A CREED TO LIVE BY

Don't undermine your worth by comparing yourself with others. It is because we are different that each of us are special. Don't set your goals by what other people deem important. Only do what is best for you. Don't take for granted the things closest to your heart. Cling to them as you would your life, for without them life is meaningless. Don't let life slip through your fingers by living in the past or in the future. By living one day at a time, you live all days of your life. Don't give up when you still have something to give. Nothing is really over until the moment you stop trying. Don't be afraid to admit that you are less than perfect. It is the fragile thread that binds us to each other. Don't be afraid to encounter risks. It is by taking chances that we learn how to be brave. Don't shut love out of your life by saying it is impossible. The fastest way to lose love is to hold to it tightly, and the best way to keep love is to give it wings. Don't dismiss your dreams. To be without dreams is to be without hope, to be without hope is to be without purpose. Don't run through life so fast that you forget not only where you have been, but also where you are going. Life is not a race, but a journey to be savoured each step of the way. - Nancye Sims Barka Juma’at and happy weekend Babatunde Jose +2348033110822

PUERTAS DEL INFIERNO (THE GATES OF HELL)

And do not eat up your property among yourselves for vanities, nor use it as bait for the judges, with intent that ye may eat up wrongfully and knowingly a little of (other) people' property.’’ (Quran 2:188) Today’s huthba is focusing on the electricity crisis that now threatens to bring this country under. Already, coupled with the other systemic collapse, the majority of our people are being pushed to the wall. It will just take a little push to trigger a revolution in this country. And unfortunately, it is those who have that will be the loser; for when the poor have nothing more to eat, they will be forced to eat the rich. This is why those who are in position to warn our leaders should do so now. It has never been this, bad. Under APC, the Nigerian nation is facing its worst electricity crisis ever. Power outages now last for several days across the country; and whenever there is electricity the quality is embarrassingly poor. People are now resorting to the age old, traditional lamp, ‘atupa alati’ to light up their homes at night. Even the use of the one stroke generator is becoming increasingly expensive to resort to on a nightly basis. As the cost of fuel is getting increasingly unaffordable. Especially diesel. People are now being forced to make a choice between buying petrol into the generator or feeding their family with the little they have. Yes, it is that bad. And that is at the individual level. Where two or three are now gathered, the topic is the power situation, just like people in Britain discuss the proverbial British weather. But that is the least of concern, as the power issue is now pushing towards the imminent collapse of the nation's economy. From the petty trader selling pure water, to the small welder, the street corner barber and the malam selling soft drinks in the neighbourhood, its complaints galore. Add the cries of agony and anguish of industry and commerce, is a tale of woe. The matter has gotten so bad that Nigeria now ranks as one of the largest importer of personal generating sets in the world; from the basic ' I pass my neighbor’, to industrial giant diesel generators. A poll conducted in 2013 by NOI Polls Limited for the second quarter of that year revealed that about 130 million representing 81% of our population of 160 million at the time generated their own alternative power. It is worse now as the figure could be 90% of our 200 million population. DG of the Centre for Management Development revealed that 60 million Nigerians spent N 1.3 Trillion on generators annually. Wow! The area of power is therefore the most prominent infrastructure deficit gap in Nigeria. Our power has been so epileptic that someone has described the Nigerian economy as a 'generator economy'. In terms of costs, the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria and the National Association of Small-Scale Industries estimated that their members spend an average of $12 million or N7.2Bn per week on self-power generation. With the price of diesel hovering above 700 per liter, don’t be surprised if the tariff on calls is increased. Multichoice/ DSTV have increased their tariff. Among other things, former President Olusegun Obasanjo is reported to have blamed his successors, including President Goodluck Jonathan, for being responsible for the rot in the country's power sector. But you will see is that he too is a ‘dramatis personae’ in the whole power drama. He admitted that a major cause of the problems facing the country is lack of political will on the part of the country's leaders; he also warned that electricity should not be privatized to friends; which is what actually happened with the sale of GENCOs to the cronies of the administration. But this is not the full story. Our power problem is the result of the inability of the existing power plants to meet up with the growing demands. This supply / demand gulf is the result of a myriad of problems ranging from obsolete and dilapidated power plants with some as old as 20 years, lack of and very poor maintenance of the plants, and poor managerial efficiency. The feeder pillar in my area is over 30 years old with fault-men endangering their lives to fuse the equipment by joining wires instead of real fuses. This is what you get when you have leaders that lack vision. Our current power generation is nothing to write home about; a paltry 4,500MW with our per capita electricity usage about 136 kilowatts/hour. This consumption per capita is one of the lowest in the world when compared to per capita electricity usage in Libya, 4,270 KWH; India, 616 KWH; China, 2,944 KWH; Republic of South Africa, 4,803 and Singapore, 8,307 KWH; USA 13,391 KWH. It is indeed a very sad commentary on the leadership of this country; both past and present. Currently the power has dropped to unprecedented level.’ Lobatan! We are in trouble! Between 1975 and 1983, the following power projects were developed; the Jebba Dam, Shiroro Dam, and Egbin Power Station. Between 1983 and 1999, there was no single kobo invested in power generation. If anything, the ones that were there were allowed to rot. Between 1999 and now, over $32billion has been spent on power and nothing to show for it. Yet, in other climes, resources of less amount have been judiciously used to provide reasonable amount of power. · The 22,500MW Three Gorges hydroelectric power plant in Yichang, Hubei province, China, is the largest hydropower station in the world, exploiting the water resource of the Yangtze River. The power project was started in 1993 and completed in 2012, it cost the Chinese people only $29Billion. · The Itaipu hydroelectric power plant with an installed capacity of 14,000MW ranks as the world's second largest hydropower plant. The project is located on the Parana River, at the border between Brazil and Paraguay. The facility cost them only $19.6 Billion. · The Guri power project, also known as the Simón Bolívar hydroelectric power station, ranks as the world's third biggest hydroelectric power station, with an installed capacity of 10,200MW. The Venezuelan power facility is located on the Caroni River in the Bolívar State of south-eastern Venezuela. The Guri power station supplies around 12,900GW/h of energy for Venezuela. It cost the people of Venezuela only about $ 22.5bn There is no doubt that corruption is built into the cost of our power projects. Yar’Adua government sponsored a probe on the power sector during the Obasanjo years, challenging him for having squandered $13 billion on the project without meaningful results. In the reports presented before the House of Representatives in 2009, it was later established that it was about $3.08 billion that was expended by the Obasanjo government on power generation, instead of the $13Billion they claimed to have spent. What became of the $10billion balance is best left to our collective imagination? The population of South Africa is 55 million and they generate 45,000 megawatts. Our population today is about 200 million people, and we cannot generate 4,000 megawatts. When Obasanjo came in 1999, he promised to bring the nation out 'of darkness ' in six months. Today we live in what TATALO described as ‘Darkness Invisible’. However, "By the end of OBJ's eight-year tenure, power was still not available as promised. It was not because he was unwilling but because the process lacked strategic planning. Money was released but the result was negative. Several imported turbines were later found to be lying idle at the ports or on sites still in the crates they came in. Some generating stations were designed and built without provision for the gas that would power them. Yet, some were not even built at all, but the equipment were imported without stations to house them. When "Yar'Adua came in, he used two years to ascertain why the huge amounts spent could not fix the power problem. Now Baba has been there for six years, and we are not yet out of the woods, rather things are far worse. When will it ever get better? This is a million-dollar question. If it took Moses 40 years to get the children of Israel to the ‘promised land’, it did not take 40 years for the leaders of modern Israel to turn the Negev desert into an agricultural wonder. It did not take Singapore forever to become an Asian Tiger, nor for Japan to become an economic miracle after its defeat in the Second World War. South Korea is a modern-day marvel. Dubai and other Emirates in the Gulf are today, tourist destinations and China is the second largest economy in the world. And Qatar is hosting the World Cup!!! How long must we wait in the ‘Gates of Hell’, before we breathe the air of relief. How many roads must a man walk down Before you call him a man? The answer is blowin' in the wind. Bob Dylan. Blowin in the wind Nigeria's population of over 200 million is the largest in Africa. Its GDP growth rate is approximately 7 per cent and it has the highest levels of foreign direct investment in Africa— You would wonder what the government’s responsibilities are when they have virtually ‘pushed’ their responsibilities back to the people they govern. What are they doing with the huge revenue at their disposal? Allah said: Allah doth command you to render back your Trusts to those to whom they are due; and when ye judge between man and man, that ye judge with justice: Verily how excellent is the teaching which He giveth you! For Allah is He Who heareth and seeth all things. O ye who believe! Obey Allah, and obey the Apostle, and those charged with authority among you. If ye differ in anything among yourselves, refer it to Allah and His Apostle, if ye do believe in Allah and the Last day: That is best, and most suitable for final determination. (Quran 4:58-59) Nigerians today provide for themselves most basic services; they generate their own electricity, sink boreholes for their water, incinerate their own waste, procure primary health care by patronising the ‘alagbo’ and God knows many other services. We even provide our own roads, as many communities would attest to. These are the hallmarks of a people living at the ‘Gates of Hell. (Matthew 16:18) Yeah! The ‘gates of hell’ shall not prevail against our collective resolve to create a better life for ourselves and our offspring’s. The time for change is now and we must seek divine assistance against those who are bent on impoverishing our lives and making us wait forever at the ‘Puertas del Infierno.’ But those who break the Covenant of Allah, after having plighted their word thereto, and cut asunder those things which Allah has commanded to be joined, and work mischief in the land; --on them is the Curse; for them is the terrible Home! (Quran 13:25) Barka Juma'at and a happy weekend. Babatunde Jose Babatunde Jose +2348033110822

