The Nation Newspaper

Author: The Nation

  • Crisis hits Ondo Assembly over Deputy Gov’s impeachment

    Crisis hits Ondo Assembly over Deputy Gov’s impeachment

    Crisis has hit the Ondo State House of Assembly over move by the lawmakers to continue impeachment process against the Deputy Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, despite the political solution proffered by the national leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    Speaker of the Assembly, Oladiji Olamide, had written to the Chief Judge, Justice Olusegun Odusola, to constitute a seven-man panel to investigate allegations of gross misconduct leveled against Aiyedatiwa.

    The Speaker had said the restraining order by a Federal High Court in Abuja had elapsed.

    But 12 lawmakers led by spokesman of the Assembly, Oshati Olatunji, in a letter addressed to Justice Odusola, urged him to disregard the recent letter by Speaker Oladiji.

    The 12 lawmakers, in the letter, said the Speaker’s letter did not emanate from any of the sittings of members of Ondo State House of Assembly.

    They said the order of interim injunction of the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court still subsists, saying it was neither vacated nor set aside.

    The lawmakers said it would be contemptuous for them to act in contravention of the subsisting order of Court.

    The letter stated: “The decision to transmit the purported letter of Ondo State House of Assembly dated 23rd October, 2023, signed by Rt. Hon Oladiji Olamide Adesanmi, was taken without a formal sitting of the House and our knowledge as members of the 10th Assembly.

    “It is our considered view that we should be honourable indeed by standing with our acceptance at the Abuja meeting to suspend the impeachment process and allow for amicable and political solution to the issue for the benefits of governance and peace of Ondo State.

    “In the light of the foregoing, we the undersigned members of Ondo State House of Assembly wish to dissociate ourselves from the letter titled: Request to Constitute a Seven-man Panel to Investigate the Allegation of Gross Misconduct Against the Deputy Governor of Ondo State.”

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    Those that signed the letter were Hon. Japheth Oluwatoyin, Hon. Jide Oguntodu, Hon. Tiamiyu Fatai Atere, Hon. Gbegudu Ololade, Hon Allen Oluwatoyin, Hon. Abitogun Stephen, Hon. Tope Komolafe, Hon. (Barr) Afe Felix, Hon. Oladapo Biola and Hon. Fayemi Olawumi.

    Hon. Oshati Olatunji, who confirmed the contents of the letter, said they were not properly consulted.

    He said: “The letter is true. It actually emanated from us. If you look at the content of the letter, it addressed a particular point—the last letter sent to the Chief Judge of Ondo State by the Speaker.

    “The Speaker did not consult well. It has to be a collective responsibility because we have lawyers among us who normally advise us on the implications of some of the things we do when it comes to legal issues.

    “That is why they hammered on the last letter being contentious as long as the vacation on the injunction has not been removed.

    “It is just an inter-house conflict, but unfortunately, people coloured it and gave it so many meanings. But the content of that letter said it all.

    “We are after due process as we promised the people of Ondo State. And since the national body of our party (APC) has intervened, we believe in exploring the reconciliatory move because the two gladiators are our fathers; they are the leaders.”

  • Chimamanda, Ezekwesili and the ‘Ogboju’ syndrome

    Chimamanda, Ezekwesili and the ‘Ogboju’ syndrome

    Ever since the conduct and announcement of the outcome of the 25th February 2023, presidential election, there has been a sustained, persistent and concerted attempt, particularly and overwhelmingly by intellectuals from a part of the country, to impugn the credibility of the elections as well as denigrate the integrity not just of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) but also the judiciary once it was obvious that institution would be the final determinant of the winner of the intensely contested election.

    Apparently following in the footsteps of former President Donald Trump and his fanatical supporters who persistently and insistently asserted that the 2020 presidential elections in the United States were ‘rigged’ and ‘stolen’ without a scintilla of credible evidence, the ‘Obidient’ movement in particular repeatedly echo their idol, Peter Obi’s claim without credible empirical demonstration that he won the election on the platform of his Labour Party (LP).

    Trump and his supporters had continued to claim that the election was stolen even after no less than 50 legal challenges they had mounted against the results in several states were thrown out by US courts. They provide a role model for the ‘Obidients’ and their candidate despite the fact that Peter Obi indisputably came third in the February 25 polls.

    If members of the ‘Obidient’ mob on social media, actuated by ethnic sentiments and emotive irrationalities, take anarchic and patently unreasonable positions on the elections making wild and unproven claims, what do we make of the no less erratic and aberrant behavior of some otherwise accomplished intellectuals in their response both to the results of the elections and the verdicts of the appellate courts on petitions by Peter Obi and the PDP presidential candidate, Waziri Atiku Abubakar, seeking the nullification of the exercise?

    When President Bola Tinubu of the APC was announced the winner of the February 25 presidential election with Atiku and Obi coming second and third respectively, respected novelist and global intellectual, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, had written an open, widely disseminated letter to President Joe Biden subtly urging the US to withhold recognition for the newly elected Nigerian President which she claimed was not marred by technical faults but was deliberately manipulated to achieve victory for Tinubu. She offered no proof for her authoritative assertions beyond citing instances of certain ‘cousins’, friends and other relatives who narrated to her stories of malpractices they claimed to have witnessed in polling units where they voted.

    One would have thought that someone like Chimamanda who was not even in Nigeria when the elections were held, and who is a respected writer and thinker should have been more restrained and circumspect in jumping to authoritative conclusions based on what she was told by less than a score of acquaintances who were not present at the vast majority of the over 176,696 polling units across the country where voting took place.

    Chimamanda was again on global television, the CNN after the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) gave its judgement dismissing the petitions of Atiku, Obi and their parties against the outcome of the election. Obviously trying to leverage her international clout to rubbish the decision of the PEPC rather than deploy empirical facts and impeccable logic as one would expect from one of the world’s contemporary leading minds, Chimamanda told her interviewer, Christiane Amanpour, who inexplicably refrained from asking her guest probing follow-up questions, that the judgement was “shoddy and shabby” even though she had admitted she had not finished reading it!

    In her words, “I am in the middle of reading the judgement and it’s stunning how shoddy it is. The elections were manipulated in a way that is very shabby and shoddy and the judgement is shabby and shoddy. I didn’t expect it to be very thoughtful but I am shocked at how very lacking in thought it is”.

    But it is not enough for Chimamanda to assert ex-cathedra that the PEPC judgement was ‘thoughtless’ or ‘shabby’. She has to demonstrate for us through rigorous logical, textual analysis of the judgement and empirical facts that the judgement was shoddy or incompetent. This was a judgement that was televised globally as it was delivered and has been commended by some of the country’s best and brightest legal minds. Surely, Chimamanda’s fame as a fiction writer cannot be ‘a magna carta for mandibular waka about’ (apologies to the late Gbolabo Ogunsanwo). Her unwarranted arrogance and insulting condescension towards the Nigerian judiciary without cause shows a woman who lacks grace and class despite her scholastic attainment.

