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Author: The Nation

  • YEMI SOLADE: I never thought of becoming an actor

    YEMI SOLADE: I never thought of becoming an actor

    A conversation with veteran actor and cultural icon, Yemi Solade, leads to retrospection about ‘old Nollywood’ and the meteoric rise of Nigeria’s film industry. In this exclusive chat with OLAITAN GANIU, the thespian speaks on his contributions to the growth and development of industry, secret of staying relevant, expectations from the Tinubu-led government and others.

    YOU are one of the foremost vanguards of the Nigerian movie industry, would it be appropriate to refer to you as a Nollywood actor?

    You would be on point and correct if you address me as a Nollywood actor.

    What is your view of the industry nowadays, compared to the days of VHS?

    There have been three generational transitions in Nollywood since we conceptualised movie-making, using camcorders in 1988.

    The first generation comprised Bayo Salamis, Jide Kosokos, Sam Loco Efes and the relevant and highly talented artists of that set. I belong to the second generation, while the present generation parades the Femi Adebayos, Funke Akindeles, Odunlade Adekolas, Bolanle Ninalowos, and many other young and dynamic hands in the field.

    There is no doubt that there has been a great developmental change in the process of filmmaking over the years, as technology keeps playing a pivotal role. The work rate is higher today as against the beginning era. We have more avant-garde artists these days than there were in the past. A lot has metamorphosed and keeps doing so — virtually in every segment of the industry. It keeps getting better and more interesting.

    You have stayed on top of your game for over four decades, what’s your secret?

    I would submit that my professional conduct and ability to update and upgrade myself to fit into the dictates of the transitions that keep occurring in the field are my weaponry. I know I have limitless talent to act imbued in me naturally, and the quality of training I underwent manifests in my works. I don’t think these things I highlighted are any secret at all. These are simply the prerequisites one needs to ply the trade in Nollywood.

    While growing up, did you imagine you would become an actor?

    I did not have any inkling that I would end up in the field of acting. It was happenstantial. I had that love for performing arts as a toddler, and I ventured into dancing from my school days. That I would become an actor was never a thought or ever imagined.

    Who are your mentors in the industry?

    Professor Wole Soyinka, Professor Bayo Oduneye (late), Professor Femi Osofisan, Sam Loco Efe (late), Morgan Freeman, George Clooney, James Earl Jones and Redd Foxx.

    You’re well known to be a promoter of tradition and culture, what’s your definition of culture?

    Personally, I would define “Culture” as the cumulative deposit of knowledge, experience, beliefs, values, attitudes, meanings, hierarchies, religion, notions of time, roles, spatial relations, concepts of the universe, and material objects and possessions acquired by a group of people in the course of generations through individual and group striving.

    Culture is the systems of knowledge shared by a relatively large group of people. Culture is communication, communication is culture. Culture in its broadest sense is cultivated behaviour; that is the totality of a person’s learned, accumulated experience which is socially transmitted, or more briefly, behaviour through social learning.

    A culture is a way of life of a group of people–the behaviours, beliefs, values, and symbols that they accept, generally without thinking about them, and that are passed along by communication and imitation from one generation to the next.

    Culture is symbolic communication. Some of its symbols include a group’s skills, knowledge, attitudes, values, and motives. The meanings of the symbols are learned and deliberately perpetuated in a society through its institutions.

    Culture consists of patterns, explicit and implicit, of and for behaviour acquired and transmitted by symbols, constituting the distinctive achievement of human groups, including their embodiments in artifacts; the essential core of culture consists of traditional ideas and especially their attached values; culture systems may, on the one hand, be considered as products of action, on the other hand, as conditioning influences upon further action.

    Culture is the sum of total of the learned behaviour of a group of people that are generally considered to be the tradition of that people and are transmitted from generation to generation.

    Culture is a collective programming of the mind that distinguishes the members of one group or category of people from another.

    But, Generation Z thinks the older generation’s ideologies and beliefs are outdated?

    I would attempt to offer a preamble into the generational dichotomy and go ahead to drop a hypothesis that might lead us to an advisory position in the end.

    There is plenty of debate about where Generation X begins and ends, and the millennials, and Generation Z. The truth is the definitions are always in flux because the boundaries themselves are continually being redefined. Some define millennials as being born beginning anywhere from 1978 to 1981. Similarly, the post-Millennial generation, known to most as Generation Z, begins with a birth-year roughly around 1997. No matter which specific definition you use, we can all agree Gen Zers were tiny children on September 11, 2001. They were about a decade old at the end of the deepest and most protracted global recession since the Great Depression, in 2008. And they began entering high school, pursuing post-secondary education, or entering the workforce during the disruptions of the Global Pandemic in 2020.

    Read Also: Eve Esin will remain relevant in Nollywood – Ugezu J Ugezu

    Today’s young professionals in Nollywood are beginning their careers in a post-Pandemic ‘new normal’ of remote and hybrid work, permanently constrained resources, increased requirements placed on workers, and fewer promised rewards for nearly everyone. From day one, they find themselves bumping up against a crowded field of career-delayed millennials, not to mention plenty of even older practitioners who themselves may have faced career setbacks.

    Of course, there are some things about being young and new in Nollywood that do remain much the same from generation to generation. Every new generation has its own unique formative history and comes into the industry challenging—often inadvertently—the current status quo in new and unexpected ways that are largely determined by the accidents of history shaping each new era. However, there are clear trend lines from my generation (Generation X) to (Millennials) and (Generation Z).

    As a whole, Generation Z represents a continuation and perhaps the culmination of much larger historical forces driving transformations in the industry that will redefine the experience of practitioners of all ages.

    My Advice: Generation Z should tap as much as they can from the millennials and as much as they can from my generation so that we all can continue the evolutionary cause and effects of Nollywood on the global space.

    Two of the projects you featured in, Itura and The Trade, earned nomination at the just-concluded Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards (AMVCA). How do you feel about this?

    I felt good and elated to see those works getting nominations. Interestingly, I am yet to attend AMVCA, (Laughs). Do not let the organisers read this part.

    As a former president of TAMPAN, what do you think the Yoruba movie sector lacks compared to the English sector?

    As the Pioneer President of the Theatre Arts and Motion Pictures Practitioners Association of Nigeria (TAMPAN), I would iterate that the entry point into the field is made stringent and jealously protected. All manners of faces flood the business, and this trend drops the desired quality of production. I have never subscribed to that school of thought that divides Nollywood along ethnic stratification. I do not see an English setting in Nollywood.  All I see is Nollywood, composed of Nigerian movie makers. The English actors I know are Roger Moore, Rowan Atkinson etc., etc. There are no English actors in Nollywood.

    It’s becoming a norm for touts to demand money from actors at events and movie locations, as an industry leader how do you handle them?

    Miscreants have become so idiotic and powerful in our society that they are celebrated here and there and Nollywood has embraced a number of them. So, when they accost practitioners for money, they see it as parading a sense of entitlement. It is obvious that Nollywood accommodates their class, hence the attraction the industry holds for them. For me, I let them know that I do not have that kind of money to throw away and they should rather gift me such funds.

    You are one of the actors who don’t flaunt their wealth on social media, what’s your reason for this?

    Maybe I don’t have material acquisitions to flaunt (Smile). At my age, I would not delve into such a vain venture.

    How do you respond to criticism?

    I go into it head-on or ignore it, depending on my mood or quality of critics or the critiquing.

    As an educator, how were you able to combine teaching and acting together?

    Teaching is fun. I embraced it during my NYSC Orientation year in Maiduguri, Borno State. It was about the most familiar terrain I could delve into while in the North East because of the highly conservative hemisphere. I did quite well-combining teaching and performing arts because of the amount of energy and time at my disposal. I was young and agile.

    Acting or lecturing, which of the jobs is more profitable?

    Both are lucrative. I would think that acting attracts more profitability in Nigeria. You know what I mean.

    What are your expectations from the new government?

    I expect President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to be people’s president. I expect his administration to place smiles on the faces of Nigeria, irrespective of their political affiliations or religious leanings.

    I expect the President to encourage Theatre Arts and Filmmaking more than what the past leaders have done. In all, I expect him to take Nigeria  to the zenith in all ramifications.

  • President Tinubu has gained respect among world leaders

    President Tinubu has gained respect among world leaders

    The once vocal, profoundly emotional response to Tinubu’s victory by disenfranchised and dissatisfied youth living in Nigeria and across the world – is beginning to fade. And in some instances, challenged.

    This week’s telephone conversation between Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the President of the European Council, Charles Michel is a clear signal that less than two weeks in office Nigeria’s new President has unintentionally succeeded in remodelling his international profile.

    A couple of months ago, the popular press of the global north (motivated by misinformed and extremist social media accounts) was absolutely convinced that Tinubu’s inauguration would be stopped by the courts or if it were to take place that Nigeria would burn.

    ‘Those who hoped the presidential race would be an inflection point for the country have been disappointed’ read one subheading in the British Guardian newspaper, but there was no hint of disappointment in the face of a smiling Sir Tony Blair, when he stood shoulder to shoulder with Tinubu and his aides during a courtesy visit early last month.

    The former British prime minister said that the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, which he founded, would be a willing partner of the Tinubu administration, especially in prioritising its goals and delivery.

    In a personal letter to Tinubu, The UK’s current Prime Minister Rishi Sunak wrote; “Together, we can expand our partnership further, including by strengthening our trade and investment relationship for the mutual prosperity of both our countries through an Enhanced Trade and Investment Partnership.”

    This enthusiasm to strengthen ties with Nigeria was also echoed by Michel during his phone call with the President this week.

