Nigeria emerged as the seventh Sub-Saharan African country with the most stressed employees, according to a global labour report.

Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace 2023 Report, which examines how employees feel about their work and their lives, revealed that global worker stress remained at a historic high from the COVID period, even as other negative emotions related to the pandemic subsided.

In Nigeria, 50 per cent of workers experience stress in the workplace, a figure that has risen by 3 per cent annually.

Senegal recorded the same stress rate, fairing a little better than Chad, Uganda, Tanzania, Ghana, and Sierra Leone, which recorded higher stress rates of up to 58 per cent.

The report reveals that Sub-Saharan recorded the third-highest regional percentage of daily stress and the third-highest regional percentage of daily anger.

Half of over one thousand Nigerians sampled relate experiencing stress in the workplace, with 23 per cent of the Nigerian participants recounting experiencing feelings of anger.

“My work does not give me the opportunity to go to church, visit family members, or travel for a while,” Bolaji, 39, a cashier in Nigeria told Gallup.

Sub-Saharan Africa data

Out of those dissatisfied with the stress levels at their workplaces, 70 per cent indicate intent to leave their current job; A figure much higher than the global average of 55 per cent.

This percentage is prevalent in Sub-Saharan Africa, which records the highest regional percentage of employees watching for or actively seeking a new job.

20 per cent of the population affirm being engaged and thriving at work, 60 per cent are not engaged and quiet quitting, while 21 per cent are actively disengaged and loud quitting.

The employees admit that 46 per cent of the negative emotions felt during a lot of days as a result of stress and 26 per cent of those feelings spur from anger.

The analysis found that engagement has 3.8 times as much influence on employee stress as work location.

In other words, what employees experience in their everyday work — their feelings of involvement and enthusiasm — matters more in reducing stress than where they are sitting.

Stress levels are reportedly predominant among the male population and among workers more than 40 years old.

The report also shows that 46 per cent of stressed employees occupy managerial positions while 44 per cent are individual contributors. 43 per cent of whom work exclusively remotely, 49 per cent hybrid, and 45 per cent work on-site.

“Leaders need to ask if poor remote work performance or poor hybrid work performance is a location problem or a management problem. No location can fix poor management, and the office alone has no magic to create a great organizational culture,” the global advisory company wrote.

Addressing employee well-being concerns

Gallup’s data, obtained from over 122 thousand employees worldwide, reports that low engagement costs the global economy $8.8 trillion.

“That’s 9% of global GDP, enough to make the difference between success and a failure for humanity,” the report read.

According to Indermit Gill, the World Bank’s chief economist, “A lost decade could be in the making for the global economy. The ongoing decline in potential growth has serious implications for the world’s ability to tackle the expanding array of challenges unique to our times — stubborn poverty, diverging incomes, and climate change.”

“The message is clear. Economic growth is slowing. And if we don’t increase global GDP, every other problem gets harder to solve,” Gallup wrote in their report. “So, what can leaders do today to potentially save the world? Change the way your people are managed.”

“As organizational leaders endeavor to navigate an uncertain economic outlook, their employees’ stress is impacting productivity and performance. Addressing these wellbeing concerns and improving engagement should be top priorities for the world’s political and business leaders who seek to make the most of the recovery.” it added.

Recently, some groups and organizations in Nigeria have proposed a new minimum wage for Nigerian workers to fight back against inflationary pressures and current economic challenges faced by workers all across the country.

[BusinessDay]

Last week, some highly respected and eminent Nigerians wrote an open letter to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu cautioning against accepting an alleged offer from two superpowers – France and the United States of America to establish military bases in Nigeria. They wrote the letter based on a plausible rumour that these two powerful nations who have been expelled from Mali and Niger are desperately trying to have a foothold on another country in West Africa to host their military bases. Ostensibly, these military bases are veiled efforts to promote and protect their interests couched in the name of helping to fight violent extremists such as Boko Haram, ISWAP and Al Qaeda. However, a few days ago, the Minister for Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris, publicly stated that Nigeria is not considering any such offer by these countries to establish military bases in Nigeria. 

