The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Another

  • ‘My wife is carrying another man’s pregnancy’

    ‘My wife is carrying another man’s pregnancy’

    Barely four years into his marriage, a Lagos businessman, Ismaila Ola, has asked a customary court to dissolve the union because his wife is pregnant for another man.

    Ola, 34,  is accusing his wife, Aminat of infidelity and attempts to kill him before   the Igando Customary Court.

    The petitioner alleged : “Aminat is cheating on me and she eventually got pregnant for her lover’’.

    He also accused Aminat of being fetish , noting that she always wanted to stab him during their frequent fights.

    “Aminat once brought a liquid substance home and forced me to use it. After drinking and bathing with it, my life became miserable, my business crumbled to the extent that I was begging to feed,” he said.

    He said Aminat hardly stayed at home, adding that “she goes to her parent’s house thrice a week and comes home late.

    “She once brought out a knife threatening to kill herself if I stopped her from visiting her mother. Please, dissolve this marriage. I have never had peace of mind since the day I married her,” Ola pleaded.

    Aminat, 24,  denied the allegations, saying she had never indulged in adultery.

    “I am not pregnant for any man. I have never cheated on my husband since the very day I married him.”

    She admitted that she had once threatened to kill Ola with  a knife.

    “I brought out a knife to defend myself when my husband brought out cutlass to machete me,” she said.

    Aminat also denied being fetish as alleged by her husband.

    She, however, accused Ola of infidelity, disclosing that he started dating another woman, barely two years after their marriage.

    The mother of one disclosed that Ola was always accusing her of having an affair with his brother.

    “Ismaila brought out a cutlass; made some incantations on it and gave it to me to swear that if I have had sex with his brother I should die within seven days which I did.”

    Aminat claimed that Ola  promised to send her to school before their marriage, but he reneged after the union.  ‘’Instead, he  enrolled me in dress making’’.

    She prayed  the court not to grant her husband’s request because she still  loves him.

    The court’s President, Mr Akin Akinniyi, ordered the couple to maintain peace.

    The case continues on March 6.

  • Police arraign man for stabbing another

    Police arraign man for stabbing another

    A 28-year-old man, Patrick John, was yesterday arraigned at an Ado-Ekiti Magistrates’ Court for allegedly stabbing a man with broken bottle.

    John is facing a charge of unlawful wound.

    Prosecuting Sergeant Monica Ikebuilo told the court that the accused and others at large committed the offence on December 27, at 8:50 pm, at Omisanjana, in Ado-Ekiti.

    She said the accused injured Wale Ayodele, by stabbing him with a bottle in the neck.

    Ikebuilo said the offence contravened Section 388 (1) of the Criminal Law of Ekiti State, 2012.

    The prosecutor urged the court to adjourn the case to enable her study the file and assemble her witnesses.

    The accused pleaded not guilty.

    His counsel, Mr Emmanuel Sumonu, urged the court to grant his client bail.

    Magistrate Omolola Akosile granted the accused N20,000 bail with one surety.

    Akosile adjourned the case till January 22.

  • Another consolidation?

    Another consolidation?

    •IMF’s recommendation that our banks should be recapitalised seems sensible

    Last week’s call by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Nigerian banks to raise fresh capital to shore up their operations brings back memories of the 2005 banking consolidation. At the 2017 Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria’s (CIBN) investiture in Lagos, IMF Senior Resident Representative and Mission Chief for Nigeria, Amine Mati, admonished the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to consider asking the country’s lenders to recapitalise. His words:  “We believe the banking sector should be strong to support the economy. So it is important we recapitalise the banks to make sure that they are very strong”.

    Twelve years after the CBN-ordered consolidation which shrunk the motley assembly of lenders from 89 to 25, it is a measure of how far the financial services sector is yet to come to its own that the same pill is being proposed. However, if the call is any window into the state of the nation’s existing 21 commercial, four merchant and one non-interest banks, that the IMF is the one drawing attention to what should ordinarily be a routine regulatory action can only imply that the regulator is either unaware or is, for whatever reasons, unable to do something about the situation.

    Truth is that the exigencies cannot be any clearer. Nigeria’s macroeconomic environment has undergone dramatic changes since that 2005 capitalisation exercise to merit a review of the structure of the industry. For instance, the naira then exchanged for N130 to the United States dollar as against the current exchange rate of N305. As if the quantum of depreciation in asset quality is not grave enough in an industry that is at best fragile by global standards, it would appear that the lessons from the gale of sanitisation which swept the industry in 2008/9 have largely gone unlearned few years down the road.