    The European Council President pledged commitment of the bloc towards stronger cooperation and partnership with Nigeria, based on mutual respect and common interests. He pointed out that the country is important to the EU and the international community.

    Read Also: Finance Commissioners laud Tinubu on fuel subsidy removal

    In the past few days and weeks, similar sentiment has been expressed by the US, China, Russia and India. Wise, as we are of course dealing with Africa’s largest economy.

    Strategy aside, the change in tone towards President Tinubu on the global stage is noteworthy.

    World leaders and their foreign ministries tend to listen cautiously to the utterings of a dissatisfied diaspora as by default, citizens residing outside of their country, tend to provide the most accurate insights of what is happening on the ground back home to their host government.

    Nigeria’s 2023 presidential election was bitterly fought and unearthed deep wounds that made emotions appear as fact.

    The once vocal, profoundly emotional response to Tinubu’s victory by disenfranchised and dissatisfied youth living in Nigeria and across the world – is beginning to fade. And in some instances, challenged.

    The fact is, Aso Rock has a new tenant and Nigeria is an incredibly attractive market in an increasingly competitive new world order. Bola Ahmed Tinubu is not to be shunned.

    For some time now, investors have been exploring various paths for a return to Nigeria, and the swearing in of Tinubu in the nation’s capital, has given them a meticulously curated map that has been decades in the making.

    Juliana OLAYINKA

    •Olayinka is a UK-based journalist

  • Subsidy: Nigeria no longer Father Christmas to neighbouring countries – Tinubu

    Subsidy: Nigeria no longer Father Christmas to neighbouring countries – Tinubu

    • Says payments were bringing the country to her knees
    • Pay all accruals into Federation Account, Finance Commissioners urge the president

    President Bola Tinubu said yesterday that Nigeria could no longer act as Father Christmas to its neighbours hence the decision by the federal government to remove the subsidy on fuel.

    Tinubu, at a parley with traditional rulers from across the country, likened the subsidy while it lasted, to an elephant that was determined to bring Nigeria to its knees.

    He appealed to the National Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria (NCTRN) delegation led by the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Saad Abubakar, to help the government secure the understanding of the people at the grassroots on the situation.

    He said the pump prices of fuel would ultimately come down.

    “You paid attention to what I’ve been doing, I’m grateful. You paid attention to the subsidy removal. Why should we, in a good sense, in good heart feed smugglers, be a Father Christmas to the neighbouring countries, even though they say not every day is Christmas?” he said.

    “So the elephant that was going to bring Nigeria to its knees is the subsidy, a country that cannot pay salaries and you say potentials. We encourage ourselves. I think we did the right thing.

    “It’s in your hands, as the closest people to the local government, to the grassroots, to persuade our people to have the understanding that the price will be high now, but it will go down and any roadblocks on the way to our progress, we’ll remove, I pledge.”

    On security, the President reiterated his pledge to Nigerians to prioritise the sector until every Nigerian “goes to sleep with his two eyes closed”.

    He emphasized that the unity and togetherness of the country could not be compromised, saying that every region of the country would get its due.

    “We are going to tackle youth unemployment. It is only when we have prosperity for the country that we can create jobs that will employ our youths”, he said.

    Condemning crude oil theft in the Niger Delta region by a ‘tiny percentage’ of the population, Tinubu said it was counterproductive to the growth of the economy.

    “We need to tame those involved in this sabotage and we will work as hard as possible to ensure that the diversity of this country is used for its prosperity, growth and stability”, he said.

    President Tinubu told the traditional rulers that, with the campaigns and elections over, he is primed for governance, and his government has already signed a law that extends the retirement age of judicial officers from 65 to 70 years, while also addressing pension reforms. 

    Equally on electricity, the President said a constitutional amendment signed into law now allows Nigeria’s 36 states to generate electricity.

    “That’s devolution of power and that should be our contribution to the developmental projects you are looking for and we will continue in ways that will help our people”, he said.

    He assured his guests that his administration would run an open-door policy, adding: ”We are all ears. We are ready to listen at any given time. I promise you an open-door policy and that is the way I will go.

    “That open-door policy is for you to call me and send to me at any given time any concern that you might have.

    “We may not have it right 100 percent of the time but we must get it right 90 percent of the time for this country”, he said.

    Responding to issues raised by the traditional rulers on challenges facing the country, he said: “Worry not because the country is in good hands”.

    President Tinubu thanked members of NCTRN for their early visit and prayers for the success of his administration.

    Read Also: Tinubu right to remove fuel subsidy- APC Professionals

    “Without your prayers and support, I cannot stand before you as President and I thank you for your support during the campaigns”, he said.

    In separate remarks, Sultan Abubaka who is Chairman  of NCTRN, and the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi,co-chairman of NCTRN pledged the support and loyalty of traditional rulers from the six geo-political zones to Tinubu.

    They assured the President of their continued prayers in his resolve to move the country forward under his Renewed Hope agenda.

    The Sultan said:”We are 100 per cent in support of your government and we believe in the will of the Almighty Allah you will move this country forward.

    “We will contribute our quota to the development of the country once you reach out to us.”

    The Ooni of Ife expressed delight that the country has remained united and focused despite the challenges.

    Recounting that the President had said he deserves no pity from anyone because he asked for the job, Oba Ogunwusi  appealed to President Tinubu not to underestimate the power and reach of traditional rulers in complementing the programmes and visions of the new government.

    The President and his deputy listened to presentations from representatives from the six geo-political zones, including the Shehu of Borno, Alhaji Ibn Umar Al Amin El-Kanemi; the Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Alfred Achebe; Emir of Kano, Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero; Amanayabo of Nembe, Edmund Daukoru; Tor Tiv, Prof. James Ayatse; and Deji of Akure, Oba Aladetoyinbo Aladelusi.

    Finance Commissioners laud Tinubu on fuel subsidy removal

    The Forum of Commissioners for Finance of Nigeria has commended President Tinubu for removing fuel subsidy.

    The outgoing Chairman of the Forum, David Olofu, gave the commendation at a valedictory session for Commissioners for Finance of Nigeria on Thursday night in Abuja.

    Olofu who is the immediate past Commissioner for Finance and Economic Planning, Benue State, however advised  the Federal Government to ensure that all accruals from the removal of fuel subsidy should be paid into the Federation Account.

    Olofu said, as finance experts, the Forum, like other Nigerians, had long yearned for the subsidy withdrawal.

    He said:”We will like to sincerely commend the President for having that political will to do that, first day in office.

    “That is what we had been yearning for. He came, his first day in office, he was able to achieve that which we have always asked for.”

    On how the government  should manage the funds from subsidy removal, Olofu said that the Constitution provides for all federation revenues to go into the federation account.

    “Nobody has any authority whatsoever to deduct any amount from the federation revenue.

    “So, I will align myself with the position of the Constitution and recommend that all the accruals go into the federation account and let it be disbursed from the federation account,” he said.

    He said, however, the Federal Government should come up with policies and programmes that could address the challenges Nigerians are currently facing as a result of increase in the pump price of fuel due to the removal of subsidy.

    “I believe that the President has the capacity and knowledge to be able to do that decisively.

    “He has already started it by proposing a wage increase for workers but that has to be done alongside with sub-nationals, because the sub-nationals have the bulk of civil servants in this country.

    “I believe he is on track but, apart from wage increase, we also have to look at issues of infrastructure because we believe strongly that if we can wrap up infrastructure in this country, it will also help to improve the living standard and bring down the cost of living,” he said.

    Olofu appealed to Nigerians to be patient saying, the long term benefits of what has been done by the President far outweighs the short term pains people were going through.

    For the incoming Chairman of the Forum, Wale Akinterinwa, he commended his predecessor, saying that Olofu did a very good job while leading the forum.

    “He has actually elevated the forum to a much higher level than he met it. Be that as it may, I will try to ensure that I continue from where he stopped.

    “I will continue to sustain the good relationship he has created with all the revenue generating agencies, as well as the Ministry of Finance and the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation,” he said.

    Akinterinwa who is the Commissioner of Finance in Ondo State, reiterated that the removal of fuel subsidy was long overdue.

  • NLC asks NJC to deal with judges granting ‘frivolous injunctions’

    NLC asks NJC to deal with judges granting ‘frivolous injunctions’

    • •Labour, TUC appeal order stopping strike action

    The Nigeria Labour Congress has asked the National Judicial Council to deal with Judges who “grant frivolous injunctions.”

    The NLC warned that when citizens lose faith in the judiciary, the probability of resorting to self-help could be quite high with unpredictable consequences.

    President of NLC, Joe Ajaero, said this in a statement on Friday in Abuja.

    The National Industrial Court, in a ruling, stopped the NLC and Trade Union Congress from embarking on strike on Wednesday following the increase in the pump prices of premium motor spirit otherwise known as petrol.

    Justice O. Y. Anuwe issued the order while ruling on an ex-parte motion by the Federal Government through the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and moved by Director, Civil Litigation, Federal Ministry of Justice Mrs. Maimuna Lami Shiru.

    The NLC served a strike notice due to commence the day after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in his inauguration address declared that “fuel subsidy is gone.”

    The presidential announcement led to a knee-jerk reaction from petrol marketers, who immediately shut down filling stations and hiked product prices.

    The order by Justice O. Y. Anuwe will remain in force pending the hearing and determination of a motion on notice dated June 5.

    The judge said her action was informed by the argument by the Federal Government’s lawyer that the strike, if allowed, will cause incalculable damage to the nation.

    The suit marked: NCIN/ABJ/158/2023 has the NLC and TUC as defendants, while the Federal Government and the AGF are listed as the claimants.