Nonetheless, I commend the patriotic zeal of these eminent Nigerians for drawing our attention to this issue and the Federal Government for allaying their concerns. 

Undoubtedly, Nigeria’s strategic location, economic prowess, and regional leadership positioned it as a prime candidate for such an unprecedented “foreign military cooperation.” Following their expulsion from Mali and Niger, the strategic allure of Nigeria for French and American military bases is not surprising, as numerous factors render Nigeria an enticing location for such installations. Positioned along the Gulf of Guinea, Nigeria offers access to crucial shipping routes and abundant resources, cementing its role as a linchpin in regional and global security dynamics. 

As Africa’s most populous nation and a significant economic force, Nigeria exerts substantial influence within West Africa and beyond. Establishing military bases in Nigeria would present an opportunity for these foreign powers to extend their reach across the continent. Moreover, France and the US may be motivated by a desire to counterbalance the growing presence of China and Russia in Africa. Ultimately, the consideration of Nigeria as a host for foreign military bases underscores the imperative of securing strategic footholds in an increasingly pivotal geopolitical arena by these two nations. By capitalizing on Nigeria’s geopolitical significance and geographic positioning, they seek to consolidate their influence and protect their interests amid intensifying global competition and fight against terrorism. Therefore, the fear and concerns of these eminent Nigerians are quite understandable. 

Moreover, in line with its Foreign Policy objectives, Nigeria has always opposed such bases on any African country let alone on its very soil. However, the realities of today’s circumstances are quite different. The country is facing an existential threat from secessionists agitations, Boko Haram terrorist groups, bandits and kidnappers which require collaboration with and support from other countries such as its neighbours, as well as those developed countries such as France, the United Kingdom, the United States of America and Russia, amongst others. 

In this light, it is important to critically examine the pros and cons of such an agreement to understand whether these fears are justified or not. First, we look at the merits of such establishments. No doubt having such military bases with their drone technology, training and other logistics support would enhance our national security and international collaboration and cooperation, more so as Nigeria is facing significant security challenges from various threats such as banditry, kidnapping, insurgency, and terrorism. Therefore, further collaboration with foreign powers like the US and France could provide advanced military technology, intelligence sharing, and training support to Nigerian forces. 

This collaboration could strengthen Nigeria’s ability to combat these security threats effectively. Such an agreement would also promote strategic partnership. By establishing foreign military bases in Nigeria, it can strengthen strategic partnerships with countries like the US and France. This partnership can contribute to regional stability and security, which is crucial for economic development and political stability in Nigeria and the broader West African region.

The establishments would serve as deterrence to adversaries. A foreign military presence can serve as a deterrent to potential aggressors and adversaries, signalling a commitment to defend Nigerian sovereignty and territorial integrity. This deterrence factor may discourage hostile actions by non-state actors or neighbouring countries that pose security threats to Nigeria. However lofty the advantages of having military bases in Nigeria are, there are also cogent arguments against the establishment of foreign military bases in the country. 

The first is sovereignty concerns. Hosting foreign military bases raises concerns about the sovereignty and national autonomy of our great nation, as allowing foreign military presence on Nigerian soil could compromise the country’s ability to make independent decisions on security matters and could lead to undue influence by external powers in domestic affairs. Usually, such countries often demand special treatment for their personnel, a kind of being above the local laws and even international humanitarian laws. 

This is more so because Western countries would always prioritise their interest whenever there are contentious issues or conflicts of interest. The flaunting of Leahy Law against Nigeria by the Obama administration on the unsubstantiated allegations of human rights abuses, thus denying it the much-needed weapons in the heat of its counterinsurgency efforts during previous administrations was quite instructive. Additionally, they will also use their surveillance technology to their advantage, which could be against Nigeria’s national interest. 

There is also the issue of regional dynamics where Nigeria has historically positioned itself as a leader in Africa and has been cautious about allowing foreign military bases on its territory. Some are concerned that hosting such bases could disrupt regional dynamics and trigger tensions with neighbouring countries, especially if they perceive the presence of foreign troops as a threat to their sovereignty or interests. This is more so as Russia is gradually getting a foothold on countries run by military junta in West Africa such as Burkina Faso, Mali and Nigeria’s northern neighbour, Niger. Any hosting of foreign military bases could be perceived as a re-enactment of Cold War era tensions where the country will be a battleground for supremacy between the superpowers. 

