The Nation Newspaper

Category: Special Report

  • A Policy Vault Made for Africa

    An exciting idea turned into an interesting organization that will open Africa to development opportunities and investments, writes OLUKOREDE YISHAU

    In early April, after finishing his capstone project, Ridwan Sorunke had his eyes set on the future outside Johns Hopkins University. He reached for his diary. He wanted to turn his long-time idea into a nonprofit that will enable co-governance for all people in Africa. At the center of his idea is an important question: how do we access policies across all sectors across all countries in Africa?

    He wanted to help governments in Africa find solutions to a perennial problem that has an international dimension.

    At the School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), where Sorunke spent two years studying International Economics with concentration on Africa at a graduate level, he conceived Policy Vault Africa—the first online repository of government policies and regulations across all sectors in all countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.

    “Africa is rising. Africa is on the move. Africa is innovating. But there is something missing,” Sorunke says. “The policies and regulations that will sustain the rise, the move and the innovations are not accessible.”

    That insight formed the basis for setting up Policy Vault Africa. Through recognising that they have a common attachment to the continent where they grew up and yearnings for solutions to Africa’s myriad problems, five of Sorunke’s friends with whom he attended Johns Hopkins University at the same time toed his line of thoughts on creation of a vault, where policies and regulations by Africa’s national governments can be accessed globally, unhindered.

    In Africa, public policies are not public. The challenge is with the national governments. After creating laws, they are kept inside a dingy and decrepit office cabinets where tons of files are piled together.

    This poor way of keeping records, particularly policies and regulations means those who can use them to spur rapid economic growth and development are not able to do so.

    “What’s so exciting about this innovation is that with a click anyone from anywhere in the world can access policies and regulations in Africa,” says Adeola Akinremi who leads communications for the organization from its Washington D.C office.

    Akinremi, a former editor at Nigeria’s ThisDay with strong knowledge of how policy instruments work, says: “This will help position Africa as a place where development work is easy and market entry for investors is simple. We provide policy briefs to international nonprofits seeking reforms, support policymakers to scale up policies and help investors identify policies that are critical to their investment interests.”

    It is not surprising to see why Africa is courting the world’s attention. Its population jump and young demography makes it an interesting place for development interventions and investments.  But leaders in Africa need to scale up policies that will drive growth, while making those policies accessible to citizens, investors and researchers who are finding ways to contribute to governance or need to understand regulations around their work.

    In most African countries, the transition to digital has not even been made. Many policy files exist only in dusty cabinets sitting in poorly ventilated offices, with no access by those who could use them impact on development. And, in other cases, governments simply refuse to release data on how they are running their societies; when they do, it is in arcane language that seeks to befuddle rather than clarify.

    The status quo has led to a paucity of information on the continent. Researchers, investors, journalists are usually left scratching their heads and forced to rely on third party, external data – The World Bank, the United Nations – in their bid to determine the direction governments are heading. This is not enough. There is an urgent need to put the continent’s public policies into a space that is universally accessible, safe and properly delineated in order that those who need the information can have it, be able to make sense of it and use its utility to transform the continent.

    One way to do this is using new communication technologies, which are becoming quite popular in Africa. According to a publication by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Panos Institute West Africa, “the widespread use of ICTs offers both governments and citizens the potential to address traditional development and governance issues in a new, innovative fashion.

    “From the viewpoint of governments, ICTs are a catalytic tool to promote services to the most marginalized populations, thus helping achievement of the MDGs, while enhancing transparency and accountability. From the point of view of citizens and stakeholders, they can benefit by having access to new communication channels and thus having ‘louder’ voices in decision- and public policy-making processes.”

    Policy Vault Africa to the rescue

    As a new policy-focused organization, Policy Vault Africa plans to “serve as a platform for policy data, which have historically been difficult to access by African citizens, civil society, researchers, and investors” said Timi Iwayemi, the Lead Director of the organisation.

    On its website, the organisation is unambiguous about its mission to enable stakeholders to search for any policy in any sector in any country in Africa.To achieve its objectives, the organisation leverages a wide network of partners and analysts on the ground in Africa and then compile, verify, clean, and upload key government policies across Africa. In turn, users can then search for those policies, regulations and investment guides; and they can also request for unavailable documents across sectors and countries. The Policy Vault Africa can equally help to track updates on specific policies, including strategic advice on policy engagements.

    In essence, the organisation is attempting to use technology to solve one of Africa’s most intractable problems – information management and analysis.

    Obviously, if Policy Vault Africa succeeds in achieving its hugely lofty goal of providing access to policy and regulations “in any sector across any country in Africa”, transparency will shoot up in Africa; and with higher transparency comes a harsher spotlight on corruption and the ability to hold leaders more accountable for their actions and its effects on their publics.

    Policy Vault Africa, despite being new, has already accomplished a great deal of work with awards. On its website, the organization confirms it already has more than 2,000 policies and regulations from African countries. From its analytics, the responses from academic institutions, philanthropic organisations, non-profits, national governments and investors have been positive.

    Already, the organisation has analysts in countries such as Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya and Nigeria with additional staff in Washington D.C

    “This is a great opportunity for African national governments to scale up policies that bring development because Policy Vault Africa is a see through window for global partners who desires to engage with Africa on democratic development, economic reform and investments,” according to Timi Iwayemi, a director at the organisation.

    “the Friedrich Naumann Foundation (FNF) ­– a group that supports human rights, rule of law and democracy in more than 60 countries – found a nexus between the work of our organization and its own commitment to Africa,” he says.

    And Timi Iwayemi believes there are more of such institutions “that demonstrate the interconnectedness of our work in Africa ­– in research, policy, advocacy and development.

    Since the organisation’s website went live, the highest traffic has come from the research environment which means students, academics and think tanks – the go-to organizations for proposals and policy advice on key economic, health, security, social and environmental issues – have subscribed to use Policy Vault Africa.

    Policy Vault Africa has the potential to transform how African governments make and improve their decision making, and also how those policies are engaged with. There is little doubt that a democratic public policy space in Africa is imperative for the acceleration of sound policy-making across the continent, which will inevitably lead to more infrastructure, better education and healthcare, improved security and, indeed, a superior quality of life for everyone on the continent.

    Its growing pool of information will make it easier and faster to know how governments are tackling various social and economic issues which affects the lives of billions of people and, inevitably, the entire planet. Beyond that, its work will also drive collaboration between governments, improving learning outcomes about what works and what doesn’t.

    The organisation hopes to be sustainable through subscription fees. However, to scale faster, it will require support from institutions who are willing to support initiatives that can help transform the continent.

  • Border closure… More gains, fewer pains

    Apart from the official borders, Nigeria has more than 1,400 illegal border routes used by smugglers to pillage the economy. The closure of the borders has brought enormous gains despite the pains, writes JULIUS ENEHIKHUERE

    Nigeria shares international boundaries with the Republic of Benin, Cameroon, Chad and Niger.

    Apart from these official borders, the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) says more than 1,400 illegal border routes exist as smugglers routes. They create security challenges.

    The Comptroller-General of the NIS, Mr David Parradang, said the country has only 84 approved land border control posts.

    But Nigerian authorities note that the porous borders have resulted in a crisis in the economic sector that is affecting the development of the country.

    In August, the authorities announced and enforced the closure of its border with the Republic of Benin.

    The operation under the codename “Ex-Swift Response’’ was a collaborative security operation involving the Nigeria Immigration Service and Nigeria Customs Service together with Nigeria Police Force and the Armed Forces.

    President Muhammadu Buhari attributes the partial closure of border with the Benin Republic to the massive smuggling activities, especially of rice, taking place on that corridor.

    He expressed great concern over the smuggling of rice, noting that it threatens the self-sufficiency already attained due to his administration’s agricultural policies.

    Similarly, the Comptroller-General of Nigeria Customs Service, retired Col. Hameed Ali, said that the closure of Nigeria’s borders was undertaken to strengthen the nation’s security and protect its economic interests.

    Ali also observed that closure would stem the influx of smuggled goods, especially rice and tomatoes into the country, insisting that the closure has significantly increased revenue from import duties.

    However, while the government claimed to have acted in the best interests of the economy and Nigerians, some Nigerians and citizens of neighbouring countries most affected by the closure, continue to express worry about it, calling for an immediate reopening of the borders.

    Some economists believed that the decision to close the nation’s land borders could be painful to the concerned neighbouring countries, considering the relationship with them.

    According to them, one of the immediate gains of the closure could be a stop to the dumping of goods from European markets in Nigeria.

    They believed that the action would go a long way in protecting our local manufacturers and producers.

    They described it as a policy that would address and redefine relations with our neighbours in a win-win situation.

    But critics insisted that border closure is an economic aberration as most countries don’t usually close their borders for trade-related reasons.

    According to them, the closure has the potential to disrupt the economic lifelines of many traders who depend on legitimate cross-border trade.

    Irrespective of this, Emir of Kano Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, said that the decision to close border is part of the measures to preserve foreign policy in the national interest.

    “Last time, I was critical of Nigeria’s refusal to sign the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (ACFTA) and recently I have been in support of the decision to close the border.

    “Nigeria is 70 per cent of the population of West Africa and if we have an industrial policy that is aimed at protecting the productive sector of Nigeria, it is a fair competition.

    “We cannot allow our neighbours to open their doors to this unfair competition and through the back door undermine our industry.

    “It is not about smuggling petroleum or rice; but in 2017, the Republic of Benin was the world’s second-largest importer of tramadol — an opioid pain medication that is being abused — to the U.S.

    “So closing the borders, I hope is not a permanent solution but what I hope is that is an opportunity to sit down and agree on rules and then opens up the borders.

    “It is extremely important to have a Foreign Policy that is ready to take very firm decision to protect the national interest against dangerous trade activities,” Sanusi observes.

