The Nation Newspaper

Category: Sunday Interview

  • ‘Poverty crisis has turned Nigerians to beggars’

    Cornelius Tay until last June was the Nigerian Mission President at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, the almost two century old church with root in America. Tay a Ghanaian who enjoys dual nationalities of some sorts, with Brazilian roots has seen it all in the corporate world of business, humanitarian service, etal. In this interview with Ibrahim Apekhade Yusuf, the renowned advertising guru, turnaround expert and entrepreneur attempts a horse of recall sharing intimate experiences of his career trajectory, leadership at different levels in the last 50 years, including his stewardship at the church vis-à-vis his views on the polity and vision for Nigeria, the land of his birth. Excerpts:

    Could you share some of the challenges you faced during different sojourns both as a private and public servant and how you survived through it all?

    As a leader and this goes not only for me, every leader must know that leadership is about carrying your own cross. There is a cross to carry in leadership and those who think that leadership is to come and enjoy the power and all the things is so easy, they will not acquire the depth of competency that I was referring to. I’m sorry to say that is the more common leadership in Nigeria; leadership where leaders are not ready to recognise the cross talk less of carrying it. For me, leadership is about coming into something and knowing from the day one that there is a huge cross to carry here and I had to carry it. And hopefully, some people will come and help me to carry my cross. This is almost like talking about the saviour in his last days and that word, Pontius Pilate comes to mind, when he was being nailed on the cross. He carried his cross. A leader must carry his cross. So from one level to the other, you have to carry your cross. As a young boy in Igbobi College, which was recognised in the 60s, 70s, and the 80s as well as one of the very best secondary schools in Nigeria, I was a House Captain. The House was called Towson House. One of the products of that House is the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo. He was in my house. As a captain of Towson House, we had challenges. It was a time to demonstrate your ability to be a man of integrity because if your colleagues or even classmates are not doing what is right, you as the class captain has responsibility to stand up for what is right, no matter whose ox is gored. Leaders must be able to demonstrate by their character the true essence of integrity. It’s a big cross. You have to be ready to make sacrifices to be able to accomplish the goal. And what is the goal? The goal is to maintain order across all classes in the school, from the junior to the senior ones.

    Can you recollect some of the interesting moment in your career, especially in advertising?

    When I went into the advertising industry, I had my own fair share of challenges as well. You see, advertising companies are like little stars, twinkle, twinkle little stars; they shine, they bring about improvement in things. They make brands popular, make companies’ revenue increase and enlarge, and everybody is happy and you create new products in the process and all of that. It was a very interesting career. But when you decide to go and set up your own, you have to really, really be careful because financing in that industry is hard to come by. That’s why today, hardly will you find any advertising company in the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE). In my own company, we experimented with it as private placement only very few people were willing. So the financial ability to set up a very professional advertising company was a huge cross to carry and we still did. We grew and ploughed back and we commanded the respect and attention of some of the world’s major companies were ready to appoint us and gave us businesses because they were interested in our brainpower. Leaders must be ready to give all, in order to succeed and be disciplined in managing the resources that you have so that they will keep on delivering top brand service in terms of quality. So every stage of leadership has its challenges.

    You presided over The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints as Nigerian Mission President until June. Could you provide some insights on what the role entails and what prepared you for that assignment?

    Yes, my missionary work and role as the president The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints ended on the June 30th. It was designed for three years as a voluntary missionary work. And after three years I’m required to go back into normal life. Having said that, I want to tell you about the capacity to lead because since the 60s, I would say I have had the privilege and opportunity of leading and operating in leadership roles all of those years. If we take from 1969 for example, all the way to this time, in every way I have been involved with one form of leadership or the other, either as a leader in my secondary school days or in the university days, or with the youths of Africa and then on to my career, to management, ecclesiastical work.

    At one stage or the other in my entire life in the last 50 years, I have had a special privilege of operating in leadership capacity. And so I have had responsibilities for people, and to accomplishing common vision and goals, for various levels of categories of people. So as I thought of my meeting today, I felt that I could make an important statement which is that the capacity to lead is a spiritual gift. It is not acquired by inordinate ambition or selfish motives. It is made possible by the divine competence of holiness, and the availability, as well as the passion of that person to achieve goals through self-motivation, and the motivation of others. I hold the position that this model of leadership is less about self, but more about others. It aims to bring out the very best potentials in things and people in a natural way. Spirituality drives this type of leadership capacity to the extent that it becomes sustainable and therefore keeps on bringing in forth good in cycles. So at the end of these three years’ service as Mission President in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, I have found that I have experienced a most remarkable leadership period because now from leading organisations, and students and youths and companies I have had now to spend time to lead a large number of missionary force, both men and women who have committed themselves and giving years to consecrate their service in the advancement of the gospel of Jesus Christ and to see how we can achieve the common purpose of making people experience the life of Christ. The result of that on me as an individual is a major transformation and perhaps the most exciting experience of all because I see myself as working for God.

    So I look at our nation Nigeria and I ask myself a question can we be a better nation? Because by virtue of my assignment itself, the question I ask when I meet with people who desire to know more about the gospel of Jesus Christ is very simple: can knowing the gospel of Jesus Christ make you a better, happier person? When they say yes, then, we begin to have a common ground to talk and it’s for me to explain to them what that gospel is and what the doctrine of Jesus Christ is and how this gospel brings happiness to the world. So, it’s the same way I look at our nation and I ask, can we be a better a nation? Well, over this 50 years that I have seen this nation operate as an entity, and having an understanding and feel of what the nation was prior to independence in 1960, my conclusion is simple: we are generally underperforming as a nation because the nation lacks the depth of leadership that is required to transform peoples’ lives. My understanding is that when leadership has the capacity to motivate people to arise and do right things, it is then that exceptional changes for good can be achieved and optimum performance of that nation’s resources will be attained and sustained for the good of the world. We are not there yet. It’s a long time. Some of us with passion have never seen the outcome of the past leadership. So, my desire, hope and my wish is that politicians, academia, the judiciary, legislators, the press, armed forces, civil service, professional organisations, students, corporate organisations, NGOs, and all must make critical changes to evolve a common vision for Nigeria that would be the basis for government to transform this nation.

    After your time out at the Mission, are you considering joining politics?

    I’ll never be a politician. I’ll not be. I’m not born to be that. I’m born to be who I’m. I was born to be in the media, working in the media, flying with the media and making a career in the media, engaging the media. That is what I was born to be and that is what I would be for the rest of my life. Well, as for this nation, politicians are not the ones who are going to save this nation. And I’m not saying this to make any politician feel that their role is not important. Their role is important but it should not be the dominant role. When a nation considers politicians as dominant players who will shape the nation’s destiny, it’s a big mistake. The great nations of this world are built by various groups, all of them with a strong desire to perfect their institutions not through political means but by the capabilities and capacities of those who manage those institutions. So I say the academic world for example, politicians cannot make the academic world play a decisive role in this nation or politicians should not make the Armed Forces become what it ought to be. The Armed Forces must evolve a sustainable role to help this nation progress. I cannot sit here and tell you there is a formula to change what we see. But I know that God has not forgotten Nigeria. God has not stopped favouring Nigeria as a country. And at a time, good will prevail and the people will begin to be beneficiaries of the great blessings that God has endowed this nation with. If there are places where people can express views as to how the individual constituent groups of this great nation can begin to work together in harmony, there will be people talking about this. If you mention Gani Fawehinmi, and other people have played various roles, they have not been forgotten. It may seem as if some of the things they stood for are gone, no. Those things are still there. The right time, in the right place and in the right situation, they will come up and they will make their desired impact. So the answer to your question is that I’m not a politician and I will never be a politician. I have never achieved anything in my entire career, either in leadership role by political means. I have never approached anybody for anything. I have been a self-sufficient individual and therefore I’m not political. I’m interested in the politics of the nation, I’m interested in parties. I’m interested in knowing who means well, for this nation and how they are going about it. I will support organisations that mean well for the nation. I will support programmes that would drive the economy in the direction that would bring good to the people. But I’m saddened by the depth of poverty among our people to the extent that within their own nation, Nigerians are becoming beggars. People are begging for things, from friends, relations, strangers. Everybody wants something because there is so much lack. This is not the kind of environment that would bring about the joy that our Creator Himself Has promised His children for our mortal existence. No. God does not want us to suffer, He Has not created us to suffer. So in various ways, by various means, a time must come when we have to address the issue why are we Nigerians? Why has God made us Nigerians? Is it for us to suffer? Or is it for us to have joy?

    Your church appears to be elitist from the look of things. If you look at the ambience, and the general setting, you can’t but come to such conclusion. How would you react to this?

    (Laughs) You mention this church is an elitist church. I invite you to come for one of our meetings. We call it, meetings, where on Sundays for example, people gather to partake of the sacrament in remembrance of the suffering and death of the Saviour Jesus Christ and to renew their covenant that will always remember him and through their good deeds. When you look at the people there, they are ordinary people. These are not elitist. These are simple Nigerians. Many people who join our church have been blinded by the very simple things of God and Christianity, of the gospel. What is God’s gospel? What does it mean? How does it relate to us? This is what the Good news which Jesus Christ ministry is all about, the doctrines and teachings of Christ. Basically, it says, come follow me and seek after my attributes. And in order to do that we must let go of the world and then I will give you all. That is the simple message of the gospel. That simple basic truth which is eternal goal of the gospel is always lost because people have provided other things to psyche the people and mesmerise them; to jump and to dance and all and start talking about prosperity. Of course, all these things belong to God. Nobody came to this world with anything. Will our members be prosperous? Of course, they will in as much as they follow God’s law of finance, as long as they are worthy, clean and righteous. I have been serving in this church from the very moment I became a member in 1998. Already at that time, I had advanced in my career. I had really gone to the pinnacle of my career. I had established my own company. I have travelled the world and have seen everything and had the privilege of working with some of the most renowned international accounts and foremost Nigerian companies. So when they ask, what took me to this church? I say, I was searching for spirituality; the ability to commune with God because I had never depended on anybody for anything. So what I needed more than anything else was the ability to commune with God and to have a better relation with Him because I came to the realisation that all of those things happening to me is not by my own powers at all. In fact, prior to that time, I thought it was my own particular ability that got me all of those successes. And when it started to get into my head, then I sat down and said, no, this shouldn’t be. There is a greater force that is propelling me to have all these favours from all of these companies and organisations that are able to put millions of campaign budget in my hands and to trust me with them to do what I like to get them the results.

    When I joined Forever Living Products, that’s when I moved from core advertising and marketing into what you can call integrated marketing service to multimedia marketing and all of that. I came into a company that was going down. And the owners of the company in America said, it can’t be that Nigeria is an important market for us. So I was headhunted and I looked at it as a challenge and that is another important point for leadership. Leadership should look at everything that faces them as a challenge and that the challenge can be overcome. So at that time, that particular year, Nigeria was number 14 in world global sales ranking. By the time I left the company in 2014, we were number three. Only two countries were ahead of us; Japan and Brazil. Even we had surpassed UK, Germany, USA, all of them. To take a company from the 14th ranking in the world to number third position was a hard chase; it was a big cross..