    We refer here to the industry-wide abuses of credit guidelines, particularly the insider-related credit which resulted in the unprecedented build-up of the toxic loans portfolios of the banks, and which threatened to take the entire industry down. Presently, the surge of non-performing loans continues to represent an ever present danger to the economy. Only in August, the IMF had found that: “non-performing loans increased from six percent in 2015 to 15 percent in March 2017” – a development largely blamed on the banking system’s exposure to the oil and gas sector. One other revelation by the IMF is that four of our banks are actually undercapitalised.

    To the extent that the banks represent a critical pillar without which the economy cannot function, we cannot agree more with the IMF on the need to keep them adequately capitalised. What is debatable is whether what the industry needs now is another frenzied, industry-wide exercise like the 2005 one as the IMF appears to be suggesting, particularly so when regulatory challenges remain daunting.

    Moreover, we see the issue of adequacy as a relative thing. Yes, the CBN might consider raising the threshold for players who choose to play in the big league – and we see nothing wrong with the apex bank encouraging some of our banks to play in that cadre; due consideration however must be given to regional players to develop and grow their niche markets.

    The point really is that raising banks’ share capital guarantees nothing. If anything, it is only a means to an end – which is banks’ ability to avail businesses of credit. Merely from our experience, we have seen that capital adequacy does not guarantee improved access to credit let alone cheap one; nor does it curb banks’ propensity to grant questionable loans, otherwise we would not be talking of the huge non-performing loan portfolio. Without adequate and effective regulatory oversight, a well-capitalised bank may be no more than a gambling house in the end.

  • Another broadcast

    Disclaimer: The following is entirely a product of its author’s imagination, not the address last Monday by Mr. President. And the author isn’t even me. I picked the text from a post on Civil Society Hub WhatsApp chat group, and have only edited to fit available space here. Make of it what you please:

    “I am happy to address you all today on my return from medical treatment in the United Kingdom. It is by the grace of Almighty Allah that I am here with you.

    “Let me begin by thanking every Nigerian who prayed for my recovery. I also wish to thank those who lost patience with me. I understand your feeling: we have so much work to do in this country that every minute lost is a disservice to our people.

    “My special thanks go to the Vice President. He held the fort in my absence, despite the difficulties our political structure imposed on him. He did the job of leading this nation so well that I have renewed confidence in our leaders of tomorrow.

    “I also thank the National Assembly, my ministers, the Judiciary, our security forces and civil servants across this nation who go to work everyday and look up at the picture of their leader who had been absent for long, and still dedicate themselves to the task of the day.

    “Being sick is human. While we pray that sickness does not befall even our worst enemies, it is one of those life experiences that ‘will come when it will.’ For those concerned about the financial burden my illness may have posed, let me dispel your fears. Though as your President, I am entitled to receive medical treatment anywhere my doctors deem best, I’m waiving that right. My family and friends will underwrite the bills.

    “Leaders must lead by example. I promised to end medical tourism if elected president. Two years after, that has not happened. You do not have to go far to know. It is my personal failure. I own up to it, the same way I own up to all that we promised but have not accomplished. As part of my renewed commitment to this country in my remaining days as president, I will make sure that no president of Nigeria will again have the need to travel abroad for medical treatment. We have done greater things in the past. We can do this.

    “In the last two years, we have opened the window of opportunity for tens of thousands of our young people through the N-Power entrepreneur scheme. We have children in 13 states receiving free lunch at school as part of our Homegrown School Feeding Programme. In nine states, over 26,000 are receiving N5, 000 stipend a month from the Conditional Cash Transfer Programme. We have stabilised the Naira and the economy. No matter how raw and uneven it may have been, we have taken a stab at the fight against corruption. Though it is still with us, its wings of impunity have been clipped. And instead of relenting on this fight, we are reloading and refocusing.

    “We have made strides here and there. But for many, the change we promised has not materialised. In some cases, the change has taken many of our people two or three steps backwards. To them, it’s hard to understand that stepping back is part of what is needed for a forward push. They may have seen rams do it, but they would not readily embrace it when it means doing with less meat in their soup pot.

    “For me, my medical leave has been an opportunity for great reflection. If I had any illusion I would always be with you, that illusion is gone. I will not always be with you, but Nigeria will always be. I, therefore, return with fresh commitment to leave a better and more united nation for all. And our unity lies in our creating an equitable and just nation.

    “In re-committing myself to the Nigerian project, I am determined to listen to, and understand people at the fringe of our society. More often, we fail to give them our ears and assume that what they have to offer has little or nothing to do with our lofty dreams for the nation. That, I now understand, is untrue. All voices matter in negotiations for advancement of the Nigerian project.

    “Moving forward, balancing the Nigerian project to give it a sense of equity and justice is paramount to me. I want all that are committed – those at the forefront of the fight for restructuring Nigeria – to come to us with proposals and blueprints on how to make things better.

