The Nation Newspaper

Author: The Nation

‘World Dance Day elevates local dances’

Emmanuel Adejumo is a professional dancer, actor and choreography instructor. He is a member of the National Troupe of Nigeria where he doubles as a comedian and dancer. With his stage name as Boi Sala and as the son of legendary comedian, Baba Sala, he has come to make a name for himself. In this chat with EDOZIE UDEZE, he states why April 29th every year is important to all dancers globally and locally.

Emmanuel Adejumo who goes by the stage name Boi Sala is the son of one of Nigeria’s most popular and celebrated comedians Baba Sala. Emmanuel is also an artiste like his father. As a multi-talented artiste he is a professional dancer, dance choreographer, comedian and actor. He is a staffer of National Troupe of Nigeria where he started out as a dancer. Today he has risen to become one of its most visible actors and dance instructors.

Today he has gone all beyond that. He has made a name for himself. He is now a dance director and one of the prominent members of the Guild of Nigerian Dancers (GOND) where his role to ensure the steady growth of the guild is always noticeable and applauded. On April 29 which is the World Dance Day, he said, “All my life it has been dance, dance, dance galore. The WDD was established in April 1982 just to promote dance world over. It was established by the International Dance Council, and ambit of the United Nations. The purpose is to promote all the dance ideal and ingredients and then bring to prominent the people that give life to dance as a profession”.

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He went on: “Since then we have been celebrating it in Nigeria especially in states where we have organised dance groups and organizations. We celebrate World Dance Day every year in Nigeria. This year also we took time out to gather to celebrate it with pomp and pageantry. It was celebrated everywhere, in Ogun State, in Lagos State, in Oyo State, in Enugu, and even some students celebrated in their universities. Here, GOND Lagos State Chapter celebrated it in a big way. And that is how we have been doing it year in year out. The idea, for us, is to ensure that we draw attention to ourselves, to our profession and generally make ourselves happy”.

Emmanuel sees dance as a way of life. At all times and in every situation, he considers it one of the best form of theatre where one can easily fit in if you have both the interest and the ability to do so. “At University of Lagos, dance is made prominent in collaboration with the department of Creative Arts. Once in a while, it helps to bring out the best in our profession through some of the programmes they have enunciated. There this year, we performed all kinds of dances as part of the celebration. We had dance workshop where older dancers and professionals were invited to teach some of the younger ones some skills. There are new dance skills which the younger ones need to imbibe in order to grow in the profession. All these were taught them at the workshop at Unilag”, he said.

Also some elements of traditional dance patterns were taught to the people. Emmanuel himself comes from a family where traditional form of dance is most known. So at the workshop, he was one of those that handled traditional dance choreography. Traditional dance form appeals to so many people these days. But as an artiste, Emmanuel believes that Nigerian have since moved on to hip-hop dance form, and to other forms that also combine traditions to make broader statements. “Today we have different genres of dance where even Nigerian professionals have proved their worth. Sometimes too, some dancers in some states of federation use local dance patterns to build up different stories. In all, we have witnessed tremendous transformation of our dance styles and patterns up to the international arena”.

Beyond what Nigerian artistes have done with dance during the WDD celebrations, they have gone far into the international arena to prove that dance is a serious profession in the country. So far, the likes of Boi Sala have taken dance to almost all corners of the globe where the different patterns were displayed generously. Aside the roles being played by the National Troupe of Nigeria in this regard, Emmanuel and his colleagues always feel that traditional dance patterns when properly harnessed and projected can give Nigeria a deserved place of honour globally.

Hear him, “With the different dances we adopt from different states of Nigeria we can build stories that can make one Nigeria possible. Traditions appeal to people. Dances are used as a way of life. Dances also entertain the people and generally help people to relax. So why not use it as a medium to bring the people together to form unity, build hope and love across boundaries and borders? “ he asked blinking his eyes.

With dance “We can talk our own talk. We can tell our own story. We can also reach out to the outside world. And that is why the WDD is so precious to us here in Nigeria. Over the years, we have used the occasion to give awards to different dance groups and troupes. We have also used the occasion to discover new talents; talents we were able to nurture, promote and take to places. Yet we have equally borrowed some dance patterns to infuse into our own. That indeed is the nature of theatre, in fact, the nature of life generally where you can never exist as an island onto yourself”.

As a professional dance instructor, Emmanuel is vocal about how the profession can be made better. He said, “We have to embrace other genres of dance to move on ahead. It is more common here in Lagos to notice lots of infusions. It is just so because Lagos is a prominent place. It is a centre of excellence in terms cultural evolution and so on”. For him therefore, the role of Bata and Gbedu and other local drums cannot be over-emphasized.

“Gbedu has its own uniqueness”, he said shaking his head. “So also is Bata. These instruments often add greater impetus to our traditional patterns. They are so unique that wherever and whenever you hear the sound, you quickly react to their evocative rhythms… Emmanuel reasons that these sounds emanated from traditional shrines. “If you look closely, you discover that there is hardly any African traditional dance that was not originally attached to the shrine. That is where the beauty lies and you cannot take it away from the people”, he said moving his legs to the sounds of unseen spirits.

May 12, 2024
FOR HENRY CHAKAVA (1)

The Veteran Bookman from Vokoli who illuminated the world

with the rainbow of African letters

If this tribute took so long in coming

It is because your passing left me wordless

From a slow, unspeakable grief….

