The Nation Newspaper

Category: Saturday Magazine

  • Ogun and its peculiar supremacy politics

    Ogun and its peculiar supremacy politics

    Ahead of the forthcoming general elections, it is an open secret that the immediate past governor of Ogun State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, and his successor, Governor Dapo Abiodun, are engulfed in an intense hegemony battle over the structure of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state. In this report, Deputy Political Editor RAYMOND MORDI and Assistant Editor EMMANUEL BADEJO examine the ugly development and conclude that the supremacy battle, which is now a trend in Ogun politics, dates back to many years.

    With the changing political dynamics in the country, a repeat of the disagreement witnessed within the local chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ogun State before the last general elections is hardly what the party needs in the forthcoming elections because it could jeopardise its chances. But, that is what the party is currently grappling with.

     On Wednesday last week, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, who represents Ogun Central Senatorial District at the Senate on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) led the campaign of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for the forthcoming governorship election in the state, against his own party, which is fielding incumbent Governor Dapo Abiodun for re-election. Amosun, a former governor of the state, was the rallying point for the ADC governorship campaign flag-off held at the Ake palace ground in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, to mobilise support for his anointed candidate, Biyi Otegbeye.

     The high point of the event was when Amosun raised Otegbeye’s hand and that of his running mate, Tunde Awonuga, and asked the electorate to vote for them. He said his support for Otegbeye was based on equity, justice and fairness because the Yewa-Awori region where the ADC flagbearer hails from has never produced a governor since the creation of the state.

     In a rather bizarre manner, Amosun also called on the electorate to vote for the APC presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, despite the fact that ADC has Dumebi Kachikwu as its own presidential candidate. Amosun said: “There are two reasons why I’m doing what I’m doing. The first one is based on equity, justice, and fairness….Ogun State is almost 50 years old now. Since the creation of Ogun State, nobody from Ogun West has been governor.

     “Some characters are saying Yewa doesn’t have good people; I know they have. Yewa has good children I know that they can do it. He (Otegbeye) is a lawyer; he has been tested and trusted. The second reason, which is very important, is that Ogun State must not derail. We have set the path of development for Ogun State; we must not allow it to be derailed.

     “For the presidential polls, I can assure you, both right, left and centre, that we are supporting one person (Tinubu). I believe we are supporting one person. On the governorship polls, that’s a different ball game. I don’t belong there. I don’t hide behind one finger to fight. On the governorship front, my supporters and I don’t belong to that side. I do not support the APC on that side. Biyi Otegbeye is the person I am supporting and ADC is the party.”

     This is not the first time a former governor or an outgoing governor will be backing a candidate flying the flag of another political party. The first time it happened was prior to the 2011 general elections when the then outgoing Governor Gbenga Daniel campaigned for Gboyega Isiaka of the Peoples’ Party of Nigeria (PPN). Olusegun Osoba, who governed the state between 1999 and 2003 on the platform of the Alliance for Democracy (AD), had also campaigned for the candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) prior to the 2015 general elections, following the former governor’s defection to the party to protest against his being reportedly side-lined by the then Governor Amosun’s camp ahead of the latter’s second term election.

     Amosun had also openly campaigned against Abiodun, his friend-turned-foe in 2019. Although a member of the APC, the former governor backed Adekunle Akinlade, who ran on the platform of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) against Abiodun. But he lost to the latter with about 19,000 votes. Abiodun polled 241,670 votes, while the APM candidate got 222,153 votes.

     But, this is, perhaps, the former governor’s final opportunity to demystify Governor Abiodun. Otherwise, the way things are at the moment, the governor has the upper hand. This is because the former governor is not vying for a fresh tenure to return to the Senate and he would cease to be politically relevant in Ogun State politics the moment he vacates his seat at the law-making chamber, particularly if Abiodun succeeds in securing a second term.

     Amosun does not spare any opportunity to discredit Abiodun. The former governor runs parallel APC machinery in the state, along with the support of his APM supporters, most of whom have jumped ship to join Abiodun. Since he vacated the governorship seat, the immediate past governor has not deemed it fit to recognise Abiodun as the leader of the party in Ogun State.

     Indications emerged in August last year that Amosun is still adamant about campaigning against Governor Abiodun in the forthcoming governorship election when he reiterated that the 2019 governorship election was rigged in Abidoun’s favour and that he (the governor) must be removed from office. The immediate past governor, who spoke with reporters after receiving an award from the Abeokuta Club during the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the association, said he was not in support of the Abiodun administration and that the governor must vacate his seat at the expiration of his first four-year term.

     Amosun added: “Just wait and see; very soon, you will hear where we are going next. You know my stand, and my stand is my stand. I am not supporting the administration that is there now. He must be removed.”

     Amosun’s outburst at the event generated a swift reaction from the governor’s camp. For instance, the Ogun State APC Publicity Secretary, Mr Tunde Oladunjoye, had dismissed Amosun’s claim, saying the former governor is “obviously suffering from political amnesia and out-of-office loneliness.” The publicity secretary, who enjoined the people of Ogun State to pray for the former governor, described the immediate past governor’s claim as an insult to the psyche of the people. He said: “It is a sad indication that the former governor is yet to purge himself of extreme arrogance and intolerance that were his trademarks, which earned him a suspension from our party; even as a sitting governor.

     “There is absolutely no truth in the specious utterance of the former governor who is still sulking from the electoral defeat of his surrogate party in 2019. Our party and candidate not only won fair and square but the victory of Prince Dapo Abiodun was also attested to by his co-contestants, many of whom later joined the APC and are still in the APC.”

     Amosun and Abiodun have been engulfed in an intense fight for control of the APC structure in the Southwest state since the last general elections in 2019. This has seen the governor side-line the senator and his loyalists after getting the upper hand, following his victory in the last governorship election close to four years ago. Indications were that Amosun had intended to use the APM, the political platform he used during the last general elections, to thwart Abiodun’s chances of winning the forthcoming election. The party, which could not defeat Abiodun in the last governorship election, was reportedly reactivated by Amosun to challenge the governor for a second time.

     But, the APM slipped from Amosun’s hand because his (Amosun) former loyalists in the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) who are at the helm of affairs in the APM had a different idea. Twenty-four hours before the deadline of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the substitution of candidates’ names, the Chairman of the APM, Kehinde Sotayo, and its governorship candidate, Olutosin Jolaoluwa, disappeared into thin air.

    Jolaoluwa, later went ahead and released a statement denying withdrawing for Amosun’s preferred candidate, Otegbeye. The development almost thwarted the former governor’s plan. But he subsequently secured the structure of the ADC and quickly switched to the party, having lost the APM. It was reliably gathered that Amosun settled for Otegbeye, a businessman and former governorship aspirant on the platform of the APC as the governorship candidate because his profile suited the former governor’s designs.

     The ADC governorship flag bearer hails from the Yewa axis of the state, which is also known as the Ogun West senatorial district. The zone has never produced a governor since the creation of the state in 1976. Ogun East produced the first civilian governor, the late Chief Olabisi Onabanjo, who ruled between 1979 and 1983, and Otunba Gbenga Daniel (from 2003 to 2011). Ogun Central has produced Chief Olusegun Osoba who governed the state between 1992 and 1993, and between 1999 and 2003. Also from Ogun Central is Amosun who was governor between 2015 and 2019.

     Otegbeye, a law graduate of Lagos State University, has been the Managing Director of Regence Alliance Insurance Plc from 2011 to date. Incidentally, both Otegbeye and Akinlade participated in the APC primary where Abiodun secured the ticket of the party to run for a second term. The duo were reported to have scored zero votes. But, subsequently, Amosun’s preferred governorship candidate defected to the PDP, where he succeeded in clinching the party’s deputy governorship ticket to run with Oladipupo Adebutu.

     Abiodun contested the primary with five other aspirants, namely Abdulkabir Akinlade, Biyi Otegbeye, Modele Sarafa-Yusuf, Owodunni Opayemi, and Remi Bakare. Abiodun scored 1,168 votes while other aspirants had nil with two voided votes.

     Amosun had also, in October 2021, spearheaded a parallel congress at the Ake palace ground, where Chief Derin Adebiyi emerged as the chairman of Ogun APC. However, the party’s national headquarters recognised the congress conducted by the governor’s camp at the M.K.O. Abiola Stadium, Kuto Abeokuta, which produced Chief Yemi Sanusi as chairman. The election was conducted under the supervision of a seven-man state congress committee led by Chief Wale Ohu.

     The supremacy battle between Amosun and his successor in office dates back to the period before the APC primary in 2018. Amosun fell out with the governor before the APC primary. Following the emergence of Abiodun as the party’s candidate, against his wish, Amosun engineered the emergence of Akinlade as the flag-bearer of the APM. Abiodun eventually defeated Amosun’s anointed candidate with a margin of 19,517 votes. Abiodun polled 241,670 votes to defeat Akinlade who had 222,153 votes.

     Soon after APM’s defeat, Amosun, who won his senatorial election on the platform of the APC, was suspended from the ruling party for anti-party activities. Akinlade and Amosun have since parted ways. Amosun’s former godson is now the running mate to the PDP flag-bearer, Oladipupo Adebutu. Observers initially believed that Amosun gave his blessing to Akinlade’s decision to join the PDP. But recent political developments suggest that Akinlade was alone.

     Some loyalists of the former governor, who spoke to our correspondent in confidence, blamed both Amosun and Akinlade for the action. While some blamed Akinlade for being desperate to have gone to the PDP without the express permission and support of his former boss, others condemned the former governor’s action, which they described as confusing.