    Featuring on a television programme not too long ago, the renowned human rights lawyer, Mr Femi Falana (SAN), stressed that rather than cast aspersion on the character and integrity of judges because of their judicial decisions, Nigerians should advocate and clamour for fundamental changes in the extant electoral laws that judges have no choice but to interpret and apply. Incidentally, Falana is a severe critic of lapses that occurred in the conduct of the February 25 presidential and National Assembly elections. Even then, the point cannot be disputed that there can hardly be perfect elections anywhere in a community of fallible mortals.

    But then, Chimamanda was not done. A few days before the Supreme Court delivered its October 25 judgement on the election petitions of Atiku and Obi against Tinubu’s election, she was the inaugural lecturer of the Africa World Lecture series of Princeton University in the US and Peter Obi was present at the event. Turning herself into a one-man electoral commission, Chimamanda told her audience: “I want to recognize the presence of a man I deeply respect and a man who I think is a beacon of hope not just for Nigeria but for Africa. And he’s the man who many of us know won the election in Nigeria”. She also averred “We had an election in February that was deeply flawed and we have a person who we’ve been told is a winner who did not win the election and this has been shown over and over, there’s evidence for this”.

    This is the height of intellectual fraudulence and dishonesty. Chimamanda was deliberately lying to her audience, the majority of whom may be unfamiliar with the political realities of Nigeria. A central thrust of both the PEPC and the Supreme Court judgements was that the petitioners’ counsels were tardy and lazy in bringing before the courts credible evidence to demonstrate their allegations that the elections were rigged. The courts noted that neither Obi nor Atiku, for instance, called even one of their polling agents who were on ground in various polling units across the country and must have witnessed the alleged electoral refractions to give first-hand testimony in court. They rather relied on witnesses who gave what was no better than hearsay evidence before the courts. It is instructive that the apex court spent less than 10 minutes in dismissing Obi’s petition indicating its utter lack of merit.

    No less acerbic, scurrilous and lacking in substance was a former Minister of Education in Nigeria and noted international bureaucrat, Mrs Oby Ezekwelisi’s response to the apex court’s decision on the election petitions. Reacting in a post on her official X handle to the Supreme Court judgement, she wrote, “Now we all know the true definition of a Criminal Enterprise Gang. Some would ask, “Where’s now the hope?” because what else can citizens who seek a Good Society now do in the light of judicial enthronement of criminality as an official norm? Well, take heart in this fact. History shows that every Criminal Enterprise carrie’s the seed of its eventual destruction”.

    Beyond hurling insults and making baseless insinuations and innuendos, Oby Ezekwesili does not take on the Supreme Court judgement on facts or logic. The apex court gave reasons for its ruling against the petitioners in the seven issues formulated for them to adjudicate on. They gave reasons for their position on each of these issues and it is up to those who oppose them to provide superior arguments in the public domain rather than resort to cheap abuse and insults.

    Read Also: Mutiu Are hails Tinubu’s Supreme Court victory

    The apex court refused to admit the purported fresh evidence that Atiku sought to tender as regards Tinubu’s Chicago State University diploma citing both statutory time limitations as well as the fact that there was no reason for the petitioner not bringing such evidence up at the level of the PEPC as required by law. The Supreme Court is a policy Court and not a court of evidence as lawyers tell us. There was sufficient time to have done so right from when candidates submitted their personal details to INEC which published them for public scrutiny before the respective party primaries in accordance with the law.

    In any case, even if the fresh evidence had been tendered at the PEPC and been part of the hearing, of what probative or utilitarian value would it have been as Dr Reuben Abati, himself a lawyer, recently asked on Arise TV ‘The Morning Show’ programme on which he is one of the anchors? Atiku and his team had chosen to make a mountain out of Tinubu’s CSU diploma molehill even after the school’s register had stated clearly in his deposition under oath that Tinubu was admitted into the institution as a male student in 1977 and graduated in 1979 with flying colors while also making public his transcripts.

    Mischievous and ethnically motivated intellectuals like Chimamanda and Ezekwesili refuse to furnish the public with a persuasive, fact-based analysis on what pathway Obi, whose campaign was targeted at his Igbo kinsfolk like these two women as well as Christians opposed to the APC’s Muslim-Muslim ticket, could have won a national election in a complex, plural, multi-religious polity like Nigeria. Yes, he scored over 95% of the votes in his native South-East, won in the largely Christian states of Edo, Delta and Cross River in the South-South, won in cosmopolitan Lagos and Abuja with large clusters of Igbo and Christian votes while also winning in Christian dominated Nasarawa and Plateau states in the North-Central.

    He equally performed impressively in Southern Kaduna although Atiku won that state in the presidential election with Tinubu coming a close second. But Obi’s votes in the electorally fertile North-East and North-West was negligible and with Tinubu’s victories in Benue, Kogi, Niger, Kwara in the North-Central, Obi lost to the President in the overall vote count in the zone. Just as Atiku won only two states in the South, Osun and Akwa-Ibom, Obi did not score up to 25% of the votes in any of the 19 states in the far North.

    Neither Obi nor Atiku could realistically have won a nationwide presidential election with their parochially skewed electoral support base.

    The performance of Obi and Atiku was unlike that of President Tinubu who won the highest number of votes in his native South-West, the North-Central and the North-West while coming a close second in the North-East which Atiku won and the South-South. It was only in the South-East that Tinubu performed abysmally, winning less than five per cent of the votes. Nobody can emerge winner in a presidential election in Nigeria without achieving an outright victory in at least three of the country’s six zones and scoring 25% of the votes in no less than two-thirds of the 36 states and the FCT.

    In his comments on the presidential election in an interview in South Africa, Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, stated emphatically that Peter Obi did not win the polls but came third and that the leaders of the LP were very much aware of this truth. What they were engaged in by loudly and ceaselessly proclaiming victory in an election they so obviously lost despite an unexpectedly impressive performance was what Soyinka called ‘Gbajue’ a Yoruba term for what he could rely on ‘the force of lies’.

    It would appear to me that in their unreasonable, irrational and anti-intellectual outbursts, the likes of Ezekwesili and Chimamanda are deploying what the Yoruba call ‘Ogboju’; an attempt to force a syrup of falsehood down the throats of a vast majority of Nigerians through sheer intimidation, harassment, threats, insults and absurd illogic. Their ethnically inspired diatribes detract from the stature of these women as enlightened, cosmopolitan and intellectually honest members of the professional elite. This attitude and disposition diminishes their Igbo ethnic group and makes the path to their much desired Igbo presidency in the near future a Herculean task.

  • Who cursed Nigeria’s sports?

    Who cursed Nigeria’s sports?

