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Tag: Nigerian Newspapers

  • Keswani chief, SPAR get awards

    The Group Managing Director of Artee Group, Mr Haresh Keswani, has been honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award.

    Besides, SPAR, the retail store brand of the group, emerged the Retail Brand of the Year.

    The honours came from the BusinessDay Nigerian Business Leadership Awards held at the Lagos Continental Hotel at the weekend.

    The awards were in recognition of Keswani’s pioneering effort in the second-wave retail revolution in Nigeria, through the birth of Park ‘n’ Shop, leading the business to become a dominant player in the retail industry.

    Other businesses managed by Keswani include Cascade Water in PET bottles, Millennia Furniture and shopping malls in Port Harcourt, Enugu and Calabar.

    The sectoral award won by SPAR was in recognition of its business agility, market share growth, financial strength, leadership vision and resilience in various economic conditions.

    Keswani said it was a great honour which showed the efforts of the company in touching lives.

    “I am grateful to God, family, friends and colleagues who have enhanced the vision till date. I am glad to have touched people’s lives in various ways and our organisation would not be deterred in supporting laudable initiatives of the government. Many of our businesses are in response to the government’s policies and this has further enhanced the economy of the country. We believe in Nigeria and Nigerians; we know that there are huge opportunities in the country despite the challenges,” he added.

  • Over-kill

    The aftermath of the August 5 “Revolution Now” protests appears dire for the participants.  Omoyele Sowore, the convener of the protest, is detained by the Department of State Srvices (DSS), the secret police. The DSS approached the courts to hold Sowore for 90 days. It got the nod to hold him for 45 days. Also, arrested protesters have been charged to court for “treasonable felony”. It is a grim aftermath — and just as well.

    In a democracy, with citizens’ rights entrenched in the constitution, the right to protest is guaranteed. No government, that derives life and draws its continuous legitimacy from that grundnorm, can take that right away. So, Sowore and his group, just like any other citizens, group or individual, have the right to protest.  That, it must be repeated again, cannot be taken away. Otherwise the democratic order would be a sham.

    But having a right to protest is not the same as unfettered right to unleashing incendiary rhetoric; which may bait the starry-eyed, in the passion of the moment, to cross the line between legal right and serious felony. This danger is especially rife, given the current high tension in the land. Should that happen, not a few would be put in harm’s way.

    Read Also: Call for #RevolutionNow by Sowore is treason, says APC

    Sowore has been condemned for breaching security with a call for revolution. Hear him: “I’m not talking of protest. I’m embarking on revolution.  Eighty-five per cent of Nigerians are in support. Don’t tell me about legal implications or what a judge will say. I don’t care. We must bundle Buhari out of that place.” Such recklessness!

    That rhetoric was not helped by Sowore, captured on a video clip his group released, claiming by the time his “revolution” was done, the present order would cease to exist; suggesting a section of the DSS had allegedly bought into the plot; and claiming the Islamic Movement of Nigeria, the El-Zakzaky group just proscribed for alleged terrorism, had also thrown in their hat into the protest ring.

    That was highly reckless and condemnable. We agree though with a section of the human rights community that has condemned the arrest of Sowore two days before the protest. It is hard to fault the government on the Sowore arrest, even if strictly, as a proactive step.

    Still, the protest came and it ended an anti-climax; as it was shunned by the bulk of the people.  Was that because the government took out the wind from its sail by revving up its own security machine? All the government had to do was allow the protests go on so long as it did not morph into lawlessness. Critics like Professor Wole Soyinka and Barrister Femi Falana as well as the human rights community scored for democracy and decency in their comments. On their own ideological temper — citizen liberty, no matter what — they cannot be faulted.

    Still, the protest showed Sowore was all bluff and bluster. Neither he nor the group he leads appears to have the capacity to levy war against the state, to consummate their “revolution”. Which is why the state should tread softly on charges of “treasonable felony” or “treason” being bandied around.  That would appear an over-kill.

    Sowore talked himself into trouble.  But beyond that bluster, he would appear in no position to lead a “revolution” — “now” or then; except, of course, the state has  further evidence, hidden from the public. As security watchdogs, the DSS ought to know better. Revolutions are not carried out on rhetorics, especially empty ones.

    It is therefore time to move on, to avert the mismanagement of a revolution-that-was-not; and prevent it fuelling further but needless crisis in the land. It’s time to bring down the high temperature.

    However, since the matter is now in court, the judiciary should play the perfect arbiter, leading to an ease of tension. After all the tempest, it is time for calm and moderation.

    But the Sowore case should school citizens on how to press their rights, without setting themselves up for an impulsive crackdown. Such recklessness could erode citizens’ right and expose a dictatorial order in a democracy.

  • An orphan’s legacy

    Who shares his life’s pure pleasure and works the honest road; who trades with heaping measure and lifts his brother’s load; who turns the wrong down bluntly and lends the right a hand; he dwells in God’s own country and tills the holy land.
    — Louis F. Benson

    No man in history has ever been as fitting to the above poetic description as Prophet Muhammad (SAW) the undisputable greatest man who ever lived. His legacy is the solid foundation upon which the contemporary civilisation is built. But despite the vivid visibility of that legacy it remains invisible to many eyes that are alien to Islam. Thus, the Prophet’s legacy is like the beaming sun which no blind can see and no seeing eyes can perceive in its natural nakedness. Yet, both the blind and the seeing feel the burning effect of the sun ‘Willy-nilly’ even as it photosynthesizes the plants around them.

    Attention

    This article is not meant to celebrate the birth of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) for which  a public holiday is annually declared in Nigeria.

    As far as ‘The Message’ is concerned, what is to be celebrated about this great Prophet is by far beyond his birthday. His achievements clearly transcend his birth. Thus, there is no need wasting time on his birthday here.

    From the creation of Adam, the first human being, till date, no man’s biography has been so much written and read as that of Muhammad (SAW) the son of Abdullah and Aminah. This man’s biography has been written from all perspectives, positive and negative, by various men and women of diverse races, tribes, ideologies and religions in the past 1444 years or there about. And the biography is still being written and re-written authoritatively and un-authoritatively, today, in uncountable languages.

    Through the writings of the Prophet’s biography, some people have zoomed into un-dream-able fame. Others have sunk into the abyss of a permanent oblivion. But virtually all the writers have benefitted from their writings directly or indirectly in coins and in kind. No other Prophet’s biography has attracted as many writers from believers and non-believers, from friends and foes alike as that of Prophet Muhammad (SAW).

    Every aspect of this Prophet’s life including the dresses he wore, the food he ate, the way he spoke, the wives he married, the children he bore, and the wars he fought, has formed the basis of his biography.

    In short, next to the Qur’an, no book is as much read daily in the world today as the biography of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) in one form or another. But there is a vital question: why is global focus so much on this unlettered Prophet from Arabia?

    The answer to this question is not far-fetched. The world has not produced any other personality like him. And it will not. He is the seal of all Prophets and the epitome of human exemplariness. In him alone are found all the traits of what a perfect gentleman should be in all ramifications.

