The Nation Newspaper

Category: Saturday Magazine

  • Seven habits that make people respect you

    Seven habits that make people respect you

    Respect is a fascinating thing. It’s not something you can demand, it’s earned.

    And believe it or not, there are small habits you can adopt that can really turn the tides in your favor.

    But gaining true respect takes more than just talking a big game. It requires walking the walk through small, consistent actions that demonstrate your character.

    You want people to look up and take notice when you speak. You want them to really listen and think, follow these steps.

    here are the 7 small Habits that make people respect you

    1. Show up on time

    But it is a fact that consistently showing up on time signals reliability.

    People will assume “this person respects my time” if you always roll in right on the dot. It makes you seem trustworthy and organized.

    So set alarms, plan ahead, and make it a rule to hit your marks with a few minutes to spare. Those extra minutes can work magic! Your new timely habits will say “my time matters and so does yours.”

    2. Always strive to do better

    You never want to find yourself “settling for the lowest common denominator,” Instead, you should always be searching for a better way to do your work.

    3. Admit to your mistakes

    Regardless of your position at your company, it’s crucial to take ownership of your work — and your missteps. Don’t “make excuses for things when something’s gone off the rails,”

    4. Being reliable

    Reliability is a cornerstone of respect. When you say you’ll do something and follow through, people notice. And when you consistently show up and deliver, it’s a powerful way to earn respect.

    Read Also: Little habits that enhance annual cholera recurrence

    If you commit to something, make sure you do it. Whether it’s showing up on time for a meeting, completing a task by the deadline, or fulfilling a personal promise to a friend, make sure you follow through.

    5. Showing gratitude

    Gratitude is a simple yet powerful habit that can instantly make people respect you.

    It’s about acknowledging the good in your life and the efforts of others. By expressing gratitude, you show appreciation and respect for the people around you.

    But how to make it practical? Start with saying “thank you” more often. Whether it’s for a job well done, a kind gesture from a friend, or something as simple as someone holding the door open for you – acknowledge it.

    6. Respecting others

    A simple yet profound way to earn respect is by showing it to others. As the old adage goes, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

    Treating everyone with respect, regardless of their status or position, shows that you value all people equally. It’s a powerful way to earn respect because respect begets respect.

    Make it a habit to show genuine respect to everyone you interact with. Listen to their ideas, value their contributions, and treat them with kindness and courtesy.

    You’ll find that when you give respect freely, it often comes back to you tenfold.

    7. Keeping your promises

    Keeping your promises may seem like a basic concept, but it’s a habit that can significantly impact how much people respect you.

    When you make a promise, you’re giving your word, and following through on that word shows others that you’re trustworthy and dependable.

    The practical aspect of this is straightforward: if you say you’re going to do something, do it. If circumstances change and you can’t fulfill your promise, communicate this as soon as possible and make amends where necessary.

  • How bandits, terrorists dominate TikTok, flaunt ransom collected from victims

    How bandits, terrorists dominate TikTok, flaunt ransom collected from victims

    The internet has become a weapon for terrorists. With no meaningful deterrence, a handful of bandits freely operate TikTok accounts, interacting with followers. They frequently showcase weapons, ammunition, and flaunt ransom. The brazen display without any fear of retribution portends more danger to Nigeria. ALAO ABIODUN traces their activities and behavioural display.

    Every minute, millions of social media posts, photos and videos flood the internet. In spite of the numerous advantages of the social media, a lot of concerns have been raised about its usage and contribution to the growth of social vices such as terrorism.

    TikTok is one of such spaces. It has offered terrorists groups the ability to disseminate images and videos at a rapid pace to a borderless audience.

    In Nigeria, terrorist activities have become endemic. A cursory look at these activities will prove that the social media has become a platform for propagating terrorism.

    TikTok is very popular with young audiences – and Nigerians are no exception. It appears to be the most popular social media platform in Northern Nigeria. It has gained dominance by the day, and is gradually diverting young Nigerians from other social media platforms like Instagram and Twitter.

    DataReportal’s figures show that there were 36.75 million active social media user identities in Nigeria in January 2024. Also, ByteDance’s advertising resources indicate that TikTok had 23.84 million users aged 18 and above in Nigeria in early 2024.

    Banditry is a composite crime that includes kidnapping, massacre, rape, cattle rustling, and illegal possession of firearms. The impact of their actions has been devastating, with a staggering 1,087,875 individuals in rural communities displaced as of December 2022. Furthermore, between 2010 and May 2023, approximately 13,485 deaths have been attributed to banditry.

    The Nation‘s findings revealed that numerous terrorist groups and individuals in Nigeria have adapted the use of social media to recruit and proselytize on the basis of its wide reach, ability to connect individuals around the world and immediate impact on users.

    Most of the TikTok accounts show these individuals flaunting cash or images of them in military camouflage wielding a rifle or wearing a bandolier.

    On TikTok, they have found an online appeal after their despicable acts of terror and bloodshed. Their digital footprints are now carried beyond their sphere of control, thanks to social media platforms, especially Facebook, X, and TikTok.

    Recently, a viral TikTok video featured a terrorist asking Nigerians to share their bank details, promising to reward them for praising their leader, the notorious terrorist, Turji Kachalla, during recent nationwide protests against economic hardship.

    This bizzare situation sparked reactions on social media, with many Nigerians expressing displeasure over the security agencies’ inability to apprehend the criminals.

    Tiktok handle @RabeMagarya3 had a terrorist saying that their group was grateful and pleased that their leader was referred to as a ‘hero’ by some individuals from the northern region.

    He said: “May the peace and blessings be with you all Nigerians.

    “Protesters, we heard you guys are praising Mohammed Bello Turji.

    “We are grateful, we are grateful to you. May you achieve success.

    “Bello Turji is greeting. Send your account details; Bello Turji wants to do something for you people.”

    Individuals surprisingly complied with the terrorist’s request, sharing their bank account details in the comment section of the viral video.

    Reacting, the Force Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said it was not possible for security forces to arrest all criminals at once.

    Read Also: Big bumbums everywhere

    On many occasions, these accounts flaunted arms to instill fear and attract impressions. They have been seen in several online clips brandishing the Russian Kalashnikov, a shoulder weapon commonly used by jihadi terrorists.

    These bandits have become notorious and bold, flaunting their activities on social media without fear of the security agents locating them. They’ve unfettered access to highspeed internet connections free of state controls. They evade detection from the tech company and exploit the online platform for their antics.

    The Federal Government formally declared bandits as terrorists in November 2021. This designation meant tougher sanctions under the terrorism prevention act for suspected bandit gunmen as well as their informants and supporters, such as those caught providing these criminals with arms, fuel and food.

    Before now, it was Former Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, who raised the alarm in 2020 that terrorists were ”exploiting social media, encrypted communications and the dark web to spread propaganda, recruit new followers and coordinate attacks”.

    Mode of operation on TikTok

    Social media is generally free, open to anyone who can get online, and messages can be more visible than ever before with a global reach. Rather than rely on the press or other intermediaries, extremist groups reach people directly and tailor the message accordingly.

    Some bandits share the ransom paid to them on TikTok under the guise of “giveaway”. By their mode of operation, their online presence fit into the various definitional frameworks of an organised criminal group.

    They enjoy some acceptance and patronage on social media. These account users spread terror, demonstrating their kidnap-for-ransom escapades and celebrating their cruelty. Videos of the live session garnered millions of views on TikTok, the Chinese-owned social network.

    The social network is not alone in finding it difficult to stop extremists from promoting hate on its global platform. Facebook, Twitter and Google’s YouTube similarly have struggled to stop a tidal wave of violent and harmful material from spreading online despite increased efforts

    Some members of the Boko Haram terrorist group have been caught using Starlink, the super-fast device owned by billionaire Elon Musk in Sambisa Forest.

    Recently, the Nigerian troops “Operation Hadin Kai” successfully killed a top commander of the sect, Tahir Baga, and recovered digital connectives like Starlink Wi-Fi system and mobile phones, among other weapons.

    The Nation tracked over 20 accounts linked to bandits on TikTok, which have been used to spread propaganda and messages in local language.

    For example, a bandit with the username @8184049848275 shared various videos of himself wielding a gun while entertaining his followers on the platform.

    Recall that the Islamic State of Iran and ISIL famously used Twitter for propaganda purpose in 2014 and 2015.

    By using local languages, they have enjoyed the freedom to gather audiences and create a false image of themselves in order to push themselves on potential recruits through propaganda messages reaching millions of young people.

    The terrorists are not only posting textual information, they also post videos and photos designed to attract new recruits and spread their radical ideology.

    Shifting the battle to social media?

    Nigeria’s Terrorism Prevention Act outlaws promoting terrorist activities in any form, stating that anyone who directly or indirectly solicits or renders support for terrorism “commits an offence and is liable on conviction to imprisonment for a term of at least 20 years and up to a maximum of life imprisonment”.

    The National Security Adviser (NSA), Malam Nuhu Ribadu, has since directed full implementation of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc) Amendment Act, 2024, to prevent use of social media by terrorists.

    Nigeria on July 6, 2022 joined the league of 66 other countries that have signed and ratified the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime to enhance international cooperation, provide common platform and procedural tools for efficient and safe cyberspace pursuant to Section 41(2) (a) of the Cybercrime Act 2015 requiring conformity of Nigerian cybercrime and cybersecurity laws and policies with regional and international standards.

    Recall that former national security adviser (NSA), Babagana Monguno had said terrorist groups were using social media platforms to recruit and radicalise youths.

    Former minister of communication and digital economy, Isa Pantami, corroborated Monguno’s claim. He affirmed that terrorists are ”exploiting social media, encrypted communications, and the dark web to spread propaganda, recruit new followers and coordinate attacks”.

    The current Coordinator, National Counter Terrorism Centre, Major General Adamu Laka, also alerted media organisations in the country of plots by terrorist groups to boost their membership through dysfunctional information appealing for easy recruitment using media platforms, networking sites, and online propaganda including mainstream and traditional mediums of communication.

    Police react

    In a post on X, spokesperson of the Nigeria Police Force, Muyiwa Adejobi, urged Nigerians to appreciate law enforcement’s efforts rather than expecting immediate results.