The hills left no hint

The roadside grass betrayed no whisper

The rain never told the roof

About your quiet, reluctant parting

Before we woke up that March morning

And discovered you had picked up the horsetail

And danced to the other side of the Great Mountain

Alas, Vokoli’s Veteran Bookman has gone

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Unfinished chapters ruffle the pages of our memory

“See you in Kenya again soon”

That was your pledge the last time we met

“It’s a long time now since you came our way

And the Kenyan rain has watered many new seeds:

New songs, new stories, new sciences in the laboratories

Of our thoughts and ideas; new modes in the magic of being

Come again and pick more petals from

Your “Flowers of the Rift Valley”

Multiply your marvel at the stunning majesty

Of the flamingoes, pink and proud.

Furrow through the fabulously fertile soil

Of Limuru, birthplace of the Storyteller

Whose tales traverse the world. Share another song

With Chavakali High where fledgeling stars groom

Their wings for rainbow skies

May 12, 2024
Odo Iragunshen community protests non-installation of Oba in ten years

•Appeals to Sanwo-Olu to wade into crisis

Residents and leaders of Odo Iragushen, a community in Eredo Local Council Development Area, Epe, Lagos State, on Friday staged a peaceful protest to demand expedited action on the appointment and installation of a new traditional ruler for the town.

The residents noted that the ancient town has had no monarch for more than 10 years, since the passing on of the former traditional ruler, Oba Olawale Olagoke Ogunsanya Aladegusen of Odoragusen

The protesters, who were led by the youth leaders of the community, argued that the lack of a traditional ruler in almost ten years, had impacted negatively on its development.

They appealed to the Lagos State government to ratify the community’s choice of new king in the person of Prince Tomiwa Odutuga.

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Youth leader in the community, Comrade Babatunde Moshood, who spoke on behalf of the residents, asked the government to consider the people’s choice and speed up the process of installing a new king for the community, stressing that any manipulation against people’s wishes may plunge the town into chaos.

He noted that all their effort on the matter had been truncated by the bigwigs in and outside the community, the two unrelenting contenders, who have further jeopardised the issue.

He noted that the community leaders and the youths, have, on several occasions, had meetings with the two contenders to allow peace to reign but none of them was ready to step down for the other.

Meanwhile the community, early last year, staged a peaceful protest to the Governor’s office, and State House of Assembly this year, where they presented petition letters to Governor babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, the commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs and other related ministries.

Last week, the people again staged another peaceful protest in the community, where they reiterated that they would not rest until the Lagos State government acceded to their wish.

Moshood stated that Prince Tomiwa Odutuga, who is the people’s choice, is a full-blooded indigene of Odo Iragbushi, who is well qualified in deed and contribution to the community.

May 12, 2024
The Nation man Alaka, others get chieftaincy titles

By Olusegun Rapheal

It was celebration of culture and journalism last Sunday May 5, 2024, as Alhaji Gboyega Jelil Alaka of The Nation Newspapers and his amiable wife, Blessing Barakat Alaka were honoured with the chieftaincy titles of Onigege Ara and Yeye Onigege Ara of Ishaga Akiniyi Kingdom in Ogun State.

According to the traditional ruler of Ishaga Akiniyi Kingdom, His Royal Eminence, Francis Femi Akiniyi, the Onigege Ara (Man with the wonder pen) title was in recognition of Alaka’s journalism exploits, which have seen him win several journalism awards across several categories of the Nigeria Media Merit Awards (NMMA), including the coveted Newspaper Reporter of the Year Award 2019 and Diamond Award for Media Excellence (DAME) UNICEF prize for Child-Friendly Reporting (2015), as well as his contributions towards the development of Ishaga Akiniyi Kingdom.

The honour for his wife, HME said, is “for a steadfast woman and strong pillar behind a successful man of the pen.”

Himself a graduate of English at the Obafemi Awolowo University,Ile- Ife, Akiniyi said, “It is high time the traditional institutions started honouring accomplished intellectuals among us, to celebrate them and to encourage them to do more.”

Gboyega Alaka is also the current chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalist (The Nation Chapel).

Also honoured were Elder (Barr.) Olugbenga Omiwole, who was conferred with the title of Baamofin of Ishaga Akiniyi Kingdom, alongside his beautiful wife, Engr (Dns) Foluke Oluwakemi Omiwole, who got the title of Yeye Baamofin.

Omiwole is an accomplished legal luminary and founder of Omiwole & Omiwole (Orayinka Chambers) with offices in Ile-Ife, Lagos and Abuja.

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Mrs Yetunde Teleola Oladapo, an Assistant Director, Admin/Human Resources in the Lagos State Ministry of Environment and Water Resources, was conferred with title of Yeye Arilesoro of Ishaga Akiniyi Kingdom.

Chief Mrs Oladapo holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the Obafemi Awolowo University. She is also a member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria and a member of the Association of Human Resources Practitioners of Nigeria.

Also honored were Kolawole Emmanuel Ogunlewe, a real estate practitioner who was honoured with the title of Maiyegun.

HME Akiniyi also recently honoured the Zambian Ambassador to Nigeria, Adama Njie, with the title of Borokini, while businessman, Olatunde Thomas Oni was honoured with the title of Aare Akinmoyela.

May 12, 2024
Quiet revolution in the North, but vacillations on banditry

Whether the country pays attention or not, a quiet revolution in leadership is slowly but surely afoot in the North. Far more than the South, a few but noticeable crop of intelligent and bold leaders have taken political office and are hungry for change, development and legacy largely unencumbered by religious and ethnic bigotry, or any kind of prejudices that conflict with their cosmopolitan make-up and worldview. That quiet revolution is happening in Niger State with Mohammed Bago, is evident in Borno State with Babagana Zulum, and is also taking root in both Katsina with Dikko Radda and Kaduna State with Uba Sani. In a few more months, it will be clear whether the revolution should be lauded.