    If Prophet Muhammad had not been an orphan, he would not have been able to guide humanity on how orphans should be treated especially with regards to inheritance. If he had not been a husband, his marital life would not have been an excellent example for others to emulate and women’s rights would have been permanently ignored. If he had not been a widower the world would not have realised the plight of widows and learnt how to provide for them. If he had not been a father, the proper care for children by parents would have been relegated to the background in Islamic doctrine. If he had not been trustworthy, the value of trust would have been totally lost on mankind.

    His migration from Makkah to Madinah paved way for the culture of hospitality universally imbibed today and the wars he was forced to fight engendered the law of war, armistice and peace. Without the conquests he achieved, the word magnanimity would not have found a place in the dictionary of man and if he had not suffered defeat in war, the vanquished would not have learnt the act of gallantry. If the Prophet had not been a judge, the virtue of justice would have been globally thrown to the winds and survival in all societies would have been for the fittest.

    If he had not being a democratic ruler, the relationship between the ruled and their rulers, all over the world, today, would not have been dissimilar from that of slaves and their masters and dictatorship in governance would have known no bounds. If Prophet had not been poor despite being a Head of State, the policy of social welfare adopted in civilised societies today in favour of the poor, would not have been possible. If he had not been an illiterate, the world would not have known the difference between literacy and education. And, if, despite all these qualities in him, he had not been humble and affable, arrogance would have been the main character of all privileged people in the world today.

    Who else can be compared to this man in history? And, in which any other single person have all the aforementioned qualities ever been

    found in history? There can be little wonder then why so much attention was and is still being focused on the personality of this extra-ordinary human being. That is Prophet Muhammad (SAW) for you, the like of whom the world has never seen and will never see again. If

    this man is celebrated anywhere in the world, anytime, therefore, it is definitely not because he was born. His achievements transcend his birth.

    But for him, the world would have remained in the dungeon of ignorance and primitivism and humanity would have remained at the level of crude beasts. It was he who brought back the manual of life to mankind after it had been lost in the search for sheer vanity. Manual of life is the divine instruction which came gradually from Allah to mankind according to the growth rate of human intellect. But such manual is not peculiar to man alone. All other organisms have their own instructions from Allah which in a way constitute their own manuals of life.

    However, due to the intellectual superiority of man, the various divine instructions to other organisms were incorporated into man’s own manual of life. This is to enable man understand the complexity of his environment vis-a-vis the essence of his own existence and thereby act effectively as Allah’s vicegerent on earth. Although because of the differences in times and methods, Allah’s message is perceived differently, the fact remains that the message is only one coming from only one and same God. This message is the ‘RIGHT PATH’ to salvation which came to mankind after several millennia of wondering in the wilderness of ignorance and vainglory. And the man, Muhammad (SAW), through whom that message reached us is the ‘PATH FINDER’. There are many attestations to this. For instance, after many years of scientific experimentations, a German-born American physicist and Nobel Laureate, Albert Einstein, the inventor of atomic bomb who is generally known as the 20th century creator of special and general theory of relativity, compared his works with the contents of the Qur’an and concluded as follows: “Science without religion is lame and religion without science is blind”.

    He then called on fellow scientists to endeavour to read the Qur’an without bias in order to know the true origin of science in human life.

    And as if responding to Einstein’s call, Professor Tagatat Tajasen, Chairman of the Department of Anatomy at Chiang Mai University in Thailand accepted Islam on the strength of just one scientific sign accurately mentioned in the Qur’an. He had spent a great amount of his time, as a Professor, in search of pain receptor. When his attention was drawn to the Qur’an, he did not believe initially that such a highly sophisticated aspect of science could have been mentioned over 1,400 years ago. But when he confirmed it by himself in the translation of the Qur’an, he became so much impressed that he purposely attended the 8th Saudi Medical Conference held in Riyadh where he publicly embraced Islam.

    Another leading scientist, Professor Marshall Johnson, the Head of the Department of Anatomy a Director of Daniel Institute at the Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, USA, was asked to comment on the verses of the Qur’an dealing with embryology. In response, he said it was probable that for Prophet Muhammad (SAW) to have given such vivid description of foetus, he must have had a powerful microscope. But when he was reminded that the Qur’an was revealed over 1400 years ago and that the invention of microscope took place only a couple of centuries ago Professor Johnson laughed and made the following remark: “I see nothing here in conflict with the concept that Divine intervention was involved when Muhammad recited the Qur’an….”.

    Yet another Embryologist, Professor Keith Moore of the Department of Anatomy, University of Toronto, Canada, after carefully examining the translation of the Qur’anic verses presented to him admitted thus: “most of the information concerning embryology mentioned in the Qur’an is in perfect conformity with modern discoveries in the field of embryology and does not conflict with them in any way”.

    Professor Moore had no prior knowledge of anything leechlike about embryo until he read chapter 96 of the Qur’an where Allah says “Read! In the name of your Lord Who created. He created man out of a leechlike clot…” He then went to verify this fact in an embryo under a powerful microscope and compared his observation with a diagram of a leech. He was astonished at the resemblance of the two. That prompted him to go fully into studying the Qur’an and Hadith to acquire more knowledge until he was able to answer about 80 hitherto unanswered questions in that field.

    That prompted him to correct the contents of his book ‘The Developing Human’ which he published earlier and he re-published it in 1982. It was with that revised edition that he became the recipient of an award for the best medical book written by a single author in the 20th century. That book has been translated into many major languages of the world and is mostly used as textbook of embryology today in the first year of medical studies in various Universities in the world.

    Yet, despite talking about all sciences, the Qur’an is not a book of Sciences but that of ‘Signs’. Those ‘Signs’ invite man to realise the purpose of his existence on earth and live in harmony with nature.

    Judging the above verses of the Qur’an revealed over 1400 years ago with the wonderful reality of scientific civilisation of today what further proof does anybody need of the genuineness of the Qur’an? And who else can give better guidance than the Supreme Creator Himself? And who else can be better called the ‘PATH FINDER’ than Prophet Muhammad (SAW) who showed humanity the way to that all time guidance? Perhaps, this was why Michael Hart, a Jewish American Astrophysicist, named Prophet Muhammad the greatest man that ever lived in his famous book entitled ‘The 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in History’.

    If all the descriptions given above about Prophet Muhammad (SAW) sound exaggerated because they are given by Femi Abbas, a Muslim and an ardent follower of that Prophet, and if Michael Hart is seen as crazy in his judgment let us read the views and impressions of some other non-Muslims about this great Prophet. One of them (Alphonse de Lamartine of France) had the following to say in his book ‘Histoire de la Torque’:

    “Never has a man set for himself, voluntarily or involuntarily, a more sublime aim since this aim was superhuman; to subvert superstitions which had been interposed between man and his Creator; to render God unto man and man unto God; to restore rational and sacred idea of divinity amidst the chaos of the material and disfigured gods of idolatry, then existing.

    Never has a man undertaken a work so far beyond human power with so feeble means, for he (Muhammad) had in the conception as well as in the execution of such a great design no other instrument than himself, and no other, except a handful of men living in a corner of a desert….

