The Nation Newspaper

Category: Saturday Magazine

  • Combating terrorism amid COVID-19

    Combating terrorism amid COVID-19

    Maj.-Gen. Dagvin Anderson is the Commander of the United States Special Operations Command Africa in Stuttgart. In a digital briefing with reporters, including Assistant Editor BOLA OLAJUWON, he speaks about U.S. partnerships with African nations to reduce extremism, combat terrorist organisations, and bring about peace and prosperity throughout the African continent. Excerpts:

     

    Relationship with Africa

    We work with the continent quite a bit, across the entire continent.  And so we understand there are several shared threats that many countries are looking at, whether that is what’s happening with COVID right now and causing issues around the world – that’s a global threat that we’re all working together as an international community on – but also the food insecurity, the droughts that are happening, the locust infestation that is hitting East Africa.  These are all things that compound issues that are already extant, and then the humanitarian crisis that’s looming that is being fuelled by the terrorists is also something that we watch carefully.  And then, making sure that as we look at this, we realise this is not solely a military effort, that this is an effort that takes partnership with our Department of State, USAID, other nongovernmental organisations, in order to address these underlying conditions and these underlying issues that create opportunity and create places where terrorists can exploit.  And so for us, it’s looking at this holistically is important, and looking at how we can address this not just as a military but as a government, but also as a community of international actors – both international governments and international organizations, especially nongovernmental organizations who can help bring relief to some of these areas.

    We have seen the violent extremist organisations, these terrorists take advantage of these conditions over the last five years especially.  Al-Qaida has had a very deliberate campaign to exploit these seams and grievances and to expand their reach, especially into the west.  We’ve seen that they’ve taken advantage of this also by closing schools, so they – they take away the future.  They eliminate that future by shutting down these schools: over 9,000 schools across Africa shut down; 3,000 in Mali and Burkina Faso.  That is very concerning to us because what does that mean for future development, for future opportunities for people that live in these regions?  And what does it mean as these violent extremist organisations then replace those schools with their ideology and their teachings, which we believe is antithetical to a free and open society and prosperity?

    So as we look at this, in the west, probably the fastest-growing humanitarian crisis is in the Sahel.  There’s a deliberate campaign by these terrorists to exploit that.  We recently – the Associated Press published in 2012 the al-Qaida playbook that was discovered, and it really laid out how al-Qaida’s methodically entrenching themselves into the society and into the Azawad area of northern Mali, and then using that to expand as a base going forward.  That’s very concerning to us because it’s a deliberate strategy, and part of that strategy is to be quiet about how they act, how they expand.  They’re not looking to advertise a lot of what they’re doing.  And then what we’ve seen them do is they’ve expanded now in Mali, but now into northern Burkina Faso, where they attacked infrastructure, then they took out local governance and security forces, and now they are using that, their presence, to control the local economy and exert their control over the population.  And we’re seeing them continue to move further south in Burkina Faso towards those littoral nations in the Gulf of Guinea, and also further west towards Senegal and West Africa.  So that’s concerning to us as we watch them continue to move throughout the region.

    How extremist groups are exploiting the mess created by COVID-19 disruptions on the continent

    So, from our perspective at U.S. AFRICOM and SOCAFRICA, we’re doing the initial analysis on that.  We’ve gotten the direction, so we’re looking at what that means.  This is very much in the early stages.  This is not something that’s going to happen rapidly for us because we are still working through what that means as far as locations and where we’ll go.  So this will be several months of analysis, I think, and it’ll take a while before we actually execute that move.

    That being said, this is not going to affect our focus on the continent; it’s not going to affect our operations.  This is something that is very much tangential to what we’re doing, so it’s not going to be something that will distract us at all.  We will remain focused on the continent and we will remain focused on the violent extremists and how they’re continuing to develop, and we’ll continue to remain – our primary focus is with our partners to ensure that we stay, remain engaged.

    And I can say that with complete certainty because, as you said – and I’ll just use this to bridge into your question on COVID – COVID was an even bigger disruption.  It was a global disruption.  And throughout that entire period, we remained focused on the continent.  Special Operations, U.S. Special Operations Forces, stayed engaged and did not leave the continent.  We did not walk away from our partners.  We stayed engaged.  We continued to put pressure on these violent extremists throughout COVID.

    So I can tell you, moving a building or moving a headquarters to another location within Europe is going to be nothing compared to the stress and the disruption that was posed by COVID, and we were able to do that and still maintain our engagement with our partners and still maintain pressure on the VEOs (violent extremist organisations).

    Now, that said, with COVID, yes, I do believe the extremists will look to exploit any opportunity they get, and COVID presents those opportunities because COVID stresses any government.  I mean, look – just look at the global implications of what COVID has had, and it’s stressing every government on the planet.  So, that said, we know the governments and these – the nations of Africa are also feeling that stress, and the VEOs will look to exploit that.

    I can’t tell you exactly how because that will manifest itself in different ways in each of these countries.  But these VEOs are very dynamic and they’re very flexible, and they will look to see where those weak points are and where that can be exploited, and they will go after it.  Our job is to work with these countries and work with these governments to help them withstand that pressure, and that’s not necessarily a military effort.

    The fight against terror since the onset of the pandemic and beyond

    Again, our commitment to countering terrorism and VEOs since COVID has not changed.  We remained on the continent.  We did not pull any forces back.  We didn’t consolidate any forces.  We stayed in all our forward locations.  So we – and we remained engaged with our partners.  So throughout COVID, there has not been a change in the U.S. posture towards fighting VEOs and fighting terrorism on the continent.  When we look at the global pandemic and the partnerships, yes, there are stresses there and we talked about that.  I also think there are opportunities.  There are opportunities for us to partner.  There are opportunities for us to engage in ways beyond the military, and I don’t want to get too far ahead; that’s really getting into some State and USAID-type opportunities.

    But what we have seen from the military perspective is many of these countries want assistance in how to counter COVID, how to – how to work with that, how to educate on that.  And I do believe that’s something the United States brings, and we bring that as a strength of our medical understanding, our medical engagement.  We have had a long history of health engagement across the continent, and this health engagement has not been a temporary means of engaging for a one-time gift of aid.  It has been an enduring engagement over many years that has helped build health infrastructure, that has helped build hospitals.  That’s what’s needed to counter COVID.

    So as I look at this, and it goes to – and the reason I bring this up again is because this is how you delegitimise or undermine the terrorist narrative, is you provide these services, you provide these capabilities to the people, and that if we as a – as a community of international nations can help build this capacity within these different African nations to provide these services to their people, this undermines the ability of VEOs to gain traction.  This gives the opportunity, and health is a key sector to provide help in because it cuts across everybody, right.  Everybody cares about health.  Everybody cares about the health of their family.  I care about the health of my own family.  If I can help provide that, if we can provide that as an international community, then that delegitimizes much of the narratives that these violent extremists put out.  So that’s why I see COVID as a potential opportunity for the international community to come together and provide that type of assistance over the long term.

    Now, when it comes to other partnerships – because I know the question was probably not focused there – when it comes to engagement on VEOs through the pandemic, we will continue to stay engaged and look for opportunities in the future.  So as we look at this, we still need to – where we’ve had established – an established presence, we’ve been able to mitigate the COVID impact and still stay engaged.

    As we look to other places where we may come in episodically or we may come in where we haven’t been before, we need to look at then how do we – how do we have the infrastructure that we can come in and engage safely?  So that’s added a layer of our calculus that we have to do for risk mitigation. That’s true for every nation in the world.  That’s – COVID has created a new base line, a new level of risk that we have to be able to mitigate.  So we are addressing that as we come into – as we come into new countries or countries that we haven’t been to for a while as we engage.

    With the current COVID-19 pandemic globally, how would you describe U.S. partnership with African governments in the area of tackling terrorism and insecurity?

    When it comes to Nigeria in general, Nigeria, obviously, is a critical nation to West Africa.  It is huge just in its economy, in its population, and just its influence in the region.  It is a critical nation and we realise that Nigeria is a lynchpin.  For that to have an effect against the VEOs and to have an effect against these stressors, it really takes the Government of Nigeria to lead that effort and to build that energy to coalesce around.  So no nation can come in and fix that problem for Nigeria.  We can assist with that – and it’s the United States can assist, the United Kingdom, other countries can come in, many countries can come and assist with that partnership – but ultimately it takes leadership from Nigeria in order for us to focus our efforts.  We need to understand where Nigeria wants to focus those efforts so we can partner appropriately to have the best effect.

    Why does the partnership with the U.S. appear to be failing Nigeria?

    We have partnered with great effect with Nigeria in counterterrorism in the past.  We’ve had good engagements with their air force in particular and providing C-208 capability, which is a light, fixed-wing ISR (intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance) platform, very capable, and we’ve had good engagement.  We’ve had good engagements with their air force in integrating their air force with their ground forces in order to make their air force more effective.  Nigeria is a large country, it’s got a lot of territory to cover, and so it’s critical that they have that air component and that air engagement.  So we have had positive engagements there.

    Recently, the Nigerian coast guard went out and rescued some Chinese fishermen that were adrift out off their coast.  That was a combination of engagement from the U.S., where the U.S. had engaged with their maritime forces and helped build their maritime awareness along their coast.  And that was in partnership with their neighbours in Togo and Benin as well, who helped with that whole operation to understand the intelligence that led them to where these fishermen were, but then it was the unit that went out and did that was a Nigerian special operations unit that our Navy SEALs had trained a few years previously.