Today, however, it is time to remark Governor Radda’s surefooted and impressive ratiocination on the seemingly unending scourge of banditry in his state. Two weekends ago, he firmly dismissed the possibility of negotiating with bandits, saying that banditry had become a business venture for some people in and out of government, and among some members of the country’s security apparatus.

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It would be impractical and meaningless to negotiate, he argued. He gave reasons. “It is a business venture for the criminals and a business venture for some people who are in government and some people who are in the security outfits and some people who are responsible for the day-to-day activities of their people. These are some of the reasons why we are unable to bring an end to the issue of banditry. When you understand the terrain of the forest, and the different camps that we have within those forests, like in Katsina, we have more than 100 different camps that are being led by somebody. So, they have many leaders, many camps and if you’re negotiating with camps A and B and don’t negotiate with camps C and D, it will not bring any lasting peace. Even if you negotiate with the leaders, the other leaders may not necessarily comply with the directives of the leader. So that is what makes the negotiation very difficult. That is why I said I would never go into negotiations with any criminal at the point of weakness.”

His predecessor, the equally principled Aminu Masari started out like him but soon succumbed to advice to negotiate with some of the bandits. He did, and later regretted it, for as he found out, the bandits thought their lifestyle too lucrative to give up for amnesty or stipend. Mallam Masari discovered a little late that negotiating with bandits was meaningless. Former Zamfara State governor Bello Matawalle also made the same unsettling discovery of the futility of negotiating with bandits. On many occasions, after negotiations, he was left holding the short end of the stick. The Northeast states are also beginning to discover how counterproductive the federal government’s deradicalisation and reintegration programmes for ‘repentant’ Boko Haram insurgents have become. Some of the deradicalised militants have, according to some reports, returned to their vomit of violence, thus justifying the anger and resentments of many Boko Haram victims still pining away at Internally Displaced Persons’ camps. From all indications, it is a question of time before the deradicalisation programme is halted, after tons of money had been unwisely spent to pacify an intransigent group of fighters.

Thankfully, the federal government has been less forthcoming in negotiating with bandits of the Northwest. Individual states had fitfully negotiated with a few bandit leaders and posed for photographs with them, and a few clerics, particularly the cocksure Islamic cleric Ahmad Gumi, had made a strong case for negotiations. Uncharacteristically, however, the Muhammadu Buhari administration and its successors have been very loth to dialogue with the bandits. In light of happenings in the Northeast, it is now far less likely that both the federal government of states will negotiate with bandits. As a matter of fact, Kebbi State governor Nasir Idris has promised to sign the death warrant of anyone convicted as an informant to bandits. If informants could be shot, neither amnesty nor reprieve would be appropriate for bandits.

Northern governors met in Kaduna about two weeks ago to discuss the rising incidence of the North’s out-of-school children, which is said to be the highest in the world, and the festering question of insecurity. They took decisions. They will do well to start by being unequivocal about their views on banditry as well as determine exactly how to combat the menace without hesitation. They should stop their vacillations and repudiate the option of negotiation until the menace is defeated. The cost of banditry to their region is too high, and it may take generations to recover.

May 12, 2024
Fubara and the coup in Rivers

In what seems like a coup de main last Wednesday, Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara got his three loyal state legislators to elect a speaker, Victor Oko-Jumbo, conduct plenary in Government House where the governor had brusquely relocated the legislature, affirm the ‘illegality’ of the 25 or 27 pro-Nyesom Wike lawmakers through a Justice C.N. Wali ruling, and get the All Progressives Congress (APC) scurrying to rein in the feral cats set among their flailing pigeons. The crisis began few months after the inauguration of Mr Fubara who appeared disinclined to toe the line of his predecessor, Mr Wike. Reminiscent of the burning of the German Reichstag in 1933 before World War II, the parliament building in Port Harcourt was soon put to the torch and reasons conjured to castrate the 27 pro-Wike lawmakers. The ensuing stalemate has splintered the state and helped to bring out the true character and mettle of the state’s leading politicians and elders. The picture that has emerged has, however, been ugly and most dispiriting.

Rivers State and the rest of the country have been curiously fixated on the superficiality of who is right or wrong in the drama, with political partisanship and to some extent pecuniary interests mostly determining the sentiments of observers and analysts. The state is consequently entwined in a legal maze inspired by a judiciary that is clearly in need of salvation from both ineptitude and partisanship. Nigeria is not alone in this morass. The muck exists everywhere, but Nigeria’s political experience in the past few years, especially typified by conflicting judgements in Rivers and Kogi, has been most baffling. Rivers is not the first state to go down that chute; other states have, and for different reasons. Whoever emerges winner at the end of the maelstrom is unlikely to inspire the country or leave a great precedent, for both leaders and followers in the state are trapped in the shallow and pedantic politicking and reasoning that have blighted Nigeria for decades. It remains to be seen how a just and fair consideration of Section 109 (1)(g) of the 1999 Constitution will help the combatants in Rivers State cut the Gordian knot. Indeed the suits in respect of the legitimacy of the defecting lawmakers are still in court, but Mr Fubara has unconstitutionally cut to the chase and together with his loyal three passed a befuddling judgement on the recalcitrant 27. Riding on the wave of public sentiment, the governor is not ruffled by the anomaly of subordinating the parliament to his whim.

Anytime he steps out for a public function, the governor feels bound, among other official assignments, to mention his misunderstanding with his predecessor who is also the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) minister. The conflict between the two men has deepened and probably calcified, defying presidential intervention, and now sucking in all kinds of parasites and opportunistic friends and vengeful enemies. Mr Wike, in turn, feels obligated to respond, often hysterically, to his successor’s provocations, barely resisting for more than a week or two the temptation to say nothing. Left unchecked, the brickbat between the men may leave the state hurtling towards a tragic and fiery denouement. While the FCT minister has been sturdy in his responses, Mr Fubara has sometimes been compellingly poetic and colourful in his declination to govern the state on ‘bended knees’, or allowing anyone, meaning Mr Wike, to take the place of God.