The burden of untrained leaders

"E go better" is a common phrase used in Nigeria to affirm our inner aspiration of a better future. Popular artistes turned it into songs. We say it when we want to reassure ourselves of a better tomorrow, hoping that the nation will live up to its potential one day. The wise are beginning to realize that hope is not enough, a byproduct of faith. Faith is a risk, and we need to put it in the right leaders who can lead the nation into a prosperous future. We need leaders who are trained and prepared for a moment like this. We need to identify such people to escape the burden of untrained leaders that has beguiled Nigeria and Africa at large. A little disclosure before I proceed: this article might read like leadership 101. Learning new things without mastering the fundamentals is like building a house on a sinking foundation. If the foundation is destroyed, what can the righteous do? A nation's destiny and its people depend on its leadership; therefore, it is serious. And in critical moments like one where our nation has found itself today, we cannot afford to hand the steering of our wheels to an untrained leader. An untrained leader is not equipped and prepared for the most urgent tasks. You most likely have read or heard about the David and Goliath story. Goliath was the greatest threat to the existence and prosperity of Israel at that time. Saul, the king, who led the Israel army to war, could not silence the threats and boasts of Goliath, which lasted several days. The Israelis carried the burden of a leader who was not trained for the urgent and most important task. David, a shepherd boy, emerged as the trained leader. He rose to the occasion and liberated his nation. If the burden of an untrained leader is that heavy, the ability to identify a trained leader in a country where the most incompetent masquerade as the most qualified is an absolute necessity. Ambition or passion without knowledge leads to destruction. There is an abundance of people with ambition and passion for leading without understanding what leadership entails. Back to the David and Goliath story, the leadership Israel needed at that moment was to help them move past the greatest obstacle to their nations' progress – Goliath. King Saul, the supposed leader with his vast army, could not move the nation past Goliath. Leadership is the ability to move people from where they are to where they want to be. King Saul had no formula to move his people past Goliath, but David, a shepherd boy, provided the much-needed leadership because he was trained and prepared for such an occasion. He was ready to face the greatest threat to his country at the cost of his life. Leadership goes beyond sitting in an exalted office, dishing instructions, and signing documents; it is problem-solving. A leader should be ready to face problems head-on with the understanding that no excuse for failure will be tolerated. David could not afford to fail. He had to lean on his greatest source of strength and get all the help he could receive. A trained leader is not the same as an experienced politician or officeholder. Although he had no previous political experience when he was elected three years ago, Zelensky, a former comedian, has become a convincing war leader. He had learned leadership somewhere else. Looking at his history, he learned leadership in the most unlikely of places – the entertainment business. His rise to prominence is a case of imitating art. His most notable role was in the TV series Servant of the People. He played a school teacher who became the president after a student posted a video of him criticizing politicians. Who would have imagined that his role in that series and business would influence him? Leadership is a mindset and a skill set, not societal titles and awards. He rose for his people when they needed him most. Training and preparation often happen behind the scenes, so how do we identify trained leaders? Though there are many qualities of a leader, some qualities distinguish trained leaders from others. Knowing that all victories and defeats start from the mind, trained leaders are confident, not brash, and instill confidence in others. The Israelites were sore afraid of Goliath, but David came and talked down on him, inspiring confidence in his fellow citizens. Before David attacked and defeated Goliath physically, he won the mind battle. He knew the power of words and used it to his advantage. Trained leaders are excellent communicators. They know how to use words to encourage, inspire and persuade people to act. Can you take a trip to the past and mention any reputable and memorable leader who was not an excellent communicator? From Winston Churchill to Nelson Mandela and Obafemi Awolowo. Trained leaders know the weakness of their nation but project its strength. They are excellent communicators, and their words are not empty – they walk the talk. Trained leaders get to work with their followers and get their hands dirty. They lead the march. They demand of themselves what they request from others. One of the qualities that endeared the current Ukrainian president to the heart of millions of people globally is his decision to stay back in the war-ravaged country to fight with his people. When leaders make demands of their people but do something contrary, such leaders only make a fool of themselves. It is in the nature of people to gauge how involved you are in something, but they get committed to you. Nation-building requires sacrifice from leaders and their followers, but the leaders must take the lead. David had killed a lion and bear with his bare hands, so he was not making an empty brag when challenging Goliath. He had training in the art of fighting extremely dangerous creatures; Goliath will not be an exception. Trained leaders have a history of rising to the occasion where it matters. They have often solved problems similar to what lies ahead in the past. Though the new challenge might be at a bigger scale than what they did in the past, they have built confidence and experience to surmount the bigger challenge. Trained leaders have been faithful in little; hence much can be committed to their hands. Leadership requires making tough decisions and making tremendous sacrifices. Those who cannot stand the heat should not be admitted into the kitchen. To reap the future fruits, the seeds of today must be sacrificed. A common pattern is found in all trained leaders- they learn through adversity and value the lives of those they lead higher than theirs. The experience and training are acquired at a substantial personal cost and sacrifice. David risked his life to protect his father's sheep; Nelson Mandela risked his freedom to protect the rights of his people, and the Ukrainian president, Zelensky, rejected the offer to escape the Russian invasion with his family and decided to stay back. Next time somebody flaunts the leader tag, inquire if they have ever paid the price of leadership. It will be good to know if they can put other people's interests above theirs. David trained men once described as "those in distress or in debt or discontented" to become mighty men. Trained leaders are also mentors; they contribute to raising excellent leaders like themselves. Someone who cannot sacrifice for individuals or a group of people cannot sacrifice for a nation. The burden of untrained leaders is heavy. The crushing effect of their weight can last generations. It is high time we scrutinize those who offer to serve. We need to be sure they will solve pressing problems, not become a part of them. Leaders deserving of our faith and commitment must be able to inspire us to action with their words, ready to get their hands dirty, have a history of delivering when it matters, committed to mentoring future leaders, and be ready to make huge sacrifices for the good of all. David Osiri (Mr. Mentormorphosis), a Mentorship Awareness Ambassador Can be reached at david@davidosiri.com

