So much has been said and written about the untimely death of 12-year-old Sylvester Oromoni, a Junior Secondary School 2 (JSS) student of Dowen College, in eyebrow Lekki axis of Lagos State, and we are still going to hear more because the story is still unfolding. Truth is; no matter how much has been put in the public domain on the matter, it can never be enough. Sylvester’s death, under controversial circumstances, has equally generated so much concern nationwide, and understandably so. While Dowen College said the boy died from injuries he sustained while playing football, the family claimed he died after being tortured in an attempt to force him join a cult group. He was initially taken to the school clinic, from where he was later referred home. Tragically, he died on November 28.

As someone who had stayed in hostels right from my secondary school days, I know there are certain things that happen between senior students and their junior counterparts. Seniors can send their juniors on some errands like fetching water for them, cleaning of some of their rooms and personal effects. Sometimes the seniors go beyond their limit. I remember one such instance when those of us in form three planned to resist their excesses at Ijebu-Ode Grammar School, Ijebu-Ode. I think we were just promoted to form three. That was a time we started offering Physics, Chemistry and Biology (PhyChemBo). It was (I guess it is still the situation now) the equivalent of the ‘age of puberty’ in the secondary school. So, on the appointed date, those of us in form three who had planned to defy the new prefects took our combs to the assembly hall. ‘Yari’ literally means to comb one’s hair. But, as we all know, most eras have their peculiar slangs. The vogue then was to ‘yari’ (be adamant) on something that one disagreed with. As soon as we brought out the combs in the hall at the appointed time, our seniors got the message. In a twinkle of an eye, the entire hall was in pandemonium. The rest is history.

But that was probably some of the worst senior/junior incidents I can recollect. That it has now got to the extent of seniors forcing juniors to join cult is something else. And that that is being linked to a highbrow school makes the matter worse. Many people who send their children to private schools, especially the faith-based institutions, do so, among others, because they see those places as safe havens for their children. In the first place, most of the institutions, though faith-based, do not come cheap. It is immaterial whether they are kindergarten, primary, secondary or tertiary. The assumption is that the parents cough up so much, not only to get their children a sound education, but also to ensure their safety and security.

Unfortunately, stories that have been emanating from Dowen College would seem to suggest some laxity, especially in this all-important aspect of security. It is baffling that some students in an institution like that would be engaging in the kind of wicked maltreatment of their juniors in the manner we have been reading about in the media without the knowledge of the school authorities. It is even the more befuddling that the kind of treatment Sylvester allegedly got that led to his death is being described as mere cult activities or reduced to bullying. To me, it would seem like premeditated murder. And I think we should call a spade a spade, irrespective of the ages of the suspects. At their respective ages, they should know the effect of such wickedness on the victim.

As a kid, I remember an exercise our parents asked us to perform, to demonstrate the finality of death. They would tell us to close our eyes and then ask

whether we could see anybody. Of course our answer was a capital NO. They would then tell us that that is what people experience in death. It means bye bye to daddy, bye bye to mummy. You won’t see aunties again. Mummy and daddy too would never see their lovely child who has died. Death means no more visits to Kingsway Stores (there was no Sweet Sensation then, no Mr Biggs, etc). No lollipop, no more cake, no more chocolate, excursions and what have you. All of these was designed to scare us

and keep us from harm’s way. Children, especially those from the elite and the middle class which still existed then would not want to die and miss all these privileges.

Of course then, too, moral standards were high. Even rich parents still inculcated certain religious and cultural tenets in their children that would send some fear of God into the children when they were about to do evil. Two of those common religious tenets were ‘do unto others as you would like them do unto you’ and ‘love your neighbour as yourself’. The idea was to let children have a sense of good and bad early in life.

Like most other things that kept life going then, most of these tenets have been relegated to the background. As a matter of fact, a child who tries to follow some of these precepts is likely to be seen as ‘old school’ these days. The country is paying for some of those teachings of old that have been jettisoned.

I have come this far with these analogies because of some of the stories that have been making the rounds since Sylvester’s death, especially those quoting at least one of the suspects as saying he has nothing to fear on the matter because his dad is well connected. Not because he is not involved! We may be tempted to dismiss this as child talk. But then, we also know that except God is interested in a case, many such cases had ended nowhere with the big men involved still walking our streets freely, even after committing blue murder. It is not unlikely that some of these parents negotiate their way out of trouble with the relevant judicial and other authorities right in the presence of the children. That is the only thing that can give a child the audacity to say he never expects any consequence even in the face of such a grievous allegation.

I can only hope this is not true in the circumstance because if the reports are true, then Nigeria is in trouble. It is definitely ominous if we are already rearing children with the mindset that no matter the crime one commits, he may still evade sanctions if he is well connected.

Let us even assume the children who were alleged to have caused Sylvester’s death only intended to bully him, not knowing that their action would lead to his death, what we should be hearing are stories of remorse rather than the ones of bragaddacio and ‘man know man’. I remember some of the misdemeanors we committed in school in those days that were nothing near what we have on our hands now. I remember how we had our hearts in our mouths when our names were called out in the assembly hall to receive our due comeuppance. I remember how we would have become jelly if such little sins warranted being asked to bring our parents to see the school authorities. For many of us, inviting our parents was like what Fela called “double wahala for dead body”. After serving the school punishment, you still had your parents to contend with when you got back home. They would tell you how sad they were to be invited to your school not to come and receive an award of excellence that you won but because of your bad conduct.

If the stories we are reading about the suspects are true, then, what has happened to all these teachings of old? Is it that these children do not realise that Sylvester was gone and gone forever, never to be seen. That means he can no longer see his daddy and mummy; he can no longer see his lovely sisters and brothers. He can no longer go to any eatery or be spoilt a little with ice cream or chocolate. That means his ambition has crashed in life and whatever his parents had invested in him has all become wasted. Here, we are not talking about the financial sacrifice alone but more importantly, the emotional investment. It is not easy to nurse a child from pregnancy to age 12 that Sylvester died.