     Former Governor Gbenga Daniel, it is said, has refused to openly side with either Senator Amosun or Governor Abiodun in the race to decide who becomes governor of Ogun State after the current governor’s first term which elapses on May 29. Daniel, 66, is the candidate of the APC for the Ogun East senatorial race. Daniel has refused to be caught in the crossfire of the raging political fight by “solely focusing on protecting his political interest.”

     The former governor’s political interests include becoming the next lawmaker that will represent Ogun East in the Senate. A source, who confided in our reporter, explained why Daniel decided to stay aloof. He said: “The governor has simply stuck with his age-long approach that an experienced political leader does not show his hand until the last minute.”

     Daniel’s silence has, however, pitched him against Abiodun who is contesting for a fresh tenure and requires all the support he can get to win the election. Daniel’s ambition is said to have sparked the fire of a yet-to-be-put-off cold war with Abiodun. For instance, the cold war, it is said, was responsible for the governor, with his loyalists, to boycott the flag-off campaign for Daniel’s senatorial campaign in October last year.

     Amosun is said to have leveraged the “possible threats” posed to Daniel by his face-off with Abiodun to broker an agreement for them to work together. According to those in the know, Amosun’s singular most burning ambition is to stop Abiodun’s re-election by ensuring Otegbeye becomes the next governor of Ogun State.

     In exchange for Daniel’s support, The Nation gathered that Amosun has reportedly agreed to support his predecessor in office. As a result, Amosun is said to have deployed all his men within the APC and the PDP to support the former governor’s senatorial ambition. Daniel, as an outgoing governor in 2011, had campaigned for his then protégé, Gboyega Isiaka of the PPN, after he failed in a supremacy battle with former President Olusegun Obasanjo over the control of the PDP structure.

      Through Obasanjo’s intervention, the party’s ticket was given to the late Gen. Adetunji Olurin (rtd), to Daniel’s displeasure. This compelled Isiaka to seek to realise his ambition in the PPN, with Daniel’s prodding. Thus, PDP members and supporters divided their votes between the two candidates. Amosun of the AC eventually won the election with 377,487 votes. Olurin came second with 188,698 votes, while his PPN counterpart, Isiaka, scored 137,051 votes to place third. If the two camps had backed one candidate, the party would have won the election.

     After Daniel vacated power, an intense struggle for the control of the party led to more squabbles that further divided the PDP into several factions. The power struggle instigated Daniel to dump the major opposition party and joined the Labour Party (LP) in 2013. Many leaders of the party who, at the time, were loyal to Daniel pitched their tent with him in his newfound political family. Several reconciliatory meetings were held with Daniel during which, it was gathered, leaders of the PDP pleaded with Daniel to return to the party.

     In October 2014, Daniel yielded to the pressure and re-joined the party. He said at the time: “I have returned to my party. There is no situation in which there are no differences; these differences have been settled. All the challenges we have in the PDP have been settled. If Labour Party is actually strong in Ogun State, can it swallow PDP? It is the big fish that swallows the small fish. At the moment, the PDP has swallowed the LP.”

     By December 2014, Daniel declared his ambition to run for the Senate for Ogun East district in the 2015 elections but the party eventually chose the late Buruji Kashamu. The political brouhaha that followed the decision made Daniel to announce his withdrawal from the race.

     Osoba, a former governor of the state, also had a face-off with members of his party over preparations for the 2015 election. Osoba, who lost his re-election in 2003, was miffed after he was allegedly side-lined by the then Governor Amosun who was seeking his second-term mandate in 2015. Osoba was in control of the party structure prior to the emergence of Amosun as governor in 2011, following his defection from the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) with his followers. After Amosun emerged as the then Action Congress (AC) governorship candidate in 2011, Osoba was given the privilege to pick the deputy governor, the three senatorial candidates, and nine members of the House of Representatives. But, after the party assumed office, Osoba’s protege, Deputy Governor Olusegun Adesegun was allegedly given little or no power by Amosun.

     A source who preferred anonymity recalled that the animosity started way back in 2003 when Amosun mobilised the PDP to uproot the defunct Alliance for Democracy (AD) and Osoba, who was then governor, from the State House. The mutual suspicion was rekindled when they found themselves in the APC prior to the 2011 election. Friction was evident when the Osoba group initially rejected Amosun as the governorship candidate during the 2011 governorship race. It took the intervention of some personalities before Osoba soft-pedal.

     But in the twilight of Amosun’s first term in office, precisely in 2014, Osoba fell out with the incumbent. After several meetings and deliberations and the gladiators could not resolve their political differences, Osoba, alongside the three serving senators in the state, and seven of the nine federal lawmakers at the time, formed the SDP.

     Afterwards, the SDP became a household name in Abeokuta and gradually across the state and other parts of Nigeria. Sources said that three major grouses led to Osoba and his protégé’s defection. They included the congresses in April 2014, lopsided political appointments, and the alleged side-lining of his loyalists in government. Osoba reportedly vowed that he will not change his mind even if traditional rulers or the APC national leadership tried to patch things up between him and Amosun. Osoba was not happy that the ward, council, and state congresses produced parallel executives – one for him and another for Amosun. Amosun’s faction was recognised by the APC national secretariat in Abuja, which Osoba saw as a slight on him.

     Again, the duo also clashed over the choice of commissioners and members of the state executive council. The Osoba group felt short-changed. To pacify them, Amosun picked some of his special advisers, chairmen and members of the board of parastatals and agencies from Osoba’s group. Yet, the Osoba camp grumbled that it was not given enough chairmanship and council slots. The sharing formula, according to it, was lopsided in favour of Amosun and his supporters, which prompted Osoba loyalists to form a group known as ma ta gba mole (do not disrespect the elder). The supporters of Osoba said he was not accorded his proper place in the scheme of things, though Amosun insisted that the man remained the leader of the APC in the state and that there was no feud between them.

     Rather than abate, the supremacy battle over who controls the lever of political power in the state, is now assuming more interesting dimensions as the forthcoming general elections draw nearer. It is also fast becoming a permanent feature of politics in the state. Who will win the battle this time?

  • How singles can enjoy Valentine’s Day

    How singles can enjoy Valentine’s Day

    It is Valentine‘s season again and we are going to be bamboozled by couples displaying their loved-up photos and ‘Peppering’ the singles as usual.

    We are also about to hear the famous Kabusa Oriental Choir trying to torture singles with their ‘ Valentine is coming, where is your boyfriend” song.

    Well, to ensure an even representation, Singles should ensure that they do the following:

    1. Babysit for couples for a service fee.

    Children can be a huge distraction when a couple decides to have time for themselves.
    You can usefully apply yourself by choosing to help the ”set awon couples” by volunteering to help them babysit while they go out. This should not be done without a service fee, preferably cash because of the scarcity now. At least the time you would have used to admire their pictures will be `judiciously utilized.

    1. Send/gifts money to your crush

    Who knows, you might be sowing a seed for the next Valentine. Send money or buy gifts for whoever you are crushing on. You must not state your intentions but let them feel special and loved, give them a hint of what your intentions are for them.

    1. Hang out with your fellow singles

    Iron sharpeneth iron, they say. You are less likely to feel the heat of Valentine’s shenanigans if you are with people of the same status as yourself. Play a game together, have a discussion, see a movie or just hang out.

    Read Also : Valentine items to get for your male partner

    1. Listen to Johnny Drille’s’ Val song ‘You’re just single’

    The sonorous singer encourages singles to be happy while referencing Jesus whom he said never had a Val. Johnny Drille said one should be satisfied with one’s state of singleness as it is not a crime. You can put it on auto repeat to affirm to yourself that it is okay to be lonely.

    1. Buy flowers, gift cards and hampers for yourself.

    Intentionally refuse to feel left out on gifts. Ensure to write love notes to yourself because self love is the greatest form of love. ‘Happy Valentine to myself. I love me so much. I mean the world to me”

    1. Spend time with family.

    Family is also love, in fact family is first love. So whenever you are with your parents or siblings, let it be as unto love for you.

  • Fruitless search for missing children as kidnappers lay siege to Lagos community

    Fruitless search for missing children as kidnappers lay siege to Lagos community

    • Furore over release of arrested suspect from police custody

    Continued abduction of minors by suspected kidnappers from a Lagos community has foisted sorrow on many families while alleged release of a suspect arrested by vigilant residents from police custody has generated furore, reports KUNLE AKINRINADE.

    If there was any issue that occupied the minds of two families on Aborisade Street, Isale Oja area of Agege, a Lagos suburb on December 21, 2022, it was not the approaching Yuletide celebration.

    Rather, it was the disappearance of two of their children, Bilikis Alarape (8) and Bilikis Ganiyu (6) believed to have been abducted by unknown kidnappers who had laid siege to the community for some time.

    According to witnesses, the two minors had barely returned from an evening Quranic school when they were abducted at dusk by the suspected kidnappers. Needless to say that the disappearance of the innocent kids has left their parents and other family members distraught.

    The mother of one of the victims, Aminat Aliu, said she had wanted to serve her child dinner shortly after she returned home from the Islamic centre only to realise that she was nowhere to be found.

    She said: “My child returned home from a nearby Quranic school where we enrolled him for Islamic teachings around 6.30pm on December 21, 2022.

    “He was to have his dinner, and it was while I was about to serve him his meal that I noticed that he was nowhere to be found.

    “We looked everywhere around and could not find him, so we raised the alarm, following which a search party was launched for the girl’s whereabouts.”

