The Nation Newspaper

Category: Hardball

  • Neglected widows

    Neglected widows

    It was ironic that at a recent event where palliatives were given to widows of deceased military officers in the South-South by the wife of the Chief of Defence Staff, Mrs Oghogho Musa, widows of military officers who died in the Hercules C130 military plane crash in Lagos, in December 1992, complained that the Nigerian military and the Federal Government had not paid them their late husbands’ entitlements, more than 30 years after the tragedy.

    The military-transport plane crashed soon after takeoff from Lagos, killing all 163 people aboard. It was said to have “nose-dived three minutes after takeoff into a swampy area.”  Many of the fatalities were said to be middle-ranking army, navy and air force officers on their way to a staff college course in the northern part of the country.

    At the event that took place at the headquarters of the 6 Division, Nigeria Army, Port Harcourt, Mrs Folake Lasisi, wife of late Navy Commander Lasisi, spoke “on behalf of the widows of the Hercules C130 plane crash on 26th December 1992.”

    “We women have not been given our entitlements,” she lamented. “After 31 years, we want to be remembered and they should review it and do something about it. Some of us have died, and some of our children have died, so please take this message back home to our mother, the mother of the nation, Mrs Oluremi Tinubu, so that the nation and the military will attend to our matter.”

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    She added: “We want to feel that sense of belonging even though our husbands are no longer there in our midst. We want to feel a sense of belonging and because of that there are some things that are necessary to do. There are some of our children who are not getting their educational sponsorship; we want you to look at it and do something about it.”

    Mrs Musa, who gave out the palliatives, said the event was part of activities lined up for the Armed Forces celebration and Remembrance Day of Year 2024, adding that the Defence Headquarters and the Defence and Police Officers’ Wives’ Association (DPOWA) deemed it appropriate to remember the country’s fallen heroes and give their families support.

    Also, the Chief of Defence Civil-Military Relations, Rear Admiral I.A. Dewu said the items distributed were a tangible expression of support to the families of those who made the ultimate sacrifice in the course of service to the nation.

    But the complaint and demand of the neglected widows marred the event. It is puzzling that they waited for such a long time before drawing attention to their pains. It is inexcusable that they have been abandoned for so long. The authorities should remedy their plight without further delay.

  • So long, Labour Party?

    So long, Labour Party?

    Peter Obi, Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate in 2023 and Joe Ajaero, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) president and enfant terrible of political strikes, can keep on kidding selves that ethnic fealty can ideology make for LP, their special purpose vehicle (SPV) for last year’s presidential election.

    Doyin Okupe, trained medic-turned political spin doctor, would have no further of that delusion.  He just cut to the chase with his resignation from LP, inelegantly calling it the cheap SPV that it was; and pronouncing he was out of that racket to play his rightist politics where he truly belonged — read mother PDP, battered and burdened, though she may be?

    Call Doyin Okupe many names but self-delusion is never one of them.  Indeed, punishing honesty has been the hallmark of his politics, though he often reserves the tactical right to play on other ideological plains — as SPVs! — to fight specific battles, as they come.

    Before the June 12, 1993 presidential election annulment, he was a proud stalwart of the defunct National Republican Convention (NRC), the right-leaning Siamese twin of Ibrahim Babangida’s two-party diktat: the left-leaning Social Democratic Party SDP), being the other. 

    When NRC started the humbug to deny MKO Abiola his presidential win, Okupe lost no time to resign and join Abiola’s mandate revalidation lobby.  When that battle ended, he left the left-leaning fellows in NADECO/Afenifere to sign up for PDP at the take-off of the new republic in 1999.

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    A similar, though less grand, scenario played itself out in the LP SPV of 2023. Atiku Abubakar and his PDP cabal were playing the northern cant with the PDP ticket. Okupe wanted a co-southerner, Obi, to be president.  Ajaero wanted a co-Igbo, Obi, to gross the highest office in the land.

    With the PDP platform gone, all interests coalesced into the LP, which Ajaero’s NLC “donated”.  Okupe jumped, with both feet, his massive weight and all, into the boat, as Obi’s campaign director-general, before a court conviction yanked him off.  The LP SPV was born!

