Cement manufacturing giant, Lafarge Africa Plc., is positioning itself ahead of competition in the next decade.
Last week, the firm, with over 50 years of operating in the country, launched its 2030 Plan, aimed at tackling the planet’s biggest issues for the next decade, set new standards and be the leading example of sustainability.
The plan, the firm explained, supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and consists four pillars: Climate, Circular Economy, Water & Nature, People and Communities. Each pillar comes with a set of quantitative targets such as reducing emissions, deriving energy from waste and developing initiatives that will impact 75 million people across the world. The theme for the 12-year plan is “Building for tomorrow”.
Resource scarcity alongside urbanisation, climate change and housing needs are some of the challenges the world faces today, especially in emerging economies like Nigeria. This perhaps explains the position of the firm.
According to the firm’s Director of Communications, Public Affairs & Sustainable Development, Mrs. Folashade Ambrose-Medebem, “at Lafarge, sustainability is a core value and business strategy. It’s part of what we do wherever we operate. Some of world’s biggest challenges like urbanisation, housing and climate change are visible in Nigeria. The 2030 plan is our way of providing sustainable solutions to these challenges within and outside our operations,”she said.
Similarly, Lafarge Africa Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Michel Pucherchos said: “LafargeHolcim, of which we are a subsidiary, is not only the world’s largest building solutions company, but one with a rich history of sustainability. This enables us to adapt quickly and proffer sustainable and innovative solutions in markets like Nigeria, where the growth potential is immense but must be sustained for future generations.”
Housing and Sustainable Development Director at the University of Lagos, Professor Timothy Nubi, said Lafarge should be applauded for its initiative and effort in sustainability development in the country. This, according to him, is because sustainable development is still at its infancy in Nigeria.
“Few companies are still doing what we see as significant in this area; majority of firms still see it as oh they are asking us to spend money. Only very few like Lafarge see it as part of their DNA. It is a way of being responsible. Such initiatives give both economic and social benefits to the country and its people,” Nubi explained, adding that what the company has done has led to “an inclusive economic growth”.
Stakeholders in the industry agreed that the cement maker is threading on a familiar ground in terms of its sustainability agenda. For instance, they explained that the cement maker has either adopted or sponsored sustainable innovations within and outside its operations, one of which is the use of alternative fuel in its operations and the Lafarge National Literacy Competition.
Ambrose-Medebem explained that as part of its alternative fuel strategy, Lafarge uses local alternative energy sources at its plants across the country. At its Ewekoro plant, for instance, almost half of the energy generated in one of its production kilns comes from palm kernel shaft and shells. Last November, it concluded the fourth literacy competition, an annual competition for only public primary school pupils from across the country. Two pupils from Edo State won this year’s competition.
To die completely is to be forgotten. He who dies and is not forgotten lives forever.” Samuel Butler.
Today, November 28, marks a decade of the death of Chief Sunday Bolorunduro Awoniyi, the Aro of Mopa and Sardauna Keremi (little Sardauna), in a London hospital from injuries he sustained in an auto crash on the Abuja-Kaduna road.
Our path crossed in 1996 in the course of my journalism practice. I was then with the Vanguard newspapers as Deputy Bureau Chief; and, later Bureau Chief in Abuja. He was a director of the newspaper and I had to take copies of the newspaper to him every day.
I loved to do it because it afforded me the opportunity of daily engagements with him. He was profoundly intelligent. Like a father, he would tell me stories about one remarkable event or the other while he was in the public service; and on each occasion, I always drew huge lessons from such narratives.
He was a man of integrity and stickler for proper conducts in and out of public office. He was a careful writer, a prose stylist. Our relationship was more than the kind that is wont to exist between politicians and reporters. By his own admission, he was not really a politician, but a public administrator sucked into politics. This, perhaps, explained why he was meticulous throughout his political engagements and later life assignment as chairman of Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), the socio-cultural umbrella organisation of the north.
We both did not abuse the privileges of our relationship. Despite his prime position in the newspaper, he did not notoriously appropriate the platform to project or defend his positions. He was always reluctant to grant interviews. I would occasionally pile pressure on him to offer perspectives on some national issues.
There were times when he would suggest to me that he would like to speak on some issues, which he would itemise; and, he would, in his quick-witted manner, ensure that his responses to questions and follow-ups were tied up with the issues on his mind. He was fastidious when it had to do with publishing his interview and, therefore, he would always be pleased if I allowed him to go through the transcribed interview before going to press. He would cross the “ts”, dot the “is” and make lucid, sentences that appeared tedious.
He was a simple man. He showed me fatherly affection. He was at home with my family. I remember when I travelled to Indonesia in 2000 to cover the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) conference, leaving my wife who was due to put to bed at home; he took it upon himself to visit her in the hospital while I was away. He was giving me updates on mother and child.
He was a terrific motivator, who was always on hand to provide some forms of succour in times of distress. His interventions were great. Above all, I cherish his respect. In spite of the wide age gap, he never talked down on me. He actually spoke with me and not to me. He was always ready to receive me into his home, even at odd hours.
I was always writing to celebrate him on his birthday. There was a particular year I did a tribute, as usual, on him. He called to appreciate my effort. “Oj”, he said, as he was wont to address me, “you have done what Napoleon could not do; you have surpassed yourself.”
He would always call to let me know that he was travelling and when he would return, just like he did on his ill-fated journey to Kaduna. On getting to his destination, he would call to let me know how he was doing; and, by the way, the last journey to Kaduna shattered all that ritual.
Today, 10 years after his death, I remember a man whose trajectory and track record of integrity in life has continued to interrogate the antics of a vast majority of duplicitous political actors who bestride the nation’s political landscape, spurning the base metal of the electorate by which they ascended to power. I remember his exploits in the murky waters of Nigerian politics where his temperamental impatience with the political shenanigans and chicanery had marked him out as a rare breed.