    Justice Anuwe, in the ruling, agreed that the proposed strike action is capable of disrupting economic activities, the health and the educational sectors.

    She said by Section 7(b) of the National Industrial Court (NIC) Act 2006, her court has exclusive jurisdiction in matters relating to the grant of any order to restrain any person or body from taking part in any strike, lockout or any industrial action or any conduct in contemplation or in furtherance of a strike, lockout or any industrial action.

    The judge added that sections 16 and 19(a) of the NIC Act 2006 also empower this court to make orders or grant urgent interim reliefs.

    The NLC expressed concerns over the order.

    The statement by the NLC reads: “We at the Nigeria Labour Congress are concerned by the frequent issuance of ex-parte injunctions restraining us from lawfully protesting against negative policies of government or employers in exercise of our right as contained in the provisions of ILO Conventions, Trade Union Act, Trade Dispute Act, the 1999 Constitution, the African Charter on Human Rights and other legal instruments.

    “The latest of these injunctions was the order made by Honourable Justice O.Y. Anuwe in Suit No: NICN/ABJ/158/2023 between the Federal Government of Nigeria & Anor Vs. Nigeria Labour Congress & Anor. on the 5th day of June 2023 restraining NLC from protesting against the massive increase in the pump price of PMS.

    “We consider the frequency of these orders against the Congress an abuse and a violation of the pronouncement of the Supreme Court against frivolous use of ex parte.

    “More importantly, we consider these injunctions a violation of the extant laws aforementioned as well as an infringement of our right to lawful assembly and free speech.

    “We are similarly concerned by the conduct of pliant Judges who often bend backward to accommodate the whims and caprices of the executive branch of government by way of granting frivolous injunctions which we shall hereinafter refer to as black market injunctions.

    “We must warn that black market injunctions constitute inherent and present danger to the image of the judiciary as the judiciary risks being ignored.

    “Given our experience, the greatest threat to the judiciary comes from within the judiciary by way of some compromised Judicial Officers.

    “We are sounding a note of warning that any further black market or jankara injunction will not be respected by us. To show our capacity and resolve, we will show active resistance by picketing such a court.

    “We are also letting the public know that we have taken precipitate steps to vacate the extant injunction in question by briefing our lawyers.

    “We wish to warn that when the citizenry lose faith in the judiciary, the probability of resorting to self-help could be quite high with unpredictable consequences.

    “In light of these, we are calling on the Supreme Court and indeed NJC to speedily deal with erring Judges who issue frivolous injunctions.”

    Read Also: Duplicity of NLC on fuel subsidy removal

    Meanwhile the NLC, and the Trade Union Congress, TUC  has asked the National Industrial Court, (NIC), sitting in Abuja, to vacate its interim order which  stopped them from embarking on a strike action to protest fuel subsidy removal by the Federal Government.

    The NLC and the TUC made the request yesterday in a motion they filed through their lawyer, Femi Falana, SAN.

    The two unions maintained that the suit FG brought against them before the NIC, was offensive to provisions of Section 254C (1) (f) of the 1999 Constitution and section 7(6) of the NIC Act 2006, “and thus, the ex-parte order liable to be set aside.”

    Both the NLC and the TUC argued that the court lacked the jurisdictional competence to hear and determine the case “as it was filed in violation of Section 17 {2} of the Trade Disputes Act, which authorises the Minister of Labour and Employment to refer a trade dispute directly to the National Industrial Court.”

    “This court as presently constituted lacks the jurisdictional competence to hear and determine the matter and or make any orders as regards the trade Dispute {subject matter of this suit} for failure to first refer the trade dispute to the Industrial Arbitration Panel as mandated by part 1 of TDA.

    “The Claimants/Applicants suit offends the lucid provisions of Order 3 Rules 1 and 6 of the National Industrial Court Civil Procedure Rules, 2017.

    “The Defendants/Applicants and their members have a right to strike under the Trade Unions Act, the Trade Disputes Act, the ILO Convention and under several international treaties the 1st Claimant/Applicant is a signatory to.

    “By virtue of Section 40 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended, Nigerian workers have the fundamental right to protest against policies of government considered inimical to their interests as reiterated in the cases of IGP VS ANPP {2008} 12 WRN 65, MUSA VS INEC,” they added.

    Besides, NLC and TUC contended that the suit by FG did not disclose a reasonable cause of action against them.

    “The Plaintiff’s suit is lacking in bona fide, as it was filed to harass, irritate and embarrass the Defendants/Applicants, which constitutes an abuse of judicial process.

    “The Claimants/Applicants suppressed material facts before this Honourable Court thereby misleading the Court to grant the exparte reliefs sought and obtained.

    “In the circumstances and under established judicial authorities as well as extant Rules of this Honourable Court, the Claimants suit as presently constituted against the Defendant is liable to be dismissed or struck out for want of jurisdiction and the ex parte order set aside,” the two unions added.

    Consequently, they applied for an order, “setting aside, discharging and/or vacating the ex parte interim order of injunction restraining the Defendants/Respondents, their members, their agents, employees, workmen, servants, proxies or affiliates from embarking on the planned Industrial Action and/or strike of any nature pending the hearing and determination of the Claimants/Applicants motion on notice for an interlocutory injunction made on the 5th June 2023, Coram: Hon. Justice O.Y. Anuwe in Suit No: NICN/ABJ/158/2023 between the federal government of Nigeria & anor. Vs Nigerian labour congress and anor.”

    It will be recalled that the court had in a ruling that was delivered by Justice O. Y. Anuwe on June 5, barred the two organizations from proceeding with their planned strike action, pending the determination of a suit that was brought against them by FG.

    The court held that the interim order, as well as substantive suit, should be immediately served on both groups, which were cited as Defendants/Respondents in the suit, even as it adjourned further proceedings in the matter till June 19.

    The court order followed an ex-parte application that FG filed through the Federal Ministry of Justice.

    FG’s lawyer, Mrs Maimuna Lami Shiru, who moved the application, had insisted that the proposed strike action was capable of disrupting economic activities, the health sector and the educational sector.

    FG further tendered Exhibits FGN 1, 2 and 3, which were notices from the NLC, TUC and the Nigerian Union of Journalists, NUJ, to their members, asking them to withdraw their services with effect from Wednesday, June 7.

    The court, in its ruling, held that it was empowered by section 7(b) of the NIC Act, 2006, with the exclusive jurisdiction in matters relating to the grant of any order to restrain any person or body from taking part in any strike, lockout or any industrial action.

    It held that sections 16 and 19(a) of the NIC Act 2006, also empowered it to grant urgent interim reliefs.

    The court held that the affidavit of urgency as well as the submission of FG’s lawyer revealed: “a scenario that may gravely affect the larger society and the well-being of the nation at large.”

  • Presidential election was well conducted, Atiku’s witnesses tell court

    Presidential election was well conducted, Atiku’s witnesses tell court

    • •Tinubu, Shettima, APC’s objection stalls video evidence by Obi, LP

    The Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) yesterday heard from three witnesses called by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, and the party that the February 25 election went well in the states where they served as election officials.

    Grace Ajagbonna, Abidemi Joseph and Obosa Edosa told the court that they were engaged as ad-hoc staff by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and served as Presiding Officers in Kogi, Niger and Edo states.

    Ajagbonna, Joseph and Edosa said the whole election process went well where they served and that they complied with all the rules and regulations governing the election.

    Led in evidence by petitioners’ lawyer, Chris Uche (SAN), Ajagbonna – the 14th witness of the petitioners – adopted her written statement, which was admitted by the court despite objection to its admissibility by counsel to the respondents.

    Under cross-examination by counsel to INEC, Abubakar Mahmoud (SAN), Ajagbonna said she accredited voters, using the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) device, and complied with all the instructions issued by INEC to ad hoc staff during their training.

    She said: “The accreditation process went well. The voting process also went well. I collated the results and recorded them in Form EC8A by myself. I signed and the party agents also signed.

    “At the end of the whole exercise, I took the Form EC8A to the Ward Collation Centre and submitted it to the Ward Collation Officer.”

    Ajagbonna said all other aspects of the election process also went smoothly except the transmission of the presidential election result.

    “My Lord, to be sincere, I was not happy. I was not happy that I was not able to transmit the result of the presidential election. Everything else went peacefully. The election went well,” the witness said.

    Asked if she wrote her statement herself, she answered in the affirmative, although she was unable to explain what she meant by the word “simultaneously.”

    She had claimed in her written statement that she tried uploading the Form EC8A and election results “simultaneously but I was unsuccessful.”

    Asked by Mahmoud what she meant by trying to upload Form EC8A and result simultaneously, since both referred to the same item, witness said she meant “continuously or one after the other.”

    Under cross examination by Yusuf Ali (SAN) lawyer to President Bola Tinubu, Ajagbonna said all the party agents signed the Form EC8A before she took the picture with the BVAS device and later submitted it at the Ward Collation Centre.

    While being cross-examined by lawyer to the All Progressives Congress (APC), Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), Ajagbonna said by their training, no election official or party agent was expected to leave his/her duty post during the election.

    Her words:”By our training, nobody else is allowed at the polling unit except the presiding officer, collation officer, party agents, security officials and the voters.

    “A collation officer or agent and others who were assigned roles are expected to stay at their duty posts during the election; not moving about.”

    Joseph gave similar evidence, but said under cross examination by Ali that they were taught during training not to compel any party agent to sign result sheets, adding that the choice to sign or decline was that of the party agents to make.

    Edosa said the election process went well but for her inability to upload the result at her polling unit.