     “They are now posing with the ransom money. Showing that they are balling,” an X user (formerly Twitter) had captioned the post.

    Reacting, Adejobi said: “We can’t apprehend all the criminals at once. At least, appreciate us for the ones we have arrested. We arrest them on a daily basis, in large numbers.

    “The armed forces and the police are trying their best. Efforts of security forces should be seen, noticed and appreciated.

    “We need to look towards having the collective efforts and individualistic involvement in tackling insecurity and other vices in Nigeria.”

    Report people behind viral bandit video on TikTok, DHQ tells Nigerians

    TikTok has a digital footprint for each user. For example, a user can see who and who visited his page. As you are checking him/her out, he/she also can check you out.

    Security agencies have been tasked to utilise tools and intelligence to arrest individuals using social media platforms to heat up the polity.

    Director of Defence Media Operations, Major-General Edward Buba, at a recent bi-weekly media briefing in Abuja, called on Nigerians who know anything about people making such posts on the social media to say something, and the military will do something about it.

    Our guidelines prohibits posts that promote violent extremist organisations – TikTok

    TikTok, responding to The Nation‘s query, said: “We are committed to bringing people together in a way that does not lead to physical conflict.

    “We recognise that online content related to violence can cause real-world harm.

    “We do not allow any violent threats, promotion of violence, incitement to violence, or promotion of criminal activities that may harm people, animals, or property.

    “If there is a specific, credible and imminent threat to human life or serious physical injury, we report it to relevant law enforcement authorities.

    “We want you to share what inspires you, but TikTok is not a place to spread beliefs or propaganda that encourage violence or hate.

    “We do not allow the presence of violent and hateful organisations or individuals on our platform.

    “These actors include violent extremists, violent criminal organisations, violent political organisations, hateful organisations, and individuals who cause serial or mass violence.

    “If we become aware that any of these actors may be on our platform, we will conduct a thorough review – including off-platform behavior – which may result in an account ban.

    “Often the ideas of these actors are amplified by others. We do not allow anyone to promote or provide material support to violent or hateful actors.

    “Content that may appear neutral, such as featuring a quote from a hateful organisation or individual, must make clear that there is no intent to promote it.

    “We make limited exceptions for discussions about violent political organisations.

    Security experts weigh in

    Mixed reactions from security experts have placed security agencies on the edge. Some lamented the inability of security forces to locate and neutralise the bandits terrorising the country.

    An expert, Lekan Adigun, believes that terrorists have been highly adaptable to changes in how their messages are disseminated around the world.

    He said: “In order to keep pace with the evolution of terrorist strategy, states and social media platforms, especially TikTok, must adapt their counter-terrorism measures to meet these inevitable challenges.

    “TikTok has become a platform where these terrorists promote their activities, yet the police who claim they can fish out any criminal from anywhere cannot find them. This is very ridiculous”.

    A counter-insurgency expert and security analyst, Zagazola Makama, expressed dismay over the promotion of unscrupulous individuals and their activities on TikTok, unrestrained.

    He noted that some of them are bandits who openly show off their rifles and are dressed in military or police uniforms.

    He wrote: “Audacity: Bandit on Tiktok flaunting and showing off ransom money he collected from his victims.

    “The user of the account has 3000 followers, some of them are bandits who openly show off their rifles and are dressed in military or police uniforms.

     “Tiktok platform has given room for insurgents to promote their campaign of terror without being restricted.”

  • ‘Now we know what parents of Chibok girls, other kidnapped victims are going through’

    ‘Now we know what parents of Chibok girls, other kidnapped victims are going through’

    Eleven days since the horrific kidnap of twenty medical students of the University of Maiduguri and University of Jos, families, relatives and friends remain apprehensive, especially as there are no signs of their whereabouts or when they will be back. Gboyega Alaka and Kolade Adeyemi (in Jos) who interacted with their relatives and friends, report.

    Since the kidnap of the 20 medical students of the University of Maiduguri and University of Jos broke last week, it has been anxiety for their immediate families, friends and colleagues/classmates.

    The fear for many is how they would be set free early, so they don’t end up spending donkey months or years in captivity like the nation has witnessed in the past. The case of the Chibok girls, some of who are still not back to their parents since 2014, the Dapchi girls and especially Leah Sharibu, stick out like a sore thumb. Also one cannot forget easily how Abuja-Kaduna train passengers were kidnapped and kept in captivity for months. That is not to talk of the deplorable condition they were kept and the beatings some of them were subjected to, just so their relatives or government could double up efforts to raise their ransom money.

    According to John Peter (not real name) a post-graduate student of Nasarawa State University, Keffi, this is exactly the predicament of parents of the 20 kidnap medical students.

    Peter who is nephew to Fabian Dondo, one of the victims, told The nation that it has been a really traumatic tome for the family and everyone is only praying and hoping they all regain freedom in quick time.

    Said Peter: “Fabian is my nephew, his mother is my immediate elder sister and you can only imagine how we feel right now. As I speak with you, I have a defence tomorrow in school and I really don’t know how I’m going to pull through it. I am so disorganised and apprehensive. And that’s me, his uncle; so how do you expect his mother to feel? Or our mother, his grandmother? She is in her seventies and you know the kid of health issues that come with that age; and now she has to deal with this. The worst part is that we cannot even hide anything from her because she reads the news and follow proceedings on TV and radio. So now she ask from time to time if they have been released, and we just tell her ‘not yet’.

    “As for his mother, she is putting up a strong face, but I know deep down she’s hurting and traumatised. But she has to be strong for our mum and her other children; so that they also don’t break down.

    “The truth is may Nigeria not happen to anyone of us. Now I understand what Leah Sharibu’s parents are going through, what the Chibok parents who are not back are going through, what the Dapchi girl’s parents and the parents and relatives of the Abuja train passengers kidnapped a couple of years went through. This thing has been happening to people, but unless you go through it, you may never really understand the feeling, the trauma… Before your call came in, somebody was telling me how  the police commissioner was saying that they had mobilised 169 troops to go after the kidnappers, but I told him that is for the cameras. My own prayer is that they come back to us safely and soon.”

    Right now, peter says his biggest worry is the condition under which the victims are being kept.

    “Let’s even leave aside when they’re would return. let’s talk about the present. Under what condition are they being held? First, we’re in a rainy season; so it may be raining on them as we speak. Imagine the cold in the forest; you and I will sleep and snore in the coziness of our homes, but imagine the kind of mosquitoes there. I also learnt there are two ladies among them.”

    Tumba (Abductee)

    Peter also spoke about the family of one of the two female students being held, recalling that the mood in that family too was apprehensive, with everybody looking traumatised.

     “I was with the family whose daughter is among the kidnapped, Enger Benedicta of the University of Jos. They also live in Benue. The mood there is not nice at all. They all looked traumatised and devastated. You’ll not find any family of the kidnapped who is not undergoing serious trauma as we speak. This are loved ones, young people who have only gone to school to study!”

    Asked when he first learnt about the kidnap incident, Peter said, “I learnt about it on Friday, a day after it happened. When they were leaving Jos for Enugu, he called his brother who is schooling in Benue State University that they were eating and headed for Enugu, and that he would call when they got there. I wasn’t actually aware he was travelling.

    Read Also: Mpox: NCDC confirms 40 cases as US donates vaccine to Nigeria

    “That Friday, I didn’t go to work, and a friend had told me casually that some medical students had been kidnapped. My initial reaction was to dismiss it as some old news. I checked SkyNews, there was nothing about it; but he insisted it was fresh news. Not long after, my sister called to tell me they had kidnapped Fabian. That was when it dawned on me that what my friend told me was true. Immediately, I called to tell him that Indeed there was a kidnap and that my nephew was involved.

    “Of course, the normal Nigeria thing was to begin praying. We also started making calls. Long story short, they are not back one full week after.”

    Asked if Fabian had been able to call any member of the family, since the news going round is that the victims have been allowed to use their phones, Peter said, no.

    “I think the guys pick who makes those calls randomly. I also think the UniJos students are more proactive. They were the ones who raised the alarm. From the pieces I’ve gathered, I think they were kidnapped around Eke Ugbadibo axis in Benue.

    “All in all, my appeal to the government and the police is to step up action and help us get them back.”

    ‘I’m tired of talking journalists’

    For Mrs Cecilia Faga, mother of one of the victims simply referred to as KK, she’s just tired and especially of journalists.

    When this reporter called to interview her Thursday, she sounded visibly tired and clearly uninterested in any interviews.

    “I am tired of journalists, please let me be, let me rest,” she stated matter-of-factly.

    But who can blame her? The incident that has befallen her is not such that one can be excited and be chirping about.

    Still in  those few words, she said enough. First it conveyed her frustration, it conveyed her anger, and above all, it conveyed the emotions of one with a heavy heart who knows that it’s not the amount of taking one does that would being her child and other victims back, but action – especially from the authorities.

  • UNIJOS community demands unconditional release of students

    UNIJOS community demands unconditional release of students

    • Students declare three-day prayer session

    Members of the University of Jos (UNIJOS) community comprising the management, students, academic and non-academic staff and the alumni, are mounting pressure on the federal government and the security agencies to use every means at their disposal to secure the release of the abducted medical students.

    It is now over one week since the kidnap incident and there appears to be no clue about the whereabouts of the students, leading to further trauma on the part of their families, friends and relatives.

    The Nation learnt that the management of UNIJOS is not favourably disposed to making comments about the abduction or efforts being made to get the students out from captivity.

    However, the silence of the university’s management has added to the worries of the entire university community.

    The Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof TakoIshaya, said: “We don’t even want to talk about it publicly.

    “We are doing a lot behind the scene. But for the security of our students in the hands of kidnappers, we prefer to maintain silence over it for now.”

    But while the management may have chosen to keep silent on the matter, it is not so with other members of the university community, especially students of the Faculty of Medicine.

    The President of the faculty, who identified himself simply as Mr. Kehinde, said: “The news of the incident came to me as shock.

