The Nation Newspaper

Category: Niger Delta

  • How Nigeria can reverse retardation, by Donald Duke

    Former Cross River State Governor Donald Duke has proffered solutions to how Nigeria can reverse retardation. He said something must be done about the country’s gas and credit policies.

    Duke, who spoke  during the 31st University of Calabar Convocation Lecture, said for the country’s retardation to be checked, it must significantly achieve a growth of 15 per cent consecutively for at least 10 years.

    His words: “That would create an economy of approximately 2.5 trillion dollars to cater for a population estimated to be 230 million in 12 years. By the way, our population according to the United Nations would be 206 million people in two years. Our land mass has not increased. If anything it is decreased. By the year 2050, which is barely 30 years from today, Nigeria would have population of 400 million people and would be third most populous nation on earth after India and China.

    “With a very limited land border of 25 square kilometres land area. It would be one of the densest nations on the planet. What are our plans towards managing this? Already, we are fast becoming a nuisance in the neighborhood, from Boko Haram in the north afflicting our neighbours in Chad and Niger, to piracy in the Gulf of Guinea affecting Cameroon, Gabon, Sao Tome and Equatorial Guinea. Currently, the United States, Britain, France and Germany had combined station about 10, 000 troops to help contain the exigencies of our shortcomings. And with 400 million people, what would the situation be?

    “It is never enough to criticize, but also to proffer solutions. For me there are two very quick means that could help ameliorate our circumstance; our gas and credit policy. These are two low hanging fruits that could change the dynamics of our nation. I believe that interest rates should be regulated. In a nation like this affordable credit is important. There is absolutely no way you can grow industry and commerce and interest rates are in excess of 30 per cent. In other words if you borrow N100 million and you know doing business in Nigeria is a very tedious exercise, it would cost you half of the investment to keep the business going and another 30 per cent to service your loan. So if you borrow N100 million, if you cannot generate N80 million annually, you are out of business.

    “The amount of gas we flare and at a time we were flaring 2.5 billion cubic feet of gas daily, which is the equivalent of 25 million litres of diesel. If we put turbines to generate power for all of Africa, it would not consume 25 million litres of diesel daily. Nigeria for almost 30 years has been flaring 2.5 billion cubic feet of gas daily. I am convinced that rather than flare this gas, if you piped it and distributed it and made it readily available throughout the length and breadth of this country as a subsidy to the industry, because doing business in Nigeria regardless of what the government might tell you is a very hard and tedious endeavor.

    “So provide some form of subsidy. The western world does it. They provide subsidy for their people because job creation is the most important enterprise of government. This is the beauty of tourism. Where jobs are available to people your security is enhanced. Whether you call it Boko Haram, militancy, whatever you call it, the underlying cause is economy, unemployment. Because he who has a job and is faring well, will not take his hands and spoil what he has. So if we were able to distribute this gas to the nooks and cranny of this country, for me I would distribute it free of charge because we were flaring it. But we would get the money back through enhanced productivity.

    “If we are able to provide affordable credits through single digits to industry and commerce, then young folks would start their own businesses, but there is hardly anyone of us today that start a business. I am convinced that these two measures, and there are many more among other policy incentives, would act as a catalyst to grow and develop Nigeria.”

  • Cross River … Digital’s industrial park

    As he walked in with his guests last Wednesday, shouts of ‘digital, digital’ rented the air. The huge hall brimming with ladies and men was ‘violently’ alive all through the minutes Ben Ayade, a professor and governor of Cross River State, spent inside the Garment Factory located inside the Ayade Industrial Park, Calabar. The ‘digital’ the tailors were shouting is Ayade’s nickname – their own way of acknowledging his scientific approach to governance.

    The Garment Factory, which makes uniforms for military and para-military agencies, is one of the industries the Ayade administration has sprung up from what used to be a virgin expanse of land. One of these industries is the Calabar Rice Seedlings and Seed Manufacturing Center, which has the tendency to produce Nigeria’s best rice. And this project clearly marks him out as one interested in automation and deserving of the appellation ‘digital’.

    The multi-billion Naira seedling reproduction facility is complete with storage, research and development compartments. The facility is around the Margaret Ekpo International Airport.

    Ayade last week said vitaminised, high-yield and disease resistant rice seeds and seedlings from the facility were available for sale in the country and for export. This phenomenal project also referred to as rice city specialises on developing local varieties for improved yield.

    The governor said: “Our specialty is to take seeds from the home base and improve its yield, improve its disease resistance and then develop new specie that can do much better than the native one. So, twenty four hours you are in the cycle of seed production and seedling production.”

    At the factory, seeds are through an automated transported through a conveyor belt to a section where lumps are separated from the fine sand and other particles that can impede growth. The seeds are thereafter transferred to a chamber for selection into freshly washed trays. These trays are moved on the belt through several sections of large machinery before ending up in a motorised fork lift which take them to the open field. In the field, a machine with a long horizontal belt – the longest in the world – conveys the seeds for workers to pick and arrange in the open field to grow into a paddy field. And in 14 days, the seeds are ready to grow into mature nursery seedlings and ready for planting. At this stage, a falcon drone flies over the paddy to spray fertiliser or watch over the nursery field.

    The factory is also fitted with a massive cold room where seeds and seedlings are preserved for sale and export. It also has a laboratory where the fertility of seeds and other forms of tests are done.

    ”The seeds that come from the farm when you harvest, let me say I want to produce seeds from Kebbi State. So I go to Kebbi, take their seeds, take all the seeds from their farm which means those seeds I have gotten under loamy soils and conditions, I put them here because this is a seed factory.”

    “It is from here (pointing at a compartment aimed at getting the seeds prepared) we take to the lab over there. At the top level (of the lab) is the tissue culture where you will do gene amplification and proper tissue culture,” the governor explained.

    The specie being developed in Calabar is known as ‘Cala 77’. With this special breed, Ayade hopes to tap into the N400 billion Nigeria spends on the importation of rice.

    Ayade said:  ”The states that are close to us, we will prefer to sell them seedlings, not seeds, because the seedlings that have already grown will stay for 15 to 18 days just ready for transplant.

    “But, if from outside the country for example we will rather sell you seeds. So when we are giving you, we will take it on a chiller because you are travelling a long distance, before the seeds undergo germination. By the time they get to your place, you put it in the soil before they start germinating.”

    Conscious of the country’s power challenge, the factory is to be powered by a solar power plant being constructed by Germans. The state expects to reap between N70 to N100 billion annually from the factory.

