities, namely Rice, Wheat, Maize, Cotton, soya-beans, Poultry, Cassava and Groundnuts, in addition to fish farming. These initiatives have been undertaken in close collaboration with the states. I wish to commend the efforts of the Governors of Kebbi, Lagos, Ebonyi and Jigawa States for their support to the rice and fertilizer revolutions. Equally commendable are contributions of the Governors of Ondo, Edo, Delta, Imo, Cross River, Benue, Ogun, Kaduna and Plateau States for their support for the Presidential initiative for palm oil, rubber, cashew, cassava, potatoes and others crops. With the abundance of rainfall last year and this year, agriculture has enjoyed Divine intervention. Since December last year, this Administration has produced over 7 million 50Kg bags of fertilizer. Eleven blending plants with a capacity of 2.1 million metric tons have been reactivated. We have saved $150 million in foreign exchange and N60 billion in subsidy. Fertilizer prices have dropped from N13,000 per 50Kg bag to N5,500. Furthermore, a new presidential initiative is starting with each state of the Federation creating a minimum of 10,000 jobs for unemployed youths, again with the aid of CBN’s development finance initiatives. Power remains a huge problem. As of September 12th, production of power reached an all — time high of 7,001 Megawatts. Government is increasing its investment, clearing up the operational and financial log jam bedeviling the industry. We hope to reach 10,000 Megawatts by 2020. Key priorities include better energy mix through solar and Hydro technologies. I am glad to say that after many years of limbo, Mambilla Power Project has taken off.

I commend the National Assembly for refocusing on its oversight committees. They should, in addition, ensure swift passage of enabling corruption laws. But fighting corruption is a bottom to top operation. I call on all Nigerians to combat corruption at every turn. By not asking for and refusing to accept a bribe, by reporting unethical practices or by blowing a whistle, together we can beat corruption. The government for its part will work for accountability at all levels - Federal, State and Local Governments. CHANGE will then be real. As we enter the second half of our term of office, we intend to accelerate progress and intensify our resolve to fix the country’s challenges and problems

Elsewhere in the economy the special window created for manufacturers, investors and exporters, foreign exchange requirements has proved very effective. Since April, about $7 billion has come through this window alone. The main effect of these policies is improved confidence in the economy and better investment sentiments. The country has recorded 7 consecutive months of lower inflation, Naira rate is beginning to stabilize, appreciating from N525 per $1 in February this year to N360 today. Broad-based economic growth is leading us out of recession. Furthermore, in order to stabilize the polity, the Federal Government gave additional support to states in the form of: • State Excess Crude Account loans, • Budget Support Facility, • Stabilization Fund Release to state and local government as follows: •N200 billion in 2015 • N441 billion in 2016 •N1 trillion in 2017 Altogether totaling N1.642 trillion. This was done to enable states to pay outstanding salaries, pensions and small business suppliers who had been all but crippled over the years. In addition, the Government’s current N500 billion Special Intervention Programme is targeting groups through; •Home Grown School Feeding Programme, •N-Power Job creation to provide loans to small-scale traders and artisans, •Conditional Cash Transfer, •Family Homes Fund and •Social Housing Scheme. CORRUPTION Fellow Nigerians, We are fully aware that fighting corruption was never going to be a straightforward task. We expected corrupt elements to use any weapon to fight back, mainly judicial obstruction and political diversion. But we are determined to eradicate corruption from our body politic. In this fight, the Government has: •Empowered teams of prosecutors, •Assembled detailed databases, •Accelerated the recovery of stolen funds. The Administration’s new institutional reforms include: •Enforcing Treasury Single Account, •Whistle-Blowers Policy, •Integrated Payroll Personnel and Information System. We have signed multi-lateral cooperation agreements on criminal matters with friendly countries. There are signs of increasing cooperation from the Judiciary. Recently the Chief Justice of the Federation directed Heads of all our Courts of first instance and Appeal to accelerate hearings of corruption cases and dismiss any judicial officers found to have been compromised. Justice Salami has just been appointed to chair the Judiciary’s anti-graft committee. Government expects a lot from this Committee. I commend the National Assembly for refocusing on its oversight committees. They should, in addition, ensure swift passage of enabling corruption laws. But fighting corruption is a bottom to top operation. I call on all Nigerians to combat corruption at every turn. By not asking for and refusing to accept a bribe, by reporting unethical practices or by blowing a whistle, together we can beat corruption. The government for its part will work for accountability at all levels - Federal, State and Local Governments. CHANGE will then be real. As we enter the second half of our term of office, we intend to accelerate progress and intensify our resolve to fix the country’s challenges and problems. Thank you and a happy holiday to all of you. God bless our country. •Being the full text of President Buhari's national broadcast on the occasion of Nigeria's 57th Independence Anniversary, October 1, 2017

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ ͹˜ ͺ͸͹Ϳ

SUNDAYNEWS

15 News Editor Abimbola Akosile E-mail: ËÌÓ×ÌÙÖË˛ËÕÙÝÓÖÏ̶ÞÒÓÝÎËãÖÓàÏ˛ÍÙ×˜ ͸΀͸ͺͻ͹͹Ϳ;ͻ΁ ̙Ý×Ý ÙØÖã̚

Buhari, Ghanaian President, Obasanjo, Ekwueme Hail Okorocha’s Philanthropy Amby Uneze ÓØ áÏÜÜÓ

GRAND OPENING L-R: Secretary to the Ogun State Government, Taiwo Adeoluwa; musician, Olamide Adedeji, popularly called Badoo; Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun; and his wife, Olufunso, at the grand opening of Providence Centre in Abeokuta...weekend

Nigeria@57: Govs, Others Seek Sustainable Peace, Unity By Ernest Chinwo ÓØ ÙÜÞ ËÜÍÙßÜÞ˜ Mohammed Aminu ÓØ ÙÕÙÞÙ˜ Omololu Ogunmade, Onyebuchi Ezigbo ËØÎ Alex Enumah ÓØ ÌßÔË˜ Vanessa Obioha, Victor Ogunje ÓØ ÎÙ ÕÓÞÓ ËØÎ Yekini Jimoh ÓØ ÙÕÙÔË

The need for sustainable peace and developing the potential greatness of Nigeria reverberated through statements issued by prominent Nigerians to mark the country’s 57th independence anniversary. They all expressed hope in a promising and bright future for the country. In an Independence Day message, Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, called on Nigerians to be committed to building bridges of peace and development. Wike congratulated all Nigerians on the successful celebration of the 57th independence anniversary, noting that despite the challenges of nationhood, Nigeria will continue to make progress. He declared that the government and people of Rivers State would continue to work for a united Nigeria. He asserted that the state is not part of any agitation for secession, pointing out that Rivers people are committed to one, indivisible Nigeria. The governor reiterated his call for dialogue as a means of resolving all developmental, economic and political challenges facing the country. He called for better security and justice for all federating units to give all Nigerians a sense of belonging and de-escalate tension across the land. The governor assured all residents of Rivers State that his administration would always protect them. In the same vein, Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal of Sokoto State, has urged Nigerians to rededicate themselves to making the nation one of the greatest on earth. This, he said, can be achieved by making more investment in education and striving in order to secure a brighter future for Nigerian children. Governor Tambuwal said investments in education and technology will be worthy legacy to be bequeathed to the children

of Nigeria. “They are investments that will bring the best out of the next generation of Nigerians and enable us to reach our potential as individuals, communities and a nation. “We must continue to put the right policies in place and ensure diligent implementation of such policies. This is important because our children hold so much hope for our future and no investment can be said to be too much for them,” the statement read. In Bayelsa State, where the country’s 57th independence anniversary coincides with the 21st anniversary of the creation of the state, Governor Henry Seriake Dickson advised the people not to despair despite the challenges of the present times. He urged all Bayelsans and the Ijaw Nation to rekindle their hope in the greatness of the state and the country, for if Bayelsa is great, Nigeria will be great again. While paying glowing tributes to the founding fathers of Bayelsa State, Governor Dickson acknowledged their immeasurable sacrifice that resulted in Bayelsa becoming a reality. The governor therefore called on Bayelsans and all Nigerians to “take advantage of the double celebrations to reflect on where we were, where we are now and where we ought to be as a nation. “I therefore urge all Bayelsans and indeed Nigerians to rekindle hope in the state and in our country. We might not have attained the height we expect but it is also true that we are not where we were. Progress and development is block upon block. Gradually but steadily, we are making good progress,” he said. Also, former Governor of Kano state, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso has declared that the widespread ethnic agitations in the country are fuelled by lack of opportunities for dialogue and consultations. The former Governor, who spoke to newsmen in Abuja, said stakeholders in the polity must encourage dialogue. According to the Governor, stakeholders in the polity must

contribute to nation building by putting in place mechanism for dispute resolutions, through dialogue and consultations. He said: “Recent events in the country have called for concern to all well-meaning Nigerians, especially the agitations from different sections of the country. And this is happening against the back drop of various threats, counter threats and demand from different parts of our dear nation. “Collectively, all these issues constitute the prevalence of insecurity in the country and bringing forth the questions of peace and mutual coexistence of our diverse people.” The former Governor stated that in a democratic setting, “the political parties have the responsibilities to mobilize elected and all other members for nation building while putting in place mechanism for dispute resolutions, through dialogue and consultations.” He declared that it is the absence of platforms for dialogue

and consultations that is being exploited by ethnic and tribal champions to push through the unconstitutional ways of agitations. “Therefore, I urge all statesmen, traditional and religious leaders, and political parties to stand up and speak in the face of these challenges facing our country today. ”I want also want to commend the security agencies and the military for standing up to the challenges of the moment. However, they should be guided by their rules of engagement and work within the rule of law by exercising greater restraint under all circumstances and whatever level of provocation,” he said. On the rising agitation for Biafra from the South East, Kwakwanso appealed to all leaders across the country to rise to the occasion to stem the wave of agitations. He said the military must respect the rights of Nigerians during all operations while keeping to the rules of engagement.

JOHESU Suspends Strike The Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) has agreed to suspend its 10-day old strike. National Chairman of JOHESU, Mr. Biobelemoye Josiah, said this while briefing newsmen after the conciliatory meeting at the instance of the Minister of Labour and Employment yesterday in Abuja. Josiah said the leadership of JOHESU would hold an emergency National Executive Council (NEC) meeting on Oct. 3, with the hope of suspending the ongoing strike. “Our members are expected to arrive Abuja for the meeting on Tuesday to ratify the agreement reached. NEC will deliberate on the agreements reached with the Federal Government with a view to call off the on-going strike action early next week,” he said. Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Prof. Stephen Ocheni, also told newsmen

that all issues presented by the unions were exhaustively discussed. Ocheni said the agreement reached was with specific timelines. He added that committees were to be set up to deliberate on the new demands presented by the unions. JOHESU had embarked on an indefinite strike on September 20 over non-implementation of agreement reached with the Federal Government. The unions’ demands include adjustment of CONHESS salary as done for CONMESS since 2014, and abolition of scale to scale promotion, payment of outstanding arrears of promotion, skipping and relativity. Others are autonomy of Teaching and Specialist Hospitals, non-implementation of court judgments, review of retirement age from 60-65 years as done for the Tertiary Education Sector.

The two-week long activities heralding the 55th birthday of Imo State Governor, Chief Rochas Okorocha got to a climax weekend with the awards of honours and launching of a book, where Presidents Muhammadu Buhari, Nana Addo Akufo of Ghana, former President Olusegun Obasanjo and former Vice-President, Chief Alex Ekwueme jointly commended Okorocha’s philanthropic gestures. They described Okorocha as not only a wonderful man with a large heart to assist the children of the poor and less privileged to access education through his Foundation not only in Nigeria but in the African continent, but also a notable personality that fights for the unity of the country. They stated this yesterday in Owerri, the Imo state capital during the official unveiling of a book written on the Imo Governor by Dr. Wale Okediran with the title ‘Rochas Revealed’ as part of his 55th birthday celebration. President Buhari noted that Okorocha is a man with a passion for education and had been using his foundation to provide free education, not only for the less privileged in Nigeria but has also extended it to the entire African continent and therefore remains daring. Buhari, represented at the event by the Foreign Affairs Minister, Geoffrey Onyema, said, “Okorocha has passion for education and he has been using his foundation to ensure that the

children of the poor who could not go to school are now doing so because of the Rochas Foundation and I think that others should indeed emulate him.” Also, the president of Ghana said he was visiting Imo State for the second time because he shares the same passion with Okorocha for education especially the children of the poor. He said most of the advanced economies had achieved that feat because of their investment in the education of their youths especially the less privileged in the society. According to him, “education is the equalizer of opportunity. I am president today because of education and as a result we must continue to invest in education if Africa must develop beyond what it is today. That is exactly what the advanced countries like USA, Singapore, South Korea, Japan, UK and all the others in Europe have done to get to where they are today”. He added, “I have continued to associate with Governor Okorocha because he shares the same vision with me which is to ensure that even the less privileged in the society have access to quality education, and in Ghana I have made it a policy that every child must have access to at least secondary education.” Former President Obasanjo described Okorocha as a man with many parts who always thinks of how to achieve success even from the difficult terrain. According to him, Okorocha is a subject to be studied and revealed.

US: Rights Abuses, Impunity Hinder Our Full Partnership With Nigeria Continued from Page 1 week, the US government announced $54 million in additional humanitarian assistance for the Lake Chad region, bringing the total to almost $700 million over the past two years. While humanitarian support is an immediate necessity, it cannot be a long-term solution.” “My meeting with the Nigerian foreign minister last week was a great opportunity to learn more about what else the Nigerian government is trying to accomplish on the security front. It is clear to me that Nigeria is well aware that the fight against terrorism will be won not only by the military’s conduct on the battlefield, but also by its conduct off the field. “Nigeria understands that human rights abuses and impunity tarnish its international reputation, undermine the trust of its citizens, impede counterterrorism efforts, and ultimately hinder our ability to fully partner with Nigeria,” he added. He also talked about the country’s economy and the need to reactivateitspotentialsusingmarketdriven policies. “On the economic front, Nigeria stands apart. It is sub-Saharan Africa’s largest economy, and the UnitedStates’secondlargestbilateral trading partner in sub-Saharan Africa. Nigeria’s vibrant and dynamic economy, full of innovation and entrepreneurship, has driven its economic growth. According to Global Entrepreneurship Watch, 35 per cent of Nigerians are involved in some sort of entrepreneurial activity. However, Nigeria could unleash

its potential further by pursuing growth through market-based policies, not state-centered ones. “A market-based approach that minimises barriers between buyers andsellerswillencourageadditional investment and trade, and lighten the regulatory load on its budding entrepreneurs and investors.” He further said: “A related issue to increased economic growth and investment that should remain front and centre is Nigeria’s youth bulge. Nigeria is expected to become the third most-populous country in the worldby2050.Itwillbeessentialthat we consider the voice of Nigeria’s youth today to ensure their leadership and commitment tomorrow. We support this engagement through the Young African Leaders Initiative, or YALI, and through the more than ten thousand Nigerian students at institutions of higher learning in the United States.” On the upcoming 2019 general elections, Shannon stated that US would be ready to help Nigeria conduct peaceful elections into elective offices. According to him: “Nigeria’s peaceful, transparent elections in March 2015 showed the rest of Africa and the world that a complex, diverse society could conduct peaceful democratic transitions of leadership. Many of you here today playedanimportantroleduringthat period. As the country heads into state elections and the 2019 national elections, the United States is ready and willing to offer our technical assistance, as we have in the past.”

ͯ˜ Ͱͮͯ͵ ˾ THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER

OPINION Nnamdi Kanu, IPOB And The Rest of US Philip Ugbodaga canvasses the immediate restructuring of the country along the lines of fiscal and political federalism

hat is happening in the Southeast presently is a matter of legitimate public concern as we are witnessing the festering of an avoidable bloodbath in the region and the country. Any life lost cannot be recreated and care must be taken not to inflame an already tensed situation in Southeastern Nigeria. Those urging on both Kanu’s Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and the Nigerian Army are not helping the government, the Ibo people nor the Nigerian project. The history of Nigeria shows a paradoxically countercyclical pattern of violence in different geopolitical zones since independence from electoral violence to religious bigotry. Nigeria’s return to civilian rule in 1999 intensified the power struggle among the various regions of the country to recast alliances, develop rules of power-sharing without attempting to strengthen people-to-people relationships and the building of inter-ethnic cohesion needed for the socioeconomic and political rejuvenation of our country. The departing military despots positioned their cronies to take over the commanding heights of the national economy to the detriment of the common man. With increasing hunger and despondency and the failure to meet the expectations of the masses, the cries of marginalisation and demands for the equitable distribution of the nation’s resources by ethno-religious groups became very loud. It is distressing to note that with each successive election and the coming to power by a new administration, opportunities for consolidating national integration and cohesion have been misspent and mismanaged by Nigeria’s political class. Our political leaders and parties have not been successful in constructing a party system or even promoting democratic values. Each winning political party at the national to the local government levels has always adopted a post-election policy of establishing dominance and winners-take-all mentality and the zero-sum approach to power sharing rather than creating the positive-sum model and the political space necessary for the building of an inclusive and egalitarian society. This has led to the failure in creating

pluralist norms and values necessary for national cohesion and democratic consolidation. It is therefore not surprising that Nigeria is witnessing both an escalation of violence and the ‘Talibanisation’ of our national life. From OPC in the Southwest to Ombatse group in the North Central, to Egbesu boys in the South South and the menace of herdsmen, Nigeria has been a nation in perpetual crisis. Undoubtedly, the current democracy is facing multifaceted challenges on economic, religious, social, and political fronts. It needs a sagacious approach to ensure that we pull through and ensure the sustenance of democratic growth and survival. Economic disempowerment and inadequate access to the governance process are barriers to government performance causing public discontent. Consequently the common man remains indifferent to national politics and integration which induces undemocratic forces to intervene. This is part of the reason we have an Nnamdi Kanu and his IPOB in our hands. He leads a disenchanted group of young men who are angry about the marginalisation of their region. They feel left out

Kanu leads a disenchanted group of young men who are angry about the marginalisation of their region. They feel left out of the country. They feel marginalised. They see the proverbial national cake being devoured while opportunities for self actualisation are diminishing. Where the majority of the population is illiterate and stands unaware to democratic concepts, the utterances of a character like Nnamdi Kanu becomes very alluring

of the country. They feel marginalised. They see the proverbial national cake being devoured while opportunities for self actualisation is diminishing. Where the majority of the population is illiterate and stands unaware to democratic concepts, the utterances of a character like Nnamdi Kanu becomes very alluring. Truth be told, majority of the people have lost confidence in our type of federalism. The centre is too strong. The people feel denied of their genuine legal, cultural, political and constitutional rights. The crisis over our constitutional development, whether to go back to parliamentary form of government or maintain this wasteful presidential system is still unresolved. There is no consensus on the type of police structure that befits us as the cacophony of voices calling for state police appears drowned by a conspiracy of silence from the authorities. The fate of the Niger Delta people when their oil dries up is unknown. The imbalance in the political structure of the country where a state like Lagos still has 20 local government areas compared to Kano State with 44 LGA’s is glaringly unacceptable. Though the present democratic government promised restructuring of the country, no substantial effort has been evinced yet to redress the woes and the anti-centre feelings of most Nigerians. These issues if not addressed aptly will get aggravated in years to come with or without a Nnamdi Kanu. The resources of the country must be better spent on public uplift, social welfare, education and health. If this happens it would bring prosperity that will strengthen the national cohesion and foundation of Nigeria. Finally, an immediate restructuring of the country along the lines of fiscal and political federalism is now an imperative. Python or Tiger dances will not solve the problem. Militarisation will not achieve the desired results. Even if you kill 95% of southeastern people, you will still come to the round table to discuss with the 5% that will be left. We need the participation of all Nigerians to ensure structural improvements in our national paradigm. The time to talk is now and a Nigeria Restructuring Table is the best place to begin the conversation. ––Dr. Ugbodaga, Citizen of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

When Climate Change Came to The Slum The hazards of climate change are real. The authorities could do more to contain it, writes Caleb Adebayo

t is a small neighborhood, a crowded community that sits on a fetid lagoon, coloured in sepia and greyscale, located on the coast of mainland Lagos. Wooden stilts are tucked deep inside its brackish waters with bits and pieces of rubbish adorning its surface and a tangle of boats impatiently slithering through the labyrinth of its waterways. Just above it is, in a fitting contrast is, coloured in all shades of commerce, the most travelled bridge on the West African continent. Like everyone who travels the bridge, the skies of the slum dwellers are blue and bright, but their waters are not, and certainly, not their health. And this, because, climate change came to the slum. Makoko is a 19th century Lagos slum, formerly a fishing village and one of the oldest slums in Nigeria, yet an area of startling patchy development. Listed as one of the top 10 slums in Africa and regarded as the world’s biggest floating city, the area has an estimated population of about 86, 000 people. With low hygiene and sanitary conditions, lack of toilets and constant exposure to vectors and extreme weather conditions, these 86, 000 people are sitting ducks for climate change and its rancid effects on human health. It is even scarier when one considers that Nigeria has over a thousand of these kinds of slums, with a bulk of them being in Lagos. And with climate change wreaking havoc on the health of communities, these slum dwellers are at high risk of diseases, major epidemics and even death. Since the Paris agreement was signed by countries of the world in 2015, the commitment of countries and cities has spiralled, leading to various climate action and activities to reduce global warming. The conversation around the term has also gained traction. Yet for slum dwellers in Nigeria, not much has been done to keep them immune from the disasters climate change brings with it. If there was

any doubt before, there is little now, that climate change is already affecting our health, in the slum and elsewhere. This is not a future prediction or a problem for the next generation, it is happening here and now, and of course happening disproportionately. The poorer population is more vulnerable than the rest. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has estimated from the current rate of epidemics caused by climate change that between 2030 and 2050, climate change is expected to cause approximately 250 000 additional deaths per year, from malnutrition, malaria, diarrhoea and heat stress. This spells doom for more vulnerable populations like slum dwellers. With the increase in downpours, floods and rising sea levels, these slum dwellers in Makoko whose existence is almost entirely on water and whose shelters are ramshackle combinations of wood and rusted zinc are at an alarming risk of displacement as their shelters are not built to adapt to the changing climate. This displacement means more vulnerability, more climate displaced persons, more mental health disorders and more spread of diseases. It can also lead to major injuries, contamination of water supplies and death. Paying a visit to Makoko, one would see that they are surrounded by water. With the extreme rising temperature and floods, the water becomes an easy breeding ground for mosquitoes, leading to malaria for most of the population which has little access to medical supplies without a standard hospital, facilities, equipment and available health personnel in the area. And with the surrounding saturated with dirt of various dimensions including human waste, the flood drags all the dirt and waste into the water which the slum dwellers still drink, making them susceptible to water-borne diseases. The children too, another set of people more vulnerable to climate change effects, run around barefooted and

unclad, exposing them to mosquitoes and other vector carriers, and to sharp objects that the flood brings along with it to the settlement. One dweller in the area has confirmed that their commonest ailments in Makoko are malaria, respiratory diseases and malnutrition. Climate change increases the possibilities of these three types of diseases - mosquitoes escalate incidences of malaria; lack of access to markets and farms due to flooding as well as negative effects of weather patterns of food crops required for healthy feeding increase likelihood of malnutrition; and with climate change effects that engender air pollution, come respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. Coupled with the fact that there is little or no standard health care, climate change makes the slum dwellers prone to heightened levels of illnesses with no prevention or cure in sight. According to the WHO, malnutrition and undernutrition - two damaging health issues- contribute to 3.1 million deaths every year. This spells gloom for the slum, except something is done. The starting point for any solution is commitment, complemented with positive action to fight climate change through targeted policies and legislations for achieving Nigeria’s nationally determined contributions, and widespread knowledge sharing on climate change. The slums should be taken as a major concern by the government and mitigation and adaptation strategies especially in health, should be taught to the dwellers; access to medical supplies and facilities should be ensured, hospitals should be equipped to handle the spate of climate related epidemics and all medical centres should be fortresses for preventing climate change-related health crises, and curing them when they occur. ––Adebayo, a lawyer and environmental enthusiast, wrote from Lagos.

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ OCTOBER 1, 2017

LETTERS Dreams For My Children’s Children

nly the egocentric and degenerate will not desire a good fortune for their children’s children. Every good parent wishes, hopes and in fact, prays great dreams for their children, grandchildren, and even nephews and nieces. Today, the future of our nation looks so bleak that if the present trend continues, one can only imagine the fate of unborn generations. In his famous dream speech, Martin Luther King Jnr. said, “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live a nation where they will not be judged by the colour of their skin, but by the content of their character.” This statement made over five decades ago, became a reality when Barack Obama became the first black president of the United States of America; the nation’s 44th president. I have a dream too. I have dreams, visions, aspirations and hopes for my children’s children in Nigeria. And like Martin Luther, I hope they will see the light of day even long after I am gone.

Fashola

I have a dream that the slogan, Up NEPA! would be cast into the abyss, the museum of history as electric power becomes stable. I have a dream that my children’s children would be able to walk the streets without fear of armed robbers, kidnappers and ritual killers.