There are arguments for alternative solutions to address Nigeria’s security challenges without resorting to hosting foreign military bases. These solutions may include strengthening domestic security institutions, improving governance and socioeconomic conditions of the citizenry, and fostering regional cooperation through initiatives like the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the African Union (AU). Moreover, most of the security challenges border on a lack of good governance. Therefore, the solutions are also local. Ultimately, any decision regarding establishing foreign military bases should be made with a comprehensive understanding of the potential risks and benefits, and it should prioritise the protection of Nigeria’s sovereignty and national interests. 

There is no doubt therefore, that Nigeria faces significant security challenges, ranging from banditry and kidnappings to Boko Haram’s insurgency and secessionist agitations, among others. The question of whether to host foreign military bases to address these threats is a complex one, with strong arguments on both sides. The pressure from these two foreign powers is quite obvious. 

However, while the allure of foreign support to combat security threats is understandable, hosting foreign military bases presents a risk to Nigeria’s sovereignty and may not effectively address the root causes of insecurity in the country. Rather, Nigeria should focus on addressing socio-economic factors that contribute to the root causes of our security challenges by enhancing good governance and strengthening its policing system. It should also enhance military capabilities and foster regional cooperation for intelligence sharing and joint operations. By investing in its security, Nigeria can safeguard its territory, protect its people, and chart its course for a more secure future without any foreign military base on its soil.

. Brigadier General Usman (retd), mni fnipr fapra FIOARM fspsp, the Sarkin Yakin Kanwan Katsina, is a public affairs commentator, public relations and security consultant. He can be reached on his X handle, and Facebook page, skusman.

The newly-elected Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Hon. Victor Oko Jumbo has said his election into office is legal and constitutional.

Recall that the lawmaker representing Bonny Constituency was elected at 10 am during plenary on Wednesday in line with the Standing Order of the House.

He was said to have taken the oath of office as the factional Speaker of the Assembly following his election by two lawmakers loyal to Governor Siminalayi Fubara.

Jumbo was led to the plenary with the original mace of the Rivers State House of Assembly by the Sergeant-at-Arms, David Wariboko, who managed the last sitting of the Martin Amaewhule-led Assembly in the same position.

In his acceptance speech, Oko-Jumbo thanked the members for electing him as the new Speaker sequel to the resignation of the former Speaker, Edison Ehie.

He called on the Executive and the Judiciary, as well as the public to disregard every law purportedly enacted by the Amaewhule-led Assembly, describing it as an exercise in futility.

He said: “You will agree with me that after the House last sat on the 13th of December, 2023, and adjourned sine dine, there has been an avalanche of legislative rascality perpetrated by the 25 former members of the 10th Rivers State House of Assembly, led by the former Speaker, Rt. Hon. Martin Chike Amaewhule.

“These former members, being fully aware of the provisions of Section 109(1)(g) of the CFRN 1999, defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Party (APC) on the 11th of December, 2023.

“Consequently, the Rt. Hon. Edison Ogerenye Ehie-led Assembly, on the 13th of December, 2023, wrote to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), declaring the seats of the 25 lawmakers vacant in line with Section 109(1)(g) and (2) of the CFRN 1999.

“My distinguished colleagues, there are a plethora of cases pending in our courts further to the defection of the former lawmakers.

“All laws, plenary sessions and actions taken by the illegal House members are hereby declared void and a nullity in the eyes of the law by virtue of the judgment of Lord Denning in the celebrated case of MacFoy v UAC (1961) 3 All ER 1169.”

Oke-jumbo said the sitting presided by him is the legally and constitutionally recognised House of Assembly by virtue of the defection of the other members.

He, therefore, called on the governor to desist forthwith from further dealings with the 25 former lawmakers loyal to Wike.