    But unlike the ever-spinning Obi, who started dreaming “opposition” dreams on an LP platform that violently jarred against his ultra-right/capitalist temper, Okupe kept his eyes open.  The more he saw, the more the jarring, ugly contrast jeered at him, it would appear.  He returned with a dramatic exit that told LP what it truly was: a cheap SPV.

    You can’t tell self-fobbing Obi to quit his grandiloquent dreams, his “Obi-dient family” and all.  Let the famed Onitsha trader dream on!

    But you can ask LP a legit question: who will hire it as SPV in 2027, since its first grand  Ondo hire by Segun Mimiko in 2007 — 17 years ago now, but clocking 20 years by 2007?  The answer nestles in the womb of time!

  • Ukachukwu brigade

    Ukachukwu brigade

    Notable Anambra State politician and businessman, Nicholas Ukachukwu, recently served notice of what it would take to keep him safe in his own native community and across the Southeast. It would take no less than a combined regiment of cross-service security operatives to do the job. This he suggested by applying for 16 soldiers, 20 policemen and 12 officers of the Department of State Services (DSS) to secure him during a scheduled trip this January to the region. The tycoon requested the heavy security to enable him to travel to his hometown in Osumenyi, Nnewi South council area, and other areas of the East to perform community functions.

    Reports said Ukachukwu wrote in separate letters to heads of security agencies in Anambra State from which he was soliciting personnel, saying he was making the request owing to insecurity in the area. His application was on the heels of an attack by gunmen on the convoy of Anambra State political godfather, Chief Chris Uba, during the last Yuletide. The incident occurred at Uga junction, in Uba’s hometown, claiming the lives of two policemen and four other persons, while Uba managed to escape in his bulletproof vehicle.

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    In one of the letters he wrote – the one addressed to the Commander, 302 Artillery Regiment in Onitsha – Ukachukwu, who recently took Miss Universe Nigeria Mitchel Ihezue as wife, said he needed protection by the security operatives to perform functions he had lined up in the state during his visit. His application read in part: “I humbly write to request for 16 Army  personnel to provide security for me during my programs / activities in Anambra State and beyond, scheduled to commence on January 6th till 10th of January 2024, taking cognizance of security challenges in my hometown of Osumenyi in Nnewi South LGA.” He itemised the activities to include inspection of a personal road project at Osumenyi, dedication of a village church his family rehabilitated and funded, and mandatory traditional rites relating to his marriage in his wife’s hometown of Akaokwa.

    By virtue of his social standing, Ukachukwu would already have a squad of security personnel servicing him. His request for an additional regiment to cover his visit underscores the current state of the Southeast and the siege of insecurity being experienced by residents. Notables who have come under hails of fire by gunmen in the region include Anambra State Senator Ifeanyi Ubah and former Imo State Governor Ikedi Ohakim, who respectively survived the attack but recorded heavy losses among their security orderlies. Chris Uba’s experience, which was the latest, was no different. The Southeast has to be rid of the menace of gunmen, and it is government’s responsibility to make this happen.

  • A memo and a casualty

    A memo and a casualty

    By suspending the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu, President Bola Tinubu reinforced Section 713 (under Chapter Seven) of Nigeria’s Public Sector Financial Regulation Act (2009), which seeks to prevent fraud. 

    It states: “Personal money shall in no circumstances be paid into a government bank account, nor shall any public money be paid into a private account.” It adds: “Any officer who pays public money into a private account is deemed to have done so with fraudulent intention.”

    Whether this regulation is dead or alive became an issue following a leaked memo, dated December 20, 2023, from Edu to the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF), saying N585.2m earmarked for vulnerable citizens in Akwa-Ibom, Cross-River, Lagos, and Ogun states be paid into “the project accountant’s details,” the United Bank for Africa (UBA) account — 2003682151— of one Oniyelu Bridget Mojisola.

    “These are payments for programmes and activities of the Renewed Hope grant for Vulnerable Groups,” Edu said in the memo, adding that the payment should be made from the National Social Investment Office account.