    Sharing similar sentiments, Ghana’s former President John Mahama has lauded the creation of a joint-security taskforce on the borders of Nigeria but warns that the continued delay is harming the economies of the West African region.

    Mahama believed that the greatest volume of trade in West Africa takes place in the Lagos – Abidjan corridor.

    “I believe that an ECOWAS meeting of the Heads of States should discuss the issues and it could lead to the resolution of the problem.

    “So, closing your border is the simplest thing to do; any country can say I’m closing my border to imports from my neighbours, but it doesn’t help to build the kind of integration we are trying to build in West Africa,’’ he said.

    He also expressed the fear that by the time the borders are re-opened, some businesses that rely on each other’s export may have collapsed.

    Economists noted that one of the immediate consequences of Nigeria’s action is the backlash it will have on Nigerian traders in Ghana.

    They alleged that more than 400 shops owned by Nigerians have been closed for flimsy excuses that were, hitherto, overlooked.

    Nigeria Union in Diaspora also alleged that Nigerian traders in Accra are being harassed and victimised.

    In spite of this, authorities in Nigeria, having observed the encouraging changes in the economy, recently foreclosed re-opening of the nation’s borders.

    For instance, the Federal Government said 95 per cent of arms and ammunition inflow to Boko Haram insurgent group, kidnappers, killer herdsmen and bandits have gone down considerably.

    Minister of Information and Culture Lai Mohammed said border closure against the importation of foreign goods and illegal immigrants will remain, observing that 296 illegal immigrants have been arrested.

    According to him, the decision to close the borders is taken to secure the country which has been confronted by numerous trans-border economic and security challenges.

    “These challenges range from banditry, kidnapping, smuggling, illegal migrants and proliferation of light weapons, among others.

    “The preference for foreign goods, especially food items such as rice, has continuously impoverished our farmers and adversely affected domestic government policies supporting the agricultural sector to enhance food security.

    “It is, however, disturbing that some neighbouring countries circumvent the ECOWAS protocol on transit.

    “ECOWAS protocol on transit demands that when a transit container berths at a seaport, the receiving country is mandated to escort same without tampering with the seal to the border of the destination country.

    “Experience has shown that our neighbours do not comply with this protocol. Rather, they break the seals of containers at their ports and trans-load goods destined for Nigeria,’’ he said.

    The minister, who expressed satisfaction with success so far recorded by the joint task force, observing that the singular decision has reduced importation of foreign goods, increased revenue generation and enhances security.

    “On the economy, the partial closure of the borders has curbed the smuggling of foreign rice into the country, in addition to other prohibited items.

    “Our series of interactions and engagements with Rice Miller Association of Nigeria since the commencement of this exercise has shown that the border closure has enhanced more production and milling of Nigerian rice.

    “Patronage of local rice has increased and farmers are expanding their farms as well as engaging more hands.

    “Border closure has also impacted positively on revenue generation which in turn will be used to build more infrastructures and develop critical sectors of the nation’s economy.

    “The border closure has also curbed diversion of petroleum products from Nigeria to neighbouring countries,’’ he said.

    Mohammed said further that 95 per cent of illicit drugs and weapons that are being used for acts of terrorism and kidnapping in Nigeria is through porous borders.

    “Our conclusion is that the arms and ammunition these terrorists and criminal elements are using no longer gain access into the country.

    “The drugs which affect the health and wellbeing of Nigerians have equally been reduced,’’ the minister said.

    He assured the public that government, through diplomatic channels, would continue to engage the nation’s neighbours to agree to comply with the ECOWAS Protocol on Transit.

    According to the minister, goods that are on the prohibition list to Nigeria, such as rice, used clothing, poultry products and vegetable oil, should not be exported to the country.

    He also noted that the closure has provided a unique platform for the various participating agencies to jointly operate together, thereby strengthening inter-agency collaboration and reducing animosity.

    He insisted that the purpose of the border closure is to promote a secure, peaceful and prosperous Nigeria.

    Mohammed, therefore, calls on all Nigerians to be patriotic by patronising local rice to help the country to attain self-sufficiency in local rice production and boost the economy.

    • Enehikhuere is of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)

  • Lagos: Burden of a former federal capital

    In 1992, Lagos lost its status as the federal capital. Its loss is Abuja’s gain. Despite cries for it to be granted a special status, Lagos, more or less, has been abandoned, writes EMMANUEL OLADESU

    Lagos, the former Federal Capital Territory and the fifth largest economy in Africa, is in pains. When will it get special status?

    The city provokes an ambivalent emotion. On one hand, it is a prosperous city; a city of peculiar hope and promise. On the other hand, it is a city of stress, distress and disappointment. Lagos, it can be argued, is a reference point in ‘the good, the bad, and the ugly.’ However, in reality, it is perceived by many as the city of first choice and pride of Nigeria.

    Since the federal capital was relocated to Abuja in 1992, the Federal Government has not looked back. Put succinctly, Lagos, more or less, has been abandoned.

    A city encircled by the sea, seventy-five per cent of Lagos is water. Therefore, flooding is a natural occurrence, despite the government’s effort.

    There is much pressure on the social amenities provided by the state government. This is due to the sheer population explosion. The over-population had initially destroyed the implementation of the original Master Plan of the city as the federal capital of Nigeria.

    As the commercial nerve centre, host to headquarters of major multinationals and embassies, and the major seaport, Lagos is critical to Nigeria’s economy. The economic worth of Lagos is underscored by its contribution to the total Value Added Tax (VAT), which is put at more than 50 per cent.

    Even, foreign officials acknowledge the importance of Lagos to the country. World Bank officials, who visited the late President Umaru Yar’Adua in Abuja, were taken aback when no representative of Lagos State government was in the team that accompanied him. Taking a cue from that omission, the former President later gave the then Governor Babatunde Fashola (SAN) a special seat in his Economic Team.

    As far back as 2001, the World Bank had rated Lagos as the regional economic capital of West Africa. Also, the Vision 2020 and the National Financial Sector Strategy document have emphasised that Lagos was crucial to any economic calculation and reform that may be contemplated by the Federal Government.

    It is indisputable that Lagos contributes 31.98 per cent to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). It is the nation’s lead contributor in the non-oil sector, with the 19 per cent attainment, which is equivalent to the contribution of 13 Nigerian states.

    A member of the National Assembly, Opeyemi Bamidele, said: “The city of Lagos alone accounts for over 70 per cent of national industrial investment, 65 per cent of total cargo freight, over 50 per cent of Nigeria’s communication subscribers and over 70.16 per cent of international and 58.30 per cent of domestic aviation traffic.

    “With three lighter terminals and two ports, Lagos generates 50 per cent of Nigeria’s port revenue and the Murtala Muhammed Airport, located in the heart of Lagos, is the major hub for aviation within West Africa, as well as between the regions and Europe.”

    Historically, Lagos had served as the seat of government from the colonial days. It is a huge city, with a sprawling population thirsty for sophisticated infrastructure. It is a city of economic potentialities. Covering an area of 3,600 square kilometres, it is endowed with rich natural resources, including natural gas and oil. In the Lagos hinterland of Epe, Apa-Kingdom in Badagry, Eti-Osa, Ikeja and Ikorodu are found crude oil and bitumen, silica sands, clays and woods. Some of them have not been tapped.

    Lagos shoulders enormous national and regional responsibilities. There is no family in the country that is not represented in Lagos. The search for employment has led to migration to the city by Nigerians in search of real or imagined greener pastures. The population grows in geometric proportion. The bustling nature of the populous city is discernable in the morning through the traffic snarl. The sheer movement of people creates a pilgrimage scenario. Thousands of vehicles enter the city from sunrise. Few of them would leave before sunset.

    Lagos has suffered systematic political marginalisation, subjugation, deprivation and oppression. The hand of previous federal administrations were heavy on the city-state. The metro-line project conceived by former Governor Lateef Jakande was cancelled by military rulers. The Independent Power Project (IPP) initiated by former Governor Bola Tinubu was frustrated by the Obasanjo administration, claiming that power was in the Exclusive List.

    Oil-producing states are entitled to 13 per cent derivation, but Lagos, the major VAT haven, is entitled to nothing. In the distribution of local councils, Lagos was also short-changed. While old Kano State, from which Jigawa was carved out, could boast of 74 local governments, Lagos only has 20 councils. When Asiwaju Tinubu created an additional 37 local council development areas, it drew the ire of the power-loaded Federal Government. The allocations to the pre-existing 20 councils were withheld.

    Today, the city groans over the collapse of federal roads. The Federal Government is a distant government. Thus, to Lagosians, the state government is to blame for all bad federal roads.

    The ‘Lagos Question’ resonates. The solution, many believe, is a special status or special economic assistance to the Centre of Excellence.

    Many Nigerians thought that Lagos would achieve the dream under the Buhari administration. Their hopes were rekindled when Senator Oluremi Tinubu (Lagos Central) sponsored “A Bill for an Act to make provision for federal grants to Lagos State in recognition of its strategic socio-economic significance and other connected purposes” in the Senate. However, the hope was dimmed, as a majority of the senators shot the bill down at its Second Reading.

    Does Lagos, the economic capital, deserve much strategic care like Abuja, the political capital?

    Since the relocation of the seat of power from Lagos to Abuja, the city has been denied the status of a former national political and administrative headquarters. Nigeria has refused to follow the paths of other countries, such as the United States and Brazil, which accorded their former capitals special status when they moved them to new cities.

    It appears there was no concrete agreement on the role of the Federal Government in maintaining Lagos and Abuja as “dual cities,” unlike the experience of Germany, Brazil, Malaysia, Australia and Tanzania, where capitals were relocated.

    Bonn was the capital of Germany between 1945 and 1994 before it was moved to Berlin. The agreement on the movement was signed. According to the document, the German Government has responsibilities for the maintenance of the old capital.