    But while Aliu was lamenting the mysterious disappearance of her child, another family in the neighbourhood was also raising the alarm that their daughter had been kidnapped.

    The second victim, who was living with her grandmother, Alhaja Alarape, was said to be playing with other children in the neighbourhood when she was allegedly abducted by unknown persons.

    Bound by the same fate, the two families approached several police stations, including Pen Cinema and Isoko Divisions, but their children were never found.

    “They (the police) took our phone numbers at the Isokoko and Pen Cinema divisions, still our children’s whereabouts cannot be located,” Alarape lamented.

    Curiously, as the families were licking their wounds, an elderly woman suspected to be a kidnapper was arrested by eagle-eye residents on December 24 as she attempted to abduct another boy in the neighbourhood identified as Kelechi.

    Aliu said: “A few days later, a woman was caught while attempting to steal another boy called Kelechi.

    “She was about to be lynched by an angry mob but men of the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC) dissuaded the mob and the suspected kidnapper was taken to the State Criminal Investigating Department (SCID), Panti, Yaba.

    “The woman’s residence at Imam Ojoku Street near Maricass Road, Agege was searched and we found children’s dresses, shoes and school uniforms in her apartment.

    “The woman’s son confirmed that his mother usually brought home unidentified children who were later given out to unknown persons.

    “When we later visited SCID, Panti, we were told the woman was insane and that she had been taken to Psychiatric Hospital at Yaba for treatment.

    “But we later learnt that the woman had been freed and we are helpless because our children have not been found.”

    Recalling the circumstances in which her granddaughter disappeared, Alarape said the girl was playing in the neighbourhood when she was abducted.

    Alarape said: “Bilkis is my granddaughter. Her mother separated from my son some years back and the girl has since been living with me.

    “She was playing with the other girl, her namesake, when they were both kidnapped.

    “We have visited police stations and consulted spiritualists and OPC, but all our efforts have so far been fruitless.

    ”Three days after, a woman was intercepted when she tried to kidnap a boy called Kelechi.

    “She was an elderly woman and she hid some charms in the wig she was wearing on her head while she tried to lure the boy with puff-puff.

    “The boy raised the alarm and she fled on sighting residents running after her, but she was eventually caught around Alagbigba Street, near Market Road.

    “We took the suspect to the police at SCID, Panti Street, Yaba. Sadly, she was said to have been released and taken to a public psychiatric hospital at Yaba for treatment while we continue to bemoan our fate.”

    The Nation learnt that while the two families were yet to come to terms with the whereabouts of their children, two other residents in the neighbourhood also disclosed that their children were abducted.

    “We later learnt that several other children have been kidnapped lately in the adjoining streets.

    “In fact, when we led the suspected kidnapper to the police, two parents surfaced and declared that their two six-year-old children had been abducted among many others.

    “It was then that it dawned on us that our children were not the only victims as there were other children who had earlier been kidnapped.

    “We don’t know what to do. We don’t have anyone to fight for us.

    “It is sad that a child I am nursing at old has been stolen.

    Interview by our correspondent, the National Woman Leader of Oodua People’s Congress-Reformed (OPC-R), Mrs. Fatimo Oladoyinbo, said: “The parents of the victims reported the matter to me and I asked them what they had done to bring it to the attention of the law enforcement agents.

    “I was told that three days later, a suspected female kidnapper was apprehended by vigilant residents after she tried to kidnap a boy in the community.

    “They said the case was reported to the police at the Isoko and Pen Cinema Divisions as well as the State Criminal Investigation Department (CSID), Panti, Yaba, and that when they went back to SCID, they were told that the woman was mentally challenged and had been taken to a public psychiatric hospital at Yaba.

    “I urged them to get a lawyer to relate with the police since my group would not do anything unlawful or without the support of the police.

    “However, it is sad that the toddlers have not been found.

    “I am using this medium to call on the authorities to intervene and retrieve the children from mindless kidnappers.”

    The spokesman of the Lagos State Police Command, Mr. Benjamin Hundeyin, did not respond to an inquiry sent to his phone. He also did not return the calls the reporter made to him.

  • How we ran into terrorists’ ambush, by survivors of Katsina killings

    How we ran into terrorists’ ambush, by survivors of Katsina killings

    Fault police on death toll in bloody clash Community leader says 102 killed, 72 corpses recovered from bushes

    Kastina, the home state of President Muhammadu Buhari, drew global attention last weekend with the killing of scores of its inhabitants during a clash between outlawed vigilante group popularly called Yansakei and some terrorists in Bakori and Kankara local government areas of the state.

    While the figures released by the police put the death toll from the bloody incident at 41, residents of the affected communities insist that the casualty figure was much more than the police claimed.

    A community leader in Bakori said there were no fewer than 102 lives lost in the incident, adding that 72 bodies had been recovered from the bush as the dust raised by the attack settled.

    The worst hit communities, according to findings made by The Nation were those under Guga, Kakumi, Kandarawa and Jargaba wards in Bakori Local Government Area. Residents were still wearing mournful looks when our correspondent visited the area during the week.

    The genesis

    The clash was said to have occurred when some Yansakei members attempted to recover some cows rustled by terrorists from herdsmen in Bakori Local Government Area. Unknown to them, the terrorists had set up an ambush in anticipation of reaction from Yansakei members.

    Some residents of Bakori and Kankara, two local government areas regarded as frontline LGAs because they share boundaries with Kaduna and Zamfara states and are frequently attacked by bandits, told our correspondent during a visit to the affected communities that that repeated attack by the terrorists had forced many of them to relocate from their ancestral communities.

    Trouble was said to have begun at about 10 pm on Wednesday, February 1 when some terrorists invaded the compound of one Alhaji Muntari at Unguwar Audu Gare, Kandarawa, Bakori Local Government Area, shooting sporadically and rustling 50 cows and 30 sheep.

    At about 10 pm the following day, Yansakai groups from 11 villages in the local government area were said to have gathered and went after the bandits/terrorists with a view to recovering the rustled animals.

    They traced the footpath taken by the hoodlums to a location in Yargoje Forest where the terrorists, unfortunately, launched a coordinated attack on them.

    Explaining the genesis of the confrontation, a member of the vigilance group, 35-year-old Adamou Hassan, who sustained gunshot injuries in his right shoulder while fighting the terrorists at Goje village, said: “The terrorists came on Wednesday night and rustled some cows in Bakori. We in our group traced them that very night and we exchanged gunshots.

    “On Thursday morning, our other members from other villages joined us, unknown to us that the terrorists were lying down at the various points we were passing through.

    “They encircled us and began to shoot with AK-47 rifles. After I was injured on the upper part of my right hand and there was too much blood gushing from other minor wounds, they left me for dead. That was how I escaped being killed.”

    Appealing to the state and federal governments to reinforce security in the frontline local government areas of the state, Hassan said the bandits who attacked them were not based in Katsina State.

    He said: “The bandits don’t stay here. They come from Zamfara or Kaduna state, operate and return to their base.

    “They have various camps inside the forests that lie between Katsina and Zamfara and between Katsina and Kaduna.”

    Kabiru Ashiru, a resident of Guga Village, told The Nation that no fewer than 63 victims of the attack were buried penultimate Friday while another vehicle came in the following day, loaded with more than 30 corpses. “And we are still expecting more bodies,” he said.

    Ashiru’s claims were reinforced by those of Mahadi Guga, the leader of Guga community who confirmed the burial of 72 bodies retrieved from the bush and insisted that no fewer than 102 lives were lost contrary to Police report that 41 inhabitants were killed.

    He said: “There are about 102 people affected in our community, but the actual figure that people will tell you is 72, which were the people we buried with our hands. There are others who are still missing.

    “We have lived in great fear and tension since the incident happened. We are more vulnerable now than ever. The government came and sympathised with us as usual and promised to investigate the matter.”

    The community leader urged government to rise to its responsibility of protecting lives and property, especially of those living at the rural area. If need be, he said, government should dialogue with the bandits and the communities for lasting peace in the area.

    His sentiments were shared by 40-year-old Salisu Lawan, a resident of Matazu community who also appealed for bigger presence of security agents in the local government area.

    He revealed that many people in the area had relocated to Katsina and Zaria because of terrorists’ activities.

    He said: “I live in Matazu and I am a civil servant.

    “I know that the government is trying its best in terms of security. But the terrorists know that we don’t have a high number of security operatives here in Matazu. That is why they have the boldness to attack us.

    “They also get a lot of information from informants. I will suggest that the government employs more security operatives and deploy them to the council headquarters for our safety.

    “Because of terrorist activities, many prominent Matazu residents have relocated to Katsina or Zaria.”

    Sad tales from bereaved families

    Mustapha Abubakar who said he witnessed one of the most horrific incidents of his life, recalled in a chat with our correspondent how his brother went to retrieve some of his animals rustled by bandits only to be ambushed by the gunmen and killed.

    He said: “Those who escaped the first attack had called for more people so that we would be able to recover the bodies of our dead for burial.

    “I was one of those who went the second time together with my blood brother. Unfortunately, from nowhere we saw ourselves surrounded by the gunmen who pounced on us and started using all sorts of weapons, including guns and cutlasses, against us.

    “We had to try to defend ourselves because we were not there empty handed. But because of their numbers and the superior power of their weapons, they overpowered us.

    “We were trapped with my brother, Abdulmalik, at a place, and he told me that if I got a chance I should run away because he would not want a situation whereby two of us from the same family would be killed. Before I knew it, his dead body was lying before me.”

    “It was a terrifying and unforgettable moment for me. I could not count the number of dead bodies I have seen because it was so scary.