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    Was she aware of the regulation, and that her memo amounted to a violation?  Her media aide controversially declared that “it is legal in the civil service for the project accountant to be paid and use the same funds legally and retire the same with all receipts and evidence after the project or programme is completed.” In a statement posted on her official Facebook page on January 6, Edu said claims suggesting fraud in her ministry “are baseless.”

    The Accountant General of the Federation (AGF), Oluwatoyin Madein, needed to clarify the situation. She explained that her office did not process the payment.  In a statement, she said Edu’s memo had “specified an individual bank account as the recipient,” but the OAGF’s response was to advise the ministry on the proper procedures for disbursing such funds according to established financial regulations.

    According to Madein, when it comes to projects and programmes implemented by Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), “Bulk payments to individual accounts, even designated as ‘Project Accountant,’ are not permitted. Instead, verified individual bank accounts of programme beneficiaries must receive the allocated funds.” In other words, it was illegal to pay such beneficiaries through the private account of a so-called project accountant. She added that self-accounting MDAs, like the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, should handle such payments directly.

    No doubt, Edu’s memo was suspicious. It is noteworthy that she is also being investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in connection with the memo.  Defending herself, she stated her “commitment to transparency, accountability, and eradicating corruption.” But actions speak louder than words.

  • Police blues for prodigals

    Police blues for prodigals

    Nigeria Police authorities must be coming to grasp with abuses by some personnel of the Force that many Nigerians have had to live with over time. The test now is for the authorities to bring indicted operatives to justice, so to deter other personnel of the service from similar acts of abuse. Failure to do this will be nothing short of institutional failure on the part of the security service.

    In the last week of 2023, Force spokesman Muyiwa Adejobi, an Assistant Commissioner of Police, disclosed that he drove into police officers extorting motorists along the Lagos-Ibadan expressway. In a post on his X account while replying to a tweet about efforts to rid the Force of corruption, he said: “I personally caught some policemen yesterday while driving along the Lagos/Ibadan Expressway. The DPO has been asked to bring them to Abuja. Then we know what to do. It’s disheartening to see some of our men extorting Nigerians. I feel sad, and I don’t like it because it’s a sort of oppression.” The Force spokesman added: “The IGP (Inspector-General of Police) has made it clear that supervisory officers would henceforth be held responsible. The IGP has also directed senior officers to rebuke and confront any of our men who misbehave, irrespective of his jurisdiction. Every officer has the right and power to punish any erring personnel anywhere in Nigeria. We cannot continue to overlook their misdeeds.”

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    Adejobi’s post came in the trail of reports that a police officer in Ogun State fired a shot that accidentally hit a Nollywood director, Azeez Ijaduade, in Iperu-Remo, Ikenne council area, and left him hospitalised. The Ogun police command confirmed that Ijaduade, his crew members and actors were having a movie shoot at a hotel in Iperu where a corporate organisation was also having its end-of-year party. A Mobile Policeman attached to a Chinese expatriate with the said organisation shot in the air to scare off hoodlums trying to mob the principal he was attached to, but the shot strayed off some distance away to hit Ijaduade, who was on set with his movie crew, in the neck, landing him at Babcock University Teaching Hospital. State Police Commissioner Abiodun Alamutu was reported saying though there were times officers would need to fire shots to disperse crowds, the case in point could not be justified and the officer involved had not displayed professionalism, hence he would be made to face disciplinary measures.

    The Nigerian public have had to endure sundry misdeeds by police operatives, and the path to redress is to ensure that culprits, when apprehended, do not escape justice. Cases in point should be immediate examples.

  • When reason takes flight

    When reason takes flight

    There is a pattern of behaviour that utterly confounds and begs the question whether agents involved yet had the capacity for clear reasoning. Among the Yoruba, people would ask in bewilderment concerning such agents: ‘Asasi ni, abi eedi?’ This roughly translates to saying: was it bewitchment or fated folly that accounted for such  egregious behaviour?

    Such is the sense you get about some residents of Awkuzu, in Oyi council area of Anambra State, who last week reportedly swooped on the scene of a fallen petrol tanker to scoop free fuel; and when firefighters from the Anambra fire service came on the scene to forestall potential disaster, the scoopers attacked them. The residents, including women and youths, had stormed the scene soon after the truck fell, spilling its contents into a nearby drainage. But the fire service got news of the incident and deployed to the scene, only that the scoopers viewed the firefighters as a hinderance to their freebie ride and pelted them with stones and other dangerous weapons.