In his life and times, he demonstrated integrity and accountability in public and private life in the tradition of the late Premier of the northern region, Sir Ahmadu Bello, the Sardauna of Sokoto, under whose tutelage he (Awoniyi) honed his leadership skills.
His involvement in politics began in the ill-fated Third Republic when he represented his people of Kogi West in the Senate on the platform of the defunct National Republican Convention (NRC). When the political transition failed and there was another attempt at transiting from military to democratic governance, he got involved in the process by first participating in the Constitutional Conference organised by the regime of the late General Sani Abacha.
In the political process that followed the conference, Awoniyi partnered the likes of Adamu Ciroma and Bamanga Tukur, among others, to form the defunct All Nigeria Congress (ANC). He was then the Protem National Chairman and one of the intellectual bulwarks of the most organised association that sought the defunct National Electoral Commission of Nigeria (NECON) registration.
But with the formation of the PDP in 1998, he played a prominent role in the election of the presidential candidate, Olusegun Obasanjo. He also wanted to lead the party as its national chairman. But the powers-that-be conspired against him at the national convention and ensured that he lost the intra-party election through the “transparent rigging” that took place at the Eagle Square.
And for leading a protest against the chicanery of Obasanjo and the PDP leadership, the same powers also plotted his ouster from the party. Awoniyi celebrated his expulsion in the following words: “This is my own democracy dividend. In the words of the Negro Spiritual: I am free at last, free at last. From now on, I am blessed in that I do not need to sit in the assembly of the ungodly nor walk in the path of the unrighteous, political infidels and duplicitous electoral manipulators.”
From then on, Awoniyi recoiled into his shells from where he defined a trajectory for the ACF. He became chairman of the ACF Board of Trustees in 2000 and chairman of the forum’s Central Working Committee (CWC) in December 2004. He played a fatherly role in the forum, stepping in at some critical times with wise counsels that helped in defusing tension.
Awoniyi was zealous about the late Sardauna of Sokoto, on whom, in 2000, he delivered the spellbinding 5th Arewa Lecture. It was touching as Danladi (Sunday), as he was always addressed by the detribalised Sardauna, declassified his late mentor to the audience; it was therefore understandable why many people in the north found it easy to refer to him as Sardauna Keremi (little Sardauna).
On this tenth anniversary of his demise, I am inclined to say a final good bye to a profoundly good man through the medium of the written tribute. Even if I do not write this kind of tribute any more, he will live “forever” in my thought and the thoughts of those who interacted with him. But I make an appeal here that those who crave the culture of decency in politics should continue to recall S.B. Awoniyi’s peculiar genre.
The University of Lagos (UNILAG) chapter of the National Association of Visually-Impaired Students (NANVIS) has marked its 10th anniversary with a rally, a lecture and adinner. MIFTAUDEEN RAJI (300-Level Mass Communication) reports.
It was a sight to behold. A group of students moved from hostel to hostel. They were guided by security workers, initially confusing onlookers about their purpose. But, this was no protest; it was a rally to mark the 10th anniversary of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) chapter of the National Association of Visually-Impaired Students (NANVIS).
The event was spiced with various activities, including cooking contest, laptop repairs, ironing, lecture and dinner.
Memories of the day would linger in the minds of the participants, given the exceptional talents displayed by the visually impaired students.
Babatunde Obalereko, a 400-Level Political Science student, thrilled the audience when he repaired a bad laptop. He also has skills in electrical and automobile repair.
Another student, Oriyomi Adewole, 400-Level Political Science cooked vegetable soup and semolina. Uche Odogwu, a 100-Level Sociology student, ironed and folded clothes to the surprise of the audience, while Kemi Odusanya, a 400-Level Mass Communication students, performed music with her sonorous voice.
The Vice-Chancellor (VC), Prof Rahamon Bello, said the university had always considered the physically-challenged students on the campus.
He said though the university lacked experienced staff to cater for their needs, efforts were being made by the management to alleviate the challenges of the physically-challenged studying the in school.
Bello, represented by the Deputy Dean of Students’Affairs, Dr Ogenekaro Ogbinaka, challenged NANVIS to set up a committee to make recommendation to the university on their needs in the classroom, library and hostels.
He said: “Another challenge we have in the school is that of linkages. No desk officers to provide linkages for the visually-impaired students. We have got no support, sponsorship to bring about different packages for the physically-challenged in the school.”
The VC said the management would explore all avenues to provide facilities and linkages for the visually-impaired students.
He added: “In view of that, skill development is cardinal in our programmes for the physically-challenged. The management believes there is hidden skill every student possesses. The school would ensure that visually-impaired students undergo their internship within the university in order to train equip them with necessary skills to make them independent after school.
“We don’t want you to graduate with the impression that being visually-impaired is poverty. You can start changing this perspective by raising fund for the less privileged. By doing so, people will engage you and NANVIS will go international.”
In his address, NANVIS General Secretary, Riwan Dada, said the association was established out of necessity for a body that would cater for the academic and personal needs of the visually-impaired students.
He said NANVIS had produced accomplished personalities, including experts in Information Technology, entrepreneurship, law and accountancy.
Dada said: “We commend the pioneers NANVIS members. Today, the association is proud of members who are successful professionals. We can talk of Ayoola Efunkoya of the Department of Mass Communication, who graduated as the best student in 2009 with Cumulative Grade Point Average of 4. 38. We are proud that academically and professionally our members are giving the best.”
Dada said the association is still grappling with challenges, especially in the provision of instructional materials. He said mathematics still posed challenges to members, because of non-availability of equipment, adding that NANVIS was making efforts to make visually-impaired students be exempted from taking mathematics.
Principal of Vocational Training Centre for the Blind in Oshodi, Mr Nicholas Obot, was the guest lecturer at the lecture held at the Afe Babalola Auditorium.
Speaking on the theme: “A decade of amazement”, Obot said the major problems of the visually-impaired students were people’s misconception and lack of information about their needs.
He lamented employers’ prejudice against the physically-challenged, noting that unemployment among the visually-impaired graduates was on the rise.
