The Nation Newspaper

Tag: war

  • One dies in Lagos gang war

    N 18- year-old boy, Eva Endurance Ekpoto, was stabbed to death at the weekend after a fight broke out between two suspected cult groups, the “Eiyes” and “Aiyes”, at Kehinde Street, Ajegunle, Lagos.

    Ekpoto reportedly went for a birthday party with his friends, when an unidentified man pierced him with an object in the middle of a heated altercation.

    The Nation learnt that he was killed at Cemetery Market along Kehinde Street at Ajegunle. Scores of others, including a policeman, sustained injuries.

    His friends and others fled the scene while some persons, who recognised him, managed to get his body on a wheelbarrow to Layeni Police Station at Ojo road, close to his home on 69, Ezeagwu Street.

    The Divisional Police Officer at Layeni Police Station reportedly transferred the case to Ajeromi Station since the incident occurred within the jurisdiction.

    Officers at Ajeromi Police Station said his body has been deposited at the morgue.

    Two suspects, Segun Maliki and Imole Olanrewaju, have been arrested and transferred to Panti Station for further investigation.

    According to an Inspector of Police at Layeni Police Station, the area boys, “who brought the victim, took to their heels on arriving at the station”.

    He added: “From all indications, a tattoo was inscribed on his body. It shows it belongs to one of the cult groups. There was a party organised by a girl and you know they will want to claim supremacy. I think that led to the fight.”

    The mother of the deceased said: “That evening when I left for service, he was around. He is still a secondary school student about entering SS1. I pray God prevails because the real people that did this thing may not be seen. They might just catch innocent people.”

    Spokesperson for the Lagos State Police Command, Dolapo Badmus, who confirmed the incident, said two suspects had been arrested.

  • Politics as war

    Two events in the past week triggered my interest to write on politics as war and to launder vicarious liability in the law of tort to help tame our murderous third class politics by means of arms. Of course I am aware that tomes have been written on war as the extension of politics by means of arms.

    The more memorable of the two events was the picture in the media of the minister for transportation and former governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi and his successor and current governor Nyesom Wike, after their so called peace parley with the chiefs of police and state security service. The picture of the foursome in one national daily portrayed the peace parley as a farce, as the two gladiators sternly looked away from each other even while shaking hands.

    The other was the recent rehash by President Muhammad Buhari of the motive behind the dawn coup of August 27, 1985, that overthrew him as the military head of state, in an interview with a newsmagazine. According to the president, he was overthrown because he had formalised the process to sack some top military officers accused of gross abuse of power and corruption. Many commentators have tried to proffer the reason why the president chose to release the bomb now. My guess is that he dredged up the scarecrow to ward off potential intruders as the 2019 presidential election war approaches.

    So for our politicians, whether in Rivers State, Abuja or elsewhere, it is all about elections, even when only one quarter of their current mandate has been used. By going right away for the jugular of his former military colleagues, the lesser mortals – the bloody civilians, will realise that the 2019 elections is not going to be a tea party. Again, perhaps there is already an intelligence that the Peoples Democratic Party, which has zoned its presidency to the north, may approach IBB and his former intelligence chief, General Gusau, to lead a civilian variant of the 1985 power wrestle.

    On his part, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who can be described as the foremost presidential election warrior of this republic, considering his many election battles, is adamantly throwing himself up as the opposite of the unitary credentials of the president. So, while the president is saying the present structure of the country is okay, the Turaki Adamawa has become the new champion of restructuring. For these gladiators and their potential compatriots, while we are shouting ourselves hoarse about the prevailing cruel economic conditions, they are already busy plotting for the next electoral battle, even when the casualty figures from the recent electoral war front, in the north-east and Niger Delta particularly, are yet to be interred with any form of honour.

    For Rivers State, the political war in its intensity and casualty figure is not much different from a full blown internecine war, elsewhere. Until very recently, a week or two will not go-by without a gruesome mass murder in one locality or another in the state, between what has been fancifully referred to as war among cultists. But we cannot forget that originally the clashes were the fallout of disagreements between the followers of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressive Congress (APC). The narrative changed when calls were made for a state of emergency to be declared in the state.

    Of course, the immediate prize for the raging war in Rivers State is the outstanding electoral positions in the federal legislature and the state assemblies, which has remained inconclusive after two attempts, because of the prevalent insecurity. Apart from the two major gladiators Amaechi and Wike, there are undoubtedly smaller warlords, superintending their local turfs and turning elections in Rivers State into a war without end. The result is that many innocent people are daily maimed, disposed of their valuable properties or even killed by violent political activists, without any consequences or liabilities for those directly or vicariously responsible for the carnage.

    If I have my way, the law of tort, particularly its variant on vicarious liability ought to expand to hold accountable those whose servants or agents, wilfully or negligently cause harm, losses or even death, to innocent bystanders. Perhaps with the potential of a liability to pay heavy damages looming, many of our political gladiators would encourage their followers to behave better. I know, some will dismiss the proposition as fanciful, but if an employer can be vicariously held accountable for the negligent act of his employee, say a driver, I propose that party agents should also be held liable under such legal principle.

    Of course I appreciate the existence of liability for criminal negligence and the possible award of damages for wilful destruction of property, but I doubt if any of the existing remedies, will adequately answer as pungently as vicarious liability in tort for most of the mayhem that result from political warfare in a third class democracy like ours. Also I appreciate the availability of tortious remedies for trespass to person that may result from assault, battery or false imprisonment. But like a financially limited employee, the political servantsare incapable of paying substantial damages for the huge loses caused innocent bystanders during political wars.

    A cursory look at the definition of the legal concept of vicarious liability will explain such possibility. According to learned author, Ese Malami: “vicarious liability is the liability of a superior for the conduct of a subordinate. Thus, vicarious liability is the liability of one person usually a superior for the conduct of another person usually a subordinate such as, the liability of an employer for the conduct of an employee in the course of employment”.

    To deter political actors from turning our low level politics to internecine wars with all its consequences, judicial activism should ground vicarious liability for the conduct of identifiable agents of political leaders, on the principle of law that: “he who does anything through another person does it himself”.

    So political agents should appropriately come within the definition of a servant, even when there may be no clear contract of service, or a clear instruction to do harm, in the cause of political thuggery. To accommodate these mayhem caused by political actors in third rate democracies in many third world countries, the various tests to define a servant to ground vicarious liability, should be expanded to accommodate this specie of modern day plague.

