When Governor Nyesom Wike declared on Saturday, January 30, 2021, that discussions have been concluded to commence the construction of the Trans-Kalabari Road, which will ease transportation difficulties experienced by the people of Kalabari Ethnic Nationality, the announcement was greeted with mixed feelings.
The diverse feelings of hope, skepticism, disbelief, déjâ vú and forlon nostalgia were understandable for the simple reason that the Trans-Kalabari Road project has been one of the major talking points in the Rivers political calibration since 1999.
The nostalgia was even more poignant, as many Rivers people, especially the people of Kalabari will recall that in December 2012, the administration of the day had assured the people of Kalabari that the Road would be completed before the exit of that regime from office in 2015.
The so called assurance that the road remains top priority of that administration, had been made with boastful audacity, at a town hall meeting in Buguma, headquarters of Asari-Toru Local Government Area, in the following words, “The Trans-Kalabari road is coming and we have awarded the contract to Lubriks for the sum of N21billion. We have agreed to take it to Buguma so by January we will mobilise the contractor to site”.
Alas, just like the Karibi Whyte Memorial Hospital and the grotesque, daylight robbery monorail project that assaults the sensibilities, the Trans-Kalabari road joined other white elephant projects of that administration, which its spin doctors have been trying with frenzied misleading propaganda to re-present.
So, when Governor Wike declared, during the reception organised for the conferment of the special chieftaincy title, Eze Gbuwara Uzo1 of Ikwerre on Sir Celestine Omehia, former Governor of Rivers State, at Isiokpo Town in Ikwerre Local Government Area, on Saturday, January 30, 2021, the expectations also carried a tinge of real hope.
The reason was not far fetched. It was not only that the announcement had come on the heels of a marathon inauguration of quality projects across the state, but the faith and belief that Governor Wike had already pledged to complete legacy projects he started in every Local Government Area in the State, during his tenure.
Affirming the seriousness of the Rivers State Government to commence the Trans-Kalabari Road project, Governor Wike said: “I and the Deputy Governor, together with the Chairman of the Rivers State Elders Council, have agreed on how the Trans-kalabari Road will follow. Those who said we don’t want to do anything in the Kalabari area, today they are sending me text messages to thank me.”
To add the icing on the cake, the Governor said that with several projects inaugurated in the various local governmentsbof the State, most critics who accused him of being sectional with his development programme are now ashamed and silenced.
“So many people have said that I am discriminating in terms of projects. Now, when they saw us go to the various Local Governments to commission projects, they don’t say anything again,” he stated.
Two months later, on Wednesday, March 24, 2021, the Rivers State Executive Council approved the construction of the Trans-Kalabari and Saakpenwa-Bori-Kono Road projects at the cost of N27.6billion.
It will also be recalled that Governor Wike had, during the January 30 reception for Sir Celestine Omehia equally declared that: “When we were constructing Sakpeenwa -Bori Road, some politicians in our party were carrying propaganda. They were saying that we are not going to complete it.
“But, they now have one of the best roads in the state. Some of them were even ashamed to watch it on television. We have also agreed that from Sakpeenwa to Bori, we are awarding fresh contract to take it to Kono town.”
Little wonder therefore that an avalanche of encomiums, ranging from lyrical to poetic and the unrestrained outpouring of joy by top politicians, media gurus, statesmen and an appreciative community witnessing an infrastructure miracle they had only dared to dream about, greeted the commissioning of the the first phase, 16.06 kilometers, dual carriage Sakpenwa-Bori Highway by the Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Ifeanyichukwu Lawrence Ugwuanyi on Tuesday, January 5, 2021
Now, with the approval for the construction of Phase 2 and indeed the award of the Trans-Kalabari road, Rivers people have already concurred that these are two more promises made and kept by the promise keeping Governor who is building legacy projects all over Rivers State.
Elloka Tasie-Amadi, speaking at a Press Briefing on the approval for the construction of the Saakpenwa-Bori-Kono Phase 2 Road project said the project which starts from Bori to Kono, “is a 17 kilometer road and the cost of the project is N14 Billion. Construction time is 14 months. Payment will also be secured by an irrevocable payment standing order of N1 billion monthly drawn against the State Internal Revenue.”
The Works Commissioner further stated that the Saakpenwa-Bori-Kono contract will be executed by the same the company that executed the Phase 1 of the road , Chinese Civil and Engineering Construction Corporation, adding, for emphasis, that the reason the cost of the Trans-Kalabari road which is 13 kilometers long and 9.3 meters wide is almost the same as that of Bori- Kono 17.1 kilometers and 24 meters wide road with street light, is because the terrains are different.
“You see the cost of building in the riverine area is nothing less than twice the cost of building on solid soil. So the Government is going through huge trouble to see that these roads are built. People will wonder why the cost are like that, the terrain determines the cost. So, the Trans-Kalabari Road is far more expensive to build.”
Shedding more light on the Trans-Kalabari Road, Tasie-Amadi explained that the road will connect several communities amongst them Krakama, Omekwe-ama, Angula-ama, Mina-ama and some other communities in the Kalabari area of the State.
“The project will cost N13.6billion and will have 14 months duration, financed by an irrevocable standing payment order drawn against the State Internal Revenue, meaning that every month the contractor will be paid N1 Billon and there will be no delays.
“This will guarantee the project is not stalled and completed within the time frame stipulated and agreed with the State Government. This I believe will be useful to the people and open the area for economic activities,” he added.
There is absolutely no doubt whatsoever, that the award of the Trans-Kalabari Road by the Governor Wike’s administration is historic. Many will recall that the previous government awarded the road to indigenes of the area who later abandoned the project for inexplicable reasons.
It had also been the most devious unique selling point in a completely dubious and misleading election propaganda of a political party, which had trumpeted the ethnic mantra that only a Riverine Governor would deliver the Trans-Kalabari Road, with their leader even audaciously foisting a business accomplice as the anointed messiah on the hapless followers. Now they will hide their heads in shame.
Finally, for those who have been shouting themselves hoarse with the broken chant that Governor Wike is only developing Port Harcourt and Obio Akpor, these two major road projects; the Trans-Kalabari and the Phase 2 of Saakpenwa-Bori-Kono Roads, are located outside the city centre and this is a further testimony that Governor Wike has remained steadfast in spreading development to all the nooks and crannies of the State.
Most importantly, the two legacy roads projects are expected to be completed within the next fourteen months and with the kind of payment plan already structured for its operations, these projects will not be abandoned, but will definitely be completed and commissioned with ample time to spare, before the administration’s tenure elapses.
This not only consolidates Governor Wike’s promise that no project will be abandoned in his tenure, it further reinforces the undeniable fact that the Wike’s administration is only desirous of delivering projects that will impact positively and ensure the betterment of Rivers State and her people.
Nsirim is the Commissioner for Information and Communications, Rivers State
The recent award of excellence conferred on Governor Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State as Nutrition Champion for the Nigerian Child by the International Society of Media in Public Health was, beyond the symbolic expression, a worthy leadership appreciation in reversing a harrowing medical trend as it was also a call to duty.
Of course, the history behind the award and its true meaning in humanising society through human capital development in the state cannot be overemphasized, which indeed underlined the importance of the award.
Until recently, malnutrition was a major health concern in Gombe State with the attendant classification of the state as one with a high record of children not being able to grow to their potentials. Yes, that’s the implication of malnutrition when it is left to do damage to the development of a child.
According to the Journal of Advances in Medicine and Medical Research, a key indicator of malnutrition is stunting, “considered to be a very vital proxy for not only chronic nutritional deficit but for long term socio-economic deprivation among children and the society at large”.
In a recent research carried out in Gombe State aimed at determining the prevalence of stunting and its association with socio-demographic factors among school children, the prevalence of stunting was established especially among children in public schools compared with those in private schools just as low academic performance was also “significantly associated with high prevalence of stunting”.
Hence it was recommended that a multi-sectoral approach to addressing the problem be instituted by government and all stakeholders. And this was how the Community Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM) commenced in Gombe State in partnership with UNICEF.
The programme was originally piloted in three local government areas comprising 15 specialist centres. While UNICEF provided capacity building and supply of ready-to-use therapeutic food, the state and local governments provided the structures, manpower and supply of essential drugs. So far, so good. The programme has been very successful even with greater prospects of totally eradicating any form of malnutrition in the state.
It has to be stated that like some other development initiatives in the state where partnership had been a strategic plank of government’s development process, the timely provision of the state’s counterpart funding helped significantly in getting the desired result.
Alluding to the situation at the award ceremony held virtually, Governor Inuwa Yahaya noted with dismay that in spite of the human and natural resources the state is endowed with, the incidence of malnutrition was regrettably allowed to become a blight like in other vulnerable states for too long, a development which necessitated his government’s proactive action to combat it at the outset of his administration.
“We have a lot of food products that we produce locally but somehow some where the state failed to utilize them properly for the benefit of the children. So when I became governor, I realized that we are still so backward on the issue and I took it upon myself to relate with development partners and agencies in order to achieve the objective of giving proper nutrition to our children”, he stated.
However, going forward and in consonance with the challenge of sustainability, the programme has also undergone some review and renewal, making it so pivotal to look inwards in the essential provision of the basic ingredients. In this regard, the state government has innovated on the idea of sourcing local materials to keep going.
The understanding here being that government cannot continue to rely on the support from development partners indefinitely, hence the directive from the governor to the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation to find some means of having direct relationship with the Institute of Agricultural Research at the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria so that Gombe State can now develop and produce a formula for the benefit of children in the state.
In order to realize the above strategic objective, the administration has committed over N30 million in this fiscal year on direct production and the state has already gotten certification from NAFDAC which has since prompted the distribution of ready-to-use therapeutic food to various units within the local government areas so that children across the state can benefit from it.
By the thinking of government, this initiative is going to be a permanent solution to the malnutrition challenges in the state since all the basic materials required like soya beans, maize, groundnuts and saseme are all available in the state.
Waxing very optimistic on the development, Governor Inuwa Yahaya stated thus, “We have gotten the formula and the Technology Incubation Centre in Gombe has provided the basic machines required in order to continuously produce and I believe going forward, Gombe will come to be listed out of those states that have issues of malnutrition”.
Governor Yahaya acknowledged the support and encouragement his administration is getting from the various development partners and allied strategic institutions, adding that Gombe State will continue to collaborate with relevant agencies and bodies in order to rid the state and entire country from the menace of malnutrition.
The Executive Director of the organization, Mrs Moji Makanjuola, lauded the governor’s 10-year development plan which emphasizes HOD with a special focus on nutrition and related policies tackling issues affecting children.
On a broader note, the nutrition programme is also very helpful in mitigating maternal and child mortality because good nutrition is key to sound health development for both mother and child with the concomitant effect on economic growth and development.
In the words of USAID, “optimal maternal nutrition contributes to the survival of both mother and child and promotes women’s overall health, productivity and wellbeing”. This position has also been shared by UNICEF by calling for increased focus on mother and child nutrition as the backbone of a healthy life and with the salient reminder that such steps were critical in attaining the Sustainable Development Goals.