Can we end world hunger once and for all?

Between 2019 to 2020, 161 million people were hungry. This hunger is not the kind you feel when you want a quick snack or between lunch and dinner. It is prolonged distress caused by a lack of food. Unfortunately, it is one of the realities in our world. From food production to distribution, the wheel of nutrition is not moving as fast as it should be moving. The world needs a solution, fast! World hunger is a significant challenge that eradicating it is number two on the United Nations 17 sustainable development goals. Reports show that since 2014, the number of undernourished people has been on the rise. If we are not proactive, the United Nations’ plan for zero hunger by 2030 might be unachievable. While we sleep on our comfortable beds, 640 million or 8.9% of the world population sleep hungry. The most affected countries are Sierra Leone, Haiti, Liberia, Madagascar, Timor-Leste, Korea, and Nigeria. War, natural disasters, economic crises, and the most recent COVID-19 have worsened the situation. How can we tame the hunger monster? Many humanitarian organizations such as USAID have made efforts to end world hunger. Some of which include improving agriculture, raising awareness on health and nutrition, women empowerment, and good governance. Some NGOs went as far as seeking legislation and help from the government in some countries. The Philippines created a special task force to address their hunger problems and achieve food security. Zimbabwe implored higher institutions of learning to educate the populace on the benefits of agriculture. The Kofi Annan Foundation advocates the transformation of African agriculture to ensure food and nutrition security for all by mobilizing leadership and high-level commitment. Nigeria had its food sufficiency initiatives, one of which is Operation feed the nation, which was launched during the military regime of former President Olusegun Obasanjo in 1976. Despite these brilliant initiatives, there is a lot to be done. Solving the world hunger problem requires innovation that can scale globally. Elon Musk, a great multi-industry disruptor, and billionaire challenged the UN recently. He promised to release 6 billion dollars to eradicate global hunger if the UN could share with him a fail-proof plan to end world hunger. Being an innovator, Elon knew problems like this require a new approach that can deliver tremendous and unmatched results compared to what was obtainable in the past. Such a solution will be a product born out of great determination to end the hunger problem once and for all. The ultimate solution to world hunger is not in giving people or nations food aids; it is in teaching them how to grow their food sustainably. Donor dollars spent over many years on food, though helped in some way have not global food shortages, it is time to try another approach. Food aids might not be eradicated completely due to humanitarian crises, but there is enough proof that food security is achievable. If you give a person fish, they will most likely return to you for more. However, if you teach them the art of fishing instead, you have provided a lifelong solution to their hunger. We have nations like Israel in the middle east that have achieved food sufficiency. How did they do it? How did a country in the middle east desert grow their food? What nations that suffer from hunger need are the transfer of knowledge, skills, and expertise from nations that have achieved food sustainability. If you feed the mind, the mind will feed the body. Countries with abundant food have highly effective and efficient food value chains. They also have proven steps to achieving food security. All these can be replicated to fit the peculiarity of nations where hunger thrives. The introduction of a 2006 report by Ifpri.org captures this point succinctly. It states: Experts are increasingly aware that efforts to promote development and improve food security in developing countries cannot succeed in the long run without well-qualified local individuals and institutions to provide the right incentives for, motivate, and manage these efforts. Building this local capacity is now seen as an essential task for governments and international agencies, but it is challenging. It is high time the UN, concerned nations, and agencies build on this awareness by investing or increase investment in building local capacity for countries that have food shortage problems. The best way to achieve and scale this local capacity building for overcoming food shortages might be the fail-proof plan Elon is waiting for. Building local capacity will require some form of mentorship. Mentorship is critical because it is one of the best means to transfer knowledge and build capacity. Mentorship allows for ongoing support, guidance, and accountability. It will ensure that funds and resources are used properly and accounted for. In partnership with all concerned parties and stakeholders, global experts in food security and agricultural experts from advanced nations can be recruited into a global mentorship program for food security and deployed to countries that need help. They will mentor farmers, extension agents, and scientists. That way, countries with food challenges will be empowered to take their destinies in their own hands. The mentorship program can start at national level for large scale farmers, then flow down to communities, organizations, groups, and individuals. According to Global Hunger Index, the world’s 10 hungriest country in 2021 are Sierra Leone, Timor-Leste, Haiti, Liberia, Madagascar, Democratic Republic of Congo, Chad, Central African Republic, Yemen, and Somalia. Food aids and other efforts aimed at food insecurity though plausible is not the ultimate solution. A hungry 161 million people will get a chance to have foods in their mouths if all concerned organizations, agencies and the UN invest in programs that builds capacity for food security among nations that have food problems. Global food security and agriculture experts like Richard Choularton, Ruth Oniang, Catherine Nakalembe, and Maïmouna Sidibe Coulibaly can mentor farmers, extension workers, researchers and other key stakeholders so they can champion food security initiatives in their countries. This approach will give us the opportunity to end world hunger, once and for all. David Osiri (A.K.A. Mr. Mentormorphosis), Mentorship Awareness Ambassador david@davidosiri.com +234 802 147 1061