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    State Fire Chief, Martins Agbili, an engineer, recalled that his office received a distress call soon after the incident occurred early morning penultimate Tuesday. He said: “Immediately we received the distress call, I sent my team of firefighters and firetrucks to the scene, given the possibility of an explosion or fire outbreak from the tanker laden with petrol. On arrival, however, the residents already immersed in the act threw caution to the wind and pelted my men with stones, apparently viewing them as a hindrance and ignoring the inherent danger. It took the intervention of officers from the state police command and military personnel to rescue the firefighters, as well as disperse and control the hostile crowd to enable my men to carry out their duty.”

    The fire chief voiced strong condemnation for the residents’ reckless behaviour, reiterating grave perils associated with such conduct. He reminded the public of the alarming frequency at which people get roasted alive following from similar mishaps, and wondered why people persist in the perilous venture despite hearing of horrific consequences elsewhere and being continually warned of the potential dangers through news reports and advocacy. He sternly cautioned against such behaviour, saying those who tempt fate would bear the blame for their misfortunes.

    It isn’t residents of Awkuzu alone who should pay heed to Agbili’s admonitions, but people everywhere else who hazard such insane enterprise. It is tantamount to cutting off the head to treat headache when people scamper for free fuel from fallen tankers to mitigate whatever hardships being encountered with the economy. A word should be enough for the wise.  

  • Four-year-old bride!

    Four-year-old bride!

    Marriage made in the other world: that was purportedly the tie between a four-year-old baby and a 54-year-old man to whom she was married off recently in Bayelsa State. The ‘marriage’ held on December 26, last year, in Akeddei community, Sagbama council area of Bayelsa, reportedly at the instance of the child’s parents. And belief in reincarnation played a central role in the whole affair.

    Agency reports cited community sources who said the girl-bride told her parents the 54-year-old man, identified as Elder Akpos, was her husband in their previous life who died mysteriously. She purportedly recounted how, over the years, she had been moving from place to place, to be given birth to by different parents – all in search for her former husband. A source was quoted saying: “The little bride said if she were not allowed to marry her husband, she would have no other business in the Akeddei community, and that she was going to die peacefully and go her way. To avoid losing the girl to death, the people of Akeddei decided to organise a glamorous wedding ceremony to mark the union of the two previous life lovers.”

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    A child rights advocacy group in Bayelsa, DO Foundation, was outraged over the purported ‘marriage’ and called for arrest and prosecution all adult persons complicit in the act. The group condemned child marriage as horrendous, despicable and a criminal activity, saying it violated both the Nigerian Constitution and the Child’s Right Act that Bayelsa State domesticated in 2016, which “criminalises child marriages and child betrothals, prescribing various terms of imprisonment and heavy fines.” A statement by the group’s chairperson, Elvis Mannie, urged security agencies to thoroughly investigate the act with a view to protect the child from sexual exploitation. The Bayelsa government was subsequently reported to have summoned all parties involved for interrogation aimed at salvaging the girl-bride.

    But there is indeed more than criminal intent to be interrogated in this mater, in Hardball’s view. There are psychiatric and psychoanalytic dimensions as well. For instance, how precocious could a four-year-old get to cognitively identify a person she purportedly claimed to be her husband in another world, and how intelligibly did she communicate that identification to convince adults including her parents? And was she the one who convinced the 54-year-old ‘husband’ of the connection, or did he for his part also entered into the supernatural realm of identification? Visuals from the ‘wedding’ showed the girl-bride being lapped by an adult, perhaps the mother. So, how and when did the ‘husband’ hope to consummate the union? Even the ‘bride’s’ parents operated on less than sane cognitive level. There’s need for all involved in the act to have their heads checked to ascertain their sanity.

  • A N100b issue

    A N100b issue

    All eyes will be on the implementation of the National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme (NHGSFP) under the President Bola Tinubu administration, given the huge sum allocated to it in the N28.7tn 2024 budget, and the programme’s controversial history.