    So there have been cases where you had to let go?

    Sure I have had to let go sometime. This is being honest. Actually, the expression that I would use in my profession is that, it’s not marketable.

    Does the church restrict its members from doing certain things?

    As God would not compel anyone from doing anything, so we too don’t compel anyone. We will preach and preach, but if people refuse to do, what are we going to do about that? Are we going to stop preaching and teaching? We won’t stop preaching. There are politicians in the church seeking political positions. Many of them cannot survive with the kind of politics that we have here. They try. The church encourages everybody to do whatever he wants as long as it is wholesome, clean, of good report. There are doctors, nurses, lawyers, professionals, lecturers, there are ordinary people like farmers, drivers, all kinds of people come here. But if you say that it is reserved, perhaps by association it has its own principles and it does not want its principles to be compromised. But the thing is that not everybody knows about the church and why is that they don’t know is because it is so quiet, because we don’t want people to come in the meeting house from morning till night. What we advocate is that the best way to teach the gospel of Jesus Christ is in the homes of the members. It’s called home-centred gospel teaching supported by the church, but on Sundays they come and partake of the sacrament. Even on Sundays, we restrict everything to two hours, the first one hour, you have your sacrament, in remembrance of the saviour and the second hour is called Sunday School where you teach the gospel from the new testament, old testament and the Book of Mormon and other literatures on the teachings of the prophets and all of that.

    That means you don’t hold vigil?

    No, we don’t hold vigil. Does that mean we don’t fast? Yes, we fast. Worldwide, every first Sunday of each month, we observe a fast. We skip two meals and then we contribute the value of the two meals towards humanitarian aid and support for the poor and the needy, whether among us or the environment in which we operate. A

    How can we achieve genuine leadership when Nigeria is divided by tribalism and religious intolerance?

    What I can say is this. And this is what we are taught by living prophets in our midst today. If there is going to be peace in the land, it is because of righteous leadership working in unity with many equally righteous men and women across the land. In this scenario, the masses would be the beneficiaries. So, if you look at in levels, all those who constitute the overall leadership of this nation, are required to replicate their best values in multiple levels below them. And the responsibility of these leaders will be to ensure these value trickles down; with the responsibility of sharing the common good with the masses.

    What are your fond memories as Mission President?

    I will miss the simple families and hundreds of individuals across all faiths I have met in the cities and remote parts of Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Kwara, Kaduna, Plateau States as well as Abuja who I have shared the message of the restored Gospel with or engaged in positive discussions about God’s purpose for our existence on earth. All those people are looking for answers to questions of the soul and I am grateful for what we are learning from one another as they became more knowledgeable and understood the purpose of their lives. It is a different world from sitting in the corporate office of Toshiba in Singapore, or sitting in the UK office of many international clients in my corporate life. It is different. These ordinary people and families are looking for peace, joy or some kind of hope that there will be a better tomorrow. Wishing to know more about Jesus Christ and what He taught.

    People are sometimes confused about your origin. Who is Cornelius Tay?

    I have both Brazilian and Ghanaian roots. My mother’s father’s was a Ghanaian goldsmith who came into Lagos in the 40s. My maternal grandmother came on the boat that brought the slaves back from Brazil. So my great grandmother was the very first sets of people who came back to their roots after the abolition of slave trade when people were allowed to leave the plantations of Brazil. They find their roots somewhere in Badagry, in Lagos. My mother was born and raised in Nigeria, schooled in Jos and married in Zaria, and then they came to Lagos settle to down.

    My father is fully Ghanaian but he lived all his life here because his senior brother was a magistrate in the Kano mixed court in the 40s and therefore encouraged his brothers to come and live with him in Kano. When Ghana became independent in 1956, my uncle, Victor Mensah Jacks Tay became Ghana’s first ambassador to Nigeria. They called them, High Commissioners at that time. So he set up the Ghana High Commission in Lagos Island and then my father moved down to Lagos with him. So I was born on the Lagos Island, so that makes me a Lagosian. I was also raised on the Lagos Island in the Brazilian quarters where my maternal grandmother lived and died in Bamgbose Street. I went to Holy Cross Primary school, and then to Igbobi College. So I’m a Nigerian. My wife is 100 per cent Nigerian. She is from Lagos Island, from the Oshodi family. So what nationality do you think I should be?

  • ONIKEPO OSHODI: I can’t compromise my integrity as a politician

    She is a veteran female politician by virtue of the exalted positions she has occupied. Apart from being actively involved in politics, she is also into humanitarian work. Even at 81, she is not tired. In this interview with Omolara Akintoye, Chief Mrs. Onikepo Oshodi talks about her experience in the murky waters of politics, her humanitarian work, how women have fared in politics, the secret of a successful marriage, among others.

    TELL us about your journey into humanitarian work

    I decided to involve myself in humanitarian services, especially with the Rotary International and the International Inner Wheel, offering services to the less privileged in the society. I was involved in travelling through the length and breadth of Nigeria, especially the eastern and the northern parts where my own district was based. I started as club president then graduated to be district chairman in Inner Wheel Club of Jos. At that point in time, we were in Jos. I was involved in travelling, opening chapters, launching projects and declaring open projects committed to by my clubs within my districts. We later relocated to Lagos where I happened to be the first President of Rotary Club of Ogudu G.R.A, Lagos, which makes me to be a charter president. We have so many clubs in our district, about 200 or thereabout. Rotarians came about when women decided that they are no more appendages. Initially, wives of the Rotarians were called Inner Wheel but along the line we decided that we didn’t want to belong to Inner wheel Club alone, we wanted to slug it out with men; that is why Rotary Club has taken women to be Rotarians and that for us is a feat.

    It’s been 13 years now since you joined Rotary Club as the charter president, how has it been?

    Well, it’s been good. Rotary all over is known for humanitarian services; every year you plan your projects for the benefit of the community where you live, and we have six areas of focus namely: Health, Education, Economy, Environment, Maternity , Water and Sanitation. So each club will have to pick from among these areas of concern, areas that border on the welfare of the people in your community. You plan your projects on such area of concern; you cannot be a Rotarian if you don’t have enough, you must have enough to give out to the needy in the society, where they use it for the services that we render every year.  Rotary Club of Ogudu is no doubt a good club to reckon with in the district and, fortunately, one of our members will be district president.

    What has been your impact as the charter president over the years?

    I and my husband have been instrumental in funding a lot of projects in the district over the years, such is the library that was recently inaugurated in two public primary schools here in Ogudu. What I do is to speak to some of our friends in America, Europe and so on. We are so much committed to Rotary wherever we find ourselves all over the world; we always join the club and that in a way has helped. Our friends in the developed world are so friendly, they are so much interested in what is happening in Africa and are always willing to support us in every area. They will ask us ‘what do you want us to do for Africa’ and by that we have implemented so many project worth millions in Rotary Club. About two years ago, we implemented in Agboyi/Ketu riverine area, over 10 million worth of projects consisting of borehole, maternity centre and rehabilitation of the public school there. We got a distress call in the dailies that they needed assistance, and we wrote a letter to some of our friends in U.S and they sponsored the entire project. We have been doing so and we shall continue to do it, because we believe in ameliorating the standard of people; government cannot do it alone.

    Tell us about yourself

    I was born 81 years ago. I studied in Pitman’s College in London. Later, I proceeded to the University of Jos, then University of Lagos and Alba College in London. I am an administrator; I read Public Law (LMB). Now I have been involved in so many activities. In the late 60s, I worked for a private company for about two years after which I decided to establish my own company which is a limited liability company that has now grown into a big company. I am happily married to Alhaji Ibrahim Oshodi from the Oshodi family in Lagos and I am blessed with two male grown up children who are doing fine in their respective lives. We are also blessed with many grandchildren.

    For how long have you been married?

    For over 54 years now, I’m 81 years’ old this year.

    What kind of person is your husband?

    (Laughs) He’s a wonderful husband. He’s intelligent and passionate. Anything I do, he supports me. I remember when I was involved in an auto crash and I was hospitalised for five months at the Eko Hospital, he was there for me and even after I recovered, he didn’t stop me.

    How did you meet each other?

    We met at University of Ibadan in one of their Gala Nites. I was in class five then in secondary school and my friends invited me to Ibadan to come and socialise, so I travelled all the way to Ibadan, that was how we met and then we became husband and wife three years later.

    What is the secret of your marriage of over 50 years?

    Marriage is give and take. I appreciate his idiosyncrasies and he appreciates mine as well; we have never quarrelled since we got married and we are blessed with wonderful children and grandchildren. To have a successful marriage, you must study the person you want to marry. Despite all my achievements in politics and everything, my husband is never jealous. Rather, he’s always there to support me, urging me to go ahead. If my husband were to be the jealous type, we won’t go this far. Many times you see some men unhappy when they see their wives making it, which is bad. Our youths need to choose wisely and pray for good partners who will appreciate them, share your joy and sorrow. Life is up and down. When couples are disciplined, they can also rear good and disciplined children.

    Can you share with us your experience as politician?

    Yes, a great politician for that matter. I broke my leg during the presidential campaign of the Abiola/Tofa contest in 1993, about 26 years ago. We were going round the country for campaign and we had a fatal accident, so many people died. I didn’t die, but I broke my leg. Even afterwards, I had another accident, during Rotary Walk, on the same leg, but I’m still very active and thank God I’m still alive and active in politics and humanitarian work. I’m not yet tired.

    What is your assessment of women in politics?

    Women in politics? Yes, we are trying. Since 1995, we’ve been fighting for 30% affirmative action for women. We came back to Nigeria that year after the International Women Conference in Beijing. Some of us were arrested and locked up; the likes of Nkoyo Toyo, Professor Jadesola Akande, among others, then during the struggle. That did not stop us as we agitated for Ministry of Women Affairs as well as policies that would support active women inclusion in politics.

    During Buhari’s last regime, I would say women did not fare too much, but this current regime I would say we have so many women now at the national assembly. But for women in ministerial position, they are not many; Buhari still needs to put more women in appointive position because we are up to the task. But I would say President Buhari is trying his bit to ensure that corruption is totally wiped out; we have enough to go round. All the money they are getting back from those who stole our money, Buhari should try and invest the money back into infrastructure, health, education, power, transportation, good roads, etc. This anti-corruption war should be taken to every level of governance, especially the local governments.

    Advice to women in politics

    Some women lose their heads while in politics but any woman who is disciplined, would not compromise. I can’t compromise my moral dignity, how much will the man give me? Any woman from a good background will always stick to her ideals. I always tell women at any meeting that they should let their good works and morals speak for them and not selling their bodies to these men. Though male politicians are richer than female politicians, our integrity will bail us out; just have the right ideals.

