The Nation Newspaper

Category: Femi Macaulay

  • Smell of corruption

    Now that a Senate insider has given a curious public an idea of how things are run in the country’s upper legislature, what next? Senator Shehu Sani had told the world that every senator got N13.5m monthly to run things. This fantastic figure is in addition to their salaries, he said.

    Public reaction to the information was predictably negative because it didn’t make sense that senators got so much to cover so-called running costs. But Senate spokesman, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, had defended the indefensible figure, saying, “Almost all holders of elective and appointive offices have running costs allocated to their offices and that cannot be said to be part of their salaries.” Abdullahi’s defence didn’t help matters.

    Talking of reaction, Sani was quoted as saying during a radio programme on March 18: “I know that I will lose friends and colleagues within the very establishment that I serve… I know things are not going to be easy because when I made the disclosure, there was explosion, even right in my own house.”  So, things may not be easy for Sani at work and at home because of the revelation.

    Why would Sani lose friends and colleagues in the Senate because he spoke the truth about a matter of public interest that had bothered the public for a long time, and which still bothers the public? Why would this particular truth hurt? The answer is simple. Those who have been exposed won’t like it because the exposure showed them in a bad light.

    It is interesting that Sani said: “The National Assembly is made up of distinguished personalities – doctors, lawyers, engineers, academics and all who have made it in life. But because of this culture of secrecy and silence, people who found themselves in the National Assembly are criminalised and stigmatised. The dome of the National Assembly is being seen to house people of questionable character and integrity. So, what I did was to rescue the honour and credibility of the parliament by removing the veil of secrecy to bring it once and for all to an end.”

    Sani got it right by exposing things. But he got it wrong by thinking that it would help to show the senators in a good light.  Revealing what the senators get, which had been kept secret for so long, showed the Senate’s dirty underbelly.  Sani said: “Everybody collects this money, but the rule is that when you collect, you keep quiet.” Is this morally correct? Is this morally commendable?

    It is a striking coincidence that the former Chairman of the House Committee on Appropriation, Abdulmumin Jibrin, who was controversially suspended for singing about alleged rot and stench in the House of Representatives, has been allowed to resume his legislative role at a time when Senator Sani has just shockingly revealed what senators get for running costs.

    In an interview published on October 9, 2016, Jibrin had declared: “The corruption in the House of Representatives is massive. I have not exposed more than 10 percent of the corruption going on in the House of Representatives. It is that bad.”

    Jibrin had added: “I have said a whistleblower is not necessarily a saint. But people often support him (a whistleblower) because what he reveals is usually beneficial to all. This issue is beyond Jibrin.  I had written a petition against the Speaker and three other principal officers in the House. I am talking about people who committed budget fraud of N40bn, another budget fraud worth about N20bn and there is another budget fraud with a cumulative sum of N284bn. I am talking about a person who diverted Federal Government projects to his farm; short-changed members in the N10bn Sustainable Development Goal projects of 2015; used subterranean means to create a new House rule that is the subject of litigation; and a man who collects rent from multiple sources. I have also exposed the fact that members are collecting votes for running costs. I am not saying money should not be voted for lawmakers’ running costs. The point is that this money is (sometimes) diverted to private pockets.”

    Talking of running costs, each member of the House of Representatives gets between N8m and N12m for running costs monthly, findings published on March 18 by SUNDAY PUNCH revealed.  The revealing report said: “A member representing one of the federal constituencies in Ondo State, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said: “Our (monthly) running cost is not stable. It fluctuates. There were some months that we collected N8m. We are supposed to be collecting N12m every month but most of the time we make do with whatever they give us. There are things we don’t even know in the entire arrangement because the shortfall will not be included in our subsequent allocations. The whole thing is shrouded in secrecy. Only the presiding officers know the correct situation.”

    What does it take to run the offices of federal legislators? How much is surplus to requirements? How do the legislators produce evidence that the money for running costs was spent for running costs?

    Sani said: “I will continue to collect as others are collecting too, until there is a law or there is an adjustment to say we should collect half of what we now collect. I will continue to collect because I am not collecting it for myself. I am collecting it for my people…The good thing is that the Senate has been courteous to me because as soon as I said it, the spokesperson of the Senate confirmed it. That is maturity. And for now, there has been no sanction. I don’t know whether tomorrow or next there will be. I tried to make my colleagues to understand, though many don’t want to…”

    None of the legislators in the National Assembly may be ready for change, given what they enjoy because things are the way they are. But change is necessary. How can change happen?   Sani bragged:  ”To even open up is a monumental step… For me, I believe I have done my own best… The next step is for pressure to come from Nigerians.”

    The beauty of democracy is that it gives Nigerians the power to do something about what they want to do something about. The question is: Will they do something about this smell of corruption?

  • Ngige’s one-man show

    It is curious that six months after the appointment of a new board for the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, is in no hurry to inaugurate the board. President Muhammadu Buhari appointed Chief Frank Kokori as Chairman of NSITF.

    About four months after Ngige’s odd delay, Kokori, a trade unionist and former secretary-general of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), protested during the 14th edition of the Gani Fawehinmi Annual Lecture/Symposium held in Lagos on January 15.

    Kokori said: “Today, my rights are being abridged by a minister. You have this Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) where Nigerian workers and employers contribute money to, their pensions, their gratuities, their compensations are all there. Anytime they put a board in place, the board will almost eat the whole money. Now they sacked the board, a woman was the chairman; they say they are looking for her…The government, in its wisdom, when Nigerian labour and organised private sector, NECA, went to meet the president and said, please this is our board, reconstitute this board for us…we have two members, NECA has two members, Central Bank has one member, just like that, and three executive directors, we want to protect our money.”

    Kokori continued:  “In September 2017, the Minister of Labour, Chris Ngige, phoned me and congratulated me that the president has made me the chairman of the NSITF. I should come to Abuja for us to negotiate the inauguration. Since September…I go to Abuja every day. Ngige now runs the board. A board that was set up, where I am the chairman, I now go and beg Ngige every day. Let us swear in…he will say tomorrow he is going to bury his grandmother. The next day, he is going to a naming ceremony. Ngige has no time to swear in the board. He was busy employing hundreds and hundreds of his own community people until recently they had to stop him…Up till today, four months after I was appointed by the president Ngige runs the NSITF singlehandedly and as a minister, and he does what he likes. This is what we call impunity.”