Indeed, whenever I see the boy’s picture before the effects of what hit him in Dowen College began to manifest, I see a very peaceful child who was loved by his parents and who was also happy to be born to where he was born. He was full of life. Even though I never knew the family, I got the impression theirs was a well bonded family where love reigned. But then, the mum’s seeming delay in attending to the boy’s request for her attention over a matter was probably one of the reasons why he died. According to some report, the boy had told the mum he had something to discuss with her but the mum did not pay enough attention. By the time she was ready, the boy himself was no longer in the mood. But they soon discovered changes in his behaviour, including being withdrawn. One thing followed the other until the boy died. No one can blame the mum even if she tarried in listening to her son’s request for attention over an issue. No one could have imagined any serious thing like being initiated into cultism in an otherwise elite school like Dowen College.

Given some of the other stories about similar experiences in the school over the years, the least one can assume is that there is laxity in the school in terms of monitoring the students and how they relate to one another, especially at the level of senior-junior.

One of the lessons we must have learnt from this unsavoury episode is the need to revamp the inspectorate divisions in our ministries of education nationwide. This is not about Lagos State alone. That division is as good as dead in many places. As a matter of fact, it is regarded as mere adjuncts to the ministries of education in many parts of the country. In the good old days, it was such an important aspect of the ministries and school authorities so dreaded the inspectors that they (the authorities) would not want to fall foul of their prescribed standards. The division was then well-staffed with some of the strictest disciplinarians one could ever find. I have a feeling that if a survey is conducted in several parts of the country today, it would be discovered that many schools have not been visited by inspectors since their establishment, perhaps in decades. And this is not about education alone. It is part of the general systemic collapse that has become our lot over the years. This must change if we are not to continue to pay the kind of price we are paying with Sylvester’s death. It grieves my heart whenever such a thing happens. It is saddening that a promising young boy like that would just get wasted due to circumstances well beyond his control. There is no doubt that Sylvester’s parents, like most good parents, wanted their children to be greater than them in life, definitely not the way Sylvester has advertised their names to the world. It is gratifying that President Muhammadu Buhari has shown interest in the matter. In normal climes, this does not have to be to get result. His interest is not misplaced because it is one of those riddles that would be used to assess security and sanity in his time. Beyond the presidential interest, however, it is the result that matters.

We cannot bring back Sylvester Oromoni. The best we can do is to ensure that those responsible for his death pay for their crime. Even if they are minors, the case must be thoroughly investigated and diligently prosecuted and the killers served their due comeuppance within the limits of their ages. Let all those who must unravel what really transpired at Dowen College in this matter do so with a high sense of responsibility and the fear of God. This is the least anyone wishing to be buried by his children owes Sylvester and his grieving parents.

Rising crude prices is a thing of joy to wise crude-producing countries. That affords them the opportunity to make more foreign exchange with which to make life worthwhile for the people. It also affords them the opportunity to save enough for the rainy day. But that is in countries with good heads who not only take care of today but also save against tomorrow, knowing full well that oil prices fluctuate and that their countries’ fortunes should not undulate with the volatile crude prices. This is the situation in those countries that know the value of planning and do refine their crude oil themselves. I am talking of countries that understand that a wise person leaves a good inheritance for his/her children. Not the one that keeps accumulating debts for generations unborn.

Definitely not one like Nigeria that is abundantly blessed with crude oil but cannot refine it even for domestic use, not to talk of considering exporting the refined products for extra cash. It therefore finds it convenient to export the crude oil in its crude form for relatively peanuts, and importing the value-added products at cut-throat prices. That can only happen in a country where money is not the problem but how to spend it. That is why Nigerians become sad Sam whenever crude prices are rising. This is what is playing out right now in the country. Crude prices are on the upswing and while other crude-producing countries with responsible leadership are smiling to the bank, Nigerians are apprehensive that their own government is telling them to get ready to pay more for fuel. Already, they have spoilt the incoming year for millions of Nigerians, who have started thinking of how to cope, when in February, 2022, the new price regime is expected to begin.

Petrol, we are told, would from next year sell for between N320 and N340 per litre. Note, the Buhari government inherited N87 per litre in 2015. Several officials in the administration, including the Minister of Finance, Zainab Shamsuna Ahmed, have been singing the inevitability of the price increase into our ears. Perhaps the most recent of them is the Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd (NNPCL), Mele Kyari.

Kyari spoke in Abuja at the presentation of the November edition of the World Bank Nigeria Development Update, titled: “Time for Business Unusual.” According to him, “There will be no provision for it (subsidy) legally in our system, but I am also sure you will appreciate that government has a bigger social responsibility to cater for the ordinary (citizen) and therefore engage in a process that will ensure that we exit in the most subtle and easy manner.”

Even Kyari, as group managing director/chief executive officer of NNPLC was silent on the country’s moribund refineries, which is where that “business unusual” that was the title of his address at the forum should appropriately begin from. How come we are importing fuel, which is largely the basis of the so-called subsidy that successive governments have always threatened to withdraw? How come none of the refineries under his watch is functioning?

As with other public officials, mum was the word from Kyari on this important aspect.

Then, Malam Nasir el-Rufai, the Kaduna State governor who joined the World Bank presentation virtually; he too was not different from the pack. The governor’s headache is how he and his colleagues would meet their monthly obligation to their workers. They do not seem to care about where the cash would come from, even if it means draining the blood of Nigerians. So, tell me, is that not official Yahoo Yahoo? El-Rufai said 35 out of the 36 states of the federation may not be able to pay salaries next year if subsidy was not stopped. Again, like other government functionaries who have been speaking on subsidy, el-Rufai was silent on the fact that we are talking about subsidy in because we are importing fuel. There was nothing new in what could pass for an epistle in his contribution to the issue. Just the usual half-truths and pretence that governments in Nigeria love the people.

Hear el-Rufai: : “This hullabaloo about petrol is something that we must as a country have a conversation and agree that it has to end. We cannot continue to provide petroleum to our neighbouring countries, which is what we are doing.

“Why are we doing this? For whom are we doing it? Who is the beneficiary? Which is the cabal that is the beneficiary of this and why should they hold this country to ransom and bankrupt the Nigerian economy?”