I have a dream that they would be able to drive on smooth roads, devoid of the death traps of gaping potholes in any part of the country (rural or urban). I have a dream that their generation will experience such bountiful food production that Nigeria will have

huge export revenues from agricultural produce. I have a dream that they will live healthy. If perhaps they need to visit the hospital, there will be no need to go to Germany or India for treatment because of the excellent health care system in Nigeria. I have a dream that the lopsided wall of employment among tribes shall be abolished and replaced with fairness and equal opportunity for all. I have a dream that they would be able to take risks and take up challenges in a peaceful environment. I have a dream that they will dream big, find their passion and follow it, not minding whose ox is gored. I have a dream that they find what they love, so that they never have to work a day in their life. As they do what they love, will have fun throughout their life time. I have a dream that my children’s children would love themselves and their friends from different parts of the nation and live in harmony with one another. I have a dream that my

WHY THE LITFC CONCESSION IS REVOKED

he once burgeoning Lagos International Trade Fair Complex (LITFC) has been in the news lately for the wrong reasons. It is apt to address the dog whistle campaigns that have emerged in the wake of the recent revocation of the concession of LITFC granted to Aulic Nigeria Limited by the federal government. At its meeting of August 22 and 23, 2017, the National Council on Privatisation (NCP), chaired by VicePresident Yemi Osinbajo, revoked the concession of LITFC and ordered its secretariat, the Bureau of Public Enterprises, to commence another privatisation exercise that will lead to the emergence of another concessionaire. Professor Nick Ezeh is the promoter and Chairman of Aulic Nigeria Limited and has raised concerns and pushed misleading information with his intervention over the revocation in the media. The federal government had to intervene because it could not afford to allow a key national asset to deteriorate in the manner that it has since Aulic Group took over as concessionaire. We, therefore, wish to apprise the public of the facts that premised the government’s intervention. The NCP approved the concession of LITFC in 2007 to Aulic (the concessionaire). The concession of the 322 hectares of land in LITFC was given at a lease fee of N40 billion to be paid over 30 years. The concession agreement was signed with Aulic Nigeria Limited on June 29, 2007. Aulic Nigeria

Limited paid an entry fee of N200 million in 2008 and the sum of N12, 7 million for the moveable assets. Since then, the company has not paid any additional fees to government, even though it took over the complex nine years ago. It is true that the entire complex could not be handed over to Aulic Group owing to resistance by the Traders’ Associations that had subsisting leases and the fact that Parcel B was not available for practical handover. However, the NCP, in January 2013, took some major decisions to address the concession challenges, including a facility audit of the assets and tenants at the complex as a prelude to excising the contentious portions of the concession areas occupied by the Traders’ Associations, places of religious worships and Parcel B. The key part of the NCP intervention was that the concession contract was to be renegotiated for a new lease fee to reflect the new area. Despite participating in the process that gave rise to the NCP’s decisions, Aulic Nigeria Limited immediately stalled the implementation of the decisions via a petition to the House of Representatives Committee on Privatisation and filing of a law suit. In revoking the concession, the NCP noted that the concessionaire had no standard management team in place and therefore, its corporate governance standard was very weak. Council lamented that Aulic Nigeria Ltd had made the implementation of the

former’s decisions impossible while making money from illegal leases without any effort to pay the annual lease fees to the federal government since it took over the complex in 2007. It is apt to point out that the concessionaire is currently indebted to the federal government to the tune of N6, 542,172,000. We also wish to draw the attention of the public to the fact that Aulic had sub-leased to third parties the following areas of LITFC contrary to the requirements of the development plan and without the approval of the management board as enshrined in the concession contract:(a)The Lawn Tennis Court, opposite Trade Fair Motel – sub-leased to private individuals;(b) Land opposite Progressive Plaza – sub-leased to Motor Dealers and Allied Products Association;(c)Land opposite ASPAMDA – sub-leased to Old Mercedes Trucks Spare Parts and Scrap Metal Dealers’ Association;(d) Land opposite ASPAMDA – sub-leased to Coker Building Materials Dealers’ Association; and(e)Land behind Trade Fair Police Station – sub-leased to Chinese Engineering Construction Company (CCECC). Aulic’s serial breaches of the concession contract include the following cases:(i)Construction works that are taking place at the areas sub-leased without the approval of the management board; (ii)Uncoordinated toll gates manned by touts;(iii)The road network at the complex is in a deplorable state; (iv)Aulic has no standard management team in place—the lessee’s office/

staff strength and structure do not show any sign of a standard, ready-to-perform management team; (v)Refuse dumps litter the estate at all times;(vi)At least three ‘Mammy Markets’ have sprung up in the complex with a lot of miscreants and hoodlums operating there; (vii)Various housing structures have been built in the complex without approval. Some of these buildings were wrongly sited either on sewer lines or almost on existing roads; (viii) A ramshackle mechanic village unbefitting the international status of LITFC was operating in the complex; and (ix) Since the handover of the complex to Aulic in 2008 till date, the exhibition halls have been in a deplorable state, compelling the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry to relocate their yearly trade fair to Tafawa Balewa Square. From the foregoing, it is clear that the concessionaire has been in breach of the concession agreement; hence the government’s decision to revoke it to save the complex from further deterioration. Rather than explain why his company failed to execute the terms of the lease agreement, Ezeh has decided to play the ostrich. It must be noted that the Bureau of Public Enterprises which serves as the secretariat of NCP, has handled concessions at Nigerian ports and most of the port concessionaries are doing very well and are paying their lease fees. Why is that of LITFC different? ––Sisaa Agboh, Public Communications Unit, Bureau of Public Enterprises

children’s children will give back to the community and not hold back particularly to people in need. I have a dream that my children’s children will fight for any course they believe in. Timidity is destructive and I don’t wish it for my grandchildren. I have a dream that they will speak out if and when necessary. I have a dream that with them, I CAN’T will not exist but I CAN! I have a dream that they will not just have degrees, but their education will plant the seed of personal development in their heart. That will keep them going when the going gets tough. I have a dream that my children’s children will not be packed in classrooms like sardines in a tin, in the name of making money and for poor educational funding. I have a dream too that

those approving such schools would have a change of heart. I have a dream that tuition fees would be so modest that the common man would afford it. I have a dream that my children’s children would live a life devoid of cruelty and hatred, shunning war and terrorism. I have a dream that my children’s children will, after all said and done, live a life devoid of regrets. That they will be happy as they navigate the terrains in this short adventure called life. I have a dream that they will understand how temporary and transient this world is. Phone numbers are dialled and before they know it, it will be time to return to the Creator. I have a dream –––Olusanya Anjorin, Lagos

O NLY G OD G ETS IT R IGHT !

n your letters section of the Monday September 25th edition, one Sunday Adole Jonah went galloping on a high horse and made a sweeping statement castigating all governors. His letter was titled “No Governor has got it right.” We are responding, not because it is an issue worth contemplating, or that it has any iota of truth. We are responding, not because Sunday Adole Jonah deserves our response or has a moral right to make such sweeping allusions to governance, but because Sunday has displayed both misunderstanding and mischief, which is tendentious. We are responding, not because his misguided comments have justification or that he knows what he is saying but because it is our duty to put the records straight. No responsible citizen would like to live in Sunday Adole Jonah’s world. It forebodes indolence. Or how else does one describe someone who narrows all human needs to this base, abjectly unproductive and completely dysfunctional status, almost to the extent of insulting Nigerians. While insisting that all Nigerians require food, clothing and shelter, he concluded that once Nigerians are housed, food and clothing would be in abundance. How preposterous! Always driven to conclusions, he also said that Nigerians would simply become productive because they now “have shelter”. This is, the most ridiculous drift in wishful thinking. Sunday Adole Jonah is entitled to it, though. However, to limit the needs of an entire nation to one item is most absurd. There are competing needs in every country but they are never a holistic solution anywhere, and there can never be. Were it possible to put a human being through a test-tube experiment we would have tried, just for argument’s

sake. But things don’t work like Sunday wishes. Sunday then unleashed his most alarming inadequacy by stating categorically that “no governor has got it right”. Can someone tell Sunday Adole Jonah that only God gets it right? And that such generalizations are the hallmarks of the uninitiated? No one stops you from raining abuses on those who do not agree with you, but there are frontiers you don’t cross. There are rules of engagement and the more you flout them the more you open your personal hang-ups and inadequacies. But we must help Sunday Jonah to understand the context of governance, even if, just to keep his powder dry. Governance is not a walk in the park. Governors go through a lot because of the same favor seekers, like Sunday Adole Jonah, who cast aspersions on them in the public space, if their luck fails to shine. But governors have since upgraded. Given the caliber of Nigeria’s governors today, I doubt if Sunday Jonah, despite his erudite milieu, can stand anywhere near most of the current crop of governors in human compassion, social education and desire to move their state forward. For Sunday Jonah to know what is going on in the states, most of the governors are signing on to the Open Government Partnership, OGP, whose key objective is transparency among five others. He can attend any townhall meetings and hear. An example is that in Niger State, this Hajj, sixty percent of those who made their pilgrimage for the first time were farmers. Besides, a run through any region’s rural areas, shows that roof tops are glittering. It is a sign of prosperity. We are not saying that everything is in place, but several governors are already getting it together. But, Sunday must be told that only God gets it right! –––Abdulrazaque BelloBarkindo writes from Abuja

T H I S D AY SUNDAY OCTOBER 1, 2017

͹˜ ͺ͸͹Ϳ ˾ T H I S DAY, T H E S U N DAY N E W S PA P E R

BUSINESS

Business Editor Vincent Obia Tel: 08054681757 Email: vincent.obia@thisdaylive.com

LAST WEEK NSE President The Nigerian Stock Exchange announced Abimbola Ogunbanjo as the new President of National Council of the Exchange. NSE said Ogunbanjo was elected at the council meeting immediately after its 56th Annual General Meeting in Lagos. Ogunbanjo replaced Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, who bowed out after the completion of his three-year tenure. A statement by the NSE said Aig-Imoukhuede would continue to serve on the National Council as an ex-oﬃcio member, pursuant to its Article of Association. Ogunbanjo, who joined the council in 2011, had been the First Vice President since 2014. He is Chairperson of the demutualisation Advisory Committee of the NSE and currently serves as Managing Partner of the leading corporate law ﬁrm of Chris Ogunbanjo & Co (Solicitors).

Finance Minister Kemi Adeosun and Chairman of Federal Inland Revenue Service(FIRS) Babatunde Fowler at a function recently

FG: Tax Waivers, Exemptions to Companies Totaled N1trn in 2015 Says it’s reviewing tax laws, legislations to coordinate tax concession Allocates 85% VAT to states to improve non-oil revenue Kunle Aderinokun

The federal government conThe federal government conceded a total of N1 trillion in tax exemptions, waivers between 2011 and 2015 to companies and corporations, THISDAY has learnt. THISDAY gathered from a document obtained from the ministry of finance that the need to strengthen revenue mobilisation had necessitated the review of the tax exemptions, waivers and schemes to block rent seekers from taking advantage of government’s concession regime. The document titled, ‘Funding Nigeria’s Needs from Within : Current Efforts in Domestic Revenue Mobilisation’, indicated that, while the tax exemptions and waivers cost were incurred by the previous administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, the present administration was reviewing tax laws and legislation and had introduced luxury surcharge to improve the government revenue base, requisite for its operations . According to the ministry, the constrained finances of government were largely due to low domestic revenue mobilisation, which was due

ECONOMY

to small tax base and low tax collection rate and significant amounts of revenue conceded to uncoordinated duties and waivers. Pointing out that revenues and budgets had not been large enough to meet the nation’s needs, the government in the document maintained that “domestic revenue mobilisation must increase for sustainability.” As part of the key revenue initiatives, the government pointed out that it launched Voluntary Assets and Income Declaration Scheme (VAIDS) earlier in the year to bring tax evaders into the net and rein in enormous tax revenues while also striving to improve non-oil revenue. According to the document, “VAIDS is a time-limited opportunity for tax payers to regularise their tax status relating to previous periods. It is a significant opportunity for both Federal and State governments to increase tax net and revenues.” In its bid to improve non-oil revenue, the government has allocated 85 per cent of Value Added Tax (VAT) collection to states while also considering

car taxes, road taxes as well as capturing the value of solid minerals. While lamenting that underpayment of tax via the use of tax havens and other evasion strategies had been debilitating to Nigeria, the ministry of finance said, “This practice has been principally perpetrated by multinational companies and high net worth individuals.” The government, which noted The constrained finances of government were largely due to low domestic revenue mobilisation, which was due to small tax base and low tax collection rate and significant amounts of revenue conceded to uncoordinated duties and waivers

that, at 6 per cent Nigeria’s nonoil tax to GDP was one of the lowest in the world, believed, VAIDS will “capitalise on the considerable international goodwill built by President Buhari in his mission to rebuild Nigeria and the current global movement against tax evasion and illicit financial flows.” The scheme, it added, will “offer a window for those who have not complied with extant tax regulations to remedy their position by the provision of

a limited amnesty to enable voluntary declaration and payment of liabilities.” VAIDS, which is supported by the recent establishment of the Asset Tracing Team within the Ministry of Finance, has engaged the services of International Asset Tracing and Investigations specialists, who are working alongside local teams to trace assets held by Nigerians who had evaded tax. “The data obtained will be used to cross check the accuracy of declarations made under the scheme or to prosecute those not participating in the scheme when the programme expires.” According to the ministry of finance, VAIDS was open to all persons who were in default on their tax liabilities including taxpayers who: “have not been fully declaring their taxable income/assets; have not been paying the tax due at all and or have been underpaying or under remitting.” Besides, the ministry stated that, “The programme is open to both new taxpayers who are yet to register with the tax authorities and the existing registered taxpayers who have new disclosure to make. The scheme applies to tax defaults on undeclared assets within or outside the country.”

Foreign Debt Repayment Nigeria may have to grapple with the payment of $11.62 billion in foreign debt in the next 10 years, a projection of the Debt Management Office has shown. The debt service payment over the 10-year period, 2017 - 2026, includes some principals that will fall due for redemption as well as interests that would have accumulated on an annual basis. Accordingly, 2018, 2021 and 2023 will see Nigeria parting with more than $1 billion each year because some Eurobonds issued by the federal government will fall due for redemption then. Oil Price Rise Oil prices kept most of their gains from the previous session as major producers meeting inVienna said the market was well on its way towards rebalancing. The WTI crude front month discount to the same month of Brent futures hit 6.28 dollars, the widest since August 2015, as U.S. crude was pressured by hurricane damage to its refineries. Brent crude futures was up 0.05 per cent at $56.88 a barrel, not far from a 6-1/2-month high of $56.91 set on Friday. The Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries, Russia and several other producers have cut production by about 1.8 million barrels per day since the start of 2017, helping lift oil prices by high numbers in the past three months. Sorghum Cultivation Nigeria emerged the second largest producers of sorghum behind the United States of America, which is the number one producer. Media reports revealed that the world sorghum production was forecast at 59.34 million metric tonnes in 2017/18. A breakdown of the data obtained from the United States Department of Agriculture showed that USA’s output was projected at 8.4 million metric tonnes while Nigeria followed with 6.4 million metric tonnes, and Mexico was in the third position with 6.0 million metric tonnes. Equities Market The Nigerian equities market recorded gain following bargain hunting and appreciation posted by Dangote Cement Plc. The market declined in the first two trading days of the week, falling by 1.15 per cent on Tuesday. The market rebounded with the Nigerian Stock Exchange All-Share Index appreciating by 0.44 per cent to close at 35,103.40, while market capitalisation added N52.1 billion to close higher at N12.05 trillion.

Ëœ Ëž OCTOBER 1, 2017

BUSINESS/ECONOMY

A textile market in Lagos... businesses are gradually picking up

Analysts: MPC Meeting Outcomes, Balance Between Quick Gains and Sustainable Devt Analysts view the outcomes of Tuesday meeting of the Monetary Policy Committee of the Central Bank of Nigeria as a balance between quick gains and sustainable development, write Ndubuisi Francis and Olaseni Durojaiye

here have been mixed reactions to the decision of the Monetary Policy Committee of the Central Bank of Nigeria not to tinker with the key policy rates 14 consecutive months after they were reviewed upwards. Many had wished that the MPC embarked on a gradual easing of the monetary policy, considering the waning headline inflation, some level of stability in the exchange rate on the back of improved liquidity, and the marginal positive growth in real Gross Domestic Product, as recorded in the second quarter of 2017. But for some analysts, the MPC is on track by retaining the policy rate in view of the fragile growth recorded in the second quarter. Retention The MPC had by a majority vote of six members to one decided to retain the Monetary Policy Rate at 14 per cent. It also retained the Cash Reserve Ratio at 22.5 per cent, Liquidity Ratio at 30.0 per cent, and the asymmetric corridor at +200 and -500 basis points around the MPR. In arriving at the decision, the CBN governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, who read the communiquĂŠ of the meeting, said the MPC took note of the gains achieved so far as a result of its earlier decisions, including the stability in the foreign exchange market and the moderate reduction in inflation. According to him, the option was whether to hold, tighten or ease. He added that these were subjected to extensive debate. Emefiele explained, â€œAs in previous meetings, although tightening would help rein in inflationary expectations and strengthen the stability in the foreign exchange market, the committee felt that it would further widen the income gap, depress aggregate demand and adversely affect credit delivery

to the private sector. â€œThe committee also noted that tightening may result in the deposit money banks re-pricing their assets and loans, thus, raising the cost of borrowing and, therefore, heightening the already weak investment climate and non-performing loans. â€œWith respect to loosening, the committee believed that although while it would make it more attractive for Nigerians to acquire assets at cheaper prices, thus, increasing their net wealth, and therefore stimulate spending as confidence rises, it nevertheless felt constrained that loosening at this time would exacerbate inflationary pressures and worsen the exchange rate and inflationary conditions.â€? He added that the committee also felt that loosening would further pull the real rate deeper into negative territory as the gap between the nominal interest rate and inflation widens. He said,â€œOn the argument to hold, the committee believes that the effects of fiscal policy actions towards stimulating the economy have begun to manifest, as evident in the exit of the economy from 15 months recession. â€œAlthough still fragile, the fragility of the growth makes it imperative to allow more time to make appropriate complementary policy decisions to strengthen the recovery. â€œSecondly, the committee was of the view that economic activity would become clearer between now and the first quarter of 2018, when growth is expected to have sufficiently strengthened and gains in receding inflation very obvious. â€œThe most compelling argument for a hold was to achieve more clarity in the evolution of key macroeconomic indicators, including budget implementation, economic recovery, exchange rate, inflation and employment generation.â€? In consideration of the headwinds confronting the domestic economy and the uncertainties in

the global environment, Emefiele noted that the committee decided by a vote of six to one to retain the MPR at 14 per cent alongside all other policy parameters. According to him,â€œIn arriving at this hold decision, the MPC commits to employing maximum flexibility

Therefore, taken together, it does appear that the balance of risks is in favour of not tinkering with the policy conďŹ guration for the time being to give some more space for the policies to work. It bears repeating that the primary mandate of the CBN, as spelt out in the CBN Act of 2007, is to maintain price and exchange rate stability. The decision to hold the rates is dictated by this obligation

to guide the economy on the path to optimal growth. â€œConsequently, six members voted to retain the MPR and all other parameters at their current levels, while one member voted to lower the MPR to signal an ease to the current stance of tight monetary policy. â€œHowever, overall, majority of the members expressed a strong commitment to policy flexibility that would allow the committee to promptly take the necessary actions that would promote overall macroeconomic stability and engender sustainable growth.â€? Emefiele observed that the Nigerian economy exited recession in the second quarter of 2017, with a modest positive short to medium-term outlook, resulting largely from deliberate macroeconomic stimulus and a stable naira exchange rate. He stressed that inflationary expectations also appeared anchored on the strength of the prevailing tight monetary policy stance. He said the MPC noted headwinds still confronting the optimistic global growth prospects to include recent developments on the Korean peninsula; the damage to infrastructure caused by Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria; the lull in Brexit negotiations; and the normalisation of monetary policy by the U.S. Fed, which is expected to trigger global capital flow reversals. Other Considerations The committee also applauded the exit of the Nigerian economy from recession but observed that the growth remained fragile. It expressed the hope that complementary fiscal and monetary policies would sustain the growth momentum. The committee further expressed satisfaction with the gradual, but consistent decline in inflation, noting, however, the substantial base effect in addition to the continuous improvement in the naira exchange

Ëœ Ëž OCTOBER 1, 2017

BUSINESS/ECONOMY/ENTREPRENEURSHIP Analysts: MPC Meeting Outcomes, Balance Between Quick Gains and Sustainable Devt Contâ€™d from Pg.22 rate across all segments of the foreign exchange market; and considerable improvement in foreign capital inflow. It equally welcomed the steady implementation of the 2017 budget, especially, the capital component of the budget, and urged increased momentum in expenditure directed at the growth-stimulating sectors of the economy in order to reduce youth unemployment and restiveness. The committee, however, expressed concern about the sustained pressure on food prices, noting risks posed by floods, strikes and insurgencies in various parts of the country to food production and distribution. Regarding the tepid turnaround in economic activities in the second quarter of 2017, the committee emphasised that the employment gains of recovery were still minimal, noting that a number of important job elastic sub-sectors were still weak and may require more fiscal support to regain traction. Mixed Reactions Reacting to the outcome of the MPC meeting, a professor of finance and Head of Department of Banking and Finance, Nasarawa State University, Keffi, Dr. Uche Uwaleke, said, â€œHaving held the policy rate at 14 per cent since July last year under a tight monetary policy regime in an effort to tame high inflation and stabilise the exchange rate, I had thought it was time to signal a gradual easing of monetary policy, considering the waning headline inflation, some level of stability in the exchange rate on the back of improved liquidity, and the marginal positive growth in real GDP recorded in the second quarter of 2017. â€œOther factors remaining the same, lower MPR is expected to translate to reduced lending rates by the banks, increased access to funds by the real sector, cheaper cost of capital for firms, leading to more job opportunities.â€? According to Uwaleke, â€œAn accommodative monetary policy stance at this time is also expected to reduce the high cost of debt service by the government, which has been crowding out public spending. â€œUnfortunately, however, other factors are hardly ever the same.The positive macroeconomic indicators witnessed in recent times are still fragile and vulnerable to oil price shock. â€œThe Q2 GDP growth was chiefly driven by the oil sector. Similarly, improvement in capital importation was more from the highly volatile portfolio investment. Also, retreating headline inflation is partly accounted for by baseline effect. Besides, at 16.01 per cent (August) the inflation rate is significantly higher than the upper band of 9 per cent set by the CBN.â€? He stressed that the â€œreal interest rate in the economy is negative since the rate of inflation is higher than the policy rate and so bringing down the MPR will further pull interest rate into the negative territory, which will not augur well especially for foreign investments.â€? Uwaleke noted that cognisance should equally be taken of the uncertainty in the global environment, especially, the normalisation of interest rates in the United States, which has the effect of strengthening the dollar with adverse consequences for the economies

EmeďŹ ele of developing countries, as well as the seemingly complicated Brexit negotiations. â€œTherefore, taken together, it does appear that the balance of risks is in favour of not tinkering with the policy configuration for the time being to give some more space for the policies to work. It bears repeating that the primary mandate of the CBN, as spelt out in the CBN Act of 2007, is to maintain price and exchange rate stability. â€œThe decision to hold the rates is dictated by this obligation. Complimentary fiscal policies are, therefore, required to bring about full employment and inclusive growth.To this end, the implementation of the 2017 budget, especially the capital component, in line with the governmentâ€™s Economic Recovery

and Growth Plan should be pursued with vigour,â€? the university don argued. In his own reaction, the chief executive officer of Financial Derivatives Company Limited, Mr. Bismarck Rewane, pointed out that the outcome of the meeting was widely expected. But considering the state of the economy, Rewane urged the CBN to begin to see itself as a stimulant, rather than an institution that is reactive. He said,â€œIt is about the timing and not about the action itself, the action should be the stimulant. What we want is an action that would change the outcome and not the timing. â€œIt is time for the central bank to take a more proactive, rather than a reactive stance. But they

The decision to hold the rates is dictated by this obligation. Complimentary ďŹ scal policies are, therefore, required to bring about full employment and inclusive growth. To this end, the implementation of the 2017 budget, especially the capital component, in line with the governmentâ€™s Economic Recovery and Growth Plan should be pursued with vigour

made it clear in their statement that they would maintain flexibility of policy in between the meetings. â€œSo I am optimistic that they would do something. They can move the direction of interest rates, rather than just moving the policy rate.â€? An economist with the Nigerian Economic Summit Group, Rotimi Oyelere, said,â€œThe Monetary Policy Committee of the Central Bank of Nigeria was cautious with its decision on key monetary aggregates of which the Monetary Policy Rate is the most critical. The cautious position was in the light of our domestic economic peculiarities as well as the perceived global economic uncertainty.â€? Oyelere said,â€œWe cannot rush to adjust interest rate downward just because the economy grew by 0.6 per cent in the second quarter when the inflationary pressure is yet to significantly abate and employment gains of economic growth is yet to consummate. â€œMoreover, since March 2016, real interest rate has been in the negative territory due to the high inflation but the interesting thing is that the key variables of production, prices, investments, and exchange rate have somewhat found an equilibrium. Hence, the fallout was increased inflows of Foreign Portfolio Investment, Foreign Direct Investment, and remittances among others into the economy. Any downward adjustment to the MPR at this time would trigger monetary disequilibrium, diminish confidence in the economy, and probably reverse recent gains.â€? Oyelere, however, believed that the liquidity ratio of 30 per cent should have been reviewed downward to boost banksâ€™ liquidity and facilitate more credit. â€œI think the liquidity ratio at 30 per cent is high and should be adjusted downward to boost banks liquidity and allow further creation of credits. Even at the subsisting lending rate, most banks have reached their deposit-to-loan threshold and, therefore, hamstrung to grant credits to businesses. This they do in a bid to meet the liquidity targets,â€?he stated. Another analyst, Wilson Erumebor, argued that reducing rates at this point may have negative effect on exchange rate as it could trigger capital outflows and reduce foreign inflows, which are both crucial in ensuring exchange rate stability. Erumebor stated,â€œThis policy decision seems more reasonable given the importance of exchange rate and its influences on all other economic variables. Nigeria cannot afford another foreign exchange crisis, as the external reserves of US$32 billion does not provide adequate buffer for the CBN to intervene for a long period. Therefore, ensuring continuous growth in the reserves as crude oil price and the economy continues to recover, while leaving interest rate unchanged was a favourable decision for the MPC. â€œHowever, the downside to the current high interest rate is the high debt servicing costs for the federal government and high lending rate to businesses, which is currently around 30 per cent. In addition, there is the high interest rate on government securities, bonds and treasury bills, which crowds out lending to businesses and stifles growth. Under the current interest rate regime, many businesses cannot achieve high growth and much-needed expansion, given the high operational costs.â€?