    If greatness of purpose, smallness of means, and astounding results are the three criteria of human genius, who could dare to compare any great man in modern history with Muhammad? The most famous men created arms, laws and empires only. They founded, if anything at all, no more than material powers which often crumbled before their very eyes. This man moved not only armies, legislations, empires, peoples and dynasties, but millions of men in one-third of the then inhabited world; and more than that, he moved the altars, the gods, the religions, the ideas, the beliefs and the souls. On the basis of a book, every letter of which has become law, he created a spiritual nationality which blended together peoples of every tongue and of every race…..As regards all standards by which human greatness may be measured we may well ask, is there any man in human history greater than Muhammad?”

    On his own, Napoleon Bonaparte, the great 18th century French conqueror of Europe was so much amazed by the traits of Islam which he saw in Egypt during his military expeditions that he made the following historic statement about that divine religion and its great Prophet: “Muhammad, in reality, was a great leader of mankind. He preached UNITY among Arabs who were, till then, torn asunder due to internecine quarrels, sometimes resulting in bloody war fares. He brought them out of the obscure world in a short time and the discipline which they maintained under his leadership was simply marvellous, and so was their bravery, courage and devotion to the cause which they loved and cherished. This, coupled with the contempt for death, as taught by their leader, made them great soldiers and fighters like of whom history rarely produces. I simply marvel at the achievements of this great ‘Son of the Desert’ within a mere period of less than 15 years; a thing which Moses and Christ could not do in 15 centuries. I salute this great man; I salute his qualities of Head and Heart….”

    And, in corroboration of the above statements, variously made by renowned men of letters and intellect, another foremost Orientalist, playwright and dramatist, George Bernard Shaw, had the following to say about Islam and Prophet Muhammad (SAW) in his book ‘The genuine Islam’ (vol. 1 No 8 of 1936):

    “The Christians and their missionaries have presented a horrible picture of Islam. Not only that, they also carried out an organised and planned propaganda against the personality of Prophet Mohammad and the religion he preached. I have carefully studied Islam and the life of its Prophet. I have done so both as a student of history and as a critic. And I have come to the conclusion that Mohammad was indeed a great man and a deliverer and benefactor of mankind which was till then writhing under a most agonizing pain. I have always held Islam in high estimation because of its wonderful vitality. It is the only religion which appears to me to possess that assimilating capacity to the changing face of existence which can make it appealing to every age. I have studied him-the wonderful man and in my opinion, far from being an anti-Christ, he must be called the saviour of humanity. I believe that if a man like him were to assume the dictatorship of the modern world, he would succeed in solving its problems in a way that would bring it the much needed peace and happiness.

    I have prophesied about the faith of Muhammad that it would be acceptable to the Europe of tomorrow as it is beginning to be acceptable to the Europe of today”.

    For confirmation of Bernard Shaw’s remark quoted above, see ‘The Genuine Islam, vol. 1, No. 8, 1936.

    These are just some of the facts that make an orphan and unlettered Prophet, Muhammad (SAW), the greatest human being that ever lived on earth. None of the attestations above made any reference to his birth or birthday because they knew that his birth had nothing to do with his achievements. If non-Muslims could go as far as shown above to benefit from the greatness of Prophet Muhammad’s mission on earth what is expected of Muslims for whom that mission is primarily meant?

  • Ogundipe: She thought well and danced well

    Professor Molara Ogundipe loved the world and immortalized this love in her deep pursuit of knowledge about the forces that shape human society at large or as individuals amassed within specific borders. Ogundipe’s work affirms society’s complexity, and she makes it accessible through her lifelong and luminous analyses of the material conditions and the intangibles that influence global and local politics and economics, as well as the social relations. Ogundipe comes to her analyses as a literary critic, who makes no bones about grounding her methodology in Marxist and feminist hermeneutics. She demonstrates profound erudition that she deploys for interdisciplinary exploration and communication of ideas. Long before intersectionality became a popular theoretical approach, Ogundipe practised it, demonstrating the imbrications of class, gender, sexualities, and “race”; and of politics, economics, histories, and ideology. Motivated by the desire to address the routine silencing and maligning of Africa, and the subordinating of women worldwide, Ogundipe proceeds from the inequalities in the intimate spaces of her closely observed Nigerian place of birth, to the women’s struggles in African, Asian and South American countries (AASA) or the Global South, which she resisted calling the “Third World” before this term succumbed to disuse. From these concentric circles of socio-political relations, Ogundipe examines North-South and South-South interactions. Her painstaking studies result in astute commentaries on the various axes of relationship. Just as energetically, Ogundipe has channelled her theories and vision into a steady activist praxis through which she has formed international alliances to promote human rights across borders. An outstanding teacher in the uncommonly evoked sense of “one who causes others to know” (Merriam-Webster), Ogundipe leaves a legacy centred on the affecting, relational, and inspirational aspects of a teacher. A true mentor, Professor Ogundipe will be remembered also for nurturing younger scholars by encouraging them to bring their passion and fresh perspectives to emergent literature departments, which she was frequently called upon to help develop.

    Ogundipe was born during the Second World War, which was also a colonial period in Africa, and an era when much of the continent, like several areas of the European-colonized world, was articulating an assertive anti-colonial nationalism. Ogundipe grew up keenly aware of her embodiment of the complexity of modern subject-hood. She was at once an invention of the post-European Enlightenment traditions that contributed to her educational and political influences, and a product of the “foundational Yoruba ideas about the centrality of knowledge, parity in social values between the sexes and a functional gender democracy” upon which she was raised (interview by Desiree Lewis). Ogundipe makes this layered formation of her experience resonant. To illustrate, Ogundipe’s essay, “Stories of Structural Adjustment (SOSA): The Human Cost of Structural Adjustment Policy (SAP) for Women,” renders poignant the obfuscations of the “development theories” of the International Monetary Fund, which is governed by Western economic czars. The IMF drastically devalued Nigeria’s currency in the 1980s; its narrative, applied like a potboiler to several nations in the Global South, was that the measure would attract foreign investment and stimulate development. Ogundipe brings the real effects home through unadorned narratives of the attrition on the men, women and children among whom she lived: how, for instance, her landlord’s thriving factory in Ijebu-Igbo, which manufactured fine lace—the apogee of Nigerian fashion—ground to a halt because the equipment could no longer be maintained due to the suddenly almost worthless currency. The factory’s owner retrenched the workers en mass; as a result, countless families terminated their children’s secondary and tertiary education, which they could afforded previously; farms and tertiary institutions began to fail due to other structural manipulations by the IMF; an exodus for better lives outside the country precipitated a brain drain; human dignity plunged.