The question of Nigeria supplying its neighbours cheap fuel, which is one of the reasons often touted for fuel, price increase is not caused by the ordinary Nigerian. That is left to the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS). This service makes humongous money for the government and a fraction of that ploughed back into the NCS would be enough to get the right number of personnel for the agency to perform, armed with the relevant modern equipment.

Moreover, el-Rufai should know that the subsidy is not the reason the state governments would not be able to pay salaries. The reason they can’t pay is because many state governments are lazy and incapable of imagination. State (regional) governments were not living off one another in the first republic. So, why don’t we return to that glorious aspect of our past? In a country where the president is so fixated with, and fascinated by the past, such that he would not allow old things to pass away, we will continue to be treating symptoms instead of causes. States properly so-called must be able to fend for themselves. Otherwise, they should cease to exist. Pure and simple.

As a matter of fact, the way our government officials, particularly the elected ones reason shows they are out of touch with reality; out of touch with the people. Indeed, Nigerians should begin to understand the reason why many of our public officials do not want to get out of government once they get in. After becoming governors they want to be senator, and after that become minister or head of one juicy government agency or the other, so that their problem would continue to be the problem of Nigerians. These officials think it is the way many of them in government get cheap money that the rest of us get it, too. Or that the government picks our bills the way government picks theirs. They do not seem to realise that for the few Nigerians that are lucky to have fairly good jobs, 30 days make one month. As a matter of fact, for many, it is more than that before another pay day. Not to talk of the jobless millions out there.

Yet, if anything, it is the incompetence and corruption of the political elite that has turned Nigerians that God created as butchers’ children, to bone eaters, by ensuring that our refineries were killed. Tell me what government has not killed in Nigeria. Is it not the political elite that killed our hospitals? Is it not the political elite that killed our educational system? After killing everything good in the country, they jet out for medical tourism, they send their children abroad to get quality education. All of these at the expense of the hapless tax-payers. They are now complaining that it is too much to splash N250 billion monthly subsidy on petrol on about 200 million ordinary citizens; innocent people who were not responsible for making our refineries moribund. And, to show the lack of creativity in the government, the Buhari government that we invested so much hope in, after monumentally disappointing Nigerians on all major fronts said, in place of the subsidy, it would give some 40 million poorest-of-the poor Nigerians N5,000 each, to cushion the effects of the subsidy withdrawal on them. It stopped shy of calling this ‘palliative’ like past governments did apparently because Nigerians have always known that palliatives in Nigeria is a fraudulent government concept or scheme.

I have so far refrained from bringing Labour into the picture because I do not think Labour is going to do anything significantly different from what it had done in the past in the subsidy question: that is, raise the hope of Nigerians only to dump them at the last minute. And really, I do not think Nigerians or any long-suffering people need any prompting by anybody or group, reliable or unreliable, to know what to do when pushed to the wall. Poverty or hardship does not know tribe or religion. It is significant to note, however, that if the Jonathan government whipped us with cane on subsidy, the Buhari government has come with horsewhips laced with razor blade to do the same thing it condemned its predecessor who did not even increase fuel price anything near what the Buhari government is contemplating, for.

The fact of the matter is that the government has completely lost steam. If it thinks its jaded sermonising on subsidy withdrawal will have any impact on Nigerians, it is merely deceiving itself. Definitely, the government has come to the end of the road even with borrowing because no sensible country should be willing to lend to Nigeria again, after seeing that there is no creative thinking in government and that those in government only believe in the easy way out.

Subsidy removal would make sense to me (and I guess the generality of Nigerians) if the country does not have crude oil, or if crude is refined locally with the government bearing a part of the cost which it now wants to drop due to liquidity challenge. In this situation, there can be a debate. We can talk. But not in a situation where the government merely wants to pass its ineptitude and corruption in the system to the common man.

But, why is Nigeria making crude refining look like rocket science? After all, other oil-producing countries are getting it right. Why would bean cake become bone in the mouth of Nigerian governments? These are germane questions the government must answer before talking about subsidy withdrawal.

My only advice to the Buhari government is that it should know that there is a limit to human endurance. We saw a bit of that last year. This government is barely being tolerated. We have never witnessed the kind of hardship we are enduring under the Buhari government. Nigerians are like other rational human beings; so, the Buhari government should not push them to the extent of making them lose their coping mechanism. It is only a greedy fly that follows the dead body to the grave. Let the government stop behaving like one on this fuel subsidy issue. Nigerians should not continue to fund the insatiable appetite of the ruling class for all manner of exotic lifestyle. The Buhari government should tell the world what it has done in over six years to make Nigeria refine crude oil, at least for domestic use, instead of harping on subsidy withdrawal on imported petrol, as if our lives must depend on it.

A word is enough for the wise.

Initially, I did not want to jump into the matter because, for some time, it looked to me like an improbable fiction. I know that crimes and corruption generally have refused to leave Nigeria because the worst of them are perpetrated by the rich. They are the ones that cut corners in building projects, despite the risks; they are the ones that steal so unconscionably as if stealing is going out of fashion; they are the ones that trample on the law and institutions with impunity; etc. Yet, they hardly pay for their crimes and when they do at all, the biggest punishment they get is usually a slap on the wrist.

I know all of these. Yet, I found it hard to believe that a man like Prince Rahmon Adedoyin could ever be involved in such a mess that has been in the media space in the past week or so. I have never met him in person, but I have had cause to pass through his university, Oduduwa University, Ipetumodu, Osun State, when travelling because it is at a major intersection of the ever-busy Ife- Ilesa-Akure Expressway. Never could I have imagined during those journeys that a day would come when the founder of the university would be mentioned in a case like this. How could a prince from ‘the source’ ever be involved in money rituals? A prince as well as a man with the heart to establish tertiary institutions must be someone of impeccable character. That is the minimum demanded of him in both capacities.

The story is that one Master’s degree student of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun State, Mr. Timothy Adegoke, had lodged in Hilton Hotels and Resorts at Ile-Ife, upon his arrival from Abuja on November 5, to enable him arrive early for his examination at the OAU Distance Learning Centre, Moro, Osun State, on November 6 and November 7. The hotel is owned by Prince Adedoyin.