    “All we need now is that the government, especially the security agents, should come to our rescue.”

    Government investigates incident

    Governor Aminu Bello Masari had earlier approved the setting up of a high-powered Judicial Commission of Enquiry to investigate the remote and immediate causes of the incident, saying it was aimed at curtailing further occurrence.

    A statement by the Secretary to the State Government, Murtari Lawal, had also stated  that as a result of the unfortunate and tragic incident that occurred in some areas of Bakori and Kankara local government areas of the state where some lives were lost, the state government sent a high powered delegation to the area under the leadership of the Secretary to the State Government and other prominent government officials to condole with the families of the deceased, sympathize with the affected communities and come up with intervention proposal for the bereaved families

    He said: ”The State Security Council also met and deliberated on the matter and accordingly, His Excellency has approved the setting up of a high-powered Judicial Commission of Enquiry to thoroughly investigate the remote and immediate causes and the devastating effects of the unfortunate incident

    “The state government is calling on all peace loving and law-abiding individuals to remain calm and go about their normal lawful businesses as the government is in control of the situation ”

    Recall also that the state government delegation led by the Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Muntali Lawal, had visited the affected communities and condole with the families of the victims and their community leaders over the ugly incident.

    The delegation also toured some affected villages and assured the families of the state government’s commitment to conduct a thorough investigation on the matter. There was also the setting up of a committee with two representatives from each of the affected communities to supervise the sharing of relief materials to the families of the victims.

    Police spokesman in the state, Gambo Isah, a Superintendent of Police (SP), assured that security operatives in the state were on top of the situation, adding that the police and other sister security agencies always reviewed strategies to ensure the protection of lives and property.

    The police spokesperson said: “Residents of the state should rest assured of our efforts to ensure the safety of their lives and that of their property.

    “Joint security operations are always on ground to tackle situations and we have not been relenting.”

  • Insipid and hubris gang-up against Abiodun’s re-election

    Insipid and hubris gang-up against Abiodun’s re-election

    By Femi Ogbonnikan

    Due to the limitation of time left before the forthcoming general elections, there has been an expected increase in the tempo of campaign activities by the various political parties each trying to outwit the other. In our peculiar scenario here in Ogun State, electioneering by the opposition has been an extraordinary display of hubris by some of the state actors who have wittingly or unwittingly chosen lies, deceit, and blackmail as a means of achieving their goals. Of particular note is the frenetic energy with which immediate past former Governor Ibikunle Amosun has been promoting the governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Biyi Otegbeye, against Governor Dapo Abiodun with malicious gusto.  

    Once again, he wants to lord it over the people just as he did in the 2019 general elections when he single-handedly propped up Hon Abdulkabir Adekunle Akinlade as his anointed candidate on the platform of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), while still claiming to be a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). For the same wrong reason, he is back again in the trenches, trying to play the old trick in the same old way. This time around, he is going about it more ferociously: lying, deceit, blackmailing, and outright disinformation.

    In his latest attempt to win the sympathy of the electorate for his candidate, he went beyond the call of duty, disparaging the image of incumbent Governor Abiodun for undoing some of the wrong things he had done while presiding over the affairs of the state. At the flag-off of the campaign rally of Otegbeye, he told the unsuspecting audience that the present administration renovated an abandoned Model School at Kobape built for N830m with N3b. But he did not tell them the reason he abandoned the project even having claimed that he had paid 100 percent for it. In trying to hoodwink the people, he maintained an undeserved silence on the benefits the youths had derived from converting the moribund school to a tech hub with a considerably far less amount than the false figure he quoted. 

    Before then, Otegbeye, in a similar deliberate mischief-making, had equally accused the Abiodun administration of expending N7 billion on building the Gateway City Centre contrary to the N350m committed to the project. 

    To put the records straight, however, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Kunle Somorin, in a quick rebuttal, clarified in a released statement that “the cost of converting that abandoned project is modest and not in billions despite the value it confers on the moribund school.”

    He dismissed the outburst as shameful, unfounded, and unguided. His words: “It is a shame that the former governor does not know the difference between converting an abandoned project to a socially desirable Tech Hub at this age and time.

    “Rather than applauding the ingenuity of Governor Abiodun for converting the moribund model school to a functional tech hub within three weeks of assuming office, Amosun is resorting to blackmail.

    “It should be noted that barely 24 hours to the mark of his 100 days in office, Gov. Abiodun launched the Ogun Tech hub in Abeokuta, the State capital.

    “The conversion of the model school to a Tech hub facility was in the interest of the Gateway State.

    “Gov. Abiodun will want to reiterate that his administration would complete all inherited projects capable of improving the fortunes of the people.”

    But for Somorin, who took it upon himself to respond appropriately to the tissues of lies being dished out to the public to confuse the electorate, on his part, Governor Abiodun doesn’t feel an inch perturbed by these ceaseless campaigns of calumny. As a man of honour and integrity, he has demonstrated immeasurable patience and forbearance in all manners of circumstances. In the face of all lies, deceit, and deliberate distortion of fact in a bid to smear his good image, he keeps an abiding faith in the social contract he entered into with the good people of Ogun State, refusing to succumb to any form of cheap blackmail or condescending to the level of engaging in a war of words with his political adversaries. Since the facts are open to the public, it is for the electorate to weigh the options available before them, and know where the truth lies.

    This is even more so that the administration runs an open, inclusive, transparent, and accountable government. It only behoves on those who see politics as a dirty game to rethink and do a possible review of their strategy for power acquisition. Politics itself is not dirty. What makes it looks like a dirty game is the way and manners the players go about pursuing their ambitions without a modicum of decency and decorum.

    In an election season like this, it is not unusual for politicians to do a review of strategic alliances for the mutual benefit of the parties concerned, while also remaining independent in certain spheres. With the ongoing alliance review in Ogun State, the future relevance of Senator Amosun in state and national politics is impressively on trial.

    Ordinarily, no one goes into an election to lose. But it is also a known fact that only one person will win an election into an elective position at a time. So, when two partners decide to go into an alliance it is usually with a conviction that the benefits derivable from the synergy will be greater than those from individual efforts. But the question here is: What is there for Amosun to benefit from his alliance with ADC and its candidate? Nothing.

    The truth of the matter is that Amosun is already at a crossroads in his political journey. He is inadvertently caught up in a delicate balance between the desire to be loyal to the Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on one hand, with no less objective of promoting his preferred candidate in another party on the other hand. By so doing, he believes he can navigate through the political turbulence ahead of him to remain relevant in Ogun State politics. He got it all wrong.    

    For the latter option, the answer is predictable. Without necessarily pre-empting whatever may be the possible outcome of the governorship election coming up on March 11, it will be much easier for the proverbial camel to pass through the eye of the needle than for Otegbeye to unseat the incumbent governor.

    History is there to serve as a guide to political pundits who may want to hold a contrary view. But the problem is that people don’t learn from the lesson of history. Suffice it to say, however, that no matter how much you try to ignore history, history in all its alienating necessities will not ignore you. If in 2019, Amosun as a sitting governor with all the paraphernalia of office combined with the power of incumbency could not install his anointed candidate as his successor, how will he fight from outside now and win an election for his newfound friend? He doesn’t need a soothsayer to be told the home truth about the latest alliance which is already doomed to fail from the outset because nothing has changed in the power equations to turn the tide against Governor Abiodun. For all he cares, it will be rather delusional and presumptuous to think that the same electorate that rejected Akinlade, his anointed candidate in 2019, will now decide to embrace the same old antics of the power game and abandon the mandate freely given to the incumbent governor to serve the interest of the greater number of the good people of Ogun State.     

    By opting for Otegbeye, Amosun has completed the full circle of his political journey. For the benefit of hindsight, this same Biyi Otegbeye was the APC House of Representatives candidate in his constituency in 2019 that Amosun fought tooth and nail to defeat his ambition. Therefore, having run a full circle in all his trysts, the only alternative left to correct the error of judgment that led him into the current political wilderness is to retrace his steps and reunite with the APC family for the overall good of the state.

    Regrettably, with the gang-up and the desperation that has accounted for the sustained campaign of calumny against Governor Abiodun, it does appear that Amosun’s camp has learned nothing and forgotten nothing from the past. Because they have seen defeat stirring in the face ahead of the coming governorship election, they have continued to spin falsehood against the Abiodun administration. Such a strategy is doomed to fail as the people already know where the truth lies.

    In politics, as in conventional warfare, what matters is not your strategy but the strategy of the enemies. In this case, it is quite clear that the intention of the opposition for all the lies being told about the administration of Governor Dapo Abiodun is to discredit the good work he is doing. But it is a road that leads to nowhere. It’s like building something on nothing. The strategy of concocting lies against the government cannot stand because the people’s eyes are open. In no time, every lie told about this government will come down like a pack of cards. One obvious thing is that every citizen of good conscience knows that the administration operates open, transparent, and accountable governance. That, primarily, is the essence of the government’s policy that makes the people part and parcel of the decision-making process to establish the necessary trust and confidence in the administration. And it is that confidence that forms the basis of the existing social capital between the government and the people. Social capital is a set of shared values or resources that allows individuals to work with the government to achieve a common purpose. In today’s increasingly democratizing world, evidence has shown that social cohesion is crucial for sustainable development. It is in keeping with that global trend that Governor Abiodun at the inception of his administration deliberately evolved the idea of citizen engagement through the concept of “Building of Our Future Together” which has now become a sing-song among the stakeholders in the state.

