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Tag: OLUKOREDE YISHAU

  • Olukorede Yishau’s stunning ‘After The End’ out July 17, 2024

    Olukorede Yishau’s stunning ‘After The End’ out July 17, 2024

    Masobe Books has fixed July 17, 2024, as the publication day for ‘After The End’, the sophomore novel of the Nigerian Prize for Literature nominee, Olukorede S. Yishau.

    The publisher described the novel as a poignant exploration of grief, closure, and the intricacies of life.

    Award-winning novelist and poet Jumoke Verissimo hailed it as “a humane and sympathetic narration of the frailty of human connections.”

    The Nigeria Prize for Literature winner, Jude Idada, sees it as a must-read “riveting tale of love and hate that grips you from the very first line.”

    Yishau’s first novel In The Name of Our Father was nominated for the Nigeria Prize for Literature in 2021.

     Yishau is an award-winning and versatile editor with 23 years of experience. His versatility has seen him winning the prestigious Nigeria Media Merit Awards (NMMA) in varying categories four times and being finalists several other times in beats such as political reporting and business.

    In 2015, he won the NMMA as Columnist of the Year, just a little over a year after his debut as a columnist.

    Read Also: Masobe books acquires Olukorede Yishau’s After The End

    At the tail end of the first term of President Obama, Olukorede was inducted into the U.S. Department of States International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) through which he reported the election that saw Obama being reelected.

    The programme saw him reporting from Wisconsin, Washington DC, Chicago, Milwaukee, and Janesville among others. The experience gave him insights into U.S. local and national politics. Part of the experience made some chapters of his first work of non-fiction titled United Countries of America and Other Travel Tales.

    He has reported from different parts of the globe such as Singapore, China, South Africa, Botswana, Tanzania, Ghana, and the United States.

    Aside from journalism, he is also a creative writer. He is the author of the critically acclaimed novel ‘In the Name of Our Father’. This work has been the subject of graduate and postgraduate theses and earned a nomination for the coveted Nigeria Prize for Literature.

    Yishau’s collection of short stories, ‘Vaults of Secrets’, was published in the last quarter of 2020 in Nigeria and in August 2022 in the UK.

    He worked with two news magazines, The Source and Tell, for about a decade.

    The author, who is the US Bureau Chief for The Nation, writes a column ‘Above Whispers’ every Friday.

  • Masobe books acquires Olukorede Yishau’s After The End

    Masobe books acquires Olukorede Yishau’s After The End

    Masobe Books has announced the acquisition of ‘After The End’, the sophomore novel of the Nigerian Prize for Literature nominee Olukorede S Yishau. 

    The publisher, in a statement, described the novel as “the story of two women linked by a common tragedy. Olukorede depicts, through these women, the ways people cope with grief, the paths to finding closure, and navigating a web of betrayal, racism, and motherhood while grappling with life’s complexities”.

    Yishau’s first novel In The Name of Our Father was nominated for the Nigeria Prize for Literature in 2021.

     Yishau is an award-winning and versatile editor with 23 years experience. His versatility has seen him winning the prestigious Nigeria Media Merit Awards (NMMA) in varying categories four times and being finalists several other times in beats such as political reporting and business. 

    In 2015, he won the NMMA as Columnist of the Year, just a little over a year after his debut as a columnist. 

    At the tail end of the first term of President Obama, Olukorede was inducted into the U.S Department of States International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) through which he reported the election that saw Obama being reelected. The program saw him reporting from Wisconsin, Washington DC, Chicago, Milwaukee and Janesville among others. The experience gave him insights into the U.S local and national politics. Part of the experience makes some chapters of his first work of non-fiction titled United Countries of America and Other Travel Tales. 

    Read Also: A political economy of Olukorede Yishau’s ‘vault of secrets’

    He has reported from different parts of the globe such as Singapore, China, South Africa, Botswana, Tanzania, Ghana, and the United States. 

    Aside journalism, he is also a creative writer. He is the author of the critically-acclaimed novel ‘In  the Name of Our Father’. This work has been the subject of graduate and postgraduate theses and earned a nomination for the coveted The Nigeria Prize for Literature. 

    Yishau’s collection of short stories, ‘Vaults of Secrets’, was published in the last quarter of 2020 in Nigeria and August 2022 in the UK. 

    The author, who is US Bureau Chief  for The Nation, writes a column ‘Above Whispers’ every Friday.

    He worked with two newsmagazines, The Source and Tell, for about a decade.

  • Deliver Us from Evil

    The book In The Name of Our Father is one that has embedded in it, themes peculiar to the Nigerian society. In fact, it is the story of a country lost in the dehumanising regime of a military junta and its struggle to relieve itself from the shackles of dictatorship. Also, it is a tale of pronounced religious hypocrisy, massive corruption and seamless impunity on the part of the ruling class. These gross societal irregularities remain commonplace for a seemingly long period of time, dashing all hopes of redemption until a miracle eventually occurs.