    So sometimes it’s not the immediate effect, it’s the effect that happens two or three years later as you combine these engagements that have a greater effect later on.  I know that’s just one small example and it’s not directly against terrorism, but being able to engage in that maritime domain and to be able to understand what’s going on out there is critical, and that has been an engagement the United States has had over several years with Nigeria and those other coastal states in both the naval and the special operations forces.

    More directly to his point, we have engaged with Nigeria and continue to engage with them in intel sharing and in understanding what these violent extremists are doing, and that has been absolutely critical to their engagements up in the Borno State and into an emerging area of northwest Nigeria that we’re seeing al-Qaida starting to make some inroads in.  So this intelligence sharing is absolutely vital and we stay fully engaged with the Government of Nigeria to provide them an understanding of what these terrorists are doing, what Boko Haram is doing, what ISIS-West Africa is doing, and how ISIS and al-Qaida are looking to expand further south into the littoral areas.

    So these are all places where we stay engaged and we stay in great partnership with Nigeria, but I share the – and I can’t remember who asked the question, unfortunately, but I share sentiment that it is quite disturbing that despite all this assistance, the VEOs are continuing to make progress and continuing to be a threat.  I think there’s two factors in that.  One, it goes to that each government has to focus on this and provide that focus for international partners to engage with.  The other partner – the other part of this is we can’t underestimate the threat these violent extremist organizations pose.  We, as a community of international nations, keep thinking we have defeated them or we have put them on their back foot and that they’re just moments from disintegration.  I think after 20 years we have seen they are very resilient organizations that, although small, they’re able to leverage social media and other forms of media to have an outsized voice and that they continue to recruit and they continue to find opportunities.

    And so they have evolved.  What they were in the ’90s and what they preyed upon in the ’90s is different than what we saw in the 2000s in Afghanistan and then in Iraq, and now as we see them come back into Africa and engage more in Africa, we see them exploit other grievances and other divides.  So we see them being very resilient, creative, and flexible.  So I’d ask all of the partners, all of our partners, not to underestimate the threat and not to underestimate what they’re capable of doing and that they are very patient and that they are willing to look for opportunities as they emerge.  So you can’t just say ‘we’ve defeated them,’ you have to continue to address weaknesses and places where these terrorist groups can – that they can exploit.

  • Relief, fear, anger, as repentant Boko Haram members embrace peace

    Relief, fear, anger, as repentant Boko Haram members embrace peace

    For the 601 deradicalised insurgents recently graduated from the Deradicalisation Rehabilitation and Reintegration, DRR camp in Gombe and reintegrated into society, it’s another chance to live and perhaps atone for their misdeeds. However, it’s not yet Uhuru, as a good number of them expressed fear of rejection. SHOLA SHITTU reports.

    It was on a Friday when Madagali, a community in Adamawa Local Government Area of Adamawa State was attacked by the dreaded Islamist group, Boko Haram. Armed with Ak47 riffles, the men on motorcycle and pick up vans, swooped on Madagali residents and took them captives – men, women and children.

    There was no age boundary; even nursing mothers and a 73 year-old man were not spared. They were all taken into Sambisa forest, where they were kept for days without food and water. They would later tell stories of how they survived, feeding on leaves and drinking their urine as water.

    Among them was 22-year-old Mohammed Mallah, a father of four with three wives. He was captured together with 21 members of his family; his parents, grandfather and grandmother. It was while they were in search of food in the forest that they found a road to town and followed it through to where they surrendered to the Nigerian Army at Bama. Mallah later went back to bring out his wives, children, siblings and aged parents.

    “On discovering the route, we planned and escaped in the night. It was only in the night that we could move without fear. I came back later to take my wives to a village called Mahinti before my father and mother later joined us. I later paid a man N5000 for transportation to Bama but one of my brothers was left in the bush because he was afraid of being kill. He said the soldiers might mistake them for Boko Haram insurgents and killed them. I however told him we were protected by the soldiers who give us better food and clothes and even provide accommodation for us at the Deradicalisation Rehabilitation and Reintegration, DRR camp in Gombe.

    “The soldiers later led me back to the bush to take my brother. We are here together with our father now and our relations have come to visit us too.” Mallah said.

    Boko Haram repentance members

    The story is however different with 46-year-old Babagana Meranbi. Meranbi, a father of seventeen children born by three wives was a staff of Bama Local Government Education Authority in Borno State before he was captured by the insurgents in 2014 when they launched attacks on the local government headquarters. Meranbi was, however, lucky, as he was dropped by the Boko Haram troops on age reason near a bush leading to Sambisa forest.

    “For me, it was an unfortunate experience and I regret it because they wasted a lot of my time and years. I was in my office at the local government headquarters when they attacked us and captured everyone.

    They took us to a village near Sambisa forest but I was not recruited as combatant because of my age. I later escaped when I had the opportunity and reported myself to the Nigerian Army. I really thank God for the grace to live again.”

    In the case of Saleh Hassan, a farmer, he was recruited with a threat to kill his parents if he refused to follow them. Saleh, who ended up a member of Boko Haram, said he had no choice but to follow the invading Boko Haram soldiers. “I was a farmer and I was recruited into Boko Haram Islamist group by force.

    When they came that day, they entered our house and ordered me to follow them in the presence of my father and mother. I first refused, but they said they would kill my father and mother and the little children in the house if I didn’t follow them. That was how I went with them for three years before I had the chance to run away and submit myself to the Nigerian Army.”

    In those three years, he said, “I cannot remember the number of people I killed but I am not happy with the experience.”

    Different strokes

    For these 601 deradicalised members of Boko Haram and ISWAP group on parade at the Deradicalisation Rehabilitation and Reintegration (DRR) Camp of Operation Safe Corridor, OPSC, it was different strokes and different stories. They were variously involved as Boko Haram combatants, informants, suppliers, captives or in any other forms. On this day, these men were not in the jungle of Sambisa forest carrying AK47 or seeking means of survival but are all dressed in white brocade caftan, a symbol of peace with green white green, Nigeria’s national colour cap to match.

    They have been in the Mallam Sidi Camp of the DRR for 24 weeks, receiving various trainings, teachings and instructions deliberately targeted at deradicalising their mindset and rehabilitating them for onward reintegration into the society. This was their graduation day. As soon as the programme commenced, all of them in their white caftan and green white green cap rose to sing the second stanza of the national anthem as the opening prayer.

    Their number cuts across ages from 73 year old man to a teenager of 14 years. In this camp, they are called clients not ex-combatants. The Chief of Defence Staff, General Abayomi Olonisakin is the chairman of Operation Safe Corridor and he was perhaps the happiest man for graduating the largest repentant Boko Haram members. The training in the camp involved not only the Nigerian Armed forces but also paramilitary agencies like the NDLEA, NCSDC among others and 12 other federal government ministries, department and agencies. A number of international and local non-governmental organisations such as International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and Centre for Democracy and Development are also collaborating with OPSC to achieve its objectives.

    Since inception, OPSC has admitted 893 clients comprising 287 in the first 3 batches and 606 in batch 4 for the DRR programme. Out of the 287 clients in batch 1-3, 280 including 2 Chadians were successfully integrated while seven were deceased. Batch 4 clients arrived in two chalks on 27 November and 14 December 2019. This number comprises 592 Nigerians from 10 states and 14 foreign nationals from Cameroon, Chad and Niger.

    “Out of this number, three unfortunately died of health complications while one was referred for further medical treatment at the Neuropsychiatric Hospital in Maiduguri, and another one withdrawn on disciplinary ground and transferred for re-categorisation and prosecution,” said the CDS.

    According to the CDS, the 601 graduating clients have been completely deradicalised; their extremist ideologies have been relinquished and they now conform to acceptable norms and the teachings of the Islamic religion.

    He added that all the therapies which they underwent have certified them fit for graduation and ready for integration into their respective society.

    “A special counter-narrative package by renowned clerics was also organised for the clients to correct or inculcate the right tenets of Islam and Christianity in them. As part of the DRR programme, visit from family members and prominent citizens were conducted while regular telephone conversations with relations to bridge gap and promote reconciliation were also allowed.

    “During the programme, the clients appeared before the quasi-judicial panel headed by a judge of Federal High Court to confess their past deeds, denounce membership of the insurgent/terrorist groups and swore oath of allegiance to the Federal Government of Nigeria,” Olonisakin said.

    The 601 repentant terrorists who are being reintegrated into their communities were given N20, 000 stipends and basic starter-packs to practise their respective vocations.

    Borno State governor, Professor Babagana Zulum, who was the special guest of honour at the occasion, donated N5 million to the graduates.

    Zulum, who was represented by the state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Babakura Jatau, denied reports that the state government gave the ex-combatants N100,000. 00 each.

    The commissioner said only 10 percent of the 601 repentant terrorists are actually Boko Haram members while the rest are those who were abducted and became accomplices.

    “What the government will do is that they will be brought to Borno State from Gombe and they will be housed in two orientation camps where there are facilities for training and for them to practise whatever they were taught in Gombe.”