Empowering Women for Entrepreneurial Pursuit Olaseni Durojaiye

he world over, the climb to the top through entrepreneurial pursuit can be tough for anyone, but it is even tougher for women. There are hurdles that make the journey to the top especially challenging for women, even in the most advanced economies. Women who set out to be entrepreneurs face more daunting challenges in developing economies. Some of these challenges arise from the misconception that entrepreneurship is a manâ€™s domain. But more women are recording successes in entrepreneurial pursuits, with some becoming chairpersons of boards of blue chip companies. While the number of successful women entrepreneurs is growing, there are still very few female investors and start-up entrepreneurs, which can make it challenging for women to raise capital and nurture businesses from the start. It is against this background that Phenom-

enal Africa Women Foundation organised the maiden edition of its Paw Entrepreneurial And Leadership Series, with the theme, â€œTurning Your Ideas Into Paychecks.â€? The event, which held recently in Lagos, had three speakers: a chartered accountant and business development facilitator, Sola Adesakin; Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators, Fola Kafidiya-Oke, and a business development consultant, Sam â€˜Naike. Speaking on the topic, â€œEntrepreneurs, The Enterprise and The Finances,â€? Adesakin said, â€œEntrepreneurs are people that notice opportunities and take the initiative to mobilise resources to make new goods and services. â€˜intrapreneursâ€™ are those who notice opportunities and take initiative to mobilise resources but as employees of large companies and contribute to the innovation of the firm.â€? She said that intrapreneurs often become entrepreneurs, saying the characteristics of entrepreneurs are â€œkey personal attributes, strong managerial competencies and good technical skills.â€? While stressing the importance of a business plan to the success of any enterprise, Adesakin

said â€œBusiness Planâ€? was a step-by-step outline of how an entrepreneur or the owner of an enterprise expects to turn ideas into reality, adding that the questions to keep in mind include, â€œWhat are my motivations for owning a business? Should I start or buy a business? What and where is the market for what I want to sell? How much will all this cost me? Should my company be domestic or global?â€? Against the backdrop of financing a business idea, she insisted that start up entrepreneurs â€œmust plan realistically, not optimistically; shun the urge to overestimate profits and not underestimate your costs.â€? She identified banks, venture capitalists and angel investors as possible sources through which finances can be sourced. In her presentation at the session, titled, â€œRights and Wrong of Entrepreneurship,â€? Kafidiya-Oke enjoined aspiring entrepreneurs to â€œFocus on the things you care about and translate that passion into your business, career, or life,â€? adding that it is pertinent to â€œBuild a good team or invest in a good support system.â€? She stressed that it was important that â€œentrepreneurs must be

resourceful, flexible, and recover quickly.â€? PAW, acronym for The Phenomenal African Woman Foundation, an international nongovernmental organisation, is an initiative which celebrates the worth of the African women within the continent and in the Diaspora. Chief Executive of PAW, Mr. Taiwo Adepoju, stated that the African woman across all spheres and strata was imbued with the intent to ensure she takes her place in nation building, enterprise development and the furtherance of peace in the continent. The organisation currently has strong presence in over 16 African countries, the United States, United Kingdom, and the United Arab Emirates. It has dedicated members overseeing the activities of the foundation in those countries. Adepoju said, â€œThe whole essence of the PEALS initiative is to empower young women into becoming entrepreneurs (start-ups). There is also avenue for budding and fully established business owners to improve on ideas to better the lot of their endeavours in their chosen fields as well as networking among participants.â€?

Ëœ Ëž OCTOBER 1, 2017

BUSINESS/ENERGY

OPEC headquarters, Vienna, Austria

How Nigeria Overcame OPECâ€™s Pressure to Cut Output Levels With sheer facts on its oil production levels, Nigeria was able to overcome fresh pressures mounted on it by OPEC and non-OPEC countries to cut its output, notwithstanding the exemption earlier given to the country and Libya, writes Chineme Okafor

or the second time since the deal to cut oil production to rebalance the global oil market was reached by member countries of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and non-OPEC countries, Nigeria got the group to agree to the peculiar challenges it has with oil production, and which has left it producing less for a long time now. Despite getting an exemption from the production cut agreement the cartel and its allies led by the Russian Federation reached in December 2016, but which kicked off in January 2017, and further renewed in May, a few members of the group had recently mounted pressure to stop the exemption and made it cap its production levels. Their calls came despite the countryâ€™s deliberate choice to cap its output at 1.8 million barrels per day (mbd) as against the 2.2mbd she was on before her troubles with oil production in the Niger Delta. As it is known, Nigeria had immensely participated in negotiations for the production cut deal starting from December 2016, when OPEC countries decided to cut their crude oil production levels by almost 1.8 million barrels per day in a bid to support a market rebalancing effort that could shore up oil prices. At the meeting, it was agreed that the cut would kick off in January 2017, but with Nigeria and Libya exempted from taking part because of the production disruptions they had in their respective oil fields. Based on the fact that oil production from both countries had witnessed intense disruptions from violent uprising and militant activities, and were below their respective OPEC production quotas, they both were given the freedom to grow back their production to their pre-agreement levels,

after which additional outputs would then be capped. In reaching the agreement, OPEC stated that the global oil market had witnessed a serious challenge of imbalance and volatility pressured mainly from the supply side which also led to significant investment cuts in the oil industry. This, the cartel noted, had a direct impact on offsetting the natural depletion of reservoirs and in ensuring security of supply to producers. It explained that the market conditions were counterproductive and damaging to both producers and consumers because it threatened the economies of producing nations, hindered critical industry investments, jeopardised energy security to meet growing world energy demand, as well as challenged oil market stability as a whole. It then asked its members to lead in the market rebalancing effort by agreeing to shave off approximately 1.2mbd of their daily production volume to 32.5mpd. Within the deal, Algeria will have to shave off about 50,000bpd to produce 1.039mbpd, Angola will do 1.673mbpd from 1.715mbpd, Ecuador â€“ 522,000bpd from 548,000bpd, Gabon â€“ 193,000bpd from 202,000bpd, Iran â€“ 3.797mbpd from 3.975mbpd, Iraq â€“ 4.351mbpd from 4.561mbpd, and Kuwait â€“ 2.707mbpd from 2.838mbpd. Other members like Qatar will also do 618,000bpd from 648,000bpd, Saudi Arabia â€“ 10.058mbpd from 10.544mbpd, United Arab Emirates (UAE) â€“ 2.874mbpd from 3.013mbpd, and thenVenezuela from 2.067mbpd down to 1.972mbpd. Non-OPEC countries led by Russia furthered the deal by deciding to implement an almost 600,000bpd production cut. Pressure on Nigeria, Libya A couple of months after extending the deal and exemption for Nigeria and Libya, some members of the cartel suddenly began to request that Nigeria come into the deal notwithstanding its low production

level, which was still below the 1.8mbd mark she agreed to stop at. These members, based their requests on reports that a rise in the groupâ€™s production levels for a fourth-straight month in July was occasioned by rising output from Nigeria and Libya. They however ignored records that showed that many countries participating in the deal were pumping oil above the levels they agreed. In response to this, Nigeria firmly condemned what appeared to be a deliberate arm-twisting tactics by some members of the cartel to cut short its exemption. It also stated its loyalty to the pact, hence, its decision to cap output at 1.8mbd against 2.2mbd. Repeatedly, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, who was also very instrumental to the success of the pact, stated that the countryâ€™s production level was still below 1.8mbd, and even unstable. Kachikwu, explained that Nigeriaâ€™s exemption from the deal was good but that equally good was the countryâ€™s decision to accept a cap below its original quota, adding that the group must recognise that the incidence of militancy in the Niger Delta took a huge toll on the countryâ€™s production level. He equally noted that actual oil production minus condensates from Nigeria was mostly below 1.6mbd, and that information on the countryâ€™s production available to member countries of the cartel was perhaps without these details. Notwithstanding these explanations, the call for Nigeriaâ€™s abrupt participation kept showing up, with Venezuela making the last request before a recent meeting of the Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee of OPEC and Non OPEC Countries. To address this, Kachikwu, in a recent interaction with journalists in Abuja, made it known that, at the expiration of Nigeriaâ€™s crude-cut exemption in March, 2018, the country would seek further exemption.

He explained then:â€œThe question is when do we join, but I will recognise stability if I can consistently say that for at least six months Iâ€™ve seen average daily productions that are within the umbrella of 1.8 million barrels. â€œThe market is still topsy-turvy; today I think we are around 1.6mbd. I have obviously a mark of March, next year; if I need to draw it up to that point, I will.â€? He insisted that Nigeria would not jeopardise the pact, adding however:â€œWe are going to be very transparent on this; I was the ex-OPEC President, we have the OPEC Secretary-General from Nigeria. So, my intent definitely cannot be to play games with this but at the same time we have to be very realistic.â€? Beating off the pressure Following from this, the Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee of OPEC and non-OPEC Countries decided to at its last meeting in Vienna, Austria, endorse once again the earlier exemption granted Nigeria after considering the countryâ€™s factual presentation of its production conditions. Thus, they in their endorsement maintained that the production exemption should be sustained until Nigeria stabilises its oil production. Kachikwu had consistently maintained that although Nigeriaâ€™s production recovery efforts have made some appreciable progress since October 2016, the levels were still unstable to warrant the push to bring her into the deal. He impressed it on the meeting that even though Nigeriaâ€™s oil production in August was 1.802mbd, it was still not enough justification for such call and pressure on it. He equally noted that while the country continued on its recovery efforts, it will also continue to work for the good of the group, and assured that Nigeria will cap its production once it stabilises at 1.8mbd.

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ ͹˜ ͺ͸͹Ϳ

MARKET NEWS

FG Harps on Strong Capital Market for Economic Diversiﬁcation, Growth Goddy Egene The Vice President of Nigeria, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo has said the country need a strong capital market to support the development and diversification strategy of the federal government. Osinbajo stated this while speaking at 2017 Nigerian Debt Capital Markets Conference & Awards organised by FMDQ OTC Securities Exchange in Lagos last Thursday. The vice president, who spoke through the Director General of the

Debt Management Office(DMO), Ms. Patience Oniha, said that accessing the debt capital market was needed to bring the desired economic growth and diversification. According to him, with the growing population, the private sector participation was also needed to complement government efforts in area of infrastructure development. The vice president stated that the private sector was efficient in handling project anywhere in the world. Osinbajo added that the present

A Mutual fund (Unit Trust) is an investment vehicle managed by a SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) registered Fund Manager. Investors with similar objectives buy units of the Fund so that the Fund Manager can buy securities that willl generate their desired return. An ETF (Exchange Traded Fund) is a type of fund which owns the assets (shares of stock, bonds, oil futures, gold bars, foreign currency, etc.) and divides ownership of those assets into shares. Investors can buy these ‘shares’ on the

determination of the federal government on the ease of doing business was to enable more investment flow into the country. “Ease of doing business makes it easy for business start ups to grow their business,” Osinbajo said. He added that to enable the private sector succeed in business, the country needs a world-class capital market, which was an important factor that would challenge stakeholders as regards bond issuance. On the impact of FMDQ to the nation’s debt capital market

floor of the Nigerian Stock Exchange. A REIT (Real Estate Investment Trust) is an investment vehicle that allows both small and large investors to part-own real estate ventures (eg. Offices, Houses, Hospitals) in proportion to their investments. The assets are divided into shares that are traded on the Nigerian Stock Exchange. GUIDE TO DATA: Date: All fund prices are quoted in Naira as at 28-Sept-2017, unless otherwise stated.

(DCM), the vice president said that the existence of the overthe-counter (OTC) exchange platform had promoted the domestic fixed income market. “FMDQ has a pivotal role to play in enabling the authorities access the long-term projects required for the country,” he added. Meanwhile, the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, said that debt capital market was important because it provides funding for the development of infrastructure in the country.

“DCM will help in deepening the nation’s finance market because we are going to see more direct portfolio investment into the country,” Adeosun said. She noted that government was restructuring the economy to give nation’s development a leap. “My message to investors is to start taking position now because Nigeria is growing aggressively economically. We are working very hard to use capital market address to infrastructure deficit in the country. We have seen a lot of opportunities for debt

market to bridge the gap of infrastructure,” she stated. The minister said that Nigeria had all the indices of development and the needed competitive advantage to attract desired investments. Nigeria’s aspiration is for its DCM to become a world-class, properly functioning DCM by 2020/25. It provides a transformation framework with workable solutions that will stimulate growth and accelerate the development of the Nigerian DCM.

Offer price: The price at which units of a trust or ETF are bought by investors. Bid Price: The price at which Investors redeem (sell) units of a trust or ETF. Yield/Total Return: Denotes the total return an investor would have earned on his investment. Money Market Funds report Yield while others report Year- to-date Total Return. NAV: Is value per share of the real estate assets held by a REIT on a specific date.

DAILY PRICE LIST FOR MUTUAL FUNDS, REITS and ETFS MUTUAL FUNDS / UNIT TRUSTS AFRINVEST ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD aaml@afrinvest.com Web: www.afrinvest.com; Tel: +234 1 270 1680 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Afrinvest Equity Fund 169.17 169.93 33.24% Nigeria International Debt Fund 232.79 233.66 10.09% ALTERNATIVE CAPITAL PARTNERS LTD info@acapng.com Web: www.acapng.com, Tel: +234 1 291 2406, +234 1 291 2868 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn ACAP Canary Growth Fund 0.80 0.81 14.28% ACAP Income Funds 0.63 0.63 79.62% AIICO CAPITAL LTD ammf@aiicocapital.com Web: www.aiicocapital.com, Tel: +234-1-2792974 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn AIICO Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 18.95% ARM INVESTMENT MANAGERS LTD enquiries@arminvestmentcenter.com Web: www.arm.com.ng; Tel: 0700 CALLARM (0700 225 5276) Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn ARM Aggressive Growth Fund 16.59 17.09 34.40% ARM Discovery Fund 353.76 364.42 23.19% ARM Ethical Fund 25.20 25.96 12.79% ARM Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 18.46% AXA MANSARD INVESTMENTS LIMITED investmentcare@axamansard.com Web: www.axamansard.com; Tel: +2341-4488482 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn AXA Mansard Equity Income Fund 140.72 141.71 33.79% AXA Mansard Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 18.11% CHAPELHILL DENHAM MANAGEMENT LTD investmentmanagement@chapelhilldenham.com Web: www.chapelhilldenham.com, Tel: +234 461 0691 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Chapelhill Denham Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 19.04% Paramount Equity Fund 11.57 11.87 23.63% Women's Investment Fund 94.94 97.47 12.28% CORDROS ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmgtteam@cordros.com Web: www.cordros.com, Tel: 019036947 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Cordros Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 19.70% FBN CAPITAL ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD invest@fbnquest.com Web: www.fbnquest.com; Tel: +234-81 0082 0082 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn FBN Fixed Income Fund 1,142.95 1,144.08 12.59% FBN Heritage Fund 141.24 142.49 26.71% FBN Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 18.53% FBN Nigeria Eurobond (USD) Fund - Institutional $111.32 $112.33 8.24% FBN Nigeria Eurobond (USD) Fund - Retail $110.66 $111.66 8.34% FBN Nigeria Smart Beta Equity Fund 148.47 150.63 31.87% FIRST CITY ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD fcamhelpdesk@fcmb.com Web: www.fcamltd.com; Tel: +234 1 462 2596 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Legacy Equity Fund 1.32 1.34 41.49% Legacy Short Maturity (NGN) Fund 2.88 2.88 12.18% FSDH ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD coralfunds@fsdhgroup.com Web: www.fsdhaml.com; Tel: 01-270 4884-5; 01-280 9740-1 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Coral Growth Fund 2,828.77 2,870.53 28.72% Coral Income Fund 2,370.05 2,370.05 13.74% GREENWICH ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmanagement@gtlgroup.com Web: www.gtlgroup.com ; Tel: +234 1 4619261-2 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Greenwich Plus Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 15.94% INVESTMENT ONE FUNDS MANAGEMENT LTD enquiries@investment-one.com Web: www.investment-one.com; Tel: +234 812 992 1045,+234 1 448 8888 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Abacus Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 18.23% Vantage Balanced Fund 2.04 2.06 21.36% Vantage Guaranteed Income Fund 1.00 1.00 17.37%

LOTUS CAPITAL LTD ﬁncon@lotuscapitallimited.com Web: www.lotuscapitallimited.com; Tel: +234 1-291 4626 / +234 1-291 4624 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Lotus Halal Investment Fund 1.13 1.15 13.99% Lotus Halal Fixed Income Fund 1,043.01 1,043.01 8.47% MERISTEM WEALTH MANAGEMENT LTD info@meristemwealth.com Web: http://www.meristemwealth.com/funds/ ; Tel: +234 1-4488260 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Meristem Equity Market Fund 12.49 12.60 29.31% Meristem Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 18.96% PAC ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD info@pacassetmanagement.com Web: www.pacassetmanagement.com/mutualfunds; Tel: +234 1 271 8632 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn PACAM Balanced Fund 1.19 1.21 19.78% PACAM Fixed Income Fund 10.82 10.88 4.09% PACAM Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 17.12% SCM CAPITAL LIMITED info@scmcapitalng.com Web: www.scmcapitalng.com; Tel: +234 1-280 2226,+234 1- 280 2227 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn SCM Capital Frontier Fund 119.89 122.00 18.31% SFS CAPITAL NIGERIA LTD investments@sfsnigeria.com Web: www.sfsnigeria.com, Tel: +234 (01) 2801400 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn SFS Fixed Income Fund 1.38 1.38 10.58% STANBIC IBTC ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD assetmanagement@stanbicibtc.com Web: www.stanbicibtcassetmanagement.com; Tel: +234 1 280 1266; 0700 MUTUALFUNDS Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Stanbic IBTC Balanced Fund 2,147.27 2,159.50 17.27% Stanbic IBTC Bond Fund 166.46 166.46 8.12% Stanbic IBTC Ethical Fund 0.94 0.95 22.73% Stanbic IBTC Guaranteed Investment Fund 210.81 210.81 12.80% Stanbic IBTC Iman Fund 165.49 167.59 27.45% Stanbic IBTC Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 18.47% Stanbic IBTC Nigerian Equity Fund 9,191.95 9,295.69 21.19% Stanbic IBTC Dollar Fund (USD) 1.04 1.04 4.00% SIAML PENSION 40 131.72 134.58 33.15% UNITED CAPITAL ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD unitedcapitalplcgroup.com Web: www.unitedcapitalplcgroup.com; Tel: +234 803 306 2887 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn United Capital Balanced Fund 1.31 1.32 16.82% United Capital Bond Fund 1.42 1.42 16.20% United Capital Equity Fund 0.83 0.85 24.15% United Capital Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 18.43% ZENITH ASSETS MANAGEMENT LTD info@zenith-funds.com Web: www.zenith-funds.com; Tel: +234 1-2784219 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Zenith Equity Fund 12.32 12.51 26.22% Zenith Ethical Fund 12.98 13.11 18.24% Zenith Income Fund 18.52 18.52 11.98%

REITS NAV Per Share

Yield / T-Rtn

11.41 130.42

1.01% 5.20%

Bid Price

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

10.55 102.58

10.65 104.50

22.31% 35.36%

Fund Name FSDH UPDC Real Estate Investment Fund SFS Skye Shelter Fund

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

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

funds@vetiva.com Bid Price

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

4.25 8.90 16.30 19.21 134.08

4.29 8.98 16.40 19.41 136.08

53.57% 26.45% 37.91% 20.31% 5.88%

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

T H I S D AY SUNDAY OCTOBER 1, 2017

WEEKLY PULL-OUT

01.10.2017

SOUNDS & COLOURS OF INDEPENDENCE

T H I S DAY, T H E S U N DAY N E W S PA P E R ˾ OCTOBER 1, 2017

NIGERIA AT 57

COVER

Nigerian national day parade in US in 2011

SOUNDS & COLOURS OF INDEPENDENCE Nseobong Okon-Ekong and Vanessa Obioha bring colourful images of independence celebrations in recent years and report that the Independence Day 2017 is rolled-up in an extended four-day period, allowing more time for leisure and recreation which has fired the imagination of event planners

ery early that fateful Saturday morning in October, 1960, a motley crowd had begun to find their way to the open grounds of Race Course, present day Tafawa Balewa Square, Onikan, Lagos. Dressed in their dignified and cultural attires, the crowd wore happy faces as they mingled and cheered. Children in their school uniforms marched on happily, waving the new green and white flag, traditional leaders donning their traditional robes found their way to their royal seats while exchanging formal pleasantries and waving to the crowd, dance troupes and other entertainers looked radiant in their costumes, ready to entertain the crowd. There were also ordinary people who just came to watch the spectacle, jubilant over the event that would take place in the next couple of hours and will last to midnight when it will reach its climactic end. It was indeed a day they had all been waiting for.

A DREAM COME TRUE Those who could not make it to the ceremony ground stayed glued to their radios at home while the streets were filled with happy feet and voices, celebrating the dawn of a new beginning. The frenzy was replicated in other parts of the country, but was more apparent in Lagos, the capital then. By midday, the ceremony was in progress. Princess Alexandra, representing Queen Elizabeth II of England, arrived amidst so

Nigerians celebrating Nigerian Independence at the Nigerian House in New York in 2012

much fanfare. She watched in silent awe at the spectacle unfolding on the grounds of Race Course. Masquerades performed magical stunts, dance troupes performed energetic and dazzling indigenous dances. The atmosphere was choked with excitement. Sir James Robertson who was the Governor-General also watched in subtle amazement. After much grandeur, Princess Alexandra handed over the letter to Prime Minister Tafawa Balewa who hosted the grand event. The letter was a proof that Britain had relinquished its sovereignty over the most populous black nation. At this hand over, a

thunderous cheer erupted at the gathering. More entertainment followed. The elites moved to the banquet hall to dance and celebrate the independence of Nigeria. At the strike of the midnight hour, the beautiful green and white flag of the new nation Nigeria was hoisted accompanied by display of fireworks.

THE DAY WAS OCTOBER 1. This celebration became a blueprint for subsequent independence celebrations. October 1 has since become a commemorative holiday to celebrate

Nigeria’s independence. It usually starts with a national broadcast by the Number One Citizen. Other activities which have become associated with the day include a march past by the armed forces, paramilitary institutions and students; and cultural activities. Independence Day celebration is still a rallying point to push the boat out. Sometimes in happier tones, other times in sadder undertones. However, the late 90s and 2000s ushered in diverse and creative ways of commemorating the day. For whatever it is worth, Nigerians have a reason to be sentimental on October 1. As the nation continues to grapple with leadership and economic issues, Independence Day became a day of reflection on the history of the country. The media, both print and electronic fill their pages and airwaves with discourse from politicians and leaders of thought on the future of Nigeria. Religious bodies and other advocacy groups have since joined the bandwagon. Prominent Christian ministry Believers Love World, owners of Christ Embassy, introduced its Reach-Out Nigeria Campaign in 2011. According to the religious body, the campaign serves to kindle the fire of patriotism and restore hope in the future of the country. For its inaugural edition, the church gave out food items, medical supplies, boreholes, books, computer accessories and other items to several communities in the spirit of independence. Before the launch of the campaign, it was a

OCTOBER 1, 2017 ˾ T H I S DAY, T H E S U N DAY N E W S PA P E R

NIGERIA AT 57

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Top Nigerian diplomats and US-based Nigerians celebrating Nigerian Independence at the Nigerian House in New York in 2012

tradition of the church to storm the streets of Lagos, particularly from its headquarters in Oregun with boisterous activities to mark Nigeria’s independence. At such times, the country’s colours are boldly used in body art and attires to create a spectacle with their carnival-like activities while preaching salvation and giving out copies of its daily devotional, Rhapsody of Realities, to the enthralled masses. Subsequent independence celebrations by the church have accommodated a concert. Last year, it marked the day with a Praise Concert, carnival and a football tournament in Warri as part of its Reach-Out Nigeria campaign. In similar fashion, Manna Prayer Mountain championed by Bishop Chris Kwakpovwe, author of Nigeria’s first popular daily devotional, Our Daily Manna, uses the Independence Day celebration to promote unity in the country with its campaign, One Nigeria, One ODM. Members of the church fill the streets of Lagos in their green and white uniforms, distributing millions of copies of the daily devotional to the masses. Entertainers are not left out in the jubilation spree. Concert venues and beaches are filled with activities. In 2009, 411 Entertainment initiated the Green and White carnival. The carnival promised lots of fun fare and paraded a bunch of activities like trade fair and expo of proudly Nigerian products, art works and souvenirs, beach games, live concert featuring the country’s finest mega stars on a massive stage, fashion parade, branded party huts of different organisations. However, the carnival didn’t last for more than a couple of years before it sank in the mud. Felix Duke, a musician introduced the Independence Day Beach Carnival in 2012. The carnival had all the embellishment of such event including a robust line-up of performing artistes. Previous editions were held at Elegushi Beach along the Lekki-Ibeju Expressway. There is also the Stand-Up Nigeria Comedy Show by Bunmi Davies. It held last year on Independence Day and will also hold on same day this year. Spirit of David, a Christian dance group had always tied one epic performance to October 1 since 1999. The production usually pools many dancers and cast on one stage. This year, it will present to its audience a dance drama titled ‘Glimpse’. About 100

ALTHOUGH, THERE ARE FEW NIGERIANS WHO WILL RATHER NOT INDULGE IN THE FESTIVITIES DUE TO THE STATE OF THE ECONOMY AND SECURITY THREATS, THE OVERRIDING MOOD PERMITS A GOOD BREAK FROM THE ROUTINE IN ORDER TO HAVE A GOOD TIME, EVEN IF ON A CAUTIOUS AND REFLECTIVE NOTE professional dancers will be pooled from Spirit of David’s branches nationwide to present this fresh and original production that will certainly resonate with audiences around the world. Produced and directed by Wale “Rubber” Sodade , the Chief Dance Instructor of the group, Glimpse is a movement that will inspire Lagos , Nigeria and the world to love through acts of kindness (no matter how small) and encourage recipients to pay that kindness forward. On the fashion scene, beauty pageantry is tied to the Independence Celebration, although some of them do not see the light of day. There is the Miss Independence Nigeria which is held in the month of October. In the South-east region, Miss Independence Anambra reigns supreme but has been muted for a while. Apart from music and comedy, Nigeria’s independence has likewise been an interesting muse to filmmakers. In 2014, prolific movie producer and director Kunle Afolayan premiered a movie named October 1, a dark psychological thriller set in Colonial Nigeria. The movie told the story of Danladi Waziri (Sadiq Daba), a police officer from Northern Nigeria who was posted to a remote town of Akote in Western Nigeria to investigate the frequent female murder cases in the community and solve the mystery before the Nigerian flag is raised on Nigeria’s Independence Day. In 2016, Abba T Makama explored the ethnic diversity in Nigeria with his movie ‘Green White Green’ which tells of three young boys from Nigeria’s major ethnic

groups on an adventure to make a short film. Despite the positive reviews the film received at festivals, it never made it to the Nigerian cinemas. The golf community is not left out in the celebration. It introduced the Nigeria Cup competition to mark the nation’s Independence Day celebrations. This year’s event is organised by the Ikoyi Golf Community Nigeria Association (IGCNA). Incidentally, the 2017 Independence Day falls on a Sunday. The next day has been declared a Public Holiday, effectively guaranteeing a four-day period of laissez faire, in which many can do as they please. Inspired by an extended four-day period; allowing more time for leisure and recreation, event planners have come up with all manners of occasions to foster the spirit of independence. Many of these activities are set to start on the Independence Eve. Comedian, Bright Okpocha, better known as Basketmouth, had an entertaining session of music and comedy at Eko Hotel yesterday which featured American comedians, Robert Powell and G. The humour merchants from South Africa were Ndumiso Lindi and David Kau, while Salvador came from Uganda. His Nigerian compatriots on the bill were Okey Bakassi, Buchi and Bovi. The music fare was supplied by Wizkid, Flavour, Harrysong, Play, Olamide and Lil Kesh. Popular DJ Kimmy Jatt set the independence mood at the New Afrikan Shrine yesterday with his show Jimmy’s Jump Off. On Independence Day at the Backyard, Musa Yar’Adua Street, Victoria Island, Johnnie Walker Black Label presents Johnnie and Whisky, a show that is advertised as a when flavor is king and jazz is the beat. series of activities have been lined up for the holiday. Two novelties are taking place this year during the independence holiday. For the first time ever, there is a Nigeria Beer Festival which kicked off last Monday and is billed to reach a climactic end today at the Eko Atlantic City. Hosted by Lagos State, the festival parades the best beer brands “in a carnival week of entertainment, sales and marketing and a gathering of the largest community of beer consumers from across the country and beyond with economic value for the brands and the economy at large,” according to Akinola Oluwaleimu, General Manager of 001. There is also the Lagos City Suya

Carnival which is taking up the arduous task to make a 50 ft suya steak to set a new record in The Guinness Book of World Record in Nigeria as the longest suya steak ever made. The executive producer of the carnival, Kehinde Talabi, explained that the carnival is organised in conjunction with the Lagos State Ministry of Tourism Arts and Culture to offer entertainment and fun. The Main Supremacy Concert holds on October 1 at Eko Hotel. The musical revolution tagged “The Supremacy” is a live music concert. It will feature performances from some of the biggest made-in-Nigeria artistes including Sir Shina Peters, Olamide, Tekno, Tiwa Savage, D’Banj and 9ice. Comedian Tunde Adewale better known as Tee A has developed an independence themed entertainment fare tailored for corporate individuals. Billed for the Intercontinental Hotel, it’s an exclusive event that will host only 500 guests. ‘Independence Day Corporate Tyme Out With Tee A’ holds today and is purposely designed to feature only a select few. Tee A said, “Like the name implies, it’s a corporate event for some of our corporate clients and partners from over the years who have supported us all the way but may not have been able to attend our previous events.” The Nigerian Independence celebrations are not limited to Nigeria. Nigerians across the pond are also raising the flag of their country with pride in their different host countries; as they engage in one activity or the other to enjoy this day. It is not uncommon to find independence concerts in New York or in London. Although, there are few Nigerians who will rather not indulge in the festivities due to the state of the economy and security threats, the overriding mood permits a good break from the routine in order to have a good time, even if on a cautious and reflective note. For instance, The Covenant Christian Centre led by Pastor Poju Oyemade has conceived a critical engagement forum called the Platform which he said has the prophetic function of preservation. The Independence Day edition features speakers including Bishop Hassan Mathew Kukah and Chairman of THISDAY Editorial Board, Olusegun Adeniyi, as they dissect the theme, ‘Putting Together the Jigsaw Pieces that Form Nigeria’. Happy Independence Anniversary Nigeria!