He added, “Furthermore, this House would want to most respectfully urge and call on His Excellency, the Governor of Rivers State, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, DSSRS, to desist forthwith from further dealings with the 25 former lawmakers, in whatever guise.

“Those members are merely floating and do not have any landing ground or anywhere to berth their ship since their defection to the All Progressives Congress on the 11th of December, 2023.

“This House is the legally and constitutionally recognised House of Assembly by virtue of the defection of the other members and is ready to receive correspondences from and work with His Excellency, the Governor of Rivers State, Sir Siminalayi Fubara. Distinguished colleagues, let me thank you once again.

“I know I can count on your unalloyed and unwavering support as we work with His Excellency, Sir Siminalayi Fubara in moving our dear Rivers State forward in promoting the progress and welfare of the State.”

[NaijaNews]

The agitation for the creation of additional states in Nigeria has been a long-standing issue, with proponents arguing that it would promote effective governance and development in the country.
The Southwest and Southeast geopolitical zones have been at the forefront of this agitation respectively.
Two bills are currently before the House of Representatives seeking the creation of three additional states in the southwest geopolitical zone.

LEADERSHIP reports that state creation in Nigeria dates back to 1967 when the then head of state, Gen Yakubu Gowon, created 12 states out of the four regions in existence. His successor, Murtala Mohammed, created additional seven states in 1976, which brought the total number to 19.

General Ibrahim Babangida, who was Nigerian head of state between 1985 and 1993, created 11 more states; two in 1987 and nine in 1991, which brought the number of states in the country to 30 till 1996 when another military ruler, the late General Sani Abacha added six states, bringing the number to 36 states that are currently in existence.

Also under the Abacha regime, Nigeria was divided into six geopolitical zones. Out of these, the northwest has seven states, the northeast, north central and south-south comprise six states each while the southeast consists of only five states.

Though history has shown that state creation had been done only by the military government, demands and even recommendations have been made at different times, especially in the last 24 years since the return to democratic rule in 1999 for more states to be created.

For instance, the 2014 National Conference recommended the creation of 18 new states (three per geo-political zone) and one new state for the southeast to make the zone have an equal number of states with the other zones, except the northwest which has seven.

Also, in February this year, the Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, threatened to sue the Nigerian government over its failure to create an additional state in the South-east.
Experts have suggested that a more pragmatic approach to the creation of additional states would be to base it on economic viability and a sense of fairness and balance.

They argue that any new state should be economically viable and able to sustain itself, and that the creation of new states should be based on a clear set of criteria that takes into account factors such as population, geography, and economic potential.

The president-general of the Ohanaeze, Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, had in a statement said it was improper that the southeast is the only region in Nigeria with five states.

Iwuanyanwu said the situation had cost the region billions in financial losses and losses in government positions, ministerial appointments as well as legislative representation.

“In 2005 and 2014, we raised this issue at various political conferences. All men of goodwill at the conference agreed that it was unfair for the southeast to have only five states and recommended that an additional state be created in the southeast, but up until today, this has not been done,” he said.

With the 10th National Assembly on another constitution amendment process, the House of Representatives has passed through first reading and also slated for second reading a Bill for an Act to Amend the Constitution to Provide for the Creation of Oke-Ogun with Saki as the Proposed Capital City, sponsored by Hon. Kareem Tajudeen Abisodun.

Similarly, the House has received a bill proposing the creation of three states, namely Ijebu, Oke-Ogun (also in the other bill) and Ife Ijesa states in the southwest region, sponsored by Hon. Oluwole Oke.
The proposed legislation is entitled “A Bill for an Act to amend the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended)” with the amendment of the First Schedule, Part I of the Constitution to read:

“The First Schedule, Part I of the Constitution is amended by introducing new states.”
In the draft bill, Ijebu State, when created, will compromise Ijebu East, Ijebu North East, Ijebu Ode, Ikenne, Odogbolu, Ogun Waterside, Remo North and Sagamu local government areas. The proposed capital city for Ijebu State is Ijebu Ode.

Oke-Ogun State with Iseyin as the proposed capital city would consist of 12 local government areas, including Olorunsogo, Irepo, Oorerelope, Ogbomosho North, Ogbomosho South, Saki-East, Saki-West, Atisbo, Itesiwaju, Iwajowa, Kajola and Iseyin.

