The Nation Newspaper

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  • Foot-dragging

    • Where is the report on Wadume’s escape?

    It is unclear why the Presidency has not acted on the report of the panel set up to probe the killing of three police detectives and a civilian by soldiers of the 93 Battalion of the Nigerian Army, Takum, Taraba State. The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) said the soldiers had opened fire on the officers, who were members of the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) of the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, despite proof that they were on legitimate duty.

    The report is expected to clarify what happened, given the claims and counter-claims that followed the gruesome incident. The exchange of accusations and blame showed the extent of the rivalry and lack of cooperation between the army and the police force. By extension, the incident raised questions about inter-agency cooperation in the country’s security sector.

    The panel instituted by the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Abayomi Olonisakin, submitted its report more than three weeks ago, after a one-week extension to allow it to do a thorough job. The CDS was expected to study the report and make recommendations to the President who would then give directives on implementation of the recommendations. Considering the public outrage at the news of the incident, and the intense public interest in developments related to the incident, this is no time for foot-dragging.

    The police operatives had arrested a wanted suspected kidnapper, Hamisu Wadume , in Ibi, Taraba State, on August 6, and were taking him to Jalingo, the state capital, in a bus, when soldiers at a checkpoint killed them. The police had described the trio of Inspector Mark Ediale, Sergeant Usman Danzumi, and Sergeant Dahiru Musa, as one of the “best and most highly trained IRT teams” in the country.

    In a defensive statement, army spokesperson, Sagir Musa, had described the police operatives as “suspected kidnappers who turned out to be an Intelligence Response Team…on a covert assignment from Abuja.” Musa added that the team refused to stop at military checkpoints. “It was in this process that the suspected kidnappers who were obviously armed opened fire on the troops sporadically thus prompting them to return fire,” he stated.

    Curiously, Wadume escaped and went into hiding. When he was re-arrested in Kano State two weeks later, his account suggested that the killings needed to be investigated to get to the bottom of what went wrong. According to Wadume, “On our way out of Ibi, some soldiers opened fire on the vehicle I was being transported in and killed some police officers. The soldiers then took me to their headquarters and cut off the handcuffs from my hands and set me free. I have been hiding since then until now that the police arrested me again.”

    In a shocking confession, Wadume revealed how he carried out his criminal activities in collaboration with soldiers and policemen, including an army captain who allegedly ordered the attack on the IRT operatives, which led to his escape. Wadume’s damning revelations about his collaborators in the army and the police force exposed the existence of a criminal network that ironically involves those expected to foil criminal activities. The disturbing picture shows how insecurity is fuelled by criminals as well as security personnel who can be bought.

    President Muhammadu Buhari‘s intervention was reassuring. Based on Buhari’s order, the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) set up a Joint Investigative Panel headed by Rear Admiral Ibikunle Olaiya. The panel’s membership, which included high-ranking officers from the police, army, navy, air force, DSS and the Defence Intelligence Agency, reflected the importance of its task.

    The delay in taking action on the panel’s report doesn’t help matters.  Those found guilty of acts of commission, omission or collusion in the tragic Taraba incident should be severely punished without delay.

  • Endless campaign for OTT regulation

    With the deregulation of the telecoms sector about two decades ago came massive investment by telcos on infrastructure. But the rise of platforms that have neither erected a base station, pay taxes to government nor licensed by the government to provide services challenges the bottomline of telcos, writes LUCAS AJANAKU.

    Gbenga Adebayo, an engineer,  is passionate about driving his point home. Leading telecoms carriers in the country as Chairman, Association of Licensed Telecoms Companies of Nigeria (ALTON),  he never fails to push for good health of the industry. Thus, when he spoke at the last Vanguard e-economy forum in Lagos, his position was about the dynamism of the industry and the need for the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to sail with the wind and yet control it.

    His focus was, among others, the need to regulate the activities of Over-The-Top (OTT) players.

    ALTON members include MTN, Globacom, Airtel and 9mobile. Adebayo, in an interview with The Nation, had lamented the high mortality rate of telos. He said the number of operators had dipped by half over the past years because of issues that are not entirely their making.

    What is OTT?

    Online knowledge bank, Wikipedia, explains: “OTT is where a telecoms service provider delivers one or more services across an IP (internet protocol) network. The IP networks is predominantly the public internet, although sometimes telco-run cloud services delivered via a corporation’s existing IP-VPN (virtual private network) from another provider, as opposed to the carrier’s own access network. It embraces a variety of telco services including communications (e.g. voice and messaging), content (e.g. TV and music) and cloud-based (e.g. compute and storage) offerings.”

    It said stimulated by the availability of high performance fixed and mobile broadband networks as well as the rapid adoption of smartphones and tablets, telco-OTT is viewed by a selection of industry analysts and media commentators as the mechanism that mobile network operators need to employ in order to compete with the vast and growing range of OTT services provided by non-telco companies.