    A rice mill in Ogoja, an ultra-modern 30000 per year cocoa processing plant in Ikom, Odukpani Banana Plantation in collaboration with San Carlos Company of Mexico are other agric-based projects of the governor.

    The Professor of Environmental Microbiology also situates the Calabar Pharmaceutical Company (CAlAPHARM) in the Ayade Industrial Park opposite the garment factory. The automated drug firm is the first of its kind in the Southsouth.

    The firm’s Managing Director, Mr. Farhan Ahmad Khan, said: “To complement the company’s vision and mission, artemisin plant is being cultivated here and from there, Arthemeter will be developed.”

    He explained that the plant was being cultivated in a large expanse of land in the state and to aid in the production of ORS to check diarrhoea and malaria.

    Among the equipment already at the company are tablet compression, coating machines, granulator machines, fluid bed dryers, ocylators and milling machines.

    Commissioner for Health Dr Inyang Asibong said: “With about 80 percent completion of Calapharm, we will kick-start with Ayadecare programme any moment from now. Equipment is ready as we have other equipment in the warehouse and these ones just came in and will be moved to the warehouse. The Quality Control equipment are awaited, so definitely when fully installed, we will start the production of drugs that are in line with ailments that are endemic with us in our populace.”

    She said the drugs would be cheap, accessible and free for most vulnerable groups like women, children and the handicapped.

    Asibong said: “We are partnering the University of Calabar for research as well as planting artemisin plant which is an active ingredient for anti-malaria and this will enable us have a healthier Cross River State.”

    The Managing Director, Nigeria Export Processing Zone Authority (NEPZA), Mr. Emmanuel Jime, recently described the Ayade Industrial Park as the best to be conceived by any state government.

    Jime, who spoke after an on-the-spot inspection of the industrial park, said: “If you ask me, and without being immodest, I will say that this is the best industrial site that has been conceived by a state government during my time as the MD of NEPZA. If I have my way,  I would have granted this license that is demanded, unfortunately, it is not entirely in my capacity to do this.

    “As far as I can see, all the requirements that need to be in place are already in place and we can tick all the boxes  believing that this industrial park has satisfied all of those boxes, therefore there is no reason on earth why the licence (for free trade zone) will not be granted.”

    The MD added that the importance attached to the park made him to personally do the inspection, adding:  ”I have come, I have seen and I have to say that I am totally blown away and really impressed by what I have seen here.”

    Jime, who commended Ayade’s leadership style,  said: “The desire and passion that the governor has shown with regards to the industrialisation of this place will fluorish and have the kind of expression that we think it can have.

    “I have come here like I say and I have seen tremendous deployment of equipment in terms of science and technology that is available to us. The solar power that is being instituted here is new and clean and I believe that it is innovative as far as Africa is concerned.”

    Jime said the report of the team would be presented to the President to enable the park be granted the EPZ status.

    ”Cross River is the best state as far as the requirements for the establishment of an industrial park is concerned, I don’t see any reason whatsoever why this particular industrial park will not be successful because it meets all the requirements of all other successful industrial parks I have been to,” he said.

    The park sure holds a lot of promise and potential to bring the much-needed cash and job opportunities to Cross River.

     

  • Boreholes everywhere but no water

    When the construction of a borehole began at the Edaiken Market on the Bénin-Ugbowo Road, the traders were happy that their long years of prayers have been answered. The borehole was initiated by Hon Jim Adun when he was elected to the House of Representatives between 2011 and 2015.
    Today the borehole is a carcass. Abandoned boreholes constructed either as constituency project by lawmakers both at the state and National Assembly from 1999 till date littered the state. Many of the boreholes provided by the lawmakers did not last up to eight months before they packed up. Also, the boreholes provided by local government or state government are now dry and overtaken by weeds.
    Besides the abandoned boreholes, the Edo State Urban Water Board, tasked with the responsibility for providing water, is moribund. Residents cannot remember the last time the agency provides potable water. All the water reservoir through which the board distributed water to households are in a state of disrepair.
    Officials of the board are hardly seen at their duty posts. Many of the offices are under lock and key.
    During the administration of Governor Adams Oshiomhole, the state government bought three dando rigs to help provide water in parts of the state where it is difficult to sink borehole. With the dando rigs, Borehole’s were sunk in difficult terrains in Edo Central and Edo North.
    Checks ,however, showed that many of boreholes are not working due to minor faults. In some rural communities, the community could not provide diesel to run the Generators provided alongside the boreholes.
    Apparently to solve water problem in the state, Governor Godwin Obaseki  scrapped the Urban Water Board and made it the Small Town Rural Water and Sanitation Agency and the Urban Water Corporation. Obaseki has also paid N1.289 billion as counterpart fund to attract N2.8 billion from the European Union for water projects across the state.
    The Small Town Rural Water and Sanitation Agency, it was gathered, would be in charge of providing water to all the small towns and rural areas while the  Urban Water Corporation will be in charge of the cities and big towns.
    Commissioner for Water Resources and Energy Yekini Idaiye told our reporter that his findings showed that many of the boreholes failed because of maintenance. Yekini said the state government planned to encourage the setting up of Water Consumers Association in communities to ensure sustainability of the boreholes.
    In any place we are working, we will have what is called water consumers association for sustainability. The community must also indicate interest on how to maintain and sustain it. We also ensure that the community must open a bank account with at least N1 million in it for maintenance.
    “We are going to rehabilitate most of the bore holes. We have about 47 bore holes constructed by the state government that have failed and they failed because of little maintenance. We discovered that some of these boreholes constructed by our representatives as constituency projects are bad. The solar panel parts are stolen. What we are doing now is to bury the panel so that nobody can go there to steal. We are about reactivating those 47 broken boreholes across the state.
    “Presently, we are taking assessment of all the public stations within the state capital to ascertain their state because we know they are not functioning so that we start to rehabilitate them.
    Yekini said 46 rural communities in six local government areas would benefit from the state partnership with the European Union (EU) in the provision of portable water.
    The Special Adviser to Governor Godwin Obaseki on Media and Communication Strategy, Mr Crusoe Osagie, explained: “To set the record straight, the Edo State government paid N389 million to attract N700 million from the European Union for water drilling and reticulation in Ovia South West and Etsako West local government areas.
    “In Edo Central Senatorial District, the state government attracted N700 million from the European Union with N300million counterpart fund to reticulate water from the dam that was constructed by the Federal Government, to Uromi and its environs.
    “Two months ago, the state governor released N600 million to attract N1.4 billion for the water, sanitation and artisanal training projects in Orhionmwon, Uhunmwode and Owan West local government areas under the same Niger Delta Support Programme of the European Union.
    “The N2 billion project covers water drilling, reticulation, sanitation facilities in markets, public schools as well as training for 250 artisans that will maintain the water projects, some of whom will be absorbed by the local councils.”

