Avoid being on your phone, texting, checking your email or browsing social media. Your spouse’s parents might feel dismissed and think that you are not interested in getting to know them.
2. Lie to make yourself look good
Being fake instead of who you truly are is a mistake that will upset your partner’s parents. You’re also likely to be found out at some point and possibly when it could really hurt your relationship.
If your partner has accepted the kind of person you are, then his/ her parents should be able to accept you too.
3. Publicly display affection
Although public displays of affection can be a wonderful thing, there is an appropriate time and place for it.
This does not mean you have to become cold, distant and robotic, but it does mean you need to know the audience you are in front of.
4. Spark controversial topics for discussion
Bringing up controversial topics like religion, politics or sex is a no go area.
Even if you definitely know that your beliefs are in line with your partner’s parents, some people still consider it to be in poor taste to bring it up.
Better get to know them more before raising such topics.
Despite the fact that your partner’s parents are probably very interested in getting to know you, they also do not want to spend the entire time listening to your life story.
Try to find a balance in the conversation by also asking them questions to show interest in getting to know them as well.
6. Don’t pass the night
No matter the persuasion, don’t pass the night in their house on your first day of visit.
7. Being a know it all
Even if you are an expert in a certain area, please keep it cool. Don’t let it seem like you know everything better than everyone else.
My recent visit to the Opokuma community in Bayelsa state was quite a memorable eye-opener. It was initially for a funeral. One of our colleagues, Pereowei, lost his father, Pa Ebiowei Percy Joses and we all had to join him in solidarity. In truth, it was a trip I would have loved to avoid if I had a choice. But Mr. Pereowei and I share a fascinating history and his community brings up mixed memories. I met him many years ago while working on a not-for-profit project with the Late Mrs. Augustina Alaere Alaibe. Aunty Alaere (as we fondly called her) is one of the most compassionate and visionary women I have ever come across.
I worked with her closely and enjoyed her confidence and generosity. Looking back at the impact of the Family Reorientation Education and Empowerment (FREE), one would only imagine her kind of vision. My last visit to Opokuma was to commission a community library and self-esteem centre she built. Nobel Laureate Professor Wole Soyinka was a special guest at the event, which was widely attended. I remember joyfully accompanying Aunty back to Port Harcourt after the ceremony. We said goodbye to each other, but I did not know it was our last.
Anyway, it has been fourteen years now since we lost this indescribable Amazon. I was away in Scotland during her funeral, although I visited her husband in London before her remains were brought home for burial. Somehow, I had not visited Opokuma since then. When my friend announced the death of his father and later the funeral, I knew that I had to be there. As part of my trip, I decided to first to visit Trofani, Aunty’s community. It was my first time, so I arranged for Ebiowei Koinyan to accompany me. Ebi is from the same community and promised to guide me.
He did a bit more by giving me elaborate historical insight into some of the landmark events that took place in these communities. We passed by Okordia-Zarama, Sampou junction, Kalama junction, Kaiama, Odi and Aduku before heading to Trofani.
The journey was smooth, but the state of the east-west road slowed us down.
My colleague, Gideon, who drove the car, did his best to avoid the damaged parts of the road. Flooding hurt the road to the point that urgent attention is needed. Even with my drivers excellent driving skills, the journey took us longer than necessary. It was already dark when we got to Mbiama junction. The timing of our trip and the news about disturbances in some communities in the nearby Delta state made me a bit nervous as the night drew near. However, I did not share my apprehension with Ebi or the driver, so we continued.
Interestingly, solar streetlights illuminated most communities, making our journey easier. It was very refreshing driving through Kaima and Odi, and later Opokuma. The lighting across the communities was both spectacular and distinctive. When I last visited, many of these communities were in utter darkness as they were yet to be connected to the national grid. It was quite fascinating to note the street lights were provided by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
The street lights provided sufficient illumination that bolstered our confidence as we drove around in the night. I was told that some of these street lights have been used by students to read at night. Ebi pointed us to the blue and white painting on the poles, suggesting that the solar street lighting is part of a deliberate effort by the NDDC to contribute to fighting insecurity in the region.
Our return back to Opokuma was hitch-free. We all assembled in the house of the former Managing Director of NDDC, Mr. Timi Alaibe, before proceeding to Pereowei’s house. Unsurprisingly, we were joined by the current Managing Director of NDDC, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, and his delegation. What was supposed to be a funeral vigil almost turned into a carnival as guests were entertained with all sorts of music, especially reggae.
By the time the vigil ended, it was way past midnight. We drove back to Yenagoa, where we found a hotel where we spent the night. It has been more than a week since we got back from that event, yet the picture of the illuminated streets keeps flashing back in my mind.
Those images permanently challenged my initial impression of the journey and helped me conquer my fears. I can speak for these communities in Bayelsa State because I was there. When I shared this experience with some friends, they confirmed that the situation is the same in other states. Providing street lighting may not be all that is needed to develop the Niger Delta; however, it is an important step in the right direction which must be applauded.
The stereotype of the Niger Delta as a region of poverty, insecurity and conflict is something many people have been made to believe over time. It will take a lot to challenge and counter it, but the situation on the ground suggests that some of these narratives are often exaggerated. Things have changed, but probably not at the pace that many people will expect when you take stock of the quantum of resources that have been extracted from the region. Yet, I will argue that Niger Delta is probably one of the safest regions in the country as of today.
The NDDC has its own share of criticisms and reputational baggage, but these footprints suggest that something different is going on under the new leadership in the agency. The infrastructural gap still remains. Solar street lighting interventions are valuable; however, there are opportunities to scale up these interventions to provision mini-grids to produce the required transformative impact on the livelihoods in these communities.
Dr Uche Igwe is a visiting fellow at the London School of Economics and Political Science(LSE). He can be reached at ucheigwe@mail.com
Before now, issues of building collapse were strange in Anambra State. This may be because there was no compromise in the rules and regulations guiding the construction industry in the state. Unfortunately, the nasty incident has become a recurring trend over time, so much so that no fewer than 20 lives are said to have been lost and many others were injured. Southeast Bureau Chief, NWANOSIKE ONU reports that Governor Charles Soludo has taken a hard stance to correct the anomaly.
Less than three weeks after a three-storey building collapsed at the Odu-Igbo section of the Ochanja Market in Onitsha, killing no fewer than six people, another five-storey building has collapsed at Basden Street, Fegge, in the commercial city of Onitsha, in Onitsha South Local Government Area of Anambra State.
Unlike before, the issue of building collapse seems to be a recurring one, which results in loss of life and property. The causes of these collapses range from poor construction practices, lack of proper building regulations and inadequate enforcement of existing regulations.
The effects of a building collapse could be catastrophic. They may include the loss of lives, the incapacity of those who were injured in the collapse, the destruction of property, financial losses, the wastage of time and valuable resources and an increase in the number of homeless people, among other effects.
Buildings can collapse due to several reasons. Experts in the construction industry believe that “a structure can collapse due to soil absorbency, poor design; poor quality material or maybe even due to fire or earthquake or Tsunami. The engineer cannot prevent the structure from collapse or failure but can warn the residents and certify that the structure is unfit for dwelling.”
Authorities also say that other reasons that could lead to building collapse include substituting specified materials for substandard ones. Other areas of concern include poor concrete mixes, premature removal of formworks and general poor workmanship; use of substandard materials; and use of substandard blocks from block factories.
In recent times, building collapse has become a recurrent issue in every nook and cranny of Anambra State.
Some of the areas where the incident has been noticed, perhaps often, are the commercial and industrial cities of Onitsha and Nnewi; where most of the buildings are alleged to have been erected without specifications.
In the process, people get various degrees of injuries, lose their lives and goods or are rendered homeless. There are casualties in such incidences as witnessed a few weeks ago when a three-storey building collapsed at Odu-Igbo Market, Ochanja on one Monday night. When the building collapsed, five people died instantly while about 26 people were trapped.
The incident forced Governor Chukwuma Soludo to cut short his programmes to pay an unscheduled visit to the scene. The level of devastation unsettled him.
As if that was not enough, another five-storey building collapsed a week later. This time around, the incident occurred at Fegge. Before the Fegge and Ochanga incidents, the same thing had played out in Nnewi and its neighbouring town of Ozubulu, among others.
In Anambra State, no fewer than 20 people had lost their lives, while several others were hospitalised due to various degrees of injuries.
Such a thing has become reoccurring because it has been said that at least, one building collapses every three months.
Worried about the horrid situation, the Soludo administration has expressed its commitment to tackling the menace; which he described as a preventable tragedy.
He said one of the best ways to confront the anomaly is through tackling the issues of impunity and illegal constructions. He revealed that the collapsed buildings were erected by private developers without the government’s approval.
But, does he have the willpower to carry out his plans to sanitise the construction industry in Anambra State?
Some stakeholders believe that Soludo has the political will to right the wrongs in the state’s construction industry. As a corroboration of stakeholders’ opinions, the governor is said to have already marked some buildings for demolition. The marked buildings, according to him, did not meet the government’s specifications in terms of approval.
Again, the governor has evolved plans to redesign some areas where rock-solid structures would be erected.
He said: “All buildings constructed without proper approval will be brought down henceforth, including structures currently under construction at other markets.
“A comprehensive inventory of buildings in Anambra markets and public places will be conducted.
“Markets will undergo integrity tests to identify and remove potentially unsafe structures, and individuals found responsible for illegal construction will face legal consequences.”
He emphasised the importance of prioritising public safety, even as he vowed to eradicate “the impunity and lawlessness” that have enveloped the construction industry. We can’t afford to waste one life because of the greed of a few.”
The Chairman of Ochanja Market, Mr Bonaventure Mmuo told The Nation that all market leaders in the state must adhere to the governor’s instruction. He said the issue of building collapse is giving Anambra State a bad name.
Governor Soludo has instructed the Chairman of Onitsha South Local Government Area, Chief Emeka Orji to begin the demolition of illegal structures in the area. The demolition instruction followed the collapse of a five-storey building in Fegge.
The illegal structures, according to Soludo, belong to the state and not Nigeria Inland Water Ways (NIWA).
In a chat with The Nation, the Secretary of the Hausa Community in Onitsha North and South local government areas, Alhaji Ishawu Imam praised the governor and the chairman for their decision to give them time to move their properties out from the buildings marked for demolition.
“We’re happy with the developmental programmes of the Soludo-led administration. We pledge our continued support to the government,” he said.
The council boss told The Nation that most buildings currently under construction would be subjected to integrity tests to avoid further catastrophe.
He said he would meet with the Chairman of the Physical Planning Board in Awka before the government commences the process.
“Everywhere in Onitsha cannot be market. We have declared war on illegal structures and we shall ensure that the right things are done about building collapse in Onitsha South Local Government Area,” Orji said.
However, the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) said it would not relent in its effort to curb the menace of quackery in the state and country.
The Chairman of the Council in Anambra State, Victor Meju told The Nation that substandard materials and poor foundation are the reasons for building collapse.
This, according to hi, had claimed many lives in Nnewi, Ozubulu Onitsha and other cities in Nigeria.