    The things other countries seamlessly do with their national soccer teams, Nigeria’s administrators mostly bungle. Such flaws make us a laughing stock in the comity of football nations. The Moroccans were at the Women’s World Cupthat was  co-staged by Australia and New Zealand and didn’t flinch, at the chance, to hire the coach who led the Spanish girls to win the Women’s World Cup.

    Spain’s squad was enmeshed in crises that prompted a few of their top stars to opt out of the team owing to their relationship with the coach. The trouble boiled over with the infamous kiss in which the  Spain’s FA President and a player were involved. Not forgetting the players’ mutiny against the coach.

    The English had issues with their FA over their entitlements. They didn’t allow that to dovetail into a controversy as we usually do in Nigeria. One of the African nations to the Australia and New Zealand Women’s World Cup fiesta, Zambia, accused their head coach of sexually assaulting  some   girls, who were  ready to spill the beans. They, however, managed the offensive and shameful act inside their camp. Thus, allowing the coach to do his job.

    It is close to two months after the Women’s World Cup, and Nigeria is still burdened by the ripples associated with the female Mundial that culminated in Super Falcons players and their Nigerian assistant coaches arriving in Addis Ababa, while  their American coach, Randy Waldrum, was  unavailable. Prior to this incident, this writer had written in Monday’s edition of Sportinglife that Waldrum had dumped the Nigeria’s job to face his university assignment. 

    It is quite disturbing that a nation  of over 200 million people could employ a coach on part time basis. This development beats this writer hollow just as it brings odium on Nigeria as a sovereign nation. In fact, what Waldrum did, by not showing up in Ethiopia, is a slap on our faces and such should never happen again. We may not have forgotten how Waldrum literarily labelled the Glasshouse chieftains as crooks asking that they should explain how they disbursed FIFA’s $960,000 given to all the participating countries at the last FIFA Women’s World Cup co-hosted by New Zealand and Australia.

    Waldrum made NFF men his drumsticks, which caused a stir each time he remembered his unpaid wages, which mostly run into seven months. The NFF vs Waldrum brickbats from deep inside the dingy gutter splashed their contents on the Super Falcons, who suddenly remembered the federation’s failed promises to pay their entitlements and outstanding match-winning bonuses. What a country. All these allegations and counterclaims litter the media with people offering suggestions to settle the issues raised.

    By sheer providence, Waldrum was allowed to handle the Supper Falcons at the World Cup with the coach fighting his Nigerian assistants much to the consternation of his employers. Somehow, Waldrum agreed to work with another Nigerian, whose inclusion in the squad changed the team’s playing records of seven consecutive losses to one that had a new dawn in fortunes, recording six wins, two draw games and two losses in ten games. You would think that the Nigerian would be the ultimate choice whenever Waldrum returns with his tantrums.

    Not so with NFF, who are specialists in swallowing their vomit with relish as they went back to offer Waldrum, another part-time contract. Not to be fooled again by employers, who claimedto be incompetent and only needed Nigeria’s appearance at the last World Cup to enrich his Curriculum Vitae (CV) as a coach, Waldrum shocked NFF when he told them that he could only honour one of the two-legged games against Ethiopia in Addis Ababa and in Abuja both in the month of October. Wkadrum misinformed his employers that he had pressing family issues, whereas he needed to prepare his University of Pittsburgh Panthers women’s side for a crucial game slated for October 27.

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    All efforts to get Waldrum to be with the squad in Ethiopia failed even when the American has a subsisting contract which ends on October 31. In the course of persuading Waldrum to handle the two-legged ties, the NFF chiefs in their wisdom told him that his contract would be signed before the game in Abuja. Sadly, the part-time coach with Nigeria opted to honour his permanent employers, the  University of Pittsburgh Panthers with his presence and technical savvy for the October 27 cracker holding in America. Who won’t do that if left in the manager’s position?

    Sometimes, it is difficult to understand how those who run our football arrive at their decisions. Otherwise, how could the federation think of offering Waldrum another contract in spite of all he said to ridicule the NFF members? The American coach knows who his real employer is and sticks to the tenets of the contract he signed with them unlike with Nigeria where he is a part-time coach. Isn’t Nigeria too big to recruit a part-time coach for the Super Falcons given the team’s pedigree in the women’s game?

    Granted, the Super Falcons did well at the Women’s World Cup, but Waldrum’s attitude before the competition left much to be desired. I thought the NFF members would have emulated the Spanish, who sacked the FA President for an unwholesome attitude with one of their players on the podium during the gold medals presentation in Australia.

    The Spanish noticed that they were left with clay pot and rat setting in getting the female team back on the field except they dispensed with the services of the coach who won them the World Cup. They sacked the World Cup-winning coach and began to speak with the girls, especially those  who opted out of the squad, owing to the presence of the sacked head coach. Sapin’s loss has become Morocco’s gain. The sacked coach is now in Africa. I hope we won’t be shocked when the Moroccans become the dominant nation in Africa in women’s football. Who cursed Nigeria, please?

    Worried about the imminent slide in the women’s game in Nigeria going by the botched attempt to retain Waldrum, I sought the views of a former staff of the NFF, Dr Christian Emeruwa, who vied for the position as the federation’s President, but lost to the incumbent, Ibrahim Gusau, on the reason the federation opted to keep Waldrum in the mid of many domestic coaches and ex-internationals.

    Dr Christian Emeruwa, Head of the Safety and Security Department of CAF  revealed via WhatsApp on Thursday night from Cairo that: ”Coaching like any other discipline is not restricted by location or boundary we have some Nigerians that have done their bit and still doing so abroad some have coached clubs and others national teams. But I do not understand why some people feel that coaching our national team is a birthright when it is clear that they have nothing more to offer. A lot only have the national team coaching job as a reference. For these groups, I have no respect.

    ”There are also the idealist proponents that are advocating  national team A coaching job to be given to ex-Internationals, most of whom do not have enough experience and some who have not even trained in the act, but forced into the technical crew, using the reference of their playing days as a criteria. I believe that Nigeria needs to do more in the development of coaches’ capacity and to position them for opportunities even outside the shores of Nigeria. But this can only happen if such coaches are seen doing well with clubs and teams from Nigeria first.

    ”Sports administration respects the principle of appointing qualified personnel to positions if only we can accept to implement this and make positions competitive. Then we should expect the best out of our coaching crew at all levels. Another thing I have noticed in Nigeria sports circles is that most occupants of sports key positions only speak of what needs to be done when they are out of the office, but never when they are in office, “Dr Emeruwa wrote.

    Could this be the principle of not talking while eating or simply the ability to see clearer and reason better once out of the driver’s seat, dear reader? You tell me, please.

  • Barbara Soky: How I survived challenges that come with fame

    Barbara Soky: How I survived challenges that come with fame

    It is exactly 30 years since one of Nigeria’s most sensational and celebrated TV soaps, Ripples, was rested. And one of the most glamorous and charismatic actresses on that show, Barbara Soky, has resurfaced after vanishing from the theatre scene for three decades. She speaks with Edozie Udeze about her odyssey and what she has chosen to do afresh now that she is back.