    Telco-OTT is a response to the fact that users will have multiple devices (smartphones, laptops or other connected devices such as TVs, games consoles) which almost inevitably will have various different access providers (especially with the growth of public-access Wi-Fi).

    According to Wikipedia, to deliver consistent telco-branded services, at some points at least, they will need to be delivered over third-party access.

    Telcos’ position

    Adebayo said the time had come for the regulator to dump its technology neutral era of licensing, which meant it licences for services and not for technology.

    He said the reality is that technology is driving the market. It is no longer services. There is a need for the regulator to begin to look at issue of regulating technology and not services, he sstressed.

    For example, OTTs, such as YouTube, Facebook, and WhatsApp weren’t part of the core services for which telcos were licensed.

    “Those kind of services have social implication, economic implication, security implication and if they are not licensed, that means they are not regulated and if they are not regulated, there is no limit or scope to what they can do.  And no control over ther services and content they can provide.

    “We are, therefore, saying there is a need for the regulator to begin to look away from the neutrality of technology and technology certification and regulattion than just licensing for service not only because of the social security implication but also because of the economic implication for the operators.

    “Today, more people send WhatsApp messages, they send messages over the social media platforms than they do on the conventional SMS platform.

    “Operators have been licensed to provide voice, SMS and data services for which they are licensed and being charged annual operating levy. OTT don’t have such and there is even loss of revenue to the regulator of the country too because they are not paying for rendering those services.

    “That is why we are saying that our regulator must begin to look away from technology neutrality.”

    Industry’s health

    He said studies and report had shown that in a market as such Nigeria’s, bigger operators survive better than smaller opeartors.

    “When I took up this role as the Chairman of ALTON, there were 35 companies in our group. Today, we are 16, meaning that we have lost half of our members due to problems not of their own making,” he had lamented last year.

    He said the reason for the dip in membership of the group might be forces of competition; market forces; the challenges of investing; it might be access to fund; it might be anti-competitve prices on the part of some of the big players.

    “We just think that studies such as the Study of the Level of Competiton in the Telecoms Industry in Nigeria organised by the NCC should dwell into those areas so that we begin to see the issues leading to the death of telecoms campanies.

    “The challenge we have now with one of the big operator attests to the fact that the industry may not be as healthy as we are thinking and therefore studies such as this are very important first as health check, to see where we are and to see where and how we can further adjust and tune things for a more competitive industry and for a more robust market and for the greater interest of the consumers,” Adebayo said.

    He said while base cost remains, some layers of services are offered to customers at no cost by platforms that do not pay annual operating licence (AOL) fees, have no subscriber data and not subject to lawful interception which telcos are liable to.

    NCC reacts

    Head, Technical Standards and Network Integrity, Bako Wakil, who represented the CEO of NCC, Prof Umar Dambatta, said the regulator is dynamic and had, through the enforcement of co-location, reduced capital expenditure (capex). He also said a framework for active infrastructure sharing was in the works while it is also working on local roaming.

    Way forward

    ALTON urged the NCC to reduce AOL for carriers to shore up revenue loss to OTT.

    Adebayo pushed for cost-based end user call tariff in states across the country. According to him, it is more difficult to do business in some states than the other, stressing that those states with hrash operating environment should pay more.

    He also urged the NCC to mandate the firms to come clean on full disclosure about what the make in the country in terms of revenue.

  • Wharf rats return

    Thirteen years after port concession, the old order appears to be on the horizon with the return of ‘wharf rats’ to the Lagos ports. MUYIWA LUCAS writes

    Last July, members of the Apapa Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) were in happy mood. The Command had intercepted an ambulance loaded with 10 cartons of 225mg Tramadol drugs at the Apapa Port, Lagos, which its Customs Area Controller, Muhammed Abba-Kura, said were worth N59.8 million.

    Besides that the vehicle allegedly belonged to a service provider at the port, more worrisome about the incident was the modus operandi in which the drugs were stolen. “Investigation shows that the Tramadol drugs were pilfered from an undeclared container. Physical examination reveals that 211 cartons of the drugs were missing from the container. The Duty Paid Value (DPV) of the stolen drugs stands at N59.4 million,” Abba-Kura said, adding that the container was neither declared nor positioned for examination; its original seal was broken.

    For stakeholders in the industry, this incident was a confirmation of the return of pilfering of containers and other goods at the port.

    Before the 2006 ports concession, incidents like breaking of containers and other goods by thieves known as “Wharf rats” occurred daily. This was why then, automobiles hardly leave the ports with their music system like CD players, tapes, jack and spare tyres.

    Experts say pilfering and vandalism thrived due to the loose access control mechanism put in place by the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), the government agency in charge of port terminals.

    The situation was so bad that litigation became prevalent between the affected managers of the ports and some importers who threatened court action, if the authorities failed to unmask the perpetrators.