    Set in 1990 Nigeria, it is a period when military autocracy was at its peak, devoid of any atom of human rights’ recognition, talk more of protection. In effect, the majority of the masses were helplessly docile, leaving only a few people – mostly journalists – to challenge the vicious dictators. Allusions are made to the election annulment of 1993 and the resultant violence in major cities across the nation, nonsensical judicial pronouncements made by kangaroo courts and the general violation of human rights.

    Narrated in the first and third person concurrently, the author dexterously blends these two points of views to produce a coherent whole. There are two stories; the one we’re introduced to in the first parts of the book which is concluded in the latter parts and the other which is written by a character in the first. The former is narrated in the first-person narrative while the latter is told in the third person. The dexterity the author applies in narrating these two distinct stories is somewhat outstanding. The main character Justus Omoeko, a radical journalist who is at the vanguard of the movement to oust the “men in khaki” writes a book titled Angels Live in Heavenwhose provocative contents land him in jail. Just as the protagonist in his fictional piece struggles to remain prominent in his dubiously acquired religious position, he literally strives to stay alive.

    In the novella written by Justus, we meet Alani whose story is quite an interesting one. Alani, a pauper who after a double tragedy befall him, concludes that his life has been worthless all along. He goes to meet Pastor David, a dubious pastor, for assistance. In no time, Alani’s fortunes are turned around and soon, he starts to associate with the big wigs in the society. He becomes known as Prophet T. C. Jeremiah and is initiated into The Brotherhood, a cult that has as its members, movers and shakers in different areas of the society. The church rat-turned-prophet holds sway in the religious scene for so long that he even gets the head of state psychologically caged for some time. His monumental progress in such a short period of time is chiefly due to the extreme gullibility of his church members. However, his eventual downfall is as drastic as his initial upsurge.

    Written in a precarious era in the political history of his country, the fearless journalist braves all odds and goes ahead to publish the book, not caring whose ox is gored. In it, a lot of shady practices perpetrated by people from all walks of life, ranging from clergymen, bank executives, to prostitutes are brought to light. We discover that the majority of the people who involve themselves in these dishonourable occupations actually do so as a result of the harsh economic climate, among other reasons. This is found in the character Rebecca who runs away from her abusive father and squats with her friend Georgina, who introduces her to the ignoble profession of prostitution. Rebecca was obviously uninterested, but she has little or no choice, considering the unfriendly economic situation. Unlike Georgina, Rebecca takes utmost precaution in all her dealings and is even saving a huge chunk of the money she gets in order to leave the profession for good and start up a reasonable business someday. Another typical example is Alani, who discards his conscience and integrity and opts to become a fraudulent “man of God” due to his excruciating poverty and forlornness.

    READ ALSO: https://www.thecable.ng/of-power-faith-and-humanity-a-review-of-in-the-name-of-our-father

    At the same time, the author clearly captures one reason for the bastardisation of the political, judicial and religious systems in the country. It is this same reason that is behind the mistrust the public has for elements in these institutions. For instance, after Prophet T.C. Jeremiah brutally kills Hezekiah, a pastor in his church who threatens to jeopardise the former’s image by leaving the church abruptly over suspicions of clerical corruption, the pastor’s wife seeks justice to no avail. This is ensured by The Brotherhood, to whom the desperate “prophet” reports the matter. The statement made by the Cappo of the cult group, “You will only suffer harm if the brotherhood does not exist. Now we shall put heads together and come up with a blueprint of how to put this issue where it truly belongs: the trash can of history”  and the ensuing press conference aimed at correcting the media’s impression on the matter speak volume of how the elites in the society work unanimously for the selfish interests of one another, leaving the common man to rot in penury.

    Returning to the original book, we are exposed to another reality, albeit a not-so-different one. It is one filled with everything associated with the military dictatorship. Arrests are made at will which are swiftly followed by hasty and uncritical trials that result in either illegal incarceration or execution. Freedom of expression becomes a luxury as anything spoken or written against the incumbent government warrants due to punishment. It is in this dilemmatic situation that Justus finds himself. He has to choose between keeping quiet which will aid his safety and performing his duty as a journalist to the detriment of his life.

    As would happen to anyone who the ruling dictatorial government considered a threat, Justus is arrested on a false basis and locked away in a cell. Asides the hasty and inhuman trial conducted by the special military tribunal, proper judicial procedure is not followed before verdicts are given. Thorough investigations into any of the cases are not made as the entire trial lasts for just half an hour. In effect, tendentious judgements are made.