Also, Ife Ijesa State will be made of 11 LGAs made up of Atakunmosa East, Atakunmosa West, Boluwaduro, Ife Central, Ife East, Ife North, Ife South, Ilesa East, Ilesa West, Oboku and Oriade.
The South-West geo-political zone is currently made up of six states: Ondo, Oyo, Lagos, Ogun, Osun and Ekiti states.

Speaking to LEADERSHIP, the executive director of Yiaga Africa, Samson Itodo, said there is inequity in the way states have been structured, with regions like the southeast having less number of states.
He, however, said more states should not just be about balance but the need for development and economic viability.

“We need to ask ourselves if the 36 states we have in the country are economically viable, and those are the kinds of conversations: how do we make those states more functional? But I think that people who are advocating for more states, especially regions like the southeast; we need to create that balance because it has impact on how the nation allocates its resources; resources are distributed across the states.

“It also has implications for the configuration of political power. So if you look at the National Assembly, the regions that have more states are more likely to have more representatives in the House of Representatives and that tilts the power against other regions, so when decisions are being made, you will have a particular section of people who may be adversely affected by this nature of configuration.

“But also, and I must say that this whole debate around state creation will need to revisit how we create states in our Constitution because this Constitution Review also provides the opportunity.

“Are they economically viable, are they able to generate their own resources? Those are critical discourses, but you need to strike a balance because you also need to ensure that there is inclusion and there is no marginalisation, and a particular region does not feel disproportionately affected,” Itodo noted.

Also, the chairman, the Independent Media and Policy Initiative (IMPI), Niyi Akinsiju, told LEADERSHIP that no states in Nigeria is deficient of economic opportunities, and advocacy for the creation of states should be based on such indices

“Historically, the bases of state creation in Nigeria are not on capacity for self-sustenance but rather on similarities and contiguity of culture and historical origins of the people in a geographical area. So, we have always been limited to that, and to that extent consideration for state or rather advocacy for state creation has not been on economic capacity.

“It is done principally about longing to find ethnic fellowship within the same geographical space for a given people. So for me, that could also be a good reason for state creation because, indeed, people that belong to a given geographical space that share the same ethnic origin, that share the same common culture, nothing stops them from having to belong in a geopolitical system that they can call their own. It gives them a sense of belonging.

CSOs Reject Calls For Creation of News States
Meanwhile, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have rejected proposals for the creation of additional states.

According to the CSOs, advocates of more state creation are not motivated by community development, but to create more avenues for looting the public purse.

The CSOs said Nigerian should think on how more funding should be coming from the states to support the centre and not creating additional states to depend on the centre for sustenance.

The CSOs which spoke to LEADERSHIP are Transition Monitoring Group (TMG), Transparency International (TI) and the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC).

Speaking through their leader, Awwal Musa Rafsanjani, the CSOs insisted that some states in Nigeria are not viable: they cannot pay salaries, nor contribute to the centre.
“It’s a very funny call,” Rafsanjani said of the proposals for additional states already in the National Assembly.

“Anyone calling for more states to be created, he should first of all ensure that the present state he is in is viable. Their calls should have been to contribute for their states and local government to be viable. If not, they just want more avenues for looting,” Rafsanjani said.

According to Rafsanjani, the CSOs are not in support of more states to be created because they will still depend on the centre, Abuja.
“We are not in support of state creation now because most of the states are not paying salaries. They have become lazy instead of contributing to the centre.

“We are opposed to it. If the proponents want development, they should contribute to the current state now and not advocate for more states. They only want avenues where they will be siphoning money or get more money from the centre to loot,” Rafsanjani added.

[Leadership]

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen, yesterday stepped down a motion calling for the suspension of the cybersecurity levy, which has sparked widespread dissatisfaction.

Daily Trust reports that since the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) directed all banks in the country to begin the deduction of 0.5% of the value of all electronic transactions from customers, Nigerians across different spectrums have rejected the levy, describing it as an additional burden on them.