    “I was totally devastated. But I have to gather myself together because there are works to do to get our colleagues back safely. So there is no time to sit and lament of the issue. And because it is a very sensitive security matter, we have to be strategic about it.

    “So we’ve been trying our best to see that things work normal and see that our colleagues are released unhurt and safe. All we are doing is to pray for God’s intervention.”

    Mr. Kehinde added: “Nobody was happy actually when we heard the news in the university. The atmosphere has been tense. Everybody is sad. When your friends are kidnapped, it is not something you would be happy about.

    “I would not want to talk much about it; rather than I would pray and plead for their release and safe return. If they are out, I can give out any information that you want from me. I would not want a situation that would jeopardise getting them released anytime soon.”

    President of the Students Union Government (SUG) of UNIJOS, Sambo Peter, said: “It was quite shocking when we got the news of the abduction of the medical students.

    Read Also: Navy destroys two million litres daily capacity illegal refinery in Rivers

    “These are students who were on a trip for a conference. We all know the suffering Nigerian students are passing through in terms of national unrest and other issues. We don’t even know whether it is now a crime to go to school.

    “We have also embarked on mass prayers, because as I told you, it is a holistic approach; as all hands are on deck together with religious institutions. We declared three-day prayers. Our earnest desire is that these people will come back safely to reunite with their families and also meet up with their academic pursuit.”

    The Plateau State chapter of the alumni association of the school said the ugly incident once again points to the threat on our highways and the clear and present danger in the search for education and knowledge.

    Chairman of the chapter, Gad Peter, said in a statement: “We hereby call on the police and other security agencies to ensure a swift and safe rescue of these students and also the arrest and prosecution of the perpetrators of this dastardly act.

    “We condemn without mincing words this criminal act and hereby call on every citizen and community leaders to expose criminal elements hiding and using their communities for criminal activities.

    “We pray for the safe return of our dear brothers and sisters.”

    Meanwhile, the university management has cautioned the parents of their 12 students against making any public comment on the abduction.

    The parents were grouped and advised to work silently with the school management for the sake of the lives and careers of their children.

    All three of the parents our correspondent approached declined comments on the incident. “Kidnappers do release their victims and grab the ones that come to pay ransom.

    “That is why we don’t want to expose ourselves to these criminal elements by putting our names in print. “That would be very risky,” he said.

  • It could have been me  – BEMSA President

    It could have been me  – BEMSA President

    As for Samuel Omaiye Oche, National President Benue Medical Students Association (BEMSA), he just cannot imagine how people who were on their way to religious convention had to fall into the hands of kidnappers.

    “I feel traumatised,’ he told this reporter over the phone.

    As a newly sworn-in president of the umbrella body of BEMSA across the country and abroad, he is responsible for the welfare of all medical students from his state, hence he had to shelf an original assignment to take up the pursuit of the release of his members. 

    According to Samuel, “I actually travelled to Makurdi on a courtesy visit to meet with the commissioner for Education, the Commissioner for Health and the Deputy Governor because there is a bond scheme they are organising for us, in which once we finish, we have to come back and serve the state for a duration of time. I was sworn in less than two months ago. But when the incident happened, I had to convert my mission because this is more pressing. The victims were sending their live location via their phones and we were feeling that if the police laid their hands on them, it wouldn’t take long before they secured their release.”

    “The hard fact is that what happened to them could have to anyone of us. I mean, I also travelled, so it could have been me.

    Read Also: Mpox: NCDC confirms 40 cases as US donates vaccine to Nigeria

    “When it happened, the victims were sending their live location via their phones and we were feeling that if the police laid their hands on them, it wouldn’t take long before they secured their release. Up till three/four days after they were kidnapped, they were still calling us and sharing their location and telling us what the kidnappers were saying. The kidnappers themselves refused to talk to us directly. From our conversation with them, we understand that the kidnappers are asking for N50million.”

    Consequently, Samuel said he took immediate actions, such as writing to the Inspector-General of Police, the Benue State Commissioner of Police and the chairman of NMA (the Nigerian Medical Association). The Police Commissioner actually told me he was aware of the incident even before my letter got to him about 15 hours later.”

    Asked if he had any information on the identity or tribe of the kidnappers based on information coming from the victims, Samuel said, “I have absolutely no idea.”

    Samuel recalled that the students were travelling from Maiduguri to Enugu that fateful day, August 14th. “Four of them are my classmates at the University of Maiduguri. In total, eight are from University of Maiduguri while twelve are from the University of Jos. Because it’s a long journey; usually, there has to be a stopover in Abuja or Jos. The eight from Maiduguri decided to stay in UNIJOs, knowing that some of their colleagues would be going on the same trip. They were going for a Catholic Church programme; they are all members of the Federation of Catholic Medical And Dental Students (FECAMDS). So on the 15th, the other students joined them and they continued on the trip. They had passed Makurdi, even Otukpo before the incident happened. The location they sent, when I viewed it, it was a place I recognised.

  • Onabanjo-Iyiola: My sister’s wedding spurred me to begin business at 24

    Onabanjo-Iyiola: My sister’s wedding spurred me to begin business at 24

    • How Makinde, Ojora, others became my clients

    Kehinde Onabanjo-Iyiola, popularly known as KOI, is a trained lawyer and entrepreneur. At the age of 40, she has made a mark building a conglomerate from founding an event planning and management company, Finesse Events. Her success has birthed Whitestone Event Place, one of the popular event centres in Lagos, as well as Coral Lodge and Amber Restaurant.

    In 16 years of founding her maiden company, Finesse Events, her rising clientele base has included business magnates, state governors and other political heavyweights. Not one cut out for media presence, KOI opened up to Assistant Editor GBENGA BADA on how she founded Finesse Events, her clientele and how she has grown to become a leader in events planning and management industry.

    OW did Finesse Events begin?

    I used to work in an event company. And, of course, after school, I decided to settle for having to plan events, because I love to organise stuff, to coordinate and to plan. That was how I started off. The event company I worked with initially used to do events and decorations, so I started off with both.

    At what point did you start your own company?

    I started off with Finesse Events in 2008. I started the year I graduated. The first event we had was my sister’s wedding. Of course, it was not like she gave me so much money but because of the passion that was burning inside of me. She actually even paid me for it, funny enough.

    Did you offer to plan it for her?

    Of course she knew that I had event knowledge. I was around one event or the other almost every weekend. So I said I was going to start off my own stuff and I had registered the company. She was getting married around that period so I told her that let me plan your wedding. I got started with the wedding and, of course, for my own wedding. Her wedding gave me about five events as all her friends were getting hooked. And from there, we started off.

    I know you studied Law. Why did you opt for events planning and management?

    When I was in school, a lot of my friends would say ah, I can’t do this or that. But I always told them that once you start something off with passion, it could even pay you better than what you went to school to study. So, when I was in school, I used to do ushering jobs. A lot of my friends knew that and I enjoyed it. I enjoyed just having to just ensure that people are fine and the event goes on smoothly. That was where the passion started off from.

    So my friends in school knew that if they were having any event, I was the person to call.

    I was a member of Junior Chamber International. So, whenever they had events, I would go, try to ask what we would be wearing tried to organise those things. So, the passion has always been there from school. After that, I said rather than just having to wear a robe and all of that, why not just settle into something that I have passion and drive for? That is what has brought us to where we are today.

    I know that you’ve had to run events for some high and mighty in Nigeria, from government to corporate organisations. What is the difference between working with say governors and regular individuals who just needs your service?

    There are different expectations from different clients. But where government officials are involved, it is not about them; it is about the committee or whatever group they would have created to work with you. So, everybody has their opinions and an input. Everybody wants to contribute, and of course, because all eyes are on that particular event, you just want to outdo yourself.

    Now, there are some clients that the event is not even about who they are but the calibre of people that would be attending the event.

    I recall when we did Dr. T’s wedding; the female Dr. T that went everywhere. So, for Dr. T’s wedding to have gone viral, it’s because she’s also extra. When I say extra, I mean extra in a good way. She pays attention to details. She’s very particular about what am I serving my guests? What kind of cutleries are they using? Now, working with someone like that, who knows what she wants, you don’t want to drop the ball. You want to ensure that everything she has dreamt of is happening. You have to bring it into reality.

    Now, Dr. T, I can say, is more than one governor, because something she would go all out for, some governors would not go out for it. So I’ve done both ways.

    There are some social events that are personal events but you would think it is government. Of course, there are some other simple individuals that won’t break a sweat. They’re just very smooth. But then there are also some personal individuals who just want the extra, extra, extra in terms of their events. So it all depends on the personality of the person you are dealing with.

    You spoke about doing ushering work back in school. Is entrepreneurial spirit something you inherited from your parents?

    I would say it is from my parents. While growing up, my mom was always hands on. As a matter of fact, my mom went to the university after she had given birth to the five of us. She attended the university in Abraka, Delta State. As a woman, she would drive from Badagry (Lagos State) to Delta State.

    Badagry? Is that where you grew up?

    Yes. So, my mom used to work in ASCON while my dad is a pharmacist. So, my dad has a store and, of course, he was doing a lot of supplies. Nestle and all those manufacturing companies in Agbara, my father supplied all their medical needs. Of course, he had a pharmacy in Badagry. My mom is a teacher. Even while she was a teacher in the University College of Nigeria, she was doing the little events. My mom also bakes. So she is very hands-on: she baked, practiced teaching and ran a supermarket. She is everywhere.

    Read Also: Navy destroys two million litres daily capacity illegal refinery in Rivers

    So, after she had done her university and five of us were away, my mom did her master’s. After her master’s, she started her PhD. So, she is very hands on. She doesn’t like to be idle. And, back in those days, when we were on holiday, my mom would carry you to her store. She had this supermarket that she was running. So, you have to manage. So, everybody sold in that shop and, of course, I think it counted for something for all of us, because everybody in their own little way are doing what they enjoy.

    How long have you been into event management?

    About 16 years now.

    What would you say has been the lessons you have learned, either from challenges or from opportunities?

    Money is not just what you have in your bank account; your actual wealth is the people you have. If you are able to maintain good relationships, the sky is your limit. Don’t promise what you know you cannot deliver. There’s nothing called pressure or rush. Whatever that has been delayed is what eventually becomes a pressure situation. So, don’t procrastinate. Whatever you need to do, get on it. If you don’t procrastinate, you’ll find out that you’re able to do more.