    Interestingly, it is worthy to note that many of the soldiers under the present regime are not happy about the goings-on in the country and the unscrupulous acts they’re made to carry out “in the name of their fathers”, that is superiors. They remain obedient so as not to lose their jobs. This is evident in the placating statements made by the likes of Dr Shagaya, the military doctor who catered for Justus, the military guard at the hospital, Lukman Sadiq’s kind gesture and the friendly soldier in the helicopter.

    In conclusion, the book is a remarkable one as it presents to its readers the many ugly faces of one country and the noble struggles by well-meaning citizens to make it beautiful again. Although the country cannot attain a state of utopia, the struggle to make her better continues and as shown in the book, no matter how long evil thrives, good always prevails.

     

     

  • Angels only live in heaven

    If you have never read an account of the disdainful and appalling events that pervaded the nation during the tyrannical military regime of one the Army Generals in the last decade of the 20th century, In the Name of our Father, Yishau’s debut novel, would be a good start for you. And if you happen to be an ardent lover of good literature coupled with a penchant for history, then you should have a taste of the delicious meal already prepared for your savour by Olukorede Yishau in his ingenious novel.

    In the Name of our Father, is a compelling, appealing, and arresting work of fiction that explores impunity, deceit, deep-seated corruption, in-humanness, endemic and malignant spiritual fraud. Set in the last decade of 20th century Nigeria, It is a work that skillfully amalgamates tainted religious practices, distasteful politics, and the quest for justice through uncompromising journalism. The novel uncovers a number of malevolent societal ills that characterized our nation in recent, lingering past. It also addresses some of the problems plaguing the nation at present.

    Olukorede S. Yishau’s brilliant novel – one which ushered the seasoned journalist into the midst of authors – is written with succinct sentences, compelling dialogues, easily comprehensible words, and fascinating short sentences. His appealing writing style was complemented by his expert use of suspense, and an endearing plot, that keeps readers glued to the book till words on the last page are exhausted.

    I am literally skeptical about summarising the book in this review as I do not wish it to lessen the suspense of all who lay their hands upon this review before getting their hands on the book itself, but I am compelled against my wish to write an overview of the book’s content, as it is a major component of book reviews. I am, however, solaced by the fact that regardless of the summary, the book will remain appealing to any category of readers. After reading a few pages of the book, I became literally enraptured and I stayed glued to the end – it was simply not droppable.

    In the Name of our Father tells tales of a country’s despicable state of moral, and ethical rottenness. It is, first, a story of Prophet T. C. Jeremiah, initially known as Alani, whose life almost fell apart when the young girl he impregnated died while trying to abort the pregnancy, and he had to escape to his village where he abandoned his family only to discover that another tragedy had struck, his son had died. Deep thoughts about his hitherto miserable life led him to desert his wife and seek help from his friend, Pastor David, who orchestrated his admission into an occult fraternity. He was diabolically empowered by other members of the brotherhood and supported with funds sufficient for him to start up a church of his own. He soon became renown; bedazzling, and bewildering, and bewitching people through working of ostensible miracles. He got the money he sought with desperation, and swiftly developed a pendant for evil just to retain his powers; but his personal life was a mess, aggravated by his wife inability to conceive. His dubious means were soon exposed; though, it only served as a little detour to him, nevertheless, he deservedly met his waterloo.

    The re-introduction of Omoeko following the madness of Prophet Jeremiah  emphasized the importance of the prologue because it became clear that the prophet’s tale was a witty arrangement by the author to bring us into Justus Omoeko’s novella titled, “Angels Live In Heaven.” Thereafter, the novel became a story of Justus Omoeko, a gallant journalist and aspiring novelist who, just like Olukorede S. Yishau, decided, against all unfavourable odds, that he would get his novella published even if it would mean upsetting and enraging unscrupulous, towering personalities – to him and many other aboveboard persons like him, that might be the price for a change for the better. He experienced gruesome treatments in the hands of the tyrannical government in charge at the time.

    The book is also a skillful fictional delineation of some characters that had existed in real life in time past. Gen Sani Idoti is an example of such characters. This made the author’s narrative of certain events in the book seems to me – perhaps because I have had the opportunity to read other works about some of these events – as one who is writing out of the experiences rather than mere conjectures.

    Olukorede S. Yishau’s occupation as an associate editor for one of the nation’s top dailies, coupled with being a top columnist and a devout Christian, essentially passes him fit as one of the right men to touch provocative issues like the ones he addressed in his debut novel. His towering intelligence uncovers itself in the lovely and unique way in which the story in Omoeko’s novella, which he was threatened against publishing in the novel’s special prologue (prologue to storm), was amalgamated with the narration of Omoeko’s unsavory predicament – a tale in another tale. This display of ingenuity made the literature even more interesting.