    Rio de Janeiro was the capital of Brazil before it was moved to Brazilia. The relocation did not lead to its neglect. The federal roads, buildings and other infrastructures in the old and new capitals are still been maintained simultaneously.

    The former capital of Malaysia is Kaura-Lampur. Now, the new capital is Putrajaya, reputed as a leading computerised city in the world. While Putrajaya is the administrative capital, Kuala-Lampur is the legislative capital hosting the country’s National Assembly.

    In Australia, Sydney was the capital before it was moved to Campera. However, most government activities still take place in the old capital. These include international conferences, conventions and other important meetings.

    The old capital of Tanzania is Dar-es-Salam before it was moved to Dodoma. The city has not lost influence, despite the relocation.

    Due to the neglect of Lagos, there is much discomfort. The Trunk A roads, drainages and canals which the Federal Government should construct and maintain have been abandoned. Until now, Lagos/Ibadan Expressway was an eyesore. Lagos/Ore and Lagos/Abeokuta roads are still death traps.

    Lagosians have had a bitter experience during the raining season. Waters come from the drainages of local government and state roads do not find space in bigger drainages on federal roads, thereby compounding flooding. Lagos government had invested huge resources on infrastructural development, including the construction of drainages, roads, urban beautification and renewal, and restoration of parks to prevent flooding, erosion and other environmental hazards. But, the increasing population has made all these interventions inadequate. That is why Lagosians are demanding for more ecological funds to assist the state to deal with the environmental hazards.

    It is evident that, despite its N30 billion monthly Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), Lagos still needs federal help. The pressure on its social amenities makes any robust investment in social infrastructure like a drop in the ocean. Schools are congested. Health centres appear grossly inadequate. Thousands are jobless and homeless, making violent crimes an option for frustrated, idle hands. The state government, which has been elevated by circumstances into a mini-Federal Government, carries the burden.

    Senator Oluremi Tinubu’s bill was meant to address some of these problems in the national interest. Noting that Lagos is under strains, the federal legislator once said: “It is obvious that Lagos State has been left to deal with these pressures on its own at a huge cost.”

    Those who support the bill were of the opinion that appropriating an amount not less than one per cent of the total revenue accruing to the Federal Government to Lagos as a first-line charge from the Federation Account would be a right step in the right direction. If the Federal Government can grant the request for special economic assistance, the grants will be utilised in meeting the infrastructural needs of millions of Nigerians who have made Lagos their home. The allocation would also be invested in improving on the intra-city railway infrastructure to decongest the roads and to make the socio-economic environment-friendly.

    But, the “Bill for an Act to make provision for federal grants to Lagos State in recognition of its strategic socio-economic significance and other connected purposes” was rejected by the majority of the legislators.

    Those who opposed the bill said it was untimely. Others said they would only support the bill if Calabar and Abuja would receive the same consideration.

    Ordinarily, there is no politician and businessman of note who does not have anything to do with the megacity. Across the 57 councils and five political divisions of Ikeja, Lagos, Epe, Ikorodu and Badagry, there is a thin line of difference between the indigenes and non-indigenes. Unlike in other states, the doors of political and elective offices, and the civil service are not shut against non-indigenes, who now appear to be in the majority in the urban areas. There is no discrimination in Lagos by the sons of the soil.

    In the 70s, former military Head of State Gen. Yakubu Gowon had set up the Federal Government/Lagos Committee to recommend certain special considerations for the city. The committee was headed by former Federal Commissioner for Finance, the late Alhaji Shehu Shagari, who later became the President of Nigeria. But, the recommendations did not see the light of the day.

    Gowon’s successor, the late Gen. Murtala Muhammed, whose administration approved the relocation of the capital from Lagos to Abuja, following the late Justice Akinola Aguda Panel Report, promised that the city would not be abandoned because of its position as the economic nerve centre. The decision was captured by the minutes of the defunct Supreme Military Council (SMC).

    When former military President Ibrahim Babangida moved the Presidency to Abuja, a prominent women leader, the late Alhaja Abibat Mogaji, reminded him during the commissioning of the Third Mainland Bridge, to redeem his promise to Lagos. “As you relocate to Abuja, keep your promise to Lagos,” she told the Gen. Babangida.

    When the late Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha, initiated the creation of zonal centres of excellence, he accorded Lagos a priority, along with Port-Harcourt, Kaduna, Kano and Enugu. However, it did not become a reality.

    When Alhaji Femi Obasanjo left office, prominent Lagos leaders, including Alhaji Femi Okunnu (SAN) and the Eleko of Lagos, Oba Rilwanu Akiolu, took on the battle of reclaiming Lagos lands and other property illegally acquired by the Federal Government. Not all the property have ben reclaimed.

    Does Lagos also deserve compensation for hosting the major seaport at Apapa? The Federal Government makes billions of naira daily from port activities. It is even doubtful if the port authorities and multi-nationals transacting businesses there maintain a commensurate corporate responsibility to the state.

    The question is: when will Lagos get special status?

  • ‘Ikoyi Prison not fit for animals’

    A financial analyst, Lukman Okunade, was remanded at the Ikoyi Prison Service (now known as Ikoyi Correctional Centre) for three days pending the time he would meet his bail conditions. He told TAJUDEEN ADEBANJO that those days remain the darkest part of his life.

     

    SOMETIMES in 2017, a financial analyst, Lukman Okunade, was transferred to Ikoyi Prison Service pending the time he would meet his bail conditions. The three days, he told The Nation, were the darkest days of his life.

    From food that appeared poisonous to the crowded place with lack of space to sleep, Okunade said nothing could be more horrible than the situation he went through at Ikoyi Prison.

    At a point, he felt making it out alive in the dungeon would be through the grace of God.

    “Everything was not just in the proper way it ought to be. The place is not fit for animals not to talk about humans’ habitation. The fact that it is a prison does not mean it should not be habitable. Human beings were packed like bags of consumables. Life there is brutish.

    The innocents, who were unfortunate to find themselves there, might turn out to be criminals when they leave the place except their psyche was quickly worked upon. It was that bad and those in charge of running its affairs were not bothered. Maybe to them, those who found themselves in the prison are condemned criminals, which of course, are not true. A day in that place will make you weep for the inmates,” he said.

    According to him, the place is not fit to be called correctional centre as the Federal Government wants Nigerians to view it. A healthy person, he said, might be infected with communicable diseases due to the nature of the place. Many things, he said, need to be changed, not just the name alone.

    The Nation met Okunade after he and his family members and friends donated clothes to the inmates some days ago.

    “Sometimes ago, I was on trial for a case and was transferred to Ikoyi Prison pending the time my bail would be granted. After three days, my bail conditions were met and as I was about leaving the prison, some of the inmates asked for my singlet. I was sad by their condition; gave it out and promised to return to donate clothes to them,” he said.

    He said the prison is populated by those awaiting trial than those convicted. “Average persons in Ikoyi Prison don’t know the offence that got them there – it’s either that they got here through means that they cannot explain or someone just feel like punishing his neighbour and the person ends up there. I realised that many don’t even have anyone to check on them. So, giving them clothes will at least, help them to stay calm and make them understand that someone outside there loves them irrespective of whatever is happening inside,” he said.

    Okunade, who said the case that took him there was later dismissed, recounted his harrowing experience.

    “My experience was horrible if I must say because those days I couldn’t even eat the food they made. The food was just a mixture of garri and egusi. I could not even eat it. I actually don’t eat beans but the one that was served was extremely awful. At the end of the day, the only thing I took was garri without water. That was my daily meal until I left here (the prison) after three days. I remember one of those days when a Catholic Church group brought Jollof rice, that’s the only thing I ate.

    Okunade

    “Then, the sleeping condition is extremely nauseating; It is nothing to write home about because once you sleep on one side, there’s no room for you to turn to another side. If you must turn to the other side, you will have to stand up but as at that point, there’s no more room for you to sleep again because another person would have quickly occupied that tiny space. It is that bad. The place is extremely over crowded.”

    He appealed to government to look into the worsening situation of the prisons. “I think basically the government needs to first understand that this place is supposed to be a correctional centre. The judiciary system needs to be fine-tuned. There’s no point remanding someone in prison custody for a bailable offence. There are some cases that in an ideal situation should not even get to the point of putting someone in remand.

    “I met a couple of people, who had been remanded for little things. Things that have been recovered already, so there’s actually no need for keeping those people in prison custody for a long period.

    “The government needs to restructure our judicial system and try as much as possible to create more room for a probably correctional centre that’s different from prison. That would be for people who committed light offences to stay for few days and just be corrected.

    “Another issue is the show of affluence and influence. People should stop the power syndrome of ‘I can just lock you up and nobody would look for you.’ That’s extremely bad, people should really care about humanity, it’s very important,” he said.

    He urged the judiciary commission and the Body of Benchers to employ more of Community service on minor offences than sentencing offenders to prisons.

    This, he said, would reduce the crowd in the prisons. He appealed to Nigerians to find time to visit the prisons regularly.

    “Yes, we should do more of community service to support people in the prison because not everyone in the prison has actually committed offence. We should come out more to donate to them and show them love and care. It could be clothing, it could be food and it will definitely mean a whole lot to them,” he said.

     

    Built for 800 but housing 3,113

     

    THE Ikoyi Medium Security Custodial Centre, built in 1955 for 800 inmates, has a population of 3,113 with 2,680 of them being persons awaiting trial.

    On Monday, five inmates were electrocuted.

    On the incident, NCoS Controller General (CG), Mr Ja’afaru Ahmed, said: “Early this morning, CG Ja’afaru Ahmed received with the deepest grief, the unfortunate death of five inmates of Ikoyi Medium Security Custodial Centre, Lagos, as a result of electrical fault in one of the cells.