    The only person you can actually trust is yourself. People will definitely come and people will go. Of course, the people that would stay with you would have shown you from day one that they’re actually loyal to you, and they will stay. So, don’t have too much of emotions or attachment to people or even to things, because what you have today may not be there again tomorrow. The only thing that will be there are the loyal people that you actually have. Life is seasonal. Life is in phases, and so are people, humans.

    So, as you are living every day, there are seasons that you have in abundance and seasons you can call your low times. If you are too excited about the aura of the moment, you’ll definitely lose the essence of that moment.

    I know you would have met challenges one way or the other in your 16 years in business. I am however particular about individuals or people you met in the course of event planning who didn’t give you a chance but got wowed after seeing your abilities…

    Of course, I have had situations where people say we don’t know her. I recall when Oba of Ojora was going to be crowned the king, and the new LSDPC chairman, now MD, Hon. Ayodele Joseph, recommended us for the job. Mr. Balogun said, no, who is Finesse? I don’t know Finesse; we have some people. And Hon. Joseph said, ‘Uncle, don’t worry, trust me, Kehinde will deliver the job.’ Of course, there were a lot of planners. They had invited a lot of people. People did their presentations. They were caught in between who they should give the job to, but Hon Joseph said, you know what? I would stand in line for Kehinde, If Kehinde does not deliver, hold me responsible and accountable. So they gave us the job.

    On the day of that event, Mr. Balogun said where is Kehinde? He said, Kehinde, I underestimated you. This is beyond what I could have ever imagined. Of course, we built a relationship from there. We have done massive events. In terms of crowd management, God has graced us. I think it is just like when God just opens a sheet in front of you and says you know what? Go this route.

    So we’ve done a couple of high-profile events that are in large numbers: 15,000, 20,000. And we’ve done it effortlessly and smoothly.

    I recall when we did Governor Makinde’s dad’s burial. Governor Makinde is a client who was not a governor when we started working for him. The first event we had for him was his dad’s 75th birthday at Civic Centre in Ibadan. After that event, he was like, Kehinde, I would use you over and over again. And after his dad’s birthday, like three months after his dad died, they called us for the burial. And the burial then was I think for about 4,000 people. We had about three different big tents, and he said he could not get over the fact that he walked into every one of those tents and everybody was like, ah, you people want to use food to finish us?

    It was amazing. He said he was quite pleased. Of course, I never thought that he would become governor. So when his mother passed on, of course he was already the governor. We were invited to do the event. The event was for 15,000 people and everybody was wondering, 15,000, how are you going to manage that? I know we got on it. I recall someone saying I don’t know who would have done this better. So God just has a way of, you know, give direction. What we just basically do is put everything on the table and say okay, what are the possible things that could happen? What are the things that people would require? What do we need here? What do we need there? We need to sit here. We’ll do a map and put people on it. And, of course, God graces us on every event.

    So it is not like we have not had low times. But I would say that for me, nothing moves me. I don’t get too emotional about things. I think I’m always prepared for every situation. So I like to plan ahead. This is why I said that there’s no event that is called that is all pressure. This is because I’ve had situations where I’ve had a miscarriage. I’ve had accidents, jobs that you would jump on at the last minute. Of course, the client knew that they had this event. What were they doing since? But once money changes hands, all the pressure is put on you. Now, can that money that you’re collecting pay for whatever damages that will probably come from whatever pressure that you undergo? So it’s not worth it, really.

    So I’ve learned on the job to say no to those last-minute jobs, because you people knew that you had an event. Even if it is people that are doing Islamic burials, they don’t do the big stuff. They just do the basics. So why would you wait till the last minute before you engage the services of someone that you want to do all the magic? I no longer jump on those kinds of events.

    How come you have been low on blowing your own trumpet despite your achievements?

    It is deliberate. You’ll never find me wearing makeup or being extra. So when people hear Finesse, they’re like, ah, Finesse? I tell them I’m Finesse and they’re like are you serious? They expect to see one big woman. I’m not madam. I’m not a big old woman. Me having to be in my own space, that’s why you say, who is Kehinde? You will not find me anyway. And that’s why being in my own space has helped me through the years.

    Would you say anything from your law background helps you to run your business better?

    Okay, maybe my lawyer is not my classmate. Other than that, what has helped me in terms of business? I think, one, I would say my background in terms of my mother. So my mother helped us to understand how to manage resources and not to be wasteful.

    And, of course, the seasonal times of life and the secret of the fact that whatever you cover is what is sustainable, and whatever you open up to the world is what won’t last with you. So I’ve been able to mind my business, cover what needs to be covered, and of course, in due time, when it needs to be unfolded, it would.

    So how did Whitestone event centre come in? When did it come in? When did you conceive the idea?

    I didn’t just set up an event centre. It’s something I’d always wanted to do for years. So I do events for the Elegushi family. So they had this land space that we always use for the event space. And I said to them that we should use the space for events. I know Olori was a bit skeptical. But they gave in to it and we did the Monarch project. So of course, having to set up Monarch, I’m like, okay, you’ve been able to do this for so long, why don’t you start your own project? I started looking for space.

    One thing is that you have a massive structure. I’ve been to your event centre, so I know what is inside. Tell me how you did it…

    I think I also have a problem. I don’t know how to do something small. I could recall that when we were doing Monarch, Olori would say Kehinde, no, but I would say Olori, let’s do something that in 50 years time, it will still be relevant. Anything worth doing at all is worth doing well. So, why don’t you just go out and give it all your shots, because before you drop the last nail, someone else is already conceiving something. So let it be something that will stand the test of time.

    When I wanted to set up this place, I wanted something that every angle, every space would be well maximised. Not just well maximised, of course, it will give you a beautiful experience; something that you would not easily forget about. That is why on this stretch, you have to have God. As a matter of fact, for you to be able to live…

    When I was doing this, I was going to get a loan. I said no and I worked my ass out. I was doing all the necessary jobs I could get. I was pregnant at that time. I recall that I didn’t travel until about, I think the end of two weeks. The day I landed, as I was dropping from the plane, they took me straight to the hospital. Yes, because I was working so much. As a matter of fact, a client called me, saying this is the last venue I want to see you. But I said I’m travelling now, I’m on my way to the airport. So, I worked so much.

    I thank God for gracing me. As a matter of fact, when I was almost done with this project, we didn’t even have a name. And I prayed, I said God, see this white stone thing there, this site, this site, this site, it is you, it is your pitch, it’s not me, God, please, just give your project a name. And I just slept, and I just heard Whitestone. Thank God, this is you. This name is so beautiful. I just devoured it, and everything made sense at the end of the day. So it’s not me. The only thing that drives me is God.

    So, would you call yourself a prayer warrior?

    It is not like, ah, Kehinde is holier than thou. But then, I love everything about God. So I like to stand with God. I pray about everything. I pray to God, please quickly help me select what to wear. I pray about everything, and I also come to realise that when I don’t pray about situations, I don’t really like whatever I get from it. And God has proven to me that He’s right here, He’s available. So why can’t I use Him? Why can’t I call on Him?

    I can understand that an event planner would also want to own an event centre, but why restaurant and lodge?

    Like I said, I wanted to maximise the area of the space in the end. And I know that when you come for an event, your food is out. You need the quick stuff, where can we quickly get, what can we get, so before the event starts, the food is not flowing, they can just step in there and eat, and everybody is still happy. And of course rooms, whether a planner needs to sleep or clients probably need to change, they have family members that are coming in to see, and of course everything works in line, so that’s why everything is fine. So you just have to maximise the space as well.

    But are the restaurant and the lodge open to the public?

    Yes. The place is always busy 24-7. I even saw on their chat that they have a reservation for 15 people, so people just come in and do their stuff here.

  • Oil and gas operators are carting away the profits, leaving Nigerians with pains

    Oil and gas operators are carting away the profits, leaving Nigerians with pains

    With persistent fuel scarcity, Nigeria’s oil and gas sector stands at a critical crossroads, grappling with persistent challenges that demand immediate and decisive action. Despite the significant financial strain caused by importing fuel, previous administrations have failed to revitalize the nation’s refineries, leaving a gaping hole in our energy strategy. The Bola Tinubu administration faces an urgent task: to end the cycle of dependency on fuel imports and implement the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) effectively. With NNPCL’s repeated delays in refinery operations and the need for a level playing field, Group Business Editor SIMEON EBULU writes that it is time for a bold, unwavering approach to address these systemic issues and drive meaningful reform

    The sun beats down relentlessly on the bustling streets of Lagos, but it’s more than the heat that’s fuelling the rising tempers. Once again, a familiar and dreaded crisis has gripped the city: petrol scarcity. In a nation where fuel powers the rhythm of daily life, this shortage is far more than an inconvenience—it’s a catastrophe. At a petrol station in Ikeja, a snaking queue of vehicles stretches for miles, winding through the streets and bringing traffic to a standstill. Bleary-eyed drivers, exhausted from hours of waiting, lean on their horns in frustration, but the oppressive heat and thick air of desperation swallow their sounds.

    Among the many stranded was Adebayo, a middle-aged taxi driver and father of four. His livelihood depended on the fuel that powered his taxi, and without it, his family’s already precarious existence was at risk. “I’ve been here since 3:00 AM,” Adebayo said, wiping sweat from his brow. “There’s no guarantee I’ll get fuel today. If I don’t, I don’t know how I’ll put food on the table tonight.” The scarcity had driven up prices at the black market, where fuel was sold at exorbitant rates by opportunistic dealers. But for Adebayo, whose earnings barely covered his daily expenses, the black market was not an option. “I can’t afford their prices,” he lamented. “If I buy from them, I’ll lose money with every passenger I carry. But what choice do I have?”