    So, it doesn’t matter the intention of those who prefer the option of bare-faced lies, subtle blackmail and outright misinformation to issue-based electioneering and constructive engagement, there will be a triumph of the light over darkness. As a people’s government, the records are there for public scrutiny.

    For the good people of Ogun State, a vote for Governor Abiodun is a vote for continuity. With the trust and confidence that currently exist between the administration and the people, there is no doubt that they will vote overwhelmingly for continuity because they have seen the good work Governor Abiodun is doing and will still do more with a renewed mandate. As they say, no one changes a winning team in the middle of the game.   

    Several times in the recent past, Amosun had been over-heard, boasting of his relevance and the power to dictate the shots in Ogun State. Without prejudice to the rights of the electorate to elect a candidate of their choice, all dynamics put together, the coming election is going to be a triumph of the truth over falsehood in the State. It doesn’t matter the gang-up, and all other forms of shenanigans exhibited by the opposition parties and their candidates, Abiodun’s victory is a sure deal, courtesy of the good people of conscience who have consistently continued to lend credence to the voice of reason and the imperative of power rotation after the second tenure of the present administration. Beyond the argument about good performance, the need to entrench the principle of justice, fairness, and equity in the system is another reason people must vote for the re-election of Governor Abiodun.

    • Ogbonnikan wrote from Abeokuta, Ogun State capital.

  • Nigerians, businesses groan as naira scarcity bites harder

    Nigerians, businesses groan as naira scarcity bites harder

    Despite spirited efforts by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to resolve the lingering crisis occasioned by naira scarcity, Nigerians are yet to feel any respite. Our correspondents report that Nigerians and businesses nationwide are in tatters as they struggle in vain to get elusive new naira notes

    Manufacturers lamented yesterday that the lingering scarcity of the new naira notes and acute energy crisis manifesting in the scarcity of fuel and high cost of diesel, gas and Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) or petrol are inflicting heavy pains businesses. Speaking at the 2023 edition of the ‘MAN Reporter of the Year Award/Presidential Media Luncheon’ held in Lagos, President of Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Otunba Francis Meshioye, said manufacturers are facing a very critical time as a result of the scarcity of these essentials.

     Meshioye said, for instance, that the current energy crisis, especially the scarcity of fuel as well as the hardship being experienced by Nigerians in accessing the redesigned naira notes are hindering the proper flow of goods to end users, resulting in huge pile of stock for manufacturers. “It (naira and fuel crisis) is affecting us very badly because at the end of the day, everything we produce has to be consumed in one way or the other, and if consumers don’t have cash to purchase products, then we are going to have a lot of stock, and this implies that a lot of manufacturers’ money is tied down,” Meshioye lamented.

     The MAN president also said when stock piles, it also means that manufacturers’ cash is trapped, even as they pay high interest rates. He also said the situation is affecting investments. “Investment goes to where returns come regularly. No investor wants to play with his money. So, it’s a very big issue in our economy now,” he stated.

     He also lamented that manufacturers are contending with a lot of idle times, which they have to pay for. “So, we are incurring a lot of loses by the fuel scarcity, and that goes on to so many other lines such as currency and energy, currency, which are abstract infrastructure that enables proper manufacturing,” he lamented.  

     Meshioye, while pointing out that “there is no way any scarcity of any essential thing to a consumer will not affect the producer,” however, expressed regrets that it is not yet everybody who can do electronic transactions, coupled with the occasional Internet connection glitches.

     Besides, he said it’s not so easy for one to buy a good and he wants to do a POS transaction at every point. “So, it’s a very big issue in our economy now. So, when you take all these things together, you want to agree with me that we are really facing a very critical time as manufacturers,” Meshioye emphasised.

     Also speaking, MAN Director General, Segun Ajaiyi-Kadir, lamented that because of the prevailing currency and fuel crisis including the acute shortage of forex, manufacturing is becoming an endangered profession. Ajaiyi-Kadir argued that there is no country in the world that has developed or become prosperous without a virile manufacturing sector, insisting, therefore, that manufacturing needed to be prioritised. To soothe the pain inflicted on Nigerians and manufacturers by the shortage of new Naira notes, for instance, Meshioye called on the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to put in place an effective monitoring system to ensure that redesigned notes or money released get to everyone. According to him, an effective monitoring system will also douse tension over allegations of hoarding.

    Lagos APC suspends campaign over cash crunch, fuel scarcity

     The Lagos State All Progressives Congress (APC) has announced the suspension of its campaign activities ahead of the forthcoming elections due to fuel scarcity and cash crunch occasioned by the naira redesign. The state Chairman of the party, Pastor Cornelius Ojelabi, made the announcement yesterday in a statement by the party’s Publicity Secretary, Mr Seye Oladejo.

     The party chairman said that the party empathised with the general public, especially the downtrodden who are at the receiving end of the crisis. According to him, it will be insensitive to forge ahead with the various rallies with the situation of things. Ojelabi said that members of APC are not immune against the development, adding that he has been inundated with several complaints. “I joined my voice with those of other well-meaning Nigerians to call for the review of the naira redesign policy to give it a human face and ameliorate the suffering of ordinary Nigerians,” he said.

     The chairman appealed that petroleum products should be made available in order not to jeopardise the preparation for the elections and reduce the negative economic impact. He enjoined all Lagos residents to remain law abiding as all issues would be resolved in due course.

    Justice Enenche’s order on redesigned currency is illegal, says Ondo lawyer

    Human rights activist and lawyer, Barr. Femi Emmanuel Emodamori, has described as illegal and unconstitutional the order granted by Justice Eleojo Enenche, restraining the CBN and a host of other commercial banks from extending the February 10 deadline for accepting the old N200, N500 and N1000 notes as legal tenders. Emodamori said the order was capable of bringing the judiciary into a monumental public disrepute and clearly constituted a recipe for social instability.

     He said the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory lacked the jurisdiction to grant such Order, based on the clear provision of Section 251(1) (d) and (r) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), which confers such power exclusively on the Federal High Court. The Ondo lawyer, in a statement issued in Akure, said Justice Enenche was not a judge of the Federal High Court and, therefore, lacked the power or jurisdiction to grant the purported order.

     Emodamori queried the legal interest of a political party to procure the Order from a court to ensure the enforcement or continuation of an anti-people policy. According to him, “Hon. Justice Enenche’s Order is a recipe for serious social-economic and political brouhaha that would spare no one and do no good, unless there is an urgent intervention. The people cannot spend their hard-earned old currency to meet basic daily survival needs. They also cannot access the new notes for which they have been told to swap their old ones, have now been restricted to withdrawing only N20,000 of their own money (whether old or new notes) from the banks. Clearly, they are being pushed to the wall. We must act fast to avert the impending disaster being deliberately stirred up by the forces of evil in the land.

     “I am therefore calling on the National Judicial Council to immediately investigate and take appropriate disciplinary measures against Justice Enenche for issuing the unconstitutional, ridiculous and irresponsible ex-parte Order. Nigerian must resist the temptation to embark on any mass uprising

    that would destroy our country, although the right to peaceful expression and protest is a fundamental human right.”

    Don’t make Nigerians scapegoats, Atiku warns

    The PDP presidential standard bearer, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has told the Federal Government not to allow Nigerians to be made scapegoats “in the ongoing battle of titans over the redesign of the naira.” Atiku made the appeal in a statement by his media aides in Abuja yesterday. He said that the Federal Government had a duty to swiftly see to it that commercial banks did not constitute themselves into stumbling blocks on “the well-thought out policy of naira redesign.” “It is commendable that the Federal Government has rather preferred to work behind the scenes, based on the intelligence it is believed to have received, regarding suspicions that some presidential candidates may have stashed billions of naira as war-chest for vote-buying.’’

     The former Vice President lamented that there had been widespread anxiety across the country, arising from poor execution of the naira redesign policy by commercial banks in the country. “Businesses and cash-dependent small holder enterprises are all currently in serious distress. This should be addressed urgently to save the economy from collapse.’’

     Atiku said that he had, on Jan. 28, made a crucial intervention on the redesign of the naira, calling on the Federal Government and the CBN to consider adjusting the deadline date to address the challenges being faced by members of the public. He re-stated that the policy is being mismanaged, unlike what obtained in other parts of the world where similar policies were implemented without pains. According to him, millions of Nigerians are being driven into grave desperation and despondency on account of the shortcomings of the execution of the policy. “In recent weeks, social tension has been growing across Nigeria on account of the poor management of the redesign of the naira policy,’’ he said.

    It is a threat to national peace, says ADC presidential candidate

    Mr Dumebi Kachikwu, African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, said the insufficient circulation of the new naira notes posed great threats to the country’s peace. Kachikwu said this in a statement yesterday in Abuja. He said it was disheartening to see Nigerians endure long queues under scorching sun just to withdraw their hard-earned money. According to him, Nigerians are groaning in agony and people are being dehumanised in a bid to obtain the new notes.

     “If this is not bad enough, the most political Central Bank Governor in our nation’s history seeks to plunge our nation into further chaos. How else can one explain this ill-conceived naira redesign policy that ought to strengthen the value of our currency but now threatens our very existence as a nation? My heart broke as I watched the videos of those who stripped naked in banking halls all in a bid to collect their money.

     “How do you speak of cashless banking in a country plagued by epileptic telecom networks and power blackouts? Who is deceiving who when many parts of Northern Nigeria don’t have bank branches and lack the infrastructure to support e-banking. Was this not factored into the CBN Governor’s plan?”