Obot urged the government, private sector, non-governmental organisations and philanthropists to provide adequate support and academic programmes for the visually-impaired students across the country.
The event ended with a dinner that was attended by the Chief Imam of UNILAG Central Mosque, Prof. M. A. Bidmus, Head of the school Counselling Unit, Mrs Janet Aregbesola, patrons and founding members of the association.
To some people, the number of years spent on earth matters much more than anything else. To some others, life is not much about longevity as it is about quality. Believers in the earlier concept ensure the yearly celebration of their birthdays even if there is no success accorded to it.
On the other hand, those who think more of qualitative and meaningful life often see celebration of birthdays as a mere social anathema signifying an unnecessary aristocracy of birth against the necessary aristocracy of intellect which they perceive as the propeller of human growth and development. Mostly, women belong to the earlier concept.
It was against the background of this analysis that Nigeria’s first President, the late Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe wrote in the introduction to his autobiography entitled ‘My Odyssey’ thus: “Man comes into the world and while he lives, he embarks upon a series of activities absorbing experience which enables him to formulate a philosophy of life and to chart his causes of actions. But then, he dies. Nevertheless, his biography remains a guide to those of the living who may need guidance either as a warning on the vanity of human wishes or as encouragement or both”. Human life is a pilgrimage from the unknown to the unknown. No one knows whence he emanated or whither he is bound. The greatest philosophy of life should be to live for the benefit of others as much as one lives for the benefit of self. And that is what philosophers call a footprint on the sands of time.
This article would have been published in this column last Friday. But yours sincerely was not available either in the country or at any settled place to be able to put pen to paper and add a voice to those of the pros or cons. However, since an occasion like this is a platform for history to which contribution can be made promptly or deferred, it can never be too late for ‘The Message’ to be a contributor to this golden honour hence this humble addition.
Not his birthday
A few days ago, precisely on August 24, 2016, Nigerian media were fully awash with greetings and congratulatory messages to His Eminence, Dr. Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, CFR, mni, the Sultan of Sokoto and President-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA). The day was supposed to coincide with his 60th birthday. But unknown to most people who tried to help him celebrate the occasion, His Eminence would rather celebrate achievement than mere birth date. That is the school of thought to which he belongs. Though, he is of royal blood, his assumption of the exalted royal throne of the Sokoto Caliphate ten years ago (2006) at the age of 50 was not due to his birth per se but to the evident achievements of his intellectual being as an intellectual entity. And the impact of his fatherly royalty as well as his competent leadership of Nigerian Muslim Ummah in the past one decade has been unprecedentedly historic. This Sultan does not celebrate birthdays because he does not believe in the aristocracy of birth but that that of intellect. However, he does not deprive those who want to celebrate it for him of their right to do so.
Point of reference
When His Eminence was seven years on the throne in 2013, yours sincerely wrote an article about his leadership style in this column which remains as current today as it was then. Thus, the article is repeated here for the records. Please, read on:
“In every crowd of horizontal men, there is always one vertical man who deserves honour not much because of his vertical position but because of the significant difference which that position makes to the crowd. History and man are like Siamese twins or a pair of scissors. The one cannot do without the other. History makes man just as man makes history. And their symbiotic relationship ensures that reciprocal baton of substance continues to change hands between them for as long as they remain in existence”.
“Ten years ago, in Nigeria, an innocent human crescent lay hidden in the firmament of the orbit waiting to be sighted before prompting Nigerian Muslim Ummah into a united folk. That crescent is the towering personality generally known today as the SULTAN. The gentleman’s name did not ring any bell in Nigeria before he was named and crowned ‘THE SULTAN OF SOKOTO’ in November 2006.
Thus, the emergence of Brigadier General Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar (rtd.) as the successor to the exalted throne of the great Sokoto Empire without any controversy came as a surprise to many Nigerians. At 50 years of age then, many people thought that he was one of the youngest men to become the Sultan in many decades. But he disagreed with such a suggestion as he recalled that his own father, Sultan Abubakar Sadiq III who was demised in 1988 ascended the throne at the age of 37.
With a sound military background and a diplomatic pedigree facilitated by modern travelling exposure, since coming into office, this Sultan has consistently demonstrated a rare royal leadership depicting him as a millennial royal Captain divinely designated to pilot the affairs of Islam and the Muslim Ummah in Nigeria with great success. Some random peripheral but irrelevant noises about him and his office by certain relevance seekers do not make any difference in this case. After all, a trillion dogs may line up on a railway to bark at a surging train and that can never halt its surge.
Philosophers’ assertion
Philosophers who assert that every new century has a way of producing a great leader may be right after all. The example of Sultan Abubakar is a manifest attestation to that assertion. Ever since he assumed the exalted royal office about a decade ago, this gentleman has convincingly exemplified all the qualities of genuine leadership. Every statement he has made socially, religiously or politically and every action he has taken officially or privately has proved to be a school from which all well-meaning people have learnt one lesson or another.
As Chancellor
Five years after his assumption of office, the symbiotic relationship of history and man was reconfirmed in Zaria, on Wednesday, (November 23, 2011), where a galaxy of well-meaning men and women from all walks of life assembled to say “we are here to bear witness”. That was the day His Eminence was installed as the CHANCELLOR OF AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY, ZARIA. The occasion was just one of many laurels accruing to him since he assumed office as Sultan. Before then, he had been the Chancellor of the University of Benin. But none of these matters to him as much as his service to humanity. Besides building a very solid bridge across Nigeria in all strata, this Sultan has significantly reduced the once dominant tribal tendencies to the barest minimum.
Definition of leadership
A onetime American President, Harry S. Truman (1884-1972), once described a leader as “a man who has the ability to get other people to do what they don’t want to do and like it”. By his activities and functions so far, Sultan Abubakar has proved Truman right by demonstrating to Nigerian Muslim Ummah that the time has come for the reformation not only of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) but also the Sultanate.
