The Nation Newspaper

Category: Saturday Interview

  • ‘I give my staff sense of ownership’

    ‘I give my staff sense of ownership’

    Dr. Ibrahim Bello Dauda, a native of Shani Local Government Area of Borno State was born and bred in Jos, in Plateau State. An accomplished accountant and an administrator, his expansive experience spans executive leadership roles across different fields. Some of his previously held roles include serving as CEO at Samfaco Investment Ltd, Managing Director at Tranet Global Resources, Executive Vice Chairman at Agge Refinery & Petrochemical Company Ltd, a refining and petroleum sales company. Currently, he is the Principal Chief Executive Officer of PVG Consult Ltd and Director-General at Sahelian Centre for Leadership and Development, among others. In this interview with Ibrahim Apekhade Yusuf, the diehard fan of Kano Pillars and Manchester United who goes by the alias El-DABI speaks on his management style, work etiquette and more. Excerpts:

     

    When does your typical day begin?

    My typical day begin by 4:30am. After my morning prayers I usually read the Qur’an with my children and take them through their morning lessons. Afterwards, I take my breakfast and prepare myself for office.

    What’s your management style?

    My management style is simply not the boss or the master-servant relationship type, found in most organisations. I provide leadership in such a manner that make my colleagues and staff look at each other as one family, without compromising authority and responsibility. I encourage teamwork, and every member of staff have a sense of ownership of the process.

    What’s your management philosophy?

    My philosophy of management is simply to provide leadership, direction, and mentoring. To create a working environment where everyone in the organisation will have that sense of belonging and trust in the management. More importantly, I believe a leader should be humane to a very large extent. Being humane is not only about our biology or physical appearances; nor is it about our strength or weakness. And it is not about being intelligent or smart. Being humane is about having the ability to love even if you are not loved in return. It is having the capacity to forgive when you have the power to punish. It is about giving the last of what you have joyfully to those who needs it more. It’s respecting others and their opinion even when it is against us. It is about having the ability to be just and stand on equity for all.

    Do you delegate responsibility or micromanage people?

    Yes, I do delegate responsibility without compromising authority. Delegation of responsibility is one of the key elements that make management process seamless.

    Are you a team player?

    Yes, for one to be a good leader, it is especially important to be a team player because it brings out the best in people.

    What are your other areas of interest besides business?

    My other areas of interest is politics, public speaking, mentorship, and writing

    How do you unwind?

    Well, I go to the gym, swim and go for walk.

    What was the last book you read and when?

    The last book I read was, A Promise Land by Barack Obama. And that was a week ago.

    What’s your choice holiday destination?

    My choice holiday destination is the Caribbean.

    What motivates you?

    My wife is my greatest motivation.

    What makes you tick?

    My passion for human development.

    What’s your sense of style?

    Simple.

    How do you maintain your looks?

    My wife is responsible for my looks. She makes sure I eat properly, rest as often as necessary, makes me happy and manage what I wear.

    How do you motivate your staff?

    I do not see them as staff or employees only. I see them as partners and friends. They have part ownership of the process and are allowed to manage their responsibilities with a sense of respect and encouragement. I also believe that as an employee in any organisation, you don’t make excuses for why you can’t get a particular work done. Focus on all the reasons why you must make it happen. That’s the kind of kindred spirit I foster among my staff and that way we are always winning. Everyone sees his or herself as an important part in the value chain and that way they’re willing to do everything humanly possible to succeed with whatever task that is given.

    Do you believe in buying the loyalty of staff?

    I don’t believe you can buy loyalty of anyone, not even your family members. You earn loyalty. Not everyone will agree with one’s opinion or position. Loyalty is dependent on one of these three things namely: interest, ideology and principle. When any or all of these factors change or shift, loyalty changes. The bottom line is we need to cultivate that relationship and covet that trust which earns us loyalty and trust. Master-servant approach does not earn one loyalist. People will only remain loyal if they trust you enough to protect and stand by them as they do you. Everything in life is reciprocal; don’t expect what you don’t give.

    Do you apply the stick and carrot approach?

    Yes, where necessary.

    What’s the best decision you have taken thus far?

    One of my best decisions in life is becoming an entrepreneur.

    What’s the worst decision you have taken in your working career?

    It’s a bad decision in an oil and gas deal that cost me a good relationship.

    How did your background and growing up influenced who you are today?

    Our lives are defined sometimes by our background and the experiences we acquire in the process of surviving. Certainly, the role my parents played in my childhood period contributed to what I have become today. They showed me that to become successful is not about making money. It is about establishing your mark in the cause of human development, by striving to provide solutions to problems, being supportive to one another as a people, always following the rule of law, and above all to be a patriotic Nigerian.

    Do you cook?

    Yes, I do.

    Do you do the dishes after eating?

    Yes, I do.

    What’s your favourite Nigerian dishes?

    Tuwon shinkafa and miyan yakuwa (a local delicacy of the north east)

    What lessons has life taught you?

    Always work hard and be patient. Some people fear to fail. I don’t share such fears. In my own view, the fastest way to deal with any form of fear is to face it and then make the commitment to move forward anyway. Many of the biggest barriers and limitations we place on our own success and growth are rooted in our fear of failure. The truth is, everyone has fears — that’s part of human nature! We’re all walking around with two-million-year-old brains designed to keep us safe. The only way to overcome our deepest fears is to understand that you can be fearful and still take action. Instead of allowing your fear to be the excuse that stops you from following through, it can become the fuel that propels you forward.  You may ask how? That is by realising that the only thing worse than the risk of failure is looking back on your life with regret. The next time you are faced with a difficult choice or decision, ask yourself: what is the price you pay for letting fear stand in the way? If you don’t make that decision, take a risk, take action— what richness of experience will you miss out on? How do you miss out on becoming who you are truly meant to be? You can’t get rid of fear… but you can use fear before it uses you. Turn fear on itself and it will pull you through your greatest challenges. When you train yourself to face your fears and make your move anyway, you will discover a freedom most people will never know.

    What are your hobbies?

    Gym, swimming, reading, flowering, writing and public speaking.

    What’s your definition of success, career-wise?

    To look back and see the number of people that have succeeded through me in life. Truly, the worth of a man is not the level of his wealth or the power he possesses; it is the content of his character, the principles he lives on and the values he upholds. Indeed, money, influence or power does not define who we are; it is principle, integrity, humility and the people around us that define who we are. Success is not about wealth or position but about contentment and how much we impact on people’s lives. Success, therefore to me, is having a passion and commitment for a vision that one believes in. And to achieve it, there must be a clear strategy based on a well-defined set of values, which must create a bonding power by utilising the mystery of communication. The basic difference between success and failure is simply the ability to believe and act positively.

    What would you like to be remembered for?

    I always ponder this thought in my quite time. This is because, when people pass on, they are remembered in one or all of the following ways: the person’s good deeds; the charity done on the person’s name and the documented knowledge left behind by the person.  What are we really living for, is it for glory, wealth or power? And at the expense of what: peace, love, justice or freedom? We should know that everything have a price, but not everything is for sale. We must as a people make a choice. We have a choice to live positively by sacrificing our lusts for money and power for the greater interest of the nation. We are heading for the peak of the tower, and the ladder is broken. Caution and virtuous application of wisdom and humility may be our only respite. So, how do I want to be remembered? I want to be remembered as someone who made an impact in the lives of those whose paths crossed mine. It’s tough to satisfy everyone, I agree. But I always pray to God to see me through in the course of my life’s voyage.

  • IBRAHIM ODUMBONI : My diverse experience gives me an edge

    IBRAHIM ODUMBONI : My diverse experience gives me an edge

    Ibrahim Adejuwon Odumboni took over the mantle of leadership of the Lagos State Waste Management Agency (LAWMA), the body that oversees waste management operations in Lagos State and its environs one year ago. In this interview with CHINYERE ELIZABETH OKOROAFOR, the consummate banker with almost two decades experience speaks on his current role, work ethics and more. Excerpts:

     

    What is your management style and philosophy?

    My management style and philosophy tend to be transformational and visionary management style. I can also add that my style supports rationalism, a philosophy that believes that the exercise of reason, rather than experience, authority, or spiritual revelation, provides the primary basis for knowledge.

    What are your other areas of interest besides business?

    I enjoy speaking engagements across different spheres of audiences on topics finance, public governance and local and international politics as well.

    How do you unwind?

    The best way I unwind is to watch my PlayStation 5 (PS5 FIFA games) and soccer anytime, any day. I love to do that.

    What is your choice holiday destination?

    Outside Nigeria, Orlando, Florida, both in the USA, are my choice holiday destinations anytime, anyday.

    What motivates you?

    I believe in being self-motivated and apparently get my inspiration from within me. I believe this is the kind of attitude and zest for a brighter Nigeria.

    How did your background and growing up influenced who you are today?

    I was raised by a lot of people. Of course, if you sum up all these cumulative interactions, I think that is what makes me a diverse person today. I use my experiences to interact with people.

    The management of waste in Lagos state is still a big issue, why?

    The process of waste management (generation, collection and disposal) varies from city to city and it involves a significant financial and human capital investment coupled with demands for advocacy and awareness with residents. The current Lagos State Government administration led by our Lagos State, Governor Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu with the support of Ministry of Environment and Water Resources led by the Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Mr. Tunji Bello are intone with this and currently leading the way in Nigeria.

    In relation to recycling, Lagos state have started recycling officially since the inception of the current administration and over the last six months have scaled up big with revamp of Blue box initiative to Lagos Recycles, introduction of technology through PAKAM app, provision of incentive scheme, collaboration with corporate organisations for production and distribution of recycling bins to airports, schools, hospitals and other public places, inauguration of Lagos Recyclers Association, capacity building for our certified recyclers and engagement with Food and Beverage Recycling Alliance, United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), World Bank to mention a few. The ultimate goal is to divert 20% of our waste collected which are recyclables from our disposal site.

    On disposal of waste and waste to energy initiative, it’s known that there are various approaches to it which includes open dumping, landfilling, sanitary landfill for gasification and incineration system for energy generation plus others. In Lagos at the moment, we have the landfills system, and in the last nine months, we have expedited efforts to ensure that we move away from that as quickly as possible due to its long-term environmental impact whilst we mitigate that. As we look at the vision of Lagos up to 2030, we need to come up with effective ways of managing our waste disposal in Lagos because the city is surrounded by water and limited in landmass availability. It is important that we have the right choices made rather doing something that is not sustainable. We have started partnering with various organisations that engage in sustainable ways to energy.

    We are discussing with various environmentally centric organisations to give us various options to explore. We have also sent our team of experts in-house to different countries and seminars to examine the available waste management models in those countries. We can benchmark our city with countries such as Singapore, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Belgium, Netherlands and Venezuela in terms of topography, population and other environmental challenges. We want to achieve something that is more sustainable for Lagos State and Lagosians. It is our goal to ensure that any initiative we embark on is at an affordable cost for the state and residents as well.

