The Nation Newspaper

Category: Opinion

  • Artificial intelligence in deepening your business branding: Tomorrow’s Business is now

    Artificial intelligence in deepening your business branding: Tomorrow’s Business is now

    By Ojo Emmanuel Ademola

    In the present quickly advancing laborsaving scene, organizations are continually searching for imaginative ways of sticking out, associating with their crowd, and driving development. It is becoming more of entering unique Computerized reasoning, which can be simulated with intelligence for a unique advantage that is upsetting how brands impart, work, and flourish. Assuming you’re still wavering about coordinating computer-based intelligence, which is trendily called Artificial Intelligence (AI) into your business system.

    Essentially, in today’s rapidly changing and indeed ripening digital topography, businesses are constantly seeking creative ways to stand out, connect with their audiences, and drive expansion.

    At this stage of our development as a Global South Nation is to safely becomes a global player and or safely become a global stakeholder by engaging with a holistic approach to making our businesses – tomorrow’s organizations today by the use of AI.

    AI is a game-changer that’s remodeling the way brands, trademarks, labels, and much more communicate, operate, and flourish thrivingly. If you’re still contemplating how to revolutionize your business or you are still on the fence about commixing AI into your business strategy, you can enrich your understanding of forming a winning brand as I present to you here, some compelling reasons why AI should be the forefront of your new attempt and effort to branding.

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    First. With AI, you are enabled to efficiently personalize customer experiences. AI enables businesses to analyze vast amounts of data in real time, allowing for hyper-personalized customer experiences. Whether it’s product proposals, scope curation, or tailored commerce and marketing messages, AI ensures that your audience receives content that resonates with their preferences and behaviours, leading to increased engagement and loyalty. AI helps businesses customize client encounters. It is all about bringing AI as empowerment tools to organizations to examine tremendous measures of information progressively, taking into account hyper-customized client encounters. Whether it’s item suggestions, content curation, or custom-fitted showcasing messages, AI elaborately guarantees that your assemblage gets content that echoes with their inclinations and ways of behaving, prompting expanded commitment and steadfastness.

    Second. AI enables efficient Data Analysis. The modern business world is data-driven. AI tools can sift through massive datasets, identifying patterns, trends, and insights that might be overlooked by human analysts. This means more informed decision-making, mostly human err-free, to ensure branding and marketing strategies, and guarantee maximizing productivity as essentially to optimize strategic marketing communication by profiting robustly from such engagement. In reality, with the use of AI, organizations can proficiently be examining information.  The progressive highly tech world remains information driven. AI apparatuses can filter through gigantic datasets, distinguishing examples, patterns, and experiences that may be bypassed by human examiners. Such denotes more studious navigation, securing your marking in dynamic enhancement to publicize business processes.

    Third. AI enhances Social Media Engagement. It’s enhancing the upgrade of virtual entertainment commitment. AI is used to control chatbots, and menial helpers can draw in clients nonstop on stages like LinkedIn, noting questions, giving data, and, surprisingly, directing them through the deals channel. This consistent commitment guarantees your image stays top-of-mind and open. Such is the meaning that, AI-powered chatbots and virtual attendants can engage with users around the clock on diverse platforms earlier mentioned. It adds value to answering queries, providing information, and even guiding them through the sales funnel. Undoubtedly,   this continuous betrothal ensures that your brand hangs around, hangouts with top-of-mind, and is highly accessible.

    Four. AI facilitates Predictive Analysis for Proactive Branding. Yes, it can predict market trends and consumer demeanors based on historical data. It is a foresight that allows businesses to be proactive, adapting to their branding techniques to meet prospective directions and staying ahead of the rivalry. That means, with AI, business decision-makers can foresee market patterns and customer ways of behaving because of verifiable information. Such value, as a prescience permits organizations to be proactive, adjusting their marking methodologies to satisfy future needs and remaining in front of the resistance.

    Five. AI proliferates Cost Efficiency: While there’s an initial investment involved in integrating AI, the long-term Return On Investment (ROI) is undeniably huge. Automated customer service, efficient advert targeting, and reduced human error lead to significant cost savings, allowing businesses to allocate resources efficiently to other growth-driving activities. It is synonymous to cost productivity if you prefer it that way. While there’s an underlying supposition associated with coordinating simulated intelligence, the drawn-out return on initial capital investment is evident. Robotized client support, effective promotion focusing on, and decreased human mistake lead to massive expense investment funds, permitting organizations to allot assets to other development-driving exercises.

    Six. With AI apparatuses, you create content creatively and for unladen optimization of quality. It is similar to content generators and plan programming, which can help with making top-caliber, applicable substance. Whether it’s blog entries, recordings, or designs, artificial intelligence guarantees consistency and quality in brand information. Undoubtedly,  AI improved Content Creation as AI tools, like content generators and design software, can assist in creating high-quality, relevant content. Whether it’s blog posts, videos, or graphics, AI ensures consistency and quality in brand messaging.

    Seven. AI engages with intelligence to drive user interfaces, from voice-enacted orders to facial acknowledgment to making cooperation more instinctive and easy to use. A consistent client experience upgrades brand discernment and encourages faithfulness. Essentially, it becomes a value addition to creating and sustaining seamless user interfaces. That is to say that AI-driven user interfaces, from voice-activated commands to facial recognition, are such an enabling factor in making interactions more intuitive and user-friendly. A seamless user experience enhances the brand perception and fosters adherence to assert.

    Eight. With AI, Ethical Branding through Fair Analysis becomes an achievement. The query around who owns the data always centers around ethics, or perhaps the morality of engagement with this techno development. With AI, it is more of a Moral Marking through Fair Investigation. AI filters sentiments and corruption out of propensities, by guaranteeing that marking choices depend on genuine information. This decency can improve brand notoriety, particularly in reality as we know it where buyers esteem straightforwardness and morals.

    Conclusively, the coordination of AI in business branding and marking isn’t simply a short-lived pattern; it’s what’s to come. As AI keeps on propelling development, its part in forming brand interpretations, encounters, and productivity will just turn out to be more articulated. Organizations that perceive and tackle the force of AI today will just become better and better, and such in adding values to situational development to lead, enhance, and overwhelm both public and private practices, thusly bringing tomorrow’s businesses to today’s future of work is now.

    • Ademola, is a pioneer Professor of Cybersecurity and Information Technology Management, and Chairperson, Governing Council of the Institute of Entreprise Management and Analytics

  • ECOWAS versus Niger: Who is fooling who?

    ECOWAS versus Niger: Who is fooling who?

    He worked hard, took many bullets and took great risks to put this Government in place and we not only have a big stake in it but we must also ensure that it succeeds.