There is nothing dignified about the leadership tussle in Rivers. Though many Riverians and public commentators have filed emotively behind the two men, and are in most cases being more Catholic than the Pope, it is uncertain that they really appreciate the substance and many dimensions of the quarrel or what the conflict portends in the state. The tussle is heavily nuanced, and it is even doubtful whether the two leading combatants quite appreciate what they are fighting over. To the Rivers State public, the conflict is either about Mr Wike attempting to muscle the governor into submitting to a godfather, or about Mr Fubara too hastily breaking ranks with his mentor and the school of thought bequeathed the state. Some other Riverians suggest that the fight may actually be political, involving the governor betraying his mentor, reconciling with political enemies, and subverting the state’s ruling party structure. Perhaps the fight consists of all these elements. How the war is fought and won may, therefore, probably influence the direction of Rivers politics in 2027, including determining which party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) or Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), gets the upper hand in the months and years to come.

Neither Mr Wike nor Mr Fubara has framed the conflict in the imposing and dispassionate sense capable of reflecting on the state’s politics and politicians. Perhaps it is not in the place of any external commentator to determine for the two politicians what to fight over and how, but the warriors will expectedly acknowledge and defend the factors that shape and influence their politics. They have framed the fight as prejudiciously as they can, in line with their limited perception of issues and simplistic worldview, and they will probably fight the war to the bitter end from those narrow perspectives. But of the two, and despite his hysteria and failings, not to say his hectoring of his predecessor, Mr Wike comes closer to crystallising and embodying the conflict in the elevated and abstract sense by which it should be understood. At various fora, he talks about honour, dignity and the onerous responsibility of leaders and statesmen, implying that the governor lacked them or has broken them; but it is also evident that he himself has an incomplete understanding of the concepts he glibly but rightly enunciates.

As for Mr Fubara, he has been largely ephemeral, preferring to focus on the simple but resonating ideas of being his own man, obviously without the help of a godfather, and letting it be known that he submits to God rather than man. The governor has laboured to honour the agreement he reached in the presence of the president. He has, therefore, dithered and hemmed and hawed over an agreement he now derides as unconstitutional. His men allegedly put the parliament to the torch, while he completed the erasure by demolishing a large part of it. And still breathing terror against 27 obdurate lawmakers siding with Mr Wike, as against the three in his camp whom he bewilderingly chose to recognise and honour, he stormed the legislative quarters to warn of impending demolition, claiming that as governor he owned the property as much as he reserved the right to recognise or not recognise any lawmaker. Earlier, he had impatiently declared that lawmakers existed at his pleasure. Their existence owed their lives to his caprice, he summed up.

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If only Mr Fubara would shut up. He believes he enjoys mass following and the backing of the who-is-who in the state, and that this support sanctifies his actions and ennobles his increasingly authoritarian streak. But whatever he has said in the past few weeks, after the restraint of the past few months which he now speaks about deprecatingly, has been embarrassing and lacking in democratic foundations. He is admittedly engaged in a serious battle with the equally intransigent Mr Wike, but putting on the apparel of a dictator and preparing to burn down his state do little to burnish his fragile image or weaken the FCT minister who has had the fortune of fighting from distant peaks. It is not clear why Mr Fubara thinks the country would stand idly by and watch him demolish and undermine the constitution or democracy. Does he not sense the suspicion and repugnance of his colleague governors? Has he not learnt any lesson from some former governors who deprecated the art of governance and are today mummifying in silence and isolation?

Mr Fubara bears the larger responsibility for whatever becomes of the state. He is after all the governor, but he has become frantic and desperate, and, like the biblical Samson, appears willing to bring the whole edifice down on everybody. The people who egg him on to open and uncircumscribed revolt against the parliament in the guise of fighting Mr Wike will give him cold shoulder when he overreaches himself and the country fights back. Even if he wins, the victory will be pyrrhic. Nor does Mr Wike, who has been both unyielding and immoderate, stand a chance of erasing the governor and his supporters many of whom have obfuscated the law and rested their arguments and support on the wrong premises. The latter has a fairly better appreciation of the values being fought for; but even he has been unable to comprehend the appalling leadership failing of his successor which finds its leitmotif and resonance in his own calamitous lack of understanding of the concept of leadership. The problem is not that Mr Fubara has genuine reasons to resist the FCT minister. He does and indeed, should. The problem is that the governor has been so uninspiring in his appreciation of issues, so tactless in his approach, and so ordinary in every ramification. But this does not absolve Mr Wike of responsibility. In fact he bears the larger part of the blame for all that is happening in Rivers State.

What is playing out in Rivers is, therefore, not just two men fighting over party structure, 2027 elections, APC versus PDP, godfather versus godson, or which side of the divide cheerleaders are arrayed , or who in the state still qualifies to be described as an elder or statesman, or who will and should win in the end. What is playing out before the whole country is the depressing lack of leadership and statesmanship, a deficiency that has enabled a small and manageable misunderstanding to be multiplied exponentially into a catastrophe. How anyone can pretend to leadership without being inspired by great leaders of the past is hard to explain. That is what ails Rivers. Nay, that is what ails many Nigerian states where religious bigots and ethnic chauvinists hold sway and are eager to burn their communities; incompetent leaders who have learnt nothing from history and are doomed to repeat it. Messrs Fubara and Wike will not sheathe their swords, for neither of them can be persuaded by reason or common sense. But if any true elder is left in the state, let him rein in the calamity unfolding in Port Harcourt between the imperial politics of Mr Wike and the budding dictatorship of Mr Fubara.