    Across town in Surulere, Nneka, a young office worker, stood at the bus stop, anxiously checking the time. It was already 7:30 AM, and there was no sign of the usual danfo buses that ferried people to their destinations. The few buses that did appear were already packed to the brim, with desperate commuters hanging from the doors, clutching onto any available surface for dear life. Nneka had been waiting for over an hour, but each passing minute brought her closer to being late for work—a prospect that could cost her the job she had worked so hard to secure. “My boss doesn’t care about the petrol scarcity,” she said, her voice tinged with worry. “If I’m late, I’m late. I can’t afford to lose this job, but how can I get there on time if there’s no transport?”

    The situation was the same in other parts of the city. In Yaba, commuters stood in long lines at bus stops, hoping for a miracle. The scarcity had doubled the usual fare, and many who couldn’t afford the hike were left stranded, helplessly watching as buses passed them by. Even those who managed to squeeze into a bus faced the risk of delays as the vehicles crawled through traffic jams exacerbated by the endless queues at petrol stations.

    While commuters struggled to reach their destinations, businesses across Nigeria were feeling the pinch of the petrol scarcity. In the bustling Balogun Market, one of the largest in Lagos, traders who relied on generators to power their stalls were facing an unprecedented challenge. With the scarcity driving up the price of petrol, the cost of running a generator had become prohibitive. Chinwe, a fabric trader in the market, expressed her frustration as she watched customers walk away from her dimly lit stall. “I usually sell a lot by this time of day,” she said, “but without light, people don’t want to come in. My generator has been off for two days now because I can’t afford the fuel. If this continues, I’ll lose everything.”

    The impact of the scarcity extended beyond the market stalls. Small businesses that depended on deliveries were struggling to keep up with demand. Delivery trucks sat idle as their drivers searched in vain for petrol, leaving perishable goods to spoil and orders unfulfilled. For many, the crisis threatened not just profits, but the very survival of their businesses. The petrol scarcity is not just a problem for Lagos; it is a national crisis. In cities across Nigeria, the story is the same—long queues, inflated prices, and a populace pushed to the brink of despair. The ripple effects are felt in every sector, from transportation and commerce to education and healthcare.

    Why federal government should take a decisive action

    Serious concerns are mounting over the ongoing scarcity of petroleum products in the country, exacerbated by allegations of adulterated fuel being sold at some retail outlets. Nigerians from all walks of life—manufacturers, professionals, artisans, and operators in the petroleum and gas sectors, to name a few—are increasingly worried that, unless the Federal Government takes decisive action to address the troubling developments in the administration of Nigeria’s oil and gas sector, the repercussions could be severe, not only for the economy but for the overall wellbeing of the citizenry.

    These concerns are heightened by recent developments in the industry. A significant issue currently facing the sector involves allegations made by Dangote Refinery, accusing those in charge of the nation’s oil and gas industry of favouring the importation of petroleum products over ensuring the functionality of local refineries. The company also claims that certain key officials within the NNPC are implicated in owning a refinery in Malta, from where they have been importing substandard products into Nigeria.

    As expected, those implicated in the allegations quickly issued denials. Not only did they absolve themselves of any wrongdoing, but they also challenged anyone with evidence to come forward. The Group Managing Director of NNPCL, Mele Kyari, and the Managing Director of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, Farouk Ahmed, both denied any involvement, daring anyone to prove that they own a refinery abroad.

    However, the controversy did not end there. Just days later, another allegation emerged, once again stirring the waters of the nation’s oil industry. This time, Oando, a major player in the sector, was implicated. The company swiftly denied the accusation, issuing statements to both the Nigerian Stock Exchange in Lagos and the Johannesburg Stock Exchange in South Africa, where it is listed, asserting that it had no involvement with the alleged refinery in Malta. This denial seemed to put the matter to rest—until last Friday, when The Cable reported that Matrix Energy, an oil retail outlet, was the actual importer of petroleum products from Malta. This revelation reignited the debate, bringing the issue back into the spotlight. While Matrix Energy acknowledged its involvement in the importation of petroleum products, the company maintained that the products it imported were not adulterated.

    Matrix Energy Group

    At the helm of Matrix Energy Group is Abdulkabir Aliu, who serves as the Group Managing Director and is also a member of the Presidential Economic Coordination Council. The leadership team at Matrix Energy includes notable figures such as Luqman Salam-Alada, Executive Director of Downstream; Aisha Said-Aliu, Group Head of Business Development and Strategy; Oluwatoyin Showunmi, Executive Director of Retail; Olabisi Sogunro, Group Head of Support Services; and Olajide Aogo, Managing Director of the group’s fertilizer arm.

     When Aliu appeared before the Senate Committee, which was established to investigate the allegations of importing adulterated or substandard petroleum products, he addressed the concerns directly. Aliu stated: “Matrix in Nigeria has over 2700 staff and we have invested in the country because we believe in this country. We’re being accused of bringing products from Russia and some other countries. It’s strange to me as we are not aware that Nigeria has banned, or stopped importation of products from some countries. The most important thing to us and every government is to make goods and products available to the people at affordable price.”

    The Chief Executive Officer of Matrix Energy Group, Aliu, is reportedly well-connected within the corridors of power, particularly with the management of NNPCL and its subsidiaries. Sources indicate that Aliu’s relationship with the NNPCL dates back to the first term of the Buhari administration, long before the current government took office. Investigations have revealed that Matrix Energy played a pivotal role during a financially challenging period for the NNPCL. At a critical time, the company reportedly provided financial assistance to NNPCL, helping to stabilise its operations. In return, Matrix Energy was allocated crude oil cargoes, which it exported for refining abroad and then re-imported into Nigeria as refined products. This arrangement not only solidified the company’s standing in the industry but also deepened its ties with NNPCL.

    To further corroborate the close relationship between Matrix Energy Group and NNPCL, a source, who requested anonymity, explained, “I’ll keep it brief, but there’s a lot to unpack. Since the year 2000, Nigeria’s subsidy burden had already started to strain the economy and NNPC’s balance sheet, significantly increasing their debt liabilities.” The source continued, explaining that in 2005, NNPC made a strategic decision to mortgage oil production from OML 119, specifically 20,000 barrels per day, as a means of debt repayment. OML 119 is an offshore asset comprising the Okono and Okpoho fields and is particularly significant because it is one of the eight Oil Mining Leases (OMLs) where NNPC holds 100% equity.

    According to the source, from 2005 to the present, the revenue generated from OML 119 has not been remitted to the Federation Account. Instead, it has been used to offset various debts, including subsidy payments by the NNPC. This diversion of funds further highlights the intricate and long-standing financial manoeuvres that have tied Matrix Energy Group and NNPCL together.

    By 2012, NNPC’s debt had escalated to $8.5 billion. To address this substantial liability, $5 billion, which represented dividends from Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG), was used as part payment towards the debt. The remaining $3.5 billion was secured against the daily production of 20,000 barrels from OML 119. This arrangement was structured under special purpose vehicles (SPVs) named PXF1 and PXF2. PXF1 was designated for a five-year term, while PXF2 was set for a seven-year term, extending the repayment period for this portion of the debt.

    “In 2020, at the height of COVID 19, Nigeria had shortfall of revenue, NNPC had to make a pre-payment plan of $1.5 billion with Matrix and Vitol. Repayment was going to be from daily production of 30,000 barrels of crude oil from another OML in which NNPC has 100 % equity, and it will run for 5 years under an SPV called Project Eagle

    “The daily 30,000 barrels of crude oil given to Matrix and Vitol for their “loan” of $1.5 billion during Covid-19, is what is taken to Malta , refined/blended ( to be cheaper ) and sold to Nigerians. By the end of 2024, the 12-year deal to repay $3.5 billion will end. By the end of 2025, the 5-year deal to repay Matrix and Vitol their $1.5 billion will also end. That is all I have to say,” the source said.

    An investigation by The Nation revealed that other operators in the oil and gas sector have taken a keen interest in Matrix Energy Group due to its “unusual rise” in the industry. Despite not being a particularly large firm, Matrix Energy’s rapid expansion has drawn attention for its deviation from typical growth patterns in the sector. According to one industry insider, the company’s remarkable progress and staggering volumes of activity have raised eyebrows. In July 2024 alone, Matrix Energy received approximately 25 per cent of Nigeria’s monthly petrol consumption into its storage facility. This figure is notably striking, especially considering that the company operates fewer than 160 filling stations nationwide. To industry players, such a significant share of the national fuel supply, coupled with relatively modest retail infrastructure, is highly unusual and has fuelled speculation about the company’s rapid ascent.

    In the first week of August, Matrix Energy Group was reported to have discharged a petroleum product-laden vessel at a facility owned by Pinnacle Oil and Gas in the Lagos Free Zone. The vessel in question, MT ROMEOS, had its load port clearly identified as OPL MALTA. While the client for the petroleum products was listed as NNPC Retail, it is widely recognized that Matrix Energy Group, as one of NNPCL’s trading partners, likely conducted the operation on behalf of its client. This arrangement underscores the intricate connections and operational dynamics within the sector.

    UPSTREAM ACTIVITIES AND THE NNPC CONNECTION

    • About 4 crude cargoes per month are allocated to Matrix Energy by NNPC (Tables)

    The crude allocations to Matrix are traded by Gulf Transport & Trading (GTT), a trading company registered in the UAE

    •Two of the three crude cargoes of the recently launched Utapate grade were allocated to GTT.

    The crude cargoes are typically sold at a $3 per barrel premium which translates to $3 million per cargo .  This implies a  profit of almost $150million per year or N240 billion at the prevailing #1590/$

    • They also have three marginal fields prospecting licences as listed on their website

    DOWNSTREAM ACTIVITIES AND THE RUSSIA/MALTA CONNECTION

    • Matrix Energy is also active in the downstream sector. They own a 150 million litre capacity depot in Warri (Bluefin Depot), three old ships (Matrix Pride, Matrix Triumph, Matrix S.ILU), and about 500 trucks

    • They are very active in the import of Russian products through various blending locations.

    • Import of low-grade fuel from Russia

    • Import of petroleum products from Malta

      As previously noted, in July alone, approximately 25% of Nigeria’s monthly PMS consumption was allocated to Matrix Energy Group, a relatively small player in the industry.