Somehow, that was the last that was heard of him alive. His wife that he had told on November 5 that he had arrived his hotel tried reaching him the next day on phone but there was no response, as the phone only kept ringing all day. She contacted the relations who also got in touch with the OAU authorities that told them that Adegoke did not take the Master of Business Administration (MBA) examination that he came for.

The police were then invited, and, in the course of investigations, it was discovered that Adegoke paid N37,000 (his hotel bill for two nights) into the account of one Adedeji Tobiloba Adesola, a female member of the staff of the hotel. Despite the fact that the hotel had been his choice hotel, as he had stayed there for his examinations previously (i.e. from October 22 to 24; and October 29 to October 31), the hotel management and founder allegedly denied that Adegoke lodged at the hotel for the November 6 examination.

However, Adesola was eventually apprehended and she confessed to have allocated Room 305 of the hotel to Adegoke on November 5. Her confession reportedly led to the arrest of six other suspects, including an Alfa, and Prince Adedoyin himself. The story is obviously longer. Indeed, it is as intriguing as it is incredible.

Suffice it to add that Adegoke was killed and his corpse buried. Where was he killed? Who killed him? And from where was his corpse exhumed? Even if they could not answer the first two questions, the police should have told us where the corpse was exhumed. Rather, it was the victim’s relations that witnessed the exhumation who gave us graphic details of it. They said he was buried near the hotel and wrapped with one of the hotel’s clothes. They added that his throat was slit and something taken away from the body.

Even with this summary of what we were told, my readers should be able to understand why it was difficult for me to believe the story until Osun State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Olawale Olokode, confirmed the arrest of Prince Adedoyin in connection with the incident.

I commend the OAU authorities for the concern shown when they learnt that one of their students was missing. Also worthy of commendation is the management of Oduduwa University, for the maturity displayed in their press release on the matter. Having participated in such damage control missions in the past, I know a lot of rigour must have gone into the eventual outcome. It’s been a long time since I saw such a mature statement from an institution in troubled time like this, coming out to articulate its position in such a mature and detached manner, devoid of the usual sycophancy and preposterous vituperations.

We must understand why the university had to speak up on the matter. There is no way it would not be affected by the incident, irrespective of whether their founder is eventually exonerated or found culpable. As a matter of fact, it should consider itself lucky that admission for the present session had been concluded before the story broke. Otherwise, it would have affected the university’s intakes. Nobody wants to lose a child that has been trained to that level in avoidable circumstances. The way things are, even the hotel would not get out of this unscathed, and this, again, is without prejudice to the outcome of investigations on the matter.

The truth of the matter is that, even if Prince Adedoyin is exonerated in the end, many people would not believe the process was free and fair. Many would believe it was the outcome of the rich protecting one of their own. So, many people would henceforth want to avoid the place like the plague, since no one wants to get to heaven before knowing the truth. As one of my half-brothers used to say when we were young, then, ‘it might be too late to cry when the head is off’.

Prince Adedoyin’s other businesses are likely to suffer the same fate as people would need all the angels in heaven swearing to convince them that the source of the money used in establishing them is clean.

Universities are citadels of learning. They offer different academic programmes aimed at making their students complete individuals that can benefit the society. They are supposed to mould character. As a matter of fact, they should, normally, award certificates only to people who have been found worthy in character and learning. So, it takes more than mere interest or profit for someone to establish a university when there are other less stressful businesses in the country. We know the businesses many of our rich men engage in; businesses with ordinary ‘portfolios’ as their offices and yet they smile to the bank daily. What then would make a man who is so well established go into the business of money rituals?

This is the jigsaw puzzle. And it would remain that until we get to the root of the matter.

Meanwhile, we must pick one or two lessons from this developing story, whether it is true or false. The first is that we don’t just walk or drive into anywhere simply because they say it is a hotel. But then, what are the criteria for determining which hotel is safe and which is not? One would ordinarily think that money rituals can only be found in downtown (cheap) hotels. That Adegoke paid N37,000 for two nights suggests that hotel is not cheap, even by Lagos standards. There are still some fairly good hotels in Lagos that would offer N20,000 per night. So, to have paid that much for only two nights in a hotel in Ile-Ife tells us that  Hilton Hotels and Resorts is not for the poor. Indeed, Adegoke was able to afford such a place because of his status. Many of those who came to Ile-Ife for the same examination he came for before he was killed would have slept in far cheaper hotels or even squatted somewhere, from where they would have gone to write the examination.

The second lesson is that we must keep our loved ones, particularly our next-of-kin abreast of our movements. Even while in the hotel, we should be singing to the ears of the members of the staff there such that they would know that our people are aware that we are lodging there. If the victim had not given such information to his wife, there would have been no clue about his whereabouts or what eventually happened. Many of the so-called missing persons got missing through such carelessness of not disclosing their movements to those who should know; hence, people end up clueless about their sudden disappearance.

My appeal in this matter is that no one should try to pervert justice. This is about a hardworking man who believed in education and expanding the frontiers of his knowledge. He was already a chartered accountant at 37, and, in fact, a director of finance at the multinational firm where he worked in Abuja. This was enough to make him rest but he apparently hungered for an MBA, either to satisfy his curiosity or to enhance his credentials. This cannot be a crime. He should not be killed for whatever reason and by anybody, in the pursuit of this ambition.

I’m afraid, we have started seeing what could be attempts to pervert the course of justice in this case, with one Olusegun Jeje who claimed to be speaking for some Maye-in-Council, making a case of the alleged innocence of Prince Adedoyin. That is one of the problems we have with cases of this nature in this country. The group referred to Prince Adedoyin as “an innocent person” simply on account of  his having “five universities and polytechnics” and, to boot, “a Muslim to the core (who) cannot kill a fly.” Pray, what has flying religious kite got to do with this? These are the usual dimensions in this kind of case. And this is just the beginning. More will surface over time because of the personality involved. But those who intend to act as judge over this matter should take a cue from Oduduwa University’s management. God will not forgive whoever stands in the way of justice in this case, no matter how highly placed. The least this country owes Adegoke and others like him who had been wasted in the manner Adegoke was is for justice to take its course. It is the least we owe Prince Adedoyin too.