He told The Nation that COREN is collaborating with the administration of Soludo to ensure that those faking engineering practices are stopped.
Meju reeled off some statistics on the number of casualties resulting from building collapse. He said there were three in Nnewi, two in Ozubulu and 11 in Onitsha.
“We have heard about a series of deaths as a result of building collapse in the state. Before, it used to be Lagos, but it has become rampant in Anambra.
“In the first week of May 2024, I will lead a campaign in the state concerning building collapse. We have failed in that aspect. We are bringing in young engineers with high technical qualities. Our retired colleagues don’t have the new models anymore.
“If you go to many sites, you will see Architects posing as engineers. Those things have to stop,” the COREN chairman said.
He advised prospective builders: “When embarking on such a massive building project, keep behind political, ethnic and religious sentiment and consult the council for proper orientation. When such buildings collapse, they create tension and panic among the residents.”
The Chairman of Anambra State Physical Planning Board, Chike Maduekwe, a lawyer said such things wouldn’t be happening if proper procedures were followed.
During his visit to one of the collapsed sites in Onitsha, Soludo promised that he would ensure that the victims of the collapsed building get justice.
He said: “When investigations are completed, the developer, the chairman of the market and every other person involved in the disaster will be prosecuted and jailed.
“The remaining building under construction by the same developer which is close to the collapsed one will be demolished immediately after rescue operations on the site have been completed.”
On how to stop frequent building collapses, Soludo said that henceforth, the erection of any building in any market in Anambra State must get his approval, or else it will be demolished.
He also said every other existing building must pass through an integrity test.
The major problem any administration faces is selective justice. As Soludo has rolled out his plans for the state, those who are likely to suffer it are the less privileged.
Those the government will descend on are those who have no one to speak for them. Their friends, cronies and associates would be free from any such exercise.
No government works without implementing its policies. The governor has reeled off brilliant ideas to tackle building collapse in the state. How it works out remains a conjecture.
• Stakeholders demand financial architecture and digital tech reforms to drive gender equality
After two weeks of high-level deliberations on issues affecting women’s socio-economic emancipation and the recurring violence against women and girls at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, PRECIOUS IGBONWELUNDU reports that the 68th session of the Commission on the Status (CSW68) ended with delegates’ consensus on reforming financial architecture, digital technology and strengthening institutions to end women’s and girls’ poverty
The background
Over 50 edicts that suppress the rights of women and girls have been issued by the Taliban in Afghanistan. In Sudan, scores of women have reportedly been subjected to rape and other forms of sexual violence in the ongoing conflict. There are also horrific accounts in the report by the United Nations Special Representative to Israel, Pramila Patten of sexual violence against women and girls and indications of sexualised torture during the terror attacks launched by Hamas and other armed groups on October 7; as well as shocking testimonies of sexual violence against Palestinian women in detention settings, house raids and checkpoints in the occupied territory. It also indicated that more than two-thirds of the tens of thousands of people killed and injured during Israel’s military operations in Gaza were reportedly women and children.
In Nigeria, at least 1,400 students (mostly girls) have been kidnapped from schools since the 2014 incident involving 276 Chibok schoolgirls by Boko Haram Terrorists. Women and girls have continued to bear the brunt of armed violence with horrendous tales of rape and sexual exploitation of victims filling public spaces daily.
The world over, conflict and crisis are increasing; with a devastating impact on women and girls. Despite evidence that women’s full participation makes peacebuilding more effective, the number of women in decision-making roles has continued to plummet.
It is against this backdrop that how to end the poverty of women and girls, stop all forms of violence and discrimination against them and also restructure financial systems, digital technology algorithms and the renewable energy sector was the crux of the United Nations (UN) 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68th) held in New York, USA.
The two-week high-level deliberations which brought together two Heads of State, three vice presidents, over 100 ministers and 4,800 Civil Society Organisation (CSO) representatives described as worrisome the rising cases of discrimination against women and girls in many parts of the world.
With approximately 270 side events organised by member states, inter-governmental organisations and UN entities; as well as over 760 parallel events held by civil society and youth-led organisations, this year’s CSW, recorded as the second highest attendance since its establishment in February 1947, agreed that women and girls were the worst hit in the turbulence the world is currently going through.
The issues
Setting the pace for the discussions, the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, at the opening ceremony, revealed that the latest statistics showed 10.3 per cent of women were living in multi-dimensional poverty; calling for intentional reforms and investments in women and girls.
“Our world is going through turbulent times, and women and girls are being hit hard. In conflict zones around the globe, women and girls are suffering most from wars waged by men…
“The facts are clear: women lead to peace. Budgets and policies must follow with ambitious targets for women’s participation and urgent investments in women’s peacebuilding.
Many women and girls are also facing a war on their fundamental rights at home and in their communities. Hard-fought progress is being reversed. Women’s rights are fundamentally a question of power, and I see two deeply worrying trends.
“Despite the enormous progress which all of you have helped to realise, patriarchy is far from vanquished. It is regaining ground. Autocrats and populists are attacking women’s freedoms and their sexual and reproductive rights. They promote what they call “traditional” values.
And patriarchy is, indeed, an age-old tradition.
“Discrimination against women goes back millennia. We don’t want to bring it back,” Guterres said.
According to him, it was time for governments; civil society and the Silicon Valley of the world to join a massive effort to bridge the digital gender divide and ensure women have decision-making roles in digital technology at all levels.
“This is one of the main goals of the Global Digital Compact that will be central to the Summit of the Future in September.
“Your gathering this year is focused on tackling poverty and strengthening institutions and financing with a gender perspective are critical to accelerating gender equality.
“The reason is simple: Globally, poverty has a female face. Women have less access to land, natural resources and financial assets. They suffer the impacts of climate change more than men, and they are more likely to be food insecure,” he said.
The UN boss noted that the world was failing to invest in women and girls, adding that the continuing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, mounting debt, climate-related disasters and an ongoing cost-of-living crisis were shrinking the pie even more.
“We will not solve today’s challenges by relying on a global financial system that helps perpetuate inequality.
I am therefore calling for an SDG Stimulus that would provide $500 billion annually in affordable long-term finance for developing countries. The proposal includes a debt lifeline to create breathing space for countries facing impossible repayment schedules.
“Leaders endorsed the Stimulus at last year’s SDG Summit. I urge all countries to support these efforts to increase the investments that will achieve SDG 5 on gender equality and turbocharge progress across the entire 2030 agenda.
“At the national level, governments are responsible for investing in ending poverty and achieving inclusive, sustainable development for all. That takes budgets and taxes that address the specific needs of impoverished women and girls.
“Governments must recognise the key economic role of unpaid care work, with policies that support both mothers and fathers to take paid work outside the home. They should ensure that their climate policies, including a just and equitable transition to renewable energy, boost employment opportunities for women and improve access to goods and services for women and girls.
“They must do more to prevent the global scourge of violence against women and girls and end the abomination of female genital mutilation. Equal rights for women and girls depend on ending violence and abuse against them.
“The Commission on the Status of Women catalyses the transformation we need. At this difficult and divided moment, let’s work together to end poverty in all its dimensions. Let’s do it by investing in women and girls, betting on women and girls and pushing for peace and dignity for women and girls everywhere,” he said.
Gender equality is a fundamental human right
In her keynote presentation at the Africana Women Working Group event whose theme was “Accelerating the achievement for gender equality and empowerment of women by women: implication on poverty and strengthening institutions,” held at the UN Delegates’ Dining room, The First Lady of Bahamas, Anne Marie Davis, emphasised her country’s dedication to gender equality and her role as a champion for the empowerment and protection of women, girls, and vulnerable communities.
Recognising gender equality as a fundamental human right, Davis stressed the urgent need for collective responsibility to address inequalities, calling for shared responsibility to tackle the matter.
She highlighted how women’s empowerment could trigger social and economic development, noting that societies were yet to tap into their potential
“We find ourselves at a pivotal moment in history where recognising gender equality as a fundamental right is more than a moral obligation. It is a strategic need. Women’s empowerment is a catalyst for social and economic achievement, and we must use it to move all our nations ahead.
“Empowering women involves not only empowering individuals, but families, communities and even nations, as we heard here this morning. Women are fundamental to every pocket of our societies, but our potential remains largely untouched. There are still too many areas that we need improvement in,” she said.
Davis also stressed the need for institution strengthening by removing gender-based discrimination, supporting equal pay, and promoting women-led enterprises. She reiterated the importance of investing in women’s skill development and education to ensure their active involvement in the workplace and economy.
She identified political empowerment as a ‘critical driver’ of institutional strength while advocating for greater representation of women in decision-making bodies at all levels of government.
“When women engage in decision-making at all levels of government, policies represent a wide range of viewpoints, needs and goals of everyone, an entire cross-section, not just of a certain few. But we recognise that there is so much work to be done locally and globally. Davis emphasised the role of the UN in encouraging dialogue, sharing best practices, and mobilising resources to support initiatives that empower women and girls economically, socially, and politically.
She said: “So, while we work together on gender equality at a national level in our respective countries, it is critical to know the value of international cooperation. The difficulties we face are global and so the answers must be collaborating.
“The United Nations plays an important role in encouraging dialogue, sharing best practices, and mobilising resources to accelerate progress towards gender equality. And as I said earlier in my speech, provincial resources are critical for enacting gender-responsive policies and services…”
No more rhetoric
UN Coordinator, Africana Women Working Group, Prof. Adaeze Menakaya, stressed the need to prioritise interest rather than the continuous rhetoric.
“What do we want? If women stand up today with one voice, that is our priority. Look at what happened in Liberia, women came together and the war came to an end. So we are talking about the priority to stop this cankerworm that is happening with women.
“Till today, women are dying; widows’ rights are being taken away. The children and women are suffering. Women in the office cannot be promoted; you cannot go further because you are a woman.
“Gender inequalities, gender balances and imbalances, gender emotions, gender character…these are all-inclusive and we are talking about the 2030 development agenda with six years to go into the end of the 2030 agenda.
“So, we need to stand up to our priorities. Prioritise our issues, put an end to these global cankerworms and let women be dignified just like how God created us. We are fearfully and wonderfully made and nothing fashioned against us shall prosper. We stand out on the ground to say enough is enough. Our priorities stand right now,” she said.
The First Female African-American Archbishop in the U.S., Her Eminence Mary Floyd Palmer, chronicled the challenges women had overcome, from gaining the right to vote to facing poverty and inequalities.
Palmer expressed concerns about the lack of wisdom and unity in the current generation, emphasising the need for women to support and uplift each other.
“In many countries around the world, we may not even be considered a part of the population of what matters…Now we have a whole generation that doesn’t seem to know what they’re doing. Our children are no less than 15 years younger than us. Our grandchildren are 30 years younger than us and our great-grandmas are sexier than our youngest grandchild.
“We don’t seem to have wisdom. We don’t want to hear nothing from anybody with just a little bit of gray hair,” she said.
The Mandate Secretary, Women Affairs and Children of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mrs Adedayo Benjamins-Laniyi reminded the women it was time to take actions that would leave lasting legacies for the future.