  • One stool, two claimants

    There is unease in Abala-Unor Clan, Ndokwa East Local Government Area. No thanks to  a violent tussle for the traditional stool of the ancient kingdom. Although no life has been lost yet, the tussle for power has led to destruction of properties, violence, terror and unending litigations.

    At the heart of the crisis,is the question whether the kingship is by rotation between the three Ruling Houses as claimed by  James Olise or not.

    Olise said following the death of the last king,  Obi Enubokili F. Ogbukaa from Umu-Nkini Royal House, the Igweship should pass to Umu-Odume Ruling House.

    His words: “The last king that died barely three years ago, late Igwe F.E Ogbukaa, was from Umu-Nkini. This simply means that another family should take up the kingship hence I emerged as the king.”

    But his rival to the throne,  Frederick Egbunkonye, a retired Central Bank of Nigeria employee, said succession to the throne was by selection of a suitable candidate from the first ruling house, Umu-Nkini.

    Egbonkonye added that in the event that Umu-Nkini Royal House cannot provide a suitable candidate, a suitable candidate may be selected from either of the other two ruling houses.

    He said: “ As the Nkini Ruling family has a suitable candidate,   which is me, and I was rightfully chosen by the Okpala-Uku during the chalking ceremony or Idanzi rites, I performed  on March 15, 2018. I went through all the processes; we were six that applied, all six members from Nkini Royal family.

    “Of the 32 Igwes before me, I am the 33rd Igwe. Nkini has produced 22 Igwes while Ojei has 7 and Odume has two. This will tell you it is not by rotation. They were allowed to rule when Nkini could not find a suitable candidate. They will look around in the other royal families.”

    According to tradition, Abala Unor clan is made up of four quarters. Dunkwenze quarters exclusively produces Abala-Unor kings. But within Dunkwenze quarters are three royal houses, including Umu- Nikini ,Umu-Iyaseogie and Umu-Odume.

    The tussle for kingship, The Nation gathered, has its roots in the politics of the defunct Bendel State after a local politician, Amangbo, paraded himself as the Igwe of Abala-Unor in 1970.Several petitions by the Abala-Unor people forced the defunct Bendel State Military Government to institute a panel of Inquiry to resolve the dispute.

    Obi Egbunkonye’s claim is supported by the defunct Bendel State Gazette titled the “Declaration Made under Section 8 of the Traditional Rulers and Chiefs Edict, 1979 stating the Customary Law Regulating Succession to the Title of Igwe of Abala-Unor”.

    Part of the gazette enacted and signed on 28the September 1979 by then Secretary to the Bendel State Military Government, D.P Lawani reads: “Succession is by selection of a suitable candidate from the first mentioned Ruling House. Provided that where there is no suitable candidate in the said Ruling House, a suitable candidate may be selected from either of the other two Ruling Houses.”

    But that gazette is the subject of litigation. It was set aside by an Issele-Uku High Court headed by Justice I.S Okogwu in December 5th 2006 on grounds that it breached the fundamental Human Rights to fair hearing of the applicants and against the rule of natural justice.

    This judgment by the lower court, according to Egbunkonye, has been appealed by the Umu-Nkini Royal House at the Appellate Court, Benin-City, Edo State.

    Accusations and counter accusation of harassment and intimidation by security agencies by both claimants continue.

    Olise accused Egbunkonye of resorting to inducing security agents to harass and arrest law abiding citizens, but Egbunkonye countered by saying it was Olise who hired soldiers from Warri to organise a kingship ceremony.

    Olise said: “On the 31st March, we tried to perform the coronation ceremony but he hired 8 Hilux vans filled with policemen and they prevented us from performing the kingship rites so we came back to Asaba. On the April 8th, we were also prevented by police, but on the 14th April, we succeeded in holding our own kingship ceremony before the police arrested us

    Egbunkonye, defending his actions, said: “He has tried several times to crown himself and because I did not want violence in the community. I applied to the Delta State Commissioner of Police who provided security to forestall a break-down of law and order. The next time was when he attempted to use the celebration of Nmawu masquerade, an alien festival unknown to Abala community as a pretext to install himself Igwe, so when I got the hint , I called the CP. I complained that it was a pretext to crown himself king. And following reinforcement by the police, he ran away.  On the third attempt, on Afor Day, he said he wanted to do his coronation. He went to Warri to bring illegal soldiers, but the CP suggested tact in handling the matter. He facilitated the meeting with the Commander, 222Army Battalion Agbarho-Otor,Ughelli North. I was given the number of a Major Robert in charge of Ndokwa area, which I begged to come to Abala-Unor on account of the activities of soldiers; he came and   disarmed the soldiers. But the ceremony had ended; the police came and arrested Olise who has been arraigned in court.”

    Egbunkonye debunked the allegation that he pulled out of the Abala Peace Committee chaired by Mr. Monday Nwadialor.

    He identified Abala Development Union as the apex body of the Abala Clan. He said the ADU constituted standing Peace and Reconciliation Committee to resolve the crisis.

    He described the Abala Peace Committee headed by Nwadialor as “unnecessary duplication since there is already a properly constituted standing committee with members cutting across board”.

    He said the committee was “conceived on false and biased premises while its real agenda is embedded in secrecy”.

    At a recent youth and stakeholders meeting which held in Kwale,Ndokwa West , the stakeholders, in a statement   jointly signed by its General Secretary,  Chidi Opene, President General Abala Clan Youth, Ifeanyi Okonji,  refused to recognise anyone parading himself as King of Abala.

    It urged the Delta State government to set up a panel of inquiry to wade into the crisis to avoid further disorderliness in the kingdom.

     

  • Niger Delta and peace

    Inclusive governance, democracy and development are intrinsically linked.

    Inclusive governance can be referred to as the process of leadership or control that involves everyone and not limited to certain people. Developmental projects and appointments those are all-encompassing and not skewed to Favour any particular region in Nigeria.

