Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged the Senate President Dr Ahmad Lawan, and Speaker of House of Representatives Mr Femi Gbajabiamila to “use their good offices to urgently probe and refer to appropriate anti-corruption agencies fresh allegations that N4.1 billion of public money budgeted for the National Assembly is missing, misappropriated, diverted or stolen, as documented in the 2016 audited report by the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation.”
SERAP said: “these allegations are not part of the disclosure by the Auditor-General in other audited reports that N4.4 billion of National Assembly money is missing, misappropriated, diverted or stolen.”
In the letter dated 15 May 2021 and signed by SERAP deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation said: “As part of its legislative and oversight functions, the National Assembly has a key role to play in the fight against corruption in the country. But little can be achieved by the legislative body in the anti-corruption fight if the leadership and members do not first confront the spectre of alleged corruption and mismanagement within their ranks.”
SERAP is also urging Dr Lawan and Mr Gbajabiamila: “to identify the lawmakers and staff members suspected to be involved, and hand them over to appropriate anti-corruption agencies to face prosecution, if there is sufficient admissible evidence, and to ensure full recovery of any missing public funds.”
The letter, read in part: “Ensuring the effective investigation of these fresh allegations, and full recovery of any missing public funds would strengthen the country’s accountability framework, and show that the National Assembly can discharge its constitutional responsibility of amplifying the voices of Nigerians. It will also show that the body is acting in the best interest of the people.”
“SERAP is concerned that allegations of corruption continue to undermine economic development, violate social justice, and destroy trust in economic, social, and political institutions. Nigerians bear the heavy economic and social costs of corruption. The National Assembly therefore has a responsibility to curb it.”
“According to the Auditor-General Report for 2016, N4,144,706,602.68 of National Assembly money is missing, diverted or stolen. The National Assembly paid some contractors N417,312,538.79 without any documents. The Auditor-General wants the Clerk to the National Assembly to ‘recover the amount in question from the contractors.’”
“The National Assembly reportedly spent N625,000,000.00 through its Constitution Review Committee between March and June 2016 but without any document. The Auditor-General wants the Clerk to the National Assembly to ‘recover the amount from the Committee and furnish evidence of recovery for verification.’”
“The National Assembly also reportedly spent N66,713,355.08 as ‘personnel cost’ but ‘the payees in the Cashbook did not correspond with those in the Bank Statement’. The Auditor-General wants ‘the irregular expenditure recovered from the officer who approved the payments.’”
“The National Assembly also reportedly paid N116,162,522.60 to some contractors between April and June, 2016 without any document. The National Assembly deducted N56,985,568.55 from various contract payments in respect of Withholding Tax and Value Added Tax but without any evidence of remittance.”
“The National Assembly also reportedly paid N126,264,320.00 as cash advances to 11 staff members between March and December, 2016 to procure goods and services but failed to remit the money.”
“The Senate reportedly paid N747,286,680.00 as personal advances to staff members between February and December, 2016 for various procurements and services but failed to retire the money. The Senate also deducted N118,625,057.48 as Withholding and Value Added Taxes but failed to show any evidence of remittance to the Federal Inland Revenue Service.”
“The Senate also spent N109,007,179.73 from the Capital Expenditure vote but without any document.”
“The House of Representatives reportedly deducted N821,564,296.48 from staff salaries but failed to remit the money to tax authorities. The House also paid N254,059,513.70 as advances to staff members to procure goods and services between January and December, 2016 but failed to retire the money.”
“The National Institute for Legislative Studies reportedly spent N375,867,000.00 to buy 11 motor vehicles in April 2016. But the Institute also paid the same contractor N36,610,000.00 in September 2016 under the same contract without approval.”
“The Institute also reportedly paid N10,927,768.80 to 7 members of staff who were redeployed from the National Assembly to provide specialized services but without details about the staff paid, and without any justification.”
“The National Assembly Service Commission reportedly approved N109,995,400.00 to train some officers in Dubai, United Arab Emirates but spent N127,629,600.00 as Estacode Allowances to participants, and fees for two consultants engaged for the training. The Commission also spent N9,975,000.00 as course fees for 34 officers but it also paid a consultant N4,987,500.00 for the same course fees.”
“The Legislative Aides Section earned N12,274,587.77 as interests on Bank accounts in a commercial bank between January and December 2016 but failed to remit the money to the Consolidated Revenue Fund.”
“We would be grateful if you would indicate the measures being taken to address the allegations and to implement the proposed recommendations, within 14 days of the receipt and/or publication of this letter.”
“If we have not heard from you by then as to the steps being taken in this direction, SERAP shall take all appropriate legal actions to compel the leadership of the National Assembly to implement these recommendations in the public interest, and to promote transparency and accountability in the National Assembly.”
“The National Assembly can only effectively perform its anti-corruption role if it can demonstrate exemplary leadership to probe the allegations of corruption and mismanagement involving the legislative body.”
“SERAP notes that the Auditor-General in the 2015, 2017 and 2018 reports documented that N4.4 billion of public money budgeted for the National Assembly is missing, misappropriated, diverted or stolen.”
“Addressing the allegations would improve public confidence and trust in the ability of the National Assembly to exercise its constitutional and oversight responsibilities, and to adhere to the highest standards of integrity.”
The letter was copied to Mr Abukabar Malami, SAN, Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice; Professor Bolaji Owasanoye, Chairman Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC); Mr Abdulrasheed Bawa, Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC); and chairmen of the Public Accounts Committees of the National Assembly.
Ten years ago, an 18-year-old stormed the Nigerian music industry with ‘Back When’ and ‘Dami Duro’ tracks that swept across Africa.
For many, it seemed like the regular case of a new artiste hitting luck in quick succession. But for those who had known the teenage sensation, this was the birth of a new star.
The first track, “Back When” was a faux attempt to explore a struggle narrative. But fortunately, DavidAdeleke redirected his narrative and embraced his privileged status with Dami Duro.