    What is the mandate given to you by the Lagos state Governor, Mr. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu regarding waste management in the state and how much progress have you made to deliver on that mandate?

    My responsibility and mandate given are as spelled out in the Lagos State Environmental Protection and Management Law 2017. It stipulates that myself and my team are saddled with the responsibility to ensure a consistently cleaner Lagos is achieved in an environmentally sustainable way and ensure this is also done with greater consideration given to human health demand. This is also well emphasized under the current administration’s THEMES agenda with the first letter E standing for Environment and Health.Moreover, solid waste management is a collective human responsibility not just the agency as the part we all play determines the benefits to us all and I’m just leading from the front as the responsibility champion. In doing this, we collaborate with other agencies within the state; other key stakeholders in the private sector and align with the policies and agendas of our parent ministry. The commitment to effectively manage our solid waste is a daily effort in a proactive manner, therefore all hands has to be on deck to ensure that progress is made on the over 14,000 metric tonnes of waste generated daily.

    When you compare solid waste management collection waste when Visionscape was handling the waste management of the state to what we have now you will begin to see the magnitude of the progress the Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu administration have made over the last almost two years now. Visionscape had a target of 2000 metric tonnes daily averaging over 150 trips compared to the over 800 trips we have completed daily currently. We also have the state mandate of the state to ensure effective and sustainable solid waste management plan is put in place for the future.

    In terms of deliverables so far, we have made significant progress in the initiation of recycling/ separation of waste from source, launch of LAWMA Academy for promotion of waste education and awareness across all ages, reforming of our PSPs for service optimization and sustainable capacity building. On disposal we have had a fully rehabilitated landfill and have proactively commence the research for our future needs as we cannot continue with the current conventional approach. I am extremely confident that this administration is on the right course to deliver the first revolution way for waste management in Lagos.

    As part of our plan for effective solid waste disposal management, we created our own blueprint which led to the inauguration of our Waste Management Unit (WMU). This unit is saddled with the responsibility of carrying out research and development activities to ensure sustainability in relation to solid waste disposal. They research on what we have currently and what will do in the future, they travel to various countries to understudy latest developments efforts in waste management 1and examine what various global stakeholders are saying.

    What are the key growth initiatives that LAWMA under your watch has launched and what has been the progress?

    One of the key growth initiatives we have implemented under my watch is the repositioning of LAWMA which was championed by the state governor Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu. The focus has been how to better position LAWMA while considering the future ahead. So, we decentralize our operations to ensure that we are present in all Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) in Lagos metropolis and be more proactive rather than reactive.

    The second growth initiative is PSP reform. We have reformed our PSP, organized capacity building for them and given them minimum standards to ensure deliverables. LAWMA is more regulatory rather than participatory now, and by doing this we have been able to achieve more productivity in terms of trips to landfill and turnaround time for operations. More importantly, the Mr. Governor helped us to address our disposal challenges with extensive rehabilitation of all our landfills for long-term gain.

    The third is the foundation of LAWMA academy, the first citadel of learning for solid waste management in Africa and Sub-Saharan Asia. The academy is aimed at bridging the gap between practical, academic and theories and eradication of myths whilst creating a conducive learning environment for solid waste management. It’s also tasked with carrying out research, awareness creation, advocacy and education. We recently partnered with Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board, (LASUBEB) to train primary school teachers across the state on solid waste management. The aim is for them to include waste management in their curriculum. The training will help primary school pupils to understand what it takes to manage waste and implementing effective waste management strategies as a culture. So we are trying to catch these primary school pupils young basically, and encourage them to imbibe good waste disposal culture in them. The hope is that when they are grown, they will become change agents with their teachers, and correct the wrong narratives of ineffective solid waste management and other environmental challenges.

    Another fantastic initiative we have recorded success is the Lagos Recycle programme which supports of separation from source and recycling plans. We have really gone big on recycling with the support of Mr. Governor and have the key aim to ensure that 20 percent of what we take to landfill is duly intercepted. The progress made on recycling will help ensure consistent supply of raw materials for upcycling manufacturing companies, creation of over 6,000 informal jobs and reduction of environmental impact. For instance, it takes a long time for singled used plastic to decay, so we cannot continue with the conventional approach as these plastics will outlive all of us. So the best thing to do is to take a position around it and you can see a lot of private organisations have joined to support our efforts. We have partners like Heritage Bank, Tangerine life, Rotary clubs, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), and others. Stakeholders are getting involved to help move the circular economy supported by recycling and waste to wealth forward. Those are some of the things we are have done apart from welfare package for LAWMA staff, sweepers, capacity building for our staffs and engagement with local communities for effective solid waste management. We are also very proud of our Engineering team of today as they are one of the strongest engineering team any agency could desire in Nigeria. In terms of productivity, our engineering team have the best Hydraulic engineers and we manufacture our own bins from scratch. Overall with all the above to mention a few it has been a fantastic year for us with the support of Mr. Governor.

    LAWMA has entered into partnership with banks and corporate organisations. Can you tell us the essence of these partnerships and the long-term benefits derivable from it?

    The key thing about this partnership is that it brings sustainability to solid waste management in Lagos State as waste management is the responsibility of all. The organisations we currently partner with already had their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) plans drawn up for the year 2021 and our engagement with them last year around October – November 2021 gave us the benefits that we have now.

    Odumboni and members of his family
    • Odumboni and members of his family at a picnic

    In terms of what the organisations supports us with we have Heritage Bank, NIMASA, Tangerine Life and Rotary Club (Eko Atlantic branch) all supporting us with Recycling, Access Bank, Union and Rock supporting us with LAWMA Academy, whilst FirstBank is with our Sweeping Sanitation. For example, in total we have over 150 recyclable bins donated by our recycling partners and over 15,000 sweepers uniforms rebranded.

  • Greater Nigeria will soon emerge from current crises —Senator Oyofo

    Greater Nigeria will soon emerge from current crises —Senator Oyofo

    Edo State-born elder statesman and former two-term senator, Kassim Oyofo, warns of an impending storm that will soon sweep through the nation’s capital, Abuja, and wipe out the corrupt leaders in charge of the nation’s administration. Taking a critical look at the state of the nation, the 78-year-old chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and former National Leader of the Grail Movement in Nigeria believes that divine judgment is imminent for the nation’s leaders that are not living above board. He spoke with Kayode Fasua

     

    What is your assessment of the state of the nation?

    I appreciate this opportunity to talk about Nigeria. To do justice to your question, I need to do a search that will make what is happening in Nigeria and elsewhere in the world understandable. This searching requires me to go into what is generally called spiritual. You call it spiritual because that is the way people like to talk. But life itself is spiritual. To go straight to the point, Nigeria, like every other place in the world, is now standing in the world judgement otherwise called the Last Judgment. Unless people understand it this way, they will not make a head or tail of what is happening. In a simple sentence, the last judgment is about to bring to an end all that is wrong on earth, and everyone who harbours evil will receive not only the fruit of evil, but may go finally with evil, and may be destroyed.

    The content of the final judgment is not new. It is in all religious books, whether you call it the Bible or the Quran, or whatever else people have as coming from God. All human beings have been warned for thousands of years about what is now happening, but the warnings have fallen on deaf ears. And even now that it is happening, many people cannot correlate it, and this is why their confusion gets greater and greater.

    Now, talking about Nigeria in particular, the country’s situation is very, very important because Nigeria has a role to play in global affairs. This means that the purification of Nigeria must take precedence and it must be thorough, to use the human word. Everything that is wrong must be destroyed. I use the word ‘must’ because that is exactly what will happen: whether it has to do with religion, economy, politics or anything you can think of.  The important thing is Nigeria must be purified. On the surface, you may call it herdsmen attacks. You may call it Igbo against Hausa or Yoruba against whoever. This is just the surface of it. The kernel of it is that what is wrong must be destroyed, and there is something wrong in everything.

    Specifically, what are the problems that pose grave danger…

    (Cuts in) Very many. But let me finish with the general picture. The purification process would be carried out by nature, not just by people. Let me say this: a great rain will fall in Nigeria, in Abuja in particular, which will last for 10 days and 10 nights. By the time the rain gets through with Abuja, what is left will be pure. Everybody who has a hand in what is wrong, whether they do it in private or in public, will be washed away along with what he acquired. It will be so devastating that it will be like an eyesore with total destruction. But that will be the beginning of the new Nigeria. And Abuja will be rebuilt at the command of God. I have been talking about it, especially since 2016, but people think it is something not to bother about.

    But that will be the beginning of the new Nigeria. And the city, after, will change its name to ‘The City of Light’, and it will be the central focus of many people in the world. So, it is what you are seeing that is troubling you. These are just the initial signs of the great things that are to happen. Nigerians, after the purification, will be very proud of themselves and the world will be proud of them.

    So, what you see now is the effervescence. Nigerians have not yet seen what is coming. What they are complaining about is just minor. So with that, the general picture which will affect mainly Abuja will affect the other parts of the country as well. But this is where it is going to begin, because right now, Abuja is the sin capital of Nigeria.

    The sin capital of Nigeria? Meaning Abuja will be completely destroyed?

    It will not be destroyed like (the biblical) Sodom and Gomorrah, but it will be wiped clean. Let us put it that way, because the Light has a hand in the Abuja issue. So it will become the City of Light as it will be called in future. But like I said, Abuja, after the destruction, will be rebuilt with resources from all over the world, and it will wear a new look.

    When you talked about rain falling for 10 days and 10 nights, were you just being philosophical?

    No, no. I mean rain, the rain that falls from the sky. And it will carry many things. Rivers will run in Abuja. There will be total confusion. I’m not joking.

    You said everything that is wrong must be destroyed. What are the things that are wrong with Nigeria?

    We will now come back to the details. Take what you popularly know as corruption. You know that the only Nigerian who is not corrupt today is the one without opportunity. So, when people talk of corruption, they think of politicians such as governors, ministers or the President. Yes, those are at the top of the heap of corruption. But the civil servants themselves are all very, very corrupt. They are so corrupt that they stink. Nigerians are so corrupt that they will take the money in their country to another country. You carry millions or maybe billions to Dubai, you buy houses that you will never occupy; or to the United States of America or perhaps Russia.

    All over the world, Nigerians do the same thing. They go to Brazil, anywhere. They carry their country’s wealth to another man’s country. One, in those countries, they are not even regarded with anything honourable. They are treated on the fringes of respectability. So they go there and cannot walk the streets with pride. They approach the banks where they keep these monies with trepidation in their heart, because the rules might change. Their children cannot boast that this is their father’s money, because they cannot prove the source of the money. So are those kinds of people not sick? Are they human beings? So, you can see why there is going to be purification. Purification is meant to restore justice. It is caused by the due justice of God.