    After all, learned author Salmond defined a servant thus: “a servant may be defined as any person employed by another to do work for him on the terms that he, the servant, is to be subject to the control and direction of his employer.” To make our uncaring political gladiators liable, the test on servant liability, made out by Denning LJ, in Young vs Box & Co Ltd should apply. The law lord said: “To make a master liable for the conduct of his servant, the first question is to see whether the servant is liable. If the answer is “yes”, the second question is to see whether the employer must shoulder the servant’s liability.”

  • The anti-corruption war and the enemies within

    The anti-corruption war and the enemies within

    Text of a lecture delivered by activist-lawyer and FEMI FALANA, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), at the investiture of Dele Ojogbede as President, Rotary Club, Ikoyi, Lagos  on July 24. 

    As a leading philanthropic organisation the Rotary Club in Nigeria has been associated with providing services to the needy. While the efforts of the Rotary Club and similar bodies are appreciated, I am of the strong view that no private establishment or voluntary society can replace the government in the provision of social amenities to the people. Even in capitalist societies, the provision of welfare services has reduced the activities of philanthropic organisations. The Rotary Club is therefore urged to mobilise poor and disadvantaged citizens to demand for popular participation in the government.

    To achieve the objective of meeting the basic demands of the poor, the Rotary Club should be fully involved in the campaign against corruption with a view to ending the criminal diversion of the commonwealth by a few public officers.

    The 4-way tests of the Rotary Club cannot be realised in our society in so far as the nation’s resources are cornered by a few picnic officers. As the government cannot succeed in the fight against corruption without the involvement of the people, we shall examine the duty of citizens in the promotion of accountability and transparency in the public affairs of the nation. In our analysis, we shall acknowledge the political will and the limitation of the government in the prosecution of the war against corruption. We shall conclude by asking the Nigerian people to take over the war from the Federal Government and prosecute it in the public interest.

     Mismanagement of funds earmarked for the provision of relief materials

    Owing to the criminal diversion of funds donated to the government to provide relief materials to victims of natural disasters in Nigeria, the lives of many vulnerable citizens are now in danger. Just recently, President Buhari was compelled to direct the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate a petition received from an international donor agency which had alleged that the Federal Ministry of Health could not account for the millions of dollars donated to fight HIV/AIDS in Nigeria.

    It is common knowledge that the EFCC is currently prosecuting two ex-governors for the criminal diversion of ecological funds collected from the Federal Government to fight the menace of erosion in their states. Some other officials are under investigation for stealing the funds contributed by the federal and state governments as well as private agencies and individuals to provide relief materials to the victims of flood which occurred in many parts of the country in 2012.

    In the same vein, the fund donated by international relief agencies to take care of the internally displaced people in the Northeast has been cornered by a few National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) officials. As we are gathered here, the humanitarian disaster caused by the criminal elements has claimed the lives of thousands of children in the Internally Displaced Persons’ (IDPs’) camps. Indeed, the humanitarian crisis in the Northeast is traceable to the criminal diversion of the sum of $15 billion earmarked by the Federal Government for the purchase of military hardware for the armed forces from 2007-2015. Consequently, the ragtag army of the Boko Haram sect defeated the ill-equipped Nigerian Army. Although the Buhari administration has motivated the armed forces to turn the tide against the insurgents, the war against terror is not yet over.

    Citizens’ vigilance in the fight against corruption

    The fight against corruption has come a long way in Nigeria. To prevent Nigerians from exposing corruption and the crude exploitation of the resources of the nation, the British colonial regime imposed the Official Secrets Ordinance which prescribed 14 years imprisonment for anyone who leaked official information without authorisation. The Criminal Code criminalised seditious publications and statements. The leaders of the Zikist movement were jailed for asking Nigerians to reject imperialist exploitation and embrace socialism. Many other Nigerians were jailed for exposing corruption by the alien regime.

    The indigenous regime which took over power from the colonial regime in 1960 retained the repressive laws for the same purpose. In Chike Obi v DPP (1961) All N.L.R., the Supreme Court held that the pamphlet issued by the defendant wherein he had described the government as corrupt was capable of inciting the people. However, in Nwankwo v the State, the Court of Appeal, it was held that the provisions of the criminal code relating to sedition were illegal and unconstitutional for violating the right to freedom of expression.  It was the view of the court that public officers who feel offended by any publications should not use the machinery of government to protect themselves but sue for libel and put their reputation in issue.

    But the military dictators who ruled the country for close to three decades, closed down media houses and jailed journalists or detained anti-corruption crusaders.  Apart from ordering the release of those who were illegally detained, the court kicked against the closure of media houses. In Tarka v Daily Sketch, the plaintiff, a serving minister under the Gowon-led junta, was accused of corruption by a businessman. In dismissing the libel suit, the court urged the media to publish and be dammed. Notwithstanding that the Babangida junta expelled a foreign journalist, closed down media houses, detained journalists and parcel-bombed a prominent journalist Dele Giwa. Nigerians were not deterred from exposing corruption. The Olusegun Obasanjo administration which established the EFCC and ICPC (Independent Corrupt Practices and Miscellaneous Offences Commission, was accused of using both anti-graft agencies to settle scores. Both the Yar’ Adua and Jonathan administrations did not pretend to fight corruption. All the same, President Jonathan was pressured by civil society organisations to sack the then Aviation Minister, Mrs. Stella Oduah.

     Time to fight the enemies within

    Since the Buhari administration commenced the war against corruption last year, it has enjoyed the support of the Nigerian people. However, corruption is fighting back on two fronts.  From outside the battlefront, the beneficiaries of corruption have accused the government of selectively targeting its political opponents in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).  The allegation has been dismissed by Nigerians as all the suspects arrested by the EFCC have not denied their involvement in the mega looting of the treasury. Apart from the fact that majority of those who have been arrested are military officers and government contractors, a number of the suspects who are members of the PDP have actually refunded part of the loot.

    From the home front, it is evidently clear that some highly-placed public officers, who have been linked with corruption, are trying desperately to discredit and sabotage the war. Disturbed by the clamour for the removal and prosecution of such individuals, the government has urged Nigerians to stop making baseless allegations against serving public officers. In spite of the clarification by the government, the online media have continued to substantiate the allegations of corruption against the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) and the Minister of Interior.