And “Dami Duro”, co-produced by Shizzi, was the perfect introduction to Davido. As one from an affluent family, his background afforded him the leeway to pursue music as a hobbie, but with Dami Duro, Davido stood in our faces, shouting at the top of his lungs “I am from a rich family, I own my representation and no one can stop me”
10 years on, and Davido has walked the talk. He has had an enviable career laden with multiple hit tracks and lots of real awards to brag with.
Davido’s story is one that deserves to be told and this week, NewsWireNGR had a chat with ObinnaAgwu, a music executive and talent manager to analyse Davido’s success and detail how his career has been a win for the Afrobeats community.
What is the Afrobeat genre?
There’s Afrobeat and there’s Afrobeats. Afrobeat without the ‘S’ is the music that Fela worked tirelessly to develop over a long period. From his own band Koola Lobitos to finally refining it to where he started Egypt 80 and everything, and it was because he schooled out there in the West, he took in a lot of their sound and all of that. But at some point, Fela felt the need to really stand apart from the music he had learnt and he wanted to make it more African than more make it more authentic.
So Afrobeat is the music today that emerged from the genius who spent tireless time in developing and working on it in the 60s.
So now to the Afrobeats with the ‘S’. A lot of people are going to say to you that unlike Afrobeat that is a distinct sound with elements, Afrobeats music isn’t particularly a genre. It is just the overarching umbrella sound of the music out of West Africa.
Another funny thing is that the word Afrobeat was first coined or used by a Ghanaian-based DJ in the UK called DJ Atlantic. He was on radio at a time, and he had a show on a certain radio station and at that point he introduced a lot of African music. I guess after some time he felt the need to call it something, so that’s where Afrobeat came from. Afrobeat is pretty much a sound from West Africa, the overarching sound of the umbrella music from West Africa.
Afrobeats looks like the biggest export from Africa to the world right now, can give us a rundown of the evolution of the genre?
When you talk about Afrobeats music, there are a lot of elements and a lot of people to thank. For example In 2005, people like MTV Base made their entry into Nigeria and to Africa. What those platforms did was that they gave us an avenue to expose our music to a bigger and wider audience within Africa and the world.
However, at that time what we know as Afrobeats hasn’t quite started to happen so at that time We had the 9ice, we had the P-Square, Naeto C, Ikechukwu, Mo’ Hits, MI and all these people things, so as our music continued to grow I would say it was in early 2010 that Afrobeat started to form and shape up into something, especially with people like Wizkid, and there’s really no way we would talk about Afrobeat victory without bringing the UK into it.
Fortunately or unfortunately because the UK ended up playing a huge role that helped in disseminating the sound support, and it was very obvious because we have a lot of Nigerians out there, a lot of Africans out there. So the UK is really much like an annex of Africa, so the UK and the regions of the UK and the people of the UK definitely played the huge role in helping to disseminate the sound support just like in everything, as you start to earn success, more people want to tap in, more people want to understand what you’re doing. So before we knew it people like Drake came in and wanted to do stuff, J Hus plenty people, Skepta, so many people started to identify with the sound and these people came with their own huge following and their own audience. I’d say that Afrobeat as a sound or as a musical consciousness , pretty much started in the 2010s and yes, we are like ten years deep into all of that now. So shout-out to Davido, shout out to Wizkid , shout to all these people who helped to push the sounds up.
It’s impossible to discuss Afrobeats rise without mentioning Davido, a man who recently clocks a decade in the industry. What do you think has defined his career so far in the industry?
Resilienceand Passion. At the initial stage a lot of people did not consider David to be the most obviously talented person.
But one thing you could tell from David was that this kid was hungry, this kid wanted this thing, this Kid is going to do anything to get it , as God would have it he seems to have financial support on his path, but why I would not talk so much about that is that before David and even after David, we have seen a lot of rich kid , right? So money is not the only reason David is such a star. As a manager and an administrator, I have run with people who have money but their money is for their lifestyle and it’s not for the music and when it’s time to invest in music they would not, but with David , David realised that okay, I have the wherewithal to do what I need to do, he really put his money where his mouth is and he went all out for it.
So I would say resilience and passion first of all and over time we have seen this guy improve and get better and better. So it’s not hard to say that David has been growing because over time he has shown us that.
Over the last 10 years, Davido has undergone a lot of evolution to stay relevant. What has been the biggest?
For me, his biggest evolution has been his ability to spot great songs. His ability to work with amazingly gifted people and you must understand that sometimes these people are not necessarily the most affordable people to work it but David has displayed creative maturity over time.
In Nigeria a lot of people at his level wouldn’t be open to come and say ‘somebody wrote this song with me, or I took the song from somebody’. But, we have seen David do that from time to time . From ‘Gobe’ to T Spize that wrote ‘Aye’ to collaborating with Peruzzi on a lot of songs, to working with Adekunle Gold on One Milli , so you can tell that David has a mentality that a lot of his peers and people do not have.
He is open , he understands music, he goes to a place and hears a song and says Yo, this song, I want this song, I need to sing this song, I would buy this song off you, what is it going to take , so over time David has shown that he is an incredible Musician and he has the ear for good music and also likes working with with gifted people.
A lot of people say his special sauce is creating monster hits, how true is this? And how easy is it?
His special sauce is recognising monster hit, so when somebody tries to downplay David’s greatness and say he is not talented, I’m like yoo, it takes a lot of talent to spot hit, it was this boy who spotted ‘Gobe’ and he bought it, this guy who spotted ‘Aye’, and he bought it, he spotted even ‘Fem’.
He said some people were working at his studio, the song was not even meant for him, he now pulled up, he heard it and he was like yoo I’m using this work, it takes talent to be able to spot those things you know and the ability to collaborate with very gifted people, all these things are talent, these are things his father’s money cannot afford him. So yeah, Davido definitely has superpower for creating songs that are amazing.
‘IF’ was written by Tekno so you can tell that this guy is actually steps ahead of his peers. He is able to collaborate with the right people and he is able to spot amazing songs and say so you know what we are going to do with this one.
