The Nation Newspaper

Category: Saturday Magazine

  • Pressure to meet Band ‘A’ consumers’ 20-hour supply puts fragile national grid under threat

    Pressure to meet Band ‘A’ consumers’ 20-hour supply puts fragile national grid under threat

    • TCN, DisCos trade blames

    With the application for an upward review of the Multi-Year Tariff Order (MYTO) for the Band “A” customers, the Nigerian Electricity Supply Initiative (NESI) seems to have beaten more than it can chew. Its regulator, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) examined over 3,000 feeders and sifted out about 481 feeders to serve the 15 per cent of the customers who enjoy a minimum of 20 hours daily electricity supply. Consequently, the Commission’s Vice-Chairman, Dr Musilu Oseni, on April 3 broke the news to reporters in Abuja that it has approved a tariff of N225/kwh from its previous N68/kwh for the band.

    But how far has the NESI fared with the new tariff after its approval? At the take-off of the new rate, most customers who vented some electricity units cried out that the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) captured them among the premium Band A. They only got one-third of their previous units for the same amount they had always bought. Through all available communication media, they were quick to besiege the DisCo and NERC with a deluge of complaints. It was an embarrassment of sorts to both the Commission and the DisCo. Consequently, 48 hours later, NERC fined AEDC N200 million for violating the order by extending the rate to every other customer, irrespective of their band.

    The Commission’s management has said: “AEDC has been fined ₦200 million for failure to comply with the prescribed customer band classifications for the tariff billing.” NERC further explained that the decision follows a detailed review and customer feedback, revealing that AEDC had applied the new tariff to all customer bands, contrary to the Order designed to ensure fair billing practices.

    NERC insisted that “AEDC is, therefore, mandated to: a. Reimburse all customers in Bands B, C, D and E respectively that were billed above the allowed customer categories/tariff bands provided in the Order.

    b. “Reimburse, through the provision of the balance of customer tokens that the affected customers would be entitled to receive at the applicable rates and all token reimbursements shall be issued to the affected customers by April 11 2024.

    c. “Pay the sum of ₦200 million as a fine for the flagrant breach of the Commission’s Order.

    d. “File evidence of compliance with the directives in a and c with the Commission by April 12 2024.”

    NERC insisted that it was also part of its responsibility to protect consumer rights and ensure equitable practices within Nigeria’s electricity sector.

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    In the next few days, instead of the expected power, the DisCos churned out a litany of apologies for the failure to meet their contractual electricity supply.

    For instance, Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHED) expressed its apologies to customers for the supply shortfall for the contractual hours on April 7 and 8, 2024. The energy distributor, in the veiled message, blamed it all on the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN). It informed the customers to “kindly note the current service shortfall experienced in areas where we did not meet up with the contractual supply hours on April 7 and 8 of 2024.

    “Our team is actively working with the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) to address these challenges and restore regular power supply to the affected areas promptly

    “We apologise for any inconvenience caused and appreciate your patience during this time.”

    Similarly, the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) said TCN was accountable for its failure to meet its band “A” target. In a Public Notice to its customers, the energy distributor management said: “Dear esteemed Customers, We apologise for our inability to deliver the estimated hours of supply in your feeders. This was due to the following: TCN System Outages and Tripping on IBEDC feeders. We remain committed to supplying the estimated hours of supply.”

    The public notice, however, unsettled the TCN which swiftly issued a rejoinder, taking an exemption to the IBEDC woes.

    Its Public Affairs Manager, Ndidi Mbah said the IBEDC public notice was incorrect. She said the Transmission Company of Nigeria hereby notes that the publication circulated by IBEDC on April 9 2024, which stated that TCN is responsible for its failure to “deliver estimated hours of supply to your feeder,” due to System Outages and Tripping on TCN’s feeders is incorrect.

    “TCN took time to investigate the allegation and wishes to set the record straight and hereby notes as follows:

    1. That IBEDC’s publication on April 9 2024, across their social media platforms, attributing their inability to deliver estimated hours of supply to its customers is incorrect.

    2. That the feeders mentioned in the publication are NOT within the TCN network. This means that most of the listed feeders in the publication are 11kV operated by IBEDC and completely outside TCN’s Operational Control and in IBEDC’s network.

    3. That the reasons given for the outage on IBEDC 11kV and 33kV are earth/over current faults, which have no bearing on TCN’s frequency control operations.

    4. That the statement by IBEDC has been verified by TCN’s regional management in Osogbo in conjunction with IBEDC officials themselves and has been proven to be false, necessitating necessary corrections being made.

    “While TCN sees this misinformation of IBEDC as a ploy to undermine and mislead the public against regular power supply, we remain focused on supporting the government’s move towards a more robust and efficient power supply.

    “Consequently, TCN assures the public of its commitment to continue to work hard to effectively transport the entire bulk electricity received from the generating companies to distribution load centres nationwide.”

    Besides, the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) apologised to its customers that the transmission company was responsible for its renege of the promise of service delivery.

    Again, TCN issued a rebuttal following the publication on BEDC’s social media platform on April 12 2024, on its inability to supply 20 hours of power supply to its band A customers. We hereby note that BEDC attributed this to tripping due to an earth fault at Amukpe and tripping due to an XLPE cable puncture at Effurun, both TCN substations. According to the TCN spokesperson, the BEDC was not correct.

    Mbah said: “The incorrect attribution of these faults to TCN is clearly shown in the table on that release by IBEDC. For clarity, we note that on April 11 2024, the Amukpe 33kV feeder tripped at 2:31 p.m. and was restored by 4.08 p.m. within one hour and 54 minutes.

    “The cause of the outage, which was clearly under BEDC purview, was an instantaneous earth fault caused by stormy weather, which was restored on trial reclosure after the rain had subsided.

    “Still, on April 11 2024, Effurun 33kV feeder tripped at 12:25 p.m., and it is still out. The cause of the tripping was an earth fault on the outgoing feeder upriser, also from the BEDC DISCO end. “This report is to set the records straight and to appeal that facts be stated as they are for the benefit of all.”

    The aforementioned examples are to deliberately bring to the fore the issues that have permeated the NESI since the approval of the 2024 Supplementary MYTO on April 3, 2024. It has largely been characterised by a devotion of negative energy to cleverly present reasons for failure instead of intensifying efforts at meeting the Band “A” electricity demand and surpassing it.

    Ordinarily, the target was to upgrade more customers from the lower bands to the premium Band A. But having test-run phase one, which the Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu described as a pilot project, there is the propensity to downgrade more customers from “A” to “B” than upgrading them from “B” to “A”. The reason is that the NESI cannot sustain the essence of the band “A” customers.

    The weakness of the grid is evident in its performance since the take-off of the new MYTO.

    On April 8, 2024, The Nation reported that despite the new which adjusted the rate of the band “A” customers from N68.9 per kilowatt hour to N225KWh, the TCN sent out 3,009MW to the 11 electricity DisCos at 17:39 hour on Sunday, April 8, 2024, at 17:39.

    Its Independent System Operator made this known on its load profile platform, which The Nation sighted.

    The kernel of the upward tariff adjustment is that the band is guaranteed a minimum of 20 hours of supply daily, owing to the resultant increased revenue from improved service.

    Yet, in terms of generation of the same day, the System Operator added in its “Hourly Generation by Generation Companies GenCos,” at 15:00 hour on the same day was 3,370MW from 16 companies.

    The data showed that Dandikowa and Delta Gas generated 0MW.

    According to the TCN, the SO sent out 4,045.17MW to 11 DisCos on April 6 2024, and the GenCos produced an average of 4,045MW on the same day.

    The TCN further noted that on April 5 2024, the SO sent out an average of 4,066MW to the 11 DisCos. It also noted that the GenCos produced an average of 4,123MW on the same day.

    Issues in the industry are encompassing. Where the GenCos are not grappling with worn-out plants owing to indiscriminate switch on and off for fear of grid collapse, the TCN is battling to make up for the lack of a spinning reserve and Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA).

    On the other hand, the DisCos have deliberately refused to invest in their facilities due to the annoyance that the government prevented them from collecting a cost-reflective tariff. Some of the customers, on the other hand, have settled for energy theft. The theft is likely to hit a new dimension in the days to come as more premium customers must access electricity at all costs even when they cannot afford it.

    Already, the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) has urged the government to withdraw the new tariff because it will culminate in an increase in the cost of goods.

    Twelve days after the April 2024 supplementary Multi-Year Tariff Order (MYTO) came into force, the grid has demonstrated a likelihood to snap if the operators fail to reinforce it with virile equipment and efficient management rather than resorting to the blame game.

  • How governors usurp Ifa’s role in choice of traditional rulers

    How governors usurp Ifa’s role in choice of traditional rulers

    The crisis that has engulfed the traditional institution in Yorubaland lately because governors insist on choosing traditional rulers instead of kingmakers whose responsibility it is to do so with the aid of Ifa divination has become a serious cause for concern among tradition puritans, SINA FADARE reports.

    The Yoruba have a unique culture that singles them out as a methodical race. The place of lfa divinity as one of the pivots on which their culture rotates is undeniable. Little wonder the lfa divination was added by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) to its list of ‘masterpieces of oral and intangible heritage of humanity’ in 2005.

    Ifa holds such a significant place in the lives of the Yoruba that they feel duty bound to consult it when they need to take important decisions about their lives, including the choice of an Oba.

    From time immemorial the lfa oracle is consulted before an individual is chosen among the plethora of candidates to become the traditional ruler of a community. Today, however, the beat has changed and so also the dance step. State governors have usurped the place of lfa priests as they now appoint Obas by fiat except in few communities like Ibadan, Oyo State where there is an entrenched succession plan.

    The consequence is the crisis that is usually foisted on communities upon the death of an Oba. So much so that there are many communities in Yorubaland today with two traditional rulers reigning at the same time.

    Origin of lfa divination in Yoruba land

    Ifa, according to history, was a transferred religion or belief that came into the famous Oyo Empire during the reign of Alaafin Onigbogi. Rev. Samuel Johnson, in his book “The History of the Yorubas”, identified five Alaafins he labelled “historical kings”. They include Oganju; Kori; Oluaso the one known as Osarewa s’akin (the handsome but valiant king); Onigbogi and Ofinran.

    Johnson explained that Ifa came from an Ota woman named Arugba-Ifa, who was Alaafin Oluaso’s Queen and mother of Alaafin Onigbogi. Arugba-Ifa, a very superstitious woman, was said to have left Oyo for her hometown, Ota. But on hearing that her son had succeeded his father, she returned to Oyo and introduced Ifa as a religion.