    When President Muhammadu Buhari was campaigning for office in 2015, ‘war against corruption’ was his mantra. Six years on, how has he fared?

    I won’t make any statement that would amount to judging Buhari, because like I have already said, the only Nigerian who is not a thief is the one without opportunity. Buhari cannot supervise everybody in his office. As the monkey said, the only child she can guarantee didn’t steal the corn is the one in her stomach. If Buhari has a hand in anything wrong, he will pay for it. There is nobody that won’t pay, including myself. It has nothing to do with whether you are APC or PDP or whatever.

    If you take any money that does not belong to you, whether you are a minister, governor or President, and you divert the money meant for the people, all the sufferings of those people will be on you. When we talk about corruption in Nigeria, it’s more insidious. If these stupid people knew what is awaiting them, they would rather choose to be poor.

    How would you rate the agitation by the Yoruba  to secede and form Oduduwa Republic, citing unchecked atrocities from Fulani herdsmen and other unfair treatments?

    Let me make a statement here for all Nigerians. Nobody can break Nigeria. Be you Yoruba, Igbo, all; they are just talking. What is coming in the hand of God is justice. What is lacking in Nigeria is justice. When you are just, people are happy with themselves and with you. If there are 10 things in the country and I give seven of them to my brothers, am I just? The justice of God is now on earth. People don’t understand the significance of that statement, and it’s beginning from Nigeria.

     Politically, what do you foresee?

    Politically, Nigeria will be restructured along the zones. The reason it’s going to be so is that each zone has something unique on its own, which it contributes to the whole. So, whether you call it true federalism or whatever nomenclature you want to use, it just means the groups of people recognising themselves as part of a family, contributing what they can, for the mutual benefit of the family. It is not now that they are all serving Lucifer. Everybody is operating at the expense of the other.

     What have you to say on Nigeria’s worsening security situation?

    On the surface, the government should wake up. They took up an assignment by swearing with the Bible or the Quran to protect lives and properties. They should do it to the best of their ability. As for internal security, the state police system is a necessity, as Nigeria is under-policed. The Federal Police has been skewed, made to mean something else. Police service has to be a neighbourhood thing. With it, the police are close to the people and strange faces in any community can easily be fetched out for verification. So if a government cannot check evil, then the government is evil. It’s not politics, it’s just straightforward common sense.

    Regarding insurgency, how can an army not be able to flush out insurgents from Sambisa Forest? The only reason is that they are corrupt. Corruption is playing its own part in the military set up. You will hear stories that they have superior weapons. Why should a legitimate government not be able to buy superior weapons and criminals are buying? Certainly, Sambisa Forest cannot be outside Nigeria. It is a shameful act.

     How would you rate the performance of the National Assembly after you left the scene?

    The worst part of the National Assembly is that the former governors came to the Senate so that they can hold the President to ransom. Again, they have not proved to be assertive on issues of ethics as one would expect. For instance, how can the Senate stand up on its own when the Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege, brought himself so low as to be genuflecting for Buhari in the public? Deputy Senate President prostrating for the President? In the public? So can that one check and balance anything? That is terrible.

  • Merge Police, FRSC, NDLEA, Civil Defence to solve security challenges — Ex-IGP Abba

    Merge Police, FRSC, NDLEA, Civil Defence to solve security challenges — Ex-IGP Abba

    As part of the efforts to find solutions to the insecurity that is plaguing the country, Nigeria’s 17th Inspector-General of Police, Suleiman Abba, who is also the Chairman of the Police Trust Fund, shares his thoughts with select journalists, declaring, among other things, that it is wrong to negotiate with criminals and explaining why kidnapping and banditry are on the rise. He also suggested that the Federal Government should merge the Nigeria Police Force, the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), the Civil Defence Corps and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to solve the security challenges. Our Managing Editor Northern Operation, YUSUF ALLI, was there.

     

    There is an upsurge in the level of insecurity in the country to the level that the police are now overwhelmed. The responsibilities of your board cut across welfare, equipment, capacity building and other things that could enhance their ability to perform. Unfortunately, it has been one year and we haven’t heard anything. What have you been doing?

    Let me first admit the fact that it has been a year since the Board of Trustees of the Police Trust Fund was inaugurated in line with the provisions of the law. But it is not that it has been quiet since its inauguration. I hope you understand the provisions of corporate governance where responsibilities are shared in government. You have the board and you have the management with clearly defined responsibilities.

    If you are talking about the board, it has done well, particularly by giving a level playing ground to enable the police to have the support of its budget to have modern equipment, training of its personnel and for it to be able to execute projects that would improve the welfare of their personnel. The board has gone very far. In fact, I’ll say it has almost succeeded in its mission as provided by the law. The board is responsible for putting in place the structure necessary for the take-off of the trust fund, and it has done that. We have the management that has been provided with the necessary staff. We brought in KPMG, and it was able to give us the advisory techniques that enabled us to form a modern structure of governance.

    We have a structure wherein the board has committees to support the management to meet up with its own responsibilities. We have gone far enough to the extent that before the end of last year, we were able to pass the budget and also secure its passage by the National Assembly. We have done that as well to the 2021 budget. So, if we have done these to the 2020, 2021 budgets, including getting it passed by the National Assembly, I think the remaining is procurement, and procurement is mainly the responsibility of the management. If there are problems, we all have a stake, let us know, we can see where we can come in.

    In specific terms, how are you addressing the problems facing the police?

    Except you want me to repeat what I have said. Maybe you need to get to know how far the procurement has gone. Supporting the police cannot be done without disbursement of funds. Let’s say for training and retraining, this cannot be done without disbursement of funds, and other activities that are needed for the welfare of personnel. These are areas that are beyond my capacity, except you want me to find out and let you know.

    So you are not pushing for procurement waiver in view of the urgency?

    This I still repeat, only the management can answer you. I want to believe that if they have any problem in that regard, they would have referred to me. If you tell me that there are, I’m taking note and I’ll take it up.

    The trust fund is supposed to get money from different places, including companies, Federation Account and all that, because the law is there. The budget is also not difficult to come by, but what about the money? Are you enjoying the cooperation of all the stakeholders? I want to say that you are not unaware of the problems of some of the governors who are of the view that they shouldn’t be deducting from the Federation Account for the Trust Fund. But I must tell you that since there’s a law for that to take place, it is taking place. And like I told you, we have done a budget and we’ll appropriate it.

    Like how much?

    If you want specifics, you will have to meet the management because the Secretary/CEO is the accounting officer that has the updated account of what we have.

    Incidentally, some of the governors who are not cooperating are bearing the brunt of banditry and other criminal activities in their states…

    I’m glad that you are the one saying it, because I have said so too. Some of them were protesting. Who is against the police? Who doesn’t want security?

    Have you entered into dialogue with the Nigeria Governors’ Forum?

    I have had meetings with the Governors’ Forum and the understanding is that we’ll use what we have. And then the deductions have not stopped and we’ll use funds judiciously. We have the responsibility to let all stakeholders know what is happening, and that’s why I received you this afternoon to be able to let you know what is going on. And as far as the Board of Trustees is concerned, we have done what is expected of us and we are to also support the management in that regard.

    Is the management not supposed to be answerable to the board?

    If you believe there are problems, then the onus lies on you to find out and you should let us know if there’s any. But I must tell you, if there are problems in procurement, from precedent, you should look for where the problem is coming from. It cannot certainly come from the board. We have passed the budget and we have given the management the wherewithal to execute their responsibilities. If they are having problems or if there were delays, you’re the one to find out and then let us know.

    Does your board believe that all is well with the police?

    The board has no power to assess the police. This is not the Police Service Commission. This is a board that is there to do everything possible to support the police to function properly.

    Do the police have enough support?

    (Laughs) You are still asking me to repeat all I have said. You know, establishing a new organisation requires a lot of funds, and going by the law, the board has a lot of responsibilities in many regards — providing offices, providing personnel and passing the budget — and that it has done. Having done ours, you’re talking about procurement and disbursement of funds, which is the responsibility of the management. If there are delays…I hope what happened to NNDC is not what is happening to the management of the Trust Fund. It is left to the management to tell us. If the ministry is perhaps giving them problems, we should know and we’ll be able to deliver our responsibilities in that regard.

    What about the recruitment of personnel?

    The recruitment is of two types. If you go to Section 17 of the Act, it says the Trust Fund can source for personnel either by secondment or by appointment. Due to the state of things in the country, particularly at the time we came in when COVID-19 was on the high, the government had stopped recruitment, and I think that is still in force. In view of that, we were directed to go for secondment, and it is the secondment that I’m talking about.

    So you haven’t recruited any staff?

    Not at all. Those seconded cannot say they’re redundant. You’re employed in a ministry and you’re also seconded somewhere to do a job.

    As the chairman of the board, you’re there to oversee the management. Are you satisfied with the performance of the management? To us, some of the things we are expecting to see are not there. So, are you satisfied as the chairman of the board?

    I don’t believe it if you say nothing is happening. A lot is happening. I still want to tell you that procurement procedures in this country are a bit difficult, and that is why the Trust Fund is an intervention fund. It ought not to go through the same cumbersome procurement procedures that are in existence. But the board has a limit to which it can push its own wishes. We have done our own and we have even met with the Attorney-General of the Federation and he gave us his support by agreeing that the Trust Fund ought not to go through these cumbersome procedures.

    Why can’t you ask for a waiver?

    This is what I’m telling you. If that (waiver) does not go through, I think you’ll need to find out what is going on.

    What we are saying is that as a board, have you written for a waiver?

    Well, there’s no way you can do procure ment for security gadgets without a waiver. Certainly, there are waivers going on.

    So, what is your assessment of the board and the management in the last one year?

    Believe me, it is satisfactory. I know it is the first time they are getting involved in procurement. It is the first time they’re getting involved in the disbursement of funds, but I still want to repeat that if there are problems or delays, maybe there are interferences somewhere; maybe you and I need to check.

    As an insider, can you suggest what needs to be done?

    What needs to be done is: if they have problems, they report to the board.

    Have they reported?

    Nobody has reported any issue with regard to procurement.

    As a former IGP, what is your assessment about police being presently targeted for attacks by hoodlums?

    My general assessment of the situation where policemen are attacked is disturbing. It is unimaginable to me that there is distrust between the police and certain parts of the society, particularly a part that doesn’t have regard for law or respect for government; the part that doesn’t care about the security of their kinsmen and other members of the society. It is most unfortunate. The police in every part of the world carry the burden of protecting the lives and properties of the people. Sometimes, they pay the supreme price in doing so. I don’t see any reason whatsoever, I repeat, I don’t see a reason whatsoever that’ll be enough to make any part of the society, no matter how disgruntled they are, to be attacking police structures and sometimes even attacking police personnel.

    What’s the solution?