    But following the concession programme, it became the responsibility of some private terminals’ operators to ensure security at the ports.

    This came in several forms like the robust security measures deployed by concessionaires to checkmate indiscriminate access into their terminals through strict access control mechanisms. This measure, in particular, gave port users and importers, rest of mind, ensuring their goods remained intact within the port premises.

    Recently, wharf rats reportedly invaded three terminals almost simultaneously, causing huge loses to importers. A clearing agent, who pleaded for anonymity, explained that containers of vehicles were pilfered at Tin Can port terminal.

    Stakeholders were worried about the development. They argued that, perhaps, there was a need for operators to seek the assistance of other security personnel like the Port Police and NPA security to arrest  the situation.

    For instance, the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) has  called on the NPA, NCS and port concessionaires to address the trend. The union, however, debunk claims that dockworkers were conniving  with some unscrupulous people to vandalise cargoes at the terminals.

    Its President-General, Comrade Adewale Adeyanju, maintained that labour workers at the terminals were well paid and could not be involved in any form of criminal activities at the seaport. Besides, he disclosed that the union had warned dockworkers to desist from physical examination of containers at the seaport, and therefore cannot compromise the union’s integrity.

    Adeyanju called on government agencies at the seaports to investigate the incidents, saying it has sent  negative signals to the international maritime community.

    According to him, there is need for licensed customs agents to manage information sharing  process, saying that pilfering of containers at the terminals can be traced to insiders of the customs, terminals operators and officials of NPA.

    The MWUN leader lamented that dockworkers at the ports had been discharging their duties deligently for over a decade without any cargo vandalism but added that the trend resurface recently.

    He asked: “Dockworkers have been working for years at the ports and nobody has recorded cases of cargo vandalism, so how come the sudden change? We will not accept any accusation from any quarters that dockworkers are part of the people damaging or vandalising containers at the seaports because we are responsible and committed to workers’welfare packages. The clearing agents, canteen boys, Ikelebes all have ideas about information on consignment but the dockworkers have no idea about the vessel, the manifest and what she discharges.’’

    He called on the labour workers to desist from any practice that would tarnish the image of the union, noting: “Anyone who get himself involved in illegal business will cease to be part of the union.”

    Speaking on how to secure containers at the ports, Chairman of the Association of Nigerian Customs License Agents (ANCLA), Tin Can, Chapter, Segun Oduntan, said terminal operators security mechanism was porous.

    According to him, there are standards they are expected to maintain, but they have fallen out of it. There is a standard requirement before you are authorised to manage a terminal because you are the one in charge of people’s goods.

    He added: “Pilfering has happened to me before and since then, what I do is to bring a camera to record all the transactions and make sure that once you start the clearing process, you are the one that will finish it. If somebody starts a job, for instance, if somebody did an examination and he’s not the one taking delivery, by the time the container is tampered with, how will you know?

    “Because after examination, if you use padlock belonging to a particular company to lock my container, I will have the key and by the time I’m taking delivery, I’m supposed to be the one to pass out the container from the gate, I will look at the padlock and if it is not the one I have the key; then, I will raise the alarm before the container leaves the terminal. In that way, the terminal owner can be liable. But once a container has passed out and you discover anything, they will tell you that it is not from the terminal.”

    He continued: “This is the precaution I have to take; it happened to me before and the advice I give to people is that when they do their examination, they should ensure that their boys are the one that start the job and the ones that finish it and make sure they check before your cargo exits the port.”

    Meanwhile, the National President of the National Council of Managing Director Licensed Customs Agents (NCMDLCA), Lucky Amiwero, said the terminal operators are supposed to be securing cargoes and not the NPA having taken over the security of the cargo. He said the cargo is not under NPA anymore.

    “All the cargoes are under terminal operators, who are in charge of the containers and make sure they are properly placed and secured. That is their responsibility, not NPA’s. NPA’s responsibility is to secure the traffic coming in and going out of the ports. But when you talk about cargoes, it is the terminal operators’duty and if there is any fault, the terminal operators are to be held responsible because that cargo is still in their custody. They are holding that cargo in trust for the importers who come in to clear them.”

    According to him, if the cargo is being moved from the terminal to off dock terminal, it is the responsibility of that off dock terminal operator to secure it.

    Said he: “When it comes to cargo responsibility, stealing and the rest;  It is all about terminal operators and  not the NPA’s responsibility to take care of cargoes within their ports. NPA has removed its hands from cargo operations.”

  • King’s College at 110

    • The epitome of educational excellence marches on

    In a nation where far too many vital institutions decay and whither, it is truly gratifying to see that King’s College, Lagos is still going strong, 110 years after its momentous founding in September 1909.

    It is undoubtedly Nigeria’s most famous educational institution, combining privilege, ability, consistency and distinction in a way very few other schools can dare to claim. In an era in which intellectual achievement is regarded with far less awe than hitherto, King’s College is a potent reminder of the supremely transformative capacity of a qualitative education.