    Ogundipe also captures the bathos of an androcentric narrative that the SAP experience inadvertently brought to heel: “A professor friend said to me privately and quietly, almost sadly: ‘you know, my wife, Lydia, feeds us now.’ His tone was very affectionate; it was as if he were just discovering a new value and goodness to Lydia […] When the IMF struck […], Lydia was able to take the whole family on her back financially where she had previously been perhaps his supporting arms” (Re-Creating Ourselves 194). Investment did not take place in Nigeria; rather, the SAP made Nigerian products cheaper for foreigners and foreign goods more exorbitant for Nigerians, further skewing the Global North-South relations. Ogundipe’s analysis brims with insight and continues to be relevant; the structural impact of the calamitous SAP would take several generations to correct.

    I first met Professor Ogundipe in the late 1970s when I was a fresh undergraduate in the English Department at the University of Ibadan. I recall a strikingly beautiful lady, who strode into the packed auditorium in an arresting pair of pants and thick-soled shoes, hair worn in a big Afro that complemented an impeccable white blouse. Calm and poised, Mrs. Ogundipe-Leslie (as she was known then) began to speak. Her gentle voice rolled out names and concepts that sounded intimidating to all of us students because they were so varied and unfamiliar: Northrop Frye, Okot p’Bitek, Ngugi, Terry Eagleton…. The course was called “Forms of Literature” and we knew at once we were in for an extraordinary session. Later in the year, our learned lecturer brought in Mr. p’Bitek to speak to us, an unforgettable experience as the famous poet chose to sit on the stage floor, close to the edge, where we could almost touch him. Although I do not recall the title of his talk, the central trope used by p’Bitek has stayed with me. In the talk, he likened the politicians’ men at the time to Agama lizards, colourful and impressive-looking, but always prostrate, nodding and waiting. Professor Ogundipe encouraged the visiting scholars, one of them the genial Malawian poet and scholar, Professor Felix Mnthali, to interact with us students so we could learn about their societies.

    Professor Ogundipe was partial to “coherence”—not just in language usage but also in virtually everything. Two illustrations come to mind, which I personally witnessed: at Olabisi Onabanjo University then newly established in the 1980s, and more recently at McPherson University, both in Ogun State of Nigeria, where she helped establish the English/Languages and Literature Departments. The curriculum must be coherent, Professor Ogundipe insisted, and by that she meant an aggregate of dovetailed courses that reflected Nigeria’s aspirations and positioned the country in dynamic conversation with Africa and its diaspora, with AASA countries, and with the rest of the world. It was at McPherson University that I last interacted physically with Professor Ogundipe, when I spent my sabbatical there in 2017–2018. She led the university’s Languages and Literature Department to successful accreditation and avidly participated in the campus life.

    In pursuing her structural analyses from the perspective of a Marxist feminist, Ogundipe incorporated linguistic theory, as well as spirituality, into her understanding of society—finding compatibilities between her materialist theory and her groundings in Yoruba pantheonic religion and Christianity. What made such synthesis possible is the dialogical tenor of her inquiry.

    Ogundipe’s work finds resonance with feminists and womanists alike: for instance, Beverly Guy-Sheftall and Carole Boyce Davies, whose respective research is bringing up what Tuzyline Jita Allan, reviewing Ogundipe’s Re-Creating Ourselves, characterizes as “a fruitful analysis, a harvest… of the intellectual, emotional, and spiritual resources of African women that constitute significant cultural capital for the revitalization of African societies” (“Reviewed Work: Re-creating Ourselves” 197).

    In June 2018, the young Literature Department at McPherson University staged Femi Osofian’s The Engagement (which I directed). The kings of four neighbouring towns—Obafe, Ogunmakin, Ajebo and Seriki-Sotayo—who reminisced about Hubert Ogunde’s travelling theatre and the live theatre of other Yoruba dramatists now dormant, attended the production. Despite gradually becoming frail, Professor Ogundipe graciously conveyed traditional welcome to the rulers in elegant Yoruba, roughly translated as follows: “It is you our fathers who say, ‘The young who have learnt proper etiquette can dine with the elders.’ Thank you for honouring our students by coming to see their show, and by sponsoring many high schools from your towns to enjoy the play and visit our university…” During the cast party some days later, Professor Ogundipe danced with the students like a fresh bride; she drew applause and ululations from the ecstatic students. Now Iye (Mother) Ogundipe has danced into the beyond; her forebears must be pleased to receive her home. Ogundipe’s true home is boundless, for she continues to carry on her animating conversations everywhere through her great essays and poetry, cradling a smile one moment, tilting her head the next, asking urgent questions.

     

    • Olaogun, PhD is associate professor, Department of English, York University.

  • Development of Audacity Skyline to begin October

    LandWey Group has concluded arrangements to begin the development of “The Audacity Skyline”, a 28-floor, coastal shoreline, mixed-use high rise, proposed to sit on 3,500 square metres inside Eko Atlantic City.

    Making this known in Lagos, during the week, CEO/Founder of LandWey Group, Olawale Ayilara, said the ground-breaking ceremony of The Audacity Skyline is scheduled to hold on  October 1, 2019.

    He said: “The Audacity Skyline is an architectural masterpiece that will feature tastefully finished beachfront residences and penthouses.

    Ayilara added that the monumental project will also feature commercial spaces, multi-level parking, designated elevators, personalised concierge services-all executed with best-in-class construction procedures and standards.

    “As a brand, we are ready and equipped to take on the project armed with our robust experience in construction, as well as our strong partnerships with world class architects, engineers and designers,” Ayilara said.

    Read Also: LandWey to bring high-rise mixed property to Eko Atlantic City

    He stated that LandWey has continued to break barriers and set the pace in the real estate sector within the past half a decade. “We’re excited to witness the greatest feat yet in this massive project. The ground-breaking ceremony of The Audacity Skyline is scheduled to hold on October 1, 2019,” he added.

    The CEO noted that the real estate sector in Lagos has witnessed a lot of growth and innovation within the past three to five years, with an abundance of investment options as well as creative marketing ideas.

    He, however, said one brand that actively contributes immensely to that growth is the LandWey Group, which boasts a growing asset base of real estate products that are tailored to the middle market, a niche that it has performed comfortably well in.

    Having conquered that range, the company is now poised to venture into high-end real estate investment products in the most befitting location – the prestigious Eko Atlantic.

  • Fed Govt solar-powers Ekwueme varsity

    An expansive 2.6MW solar power plant initiated by the Federal Government has been inaugurated by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at Alex Ekwueme Federal University Ndufu-Alike Ikwo, Ebonyi State, underlining the vigour with which the government is implementing its renewable off-grid energy plan. OGOCHUKWU ANIOKE writes

    When Vice President Yemi Osinbajo arrived in Ebonyi State on Friday, August 2, it was a jubilant crowd that received him. He was coming to launch an ambitious renewable, off-grid solar power plant that would change the ambience of Alex Ekwueme Federal University located in Ndufu-Alike Ikwo in the state.

    Power shortfall has plagued the country for decades. Every administration talks about solutions but most pay lip-service to it.

    The determination of the Muhammadu Buhari administration to make a difference and provide uninterrupted electricity for Nigerian students through off-grid power is yielding fruit. That was why Ebonyi stood still for the Vice-President who led other dignitaries to the inauguration of the 2.8MW solar hybrid power plant at the institution.