    A month later, Ngige inaugurated a nine-member Administrative Panel of Inquiry (API) into the finances of NSITF, saying that the move was in line with the Buhari administration’s war against corruption. Was it a response to Kokori’s protest?

    Ngige said: “The last Board and Administration of the NSITF left negative trails inimical to any advancement and progress for both the human and infrastructural components of the NSITF. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had discovered various acts of fraudulent diversions from the Federal Government and Private Sector Contributions amounting to N62.3 billion as at 2015, allegedly perpetrated by the past board and management staff of the NSITF.”

    It is noteworthy that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned a former NSITF managing director, Umar Munir Abubakar, and four others for alleged diversion of N18bn of the said money. The EFCC has also questioned and detained a former NSITF chairman, Dr. Ngozi Ojeleme, for alleged diversion of over $48m from the agency’s account.

    After Ngige inaugurated the API, a report said an attempt was made to bribe the minister. It quoted a source as saying: “In the attempt to stop the administrative probe, some of those implicated sent an emissary to the minister to forget the past and gloss over the fraud which borders on diversion of PAYEE, pension funds and other remittances. They offered a $4million bribe cash to be paid in two tranches to halt the inquiry and spare the suspects. They were really desperate to cover up. The minister rejected the bait and told the front of the suspects that he would never be part of any under-the-table deal to cover up the looting of workers’ entitlements. The desperation made the minister suspicious that there was more to the fraud in the system than meets the eye. We believe the administrative inquiry will assist the government to uncover the rot in NSITF. “Ngige reportedly confirmed the bribe offer. Who tried to bribe him?  Why did he not get those involved arrested?

    It looked like a story to justify the delay in inaugurating the Kokori-led board. The quoted source said: “Actually, the ongoing probe of NSITF delayed the inauguration of the new board of the agency headed by Comrade Frank Kokori. In fact, going by the latest revelations, some labour leaders have been fingered in the scam. These leaders were discovered to have influenced the nomination of one or two members of the board in order to cover up their tracks. Some members of the new board need security checks in the light of the revelations from the investigation by the EFCC. There is no way the new board will be inaugurated in the present circumstances in NSITF. We need to clean up the system for the new board to have a better take-off.”

    What this means is that Ngige’s one-man show will continue. Observers have noted that without a proper board, there are serious issues that cannot be properly addressed. For instance, alleged wrong employment of persons that are 50 years old and above and alleged payment of monthly salaries to some people who had retired and were drawing pension  but were given fresh employment and were currently earning salaries.  It is said that a significant number of the affected people are from Ngige’s ethnic group, so he would not allow action to be taken. Another allegation against Ngige:  “He also directed us to send the letters of the employed staff which we refused to release at our end to his office. Let’s see what he wants to do with the letters.”

    In addition, there is the issue of the report of proper placement, which is reportedly gathering dust on Ngige’s table.  There is also the story of alleged secret employment into the already bloated workforce of the Fund, which is said to be ongoing.  A worried NSITF employee said: “My worry is that some of us with Retirement Savings Account with Trustfund are in the soup. Management is in arrears of funding our PFA.”

    The question is:  For how long will Ngige continue to waste time by not inaugurating a proper board for NSITF?

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • A crisis like a curse

    Something interesting   happened in Benin, Edo State, on March 9. “Hundreds of native doctors converged on the Oba of Benin’s palace,” a report said. The Benin king, Oba Ewuare 11, was quoted as saying: “You native doctors whose business is to subject people to oath of secrecy and encouraging evil acts in the land, you have to repent, stop doing it. This is not a joking matter and if you do not repent, you’ll see the repercussions.”

    Oba Ewuare 11 said Governor Godwin Obaseki had pleaded with him to do something about the state’s negative image as the number one state for international human trafficking. The embarrassment had become unbearable, said the respected traditional ruler, adding that while the palace had nothing against the practice of native medicine, it would not accept a situation where native doctors used their positions to “perpetrate evil in the land through aiding and abetting human trafficking.”

    The report said: “He cursed human traffickers and native doctors who subject Benin sons and daughters to oaths of secrecy…He then directed the native doctors present to revoke the curses and oaths already placed on trafficked victims.”

    It may well be a major moment in a major battle. According to the report, “Those who took part in the swearing exercise were priests from various shrines in the state such as the Ohen Okhuae, Ohen Ovia, Ohen noriyekeogba, Ohen Ake, Ohen Niwuo, native doctors, Ohen Sango,  Odionwere, Iwueki and the  Enigies.”  Afterwards, Oba Ewuare 11 declared: “We want to use this medium to tell those who are under any oath of secrecy that they are now free. We revoke the oath today.”

    Governor Obaseki commended the king’s move, saying, “It is a royal endorsement of the state government’s fight against human trafficking, illegal migration and other crimes in the state.” He added:  “Some priests and native doctors will adjust their ways because there are instances where some of these priests and native doctors have breached their codes of practice and are involved in the illegal trade.”

    It is an open secret that victims of international human trafficking are usually under oath administered by priests and native doctors to ensure that they remain under the control of the traffickers who usually exploit them. It is also an open secret that  priests and native doctors provide services to human traffickers to protect them and boost their evil business.

    The UN Protocol on Trafficking defines trafficking in humans as “all acts related to recruitment, transport, sale or purchase of individuals through force, fraud or other coercive means, for the purpose of exploitation.”

    A  Roundtable on Migration and Human Trafficking organised by the Nigerian Senate in Benin City on February 26 gave further insight into the scale of the problem. Senate President Olusola Saraki, who said the Senate was ‘losing sleep’ over irregular migration and human trafficking in the country, painted a thought-provoking picture at the event:  “Human trafficking is third in the ignoble hierarchy of the commonly occurring crimes in Nigeria, according to UNESCO…Nigeria accounts for the world’s highest number of irregular migrants going through the Agadez Route. Our citizens represent the fifth largest number of migrants crossing the Mediterranean Sea into Europe.”

    Saraki also said: “The number of Nigerian females arriving in Italy alone increased 600-fold in just three years. 10,000 Nigerians are estimated to have lost their lives on the perilous journey in five months of last year alone. We have seen the bleak images of coffins of 26 Nigerian girls, who were laid to rest in Italy last November. This is what brings us today to ancient Benin.”