    Even in its very origins, King’s College was conceived as a special establishment. The first government-owned secondary school in Nigeria, and originally called King’s School, it was meant to proffer “a higher general education than that supplied by the existing schools, to prepare them for the Matriculation Examination of the University of London and to give a useful course of study to those who intend to qualify for professional life or to enter government or mercantile service.”

    Unlike many missionary schools, King’s College was designed to produce leaders of men from the onset, even within the circumscribed context of colonial Nigeria. Outstanding academic performance was given pride of place with the quick introduction of scholarships and free tuition. Excellence in the classroom was complemented by concrete accomplishments outside it, as seen in the emphasis on good manners, self-control, athletic ability, sportsmanship, team-building and the cultivation of friendships which transcended ethnicity, religion and birth.

    From the 10 pioneer students admitted in 1909, King’s College now has about 3,600 students spread across two campuses in Lagos State. Its extensive alumni which include some of the best-known names in the nation’s history: Sir Adetokunbo Ademola, Chief Simeon Adebo, Chief Odumegwu Ojukwu, Dr. Alex Ekwueme, Dr. Lateef Adegbite, Professor Claude Ake, Professor Sam Akpabot, Professor Ibrahim Gambari, Mr. Adebayo Ogunlesi, Mr. Atedo Peterside and Sanusi Lamido Sanusi are only a fraction of an incredibly impressive list of former students.

    Occupying prominent positions in government, politics, the arts, education, diplomacy, business, sport and the military, the alumni of King’s College have arguably had more influence on the fortunes of Nigeria than those of any other single institution within the education sector or outside it.

    As King’s College prepares for the future, three main problems confront it: space and infrastructural constraints; the challenges of funding its increasingly complex operations; its problematic status as a Unity School and the associated difficulties of governmental oversight.

    These challenges stem from the essential paradox of King’s College as an exclusive public school. As an elite college, it is necessarily exclusive; as a government-owned educational institution, it must be run for the greatest good of the greatest number.

    It is crucial that several fundamental questions must be resolved if the school is to make as much progress in the future as it has made in the past. Should it relocate to a more spacious location elsewhere in Lagos State? Can the student population be reduced to more manageable levels? Should the school be handed over to private management? Should merit constitute the sole criterion of admission?

    As one of 104 Unity Schools, King’s College is compelled to compete with the others for the limited resources provided by the Federal Government. In the 2018 national budget, N52.61 billion was approved, of which N38.79 billion was for recurrent expenditure. Capital expenditure was N13.82 billion; divided equally, each school would get about N132.8 million.

    This is clearly inadequate for a school of the stature of King’s College. The King’s College Old Boys Association (KCOBA), various class sets and the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) have made significant interventions over the years. In 2009, the old boys raised N1 billion to rehabilitate the Lagos Island campus; a target of N10 billion was set for the rehabilitation of both campuses ahead of the 110th anniversary. In addition, individual principals of the school have raised enormous sums from the private sector for the construction of facilities and the provision of equipment.

    Such interventions, however, only emphasise the inadequacy of government ownership and oversight. If King’s College would do better in private hands, it should be let go of, especially since the resources so saved could go to more needy institutions.

    King’s College is a veritable institutional icon. It is a preeminent symbol of Nigerian ability and potential. May the college continue to flourish and be the nation’s hope for light.

  • 25 years of private broadcasting: More owners, less content

    Though Ray Power FM recently rolled out the drums to celebrate its 25 years anniversary, Assistant Editor (Arts) OZOLUA UHAKHEME, examines the high and low points of a sector, which has become the flagship for privatisation enthusiasts

    Has Nigeria gained anything from liberalisation of the media space? Foremost Mass Communication teacher Prof Ralph Akinfeleye says yes and no. For him, while the pluralism of the media ownership has boosted the nation’s profile, it is, however, still a long walk in the dark as far as content is concerned.

    Akinfeleye should know. He is not only a teacher from the nation’s foremost and second generation university, University of Lagos, he is also chairman of the school’s Television (Multimedia and Cinematography) and radio station: UNILAG Radio 103.1FM. He noted that though Nigerian broadcast industry has witnessed steady growth in private ownership in the last 25 years, there is still a huge gap in content.

    “Yes, we have ownership pluralism in … radio but regrettably, we don’t have content pluralism. There are more people owning radio stations but such is at the expense of content. He blamed the regulator – National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) for the shoddy outcome. It appears the NBC over regulates and trades the nation’s air space instead of regulating it. They should understand that the airwave is not for sale,” he said.

    Akinfeleye, a member of the Council of the World Journalism Congress (CWJC), who spoke on Ray Power FM’s 25th anniversary on the radio’s Fact File, stressed that content is key to any meaningful and sustainable radio operations.

