OTHERS' VIEWS
It was former Presidential Spokesperson, Dr Reuben Abati that wrote an article about demons in Aso Rock Villa, and this has remained a reference.
Demons are spirits which are not visible and cannot be felt by anyone. They are in our midst at all times either as our friends, brethren, blood relatives or our very close associates. In other words, a demon is a complex being.
Just like the demon, corruption is in our midst all the time. It is a complex being too.
Perhaps, it was in his realization of the existence and potency of this corruption demon in the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) that its Chairman, Mr Ola Olukoyede, lamented publicly about what he called "the craze for gratification, and quest for bribes by some of the commission’s investigators."
Olukoyede alluded to the fact that EFCC investigators were corrupt and he could not hide it. He said "Public opinions about the conduct of some of our investigators are adverse. The craze and quest for gratification, bribes and other compromises by some of our investigators are becoming too embarrassing and this must not continue."
He went on to sound a note of warning, saying that he will not hesitate to wield the big stick against any form of infraction by any staff of the Commission, adding that "the image of the Commission is too important to be placed on the line by any corrupt officer."
That was in January this year, three months after he assumed office. We are in May now, no big stick has been wielded against anyone in the EFCC. It is still business as usual.
Apart from labeling EFCC investigators as corrupt, Olukoyede also harped on the need for the anti-corruption agency to conform with international best practices in law enforcement, saying, "We are a civilised anti-graft agency. Arrest and bail would henceforth be done in line with the rule of law."
Olukoyede, a former Executive Secretary of EFCC cannot be said to be oblivious of happenings in the Commission. He worked with Ibrahim Magu and saw how Magu was arrested in a Gestapo-like manner at the entrance of the Wuse II, Abuja office of the anti-graft agency.
After he was removed from office as EFCC secretary, Olukoyede saw how Magu's successor, Abdulrasheed Bawa, was arrested and detained for over 100 days. He also knew how previous EFCC Chairmen before Magu, were humiliated out of office.
Therefore, Olukoyede wanted the EFCC under him to function in accordance with the rule of law. He even ordered in November last year, that sting operations at night be stopped in all the commission’s commands. He gave the directive in reaction to the raid of off-campus hostels of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) Ile Ife by operatives of the agency in which 69 students were arrested.
But it appears that the demon of corruption in the EFCC have made Chairman Olukoyede to forget all that he said few months ago. If he has not, he will not be the one to mount the podium and stand in front of television cameras to defend the April 17 invasion of the Abuja residence of the former Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, despite the pendency of a Court Order restraining the anti-graft agency from arresting him.
If not for those demons of corruption in the EFCC, I am sure that as a lawyer, he will know that once a court gives an order, it must be obeyed until set aside by a higher court. He will also be mindful that after appealing against a decision of the court, anything that will amount to overreaching the court must not be done by all parties.
He will also know that once an accused person is charged to court, he or she 7can no longer be arrested or declared wanted by the prosecuting authority except the court so directed.
Most importantly, someone who was sermonising about the EFCC operating in line with the rule of law will not stand before the press to discuss charges already filed in court against an accused person, thereby acting like he was inciting the public against the accused person and indirectly passing judgement on him.
On Yahaya Bello, it is on record that no formal invitation was made by the EFCC. Rather, the Chairman only called the former governor on phone and offered to bend the rules for him by allowing him into the Chairman's office as a VIP.
Also, in seeking to protect his reputation and fundamental rights, Yahaya Bello filed Fundamental Rights Enforcement in Kogi State High Court on February 8, 2024 and on February 12, 2024, the Court granted an order restraining the EFCC from inviting, arresting, or prosecuting Yahaya Bello pending the determination of the Originating Motion.
Despite this order, the EFCC filed Charge No. FHC/ABJ/CR/98/2024 against Yahaya Bello on March 6, 2024 and went ahead to obtain a warrant of arrest on April 17, 2024.
As at today, EFCC is at the appeal court, challenging the April 17, 2024, judgement of Justice I.A Jamil, in suit no HCL/68/M/2020, restraining EFCC from arresting, detaining and prosecuting Yahaya Bello except as authorised by the Court.
Also, application to vacate the warrant of arrest issued against Yahaya Bello, will be determined by the Federal High Court in Abuja on May 10, 2024.
Methinks if the EFCC will follow the position of its Chairman on the rule of law, no further action will be taking on the matter until the court decides otherwise.
There will also be no need for the Commission to be at the defensive as it is now, defending why it had to disperse pro-Yahaya Bello protesters while according those who protested in its support a red carpet reception.
This is more so that emotion and sentiment apart, Yahaya Bello cannot be said to be running from investigation and prosecution. He is only using provisions of our laws to protect himself, and no one can blame him for that.
Perhaps, Yahaya Bello is acting like an antelope that was fleeing when he saw the Central Police of the Animal Kingdom pursuing a goat. When the antelope was asked why it was scared since it is not a goat, the antelope said; "With the way our law enforcement agents operate, by the time I am arrested, humiliated and detained for two weeks, I will look like a goat in the eyes of the public when paraded."
It is therefore the EFCC that needs to focus on proving its allegations against Yahaya Bello in court and in doing this, the anti-corruption agency must operate within the ambit of the laws and stop engaging in campaign of intimidation and harassment against Nigerians. After all, an accused is presumed as innocent until convicted by the court.
But will the demon of corruption in the EFCC allow common sense and the rule of law to prevail, at least for once?
Olayinka, a journalist writes from the topmost part of Oke Agbonna in Okemesi Ekiti
![[OPINION] What’s in a Book? You’ll Never Know, Until… - Azu Ishiekwene](/media/k2/items/cache/28580d188addae3907d49ede4a31ab43_L.jpg)
Earlier this week, I teased on my social handle about my encounter with a deity. Of course, not in the sense that one might meet a deity in the groove of a village forest.
Yet, those who have met this man – who know him – might agree that Sam Amuka, fondly called Uncle Sam, is a deity of sorts. The trail that forged the seasons of his career goes back many decades to his years at Daily Times which at its prime, was Africa’s leading journalism shrine.
On Sunday I went to see Uncle Sam, to talk about my new book, Writing for Media and Monetising It. I had dispatched a copy to him in advance, but the ritual would be incomplete without a libation.
So, I took along an extra copy and went to his Anthony Lagos residence, where he has lived like a regular Joe for many decades. As I waited for him upstairs on the balcony of his house, I glanced back and forth between the Sunday newspapers strewn on a cane table, and a silver tray with a big flask, teacups, a box of Lipton and assorted teas, a bottle of honey, skimmed milk and over a dozen of packets of Kemps cracker biscuits.
It wasn’t long before Uncle Sam emerged from the corridor, his imminent presence announced by the barking of a puddle that first accosted me when I climbed the stairs. The puddle was not here when I visited a few years ago.
“Superstar!” Uncle Sam teased, as he came out.
I replied, smiling, that 88 was good on him. He corrected me: “I’m 89!” He then tore a packet of Kemps crackers and sat on the bed-shaped cane chair to my right, waiving the young man who had followed behind to make him some tea.
The young man took out two Lipton tea bags, and after pouring hot water from the flask went on to add not one or two, but I think three teaspoons of honey. Then, he grabbed the tin of skimmed milk. I looked at Uncle Sam, thinking the young man was mistaken and expecting he would ask him to stop. He didn’t. Instead, he looked approvingly, even expectantly, munching his Kemps.
At 59, in my obsession to live a long, healthy life, only God knows how many things I have given up. I can’t remember the last time I used any sweetener, gluten-free or not, for my tea or pap, much less milk. I was puzzled to see an 89-year-old man having his tea not just with plenty of honey but also topping the brew with spoonsful of milk.
Uncle Sam smiled as he took the steaming teacup from the young man, stirred it gently, and took a sip. As if to create the perfect ambience for his refreshment, he turned on music stored in a flash drive that was plugged into a player.
“You don’t know I’m called Daddy DJ?” he joked in response to my puzzled look.
Sam Amuka, I know. Uncle Sam, I know. Who doesn’t? He is the Jimmy Breslin of Nigeria’s journalism. Writing about Breslin, who died seven years ago at 88, Tom Wolfe described him as, “The greatest columnist of my era.” And that, from Wolfe, a master of the craft in his own right, says a lot.
In a tribute to Breslin, The Guardian wrote that he was the champion of the trials and troubles of the ordinary people in New York. “He filled his columns with gangsters and thieves, whom he knew first-hand from drinking in the same bars. He told stories that smacked of blarney behind their anger.”
And Breslin himself once said, “Rage is the only quality which has kept me, or anybody I have ever studied, writing for newspapers.” That was Sad Sam, the tempered version of which we now know as “Uncle Sam.”
But “Daddy DJ?” I was meeting him in that incarnation for the first time this Sunday morning. Yet, it made no difference. I could see a common thread of empathy and humanity binding the three persons in one man. I was happy and comfortable to share the story of my new book, in-between sips of my own tea – sugarless, milk-less – and yes, also in-between mouthfuls of Kemps cracker biscuits which I had not tasted for a very long time.
I did not start out to write a self-help book. As my career as a journalist crossed the 35-year mark and I inch closer to the sixth floor of life, it became increasingly difficult to ignore suggestions to share my experience in a more permanent form. I’ve been writing for the media since I was 22 and even managed to write a book on Nigeria’s anti-corruption war in 2008. But the urge to share more has increased.
In yielding, I wondered what I could do differently. In recent times, I have been invited by universities and professional groups to speak on the challenges facing journalists and young writers, especially in light of the extraordinary explosion in the use of artificial intelligence in the workplace, at school and at home.
Decades after TIME magazine famously predicted that journalism could be on its death throes and it turned out that the death was exaggerated, the technology appears to have sparked the second panic wave.
So what? I thought perhaps it might be useful to combine my speaking experiences with decades of writing a weekly column now enriched in both audio and visual formats to serve the needs of a younger generation of content providers, especially students and those in the earlier stages of their writing career, trying to find their way. And not just trying to find their way – but also, trying to earn some extra money or attract value, while doing so.
The book title clearly suggests a media bias – media here meaning traditional and social media. That is deliberate as audiences in these areas are my primary focus. Whether you are still in school, just starting out on a writing career path or are, in fact, in the middle levels of your career, you would find this book useful.
It draws not only on my personal experience – struggles and triumphs – I also interviewed professionals across age brackets who generously shared their experiences with me.
For me, writing this was like walking back through the years of my career, beginning from when there was even no career but just the dream to become a writer someday, to my schools when I was formally introduced to the craft, through many changes along the way, a good number of which I didn’t even see coming.
You don’t have to wear my shoes or tread my path. But this book is a good guide for common obstacles many literary content providers face in the new world as they try to find their own way.
I set out to do an online course largely on journalistic writing for value, not to write a book, but ended up with a resource that will benefit a much larger variety of audiences than I had envisaged.
Uncle Sam listened patiently. When I finished, he asked one question, with a worried look: “How will you get this book out, and get people to read it?”
No easy answer. Research increasingly suggests declining interest in reading, especially among younger populations. I replied that I did what I could to make the book simple, anecdotal and relatable.
“I’m hoping,” I told Uncle Sam, “that young people would see something of themselves in my stories and the stories of others across a generational spectrum and from it, chart their own course.”