On national scale, the UN expects achievement on the SDG’s target of reducing maternal mortality by ratio to less than 70 per 100,000 live births and end the preventable death of children under five years of age to as low as 25 per 1000 live births. These are major health issues the Gombe State Government is working hard to address and with the ongoing programme to solidify good nutrition base in the state, the future of our children is very bright by attaining their potentials in life.
Misilli is Director-General ( Press Affairs) Government House Gombe
Dr. Amina Aminu Dorayi, a physician and public health professional with 17 years experience, is currently the Nigeria Country Director at Pathfinder International, where she provides overall strategic leadership and oversees the programmatic and operational management of Pathfinder activities in Nigeria. Prior to this role, she served as a Technical Director at the USAID-funded Sustaining Health Outcomes through the Private Sector Plus (SHOPS Plus) and was also the Associate Deputy National Programme Manager and Director of Service Delivery at the DFID-funded Partnership for Transforming Health Systems Phase II (PATHS2) project. In this interview with IBRAHIM APEKHADE YUSUF, the Kano State-born medical doctor, who is also married to a medical doctor from Niger State, shares her experiences joggling different roles at the workplace and at home. Excerpts:
WHEN does your typical day begin?
My typical day begins at around 5.30am with my morning prayers. My mornings are quite serene. My thoughts come to me in the morning and I also use this time to put up my to-do list. This way, I’m able to plan far ahead. I have followed this pattern religiously in the last two to three years or so since I assumed my current role at Pathfinder International.
What’s your management style?
As we all know, management is a very critical aspect of any organization. I believe that a good manager should be able to have a better understanding of his or her workplace and develop a strategy that can help in the efficient management of the workplace. Having said that, I would say my leadership style is democratic as well as participatory. I believe everyone in the team has something to offer and therefore it is my responsibility to ensure that the entire team work together to achieve the utmost objective of the organisation. In this period of globalisation anyone leading an organisation that is not forward-thinking, strategic and focus would be left behind. In our organisation there is a lot of diversity and constant change such that one is continuously learning to keep pace with the changing times. One thing that has worked for me is that I make everyone part of the decision-making process because I truly believe that an organisation is as good as its employees. As a person I don’t believe I have all the answers or I know it all. No. Around here, I tend to encourage my staff to learn to take initiatives. I also prefer to have a set of people to mentor about the processes and procedures so that they are able to carry on entirely on their own without having to wait for me to take certain decisions or get some tasks off the way.
What’s your management philosophy?
My management philosophy is people-focused. As I said earlier, an organisation is as good as the people working there. It is the responsibility of the manager to therefore create an environment conducive enough for every member of the team to thrive at all times.
Do you delegate responsibility or micromanage people?
Certainly, I like to delegate responsibility. As a manager, there is a limit to what you can be able to do. As an advocate of work, life balance, the only way to work optimally in a team is to be ready to delegate responsibility. In my field, a manager that finds it difficult to delegate cannot do well or end well.
Are you a team player?
As the saying goes, ‘teamwork, makes the team work.’ So teamwork is the way to go if you really want to go far.
How do you motivate your staff?
I motivate my team basically by responding to their needs. Here, we have the Employment Enhancement programme where we try to fill the pulse of the employees on a regular basis through surveys and questionnaires to have a better understanding of how the work environment impacts them as individuals as well as a group. I believe that when you give your staff the opportunity to be open they can offer useful suggestions that may better enhance their productivity and the job ultimately. We also give a token of appreciation to staff by giving certificates, plaques for those who have excelled in their roles as a way of encouragement. For me, I don’t believe the reward should just be monetary alone.
What motivates you?
I’m motivated by what I do to better than people around me. This is what makes me happy. So most of the time when I identify people with great potentials or causes that support the girl-child, education or public health; I can spend sleeplessness nights to ensure that the objective missions of such causes are achieved to the best of my abilities.
How do you reprimand erring staff?
Personally, I believe organsations should have policies that clearly stipulate the dos and don’ts for the staff. Of course, for the staff that go beyond the call of duty to carry out assignments they stand to be rewarded handsomely. However, for staff whose behave is below expectation, such staff can be given the benefit of the doubt to see if there will be a change in behavior and vice versa. But more importantly, I think what we try to do around here is to support the staff in whatever way we can to understand the issues and how if not nipped in the bud could pose disastrous consequences or detrimental to the organisation’s effectiveness.
What’s the best decision you have taken thus far?
For me, the best decision I took in the cause of my career is going into public health at a time it was not the most popular thing to do like pursuing white collar medical jobs like surgery and so on and so forth. But I thank my father who helped me to take this informed choice at the time. With my current role, I have a more panoramic view of different issues including the different social determinants of health across different demographics whether age, gender. With the benefit of hindsight, one is able to have a global view of how different outcomes can affect the success or otherwise of any public health initiative.
What’s the worst decision you have taken in your working career?
A decision I would have taken but which I didn’t take is taking a degree in Postgraduate in International Diplomacy.
What’s your definition of success, career-wise?
For me, success is not what I’m able to do with my career. The definition of success is how far and wide I have been able to use my talents, opportunities, skills within my reach to assist the other man less fortunate than I’m. This is the only way I think I want to be measured as a success is whether I have been able to leave my footprints in the sands of time.
What lessons has life taught you?
Over the years, I have come to appreciate the value of diversity. I have traveled and worked with different people across different cultures, as such, I know that what binds us together as a people is greater than what divides us. Diversity to me is strength and we should strive to make the most of the opportunities this affords us rather than seeking to divide ourselves. As humans, our ability to be humane is what makes us different from the lower animals.
What are your other areas of interests?
This is a very important question. I’m lucky to be working in an area that helps me to feed my other passions. I’m very passionate about issues that have to do with the girl-child a lot. I love to travel and I love to taste new food. Courtesy of my job, I have been able to travel to nearly all parts of the country as well as embark on international trips as well. These trips afford me the opportunity to learn about new things such as culture and a lot about those places. In a way, you could say, I’m having a good life because I’m doing what gives me joy.
What was the last book you read and when?
The last book I read was in February 2021 and it is called Apollo’s Arrow by Nicholas Christakis. This book is an interesting account of the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the American society and how the recovery will unfold in the coming years. The author also drew on other historical epidemics and how the world has responded through research and scientific discoveries to bring us to where we are today.
How did your background influence your choice in life?
Everyday I’m really thankful for the kind of upbringing I got. My parents taught us how to be the best version of ourselves. They let us knew in life that there was really no barrier to success but ourselves. I was privileged that my parents didn’t see gender as a weakness; they had the same expectations for everybody. They taught us what it means to be hard working and focused.
Are you saying you never had to battle any form of discrimination in the cause of your career?
It is very interesting to note that the sector I operate is largely dominated by the men. But I always feel honoured that one has been able to achieve some modest successes so far. This success is not a personal success per se but spurs me on to see how we can pass the torch to the next generation of women. I’m happy that the men in my life including my husband and boys sees in me the good example of what a successful woman can be if given the opportunity. So, I’m grateful for their support over the years.
What’s your choice holiday destination?
I have a couple of choice places I have visited as far as holiday destination is concerned. I have been to Kenya, Egypt because they connect me with nature. I love the Maldives in South Asia. In my opinion, the serenity and calmness these places bring to you is indescribable. For me, these are really great destination choices for me anytime, any day. In Nigeria, equally my travels are also great opportunities to unwind as well as know about those places. Once, I was in Enugu in a community where the women were extracting palm oil from palm kernels. I joined them in their chores and it was a lot of fun for me. Also, part of my love for travelling is that I have the opportunity of trying new meals, wherever I go.
How do you unwind?
As I mentioned earlier I love to travel and also love watching TV shows such as some basic talk shows, comedies too. You know as they say, laughter is the best medicine, so I try to watch some of these comedies around.
How do you maintain your looks, do you follow any particular beauty regimen?
Personally, I try to eat and drink healthy. I also do my best to have enough sleep. Every once in a while, I love to get into a good spar where I can pamper myself.
What is your favourite meal?
I enjoy the regular Hausa staple food like tuwo shinkafa and mia tashe. But by far, one of the favourites for me once I travel within southwestern Nigeria, is amala served with ewedu and gbegiri. I love this so much.
Do you cook?
Yes I cook but lately my rather busy schedules hardly give me that luxury anymore as much as I would have loved to do. But the good thing is that during the lockdown, I tried a lot of cooking and different species apart from the traditional Hausa meal. I also delegate when it comes to cooking too. You know as a typical African, you have many other relations living with you.
The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON), Ahmed Kuru, is a career banker with professional experience spanning nearly four decades. Before his appointment by President Muhammadu Buhari as Managing Director/CEO in August of 2015, Kuru served as the Managing Director/CEO of erstwhile Enterprise Bank Limited, which he returned to profitability within one year. In the course of his duty to recover N5 trillion debts owed Nigeria by a few individuals, Kuru introduced a far-reaching resolution strategy which increased the tempo of recoveries and tactically refocused AMCON on value enhanced exit of its portfolios. Under his leadership, AMCON was able to divest 100 per cent of its equity holding in its bridged banks and recently acquired Polaris Bank Limited (formerly Skye Bank Plc), which is now being repositioned for sale. Kuru, who was reappointed by President Muhammadu Buhari for a second and final term of five years as AMCON Managing Director/CEO, spoke with COLLINS NWEZE on his first five years as AMCON boss and the future of the corporation.
What is the economic rationale behind the enactment of the AMCON Act and the subsequent establishment of the corporation?
The rationale behind the enactment of the AMCON Act and subsequent establishment of the corporation has been justified by many stakeholders. Prior to the establishment of the corporation, the Nigerian economy was in dire straits. There were foreign portfolio withdrawals of credit lines and investment from Nigeria. The stock market also collapsed, leading to loss of about 80 per cent of its value. Banking industry crisis deepened due to poor risk management that led to increase in the non-performing loans (NPLs) of the banks as a percentage of industry loans.
At a point in 2009, NPLs as percentage of all bank loans was as high as 37.25 per cent. I salute the courage and the wisdom of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for quickly intervening by proposing to the National Assembly the need to set up an Asset Management Corporation to stabilise the economy, which was the global trend at that time.
How has AMCON performed since inception till date in line with its constitutional mandate as specified in the Act establishing the corporation?
Setting up AMCON is a blessing to Nigeria’s economy. Despite the lingering economic challenges and deliberate tactics of some recalcitrant obligors, the corporation has recorded a lot of successes. In the first place, we supported so many businesses immediately after the global economic crisis. Some of them are doing well now. The financial institutions were equally supported to avoid a systemic collapse. Some banks are operating today due to AMCON’s intervention in the industry. In terms of recoveries, so far, we have made a total recovery of above N1.2 trillion. We have sold assets worth about N500 billion and have resolved close to 5000 eligible bank assets (EBSs). The corporation has paid over N2 trillion to the CBN.
The fundamental objectives for the establishment of AMCON was to rescue commercial banks and some underlying strategic businesses in Nigeria from the brink of collapse in the aftermath of the global financial crises of 2008 through acquisition of non-performing loans and to dispose of the underlying assets in the most profitable manner. AMCON also had the mandate to recapitalise the banks and to recover the debts using the various resolutions mechanisms created under the Act, which I can tell you have been executed effectively.