    Olukorede’s debut novel is unlike others books – whose names I will deliberately avoid mentioning in a bid to avoid defamation of any sort – on similar subject matters whose authors advertently or inadvertently chokes the truth they intend to present unclad to their readers with an overdoes of fiction. He, Yishau, depicted historical events and conventional happenings in this nation deftly using fictional characters without losing touch with reality, that is, making it as realistic as possible – and that deserves an ovation.

    In the Name of our Father is no doubt a beautiful read for all; though, it is similarly without doubt that it will not go down well with the perpetrators of the sleazy acts he exposed in his book. His literature, written without mincing words, could be describe as a silhouette of the disdainful, distasteful, repugnant, and contemptuous acts that characterizes almost, if not all, Nigerian society.

    A careful reader, after a profound and captivating perusal of In the Name of our Father, will discover that the author profoundly sutured a tale of unrestrained love for the things of the world (as the Christians would say), and inordinate affection for power. It is must read for all who wishes – despite the significant number of treatise on similar subject matters – to see the ugliness of our nation in a new light, a peculiar light. Olukorede S. Yishau’s auspicious voyage into the literary world as a novelist and author is destined for a breakthrough, I strongly believe.

    Only a few things delights more than seeing an author achieve most, if not all, of his aims of writing a book. Literary greats like the late Prof. Chinua Achebe have done this on several occasions. He, Yishau, also did it with his book because he proved that indeed angels, truly, only live in heaven.

  • The Nation’s Associate Editor donates books to MAPOLY

    A prolific writer, journalist and Associate Editor with The Nation, Mr Olukorede Yishau, has donated 40 copies of his novel titled: In the Name of Our Father, to the Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta, Ogun State.

    The books were presented to the Rector, Dr Samson Odedina, at the Ogere Campus, Abeokuta, by the author’s representative, Ernest Nwokolo who. The Nation’s Correspondent in sthetate.

    Odedina hailed the courage, diligence, skill and commitment of Yishau that crystalised into the writing of the novel, saying it was worthy of emulation by aspiring and budding writers.

    The Rector, who was represented by the institution’s Registrar, Mr. Emmanuel Adeleye, also expressed the polytechnic’s gratitude to the author for the donation, praying that God would grant him more wisdom and strength to keep writing for the intellectual nourishment of the present and future generations of Nigerians.

    He assured that the institution, staff and students would make judicious use of the book.

  • In the Name of Our Father: A clever rendition of politics, religion and journalism

    In the Name of Our Father: A clever rendition of politics, religion and journalism

    Ever since the commencement of the transitional government, following the sudden demise of General Sani Abacha, a surge of a new form of liberation has made its way into the art and literature of the country, Nigeria as authors put into words, the horrific incidences that pervaded the nation during the dictator’s military rule.

    These recounts have been done in factual, fictional and even factional fashions; and in response, critics and scholars have in turn risen to the challenge of critiquing and analysing these works to reveal the beauty of writing and the artistic idiosyncrasies of the writers, but most importantly, the experiences during this dark time in the history of the country.

    Olukorede Yishau’s In the Name of our Father, is not just another addition to this collection, especially after about a decade of this occurrence when one could easily conclude that all there is has been written about this epoch. Rather, his is a clever rendition of a combination of politics, religion and journalism and his characterization is a central tool in the projection of this connection.

    To achieve his combination of these three areas, the debutant author tells the tale through Justus Omoeko, Prophet T.C. Jeremiah and General Sani Idoti – the journalist, prophet and head of state respectively.

    The prophet, having been pauperized for a major part of his early adult life, rises to wealth and stays there through unholy activities in his practice of “the work of God” (p.30). His members are held under the intensity of the move of the spirit and the diverse workings of miracles. Soon, his façade is threatened to be blown off by a couple of upright people who get wind of his dubiousness; however, these threats do not deter him as he gets an opportunity to liaise with the Father above for the country’s number one citizen – the head of state, General Sani Idoti whose political and dictatorial hold over the country is also being threatened by those around him.

    Justus, another major character, is a journalist in the middle of publishing a novella which is attracting more negative vibes than he would appreciate, however, he is determined to stay firm in the face of these negativities. When it seems things could get no more worst, his love-life comes crashing at his feet and he loses things that he never knew meant so much to him. Through these three major characters, Yishau engenders a tripod connection among politics, religion and journalism, although, Justus’ connection with the other two characters is withheld in suspense till much later in the novel.

    The characters are not merely so, they are historical figures through whom the political history of the country is recounted in a fictional manner, although, important events are retained such as the Ife-Modakeke and the Warri crises. These events are not just mentioned, but are employed as a window into the past occurrences of the nation – Nigeria. Also, the characters are used to project some of the vices that pervade the society and they are made to face the punishment for their activities while virtuous people as well as their virtues are extolled and upheld.