    Apart from our unalloyed loyalty and unflinching support and our commitment to assist him in weathering every storm and stabilising the country there is only one thing we owe the President and that is to always tell him the plain truth.

    Today that truth is that the pending attack on Niger Republic is unpopular at home and, if unleashed, would be a monumental error.

    If ECOWAS must go into Niger in the name of wanting to restore constitutional order so be it but let them do so without any Nigerian troops.

    Let the French and their Franco-phone allies in our sub-region, with American intelligence and logistical support, do the job on their own and leave us out of it.

    It is only if our nation is attacked or our sovereignty violated that we should get into the fray.

    Outside of that and until then we should use only diplomatic means to setttle the issue and not allow ourselves to be drawn into an unecessary and bloody regional war the end of which no-one knows.

    To the Ivory Coast’s President Alhassan Outarra, who has said that this is not a Nigeria versus Niger conflict but rather an ECOWAS versus Niger one, I  respectfully ask the following questions: who will contribute 90% of the troops and foot almost all the bills of this force? Is it not Nigeria?

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    Whose military hardware and assets will be deployed, mobilised and utilised more than any other? Is it not Nigeria?

    Who shares her Northern border with Niger and whose northern civilian population are bound to suffer the most hardship, the greatest degree of collateral damage, the highest number of casualties and accommodate the highest number of displaced people and refugees? Is it not Nigeria?

    We have trod this path before and we know where it ended. We cannot be fooled again.

    If any force is deployed and Nigeria opts to participate we will pay more than all the other ECOWAS nations put together in terms of the loss of civilian and military lives and in blood and treasure.

    Apart from that the ECOWAS force and their military capability is nothing without Nigeria and our troops.

    To say that this would be an ECOWAS versus Niger war as opposed to a de facto Nigeria versus Niger one is misleading and disingenuous.

    Such a war would be fought, prosecuted and won by primarily Nigerian forces even though there may be a sprinkling of a few others just for show and for the record.

    All the French and Cote D’ivorien sophistry, propaganda and delusion in the world cannot change that.

    If and when the whole thing goes down and we get involved militarily, you can bet your bottom dollar that it won’t just be a Nigeria versus Niger war but it would also end up being a Nigeria versus Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso and Wagner one.

    Worse still involvement in such a military conflict may tear our country apart along ethnic, regional and religious lines. This must be avoided at all costs.

    To add to this complex mix the wife of General Abdourahman Tiani, the head of the military junta in Niger, is actually a Nigerian from Kangiwa in Kebbi state whilst his Emir, the Emir of Dosso in Niger, owes allegience and pays homage to the Emir of Argungu in Nigeria.

    That is how connected our two countries are.

    The truth is that there is hardly any family in the core north that does not have relatives from and in Niger.

    Can they be expected to sit by idly and applaud us whilst we kill their brothers and sisters across the border for no just cause even when our nation has not been attacked and our territorial integrity has not been violated? Methinks not!

    As I wrote elsewhere, outside of any diplomatic initiatives, let the French clean up their own self-inflicted mess and fight for their hegemonist and parasitic neo-colonial interests and uranium supplies in Niger and let us stay out of our poor and beleaguered neighbour’s internal affairs.

    On a final note permit me to share the following exchange.

    On hearing of my stiff opposition to deploying our troops into Niger my dear friend Umaru Farouk offered the following rationalisation to me.

    He wrote, “the decision to place the troops on standby force is to force the junta to comply with the charter of demands from the regional and other international institutions via diplomatic channels. Also to actionably deploy the troops in case of any future coup attempt anywhere in the territory of ECOWAS”.

    My response to him was as follows.

    “You and I know that this threat of the use of force will not work and that it will not result in their stepping down.

    It will rather harden their hearts and eventually lead to a military conflict.

    You do not place your armed forces on alert unless you intend to deploy. It is only a question of time.

    Methinks that it is a very bad step, it is ill-timed and it is ill-advised.

    It is bad for our country, bad for our people and bad for our Government.

    Finally as regards your suggestion that the force can be used and deployed in case of any future coup anywhere in ECOWAS I ask, why should Nigeria be the policeman of the West African sub-region?

    Why should we be used to protect oftentimes corrupt, dictatorial and illegitimate civilian sit-tight rulers and puppet regimes in other parts of West Africa?

    Out of all the leaders in the15 countries that make up the ECOWAS sub-region I can only vouch for the legitimacy, integrity and democratic credentials of the Presidents of Nigeria, Ghana, Benin, Senegal, Sierra Leonne and Liberia.

    I cannot vouch for ANY of the others   and I have little respect for them.

    In any case don’t we have enough problems of our own?

    Let others deal with their internal issues and let us deal with ours.

    Nigerian blood must never be spilt or shed for the sake of some of these Frano-phone rulers who have sold their souls to the devil and their  people to France and who have been turned into errand boys abd grovelling slaves by their former colonial masters.

    For example is it President Paul Biya of the Cameroons, who has been in power in that country for the last 41 years, that our soldiers should protect and die for?

    Is it President Faure Eyadema of Togo who, in classic North Korean-style, is operating and nurturing a system of dynastic rule in his nation and who, between him and his late father Gnassibe Eyadema, have ruled their country for the past 61 years?

    Is it President Alhassan Outarra of La Cote D’Ivoure who is prepared to do ANYTHING for the French, who suppresses and persecutes his opponents and who had his predecessor in office President Laurant Gbabo bundled off to the International Court at the Hague at the behest of their former colonial masters simply because he dared to question the legitimacy and sought to break the yoke of French domination and bondage and restore the self-respect and dignity of his people by coming up with the noble and patriotic concept of “Ivoritie” (meaning “Ivorians first”).

    If anyone really wants to know what the French do to their Franco-phone subjects through the auspices of their pliant and servile local “democratically-elected” African leaders they should listen to the explosive and utterly outstanding speech, delivered just over a year ago, by the beautiful, passionate and fiery Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, who lambasted President Emmanuel Macron of France and the French people for enslaving, persecuting and cruelly exploiting the people of Africa.

    Are these the sort of leaders we should protect and vouch for and are we supposed to send our soldiers to die in order to perpetuate French hegemony in these nation’s? Surely not!

    Unless our country is attacked I do not see any sense in using our military for anything outside our shores other than for peace-keeping”.

    May God open our eyes and guide our leaders before it is too late.

    • Fani-Kayode is an APC Chieftain and former Minister of Aviation

  • Breaking the yoke to debt cycle with his tax reforms

    Breaking the yoke to debt cycle with his tax reforms

    How to begin describing the past week, regarding the President’s schedule, can be a bit difficult because mostly, the ‘ghost mode’ persisted, almost like when he was putting his list of ministers together. The difference this time around was that his scarcity was mostly occasioned by the weight and urgency of attending to the political crisis in neighbouring Niger Republic. You will remember he is the incumbent Chairman of the Authority of the Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the beleaguered neighbouring country is next door to seven Nigerian states in the northern part.