As at today, AMCON has achieved the first mandate of purchasing the Non-performing Loans (NPLs) and providing liquidity to the commercial banks. We are currently focused on the second and most difficult phase of recovery and restructuring of the bad loans. Recall that AMCON acquired over 12,000 NPLs worth N3.7 trillion from 22 banks and injected N2.2 trillion as financial accommodation to 10 banks in order to prevent systemic failure. As a result of this intervention, our current liability with CBN is around N4.7 trillion while the sum of N2 trillion has been repaid so far.
In the area of supporting businesses, AMCON has also done very well, especially in the aviation and manufacturing sectors. Our intervention efforts in Arik Air with the support and collaboration of the Federal Government did a great service to the growth of the sector. A similar intervention in Aero Contractors also saved the airline from collapse. As a matter of fact, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) certified Aero, which is under AMCON receivership, to commence C-check maintenance services on Boeing series in Nigeria. This is a commendable feat in Nigeria’s aviation industry. And there are several other companies that we have saved.
How would you assess the Asset Management Partners (AMP) who are debt recovery agents engaged by the corporation?
Again, in an attempt to focus our resources on the recovery mandate, we have identified about 6,000 loans with outstanding balances below N100 million, which constitute only 20 per cent of our current portfolio. This portfolio has been outsourced to debt recovery agents under the Asset Management Partners (AMP) scheme, which has created huge employment opportunity for others. This has enabled the corporation to focus on fewer accounts, which make up 80 per cent of the portfolio. In our reckoning, if AMCON is able to resolve the nearly 2000 accounts, it would have achieved more than 80 per cent of its recovery mandate. In line with our sunset period, we are tinkering with the idea of increasing the threshold of the AMP scheme to N1 billion. We have also classified 350 accounts with current exposure of over N3.2 trillion into a category referred to as criticised assets.
We consider the resolution of these accounts to be germane to the success of AMCON’s recovery mandate. We give special attention to these accounts at top management level and develop strategies for resolving them. The largest concentration is in the energy sector, which constitutes 27 per cent. As we have always stated, one of the major challenges to AMCON’s recovery mandate is the slow pace of our judicial processes. However, we have continued to engage with the judiciary, and we believe that there is now greater awareness about the role of AMCON amongst the judges at the trial courts as well the Justices of the appellate courts, and they have been supportive.
What did you meet on ground in terms of structure and processes when you assumed office?
For me, no matter the process of any organisation, be it the systems, technology or people, the most important for me is the human capital that we met on ground. So, I will look at this question from that perspective. We met a team of workers who are dedicated, enthusiastic and ready to serve the nation by helping in restructuring of accounts and in the recovering of debts owed the country by a few individuals. We saw the progress made by the previous management and by laying solid foundation to build on.
You led the 2019 AMCON Amendment Act. What would you say led to this review of the corporation’s law?
The AMCON Act in itself was also not a perfect document. Those who drafted the Act knew that a time would come when there would be need for a review. AMCON obligors are tricky and are constantly trying to avoid, circumvent or totally deny commitments and obligations. In the course of trying to recover debts, we encounter several challenges, and one of the greatest challenges we have encountered over time is through the instrumentality of the courts. AMCON obligors know full well that the corporation has a sunset date, so they get wiser by the day, deliberately hiding under the technicalities of the law to cause orchestrated legal delays. When you find yourself in that situation, what do you do as a government? Therefore, the Act was amended first in 2015 to address some of the encountered challenges, which the 2015 amendment thoroughly addressed. That done, the obligors changed to other tactics, necessitating another amendment in 2019. We are therefore grateful to President Muhammadu Buhari for signing it into law as soon as it was presented to him by the National Assembly.
What is your major concern with your recovery efforts and approaching sunset time?
The whole objective of the government is to enable AMCON recover the loans bought from banks in order to settle our debt without recourse to taxpayer’s money, which is over N5 trillion as we speak. This is not the sort of additional burden we should pass on to the federal government now that the government is overstretched with funding other critical areas of our national development. We are also lucky the National Assembly, through its committees, fully understand what we do and the kind of support we require from them, and they are always ready and able to provide the support.
We fear that if at sunset AMCON is unable to recover the huge debt, it becomes the debt of the federal government of Nigeria which taxpayers’ monies will be used to settle. The implication is that the public will be made to pay for the recklessness of only a few individuals who continue to take advantage of the loopholes in our laws to escape their moral and legal obligations to repay their debts. That is why our renewed strategy for recovery focuses more on enforcement. It has become clear to us that to attain the target as we approach sunset, we must redouble our efforts in the area of recovery. Interestingly, the AMCON Act anticipated a situation where we may need to enforce if negotiations fail. Negotiations have failed us and that is why you see more of AMCON enforcements in the news lately. It is the only way to bring these recalcitrant obligors to the table.
What steps would you suggest to the government concerning recalcitrant debtors given that AMCON has sunset time?
We have said it several times that some of them borrowed the money from the banks with no intention to pay back, which was why we have been calling on the federal government to reconsider the reintroduction of the Failed Bank Act to make the operators also answerable. We shall continue to operate within the law and encourage that the debt obligations of the recalcitrant debtors follow them, whether in government employment or otherwise. It is not a bad thing to borrow money, but it is bad to avoid paying back. Government should not do business with those that cannot keep to commitment. We know things are hard, but commitment is commitment. At least, let us be talking and performing. We shall continue to pursue them through the instrumentality of the courts by being law abiding, although some of them want to avoid the law.
The enormous challenges that you faced led to you changing your recovery strategy at some point. Would you say that change in strategy has eased the challenges AMCON hitherto faced as well as improved your recovery mandate?
Our initial strategy was to negotiate with obligors, restructure and continue to wait on recovery. On some few cases, we even had to inject additional capital to support some of the businesses that are strategic to the economy. However, over time, we realised that such strategy will not work, and we may be unable to recover, given our sunset date. Let us not forget that some of these defaulters had been with the banks for more than five to 10 years before they are transferred to AMCON, meaning if you can add that to 10 years of AMCON, talking can no longer solve the problem after many failed promises. The only way forward is enforcement. Therefore, we had to change our operational strategy. This new strategy gives support to enforcement and puts the AMCON on a position of strength because we do not have the luxury of time.
Like I said earlier, all the low hanging fruits had been dealt with before we arrived, leaving us with only the hardcore debts. It will interest you to know that we have been in court with some of the obligors for nearly 10 years, and we cannot continue to wait on their terms. Mind you, some of them do not have any intention to pay back, so you need some tinkering to force them to the table. Now, with the change in strategy, a lot is happening because we have made them uncomfortable just as we have made huge recoveries since we changed our strategy.
What would you say are the high points of your stewardship as Managing Director/CEO in the last five years?
Like I mentioned earlier, there is no amount of investment in human capital development that is too much. Within the period of our assignment here, we have groomed a good number of competent and capable work force that can compete with their peers anywhere in the world as far as asset resolution management is concerned, which is very good for the economy of our great country. We cannot over emphasise that fact. Our highpoint is our ability to strengthen our human capital assets, resulting in putting in place a good and transparent structure that matches global standards and have tried to instill a culture of commitment to service to fatherland, particularly in our team of young and upcoming staff.
We have strengthened our human capital assets, which has resulted in putting in place a straight process on ground to ensure transparent means of dealing with our activities. This has resulted in higher recoveries and resolutions. On the business side, we have intervened in quite a lot of businesses, witnessing return and sustaining job security and enhancing economic activity.
The Presidency set up what it called the Inter-agency Committee on AMCON to complement the efforts of your Corporation. Can you bring us up to speed with that committee and what it has done since it was set up?
On September 16, 2019 if I remember correctly, the Presidency graciously consti tuted a committee, which it christened ‘Inter-Agency Committee for the Recovery of AMCON Debts.’ The committee is comprised of eight key government agencies – Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC); Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU); AMCON; Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC); Federal Ministry of Justice (FMoJ); Economics and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC); the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Department of State Services (DSS). The essence of the committee is basically to assist the corporation in its recovery efforts and pursue criminal lines where one exists. The chairman of the committee is the chairman of the ICPC. The committee is working seriously on identifying cases. A few strategic accounts are being reviewed by the sub-committee using an unconventional approach towards the recovery of the debts by preferring criminal charges against the obligors where criminal infractions have been identified.
What has been your experience trying to recover bad debts from debtors who are not ready to pay back their debts?
I can tell you the assignment is not easy at all. As a recovery agency, our main objective is recovery from both distressed and also affluent members of the public. In both cases, it is a serious matter, particularly where enforcement is involved. But to the glory God Almighty, we have continued to remain sane and humble. My personal approach to life is simple: I always say we are not only accountable to Mr. President, Muhammadu Buhari, who found us worthy to serve in this capacity as members of a team and even reappointed us for a second term, we are also accountable to Nigerians and the Almighty. But like you rightly said, I do not envy the job myself, because as humane as we have been and as compassionate as we have tried to be in handling some obligors, they have continued to spew and sponsor all manners of campaigns of calumny against the management team under my leadership. But we are not deterred. My consolation is that we are not doing anything that is outside our scope. Some of our obligors, unfortunately, instead of focusing on settling their obligations have taken the matters personal, very personal. But we put our trust in God.
AMCON was designed to last for a period of 10 years except if the National Assembly thinks otherwise. But if AMCON sunset comes and the Corporation is not able to resolve all the debts, what will be the next step forward?
AMCON is not designed to last 10 years, but the funding model was projected to last 10 years depending on the situation of the economy. However, this is a situation we do not want. Unfortunately for us, we have reached a stage in the operations of AMCON that our future successes and achievements most certainly depend on the strategy of the law and law enforcement and its application. Unfortunately for us, besides the effort of our staff, progress is dependent on third parties like the judiciary substantially and other agencies of government. It is on that basis we sought for the amendment of the AMCON Act hoping that the amendments will curtail frivolous tactics employed by recalcitrant obligors under our judicial system and improve our debt recovery efforts. If AMCON fails to recover the outstanding debt, the whole thing will be a burden to all of us. The National Assembly is there to support all the way to the end. They are conscious of the issues at stake and are supportive.
Is Ahmed Kuru thinking about writing his memoir anytime soon?
No. There is nothing extraordinary about me to write about. I am just an ordinary person like most Nigerians, living an ordinary lifestyle.
Most CEO’s play gulf, some play football, others enjoy boat ride or polo as leisure. How do you relax when you are not chasing debtors?
I like reading a lot of literature no matter the topic. I enjoy swimming, watching movies and a fan of good football if it involves the Super Eagles of Nigeria and Arsenal. I love Arsenal because they play amazing football, and they can disappoint you when you least expect like some of our obligors. I love family.
Debola Deji-Kurunmi is a coach who is passionate about equipping a new breed of African leaders. Over the years, she has been recognized for her leadership impact and this includes the being a two-time mentor at the Queen’s Young Leader Awards, 2018 Mandela Washington Fellow, 100 Most Inspiring Nigerian Women 2019 and currently serves as a Youth Representative at the Nigerian Economic Summit Group. In this interview with Yetunde Oladeinde, she takes you into her world.