    Akinfeleye scored Ray Power FM high as pioneer private radio station in the country, but urged the organisation to work harder to sustain its leadership position.

    “The station had won the NMMA awards one or two times as ‘Radio Station of the Year’. They need to work harder to sustain it because now there is a lot of competition and everyone is working hard to get there. Ray Power FM should invest more on programmes, most especially sports.

    He urged owners of broadcast stations to invest more in the sector, train and retrain their staff to cope with the challenging terrain in broadcasting worldwide. They also need to improve more on their reach, capture more audience and update their equipment.

    “Ray Power FM started well, but there is need for a reorientation, so that the radio station can continue to fend off competition and retain its No. 1 position,” he said, challenging the owners to go back to the drawing board.

    In his assessment of Radio as a Catalyst for Development: The Ray Power Example, NBC’s Director of Monitoring Prof Armstrong Idachaba said NBC is proud of Ray Power, which it nurtured without any regulatory compass.

    He said since the 1990s, NBC has tried to develop appropriate regulatory structures that ensured a level-playing field in radio broadcasting.

    “As a regulator, we are proud that the Ray Power we midwifed and nurtured in the early 1990s have grown … From that one experiment, Nigeria now has over 700 broadcasting stations…these could not have been possible without a creative and development-minded regulator. As regulator, we have enabled a sustainable broadcasting industry in Nigeria. We would not have been able to do that without a level-playing field for operators.

    Group Managing Director of DAAR Communications Tony Akiotu said radio is a very potent vehicle for mass mobilisation. He argued that the advent of community radio stations has increased access to people in different parts of the country, adding that Ray Power FM played a key role in providing a platform for the voiceless by taking radio to the streets.

    Akiotu believed private radio stations have justified the deregulation. He recalled that many people never believed that private radio stations could thrive.

    “In the early 1990s, we were used to working for government stations. In those days, it was easier for the military coup to happen when a radio station is seized by Army boys. But people later realised that with the proliferation of radio stations, it would be a Herculean task for any coup d’état plot to succeed,” he added.

    In terms of employment opportunities, Akiotu said there are thousands of graduates of Mass Communication who could not find employment. “But that vacuum has been filled. Some of us, who have risen to the pinnacle of our career, would probably not have gotten such opportunities. In more ways than one, it provided the much-desired tonic and vehicle for development,” he said.

    Managing Director of Radio Services at DAAR Communications Mr. Ambrose Olutayo Somide described the 25-year journey of Ray Power FM in broadcasting as tough. He said the station has navigated through very turbulent times and conquered the fiercest battles to remain in business.

    He stated that as pioneers in an uncharted territory, it was tough in the early days for people to accept the station. He said independent stations survived by taking on subjects and issues that government owned stations never dared.

    “One major challenge is the cost of operation. For half the 25 years if not more, we have been running on electricity generating sets. There is also the issue of shrinking advertising revenue, among others which have become part of the burden of the station till date,” he said.

    Reacting to questions on whether or not the expectations of the stations had been met at 25, Somide responded, saying: “I should confidently say yes. It has been met. The station was meant to be the voice of the voiceless, to be the platform for alternative views, a platform that would drive the process of change, a platform that would provide quality entertainment and good music and so much more. It has done all of that and more. We have not only become a major voice in Nigeria’s march to democracy, we are a go-to station for news and information.”

    On how the station has met the demands of its audience in these changing times, Somide said such demands required them to invest in technology and capacity building. He identified these as major areas the station has focused on that enabled it to remain market leaders in the changing radio ecosystem of the last two decades, adding that the more ‘we grow, the more we understand the business.’

    “The audience demands a lot especially with the over saturation of the market and multiplicity of channels but the investment in audience research makes responding to such demands easy to deal with,”

    Ray Power FM has proved in its 25 years the importance of radio in shaping the lives of people. Despite frequent power outages hindering the free-flow of information, it has played a major role in providing knowledge and entertainment and building bridges across the country.

    Though the operational licence was given in 1993 following the deregulation in 1992, it started operation in 1994, as the first private radio station in Nigeria. The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) Decree No. 38 of 1992 repealed the provision, which conferred exclusive monopoly of ownership of electronic media on the state. With this, private and independent ownership of electronic media became legalised bringing to an end 60 years of government’s monopoly of broadcasting.

    Ray Power FM blazed 24 hours broadcasting and popularise outside broadcasting, bringing radio to the doorsteps of the people and dishing out entertainment to the delight of yearning listeners. News and information began to be treated in such a way that earn the confidence of the people.  Ray Power’s signal was actually launched on December 15, 1993, while commercial broadcasting commenced on September 1, 1994.

  • Smile’s customers get SMIFI, router

    4G LTE pioneer service provider in West Africa, Smile Nigeria, has unveiled a campaign designed to give brand new SMIFI and Router devices to its loyal customers.

    The offer is for customers that have spent a minimum of 12 months on its network.