    “I want to balance the seats in the House of Representatives to make them fair to all. I want the number of states in each geo-political zone balanced. I want to see resources of this nation shared in such a way that those from areas where these resources come do not feel cheated. I want to devolve power from the centre and free the regions to stand on their own. I want the geopolitical zones enshrined in our Constitution. I want the presidency rotated among the zones; the number of local governments in each zone should be fair so that LG allocations will not be lopsided.

    “We need to sit down and articulate a blueprint on how to make Nigeria great. I want a master plan on what to do IN SPECIFIC TERMS on my desk in six months.

    “With the remaining time we have, we want to set things right to make it easy for those coming behind. All along, the military have been the one putting in place constitutions and structures. Our democracy is mature enough to do these ourselves in line with the aspirations of our peoples. If we can accomplish that, the rest of the task of governing this beautiful country should be a lot easier – not just for this generation, but for generations to come.

    “It is unfortunate that we have been programmed to believe that in a family, injustice to one does not impact the cohesion and commitment of others to that family. But it does. That is the reason for all the rumblings we hear in our dear country today.

    “To address these, in a few weeks we will convene a meeting at the Rock with all the youths who are so dissatisfied with the Nigerian project that they seek to opt out. We want to listen to them and forge a way to regain their trust. The youths are the most important resource we have. That should not just be a mantra given mere lip service, it is a statement of fact we need to hold sacrosanct.

    “My generation has played its part. We must have the courage to begin a systematic disengagement so the next generation can take the lead. I have seen them in technology hubs across Nigeria, on the streets hustling, in schools and in markets. I am confident they can take this nation to greater heights. If this present malaise is a spell, it has run its course. Our mumu don do!”

    To be clear, foregoing is sheer opinionation on what could be, but was not.

    Please join me on kayodeidowu.blogspot.be for conversation.

  • Willie Obiano – Another feather to honour-laden cap

    Willie Obiano – Another feather to honour-laden cap

    Chief Willie Obiano carries a spark that lights up any arena he enters like a burst of fireflies in a dark, moonless night.

    And it has very little to do with his well cultivated sartorial style; or his regal carriage which was there long before he took his first chieftancy title. Nor is it his infectious humour and kindred spirit that strikes instant connectivity with anyone that comes his way regardless of age or class. Obiano is far more nuanced than that. And it’s all perhaps because the Aguleri high chief has managed to squeeze into one personality, as much complexity as simplicity.

    Perhaps no one in recent memory closely approximates what Chinua Achebe may have had in mind when he choose the title, A Man of the People for his apocalyptic novel that prophesied the Nigeria Civil War as Chief Willie Maduabuchi Obiano. However, unlike Chief Honorable Nanga, Achebe’s central character in A Man of the People who was a noisy, flatulent politician who drew insincere adulation from his beggarly constituents, Chief Obiano who holds the title of Akpokuedike (loosely translated as the buzz of the warrior) is a brilliant banker and astute administrator who is well loved by his Aguleri people in Anambra State.

    Essentially, the story of Chief Obiano is a tale of a life of solid personal achievements. Until recently, Chief Obiano was the number two man at Fidelity Bank Plc, as the Executive Director in charge of Business Banking after a glittering banking career that saw him rise through the ranks and heading virtually every important segment of the bank including corporate banking, non-bank financial institutions, treasury, foreign operations, oil and gas financing, telecommunications, aviation and several other businesses where he showed tremendous leadership skills and a rare people’s touch. Prior to berthing at Fidelity Bank, Obiano had had an auspicious beginning at First Bank Nigeria and Texaco Nigeria Plc where he was the Chief Internal Auditor for years.

    At Fidelity, what mostly stood Chief Obiano out was his rare human touch; a deep connection with the people which resonated throughout the bank and a large reservoir of knowledge of the subtleties of banking and a keen sense of the present and how it connects to the future, which most bankers who have fallen by the way side never seemed to have. Obiano knew banking well enough to know that the banker’s reputation is like a house of straws; one bad move and all the years of struggle would go up in a plume of smoke. But Obiano left Fidelity on a high. He was well loved by the ordinary staff and respected by the management and the board. At the bank’s annual dinners and social events, AkpokueAguleri, as he was fondly called by friends and colleagues always stood out. Being a man of style, his remarkable haircut and aristocratic fashion taste always marked him out in the crowd. Smiling comes easy to Chief Obiano as does his hearty gentleman laughter that draws instant fellow feelings from the people around him.

    Chief Obiano’s social skills were also well known outside Fidelity Bank as most of his closest friends are members of the armed forces, para-military, royal fathers, professionals like doctors, lawyers, fellow bankers and brilliant architects and engineers, among others. He is also deeply connected to the clergy and the church. Obiano is a devout Catholic whose commitment to the church is deep. It is perhaps ironic that a man with his high social skills and a profound love for tradition is also deeply involved with the church. It is all part of the high art of personality code-mixing which Obiano has perfected in his simple but complex personality.