    The solution is that anybody involved in any crime at all should be made to pay for his actions. And I think that’s where we missed it. For almost a decade now, we have been having problems with organised crimes. Some of them we’ve been living with for a long time. I’m talking about armed robbery and perhaps kidnapping. Some of them are very new and that’s when we talk about organised banditry and other heinous crimes, including insurgent activities of the Boko Haram. We missed it because we’ve not taken the issue of prosecution seriously. People with criminal records, when I say records, I mean people who have gone into the crime, get arrested, get investigated are either being prosecuted very slowly or are not being prosecuted at all when in the actual fact of it, we should be seeing convictions; we should begin to call them criminals after conviction so that it’ll serve as deterrent to others. But that has not been the case.

    When I say this, I mean it is this particular crime that I am talking about: violent and organized crimes. I believe that’s where we missed it. Unless we take this seriously, whether through an ad hoc arrangement or other alternatives, and it doesn’t require much, we will continue to live with these crimes. There’s what we call accelerated prosecution. Why don’t we do some kind of task force activities? We begin to prosecute them in an accelerated manner so that people will see that when you commit an offence, you pay the price. That is what is done even in the advanced world, and that’s why people respect the law.

    But we are descending into negotiations with bandits. What’s your take on that?

    I don’t take time to think over it. I don’t see how you should negotiate with criminals, particularly those ones that are not ready to give up the trade. In any case, for most of the people talking about negotiating with criminals, which law backs that effort? To my mind, the only people that have the prerogative or capacity to forgive an offence can do so mostly after convictions. Justice is not just for the state. So, simply because you’re a governor, you don’t just wake up to say I’m forgiving this, I’m forgiving that. On behalf of the state, yes you can do it. But can you do it on behalf of the victims? You don’t have the right. Justice is for the three; it’s for the state, it’s for the victim and it’s also for the suspect.

    So the stick and carrot approach will not work?

    Absolutely! People who go into crime do not have ordinary minds like me and you. They have negative emotions. When you spill the blood of another person, there’s a tendency that you’ll do it again. The best for them is for justice to take its course. I have said it before and I will repeat it anywhere, I have the right to say my mind, ever before most people began to say it, negotiating with criminals is wrong. I served as a Commissioner of Police in Rivers State. I worked with a governor who never believed in negotiating with kidnappers. He’ll never allow those or anyone thinking that way to negotiate with kidnappers. And we were able to bring it under control through the use of the same force they used against innocent members of the public.

    You’re calling for justice and that justice must take its course. But Nigerians are calling for protection. In your own assessment, why do the police appear weak?

    The police are weak because it has been neglected for a long time. I served the police for 31 years. The kind of budget you hear does not get the same release. How can you perform? Alhamdulillahi (praise be to Allah) I got to the peak of my career and I could see funding was the problem. Where we are now, we have an intervention model to improve the budget of the police in an interventional manner. Where some of the procedures are meant to be taken away, we’re being allowed to sink into the same problem. The same purpose of creating this Trust Fund is because the procedures of getting it through the Ministry of Police affairs do not give the end result. But it’s the same problem the interventionary Trust Fund is facing.

    So we are still in the same boat…

    I have no problem with that at all, because we have the responsibility to let the public know and the responsibility to be transparent. We have to let everybody know what is happening and we should execute it to the best of our ability.

    Why is it difficult to massively recruit people into the Police Force?

    Thank you very much. There’s nothing difficult about it, particularly as we are aware that the government had given the approval for the police to recruit 10,000 policemen each year, and there’s always money to back that exercise. At least we have witnessed the performance twice. But unfortunately, in the third one, there was a disagreement between the police and the Police Service Commission. Incidentally, I’m one of those retired IGPs delegated to intervene between the two of them (the chairman of the Police Service Commission and the immediate past IGP). I think we were almost through with that with the former IGP.

    But with the present IGP, we can get things done. I made sure I went with the present IGP in one of my visits to the Police Service Commission to persuade them to solve the problem. So, the efforts continue.

    But if you want to solve the second most important problem of the police aside from funding, which is manpower, the most immediate thing to do is to merge organisations or government departments performing similar functions with the police immediately. This is the way you can improve the manpower of the police. Let me be direct: if you merge the Civil Defence, the Road Safety and the NDLEA with the police, you’ll be raising over 100,000 improved manpower of the police. That happens in all parts of the world. You can make NDLEA a department in the police anti-narcotics; make the Road Safety part of the Police Federal HighWay Patrols which the Trust Fund is introducing or convincing the police to reintroduce while we give them the necessary support. If you do that, you’ll see the change in the performance of the police immediately.

    Will that not amount to dilution in terms of psychological focus? Because most people believe that the police need radical reforms and some of these agencies have lesser problems than the police.

    Are you talking about lesser problems or you’re talking about performance? If you’re talking about performance, from the creation of NDLEA till date, would you tell me that the abuse of drugs and involvement or escalation of dealerships in drugs has not quadrupled? When a divisional police officer used to know that it is his responsibility to control the abuse of drugs in his area and to control the dealers in his area. The rate of raids was more and much more effective than it is today. How can you tell me that a department that has about 6,000 personnel can perform the functions of an organisation with hundreds of thousands of personnel?

    When the control of drugs was in the hands of the police, every policeman felt he had the responsibility for the control and the abuse and sale/dealership of drugs. Are we talking about reality or we are talking about satisfying the wishes of the people who want us to copy what they see in ideal societies? Would you tell me that the withdrawal of police highway patrol to enable the federal road safety lay claim for the responsibility on the highway has not contributed to the escalation of crimes on the highways?

  • ADETOKUNBO FABAMWO: I give people opportunity to prove themselves

    ADETOKUNBO FABAMWO: I give people opportunity to prove themselves

    Adetokunbo O. Fabamwo is a Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the Lagos State University College of Medicine (LASUCOM), Ikeja and is currently the Chief Medical Director of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja, LASUTH. In this interview with Funke Cole, the onetime Chairman of the prestigious Yoruba Tennis Club, Lagos, and Fellow of the National Postgraduate Medical College, West African College of Surgeons and the International College of Surgeons takes us through his almost four decades career trajectory, favourite pastime, to mention just a few. Excerpts.

    When does your typical day begin?

    My day begins at 5 am in the morning. I make tea and take my medications, majorly vitamins, immunity
    boosters. At about 6-6:30 am, I embark on one hour walk which I have been doing for the past 20 years. I
    walk briskly, except on certain days my legs and feet are acting up; I rest my legs a day or two, and then
    return back, brush, take my bath and get to work. On Mondays, we observe family prayer sessions about
    8:30-9 am, to commit ourselves to God.

    What’s your management style?

    My management style is collective management. I don’t hand down directives and instructions that
    come from my mind, no. I tend to ask people what they think and we take collective decisions. We run
    management meeting once a week to discuss issues that affect our day-to-day activities. I also hold
    meeting of Heads of Department, once a month. I tend to allow different people to do the work but I
    make sure that I supervise it because you take the blame or the praise at the end of the work.

    What are your other areas of interest besides medical responsibility?

    I consider myself to be a totally holistic person, because I believe that I have a full professional life and
    full academic life. I rose to become a professor in the university. I also have a full spiritual life, I sang in
    the church choir for 15 years. I had done that (sang) even as a youth, as a young man. I’m a past
    chairman of Yoruba Tennis Club; I belong to the Ikoyi Club of 1938, Golf Club of Ikeja. I also have a full
    philanthropic/humanitarian life, I belong to the Rotary Club of Gbagada, where what we do is generally
    to make life better for the under privileged. I believe that I’m a well-rounded individual. I also have a
    very full family life. In two weeks’ time, I will be forty years in marriage without blemish. I have four
    successful children; two of them are married while the other two are still waiting to get married. They
    are all doing their various bits. All of them are in Nigeria, I do not believe in losing your children to the
    allures of overseas because I do not see any other greater pleasure than seeing your children grow and
    develop before your very eyes. As such, I don’t envy my friends who have children abroad and always
    miss their company. From time to time, we have a family lunch; a family dinner and we enjoy ourselves.

    How do you unwind?

    Before Covid-19, I was a very regular face at the Yoruba Tennis Club which is my primary club. I joined in
    1989 and I rose to become honorary General Secretary and later Chairman. I’m very committed to the
    club, but with Covid-19 and repair works at the Third Mainland Bridge, it had been difficult to go to the
    club. Now, I spend more time at Ikeja Golf Club which is nearer for me. Though, I have been threatened
    that if I don’t start playing golf soon I’ll be expelled (laughs).

    What was the last book you read and when?

    The last book I read was about leadership and management and that was about three weeks ago.
    Doctors are not duly prepared for leadership positions; you know I’m trained as a doctor in medical
    school. Unfortunately, leadership skills are not taught in medical school. But some of us have inbuilt
    administrative capability. For example, I was Medical Director of Ayinke House for about 10 years. I was
    the pioneer Director of Clinical Services and Training when LASUTH started. Also, I have been Dean of
    the Faculty of Clinical Sciences of the College of Medicine. I have held quite a number of administrative
    positions, the CMD position is just the icing on the cake.

    What’s your choice holiday destination?

    See, left to me, I’ll remain in Africa. Because of my membership of the West Africa College of Surgeons, I
    tend to go on annual conferences across Africa. I have been to Ghana, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Equatorial
    Guinea, The Gambia, Togo, Sierra Leone, and Mauritius. In fact, there is huge vacation potential in
    Africa. My choice holiday destination would be The Gambia because it is a lovely place. There is a way
    they eat their rice, they cook it with a lot of condiments. The Gambia is a country that thrives just on its
    tourism potentials, so you find lots of visitors from Europe and America trooping to The Gambia for
    vacation. I will go back to The Gambia any day.

    What motivates you?

    I’ll tell you primarily, it’s the fear of poverty in old age. I believe I need to do what I have to when there
    is strength on my side, by working hard and then having a good retirement.

    What’s your sense of style?

    I’m a powerful dresser and do not have any apology for that. Good dressing was a part of our
    curriculum in high school. I went to a secondary school called Government College, Ibadan. I
    developed the habit of dressing well from there. You cannot see a student from there who doesn’t dress
    well. Most times I’m in suit, I have lovely suits. I do not compromise with my shirts and I hate to wear
    shirts that have ruffled collars. I love red and wine ties, and sometimes I wear bow ties. I love to wear
    suspenders on my trousers too. I love simple and classy attires. I tend to appreciate dark colours. I love
    shoes and I tend to look out for good shoes. I’m also a collector of glasses frames, so you can call me a
    glass frame fanatic (laughs). I also wear ceremonial rings. My wedding ring got stolen about two years
    ago ahead of my wedding anniversary. I remember my wife had said that we should get another one
    and bless it, but I’ve not been able to do so.

    How do you maintain your looks?