    It is a measure of the crisis and a measure of the need for remedial action that the Senate’s forum was followed by the king’s intervention. An account said: “Many hundreds of young Nigerian girls are trafficked to Europe and Asia every year, where they are put to work in brothels and strip clubs, or sent out to prostitute themselves in the streets… These victims of trafficking often have to endure physical and psychological abuse and are under continuous threats of physical harm or deportation.”

    It is noteworthy that a Nigerian victim of international human trafficking narrated her harrowing experience during the Senate’s forum which featured victims’ testimonies.  A report said: “The victim was 19 when she was trafficked from Edo State to Russia and forced into prostitution for two years… Prostitution is illegal in Russia… “They told me I was going into prostitution for six months,” she said. “I was going there to make money to further my education. We had to sleep with different kinds of men. It was on the street. We were standing on the road.”

    The report continued: “The victim said she, alongside other trafficked Nigerian girls, usually left home by 3 p.m. to stand on the streets, soliciting for sex, till 3 a.m. the next day…They were forced to have sex even when on menstruation, she said…“We paid our madam for food, clothes, and also contributed money for the house rent. We bought the condoms ourselves.” The victim said she eventually decided to quit prostitution, and was able to escape to Nigeria without her international passport through the help of a Nigerian she identified as “Mr. Ken”. But before then she was able to pay her “madam” $15,000 out of the $50,000 she was expected to pay in order to buy back her freedom in Russia.”

    Usually, there is a priest or native doctor in the picture whose role is to administer an oath to make the victim keep to her “madam’s” terms in the foreign land. The victim would have been made to believe that breaking the oath would bring terrible consequences. Victims have said that they took oaths involving parts of their bodies, which were supposed to keep them tied to those who facilitated their journeys mainly to Europe where they became sex workers and had to buy back their freedom.

    The report further said: “She said she regretted her trip to Russia, adding that she wouldn’t have thought about it in the first place if she had had the opportunity to go to school in Nigeria. She appealed to Edo State government to encourage young girls to go to school or learn skills.”

    The paucity of opportunities is at the heart of the matter. It is obvious that domestic socioeconomic conditions need to be improved to win the war against international human trafficking.

  • A nice terrorist

    A nice terrorist

    Believe it or not, there are terrorists who are not terrible. Among such unbelievable terrorists is Abu Musab Al-Barnawi, who leads a faction of the Islamist terrorist group Boko Haram, according to someone who claims to know.

    It is interesting that human rights activist Aisha Wakil paid tribute to Al-Barnawi when she spoke about the astonishing abduction of over 100 schoolgirls by Boko Haram from the Government Girls’ Science and Technical College (GGSTC), Dapchi, Yobe State, on February 19. Wakil, popularly known as Mama Boko Haram, is believed to have a rapport with the leadership of the group. She has been credited with helping the presidency to negotiate the release of persons kidnapped by Boko Haram in the past. She was a member of the Presidential Committee on Dialogue and Peaceful Resolution of Security Challenges in the North formed by former President Goodluck Jonathan.

    After she made a public plea for the release of the Dapchi schoolgirls, Wakil said the Al-Barnawi-led group contacted her: “They are even the ones that called me and said Mama, we heard what you have said and told me that they are with the girls and they are going to release them. I begged of them and said please let this not be another 1,000-plus days of Chibok girls, and they laughed and said no. I asked them where I can come and stay with them (girls) for two days, but they did not say anything.”

    She added: “I can assure Nigerians that so far they are with my son, Habib, and his friends; Habib is a nice guy, he is a very nice boy. He will not harm them, he will not touch them, and he will not kill them. He is going to listen to us, and so far, he indicated interest that he loves peace. And I love them for that and believe what they said on this. They will definitely give us the girls. All I am begging Nigerians is to calm down, be prayerful, everything will be over.”  Habib might be “a nice guy…a very nice boy.” But he is also a terrorist, which means that he is mean.

    Clearly, the latest evil by Boko Haram terrorists shows that Islamist terrorism is alive and well despite contrary claims by the country’s military authorities. The Dapchi attack happened after Chief of Army Staff Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai restated his order to troops to capture Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau dead or alive.  It is noteworthy that in 2017 the army chief gave his men a 40-day ultimatum to capture Shekau, and the army recently offered a N3 million reward for information on the elusive Shekau.

    Buratai was quoted as saying when he visited troops at Camp Zairo in the Sambisa Forest, which had served as headquarters of the terrorists before the military seized the camp in December 2016: “Let me say congratulations. But we must move across to wherever this criminal, Shekau, is and catch him…I want you to get him…You all know these criminals are still on the run; these guys are on the run, you must make sure that you get them wherever they are around this area…You must not allow them to escape. Every day, you must go on patrol, lay ambush for them and you go on raids.”

    A little less talk and a lot more action are needed as the Dapchi abduction compounded the still unresolved Chibok schoolgirls’ kidnapping in Borno State in April 2014.  Many of the Chibok captives are still in captivity.

    It is disturbing that the terrorists were able to carry out the Dapchi attack and kidnap over 100 schoolgirls. It calls into question the effectiveness of anti-terrorism troops in the region.  The northeastern states of Borno and Yobe have been vulnerable to Boko Haram attacks since the insurgency started in 2009, meaning that there was always a possibility the terrorists would strike again like they did in Chibok as long as they had not been defeated. Indeed, the Dapchi incident has exposed the overconfidence of the authorities that the worst is over.

    With the Al-Barnawi faction claiming responsibility for the Dapchi abduction, it remains to be seen whether the story would be different from the Chibok kidnapping attributed to Shekau’s leadership. The factionalisation of Boko Haram will make it harder to fight the group because it means that the anti-terror war will have to be fought against factions. Buratai wants Shekau captured. He should want Al-Barnawi captured too.

    Abubakar Shekau was among the “The World’s Most Influential People” listed by TIME in 2015. The identified influencers in the 2015 TIME 100 were diverse enough to include the anti-hero. The TIME portrait said:  “The citizens of Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, know Abubakar Shekau all too well: he is the most violent killer their country has ever seen.”  Shekau’s terrifying profile was worsened by his group’s outrageous seizure of more than 200 Chibok schoolgirls.