Tell us how you got into life as a coach?
I got into coaching by accident literally, because I had always been the go-to counselor for friends and colleagues as far as 2002 while on campus. In 2003, I started a mindset empowerment community on Obafemi Awolowo University, which grew into a movement of young ladies who were awakened to a sense of purpose and personal power.
Also because of my passion to transfer knowledge and show others whatever I find to be working for me, I naturally found myself in the coaching context from my early twenties.
By 2010, my desire to create transformation for people and help them fulfil their higher potential had become a full-blown passion; thus, leading me to create safe spaces for people, especially women, to meet up, learn and connect with the insights they needed to improve their lives. Back then, I led what we called Life Academy for Women and freely produced Introspective Journals to aid personal reflection and journaling.
In 2014, I officially founded IMMERSE Coaching Company as a personal transformation coaching firm for men and women seeking life clarity, intentional growth, elite productivity and visionary execution.
What was the experience like at the beginning?
Actually, I am always fascinated by the memory of how we started. We have been well received by our audience from the beginning. I started out providing coaching to 20 women at a time over a 30-day period, helping them clarify their goals, craft a commitment to healing and create their Life Plan.
Every woman who went through the IMMERSE Academy as we called it at the time, would go and invite others. We quickly grew our clientele base simply by the power of crusadership. Our impact was significant and undeniable. We witnessed women starting businesses, stepping out domestic abuse, focusing on their goals and solving real problems in their communities.
As our audience grew, we also started to expand our courses and programs, as well as began to recruit other Coaches, whom we trained and certified, to join the organization, so we could reach even more women. The journey has been amazing! What started as a community of 20 women, has grown into a global community of over 45, 000 members in 99 countries including men and women.
What are some of your recent activities?
IMMERSE Coaching Company has three distinct arms. We’ve got IMMERSE Inner Circle which is our women-only coaching membership with thousands of super-achieving and leading women who use our courses, programs, and resources as tools for their growth and personal transformation. Within this membership, we have served over 3, 000 women since we launched it in 2019 and we’ve built over 80 courses, accessible to our members.
What inspires me the most about IMMERSE Inner Circle is our Changemaking Projects. Every 90 days, our members adopt a community, orphanage, hospital, school and others to provide charitable support and directly impact the vulnerable persons there.
The second arm at IMMERSE is Men’s Arcade, which is our men-only coaching practice helping men attain real success and elite performance through mentorship, game-changing courses and valuable support systems for the work they do. We are excited about the partnerships we have with father-figures, male mentors and inspirational leaders who provide guidance to men on their path to elite performance and true success.
The third arm is Visionary Compass, a 40-week high-tier coaching and mentorship system that helps visionaries and leaders elevate their income, impact and influence through their life’s work.
You are also an author of 20 books, what is the inspiration?
Well, I believe that books are a powerful way to store transgenerational wisdom and preserve legacy. Books are a way to remind the next generation of the mysteries you uncovered in your time. Books are gateways into realms where men lived and wisdom they discovered. I write books because I want to connect with people in intentional ways, and allow them to experience mental awakenings at their own pace.
I love writing, and I have so many more books within me which would be released in the days ahead by the grace of God. Some of my most loved and widely read books are the 4 books in the FIRERBAND Series, My Life is Full of Encounters, and Kingdom of Words.
What does being a two time mentor at the Queen’s Young Leaders’ Award in the UK mean to you?
It is completely humbling to mentor some of the most outstanding young leaders in the Commonwealth. First of all, I am so proud of the Queen’s commitment to highlight the extraordinary work and achievements of young outstanding visionaries across the Commonwealth and to invest in a program that equips them for even greater effectiveness.
Being a two-time mentor is an honor that afforded me the opportunity to directly impact those building solutions particularly for Africa, and creating change for vulnerable communities. This is at the heart of the work I’ve done in the last ten years, and I found it a source of great joy to provide guidance, support, and practical advice to these young leaders during their time at the Queen’s Young Leaders’ Program.
What are the challenges you encountered with the COVID-19 pandemic?
The COVID19 pandemic definitely hit the world in profound ways and highlighted to us some important lessons which continue to shape how we live, work and interact.
As a Coaching Firm, we had so many clients and members of our global communities who were badly hit with severe financial and health challenges. We thus had to become merchants of hope and quickly pivot our coaching approach to provide resources on coping, resilience, mental health and inner strength.
On the other hand, COVID-19 met us prepared as far as our work at IMMERSE Coaching Company is concerned. We had fully built out a virtual learning platform to host our interventions including fully online courses, virtual conferences and non-residential programs. We significantly grew our audience during the Pandemic, and became the go-to resource center for founders, executives and leaders seeking coaching, training and human capital management.
What are some of the memorable moments in your life and career?
Well, my career has been an adventurous journey of personal discovery and self expression! I found early that I am a multi-dimensional woman with many gifts and many sides to me. So I generally took a path of discovering my passions, testing different waters without falling into stereotypes or fixating on labels; and I embraced the principles of stewardship and value creation as navigation tools for a life of purpose.
I started out as a HR professional, working across recruitment, training and development, compensation and benefits as well as performance management. And totally loved my experience! After a few years, I moved into consulting and specialized in learning and development because from the beginning till now, I have always been a firm believer in the power of knowledge to transform people.
When I couldn’t contain my passion for social innovation and public policy, I moved into the international development arena, working on projects by the World Bank, United Nations and Crans Montana Forum. During this time, I also took on a job with an ASPEN-mandated Foundation in Nigeria focused on female entrepreneurship.
Strengthened by my desire to equip NGOs and nonprofits in Africa to better deliver social impact, I founded Ideation Hub Africa in 2015, which has grown into a 12, 000+ member-strong ecosystem of nation builders, social innovators and nonprofit professionals building Africa through their development efforts.
All the while, I never stopped investing in my passion for people’s development and after I left consulting in 2014, I also founded IMMERSE Coaching Company. At IMMERSE, we help people actualize their higher potentials and achieve their goals through personal transformation. Our biggest proofs are the over 45, 000 people across 99 countries of the world who have taken our courses and joined our coaching programs. Today, we have many of our members creating change within their industries and countries.
What is your experience as a Mandela Washington Fellow?
Oh! That was actually a significant experience for me. In 2018, I was selected by the US Government as one of the most outstanding young leaders in Africa alongside other brothers and sisters of mine on the continent. It was definitely validating to be recognized for my commitment to build Africa by building its people. This has always been my desire and dedication.
Being selected as a Mandela Washington Fellow took me to the United States, touring exceptional businesses, charities and government parastatals across the State of Minnesota, as well as undertaking an Executive Education Program at University of Minnesota’s Humphrey School of Public Affairs. At the end of the fellowship, I was selected to deliver an IGNITE Talk to my colleagues at the Summit in Washington DC. That IGNITE Talk “how to fry fish to solve a wicked problem” became a source of inspiration to many visionaries home and abroad.
The immediate past Director General of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Dame Julie Okah Donli, is currently the Chairman Board of Trustees, United Nations Voluntary Fund for Victims of Trafficking in Persons. In this interview with INNOCENT DURU, the soft spoken legal expert shares painful memories of her interactions with abused female children, her late mother’s battle with kidney failure and her passion for helping the female gender to excel, among other issues.
How was your early life and how did it impact on who you are now?
I was born on December 30, 1966 to the family of Naval Commander Okah. I have nine siblings and my parents ensured that we had the best of everything that they could afford. I lost my mother to kidney failure when I was 18 years old. She was a young and supportive wife who died in her early forties. Her death left a great vacuum in the family but my dad stepped into her shoes and combined the fatherly and motherly roles well.
I had my secondary education in a girls’ school and then proceeded to Zaria where I had my higher institution studies. As a teenager, I read many books that piqued my interest on the issues of gender discrimination and social vices in the society. This interest fueled my active participation in literary clubs and associations that aligned with my vision of contributing my quota to the development of the society. Growing up in a typical African society, I saw how some families treated the girl child as though she was inferior to the male child. I saw women with great potential fading away and relegated to the background because their husbands would not allow them to work. I couldn’t help but appreciate my father for giving all his children equal opportunities.
At that tender age, I could see that children from families such as mine had better self-esteem and excelled academically unlike many of the children from families where daughters and wives were constantly bashed and are underappreciated. I made a resolve then to perform excellently well in my career and subsequently help to pave the way for girls and women to reach for the sky, which is where we all belong.
As NAPTIP DG, what were the challenges you faced, especially from human traffickers?
Confronting evil everywhere comes with challenges, and fighting human trafficking is not an exception. As the director general of NAPTIP, we experienced inadequate funding and other technical and bureaucratic challenges.
Traffickers also fought back tooth and nail by coming up with various new trends to get us off their track, but we were resolute and this paid off as recorded in the outstanding successes I recorded during my tenure.
What was the hardest trafficking case you handled?
We had so many difficult cases to tackle at NAPTIP. Picking out one out of these cases and labelling it hardest is not feasible because all the cases were heart-rending and painful. One of those cases was when we had young girls trapped in various countries and reaching out to them was quite difficult because of some of the challenges I talked about above.
As if the challenges experienced in bringing them back into the country were not enough, my heart broke into a thousand pieces when I heard stories of their experiences outside the shores of Nigeria. Some of the victims had all sorts of physical injuries, including cuts and broken bones and joints. Some were forced to eat feaces and engage in all sorts of dehumanising and unprintable experiences that I would rather not spoil your day with. I picked this as the hardest experience because it was emotionally demanding for me and I had to struggle to keep tears off my eyes when I had one on one interviews with the victims.
Tell us about your new role as the Chairman Board of Trustees UN Voluntary Fund for Victims of Trafficking in Persons
The United Nations Voluntary Trust Fund is saddled with the responsibility of providing essential services and direct assistance to victims of human trafficking worldwide. My role as the chairman of the board of trustees is to come up with strategies to grow the trust fund in order to assist more victims of trafficking, especially women and children. UNVTF offers me a global platform to do what I have always loved to do, which is providing humanitarian, financial and legal aid to victims of trafficking in persons.
The menace of child abuse appears not to be abating. What is your take on this?
Child abuse is one scourge that is still eating deeply into the fabric of the society and for me, whether in active public service or not, the passion remains ever strong. Child abuse or child maltreatment is any intentional physical, domestic, sexual, psychological and mental maltreatment of any human below the age of eighteen. Child abuse knows no colour or race or religion, it cuts across different spheres of the country. The upper class who employ the services of underage children as house helps are guilty, so also is the middle class who serve as the agents that bridge the gap between the upper class and the lower class. The lower class are also guilty because as parents, they falter in their responsibilities to their children, which explains why they are ever ready to send out their kids to the streets to hawk and to serve as domestic servants.
How well do you think the country has done in its war against child abuse?