     What else takes your time aside all these?

    I used to be a golfer until I lost my leg. I also read a lot. I have a non-governmental organisation on women empowerment, and we enlighten women on the act of governance from the local government level to the federal.

  • And the beat stopped: Of persons and places beyond recall

    SUNDAY 30th June was the Outing Service for Helen Olufunke Olaitan Bello, wife of media guru, Eniola Bello. Olufunke fought a three-year-long battle with breast cancer.  She transited to eternity on June fourth in a UK hospital. Her husband is the brilliant and very amiable Managing Director of Thisday Newspapers, Eniola Bello who is also a member of the International Press Institute, IPI. He organised the Outing Service in honour of his wife who was a banker and businesswoman.

    Family members,  friends,  well-wishers and many dignitaries attended the service in solidarity with Mr. Bello who can best be described as an honourable man. The husband of the dearly departed had described his wife as his companion,  friend,  lover, critic and wife of twenty-three years.

    Olufunke was a few months short of clocking fifty.

    May the Almighty God grant the Eniola Bello family the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.

    It has been thirty-three days since the loss of this dear lady. Setting me into recollection, with my mind going to some of those we had earlier loved and lost.

    I mention two wonderful people I had the pleasure of meeting, who have passed on.

    Mrs Maria Sokenu was the Managing Director of the newly created Peoples’ Bank then- that was the government’s attempt at providing microfinance for a wider populace.

    Always pleasant and smiling,  Maria Sokenu had a standing policy of having at least one physically challenged person in her employ.  She also ran an NGO, the Institute for Poverty Eradication IPE which dealt with economic empowerment and training for miscreants in society.

    At the home front,  Maria Sokenu was married to Chief Herbert Sokenu. Theirs was an enduring love story; the two starting out as best friends from age eleven!

    Herbert is an only child, and his marriage to his childhood friend was much cherished. They spent long years together until her death a few months before her sixtieth birthday.

    Mrs. Sokenu was one of the people who lost their lives in the Bellview airline 2005 plane crash. She always wanted to be remembered for helping people. And I believe she succeeded.

    Sam Loco Efe- never mind the Mister! He was a wonderful man,  multi-talented and well educated too. He was a great actor, a movie director and was also a comic.

    Born Sam Loco Efeeimwonkiyeke it’s a no- brainer as to why he really had to abbreviate his name! He was from Benin, Edo State and was born on Christmas day,  1945. He died in August 2011, aged sixty-six. He passed on in Owerri while on location for a  movie shoot. Although the autopsy report was never released after he was found dead in his hotel room,  the cause of death is suspected to have been an asthma attack while alone in his hotel room.

    Sam Loco in life bestrode the theatre, Nollywood; and most especially the living rooms of captivated fans across Nigeria who watched him on their TV screens. Sam Loco was also someone who always wanted to see the young ones come up.

    At his star-studded funeral in Benin that year,  then Edo State  Governor Adams Oshiomhole announced that a street in Benin would be named after the Nollywood star,  to immortalise his name.

    Back to the now,  but in other climes; a vicar’s daughter married a parson’s son. And they both lived happily ever after,  end of story…..almost. That particular daughter was a young lady named Grace Jones- the oldest person in Britain.  Called ‘ Amazing Grace ‘ by her family and friends because of her longevity, she lived to one hundred and twelve years. Born in 1906 in Liverpool,  she lost her own mother before she turned five.  But Grace Jones lived through twenty-six prime ministers and five monarchs! She survived the two World Wars.

    She was once a businesswoman who owned a millinery business at one time. In 1933, she got married to Chief Engineer Leonard Jones and they had one daughter, Deirdre. Grace and her husband moved all around the UK and were married for fifty-three years till he died in 1986 at seventy-nine. Of her best memories in life, she had said,  “ the best memory was when I married my husband. He was a true gentleman, the son of a parson. We were always together and we loved one another. “

    Grace only moved into a Broadway care home in 2005. There she was the star,  the most popular person. By virtue of her age, every year she attracted the press to the place,  recording another year for her. Hers was a warden controlled residence,  but she remained independent till the end, doing her own shopping and all.

    Her daughter Deirdre McCarthy is 80 years old, and says her mother was a lovely woman. She says Grace Jones did everything with style.

    Grace Jones was reportedly lively and active and her daughter even said her mother was a very good cook! Deirdre said they had both played a game 2 days before her passing.  In the same UK,  just 3 days after Mrs Olufunke   Olaitan Bello passed on,  Mrs Jones died peacefully in her sleep in her Broadway home on Friday, June 7, 2019. She was buried five days ago, on July  2 at Broadway, Worcestershire.

    What fantastic persons!

     

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  • Idris Aregbe: I help to discover people’s hidden potential

    Inspired by the need to encourage SMEs, sustain the creative industry, raise cultural ambassadors, award cultural icons as well as celebrate African values, he set up Sisi Oge: My Heritage, My Pride. The brain behind the initiative, Idris Aregbe, in this interview with Omolara Akintoye reveals why Sisi Oge was recently re-branded to Culturati, how the premiere beauty pageant has empowered over 50,000 models and 11 queens, among others, even as the brand holds its 12th edition presently. Excerpts

    You are a man of many parts, where do you draw your inspiration from?

    I have never believed in impossibilities. As such, my inspirations are drawn from my desire to create something of value out of nothing. My passion for hard work and little beginnings has always inspired me to take on challenging ventures. And even when I go wrong in my decisions, I learn new dimensions to approach situations and get better at it.

    The need to give back to the society is also one of my fond inspirations. From my cradle days, I have always wanted to offer help in any capacity that I can; no matter how small it may seem. So, with these, I am constantly reminded that I have lot to do to make the world a better place than I met it.

    Why did you establish Sisi Oge, and what impact has the initiative had on people?

    Sisi Oge, now Culturati, was established to redefine and celebrate the rich cultural diversity of the African continent. There are so many potential embedded in the African soil and some of these potential are yet to be harnessed. Westernisation, on the other hand, is gradually eating up our values and heritage, especially amongst the youths.

    Read Also: NSEZCO: Facts, hidden motives and the mudslinging

    This is one major reason for the establishment of My Heritage, My Pride & Sisi Oge movement. Every year, we re-awaken the consciousness of our heritage in the heart of younger generation. Sisi Oge, has, overtime, empowered young starters who are doing well in different fields.

    Has it achieved its purpose in the last 12 years?

    Of course, it has, sincerely, without mincing words. Culturati, formerly known as Sisi Oge, has been nothing short of success. Through Culturati, we have changed the fortunes of many young models; put smiles on the faces of many and given hope to those whose dreams were once shredded by unforeseen circumstances.

    Culturati has not only changed the lives of many, it has also put Lagos State on the global stage, because it has been consistent in celebrating Lagos’ invaluable culture and tradition.

    The brand, Culturati, has been in the act of propagating, preserving the African culture and promoting peaceful cultural co-existence among other foreign nations. It is not just an event celebrating Africa’s diverse cultures, but a movement through which a variety of rewarding programmes have been promoted including “pageantry, fashion show/exhibition, arts, dance drama, music, cultural festivals, skill empowerment and awards.”

    Through this initiative, we have also formed mutual collaborations with both local and international organisations that share our beliefs and appreciate what we do to sustain our heritage.

    How has Sisi Oge preserved our local arts and culture?

    Sisi Oge, now known as Culturati, has preserved our local arts and culture through empowerment programmes, skill acquisition and the celebration of cultural icons that have pushed the boundaries of our cultural heritage to the global stage. We have not only identified with young talents, we have also engaged cultural experts, as a measure to bridge the gap between the younger generation and the elderly ones. We have further given these young art enthusiasts rewarding platforms to ply their trade and showcase their works to the world through our sponsorship programmes, skill acquisition, art exhibition, etc.

    For us, there is no better way to preserve our cultural heritage other than encouraging young ones to expand the scope of existing works through innovative programmes that will consciously create a nexus between the people and our local arts and cultural heritage.

    What were the challenges when you started Sisi Oge and how were you able to overcome them?

    Well, it is never easy to float a new brand due to financial snags and many other unperceived challenges. I think the biggest problems I faced at the early stage of Sisi Oge, now Culturati, was finance, sponsorship and how to convince people to believe in the dream, because of our approach and direction. But we thank God that Culturati has been able to carve a niche for itself with a vision that stretches beyond the scope of celebrating the African culture.

    We overcame these challenges through consistency, commitment and passion, but that is not to say that we do not face challenges. However, we have stayed focused and learned to manage every situation by being positive and giving our very best.

    So, challenges are inevitable in every endeavour but one must learn to always look beyond them and gaze at the bigger picture – which is winning.

    Why did you decide to re-brand Sisi Oge to Culturati?

    Sisi Oge was rebranded to Culturati in order to capture the diversities of the African culture with an urban appeal that will resonate with all ages. Sisi Oge limited the scope of our vision and mission. It was not an easy decision, but we just had to do it, in order to capture the entirety of our set goals.

    Culturati is a fusion of cultural event, art and fashion exhibition and an award brand tailored towards recognising the tireless contributions of art achievers in different creative endeavours, nurturing cultural ambassadors, supporting SMEs and celebrating Africa’s long-standing traditional values through a variety of exciting programmes. The brand is committed to preserving and projecting the African cultural pieces and its timeless traditions.

    What should people expect at Culturati Night event?

    They should expect nothing short of excitement and rich display of African culture in its finest beauty. We are setting a standard and trend that will outlive us, so the grand finale of Culturati 2019 is going to be epic and memorable. The second phase of Culturati empowerment programme was scheduled to commence in July at the conclusion of this year’s cultural festival on June 30 at the Balmoral Convention Centre, Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.

     What business angle can people explore from Culturati?

    A lot of business opportunities have been built around the brand Culturati. We have already empowered 408 Nigerian youths in different areas of skill acquisition and sponsorship. Some major brands that believe in the values of our culture played huge roles in making the empowerment programme a reality.

    The likes of Indomie Noodles, Bank of Industry (BOI), Motherland Beckons, La Campagne Tropicana, Polystar, Lush Hair, natnudO, Nike Art Gallery, Lagos Fries and Fashion Designers Association of Nigeria (FADAN), all played significant roles in the empowerment process. The second phase of our empowerment programme will commence immediately after Culturati Night.

    Also, we have further created platforms for exhibitors to meet new and potential customers, create one-on-one interaction with clients, increase brand visibility and reach new target market.

    Similarly, we have created a Culturati Fashion Hub in order to assist would-be fashion designers and stylists to actualise their dream.

    How do you think government can assist the industry?

    Well, the government has been supportive in some areas, but we believe that they can do more to expand the scope of cultural appreciation.

    They can set aside certain grants to help fund the creative industry. They can also include cultural education into our academic curricula in order to familiarise the young ones with our cultural values, while preserving our rich legacies.

    What else takes your time?