May 12, 2024
Why MultiChoice needs deliverance

By Kayode Falua

If, as proposed by the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms during the week, the current Value Added Tax (VAT) rate is increased to 10 per cent from the current 7.5 per cent, it is certain that consumers will pay more than they currently do for many items. There are, of course, VAT-exempt items, but if the prices of other items rise on account of the implementation of the proposed VAT rate, their own prices will not remain the same.

The current VAT rate is barely four years old and the government is mulling a review because it needs more revenue in addition to the one it is currently getting from last year’s fuel subsidy removal. I am all for increased government revenue, especially from non-oil sources, as it expands the government’s capacity for service delivery. Theoretically, that is. I say this because in our peculiar country, where governments at all levels freak out when there is more money, it is not necessarily so.

The proposal, for some reasons, has not provoked the kind of public anger it should, perhaps because it has not been accepted. The recent announcement of the cyber protection levy to be charged on bank transfers has provoked greater anger. Neither of the two has provoked the scale of public anger at the recent tariff review by pay TV Company, MultiChoice Nigeria. I also wish to add that while the earlier announced electricity tariff hike got people angry for a few days, it soon dissolved into a joke.

We are, I must admit, quite good at making light of very serious issues, including life-threatening ones, the reason we are viewed as some of the happiest people on the planet. There was a surfeit of gags and memes on the band electricity consumers were placed into by the power distribution companies, after which we all took it on the chin. That has not happened with the MultiChoice price increase, which got social media platforms and everywhere you turn fizzing with rage. In fact, it never happens. If we are not campaigning for a boycott of its services, we are calling on the government, whose policies are messing up things, to squeeze MultiChoice till it leaves Nigeria.

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On Wednesday, a tribunal of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FFCPC) resumed hearing in a case filed by a lawyer, Festus Onifade, contesting the right of MultiChoice to increase prices. The tribunal had, on 29 April, ordered MultiChoice to halt the announced price increase. This was sequel to the receipt from MultiChoice by the FCCPC’s acting Executive Vice Chairman, Dr. Adamu Abdullahi, a document stating reasons for the price review. Abdullahi promised to review what he received.

The very curious thing for me is that two years ago, the tribunal dismissed a similar case filed by the same applicant, who has since returned. It seems that the tribunal is established strictly for the purpose of reviewing MultiChoice price adjustments because it has no record of looking into rates charged by other private businesses. The FCCPC itself, as the tribunal ruled two years ago, has no power to regulate prices. I suspect that the FCCPC and/or the lawyer is getting kicks from the media attention this generates. I cannot see any other motivation.

The FCCPC is not alone. The National Assembly (NASS, for short), pardon my language, self-pleasures the same way. Its two chambers rarely concern themselves with stratospheric living costs, marked by consumer prices rising daily. Inflation at above 30 per cent is of little importance. Food inflation is treated like a minor irritation. But the NASS stops just short of asking for the declaration of a state of emergency any time MultiChoice increases prices. One chamber issues a resolution for an immediate price freeze, while the other issues one for a billing model. Neither bothers about the main economic issues bedeviling the country. MultiChoice may need to go for deliverance, as Pentecostals would say. Why?

It is the only private business for which people want to legislate prices. Nine years ago, two lawyers had their case against MultiChoice’s right to increase prices dismissed by a Federal High Court, which ruled that they were not obligated to use its services. We saw another dismissal by the FCCPC Tribunal in 2022. The tribunal, whose jurisdiction MultiChoice has challenged, heard another one until Wednesday. Last year, the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) threatened to attack MultiChoice offices if it did not bring down prices. This year, the same association, completely indifferent to the soaring costs of education and cost of living, has called on the Federal Government and NASS to compel MultiChoice to go back to its old prices.

It is a mystery that nobody is taking bakers to court for increasing the prices of bread, rice sellers for increasing the prices of rice, yam sellers for raising the price of a tuber to N4,000 or campaign for the boycott of our port because of too many charges to importers.

Over the last four months, several brands, particularly in the fast-moving consumer goods market, have increased prices multiple times. These increases often go unnoticed, unlike MultiChoice’s. Prices of carbonated soft drinks have doubled in recent months, with a bottle of Pepsi now selling for N350 or more. Meanwhile, members of the “Saint Bottles Cathedral” are now paying N700 for the cheapest beer, up from N500 two months ago. Despite these price hikes, many remain silent. However, the same individuals are among those criticizing DStv subscription prices.

A few days ago, I stepped out onto my small balcony for some fresh air, only to find the air stifling and filled with smoke from a nearby source. Investigating, I discovered a charcoal stove in a neighbour’s compound, as they had been priced out of cooking gas, now selling for N1,500 per kilogram.

I recently saw a woman, whose husband is a vociferous social commentator, lament bitterly on a social media platform, about how she bought a carton of a particular brand of milk for N56,000 in January and had to fork out N92,000 for the same content in April. Surprisingly, her husband remained silent about this. While milk is considered an essential commodity, such a drastic price hike failed to capture his attention. Yet, shortly after MultiChoice announced its price increase, he took to social media to publish an epistle.

Like many other service providers, MultiChoice has done nothing wrong with its recent price adjustments; it is Nigerians who need to adjust their mindset towards the company. Therefore, its price adjustments should be viewed in the same light as adjustments for other commodities.

● Falua writes from Abuja

May 12, 2024
NAFDAC boss mulls revival of local medicine to cut cost of imported drugs

The Director General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control [NAFDAC], Prof Mojisola Adeyeye has made a case for the rejuvenation of the local pharmaceutical industry as a panacea for high cost of medicines in the country.