    The account stated that Oyo people initially rejected the ‘strange’ religion, but one Oba from a vassal town called Ado accepted her and her religion. When the Nupe people attacked Oyo and made a mess of the city, the people had to look for Arugba-Ifa and Ifa was established as a religion in Oyo, with Alado, the Oba of Ado, as the first priest.

    Thus Ifa became the religion of Oyo people and by extension the entire Yoruba race. Such that before any major decision is taken in the land, the Ẹlẹri-ipin (the one who witnessed destiny) is consulted, and its pronouncements adhered to. In the days of yore, no Oba was crowned except he was picked by Ifa.

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    Oluwo’s confirmation

    The change in trend was recently confirmed by the Oluwo of Iwo land, Oba Abdulrasheed Akanbi, whose dressing, utterances and general comportment have raised concerns within and outside his kingdom as to whether Ifa was consulted before his choice. 

    Oba Akanbi confirmed in a recent interview that lfa was not consulted before he was made Oba. Rather, he assumed the throne through his romance with the powers that be in the state.

    Oba Akanbi said: “Tell me one king that Ifa picked in Yoruba land. The person picked by the governor is the one God has ordained to be the king. There is no Oba in Yoruba land that would say Ifa picked him.

    “It is after the governor picks you that you become a king. Ifa does not have any power over the governor.”

    The Oluwo insisted that the days of Ifa’s intervention in the choice of Obas were long gone and even challenged his interlocutors to name an Oba who is a product of Ifa divination.

    Essentially, Oba Akanbi declared that governors have taken the place of Ifa in the appointment of Obas in Yorubaland because their word in the matter is law, and not even Ifa can object the moment a governor approves a candidate as Oba.

    Hear him: “You may be a prince and have the money, if you have the approval of Ifa and refuse to appease the governors, you have lost.

    “In the time past, Ifa priests wielded the kind of power that governors wield today. They had the power of life and death. They enthroned kings and dethroned kings.

    “Where an Oba combines the power of the king and the knowledge of Babalawo (herbalist), they become dictators. That is why Babalawos are not made kings in Yorubaland till date.”

    Governors as lfa priests

    In the last days of his tenure as the governor of Osun State, former Governor Gboyega Oyetola chose the Akirun of Ikirun against protests from the people. Reports said the kingmakers were lured to the government house where they were hoodwinked into ratifying government’s choice, Prince Yinusa Akadiri of the Oba-Ara ruling house, as the Akirun. What followed was a massive protest that set the community on fire.

    The same Oyetola administration in the state installed Prince Gboyega Famodun as the Owa of Igbajo only for Governor Ademola Adeleke to come in and send Famodun packing and installed Prince Ademola Makinde as the new of Owa; , a situation that created tension in the ancient town.

    In the same vein, the Aare of lre, Oba Ademola Ponle, who was installed as the king many years after the stool remained vacant, was also sent packing by Governor Adeleke who eventually installed Prince Muritala Oyelakin from the Oyekun ruling house as the new Oba of lre town.

    Needless to say that bickering, animosity and chaos became the order for days. Although the government had its way, it is obvious that the peace that exists in the aforementioned communities is that of the graveyard.

    Similar situations prevail in Oyo State where the governor, Seyi Makinde, had to engineer an amendment to the chieftaincy law which gave him the power to decide who mounts any traditional stool in the state.

    Lately, there has been a cold war between the governor and the Oyomesi in Oyo town. According to sources, the governor has refused to assent to the candidate presented by the Oyomesi, the traditional kingmakers of the town, on the excuse that the processes were marred by corruption.

    The foregoing prompted the Oyomesi to file a case against the governor. The suit HOY/38/2023 was filed by five kingmakers who asked the Oyo State High Court in Oyo to restrain the governor and his agents “from aborting the process for the selection/appointment of the candidate for filling the vacant stool of Alaafin of Oyo duly conducted by the kingmakers of Alaafin of Oyo Chieftaincy.”

    The claimants in the suit are the Bashorun of Oyo, High Chief Yusuf Layinka; Lagunna of Oyo, High Chief Wakeel Oyedepo; Akinniku of Oyo, High Chief Amusa Yusuf; Areago Bashorun, Chief Wahab Oyetunji; and the Alapo of Oyo, Chief Gbadebo Mufutau. They also listed the Oyo State Attorney-General and the state’s Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs as defendants in the suit.

    The kingmakers said they had at a meeting on September 30 unanimously selected a prince, Lukuman Gbadegesin, to fill the stool of Alaafin of Oyo, which had become vacant since April last year when the 45th Alaafin, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, died.

    They are praying the court to restrain Governor Makinde and his agents from nullifying the choice of Mr. Gbadegesin and “approving or recognising any other candidate” as the next Alaafin “after a duly conducted process for the filling of the vacant stool of Alaafin of Oyo in accordance with the native law, custom and Chieftaincy Declaration of Alaafin of Oyo Chieftaincy.”

    The kingmakers also want the court to restrain the governor and the other defendants from removing them as Oyo kingmakers or “dissolving the Oyomesi in Council or appointing or selecting warrant chiefs to conduct or start a fresh process for the filling of the vacant stool of Alaafin of Oyo.”

    They want the court to restrain the defendants from “harassing, disturbing, preventing or stopping the claimants from carrying on their traditional functions and responsibilities as kingmakers of Alaafin of Oyo Chieftaincy.”

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had grilled some of the Oyo kingmakers on October 18 over allegations of bribery in relation to the selection of the next Alaafin.

    A petitioner had alleged that the kingmakers collected bribes running into millions of naira to facilitate the selection of Prince Gbadegesin.

    This was also the case in Ogbomoso, as there has been a series of litigations going on since the selection of Oba Afolabi Ghandi Olaoye as the new Soun of Ogbomoso.

    The stool of the Soun became vacant with the death of long-reigning Oba Jimoh Oyewumi on 12 December, 2021 at the age of 95 years. Prince Oyewunmi was on the throne for 48 years.

    But the appointment of Mr. Olaoye, a former pastor at the Redeemed Christian Church of God, by Governor Seyi Makinde has triggered a legal tussle. One of the contestants for the Soun throne, Muhammed Kabir Olaoye, a prince, was dissatisfied with the selection process that led to Mr Olaoye’s eventual ascendancy to the stool.

    The chairman of the Screening Committee for the Laoye ruling house in Ogbomoso, Abdulwahab Laoye, had earlier disowned Mr Olaoye, saying the family had not selected anybody to fill the vacant stool.

    However, the Oyo State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Olusegun Olayiwola, insisted that Mr Olaoye’s appointment followed the statutory processes.

    The Oyo State High Court at Ogbomoso had on 25 October set aside Governor Makinde’s appointment of Mr Olaoye as the new Soun of Ogbomoso. A stay of execution of the judgment was later granted by the judge, K.A. Adedokun, paving the way for Mr Olaoye’s inauguration as Soun of Ogbomoso by Governor Makinde on 20th December last year.

    The appellants are S.O. Otolorin, chairperson, kingmakers of Soun Chieftaincy; Salawu Ajadi, Jagun of Ogbomosoland; Tijani Abioye, Bara of Ogbomosoland; David Adeniran Ojo, Kolaba of Ogbomosoland; Yusuf Kasali Oladipupo, Abese of Ogbomoso kingmaker; and Mr Olaoye, the new Soun.

    The appellants listed Muhammed Kabir Olaoye, Governor Makinde, Oyo State Attorney-General, Oyo State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Ogbomoso North Local Government, the Traditional Council of Ogbomoso North, and Amos Olawole Olaoye, as respondents in the appeal.

    In the notice of appeal dated 30 November and filed at the Court of Appeal in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, the appellants faulted the decision of the State High Court voiding Mr Olaoye’s appointment as the new Sọun of Ogbomoso.

    Accuracy of lfa predictions

    It is obvious and significant that where lfa is consulted before the choice of an Ọba but the powers that be decide to do their own bidden, the consequences are always unpalatable.

    Before he became the Olọwọ of Ọwọ in Ondo State in 1941, Ifa had predicted that Ọba Ọlateru Ọlagbegi ll, would become the king and there would be crisis that would lead to his banishment, but he would return as the Ọba of the town and all his enemies would be put to shame. After 25 years on the throne, Ọba Ọlagbegi in was deposed and banished from Ọwọ in 1966 and another Olọwọ, in the person of Ọba  Adekola Ogunoye ll became the king.

    Twenty-five years later, Ọba Ọlateru Ọlagbegi II was reinstated as the Ọlọwọ and reigned for another five years before he joined his ancestors in October 1998. While in exile, the revered monarch maintained his dignity and those responsible for his dethronement were at the forefront of the agitation for his reinstatement 25 years later, as predicted by Ifa.

    In the same vein, in August 1967, a crisis erupted in the ancient town of Arigidi Akoko in Ondo State and Ọba Muhamadu Ọlanipekun, the Sarki of Arigidi, was forced to go into exile. At the peak of the crisis, Ọlanipekun wanted to confront his enemies but his wife reminded him of what lfa predicted when he was going to be installed as king that okiki ọdẹ a fi fila perin kii ju ọjọ mẹta lọ (all the tribulations will soon become history). He therefore opted for peace and went into exile.

    As it later turned out, all the efforts made by his detractors to install a new Sarki outside Olanipekun’s lineage failed until 41 years later in 2008 when an Olanipekun prince, Oba Yisa Olanipekun, was installed as Sarki of Arigidi Akoko, thus confirming the accuracy and sanctity of Ifa.

    Political influence versus lfa’s sanctity

    There is no gainsaying the fact that political influence has overridden Ifa in the choice of Obas in Yoruba land these days; a situation many see as eroding the race’s cultural value.

    Speaking to The Nation on the issue, the Araba of Osogbo land and renowned Ifa priest, Chief Yẹmi Elẹbuibon, noted that the abandonment of the value and traditional norms regarding the choice of an Oba through Ifa divination by the kingmakers has turned them into objects of ridicule.

    Elebuibọn pointed out that the position of an Oba is so critical to Yoruba culture and values that they were referred to as the eye of the gods and were thus accorded the utmost respect. He, however, lamented that the way some of Obas are fraternising with politicians has robbed them of their respect to the extent that the governor now chooses whoever he wants as the Oba of a town.

    He recalled with regrets that Obas’ fraternity with the political class once warranted a former head of state to command traditional rulers to stand up and greet him at a public function; a situation he described as an insult to the traditional institution and erosion of the dignity and sanctity of royal fathers.

    The lfa priest advised those who want to be kings to get ready to uphold tradition and our cultural values if they want to be king, not looking for politicians to give them what they don’t deserve.