    Creating business models to generate value takes occupies my time. For me, creating value is a continuous process that requires constant thinking and research. So, I never fail to discover new businesses.

    How do you recreate?

    I spend quality time with my family and enjoy some good old African tunes.

    Any plan to contest in future?

    Yes. I mean, certainly not now, but I would not reject the offer of serving the people, as I have always done that through the laudable initiatives that I have spearheaded.

    You see, my passion for humanity has always been a driving force for me and if opportunity beckons me to serve, in any capacity, as I am currently, I would not hesitate to honour the clarion call to serve at the appropriate time.

  • CHUKS CHIDUBE: I was a bad boy growing up

    Since the release of his song, ‘Dis Kind God’, Chuks Chidube has been low on the radar. However, Chuks is set for a comeback as he is set to release a new album. He speaks to JOE AGBRO JR on this, why his marriage has worked and other matters. Excerpts

    What have you been up to after ‘Dis Kind God’?

    My first album was in 1989, titled “Take Jesus to the World”. But my major breakthrough in music did not come until after 20 years. That was in 2009 when “Dis Kind God” was released. Currently, I’m working on “Open Heaven Worship”, just flows, blowing in tongues, lifting Jesus. For years I never spoke in tongues in my album until I started working on this project this year. Anyone that is a worshipper should look out for that album. It will take you into God’s presence. You will literally get lost in His presence; 44 minutes non-stop. It’s about 18 songs. Any moment from now my marketer will release “Open Heaven Worship”.

     Tell me more about yourself

    I am a marriage counsellor. I am a business man, part time. I am a motivational speaker. We just opened by God’s grace Praise Channel Internet Radio and it is rated very high, among the best internet station in the world now. I’m also a part-time farmer, trying to tidy up that end. So many other things that I do. I am a Christian comedian. I’m an author. I do a couple of things, up to 15 different things. Why? I want to be able to reach out and win souls into God’s kingdom in various ways.

    I grew up a bad boy. At age 14 to 15 I was already in the night club. If not for the mercy of God I don’t know if I would be alive today. So I want to give back to the kingdom. For God haven loved me this way, to deliver me, I am giving back to the kingdom by reaching out through the various gifts I have got. That is part of the reason I do various things. Also I want to be able to leverage financially. I hate to beg. I hate to borrow. For 21 years, to the glory of God, I have not been broke and I am not planning to be. My wife is active. She’s doing her own business. So we don’t beg. We don’t borrow.

    For 21 years, I have been married and God has been helping us through the various things He has allowed us to do jointly as a couple and as individuals. I do several things. I’m a man of many parts.

     You just started an internet radio recently. What informed it?

    To be able to lift up Jesus! Praise Channel Internet Radio lifting Jesus 247. That is our cliché. From primary school, I knew I was born to talk. It has pleased the Lord that we start with an online radio. The rating is very high already. Over time, we will have praise Channel FM scattered all over and also Praise Channel TV, all geared towards winning souls into God’s kingdom. That’s what I want to achieve through Praise Channel Internet Radio, and if my bills are paid alongside, why not?

     Would you say the gospel music industry in Nigeria is doing well?

    My take is that the gospel music in Nigeria is doing well. Our CDs may not be selling like the secular CDs but the impact is high. And you can see that many secular artistes now want to add one or two songs in their collection. If we are not doing well, they will not do that.

    So we are doing well. God is being glorified. Our songs are making waves across the nations of the world. Our songs are competing well with secular songs on Youtube for views. I have been to different continents. Nigerian gospel music is in the forefront among gospel music in the world. Americans, the British are looking for our songs. They are trying our beat, looking for Nigeria music content. Our songs are well produced, not like before. I own a studio. We supply American market, British market and they beat their standard. Our music is highly sought after across the world.

    If you are to collaborate with any gospel artiste in your next album who will it be?

    I love all styles of music and I’m an instrumentalist. I play trumpet, sax, drum, keyboard, and guitar. For now, I’m trusting God for something with Nathaniel Bassey and Tim Godfery. I’ve done a couple of collaborations before with Mike Abdul, Asu Ekiye, to mention but a few.

    As a member, what is the goal of Kingdom Music Foundation?

    KMF is an association of music ministers. I’m an executive. I’m the PRO of Kingdom Music Foundation (KMF). It’s a body put together to cater for the welfare of music ministers and unite us as a team, because united, we win in the music ministry. We have an opportunity to showcase our gifts and encourage upcoming artistes.

    What is the major reason marriages are failing?

    I have never seen in history any dispensation that we have crises in marriages like what we have now. Marriages are breaking down on a daily basis, unfortunately, even among ministers of the gospel. The number one reason I can tell you, is wrong foundation. Many marriages do not have a good foundation. Many didn’t seek the face of God.

    Secondly, many are too lazy to work at the success of their marriage. I can’t give you all. Apart from music, marriage is my next heartbeat. You have to make sacrifices but these days, many are not ready to do that. There is no ready-made man or woman. You have to work what you desire from that man, from that woman. There are workable men and women. I was not like this when I got married. God has used my wife to make me a better person. I also told my wife I love you the way you are but I will not leave you the way you are. And also avoid immorality. Once you start to cheat on your spouse, you start to sleep out, before you know it you invite the devil into your marriage.

  • Buhari doesn’t like posing for photos, says presidential photographer

    Bayo Omoboriowo, who is the Chief Official Photographer to President Muhammadu Buhari prior to his days as president in 2015, reveals how the president’s pictures always portray his real personality. Having released two photobooks of the president: a 314-page ‘Buhari a new beginning’ and 330-page ‘Being Buhari’, he declared that the president doesn’t fancy posing for pictures. He spoke with some members of the State House Press Corps. Augustine Ehikioya was there.

    You just launched a new photobook, ‘Being Buhari’, which the president unveiled on Tuesday; what prompted this?

    First and foremost, ‘Being Buhari’, is a sequel to the first book I did in 2016, which was titled, ‘Buhari: A new Beginning’. The essence is to chronicle the experience and journey of President Buhari in the last four years. As a photographer, one of the things I have learnt is to ensure that these images created are preserved. Much more than being preserved is to ensure that even as you use the image as a means of communication, history is documented. My children should be able to look back at these images and understand what happened between 2015-2019.

    For me, I always tell people that photography is a means of communication; but much more than that, with the way the social media is going, aside postings on social media or being used on the pages of newspapers, what will history look forward to 10 years from now? When I look at the images and the things our parents kept, books of Obafemi Awolowo, Wole Soyinka, Nnamdi Azikiwe, I also want to ensure that we are not carried away by the technology of these recent times. I’m looking at a situation whereby the hard copies can be preserved in schools, homes and for international audience, so that they can understand that there is so much more to Nigeria than what they hear on the outside.

    What are you trying to tell Nigerians by entitling the book, ‘Being Buhari’?

    One of the things I have done about the images of President Buhari is the reality of who the president is. Every picture you will see in the book is the reality of who he is: as a father, as the president, when in bilateral relations or during international engagements. All what you see is just he being himself, nothing doctored or enhanced. It is the reality of what he has been in the last four years. For instance, people don’t know that he is not the kind of person who wants to pose for images.

    What story of Nigeria between 2015-2019 are contained in the photobook?

    The struggle to rebuilding Nigeria; the President’s effort in fighting insecurity; his effort to ensure corruption is not swept under the carpet; his effort and that of his team at rebuilding the economy of Nigeria, the efforts of the team in ensuring that the presidency of Buhari delivers. As much as possible, a complete story of where we were in 2015, how far we have journeyed to 2019 and also inspiration for the next 4 years.

    What is the impression you want people to take away from the book?

    I want people to go back with the impression that in spite of how the media has reflected him, this is the reality of who the president is. This is what he has done; this is the reality of his person, his humility, his love for people, his endurance spirit, his doggedness, his interest in ensuring that leading Nigeria is not just by words of mouth, and that he is determined to make Nigeria a better country, to move this country forward and to craft the perception that he means well for this country.

  • NIGERIA’S TALLEST MAN: For years, my height hindered me from finding love

    Think you’re tall? Wait until you stand beside Afeez Agoro Oladimeji. Unofficially regarded as the tallest man in Nigeria, Oladimeji carries a burden of height, which he says initially denied him of relationships and caused him so much inconveniencies. However, the 44-year-old is cool now and tells Adeola Ogunlade that the government should consider him as the nation’s Tourism Ambassador.

    His arrival stirred the whole gathering and literally put all proceedings on hold. Heads turned, mouths opened wide and eyes popped, almost out of their sockets. It was the closest thing they had seen to the biblical Goliath – except that this one wasn’t barrel-chested like the holy book had made them believe. A 7-footer of a man? Surely they weren’t dreaming, as they took another look at the specimen again.

    He had to bend almost doubly – albeit, with some help – to come into the hall, before making straight for the podium.  There, he stood for a brief awkward moment, as organisers of the day’s event searched frantically for a suitable seat for him.

    As he settled in the chair beside popular disc jockey, DJ Jimmy Jatt, CDQ and the founder  of Celebrity and Fans Relationship Manager (CFRM), Ademola Fawaz, you could tell it was huge relief for him, as he looked to have had a stressful day.

    The occasion was at a Lagos A-list hotel, where students from primary to tertiary institutions had gathered to savour rewards of a quiz competition they had participated in online, tagged ‘Get Help Merit, by Celebrity and Fans Relationship Manager, sponsored by popular hip-hop artiste, Sadiq Abubakar Yusuf popularly known by the stage name, CDQ.

    They had been asked to name 10 things they knew about the artiste and hip-hop music in Nigeria, of which four lucky students from Oyo and Lagos States emerged winners.

    The MC of the day wasted  no time in satisfying their curiosity. “His name is Afeez Agoro Oladimeji, the tallest man in Nigeria,” he announced almost with glee. Everyone in the hall clapped. Thereafter, he quite clearly stole the show, as everyone, including the winners made him their object of attention.

    As the event came to an end, Oladimeji stood up to take his leave, but the admiration wouldn’t just abate, not even the foreign guests were left out. But like a man who has been used to that treatment,  he took it all in his stride and walked out of the venue, smiling and waving. Several guests, including this reporter, who had fancied himself a tall man, struggled to take photographs with Oladimeji, sizing up their diminutiveness, as it were.

    That was penultimate Wednesday. However, for this curious reporter, that was never going to be the end of the story.

    At home with ‘Mr Tallest’

    On Monday, he put a call through to him for an interview request, but that was another awesome experience. In all his over three decades on planet earth, this reporter could swear he had never heard such deep baritone voice. Where on earth did this guy emerge from?

    Appointment sealed, a  date was set for a proper engagement.

    Both parties agreed to meet at a Motherless Babies Home opposite CMS Grammer School, Bariga, not too far from his home.