He didn’t seem fully persuaded, but he was in earnest for me – for us – to find a way.
How can one claim to be a journalist, for example, without reading Peter Enahoro’s You’ve Gotta Cry to Laugh, Babatunde Jose’s Walking a Tightrope or Alade Odunewu’s Allah De? Or even the more recent Battlelines: Adventures in Journalism and Politics by Olusegun Osoba, to mention a few?
What is in a book is the thing that might just change your life; but you’ll have to read it to find it. On that, deities whether in journalism, carpentry, medicine or the good old craft of fortune-telling, might agree.
Azu Ishiekwene is the Editor-In-Chief of LEADERSHIP.
![[OPINION] The audacious billionaire cop - Dauda Adesina Joki-Lasisi](/media/k2/items/cache/d218a987a1b8126d4c51d2d3fbde3675_M.jpg)
Before my appointment as a cadet inspector and got trained at the Police Academy, Kano, in 1988, I’d first served as a constable for 2 years in Lagos state command. When we passed out of the Police College Ikeja in November of 1986, CP Saminu Daura (as he then was, he later rose to DIG. He is now of blessed memory), was the CP Lagos State command. The officer who was nominated by the CP to address us at the premises of the Lagos state command Headquarters was ACP Lawrence Makama, the command’s AC (Admin). Throughout his address to us, ACPOL Makama was stressing and laying emphasis repeatedly that we all should keep it indelibly at the back of our minds, that Police job was one of selfless service, and never a money-making venture. He warned us sternly that if there was any of us whose ambition was to become a millionaire, such fellow should signify there and then, so he or she could be excused from service right away. For according to him, police job was not a place to realise such ambition. He, however, added with an ecclesiastical tone as follow….
However, I’ve just told you the ethical requirements of Policing. But don’t be despondent or dispirited. For if any of you is destined to become a millionaire in life, nothing can stop it from coming to pass. So hope in God, eschew corruption, and be diligent at work.
It was upon that philosophy that we grounded our service in the police. In fact, some of us were so loathful of money that we preferred working in postings where we were completely insulated from monetary inducement of any sort.
My very first posting was the checking point at Tin Can Island, on the Apapa/Oshodi Expressway, under the command of one very old inspector, called Magnus Kayode as the team leader. As I was on duty there, here came one white M/Benz car driven by a young man, whose name I later knew as Hakeem. I flagged the car to a stop, and I requested for his car particulars. The next thing he did was to bring out a brand new five naira note and begged me to take it in place of the particulars. Upon seeing the money, Acpol Makama’s words started to ring bell in my head like a clock alarm. Fears overwhelmed me, as if taking the money would result in a fatal consequence for me.
I asked the man to keep his money, and I insisted on seeing the papers of the car. It was then he disclosed to me that he was a driver to one Ambassador EO Kolade. He explained that his boss had sent him to go and clean up the car at the car wash, because the boss was due to travel abroad later in the day and it was with the car that he would drop him off at the airport. He confessed to using the car to run his personal errands. So, in a hurry to return home to pick his boss to the airport, he forgot the car’s papers at the car wash. He said if he had to go for the papers now, his boss would miss his flight. He promised to come with the papers as soon as he dropped his boss off at the airport and he picked the papers from the car wash.
I somehow believed his story. So, out of compassion, I asked him to hurry up to go and pick his boss. But Inspector Kayode, my own boss at the duty post, was not so convinced. He insisted that the young man should leave the car there at our checking point and go back to the car wash to pick the papers and show them to us. As a novice that i was, I joined the driver to be pleading with the inspector to let him go, so his boss wouldn’t miss his flight. The inspector scolded me for blind trusting the driver, solely upon hearing his own story without more. But I followed my conviction through. So, I kept begging the inspector, who then reluctantly allowed the driver to go. In doing so, i can still remember his words very clearly. He said…
Oga (referring to me derisively as ‘oga’) has begged me to let you go. So you can go. But ‘oga’ next time, don’t come to me with this kind of stupid begging again o.
The driver left us. Not quite an hour later, the same car surfaced again at our duty point. This time, the driver was with his boss, Ambassador EO Kolade. The boss beckoned to me and said “young man, come here*. I moved close to him. He then said further, *”my driver told me you asked him to go so I wouldn’t miss my flight. He said he gave you money and you rejected it. Is that true?” I said yes sir. “Very good. Take this card (his complimentary card). Iam traveling now. But I’ll be back in the country in two weeks time. You come and see me. God bless you”
As the car was about to zoom off, my boss, Inspector Kayode, waved it to stop and he asked the big man.”*gentleman. Iam the boss here at this duty post. What did you give my boy?” The man said I didn’t give your boy anything other than my complimentary card sir. And the inspector requested him to give him his card also. The man obliged and gave the inspector his card, after which the car zoomed off and left us. One day, I’ll tell the full story of how my encounter with Ambassador EO Kolade had helped to shape my career positively in the Force. Suffice it to say now that since that 1986 till today, I am still relating with the old man. He is now a 93-year old great grandfather, residing with his wife in the United Kingdom. But we still relate like father and son till today!
In 1994, I was already an old Inspector of Police. I was shortlisted for pre-posting examination, the success in which was a requirement for posting to work as a detective in the prestigious Force CID, Alagbon close, Lagos. The examination panel was chaired by CP Jolade Ojomo (as she then was. Now DIG rtd). But my paper was marked by SP Adamu Mohammed (as he then was. Now IGP rtd). I was subsequently posted to the Force CID, following my success in the examination. But before our deployment to sections, we had to pass through a month’s induction training in which we were tutored by seasoned officers on the ethics of detectives at that level of criminal investigation. One of the very senior officers who came to lecture us was DIG Achimbong Nkana, the then head of Force CID. In his lecture, he laid much emphasis on the need for police officers to eschew flamboyant and ostentatious lifestyles or open display of wealth. He said such lifestyles were inconsistent with policing ethics, particularly as detectives. Quoting a short aphorism which he attributed to Abraham Maslow, DIG Nkana said as follow….
“Hire a banker, and pay him maximally. Also use him maximally. If he is disposed to ostentatious lifestyle, sack him. Even if your inquiry about him revealed that his earnings were legitimate, still sack him and let him leave the fold of your work force”
When the DIG got to that point, all of us the course participants rented the hall with murmuring, saying that was too harsh. For how could he be sacked, even when he was funding his glamorous lifestyle with his legitimate earnings without stealing from the bank? When the DIG noticed our displeasure, the then dropped the following aphorism to justify his proposition. He said…
“The banker with an ostentatious lifestyle deserves to be sacked, irrespective of the fact that was living on his legitimate earnings. This is because extravagancy, if not a crime in itself, can lead others into crime. Same goes with any police officer that lives an extravagant lifestyle. He too should be sacked like the banker”
Those were the morals that we were taken through in our days in police service. But due to the nature of human beings as a dynamic creature, things seem to have changed drastically between our days and now. Not only in the police force, but generally in virtually all areas of human endeavors.
It is only in this attribute of human dynamism that I think one can possibly find explanation for the impudence of CP Aderemi Adeoye, the retiring CP of Anambra state command. In his valedictory speech, the retiring CP was quoted as throwing down the gauntlet to challenge Dangote into a duel of wealth, boasting that his own business concern had geometrically risen to 20 billion Naira within the six years of its floating with just 54 milliion Naira.
To say the least, this presumptuous outburst of the CP was in my view, an act of gross manifestation of unethical disposition that was quite unbecoming of a public officer of his status. If the officer had drank, even in very small quantity, to that aphorism of DIG Nkana, he would have realised that his act of indiscretion could cause an incalculable damage to the integrity and selfless attributes of Police service in Nigeria. In a service where the pension of a retired CP is not up to a 100k, what message was CP Adeoye sending to those still in service? Wasn’t for them to embark on a rabid pursuit of money at all costs in order to secure their post service life? And in that case, how wouldn’t these officers then compromise the sacred policing ethics by monetizing their services to the detriment of the masses and the security of the nation?
I think retiring senior officers need to now be compelled to submit their valedictory addresses to the police authorities for vetting and possible censorship of any damaging content thereof, in order to prevent the recurrence of an embarrassing absurdity of this nature. A stitch in time, saves nine!
My name remains Dauda Adesina Joki-Lasisi Esq
![[OPINION] In defence of Yahaya Bello - Jide Oluwajuyitan](/media/k2/items/cache/9bc894c8360839dcd66bf698efb543a7_M.jpg)
Nigeria is a nation of many nationalities who although are at different levels of cultural development but none the less share so many parallels. Among her three dominant groups who always ensure no one else gets what any of them cannot get, mischief is a common trait. Speaking of his Yoruba people, the late Herbert Ogunde, a foremost Nigerian performing artist, describes them as a people who would invite a thief to come and steal and also invite the owner of the farm to catch him. (Yoruba pe ole ko wa ja, o tun pe oloko ko wa mu) With Igbira of Kogi, their distant cousins, it is worse. From the travails of Yaya Bello this past one week, we can see how easy it is for yesterday’s saint to become today’s Satan. In just one week, Yahaya Bello, the white lion of Kogi, who secured the governorship seat on a platter of gold transited from an angel to a haunted evil spirit.
Yahaya Bello was a resourceful and successful business man with a lot of drive. In him the people of Kogi found no flaw. It was on account of all this, that Nigeria ruling hegemonic class that decides who rules and who does not rule in Nigeria in collaboration with leading light of Kogi foisted him as a governor.
It is on record that it was the joint ticket of Abubakar Audu and James Faleke that won the 2015 election. Audu however died mysteriously before he could be crowned, while James Faleke declared himself governor-elect. Many observers of Kogi politics had expected Faleke to step into Audu’s shoes, but Kogi kingmakers settled for Yahaya Bello, an outsider who was literarily dragged from his ‘kata kara”(buying and selling business) to the governor’s seat of power after the battle had been fought and won.
As a governor, Yahaya Bello was true to himself. He did what he knew how to do best – trading. This is why I think Bello does not owe detractors today accusing him of trading with Kogi State’s money instead of paying workers’ salaries or addressing infrastructural decay in Kogi State apologies. Those who had expected Bello to give what he did not have only lived in fool’s paradise. It is said that a man cannot suddenly become a left handed man at the middle age. If you ask me, I will say Yahaya Bello was a victim of those who had dressed him in borrowed robes to spite James Faleke, the rejected corner stone.
Now, what are the charges against Yahaya Bello by EFCC and his other detractors?
EFCC chief Ola Olukoyede, who vowed to prosecute Bello or resign, alleged that the embattled ex-governor withdrew $720,000 from the state’s accounts to pay his children school fees in advance just before he left office on January 27, 2024. But as it turned out, the sum of $845,852 said to have been paid to American International School, Abuja (AISA) between September 2021 and October 2022 as advanced school fees for Yahaya Bello’s five children was not paid by Yayaha Bello but by Alli Bello, his generous nephew.
Intimidated by EFCC, the American International School, Abuja, was forced to pay the sum of $760,910 to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) as refund for an advanced school fees paid to the school. But upset by the development, Yahaya Bello’s generous nephew took American International School Abuja to court for breach of contract and he won. His victory was all Yahaya Bello’s supporters needed to support the claim their principal is being unfairly persecuted because he has a generous nephew.