There’s a difference in delivery even when one buy songs
Definitely, and he does that well. Like ‘Gobe’, he ended up not using the actual beat and he got.bI think he got Chizzi, and David has done so many things like this with his songs. So you can tell that this guy really has something, he knows something, something that can’t just be learnt, something his father’s money can’t buy.
What other elements of music marketing has Davido mastered to keep him going for over ten years?
I think his use of social media has been very impressive over the years and that’s why If I am not mistaken I think he even has more followers than Wizkid on Instagram.
That says a lot because Wizkid is quite a superstar. But for some reason, that followers count means that more people are trying to see something on David’s side than on Wiz’s side and it’s just that when people love you and they admire you , they want to know more about you and David let’s you in. You see his friends, you see his travels, you see his kids and even when he’s ranting he puts it up there and another thing, David is so giving off his platform, that’s something we have seen over time, I’ve seen and then when he sees something that’s amazing, he is always making sure he finds a way behind it through his platform I think in some way these things get to people and they love you more and support you.
Also, David is actually a businessman and he is very clinical about these things. If you get on YouTube and say you want to sit down and watch David’s videos, you’re going to spend a lot of time there. And you know that these videos are shot by Clarence Peters. If you put it into naira and kobo, you would see that we are talking about hundreds of millions so a lot of people make money and they struggle putting that money back into their business but not David.
He’s a great businessman and his use of social media has been very impressive and he has a heart of working with the right people.
A lot of people have pointed at his humility in recalling Asa, as a key moment in his career
You see what he displayed, these are the things people love about David. David’s ability to be honest and to just come out of a situation and say this is what it is.
Like the project he did with Sony, that international project, David would openly say to you, I don’t like that project, that project carries my name but I do not like it, I don’t think it was me, I don’t think I was allowed to do what I really wanted to do. It’s not a lot of artistes who are able to look at their work and say ohhh I do not like this work .
And that’s a big level of honesty and sincerity and I think people can really connect with that. And on a human level when you have that type of understanding, it puts you in a place where you can learn and get better.
To Asa, I happen to be there to some extent. Asa started out working for his uncle’s record company, Storm records, and of course you know Storm records at the time in Nigeria were like the biggest record label Nigeria. So that gave him a platform, that gave him access to do a lot of things and meet a lot of people. So I remember there was a time when Asa was hosting club nights in a lot of big clubs or Storm was handling PR for a lot of big clubs and it was him who would directly manage that relationship. So overtime, this guy had a strong contact base and I saw him first hand deploy all of this to push his music forward.
And David is very clinical in his actions. He knows what he wants to do and he goes for it. We talked about “Back When”, do you know that he paid Naeto C for that feature? One would think that because Asa is his little cousin things would come easily, no, that feature was paid for and it was business, at that point how many people were paid? I think he paid about a million naira for him to do the audio and then be on the video. The video was shot by Clarence Peters, and over time we have seen how many more Clarence Peters videos he has made. Meaning that he wants the quality of the work to be good every step of his way .
I can’t say how the disagreement happened, but these things happen, at some point they fell in and then Kamal came in and a lot of things. But it takes a lot of honesty and sincerity for you to look at something and say, I should go back to this guy, this really loves me and was out for my best interest and he did just that.
And from a manager’s point of view, that was for me a key moment in the industry because I don’t remember seeing stuff like that happen a lot of times. When an artiste falls out with his manager, and they go back to do their thing and honestly say ‘you’re the person who can do this thing, I’m sorry about everything, let us just keep going’. I strongly believe that as we celebrate David we ought to celebrate Asa as well.
A lot of people think 2016 was Davido’s biggest moment. I saw a video on twitter and it was a thread of different renowned celebrities singing those 2016 fire songs, FIA, IF and Fall. There was even a Kanye West sample. How did David crack the international scene with those songs?
Like I said, David is very passionate, very driven, when he feels like it’s time to get things done, he goes out to get it. Yes, he was already shutting things down on the Africa front, but that ‘IF’ victory was a calculated promo plan on their path.
I’m sure he must have sent them back some decent dollars to some announcers in American and possibly gotten some help with the international labels he was in at that time. This was someone basically saying I think it’s about time we get this thing done and he went all out and then made it happen. It took some time but eventually the figures and everything started to add up. That was another coordinated plan by David and his team.
Davido has amassed over a billion streams so far and I think that’s very rich, how critical is digital streaming to the growth of Afrobeats?
Very critical, and it is not like we have a choice because digital streaming is where the parties are right now. There’s nobody who is trying to engage with your physical products anymore and there’s nobody trying to buy your VHS or anything.
So it’s not like we have a choice but it’s a good thing people think that we were deemed enough to engage in those platforms and we woke up to the right technology and partnership of technology early enough. Imagine that we made all these things happen without our own numbers being registered on platforms like Spotify. Spotify just only came to Nigeria this year. So it just shows that despite all the numbers you have been seeing on Spotify, Nigerians in Nigeria our numbers are not even there.
It just shows how much better these things are going to be, and we have Audiomack, we have YouTube, we have Apple music, we have Spotify these brands have also realised that we Nigerians are an important market. And shout out to Nigerians in diaspora, they continue to push the culture forward. I like to think that they are the unsung heroes of Afrobeats music, because Nigerians everywhere and we can make music everywhere. Maybe that’s the advantage we have over other countries because of the chances that you’re going to find Nigerians everywhere. We are always travelling so It’s easy for our music to travel as well. Hopefully, the internet data can get cheaper and more people can be able to access smart phones and all these gadgets and then stream it down and more people can be able to jam in and help grow this ecosystem.
Burnaboy and Wizkid, recently bagged the grammy awards, will Davido get one soon?
I think David is very close to it, because away from the music, the Grammy sometimes can tend to be like a popularity contest sometimes and, David is quite high up there and more than anything this dude has shown us that he has the ability to continue to bag out this heat. I don’t think there’s any stopping that soon. This guy is not even 30 years old yet so David definitely has a lot of time on his clock to go out there and make it happen. He has the pedigree, he has the connections, he has the finance, he has everything, and ultimately he has music.