When he assumed office in 2006, he hinted that the Sultanate would be put on the internet to enable all educated Muslims have access to their leader. And in this age of computer, can anyone meaningfully lay claim to any serious knowledge without adequate access to the internet? That is why he decided to start the reformation of the Sultanate through the instrumentality of the internet. And as an exemplary leader, he demonstrates his leadership prowess by possessing mastering fingers on the computer.
Islam’s first law
In Islam, education is the first law. It is only through it that man can understand life in all its ramifications. That was why Allah’s very first revelation to Prophet Muhammad (SAW) ordained education thus: “Read in the name of Allah who created; He created man from clots of congealed blood; Read! Your Lord is the Most Bountiful One, Who taught man by the pen; He taught man what he did not know…”Q. 96:1-4. To further emphasize the compelling need for education in Islam, Prophet Muhammad (SAW) was reported to have said in one Hadith that “knowledge is a lost treasure. Muslims should look for it and pick it wherever they could find it”.
Without education there can be no information. And without information there can be no progress. That is why the Sultan started his reformation of the Sultanate from the premise of education. It is only with education that most problems in this world can be solved without much ado. Sultan Abubakar also believes that education without social harmony is like a virtue without value and that there can be no harmony in a society where people are overwhelmed by ignorance and penury as is the case in Nigeria. Thus, he has consistently focused on both. Perhaps that was why he initiated many educational programmes including the scholarships for female Muslim medical students in the South-West Nigeria being managed by the Muslim Ummah of that region (MUSWEN).
At his installation as the Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University five years ago, Sultan Abubakar told the crowd that the current socio-economic indices in Nigeria were a clear indication that the country had begun to drift. He lamented the nation’s unprecedented underdevelopment despite the enormous resources with which Nigeria was endowed. Today, the situation that warranted his lamentation has become more manifest.
About corruption
In His Eminence’s words: “Corruption has emasculated our progress even as poverty and unemployment have pushed Nigerian citizens to the brinks, fuelling and confounding social conflicts even as inter-communal crises have extracted heavy toll in both human lives and property”. He went further to say that: “Persistent insecurity has generated panic and anxiety; our social and physical infrastructures are far from meeting the needs of the nation; the country appears to be adrift and at the core of all these is moral decay engendered by ignorance and greed.”
Tertiary education
At the same occasion, His Eminence also noted that “the reform of the tertiary education sector could not be effective without putting in place, the progressive developments required in the basic and senior secondary education sectors. He insisted that “our state governments, especially those of the North, must begin to realize the enormity of the challenges facing the education sector and take urgent and necessary steps to address these challenges.” He lauded the founding fathers of ABU, especially, the late Sardauna of Sokoto, Sir Ahmadu Bello, and urged the authorities of the ABU to continue to abide by the cardinal principles on which the institution was founded.
That is the renascent Sultan for you, a man who is at the topmost echelon of the tree of comfort but feels so much concerned about the plight of the peasants who are deliberately consigned to the weeding of the shrubs without any hope in the official policies. He has never relented in his advocacy for good governance and denunciation of corruption and religious intolerance.
As a guest of CAN
When he was invited in January 2010 as a Special Guest of Honour to a religious seminar organized by the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) with the theme: ‘Knowing Your Muslim Neighbour’, Sultan Abubakar delivered an historic speech that reverberated meaningfully across the entire world. And in May, same year, he also invited the leadership of CAN to a special conference of the NSCIA held in Kaduna. The theme of that conference was: ‘Islam in the Eyes of the Christians’. He is the first Nigerian first class Monarch ever to engage in such an interfaith affair at the national level and his speech on that occasion was also electrifying. Please read an excerpt from that speech as presented below:
“….we initiated, as we had done for the JNI, a thorough review of the activities of the NSCIA and an extensive reform of its structures. It is our firm belief that these reforms are not only desirable but necessary, to reposition the Council to play its strategic role as the apex Islamic body in the country and to respond, effectively and meaningfully, to the challenges facing the Muslim Ummah in a multi-cultural and multi-religious society.
NSCIA’s reform agenda
We have had extensive consultations over the last one year and have received very useful inputs on the reform agenda from all the constituent bodies of the Council. Our strategic objectives in this exercise had been and shall remain: firstly, the promotion of Muslim Unity and Solidarity, to accord the Ummah the ability to speak with one voice and to act and work together for the advancement of Islam.
Secondly, the development of Education and Economic Enterprise, to enable the Muslim Ummah play an active role in the socio-economic life of Nigeria is a sine qua non.
Thirdly, the promotion of peace and religious harmony both within the Muslim Communities and between the adherents of Islam and those of Christianity is a joint effort that cannot be handled with levity.
Fourthly, the establishment of effective linkage with Government, at local, state and federal levels, to safeguard the interest of the Ummah and to build consensus on those vital issues that bind us together as a nation must be pursued and sustained.
It is therefore our hope that as we bring this reform process to its logical conclusion, we will receive the support and patronage of the entire Muslim Ummah as well as the co-operation of all stakeholders including State Governments and indeed the Government of the Federation”.
The task of governing
“On that occasion, His Eminence laid emphasis on “the task of overcoming Nigeria’s problems and he called for sacrifice, dialogue and understanding. He said all national stakeholders must overcome the myopia of greed and self-centeredness to move this great nation forward and safeguard its strategic interests….we must begin to look into the future with hope and confidence and to ensure, first and foremost, that we shore up the foundations of our political system. The National Assembly, and indeed all tiers of Government, should not relent in their current efforts at Electoral Reform and in ensuring that Nigerians have a genuine electoral process that guarantees free and fair elections. Unless and until we do that, our nation will continue to be haunted by the unholy alliance between fraudulent elections and illegitimate electoral outcomes, the consequences of which we all know too well. We must break away from this vicious circle and confer on Nigerians the power and indeed the ability to decide, freely and willingly, who leads them at all levels of governance”.