     Kachikwu said that Nigerians did not deserve hardships, especially at a time when fuel was also not available in many parts of the country. He alleged that people queued for hours for fuel only to be told they could not buy. This, he said, was because they did not have cash and the Point of Sale (POS) terminals were not in operation due to unavailability of both the old and the new naira notes. He lamented no money, no food, no power, no jobs, no security, adding that all these were ingredients of anarchy if not well managed. “Our nation is plagued by a Covid-19 induced inflation and recession like most nations but in our own case the managers of our economy have run out of ideas. How do we deal with the corruption at our ports that is at the heart of inflation in an import dependent economy? How do we stem the brain drain and keep our middle class happy and content in a working Nigeria?

     “How do we defend our borders, secure our highways and protect our farmlands and how do we bring the aggrieved Igbos back to an equitable table? How do we repay our loans and balance our budget; how do we recreate the value of our naira and create good paying jobs for tens of millions of Nigerians who are in despair?”

    ‘80% PoS operators out of business,’ say operators

    The Association of Mobile Money and Bank Agents in Nigeria (AMMBAN) says over 80 per cent of its members have shut down their operations due to the cash crunch in the country. Speaking with yesterday, Hussein Olanrewaju, national chief aggregating officer of AMMBAN, said the current cash shortage has affected the means of livelihood of point of sale (PoS) operators nationwide.

     “The reality is obvious; agents are treated as other Nigerians even when they act as a mini-bank in catering for the needs of underbanked and unbanked Nigerians. Some agents do go the extra mile to get cash which of course comes with a cost and then push the same cost to their customers. It’s sad and worrisome. AMMBAN has frowned on this illegal act and has warned its members not to be found wanting in such an act.

     “This has made over 80% PoS agents shut down their business across the country and negatively affected their livelihood. Where there used to be 10 agents before, you can hardly find 2 agents operating in the same location now. We have been engaging with the CBN to categorise PoS agents separately so that these excesses are put to an end.”

    APC group demands extension of naira swap deadline

    The APC Professional Forum has joined the call for President Muhammadu Buhari and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to further extend the time for the old currency to cease to be legal tender. The forum said the call for time extension became necessary in order not to further overheat the economy with the likelihood of unintended consequences.

     The Board of Trustee (BoT) Chairman of the forum and former Governor of Bauchi state, Malam Isa Yuguda, made the call on behalf of the forum in Abuja yesterday while addressing newsmen. Yuguda said that the current tensed socio-economic environment in the nation occasioned by the twin factors of persistent scarcity of petrol and widespread discontent and difficulties arising from the implementation of the well-intended currency redesign policy of the federal government informed the call for extension. The former Minister of Aviation said while the forum saw nothing wrong with the government’s decision to embark on the currency redesign policy to address the distortions in the economy, he expressed concern about the mode of implementation, which has been inflicting untold hardship on everybody in every part of the country.

     His words: “But in view of the chaos and near anarchy in some parts of the country, we are of the view that the situation may require more efforts and steps in order to address the possibility of major social upheavals as the elasticity of the average citizen is stretched to a breaking point. It is our considered view that the timing of the implementation of this laudable policy should be urgently reviewed. We call on President Buhari to consider all options including but not limited to a further extension of the time for the old currency to cease to be legal tender so as not to further overheat the economy with the likelihood of unintended consequences.”

    Bauchi petty traders cry out over losses

    Some petty traders in Bauchi have expressed worry over the losses they currently incur in their daily transactions. A cross-section of the people blamed the development on the scarcity of the new naira notes. They said that the difficulties faced in accessing the new notes drastically affected business generally in the area.

     Mrs Fatima Danjuma, a soya bean cake maker, said she was finding it difficult to make enough sales to fend for her family. She said that businesses had stagnated in the state. Danjuma said: “I have N4,000 as my capital and paid N400 as Point of Sale (POS) charge after visiting four POS operators. I don’t have enough money to buy firewood to make enough soya bean cake to meet my customers’ demand.”

     A firewood seller, Mrs Halima Turaki, said that she made her purchases via her daughter’s account because she did not have enough cash. According to her, inability to access the naira notes had affected her business. “The naira swap has made business difficult because the lower denomination is scarce, so prospective buyers usually go to other sellers due to the lack of change.”

    Also, a local drink dealer, Mrs Victoria Andrew, said that it was becoming hard for her to exhaust her daily production due to a drastic fall in patronage. “It is unfortunate that I now record unsold daily because of the scarcity of the new naira notes and attendant low sales,” Andrew said.

    She blamed the situation on the lack of lower denominations had affected daily sales, leading to great losses. An ice block seller, Mr Faizu Mohammed, said that the present weather condition in the state makes for brisk business but regretted that the cash policy had caused a major setback in her business. “Our product is sold in lower denominations, so we lose money daily because people don’t even have cash to buy and providing them change is another serious problem,” she said.

    Umahi backs Buhari over new naira note

    The Ebonyi State Governor, Chief David Umahi yesterday joined other critical stakeholders in Nigerian project to back President Mohammedu Buhari over the redesign of the country’s currency notes. Governor Umahi made his position known during the APC governorship campaign rally yesterday.

     The Chairman, South East Governor’s Forum, who expressed concern over the economic hardship witnessed in the country following the redesign of the new notes assured the President that there won’t be any protest against the policy in the state. He urged the people of the country to be patient with the President adding that in few days to come, the suffering and hardship witnessed by the people will be resolved. “President Buhari has worked so much for this country; he is a man with a clean heart. He is a man fighting the people that are oppressing the masses and I want to appeal to our people to be patient with him. We will support the President in the new naira redesign. In few days Nigerians will be happy with his decision.

     “We know we can’t go to the banks to withdraw money, we know the money is very scarce in Ebonyi, we know that the ATMs has all dried up and we have informed Mr. President and Mr. President is already addressing the issue. Buhari is a man that loves the people; he is a man that hates to see the people suffering. I urge all the gladiators to allow him to finish the good work that God called him to do in Nigeria.”

  • Beyond Emefiele’s policy misadventure

    Beyond Emefiele’s policy misadventure

    At the start of 2023, Nigerians had hoped that, with a few months to the end of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, the government would ramp up its efforts to further reduce poverty and stabilise the economy.

    But it appears the masses may have to endure the unpleasant economic condition for a longer period. When Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Godwin Emefiele, announced plans to redesign some denominations of the naira last year, hardly anyone envisaged it would bring untold hardship.

    While Nigerians are still faced with the worst petrol crisis with chaotic queues sprawled across various roads, the scarcity of the newly designed naira has worsened things. Many filling stations across the country have either closed or have been operating intermittent schedules, often selling at higher prices (between N280 and N550).

    To many observers, the Emefiele-led CBN appears to be running the worst currency redesign in the country’s history. Emefiele, who began his tenure in 2014, may have lost the support of patriotic and serious Nigerians who are irked over the unpleasant policy. Many believe the CBN seems to have lost its direction under its current governor.

    Following his failed bid to circumvent the constitution and contest for the presidential seat while still retaining his seat at the CBN, Emefiele, went to court by proxy to challenge his exclusion from the race. However, he continued as CBN governor after failing at the court.

    With his recent policy misadventure, allegedly targeted at preventing candidates from vote-buying, the CBN governor has, no doubt, made himself a shadow candidate in the 2023 presidential race.

    The decision by the Emefiele-led CBN to introduce the redesigned N200, N500, and N1,000 banknotes into the financial system was reportedly informed by the activities of certain members of the public who were hoarding banknotes – findings showed that over 85 percent of the circulating currency was outside the banks, claimed the CBN.

    But the policy has been largely criticised by many Nigerians as it has occasioned hardship in financial transactions. Observers have also argued the time frame given for the policy to lapse is insufficient. Sadly, cash-strapped Nigerians have been toiling day and night to withdraw money from ATMs across the country.

    The latest decision has sparked social unrest in some states, and indeed further unrest is likely ahead if socioeconomic conditions remain challenging for the masses. The new notes are unavailable, but Emefiele blamed banks for the scarcity. Banks equally claimed that the CBN had not supplied a sufficient quantity of the redesigned notes to meet demand.

    While city dwellers lament their inability to get the new notes, the situation is even direr for rural dwellers across the country who have fewer channels to access the redesigned currencies. Consequently, large segments of the citizenry have been impoverished.

    Some commentators lamented that at the Point of Sales (POS) parallel market, the Naira to Naira exchange rate has assumed different dimensions. Many are paying 10 percent or more on every withdrawal.

    Against the backdrop of the crisis, Emefiele recently bowed to pressure and appeared before the Federal House of Representatives. He was asked to reconsider the apex bank’s stand on the deadline for currency swapping in view of the inadequacies surrounding the availability of the new currencies.

    The scarcity of the new naira notes has, however, taken a worse dimension as some currency racketeers have taken advantage of the situation to exploit Nigerians desperately seeking to obtain the currencies. This situation was made worse by the refusal of banks to allow over-the-counter withdrawals in line with the CBN directives, but the CBN has rescinded its decision allowing over-the-counter withdrawal of only N20, 000.

    There is no gainsaying the scarcity of currency notes has left critical sectors vulnerable. These sectors, on a daily basis, contribute significantly to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

    Many financial service vendors aka POS operators have taken to hoarding the new notes and reselling them at excessive rates; one notable culprit is the so-called social influencer, Simisola Gold.

    During the week, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) in Nigeria arrested Gold for allegedly offering new naira notes for sale on social media.

    While the scarcity persists, President Buhari has approved the CBN’s request — a seven-day grace period — for the extension of the deadline for swapping old Naira notes for the redesigned ones.