But Yahaya Bello’s traducers have done more to allow Yahaya Bello’s sympathisers consolidate their otherwise unassailable position. They have continued to slander him. They are even now claiming albeit without proof that Alli Bello, his generous nephew, was a son he fathered while in secondary school and raised by his sister. They tried to link Yaya Bello to the arraignment of Alli Bello on 18 count charges of money laundering and misappropriation of $3b by EFCC, claiming again without proof that it was Yahaya Bello who paid N550m to secure the release Alli Bello from EFCC’s incarceration. And as if Usman Dodo, the new sheriff in town did not have a mind of his own, they have also alleged, Yahaya Bello, influenced the emergence of Alli Bello as his chief of staff.
But if one may ask, when has it become a crime for a generous nephew to pay the school fees for his uncle’s children or for an uncle to use his position to secure appointment for his generous nephew?
Indeed, if you ask me, I will say Yahaya Bello who as a Muslim is entitled to four wives but chose to settle for only three with just five children for now, is a very modest man. We have witnessed lawmakers who came to the National Assembly floor to show off their four wives and twenty children. We have seen other politicians celebrated the graduation of their wards from foreign universities on the social media. I am not aware anyone has asked how much governors, lawmakers and other politicians who celebrated the graduation of their children from foreign universities on the pages of newspapers spent on their children.
Other mischief makers have wondered why the close to $1m dollar Yahaya Bello’s nephew paid to AISA as school fees for his uncle’s children was not deployed towards building a similar school for the children of the poor in Kogi State. Again, I am not aware of any governor including those who earn from the federation account in one month what Kogi state earns in a year that has built such a legacy school for the children of the poor in their states.
Perhaps mischief makers and Bello traducers needed to be reminded that our current military-baked new-breed politicians are different from the likes of Obafemi Awolowo, then premier of western Nigeria, whose daughter, Tokunbo Awolowo was seen on the queue along with the children of ordinary Nigerians including Hausa children from Sabon Gari quarters of Ibadan marching to their classes under Awolowo free and compulsory primary school in the 1950s.
My advice to Yahaya Bello, however is to ignore his detractors, those taunting him on the pages of newspapers and those who weep louder than the bereaved including some People’s Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain who linked his current political travails and that of Nasir El-Rufai the former Governor of Kaduna State, to President Tinubu. He should hearken to the immediate-past governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom’s call, to come out of his hiding and answer the N80 billion money laundering case the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission filed against him.
He will survive his current travails like many of his predecessors including Ayo Fayose, Alamieyeseigha who was chased from France to London where he had ‘accumulated properties, bank accounts, investments and cash exceeding £10m in value’, Danjuma Goje (Gombe), Jolly Nyame (Taraba), Joshua Dariye (Plateau), Orji Uzor Kalu (Abia), Saminu Turaki (Jigawa), the late Audu Abubakar (Kogi), Timipreye Sylva (Bayelsa), Murtala Nyako (Adamawa), Sule Lamido (Jigawa), Adebayo Alao-Akala (Oyo), Rashidi Ladoja (Oyo), Chimaroke Nnamani (Enugu), Gbenga Daniel (Ogun), Aliyu Akwe Doma (Nasarawa), Attahiru Bafarawa (Sokoto), Abdullahi Adamu (Nasarawa).
Just as the white lion of Kogi has vowed not to be intimidated by any amount of blackmail, one basic fact is that in an empire of maggots, (apologies to Nuru Ribadu) a part cannot claim to be holier than the whole.
![[OPINION] The only sin Yahaya Bello committed - Abimbola Adelakun](/media/k2/items/cache/03d8f15c3a24677a71685f6718f99a31_M.jpg)
Anti-graft agency Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is taunting us with another emotional roller-coaster. They are asking us to join them in navel-gazing over another sensational case of thievery by a politician. We will do that for weeks (or months) and nothing else. Meanwhile, the said politician will be rehabilitated—probably appointed to a crucial position—in contempt of their ongoing case with the EFCC. One needs not be clairvoyant to say the latest graft case, involving ex-Kogi governor Yahaya Bello, is another ploy by the EFCC to titillate a public that still allows itself to be amused by jokes that lack a punchline. We have been here before (many times) and we know how this ruse ends: they will siphon emotion out of the public and eventually leave everyone hanging. No closure, nothing!
The most sensational of the allegations against Bello says he grifted almost a million dollars of public funds to pay his children’s school fees. Virtually every commentator has made this revelation the focus of their outrage. Bello, of course, stridently denies the accusation. What he failed to explain was how he managed to procure that much money and why he felt the urgency to pay for the length of his children’s school years. Who does that if not a man who wanted to exploit an unaccountable source of funds while he still had access to it?
Like other Nigerian politicians who dish out photos of their children graduating from schools abroad for poor Nigerians to gawk at, Bello also took his children out of the disaster zone called the Kogi State public schools and tucked them where the Nigerian decay has not touched. Despite claiming to be a poor herdsman with a mere 150 cows, former President Muhammadu Buhari too educated his children abroad. His mendacious yet witless aide, Femi Adesina, claimed Buhari sold his houses to afford the expense. Those children will grow up holding up their noses at the poor Nigerian masses, conveniently forgetting those were the same people their parasitic parents robbed to give them their lives.
That said, I struggled to understand the sensation around Bello’s case. Why did his case excite anyone, given that his actions are pretty standard? What is the difference between what he allegedly did and the “Bola Tinubu model” of using the state legislature to pass a bill that will pay an ex-governor humongous pension? Tinubu was the first governor who got the state legislature to grant him hefty amounts of money as pension, effectively tying the state’s destiny to his pockets. That model has been replicated by other greedy ex-governors without intentions of weaning themselves from the public purse. Bello too could have used the state Assembly to pass a bill paying his children’s school fees but he chose to be savage. The cynical part of me thinks that is the only sin he committed. If, after all these years, he did not learn to eat public funds with the finesse with which the old masters do it, he deserves to be disgraced.
The difference between Bello’s alleged crime and his ex-governor counterparts who granted themselves stupendous pension is the gap between eating oily yam with your fingers and using silverware. One makes you look primitive, while the other allows you the illusion of being civilised. I am sincerely confused by the morality of Tinubu’s supporters yelling at Bello. Would your opinion of him have been any different if he had instead set up a company called AlphaDelta Gamma and used it to achieve the same purpose? Sincerely, Bello’s only sin is his barbarity.
Despite the bold handwriting of ordinances written against him, the truth is that Bello is going nowhere. Not only does he know it, but even EFCC chairperson Ola Olukoyede must know it too. He cannot be so naïve to believe otherwise. During a recent press conference, Olukoyede grandiosely declared, ‘If I do not personally oversee the completion of the investigation regarding Yahaya Bello, I will tender my resignation as the EFCC Chairman.” Yinmu! He must think he is the first EFCC chairperson in history to spot a potential politician-thief. If Bello’s case is truly his dealbreaker, he had better resign right away because Yahaya is going nowhere. He might be disgraced for a while but that is the extent of what constitutes justice for corrupt politicians in Nigeria. No one goes to jail for corruption unless they fall out of reckoning with the powers that be. When you have passed your sell-by date and can no longer secure electoral victory, you will be conveniently discarded. That is when they sacrifice you to the EFCC.
Luckily for Bello, he helped the All Progressives Congress retain power in Kogi State. His peers in the Governor’s Forum who ran the same errand of “delivering” their constituency have been rewarded with “juicy” offices. The APC still needs him for the 2027 elections, so why sacrifice him now? Besides, he is also an APC member, the ruling party where virtually every single person within the ruling party has dirt on their hands. Jailing him for committing a popular sin will open the door to the possibility of other party members being similarly treated. That will ultimately demystify the party as a formidable redoubt for politicians. If that happens, the fraternal code of honour held by the thieves of public wealth will lose meaning, and the incentive for venal but powerful politicians to join the party will be lost.
There is no other reason people join a party in Nigeria than self-service. No party in Nigeria has a coherent ideology; nobody defects to them based on principles. It is to seek protection and access resources. Key Peoples Democratic Party members like Godswill Akpabio and Nyesom Wike had no qualms about joining the APC to be rebranded. Akpabio’s case with the EFCC has been momentarily forgotten and Wike’s own will never come up with the EFCC unless he costs APC the 2027 election. If Bello too waits this out, the EFCC will return to their original vocation of running after crossdressers, Bureau De Change operators, and money sprayers at Saturday afternoon owambes!
Olukoyede is not the first EFCC chairperson—nor will be the last—who thinks making noise in the media is akin to convicting an accused looter. His prosecutorial zeal notwithstanding, the court case will probably be botched by a lack of meticulousness. Here is why: Olukoyede alleged that Bello paid $720,000 out of the state coffers to the American International School for his child’s tuition before leaving office. In their response, the school disclosed that the sum was $845,852 and was paid in 2021 and for five children. Please note the wild difference between what the EFCC announced and what the school revealed. Good. Those discrepancies are why the EFCC’s case will eventually be thrown out of court based on some technicality.
Finally, the truth is also that there is a lack of will to pursue corruption. The present administration is aware (too acutely, in fact) of its own lack of moral legitimacy and can hardly confront graft without buckling under the weight of its own hypocrisies. Even under Buhari, the man who got into power by flexing anti-corruption muscles, two court convictions witnessed (Joshua Dayiye and Jolly Nyame) were reversed with presidential pardons. When they asked Buhari about ex-Kano governor Abdullahi Ganduje who was caught on video stashing his pockets with dollars, he pretended he had hearing problems. If Buhari who supposedly hated corruption could fail so grandly, is it Tinubu that will now muster the resolve? The person who recently announced he would fight corruption with technology? Why did “technology” not stop the lawmakers who approved his grand pension? The person who cedes to machines the duty that humans with a working conscience ought to confront cannot be taken seriously. Dey play!
![[OPINION] The Billionaire Police Commissioner - Olusegun Adeniyi](/media/k2/items/cache/cb32bf53296ad7cf34024cb3a5b28255_M.jpg)
Mr Aderemi Adeoye retired yesterday as the Commissioner of Police (CP) in Anambra State. By his own admission, his net worth is now N20 billion! And he has set his eyes on displacing Alhaji Aliko Dangote as the richest man in Africa within the next ten years. I am also quoting him. “I have been privileged to be trained in Ghana, England, Israel, California and more. I have served abroad in the United Nations, and this career gave me opportunities for self-development, and these have prepared me for retirement,” Adeoye admitted during his ceremonial pull out parade from the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) in Awka last weekend. “In 2018, I founded an investment club, Alpha Trust Investment Club (ATIC) Limited. We started it with a modest sum of N54 million, but today we have investments worth over N20 billion. That will be my full-time business from Wednesday, May 1 (yesterday). We have been investing and now we want to go into full time business. And we will in the next 10 years give Dangote a run for his money.”
Let me be upfront here. I do not agree with those who find virtue in the kind of ‘poverty’ fables that propelled former President Muhammadu Buhari to power in 2015. So, I am not opposed to legitimate ‘side hustles’ without which it is difficult for professionals to stay afloat in Nigeria. But there is a problem when public officials acquire stupendous wealth that is impossible to explain and then make a show of it. Therefore, to know more about this multibillion Naira company whose promoter seeks to displace Dangote on the ‘Forbes List’, I first conducted a search at the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) where I drew blank. I am surprised that a business concern with a portfolio of N20 billion is not listed at the CAC. Then I did a Google search. My findings were shocking.