    The people of the Niger Delta region feel we must be involved in the leadership structure of Nigeria at all times. We have been marginalised for several years and yearn for rapid development of our region to serve as a succor for the amount of devastation we have experienced as a result of oil exploration and exploitation in the region for over 50 years.

    Inclusive governance is crucial for a stronger economy and not just for a fairer society. The devastation and sufferings in the Niger Delta region have escalated and this quagmire strains the relationship between government and the people of the Niger Delta.

    When the youths loose hope in the government, it has a negative effect on the country and economy such as nepotism, corruption, brain drain, mass illiteracy, tribal and religious crisis youth restiveness and militancy as we have experienced in recent times in our country and Niger Delta region which affects oil production and we all know that the Nigerian economy is a mono product economy dependent on oil for survival.

    Empowering the youths of the Niger Delta and ensuring Inclusive governance by putting an end to the marginalisation of the Niger Delta is one of the solutions to developing the region and key to sustaining Peace in the area.

    According to the World Bank, empowering the poor and marginalised and making institutions accountable are pillars of poverty reduction and development (World Bank 2000/2001).

    In responding to the challenge of inclusive governance, the public sector has an important role to play, with respect to the inclusiveness of the public sector itself, the inclusiveness of policy-making processes, and the inclusiveness of the outcomes that governments seek to promote.

    Governance is a decision-making process that should involve all stakeholders. The aim is to come up with decisions that are in the interest of all.

    Inclusive governance, through citizens’ involvement, favours the overall acceptance and makes implementation easier.

    According to the Merriam Webster Dictionary, Localism is the tendency to be more concerned with the interests of your particular group or region than with the problems and interests of the larger group, country, etc.

    The people of the Niger Delta as a matter of urgency must show more concern for issues relating to the Niger Delta. We must collectively demand transparency and hold government accountable for issues relating to our region.

    Our representatives at the parliaments must ask the Federal Government questions. For example, you cannot launch the Ogoni clean-up in a fanfare and fail to commence the actual process several months after without being asked questions.

    We must pay more attention to the things that concern the Niger Delta because we alone will solve our problems, for example the law makers and leaders in Lagos are doing everything, including challenging existing Nigerian laws in court, just for the good of Lagosians so our law makers must start looking at laws that will protect our people in the oil and gas sector which is at the root of our problems. How do we localise governance for the sole aim of protecting Niger Delta people and environment?

    This brings me to question the competence of the people we elect as our representatives. I have nothing against those clamouring for the “Not too young to run” but I am of the opinion that we should focus on the competence of the people we tell to run for offices.

    Our appointees and elected officers from councilors, local government chairmen, houses of assembly to the National Assembly must be experienced, competent, knowledgeable and audacious people and not neophytes. We must look at quality of leadership and local capacity to solve our problems. The Niger Delta problems are peculiar to us and we have to look inwards for solutions

    For example, we can tinker with our laws at the state level With a view to setting acceptable standards for operators of the supposedly illegal refineries. Thereafter the states in the region should jointly sponsor a bill for the recognition and legalisation of these operations.  This singular act would drastically reduce the environmental pollution crises in the region, create jobs, reduce the quantum of imported refined products, increase the Internally Generated Revenues of States concerned and that of the federal government as well as boost our foreign reserves.

    In our bid to attain sustainable peace in the Niger Delta we must invest in education and give the youth an opportunity to serve in leadership positions.

    We are celebrating the 50th memorial of Isaac Adaka Boro, as it relates to the sufferings of the Niger Delta people.

    It is regrettable that 50 years after he paid the supreme sacrifice for the emancipation of his people, we are nowhere near the Promised Land. We cannot continue doing the same thing and expect a different result.

    We must therefore review and modify our approach to ensure that experienced, competent, knowledgeable and audacious young men and women are encouraged and supported to seek elective offices. This is the only way we can effect positive change to bring about development and a peaceful and prosperous Niger Delta.

    Our youth must go beyond mere agitation to effective participation in partisan politics to solve our problems in the Niger Delta.

    The operations of Developmental agencies such as the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and Presidential Amnesty Programme must be scrutinised to ensure judicious utilisation of appropriated funds. These agencies must be transparent and accountable in their operations.

    The youth of the Niger Delta are our leaders of tomorrow and thus we have a responsibility to build a future for them.

    I stand here today to address you because I had the opportunity to be educated. Without education I would have been a liability to the society.

    I wish to appreciate the efforts of the governor in the Niger Delta region. Of particular mention in the education sector is His Excellency Seriake Dickson, governor of Bayelsa State who is transforming the educational sector in the state.  I implore the governors in the Niger Delta to do more and focus on attaining the UNESCO standard of having 26% of our budgets for education.

    In conclusion,  all hands must be on deck  for us to attain sustainable Peace in the Niger Delta, we must develop more concern for issues relating to the Niger Delta, participate actively in  politics, register to vote and get our permanent voters card (PVCs), support education of our people, Encourage our youths that are knowledgeable to go into partisan politics.

    We must push for a True Federal system of governance in our country in order to entrench and strengthen democratic institutions which which ultimately guarantees citizens participation, localism and inclusive governance.

     

    • Excerpts of a paper Eradiri, a past Ijaw Youth Congress (IYC) President, delivered to mark 50th remembrance of Isaac Adaka Boro in London.
    • OLUKOREDE YISHAU returns next week

     

  • Anxiety in Rivers community as rains set in

    There is apprehension among indigenes and residents of Rumuekini community of Obio/Apkor Local Government Area of Rivers State as the rains are beginning to come.

    The community is situated next to the University of Port Harcourt. It plays host to staff and students of the federal institution.

    The community suffered terrible fate during last year’s torrential downpour sacking most of the residents from their homes.

    Like Rumuekini, other communities around the area, like Eneka, including the Army range axis, Rumuaholu communities amongst several others suffered the same fate.

    The traditional ruler, Chief Obed Nwosu,  told reporters that ”for the past four years, Rumuekini has been experiencing flood”.

    He added: “It was not so in the past 15 years and above. The people living in the new developed area are mostly affected. The flood affected crops, economy growth in the area and the situation in beyond our control.

    “The state government has tried by providing drainage in some areas but what we need now is good waterways that will channel the flood from affecting properties. Government should come to our aid to stop the flood which drove away residents in the past.”

    Corroborating their traditional head, the Community Development Committee chairman, Felix Amadi, blamed the unfortunate development on wrongful diversion of water by the construction company that worked on Obiri Ikwerre flyover.