T H I S D AY SUNDAY OCTOBER 1, 2017

ARTS & REVIEW A

PUBLICATION

SHONIBARE, 59 OTHER ARTISTS FOR ART X LAGOS PAGE 62

01.10.2017

THAT NIGERIAN CAN-DO SPIRIT... A painting by Muraina Oyelami (details)

EDITOR OKECHUKWU UWAEZUOKE/ okechukwu.uwaezuoke@thisdaylive.com

OCT ͯ˜ Ͱͮͯ͵ ˾ THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER

ARTS & REVIEW\\VISUAL ARTS

THAT NIGERIA CAN-DO SPIRI

The post-Independence contemporary Nigerian art owes its aesthetic canons to waves of cre by the Zaria Art Society and the informally-trained artists in Osogbo, among others, says Okec

cycle was about to be closed. What the members of the ZariaArt Society had started in 1958 was about to come to an end that day. The day – Friday, June 16, 1961 – marked the official end of the society with an informal get-together. Uche Okeke's room, the venue of this gettogether, pulsated with music. Drinks were consumed in copious quantities.Appropriate speeches bordering on the society and the contribution of its members to the cause of contemporary art in Nigeria were made. “There was great optimism expressed by one and all the entire atmosphere of this last meeting was happy,” Uche Okeke recalled in his diary (excerpts from which were published in the book, The ZariaArt Society:ANew Consciousness, edited by Paul Chike Dike and Patricia Oyelola). “Y.A. Grillo and E. O. Nwagbara could not turn up. B. P. O. Onobrakpeya, E. O. Odita, O. O. Osadebe, D. N. Nwoko and I were present. We were all agreed that the spirit of inquiry the Society engendered in us all should continue to march on even in the grave like John Brown’s body.” Flashback to how it all started. The Nigerian College ofArts, Science and Technology – a. k. a. NCAST – was about to become affiliated to Goldsmith's College of London. For many of the tertiary institution’s students, this was a big deal. That meant that the word “London” would add sheen to their certificates. In any case, the art students among them cared little or nothing for a career in art.Acushy job in the Federal Civil Service would amply satisfy their ambitions. But Uche Okeke and Demas Nwoko saw things differently. Indeed, they were so vocal in their opposition to this idea that they approached the institution’s authorities to insist on its autonomy. Their action paved the way to the eventual formation of the ZariaArt Society on October 9, 1959. Aperusal through the annals of the society revealed that some of its 11 members stayed longer than the others. For instance, Uche Okeke, Bruce Onobrakpeya, Demas Nwoko and Okechukwu Odita were members from 1958 to 1961. William Olaosebikan and Felix Ekeada were members for just a year (1958 to 1959). If Yusuf Grillo and Simon Okeke were members for only two years, it is because they were a year ahead of the trio of Uche Okeke, Bruce Onobrakpeya and Demas Nwoko. While Ogbonnaya Nwagbara and I. M. Omagie/Omigie only joined the Society just a year before its dissolution. “We didn’t meet to draw or paint…because our curricula took care of that,” Uche Okeke told the US-based art critic Chika Okeke-Agulu in an interview published in the book, The Zaria Art Society:ANew Consciousness. “We were concerned about the nature of Nigerian art, what it could mean in the face of our traditional and transitional art. Were we to jettison these and embrace the kind of art taught by our lecturers? These formed the focus of our deliberations then.” Enter the “Natural Synthesis” concept. Aconcept bequeathed on the contemporary Nigerian art lexicon by the group.And one that would pave its aesthetic direction. Yusuf Grillo, one of the society’s pioneer

Bruce Onobrakpeya beside his installation work, Akporode

Yusuf Grillo beside one of his works member, explained that the society only went with the flow of the concept rather than invent it. “It more or less provided the packaging,” he said. “Everybody... agreed that if you were a Yoruba, you didn’t have

to throw away your Yoruba background. We envisioned a kind of synthesis that would bring out art from our ‘tribal’ enclaves and put them on the platform of national significance.”

Therefore, the concept, according to him, “is so natural that one doesn’t need to talk about it. It is something that comes naturally with any artist who is sincere, any artist who is self-examining,

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ˾ BER 1, 2017

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ÏËÞÓàÏ ÍßÜÜÏØÞÝ ÚÓÙØÏÏÜÏÎ chukwu Uwaezuoke any artist trying to discover himself. It has to be Natural Synthesis if it has to be sincere.” Further explaining the concept, he evoked the metaphor of a well-laid out buffet table. From this table, the connoisseur would always take what appealed to him. “Your body process digests all [that you have eaten] and eliminates so much it doesn’t need.” Similarly, the artist becomes one with his work so much that it can no longer be separated from him. That also would explain why people may see the same thing but assimilate it differently according to their nature. “It is your spirit. What you reject could be what another person assimilates.” The ZariaArt Society may not have invented the concept, as Grillo himself implied, but it did focus the trends in the local art scene along that direction. The call to duty soon dispersed the Zaria Art Society members to their different posts. Uche Okeke laid the foundations of University of Nigeria Nsukka’s Fine andAppliedArts Department. The department, which espouses the Uli credo as its core aesthetic philosophy, has produced artistic greats like Olu Oguibe, Sylvester Ogbechie, Chijioke Onuorah, Chika Okeke-Agulu, Marcia Kure and Krydz Ikwuemesi.Art teachers like the Ghanaian-born ElAnatsui, ChukaAmaefunah, ChikeAniakor and Obiora Udechukwu helped nurture and crystallise the foundation dreams of the department. Okeke retired to theAsele Institute in his hometown, Nimo inAnambra State. Further, Bruce Onobrapkeya is best known for his Harmattan Workshop series, unarguably the biggest annual gathering of visual artists in sub-SaharanAfrica. Okechukwu Odita, from his base in the US has made several forays into the local art scene with his K-12 workshops. Grillo pioneered the Yaba College of Technology’sArt School.And Demas Nwoko became a leading light and reference point in architecture. But there was a second creative wave. This was pioneered by the German-born Ulli Beier, who was drawn to the scene in 1960. Ditto Michael Crowder, who was the then director of Ministry of Information’s Exhibition Centre along the Lagos Marina as well as editor of the defunct Nigeria Magazine and a lecturer at the University of Ibadan’s School of Extra-Mural Studies. The activities of these two initiated the society’s members into series of workshops, seminars, symposia and exhibitions. Fast-forward to a few years later. Ulli Beier, in a collaboration with his then spouseAustrianborn Susanne Wenger, instituted a workshop in the south-western Nigerian town of Osogbo for a group of artisans. These artisans, thanks to the workshop, would become professional artists, whose efforts – though initially derided by the formally-trained artists – earned them recognition beyond Nigeria’s borders. Thus emerged such Osogbo-trained titans as Jimoh Buraimoh, Muraina Oyelami, Twins Seven-Seven, Rufus Ogundele and Nike Davies-Okundaye among a host of others. More creative tributaries, emerging from these currents, have since added so much colour and oomph to the talent-glutted Nigerian art scene.

The Inverted Pyramid; Adapted from a novel by Emeka Dike

T H I S D AY SUNDAY OCTOBER 1, 2017

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ OCTOBER 1, 2017

CICERO

Editor Olawale Olaleye Email wale.olaleye@thisdaylive.com, SMS: 08116759819

IN THE ARENA

From Olubadan’s Palace, a Disturbing Spectre The attack, last week, on the palace of the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Saliu Adetunji, is foreboding of the days ahead, writes Olawale Olaleye

o assume that last Monday’s attack by armed hoodlums on the palace of the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Saliu Adetunji, had political underhand may be technically hasty, however, it’s persuasively not impossible. The palace has had too many things going south for it in the last few weeks, especially when this had involved confronting the state for allegedly interfering in purely traditional matters and debatably so. The recent coronation of 21 Baales elevated to the status of Oba by Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State had stirred the hornet’s nest in the trado-political hemisphere of the state. The traditional institution had accused the government of politicizing the idea of kingship to suit some political interest, particularly as the state projects into the next election year. But the state had argued otherwise. The idea, the state insisted, was meant to shore up the status of the Olubadan amongst his contemporaries and place him where he ordinarily ought to be. Unfortunately, no such explanation made sense to the palace, which had concluded the move was conceived, not only to humiliate the Oba but reduce his influence within the state’s traditional institution. Indeed, the Oba held a rally, where he dismissed the coronation as mere charade and that he remained the only recognised Oba in the entire Ibadanland. And as a follow-up, the Oba had approached the court on the matter, challenging Ajimobi’s interference in the palace and its affairs. Needless to say both parties also had their support bases respectively. While the governor was stoutly backed by those, who saw the move as some form of emancipation from what they glibly referred to as the ‘enslaving tradition’ of Ibadanland, those behind the palace and who stand to benefit from the status quo maintained the narrative that it was political and that no such move should fly without the full buy-in of the palace. And so, the situation had remained chaotic until the Monday attack on the palace, which further exacerbated the situation and completely introduced a new slant to the phase. According to reports, four yet-to-be identified gunmen had stormed the Olubadan palace and shot at everything on sight. Curiously, this happened during an installation ceremony of new Baales as the Olubadan had just conferred chieftaincy titles on two of the four Baale-nominees, when the hoodlums reportedly drove into the palace in a black Toyota Sienna. Many people including a former Secretary to the State Government, Chief Sarafadeen Alli, and three journalists, amongst whom was the THISDAY correspondent in the state, Ademola Babalola, narrowly escaped death, during the attack. Immediately, the state government condemned the development in a press release by the Special Adviser to the governor on Communication and Strategy, Mr. Yomi Layinka. The governor, who

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

Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Adetunji

later convened a security meeting, had directed all security agencies in the state to ensure that the masterminds of the attack were brought to justice. Also, addressing journalists at the end of the security meeting, Special Adviser to the Governor on Security, Segun Abolarinwa, pointed ﬁngers at those he called failed politicians as masterminds of the attack. Although he said the security agencies had not come to any conclusion yet, preliminary reports suggested that political opponents bent on disrupting the peace of the land were behind the attack. A former Governor of the state, Senator Rashidi Ladoja, who has been unapologetically opposed to the review of 1957 Olubadan chieftaincy declaration condemned the attack, saying: “What the gunmen did was very bad. Anyone who is aggrieved about what the Olubadan is doing in his palace should go to court instead of resulting to violence. Sending gunmen to the palace to scare people is not the right thing to do. They want to scare people away from the palace, because they know that the people are on the side of the Olubadan.” However, the fact that the state government had also alluded to opposition politicians as the likely

As Police Score Another Goal…

IGP, Idris

masterminds gives credence to the assumption that the development could not be insulated from political undertone. And the fact that this is coming as the state looks forward to another election year is therefore disturbing and worrisome. That Ibadan and indeed, Oyo State boasts an unsavoury history of political violence makes the Monday attack one that must be diligently investigated and ensure that the culprits were brought to book. The palace is a civil authority with deﬁned afﬁliation to government and its functionality. Whatever transpires between the state and the traditional institution should not provide a cover for mischief, either by elements of the state or those in the opposition camp. The attack was incontestably senseless, meaningless, mindless, needless and uncalled for, particularly during a solemn function. It is for this reason and more that government should not just order the security agencies to do the needful, it must take it upon itself to follow up on the order and ensure that those unscrupulous elements are made to account for their sins in a manner that is just and fair. It is then that the state can be completely exonerated from what has happened.

ast week, the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, said newly recruited police ofﬁcers would be posted out to their states of origin as part of new measures to live the dreams of effective policing in the remotest parts of the country. That was good thinking, although not without its shortcomings. The idea of multi-level policing otherwise called state police aligns with the need to ensure the posting out of police ofﬁcers to the terrain they are familiar with. This, it is often contended,

would allow them to effectively contain crime and police the environment professionally without undue emotionality. That process, the police have begun with this pronouncement. But the police leadership must ensure that by the time the idea is fully translated into action, officers do not pander to misplaced ethnic sentiments but do their job conscientiously with the sole aim of upholding the very essence of the initiative. It is an idea that would help see a better policing in terms of crime-fighting and prevention, given the officers’ good knowledge of their respective terrains of posting.

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ OCTOBER 1, 2017

CICERO/ENCOUNTER

InOneTerm,Obaze Seesa NewAnambra The Peoples Democratic Party governorship candidate in the November election in Anambra State, Oseloka Obaze, was in Lagos at the weekend to aﬃrm the importance attached to the media as a worthy partner in nation-building. Olawale Olaleye, who was at one of the sessions with select journalists, captures the vision of this former staﬀ of the United Nations in the quest for a new Anambra State

seloka Obaze is not under any illusion that the November election is a walkover. If anything, he is not oblivious of the fact that the incumbent governor, Chief Willie Obanio, is seeking re-election and that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is also determined to have another South-east state in its kitty if it must prove formidable in the 2019 elections. Therefore, the governorship election in November is a major political challenge for Obaze, whose party, the PDP, sees as an avenue to make a defining statement, preparatory to the 2019 polls. Save for the weight of incumbency on the part of Obiano and the likely federal might that the APC could deploy, Obaze seems to have a lot going for him in the election. From experience to capacity, platform and contact, he is certainly coming onboard, fully armed to take, not just on all his opponents as represented in the participating political parties, but everything standing in his way. Organised, cerebral, temperate, self-effacing and evidently prepared for the challenges of state, Obaze is no less an astounding choice by the PDP. With focus on human capital development, employment, security, industrialisation, education, commerce and compelling economic diversification, amongst others, he is desirably not a feckless option, placed side-by-side with the task ahead. Not unexpectedly, he appears to understand the narrative that is best for the November election. His one-term proposition is arguably the most defining selling point for his campaign. For a man from the same senatorial district (North) as the incumbent, his one term agenda has taken effective care of whatever political misgivings thereof and sincerely so. Thus, as he reels off his plans for Anambra in the foreseeable future, Obaze boasts the confidence of a man with a well-tailored home work. Although he sees not the opportunity as a do-or-die affair, having been a part of the Peter Obi and the Obiano administrations, Obaze is strongly of the view that Anambra can actually get more than it currently does now in terms of the delivery of good governance, with a better focused and administratively inclined leadership. “We are a gifted people, very enterprising and we have the environment, which we need to leverage to deliver the best dividends of democracy to our people as well as drive what goes on in the state, both industrially and economically. We are not there yet. And because I’ve had the privilege of living abroad, travelling to many countries and being asked to come back to serve as Secretary to the State Government (SSG) under Peter Obi and partly under Willie Obiano, I understand the state of play, the narrative and trajectory, which was laid for Anambra State to continue beyond 2014. “Governor Obiano has done about three and half years of his tenure, but as I look down the line, what I see does not suit the narrative and that was why I have come out. I am from Anambra North like Obiano and we campaigned to get the governorship for the zone. I led that campaign and it is either I fold my hands and allow that campaign to die, or I come out and fight,” he says. According to him, “We started a process several years ago with Obi, where we had a medium and long term plan. But if we continue on the current pace, we will never meet our target. But if we can change the narrative and the drive, we should be

Obaze...Obiano has deviated from our original plan able to bring the state back to the trajectory that it is supposed to be in the next four years. I know that it is difficult to fight an incumbent, but it is either you are very courageous or you are very foolish or a combination of both. But the most important is that Obiano and I put together; the state is greater than us. If we stand alone, the state is also greater than us. “The right of Anambra youths to enjoy those privileges, which I enjoyed while growing up in the then Eastern Region is not debatable. So, what do we do? We have to turn Anambra State around and put it on the pedestal it is supposed to be in terms of human capital development, industralisation and information technology, to assist every child to be educated and to empower every man and woman in the state.” Talk about the challenges ahead of him, Obaze admits: “Of course, there are challenges. There is an incumbent governor in place and he has the power of incumbency. But, an incumbent, who is running for a second term must run on his record. He must say that he came in, met this and built that. He must say that he started this and completed that. Yes, I was part of the Obi administration and started with the Obiano administration, but I left after 15 months, when things were not on the trajectory they were supposed to be.

“If Obiano had stayed on the trajectory that we mapped out to take the state where it ought to be, maybe we wouldn’t have been here. For instance, in the area of education, we were ranked 26th several years ago, but we fought from that position to number one in both the National Examination Council (NECO) and West African Examination Council (WAEC) examinations and we stayed on the position for three years. “In three years of the Obiano administration, we have slipped from the number one position in both examinations to number six and seven, respectively. If we allow the progression at that rate, in the next for four years, we will be number 10 and 12 in both examinations, respectively. That is reverse progress and we don’t want that. If education is funded properly, we should be able to get our state back to where it used to be as well as produce graduates, who are employable, marketable not just in Nigeria but globally.” Reiterating his one term agenda, especially that it could be his undoing if not properly communicated, Obaze explains: “The incumbent governor and I are from Anambra North, but since the creation of the state, the south and central senatorial zones have produced the governors we had until 2013, when we started the campaign for the governorship to come to the north. I was an

Thus, as he reels off his plans for Anambra in the foreseeable future, Obaze boasts the conﬁdence of a man with a well-tailored home work. Although he sees not the opportunity as a do-or-die affair, having been a part of the Peter Obi and the Obiano administrations, Obaze is strongly of the view that Anambra can actually get more than it currently does now in terms of the delivery of good governance, with a better focused and administratively inclined leadership.

aspirant, we campaigned and financed it. Obiano was never part of it. But, when some intra-party issues led to some kind of accord between Obi and the then National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Chief Victor Umeh, he (Umeh) decided that all those who were on the side of the governor during the crisis would not be the candidate of the party and I was one of them. “That was how Obiano became the compromise candidate from the north and that was why he became the governor. Unfortunately, the down side of it is because he was not part of the process, he did not understand the trajectory we had mapped out for the state in terms of where to go. He assumed power and started running the office, but somewhere along the line, he derailed and that is why we are where we are now. More than half our development partners have gone and the process of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has been abandoned.” He therefore maintains that “I have said it and it is in my manifesto that I will only serve for four years. I will complete the four years left for Anambra North. By April next year, I will be 63, I shouldn’t be running for office now, but we must lay a solid foundation and groom young people to take over. If the foundation and resources we handed to Obiano had been built on, I probably wouldn’t be here. I don’t recall a governor anywhere in Nigeria leaving N75 billion for his successor.” Alluding to experience as a critical ingredient for capacity, Obaze notes that “People refer to my UN background, but before I left for the UN in 1991, I served in the federal civil service under the Shehu Shagari administration and when Muhammadu Buhari was the head of state and also during the Ibrahim Babangida regime. At the state level, I served in the last two years of the Obi administration and my job as the SSG was to make sure that there is efficient and effective policy adherence and cohesion,” adding that these combined puts him in a position of advantage. Dismissing insinuations that he is being used to fight a proxy war between Obi and Obiano, he posits that, “In life, somebody must be behind somebody. Having a godfather is not a crime or evil because we have godfathers and godmothers even in the church. It only became a negative issue, especially the way we’ve had it in Anambra State. There was a particular window in our politics, when it assumed a negative connotation. That aside, I’ve had a brilliant career and I had mentors. “Today, I mentor young people and nobody will tell me that it is wrong to do that. In politics, you get mentored also. When I started this campaign, the first person that I went to was Dr. Alex Ekwueme, who I have known since I was seven years old. Why didn’t people see him as my godfather? And, will there be anything wrong for a man, who has attained the highest level in politics by an Igbo man in Nigeria to be the one who is advising me? Who will put a negative thing to that? “I worked with Peter Obi, who was my junior in secondary school. He got into secondary school the year I was leaving and throughout the time I worked for him as SSG, he never addressed me by my first name; he addressed me as senior, which was the school tradition. It took him over a year to get me to leave my job at the UN to come and work for him. I didn’t work for him because of the pay. I had to take a 900 per cent salary cut because of my love for the state. So, I don’t see anything wrong for him to appreciate that I made that sacrifice to come and work for him and to say that he will support me because he knows that I can do the job.” But he would not end this very explanation without landing a definitive clincher – more like a subliminal message to the incumbent. Hear him: “Some people are making the spectre of godfather, because they want to cause confusion, but I want to ask a question: who is Obiano’s godfather? Is it not Obi? So, why are they not making issue out of that? I want to make it clear that I am running for governor on my own steam and funding,” he adds.