    “It was indeed tragic and most ill-fated despite the fact that it was the first time in the history of the NCoS to experience such a disaster.

    “The CG, therefore, has ordered an immediate investigation into the sad incident with a view to taking necessary actions in order to forestall future occurrences.

    “We also assure members of the public that inmates’ safety and humane custody will continue to be a priority of this administration.

    “We further restate our commitment to pursue the policy thrust of the Federal Government at improving the general welfare of inmates.”

     

     

  • Sanwo-Olu, Tinubu, others honour Johnson

     Oziegbe Okoeki and Musa Odoshimokhe

     

    LAGOS State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Tuesday named the newly renovated Onikan Stadium after the state’s first military administrator, Sir Mobolaji Johnson.

    The stadium is now Mobolaji Olufunsho Johnson Stadium.

    In his tribute, the governor said Lagos would miss the late Johnson’s wise counsel.

    “Our illustrious and now departed son of Lagos was a constant source of support and inspiration to successive governors of Lagos State, especially from 1999 till date. He was always willing to offer his wise counsel and experience whenever the need arose. Even while it was obvious that his health could not really rigorous endeavours, Gen. Johnson was a regular feature at every major Lagos State Government groundbreaking events. Such was his unbelievable and unswerving commitment to the cause of Lagos State. How then are we not going to miss him sorely?”

    Speaking at the Day of Honour for the late military administrator at the Onikan Stadium, Sanwo-Olu described the late Johnson as a symbol of decency, humility and integrity, fairness and justice, who touched and transformed thousands of lives through his foresight, service and industry.

    “In the realisation that Lagos State is the most populous and leading state in the federation, Mobolaji Johnson was determined to turn the state into the pride of the nation. The policy thrust of his administration was shaped by his faith in the creative capabilities and boundless energies of the people, especially the masses. Thus, his early days in office clearly showed him as a man who brought resourcefulness, experience and dynamism to the task of solving some of the teething problems of our dear state.

    “He set Lagos on a course and a race of an unending quest for improvement, innovation and development”, Sanwo-Olu said.

    At the event were House Representative Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila; former Lagos State Governor Bola Tinubu, former Ogun State Governor Olusegun Osoba; wife of the Lagos State Governor, Mrs Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu; former Lagos State Deputy Governor Sarah Sosan; Senator Ganiu Solomon; Commodore Ebitu Ukiwe; Lagos State Head of Service Hakeem Muri-Okunola; top military officers, white cap chiefs and traditional rulers.

    Tinubu described the late Johnson as a servant leader and man of incorruptible character, who never used the corridor of power to amass personal wealth.

    Read Also: Sanwo-Olu: we’ll improve infrastructure for business

    He said:” We are here to honour our hero and founding father, a man of integrity, first military administrator of Lagos state, a fine officer and gentleman, a servant leader and man of incorruptible character. He never used the corridor of power to amass personal wealth, a gallant officer who did not compromise military ethics and left office as governor with a good legacy in public service.

    “Government under his able leadership fought the infrastructure battle. The governor constructed the Lagos-Badagry Expressway. He named the expressway ‘Route Achievement’ and placed huge signboards at the beginning and at the end of the highway, which read: ‘Route Achievement-57km of Nigeria’s first ultra modern highway built with the Lagos State taxpayers’ money. Pay your tax, more can be achieved.”

    Osoba described the late Johnson as austere, frugal and a disciplinarian, “even as a governor his children attended public schools in public transportation, his humility rubbed off on his wife and children”.

    Former military governors of the state all paid glowing tributes to the departed General.

    Admiral Ndubuisi Kanu (retd) said: “He was a quintessential officer, a first-class administrator whose interest was to better the lives of the general public during his tenure.

    Brigadier-General Raji Razaq (retd) said: “He was an officer and a gentleman as governor, he was a soldier of all soldiers, very nice to his junior, as junior officers under him we learnt simplicity, even as his juniors we go to party together and even as a governor he did not discriminate, he was more of a soldier than a civilian.”

    While Brigadier-General (retd) Olagunsoye Oyinlola said, I thank God for the late Johnson’s life. I was marvelled by the kind of humility that was being exhibited by him, I learnt a lot from him that helped me as a governor. There is nothing else to give than to honour an untainted soldier, governor and corporate world operator,” he said.

  • Johnson: An officer and gentleman goes home

    In this tribute, All Progress Congress (APC) stalwart Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu spoke glowingly about the first military governor of Lagos State, the late Brig.-Gen. Olufunso Moboaji Johnson. He listed seven lessons left behind as legacies by the late to the elder statesman, who he described as a patriot, gentleman and servant-leader.

     

     

    WE gather today to pay tribute to an icon of Lagos State. We converge to honour a man of integrity who made history as the first military administrator, and later, governor of our beloved state.

    We bid an officer and a gentleman farewell. We celebrate a servant-leader, an incorruptible elder-statesman who refused to use the corridor of power as an avenue for private accumulation.

    We salute a gallant officer who did not compromise the ethics of military professionalism and an epitome of discipline who left good legacies in public service.

    We mourn no doubt. But, more importantly, we rejoice over the evergreen landmarks of the pioneer administrator who, at its formative stage, made the Centre of Excellence a reference point.

    “We recall the courage, the firmness and wisdom of decision-making, the sense of accommodation of stakeholders, the extra-ordinary emotional intelligence in power, the foresight, creativity, and the calmness of a benevolent soldier-administrator in moments of crisis.

    In the twilight of his life, the first military governor deliberately kept a low profile. He shunned controversy, unlike some of his peers who revel in highly partisan inflammatory statements. He quietly offered constructive advice to successive administration in Lagos without playing to the gallery. He was a man of courage and this made him a man of peace.

    Brig.-Gen. Mobolaji Olufunso Johnson laid a durable foundation, which his successors, both military and civilians, have continued to build upon in the city-state of Lagos.

    His hard work, discipline and sense of purpose were legendary.

    As attested to by his Commander-in-Chief, Gen. Yakubu Gowon, Johnson’s “courage and success in the military and later, in governance and business have been remarkable and brought him the admiration we have for him. He was one of the finest officers that have worked with me and I am proud of the achievements that we together recorded for Lagos State.”

    The youths of today have many virtues to learn from Pa Johnson. He had embraced soldiering as a career, taking after his father, who fought in the Second World War. Little did he guess that he would be catapulted to the corridor of power.

    At 31, Johnson was appointed as military governor of Lagos State by Gen. Gowon on May 31, 1967. As a pioneer, the then youthful and promising Lieutenant-Colonel Johnson had no predecessor to emulate.

    As he reflected in his memoirs, he had to start with “a clean sheet” as there was no manual or past record of state governance to refer to. Yet, since he did not plan to fail, he did not fail to plan. The greatest assets of a given society are its human resources. It was a credit to his administration that as its head, he made people the central focus and indeed, the cornerstone of his administration.

    Traditionally, military governors were deployed to fledging states to rule by force. But, the young governor was not indifferent to the consciousness, complexity and sophistication of heterogeneous Lagos. Where others might have used a heavy hand, Pa Johnson employed tact and wisdom for governance in a challenging terrain.

    Governor Johnson promoted the culture of inclusiveness through his wide and painstaking consultations with eminent Lagos elders and traditional rulers. That approach to governance is still relevant till today, particularly under the democratic setting.

    A democratic government cannot be aloof. Neither can it achieve desired success through alienation of critical stakeholders. Not only must the government carry people along in its people-oriented activities, it must seek the benefit of a robust feedback from the very people who are the intended beneficiaries of meaningful programmes.

    The former military governor set up a representative advisory committee of experienced leaders, including Chief Doherty, Chief Adeniran Ogunsanya, Alhaji Femi Okunnu, Alhaji Lateef Jakande, Chief Sikiru Shitta-Bey, Alhaji Idris Animashaun, Justice Teslim Elias, Chief Fagbeyiro Beyioku and Chief Femi Ayantuga. Under his leadership, these elders contributed their expertise and experience, to the wellbeing and progress of Lagos State.

    The civil service is critical to an effective and efficient administration. Hence, the governor did not make a false start. He went out for the best technocrats who he attracted from the Federal Civil Service, Western State Civil Service and universities.

    “These pioneer civil servants, particularly the four musketeers, -Acting Secretary to Government A.E. Howson-Wright, Acting Financial Secretary Mr. F.C.O. Coker, Legal Secretary M.I.O. Agoro and Principal Secretary J.O. Adeyemi-Bero- left indelible marks in the Lagos State Civil Service.

    With an initial grant of £10,000 pounds and N400,000 inherited as balance in the account of Ikeja Treasury Cash Office of the defunct Western Region, Governor Johnson embarked on value engineering. He was a prudent spender who frowned on wastage and graft. Remarkably, the administration created a Coat of Arms for the new state. It also designed the ‘yellow, blue, red, green and white colours.’

    “Also, Governor Johnson set up a talented cabinet. His commissioners were men of pedigree and patriotism. They were great citizens, knowledgeable in their respective fields of endeavours, a blend of seasoned politicians, technocrats, community leaders and youths.

    They included former Housing and Surveys Minister Ogunsanya (Attorney-General and Justice, later Education), Alhaji ‘The Boy is Good’ I.A.S. Adewale (Finance and Economic Development), Dr. Babatunde Williams (Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs), B.S. Hundeyin (Works and Transport), Chief S.L. Edu (Health and Social Welfare), Alhaji  Dawodu (Agriculture and Natural Resources), Rev. Akin Adesola (Education and Community Development), Chief Rasheed Gbadsmosi, Prof. M.O. Seriki, Alhaji Alade Odunewu, Mrs. Kofoworola Pratt, J.A. Johnson Agiri and Mumuni Adio Badmus.