    While signing the 2024 appropriation bill into law in the State House, Abuja, Tinubu said: “One of the priority areas of the bill we just passed is the N100bn provision for feeding school children. I believe that is a stimulant that will encourage enrollment and address malnutrition among school children.

    “I will be meeting with local governments at sub-national levels so that we can collaborate and jointly implement an all-inclusive programme.”

     Launched by the Muhammadu Buhari administration in 2016, the intervention programme is designed to encourage school enrollment and improve pupils’ general wellbeing by providing one meal per pupil on school days in selected public primary schools.

    The implementation of the programme under the Buhari administration left much to be desired. For instance, the Federal High Court, Abuja, recently ordered the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr Betta Edu, to release details of how “N523,273,800 million” was spent on feeding school children, under her predecessor, Sadiya Umar-Farouq, during COVID-19 lockdown.

    Justice Nkeonye Maha ordered Edu and the ministry to provide a civil society group, Incorporated Trustees of Kingdom Human Rights Foundation International, with parts of the information sought, in line with Section 25(1) of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act, 2011. She also ordered the minister to comply with the orders of the court within 21 days upon receipt of the orders. There is no report of Edu’s compliance. 

    The group had sued the minister, the ministry and the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19. Also joined in the suit were the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC). 

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    According to the group, independent investigation and information available to it “revealed that the so-called modified and implemented school feeding programme during lockdown against coronavirus pandemic was a scam, cover-up and well-articulated fiction to embezzle public funds.”

    Based on this, the group sought “Details, accompanied with documentary evidence of how the N523,273,800 million was spent on school feeding programme during the COVID-19 lockdown in three states following presidential directive as disclosed to Nigerians by the 1st defendant during the Presidential Taskforce on Covid-19 briefing of Monday, 3rd August, 2020 in Abuja,” among others.

    In another instance, the ICPC, in October 2020, exposed the diversion of N2.67bn meant for the Federal Government’s school feeding programme into private accounts.

    Moving the implementation of the scheme from the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs to the Ministry of Education, as Tinubu has done, does not guarantee transparency and accountability, the lack of which was the bane of the programme.

  • Business succession planning: crafting lasting legacy

    Business succession planning: crafting lasting legacy

    • By Bukola Seun-Oloruntuga

    The Adedejis and the Martins were not just families. They were stewards of family businesses deeply rooted in their community.

    As they journeyed through life, they faced the critical task of planning for the succession of their businesses, ensuring a seamless transition from one generation to the next.

    For the Adedejis, their family bakery has been a beacon of comfort and joy for generations.

    The tantalising aroma of freshly baked bread and the warm smiles that greeted customers were part of the bakery’s legacy.

    Similarly, the Martins’ factory had served their community for decades, providing affordable household items, employment, and an irreplaceable sense of community.

    These businesses were not just sources of income; they represented the labour of love the families had poured into them.

    The families realized that preparing for the future of these businesses was not only a financial matter but also a matter of preserving their legacies.

    This is where succession planning comes in.

    Business succession planning involves planning and executing the transfer of leadership and ownership of a business from one generation to the next.

    It’s a journey fraught with challenges and emotions because of financial considerations, family dynamics, and the preservation of the business’s values and traditions.

    The Adedejis and the Martins recognized that a well-thought-out succession plan would secure their businesses’ future, strengthen their family bonds and honour the work of previous generations.

    One key aspect of business succession planning is preparing the next generation to take over the reins.

    This process requires deliberate efforts to impart knowledge, skills, and values.

    The Adedejis’ eldest daughter, Kikelomo, showed a keen interest in baking from an early age. Knowing this, her parents encouraged her to learn every aspect of the business, from baking techniques to financial management.

    Similarly, the Martins’ son, Daniel, spent his weekends at the factory, learning about different products and engaging with the workers and distributors.

    This hands-on experience equipped him with practical skills and helped him to nurture a sense of ownership and responsibility.

    It is important to note that family dynamics play a critical role in business succession. The reason is simple. Emotions can run high as family members grapple with their dual roles as business partners and relatives.

    The Adedejis and the Martins understood this and the importance of open communication and conflict resolution, so regular family meetings became a forum for discussing business decisions, clarifying expectations, and addressing concerns.