    On his part, Chief Niyi Akintọla, SAN put the blame at the feet of traditional rulers who fraternise with politicians and encourage governors to mess up with them.

    He said: “If an Oba respects himself, nobody will erode him. When Alaafin Lamidi Adeyemi was alive, could any governor look at his face? Could any governor cross his path? Those who did it in the past paid for it.

    “Can anybody cross the Awujale’s path? An Oba should be a man of impeccable character with aura and dignity. He respects himself and you don’t just see him everywhere.”

    Akintola added: “When an Oba reduces himself to ‘Mr Available’ and turns himself into a beggar, going to governor’s office, how do you think he will command respect?

    “Obas have turned themselves into puns in the hands of governors. If they respect themselves, nobody will dare mess them up.”

    He argued that a situation where dollars are flying here and there because somebody wants to be a king, he will get the type of insults that are being heaped on traditional stools.

    “We should allow tradition to take its course. Every town has its own tradition that is peculiar to it; we should allow it to work. But when we are tampering with the tradition, that is when we run into trouble.” he said.

    Speaking to The Nation in the same vein, a renowned lawyer, Chief Ọlalekan Ojo (SAN) noted that there is nothing bad in using lfa to choose an Oba as long as it conforms with the people’s tradition.

    He explained that “every system is subject to abuse, but l still prefer the traditional way through Ifa. Picking an Oba via political ladder is not too good. If a governor chooses a king because of politics, when another one comes he may look for a way of installing his own too. That is very unfortunate and not good for the system at all.”

    If culture is very sacrosanct, journalist and lawyer, Chief Fassy Yusuf said, it should be adhered to, especially if the people come together and say this is what they want.

    He explained that the issue of lfa may not apply to all cultures, noting that if there is manipulation of lfa, “then you can fall back to democratic norms or the constitutional law.

    “Don’t forget that the lbadan system is a peculiar one. The chieftaincy law of any state is supreme.

    “Take for instance Ijebu. There are four ruling houses with a rotational system. The kingmaker will pick if it is their turn. Whether their choice is subjective or otherwise, it will be put forward as the king.

    “There is a procedure to be followed, and if a governor says otherwise his decision will be challenged in the court. There must be due process.”

    Speaking on the kinship crisis in lkirun, the son of the soil and celebrated author of popular textbooks on O’ level Economics and Government, Dr. O. A Lawal, argued that politics has replaced traditional way of succession in the ancient city.

    Lawal argued that politicians have destroyed the system to the extent that tradition has been relegated to the background.

    “The people of lkirun town know how to install their king. Some politicians cannot just come from nowhere to impose a king on us. It will never work,” he said.

  • How I, my four children, became commercial drivers – Abia mother-of-four

    How I, my four children, became commercial drivers – Abia mother-of-four

    • Recalls experience after foray into male-dominated vocation

    Mrs. Ijeoma May Chijioke is one of the rising number of female commercial drivers carving a niche for themselves in the male-dominated vocation. In this interview with Sunny Nwankwo, the mother of four children reveals how the pursuit of her passion while trying to put food on the family’s table has earned her a place in the heart of not just her husband, and male commercial bus drivers but customers who use the Ochendo Bus Terminal in Aba, Abia State.

    How would you introduce yourself?

    I am Mrs. Ijeoma May Chijioke, a native Owo-Ahiafor in Obingwa Local Government Area, Abia State. I am married to Mr. Chijioke who hails from Mbaise in Imo State. I have four beautiful children. Although I didn’t have the opportunity to go further in my education, I had O’ level certificate.

    How did you become a driver?

    Driving is one of my hobbies. I love driving. I started driving with keke (tricycle). I drove keke for 12 years in Aba, Abia State and later moved on to driving a mini-bus. From there, I later joined the luxurious line (drives a Coaster bus), and I am willing to go higher from this place if the opportunity comes.

    Is your husband still alive?

    Yes.

    What was his reaction the first time that you took to driving?

    It was a very big challenge between the two of us. But he came to understand that I cannot do without driving. When I was riding keke, he questioned why I bought a tricycle. I told him that I wanted to use it in supplying bags of sachet water to my customers. I think that he saw reasons with me and allowed me to ride the tricycle, which of course helped me in my business.

    After supplying sachet water to my customers, out of pity, I would lift people on the road without collecting money from them. After some time, I started collecting money. It was then that I realized that I was getting even more money from the passengers that I picked on the road than I was getting from selling sachet water in chiller boxes.

    At a time, my husband told me that I would no longer ride the tricycle, but I pleaded with him. At a point, I had to send some people to go and beg him to allow me to continue driving the tricycle, because it is one of the things that I love doing. After a while, he realized that I had a passion for driving, and at that point, he allowed me to follow my passion. That was how I continued driving till date.

    Are you the only female driver in this park?

    For now, yes. I know that there was a woman that was here before me. I saw her once. But as at today, I am the only female driver in this park and on this Aba-Umuahia route.

    Is it that you started driving to put food on the table of your family or just for the fun of it?

    I drive to put food on the table, but I still find pleasure in it. So, I count it all joy in putting food on the table and driving for the fun of it.

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    You said that you couldn’t complete your education. At what level did you stop?

    I started driving after my secondary school. After writing WAEC, I waited for admission to no avail. After some time, I got married, because I am the first born in my family. My dad died and my mother was somehow nowhere to be found in those days. All the responsibilities of the family were on me. But with the help of my husband, we were able to train four of my siblings and to the glory of God, I am now a mother of four children.

    How were you able to cope with driving and still meeting your family needs?

    It wasn’t all that easy, but I had to schedule my programmes so that both would not clash. When I drive, I give myself time to allow me attend to my family. For instance, when I was driving a commercial tricycle, I used my break time to look after my children. I would also use the opportunity to prepare their lunch before going back to work for the evening hours.

    What was the drive behind leaving commercial tricycle for commercial mini-bus?

    It was not as if I wanted to increase my pay, but the challenge to push myself to do more. When I was driving a tricycle, some men were wondering how it was possible for me to be that effective on the wheels. But I paid less attention to that. Personally, I believe that whatever a man can do, I, Ijeoma, can do also. There are two things that both men and women cannot do. One is that, a man cannot bear a child and a woman cannot impregnate a man. Apart from these two, there is nothing that a man can do, that I cannot do. So, from the little money that I made while driving the tricycle, I bought myself a mini-bus; the one that we know here as keke bus.

    At that time, I had a shop at the Ochendo Bus Park (loading and terminal bay of Coaster bus drivers in Aba). Some of the Coaster bus drivers, who came around my shop where I sold water and used the mini-bus to supply, while exchanging banter with them, tried to tease and dare me by telling me that I could not drive the Coaster bus. They said that driving the mini-bus did not mean that I could drive the Coaster bus.

    I took that as a challenge and drove the bus to Federal School, about 10 to 15 minutes away from the loading bay. That took every one of them by surprise because they never believed that I could do such a thing, owing to the size of the car that I was driving and that of the Coaster bus I was challenged to drive. It was after that challenge that I formally joined the Coaster bus drivers, driving people from Aba to Umuahia and from Umuahia to Aba.

    How do your male colleagues treat you?

    In this world, not everybody will like you for one reason or the other. But I can say that most of the male counterparts have been kind and supportive.

    How easy was it for you to convince the person that gave you the Coaster bus to start driving?

    (Laughs) It was not easy. He said that all the time he had been in this transport business, he had never seen a woman coming to ask him to give her a bus. Because he was still skeptical, he placed me on probation, and over time, he got convinced that I could do the job. But that was after I had joined his bus to several parts of the Southeast as a spare driver and we returned safely. That was when he was fully convinced that I could drive the bus without any supervision.

    What was the experience like the first day that you drove from Aba to Umuahia on your own?

    Like I told you, I had driven keke and mini-bus and all were on the road and busy roads for that matter. Though they were intra-city movements, they gave me the opportunity to learn traffic signs and rules and regulations and also to master how to make use of the necessary components of the car while driving. So it wasn’t strange for me when I started driving on the highway on my own.

    What has been the experience within the three years that you have been driving on the highway?

    It has not been easy. People have been encouraging me. The more I do it, the more I see fun in it. One day, after loading my bus in Umuahia to return to Aba, I cleared the bus for the conductor to collect and arrange my money for me. A female passenger who saw me on the steering wheel opted to get down from the car simply because it was a woman that was driving the car. While she alighted, I confronted her to know exactly what her problem was and your guess is as good as mine.

    I didn’t want to persuade her to go to Aba using my bus as it is her right to decide how she would get to Aba. But one thing I did was that I made sure that she had to pay her transport fare because I had already paid commission at the park. Some men in the bus, however, opted to give me the passenger’s fare. That was how we left for Aba that day.

    Your daughter assists you. Are you also teaching her the job?

    In her secondary school days, four five years ago, she drove a commercial tricycle. She is already a driver, because she is also driving the mini-bus in the house. Her siblings are also driving tricycles and the mini-bus. Almost all my children are drivers. She just graduated from the School of Nursing in Umulogho, Obowo in Imo State. So, instead of staying at home, she decided to join me and help out.

    What would you tell women who see driving as challenging?

    Such ladies should face their fears. There is no big deal in it. As long as you are in the world, you will have challenges. They should put their fears aside and forge ahead to pursue their dreams. Remove fears and shyness. Bring out the best in you.

    Someone said you are an iron woman. How do you manage the iron woman in you to bring out your motherly attributes?

    In the morning, at 5am, I am a mother. But when I am in the park at 7am, I am not a mother but a public servant. One thing that I don’t do is allow people to intimidate me.

    How long more do you think that you are going to be on the road?

    As long as my strength and health can carry me, but as soon as my daughter travels abroad to go and further her studies overseas, I will quit driving.

    How well do you support girl-child education?

    These days, women or the girl-child are the breadwinners of the home. So, training a girl-child is more beneficial to families now.

    How well do you support people having skills outside their formal education?

    Like I said, my daughter is a nurse. Today, she is assisting me. People should learn tailoring, hairdressing and other entrepreneurial skills that will help them to put food on the tables of their families. It is better to have a skill or more so that if you were not lucky to get a job or a good paying job, you can use your skills to support yourself and family. It is better to have a skill than being lazy in the house doing nothing.

    I want to also use the opportunity to urge our ogas (transport company owners) to assist women who come to them to ask that they give them the opportunity. It was a huge challenge for me. For instance, the man I went to at Hospital Road to give me a keke on hire purchase was skeptical about giving me the keke at first, because according to him, he was not convinced about giving me the keke. But I surprised him after I got his balance at record time.