Conception of leadership
Talking about leadership, His Eminence said “there is also the urgent need for us to re-evaluate our conception of leadership as a nation…. needless to add, that there is no way we can make genuine progress as a nation when a significant number of our populace wallows in abject poverty unable to secure the requisite means for their sustenance and to cater for the health and educational needs of their families. Democracy must build a humane society capable of looking after legitimate needs of its citizenry. For it to be truly successful, it must be able to bring real progress to all sectors of our diverse society. He concluded that “finally we must all work hard to limit the influence of wealth in our society and to support those values that promote social responsibility, excellence and hard work”.
That is Sultan Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, a leader who knows the problems of his followers and associates with them in solving those problems. Through his humble interaction with all Muslims in Nigeria irrespective of tribal or geographical boundaries, he has become the first Sultan to create a strong feeling of a united Muslim Ummah under a competent and considerate leadership. And by speaking out incessantly against policies which seem to deliberately impoverish ordinary Nigerians across board, this Sultan has brought a rare hope to Nigeria and the Muslims are the luckiest for it. Such a leadership deserves allegiance, loyalty and regular prayer from the Ummah and not just celebration of birthday and congratulatory messages to mark the occasion.
We pray for the elongation of his life with very sound physical health, exemplary wisdom and Allah’s constant guidance. Amin
EVENTS in the last 10 years are nothing but horrendous for nationals of Togo currently seeking asylum in Nigeria. It is the period scores of their kinsmen were gruesomely murdered, maimed or displaced in the wake of a political crisis that erupted after the country’s presidential election.
Since 2005 when the development reared its ugly head, the beleaguered asylum seekers have moved from one distressing experience to another as they flee their troubled country in search of protection from those that were bent on annihilating them.
Everywhere they went, especially in Benin Republic where they were confident of getting protection, they continued to record horrendous murder of their relations, with many of them who managed to survive the attacks inflicted with various degrees of injuries.
One of them told our correspondent: “The blood and cries of our people who were brutally murdered back home and Benin Republic are reverberating in our hearts. It is a life time agony and trauma that can never be wiped away from our memories. Each time we remember it, it reopens the sore in our hearts.
“What people watch in films and weep was what we experienced firsthand. We are the direct victims of the horror you watch in movies. Our fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters and children were callously murdered in cold blood before our very eyes. The agony has been lingering and would linger in our memories forever.”
Recalling the genesis of their woes, the leader of the asylum seekers, Sogbo Maunou, said: “Our problem began when we called for a change in the governance of the country after it had been held for 38 years by the late Gnasingbe Eyadema.
“Under his administration, the country witnessed untold hardship as the unemployment rate became very alarming. This was particularly worse for people outside the northern part of the country where the late president hailed from. Throughout his reign, there was nothing like freedom of speech. He made sure that everybody who was opposed to his administration was severely dealt with.
“After his demise on February 5, 2005, his son came on board but we strongly opposed him because we believed and still believe that the country is not a traditional stool that could be inherited or rotated among members of the same family. Consequently, six independent political parties in the country teamed up to form a coalition in the build up to the 2005 presidential elections. The coalition actually won the election but the tyrannical family of Eyedema and their loyalists chose to swing the result in their favour.
“The son, in his desperate bid to rule the country, became worse than his father, using armed security personnel whose salaries were being paid with tax payers’ money to kill and maim innocent citizens, especially those of us in the opposition. The armed security officers were going from one house of known political opponents of the government to the other to murder them.”
Reliving the ordeal of his family, he said: “They killed two of my brothers the way one would kill a rat by smashing its head. My father, a traditional ruler in my village, narrowly escaped death after he was harassed and tortured by soldiers working for the callous government. It was a dark period in the history of our country as corpses of murdered political opponents of the government littered the ground almost every day.
“It was so horrific that when you see somebody today, seeing him the next day might be in the pool of his own blood. And you know how traumatising it is to constantly see your beloved ones dastardly murdered on a daily basis.
“The land was filled with human blood in a manner that rain water flows on the ground. Children were crying, women were crying, men were crying and living in palpable fear because nobody knew who would be the next victim. The person that consoles you today you would also console tomorrow. It was so bad that if there was a knock on your door, especially at night, you would start saying your last prayers in the fear that they had come for you.”
Gbomagni Komi recalled how his brother was murdered in his stead when the blood thirsty soldiers who invaded his house could not find him.
He said: “After the elections, the soldiers working for the RPT came looking for me because I caught them when they were engaging in election malpractices and reported them to the appropriate authorities. When they got to my house, they met my wife and my brother. They placed a gun on my wife’s head, threatening to kill her if she refused to tell them my whereabouts.
“They later left her after she profusely begged and told them in all sincerity that she didn’t know where I was. Thereafter, they descended on my brother, beat him mercilessly and later shot him dead. They did this before my wife and this caused her untold psychological trauma.
“She later called to inform me about the development, warning that I should watch my movement to avoid falling into their trap. It really took her a whole lot of time to recover from the shock.
“I was lifeless when the news of my beloved brother came to me because he did nothing to deserve being killed. I also did not deserve all the threats to my life for just exposing an electoral fraud.”
For Guidiglo Agbeko, losing his father on Election Day was least expected as the deceased had promised to spend the rest of the day with the family after casting his vote. Unfortunately for the family, the breadwinner never returned alive as he was gruesomely killed on his way back to the house.
Agbeko said: “We were expecting him back in the house in line with his promise to spend the rest of the day with us. Suddenly, some people rushed to inform us that our father needed urgent attention. We thought he was having health challenges and rushed to check what was happening. When we got to where they said he was, it was his dead body that we found in his car with blood dripping from different parts of his body where bullets fired at him had made huge holes.
“It was a distressing period for my family because we never imagined losing him so early, not to talk of the inhuman manner he was killed. The image of how he lay in the pool of his blood has kept flashing back in my memory, and each time it does, I feel pained and disconcerted.”