    Shekau has been reported dead, or more specifically, reported killed, on at least two occasions; and there is speculation that Shekau may have become “a brand name” for whoever is the leader of Boko Haram.

    Before the TIME ranking, an international think tank, the Project for the Study of the 21st Century, said the Boko Haram insurgency was the fourth deadliest conflict in the world in 2014 and was responsible for 11, 529 deaths.  The think tank added that the figure of fatalities could be underestimated.

    Al-Barnawi, reportedly in his twenties, is the first son of the late founder of Boko Haram, Mohammed Yusuf, who died in police custody in 2009 following a military operation against the group in Borno State, which further radicalised it. In August 2016, the extremist militant group, ISIS,   appointed Al-Barnawi as the head of Boko Haram, a recognition which was rejected by Shekau.

    A revealing profile of the actor at the centre of the Dapchi abduction says: “Little is known about Abu Mus’ab al-Barnawi, who appeared in a Boko Haram video in January 2015 as the group’s spokesman…He wore a turban and his face was blurred out and it was filmed as a sit-down studio interview… Barnawi pulled no punches, warning that towns which resisted Boko Haram in its mission to create an Islamic state would be flattened… He also spoke of being against democracy and foreign education.”

    This is not a portrait of the terrorist as a nice man.

     

     

     

  • Ambode’s cultural leap

    Ambode’s cultural leap

    By signing into law on February 8 a legislation known as the Yoruba Language Preservation and Promotion Law, Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode demonstrated exemplary cultural consciousness and cultural conviction. The beauty of this new law is that it puts indigenous language on the front burner.

    By this move, the Ambode administration has shown that it is in tune with current international thinking on indigenous languages. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) observes: “Languages are the most powerful instruments of preserving and developing our tangible and intangible heritage. All moves to promote the dissemination of mother tongues will serve not only to encourage linguistic diversity and multilingual education but also to develop fuller awareness of linguistic and cultural traditions throughout the world and to inspire solidarity based on understanding, tolerance and dialogue.”

    The Lagos State House of Assembly had passed the bill in October 2017, after a process that involved input by stakeholders. The law is therefore a product of agreement between the legislative and executive arms of government on what should be done to preserve and promote Yoruba language, which is the main language in the state. It is believed that “in present-day Nigeria there are over 40 million Yoruba primary and secondary language speakers as well as several other millions of speakers outside Nigeria.”

    It was a notable coincidence that the law arrived when an influential populariser of Yoruba culture was preparing to depart. It is noteworthy that Prof. Akinwunmi Isola who died on February 17, aged 78, participated in the process that resulted in the language policy.

    In a paper by Isola at the Yoruba Summit organised by the Lagos State House of Assembly in June 2016, he shared his thoughts on the subject, ‘Making the Teaching of Yoruba Compulsory in Public and Private Schools in Lagos State.’ Isola, who was represented by Professor Duro Adeleke of the University of Ibadan, had argued:  “We should speak Yoruba in our institutions. Yoruba is one of the languages recommended to be taught in our schools to promote unity and it occupies a prominent position among languages in the world. If you lose your language, you will lose your culture. The language of a people has to do with their culture, dresses, hairstyle and some other things.”

    Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi noted in a tribute:  “Prof. Isola was an unabashed believer in the promotion of the Yoruba language, which he once demonstrated by being the first person to deliver a university convocation lecture in Yoruba at the Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, Ondo State, which was very unconventional.”

    Another striking coincidence: The Yoruba Language Preservation and Promotion Law arrived in the same month that the world celebrated   International Mother Language Day 2018 on February 21. This special day has been observed “every year since February 2000 to promote linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism.” The theme this year was “Linguistic diversity and multilingualism count for sustainable development.”

    Commissioner for Information and Strategy Kehinde Bamigbetan shed light on the law, saying Yoruba language “has become mandatory for all candidates seeking admission into our tertiary institutions.”  According to a report, “He said anyone seeking admission into the Lagos State University, Lagos State Polytechnic, Michael Otedola College of Primary Education, Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education, Lagos State School of Nursing and Lagos State College of Health Technology, among others must have credit in Yoruba language.”  The law makes it compulsory for all primary and secondary schools – private or public – in the state to teach Yoruba Language as a core subject at all levels.

    Furthermore, the law stipulates that “all state-owned tertiary institutions are to incorporate the use of Yoruba Language in their General Studies (GNS) courses.”  Other highlights: The language will be an acceptable means of communication in business and government, and all laws will be translated into Yoruba language.

    There is no doubt that there will be problems to be solved as the law takes effect. It is important to focus on the advantages. UNESCO notes: “To foster sustainable development, learners must have access to education in their mother tongue and in other languages. It is through the mastery of the first language or mother tongue that the basic skills of reading, writing and numeracy are acquired. Local languages, especially minority and indigenous, transmit cultures, values and traditional knowledge, thus play an important role in promoting sustainable futures.”

    The UN specialised agency is expected to know what it is talking about. UNESCO’s position supports the Yoruba Language Law. The organisation says:  “Languages, with their complex implications for identity, communication, social integration, education and development, are of strategic importance for people and planet. Yet, due to globalisation processes, they are increasingly under threat, or disappearing altogether. When languages fade, so does the world’s rich tapestry of cultural diversity. Opportunities, traditions, memory, unique modes of thinking and expression — valuable resources for ensuring a better future — are also lost.”

    The organisation also states: “At least 43% of the estimated 6000 languages spoken in the world are endangered. Only a few hundred languages have genuinely been given a place in education systems and the public domain, and less than a hundred are used in the digital world.”

    It takes a thinking political administrator to grasp the cultural dimension of the pursuit of socio-economic development. By paying attention to the preservation and promotion of Yoruba language, Ambode has shown a holistic approach to governance.

    Cultural governance is usually overlooked by leaders, which is why Ambode’s critical cultural interventions in less than three years at the helm deserve to be properly situated.  It takes a culture-friendly mind to think culturally. Ambode’s cultural focus shows that his understanding of “needs in the society” is not narrow and simplistic.

    Now that Lagos has shown the way, despite its pronounced cultural diversity, it is expected that other states in the country’s southwest where Yoruba is the main language will emulate the language policy. It is clear that the Yoruba have a duty to preserve and promote their language.