    In the late 1980s and well into the mid-1990s, there were but a few dazzling television shows that held Nigerian viewers spellbound. And there were also some actors and actresses who made those programmes delightful to teeming Nigerian viewers. Some of those soap operas were created essentially to keep Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) channels busy for the sake of promoting local contents. From The Village Headmaster, The New Masquerade and Tales by Moonlight to Inside-out and later Ripples, Nigerian artistes proved that acting was one of the best ways to keep the home together at TV prime times and hours.

    For some, the TV soap series called Ripples was one of those favourite programmes on NTA during those years. One of its most notable characters, one who interpreted her role with unbridled professional dexterity was Barbara Soky. An amazing and delectable lady of the tube, Barbara Soky used her role not only for effect but to attract attention to herself. She was indeed an enviable personality. She carried herself well on TV. She demonstrated to the full what is described in theatre parlance as being in character. In and out she was always in character, bristling in her role.

    But as soon as the soap was rested, she disappeared from the theatre scene entirely. Many who were aware and conscious of her professional antecedents began to wonder what went amiss. Even as the Nollyhood industry opened in earnest and began to blossom, Soky was yet nowhere to be found. Then when some of her old colleagues in the rested soaps like Insisde-out, Mirror in the Sun and Ripples started featuring in some Nigerian movies, Soky remained incommunicado.However, last week, at the National Theatre, Lagos, within the precincts of the National Troupe of Nigeria, this reporter chanced in on her. She sat quietly inside the hall while the rehearsals for the play called Fajuyi went on. She sat completely glued to the activities and movements of the artistes. You could see those serious and professional eyes of a keen and committed artiste. She smiled and grinned. Perhaps she was happy to be back; to join the train, this time, on stage.

    It took the intervention of Professor Ojo Bakare, who was directing the rehearsals, for the reporter to duly recognise her. But she smiled immediately, showing that impeccable showbiz posture of an artiste. Wearing a low cut hairstyle with her facial make-up still alluring, Soky agreed to grant a few minutes interview.

    Ironically, she was the first to ask the first question. “What do you want to know?” she asked. As she said so, her impulse rose as her quizzical gaze travelled well into time, probing. That usual effusive smile appeared on her lips.

    “Where have you been all these years?” was the question put to her.

    ‘No, I didn’t disappear. I just took a break. You see, I am not going to talk much.” Again that piercing voice that projected her far ahead of others boomed with authority. Her eyes glittered as if delivering one of her lines.

    “Okay, my career, right? Yes, Ripples is back now. We did a remix of Ripples. It is now showing on African Magic. This is happening after 30 years. Okay, you know when we started, Daphne Cole was a Barrister. But now she is a SAN. So that’s where we are. That is it for now.

    Read Also: Mutiu Are hails Tinubu’s Supreme Court victory

    “Ripples was a big break as it were. Like I said, I think it is a feat, you know. It is quite large, you know. This is the first time in Nigeria you have a series come back after 30 years, I suppose. So it is showing now on African Magic on Wednesdays for 9pm and on Saturdays for 5:30am.”

    But what did the break give you? What did you learn anew? The reporter asked. “Well, it was just personal. I just needed it for my own good, for my own sanity. I think it is worth it, yes. But I am passionate about theatre. And I think it is that passion that has been keeping me really. Anything I do, I am passionate about it.

    “When it comes to theatre, when it comes to acting, I am passionate about it. I give it all I have, all I am, the whole of me. Yes, theatre is in me.

    “Sometimes I wonder if it is worth it because financially I really have not made big bucks as it were, as I should. Yet the passion keeps me going, you know. I am just happy to be alive and healthy.

    And what was it like while she was busy ‘rippling’ Nigerians (laughs)?

    “Oh, well, even before then, there was Mirror in the Sun, there was Inside-out. I featured in Inside-out. That was in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. When we started, it was NTV and not NTA as it is today.

    “So before Mirror in the Sun, in those areas like Benin, Aba, Port Harcourt, Warri, there was Inside-out. And in-between it, I did one other before we came to Lagos to do Mirror in the Sun, then other series and movies in-between.

    “Yes, being in the limelight has never been easy. Locally and internationally, it has not been easy. There has been a lot of pressure particularly when one is young and beautiful.

    “And if you don’t have grace and mercy, a lot of people have gone the wrong path. A lot of people have died of depression and frustration. A lot of people are no more in the picture due to all these.

    “Abroad it is different and here in Nigeria it is different also. A lot of people will come to you with different motives and intentions. So if you are not properly managed or if you do not manage yourself well and properly, it could be disastrous.”

    She went on: “But I thank God that somehow I survived the hurdles, the challenges that come with fame and popularity. I am a living witness. To God’s mercy and grace… in fact, I am a product of mercy and grace.

    “There were lots of challenges. Some have been very tough. But like I said, I know and I love my job. And again I guess there was a connection between me and the grace God has for me. I am just a woman working and trying to make a living. So there have been good times and bad times, you know.

    “Yes I am part of this Fajuyi production,” she replied to a question, immediately blinking her eyes. For one thing, Barbara’s voice is powerful, it penetrates; it registers. It is unmistakable, always evoking lots and lots of administration each time she pronounces a word and projects her message.

    “Yes, by the time Prof. comes back on Monday, I will know the very role I will play in the production. But for now, I think I will pair with Shodimu. I have done stage before at the National Theatre with the late Chief Rasheed Gbadamosi. So stage is not new to me. 

    “Yes, stage will now make me bubble. I am looking forward to it. Theatre is lovely; it is life because it is one-on-one. But TV it has to go on for editing. But on stage you can’t afford to mess up.”

    What then would she tell younger artistes?

    “Oh, they need to be encouraged. I was once young. They should know that life happens. Life is not always all about fame and stardom. They should know that life is real. It might not be as they want it because every young girl or boy looks forward to making it fast or, in their language, to blow.

    “But me as a parent I just wish them well, want them to be guided physically and spiritually. So let them come to terms with the realities of life. Most importantly also, to guide themselves against bad company.

    “You see, wrong association is the worst thing that can happen to anyone. I don’t even wish it for my worst enemy. Some of us have made the mistake of associating with wrong people. But God pulled us out. I am one of those people God pulled out.

    “Let young people learn from the experiences around them. What I do these days when I meet young people is to mentor them, advise them.

    “The words of our elders are always words of wisdom. There are lots of evil out there. These days some young ones try to influence themselves or even allow others to influence them wrongly. But in all these, young people have to take it easy while also trying to be careful.”

  • These Nigerian students built low-cost device to clean petrol-polluted water

    These Nigerian students built low-cost device to clean petrol-polluted water

    By Omolola Afolabi

    Nigerian students, Ayomide Obikoya and Kehinde Ajasa were just teenagers when they designed an experiment that got the attention of the organizers of the Stockholm Junior Water Prize.