    However, the most significant event of the week for Nigerians was the inauguration of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms on Tuesday. Besides the fact that it is targeted at rewriting the revenue generation strategy of the country, it is aiming a stronger economy and both goals are meant to give every Nigerian another shot at decent human living, hence making the step one of the most significant for the administration.

    At the inauguration of the Taiwo Oyedele-headed committee, the President lamented the way the tax regime had run over the years; lacking proper coordination and suffocating to the people, especially those in the lowest wrong of the social ladder, and businesses too. His target is raising the tax-to-GDP ratio to above 18% in three years as well as end the era of borrowing to fund public spending, which has kept the country under the debt serving yoke for years.

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    “The consequences of the ongoing failure of our tax regime are real and significant. The inability of government to efficiently raise revenue has led directly to an overreliance on borrowing to finance public spending. A government that cannot properly fund itself will also lack the flexibility or fiscal scope to sensibly manage the economy or respond to external shocks. Instead, debt service begins to consume an ever greater portion of government’s already meagre revenues. This traps the economy in a vicious cycle of borrowing simply to service previous debt and leaves almost no scope for socio-economic development.

    “As President, I am determined to end this cycle. On the day of my inauguration, I promised that my administration would address all of the issues impeding investment and economic growth in Nigeria. This promise is why I saw an end to the fuel subsidy. It is the reason the Central Bank has called an end to its multiple exchange rate system under my watch. It is for the same reason we gather here today to inaugurate the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms”, he said.

    The Chairman of the Committee, a world-class tax administration, Oyedele, elaborating the mandate of his team to journalists at the Villa, after their inauguration, lamented that the country is losing around N20 trillion in uncollected tax to a number of irregular practices, which the team had been tasked to take out in order to make the most for the country and bringing relief to the people.

    According to him, the mandate of the committee “is to get rid of so many taxes that come in the way of prosperity for our people. So Nigerians should look forward to a more harmonized, fewer number of taxes. But then it seems like it’s a contradiction. How do you then raise the revenue? Now, we know where we’re going to get the revenue from – there’s a huge tax-gap. What that means is as of today, without introducing any new taxes, if you get everyone that needs to pay their taxes to pay, we will not be where we are. So we think that the gap is somewhere in the region of N20 trillion.

    “In addition to that, you would also imagine that we have inefficiencies in the way we collect the little that we collect. And that inefficiency is coming from, sometimes, I think in the 2023 budget, we have like 63 MDAs that were given revenue targets. Those MDAs want to be able to focus on their primary duties of why they were established, the revenue mandate is a distraction for them. So imagine that we asked the FIRS to collect those revenues on their behalf so those agencies, by focusing on their primary mandates, they’ll facilitate the economic development we’re looking for. FIRS will collect the revenues efficiently, which means not only is the top line growing because of collecting it is reducing. And that gives you a much bigger margin to take care of the people”, he said.

    Public opinions have, again, ticked this as one of the best steps and reforms of the Bola Tinubu administration yet. Reviews across sections of society, as well as on the international plane, have lauded the President’s decisiveness and focus on reforming the economy and setting the right bricks in place for the ultimate turnaround of the largest economy in Africa.

    Mr Adeoye Adeyeye, a Chartered Accountant, with many years’ experience in Taxation, Policy and Strategy Formulation in the private sector backed the President’s positions on the need for tax reforms in the country. Besides the fact that the current regime has a lot of inefficient practices, it is also responsible for the inability of government to raise needed revenues, which has resulted in borrowing to fund public spending and throwing the system into the asphyxiating cycle of debt servicing.

    “The inauguration of the Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms Committee could end up being one of the best decisions of the Tinubu Presidency. The following reasons are germane; some of our tax laws are outdated, the multiplicity of taxes has been a major hindrance to business growth, the cost of collection is high, our tax revenue to GDP ratio is one of the lowest in the world, revenue loss due to inefficiency in collection among others.

    “If the number of taxes (currently over 60) payable by businesses and the agency of collection is centralized, more people would be brought into the tax net without necessarilyincreasing the tax rate. Also, the use of data to drive tax collection will also be key in achieving the objectives of the Committee.

    “I am of the opinion that government can achieve the target of 18% tax to GDP ratio in three years through the work of the committee. Also of note is the composition of the Committee- the members (especially the Chairman), are largely people who have distinguished themselves over the years. If more people are brought into the tax net, it gives people more impetus to demand accountability from the government.

    “Modernizing and streamlining our tax regime will remove the absurdity of arbitrariness, which has discouraged businesses from coming into the economy and frustrated existing ones. We should all encourage and support the reforms coming into our tax and fiscal policy; the government needs all the revenue it could generate and reduce borrowings”, Adeyeye explained.

    Also taking an overview of the President’s Tax Reforms Committee, the National Chairman of the Arewa Economic Forum, Ibrahim Shehu Yahaya also popularly known as Dandakata, lauded the President for making the move, saying it is aimed at streamlining collection of taxes, reducing possibilities of corruption and ultimately giving the economy a new lease of life. Drawing a connecting line with two other major steps at saving the economy, taken by the President; subsidy removal and the abolition of multiple foreign exchange rates, he noted that all point to the direction that the Tinubu administration is serious about reforming and repositioning the economy.

    “The new tax policy reform committee comes at the right time to look for ways to close the gaps in tax collection in Nigeria, which is one of the lowest in the world with a GDP to tax ratio of 10.8%, according to the NBS. It’s pertinent to note that this initiative is in the right direction, given that the Mr. Nami leadership at FIRS had tried to close this collection gap with raft of incentives to defaulters and non-compliant people and businesses, which resulted in an increase of 56% in the amount collected in 2022, which came to about N10 trillion. The mandate of the present committee is to triple this figure in 3 years.

    “This initiative is a very important economic tool in creating fiscal transparency, entrenchment of rule of law and getting our economy in the right track by eliminating avenues of loss of revenue and corruption.

    “It’s important to say that the committee started on a good note by trying to streamline collection in one location to improve transparency and make agencies more focused on their core activities.

    This, like the Treasury Single Account, will give the government a bird’s eye view on its income and attendant need for further reforms. If one couples this initiative with the removal of subsidy and the removal of multiple exchange rates of the Naira, one can see genuine economic reforms that will open up Nigeria for investment being done”, he said.

    He, however, did not stop without sounding a note of caution, especially how the reforms, this latest one in particular, saying the full value of any good policy is striving its best not to hurt the people it was made for. 