    Responding to a question on alleged rejection of the ex-terrorists by the communities in Borno, Jatau said he was not aware of that. He, however, quickly added that rejection by the community cannot be ruled out because of the trauma and what they have passed through in the hands of terrorists over the years.

    “But with enough advocacy, sensitisation and the reports we are presenting to the government for implementation, I am sure they are going to be welcomed back into the society. When we had the screening in the last three days, 80 percent of these people are innocent. We are the victims from 2009 to 2020. It’s almost eleven years, we have not run away, we are in Maiduguri, all the bombings, the sporadic shootings and attacks; we witness them. So we are the victims. We are pretty sure that once we present the report to the government, it is going to be considered and with enough sensitisation, the community will welcome them back,” he said.

    Jatau sent a warning to the terrorists who are still in the bush to come out and lay down their arms and embrace the option of peace, adding that the federal and Borno State governments are willing to accept, rehabilitate and allow them live peacefully.

    “If they however refuse, I can assure you their days are numbered. Sooner or later, the Nigerian armed forces will bring them on their knees,” he said.

    The coordinator of Operation Safe Corridor, OPSC, Major General Bamidele Shafa said the 601 number of the graduating repentant ex-combatants is the standard United Nations battalion. “In any war where you have 600 surrendered willingly to embrace the federal government programme, I think it is a sign for peace ahead of us.”

  • I’m set to remarry – Obey

    I’m set to remarry – Obey

    Rumour mongers were at work recently with the purported death of juju music maestro, Chief Commander Ebenezer Obey. But like every unfounded rumour, it ended up a ruse as the great musician himself came out to debunk it days after it trended on the internet. He told PAUL UKPABIO in an interview at his Ikeja, Lagos home that he has forgiven both the originator and the peddlers of the fake news.  He also spoke on his plans to surprise everyone with a new wife and went as far as revealing the kind of woman he will likely marry.

    • Says only a foolish man would take young lady as wife at his age
    • Forgives originator of his death rumour

    You were recently rumoured to have died. How did you receive the news?

    I cannot understand it. I would not know why someone who has not confirmed a story would go on the internet and announce such an unconfirmed piece of news.

    Maybe you were sick and some people saw you being taken in or out of hospital…

    No, I have not been sick in recent times. I was here in Lagos when the rumour got to me. It was when people from all around the world stated bombarding my phone with calls to find out if the news was true that my children and I became alarmed. We had to start dispelling the rumour and telling people that I am alive.

    What came to your mind when you first heard of your death?

    Well, I knew that I was alive, I wondered and then I knew I had to correct the error and tell them that there is nothing wrong with me. But when I saw the reactions of people from all over the world, it also reassured me that I have fans and admirers all over the world, and that also impressed me. I realised once again that there are lots of people all over the world who love my music and love me too.

    Of course, I knew that before. But the response in the past weeks has been beyond my expectation. And I said to myself that it is good to do what one knows how to do well and let people recognise you for that. It has also taught me that every good thing that one does matters. This has also taught me that I should continue to do good to humanity more than ever. But again, that is what I have been doing all along.

    But how about those that started the false rumour?

    Oh, I have forgiven the person that started the rumour. I did that immediately. I cannot hold a grudge against the person. After all, the truth has been revealed; just like Jesus Christ said that ye shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free. People have rejoiced and they are still rejoicing with me.

    It is said that the Covid-19 pandemic affects the elderly the most. In what ways are you protecting yourself against the virus?

    The government has laid out preventive measures. We don’t know much about the disease except what we hear about it. So the government says we should cover our noses and mouths with masks and wash our hands as well as keep a social distance. I am keeping to these rules as much as I can.

    In an interview you granted some years ago, you said you would never retire from music. Is that still your position?

    Of course, it is. But since the outbreak of Covid-19, it has not been possible to perform in the public. But I still do my recordings. Singing and music is part of me. Once you are in it, you cannot leave it. But when the real old age comes and I can no longer do it, I will have to leave it and remain thankful for all that I have been able to do in the past and the opportunity that God gave me to serve humanity.

    A lot of people at your age consider themselves to be old…

    I thank God for His grace. I can still sing and perform. But then, age is certainly catching up on me. Still, there are certain things I still do conveniently, like singing. I thank God for keeping me till now.

    Do you believe that you can still sing and perform at 100?

    (Laughs) Let me tell you the truth: if I am able to open my mouth at that age, I will still be singing and performing, especially if my fans are still out there to dance.

    Have you recorded any album in recent times?

    Yes, I have. I have just completed the recording of a public enlightenment stuff on Covid-19. It is meant to support the enlightenment campaign, because till now, some people don’t even believe that Coronavirus exists. So, what I have done is to encourage people to believe and keep to the safety rules.

    It is believed that the lockdown caused by the outbreak of Covid-19 has affected professional musicians financially. What is your experience?

    That is true. Covid-19 has affected the finances of musicians because there are no gatherings for celebrations outside; only about 20 people are allowed at social events now, so it’s not really what we used to have. The entertainment industry has been worst hit and all musicians are affected.

    So what can musicians do at this time to augment their finances and earnings?

    We have been hearing that in foreign countries, arrangements are made for palliatives for the entertainment industry. In Germany for instance, they don’t miss the good times because their finances have been cushioned at this period by the government. If musicians are working, of course, they would be able to take care of themselves. It is unfortunate that we don’t have that kind of orientation in Nigeria, and Covid-19 has now become an eye-opener for all musicians.

    I had been saying it in time past that musicians should have alternative means of livelihood. With the kind of money they make, they could go into agriculture; it is the in-thing. Agriculture provides me food. It is a sector that can admit everybody. There are several ways of being part of the sector. You can be in the farming aspect or in the processing part of agriculture. Oil is going out gradually and agriculture is the present and the future.

    As regards my personal experience, I have been on this same matter with my musicians, but they see it as easier said than done. So it is not good for them to just wait on music alone. Something must be added to music so that in case a thing like Covid-19 happens, they can have another source of livelihood. At that point, music becomes an additional source of income. It is the wisdom of the wise. If musicians who read this follow my counsel, they will appreciate it later. You hear some of them say they cannot do something else, but the truth is that there is no job a man cannot do.

    Are you not missing companionship?

    Well, the companionship of a wife is a good thing. It is not against God’s rule. So, I am here, I can marry at any time; not just for the sake of marriage as it is, but for the sake of companionship, because what else do I want? I have children, grandchildren and even great grandchildren. So I have been blessed. It is not like I am looking for a wife that would conceive babies. As long as I still have life, you will hear when the time for marriage comes.

    What has prevented you from marrying a young lady since you lost your wife?

    Marry a young lady? It’s a foolish old man that will say he wants to marry a young lady. The young lady has just started her life and definitely is virile and strong. Someone like me should be thinking of a woman who is 60 or above. And when I do it soon, everyone will know.

    Do you miss your late wife or see her in dreams?

    Of course, I do. I miss her all the time and have seen her in dreams so many times.

    Are there people you miss playing for?

    Yes, a lot of people who have gone. I miss playing for a lot of those top socialites who are no longer with us on earth. But then, there’s nothing anybody can do about that. They have gone and they have gone.

    What do you cherish the most now?

    I cherish God. He is my number one. Then, of course, I have good people who are nice and kind to me.

    How about the church?

    That is what occupies my time now. It is from music to the ministry. I have enjoyed it so much because the word is God. I have had major challenges in life, and it was God that saw me through those stormy periods of life. When Jesus Christ left, he promised to send us a comforter, and He did.

    What is your take on the opening of schools and churches?

    Some people say that the government should not open schools and churches because the number of casualties from Covid-19 is high, and I say they are right. And some people are saying let’s open schools and churches so the economy can come alive again, and I say that they are equally right. Personally I think that if we look back, before Covid-19, people were dying all over the world. If the number of people that were dying then were also announced, we would equally be amazed at the number. But we don’t have a solution for Coronavirus.

    In the bible, there were seven lepers who thought among themselves that where they were, if they waited, they would die of starvation, and if they left the place, they would be killed. So they decided that they should go and look for the much needed food, and behold, the Lord had prepared food for them by confusing the enemy that brought war tos that country with a noise that made them to abandon their camps. The lepers came and saw food and went to the city to make it known to the king and the people. And that was when the king knew that their enemies had been destroyed.

    Covid-19 is our enemy. Let us take every necessary preventive step that government wants us to take in the churches, schools, mosques, and so on. There must be social distancing. Let us do all that, but also let us go out there because we don’t know when it is going to end. People cannot feed and the economy is going comatose gradually. We should go out but observe all precautions.

  • Sex issues that can destroy your relationship

    Sex issues that can destroy your relationship

    By Vera Chidi Maha

    As far back as I started having relationships, from my experience, the issue of sex always causes crisis, from selecting a good boyfriend to a good husband, from a good girlfriend to a good wife.  Sometimes even when you select a good girlfriend, she may end up being a bad wife or vice versa. To be honest, not everything in life can be predicted as no one knows tomorrow only God.

    Sexual problems on any individual can put a damper on your sex life which means they can lead to some “not so pleasant” relationship issues, especially if they go unaddressed. Yepa!

    So, what can we consider to be “sexual problems?” Well, from my small girl’s knowledge, sexual problems, also referred to as sexual dysfunctions, are issues that arise before, during, or even after sexual activity. These problems can occur during any stage of the sexual response cycle, preventing you and your partner from receiving the “gim gim” sexual fulfilment you crave, during foreplay and/or sex that will make your eyes shine like electric bulb that doesn’t need NEPA.