    She said:”I did the accreditation using the BVAS machine. The process of accreditation went very well.  Voting went very well too. We sorted and counted the votes and recorded the scores in the Form EC8A.

    “I entered the figures manually. After that, the party agents and I signed the Form EC8A. I tried to upload the result using the BVAS machine, but it failed.

    “What I was to upload was the image of the Form EC8A, which I had filled manually. Form EC8A is the result sheet.

    “At the end of everything, I took the Form EC8A to the Ward Collation Centre and submitted it to the Ward Collation Officer. Besides the transmission, the other processes went very well.”

    Under cross examination by Olujinmi, Edosa, like the other previous witnesses, said it was their first time using the BVAS device since their pre-assignment training by INEC.

    At the conclusion of Edosa’s testimony, Uche applied for adjournment, which lawyers to the respondents supported.

    The court subsequently adjourned further hearing till 10 am today.

    The presidential candidate of Labour Party (LP) Mr. Peter Obi and his party later resumed the presentation of their case, calling an employee of Channels Television, Lucky Obewho-Isawode, whose company was subpoenaed to tender video evidence of their report of two press conferences addressed by INEC Chairman, Prof. Yakubu Mahmood and National Commissioner, Festus Okoye.

    Petitioners’ lawyer, Jibrin Okutepa (SAN), tendered the video recordings brought by the witness, which were stored in two flash drives.

    Kemi Pinheiro (SAN) for INEC, Akin Olujinmi (SAN) for Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettma, and Afolabi Fashanu (SAN) for the APC objected to the tendering of the items and the witness’ statement.

    They argued that the items were not front-loaded as required by the 2022 Electoral Act.

    The court however admitted them, promising to rule on the respondents’ objection when giving its judgment.

    Read Also: UPDATED: Late service of witnesses’ statements stalls hearing in Atiku/PDP’s petition

    Proceedings were however stalled when Olujinmi and Solomon Umoh (SAN) who took over from Fashanu objected to the playing of the videos in court.

    They argued that it amounted to an ambush and denial of fair hearing when they were not served with the videos before now to enable them watch them and prepare for cross examination.

    Olujinmi and Umoh said they were entitled to being allowed to preview the videos before being played in court.

    Okutepa argued otherwise, insisting that there was no law that mandated his clients to serve on the respondents before hearing, video evidence produced by a subpoenaed witness.

    On that note, the court adjourned to Saturday at 2pm.

    Meanwhile, the hearing in the petition by the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) could not continue yesterday owing to the inability of the parties in the litigation to access the judgment given by the Supreme Court on Shettima’s ‘double nomination’.

    The court had, on May 30, halted proceedings on the petition upon being informed about the May 26 judgment dismissing a case by the PDP in which the party sought to void the joint ticket of Tinubu and Shettima as presidential and vice presidential candidates of the APC in the last election.

    The PDP had claimed that Shettima violated the Electoral Act by allowing himself to be nominated twice for two different offices – Borno Central Senatorial District and Vice President.

    The PEPC ordered the parties to study the Supreme Court judgment and report to court on its effect on the APM petition, which raised the same issue as in the PDP case.

    When the case was mentioned on June 2, Yakubu Maikasua (SAN) for the APM, told the court that his client was yet to access a certified true copy (CTC) of the judgment to enable it take a position on its effect on the status of their petition.

    Lawyers to other parties, including Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) for the APC, also confirmed the development, following which Maikasua applied that the case be further adjourned till June 9.

    At the mention of the case yesterday, Maikasua said the situation remained the same as the Supreme Court had not made the judgment available. He prayed the court for a new date to enable his client open its case.

    Mahmoud for INEC, Fagbemi for APC, Olujinmi for Tinubu and Shettma, and Yomi Aliyu (SAN) for Kabir Masari (the APC placeholder) did not oppose the request by Maikasua.

    They expressed hope that the judgment would be available before the next date.

    The court adjourned the petition to June 19.

  • 10th NASS: Tell aspirants to manage their ambitions, Tinubu urges traditional rulers

    10th NASS: Tell aspirants to manage their ambitions, Tinubu urges traditional rulers

    • •Why next Senate President should be Southern Christian, by Clark
    • •Rivers lawmakers will give block votes to Akpabio, Abbas, says Wike
    • •Labour Party to decide on the choice of candidate this weekend
    • •Spouses of lawmakers to watch inauguration proceedings from the giant screen
    • •PDP Southwest Reps seek Minority Leader slot

    President Bola Tinubu wants traditional rulers across the country to join him in ensuring fair play in the emergence of the leadership of the 10th National Assembly next week.

    Tinubu told representatives of the National Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria (NCTRN) who visited him in Abuja that their input in managing democracy in the build-up to the inauguration of the 10th National Assembly was crucial.

    Ijaw national leader, Chief Edwin Clark, who also spoke yesterday on the coming election of the new leadership for the National Assembly, appealed to senators-elect to handle the country’s fragility with utmost care in picking their President.

    The leadership of Labour Party (LP) is scheduled to meet this weekend to decide who the party’s incoming federal legislators should support for the positions of Senate President and deputy president as well as House of Representatives Speaker and Deputy Speaker.

    Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara declared yesterday that legislators from his state are firmly in support of the  All Progressives Congress (APC) preferred choices of Chief Godswill Akpabio as Senate President and Tajudeen Abbas as Speaker of the House of Representatives.

    Tinubu, at his meeting with the traditional rulers led by the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Saad Abubakar, specifically urged the royal fathers to counsel their subjects interested in elective positions on the need to manage their ambitions and create harmony within the legislature.

    He stressed that while he is prepared to work with any leader chosen by the federal lawmakers, the Nigeria project is of paramount importance to him.

    “We have a democracy that we must manage. I need your help in managing that democracy,” he told them.

    He added: “Summon our ambitious people that want to be officers of the house that we have only two chairs: Senate President, one chair, the Speaker, one chair.

    “If there are six people struggling in the same environment, they will choke.

    “So it’s only through your counsel, your responses to them that we can harmonise this and take off very well.

    “To me, I can work with anyone. But the Nigerian project is of paramount importance to me. That’s why I’m here. Nigeria must survive. Nigeria must develop. Nigeria must make progress.”

    He spoke against the background of the insistence of some legislators to go against the micro-zoning of the leadership of the Senate and House of Representatives.

    Edwin Clark urges Senators to handle country’s fragility with care

    The Ijaw national leader, Chief Edwin Clark, who appears to be on the same page with Tinubu on which part of the country should produce the Senate President this time around, appealed to senators-elect to handle the country’s fragility with utmost care as they elect their next President on Tuesday.

    Clark in an open letter to the Senators-elect said the tension over who occupies what position in the 10th Senate was already over heating the polity and “hurting the fragile peace and unity we are currently having in our beloved country.”

    He said while the division sparked by the race for the NASS leadership positions were not new in the country, the senators-elect should “handle this fragility with utmost care.

    He said: “It is your duty as the legislative arm of government to produce during your term a united country where the citizens genuinely trust one another, regard themselves as equal citizens and as brothers and sisters.

    “Our division is hindering us from taking our pride of place both in the African continent and globally.

    “It is time to heal our land, and in so doing, what I expect of the 10th Senate is to give the position of Senate President to a Christian Senator from the southern part of the country.

    “It is only fair, equitable and just, to do so. We have their Excellencies, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Senator Kashim Shetima as President and Vice President of the country, respectively. Both of them are Muslims.

    “The Chief Justice of the Federation, Olukayode Ariwoola, is a Muslim. Making a Muslim the Senate President will be unacceptable to any discerning mind that thinks well of this country as it will mean that the three arms of government are all headed by Muslims.

    “It is also to be noted that the person tipped to be the Speaker of the House of Representatives is equally a Muslim.”

    He also reminded those agitating for another Northerner to pick the number three seat of how President Tinubu had to sacrifice the vice president slot in 2014.

    “Nigerians and indeed those agitating for this unequal and unjust treatment to be meted out to Christians should remember what happened in 2014. Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu was to be the running mate to General Muhammadu Buhari, rtd, under the ticket of the All-Progressives Congress (APC).

    “It was the same party leaders who objected to this arrangement on the grounds that a Muslim-Muslim ticket is not suitable for Nigeria. Sen. Tinubu listened to voice of reason and nominated Prof. Yemi Osinbajo for the position of the Vice President. What has changed now? 

    “Once again, I appeal to the 10th Senate that as they choose their leaders, should be directed by true sense of reasoning. The position should be given to a Christian southerner.

    “I appeal to the northerners to look into their stand again. The Muslims need the Christians and the Christians need the Muslims. No one group should think that they can do it alone.

    Read Also: Group warns Tinubu on Wike, G-5 members

    “Let us pray for a country where everybody and persons of all groups are equal and positions evenly distributed.”

    We won’t compromise support for Akpabio, Abbas, says Fubara

    Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara declared that federal lawmakers from his state were firmly behind the APC preferred choices for the NASS leadership positions.

    Fubara spoke during a meeting with the National Assembly members-elect from the state at the Executive Council Chambers of Government House, Port Harcourt.

    The collective decision, according to him, is to advance Nigeria’s interest.

    His Special Assistant on Media, Boniface Onyedi, said in a statement that the governor charged the incoming lawmakers to stick to the declared interest of the state by voting for the preferred choices.

    He admonished the members-elect to always work together as a team to make the desired impact and enjoy the accruing dividends.

    Sir Fubara assured the members-elect of continuous support so as to remain relevant in national affairs.

    Speaking on behalf of the members-elect, the Senator-elect for Rivers Southeast Senatorial District, Barry Mpigi, commended Fubara for the strategic meeting and pledged that they would certainly work in line with the charge of the governor as the leader of the state.