Using the Renewed Hope initiative of Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu as an example, Benjamins-Laniyi explained how they were turning the lives of rural and low-income women in the FCT around.
“It’s about positioning women first to impact their communities. So you don’t need to do it with a speech, but you need to do it with a lifestyle impacting every other lifestyle.
“Today, every woman must recognise that in closing gaps, you are dealing with the gaps. You need the courage to confront whatever the gap is around you. It may not end with you, but begin it. Step into it and raise with you a community of gap closures.
“You and I must make that representation affordable, available, accessible, sustainable, and scalable and you know what? Make it clean.
“You are the only weapon that we can use either against ourselves or to go far in life.
And this weapon is our love. “Love the other woman, love another woman. But best of all, be that woman that other women can love,” she said at the Women Development in Urban and Rural Communities side event organised by Betneely Charity Foundation.
Women’s access to clean energy
The President of Women in Energy Network, Mrs. Eyono Fatayi Williams, who also spoke at the Betneely Charity Foundation’s event said developing women through SDG7 (affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all) meant a more inclusive and sustainable bundle of developmental opportunities for ready and willing women.
“Women are disproportionately affected by energy poverty with the lack of access to clean and affordable energy and this impact will withhold education and economic opportunities,” she said.
Mrs Williams argued that inclusive policy changes were required to cater to the peculiar needs of women in urban and rural areas.
She called for policies that are gender-sensitive, and gender-inclusive and that address the challenges and blockers which make it difficult for women to access the opportunities for development in the energy sector.
“Energy access is crucial for women’s development in urban and rural areas. Interventions can be on a national, sub-national or local council level while NGOs and other development partners also have a role to play, individuals have a role to play; you can sponsor a community or a cluster of women.
Making a virtual contribution to the discussions, the Mandate Secretary for Health and Environmental Services of the FCT, Dr Dolapo Fasawe said: “Women in developing countries have been known to be the ones responsible for getting water for the family. With their certification, they have to go far and wide looking for resources to keep the family going.”
A voice for rural women and girls
The Founder of Betneely Charity Foundation, Dr Betty Olutunde emphasised the need for equal access to justice and the elimination of all forms of violence against women in rural areas who she said faced even more challenges than those in urban areas.
In rural areas, this can be achieved through initiatives like promoting education and electricity for girls and providing sanitation, improving access to healthcare, said Olutunde.
“Peace, justice and strong institutions are keys to promoting the development of women in Africa, in many African countries, women face discrimination and inequality in both urban and rural areas.
“Weak institutions often make it difficult to implement policies that would improve women’s lives,” she said.
The President of Defence and Police Officers’ Wives’ Association, (DEPOWA), Mrs Oghogho Musa highlighted some of the interventions the organisation had embarked upon.
She said: “DEPOWA under my leadership has conducted cervical cancer screening for over 500 women.
To help improve our women’s personal effectiveness and productivity, DEPOWA organised a two-day personal visioning and planning workshop to help participants create a clear and specific vision for their future.
“The goal was to help them gain clarity about what they want to achieve and how they can make their vision a reality. One hundred women participated in that workshop…”
Agreed outcomes
To meet the 2030 deadline to end women and girls’ poverty, stakeholders agreed that there was need to work 26 times faster.
The Commission recognised that women and girls living in poverty become ‘shock absorbers’ in times of crisis and that further efforts were needed to increase resources to address their poverty.
Acknowledging that the international financial architecture was not fit for a crisis-prone world, the Commission called for reforms to enable countries to mobilise and invest resources in gender equality. These measures include debt relief and progressive taxation and ensuring that public resources were allocated to address the needs and rights of women and girls.
Also recommended were the mobilisation of financial resources from public and private sources; strengthening the international financial architecture; ensuring a gender lens in national budgeting processes, and preventing regressive taxation that disproportionately impacts women and girls with low or no income.
The outcome document also noted that official development assistance must be increased to address women’s and girls’ poverty.
The Commission called for the implementation of gender-responsive economic and social policies, including increased women’s representation, leadership and participation in economic institutions, enforcing core labour standards to ensure equal pay for work of equal value, and implementing policies to support women-owned businesses.
It recommended the engagement and financing of women’s organisations, adding that robust, flexible and multi-year financing for locally-led feminist movements and women’s rights organisations was critical to addressing poverty, as proven by existing mechanisms such as the UN Trust Fund to End Violence Against Women and the Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund.
The need to strengthen national capacities to collect and use disaggregated data on multidimensional poverty, and to adopt new development strategies towards sustainable economies was also brought to the fore.
These include strengthening inclusive and gender-responsive social protection systems and scaling up investment in the care economy to reduce women’s time and income poverty and expand their employment opportunities.
Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) play critical role in achieving sustainable growth. But for SMEs to thrive, funding and capacity building are critical. The Women’s Day edition of the United Bank for Africa (UBA) Business Series in Lagos presented an opportunity to equip the bank’s customers, especially the women with the strategies to help build successful businesses, writes Assistant Business Editor, COLLINS NWEZE.
The economies of great nations thrive on the strength and output of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), widely seen as engine of growth.
The benefits of providing capacity building and funding for SMEs are huge. Banks with foresight are, therefore, taking steps to invest and support SMEs in the interest of the economy.
United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc is one of the banks that is investing and supporting SMEs.The bank used the opportunity provided by the Women’s Day edition of the UBA Business Series tagged ‘Her Story’ and meant to celebrate the 2024 International Women’s Day (IWD) to demonstrate its commitment to SMEs, especially women-led businesses.
During the event, held at the bank’s headquarters in Lagos, successful female business entrepreneurs used the event to advise SME operators and would-be business owners to focus on meeting specific needs of customers and also promoting tier own self-development.
These, the speakers said, would create a path towards building prosperous brands in the short and long-term.
During the hybrid event, entrepreneurs emphasised the need for SMEs to invest in themselves and have a proper working business structure as tips that will help build and grow their businesses.
The co-founder and CEO of Good Hair Limited, Chioma Ikokwu; Founder of African Naturalistas, Atilola Moronfolu; founder of Hello Perfect, a leading skin aesthetics and laser clinic in Nigeria, Onyeka Michael-Ugwu and actress/founder and Chief Executive Officer, NOUA Skin, a luxury boutique skin studio based in Lagos, Oshuwa Tunde-Imoyo, were panellists at the special women’s edition of last quarter’s UBA Business series who spoke on the theme: “Her story”.
Ojukwu, who emphasised the need for meaningful partnerships and collaborations in business, said: “It is important to start by solving a problem, you have to separate your lifestyle from your business and ensure that you are intentional about what you put out there. Also, get straight to the point about what you are offering your customers, no need beating about the bush.’’
Buttressing Chioma’s point, Onyeka told business owners and would-be entrepreneurs to surround themselves with the right people as these are the people that will help tend to the growth of the business. “I always tell people, build a team that can give their best to your business. When you treat your team right, they will put their all into growing your business,” she said.
Atilola who was all about the advantage of a proper business structure to one’s business, said, “Get your structure right, you need to have a standard operating procedure that works whether you are physically present or not. Also, it is very important to separate your personal finances from your business finances, that way, your business learns to thrive on its own,” she explained.
On her part, Oshuwa spoke about education and investing in one’self, as she added that business owners need to hone their skills, and should not be afraid to ask for help when they need it. “I agree with Atilola and Onyeka about collaborations and I also subscribe to learning new things by investing in educating yourself, this will translate into better business decisions,” she said.
UBA’s Group Head, Marketing and Corporate Communications, Alero Ladipo, who commended the panelists for taking time off their busy schedules to share their knowledge, said UBA organises these business series frequently as they go a long way towards equipping customers, especially the women with the strategies to help build successful businesses.
“We believe that SMEs, especially those run by the females, are the engine of growth in any economy, and so, at UBA, we invest in educating our customers and Small business owners on tips that will help them run successful businesses that can impact the world,” Ladipo said.
UBA is one of the largest employers in the financial sector on the continent, with 25,000 employees’ group wide and serving over 35 million customers globally. Operating in 20 African countries and in the United Kingdom, the United States of America, France and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), UBA provides retail, commercial and institutional banking services, leading financial inclusion and implementing cutting-edge technology.
More initiatives to support SMEs
The UBA recently instituted $100 million new loans to SMEs and other businesses across Africa that are focused on green finance projects.
UBA’s Group Managing Director, Oliver Alawuba, broke the news during the partnership signing agreement between the bank and the African Guarantee Fund (AGF) at the UBA Head Office in Lagos. He said the move aligned with the bank’s commitment to fostering economic development and reducing poverty.
“The facility aligns with our objective to power businesses. Through this, we will lend to women-led SMEs at cheaper rates. It will demonstrate our commitment to gender equality. We will actively engage governments to create loans. It is a transformative initiative for fostering economic development,” Alawuba said.
The AGF will under the agreement provide $50 million Portfolio Guarantee for the SMEs and green finance projects that will benefit from the facility.
The AGF will further facilitate extensive capacity building for the borrowers, with special focus women-led businesses and green finance projects across the 20 countries where UBA operates in Africa
Alawuba reiterated the bank’s commitment towards supporting SMEs in Africa, especially to women-founded and managed businesses.
He said the bank’s robust network, which is spread across the 20 countries in Africa and major global financial capitals remain big advantage.
He said: “This guarantee will serve as a catalyst for the bank’s intervention for SME business, women-led and environment friendly businesses, enabling us to further extend our reach and impact. Additionally, the extensive capacity development initiatives planned for our SME customers across 20 African countries align with our vision to empower businesses, drive innovation, and foster sustainable growth.
“I am particularly excited about our focus on advancing the AfCFTA initiative, reaffirming UBA’s $6 billion commitment to SMEs across Africa. This initiative, announced in September last year, demonstrates our dedication to supporting the economic integration of our continent,” he further said.
“Moreover, our commitment to promoting gender equality in our business is reflected in our collaboration with the Affirmative Finance Action for Women(AFAWA) protocol. Through this we will provide loans to women-owned SMEs at more concessional rates, with customer friendly collateral terms, aiming to bridge the significant financing gap faced by women in Africa, amounting to $42 billion,” Alawuba noted.
In the same vein, capacity development platforms are to be extended for free or at highly discounted rates while the partners will engage with governments across Africa to create and activate business environments that are more women friendly. It will also expand the bank’s Green Finance propositions across Africa.
Also, the Group CEO of African Guarantee Fund, Jules Ngankam, said the partnership between two pan-African institutions who are both at the forefront of catalysing growth and development of SMEs will significantly drive economic growth across the continent.
“Small and medium enterprises despite being the backbone of all African economies – they account for 90 per cent of the private sector and 60 per cent of all jobs – are perceived as risky and therefore have limited access to financing. Through this guarantee facility and the technical capacity development grant support, we will de-risk SMEs with a priority on those that are owned or led by women and those that are within the green sector.
This partnership is sequel to the announcement made by UBA, and Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat in September 2024, which will help the bank drive its $6 billion commitment to SMEs across Africa under the AfCFTA initiative.