    Amadi said: ”The construction of Obiri Ikwerre flyover by SETRACO under the administration of former Governor Rotimi Amaechi was faulty. The contractors did not channel the drainage down to Choba river but into Rumuosi and Rumuekini.

    ”The state government is aware of the flood situation here in Rumuekini. A lot of people are homeless. After the last visit of the state government, Ministry of Environment who were here to see things themselves, they saw the extent degree of the flood, and at the end recommendations were made.

    “When the Ministry of Environment came, we took them round the community and they made recommendation for a big canal that will save people within this environment. We are eight communities that made up Rumuekini, Rumuchi in Rumuari village, Rumuawechor, school road, Rumuogom are worst affected by the flood.

    “The community as a body has done her best. At least we maintain the drainage around, we don’t block the waterways. As leaders in the community, we have done our best to ensure enabling environment that will be devoid of circumstances of the flood. But we are requesting for government attention so that they can come and make a lasting solution, like creating a big canal and directing the flood to a nearby river. If that is done it will save a lot of situation.

    “As I speak with you, some of the dwellers here are already displaced and those who have courage to remain are afraid bearing in mind that we are in rainy season of which the moment it rains heavily, some of them will also be displaced. We are requesting for the government to come and implement the recommendation they made.”

    Some of the residents of the flood affected area in Rumuekini lamented that their children could not go to school on daily basis as a result of the heavy flood on the only road that lead to the community schools.

    A woman, who gave her name as Annabel Chiemerie, lamented that the road leading to the only secondary school in the area was heavily flood last year,  which denied their children assess to school.

    She said: “Over 1000 children in Rumodu in Rumuekini community in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State could not go to school last year due to floods that ravaged the area.

    “The children who are desirous to sit in class everyday learning are not sick nor their teachers on strike but they were denied education as a result of increase flooding in Rumuekini where over 200 houses were submerged. Some children who attempted going to school fell inside the flood while using the woody foot bridge constructed by their parents to cross the flood.

    ”The flood last year was so severe; a lot of children, pregnant women, nursing mothers were displaced. The blockage of the canal along the Obiri Ikwerre road was the major cause of the problem and recommendations were made and we requested that the Rivers State government, the Governor, Mr Project, as he is doing for other towns, he should come to Rumuekini and help us out”.

    She added: “The issue of flood ravaging houses has resulted to so many people dying because of the traumatic experience. So we are using this medium to call on Governor Nyesom Wike to please come to the aid of Rumuekini people. Also the school road is not assessable, when it rains, students and residents cannot assess the only community secondary school in Rumuekini”.

    Other residents, who expressed their experience during the flood, prayed that incident should not reoccur, pleading that the state government should take a proactive action to stop reoccurrence of the flood menace.

    Abiye Agebo said: “I have a building here in Rumuekini. When the flood happened I was in Bayelsa and when I came all my properties have already been destroyed by the flood.

    “From my knowledge, I learnt that government usually help victims of flood by providing with insecticide, relief materials but I was surprised that in Rumuekini, nobody came to sympathise with us.”

  • Cross River has fared well under Ayade, says Agara

    With three years gone in the life of the present Governor Ben Ayade led administration in the state, how would rate it so far?

    Governor Ben Ayade has fared very well. I want people to look at the indices of what is obtainable in the state. We need to look at the parameters and data. Every development is influenced by the resources available within anybody’s disposal. You grow on the basis of what you have. If you check, Nigeria has been so reliant on Federation Account. That is what most of the states depend on. And if you check the case of Cross River, we are almost the last in Federation Allocation. And if you check our internally generated revenue, you will see that it is low, even considering the fact that the governor of the day abolished some taxes for a category of persons, because he feels those persons should not be burdened to pay taxes because of their low income. That has caused the state to have very lean resources. And in spite of that if you talk about the state’s social responsibility to its people, the governor has engaged so many. So, in country today, Cross River is the state with the highest number of appointees across board. And they are being paid regularly. In terms of the economic responsibility to the people, he is industrialising the state. I give you an instance of agriculture. Take the rice value chain. We all know that he has the rice city, to develop the seedlings of a specie of rice that will be akin to the state. This specie will be given to the farmers to plant and whatever would be harvested from there would be taken to the rice mill, that is being constructed by the governor. The rice mill is a world-class facility. By the time it finished whatever is gotten from there would be comparable, if not better than any rice you see anywhere in the world. Why I say it is better is because the rice is going to be vitaminized rice that would add better nutrients to the body than just the carbohydrate that we eat. So he has been able to develop that full value chain of rice. Prior to this time, 80 per cent of rice milled in Abakiliki in Ebonyi State comes from Cross River, but when it is milled it is tagged Abakiliki Rice. It is not tagged Cross River. But today, happily, rice that would be farmed and harvested would not be milled and tagged Cross River Rice. There are lots of advantages associated with this value chain of this rice.

    Look at other agricultural value chains like cocoa. Before now, our raw cocoa beans were usually sent to the west, particularly Ondo State and mixed with their cocoa and exported as Ondo Cocoa; meanwhile, the cocoa from Cross River is one of the finest. But when it is exported, Cross River is never mentioned. You know when you export, the Federal Government gives you export incentives, but all those incentives are never returned to the farmers here. So, the governor now decided to take the step further by processing this cocoa and adding value to it before exporting. So, we are right now building a cocoa processing factory in Ikom that has this full cocoa value chain for export. Apart from getting foreign exchange and Federal Government export incentive, is the fact that our products would not be found in the world market and our identity anywhere would not be known. There are lots of advantages that come with a place being identified for the quality of its product. So if there is any other product coming from here, people will acknowledge that we are known for producing quality things.

    Why do you want to run for the senate?

    I am a private sector person and it gets to a time in your life when you want to see what you have been doing in the private sector and see if that can be transformed to the public sector. As a private man I am an employer of labour. I do take on a lot of social responsibility and as a principle I don’t like disclosing them because I see them as a spiritual gift back to mankind. I have been in the oil and gas business for over 30 years. I noticed that we have too many professional politicians and I believe politics should be spiced by people who have pedigree and have demonstrated capacity and abilities in some way of life and we should not keep leaving it to these people who believe power must reside with them and so they don’t owe the people anything. The world is evolving. Private businessmen are coming into politics to see how they can turn the face of the way things are done to more productive ways of how things are supposed to be done. I can use the instrumentality of government to help my people more. My thrust will be on agriculture.

    As you are coming into the arena, what is your take on violence in politics?