    For instance, Georgina and Rebecca prostitute themselves to make a living; however, Rebecca opts for a better life as soon as the opportunity comes along but Georgina refuses and her next attempt at an abortion deals her a fatal blow. Other of such vices in the novel include blackmail, deception, lust, infidelity, fetishness and so on. Such virtues projected in the novel include determination, sacrificial assistance, love and so on.

    The author’s partial narration of the work in first person point of view gives a notion of real-life events and characters. One is tempted to conclude that the narration is partly the author’s experience because of the core similarities between him and one of the major characters, as well as the occurrence of one of the characters’ name on the dedication page of the book. Also, there is a subtle revelation of who some of the characters represent in the real world through a stylistic and creative distortion of the names, so that a careful observation of these names reveals who they really are. A good example is General Sani Abacha who is represented by General Sani Idoti; a reader familiar with the Yoruba language will easily connect the dots between the two names; however, non-Yoruba-comprehending readers may be at a loss. This corroborates the fact that the novel is set in General Sani Abacha’s regime in Nigeria.

    The chronological plot is structured into sections whose titles give a hint of what to expect; these section titles include – Gathering Storm, Harbinger of Storm and the Storm. Inside these sections are also titled chapters that foreshadow the content of each; in all, they culminate into a complete and enriching whole. Also, using situational irony, the author utilises the law of karma to punish a character, Alani, for subtly convincing his girlfriend to committing an abortion which resonates into other calamities for the young girl’s family. Perhaps, his refusal to own up to the incident sealed his fate.

    To achieve the punishment of Alani’s crime, Yishau involves such other characters as Lekan, Rebecca and Nkechi. Hence, majority of the characters are instrumental to the punishment of one or another’s vice, while those who portray virtues are also compensated.

    The language of the novel is simple and straightforward; it is spotted with allusions to the Bible especially at the beginning, and one of the very first instances of this is found in the prologue when Justus describes his profession as “beautiful and marvelous in [his] sight, but without form and void”.

    These allusions do not come as a surprise or a shock to the reader because the title of the book itself is a peek of the religiosity of the text as it is a prelude to a prayer said by a Christian. The picture of a rosary that captures the cover page corroborates this assertion. Holistically, the author has provided a recount of corruption, not only in government but also in religion, particularly Christianity, and within organisations and among individuals who in fact, are the ones who come together to form these organisations.

    As much as the author attempts a front of punishing offenders, many of the vices, especially by some minor characters do not attract any rebuke while some virtuous ones seem overly so, almost to the point of sainthood. Hence, this creates a sharp binary characterization which is not very representative of the real world. Also, as encapsulating as the title is, it has an intense link with only a two-third of the content of book while the last portion is not directly linked with it.

    Considering the foregoing therefore, In the Name of our Father is highly recommended to students of Nigerian literature, history and religion and every person in the school of life.
    … Okhuosi is a lecturer at the Department of English, University of Ibadan, Ibadan

  • In the name of our father: A bird eye view

    In the name of our father: A bird eye view

    For those who are not writers, lovers of literature or those who are not inclined to read novels beyond the surface, the debutant work of excellent journalist and Associate Editor with The Nation newspaper, Olukorede Yishau, titled in the Name of Our Father may be mistaken in its entity for the story of a fake prophet, a diabolical man and murderer who sees the calling into the vineyard of God as meal ticket and a means to end his poverty problem once and for all.

    But Yishau is a clever man. He has managed to sell the story as a call out to the shenanigans parading our religious circles. At the same time, closely woven at the beginning and ending of the story beside the story of the Prophet T.C Jeremiah, is the tragedy of Justus Omoeko, an idealist, moralist and uncompromising journalist, who realised much too late that his society is not ripe for the kind of ideals he propagates.

    Prologues are written for a purpose. They serve as kickers to the main story, but if you are like me, always in a haste to delve into the chapters, you might have missed out on Yishau’s kicker “Prologue to disaster.” It was on these pages three to seven that laid the foundation for the story, here it was that we get to know that Omoeko was the one writing about Prophet Jeremiah and that what we see as In the Name of Our Father, was a clever arrangement by the author to bring us into the just concluded novel of Omoeko titled “ Angels Live In Heaven.”

    Two worlds seen through the eyes of one man but carefully brought together, tying all the loose ends in a paragraph, in a sentence and all making sense. Genius.

    The sudden re-introduction of Omoeko following the madness of the prophet at the end might come as a huge jolt and a disconnect if you did not read the prologue, but actually that is where for me, the story began. A clever but vainly disguised reference to our recent military history, it is a story of the journalist who in my opinion represents a vast number of uncompromising Nigerians who stood against a deadly dictator and who did not soil their conscience at a time peoples’ soul was going to hell.