Was the young man actually killed in the hotel? If so, why? Had others been similarly killed there? Was Prince Adedoyin involved? Has Oduduwa University been experiencing inexplicable incidents like the one in question? These are riddles that the police, and may be ultimately the courts, have to resolve. But, meanwhile, the police must do their job professionally. I know that this might be difficult, especially when some big-wigs begin to press buttons, despite the commissioner of police’s assurance that justice would be served. But the Osun State Police Command would have made manipulations difficult by not only telling us that the victim’s corpse had been exhumed intact, (contrary to the victim’s brother’s claim), but also telling us where. I do not know how making that public could have jeopardised investigations.

I must confess though that the mainstream media have not done much to publicise this matter. We need to do more.

I pray that God would give Adegoke’s wife, children, his aged parents and indeed the entire family the fortitude to bear the loss.

May his soul rest in peace.

I had only last week hinted of my intention to suspend this column throughout my short vacation which began on Wednesday. At least one would get a much deserved rest from what looks like a weekly monologue. Monologue because most of the commentators on Nigerian affairs have a way of repeating ourselves, because the issues have for donkey years remained the same. Water, light, food, house, as Fela sang. Wetin do them? E no dey! Today, insecurity has joined the list of Nigeria’s ever-increasing maladies. Yet, year in, year out, trillions are earmarked to be spent on the provision of these infrastructure and more. Yet, the changing never changing.

But, as they say, man proposes, God disposes. I had to reverse myself with a terrible incident that occurred on October 15.

I am talking of the sudden demise of Dr Adewale Adesoji Adeeyo.

I came in contact with Dr Adeeyo at the defunct The Anchor newspaper. As a matter of fact, he developed some interest in me as soon as I was introduced to him as a former editor of The Punch. One thing that struck me was the fact that he did not carry religion on his head. I remember when he started the newspaper in 2000, both the managing director and his deputy were Christians. I guess many of us in the establishment were Christians as well. As far as he was concerned, what he wanted was the best team that would make the newspaper fly.

Another evidence of this was the retreat that the newspaper held in its less than two years of existence. This is uncommon in the newspaper industry in Nigeria where many of the newspapers are grossly underfunded. Indeed, many newspaper proprietors want quality products but not many are willing to invest in routine essentials, not to talk of organising retreat. Perhaps this is even far-flung. How many of them pay salaries that one can write home about or that can really take one home?

I remember eminent Nigerian journalists and others, including Mr Felix Adenaike, former Managing Director of Tribune, were on hand to deliver papers on how to give the paper a cutting edge, both in terms of its editorial contents and marketing, including advertisements. A colleague, Mr Olakunle Abimbola and I compiled the report at the end of the retreat. Abimbola handled the Marketing aspect while I was in charge of the Editorial. An incident that I cannot easily forget at the retreat was Mr Adeeyo’s palpable anger when another colleague, Abdulrahman Black (now of blessed memory), suggested raising of advert commission to 40 per cent. This made eminent sense, especially for a new newspaper. But, to a carpenter, everything looks like a nail. To a publisher, parting with 40 per cent of advert revenue to people who have no investment in the business is like throwing money into the lagoon. So, Mr Adeeyo protested and he appeared not in the mood for further argument on the matter. For Black, the publisher’s insistence on less than 40 per cent commission must have been a major setback because he was one of the members of the staff who brought most of the adverts that the paper had in its short period of existence. I think the publisher eventually bowed to superior argument on the matter. That was Wale Adeeyo for you.

I cannot close the matter on the Akodo retreat without mentioning the unexpected role that Adeeyo gave me toward the end of the two or three-day event. I remember he just called me and said I should handle all the expenses incurred at the retreat. I looked for one or two excuses but he insisted that that was what he wanted. And that was exactly what happened because I was one of the last persons to leave the retreat venue as a result of this emergency assignment which made it mandatory for me to vet every bill incurred at the event. The publisher later issued cheques to defray the expenses.

Saying that Dr Adeeyo was really passionate about The Anchor is stating the obvious. I remember a particular occasion when he breezed in as I was compiling the topics for our weekly Editorial Board meeting and he asked to see the list. I gave it to him, and the question he asked me was why The Anchor did not feature prominently on the list like some of the other papers. I cannot remember the answer I gave but his observation made the difference between him as publisher and I as a journalist. Henceforth, however, I ensured that our own newspaper then made the list, alongside other major newspapers.

It is unfortunate that The Anchor could not make it; that the paper died young despite all the efforts geared towards making it survive. I know if it had lived a little longer, the story would have been different. And I say this with all sense of modesty. If Adeeyo was passionate about journalism, this should surprise no one. He was a skillful writer himself. As Siyan Oyeweso noted in a tribute to him last year, he was a “very skillful writer, passionate journalist and social critic, Adeeyo ensured that as the publisher and chairman of The Anchor Newspaper, the newspaper abides strictly with all sense of modesty to the ethical standard of journalistic profession. At inception, The Anchor made use of modern technology equipment and more than 200 graduates of cutting-edge professionals were employed to produce an outstanding Nigerian newspaper. The Anchor newspaper in its one and half years secured a place at the Headquarters of the United Nations and was featured in the in-house magazine of the United Nations, New York. It also got a personal letter of commendation from the United Nation’s Secretary General, Koffi Anan during its short stint.”

To further buttress the point that The Anchor could have made it if only it had survived a little longer; there was this day some of us were in the office and someone just walked in with some  pages of advertisements from one of the major commercial banks (one of the first three indeed) for placement in the newspaper the next day. The paper, unfortunately, was then on its way out of existence; it was with a very heavy heart that we told the man that the paper was being rested. It is not all the time that such major advertisers find their way to newspaper offices, to place adverts. They must have seen something in the publication to warrant their patronage. I still can’t describe how I felt that day. This was because many of us in the system were emotionally attached to the paper and the publisher.