I like to think eventually, David is going to be on his stage, hold his neck and say ‘E choke’ at some point.
In a recent interview with Ebuka, Davido said stuff like, Grammy no be by force. Do you think he can be as intentional as Burna Boy was or probably deviate from his light hearted niche?
I don’t think so. I think David has found his sweet spot. It’s almost like we have forgotten but the huge positive uprising that happened last year, which is the EndSARS movement, David’s song ended up being the song track for that whole movement.
So this man makes impactful music, he has the pedigree to back it up, He has the fanbase, he has the people, he has everything. So David has found his sweet spot. I don’t think everyone has to sound the same.
For Burnaboy from the job, for those of us who were following him, everyone saw the view that at some point this guy called Burna Boy is going to win a Grammy. I’m one of those people who wasn’t surprised. I was literally just counting down to the day, he’s that gifted, and his international appeal and his close relationship with Atlantic. Atlantic realised they had a gem in their hand and they really went out to position him like one.
How do you make an album like that and you do not have a Grammy? It’s impossible. Diddy is your executive producer, Anderson Park is playing drums in there and Youssou N’Dour is in there, you know, and all this other thing, and then you have the world’s famous Coldplay’s Chris Martin’s on that record. So every step of the way, you know this was a Grammy product, this was positioned for that and it eventually got it. Besides, a year before he had gotten a nomination, the one that he lost to another African legend Angelique Kidjo, so everybody just knew that it’s only a matter of time, this guy is gonna get this nomination again and he’s going to win. So, I have no doubt in my mind that as long as David continues to do his thing, he is going to win it at some point.
Would there be any career regret if Davido never wins a Grammy?
No, there will be none. He is an accomplished artiste as it is. It was this year that Nas got his Grammy for the first time and there are plenty of other people that never got the Grammy but we know that these people are some of the finest artistes. Do you know Snoop Dogg never won a Grammy?
So there are plenty of other people like that, so sometimes these things happen. Maybe you dropped a project in a year, well then just so happened to be like a bigger or more popular project and then, you know there are those variables and these things that happen. So in my opinion David is really an accomplished musician, he has traveled round the world, he has met everybody, he has made money, he has made a clout, I mean what else is there to do? At this point he just needs to keep making music because that is what he has feelings for.
What can young hungry artistes out there learn from Davido?
Be open to collaboration. Know that using a songwriter does not mean you’re a terrible musician, sometimes you write alone, sometimes you need to sing somebody’s perspective to give your music that bit of freshness.
Second, you need to show that you want it, you need to be hungry about this thing, like I said before, David is not the first rich kid we have seen, but we have seen plenty of them who didn’t seem to have that fight in them.
Third, you have to be passionate, this is what you love, submit to it. One vibe you get from David is that this brother has genuine love for music. Just follow your heart, be passionate, be hardworking and if you have money to put in, put it in, be an entrepreneur.
I want to add something else, just in case we don’t get to touch that. Let us not forget that in the history of artistes who run record labels, we possibly have not had anyone that has been successful as DMW. So away from being an artiste, even as an executive or a label guy, David has been hugely successful, Mayorkun is big, Perruzi is big, Dremo, all these other people, so unlike all other guys who have tried to start a label, even the people he’s competing with, a lot of them do not have anything going on that level, but away from David being this guy, he has also successfully built a platform that is huge as well, so David the executive also deserves a lot of kudos.
Has Afrobeats peaked with this Grammy win and its present level of influence?
I do not think so. If anything, it’s possible that we’re just getting started. I was recently saying to someone, these days it appears like the producers outside Nigeria are even starting to make better Afrobeats production or songs than us. People like Jay Five, people like P2J, there’s this guy in Los Angeles who does work for Tiwa savage and Seyi Shay plenty of these people, these guys are making incredible stuff. You know how a black American cannot really really say hip hop is our thing anymore because in Asia they now make hip hop, Africans make hip hop, a lot of people make hip hop, so that’s the beauty of your tradition on your product going across. It sort of gets to a place where it feels like it’s no longer yours anymore because a lot of people have now bought into your product and they love it so I see that happening with Afrobeats.
Another thing is that these guys are still young and they’re going to continue making music. Wizkid is a big superstar, look at what he did with Made in Lagos, so projects like that help to reinforce the importance of this genre, people like Burna Boy, Burna Boy is only just getting started, Davido is a young man, he’s just getting started, let’s not even talk about the younger people who are coming behind them, Buju, Joeboy, Fireboy DML, Tems, all these people, so I think we’re only just getting started.
How can the government key into the million dollars Afrobeats industry now and provide active and actual beneficial support to the growth of the industry now?
Maybe that ship might have sailed because before we got into this digital age, we used to beg the government to come and help us stop piracy, come and help us stop this people who are creating our CDs and selling, come and help us stop these people in Alaba who are faking our products, but now with digital, nobody even cares about them anymore, so you find out that more and more we don’t even need to talk to these people, we don’t need them for anything. The labels have stepped up, were getting investments, international labels are coming in to partner with our local guys here, we have big artiste development and artiste relation companies like Platoon, like ONErpm, like Empire, like Orchard and all this people coming to Nigeria to set up shop, so it appears that through our own sheer determination and hard work, we have taken this thing to a level where it has really taken off, all the government can do is to congratulate people where the would help us.
So there’s no role left for the government now?
Perhaps that ship has sailed, so maybe they should perhaps help us add more event centres, you know just put in laws and regulations that help people to do business more easily. But generally, the success has gone beyond them.
Fans of Davido, Wizkid and Burna Boy are always pitching against themselves on social media. Is this beneficial to the artistes or can it be very damaging to their career and industry growth in the long term?
There’s nothing we can do about it. Because these people are the people who speak up and drum up support for these people that helps to take them to the next level. So now the onus is on the artistes and their handlers to understand that hey, you people must remain friends ooh. You must know that these people would always come with these competitive problems but you guys must know that hey, fans are just doing what fans do.
However the competitiveness is what makes it fun. A lot of times, if there’s no competition people are not really bothered to go the extra mile, so there’s nothing you can do about it.