    Indeed, every indigenous language deserves to be preserved and promoted. The question is: Where are the preservers and promoters?

  • A kingmaker and his choice

    When it comes to succession, there are kingmakers who don’t understand that kingmaking has its limits. It is interesting that Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha was quoted as saying to reporters on February 5: “If I show them my successor now, they will kill him. The politicians here are very wicked, but at the right time, when I disclose the identity of my successor, I will stand behind him to protect him.”

    So, Okorocha knows who will succeed him as governor. He sounded so sure of the identity of his successor. Okorocha will leave office next year after a second four-year term, and the person who will become governor after him is expected to be elected by the electorate.

    Going by Okorocha’s words and the way he spoke confidently about the identity of his successor, he may not be thinking about the electorate and its electoral power. He may well be thinking about his own power to pick his successor and ensure that whoever he picks succeeds him as governor. In other words, Okorocha is thinking like a kingmaker.

    “The governor we want is a man that will continue with what we have done, because my administration has laid a solid foundation for the next governor,” Okorocha said.  Of course, he is entitled to want the person he wants. The question is whether the person he wants is the person the voters want.

    When will Okorocha reveal his choice? When is “the right time”?  Does the person he wants know?  Why would his choice be targeted for elimination? Okorocha unfairly labelled politicians in the state as “very wicked,” and maligned them by saying they would kill the person he wants if he unveiled the person’s identity at this time.

    Interestingly, a week later, Okorocha endorsed his son-in-law, Chief Uche Nwosu, to succeed him as governor.  Nwosu is the Chief of Staff, Government House, under his father-in-law.  It is curious that Okorocha endorsed Nwosu who is yet to say publicly that he wants to be governor.

    When officials of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and leaders from Owerri Municipal Council visited Okorocha at the Government House and urged him to back Nwosu for the governorship of the state in 2019, it was like an opportunity the governor had been waiting for to publicly express his preference for Nwosu.

    Okorocha said: “Uche Nwosu is hardworking, and never gets tired. He is a very humble young man. Not proud. Not arrogant. So, power won’t enter his head. In spite of the position he occupies you can’t see him quarreling with anybody or maltreating anybody. He does not segregate against anybody whether from Orlu or Owerri or Okigwe zone. He relates with people enviously. I have checked him in and out; I have not found him wanting… The young man is a team player, who does not use his office to molest anybody. He has the qualities of a good leader. If he says he will run for governor, I will support him.”

    Okorocha didn’t sound like he was ready to wait for Nwosu’s expression of interest. He sounded more like he had already chosen Nwosu as his successor. He said: “Obviously it might be as a result of these qualities that most people are talking about Uche Nwosu for governor everywhere even when he has not declared for the governorship. It might also be the reason for the endorsements he is getting from all quarters. You see, you don’t hide a good product. And the joy of every leader is to have a worthy successor. You don’t mind political opportunists. We have done very well as a government and we should be concerned about what happens to the achievements after.”

    It is not surprising that this development generated complaints from all quarters. For instance, a number of youth groups in the state rejected Okorocha’s move. A report said: “Some of the groups – Imo Youth Council, the Agenda Vanguard (AV), Imo Youth Enlightenment Organisation (IYEO), Rochas Youth Alliance (RYA), APC Youth Vanguard (APCYV), Youth Equity Group (YEG), APC Youth League (APCYL) and Imo Youths Agenda (IYA) –  angrily stormed out of a meeting organised by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Youth Affairs, Kenneth Emelu, at the Imo Youth Centre to lobby for their support for the governor’s anointed successor.”

    The State Commander, AV, Comrade Ibeawuchi Nwannaeri, who spoke on behalf of the groups, told reporters:  ”We don’t want to make mistakes; youths of Imo do not support endorsement of an individual. Nwosu is a youth and a good man, but the interest of the party should be paramount. No matter what, be it Madumere, Nwosu, Ololo or Ejiogu, what we are saying is that they should emerge through the party primary.”

    This is the heart of the matter. Will Okorocha follow the path of democracy and allow the democratic process to elect his successor? The problem with kingmakers is that they are usually willing to do anything to bring their candidates to power. It is not clear how far Okorocha may be ready to go to ensure that his choice succeeds him.

    Okorocha’s thinking on succession shows that he may be no better than Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose. Okorocha of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Fayose of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are on the same page on the question of succession. It is noteworthy that Fayose had caused a stir last year when he named his deputy, Prof. Kolapo Olusola, as his successor. The state is expected to elect a new governor this year. Justifying his choice, Fayose had said during a thanksgiving service to mark his third year in office:  ”I wanted Kayode Osho, but the Lord said it is Kolapo Olusola and I had no choice but to obey.”

    Governors who think they must pick their successors appear desperate to remain in power after their tenure. It is contrived continuity. Again and again, outgoing governors want to impose their choices on the people, claiming that it is in the people’s interest.  Okorocha and his ilk should let democracy work.

  • Fighting the fire

    Fixing the All Progressives Congress (APC) is a task that must be done to keep the party in power. It is reassuring that President Muhammadu Buhari has come to appreciate the need for party unity as the party prepares for the 2019 general election. Hopefully, it is not too late to heal the party’s self-inflicted wounds.

    It is interesting that Buhari has given the job of mending the collapsing party to Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the political giant who played a pivotal role in the formation of the APC, leading to the party’s historic electoral victory in 2015. Against all odds, Tinubu, a former governor of Lagos State, inspired the party to defeat the then ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    When the presidency named Tinubu for the job on February 6, it was food for thought. Presidential spokesman Garba Shehu said in a thought-provoking statement: “As part of on-going efforts to improve cohesion within the All Progressives Congress (APC), President Muhammadu Buhari has designated Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to lead the consultation, reconciliation and confidence building efforts. The assignment will involve resolving disagreements among party members, party leadership and political office holders in some states of the Federation.”

    Showing why Buhari chose Tinubu for the assignment, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, said in an interview: “Any effort to reconcile and put the party together is a welcome development because there is a lot of work to be done. It requires someone with experience and political skills to do well in that aspect. So, it is a welcome development and we want to commend Mr President for giving that a priority and for finding Asiwaju Tinubu worthy of that assignment. We also commend Asiwaju Tinubu for agreeing to accept the role for the betterment of our great party. We believe our party will come out stronger and united after the reconciliation process.”