    With these meetings, it was easy to set clear roles and responsibilities for each family member involved in the business, prevent misunderstandings, and foster a sense of unity.

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    Furthermore, both families recognized that seeking professional advice was essential to navigating the intricacies of succession planning.

    So, they engaged with business consultants and legal experts in business succession planning. These professionals helped them create comprehensive plans that addressed legal, financial, and emotional aspects.

    For instance, the families explored different business structures, such as partnerships, limited liability companies (LLCs), or corporations, to determine the most suitable fit for their circumstances. They also addressed tax implications, ownership percentages, and contingency plans for unforeseen events.

    The Adedejis and the Martins also wanted their businesses to remain integral parts of the community, continuing to provide the same quality and personalized service that had endeared them to their customers.

    Consequently, they integrated their family values and mission statements into their succession plans. This included guidelines for maintaining product quality, customer relationships, and community involvement. These elements served as guiding principles for the next generation, anchoring the businesses’ legacy in the face of change.

    Finally, as the Adedejis and the Martins embarked on their respective journeys of succession planning, they realised that the process was about business, love, dedication, and a commitment to something greater than themselves.

    By thoughtfully grooming the next generation, fostering open communication, seeking professional guidance, and preserving the businesses’ core values, they were securing their families’ financial futures and ensuring that their legacies would continue to flourish.

    The Adedejis and the Martins remind us that beyond the products or services our businesses provide, they are a testament to the determination, passion, and love the founders pour into them.

    As we celebrate the success of our businesses, let us also recognise the importance of succession planning and the role it plays in upholding these cherished legacies for generations to come.

    •Seun-Oloruntuga, a lawyer who specialises in estate planning, is also a career and executive coach. She can be reached at bso@morecraftlaw.com

  • Rudy Giuliani’s woes

    Rudy Giuliani’s woes

    In the closing weeks of last year, former New York mayor and ex-United States President Donald Trump’s ally, Rudy Giuliani, officialized his money troubles. He filed for bankruptcy, days after he was ordered to pay $148million to two former Georgia election workers he had falsely accused of fraud as he worked to overturn Trump’s 2020 election loss to current President, Joe Biden. In his bankruptcy filing, he sought protection from creditors over liabilities running into $500million whereas he estimated his assets at between $1million and $10million.

    Giuliani had been teetering on the brink of financial ruin for many years, but the eye-popping damages award to former election workers, Ruby Freeman and Wandrea “Shaye” Moss, pushed him over the edge. The 79-year-old had in August been found liable by a US district judge of defaming Freeman and Moss with his 2020 election lies on behalf of Republican Trump who narrowly lost Georgia to Democrat Biden. Giuliani, who led Trump’s legal efforts to overturn the results of the poll, posted a video of the pair by which he falsely accused them of engaging in fraud during ballot counting amid numerous other baseless claims. Freeman and Moss, who are Black, told the jury trial that Giuliani’s false accusations led to death threats that made them fear for their lives. An eight-person federal jury, on December 15, awarded both women more than $16million each for defamation, $20million each for emotional distress and $75million in punitive damages.

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    Giuliani’s bankruptcy filing marked a fortune reversal arising from the political company he kept. He was New York mayor from 1994 to 2001, guiding the city through the shock of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks and becoming known as “America’s Mayor” for his calm and steady leadership following the attacks. He is a one-time Republican presidential candidate, and high-ranking Justice Department official. All that were before signing up as Trump’s personal lawyer in his (Trump’s) White House years. Once swimming in cash as a globetrotting security consultant, his fortunes plunged amid lawsuits, fines, sanctions and damages related to his work helping Trump try to overturn the 2020 election. Other lawsuits he listed as potential liabilities include one brought against him by Biden’s son, Hunter.

    Spokesperson Ted Goodman said in a statement that Giuliani’s decision to seek bankruptcy protection should surprise no one because “no person should reasonably believe that (he) would be able to pay such a high punitive amount.” The filing, according to him, will give the former mayor “opportunity and time to pursue an appeal, while providing transparency for his finances under the supervision of the bankruptcy court…”

    When sages say the company you keep determines the vicissitudes of life you face, look no further than Giuliani’s battles for an apt illustration.