    Our position, by Matrix Energy

    Amid the ongoing revelations, the company has issued a statement distancing itself from any involvement in the importation of adulterated fuel. The statement reads: “Our attention has been drawn to a recent online publication where our name was mentioned. While we might have preferred to overlook the fabrications in the publication, we feel compelled to correct the record and distinguish fact from sensationalism. It is crucial for us to address this matter to protect and uphold the integrity of our brand and the reputation we have diligently built over the past 20 years.”

    In a statement signed by Ibrahim Akinola, Head of Communications at Matrix Energy Group, the company emphasised its commitment to compliance with approved specifications for imported products. Akinola stated, “Matrix Energy Group remains steadfast in adhering to the rigorous standards required for imported products. We have consistently ensured that our products meet all approved specifications and have never been found wanting in this regard.”

    Akinola said: “Our company is recognised and approved by global international companies, national oil companies, major construction firms, and various end-users. “Our consistent ability to deliver on all contracts at competitive prices has solidified our strong position in the industry today,” adding that the Chief Executive Officer of the company, Abdulkabir Adisa Aliu, is a member of President Tinubu’s Economic Coordination Council.

    Read Also: Ad hoc committee on oil and gas dissolved to enhance effectiveness, says House spokesman

    The statement noted that Aliu’s selection by Mr President to serve as a member of the Economic Coordination Council is a recognition of his dedication to shared values and his commitment to the betterment of Nigeria in the Renewed Hope Agenda, for which he remains deeply grateful. Matrix Energy Group, Akinola said, “is a wholly indigenous and independent oil marketing and trading company, with substantial investments in strategic infrastructure, including vessels, oil and gas terminals, trucks, and retail outlets across 28 states, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).”

    He added: “Our company is recognised and approved by global international companies, national oil companies, major construction firms, and various end-users. Our consistent ability to deliver on all contracts at competitive prices has solidified our strong position in the industry today.”

    Why Fed Govt should act

    At this critical juncture, the challenges plaguing Nigeria’s oil and gas sector must be addressed with unwavering seriousness and resolve. The refineries need to be operational, and our dependence on fuel imports must come to an end. The bulk of our precious foreign exchange is spent on importing fuel, which is unsustainable. Previous administrations have failed to fix the four refineries with a combined capacity of 420,000 barrels of crude oil. The Tinubu administration must break from this pattern and make a tangible difference. NNPCL must step up its efforts; it has repeatedly postponed the resumption of production at the Port Harcourt refinery since May of last year.

    The Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) must be fully implemented. The government has stated that crude should be allocated to local refineries with payments made in Naira. It is time for the government to enforce this directive firmly and ensure a level playing field for all stakeholders. The era of untouchable figures and sacred cows must end. The focus should be on fixing the sector decisively, not on shifting blame. The time for action is now. Enough of the blame game.

  • Untold story of Illegal mining activities, deforestation in Taraba

    Untold story of Illegal mining activities, deforestation in Taraba

    Despite its huge natural endowments, Taraba State sits on the lowest rungs of the human development index in Nigeria. Among these endowments are rich forests and mineral resources. Our Taraba State Correspondent VICTOR GAI, looks into the perennial illegal activities of deforestation and solid minerals exploitation by local and foreign agents with far reaching consequences on the environment and economy of the state.

    Boasting one of the largest landmass in the country, Taraba State is naturally gifted with arable land for farming, livestock and fisheries. It has the largest stretch of the River Benue and one of the largest collections of livestock in the country. All these might have earned it its sobriquet, ‘nature’s gift to the nation’.

    But below the fertile lands and in the interspersed terrain are exotic solid mineral resources and forest trees that the state had not given much attention to until recently when foreigners began to exploit them with rapacious tendency. With the connivance of locals, foreign nationals have made huge fortunes which eventually drew the attention of the government.

    Akwana, a community in Wukari Local Government Area of Taraba State, is the hotbed of illegal mining activities. It is among several others spread across the state that are notorious for illegal mining. It is located at the Taraba/Benue border which has been a flashpoint for kidnapping, banditry and inter-communal clashes over time.

    Findings made by ‘The Nation’ shows that the activities of illegal miners are responsible for the spate of kidnapping, banditry and boundary disputes that have lingered between Taraba and Benue states.

    According to a local source who craved anonimity for security reasons, the menace of illegal mining thrived with the connivance of security agents, state government officials and some local lords who have the cover of authorities.

    The source said: “It is the individuals in the community that decide to handle mining disregarding warnings from the chiefdom and even the mines officer. At a point, even the mines officer was involved in the racket. I can say that anytime and anywhere. He was giving them immunity.

    “Illegal mining led to the influx of unknown people, leading to kidnapping, robberies and others. It got to the extent that even the DSS and some security operatives got so interested in the case because of the infiltration of illegal explosives used for mining activities.

    “They claim that they as indigenes deserve to mine what they have in their community. But the question is do you have the licence to mine?

    “Any time I write a report, because we do write monthly reports, within five minutes, I will start recieving calls that they know what I am doing.

    “So I became a target. Hence I myself don’t go there.”

    He further disclosed that despite the government ban on illegal mining, the practice still contineud because of the presence of a ‘mafia’ who control the state boundaries for their business interests.

    “They themselves don’t want to stop. So it took the grace of the task force to stop them.

    “The illegal mining got so bad that in the boundary issue between Taraba and Benue states, knowing full well that there is a ban in Taraba State, some locals in Akwana would tell the Tiv people living in that area to claim the place as Benue State so that Taraba authorities would not be able to come in.

    “At some point, through the allocation of cadastral unit for mining, some points were mapped out of Taraba State and placed in Benue,” the source added.

    The Madrid debacle

    In the heyday of rosewood exploitation, popularly known as Madrid, the immediate past governor, Darius Ishaku, had to wade into the matter to restore order and decorum. Business men took advantage of the weak regulatory environment to deny the state of revenue from the product until the government intervened.

    The Ministry of Environment was stripped of powers to collect revenue from the product and the state’s Internal Revenue Service took over. But by the time order was restored to the industry, millionaires were made. Young men and women left school to engage in the trade while the state lost billions from the illegal business.

    In her 2018 study titled Eco-criticism: A comparative Study of Madrid Deforestation and its Effect on Secondary School Students’ Learning Performance in Jalingo and Ardo Kola Local Government Taraba State of Nigeria, Dr. Abigail Seth Karfe of the Taraba State University wrote: “Critical observation has been seen on how this benefit of natural resources (forestation) has been jeopardised because of human beings’ self desire and unnecessary quest for money.

    “This is usually ignored in most states and local governments and is resulting in a lot of deforestation, reducing the learning performance of students in secondary schools and land degradation.

    “Madrid deforestation in Taraba State needs to be discouraged.”

    She quoted Dayo Aiyetan of the International Centre for Investigative Reporters, in his study titled: How China fuels deforestation in Nigeria, West Africa. “Smart Chinese businessmen are exploiting a lax regulatory and enforcement environment, loopholes in existing laws, lack of government policy and direction as well as official corruption by government officials to drive an illegal trade in and export of the country’s forestry resources that might have grave consequences for both the environment and the economy…forestry experts are warned that the unrestrained and uncontrolled harvesting of the special type of timber across the states will have devastating impact on the environment and contribute immensely to global warming which is currently threatening the world.

    “Apart from the effect on the environment, the experts fear that the illegal activities of local and Chinese merchants will also have telling economic implications in the near future in many communities where the forests that are being violated are located.

    “In many states, including Kogi, Ekiti, Ondo, Ogun, Taraba, Kaduna, Adamawa, and Cross River, a rapacious demand by China for an ornate species of wood, rose wood (Pterocarpus erinaceus) locally known as Kosso, has since late 2013 fuelled an unprecedented frenzy of illegal logging of wood that is fast depleting the nation’s natural forestry resources.”

    According to Karfe in her findings, students were “immensely involved in Madrid deforestation and this has a lot of negative influence and effect on their learning performance as shown in their results for both Mathematics and English language… and “Madrid deforestation equally promotes global warming.”

    In her recommendation, she called for government intervention to curb the trend through education and enlightenment of citizens, promulgation of laws, strengthening of security and economic empowerment of the citizens.

     Kefas to the rescue

    Meanwhile, the menace of illegal mining continued side by side with the heavy deforestation of the land, posing a double jeopardy for the state.

    In June 2023, the state governor, Dr. Agbu Kefas, inaugurated the Taraba State Task Force on Environmental Protection, Public Safety and Prohibition of Deforestation, headed by Brig-Gen. Jeremiah Faransa (rtd). The governor then signed the Executive Order 3 and 5 (as amended) suspending mining activities and deforestation in the state.

    This policy direction by the governor could be a deliberate attempt at looking at alternative revenue sources for the state rather than an attempt to save the environment.

    The Task Force has achieved a lot just as it faced several challenges due to the presence of an entrenched “cartel” and bottlenecks from official and non-official quarters. Besides that, the terrain is a huge challenge considering the land mass and the under-developed nature of the state.

    Read Also: Rivers APC crisis, judgment plots to frustrate Tinubu in 2027 – Okocha

    According to the Task Force through its spokesman, Ibrahim Zuppai, it has discovered 15 illegal mining sites across five local government areas  namely Sardauna, Gashaka, Bali, Wukari and Karim-Lamido. They have arrested 17 foreign nationals and 100 Nigerians involved in illegal mining. The suspects have since been handed over to the special mobile court for prosecution.

    Also, over a billion naira has been realised as fines from those arrested for flouting the Executive Order. The minerals discovered include Fluoride, Zircon, Blue Sapphire, Lead, Iron Monzite, Quartz and Galena.

    In September 2023, the Task Force made the biggest recovery of 22,373 kilograms of Blue Sapphire in Mayo Sena, a notorious illegal mining site in Sardauna LGA of Taraba State. While speaking on the discovery, Faransa also disclosed the enormous mineral potentials in the state, which includes the discovery of uranium in Yorro LGA.

    But as the Task Force was yet to recover from the euphoria of its successes, a scandal ensued which might potentially pitch the Task Force against the authorities. The latest scandal was the destruction of mining equipment in yet another notorious mining site in Akwana, a border community between Taraba and Benue states, a fortnight ago.