    I have already told you about my workouts. I look after myself and I love to be clean shaven. I do not use
    cream for my body, God has blessed me with a fairly good skin, and I love perfumes. I like to smell good.
    I have a beard. But, the story of my beards date back to the gruesome murder of Bola Ige. I said to
    myself that I was going to keep beards until his killers were found. Unfortunately, his killers have not
    been found. Bola Ige was a family friend; we attended the same church in Ibadan, St Anne’s Church,
    Molete, in Ibadan. The gruesome murder really hit me hard. I have been keeping the beards and nurturing it for many years ever since.

    How do you motivate your staff?

    Luckily, the staff sees me as a role model and a successful leader, so they look up to me and listen to me.
    Most of them who have worked with me testified that they gained a lot from my wealth of knowledge.
    I’m a stickler for thoroughness; I tend to teach all the time, the university teacher part of me comes out
    from time to time. Of course, I look out for their personal interests. Don’t forget that the consciousness
    about mental health is increasing, and the advocacy now is that a lot of us should be more aware of the
    people around us. This is because a lot of people around us could be having personal agonies that they
    could be grappling with.

    What’s your view on the stick and carrot approach to management?

    I think it’s a good approach, because there are many ways to get the work going. You must drive them.
    But in doing so, you must show empathy and at the same time let them know that you care. If it’s
    possible to reward them like giving them awards to appreciate hard work, do so.

    What’s the best decision you have taken thus far?

    I think the first best decision was to have married the woman that I got married to and the second is to
    have decided to become a medical specialist. I recall when I served in Kaduna many years back, there
    was a temptation to remain in Kaduna and start a private practice. In fact, there were two offers for me
    to continue as a general practitioner in Kaduna. But, I thank God for a family friend, Dr. Onuola
    Adewunmi, who’s an obstetrician and gynaecologist. He encouraged me to specialise, that the future of
    medicine is in specialisation. I listened to him and came back to Ibadan and did my postgraduate
    residency in training and became a specialist. After that, I decided to go into academics and became a
    professor.

    Can you tell us the worst decision you have taken in your career?

    With the benefit of hindsight, I would probably say that this was a worst decision, though I took it for
    very good reason. But, the little regret about that decision was when I traveled to Dublin Ireland to do
    my residency in training. I had an opportunity to write a foreign exam and become a licensed
    gynaecologist in the UK. But I believed that those of us in the early generations of specialists who
    undertook local programme should craft an identity for ourselves, so that they can see that we are good
    despite being trained locally. But now that the country has degenerated to this level, I could have emigrated to the UK. It would have been a good time to run away, not that I’m regretting that I’m not
    living well.

    How did your background and growing up influenced who you’re today?

    My parents were teachers and thorough disciplinarians, we were brought up in that kind of
    background. Even some parents brought their children to have tutelage under them, and they used to
    run a private boarding house (laughs). We had a regimented life, and we did house chores, prayers and
    so on. Then, every Sunday, we had detoxification with some medications they gave us to drink. You are
    not allowed to be rude to your seniors and that helped our academics and our personalities. Eventually,
    I found myself bringing up my children in an almost similar way even though the circumstance was
    different.

    Do you cook and what’s your favourite Nigerian dishes?

    I don’t cook o. But I cooked when I was a Youth Corps member in Kaduna, and when I was in Medical
    School. I partied a lot, we would come back late in the night and still made ẹba. But since I got married, I
    stopped cooking. I love white rice and fresh fish, Tilapia, Obokun, Salmon. I don’t do croaker or fried fish.
    I love amala and Ewedu, without Gbegiri.

    What lessons have life taught you?

    You have to keep moving. Even if you fall, you must get up and keep moving. I could recall a period in
    my life when I had some superiors who tried to pull me down, I think they had a perception that I was
    flying too high. I was removed as the Director of Ayinke House, and sent to Island Maternity Hospital not
    as Medical Director. But three years after, somebody else returned me to the same Ayinke House as
    Medical Director for the second time. The other one was my full professional award that was delayed by
    about five years for a reason I do not know. But I thank God I got it. Life has taught me to keep moving,
    if you fall, you should get up and keep moving.

    What are your hobbies?

    I love to watch movies and I’m a Netflix fan. I love to eat out. I love to go to concerts. I don’t really drink
    and I don’t smoke. I love to listen to hymns and chants. I love the MUSON Choir led by Sir Emeka
    Nwokedi.

    What’s your definition of success?

    Well, my own definition of success is not just in how much money you have in your bank, it’s about the
    kind of life you have led. Success is defined in amalgamation of different fulfilments, spiritual, family,
    professional and perhaps, social. That’s my perception of success.

  • Why there can’t be female president in near future — Olufunke Arthur-Worrey

    Why there can’t be female president in near future — Olufunke Arthur-Worrey

    •Reveals the secrets of her good health at 94

    •Why I’ve retained  northerners as guards for 40 years

     

    Former President of the International Women Society (IWS), Chief Olufunke Arthur-Worrey, is the younger sister of the late nationalist lawyer, journalist, trade unionist and politician, Chief H. O. Davies. The 94-year-old mother of a former Lagos State Commissioner for Land, Fola Arthur-Worrey, and holder of high traditional titles from prominent Lagos, Delta and Osun communities spoke with GBENGA ADERANTI about her private life and the state of the nation, among other issues.

     

    At 94, you still come across as a fit and witty individual. What is the secret?

    If you believe in one God, everything is possible. One of the things I can say about my life at the moment is that God is there for me. He has been looking after me and He has done wonders in my life. I am very lucky my health has been wonderful. I still engage in activities and my faculty is intact. I can see, I eat what I want and I go out voluntarily. I have people around me. My family members are there. Most of my childhood friends have gone to rest but I still have Nigerians looking after me. What else do I need?

    I still belong to a society like the International Women Society. The members of IWS are like my sisters and children. We all still gather. They still ask for my advice and I advise them in whatever way I can.

    I am satisfied and I thank God that I have the facility to enjoy what God has done in my life.

    God has done so many things for me. I’ve seen so many things that cause me to thank God.

    You just spoke about your faculty remaining intact. Can you explain that?

    For instance, I still remember where I keep my things whenever I’m looking for them. You know I am 94. I still remember all the files. If I want something or if my son comes and says, ‘What about the passport of my father?’ or anything like that, I know where exactly it is. And if I keep something like money in a place, I remember where I kept it anytime I want it. When you came in, we talked about politics. That is faculty. Thank God, I can sing. I can pray on my own. I dance and I tell children stories, and I ask them to tell me stories. That is my faculty, and I thank God it is correct. What else do I need? I can walk, I can jump. But at times, something pulls me back and tells me that you are no longer young again.

     Many people of your age are battling one ailment or the other. Does that apply to you?

    God has been wonderful to me health wise. Apart from when I was having my children in England, I hardly go to the hospital. Even some of the time I went to the hospital, it was because I was forced by my son and the family. They would say, ‘Mummy, you have to see a doctor.’ Left to me, I don’t think I have to see a doctor. But they always insist, so I go. The only drug I use regularly is the one prescribed for me to normalise my blood pressure. A family doctor gave me the medicine in England. He said ‘regularly, for the rest of your life, you have to take it.’ I’ve been taking it. Sometimes, the doctors change it.

    But I like eating organic food. We have so many in our markets, especially vegetables and onions. There are some onions in our markets that are better than the ones you get from anywhere. I go for that. I go for okro and I love our native foods like amala and eba. Health wise, you can see me. I thank God. I’m not boasting; I’m just saying the fact so that you will thank God for me.

    I sleep well. I don’t believe in dreams. If I lie down here, I will sleep, especially when I’m watching the television. I just feel comfortable. I’m not rich as such, but I’m comfortable. I thank God for what he has done for me.

    You grew up as a Lagos girl. How was Lagos then?

    The Lagos of those days was like a family. We were so happy together and movement then was easy. You didn’t have to rack your brain before going out. For instance, on the spur of the moment, you could say let’s go to Epe and buy fish or go to Ota and buy vegetables and smoked fish just for a change. Of course, going to Ota then was like going to London. Then, we were so comfortable. The Bar Beach was there for us, unlike now when they have built the Eko Atlantic. We used to go to Eleko. All these little hamlets and beaches, we used to enjoy them. Lagos was fantastic. We didn’t have to bother about anything. We were close. Like my family from Isale Eko, I’m connected with Isale-Eko, Tokunbo, Sango and Ita-Faji. We were so connected. I enjoyed my life. My youth was beautiful, lovely and fantastic.

    You are current not only about what is going on in the country but also around the world. Does that mean you still read?

    I still read novels (points to her collection of books on her bookshelf.)

    How long does it take you to read a novel?

    It depends on its volume. I like poems. I like history. I love history. I love to read about what happened in England and their lives; how they got married, how they started their fight over nothing. Then the current world affairs, how they are all jealous of each other, like Russia and these little countries, the way they go about fighting each other. I like reading about this young North Korea leader; the one that is throwing bombs.  And you go to the Middle East, there were some small countries we used to visit, like Lebanon, Syria, Libya. You remember when Ghadafi was their head of state. Nigerians used to go to Tripoli to trade.

    Another thing I do now is to travel throughout the world by looking at the world map, the atlas. Now I know Nigeria more by knowing all the nooks and crannies, how we are connected and all that; and to our neighbours in Chad and Niger. The world is wonderful. I read a lot. It is part of me, I must read. I read magazines. I love to read about people. I’m still learning every day to know more about Europe, about the world and the connections. Recently, I asked myself, our children who are going to Tripoli, how do they do it? Then I started looking at the connection with Africa, all the way from Nigeria to Tripoli, and I said it is a lot of wahala (trouble). I looked at Egypt and I saw the Suez Canal where there was a blockade recently. I learn so much. That is my life.

    I still go to my IWS meeting. I am a member of their (board of) trustees. I still go to Abeokuta, my mother’s family, in Decembers for family harvest.

    The outbreak of COVID-19 must have affected your movement. How have you been managing?

    Yes. I hate covering my nose, but these airlines, 100 of them lying down, they can’t fly. All the shops are empty. What is happening in India is alarming. The way they were burning dead people openly really upset me. They are still talking about the second wave and third wave. It is only God that can stop this. This thing came surprisingly. I have been vaccinated. They said we should come back in June to take the next one. What I’m saying is that we are lucky; we got the first one by the grace of God. They said we can’t take half and leave half. They said 75 per cent of the population of Nigeria has taken. What about the rest 25 per cent? What about the beggars on the street? What about the prisoners? What about the aged? What about the villagers, how do you get them? I don’t know. It is only God that can heal the world. I think with the 75 per cent, they have tried. We heard that they would bring more vaccines. I wish Nigeria best of luck.

    When it first came, I remember, they said people would be dying on the streets of Africa. We thank God today and I hope it will get better. There was a report that for two days, nobody died in Lagos. But in our markets, nobody covers their noses. We are in the hands of God. I think God loves Nigeria.