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ OCTOBER 1, 2017

CICERO/FOR THE RECORD

The Pursuit of Excellence: A Commitment to Consistent Best Practice Christopher Kolade

t was very good news indeed for me to know, two or three years ago, that there exists a Cadbury Nigeria Alumni Association whose principal aim is to create opportunities for its members to continue to share the values and principles that they experienced while serving as Managers in the company, Cadbury Nigeria plc. I found considerable joy in the fact that the Association wanted to include me in the circle that they had formed, believing that I might have played a small part in opening them to those positive experiences. The best news is the reality of this day – the occasion of the first annual lecture of the Association, and the fact that the members have carried out their threat to make me the speaker at this lecture. Let me say to the Alumni, simply and directly, that I am very, very happy to be here, and to regain my place as one of you, this time, at your invitation. It should come as no surprise that I have chosen to speak on the theme – The Pursuit of Excellence – at this opening discourse. After all, that was the platform on which we did many things together, and it has sustained us even after we left the active service of the company. You will see that I have added a second part to the title, suggesting that the pursuit of excellence succeeds best when we are committed to consistent best practice in all that we do. I have even better news to share with you – you are not alone in the passion for the pursuit of excellence. Contrary to all the current negative rhetoric in this land, I have the good fortune of coming across groups of people, especially young people, who are quietly, but effectively, labouring in the pursuit of excellence. A couple of weeks ago, I attended a musical concert staged by the group known as the Lagos City Chorale. Their performance showed attributes of excellence that proved to everyone that they must have spent many hours in rehearsal before the public performance. No one was surprised to learn that they had won many international awards already, and were getting ready for another round of performances overseas. A few days ago, I also interacted with a group of young men and women with impressive credentials in modern communication technology. Right now, it is their aim to bring a substantial dose of excellence to the content and style of communication via the social media. The members of both groups had one thing in common: they were going ahead with their actions without any thought of receiving any personal material benefit from their endeavour. I share those two experiences because they tell me that the pursuit of excellence is receiving practical expression in quite a few other places. The concept is no longer as strange or as rare as it once was. The continued commitment of members of the Cadbury Nigeria Alumni Association is an important way of reinforcing this wholesome trend. Indeed, I hold the firm view that the surest way of combating and defeating bad behaviour in our community is to strengthen good behaviour in all the places where we find it. Excellence – the Concept: For many people, the first contact with the concept of excellence occurs when there is competition, at home or at school. Therefore, we begin by trying to do better than others, and this seems sufficient until we have to repeat one activity several times. When that happens, we find that we learn new things, and can progressively improve the skill with which we perform the task. This leads to a natural desire to improve the level of our achievement, and indeed, we may find that we produce results that fill us with considerable self-satisfaction. At this initial stage, however, we tend to work at skills improvement mainly because it helps us to stay ahead of other people. The by-product of that process is that we enjoy the fact that we achieve some growth in our ability to deliver results, and

asks of himself more than others do. The Imperative of Dedicated Preparation: One important thing to remember, when we discuss the exploits of successful sports men and women, as with musicians and other artistes, is that they do not come to excellence of performance except through dedicated planning, effort and many, many hours of practice. In pursuit of excellence in sports, there is now severe condemnation for those who try to improve their performance by using drugs that enable the attainment of false glory. The world of sports insists that athletes must strive to be people of consistent best practice. As Angela Duckworth reminds us, there are no shortcuts to true excellence. Our view of excellence: For our discussion this morning, we are looking at excellence, not merely as the act of doing better than others. It must include also: a) doing better that the norm (current accepted standard); b) doing better than should be expected in the circumstances; c) doing better than anyone has done previously. We may also remind ourselves that excellence is not an abstract or impersonal concept; rather, it deserves our attention at this first annual lecture of the Cadbury Nigeria Alumni Association because members of the Association have spent the major part of their careers promoting the pursuit of excellence, and are eager to see many more people – indeed, the nation as a whole, become fellow-travellers on that edifying journey. But, why? Another thought for this opening part of our discussion: why pursue excellence? Yes, indeed, we may find joy and satisfaction in doing progressively better in our work or business, but can we point to any additional justification for embarking on the drive to attain a level, a standard, which is higher than that which currently exists? Well, the additional – and perhaps, more important – reason is that the outcome Kolade of our effort should bring a valuable benefit to some other person or persons. In other words, there are stakeholders who have an interest, a need, or an expectation, which we are this may cause other people to accord us higher respect and greater admiration. In other words, until we come to a good trying to satisfy. Particularly if we are engaged in the business level of maturity, our self-esteem tends to feed heavily on the of delivering goods or services to stakeholders, the quality of the outcome of our efforts is a key factor in the positive external factor of recognition and praise from other people. relationship that we must seek to establish with clients and Question: Does this explain the tendency for some highlycustomers. placed people to crave popularity and adulation even when Let us now take a closer look, and ask ourselves the they have not done anything that has any relationship with question – When can we justifiably claim that we are truly excellence? engaged in the pursuit of excellence? Obviously, the “purExcellence in Performance: As we grow up, the desire to suit” cannot be a single, one-off action; it must be a journey do well should become a natural feature of our permanent behaviour, and we should develop our skills for this purpose, that calls for the investment of time and sustained attention on the part of the one who is engaged in it. Indeed, Aristotle whether other people are looking or not. Because we are and other philosophers remind us that excellence is not an now more mature, we begin to take ownership of our own performance. Most of us hope we will be better people in the act: rather, it is a habit that develops into a way of life – the year 2018 than we are this year, and we are constantly seeking lifestyle – of the individual. For an organization, Azim Premji ways of achieving improvement in our performance. Indeed, offers the thoughtful idea that excellence is a great starting point for any (new) organization, but also an unending we feel dissatisfied if we are not registering some discernible improvement. This is the stage at which we become progres- journey.” Pursuing the Interest of the Stakeholder: One writer has sively more critical of our own performance, and will go described excellence as the unlimited ability to improve to great lengths to grow through learning, by engaging in the quality of what you have to offer. However it is wise serious study and self-development. to remember that the judgment as to the real quality of The Benefit of Experience: Of course, there are situations what we offer must be left to the beneficiary of what we that encourage us to know that excellence in performance produce – the one that we have referred to as the stakeholder. is achievable when we make the effort to pursue it. Study Only when the real needs, interests and expectations of the performance trends in sports, where we have a habit of stakeholder are being met to his satisfaction can we claim that encouraging COMPETITION and striving to set RECORDS as the standards that show the best that can be achieved. The the outcome of our excellent performance has real value, and practice is for each competitor to (a) try to win – i.e., do better is fit-for-purpose. Excellence and Morality: This need to give consideration than everyone else, and (b) set a new record – i.e., do better than has ever been done previously. Often, the sports person to the interests and expectations of the stakeholder brings us face-to-face with the reality that the pursuit of excellence must is trying to beat his own previous record: in other words, he is actually competing against himself! Indeed, a distinguished be done ethically if it is to succeed. We cannot pursue true excellence unless we observe the fundamental principles of management expert has suggested that the most important race that we run in life is that which we run against ourselves. morality, principles which facilitate the ability of human beAnother writer believes that excellence means when a person ings to live and work successfully together in the promotion and management of issues that touch their shared interests. In pursuit of excellence, we would do well to remember the following, as some of the fundamental principles of morality: - Never choosing deliberately to harm anyone; - Always supporting our good intentions with credible arrangements for making them work; - Making determined and credible efforts to keep our word; - Never accepting a responsibility for which we do not intend to be held accountable; - Always giving positive consideration to the interests of other people; - Always offering the very best performance of which we are capable. The Individual and Best Practice: At this point in our discussion, I expect that you are able to conclude – and rightly so - that there is nothing new in all that we have said so far.

Let us now take a closer look, and ask ourselves the question – When can we justiﬁably claim that we are truly engaged in the pursuit of excellence? Obviously, the“pursuit”cannot be a single, one-off action; it must be a journey that calls for the investment of time and sustained attention on the part of the one who is engaged in it. Indeed, Aristotle and other philosophers remind us that excellence is not an act: rather, it is a habit that develops into a way of life – the lifestyle – of the individual. For an organization, Azim Premji offers the thoughtful idea that excellence is a great starting point for any (new) organization, but also an unending journey

- Being a speech delivered by Dr. Christopher Kolade, former Chief Executive and Chairman of Cadbury Nigeria Plc, and ex-igerian High Commissioner to The United Kingdom at a Cadbury Nigeria Alumni Association event recently (See concluding part on www.thisdaylive.com)

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ ͯ˜ Ͱͮͯ͵

Ambode:AQuietButVirtuosoPerformance Adewale Adeeyo

n his 27 years as a civil servant in Lagos State, Akinwunmi Ambode was a quiet, solid achiever of immense gifts and remarkable ethos. With a bachelor’s and master’s in Accounting, he was focused early enough to start his working career from the modest position of Assistant Treasurer, Badagry Local Government in 1988. Nearly three decades later, and after a number of courses within and outside the country, the brilliant and hardworking civil servant had risen to the position of a Permanent Secretary and Accountant-General, even holding both positions at a time. His accomplishments were staggering; but what was even more astonishing was the quiet manner he rose through the ranks and left a lasting impact. It was, therefore, not surprising that less than three years after he voluntarily retired from the civil service, and with the same quiet dignity and self-effacement that have become his hallmarks, Ambode, 54, was back in government, this time at the highest level in Lagos State as its third fourth Republic elected governor. It is not certain, despite his hardwork and accomplishments, whether he thought that amazing political trajectory possible. It is not even clear, though he has great mentors, whether a year before he assumed office as governor, anyone thought to make a political gladiator of the self-effacing financial and administrative manager. Thirty years after he first signed up to work for the Lagos State government, through which he rose to be a consummate civil servant and adept financial manager, Ambode had become governor in extraordinary circumstances. He was indisputably sound as an auditor and accountant, even a chartered accountant, but not many, including perhaps some who voted for him in 2015 on trust, were absolutely convinced that the seemingly quiet and unpretentious financial expert and latter-day politician could muster the élan and charisma to lead the boisterous coastal state which recently celebrated its 50 years of founding. Ambode had come highly recommended by a past governor, the pacesetting iconoclast, Bola Ahmed Tinubu. And having excelled in school, he had acquired the character of showing grit, determination and uncommon brilliance. But he did not seem a natural politician, not to talk of being a lawyer and career rabble-rouser – these were the sort of people believed capable of succeeding as administrators and politicians. Ambode was different, confidently and quietly so. But he was not the usual politician Lagosians had grown accustomed to over the decades. Indeed, shortly after he was sworn into office, the most populous state in Nigeria seemed to experience some stasis, unable to respond to the new governor’s novel methods. But less than two remarkable and astounding years later, after Ambode had executed dozens and dozens of quality and, in some instances, expansive projects one after another, it was as if the state had been waiting for him all along with bated breath. Both Ambode and Lagos were made for each other, after all. He has not yet forsworn his self-confident disposition, yet his achievements have both been recognized and lauded, often very loudly, as if to compensate for his quietude. Charisma is not usually associated with quiet detachment; but in the case of Ambode, his achievements have illustrated his sometimes impalpable charisma. And as every analyst knows, it is indeed possible to possess charisma without a corresponding or even ethical demonstration of progress. Ambode defies stereotypes and confounds propositions by his relentless and ironically charismatic accomplishments. Far beyond the number and quality of Ambode’s monumental projects is the scientism of his methods, the integrated network of projects and programmes that blend with one another and create a seamless, impactful whole. Whether road projects or school and health facilities, or whether security or human development programmes, Ambode’s strides in two years possess at once a certain abstractness and concreteness. Abstractness because many of the projects seem enviably and reassuringly futuristic; and concreteness because they are of practical and immediate use as tools for revving up development and raising living standards. It would be flattering to suggest that Lagos has a perfect cabinet.

Ambode It probably doesn’t. However, given the achievements recorded in the past two years, and the peace and cooperation abiding in the cabinet, they are a reflection of the cerebral quality of the governor and his leadership skills as well as an indication that he has a critical mass of commissioners and heads of agencies to help him transform theory into practice. Importantly too, as is the nature of politics generally, the remarkable progress Lagos has made under Ambode reflects excellently on his interpersonal relations and financial management skills. No matter how brilliant a cabinet, if the leader is not equally or better endowed, there would be no one to set the pace and direction. If Lagos is presenting itself as an example for other states and attracting attention from within and outside the African continent, it is an indication that a vision is in place and is being remolded and refined, and a leader possessing character and confidence is also running the show. What is most remarkable about the solid and frenzied pace of development in Lagos today is its spread, both spatially and intrinsically. Spatially, projects are sited in concentric circles in all the senatorial districts of the state constituencies, and wards. And in one way or the other there is an engaging interconnectedness in nearly all the projects so that they can integrate forward and backward and hum synergetically to make life liveable in the Lagos megacity. Intrinsically, ongoing projects include roads, bridges, hospitals, security, apparatuses and many legacy monuments. The Epe axis is being opened up grandly. Alimosho axis is being transformed into a behemoth, Oshodi is on the way to experiencing one of the most modern renewals ever, Lekki is enjoying a very thoughtful design makeover, and a new security architecture called neighbourhood security watch is already assembled. All these renewals and re-engineering have

No matter how brilliant a cabinet, if the leader is not equally or better endowed, there would be no one to set the pace and direction. If Lagos is presenting itself as an example for other states and attracting attention from within and outside the African continent, it is an indication that a vision is in place and is being remolded and reﬁned, and a leader possessing character and conﬁdence is also running the show. What is most remarkable about the solid and frenzied pace of development in Lagos today is its spread, both spatially and intrinsically. Spatially, projects are sited in concentric circles in all the senatorial districts of the state constituencies, and wards. And in one way or the other there is an engaging interconnectedness in nearly all the projects so that they can integrate forward and backward and hum synergetically to make life liveable in the Lagos megacity

been made possible because they were predicated on a masterful re-engineering of the state’s financial infrastructure. It is perhaps fitting that Ambode is in the saddle as the state marks 50, having been created in May 1967. He is fortunate to have predecessors like Asiwaju Tinubu who laid the foundation, and Babatunde Raji Fashola who built on that foundation. Ambode has placed himself appropriately to build on the works of his predecessors, and to take the megacity project to dizzying heights. As a former civil servant, he knows how to drive the civil service and get the best out of it. As a career financial manager, he has reorganized the state’s finances and put it on an even keel to make it work for the state. As a thinker and scholar, he has designed practical and engaging ways to get things done and make the state and himself respond adequately like a scientist to the challenges of statehood. And like a deep thinker, he has primed himself, standing on the shoulders of his predecessors, to envision an incredibly expansive, surefooted and glorious future for Lagos. That Ambode is able to achieve these great strides without the accompanying and distractive noisemaking politicians are so often and clearly besotted to is a testimony to his idiosyncratic resolve to leave a mark and legacy in Lagos. He is just half way into his first term. By the end of the first term, and at the rate he is going, not to say the fluidity of his rhythm, he is expected to accomplish so much more, even as many of the legacy projects begun months back start to manifest in all their splendor. Lekki Expressway has been transformed, including a flyover at Ajah. Epe-Itoikin Expressway is nearing completion,and the Abule-Egba flyover has been delivered. A number of other flyovers are in the works. More than 600km of roads have been rehabilitated or reconstructed. So too, have bridges been built. What is even more impressive is that it takes a very self-confident politician who will be facing re-election in less than two years to eschew the self-promotion and narcissism many politicians and governors are obsessed with. Under Ambode, Lagos is permanently in the works, aggressively and thoughtfully. Sometimes, all it takes is a lay-by of not more than half a football field in Oworonshoki or Ketu. But it does wonders for traffic flow. Sometimes, all it needs is erasure of roundabouts, and traffic gridlock is eliminated. The beauty of the Ambode revolution coursing through the state’s sinews is that brain works, after all, and reflectiveness can go a long way in ameliorating the problems of a community. Today, there is no contention about Ambode’s capacity to govern exceptionally well. If the sometimes querulous leader of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos, Bode George, could give Ambode not only a pass mark, but an excellent mark, all that the governor needs is to sustain his performance and probably better it in order to pass safely into the legend of Lagos where only a few past governors reside. Imagine the poetry implicit in a quiet governor undertaking a quiet but unmistakable revolution. It is called virtuoso! The clincher for many Lagosians and South-Westerners is that, far beyond working wonders in Lagos State, Governor Ambode is also deeply thoughtful, philosophical and ideologically expansive. His pursuit of regionalization, where his predecessors had been fairly isolationist, speaks to his mindset as a true and well-bred son of the soil. He did not wait to be persuaded; and did not ask to be wooed. His instincts told him regionalism was right and did not detract from the state’s independence nor violated the constitution, nor yet flouted the unity and integrity of the nation. More importantly, he selflessly prepared his mind to put the vibrant economy of Lagos at the service of the region, knowing full well that the strength of his people and their security depend on the collective prosperity of the region. No sooner was he sworn in than he asked to be integrated into the Oodua Group, and its think-tank arm – the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN) Commission. There is no telling what six more years of Ambode will do for Lagos and the South-West. He has started well, worked well, thought well and from all indications, will finish well. The energy he brings to the job, and the organized and orchestrated ideas that undergird his stewardship, not to say the soundness of his vision, will ensure that the projects he has committed himself to, whether Lagos Smart City, Fourth Mainland Bridge, Dubainisation of Alimosho, renewal of Ikeja Business District and the rapid metamorphosis of the Lekki Axis, among other great developments, will permanently change the landscape of Lagos. The tender and tough amiability of Governor Ambode is powerful. The extraordinary elements intrinsic to his glorious élan infused the future of Lagos State Government with great promise, and her present with the illumination of commanding graces. But it is his splendid gravitas that sparked simple things as street lights to sparkle, brighten and pulsate, inviting tourist and tempting global investors. Every dimension of life in Lagos State is now joyous and anchored to the ardour and glamour of internationalist cordiality of vibrant cultures that enliven refreshing and perpetual hope. The peoples of Lagos State, assuredly, tender to the hugely cerebral Governor Akinwunmi Ambode immeasurable gratitude for his steady, magnetic and winning leadership skills, and his delightful brilliance that has invigorated us all with joy and magnified the global stature of our precious homeland. ––––Dr. Adewale Adeeyo is an Officer of The Order of Niger, Publisher and member, Governing Council, Adeleke University, Ede, Osun State

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PERSPECTIVE

Sterling Bank and Growth of Nigeria’s Healthcare Sector Olaseni Durojaiye

he Federal Government recently launched the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan 2017-2020 (ERGP) in a bid to restore economic growth, enhance human capital development and make the country globally competitive. The document, jointly developed by the Presidency and the Ministry of Budget and National Planning, outlined 60 critical initiatives that would serve as the blueprint for the direction it wants to take the country in the next few years. The government also hopes to achieve a seven percent economic growth by the year 2020. Among the plans listed in the ERGP for healthcare is how the Federal Government will give a new lease of life to primary healthcare system through the revitalisation of 10, 000 Primary Healthcare Centres (PHC). The plan will involve the establishment of at least one functional PHC in each ward across the country to improve access to healthcare, full implementation of the PHC refinancing programme to mobilise domestic resources, drive progress to meet the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) health targets and reduce infant and maternal mortality rates. The planned investment in the health sector equally aims to see a remarkable improvement in access to affordable and quality healthcare as well as expanding coverage of National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) across the country. It is against this background that the remarkable contribution of Sterling Bank Plc to the growth of the nation’s health sector deserves recognition. Notably, President Muhammadu Buhari recently commended Sterling Bank for its commitment to supporting the government’s initiative to provide qualitative and affordable healthcare services to Nigerians. President Buhari gave the commendation in Abuja while inaugurating the Model Primary Health Care Centre for Universal Coverage in Nigeria, which is located at Kuchigoro. He specifically commended Sterling Bank for its foresight, innovation and financing support for the project which is focused on vulnerable women, children and the elderly at little or no cost to beneficiaries. Speaking at the inauguration, Managing Director and Chief Executive of Sterling Bank Plc, Mr. Yemi Adeola, said the bank is pleased to play the role of a partner in the ongoing effort by the Federal Government to revamp basic healthcare in the country. According to him, Sterling Bank places a premium value on the health of the human being because it is the most important part of living. He observed that anyone who cannot appreciate the value of health should visit a hospital and see a sick person. “There are many worthy causes but health is too critical to be ignored because the health of a nation is determined by the health of the citizenry. So, we are pleased to partner with the Federal Ministry of Health. “The problem with projects like this is sustainability. But we are going to bring in private sector innovation and ideas, in addition to some financial support, to help them see it through from the logistics standpoint and the point of view of implementation as the project rolls out from state to state,” Adeola said. He added that the bank will partner with stakeholders in the healthcare sector, guide them using private sector knowledge and style as well as critical parameters to measure how successful they are going on a month-on-month basis and year-on-year basis. We want to give them full support. He promised that Sterling Bank will give full support to the

Buhari

MD/CEO, Sterling Bank Plc, Mr. Yemi Adeola

government’s effort at revamping the nation’s health sector, adding that a lot of people cannot afford quality healthcare because it is so expensive. “So, there is a need for a national philosophy on health and that is what this government is doing and the bank is supporting and partnering with them to ensure that they get it right.” According to the managing director, Sterling Bank is already providing financial and logistics support to the nation’s health sector while also playing a role in the areas of innovation, payment system as well as financing some of the equipment for those who are supplying them. Essentially, Sterling Bank is bringing its expertise to bear on the entire ecosystem in the health sector. “There’s the corporate social responsibility part of it and there’s the business part of it in terms of payment system like financing those who want to bring in the equipment, opening letters of credit and so there are also business opportunities for us,” Adeola said. Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Adewole, also commended the bank for complementing the efforts of the Federal Government. Adewole commended Sterling Bank for its role in combating preventable diseases through its contribution to the primary health care sub-sector and for supporting the establishment of a primary health care facility for the people of Eniosa community in Ibadan, Oyo State. The family of late Nathaniel Idowu, a former director of Sterling Bank and philanthropist, under the platform of Nathaniel Idowu Foundation, had renovated and equipped three blocks at the Community Health Centre at Eniosa in the Lagelu Local Government Area of Oyo State. The facilities were built to help to reduce preventable diseases that do not necessitate curative treatment at tertiary medical institutions for people in the area. Speaking at the inauguration of the Eniosa Community Health Centre recently, the minister noted that the high prevalence of hypertension and stroke in the country can be controlled if people choose to embrace the preventive health care system which is much cheaper than curative treatment. Also speaking, Chairman, Senate Committee on Health, Senator Lanre Tejuoso, disclosed that the Federal Government had plans to establish 10,000 units of the type of blocks commissioned at Eniosa as soon as the funding is available.

Senator Tejuosho said, “It is commendable that we are having this type of foundation. Baba was a father to me. He was the type to be emulated. Teaching hospitals have started playing a role in the provision of primary health care to the citizenry. However, the Idowu family deserves commendation for keeping the health centre functional 30 years on.” In his remarks, MD/CEO of Aircom and Chairman of the Nathaniel Idowu Foundation, Mr. Yemi Idowu, said many preventable diseases that can be treated without going to tertiary health institutions will be resolved at the Eniosa Community Health Centre. He added that the centre is equipped to provide series of diagnostic services and deliveries, promising that an ATM point will be established at the health centre before the end of the year to make accessibility to cash withdrawals and promotion of cashless system more comfortable. Commending the Nathaniel Idowu Foundation, Executive Director, Commercial and Institutional Banking, Sterling Bank, Mr. Lanre Adesanya, said the bank is proud to be associated with the giant strides of the foundation in the area of primary healthcare which is the most commonly used part of the health system in Nigeria. According to Mr. Adesanya, primary healthcare is the frontline of the healthcare system because it is the most accessible to millions of Nigerians in rural communities and peri-urban areas. “We are impressed by the level of investment in Eniosa by the Nathaniel Idowu Idowu Foundation. The facility was renovated and upgraded to a standard comprehensive health centre which provides 24 hours service and comprises primary and secondary care centres with a theatre complex. He therefore urged the private sector and charitable organisations to emulate the foundation. “Nathaniel Idowu Foundation, the first non-profit and charitable health organization that is providing health care to rural communities in Oyo State must be emulated and its model adopted to improve the quality of life as well as life expectancy of millions of Nigerians.” Mr. Adesanya also committed to Sterling Bank’s support for the Nathaniel Idowu Foundation which currently operates three primary healthcare centres in Eniosa, Sagbe and Ajara communities.

Time To Roll Up Our Sleeves

Babafemi Ojudu

ne of the things I love doing is driving through the streets and towns of Ekiti State. It was a dream when I was a boy with no hope of ever getting behind the wheels of a car. It’s a hobby now that I am an adult. I love to drive as the soft morning breeze wafts through the air. Ekiti is a small state blessed with green vegetation. The morning air is pure and does wonders to the soul. Our elders used to say if you listen well, you could hear the voice of the angels whistling through the winds. You can drive the length and breadth of my beloved state in an hour. If you’re an indigene of Ekiti or a resident of the state or someone who has had the good fortune of visiting with us, you will know what I mean. You think better driving the length and breath of the state as the sun rises over those glorious hills and mountains. Our towns have different names, from Omuo to Efon, from Emure to Iye but we are one. I enjoy the easy banter with folks in the towns and villages. Our people are welcoming and prosperous. All they need is a chance, an opportunity. It takes me back to a time not too long ago, a time when boys could dream of bright futures and girls shaped their destinies. I am a poster child for what

is possible in Ekiti. I was born with little. Try hard as my parents did, we couldn’t afford much. But, we had something money couldn’t buy. We had hope. And, it wasn’t just me. It was most of the kids I know on the streets and in school. We knew if we kept good grades, we will keep moving forward. But, those days are long gone. These days, driving through the streets is not the joy it once was. You have to cut through the cloud of gloom and doom that hangs over the state. Then you have to deal with the hopelessness etched across the faces of the children, youth and elders. This is not the Ekiti of my youth. It is not the Ekiti of my dreams. And, we don’t deserve to live in this Ekiti fostered by a man who forgot the spirit of brotherhood that moved the state to the cusp of greatness before the vultures came. The future of any society lies in its children and youth. Sometimes I wonder what sort of future we are leaving to them. Our fathers laid a great foundation for us to build a better future. That future is today. But, has our leadership in Ekiti laid a good foundation for the children and youth of today? Can the emperor really say he’s leaving the leaders of tomorrow a fair legacy? I talk to a lot of the youth. A lot of times they seek me out – all over Ekiti and outside the state. I get tons of emails from many outside the country. Sometimes I seek them out. And they all have two questions – how did we get here? How do we get away from here? How do you sow hope in the midst of crushing

bleakness? How do you tell a child to hold on a while longer and that better days are coming? How do you convince the youth that there’s something at the end of the dark tunnel and it’s not the brainless insanity of the last few years? It’s tough to preach hope when the emperor who specializes in doom snatches opportunities provided to the youth and children and dump them in his basket of failures. Take the case of the Home Grown School Feeding Program of the federal government for example. This was a no-brainer. The federal government had designed the programme to encourage kids to go to school by providing them a free meal, nourish them and improve their performance. It was designed to increase school enrollment and encourage local farmers to go back to farm and increase food production. Our kids in Ekiti were denied that opportunity until I started screaming for all to hear. I had to challenge the governor in the presence of the Vice President about it for reason to sink into him. And, it’s not just our children that were losing out. The entire state was. We have lost dozens of months where our farmers could have earned income providing the food for the children, our caterer could have been employed cooking the food and the lives of the people would have been tremendously better. I often wondered what would have happened if I was born into this age of gloom, when the only thing that seems waiting at the end of the tunnel is

doom. These kids know leaders who are everything but leaders. I knew leaders who were men and women of honor. Chief Obafemi Awolowo. Pa Adekunle Ajasin. Mrs. Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti. Professors Banji Akintoye and Sam Aluko. Ewi Aladesanmi Anirare. Lady Deborah Jibowu. These kids these days have not been that lucky, especially in the last few years. So, when some kids came to me the other day lamenting our great State and the future, how they love the State but don’t like the way it’s been dragged through the mud, how they’re tired of being the laughing stock of the nation, my heart bled for the State. But, that wasn’t all of it. One of the kids asked me, what would I tell the children of Ekiti? How can I convince the youth that tomorrow will be better? It was a question that gnawed at my soul. These are kids who just want their state and their leadership to do right by them. They don’t want too much. They just want to be able to live in a land of opportunity because they know when there is hope, with their sweat and determination they will create plenty. I told them what my father once told me. That when all the chips are down, it’s time to roll up your sleeves and go to work. I am rolling up my sleeves and getting ready to go to work. With our sweat and determination we will make Ekiti great again. I told them to spread the news – tell every kid in Ekiti it is time to roll up their sleeves and sing. –––Ojudu is a journalist and former Senator for the Ekiti Central constituency of Ekiti State.