During Wednesday’s plenary session, Manu Soro, a lawmaker from Bauchi State, presented the motion, expressing concerns that the levy’s introduction was ill-timed given the prevailing economic condition in Nigeria.

Soro argued that imposing new taxes or increasing existing ones amidst the ongoing economic challenges faced by Nigerians, exacerbated by the removal of fuel subsidy and the depreciation of the naira, would only add to the burden of citizens already grappling with rising living costs and food prices.

Soro called on the House to prompt the Central Bank of Nigeria to retract the circular on the cybersecurity levy and cease its implementation immediately.

He also urged the Minister of Finance to refrain from introducing new taxes or raising existing rates until the economic situation in the country improves significantly.

However, Speaker Abbas advised Soro to temporarily withdraw the motion to allow the House leadership to deliberate on the best course of action in addressing the issue.

TUC threatens shutdown

The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) has threatened a shutdown of the economy over the plan to begin implementation of the cybersecurity levy on electronic transactions.

The union urged the federal government to direct the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to withdraw its directive to financial institutions on the issue to avert the shutdown.

TUC’s president, Mr Festus Osifo, gave the warning in a statement on Wednesday.

Osifo criticised the cybersecurity levy as illogical, particularly considering the current challenges faced by Nigerians due to the high cost of living.

He said many government policies are not only exacerbating hardships for ordinary Nigerians but also leading to the closure of businesses due to an unfavourable business environment.

Osifo warned that the implementation of the cybersecurity levy could prompt individuals to hoard cash at home, reduce financial inclusion, increase poverty, and worsen the overall economic situation in the country.

[DailyTrust]

The state governments of Ekiti, Cross River, and Ogun have proposed a suspension of their foreign debt repayments worth $501 million due to foreign exchange volatility.

Details of these proposals were highlighted in the minutes of the Federal Account Allocation Committee meeting held in March 2024.

The proposal is part of their efforts to mitigate the heightened debt service burden, which state officials claimed has significantly hampered their ability to service existing debts.

The states have the highest foreign debt stock as of December 2023 due to multilateral and bilateral loans, data from the Debt Management Office showed.

Cross Rivers has the highest at $211.13 million, followed by Ogun at $168.8 million and Ekiti at $121.1 million.

The states’ commissioners of finance said the continued foreign exchange volatility had caused strain on their ability to repay foreign loans.

The commissioners also raised concerns about reduced FAAC’s allocation due to debt repayment and deductions as savings from the monthly allocation.

Akintunde Oyebode, Commissioner of Finance of Ekiti State, observed that there had been significant increases in the amounts deducted from the Statutory Revenue of the states for repayment of foreign loans due to the rising exchange rate.

He suggested the need for extensive discussion on exchange rates concerning multilateral financing to address the issue.

Furthermore, he raised concerns about the amount deducted as savings from the revenue for the month.

He noted that the balances of the Sub-nationals had reduced tremendously as a result.

On his part, the Commissioner of Finance of Cross River State, Michael Odere, expressed fears about the state’s ability to fund capital projects due to reduced revenues.

The Commissioner of Finance of Ogun State, Dapo Okubadejo, called for redirecting the N200 billion previously earmarked savings into the federation account for state redistribution.

“The HCF, Ogun States, on his part, proposed that the N200 billion set aside as savings should be returned to the Federation Account for distribution to the beneficiaries.

“On the issue of multilateral financing, he proposed that a system should be put in place to effectively address issues associated with foreign exchange volatility,” the mitutes disclosed.

[DailyPost]

The Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yoruba land, Iba Gani Adams, has indicated that he was quoted out of context and that he did not accuse the Chief of Staff to the Lagos State Government, Mr Tayo Ayinde of financing Sunday Igboho’s agitation for Yoruba nation.

Adams who made this known in a recent interview added that all that he said about Ayinde in a voice note that went viral recently were mere hearsay and not verified. He said it was part of a private discussion with one of his contacts in the United States and was not meant for public consumption.