In February this year, some people had petitioned the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, asking him to investigate an alleged fraudulent diversion of over N20 billion funds by Adeoye. In the petition, dated 30 January 2024 and signed by 33 members—including Diasporan Nigerians resident in the United States, Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom—they alleged that Adeoye has been using his uniform to operate what they described as a Ponzi Scheme. “Sometime around 2017, we became ‘friends’ with Mr Adeoye on Facebook. At the time, he was serving in the African Union on secondment from Nigeria. He endeared himself to us and many others by projecting himself as a champion for victims of fraud and an upright man,” they wrote. “Often, he claimed to have come to the aid of persons who had been defrauded on Facebook. He got many accolades from many of us for these claims. As time will show, these claims were deliberate and well-planned effort by him to win the trust of many of us on Facebook as a precursor to launching his grand scheme.”
In 2018, according to the petitioners, Adeoye “proposed an investment club on Facebook, named Alpha Trust Investment Club (ATIC), aiming to pool funds for diversified investments, including joint property purchases. The idea gained traction due to Mr. Adeoye’s credibility as a senior police officer. Trust was high, leading to initial payments directly to his personal account. ATIC was later formally established under the Corporate and Allied Matters Act, growing to over 1,400 members by 2023.”
However, according to the petitioners, what is now happening “Centers on a lack of accountability, lack of proper structure, gross abuse of powers, intimidation, arbitrary punitive actions against members, negligence of duty, and a failure to adhere to regulatory requirements. All of these have cost members dearly.” After listing nine accounts domiciled in GTBank to which monies are paid with Adeoye as sole administrator, they demanded that he “be compelled to disengage from running the investments with immediate effect, with an undertaking not to touch or deal in any assets belonging to the Club, since his involvement in the scheme, and dealing in the business as a public servant, in the first place, is prima facially (sic) illegal ab initio and as a matter of law.”
There is nothing on record to suggest that Egbetokun acted on the petition. But a few weeks ago, PUNCH newspaper interviewed Adeoye who described the claims by those petitioners as “criminal defamation of character”. These were his words: “They are our members and started fomenting trouble. In the course of this, they issued threats. Someone who issues threats to others is a criminal. The person they want to haunt down is the largest shareholder, who has 11 million shares. If something is wrong with the finances, who is the first to know? What they are doing now is criminal defamation of character. When you defame a person criminally, that is a crime. The Board of Trustees met and expelled them; after they were expelled, they labelled the club Ponzi.
“We bought land as a cooperative. And we have one document for it in the name of the cooperative for each purchase. Am I supposed to tear the document into pieces and then begin to share them? We are an online investment platform. We published all the receipts and payments on our page, and every member sees them. We have created a lounge to process their settlement. We are writing to the developer to remove the parts of the bulk purchase for them and issue documents to them in their names. Developers charge 10% of the current value of the land for that. We are not asking them to pay us. They should pay directly to the developer. We will only certify them as our members for the process.”
I am still trying to process what this company is about. But there are even more critical questions that beg for answers. How can a Police Commissioner establish a ‘business’, ask the public to contribute funds that would generate returns, use his private accounts to receive such funds and claim ownership of the pool of money contributed by ‘shareholders’, after allocating 11 million shares to himself? And how could Adeoye have been diligent in his work as a law enforcement officer if he spent considerable time chasing money from people whose backgrounds he had no idea of—including those who could be criminals? Are there no regulations within the police that frown at a serving officer establishing and running a business venture, especially of this nature? Are police officers exempted from the code of conduct for public officials in Nigeria?
On Monday, there was an online post titled, ‘The audacious billionaire cop’ credited to a Mr Dauda Adesina Joki-Lasisi, a retired police officer. Joki-Lasisi (who claimed to have started his career in 1988 as a cadet inspector after training at the Police Academy in Kano) drew from his own moral examples and that of many others in the NPF to argue that money making is incompatible with the work of a law enforcement officer. He concluded his treatise with several posers. “In a service where the pension of a retired CP is not up to a N100K, what message was CP Adeoye sending to those still in service? Was it for them to embark on a rabid pursuit of money at all costs in order to secure their post-service life? And in that case, how wouldn’t these officers then compromise the sacred policing ethics by monetizing their services to the detriment of the masses and the security of the nation?” Joki-Lasisi asked. “I think retiring senior officers need to now be compelled to submit their valedictory addresses to the police authorities for vetting and possible censorship of any damaging content thereof, in order to prevent the recurrence of an embarrassing absurdity of this nature.”
I wish Adeoye well as he retires to the stupendous wealth that he has amassed for himself. But like Joki-Lasisi, I also believe that the NPF should be concerned about the reputational damage of his audacious disclosure. In my August 2021 column, ‘Beyond Abba Kyari’s Indictment’, I addressed a similar issue that borders on ethics in the police. The intervention followed the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) indictment of a Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) then touted as a ‘Super Cop’. “By charging Kyari to their court, asking for his arrest, and placing emphasis on the fact that ‘he is a highly decorated deputy commissioner of the Nigeria Police Force …’, the FBI was implicitly making a connection between criminality and law enforcement in our country,” I wrote in the column. “There are lessons in this tragedy that should not be lost on the authorities in our country. Having allowed the police to degenerate as an institution, it is little surprise that many of their personnel now embody the worst vices of society.”
That a serving police officer would openly admit to being a billionaire resulting from running a curious business while still in uniform confirms the lack of accountability that defines public conduct in our country today. Yet, as I have also repeatedly stated on this page, when you run a system where there are no consequences for bad behaviour, it becomes easy for those who ordinarily should uphold the law to also become outlaws. Unfortunately, that is where we are in Nigeria today!
Remembering Ayogu Eze
On 11 January this year, I received an invitation card by WhatsApp from the late former Senate spokesman, Ayogu Eze for the wedding of his daughter. I immediately replied by congratulating him, asking that I be reminded a week to the event. “Thanks, my brother. I will send a reminder on February 2,” he responded. Of course, he never sent the reminder because, as I now know, he fell ill, and sadly, died last week. Ayogu Eze was a member of a professional chat group to which I also belonged before I exited last year when some members introduced toxicity into conversations. But I kept in touch with individual members. Yesterday in Abuja, I joined Mr Fred Ohwahwa, Dr Kingsley Osadolor, Hon Abdul Oroh and Mr Andy Ezeani to visit Mrs Nkechi Ayogu-Eze. As expected, the atmosphere was different from when she (and her now deceased husband) lavishly hosted us just about three years ago.
On a personal note, Ayogu Eze was a respected senior colleague with whom I exchanged ideas over the years. Scrolling through my handset yesterday, one stood out. It was in May 2020 during Covid-19. I had written a column that he enjoyed and decided to engage me. From our exchanges that day, I leave this warning from him to his colleagues in the political arena: “This (the issue I wrote about) is pathetic and at the same time symptomatic of the leadership recruitment process in our country…our governance model is characterised by theatre and showmanship, with zero substance. If we don’t change course, this joke will blow up in our faces, sooner or later.”
May God comfort the family Senator Ayogu Eze left behind.
![[OPINION] CBN, fintechs and money laundering - Etim Etim](/media/k2/items/cache/656514259ca5966f450157f236a3b2d0_S.jpg)
An important development that occurred in the financial services industry the other week went largely unreported in the press; perhaps because the media is still engrossed in all the corruption dramas of the last few weeks. On Friday, April 26, Central Bank officials, led by a director, met with the chief executives of major fintech companies in the country and ordered them to discontinue onboarding of new customers. The CBN, I understand, has been dissatisfied with the manner with which the fintechs have been handling KYC checks in opening accounts for their customers and is convinced that such loopholes could be or have been exploited by money launderers and terrorist financiers in moving illicit financial resources. KYC (Know your customer) is the mandatory process undertaken by a bank to identify and verify their customer’s identity and address when opening account. Periodically, over time, those requirements are reinforced by the banks. I recently had to forward new utility bills to my account officer and perform BVN confirmation just to reactivate an account.
In addition to the provision of the utility bill by the customer, bank officials are expected to physically inspect the address provided by the customer. But the fintechs don’t have not been this diligent in verifying the identities and addresses of their customers and the authorities are convinced that these lapses could be exploited by the bad guys. A fintech customer only has to complete an online form and provide BVN, ID card and address. Among the top deposit-taking fintechs that attended the meeting with the CBN are Opay, Moniepoint, Palmpay and Kudak. Opay has however assured that it is committed to being compliant with all regulations. In a statement after the meeting, the company stated that it will ‘’support government efforts to clean up the financial industry’’.
The CBN’s order is coming a few months after it directed all financial institutions to collect ID cards before opening accounts for customers, voiding its 2013 guidelines which waived IDs to encourage financial inclusion. The order also coincides with a major crackdown on suspicious bank accounts by the authorities. Just last week, a Federal High Court in Abuja granted the EFCC an interim order to freeze 1,146 accounts belonging to persons and organizations being investigated for unauthorized forex transactions, terrorism financing and money laundering. In giving the order, Justice Emeka Nwite noted that ‘’preliminary investigations reveal that the bank accounts are linked to persons who take advantage of the virtual cryptocurrency exchange platforms to illegally manipulate the value of the naira and launder proceeds of unlawful activities’’.
The reason for all these feverish curbs is because authorities are worried that Nigeria’s fight against terrorism and money laundering has been poorly rated by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the global money laundering and terrorist financing watchdog. ‘’Nigeria has been grey-listed by FATF as of February 24, 2023 and this is very bad for us as a nation’’, a director at the CBN told this writer last week. South Africa and 22 other countries are also grey-listed. Grey-listed countries are those deemed to have deficient anti-money laundering and terrorist-financing mechanisms. There are two categories of grey-listed countries: those that are currently working hard with under FATF monitoring to address the lapses and those that are doing nothing about it for which stiff sanctions may apply. Obviously, our country is desperate to be taken off the grey list. But the hurdles are high.
The country has suffered severe security challenges in the last 15 years and its currency has undergone significant devaluations in the last one year or so partly due to the trading activities on the cryptocurrency platforms. Nigeria’s inability to arrest financiers of terrorism and the recent escape of an executive of Binance, a cryptocurrency-trading platform, from detention in Abuja are pointers to gaps in the nation’s security framework. By ordering the fintechs to discontinue further customer acquisitions, the CBN is hoping to tighten its surveillance on this component of the finance sector. The bank should go farther and scrutinize their books as keenly as they examine the records of the banks.
Across the world, the fight against financial crimes is not letting up. Financial crimes cause economic distortion, loss of control over economic policy, revenue loss and weakening of the integrity of financial markets. This week, the founder and former chief executive of Binance, Changpeng Zhao, was sentenced to four months in prison in the US after pleading guilty to violating that country’s laws against money laundering at the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange. It is this same level of seriousness that the global community expects Nigeria to apply in its fight against money laundering and terrorism financing. Going after abusers of the Naira is good, but the nation will fare far better if big-time criminals are brought to book.