    “However, these initiatives should be very mindful of introducing policies that will marginalize sections of the Nigerian population that are, at this moment, traumatized by these same reforms that we hail. As much as the government is doing good policies for the overall and long-term benefit of the country, it should also look at the short and medium term effects on the population it’s leading and also look at those policies peculiarly as they will affect certain regions/groups/demographics.

    “There’s a need to exercise caution so that we don’t throw away the bath water with the baby. In our quest for economic nirvana, we shouldn’t forget the people that economy is supposed to serve”, Dandakata said.

    It was a busy week indeed and a lot happened, only that nut much was seen of the President because he was engaged in serious national/international matters. However, it was within the week he met governors from the seven states bordering Niger Republic (Sunday); he met the Senate President and Majority Leader (Monday); met with the World Trade Organisation’s Director General, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, (Tuesday); met with ministerial nominees Nasir el-Rufai and Nyesom Wike (Wednesday); and the various meetings of the Niger coup all through the week.

    A new week has opened today, we should wait to see what comes with it.

  • Hidden connection between plastics and climate change

    Hidden connection between plastics and climate change

    By Tosin Afeniforo

    SIR: The accumulation of plastic pollution in our oceans, rivers, and landfills has become an insurmountable issue in today’s modern world. The sight of marine creatures entangled in plastic waste is heart-wrenching, and projections suggest that by 2050, plastic may outnumber fish in our oceans. While it is widely acknowledged that plastic waste negatively impacts marine ecosystems and species, is there a link between plastic pollution and climate change?

    It is essential to know about the lifecycle of plastic and its impact on the environment, especially how it contributes to climate change. The production of plastics requires significant amounts of fossil fuels, mainly oil and natural gas, which release greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) during extraction, processing, and transportation. The plastics industry alone produces an estimated 1.8 billion metric tonnes of CO2 emissions yearly, equivalent to the carbon footprint of approximately 400 coal-fired power plants. Understanding this connection between plastic pollution and climate change is crucial.

    The production process of plastic involves a chemical process called polymerization which emits greenhouse gases (GHGs) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the atmosphere. This contributes to climate change by causing a warming effect on the earth. This connection between plastic production and GHG emissions highlights the impact plastic has on climate patterns.

    Although the production of plastic contributes to its carbon footprint, the problem persists even after production. When plastic waste enters natural ecosystems, particularly the oceans, it becomes a concerning issue. Sun exposure and seawater cause the plastic to undergo photodegradation, which ultimately breaks it down into minuscule microplastics. These microplastics act as secondary emitters of greenhouse gases (GHGs), which are often overlooked and have a significant impact on the environment.

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    The accumulation of plastic waste in the oceans has a significant impact on ecosystems and marine life, which play a crucial role in regulating the planet’s climate. The presence of large patches of plastic debris, such as the infamous Great Pacific Garbage Patch, disrupts the normal functioning of marine ecosystems and impairs the oceans’ ability to sequester carbon. Oceans act as massive carbon sinks, absorbing roughly a quarter of all human-generated CO2 emissions and helping to mitigate the effects of global warming. However, plastic pollution hinders the natural processes that maintain the balance of marine ecosystems, undermining this important function.

    Plastic pollution poses a threat to marine life, which indirectly affects climate change. The toxins in plastic can enter the food chain when consumed by marine organisms, eventually reaching humans. The ingestion of plastic can harm the health of fish populations, resulting in a decline in their numbers. This can also disrupt the balance of marine ecosystems, further impacting the planet’s ability to regulate its temperature.

    To reduce plastic’s carbon footprint, we need innovative regulations and sustainable alternatives to tackle the problem at its root. Governments should promote recycling, encourage circular economy models, and offer incentives for companies to adopt environmentally friendly practices. Public education campaigns can also raise awareness and encourage individuals to reduce their plastic use and dispose of waste responsibly.

    Moreover, it is imperative to have international collaboration to tackle the issues of climate change and plastic pollution. Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and conservation of the environment heavily rely on international agreements such as the Paris Agreement. It is crucial that these agreements consider the impact of plastic pollution on climate change and incorporate measures to mitigate its consequences.

    It’s crucial to urgently address plastic pollution and understand its deep connection to climate change if we want to safeguard the planet’s future. Collaborative action, innovative solutions, and international cooperation are essential for creating a cleaner, healthier, and more sustainable future for generations to come.

    • Tosin Afeniforo, Pavia, Italy.

  • The Owambe therapy 

    The Owambe therapy 

    By Eniola Ajayi

    Owambe is the name given to celebratory parties, especially large parties where a band or sometimes more than one band is engaged to entertain the guests, particularly the Yorubas in the Southwest. Owambe translated is, “it is happening here”.  You could also say “we full ground and na we dey here” in pidgin English. The music of course is accompanied by lots of food, drinks and many delicacies flowing. We do Owambes to celebrate birthdays, marriages, funeral of old people, anniversaries of institutions and any worthy accomplishment. 

    These parties of course come with a lot of dancing, merry making amongst friends and comedians entertaining guests with rib cracking jokes, while the Master of Ceremony acknowledges dignitaries intermittently. The musician of course eulogises the celebrant and important friends, who in turn show appreciation by ‘spraying’ money as a reward on the celebrant and musician as desired. 

    It is not uncommon to eat a five course meal in no particular order during the course of one Owambe party. It would include appetizers like corn and coconut, small chops of different grades, the main meal in different varieties such as jollof rice or amala and ewedu, pounded yam with vegetable soup, desserts and other delicacies which may include, Suya (barbecued meat), Boli (roasted plantain) and roasted groundnuts or, the latest craze of garri (cassava flakes), milk, sugar and fish. You could also ask for Ewa (beans) Agoyin (agoni) and Dodo (fried plantain) with fried pepper stew as extras. 

    There are many things associated with an Owambe party. These days, the women employ the services of professionals to put their makeup in place and tie their geles (headtie) where applicable. Sometimes family and friends turn up in matching aso ebi or anko (the party uniform) for the occasion. Now, there is even a red carpet reception with a photo station booth for guests. Small mobile bands entertain the guests upon arrival and departure outside the party venue. There is fun and funfair at every angle you look. There are waiters serving food and drinks, while ushers are making sure everyone is comfortable. The drivers and personal aides are not left out of the feeding arrangements, as special packs are provided for them. This Owambe production is so sophisticated now that most people engage the services of an event planner to achieve a seamless experience. The other amazing bit of our Owambe is the distribution of souvenirs to guests. Souvenirs range from the very basic plastic bowls to garri and kuli-kuli, to the very exotic mobile phones or even automobiles depending on the grade of the party or the category of the guests. 