Speaking about his narrow escape from the bullets of the assailants, Allim Teko told of how his brother was shot dead by two soldiers who were armed to the teeth.
“I was in the house with my brother when those soldiers walked in,” he said. “They pointed their guns and asked us to raise our hands. After raising our hands, they used the butt of their guns to hit us repeatedly. In the process, one of them shot my brother. When the other soldier wanted to shoot me, his partner’s gun hit his, deflecting the bullet that would have hit me in the ribs.
“Immediately the bullet missed me, they left. I tried to lift my brother and take him to where he could get medical help, but he died before I could even leave the house because he had lost too much blood.
“Blood was gushing out of his side when I lifted him. I cried and called his name several times but he couldn’t answer. I shook him repeatedly to remind him of the important discussions we were having but the endless blood that was gushing out of his body was the only response that came from him. He had been murdered by the enemies of the masses and our beloved country; people who were opposed to the truth and thrived on falsehood.
“Tears have continued to flow from my eyes each time I remember how they sacrificed my brother to entrench falsehood in our land.”
Kokutse Koffi also spoke about how he escaped after burying his boss who was dastardly murdered.
His words: “My boss was with us in the workshop all day before going home at the close of work. He had gone to sleep when some armed agents of the state stormed his house and unleashed terror on his household. They broke his head with their guns but he died before he could get to the hospital. Thereafter, we went and buried him.
“After his burial, the same people that killed my boss started trailing me. They raided my house several times but, unfortunately for them, they didn’t meet me at home. I would have been a dead man by now if they had caught me.
“We actually did nothing wrong apart from protesting against the electoral fraud and injustices being meted out to our people. This was the simple reason the government chose to slaughter our people like fowls.
“The number of people killed are too numerous to count. Apart from going to people’s homes to shoot and kill them, they also killed a whole lot of people by setting fire to their houses. They raped our women, both old and young, causing lifetime sorrow for many of them.”
Hounkpe Komi also recalled how the young man who facilitated his escape when the murderers were on his trail was shot dead.
He said: “I was on the list of the people the state had penciled down to kill. After a long time of running away from their reach, they caught up with me at a point, but a friend helped me to escape. Unfortunately, they went after the guy and killed him. His remains were later found on the roadside where ants and maggots had been feasting.
“My heart bleeds till date because my friend lost his precious life because of me. He merely helped me but was not allowed to get appreciated for his love by the wicked people that turned our fatherland to a nation where there was no regard for human lives and where shedding of blood was like toying with water from public tap.”
The story of Amoni Afounton was one that moved from a joyful testimony to shedding of tears. The brother, he said, was shot by soldiers but he luckily escaped and ran to Ghana. “After his escape, we were very happy that he survived the attack and strongly believed that he would get treated in Ghana, but he later died of complications resulting from the injuries he suffered from the gunshot. Our joy turned into sorrow when the news of his death came to us.
“Our ordeal is not something that one should be recalling because it is the sorrow that comes with paralysis. Unfortunately, there is no way that the image and the thoughts would not flash through one’s mind. I can tell you that we all have various degrees of shock in our bodies because of our experiences.”
The exodus to Benin Republic
As a result of the reckless killing of their kinsmen and the uncertainty that surrounded their lives, the deputy leader of the group, Agbokou Koman, said, they had to flee their country in droves and wandered day and night until they arrived at their destination.
“Some of our people left for Ghana and some of for Benin Republic to save our lives from the government and its messengers of death,” he said.
Unfortunately for them, their hope of getting respite was dashed shortly after they arrived in Benin Republic where they were visited with worse horror than they had experienced in their country. Their stay in Benin Republic, in the words of some of them who spoke with The Nation, was the beginning of another round of horrific experience.
Some of them relived the story of how the nationals of the country connived with the government of their country to attack and kill them at will.
Koman said: “When we arrived in Benin Republic, we were filled with joy, believing that we had bid farewell to the horrors that visited us on a daily basis back at home. There in Benin, we were kept in a camp in a remote part of the country.
The Benin Republic camp of the refugees after the fire was put out
“We were enjoying relative peace until the villagers, conniving with the government of our country, became thorns in our flesh. On several occasions, they attacked our camp, setting it on fire. A number of our people were killed in the process.”
One of the refugees narrated how his son was killed in one of such attacks, saying: “We were resting outside the tents when they struck. My six-year-old son was sleeping inside a tent before the assailants came and set the tents ablaze. When we saw the fire blazing from different parts of the camp, every one of us scampered into safety. Nobody remembered anybody because the attack was too sudden. After the fire had died down, I went back and found my son dead. The fire did not get to him but the fume he inhaled suffocated him. I wept bitterly but that would not bring him back to life.
“It is regrettable that my son died where we thought our lives were safe and not in our country where human lives were wasted with impunity.”
Another inmate who gave his name as Afanche Kodjo recalled how security men in Benin Republic beat him into coma when they identified him as one of the refugees from Togo.
He said: “I had boarded a bus to buy something in the market when the soldiers stopped the vehicle and took me aside after indentifying me as one of the refugees from Togo. They spoke in French, saying that they would beat me to death. I thought they were joking until they started beating me with anything they could lay their hands on.
“They inflicted various degrees of injuries on my head and other parts of my body with machete. The picture of how my head and other injured parts were wrapped in bandage is in the office of the Human Rights Commission in Benin Republic. I never knew I could survive the attack from the people we had run to for protection because we considered them as brothers.”
Aside from those that were killed by the hostile hosts, some of the inmates recounted that a number of their relations died of various ailments because they did not have access to medical care.
Nssesah Nehlenon told The Nation how the absence of medical help in the camp claimed the lives of his wife and seven-year-old child, saying: “There was no hospital in the camp. The only way to get medical assistance was to go to hospitals in the city. None of us had the wherewithal to do so because we had been out of employment for a very long time. Consequently, I helplessly watched my beloved wife and my son die.
“It was also the same story for many of my colleagues. We were watching our children, men and women dying in their numbers because we had no means of paying their bills in the city. It was highly regrettable.”