    LP to decide on choice of candidate weekend

    The Labour Party is scheduled to decide this weekend on who to support for the positions of presiding officers of the National Assembly this weekend, its National Chairman, Barrister Julius Abure, said in Abuja while the party’s only governor Alex Otti (Abia State) asked LP’s incoming federal legislators to work for the people that elected them and deliver the dividends of democracy to them.

    Both Labour Party leaders spoke at a meeting with Senators elect and Reps elect on which candidates to support for the incoming leadership.

    Otti informed them of this week’s meeting between President Tinubu and state governors and enjoined the members-elect to work for the people who elected them and ensure that the dividends of democracy was delivered to them.

    The Chairman of the party who briefed the governor on the series of meetings so far held to decide who to support for the Senate Presidency and House of Representatives speakership and their respective deputies, said they would take a decision on the choice of candidates not later than today.

    He said: “Where we are right now is that the National Assembly is on the verge of being inaugurated and leadership is expected to emerge both in the Senate and in the House of Representatives.

    “It will appear as if some of our members are divided along some political lines and so, we have had series of this engagement.

    “The last one was on Monday where we resolved unanimously that we are going to make the decision on Friday, which is tomorrow or Saturday.

    “So, one of the great leaders of the party, we are grateful that you brought us together this evening considering background and circumstances of the party, looking at the mood of the nation which led to the Obidient movement that eventually culminated into the election of all our members, we must be very conscious of our behaviours, we must be conscious of what we do.

    “Expectations from the people are very high, people see us those elected on this platform as those that will save the country and save them and therefore, the exceptions are high.

    “Therefore, we must watch our behaviour and our actions. Whether we are going to enjoy the support that we enjoyed from the people depends on the way we conduct ourselves, especially our behaviour in the National Assembly.

    “Whether we like it or not, those elected today will become the mirror through which the party will be assessed. They have become the apple and the eyes of the party and therefore, that is why we should always be together, educate ourselves.

    “Whatever action we want to take, we sit down and look at the values and overall benefit that action will have on the party collectively and on individuals and that is why we have these meetings and I am happy that you are here to deepen it.”

    Akpabio, Abbas intensify lobby of opposition members-elect

    Akpabio and Abass are unrelenting in their lobbying of their colleagues ahead of the Tuesday election.

    They have been holding crucial meetings with incoming lawmakers from the opposition parties and getting as many of them as possible to pledge their votes.

    The Nation gathered that while Akpabio continued to meet the Senators-elect in groups and individually across the country, Abbas and his team during the week met with Rep-elects across party lines in Abuja.

    Abass met with the Reps-elect from the three geo-political zones in the north during the week and also slated meeting with those from the three zones in the south for this weekend.

    But the intrigues surrounding the election are not about to abate with Senators Abdulaziz Yari, Orji Uzor Kalu and Osita Izunaso refusing to accept the nomination of Akpabio by the APC. The trio are insisting on slugging it out with the party’s choice on the floor of the Red Chambers.

    Similarly, Honourables Mukhtar Aliyu Betara and Idris Wase are also yet to step down their ambitions.

    The opposition notwithstanding,The Nation gathered that Abass looks good to clinch  the position.

    Ikenga Ugochinyere, PDP Rep-elect from Ideato South and North federal constituency in Imo State, said Abbas would win the election with a landslide on Tuesday.

    He said: “We may not have a stressful election on June 13 because the majority of the members-elect are already tilting towards the candidacy of Tajudeen Abbas and Benjamin Kalu.

    He said that as at last Tuesday 74 of the 92 Reps -elect from the Northwest had declared support for and pledged their votes for Abbas and Kalu.

    According to him, 32 of the 51 Reps elect from the North Central are for Abass

    “So as we speak, out of the 143 lawmakers that we have from the Northwest and Northcentral, 106 have declared support for Abbas and Kalu ahead of the inauguration of the 10th National Assembly.

    “In all, by the time we are done with these programmes, we are looking forward to about 290 members elect pledging their votes to Abbas and Kalu. It is going to be a landslide victory.

    “And this is not just because the ruling party endorsed Abbas and Kalu, but more because they are the best men for the job.

    “Even those of us who are opposition members-elect agree that the House of Representatives need a competent, reliable and proficient leadership in the next National Assembly.

    “Our support for Abbas is more about his capacity and antecedents. He sponsored the highest number of bills so far in the 9th Assembly. He sponsored 74 bills with about 21 signed into law.”

    The Nation also learnt that the alliance talks between the camps of Senators Kalu and Yari continued till the weekend with no concrete agreement reached so far.

    While Kalu has constantly made it clear that he would not step down for anybody, he is working hard on an alignment with Yari’s camp.

    Yari, who is the senator-elect representing Zamfara West, confirmed that talks are ongoing between his team and that of Kalu (Abia North).

    “We believe in one Nigeria. About four of us are working together. We’re all working together and we believe that the most important is the constituency that we are, which is theNational Assembly. We are going to continue with this struggle until when we get there. It is not over until it is over”, he said.

    You can feel Akpabio’s victory in the country, South-South leaders tell Yari, Kalu, others

    The South-South Front (SSF) yesterday described  Akpabio as a genuine patriot who has what it takes to give the Senate a purposeful leadership .

     ”Nigerians are looking to Senator Godswill Akpabio for leadership. They are looking to him for strength,” He has the skills and experiences to bring about meaningful change in the country,” Chairman of SSF, Chief John Harry, said in a statement.

    “The former Akwa Ibom State governor is in a unique position in his political career, with a unique set of experiences and insights for this moment in history. He has the skills and experiences to bring about meaningful change in the country.

     ”We need a tested, seasoned, wise, strong, courageous, steady hand on the throttle. We need an experienced leader to have a firm hand on the controls. That is why we need Senator Godswill Akpabio as Senate President”.

    In a similar statement, natives of Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District of Akwa Ibom resident in Lagos quoted Akpabio as saying that he is the best candidate for the position.

    President General of the community, Elder Samuel Usoro, said the former governor’s capacity is “exemplified by his uncommon transformation of Akwa Ibom State” during his tenure.

    He said it was also “in the spirit of equity, fairness and justice to allow Senator Akpabio to occupy the exalted position, considering that the South South geo-political zone has yet to produce a senate president since the advent of the Fourth Republic in 1999.”

    PDP South West Reps seek Minority Leader

    Members of the PDP minority caucus of the House of Representatives from the South West have written to the party leadership to zone the position of Minority Leader in the 10th Assembly to be zone.

    They made a position known in a letter dated June 9, 2023 and addressed to the Acting National Chairman, Iliya Umar Damagum.

    It was signed by the 15 members.

     They are Adedeji Stanley, Bamidele Salam, Sanya Omirin,  Adewale Morufu. A oloru

    Akingbaso Festus, Ojo Sunday Makanjuola, Shina Oyodeji, Oluwole Oke, Mudashiru Lukman, Olusoji Adetunji, Abass Adigun, Taofeek Ajilejoro, Oladebo Lanre, Clement Akanni and Dr. Adebayo Adepoju

    In the letter sighted by The Nation, the members appealed to the Chairman to intervene in the issue of zoning of the position in the 10th Assembly which is due for inauguration on Tuesday 13th June, 2023

     They pointed out that, the position was occupied by the South South during the 8th National Assembly.

     The lawmakers said there was an agreement among members-elect of the minority caucus of the House of Representatives that the position of the Minority Leader should be ceded to the Southern part of the country for the next Assembly

    They said interest of fairness, equity and justice, the South West should be duly considered to fill this position of Minority Leader in the 10th Assembly

    Spouses of lawmakers to watch proceedings from giant screen

    Spouses of members of the House of Representatives and other guests will not be allowed into the Chambers of the House on Tuesday to witness the inauguration of the members.

    Rather, they will have to watch proceedings through giant screens from a makeshift tent erected in front of the Assembly building.

    The Nation gathered at the weekend that every member coming for the inauguration has been asked to come along with only one guest.

    In the past, spouses of elected lawmakers were allowed into the chamber to witness the inauguration.

    But the inauguration of the 10th Assembly will take place  in  makeshift chambers of both the Senate and the House of Representatives due to ongoing rehabilitation work in the National Assembly.

  • Wema Bank earns N131b year end, as new MD forecasts steady growth

    Wema Bank earns N131b year end, as new MD forecasts steady growth

    Despite the economic headwinds, the fortune of Wema Bank is on the upswing as the bank continues to grow its bottom-line, show a lot of promise in its fundamentals, the new Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the bank, Moruf Oseni has stressed.

    Speaking at the Bank’s 2022 annual general meeting in Lagos, the new helmsman said the bank will continue to pursue avenues to deliver on its promises of seamless customer service and superior returns, while also empowering customers and non-customers through the provision of innovative products and services.    

    While giving the scorecard of the outgoing year, he said the bank recorded improved performance, while gross earnings grew by 42 per cent from N92.14 billion in 2021 to N131.08 billion in 2022.

    The profit before tax (PBT) increased by 19 per cent to N14.75 billion from N12.38 billion in FY 2021, and profit after tax increased by 26 per cent to N11.2 billion from N8.93 billion reported in FY 2021.   

    The bank grew its total deposits by 26 per cent as of FY 2022 to N1, 165.93 billion from N927.47billion reported in FY 2021.

    The total assets as of December 2022 stood at N1, 433.7 billion representing a 23 per cent increase over the N1,164.52 billion recorded in the corresponding year of 2021 and placing the bank squarely above the N1 trillion mark- a milestone we surpassed in Q3 2021.