Adeyeye, who said locally manufactured medicinal products would be more accessible and affordable compared to the imported drugs.

She spoke during a webinar lecture organised by TheCable newspaper to mark its tenth anniversary with the theme ‘Addressing cost of Medicines.

According to her, “The devaluation of the Naira accounted largely for high cost of production locally as the high exchange rate made procurement of raw materials and equipment imported for production extremely high, adding that due to difficulty associated with procurement of dollars, cost of the imported drugs has also hit the rooftop.”

To encourage the local pharmaceutical industry to grow, Prof Adeyeye reiterated that NAFDAC under her leadership started the “5 plus 5” regulatory scheme where a company that has been importing drugs that the local pharmaceutical industry is able to produce will get a last five-year renewal. During the five-year renewal period, the importer must migrate to local manufacturing or partner with local manufacturers. This is an outcome of a study that was done in 2019 that revealed that the top 5 drugs that are imported are also the top 5 drugs that are manufactured in Nigeria.

The NAFDAC boss explained that the Agency also did another policy change called NAFDAC Ceiling 34 wherein drugs under those ceilings cannot be imported.

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“Our manufacturers import everything except water”, she said, adding that the raw materials – Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) and the non-active called Excipients are all imported.

”I told the industry operators that we need to start making some APIs locally and that has resulted in EMZOR almost completing their facilities in Sagamu. They are going to be making four anti-malaria APIs – sulfadoxime, Pyrimethamine, Artemether and Lumefantrine. The Fidson consortium is also planning manufacturing some APIs.”

The DG said the initiative was aimed at reducing the cost of drugs eventually. “But we cannot start manufacturing locally without strengthening the regulatory system because we have never regulated local manufacturing of APIs,” she said.

Prof Adeyeye lamented that because of the high cost of medicines some unscrupulous people will start making substandard falsified medicines, warning that NAFDAC is not asleep. “Our work is 24/7 in terms of regulation and control of SF medicines. We do unannounced inspections of local manufacturers. Since February 16 and 17 this year we went after the Open Drugs marketers because some of the unscrupulous manufacturers or importers use the open market as a haven for substandard falsified medicines.”

Speaking in the same vein the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof Ali Pate who also spoke at the lecture assured Nigerians that the various policy measures already put in place by the President Bola Tinubu administration would soon begin to reflect positively on the cost of essential medical commodities.

Prof Ali Pate, noted that the escalating costs of pharmaceuticals is part of the global phenomenon, expressing regrets that for the past 20 years the nation has been catching up, stressing that the present administration is focused on solving the issue.

The minister noted that financing of healthcare in Nigeria, the affordability has been a long-standing issue for more than 40 years, adding that less than 10 percent of Nigerians have health Insurance or any issuance to speak of which means the cost of our financing healthcare is out of pocket, hence when prices go up the medically related reimbursement for medical care also goes up.

He said this has thrown many Nigerians into poverty because if you have ailments like cancer or kidney failure it’s easy if we have a viable insurance platform. Prof. Pate disclosed that the president has asked them to find a solution as government in collaboration with the private sector, adding that both must work closely hand in hand.

May 12, 2024
African family life conference holds Wednesday

The 8th edition of the African Family Life Delegate Conference, by the institute of Family of Engineering and Development is scheduled for Wednesday at Onikan, Lagos.

In a statement issued by Mr. Praise Fowowe, Founder, Institute of Family Engineering and Development, he said this year’s edition will have over 1000 delegates in a hybrid conference drawn from various sectors and handle different family life issues as they affect our continent and proffer workable solutions that can chart a new path towards a developed continent of Africa.

Besides, he said, building on the success of previous editions, this conference aims to showcase the versatility and relevance of African family life solutions in today’s interconnected world. Through engaging discussions, insightful panels, and interactive sessions, attendees will have the opportunity to learn from experts, exchange ideas, and explore innovative approaches to family development.

The 15th of May is the United Nations International Day of the Family; unfortunately, it hardly gets the needed attention in Africa, as it often goes unnoticed.

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Expatiating, Fowowe, who reiterated that the aim of this conference is to create a platform where delegates from the continent can come together to exchange models and concepts, and be inspired by the most effective models that families can deploy to create developed families enroute to creating a developed continent.

“In 2016, we developed the Family System Engineering Certification Program for family life coaches and practitioners in Nigeria and across Africa to equip them for work with troubled families, as well as promote a family life ideology that makes the home a reflection of the great continent we all want to see,” he said, adding, “So far, we have trained over 5,000 professionals through our various expressions – webinars, public Lectures, trainings, and partnerships with like-minded organizations like the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency.”

This year’s conference will feature esteemed speakers and panelists from diverse backgrounds, including renowned family life coach Praise Fowowe and esteemed tech entrepreneur Iyin Aboyeji, who will discuss “The tech pathway to exporting African traditions to the rest of the world.”

Additionally, panel discussions led by experts such as Gbenga Totoyi, Ayo Makinde, and Godfrey Ogbechie will delve into topics like exploring rituals and traditions in African family life.

“By harnessing African cultural solutions, we believe we can address some of the most pressing challenges facing families worldwide,” Fowowe stressed.

May 12, 2024
Nigeria no longer safe haven for cryptocurrency traders

With the latest clampdown on the operations of cryptocurrency operators by the different financial regulators and law enforcement agencies, patrons of the now infamous trade, especially within the country are living in fear, reports Ibrahim Apekhade Yusuf

One business that has taken a lot of heat lately is the operators of cryptocurrency platforms. Of course, the reason for the animosity against the practitioners is not unexpected given the perception about their nefarious activities according to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the apex regulatory body of banks and other financial institutions in the country.