    Instead of attacking the imaginary enemies of the government, the anti-corruption war calls for an urgent review of strategies. For instance, it was recently reported in the media that three ex-COAS had been indicted by the arms procurement panel.  But when the report was eventually released, the name of one of the three security chiefs, who is a serving minister, was missing. Not unexpectedly, allegations of cover-up were raised in the media. Embarrassed by the development, the government reacted by denying any cover-up and explained that the panel had not investigated the arms procurement from 2007-2010 when the minister served as the COAS.

    Before the release of the controversial report, a group had alleged that the COAS Gen. Tukur Buratai had purchased some properties worth $1.5 million in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE). In defending the allegation, the Nigerian Army claimed that the general bought the properties from his legitimate earnings.  In confirming that the properties were declared, the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) claimed that the army chief had declared them in the name of his wife. Aside the statement, the CCB should proceed to investigate and confirm that the properties were legitimately acquired from the income of the general.  This investigation should be speedily and transparently conducted to assure Nigerians that there are no sacred cows in the prosecution of the war against corruption.

    Another official, whose conduct ought to be investigated by the government, is the Comptroller-General of Prisons, Mr. Jafaru (Ahmed). According to media reports which have not been denied the prison boss is alleged to have reduced his age by two years. Since two judges were recently dismissed for reducing their ages and ordered to refund the money they had illegally collected the Comptroller-General of prisons ought to be removed from office without any further delay. Similarly, having identified the top civil servants in the Presidency who padded the 2016 Budget, the Federal Government should hand them over to the EFCC for prosecution.

    It is particularly disturbing to note that both chambers of the National Assembly dominated by the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) are frustrating the anti-corruption war. For instance, contrary to the anti-corruption policy of the Federal Government, and in utter violation of Section 81 of the Constitution, some unscrupulous legislators are said to have padded the 2016 Budget. The chairman of the Appropriation Committee in the House of Representatives, Abdulmumin Jibril has just stepped down over allegations that he single-handedly allocated N4 billion to his constituency. In reaction to the allegation, Jibril has accused the House leadership of padding the budget to the tune of N40 billion. These serious allegations should not be swept under the carpet or treated as an internal affair of the House. The claims and counter-claims should be investigated by the EFCC without any delay and all the legislators and civil servants who are indicted should be prosecuted.

    The APC-led National Assembly has also engaged in collecting jumbo emoluments for services not rendered to the nation. Whereas Section 63 of the Constitution provides that the Senate and the House of Representatives shall each sit for not less than 181 days in a year, Section 68 thereof states that any legislator who fails to attend the proceedings of the Senate for less than one third of the required number of days shall automatically lose his or her seat. For the first legislative year which ended on June 9, the Seventh session of the National Assembly did not meet the constitutional requirement. Specifically, due to incessant recesses, the House of Representatives sat for only 104 days while the Senate sat for 96 days. This means that the Senate sat for barely 50 per cent of the required sitting period. Indeed, some of the senators who had to attend criminal courts where they are standing trial for corrupt practices did not seat for up to 70 days throughout the legislative year.

    The Senate was actually shut down on a number of occasions to enable the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki to attend the proceedings of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) where he is standing trial for false declaration of assets. And in solidarity with him, a number of senators abandoned their duties to accompany him to the tribunal. Since the labour policy of “no work no pay” is applicable to all public officers the legislators ought not to have been paid when they did not perform any legislative duty. In other words, having failed to sit for the mandatory period of 181 days the legislators were not entitled to payment of full salaries and allowances for the whole legislative year. Having been paid full emoluments when they failed to sit for the required number of days, the legislators ought to refund some money to the treasury. In the circumstance, the Accountant-General of the Federation should ensure that the legislators are made to refund the money collected for the number of days they failed to sit in the National Assembly. Furthermore, it is high time the Federal Government stopped the payment of salaries and allowances to former governors who are in the senate. Since they are on pension for life, it is illegal to continue to pay them salaries and allowances at the same time.

    Conclusion

    In view of the commitment of the Federal Government not to compromise the prosecution of the war against corruption, President Buhari should sack all public officers who cannot explain their sources of stupendous wealth. At the same time, to address the problems of poverty in the society, the Buhari administration has to invest in the welfare of Nigerians and proceed to mobilise them to fight against corruption. The Rotary Club and other civil society organisations should ensure that the activities of government are closely monitored with a view to exposing corrupt practices in the government.  Finally, the Federal Government should ensure that all the civil servants and legislators who padded the budget together with those who have diverted money donated by international agencies are prosecuted.

  • Iraqi war and Chilcot report

    The media in the UK is awash with news and commentaries about the report of the Anglo-American invasion of Iraq 13 years ago on the ostensible grounds that the Iraqi president, Saddam Husain was in possession of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD). We all know that the intelligence report presented to both the American and British publics was fabricated and false. I can still see in my mind’s eye, General Colin Powell, the American Secretary of State  waving a piece of paper in the UN Security Council (UNSC) in which it was allegedly stated the volume of uranium imported from the Republic of Niger and with which Saddam Husain was planning to make nuclear weapons. A UN weapons inspection team was sent to Iraq but found no evidence. George Bush, the American president supported by Vice President Cheney, Wolfowitz, General Schwarzkopf and the defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, the so-called new conservative group were determined to go to war to illegally remove a sitting head of state based on spurious grounds that Iraq was trying to develop weapons of mass destruction. In order to make the invasion look like an international operation in consonance with the UN idea of collective security, the United States government got the unquestioning support of the British government led by Tony Blair. Public opinion in the UK was against the war. A demonstration of about one million people converged on Hyde Park to try to prevail on the government not to join the war. Even the governing Labour Party was split down the line but the then Prime Minister Tony Blair apparently operating with the spirit of special relations withthe United States was determined to demonstrate more loyalty to the USA than to the British electorate.In actual fact, the reason for war was more personal to George Bush who felt Saddam Husain planned to kill his father. Secondly after the 9/11 attack on the most important  American institutions like the World Trade Centre in New York,the Pentagon in Washington DC, failed attempt to bomb the White House,the American government was looking for a way to demonstrate power to impress the American people. In spite of the fact that almost all the 19 members of the Al Qaida group involved in turning civilian planes into weapons of war and terrorism that killed about three thousand people in the USA were Saudis, America decided to visit their sins on hapless Iraqis. Reasons were cooked up and an assemblage of the willing was put together to support American invasion of Iraq.