![[OPINION] Oshiomhole on Workers’ Day - Kayode Komolafe](/media/k2/items/cache/f94e77f8217976182cf6f97b7b9e5304_S.jpg)
First, kudos to the Kukah Centre for organising recently a forum on the topical question of national integration. The success of the effort is a measure of the increasing relevance of the Abuja-based think tank. Cynics may dismiss such a platform provided by the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto, Bishop Mathew Hassan Kukah, as just another “talking shop.” But it is wrong to assume that issues in Nigeria have all been properly defined. So any serious gathering aimed at further clarification on the numerous problems would be in order.
The senator representing the Edo north district, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, by his own admission, “invited” himself to the occasion. He felt the topic of discussion was an important one.
A clip of Oshiomhole’s contribution at the dialogue has since gone viral in the social media just like the clips of some of his recent statements on the floor of the senate. The indisputable fact is that Oshiomhole has been making truly progressive contributions to the debate in the national parliament. His background as a labour leader is manifest in the positions consistently taken in the course of debate. He has been remarkably flying the flag of the true labour tradition in Abuja.
At the Kukah Centre, Oshiomhole spoke on the central issues of the polity, economy and society. These issues include the class nature of the application of the rule of law; the funding of basic education; ethics and values; homosexualism and the economic trend of de-industrialisation as a cumulative effect of decades of failed policies.
He deplored the failure of the elite to give leadership that’s necessary for making progress while admitting that he is part of the system having been governor, party chairman and now a senator. Oshiomhole even made a critique of religious bodies and identified himself as a member of one of the marginalised minority ethnic groups in Nigeria. He is an Etsako man from the northern Edo. He said that the total population of the minority ethnic groups is a higher number than the totality of the majority ethnic groups. This, he said, would make the minorities to be the real majority if put together.
Expectedly, the video of the Kukah Centre event has generated diverse reactions. Oshiomhole has been justifiably applauded in some quarters as speaking for the common good and progress. From other perspectives, criticisms of his positions have been legitimately made in the true nature of public debates.
However, the latest video has also revived the seasonal Oshiomhole bashing which some pundits have made a pastime since the senator’s transition from labour activism to politics 17 years ago. Indeed the attacks on Oshiomhole have come from left, right and centre of the Nigerian ideological spectrum in the most uncharitable manner. In extreme cases, outright lies have been told to denigrate Oshiomhole.
Like any other activist turned politician, Oshiomhole has made his own serious mistakes. His errors have been both tactical and strategic in nature as he navigates the immense contradictions of Nigerian politics.
He readily admits this fact himself.
Pray, who is that politician who ever acts without committing errors?
The important thing is how the error is corrected going forward.
While it is legitimate to criticise Oshiomhole’s mistakes, it is utterly wrong to distort facts or tell half-truths in order to put him in bad political light.
Samples of the twisted stories circulating about Oshiomhole could be highlighted to demonstrate this point for historical purposes.
On November 29, 2013, Governor Oshiomhole was on an inspection of the work of a task force on environmental sanitation in the bid to beautify Benin. One of the offenders caught was a widow, Mrs. Joy Ifije, hawking by the road side. The poor woman begged for mercy as officials confiscated her wares. In a moment of indiscretion, the governor shouted at her: “go and die.” The ugly incident was widely reported and it naturally generated outrage from foes and friends of Oshiomhole alike. For instance, as friends, this reporter and his wife and fellow reporter, Funmi, angrily called the governor from Lagos telling him: “Comrade, this act of yours is unacceptable; it is unlike the Adams we know…” Oshiomhole’s daughter, Dr. Winnie Owumi, a urologist specialist, called from the United States also criticising her father with strong words for what happened.
Calmly, Oshiomhole responded to comments by simply asking what could be done to mitigate the damage.
As Oshiomhole later explained he received criticisms and suggestions from various quarters including, of course, members of his government.
The governor then took the following steps to correct the error. He invited the roadside trader to the government house as his guest. Over a cup of tea, the widow, accompanied by her son, received the unequivocal apologies from the governor.
On that occasion, Oshiomhole said inter alia: “Let me apologise for the way I spoke to you. I am very sorry about the statement. I have also realised that even in anger, one could still achieve the same result that he set out to achieve without provocative outburst. I apologise from the bottom of my heart. Sometimes you get angry when people compromise your efforts…”
The meeting ended with Oshiomhole appointing Mrs. Ifije as an ambassador on environmental sanitation. On some occasions, the lady went round the city with the governor to sensitise residents on the compliance with environmental regulations.
The governor gave Mrs. Ifije two million naira to get a shop and establish a more decent trading business. He offered to personally pay for the education of the widow’s son to the university level. The son is now a graduate. The trading business has flourished. The widow has built for herself a three-room bungalow in Benin. She calls Oshiomhole on phone occasionally to update him about her progress in life.
The later mitigation part of the story was widely reported just like the verbal assault on the roadside trader. But pundits conveniently ignore the good part when recalling the story to lampoon Oshiomhole over a decade later. Oshiomhole’s denigrators never forget the bad part of the story; but they pretend not to remember the happy ending of the incident.
That’s bad faith.
If politicians on the hustings could be excused on this score, it is certainly less than professional for newspaper editors, columnists and television anchors to conceal facts in order to demonise a political personality. .
In any case, how does the half-truth being told about this 2013 incident diminish the importance of Oshiomhole’s 2024 position that governors should fund basic education adequately so that out-of-school children could be taken off the street?
Another false allegation against Oshiomhole is that he once told a politician who decamped into the All Progressives Congress (APC) that his “sins are forgiven.” The insinuation here is that a politician could circumvent the law as a member of the ruling party. Oshiomhole never said such a thing. Here is the true story: As chairman of APC, Oshiomhole received into his party some politicians in Edo state who decamped from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). From the podium, Oshiomhole threw some banters at one of the politicians, Mr Iluobe. Roughly translated Iluobe means “I don’t do bad.” Oshiomhole said specifically of Iluobe that if he could act in the true meaning of his name, by not doing “bad’ even though he was moving from a “bad party, the PDP,” his “sins are forgiven no matter the bad things (he) did in PDP.”
Meanwhile Mr. Iluobe was not holding any political post at time. Neither was he being investigated or tried by any law enforcement agent.
Since the statement was made not a few top members of APC who have held political positions have been taken through the justice process by anti-corruption agencies in the same way that politicians from other political parties have been treated. Those who keep repeating the line of “your sins are forgiven’’ have not pointed to any case involving the politician in question, Mr. Iluobe, which was manipulated. Yet the utter misrepresentation of Oshiomhole’s statement has continued till this day.. The bogey of “godfatherism” of Oshiomhole is resurrected at every season of primary election in Edo state. Understandably, politicians seek his endorsement to secure the party ticket. Some of those who fail to win the ticket often turn round to accuse him of playing the “godfather.” The friction between Oshiomhole and his successor and erstwhile political ally , Governor Godwin Obaseki, is the most authoritative case cited in the trial of Oshiomhole in this respect. Meanwhile, it does not occur to Oshiomhole’s traducers that even Obaseki himself is no more singing the tune of “godfatherism” as he approaches the end of his tenure in Edo government House. Few months ago, Obaseki invited Oshiomhole to a forum where he honoured past governors of the state for their respective contributions to the development of the state. The two politicians made complimentary remarks about each other at the event. Only two days ago, Obaseki handed over to the Edo state chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), a secretariat complex constructed by the state government. The magnificent building is named “Adams Oshiomhole Labour House.”
Even in the heat of the last APC primaries, some commentators displayed in their fecund imagination Oshiomhole’s “political coffins.”
Yet, the former labour leader is still speaking for the common good in Abuja.
Oshiomhole should be steadfast in articulating the cause of the common good regardless of what the cynics may say.
To do so doesn’t even require a radical disposition because that is what any decent liberal should do in the Nigerian condition.
This position is inimitably formulated by a notable liberal scholar of the Harvard University, Michael Sandel, in his book, “Justice: What’s the Right Thing to Do?”
Writing on the “Politics of the Common Good,” Sandel puts the argument this way: ”If a just society involves reasoning together about the good life, it remains to ask what kind of political discourse would point us in the direction…The challenge is to imagine a politics that takes moral and spiritual questions seriously but brings them to bear on broad economic and civic concerns, not only on sex and abortion.”
The public sphere is impoverished when public intellectuals are so fixated in their concealed partisan positions to the extent of manipulating facts to justify their positions.
That is doubtless not in the public interest.
Happy May Day
The theme of today’s May Day cannot be more apposite: “Celebrating Workers Resilience and Contribution to National Development.”
To enhance the contribution, the method of labour may have to change in tactical and strategic terms.
While acting locally, the outlook should be global.
This is because the forces shaping the concept and the environment of work sometimes do not respect even national boundaries- climate change, technology, geo-political dynamics, pandemics etc.
Beyond perfecting their dexterity in collective bargaining, labour should muster the strengthen to influence policies by the sheer force of ideas. Labour must be properly equipped to defend its alternatives to policies. It should acquire the organisational capacity to mobilise not only workers, but also the whole of the society around the options of fundamentally fighting mass poverty and gross inequality.
With proper organisation the fight for social justice can be won.
Solidarity for Ever!
![[OPINION] (2024) May Day At Times Like This - Issa Aremu](/media/k2/items/cache/8589a5a686943f6db7073e2314cd858c_S.jpg)
Wednesday 1st of May is Workers’ Day. A public holiday set aside to celebrate the dignity of labour as a critical factor of development. This year’s May Day in Nigeria assumes triple importance of history, democratic context and relevance. 2024 May Day marks the 44th anniversary of Workers’ Day as a national public holiday in Nigeria. There was once a democratic second Republic with competitive ideological politics led by popular parties and politicians. In 1980, late Governors Abubakar Rimi and Alhaji Balarabe Musa of Kano and Kaduna States under the platform of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) respectively declared May 1st a public holiday in show of solidarity with the demand of NLC led by its founding president, Alhaji Hassan Sunmonu. A year later, refused to be outperformed by the radical progressive left PRP, the conservative President Shehu Shagari of the National party of Nigeria (NPN) declared May 1 a national public holiday in appreciation of the dignity of labour. Of course globally the observance of May Day is long dated; almost a century and half. In 1886, Chicago police opened fire killing several demonstrating workers demanding for 8-hr working day. Subsequent workers’ protest, led to the death of some seven policemen. Police without evidence accused eight leaders of the Chicago workers’ movement of killing the police convicting all. Four of the workers’ leaders were executed, three were given life imprisonment! And that was a ‘democratic’ America which had proclaimed a libertarian constitution but without due respect for workers’ rights. May 1, 1889 the International Workers’ Congress in Paris declared in memory of the historic struggle of the Chicago workers! With the exception of the global lock down occasioned by COVID in 2020 a century long May Day celebrations had offered open global platforms for working men and women to demand for fairer distribution of global wealth between labour and owners of means of production. Even at that in 2020, there was a “virtual celebration” of dignity of labour . I recall that both IBB and Abacha military regimes dissolved the Executive Councils of the NLC in 1988 and 1995 respectively. But industrial affiliate unions nonetheless observed labour day despite the intimidation and harassment. Which then explains the democratic context of May Day celebrations over the years. It is democratic dispensation that proclaimed May Day in Nigeria. It is democracy that constitutionally allows for freedom of association, rights to unfettered organizing, the trade marks of trade union movement. Certainly organized labour must join democratic forces to deepen democracy which with all its dramatized shortcomings, constitutionally guarantees trade and human rights. 2024 May Day is also undoubtedly a celebration of 25 years of uninterrupted democratic dispensation in Nigeria since 1999.