In an emotion laden voice, Nsssesah’s kinsman, Sodji Ahlonko, said he lost two of his children to common illness in the camp. “This is not something I like to talk about, because it draws tears from my eyes,” he said. “You can imagine losing two children to common illnesses just because some callous human beings have deprived you of your means of livelihood and taken away your intrinsic worth as a human being and a breadwinner. My children wouldn’t have died if we had been allowed to live a normal life in our country.”
A widow, who gave her name as Houedakor Julienne, tearfully spoke of how her husband died in the camp.
She said: “When we were in Togo, some soldiers attacked my husband and inflicted various degrees of injuries on him. Luckily, he got to Benin Republic with us in the hope that he would get medical help. Unfortunately, there was no medical assistance for our sick people. My husband eventually died when he didn’t get the necessary treatment.”
In the face of the hostility of their hosts, the embattled refugees continued to endure knowing full well that going back home was not an option. But much as they were willing to accept every challenge hauled at them by their condition, it got to a point that their hosts were no longer prepared to accommodate them.
“They sent soldiers to the camp and bulldozed our tents on October 10, 2013. They sent us away and caused serious pandemonium as everybody started running to avoid being killed in the process,” Koman said.
Their ejection from the camp was not without consequences as some of them had their children missing in the process.
Sogbo told our correspondent that 705 people out of the 738 that left the camp were left after they were frenetically chased away.
A sober looking 60-year-old man, Gadessou Sowo, said: “I lost my 23-year-old daughter in the course of running away from the camp. I have not seen her since that very day.
“When the soldiers stormed the camp wielding guns of different sizes and shapes, we all ran in different directions because they were ready to wipe us out. We started running as far as our legs could take us. Unfortunately, some women among us had just put to bed while several others were carrying pregnancies that were close to delivery dates. Some of the nursing mothers were carrying day-old babies and so on. They clutched their babies on their chests and ran with the rest of us. It was a race of life and death because it determined if one would be alive or die.
“As we were running, many people were falling and collapsing. We trekked about 70 kilometers from night till the following day before we were certain of having gone out of danger. It was at this point that the human rights body in the country came to our rescue. They provided us with vehicles that conveyed us to a place called People Centre.”
League for the Defence of Human Rights raises the alarm
Following the inhuman treatment meted out to the wandering Togolese by the Benin Republic government, the League for the Defence of the Human Rights in the country condemned the actions of the government and raised the alarm, calling for urgent actions to save the lives of their ill-fated guests.
A statement issued by the body on August 6, 2014 and signed by the president, Julian Togbadja, reads in part: “The refugees’ sites have been demolished and their luggage scattered. They were walking, men women and children for over 60 to 70 kilometers. They are 705 people consisting 333 children, 222 women including pregnant ones, and 170 men.
“As a first step, they have found refuge in the home of the people of Cotonou 5. On Monday October 14, 2013, the municipal police locked them in a hall, fired tear gas at them, and hit them with hairs and sticks before ejecting them. Three women, including the old ones among them, suffered fractures while some of the babies of about three months old had blood coming out from their ears.
“Today, these people have spent 300 days in the rain, sun and dew because they have been left to rot on the street. Meanwhile the Beninoise authorities make false reports.
“Benin, which fought for democratic freedom cannot become a land of hostility by supporting Togo’s crime against our brothers and sisters. This is why the League for the Defence of the Human Rights of man in Benin calls on you men of freedom to stop murderers. Stop the hand of the Beninese authorities.
“We want among other things, an end to the acts of violence and assault perpetrated against the Togolese refugees by the Beninose police and a good measure of humanitarian gesture given to them.”
With the intervention of the human rights group, the harassed sojourners heaved sighs of relief, hoping that their predicament would soon be addressed. But this was never to be as they were driven away from the roadsides where they had been thoroughly dealt with by the rain and the sun. In the course of cruelly driving them away from the roadside, many of them further sustained severe injuries that aggravated their health conditions.
The escape to Nigeria
Convinced that the protection they had gone to seek in Benin Republic had been taken over by unrestrained violence that was consuming them, the battered refugees thought of seeking help elsewhere, and the next place that struck their minds was Nigeria.
Coming to Nigeria was not however easy, as they did not have the wherewithal to transport themselves to the country.
Speaking on how they succeeded in coming into the country, Sogbo, the leader of the group said: “We found our ways to Seme border where we took to different menial jobs to survive. Some of us sold pure water and carried loads for people to survive. Some Nigerians who saw our conditions had pity on us and dashed us money to take care of our basic needs.
“It was in this process that we met some people who directed us to the United Nations High Commission’s office which handles the cases of refugees. It was from there that the Lagos State governor, Mr Akinwumi Ambode, picked interest in our case and gave us shelter.
The movement into Nigeria was however different for Gadessou who said that he literally went through the eyes of the needle to arrive in Nigeria.
“When the situation became too unbearable in Benin, I passed through Porto Novo and journeyed through a bush path to arrive in Nigeria. The journey was energy sapping and risky because the terrain was strange.
“To make matters worse, I had only garri and sugar in my bag. This was what I lived on all through the journey. I had no water at all. I always begged people for water in each village I arrived.
“I never thought I could survive the tortuous journey considering my age and ugly experiences in Togo and Benin Republic.”
Lagos State government intervenes
Contrary to the inhuman treatment meted out to them in their fatherland and neighbouring Benin Republic for a decade, the refugees got warm and friendly reception in Nigeria, from the Lagos State Government in particular.
Male and female inmates at the igando relief centre
In place of the tent camps they were housed in remote corners of Benin Republic, they were accommodated in neat tiled houses at Igbogbo, Agbowa and Igando areas of the state.
Thanking the state government for the kindness shown to them, Sogbo said: “We are really amazed at the treatment given to us by the state government and the management and officials of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency. They have shown us the kind of love we never experienced in the last 10 years.