    It is now academic whether the decision of the British to join the invasion was as significant as the British public is now being made to think. I am personally convinced that the Americans were determined with or without Britain to go to war.The war was a mistake no doubt about it and the consequence of the war has left the world unsafe and dangerous. The British are now up in arms against Tony Blair for causing the deaths of 170 soldiers while not recognizing the250 thousand civilians who were incinerated through carpet bombing and the use of indiscriminate force against a legitimate government that posed no threat to the USA and Great Britain. Iraq was destroyed. Saddam Husain and his sons and grandson and several members of the Baathist party were killed. The most stupid thing the invaders did was the dissolution of the Iraqi army and all its security forces and the promotion of Shiites to replace the Sunnis who under Saddam Husain were the dominant force in Iraq. They may have been driven by the ideals of liberal democracy but the Middle East as it has now been realized is not the place to experiment with democracy.The consequence of the war is the destruction of the entire Middle East. The same thinking that outsiders have the right to dictate to other countries how to run their countries is still prevailing in the chancelleries of most countries in the West. This was what led to western instigation of so-called Arab Spring the result of which was the intervention in Libya, the support for rebels in Syria,  Oman,Yemen ,Tunisia even Algeria. Only Morocco, Saudi Arabia, and theEmirates were spared from western meddlesomeness. The question to ask is whether the world is safer today than in 2003 when this whole thing began. No part of the world is safe today. The recent attack on the prophet’s mosque in Medina shows that no place is safe or sacred from attack by these non-stateactors.

    Our own problem in Nigeria with Boko Haram is not unconnected with the NATO intervention in Libya which led to the killing of a sitting head of state and the dispersal of a stockpile of weapons across the Sahara desert being used by Al Qaida in the Maghreb, Al Qaida in West Africa and Al Shaba in the Horn of Africa.The African Union tried to persuade NATO not to get involved in Libya but they were brushed aside. I am not proud that the Jonathan administration connived with the West in its intervention in Libya.

    Intervention in Libya took place under the Obama and Cameron administrations. This is why the Cameron government understands the predicament of Tony Blair who is being threatened withprosecution by families of soldiers who died in the Iraqi war. Some are even asking that he should be dragged before the International Criminal Court in Hague in Holland. I am afraid Tony Blair will be protected by the Anglo-Saxon establishment in the UK and the USA .The kind of public opprobrium Tony Blair is being subjected to compares sadly with the almost total acquiescence and approval for George Bush in the USA. This shows the difference between American and British politics. British politicians are more accountable to the public because of the parliamentary system in which members of cabinet are subjected to questioning during debates and question time in parliament. The American system epitomizes more the Montesquieu’s idea of separation of power and the cabinet is not directly answerable to Congress except during special hearings in Congress. Perhaps the most important thing is that the USA is a world power and not answerable to any power but itself. American deference to the UN is a matter of convenience. Of course Russia also only pays regard to the UN when its own national interest is notinvolved.

    Unfortunately one of the recent tendencies in international relations is for powerful countries operating either under UN auspices and cover or even without it to take unilateral action against those they have problems with.This has led to most countries that feel threatened now to resort to nuclear armament as a deterrent as is the case with Israel, Pakistan,North Korea and clandestinely Iran. In all this, it is the poor people who suffer. One of the double standards people allege in the case of the Iraq war was that unlike post Second World War Germany and Japan, no thought was given to post conflict reconstruction in Iraq. We now have a situation in which a country with an old civilization has been destroyed and the contagion has spread to Syria with her own old civilization destroyed and the rest of the Arab world and other countries in the world living in fear of non-state terrorism whether in the garb of Islamic State (IS) or various variants of Al Qaida and theiraffiliates. In the meantime the world has witnessed massive migration and dispersal of people not seen since the Second War. Millions of Arabs have been reduced to beggary, destitution and even prostitution. Europe has also witnessed instability as a result of massive migration causing disaffection in many countries in Europe and leading to the rise of right wing fascist parties or tendencies in France,Hungary Britain, Slovakia, TurkeyGreece, Germany and Austria that have borne the weight of these migrations. The recent BREXIT vote in Britain is directly related to the possible fear of migration from Turkey and the rest of Europe. These are difficult times. The future political development of the world is pregnant and no one knows what it will bear.

  • Is Buhari’s anti-corruption war selective?

    Is Buhari’s anti-corruption war selective?

    The complexity of human nature has made the lot of a leader in a democratic society unenviable. By sheer ambiance of his position, President Muhammadu Buhari has to contend with a welter of interests. Buhari, who heads the one year-old administration of the All Progressives Congress (APC), was voted into power to give the country a new direction and so a lot of meanings are read into his action or inaction. Deputy Political Editor RAYMOND MORDI looks at his anti-corruption war, saying that it has become the butt of people’s adulation or admonition.   

    Nigerians wake up nowadays to hear the latest in the ongoing anti-corruption crusade of President Muhammadu Buhari. Humongous figures are bandied in the media daily, as what politicians and others allegedly looted from the treasury during the immediate past administration led by Dr. Goodluck Jonathan. Shock, disbelief and outrage was the initial reaction greeted the revelations. In the last one year, such revelations have become a regular fare, to the extent that even opponents of the Buhari administration have now been compelled to admit that the scale of corruption in the administration was monumental.

    The present war against corruption is one of the areas where the Buhari-led administration was able to hit the ground running. This is understandable; given the President’s anti-corruption antecedents and pledges he made during the electioneering campaign. The last time Nigerians witnessed a major probe of an administration by a succeeding one was in 1984, after the fall of the Second Republic, when a Buhari-led military regime arrested and put to trial, key actors in that dispensation.

    Indeed, his anti-corruption stance was the magic wand that secured Buhari the electoral victory of March 28, 2015. During the campaign, it was easy to see how corruption was established as Nigeria’s most intractable problem. Hence, the then opposition party, the All Progressive Congress (APC) vowed to deal with it head-long, if voted into office.