The Aare Ona Kakanfo said: “The voice note issue was shocking. It was a conversation with one of my friend’s brothers in the United States. He asked me how to resolve the issue with Sunday Igboho and how I would reconcile with him. I also mentioned a former Chief Security Officer (CSO), whom I call Sadam, Rasak Arogundade. We talked for about an hour and a half, and I mentioned the CSO.

“I said that someone told me, though it wasn’t confirmed, that Tayo Ayinde was financing Sunday Igboho’s activities through Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. I was clear that it was unverified, but I relayed it during our private conversation. I mentioned this in confidence, emphasizing that it might not be true.

“However, the voice note was edited; cutting out the part where I clarified that the information wasn’t confirmed, leading to misunderstandings. This selective editing created confusion and spread misinformation. A conversation that lasted one and a half hours was cut down to 17 minutes, distorting our two-hour discussion. They took a portion of my statement, brought the audio out and published it.

“I saw it on their page, and then they started sending me messages, claiming that I defamed them. I believe the case is in court because I saw it on the pages of the newspaper; though I haven’t been served yet. I suppose we will meet in court. The most unfortunate aspect is that Tayo Ayinde, who  has never publicly attacked me, has become entangled in this mess.”

Iba Gani Adams added: “Tayo Ayinde is a quiet person who doesn’t talk much. Yet, the other side has bullied me more than anyone else in the world, either by proxy or directly. They’ve called me every name in the book. Some of their bloggers recently claimed that I have a spirit that drinks blood in my house. There has been a lot of nonsense said about me. But, as a public figure, I can’t challenge everything said about me in court.”

“The most unfortunate aspect is the issue with Tayo Ayinde, which I mentioned as something someone told me, but was not confirmed. It became public. I was merely conversing with my friend on WhatsApp; I don’t know how the voice note got out.”

[TheNation]

Professor Ayo Banjo was educated at the universities of Glasgow, Leeds, the University of California at Los Angeles and the University of Ibadan. He had his secondary education at Igbobi College, Lagos and had had primary schooling at Oyo where he was born in 1934 on the grounds of Saint Andrews College to a highly educated father who had graduated from Foura Bay College, Freetown, Sierra Leone.

He was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and his trajectory in life was determined by how hard he was willing to push himself because money was not the problem as it was for many of his compatriots. His illustrious father even rose to be a college principal and a parliamentarian representing one of the Ijebu constituencies in the Western House of Assembly thus having toes in the two critical agencies of growth and modernisation in Nigeria, the church and government. Ayo Ladipo Banjo comes from an illustrious family of five children, four boys and a girl and they all did well, his older brother was a famous medical doctor and his junior brother an academic librarian; the last of the boys was at the Ibadan Grammar School where he distinguished himself as a famous footballer who took to business as an adult. The oldest and youngest brothers have joined the saints triumphant unfortunately.

Ayodeji Ladipo Banjo who turned 90 on May 2 was former vice chancellor of the premier university of Ibadan. Bravo erudite Professor (emeritus ) of English Language at the University of Ibadan from where he took a voluntary retirement about three decades ago.  Having taught in one capacity or the other since 1966 and rising from the position of lecturer to senior lecturer, professor and head of department, Dean of Faculty of Arts, Deputy vice chancellor, acting vice chancellor for a year before becoming finally, vice chancellor from 1984 to 1994. He has been pro chancellor and chairman of the governing councils of the universities of Port Harcourt and Ilorin and the new Anglican mission-endowed Bishop Ajayi Crowther University ending finally as chairman of the governing council of the National Universities Commission.