But this emotional attachment did not fall from the sky. It was more the result of Adeeyo’s amiable personality, simplicity, compassion and general sense of humanity. It is a combination of all of these that still endeared him to many of us (his former employees at The Anchor), such that about two decades after the newspaper folded up, we were still somehow meeting ourselves at his Oduduwa Crescent residence in G.R.A, Ikeja, Lagos, every Sallah (Ileya). It was usually an occasion to recall fond nemories, unwind, wine and dine, and sometimes had a lot of fried meat to take away, sometimes with choice wines for those who so desired. It was also an opportunity to meet different personalities with whom we exchanged ideas about the state of the nation. COVID-19 robbed us of that opportunity last year even as his prolonged illness did not permit him to host us this year. Even about two years ago, we were complaining bitterly about the parlous situation of things in the country. Indeed, if The Anchor had been alive, it would have been among those newspapers championing the calls for federalism in the country. Adeeyo, as I said earlier, was himself a social crusader.

When a man is generous, as Adeeyo was, we have to commend his wife. It is not all women that support such generosity on the part of their husbands. But you see the wife joining the stewards to attend to guests on festive occasions. She is not the kind of wife that would be frowning as guests devoured the delicacies, the cow parts and all; and washed them down with their choice drinks before bidding the family good night. That she hosted from the bottom of her heart was palpable. One can only pray that God would give her, the children and the other members of the family the fortitude to bear this great loss.

But Adeeyo was not only generous, he was also an epitome of compassion. I can remember approaching him once since The Anchor folded up over two decades ago and he wasted no time to rise to the occasion. I am also aware of many others that went to him severally for one favour or the other and they came back rejoicing. He was that kind of person. He never allowed that kind of opportunity where he could help to pass by without helping. One thing that made people feel free to approach him in times of trouble was his simplicity. There are many people who are better endowed than him but are just not approachable. It is as if they have fire on their heads. Even if you suggest to people in need that they should try discuss it with them, many of such people would tell you if those are the only people that could deliver them, they would rather the challenge kill them than seek help from such people. Adeeyo’s simplicity was such that some of us who were reasonably close to him knew so much about him than we should ordinarily know. Yet, we are not related.

He was such a brilliant man that he felt comfortable to discuss any topic under the sun, even if he would readily admit he was not an expert in some. Although we did not see in the last one year, a thing that really surprised me too because I thought we saw last only yesterday, given that he would always send Jumaat greetings to us every Friday until he became sick and was no longer in a position to do that.

Born in Kadjebi-Accra, Gold Coast, now Ghana on August 27, 1948, Adeeyo started his primary education at the Western Region of Nigeria Academy, the Children’s Home School, Molete, Ibadan. He later attended Adeola Odutola Comprehensive High School (Olu-Iwa College), Ijebu-Ode (1962 to 1964) and completed his secondary education at Ibadan Grammar School, Molete, Ibadan, with distinction in 1966. He did his Higher School Certificate (HSC) programme in the same school. He obtained his Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Political Science from the State University of New York in Albany, the United States of America in 1975 and bagged his Master of Arts in International Relations and Public Administration from the same university in 1976.

He started his professional career as a Public Affairs Representative of Ciba-Geigy Corporation in the United States between 1976 and 1979. On returning to Nigeria in 1979, he secured employment at the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Ikoyi, Lagos, as Senior Public Affairs Officer. In 1982, he founded Vintage Enterprises Ltd.

He had also served in various private and public capacities, including Director, WEMA Bank Plc, (1992 and 1996). He was till his death Chairman, Board of Directors of Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN). Indeed, it is in this respect that I have learnt a personal lesson not to leave till tomorrow what can be done today: Adeeyo offered a friend of mine and myself a golden opportunity which we did not utilise till his death. He was also Chairman of Board of Directors of Cocoa Processing Industry, Ede, and a member, Governing Council of Adeleke University, Ede.

In 1999, he established a foundation called ‘Balance’ with the aim of providing scholarship to some students of Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State.

Adeeyo became an ‘elder’ so early in life: he was a member of Ogun State Elders Council from 1991 to 1998 when he was barely 50 years. His meritorious service in that capacity must have commended him for a similar appointment as member of Lagos State Government Elders Caucus in 1999. For a non-indigene of both states, the appointments spoke volumes about what he had to offer. It also attests to the two states’ bias for quality service irrespective of where it can be found.

In recognition of his invaluable services, Adeeyo was conferred the honour of the Officer of the Order of Niger (OON) in 2001.

Rest in peace, Dr Adewale Adesoji Adeeyo.

Much as I would have loved to skip writing on anything pertaining to the Federal Government today and indeed, for some time, I discovered this is a difficult decision to observe. Indeed, the more I tried, the more I discovered I could not.

In the first place, the Federal Government of Nigeria takes the lion’s share of the nation’s revenue; about 52.68%; the 36 states 26.72% and the local governments 20.6%. Thirteen percent goes to the oil-producing states. In this anomalous situation in a federation, the Federal Government is almost always going to be in the dock because it alone controls double the revenue that 36 states share among themselves while the 774 local governments take monthly less than half of what the central government takes. Yet, these are the two closest tiers of government to the grassroots. Even the Holy Bible makes it clear that to whom much is given, much is required. When we now begin to have less than proportionate returns from that behemoth that gulps the chunk of our money, the tendency is for us to beam the searchlight perpetually on it.

Another reason why the Federal Government is always in focus is that, as the head, it is supposed to lead by example. But when we do not see much by way of good example that can be emulated from the head; or if the head has issues, then it becomes a problem. As a matter of fact, I always remember the joke that one of my friends used to crack a few years back about a good piece of advice but which cannot be put to use (imoran to da sugbon ti ko se mu lo)! There isn’t much to write home about successive Nigeria’s Federal Government; it is not just about the Muhammadu Buhari administration. All evidence pointing in the direction that it is unwieldy to manage. It needs to be relieved of some of the baggage.

Unfortunately, rather than admit this fact of the need to rightsize, the Federal Government wants to retain its big-for-nothing stature. Just like the country’s appellation as the ‘giant of Africa’, a ‘high sounding nothing’, the government is satisfied with its leviathan status that is injurious to the country’s health and ultimate survival. It is because of its apparent incompetence that some sections of the country are clamouring for (true) federalism. They want a situation where constituent parts of the country can develop at their own pace. That is the way it is in several parts of the civilised world. And it is working for them.