    Afeez Agoro Oladimeji was born in Sabo, Yaba, in metropolitan Lagos on December 13, 1975. He is the youngest of his mother’s three children, who is second wife to his father. His earliest childhood memories were of that community, but he later moved with his family to nearby Akoka at age seven, where he grew up and attended St. Finbarr’s College. He later obtained an Ordinary National Diploma (OND), followed by a Higher National Diploma (HND) in Town and Regional Planning at the Lagos State Polytechnic. He followed it up with a degree in Computer Science at the University of Lagos .

    As much as he could recall, nothing in his childhood suggested  he was going to end up this tall. “My growing up was a miracle in a way. All through my secondary school days, I was not even one of the tallest students. But right after secondary school, I started feeling that I was growing tall. Ten years after secondary school, some of my mates who hadn’t seen me for long started telling me I was no longer the same Oladimeji they knew. They said I had become an alien because I was twice as tall as them.”

    As the years rolled by, Oladimeji said he faced lots of health and physical challenges. At age 19, he took ill, and the condition brought about a rapid growth that was strange to all. He fell ill several times after and consequently grew taller. All medical attempts to control the strange growth failed, and today, he stands at a towering 7ft.4 inches. That, as far as available records can testify, makes him the tallest man in Nigeria, and one of the tallest in Africa.

    However, when asked if he ever wished he wasn’t this tall, the giant of a man said, “No, I wouldn’t say that, because this height has become a blessing to me. I have met several people who have extended their hands of love toward me on account of my unique height.”

    He recalled how when he applied to go the United State of America, he was given a Visa almost effortlessly, because the Consular General told him there was no way he could escape. “I was given a Visa and I spent six months in the United States and my experience there was awesome and memorable.”

    Aside that, he said, “In my area, people treat me like a special being; they treat me so well. In fact, I get a lot of support from people everywhere I go.”

    Though he quickly added that there are some deficiencies and awkward moments, but he maintained that the merits far outweigh the deficiencies.

    Possible health explanations

    Even though medical explanations were not immediately available to explain Oladimeji’s growth, it may not be unrelated with situations his likes have suffered across the globe. 7ft. 11.2inches tall Pakistani, Zia Rasheed, is said to have been a victim of a malfunction of the pituitary gland, which causes benign tumors that in turn produce up to 1,000 times the normal amount of growth hormones. Rasheed had undergone three surgeries already but new and growing tumors will require more procedures.

    Also, the tallest man on earth, Sultan Kösen, who is 8tf 2.82inches tall received Gamma Knife treatment for his pituitary tumour at the University of Virginia Medical School and was provided with medication to control his excessive level of growth hormone. It was confirmed in March 2012 that the treatment had been effective in halting Kösen’s growth.

    On how his parents handled the ‘abnormal’ situation, Agoro said, “My father, when he was still alive, showed a lot of concern, especially because it got to a point when none of my clothes and shoes could size me anymore. He took me to Igbobi Hospital to ascertain whether I had one deficiency but the doctors never saw anything.”

    He expressed gratitude to his father, most especially for putting him into consideration when building his house. “My father, before he died, built a house that would be convenient for me to move in and out, and that has helped me greatly as I bear the pain and challenges of rheumatism.

    “When he died in 2005, my mummy was skeptical about my health condition. She took me to Lagos State University Teaching Hospital to get me tested and the report of the test was that I was over-secreting glands. I later underwent a heart surgery in the US. Heart correction is one of the surgeries that most persons with abnormal growth will have to go through.”

    Asked how he copes with the load on his legs,  Agoro  said, “I need to work out regularly. Wake up early in the morning and go for exercises. I sleep very late and I wake up around 9:00am to 10: 00 am in the morning.

    After completing his NYSC in Bayelsa, Oladimeji returned to Lagos to seek for a job but was repeatedly turned down. He imagined a good number of them was intimidated by his height.

    Fortunately, he got a contract job with the Lagos State Government, which lasted for two years. From there, he went on to set up small businesses for himself.

    “I only got a two-year contract job with the Lagos State Government because it was difficult for me to get a regular job, even though I had the qualification and could excel. They turned me down because of my height. Today, I am into business, buying and selling and my customers have been very supportive. I also do modeling and I’m into entertainment,” he said.

    Beyond the job issues, Oladimeji has challenges moving around. “Some years ago, I had a jeep that I took to a panel-beater to help adjust the seat, so it would be convenient for me to drive. Since that vehicle packed up, the 44-year-old has had to rely mostly on commercial motorcycles to cover short distances or Uber taxis, whose charges are telling on his resources.

    “I depend largely on commercial motorcycles to move around Akoka and environs because of my inability to fit into commercial buses. I take Uber most times if I have appointments outside Akoka. Anytime I board a taxi, the passenger seat in front has to be adjusted all the way to the back for me to be able to fit in,” he said.

    No size on the shelves

    For his massive height, Oladimeji wears an amazing shoe-size 53 – hardly in the market; while his clothes size cannot be found on the shelves anywhere in Nigeria. “For shirts and trousers, I have to buy the clothing materials in the market and take them to my special tailor to sew to fit my size because it is hard getting my size in the market. Most times, my shoes are imported from the US. Rarely am I ever able to get my shoe size in Yaba (Lagos). Even to get a comfortable bed to sleep on has come with its challenges. I presently use a 4 by 8 size bed.”

    Tough finding love

    All over the world, finding partners is another major challenge men in the ‘tallest’ category face, – be it Paskistan, Turkey or even the United State of America. Oladimeji is not left out.

    “Many ladies run away from me as a result of my height; so finding a wife, for a long time, was tough,” he recalled.

    However, that’s in the past now. ‘Mr. Tallest’ now has a heartthrob, who has taken him for who he is and both are due to be engaged anytime soon.

    “She was one of my fans. She came to me and said she wanted to be my friend; and during that process, I proposed to her and she accepted. We are planning our engagement soon.”

    Relief, you’d say, for a man who confessed that he stopped going out for many years due to the initial challenges accruing from his height.

    Today, he also says happily, “I go out and the acceptance has been awesome.”

    Asked if he wasn’t bothered about the initial rejection from the female-folk, Oladimeji said, “Those years of waiting didn’t bother me. My mother, at some point tried to arrange a woman for me, but it didn’t quite work out. But I knew that there is a special woman for me out there that God has created especially for me. She is 5ft tall.”

    Government support?

    Asked if there is any government support for people like him, Oladimeji said, “None. I once visited the Lagos State Tourism Board and they promised to make me Tourism Ambassador in Lagos, but they’re yet to make good that promised.

    He thinks that’s a big minus though. “Government is paying little attention to the creative industry. If I am the tallest out of 200 million people, then I should be celebrated and supported.”

     

     

     

  • There are a lot of successful Nigerians in Germany -Envoy

    Nigeria’s Ambassador to Germany, Yusuf Maitama Tuggar in this interview with Vincent Ikuomola talks about efforts being made towards retrieving stolen art works and artefacts as well as other efforts geared towards improving Nigeria-German trade relations. 

    HOW would you access the relations between Nigeria and Germany and what have you done so far to move it forward?

    It has been giant strides because there have been significant visits and interactions between leaders of both countries. There was a visit by the German Chancellor, Angela Merkel with a business delegation to Nigeria in August 2018. In the wake of that visit, there have been lot of interests,  a lot of  linkages between Small and Medium Scale Enterprises in both countries.

    In fact during the visit, three Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) were signed, including the one between Volkswagen and the Nigerian Automotive Design and Development Council. There was another one signed between the Nigeria Incentive-based Risk-Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL) and a German medium sized company called Petcos Technology that specialises in seeds and grains technology which is a very important segment of the agricultural value chain. You have to have the right seeds to improve your yields.

    There was a third agreement between the Nigeria Association of Chambers of Commerce Industry Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) and the African German Business Association  which comprises all the major businesses in Germany;  the global players, that are doing business in Africa are part of that association. We are talking about companies like Siemens, Julius Berger, Bayer, Bosch, Volkswagen and the rest of them.

    So, we facilitated the signing of an agreement between them and NACCIMA and that is also a very important agreement because it provides room for collaboration.

    On the other side, the Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo visited Berlin on December 9-11, 2018.  During the visit, we had a Business Dialogue in collaboration with the Afrika-Verein der deutschen Wirtschaft   or African German Business Association.

    It was a very successful one; it turned out to be a huge forum not just for members of the private sector but for the leaders of the German society. There were several bilateral meetings that took place with the likes of GFW, the German Development Bank, and Siemens in terms of what they are trying to achieve specifically on the distribution side of the power sector in Nigeria.

    It’s been so huge and I wouldn’t event want for now to give you a specific number in terms of figures  and the size of our  trade volume because the process is still ongoing and we are still tracking it to see how much it would amount to at the end of the day.  However, the last assessment we did in respect of our trade volume, it was pegged at about $3.5 billion.

    We learnt that some investors have actually moved from Germany down to Nigeria within this period you’ve been there.  Is that the true situation?  How many?

    I  don’t have their numbers off hand,  but like I said,  I don’t  want  to mention a specific figure for now because two weeks ago, a  German company  started exporting ginger from Kaduna State to Germany. So I don’t want to short change our achievements.  When we establish the latest figures, then we will be able to release the figures.

    Do we have cultural exchange programmes with Germany?

    Yes, there is, and as a matter of fact, the Embassy is planning an event on July 20. It will feature Arts, Literature, Music and Culture as a whole. We want to use that opportunity to further promote cultural collaboration.

    0You know the German Embassy in Nigeria has the Goethe Institute which supports a lot of cultural activities. We have come a long way with Germany in terms of social and cultural interactions.

    The first European to cross from North Africa all the way down to the Atlantic Ocean and ended up in Lagos was a German. Later we had a lot of them who came as explorers, researchers and traders in the 19th century.  But what we are pushing hard for at the moment is the idea of returning our stolen art works and artefacts  back to the country. When you go to a lot of public museums  in Germany , you will encounter Benin bronzes ,Ife artworks and a number of other cultural  identities that were taken away illicitly. Those that are in private collections, we cannot see them so we cannot agitate for their return but those that are in public collection,  we must continue to demand that they be returned because this is at the centre of the identity crisis that we sometimes face as Africans.

    It was European enlightenment scholars in the 19th century that came up with concept of the truth being what is created or invented. When you produce Benin bronze mask or figurine or Nok Terrakota, you are establishing something that is there and that can be verified. It also confirms the existence of your achievements as a creative people, a thinking people and as a dignified human being.  But when that is taken away and a finger is pointed at you and you are said to be backward or somehow less advanced, there is no way of proving that you are not backward.  This is why it is very important for us to have these invaluable artworks returned.

    This is the same thing we are having with the study of History in our classrooms in Nigeria where children are growing up and they don’t know anything about their history.

    If we have these things on ground and we can show our children that this artwork was created by a Nigerian or somebody who lived within the territory of Nigeria 2,500 years ago, in the case of Nok Terrakota it will help us. If you’re able to show them some Ife figurine or mask showing what our ancestors did, it revalidates our advancement as a culture and a society. We can use these things to defend ourselves with regards to the purported supremacy of other cultures and civilisations.  It can also help in fostering our historical authenticity.