    However, the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, has argued that the current hardships, though temporal, are required to stifle corruption and gradually transition into a cashless economy.

    Meanwhile, the governors told the President that while they agreed that his decision on the currency redesign was good and that they were fully in support, its execution had been botched and their constituents were becoming increasingly upset.

  • Tension as soldiers invade Lagos community, torture residents, mark 200 buildings for demolition

    Tension as soldiers invade Lagos community, torture residents, mark 200 buildings for demolition

    • Assaulted residents should lodge official complaints, says Army

    Community leaders and residents of Iraye Oke village in Eredo Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Epe, Lagos State have cried out over alleged sustained effort by the Army to demolish their houses and take over the community, reports KUNLE AKINRINADE.

    For the people of Iraye Oke, a community in Eredo Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Lagos State, the last four weeks have been hell on earth.

    Until its serene and peaceful ambience was violated by some soldiers who invaded it recently, Iraye Oke was a rainbow community that hosted Nigerians of different ethnic backgrounds.

    But the peace of the community has taken a flight and left the people to live with fear that their homes could be demolished at any time.

    One of the inhabitants, who identified herself simply as Mrs. Balogun, said she moved into her beautiful three-bedroom bungalow with her family in 2016.

    According to her, she had struggled to build the house in the hope that its completion would put an end to her suffering with regard to accommodation. How wrong!

    “The events of the last few days have removed sleep from my eyes. I cannot sleep or do anything. After struggling to build the house with my life savings, soldiers are now threatening to demolish it,” she said as tears welled up in her eyes.

    And she is not alone in her travails. A neighbour of hers, Mrs. Abiodun, who moved into her own house about three months ago, also had a sad storyto tell.

    She said: “My husband completed the construction of our house late last year, we moved into the house in November and we were happy that we finally had house we could call our own.

    “Where do we go from here? We are confused and we don’t know what to do.”

    Sadly, the story is the same for many other families in the community whose homes are marked for demolition.

    But most pathetic is the story of one Dauda, a gardener in the local council office. With tears rolling down his cheeks, the Ondo-State-born gardener lamented that it took him years of self-denial and determination to build a house from his meager salary.

    He said: “I am a labourer. I work with the council, cutting grass every day. I had to deny myself and my family many things so that we can have a roof over our heads.

    “If this house is demolished, what do they expect me to do? Sure, they are asking me to go and die.”

    Another resident, Olale Abdulganiyu, has lived in his house for more than nine years. A retired civil servant, Abdulganiyu, who is also a traditional medicine practitioner, said the arrival of soldiers in the community was driving the residents to the edge.

    He said: “I moved into this house in 2012. We all live like brothers and sisters here. But since they arrived, the place is gradually becoming a ghost town. Everybody is scared.”

    According to him, the soldiers first appeared in the community last September.

    He said: “We just woke up one day and saw a helicopter flying very low. The people were scared, but it later went away. A few days later, we saw some men in army uniform measuring the land. I approached them and one of them told me that they were measuring their land. I was shocked because we never heard any story of the army having any land in the area.”

    He called on government to intervene and help them secure their buildings.

    “We smell a rat in the whole matter. That is why we are calling on the government to please intervene and rescue us from these people.

    “Imagine what will happen if you take over more than 200 buildings. Do you know the number of families that will be sent into the streets? It is sheer wickedness.”

    Alhaji Kazeem Anwoju, the deputy Baale of Iraye Oke, whose family, Lenuwa royal family, owns the land, said the arrival of the soldiers has thrown the entire community into confusion.

    Anwoju said some youths who were working on a site were brutalised and detained by the soldiers before they were released following the intervention of some community leaders.

    “The Army arrested 10 indigenes and took them to their barracks inside the LASU campus in Epe and beat them up,” he said.

    Sharing his travails, one of the youths allegedly brutalised by the soldiers, Gbenga Ibrahim, said they were subjected to torture and other forms of inhuman treatment.

    Ibrahim said: “In September 2022, I and some members of our family were working on a portion of land in the community when we suddenly saw soldiers storming the premises and started asking what we were doing on their land. The next thing was that they started beating us and told us to roll on the floor and do frog jump.

    “For hours, we were asked to roll on the ground and they collected all our mobile phones. They later tied our clothes together, put us inside a contractor’s truck and took us to their barracks where we were asked to do push-ups on hot granite. They later gave us cutlasses to start cutting grass until one of our uncles came to secure our release.”

    Expatiating further, Anwoju said: “They (the army) are encroaching on our land. They came and started saying they wanted to mark houses for demolition. We don’t know why and we don’t have anything to do with the Army.

    “They came to our land and started erecting pillars, claiming the land belonged to them.

    “We petitioned the Lagos State Government but nothing was done. We also approached the 81 Division and what we were told was that they were posted there and that there was nothing they could do except to report to the higher authorities.

    “We have contacted the Army authorities in Abuja but got no response.

    “Historically, Iraye-Oke is one of the communities that make up Epe but we are under Eredo Local Council Development Area (LCDA).

    “Soldiers came to Epe in 1970 and built their barracks there. In 1975, the soldiers left Epe and their barracks are now the LASU campus.

    “However, about a year ago, the soldiers returned to Epe, left their barracks, and started encroaching on Iraye land.

    “They have been harassing and beating our people. As I speak with you, the soldiers are in the Iraye community, fighting our people over our land.”

    He added: “We never had any agreement with them. We are sad and we want the government and Nigerians to help us out.

    “The Army does not have any land in our community. They never bought any portion of our land from us and never asked us about the land. They just came suddenly and started doing what is not right on our land.

    “People now stand in groups of three or four discussing the problem.

    “We have approached them and presented all the family documents. No part of Iraye Oke land belongs to the army.

    “We are calling on the authorities and Nigerians to come to our rescue.

    “Recently, the soldiers beat up some people. This is just the beginning and we don’t know where this is heading?”

    In a WhatsApp message forwarded to our correspondent, the Deputy Director of Army Public Relations, 81 Division, Nigerian Army, Lt. Col Olabisi Ayeni, said a committee had been set up to look into land-related matters, urging the affected community to submit their complaints to the Army Division for resolution of the issue.

    “Headquarters 81 Division has set up a committee that resolves land issues between the Nigerian Army and host communities in Lagos State. I will advise that the representatives of the community liaise with the Division and make their grievances known officially.

    “I assure you, the committee will look into it and the issue will be resolved,” Ayeni said.

  • Fear of another lockdown as spread of diphtheria worsens

    Fear of another lockdown as spread of diphtheria worsens

    •’Our measures against deadly disease’

    BARELY one year after the nation and the rest of the world survived the onslaught of COVID-19, an epidemic that forced many countries to shut down all social, political and economic activities for months because of its extremely contagious nature, another infectious disease that hinders breathing and make swallowing difficult is on the loose.

    The acute and highly contagious bacteria disease, according to health experts, causes inflammation of the mucus membrane and formation of a false membrane in the throat which hinders breathing and swallowing with potentially fatal heart and nerve damage by a bacteria toxin in the blood.

    According to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), the outbreak of diphteria in the country has resulted in the loss of no fewer than 38 lives from the 123 cases so far recorded.

    Unfortunately, a lot of people are oblivious of the epidemic and the danger it poses to the life and well-being of individuals. Many others who are aware of its existence confuse it with COVID-19 and are therefore ignorant of what precautionary measures to take.

    According to the NCDC, the onset of signs and symptoms usually appear between two and 10 days after exposure to bacteria and include fever, runny nose, sore throat,  cough, red eyes (conjunctivitis)  neck swelling and, in severe cases, a thick grey or white patch appears on the tonsil and/or at the back of the throat, making it difficult to breathe.

    With many cases already reported in such states as Kano, Lagos, Yobe and Osun, there are fears in some quarters that the country could be forced to embark on another lockdown if the spread of the disease continues.

    In Osun State, for instance, the government institutions within the state have put measures in place to prevent the outbreak of diphtheria.

    At the time of writing this report, the state had recorded a case of diphtheria but health practitioners in the state moved quickly to put the spread of the disease in check.

    Findings made by The Nation revealed that schools, especially the higher institutions of learning in the state are now issuing stringent guidelines aimed at preventing the outbreak of the disease on schools’ campuses.

    A public health practitioner in the state, Ireoluwatomiwa Shaniyi, explained that diphtheria is a serious bacterial infection caused by the bacterium called Corynebacterium species, which affects the nose, the throat and sometimes the skin of an individual. She urged the federal government to ensure that it provides a vibrant health care system to tackle diphtheria, warning that if care another lockdown was imminent except government takes the necessary precautions. Another lockdown, the medical expert warned, would not augur well for the economic situation in the country.

    Shaniyi said: “I strongly recommend contact tracing of anybody that contracts the virus.

    “They should be quarantined, and the government must roll out different educational programmes in the media to educate people about it.

    “Anti-biotics and vaccination should be recommended for patients.”

    The leadership of Osun State University, through its Public Relations Officer, Mr. Adesoji Ademola, said the school had been put on red alert the same way they did during the spread of COVID-19.

    He said: “We have a vibrant health care system in our school. We have our laboratory in place where tests are carried out.

    “We have not put aside the facilities we used to tackle COVID-19 because we never recorded any case.

    “We have put to work the mechanism to check possible outbreak and we are not perturbed.”

    It was gathered that other institutions in the state had issued some restrictions to students and staff to prevent the outbreak of the virus.

    The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) had earlier said it was monitoring the situation of diphtheria in Yobe and Osun States while the Osun State Government, through the spokesperson of the governor, Olawale Rasheed, confirmed that the state had recorded a case of diphtheria in Ilesa East Local Government Area of the state.