    The story also brings to our memory -for those old enough to remember those years and a history for those who are not- the terrible past and legacy of one of Nigeria’s most autocratic and sadistic ruler. We were treated to a first-class account of what prison life would have been under the despotic ruler.

    It is however sad to see that much of the conditions described in the prison are unfortunately still with us or they have become worse. Also, the optimism, the hope enthused by Omoeko about the future is now a mirage.

    Reading the enthusiasm of the soldiers, that a better tomorrow beckons once the maximum ruler is out of the picture makes me feel I wasn’t reading about Nigeria, but some far-away country where hope can become a reality. If this book claims anything of a prophecy about the future of Nigeria, in that it failed and we will expect another, a sequel perhaps that will not be so sanguine about the prospects of a failed giant of Africa.

    The author has done us a great favour by writing In the Name of Our Father, in simple, easy to read language. He also related it so well by using contemporary everyday imagery and storyline to convey a very important message that we all feel we are actors in the book and one can pick his or her own roles.

    Take this, for instance: “They bundled me to the car, a 504 salon car. We passed Obalende; we joined the Third Mainland Bridge; and I kept wondering where these people were taking me to. I did not know. But I was sure danger was very close. Not with the kind of thrash Biliaminu had earlier discussed with me.

    “Soon we were on the way to the airport. Could they be taking me to the airport? I asked myself. The only way to be sure was to ask them. But I was not ready to risk another slap again.

    “Time soon clarified the misty circumstance, as the car glided to a halt at the domestic wing of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport. Some soldiers were there waiting. The SSS boys handed me over to them and vamoosed.

    “Thirty minutes later I was on board a presidential jet, it was a very small jet. And I guessed it must be the smallest of all the jets in the presidential fleet. But I did not know where they were taking me to. After about ten minutes of being in the air, the soldier who was sitting close to me started chatting me up.”

    Also, it is easy to assume that the end of Prophet TC Jeremiah was madness and a one-way ticket to the Aro Psychiatric Hospital in Abeokuta. Far from it, the eventual end of the prophet was concealed from us till the very last paragraph of the book. “I also forgave his now pauperised ex-boss, who committed all sorts of atrocities and performed fake miracles in the name of our father-our father in heaven,” Yishau wrote.

    Overall, I think it is two books in one, through the name of our father, we see indeed that angels live in heaven and earth is no abode for the celestial.

     

  • What Buhari has changed in the last 12 months

    What Buhari has changed in the last 12 months

    Have things remained how they were when President Muhammadu Buhari took over about a year ago? Certainly not! Here are what has changed, writes OLUKOREDE YISHAU

    Facts and figures

    N3tr Between June 2015 and April 2016, the Federal Government TSA collection clocked N3trillion.

    40 The number of accounts closed in NNPC to give room for accountability

    60% Port Harcourt and Warri refineries are back in operation with 60 per cent capacity and producing 7 million litres of PMS daily. The Kaduna refinery also resumed production at the end of the April, 2016.

    N689.5billion The amount President Buhari directed the CBN to disburse as bailout to 27 states to pay salaries.

    34,000 The number of ghost workers draining the nation’s resources now expunged from the Federal Civil Service.

    N2.29b The amount the government saves monthly for expunging 34,000 ghost workers from payroll.

    $1m The amount saved as a result of President Buhari’s directive stopping the appointment of a government delegation for pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia

    25 On assumption of office, the President cut down the number of ministries from 42 to 25 to reduce the cost of governance.

    $321m The amount Switzerland will repatriate to Nigeria from the illicitly   acquired wealth of the Gen. Sani Abacha family. 

    N7b The amount recovered as at March by the Presidential Committee set up to probe contracts awarded by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) from 2011 to 2015.

    11,595 The total number of persons rescued by the Nigerian troops during the ongoing operations in the Northaast as at February

    $21m The amount Nigeria has provided to the Task Force since June 2015.

    $5m The support announced in June last year by the U.S. for the fight against the terrorists in the sub-region.

    $40m The amount announced in April 2016 by the U.S. for humanitarian assistance in the sub-region

    $1b The amount being saved annually by the elimination of the Offshore Processing Agreement (OPA) through the introduction of the Direct Sales and Direct Purchase (DSDP) scheme with reputable off-shore refineries

    7m The amount of litres of PMS produced daily by the Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna Refineries

    The report was not just damning. It exposed the country’s nakedness. Titled: “Inside NNPC Oil Sales: A Case for Reform in Nigeria”, it detailed an opaque oil-for-fuel swap agreements, the withholding of an estimated $12.3 billion from the treasury by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and many more.