This year’s May Day is the first since the inauguration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. What then the state of labour-government relations since May 29th 2023? Globally Labour -government relations is characterized by contestation and accommodation. With “four strikes in 9 months” according to the President, Nigeria is certainly not short of policy contestations since President Bola Tinubu initiated twin policy of inevitable fuel subsidy removal and foreign exchange market reforms which had fueled inflation, currency devaluation, high cost of living and challenged industrial relations more than ever before. However there is also a remarkable and commendable policy accommodation and cooperation under Ashiwaju led administration which has fostered relative industrial peace in the wake of daunting current economic challenges. Indeed there is a consensus among the stakeholders in the labour market that notwithstanding the impact of inevitable economic reforms on employment relations, organized labour, employers and governments had commendably taken the advantage of the country’s social dialogue and dispute resolution mechanism to minimize disputes and maintain relative harmony. Beyond, legitimate protests and strikes, trade unions, private employers of labour organized in Nigeria Employers Association (NECA) and government officials have signed thousands of agreements after worthy negotiations, compromises, workplace dispute prevention and dispute resolutions. Based on data available at the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment the mission is to promote decent work, there has been relative industrial peace and industrial harmony. After open policy contestation as we have seen on subsidy removal, it eventually got resolved in policy accommodation between labour and government. Which means that trade unions’ struggles invariably compliment reforms for better inclusive outcomes .
The 2023 October 2nd 15-point Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between organized Labour and government following the removal of fuel subsidy is a model framework for managing industrial relations at times of economic crisis. Since then that singular historic agreement is being implemented to the benefits of all the parties. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had commendably implemented the agreement on payment of the Federal Government wage award of N35,000 (thirty-five thousand Naira) for all the Federal employees, pending when a new national minimum wage Federal Government. President Tinubu also acted Statesmanship in line with his labour- friendly disposition out of the Federal box urged the state governments to give same wage awards to their employees. The most significant is the inauguration of an inclusive 37-member tripartite National Minimum wage committee in line with President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope agenda on Tuesday, January 30, 2024. Negotiation is already ongoing which when concluded will usher in the 6th National Minimum wage since 1981. Again the point cannot be overstated: all National Minimum Wages (NMW) adjustment take place under democratic governments.(1981: President Shehu Shagari, 2000:President Olusegun Obasanjo, 2011: President GoodLuck Jonathan, 2018: President Muhammadu Buhari and 2024: President Bola Ahmed Tinubu). Minimum wage tripartite negotiations often involve bargaining, social dialogue and compromises on affordability and ability to pay by employers and employees alike. Negotiation is a democratic value that thrives where there’s constitutionalism, freedoms of association and assembly. Again only democratic dispensation guarantees unfettered negotiations. There are enough quotable quotes on minimum and living pay attributable to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu more than any President. Indeed every labour market observer agrees that 2024 minimum wage will promote ease of work and living among Nigeria’s working poor. In his 2023 May Day speech, Tinubu disclosed that “In the Nigeria I shall have the honour and privilege to lead from May 29, workers will have more than a minimum wage. You will have a living wage to have a decent life and provide for your families.” Organized labour certainly has a worthy ally in President Tinubu for a new National Minimum Living wage. ( NMLW). Also worthy of mention of the October agreement is the clause that says :
“All parties commit to henceforth abide by the dictates of Social dialogue in all our future engagements”.
For this clause to be realizable, the Federal government must rethink all the inevitable reforms to make them more inclusive and participatory of labour. The wealth of labour is better harnessed when labour is mainstreamed as a critical factor of development. Do not marginalize labour that creates wealth. There is also the need for “ A Just Transition” in managing reforms. Gradualist / spacing/ soft / strategic approach to reforms must replace “ big- bang”/ “tough”/ “shock therapy”/ “immediate effect” of undemocratic past military regimes. Conversely organized labour should rethink approaches to contestation. Certainly Contestation is inevitable if workers’ interests will be protected. But contestation must be complimented by proactive insistence to be at policy formulation tables. Government, for instance must expand the new Presidential Economic Advisory Council to include labour, employers of labour and not just business people and bankers, most who are permanently hunted by conflicts of bossiness interest. All the above call for constant improved labour education on labour management relations, which is the mandate of Micheal IMOUDU National Institute of Labour Studies ( MINILS).
Happy 2024 May Day.
Comrade Issa Aremu mni
Director General,
Micheal Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies ( MINILS) Ilorin.
![[OPINION] Managing political disappointments: lessons from Akwa Ibom State - Etim Etim](/media/k2/items/cache/6c311c1759244206e37859961ab28c20_S.jpg)
An impressive collection of dignitaries gathered at the Worship Center, Uyo, on Wednesday for a thanksgiving service to celebrate the 60th birthday of the Akwa Ibom State governor, Pastor Umo Eno. There were songs, prayers and speeches from many, but it was Mrs. Ekaette Unoma Akpabio, wife of the Senate President, who surprised the crowd the most with her profound philosophical rendition. One after the other, she recognized the dignitaries and had something nice to say about them. Gov. Eno; former Governor Udom Emmanuel; former President Goodluck Jonathan; political leaders, clergies, business leaders and traditional chiefs were all present. Gaily dressed women added a peculiar hue to the colourful event. When she got to the immediate past governor of the state, Mr. Udom Emmanuel, Mrs Akpabio went spiritual and philosophical, drawing both laughter and applause from the audience.
‘’I am here to represent our leader, our father, the father of Gabriel Udom Emmanuel’’, she said, referring to her husband, adding, ‘’and by extension, I am the mother of Gabriel Udom Emmanuel’’. There were laughs and applause. In 2015, Gov. Akpabio invited Udom Emmanuel, then an executive director at Zenith Bank, into partisan politics and made him governor of the state in a typical Nigerian succession politics. She continued, ‘’I want to thank you, your excellency, our immediate past governor, Gabriel Udom Emmanuel, for propelling us to go to the center. If you had not propelled us; if you had not moved, Akwa Ibom people would not have been at the position they are today. So, I greet you Sir. God ordered your footsteps’’.
Mrs. Akpabio was essentially recalling the frosty relationship between her husband and Mr. Udom Emmanuel, and how that turned out to a blessing for Akpabio. She was therefore grateful that God used Udom Emmanuel to ‘’propel’’ her husband out of Akwa Ibom politics into national politics. Now, soon after Udom Emmanuel succeeded Akpabio as governor, the relationship between the two broke down, something not uncommon in our politics. Akpabio had contested and won election to the senate in 2015, and so, the two men managed to keep their rancour from public knowledge for the first two or three years. In August 2018, Senator Akpabio decamped from the PDP to the APC, leaving his godson, Gov. Udom Emmanuel in the PDP. A big political turmoil erupted in the state, leading to Akpabio’s failure to win a reelection to the senate in the 2019. He became minister in 2019 and the political gulf between the two widened more and more. In 2023, he contested again for the senate, telling Akwa Ibom people that he would be the Senate President if he won. He won and, to the surprise of many, became Senate President, under APC while Eno became governor, succeeding Udom Emmanuel, under PDP.
Things now began to work differently. Eno discarded politics of war and quarrel, and reached out to Akpabio and others in APC, creating a never-seen-before political harmony in the state. Last year, Eno attended Akpabio’s inaugural ceremonies as senate president and since then, has been very deferential of the senate President. Akpabio has also reciprocated the gestures from the governor and yesterday, his wife represented him at Eno’s birthday celebration. This rearrangement of the contours of politics in the state therefore afforded Akpabio’s wife the opportunity to go spiritual yesterday.
Mrs Akpabio’s assertion that it was Udom Emmanuel who ‘’propelled’’ her husband to return to the senate and eventually become senate president is therefore correct, and reflects the depth of her spirituality. It’s a testament to an adage that says that when one door is closed, another is open. If Akpabio and his successor had not fallen out, maybe he would still have remained in the PDP and would not have become Senate President. The quarrel catapulted Akpabio to seek relevance in national politics. It is a classic case of turning a disappointment into a blessing. An English adage says that. ‘’If life gives you a lemon, turn it into a lemonade’’. My own favourite saying which I have on my WhatsApp profile is, ‘’If you stumble on the dance floor, make it part of the dance’’. The Bible expresses it differently. ‘’And we know that for those who love God, all things work together for good…’’ (Romans 8:28).
I was very pleased to hear Mrs. Akpabio, a devout Catholic, express her thoughts in this spiritual context. She had come to understand that her husband’s fight with his successor was his stepping stone to a higher responsibility. That’s why she told Udom Emmanuel yesterday, ‘’God ordered your footsteps’’. Many people have their own experiences of how personal disappointments have turned out to be a blessing. I have mine.
Whatever the disappointment that you face, look carefully, another door is open, or ajar. I will therefore advise Barr. Nyesom Wike and Mallam Nasir el Rufai to turn their quarrels with their successors into opportunity to do nobler deeds. There are other open doors for everyone out there!
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[OPINION] The Race for AI Supremacy: How Leading Economies and Emerging Nations are Shaping the Future - Sonny Iroche
Admin![[OPINION] The Race for AI Supremacy: How Leading Economies and Emerging Nations are Shaping the Future - Sonny Iroche](/media/k2/items/cache/b760a7afffab7d711db149ae560aa32f_XS.jpg)
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has emerged as a transformative force in the modern world, revolutionizing industries and reshaping economies. In the fast-evolving landscape of AI the leading nations such as the USA and China, have spearheaded a revolution in AI and positioned themselves as superpowers in the race for AI supremacy in this technological domain, with advancements in AI adoption closely tied to a nation's Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Following the USA and China, countries like the UK, the State of Israel, and the European Union have also made significant strides in AI development. The regulation of AI has become a crucial aspect in most leading countries to ensure ethical and responsible AI deployment.
The development of AI technologies by giant tech companies has propelled the industry into a trillion-dollar economy, marking a significant milestone akin to the discoveries of electricity, fire, and the internet. However, the success of AI requires substantial investment and robust infrastructure, such as reliable electricity and water supply, which are often lacking in many parts of the world, particularly in Africa.
The race for AI supremacy among leading economies could be traced to the era of the dot coms, gaining momentum with the introduction of groundbreaking AI models like ChatGPT by OpenAI in November 2022. Since then, tech companies have been producing a plethora of AI models that have had a profound impact on global technological advancement. And investing billions of dollars in research and innovation, as a result of what some observers call FOMO (Fear of Missing Out).
One of the greatest concerns amongst some African intellectuals in the AI race and development, is the place and capacity of Africa in AI readiness. Nigeria, with its recent National Artificial Intelligence Strategy Initiative (NAIS), in April 2024, has demonstrated leadership and a newfound commitment to establishing itself as a leader in AI on the African continent.
The NAIS brought together Nigerian AI experts, researchers, tech companies and enthusiasts from around the world to collaborate in Abuja, the capital city, to develop a comprehensive roadmap and framework for AI implementation in the country. Notably, international tech giant companies, such as Google, Microsoft, and Meta also participated in the four-day strategy session. The strategy session was facilitated by esteemed institutions like the Lagos Business School and Data Science Nigeria, under the guidance of Nigeria's Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani.