    It is unclear how Tinubu will approach the assignment, but there is no question that he will bring his passion and conviction to the task. It is noteworthy that Tinubu spoke about how the APC was formed at the October 2016 launch of a controversial book by Prof. John Paden entitled Muhammadu Buhari – The Challenges of Leadership in Nigeria.

    Tinubu had said at the book launch at the International Conference Centre in Abuja:   “The formation of the All Progressives Congress, APC, is an important event that the book addresses. The merger was the result of teamwork, belief in the democratic will of the people and a commitment to national purpose…So many people made contributions that made the historic merger possible. It would be impossible to give each person the accolades they deserve in a concise work such as this one. However, it is an account that we must begin to chronicle fully, and with care, for it is the story of when reform came to the land.”

    Things have happened since Buhari became president nearly three years ago, and the story has changed from optimism to pessimism. A picture of promised change that has turned ugly was painted in an address read by Dr. Ignatius Ayau Kaigama, the Archbishop of Jos and Conference President, Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), when concerned Catholic priests visited Buhari on February 8.

    Kaigama said: “We thank you for granting us this audience, which affords us the opportunity to share with you, once again, our thoughts and concerns on some issues affecting our dear country, Nigeria…There is no doubt that when you came into office, you had an enormous amount of the goodwill of Nigerians, since many saw you as a person of integrity who would be able to bring sanity into a system that was nearly crippled by endemic corruption.”

    Then he delivered a blunt criticism:  “Nearly three years later, however, one has the feeling that this goodwill is being fast depleted by some glaring failures of government which we have the moral responsibility to bring to your notice. Else, we would be failing in our duty as spiritual fathers and leaders.”

    Only Buhari loyalists will disagree with the Bishops’ observations. Indeed, it is this observed depletion of goodwill that Tinubu’s mediation is expected to address. Ironically, the mediator will need goodwill to succeed. The party is divided in no fewer than 10 states, including Ondo, Ogun, Kaduna, Bauchi, Kogi, Oyo, Ekiti, Zamfara, Rivers and Delta. According to a report, “The division is visible with notable actors, such as governors, senators and ministers, playing significant roles.”

    This assignment will test Tinubu’s political stature and stretch his political elasticity. It is interesting that Buhari believes Tinubu can renew the party, considering that he has been on the receiving end of bad politics within the party.

    Party member in the South-South Barrister Frank Okon was quoted as saying: “How can you ask the number-one aggrieved member to lead reconciliation? The National Leader is the most aggrieved person in the party today. Who will reconcile Tinubu with the party’s National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun? Are you not aware that Tinubu himself is aggrieved? He also needs to be pacified, especially in his grievance against the President.”

    Another party member in Adamawa, Alhaji Yinusa Inuwa, was also quoted as saying:  “Tinubu has issues with many people in the party, especially those who went against him during the elections under the leadership of the National Assembly. He is fighting the Senate President, Bukola Saraki and many senators who supported Saraki. He is also fighting Yakubu Dogara and Governor Aminu Tambuwal over the speakership. Who will reconcile him with those lawmakers? Is he going to reconcile himself with them?”

    It is in the greater interest of the party to achieve party unity. By picking Tinubu to do the job, Buhari has demonstrated that he knows who is who in the party when it comes to resolving the internal crisis that may consume the party. But how did the party get into this crisis in the first place?

    Tinubu deserves commendation for staying on course, despite provocations. Those who caused the fire need to be told that they may not always get a firefighter.

  • Double Wahala, double drama

    Double Wahala, double drama

    Big Brother Naija (BBN) 2018 started with a characteristic bang on January 28. When the last edition of the reality show ended on April 9, 2017, it was uncertain when the next one would happen.  Big Brother Naija, which was broadcast on pay-Tv from January 22 to April 9, 2017, had replaced Big Brother Nigeria, which was launched in 2006. Considering the 10-year pause between the first and second seasons, it is remarkable that the third season is happening a year after the second one.

    The winner will take home N45 million and a new SUV after surviving the twists and turns that come with the 85-day show. To make progress, the housemates need to win the endorsement of the voting public, and no one is ever sure how the public will vote. Last year, the prize money was N25 million plus a new SUV, meaning it’s a bigger show this time.

    The General Manager, Sales and Marketing, MultiChoice Nigeria, Martin Mabutho, was quoted as saying: “The last edition of Big Brother Naija was incredibly successful and we see just how much the show continues to resonate with fans in Nigeria and around the continent.”

    There is no doubt about the show’s popularity. This is how a vivid on-the-spot account last year captured the reality of the show’s mass appeal: “Winner of reality show – Big Brother Naija (BBN) – Efe Ejeba yesterday arrived into the warm embrace of his admirers. The crowd of fans in branded T-shirts had waited patiently for about three hours, singing and dancing at the Arrival Wing of the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, to give a rousing welcome to Efe. Efe, who arrived in Nigeria with Bisola, the first runner-up, was further delayed by airport officials and co-passengers, who struggled for photo ops at the luggage arena after disembarking from a South African Airways flight from Johannesburg, where the show was recorded for 78 days.”

    The report continued:  “Outside the airport, it was hectic for the team of policemen and protocol officers from MultiChoice, organisers of the show, to shield them from the crowd, and usher them into the waiting convoy… In the last three months, Big Brother Naija was estimated to be the most watched show on the African continent, shutting down Instagram, Facebook and Twitter with trending issues daily.”

    It is noteworthy that the show attracted various criticisms from various quarters last year when it started, and even when it ended, particularly the emotionally charged argument that the choice of South Africa for a Nigerian-content show was inapt, if not insulting to a country that enjoys being described as “Giant of Africa.”  Another major criticism of the show was its alleged devaluation of moral values by the depiction of an apparently amoral universe. Also, the show was criticised for its alleged artificiality, which contradicted its supposed reality. In addition, it glamourised vanity and materialism, critics said.