    Its Head of Brands and Communication, Lotanna Anajemba, said to be qualified, customers who have spent the required minimum also must have good data usage history and  bring their old SMiFi or Router device in exchange for the new device.

    Anajemba said eligible customers could only benefit from the offer once a year and would need to update their Know Your Customer (KYC) record with Smile to enable them get notification for the offer. The lucky customers will be contacted via SMS and email and requested to visit their nearest Smile shop or kiosk nationwide to claim their new device.

    An aspect of the programme is that it offers the customer a router or SMiFi device at no extra cost. However, customers will have to trade in their old device for the new one. It primarily rewards loyalty and is available in all the major cities in which Smile operates.

    “We recognise that the internet is becoming more and more important for nearly everybody in their everyday lives, and as such, it is our goal to enable as many people as possible to enjoy the best customer experience on the Smile network,” Anajemba said.

    A cross section of keen industry watchers said the new offer would help customers to become owners of brand new SMIFI or router device. They said the offer is part of Smile’s objective to deepen internet access by delighting customers and attracting new prospects alike.

    Smile’s effort to get more people on to the internet is demonstrated by its aggressive investment in what is now about the largest 4G LTE network, introduction of a wide and affordable bundle portfolio, affordable data enabled devices and now this exciting offer. This latest offer aligns with its commitment to creating a differentiated value proposition and provide customer centric services, which are aimed at adding unrivalled benefits to its teeming customers spread across major cities and towns in the country.

    More than anything else, the new offer meets with Smile’s position as the broadband provider of choice in Nigeria that enables its customers to do and achieve more.

  • On the Next Level cabinet

    SIR: Nigerians and political observers were understandably concerned about the snail-speed process of cabinet ‘construction’, because of the myriad of challenges – economic, social, political and security – facing the nation. In his first coming (2015), it took President Muhammadu Buhari six months to perform similar task, and this had an enormous effect on the performance of that government afterwards.

    It is against this backdrop that Nigerians expected a shift, a better focus, and decisive action from president.  Another stumble on this task by President Buhari, again led to avoidable anxiety, moaning and agitation among Nigerians. Thankfully, the lacuna didn’t last as long before President Buhari finally released the (ministerial) list and the eventual inauguration of the ministers some weeks ago.

    Concerned Nigerians have however raised issues and expressed doubts on some names on the list because of concerns on competency, character, integrity and spectre of corruption allegations hanging over others.

    Yet, in the interest of equity, fairness and justice, we must not rush to proclaim anyone guilty of corruption without conviction. Nevertheless, it is important for Nigerians to give President Buhari and those ministers under investigation the benefit of the doubt, and to trust that the president has chosen those he trusts to help him actualise his programme for optimum results to Nigerians. The onus now rests on these ministers to prove to doubters wrong by collaborating and working assiduously in consonance with the vision, aspiration and Next Level Agenda of the president and his party.

    Nigerians expect the dividends in massive jobs creation, youth empowerment, provision of basic amenities and economic growth in the interest of every Nigerian. The cabinet members must avoid disagreements and unnecessary bickering which has always been the bane of performance of ministers in the past.

    Unlike in his first term when the president was aloof with his ministers, he would do Nigerians a great favour this time around by placing his ministers on probation and periodically assessing them and also not hesitant to fire anyone who underperforms or is found wanting in any way.  It is important to say that, though the re-appointed ministers have proved their mettle in the first term, they also need to redouble their efforts and commitments, whilst the new ministers among whom Nigerians expressed misgivings about should be challenged by the naysayers and take the enormity of the task before them seriously to drive the policies and programmes of the administration. All these should be their focus and the driving force, not pursuit of self-interests and self-aggrandizement.

    • Lanre Atere, United Kingdom.

  • Ericsson to lose $1b to porous internal controls

    Ericsson has identified breaches of its Code of Business Ethics and the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) which it blamed on several deficiencies, including a ‘failure to react to red flags and inadequate internal controls’. These, it said enabled a limited number of employees to actively circumvent internal controls for ‘illegitimate purposes’.

    While it said it has been co-operating voluntarily since 2013 with an investigation by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and, since 2015, with an investigation by the United States Department of Justice (DoJ) into its compliance with the FCPA and the process is still ongoing, it estimated that it will cost it an estimated $1billion.

    “While Ericsson cannot comment in detail on the ongoing process with the U.S. authorities, it can with current visibility estimate the cost and thus make a provision, which will impact the third quarter of 2019 results by SEK 12b.

    We have to recognise that the company has failed in the past and I can assure you that we work hard every day to build a stronger Ericsson, where ethics and compliance are cornerstones in how we conduct business. Over the past two years, we have made significant investments in our ethics and compliance program including our investigative capabilities and have taken actions against employees who have transgressed our values and standards.”