    Additionally, loans to customers rose by 24 per cent to close the year 2022 at N521.43 billion from the N418.86bn recorded in 2021.

    “Impressively, the Wema and ALAT brands continue to win public acceptance and market relevance, the bank continues to record growth in its retail deposit drive. It also has been a good year with our earnings growing by 42 per cent year on year and earnings per share at 87.2kobo. The Bank’s NPL closed at 6.08 per cent given the economic and environmental challenges faced in the year 2022.

    These modest successes, he stressed, were recorded in spite of turbulence and socio-political headwinds that beset the operating environment in the intervening period.

    “We will continue to work towards our goal of becoming Nigeria’s dominant digital banking platform, an objective which requires an unwavering focus on our digital business, a key lever for customer acquisition, retention and engagement,” Oseni said.

    He said this would go hand in hand with the company’s ongoing efforts to strengthen its corporate and commercial play, adding that Wema will continue its aggressive strategy to improve its commercial lending business alongside trade and other revenue lines.

    In its human capital management scheme, the bank reviewed its compensation package through a thorough industry survey and analysis.

    The review puts the bank at the 75 percentage of pay in the industry. The bank also introduced a guaranteed pay-for-performance element to incentivise and reward performance in real-time. 

    Oseni said, “We understand that dedicated employee training and development programmes not only contribute to employee productivity, staff retention and profitability of the bank, it is also vital for sustained business growth. The importance of sustainability considerations in global business practices and operations has been repeatedly emphasised and magnified in the light of various social and environmental challenges.

    “To this end, we continue to train members of staff in various capacities on local and global sustainability trends and challenges to ensure that each employee. Understands their role in shaping a collective sustainable future,” he said.

    Oseni added that the bank’s determination and focus on improving the complaint management process led to the total overhaul/revamping of the complaint management framework.

    “We invested in one of the world’s best incident management platforms-fresh desk. This platform has enabled us to achieve the desired 360 degree view of complaints across and significantly improve first time resolution (FTR) of complaints.” 

    Oseni added to sustain a viable financial inclusion, the bank has continued to drive ALAT for seamless account opening and usage for the people.  “Financial inclusion is fundamental to poverty eradication and overall economic development. Financial inclusion is one of the key socio-economic strategies that will drive development and growth in Nigeria. 

    “To deepen this, we organised financial literacy sessions across the country, especially among the youth population, impacting over 17,000 people. We collaborated with our agents to reach out to customers in remote parts of the country through bank pass, a platform for opening tier 1 and 2 accounts for the unbanked and underbanked and BVN enrolment.”  

    Read Also: Wema Bank appoints Olorunshola chairman as Kasali retires

    Speaking on the importance of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs), Oseni said: “SMEs are crucial to national economic growth and prosperity. They provide products and services, contribute to employment and create value for economies. When given the right support, there are various benefits to the society and economy as a whole. 2022 witnessed some recovery from the massive disruption in economic activities due to COVID-19. The bank was able to play a part in supporting MSMEs with quality training to help scale their businesses as well as strategies to take advantage of evolving climate action needs.”

    Oseni added that Wema bank has taken proactive steps in terms of customer outreach, risk assessment and data management to mitigate the operational challenges resulting from the current global situation.

    He added that the bank carried out some modification programmes such as identifying key loan attributes, evaluating integrity of existing data, group borrowers by common characteristics and similar needs, adding that the bank established a process for borrowers to determine eligibility for intervention funds. 

    “Our guiding principle of credit is that all information should be independently verified. This may involve an external expert or a skilled member of staff. Independently verified information helps to reduce risk considerably.”    

    Expectedly, the shareholders unanimously approved a dividend payout of 30 kobo per ordinary share of 50 kobo each.

    The dividend, stemming from the bank’s profits in the Financial Year ended December 31, 2022, will be paid to members on the company’s register as of May 9, 2023, after the deduction of the appropriate withholding tax. 

    Also, the AGM witnessed the ratification of a new Director’s appointment. Mr. Tunde Mabawonku was unanimously appointed as an Executive Director of the bank, bringing his wealth of experience and expertise to the organisation.  

    In addition, the AGM addressed the re-election of Directors retiring by rotation. Shareholders unanimously voted for the re-election of Mr. Abubakar Lawal, Mr. Adeyemi Adefarakan, and Prince Olusegun Adesegun as Non-Executive Directors on the Bank’s Board. 

    Another resolution passed at the AGM involved the authorisation of directors to determine the remuneration of the auditors.

    The shareholders unanimously empowered the Board of Directors to fix the fees payable to the Bank’s Auditors.  Additionally, the election of members of the audit committee was a vital aspect of the AGM.

    The shareholders elected Professor Oyelakin Samuel Awobode, Mr. Ogbonna Joe Anosikeh, and Mrs. Omobola Esther Osijo as the shareholders’ representatives to the Bank’s Statutory Audit Committee.

    Also, Mr. Abubakar Lawal and Mrs. Bolarin Okunowo were chosen as the Board’s representatives on the Committee.

    Similarly, the AGM approved the directors’ fees for the financial year ending December 31, 2022.

    The Directors’ annual fee was fixed at N62, 000,000.00, with the Chairman receiving N9, 500,000.00 and Non-Executive Directors each receiving N7, 500,000.00.

    Additionally, a sitting allowance of N300, 000.00 was approved for the Chairman and N250, 000.00 for other directors for the 2023 financial year.

    On his part, Mabawonku maintained that the proposition of the bank is to empower lives through innovation, noting that this is a single concept, which drives the understanding of the new direction of the bank brand.

    He stated that to drive the proposition, the bank develops an intimate relationship with its customers, putting the bank in a position to recognise their requirements and priorities, stressing that the approach is hinged on partnership, progress, service, innovation, and efficiency.

    “We seek to understand our customers’ businesses and objectives, such that we can anticipate and meet their needs as they fulfill their financial goals and aspirations.” 

    Mabawonku also reiterated the bank’s commitment to the full compliance with the highest standards of corporate governance and proactively integrates its practices across its operations, while ensuring compliance with the requirements of the Corporate Governance Codes of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Nigerian Code of Corporate Governance (NCCG).

    “At Wema Bank, we consider ourselves trustees of our shareholders and acknowledge our responsibility towards them, to maintain their trust and confidence and safeguard their investment. The Bank’s performance on corporate governance is regularly being monitored and reported. “

  • Estate fetes residents to funfair

    Estate fetes residents to funfair

    As part of activities to encourage communal living and fellowship, the management of Magodo Residents Association (MRA) hosted scores of residents to a funfair recently.

    The event, which was held at Magodo playground, drew participants from far and near, including officials of the MRA, and other dignitaries.

    Justifying the need for the get-together which coincided with the Children’s Day celebration, Mrs. Flourish Ibironke Oyeneye, Publicity and Social Secretary, said the association opted to host the teens to a funfair because they considered it an integral part of developing their soft skills.

    Read Also: Paddysco Sports Fiesta ends with funfair

    “The Children’s Day is very important, which is why. I see that the children need to be encouraged and taken care of. When you invest in the children you cannot lose because they are the future of our community. The children grow up, they become young adults and then they lead the community. So the children are the future of the community so when you invest in them or whatever values you imbibe in them is what will grow up with them and then they eventually use it for the community,” she stressed.

    One of the highlights of the event was the presentation of prizes and gift packs to the participants by one of the sponsors, Sona Breweries, led by its representative, Mr. Sandeep Kumar.

    Amongst the VIPs also at the event were officials of MRA including Sheriff Daramola, Mrs. Bunmi Isijola. Others include representatives of the Isheri-Ikosi local government council.

  • EXMAN unveils jury ahead of brand summit, awards

    EXMAN unveils jury ahead of brand summit, awards

    The Experiential Marketers Association of Nigeria (EXMAN) has released the dates for its highly anticipated Brand Experience Summit 2023, its biennial awards and the jury for the experiential showcase billed for July.

    The association in a statement signed by its President, Tunji Adeyinka and Publicity Secretary, Adedeji Orunkoyi and made available to the media, revealed that the summit which promises to be a game-changer is scheduled to take place on the 12th and 13th of July 2023.

    The Brand Experience Summit 2023 will be held at the prestigious Balmoral Convention Centre, located within the Federal Palace Hotel, Ahmadu Bello Way, Lagos.

    With the theme “Unlocking the X,” EXMAN revealed that the summit is not just another marketing conference; “it is a transformative experience that will immerse participants in a world of innovation, creativity, and cutting-edge strategies. We invite marketing professionals, industry leaders, and enthusiasts to join us on this remarkable journey that will elevate their marketing efforts to new heights.

    “The Brand Experience Summit 2023 offers a unique platform for participants to explore the latest trends, exchange ideas, and learn from industry experts who will present insightful sessions and workshops. This summit is designed to equip attendees with the knowledge, skills, and strategies needed to stay ahead in today’s dynamic marketing landscape. By attending, attendees will gain a competitive edge and discover innovative approaches to drive business growth,” the statement read.

    Read Also: Kingmodel hosts 14th season of Dreams Model awards

    In addition to the summit, EXMAN also announced the upcoming EXMAN Awards, an event that celebrates the power of experiences in marketing. Noting that the awards  is an opportunity to recognise and shine the spotlight on the most creative and impactful experiential marketing campaigns, the association revealed that the ceremony will take place on the 14th of July, 2023, at the Balmoral Convention Centre. The event will take place within the 10th Year Anniversary Dinner

    The statement encouraged agencies and clients to submit their outstanding campaigns for the awards, tagged ‘Crafting Plaques’. The deadline for the submission of entries is the 16th of June 2023

    EXMAN also announced the distinguished members of the Awards Jury, who will meticulously assess and evaluate the entries. The panel is chaired by topmost Strategist – Nnenna Onyewuchi – Director, Yellow Brick Road and Chief Growth Officer, Halo Invest.  Members of the jury include Bamise Oyegbami – Marketing Director, Nigeria, Anheuser-Busch InBev; Biodun Ajiborode – Founder, Brand Management Academy (BMA) and CEO, Loopholes Finder Consulting, Yemi Lofindipe – Executive Creative Director, BrandBelievers and Maureen Ngwu, MD Media Seal.