Support for Intra-Africa trade
Intra-African trade is also a key area of strength for the UBA. The bank’s presence in 20 African countries is mainly to drive intra-African trade. Its partnership with AfCFTA is also to drive inter-African trade.
Also, the UBA is at th forefront of the partnership involving Afreximbank’s Pan-African Payment & Settlement System (PAPSS), a payment system for settlement of business transactions across Africa.
So, intra-African trade is important and Africa needs to trade more with each other and that will further improve our economic development across the continent.
Alawuba recently disclosed that UBA is a bank focused on African development. A lot has been happening in Africa and we recently met with development partners to discuss agenda for Africa’s development.
He said: “Some of our customers also share the same development agenda for Africa. And I believe that this is our time, this is the time for UBA, to work with other development partners and corporate organisations across Africa to develop the resources and opportunities that are available in Africa.
“We are present in 20 African countries and four other countries outside Africa. We believe that Africa has tremendous opportunities and we need to have partners, institutions that will be able to harness these opportunities for the people. So, UBA is well-positioned to facilitate business within Africa and the rest of the world”.
He said the most important thing is for Africa to drive financial inclusion, adding that a lot of Africans that are left out of the banking industry and that is where UBA comes in.
“UBA is in the forefront of using digital technology to drive financial inclusion. And we think that we need to build strong African institutions that will be able to support infrastructure development, support SMEs and the development of our continents.
“Our goal is to work with several development partners who share the same vision, the vision that Africa needs to move and improve development in the continent. And this development has to be done by Africans working with like minds who believe that Africa must move forward,” he said.
Funding support for economy
The UBA also recently received a $175 million facility from the Africa Development Bank (AfDB) Group.
The fund will be channeled towards enhancing its support to the private sector and financing of infrastructure development in Nigeria.
This facility comprises a $100 million in long-term senior debt, $50 million of trade finance medium-term senior debt and a $25 million risk participation programme. The announcement was made following AfDB’s Board of Directors nod for the facility.
The long-term senior debt will enhance UBA’s capacity to finance projects in Nigeria in the key sectors of infrastructure, agriculture and related value chains, as well as manufacturing, energy, and SMEs.
For the family of Fidelis Omhonria, July 13, 2023 is a date that would live in the memory for life. It was the day that bullets shot from the guns of officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) killed their older son and shattered an eye of the second. Eight months after, the family is not only battling with the irreversible damage that was done to their psyche, they are also saddled with the burden of paying the enormous hospital bills that come with treating the second child, who doctors insist must be flown abroad to save his sight. In spite of the urgency that the trip requires, the family regrets that little or nothing is being done to expedite action, INNOCENT DURU reports.
• US hospital bill jumps from N60m to N150m
• Delta govt reneges on promise to reimburse family
• NDLEA, Delta govt deny allegations
Eromonsele, a less than two years old toddler, faces the risk of losing his sight unless urgent steps are taken to fly him abroad for necessary medical attention.
Much as his parents have tried to put behind them the ugly experience of their eldest son’s death from bullets fired by some yet to be identified NDLEA officials, Eromonsele’s painful cries every night evokes an ugly reminder of the tragic incident.
“At times when he cries, you see blood coming out from that particular eye,” said Eromosele’s distraught father, Fidelis, as he fought back tears. “The way they programmed the use of my son’s eye drop is somehow. We must do it every two hours to avoid infection and we must apply it without failing,” he added.
The sleepless nights and huge sums spent on Eromonsele would have mattered less to the distraught parents if they are certain that the solution lies in them. But the solution, according to medical experts, lies in flying him abroad, the US to be precise, for advanced medical care.
“After trying their best, doctors at Federal Medical Centre, Asaba where the two kids were initially rushed to said they would have to refer him to Lagos because the situation of the eye was not one they could handle.
Fidelis said: “We came to Eye Foundation in Lagos and were there for more than one week. The consultant later said because he (Eromosele) is a little child, they did not have the machine to see through the cornea of the affected eye because the damage was much.
“He advised that it would be better for us to take him out of the country. We had to come back to Asaba where another ophthalmologist also said the best thing for us is to fly him out of the country.”
Fidelis recalled that while they were in Lagos, NDLEA officials kept calling, “and I told them we were in Lagos trying to stabilise the boy, because at that point, he was not talking. I said I would get in touch with them when I got back to Asaba.
“On getting back to Asaba, I called the number that was calling me but it was not reachable. The controller that was there before had been transferred. After that period, they abandoned me.
“When I came back to Asaba, I also tried to communicate it to them that we were back and that Eye Foundation said they could not do it; that the child needed medical attention in the US. But the NDLEA started telling me that they would come today, they would come tomorrow.
“They were doing all that because it is not any of their sons. This is my son. I have to do anything I can at this level to see that I save my little boy.”
Personal efforts to fly child abroad
Seeing that the NDLEA was not forthcoming, one of Fidelis’ friends stepped in and helped him to do USA visa applications for his family.
He said: “We processed the passports and all that on our own since NDLEA was not responding. I communicated with them to let them know what I was doing and they said they would get back to me.
“The legal officer later said they did not have money. The bill given to me for the treatment in the US was between N60 million and N70 million.
“We contacted a doctor over there who promised to assist. She said the surgery would not be done in her hospital but that she would help us coordinate the system for my son to be taken to a teaching hospital there.
“She said the most important thing was to bring my son there. But the only thing she would not assure me was that she would give me a visa. The NDLEA, at least, can write and stand and help us to coordinate everything in the US.
“I made everything known to the NDLEA and the chairman later called me to condole with me. He said he was currently not in the country but whatever the case, he was coming to Asaba.
“He said he wanted to send me some money but I said on what account are you sending me money? He said no, it was not from NDLEA; that he was sending me the money in his own personal capacity because he saw my son as his own grandson.”
After that period, Fidelis said, there was a break in communication.
Delta State governor, SSG step in
Fidelis recalled that when the incident occurred, the Delta State governor and the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) came and said they were going to settle all the bills of which he had paid about 80 per cent.
“Since the governor said he was going to settle all the bills, I stopped going to the NDLEA because I was not hearing from them again.
“At a point, one of the PAs in the governor’s office said I should stop calling because it was NDLEA’s responsibility.
“One of my friends escalated the issue on social media, quoting the governor. After that, the SSG called, saying that he thought we had long been sorted with the money that the governor promised.
“He said I should go and bring evidence of all the expenses I had made and the ones we were expecting to make. I went and gave everything to him and he said he was very sorry he never knew that the whole incident had not been sorted.
“He said that the governor actually had intention of giving me money to sort out things but because they were very busy, they didn’t know that it had not been sorted. This was between the end of October and early November 2023.”
Continuing, Fidelis said: “He said the governor would need to approve some money for me, including the one I was going to spend overseas and everything concerning the boy; that he was going to take over the responsibility.
“He said they would write a letter to the US Embassy so that they could at least grant us a visa. The SSG wrote a letter, added all the applications I had done so far and sent it to the Abuja embassy of the US.
“He tried his best and also helped me to connect to a doctor in the US to help me out and make the necessary arrangements in the US concerning my son’s condition.
In the process of doing that, he said, “the NDLEA Chairman, Bubba Marwa, came on the 2nd of November to pay a condolence visit to me in my house in Asaba.
“Before then, our lawyer, because we had waited for NDLEA for a very long time, had already sent a petition through the senator representing this constituency, Senator Ned Nwoko, to the Senate.
Before Marwa came, we had to go to court for the civil suit. The government was handling the criminal case.
“When Marwa came, he told me that there was no need for court; that I should tell my family to see how we could take care of my little child so that we would send him to the United States for proper care.
“The NDLEA chairman went on air to say that he would fast track everything that I had been doing so that my son would be taken to the US for proper treatment.
“After he left, I went to meet my family member an told him what he said and the efforts of the SSG, and that we should withdraw the case.
“Later, the SSG told me that since the NDLEA had come into the matter, we should let everybody work together so that the state and the federal governments would not be working at cross purposes.”
NDLEA takes over
Going forward, the embattled father said NDLEA attached a protocol officer to him to start giving them all the necessary information on the document they needed to fly the child and the parents abroad.
“All the documents they needed from both here and Lagos Eye Foundation I submitted to them to expedite action, because we had already got a date.
“When you apply for US visa, they would give you a far date, but because it is a critical case, the government needs to come in to help us expedite it so that we can have a close date.
“Thereafter, the protocol officer asked me to resend all that had I sent before. I was wondering because we already got a date and only needed them to expedite it.
“From November till December ending, nothing was done. I went and buried my son that was killed, hoping on what Marwa had said.
“I informed NDLEA about the burial and begged them to assist so that the other boy could see. They said okay, that they would do their best.
“I have kept begging the (NDLEA) chairman and everybody around him for help so that my son does not go totally blind. I have lost one already.”
When NDLEA was foot dragging with expediting the date given for the interview, Fidelis said: “My uncle helped us get a date, which was February 2nd 2024, for the visa interview. I told him the NDLEA was already working on it so that they could stand that they were sponsoring the trip. I so much believed Marwa’s words.
“To my greatest surprise, on the first of February, the NDLEA protocol officer called and said that there was a visa interview date for me. I said I hope it was not the date that one of my uncles had already got for me. Why are they capitalising on this?
“The protocol officer called me at about 8:30 pm when I was already sleeping. He said there was a date for me; that they saw it in their system. I told them that the date was more or less for the application I personally submitted and not theirs.
“Their legal officer said we should go to the embassy; that they would see how they could do a letter to them. Before then, NDLEA said I should change the location to Lagos because that was where they could do it with ease.
“I did so, but to my greatest surprise, it was the date that my uncle got that they told me about, and it was Abuja and not Lagos they asked me to change to.
“That very night, I called my agent and he booked a flight for my entire family. When it was our turn to be interviewed, they looked at the medical report and everything and said there was no NDLEA involvement in the process and so they would not be able to give us visa.
“They said we should go and do the needful and reapply. I thereafter messaged Marwa and he apologised. He reimbursed the money I spent on the flight from Asaba to Abuja.”
Within 48 hours, Fidelis said, “I submitted another application. I paid half a million from my pocket. The protocol officer then called, asking me to send my documents. I did all that.
“She said I should accept any date that they give me in the application so that they could expedite it. Since I did that till now, it has been still story upon story and my son’s condition is getting worse on a daily basis.
“I have been begging, I have been crying for them to save my son from losing his sight. They gave us 2025 for the second application I submitted. It is now left to the NDLEA to expedite it so that I can take my son out for treatment.
“Now the medical bill has been reviewed because of the exchange rate. It is now N150 million against the N67 million given to me.”
The genesis
Recalling how the problem began, Fidelis said: “On July 13, at about 4.20 pm, I went to get my children from school and took them to their mother’s shop on Opanam Road.
“Less than five minutes after I drove away from the shop, my wife started calling that I should come. She was shouting bullet! bullet! She didn’t know where the bullets came from because they were inside the shop.