T H I S D AY SUNDAY OCTOBER 1, 2017

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2017 ˾ T H I S D AY T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R

SPECIAL REPORT ON

NIGERIA AT 57

PROLOGUE

A NATION’S CHEQUERED HISTORY Tokunbo Adedoja

hen the Union Jack was lowered and the Nigerian ﬂag was hoisted in the early hours of October 1, 1960, there were great ecstasies across the land. By that symbolic lowering and hoisting of ﬂags, a new nation was born with a promising future for its people. For nationalists, who were part of the struggle that led to the granting of independence, it was a dream come true and the only path to a great future. For the diverse people of Nigeria, it was the dawn of a new era; and for the world, it was a beacon of hope for Africa and the black race. Its huge landmass, rich in agricultural and mineral resources, and a large population were clear signs of its enormous potential for greatness. With this euphoria, the task of nation building was expected to begin in earnest. But that rapturous delight soon gave way to a pall of gloom and uncertainty within the first few years of independence, due to a poorly managed interplay of centripetal and centrifugal forces. Starting with the Western Region crisis,

which led to the declaration of a state of emergency on the region in 1962, and the arrest and imprisonment of the leader of opposition, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, for treason, a propitious future began to look bleak. By the sixth year of independence, the First Republic had collapsed following a bloody military coup which claimed the lives of the Prime Minister, Sir Tafawa Balewa; Premier of the Western Region, Chief Ladoke Akintola; Premier of Northern Region, Sir Ahmadu Bello; Federal Minister of Finance, Chief Festus Okotie-Eboh; and some military officers of northern and south-western origin. That bloody putsch led to an era of military rule that lasted 13 years during which there were bloody coups and counter coups, a pogrom against Igbo people in the northern region, and a civil war fought for two and a half years, with about two million lives lost and much more displaced. The advent of the Second Republic in 1979 after a successful general election where some of the key players in the failed First Republic participated actively, and even formed the government, rekindled hope that the nation was back on track. This renewed hope was based on the belief that lessons learnt by these political gladiators would be applied to governance and politics. Alas, that was not the case, as that era was also cut short by a military coup following violent electoral disputes and perceived corruption in government. Thus, another military epoch that lasted 15 years began. It was an era marked by palace coup, coup attempts, phantom coups, a protracted political transition programme culminating in the annulment of an election widely acclaimed as freest and fairest at the time – a development that plunged the country into serious political crisis, particularly in the South-west where the presumed winner of the annulled election, Chief MKO Abiola, hailed from. The political tension ended in the formation and imposition of an interim government on the country. A political transition programme launched in 1998 by the military administration of General Abdulsalami Abubakar, after the death of General Sani Abacha (who was head of state) and Chief Abiola (who was in government detention for attempting to reclaim his mandate), birthed the current democratic dispensation. Though the current democratic

dispensation has been on for 18 unbroken years, the nation has continued to teeter on the brink of collapse due to its entanglement in a web of social, political, economic and security problems. And for a long period, it wobbled due to activities of militants in the Niger Delta who were demanding a better deal for the oil producing region. Oil pipelines were blown up, flow stations were shut down, and oil workers became targets of armed kidnappers. The result was a drastic drop in oil production. The country was starved of badly needed funds to run its affairs. Through a mix of intervention policies, constitutional amendments, and negotiations, relative calm has returned to the region. A more existential threat sprang up from Boko Haram, a religious sect in the North-east, with a vicious campaign of death and devastation. Over 2, 000 lives have been lost while more than two million people have been displaced in almost a decade of the sect’s deadly activities that includes carving up portions of the Nigerian territory for itself. While efforts are still being made to tackle the Boko Haram challenge, marauding armed herdsmen have turned villages in the Middle Belt into killing fields, and are gradually extending their atrocious activities to other parts of the country. In the South-east, cries of marginalisation have spiralled into growing agitations for secession. More than any other time in the nation’s post-civil war history, it has, in the last few years, faced the grim threat of disintegration. Despite deliberate attempts to build a great and prosperous nation, harnessing the heterogeneity of the country for growth and development has remained a Gordian knot. Even issues as basic as the system of government and structure of the federation are still being debated almost six decades after independence. But it isn’t all doom and gloom. Despite its multifarious challenges, there is still some good news about Nigeria. The country has emerged the largest economy on the continent and just recently it exited a severe economic recession. It has also continued to play a leading role in the West African sub-region and on the continent as a whole. 57 years on, the task of nation building continues. And just like all other nations, Nigeria remains a work in progress.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2017 ˾ T H I S D AY T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R

NIGERIA AT 57

Delegates at the 2014 National Conference... one of the several efforts at resolving the national question

57 YEARS AFTER, THE UNRESOLVED ISSUES Vincent Obia

ike any new system, Nigeria faced some inevitable teething troubles at the early stages of the amalgamation that birthed the country. The early problems bordered mainly on fears and suspicions of domination by the various nationalities that peopled the southern and northern protectorates, which were brought together in 1914 by the British colonialists to form Nigeria. Prior to independence in 1960, the country’s founding fathers saw the need to negotiate a political and economic system that would address the concerns of the different regions and peoples. The negotiations produced the 1960 Constitution, which was generally anchored on the principles of independent development, healthy competition, and mutual respect among the federating units. The 1963 Republican Constitution tried to consolidate the budding societal equilibrium. But the military, like a bull in a china shop, shattered the developing social balance. The military interventions in politics from 1966 increasingly destroyed the principles upon which the country was founded by bullying everyone into a pseudofederal socio-political and economic system it had hurriedly cobbled together. The result was the return and amplification of many of the initial problems that troubled the country, and which the founding fathers had tried to solve with the 1960 and 1963 constitutions. Today, 57 years after independence, Nigeria is still struggling with the national questions. Key among the unresolved issues are: CONSTITUTION Since 1914, when the Colony and Protectorate of Southern Nigeria was merged with the Protectorate of Northern Nigeria to form the Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria, the country has operated nine different constitutions. Yet, it has continued to be in obvious and urgent need of an acceptable constitution. The 1914 Constitution was the amalgamation document that set out the basis for association between the southern and northern parts of Nigeria. It defined the powers and limitations of each side in the new union. It was followed by the 1922 Clifford Constitution, which introduced the electoral principle in Nigerian politics; 1946 Richard Constitution that tried to increase the participation of the indigenous peoples in the determination of their own affairs; 1951 Macpherson Constitution, which introduced the federal legislature, the House of Representatives; 1954 Lyttleton Constitution, which introduced a fully federal system in the regions and Southern Cameroons; 1960 Independence Constitution; 1963 Republican Constitution; 1979 Constitution, which introduced the presidential system of government; and the 1999 Constitution. The 1989 Constitution, which was to usher in the Third Republic, was stillborn, as the democratic dispensation was aborted by the military. Major constitutional conferences preceded the making of the pre-independence federal constitution of 1954 and postindependence constitutions of 1960 and 1963, making them popular and generally more acceptable. But the 1979 and 1999 constitutions are products of military-supervised constitution drafting committees and constituent assemblies that many believe lacked adequate representation and freedom to really represent the views of the people.

Thus, the introductory words of the 1999 Constitution, which say, “We the people of the Federal Republic of Nigeria… Do hereby make, enact and give to ourselves the following Constitution,” have continued to generate controversy. INDIGENESHIP The I960 Constitution introduced provisions for acquiring Nigerian citizenship, and subsequent constitutions have made provisions for citizenship and the rights of the Nigerian citizen. Chapter III and Chapter IV of the 1999 Constitution specify the rights and privileges of the citizen. But the unwritten tradition of indigene/settler relations across the country, originating from the multicultural, multi-religious, and heterogeneous nature of the Nigerian society, has continued to conflict with those liberties. Perhaps, there is nowhere that the illogicality of the unitarist and centralist principles being foisted on the country’s accepted federal system more obvious than in the area of citizenship rights. While the federal constitution defines who the citizen is and spells out his rights and duties, the subnational governments redefine these rights in line with their respective customs and traditions, causing conflict. CENSUS Nigeria has a long history of census, though, controversy has surrounded the issue of the country’s population. The first census was conducted in 1866 and it was followed by the censuses of 1871, 1881, 1891, and 1901. While the earlier censuses were restricted to the Lagos Colony and its environs, the 1871 census marked the beginning of decennial census in Nigeria. It followed the decennial tradition of the British colonial masters. Tax records and other vital statistics were used as basis for the population enumerations, until 1941, when the Second War prevented the population count. The incomplete nature of the data used to determine the censuses made the exercises fundamentally defective. The 1952 census represented the first modern census in Nigeria. Other censuses were conducted in 1962/63, 1973, 1991, and 2006. The country’s population is currently put at 182 million by the National Population Commission. NPC says this is based on the 2006 population figure of 140 million. Many have, however, disputed the population figures, with critics dismissing census exercises in the country as based largely on negotiation and manipulation for political and economic reasons – rather than honest enumeration. RELIGION Religion has remained a hot topic in Nigeria. Though, the country’s constitution prohibits state religion, stating explicitly in Section 10, “The Government of the Federation or of a State shall not adopt any religion as State Religion,” the various tiers of government have engaged in religious activities that have seemed to cause controversy. One major example is the federal and state governments’ involvement in the sponsorship of religious pilgrimages. There seems to be no clear demarcation yet of the limits of government’s involvement in religion. FEDERALISM The 1954 Constitution firmly entrenched federalism and regionalism in the country and instituted the fiscal base of the federating units through the localisation of the marketing boards. The constitution formed the foundation for the 1960 and 1963 constitutions. But the advent of military regimes,

with their central command structure, distorted that federal structure and replaced it with a centrist pseudo-federal system that has continued to be a source of tension. Many people and groups from different parts of the country have demanded the restructuring of the country with a view to bringing back the principles of fiscal federalism and resource control by the federating units. STATE CREATION The creation of states has remained a contentious issue in Nigeria, which no democratic government since independence has been able to successfully tackle. The 1946 Constitution introduced a tripartite structure of federating units. The Western, Eastern, and Northern regions were retained until 1963, when the Midwestern Region was added. On May 27, 1967, the military government of General Yakubu Gowon divided the four regions into 12 states. The military regime of late General Murtala Mohammed brought the number to 19 when it created additional seven states on February 3, 1976. On September 3, 1987, then military president Ibrahim Babangida created Akwa Ibom and Katsina states to bring the number of states to 21. Babangida created nine more states on August 27, 1991 to make the total number of states 30. On October 1, 1996, the military regime of the late General Sani Abacha created six more states to make the current figure of 36 states. The country is currently organised into six geopolitical zones and 36 states, with each of the zones having six states, except South-east and North-west, which have five states and seven states, respectively. There is a growing demand for at least one more state in the South-east for the sake of equity. Generally, there has been an unremitting agitation for more states in different parts of the country. NIGER DELTA The people of the Niger Delta have been at the forefront of the struggle for true federalism based on the principles of fiscal federalism, resource control, and environmental justice. They have generally believed that the diverse nationalities that make up the country can only coexist successfully and peacefully on the foundation of a clear restructuring of the federation anchored on the above principles. The issues of fiscal federalism, resource control, and environmental justice have formed the main subject of the demands of the Niger Delta since the time of the Henry Willinks Commission in 1957. The commission had been set up by the exiting colonialists to examine the fears of domination and exploitation expressed by minority tribes in different parts of the country. Series of conferences have been held on the Niger Delta question, but none has produced the desired solution to the problems of the region. Various interventions in the form of revisions of the derivation principle, establishment of the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, Niger Delta Development Commission, and the Amnesty Office under the Presidency have failed to calm the agitations in the region. This is amid allegations of corruption by key political leaders in the Niger Delta and deliberate attempts to cripple the various intervention agencies in the region through starvation of funds. There is a groundswell of suspicion that the interventions measures are merely meant to placate the people to allow a smooth flow of petrodollars from the region and not born of a sincere attempt to develop the region.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2017 ˾ T H I S D AY T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R

NIGERIA AT 57

A TORTUOUS JOURNEY TO NATIONHOOD

NYSC members on parade ground… one of the schemes initiated to foster national unity Olawale Olaleye

ny 57-year-old will certainly have a story to tell – good or bad, positive or negative, of success and/or of failure. This, perhaps, is the reason a lucky few, who are privileged to hit the number 60 usually roll out the drums for a recap of their lives at diamond jubilee. Nigeria is deﬁnitely not an exception. That she has paid and continues to pay the price, although at a very high cost, for nationhood is trite. From the amalgamation of the Southern and the northern protectorates in 1914 to the struggle for independence in 1960 and the post-independence tribulations of a rather promising black nation, the path to a desirable society had been quite undulating and paved with a degree of uncertainty, albeit with proportional if not higher promises. But in spite of her unavoidably stuttering start, Nigeria’s forefathers appeared more futuristic in their approach and projection to nationhood. Their education and exposure bespoke their foresight. They were not oblivious of the fact that Nigeria was potentially a great nation and all that they pondered and did were conceived and designed to suit the future they had envisioned for many generations to come. Unfortunately, however, while the reality of Nigeria’s contemporary challenges may differ from those of her formative years, over the years, deliberate efforts had been made through towards nationhood. A majority of these efforts were sculpted to foster unity and national integration.

NYSC

The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) is an organisation set up by government to involve the nation’s graduates in the development of their fatherland. Since 1973, when the idea birthed, graduates of universities and later polytechnics have been required to take part in the NYSC programme for a year, otherwise known as national service year. By virtue of this programme, Corp members are posted to cities far from their city of origin and are expected to mix with people of other tribes, social and family backgrounds, to learn the culture of the indigenes in the place they are posted to. The motive here is to foster national unity and help the youths appreciate other ethnic groups. The NYSC objectives are clearly spelt out in Decree No.51 of 16th June 1993. But over the years, this scheme has come under threat following growing calls that it should be scrapped. The calls heightened after the 2011 presidential election when some corp members of southern origin posted to the North were killed during the crisis that trailed the election.

FEDERAL CHARACTER PRINCIPLE / QUOTA SYSTEM

The federal character principle seeks to ensure that appointments to public service institutions reflect the linguistic, religious, tribal and geographical diversity of the country. The aim is to ensure that no section of the Nigerian society is left out in the scheme of things. To ensure that areas of the country which are labeled as disadvantaged are not left behind, a quota system also exist for filling appointive positions and educational slots, among others. The Federal Character Commission was specifically

instituted with the sole responsibility to promote, monitor and enforce compliance with the principles of the proportional sharing of all bureaucratic, economic, media and political posts at all levels of government. Though this policy’s objective is to promote unity in diversity and ensure no section is left out in the affairs of the country, criticisms have continued to trail its application on the ground that its sacrifices merit for mediocracy. There are complaints that the principle favours a part of the country considered disadvantaged at the expense of others. However, the fact that the initiative was originally conceived to address some of the challenges exposing the nation’s fault lines is not lost on all.

GOWON’S 3Rs

At the end of the civil war in 1970, General Yakubu Gowon, then Nigeria’s Head of State’s “No Victor, No Vanquished” declaration was acknowledged the world over. He also instituted the 3Rs—Rehabilitation, Reconstruction and Reintegration in order to keep the fragile peace of the nation. The aim was to rehabilitate those displaced by the 2 ½ year civil war, reintegrate them into the Nigerian society and embark on massive reconstruction of infrastructure destroyed by the war. This was done so that the wounds orchestrated by the war would heal faster and allow for the reintegration of the various tendencies at the time. Sadly, there have been debates on whether or not the initiative achieved results through objective and effective implementation? That is a question that would generate endless debate today if thrown open. That notwithstanding, there was a leader at the time who rose to the demands of nation-building.

NIREC

The Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC) is an independent union, voluntarily formed by the leaders of the nation’s two most recognised religious faiths – Christianity and Islam. It is composed of 50 members, made up of 25 Christian and 25 Muslim leaders and co-chaired by the Sultan of Sokoto, the leader of the Muslims in Nigeria, and his counterpart, the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria. Formed in 1999, one of its cardinal mandates is to provide a platform for regular interaction and understanding between leaders of the two faiths with a view to reducing the religious conflicts that have bedeviled the nation for decades. Not surprisingly, the Council was believed to have carried on well in the past sixteen years until recently. It had organised seminars on conflict management and resolution, international relations and terrorism and offering advice to government on ways of governing to impact positively on the lives of people. In recent time, however, there seems to be a palpable wedge between the Christian and the Muslim leaders of the Council, especially during the 2014 national confab put together by former President Jonathan. While the Muslim Leaders, with Ishaq Oloyede as spokesman, complained that the Conference was skewed against the interest of Muslims, his Christian counterpart, Sunny Oibe, retorted that the Sultan, Sa’ad Abubakar (III), had frustrated attempts to convene meetings of the Council until the tenure of his co-chair, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor ended.

The effects of Boko Haram terrorism also heightened suspicion between the two sides. While it may be correct that the Council has not been able to effectively stem religious conflicts, truth is that it has helped to arrest the possibility of reprisal attacks at other times. But mutual suspicion currently exist between the two religious bodies that constitute NIREC, over allegations by CAN of plot to Islamise the the country INTERVENTION POLICIES/AGENCIES There were also several other efforts by government over the years to reach out to people in remote areas of the country, meet their needs and inspire a sense of belong in them. For example, the Directorate of Food, Roads and Rural Infrastructure was believed to have represented a marked shift in focus from previous policies, because of its unprecedentedly wide scope. Encompassing the increased and improved production of agricultural inputs, the development of social and economic infrastructure, community participation in development, and technological improvement in the agricultural practice, DDFRI was designed to leave no stone unturned in the project of national, social and economic prosperity. A rather ambitious programme during its time, the policy had eighteen objectives centered round poverty alleviation, nutrition, health, and the development of infrastructure (electricity, feeder roads, boreholes, waterways). Although past policies had emphasised rural development, what was unique about DFRRI was its emphasis on rural infrastructure as the key to forestalling future development challenges and the most expedient course of action Nigeria could take in its development history. Its belief that rural development was “not a pipe dream” was drawn from the success stories of the Asian Tigers and with a fresh start as well as the best of intentions, it was believed that all that was required was the “individual, collective and national willpower and the opportunity to make a serious, honest, and well concerted beginning. There was also the Oil Mineral Producing Areas Development Commission (OMPADEC) established by decree No, 23 of July, 1992, for the twin purpose of rehabilitating and developing the Oil Mineral Producing Areas of Nigeria, which had been subjected to the devastating effects of ecological destruction and environmental pollution. It was believed that part of the solution to the socio-economic problems of the oil producing communities was the development of human resources, which borders on the development of education. Thus, OMPADEC, as part of its strategies for developing human resources, projected the provision of postgraduate professional scholarship scheme and establishment of Science Centres. While the latter was achieved, the scholarship scheme didn’t quite take off. But the educational sector gained tremendously as OMPADEC financed the completion of on-going projects in schools inherited from the Presidential Task Force, giving the oil producing region an appreciable sense of belonging. OMPADEC was believed to have inspired the creation of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). There are several other intervention programmes and policies aimed at promoting unity, changing national orientation and harnessing human and natural resource for the building of a strong and united nation.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2017 ˾ T H I S D AY T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R

NIGERIA AT 57

Ajaokuta Steel Complex... one of the mismanaged potentials

GREAT POTENTIAL, SQUANDERED OPPORTUNITIES Kunle Aderinokun and Demola Ojo

igeria is a great nation with enormous potentials and limitless opportunities, blessed with abundant human and natural resources. After independence, it took its pride of place among the comity of nations in different sectors of the economy particularly in agriculture, oil production, mining and steel sectors. But today it is struggling to find a place in these sectors having squandered the opportunities to rise above the rest of Africa, be in the league of the world’s industrialised nations and be more competitive in the international community. Lack of purposeful vision, mismanagement of resources and corruption has been identified as the bane of the country’s progress and prosperity.

AGRICULTURE

Time was when the mainstay of the economy was agriculture and the country was a leading exporter of agricultural products. But with the discovery of crude oil and the subsequent boom that came, attention shifted to the black gold and agriculture, which accounted for about 70 per cent of the nation’s foreign earnings, took the back seat. Nigeria, hitherto the toast of many nations and a model in the area of agriculture, now struggles to feed itself and is a net importer of agricultural products. Back in the 1960s and 1970s, with agriculture as the number one sector in the economy, the nation was the second largest exporter of cocoa as well as the largest exporter of palm kernel and palm oil, contributing about 60 per cent to the gross domestic product (GDP). In fact, Nigeria produced at least 240,000 tonnes of palm oil per year, accounting for 21 per cent of the world’s total production. Nigeria was so self-sufficient in palm oil production, that it had enough to feed its people, export large volumes of the produce and still had reserves. Ditto groundnuts in the North, and rubber, produced in large quantities in the then mid-western part of the country. As the euphoria of oil prosperity overwhelmed all and sundry, Nigeria was lost in a trance and agriculture was neglected. The

groundnut pyramids in the North, the cocoa plantation in the West, the rubber plantation in the Mid-west, and palm kernel heaps in the South-east could not be sustained. Shortly after this, several interventions, to revive agriculture and regain its lost glory were introduced by successive governments from the military era to democratic governments, but the allure and massive rent-seeking opportunities that oil opened to the few privileged ones and their cohorts as well as corruption that bedevilled such programmes, made it difficult for the objectives or aspirations to be realised. The current administration led by President Muhammadu Buhari is striving to relive the feats recorded in those glorious days. The government through the ministry of agriculture recently commenced yam exports to Europe and United States. While this is expected to bring in foreign exchange earnings for Nigeria, the development has been criticised by analysts and stakeholders in the economy. They frown on the fact that while there are still food shortages across Nigeria with claims of famine in certain areas of the country, the federal government is exporting and encouraging Nigerians to export food. With inflation maintaining the upward streak, even staple food has become increasingly expensive. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, food price pressure continued into August as all major food sub-indexes increased. The food Index, the agency pointed out, increased by 20.25 percent (year-on-year) in July, down marginally by 0.03 percent points from the rate recorded in July (20.28 percent). The rise in the index was caused by increases in prices of bread and cereals, meat, fish, oils and fats, milk cheese and eggs, coffee, tea and cocoa. However, Nigeria may be on its way to realising its potential and redeem its lost glory in agriculture. This administration, by its array of policies, seems to be building on the initiatives introduced by the former Minister of Agriculture and President of the African Development Bank, Akinwunmi Adesina, in the administration of the former President, Goodluck Jonathan. The Anchor Borrowers Programme (ABP) of the Central Bank of Nigeria combined with a newly developed soil map designed to aid fertiliser application, has substantially raised local production of grains in 2016 (yields improved from 2 tonnes per hectare to as much as 7 tonnes per hectare, in some states) and produced a model agricultural collaboration between Lagos

and Kebbi States. As a result of the policy, Nigeria’s rice imports fell from 580,000 MT in 2015 to 58,000MT in 2016. Besides, the Presidential Fertilizer Initiative (which involves a partnership with the Government of Morocco, for the supply of phosphate), has resulted in the revitalisation of 11 blending plants across the country. The benefits include annual savings of $200 million in foreign exchange, and 60 billion annually in budgetary provisions for fertilizer subsidies. The scheme has also made it possible for farmers to purchase fertiliser at prices up to 30 percent cheaper than previously available.

OIL

When oil was first discovered in Oloibiri, Bayelsa State in 1956, Nigerians rolled out the drums to celebrate the breakthrough. Little did they know that the blessing would, however, turn out to be a curse for the nation. Whose fault? The leadership is to blame for not being ingenious enough and steadfast to convert the vast opportunities inherent in the sector into long-lasting benefits for Nigerians. When the oil boom came, the government threw away its thinking cap and abandoned other viable sectors that would have been developed with the proceeds from oil to make Nigeria one of the greatest nations in the world economically. While the fortunes of the agriculture and mines & steel sectors fast dwindled as a result of neglect, the oil sector, now the mainstay of the economy (accounting for 90 per cent of foreign exchange earnings and 70 per cent of government revenue) was mismanaged. Hawks feasted on the sector, corruption festered and the sector and the economy at large are yet to recover. The four refineries built in the 1970s by the federal government to refine 440,000 barrels of crude oil per day, could only produce 8.55 per cent of the installed capacities by 2016, according to a report of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). A nation replete with some of the best brains in the world and blessed with abundant deposits of crude oil and gas reserves, now imports nearly all its refined products for domestic consumption. Activities of militants in the oil-rich Niger Delta have made the matter worse. Although, there has been relative peace in the region over a period of time, the significant fall in crude production is blamed on vandalism by the militants.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2017 ˾ T H I S D AY T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R

NIGERIA AT 57 STEEL

If Nigeria’s oil sector is experiencing a nightmare, worse things are happening to the steel sector, which has been comatose for so long. The steel industry of any nation is a coefficient of its industrialisation but in Nigeria, the benefits of the multi-billion dollars that were spent to build the country’s steel production complex, Ajaokuta Steel Company Complex, have not been realised. The Ajaokuta Steel Company Complex is a metallurgical process plant facility, built about 35 years ago by the administration of former President Shehu Shagari and envisioned to generate industrial and economic activities that are the kernel of the much-talked-about diversification of the economy. Located on 24,000 hectares of sprawling green-field landmass about 38 km from Lokoja, the Kogi State capital, the steel complex was designed to operate with other ancillary facilities. The steel plant itself is built on 800-hectares of land. The chosen technology for steel production is the time tested blast-furnace – basic oxygen furnace route for steel production. Following the decision by the federal government in 1994 not to continue with its construction, the Ajaokuta steel complex, which is the largest of all the steel plants in Nigeria, was left at 90 per cent completion and has been lying fallow for a long time. Efforts have been made to revive it to no avail. A rolling plan was designed for its revitalisation within the last 30 years. However, the aspiration to make the complex economically viable is far from being realised. The steel complex, which has been a subject of politics, has been moving from one crisis to another. The Ajaokuta Steel Complex was in 2004, first concessioned by the federal government led by former President Olusegun Obasanjo's administration, under its privatisation programme to Global Infrastructure Holdings Limited (GIHL), a subsidiary of ISPAT of India, on a 10-year technical management contract. This followed the termination of the 10-year technical and financial concession agreement with Solgas Energy, USA for the management of the Ajaokuta Steel. The concession was later converted to sale, on the advice of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) and the transaction was concluded in May 2007 at the twilight of Obasanjo’s administration, when GIHL bought 60 per cent of the federal government’s 100 per cent. But the steel complex has since been returned to the federal government after a series of controversies. President Muhammadu Buhari was reported to have given approval for the execution of the modified concession agreement with Global Steel Holdings Limited, following reports of the mediation meetings forwarded to him from the Justice ministry. The mediation meetings, recently held in London, followed months of negotiations between the Federal Government and Global Steel Holdings, coordinated by an international mediator, Phillip Howell-Richardson. It is yet to be seen if the resolution would move the revitalisation of the Ajaokuta Steel Complex forward so that the desired vision to make steel a major component of the economy's diversification would be realised. This is so because the government has been playing lip service to the issue of diversification as there appears to be no concrete and practical steps taken to show that the leadership is serious in taking Nigeria out of the present mono-product economy.