    He even confessed that I was one of the few of his clients who never gave him a headache until their money was complete.

  • ‘Why OAU zookeeper was attacked by lion’

    ‘Why OAU zookeeper was attacked by lion’

    Francis Abioye, a former president of the Nigerian Association of Zoological Gardens and Wildlife Parks, and General Manager Imo State Zoological Gardens, shed light on the circumstances surrounding the death of veteran zookeeper at Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Olabode Olawuyi, dispelling the misconception that the lion that attacked him while he was feeding the wild cats in their den at the school’s zoological garden on February 19 was to blame for the tragedy. He spoke with CHRIS NJOKU.

    What is your current role at Imo State Zoo and Wildlife Park, given the challenges and changes that have occurred in recent times?

    Since my suspension, I have not been officially informed of any changes to my role as the General Manager of Imo State Zoo and Wildlife Park. I am currently on an indefinite leave, awaiting official communication from the authorities. Until then, I believe that I am still the General Manager, and I remain committed to the welfare of the animals and the zoo’s visitors, advocating for the preservation of the zoo and its conservation efforts.

    What are the necessary safety protocols to prevent incidents like lion attacks in zoos?Key safety protocols include proper animal housing enclosures, safety equipment, staff training, welfare, and the provision of necessary tools like tasers. Ensuring correct housing design and adequate space for animals are fundamental in preventing such disasters.

    What led to the tragic death of the late zoo keeper, and why were other staff members unable to prevent the incident?

    The fatal incident stemmed from human error. A zookeeper failed to secure the lion properly during feeding, leading to the attack. The late zoo veteran bravely intervened to rescue the zookeeper, sacrificing his life in the process due to the absence of necessary safety measures.

    Why did the lion become so aggressive as to attack the zookeeper?

    The blame lies not with the lion but with systemic failure. The root causes include lack of safety equipment, training and hazard allowances for zookeepers, highlighting the need for comprehensive reforms in the zoo industry.

    Is there any compensation for the heroism displayed by the late zoo veterian?

    Sadly, compensation is often lacking for fallen zookeepers, underscoring the need for justice and support for their families. Efforts are underway to seek accountability for the mismanagement of critical funds meant for the zoo and wildlife sector.

    What are your recommendations to the President and National Security Adviser?

    They include urgent legislation for zoo safety equipment, honouring the late zoo veterian as a national hero, and providing scholarships for his children. Calls for justice, accountability, and recognition of sacrifices made by zookeepers are paramount in preventing future tragedies.

    How can the government better support the zoo industry to prevent future tragedies like the one that befell the late zookeeper?

    Government support is crucial in providing adequate funding, implementing safety regulations, and ensuring proper training for zoo staff. By prioritising the welfare and safety of zookeepers and wildlife, tragedies can be mitigated through proactive measures and sustainable policies.

    Read Also; Our economy ‘ll roar back to glory in coming months – Tinubu

    What role can the public play in advocating for the welfare of zookeepers and wildlife conservation in Nigeria?

    Public awareness and advocacy are essential in holding authorities accountable, raising funds for zoo improvements, and promoting ethical wildlife practices. By supporting initiatives that prioritize animal welfare and zoo safety, individuals can contribute to a more sustainable and responsible zoo industry.

    In light of recent events, what steps can be taken to enhance security and emergency response protocols in zoos across Nigeria?

    Improving security measures, investing in advanced emergency response training, and ensuring the availability of essential safety equipment like dart guns are critical steps to enhance zoo safety. Collaborative efforts between government agencies, zoo associations, and wildlife experts can lead to a more secure environment for both animals and zookeepers.

    How can the international community support Nigeria in strengthening its zoo industry and wildlife conservation efforts?

    International partnerships, funding and knowledge exchange programmes can significantly benefit Nigeria’s zoo industry and wildlife conservation initiatives. By leveraging global expertise and resources, Nigeria can enhance its conservation practices, improve zoo standards, and promote sustainable wildlife management practices on a broader scale.

  • Storey building jointly built by two brothers sparks family row

    Storey building jointly built by two brothers sparks family row

    A one-storey building jointly built by two brothers has turned the widows and children of the deceased younger brother against the older brother. The widows are demanding outright sale of the property and sharing of the proceeds, citing maltreatment of their children by the sons of the older brother, KUNLE AKINRINADE reports.

    • Widows of deceased owner of upper floor assaulted by elder brother’s sons demand sale of property 

    • Elder brother and owner of ground floor insists property won’t be sold

    David Adebayo and his younger brother Ismail shared an envious bond in spite of their different religious leanings. Born into a Christian family from the Owu section of Abeokuta, Ogun State, Ismail was taken to live with a Muslim family members as a teenager, hence he adopted the religion of his guardian while his elder brother, David, remained a Christian.

    But despite their different religions leanings, the duo was so fond of each other that they became rather inseparable. To further cement their bond, Ismail and David decided to build one house so they could continue to live together. Thus, in 1982, the two brothers bought one plot of land from a surveyor in Agidingbi area of Ikeja, Lagos, on which they erected a one-storey building at No 14 Abiodun Shobajo Street, Agidingbi.

    The said building consists of eight rooms each on the top and ground floors as well as a boy’s quarters where they both lived until Ismail died about five years ago. The death of Ismail has, however, shattered the familial bond between the families of the two brothers.

    The widows and children of Ismail want the property sold so they can share the proceeds as they complain of incessant harassment and brutality meted out to them by David’s sons. The matter has sparked a furore as aged David insists he would never sell his own floor of the storey building. 

    The eldest wife of the late Ismail, Madam Kudirat Adebayo, said she was disturbed by the constant fight and brutality served on her sons by the sons of David, her deceased husband’s elder brother.

    Kudirat said: “My husband, the late Ismail Adebayo, and his elder brother, Pa David Adebayo, jointly built a one-storey building in the Agidingbi area of Lagos State.

    “My husband lived with me and my children and his second wife and her children on the ground floor while his elder brother, David Adebayo, lives with his children and wives on the top floor. 

    “The house is located at 14 Abiodun Shobajo Street, Agidingbi, Ikeja, very close to the New African Shrine in Alausa.

    “My husband died five years ago, and since my husband died, we have not known any peace. The children of my husband’s brother have been molesting, harassing and brutalising my sons in the building.

    “They scalded my son with hot water and brutalised him. They engage in unwholesome business activities at Fela’s African Shrine and operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have raided the place many times. Hence, the decision to sell the building to avert incessant or further humiliation of my children by the sons of my husband’s elder brother.

    Read Also; Our economy ‘ll roar back to glory in coming months – Tinubu

    “We have reported the matter to the Alausa Police Station because there was a time my children were threatened with charms. It got to a point where men of the Alausa Police Division asked us to stop bringing the matter to them.

    “He, Pa  Adebayo has removed my husband’s name from the official documents, including water supply, electricity bill, the property’s documentation at the Lands Registry, Alausa among others, and has been replacing my husband’s name with his in the last four years.

    “The copies of the documents given to us were hijacked by one of the sons of Pa David Adebayo.

    “We felt that once the building is sold and we share the proceeds, all the troubles they are making with my children would stop.

    “If I die and my husband’s brother too is no more, his sons could claim ownership of the building since they have been carrying themselves as if their father is the sole owner.

    “My position is that we should sell the house and share the money accordingly.”

    Kudirat’s position was echoed by Risikat Adebayo, the younger wife of Ismail Adebayo, who explained that she was harassed when she visited the residence lately.

    “The sons of my late husband’s brother poured water on me. They would hit my children unjustly and behave like hoodlums,” Risikat said.

    Responding, however, Pa David Adebayo said he has always taken care of his younger brother’s family.

    He said he never abandoned his younger brother’s children or his two wives. 

    He said: “I have never abandoned them. I visited the wives and even gave them money at a point.

    “Now they said they want to sell the building and I told them that I won’t sell my own floor to anyone.

    “Since my brother and I built the house, we never had any quarrel over the property, and the two wives knew nothing about how we related with each other.

    “I would visit them in their home in the Itoki area of Ogun State and even give them some money to take care of themselves.

    “There was a day I visited them at Itoki and my younger brother’s older wife assaulted me while I was going back to Agidingbi.

    “I was invited by the Baale of Itoki and other community leaders who intervened in the matter.

    “We have shared the building into two parts and they have been collecting money from renting out the apartment.

    “They served us with a notice of shutdown for defaulting in land use charge running into N700,000.

    “When I told Kudirat about it, she threatened to throw curses at me.

    ”I have since ejected one of my sons who is causing problems and fighting with people in the building and he is no more in the building. Therefore, as far as I am concerned I am not going to sell my apartment.

    “It is not true that I have removed their husband’s name from the documents. I have given them copies of the documents.”

    Speaking on the matter, Michael Adebayo said he had always tried to ensure there was peace in the building by settling fights between his siblings and father.

    “I tried as much as possible to intervene whenever there was a fight between my brothers, father, and children of my late uncle because we are one big family and there was never any quarrel between my father and his younger brother when he was alive,” he said.

    He added that he was invited to a Yoruba television programme where he and others involved in the matter were urged to embrace amicable settlement.

    He said: “We have been invited to a television programme for arbitration and we were told to go back and settle the matter amicably between ourselves.

    “However, I have been calling my younger brother’s wives for settlement but they’re not forthcoming at all.

    “We have scheduled another meeting for Tuesday next week and I am ready for a truce.

    “They said they are not comfortable attending the meeting at Agidingbi, but I am not against any neutral venue for the parley.”

  • Poultry farmers, suppliers, retailers lament rise in price of eggs

    Poultry farmers, suppliers, retailers lament rise in price of eggs

    Many Nigerian families who have eggs on their menu lists are not likely to enjoy the ‘luxury’ anymore as the price of eggs continues to soar and poultry farmers are shutting down their businesses. GBENGA ADERANTI looks at the challenges faced by the farmers and how they affect the price of eggs and the economy in general.

    Up until about three months ago, Mrs Tola Jacobs was getting between 20 and 30 crates of eggs from a poultry farmer in Ikorodu, Lagos every week. And when the poultry farmer sent a message to indicate that there would be a slight adjustment in the price of eggs, Mrs Jacobs was not bothered.

    “I was not perturbed because I knew that the price increase would be passed on to the consumers. The owner of the poultry where I was getting egg supply said if things continued the way they were, he might be forced to shut down his poultry farm indefinitely.

    “Many of us thought it was a joke, but true to what he said, we got there one Monday morning and he said he had suspended operation and had sold all his birds,” she said.