    Following the inauguration of the State Executive Council, the government hit the ground running. Lagos has been blessed with men of vision right from the onset. Within one year, and despite the glaring financial constraints, the administration established five Government Colleges in Lagos State, a housing estate, and an industrial estate.

    Johnson’s watchword was integrity. He opposed financial indiscipline and recklessness. He shunned bribery and corruption. Again, in his memoir, he stated thus: ‘My stand against financial impropriety was clear to all that were around me. No one ever dared to approach me with any intent of bribery because they knew of my financial astuteness. Furthermore, I did not take lightly any case of financial impropriety that came to my notice’.

    Johnson established a Central Tenders Board to deliberate on contract awards. He also showed example through the diligent use of estacode by giving a full account of how the money he received was used and returning the remainder to the government’s coffers.

    Government under his able leadership fought the infrastructure battle. The governor constructed the Lagos-Badagry Expressway. He named the expressway ‘Route Achievement’ and placed huge signboards at the beginning and at the end of the highway, which read: ‘Route Achievement-57km of Nigeria’s first ultra modern highway built with the Lagos State taxpayers’ money. Pay your tax, more can be achieved.

    Johnson constructed the Falomo Bridge, linking Ikoyi to Victoria Island, the Rowe Park Sporting Centre, hostel for nurses and doctors at General Hospital, Marina, and Falomo Shopping Complex.

    To check skyrocketing house rent in Lagos, the governor came up with an edict, stipulating categories of houses and rents to be collected by landlords. The move alleviated the suffering of tenants from oppressive landlords. He worked well for the benefit of the people. But he was not immune to the inherent instability of military rule.

    “Just as Johnson’s promotions were fast in the Army, his retirement was also sudden. Following the military coup of 1975, the curtains were drawn on his military career. He had not reached his potentials when he was abruptly retired.

    Although he was given two weeks to leave the Government House, this man of discipline, public service and selflessness moved out within three days. After spending over eight years in government, reality dawned on him that he had no private residence. But, he took solace in the life of principle and contentment he had adopted, and the belief that a good name was better than unearned wealth.

    These qualities were apparently attested to by the Assets Declaration Panel set up by former military Head of State Gen. Murtala Mohammed. It found 10 governors guilty. Johnson was not among them. His administration had been honest and clean.

    “As reflected in his autobiography: ‘It was later in the news that Brigadier Oluwole Rotimi and I were mentioned as the two that were proclaimed as “not guilty.” My father was still alive at that time, and he told me how proud he was of me.’

    What should the present generation learn from the deceased Lagos patriot?

    • Government must be dedicated to public welfare to earn the support of the people.
    • We should always promote the tradition of democratic inclusion.
    • We should rededicate our lives to the agenda of progress by laying a good foundation for future generations.
    • Leaders at all levels should realise that power is neither served a la carte nor can one hold office forever.
    • An individual will be remembered for the impact he made in the lives of the people, for his contributions to socio-economic development.
    • There are leaders and there are leaders, but only those who make a big difference will be entitled to the positive judgment of history.
    • Whatever you do or wherever you are, maintain your integrity and good name. They will serve you more than riches.

    Thus, today, we bid farewell to a man with such a name and who lived with such integrity. For this, he shall always be remembered.

     

  • Leading push for 5G revolution (1)

    Amid global concern about 5G technology deployment, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has braved the odds to be the first telecoms regulator in the West African sub-region to provide the regulatory and technical platform for 5G trial. MTN also becomes the first operator to leverage the platform created by the regulator to carry out Proof of Concept (CoC) trial of the technology. LUCAS AJANAKU writes on the challenges and benefits of this important milestone in the country.

    Like a dammed river suddenly losing its fetters, the telecoms sector liberalisation about two decades ago has unleashed phenomenal growth in the country. While mobile subscription has crossed the 100 million mark, foreign direct investment (FDI) has reached over $75billion.

    The regulator of the sector, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has been on the vanguard of the transition from the first generation (1G), to 2G, 35, to 4G and now to 5G.

    When the Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, Prof Garba Dambatta assumed responsibility, he rolled out what he termed the eight-point agenda covering 2015-2020.

    The new vision is in line with President Muhammadu Buhari’s change mantra “to promote innovation, investment, competition and consumer empowerment in and on top of Communications platforms of today and the future-maximising the power of Information Communications Technology (ICT) to grow our economy, create jobs, and enhance national competitiveness through the deployment of broadband infrastructure to facilitate rollout of broadband services that will hold out opportunities and higher network quality of service for all Nigerians.”

    The eight-point pillars rest on a tripod of ‘A’s which include Availability, Accessibility and Affordability of service. He listed the 8-point agenda to include: Facilitate Broadband penetration through provision and optimisation access to and use of affordable fixed and mobile broadband in Nigeria; Improve Quality of Service by promoting the availability of reliable, interoperable, rapidly restorable critical ICT infrastructure that are supportive of all required services; optimise usage and benefits of spectrum by maximising availability of spectrum in order to provide diverse and affordable ICT services and ensuring that spectrum acquisition does not distort marketing competition; promote ICT innovation and investment opportunities. By this, ICT innovations will be promoted in ways that improve the nation’s ability to compete in the global economy, increased investment in youth and promotion of SMEs for new business delivery breakthroughs. Others include facilitate strategic collaboration and partnership with relevant stakeholders to foster ICT for sustainable economic development and social advancement; protect and empower consumers from unfair practices through availability of information and education required to make informed choices in the use of ICT services; promote fair competition and inclusive growth by creating a competitive market for ICT services that foster fair inclusion of all actors in innovative ways that facilitate new investment, job creation and consumer satisfaction; and ensure regulatory excellence and operational efficiency through effective regulatory framework, efficient processes, strict compliance monitoring and enforcement efficient management of internal resources and structure and maintain a commitment to transparency.

    Non-commercial 5G trials

    Ahead of the 2020 launch of the 5G services in Nigeria, NCC last week in Abuja supervised the execution of the PoC trial of 5G telecom services by telecoms giant, MTN Nigeria.

    The demonstration took place at its Regional Office in Maitama Abuja, and was witnessed by the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Ali Ibrahim Pantami; Chairman, NCC Board, Otunba Olabiyi Durojaiye; Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Prof. Umar Danbatta; Chairman MTN Board, Dr. Ernest Ndukwe; Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Telecommunications, Hon. Adeniyi Adeyemi and his deputy, Hon. Unyime Idem; former Secretary for Health, Interim National Government (ING), Prince Adelusi Adeluyi; National Pension Commission (PenCom) pioneer Director-General Muhammad Ahmad, and many other stakeholders.

    Chairman of MTN Nigeria, Ernest Ndukwe thanked the Federal Government and the Minister for the support so far demonstrated in ensuring the deepening of the impact of telecoms in the country.

    Danbatta said: “In line with our participatory regulation approach, we will consult widely with stakeholders in developing the right regulatory framework for 5G rollout in Nigeria. We are not oblivious of the global concerns around 5G network security vulnerabilities and we will be working with our parent Ministry and security agencies to develop measures to ensure a high level of cybersecurity of 5G networks.”

    NCC had set aside and dedicated specific spectrum bands to network operators for the trial of 5G telecom services, preparatory to the commercial launch of 5G in Nigeria by 2020.

    The non-commercial trial of 5G gives concrete expression and credence to NCC’s commitment to ensuring that Nigerians can access all variants of telecommunications services as they unfold and in line with their needs.

    MTN Nigeria acknowledged the remarkably critical role played by the NCC in creating the regulatory platform for an early trial of 5G technology deployment in the country.

    Its Chief Technical Officer, Mohammed Rufai, who spoke at the second trial of 5G technology by MTN, conducted at MTN Office, Etta Agbor Road, Calabar, Cross River State recalled NCC’s proactive regulations. Rufai said: “We thank all the stakeholders and our partners, especially the telecoms regulator, NCC, for making the birth of this 5G revolution journey possible with MTN as pioneer telecom company in this aspect.

    “MTN had worked with the NCC in all the stages leading to today’s trial in Calabar to let stakeholders see the huge potential, possibilities and the connectivity available to transform all aspects of our life through 5G technology.”

    During the 5G demonstration, MTN focused on how 5G gives a better experience to customers in terms of capacity, speed and latency.

    Rufai, who conducted the test trial affirmed that 5G gives highly impressive throughput and speed quality unmatched with what consumers currently enjoy on any 4G networks in Nigeria.

    “As you can see, the speed on 5G network is 10 times the current Internet speed being enjoyed on 4G networks,” he told the audience.

    The NCC delegation to the 5G trial in Calabar was led by  Assistant Director, Spectrum Administration, Kenneth Uzoekwe who stated that the NCC will continuously drive regulatory initiative that will put the country on the cutting edge of digitisation for increased value creation and bringing fresh perspectives in productivity to the citizens.

    What is 5G?

    ‘5G´ is the fifth-generation cellular network technology. The industry association 3GPP defines any system using “5G NR” software as, “5G”, a definition that came into general use late last year. Others may reserve the term for systems that meet the requirements of the International Telecoms Union (ITU) International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT)-2020. It will drive virtual realities, augmented realities, streamed Blu-ray quality video, driverless cars, drones and Internet of Things (IoT) all of which require an extremely accurate and near-instantaneous transfer of large quantities of data.

    Prof Dambatta said there are three 5G usage scenarios which are enhanced mobile broadband applications, low ultra-reliable, low latency applications and the Machine to Machine (M2M) application.

    “I think in our part of the world, we are looking closely at these key areas of usage scenarios. The one that African countries will subscribe to quickly is the enhanced mobile broadband application. The reason is for this is that African countries are trying to roll out broadband infrastructure for broadband applications. So, this will spur us to ensure we put in place the necessary infrastructure. ”

    Setting stage

    Preparatory to the launch of 5G in the country, the NCC had been driving broadband penetration through the licensing of six infrastructure providers (InfraCos) across the geopolitical zones and Lagos, encouraging robust broadband infrastructure upon which new technologies such as 5G, will ride.