    Obiano’s involvement with the church began rather early. Following his early education in mission schools, Chief Obiano has never really strayed too far from the church. His keen interest in the church of Jesus Christ has led him into accepting different roles in the service of God including but not restricted to being the patron of Catholic Women Association, Missionary of St. Paul’s Society, Catholic Women’s Organization, Catholic Laity Council of Nigeria and the Grand Pillar of St. Gerald Catholic Church, among others.

    All things considered, perhaps the most startling thing about Chief Obiano is his astonishing brilliance. For someone with his profound social skills, it is almost unbelievable to note just how acute his intellect works. Obiano holds a Second Class Upper Division in Accounting from the University of Lagos and an MBA in Marketing from the same school. He is a class member of the Harvard Business School and Stanford University, both in the USA. He is also both Fellow and patron of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN). In the course of his career, Obiano attended numerous courses including Credit and Trade Services at Citi Bank, New York, Treasury and Money Market at Northwest London, Emerging Markets at FIM Bank, Malta and Managing Integration Process at Houston Texas, USA in 2006.

    As is the case with people who live a life of meaning, AkpokuedikeAguleri’s life is spiced up with numerous humanitarian gestures that heal the world. Obiano is a committed philanthropist, a cheerful giver who finds contentment in easing the pain of people in need. However, Akpokuedike has a different attitude to philanthropy – he never makes his interventions public. He likes affecting lives silently. Just recently, he made a bold intervention to alleviate the suffering of the victims of the flood that engulfed half of Anambra State.

    There are times when Chief Obiano comes across as the quintessence of the archetypal Igbo man of means who delights in his largeness of heart to the people. He loves people and there is always something about him that draws people towards him.

    Not surprising, Chief Obiano has been a recipient of many awards and honours in recognition of his eternal warmth, public spirit, candour and generous contributions to society. In May this year, Obiano received the honour of the 1stUSAfrica’s Distinguished Banker of the Year award in Houston, Texas, USA. In addition to being honoured by the people of Aguleri as the Akpokuedike of Aguleri Kingdom, Chief Obiano also holds the revered title of OtunbaAtayase of Ilemeso-Ekiti in Ekiti State. This later recognition from Oba David AdegboyegaOyewunmi (Fasemi II) of Ilemeso-Ekiti underscores his bridge-building capacity and a natural inclination to bond with people from diverse cultures.

    Needless to say, more honours have continued to trail Chief Obiano. As the saying goes, if a man makes a better mouse-trap than his peers. The world would make a beaten-path to his door. People and society whose lives he has touched are beginning to look back in gratefulness.

    It is partly for this reason and everything else that the Board of Governors and Trustees of Wisconsin International University, USA, has decided to confer on him, the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Leadership, honoris causa, today. It is a richly deserved honour for someone who has made his mark as a thoroughbred professional and as a man of means.

    To some people, after a rewarding career in the private sector, this great honour would be the crowning glory of a life in full. But Chief Obiano’s incredible energy and pursuit of excellence will most likely not allow him any long lasting feeling of fulfilment. It is almost certain thatAkpokuedikeAguleri will always find a newer and more challenging territory to tame and bring under his firm hands. Only time will tell.

    Mr. James Eze

  • Another governor’s aide resigns

    •Says he ‘ll lose poll 

    Barely 72 hours after a Senior Special Assistant (SSA) on Project Monitoring in Owo Local Government, Mr. Femi Idris, resigned, another SSA to Governor Olusegun Mimiko on Local Government, Prince Adepoju Adewusi, yesterday resigned his appointment.

    He said Governor Mimiko would lose the October 20 poll.

    Adewusi said he could no longer stomach the wastage and underdevelopment foisted on the state by Mimiko.

    He predicted that the governor would lose the election because he has elevated fantasies above governance.

    According to him, his popularity is a creation of the media and his paid agents whose major jobs are to sing his praises in the media.

    Adewusi, who hails from Akoko North West Local Government, said they only felt the impact of governance in the state during the Olusegun Agagu administration.

    He said: “Forget about the paid agents whose jobs are to sing the praises of the governor. They are not here, so they don’t know how and where the shoe pinches.

    “He has used our money to service cosmetic projects so that his friends and cronies could coast home with largesse.

    This is why the dome, Arigidi Tomato Company, Ose Cement Factory, Ore Industrial Village and other white elephant projects only exist on paper.

    “I dumped him because I’m sure he is on a voyage of deceit and my conscience can no longer bear his deceit.”

    Adewusi said those still celebrating Mimiko as an achiever must have benefited from his extravagant life.