    “Their extensive expertise and industry knowledge will ensure a fair and transparent evaluation process, ultimately recognizing the best of the best in experiential marketing,” EXMAN noted.

  • Tinubu will conquer security challenges – —Ex-IGP Okiro

    Tinubu will conquer security challenges – —Ex-IGP Okiro

    • •Says police need equipment, not manpower
    • •Recalls how he masterminded use of AK-47 by Nigeria Police

    Sir Mike Mbama Okiro, CFR, NPM, MNI, was the 13th indigenous Inspector-General of Police (IGP). In this exclusive interview with Crime Correspondent GBENGA OMOKHUNU and FAITH YAHAYA, the former Chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC), speaks on how President Bola Ahmed Tinubu tackled insecurity when he was Lagos State governor, describing him as a listening president.

    OU worked with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu when he was Lagos State governor. Do you think he is capable of ruling the country effectively?

    I want to congratulate him for being elected the president and Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. It is a great achievement because we know what he has gone through. I know Asiwaju (Tinubu). If he sets his mind on something, he achieves it. He went through all the configured hardship and he succeeded.

    I knew him way back in the late 80s when he contested as a Senator. I was then the Assistant Commissioner of Police, Operations in Ikeja before he went abroad and finally came back to Lagos as elected governor of Lagos State in 1999, and I came back to Lagos again like him on 2nd of August, 1999 as Commissioner of Police, Lagos State. We worked more closely than we did when I was Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Operations. This time around, the issues of security, as far as police was concerned, rested on my table, and I had to take decisions and made sure the decisions I took were put into operation.

    As a governor, Tinubu was very fantastic, because it is common knowledge that at the time he took over Lagos in 1999, there was total confusion in terms of security. People were being killed on a daily basis, cars were being stolen or snatched, people were running away from Lagos. So, he came to Lagos at a very bad time, so also myself.

    I don’t know how it happened, but when I held smaller positions in Lagos, Lagos was not as bad as when I came back as Commissioner of Police, and I don’t know what actually caused it. I had to rely on the governor, because as at then, there was nothing for the police. We had no lorry, no patrol vehicles and the manpower were minimal, no arms. So we had to rely 99 per cent on the governor, and I found that he was someone very receptive and accessible. He gave me a free hand. He allowed me to take decisions and supported me. I was at a point bypassing the Force Headquarters because the Force Headquarters had nothing to offer. All they had to offer was to post me to Lagos and thankfully, the governor was very accessible, I could call him any time, any day.

    Do you think he can effect change as the president of Nigeria?

    Actually, people ask me if Tinubu will be able to surmount the insecurity in the country  and I am always emphatic with my response, which is yes. I shouted yes because as they say in Mathematics, you go from the known to the unknown. With what he did in Lagos, he can do it again. The biggest problem facing Nigeria now is insecurity and the biggest problem Lagos faced when he came as a governor in May 1999 was insecurity, and he was able to sanitise Lagos, and I am sure by the grace of God, as human calculations can permit, he will be able to sanitise Nigeria too.

    Like I said, he took my advice on security, and that was how I was able to succeed in Lagos. If he were other governors, he would have turned me down and that would have led to me not achieving anything. He took my advice; he helped me in facilitating my request.

    There were so many things that the governor and I set in motion that were copied by so many states and commands in Nigeria. For example, in the Army, the armed forces are there for external aggression. Before any soldier will be deployed, you have to take permission from the Chief of Army Staff. In Lagos, the police had no manpower and arms, we could not deploy soldiers. I went to Tinubu to complain that we cannot be going back and forth any time there is an operation, give a standing order. So, he wrote the Chief of Army Staff and a standing order to the Brigade in Lagos was given for the soldier to join the police for Joint Anti-Crime Patrol. That helped us curtail crime in Lagos. Later on, all states and governors copied us and there were so many other things like that.

    At a point too, he wanted to give me money to buy fuel because he bought patrol vehicles for us, but I told him I did not want money. I told him to instead create a petrol station where policemen can go and collect fuel rather than give me or my men cash, and he accepted. He opened a dump in Alausa. So every morning, each police patrol vehicle would go and collect 40 litres. That way, if there was a crime somewhere and the police was called, they could not say they had no fuel, hence they had no excuse not to go. If not for him, I am not sure I would have functioned well in Lagos.

    Now that he is the President, which area do you think he can further assist the security operatives, especially the police, to tackle insecurity in the country? 

    President Tinubu is an experienced politician and also experienced in his fight against insecurity from what he did in Lagos. He set up a foundation in Lagos that other governors followed. I can say without fear of equivocation that Lagos, with all its complexity, is among the cities with the highest population and economic activities in the country, yet Lagos has the lowest crime rate in Nigeria, all by the work set in place by him in Lagos.

    Now that he is the President, I believe he will replicate what he did in Lagos in the entire Nigeria. If he does what he did with respect to the security architecture in Lagos, give him two to three years, insecurity will become a thing of the past in Nigeria.

    Are you not worried with the way police officers are being killed, especially in the South East? What do you think the present IGP should do differently to curb this?

    I think he should retrain the police. The policemen, even the ones mounting roadblocks, you will discover that they don’t even pay attention. Most times, they look somewhere else. And you would see that before real criminals attack policemen, they must have done their survey and realised that the people are lackadaisical in their attitude to work.

    Read Also: Finance Commissioners laud Tinubu on fuel subsidy removal

    They should also install some gadgets and equipment. When I arrived Lagos in August 1999, we had minimal manpower and there were no arms. A time came that you posted four policemen for roadblock and only one would carry arms, and when robbers come, they target the one that has arms. When they fire him down, others will run away and then they will pick his arms.

    So, policemen were always afraid to go to duty and I brought the idea to Asiwaju to request for arms from the Force Headquarters because we had no arms. That was what brought AK-47 to the Nigeria Police Force. It was my move.

    The first batch of AK-47 was airlifted from Bulgaria to Nigeria.  Because I was CP Ikeja, it was in my custody at the Ikeja Police College, and I posted men to guard them before the IG sent the Force Armament Officer to Lagos to take delivery of the arms and distributed them. The moment every policeman in Lagos got arms, crime in Lagos dropped.

    So, for the IG now, if policemen can be more equipped with gadgets, it will be better. We have passed the stage of manpower in this world; we now use gadgets. But unfortunately, the Nigeria Police is still depending on manpower. It is equipment they need. So, the police should be well equipped.

    Are you suggesting that the police should reduce the rate of recruitment and focus on acquisition of more equipment?

    I am not saying there should be no recruitment. As we speak right now, most police stations are closed down. The one in my village is closed due to lack of manpower. So, look at it, you don’t have the manpower, you don’t have the equipment, what can you achieve? If there is manpower, they can manage.  But the two are lacking, so it is to your tent o Israel; everybody for himself, God for us all.

    The IG, during his last meeting with senior police officers, said crime rate has reduced now compared to what happened before the election. Do you agree with that?

    I don’t have the statistics, because I am not the IG. When I was the IG, every morning, I got the statistics of the whole federation. But I am not the IG now, so I don’t know. I cannot say whether I agree or disagree, because the figures are not with me.

    As a former IG, I cannot really say. But sometimes, when I read the newspapers, I know what is fact and not. But right now that I am retired, I cannot believe everything I read from the newspaper unless I ask the IG, because as an IG, he has the crime report every morning on his table, which I don’t have now. So I cannot say whether it is correct or not.

    On the crisis rocking the Police Service Commission (PSC) and the long-term fracas which the present Chairman is trying to resolve through series of meetings, do you see light at the end of the tunnel?

    I would say the crisis was inborn and engendered by the constitution. I wrote an article some months back about the crisis between the commission and the IG, and I used a phrase I coined; “non-authority of fire and hire syndrome”. What I mean by that is that you are working somewhere and they say somebody has no power to hire or fire you. So as far as you are concerned, that person is not important and you won’t even take instruction from that person. So, that is what is happening between the IG and the Police Service Commission. The constitution says the PSC has the power to appoint, discipline, dismiss, promote all police officers apart from the IG, so, some IG capitalized on this.

    I was IG too and I had good relationship with the chairman of the Commission. Throughout my time, we never had any quarrel between us. But some people feel because the chairman has no power to hire or fire them, they feel they are on the same pedestal and cannot take instruction from the chairman. That is the problem we are having between the IG and the Commission, and that is how the constitution puts it unless it is amended.

    What has been the result of the meeting the PSC chairman who is also a former IGP had with other retired IGPs?

    Thank God Solomon Arase came in, and being that he just came in at that time, himself and other IGs have exchanged letters. When I was IGP, I never had problem with the chairman. I visited him in his house unannounced and I was always welcomed.  But I remember when I was chairman, there were some people that never came. There was a particular IG who refused to even attend meetings. If you asked for report, he wouldn’t send because he felt the chairman had no power over him.

    Do you think this fracas affected the welfare of policemen in anyway?