    The teenagers, who were students of Jakande Estate High School, Lagos,  said the oil pollution in the district where their school is located inspired them to develop the water purifying system.

    Many underground water sources such as wells and boreholes in estates in Jakande and surrounding areas in Baruwa have been polluted by oil for decades. Residents and scientists have traced the problem to petrol leaks that happened in the 90s after vandals attacked oil pipelines located in a section of the community.

    Residents say the water contamination has affected their health.

    “We discovered that our classmates who lived in the area had to miss school because they contracted diseases and skin infections from the contaminated water,” Ajasa said.

    “Some of our teachers’ cars also had the paint peeling off due to constant washing with petroleum-polluted water,” he added.

    Ajasa said their science teacher encouraged them to put in their water purification chamber for the Stockholm Junior Water Prize.

    “Time constraints proved a big challenge as we had to juggle our regular schoolwork with laboratory experiments for about six hours daily,” Ajasa said.

    He noted that although they started with 10 students, some abandoned it along the way as they could not cope with the stress.

    He recalled that the team also needed a lot of guidance on the experiments as they were only taught theories in their previous classes but never practised them.

    “During the first stage of the experiment, after several hours of rigorous tests with moringa leaves, we discovered that it was moringa seeds, not the leaves that could remove microorganisms from the contaminated water,” Obikoya said.

    Obikoya said they were running low on cash to replace raw materials like activated charcoal, the purifying apparatus.

    Potable water in Lagos and Nigeria is a challenge.

    The water contamination in parts of Jakande and Baruwa mirrors the challenge of resident’s access to safe drinking water. According to UNICEF, about one-third, representing over 133 million people in Nigeria drink from contaminated water sources.

    The Experiment

    The students told The Nation that their school laboratory was poorly- equipped, and they had to build the purification apparatus at a neighbourhood carpenter’s workshop.

    “Although the final result appeared clean, it was still very polluted because we tested it with blue and red litmus paper (the most basic test) and discovered that the water was still not drinkable,” Ajasa explained.

    “We needed more than a litmus paper test to confirm it was pure”

    He told The Nation that a lecturer at the University of Lagos helped them verify their results.

    “Afterwards, the result came out with a pH of 7.1 or 7.2. We had to continually test and go back to UniLag. The university was accessible to us only because of our contact there, this is also the reason we were not asked to pay,”

    “The final step after this was distillation,” he said.

    Distillation is used to remove microorganisms and ensure that the water is safe for use. It was also difficult to get a distiller.

    “Our school had a distiller but it wasn’t working,” said Obikoya.

    Read Also: Witness claims Fayose lavished FG’s N1.2bn on property, others

    She added that the school’s electricity voltage was too low to power the distiller, so they had to build one with the help of a welder with recycled materials like aluminium.

    “It was however not a perfect distiller as the feature that converts vapour to liquid was not present,” said Obikoya.

    They improvised with an ice block to condense the vapour to water – a very slow and tedious process.

    How The Project Can Help Baruwa

    The students said their Natrifier can be made into smaller containers to help Baruwa residents filter their water on the go.

    “We thought that if phones could be made mobile, then we could imitate that to create a mobile filtration apparatus,” Ajasa said.

    “This would serve the entire Baruwa,” Obikoya added.

    They would have it replaced at it every four months.

    The student’s project is a temporary succour for Baruwa and its residents. The community yearns for a permanent solution to its water problem.

    Seeking Intervention for Two Decades

    James Oyewole, 85  said residents in Baruwa and Jakande environs have been writing to both Lagos and federal government officials to intervene and provide water for the community for more than 20 years.

    “NNPC eventually provided a borehole in 2002 but the community has never put this into use”, recalls Oyewole. He noted that the borehole was installed without a treatment unit.

    “The treatment plan comes with a borehole installation to ensure water coming from the underground water table gets completely purified before it comes out of the taps”

    He recalled that although the PPMC rose to the occasion of the oil leaks at its first detection in the late 90’s, there had been no changes.

    “After their intervention, the vandalised pipelines stopped leaking but the damage has been done as several barrels of oil has gone into the ground”

    Oyewole says the Petroleum Products Marketers Corporation has been very unresponsive for a long time and that after several promises, it’s been years since any effort has been made to help restore potable water to Baruwa.

    After several calls and emails to the corporation and the agency, the reporter also didn’t get a response.

    Oyewole said the contamination is spreading as residents from neighbouring estates have reported to him that water from their well smells of petrol.

    He noted that the Lagos State Water Corporation intervened by giving the community water for a couple of years, afterwards they stopped.

    “We contacted Lagos State Water Corporation. We took the samples to the corporation. They examined it and confirmed the pollution was caused by the PMS product of PPMC,” Oyewole said.

    “Everything is now at a standstill. Everyone is now unbothered, there has been no feedback from the government institutions we contacted”, he says.

    “Purification of the water is one of the ways to tackle this problem. Creating a system in which residents around the area will be able to afford portable water through the use of natural resources,” Obikoya said.

    The students know their experiment is a temporary fix. They hope someday, clean water will run through Baruwa and that their experiment will inspire other students to find solutions to their communities’ challenges.

    “The Mobile Natrifier we have created will fix these gaps by empowering families to purify their water on their own using the mobile water flask system. (Natrifier),” Obikoya emphasized.

  • ‘Why bandits, kidnappers, illegal miners are biggest threats to solid mineral sector’

    ‘Why bandits, kidnappers, illegal miners are biggest threats to solid mineral sector’

    The quest by the federal government to diversify national economy through exploration of solid mineral resources is becoming a mirage as bandits have taken over the mining sites. A miner, Daniel John Baraya, spoke with Kolade Adeyemi in Jos about the activities of saboteurs in the sector. 

    AS a miner, do you think the federal government is serious about its avowed plan to exploit solid minerals as alternative to crude oil?

    The federal government is serious, but there are lots of problems sabotaging government policy on economic diversification. Indeed, government has a realisable dream, but they need to go the extra mile to bring that dream into reality.

    What exactly does it need to do?

    One is in the area of security and amendment of the Act on mining. In all the sectors of the national economy, it is mining that suffers the most because it is not done in cities but inside the bush, and the base of bandits is in the forest just like farming, especially in the 19 northern states. Bandits stay in the bush, and our business is also in the bush. So we found that we lost a lot of people who needed to go there for their daily income but fell victim to the activities of bandits. These bandits have grown so strong and formidable that they are now demanding and collecting royalties and basically exploiting legitimate mining companies. It is either you pay or you will not operate. So most people just quietly leave, and the bandits take over the sites. Now, lots of mining sites have been fully occupied by bandits. So, the government really needs to do something about that so that you can go into the bush, do your business and come back safely.

    The most pernicious part of it is that they brought kidnapping into the whole mix. If by chance they catch anybody and realise that the person is a miner, they feel that they have hit a goldmine. If that avenue is locked up because of insecurity, it means that investment is gone. So, if the government is serious about it and they want investment in the sector, they have to do something about it.