The breakout sessions during the NAIS covered crucial areas such as Research & Innovation, Infrastructure, and International collaborations, highlighting Nigeria's commitment to leveraging AI for driving innovation and sustainable development across various sectors.
The USA and China have been frontrunners in the global AI race, with both countries investing heavily in AI research and development to maintain their competitive edge. The USA, home to tech giants like Google, Amazon, and Microsoft, has been at the forefront of AI innovation, particularly in areas such as natural language processing, computer vision, and autonomous systems. China, on the other hand, with companies like Alibaba, Tencent, and Huawei leading the charge, has made significant strides in AI applications, particularly in areas like facial recognition, e-commerce, and smart cities.
The UK, Israel, and the European Union have also emerged as key players in the global AI landscape, with a focus on fostering AI talent, encouraging innovation, and setting ethical standards for AI deployment. The UK, known for its strong research ecosystem at the University of Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial College and other institutions, and supportive regulatory environment, has been a hub for AI startups and academic research in areas like healthcare, finance, and transportation. Israel, with its thriving startup culture and government support for AI initiatives, has excelled in AI technologies related to cybersecurity, agriculture, and defense. The European Union, through initiatives like the European AI Strategy and the AI Act, aims to promote trustworthy AI that respects fundamental rights and values.
In contrast, many African countries, including Nigeria, are still in the nascent stages of AI adoption and development. The lack of infrastructure, funding, and skilled workforce poses challenges to harnessing the full potential of AI for economic growth and societal development. However, initiatives like the NAIS in Nigeria signal a shift towards prioritizing AI as a strategic tool for innovation and progress.
As the global AI landscape continues to evolve, collaboration and knowledge sharing among nations will be vital for addressing common challenges and leveraging AI for the collective good. The race for AI supremacy is not just about technological advancement but also about ethical considerations, inclusivity, and sustainable development. By fostering a culture of innovation, investing in AI research and talent development, and establishing ethical guidelines for AI deployment, countries can harness the power of AI to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, and Climate Change, and the fight against Insecurity, create a more prosperous and equitable future for the human race.
Sonny Iroche
Post Graduate Studies. Artificial Intelligence for Business.
Saïd Business School. University of Oxford. UK.
Linkedin.com/in/sonnyiroche
[OPINION] Garlands To High Chief Tom Ikimi as He Etches His Name in The Sands of Time - Mike Ozekhome, SAN
Admin![[OPINION] Garlands To High Chief Tom Ikimi as He Etches His Name in The Sands of Time - Mike Ozekhome, SAN](/media/k2/items/cache/a518191865529c25bb691a010a3f1e12_XS.jpg)
A famous Nigerian musician with the stage name, Patoranking, in his track, “Celebrate me”, admonished us on the need to celebrate and appreciate people while they are alive. High Chief Tom Ikimi, CON, FNIA KSG, D.Sc, the Akinrogun of Ife, the Inneh of Igueben, is, in the word of Patoranking, a “big name” and a towering figure in both stature and influence. He stands out as a beacon of resilience, wisdom, integrity and leadership.
High Chief Tom Ikimi, my elder friend and brother from Igueben, Edo State, was born on 10th April, 1944, in Kumba, Southern Camerouns. He attended the St. Joseph’s College, Sesse-Buea in Southern Camerouns; obtained a National Diploma in Building and Civil Engineering from the Midwestern Polytechnic, Auchi (the former Midwestern Nigeria, now Edo and Delta States); and a Bachelor’s Degree in Architecture from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, where he was a prominent member of the Students Union and the National Union of Nigerian Students (NUNS).
As a top Nigerian politician, Ikimi has, over the years, held various high-ranking positions in the Nigerian political firmament and has been involved in helping to midwife different political parties throughout his career. He was a foundation member of the then Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN); and he led the party to win the 2012 Edo State Gubernatorial elections. He was also a foundation member and national leader of the Advanced Congress of Democrats, inaugurating the party in Edo state on February 21, 2006. Other party activities were honourably executed in the All Peoples Party (APP); the People's Democratic Party (PDP); and the All Progressives Congress (APC), the present ruling party.
The tenacious politician made a lasting mark as the pioneer Chairman of the National Republican Convention (NRC), one of Nigeria's two leading political parties during the transition to civilian rule in the early 1990s. His main rival was the Social Democratic Party (SDP) chaired by Babagana Kingibe. However, the Babangida military junta had with military dicta suddenly dissolved the Ikimi and Kingibe cabinets in October, 1992. Subsequently, Chief Tony Anenih (fondly called “Mr. Fix it”) became the Chairman of SDP, while Dr. Hahmed Kusamotu became Chairman of the NRC. The election that produced Chief M.K.O. Abiola who roundly defeated his closest rival, Alhaji Bashir Tofa, by 8,341,309 (58.36%) to 5,952,087 (41.64%) votes was held under this latter leadership. Ikimi had indeed been active in Nigerian politics since the 1980s and has played significant roles in various political administrations.
One major contribution made by High Chief Tom Ikimi towards strengthening democracy is his pioneering involvement in the founding of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Nigeria. He was one of the founding fathers of the APC. He played a key role in the merger of several opposition parties to form the APC in 2013. The formation of the APC provided a formidable platform for opposition politics in Nigeria; and eventually led to the party's victory in the 2015 presidential elections. This ended the 16-year rule of the People's Democratic Party (PDP). However, in 2014, Chief Ikimi quitted the APC as he accused the party leadership of ignoring national sensitivities in the administration of the fledgling party.
Chief Ikimi's political influence transcends mere party activities. Engaged in various movements advocating for democracy, good governance, and national integration, Ikimi embodies a commitment to Nigeria's political development. It is worthy of note that during General Olusegun Obasanjo’s regime, Chief Ikimi and other prominent figures faced deregistration from the PDP. This had exposed the party's agenda to eliminate internal opposition with a view to facilitating Obasanjo's self-succession and transmutation agenda. In sharp response to this, chief Ikimi rallied with trusted allies to establish the Movement for the Restoration and Defence of Democracy (MRDD). This movement not only effectively challenged Obasanjo's autocratic ambition; but it also championed democratic principles during these trying times.
On the diplomatic sphere, Chief Ikimi's illustrious career exemplifies a remarkable dedication to diplomatic excellence and global leadership. Ikimi had served as the Special Adviser to General Sani Abacha in 1994 during which he prepared the memo that led to the establishment of the highly successful Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF). He later served as Nigeria's Minister of Foreign Affairs in the heat of military dictatorship. Chief Ikimi's diplomatic acumen shone brightly throughout that turbulent era. In April, 1995, he graced the international stage, leading Nigeria's delegation to the Review/Extension Conference of the Parties to the treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) in New York, where his eloquent delivery of Nigeria's national position left an indelible mark on the global scene.
Furthermore, his leadership was evident at the Ministerial meeting of the Coordinating Bureau of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) in Bandung, Indonesia. Throughout his tenure, Chief Ikimi's presence resonated at numerous international gatherings, including the 40th Anniversary Meeting of the Movement of Non-Aligned countries in Bandung, Indonesia, and the Ministerial meeting of the Coordinating Bureau of the Non-Aligned Movement in Cartagena, Colombia.
Ikimi’s role in representing Nigeria at various sessions of the United Nations General Assembly and Security Council, articulating Nigeria's stance on various issues with eloquence and authority, underscored his unwavering commitment to advancing the nation's interests on the global stage.
Before his political engagements, Chief Ikimi in the realm of professional calling, had established his own architectural practice in 1977. Over the years, he demonstrated remarkable prowess in executing a diverse range of projects, encompassing private residences, sports facilities, office complexes, and industrial buildings, both locally and internationally. Notably, his architectural firm achieved international recognition and fame when it won the prestigious competition for the design of the new OAU office and conference Centre projects in Addis-Ababa, Ethiopia. Recognized for his contributions in the field of Architecture, he attained the status of Fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Architects (FNIA). Beyond architecture, Chief Ikimi has cultivated successful business ventures spanning construction, trade, and farming, showcasing his versatility and entrepreneurship.
In recognition of his unquantifiable contributions to community development, Nigerian politics and public service, Tom Ikimi was honoured with the title of High Chief Oduma in his native Igueben Kingdom. “Oduma” simply means lion. Ikimi is indeed the roaring lion. While his career has seen both highs and lows, his achievements have left indelible footprints on Nigeria's political landscape.
Today, as I reflect on Chief Ikimi's illustrious journey, I am reminded of his unwavering commitment to service and dedication to the betterment of his country. Throughout his exemplary career, Ikimi has exemplified the noblest virtues of selflessness and sacrifice, always placing the needs of the country and others above his own. No wonder Pope John Paul II in 1993 honoured him with the revered Knighthood of St. Gregory the Great (KSG). Rivers State University of Science and Technology followed suit when he was honoured with the Honourary Degree of D.Sc (Architecture).
Chief Ikimi's leadership has been characterized by rare vision, foresight and wisdom in guiding countless individuals and organizations towards greater heights of success and prosperity. His innate ability to inspire and empower those around him has been instrumental in fostering positive change and development on both local and national scales.
Beyond his sterling professional achievements as an accomplished architect of global fame, Chief Ikimi is cherished for his warmth, compassion, empathy and humility. He possesses a rare gift of connecting with people from all walks of life, forging meaningful relationships and alliances built on trust, respect, and mutual understanding.
I celebrate Chief Tom Ikimi's today, not only for his remarkable accomplishments, but also for the countless lives he has touched and transformed. May the Oduma’s indelible legacy continue to inspire generations to come, serving as guiding light and beacon of hope for all who aspire to make a difference in the world. Through his smiles and affability, the taciturn Oduma lights up dark crevices, energises tired muscles and rekindles hope to the hopeless, hapless and vanquished citizens of Nigeria – the hoi folloi; the Frantz Fanon’s “Wretched of the Earth”.
Happy birthday to a great Pan-Nigerian patriot! May all your days be filled with joy and love in appreciation of all that you are; all that you have don; and all that you stand for.
Let me end this tribute to this towering Nigerian and luminous man of many parts by quoting Edgar Allan Poe, “Life is a song – sing it. Life is a game – play it. Life is a challenge – meet it. Life is a dream – realise it. Life is a sacrifice – offer it. Life is love – enjoy it”.
So, Oduma, enjoy life to the fullest as you hit the octogenarian age. Beyond this, receive Genesis 6:3. It is your portion.
![[OPINION] Manipulation, Gaslighting, And Lies - Richard Odusanya](/media/k2/items/cache/190d136e386c91fa158d3e15823f3d4c_XS.jpg)
Manipulation is using psychological influence over a person or situation to gain a positive outcome. According to Yusuf Bala Usman, in His Book “The Manipulation of Religion in Nigeria 1977-1987” defines manipulation as “essentially controlling the action of a person or group without that person or group knowing the goals, purpose, and method of that control and without even being aware that a form of control is being exercised on them at all” (Usman, 1987).
Dr Yusuf Bala Usman of the Blessed Memory is a radical, leftist, scholar, and historian who positively influenced young students at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. Bala Usman succinctly captured the essence of manipulation in the book which contains very revealing analyses of the specific ways in which various groups within the Nigerian political class have continued to manipulate the inherent religious sentiments of the people in their bid to capture or retain power.