    Unfortunately, however, most of us are reluctant to talk about these types of “issues” for fear of being judged or seen as sex addicts. Not surprising that even when you become an adult in our society saying the word sex is almost forbidden giving people the impression you are either loose, lack home training or sex-starved person.

    Well, good news is that most sexual problems can be successfully treated which explains why it is so important to discuss your concerns with your partner. Please, don’t keep quiet about it because that silence alone can cause damage, ignoring or pushing sexual issues aside can lead your relationship down a very rocky path and final destruction.

    If your partner is the type to “run away” from talking about sexual concerns with you, you can try to read these words below and talk to your partner if per chance they are experiencing one or more of them. I didn’t say ask every second, use sense, but still ensure you have the discussion to help your relationship grow.

    Sexual problems that could destroy your relationship

    1. Unable to have an orgasm

    I know some people would be hissing reading this by now, orgasm? How dare she talk about it?  Well unfortunately, we can’t keep running away from it.

    To some, orgasm does not even exist. They don’t even know what it means talk less of experiencing it. Being unable to orgasm can undoubtedly wreak havoc on your sex life and relationship. This condition can affect anyone, young or old. I read somewhere that it gradually decreases once women hit their 30s and 40s; however, it rises again when women hit their 50s due to hormonal changes.

    One of the possible causes of this condition is that women have more casual sex during their 20s, which may account for the lower incidences of orgasms.

    Other reasons you may not be orgasming include not being sexually attracted to your partner anymore, overthinking about orgasming during sex, feeling guilty for enjoying sex, and/or having other things on your mind during sex. This, I agree to and I have observed from my talks with other people.

    Or, it could be that your partner is “too aggressive,” during sex, in other words your partner likes to do gragra in bed too much. Regardless, an inability to orgasm can hurt your relationship because everyone wants their partners to feel sexually satisfied, so if that isn’t happening, it can create problems in your relationship. There are ways you can address this issue. You can discuss with your partner the possible options to use to make life easier for you both.  There are lots of options to explore. Feelings of shame, guilt and embarrassment can arise, causing the couple to grow apart. So once you notice there is a problem, get up and fix it.

    1. Experiencing premature ejaculation

    Premature ejaculation refers to ejaculation (the release of semen from the body) that occurs before penetration or immediately after it – within one minute or less.

    The exact cause of premature ejaculation varies, but the good news is that in most cases, premature ejaculation can be fixed. Men report this as one of their top sexual performance issues. How is it even possible not to be aware of your partner’s problem with premature ejaculation? It is possible to miss the signs, primarily because men with this issue often enter into relationships with women who have little-to-no previous sexual experience.

    Why is that? Well, these men feel more comfortable with novice sexual partners who are unaware that they are experiencing premature ejaculation issues. Ironically, inexperienced women often find out their partners are suffering from it, not at the beginning of their relationships, but after dating for months or years or getting married.

    If you are curious if your partner is experiencing premature ejaculation, ask yourself the following questions: “Does my partner ‘last’ as long as I would like him to?” And, “How long does it take him to orgasm?”

    If the answer to the second question is “less than one minute,” then your partner may actually be suffering from premature ejaculation.

    1. Experiencing low libido

    Another common sex problem that affects both men and women is a low libido.

    What causes low libido?

    For a man, low testosterone, the hormone responsible for male traits (i.e. pubic, facial and body hair, deep voice and muscle tone) can cause a low sex drive. Testosterone also controls a man’s sexual desire and sperm production, so when it is low, it can not only negatively affect his libido but also prevent him from getting and staying hard.

    For women, low libido may stem from a hormonal imbalance, past sexual trauma, stress and so on.

    How can this affect your relationship? Well, it can cause your partner to avoid sex with you or you with him, which can lead to hurt feelings, low self-esteem, resentment, hostility and indifference towards your partner and the relationship.

    The end result: The end of your relationship. May God help us.

    1. Experiencing painful sex

    Painful sex can also damage a good relationship. How? Well, when sex is painful, you are more likely to avoid it.

    Women, who experience painful sex, tend to shy away from sexual activities with their partners. They may think it’s no big deal, but in reality, it can cause a myriad of relationship issues.

    If you withhold sex, for fear of pain, without talking to your partner about it, it can lead to hurt feelings and hostility from your partner. The truth is sex shouldn’t be painful, but it is a common issue.

    Having sex problems in relationships is normal. It occurs more often than you may think for many people. Keeping these issues to yourself only does more harm than good; therefore, it’s important to be open and honest with your partner about any sexual problems you are experiencing and check into a hospital or get a counsellor to help you sort things out. I wish you all the best.

  • How I survived the cold war in Afghanistan — Nigerian-born officer honoured by US Navy for honesty

    How I survived the cold war in Afghanistan — Nigerian-born officer honoured by US Navy for honesty

    Lieutenant Victor Agunbiade was recently honoured by the United States Navy for effectively managing its largest overseas cash disbursement office, handling about $45 million (about N17 billion) and gave a perfect account of $23 million (about N8.7 billion) across six rigorous inspections and independent audits with zero discrepancies. For his exemplary exploits, he was awarded the Navy and Marin Corp Development Medal. Agunbiade,  who was also named in 2018 as the Navy’s 2018 Officer Recruiter of the Year alongside 17 others and honoured at the annual Recruiter of the Year ceremony in Washington D.C. tells DAVID ADENUGA how unwavering determination and resilience have kept him going in the face of so many battles.

    How was your childhood?

    I was born into an Anglican family as the only male child in a family of seven. I hail from Ijebu-Ode in Ogun State. I had a very happy childhood, though I am from a humble background. One of the earliest memories that are engraved in my mind is that of waiting for my dad to come home from work on his bicycle. On his arrival, “The old man would put me on his lap, ask me how I fared in the school work of that day and what homework I came home with. While we did my homework together, my father would use the opportunity yet again to remind me to always keep these three things in my mind: aspiring to be the best in all my endeavours, remembering to learn something from everyone I passed through in life and respecting the people I met in life irrespective of status. He would say that some lessons are painful and some are painless, yet all are priceless because they would add to my experience. That advice stuck into my head, and I would use them as a benchmark to set targets for myself in everything I do and to always have it in my sub-consciousness not to undertake anything I do with a mere symbolic gesture.

    My father taught me each passing time to be confident and how to choose the right path in life.

    What is your educational background?

    My father being a trained teacher knew the importance of education when he enrolled me at a tender age in Christ Church Primary School, Porogun, Ijebu-Ode Molode; the Anglican school the church founded to ensure that its members’ children could commence learning at a tender age. On completion of my primary education, I moved to Adeola Odutola College, Ijebu-Ode, where I completed secondary education.

    Propelled by the importance of a well-rounded education, I gained admission into Ogun State College of Education, Igbeba Campus Ijebu-Ode for my A-Levels. Thereafter, I gained admission into then University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, now Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Ogun State, South-Western Nigeria to study Agricultural Economics and Farm Management. I served in Kastina State in 1997, where I taught Biology and Agriculture at Katsina Secondary School. After my National Youth Service Corps in Katsina, I returned to Somolu, Lagos where I was employed as a Parent-Teacher Association teacher at Baptist High School, Obanikoro, Lagos. A few years later, I was employed by Governor Tinubu’s administration in Lagos as Agricultural Research and Planning Officer with the Lagos State Ministry of Agriculture. I decided to quit on the 8th of February 2003 for further education. This time, to pursue a business programme at Kensington College of Business, London. Unfortunately, I was denied British entry visa three times, even with documented evidence of having paid the required tuition fees and having provided a bond agreement issued by my sponsor. The British Consular concluded that I would not return to Nigeria after my studies. With that disappointment, having resigned my employment with the Lagos State Ministry of Agriculture, I remained unemployed for four years before I eventually travelled to the United State on February 16, 2007 with an Immigrant Visa.

    Did you feel like giving up after you were denied British Visa thrice?

    That was my wilderness experience. I have to depend on God each day for my daily bread. My faith in God kept me through. I knew it would soon pass and I held unto my dream. I came to a resolute conclusion that only death can stop me from reaching my goal. I wrote it on the wall of my room that “I will reach my goal.”

    What were the challenges you faced?

    I had financial challenges because I had used all my savings to pay for the school in England and there was no job to return to. My father also died on July 20, 2003 and was buried on July 26, 2003. It was a big loss to my life because he was my go to person. I had to start all over again. It was my darkest hour.

    How did you find your way to the US?

    I travelled to America on family sponsored Immigrant visa on February 16, 2007. On landing and settling down, I prayed and committed my career plan into God’s hands.

    Was it always your dream to become a naval officer?

    I had a dream in which I saw myself in a US Navy war ship, and I knew that was the answer to my prayers.

    After much deliberation and due diligence, I decided to join the US Navy as a store keeper on the 27th of February 2008. The Navy then provided opportunity to go back to school where I pursued a degree in Economics and an MBA before becoming a commissioned officer in 2013.

    You were deployed in Afghanistan in 2013. What was the experience like?

    I can’t really talk much about that because of what I did there. Yes that was combat, real combat, and I lost some friends there. But I have put Afghanistan behind me!