    In the last quarter of this year, NCC had a workshop with the global body, the Global System for Mobile Communication Association (GSMA) in Abuja where issues on how best the regulator can unleash 5G technology era for the country were discussed along licensing and technical areas.

    Another is the reservation of spectrum for the roll-out of broadband services. The NCC has reserved about three which are in 26 gigahertz (GHz), 38GHz and 42GHz. “These frequencies exist and we are not licensing them for any other application. We are waiting in anticipation for the standardisation process to be completed at the World Radio Communication (WRC) in Egypt and then we can see how we can go forward with licensing process in the three frequencies,” he said.

    He said another important step is to address new forms of social and regulatory anxieties occasioned by 5G, adding that to address these, as it’s the practice, every service deployed is normally preceded by PoC trial.

    “The whole idea behind the trial is to be able to see what the challenges are. Security challenges, levels of radiation power density, whether this is within the acceptable limits provided for the international non-ionisation radio regulatory agencies as well as to ensure whatever factors that we need to come to terms with preparatory to commercial deployment of services are identified in readiness for the commercial roll-out of services using 5G.

    Role of infrastructure

    Without pervasive infrastructure, the dream of the rollout of 5G services will remain just a dream. Aside from the InfraCos initiative, the NCC has put in place an excellent initiative of spectrum trading which stops people from hanging on to a spectrum that’s not going to be put to use to deploy services. The spectrum can either be traded, leased or transferred to another operator.

    “This has resulted in ensuring optimum utilisation of this important resource. The bottom line is, of the 3.7 billion unconnected people of the world, one-third of this population resides in Africa. The real challenge behind connecting this large population of Africans is an infrastructure deficit. And until we address the challenge we don’t see the situation improving and affording our citizens access to not only 5G services but other services that may come upstream.

    “Another area that we can concentrate on is attracting investment. No government in Africa will be able to do it alone. Governments in Africa are concentrating on the provision of essential services. So telecoms services are capital intensive, the infrastructure required, the cost of bringing in new equipment to drive new services.

    “So, the approach recommended by the ITU is that this should be done using that famous private-public partnership (PPP) model that we know, where investors coming in will bring in some investment in the country while the private sector in the country will provide some counterpart funding to drive the deployment of these services. I think this will be a solution especially in the countries where the market exists like Nigeria where you have 200 million people, the market is there waiting to be explored for provision of services and getting positive returns on investment. So, as we try to move the African continent to the next level, we must adopt suitable models that will drive investment into our sectors.”

    • To be concluded tomorrow

  • Buhari/Aisha…30 years as one

    Until on Monday President Muhammadu Buhari was considered stiff but he loosened up to mark his 30th wedding anniversary, writes PRECIOUS IGBONWELUNDU

    He is a retired general and people from that walk of life are considered stiff. President Muhammadu Buhari was seen as the ‘worst’ of this class. But he proved on Monday that he has a soft side. All thanks to the 30th anniversary of his marriage to Aisha.

    Buhari wished his wife Aisha happy 30th wedding anniversary on Monday.

    On his official Twitter handle @MBuhari, the president at exactly 8:33 am wrote: “Today, on our 30th Wedding Anniversary, I pray for Allah’s continued peace and blessings in our home and family,” a message that has generated 3,634 retweets and 19,600 likes as of 7:28 pm.

    Buhari’s message which was accompanied by a throwback picture of himself and Aisha as well as a family photo with their children, was complemented by a 58-minute video of the First Family showing happy moments as well as a verse from the Qur’an 78:8 which read “And We created you in pairs,” which Aisha shared on her verified Instagram page.

    Betraying no emotions nor the usual hypocritical niceties most celebrity families exhibited on such occasions to paint a fairy-tale marriage in the minds of their followers; the first family’s ‘unusual’ anniversary posts attracted mixed reactions.

    While some commenters described the president’s tweet as unromantic, formal and a pointer that all was not well at home; others believed that the First Family has always been reserved and fed not much private information to the public.

    Married in December 1989, about five years after Buhari left office as military ruler, the union is blessed with five children- Aisha, Halima, Yusuf, Zahra and Amina, in addition to five other children Buhari had with his late first wife Safinatu.

    Like every relationship, the first couple might have had their high and low times, some of which many Nigerians would have loved to get insights into. Although no such detail was given, thousands of social media users facilitated with them yesterday.

    One of such well-wishers was Bilkisu Sheikh wrote: “Mashaa Allahu, you have come a long way. May Allah continue to guide and protect both your marriage and family. Happy Wedding Anniversary Ma. Are you sure? I feel the president doesn’t love you again. But that isn’t fair. You are a kind woman and with ladies like you, Nigeria will be great again. You have a great feminine virtue and many will learn from you.”

    Olushola Olufolabi said: “Congratulations madam, may God continue to bless your home and we use yours as a point of contact to pray for Leah Sharibu to one day celebrate a happy fruitful marriage anniversary with her husband.

    Mobolaje Shina said: “Congratulations on your 30th wedding anniversary, may Allah continue to bless your home. However, I will like to use this medium to send you to Mr President to do something about the economy. Many of us who ought to be married are being incapacitated by the harsh economic situation.”

    Abdullahi Haruna wrote: “Take a flash back of all the pretty and beautiful moments that you have spent with your partner and that will make you smile. Wish you both a very happy anniversary mummy.”

    Issa Sodiq Ishola: “A wise woman keeps her home together, despite all odds and with Allah’s mercy, this couple remains bond till this moment.

    “I pray Almighty Allah continue to shower more blessings on this couple and grant them more understanding.”

    Adetola Kehinde: “Happy wedding anniversary to you sir. I pray for good health for you and every member of your family.”

    Kazeem Adeshina: “Happy anniversary Daddy. More years to celebrate in good health and peace of mind.”

    Kabir Muktar: “MashaAllah, I wish you peace, good health and more blissful years ahead. You are a family that will always be in our mind for the good that you have been doing to all Nigerians. History will never forget you, Sir! May Almighty continuously bless your family. Happy Anniversary.”

    A second wife that never was

    In October while Mrs Buhari was in London, there were rumours that the president was taking a second wife.

    According to merchants of fake news, all was set for the wedding at the Central Mosque in Abuja. Invitation cards were printed and circulated on social media. Dress code and other wedding details were worked out. Many were waiting for the wedding of the century and not a few felt the President was now ready to “deal with Aisha”, who has openly criticised his government and once said some people had taken over the reins of power.

    There was also a viral video in which the First Lady was shouting at security agents for allegedly locking a door to prevent her from disrupting the planned wedding. “Enough is enough” was her bitter assertion in the video. There were also videos of a bride dancing and being sprayed with crispy notes at a traditional wedding party. And there were pseudo witnesses who claimed to be witnesses of truth. In fact, all was set Thursday night for a wedding eve party to be attended by the President’s men. It was all fake.

    At the time of the rumours, the supposed bride-to-be, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development Sadiya Umar Farouq, was in New York, United States (U.S.) on official assignment.

  • An Act to shore up finances

    The coming Finance Act appears to be a bold move by the Federal Government to redefine how it goes about generating more revenue by re-engineering the nation’s tax laws. Assistant Editor NDUKA CHIEJINA reports

     

    THE National Assembly has considered and passed the Finance Bill 2019 submitted by President Muhammadu Buhari on October 14.

    The objectives of the Bill, as outlined by the President, are to strategically “promote fiscal equity by mitigating instances of regressive taxation; reform domestic tax laws to align with global best practices; introduce tax incentives for investments in infrastructure and capital markets; support small businesses in line with the ongoing Ease of Doing Business Reforms; and raise revenues for the government by various fiscal measures, including a proposed increase in the rate of Value Added Tax (VAT) from 5 per cent to 7.5 per cent.”

    Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning Mrs. Zainab Shamsuna-Ahmed had revealed that “going forward, the annual budget will always be accompanied by finance bills to enable the realisation of revenue projections.

    “Future finance bills will, therefore, provide additional opportunities to incrementally improve the fiscal policy and regulatory/legal environment to further strengthen our domestic capital market and ultimately ensure sustained and inclusive growth and development,” she said.

    The Bill is to, among other things, amend the following tax provisions and make them more responsive to the tax reform policies of the Federal Government and enhance its implementation and effectiveness.

    “Companies Income Tax Act, Cap. C2, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 (as amended to date): The Bill seeks to amend the provision of the Companies Income Tax Act to, among other things, curb Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) as proposed by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and thereby broaden the triggers for domestic taxation of income earned by non-resident companies in Nigeria through dependent agents and via online market platforms.

    “The Bill also seeks to address the taxation of industries, such as insurance, start-ups and the capital markets, evaluated by the Federal Government as critical to the growth and development of the Nigerian economy to stimulate activities in those sectors and foster overall economic growth. Specifically, the Bill seeks to promote fiscal equality by ensuring companies are not taxed twice on the same income stream; to implement proposals to promote investments in Securities Lending Transaction and stimulate activity in the capital market.

    “With regard to Value Added Tax Act, Cap V, LFN 2007 (as amended), the Bill proposes to improve the efficiency of the Nigerian VAT system taking into considerations recommendations from various stakeholder groups. In addition to simplifying the VAT landscape, the Bill also seeks to expand VAT coverage by addressing some critical issues, such as taxation of the digital economy, VAT registration thresholds and intangibles.

    “In the case of the Customs and Excise Tariff and others, (Consolidation), Cap C49, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004, the Bill seeks to create a level playing field by subjecting certain imported goods to excise duties in similar manner as their locally manufactured counterparts.