    Since his inauguration on May 29, 2015, Buhari has taken a number of bold steps aimed at fighting corruption. They include setting up of a Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption, headed by professor of law and human rights activist, Prof. Itse Sagay; and the sacking of some purportedly corrupt heads of some government agencies such as Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, among others.

    It also includes his decision to immediately enforce the Treasury Single Account (TSA) initiated by his immediate predecessor in office. President Buhari has also been junketing across the globe seeking help and signing bilateral and multilateral agreements with some countries for the repatriation of the country’s stolen wealth; one of such is the Mutual Legal Assistance on Criminal and Commercial Matters Treaty signed with the United Arabs Emirate (UAE) in January.

     

    A can of worms

    The Buhari administration’s anti-corruption war has opened a can of worms. It was through the four-member committee set up in June last year to scrutinise the accounts of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and Excess Crude Account (ECA) under the last administration that Nigerians first heard that the $2.1 billion meant for the purchase of arms to fight the Boko Haram insurgency in the North-East was misappropriated by the former National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Sambo Dasuki.

    He was in charge of coordinating the war against Boko Haram terrorists during the last administration. The probe was meant to unravel the allegation that N3.8 trillion was not remitted to the Federation Account by the NNPC between 2012 and May 2015, as well as the $2.1 billion said to have been deducted from the Excess Crude Account (ECA) without approval. Members of the panel were Governors Adams Oshiomhole (Edo), Ibrahim Dankwanbo (Gombe) Nasir el-Rufai (Kaduna) and Udom Emmanuel (Akwa Ibom).

    Though the names of the corrupt officials from whom the assets were recovered were not disclosed, as the President had promised to do, the administration gave the details of looted funds recovered so far as: N78.325 billion, $185.119 million, £3.508 million and €11, 250 between May 29, 2015 and May 25, 2016. It also stated that a combination of cash and assets amounting to the following sum were recovered under interim forfeiture during the same period: N126.563 billion, $9.09 billion, £2.484 million and €303,399.

    The revelations so far have raised a lot of dust. Some critics say the anti-corruption war is selective and that it is a media trial that is designed to cow the opposition. There are also allegations of impunity and the abuse of human rights in the course of the fight.

    A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Chief Onueze Okocha, believes the anti-corruption war is selective. His words: “It is very obvious. So far, those that have been accused, arrested and arraigned for corruption-related offences are members of the PDP. We have not lost sight of the fact that many of the party’s members defected to the APC. The former PDP members have been accused of wrongdoing, but they are untouched. I think the war is lopsided and not waged with an altruistic motive.”

    But, another legal practitioner, Chief Anthony Idigbe (SAN), said achieving objectivity in an anti-corruption war of this nature is difficult to achieve, “since it is a public policy issue, which is often influenced by some factors”.

    He said: “If several people commit a crime, the state could make a decision that it wants to prosecute the mastermind and some other people who also participated in the crime, while leaving others. The state may choose somebody for prosecution for the purpose of deterrence. This is a public policy issue. So, it always comes up as to whether the government makes the right public policy choice in those they prosecute.

    “I can only respond to as a lawyer. So, it is the public, which controls the government through election process that can help set agenda as to which public policy objective the government should pursue. But, generally, there is no doubt that there is a discretion power, which is given to the state to select who it wants to prosecute.

    “The criminal process is inherently selective because the state has to make a public policy choice. It cannot prosecute everybody. This is because the Federal Government does not have enough resources to prosecute everybody. So, they have to select who they will prosecute and that selection will be guided by certain public policy considerations. There are always disputes as to how they arrived at those considerations. It is not unusual; it happens everywhere in the world.”

     

    Different strokes

    The consensus of observers is that while the call for the anti-corruption war to be fought with the rule of law in mind makes a lot of sense, because of occasional show of exuberance by security operatives, there is a big question mark on the allegation of selective prosecution.

    Lawyer and human rights activist, Fred Agbaje, those complaining of being victimised are just whipping up sentiments. He said: “It’s time for the accused to stop putting up an alibi for the crimes they committed. If someone has been accused of corruptly enriching himself, he should go to court and defend himself, rather than putting up excuses. It is not right to whip up sentiments. I don’t buy it.

    “Why did the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) not come after me? Why is it that the EFCC is going after Gov. Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State, Musliu Obanikoro and the rest? Something must have warranted that. But, you can’t sit in your house and concoct excuses. The anti-graft agencies won’t go after the innocent people.”

    Members of the opposition now being prosecuted were the powerful men in the last administration who were said to have received some money from the $2.1 billion arms fund being probed. The Buhari administration has not even started probing other sectors of the economy.

    This is why some observers have criticised the ongoing crusade, saying it is limited to recovery of looted funds and cannot be described as anti-corruption. For instance, newspaper columnist, Idowu Akinlotan, sees the anti-corruption war as “a battle against the symptoms of corruption, not a systemic attempt to tackle the malaise from its very roots.” In his column on July 3, 2016, titled ‘Buhari Presidency needs fresh thinking’, he said: “Had it been a well-structured battle, one that is underpinned by an uplifting, coherent and structured philosophy, the collateral damage being witnessed would have been feeble and short-lived. Had that structured philosophy been identified and enunciated, it would have led to a wider and more encompassing campaign to remake the country and put it on a sound, stable, peaceful and solid footing to compete with other nations in the 21st century.

    “The anti-corruption war, which is virtually the only serious campaign being waged by the Buhari presidency, would have been just a subset of the whole, organised and executed brilliantly, perhaps more effectively and without distractions and fanfare.

    Be that as it may, the allegation against the Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen. Tukur Buratai, appears to be the biggest credibility test for Buhari’s fledgling anti-corruption war. Buratai is alleged to have bought two houses in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), at a cost of $1.5 million. Observers say Buratai’s defence that the revelation is a smear campaign by some groups that are not comfortable with the military’s successes against Boko Haram extremists in the Northeast evades the issue.

    Human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), has urged President Buhari to sack the Buratai, if the army chief fails to voluntarily resign. Falana said despite Buratai’s commendable feat of leading the army to defeat Boko Haram in the Northeast, the war on corruption was also a must-win for the Buhari administration. The lawyer  described as a “cock and bull story” the explanation by the army authorities that Buratai paid for the properties in instalments through his personal savings.