His career spanned a period of 60 years or slightly more. He can rightly be called “Mr Nigerian University”.  He is a recipient of several accolades and fellowships of the Nigerian Academy of Letters, (FNAL)  NNOM, National Order of Merit and a grateful country has honoured him with the title of Commander of the of the Niger (CON) the highest national honour for distinguished service to the country  in education.  He has been visiting professor of English to the University of the West Indies and held a visiting fellowship at Cambridge University. Not many people know about his role as a teacher of English in government secondary schools in the old government colleges including a stint at the Government College Ugheli now in Delta State where his late wife hailed from. Service as a secondary school teacher gave him the insight which informed his writing a successful book on English language at that level. The teaching of English to people whose mother tongue was not English apparently influenced his research interest at university. His life epitomises the statement that service deserves its reward and Nigeria has rewarded Professor Banjo with numerous appointments including serving as chairman of the board of literature award of Nigerian Natural Liquefied Gas (NNLG) and was also called to advise government on remuneration of university staff several times when university staff downed their “tools” so to say. In all these interventions, he has fought for the sector and refused to give up when his advice was turned down. He has been pained when universities were poorly funded despite government prodding of the sector to expand in the face of growing students applications for admission. He foresaw the founding of private universities but he expected their entry to be in an orderly fashion to complement government efforts in the area but not in the commercial trading fashion by which the expectation of making money had lured all kinds of characters into the venture which has led to duplication of academic and professional offering with little distinction or difference from one another.

I have had occasional discussion with the iconic scholar on this and I know he is more passionate and pained by the unwieldy nature in which higher educational institutions has developed in Nigeria than those of us who have taken public position on this tragic situation.

The University of Ibadan which he headed for practically 11 years was hobbled by the weight of non-academic distractions of provision of municipal services totally unrelated to the normal call of universities in other climes and places. Universities were for exchange of ideas and teaching of students without being burdened down by municipal inefficiency. How to return universities to its primary purpose of research and pedagogy was a problem faced by Banjo and his colleagues confronting militant trade unionism of academic and non-academic staff. Those at the helm of affairs in the universities who know what to do have surrendered to political interference and the desire to keep their wretched jobs while constantly threatened by those in government and their supervisory bureaucracy.

Like the country the problem of the university has become hydra headed to the point of irreversibility, Professor Banjo remains a constant reference point in university administration like Professor Kenneth Onwuka Dike as vice chancellor of Ibadan and Professor J.F Ade Ajayi as vice chancellor of Lagos. He will continue to be remembered for his high integrity and transparency and commitment to good university administration.

He and I live in the same area of Ibadan undistinguishable from other areas of poorly maintained roads. He lives in a simple house that unlike many Nigerians who have held high positions in the country is not different from those of his neighbours. He joins all of us in our neighbourhood association to contribute money to pay local security services, repair security gates and to plead for mercy from electricity provider to deliver power to struggling teachers who need to read to do the normal duties of professors. Forget about potable water; everybody has his or her own dugout well or borehole from which we all at least get water to clean our toilets and to wash plates and utensils in the kitchen while we buy bottled water to drink but we cannot bet our lives on the quality of the bottled water! Everybody who can afford it is a local government on his or her own providing water, electricity and security in modern Nigeria! 

This reminds me of a story by late Professor Ladipo Akinkugbe, distinguished professor emeritus of Medicine in Ibadan who said after attending a conference in Oxford University in England, he went out to buy a pump and giant switch and spare parts for his generator followed by an English colleague who innocently asked him if he was into big time farming somewhere in the bush near Ibadan. When the English man was told what he bought were for his house he could not understand or believe him. Professor Banjo can be very funny especially when we discuss our neighbourhood affairs and how to “encourage “the NEPA people to remember us that we need light to remain relevant in our lecture rooms!

On a personal note, when I was pro chancellor and chairman of the governing council of Ekiti State University, I invited him and Professor Kayode Oyediran, and Professor Olufemi Bamiro, all former vice chancellors of the University of Ibadan to help me choose the best vice chancellor for the newly amalgamated three state universities in the state. Of course they did an excellent job and when the governor who is statutorily the Visitor saw the calibre of the people involved, he said if Professor Banjo had a hand in it, he, the governor, would not vary the recommendation and he quickly acceded to my request by appointing Professor Dipo Aina, a first class soil scientist who elevated the university to a higher level by virtually rebuilding it

Professor Banjo is big man academically and physically and there are unfortunately not many of his type in the current leadership of Nigerian universities. He has used his talents to help along with others to establish the Nigerian Academy of Letters of which he was the second president. Unless he was sick or engaged with state affairs, he has been a permanent feature of the Academy of Letters and the Academy remains eternally grateful.

Live long, distinguished and iconic academic and university administrator and leader of men.