“I turned back immediately. Coming back, I sighted about three NDLEA vans . I stopped. But before I could get to the shop, I had sighted NDLEA officials. They were just shooting, and people were running around.
“Before I could get to the shop, I saw my wife and my children. People were shouting, trying to help my wife to take my children to the hospital, and I told them that they should go.”
He continued: “The NDLEA men parked in front of my wife’s shop. I now went to go and meet them. I said, ah, the bullet you people fired just now injured my child. The man did not even look at me. He just faced the other side.
“I brought out my phone and snapped them, snapped the vehicle and snapped the guy inside the vehicle.
“Before I knew it, they rushed at me, asking why I was snapping them? They said I should bring the phone.
“Before I knew it, they just entered their vehicle and zoomed off. That was when I followed them. I was crying, shouting and videoing them.
“At a point, they stopped and asked why was I videoing them. I took time to tell them what they did. He said is that so? That they didn’t know.
“They called one of their persons in their office, which is the commander, who spoke to me and asked me to come to their office. I followed them to their office just to know the place.
“Thereafter, I went back to meet my kids at the hospital. I was told that my older son, two years and five months old, and the younger one, who was one year and a few weeks old, were in the theatre.
“The medical doctor said I could not see them and that I should hold on because they were working on them.
“They told me that bullets pierced through my son, Ivan’s chest, and came out from the back. The other one, they said the bullet pierced through the glass and entered his eyes. The eye was bleeding and all that.
“At about 11 am or thereabouts, the older one, Ivan died.
“The second child was not closing his eyes, so they were trying to see how they could bring him back to life.
“Along the line, we went to keep the deceased one in a mortuary to see how the other one would survive.
NDLEA, Delta govt deny allegations
The NDLEA has denied the allegations by Fidelis.
Speaking on a telephone interview with our correspondent, the spokesman of the agency Femi Babafemi said: “We sympathise with the parents and we stand on our promise to support the family. Nothing has changed from the promise made by the Chief Executive of the agency because he is a parent, he is compassionate and he feels for them. Let me put in on record that we provided all the necessary documents that we required to provide to assist the family. We wrote a letter to the US Embassy , confirming that we are the ones sponsoring their trip and listed all their names. And that we are also responsible for the medical bills. All of that was stated in our letter to the US embassy. Besides that, even their coming to Abuja, all their expenses both travels and accommodation, we paid for that.
“How can that translate to abandoning them? That is not tantamount to abandoning them. Unfortunately, we cannot dictate to the Embassy when they will issue the visa. That is certainly not within our control. I have been in touch with the parents and even after they were denied visa the first time. I encouraged them to reapply. The chairman of the agency himself has been in touch with the officials of the US Embassy on this issue. We have always shown the urgency on that. We are also in touch with the state government to ensure that everything works well and they get to travel for the treatment. Certainly we have not in any way deviated from our promise to support and assist them. All that we have done cannot be interpreted to mean that we have abandoned them.”
Asked if the agency has been responsible for the boy’s hospital bills, Babafemi said: “We have a full directorate of medical services. If they need us to handle all of that, we will do. We do within what we know. We pay what we know. We take responsibility for what we know but not what is done behind us that we don’t know. There are no expenses locally that we know of that we have not assisted.”
The Secretary to the Delta State government, Dr Kingsley Emu also denied that the state has been supporting the family and hasn’t reneged on its promise.
He said: “The state is very sympathetic to what happened to the family. It is a big loss that nobody can sweep under the carpet. We have demonstrated as a state significant physical, financial and moral sympathy in this direction. The state picked up the whole bills at the hospital here and that can be verified at the FMC. Every bill on this matter as at the time we visited, we picked up. We also understand that the NDLEA picked up some bills when he went to Lagos. I think Eye Foundation did some refund. I have been having discussions with him as a friend and as a rep of the state. What he wanted is to take the child abroad with the family which is okay. The governor directed me and he announced that on the television to issue a letter of recommendation to the embassy which is the maximum we can do in this matter. Like you know, a visa is a privilege. We did that.
“NDLEA came several times and has done similar things. NDLEA has a bilateral relationship with the United States on drugs related issues and they have made a lot of entreaties with them. I don’t want to talk about small small cash gifts in between. But to turn around and say that we have abandoned him is not correct. Until last week, he sent me a text and showed me the heaps of eye drops that the family had expended on the boy’s eyes. If he gets a visa, NDLEA has undertaken to write off all the bills abroad. That was what the chairman told me. The NDLEA chairman was here in Asaba to see him. Ask him if he has sent any bill, one document. Ask him to show evidence of any document he has shown and the expenditure that he did and we didn’t support him.”
Continuing, he said: “Even as he waits for the visa to come, which is his preference and which I also support for first class medical attention, there is no bill. Ask him to show you one a who he communicated with. Who did he discuss with? Where is the bill communicated formally to the state?
“The state is still pushing for him to go. If he tells us today that we should look for an alternative solution in any hospital, we would be able to help him. If he has made up his mind to treat the problem locally and he has a bill, let him bring it.”
Politics, many would say, is a game. To a few others, however, it is not only a serious business, it is a social contract between a political office holder and voters that elected them into office. Benue State governor, Hyacinth Alia, a catholic priest who has been in the saddle for 10 months, shared his experience with reporters in Makurdi his experience in Government House. Assistant Editor EMMANUEL BADEJO was there.
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What informed your decision to drop priesthood for a part in the murky waters of politics?
Many people have asked similar questions. But the one that thrilled me most was Governor Charles Soludo of Anambra State, who taunted me at a time, asking why I temporarily left the cassock to take on the headache of governance. I told him that the answer is quite simple. The church generally has an aim, which is to save souls. The church does not want people to be lost. The aim of my coming into partisan politics is exactly to fulfill that purpose. I came in to save the poor masses of Benue.
Before my advent into partisan politics, too many things were wrong. I had lived a functional 33 years as a priest with my locals. I’ve been in the trenches with them, and the people I love working for the most are the destitute, the poor masses, those who do not have a voice in our society, who are oppressed, suppressed and neglected. God loves everyone and He does not want anybody, particularly the vulnerable groups in any society, abandoned and lost. These are the people that I felt were never cared for.
How would you describe Benue at the time you took over as governor?
When I took over, I met the state in a pitiable condition. Pensioners were regarded as dead people; they were not remembered. Their entitlements were not paid for years. Local government teachers and the rest of the civil servants were nearly totally forgotten. My father was a local government teacher and I felt his pains when his entitlements were not given to him.
The state, since its creation, was just a glorified village. We didn’t even have light on the streets in the state capital. Our internal roads were minimally tarred. So many things were not just in place. Benue has more ghost schools and workers than the real ones. You come into the state capital, Makurdi, and it is like you come into a village. I felt there was a need for us to change that narrative.
But the church stood against your ambition and consequently suspended you from priesthood…
The church is not against her priests joining partisan politics. Where it is a case of plurality of parties, the church will hold her reservation. But at the same time, there is a leeway that if the church judges that the society is too dysfunctional and that the only person to salvage the situation is a priest, then the church is given that allowance. Someone can spring up via the church to save the rest of the people.
Not many people understand this, and this is why I had to come in and save the souls. We had to take care of the human beings that are out there.
You have had about 10 months in the saddle. What would you say your administration has been able to do?
Since we came in, we’ve been caring for the human beings in the state. We have been trying to fix several dysfunctional sectors. The first thing we did was introduce a policy of meritocracy, meaning you only earn or get what you earn. And having understudied the system in the last 10 months, we were able to record huge financial shift.
We are constructing roads to boost our agricultural market and food production. One of the areas we are looking at is improving the public primary schools. Can you imagine the primary school I attended having only a teacher with dilapidated infrastructure? That is a replica of many primary schools in the rural areas. We’re talking about the future of Benue, the future of Nigeria.
These are vulnerable groups who can’t fight for themselves; we need to fight for them. It is like fighting for democracy, which does not just happen; it has to be fought for. To ensure that the schools are working, there must be infrastructural traction and functionality. This is what we have been doing since we came in.
When we fight for democracy, then we’ll be fighting against food insecurity that exists because farmers are on the farms and encouraging them to go into mechanized farming. I came in to assure them that God loves them in a way they can have their liberality of thoughts, they can know that they and their children owe the future.
So, I came in so that the state will have the fullness of democracy and the fullness of life. People need to understand that government is an opportunity to protect peoples’ lives and ensure that the people go back to their agrarian society.
On May 29 last year, you promised massive infrastructural development and later declared a state of emergency on infrastructure. With the challenging economy, do you think you would be able to deliver on your projection?
We had declared a state of emergency on our infrastructure. Our primary schools were in decay. We had weeded out ghost schools in that unit. Benue had more ghost workers. For instance, we had these ghost schools with 95 teachers and the least teacher was on Grade Level 10. This had been on for a very long time. Can you imagine what the state had been losing to that alone?
So, what we did was that we were able to save N1.4 billion the first month we came on board. By the second month, we saved over N2 to 3 billion from ghost workers alone. We then shifted into the civil service where we saw some other things. The state had more casual staff than the permanent staff. These casual staff were paid between N10,000 and N15,000 a month. The entire ministry of works didn’t have up to 12 staff. This was quite unheard of. We had to weed out some of them and it is just now that we are coming to terms with reality. That is what we are doing. By this, we were able to fine-tune the system to work.
In terms of infrastructure, we are an agrarian state and over 80 per cent of the people here are farmers. But unfortunately, they were never incentivised to be the best they would be on the farms. So, we set out to do the roads that could lead from their farms to the market squares and back here to the centre. I’m glad to tell you that in the last few months, we have fixed 16 roads and we’re at the point of unveiling another 31 street roads within the capital city, Makurdi.
At the same time, other contractors are working on rural roads across the state where we have most of our food production, because that is where we want the impact to be first felt.
There are talks that you give contractors 70 per cent up front, which is unprecedented in Nigeria. What is the guarantee that these contractors will deliver on their projects?
Yes, we wrote down that 70 per cent be given to them, which we do on installments basis. We decided to be doing this to arrest the challenges of inflation and foreign exchange. For the records, we do not give 70 per cent at a go.
Let me also inform you that many of our contractors are locally sourced. These contractors have built themselves up and also because we have received other testimonials from other states. But with the agreement to sign with them, there’s no way any of them can perform below expectation. And where we sense that, we’ll hold them by the jugular. It is not as if we just give them the contracts.
It is not true that we give them 70 per cent. But because the State Executive Council said 70 per cent should be given to them because of inflation, it is segmented. That is why most contractors are scrambling for Benue State. And those who took projects and money and didn’t do the work, their day is coming as we are counting for them. They’ll have some questions to answer on why they took jobs they didn’t do.
What steps are you taking to address the security situation in your state, especially in the rural areas?
Before we were ushered in on May 29, 2023, the security reports on our insecurities were horrible. It is also on record that hundreds of people were being killed in one local government area. Before you took that to heart, you heard of another one. We had tonnes of these deaths on our hands. But since we came in, it is on record that there has been relative peace. How do we know the indices? By the same security apparatus that we have and by the reports we get from our vigilantes, forest guards and other security apparatus who are working in sync with the security of our people.