    While he condemned the involvement of the Nigerian Army in defending Buratai, he said no one had yet to explain to Nigerians how an army General could manage to save $1.5m. He added, “In view of the ban on the opening and operation of foreign accounts by public officers, the Code of Conduct Bureau should be involved in the investigation. If the Chief of Army Staff does not deem it fit to resign forthwith President Buhari should not hesitate to remove him in the interest of national morality.”

     

    Challenges

    Nevertheless, Nigerians are looking forward to seeing those who looted the treasury being punished this time around, to serve as a deterrent to others. So far, no one has been convicted and the cases in court are likely to drag on for some time, as defence lawyers try to manoeuvre to get their principals off the hook.

    Indeed, President Buhari has expressed fears that the nation’s judiciary may become his major headache in achieving the objective of ensuring that the country punishes bad behaviour. Speaking at a town hall meeting with Nigerians living in Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital, at the beginning of the year, Buhari said his travails in courts during his failed bid for the nation’s Presidency on three occasions, had convinced him that the judiciary needed urgent reforms.

    Insufficient funds to prosecute the numerous cases of corruption may also constitute an obstacle in realising the objective. For instance, the Chairman, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Mr. Nta Ekpo, was reported to have cried out that the anti-graft agency had been unable to successfully carry out its statutory responsibility of fighting corruption due to insufficient funds. Nta stated this in January when he hosted members of the Senate Committee on Anti-Corruption and Financial Crimes, headed by Senator Chukwuka Utazi in his office.

    The ICPC boss reportedly told his visitors that the yearly budget of his agency was insufficient to carry out its responsibilities and fight corruption. He said: “In 2015, the commission proposed N9.5 billion, but N4.9 billion was appropriated, while N4.2 billion was released. Note the differentials between the amount budgeted and actual release. If the anti-corruption agencies of government are starved of funds, how can this administration win the war against the monster?”

  • ‘Dialogue, not war, guarantees national peace’

    Ever wondered what  dialogue can achieve during crisis resolutions? It is a lot better than quarrelling and if sustained, it can guarantee national peace, a professor of English and Literary Studies University of Calabar, Ndubuisi Osuagwu, has said.

    Osuagwu, who is the President of the All Nigeria Universities Debating Championship (ANUDC), said the youth constitute the most ideal segment in the campaign for dialogue.

    He spoke at the opening of the fourth edition of ANUDC hosted by Covenant University (CU), Ota, Ogun State, last Sunday. The theme was: “Expression.”

    He said: “Instead of picking up arms, quarrelling or fighting, we can talk. During debate, as you speak, the other listens. So, it teaches us to be disciplined in the art of conversation. We would listen to other Nigerians and vice-versa and on the basis of strong argument, we can then move our country forward.

    “We feel the best segment to use are the youths and Nigerian university students form a part of this segment. By so doing, we are helping future leadership to acquire the skills in conversation, debating and respect for argument and other people’s views to achieve national peace through discussion.”

    Over 15 contingents from various universities nationwide  arrived for the weeklong annual event, which ends tomorrow.

    Osuagwu lamented that funding has been a major problem militating against the event.

    “Funding is a very big issue. If you want the best adjudicators, you must be able to bring them in from various places. You should be able to fund their trip, accommodation and then pay them some honorarium.

    “All these cost money and we are not only talking about Nigerians, but people who may also have to come in from other countries. You have to take care of their flight ticket and other areas of welfare. Members of Council will also have to come and see the facilities of the university that is hosting. It also means the host university must have the capacity to accommodate so many students and feed them at the same time,” he said.

    Going down memory lane, Chairman, Local Organising Committee, Dr Sherriff Folarin, recalled that ANUDC started in 2013, following a successful hosting of the Pan African Debating Championship by UNICAL same year. According to him, contingents from UNICAL had always participated in the event held in South Africa when Osuagwu felt Nigeria should have a mould of the competition as a way of opening the doors for other universities nationwide to participate.

    “At inception, there were only nine universities in attendance. We even had the difficulty of mobilising the universities at that time because their management would tell you ‘why are we paying you money because of mere debate?’ In fact, to kickstart it, we had to allow about four universities participate without paying a dime,” he said.

    Vice Chancellor of the host university, Prof Charles Ayo, who was represented by his deputy, Prof Taiwo Abioye, said CU was happy to identify with ANUDC because their visions are compatible.

    “I cannot really quantify exactly how much (CU) has spent (in sponsorship), but I know that our budget has been able to accommodate it, particularly because our Chancellor has a passion for young people. Here (CU) we are not just raising leaders, but leaders who can think critically, project into the future and proffer solutions. That is why we call our graduates ‘solution providers’. That is why it wasn’t difficult to get the support of the Board of Regent towards this event,” he said.

  • UN, AU envoys say Somalia is on right path to stability

    Top UN and AU envoys in Somalia have lauded progress made so far since the country pulled itself out of a prolonged civil war.

    The Special Representative of the Chairperson of the AU Commission for Somalia, Francisco Madeira and the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Somalia Michael Keating also said separately the upcoming elections would help steer the country into prosperity.

    “I strongly believe that Somalia is on the right path to becoming a peaceful and stable nation, where citizens enjoy freedom and contribute to the nation’s prosperity,” Madeira said in a statement on Saturday as Somalia marked 56 years of independence.

    He said since the establishment of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) in 2007, a lot has been achieved with the help of Somalis who want to live in a peaceful and prosperous nation.

    “The joint operations conducted by AMISOM and Somali security forces, for example, have liberated large swathes of the country, which were hitherto under the control of terrorist militants Al-Shabaab,” Madeira said.

    He said AMISOM, the government and regional states were working closely to stabilise and restore the rule of law in these liberated areas.

    “To this end, AMISOM has so far trained thousands of police officers, who have since been deployed to various parts of the country to maintain law and order,” Madeira said.

    The envoy said this year’s independent celebration, which was marked on Friday, was special for Somalis as they not only remembered the enormous sacrifice made by their forefathers in the independence struggle against colonialism, but also the progress made so far since the country pulled itself out of a prolonged civil war.

    “I congratulate all Somalis who have continued to work tirelessly to make Somalia great. Those who have sacrificed their lives to ensure that the country is stabilized and that residents enjoy the peace they yearn for,” said Madeira.

    He lauded the Somali leadership for setting clear timeliness for the electoral process during the just concluded National Leadership Forum held in Baidoa.