So much has been achieved in tackling the menace of child abuse in the country, but, unfortunately, the storm still rages on. Littering almost all the streets and major roads in Nigeria are children who have no choice but to leave their innocence behind and beg for their daily bread because their parents have more children than they can afford to cater for. As if it is not just enough to go out there under the sun or rain to fend for yourself at such a very tender age, some of these children have masters who take away all proceeds of the day from them in exchange for dilapidated shelters and all sorts of poor living conditions.
The issue of child labour is one fundamental aspect of child abuse in Nigeria. Research has shown that seven out of 10 homes have at some points in their existence employed the services of child domestic help. Most people have this impression that because the child in their custody is the son or daughter of a relation, it cannot be interpreted as child abuse. But like I would always say, when you in any way subject even your own biological child(ren) to any sort of dehumanizing condition, it is child abuse. The fact that you are the biological parent of the child does not make it less of an offence.
Has the mode of operation of child abusers remained the same or has it changed in any way?
Dame Julie Okah Donli
In recent times, the menace of child abuse has experienced a dramatic shift in its mode of operation. People are no longer satisfied with turning innocent children into domestic slaves; they have degenerated into using them as sex slaves and even porn stars. The saddest part of this is that in many cases, pedophiles are people who often share blood ties with their victims. You see fathers, mothers, uncles, aunties, nephews, cousins, drivers, etc who ought to serve as knights in shining amour to protect their ward turn to the beast that defile these innocent ones. By this unholy and highly condemnable act, children are exposed to all sorts of health challenges as well as mental and psychological disorders. My heart broke into a million pieces when I read the story of a few months old who had to undergo a corrective surgery on her vagina because she was raped by a man old enough to be her father.
Another worrisome trend in Nigeria is child trafficking with all its attendant consequences. In this situation, young boys and girls below the age of 18 are trafficked out of the country to strange lands, exposing them to all sorts of harm and danger on the road. Most of these children often travel unaccompanied and are exposed to all sorts of harsh weather conditions on the road: pneumonia, cholera, malnutrition, and some are sexually molested and left to die of starvation and diseases when the journey gets tough. The implication of this is that the country continues to lose some of its brightest minds and future leaders.
What are the implications of child abuse for the society?
There are several implications of child abuse, and these implications form the basis of some of the moral and security challenges we are confronted with in Nigeria today. When we have children who have been physically, emotionally, psychologically and mentally battered, they grow into suicidal, depressed and unproductive adults who constitute nuisance to themselves and the society. Today, we have children all over the streets who demand from alms for adults in the most embarrassing manner. Some of these children end up in the wrong company and they are converted into pick pockets, suicide bombers, drug addicts, etc.
A nation which takes for granted the wellbeing of children and youth is actually setting itself up for failure, and this is the reason why we must not relent in tackling this menace.
How well would you say you did as director general of NAPTIP?
As we all know, National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons is the government agency saddled with the responsibility of tackling the scourge of human trafficking and other related offences in Nigeria, and I am bold to say that during my time as the director general of NAPTIP, we did surpass expectations and previous achievements. In summary, as at December 2020, NAPTIP had about 6,221 reported cases, 3,658 investigated cases, 5,421 traffickers had been arrested, 304 successful prosecutions, 368 convicted persons as well as 13,555 rescued victims.
As the director general, I championed a lot of anti-child abuse grassroots awareness campaigns on the social media, schools, markets, motor parks, places of worship, etc. We also took the campaign to different media houses including the TVC, NTA, AIT, etc.
Together with my team, we visited different states of the federation with our campaign on the need to stop all forms of child abuse against children and the need for children to be given access to free education as free and affordable education is the right of every child. Parents were also enlightened on the need to only have as many children as they can cater for, as this will help in ensuring that children are not left to fend for themselves a few years after birth.
At NAPTIP, we also provided shelters for victims of abuse and human trafficking who had no accommodation. We understand that fighting such things as human trafficking and child abuse is all encompassing, so we ensured that adequate physical, emotional, psychological, emotional and legal support were always available and accessible.
Officially, my time as the director general of NAPTIP ended in December 2020, but for me, the passion and zeal remains unquenched, so I shall continue to strive for an end to the scourge of child abuse, not only in Nigeria but globally.
You founded the Julie Donli Kidney Foundation, an NGO that supports people with kidney disease. What led to this?
I lost my mother at the age of 18 to kidney failure. She was in her forties and was so full of life and vitality. Her loss created a terrible vacuum not just in the family but also in my heart. Even though we did all we could go save her life, I felt bad that she had to die that way and felt that if we had been proactive enough and had done things differently, she might still be alive. It was a long journey that started in 1981 when she was diagnosed with acute renal failure. She was the first dialysis patient at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital.
My brother, Charles Okah, who was just 20 years old then, donated one of his kidneys to her. She underwent a kidney transplant in Jaslok Hospital, Mumbai. Her body rejected the kidney even though it was a perfect match and she had to resume dialysis. She died on 15th February, 1984. This terrible and painful experience left an indelible impression on the family’s memory, leading to my brother, Charles, establishing 15 dialysis centres in major teaching hospitals in Nigeria, and this subsequently gave birth to the Julie Donli Kidney Foundation which has the principal mandate of creating kidney health awareness and helping indigent patients get aid for kidney disease and treatment.
A robbery suspect under investigation for attacking a reverend father has said that he singled out clergymen for attacks because his life was ruined by one of them.
Federick Ugah, who is currently cooling his heels in the cells of the Nasarawa State Police Command, said he had to drop out of the university as a 400 level student of Law after his frustrations at the hands of a Catholic reverend father he served in Kaduna.
Going down memory lane, Ugah recalled that he started life as an orphan, having lost his parents at a tender age. To realise his ambition of becoming a lawyer, he hit on the idea of seeking help from clergymen. He decided that he would serve them as an altar boy so that in return, they would help him to foot his education bills.
He started by serving in the Kogi Diocese of the church before moving to Abuja and later to Kaduna State.
He that he had first secured admission at the University of Abuja to study English before he secured another one at the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria to study Law. But that was when he met his frustration as the Reverend Father who was sponsoring him in attempted to turn him into his sex partner.
Ugah said his resistance to the idea he regarded as an immoral act caused the Reverend Father to frustrate him out of the Catholic Church by falsely accusing him of stealing some money belonging to the parish.
Ugah, after his arrest by the Nasarawa State Police Command allegedly snatching a car from a reverend father, vowed that he would continue to torment reverend fathers across the country for the rest of his life because his journey into the underworld began with his inability to complete his degree in Law at ABU.
He told our correspondent in an interview at the police station where he was detained that he had no apology for what he had done and would do it again if he had the chance.
He said: “I have vowed to deal with reverend fathers across the country. They are my target and I will continue to rob them of money and snatch their cars.
“I served many of them in Abuja and Kaduna as a house help and they were helping to sponsor my education up to final year Law at the Ahmadu Bello University.
“I initially got admission to study English at the University of Abuja, but my choice was Law.
“In my 200 level, I got a fresh admission in ABU to study Law and was at ABU up to 400 level before I met my frustration.
“I have always been a good boy, going by the fact that my parents are not alive. I grow up in the Catholic Church, but my decision to become a reverend father was opposed by my parents before they died.
“I decided that I would become a lawyer when I grew up. That was why I left the University of Abuja as a 200-level English student to start all over again at ABU.
“My life had been to serve reverend fathers. I washed their clothes, cooked for them and served as their altar boy while they helped to sponsor my education
“I was in Abuja with them before I moved to Kaduna State when I got admission in ABU. Then one day, the reverend father I was serving demanded to have sex with me before my sponsorship could be guaranteed.
“I was wondering how a reverend father would turn gay. When I refused, he brought up an allegation against me that I stole parish’s money and should be driven away by the parish.
He also poisoned the minds of other reverend fathers who intended to help me.
“I kept wondering why a man would want to sleep with another man. Because I refused, I was unable to graduate from the university, because there was no body to foot the bills. But I have also decided that no reverend father will find peace with me as long as I live.
“I will continue to torment them for the rest of my life because they frustrated me.”
Asked why he was being detained, Ugah said: “I was caught with a stolen car belonging to a priest. The police arrested me in New Nyanyan, Nasarawa State.
“I never robbed him with a gun. I simply took his car key in his absence and hit the road. The incident occurred in New Nyanyan in December last year.
“All my life, I grew up serving them, and through them, I gained admission into University of Abuja to study English, and the following year, I got another admission in ABU to study Law.
“As a university student, I was serving a reverend father while schooling. Then he woke up one day and insisted that he would have sex with me before he would pay my school fees. I refused and he asked me to leave.
“He levelled a false allegation against me that I stole parish’s money, which I did not. So I left him, and he started telling other priests not to accommodate me. That was how I was unable to graduate
“That particular act shattered my dream of becoming a lawyer. It is now seven years, and my target is to continue to rob reverend fathers and snatch their cars.
“The police arrested me in New Nyanyan why I was negotiating to sell a Toyota Corolla I stole from the reverend father in Kaduna. I drove the car to Abuja before taking it to New Nyanyan to sell.
“I took the key to the car in his absence because I lived with him before.
“I have no regrets for my actions. What I want the police to do is to look into the problem I had in Abuja and Kaduna which led to the priest kicking me out of the parish.”
The Commissioner of Police in Nasarawa State, Bola Longe, who paraded the suspect in Lafia, told our correspondent that Ugah was a notorious criminal who specialised in tormenting priests and Imams only.
“He steals cash from them at gunpoint and snatch their cars,” he said.
CP Longe said Ugah would be charged to court once investigations were concluded.
Host communities of multinational oil companies and those impacted by their activities in the core Niger Delta states of Bayelsa, Delta and Rivers are said to be experiencing unprecedented rise in death and infection rates following the pervasive pollution of their environments and residents’ consumption of contaminated water, fish and other aquatic food. Many farmers and fishermen have also lost their means of livelihood to environmental pollution, compounding the poverty level and youth restiveness in the areas, INNOCENT DURU reports.
We bury no fewer than six people weekly — Goi monarch
Breast cancer, miscarriage, early menopause hit female population
We’ve been penalising defaulting multinationals, getting compensation for communities — FG
The Sangana Beach in Bayelsa State was recently littered with different sizes of dead fishes suspected to have been killed by the pollution of the water occasioned by oil spills. The sight of dead fishes floating on the river or motionless by the sea shore invokes memories of a scene of genocide where carcasses of human bodies litter the ground.
The incident, according to the natives, who are mainly farmers and fishermen, was just one of the numerous damages and setbacks that incessant oil spills have brought to their communities.
“Our terrain is gone, totally gone. There is no fish in it again and we are suffering,” Noel Ikonikumo, Chairman, United Fishing Union of Sangana Community, told our correspondent in a tone of despondency.
“Oil spill is a serious matter. We experienced it even yesterday. I was on the sea when the spill started. Whenever the spill occurs, we would not see fish in that area again in the next 10 years. Our members have been leaving our area for other places in order to make a catch and take care of their families. There is no way the people that are fishing in the creek can cope because everywhere is contaminated.”
To dissuade people from consuming contaminated fish and contracting life threatening diseases, Noel said many communities, including Sangana, now engage town criers to go round and alert the people to the dangers.
In spite of that, he said, “some people still manage to eat the contaminated fishes because there is nothing they can do. When you eat it, you will perceive the smell of crude oil.