    Some of your guards are still with you. Considering the level of insecurity in Nigeria, one would think you would have replaced them. Why did you choose to retain them?

    Two of them came with me from Ikoyi, Liverton Road. That was in 1967, during the Biafran war when we all left the government. First of all, we went to live at Agege, though we got an offer in Apapa. We had this farmland at Agege where we used to go and spend weekends if we did not travel. We would take friends there. It was like a farmhouse. We would do barbecue, children used to go there and enjoy themselves.  My husband decided that instead of paying so much for Apapa, why couldn’t we go to our farm? We had already built two rooms like a shed. We went there from Ikoyi. People were saying, ‘From Ikoyi to Agege? What is in Agege?’ But we enjoyed it. We had the opportunity to buy everything and we enjoyed the neighbourhood.

    The two (guards), Yaya and Yellow, followed us from Obalende in Ikoyi. They were from Borno. They helped us to put the bungalow there. From there, Yaya left. Yellow too later left. They would not say they were leaving; they would say they were going home. But before they leave, they would bring another person. It has been like that. These people have never bothered me. For security, night and day, they are here. I’ve been lucky with them. I’ve kept them since 1967. They are part of my family. That Baba you see out there has been with me for over 40 years the other one has been with me for 17 years.  I’m afraid that if something has to happen and they have to leave, I don’t know what I will do.

    The only thing is that we want our government to do the right thing. Our government should make people comfortable.

    You said that many of your contemporaries have passed on. How do you feel each time you hear that another one is gone?

    Anybody can go. It can happen at any time. I was looking at the Queen the other day. Queen Elizabeth, who lost her husband recently, is two years older than me. And I looked at her; with all the power, with all the money all over the world, she is still there. Now the husband of seventy-something died. My husband died some 12 years ago. If anybody had said I would be able to live for one year without my husband, I would have said no. But you have to find a way of making yourself happy once you are alive and healthy.

    First of all you must believe in God. You must pray. Once you believe in your God, there is nothing else that will happen to you that will be too big. All my neigbours are gone. Fatai Williams, Justice Ademola, they used to come here and we would play. I can go at any time. I’m ready. But I know I can’t go unless it is my time. But I’m so happy. God has done so much for me. I’m a happy person because God made it like that.

    You are always referring to your late husband. How close were you?

    He was a God sent. He was like my brother. We didn’t take ourselves like a husband and a wife. We were like sister and brother. Something would just happen. If he said this, it would go along with me, I would agree with him. It was not as if we never quarreled. Like every other human being, we had our differences. But when he is hot, I’m cool; when I’m hot, he is cool. He was a good man and I thank God for that.

    What is that thing you’re not likely to forget about him in a hurry?

    I will never forget him because he is always there for me. Whenever we wanted to travel, he was the one that was always  doing the packing and preparations because I never had the patience to do the packing properly. We travelled a lot. He would say, ‘Funke, you can’t travel like that.’ He would arrange everything patiently.

    He was a good man and a man of God. He believed that whatever would be would be. Anytime I was jittery over a thing he would say, ‘Funke, don’t bother yourself.’ He has been looking after me since his death. There has been no problem.

    Do you see a woman emerging Nigerian president in the near future?

    You never can tell. But the way Nigeria is planned, it could be difficult. Earlier, let us say about 25 years ago, I would have said that it was possible. But the way things are right now, I would not deceive myself. Even for a woman to become a governor, it is difficult. Out of the 36 states, do we have a state that has a woman as governor? No. It will be very difficult. To me I don’t see it possible now, but maybe in the future, because anything is possible. We have so many brilliant women that would have made Nigeria better, but there is a blockage. At the moment I can’t see the way unless we want to deceive ourselves.

  • JONATHAN AREMU : I’m liberal but firm

    JONATHAN AREMU : I’m liberal but firm

    THE story of Professor Jonathan Adeyemi Aremu, the backstreet boy who rose from obscurity to limelight, is a very riveting one indeed. Born without a silver spoon, the young Aremu managed to send himself to school against all odds and would later begin a successful career at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) where he rose from the position of Assistant Economist in 1980 to become the Acting Assistant Director of Research before voluntarily retiring in December 1992. A man continuously setting and resetting targets for himself, he would later bag a PhD and his story has not been the same again as the world has literally become his oyster such that the little unknown Aremu is now sought after by several multilateral institutions across the globe. The Kwara State-born technocrat, academic, Christian missionary who spoke with FUNKE COLE in Abuja, shares fond memories of his youth, career trajectory, among others. Excerpts: 

     

    What’s your typical day like?

    My day starts at 5:30 am in the morning. Thereafter, I listen to news. I don’t have time to watch movies, as I have several messages to attend to on my Whatsapp and other social media platforms. And it is important that I attend to these messages properly and appropriately. You can’t afford to do it wrongly.

    What kinds of songs do you listen to?

    I hardly listen to music especially these new generation music. It’s too late for me to listen to such songs anyway. Those songs don’t appeal to me, and I’m not sure it will appeal to anyone unless you’re playboy.  (Laughs).

    What’s your philosophy about life?

    Life is too short, but it’s good to make impact. Take for example, the life of Sir Isaac Newton who was supposed to be a priest but ended up impacting lives through science, because of his flair for science. Though his wife suffered a lot due to the nature of Isaac’s job and his devotion to the pursuit of technological advancement, yet he made a good name for himself. I believe is a good name is very important. Therefore, my philosophy towards life is to make a positive impact anywhere I find myself.

    Have you ever considered joining politics too?

    Unfortunately, I cannot venture into politics. I don’t like politics especially of the kind in practice in Nigeria where our politicians commit all sorts of atrocities and impunities in the name of politics. Take for instance a situation where roads meant to be repaired are left unattended to, while the funds that are meant for it are siphoned by the politicians. These are the sorts of issues with our politics which makes it unattractive to someone like myself. Look at the case of Governor Godwin Obaseki, who was denied an application form under a political party because of controversy over his certificates? It would interest you to know that we were both in the University of Ibadan 1976-1979. He read Classics and I read Economics. We both lived at Nnamdi Azikiwe Hall throughout. We both sat for the A-Levels which couldn’t be forged as at that period. But, look at what politics did to him.

    But sir, you can make a difference in politics…

    No, it’s not that easy because those who had integrity and wanted to make a difference got absorbed in the mess. Nigeria economy is not doing well, but, the salary our leaders are getting, none is getting that amount elsewhere. These are the reasons why we have infrastructural decay. Some of us do not like politics and can never be a party to it because before you know it, you will be totally useless, and you will lose people’s respect. I remember an incident when a governor (name withheld) felt that I must belong to a political party when he saw my house in the village. The question I asked is, ‘must I belong to a party to be able to survive?’ The answer is no.

    What’s the best decision you have taken so far?

    The best decision I took was to go back to school, my father didn’t have money, so I decided to take exams on my own to return back to school. I took the decision not because I’m qualified to take it but by God’s grace. Secondly, I was put in an office that equally determined what I’m today. I was posted in a department that was not common, a foreign investment, which permitted me to see the country’s investment policy, and through which I got inspiration to write a research on this, including my PhD thesis, because CBN trained me so much until I retired on December 12, 1992.

    What motivates you?

    To discover things and add value to the present situation and to impact lives positively. My bible says the world is waiting for the manifestation of the sons of God. For me, adding value to humanity by looking at how to make the economy better, which incidentally is one of areas of my academic scholarship is all I care about. I remember my inputs in helping to develop the Pan Africa Investment Code to negotiate investment protocol. For example, in CBN, our assignment research was on investment, in 1981, I did a research that led to the abrogation of Decree 36 of 1988 which was Industrial Development coordinating committee which was abrogated and replaced with the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission Decree 15 of 1995 which is an Act now. When I wanted to launch my PhD thesis, former President Olusegun Obasanjo said it should be launched at the NEPC because of my contribution. I want to be remembered for making impacts to lives and not just living like Methuselah.

    What makes you tick?

    I can’t be describing myself that I’m unique. I’m only who I’m. I really don’t know; it’s only outsiders that can answer that. I remember when I finished primary school; I left for Lagos to sell owu (thread) around Carter Bridge. I was selling for a woman at Awe. I later left for teachers’ training and I was among the Kemebiris who didn’t wear clothes at the time. Kemberi is a tribe in Kebbi State now under Borgu Local Government Area. I was a Grade II Certificate teacher in Papiri Primary School 1973-74; after I graduated from Igbaja Teachers Training College in 1972. Note that part of Kebbi State was in my State (Kwara State) at that time. So, it’s God that makes me unique because I know where I’m coming from. I’m a typical example of God’s grace but I prefer my relationship with God. I’m very close to God, and that’s where I derive my fun and relaxation. I believe if you count your blessings one by one, it will surprise you what the Lord has done. I remember how I came to be close to this man of God, Bishop Oyedepo of Winner’s Chapel. The church wanted to assist Rwanda refugees and my wife and I decided to produce bags which we gave to the church. Then the Bishop asked for the person who produced the bags in order to pay him. But then, I said I did them for free and he prayed for me.

    What was the last book you read?

    I don’t know because I can read more than ten books a day. I have a library here in Abuja and also a library in my office in Lagos on Akowonjo road, Market Link by Jimoh bus stop.

    So how do you shuttle between Abuja and Lagos?

    No, I have stopped shuttling. There are people who work there to monitor activities there. We have a warehouse there with products that we sell though I don’t do that again. My library is bigger there than here. If I have money I will get a bigger library.

    Sir, I noticed that you been punctuating your responses with rich Bible quotes and all. You seem to have strong views on religion?

    Religion is about what you worship. The word Christian actually emerged first in Antioch in Acts of Apostles. My background is ECWA and I thank God that I know Christ. Before I started my primary school, I remember the white missionaries gave us tracts which had helped my journey in Christianity. So, Christianity is about living a Christ-like life.

    What is your management style?

    Managing men and resources is the most interesting thing job you can find because every day affords you the opportunity to learn new things. Following my voluntary retirement in December 1992 I established Market Link Group. We went into manufacturing at first and subsequently diversified into consultancy and training. What I have learnt over the years is that if you must set the rules and boundaries but allow the individuals to use their own initiative wherever necessary. That way, you can get the best from them. As a rule, I’m liberal but firm at the same time.

    Apart from your professorial duties, what else do you do?

    I usually have schedule of meetings and take time off work to rest at Acropolis, a fun/relaxation spot which was designed by my son, which people have acknowledged as a nice architectural design. We don’t sell beer and hot drinks here at Acropolis. Because God built this place not me. So, it’s a full restaurant.

    What’s your dress sense?

    I wear corporate, and when I’m not going out, I put on something light, like the traditional buba and sokoto I’m wearing now. (Laughs).