In the past couple of weeks alone, the CBN had literally put a lid on the operations of cryptocurrency trade.

Crux of the matter

About a fortnight ago, four Financial Technology Companies (Fintechs) came under the hammer of the CBN over allegations that their accounts were being used for illicit foreign exchange transactions.

Consequently, the affected Fintechs—OPay, Palmpay, Kuda Bank, and Moniepoint—were barred from onboarding new customers.

“Hello! We’ve temporarily paused new sign-ups on our platform. This means that you’ll be unable to open a new account at the moment. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause,” one of the Fintechs wrote on its website.

Two of the companies’ representatives reportedly admitted that the CBN’s direction is connected with these allegations.

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They did, however, highlighted the fact that most of the affected accounts are held by commercial banks rather than fintech platforms, raising fears that the mandate might be misdirected.

“I can confirm that 90% of the accounts implicated in the illicit forex transactions are with commercial banks, and only 10% are with fintechs. Why then has the CBN not extended this directive to the commercial banks? We face a widespread issue here, and targeting fintechs seems like an unfair focus on the more vulnerable targets,” another source explained.

It would be recalled earlier that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) recently secured a court order to freeze at least 1,146 bank accounts owned by various individuals and companies allegedly involved in illegal foreign exchange transactions.

Justice Emeka Nwite, in a decision on the ex-parte motion presented by the anti-graft agency’s lawyer, Ekele Iheanacho, also approved the commission’s request to complete the investigation within 90 days.

Though the verdict was issued on April 24, its certified true copy was granted early this month. The other offenses under investigation by the EFCC involved money laundering and terrorism financing.

A look at the list of the affected accounts shows that indeed most of the bank accounts involved are mostly deposit money bank accounts.

Fallout of CBN policy against erring fintects

In a move aligning with the CBN’s recent stance, several fintech companies have issued warnings to their customers regarding cryptocurrency trading.

The warnings come after the CBN reportedly directed these fintech firms to halt onboarding new customers last week. This latest development suggests a tightening of regulations around cryptocurrency activity in Nigeria.

According to OPay’s statement, any accounts found engaging in crypto trading will be blocked, and user information could be forwarded to the regulators.

Similar messages were issued by the other fintech companies, emphasising compliance with the CBN’s directive.

In a notice issued on Friday, OPay said it would take strict measures against customers who violate its policy, which aligns with the Central Bank of Nigeria’s stance on cryptocurrency trading.

“In compliance with the CBN directive, please note that OPay prohibits any cryptocurrency and all virtual currency trading. Any account engaging in such activities will be closed, and customer information will be shared with regulatory authorities.

“Please ensure that your account does not involve any cryptocurrency or any other virtual currency transaction,” the fintech firm warned.

In a similar move, Paga, a fintech firm that has processed transactions worth $32bn in 15 years of operation, said in an email to its customers, “As a Paga account holder, please ensure that your account is not used for crypto and virtual currency transactions. Paga accounts in violation of this regulation will be blocked,” it said.

Last Thursday, the founder and CEO of Moniepoint, Tosin Eniolorunda, called on cryptocurrency peer-to-peer participants to halt their activities, citing the financial sector regulator’s prohibition on such transactions.

“This is a self-reflection of our industry. As you know, fintech apps are used for fraud. One of the things that led to the most recent announcement is that crypto players were manipulating the naira, especially with the P2P market,” he said.

The CBN’s move was linked to an ongoing audit of the Know-Your-Customer process of the fintechs, which have been under scrutiny in recent months over concerns around money laundering and terrorism financing.

According to analysts, this move is likely to impact Nigerians who have been using these fintech apps to access the cryptocurrency market just as they argued that the extent of these restrictions and the long-term implications for cryptocurrency trading in Nigeria remain to be seen.

Genesis of crypto currency clampdown

With the benefit of insight, it is instructive to note that the strident moves to clip the wings of cryptocurrency operators was sequel to the arrest of some of the top tier operators of the platforms in Nigeria- Binance Nigeria Limited.

Like other countries where it operates, the activities of Binance is been subjected to public scrutiny and this time around in Nigeria, Africa’s largest economy by size and stature.

The digital assets platform run by the Canadian national, serves as a window for peer-to-peer transactions allowing users to advertise interest to sell or buy currencies of their choice.

The first hint that the company was going to have a brush with the authorities going forward, became apparent last June, when the Security and Exchange Commission (SEC), wrote a disclaimer against it after declaring matter-of-factly that its activities were illegal and therefore cannot be recognised as a legal entity under the law of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Investigation by The Nation revealed that in a circular issued by the SEC on the Activities of Binance Nigeria Limited in June last year, the Commission sent a note of warning to unsuspecting Nigerians, admonishing them to be wary of investing in cryptocurrencies.

In the statement which reads in part, a copy of which was sighted by our correspondent, the body said, “The attention of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the Commission) has been drawn to the website operated by Binance Nigeria Limited, soliciting the Nigerian public to trade crypto assets on its various web and mobile-enabled platforms.

“Binance Nigeria Limited is neither registered nor regulated by the Commission and its operations in Nigeria are therefore illegal. Any member of the investing public dealing with the entity is doing so at his/her own risk.

“As the regulator with the statutory mandate of investor protection, the Commission urges Nigerians to be wary of investing in crypto-assets, and crypto-asset related financial products and services if the service provider/its platform is not registered or regulated by the Commission. Nigerian investors are hereby warned that investing in crypto-assets is extremely risky and may result in total loss of their investment.