Rather than toe the path of reason and begin to shed weight, the Federal Government keeps digging in. It continues to flaunt its big-for-nothing status unabashedly and, like Oliver Twist, sniffing for more pie to dip its soiled fingers into. In spite of the glaring failure of government, especially at the centre in several sectors of our lives, the Federal Government still wants us to entrust it with even more duties. So, rather than heed the calls of the present, that is a return to true federalism, Nigeria’s central government is obedient only to those of the past: retention of an antiquated status quo that is anti-progress and holding some parts of the country down, against their quest for rapid development. And this despite the general acknowledgment globally of the fact that government is not a good manager of so many things it is in charge of. A good reason why governments are being excused from so many activities in other parts of the world these days, and with astounding results.

It is this same hopeless mindset that is propelling the so-called Water Resources Bill. This is a bill that many parts of the country have rejected as dead even before its arrival because it still places our affairs in the hands of a central government that is still looking for more to chew even as it has not fully masticated what it has in its mouth.

The matter was exhumed, once again, by the Minister of Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu, on Tuesday. Adamu, who was represented by the Executive Director, National Integrated Water Resource Management Commission, Magashi Bashir, told journalists at the commission’s office in Abuja that, “Nigeria is losing about N6 billion to N9 billion yearly to the non-passage of the bill, which would have given legal teeth to the water sub-sector for optimal performance like other sectors.” Unless it is a National Assembly (NASS) of anything goes, this kind of argument is too weak to secure passage of the bill. How much is N6billion to a nation whose refineries are all as good as dead and is still pumping billions into their so-called turn-around maintenance (TAM)? What is six to nine billion naira to a nation that wants to spend twice that amount on Aso Rock Clinic, which is going to be used by a few people even as our teaching hospitals are crying for funds and our doctors are leaving for greener pastures abroad in droves because they cannot find fulfillment here? This is a clinic that even the president does not have need for, as he jets out on medical tourism whenever the need arises.

The government would do well to start averting its mind to things that would place this country on the path of federalism rather than keep digging in on this retrogressive unitary system foisted on us by the military.

Adamu said passing the Water Resources Bill into law would give “legal teeth to the water sub-sector for optimal performance like other sectors.” Did I hear him right? Which of the other sectors under the Federal Government is performing optimally? Let Adamu just point to one or two. If this (optimal performance) indeed were to be a parameter to getting the bill become law, then there is no way it can pass the litmus test. Unless the NASS would rely on the much-touted government’s ‘promissory note’ that we will begin to feel the impact of its programmes after it has left the scene.

It is good that Adamu himself did not pretend not to know why the bill will continue to have issues on its way to becoming law: he urged Nigerians to “advance beyond ethnicity and ethnic politics to better regulate the water sector,” since the country would benefit from a properly managed sector in the event of the bill’s passage. The truth of the matter is that the incumbent government has fouled the air beyond deodorizing with its ethnocentric policies, appointments and postures in the last few years. So, if the bill has become a victim of perpetual distrust by a large section of the country, the fault is not in Nigerians but in the government that Adamu is serving.

As far as many Nigerians are concerned, Water Resources Bill is Rural Grazing Area (RUGA) in another robe and many sections of the country are averse to anything like that.

Let everybody manage their water resources. We do not need Water Resources Bill to give majority of Nigerians potable water wherever they may be in the country. Do we? And, for me, that is one of the main things any good water policy must achieve. This is beyond naira and kobo. Potable water to most Nigerians will save the country more than nine billion naira annually that governments would have to spend treating water-borne diseases.

It is immaterial whether the eighth senate rejected or did not reject the bill. Whatever monetary value we may be losing to non-passage of the bill will pale into insignificance when juxtaposed against the troubles that will come with its passage because of the ethnic distrust that heralded its arrival. It is too late in the day for anyone to want to deodorise the putrid smell that the present government has put in the way of such policies or programmes.

This country is facing the worst challenges of its life since the end of the civil war in 1970. Let the government think creatively for solutions beyond debt peonage and foisting of unwanted policies and programmes on hapless Nigerians.

The late Fela-Anikulapo-Kuti said it all, “water, e no get enemy.” Let not the Federal Government look for enemies for it.

Adusei the dreamer

I thought Nigeria was the only country where one could pick death off the shelf almost for free. But the story of a Ghanaian who killed his friend over mere dreaming that the friend slept with his wife has proved me wrong. Kwadwo Adusei, 45, is now in police net for the crime that he committed at Wawaase in Afigya Kwabre South of Ashanti Region of Ghana. According to withinnigeria.com, Adusei lured his victim-friend, Kwesi Banahene, 48, to a bush where he reportedly stabbed him several times. His body was found a few days later when a search party was raised to look for him.

Not satisfied, Adusei descended on his grandfather that he accused of making him impotent. Fortunately the old man survived the attack and is reportedly being treated in hospital.

Although the report did not so state, a proper analysis of the incident would reveal Adusei killed his friend because of his impotence. He could not imagine his friend taking over his conjugal role. Poor Adusei could not imagine a situation where his own friend would be the one to ‘vandalise’ his wife in his lifetime. So, he had to despatch him to the great beyond before dream becomes deed. His excuse that he killed his friend because his dreams always come true would then appear an after-thought. .

Whatever it is, his eyes would be clear now that his dream has landed him in soup. If death penalty is the wages of murder in Ghana, then he may never have the opportunity of dreaming such nasty dreams again. Even if he does, he won’t have the opportunity of committing such crime again, simply on account of being a Joseph.

The story reminds me of yet another odd story that I commented on, I think sometimes in the late 1980s or early 90s. Aptly headlined “The right to cheat”, the story was about some Bangladeshi students who protested over their university authorities’ refusal to let them cheat during examination. They wanted ‘friends to help friends’ in examination halls!

At the rate human rights are being expanded, it is surprising the world has not deemed it fit to accommodate such rights in our schools. After all, what are friends for?

NIGERIANS are used to statements from successive governments to the effect that they would soon start to enjoy whatever reforms the governments claim to be making to make the country better. I don’t know how many governments ever since told us to start enjoying with immediate effect. It is when they want to increase our hardship, like fuel subsidy reduction or removal that they remember with immediate effect from wherever they have been hanging it. Whatever goodies they claim to have for the people is always for the future. I think in a sense, too, and in addition to their being the happiest people on earth, Nigerians should also get the trophy as the most hopeful people on earth. They have an inelastic capacity for hopefulness. They are either being admonished to tighten their belts, or prepare for hard times or hard choices, etc.