THE NEXT LEVEL COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE

David Osiri (A.K.A. Mr. Mentormorphosis), Mentorship Awareness Ambassador Mobile: +2348021471061 Email: david@davidosiri.com Website: www.davidosiri.com When Jack Welch became the chief executive of GE in 1981, its stock price was struggling. Its market capitalisation hovered around $14 billion. On his retirement two decades later, it stood at more than $410 billion. The company's revenue soared from around $28 billion to $170 billion over the same period. Like most of us, he was not a saint, but there are many things he got right as the leader of General Electrics. The balance sheets and the investors agree on that. In the early 1990s, the dot-com bubble started forming. Investors were throwing millions of dollars at all kinds of online businesses. The 'experts' speculated that these new internet models would win. The brick-and-mortar companies would disappear! Jack retired from General Electric in 2001 (end of the dot-com bubble) after 20 years as CEO. As the wave of the internet era swept through the globe in the 1990s, the dot-com bubbles began to burst. Amid changes brought by the internet, Jack saw an opportunity. The internet could help GE to reduce transaction costs by hundreds of millions a year. He proposed the automation of a long list of GE's processes and transactions. Being a visionary leader, he foresaw the obstacle. The internet is young- a new 'trick' in the business world. How would the 'old dogs' in the organisation learn this new trick? A brilliant idea struck him; it was an ideal solution - the young 'dogs' who are fond of the new trick can teach the old 'dogs'. The concept is now referred to as reverse mentoring. Harvard Business Review defines reverse mentoring as pairing younger employees with executive team members to mentor them on various topics of strategic and cultural relevance. This is the approach Jack Welsh used to teach senior executives about the internet. The feat was possible because he understood the concept of the generational gap and how to bridge it. Jack was born in 1935. He belongs to the silent generation (people born between 1928-1945). The silent generation precedes the baby boomers (people born between 1946 and 1964). The silent generation listened to vacuum tube radio. Families often gathered to listen to the home radio in the evening. Television became the dominant entertainment medium in the 1950s. Most of the senior executives Jack worked with are most likely members of his generation. The internet was a 'shock' to them. Berners-Lee, the man that created the internet that we know today, is part of the baby boomers. But it was in the 1990s that the internet became accessible to many people. In 2018, Pew Research decided to use 1996 as the last birth year for Millennials. Anyone born between 1981 and 1996 is a Millennial. Gen Z is those born from 1997 till date. Researchers use this kind of classification to analyse changes in views over time. The interaction of different formative experiences with generational lifecycle causes this change. For keen observers, there are gaps in generational perspectives and issues. The gap is an enormous challenge and opportunity, depending on how you view it. Anyone who understands a generation's views can get their attention and loyalty. These views and issues that matters are of strategic and cultural relevance. Organisations that understand them and manage them well will win in the long run. This is the next-level competitive advantage. The use of the internet is still relevant and strategic to the future of every organisation. Culture elements like food, entertainment, and fashion are dynamic and powerful. Organisations that understand their power and harness it is always ahead of the competition. One of the best ways to keep tabs on topics of strategic and cultural relevance (TOSCAR) is learning from those currently in the mix -the prevailing generation. The 60s, 70s, and even the 80s sure had good foods, music and fashion and people in love with them. The current generation and its cultural elements have its tribe too. In this present era, a 15 years old girl will most likely have a better grasp of the internet than a 51 years old man. The phone that has trending top 10 songs on its playlist most likely belongs to a young executive and not the CEO. The internet connects the digital world. Cultural elements (including sports) connect and affects people at the emotional level. Organisations that leverage this cultural bond have money in the bank. Nations that understand and invest in these bonding cultural elements are never broke. Premium entertainment and sports channels and betting outfits are riding the TOSCAR wave. Organisations need to learn from the prevailing 'generational tribe' to stay relevant. It is a sustainable growth and profitability strategy. TOSCAR is the playground for 'those in the know' in a generation and 'those that need to know'. Every organisation should build such grounds. It connects hearts connects and bridges generational gaps. A famous African says - You can only build a city with the young and the old's collective wisdom. This proverb is more relevant now than before. In this new decade, baby boomers will leave the workforce. Generation X will get to retirement age. This shift will leave the Millennials and Generation Z as the prevailing generation. The next ten years is a golden opportunity for organisations that want to thrive in the future. It is time to understand the views and issues of these dominant generations. Then follow up with an engagement plan. The engagement should explore and build on their strength and unique perspective. Generation Z, for example, is independent grow upon in a connected world. Many of them got their first mobile phones at about 1o years. They grow up playing with their parents' phones and gadgets. They are hyper-connected, and the smartphone is their preferred mode of communication. Such generation will get bored to death by PowerPoint screens and presentations. They are used to high-speed internet, and likely to be impatient. A typical Generation Z worker will not invest ten years of his life with any organisation. The gig economy offers them more freedom. The current COVID-19 pandemic had heightened their appetite for work at home arrangements, for organisations that are not ready to learn-bad news. For forward-thinking organisation, they have nothing to no worries. They have put in place systems, processes and structures that are adaptable. Reverse mentoring offers the opportunity to learn from the prevailing generation. And it's no rocket science. Reverse mentoring is an organic solution with lots of benefits and no side effects. Its benefits touch the individual and the organisation. It is an efficient tool for sharing knowledge. And use in creating engagement, developing leadership and, building intergenerational relations. It grows on mutual acceptance, creating a sense of belonging - a fundamental desire of most people. When a non-techie pairs with a tech expert, the party with the experience gets an outlet to feel relevant. At the same time, the less experienced fellow receives the opportunity to be relevant and up-to-date. The experience provides a staying power that keeps the parties connected. And also remain committed to the organisation that offers the learning ground. It increases retention of millennials and Generation Z in an organisation. Reverse mentoring gives these prevailing generations the recognition they seek from top management. It can be a strategy to get them interested in the organisation's initiative. The dominant generation is the forefront of cultural and technological change. Could you give them a driver seat? Since these issues matters to them, they will jump on it. It is no news we are in the digital age. They can plug in others. The prevailing generations grew up in the information technology revolution era. They have lots of digital skills that they can impart. Reverse mentoring births organisation where people from different generations can relate. The understanding and successful navigation of generational differences is a significant boost. Unlocking the benefits of reverse mentoring begins with generational knowledge gap identification. Then the selection of the younger executive that could fill the gap can follow. There must be a commitment to the relationship. The senior executive should show commitment to the agreed mentoring sessions. Reverse mentoring is a new territory for most people; there will be challenges. Thus, it requires mentoring support. The participants must stay focused. It is easy to blend reverse mentoring with shadowing and get distracted from the goal. Reverse mentoring and shadowing are excellent career development opportunities. But the best results come from focusing on one and ignoring others. There is no doubt that reverse mentoring works. To embrace reverse mentoring, ignore cultural bias and sentiments. Knowledge is not an exclusive preserve of any person or group. Be determined to create the organisation of the future. Do not attempt to build the future from the debris of the past. Tap into the minds of the generation that is shaping the present and the future. That is the next-level competitive advantage that money cannot buy. It is free yet priceless. Be like Jack, and in the future, someone might praise you or even write about your visionary exploits.

MAJOR CURE TO POVERTY DISCOVERED!