    The Task Force was allegedly accused of ordering the burning down of mining equipment which belonged to the state government. The mining equipment, reportedly worth billions of naira, were said to have been procured and transported to site by the Taraba State Bureau for Solid Mineral Resources. They include excavators, soundproof Mikano generators, detecting machines, motorcycles and others.

    That act actually generated social media reactions and concerns by citizens who have all along criticised the activities of the Task Force. Controversy is still raging in the state over the matter as citizens continue to lament over what they say is an unnecessary waste of tax payers’ funds used in the purchase of the equipment.

    Irked by this development, a pressure group known as Taraba Concern Citizens (TCC) have accused the Task Force of destroying State-owned mining assets and called on Governor Kefas to come out clear and inform the people of the state on the true position of things. They demanded to know why a Task Force established by his government would go all out to destroy equipment worth billions of naira which were procured with tax payers’ money.

    The Coordinator of the group, Comrade Emos Tijani, while addressing journalists in Jalingo, Taraba State capital last week, alleged that there were discrepancies leading to the burning of the mining equipment. He stated that “it is still not clear why a Task Force that was established by the governor would destroy state owned properties of such magnitude”.

    He said: “We the concerned citizens are still confused on what led to the destruction of the mining equipment.

    “Is it that the Faransa-led Task Force is in disagreement with the state government or is it that the governor and his government have also engaged in illegal mining activities that the equipment worth billions of naira were destroyed at this time that we are always told there is economic hardship?

    “We demand to know.”

    The Permanent Secretary, Taraba State Bureau for Solid Mineral Resources, Matsai David, confirmed that he did convey the mining equipment procured by the Bureau to Akwana in Wukari on the directive of the governor.

    He said: “I conveyed the mining equipment to Wukari on the directive of the governor. I am not answerable to the Task Force. When the governor comes back from his trip, I will give my explanation on the situation. For now, I reserve my comment.”

    But the Taraba State Government did not come out clear on the matter and only gave a tacit response on the matter.

    Speaking during a parley with journalists in Jalingo, the Taraba State Commissioner of Information, Barrister Zainab Usman Jalingo, said: “I don’t think there is a disconnection between the Task Force on Illegal Mining and the government. If there is a misunderstanding, it is something to be sorted out at their level.”

    According to her, the legal and regulatory framework has already been put in place in the state, in collaboration with the federal government in order to avoid conflicts.

    Jalingo stated: “I happen to be part of the delegation at the Ministry of Solid Minerals and I happen to be part of the committee that tidied up and sorted out the Mining Act in the state.

    “As far as Taraba State is concerned, the issue of mining, we have concurrent interest as to the implementation of the Mining Act.

    “Where any of the miners is going to explore more than five centimetres into the ground, the state government has to be taken into consideration.

    “We have tidied that up at the House of Assembly and they have promulgated a law before the initial issue of mining in the state.

    “So anyone that enters Taraba must first register with the Minister of Solid Minerals at the federal level and then at the state level too.”

    On the part of the Task Force, it said it did not deliberately burn the equipment and usually follows due process in its activities.

    According to the spokesman of the Task Force, Ibrahim Zuppai, the governor actually gave the directive for any illegal mining equipment to be burnt whenever they are found since they can’t be confiscated. He added that the allegation was a ploy by a “cartel” to pit the Task Force against the governor.

    A statement he issued reads: “The attention of the Taraba State Task Force on Environmental Protection, Public Safety and Prohibition of Deforestation has been drawn to a malicious allegation circulating in the media. The Task Force and its Chairman, Brigadier General Jeremiah Faransa (rtd), were accused of destroying government owned mining equipment in Akwana.

    “We categorically debunk this baseless allegation and set the record straight. The Task Force has been diligently carrying out its functions in accordance with Executive Order No. 3 and 5 as amended, signed by Gov. Agbu Kegas in 2023.

    “The allegation of destroying government-owned mining equipment is a clear attempt by a cartel to create a rift between the governor and the Task Force and to undermine our efforts to protect the State’s environment, its resources and citizens as the task force was not communicated of any government’s equipment deployed to any mining site when the government is still working on a clear guide line for all miners to adhere to.”

  • Oluwo’s wife Firdaus: My husband is very, very romantic

    Oluwo’s wife Firdaus: My husband is very, very romantic

    • Says she was scared first time he took on idol worshippers
    • Explains how she got attracted to monarch

    The gaiety of Queen Firdaus Abdullahi Akanbi, wife of the Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulraheed Akanbi, is easily noticeable by anyone that is meeting her for the first time. The soft-spoken Kano princess of the Ado Bayero dynasty and graduate of Business Management from the Modern University of Science and Technology, Cairo, Egypt spoke with GBENGA ADERANTI about her love life and the side of her husband that is hidden from many people.

    HOW did you meet your husband?

    I met my husband through an aunt of mine, and from there we started talking and understood each other. Then I decided that this is the man I would want to get married to.

    Did you bother to learn more about Yoruba tradition before you got married to him?

    All those things were not new to me because of the place I came from. In the palace where I grew up, we had our own culture and tradition. But coming here, there is nothing new to me apart from the way they dress and talk. Those were the things I found different. But I am trying to understand the tradition and culture more. There is really nothing new to me, because we have similarities considering the way we greet and talk to people, the respect and all that.

    In other words, you did not experience any culture shock when you got into Oluwo’s palace?

    Since I came into the palace, I have not experienced any culture shock. Honestly, there is nothing like that. There are no idols. Before then, they told me that I would find strange things, I would  find idols in the palace, I would be scared or things like that. God is my witness, I have not seen anything that has shocked me here. I have not seen idols or something different from my own culture.

    How did your parents react to it when you told them that you were going to marry a Yoruba monarch?

    Actually, I lost my father when I was young. But I would say my mother and my other family members were not opposed to it. My late grandfather, the late Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero, married a Yoruba woman, so it was not like a shock to us. They lived with a Yoruba queen; she was my step-mum. She was a good woman and we saw the way she was treating people. So when they told them that I was going to marry a Yoruba king, they were not shocked. They only told me that if I loved him, I could go ahead, saying there was nothing wrong in marrying a Yoruba king.

    In this part of the world, many find cross cultural marriage strange, and they are not favourably disposed to it…

    Yes, some people find it strange. But I personally did not find it strange because since I started talking to Kabiyesi (Oluwo), he was very cool and I liked his character. I just said I would do it because it is not about the Yoruba culture but the person you are living with. If you understand him, you can live with him. As far as he loves me and can take care of me, I don’t allow culture and all that to get to me.

    What would you tell people with an aversion for cross-cultural marriage?

    I would tell them to go ahead because it is a beautiful thing. You will learn another language, tradition and different kinds of food; it is just a beautiful thing to be honest. I love a lot of things about the Yoruba culture and I think a lot of people are trying to get married to Yoruba because they take good care of their family. That is what I love about the Yoruba people. I believe that if you love someone, just go for that person as long as your heart wants to be with that person. It is a beautiful experience to be honest.

    What tutelage did you undergo before you came into the palace?

    From the place I grew up, I was thought to be respectful, prayerful and take care of the people around me. All these were ingrained in me and that is what I have adopted since I got here. It is the way I grew up. Nobody has to guide me on how to behave in the palace.

    What was it like to grow up in the palace?

    Growing up in the palace was beautiful and interesting, because as a young child, they would teach you how to be responsible and act around people. You cannot just go out; you have to be extra careful when you are in the palace — the way you dress, the way you talk to people, the way you communicate. You just have to have duties. I grew up with care and love.

    What are those things you are finding difficult to adjust to since you came into Oluwo’s palace?

    I think the only challenge is the language. But I’m trying to understand it more and to learn it because sometimes, I would like to communicate with some people in English but they do not understand English. Every other thing around here is beautiful.

    Talking about Kabiyesi, what really attracted him to you?*

    He is a good man. If you get to know him, you will like him. He is very honest. He will tell you the truth even if it will get you angry. He is very caring, and I love everything about him. He is unique in his own way. You just need to understand him and you will love him. He is a man of integrity. He has a heart of gold.  Nobody can know him better than I do. He is just a lovely person. People could think that he is hard, but from inside, he is very soft and very jovial too.

    Read Also: Detractors lobbied civil servants to destabilise my govt – Fubara

    How receptive were the people of the town?

    They accepted me. Whenever I go out, they receive me with love. I don’t have any problem with the people

    What are the things you are missing as a wife of a traditional ruler?

    Kabiyesi is not the kind of person that would stop you from doing anything you want. I grew up in the palace and we didn’t normally go out. We were always at the palace. I like my space. Anything that I want to do, he allows me do it. If I want to go out, I can go out. I don’t think that there is anything except that you will be missing your family members. But whenever I am missing them, I can go and see them.

    Would you allow your daughter to get married to a Yoruba traditional ruler?

    Of course yes, because I don’t think there is anything wrong in marrying a Yoruba traditional ruler. If she loves him and really wants to be with him and he is a good man, I will just pray for her, because there is nothing wrong with marrying a Yoruba traditional ruler as long as he is not an idol worshipper and he is a good Muslim.

    How was life in Cairo where you schooled?

    It was a beautiful experience. It was peaceful but could be overwhelming because of the overcrowded places and the people there sometimes. You know Arabs; they don’t like black people. But it was fine and I enjoyed my stay there. They have an easy life there. Their foods were affordable and the transportation system was okay.

    Most elite in the north prefer to send their wards to study in Egypt. Why is that so?

    It is probably because Egypt is safe, and partially because it is affordable. There are lots of schools there, including American universities. They teach in English too. Maybe people send their wards their because of the environment. You cannot find clubs there where your child would be spoilt. They are also very respectful.

    You studied Business Management but went into catering services. What informed your choice of business line?

    My background in business management prepared me to manage my own business, and the catering business has been my passion since I was a child. I liked to cook. It is not just about money; I just love to do it.

    But you suspended the business. Do you see yourself resuscitating this in the near future?

    Yes, Insha Allah, because it is my passion. I love it.

    Unlike your husband, you are an indoor person. How do you manage this?