    What is your favourite dish?

    It’s Amala and a very good soup. I like most of the Yoruba soup, but I like gbegiri, especially when combined with ewedu. I remember those days when I couldn’t buy meat when we buy food, so we get bones and begin to lick it. I was living at Akapo Street then close to Okepopo.

    Do you cook?

    Compulsorily, I had to learn how to cook, when I was alone doing teachers training. Even when I served in Plateau State, I cooked my meal. Sometimes too, when my wife travels to visit our children, I cook for myself. But, when she’s around, I do not need to compete with her, I eat whatever she cooks, I don’t dictate.

    What is your choice holiday destination?

    I like to say Canada because my children are there, UK is okay, but I don’t like too much cold. To me, the climate condition here is perfect. For example, my friend who traveled to visit his children kept calling me because of loneliness. He had nobody to visit. If I travel, I spend maximum two weeks.

  • How my parents’ death 11 months apart inspired my business outfit’s birth — Yinka Opeke

    How my parents’ death 11 months apart inspired my business outfit’s birth — Yinka Opeke

    The founder and CEO of Smart Gas & Petroleum Ltd, Dr. Yinka Opeke, is a US based international business consultant with core competencies in strategy formulation and implementation. In this interview with GBENGA ADERANTI, she talks about her journey into entrepreneurship and how the death of her parents 11 months apart birthed Smart Gas, among other issues.

     

    It what point did you decide to become an entrepreneur?

    My journey as an entrepreneur started during my NYSC (National Youth Service Corps) days in Port Harcourt. Upon completion of my undergraduate degree from the University of Ibadan in 2004, I was posted to Rivers State and I served in Panalpina Logistics. Due to the cordial relationship I had with my co-workers at the time, I would seldom get free or highly discounted tickets to Lagos on some of our partner airlines, to go to Balogun Market and buy children’s clothes to resell at work.

    My flat mate at that time was also a youth corps member and she made lovely sandwiches. She would sell them to me at N80, and I would go to work and resell at N120. During my entire service year in Port Harcourt, I never had to touch my NYSC allowance because my other side hustles were paying the bills.

    After NYSC, I had saved enough to buy a Nissan Primera. I returned to Ibadan to commence my master’s degree in GIS in 2005. Upon completion of my degree, I moved to Lagos. Due to my prior knowledge of Balogun Market, I started selling London wax materials and saved enough to start selling gold.

    In 2006, I was employed by Zenith Bank and my co-workers became my main clients. They loved my pieces and would give me postdated cheques against the next payday. A few months after, I started traveling to London to shop for corporate outfits from Zara, Primark, H & M, Next, and I sold them all within the bank.

    In 2007, I travelled to the United Kingdom for my second master’s degree in Project Management from Queen Mary, University of London, and upon completion, obtained my PRINCE2 Certification. In 2008, I returned to Nigeria and started working with Stanbic IBTC in Maitama, Abuja. At that time I had figured out I wasn’t cut out for a 9 -5 job so I resigned in 2010 to officially start my journey as an entrepreneur.

    Yinka Opeke
    Yinka Opeke

    Photography was my first attempt. I attended London School of Photography and PhotoFusion to hone my skills. In the last quarter of 2010, I moved to Lagos and my experiences in photography birthed D’Acero Ltd, a brand consulting firm. I was opportune to have partnered with UNICEF, Zenith Bank, Stanbic IBTC, AXA Mansard, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Infinity Trust Mortgage Bank Plc amongst others.

    In 2013, I started my doctorate at Walden University, Minnesota, USA, where I specialised in Entrepreneurship and Organisational leadership. I graduated in 2018. I am also an alumnus of Lagos Business School and Enterprise Development Centre, both arms of the Pan African University.

    In 2014, I explored the possibility of establishing another income stream since I had pretty much stabilised my brand consulting business and my team members were competent enough to run daily operations. After much research, I established Drape Kings, an events decor company.

    I attended the Event Décor Academy, Miami and sourced my décor items from different countries. However, upon executing my first contract (which ended up being my last), I knew I couldn’t continue in that line of business.

    What went wrong?

    I am by no means one to shy away from hard work, but I knew from that first job, I couldn’t cope with that type/level of stress. I immediately decided to start selling decor items since I already had a huge inventory anyway. This plan seemed perfect until the dollar increase hit the Nigerian economy. My business was greatly impacted by increased freight charges, customs issues, and all the hiccups associated with importation. As a result of this, I sold off the décor business completely.

    It was based on these new realities that I decided to look within, something with more local content where I could source at least 70% of my raw materials locally. In 2015, I pioneered Opeke easy-to-tie geles (head gears), which happens to be my maiden name and also means fine girl or omoge in Yoruba. The name seemed apt since my focus was to promote the African beauty, our rich culture and heritage using aso-oke to make ready-to-tie, already pleated gele. Opeke was a huge success. We exported our gele to so many states in the US, UK, Canada, Ghana and different states in Nigeria. During this period, I also founded Thomas O. Women Network (TOWN), a not-for-profit organisation based in Nigeria, focused on connecting, empowering, and celebrating women involved in selfless community service.

    In 2016, I moved to the US, continued with the gele business but soon had to re-strategise because I was in a different country with different types of opportunities and peculiarities. However, when I look at the inventions and reinventions that have taken place in the easy-to-tie gele industry, I couldn’t be more proud to have pioneered such a great idea.

    In Houston, I immediately joined a few chambers of commerce and before long, I started learning the culture, business terrain, areas of opportunities, and so on.

    In 2017, I established Trade Expo Africa (TEXA), a U.S. registered Houston based company focused on promoting bilateral trade relations, investment opportunities, educational advancements, international collaborations and information exchange between businesses in the U.S. & Africa.  With my strong business networks with SME focused, public and private organisations in Nigeria, I am able to help businesses penetrate international markets.

    I achieved this through exhibitions, study trips, B2B Meetings and trade missions.

    I was honoured to  have received certificates of recognition from Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, State Representative Shawn Thierry and Mayor of Houston, Mayor Sylvester Turner for my tremendous efforts at promoting trade and investment in Houston.

    I am also a Managing Partner at TEXA Property Group, a U.S. registered Houston based company focused on empowering individuals through real estate investments in Texas.

    Presently, I hold an executive board position at the Texas West Africa Chamber of Commerce (TWACC) as their Treasurer, Head of Strategy & Corporate Governance.  Together with my team, we promote trade alliances between businesses in Texas and West Africa. Since the inception of TWACC in 2019, my team and I have hosted the President of Guinea, three Ambassadors, and visited over seven African Ambassadors in Washington D.C and Houston.

    How has COVID-19 affected your business?

    Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I suspended all exhibitions but continued with my international business consulting and real estate. On the 22nd of February, 2020, I lost my dad, and that was when the Smart Gas journey started. Smart Gas is a tech company established to leverage technologies to solve challenges faced by consumers when purchasing cooking gas, and the dangers associated with it. We are a technology driven, app based platform, designed from ground up for clients to experience a more convenient way to purchase cooking gas, increase transaction efficiency and optimize user experience. Our focus areas are retailing, wholesaling to corporations, LPG logistics, bobtail leasing, and LPG storage tank lease.

    Barely 11months after my dad’s passing, my mum also passed on to glory on the 25th of January 2021. It was indeed a tough start to the year. I am today taking it each day at a time. My siblings and I established the Raphael & Rosaline Opeke Foundation (Raph & Rosa) with a focus to supply adult diapers and bed mats (Macintosh) to community hospitals for their older patients.

    Our medium to long term vision is to establish senior living homes that will cater for older adults who are generally able to care for themselves, however, assistance from professional care givers will be provided. Activities and socialization opportunities will be provided within the facilities as well.

    You said your focus would be to supply adult diapers and bed mats (Macintosh) to community hospitals for their older patients, but in Nigeria there are very few old peoples’ homes …

    Though there is the general belief that our culture frowns at putting our parents in homes, we strongly believe there is a market for those people who prioritise the care of their aged parents above myth and culture. We solicit donations from, and seek collaborations with individuals, corporations, and government agencies.

    How would you describe your experience as an entrepreneur?

    My journey as an entrepreneur has been an eventful and insightful one, with so many highs and lows, but I am better off for it. The establishment of Smart Gas in Nigeria has been particularly challenging to say the least. People wonder why I am establishing something this big back home when so many are seeking greener pastures outside the shores of Nigeria. Quite honestly, I don’t know. I love Nigeria, and hope that ease of doing business will sooner than later be implemented in our processes because right now, it is none existent. However, I believe it’s a calculated risk, and as the saying goes, the higher the risk, the higher the rewards. Nigeria, be good to me and the entire Smart Gas team.

    At what point did you decide to go into the gas and petroleum business?

    My outfit, Smart Gas is a dedication to my father and my mother, who passed on 11 months apart. The heart will break, but the broken lives on. Though my father’s demise is the most devastating experience I have had in my adult life, it birthed an idea in my spirit, which has now become a reality. Where do I begin? A vision birthed in grief and the onset of a global crisis, good tidings can indeed come from the most un-ideal situations.

    I lost my dad on the 22nd of February, 2020, and it seemed my life halted at the time. His demise shook me to my core, unexpected and painful. My inability to pay my final respect was the salt on the injury because I was in the US and international flights were suspended. I missed him so much I cried so often. The pain of the void was so deep, and almost as if he felt it, and was saying I will give you something to distract you, Smart Gas was birthed in my spirit on the 20th of March 2020.

    Smart Gas was the distraction I needed to manage his loss. When I wasn’t mourning him, I buried myself in this project, and in no time I had a comprehensive business plan to work with. Looking at the progress I have made since inception, I have no doubt that God’s hand is in this.

  • My Dream is to work with Yomi Casual, Others – Sure Klothing’s Richie

    My Dream is to work with Yomi Casual, Others – Sure Klothing’s Richie

    In a world where fashion is constantly evolving, one name stands out among the rest, captivating the industry with their exceptional talent and innovative designs.

    Oluwaseyi Oluwagbenga Richie,  the creative genius behind Sure Klothing has become a driving force in the fashion landscape, leaving an indelible mark with his unique vision and unparalleled craftsmanship.

    In this interview, Richie spoke on his desire to work with Yomi Casual, and other fashion innovators in Nigeria.

    Excerpts
    How did Sure Klothing come into existence?
    Sure Klothing is a dream come true. It came into existence as a result of my undying quest for fashion taste. I started by making male shirts in my third year in the university. I started off with 10 shirts; six designed shirts and four plain shirts. I used to go around hostels in school then try to market these shirts to people who might be interested. Little by little, I sold off the first batch and before I knew it, the demand for my shirts started to increase, so the next batch I made was 40 shirts.

    What inspired you to start your own fashion establishment and what is your vision for the brand?