    My recent experience back home meant that I attended four of such events within one week. It started with the 40 days final burial rite for my friend’s dad on Saturday. It was quickly followed by my mum’s 90th birthday party. We had a small party of about 600 guests on a weekday! By the following Saturday, it was a friend’s 60th birthday with yet another friend’s 60th birthday on Sunday. I just narrowly missed the Owambe party of another 90th birthday of a friend’s mother on Monday, because I was returning to post that night. 

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    As I reflected on my week, I came to the realisation that Owambe is truly and authentically therapeutic. The process of preparing for each one kept me busy. One had to coordinate the outfits to match the colours prescribed and ensure that appropriate gifts were sorted out for each event. There was no time to be bored. There was no dull moment. As we made our way to each party, the fellowship with friends began with pictures being taken and pleasantries exchanged. We caught up with outstanding gist despite the blaring music. I would never understand why the music has to be that loud. Gossip in the situation was difficult except you are a die-hard for such. It is really interesting that most of the speakers mounted on stage are not even functional. The number of speakers is supposed to indicate how wealthy the musician is. Then of course, the musician called us out to dance in groups. I particularly enjoyed the different styles that people danced to the latest popular tunes. Buga by Kizz Daniel is a personal favourite. The small chops were delightful. The only bit I don’t like is the wastage we sometimes see, of people collecting more than they can eat or drink. 

    I have concluded that this culture of Owambe is actually good for our mental health. There is camaraderie and real joy of being in the midst of true friends. A lot of the happy hormone is released and you can put your issues aside. The fellowship with friends is absolutely invaluable. It dims your sorrows at least for those hours. 

    If it is any consolation to anyone who is not too keen on Owambe, I found the time to deliver the keynote speech at the Members Day of LCCI – Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Friday, July 28. I spoke on, ‘The Impact of International Trade on the Economic Growth of Nigeria’.

    As I landed at my post again, it dawned on me that there is no place like home, truly. We find a way to laugh in-spite of our challenges in Nigeria. The communal arrangements and real cooperation we enjoy even at such parties cannot be overemphasised. People gave of their time, cash, materials and in kind towards my mum’s birthday. I guess, this is my way of saying thank you for helping us to achieve the true Owambe therapy for our family, neighbours and friends. I don’t take this culture for granted. We thrive, we relax and enjoy being together. This is no wonder, we are called one of the happiest people on earth. 

    When next you get an opportunity to attend an Owambe party, maximise the moment; it is not everyone that is so privileged. The Owambe therapy is real! 

    • Ambassador Ajayi writes from The Hague, Netherlands.

  • ECOWAS and the Niger dilemma

    ECOWAS and the Niger dilemma

    By Charles Onunaiju

    Nearly one week after the expiration of the ultimatum issued by the West African regional block, ECOWAS for the new military rulers in Niger to return to barracks and reinstall the former president, Mohamed Bazoum, the leader of the coup, Abdourahmane Tchiani, who goes by the tantalizing official title of the “National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland “ is dug in, in Niamey and has so for appointed a civilian prime minister and showing no signs of backing down.

    President Bola Tinubu, chair of the ECOWAS was clearly rattled by the July 26 overthrow of Mr. Bazoum, barely few weeks after the Nigeria stressed the military or other forms of attaining power short of the ballot box would not be accepted in the region.

    President Bola Tinubu, chair of the ECOWAS sub-regional group was clearly rattled by the July 26 overthrow of Bazoum, barely few weeks after the Nigerian leader stressed that any military takeover or any other form of attaining power short of the ballot box in the region would not be accepted.

    However, the hasty ultimatum for the successful coup makers to turn over their golden trophy plainly belittles the risk they took in their venture. To be overrun by the ECOWAS forces, if ever, it can be mustered and the risk of a coup making business is almost the same.

    The question ECOWAS did not answer or rather did not pose is – what is in it if for them if they, the junta, ever turns over power and restore the deposed Bazoum. Would they remain in the country’s armed forces whose commander-in-chief would be the same man they toppled or go into exile and to be accepted by which country? A Nigerian offer of exile would definitely be spurned as the junta would easily remember how former Liberian president, Charles Taylor, who accepted an AU-brokered agreement to step down from power along with exile in Nigeria, was betrayed and ended up in the Western-backed criminal court at The Hague where a long prison sentence was handed to him. He is serving a sentence in a British prison, after having willingly stepped down from his country’s presidency as a result of the AU-mediated settlement. Alternatively to hand power over as ECOWAS demanded, secured at a high risk and get shot in return as the ultimate consequences of coup making or sentenced to long prison terms is no alternative to any rational person or persons.

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    From the logic of the risks that the junta members took in organizing the successful putsch and the risk of fighting a foreign intervention till death is one and the same thing and honour simply implies the latter.

    Therefore, giving them a marching order to quit and hand power back to the deposed president was a geopolitical fantasy that the Nigeria- prodded ECOWAS ultimatum did not think through.

    The American and French troops in Niger jointly numbering nearly 2500, could easily have saved Bazoum since the coup unfolded very slowly with the military high command initially indecisive whether to back the presidential guards who spearheaded it. Even the United States that Nigerian elites like to mimic claimed that the events in Niger was still a developing one and not yet a coup. Both France and the US dutifully asked their service men to stay ensconced in their barracks, while ‘democracy’ was under assault, in Niamey. While, Bazoum’s top patrons in Paris and Washington sat on the fence to watch how events were unfolding, ECOWAS leaders would issue an ultimatum, thereby, giving the Niger military junta the oxygen it desperately need to boost it’s  nationalist credentials and enhance their popular legitimacy .

    Since the ECOWAS threats of invasion, ordinary citizens have been pouring out on public avenues to show their support to the “National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland “ as the junta styled themselves.

    ECOWAS leaders should realistically understand that democracy is fragile in the region because it is yet to acquire the key condition for its our own survival, which is the improvement in the living condition of life for the majority of the people. Even within the military, while its top and hierarchy can understand the practical meaning of democracy because their living condition is on the upscale, the rank and file soldier experiencing hard life of misery under democracy as the rest of the larger society may not convince himself or herself that the fight for “democracy” in a foreign land is worth the while. To fight for the defence of the country is easily understood but to fight for abstract thing as democracy would be seemingly an unworthy cause to fight for. To those whose bread has been buttered by democracy should never forget that large swathes of the population in the sub- region are still waiting for its modest dividends. President Tinubu and his colleague in the region should neither romanticise nor fetishize democracy but must take practical steps to make it attractive so that citizens everywhere in the region can defend it without prodding. To help elect a government, which citizens in the region do, is one thing and to have the government work for them and improve their conditions is another thing.

    The notorious history of military rule in the region, despite their often messianic rhetoric does not lend any credibility that welcoming them is a rational choice. But the impunity of the elected governments in the region, their propensity to ride roughshod on citizens makes the military look so much as the only credible opposition.