By the situation report we receive every day, we are able to measure that. Overall, we have relative peace. But at the same time, relative peace does not mean we have absolute peace.
But there are still reports of attacks and killings in the state…
It is true that we have had pockets of attacks in recent times. What we discovered was that of late, we had a large influx of armed herders that flocked in some local government areas of the state. These local governments are prone to insecurity because they share borders with a number of states.
Despite your achievements in a few months and to the delight of many Benue residents, there are still dissenting voices in your party against your administration. What are the issues?
Well, in every administration, you expect those who oppose you. I came in with a plan to rebuild our state. Some people are at their best when there is a crisis, and there are some political leaders who dug a hole and kept everyone in the state down there and they don’t want anyone to see the light of day. There were no infrastructure and no one knew where the monies given to the state were going to. They did not better anyone’s lives; they took care of their individual families. We have a conscience and a report card we must present to the people. So, if a select few say they are in charge of the state and that before development comes, they must know, when FAAC allocations come, it must be given to them first, who does that? It is not for anyone to be inciting the masses against the government.
Who gains more if all the political gladiators come together with ideologies that will take the state forward? It is regressive for anyone to be thinking of sharing the state’s money. That would not work at all. This is what some of them have been doing that has not taken us anywhere. Benue, though created in 1976, is far behind on all fronts.
Look at Nasarawa that was just created, can we consider the development in that state with what we have in Benue? Everywhere in Lafia its capital city is lit up, structures have come up. The people brought me to the seat, they ensured that I present to them the merits of democracy. They voted me on trust. Let all political gladiators come up with ideologies and not dysfunctionality that will consume everyone. So, for those who want the state’s money to be shared with them, sorry, that can’t happen anymore. This has been the practice for more than two decades and where has that taken us? I feel it is just high time everybody got on board with me.
Besides, I have my character and reputation and I came into this game with a defined intention to work with and for the people and accommodate everyone. That is what we will continue to do, because at the end of it all, I am going to be responsible for everything. I am for the people, with the people and working for them. The people of Benue gave me their trust.
You campaigned and won the election on APC’s ticket. Should there not be a well-defined arrangement to take care of party machinery?
I am not denying the understanding of doing what we should do by taking care of our statesmen. We have been doing that. I am a moderate person, it will be childish of me to go on television and say we are giving money to some people. And as much as the law allows us, we will continue to do the needful.
My predecessor plunged Benue into a huge debt hanging on my head.
It is disheartening to know that few indigenes of the state want to be known as Benue APC and they want all the funds in the state to be handed over to them. If that is done, can the state function that way? For us, we consider the masses and that is why you see all the projects going on in the state, and we will continue on that path. Anything short of that will be detrimental to the state and I am not prepared to settle for less.
Those who criticise every policy we bring out are the beneficiaries of the dysfunctional system. These are cohorts who move in their own gangs. These are social media bandits and we need to get rid of them by executing the projects we had promised to do that will benefit everyone. Some of these people come to me privately to hail me but when they come, I say to them to make their kudos known to the public. Some of them take it as a business.
It is in the news that you have a frosty relationship with the Secretary to the Federal Government, Senator George Akume. Will this not affect the party and the state?
As regards my relationship with the SGF, Senator George Akume, for the records, I don’t have any differences with him. He was the leader of the APC in the state and he ensured that everything was done for me to win, and we won. There is no way I will talk ill of him or complain. He was the one encouraging me to break all the records of my predecessor. I am also happy when I read where Akume said that he has no problem with me. We don’t have issues. But then, it is granted that social media is a new world on its own where some miscreants flourish.
Some people accuse me of pinching Benue money. They say I run the state like I ran the church. I hear them saying that since the church does not have money, priests are already used to money pinching. They are not happy with me because they expected me to keep the state’s treasury open for everyone to take what they can. If that is the grouse, I thank the church for giving me such discipline. Without the pinching, you cannot rule a state like Benue. I feel that if we consider the masses, APC will do great things for this state. I can tell you authoritatively that everybody is benefiting from the programmes and projects we are doing.
If you say you and the SSG have no differences, what about several court cases against Benue APC that made the national leadership of the party to order withdrawal of all litigations?
For the records, I never took the APC to court. So, the letter is not talking about me. Those who are working for the APC in the state have not taken the party to court. Let me be clear on this.
Are you not distracted?
I am not distracted in any form or fashion because I came into the bidding of the party and above all, the people. We are executing that script as planned, so, there are no distractions whatsoever, and that is why I am doing the work I am doing. In some places, you hear people calling me Mr. 25 because their salaries are being paid on the 25th of each month. People need to understand the stability of governance, they worked for it and they earned it. Why should they be denied?
NLC is agitating for a pay rise. Is Benue prepared to key into the new minimum wage demand?
We are prepared. As one of the sub-nationals, why can’t we be in sync with what the entire nation is doing? We must and I am prepared to go for that. Once the minimum wage is agreed upon, we must also follow. So far, salaries are being paid and we are doing well with the payment of pensions of the people as well. Their lives are back and I am willing to do more for them.
What have you done to better the lots of workers with Benue Links Transportation Company?
We met nothing on ground, I mean total zero. Those who owned Benue Links before May 29, 2023, were individual private persons. They brought in a few of their buses that used to be known as a fleet for the company. Benue Links had no cars. When we came in, we saw the need to revamp the establishment. With our location as a state, people come into the state from all directions. So, we need to ease the movement of people who need to go to other parts of the country. This was why we did some investment by buying 100 buses at a time and thank God, it was effective. We subsidised that so that the fuel subsidy removal will not have any effect on the people. I was happy with the result. I am happy that the buses are running to a good number of states. The establishment is trying to do some addition that will encourage competition towards improving our transportation and I’m looking up to that.
You have embarked on several infrastructural projects. How are you sourcing the fund? Also, your predecessor was owing workers, have you been able to clear the debts?
Though we met a huge debt, we have been able to invest in health, roads, and some other infrastructure. Unfortunately, we have not been able to offset the arrears because it runs into hundreds of billions of naira. I cannot take care of that now, but what I have done is to take care of their salaries. Under my watch, our civil servants will not lose any of their salaries.
With the pensioners, their situation was more critical, but we are trying to take care of the pensions and continue to scale down. Governance deals with prioritization.
In the medical sector, we have invested heavily in our teaching hospital. We also gave some form of incentive to our medical personnel and the student population there, many of whom we are encouraging to give back to the state. We were the first to take care of the medical doctors’ residency last year. So, we understand that many doctors are now longing for Benue to hire them. We’ll give similar attention to general hospitals and clinics in the local governments.
Government is an opportunity where the unemployed will be given some form of training and exposure to acquiring skills.
Apart from pinching the state’s resources, are there other ways your government has been raising funds to meet the state’s needs?
I’m trying to raise internally generated revenue. Our treasury had too many holes and we are making some parchments on it. If anyone accuses you of pinching, well, I thank God and the church for that training. Do you know that I got only one car just last month for the state’s business as sitting governor? I have to make some tough choices too. Though I know what the book provides and I know what others will do, I’ve got to make some tough choices. For now, I need just that one car and that is good enough for us. This can be a platform for luxury, but we don’t have that means for now.
Our President had to make tough choices, I mean tough choices. We should be clapping for him for taking the boldness to remove the fuel subsidy. He was attacked and some are still attacking him. If he didn’t make that tough choice then, where would we be now as a nation?
What is your take on the calls for a return to the parliamentary system of government?
We need to get this right. We need some education and re-education. The system of governance is not the problem; we the people are the problem. Politics is not a bad game, it is the players that are bad. God forbid, if I play bad, it doesn’t mean that politics is a bad game, it simply means that the players are the bad players who are not promoting the good spirit of democracy. It is not the form of government that is bad, but it is the people, who have their own different modes of thinking.
Take for instance, state police. It is not a new idea. We have had it in the past, but why did we jettison it? Why are we projecting its re-establishment now? Why do we have large appetite for money? Why are we too greedy? Why are we not thinking of the masses? Why do some politicians make promises of what they didn’t intend to provide during campaign? The problem is the man and not the system. This is why we need this new orientation.
Benue is an agrarian state, but she is not occupying this role. What will your government do to make the state feed the nation?
We will do all that we need to do to ensure that agriculture takes its pride of place in Benue again. I have promised financial support to those farmers who are ready to return to their farmlands, and I mean it. The state had agricultural development programmes and I’m waiting for those with requisite knowledge and techniques to come in there and take it up. The state will provide the capital to do whatever they intend to do. The state will provide the capital and the farm tools. The state can also be the off-takers of your farm products. We in the state have no reason to talk about food insecurity. We have all it takes to feed the state and the nation.
What’s your stance on the push for the autonomy of the local government?
Yes, granting autonomy to the local government will make things work better for the people. Again, it is not the system that is bad, but the individuals. So, if the managers of the local government become irresponsible, autonomy won’t make any difference.
At the moment in Benue, we are checking because we have discovered that a lot got missing from the treasury through the local government, as many of them became conduit pipes of corruption. Granting local government autonomy is the springboard of development and growth. We are already on this track of autonomy as both the judiciary and the legislature have their full autonomy. The executive does not intervene in their business.
You have some IDPs in the state. How soon would they be returning to their homes?
As soon as possible. We thank the Federal Government’s intervention. In fact, there are a number of programmes the federal government has shifted to us to impact skills and resettle the displaced persons. This particular programme is for the Northwest and Northeast, and I thank God that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu gave us, I mean Benue and Niger, to key in into this programme. The programme is going to enable us to get the IDPs back to their homes and enable them to take back their lives and businesses.
Where do you see Benue State by 2027?
By 2027, the entire nation will be making reference to the infrastructural development that Benue would have recorded. Having come from grass, we are headed to grace and there’s no stopping at all. By 2027, the Yes Father dynamism you’re hearing will be the sound bite on the lips of the opposition. They’ll first say yes Father before the legitimate Yes Father will say it. This is because we are doing what we promised the people we will do.
It excites me when I get reports of people coming from neighbouring states to Benue for medication. That is the new dream I have for Benue. I want to deliver a Benue that everybody will be proud of.
It is everyday struggle for Jaiyeola Confidence, a 300-level student of Political Science in Lagos State University (LASU) to get potable water in her hostel area. With her condition as a person with disability, it is usually a battle for Confidence, who walks on crutches, to get water for her domestic needs.
Her hostel, situated at Shittu Close in PPL, a popular residential community in Ojo-Alaba, has only a pale green coloured well that serves as the source of water for her and more than a hundred other occupants of the compound.
Similarly, Adeniji Azeez, a 200-level student of LASU had to battle with facial sunburn and body itch for weeks after bathing with the water from a shallow and untreated well in his hostel.
It is the same reality for many other residents of PPL Okokomaiko community in Ojo-Alaba area of Lagos State where the prevalence of anti-social vices like insecurity, unstable electricity and lack of proper source of water system are a daily challenge.