    The second issue sabotaging government interest in solid mineral is illegal mining. Illegal mining obviously disturbs both the government and even the operators. You spend a lot of money securing the site during exploration, prospecting and identifying a mineral. The moment you get to a point where you are supposed to actually start enjoying the benefits, illegal miners will flood into the place, sometimes with the backing of the traditional rulers. Now you find it challenging to actually evict them because you cannot muster the kind of resources required to get the law enforcement people into the place. And even if you do, some of those places are very challenging by nature. Mining is not done in cities but in the bushes, so you can’t say you are going to the police station to report. How many police people will follow you into the bush? So we are hoping that the government will really look seriously into the issue of illegal mining and make sure that at least there are mechanisms in place to make sure that it does not even happen in the first place.

    The third issue is that of Minerals and Mining Act of 2007. That Act needs to be reviewed if the federal government is to realise her dream in economic diversification through mining. Our experiences as miners have shown that the provisions of that Act are not enough with the modern realities on the ground. The Act is not capturing the actual operational problems that we are facing. I will give you an example. You can go to a place and identify a mineral and you are expected to start exploration. Now, when you do that, you’re supposed to go and file an application with the ministry. But before they give you any licence, they will expect you to go to the community and obtain their consent; which is good. Now, the problem with that is who is in the community? Sometimes there is a landowner who farms on the land or does activities on the land. It is his land. Maybe through history and tradition, it becomes his land. And then there are traditional rulers.

    Now, there is always a problem. If you collect the consent of that land owner and take it to the ministry tomorrow, somebody will come up and say he is the paramount ruler in the community; he has not given you any consent. And the law, as it states, is that you seek consent from the landowners. Now, on the basis of the paramount rulers’ complaint, your licence gets revoked, and the law does not recognise that. So, what we are saying is that one of the key areas that they can help us with is clarifying this point and making it okay. If we are going to seek consent from the community, from whom, and which one will protect our interests? If they say we are to work with the traditional institutions, fine. That means nobody can come tomorrow and say, I’m a landowner, it’s my father’s land, and I did not give you consent.

    If they also say we should work with the landowners, fine. We will work with that. Nobody would come and write a petition tomorrow and say I am the chief, so I should have a say in the matter. Once that is clarified, it helps and makes it easier. Also, we know what we are doing. And the ministry should take a very strong stand to make sure that this issue is clearly spelt out for the operators to understand so that our business can move forward.

    Having identified the challenges, what do you think is the way out?

    One, the federal government needs to get more serious with her dream on the solid mineral sector. It is not just enough to issue mining licence; the federal government should be more interested if the miners are on site. And if the miners are not on site, find out the problems and address them. Does government need to come to the aid of the miners? There are enough to mine in this country. We have only been scratching the surface so far, and we have been doing that mostly without government support. Now that the government has decided to come in and support us, it’s a good thing. It’s a welcome development. Our only prayer is that they will touch those areas that are really the main choke points that are disturbing the industry. The pronouncements so far that the government has been making are very encouraging. And the area we hope that they will focus on is number one: the regulatory environment. That is the main problem holding this industry back.

    Read Also: Mutiu Are hails Tinubu’s Supreme Court victory

    Is it true that state governments are also frustrating activities of miners in their various states?

    In some states, there is controversy over who controls mining between the state and the federal governments, and this is somehow unhealthy for the development of the industry. And that was why I talked about the mining Act. The confusion between the role of the federal government and the role of the state governments is a source of concern to most of us in the industry. This current Act has not addressed that.

    Now, you are all aware that some state governors have taken it upon themselves to ban mining in their states, which, to the best of our knowledge, is on the exclusive list of the federal government. They have no business doing any of that. But they are doing it and so far, nothing has been done to stop it or to challenge it. So, it confuses everybody in the industry. We are here, we know that we identify these minerals, we go to the ministry to apply, and they give us a licence. We wake up one day and discover that our investment in billions is being put on hold, banned or challenged by the state government.

    If government is considering changing the laws to allow participation by the state government, what is expected is that they will give us some advanced information so that in our planning we will take into consideration the effect of state government participation. But that is not the case; you will find out about a project that has been going on for years, and one day somebody will wake up and make a pronouncement, saying I’ve banned mining activity within my domain for some reasons.

    For the industry to move forward there has to be a strong action on the part of the federal government. They either involve the state governments and work together with them, and let us know that now that things have changed, we have to work with the state government, or they will clarify these things as clearly as possible to all the players so that we know who we are dealing with.

    The industry is no doubt capital-intensive. What do you think government can do to motivate investors in this regard?

     I told you that we have barely scratched the surface in Nigeria. Mining, as an industry, is a very big part of the economy of Nigeria, not because we don’t have the resources. The resources are there. We are blessed with mineral resources. Every state you can count on in this country has abundant mineral sources on the ground. Now, the challenge is that you need certain steps to move it from where it is on the ground to where it is useful.

    For instance, you say there is copper here. How do you prove it to that person? For instance, I see some signs that tell me there is copper, and I come to you. I want you to help me so that we can explore these resources. Well, how do I prove it to you? You see those other countries that have developed their industry, they have an entire value chain built around supporting this industry. We have people who are specialists in drilling a particular type of rock; we have specialists who have skills in aero magnetic service; and we have people who are skilled in interpreting data. Once you collect the data, you have specialists, and you have specialist labs. Now, if you pick a sample, to get an accurate and recognised sample that is ISO recognised, you have to send it to South Africa and other places. We don’t have that in Nigeria.

    So, one of the critical things that we have to do is get our industry to the level of South Africa, Australia, and Canada in terms of infrastructure. I am talking about assay labs, building the manpower and the skill level that are required in our geologists and mining engineers to be able to come up with reports that you can take outside of this country, and they will agree.

    If the mining sector is properly positioned in Nigeria, how much do you think it can fetch Nigeria in terms of revenue?

    Well, I give you an example of Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton. The average capital market capitalization of one or two of those averages is about $200 billion, $100 billion, or $150 billion. Now, if you convert that and compare, which company in Nigeria has that kind of market capitalization? None. If you add all the companies in Nigeria, they are not up to half of that. So that will give you an idea of what mining is about. We have these resources. For instance, if you discover an iron ore site that has a billon on the ground, that will give you an idea of the effect mining will have on our economy.

  • Tinubu, Atiku, Obi: What next after judgment?

    Tinubu, Atiku, Obi: What next after judgment?

    Nigeria is bigger than President Bola Tinubu and his rivals in the last presidential election, Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Peter Obi of the Labour Party(LP).

    The trio vied for the highest office in the land because the country existed. Therefore, patriotism demands that the winner and his opponents should continue to hold the Nigerian Project very dear.