    Indeed, South Africa’s role as host of the show was such a hot issue that the Federal Government directed the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to investigate whether the offshore arrangement had breached the Nigerian Broadcasting Code in any way. The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, had said in a statement: “As a country of laws, only the outcome of the investigation will determine our next line of action. ”

    It is interesting that, despite the investigation, the show went on to the end, suggesting that the investigators found nothing amiss. It would appear that the explanation by MultiChoice made sense and the arrangement could not be faulted on legal grounds.   A defensive statement issued by the company had said: “We have a fully equipped house in South Africa, which is used for the Big Brother shows. This means that we are able to achieve high production values whilst meeting tight timelines and ensuring the show comes to our viewers on time as planned, and with the same globally renowned quality. The house has played host to other Big Brother countries including: the general Big Brother Africa, Mozambique, Angola and now Nigeria.” The point is that nationalist and patriotic sentiments were not strong enough in this case, and the organisers and sponsors based their calculations on unsentimental business considerations.

    Talking of the business angle, it’s a profitable venture for the organisers.  An analytical report last year said: “During the final live eviction show on Sunday 2nd of April, Ebuka announced that for that week only, they received over 11 million votes. Although not all votes were through SMS, which by the way cost ?30 per vote, a large percentage could have come through that channel. At ?30 per vote, 11 million votes amount to ?330m in just one week out of the eleven that Big Brother Naija ran for. Usually, telcos take 70% of revenue generated on SMS shortcode services. That leaves about ?99m for MultiChoice, the organisers. This amount could be much higher, depending on the revenue share agreement between MultiChoice and the telcos. Remember that the above figures reflect only one week of voting…”

    There is no question that BBN has its upsides, the winner’s enrichment being one.  It was a turning point in the life of Efe, the 23-year-old Economics graduate of University of Jos who won last year.  Another positive side of the show is its projection of Nigeria and Nigerians. It is not only entertaining; it is also enlightening, considering its focus on human interaction in a “special living environment.”

    BBN3 started with 20 “unique, diverse and interesting Housemates”: Nina, Vandora, Teddy A, K.Brule, Princess, Alex, Dee-One, Miracle, Ahneeka, BamBam, Rico Swavey, Bitto, Khloe, Ifu Ennada, Angel, Leo, Anto, Cee-C, Lolu, and Tobi. According to the organisers, “It’s going to be a long and bumpy ride and the stakes are high…The game will challenge every part of the Housemates talents and will expose all of their weaknesses too.”

    This year, it’s Double Wahala, meaning “there would be double entertainment, double wahala, and double eviction. The housemates will be paired, and this means that if one housemate gets evicted, his or her partner leaves too. If a housemate gets a reward or punishment, the partner will also be at the receiving end.”

    In the final analysis, it is a thought-provoking reality that over a decade after the show’s first season, Nigeria is still considered unsuitable for hosting it.

  • Abiola: Filial dishonour

    Abiola: Filial dishonour

    Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, or MKO for short, was known for his amazing prosperity as well as his amazing generosity.  Indeed, the late businessman and politician was a generous soul with a generous spirit.  This is why it is amazing that his children are ironically divided over his assets, which is a sad sign that perhaps they did not inherit MKO’s legendary generosity of spirit.

    A January 12 statement by one of MKO’s children, AbdulMumuni Abiola, painted a thought-provoking picture of sibling conflict:  “My brothers, sisters and I, totalling 40 children of Abiola, are not fighting with them…But we need to step out of the past and of our father’s shadow. Kola, Deji and Agboola have been peddling lies in the media about my efforts to bring about changes to the dwindling fortunes of the Abiola family.”

    AbdulMumuni added: “I am ashamed just like my other brothers and sisters that after MKO Abiola’s death, many of his legacies appear to be in a shambles. It shouldn’t be like that. That is not what MKO Abiola stood for while he was alive. I want the good people of Nigeria to prevail on Kola and his cohorts to stop using the police to harass me or those who are working with me to restore the lost glory of the Abiola family.”

    It is noteworthy that this revealing statement came a few days after four men were reportedly arraigned for allegedly entering the late MKO’s bulk purchase bookshop in Oshodi, Lagos, to steal properties valued at N1bn.

    AbdulMumuni said: “Why should some people be sending thugs and miscreants after me and those working with me to renovate MKO Abiola’s properties? Why should that be? … Why should only a select few of Abiola’s children sit on our father’s properties? I am not even asking them to give me and my other siblings a share of the money-spinning companies of my father that they sit on. Our humble request is that they should allow me and my other siblings who are interested in renovating Abiola’s derelict properties. They should allow us to revive MKO Abiola’s abandoned projects.”

    Another voice reinforced AbdulMumuni’s voice. Aliu, also one of MKO’s children, spoke against his older siblings who were allegedly shortchanging the others.  Aliu was quoted as saying:  “The truth of the matter is, when things of this nature happen — 20 years go by, and a certain group of people sit on the commonwealth of others — then definitely those who have been disenfranchised, like my brother, Abdul, and many of us as he mentioned, have to seek redress by any means available. So, the assets in question are assets that everyone knows were owned by our late father. Such assets should be used for the benefit of all his children, rather than a small group of people.”

    Aliu provided concrete examples: “There is a warehousing complex in Isolo, for instance, which is currently being leased out. Monies are being paid on annual basis for the property in question and no member of the family is taking any money from the money that is being paid. He (MKO Abiola) has the hangars at the airport that are being leased out — two of them are being leased out. Monies are being paid; nobody is taking a dime from that.”

    It is curious that no voice from the opposing camp has publicly countered AbdulMumuni and Aliu. What could this mean?   Those who have been accused of bad conduct in this matter should know that their silence does not help matters.

    MKO’s life and times should serve as a lesson to his offspring.  He was born poor. A profile of MKO says: “At the age of nine he started his first business selling firewood gathered in the forest at dawn before school, to support his father and siblings. He founded a band at the age of fifteen and would perform at various ceremonies in exchange for food. He was eventually able to require payment for his performances, and used the money to support his family and his secondary education at the Baptist Boys High School, Abeokuta.”

    In a striking story of progress, MKO later attended Glasgow University, Scotland, where earned a first class degree in Accountancy; he also “gained a distinction from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland.” His business interests included: Abiola Farms, Abiola Bookshops, Radio Communications Nigeria, Wonder Bakeries, Concord Press, Concord Airlines, Summit Oil International Ltd, Africa Ocean Lines, Habib Bank and Decca W.A. Ltd.

    MKO reportedly received 197 traditional titles from 68 different communities across Nigeria. These titles were reportedly conferred on him “in response to his having provided financial assistance in the construction of 63 secondary schools, 121 mosques and churches, 41 libraries, 21 water projects in 24 states of Nigeria.”