    Its Chairman, Board of Directors, Ronnie Leten, said: “This has been a formative process for the company. We have worked closely with the Executive Team in enhancing Ericsson’s ethics and compliance program. We are impressed by their conviction in addressing shortcomings and are confident in their ability to deliver on our strategy.”

    Based on a thorough internal and external assessment of its Ethics and Compliance programme, the company has implemented significant reforms to address identified gaps and further strengthen the programme. This work is still ongoing, and Ericsson will remain relentless in striving to improve and safeguard a strong ethical and compliance culture throughout the company.

  • Nigeria trudges on at 59

    SIR: As Nigeria celebrates 59 years of independence, the indisputable fact is that it currently grapples with challenges of security, economy and national unity. In 1960, Nigerians both in and out of the country celebrated the independence moment with an open mind in the hope that the nation will experience radical transformation and development.

    Six years after independence, the country went through various challenges most notable being the January 15, 1966 coup d’état at a point the structure of governance had barely developed. The consequences of the military intervention led to an unfortunate civil war of 1966 to 1970 which led to the death of thousands of Nigerians.

    After a series of several military interruptions at different times, the country returned to a civilian administration in 1999. This year, the country celebrated 20 years of uninterrupted democracy.

    Still, there are a lot of issues despite the improvements in the electoral process with electoral violence, desperation by politicians, vote-buying, logistic issues among others, a recurring factor.

    Worse still, Nigerian politicians continue to show that they are only interested in taking care of their personal interests rather than those that elected them. They have since succeeded in dividing the country along religious and ethnic lines. No longer are elections based on the capacity and ability of the person to deliver; rather most Nigerians appear to be more interested in seeing their kinsmen occupy the corridors of power. No wonder now that appointments into different ministries, departments, and agencies of government are based on where one comes from and religious consideration rather than merit.

    The level of insecurity has heightened the distrust among Nigerians. The security situation is getting worse with growing sophistication of ISWAP and, Boko Haram terrorists. Armed banditry in Katsina, Zamfara, Sokoto, Kebbi and Kaduna states, herders/farmers clashes and of course widespread of kidnapping especially along Kaduna-Abuja high way has since compounded the problem.

    The economy appears to be taking one step forward, two-steps backward with over 90.8 million Nigerians living below the poverty line. The industries are no longer functioning; foreign investors are afraid to invest and the level of unemployment is becoming a threat to our national security.

    Another cancer gnawing at Nigeria’s democracy and its unity is the issue of widespread hate and dangerous speech. This is not unconnected to the widespread access to social media platforms by Nigerians. Nigerian conversational space is suffused with hateful and damaging speeches threatening its corporate existence. Fake news and hate speeches circulating daily are heating up our political atmosphere and sowing seeds of discord among Nigerians.

    Despite these challenges or problems, the country trudges on. Nigerians should understand the wisdom of God who put us together as one country despite our differences.

    The government should provide a conducive atmosphere for participatory and inclusive governance. Doing so will tremendously assist the country to surmount its multi-faced problems. The government should also work hard to reduce the level of unemployment, insecurity and the threats to the unity of the country.

    Happy 59 independence anniversary and God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

    • Idris Mohammed, Abuja.

  • El-Rufai and f(r)iends

    El-Rufai, the son, arriving a public school, provokes a storm. El-Rufai, the father, faces the resultant blitz, of praise or blame.

    It’s the making of El-Rufai and f(r)iends!

    The governor may have bucked a sickly trend — of the Nigerian ruling elite keeping own children off the leprous public schools they run.

    That ought to come with some well-earned praise — for the governor’s action is welcome pinch, on the conscience (or lack of it) of his ruling peers.

    Yet, reaction has focused less on the action per se — noble, if you ask Ripples.  El-Rufai’s fiends would rather raze him for their perceived colour of his politics; and their sworn evil of his motive.

    It’s all perfectly contemporary Nigerian: it’s not enough to do good or evil.  What matters is the perception of friend and foe.  Donald Trump’s alternative facts syndrome is finding safe local anchor.

    Strictly, it’s ugly to fair-minded eyes.  Facts are nothing. Bias is everything.  It’s the paramountcy of shadow over substance.

    Yes, it’s true: Nasir El-Rufai, governor of Kaduna State, does not suffer fools gladly, as the Brits say, of that clinical putdown.

    Some say that is because he has a sharp, acute, piercing mind that is rather impatient with those who waffle and dodder, no thanks to a wobbling and blunt mind.

    Others spurn that as crap.  El-Rufai, they insist, is just a brat with zero emotional intelligence. That dire challenge, they add, clothes him with combative and arrogant pride.  So, he holds others — particularly those who disagree with him — in contempt.

    He may indeed be brilliant — they reluctantly concede his razor-sharp mind — but it’s brilliance without humility or charity, which is a waste, they jeer in final triumph!

    Indeed, if you have read El-Rufai’s The Accidental Public Servant, you would marvel at his self-projection as clinical and severe, battling against all environmental odds to do good!   You then wondered if blood flowed in his veins!