    The election has been won and lost. That is the reality. The judgment of the Supreme Court has drawn the curtains on that epoch. It is final. The appropriate lessons should also be learned by stakeholders. But, in summary, the winners are Nigeria and democracy.

    The leaders who approached the court with their claims and prayers have made contributions to national development in an unexpected way. The judgments of the presidential tribunal and Supreme Court have enriched the country’s jurisprudence. Lawyers, jurists, politicians, law students and other Nigerians are now in a vantage position to better appreciate certain constitutional interpretations and the sanctity of the constitution as the regulator of political behaviour.

    Power has not landed on the palm of President Tinubu on a platter of gold. He struggled for political control and succeeded where some people had failed. But, the acquisition of power is only meaningful if it is used to cater for the welfare and happiness of the greater number of citizens.

    The president is expected to deploy power with humility, be firm and decisive and allow the interest of Nigerians to shape his policy directions.

    In Nigeria, people suffer in the midst of plenty. For a president who is committed to change and improvement in the life of the people, it cannot be business as usual. In particular, there is greater expectation that Tinubu, an activist, humanist and friends of the masses, will preside over a government that will reposition the country for excellence, and in the interest of the ordinary people.

    The ruling party should now ensure that the government it had midwifed stays on course in the implementation of the ‘Renewed Hope Agenda.’

    It is a self-imposed burden. Many APC stalwarts pride themselves as “progressives” and “welfarists.” Should they not make a difference to justify their public perception?

    Neither should the opposition be dormant by the current disappointment. The beauty of democracy is that there is room for the opposition to thrive. Therefore, both the PDP and LP should not go into slumber. Other smaller parties that have not been de-registered should aspire to grow. They should cease to be surrogates to bigger platforms. Their responsibility is to keep watch over government activities, offer constructive criticisms and provide alternative solutions to pressing socio-economic challenges.

    For President Tinubu, there is relief. For APC, the nightmare may be over. But, Nigerians, it must be noted, expect the dividends of democracy to flow without further restrictions or inhibitions. Five months after the inauguration of the Tinubu government, and after exercising patience for a reasonable period, the people deserves a new lease of life.

    The president has described his victory at the apex court as an impetus for hardwork, a sort of energiser. More importantly, there is no further distraction arising from the litigations. As the president put it, “the court has put a stop to shenanigans, innuendos, lies and trials in the media. The court has demonstrated a strong commitment to the rule of law and justice. We will use the strength of our diversity to build a great country.”

    Read Also: Why we created 137 standing committees, by House

    Noting that he had started tackling the challenges of development since his swearing in, President Tinubu acknowledged the need for his administration to work harder.

    The historic poll has polarised the country. Nigeria became more divided along ethnic and religious lines. There is need for national healing. The president, conscious of the imperative of national unity, said:”We are members of the same family, living in the same house, but in different rooms.  We need a change of mindset for the sake of our country,  our children and grandchildren.”

    The Big Three-President Tinubu, Atiku and Obi-actually did well in the election by polling over eight million, seven million and six million votes respectively. The implication is that they are leaders, who cannot be dismissed with the wave of the hand. Remarkably, President Tinubu has waved the olive branch, Atiku and Obi should, as venerable opposition leaders and statesmen, invest more in democracy and popular rule through their invaluable ideas and reiteration of support for nation-building.

    The opposition is at liberty to sharpen its arrows. Bit, it should be within the bound of reason and logic. If any action embarked upon by political parties outside government is only meant to uncritically divert government’s attention and not for upholding the national interest, then, it is counter-productive.

    Opposition in democracy should not be a blind enterprise. They should embrace the ethics of moderation in complex times which advocates that a sensible balance should be maintained in all pursuits.

    One of the areas requiring their contributions is electoral reform. If the sanctity of the ballot box is to be guaranteed, doubts and reservations about some mistakes of the umpire, which are usually blown out of proportion, should be resolved. Nigerians are very emotional about election and they can only respond to the electoral process if there is substantial assurance that their vote will count.

    Opposition leaders who know their onions can propose.electoral reform bills to the parliament if they intend to add value to the electoral system.Then, the culture of do-or-die during electioneering should give way. Political desperation is not a mark of maturity. In addition, the political class should demonstrate confidence in the court, which is the final arbiter in political dispute.

    Recent developments have brought to the front burner the place of social media in electoral democracy. Social media has become a divisive and destabilising tool in the hands of politicians bent on tormenting opponents through outright misinformation, falsehood, campaign of calumny, and character assassination.

    Social media terrorism was in vogue during the last election. Opinion is divided on whether it should be regulated or not. An unscrupulous element, hiding in the corner of his room, can create tension and wreck havoc on the country through some kind of dubious postings or portrayals.

    Is there something to learn from other climes? The technolog is not a native of Nigeria. It was imported. But, it has come to stay. Its advantages are enormous. In a speed of lightning, information is disseminated worldwide. Also, within some minutes, mankind can be thrown into panic and tribulation.  A whole country can be enveloped in anxiety or fear through avoidable fabrication. Should Nigeria not copy how social media is operated and used for development in advanced countries? How can Nigeria stem or halt social media abuse or misuse?

    It should however, be borne in mind that government’s activities which do not resonate with the people would spark reactions. It opens the door to social media miscreants to sensationalise them exergerrate their impact on the society.

    The reward for voting is performance, which is measured by some parameters. Now that President Tinubu has resolved to work harder, it is expected that the administration will commence a speedy implementation of its people-oriented policies and programmes.

    The effects of the renewed hope agenda implementation should be felt in two critical areas of stable electricity and uninterrupted fuel supply for domestic consumption. The informal sector will thrive if power is stable. Also, if refineries are up other feet, and not on their knees, Nigerians will be liberated from the current quagmire.

    If these two are fixed, Nigerians will heave a sigh of relief.

    The greatest achievement of President Tinubu should be the resolution of the national question. Nigeria should be restructured to foster ‘true’ federalism.

  • German Chancellor Scholz meets Tinubu tomorrow

    German Chancellor Scholz meets Tinubu tomorrow

    … development organization sets agenda for Chancellor 

    German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, is expected in Nigeria on a two-day working visit, The Nation has learnt.

    Scholz is scheduled to be in Nigeria from October 29-30.

    While in Nigeria, the German Chancellor will meet with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and ECOWAS Commission President, Dr. Omar Alieu Touray according to his itinerary made available by the German Embassy in Abuja.

    Besides, the Chancellor is also expected to visit Lagos to open a Nigeria-German Business Conference organised by the Nigerian-German Chamber of Commerce.

    He will also interface with representatives of civil society as well as with Nigerian start-up entrepreneurs.

    With the delegation, Chancellor Scholz will take part in a tour of the city of Lagos to gain insights into the challenges and opportunities presented by a megacity such as Lagos.

    The German Embassy, in a statement to Diplomatic Correspondents in Abuja, said the visit is to strengthen the over 60 years bilateral relations between both countries.