Davido coming to tweet and say ‘Yo, my fans stop doing this doesn’t change anything’, yeah, you get on Twitter you would discover that there are a lot of handles that are dedicated solely to these guys and all they do is talk about them, tweet them and drop fights and everything. So at that point it is out of your hand, it is just up to you to understand that now it’s part of the game, but these people are my brothers and we should not let what the fans say make us enemies but however, the noise that the fans are making out is important.
Obinna Agwu is a music executive and talent manager who has had in his clientele MI Abaga amid a plethora of other artistes.
Listen to his expert analysis of happenings in the entertainment industry on Listening Session Podcast
Yoruba activist, Sunday Adeyemo, known as Sunday Igboho on Saturday, threatened to disrupt the 2023 general elections in Southwest states of Nigeria – he made the announcement in Osogbo, the Osun State capital, during a Yoruba Nation rally, where participants called for a break away from the country.
He said, many Southwest governors are interested in breaking away but are scared that their monthly allocation could be denied if they declare open support for an independent Yoruba nation.
“I can’t be cowed or intimidated. They said I would be arrested. Who would dare do that? We are no longer part of Nigeria. We won’t have anything to do with them again,” he said.
“There is no election again in Yorubaland until we have a Yoruba nation. Those in authority initially thought we were joking when we demanded an independent Yoruba nation.
“All our governors are with us. From Oyo, Ogun and Ondo to Ekiti, Lagos and Osun, they are supporting us, but they can’t do it openly. Allocation they give them in Abuja may stop if they do it openly. So, don’t abuse them again. Governor Oyetola was informed I will be in Osun and he allowed us to come here. All our monarchs are with us,” Mr Igboho said. Mr Igboho did not provide evidence for his claim and there is no evidence he has the support of the governors.
Mr Igboho was born in Igboho, Old Oyo empire, of Oke ogun in Oyo State but his father relocated to Modakeke in Osun state, where he grew up. He started off as a motorcycle repairer and then ventured into automobiles where he sells cars and was able to start Adeson business Concept.
He gained international attention after the part he played in the Modakeke/Ife war between 1997 and 1998, where he was a defendant of Modakeke people. And thereafter relocated to Ibadan where he met former Oyo state Governor, Lam Adesina through a courageous step while trying to defend the rights of the people at a fuel station according to multiple data available online.
He also went on to work with former Governor, Rasheed Ladoja and became one of his most trusted aides. Only in recent times following the attacks by herdsmen in Southwestern communities that he started advocating for the Oduduwa republic along with others.
Nigerians on Twitter, react as the former president of Liberia, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf wrote that she is “disheartened to hear about the suspension of Nigerian Ports Authority MD @hadizabalausman“. – Hadiza Bala Usman has been suspended by the Managing Director (MD) of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA).
Mrs Sirleaf in her tweet Saturday added that she has known Hadiza as an “accomplished leader and dedicated public servant. I urge adherence to the rule of law and fair and equal treatment as the situation evolves”.
NewsWireNGR had reported that President Muhammadu Buhari had approved the suspension of Bala Usman on the fifth of May, 2021 over allegations of failing to remit the operating surplus of NPA to the consolidated revenue fund (CFR) as well as over contracts awarded when she became director – allegations she denied.
The actions was then followed by the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, who, as directed by President Buhari, inaugurated an 11-member investigative panel to probe the NPA over the allegations.
I am disheartened to hear about the suspension of Nigerian Ports Authority MD @hadizabalausman, who I have known to be an accomplished leader and dedicated public servant. I urge adherence to the rule of law and fair and equal treatment as the situation evolves.
— Ellen Johnson Sirleaf (@MaEllenSirleaf) May 15, 2021
Miffed by the ex-Liberian president’s tweets, some Nigerians took to the social media micro-blogging site and the thread to attack the the ex-president and remind her about Corruption while she led Liberia as its President.
One of the case-studies cited, is the case involving the son of the ex-Liberia’s President who was charged with economic sabotage in connection with the unlawful printing of local currency worth millions of dollars.
Charles Sirleaf, a deputy governor of Liberia’s Central Bank, is suspected of pocketing some of the proceeds in 2016-18. Four other ex-bank officials were also charged. Two of them are on the run.
But more social media users express displeasure – see some of the comments below. Jeki Tala@jeki4tala Replying to @MaEllenSirleaf and @hadizabalausmanI am surprised at this tweet from a former president of Liberia, Nigerian officials who found their way in positions if authority under this administration of @MBuhari have looted n looted the treasury. It would have been better for you to keep mute and await d outcome of invtn.
@danleetyEllen Johnson Sirleaf @MaEllenSirleaf· I am disheartened to hear about the suspension of Nigerian Ports Authority MD @hadizabalausman, who I have known to be an accomplished leader and dedicated public servant. I urge adherence to the rule of law and fair and equal treatment as the situation evolves.
Hon_?láIcon@Hon_oluwatosin·Replying to @MaEllenSirleaf and @hadizabalausmanIs Liberia corruption free? If yes, you can speak as a patriotic for her Meanwhile, there’s nothing wrong in changing her, the ministry isn’t her heritage but public office Thank you for your concern.
The Psalmist™@UGOsaintcristo·Replying to @MaEllenSirleaf and @hadizabalausmanYou should be disheartened by the incessant killing of Nigerians by Boko Haram, Bandits, Kidnappers, & herdsmen, not by the sacking of a thieving MD of the Nigerian Ports Authority.
Kingsley Okoyefi Okekearu@streekingstreet·Replying to @MaEllenSirleaf and @hadizabalausmanPlease ma’am, respect Nigerians sovereignty. Nothing bad has been done to her, let our laws take it’s cause. We will not be needed this type of interference in out dealings. Besides, we have conflicts that your prayers and goodwill is needed to encourage our troupes.
mekaTECH@Ogbo_EmekaBetter don’t let yourself get dragged into the mess. Her friends have been campaigning for Women Representation and Fairness in Corruption/Fraud, and now you’re trying to add yourself to the list.
dat_Afikpo boi@sparoswagg·Killings upon killings in Nigeria, you never said anything! Probably your source of funding has been stopped, you suddenly learnt how to twitt. Better dey your dey oh! Nonsense
But some of Hadiza Bala Usman’s supporters also spoke for her in the thread arguing that she hasn’t done anything wrong.