“By this circular, Binance Nigeria Limited is hereby directed to immediately stop soliciting Nigerian investors in any form whatsoever. The Commission shall provide updates on further regulatory actions with respect to the activities of Binance Nigeria Limited, and other similar platforms and shall work with other regulators in Nigeria to provide further guidance on this matter.”

Of course, if the people behind Binance ever had the notion that operating in Nigeria was going to be a teaparty affair, because of the possibly weak regulatory frameworks in the country, that illusion was literally shattered before their eyes, barely few days ago.

Things literally began to fall apart for Binance Nigeria, when words went round that the cryptocurrency exchange platform working with some local and international syndicates were largely responsible for the FX crisis and the depreciation of the naira in recent times.

To make matters worse, some preliminary investigation carried out by the EFCC working with some local and foreign counterparts, uncovered what may have been the highest heist in the country, including money laundering.

Amongst other things, Binance Nigeria Limited, it was discovered that despite transacting business I’m Nigeria in the last seven years, it failed to properly document the business in the country as far as the authorities are concerned.

As if that was not enough the CBN governor Olayemi Cardoso, only recently, disclosed the company had ran transactions valued at over $26billion with the identities of the businesses unknown, besides been engaged with terror financing and the likes.

Things however came to a head when two executives of the company who flew into the country from the US as part of moves to negotiate with the Nigerian authorities amid a crackdown on the crypto platform were arrested and detained shortly after they arrived in Abuja even as the government obtained a court order to keep them for 12 days.

Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) later confirmed that the crypto exchange platform, Binance, is being investigated by Nigerian authorities.

In its first official confirmation of the clampdown efforts on the activities of Binance and other crypto platforms, the ONSA confirmed that the security adviser’s office is coordinating an interagency investigation into the operations of Binance.

“I am confirming that the office of the national security adviser, as part of ongoing operations in the foreign exchange market with the CBN and other law enforcement and security agencies, is coordinating an interagency investigation into the operations of Binance,” Zakari Mijinyawa, Head of Strategic Communication at the Office of the National Security Adviser, revealed.

Apart from Binance, other platforms such as Forextime, OctaFX, Crypto, FXTM, Coinbase, and Kraken, among others, were equally blocked.

Presidency and regulatory sources said the government decided to move against Binance and other crypto firms following reports that currency speculators and money launderers were using them to execute criminal activities. Authorities believe the ‘criminal activities’ going on platforms are contributing significantly to the weakening of the naira.

Though, Nigeria is the first African country Binance had its footprint, the company operates in other climes Iike the US, where it also faced similar fraud charges..

According to court documents, Binance admitted to prioritising growth and profits over compliance with U.S. law. Binance launched in 2017 and focused on attracting high-volume customers, including U.S.-based customers.

Between August 2017 and October 2022, U.S. users, including VIPs, conducted trillions of dollars in transactions on the platform, generating over $1.6 billion in profit for Binance.

As part of the plea agreement, Binance has agreed to forfeit $2,510,650,588 and to pay a criminal fine of $1,805,475,575 for a total financial penalty of $4,316,126,163. Binance has also agreed to retain an independent compliance monitor for three years and remediate and enhance their anti-money laundering and sanctions compliance programs. Binance separately has also reached agreements with the CFTC, FinCEN, and OFAC, and the Department will credit approximately $1.8 billion toward those resolutions.

Adverse effects of cryptocurrency operations

The national currency had slumped badly in the forex market in the weeks preceding the clamp down on Binance, exchanging for as much as N1,950 in mid-February.

But soon afterwards, the Naira started to recover and was at a time N1,200 until the middle of last week when it lost some ground to the dollar again.

Observers blamed its earlier misfortune on alleged manipulation of the market by Binance and are citing the new crypto exchange platforms Bybit and Bitget as the cause of the latest slip.

Buyers beware!

In a document addressed to deposit money banks (DMBs), non-bank financial institutions (NBFls), other financial institutions (OFIs) and members of the public, the CBN cautioned and reminded the institutions that dealing in cryptocurrencies or facilitating payments for cryptocurrency exchanges is prohibited.

The document also stated that the central bank wants financial institutions to “ensure that such accounts are put on PND (Post No Debit) instruction for 6 months” and that breaches of the directive would attract severe regulatory sanctions. It said that any perpetrator or “suspected agent” secretly working with all cryptocurrency platforms, “buying and selling USDT illegally,” will be arrested.

Meanwhile, Tigran Gambaryan, a Binance executive detained in Nigeria since February, will reportedly remain in custody until a bail hearing on May 17.

Gambaryan will remain in Nigeria’s Kuje prison until at least May 17, when a judge will decide whether to grant the Binance executive bail. He initially traveled to Nigeria in February with fellow Binance executive Nadeem Anjarwalla to address claims the exchange manipulated the country’s fiat currency, the naira. Nigerian authorities detained both Binance executives as the crypto exchange announced that it intended to cease all naira transactions.

Gambaryan was expected to return to court on April 19 following an initial postponement, and the question of bail was to be addressed on April 22.

He has pleaded not guilty to tax evasion and money laundering charges brought by the EFCC, with a trial scheduled for May 2 but later postponed till May 17th.

Anjarwalla reportedly escaped Nigeria custody in March, using his Kenyan passport — he is both a British and Kenyan national — to fly out of Abuja. Reports from April 22 suggested that Kenya’s police arrested Anjarwalla and may extradite him to Nigeria to face criminal charges.

Many have criticised the government’s charges as lacking merit, as Binance said Gambaryan had “no decision-making power” at the crypto firm.

On March 30, Yuki Gambaryan, Tigran’s wife, launched a petition for the U.S. State Department, Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the Nigerian government and U.S. President Joe Biden to return him to the United States. As of April 23, the petition had 3,960 signatures.

May 12, 2024