    The statement reads in part: “The visit aims to strengthen bilateral relations between Germany and the Federal Republic of Nigeria. It is the first visit of a Head of Government to Nigeria since the inauguration of the new government.

    “With diplomatic relations spanning over 60 years, Germany and Nigeria have a warm and longstanding relationship. They are natural partners as both are the strongest economy and the most populous country on their respective continents.

    “This visit intends to accentuate Germany’s appreciation for the strong partnership over the years, and underlines the importance the German government places in Nigeria’s role in the region and globally.”

    Chancellor Scholz will be accompanied by a delegation of high-ranking German business people including CEOs of some of the highest-valued German companies, as well as by a cultural delegation.

     “This is because the visit is also geared at intensifying the relations in the economic and cultural sectors and exploring opportunities for investment in Nigeria,” the elated Embassy further explained.

    Ahead of Scholz’s visit to Nigeria and Ghana,a development organization, ONE, an international movement working to end extreme poverty and preventable diseases by 2030, has set an agenda for him as it appealed for the interlocutors not only to meet verbally on one-on-one basis, but to make concrete offers, saying that the chancellor should work to create incentives for investment in Africa and fill the much-vaunted “partnership at eye level” with life.

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    Stephan Exo-Kreischer, Director of ONE Germany, says: “Words alone are not enough. Scholz rightly emphasises that investments in Africa are synonymous with investments in our own future. However, the idea of ‘partnership at eye level’ must not be allowed to degenerate into a mere political phrase. For all too often, the major industrialised nations have let Africa down. No wonder many African countries are turning away from the West. It is time that partnership-based cooperation with African states was not just mentioned in Sunday speeches but backed up with concrete action. This also includes the fact that Africa urgently needs increased and improved development financing. Africa definitely needs to be heard more than it has been so far. Investing in Africa is also investing in our own future.

    Speaking from the same perspective, Stanley Achonu, Director of ONE Nigeria, calls on Chancellor Olaf Scholz to advocate for development financing and greater African representation, saying “Chancellor Scholz spoke out in favour of the African Union’s inclusion in the G20, which has just happened.

    He added “But that is notf enough, Africa must also be represented in financial institutions. In essence, Africa’s progress hinges on access to equitable and affordable investments that foster the development of homegrown solutions to both local and global challenges. Moreover, African nations must be included in global decision-making bodies on issues that impact them, thereby granting them control over their own destinies. The chancellor should clearly show his leadership on these issues by actively listening to the concerns of the countries of the global South and promptly translating them into concrete actions”.

    Still speaking in the same nexus, ONE urges Germany to fulfil its share of the $80 billion commitment announced by G7 Development Financial Institutions (DFIs) in 2021 to support economic growth in Africa while supporting the call for increased African representation in global decision-making bodies. Additionally, Germany should lead in championing the reform of Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs), advocating for greater flexibility, resolving unfair debt systems, and facilitating more accessible finance, potentially yielding over $1 trillion in funding.

    According to a statement posted on the website of the German Embassy in Nigeria on Friday, the leadership of the embassy said the visit aims to strengthen bilateral relations between Germany and the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

    The statement reads, “It is the first visit of a Head of Government to Nigeria since the inauguration of the new government. With diplomatic relations spanning over 60 years, Germany and Nigeria have a warm and longstanding relationship. They are natural partners as both are the strongest economy and the most populous country on their respective continents.

    “This visit intends to accentuate Germany’s appreciation for the strong partnership over the years and underlines the importance the German government places in Nigeria’s role in the region and globally.

    “While in the country, Chancellor Olaf Scholz will meet with His Excellency President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and ECOWAS Commission President, Dr. Omar Alieu Touray in Abuja. He will then proceed to Lagos where he will open a Nigeria-German Business Conference organized by the Nigerian-German Chamber of Commerce.

    “While in Lagos, he will interface with representatives of Nigerian civil society as well as with Nigerian start-up entrepreneurs. Along with the delegation, Chancellor Scholz will take part in a tour of the city of Lagos to gain insights into the challenges and opportunities presented by a megacity such as Lagos.

    “Chancellor Scholz will be accompanied by a delegation of high-ranking German business people including CEOs of some of the highest-valued German companies, as well as by a cultural delegation. This is because the visit is also geared at intensifying the relations in the economic and cultural sectors and exploring opportunities for investment in Nigeria.

    “The German Embassy in Nigeria is honoured to welcome Chancellor Scholz and looks forward to continuing to work on strengthening our important and warm bilateral relations.

    As gathered, ONE is an international movement working to end extreme poverty and preventable diseases by 2030, primarily for every person to live a life of dignity and opportunity. ONE, a non-partisan that is committed urging governments to do more in the fight against extreme poverty and preventable diseases, especially in Africa. ONE also helps citizens demand accountability from their governments

  • Europa League: Boniface stunner nominated for Goal of The Week

    Europa League: Boniface stunner nominated for Goal of The Week

    Super Eagles striker, Victor Okoh Boniface, has had his stunning strike against Qarabag FK nominated for the UEFA Europa League goal of the week, Soccernet.ng reports.

    The striker has enjoyed a great start to life in Leverkusen since joining from Union Saint-Gilloise, and is currently averaging over a goal contribution per game since signing for his new side.

    Alongside young German sensation, Florian Wirtz, Boniface caused all kinds of trouble for Qarabag’s defenders last night, scoring goals and getting involved in helping his teammates get on the scoresheet.

    Read Also: My plans for the future, by Osimhen

    The Nigerian had several chances to score, but his long range strike was the one that found the back of the net. A quick pass outside of the box by 20-year-old Wirtz found Boniface, who took his time to shoot the ball in the top corner, beyond the goalkeeper’s reach. A truly stunning goal!

    Elsewhere, West Ham’s Lucas Pacqueta goal was also nominated in his side’s loss last night. The Brazilian scored a volley from outside the box to equalize for West Ham, before an Angello Ogbona own goal cancelled his leveller.

  • Injured Osimhen back in Nigeria

    Injured Osimhen back in Nigeria

    Injured Nigeria’s Super Eagles forward Victor Osimhen has returned to Nigeria to continue his recovery, BSNSports.com.ng reports.

    The energetic attacker sustained the injury while representing the country in an international friendly game against Saudi Arabia in Portugal.

    According to the Italian football news outlet Corriere dello Sport, Osimhen travelled with the team to Germany for the UEFA Champions League but didn’t stay with the team instead he moved to Nigeria for personal reasons.

    Read Also: Hoopers dismantle Delta Force for third straight win

    “Victor Osimhen was traveling to Frankfurt but not to stay in Germany and obviously not to follow the team to Berlin as some had suspected after the images among the fans in Capodichino.

    The striker had flown to Frankfurt on Tuesday but to make a stop in Nigeria for personal reasons.

    “The attacker had already spoken about it with De Laurentiis. The trip was therefore planned,” the publication said.