AYM@AYMalumfashi·Cc @MBuhari@hadizabalausman is recognised internationally, as said by H.E we should adhere to the rule of law, let’s not destroy one of our best for politics or other motives.
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf is a Liberian politician who served as the 24th President of Liberia from 2006 to 2018. Sirleaf was the first elected female head of state in Africa.
Sirleaf was born in Monrovia to a Gola father and Kru-German mother. She was educated at the College of West Africa. She completed her education in the United States, where she studied at Madison Business College and Harvard University. She returned to Liberia to work in William Tolbert’s government as Deputy Minister of Finance from 1971 to 1974. Later she worked again in the West, for the World Bank in the Caribbean and Latin America. In 1979, she received a cabinet appointment as Minister of Finance, serving to 1980.
After Samuel Doe seized power that year in a coup d’état and executed Tolbert, Sirleaf fled to the United States. She worked for Citibank and then the Equator Bank. She returned to Liberia to contest a senatorial seat for Montserrado County in 1985, an election that was disputed.
Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike on Saturday said there is no going back on decision of Southern Governors to ban open grazing across the region.
The Governors of the 17 Southern states had met in Asaba, Delta State on Tuesday and agreed to the ban as parts of efforts to solve the farmer-herder crisis sweeping the country.
The meeting and resolutions reached by the Governors continues to elicit reactions from amongst those prominent is Senate President Ahmad Lawan.
Also, a former Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Prof. Usman Yusuf criticised the move, saying the Governors did not consult with the Fulani, a tribe renowned for nomadic cattle rearing.
But speaking at a civic reception organized in his honour by the Ogoni Ethnic Nationality of Rivers State in Bori, headquarters of Khana Local Government Area on Saturday, Wike said the decision was cast in stone.
“Look, I have been in government, I am in opposition, nobody can cow me,” he said. “Magnus (Abe), they know, their government cannot cow me. I will say what I will say and I will do what is right for my people. Nobody will do me anything. I will die the day God says it is my day. Nobody can take my life when it is not time for me to die. So, let nobody be afraid.
“Let me also use this opportunity to say, all those who are saying why should Southern Governors ban grazing – I have taken further steps to fulfill what the Southern Governors said in Asaba. If anybody wants to die, go and die and hang yourself on electric pole.
“We have taken a position and we are not going back. Enough is enough; we are not second class of citizens of this country. We also own this country and we must partake in what is happening in this country.”
Delta State governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, also berated the president of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, over comments credited to the latter on the call for restructuring of the nation’s political structure by the Southern Governors Forum (SGF).
Okowa noted that the discussion around the restructuring of the country has been on among Nigerians for some time, insisting that the subect cannot be avoided.
The governor, while speaking at the launch of an empowerment scheme by the minority leader of the House of Representatives, Hon. Ndudi Elumelu, in Asaba, the state capital, and apparently responding to Lawan’s criticism of SGF’s resolutions, said it was wrong for anybody to fault the position of the southern governors, noting that the governors only reechoed the voices of their people.
“I have read a lot about the outcome of the Southern Governors Forum meeting. Unfortunately, I read somebody saying that we ought not to speak on certain things because we are elected people. If you cannot echo the voice of your people, then you are not worthy of the position you are holding.
“All those things that we said in our communique are not new. They have been spoken by our people and what we did was just to reecho their wishes,” the governor added.
TALK THAT everything is expensive fills the air at a market in Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial capital. Since February the minibus fare from home to the market has doubled, says Emmanuel Mokwe, who sells kitchen utensils. So has the price of food, he adds grimly. “It’s just chaos,” says Dotun Babande, who runs a juice shop across town.
Inflation is running at 18%. For food it is 23%, the highest in two decades. More than half of Nigerians are underemployed or unemployed. Before covid-19 about 80m of Nigeria’s 200m people lived on less than the equivalent of $1.90 a day. The pandemic andpopulation growth could see that figure rise to almost 100m by 2023,says the World Bank.
Nigeria’s economic woes also help explain a vertiginous rise in crime. More people were kidnapped in the first four months of this year thanall of last year, according to Jose Luengo-Cabrera of the World Bank.This has added to worsening violence around three flashpoints: thejihadists of Boko Haram in the north-east; a long-standing conflict between farmers and cattle- herders across central Nigeria; and fighting between government forces and Igbo separatists in the south-east.
Covid-19 has slammed economies everywhere, but Nigeria’s economicmalaise predates the pandemic. GDP per person has fallen every yearsince 2015, when oil prices slumped (see chart). The World Bank reckons that by the end of the year real income per person in Nigeria, home to one in six of sub- Saharan Africa’s people, will be at the same level as it was in the 1980s. Reform is desperately needed, but fiendishly difficult to enact.
Although oil makes up about 9% of Nigeria’s GDP, it accounts for 80% of export earnings and about half of government revenues. A long slump in its price—from over $100 a barrel in 2014 to less than half thatfor most of last year—has squeezed the supply of foreign exchange.
Normally economies would adjust by letting their exchange rates fall, making imports more expensive. This can be painful in the short term since it fuels inflation. But usually it helps boost exports by making them more competitive. If Nigeria could make, grow or mine more forexport, it would be less vulnerable to swings in the oil price.
Instead, the government of President Muhammadu Buhari has restricted imports in an effort to prop up the currency, which he sees asa measure of Nigeria’s strength. In an attempt to conserve dollars, thecentral bank has banned those intending to import almost 50 items from buying foreign currency. Last month wheat and sugar were added to the list. In 2019 Mr Buhari closed Nigeria’s land borders to goods to stop smugglers undermining local producers. Both moves have fuelled food-price inflation.