Furthermore, It was with an exceptional erudition that Usman, who was a famous lecturer of History at Ahmadu Bello University Zaria and whose arguments were products of rare intellectualism, exposed not only the sinister motives of the religious manipulators but also the consequences or effects of their actions on Nigeria.
By this scholarly definition, Usman believes that people can be indoctrinated and manipulated to achieve a particular target or objective. Therefore, our “belief systems” and “world views” are traps if you follow their roads to an end. They create exponentially greater division the longer you travel on them.
Manipulation will always occur through the evoking of emotions. If someone appeals to any emotion inside you, such as fear (threatening you), anger (trying to enrage you against something or someone), lust (trying to seduce you), vanity (trying to make you feel special) and so on, this person is most likely trying to manipulate you.
Originally, religions formed out of unsatiated curiosity— people were curious about how the world worked, but since the scientific method hadn’t been invented yet, people were not equipped with the train of thought to produce proper explanations of natural events. And so, they created religion to explain why it rains, why humans live on Earth, why there are seasons, etc.
Emotional manipulation can happen for any number of reasons: a problematic leader, a toxic positivity culture, an identity in more power, money, or members, etc. Regardless of how these things happen, here’s the ??? of emotional manipulation in religious communities. Religion, whether it be found under a steeple or in an office, is inherently dangerous. It's edgy living for the truth. And everyone's “truth” can wear a different face. But I will say this, there is a moral code. And the narcissist strangles that moral code.
There will be some who abide under that code in the churches, and others who have their hands on its throat, allowing just enough breath to retain some semblance of life and decorum. Nobody gets off the planet without having to learn discernment. And it's a hard, hard lesson to master. Jesus himself dealt with the narcissistic religious. He called them sons of snakes, white-washed sepulchers full of dead men's bones. We are challenged to be “wise as serpents and innocent as doves”. We are encouraged to know the enemy and yet remain free of him.
Today, organized religions rely on innate human fears and desires such as those of death, ignorance of our origins, and that we are alone in an infinite universe. They promise that these ancient spirits, now called gods, will look after us in life giving comfort and help when needed, and that after our death these same gods will enable part of us to live on for eternity in peace, love, and harmony in an idealized place called heaven, where we’ll also be reunited with our already dead loved ones.
In this vein, religion should never be more important than life. The biggest religion is Humanity. If Humanity ceases to exist then there is no meaning of religion in this world. God created Humans and Humans formed Religions. When Religion is given more importance than anyone's life then it's the death of Humanity. And if Humanity dies chaos is inevitable. Part of the government's responsibility is to safeguard the weak against manipulation.
Today's Africa is highly religious but remains largely the same land of a people who generally prefer not to write or read, the culture of a people is what marks them out distinctively from other human societies in the family of humanity. Africa is the least wealthy continent per capita and second-least wealthy by total wealth, ahead of Oceania. Scholars have attributed this to different factors including geography, climate, tribalism, colonialism, the Cold War, neocolonialism, lack of democracy, corruption, and religious extremism/manipulation.
In conclusion, permit me to share with you the golden words of Gloria Marie Steinem, an American journalist and social-political activist who emerged as a nationally recognized leader of second-wave feminism in the United States in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Gloria profoundly posited: "The first problem for all of us, men and women, is not to learn, but to unlearn."
Finally, every religion claims that another one is the most intolerant religion in the world. It’s the world’s biggest blame game. No religion takes it upon themselves to make sure there are no intolerant elements within their system. They all have radical sects that they for the most part ignore, and rarely condemn. However, as the two largest and most powerful religions, Christianity and Islam probably tie for first place, if only by sheer weight of numbers. Also, Nigerians are a bundle of contradictions as they display external religiosity without the fear of God.
THIS ARTICLE IS SPECIFICALLY DEDICATED FOR HEALING PROCESS TO ALL VICTIMS OF RELIGIOUS MANIPULATION, GASLIGHTING AND LIES.
Richard Odusanya
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![[OPINION] Unveiling the dark side: Is TETFund Also soiled? - Kalu Okoronkwo](/media/k2/items/cache/267fd735e4dfcffad60bd544f7e1489c_XS.jpg)
The recent allegations of embezzlement and fraudulent contracts against the management of Tertiary Education Trust Fund( TETFund)will be a big dagger piercing through the hearts of higher education in Nigeria as it is the only agency that has been commended hitherto for helping to bridge the infrastructural gaps in our tertiary institutions: universities polytechnics and Colleges of Education across the country.
As students strive for knowledge and educators labour to impart it, the rot festering within the corridors of the funding institution threatens to undermine their noble pursuits.
The Fund’s procurement process serve as fertile ground for corruption to flourish. It was recently alleged that in one instance, TETFund paid a whopping sum of N2.9 billion to a questionable contractor for unexecuted job and could not provide evidence for the execution of the contract, including the list of participants, links to the online portal for the training, and pictures or video clips of training sessions.
TETFund as an intervention agency was set up to provide supplementary support to all level of public tertiary institutions with the main objective of using funding alongside project management for the rehabilitation, restoration and consolidation of Tertiary Education in Nigeria.
It was established by the Act of 2011 after repealing the Education Tax Act Cap. E4, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 and Education Tax Fund Act No. 17, 2003 and charged with the responsibility for imposing, managing and disbursing the tax to public tertiary institutions in Nigeria.
The main source of income available to the Fund is the two percent education tax paid from the assessable profit of companies registered in Nigeria. The Federal Inland Revenue Services (FIRS) assesses and collects the tax on behalf of the Fund.
However, beneath its lofty mandate lies a labyrinth of deceit, manipulation, and exploitation, perpetuated by those entrusted with its stewardship.
It is a disturbing truth that corruption has woven its insidious tendrils deep within the very fabric of TETFund and exacerbating the already dire state of the nation's academic infrastructure.
According to a report by Premium Times, five days before the end of the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari, the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) secretly awarded a contract worth over N3.8 billion (N3,812,500,000) in disregard for the law.
The said contact lacked any evidence of execution as investigations revealed further that the Fund paid the contractor a total sum of N2.9 billion (N2, 932,032,516.28) in four installments between 30 June and 17 November 2023.
Also in violation of the law establishing it, TETFund sourced the funding for the project from the 2023 annual direct disbursement budget domiciled in the agency for the use of about 251 beneficiary institutions, that is, public universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education across Nigeria.
The 2023 direct disbursement budget for these institutions which amounted to N15.2 billion was for Information Communication and Technology Intervention Projects. But instead of releasing the funds to the institutions as mandated by law, TETFund illegally deducted upfront 50 per cent of the funds from each of the institutions, amounting to a total of N7.6 billion.
It was also discovered that there was no evidence of bidding for the contract as demanded by Nigeria’s procurement law. Approval was neither sought nor given by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) or even by the President.
“TETFund bypassed these mandatory requirements to award the contract tagged: ‘Capacity Building Certificate Course (Communication, Entrepreneurship, and Productive Skill Development) inclusive of the Train-the-Trainer programme for 502 (five hundred and two) participants’” the report said.
Further investigation also revealed that the contract was awarded to a company – Fides Et Ratio Academy. The company has no functional website while it is described by TETFund as “an IP Licensee for Prof. Klaus Stierstorfer, a copyright owner and intellectual property right holder in all range of communication skills development courses marketed globally under Edunet Solutions.”
The letter of contract award dated May 24,2023 was signed by the Director of Human Resources and General Administration, Kolapo Okunlola.
However, upon enquiry by PREMIUM TIMES on the subject, the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), the body statutorily empowered to regulate contract awards for ministries, departments, and agencies of the government, said “the contract is not found in its database.”
The contract award is therefore a violation of the Public Procurement Act 2007, which by virtue of its section 15(a), as applicable to “all procurement of goods, works and services carried out by: the Federal Government of Nigeria and all procurement entities”. The law under section 15(c) only exempts the procurement of special goods, works and services involving national defence or national security.
Further findings revealed that on June, 30 2023, the company’s account with Fidelity Bank Plc was credited with over N550 million (N550,380,780.23) by the Central Bank of Nigeria on behalf of TETFund. The transfer is with mandate number CBN/PROJ/224/JUN2023. Over N820 million (N820,223,850) was additionally paid into the account on 12 July 2023.
While also on 26 July 2023 and 17 November 2023, the sums of N1.5 billion (N1, 503,743,850) and N62.68 million (N62, 684,036.05) were credited into the account by the CBN on behalf of TETFund, respectively.
Just recently too, the Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA Resource Centre) petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission over alleged graft in TETFund.
The group urged the anti-graft agency to investigate alleged irregularities surrounding the contracts awarded by the agency.
The petition, which was addressed to Olanipekun Olukoyede, the Chairman of EFCC, was signed by HEDA’s Chairman, Olanrewaju Suraju.
Why the Economic and Financial Crime Commission has waded into the matter by inviting the Executive Secretary, Tertiary Education Trust Fund, Sonny Echono, to respond to cases of corruption against the Fund, mere dismissal of the deep rooted corruption allegation against TETFund by the Executive Secretary without tangible evidence to prove same amount to paying lip service to issues of endemic corruption plaguing the Nigerian society.
The politicization of TETFund exacerbates its descent into moral bankruptcy as positions of influence within the organization has become bargaining chips in the political game, with appointments based on loyalty rather than competence. Consequently, qualified individuals are sidelined in favor of cronies, eroding the institution's effectiveness and perpetuating a culture of mediocrity.
The impact of TETFund's ethical erosion reverberates far beyond the confines of its offices. It strikes at the very foundation of Nigeria's future, sabotaging the potential of an entire generation. As funds meant for education are squandered and opportunities are denied, the dreams of aspiring scholars are dashed against the rocks of corruption.
The exposure of TETFund's unethical practices serves as a clarion call for accountability and reform. It is imperative that swift and decisive action be taken to cleanse the institution of its moral rot and restore faith in the power of education to uplift and transform society.
Transparency must be enforced at every level, with stringent oversight mechanisms put in place to ensure that funds are allocated judiciously and utilized for the intended purpose. Those found guilty of corruption must face the full force of the law, serving as a deterrent to others who would seek to exploit the system for personal gain.
Furthermore, TETFund must reaffirm its commitment to meritocracy, appointing individuals of integrity and competence to lead the charge for change. Only through a concerted effort to purge itself of corruption and embrace ethical governance can TETFund reclaim its rightful place as a champion of education and a beacon of hope for Nigeria's future.
Like their counterparts in private tertiary institutions, TETFund must develop as a matter of urgency a model for governance structures characterized by a higher degree of professionalism and accountability. With boards of trustees comprising experienced educators, industry leaders, and respected professionals.
The Fund requires a framework for strategic guidance and oversight that prioritizes academic quality and institutional integrity and shun the often-politicization of its leadership where appointments are frequently influenced by partisan interests rather than meritocracy, leading to inefficiencies and mismanagement.
In the battle against corruption, there can be no bystanders. It is incumbent upon all stakeholders – government, academia, civil society, and the citizenry at large to unite in the fight to cleanse TETFund of its ethical impurities and pave the way for a brighter tomorrow. For in the words of Nelson Mandela, "Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." Let us wield that weapon with courage and conviction, and together, we shall overcome.
Kalu Okoronkwo is a leadership and good governance advocate. He writes from Lagos via This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.