TOURISM

Poor vision, a lack of political will, infrastructural decay among other shortcomings are responsible for Nigeria not being the number one country when it comes to tourism in Africa. All the ingredients were there at independence, and for those who were around then, the future of tourism in Nigeria must have seemed so bright. But just like in many other facets of national life, it has been a story of unfulfilled potential, of squandered opportunities. Nigeria’s central geographical location in Africa means it is easily accessible from all parts of the continent; north, south, east and west. Combined with the fact that the country is one of the top business destinations in Africa as a result of being the leading oil producer on the continent, it only seemed natural that it would be its leading aviation hub, not only for intra-African travel but also to link Far East countries like China and Japan to the West – the USA, Latin America, the Caribbean. A few countries have built their tourism by first positioning themselves as aviation hubs and also establishing national carriers as tools for both diplomacy and tourism. The MiddleEastern Emirates of Dubai and Abu Dhabi, as well as Qatar are recent examples. Closer to home, Ethiopian Airlines toes the same line. At independence, Nigeria already had a two year old airline, the West African Airways Corporation (WAAC) Nigeria which was later rebranded Nigeria Airways. In its heyday, Nigeria Airways flew to over 40 destinations both local and international. Apart from major Nigerian cities, its route included major African capitals starting from the West African sub region, a few cities in the Middle-East, multiple European cities and New York. Unfortunately, the airline was run into the ground due to mismanagement and corruption and ceased operations in 2003. From its ashes rose Virgin Nigeria, which later became Air

Groundnut pyramids in Kano… a glorious agricultural era in the North in the days of yore

Nigeria Airways had the largest airline network in Africa in 1980 Nigeria. Both suffered a similar fate. In comparison, Ethiopian Airlines, which was founded a few years before Nigeria Airways, now serves 19 domestic and 94 international destinations (including 5 Nigerian cities), raking in profits in the process. Unlike some countries that have based their tourism inflow solely on location and man-made attractions, Nigeria is blessed with jaw-dropping natural wonders and diverse wildlife. A tropical country with clement weather all year round, Nigeria’s geography means it has a variety of vegetation broadly divided into forests (mangrove swamps, fresh water swamps and rain forest) and savannahs. These translate into diverse wildlife comprising thousands of bird and animal species. The Cross River rainforest alone is touted as one of the most biodiverse ecosystems in the world. A few countries in East and Southern Africa have built an industry around their wildlife, boosting their economies in the process. Many of the animals that attract tourists to those countries are present in Nigeria. From the lions and leopards found at the Kainji Lake and Yankari National Parks, to the elephants and gorillas at the Cross National Park and many more. Furthermore, the whitethroated monkey (also known as the red-bellied monkey), one of the rarest animals in the world, can only be found at the Okomu National Park in Nigeria. While relatively bountiful at independence, all the abovenamed animals (apart from the leopard) are critically endangered and on the verge of extinction. Unlike the animals that are now rarely seen, the numerous rock formations and waterfalls that dot the Nigerian landscape - from the hills in the south to the plateaus in the north – stare us in the face, crying for attention and development into world standard tourist sites. Too numerous to mention, they include Idanre Hills, Olumo Rock, Wikki Warm Springs, Agbokim Waterfalls, ErinIjesha Waterfalls, Zuma Rock, Ikogosi Warm Springs, Farin

Thankfully, the festivals celebrating the indigenous peoples’culture still remain. It is doubtful however, if any of the festivals are self-sustainable, talkless of adding revenue to the national coffers.The Durbars in Kano and other parts of the North, the Eyo Festival, the Osun Osogbo Festival, the Ojude Oba Festival, the Calabar Carnival and Festivals, the Sango Festival, the NewYam Festival, the Argungu Fishing Festival and so many more can help drive Nigeria’s tourism. Is there still hope? Certainly! Opportunities have been squandered but the potential remains.With global dependence on fossil fuels reducing at an increasing rate – which translates to diminishing revenue for an oil-dependent country like Nigeria - maybe, just maybe there would be a rethink and a concerted effort led by government to tap into Nigeria’s tourism goldmine

Ruwa Waterfalls, Gurara Waterfalls, Owu Waterfalls, Matsirga Waterfalls… and many more. They were all there 57 years ago. They are in no better state now than they were then. Another advantage Nigeria has naturally, is an extensive Atlantic Ocean coastline measuring 853km, running through seven States; Lagos, Ondo, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Cross River. To put it in perspective, this is almost twice the length of Kenya’s coastline and more than10 times that of Gambia (80km). This is in addition to numerous inland waterways – rivers, creeks and lagoons. Coupled with great weather all year round, it is amazing that waterfront infrastructure and the beach culture are practically non-existent in Nigeria. The glaring example is Lagos, Africa’s most populous city and Nigeria’s commercial and entertainment capital. You would expect that five-star hotels, restaurants, casinos, and other hospitality outlets would line the long stretch of beaches, helping to create a water-centred lifestyle capable of attracting tourists from around the world. On the contrary though, many of the beaches have lost their allure. Rather, the present generation is regaled with stories of pristine beaches and clear blue water at locations like Tarkwa Bay and Bar Beach, with comparisons to places like Miami. The stories are that of retrogression, not development. Nigeria is the most populous African country and the most populous Black nation in the world. More impressive than the number of its inhabitants is the diversity of its people. The country is a multinational state with 500 ethnic nationalities and a commensurate number of languages. This variety has thrown up cultures over the years, some still influencing present day life across the Atlantic – in the Americas and the Caribbean. The country’s rich history includes ancient civilisations dating back hundreds of years (Nok, Ife, Benin to name a few), and the attendant stories and artefacts. You would expect a multitude of functional, up-to-date museums to help preserve the past and guide the future. Of course, this also generates tourism revenue, with Africans in the Diaspora trooping in to learn more about their roots and a great past. But alas! Most of the museums are dying, worse off than they were in 1960. Thankfully, the festivals celebrating the indigenous peoples’ culture still remain. It is doubtful however, if any of the festivals are self-sustainable, talkless of adding revenue to the national coffers. The Durbars in Kano and other parts of the North, the Eyo Festival, the Osun Osogbo Festival, the Ojude Oba Festival, the Calabar Carnival and Festivals, the Sango Festival, the New Yam Festival, the Argungu Fishing Festival and so many more can help drive Nigeria’s tourism. Is there still hope? Certainly! Opportunities have been squandered but the potential remains. With global dependence on fossil fuels reducing at an increasing rate – which translates to diminishing revenue for an oil-dependent country like Nigeria - maybe, just maybe there would be a rethink and a concerted effort led by government to tap into Nigeria’s tourism goldmine.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2017 ˾ T H I S D AY T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R

NIGERIA AT 57

Akinjide… Nigeria’s destruction started the first day we had the first military coup

photos: felix ademola

AKINJIDE: THE STORY OF THE FIRST COUP HAS NOT BEEN TOLD YET

hief Richard Akinjide, SAN, is one of the politicians of the pre-independence era, a First Republic parliamentarian and Minister of Education, and Second Republic Attorney General of the Federation. In this interview with Tokunbo Adedoja, Funke Olaode, Anayo Okolie and Ademola Babalola at his residence in Ibadan, Akinjide gives reasons why Nigeria shouldn’t rollout the drums to celebrate her 57 independence anniversary. Chief Akinjide, who was present at critical junctions in the life of the nation, goes down memory lane to reveal some of the untold stories of watershed moments in Nigerian history. With deliberate choice of words in some instances, rhetorical questions and long pauses, he hints that there are many untold stories of the ﬁrst and second republics currently concealed in the bowels of history. He, however, believes the whole truth about those two epochs would be told some day. Excerpts: Nigeria at 57, is there cause for celebration? No. I don’t think so.

And I would be happy if anybody can say something contrary.

Why do you say so? It is because the only thing that is certain is uncertainty.

We have been together for 57 years, went through a civil war, we survived; went through military

coups, we survived; and even went through some political crises and we still survived. Today, at 57, don’t you think it is an opportunity for us to look back and celebrate? I don’t see the reason why we should. If we can, I will

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NIGERIA AT 57 be happy. I would like to sit down to listen to anybody who has a contrary view. I came back from England in early 1956 and since that time I have been in legal practice; and soon after I came back, I went into politics and I have combined my life with legal practice and politics. I started my legal practice in Ibadan when Western Nigeria was a launching pad. Very soon after that, I went into politics because my ambition all the time was to go into politics. When I was in England as a lawyer, I used to go to House of Commons and House of Lords to listen to debates. I used to go to the High Courts and even registered my presence at meetings of all political parties. I used to attend the meetings of the conservative party, of the labour party, the liberal party, of the communist party just to learn and I learnt a lot. As soon as I came back, I went into politics and since that time I have not left politics till today. I was going to the political meetings of all those parties, like I said, to learn. It was then that l knew that the journey we had to go through was very far off. We were then a Protectorate of Britain and our economy at that was controlled by Britain, the French speaking Africa countries’ economies were controlled by France. A number of other economies were either controlled by Spain or Portugal. If that arithmetic has changed today I will be happy to listen to that fellow. Not only has the economy not changed, it has become worse. The critical elements were that there was no launching pad. Looking at the American history, it was once a colony of England. In fact, there were people who were in the House of Commons in London and also in parliament at the same time in New York. There were about 13 states and America had to fight a very bloody war in order to leave Britain. The war was so bloody that France had to come to their aid in order to win. If you go to New York today you will see a monument in honour of France. What has happened between then and now? America has become the greatest power in the world, and you might know that China has become the second greatest power in the world and Russia has become the third greatest power in the world. Where is Nigeria today? I asked that as a rhetorical question. We have gone from bad to worse. I went into politics with the NCNC, and Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe was right there; by 1959, I contested election to be into the House of Representatives and won. I was extremely happy because all the mathematics of politics I learnt in London, I put into practice. Soon after I entered into politics and became a federal minister of education, the British started to teach us about intelligence. At that time Alhaji Balewa was our Prime Minister, I was part of his delegation to New York to get our membership of the UN. It was a very powerful delegation and that was my first visit to America. The plane was British, we took off from Lagos and we stopped in Kano, then Tripoli, then London where the British press met the prime minister and the entire delegation and the interview was fantastic. Soon after we took off from London, the captain was told that there was a bomb in our plane and immediately he announced it to us, we listened to him and he said he was going back to Heathrow, which he did. At Heathrow, the plane was

As said, we didn’t know where the Prime Minister was but Ironsi was going left, right and centre. We discovered later that he was indeed the leader of the coup. He now asked us to hand over power to him for safety. I said why do we have to hand over power to you? You are the head of the army, keep the country safe. But he insisted and ‘forced’ us to hand over power to him at the cabinet meeting. Power was not handed over to him but he took power from us by force… Don’t forget that at that time, head of the army was Igbo, Zik the president was Igbo, the acting president, (Nwafor) Orizu was Igbo

Akinjide… I will like to see a Nigeria that will be able to lift up Africa

thoroughly searched and no bomb was discovered; the plane was refueled, we took off and flew safely to New York. That was my first visit to New York; there a big delegation of Nigerians which had gone in advance and other Americans met us at the airport. We settled down and later went to the Security Council for admission, the debate was fantastic. (Nikita) Krushchev who was the leader of Russia at that time came, as he was in New York; everybody praised Nigeria and we were admitted into the UN. That wasn’t the end of the matter as it had to go to the General Assembly of the UN. It went there, they debated and unanimously we were admitted into the UN. Since 1960 till now, we have been a member of the UN. I have told you the glowing part of our history. Balewa asked me to stay back in New York to be a member of the Nigerian delegation, which I did. Now in that arithmetic, I was learning a lot; not only did I meet foreign leaders of the world with Balewa in New York, I also saw the other part of the globe and I told myself that I must move my legal practice from Ibadan to Lagos, that I did till today…. Things were going on well at that time. Nigeria started a career which was extremely interesting. When it comes to education, we had the best of everything, but where are we today? The truth is that we are no longer where we should be. If anybody tells you that we are where we should be, he is telling you half truth, half falsehood. From your narrative, you have raised a critical issue – that there is no cause for celebration, which you hinged on the fact that we are not where we should be. Could you tell us why we are not where we should be? In the first place, a number of factors are responsible for the control of a country. One of them is leadership. Leadership is very critical. You tell me, and I open my arms to you, what is our leadership today? Do you have the leadership who can control Africa, just as United States of America has a leadership that can control the United States? Do you have the type of leadership that is obtainable in China? When I was in England, an Indian wrote a book on China and he was a professor in one of the Universities in India, and when China became independent, he was made an Ambassador to China. He wrote a book on China before and China after. In other words, he saw China when it was in abject poverty when it hadn’t developed and he saw China when it moved from poverty to wealth; this is one of the best books in the world that I have ever read; I encourage all of you to read that book. Have you seen any Nigerian who has written such a book? Have we

produced such leaders as those who moved United States of America from thirteen states in New York to the greatest power in the world today? Have we produced such leaders as China produced, who moved China from abject poverty to the second most powerful in the world today? Those are the critical questions. China is even now greater than Russia, don’t let anybody deceive you. I always ask myself a critical question; what do I do with my children and grandchildren? I have children and grandchildren who have been well educated in this country and abroad, and from time to time I talk to them, engaging them in debates, and the critical question is ‘we are not waiting in this country, we are going abroad’. And I ask them why? They say there is nothing left. Of all the great newspapers which existed when I came back from England, where are they today? The control of our economy in whose hands is it? Those are the critical question. And the critical question which many people avoid to debate is that; what really changed the history of this country is military coup. I was in cabinet when the first military coup occurred, I was also in cabinet when the second coup occurred. When the first coup occurred, myself and the other ministers were detained for no just cause. There is nothing I have in the world today which I cannot account for, so what are you detaining me for? When the second coup was coming, we saw it and one of the key leaders of that coup is well-known but I am not going to mention his name. We told Shagari of that coup, giving him all the details. We sent that military officer to go and lead the (operation to solve the) problems we had in Chad, we had a lot of problems on Lake Chad and I traveled on that lake for two, three years, but he didn’t believe us. He said it was not possible, that how could that man do a coup and he gave a number of reasons. When he gave those reasons, we laughed because all the details were available to us. So when he did not believe us – one Igbo, myself and one northerner – and when the thing was coming, we left the country. I just went to London, the second one also went to London, the third one went to Nairobi. When it happened we started phoning each other saying that we told him but he didn’t believe us, look at what has happened. He was detained. The paradox of the matter is that when he was eventually released from detention, Alhaji Shehu Shagari sent two of his wives to me in London for medical treatment and I received them. I arranged the best medical treatment for them before they came back. Now will you be surprised to know that I stayed in London for ten years practising law, and some of my matters were even in the law reports. Before then I was elected by the United Nations in New York, and that

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is very critical, to be a member of a body in New York where I served for six years. So, there was no problem for me at that time. But the problem with Nigeria has continued from then till today. Don’t let anybody deceive you, if anybody tells you we have gone out of our problems, they are telling you lies. And I repeat what I told you before, that a lot of my grand children come to me for discussion and they say they are not staying in Nigeria today because there is nothing left. That is their belief. When you debate such matters on that line, it is extremely sad. My philosophy and belief is to make my children and grandchildren serve Nigeria and make Nigeria great. One of my grandchildren had first class in Oxford and first class in Harvard, two of the best universities in the world; she said to me ‘daddy I am not staying in this country’, and she gave an analysis of the situation of the country. She said where am I going from here? She is still around, but she has told me she is not staying. Having finished in Harvard, jobs were just calling her left, right and centre just like Jumoke. Jumoke had first class in London, first class in Havard, and Yomi had double degrees from Cambridge. So, we are in a very sad era in our history, and I hope that sad era will go away and we will move from unknown to the known. If you look at the mathematics of Nigeria today, one of the most predominant things is crime and unemployment. Why should that be the case? I will like to see a Nigeria that will be able to lift up Africa. I told you about my grandchildren, today they are not ready to come and live in Nigeria. In those days, Nigeria was the launch pad and the first port of call but not anymore. What makes me unhappy is their unwillingness to come to Nigeria because the country is destroyed. When I was going to New York with Balewa after Independence, Nigerian currency and British were the same. In fact, you could exchange Nigerian currency with British pounds in any bank in London. Can you do that now? Who destroyed Nigeria? Nigeria’s destruction started the first day we had the first military coup. And if things are right since then I would like you to give me the details. I think politicians of the first republic share in the blame of the destruction of Nigeria by allowing the military coup, because military intervention in politics is an abnormal thing. But it happened at a time when Nigeria just started as an independent nation. At that critical time the leader of the opposition was in prison for treason. The Southwest was in crisis, that was the period of ‘operation wetie’. Would you agree that politicians of the first republic didn’t manage the situation well and allowed the military to intervene in politics? Secondly, when the Prime Minister was missing for a couple of days, the politicians at that time or those who were in charge couldn’t seize the opportunity and present leadership because the nation was in a state of anarchy for two days. We didn’t have a head of government and eventually allowed the military to seize power. By then, Dr. Nnamdi Azikwe, the president, was outside the country and the acting president, Orizu Nwafor, announced that the politicians had handed over power to the military. Don’t you think politicians of the first republic, which you are part of, have a share of the blame? That information is not true. This thing happened about 50 years ago. I was in that cabinet as federal minister of education. When the head of Army of the British was to go, there was disagreement between Balewa and Saudana (Sir Ahmadu Bello). The leader in Kaduna said (Aguiyi) Ironsi should not be made the Nigerian Army chief for reasons which he gave. He said he was preparing a coup. Balewa insisted that he wanted to put Ironsi there. That dichotomy between the Prime Minister in Lagos and the leader in Kaduna was very critical. And Akintola was the premier in the West and he decided to go to Kaduna to explain his own views to the leader in Kaduna because they were of the same view. These are the internal dichotomies that some of you didn’t know. Now Akintola went to Kaduna with

some leaders including Lekan Salami. Unfortunately, some of the foreign media such as Financial Times started mentioning my name instead of Salami. It was not me. I didn’t go to Kaduna with Akintola. When he (Akintola) got to Kaduna, he explained that the situation at hand was dangerous that they should try and convince Balewa. Akintola flew back to Ibadan and when he came back he gave me a telephone call because I was in Lagos. He said as a secretary of the party I should summon a very urgent meeting of the party so that he could give them the details of the Kaduna meetings. I agreed. That night was the last discussion I had with Akintola. By the following morning, he was dead. When l woke up the following morning as a federal minister, I didn’t know there had been a military coup but somebody came to me and was telling me that Akintola was dead. It was the first time I heard the news. The critical thing for me was to keep myself safe, and I did that. A lot of dichotomies and internal things that happened at that time, the history has not been written till today. And that is why many writers write half-truths and half falsehoods. Again, there was no vacancy as people assume because one Bukar (Sulloma Dipcharima) from the North-east and minister of transport in the cabinet then was chosen as our leader when we didn’t know where the Prime Minister was; he was not dead then in our view. We heard Akintola had been killed, Saudana had been killed and Commander of the Army in Ibadan, who was in Eko Hotel, was killed in Eko Hotel. But we continued holding cabinet meetings in Bukar’s house. That gap was there and because many of you didn’t know about that gap and what happened at that time, you continue to write half-truths and half falsehoods. What was critical at that time was that Ironsi started coming to the cabinet meetings with soldiers, sitting outside the door where we were holding meeting. What was he doing there? I was there as a cabinet minister. Did anybody raise any objection? Of course, we asked him and he said just to keep us safe. We didn’t ask him to come. We didn’t need your security but he kept coming. Right then, we smelt a rat. Later on, I must tell you that I got a report, very big report, from foreign intelligence that in fact Ironsi was the leader of that coup. But Nigerians believe it was Major Kaduna Nzeogwu who was the leader of the coup? No, no, no. I was given a bulk report on Ironsi’s involvement in the coup. As said, we didn’t know where the Prime Minister was but Ironsi was going left, right and centre. We discovered later that he was indeed the leader of the coup. He now asked us to hand over power to him for safety. I said why do we have to hand over power to you? You are the head of the army, keep the country safe. But he insisted and ‘forced’ us to hand over power to him at the cabinet meeting. Power was not handed over to him but he took power from us by force. But Orizu Nwafor announced to the nation….

(cuts in) That is not true. Don’t forget that at that time, head of the army was Ibo, Zik the president was Ibo, the acting president, (Nwafor) Orizu, was Ibo. Zik was far way, in the Americas, he said he was on holiday, holiday in inverted comas; don’t believe that story. Would you say Zik was aware of the coup too? I won’t answer that question, because if I answer that question, it will lead to other questions. Don’t forget that he came back eventually and went straight from the airport to one Bakare’s house in Ikoyi. You see, the area you are taking me (to) is extremely dangerous and I don’t want to create headlines for you. Sir, you have played significant roles in the life of Nigeria: You were in your 20s when you were elected into the parliament, and later became federal minister in the First Republic; you were part of the constituent assembly in the 70s that gave birth to 1979 constitution that we have continued to modify up till now; you came up with 12 2/3. At every junction in our history, you were there. Some of the people mentioned earlier are dead. You had personal conversation with Akintola etc. Can you throw more light on what happened? Was there a conspiracy between a section of the political class and the military leadership to take power in the first republic? There was. You are taking me to an area which I am avoiding and which I don’t want to talk about. There were a number of civilians who were in the coup conspiracy, particularly in the university of Nigeria Nzukka, University of Ibadan and University of Lagos. But all those things have never been unfolded. The question is, what should we say now? That is the critical question. Should we reveal them now or later? If we reveal them now, are they adding more wounds to our problems or solving our problems? Let me be honest with you, the problem of this country is complex. Even those who play significant roles in the civil war have been writing books on falsehood, telling lies. When I see such books, I just laugh. I don’t know when all will be unfolded. But one day, I think all the truth will be told. But the first republic generation which you belong is almost gone… (cuts in) It is almost gone but not dead. The story will be told one day. The critical question is what do we do now? And the answer is, keep quiet. Isn’t it 50 years ago the whole thing happened?. Recently, I was invited to Ogbomoso to the anniversary of Akintola’s death. You will be surprised that throughout I didn’t utter a word. When I arrived in Ogbomoso, I went to Soun Ogbomoso’s house, I greeted him, paid my respect, then I went to the university in Ogbomoso and I sat near Akintola’s son throughout and they spoke and spoke and spoke but would you be surprised that throughout I did not utter a word. When they finished, I shook hands, entered my car and came back to Ibadan, because if I spoke at that time and tell the truth, I am giving your papers headlines. It would create headlines.

When the second coup was coming, we saw it and one of the key leaders of that coup is well-known but I am not going to mention his name. We told Shagari of that coup, giving him all the details. We sent that military ofﬁcer to go and lead the (operation to solve the) problems we had in Chad… but he didn’t believe us. He said it was not possible, that how could that man do a coup and he gave a number of reasons. When he gave those reasons, we laughed because all the details were available to us. So when he did not believe us – one Igbo, myself and one northerner – and when the thing was coming, we left the country

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But we need to know about the past to explain the present and help project into our future? But I have just unveiled certain information and for now, I won’t reveal all. Looking at what happened in the ﬁrst republic: the coup and all that. Would you say there are things the politicians could have done differently that could have changed the course of history? It was not possible because the people who controlled the country were the people controlling the violence at that time, and even now. I told you my antecedents earlier on. I have been involved in Nigeria’s politics before independence and I am still involved in a way till now. Where is this country going now? Where is it going now? Where is it going now? I asked this question three times. The truth is that, many of you, when I read your paper, I just laugh. You don’t know what is going on. And then the fact that we have different tribes affect our judgement. The fact that I am Yoruba may affect my judgement, the fact that you are Igbo may affect your judgement, the fact that you are Fulani may affect your judgement, the fact that some people are Deltans may affect their judgement… You got wind of the plot to overthrow the Second Republic government and you went to the then President, Alhaji Shehu Shagari, to tell him about the plot. No, don’t go to that area again. No, it is just a follow up question sir. You went to Shagari, obviously, because you wanted him to act to save the country from another military misadventure but he didn’t act, perhaps he didn’t believe you. But because you were sure of your facts, you left the country with the other people mentioned earlier. Casting your mind back, could you have done something differently at that time to save the country from the military coup? Would you call it a failure of leadership the fact that Alhaji Shehu Shagari didn’t act on that vital information? Do you want me to pass judgment on him? I told you what I did. I left the country. Could you have done any other thing to change the situation at that time? It wasn’t possible to change the mathematics as at that time. It was too hard... You see, head of the army before was a whiteman and we recalled him to come back to assess the situation for us. He did. What information he gave us and what he gave the British I will not know. But I will tell you something which I don’t know whether I should tell you. There was a Prime Ministers’ conference in Lagos which Harold Wilson led and came here on Rhodesia at that time and there was a dinner for all the prime ministers and Balewa brought in to that dinner for prime ministers, three of us, of which I was probably the youngest. We had the dinner and at the right time, Wilson called Balewa privately, he said he should follow him to London in his private plane because there was going to be a coup. But Balewa refused and said he didn’t think there was any problem. If he had followed him to London all he needed to do was to broadcast from London as head of government and ask the British Army to move in and quash the coup. But he didn’t do it. You see, you are born with leadership; it is either in you or it is not in you. The three of us who met Shagari and told him all the details knew what we were doing. We got all the details and when he didn’t listen to us, the three of us left the country. And at the right time, they hit. They went and locked him up. We started phoning ourselves saying this man, we warned him but he didn’t listen to us… But he wouldn’t listen. We knew that there were X,Y,Z in it, but there are aspects of that that I will not reveal to you. It is too dangerous. There is a consensus that the nation’s fault lines, the things that divide us as a nation, have never been this obvious. Why do you think it is so now? You won’t like the answer. It is because the country might collapse. I know you won’t like to hear that. Do you feel the country may collapse?