    Since the poultry farmer shut down, a part of Jacob’s business has been affected. Before now, she was making a substantial sum as gains from her egg business, unfortunately, the supply has stopped coming and her fortune has nose-dived.

    Mrs Jacobs is in a financial crisis as she can no longer continue with the payment of thrift savings she entered into.

    Another Lagos-based poultry farmer, Mr. Anya Okaro, looked despondent when our correspondent visited his depot on Tuesday afternoon. He too had also suspended activities at his poultry farm in Ikorodu, Lagos.

    ”The current situation in the poultry business is not appealing to farmers,” he told The Nation dejectedly.

    Before now, his depot at Akute, Ogun State, was a beehive of activities as retailers from Akute and environs converged on it to collect their supplies every Monday morning. That, however, has since ceased to be the case.

    On that Tuesday afternoon, nobody was around except Okaro who had come to keep an appointment with our correspondent. “Most of the farmers are quitting the business because of the high cost of input, especially the grains and the soya beans which constitute parts of the recipe of the feed,” he said.

    Today, according to Okaro, a bag of layer feeds sells for between N13500 and N15,000, with 200 birds consuming about a bag in a day, while they produce an average of 140 pieces of eggs per day.

    He disclosed that the cost of feeding keeps increasing every day, and so also the price of eggs. Unfortunately, the disposable income of consumers is not getting better and many of them are quitting the consumption of eggs.

    According to Okaro, the drop in the demand for eggs is what is causing many farmers to quit the business.

     “Realistically, a crate of eggs should sell for N4,000 for farmers to remain in business. Unfortunately, consumers are resisting the price increase. So farmers have no option; they either slow down or shut down the business,” Okaro said.

    He opined that except people look for alternatives in terms of inputs that would pull costs down, the price of eggs would continue to rise.

    He said: “A crate of egg in the open market now is about N4,000, but by the time you check the cost of producing one egg, you will find out that the profit margin for the farmer is very small. And for you to sustain the business, not to talk of expanding the business, the future is bleak. The government needs to do something.”

    Before the new development, Okaro was producing an average of 100 crates of eggs daily, and 700 hundred crates in a week. But all that has gone into the winds and he has had to sell his birds pending when normalcy would return to the business.

    He confirmed that the poultry farmers who remain in the business would continue to supply eggs but at exorbitant rates.

    He disclosed that many things are competing for the components used in producing feeds, warning that with time only a few people would be able to afford eggs on their menu lists.

     Okaro warned that if the trend is not addressed, the price of eggs could go beyond the reach of ordinary Nigerians. “I heard that they are already selling a crate of eggs for N4,500 in some places. We would be talking about N6,000 in the next two weeks,” he said.

    Investigation revealed that most farmers who could not cope with the cost of feed have shut down their businesses while others have scaled down their operations.

    Like some of his colleagues, Donald Ibegbu, another Lagos-based poultry farmer, has also shut down his poultry farm. Until recently, he was an average poultry farmer, producing about 100 crates of eggs daily.

    He said with the high cost of feeds, most poultry farmers are struggling to remain in business. “Presently the future is very hazy, and unless something extraordinary happens, it will get worse.”

    Read Also; Our economy ‘ll roar back to glory in coming months – Tinubu

    He said, warning that poultry farms will continue to fold up if the present trend continues.

    Mrs Suliat Aderinto, an egg supplier in Lambe, an Ogun community, was before now collecting more than 30 crates of eggs every week and within a week would run out of stock. However, since the increase in the price of eggs, according to her, demand has been very low, and this has forced her to reduce the number of crates she collects from farmers. Today, she collects between 18 and 20 crates a week.

    “Eggs are expensive. People are not even willing to buy. This has also forced me to reduce the number of crates I buy from the farm.

    “Many of my colleagues have stopped the business while some who are still in it have reduced the quantity they collect from farmers,” she told The Nation.

    She also disclosed that many farmers have sold off their birds because they could not afford the cost of poultry feeds. As a way of keeping their customers, many of the farmers who have shut down are referring their customers to their colleagues who are still producing in the hope that when normalcy returns, their customers will come back.

    “The truth is that most farmers have folded up. Some who had 300 birds before do not have more than 60 to 70 birds now, which would only give them two or three crates of eggs in a day,” Aderinto said.

    Shortage of egg supply has had a serious impact on Aderinto’s business.

    She said: “Imagine how much I was making from selling 30 crates of eggs every week. The gain I was making from the business was enough for me to cater to my needs.

    “If the eggs had been cheap, people would buy them. Those who were buying crates have stopped buying crates; they now buy half crates.

    “The money we make from the business has drastically reduced,” she said.

    Lending credence to the doldrums in the poultry business, former President of the Poultry Farmers Association of Nigeria (PFAN), who is also the Chairman of Tuns Farms International, Asiwaju Khamis Tunde Badmus, told The Nation that while Nigeria has enough infrastructural facilities, most poultry farmers do not have the working capital.

    “Most of the farmers producing 100 percent before are now producing 50 percent because the working capital has been eroded.

    “In addition, there is no purchasing power to buy feed in large quantities,” he said.

    Tuns Farms, one of the biggest suppliers of eggs in Nigeria, is also feeling the pain. As big as the farm is, it currently produces 20 percent of its capacity.

    “Many farmers are indeed closing down because their poultry farms do not have money to buy feed,” Badmus told our correspondent.

    According to him, with the current price of poultry feeds, it would be difficult for many poultry farmers to feed 5,000 chickens.

    “Unfortunately, the cost of feed is always increasing. If you transfer the cost of production to what you are selling, those who want to buy it do not have money. Egg has become a rich man’s commodity,” Badmus lamented.

    Our correspondent observed that eggs, which used to be regular commodities at parks, are fast disappearing. Before now, you would hardly visit bus stops and parks without seeing the boiled egg hawkers. But they are gradually disappearing.

    Also, many homes with eggs on their menu lists are already doing a rethink as the price of eggs goes beyond their reach.

    While the fear of scarcity increases, Badmus insists that there is nothing to fret about as the federal government has continued to address the challenges facing the economy.

    He, however, added a caveat: things could get worse if there are no urgent steps to assist poultry farmers.

    “We have the infrastructure to produce enough chickens to feed the whole of Africa. We have enough machines to produce the feeds,” he said.

    The poultry industry is said to be worth N10 trillion, sharing about 25 percent of agriculture’s contribution to the GDP as the sector employs more than 20 million Nigerians.

    Last year, a crate of eggs sold for between N2,500 and N3,000. But currently, a crate of eggs is sold for N4,000, and before the year runs out, it could cost between N5,000 and N6,000, as more and more farmers shut down their operations.

    Business under threat

    Investigations conducted by our correspondent revealed that while there are other essential components in the production of feed, soybeans and maize, the most essential ingredients, are grossly in short supply.

    It was gathered that since insecurity in the northern and middle belt zones of Nigeria became aggravated, many farmers have stayed away from the farms; a situation that has caused the scarcity of these important poultry feed components. The development has taken feeds beyond the reach of the average poultry farmer.

    And unlike before, when poultry farmers enjoyed a form of protection from the government, things are quite different now. Badmus said the practice before was for the government to give farmers maize from its reserve, but things have changed as the government is now more concerned about feeding its human population.

    While the increase in the price of poultry feeds has made it difficult for many poultry farmers to continue the business, Ibegbu is optimistic that with the naira appreciating, the prices of poultry feed would also come down.

    He, therefore, warned that the government should do something about components like soybeans and maize which are not dollar-dependent.

    Will there be scarcity of eggs?

    Ibegbu was of the view that there could be scarcity or glut, depending on the disposable income available to the average Nigerian.

    “How many people can buy a crate of eggs for N4,000?” he asked. “You know it is a function of demand and supply. If the farmers produce; can the people afford it?

    “If people can afford it, the scarcity of eggs may not be there. But what happens to the majority of Nigerians who use eggs as their source of protein? If they cannot afford it, malnutrition will set in. 

    “Yes, there will be scarcity in the sense that many of the farmers are going underground. Very few farmers are producing, meaning that we may not be able to produce enough. And if the number keeps going down, the class that will be able to purchase it may not be able to see it to buy. That may be the reason for scarcity.”

    Okaro also disclosed that shutting down has had a serious impact on him as it is difficult for him to fulfil some of his obligations.

    He said: “We still have the same bills to pay, and we are suffering because most of the things we were able to do before, we are not able to do today because of the disposable income we have at the moment.”

    Okaro is of the view that the challenge currently faced by farmers is temporary.

     “These things come as a circle. We are going down the hill, but we won’t continue this way. At a point when the government is doing what it is supposed to do, everything will become normal.

    “Every challenge also brings an opportunity for us to improve. But as of today, it looks bleak.

    “You are going to see the trajectory going up again, maybe in the next two years,” Okaro said.

    In the early 90s, many West African countries depended on Nigeria for their supply of eggs. Then, the poultry business was at its peak. It was a time when the government did everything possible to protect poultry farmers and support them with different kinds of incentives.

    Some months ago, the Chairman of the Poultry Farmers Association of Nigeria (PAN), Lagos State Chapter, Mr. Mojeed Iyiola, said 50 per cent of its members had shut down their poultry businesses due to sectoral challenges.

    According to Mojeed, poultry farmers lost over N3tn in 2023. The Lagos PAN chair said economic conditions had forced a significant number of poultry farmers to exit the industry.

    Scarcity likely to linger

    The Lagos PAN chair had hinted that the poultry farmers were facing difficulties in meeting the increasing demand for poultry products due to the closure of a significant portion of their farms; an indication of a possible short supply of eggs.

    According to him, “Most poultry farms in the country closed down last year due to difficulties faced in the sector.”

    “We are currently unable to meet the demands for eggs due to the shortage of poultry farms. Presently, we have a very low supply of eggs in the face of growing demands.”

    He disclosed that the problem has been aggravated by the astronomical rise in the prices of poultry feeds as well as the production cost.

    The price of maize, for example, has increased by 79.23% year-on-year from N329.05 for 1kg in December 2022 to N589.75 by December 2023. The monthly increase was 5.47% from N559.18 recorded in November 2023.

    According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) food price index for December 2023, the cost of chicken feed rose by 81.71% year-on-year from December 2022 to December 2023.

    Also, the price of medium agric eggs has increased year-on-year from December 2022 to December 2023 by 52.09%. For month-on-month inflation in eggs 4.39%.

    The Nation also gathered that the cost of poultry feed kept soaring as a result of insecurity as most farmers are finding it difficult to get to the farm. They are not producing soya beans and maize.