    The multi-beneficial project is the first to be inaugurated in the 37 universities and seven affiliated teaching hospitals under its Energising Education Programme (EEP), which was implemented by Rural Electrification Agency (REA).

    Energising Education Programme is a Federal Government intervention which focuses on developing off-grid, dedicated and independent power plants, as well as rehabilitating existing distribution infrastructure to supply clean, reliable power and renewable energy.

    With this laudable achievement, over 7,700 students and 1,819 members of faculty staff at FUNAI will have access to clean reliable energy. The programme will improve the quality of education, research and health care services at the federal universities and teaching hospitals across the country.

    The inauguration culminated in the graduation  of 20 all-female Science, Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) participants who received  certificates of completion for renewable energy training, launch of 7.5 KM of solar-powered street lights for illumination and safety as well as a world-class training centre for renewable energy.

    FUNAI is one of the Energising Education Programme Phase 1 university projects that will deliver clean and sustainable energy to nine federal universities and one university teaching hospital, using solar hybrid and/or gas-fired captive power plants.

    Among the dignitaries present at the unveiling ceremony were representatives of Chancellor of the institution and Alake of Egba land, Oba Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo , former governor of Ebonyi State, Chief Martins Elechi, politicians, law enforcement agencies and traditional rulers among others.

    The multi-million naira solar  power plant under EPP boasts state-of-the-art facilities such as  2.8MW  first solar hybrid power plant, 8 MWH  capacity battery bank, inverters and power panel, world-class training centre and transformers is the outcome of collaboration between the Rural Electrification Agency, Ministry of Power, Works and Housing, the Federal Ministry of Environment, the National Universities Commission, and executed by Sterling and Wilson, a solutions and services provider noted for provision of quality business solutions for solar, wind energy, transmission and distribution, hybrid energy storage and turnkey data centres to organisations across the world.

    Reiterating the Federal Government’s commitment towards bringing positive change to the education system through its Next Level agenda, guest of honour and Vice-President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo (SAN) said  the project would  provide sustainable decentralised energy to the entire campus, improve education and create a better university experience for both students and staff.

    He said: “Gone are the days when students read at night with candles, lanterns and torches. Our young people are willing to learn and they have great aspirations. It is our duty to aid them to accomplish their goals by providing an environment conducive to teaching and learning for them.

    “I am glad to be a part of this great feat. As additional components of this remarkable project, we are also inaugurating a renewables workshop/training centre to promote renewable energy training and installed over 7.5KM of street lighting to enhance security and safety within FUNAI campus.

    “Our students will not only reap the benefits of clean, reliable and affordable electricity, they will also receive hands-on training on renewable energy which can be applied beyond the walls of this university.”

    Commending the Federal Government’s efforts in promoting and encouraging women, Osinbajo praised Damilola Ogunbiyi-led administration at Rural Electrification Agency for initiating female STEM internship under energising education programme.

    “We hope that this experience will inspire them to undertake STEM-related careers, including careers as engineers and project managers. I congratulate all of them on this great achievement.”

    Emphasising the government’s assurance not to rest on its oars until electricity becomes accessible to every Nigerian student, Osinbajo stressed that the multi-beneficial project would last for the next four years as the train of progress moves to Bayero University Kano (BUK), Kano State and Federal University of Petroleum Resources Effurun (FUPRE), Delta State where it would inaugurate another projects over the next couple of months.”

    He commended Damilola Ogunbiyi, who heads the Rural Electrification Agency for her commitment and dynamism.

    In her remarks, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Rural Electrification Agency, Damilola Ogunbiyi said it was a great pleasure to inaugurate the pioneer project under the Energising Education Programme.

    Stating the importance of the project under EEP, Ogunbiyi noted that everyone recognises that the youth are the most important resource for future socio-economic development.  With this in mind and fully aligned with this administration’s Next Level roadmap, President Muhammadu Buhari approved the Energising Education Programme (EEP) which was conceptualised by the immediate past Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola (SAN) in 2016.

    Ogunbiyi said the agency was meant to provide  reliable, affordable and sustainable power to 37 federal universities and seven teaching hospitals through solar hybrid and gas-fired power plant solutions, rehabilitation of existing distribution infrastructure, installation of street lights for illumination and improved security on the campuses of the benefiting universities and construction of training centres to train students on renewable energy technology.

    “The first phase comprises nine federal universities and one teaching hospital, which cut across six geo-political zones of Nigeria. It is fully funded by the Federal Government. This project in FUNAI is the first to be inaugurated.

    “EEP projects in Bayero University, Kano State and Federal University of Petroleum Resources, Effurun, in Delta State, will follow with their inaugurations scheduled for the next couple of months.

    “The project is a testament to this administration’s commitment to increase energy access, promote use of renewable energy solutions, improve the quality of education within secure and safe learning environments, empower female students and create jobs. The solar hybrid power plant being inaugurated has a total installed capacity of 2.8MW, which will result in 8,139,208Ibs of annual carbon dioxide savings.”

    Ogunbiyi thanked the United Kingdom (UK) Department for International Development through its Nigeria Infrastructure Advisory Facility and Policy Development Facility programmes for providing technical assistance in the development and implementation of the EEP,  Sterling and Wilson, and sub-contractors for their dedication and commitment towards the successful implementation of the project, the Vice-Chancellor and his management team for providing support throughout the course of this project,  Board, Management and Zonal Coordinators of the Rural Electrification Agency, for their strategic roles and contributions in making the project a success, National Universities Commission and the President Buhari-led administration for the opportunity to be part of such an impactful and transformational endeavour.”

    Appreciating the Federal Government for locating the project in his state, Ebonyi State Governor Dave Umahi said he was elated and thrilled that this achievement is happening in Ebonyi State.

    “Ebonyi State is committed to ensuring that high quality education is accessible to all – an education that produces driven, skilled and talented professionals that will be the engine for our growth and development. There is no better way to do this than having access to educational facilities powered by reliable clean energy.

    “I assure you that the people of Ebonyi State will do our best to support this project to ensure greater success and sustainability. Its impact goes beyond improving quality of education as it has also provided a total of 108 jobs for those who are indigenous to Ebonyi State and will create more during the operation and maintenance of this project. We look forward to witnessing the Federal Government replicate the project that will improve the quality of education, the economy and lives of Nigerians in other areas,” he said.

    Expressing his institution’s gratitude to the Federal Government for the gesture, FUNAI Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Chinedum  Nwajiuba said it was a privilege that FUNAI is one of the flagship learning institutions paving the way.

    “You may be unaware, but Ebonyi State used to be among one of the educationally disadvantaged states.  But over the past eight years since the establishment of this university, we have grown by leaps and bounds. We have developed a learning and research centre that offers students the latest in computer technology, new library facilities and a sports village.

    “We are also the first to have solar hybrid power plant to be inaugurated at a Federal University in Nigeria in addition to a renewable energy workshop/training centre and streetlights across the entire university,” he stated.

    Corroborating the views of others, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education Sonny Echono said, ”Good education has the power to change life. Education empowers minds to be able to conceive good thoughts and ideas. Combined with technologies that continue to develop at breakneck speed, the result is a world that has the want and the means to learn at scale.