They have also hobbled manufacturing firms by making it hard for themto obtain inputs. Manufacturers would be lucky if they get 20% of the forex they request, says Muda Yusuf of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Ajibade Oluwabukunmi imports medical equipment and uses the volatile black market, where dollars cost almost 30% more than the official rate. “Nigeria is in a shambles,” he laments. Despite all its unorthodox controls, the central bank was forced to devalue the naira twice last year. Businesses are getting neither a stable currency nor access to dollars.
The government may slowly be changing its tune. Bismarck Rewane, an economist who is also on the president’s council of economic advisers, says that “the futility of a Robinson Crusoe economy became very clear for everybody”. The government is starting to pay more attention to exporters, he claims, pointing to the partial reopening of land bordersfor goods in December and Nigeria’s signing of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement in 2019.
Yet sustained growth in exports requires more than just opening the border. Many firms are uncompetitive because they are hampered by red tape and government failures. “Government is the biggest problem for business in Nigeria,” says Bashir Abdulrahman of Credent Capital and Advisory, an investment bank.
Electricity blackouts are maddeningly frequent. Roads are often poor and ports clogged up. Moving a container 20km from the port of Lagosto the city can cost $4,000, almost as much as shipping it 12,000km from China. Nigeria ranks 131st out of 190 countries on the World Bank’s ease-of- doing-business index. Although some industries, such as information technology, are growing, this is “in spite of the government”, says Tayo Oviosu of Paga, a mobile-payments company.
The government has tried to give the poor more aid to get them through the pandemic. It also promises to improve infrastructure. But spending on salaries and other annual costs chews up 75% of the federal budget, leaving little money to invest in roads or railways. With a view to freeing funds for infrastructure, the government last year promised to cut costly fuel subsidies. Yet that has been halted in the face of opposition.
The stalled reform is typical of Nigeria’s troubles. For decades cash from oil has been used to subsidise things like fuel and electricity. The easy revenue also allowed the federal and state governments to getaway with abysmal tax collection. Worse, it fostered corruption.
Many Nigerians have had enough. Between 2014 and 2018 the percentage who want to emigrate rose from 36% to 52%, one of thehighest levels in Africa. Rising oil prices this year will ease the shortages and boost government finances. Yet that may reduce the pressure to fix deeper economic problems, admits Kayode Fayemi, a state governor. Nonetheless, he believes there is an “almost overwhelming consensus” on the need to restructure the economy. “If we don’t do it,” he warns, “we run the risk of disintegration.” ?
This article appeared in the Middle East & Africa section of the print edition under the headline “Stuck in a rut” for the Economist Magazine.
President Muhammadu Buhari will on Sunday depart Abuja for France where he will attend the African finance summit.
During the visit in France for four days, Buhari will take part in the summit and meet with Emmanuel Macron, the host country’s president.
The summit is organised by Macron to discuss external funding and debt treatment for Africa, and private sector reforms.
“Before returning to Nigeria, President Buhari will receive some key players in the oil and gas sector, engineering and telecommunications, European Council and European Union Representative for Foreign and Security Policy and Commission, and members of the Nigerian community” – the statement issued by Nigerian Presidency reads in parts.
Buhari and Macron are expected to discuss the growing security threats in the Sahel and Lake Chad region, climate change, partnership to contain the spread of COVID-19 among other issues.Advertisement
Those that will be in the entourage of the president are Geoffrey Onyeama, minister of foreign affairs; Zainab Ahmed, minister of budget and national planning; Otunba Adebayo, minister of trade and investment; and Osagie Ehanire, minister of health.
Babagana Monguno, national security adviser, and Ahmed Abubakar, director-general of national intelligence agency (NIA) are also expected to be part of the trip.
The President will be accompanied by Minister of Foreign Affairs, @GeoffreyOnyeama, Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, @ZShamsuna, Minister of Trade and Investment, Otunba Adeniyi Adebayo, @NiyiAdebayo_ and Minister of Health, @DrEOEhanire#PMBinParis
President Recep Erdogan of Turkey has told the President Muhammadu Buhari, that he expects Nigeria to show solidarity with Palestinians following the latest attacks by Israel on Jerusalem and Gaza.
Erdogan made the call when he spoke with Buhari on the telephone on Thursday evening.
The Turkish Presidency disclosed this in a message posted on its Twitter handle, @trpresidency.
The Turkish President told Buhari that his country was trying to get the international community to teach Isreal, which he described as “unlawful, unjust and unscrupulous” a lesson.
He expressed the belief that Nigeria will support Palestinians in “this rightful cause.”
The message read, “President Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke by phone with President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria.
“Exchanging Eid al-Fitr greetings, the two leaders discussed bilateral relations and regional developments.
“Drawing attention to Turkey’s efforts exerted in order for the international community to teach the necessary lesson to unlawful, unjust and unscrupulous Israel due to its attacks against Palestine, President Erdogan voiced his belief that Nigeria would show solidarity with the Palestinians in this rightful cause.”
Apart from Buhari, reports say Erdogan had also spoken with some other world leaders on the matter.
He was said to have spoken with Kyrgyz President, Sadyr Japarov; his Afghan counterpart, Ashraf Ghani; Iraqi Prime Minister, Mustafa Al-Kadhimi, a former Malaysian Prime Minister, Mahathir Mohamad; and Libya’s Prime Minister, Abdul Dbeibeh.
Nasarawa State House of Assembly Speaker, Alhaji Ibrahim Abdullahi, said there is no alternative to Governor Abdullahi Sule and All Progressive Congress ( APC) in the state in 2023.
Abdullahi made the statement on Saturday in Umaisha, Toto Local Government Area of the state.
“The handwriting is very clear on the wall, as far as I am concerned in Nasarawa State we have no other candidate to file in 2023 apart from Gov. Sule.
“Every state, every country, every local area and so on, elect leaders that will give a result.
“With the antecedence of Gov. Sule, especially some of us that are working closely with him know very well that his project, his dream, his thinking day and night is all about Nasarawa State.