    Okaro insisted that while there is demand for maize and soya beans, there is no supply. According to him, the price of eggs would have skyrocketed if not for the ingenuity of some farmers who still want to stay in business.

    “Most of the poultry farmers have cut down the cost of production by working on internal efficiencies, making sure that the cost of production is reduced.

    “But in a situation where you cannot control it, you either fold the business or you scale down production,” he said.

    Mojeed also blamed the greed of some farmers for the increase in the price of eggs. According to the Lagos PAN chair, maize and soybeans, which are components of feed, are being exported to other countries by some greedy farmers.

    Arresting situation

    Most farmers have called for the importation of essential ingredients like maize and soybeans at least temporarily. But in the long term, the solution is for more people to go back to the farm, and for more people to go back to the farm, their security must be guaranteed.

    “The government must provide security for farmers to go back to the farm,” Okaro said. He also said it is not out of the way to subsidise fertilizers and seedlings, especially during the rainy season.

    While not denying the fact that other items are essential in feeds, he is hopeful that if the cost of maize and soya beans comes down, with other micro-ingredients from abroad being affordable and “with the stability and improvement we are hearing about foreign exchange, if the prices of the things added to boost the feeds also come down, things will be better,” Okaro said.

    Badmus implored the government to go back to the era when poultry farmers were assisted. “At that time, we had a glut of egg production in Nigeria. The federal government gave us an import licence. We were allowed to import soybeans and feed, it prevented any form of scarcity of eggs.”

    Realising that the federal government has invested heavily in maize, he advised that the importation of the feed component should be a stop-gap process till the poultry sector is stabilised.

    “Again, the government should make available the working capital, because those who had 20,000 birds before can hardly boast of 10,000 now. If the government makes funds available and each farmer can go to the development banks instead of commercial banks, things will be better,” he said.

    A few of the poultry farmers who were able to access the funds were able to survive. They produced eggs and chickens in large quantities because there was a market for local poultry production; there was demand and everybody invested.

    This made it possible for the poultry farmers to do out growers’ schemes successfully.

    Speaking on the success of the scheme, Badmus said: “We would give you a day-old chick and feed. When these chicks come of age, you return to us and we slaughter them. It grew, we were in the Republic of Benin, Togo, Ghana, and at a stage, we were supplying KFC Ghana chicken.

    “When another government came, it scattered the whole process and since then things have become worse. It was a bit difficult to do business. But irrespective of what is happening in the sector, we have the infrastructure on the ground in Nigeria to produce for local consumption and export, the challenge is lack of working capital.”

    Badmus revealed that at a point when the poultry sector was in crisis, the country depended on imported frozen foods to the extent of importing chicken from Brazil and other parts of the world; imported turkey parts flooded the Nigerian market.

    As a way of bringing sanity into the sector, the presidency formed a committee to revive the poultry industry. Then the government gave poultry farmers a special tariff.

    Contrary to proposals in certain quarters that the country could embark on the importation of eggs as a temporary measure, Badmus warned that it would be dangerous for the country to embark on the importation of eggs, saying, “We are exposing ourselves to big risk because we could be poisoned through this.”

    To prove that the danger is real, he gave an example of the imported frozen chickens that are being preserved with formalin, a chemical that is used in preserving dead bodies. He disclosed that Nigerians risk cancer by consuming imported chicken preserved with formalin.

  • When the Army sought media support on insecurity

    When the Army sought media support on insecurity

    Peace, security and development are inseparable. They are products of human rights, because the more a society promotes, protects and fulfils the human rights of its people, the greater its chances for curbing violence and resolving conflicts peacefully. OKUNGBOWA AIWERIE writes that mindful of this reality, the Nigerian Army organised a one-day chat with the media in Asaba, Delta State for reporters in the Southsouth zone tagged “Nigerian Army Civic Quarterly Media Chat for the First Quarter of 2024” to sensitise them to the need to cooperate with the military in fighting insecurity.

    Bothered about the near-collapse of a peaceful environment in almost every part of the country; which, most times results in attacks and killing of military personnel and loss of lives of civilians, the Nigerian Army, in its bid to strengthen relations with the media, recently organised a one-day retreat for journalists in the Southsouth geopolitical zone.

    Recognising the fact that a solid and legitimate rule of law system protects the human rights of people, holds power accountable, prevents violent crime and provides fair and legitimate avenues to resolve conflict, the Army expresses the view that peace and security, which could include personal security and democracy enhances and sustains socio-economic or human development.

    Experts have noted that “peace is an essential element to the realisation of all human rights. It is a product of human rights because, the more a society promotes, protects and fulfils the human rights of its people, the greater its chances for curbing violence and resolving conflicts peacefully.

    “Peace is a quality energy that brings balance. World Peace grows through non-violence, acceptance, fairness and communication.”

    The event “Nigerian Army Civic Quarterly Media Chat for the First Quarter of 2024,” attracted reporters from the print, broadcast and online mediums and took place in Asaba, the Delta State capital.

    Also in attendance were media executives, the academia and retired military personnel.

    In an address at the media chat, the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant-General Taoreed Lagbaja canvassed media support for the military in addressing insecurity challenges which the country is experiencing.

    According to him, the support was crucial in attaining national security and development in the face of competition for media attention by terrorists.

    Lieutenant-General Lagbaja, who was represented by the General Officer Commanding 6 Division, Major-General Jamal Abdussalam said the event, with the theme “Imperatives of Military-Media Partnership for the Attainment of National Security,” underscores the critical role that collaboration between the military and media plays in safeguarding national security.

    He said: “The Nigerian Army recognises the enormous impact of the media as a vital link between the military and the public in providing essential information, shaping public opinion and holding institutions accountable.

    He said the media chat was aimed at creating an environment conducive to dialogue among the Nigerian Army and media practitioners, to facilitate the exchange of valuable information and ideas for mutual benefit.

    He said the Nigerian Army is striving to deliver on its constitutional mandate, even as he urged the media to uphold the highest standards of professionalism, accuracy, impartiality and patriotism by ensuring that their reports contribute positively to national security.

    He said the event was planned to foster avenues for collaboration among the military and civil actors given the difficulties presented by the activities of criminals.

    He urged the media to refrain from inadvertently amplifying the activities of terrorists, insurgents and other deviant groups which thrive on attention and exploitation to instil fear in law-abiding citizens.

    His words: “The unprovoked killing of some of our troops carrying out their constitutional assignment in Okuama Community in Delta State comes to mind.

    “More worrisome was the orchestrated use of disinformation to misguide the public about the true account of the incident.

    “I, therefore, take this moment to urge the media to refrain from inadvertently amplifying the activities of these undesirable elements.

    “Terrorists, insurgents and other deviant groups thrive on attention and exploit propaganda to instil fear in law-abiding citizens.”

    The Army Chief of Civil-Military Affairs, Major-General Nosakhare Ugbo noted that threats to national security could emerge from various sources, including disinformation and urged journalists to be patriotic, especially with competition from terrorists for media attention.

    His words: “It is equally aimed at inspiring members of the Fourth Estate of the Realm from this region to continue to support and positively portray the Nigerian Army through constructive and objective reportage.”

    He noted the role of the media in shaping public perception of military operations, adding that the Nigerian Army’s ability to effectively communicate its mission and actions is crucial in garnering support and trust.

    Ugbo said the Nigerian Army is committed to keeping the media informed of its activities through civil-military relations programmes.

    He maintained that the army has the responsibility to engage with the media by providing access to information without compromising operational security and sensitive intelligence.

    He urged the media to embrace responsible journalism that is grounded in accuracy and objectivity.

    The Director-General of Voice of Nigeria who was the Special Guest of Honour, Mr. Jibrin Ndace suggested regular engagements between the media and the military to ensure that accurate information was disseminated to the public to foster understanding and trust.

    Read Also: Army chief commissions projects in Nembe

    His words: “This collaboration plays a pivotal role and serves as a beacon of transparency, ensuring that accurate information is disseminated to the public to foster understanding and trust.”

    Delta State Commissioner for Information, Dr Ifeanyi Osuoza noted that the media was not hostile to the military, stressing that rather it is a bridge linking the government, its agencies and officials to the public.

    He praised the army’s collaborative efforts with the media in the interest of national security.

    He said: “Establishing this all-important relationship will provide the military the opportunity to communicate with the people and get them to understand what it is doing, clarifying grey areas and carrying them along for them (public) to have a buy-in into the mission of the military.”

    The Chairman of Delta State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Mr Churchill Oyowe called for sustained interaction between the military and the media to mobilise the public to support efforts to address current security challenges.

    The Guest Speaker, Major-General Olusegun Adeleke (rtd) in a lecture titled “Enhancing National Security Through Media/ Military Engagement,” described the relationship between military-media relationship in Nigeria as largely of “suspicion and adversarial,” due to the nature, cultures and history of both institutions.

    He said: “The reason for this frosty relationship is that the media, by its nature, is sceptical, intrusive, freewheeling and entrepreneurial, which makes it respond to the basic tenets of its existence to expose the actions of the government, including the military to public scrutiny.

    “On the other hand, the military is overly concerned with the successful conduct of its operations, which usually require the maintenance of operational security.”

    He enumerated the issues that drive engagement activities of the media-military to include humanitarian, human rights, child soldiering and target acquisition and engagement/acquisition and engagement.

    According to him, a major dilemma faced by the media covering military operations include whether to prioritise national security concerns or the public’s right to know; while the military may grapple with ethical questions about how much information to reveal and how to balance transparency with security.

    He said the military and the media sometimes appear to have contrary views or perceptions of what constitutes national security, especially during military operations.

    Adeleke suggested that the military should ensure that as much information as possible is made available to the press at the point of filing their stories, even as he urged future planners of media-military relations to consider innovative approaches such as increasing security with media coverage for embedded journalists.

    He also urged the military and media to jointly establish clear protocols for information-sharing and reporting.

    He called on military leaders to organise regular press briefings and interviews to update the media and the public on important developments, policies and initiatives.

    The military should conduct debriefings and after-action reviews with media representatives following major events or operations.

    He further urged the military to respect the independence of journalists and their right to report without undue influence or censorship.

    In another paper presented at the event titled “Promoting Military-Media Trust for Enhanced Public Support towards Addressing Nigeria Security Challenges,” Prof. Godwin Oboh, using media theories, highlighted the imperatives of cooperation between both institutions.

    The interactive event had two panels of discussants moderated by journalists who dissected the lectures presented.