    Rasheed added that the victim had been isolated and placed on treatment.

    He said the government had also begun contact tracing and search for others who might have been infected with the disease in different locations across the state.

    Rasheed said the state government had also begun sensitisation programmes for residents on how to prevent the spread of the disease.

    He said: “What the state is doing to curtail the spread of diphtheria in Osun State is community active case search and community sensitisation during the active case search, retroactive case search in health facilities in the affected LGA, contact tracing and follow up on the index case.

    “We are training health workers on how to treat diphtheria disease, distributing preventive materials to hospitals and sensitising residents of the state through radio jingles and other programmes, production and distribution of IEC materials, training of health workers on case definitions and infection prevention and control of diphtheria.

    “We have also embarked on production of jingles on prevention and training of health workers on sample collection of Diphtheria.”

    Delta investigates four diphtheria cases

    The Delta State Government has said that four unconfirmed cases of diphtheria were being investigated in the state. It, however, said there was no cause for alarm as state health officials were religiously administering a robust immunization programme.

    The state’s Commissioner for Health, Dr. Nonye Mordi said in a telephone interview that four cases were being investigated, adding that due to weather conditions, there was an upsurge in upper respiratory tract conditions which might be confused with diphtheria.

    He said the state was nonetheless alert to the situation and would be able to isolate genuine cases of the disease at any consulting clinic in the state. He also said the risk commission team of its public health department had stepped up enlightenment campaign on the radio, adding that its work development teams had been dispatched to communities to raise awareness.

    Mordi said: “For Delta State, there are no confirmed cases of diphtheria. But there are four reported cases. We have had persons presenting symptoms that look like the disease.

    “In this season, due to the weather, we have all manner of upper respiratory tract conditions. We are alert, anyway, to deal with it. Our teams that goes out for routine immunization are up and running.

    “Regularly, our children are given vaccines against diphtheria as part of their DPT. We are alert to be sure that we are able to pick out any genuine case in any of our consulting clinics.”

    He said due to the robustness of the state’s immunization programme, any outbreak of diphtheria is usually mild as mothers are routinely informed about the disease.

    ‘Lassa fever is bigger threat in Anambra’

    Anambra State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Afam Obidike, said the state had not recorded any case of diphtheria.

    According to him, the ministry is on high alert and taking proactive measures to guard against the spread of the disease in the state.

    He however confirmed one death and fifteen suspected cases of Lassa fever in the state since January.

    He said the state’s emergency response team was already responding to the recorded cases while relevant surveillance measures were in place to curtail disease spread.

    He further said the government had constituted contact tracing teams to follow up on the cases.

    Obidike said: “So far in Anambra State, we have recorded 15 suspected cases of Lassa fever and one death.

    “The ministry is following the National guidelines in managing the cases of Lassa fever in the state. And we have started contact tracing to manage the situation and prevent further spread.”

    Imo on red alert

    The Imo State Government said that there is no recorded case of the disease in the state. Although the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Success Prosper, had not responded to the enquiry sent to him at press time, the Public Relations Officer of the ministry told The Nation that there was no recorded case of diphtheria in the state.

    She, however, said an emergency centre had been opened at the Specialist Hospital in the state for that purpose.

    She said the state government had been enlightening the public through the awareness provided by the National Centre for Disease Control.

    Edo government takes proactive measures

    Our correspondent reports that the Godwin Obaseki administration in Edo State is being proactive on the diphtheria challenge, as it did during the COVID-19 pandemic.

    While Edo State Commissioner for Health, Prof. (Mrs.) Obehi Akhoria, could not be reached for comments on her mobile phones, a source close to her, who spoke in confidence, said there had not been any confirmed case of diphtheria in Edo but awareness about the disease was being created.

    The source noted that since diphtheria had similar respiratory symptoms of sore throat, fever and weakness as COVID-19 and often spreads through cough, sneezing, infected saliva exchange and droplets, it is preventable with vaccines and prompt medical attention with antibiotics, and the medical challenge would quickly be tackled as was done in the COVID-19 era.

    NCDC’s advises Nigerians

    Advising Nigerians about the disease, the NCDC tasked parents to ensure that their children are fully vaccinated against diphtheria with three doses of the pentavalent vaccine as recommended in the childhood immunization schedule.

    The agency also charged healthcare workers to maintain a high index of suspicion for diphtheria. It urged health workers to be vigilant and look out for the symptoms of diphtheria.

    It also said that individuals with signs and symptoms suggestive of diphtheria should isolate themselves and notify the local government area (LGA), state disease surveillance officer (DSNO) or the NCDC through its toll-free line (6232).

    It urged all healthcare workers (doctors, nurses, laboratory scientists, support staff, etc) with higher exposure to cases of diphtheria to be vaccinated against it.

  • Being honoured with titles means we did some good things in Nigeria -Outgoing Brazil Consul-General to Nigeria

    Being honoured with titles means we did some good things in Nigeria -Outgoing Brazil Consul-General to Nigeria

    Recently, Brazil’s consul-general to Nigeria, Ambassador Francisco Luz and his elegant wife, Ivana Panizzi Luz, were honoured with the titles of Araba and Yeye Oba of Ishaga Akiniyi Kingdom by High Chief Femi Francis Akiniyi, the traditional ruler of Ishaga Akiniyi, Ogun State. Gboyega Alaka who saw it all, reports.

    IT was a glam yet exclusive affair on Wednesday January 18, 2023. The hall inside the Embassy of Brazil on Kofo Abayomi Street, Victoria Island, Lagos, was filled with a select audience, mostly of diplomats and a huge entourage, dressed mostly in white, of his Highness, High Chief Femi Francis Akiniyi, the traditional ruler of Ishaga Akiniyi, a growing community in Ogun State.

    The Brazilian Consul-General in Nigeria, Ambassador Francisco Luz and his elegant wife, Ivana Panizzi Luz, who were being redeployed to Bolivia after a successful tenure in Nigeria, were being honoured by High Chief Akiniyi with the titles of Araba of Ishaga Akiniyi and Yeye Oba of Ishaga Akiniyi respectively.

    The honour, according to High Chief Akiniyi, was for the love and passion they showed for Nigeria and the black race throughout their stay in Nigeria.

    “The Consul General has been a good friend along with his wife. If you move close to them, you won’t but notice the love for Africa and their passion for the black race.

    “If you see him talking about the black race and the drawbacks that we have had to contend with, you would almost see him shedding tears.

    “With them, there is no iota of racism or condescension. So when he told me he was being redeployed to Bolivia, I said to myself to the fact that I did some good things while working here. I think it also a show of respect from the community to me and my wife. We are very proud of it.”

    Luz, who traced his sojourn in Africa to a little short of two decades also singled Nigeria out as topnotch in the comity of African nations.

    “To start with, I had been in Africa for 15 years before I was transferred to Nigeria. I was in South Africa, Mozambique, Tanzania and Zimbabwe.

    “I was in Tanzania as ambassador and in other countries as consul-general; so I had a view of Southern and Eastern Africa.

    “Lagos was my first experience in West Africa, and I can say, with my experience, that Nigeria is a fusion or synthesis of Africa. and my chiefs, this is a dear friend and a brother; we need to honour him and give him a sense of belonging here, so that he will always look back and remember Nigeria as a home.

    “This is also Ishaga Akiniyi town’s little way of further fostering a stronger relationship between the Africa/Nigerian culture and the Brazilian culture, and encouraging Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) to Nigeria.

    “An honour such as this will make them see Nigeria as home, and they would not hesitate to come back and invest or even encourage their friends to do so.”

    Speaking, Ambassador Luz said it is an honour he would forever wear with pride.

    “I’m quite honoured. It’s a thing of pride for me to wear this crown. It is a testimony”

    Everything that you’ve seen or heard of Africa exists in Nigeria. So if I am to name one country where you can indeed experience Africa, Nigeria would be my first choice.

    “For me, therefore, it is very interesting to end my African tour in Nigeria, because I think I learnt a lot. We see the potential of the country – biggest economy in Africa.

    “It is an honour to have served here for three years, and I hope my successor can continue the work that I started here, trying to build bridges in culture, in trade and in all sectors.”

    Ambassador Luz is not unmindful of the historical link that may well exist between the people of the two countries. Brazil, of course is one country out of Africa with a huge dose of black people.

    Notably, at the entrance to the embassy is a register opened in honour of the great Brazilian football icon, Edson Arantes De Nacimento, popularly known as Pele, who passed on in December, and who of course was a black man, where people, including some of the visitors to this event, have been pouring out their emotions as tributes.

    “People have to understand that there are some Brazilians that can trace their roots to Nigeria and there are many of them too who probably want to visit and possibly find their relatives here that they may invite over.

    “Interactions like this will encourage more knowledge and understanding of the two countries, because where there is no knowledge of each other, there is mistrust,” Ambassador Luz said.

    For his wife, Ivana, Nigeria, within just three years, has become like a second home.

    She said: “I come from Brazil and we’ve lived in so many countries, but Nigeria has been a special place for us.

    “We’ve been working with the communities. I am an artist and a teacher, and I’ve enjoyed every bit of my time working with the communities.

    “With everybody that we’ve met, it has been special.”

    And so she said “it’s very sad” having to be posted out so soon.

    But she has a promise: “With every opportunity, we’re going to be contributing to the community forever.

    “I’ll definitely be coming back to Nigeria to do some more work. And of course, I will be going to my community, Ishaga Akiniyi, where they have so honoured us, for sure.”