    Politicians are responsible for this. They don’t believe there should go into contest fairly so the people would make their choice of who they want and so as a result of this, they start cutting corners or try to impose themselves or impose people. It is this imposition to allow the normal process to take place that is responsible for the violence you see. If you say let us go to the field and elect people we want and you do it transparently, and people go to make their choices the way they should, they would not be any need for any violence. But that is not the case with us, we want to either perpetuate ourselves in power or we want to impose people that are not popular. So these are all reasons we are seeing the electoral violence.

    In this light, what is your thinking about 2019?

    The spirit of 2015 will prevail. A situation where those who lose should lose gallantly and those who win should do so with a lot of magnanimity and all-inclusive winning. I pray that should be the case in 2019. It is only when people lose and refuse to accept the fact that they have lost that 2019 will be shaky. But if they lose and accept the fact they lost, then our democracy would have taken a further step, which is good for us.

     

  • Time to throw the hat into the ring, says Elishama Ideh

    An accomplished businesswoman, she started by picking up the rejected, abandoned and other dregs of the society to give them a new life. This two decades of social engineering and entrepreneurship by Dr. Elishama Ideh is metamorphosing into a bigger national service, writes OGOCHUKWU IKEJE

    Elishama Ideh is an experienced social entrepreneur, a path she has traversed for two decades. She believes that the commonality of our humanity should invest our thinking and action with the best of intentions towards one another.

    She further believes that looking out for one another as Nigerians is the right attitude to imbibe in order to make impact and promote selfless service amongst her leaders. This has reflected in her social entrepreneurship of two decades and her willingness to touch others with the love of God, which has now defined her politics.

    Elishama Ideh is a strong and purposeful voice across the several meaningful endeavours her life and time are distributed over. She has gained the attention of both the local and international media and has been called upon to speak on a plethora of issues ranging from work and career, to business and human development, as well as the socio-spiritual.

    History speaks, but we often do not take notes. The place of women in the history of the governance of nations is quite strategic. Nations and societies in the throes of misgovernance and decrepit leadership have, in many instances, landed the fortune of strong women who bring sanity and order to the national quagmire.

    Our national lore is replete with the exploits of these iconic women- which includes; Queen Idia of the Benin Kingdom; Queen Amina of Zaria; Princess Inikpi of Igala land; Queen Omu Okwei of Onitsha; Moremi of Ile-Ife; Margaret Ekpo; Funmilayo Ransome Kuti etc.

    “And in contemporary history, women like Madam Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, the former President of Liberia, Margaret Thatcher and Theresa May of the United kingdom; and Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany, just to mention a few. It is becoming increasingly known, backed by the authority of empiricism, that women are best suited to serve a nation in need of a rebirth.

    Dr. Elishama Ideh is acutely aware of this burden for national rebirth. She has carried it for many years.  At this point in Nigeria’s history, she has decided to take responsibility for the birth of a new Nigeria under a unified vision, mission and mandate to make this nation an enviable patch of paradise in the global space. This is the summary of her leadership leanings – orchestrating unmissable change.

    Her core advocacy is a new Nigeria unequivocally founded on patriotism and justice; prerequisites for building a sustainable and united Nigeria. In recent years, she has repeatedly championed the dignity of our National flag and the need for it to be the rallying point for Nigerians as well as the symbol of our unity.

    She has spent millions of naira on partnering with individuals and organisations across the different religious groups and tribes in a bid to find a common ground for a prosperous Nigeria – a Nigeria where peace and justice reign, as expressed in the national anthem.

    The enormity of national rebirth is never lost on a woman of Elishama Ideh’s make. The sophistication of her mind infrastructure and the sheer audacity of a fiery and humane reformer unite behind her noble ambition to usher Nigeria into a new day.

    In her words, “Nigeria will cease to be a potential. It will become one of the most pleasurable experiences on earth”. These words propel her towards 2019 where, with every Nigerian citizen, the work for a truly great Nigeria begins.

    Dr. Elishama Ideh’s life for the past two decades has been that of service to society. Her patriotism and love to serve her country, Nigerian and humanity has never been in question. A successful businesswoman with the fear of God, Mrs. Ideh didn’t take long to discover her passion for social entrepreneurship starting with the assisting and helping of the downtrodden and other socially vulnerable persons in Lagos and other parts of the country.

    Her vision and passion has been to give new life and confidence to the rejected, oppressed and destitute; those generally regarded as dregs of society, restore hope to them by sharing God’s love, not just by word of mouth, but also by practical demonstration.

    As the only girl in the family, Elishama was the centre of attraction and affection of not only her parents, but by the siblings as well. Her primary education at Mayflower Primary School, Ikenne-Ogun State, and secondary school education at the Federal Government Girls College (FGGC), Onitsha, before proceeding to study Mass Communication at Bowie State College, Maryland, USA equipped her to face the challenges she carved out for herself. On her return from the USA, she went into business and was doing wonderfully well. Consequently when the nudging began to go into social work, she hesitated.

    Interestingly, when the passion and vision for helping the poor on the streets came, Dr. Ideh did not envisage she would also be rescuing and giving new lease of life to the area boys as an addition to her social responsibility. She was initially just focusing on the abandoned, the destitute, the orphans, prostitutes and the widows. “But it got to a season in my work on the street, that we now desired an office where people could meet with me for counseling because prior to that time, we would just carry our chairs and tables to the streets and under the bridges and that was where my office was as we moved along in the work,” she said.

    Even when an office space was procured in Ikeja, Lagos, it did inhabit no fewer than 150 area boys, drug addicts and drug sellers.

    That scared me to death because I was wondering why it should be an area occupied by armed robbers, drug dealers, miscreants that have to be our office location in Ogba area. Anyway, by faith, I stepped out to do the assignment. But on my first attempt to enter the land, my workers were beaten black and blue for trying to come in to possess the land.

    This particular land happened to be a property I was working on before the Lord handed me the responsibility of taking care of this section of the society. She would feed and organise counselling all the area boys, repentant armed robbers, drug dealers that were reformed and changed their ways.

    “My team and I made sure we come down to their level; we organised a setting in order to catch their attention. The sort of music we play is the sound they are used to. We bring gospel music to them in the form of Apala, juju, reggae, alanta, generally street sound but imbibed with anointing of the Holy Ghost, then we feed them and clothe them, we identify what brought them out to the street.