But President Muhammadu Buhari has taken the hopefulness (or, is it hopelessness) to another level. Now, we are not to expect the gains of his administration’s polices today or anytime soon, but after his exit from power in 2023. This is when their full impact would be felt. Hear Femi Adesina, his special adviser on media and publicity: ”This administration took the very difficult decision to invest for the long term. We avoided taking shortcuts knowing very well that the full impact of most of the projects we started will only be felt long after we have left office. “This government operates on the agenda for long term change which we all agree is inevitable. Change happens whether you are ready for it or not.” The president stated this during the inauguration of the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) Board in Abuja on September 1.

I believe many Nigerians would be wondering at what time it occurred to the government that it is a future government here today. If they had told us in 2015 when they were seeking votes for the office that we would have to wait till after eight years that they would spend in government (if they were reelected) to start enjoying the dividend of democracy, we would have told them to wait for their time, which is the future or the long term. There were gargantuan problems on ground then, no doubt. Nonetheless, they came on the mantra of change and Nigerians are now telling themselves that next time around, when politicians come again to sell change mantra to us, we should tell God the kind of change we want because change could be positive or negative. We could never have seen change in a worse dimension than we have been seeing it since 2015. As a matter of fact, the Buhari experience must have banished the word “change” from our political lexicon. I doubt if any politician seeking votes from Nigerians would ever touch that word, not even with a long stick, as campaign promo again, after the Buhari experience which, really, is no experience, or, at best, a harrowing experience. Even the many ignorant people who were chorusing “changi, changi” in 2015 now know better. Not to talk of the initiated or educated.

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My fears however are that, in the first place, that future might not come given the way the present government is running the country. Nigeria will be lucky to remain an entity by 2023 when this government is supposed to leave the stage. And if that future comes at all, many of those who should reap the fruits of the present suffering by way of the Buhari government’s postulation of light at the end oft the tunnel would have been consumed either by poverty or insecurity.

People like the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, should always ask themselves in the inner recesses of their minds what response they would have given if former President Goodluck Jonathan had told Nigerians that they would feel the impact of his government after his exit from power, before rushing to defend such assertion. Otherwise, they would be playing on our collective intelligence, a thing many of us will not accept because we are not idiots. Please let them not come with the crab that they can say that because Nigerians would believe them more than they would the Jonathan government. If the truth must be told, that was then. Not anymore.

But it would seem the Buhari government is still luxuriating in its past glory, the

way it keeps regurgitating this idea that we would feel its impact after its exit. In July, his chief of staff, Prof Ibrahim Agboola Gambari, said Nigerians would better appreciate the Buhari government by the time he is leaving office in 2023. Hear Gambari: “this period is an opportunity to reflect on the state of our country and to canvass maximum support to our president, Muhammadu Buhari. He added:  “This is because his success is our success and by the grace of God when all the programmes and projects he has embarked upon, in economy, political and social affairs materialise for the betterment of our people, at the end of his tenure, Nigeria will be more united, more peaceful and be more prosperous.” Gambari spoke at the  Ilorin International Airport, Ilorin, where he was received by a delegation of the Kwara State government when he visited his home state for the first time after his appointment as chief of staff.

Two months before, precisely in May, Adesina had, while reeling out what he called the achievements of the Buhari government to mark its sixth anniversary, told Nigerians that “When the Administration breasts the tape in another two years, by the grace of God, the applause will be resounding, even from the worst of sceptics,” adding that “As it is said, the past is but a story told. The future may yet be written in gold. Facts are undeniable and always remain so. They are stubborn things.”

It is true that some of us have constantly said that long after the exit of the Buhari administration, we would still be feeling the impact of the debt it is leaving behind. Long after its tenure, the Chinese  and other creditors would still be on our necks to recoup their money.

But then it would be uncharitable and insincere to say the government has done nothing. But it would also be unfair not to say that when whatever achievements this government has recorded is juxtaposed against the country’s expenditure on insecurity, then the achievements would pale in significance. This is because the insecurity would not have been this serious if the government had tackled it headlong rather than with the kid gloves it did initially for obvious reasons. The point has been made several times; and it bears restating, that the primary purpose of government is to protect the citizens. A government that cannot do that is not government properly so called. This country has lost so much to insecurity and it is, unfortunately so, going to lose more in the months, perhaps years ahead, and the scars would still be there long after the end of the Buhari government. Those who lost their limbs and victims of terrorism who lost their loved ones will not forget the Buhari administration in a hurry.

The government for the first time in six years fired two ministers for not meeting their targets, whereas this should have started a long time ago. Although the government had been talking about targets for ministers for years, the impact of such targets has not been felt and two ministers fired could not have accounted for the lackluster performance of the government in six years.

Please do not get me wrong. I am not saying there have not been governments whose value was appreciated after they had left power. What I am saying is that given its antecedents, the Buhari government does not belong to that category. Unless the saying that morning shows the day no longer holds. However, before the presidential bull dogs swoop on me, let me remind them that if they are hopeful that their principal would leave Nigeria better than he met it, they are entitled to their optimism. But they should also understand that those of us who feel otherwise are entitled to our opinion, given our experiences with successive governments, including their principal’s administration. But it would have been appreciated if they had told us  of these future promises when seeking our votes in 2015 and 2019, so that we could reserve voting them till the future when they hope to be able to deliver. Telling us cock and bull stories after winning the primary election and reelection, and barely two years to the end of their eight-year tenure is another form of corruption. It is tantamount to vote winning by subterfuge. That is if it is not a way of admitting that the government has failed. Or, how do we reward or punish them after they would have left office? If they failed, we would have to lick our wounds in silence and all alone.

However, if the government is saying we would have to feel its impact after its tenure, then it merely aligns with the prayer that millions of long-suffering Nigerians have been praying for its term to quickly come to an end so that we may begin to enjoy its impact in earnest. 2023 too tay.