    When the Europeans tell you about their legends, they have some artworks to show what their people were doing thousands of years ago. They can use carbon dating  to authenticate them but then  ours were stolen and taken away  and we have nothing to showcase. 

    Sometimes, when we challenge this sort of thing, those in custody of some of these stolen artworks come up with downright insulting excuses. It’s very insulting when you tell a Nigerian: ‘Sorry, we don’t think we should give you back these artworks that were stolen when the Benin Empire was sacked in 1897 because you don’t have the proper museums to preserve them.’ So, who was keeping it up to that 1897 when it was stolen? Who was protecting, preserving and keeping it in that condition that you saw it and even liked it? It’s an insult to come up with that sort of response. Give it back to us; we’ll know how to preserve it when we get there.

    What exactly is the mission doing about the retrieval of these artworks and what successes have you recorded?

    It’s a very complex issue but so far, we’ve recorded some breakthroughs. What we have been doing is trying to understand where these things are. Who will be receptive to this type of dialogue? These questions are very important because you have to approach it in a manner where the discussion will yield results. It is not to start making noise without a proper understanding what is where and what can be done? In certain situations, these museums are in States that had passed laws that have made these artworks a part of their own heritage or state assets. So because of such legal hurdles, it is going to be even much more difficult to retrieve these items.

    Some are very receptive. Those of them who have visited Nigeria are quite receptive to the idea of returning these some of artworks. These are potential allies in addressing some of these issues.

    How would you rate the conduct of Nigerians in Germany? Are there any who are in trouble or in prison?

    We have 9,039 illegal migrants of Nigerian extraction in Germany. We also have a total of 121 Nigerians in detention and prisons across Germany and 66 of them are in the State of Bavarian which is in the Southern region of Germany.

    What could be the reason for having this large number of Nigerian prisoners in a particular location in a foreign country?

    This is something we are still investigating and that is why we worked hard to establish these data. It is one of the reforms I instituted when I got there.   When I got there, I realised that not enough attention was being paid to data collection and interpretation.  You cannot plan or achieve anything without accurate data.  So we’re now paying a lot of attention to these data.

    It could be for several reasons. Bavarian is on the border and so it could be that it is an entry point into Germany and because of that you have more people coming in through Italy, Austria and possibly Switzerland in to Bavarian and as such there are likely to be more people arrested for suspicion and tried for one crime or the other.

    It could also be that Bavarian is more stringent in terms of its laws. I don’t know but that is the reason we are investigating some of these trends. Is it true that all these people actually committed these crimes or are they being too hard on them?  So without establishing the data and interpreting them there is no way we can ascertain the factors responsible for what is happening there.

    We even feel that the figures we get as being the number of Nigerians in prison is contestable because it is always easy for some other Africans to claim that they are Nigerians when facing a threat of deportation because they rather prefer to be deported to Nigeria than any other country.

    We have been a major shock absorber for migration for a very long time.  We’ve taken more Africans than any other country on the continent.

    How are Nigerians seen in Germany? Are there any threats of racism or xenophobic attacks against them as foreigners?

    There are two sides to that issue. Nigerians are perceived very positively for those who consider that Okwy Enweozor and Emeka Ogwu  are Nigerians. They are among the foremost curators in the world of Arts and they are highly regarded and highly respected.  There are a lot of successful Nigerians in Germany.   Some are doctors, engineers and other professionals living and working in Germany. So, there’s that respect.

    But then, sadly , you also have a lot of young Nigerians that leave these shores, and end up in Germany with little or no qualification or valid travel documents and they end up relying on the social welfare system for sustenance. Such people are perceived very negatively because Germans are very protective of what they consider to be their commonwealth.

    It’s good enough for them that a German commits an offence against another German  but anybody who takes from the commonwealth is seen to be cheating the generality of the people.

    So when you go there and you’re on the Social Welfare System, you’re being paid this money that is meant for citizens, they take exception to  it and sometimes, there are those that are driven by even racist sentiments  and sadly, it doesn’t reflect well. So this is a problem.

    But the issue of migration is not all together a negative thing because they have an ageing population; they have a need for qualified workers; for instance there is a demand for computer engineers. So if a country like Nigeria can provide computer engineers that know where they are going to work, they’ re going to work for some companies, the companies are going to pay them to be able to sustain themselves there; live comfortably and their kids are able to go to school , the parents are able to pay their school fees  without taking from that commonwealth or that Social Welfare System,  Germans will not have a problem with that kind of a migrant.

    Apart from Nigerians who are arrested and jailed for illegal migration, what other crimes are prevalent among Nigerians in that country?

    There are cases of violence, theft, credit card fraud and sometimes, domestic violence. But I don’t think this is peculiar to Nigerians. These are crimes which you find amongst the Diaspora of other countries.  It’s just what you find amongst other people from other communities.

    Are Nigerians really taking advantage of the programme to return home?

    Well, I can give you an example. There is a video that went viral recently of one Mrs Joy Emovon. According to our records, the lady happens to be one of such individuals who decided to take advantage of this return programme and she agreed to be returned voluntarily with her children. She’s returning with benefits of the IOM (International Organisation for Migrants) benefits which could be anywhere between €1,000 and €3,000.

    Sadly, in her case, you know the social media these days is very unpredictable. Somehow, some persons have misconstrued her return as if she was forcibly shackled and deported.  But based on our records, that’s not the case because she opted to be returned home and it even took some time before she was brought back.

    In fact, when she opted to return, she could have been issued an emergency travel certificate for her and her children but that was not immediately granted. We ensured that all the paper works were done to be sure she was going to benefit from that IOM fund so that she could come home and start a new life.

    But of course, there is also the contention that unlike what the video was purporting, that her children were all born in Germany, the truth is that one was born in Italy and another one was born in Switzerland while the last one was born in Germany and her husband was living in another country.

    You know, the European Union is very particular about how you move. Coming into a country, you’re registered in that country and then you decide you want to move to somewhere else. Once you’re recognised by your first country of entry, you’re not expected to just start moving up and down. When you have this closely guarded concept of commonwealth in a country such as Germany, you need to be careful the way you do things.

    Even migrants from other European countries would have issues with benefiting from that Social Welfare programme let alone, an African.

    So you mean that the video that has gone viral is not a correct representation of the facts about the said Nigerian lady?

    It is not. Since I’ve been in Germany, we’ve implemented two work plans. In one of the work plans that we have implemented, one of the areas of focus is not just to collect data but also to ensure that the data represents human beings. But in that video that you saw, nobody is even mentioning her names. I am telling you that her name is Mrs Joy Emovon because we have records and we know who she is. We’re keeping records so that if anything like this comes up, we can easily go back to our records to confirm what actually transpired. I am the number one advocate of protecting the integrity and dignity of Nigerians out there.

    I’ve had several face offs on this issue and that’s why I am very particular about it. If for any reason a Nigerian is forcibly deported from Germany without following due process and without documentation, I will be the first to cry foul and take it up with the German authorities.

    But sadly, this is not the case here. She opted for this IOM programme; she said she wanted to be voluntarily returned to Nigeria to take advantage of this programme that will give her as much as €3,000. Now that she has arrived here, the story has changed even though I’m seeing this video unofficially.  Just like every other Nigerian saw it, the video was posted to me by several people who wanted to let me know what is happening and what we are doing about it.

    It was as a result of that, we went through our records and we took our time to ensure that the process was followed. Even if she had said that she did not want to return voluntarily, we would still not have encouraged that she be bundled forcefully. There’s no way we would support that line of action.

    What else are we expecting on the economic and business relations between the two countries?

    In the coming weeks, we shall be receiving about three business delegations from Germany.

    One of the delegations is into start ups and they are looking for investment opportunities with start up businesses versed in Information Technology.  We are looking forward to linking them up with business counterparts here in Nigeria.  They are looking towards investing in agriculture. They’ve come up with templates to manage agricultural projects using cooperatives. They will provide the funds and all of it is done electronically via their online template.

    There is also a delegation consisting of journalists who are also coming to learn and report about Nigeria. I will be here in Nigeria to receive and host them.

    What is the Nigerian Embassy in Germany doing about educational cooperation between both countries?

    Certainly, we have quite a lot of programmes.  Our second work plan had to do with engaging the German States. There are sixteen states and we are approaching each state individually and engaging their Ministers, Presidents, which is the equivalent of a Governor in Nigeria.  We are also engaging the Secretaries of these states to see areas of cooperation.

    A lot of them have institutions of higher that we have identified and are pairing with some Nigeria’s centres of learning.  Apart from that we have an ongoing partnership between the University of Abuja and the University of Munster with regards to the study of Grid Optimization and Diaspora Studies. We’re also working on another initiative where we are trying to get TETFUND to make some improvements in certain universities to make them more prepared towards collaboration with German universities.

    Are there Nigerians currently studying in Germany as a result of these partnerships?

    There are 1,970 Nigerian students in Germany. A lot of them are medical students and some are engineers. In fact, the medical students have a very strong association over there. Most of them are on scholarships.

    What are the major challenges confronting the Embassy?

    One of our major challenges is the capacity to implement some of the ideas that we have because there are always limitations. The Embassy has a  certain size, it  has a certain budget and sub-heads that you have to stick to and there is also the fact that in diplomacy, there are always shifting grounds. There are always new issues coming up and you have to have that capacity to react as the issues arise.

    The other challenge that I see is the perception sometimes on the German side to have a sort of multi-lateral approach to Africa as opposed to bilateral.

    You recently facilitated the donation of some wheelchairs to some physically challenged people in Borno State. What informed this philanthropic project?

    Well, it’s  the project of  a  German NGO, headed by  a Nigerian in the Diaspora. Remember, I was telling you that there are a lot of Nigerians that have become role models even to Germans and they get all the support because of the good work that they are doing. The NGO is called Bruderhilfe Social Development Initiative (BSDI) and is headed by one Mrs Mary Bruder.

    She, along with some German and American entities, came up with this idea of donating wheelchairs. We looked at it while we were interacting with them and felt that the best way to make a positive impact with the project on Nigeria given the prevailing circumstances, is to donate it to the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the North East

    These are people who have suffered for quite  a long time and giving the strong drive by the Nigerian government and the various state governments to ensure that the IDPs were resettled  back on their communities, the donation would further assist the physically challenged among them to move around.

    The wheelchairs came with carts, some with storage facilities with which they can use to trade as they move around. So it’s not just a wheelchair. In fact, the actual term is mobility cart. 

  • Minimum wage battle is not over, says Wabba

    Comrade Ayuba Wabba is the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC). In this interview with Victor Oluwasegun and Tony Akowe, he speaks on the new minimum wage, unionizing the Police and other paramilitary agencies, and issues concerning the Nigerian workers and the country as a whole. Excepts

    MAY 1 is considered as a day for workers. What has been the progress made so far and the challenges?