    “The ones we can reconcile with their families back we reconcile, and the ones we can we give a new lease of life. A lot of people think that this group of boys called the area boys is a set of completely wasted people. This happens to be the people God called me to minister to and we have recorded tremendous testimonies. We have watched the lives of these young men transform dramatically in a very short space of time. Most of them have been empowered economically and are doing well.”

    He social entrepreneurial work no doubt has brought her face to face with the stark realities of poverty. “In Nigeria right now, poverty is on the increase, and this is because we’ve failed to understand that poverty arises as a result of the mismanagement and failure to properly harness our God-given natural resources and the insensitivity of past and present government to the welfare of its people.

    ”Thus, I have been making conscientious efforts to educate leaders of churches on the importance of getting involved in the polity of the nation and why the walls of the church needed to be broken so that the light and the salt of the earth, which they have been called to be, will be extended to the exteriors of the nation since only righteousness can exalt a nation,” she emphasised.

  • Rivers development: Phenomenal progress in three years

    Over the last three years, Rivers State has emerged as Nigeria’s most notable reference point on the delivery of quality projects and programmes to the benefit of the people.

    The positive developments that have shaped the Rivers narrative flow from the activities and vision of her pro-people leader, Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike who elevates the interest of the state above all other considerations.

    The phenomenal progress attained by Rivers State under the leadership of Governor Wike can be better appreciated from the average national scenario, occasioned by the abject failure of the APC Federal Government and the APC controlled states.

    States can no longer pay salaries of workers, let alone embark on any meaningful project.  Even the few projects executed by the Federal Government in other states are denied the people of Rivers State.

    In Rivers State, Governor Wike is saddled with the onerous responsibility of developing state and Federal Infrastructure.  And by God, he has acquitted himself excellently. He has transformed the state into a huge construction site, with a vibrant economy that is growing faster by the day.

    Governor Wike has embarked on the targeted revival of key sectors of the state, with the key goal of ensuring that Rivers people get value for their resources.

    Responsive governance structure

    Governor Wike inherited a disillusioned governance structure destroyed by the immediate past failed Amaechi administration.  Four months’ salary arrears and six months pension arrears destroyed the functionality of the governance structure in the state.

    The immediate failed past Governor of Rivers State threw the state into unimaginable debt to the level that Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi predicted that Governor Wike would not be able to pay salaries, let alone execute projects.

    Aside settling the salary and pension arrears, Governor Wike re-positioned and reformed the State Civil Service, strengthening it for effective and efficient service to the state. He restored overhead to ministries which was suspended by the Amaechi administration.

    Importantly, the sanctity of the independence of the Legislature and the Judiciary have been respected by Governor Wike.  The administration introduced financial autonomy for the Judiciary and the Legislature.  Both arms are now self-accounting.

    The  State Executive Council has been strengthened under the leadership of Governor Wike to serve the people of Rivers State and prioritise development. The last three years have witnessed the State Executive Council churning out pro-people policies to the benefit of Rivers people.

    Strategic budgeting and implementation

    Since assuming the reigns of leadership on May 29, 2015, Governor Wike has effectively executed two budgets and is implementing the third budget with strategic interests in effective mobilisation, equitable allocation and prudent management of public finances, building a modern, productive, diversified and competitive economy to create jobs and empower the Rivers people.

    Progressively, the Wike administration has ensured that the percentage of funds allocated for capital projects far outweigh recurrent expenditure.  This is a strategic move to strengthen the state’s economy.

    In 2016, the state government budgeted N307billion targeted at consolidating on the development gains achieved of the first seven months after the administration inherited a damaged budget from the immediate past failed Amaechi administration. The 2016 budget had N120billion for recurrent expenditure, while N187billion was earmarked for capital expenditure.

    Throughout 2016, the administration completed ongoing road projects, initiated and built  new roads and other development projects, enhanced  the state’s  security system and invested in the future of our youth through human capital development and job creation.

    Investments were made in the area of healthcare delivery, access to quality education, infrastructure, empowerment through small and medium scale enterprises.

    The state’s 2017 budget of N470billion was christened “the Golden Jubilee budget for accelerated development.”

    A breakdown of the 2017 budget indicated that the total projected capital expenditure was N329 billion (three hundred and twenty-nine billion naira) representing 70percent, while N141, 000,000,000.00 (one hundred and forty-one billion naira) was for recurrent expenditure.

    The 2017 budget was premised on the need to consolidate on the achievements for 2016 and restore the state’s economy back to a sustained growth path and expand economic opportunities for all.

    Priority attention was given to the following areas in 2017;

    • Security of lives and property;
    • Infrastructure development and maintenance;
    • Education,
    • Healthcare delivery, and
    • Empowerment.

    The Wike administration is operating a 2018 Budget of N510billion. Christened the budget of “Budget of Consolidation, advancement and empowerment”, the budget will consolidate and advance the state’s investments in infrastructure, education, healthcare, and security, as well as in growing the economy to create jobs and empower the people.

    The 2018 Rivers State budget has N379, 997, 687, 404.00 as capital expenditure, while N132 billion will be used for recurrent expenditure. This gives a capital to recurrent expenditure ratio of 75 to 25 percent respectively. The substantial increase in capital over recurrent expenditure, once again, underscores the administration’s commitment to direct substantial resources to the critical growth sectors of the state’s economy.

    The three budgets prepared by Governor Wike were created in line with the  provisions of the New Rivers Vision Development Blueprint.  Rivers people have been directly involved in the preparation of the budgets through public hearings, inputs by lawmakers and contributions by civil society organisations.  The budgets have been successful because they emanated from the aspirations and dreams of Rivers people.

  • Remembering Orubebe

    Classical. First of its kind. Wow. Or how best can one capture a situation where a serving minister tried to truncate the announcement of the result of the last presidential election? It is really difficult to forget. So, I was not surprised that President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday remembered Elder Godsday Orubebe, a former minister of Niger Delta Affairs, at the 2018 Democracy Day lecture.

    Buhari said the ex-minister should have been invited to listen to Attahiru Jega, a former chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), who was the lecturer. Orubebe had harassed Jega that day, saying: “Jega you have been compromised, we are no longer confident in you.”

    “Here, I must digress to raise an observation about the programme organisers because I did not see Mr. Orubebe who ought to have come and listen to Prof. Jega deliver his lecture. This is a major observation.

    “That instance, for those of us who were lucky that there was light and we had the television to see the confrontation between Orubebe and Prof. Jega, it will remain a life impression to many of us.”