“So, what else do we want than to give him all the necessary support to succeed and transformed our beloved state because if God spares our lives and by his grace, Governor Sule will serve for eight years,” he said.
Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredoluof Ondo State has warned traditional rulers to desist from fomenting trouble over appointment of chiefs in their domain.
Mr Akeredolu gave the warning on Saturday in Ikare Akoko at the occasion of official presentation of instrument of appointment and staff of office to Adeleke Adegbite, the Owa-Ale of Ikare-Akoko.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the stool of Owa-Ale of Ikare-Akoko became vacant after the demise of Oba Samuel Adegbite on Sept. 1, 2020.
The governor, represented by his Deputy, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, said government would not hesitate to deal decisively with any traditional ruler caught engaged in acts of lawlessness.
Mr Akeredolu added that any traditional ruler that was dissatisfied with any decision on chieftaincy matters should seek redress in the court of law instead of taking laws into their hands.
The governor urged the newly installed traditional ruler to demonstrate high level of integrity in the discharge of his responsibility and should focus attention on his area of jurisdiction.
“At this juncture, I wish to express my utmost displeasure over the recent mayhem that erupted in this community over the removal and subsequent appointment of the new Olokoja.
“We are all aware of the current state of insecurity in this country.
“Therefore, under no circumstance shall we tolerate another wave of killing of innocent citizens and wanton destruction of properties over any security issue in the community, much less of any minor chieftaincy matter,” he said.
Mr Akeredolu later assured the gathering that security of residents of the state was his priority, adding that he is making efforts to rid the state of miscreants and criminals.
Earlier, the Chairman of Akoko North-East Local Government, Omojola Ashimiyu, urged the new traditional ruler to be an apostle of peace and carry along all his people both home and abroad in his day-to-day administration.
Mr Ashimiyu also advised the people of the town to embrace peace and support the new traditional ruler for his tenure to witness unprecedented achievements.
Responding, Mr Adegbite appreciated the governor for fatherly and leadership role he displayed in maintaining peace in Ikare land.
The traditional ruler, who apologised on recent disturbance of the peace in the town, assured that he would continue to speak with his people to live in peace and tolerance to avoid a reccurrence.
“Going down memory lane, this is the 18th Owa-Ale in lkare since my progenitors migrated from lle-lfe, the ancestral home of the Yoruba people.
“Permit me to mention that Obaship assignment, like any other leadership role, is a call to selfless service.
“Having accepted my unanimous selection to assume the throne of my forefathers and lead the good people of Ikare Land as the Owa-Ale Adimula, I promise, by God’s grace, not to disappoint you,” he said.
Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State on Friday said there was no record of Indian COVID-19 variant in the state, as was speculated on social media.
The governor stated this in Benin at a news conference to provide an update on COVID-19 response in the state.
Mr Obaseki was represented by the Permanent Secretary from the state Ministry of Health, Osamwonyi Irowa.
He said the federal government had on April 26, taken precautionary steps by restricting international travel from India, Brazil and Turkey to curtail COVID-19.
“We as government have reached out to the Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC) with regards to any Indian variant in Edo and the verified information reveals that the said sample was collected in January.
“There is currently no update or report suggestive of any such occurrence or new case of COVID-19 reported within Edo in the past 96 hours.
“Edo has witnessed a 12.9 per cent drop in the number of infected persons comparatively,” he said.
According to him, there has also been a 23.5 per cent comparative increase in the number of older persons infected with COVID-19 in the two waves of COVID-19 in the state.
Mr Obaseki said that the prevalence of COVID-19 among young persons, especially school children in Edo was low, as it has dropped by 18.5 per cent comparatively for the first and second wave.
The Nigerian Army on Saturday vowed to deal severely with any of its personnel caught using social media to engage the authorities.
It said the Army has established mechanisms of responding to administrative issues and resorting to social media was not one of them.
The Director of Army Public Relations, Mohammed Yerima, said this in a statement on Saturday.
He was reacting to a petition written to the President Muhammadu Buhari by some Non-Commissioned Officers and Senior Non-Commissioned Officers to reject the proposed Nigerian Army Welfare Housing Scheme.
Yerima said the names and service numbers of signatories on the petition do not exist in Army’s records.
Non-Commissioned Officers and Senior Non-Commissioned Officers had petitioned the President to reject the proposed Nigerian Army Welfare Housing Scheme.
In the petition co-signed by 05NA/57/2084 Sgt. Yusuf Shetima,04NA/55/0925 Cpl James Ibok, 09NA/62/5578 LCPL Danladi Ibrahim,11NA/66/10622 LCPL Afolabi Showumi and 13NA/70/11034 PTE Lucky Dolph, they described the project as fraudulent.
But Yerima said the scheme was meant to benefit soldiers and members of their family.
He said the Chief of Army Staff met an Army Housing Scheme in the pipeline and constituted a committee to understudy its feasibility.
Yerima added that the committee, in its bid to allow soldiers speak their mind on the scheme and know those interested in the project, designed a questionnaire.
He stated that it was while administering the questionnaire to soldiers that agent provocateurs seized the moment to condemn the scheme.
The statement titled, ‘Re: Rejection of the proposed Nigerian Army Welfare Housing Scheme’, read, “The signatories who claimed to be writing on behalf of NA soldiers are fictitious names and numbers which are non-existent in the Nigerian Army records.
“The current Chief of Army Staff met an Army Housing Scheme in the pipeline and constituted a committee to understudy its feasibility and desirability.
“Questionnaire was subsequently designed by the committee for soldiers to bare their minds on the scheme and to ascertain those who are interested in it.
“It was still at this stage of administering the questionnaire to soldiers that agent provocateurs seized the moment to demonise the scheme with toxic narratives.
“Members of the Nigerian Army have established mechanisms of responding to administrative issues and resort to social media is not one of them. Any personnel caught using social media to engage the authorities will be severely dealt with.
“It is however curious that a scheme meant to benefit soldiers and families could be so flagrantly twisted in the social media using names and numbers that are alien to the Nigerian Army. The motive for this kind of strange act will ultimately be uncovered.”