    In the specific instance of the coup in Niger Republic, the regional body ECOWAS has little room to manoeuvre. Punitive and prolonged economic sanctions ns would backlash at Nigeria whose more than seven states share common border with Niger. And as the sanctions bite harder, the more ordinary Nigeriens would see their deposed civilian regime as puppet of some foreign powers desperate to foist him back at all costs. Their anti-foreign sentiments will be boon to the junta who though, might be bankrupt in any idea of governance would certainly harvest to dig in. 

     The most credible alternative to ECOWAS sabre-rattling at the Nigerien junta is to work out a credible transition to a return to civil rule within the shortest possible time frame. Wagging fingers at them with an ultimatum to quit and make way for the re-instatement of former President Bazoum is a road that leads to nowhere.

    • Onunaiju is research director, Abuja based think tank. 

  • Palliative measures: A new urgency

    Palliative measures: A new urgency

    By Oluwole Ogundele

    People-centred economic policies and their implementation are an effective non-kinetic methodological approach to sustainable peace and development of any country. Nigeria can only be an exception at its own peril. Government is for the living and not the dead in their graves. The removal of fuel subsidy in May was a welcome development because it would, according to the government, stop the sale of this product by a few members of the upper class to African countries as far afield as Sudan. This was happening at the expense of the Nigerian masses. Therefore, the accrued monies from this new policy, are supposed to be spent on the provision of infrastructural facilities among other things.

    However, the masses who are usually the victims of poor leadership over the years, did not completely believe the story of the ruling class. They are naturally distrustful of the Nigerian political leadership based on antecedent activities and actions with a special emphasis on petrol subsidy removal. Previous administrations made a lot of promises which they never fulfilled.  Therefore, Nigerians are legitimately tired of their empty rhetoric as the situation continues to go from bad to worse. 

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    Nigerians are no longer suitably impressed with high-sounding economic theories often packaged by some advisers to our political authority.   Maximum corruption has become a tradition in the country.         Selfless service to humanity has no space in the Nigerian political discourse. Therefore, this administration has to concretely prove that it is different from the previous ones. This may be a bitter pill for the reactionaries in our midst to swallow.  As far as those benefitting illicitly from the government are concerned, it is too early to begin to worry about palliative measures.  This group of Nigerians only reads about abject material poverty in our local newspapers. They have no experiential knowledge of starvation.  The ruling elite are not on a par with the led.  Despite the good intention of President Bola Tinubu and Kashim Shettima for Nigeria, they need to be much more mindful than hitherto about the danger of listening to such advisers. The rich who have been robbing the ordinary Nigerians blind must also cry!  Those who have stolen our national material riches must be made to return some of them. The Nigerian masses are asking for justice and equity.  The federal lawmakers must not furnish their offices at the expense of the led if they are truly patriotic. This is a critical period in our chequered history.

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    The PBAT/KS administration has promised to provide some palliatives due to the debilitating effects of the fuel subsidy removal. However, the purpose of these palliative measures would have been defeated if nothing happened in the next one or two weeks. There is widespread human suffering in the land. Palliatives are short-term measures taken to mitigate economic hardships of a people. That is to say, that the arrangement is intended only as a stop-gap to prevent people from going to their early graves or become criminals. Although PBAT and KS inherited this ugliness, they cannot afford to drag their heels. Nigerian lives and their minimum comfort must matter. No excuses! No further delay!

    Long-term solutions or measures can be delayed due to a wide range of factors including excessive bureaucracy.  The socio-economic life and living of an average Nigerian have been heavily paralysed particularly in the last two months. The country is now a mini hell! The number of vehicles plying the roads has reduced drastically due to low patronage by commuters, who have resorted to compulsory trekking.  This is because of a fare hike.

    A few tyre repairers in my neighbourhood have stopped coming regularly to their places of work because of very low patronage.  Small businesses are folding up or shrinking. These are existential realities. No food, no transportation, no good health! Many Nigerians have now become “walking corpses” and highly irritable. Extreme poverty as a form of war dehumanises.  This poses a major security threat to the fabric of our society. It pains that the so-called representatives of the Nigerian people in the National Assembly, are detached from us and by extension, the philosophy of President Tinubu. That was the reason why they were talking recently about buying bulletproof cars and refurbishing their offices with a lousy amount of money from our national treasury. This is just too appallingly unpatriotic.

    PBAT/KS can start cushioning the effects of the fuel subsidy removal within a week.  For instance, the current obnoxious taxes being paid by public workers especially federal varsity staff, could be drastically reduced. After all, we don’t see what these taxes are being used for. Our “malnourished” roads including bridges are collapsing across the country. Yet more rains are coming this year. Again, this administration should stop the fraud called “Housing Contributions” (NHF) for staff in the federal universities. No agreement was reached between the government and workers’ unions to make such an exercise legal. In Nigeria, governance is not a social contract.  Our leaders have forgotten that illicit material riches or juicy political offices are not a guarantee of happiness in the long run. Happiness is a by-product of robust service to humanity.

    Would the savings from this fuel subsidy removal be managed in the interest of the common good? Palliatives in Europe and the US are successfully managed because there are effective punishment systems. Nobody is above the law.  But can we trust our senior public officers with respect to Economic Impact Payments or Cash Transfers for the extremely poor Nigerians? Do we have reliable statistical data bases to ensure a credible distribution of relief materials and cash? Most people in leadership positions in Nigeria have a high propensity to steal public funds, because those corrupt officers before them were never punished. We were told that the Cash Transfers concept was allegedly abused in 2020. Suddenly, COVID-19 palliatives became COVID-419, as the former central political authority looked the other way. This is not the Nigeria of our dreams! The “Trader Moni” saga is also fresh in our minds. The Nigerian masses do not have a memory like a sieve.

    Increase in the salaries of public workers will necessarily boost the local economy. Such monies permeate down to the entire society. Vegetable sellers as well as those in charge of stock-fish businesses among others would get better patronage. Even my wife, who has been avoiding her stock-fish customer like a plague in the last two months, would resume buying this stuff, in the face of a “salary relief.”   All artisans would get more jobs.  Let us stop deceiving ourselves! Salary increase, in my opinion, is the surest/safest way of helping the Nigerian masses, given the country’s peculiar political culture rooted in unbridled corruption. No one believes in the idea of cash transfers again. Indeed, no amount of high-tech weaponry can mitigate security challenges in Nigeria, in the face of dire material poverty and hopelessness. Many citizens are growing increasingly desperate as they live in subhuman conditions. Nigerians no longer need high-sounding economic theories/rhetoric and jargon, but urgent practical measures to stop these unprecedented agonies. 