David Osiri (A.K.A. Mr. Mentormorphosis), Mentorship Awareness Ambassador Mobile: +2348021471061 Email: david@davidosiri.com Website: www.davidosiri.com Have you eaten today? If Yes, consider yourself lucky! There are millions of people worldwide who don't know where their next meal is coming from. Food, as well as clothing, shelter, access to clean water and healthcare, are basic human needs. The ability to afford them is often used as a yardstick for the measurement of poverty or prosperity. Wikipedia defines poverty as not having enough material possessions or income for a person's needs. It is no doubt that the world is blessed with abundant human resources and others. Yet, poverty remains a global scourge ravaging many individuals, families and nations. The weight of poverty can be debilitating when compounded by other risk factors such as low education, limited skills training, lack of savings, or lack of family supports. Poverty can be as a result of personal struggle, which can be physical, mental, or emotional. Many people experiencing poverty are faced with a lack of emotional, psychological or financial support, changing market demand for skills or labour, gaps in social safety nets, the high costs of education and health, which adds salt to the injury that poverty had already inflicted. While tremendous strides have been made towards reaching the global goal of ending poverty by 2030; according to World Bank Data, 689 million men, women and children are still classified as living in extreme poverty - surviving on less than $1.90 a day. The achievement of the goal of global poverty eradication by 2030 will be determined by several factors and methods that are being employed. Few lines from now, you will discover a true, tried and tested method that has been effective in solving many of life's problems. I firmly believe that when it is applied to the problem of poverty, it will become history, and we will hopefully have a world where humans can afford a decent life. The best way to kill a tree that produces an undesirable or unwanted fruit is to uproot it. The potency of this method will be better appreciated if we treat poverty as an effect rather than a cause. Why are people poor? Poverty remained a beast that has ravaged many lives and nations. It is often attributed to unexpected life challenges, health problem, job loss, economic downturn, divorce and many more. All that poverty has been attributed to are not peculiar to any nation or tribe. They are unsentimental life challenges. It is how people prepare for or respond to them that spells the results. Most developed and wealthy countries of the world have gone through a period of health crises, economic downturn, and other challenges often attributed as causes of poverty yet came out stronger and better. Is it not then obvious that most of the generally accepted causes of poverty are the trunk and not the root of the matter? So, what is the root cause of poverty? - Lack of knowledge, which can also be rephrased as - lack of actionable insights. Knowledge is the bedrock of every human endeavour and requirement for navigating the physical, mental and spiritual aspects of life. The explosion of technology, most especially the internet and the massive amount of wealth it has brought to the world is a vivid testimony to the power of knowledge. Knowledge of needs, opportunities to meet those needs and how to meet them releases the ability to make wealth. A method that promotes the acquisition of relevant experience is, therefore, indispensable in the fight against poverty. It can be the knowledge of running a business, closing sales, living healthy, creating value for individuals, businesses and many more. Though precious more than gold, knowledge is readily available to those who seek it. Knowledge can be found in many places; most importantly, it resides in men. The quest for knowledge can be activated by meeting people who have already acquired it. The keyword here is 'acquired'. Knowledge acquisition is a process that takes time, and it often requires learning, unlearning, practise and feedback. One of the most effective methods that encapsulate this vital learning process is mentorship. How can mentorship help people overcome poverty? Despite all the several intertwining factors that can be attributed as causes of poverty, history is filled with stories of great men who have broken free from the shackles of poverty. What do they know? What have they done differently? And how can others learn from them and be delivered from the grip of poverty? According to Wikipedia, Mentorship is a relationship in which a more experienced or more knowledgeable person helps to guide a less experienced or less knowledgeable person. The mentor may be older or younger than the person being mentored. However, he or she must have a specific area of expertise. If overcoming poverty through acceptable means do not qualify as expertise, l wonder what else would. Rich people do not always come from wealthy backgrounds; many famous billionaires grew up poor. What makes the difference is their exposure to relevant knowledge provided by a mentor. These mentors might be family members, family friends, work and school associates, and concerned members of the community. "Knowledge/awareness breeds courage. Courage breeds success". There are several individuals like Oprah and Ralph Lauren, both billionaires, media and fashion icons respectively became rich through exposure made possible by mentors, were able to change their lives and therefore become an inspiration to many. Oprah identified the need for exposure, popularity, desire to be heard and feel important that people (most especially influential ones) have, and created an opportunity to meet those needs through her TV shows and entertainment outfit. Several initiatives by groups that believe in mentoring as a means to overcome poverty have yielded positive results. Many organizations like Faithgane Foundation, the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) and LIFT in the USA have been able to lift people out of poverty using the mentorship model. Some strategies like pairing low-income individuals and families with people who are advocates and mentors are where organizations are placing their bets to create pathways out of poverty for individuals and communities at large. Mentors also help to guide their mentees through such important tasks as polishing a resume, negotiating debt repayments, finding a job, ensuring good childcare and life strategies. It is this kind of initiatives that can lift people out of poverty, not the 'giving of fish' approach—empowering people intellectually to solve not just their problems but that of others. That way, the effort put into lifting a person out of poverty will yield exponential results. Every child is born with a wealth of potential. However, some are unable to fulfil their potential because of their inability to leverage knowledge which can be acquired through mentorship. Suppose poverty will be kicked out in 2030. In that case, a concerted effort has to be made in promoting mentorship and putting both formal and informal mentorship structures in place. Organizations need to expose their human assets to sources (human and non-human) where information can be mined for actionable insight and creatively explore inherent or created opportunities to create value and capture value (wealth) for themselves and organization in return. If the collective wealth of organizations and by extension nations is increased and properly managed, it will translate to individual wealth - this is the 'secret' of wealthy economies. They promote and create a conducive environment for creativity, productivity, and actively encourage mentorship. Productive people are greatly rewarded and motivated to do more. In contrast, people who still far behind in the wealth ladder are placed on 'support systems' often termed social security. People in the informal sector should also be encouraged to embrace mentorship in the form of apprenticeships. The Igbo tribe in Nigeria have greatly maximized this option to wealth creation, and it is no surprise that they excel in trade within and outside the shores of their country. The richest man in Africa, Alhaji Aliko Dangote is also a product of the business mentoring he got from his uncle. The examples of people whose life has been transformed by mentorship are numerous, and it is quite apparent and indisputably one of the most viable routes to eliminating poverty. Even though individuals, families, and nations can overcome poverty through other different legitimate programs and initiatives, mentorship remains a significant catalyst towards achieving financial success. Therefore, people who have valuable knowledge to offer should be open to the idea of mentoring others. In contrast, people who desire experience should actively search for mentors to break free from the chains of poverty. A very popular Yoruba proverb reads like this in English: You can force a horse to the river, but you cannot force the horse to drink water. If you read this piece to this point, you have made a great effort. I will like to believe that my argument has been compelling enough too. But, none of all that will matter if you do not mentor someone or submit yourself to be mentored to wealth and abundance. No matter the plans or actions to take people out of poverty, it might become impossible to have a hundred percent poverty-free world because the root of poverty (ignorance) is in mind. It takes a willing mind to hate and fight indwelling ignorance. This is probably how Jesus thought when he said- "the poor shall always remain in your midst".