  • Making Lagos livable for residents

    Making Lagos livable for residents

    Beyond providing palliatives to cushion the effects of economic challenges ravaging the country, the Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu-led administration is investing in long-term projects that will, in the long run, make life more livable for the people. OYEBOLA OWOLABI reports

    Currently, Nigerians are experiencing situations that are so taxing. This is because the country is, at present, in the throes of the worst economic slump.

    This, experts say, resulted from the unanticipated and abrupt fuel subsidy removal and Naira devaluation. The governments, at all levels, have launched palliative measures to ease the people’s pains pending when the situation evens out.

    In Lagos State, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu also rolled out certain measures to ease the burden. However, beyond the interim measures, the government is investing in some long-term projects to make life more livable to engender prosperity across the state.

    Food security and sufficiency

    Governor Sanwo-Olu in 2021 launched the Five-Year Agricultural Roadmap to pave the way for developing agricultural value chains where the state has competitive and comparative advantages to move self-sufficiency in food production from 18 to 40 per cent.

    The Commissioner for Agriculture, Ms. Bisola Olusanya, said the Roadmap is also expected to boost food production and drastically reduce post-harvest losses, thus encouraging private sector investments that would trigger agricultural transformation in the Southwestern states. To this end, the Fresh Agricultural Produce Hub in Idi-Oro, Mushin is active and bubbly with activities.

    But the government is moving a step ahead still. According to Governor Sanwo-Olu, the state is building the largest food logistics hub in Sub-Saharan Africa. The hub is 65 per cent ready.

    He said: “One of our plans for ensuring food security is to build food hubs across the state. Today, we are building the largest logistic hub in Sub-Saharan Africa. It is 65 per cent ready and, hopefully, be fully ready before the end of the year. The hub is a cold and dry storage facility to push produce to our people.

    “The hub will also dovetail into the middle-level markets, just like in Idi-Oro. We are building another four of those hub in Ajah, Abule-Egba, Agege and Ikorodo. We hope they will be ready before the end of the year. We have also identified locations for another seven of such hubs.”

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     Mini-ranching

    In the meat value chain, the government is looking to establish mini-ranches that will fatten cattle to meet the large demand for meat.

    According to Sanwo-Olu, about four million cattle are consumed yearly, and Lagos alone accounts for about two million. This thus prompted the government to evolve a project that would meet the demand for meat.

    Power/electricity

    As part of efforts to make electricity more available and affordable, Governor Sanwo-Olu said the government has transmitted the Lagos State Electricity Bill to the House of Assembly. This, he noted, would help to untangle and unbundle the two DisCos currently operating in the state and allow other players to participate.

    “The state currently has six IPPS running but we need to localise the laws and regulations so that investments can come in. Hence, we have transmitted a bill to the House of Assembly towards setting up our equivalent of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC). This is to help unbundle the system to allow new investments in energy generation and distribution. We will also have more investments in gas and other alternative sources of energy.

    Infrastructure/rail

    On January 24, 2023, the Blue Rail Line was inaugurated and, on February 29, 2024, the Red Rail was inaugurated. These projects form part of the Lagos Rail Mass Transit (LRMT) Scheme. Governor Sanwo-Olu, however, promised greater investments in the rail component of transportation.

    “The beauty of rail is in its connectivity, and so we will ensure that all lines on the LRMT are interconnected for seamless commuting,” he said.

     Road

    According to Governor Sanwo-Olu, the state has built over 10,000km of roads. He, however, said the state would need N5 trillion yearly to address road infrastructure alone, an amount which is bigger than the state’s budget.

    He said: “Lagos is below the water level, and so our roads fail easily because the water table makes the land soft. Another factor is the human detrimental actions. We have just banned Styrofoam because it blocks drainage systems. Water and bitumen are enemies, and so we have to spend a lot more on maintenance.

    “But, notwithstanding, the government is working to address the challenges of bad roads, especially inner roads. We are working with the local governments and they have agreed to rehabilitate 114 roads concurrently, while the state government will support with additional 50 or 60 roads. This means that we will be working on about 180 roads simultaneously. The implication of this is that there will be discomfort and hindered movements because of road closures and rerouting. But we trust Lagosians to understand that it is all for their good.”

    Fourth Mainland Bridge

     The 37 km-long Fourth Mainland Bridge will, perhaps, be the biggest project of the century when completed. Governor Sanwo-Olu has assured the people that the project is on course. According to him, the groundbreaking will be done in April despite the delays.

    He said: “The Fourth Mainland Bridge is delayed because of funding challenges. But I have given my word that the groundbreaking will be done in April.

    “The dynamics of funding have changed globally, and what they are asking for are things we cannot provide. We have thus done an extensive creative redesign of the entire project. Where we originally planned eight lanes, we reduced to four, where we planned three levels of bridges, we reduced to one. But all these do not take away the fact that the Fourth Mainland Bridge will be built. The implementation will be broken into three phases to ease our affairs, but it will be built.”

    Health

    The state intends to establish a university of medical sciences to bridge the gap in teaching and learning. According to Sanwo-Olu, the institution will strengthen the state’s medical infrastructure, and counter the mass exodus of medical personnel. Professional medical programmes that will be studied in the proposed university include all branches of medicine, pharmacy and pharmacology, and medical and health support courses.

    “Lagos State, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health and the National Universities Commission (NUC), will establish a medical university before the end of this year. This is a strategic intervention moment for us. The institution will be targeted at graduating 1,500 doctors yearly.

    The government is also building the Massey Children’s Hospital, a 150-bed specialist hospital for children in Lagos. The government is rebuilding, remodelling and repositioning the hospital into a seven-storey, 150-bed, ultra-modern, fit-for-purpose Pediatrics Programmed and Emergency General Hospital.

    Sanwo-Olu said the hospital will be the biggest Children’s Hospital in Sub-Saharan Africa when completed. According to him, the construction of the facility reflects his administration’s unwavering determination to bridge all gaps in the health sector.

    He said: “As a responsive government, we identified the inadequacy of the present Massey Street Children’s Hospital to continue to meet the needs of a megacity with a population of 22 million people. As a result of the steady and increasing number of patients who daily throng the hospital to access medical services, the capacity has been overstretched and must be urgently upgraded to provide quality service to patients.”

    Commissioner for Health Prof. Akin Abayomi also said the hospital will be the first product of the medical blueprint strategy championed by the governor for transforming the state’s healthcare infrastructure.

  • Row over CBN’s policy on import duty rate

    Row over CBN’s policy on import duty rate

    • Importers complain over ‘Customs’ arbitrary tariff imposition’
    • Our operations are guided by WTO, ECOWAS, NCS Acts, says Customs

    A clash between the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has cast a shadow over import duty calculations. The CBN’s directive, issued on February 23, 2024, aimed to stabilise import duty assessments by pegging them to the closing forex rate on the date of opening Form M. However, the NCS’s adherence to existing regulations and laws has led to a deadlock, sparking concerns among importers, clearing agents and other stakeholders. As tensions simmer and uncertainty looms, OLUWAKEMI DAUDA reports that there is an urgent need for collaboration and clarity between the CBN and Customs for the smooth operation of trade activities.

    Why did the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) peg import duty exchange rate on opening of Form M  in a circular dated February 23, 2024, without adequate consultation with Nigeria Customs Service (NCS)? Why is the Customs not using the policy? Why is the CBN turning blind face and keeping mute over it?

    The prolonged delay in the NCS adhering to the CBN’s directive to adopt the closing forex rate on the date of opening Form M for computing Customs duty on imported goods is causing significant concern among various stakeholders. Importers, clearing agents, operators, members of the public, the business community and port users are all eagerly awaiting clarification and action from the leadership of both institutions to address these pressing issues.

    The failure to implement this directive not only creates uncertainty but also undermines the efforts to make the port more attractive for business, generate revenue and boost international trade.

    They accused the Customs of flouting CBN directive on the rate payable on their imported goods as at the time of clearing their cargoes from the port, which is higher than the amount they expected as at the time of opening Form M.

    Importers and clearing agents, who are directly impacted by these policies, require clear guidelines and consistency in order to conduct their operations efficiently.

    Furthermore, the lack of adherence to the directive could potentially lead to financial losses and hinder the competitiveness of businesses operating within the import sector. This situation underscores the urgent need for effective communication and collaboration between the CBN and the NCS to resolve any outstanding issues and ensure the smooth implementation of policies that support trade facilitation and economic growth.

    Form M is a mandatory statutory document used as a declaration of intention by importers or their clearing agents for the importation of physical goods into any part of the country. But the Customs insisted that they are collaborating with the CBN and have no problem with the apex bank because its operations in the determination and assessment of import duty are guided by relevant provision of World Trade Organisation (WTO), Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS Consolidation Act) and the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Act 2023, which they cannot violate under any circumstances.

    Also, the NCS import duty collection platform (NICIS II), which is an automated system, was designed to collect uniform FX rate at the time of submission of declaration by importers or their clearing agents. The platform, it was learnt, appropriates revenue for the government and cannot be compromised by any Customs officer at any given time.

    But the apex bank gave the directive to Customs to adopt the closing forex rate on the date of opening Form M in a circular dated February 23, 2024,  and signed by its Director of Trade and Exchange Department, Hassan Mahmud,  following complaints by importers on the irregular changes in the import assessment levies applied by the NCS. In the circular, the CBN noted that arbitrary increase in the forex rate used to compute Customs duty has created uncertainties around the pricing structure of goods and services in the country, thereby creating “abnormal increases” in the prices of goods across the nation.

    The circular signed by the apex bank’s Director of Trade and Exchange Department, Mahmud, reads in part: “Following the liberalisation of the FX market on Willing Buyer-Willing Seller trading principle, the Central Bank of Nigeria has noted the concerns of importers of goods and services in the irregular changes in the Import Duty Assessment levies applied by the Nigeria Customs Service.”

    These developments, the CBN said, “have further built uncertainties around the pricing structure of goods and services in the economy and creating abnormal increases in the final sale prices of items, which is largely driven by uncertainties, rather than traditional  market fundamentals, with implications to near term inflation trends.”

    It said further, “To this effect, the Central Bank of Nigeria wishes to advise that the Nigeria Customs Service and other related parties adopt the closing FX rate on the date of opening Form M for the importation of goods, as the FX rate to be used for Import Duty Assessment. This rate remains valid until the date of termination of the importation and clearance of goods by importers.

    “This would enable the Nigeria Customs Service and the importers to effectively plan appropriately and reduce the uncertainties around varying daily exchange rate in determining their revenue or cost structure, respectively

    “Therefore, effective 26 February, 2024, the closing rate on the date of opening of Form M for the importation of goods and services would be the rates that would apply for the assessment of import duty. This supersedes the requirements of Memorandum 9, J (2) of the Central Bank of Nigeria Foreign Exchange Manual. (Revised Edition), 2018.”