    Was there any threat to your life at any point in your career?

    Well we all face threats to our lives each day, but my faith in God has always been my fortress. “Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil.”

    What came through your mind when you learnt about the honour done to you by the US Navy?

    Well, I was actually very excited, fulfilled with great sense of accomplishment and primarily gratitude to God.

    Nigerians will like to know your toughest mission and how you survived it.

    My toughest mission was Afghanistan. I followed through all I was taught in training – perseverance, dedication and strength! I look beyond myself and I made it through prayers and faith in God. I had good team and great leadership that provided awesome guidance and structures.

    Why did you choose to serve in the US Navy and not in the navy of your beloved country Nigeria?

    Like I said earlier, I joined the US Navy because it was a divine leading. I never had the desire to join the navy until I dreamt about it while I prayed about my career path when I relocated to the US.

    How are you able to balance the role of a naval officer with that of a father and a husband?

    Well. I have great support at the home front! I have great support from my family, my wife and children, and that makes it aso easy for me to be able to balance work and family. We go on vacation together and I spend lots of time with my family when I am not working.

    What do you love to do when you’re off the battlefield?

    I spend time with my family. I also like sports; soccer to be precise. I am an Arsenal fan for life. I like NBA, American football, athletics, travelling and reading.

    What strategy do you think Nigeria should employ to win the fight against insurgency?

    I really don’t know what methods Nigeria military are using to fight the insurgents, but I am very positive that they could do better if they are well equipped and well taken care of.

    If invited home to help in the fight against insurgency, would you honour it?

    That has to go through my job; if the Nigerian government requests that.

    What are the awards you have won?

    I won the Navy Marine Corps Commendation Medal 2020, Navy Marine Corps Commendation Medal   2019,   Navy

  • Dayo Amusa: Actresses make themselves vulnerable in sex-for-roles drama

    Dayo Amusa: Actresses make themselves vulnerable in sex-for-roles drama

    With almost two decades in the movie industry, Dayo Amusa has shown her versatility as an actress and producer having featured in hundreds of Nollywood movies and produced over five. In this interview with ADENIYI ADEWOYIN, the actress cum singer addresses her recent fall out with a fan, advances from male admirers, and other issues rocking the movie industry.

    In recent times, there’s a belief that you have switched from Yoruba speaking films to only English speaking films, how true is this?

    Not exactly because over time I’ve done some movies that have to do with both English and Yoruba like Urban movies. Movies like Unforgivable, Pathetic runs in between both so it’s not like I’m abandoning Yoruba movies. As far as I am concerned I am an actress, an entertainer.

    How has it been for you in the industry since you started almost two decades ago?

    It’s been challenging, it’s been fun and everything but as far as I am concerned, everything is on a positive note. It’s been from one grace to another grace and as you can see now the rate at which we kind of pay attention to details when it comes to film production can’t be compared to 10 to 15 years ago. The way we pay attention to our story lines, technicality and so we are improving.

    What were the challenges you faced back then?

    The initial challenges were the roles I picked up then and how I was always dressing like a Tom Boy so, I was finding it difficult to get producers and directors to see me do other roles. As a matter of fact, I was being stereotyped but gradually, I was able to find my place.

    How often do you get advances from male fans?

    Almost every second but I try as much to respond to some randomly. If you have one million people admiring you you can’t give all of them that attention.

    Have you experienced or witnessed sexual harassment in the movie industry?

    No, I have not but something similarly happened to me in my early years but for me I believe that as an adult I believe you have every right to say no. A director might see an upcoming actress and say I like you but you can not be forced and it is so sad that these upcoming actresses are coming to fire the directors and producers to have their way. It’s not that the directors are the one taking advantage of them, even the so called girls as well come in making themselves vulnerable to the producers to get roles fast. So it takes two to tango.

    Why did you decide to do music considering the fact that some of your colleagues had ventured into it and failed?

    Well, music for me is not like I just picked it up one day and tried. Over time, even before I joined the movie industry, I’ve always been a singer in church though it wasn’t like I was doing it officially and when I wanted to get into the entertainment industry, I wanted to come in as an artiste but the it wasn’t something that was really lucrative like it is now and I realized that I got that opportunity in the acting sector, so I focused on that trying to find my space and get my brand to be recognized and after which I realized that this thing is still inside me so I tried once and I got the encouragement from my friends and fans out there so here we are.

    How true is it that there is a competition among female actors?

    The industry is a very large place and we are many. I believe everybody wants to find their space and some people might see it as a competition but as far as I am concerned, the sky is so big for everybody to take his or her space. For anybody that thinks they have to go the extra mile, that’s their problem. Just do your thing because people are watching.

    You were recently under attack for criticizing a fan who asked for your assistance as an upcoming actor, what really transpired?

    A young aspiring actress kept sending messages that she has talent and so on, initially I was ignoring but on this fateful day, I just decided to check her page but on opening the page, I realized that she had just two posts and the posts had nothing to do with acting. I was like what are you calling me to come and see? So after seeing your page were you expecting me to call you to my house or what? You have the internet and you can’t do a sixty seconds skit are you a joker? I guess the word I used made people come for me but then it was just the truth.

    So after that encounter, have you been able to reach out to her and how has it been?

    Yes I see that she’s posting now, irrespective of how Nigerians must have taken it, at least, she’s able to pick up something from it. I see she’s doing some skits now. Unfortunately, it was during the pandemic and I didn’t have any project going on, I would have invited her but hopefully maybe in my next production if I have one or two roles, I would invite her.

    What’s your take on Covid-19?

    I know about six people who have contracted it home and abroad. It is real, it is no scam. You know in Nigeria we like to learn the hard way. It’s not like they can’t comply with what the government is saying but I feel when they start seeing visible situations but it doesn’t have to get to that.

  • Do you prefer to be his woman or his kept-woman?

    Do you prefer to be his woman or his kept-woman?

    By Rois Ola

    A very happy Sallah to our Muslim brethren and to you my esteemed readers! How was yesterday? I do hope we did not overdo it. To my fellow ladies, do not forget that we need to remain in shape so let’s ensure that we don’t overdo anything, drinks, food and so on.

    As women, we need to decide which side of the fence we want to be on. The old  story of Tiger Woods , the golf player, really got me thinking of how chains of women were bold enough to come out and say ”Oh, he made love to me on the floor, in the bathroom, in his garage, in the hotel room, in the lift lobby.  Give me a break! Truth is that such can only happen in that part of the world. How many of us here as married men’s mistresses (kept women) can be bold enough to come out and say a Tiger Wood had sex with me on the floor!

    The Tiger-Woods of Nigeria can sleep with us anywhere and everywhere, yet not even the walls dare to talk about it.

    Today’s piece is about which of the ladies shoes would you rather be . Do you prefer to be the wife or the mistress? The one he loves to have sex with, anytime and anywhere? In other words, his sex slave? Or do you desire to be his companion, the mother of his children, his confidant, the person he is seen with on every occasion? At the risk of sounding judgemental, I still think it is better to be his woman rather than to be his kept woman.

    Most men are scared stiff of commitment, some will rather court you till they are fed up. As women, there are ways to making men change their minds about their original intentions towards us. I am aware that when a man sights an attractive lady, sex quickly comes to mind. How will she be in bed? It is now up to us, if we are content with just having them sleep with us or show that there is more to us that just sex. Women are blessed with the gifts and know-how of getting men to take them to ‘next level’ if you like.

    I recall years back when my late mum’s first cousin came to pay her a courtesy visit with a lady on his arms. When he left the lady at our sitting room and joined my mum in the kitchen, my mum could not wait to ask him if the lady was ‘our’ wife to be?  He laughed and said: ”Aunty, so if I bring this type as a wife to be, would you believe me? She’s not my type. She’s just my part-time lover”. Dearest readers, today they are married with kids to match! Do you call it fate, may be or may be not, or you think it was destiny, you may also be right. But practically speaking, the lady knew in her heart he was going to be her husband and it happened.

    Read my lips; a man will treat you the way you allow him to. Research has shown this in 95 out of 100 cases.

    When he treats you like his ”spare” girlfriend, it is because you have allowed it.

    I recall an aunt of mine who is now in Canada once dated a guy that would make love to her countless times but refused to be seen with her in public. Till date, his reasons are not known. Luckily, my aunt is happily married to a journalist who simply adores her.

    She allowed her ex to maltreat her for so long. She became his beck and call girl until fate brought her in contact with a man that practically worships the ground that she walks on.

    You will agree that at the wooing stage, the man starts out being very enthusiastic about you. So, when he stops or drops the degree of enthusiasm, what do you think happened?

    Chances are that you were ahead of him in the emotions, department, and you showed him more than you should. Fine, you love him, but please don’t choke him to ask him how serious he is with you. Girl, actions and more actions speak volumes. Men do generally love to do the chasing, it actually thrills them. Please do allow him lead the trek of the heart.  Do not continue to allow him treat you like a ”spare” girlfriend, someone he sees when he is in the mood, biding his time until another woman rekindles that enthusiasm he had with you in the early part of the relationship.

    Do not allow yourself to be the girl he calls up at last minutes; it means you are nothing but an afterthought. Sometimes you need to show him with your actions what you will and won’t put up with. And show him without adding anger that you are not his beck and call girl.

    Romantic love has different dynamics than ‘’unconditional love.”