EXCURSIONS IN ISLAM: HADITH REVISITED

After the death of the Prophet and the passing of the first generation of his aides, Muslims were at a loss as to what the Prophet would have done under varying hypothetical situations. The lot then fell on the jurists to start collecting Hadiths (Reports) which recorded the Prophet’s words on a given occasion and his habitual mode of behavior (Sunnah). The Hadith became crucial to the body of Islamic law extracted from detailed Islamic sources. Some of these ‘reports’ were used to support the new forms of Islamic piety that had developed; others provided historical evidence to support state policy. These reports multiplied during the eighth and ninth centuries, until a bewildering number of Hadith circulated throughout the empire, covering everyday matters, metaphysics, cosmology, cosmogony and theology as well as politics. These were finally collected and anthologized. The most famous editors were Muhammad ibn Ismail al-Bukhari (d. 870) and Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj (d. 875). Because some Hadith include questionable and even contradictory statements, the authentication of hadith became a major field of study in Islam. The Hadith were vigorously promoted by a populist contingent known as the Ahl al-Hadith (‘Hadith People’) who insisted that Muslim law be rooted in these eyewitness reports instead of the ‘independent reasoning’ (ijtihad) developed by the jurists. Their piety appalled the more rationally inclined Muslims, since it threatened their strict sense of divine unity, but these practices also resembled the way Christians had come to think about Jesus. Through the Hadith, Muhammad had gained divination and reverence. Hadith have been called "the backbone" of Islamic civilization, and within that religion the authority of Hadith as a source for religious law and moral guidance ranks second only to that of the Quran. Scriptural authority for Hadith comes from the Quran which enjoins Muslims to emulate Muhammad and obey his judgments (in verses such as 24:54, 33:21). While the number of verses pertaining to law in the Quran is relatively few, Hadith give direction on everything from details of religious obligations such as ablutions for prayer, number of Rakats to the correct forms of salutations. Thus the "great bulk" of the rules of Sharia (Islamic law) are derived from Hadith, rather than the Quran. Early in Islamic history there was a school of thought that adhered to the view that the Hadith were incompatible with Islam. For 300 years following the Prophet's death, there remained a portion of Muslims who "mocked and derided" the system of Hadith. There are many Muslims (some of whom call themselves Quranists but many are also known as Submitters) who believe that most Hadiths are actually fabrications created in the 8th & 9th century AD, and which are falsely attributed to the Prophet. It should be noted that the corpus of Hadith is an amorphous body of information with a mass of contradictions, sometimes embarrassment not only to Muslims but a source of discomfiture to Islam. Some Hadith have given ammunition to enemies of Islam and have often been used to cast aspersion on the Prophet. The obnoxious satirical book of Salman Rushdie, The Satanic Verses is a good example and the vilification of the Prophet as a pedophile is an abuse that won’t go away because the Hadith erroneously lend credence to such charges. There are other such embarrassing issues such as stories of the prophet going through all his wives in one night; the prophet condemning the use of the left hand saying it is associated with the Devil: Yet Allah in His wisdom created the left handed child. Some Hadiths have even gone as far as creating unsavory impression of Islam as a violent religion. According to the Quran, there is no intercession at all on Judgment Day. ‘Kosi gbami gbami ni ojo Qiyyama’. This assertion is repeated three times in Quran 2:48: Then guard yourselves against a day when one soul shall not avail another nor shall intercession be accepted for her, nor shall compensation be taken from her, nor shall anyone be helped (from outside); Also 2:123 and 254). Hadith is at odds with the Quran in terms of religious philosophy, this time in terms of the personal nature of salvation as some Hadith claim that the Prophet will intercede on behalf of his people on the Day of Judgment. There is also a problem with ritual prayer (salat). While hadith literature speaks of things which “nullify” the prayer as if it were a product to be inspected, the Quran focuses on internalizing the reading so that it prevents us from injustices and evil acts (29:45). Prayer is not about form but rather substance. Yes, even in matters of the concept of reward and sin: Most Muslims believe that Islam is just about seeking rewards and the rewards are like 'points' to enter Jannah. However, in the Quran no verses support such understanding. Today, the way most Muslims comprehend Islam is to seek for reward rather than the approval of Allah. By the year 200 A.H. a total of 600,000 Hadiths were in existence, out of which 408,324 were fabricated by 620 forgers. Most notorious forger Ibn Au’jaa confessed before he was hanged that he alone had forged 4,000 Hadiths. It has been suggested that three major sources of corruption of Hadith are political conflicts, sectarian prejudice and the desire to translate the underlying meaning, rather than the verbatim words, of the original quotes. An important tradition that bear relevance to our mode of worship relates to the place of women in Islamic prayer. The custom of purdah in certain Muslim countries raises the question as to whether women may go to the mosques. Yet, there was no such question in the time of the Prophet when women freely took part in religious services. See Bukhari 9:22 and 10:65; 152. All the above traditions afford overwhelming evidence of the fact that women, just in the same way as men, used to frequent the mosques without let or hindrance. The Prophet was quoted as saying: Do not prohibit the handmaidens of Allah from going to the Mosques of Allah. Bukhari 11:12 The practice of women present in the mosques seems to have continued long after the Prophet’s time. Within the mosque they are not separated by a screen or curtain. They only form a line behind the men, see Bukhari 10:164. And though they were covered by an over-garment, they did not wear a veil. On the great gathering of the Hajj a woman was expressly forbidden to wear a veil, see Bukhari 25:23. In the year 256 A.H. The Governor of Mecca is said to have tied ropes between the columns in the mosque to make a separate place for women. See the Encyclopedia of Islam. By the end of the day, the separation grew to the point that women were barred from the mosque entirely. Something that never happened during the time of the founder of the religion. The roots of gender segregation in Islam have been investigated by many historians. Leila Ahmed explained that the harem arose in the Umayyad and Abbasid dynasties. It was not an institution from the time and place of Prophet Muhammad. Leor Halevi wrote in an article about women and mourning laments that a ″novel and unprecedented concern with the segregation of the sexes″ took place in Kufa, Iraq, in the eighth century. In time, this became normative. Still under prayers are the concept of Tahajud prayer and Tarawih. Why we do not find the word “Tarawih” anywhere in the original Islamic documents (i.e, the Quran and Sunnah)? The prayer is referred to as the “Night Prayer” (Qiam-ul-layl) in the Quran and Sunnah, which basically is the Tahajud prayer. The name Tarawih was invented by the followers when the Prophet offered the prayer in public for few nights. He did not intend to make it a formal prayer and did not invite people to join him. It was the curious group of followers who stood behind him and followed him in that Tahajud prayer. When the Prophet realized the matter he stopped offering the prayer publicly. The Tahajud prayer is voluntary night prayer after the Isha prayer, presumably after some sleep, late at night. It was enjoined on the Prophet. See Quran 73:1-6; 73:20; 17:19. He later asked his people to perform it in their homes. While the recitation from the Quran in ordinary prayers are short, those during Tahajud could be long. Initially it consisted of 8 Rakats with an additional three of Witr. No doubt, after the Prophet, the Witr prayer was taken from Tahajud and added to the Isha prayer. Owing to the Prophet's emphasis on the Tahajud during the Ramadan, the Companions became very particular about it and it was later transform into the Tarawih which we now practice during Ramadan. Though the Tahajud is still practiced as a private late-night prayer. It was Umar during his Caliphate that introduced a change whereby the Tahajud became a congregational prayer after the Isha during Ramadan. It is now the practice to recite the whole Quran in the Tarawih prayers during Ramadan. Umar at first ordered eleven Rakats but later increased to 20 in addition to three Witr making 23 Rakats. This practice is maintained throughout the Muslim world, the Ahl Hadith and the Ahmadis being almost the only exception. Who says all Bidah is a sin? However, there is no doubt the Hadith are too voluminous and there are many repetitions and contradictions in them. The Hadith tried to cover every facet of life of the prophet including his very private ones such as his sex life. As the curtain falls on the Holy month of Ramadan this weekend, we thank God for seeing us through the month and pray that we witness many more, in good health. We pray for the repose of the souls of those who started but did not finish the fast with us and pray that Allah grant them Jannatul Firdous. To the rest of us, we say Alhamdulillah for a successful Ramadan. May Allah’s peace and blessings be with us. Ameen. Barka Juma’at, Ramadan Kareem and Happy Eid El-Fitr. Babatunde Jose Babatunde Jose +2348033110822