I used the word might, so you modified it for me. But that modification I won’t accept. Do you entertain such fears? Your guess is as good as mine. After 57 years? Your guess is as good as mine. Are you not worried about Nigeria of today? Can you put your hand on your heart and say you are not worried about Nigeria of today. Would you be a honest Nigerian and say Buhari should be governing us as a nation? I won’t say yes and no to that question. But I put a question to you to answer, not here but at home. You gave a speech at the launch of a book ‘Fellow Countrymen: The Story of Coups D'etats in Nigeria’ by Richard Akinnola, where you said The Amalgamation of Nigeria was a fraud… (Cuts in) I repeat that it was a fraud. Let’s start with the fact the amalgamation was a fraud. Don’t you know that the amalgamation of 1914 is a fraud? In 1900, there were too separate Nigeria, Northern and Southern Nigeria. Anybody taking products to the North paid duties to us here in the South. That was the reason for the amalgamation… That was the beginning of our problem and they forced us together by themselves in 1914, without our consent and without consulting us, they forced us together. And they got a lot of laws from Australia, Australia Law of Evidence, Australia Criminal Law, about two or three laws from Australia. The word is amalgamation, and that is very critical. Do we have any Nigerian don or journalist who has analysed its meaning? So from that time they didn't pay any duty again to the South, when they brought their goods, they just passed to the North. And because they were paying duties to the South, the northerners were not happy and the British were not happy. And once they had the amalgamation in 1914, Lugard became governor general of Nigeria. First of all in 1910, there were two governors in Nigeria – governor of the South and governor of the North. Did they consult you before they merged us together? They didn’t consult anybody. It was on their own in 1914 that they just issued a British Order in Council and merged us together without consulting anybody. It was since then that problem began till today, and that problem has not stopped. And I don’t see it stopping, because the northerners think they should be ruling Nigeria whether they know how to rule or not. Have you toured the North? I was Pro-chancellor, University of Jos. The North is so backward and I have my doubt if they think of progress. And if they think of progress, I will be surprised. I have toured the whole of the North - from Sokoto to Maiduguri, Jos to other areas across the North. Just name it. They don't think the way we think. We think differently and our problem is the British. Why must the British merge us together? They merged us together for their own economic interest. It is as simple as that. Not for our own development or greatness but for their selfish interest and it is because they don't want our development. Since that amalgamation, there has been nothing right in Nigeria. The people who made the matter worse were the military who now created states, from 12 states to 19 states and so on. Apparently to foster unity and bring development closer to the people? Can you tell me what is the common denominator between the Igbo and the Yoruba? If there is, I don’t know, may be you can tell me. What is the common denominator between Hausa /Fulani and the Igbo? If there is, tell me. Nothing. They just did it for the economic interest of Britain. Now, look at the whole of Africa, all the French speaking country of Africa are used for the progress of France. Tell me in what way does the economic interest of French speaking countries in Africa benefits Africans? When people are not the same, it is a fraud to merge them together and force them to be the same. Again, the fault lines are now so obvious that

Let’s start with the fact the amalgamation was a fraud. Don’t you know that the amalgamation of 1914 is a fraud?... And once they had the amalgamation in 1914, Lugard became Governor-general of Nigeria. First of all in 1910, there were two governors in Nigeria – governor of the South and governor of the North. Did they consult you before they merged us together? They didn’t consult anybody. It was on their own in 1914 that they just issued a British Order in Council and merged us together without consulting anybody. It was since then that problem began till today, and that problem has not stopped. And I don’t see it stopping some are calling for Biafra, Oduduwa Republic and all that. Why is it so now? Because the country is so divided and there is no unity again. Things are so bad now. It has always been like that underneath though. It has always been like that. What do you think of the quit notice by Arewa youths to Igbo to leave the North by October 1. (cuts in) But they have withdrawn it. Yes, the notice has been withdrawn. But the fact that they even issued a quit notice at the Arewa House in Kaduna is symbolic. What do all these portend for 2019 election? It will be held but it will be rigged. In favour of who? I don't know. Do we really have honest elections in this country? Would you say previous elections two were rigged? I don’t know. I don’t want to go to that issue. We now have agitations more than ever calling for restructuring. We even have IPOB group in the South-east calling for secession and the government had to move in troops. What is the way out of our problems? I moved the motion for the adoption of the report of 2014 Constitutional Conference. I will recommend that we revisit the recommendations of that conference. There are a lot in it that can help address some of our problems. Nigerian leaders have always said the unity of Nigeria is settled and non-negotiable. President Buhari reemphasised it recently. What is your opinion on the position that Nigeria's unity is nonnegotiable? I don't have any comment. What will be your message to Nigerians at 57 They should not quarrel.

T H I S D AY SUNDAY OCTOBER 1, 2017

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R ˾ OCTOBER 1, 2017

SUNDAYSPORTS De Bruyne Goal Lifts City over Chelsea

anchesterCityyesterdayreturned to the Premier League summit with an outstanding win at reigning champions Chelsea that was far more convincing than the scoreline suggested. Kevin de Bruyne’s spectacular 67th-minute winner against his former club, a rising left-foot drive from outside the area, gave Pep Guardiola’s side a victory their dominance deserved and saw them leapfrog back over arch-rivals Manchester United. City were without striker Sergio Aguero, who sustained rib injuries in a car crash inAmsterdam on Thursday, while Chelsea lost top scorerAlvaro Morata to injury in the first half. Guardiola’s men coped with Aguero’s absence superbly, and threatened to score long before De Bruyne finally broke the deadlock, with Chelsea keeper Thibaut Courtois making a brilliant reflex save from Fernandinho’s header before the break. City never looked in danger once De Bruyne scored and almost added a second when Gabriel Jesus’ volley was headed off the line by Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger.

De Bruyne

Newcastle Host Liverpool

ewcastle host Liverpool today in a classic Premier League fixture that has a history of producing plenty of fireworks. Liverpool have scored more Premier League goals (88) against Newcastle than against any other club, included in those fixtures were two memorable 4-3 games in the mid-nineties. The fixture has produced 52 goals across the last 16 encounters - something that Newcastle manager Rafa Benitez will be well aware of having been in charge of Liverpool for many of those meetings. Benitez won three major trophies as Liverpool boss while current manager Jurgen Klopp will be aware that they’ve only picked up one trophy since Benitez’s departure. Liverpool have only won one of their last six games

in all competitions since they hammeredArsenal 4-0 at Anfield while the Toon broke their run of three straight wins last weekend with defeat at Brighton. Liverpool forward Sadio Mane is set to start after returning from a domestic suspension. Midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum could face his former club at the expense of Emre Can after an indifferent performance in the Champions League in midweek. MidfielderAdam Lallana (thigh) is running outside again but is still several weeks from a comeback while right-back Nathaniel Clyne is also recovering well from a back injury. Newcastle strikerAleksandar Mitrovic is available after suspension. The Serbia international has missed the last three games after being found guilty - on video evidence - of violent conduct during the 3-0 victory over West Ham.

La Liga Goes Live on GOtv Today Olaseni Durojaiye

Coinciding with the nation’s 57th independence anniversary, GOtv will today commence airing live matches of the prestigious Spanish La Liga as all the matches in the Spanish elite football league will be available on a newly introduced sports channel on GOtv, Super Sports Select 4. The new content offering is part of a wider sports coverage which includes the recently acquired rights to show wresting fights from the WWE; select matches from the English Premier League and African football leagues. General Manager of GOtv,Akinola Salu, made this known at the launch of GOtv MAX, a new package GOtv. GOtv MAX is a new family entertainment package on the platform that will afford its customers

access to the latest and best content straight from Hollywood and around the world. “Some of the exciting programming that will be available on the new package includes the best of European football action including all La Liga matches live on a new sports channel, SS Select 4. There will also be select live games of the Premier League and a wider sports offering which include the recently acquired WWE and African football leagues,” he stated. According to The Local, an online platform, quoting statistics provided by Uefa’s league coefficient, Spain’s Primera Division remains the world’s best league and has been for the past five years. The league boasts of the top two footballers in the world in Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo and Barcelona, Lionel Messi.

…All Set for GOtv Boxing Night 12 Kunle Adewale AllissetforthetwelftheditionofGOtvBoxingNight holding at the Indoor Sports Hall of the National Stadium, Lagos, today. The event, tagged “Independence Edition” will witness the biggest ever pay-out in the history of Nigerian boxing, as the boxers will earn a total of N20 million in prize money. The best boxer of the event will win N2.5 million and Mojisola Ogunsanya Memorial Trophy, while the two runners-up will win N1 million and N500, 000 respectively. FlykitePromotions,organisersofGOtvBoxingNight, have put in place adequate security in and around the stadium to ensure every boxing fan enjoys an exciting evening. GOtv Boxing Night 12 will feature seven fights, including four international duels and three na-

tional challenge bouts. The headline bout will see the African Boxing Union welterweight reigning champion, Nigeria’s Stanley Eribo defend his title againstRamadhaniShauriofTanzania.Alsodefending his title is Nigeria’s Olaide Fijabi who will exchange puncheswithGhana’sBenAnkrahintheWestAfrican Boxing Union light welterweight title bout. Nigeria’s Oto Joseph will take on Israel Forget Kammwamba of Malawi in the CommonwealthAfrica lightweight title contest. Waidi Usman will fight Juma Fundi of Tanzania in an international featherweight challenge contest. The three other bouts, being national challenge duels, will pit Rilwan Oladosu against Samuel Opaoguninthelightweightcategory;boxingprodigy, Rilwan Babatunde, will fight Tombraye Christmas in the light welterweight category, while Kabiru Towolawi will fight Akeem Adebayo in the light heavyweight category.

Edited by Demola Ojo Email demola.ojo@thisdaylive.com

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High Life

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...Amazing lifestyles of Nigeriaâ€™s rich and famous

Roli Uduaghan Celebrates 56th Birthday

he wife of the former governor of Delta State, Deaconess Roli Uduaghan, turned 56 recently. The deeply spiritual woman celebrated her 56th birthday in their Parkview, Ikoyi, Lagos mansion on Wednesday, September 27th. It was a small get together for family and friends of the Uduaghans. No ostentation, no elaborate entertainment. It was more of praise and worship than secular birthday celebration. Those who know the former First Lady intimately know that she bade bye to the things of the world long ago. No longer for her are the expensive jewelleries that her peers swear by or the fast life that her husbandâ€™s mammoth wealth as a two-term Governor of Nigeriaâ€™s second richest state affords her. Even before they left Government House in 2015, Mrs. Uduaghan had established a reputation as a devout Christian, organising periodic open-air crusades and fellowships among aides of her husband. Out of office, that as not really changed; in fact, she has become even more devout in her devotion to serving the Lord.

Chinelo Bob-Osamor

CHINELO BOB-OSAMOR CELEBRATES LOW-KEY 51ST BIRTHDAY Unlike her, understandably, glamorous, destination 50th birthday party, Chinelo BobOsamor, lawyer and media practitioner, had a quiet 51st birthday celebration. Last year, she ferried family and select friends to Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.A to celebrate her attainment of the golden age with a party organised in her honour by her younger sister. But this year, she would not be persuaded into rolling out the drums for being alive and healthy for adding a year. She only consented to a small get-together where prayers and well wishes poured in endlessly. Married to Bob Osamor, the Deputy Director General, Nigerian Law School,

Roli Uduagan

Enugu Campus, Chinelo is also a philanthropist and founder of the Chike Okagbue Foundation (COF) established to honour the memory of her father. The foundation grants full scholarships to ten students for secondary education every year. She came to prominence however with the popular television programme, Healthwise, designed primarily as a talkshow to educate her viewers on various ailments; their management and cure while inviting consultants in various fields of medicine to give expert opinion on health issues. The target was to prevent avoidable deaths. Much later, the programme morphed into â€œDiscourse-with-Chineloâ€?, also a public enlightenment drive with a wider focus, which in addition to health issues, x-rays other issues. BILLIONAIRE LOTTO MAGNATE, KESSINGTON ADEBUTU, IS BEREAVED Heartfelt condolences are in order for Sir Kessington Adebukunola Adebutu, the billionaire proprietor of Nigeriaâ€™s foremost lotto company who recently lost one of his dear wives, Olaide Abimbola Adebutu nĂŠe Olayemi. She was 73. Olaide was Adebutuâ€™s the third wife. Born to the prominent Yoruba family of Chief Michael Oredolapo and Princess Asake Onayemi, Olaide reportedly died of age-related ailments. For a man who has been through many debilitating vicissitudes and has come out stronger, Adebutu was nonetheless heartbroken and inconsolable. In spite of that, the octogenarian philanthropist was

Kesington Adebutu

visible and active during the burial rites of his beloved wife. His friends from far and near, associates and socialites alike stood by him at the Christian Wake and interment which held at the exclusive Ikoyi Vaults and Gardens on September 14. The Asoju Oba of Lagos and the deceased were married for more than three decades before death cut their marital odyssey in midstream. Olaide might have gone but Baba Ijebu as he is popularly known still has the bosom of 40-year-old Temitope Kofoworola to snuggle up to if the pangs and pains of loss lingered too much. AGONY OF A MOTHER...TFC BOSS, KEHINDE ADEDAYO, REMEMBERS LATE SON Itâ€™s been four years, but for Yinka Adedayo, the brain behind popular and ubiquitous quickservice restaurant, Tastee Fried Chicken, the deep-seated misery

and heartbreak of losing her only son, Bunmi, is one that would never heal. Then 36 years old and a father of two, Bunmi was executive director of the family business. The only son of his enterprising and respected parents, Bunmiâ€™s death in South Africa after a brief illness, plunged the Adedayos into an abyss of pungent sorrow. A year after his death, the headquarters of the TFC where he worked and was widely loved for his genteel humaneness and candour, was renamed Bunmiâ€™s Place. In 2016, the Adedayos launched the Bunmi Adedayo Foundation (BAF) with a mission to enhance the learning environment of the Nigerian child so as to produce Nigerian citizens imbued with upright character. â€œThe foundationâ€™s vision is to nurture and equip them with the skills and competencies that would enable them to contribute to national and global communities,â€? a statement

Yinka Adedayo

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Fly Away Peter, Fly Away Paul…Is Lola Omotayo The Agent Provocateur?

uestions, rhetorical and otherwise, continue to trail the acrimonious separation of pop twins, P-Square. The most poignant being the role of Lola, wife of Peter, one half of the twins, in the whole aﬀair. Across social media and beyond, ﬁngers are being pointed in the direction of the doe-eyed Lola as the cause of the unending rift among the Okoye brothers. A Yoruba, Lola comes with the extra baggage of being older than her husband and their bellicose older brother cum manager, Jude. Not just that, there are insinuations that before the multimillionaire singers lost their mother some years back, she was reportedly against the union that has produced two kids; Cameron and Aliona. However, Peter has stuck with his wife,

telling whoever cares to listen that he has a responsibility to protect her and their kids. Many have even suggested that should Lola walk out on the marriage, P-Square would reunite. But with the release of a video where Peter was almost beaten by Jude, and the subsequent leak of a letter he wrote to his lawyer, Festus Keyamo, alleging threat to his life and that of his family, the curtain might have been drawn on the career of one of Africa’s biggest musical exports. However, in response to several allegations levelled against Lola, Keyamo has issued a press release wherein he stated, “We also wish to state categorically that, contrary to widely held opinions, none of their wives is at fault. In fact, the wives have kept their respectable and digniﬁed distances from all the issues involved.

on the foundation’s website posits. It was a very well attended event with many prominent Nigerians converging to celebrate a young man that died at the prime of his life. September 25th was another anniversary of his tragic death. That day, the TFC boss penned a heartfelt tribute to Bunmi reminding him how much of a beautiful creation he was and how they cherish the gift of birthing him. “For us, September 25 will always be the day that everything stopped. It is the day we lost a son with a heart of gold. A son worth more to us than wealth untold and though we know you are done with this earthly toil to go and rest, it still hurts because the pain never goes away. The grieving never ends; the mourning only becomes quieter, beating and echoing in our hearts.” Bunmi would have been 40 this year. JOHN ABEBE SETS TO GIFT SON A BEFITTING WEDDING December is still a few weeks away but in the household of the Abebes, feverish planning and preparations are ongoing. Michael, the son of cricket-loving Dr. John Abebe, is getting married and in concert with his father, they have chosen a December date. Dr Abebe, the only surviving son of Christopher Abebe, the first indigenous chairman of UAC Nigeria Limited, is quite popular on the social scene but he is not known to throw that much number of parties. Hence, he is harnessing all his contacts and resources to gift his son a wedding ceremony like never. The handsome, London-based Micheal is also rousing his friends and associates across the world to ensure his wedding day remains

Lola Omotayo-Okoye

John Abebe

talked about for eons to come. Like his father, Michael, who holds a M.Sc degree from the London School of Economics and B.Sc from the University of Nottingham in Economics, is refined and unobtrusive. He is also into the oil and gas business across Africa. The Chairman of Inducon Nigeria Ltd, which works with leading oilfield players including exploration and production operators, service companies, manufacturers and suppliers, and midstream operators, as well as investors and other financial institutions around the world, Dr Abebe is the younger brother of late Stella Obasanjo. TOP CORPORATE PLAYER, BOLAJI BALOGUN, LOSES MOTHER The mother of Bolaji Balogun, CEO of financial advisory services firm, Chapel Hill Denham, has passed. And she has been buried. Bolaji is the older son of boardroom guru and billionaire founder of FCMB, Otunba Subomi Balogun. However, unbeknownst to many,

he does not share the same mother with his more popular brother, Ladi, the Group MD/CEO of First City Monument Bank. Ladi’s mother is Olori Abimbola Adetutu. Understandably devastated, Bolaji has however reconciled with his mother’s death and has taken solace in the mortality of man. Bolaji left the family-owned FCMB in 2001 at a time when it was transitioning from a traditional merchant bank into a universal commercial bank. A self-starter with keen business insight, Bolaji established Chapel Hill in 2005 and went into a merger with Denham in 2008. Today, the company is one of Nigeria’s foremost investment banking experts and was pivotal to advising and working with the Central Bank of Nigeria in setting up the Assets Management Company of Nigeria, AMCON.

Bolaji Balogun

Gumsu Abacha

CELEBRATION IN THE ABACHA HOUSEHOLD...AS GUMSU MARKS BIRTHDAY Gumsu, the beautiful and very outspoken daughter of late Head of State, General Sani Abacha, was a year older days back. Trust the social media savvy lady, blogosphere was abuzz with birthday felicitations buffeting her from all over the world. She did her best to reply to as many messages as she could. Back home, she was joined by family members including her mother, the former First Lady, Hajia Maryam, to celebrate her big day. Married to Cameroonian billionaire, Mohamadou Bayero Fadil, the couple recently celebrated the 18th anniversary of their union. No doubt the most popular of the Abacha children because of her presence and activeness on social media, Gumsu has been known to engage trolls who ignorantly talk about her late father. We hear she is working on a plan that would shake the socio-political milieu.

Sunday, October 1, 2017

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MISSILE Kalu to FG “The agitation for devolution of power, restructuring or referendum, are all legitimate democratic demands. They form part of the conversation that must take place to strengthen democracy and make it a real system of government of the people, by the people and for the people.” - Former Governor of Abia State Orji Kalu speaking on the growing demand for restructuring of the polity.

The Political Manipulation of Nigerians

igeria is 57, going by the year of independence, and the consensus in every corner is that we can be, and should have been, better than this. I have not met a single person who said this is the best we can be. Our economic and development indices at independence are largely better than what we have today, but the real deal is that we were such a promising nation in 1960 that it was thought we would dominate Africa with the speed at which we were developing. It is a fitting tribute, isn’t it, that the immortal Lee Kwan Yew, the man behind the Singapore success story, saw Nigeria as a model to be emulated when his country became independent from Malaysia in 1965. If things had worked out well for Nigeria, especially if the stupendous petrodollars gushing into our treasury had been intelligently managed, our story would have been significantly different today. We would not be talking about thousands of kilometres of bad roads, we would not be lamenting epileptic power supply, we would not be crying over hospitals that are basically torture centres, we would not be groaning about third-rate quality of instruction and infrastructure in our schools, and we would not be moaning that millions of people are homeless. Poverty rates would be low. Literacy rate would be high. We would be an economy built on production and productivity. The biggest question as we clock 57, at least going by the headlines, is the unity of Nigeria. There is a trending agitation for “restructuring”, “true federalism” and “Biafra” which, we are made to believe, hold the key to the development of Nigeria. Many think Nigeria is like this — underdeveloped and conflict-prone — because of the amalgamation of “strange bedfellows” in 1914, or because we run a “military constitution” aka “unitary constitution”. Some even blame our multi-ethnicity, maintaining that until we are broken up along ethnic lines, our problems will persist. But, at least, there seems to be a consensus that corruption is hurting our development. For those who say Nigerians cannot live together, I have always begged to differ. Having travelled around Nigeria for years, having interacted intensively with people from different ethnic and religious backgrounds, having observed Nigerians at close quarters, I have always concluded that we are impressively integrating socially and culturally. Ordinary Nigerians have learnt how to live with one another. Inter-ethnic marriage is what we usually give as an example, but I am also enamoured by the culinary intercourse — delicacies such as suya, isi ewu, amala and edikaikong always leave a sweet taste in the mouths of Nigerians across the divides. What’s more, words such as “ego”, “oga”, “oya” and “shikena” have successfully crossed lingual boundaries and become part and parcel of everyone’s daily conversations. I don’t even know the origin of some words anymore. An example is “garri”. Is it Igbo? Is it Yoruba? Is it Edo? That is how far our cultural integration has gone since amalgamation and independence. Our sartorial preferences have also crossed ethnic boundaries: you see dresses such as “senator” and “agbada” being worn by northerners and southerners, Muslims and Christians alike. For those who think we hate one another with passion, their evidence is inconclusive.

Buhari The entertainment industry excites me on the viability of the Nigerian project. Our home movies typically feature people of different ethnic and religious backgrounds. You see Igbo and Edo actors and actresses featuring in Yoruba-language movies in a country where we are made to understand we hate each other. In music, cross-cultural collaborations are the in-thing. Artistes like Onyeka Onwenu, Sonny Okosuns, Christy Essien Igbokwe and Funmi Adams did an enormous job in the 1980s and 1990s promoting, in different languages, the one love that binds us together. In churches, worshippers switch from Igbo to Yoruba to Hausa to Urhobo to Ibibio songs like second nature. I have long concluded that ordinary Nigerians do not have problem living with one another in spite of our differences. But because we are different along the lines of ethnicity, religion, ideology, history and politics, there will always be conflict. That is not peculiar to Nigeria. As I always say, there is no country in the world that does not have its own internal divisions, rivalries and flashpoints. Conflict is human nature. The real issue is the political management of diversity and conflict. Ultimately, it is the political leadership that has the responsibility of managing conflicts and potential conflicts to the best of their abilities. Unfortunately, most unfortunately, while ordinary Nigerians have largely integrated culturally and have evolved ways of living together, they are daily being let down by the political elite who manipulate ethnic and religious sentiments for selfish ends. Those who control the airwaves have ceaselessly poisoned the minds of Nigerians against each other, stirring up sectional strife, stoking tension and promoting political messages that are designed mostly for their personal pecuniary benefits — under the pretext of fighting for “my people”. All said and done, who eventually benefits from “it is our turn”? The elite or the market women? Sadly, our political elite, working hand-in-glove with their intellectual sidekicks, have successfully developed narratives that muddle up the real issues and becloud our reasoning. There is a popular claim that “military” constitution has hindered our development. This is absolutely false (although there is even the bigger falsehood that Nigeria’s constitution was written by the military, but I’m done with that argument). Anyone who has studied the history of the role the military played in the development of South Korea, and the role of civilian dictatorships in the development of Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia, will laugh off

the claim. China is not even a liberal democracy! To be clear, I do not recommend dictatorship for Nigeria, but neither will I support the narrow proposition that we can’t develop because of “lack of true federalism”. This is ridiculous. Norway, consistently ranked No. 1 on UNDP’s human development index (HDI), runs a unitary system. In fact, there is no resource control or derivation payment. All the oil revenue is managed by the central government. Yet Norway’s per capita income is $67,614, compared to $5,442 in the resource controlled-Nigeria. I do not propose a unitary system for Nigeria, but neither will I contribute to the claim that Nigeria cannot develop because of the supposedly “unitary” constitution. So you know, 15 of the world’s top 20 most developed countries, according to the 2015 human development index, are: Norway, Denmark, Singapore, Netherlands, Ireland, Iceland, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Sweden, Liechtenstein, UK, Japan, South Korea (formerly a federation), Israel and Luxembourg. What do they have in common? They ALL run a unitary system. The only “true federalism” countries in the top 20 are Australia, Germany, Switzerland, US and Canada. Next time somebody tells you “true federalism” or “regionalism” is the magic formula for development, ask them for the evidence. In fact, China runs a unitary system! The elite love to prey on our ignorance. Nigeria has three major ethnic groups and we are often lectured that we cannot develop until we balkanise. But Norway has seven ethnic groups — Norwegian, Sami, Jew, Traveller, Forest Finn, Romani and Kven. They are not doing badly. There are over 300 ethnic groups in Malaysia; its per capita income is four times that of Nigeria. India has roughly 2,000 ethnic groups, and while it is a Hindu-majority country, the population of Muslims is about 172 million, almost equal to Nigeria’s population. India is not yet categorised as a developed country, but it is way ahead of Nigeria. It is an economy built on production and boasts of multinational companies in Tata, Ranbaxy and Infosys. Frankly, I do not blame the ordinary people who cannot decode the unending political manipulation of ethnic and religious sentiments in Nigeria. I’m rather saddened, if not depressed, when those propagating the false narratives and half-truths about “true federalism” are the enlightened people. There is a glaring lack of sincerity. I need to emphasise, and I will keep doing this for the sake of clarity, that I am not saying the current system or structure of Nigeria does not need tinkering with. We definitely need to restructure the country. My point of departure, though, is the campaign that restructuring has to be along the lines of ethnicity, religion and natural resources. I do not know of any country that developed simply because of “true federalism” or “regionalism”. I am still frantically researching that idea. But I can give plenty examples of countries that developed because of competent and patriotic leadership, with or without “true federalism”. I hope most Nigerians will come to this realisation someday. As we mark our 57th independence anniversary, I would propose that we rethink these inherited wisdoms that we have always failed to critically question. Those who direct the orchestra know how to make us sing their buzzwords, but a deeper reflection on our part will confirm that it is all politics. Before I forget, Happy Independence Day.

And Four OtherThings… FEDERAL ROADS I was elated when I heard that governors have called on the federal government to hand over the so-called federal roads to the states. This makes perfect sense to me. However, I was not very clear about how the reconstruction or maintenance will be funded. One governor spoke about public private partnership, but there are other ways: one, the federal government can hand over the funds budgeted for the roads directly to the states, or more permanently, let go of some of its share of the federation account. I find it incredible that the centre takes 52.68% of the federation revenue, leaving the 36 states with 26.72% and the 774 councils 20.60%. Restructuring. FALANA’S CALL When the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) recently raised the alarm that the Sukuk bond, a non-interest Islamic finance facility issued by the federal government, was an attempt to Islamise Nigeria, the most appropriate response, in my opinion, came from Mr. Femi Falana, human rights lawyer, who said: “I am challenging CAN to Christianise Nigerians. Christianise us by setting up interest-free banks.” Some of the most expensive schools in Nigeria today are owned by churches, and if Muslims decide to offer tuition-free education now, CAN will say it is an attempt to Islamise Nigeria. Someone said it is better to light a candle than curse the darkness. Word. SLOW MOTION An intended impact of criticism, I suppose, is change of style and attitude. President Muhammadu Buhari has been accused of being too slow to act on most of the issues he has had to deal with since he came to office in 2015, and I am yet to see any attempt to do things in a different way. It took him ages to constitute a cabinet; it took him forever to respond to economic downturn; and it is taking him an eternity to constitute boards and appoint substantive heads for agencies. In that case, we will wait forever for the implementation of the reports on the suspended DG of the National Intelligence Agency and secretary to the government of the federation (SGF). Frustrating. ILL CREST My attention has been drawn to a potential case of discrimination by Hillcrest School, Jos. Rinret Yusuf Gukas underwent the entire admission processes without being asked if he had any allergy. It was only upon his resumption that he was asked. The parents confirmed he has nuts allergy and provided the medication in case of accidental ingestion. To their surprise, the school nullified his admission. He had relocated from the UK and paid all the fees. In advanced societies, this is a case of discrimination on health grounds. While Hillcrest might be seeking to play safe, it needs to review its admission processes. And where are the regulatory authorities in all this? Sickening.

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