    MKO was a phenomenal philanthropist whose giving spirit caught the world’s attention. This is what the Congressional Black Caucus of the United States of America said in a tribute to him: “Because of this man, there is both cause for hope and certainty that the agony and protests of those who suffer injustice shall give way to peace and human dignity. The children of the world shall know the great work of this extraordinary leader and his fervent mission to right wrong, to do justice, and to serve mankind. The enemies which imperil the future of generations to come: poverty, ignorance, disease, hunger, and racism have each seen effects of the valiant work of Chief Abiola.”

    There is no doubt that when MKO died in detention under a military regime on July 7, 1998, after the unjust annulment of the June 12, 1993, presidential election which he won, millions of Nigerians were shattered. His magical life inspired a popular belief in his capacity to turn things around in a country that needed transformational leadership.

    It is food for thought that his inheritors who are reaping where they didn’t sow won’t reflect on the sower. Eating the fruits of MKO’s labour can be done without the noisy infighting that dishonours the great man.

  • A party for Fafowora

    After a serious session of The Nation Editorial Board on January 17, it was time for serious fun. Ambassador Dapo Fafowora, a trained historian and a respected retired diplomat, was leaving the Board after 11 years of dedicated service and deserved to be celebrated.  He will be 77 in March.

    The newspaper’s boardroom at its head office in Lagos became a stage for tributes to Fafowora. A front-page headline on a well-made cake designed like an edition of the newspaper conveyed the occasion’s valedictory significance.

    Editorial Board Chairman Sam Omatseye captured the mixed feelings, saying it was a happy event and also a sad one. Omatseye said to Fafowora: “We have enjoyed your presence here over the years. You have enlightened us with your wisdom and taught us that age is not just a number. We cannot thank you enough. You have equipped us with your experience, we are going to miss you and please don’t forget us soon.”

    In his response to the positive comments about him by Board members, Fafowora said emotionally: “I was not expecting this elaborate reception, but I say a big thank you.”  He added: “I enjoyed the years working with The Nation from inception. They have a formidable editorial board with bright, young and good writers.  They have professors and they are all highly experienced. I consider them to have the best editorial board in the country.”

    Fafowora was also retiring from column writing. He said, for him, writing was a labour of love. He wrote in his autobiography launched in 2013: “As a newspaper columnist for over 30 years, in three major national newspapers, I have written and published over 400 articles…The first volume of these articles, titled Selected Essays on Nigerian Diplomacy, Politics, and Economics, was published by me when I turned 60 in 2001. Surprisingly, it sold out completely within a few years.”

    Fafowora had joined the Nigerian Diplomatic Service in 1964 after graduating from the then University College, Ibadan.  He obtained his Master’s Degree from the University of London in 1966 and the Doctor of Philosophy Degree from the Trinity College, Oxford University, in 1972.  Between 1966 and 1968, he served as Second Secretary, Nigeria High Commission, London; and between 1981 and 1984 he was the Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative of Nigeria to the United Nations. He is a former Director General of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria; and a Fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Letters. He is an author, and his books include: Lord Lugard’s Political Memoranda and the Development of Indirect Rule in Nigeria; A History of the CMS Grammar School, Lagos (1859 – 2009); A Venture of Faith (An Official History of the Cathedral Church of Christ, Lagos (1867 – 2007);  Lest I Forget: Memoirs of a Nigerian Career Diplomat.

    It was on the editorial board that our paths crossed. I got to know Fafowora better when he agreed to deliver the inaugural Herbert Macaulay Gold Lecture 2017. I coordinated the event. He helped to turn an idea into an event. He chose the topic: Herbert Macaulay and his relevance to the excellence of Lagos.  While we prepared for the event, which took place at the Lagos Country Club, Ikeja, Lagos, on May 25, 2017, we shared life beyond the boardroom.  It was an unforgettable time. I benefitted immensely from his immense experience. A man of striking decency, Fafowora enriched my understanding of decency.

    This is how Fafowora began the lecture: “I am honoured by the invitation to me to deliver this inaugural Gold Lecture in memory of Herbert Heelas Macaulay, who died in Lagos on May 7, 1946, at the age of 81. The lecture on the continuing relevance of Herbert Macaulay to the excellence of Lagos is intended to mark the 71st anniversary of the death of Herbert Macaulay as well as the 50th anniversary of the creation of Lagos State. I extend my warmest felicitations to Governor Ambode on this auspicious occasion.”

    He continued: “As a professional historian, one of my unfulfilled literary ambitions was to write a full-length biography of Herbert Macaulay. There is, regrettably, none at the moment. This is because I find his public life, career, and politics in Lagos very fascinating. Therefore, I welcome and relish this opportunity and privilege of delivering this inaugural lecture on the life and times of Herbert Macaulay, who is widely regarded and acknowledged as the ‘Father of Nigerian Nationalism’.”

    It is noteworthy that Fafowora is a distinguished old boy of the CMS Grammar School, Lagos, “the oldest secondary grammar school in Nigeria,” founded in 1859 by Herbert Macaulay’s father, Revd. Thomas Babington Macaulay.

    Some years before the maiden Herbert Macaulay Gold Lecture, I had participated in a celebration of cerebration as Fafowora became a Fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Letters. A man of brilliant wit, Fafowora, then 73, had spoken on behalf of the new Fellows of the Nigerian Academy of Letters (NAL) after their decoration.  He told the audience about a phone conversation he had with his grandchild who lived in England. “I am being honoured today,” he had said to the grandchild. In reply, he got a question: “For what?”  Answer: “My investiture as a Fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Letters will take place today.”  Response: “So, you’ve been writing letters. And you’ve not written any to us.”

    The tickled members of the audience greeted Fafowora’s brief account with laughter, and he went on to thank the NAL for the honour bestowed on him and five others at the body’s 16th Convocation and the Investiture of New Fellows, which took place at the Main Auditorium, University of Lagos, on August 14, 2014.  Fafowora described the academy as a “prestigious club,” adding, “I felt immensely proud that I had been considered.”

    It is not over yet, and there may well be more honours ahead for Fafowora. The atmosphere in the boardroom during the send-off prompted reflections. It was a celebration of the power of knowledge as well as a celebration of the power of writing.