    “The Bill also seeks to provide clarity and efficiency in the administration of individual income taxes in Nigeria as contained in the Personal Income Tax Cap P8, LFN 2007 (as amended).

    For Capital Gains Tax Act Cap C1, LFN 2007, the Bill also covers the taxation of business combination and seeks to prevent abuse of provision of the Act on group restructuring.

    Under the Stamp Duties Act Cap S8, LFN 2007, the Bill also seeks to increase revenue generation from duties on electronic stamps.

    “Petroleum Profit Tax Bill seeks to improve revenue by removing the tax exemption granted for dividends or income received from companies charged under Petroleum Profits Tax Act.

    The Bill contains some changes to the Companies Income Tax Act, Value Added Tax (VAT) Act, Petroleum Profits Tax Act (PPTA), Personal Income Tax Act, Capital Gains Tax Act (CGTA) and Customs and Excise Tariff and others (Consolidation) Act and Stamp Duties Act.”

    Mrs Shamsuna-Ahmed had pleaded with the National Assembly that “the Bill will support the implementation of the 2020 Appropriation Act. This is expected to encourage growth and investment by different sectors of the economy.”

    The idea behind the Bill is to come up with modifications to the fiscal rules around taxation aimed at creating an enabling business environment and alleviating the tax burden for small and medium enterprises.

    Looking at Companies Income Tax (CIT) and specifically, Tax on dividend distribution (excess dividend tax) as espoused by the new Bill, Price Waterhouse Coopers (PWC) in its analysis of the components of the Bill stated that “currently, companies are charged to tax at 30 per cent on their dividend distributions where such dividends exceed the taxable profits for the year notwithstanding that profits being distributed may have been taxed in prior years, exempt from tax, or taxed under a different tax law.”

    This PWC said: “Particularly affects holding companies on dividends received from their subsidiaries thereby making Nigeria unattractive as a headquarters or group holding company location. The Finance Bill proposes changes to limit the application of the tax only to untaxed profits that are not exempt from tax.”

    On tax on interim dividend as proposed in the Bill, PWC noted that “currently, companies that declare and pay interim dividends are required to remit income tax at 30 per cent on such dividends to the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS). There is a proposal to repeal this provision (which also specifies that Withholding Tax (WHT) should not be applied on dividends that are not paid in money).

    The audit firm argued that “while the repeal will address the intended exemption of advance tax on interim dividend, it may also imply that WHT should be applied on bonus shares or dividend-in-specie.”

    With regard to the Commencement and Cessation rules, “the Bill seeks to amend the contentious commencement and cessation rules in CITA. The effect of these rules is that companies suffer tax twice on profits of at least 12 months, when they commence business.

    “Conversely, on cessation of business, a period of up to 12 months escapes tax. The removal of these rules is considered a welcome development.”

    For Anti-avoidance provisions for business reorganisation, PWC noted that CITA empowers the FIRS to grant certain exemptions on group reorganisations, where certain criteria are fulfilled. Some of the criteria include (i) The companies involved should be part of a “recognised group of companies”, and (ii) The transaction should be for the purpose of the “better organisation of that trade or business”. The Bill proposes that to obtain the exemption, the entities involved should be part of a recognised group of companies 365 days before the transaction and the relevant assets should not be disposed earlier than 365 days after the transaction. The Bill defines “recognised group of companies” as “…a group of companies as prescribed under accounting standards”.

    Under the proposed Personal Income tax Act, the Amendment will attempt to clarify that pension contributions no longer require the approval of the Joint Tax Board (JTB) to be tax-deductible; On the other hand, the Bill seeks to remove the tax exemption on withdrawals from pension schemes except the prescribed conditions are met; Child relief (2,500 per child up to a maximum of 4) and dependent relief (2,000 per dependent for a maximum of 2) are to be deleted; Banks will be required to request for Tax Identification Number (TIN) before opening bank accounts for individuals, while existing account holders must provide their TIN to continue operating their accounts; Emails are to be accepted by the tax authorities as a formal channel of correspondence with taxpayers.

    Penalty for failure to deduct tax will also apply to agents appointed for tax deduction. This penalty is 10 per cent of the tax not deducted, plus interest at the prevailing monetary policy rate of the Central Bank of Nigeria; the conditions attached to tax exemption on gratuities have been removed. Therefore, gratuities are unconditionally tax exempt. The duties currently performed by the Joint Tax Board (JTB) as they relate to administering the Personal Income Tax Act, will now be performed by the FIRS. This, PWC believes “seems to be an error in the process of amendments to replace the word “Board” as it appears in Federal Board of Inland Revenue.”

    For Value Added Tax (VAT), The Bill is introducing VAT exemption on group reorganisations, provided that the following conditions are met: The sale is to a Nigerian company and it is for the better organisation of the trade or business; the entities involved are part of a recognised group of companies 365 days before the transaction and the relevant assets are not disposed of earlier than 365 days after the transaction. To PWC, the current practice is that companies send an approval request letter under CITA Section 29(9) to the FIRS and include a VAT exemption request, even though there is technically no basis for this in the VAT Act.

    For infractions, there are penalties. Penalty for VAT late filing of returns has now been increased to N50, 000 for the first month and N25, 000 for subsequent months of failure; the penalty for failure to register for VAT is reviewed upwards to N50, 000 for the first month of default and N25, 000 for each subsequent month of default; the penalty for failure to notify FIRS of change in company address to be reviewed upwards to N50, 000 for the first month of default and N25, 000 for each subsequent month of default. This penalty also covers failure to notify FIRS of permanent cessation of trade or business.

    Similar to the VAT amendment, the Bill is also introducing Capital Gains Tax (CGT) exemption on group reorganisations, provided that the following conditions are met: Assets are sold to a Nigerian company and is for the better organisation of the trade or business; the entities involved are within a recognised group 365 days before the transaction and the relevant assets are not disposed of earlier than 365 days after the transaction.

    According to PWC, the current practice is that companies send an approval request letter under CITA S29 (9) to the FIRS and include a CGT exemption request. Currently, the CGT Act imposes CGT on compensation for loss of employment above N10, 000. The Bill seeks to expand the coverage of this provision by renaming it “compensation for loss” and increase the minimum threshold from N10, 000 to N10 million.

     

    Implications for the banking sector and capital market

    Assessing the impact of the Bill on the banking sector, Price Waterhouse Coopers argued that “overall, we expect the general changes being introduced by the Finance Bill and the specific amendments targeted at the banking sector and the capital market to have a positive impact, especially in the medium to long-term.”

    The clarifications, the audit firm said “provides better certainty around taxation for companies operating in the sectors. It is also expected to bring about a significant increase in investments and stimulate activities in the capital market.”

    However, they insist that “there are areas that still require further clarity. For example, the amendment does not solve the ambiguity of how general expenses would be attributed to tax-exempt income for tax purposes. Also, the thin capitalisation rule will require detailed guidelines or subsidiary legislation to address grey areas that may arise regarding definitions and interpretations. Therefore, affected companies should carry out an impact assessment and engage with government early to ensure best outcome and limit disputes with the tax authority.”

     

    What’s in it for the insurance industry?

    PWC noted that “the proposed changes will drive positive growth in the industry and encourage foreign direct investment into the sector. This will also reduce the cost of compliance for insurance companies as ambiguous sections of the law are either eliminated or amended. The proposals also reduce uncertainty of tax treatments and the need for negotiation with tax officials which could, sometimes, provide an avenue for compromise.”

     

    Implications for the energy and utilities secto

    While the Bill is still at the National Assembly awaiting final harmonisation and passage into law, PWC has maintained that “if the Finance Bill is passed into law, the energy and utilities sector (in particular, oil and gas) would witness an increase in their tax costs, including royalties.

    “Contrary to the outlook of the 2020 Budget proposal that envisages that the non-oil sector would contribute more to revenue generation, we expect that the oil and gas industry may, in fact, contribute more than it did in 2019, based on the current proposals. The lack of certainty around the fiscal outcomes of impending PSC reviews may also be an additional disincentive for future investments in the sector. Affected companies should assess the commercial impact of these changes on their current and future cash flows /returns.”

     

    Implications for the consumer and industrial products industry

    According to PWC, the proposed changes were aimed at raising revenue for the government and easing tax compliance burden on taxpayers with a focus on small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs). However, one major issue that needs to be addressed is making VAT in Nigeria a proper pass-through, where only the final consumer bears the burden.”

    This, PWC said, “means that businesses should be able to obtain credit for their VAT costs. Currently, VAT credit is only available for goods purchased for resale or used in manufacturing other products. The current “VAT” system in Nigeria is closer to a cascading sales tax structure, and unfairly increases the cost of doing business along each level of the value chain.”

    PWC also noted that “while the 7.5 per cent VAT rate is low compared with the rate in other countries, these countries have a proper VAT system that avoids these challenges. Any further increase in the VAT rate without addressing this issue may be detrimental to the economy.”

     

    Implications for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises

    Price Waterhouse Cooper in its assessment noted that “it is clear from these amendments that the government is trying to improve the fiscal policies and regulatory environment to stimulate growth in the MSME sector. However, there is also a deliberate effort to ensure that the sector contributes to revenue generation without excessive financial burden.”

    Specifically, PWC noted that “an area of focus for the government would be to formalise these businesses through the TIN project in collaboration with the banks.

    “Although the definition of instruments for stamp duty has been expanded to cover electronic transactions to give legal backing to the Central Bank’s N50 stamp duty drive, the increase of the chargeable amount to N10, 000 and above would reduce the challenges faced by SMEs and retailers who have recently transferred the N50 as an additional cost to their customers.

    “Most of the incentives in the bill are targeted at SMEs, and we hope that this will improve the ease of doing business in Nigeria. Some other incentives that would impact the SMEs include Export Expansion Grants and the Pioneer Incentives Schemes, especially given that the effective tax rate for a small company will now be less than the personal income tax rate for an informal business owner. This presents an opportunity for many informal sector players to formalise their businesses.”