    Fashion has always been in my blood right from Childhood. I’ve always dreamt of exploring this space since I was little. I’m someone that loves to make statements with fashion. I used to always buy already made clothes because no one ever made exactly what I wanted…ever. There was always an issue with style delivery for me and one day I just realised, “I can’t be the only one going through this problem; so why not learn how to sow well tailored outfits with or without fittings? So yeah, basically my decision to go into fashion was inspired by my experiences with ill fitting clothes. I got interested in fashion because I wanted to be able to create outfits that fit perfectly because I never really could find who could create that for me.

    My vision for this brand is, however, to be a universal brand to reckon with in the world of fashion in the universe, also when it comes to African print and fashion. I also envisioned being part of the brands to be reckoned with in the world of fashion in the universe.
    At what point did you know that setting up a fashion company will be a smart decision?
    It is true that I have a strong passion for fashion, and as I continue to grow, I got to a point that I realised that it’s either it, or nothing.  Then, I decided that I would rather spend the rest of my life doing fashion, or doing nothing. So, I simply turned my hobby to business.
    Then, through observations and self-exploration, I embarked on a profound journey to understand my true essence, during this process, I discovered an innate connection to the world of fashion, where creativity thrived. Choosing fashion as my career path allowed me to express my authentic self and contribute to the ever-evolving industry that resonated with my passion and purpose.

    Are there any challenges in the fashion industry you are addressing with Sure Klothing?

    Of course, there are challenges everywhere. The fashion industry is highly competitive, so to make a statement requires dedication and  hardwork. Another challenge would be the pure difficulty in finding highly efficient workers, who have the same passion or work drive as you do. I also think another challenge is the ability for people to accept your brand and pay you accordingly. Bigger brands are out there, so you’ve got to do better to be paid better.

    Can you recall any moment you are proud as a fashion designer since you started Sure Klothing?

    Yes, there are many that I could recall, but there is one I always like to talk about. It was the moment I watched a music performer putting on a Jacket I made, on TV. It was the best moment of my life, especially as a young fashion designer.
    What do you aspire to do with fashion?
    I want to be part of the fashion brands and tycoons who put the name and the print of Africa and specifically Nigeria On the full view Of the world by creating some fashion infusions to interpret every culture in the world.

    What is that thing you would love to change in the Nigerian fashion landscape?

    Access to finance has been a challenge faced by most fashion designers in Nigeria. In fact, it’s almost impossible to secure credit facilities to set up, or operate your business. So, I will love to change that by making funds in the form of loans and grants available for every young fashion designer out there.

    There used to be a time in Nigeria where textile was thriving, do you see such ever happening again?

    It’s going to happen, though I can’t say when. I believe better days are ahead of us in Nigeria. I believe the future of textiles in Nigeria holds great promises and potentials. What most people don’t know is that we have a rich cultural heritage and a growing population. Nigeria has an opportunity to leverage its abundant resources, her skilled workforce, and creative talents to drive innovation and development in the textile industry. I foresee the encouragement of Investments in modern technology, sustainable practices, and infrastructure that can also lead to increased production, improved quality, and expanded market opportunities.

    Tell us who you would love to work with as far as fashion is concerned in Nigeria…

    There are many big brands I would love to work with officially. Amongst them are Yomi Casual and Neopele, who has not only successfully carved a niche for himself, but is doing so well to bring pride to the fashion business.

    How would you describe your growth?

    My growth is very organic. It hasn’t been easy, I mean there’s always a struggle every day but we’ve had the most amazing clients who have stayed with us from the get go, some of whom have even referred some of our biggest clients till date. My growth has been a gradual process; I like to think that everything great takes time.

  • Why we must equip our youths with vocational skills

    Why we must equip our youths with vocational skills

    Dr. Philips Nto is the Provost, Abia State College of Education (Technical) Arochukwu (ASCETA). In this interview with Sunny Nwankwo, he speaks on his exploits in the institution, especially in the area of welfare and infrastructure. The former Commissioner of Finance under former Governor Theodore Orji’s tenure also speaks on why it is imperative for tertiary institutions to incorporate vocational training into their curriculum to combat the challenge of graduate unemployment.

     

    It has been five years since you assumed office as Provost. How has the journey been?

    When I assumed office as Provost of the college in 2016, I encountered a lot of challenges. The college was in a state of total disrepair infrastructure-wise and academically. The staff were also seriously ill-motivated and the whole place was overgrown with weeds, looking like an unkempt zoo. The perimeter fence was gone. There was no electricity because it was cut off from the national grid. Staff morale was very low. To restore the environment and make it conducive for academic activities, therefore, became my topmost priority. Through the assistance and support of Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, we were able to fix a few things, especially power supply, security and the perimeter fencing. The college is today running on pre-paid meter.

    Almost three decades after the establishment of the college in 1993, no graduate has been sighted with the original certificate of the college because none was available before my coming. My administration has finally broken that jinx. We have signed the certificates of all the graduates up to 2015.

    It is on record that before the present management, the college did not undergo any accreditation exercise for over 13 years until I assumed office. Again, through the fatherly support and assistance of Governor Ikpeazu, the college approached the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE) and was able to get accreditation for almost all its courses.

    Our goal has always been to ensure that students who graduate through this college can be proud to say that they had an all-round education. We ensured that all our first year students and the ones I met on assumption of office had the usual academic ritual of matriculation ceremony which was not done many years before I took over. I know you are a graduate and can relate to the excitement of a matriculation ceremony which the students of the College were denied over the years.

    Let me quickly add here that I met a college that was blacklisted by the Tetfund because of diversion of funds. Thankfully that has been reversed.

    Your reappointment must be a confirmation of your performance during your first term. What will you consider your signature achievement?

    Like I said earlier, poor infrastructure was one of the major problems of the college because it looked like a glorified secondary school. Most of the buildings were those erected by the foremost educationist, Alvan Ikoku, when the Aggrey Memorial Secondary School was founded in 1931 and were no longer habitable for human beings. However, I decided to tackle that problem head on. We started and completed the School of Arts and Social Sciences Building, those of Business Education, the College Auditorium, School of Science Education as well as the College Library. Would you believe that the college operated without a library? These buildings can be described as architectural masterpieces. Currently, the School of Education and the General Studies buildings are nearing completion alongside the landscaping of the college, which is on the verge of being completed. We also renovated and fully equipped some existing buildings and hostels.

    Before now, the college was blacklisted by Tetfund and we struggled to restore their confidence in us and from our performance, we have sustained and leveraged on their confidence to attract more interventions to the college. Let me use this opportunity to commend Tetfund for all its assistance.

    To answer your question, I believe that my signature performance is the infrastructural development in the college and the restoration of academic integrity and stability. In any case, some of these questions will be better asked the students and staff.

    What will you consider the greatest challenge to your performance generally?

    My greatest challenge then was lack of infrastructural development and of course, the irregular payment of salaries, but thank God that for a year and more, the State Government has tried and made almost regular the monthly release of subventions to the college. The governor has since been living up to the promise he made despite the dwindling revenue from the federation account occasioned by low price of crude oil.

    Secondly, low student enrolment is another big challenge which makes it practically difficult to generate internal revenue. You are aware that the college is located at the border town of Arochukwu; hence, most of the link roads were in deplorable conditions and virtually not accessible. But thank God that our governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, has rendered palliative measures on some of these federal roads to Arochukwu, in addition to the rehabilitation of the Akwa Ibom side of the roads.

    There are fears that Colleges of Education certificate may no longer be relevant in the system. How correct Is this?

    It is correct to say so but for us in ASCETA, we are being proactive. We have put structures in place and have initiated moves to invite the NUC to come for resource verification to solidify our relationship with the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike and the Abia State University, Uturu, for the purposes of award of degrees in education. All these are being done with the intention of making government convert the college to a University of Education, Entrepreneurship and Technology, to cater for the teaching needs of our primary and secondary schools. This is also aimed at leveraging on the entrepreneurship and technology skills of Abians. We are optimistic that we shall succeed in that regard.

    How do we address the issue of graduate unemployment vis-a-vis the institutions of higher learning?

    There is a serious unemployment challenge in the country which has led to increase in social vices like terrorism, banditry, internet fraud, kidnapping, armed robbery, etc. All these are traceable to inherited colonial curriculum, which is no longer useful in present day Nigeria. We inherited study of English, mathematics, Chemistry, etc. They were good then but no longer relevant to the needs of the society. Nigerians are supposed to be talking about skill acquisition and individual talent development but that is not what we are doing currently. There are so many graduates who studied English, mathematics and chemistry, etc but they are far from getting employed because they were not developed skill-wise.

    Our curriculum should be structured in such a way that the talents of our youths are identified and developed irrespective of what they studied in the tertiary institutions. I call on all tertiary institutions’ administrators to make skills acquisition a compulsory study in their institutions, so that talents could be identified and developed along with the course of study. That is why in ASCETA, we have made it compulsory that no matter what course, a student studies, skills acquisition must be compulsory either in catering services, landscaping, leather works, metal works and fabrication including computer repairs, food preservation, painting, woodwork, mason etc.

    On graduation, the student must have a skill that will make him an employer without waiting to be employed by government for jobs that are elusive.

    Do you subscribe to the suggestion that we should halt the establishment of tertiary institutions and what are your reasons?

    Nigeria as a country doesn’t have enough tertiary institutions- whether private or public. From my little findings, we have fewer than 600 tertiary institutions, which is grossly inadequate for a country with close to 200 million population, with more of the population among the youth that are still doing their first, second and third degrees. Compared to the US which has a population of fewer than 400 million people but with tertiary institutions of close to 6,000;this is grossly inadequate.

    Some may say those we have are grossly underfunded; the level of infrastructural decay in especially the public schools is immeasurable. Let me use this opportunity to call on the federal government to increase the education tax from one percent to five percent because the one percent, which is used to fund Tetfund, is inadequate. With this, Nigerian tertiary institutions would no longer have much funding problems.

    Also, I recommend that budgetary provisions on education be increased by both states and federal governments to fund research, especially in these institutions. Telecommunication companies should be charged to increase their tariff, so that the additional funds can be used to fund university education, especially ICT for the possibility of curtailing physical contacts in lecture halls in line with COVID-19 protocols.

    Another area of concern is the proliferation of universities by some politicians. These universities are set up not necessarily to adequately impart knowledge but as a mark of status symbol. This is not a good sign. I pray that what is happening to public primary and secondary schools in the country should not happen to the tertiary institutions.  The NUC should take a critical look at this area.

    Conscious of the above, I do not however personally advocate the idea of establishing more universities when the ones we have are still underfunded and under-utilised in terms of student enrolment. There is no institution in the country with a student population of up to 60,000. Opening more will entail spending more in the payment of staff salaries, allowances and other recurrent expenditure. Rather, government should fund the ones we have adequately and increase their capacity to train more students like we have in some universities in nearby African countries.