    “The challenge, therefore, is not just about providing access to education, but also ensuring progress in improving the quality thereof. This is why the Ministry of Education is so enthused by the success of this project. Not only does the project mean that students can now enjoy reliable and clean power, they are also afforded the opportunity to further their professional development by participating in real-life type work activities in the workshop/training centre.

    The Head, Special Project, Rural Electrification Project, Anita Otubu thanked  President Buhari  and his Vice, Prof. Osinbajo for their zeal and commitment to increase electricity access and improve the quality of university education in the country.”

    For Kalu Oluchi, a 200 level Agriculture undergraduate and Ogah Affiong, a 300 level Mechatronics undergraduate who were among the 20 all-female STEM participants who received certificates of completion for renewable energy training, it was a wonderful experience. Kalu said: “As an agriculturist, my participation in the programme was an eye opener as it has broadened my horizon. I think I have ventured into another area. I see my future in the energy sector.”

    Ogah said, “This programme is first of its kind in any university in Nigeria. It has been a wonderful experience. I got some knowledge about how solar energy operates. I see myself tilting my career towards the energy sector.”

  • What the hell is Obaseki thinking?

    In recent weeks the national media has been overspread with strange happenings from Edo State, where a protégé – Governor Godwin Obaseki, has been at daggers-drawn with his political mentor, the former governor of the state and national chairman of APC, Adams Oshiomhole.

    When rumours of a rift between the two personalities began just before the primary election season in 2018, many observers silently dismissed them as attempts by interlopers to cause disaffection between the pair. It was the bizarre set of shambolic events leading up to the purported inauguration of the Edo State House of Assembly in June that finally announced to the world that indeed, ‘a handshake had gone beyond the elbow’.

    What could have caused such a glaring breach? Many well-wishers of the pair wondered. Then appeared Governor Obaseki in a press conference to imply that he wanted to sack some kind of ad-hoc staff and Oshiomhole disapproved and that Oshiomhole did not consult him before appointing Edo State indigenes into federal positions etc.

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    That was the beginning of my disappointment with Governor Obaseki. His statements exposed his political naivety and a fledgling ego. I was in Benin-City at the beginning of the campaigns that elevated him to the Edo State governorship, and after hearing him speak at a rally, one of my friends dismissed his viability as a governorship candidate. But I explained to him that Obaseki was an invaluable administrative genius who helped Oshiomhole resurrect Edo State from the economic and infrastructural miasma of the PDP years, and propelled it into a shining example of prudence and effective governance. I assured him that Oshiomhole would handle the political work and when the time came for the governing of the state, Obaseki would shine effortlessly. And from afar, in the past three years, I have watched closely as my prediction unfolded. Governor Obaseki has been, in my reckoning, an excellent administrator. He has accelerated the pace of infrastructural development in Edo State

    However, Comrade Adams did not retire from politics. He was actually promoted to the national chairmanship of the ruling APC, the platform through which Obaseki became governor of Edo State. And this is where Governor Obaseki got it horribly wrong. Here is a governor who has powers to make over 3000 appointments of his own – secretary to the state government, chief of staff, commissioners, heads of agencies, permanent secretaries, advisers, assistants etc, complaining that he wasn’t allowed to make federal  appointments. Wouldn’t you consider this to be akin to a man in possession of fresh elephant carcass, yet scratching holes in search of crickets for food?

    On the issue of the inauguration of the Edo State House of Assembly and election of its principal officers, Governor Obaseki’s political naivety is even more alarming. As explained earlier, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole is not a retired politician, but in fact, now occupies what might be regarded as a higher political position. So, the same way Obaseki was helped into the governorship by Oshiomhole, many teething politicians in Edo State would still consult him for the advancement of their careers. So if Oshiomhole happened to have thrown his support behind a particular legislator for the speakership of Edo State House of Assembly, I expected Governor Obaseki to concede to him as his political leader. But if Governor Obaseki decides to exercise his prerogative to support another candidate, who can blame him, it is after all, a free democracy we practice. But what is an outrage, a grievous insult to Oshiomhole, a desecration of the democracy that we practice and a slap on the face of APC as a political party, is the attempt by Obaseki to illegally and immorally force nine members of the Edo State House of Assembly to rule as majority over the remaining 16 members. This attempt has already laid bare Governor Obaseki’s moral weakness to the disappointment of many admirers of his, like my humble self. I suspect he has opened his ears to too many court jesters and sycophants, who have whispered the value of power to him and bandied gossips of possible impeachment against him. I think Oshiomhole, more than anybody else, comprehends the full administrative genius of Obaseki. Why else did he employ him and did so much to have him elected as governor? I don’t think he would support such a digression so long as Obaseki is not precipitating a crisis that would benefit PDP in Edo State.

    Even at this stage, it is not too late for Governor Obaseki to pause and reflect, cease his embarrassing childish whining and vituperations and without further delay, bring back democracy to Edo State House of Assembly, concentrate on the fundamental objectives of his governorship and prepare for re-election to extend the good times for the people of Edo State.   To continue on his current intransigence is to obscure his mastery of administration and gorge the public with the notion that he is a political simpleton and a moral pretender.

     

    • Ibe writes from from Abuja.

  • Tolaram group launches fruit drink

    Tolaram Group has made its entry into the fruit drink market with the launch of “GoodLife Magik” fruit drink.

    Tolaram Group is one of the largest conglomerates in West Africa, which has over the years laid an indelible footprint especially in the Nigerian landscape with the introduction of numerous successful brands.

    The company’s latest brand, GoodLife Magik, is a healthy fruit drink that rides on three unique selling propositions of “Healthy, Nutritious and Great Taste”.

    The fruit drink is targeted at children who require all the beneficial nutrients they can get, to grow and function optimally.

    The brand comes in three variants: Orange, Watermelon & Mango and is fortified with key nutrients such as Vitamin-C and Glucose that improve immunity and give energy.

    The new product offers a great natural taste and comes in unique and attractive packaging.

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    Tolaram Group Managing Director Chief Harkishin Aswani assured Nigerians that the company will continue to maintain the reputation of unwavering quality which the group has established over the years.

    “Tolaram Group is one of the largest manufacturers in Nigeria and the group has consistently produced strong household brands keeping in mind the consumers’ needs. Keeping the same philosophy of being consumer-centric, we hope that this new addition to the group will create another success story,” he said.

    Aswani, however, appealed to Nigerians to continue supporting the group as it grows, while assuring them of its commitment towards creating another Nigerian success story with the GoodLife Magik fruit drink brand.

    Wife of Ogun State Governor, Mrs. Bamidele Abiodun, who was special guest, praised the group for its efforts in putting smiles on the faces of Nigerians through the introduction of numerous brands which have over the years expanded so large and are actively topping the charts in their respective categories.

    “There is hardly anyone in this hall who has never consumed the Indomie brand,” she said, describing it as an evidence of a brand’s success.