“Periwinkle is one other thing that is almost vanishing from our area. It is one of the things that crude oil normally kills.
“Once crude oil gets to the mangrove, it will remain there for some days before it will melt into the ground. Small crabs are no longer there again too. If this continues for the next four years, I don’t know how the fishermen would cope.”
A former Chairman of Nigerian Medical Association in the state, Dr Michael Azebi, said many of the residents had been presenting myriads of health challenges including diarrhoea, chronic skin diseases and cancer, among others, as a result of their exposure to polluted water and consumption of contaminated fishes and other sea foods.
In Rivers State, pollution of the environment together with the attendant challenges is said to have spiked the death rate, with Goi community in Gokana Local Government Area of the state the worst hit.
“Every week, we bury no fewer than six to seven persons in my area. More than five people have died today. The people who died were just between 25 and 40 years. The water we drink and the polluted environment have increased our mortality rate,” the monarch, Chief Eric Dooli, said.
Basil Nkpordee, a community leader in Ogoni, captured their plight thus: “We are living corpses because the air is polluted and the water too is polluted. We eat the fish from polluted water and we also drink the water because there is no alternative. The pollution in Ogoni is pervasive.
“Oil pollution has become a reccurring decimal in Ogoni land. The activities of oil multinationals have not changed since the late Ken Saro-Wiwa publicly denounced it.
“Many communities here in Ogoni have become environmental refugees because of pollution. One of such communities is Goi. Life is completely dead in that community.
“The presence of oil in Ogoni has brought crisis instead of development, and that is why if anybody crosses the age of 50 here, it calls for celebration.”
Corroborating Basil, Goi’s monarch, Chief Eric, said: “The mortality rate is very high. The amount of sicknesses we have been having here is enormous. We have people with rashes and respiratory problems among others.
“Recently, there was massive death of fishes in the Boni side which also affected our creeks here. Some people who were desperate to get fish to sell and sustain themselves went and packed the dead fishes. Many of the people who bought the polluted fishes and consumed them died. Those concerned are yet to address the issue.
“Many of our chiefs are young people. Look at my age. I am the head of my dynasty in the whole Gokana Kingdom. Many of the council of chiefs’ members in Gokana are small boys who inherited the thrones of their fathers because of the mortality rate caused by high intake of polluted water, food and air.
“The children too are dying in their numbers while the women are having serious miscarriages.”
Friday Mbani, one of the youth leaders in Ogoni, said: “Life expectancy is becoming very short here in Ogoni. The only thing we are always inviting people for is burial. The elderly chiefs we have are only in their 40s.”
A traditional chief in Gbaramatu Kingdom of Delta State, who doubles as the National Coordinator of Centre for Peace and Environmental Justice, Comrade Sheriff Mulade, said the same problems apply in Delta State.
“In fact, the surface of our land is destroyed. No agriculture can take place in this environment. The water body is contaminated and you cannot use it for anything.
“As Ijaw people, our means of survival is the fish and the river. Today, we cannot drink from the river or bathe with the water. It causes untimely death,” Mulade said.
He alleged that “if there is a spill in any of the multinational companies, it is the same companies that will provide logistics. They will fly National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) to Warri. The same company that caused the spill will lodge them in a hotel. They will be the one to convey them to the spill location. So, what do you expect? It is what the company wants that the environmental agency will agree to. Then the community will stand alone.”
Strange diseases hit communities
Following the enormity of the pollution in the communities, residents said they have continued to witness and lose their beloved ones to sicknesses that were hitherto not found in the areas.
“Before now, we had not experienced cancer. But today, breast cancer is the order of the day, as well as typhoid fever and malaria, all because of oil pollution,” Nkpordee, an Ogoni community leader said.
Asked about the connection between oil pollution and cancer, he said: “I earlier told you that we eat polluted fish. If you go to Goi community and you meet a fisher man that is coming from the creek and buy a fish from him, when you open the fish, you will see that there is oil in it.
•Crude oil spreading on water
“Research has shown and proved that the reason why the women have breast cancer is that they are the ones that like to eat the head of fish.
“The gill of the fish absorbs the crude oil and they find it difficult to clean the oil from the gill. Therefore, eating the fish’s head makes them to suffer cancer.
“We contacted health personnel to know why there has been pervasive cancer in the land and they told us it occurs as a result of the contaminated fish consumed by Ogoni people, especially the head of fish.
“Between 2018 and 2020, more than 20 persons died of cancer of the breast, which was so strange in Ogoniland.”
Nkpordee further said: “In Isisioke, the well that is consumed by the people contains benzene, which also causes cancer. For the fact that they don’t have alternative means to get water, they keep drinking this water and thereby contact these diseases.
“In a community called Kani in Gokana Local Government Area, there is no single oil well. But when it rains, the colour of the rain water is black. In Ogoniland before now, when it rained, we used to bathe with rain water, drink and use it for domestic purposes. But because of the high rate of pollution, rain water is no longer usable because it is black.
“Even when you place a bucket at the centre of your compound and rain falls into it directly from heaven, the colour of the water is black. It is a very pathetic situation.
“When oil came, we thought that it was oil. We never knew that it was blood, because its presence has done us more harm than good. We have lost generations of leaders because of the oil multinationals.
“It was stated in UNEP report that Isisioke should be given emergency water, but up till now, nothing has been done.”
Women and children according to Friday Mbani, an Ogoni youth leader, are more vulnerable to the health problems.
He said: “The pollution is causing many of the women to have menopausal problems. When you see a young girl, she will tell you she is not seeing her period again. I am a practitioner in the medical field, and many people bring their issues to me.
“It appears there is a conspiracy between the government and the multinational oil companies to destroy life in Ogoni land and the Niger Delta as a region.
“No wonder many of the plants and the animals that we were used to are no longer there now. It is hard to see a vulture here. Even butterfly, you can’t find it again. Many medicinal plants and trees are not there again.”
Ayiba Tonye, a fish seller in Sangana area of Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, said she and many other women had developed itchy skin from using the polluted water. The problem, according to Ayiba is called ‘sweetie’ among the people because it is enjoyable scratching it.
“Pregnant women whose pregnancies are not strong perceive the toxic smell and have miscarriages. A young girl lost her four-month-old pregnancy recently.
“It is also causing sweetie for us. Sweetie in our place is skin rash that swells and brings out water when you scratch your body. I have it on my body as I am talking to you now. I have gone to the hospital but the rash refused to go.”
Kroma County, another fish seller in the area, corroborated Ayiba’s claim.
She said: “As women, we sometimes go to the waterside to wash our body. The oil in the water causes infections for us. We do have rashes after bathing with the water.
“Whenever we have infections, we go to the chemist for medications. We don’t have access to potable water. Whenever it rains, the water would be dark and look like smoke.”
Pollution renders fishermen, farmers idle
Fishermen and farmers are said to have been badly hit by the level of pollution in the region. The land and the rivers are massively polluted, rendering the people jobless and incapable of fending for their families.
According to the Rise for Bayelsa Campaign, an online platform, about 40 million litres of oil are spilled every year across the Niger Delta.
Amnesty International in one of its reports described the Niger Delta as Africa’s most important oil-producing region and one of the most polluted places on earth.
Chief Eric of Goi Community, Rivers State, said oil spillage has had a telling effect on fishing and farming in the community. “There has been no source of livelihood again since this thing has been happening. There is nothing like fish for the fishermen to catch.
“The little they are getting now is not enough to sustain the community. They go as far as Boni and Andoni areas to look for fish. We no longer find periwinkle and oyster shell in our area.”
Asked about the effect on farmers, the monarch said: “Whatever affects the fishermen also affects the farmers. Fishing and farming are the basic things that our people depend on for their sustenance.
“The spillage has also affected the crops cultivated. The harvest is nothing to write home about. Imagine an okro seed that you plant producing one big okro on its head and that would be the end. This is what people plant and harvest for three to four months in some other places.
“Our people here don’t benefit from agricultural seeds that the federal government gives to farmers in the north. For example, fertilisers and improved seedlings were given to farmers in the north but none of such was given to our farmers.
“Majority of our people have been displaced because of all these challenges. They have migrated to other places where they can get land to farm and sustain their families. Their income has been badly affected.
“Even if the problem is addressed, the government is supposed to make the oil companies to provide alternative means of livelihood for the people.”
While lamenting the damage that oil spills do to their fishing equipment, the Chairman of United Fishing Union of Sangana Community, Bayelsa, Noel, said they had been forced to go into the ocean in search of fish since they no longer get fishes to catch in the creeks and swamps.
“If the spill affects your fishing equipment, then it means they are gone forever. We always have to buy another one each time such a problem occurs.
“Unfortunately for us, fishing equipment has become very expensive. We always have to apply for loan to get money to buy new equipment, but it is always not certain the application for loan will succeed.
“We are crying to the oil companies to make sure they give us compensation or assist us to upgrade our fishing materials so that we can go deep into the sea. If you have a low powered engine, you cannot make a good catch.
“Our efforts to reach out to the oil companies are fruitless. We have written series of letters to government bodies without any response.”
The immediate past paramount ruler of Kalaba community, ayelsa State, Chief Roman Joe Orukali, regretted that the exploration of oil in the land has badly affected their farming and fishing business.
He said: “Several spills have occurred in our environment and they were not cleaned up, and when flood occurs, it carries these crude materials to our farms and cause serious damage to them and our fishing areas.
“The produce this time is nothing to write home about. In those days when oil pollution had not been much in the environment, we were producing a lot of food and even taking them to the market. But this time around, the produce are so small.
“The same thing applies to the fishes too. Some of our people no longer go into fishing in some areas because some of the swamps have been destroyed and there is no way to carry out fishing activity.
“When we no longer carry our produce to the market, definitely our income reduces. We find it difficult to even sponsor some of our children in school because the income is no longer there.”
The visibly disturbed chief further said: “Some of the fishes die inside the river and when the environment is no longer conducive for the fishes to live, they have to look for a place that is convenient for them.
“I know of a place where the spill occurred around my community in 2012 and till now, if you kill fish there and eat it, it will seem as if you are drinking crude oil. We thank God that we also have a running creek from where we manage to get fish to eat, but the catch is not as it used to be because of the pollution in our environment.
“We need assistance from all the multinational companies and even the government.”
Women who sell fish to augment the income of their husbands also decried the development in the community.
“When our men return from fishing, we would buy from them and resell to strangers. That has been what gives us the income that we use to train our children. Two of my children are in the university.
“The business is not what it used to be because of the spillage. The fishes are dying in the river as if the end of the world is approaching. If you take the fish home to cook and eat, you are sure to have sickness.
“Some of the dead fishes would already be rotten when they float on the water with maggot coming out from their heads. If you take it home to cook, you will find crude oil flowing inside them. If you eat it, you will contract sickness.
“The government takes our oil and we are suffering here with our children,” Ayiba Tonye, of Sangana Community, Bayelsa State, said.
Ayiba’s kinswoman, Kroma County, also lamented that the spillage does not allow them to get fish.