“We are particularly grateful to the governor, Mr. Akinwumi Ambode; the General Manager of LASEMA, Mr Michael Akindele and the camp commandants, especially Mr Olatunbosun Fakolade, for making us feel like human beings again.
“We had been stripped of our values as human beings and treated like animals for over a decade, but Nigeria, through the Lagos State Government has restored our dignity.”
Comparing life in Benin Republic and Nigeria, Sogbo said: “There is no basis for comparison. There in Benin, we had no access to medical help, but adequate medical attention has been given to us since we arrived. We have doctors who check us and give us medications to take care of our health challenges.
“Aside from health matters, the endless threat to our lives is no more there since we came here. Even though there is no security threat, the government still deems it necessary to provide security for us.
“We sincerely appreciate the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) for their efforts. We also have good accommodation that is not comparable with what we had back at home.
“To crown it all, they give us food and power supply. Even when there is power outage, they would switch on the generator to make power available. We are very grateful.”
Asked if they would be willing to go back to their country, Sogbo replied: “We would be willing to go back when those who have held our country captive leave and when our security and that of the entire country is guaranteed. If we go back right away, they would wipe us out.”
Courteville Business Solutions Plc is marking a decade of service to the economy. The sub-regional business solutions development company, quoted on the Nigeria Stock Exchange (NSE) has over the past decade, recorded consistent year on year growth in clientele base and key financial indices.
Speaking at the ninth Annual General Meting of Courteville Business Solutions, its Chairman, Murtala Salami said the firm has since inception, the firm has provided exceptional e-service delivery models that are industry standard. He also lauded the firm’s corporate governance and service delivery benchmarks.
“In less than five years of operations, Courteville Business Solutions Plc became a publicly quoted company. In November 2008, with its Operation and Management systems certified to be compliant with International Standards under the ISO 9001:2008 approved standards, CBS became the only company so certified from the business solutions development sector of the economy,” he said.
He said the 10 years anniversary will be a one-week celebration starting tomorrow and ends January 17th.
Activities lined up for the event include; a two kilometer “Walk For Life” from the Company’s head office to University of Lagos (UNILAG) gate and back to the head office tomorrow.
“On Sunday, a thanksgiving service will hold at RCCG, Commercial Avenue, opposite the Head Office. A Seminar themed “Empowerment Strategies to Developing, Social Entrepreneurship” will also take place in Lagos on Monday.
“On Tuesday, the commissioning of the Head Office by the Company’s Chairman will take place while on Wednesday, staff of Courteville will pay a visit to Modupe Cole Memorial Child Care at St. Finbarrs Road, Akoka, The Old People Home at Yaba and a Public Primary School in Yaba, where food items and educational materials would be distributed respectively,” he said.
He said that Thursday has been tagged “Cultural day (African dressing) and Raffle Draws “ where staff would dress in their cultural attire and customers would have a chance to pick draws and win exciting gifts, this would take place at the company Head Office.
The Catholic Church of the Transfiguration in Victoria Garden City (VGC), Lagos, has celebrated its 10th anniversary, reports TAJUDEEN ADEBANJO.
Each time one celebrates an anniversary, it is a time to rejoice and thank God for the journey thus far. It is also a time to count blessings and be filled with praises and adulation to God for making that possible”.
These were the words of Rev. Fr. Michael Okonkwo, the Parish Priest of The Catholic Church of the Transfiguration in Victoria Garden City (VGC), Lagos, when the parishioners rolled out the drum to celebrate the church’s 10th anniversary.
The anniversary may have gone, but it was a day to remember for the guests and parishioners who graced the occasion.
It was a well-attended ceremony. Starting with the red carpet, though a religious affair, the event could be mistaken for an Oscar night as many guests turned out in breath-taking evening gowns.
Photographs of initiators of the project were conspicuously displayed outside the expansive church auditorium. The Albert Gobez-led five-man band was there dishing out fine melody to the delight of the excited audience. Stand-up comedian Helen Paul supplied riberacking jokes.
Founded in 2004, the church has blossomed over the years as it recorded relative achievements, expansion and spiritual growth
It was an evening of celebration as good music, good food and drinks flowed freely.
In his address, Most. Rev. Fr. Alfred Adewale Martins, extolled the virtues of committed parishioners for making the project a reality.
“The last 10 years witnessed growth and commitment from the members. This is delightful and commendable. I am delighted to be part of the celebrations. This is the kind of things that we should be celebrating as a family. I rejoice with you on this occasion and I know that the future is bright because of those who are committed to the church in winning souls for Christ,” Rev. Fr Martins said.
Corroborating Rev. Fr. Martins, Rev. Father Okonkwo noted that the foundation in the life of any organisation is key because it sets the tone for its future growth.
Hence, looking at the parish at 10, he could say unequivocally that there was a reason to celebrate because the formative years have been solidly laid on holistic and deep Catholic spirituality founded on the three theological virtues of faith, hope and love of God and of neighbour”.
Father Okonkwo, therefore, wished the wonderful parishioners a happy anniversary as he believed the future will be greater and brighter by the divine providence of God.
In her welcome address, chairman, local organising committee, Mrs. Ifeoma Idigbe thanked all who contributed to the building of the church, such as the late Rev. Fr. Adegbite, whose vision it was; His Eminence, Anthony Cardinal Olubunmi Okogie who endorsed the vision; Monsignor Paschal Nwaezeapu, Rev. Fr. Anyansi and individuals whose commitment ensured that the dream became a reality.
Mrs. Idigbe also thanked the Archbishop, Most Rev. Fr. Martins for his unflinching support as they worked to achieve the vision.
Among the dignitaries were representative of the wife of Lagos State Governor, Dame Abimbola Fashola, Mrs Rike Gbeleyi; Chief Anthony Idigbe (SAN) and his wife, Elizabeth; Mrs Patricia Arawore-Otuendor, Rev. Father Francis Anyanwu, and Associate Parish Priest John Nutayi,