    Symbolically, May 1 is to celebrate workers. It is a day set aside to look at the conditions of workers around the world. We have also used the opportunity of the May Day to canvass policy options that will bring about social justice in our system that will be able to address the challenges of workers. There has been some progress and challenges and progressively, most of the gains that workers have been able to achieve. It is given that when a worker works, he deserves his pay and so, the issue of his monthly pay should not be an issue. But recently, you have seen that in some states and local government and even in some private entities, the issue of workers’ wages is taken for granted. Regular payment of salaries is becoming a challenge because our political elites no longer prioritise the welfare of workers as it used to be. Therefore, it has become a continuous struggle between capital and labour. So, we have continued to make sure that policies are not made in such a way that it will put labour at a very disadvantaged position. Global wealth in the last two decades has more than tripled, but what is the condition of workers around the

    world, especially here in Nigeria. If you look at the previous years and what we have now, you will discover that we have not made progress and the little progress we have made are being eroded. If you look at the issue of the minimum wage, as far back as 1981, the N120 minimum wage was equivalent to $2,440. In 2011, the N18,000 minimum wage was hovering around 140 dollars. But today, we are even discussing to increase the minimum wage of N30,000 which is less than $100 and people are finding it difficult to pay that. Today, you have seen that there are lots of challenges, workers no longer have decent living, many workers cannot send their children to school, many of them cannot have three meals per day and many others cannot pay their bills.

    We have also used the May Day to make progress. The struggle for the first May Day was to ensure workers get eight hours of work per day. Before then, workers worked like slaves. If you fall ill, you’re replaced and business continues. It was through the agitation of workers that we were able to get the eight hours a day, forty hours per week, maternity leave, leave allowance, leave days among others. All these were not achieved on a platter of gold, but through our collective struggle as working class. Therefore, these have been some of the achievements and there are some challenges that are on ground.

    For Nigeria as a member nation of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), what have been the gains after 60 years as a member?

    Substantially, let me say that Nigeria has keyed into the adoption and ratification of the eight conventions. Nigeria is the first country in Africa to do so. Precisely, we did that in October 1960 under a democratic progressive government where the eight conventions were ratified by Nigeria. That is the foundation because you can’t put something on nothing. That is the foundation of the progress we have made. Despite operating under a military regime that didn’t want freedom of workers to be respected, but because those conventions were put in place, they found it difficult to either use force or try to undermine those conventions. Each time those conventions were undermined; ILO has

    come down hard on Nigeria. If you remember, on two occasions, the NLC was dissolved, but it was still recognised internationally as the trade union body representing the interest of Nigerian workers and within that period, the President of the NLC, Comrade Ali Ciroma continued to serve on the governing board of the ILO. So, without standards, the rules will not be respected and the rules have so far been respected in Nigeria and where there are infractions, we have avenue to lodge complaints and they will be looked into and addressed. So, progressively, Nigeria has been able to achieve a lot within the umbrella of the ILO. You will recall that we are the first country in Africa to host the field office of the ILO as far back as 1959 and Nigeria is the first country to host the regional conference of ILO.

    The issue of the minimum wage has practically been laid to rest with the signing of the law ad we are now going into the implementation stage. How do you intend to drive the process to ensure that it is implemented without any hitch particularly within the state and private sector level?

    I will say that it has not been finally laid to rest because it has three legs. We have been able to pass the first two huddles. The first huddle is agreeing on a figure and you will recall that it was an issue that went forward and backward. But because we were able to inform all those concerned that when you agree on a collective bargaining table, you take all issues into considerations, including the ability to pay as well as the interest of the organised private sector and the informal sector. That was how the NLC was able to negotiate and ensure that we have an increase. That is the rationale behind accept

    ing the N30,000. You could recall that our demand was actually N66,500. Even that was just to bring back the value of N18,000 minimum wage which was about 140 dollars. That is actually the logic in that argument. But on the negotiating table, there is always the process of give and take and that was how we agreed on the N30,000 which is not something that should be argued about.  But you saw how some people tried to twist the information, including trying to bend the truth. The beauty of it is that you can bend the truth, but truth will always remain and will surface at the end of the day. We presented the fact at the public hearing saying negotiations are like consent judgments. Once you concede to an issue, you can’t go back to court and say, no, I did not agree. We told them that this was like a consent judgment because all agreed on the N30,000. I want to thank NECA for their efforts. Despite the fact that they are in business for profits, they have not let us down. They are people that have remained very honourable and told the public hearing that the N30,000 was mutually agreed and that they stand by that. That was how we passed the first huddle with the two chambers of the National Assembly passing the bill. We must put on record, our appreciation to the House of Representatives because they assured us that once the bill is introduced to parliament, they will pass it into law within three days and they did just that in a celebrated manner. The bill was also signed by Mr. President and with that, N30,000 has come to stay. It is now legal and everybody that does not pay is infringing on our laws.

    Does that include the private companies?

    Yes. In fact, I don’t think the private companies have issues because most of them are very passionate and some of them are paying higher than that and they are ready to pay higher. Clearly, the issue is with the local government and states that are not ready to utilise the resources that abound in their domains, but rely on monthly handouts from the centre.

    But there is a law that says you can’t mine the resources within your domain.

    We are not talking about mining, but internally generated revenue. Every state can use their ingenuity to generate more revenue and augment whatever comes from the federal allocation. There is no state in Nigeria that does not have revenue, but the problem is accounting for the revenue. In fact, in most cases, the revenue has become pocket money for the boys and not accounted for. So, we want the internally generated revenue to be accounted for. We have also progressively put some recommendations in place on how the federal government can generate revenue and one is the issue of tax. We have looked at our tax to GDP and discovered that we are the lowest in Africa because it is only workers that pay correct tax. Our rich men don’t pay tax. We have many billionaires who only declare profit, but not what they pay as tax. We need to make sure that our tax to income is something that is progressively expanded to cover everybody. If we do this, there will be more than enough. In fact, most countries of the world rely so much on tax to develop their economies. In our own case, it is only workers that pay the tax. Second, is managing our God given resources. For example in the oil and gas sector, Nigeria has no basis importing refined product and exporting crude oil. Countries like Singapore that does not have oil, have a refinery. We now take our crude oil, transport it, pay taxes and levies to go and refine it and import the refined products does not make economic sense. That is why we have had tremendous wastage in the oil and gas. That is

    why the issue of subsidy is still there; that is why the issue of transparency has become a challenge in the management of those resources. As far back as 2008, NLC had a well-documented position on the so called subsidy or deregulation or whatever name you call it. We sat with government and they pleaded for a four year moratorium to fix our refineries and end the regime of importation. That has not taken place till now, nothing has happened and the situation has continued under different regimes. Therefore, that is the centrality of our problem. Our entire economic challenge is tied to this particular issue. It is an area where we have comparative advantage. There is no OPEC country today that does not refine crude oil for domestic use. The existing refineries can actually meet our domestic consumption need. Refineries can be upgraded. We brought one of the best Nigerians from Texas who consults for many countries including OPEC to give us a position paper on how to fix our oil and gas and he gave us a very good paper. We are trying to dust that paper now and write a white paper to government that this thing can be done. He told us how to ensure the security of the pipelines, how to ensure that our refineries are upgraded and are working optimally; what can be done to care for the entire West African market as well as the resources that will accrue to Nigeria and the jobs that will be created.

    There is also the issue of casualisation especially with the foreign companies. What is the NLC going to do to ensure they benefit?

    The law is very explicit. Once you are employing 25 workers and above, you should implement the minimum wage. We are aware that people actually under declare, but we’re going to make sure that implementation is enforced. Even if they are casual staff or the services are outsourced, that does not exclude them from the minimum wage. The exclusion from the minimum wage is very explicit. So, those categories of workers will still benefit from the minimum wage.

    Don’t you think that the wage increase will trigger inflation?

    I am yet to have an empirical date

    to link minimum wage to the issue of inflation in Nigeria. When the 2011 minimum wage was implemented, our inflation rate dropped and for two years, the inflation rate actually dropped and you can confirm that from the National Bureau of Statistics. There are many things responsible for inflation and not essentially minimum wage. If today the exchange rate is stabilised and we are able to get exchange rate of about N200 to the dollar, cost of goods and services will also come down. The issue is that most of the things we use in Nigeria are imported and they are tied to the exchange rate. At every point the exchange rate fluctuates, the cost is transferred to the consumer. So, there is no direct empirical data that links the issue of minimum wage to the hyper inflation that we have had. When the last minimum wage was implemented, the exchange rate was less than N200 and there are several reasons why the rate of inflation has gone up. So, I don’t expect that there will be inflation that will be out of proportion as a result of the minimum wage.

    The country is using the dual exchange regime whereby at CBN official rate and the parallel market rates are causing dislocations in the economy.  What is your take?

    Yes! We have dual exchange rates, one in the open market, and the one being sold by the CBN. I think the CBN rate is around N306 which, if you’re travelling, will be given a limited amount you can use. This regime has continued for quite some time. I think it has also assisted in stabilizing the exchange rate because the time the exchange rate was even going as far as N500 to the dollar. So it has assisted but it has not addressed the problem permanently because the fact that demand and supply are still regulating the system because the demand seems to be higher and the supply from Central Bank seems to be lower. In this case: the price will continue to fluctuate. That is why despite the fact that the official rate is N306, we have not been able to reflect that in the parallel market because the gap is still very huge from N306 to about N360 or N358. Therefore I think the way forward is to try to see how this gap can be eliminated. If the

    exchange rate can be brought down to 306, in the official level and parallel market level, then the cost of goods and services will also come down.

    Technology is taking over the jobs of humans. This is a big challenge for workers across the globe. At the level of ITUC, what do you think needs to be done?

    ITUC has prioritized three issues: democracy, workers’ rights, and the issue of peace. And the three are inter-related and the level of ITUC we are campaigning for a just transition. Just transition means that even as we progress into the digital world, the issue of workers’ rights must continue to receive the attention it deserves and that workers must continue to have better conditions of service. We’ve looked at the issue of also the new forms of work particularly the digital economy. I’ve seen clearly four companies around the world whose GDP is more than the GDP of the entire African continent, this includes Amazon. The GDP is over $20 trillion which is the GDP of the entire African continent. So clearly, going into the future it’s actually the digital platform that will control the entire world economy. Whereas the average growth in the entire African continent is between 3.5 to 5%.

    During the May Day you talked about unionising the Police, how do you hope to achieve that?

    It’s about our law because in South Africa the police is unionised, in Britain, our colonial master, the Police is unionised, but there was a law that was put in place, if you remember, during Babangida where they said that the paramilitary, including Police…remember we had a union for Customs and Immigrations Service, and even in the report of ILO, that proscription is still being challenged, and ILO has given a verdict that those workers have a right to be unionised.  In a country where even where without a union, the Police has gone on strike, it’s better to organise and unionise them to take their rights and interest.  We’re working on some laws that will allow those categories of workers to be unionised. We can only sleep with our eyes closed if those people are working and progressing. We need to know what are the challenges of insecurity.