SHAYATIN: SEASON OF THE EVIL MEN

They are here again. We have entered another season of evil men jostling for elective offices, throwing stolen money all over the place, making the same promises they serially broke in the past and presenting themselves as the best thing that ever happened since the discovery of strawberry ice cream. Unfortunately , they hoodwink the people and that is why we are today in this state of underdevelopment. Shayāṭīn are evil spirits in Islamic belief, inciting humans (and jinn) to sin by “whispering” to their heart. Mentioned 88 times, the Shayatin together with the angels, are the most frequently mentioned spirits in the Quran. They are a class of invisible creatures besides the angels, often thought of as ugly and grotesque creatures created from hell-fire. This aptly describe the political class except that they are not invisible, they reside and operate among us; live. Related to the devils is Iblis (Satan), who is generally considered to be their leader. Hadith-literature makes them responsible for various calamities which may affect personal life. Both hadith and folklore usually speak about devils in abstract terms, describing their evil influence. During Ramadan, the devils are chained in hell. Now that Ramadan is over, they have been let lose to roam. According to Muslim philosophical writings, devils struggle against the noble angels in the realm of the imaginal (alam al mithal) over the human mind, consisting of both angelic and devilish qualities. Some writers describe the devils as expressions of God's fierce attributes and actions. It is possible that our political class are a punishment from God for our iniquities. For too long we have suffered the punishment from these lot: Stunted socio-economic growth, retarded political development, pauperization and impoverishment and escalating poverty. Yet we see other climes rising in all aspects of life while we regress. The City of Dubai is one of such clime, with a myriad of development which our leaders have failed to provide despite our long years of political independence from colonial rule. Starting with beauty and aesthetics, Dubai’s towering skyscrapers are among the leading tourist attractions in the world. Yet, all our thieving leaders can do is to erect concrete jungles which they call cities dotted with abandoned structures such as the old Independence Building at the Racecourse, old Federal Secretariat, School of Nursing all in Lagos: Standing as monuments of waste and abandonment. These are not our only monuments of waste which successive administrations have declined to address. Prominent among them is Ajaokuta Steel Company Limited (ASCL) located in Kogi State. Built on a 24,000 hectares (59,000 acres) site starting in 1979, it is the largest steel mill in Nigeria, and the coke oven and byproducts plant are larger than all the refineries in Nigeria combined. However, the project was mismanaged and remains incomplete 40 years later. Three-quarters of the complex have been abandoned, and only the light mills have been put into operation for small-scale fabrication and the production of iron rods. Adjunct to the Steel Complex is the Warri–Itakpe Railway which fell into disrepair, and part of the track was vandalized. In 2016, the government awarded contracts to the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation and Julius Berger to repair and complete the railway. Test runs began in November 2018, and the railway was officially inaugurated by President Muhammadu Buhari on 29 September 2020. Ope oooo! There is also the Mambila hydroelectric project originally conceived in 1972, and 50 years on, not a single watt of electricity has been produced: A period that spanned five military regimes and three civilian republics. What a country! The Three Gorges Dam, in China has been the world's largest power station in terms of installed capacity (22,500 MW). Construction started on December 14, 1994. The dam was expected to be fully operational in 2009, but additional projects, such as the underground power plant with six additional generators, delayed full operation until May 2012. The dam nearly 10 times the size of our Mambila did not take China a lifetime to complete. Who cursed our country? Dubai Has the Most Extended Automated Metro System in the world. Yet, 15 years ago there was no metro. Dubai Metro – is the longest driverless urban light railway in the world. The Red Line was opened in September 2009, 3 years after construction began in 2006. The metro line in Dubai now accounts for 75 kilometers of area coverage. Daily ridership 353,244 (2017) and Annual ridership of 200,075,000. It has taken us nearly 20 years constructing the Lagos metro rail lines, and we are still at it; a paltry 35 kilometers of construction. What a pity! In Dubai, you will find the largest airport terminal in the world. The Dubai international airport has been transformed gradually from a rough runway in the sand to the world’s most extensive and busy Airport. Emirates operated its first commercial flight on October 25th, 1985. Today, Emirate has a fleet of 255 aircrafts and the largest fleet of wide-bodies planes in the world. Yet, times were when our accursed nation had the largest national airline in Africa with the largest fleet of aircrafts. There were also private airlines such as Okada and others competing for ascendancy in the air. Today, we have nothing remotely comparable to Emirate. Where are we? Despite being among the driest cities in the world, ‘The Dubai Miracle Garden’ is the most substantial natural flower garden on the globe. The Garden has more than 50 million flowers and 250 million plants. We do not have anything in comparison. It makes our Conservatory in Lekki look like the backyard garden of a poor man. While our myopic leaders with limited vision are busy converting our Bar Beach into a haven for themselves called Eko Atlantic ( the only city beach in the world to be converted into a housing estate), Dubai with one of the most creative minds in the world have succeeded in creating the largest man-made Islands in the world, of which the Palm Jumeirah is the largest. The construction of these islands consumed Ninety-four million cubic meters of sand moved from the desert and deep sea beds. In addition, there were 5.5 million cubic meters of rock that had to also be moved from different areas. And they also come with man-made beaches too. The Burj-al-Arab hotel stands in water on its own artificial island, with the highest tennis playing ground in the world, standing at 1000 feet above the ground. In 2005 it hosted a friendly match between talented tennis players, Roger Federer and Andre Agassi. The Dubai Tennis Classic has become an annual ATP event, yet we once had our own tennis circuits with Ogbe Hard Court, Lord Rumens Classic and co. Today our premier tennis club is a drinking club with patrons inviting Saint Janet to serenade members. What a people! This might sound incredulous, but, yes there are ATMs that dispense gold in Dubai while here, ATMs often fail to dispense cash even when located in the premises of major banks. The gold ATMs have been placed all over the city for easy access. These gold ATMs spit out pure gold nuggets and coins. Emirates Palace Hotel in Dubai was the first to install a permanent gold vending machine in the world. The Dubai mall is one of the most magnificent buildings in the world. It is the largest shopping mall on the globe, covering over 5.4 million square feet. Despite our oil wealth we have been unable to provide anything comparable. Rather the oil wealth has been stolen and now reside in the private vaults of our Shayatin: Did I hear someone say in private ‘bullion vans’? The mall is incredible. There is an aquarium inside of it with so many exotic fish and over 300 ocean species in a zoo. The Dubai mall also has two amazing parks on the premises. Here, our own park, was obliterated and turned into a housing estate. The metropolis of Lagos is the largest in Africa, It cannot boast of a zoo or a ‘sea world’. What a people! As an epitome to a caring leadership, bus stops in Dubai are now being airconditioned. In Dubai, the crime rates are almost insignificant. In 2018, Dubai was ranked the 8th safest city in the world. The same cannot be said of our cities where kidnappings and robberies are a daily occurrence, not to talk of the ubiquitous armed herdsmen. It is not for nothing that we are the crime and terrorist capital of the world. In this clime a man can never sleep with his two eyes closed. Unlike here where the issue of fuel subsidy has become a national scam, the authorities in the United Arab Emirates have created a conducive environment and offered subsidies to the oil companies making the price of fuel relatively very low. Dubai has the lowest petrol prices in the world: the price of 1.5 liters of petrol is equivalent to 0.5 liters of water. What then are the new promises our Shayatin are making? Nothing new. Eight years ago, ‘change’ was the clarion call and restructuring was the mantra of the day. As soon as they got voted in, they abandoned these slogans and manifestos. It has been a change for the worse and the people are experiencing untold hardship and insecurity. Who knows what the current political challenge would bring? Maybe the total disintegration and dismemberment of the country. Barka Juma’at and a happy weekend. Babatunde Jose Babatunde Jose +2348033110822