County said: “The fish you would sometimes see in the river would be floating, meaning that they have died. When you even manage to bring it home, you would not be able to eat it because the smell of fuel will be all over it.
“My husband is a fisherman but he doesn’t catch fish so well again. At times, they will buy fuel inside canoe with the little money they have, hoping that they would catch fish and make money after selling it, but at the end of the day, they return home without catching anything.
“This spillage is causing us untold hardship. Everywhere you go, there is no fish. Before now, we used to have fish in excess. I used to buy and sell fish, but now I don’t get a good number of fish to buy.
“I now sell provision, but people hardly buy provision if they don’t catch fish. Once there is no fish, business crumbles. We are not government workers and dot no get salaries. When they catch large quantity of fish everybody feels happy and goes out of their ways to buy things.
“It is fishing that we are living on. To pay the children’s school fees is even a problem.”
Economic setback fuelling youth restiveness
The menace of oil spills and the attendant economic effects on the people is said to be partly responsible for the escalation of violence in the Niger Delta.
A youth leader in Ogoni, Friday Mbani, said because of the poor living standard in the communities, “you will find communal clashes, conflicts everywhere.
“As we are talking now, if the community is aware that I am talking about oil issue, they will think somebody has given me money, and if you don’t manage the situation very well, it will turn into something else.
“This is why you will be hearing that Ogoni is a violent region. We are not actually violent.”
Benjamin Warder, a former youth leader in lkarama area of Bayelsa State, shared Friday’s line of thought. “Of course, the Niger Delta people are farmers and fishermen. Our farm lands and rivers have been degraded and polluted. Oil pollution has affected us economically.
“White collar jobs are not easily seen and found here. Whatever affects the community affects the youths also. It has a general effect on the society. This increases the crime rate in the society.
“For me as a youth leader, I have been advocating that the government and the multi- national oil companies should look into engaging the youths in skill development and craft development, so that everyone could be meaningfully engaged and not wait for white collar jobs. But some of those advocacies have not yielded any benefits for now.”
Bemoaning the negative impact of oil spill in Bayelsa and the Niger Delta at large, renowned environmentalist, Morris Allagoa, noted that crude oil has a very toxic effect on the environment. “If you pour crude oil in a well grassed area and you come back after a week, you will see all the grass dying. If it spills on a river, you would see the fishes and even the crocodiles and snails dying because of the chemical composition of crude oil. It is very, very inimical to the environment in terms of denying the people their means of livelihood.”
He further said: “When lakes or swamps where people are supposed to make money from are affected by crude oil, the fishes would all die. Those that will survive will find ways to migrate from that environment.
“That is how it even happens on the sea. That is how it denies the fishermen, fisher women and farmers of their livelihoods. It also denies them of their good health.
“Some of them come down with different types of sicknesses. Respiratory problem is more rampant. We are also denied of potable water.
“The people’s only source of water is the river or the rain water, but these have been affected by gas flaring.”
Residents present myriads of mild, chronic sicknesses —Medical expert
A former chairman of Nigeria Medical Association, Bayelsa State chapter, Dr Michael Azebi, in an interview with our correspondent, noted that there is great relationship between oil exploration and exploitation and certain health challenges suffered by the people in the Niger
Delta, particularly in the oil bearing communities, who have direct impact of the effects of oil pollution.
He said: “Crude oil is mainly hydrocarbon, and when hydrocarbons get in contact with the land, it depletes the nutrients so the land won’t be fertile. You can’t really plant things. It also pollutes the ground water as well as the surface water.
“Because of the level of poverty in these environments, people depend on the surface water and the few that can afford to sink boreholes don’t have the means of treating them. They only filter the water for their daily consumption.
“Without proper treatment, even the water that is sourced from borehole is still within the level of water that has been polluted by the hydrocarbon that pollute the land. Either through the surface water where you can actually see the oil floating or the shallow boreholes sunk by individuals, the people get water that is polluted, which invariably affects them.”
“The immediate effect, according to Azebi, is that some of them have infections like diarrhoea. “Those who bathe with the water with the oil floating in it have allergic skin infections. Some of them have chronic skin infections with the skin looking like that of crocodile. It comes with one itchy complaint or the other. “We also know that hydrocarbon is not bio-degradable, so, somehow, it gets into the system.
“We have also seen cases where people living in this environment tend to have chronic illnesses, and one of them is respiratory tract infections. Some have developed chronic bronchitis, some have developed asthma conditions.
‘Even for those who don’t have asthma running in their families, you see them developing asthma at an age they are not expected to develop it. So, we have asthmatic diseases, bronchitis which are inflation of the lungs, as well as other chronic conditions that have led to cancer of the lungs in people who are not known to be active or passive smokers.”
Continuing, he said: “We have also seen some congenital abnormalities in some children that are delivered by people who are resident in the oil bearing communities. The effects of hydrocarbon is very, very massive in the environment.
“The other one that we know is as a direct effect of gas flaring. The hydrocarbon that gets into the air is converted to acid when the rain falls. So we have what is called acid rain.
“Poor people who manage to buy corrugated iron sheets to build their houses don’t enjoy them for long. As it rains for two or three seasons, all the roofing sheets will turn brown and begin to rust.
“Because of scarcity of water, people collect rain water. But the rain water they collect for consumption is polluted because hydrocarbons are massive in the atmosphere and any particulate matter in the atmosphere does not disappear into the atmosphere; it will come back when it rains, and that will also pollute the water we drink.
“When the river is polluted, every of its content is also polluted. Apart from the fact you can hardly see fish in our rivers, the few that survive and are caught have every trace of oil pollution in them.
“When you remove the gills, you will see oil in them. When you wash them and boil, you will also see oil floating in the water you use to wash them before cooking.
“The main content of crude oil is hydrocarbon. If you consume hydrocarbon, since it is not bio-degradable, it finds its way into your cells and it is a big problem on ground.”
He submitted that the multinational companies know about the problems but “because we have a system where the government does not care about the citizens, we have them work unchallenged.
“The few times the indigenes have tried to take the law into their hands, it is the same government that sends the police and soldiers to disperse them.
“When you look at what happens in civilised countries like America when similar things happen, they go to the extent of getting adequate compensation. But it is not the same here.
“That women in the environment develop breast cancer is true because of the fact that the pollution we get from hydrocarbon can get into the cells. Transformation of cells when there is pollution of hydrocarbon can lead to skin cancer, and breast is one of the appendages, so it can also lead to breast cancer.”
We’ve been penalising defaulting multinationals, getting compensation for communities —FG
The National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) says it has always responded promptly to complaints of oil spills in the Niger Delta region and penalised defaulting polluters.
The Director Oil Spill Assessment Department, Olubunmi Akindele, said: “Oil spill response is a process that starts with notification, and having received the notification, it is expected to be followed with joint investigation which includes the host community or communities impacted.
“At the stage of joint investigation, we identify the cause, and if we find the cause to be third party, there is no compensation but there will be clean-up. Most of the clean-ups were done by engaging the communities and the sites.
“We do a lot in making sure that it is done in good time to put the environment back to use. We have been receiving public complaints and have been resolving them.
“If the spill is caused by the company through negligence, we go about doing damage assessment after which the communities are entitled to compensation. After evaluation, there is monetary compensation.
“Sometimes, some oil companies even provide relief materials for the communities, but we have always insisted on fair and adequate compensation.”
He dismissed allegations by Mulade that multinationals provide logistics for NOSDRA.
“Anybody can say anything; it is for you to verify. Investigation is always done jointly with the participation of the community. Everybody decides and agrees that the spill is caused by an oil company or vandals.
“The person who alleges must prove it. If he doesn’t, then it is a little more of frustration. We are cock sure that our staff don’t get engaged in these things you are talking about.”
Reacting to complaints by the communities that it takes a long time before they can do meaningful business after an oil spill, Akindele said: “When a place is contaminated, the responsibility of the polluter is to restore the impacted site. After recovery, they can go back to their businesses.
“Are those places not re-polluted by the communities? Sometimes they don’t allow for clean-up. Sometimes we have to intervene to allow for the intervention of the polluter. It doesn’t have to be.
“If you re-pollute by way of doing illegal refining or vandalisation, the place would not recover, it would be re-polluted.
“The lifeline for recovery is about six years. After the place has been remediated, you need to leave it for natural attenuation. If the natural attenuation is not allowed, the place would not recover.
“There should be awareness campaign in this regard. The incident is not on the person who broke pipeline or illegal refining but on the community at large that suffers damage to natural resources, impacted environment.”
On what the agency does to polluters who fail to clean the spill, he said: “We have penalised oil companies that defaulted in the past. For instance, if they don’t report spills, we sanction them, and if they fail to pay, we will go and enforce our directive.
Specifically, we have succeeded in bringing old APPMC into compliance by so doing. There is a company we sanctioned and we are in appeal court in Benin now.
“We are always taking steps to make sure that they comply. But that is not our ultimate goal. We make sure that they voluntarily comply without forcing them.
“There is a platform by which we engage them to sensitize them on early reporting of spill and adequate clean-up. If they don’t clean up, we ask them to go back.”
The mysterious disappearance of a 19-year-old after an outing with a friend a few weeks ago is causing his family sleepless nights, reports Kunle Akinrinade.
Suspect detained at SCID
No clue yet on his whereabouts — Police
Where is Ayomide Adegoye? That is the mystery the police in Lagos are trying to unravel following the disappearance of the 19-year-old school leaver after he left home with one Toyosi Kolawole to see the latter’s friend named Peter in Joju part of Ota, Ogun State since January 6.
Ayomide’s 48-year-old father and fashion designer, Tunde Adegoye, has become a shadow of his bubbly self in their neighborhood in Ojokoro, a Lagos suburb, his son’s mysterious disappearance. His voice was shaky and his countenance sullen as he spoke with our correspondent on Ayomide’s whereabouts.
Kolawole, the 23-year-old friend Ayomide was said to have gone out with, was said to be a student in one of the polytechnics in Ogun State.
The senior Adegoye, a native of Ikare-Akoko, Ondo State, is pained that his son has not been found more than one month after he left home.
According to him, Ayomide left his residence at No 3, Awoyomi Crescent in Ahmadiyya area of Ojokoro with his friend, Toyosi, for Ota, Ogun State on January 6. But while Toyosi returned home later in the day, his son was nowhere to be found.
Ayomide’s father said: ”Toyosi’s parents and I are neighbours. My house is at No 3, Awoyomi Crescent while Toyosi lives with his parents at No 2 of the same address.
”Toyosi and my son are friends and they usually mingle together even with my other children.
“However, on January 6 this year, Toyosi asked my son to accompany him to the place of one of his friends named Peter in Joju part of Ota, Ogun State. I even met them at Ahmadiyya in front of a PoS operator while I was returning from one of my customers at Ipaja.
“My son told me that Toyosi wanted to cash some money before they would continue with their trip. Since that day, I have not set my eyes on my son.
”Initially, when I didn’t see my son, I called his mobile phone and that of Toyosi but their phones were switched off. It was not until the evening of January 7 that I was able to reach Toyosi who claimed that my son detoured while they were returning home at the Toll Gate end of Ota.