    Issued by the Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI), the report also showed that in 2013, the treasury got only 58 per cent of the $16.8 billion worth of oil the NNPC voted for its underperforming refineries.

    According to Aaron Sayne, who co-authored the report with Alexandra Gillies and Christina Katsouris, there was too much impunity in the oil sector.

    Sayne said: “Oil sales are Nigeria’s biggest revenue stream, but management has worsened in recent years. By our estimate, just three of the problematic provisions in a single swap contract may have cost the government $381 million, or $16.09 per barrel of oil, in a single year.”

    Gillies added: “The combination of a new government and the current budgetary shortfalls offers Nigeria its best chance in years for overhauling NNPC’s oil sales. The status quo is unaffordable. Everyone from trading companies to Nigerian citizens is waiting to see how the new government will approach these transactions, including the allocation of new export or swap contracts. Our research maps the current state of play, and we suggest what issues reformers in Nigeria ought to urgently address.”

     

    A more transparent NNPC

    The report, which was issued before Muhamamdu Buhari came on board as President, was no hold barred. It urged the President to reverse the trend. So, what has Buhari done in the last one year to redirect the oil sector?

    One of the first steps the administration took was to reconstruct the opaque accounting structure of the NNPC to be more transparent. This led to the closure of more than 40 accounts. Now, NNPC publishes its monthly financial reports. Operational deficits have been reduced by not less than 50 per cent. NNPC outstanding Annual Audits from 2011 to 2014 has been conducted.

    The agency is also undergoing other forms of restructuring that will make it an effective entity. This restructuring, said analysts, leaves room for competition, predictable revenue generation and compliance with global best practices.

    Buhari has also resolved the shadowy oil swap deals that had cost the country billions of dollars and left it at the mercy of a few rich Nigerians. The government has also introduced third party financing to eliminate direct funding of cash calls.  The administration has also renegotiated existing service contracts under Joint Venture and Production sharing contracts (PSC) Operations by about 30 per cent leading to operational efficiency improvements and cost reductions.

    The administration has also eliminated the Offshore Processing Agreement (OPA) through the introduction of the Direct Sales and Direct Purchase (DSDP) scheme with reputable off-shore refineries. This has yielded annual savings of $1 billion.

     

    State of the refineries

    Before the inauguration of the current administration, the Port Harcourt and Warri refineries were dormant. Now, they are back in operation with 60 per cent capacity and producing 7 million litres of PMS daily. The Kaduna refinery also resumed production at the end of the April, 2016.

    Minister of State for Petroleum Dr Ibe Kachiwku said the government was looking at privatising the refineries within 12 months. He said oil giants Agip and Chevron have indicated interest in purchasing two of the refineries.

    “We have gotten commitments from some of the majors. Agip has indicated interest to work with us on Port Harcourt, Chevron on Warri. We are talking to Total on Kaduna,” Kachikwu told Reuters.

    He explained that the government had been able to recover the two critical crude supply pipelines; which were Escravos/Warri and Bonny/Port Harcourt crude supply pipelines.

    Kachikwu said the pipelines were down for six to seven years but had been repaired and were working and supplying crude to the refineries.

    “For the first time, the refineries will get their crude, pay for it; they will sell their products and they will earn the income from that product. And then, they can develop and continue to maintain the refineries even after this intervention is over.

    “Port Harcourt is back in production, Warri is back in production… It is something of joy,” he said.

    Also, Kachikwu said about 25 licences that were given to private operators between 2002 and 2014 to build refinery complexes in Nigeria would be reviewed and inactive ones would be  revoked.

    He said: “The next stage of this is that we are going to look at all the licences that have been given out; some of them were given a window within which to build their refineries and we are going to revoke the ones that were not used.

    “The reason they did not use the licences is that unless the price is right on the outer point, your economics cannot balance. So, no refinery investment in the world comes to a country where there is no liberalisation and it is not just Nigeria because if you don’t liberalise, nobody is going to invest in your refineries.

    “So, that is why they did not, a lot of them thought it was nice to have licences but as soon as you move into the capital market and you do your analysis, you realise this.”

     

    Bailout for states 

    At the time Buhari took over, many states were struggling with arrears of salaries. To alleviate the suffering of Nigerians, the President last September directed the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to disburse N689.5 billion as bailout to 27 states to pay salaries.

     

    And last month, as a way of stimulating the economy and reduce poverty, Buhari approved deferment in the payment of the bailout because states were under the burden of the fall in commodity prices.

     

    Killing the ghosts in civil service

    Every month, the government was losing N2.29b to the payment of more than 34,000 ghost workers. An audit carried out by the Buhari administration revealed this drain and it has since been blocked.