    Now, was this a mind courting controversy as a political weapon?  Or just a single-minded dynamo determined to do his bit, whether anyone liked it or not?

    So, when the news hit the waves, that El-Rufai just enrolled his son Abubakar, 6, to start primary one in a public school, Capital School, Malali, in Kaduna, with the camera in tow, all hell simply broke loose, among friends and foes!

    In all the hullabaloo, however, some salient points got conveniently glossed over.

    To start with, the entry age into public primary schools.  To many parents today, it’s infra dig to enrol a six-year old — too old for primary one, they would bawl! — even if that is the entry prescription; just as a holiday is inconceivable without the so-called “summer classes.”

    The all-knowing, all-busy adults have decreed childhood and its sweet pleasures out of their children; the career-pushing parents have expunged play, fun and spark from their kids’ holidays!

    Therefore, it is rather refreshing that a governor, in 21st century Nigeria with all its empty conceits and grand pretences, is using his own blood to reiterate this sanity.

    Yes, little Abubakar is a product of some elite pre-primary schooling.  But that his father isn’t leveraging that for a higher class would appear total, solemn submission to the rules.  That is a leadership model that should excite everyone.

    Then, the inviolability of promises, by public servants.

    For whatever reason, the governor made a solemn promise: when his son turned six, whether he was still governor or not, he would enrol him in a public primary school.

    Everyone moved on. Not a few forgot. Most probably would not have remembered, had the governor played dumb, and allowed his promise to quietly slide. But should anyone dare remind him, to walk his talk, he would probably have put out some cant.

    But again, El-Rufai remembered — and kept his word.  That ought to earn due praise.  Leaders’ words ought to be their bond.

    Indeed, Olusegun Obasanjo always brags: my  word is my bond.  Let’s just say, El Rufai has just acted that, with little or no fuss — though the cameras were in tow, which seem to have enraged not a few!

    Obasanjo!  That name echoes the many battles of El Rufai in the public space, birthing a hardy and controversial public figure, more feared than loved!

    In The Accidental Public Servant, El-Rufai’s Obasanjo years ministerial memoirs — and a high-flying and very visible minister at that — the future governor gave his president the short-shrift: Obasanjo’s denial, of an attempt at an illegal “third term”, was a fib!

    “No third term – no Nigeria”, he quoted the president to have bragged inside Aso Rock, in February 2006.  Raising that “smoking gun”, El-Rufai declared, with utter irreverence, the president had tumbled, from the high pedestal he once held him!

    Not a few thought that was harsh — and brash.  Others felt it was plain ingratitude — to a president that offered El-Rufai the world.  Yet others craved more grace, no matter what.

    But an unfazed El-Rufai won’t waffle: it’s honour or nothing! Your word ought to be your bond!

    In another high-octane war, a Pentecostal cleric, the Edo-based Johnson Suleman, once crossed swords with El-Rufai, over some religious edict, in Kaduna State.

    When the push came to the shove, the pastor threatened a pastoral fatwa — a holy curse that threatened the governor with near-instant death!  It was a new low in ecclesiastical rascality!

    But it was the pastor that ate crow.  El-Rufai has not only lived, he had gone on to claim a second term!  But the man of God, it was, hobbled and humbled by a scandal!  See how the holy stumble?

    Of course, “second term” reminds you of Shehu Sani, the former Kaduna Central senator that also rumbled with the governor — but lost out on second term (replaced by another Uba Sani), even after the ruling party tried a stalled cohabitation.  El-Rufai could prove a formidable, unforgiving adversary!

    Poor Shehu Sani!  He has been apoplectic, since the El-Rufai-son-goes-to-school story broke; spinning tales of alleged deceit; of how the governor allegedly spent “N195 million on a particular school … take your son and the media to that school and think you have done anything different.”

    Sani went on Kaduna’s gubernatorial binge of worthier governors: a Balarabe Musa that shunned Government House, during his short governorship in the 2nd Republic; and an Ahmed Markarfi, whose children, he claimed, also attended that same school, without Markarfi bringing down the media roof!  Nasir’s was all comical stunt for 2023, see?

    But as poor Sani fumed, it was clear who stole the thunder; and who harvested the anger!  A grape never tasted so sour!  El-Rufai and fiends!

    Indeed, El-Rufai is as controversial — and combative —  as they come.  He especially loves to shut up the hyper-educated southern loud mouths, who sadistically glory the North is dumb; so it ought to listen, while they thunder!

    Nor does he necessarily hide the political Machiavelli in him.  He once rued the North as comparable human development laggard; but also relished its blind advantage as captive voting bloc, warts and all!

    Yet, on this one, El-Rufai has earned due and legitimate praise.  If every governor takes his cue, and enrol their children in public schools — primary, secondary and tertiary  — there would be added vim to fix crumbling public education.