    “It must also be mentioned that the Tolaram Group’s marketing doggedness and product innovation culture is quite admirable and strong, hence, I am confident that this latest addition; GoodLife Magik fruit drink will also grow big and perform well in the Nigerian market just like the rest of the brands from the group “ Bamidele said.

    Also speaking at the launch in Lagos, during the week, President, Nutrition Society of Nigeria, Dr. Bartholomew Brai, said: “We are excited to be a part of the launch of the GoodLife Magik, which has come with the proposition of healthy nutrition for Nigerians.

    “Nutrition Society of Nigeria has always been in support of the Tolaram group brands not because of their market dominance, but because they have consistently demonstrated interest towards the promotion of health.

    “We are always happy and open to support any brand that promises to promote healthy nutrition which is what the society largely stands for.”

    GoodLife Magik is being manufactured by Tolaram Nutri Beverages Ltd under the Tolaram Group. It is a healthy fruit drink which has just been launched into the Nigerian beverage segment.

  • Forensics on Nigeria’s football fortunes

    Nigerian football analysts and enthusiasts fondly return to the proverbial drawing board after major tournaments. The last successive months have seen the Flying Eagles, Super Falcons and the Super Eagles participate in international competitions all with not too impressive outcomes. I use this medium to ink my own graffiti on that drawing board, if one can still find space there.

    Let me begin even before any of these competitions kicked off. A few hours before the Flying Eagles jetted off for the FIFA U-20 World Cup, I was engaged with a sports journalist on radio who argued that the bane of Nigerian football is our lack of continuity. He maintained that because we don’t have a habit of promoting our players collectively from the age-grade competitions to the senior teams, we weren’t getting the best from our football. I disagreed with him. I claimed that we can’t keep mediocrity in the name of continuity. I referred to players that end up losing their forms, players that were earlier dropped later upping up their games to displace those that made it ahead of them, players that decide to take up other interests in life, injuries, and not to talk of age fraud that tells on them later. Summary of what I was telling the guy in the studio was that all over the world, promotion is not a right, teams and individual players must earn it.

    Anyway, the Flying Eagles gave an uninspiring performance during their short stay in Poland and not surprisingly, loud calls for them to be disbanded resounded. I couldn’t get back to my radio pal but I wondered whether he stood his ground that those boys be kept together and groomed to the immediate rung above them or he joined the majority that wanted them dispersed.

    More important is not whether we want a poor team disbanded or a good team upgraded but what exactly we want from our football. How do we measure a good team? Is it winning or pattern of play or both?

    Aside just being a nursery from which players for the senior national teams are recruited, embryotic teams should reflect the football philosophy of the nation. It is at these lower cadres that our football language, style, pattern and ideology is being shaped. Of course, results and entertainment will never be ruled out, but those indices are what we should look out for in age grade teams.

    What this means is that the Nigerian Football Federation must be deliberate, through its technical department, in the formulation of a football philosophy tailored to our temperaments, resources, strengths, weaknesses and aspirations. This programme, which will be subject to periodic reviews, will be similar to what the Ministry of Education does with schools’ curricula. This developed football blueprint will then be sent to football academies (which should be run formally and must all be affiliated to the football authorities). This also entails the training of pedagogues who should be the propagators by practicalizing them in their various primary postings.

    By the way, we should reconsider the habit of promoting the coaches of successful age grade teams to the next level. That a coach won the under 17 World Cup doesn’t mean he should automatically be the coach of the same squad at the under 21 level. That’s like saying our primary four teacher should be our primary five teacher because we all passed our exams. Life doesn’t always follow such linear paths. Some pedagogues are specialized in nurturing juveniles to maturity and should be given all the encouragement they deserve so as not find fulfillment only in “promotions”.

    Next is the Super Falcons. Despite being part of every Women’s World Cup since its inception in 1991 and pioneers of the women’s game on the continent, Nigeria still attends every Mundial with the disposition of a debutant and has seen its dominance in Africa clipped. Is it not worrying that nations that just began female football less than a decade ago like Netherlands, Italy, Japan and even South Africa and Equatorial Guinea have practically overtaken us or at least muscling shoulders with us?

    Women football in Nigeria, notwithstanding its overwhelming successes in the African Women Cup of Nations, has suffered locally. If we were a serious nation, the Nigeria Women Premier League should have been not only a reference point but a hub for young girls in the continent to ply their trade but alas, the league is comatose. How then do we expect to sustain our African dominance or push the envelope at the global stage?

    Aside placing women football in the back burner, football authorities have continued to take missteps in the development and franchising of the game. For instance, the South-south region remains the centre of gravity for the women’s game in the country, but whether by commission or omission, NFF continues to stage showpiece matches like their qualifying matches and Federation (FA) Cup finals for women outside the region. This practice has seen such matches played on scanty stands without TV coverage thereby making it unattractive to would-be sponsors and commercial partners.

    Another misstep is the attempt to host the FIFA under 20 Women’s World Cup next year. First of all, nobody wants to host it and secondly age grade World Cups often come without economic benefits. Why don’t we invest in the development of the domestic game for the profit of our girls instead of hosting a cosmetic party for outsiders?

    Now to the biggest masquerade: the Super Eagles. From the less convincing squad selected for the Nations Cup in Egypt, to the recurring errors that befall us in major tournaments, the national team is definitely punching below its weight. With an enviable pedigree and population size, setting a semi-final target for the national team in an AFCON is nothing but a pedestrian mark.

    There are of course other things to talk about the national teams but let me zero in on owed allowances which is a negative that tends to undo all the hard work. The Flying Eagles and the Super Falcons refused to leave their hotels in Poland and France after their exits from their respective World Cups while the Super Eagles snubbed a training session during their stay in Egypt as a way of handcuffing the authorities for their pay. Absurdly, the leadership of the NFF has been self-congratulatory on its attraction of sponsors, commercial partners and other monies yet when it is time to pay these players, they give excuses. This should not be so. All contractual agreements with the players must be timely obeyed.

     

    • Okunfolami sent this piece from Festac, Lagos.

  • Agenda for NHIS chief

    After being bogged down in controversies that led to the sack of its management and board, the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) now has Prof. Mohammed Sambo as its executive secretary. Vincent Ikuomola writes on how the new leadership can reposition the scheme for optimum performance.

    After about four years leadership crisis, the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) now has an Executive Secretary (ES), Prof. Mohammed Sambo,  who was appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari about a month ago.

    The agency had been riddled with crisis in the past two years, leading to the suspension of Prof. Usman Yusuf as ES over allegations of misconduct. Since its establishment 20 years ago, the agency has had 10 chief executives. Apart from the first ES, who completed his term, others were eased out, no thanks to allegations.

    Thus, the agency has had an acting ES and a director who steered the ship of the health insurance agency. The new ES, who has since assumed office, has unveiled his three-point agenda on how to move the scheme forward. Sambo, a professor of Health Policy and Management, has a huge academic and operational interest in healthcare financing, making him a perfect fit for the job.

    As an academic and technocrat, his emergence was greeted with excitement, being a seasoned round peg in a round hole, whose arrival at the critical moment in the agency’s chequered history is expected to redefine health insurance  and quicken the pace towards universal health coverage.