    Finance Minister Mrs Kemi Adeosun said the deploying the Bank Verification Number (BVN) revealed the ghost workers. Initially, 23,000 ghost workers were discovered and less than three weeks later, another 11,000 ghost workers were also discovered on government’s payroll.

     

    TSA and cutting of wastages

    The implementation of the Treasury Single Account (TSA) has provided greater visibility of government revenues and cash flows. Between June 2015 and April 2016, the Federal Government TSA collection stood at N3trillion. This was made possible by Buhari’s directive to Ministries, Departments and Agencies of government to close multiple accounts, thereby plugging loopholes for leakages.

    To save funds, Buhari cancelled government sponsorship of delegation for pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia. Through this, the government says it has saved about $1m and N30m on local expenses.

    To reduce the cost of governance, the President cut down the number of ministries from 42 to 25. Also, the President directed that all top government officials must prioritise foreign travels and use only business class tickets, instead of first class tickets as was previously obtainable.

     

    A war on high pedestal

     The anti-corruption war of the current administration is one thing that is clear to all as one of the things that have changed in the last 12 months. Right from the moment he won the presidential election, Buhari’s no-nonsense and incorruptible mien sent a signal to looters of public funds, with many of them returning funds stolen under the Goodluck Jonathan administration.

    As a way of creating a frame work for prosecuting the war against corruption, Buhari set up an Advisory Committee on War Against Corruption headed by Prof Itse Sagay. The anti-corruption battle has seen several high profile cases going on in the courts. Such cases include the ones against former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) spokesman Olisa Metuh, Daar Communications Chairman Dr Raymond Dokpesi and former Chief of Defence Staff Alex Badeh.

    In March, the Presidential Committee set up to probe contracts awarded by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) from 2011 to 2015 announced the recovery of over N7 billion from indicted companies and individuals.

     

    No longer a pariah state

    Unlike in the past, the international community has warmed up to the Buhari administration in the last twelve months. And Buhari has enlisted the support of multilateral institutions, such as the World Bank and IMF, security agencies, Western countries and other friendly nations to source, locate and repatriate stolen assets.

    At one of his international engagements, specifically the London summit on anti-corruption, Buhari announced that Nigeria would begin the full implementation of the principles of the OPEN contracting data standards.  This was in furtherance of his trips to the Middle East, where he had gone to sensitise the governments on the need to repatriate stolen assets and hand over the looters for trial in Nigeria. In January, Nigeria and UAE signed Judicial Agreements on Extradition, Transfer of Sentenced Persons, Mutual Legal Assistance on Criminal Matters.

    The Federal Government and the Swiss Government in March signed a Letter of Intent on the Restitution of Illegally-Acquired Assets forfeited in Switzerland. Under the agreement, Switzerland will repatriate $321 million illicitly   acquired by the Gen. Sani Abacha family.

     

    Boko Haram: No longer

     the Lord of Sambisa

    The president was aware of the magnitude of the Boko Haram challenge. No wonder one of the first things he changed was the military structure, which led to the relocation of the Nigerian Military Command Centre to Maiduguri in May last year. This has contributed to the success in the fight against insurgency in the Northeast.

    The results are glaring:   Over 11,595 persons have been rescued by the troops, including one of the Chibok schoolgirls- Amina Ali; since last December, all Nigerian territories previously under Boko Haram control have been regained;   Nigeria has provided $21million to the Task Force since June 2015 and is committed to an additional $79m, bringing the total of Nigeria’s commitment to the Task Force to $100 million; and in June 2015, the United States announced a $5-million support for the fight against the terrorists in the sub-region.

    The seriousness with which the administration has pursued the anti-terror war has also led to the U.S government further announcing an additional $40 million for humanitarian assistance in the sub-region

    In May, the country hosted a Regional Security Summit to boost military operations against Boko Haram and forge a global support for the rehabilitation of the IDPs and rebuilding of the North East.

    The government has ensured a cohesive international support in the fight against terrorism and assistance to victims and communities affected by terrorism.

     

    The president also did these

    In April, Buhari ordered the release of 10,000 tons of grains from the National Strategic Grains Reserve to cushion the effect of rising food prices. He also directed the Ministry of Agriculture to provide assistance to able-bodied men and women in IDP camps return to farming.

    The President directed the CBN to clear all the outstanding allowances of former militants studying in various institutions across the world. He salvaged the Amnesty Programme by giving it a new vision of catering for the weak, the poor and the vulnerable, instead of enriching a few.

    Buhari also ordered a fast-track of Ogoni clean-up, acting on a United Nations Environmental Project Report abandoned by the previous administration.

    Special Adviser to the President on Media Femi Adesina said the next one year would bring better goodies for Nigerians. Adesina said the government has laid a proper foundation capable of putting the country on the right footing.