    When in a romantic relationship with a guy, don’t scold him for not being around, get a life for yourself. Show him that you don’t wait by the phone, do not be too clingy, trust me, it scares men away when you are doing the chase, so avoid it when necessary.

    Don’t scold him for not being around. Ensure you are busy having your own full life.

    Do give him room to pursue you, but avoid the expectations’ talk. If he stops pursing you, then don’t ask him if he’s no longer interested. You assume that he is not. And you keep your life going the whole time. You haven’t heard the last of him if you act that way, he will come back for you.

    Do not commit to a man in the hope that he will then be inspired to commit to you. That will make him think that other guys have rejected you for some reason and that he is your last hope. Most men enjoy doing the chase. Please, don’t take that away from them. They need the process. A man wants a woman who is anything but desperate or ‘glued’ on him before he has earned it.

    If you already find yourself in this category, not to worry, it can still be remedied. If you realise he is not the man for you, then may be he is not man enough for you.

    It is important for us to device means of winning and keeping our men.

    A wise woman once said that “all women are prostitutes, the only difference is that the married ones have only one customer.

    Stay safe

    Shallom.

  • Independent experts clear hurdles on Adesina’s re-election

    Independent experts clear hurdles on Adesina’s re-election

    An independent panel of experts, headed by a former Irish President, Mary Robinson, has finally cleared African Development Bank (AfDB) President Dr. Akinwumi Adesina of alleged corruption and unethical conduct, Assistant Editor Bola Olajuwon writes.

    For the African Development Bank (AfDB) President Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, his desire to stand for reelection for a second five-year term during the annual meetings of the bank scheduled for August 25-27 is now assured.

    This followed the release of a much-awaited report by an Independent Review Panel, which completely exonerated him of ethical wrongdoings levelled against him.

    Adesina, 60, became the first Nigerian to lead the AfDB in 2015, but a 15-page report earlier this year claimed that under his watch, the bank had been affected by alleged poor governance, impunity, personal enrichment and favouritism.

    A clean record before ethical dust

    Since taking over the leadership of the bank, the highly honoured, global technocrat and respected development economist has introduced several innovative reforms, including a High-Five development strategy; a restructuring of the bank, including setting up offices in several African nations to get closer to its investors and customers; an Africa Investment Forum that has attracted $79 billion in investment interests into projects in Africa between 2018 and 2019.

    He successfully led a historic General Capital Increase campaign that culminated in the Bank’s shareholders raising the institution’s capital from $93 billion to $208 billion, in October 2019.

    He was awarded the prestigious World Food Prize in 2017 and the Sunhak Peace Prize in 2019 for global leadership in agriculture and good governance.

    Despite his predicaments, in June and July, global credit ratings agencies – Standard and Poors and Fitch Ratings – both affirmed the ‘AAA’ rating of the bank, with a stable outlook.

    Also, under Adesina’s leadership, the AfDB launched a $10 billion crisis response facility to boost African nations’ ability to tackle the health and economic effects of COVID-19.

    The petition, board reviews and the U.S. angle

    The petition claimed that Adesina breached 16 of the bank’s code of conduct, including “unethical conduct, private gain, an impediment to efficiency, preferential treatment, involvement in political activities, impunity and bad governance”.

    The African banking institution and Adesina, who is the sole candidate for the bank’s August’s presidential elections, had been battered by the rollercoaster of allegations after the whistleblowers’ complaints were leaked to the media in April.

    But, the former Nigerian Minister for Agriculture vigorously denied the allegations and defended his integrity.

    The whistleblowers also sent copies of the petition to both the Director of the Integrity & Anti-Corruption office (PIAC) of the Bank, and the Chairperson of the Audit & Finance Committee (AUFI) in line with the bank’s “Whistleblowing and Complaints Handling Policy”.

    Between February 4 and April 9, 2020, the ethics committee held series of meetings to review documents and presentations as it conducted “preliminary examination” of the allegations against Adesina to establish whether they were “based on any objective and solid facts” under Resolution No. B/BG/2008/11.

    Resolution No. B/BG/2008/11 adopted at the bank’s 43rd Annual Meeting of the Board on May 14, 2008.

    African Development Bank (AfDB) President Akinwumi Adesina
    African Development Bank (AfDB) President Akinwumi Adesina

    The resolution, which lists the code of conduct for its executive directors and those of the African Development Fund (ADF), also apply to the AfDB President.

    Apart from the petition, other documents reviewed during the series of meetings by the committee included the confidential memo submitted by Adesina detailing his defence of the allegations against him.

    On May 5, the ethics committee of the bank’s board of directors headed by the institution’s Japan Executive Director, Takuji Yano, found that Adesina was not guilty of any of the allegations.

    Yano, who led the investigation, described as “spurious and unfounded” claims that Adesina violated the bank’s code of conduct.

    The ethic committee’s verdict cleared the way for Adesina, 60, to firm up his second term bid for election.

    But, two weeks later, the United States Treasury Secretary, Steven Mnuchin, rejected the ethics committee result and called for an independent probe into the allegations.

    In a May 22 letter addressed to Niale Kaba, chairwoman of the bank’s board of governors, Mnuchin said the Treasury disagrees with findings by the bank’s ethics committee that “totally exonerated” Adesina.

    But the confidential memo submitted by Adesina to the committee on April 8 gave a point-by-point response to all the 16 allegations.

    The memo suggests that the allegations by the “Group of Concerned Staff” may be connected with scuttling Adesina’s presidential re-election bid.

    He accused the petitioners of disclosing their allegations beyond the committee “by acting in concert with others outside the AfDB system”.

    Adesina, in his memo to the committee, said: “The point about others acting in concert with the whistle-blowers is not speculation.

    A group of independent Bank staff members apparently wrote a ‘Disassociation Note’ on March 9, 2020, in which they explained that they had been members of a group called ‘Group of Concerned Staff Members,’ namely the whistle-blowers behind the disclosure, but that they had been ‘manipulated’ by a group of non-regional Executive Directors behind Mr Steven Dowd, not for the good governance of the African Bank of Development, but to discredit the candidacy of the current President for his re-election.”

    Dowd is the U.S. government representative at the bank.

    Experts, Obasanjo, AU, ECOWAS vouch support for AfDB President

    A plethora of support came on the way of Adesina following the U.S. call for an independent panel, with experts saying that it was wrong changing the rule of the game in the middle on the probe of the allegations.

    One of the international relations experts, who frowned at America’s move was former Ministry of Foreign Affairs Permanent Secretary Ambassador Bulus Lolo.

    He said the United States must be resisted, insisting that AfDB’s internal mechanism should be allowed to endure.

    Similarly, the former emir of Kano Muhammadu Sanusi II urged Africans and friends of the continent to stand up and ensure that laid-down rules are respected in the AfDB Group.

    “The excellent letter written by the finance minister says it all and I am pleased that former President Olusegun Obasanjo has weighed in on the matter. Every well-meaning African or friend of Africa should speak up on this matter,” he said.

    Sanusi, who is a former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), said the support being shown for Adesina should not be viewed as “defending a Nigerian or a friend”.

    “I have watched him at AfDB and his stellar performance is there for all to see. This is not about defending a Nigerian or a friend,” he added.

    Also, Obasanjo criticised the U.S. for insisting on “independent investigation” into the allegations. In a letter to the board, Obasanjo and 13 African former leaders said the clearance granted Akinwunmi by the laid down institutions should have put the matter to rest.

    He questioned the insistence of the U.S. on “independent investigation”, declaring “it is outside of the rules, laws, procedures and governance systems of the bank.”

    African Union, ECOWAS endorsement

    As the crisis was brewing, the Executive Council of the African Union on February 25 announced its support for Adesina’s candidacy for a second term.

    The decision was taken during the thirty-sixth Ordinary Session of the AU Executive Council, held during the AU Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

    On June 11, the Heads of State and Governments of the 15 Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) member states restated their “full confidence” in Adesina as the AfDB President.

    The West African leaders made their position known in a statement signed by President of Niger, who is also ECOWAS President, Mahamadou Issoufou, dated June 5, 2020. The ECOWAS leaders also welcomed “the excellent achievements of the AfDB under Adesina’s leadership.”

    Independent panel’s final clearance

    The report of the Independent Review Panel, set up by the bank’s Bureau of Governors, following the U.S. complaint, has now put to rest the complaints against Adesina.

    The distinguished three-member Independent Review Panel include Robinson, who is a former President of the Republic of Ireland, a former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, and the Chairperson of the Elders, a global body of wise persons concerned with the world’s wellbeing; the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Gambia, Mr. Hassan B. Jallow; and Mr. Leonard F. McCarthy, a former Director of Public Prosecutions, a former Director for the Office of Serious Economic Offences, and a former Head of the Directorate of Special Operations of South Africa. He also served as the Vice President of Integrity for the World Bank for nine years.

    The report states that it “concurs with the (Ethics) committee in its findings in respect of all the allegations against the President and finds that they were properly considered and dismissed by the committee.”

    The panel once again vindicates Adesina and states, “It has considered the President’s submissions on their face and finds them consistent with his innocence and to be persuasive.”

    The panel, in its conclusion, said it was mindful of the fact that “absence of evidence is not evidence of absence”.

    Robinson, in the report, writes: “At the same time, it appears to us to be an undue burden to expect a holder of high office in an international organisation, to prove a negative, in the absence of sufficient grounds.