    • Prof Ogundele is of Dept. of Archaeology and Anthropology, University of Ibadan.

  • De-escalating the tension in Niger Republic

    De-escalating the tension in Niger Republic

    By Shafi’i Hamidu

    “Don’t beat the drums of war unless you’re ready to fight.” – African Proverb.

    In recent times, the West African region has been gripped by tension due to the coup d’état that took place in our friendly neighbouring country, Niger Republic. The democratically elected president, Mohamed Bazoum, was overthrown by the military, mainly comprised of members of the presidential guards, led by General Abdourahmane Tchiani. This unfortunate incident has sparked reactions from regional bodies, with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) imposing sanctions and threatening the use of force if President Bazoum is not reinstated within a week.

    As an advocate of democracy, firmly believing in the government of the people, by the people, the situation in Niger Republic deeply concerns me. History has taught us that military governments that come to power through coups tend to hold on to power and resist relinquishing control voluntarily. Such a coup undermines democracy and hampers progress, pushing Niger Republic backward in its democratic journey. Therefore, it is of utmost importance that we strive for a diplomatic resolution to this crisis and prevent any further military escalation.

    Looking beyond the current crisis, it is essential to highlight the historical ties between northern Nigeria and Niger Republic. During my upbringing in Zaria, I had the privilege of experiencing the presence of Nigerien families in our compound. One particular family that frequented our home was headed by a man known as Baban Salah, whose son, Saleh, was just a few years older than me. Whenever they visited during the Chirani (dry season labour), we shared the same living space, fostering good memories and nurturing harmonious relationships. Like most northerners, they value friendship, and they are promise keepers. It is the same situation in most northern cities. We are simply one people separated by imaginary colonial boundaries. 

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    In the aftermath of the coup, events have unfolded rapidly, revealing that a considerable number of Nigeriens support the coup plotters, viewing them as saviours who will liberate their country from foreign dominance and exploitation of its resources. While President Bazoum’s government shares similar objectives, the military junta believes his approach is too soft and too slow. It is essential to respect the Nigerien people’s choice in determining their nation’s path. We may disagree in their support to the military junta that overthrew the elected government, but at the end it is their country and their choice.

    However, threats of military force from ECOWAS to bring back President Bazoum are not the solution. We firmly reject any military intervention in our friendly neighbour’s internal affairs. Instead, we advocate for peaceful means to resolve the crisis, regardless of the time it might take.

    It is crucial for Nigeria to prevent any crisis from erupting in Niger Republic because of the potential consequences it may bring to our nation. As neighbours, we share a close geographical and cultural bond with Niger, and any instability in their country could lead to a significant influx of displaced refugees into Nigeria. Given our current economic hardship and limited resources, coping with a humanitarian catastrophe of such magnitude would pose immense challenges. By maintaining peace and stability in Niger Republic, we safeguard the well-being of both nations, fostering a sense of regional cooperation and mutual support. It is in Nigeria’s best interest to act proactively to prevent any crisis from escalating in our neighbouring country, ensuring the preservation of peace, security, and prosperity in the West African region.

    To deescalate military tension in Niger Republic, we must explore peaceful avenues for resolution, such as engaging in intensive diplomatic dialogue with all stakeholders, appointing neutral mediators for reconciliation efforts, involving African Union (AU) for support. In addition, economic and political incentives can encourage a peaceful transition. Addressing the concerns of the coup plotters and engaging constructively with Niger’s leadership can pave the way for a stable democratic government.

    Citizen engagement is equally vital in the process of rebuilding democratic institutions. Empowering civil society organizations and involving citizens in open discussions and debates on the country’s future fosters a sense of ownership and shared responsibility.

    In this pursuit, we must be cautious not to involve external Western countries, such as France, the UK, Russia, and the US, in African conflicts. Their involvement tends to complicate matters and may not serve the best interests of African nations. It would only add multiple levels of complexity to the crisis. Instead, we must rely on regional solutions and collaborative efforts to resolve the crisis in Niger Republic. By doing so, we can demonstrate that Africa has the capacity to address its challenges and work towards a peaceful, united, and prosperous continent. 

    In conclusion, the situation in Niger Republic demands a concerted effort to find a peaceful resolution. As friends and neighbours, it is our responsibility to advocate for peace and stability in the region. Let us reject any form of military kinetics and pursue diplomatic means to ensure a democratic and prosperous future for the people of Niger Republic. Through dialogue, mediation, and reconciliation, we can deescalate military tension and uphold the values of peace and democracy in West Africa.

    • Dr. Hamidu wrote in from Minna.

  • Nigeria, avoid a needless war!

    Nigeria, avoid a needless war!

    By Prof. Tunji Oyelade

    SIR: The rumours of war are flying around. Yes, that is how it starts. Little flames become huge inferno, if not tamed early enough. That is my cry for my beloved country. It is no news that ECOWAS intends to dislodge the military junta in Niger by means of armed attack as a first resort. This style is clearly against the position in international law, which encourages diplomacy; dialogue; peace-keeping and mediation as its foremost weapons of interaction between nations.

    It is a trite principle of international law that no country should carry out a war of aggression on another country for no just cause. The country that is attacked has a right to repel such attacks by way of self-defence. The United Nations may however, declare armed interference on a recalcitrant country if her actions will threaten international peace and security and affect humanity adversely. It is the Security Council that can declare it, after a resolution has been passed and all members have concurred.  We know that to reach that decision is very complex and the procedure, cumbersome coupled with the rights of veto by the superpowers.

    Similarly, a supra-national organisation cannot encourage its members to carry out force or aggression against another nation. Such an action would be against international law principle of sovereignty of nations to deal with their own internal affairs. A supranational organisation should foster trade; resolve conflict amicably amongst its members; foster peace and cooperation, not encouraging war.  I do not see how the coup plotters have threatened to jeopardise international peace and security to warrant such an action by ECOWAS as the first resort.

    ECOWAS, to my mind, is derailing from its traditional role of fostering cooperation rather than division, by thinking it could mobilise military actions against the coup plotters in Niger. Nigeria, as the present head of ECOWAS, should be more circumspect by allowing good reason to prevail by not listening to the counsel of the western world, meant only to fan their selfish embers. Now, different international interests are queuing up and at the end of the day, they’ll allow the battle to go on ad infinitum without lifting a finger.

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    At the end of the day, if a war breaks out, because of an internal affairs of Niger, which could be solved otherwise, it may cause in fighting and division even amongst us; it would deepen religious and ethnic war internally; breed mistrust generally, while Niger and all the Zagreb and allies of Niger pummel us from without. These will be too much for Nigeria to handle, amidst poverty and dwindling patriotism. This, certainly, is not what Nigerians want at this time. It will be very unpopular.