“He said my son received a call on his phone and left for an unknown destination while he returned home.
”I cannot sleep at night because the thought of my son’s mysterious disappearance haunts me. His siblings are also greatly troubled over his whereabouts. Please, help me beg the police to unravel the mystery behind my son’s whereabouts.”
It was learnt that the matter was reported at the Ojokoro Police Division, following which Toyosi and Peter their host were arrested.
They have since been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) where Toyosi is being detained for further investigation.
In a telephone conversation with our correspondent, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Lagos State Police Command, Mr. Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said the suspect was still in the custody of SCID, Panti.
Adejobi, a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP), said there has not been any clue yet on the whereabouts of the missing boy.
Adejobi said: ”The boy who took his friend out, leading to the latter’s controversial disappearance, is still in the custody of SCID at Panti, Yaba, as we speak.
”We haven’t got a clue yet as to the whereabouts of the missing boy, but we are intensifying our investigations on the matter.”
While assuring that the police would not relent in its effort to unravel Ayomide’s whereabouts, Adejobi urged anyone with genuine information on the location of the boy to feel free to release such to the police.
‘’I want to urge members of the public, especially family members and friends of the missing boy, who might have information that could aid the police in finding the boy, to please feel free to share such information with the police either by coming to the state police command or approach the SCID.”
BENSON Nnamdi Ezem, renowned architect and businessman is Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of Cosmo Base Group, a conglomerate with interest in real estate, construction, consultancy, manufacturing, hotels and leisure. In this interview with IBRAHIM APEKHADE YUSUF, he shares useful nuggets about surviving in the workplace and life in general. Excerpts:
WHEN does your typical day begin?
Well, I start my day by 5am. I use one hour for my quite time. I happen to be a Pastor and a Reverend. I use the first one hour to pray to God to take hold of my daily activities. Thereafter, I begin to answer or make calls to my managers that I need to talk to so as not to delay or disrupt their own work schedule since they have to start by 8am.
What’s your management style?
My management style cuts across. I have different management styles for different activities. You see, there are different organisations in the Group. And in each organisation, I try to use a style that will appeal to them and make me get the highest level of productivity from them. Like when it comes to the consultancy arm because I consult; I use consultative management style. I seek the opinion of the team and consult their viewpoints because in that setting, you’re dealing with professionals that are like yourself. When I ask them to contribute their ideas over some decisions that would be made, especially when it comes to project; they all contribute their ideas from their different perspective, training and experience. But at the end of the day, the decision falls on me to follow or to take the advice that would give us maximum productivity and make us achieve our set goals and standards. Because one thing is that in our organisation, standard and quality delivery is one area that we pay very important attention to. The other way is that sometimes, I may have to use collaborative management style, where I ask them to come up with some of their ideas in achieving our set goals. So it encourages open communication between the top level managers down to the least staff. And that sort of give them a source of belonging and it provides an environment that leads to productive employees because when they know they are part of the decision-making process, they want to see it through and it encourages them to work hard, to be a solution provider and be efficient in the assignments they have been given. What I do as a leader of the team is to let them have the big picture and they come up with solutions and you will always see them doing everything within their powers to make things work because they are part of the decision-making process. For me, the bottom line is productivity. What I try not to do is to be authoritative in my management style by behaving like the boss around only just giving instructions and tell people to run with it whether they like it or not. In my organisation, one thing that is foremost and important to me is welfare. Once people are not well-remunerated or well-paid, you don’t get the best from them. If you see a man that is hungry and owes house rent, do you expect optimum performance from that man? No, it’s not possible! So I try as much as possible to be like a father because I treat the staff of my company like a family. Like every morning when we come to work, we take the first 15 minutes in all the branches to pray; we commit the company, the managers to God. Mind you, this organisation is peopled by individuals of different religious leanings, we don’t discriminate at all. But everyone is required to pray. This kind of cordial relationship brings the staff together to work as a team. Like they say, ‘a family that prays together stays together!’ With that we achieve a lot and I can tell you that the staff are happy. Most of them don’t depend on their salaries as they get a lot of incentives from the organisation for their hard work. And this thing keeps the company going because you see people trying to be good at what they do so as to enjoy the incentives that come with being efficient and productive.
What’s your management philosophy?
In the company, anything we do we try to be result-oriented by ensuring that the staff are able to add value to the company and we ensure that they add value to themselves too. As a rule, you cannot work with Cosmo Base Group without improving yourself.
So that means the turnover rate would be low if what you have said is anything to go by?
Let me tell you a secret, our organisation is just barely 30 years plus, but do you know that there are people who started with us that are still with us? We have had people who wanted to spend just two years but ended up spending over 20 years. Some of the staff who came and weren’t married got married while in this organisation and their children are graduates today from this organisation. This is all due to the love that we show to them (staff). Here, we go beyond the boss or master-servant relationship. We try to empower our staff to achieve set goals through collective responsibility and problem-solving initiatives. So once they know that if I’m in this team, I’ll be recognised because I’m a problem-solver, they key into it. That’s the spirit that the morning service ignites in them because sometimes I take out time to exult them and tell them, ‘look, you can be better than you came in here. You can achieve great things, and you can even own a company bigger than what we have here.’
Do you delegate responsibility or micromanage people?
In the organisation I run, we have a hotel arm, a consultancy firm, construction industry and what have you. You cannot run these companies singlehandedly without any support. If you try it, you will just fall down and die. I delegate a lot as well as set goals. We have different staff that leads the team and we are able to handle a lot of things because of the team work. There was a time we were handling different projects across all our branches at the same time including Osun, Akwa Ibom, Owerri, Gombe. We all had to combine forces. As a leader who has to delegate, you must also be ready to give yourself and time at any point in time. In our line of work which has to do with project execution and all, a simple delay has huge financial implication. Even if you delegate, you need to be available anytime your attention is required.
What are your other areas of interest besides business?
By the grace of God, as a Minister of the gospel, I pastor one of the denominations. I’m also involved in a lot of philanthropy. In fact, that is one area I pay a lot of focus on. We have a foundation through which our various charities are being channeled in the last 16 years. We have some people on scholarships. It is really gratifying to know that through our modest efforts we have been able to touch lives. The joy I feel when I do the charity work is indescribable.
How do you fund these charities?
One way we fund these charities is by using the profits from the business as tithes. We see the joy that we bring to people but the gesture has also had very tremendous impact on the business too because of the bountiful harvests we have continued to record by the day.
How do you motivate your staff?
We do a couple of things to motivate our staff because we believe that when you add value to a staff, he/she in turns add value to the organisation as well. We gift them with cash rewards when they exceed expectations. For those that are exceptional in terms of productivity and efficiency, we take up their rents. You can expect to pay someone N100, 000 as salary in a month and expect that person to be able to build a house of his own. We have a number of initiatives in place where we have been able to support our staff with affordable housing. As a graduate once you have worked with us for two years, you qualify for a car loan and the repayment plan is so easy that you won’t even feel it. Staff gets as much commission as possible when they sell our properties or meet targets. All these and many more incentives are what we provide to staff to make them loyal to the company.
What motivates you?
My motivation as an individual is that when I see people grow it makes me happy and inspires me to want to do more. Creating value in people is what excites me the most.
Do you apply the stick and carrot approach?
We have a staff handbook which all staff gets once they join us, where we spell out all the do’s and don’ts of the organisation. We don’t have room for indolence. Here, we take discipline very seriously. When it comes to business, I’m not an emotional person. The moment you come into the company, we expect you to devote your time to work.
What’s the best decision you have taken thus far?
One of the best decisions we have taken as a company is the training and retraining we give to the staff we do both internally and externally. The training not only adds value to the organisation but also makes a lot of things easy in terms of our processes and procedures.
What’s the worst decision you have taken in your working career?
I can’t figure out any decision we have taken that has ever miscarried because every investment decisions we take are usually well-thought out before we take them.
How did your background influence you?
Oh yes, my family background influenced me in so many ways. I was born into an average senior civil servant family. My father was a disciplinarian. He was fond of setting goals and targets for everybody. And once you meet your goals you get rewarded for it and thankfully, all that has continued to play out today. My father instilled in me diligence, character and value for relationships. I value my relationship with people, I don’t take it for granted at all whether good or bad. Most times even the bad turns out to be good. Such approach to life has really helped the company today. I always tell people that don’t close your doors in such a way that you will not find the keys again to open the closed doors. Therefore, you must always control your emotions, anger and temperament because these are some of the things that could make you lose yourself in that fleeting moment and throw every caution to the wind.
What’s your definition of success, career-wise?
I have risen to a level in life where chasing money is no longer the ultimate goal or buying expensive cars, building palatial homes and all. My definition of success is that a success without a successor is not meaningful. What I mean is that you cannot be regarded as successful when you have not left any impact on the sands of time.
How do you unwind?
I have a couple of hobbies. Writing is one of my hobbies. I’m an author. I have written three books so far. I play golf for fun and I belong to almost all the golf clubs in the country. Whenever I travel, I look for any golf course to play golf. I also play table tennis at home with a few friends.
What was the last book you read and when?
Wherever I’m, I’m surrounded by books. As I speak to you, I’m in my study now. The last book I read is Business Secrets of the Bible, written by Daniel Rabbi.
What’s your choice holiday destination?
My choice holiday destination is Bangkok, Los Angeles. London is almost like a home to me. I just go there to stay with my children.
Do you cook?
No I’m not a good cook. I have a chef that prepares my meal but I love good food.
What’s your favourite Nigerian dishes?
My favourite meal is ukazi soup with plantain flour.
Do you do the dishes after eating?
I like doing the dishes, especially when I travel. Naturally, I like cleaning the house because I hate the sight of cobwebs. I’m a complete family man. Although my kids are married, but they usually mill around me and want to take a holiday with me. I have grandchildren too who have also grown fond of me. I play and get down with them undermining our age differences and they all love it.
For me, success is not what I’m able to do with my career. The definition of success is how far and wide I have been able to use my talents, opportunities, skills within my reach to assist the other man less fortunate than I’m. This is the only way I think I want to be measured as a success is whether I have been able to leave my footprints in the sands of time.
“My husband is a fisherman but he doesn’t catch fish so well again. At times, they will buy fuel inside canoe with the little money they have, hoping that they would catch fish and make money after selling it, but at the end of the day, they return home without catching anything.
“However, on January 6 this year, Toyosi asked my son to accompany him to the place of one of his friends named Peter in Joju part of Ota, Ogun State. I even met them at Ahmadiyya in front of a PoS operator while I was returning from one of my customers at Ipaja.
In the organisation I run, we have a hotel arm, a consultancy firm, construction industry and what have you. You cannot run these companies singlehandedly without any support. If you try it, you will just fall down and die. I delegate a lot as well as set goals. We have different staff that leads the team and we are able to handle a lot of things because of the team work. There was a time we were handling different projects across all our branches at the same time including Osun, Akwa Ibom, Owerri, Gombe. We all had to combine forces. As a leader who has to delegate, you must also be ready to give yourself and time at any point in time. In our line of work which has to do with project execution and all, a simple delay has huge financial implication. Even if you delegate, you need to be available anytime your attention is required.