    Orubebe’s action led to a new lexicon being added to our local dictionary. I remember a friend sent me  a BlackBerry message, which read: “New word now in the English dictionary: ‘Orubebe’ (noun): The process of trying to disrupt a smooth running process, especially through a fraudulent and dishonest means”; (verb): “to make an attempt to disrupt a gathering/smooth running process…” : E.g. Noun: The birthday party resulted in an Orubebe before the police intervened. Verb: Every time Liverpool FC is winning Manchester United, they always want to Orubebe the match.”

    Orubebe, who is founder of the Glory Sanctuary Christian Centre (GSCC), Ogbogbagbene, Burutu Local Government, Delta State, really danced naked in the market square without being ashamed.

    Because defeat was staring the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the face, he enjoyed his naked show being beamed live on national television stations. He thought it was good for the cameras to record him; so he moved forward before making his point. He spurned the advice that he could be heard from where he sat. He wanted his face to be seen and ended up being the worse for it.

    He cut a pitiable sight as he sat on the red rug close to where Jega and other senior officials of the electoral umpire were. His request: the process must be stopped. He had started his theatrics first standing and when he seemed to be making not much sense to Jega, he sat on the red rug and for close to 30 minutes, he held everyone hostage and no plea could make him leave the stage. He screamed, shouted and giggled like a man desperate to have his way. His eye balls bulged as though they would jump out of the socket as he shouted: “No, we will not take this.”

    His eyes also spoke volume about the pains he was going through at the suffocating fate of his darling party under whose platform his dream of governing Delta State crashed like a pack of cards. He kept jumping up and down and raising his hands to drive home his point. All he wanted was for Jega to return to his office and empanel a body to investigate his party’s petition.

    He said Jega was biased against the PDP and deliberately not investigating the complaints about events in some All Progressives Congress (APC) stronghold. Orubebe, an Ijaw man from Ogbobagbene, Burutu Local Government Area of Delta State, who was born on 6 June 1959, could not stand the coming fate.

    The elder later apologised in an interview with reporters, saying he regretted his naked dance in the market square. He said his emotion got the better part of him. He begged Nigerians and the youths who look up to him to forgive him, adding that as an elder in the church he went beyond bounds. President Goodluck Jonathan’s commendable act of conceding defeat even before official declaration of Buhari as the president-elect must have made him feel like a fool. The man he thought he was fighting for knew it was time to leave the stage.

    That incident was not Orubebe’s first ‘public show of shame’. His quarrel with boxer Bash Ali while he was Minister of Niger Delta was messy. The contents of text messages between the duo became public knowledge and the sort of language Orubebe deployed put a question mark on his person.

    The crux of the matter between Orubebe and Ali was whether or not the Ministry of Niger Delta promised to sponsor Ali’s championship bout. Orubebe said he never committed his ministry to sponsoring the proposed Guinness Book of Records bout of the ex-World Boxing champion.  Orubebe, in a telephone interview with this newspaper at the time, said his ministry had nothing to do with sports. He added that all he did was to recommend Ali to the National Sports Commission (NSC). Ali, however, insisted he had a commitment from the ministry, through the minister, to sponsor the bout.

    Ali’s claim, said the minister, showed that he needed psychiatric help. Orubebe said:  “That man came to me with his proposal and I said these are things that can be done by the National Sports Commission (NSC). I gave him a recommendation note to see the Minister of Sports at that time.

    “Later he came to me that some people told him that the programme will be included in the budget of the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs.

    “I said if other people are lying, I will not lie. The Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs has nothing to do with sports, the programme could not have been part of our budget. So, it is not in our budget.

    “This agitation of Ali is dated back to the tenure of ex-President Umaru  Yar’Adua. At a point, he was so impressed with my assistance that he wrote a letter to Yar’Adua telling him that I am the only minister who speaks the truth. I still have a copy of the letter with me.

    “Sometime this year, he sent me a text that is it because he insisted on a transparent deal that the budget for the programme was not released? I asked: What has my ministry got to do with Sports?”

    “Bash Ali is a big fool. He is good enough for the psychiatric hospital in Uselu. I think it is a mental case and I want to advise his family to take him there. I am not bothered about what he is saying about me.”

    However, documents obtained by this newspaper at the time showed that Ali had a deal with Orubebe’s ministry to sponsor the bout. The ministry also championed the setting up of a Local Organising Committee (LOC) to stage the fight. Orubebe’s ministry, in a letter, asked the NSC to nominate one of its senior officials to serve on the LOC.

    In the August 27, 2009 letter, the Ministry of Niger Delta, wrote the Chairman of the National Sports Commission on its readiness to support Ali’s fight. The letter, signed by Dalhatu Sule on Orubebe’s behalf, reads: “I am directed to inform you that the ministry is in the process of supporting an International Boxing Tournament between Bash Ali of Nigeria and John Keelon of Britain.

    “We are therefore seeking for your nominee to serve as member of the committee that will work out the modalities on how to arrange and finance the tournament.

    “Your nominee should be an officer of not below the rank of Assistant Director.”

    In another letter, also signed by Sule on Orubebe’s behalf on September 8, 2009, Ali was assured that “a committee has already been set up to work out the modalities for the great fight.”

    But, after some months, Orubebe changed his mind. So, in a December 15, 2009 letter Sule, on Orubebe’s behalf, wrote the fighter that the ministry had no money to sponsor the bout, which it had earlier set up a committee to organise.

    The letter reads: “I write to refer to your letter of 24th November, 2009, on the above subject matter and to inform you that we are just a fledgling ministry that barely took off this year and as such, extreme budgetary constraints has been a problem to grapple with. In this regard, the Niger Delta Affairs Ministry would not be in a position to sponsor the historic boxing defence bout between Ali of Nigeria and Keeton of Britain. Please accept the warm assurance of the Honourable Minister’s highest regards.”

    It is not in doubt that Orubebe actually gave Ali the hope that the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs would support the fight. Why he had a change of mind is hazy. Ali claimed it was because of his refusal to part with some of the $14.2m allegedly budgeted for the fight under skill acquisition in the ministry’s budget, an allegation the ex-minister denied. The ex-minister said the fight was never budgeted for by the ministry.

    My final take: For Orubebe, the ghost of his naked dance will roam the earth for years to come. Already, his Wikipedia entry has recorded it. This happened minutes after the dance. I am sure some books have also recorded this, making it something that will be talked about years after those of us still around would have gone to the great beyond. The lesson in this is that we must always think before we leap. Orubebe did not that day.

    • Parts of this piece first appeared on this space on April 3, 2015