    An attorney writing on behalf of the President also argues quite correctly in our view that a distinction should be drawn between alleged institutional failure at the bank and the conduct of the president.

    “The panel explained at the outset that it was dividing its report into two parts. In the first part, it considered the complaints provided to the Ethics Committee by the whistle-blowers and found that they had been properly considered and dismissed by the committee.

    In its second part, it considered, in the interests of due process, the responses of the President. While the committee was not required to consider and did not consider the President’s responses, it was in the interests of fairness and of due process that the panel be required to do so.

    As it has explained, the panel has not passed judgment on the president’s evidence. It has also borne in mind that the whistle-blowers’ complaints were wrongly publicised and that fairness required that the president be heard.

    It has considered the president’s submissions on their face and finds them consistent with his innocence and to be persuasive.”

    Some members of the bank’s senior management yesterday said the conclusions of the Independent Review Panel are decisive and now clear the way for the bank’s governors to re-elect Adesina to a second five-year term as president during its annual meetings.

  • Real reasons Nigerians are barred from jobs in Dubai

    Real reasons Nigerians are barred from jobs in Dubai

    According to a post that has gone viral in recent times, Nigerians resident in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are barred from applying for jobs advertised in the Middle East country. And while many were quick to attribute the development to the recent arrest of the alleged notorious cybercrime fraudster, Hushpuppi, findings revealed otherwise, INNOCENT DURU reports.

    • Ban not connected with Hushpuppi’s arrest, says Nigerian resident
    • We’re not aware of ban -NIDCOM
    • No official statement from consular office -Foreign Affairs Ministry

    Most of them had departed their homes in Nigeria in the hope of securing lucrative jobs in the oil rich United Arab Emirates, having lost hope in their own country and its system.

    For many of them, however, the decision has turned out an awful error as many employers in the oil rich country are said to have barred Nigerians from applying for jobs, even when such jobs are meant strictly for Africans.

    With the Eldorado they chased from Nigeria to Dubai, the UAE capital not anywhere in sight, many of them are desperate to return home, but they are not only stranded but also frustrated.

    Their plight became public knowledge after a social media post indicating that Nigerians in UAE were precluded from applying for available jobs in the Asian country went viral.

    Given that the post came on the heels of the arrest of Hushpuppi, the alleged notorious cybercrime kingpin, many were fast to attribute the predicament of other Nigerians in UAE to his atrocities.

    But Nigerians who spoke with our correspondent from the UAE were unanimous in declaring that their plight had nothing to do with Hushpuppi. The ban on Nigerians, according to them, had been in effect long before the fraudster’s issue.

    What then are the sins for which UAE employers prefer the nationals of smaller African countries to those of the so-called giant of Africa?

    Femi Johnson, a Nigerian resident in Dubai, said: “I saw the information barring Nigerians from applying for the advertised vacancies.

    When I asked why, I was told that it was not an official decision of the UAE government but that of employers of labour.

    “The ban on Nigerians from applying for advertised jobs also has nothing to do with Hushppuppi. After all, he was not the only person arrested around that period.

    People of other nationalities were also arrested but it was that of Hushppupi that grabbed the media space.

    “Many Nigerians like the easy way out. For instance, sale of alcohol is regulated here but some Nigerians will want to be smart about it.

    “Last Friday, some Nigerians held a party and in Sharjah area and ran into trouble with the authorities. An Indian neighbour told them that the music was too loud but they did not budge.

    “An argument ensued and they threw the guy down from a 14-storey building. The police moved in and arrested many Nigerians and other Africans there.”

    Such development, according to Johnson, robs off negatively on the image of innocent Nigerians.

    He added: “At my place of work, my colleagues got angry about the incident and bombarded me with questions. I had to repeatedly explain things to defend my country and our people.

    “I am working here in Dubai, and I happen to be the first African to work in the organisation. When my boss saw my level of diligence and hard work, he asked me to bring my brother to also come and work in the company. He is here working in the company with me.”

    A Nigerian resident in Sharjah area of the UAE, Emem Akpan, said some employers bar Nigerians from applying for certain jobs because of their past experiences.

    Sloan said: “It has nothing to do with Hushpuppi’s arrest. Some Nigerians always want to take advantage of situations. After some employers would have invested so much on some of them, the employees will just run away at a point.

    “Some of the employers here prefer to employ Ethiopians instead of Nigerians. I went for an interview some time ago and a fellow Nigerian told me that once they helped her with a visa, she would work for two months and run away if another job came her way.

    “I told her if she was not going to stay, there was no need making them to process her visa which costs almost a million naira.

    •Hushpuppi after his arrest
    •Hushpuppi after his arrest

    Some companies deem such Nigerians to have absconded, and once they do that, it will be difficult for such Nigerians to get jobs.”

    Another reason UAE employers of labour turn down Nigerians, according to Emem, is language barrier.

    She said: “When I came here, I could not apply for a front desk job because I could not speak Arabic and could not transact with the people that were coming to do business.

    “Some of the clients don’t speak English well so they always want somebody who understands and speaks Arabic. But Nigerians are still employed in customer care sections. Presently, I work with a travel agency.

    “The Hushpuppi issue still pops up during newscast.  But it is not only Nigerians that are committing crimes here. We read about Dubai police arresting some drug lords but they won’t publicise them because they are not Nigerians.”

    Dada Ezekiel, who resides in Dubai, said he felt bad when he saw the post barring Nigerians from applying for jobs.

    “It doesn’t actually make one feel well,” he said.

    “When I saw the job vacancies Nigerians were barred from applying for, I initially thought it had to do with the Hushpuppi stuff.

    “Later that day, I saw a report that it was not the UAE government’s position but that of the employer who placed the advert.

    “There are two Nigerians in the company I work with. Before now, they didn’t want blacks.  When they tried the first person and saw what he was able to do and has been doing, they asked him to bring another person from Nigeria, and that was how I got the job.

    “When I was in Nigeria, I didn’t know the depth of this kind of issue on one’s psyche until I got to this place. It is here I got to know how it feels when you go for an interview and you feel isolated and people treat you like you are not a human being just because of the information they might have received about Nigerians’ involvement in scam.”

    Many Nigerians, he said don’t care about how their actions affect other people.

    “What Nigerians are generally noted for here is internet fraud. When I got here, I saw that there were a lot of services we could offer but a few of our people dent our image.

    “Recently, a Nigerian colleague was trying to scam an Indian by pretending to be processing a Canadian visa for him.

    “The Indian was almost paying the money when he noticed that he was being scammed. If he (Nigerians) had been caught, how would the hosts perceive somebody like me?

    “Many of them believe that every black man is a Nigerian. They see Nigeria as a continent and not just a country. Whenever any black man commits an offence, they say he is a Nigerian.

    “When I came here, there was a guy that came in with a three-month visa. When the visa expired, he absconded instead of making efforts to renew it.

    “Those are the kinds of people who commit most of the crimes. They always run away from the police and do nothing than drinking.

    “Sharjah is where you find many Nigerians. It is like a community for Nigerians and what most of them do is to drink with the females, doing all sorts of stuff.”

    Corroborating Ezekiel’s remarks, a Dubai resident, who gave his name simply as Segun, said: “Why they prefer some other African nationals to Nigerians is the attitude of our boys.

    Most of them want to make quick money. are doing here. They do leave those guys for some time because they know that they will confiscate all they have at the end of the day.  There is no way they can take any of those things out of Dubai.”

    He added: “Some of them don’t have any qualification and want to come here to make quick money. Here, they pay according to your qualification and level.

    “People from other African countries come with good qualifications and experience. At times, there would be job vacancies for only Africans, but as soon as they see Nigerians, they keep them aside and interview nationals of other African countries, telling the Nigerians to go away.

    “There are so many challenges for our brothers here. Most of them are not doing well at all.

    “Some of them who got jobs in some companies would suddenly say they don’t want to work again because they think the pay is not enough for them.

    “Most of them live extravagantly. They cannot safe when they lead extravagant lifestyle because Dubai is an expensive place to live in.

    “No matter how much you are paid, if you want to live the way you want here, you may not be able to save a dime.

    “Even some Europeans run into debts because of extravagant lifestyle, even though they earn fat salaries. Some of them get as much as N17 million monthly but they still run into debt.”

    ‘Nigerians treated like slaves in UAE’

    A Nigerian cleric, Archbishop Sam Zuga of the House of Joy Ministry, Makurdi, who was in Dubai early in the year, decried the plight of many Nigerians in the UAE.

    Zuga said: “Nigerians are being treated like slaves in UAE. Most of them are women who are stranded with their international passports seized by Nigerian human traffickers. The most stranded people in the UAE are Nigerians. Nigerians are the biggest problem of Nigerians in the UAE.

    “Dubai needs standard, but they don’t have standard. Many of the Nigerians youths I met in Dubai went there to look for money without a defined agenda. Dubai is not a money-making but a money-spending city.

    “The truth is, no firm in Dubai, be it government or private, trusts a Nigerian. Nigerians have big certificates without skills. They (UAE) need both your money and your skills.”

    Last year, the Nigerian Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, Mohammed Rimi, revealed that 446 Nigerians were serving different terms in UAE prisons for crimes ranging from possession of hard drugs to engaging in robbery.