    The CBN added that while it is mindful of the initial volatility and price distortions in the aftermath of the forex market liberalisation, it remains confident that these reforms would, in the medium term, ensure stability in the market and entrench market confidence necessary to attract investment capital for the growth and development of the nation’s economy.

    But investigation conducted by our correspondent revealed that the NCS, instead of following the directive given by the CBN, is adhering strictly to the NCS Act 2023, which is the rule guiding its operations. The current management of the Service, it was learnt, has no option than to jettison the CBN’s directive because it does not want to violate its newly enacted law by the  National Assembly despite the fact that the CBN said that it took the decision to tackle the volatility and frequent updates on the Customs website concerning the liberalisation of the foreign exchange market.

    Speaking with The Nation on the issue, the National Public Relations Officer of Customs, Abdullahi Maiwada, said that the Service is mindful of the initial volatility, price distortions and its implications on the trading public and the overall economy, “the NCS, with the support of the Honourable Minister of Finance, has initiated periodic consultations with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to mitigate the potential impact of exchange rate fluctuations on import activities.”

    The NCS operations in the determination and assessment of import duty, he said, “are guided by relevant provisions of World Trade Organisation (WTO), Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS Consolidation Act) and the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Act 2023.” According to him, “Article 9 (paragraph 2) of WTO Agreement on Customs Valuation clarified that the conversion rate to be used shall be rate in effect the time of exportation or importation, which means conversion rate at the time of declaration.

    “Also, article 11 of ECOWAS CET (Consolidation) Act specified that where the conversion of currency is necessary for the determination of the Customs value, the rate of exchange rate to be used shall at the date of lodgement of the Customs declaration.”

    Read Also: BREAKING: CBN discontinues foreign currencies as collateral for naira loans

    The NCS spokesman added that “Section 67, subsection 1 (a) (iii) of NCS Act clearly states that the official currency of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, using the prevailing official exchange rate issued by the CBN and applicable at the time of submission of declaration of the goods into Nigeria or the exportation of goods from Nigeria.” He said further that it is important to note that “the NCS import duty collection platform (NICIS II), which is an automated system, is designed to collect uniform FX rate at the time of submission of declaration.”

    Maiwada said further that “there is a consultation by this institution to address these challenges as soon as practically possible. Mindful of these implications on the trading public and the overall economy, the NCS, with the support of the Honourable Minister of Finance, has initiated periodic consultations with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to mitigate the potential impact of exchange rate fluctuations on import activities. The relative stability in the past days can be attributed to the interventions of the Honourable Minister of Finance and the Governor of the CBN.”

    Recently, the NCS, through the CBN, has been regularly reviewing and adjusting the exchange rate for import duties and clearance of goods on its website to reflect the prevailing market rate following the unification of the forex market in June last year. Since the beginning of the year, the Service has adjusted the forex rate almost twice weekly, and lately, the rate has been coming down.

  • When Akeredolu’s widow receives her rites in Imo community

    When Akeredolu’s widow receives her rites in Imo community

    One of the mores in Igbo land which have continued to be observed is the Mgbafu Mkpe rite. The traditional Igbo ceremony is performed after the death and burial of a woman’s husband. CHRIS NJOKU reports that the recent handover of Mrs Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu to her late husband’s family at the Mgbafu Mkpe ceremony in the Emeabiam Community in Imo State serves as a poignant ritual that symbolises the community’s support and care for widows during times of loss and transition

    In some Igbo cultural areas, several customs and traditions are observed when a woman’s husband dies. In some circumstances, the widow is subjected to various horrid conditions if there husband’s relations suspect that their brother’s death was not natural. If they strongly holds the view that the deceased’s wife has a hand in his death, they would administer some oaths on the widow to prove her innocence in the death of her husband. In some extreme cases where the widow has no male child, she is relieved of her husband’s properties, which are inherited by the kinsmen.

    Again, when a woman is married to a far place, and the husband dies, the relations of the widow would want the relations of the late husband to reassure them that the widow is still wanted and cherished. The traditional rite, in this case, is known as mgbafu mkpe rite which is performed after the passing and burial of a woman’s husband.

    The Mgbafu Mkpe rite holds profound cultural and social significance in Igbo land as it serves as a poignant ritual that symbolises the community’s support and care for widows during times of loss and transition.

    The traditional Igbo ceremony, performed after the passing and burial of a woman’s husband, embodies the essence of unity, respect for tradition, and the preservation of cultural heritage specific to the Igbo community.

    Embracing tradition and unity

    The Mgbafu Mkpe rite not only signifies the acceptance of the widow within the husband’s family but also highlights the community’s commitment to upholding age-old mores that define their identity.

    Through the ceremony, the community demonstrates its unity and solidarity by coming together to honour and support widows to ensure that they are cared for and respected as a result of the loss of their spouses.

    Preserving cultural heritage

    At the heart of the Mgbafu Mkpe rite lays the preservation of cultural heritage and traditions that have been passed down through generations. This ritual serves as a testament to the values of family ties, respect for elders and the importance of community support in times of grief. By adhering to the customs, the Igbo community reaffirms its cultural identity and strengthens social bonds that have endured over time.

    Connecting tradition to modern times

    The Mgbafu Mkpe rite continues to hold relevance in contemporary society, bridging the gap between tradition and modernity. As communities evolve, the ceremony remains a steadfast reminder of the enduring values of unity, respect and care for those in need. Its timeless significance resonates with individuals and families, emphasising the importance of honouring customs that shape their cultural legacy.

    Transitioning with tradition

     Against this backdrop of cultural significance and community unity, the recent handover of Mrs Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu to her late husband’s family at the Mgbafu Mkpe ceremony in the Emeabiam Community takes on added meaning.

    In the serene atmosphere that enveloped Emeabiam Community in Owerri West Local Government Area of Imo State on Sunday, March 31, 2024, the traditional Mgbafu Mkpe ceremony unfolded at the late Chief BUB and Nneoma Dora Anyanwu’s compound in Umuikea Emeabiam. This symbolic gesture not only reflects the enduring traditions of Igbo land but also underscores the commitment of the community to support and care for widows through age-old customs.

    The event marked a significant moment for Chief Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu, the wife of the late Ondo State Governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN, CON), who passed away in December 2023.

    A symbolic handover

    Representing Umuegeolu Kindred, Elder Herbert Igbo facilitated the symbolic handover of Chief Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu to the immediate younger brother of the late Governor, Prof. Wole Akeredolu.

    Igbo said: “We must ensure Chief Betty is embraced and cared for as one of our own, in line with our traditions.”

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    Tradition and gratitude

    Before the handover, the Akeredolus honoured tradition by presenting kola nuts, palm wine and a she-goat to the Umuegeolu Kindred, along with customary items to the Anyanwu family.

    Prof. Wole Akeredolu expressed heartfelt gratitude, stating that “we are grateful for the support and understanding shown by our extended family and community during this challenging time. We will continue to uphold our responsibilities towards Chief Betty.”

    Cultural significance

     Chief Celestine Okoro, the Principal Adviser to the Emeabiam Elders’ Council highlighted the cultural significance of the Mgbafu Mkpe ceremony, emphasising its importance within the Imo State community.

    Chief Okoro said: “This ceremony symbolises our unity, respect for tradition and commitment to caring for those in need within our community.”

    Unity and respect

    The presence of members of Umuegeolu family, Ndi Mgboto Emeabiam, Oha n’Ikoro Emeabiam and Babajide Akeredolu underscored the unity and respect shown during the ceremony.

    Babajide Akeredolu, one of Betty’s sons said: “It is heartening to witness the solidarity and support within our community. This ceremony reflects our values and traditions, uniting us in times of both joy and sorrow.”

    The Traditional ruler of Emeambia Autonomous Community, Eze Eunans Eke, Okpo 1 of Umuokpo told The Nation that the traditional rite is a long-preserved heritage.

    He said that rite is an acceptance of the woman by her husband’s relatives after the burial of her husband.

    “When a woman loses her husband, there is this tradition to let her people know that she has lost her husband. She visits her place (village) for Mkpe (mourning) or Azu Mkpe (after mourning) to let her people know that her husband is dead and that she is now mourning.

    “The relatives or immediate relatives of her husband usually accompany her to such visit. What that means is that they want to know if where she is married to would accept her again after the demise of her husband. Somebody from her husband’s place would follow her on that journey to identify that she is truly their wife and that even though her husband is late, somebody will have to stand out to accept that she is still our wife and I would continue from where her late husband stopped.  This is one of the significances of that matter.

    “So, usually in Igbo land, it is called Isi Mkpe, maybe somebody from her husband’s place will stand out to say I am taking her back from where my brother stopped.  I will be taking care of her, she is in good hands. This is the reason these things are done.”

    Continuing, he said: “In that arena, usually, there are representatives of the woman’s family, there are also representatives of where she is married to. They will be there where public questions would be asked from the woman’s relatives.

    Jokingly, he said: “Now that our daughter is here, we will not allow her to go back to her late husband’s place. Who is going to take care of her, we are taking her, we would allow her to go back there again and then someone from the husband’s place will say no she is still our wife, we still need her, we are here to take her back, we are going to take care of her and we will take care of every of her responsibilities. This is how it is spelt out. Questions are asked and positive answers are given.

    “However, if the woman has been a torn in their flesh, if the woman has not given them peace, if the woman is a pain, they don’t want her again; maybe the death of her husband has become a leeway to send her away.  In such circumstance, they would tell you to take her back; we don’t want to marry her again.

    “But, in this case, the husband’s brother came to say we need her, she is still part of us and I stand to say I will continue from where my late brother has stopped. I will take care of her.”

    He described the outing as very successful. “As far as I’m concerned, it was successful and positive.

    The royal father, therefore, advised:  “There is no perfect marriage or perfect relationship. The man who married her would have endured a lot of things while he was alive. They would not have told anybody what they had passed through. As long as she has lived with her husband for more or closer to 40 years, I think they should tolerate her and she should tolerate them also and as much as the man loved her all these years, they should accommodate her.”

    Elder Richard, another member of the kindred, explained that Mgbafu Mkpe serves as a poignant reminder of the rich cultural heritage and traditions that bind communities together.

    He said through rituals and ceremonies such as these, “the essence of unity, respect and care for widows is preserved, ensuring that customs are upheld and cherished for generations to come.”

    He said: “The community’s commitment to honouring its traditions and supporting those in need remains a cornerstone of its identity and strength.”