Economically, as a fast-growing mega city in Africa, Lagos is the economic capital of Nigeria with huge commercial activities that attract people from different walks of life. Although the Centre of Excellence is surrounded by wet lands, lagoons and the sea, many of its residents continue to grapple with lack of access to safe and reliable water, especially in PPL Okokomaiko.
PPL, a popular residential community in Ojoo-Alaba, shares land border with LASU’s main campus. With its proximity to the university campus, students readily find PPL a handy alternative residential area due to the shortage of hostel accommodation within the main campus.
But rather than being a blessing, the anti-social vices in PPL makes life miserable for many of its inhabitants, especially the students who confront different hurdles during their stay in the community.
Common in the community are shallow and repulsive wells where many of its inhabitants source water to meet their daily needs.
Because many of the wells are in bad conditions as they are left without coverings, the water sourced from them are naturally unhygienic for human consumption.
Narrating her predicament with regard to potable water, Confidence said using the available well water in her compound is not only stressful, but the water itself is a threat to good health.
She said: “It is well water that we use, but we don’t drink it. We would rather buy pure (sachet) water. My roommates also go for borehole water.
“There is a borehole somewhere in the next street at Suya Junction where they go to fetch water.
“For the well water, we bathe with it, wash the plates and cook with it, but we are always careful. We boil it before we use it to cook.
“I am always conscious of the water, because most times, there are particles and earthworms in it.
“Using the well water is a bit stressful for me. I just fetch the little I can carry, not the full bucket, to make things easy for myself.
“My roommate, who fetches water for cooking, usually takes bike. We pay N200 to fetch a 25-litre keg.”
Asked what would make water more accessible for her, she said: “I would appeal for maybe a well constructed borehole to be able to easily get water. That would be preferable.”
High cost of sachet water: Financial obstacle for many residents
Due to the unhygienic nature of the well water, many PPL residents have resorted to purchasing sachet water for drinking. However, the rise in the price of sachet water, also known as pure water, is reducing the purchasing power of many residents who are now seeking affordable alternatives.
Akintola Michael, another student of Lagos State University, who lives at Bello Tapa in PPL, described the situation as tough for many students.
He said: “Two major challenges confronting students in this area are electricity and good water. To be factual, the major source of water is the well. And while using the well is not convenient for most students, some do not even have well water in their hostel compounds.
“And for students who have these wells, the water is not actually safe in the sense that the wells do not have covers and the water is not by any means treated before use.
“It is unarguable that the water is not drinkable because it is exposed to particles that could have contaminated it. To use it for cooking, it has to be well boiled.
“Students have however made provision for pure water to drink. But, the current economic situation has affected a lot of things.
“The price of pure water has gone up. When I came to the area in 2022, a bag of water sold for N200 per bag. Now it sells for between N400 and N450 for a bag.
“So, buying pure water for drinking is getting difficult for many students who are already battling with other expenses at home and inbschool.”
The Well And Its Health Hazard
Corroborating the distasteful water situation in PPL, Adeniji Azeez, another LASU student who stays at Omobalufun Street, recalled how the water from the well in his hostel harmed his face after using it for bathing.
Azeez said: “Essentially, for cooking related stuff, I use the tap water of the bakery close to my house. But for bathing and clothing stuff, I use the well water in our compound, which is so bad that it caused my face sunburn.
“Initially, I thought that mine was caused by the sun, but within weeks, I noticed that my cheeks were dry. I did not notice it early due to the fact that I had no mirror in my hostel.
“The scratching part began and it hurts a lot, especially when I walk in the sun. So I had to Google how to cure small sunburn, since I’m not someone who uses bleaching cream.”
He continued: “I use an antiseptic cream to massage my cheeks in the morning after which I place ice in my cheeks. I also always make sure to use sunscreen before I go out and in a week, my face is as good as new.
“There was a day I saw a child drinking from the water. The next day, the child had a very bad stomach pain; so bad that they had to carry him to the hospital.
“When they got to the hospital, the nurses asked the parents what the child consumed in form of water and food. That incident made me know that the water can be too dangerous for drinking.
“Most times, because of my health, I buy pure water. But my roommate fetches his drinking water from Aiyepe Junction, close to FSS gate. He told me the water is good.”
Uchenwa Henry, a PPL resident in Suya Junction street, who has been in the area for more than 26 years, said though the water from the well is used for other domestic works, drinking is out of it for many people.
His words: “I grew up here and our major challenges are security and water. Our well water is not drinkable.
“Naturally, we use the water for cooking, washing and other stuffs. But for drinking, it is a no-go area. The reason it is not drinkable is that most times it has tastes whereas water is supposed to be tasteless. That is why many of us don’t drink it.
“Although it is odourless, it has a different taste compared to pure water. We get our drinking water from borehole and we pay to get that.
“Some go for pure water, but we don’t usually buy it because we are many in my household. The price of pure water is unaffordable for a family of six members. We have to go for borehole water which has been treated.
Another resident, who identified himself as Pastor Peter Yemi, also lamented the situation as he called on government to come for firsthand assessment of the community to know the plight of the people and observe the critical need for potable water.
He said: “Well water is like a part of the community because most people use it to meet their water needs. Personally, I don’t see well water as very hygienic.
“Well system in this area is not really okay. Borehole water would be far better here, but few people here have access to it.
“If you take a step further, you would see that people buy drinking water from somewhere else in 5 or 10 litre kegs. If you go further, you we see that some go for pure water.
“Even for me, I take bottled water to keep safe because I don’t see pure (sachet) water as very hygienic.
“The government has the responsibility to change the narrative here by providing better alternatives through the already established federal and state Water Corporation.
“If they come here for assessment, they will discover that this community has a peculiar problem of having wells that are not good enough for drinking.
“Some drink from their borehole while some go for pure water or bottled water.”
Alfa Musa Abdulrauf, an Islamic cleric in the area, also decried the situation, noting that it is capable of leading to epidemic among the people.
He said: “In Okoko and PPL, there is hardly tap water. What we do here is to excavate the land to construct well or buy water.
“This has been so since the onset of the community. We mainly depend on wells, preserved or not. That is why we sometimes have epidemic disease.
“Those who can afford pure water or bottled one go for it. But in terms of washing the clothes and plates or bathing and other domestic works that requiring water, we rely on the wells.
“When it comes to drinking, we drink pure water or bottled water for those who can afford it. But for those who cannot afford it, they buy water from those who have boreholes.
“For drinking, majority of Okoko-PPL inhabitants depend on boreholes.”
Many hurdles, no leadership
Many residents attributed bad state of the community to absence of solid leadership structure. Efforts to reach out to any recognizable community leader proved futile as there was no existing leader recognized in the community.
The Islamic cleric confirmed the foregoing, saying: “No CDA chairman. No king. But they have peer groups and everyone has their leaders. On having a unilateral leader, I have not come across it.”
Meanwhile, one of the youth leaders known as Baba Ibeji on Yaro Street blamed government for not keeping its promises on providing adequate access to clean water in the community and the country at large.
He said: “All the problem is attributed to government not giving us water. If they have provided us water we would not be anxious to dig wells in our compounds because there will be regularly running water for use.
“Just like we all know, government has been promising us water for a very long time,yet such does not happen. That resulted in people digging wells.
“It is only people who are privileged to afford boreholes that can go for boreholes which they have to treat to make it drinkable because the well is not drinkable.
“We need clean water in PPL. Since we were young, there has been this agitation on this situation.
“Government has only been making promises on providing potable water, but none of the promises has been fulfilled.
“All over the country, what people clamour for most times is good water, health care, electricity, proper education and so on.
“We need water. They should provide a better system of water because we all need to drink water every day.”
Though Sustainable Development Goal 6 on water and sanitation targets universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all people by 2030, the United Nations report in 2023 indicated that over 133 million persons were without access to potable water across Nigeria. This signals the need for government at all levels to assiduously work to improve the water situation in the country.
• This Report Is facilitated by Wole Soyinka Center for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ) under its Collaborative Media Engagement for Development, Inclusivity and Accountability (CMEDIA) Project .
Intending pilgrims for this year’s hajj to Saudi Arabia are not having the best of times as the air fare has hit the roof. Any Muslim who would be part of this year’s pilgrimage must now cough out more than N6 million following the decision of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) to raise the fare from the initial N4.7 million by a whopping N1.9 million.
The development had prompted the Kano State Government to subsidise the addition to the air fare by N500,000 for each intending pilgrim from the state, but that in itself has sparked a controversy as some people consider the gesture a waste of state’s resources.
In the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), many intending pilgrims are struggling to find the additional money while some have asked the FCT Pilgrims Welfare Board to refund their initial deposits as they were not happy with the increase in the hajj fare.
Alhaji Aliu Mairaga, who spoke with our correspondent, said: “It would be difficult to raise additional money after being told that they had finally paid for the journey. I am sponsoring my elder sister and my wife. It is very sad and unfortunate.
“The increment was so sudden and we are all disappointed by the decision of the federal and state governments. After paying a huge amount of money, many people cannot afford the increase.
“For me, I am even confused as to where to get the money from. But I have started running up and down to borrow money because I have already made a commitment to sponsor them.
“My sister nearly fainted when the news broke that there would be additional money to be paid. The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) should emulate the Kano State Government that wants to offer N500,000 to assist each pilgrim.
“It would be good if the Federal Government and FCTA can replicate this act. The amount is huge. I call on the FCT minister, Nyesom Wike, to intervene.”
An intending pilgrim, Ibrahim Musa, disappointed at the development, is demanding a refund.
He said: “We are not happy with the increment. We woke up and heard that the hajj fare has been increased to N6.8 million.
“We were asked to pay a certain amount of money which we have paid. Why are they telling us another story? I don’t have money to complete it. I want my money back.”
Aisha Abdullahi said on her part: “I am not happy with the increment. The decision is not a welcomed one. It is sad that this is happening now that I am about to embark on this holy journey.
“This is an annual spiritual practice. The FCTA should emulate the Kano State Government and do the needful to assist us. The money is much.
“I have been finding other means to add to the money. May God almighty Allah make it easy for me and everyone going on the holy trip.
“The Kano State Government has really tried, but the N500,000 is small. To get N1.4 million to complete the money is not easy. Even with the N500,000 some people will still not be able to meet up.”
Another pilgrim, Hajia Aminat Sodiq, said: “The first time I heard about the increment, I was not happy. Some of us could not sleep or eat the day we heard about it.
“Even when people were asked to pay N4.6 million, many could not afford it. Now we are being asked to pay an additional N1.9 million. The increase will prevent many of us from going for the Hajj.”
Kano governor criticised for giving each hajj pilgrim N.5m
Governor Abba Yusuf of Kano state has come under heavy criticism for giving out N500,000 as hajj fare subsidy to all intending pilgrims who will perform this year’s Hajj under the umbrella of the Kano State Pilgrims Welfare Board.
Yusuf said he took the decision with regards to the recent increase of the Hajj fares by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) which was attributed to the instability of the exchange rate of the naira to the dollar.
NAHCON had announced an increase in Hajj fares by N1,918,032.91 to make the total Hajj fare per individual N6,617,032.91.