    You’re recently re-elected. What would you say this office and the struggled have cost you?

    For us the struggle is our life and NLC is an organization that has a set of rules, a set of standards, and an ideology for a just society and that has been how our leaders have been elected. You must have politics, voters must also have some confidence in you. I’m happy that they have appreciated the little effort we have been making, working under difficult conditions in the past four years. We have done our best to make sure the plight of workers is heard and their issues raised. We have also been on the streets in various platforms to make sure that the workers issue is being given desired attention and that they are partners in progress. I think these are some of the things that the union has seen that made them return me back unopposed.

    Do you subscribe to the idea of part-time legislators?

    Certainly. Politics should not be an occupation. It is a service. Every politician should have something to do, a business. You must be a tested professional in many other jurisdictions. That is how you will understand legality and the importance of the office you have been elected into. But when someone has nothing to do, if elected, they will not be able to understand the importance of that office.

     

     

     

  • JULIUS IDOWU AKINDELE: There’s grand plot against Awori in Lagos

    Ask him about his origin and Rev. Dr. Julius Idowu Akindele will tell you that he is a proud Lagosian. The former Secretary to the State Government (SSG) and former Head of Service in the Third Republic will also impress it upon you that he is of Awori descent. In this interview with ‘Dare Odufowokan, Assistant Editor, the Egan-Igando-born retired civil servant wondered why anybody will attempt to deny the Awori their place of pride in the politics of Lagos State. According to him, there is no Lagos without the Awori people. He looks back into history and says that the Awori people, who he describes as the aborigines of Lagos, have not been giving enough opportunities to contribute to the politics and governance of the state.

    YOU once served as the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) in Lagos State. It appears you didn’t do much of politics after that?

    Well, let me explain that I actually served as the SSG while still in the service of the Lagos State government. Mine was different from the current arrangement where the SSG is a politician appointed into the position. I was nominated into the position as a very senior civil servant by the then Governor Michael Otedola.

    I was before then the Head of Service. That was after I rose to the enviable position of Permanent Secretary in the service of the state. It was as HOS that I was made the SSG by the then new civilian regime of Pa Otedola. I actually combined both positions together until the end of that administration.

    It was when Col. Olagunsoye Oyinlola came to power that I retired from active service. He found me so dependable as a government worker and administrator that he immediately appointed me the Chairman of the Lagos State Transport Development Authority (LSDTDA).

    I am a thorough-bred Lagosian. So all along, I saw all I did as service to my dear state and my people. As a civil servant and as a political appointee, I was happy serving the state because I saw it all as opportunities to give back to the society that produced me and has given me much as an indigene of the state.

    I am an Awori man from Egan in Alimosho Local Government Area of Lagos State. Every Awori man has this very special attachment to Lagos and whenever we are given the opportunity, we always give our very best to the service of the state because we believe we are working for the good of our people. Lagos originally belongs to us, therefore, we are always concerned about the good of Lagos.

    Since you’ve mentioned it, there is this raging debate over the place of the Awori in Lagos State. And here you are saying Lagos belongs to the Awori? Haven’t you heard about Lagos being a “No man’s land” or belonging to the Bini?

    I have heard such talks but I want to tell you not to be impressed by claims like that because they lack any intelligent basis. Somebody must definitely be the owner of a specific location. There’s no place that is a “No man’s land” anywhere in the world. People are called founders of some places because they got there before others. In Lagos, the first settlers, the aborigines, are the Awori.

    There is no controversy about this at all and all stakeholders in Lagos know this. We have all agreed to live together in peace because we all understand the truth and realities about how our forefathers got

    here and co-habited. Truth be told, all these controversies have been about talks and stories alone. Nobody has dared to drag the lands in Lagos with the Awori (laughter).

    We own the lands here in Lagos and everybody knows that. Our forefathers came here in the 15th century. Documents and history abound aplenty to back this claim. Historians and oral renditions have also proved these facts. So, it is wrong for anybody to say there are no Awori in Lagos. We own Lagos.

    Only those who are ignorant will say Lagos belongs to any other people other than the Awori. Prominent and well informed Lagosians like Alhaji Femi Okunnu have also said these much in various interviews that we have read. So, if some people are now saying any other thing because of politics, they lack knowledge about Lagos.

    But some Lagosians say they are not Awori but of Bini descents. And they claim Lagos belongs to their line of Lagos indigenes and not to the Awori. There is even the claim that the Awori once paid tribute to the Bini in Lagos?

    Yes we have descendants of Bini forefathers in Lagos, but they are strangers here in Lagos. The Bini came to Lagos and met the Awori here. It was our forefathers who allocated a small portion of Lagos to these people to inhabit. But I must add here that the peace loving nature of our fathers and a prior revelation by the oracle that Lagos will favour strangers more than the indigenes worked against the Awori so much that strangers are now more prominent in Lagos.

    Here in Lagos, people of Bini descent don’t own lands. I have been asking that they should show me their ancestral land anywhere in Lagos. All the land owning families are of Awori descent. Go and check all the Idejo chiefs of Lagos; they are all Awori. These are the people who own lands, not the Oba of Lagos or any other family of Bini descent. So, people who confused the Lagosians of Bini descent as the owners of Lagos are mistaken.

    The first Ashipa of Lagos, the first to come from Bini, arrived in 1682 with his group. He met our fathers here. The first Awori Oba around here, in Ota was in 1621 and history had it that he moved from Lagos to pioneer Ota. The bottom line here is that our forefathers were hospitable and accommodating to a fault. And they gave too much concession to the warlike Bini visitors who came to meet them in Lagos.

    The Bini people were received and accommodated by our fathers largely based on an earlier prediction that strangers must not be turned back from Lagos. The saying, “Eko agbe ajoji ma gbe omo onile” em anated from this fact. The Bini came here as strangers and they are still here today as a result of the magnanimity of our forefathers.

    But the Obaship lineage in Lagos seems not to be in agreement with your claims. How come people you call strangers are now the ruling houses?

    I have tried explaining that to you. The Bini people came at a time when our fathers were no longer interested in warfare. So, they intimidated the aborigine Awori so much that they were allowed to set up some form of leadership or rulership in the Isale-Eko area of Lagos. It is very important to always stress the fact that the Obaship we are talking about was for Isale Eko and not the whole of Lagos at the time.

    Even in Isale Eko, it is a known fact that the Idejo chiefs, who are Awori, are the landowners till tomorrow, not the Bini ruling houses. They own no land. I am waiting to be showed the lands bequeathed them in Lagos by their own forefathers. You can see Awori ancestral lands all over the place from Isale Eko to Alimosho, to Elegushi to Amuwo Odofin to Ota. All the Idejo lands; Ojora, Aromire, Onitolo, Elegushi, Olumegbon, Ikate, Ojon, name them, are Awori lands.

    The Idejos are the white cap chiefs of Lagos and they are Awori. They are all descendants of Olofin who came down to Lagos from Ile Ife. And someone say no Awori in Yorubaland. Olofin came through the Ogun-Osun river basin. He got to Abeokuta and wanted to settle. But when the Oracle was consulted, it was revealed that he must keep moving until the pot they were travelling with in the river sinks.

    In Abeokuta, the pot sank for a while but resurfaced again after two weeks. So, Olofin and his people continued their journey until they got to Isheri in present day Ogun State. There, the pot sank again and they were there for three months. The pot resurfaced again and they moved on until they got to Ido in present day Lagos State. The pot finally sank and they settled there.

    That was the origin of the name ‘Awori’. It means ‘the pot sank’. It was from there the children of Ogunfunminire moved to establish towns and villages all over Lagos and Ogun State including the present day Ota. The Awori started spreading all over the axis moving towards Badagry and Yewa land. Some moved towards Ikorodu and settled at Majidun and Ebutte Iga areas of the town. Awori are the owners of Majidun and Ebute Iga in Ikorodu. These are facts.

    The Awori were in Lagos for over a hundred years before the Bini came and were quartered in a part of Lagos. Other people also came like the Ilaje and were also accommodated. The Ijebu also came as well as some other tribes from Ife and Oyo. They were all accommodated in some parts of Lagos by our forefathers who were the aborigines of Lagos. The Egba too came. Go to some part of the Ota axis, go to Agege, go to Ifako, you will find them there.

    When you consider all these, you will agree with me that it is laughable for anybody to either say Lagos belong to nobody or to say there is no tribe called Awori. It is like saying there are no tribes called Ijebu, Remo, Egba, and Bini too. We are a distinct people with traceable cultural and socio-political background that dates back hundreds of years. My parents told me they are Awori and I cannot at over 80 years old change that identity.

    What has been happening is that some people, using political and other influences, have been working hard to marginalize the Awori in Lagos. They have tried hard to distort the history f Lagos in such a way that the Awori will not be recognized as the principal group in Lagos. We have been here for over 500 years, yet some people say we don’t exist. We own all the lands yet some people say we are inferior to them. That is the sorry tale of the Awori in Lagos today. YOU once served as the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) in Lagos State. It appears you didn’t do much of politics after that?

    Well, let me explain that I actually served as the SSG while still in the service of the Lagos State government. Mine was different from the current arrangement where the SSG is a politician appointed into the position. I was nominated into the position as a very senior civil servant by the then Governor Michael Otedola.

    I was before then the Head of Service. That was after I rose to the enviable position of Permanent Secretary in the service of the state. It was as HOS that I was made the SSG by the then new civilian regime of Pa Otedola. I actually combined both positions together until the end of that administration.

    It was when Col. Olagunsoye Oyinlola came to power that I retired from active service. He found me so dependable as a government worker and administrator that he immediately appointed me the Chairman of the Lagos State Transport Development Authority (LSDTDA).

    I am a thorough-bred Lagosian. So all along, I saw all I did as service to my dear state and my people. As a civil servant and as a political appointee, I was happy serving the state because I saw it all as opportunities to give back to the society that produced me and has given me much as an indigene of the state.

    I am an Awori man from Egan in Alimosho Local Government Area of Lagos State. Every Awori man has this very special attachment to Lagos and whenever we are given the opportunity, we always give our very best to the service of the state because we believe we are working for the good of our people. Lagos originally belongs to us, therefore, we are always concerned about the good of Lagos.

    Since you’ve mentioned it, there is this raging debate over the place of the Awori in Lagos State. And here you are saying Lagos belongs to the Awori? Haven’t you heard about Lagos being a “No man’s land” or belonging to the Bini?

    I have heard such talks but I want to tell you not to be impressed by claims like that because they lack any intelligent basis. Somebody must definitely be the owner of a specific location. There’s no place that is a “No man’s land” anywhere in the world. People are called founders of some places because they got there before others. In Lagos, the first settlers, the aborigines, are the Awori.