     

    For real estate investment companies

    The proposed tax changes, PWC said, “are geared towards making Real Estate Investment Companies (REICs) tax transparent investment vehicles in respect of dividends and rental income and placing the obligation for tax on the respective shareholders subject to meeting the minimum distribution threshold and timing.”

    This, it noted “would make Real Estate Investment Companies (REICs) more attractive. From a legal perspective, REICs are more attractive than Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) because they offer the legal protection of a company that limits liabilities to the unpaid capital. With the Finance Bill, they become more attractive as the tax effect produces the same result as REITs. As such, this initiative has the potential to encourage public investments and mobilise more liquidity for real estate projects with a corresponding positive impact on the capital market.”

     

    The digital economy

    PWC believes that “a bit more engagement would be required to avoid double taxation in the area of corporate income tax.” The FIRS, it said, “may need to provide some clarifications on what mode of returns would be required for the permanent establishments. The FIRS may also need to invest in capacity to understand the businesses of taxpayers in this sector to determine what services are being provided to Nigerian residents and how to fairly determine and attribute the profits.

  • At the mercy of land grabbers

    Despite the existence of Lagos State Property Protection Law, 2016, land grabbers with the help of unscrupulous policemen and lawyers have continued their atrocities with reckless abandon, reports PRECIOUS IGBONWELUNDU

     

    ALL was well with the landed properties of a retiree, Matthew Adeoye, at 30, Egbe-Idimu in Ejigbo Local Council Development Area (LCDA) until April 18 when land grabbers, accompanied by gun-toting policemen, laid their eyes on it. The property, owned by Adeoye since 2010, served as a parking lot for an events centre.

    Following the lack of parking lot for the centre and the harassment from local government officials who usually trouble those that park their vehicles on the road, Adeoye agreed with his wife that once he received his retirement benefits from Guinness Nigeria, they would join resources to acquire a space around where their guests could park thier vehicles during events.

    Fortunately in 2010 the couple got information that one Alhaji Bashiru Sekoni, who  operated a block factory opposite the event centre, wanted to sell a portion of the land and they went for it.

    According to Adeoye, shortly after buying the land the seller advised them to visit the Oba of Ejigbo and legal representatives of the Ashamu Estate and to pay necessary transfer fees which they did and received the monarch’s blessing as well as job card from Alhaji Almaroof.

    The couple took possession of the property peacefully until April 18, when they watched all they had laboured for in their active years being taken away from them. From their seating positions at the event centre, they saw some men escorted by a vehicle load of armed policemen which stormed the parking lot and started uprooting the trees the couple planted years back.

    Similarly, a widow Mrs. Uchenna Iwuoha, was allegedly robbed of her 17 slots at the International Trade Fair Market in Balogun, Ojo, after paying the stipulated amount and given all relevant receipts.

    The woman, who has been devastated after losing her only investment, said her tormentors were influential people in the market union and they have refused to give her the space she paid for in 2006 or return her money.

    In a petition to Lagos State Attorney-General dated August 26, Iwuoha, a mother of six children, said her travails began after she told one Augustin Ihiala to rent out her space since she was tending to her sick husband and could not continue her business at the time.

    The woman said she obtained cubicles from the Association of Progressive Traders of Nigeria’s Modern Shopping Centre in 2006 when the place was half-built at N30,000 per cubicle and made payments to a designated bank.

    Mrs. Iwuoha, who said she could not send her children to the university and was struggling to feed her family, wants the government to intervene in her situation by making those who deprived her of her properties hands-off.

     

    How they operate

    By the provisions of the property protection law, land grabbers and illegal occupants face between five and 21 years in prison upon conviction or an option of a fine subject to the discretion of the court. Despite this law, investigations by The Nation revealed that these criminals have high ranking security officers, especially policemen on their payroll. Once they locate a property of choice, these policemen will then deploy their boys and touts to the property to lay siege while blocks and other building materials are deployed to commence construction. Pliant lawyers and judges facilitate their action by issuing orders based on frivolous applications and forged documents in some instances.

    According to the Adeoyes, their tormentors–Mayaki Suleiman, Tajudeen Muritala, Amodu Fatai and Adebusola Kester –  were allegedly backed by a notorious traditional ruler and some members of the Ashamu family.

    Findings also revealed that Suleiman was not a policeman, neither was he related to the former Inspector General of Police (IG) Ibrahim Idris (rtd), whose name he allegedly dropped at police formations to get officers for his illegal activity.

    It was gathered that at a point the case was  taken before the Area D Command headed by Soji Akinbayo, an Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) , who advised the encroachers to leave the couple alone.

    Narrating their ordeal, Mr. Adeoye said: “On April 18, around 2pm, my wife and I were at our event centre. Looking across the road, we saw many vehicles with no plate numbers; a team of armed policemen dressed in Lagos SARS Scorpion T-Shirts and some men in mufti in front of the parking lot. Within minutes, some people jumped the fence, entered the parking area and broke the padlocks of the two entrances.

    “At about 6pm that date, a man came to me and introduced himself as Mayaki. He said he is from Abuja and the leader of the armed policemen. He said I will now be taken outside the parking area so I should stand up and follow him. I asked where I was going? He answered by saying when we get there, I will know.

    “He ordered me into his tinted Toyota car. He drove. A policeman in front while I was sandwiched between two other armed policemen at the back seat. A convoy car with two armed policemen and driven by someone in mufti followed us. After driving for about thirty minutes, he branched off the road and stopped in front of one building under renovation/construction. I was ordered out to follow them inside the building.

    “On entering the building, we met some people readily waiting for us. One of them introduced himself as Tajudeen Muritala. He said he told them to bring me and that he already discussed that with the Oba of Ejigbo and they decided that the land at 30 Egbe-Ejigbo Road is gone; that I or anyone related to me must not go there to challenge anyone; the matter must not surface in the media; I need to sign an undertaking for him because he wants to be an Oba soon and his team will visit our event centre except I cooperated with them to renegotiate the purchase.

    •Mrs. Iwuoha

    “After dropping me in front of the parking lot, I breathed a sigh of relief.”

     

    Their quest for justice

    With the help of their lawyer Dapo Sodiq, the Adeoyes on April 23, petitioned the Assistant Inspector General (AIG) Zone Two, Onikan on their travails. They went to the zonal headquarters on several occasions with tenants of the shops they had attached to the fence of the parking lot who volunteered useful statements to aid their case.

    The couple also filed a suit before the Lagos State High Court in May to seek repossession of their property, a matter that was still pending.

    “To prove the point made when I was forcibly driven to his hotel on April 18, that Tajudeen Muritala is a principal actor in this land grabbing action, his colleague Kester also filed a suit on behalf of Tunde Ashamu challenging our ownership of the event centre. Tajudeen Muritala and his colleagues are bent on taking over what we have laboured for over the years.

    “Our lawyer also wrote a petition to the land grabber Taskforce. Several meetings were called for us to meet with the principal actors in the land grabbing action specifically Tajudeen Muritala, Mayaki Suleiman and Fatai Amodu but on most occasions, they refused to show up in person. The only time Tajudeen Muritala showed up with Amodu Fatai, they promised the Taskforce Coordinator Barr Arole that before the next meeting the grabbed land would have been released to us but they never did.

    “At the August meeting, they refused to show up, as usual, indicating that these guys think they are more powerful than the state. Then, we were to meet at the Taskforce on November 21 and when we got there, we saw the coordinator who asked us to wait for the other party.

    “We waited from 9 am to 5 pm but none of them showed up only for a man dressed in mufti to appear that he was a policeman from IG Monitoring office in Abuja and was there to serve as a letter of invitation. He brought out the letter for us to read and ordered we sign an acknowledgement copy. Since we do not know the authenticity of the letter, his name nor designation, we called our lawyers who advised him to take the letter to the address on it.

    “That if no one is there to receive it, he should paste it and take a photograph of it. The man left in annoyance with threats to deal with us. Till now, we have not seen any letter dropped or pasted in our office. We are wondering why this invitation in a case that investigation had been concluded?” he said.

    When the monarch was contacted, he declined comments on the phone insisting that the reporter comes to his palace.

    Suleiman denied threatening the couple, claiming he was only at the site once and it was at the instance of his friend Tunde Ashamu. He denied having anything to do with land grabbing, denying ever taking armed policemen to harass the Adeoyes.

     

    Police, LASG react

    A spokesman for the police, Frank Mba, a Deputy Commissioner (DCP) told our correspondent that investigation was ongoing on the matter, adding that the IG has directed a thorough probe to ascertain the level of involvement of policemen.

    Also, the Lagos State Ministry of Justice at the weekend said an investigation into the issue has been ordered by the Attorney General Moyo Onigbanjo (SAN).

    A statement by the ministry’s Public Affairs Officer (PAO) Kayode Oyekanmi said: “The attention of the Lagos State Ministry of Justice has been drawn to a video that has gone viral in the social media space of a couple, Mr. & Mrs. Adeoye from Ejigbo area of the state.

    “In the video, a passionate appeal was made by the couple, requesting urgent intervention by authorities in an alleged case of encroachment on their property by land grabbers.

    “In response to this appeal, the State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, who is also the Chairman, of the State Special Task Force on Land Grabbers, Mr. Moyosore Onigbanjo, SAN, has ordered the immediate and full investigation into the matter.

    “He has also contacted and invited the couple involved in a meeting at the ministry for further clarifications. The attention of the Commissioner of Police has also been drawn to the alleged criminal activities of the individuals named in the video for appropriate actions.

    “The Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice wishes to assure residents that Justice will be served in this matter, while the Lagos State Government remains committed to the protection of all investments made in the state.”