    It is about balancing. He likes to go out and I like staying indoors. It is my nature. It was the way I was brought up. They didn’t normally let us go out. I enjoy my own space. If you do some research about our tradition and wives of kings in the north, they don’t normally go out. That was the way I saw my grandma. I never saw her go out. If there is something happening in the palace, I will go and attend to it. It is like I’m getting used to the tradition in Yorubaland.

    What are the prices you have had to pay for being Oluwo’s wife?

    It is just about sacrifice. You have to sacrifice a lot. I don’t think there is anything. You just have to be composed, know how to talk, know how to be respectful and love the community. That is all.

    Did growing up in the palace prepare you for your current role?

    Well, like now that I don’t normally go out, it is because of my upbringing. My upbringing really prepared me for this.

    Do you normally get scared about some of the hard line positions your husband takes on issues, especially his campaign against idol worshipping?

    At first I was scared. But gradually when I got to understand him, I was not scared again, because I believe that if you are with God, He will protect you. Whatever he is doing, I’m supporting him because I don’t think he is doing anything wrong, and I’m not scared of anything. I’m praying for him, God will continue to guide him. I’m not scared. Some things at first got to me, but I am not scared again, because I believe that he is doing the right thing

    Because of the age difference, you are bound to look at things from different points of view. How do you resolve your differences?

    You just have to know how to talk. You have to be calm. You cannot shout or get angry. Whenever I want to say something, I’m always respectful and I will find the time when he is calm and happy to do so. He understands.

    What is that thing that is unique about Oluwo that nobody knows about?

    He is a very jovial person. He can come now and start singing for me. He is a lovely person too. He has the heart of gold and he is prayerful. Oluwo is very, very romantic. He is the best decision I have ever made in my life.

  • ‘Emerging first African female Lions Club international director was no tea-party’

    ‘Emerging first African female Lions Club international director was no tea-party’

    Fresh from Lions Club International’s International Conference in Melbourne, Australia, where she was elected International Director for Africa, the first for a female in Africa and only the second for Nigeria, Lion Bridget Adetope Tychus in this interview with Gboyega Alaka speaks on her journey up the ladder, her experience in the oil and gas industry and why she no longer sees herself as a woman.

    Congratulations on your recent election as Lions Club International Director for Africa. Tell us, did you go to the international conference in Melbourne with the intention of coming back with such a big title? Or was it something sudden?

    No, it wasn’t sudden. It was actually a result of a twelve-year journey. I’ve been on it for twelve years until Africa was ready. I am number one for a female and number two for Nigeria. I can tell you it was like breaking the glass ceiling; and I always say that nothing good comes easy- because if it comes easy, then you have to be careful. So it was difficult, it was tough, but the tougher it became, the stronger I got, the more determined and focused I became. And here I am today; the rest is history.

    Can you walk us through your journey to this coveted position?

    Well it was like the goal post kept changing. Any time Nigeria thought ‘now we had it’, the rules would change, and another policy would be introduced. And so, one year became two, two years became three; and then we now had what is called Rotation by Region. So we had East Africa, West Africa. When that came into place, Nigeria was single filed out of five places. That automatically meant ten years, because the office is a two-year tenure. So if one was not consistent and tenacious, you would get tired along the line, because it requires that you go on so many trips that are self-sponsored; so many activities…. Your resources are called to task.

    How does it feel to be the first African female international director?

    I’ve always believed that when a woman is aspiring to an office, she tends to work twice as hard as the male counterpart; because the society, family, so many things are contesting against her. So it is left to you to see yourself as the victim, or victor. I never had the victim mentality or saw myself at any point in time as a woman. I believe I’ve been patterned to cross tough terrains. When I was to become district governor – there are many governors in this room today, they may think they had elections, but what they had was child’s play – it was like breaking the glass ceiling; it was tough. The first time, I lost and people were like she won’t come back, but that only energised me the more. The following year 2003, I was out again. That experience told me that nobody would give you political office on  a platter of gold; you have to bring something to the table – your emotional intelligence, your native intelligence, wisdom, everything that you have  and let them know that you’re as good as any other male competitor.

    What is the role of an International Director?

    Right now in Africa, Lions Club membership is close to 48,000; as ID, you are the number one Lion in Africa. And so, any of the districts- Kenya, Malawi, South Africa; can say ‘we have this project, we have this training;’ the director must be there; ‘we have this convention,’ director must be there. In our own parlance, it is comparable to a ministerial or ambassadorial role. As a matter of fact, at the directors school, we were referred to as ambassadors. So you’re like the face of Africa. Wherever there is need within the continent, you must be there to answer to that need. And it can be for service projects such as diabetes, cataract, pediatric cancer etc. And you must be versatile in all these areas, because you never know when you would be called upon to say something on the issues such as cancer, nutrition, environment etc.

    What does Nigeria stand to gain with your new position?

    That’s the typical Nigerian question. Even before we had a director coming from Nigeria, you can see our impact virtually everywhere you go. There is no big hospital in Lagos that you’d go to and there is no Lions Club presence. Let’s start with Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH); the only cancer screening centre that LASUTH has was built and donated by Lions Club. That was actually my project when I was District Governor in 2003/2004 but it was commissioned in 2006 by Governor Babatunde Fashola. If you go to LUTH, you will see a project, Mexico Hall, where the Lions understood that so many people come in from outside Lagos and have to sleep on the hospital corridor because they cannot afford hotels. We built the hall for them. If you go to General Hospital, Isolo, you will see an eye centre built by the Lions Club; if you go to Ota, you will see a big hospital that even carries out eye surgery.  If you come back to LUTH again, you will see the biggest dialysis centre constructed, built and handed over to LUTH management by Lions Club. While you can see tangible buildings and structures in the health sector, you may not see such in education, but you will see us going to schools, carrying out advocacy with programmes like the Lions Quest, where we catch our young people and tell them the terrible things that happen when they go the way of drugs. We do this with the little ones from high school before they get into bad companies, because we discovered that they get into these things through to peer pressure. So we want them to have confidence in themselves, do what is right, so that their future and our future – because those young ones are the future of this country, they’re the future of any association. A country is as strong as the youth. So we’re investing to save the future.

    Read Also: Rivers APC crisis, judgment plots to frustrate Tinubu in 2027 – Okocha

    Back to your question; all that I’ve outlined were even before we had an international director, so now that we have an international director from Nigeria, you can expect things to even move at a bigger scale. I won’t do it directly but there are six district governors, who would do need analysis of their catchment areas and come forward with the right programmes. If they are projects they can handle, they go ahead and do it, but if they are programmes that they cannot handle alone, then they apply for grants from our Chicago, US headquarters. Usually when such applications are on the table, they would contact me and ask: ‘Director, is this really happening in Nigeria? Should we approve this grant? If I say approve, they will approve; if I say don’t approve, it’s the end. It therefore tells you that the district governors don’t have to go too far to see me and get my support for such projects. Number 2, as a Nigerian, anywhere Lions’ function is being held in Africa and I walk in, the Nigerian anthem must be played. That tells you that a Nigerian is in charge. So we’re projecting Nigeria and it behoves on me as the ambassador to project Nigeria in a positive way.

    How do you balance your huge Lions Club activities with family, especially now that you’ve added the big one?

    That’s a tough one.  I joined the association 41 ago and my last child is 42. That’s to tell you that I had a one-year-old baby at the time; and from day one,  I have always been this passionate. So on the one hand I am playing mother, on the other hand I am playing wife; here I am a senior officer in the oil and gas, there I am a big sister, daughter, cousin… and no ball has ever dropped. It can only be God. And till  today, my home is still intact. Very intact. To the glory of God, the children came out beautifully well; my husband is still alive and kicking, and by the way, to make you laugh, he was the one to first become a Lion. He actually introduced me to it when he told me to go and represent him in some capacity; and trust me, by the time I got there and they saw my input and enthusiasm, they were the ones who were telling me come and join us. Before you could say Jack Robinson, I not only joined, I passed him, I kept going while he was enjoying himself where he was; and today he is one of my Lion members. And when he sees me, he says: ‘My International Director’.

    By your earlier response, you have a background in the oil and gas industry, tell us about it.

    I worked with Unipetrol Nigeria Plc as they were called then. I joined Unipetrol in 1981; it later became Oando. I actually retired early because I looked at the pattern of my life and saw that I was carrying too many loads. But then, I was really good at what I do. I was Senior Statistical Officer, Unipetrol Western House office; so when I told my boss I wanted to retire early, he said, ‘Ah madam, you can’t go, bla bla bla…, ‘ I told him I wanted to go back to school to do my masters and that I was resigning because Unipetrol would not grant me leave of absence; but he said ‘No, apply; there is always a first time.’ So I went, finished the course, came back; and then said I wanted to go for another masters. Now my boss was like ‘This is too much’ and then I told him, ‘Shebi I told you; now let me just retire and go.’ In recognition of my services, I was given a gas station on Ikorodu Road, Lagos, so that I remained in the family as a gas dealer. Thereafter, I could manage my time the way I wanted and I went for my second masters. All degrees were from the University of Lagos: B.SC Business Administration, M.Sc Management and then Masters in Public Administration with special emphasis on Policy Implementation.

    Women are said to be their own worst enemies, how much support did you get from your fellow women in your journey up?

    Was it American Secretary of States, Medline Albright who said the hottest place in hell is reserved for the woman who does not help his fellow women? To be a good leader, you must be there to pull another person up; if you’re not puling anybody up, then you’re not a good leader. And if you’re a woman, she made it more pressing that you have to as much as possible prop people up and make leaders like yourself. So at the end of the day, you will not even be at peace with yourself if you look back and you can’t see leaders that you have groomed irrespective of whether they are male or female.

    Let me give you another story: after my year as District Governor, I was also the first Council Chair-person; as council members, we had this meeting and they looked around and saw that I was the only woman; then one of them said ‘Please, please, just address everybody as gentlemen. So from 2006, they told me I’m no longer a woman. So if you wear the cap of ‘what a man can do, a woman can do better’, you better stop seeing yourself as a woman.  Scientifically, genetically, if you pull out my blood and yours as a man, under the microscope, there will be no difference on which is male and which is female.