    For the period the crisis lasted, the agency became a theatre of war. On one hand, the governing board was at loggerheads with the ES over the scheme’s budget, which was said to be bloated, among other issues.

    On the other hand, workers of the agency were divided into two camps, one supporting the ES and the other supporting the board. So, the news of Sambo’s coming, who was among the pioneer staff members of NHIS, was welcomed, especially by those who have been following the activities of the scheme.

    Stakeholders in the health sector see the coming of Sambo as a big relief, since it can end the crisis that has become synonymous with the agency. Many expect the agency to rise from its slumber and do what it is created for, if the country is to ever achieve universal health coverage (UHC). And in doing this, stakeholders are of the opinion that the scheme has to start executing its regulatory mandate.

    It is also expected that the new ES, with his vast experience, should be able to help the scheme to standardise operations of the health maintenance organisations (HMOs) and the healthcare providers to ensure that Nigerians have health insurance.

    Mr. Theophilus Egwudah, vice chairman, Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (NHIS Chapter), described the appointment of Sambo as a right step in the right direction. He hinged his optimism on the fact that the new ES has seen it all, especially as he was part of the agency at inception and played a great role at the formation stage; hence, there can never be any better person to pilot the agency’s affairs.

    To the workforce, it is a light at the end of the tunnel as the union leader said Sambo’s coming marks the end of nepotism in the agency. “We can now see light at the end of the tunnel, especially an academic who has experience in healthcare financing. Nepotism and religion shouldn’t be his weaknesses like others,” he said.

    For enrollees, the agency must be made to work as they could not be allowed to be at the mercy of healthcare providers, and this could only be achieved if NHIS lived up to its billing as a regulator.

    According to many enrollees, the agency has neglected its monitoring and regulatory responsibilities and this, they claimed, was responsible for the shabby treatment being melted out to them in some health facilities. Besides, the enrollees want the new ES to update health facilities to ensure that accredited hospitals were not lacking in standards.

    They said the agency should work out a payment settlement scheme that would not disturb the provision of services at health facilities, since the government is mandated to pay the premium.

    An enrollee, Mr. Godwin Garuba, said consultancy is the only service he enjoys from his healthcare facility, lamenting that he is asked to get his drugs outside his healthcare provider.

    He said: “The only thing I benefit from my NHIS is the consultancy as there is always no availability of drugs even for malaria.” Not knowing who to blame for this, Garuba said the new ES should look into availability of drugs and   the quality of drugs in accredited healthcare providers.

    On the part of the HMOs, Dr. Lekan Ewenla, managing director and chief executive officer, Ultimate Health Management Services, expressed hope that the new ES would focus on actualising the mandate of the agency. He said the focus of the new boss of the agency should be on regaining its regulatory responsibilities to ensure standards for healthcare facilities and also regulation of the HMOs.

    On the expectation of the group, Ewenla said the NHIS was set up as a regulator of health insurance and to accredit HMOs and healthcare facilities.

    “What that means is that HMOs are the drivers of health insurance in Nigeria. So, the NHIS is meant to regulate the operations of the HMOs and that is why whoever is going to run as a health maintenance organisation is expected to get NHIS accreditation before you can operate as HMO. Also, the same goes to healthcare providers or facilities. It is the statutory responsibility of the NHIS as the regulator to accredit service providers. Before now, NHIS has lost focus of its statutory responsibilities. So, what is expected of the ES is to look at the laws establishing the scheme and run by them,” he said.

    Ewenla, also the Public Relations Officer of the HMOs, also identified other challenges bedeviling the agency. According to him, the non-existence of actuarial department in the agency needs to be addressed urgently. The actuarial department, he said, should be saddled with the continuous review of utilisation analysis across the three tiers of healthcare facilities as it will expose them to what percentage of increment should be added to primary health services, secondary and tertiary services.

    He also stated that the actuarial recommended tariff for the public sector scheme is overdue for review, explaining that the review is meant to be carried out every 24 months.

    The HMOs are also expecting the scheme to review the spread of the enrollees across facilities, with the aim of reconfiguring the spread to make tertiary facilities referral centres. “The bulk of enrollees are spread solely across several facilities. So, those facilities with low enrollees are not providing qualitative services. There is a need for the agency to look into the spread of the enrollees and embark on strategic reconfiguration so that the reference centres can play the role of referral centers because the bulk of the enrollees as we speak today are being warehoused by the so-called teaching hospitals that are meant to be referral centres,” he said.

    Another expectation of HMOs is the deploring of information communication technology (ICT) in the agency. This, Ewenla said, was necessary for easy monitoring of activities of other stakeholders to ensure transparency and accountability in services and payment.

    “The implementation of a robust ICT software platform that will mirror the operations of the HMOs and healthcare providers is overdue. That will eliminate HMOs not paying the facilities as at when due. It will also eliminate the health insurance scheme from being manually driven.  NHIS is not meant to be going round the country looking at the books of the HMOs. It can be seen on a screen from the NHIS office. There is fund for that to be done. He needs to look at that, so that he can automate the operations of NHIS,” he said.

    Ewenla urged the new ES to also have an internal check, especially in staff welfare. According to him, “NHIS is meant to be utilising only 10 per cent of the fees for its operations and as at the last check, it is already using about 46 per cent. These are issues he needs to look at. They don’t need that volume of overheads.” On how best to address the mistrust between the HMOs and the agency, Ewenla noted that Sambo needs to use the big stick on any HMO that fails to play by the rules. He said: “I say that any HMO that is found culpable of not remitting should be sanctioned.”

    He advised the new NHIS boss to set a timeline for settlement of services, saying that there is the need for the agency to stipulate clear guidelines and the timeline for the health facilities to send their bills to the HMOs and the timeline for the HMOs to settle those bills.

    “As a matter of fact, there is nothing stopping the critical stakeholders: NHIS, HMOs and healthcare providers looking at a better payment platform agreed for settling of payment for services rendered. This should not be more than 48 hours. So, if HMO is found culpable, it doesn’t require fighting on the pages of newspapers. The agency regulates; once we have strong regulations, everyone falls in line. So, we look forward to a very harmonious working relationship. We have no doubt that the new ES is going to change the narratives of health insurance,” he added.

    The HMOs also want the ES to look into the warehousing of workers’ premium. He explained that the fund is the major cause of its wranglings and the earlier it is removed and warehoused, the better. The fund, he stressed, is responsible for its lack of focus. “Whatever fund is in the custody of NHIS, it should be defined and what should be done with that fund. If there is a need for separate platform to be created for the management of that fund, let the government look into that because what brought about distraction in the operations of NHIS is the warehousing of the Federal Government premium. The premium is not meant to be warehoused or managed by the NHIS, but the moment that fund got to the NHIS, the agency lost its regulatory focus and begun to focus more on funds disbursement and management.

    “So, the government should look at that. For example, NHIS can get 10 percent of its fees for the year. The balance should be warehoused elsewhere. If this is done, there will be sanity,” he said.