    The electoral process agreed upon by the leadership will herald a new dawn in politics as the country moves towards universal suffrage and achieving gender parity in leadership.

    In his statement, UN envoy Keating praised the entrepreneurship and perseverance of the Somali people as their country emerges from decades of uncertainty and conflict.

    “The last 56 years have been turbulent for Somalis. Their extraordinary political journey continues. Unfortunately, insecurity remains a major problem. But Somalia continues to make remarkable progress in so many fields, political, security and economic, defying even many Somalis’ expectations,” Keating said.

    The UN envoy praised the work of Somalia’s security forces and AMISOM to counter the menace of violent extremism and underscored the crucial role they continue to play.

    “Strengthening the capability of Somali National Security Forces is essential, not only to partner with AMISOM but also as part of Somalia’s state building objectives,” he said.

    Keating said the last few years have seen the gradual emergence of a federal state, of national as well as regional institutional capacity, and of laws and plans that provided a basis for meeting Somalis’ expectations.

    “Progress is tangible, and confidence is growing. But it is still vulnerable,” said Keating, noting that the overwhelming majority of Somalis have rejected violence as a means of resolving differences, but that Al-Shabaab remains a threat, especially to civilians.

  • Anti – corruption war: Judiciary and EFCC bear the brunt

    SIR: The raging war to address the moral fabric of this country has continued to gather momentum.  The efforts of the present administration are being monitored in most parts of the world where Nigeria has been known in negative terms for decades.  Achieving the notorious status of second to the last most corrupt country in the world, Nigeria is struggling to wriggle out of this obnoxious corruption index.

    The man leading the fight is not new.  Neither in physical features, orientation, mien and determination is Buhari a new man to Nigerians.  The only “new” thing is that he now listens to others, he does not consider himself infallible, he now believes in team work.  But the focus is the same – to save this nation from fraudsters, masquerading as politicians and patriots.

    In our laws, the two most concerned organs at fighting corruption are the EFCC and the courts.  In other climes, the jobs of these two bodies are clear–cut.   But not in Nigeria where subterranean forces are usually at work to thwart the efforts of genuine operators of law and justice.

    First the EFCC.  This body is a child of circumstance, conceived in frustration, born in moral agony, and nurtured indespair.With over-weight and overload, EFCC is not presenting the best of the brains at the Bar.  As can be viewed from outside, a lot of improvisation goes on there.  How many Jacobs are working for the anti-graft agency?  They can be counted by the fingers.  Here lies the danger.  When neophytes and less experienced lawyers face Smart Alecs of the bar what do we expect?  Intimidation, manipulation, threats etc.  It is here that the EFCC starts loosing its cases.  The present situation demands thoroughness, total commitment, confidence and good knowledge of all factors surrounding each case.  The solution here is either the government set up a separate judicial organ to fast–track processes without infringing on the liberties of the looters or hire more lawyers to beef up the prosecution process.

    The second likely victim of the present malaise is the judiciary itself.  Obviously not peopled by saints, our judicial officers are overworked, underpaid (some have said) and exposed to all kinds of temptations. Some are cowed down by boisterous, imperious bully who, realizing the relative young ages of some judges attempt to shout and bully their way through. For judicial officers, there are many solutions.  First they must be properly enumerated.  The Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission which has responsibility for fixing the salaries and allowances of political office holders and judicial officers and which has been dormant (so it seems) for more than a decade now should rise up to the occasion and address the material benefits due judicial officers.  After all a Senator is earning more than thrice the emoluments of a High Court Judge now!

    Another way of addressing the issue of corruption in the judicial system is to apply stringent punitive measures to erring officers who sell ‘black judgment’ which allows the guilty to escape justice.  Sometime in 2015, Ghana dismissed 23 High Court hudges for various offences of corruption, ineptitude and the like.  The judicial system in that country has risen to expectation and there is a drastic reduction in fraud among public officers.

    We must face it.  We have to get it right this time.   Very few leaders love this country.  A society where the national lawmakers are the highest paid in the world; where the same people are clamouring for immunity and pensions for life, there is not much time to waste.  The unemployed youth, mostly educated now number about 20 million.  It is doubtful if these restive youth can wait for ever, seeing the obscene opulence and extravagance displayed by these heartless leaders.  The judiciary and other organs of state, notably the EFCC must brace up to save this nation  – the first way to do it is clean the system, help recover the loot, making ‘sharing’ and looting unattractive.  It is an onerous task which has to be done.

     

    • DejiFasuan M O N, JP

    Snr Citizen, Ekiti State

  • Obaseki: Politics is not war

    Obaseki: Politics is not war

    •APC flagbearer challenges PDP to issue-based debate

    The flagbearer of the All Progressives Congress (APC),  Godwin Obaseki, has cautioned the factional candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, to refrain from turning the campaigns into a media war.

    Obaseki, who spoke through his press secretary, Benjamin Atu, was reacting to a publication in which Ize-Iyamu attacked Governor Adams Oshiomhole for campaigning for his party’s candidate.

    The APC standard bearer emphasised the need for Ize-Iyamu to be focused and make the campaign issue-based.

    Obaseki said he is ready and capable to take anyone the opposition decides to put forward as it’s authentic candidate in any intellectual and progressive contest.

    He also challenged Ize-Iyamu to show Edo people his record in government.

    Obaseki said: “PDP is the old testament of Edo State, we are in the era of grace and APC has come to offer grace. As a new testament state, we are not going back to Egypt, the land of iniquity and godfatherism.

    “We, therefore, challenge any PDP leader in Edo State, who was proud of their reign in the state, to come out and publicly campaign for Ize-Iyamu or any other candidate that may also emerge from their factional primary this week.

    “The excellent performance of Governor Adams Oshiomhole has made the PDP in Edo State and other PDP states to lose sleep and that was why the governor of Delta and others sent their thugs, some of whom have already been arrested in their effort to participate in the ongoing voter’s registration in Edo.

    “APC is firm and unmovable, irrespective of the crafty preparation of the PDP”, the statement said.

  • Dairy giants in marketing war

    Dairy giants in marketing war

    Friesland Campina Wamco, makers of Peak Milk, and Chi Ltd., producers of Hollandia Evaporated Milk, are in a marketing war. The bone of contention is an advert campaign, which each claims it originated. Experts are seeking the regulatory bodies’ intervention to set things right. ADEDEJI ADEMIGBUJI reports.