    Reality again is that, this impending war would no longer be ECOWAS’; it will be solely Nigerian war as all small members would rescind.

    Besides, Nigeriens seem obviously happy that the coup took place, probably because the democratic government was not performing to expectation and they needed such military intervention to take them back to the drawing board. I saw in clips huge mobilisation against Nigeria, not even ECOWAS.

    Nigeria should avoid this internecine war and change to mediatory or conciliatory tactics that could talk the junta to guide the country back to electoral and democratic processes.

    Let us remember that we have a number of countries pushed or lured to war, whose lives have never remained the same.

    A word is enough for the wise!

    • Professor Tunji Oyelade, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife.

  • Goodbye Mouktar, is it that easy to die?

    Goodbye Mouktar, is it that easy to die?

    By Garba Shehu

    So It so easy to die? I keep asking myself the question following the passing away of Mohammed Mouktar Adamu, former Deputy-in-Chief, News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, member Nigerian Guild of Editors and until his death, External Communications Manager, Nigeria Digital ID4D (a Population Sector project jointly funded by the World Bank, European Investment Bank and the French Development Agency) in Abuja.

    I was with Mouktar just about 12 hours before his shocking death. I declined the chair the son, Mubarak gave me in their “Amenity Ward 1” of the State House Medical Center to sit beside him on the hospital bed. We heartily chatted about just everything under the sun in high spirits with laughter, happiness amidst handshakes and backslapping. We started with his health, about which he said had significantly improved. “For five days I could not eat, walk or even answer the phone. Now all that is gone. I walk, I eat and feel very fine.”

    He said the attention he got at the State House Medical Center was incomparable to any that he got in the past. “They have a full grasp of what is wrong with me.”

    He said each and every medical staff was supportive and keen to help. “They are all saying ‘this is the PS’s (Permanent Secretary’s)patient ‘“ and I cut in to say that they will care for you because Tijjani Umar is an extraordinary gentleman. He treats everyone well and staff will be happy paying him back for always being nice.

    Mouktar said he felt good and ready to go home at any moment.

    In his words, “this is the first time that anyone got to understand what is wrong with me. They have done 12 test and more are still being done. They (doctors) come here with results, sit down with you and tell you in great detail what is wrong with you, and what is to be done. Can you believe, Malam, that they said my body is acidic?” I said I didn’t know what that meant, but suggested that maybe it came from the accumulation of wrong prescriptions from the past wrong diagnoses. He said the acid is being removed with repeated kidney flushing.

    Mouktar and I discussed our families and the children and twice said he liked to see my wife after a long time. I promised him that she will visit either at home or in hospital if he still remained there as soon as she returned from a trip.

    Not for a moment did it occur to both of us that I was there to say goodbye to him for the last time.

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    Now, in my six decades of existence, I have witnessed many deaths, including those from road accidents or air plane crashes. In most of those cases, you either have a build up of illness or for there to be one form of explanation or another, no matter how contorted.

    Never had I experienced one in which the one who claimed to have emerged from the proverbial valley of death, dies 12 hours later. His death reminds us of the power of Allah over all creatures.

    I recall my various interactions with him which actually began after we left the Bayero University Kano, and this was when we both began as reporters in Sokoto, he working for NAN and I, the Nigerian Television Authority, NTA.

    His selflessness showed when he roved around town looking for news, his eyes were not only focused on national news, which mattered most to his organization but also other things that he would gather and later share with those of us who could use as local news stories.

    At a point, he gave up his rented accommodation to share my apartment that the NTA gave me.

    The relationship became even closer when we both got admissions to the University of Nigeria, Nsukka to read higher degree in mass communication.

    Emmanuel Shehu, now Dr Shehu suggested to both us to seek the admission into the initial MA program of the university following the invitation he got from the then Dean of the School of graduate studies.

    Professor Obiechina was Shehu’s external examiner in the MA English class of the Bayero University, Kano and found him to be extraordinarily good.

    The examiner was so impressed at the end of the exercise that requested the student to help him identify some northern candidates who he knows to be good for admission into the new communications program of the university. Shehu invited the two of us and thankfully, we met all requirements.

    At the graduate Hall, Kwame Nkrumah, Shehu acting the older brother put us up in his room before we fully registered and got one that Mouktar and I shared.

    What was never in question was that the deceased was among the best in class. He was a true bookworm. He knew he had a gift and didn’t hoard it. When he looked in the library for stuff he could use, he never was there for himself alone. Anything he saw that could be useful to you, he used his money to photocopy and bring it with him.

    “Malam,” you would hear him say, “this journal can help you.”

    An important example was my search for a theory on which to peg my difficult research project. I searched everywhere and couldn’t find one until one day, Mouktar dropped on my laps, the Anthonio Gramschi theory on social hegemony.

    It ended this long and tortuous search that had delayed my project and had taken me to the Nigeria Institute of International Affairs library in Lagos, very far from Nsukka without success.

    On his posting to the United Kingdom as NAN Correspondent, Mouktar mounted an M.Sc program at Leicester University and grabbed the second degree in a record time. His professor at Nsukka, the formidably cerebral Charles Okigbo intervened in the matter of his dispute with the department to save his hard work of three years but the deceased never looked back. He declined to take the UNN degree.

    As the social level, Mouktar’s goodness was beyond comparison. Before you rose from your sleep, he would have bought the usual breakfast staple for students, bread and bean cake (Akara) from the hawkers and boiled the tea. If you are not watchful, he will pay for the meal again and again at the Refectory or simply “Ref” as the students called it. He failed to do this only when he was broke.

    Any day you traveled to Bauchi, his hometown, Mouktar ensured that you ate home food from his mother’s kitchen, usually MASA-for which Bauchi is well known- and he didn’t have to be in town for this to be arranged.

    At the office, his dazzling brilliance brought him closer to his successive bosses until it got to a time he said to me that he was leaving to go use his knowledge and skills in trying other things. I thought it was premature to do so but unbeknown to me, he had fully made up his mind on taking the early retirement option.

    Shortly after he left NAN, I convinced my partners on the Board at the commencement of the Peoples Daily newspaper to hire him as Editor-in-Chief. He accepted to serve but the journey was cut short by policy differences.

    His contributions to me and our many friends is immense, and cannot be described in a few words.

    In Mouktar’s death, the nation has just lost one of its most valuable assets. He was an extraordinary, warm, compassionate person.

    As his friends, we have lost a selfless and dedicated companion who devoted his life to serving others-not himself- and worked towards the progress of the country. He touched our lives with grace, decorum and dignity.

    My thoughts are with his wife, Halima, the aged mother, the rest of the family and his numerous friends in this sorrowful hour. May his soul rest in peace.