    He said: “Although there is no exact record of our citizens in the UAE owing to the inability to register them on arrival, the number of Nigerians resident in the country is estimated at about 10,000. Out of this number, about 2,017 are students in various universities.

    “It is disheartening to state that 446 Nigerians are currently serving different terms in prisons across UAE for committing various crimes including possession and consumption of hard drugs and engaging in armed robbery.”

    “In the spirit of forgiveness, tolerance and accommodation, the UAE government granted amnesty to all irregular residents in the country.

    “In 2018, no fewer than 5,774 standard passports were issued by the embassy, out of which, 3,164 were specifically issued during the amnesty programme. A further 1,346 emergency traveling certificates were issued to Nigerians to facilitate their return home.”

    NIDCOM, Foreign Affairs Ministry react

    Contacted, the spokesman of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Rahman Balogun, said he was not aware of the post claiming that Nigerian had been barred from applying for jobs in the UAE.

    “I am not aware, but the Foreign Affairs may, because it is a consular matter. We here at NIDCOM are not aware.”

    Foreign Affairs Ministry’s spokesman, Ferdinand Nwoye, admitted seeing the post, but he said the ministry had not received any official report about it.

    “Everybody read it on the social media. The ministry does not work on the basis of speculations on the social media.  We have a consulate in Dubai; we have an embassy in Dubai.

    “If such a thing happens, they will write to us officially informing us of that position, because it is an official position.  I am not of any knowledge that such has been communicated to the ministry,” Nwoye said.

  • One week, 3,870 new Coronavirus infections, 78 deaths

    One week, 3,870 new Coronavirus infections, 78 deaths

    Data from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control showed that the country has recorded 3,870 new coronavirus infections and 78 deaths in the last one week (from July 19 to 25), writes Associate Editor ADEKUNLE YUSUF

     

    SINCE the confirmation of the first Coronavirus case on February 27, Nigeria has joined 213 countries and territories around the world where rising Coronavirus infections have become a number one public health challenge. After five months of managing the global pandemic by the combined strength of the federal and state authorities, Nigeria as at yesterday has recorded 39,977 confirmed cases and 856 deaths.

    Within the same period in Nigeria, no fewer than 16,948 people have recovered from their infections, leaving the country with 22,173 active cases. As at Saturday, July 25, NCDC said 259,516 Coronavirus tests had been carried out in Nigeria, a country of estimated 200,000,000 people.

    On the African continent, the confirmed death toll stood at 17,509, as of July 26. According to the Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, the continent now has 828,214 confirmed cases and 484,038 recoveries. South Africa leads the African Coronavirus table with 434,200 cases and 6,655 deaths, while Egypt comes second with 91,583 cases and 4,558 deaths. Nigeria ranks third in Africa and 47th in the world in terms of the number of infections. Globally, yesterday, Coronavirus cases climbed to 16,230,817, with 648,914 deaths. A total of 9,931,243 people around the world are reported to have recovered from the virus.

    Since Nigeria has increased its testing capacity, a breakdown of daily figures released by NCDC has shown that there is a steady increase in Coronavirus infections in the country. On Saturday, July 25, Nigeria recorded 438 new infections and 11 deaths; as against 591 new cases ad 12 deaths posted on Friday, July 24. According to NCDC, the 438 cases reported on July 25 were recorded in 23 states. The states are Lagos (123), Kaduna (50), Rivers (40), Edo (37), Adamawa (25), Oyo (20), Nasarawa (16), Enugu (15), Osun (15), FCT (14), Ekiti (13), Ondo (13), Ebonyi (11), Katsina (10), Abia (9), Delta (8), Kwara (4), Bauchi (3), Cross River (3), Kano (3), Ogun (3), Yobe (2), and Sokoto (1). On the same day, 389 patients were discharged in 13 states: Ondo (100), Rivers (61), Kaduna (38), Abia (35), Edo (34), Ogun (34), Bayelsa (25), Osun (19), FCT (16), Bauchi (8), Ekiti (8), Katsina (8), and Ebonyi (3). Unfortunately, 11 patients died on the day in 4 states: Edo (5), Niger (3), Rivers (2) and Ebonyi (1).

    The 591 new cases posted on July 24 were reported from 17 states: Oyo (191), Lagos (168), FCT (61), Ondo (29), Osun (26), Ebonyi (24), Edo (23), Ogun (14), Rivers (13), Akwa Ibom (12), Kaduna(10), Katsina(6), Borno (4), Ekiti(3), Delta(3), Imo(3), Niger (1). On the same day, 498 cases were discharged in 19 states: Ondo (100), Enugu (54), Ogun (51), Plateau (45), Osun (40), Oyo (28), Kano (25), FCT (24), Bayelsa (21), Niger (21), Edo (14), Kaduna (14), Kwara (14), Imo (13), Lagos (12), Rivers (12), Anambra (7), Bauchi (2) and Borno (1). The following 7 states were responsible for 12 deaths recorded on July 24: Oyo (4), Akwa Ibom (2), Ebonyi (2), Delta (1), FCT (1), Kwara (1) and Rivers (1).

    On Thursday, July 23, 604 new Coronavirus cases were reported in 21 states Lagos (203), Oyo (87), FCT (79), Edo (41), Osun (35), Ogun (24), Kaduna (22), Rivers (22), Akwa Ibom (20), Plateau (18), Delta (9), Ebonyi (9), Imo (8), Cross River (5), Enugu (5), Kano (5), Katsina (4), Nasarawa (3), Borno (2), Ekiti (2) and Bauchi ((1). On the same day, 246 patients were discharged in 13 states: Lagos (82), Kaduna (41), Plateau (36), Edo (21), Rivers (18), Kano (13), Imo (8), Gombe (6), FCT (5), Kebbi (5), Ogun (5), Ondo (5) and Ebonyi (1); while 20 deaths were recorded in five states: Lagos (15), Akwa Ibom (2), Ebonyi (1), Kwara (1) and Plateau (1).

    According to the data from NCDC, 543 confirmed cases were reported on Wednesday, July 22. The new cases were reported in 15 states: Lagos (180), FCT (86), Kaduna (56), Edo (47), Ondo (37), Kwara (35), Ogun (19), Rivers (19), Kano (17), Ebonyi (16), Enugu (16), Delta (7), Bayelsa (4), Bauchi (3), and Abia (1). There were 138 people discharged after recovery in 10 states: FCT (34), Kano (27), Edo (25), Ogun (17), Rivers (12), Kaduna (8), Bayelsa (5), Gombe (5), Ebonyi (4), and Anambra (1); while 8 deaths were recorded in 4 states: Edo (4), Ebonyi (2), Abia (1) and FCT (1).

    On Tuesday, July 21, NCDC confirmed that 576 new cases were reported in 22 states: Lagos (88), Kwara (87), FCT (82), Plateau (62), Ondo (39), Enugu (28), Oyo (26), Taraba (24), Ebonyi (20), Kaduna (20), Edo (17), Cross River (16), Kano (14), Rivers (11), Ogun (10), Delta (9), Nasarawa (8), Osun (8), Katsina (3), Borno (1) and Kebbi (1). A total of 344 patients were discharged on the same day in the following 14 states: Kaduna (59), Osun (56), FCT (41), Plateau (37), Rivers (36), Lagos (29), Bayelsa (21), Edo (20), Ogun (14), Enugu (11), Borno (8), Delta (4), Imo (4), and Oyo (4). Sadly four patients lost the battle of life to coronavirus in 3 states on the same day: Ebonyi (2), Ogun (1), and Lagos (1).

    •A patient suspected of suffering from Covid-19 being tested at an isolation centre in Maiduguri

    Last Monday, July 20, 562 new cases were confirmed in Nigeria. The infections were reported in 21 states: FCT (102), Lagos (100), Plateau (52), Kwara (50), Abia (47), Kaduna (35), Benue (34), Oyo (26), Ebonyi (24), Kano (16), Niger (15), Anambra (5), Borno (3), Bauchi (2), Enugu (2), and Kebbi (1). On the same day, 228 cases discharged in 12 states: Edo (60), Ogun (36), Plateau (31), Abia (26), FCT (19), Ebonyi (15), Kaduna (15), Benue (9), Rivers (7), Gombe (5), Borno (3) and Bayelsa (2). A total of 12 deaths were recorded in 8 states on the same day: Anambra (2), Delta (2), Ebonyi (2), Niger (2), Bayelsa (1), Gombe (1), Ondo (1) and Rivers (1).

    On Sunday, July 19, Nigeria recorded a total of 556 new cases of Coronavirus in 18 states. The states are Edo (104), Lagos (97), FCT (70), Benue (66), Oyo (61), Kaduna (38), Plateau (28), Osun (19), Akwa Ibom (14), Katsina (13), Ondo (13), Rivers (13), Ogun (6), Kano (5), Nasarawa (4), Ekiti (2), Gombe (2) and Borno (1). The NCDC also reported that 167 patients were discharged in 13 states: Oyo (40), Kaduna (28), Kano (25), Ogun (16), Edo (12), Gombe (12), Borno (7), FCT (7), Lagos (6), Plateau (6), Rivers (4), Adamawa (2) and Bayelsa (1). On the same day, 11 deaths were reported in 4 states: Edo (6), Ebonyi (2), Plateau (2) and Bayelsa (1).