    For long, stakeholders in the marketing communications industry have held the view that creativity is the bedrock of brand building many professionals in brand management argue that the originality of an idea aids success in advertising. But, in deed and practice, this does not seem true in Nigeria’s advertising and marketing landscape. There are stories of unwholesome and unethical practices bordering on copycat creativity.

     

    How it all started

    A marketing war is raging between Friesland Campina Wamco, makers of Peak Milk and Chi Limited, makers of Hollandia Evaporated Milk. Peak is accusing Chi of copying its advert. But Chi denies the claim, alleging that rather, it is Peak that is the copycat. Peak is alleging that Chi copied a pay-off it used in its Wazobia or Sikini Money Television Commercial (TVC).

    It is claiming that Chi Limited’s brand campaign tagged: HollandiaEvap: Na Correct Wazo was an aberration. Chi’s brand campaign and creative advertising were aimed at putting consumers at the heart of its economy pack size that sells for N50, commonly known as Wazo in local parlance. But as far as Peak is concerned, the campaign mimicked its adverts produced by Insight Communication.

    The Nation learnt that market realities led to the conceptualisation of the campaign to establish HollandiaEvap Milk as the Correct Wazo Milk. Essentially, the commercial depicts everyday people from different walks of life proclaiming HollandiaEvap Milk as the Correct Wazo Milk, relishing in the quality and quantity of the milk as they enjoy different meals that can be had with HollandiaEvap Milk.

    The message of the Correct Wazo TVC coincided with the rise in the cost of living in the country with most Nigerians looking for ways to optimise their spending and get value for their money.

     

    Peak’s case

    But Peak alleged that the commercial was copied in a rush, deploying similar approach – product in use style, similar song and laying emphasis on Waso. According to the firm, this presented what industry experts tagged “a mere pass off” of the creative initiative by Peak Milk.

    “If played to an unsuspecting audience, the 30 seconds material tagged: Hollandia Evap TVC – Na Correct Waso, will elicit more or less similar response: it’s Peak Milk,” an expert, who declined to be mentioned, said.

    According to a source close to Peak, Chi compounded matters by using the Peak Wazobia pack size with a slight erasure of some elements in the product’s look. To him, the Hollandia campaign is capable of confusing consumers of Peak’s single-minded message.

    A seasoned marketing analyst, Mr. Amos Oladele blames handlers of the Hollandia campaign for the fuss, accusing them of not being in novative and original.”

     

    CHI’s defence

    But Chi Limited has refuted Peak’s allegation. A top company official told The Nation that its advert was instead copied by Peak. He said Peak was afraid of the growing threat of Hollandia milk.

    Besides, the Hollandia Evap advert, he said, was approved by APCON and National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), adding that the Peak’s advert was run online and social media and not on traditional media.

    Quoting a report by A C Nielsen Retail Audit data on Nigeria’s dairy market, the official, who pleaded not to be named, said:

    “Nationally, Hollandia Evaporated Milk has been consistently gaining market share while Peak is consistently losing. If we take a look at the last 12 quarters, Hollandia Evaporated Milk has increased by 7.4 MS points, while Peak Regular has dropped by 7.9 MS points.

    “Hollandia Evaporated Milk is ahead of Peak in terms of market share in Southwest. In Lagos, the commercial capital of Nigeria, Hollandia Evaporated Milk has more than double the market share of Peak.”

     

    AAAN’s position

    Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria (AAAN), President Kayode Oluwasona condemned the development, in an interview with an online agency.

    He said: “There may be one or two instances of pass off or copycat, the issue has not gotten to a frightening stage. But there is obvious need to nip it in the bud. We may see the advert being pulled down to save the brand and its owners some embarrassments. In an ideal situation, the client and agency should be able to tell themselves the truth. We have messed up and as such pull down the advert.”

    Oluwasona promised that his association would combat copycat in the advertising business.

    APCON’s stand

    The Registrar of Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON), Alhaji Garba Bello-Kakanrofi, at a marketing conference, expressed worry over rising petitions on copycats. It described the development as “a worrisome trend.”

     

    The dairy market’s competitive landscape

    Over the years, the dairy market has witnessed an upsurge in brands and products jostling for consumers’ interests. The new entrants have, in the course of their struggle for consumers’ attention, been pitched against Peak.

    First to challenge Peak’s market leadership is Promasidor’s Cowbell Milk, which was launched in sachet. That initiative democratised the milk consumption culture. This marketing effort paid off as Cowbell adopted “Our Milk” as a pay off.

    Not one to take competition lightly, Peak innovated the milk in sachet and also in smaller pack sizes both in powder form and evaporated. The response ensured Peak made inroads into the homes of lower middle class consumers too.

    Other brands have continued to challenge Peak’s market leadership. One of such brands is Hollandia from Chi’s stable.

    According to a report by Euromonitor, Promasidor led sales in 2014 and 2015 with a 30 per cent retail value share. The company was the first to introduce smaller packaging of powder milk products, which appealed to price-sensitive consumers and children of school age.

    Over the forecast period, drinking milk products was expected to grow at a two per cent value at constant 2015 prices. The report stated: “It is expected that manufacturers will seek innovative ways of increasing their value share through product varieties and packaging.

    “The increasing popularity of flavoured milk drinks among consumers as a substitute for impulse products like soft drinks will further fuel the growth of the category in the forecast period. Therefore, the forecast growth rate will be slightly stronger than the review period average in value terms at constant 2015 prices.”

    The report noted that Chi led in the sales of yoghurt and sour milk products in 2014 and 2015 with a 34 per cent value share, adding that its Hollandia brand probably has the greatest distribution of yoghurt brands.

    However, the report noted that FrieslandCampina Wamco Nigeria Plc leads the category with a 75 per cent value share both in 2014 and 2015, saying its Peak brand is the most popular condensed/evaporated milk brand in Nigeria and targets consumers across income groups.

    “The company also markets the second ranked brand, Three Crowns, priced at a lower price point, and the company’s nationwide distribution and aggressive marketing strategies also contribute to its successful position,” the reported added.

    As each brand intensifies its push for a larger market share, brand management experts insist that the regulatory authorities should step up their act to ensure healthy competition, especially in brand campaigns that tend to mimic or demarket others.