    Definitely, it did. I remember the time Adamu and the chairman of the Commission had a problem, I had to call a meeting and we held the meeting in the late Gambo’s house. We found that vehicles meant for the Commission were withdrawn by the IG, and because of that, the Commission withheld promotion of police officers. But we intervened. I said the commission was wrong for withholding promotions and that if the commission had any problem with the IG, they should promote those that were due. I also told the IG that the vehicles he withdrew were not personal vehicles but government vehicles. So he released the vehicles.

    Should the move Arase has brought in be sustained?

    I want it sustained, because if it is not sustained, they say when two elephants fight, the grass suffers. If the two agencies work harmoniously, it will be to the good of Nigerians, because the police will work very well and crime will be low. But if there is rancour, the officers will not do their best.

    So it is necessary that the rapport between the IG’s office and the Commission under the chairmanship of Arase should continue so that the officers will feel happy and their welfare will be provided. Even we that are served by the police will equally feel happy.

    How do you think the welfare of officers and men of the force can be improved?

    That is a very wide area. When I was the IG, I wrote a memo to the president that says if you employ somebody and you pay him well, he will work well for you. If you give him peanut, you will also get peanut service. So, I wrote a memo to the then President Yar’Adua about accommodation for the police, because nobody cared about how policemen lived. Before, they were building barracks for the police. But they have stopped and they have nowhere to live.

    For instance, you have a Corporal who you posted to guard a house in Maitama, and he has no house. Where does he live with his family? He cannot afford to rent a house in Maitama close to where he is working; not even Wuse or Garki, because he cannot pay for it. Sometimes, he sleeps inside abandoned vehicles or offices and, of course, nobody talks about his family because his family will be in the village and that is the most minimal welfare.

    So, I wrote to the President and said policemen are members of National Housing Fund and they take 2.5 per cent of their salary every month to the National Housing Fund. Therefore, they are entitled to loan or money from Federal Mortgage Bank, and it was approved. That was how they started getting houses for police officers.

    That is not enough. Salary-wise, I wrote to the President again and this time around, I didn’t write requesting for salary. I wanted to whip his sentiment and the sentiment cannot be embodied in a letter, so I went to him and went to paint a picture before him and he granted me audience. I said: “Sir, imagine a police corporal or constable in Sokoto State Police Command posted to a police post at the boundary between Nigeria and Niger Republic and living in a small hut with his family and farming to augment his salary, and because of crime wave or mobility of the job, he was posted from Sokoto to FCT Abuja and he arrives Abuja without a house nor a car and his salary is N8,000 a month. Even the N8,000 is not enough to transport him from Abuja to Sokoto to see his family, not to talk of sending money to them, and he is frustrated with the job. Unfortunately, the wife calls him one morning to say one of their children is sick and they were asked to pay N10,000 at the hospital. He stands in front of Transcorp that morning to check crime and he sees big cars passing… I was not done when the President asked me what I wanted and I said I wanted salary increase for my men.

    I said, Sir, this is the second time I am coming to you. The first time was to thank you for appointing me as IG, and I told you I would do my best. And this is my second time and my best will not be good enough if these men are not taken care of.’ For me, I am comfortable. I live in Maitama in IG’s quarters. I drive cars air conditioned with escort and my office is comfortable. But I am not the one doing the job. I bring policies and they implement. If they are not comfortable doing the job, I will not succeed. He said I should go and write, and I went to write, and the salary was increased from about N8,000 to N45,000. So police started earning very well at that time.

    After the increment, some people wrote me from the bank to say they wanted to join the police. The truth is they would not have done that if the salary was still low. I remember, end of that year, a newspaper wrote that the increment in salary initiated by the IG had led to decrease in crime rate in Nigeria in the last five years. So, that is why I said if you pay somebody peanut, they will do peanut job, and if you pay well, they will work well.

    We know that the Amnesty for Niger Delta youths was initiated by you. Would you say the programme has met your expectations?

    It has and it has not. I remember when I started, I took some risks. I was in my house, then a lady who used to work with United Nations came to interview me on militancy in the Niger Delta. After the interview, I asked if she had been to the Niger Delta and she said yes. I asked those who she met and she mentioned people including Tom Ateke, and I asked for Ateke’s number. I asked her to call him and she did and gave the phone to me. I said: “Ateke, I am Okiro, and he said, Uncle, I am fine. I asked where he was and he said he was in the creeks. When I asked what he was doing there, he never answered.” I went ahead to say, you are hiding because of what you are doing. I said everybody knows that Niger Delta was neglected. It was common knowledge in Nigeria and all over the world. The Federal Government was trying to see what they could do for the Niger Delta. They awarded contract to Julius Berger worth N20 billion. It was the biggest contract; the East-West Road, to develop the region. But your boys went to kidnap the workers and now the job has been abandoned. Who do you blame?

    An idea now came to me and I asked, if the Federal Government wants to give you amnesty, will you take it? He asked what it means and after that, he said he would take it. He now asked about his boys and I told him to send me the list of his boys. He sent me 443 names. I established a rapport between me, him and a lawyer. He was suspecting me at some point and asked that if I wanted anything, I should speak to the lawyer. I asked for the qualifications, ages and gender of the 443 people’s names he sent as that would enable me to know what to do for them. He sent it to me and I realised that some had not gone to school, some went to school but had no jobs.

    To be sure he wanted amnesty, I told him to write to the President because I didn’t want a situation where the government would give them amnesty and they would say they didn’t want. I said he should apply for amnesty and I signed with the lawyer and Ateke.

    So, I wrote a memo to the president and I divided the 443 names into three groups. Those who could not afford school fees, we asked for scholarship. Those who were graduates but jobless, which made them enter the creeks, we asked for jobs for them. And the last set were people over 30 years without education who should be trained in carpentry and other vocational skills.

    Before the government agreed, the President first said no and I had to tell him that we were not at war and sending bombers to bomb the creek would affect innocent people. Some people were already crying and shouting that the proposed move by government was genocide. I said some of these boys in the creek would become important people in the country. Government was very interested in it.

    I spoke to the president and I was supposed to go to Port Harcourt on Friday for them to surrender their arms. I was to go and pick the arms from the camp as against coming to drop it at the police station. Unfortunately, in the morning of that Friday, there was security of IG and security chief and I had to go for that meeting. The meeting ended around 4pm and I was told by my PA that we had missed our flight. I called the President to tell him that I was supposed to go to Port Harcourt to collect arms but I could not go again because of the meeting. He asked me to call the ADC and the ADC said he had been instructed to make the plane available whenever I needed it for the amnesty project. He asked me to go to the presidential wing to take a plane to Port Harcourt.

    We arrived Air Force Base Port Harcourt around 6pm and people were waiting for me at the Police Officer’s mess in Port Harcourt. We held a meeting on how they would surrender their arms and it was getting to 7pm. The AIG Zone 5 at that time came to whisper to me that it was not safe to go to the camp by that time, but I did not say anything. The CP Rivers also felt he could convince me not to go since I did not agree with the AIG but I maintained. I said to myself, it took me time to convince the President on the amnesty, I told him I was coming to Port Harcourt today, he accepted. I told him later that I had missed my flight and he gave me a flight. It was a presidential jet and they could need it anytime. I could not hold on to it. It would look like I was playing a game with excuses, so I decided to go to the camp.

    I told the CP and AIG that I would go and if they killed me, they should not touch anybody because that was the way God wanted it. I told them not to spill any blood because of me.

    I just stood up and addressed the crowd that I had been told by the AIG and CP that it was dangerous to go to militant’s camp to collect arms, and they started saying: “Uncle, we are not after you, we cannot do anything to you”.

    We left for the camp around 9pm. There was no light; it was torch and headlamp we used to enter the camp, and that was how we succeeded with the militants in  the Niger Delta,  and we went to other places after.

    My proposal to government was not to share money to anybody. The purpose for which I fought for amnesty even at the expense of my life was to have the ones out of school get scholarship, give jobs and then train people. I never said they should distribute money to people, but they are now distributing money to people.

    What was economic activity like in the Niger Delta at the peak of the militancy?

    Part of the thing that made me feel worried is because I was concerned on national level and geo-political level. That time, if you went to Port Harcourt, all hotels were abandoned, houses had “For Sale” stickers on them but nobody was even buying. Oil companies were operating from Lagos with helicopter and going back. Some were coming from Aba and Owerri. So, I said the economy of the region had dropped. Even those who sell things to workers no longer sell.

    On the national level, Niger Delta used to sell 2.4 million barrels a day but it dropped to below 700,000, so it affected our economy. By the time amnesty came back, the production went up again and business started booming.

    What is your advice for police officers?

    Police job is not a job where you come and do what you like. The police have rules and regulations as guiding principles. The constitution is there, Police Act is there also. They go for training and so they know what they should do, so they should do what they are supposed to do.

    Inasmuch as I feel the President will make a change in the security architecture of Nigeria, we still need everybody to do something. I cannot forget Tinubu because I went to him as governor to complain about unemployment. We have Area Boys, if they are employed, it will stop.

    I gave an instance that if someone is living in Ipaja and working on the Island and wakes up 4am daily to prepare to go to work and returns home around 11pm, he will not have time because weekend will be used to clean up and rest. But if you have no job and you sit in front of your house playing draft and making derogatory comments at people passing, then you will have time for crime. So, I urged him to see how we can create jobs to bring down the crime rate. So, the Area Boys were engaged to sweep the street and that brought down crime in Lagos State.

    As the President, he should see what he can do to create jobs. But we must know that security is a collective responsibility; it is not an exclusive  preserve of any agency or government. Everybody should play a role and be concerned about the security of the country.

    The government can only provide the enabling environment for peace to reign. It is left to the agencies and Nigerians to make everywhere peaceful.