“Following the sudden increase of N1.9 million Hajj fare by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, I have approved a subsidy of N500,000 each for intending pilgrims from Kano embarking on the 2024 pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia.
“With this, intending pilgrims who have registered and paid the initial total deposit of N4.7 million and N4.5 million with the State Pilgrims Board will now deposit N1.4 million out of the N1. 9 million increase,” the governor stated on his official twitter page.
However, instead of applause, the governor has been severely criticised for the gesture, which his critics described as misplaced priority and a waste of tax payers’ money. Some even said the money should have been channeled towards infrastructural development, healthcare, education, agriculture and other critical sectors, or even used to feed the poor who are languishing in hunger because of the current economic hardship.
For Yaya Abba, a follower of the governor on twitter, “Nobody needed this subsidy, to be honest. Anyone that can pay for hajj at this moment does not need your N500k. This is just a waste of tax payers’ money.”
“It’s absolutely wrong for a government to be subsidising Hajj fare in a country where the citizens are languishing in abject poverty and hardship,” one Isah Mohammed told the governor.
Another respondent, Ali Jita, said: “Respectfully Your Excellency, while supporting religious endeavours is important, it’s crucial to prioritise funding for pressing societal needs. Redirecting resources towards education, healthcare, or infrastructure could be of more benefit to people across Kano State.”
Maliq said: “Certainly, subsidising Hajj is wrong at this time. The government isn’t obligated to provide subsidies for Hajj, as affordability is a condition of undertaking the pilgrimage.
“Instead of spending millions on subsidies, the allocated funds could be utilised for the state’s development. Religious pilgrimages shouldn’t be prioritised.”
“Misplaced priority, this money can help pull out a complete family from poverty. Rather than give to those who can afford 4 million plus for Hajj, it’s best to give it to a family who can barely feed.
“Hajj is not compulsory. Even Allah said it’s for those who can afford it,” said another follower of the governor.
Suleiman Tajudeen observed that the money would have been used to increase workers’ salaries. He said: “I think the money these governors are getting is too much! Better to increase your workers’ salaries and make impactful infrastructural changes.”
Azeez Oluwasheun also queried: “Waste of resources. Even in the Qur’an, it was stated, go hajj when you’re capable to go, it’s not mandatory, people are suffering in the land and you’re packing tax payers money to park people to attend Hajj. @Kyusufabba, is it a must they attend?”
“LOOOOL, your mates are setting up food banks and subsidising markets for food for their people; you are subsidising the rich and wealthy going on religious tourism,” -Tosin Adeda.
Abubakar: “You promised to give scholarships to federal universities since last month but you didn’t, because it’s not going with the trend right? Keep chasing clout AKY. You will always get it wrong if you would not do the needful.”
“The whole Kano has no stable water supply and you’re busy enriching millionaires that were able to pay N4.5m for Hajj. Misplaced priority. Now from tomorrow other northern governors will start copying this madness… @elrufai and @ProfZulum will never do such mispriority.” -Malam.
Muneer Shehu -“With due respect, subsidising the basic needs such as food, health care services and education would be more beneficial to the teeming populace of the state in this trying time. As for hajj, only those with the means are obliged to perform it religiously, let’s prioritise the needful.”
“Money wasted on two pilgrims can build a borehole in a rural community…. Misplaced priorities.” -Obi.
Demand for Hajj fare subsidy rises
However, beneficiaries are happy. And more people want to take advantage of the subsidy and travel to Saudi Arabia.
Director General of the Kano State Pilgrims Welfare Board, Alhaji Laminu Rabi’u Danbappa, has asked the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) to extend the deadline for hajj balance payments by at least two weeks.
“This appeal comes amidst a surge of interest from individuals seeking to benefit from the recent subsidy initiative introduced by the Kano State Government under able leadership of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf.
“The subsidy has sparked significant enthusiasm among prospective hajj participants, as many are eager to seize this opportunity,” Danbappa said.
Expressing vehement need for extension of deadline, he cited the overwhelming response and the complexity of processing the subsidy adjustments within the current timeframe.
“The existing four-day window for hajj balance payments fall short of accommodating the volume of inquiries and transactions pouring into the department,” he said.
Danbappa emphasised importance of meticulous documentation and record-keeping by departmental staff to ensure transparency and efficiency in the subsidy disbursement process.
There is growing tension and confusion in Ikole-Ekiti, headquarters of Ikole Local Government Area of Ekiti State over the absence of Oba Adewumi Fasiku from the ancient community since 2021, RASAQ IBRAHIM reports
When will Elekole of Ikole, Oba Adewumi Fasiku return to his palace? This is one question that continues to pop up as the monarch’s whereabouts remain unknown, igniting apprehension at the palace, the community and the entire Egbeoba Kingdom.
Since August 2021, Oba Fasiku is yet to appear in the ancient community, with his continued absence creating palpable tension among the monarch’s cabinet members and concerned indigenes of the town.
It was reliably gathered that the royal father has been under the weather in the past two years. An impeccable palace source told The Nation in confidence that Oba Fasiku had been battling with a certain ailment since February 2020 and had to undergo treatment at one of the private hospitals in the country.
He was said to have travelled abroad for treatment in 2022 and actually seemed to have recovered only for the sickness to relapse following complications from the surgery he underwent. At the moment, his health was said to have deteriorated and had to be returned abroad for further treatment.
While a source claimed that Oba Fasiku was hospitalised in a private hospital outside Nigeria, another said that the monarch had been transferred to a secret location outside the state.
The royal father, who ascended the throne on June 24, 2011, has since left the community for his chiefs to administer. The last time Ikole people can claim to have seen the face of their monarch was sometime in 2021. Since then, Oba Fasiku’s radiant face has vanished from public glare.
But to where? That remains the big question nobody seems to know, at least among general populace. The result has been a harvest of rumours, counter-rumours and conjectures.
His whereabouts has become a source of worries not only to his chiefs but also to the entire community. The news of his illness has sparked widespread concern and triggered a sense of anxiety within the town. And this emotional reaction is fueling potential instability, as citizens question the prolonged absence of the traditional ruler from the community.
An inside source said: “The paramount ruler of Egbeoba Kingdom, Oba Fasiku, has been ill for a few years and has not been staying in Ikole.
“He is currently receiving medical treatment outside the state and has not been in Ikole since then.
“He lost his wife previously to a sudden ill health and felt nobody could take care of him without his wife.
“He also had a problem with his eyes, and because of his poor sight, he does not trust anybody in the palace and fears being poisoned.
“We also learnt that he has issues with some of his chiefs and deposed one of the Iyalojas in the town. So, a king that has issues with his close subordinates may feel unsafe to live within the palace while he has poor eye sight.
“It is when you can see clearly that you can administer the town.
“Also, a few years ago, there was a place where past Elekoles were being buried. The place was opened up and Kabiyesi planned to erect a modern town hall in that environment.
“People felt it was sacrilegious to have opened up the sacred groove where ancient monarchs were being buried.
“All this could be responsible for his ill health and forced him to have left the community,” the source added.
The non-appearance of Oba Fasiku has set Ikole-Ekiti on the edge in the past three years, leaving a sour taste in the mouths of the indigenes of the ancient community. His continued absence has become the most discussed issue in the town.
The monarch’s illness has been taking huge tolls not only on the community’s development but also the entire Egbeoba Kingdom’s security, social and economic landscape as his absence has left the community without leadership or direction.
One word that succinctly captures the mood of most indigenes and residents when our reporter visited Ikole-Ekiti is anxiety. Both the traditional chiefs and indigenes were seen lamenting the development at a time the community is at the mercy of gunmen who have made it unsafe.
It was learnt that the chiefs hardly meet these days because Oba Fasiku is not around. They are also divided and thus do not come for the Elekole-in-Council’s meeting.
Some indigenes claimed the absence of Oba Fasiku had denied the town a lot of benefits and detracted from the dignity of Ikole-Ekiti being the headquarters of Ikole Local Government Area. They also claimed that his absence is ridiculing the Ikole throne in the comity of traditional institutions in the state.
Apparently miffed by the hoopla arising from the monarch’s continued absence, a group of concerned Ikole sons under the banner of Save Ikole Group sought the help of Governor Bioudun Oyebanji on the matter.
In a letter addressed to the governor, the group expressed concern over the development in the community, urging him to urgently do something about it and ensure that the leadership stool of the community is not vacant.
The group claimed that Oba Fasiku has been incapacitated with illness for about 32 months, adding that his absence from the community has become a source of concern among the subjects.
The letter was co-signed by Chief Alaba Olanipekun, Hon. Segun Adelugba, Laisi Oguntuase, Benjamin Fatoye, Mathew Makinde, Funso Oguntuase, Prince Taiwo Olominu, Ademola Ogunjobi and Tope Ogunmoroti.
The group lamented that Oba Fasiku left Ikole-Ekiti in August 17, 2021 without any official communication from the Elekole-in-Council about his whereabouts.
The group said: “The Royal father has not been seen in public since August 2021, and it has been confirmed that he is no longer capable of defending, protecting and preserving the community.
“His immediate family has not made any information about him available, thereby leaving the entire community without leadership, direction and control for over two years.
“Due to the royal father’s absence, there has been no development or growth of any kind in the recent past.
“There has been no coordinated effort to harness individual moves aimed at improving the lot of the people to the detriment of the entire community,” it added.
The group claimed that its intervention and members’ advice prevented some youths in the town from attacking the chiefs of the community for their silence over the monarchs’ state and whereabouts.
But the Second-in-Command to Elekole and Olotin of Ikole-Ekiti, Chief Oluwasayo Okunola, said the people of Ikole-Ekiti are aware of Oba Fasiku’s whereabouts.
Chief Okunola who confirmed that the monarch was suffering ill health and is currently receiving medical treatment abroad, assured that Oba Fasiku would return to the ancient community soon.
Debunking the insinuation that the king’s health status was shrouded in secrecy, he said Oba Fasiku sought and obtained necessary permissions from the state government before traveling on medical vacation.
“The people in Ikole Ekiti are aware of the king’s whereabouts. He is indisposed like any other human being can be, and he is receiving treatment abroad.
“The good thing is that the Elekole is recuperating and that was apparent when he addressed the chiefs and a large number of the town people on January 20, 2024, via virtual means. Where they (the group) got it from that the king is incommunicado is what we do not know.
“When the king was travelling, he took all necessary steps and procedures by seeking approval from the state government, which is the constitutional requirement, and he duly informed members of Elekole-in-council and other chiefs.
“It is laughable how the Save Ikole Group claimed they prevented the youth from protesting and beating up the chiefs. How on earth would Ikole youths resort to these unknown persons for advice?
“We have challenged them, and we are doing so for the umpteenth time to mention the names of the youths they met with, but they have been unable. The only youth body in Ikole-Ekiti, the Ikole Youth Forum, has denied ever planning a protest, let alone meeting with them.
“For us, the good sons and daughters of Ikole are still full of joy over the state specialist hospital in the town that has just been upgraded to a Federal Medical Centre and other developments happening in the town in spite the absence of the king.”