Nigeria’s tomorrow comes!

This piece was in part inspired by My Egbon, Sanmori Bayo Ogunmupe of the Guardian newspapers. The veteran journalist has for some time now been flirting with the idea of joining that group of teeming Nigerians who do not glimpse any speck of light at the end of the proverbial tunnel, notwithstanding sustained endeavours by successive administrations to make Nigeria achieve her all too evident potentials. In the prolific mind of this illustrious son of Osun state, Nigeria’s ultimate fate would approximate those of failed Latin American states. He simply does not see that Nigeria could come up with the caliber of leaders that can make the country great, at least not in the foreseeable future. As a consequence my expressed faith in a glorious Nigeria, sooner than later, never fails to work him into a passion. “Afam, l really admire your unbridled faith; but from where do you find the courage?” My Egbon had blurted out in one of our many exchanges not so long ago. The word “courage” in his question instantly had put me in mind of that all time best-selling book, The courage to be, by the great German-American theologian, Paul Tillich. I humbly commended the book to my esteemed interrogator – though l have no evidence he took the lead. Tillich, like a long list of other great thinkers before him, posits that courage is that which remains when all hope is lost. The doctrine is hinged on the proven premise that God is inseparably linked with all His creations, more so with human beings. Therefore, “courage”, in Tillich’s immortal words, “is rooted in the God who appears when God has disappeared in the anxiety of doubt”. Plainly stated: the unfailing power of God is ultimately available to all noble causes, but the courage of unwavering faith is requisite to call forth that power. Such is the type of faith patriotic Nigerians need to cultivate as Nigeria’s tomorrow comes. “Oh boy! what a tall order; this Afam must be a fanciful dreamer!” l could well imagine millions of long-suffering compatriots moaning. And they would be entirely justified, what with decades of needless tribulations, and a litany of dashed hopes that have been visited upon the citizenry, even in the midst of abundance. My Egbon’s fast vanishing patriotic faith feeds on little else other than this scenario. But Nigeria’s tomorrow comes, notwithstanding, much in the manner many a similarly circumstanced nation’s tomorrow has come against all odds. Latest examples of these countries abound on the Asian continent. Rather tellingly, the histories of these countries follow the life of one Tracy Whitney, a lead character in If tomorrow comes, another gripping novel by Sydney Sheldon. Tracy was a raw diamond waiting to be cut into premium configurations. Outstandingly beautiful with a great talent for computer operations; pregnant and about to be married into one of the wealthiest families in Philadelphia, USA, the Stanhopes. Then the Fates inexplicable conspired against her. In New Orleans, her middle-aged widow mother was led by business associates to commit suicide. In seeking to avenge her demise, Tracy’s innocence makes her a priceless asset to a hardened criminal gang. She sleepwalked into a snare; was arrested; charged and sentenced for attempted murder and theft, even when the presumed victim was barely wounded and nothing stolen. To Tracy’s utter heartbreak, the Stanhopes acted with an eye on their centuries-old name and coldly distanced themselves. Expectedly, prison and Tracy’s fellow inmates would dramatically impact her life; her pregnancy miscarried in the process. Helplessly following a lead from one of her former inmates on exiting prison, the erstwhile raw diamond would by slow degrees transform into one of the most resourceful diamond thieves in the western world. With time she crossed paths with one Jeff Stevens, a creative con-artist and a fellow jewelry thief. Jeff, not unlike Tracy had been another raw diamond whom the vicissitudes of life drew into the underworld. That primordial greatness in each of them would trigger attraction between the two, despite their cut-throat competitive dispositions. They eventually fell in love; and soon after decided to execute a big valedictory project together; retire; return to a legitimate life in Brazil; and marry. Against all odds, Tracy’s tomorrow eventually came! I am persuaded that Nigeria’s history is also tracing the life of Tracy Whitney in every material particular. As early as the 1940s Nigeria had been declared a rough diamond - a potential agrarian giant; and a couple of years prior to Independence she struck “black gold”, petroleum. Nigeria was consequently universally adjudged a global economy waiting to happen. Then, the Fates, shall we say, inexplicably conspired against her: the January and July 1966 coups; the mindless pogrom and 3-year civil war on their heels; the 1975 coup and destruction of her civil service structure, etc. These events dramatically impacted Nigeria; the former would-be global economy and envy of the world as a net giant exporter, consequently transformed into a net importer of even basic agricultural, petroleum and industrial products. Worse still, all manner of criminal activities, principal of which is mindless corruption by government officials, soon after became a culture of sorts across the country. The scale and depth of those activities have led to the most damning predictions on the fate of Nigeria, much to the alarm of the citizenry. But somehow the old country, like old soldiers, refuses to disintegrate. (It is pertinent to observe that those prophets of disintegration were shamelessly hypocritical to have conveniently forgotten the “…life is poor, nasty, brutish and short” aspects of the respective histories of their own countries). Still, Nigeria matches on! Puzzled? We ought not to be, not after reading Tillich and Sheldon. I believe Nigeria’s primordial greatness has a lot to do with her resilience – a great future still gestures at Nigeria. Therefore, if the citizenry thereof could at once focus on that primordial greatness while looking beyond the obfuscating horizon of old hurts, tribe, and religion, it would doubtless behold the God who appears when all hopes have disappeared; that collective vision would eventually call forth those mysterious forces which give birth to great nations. So, with a confident heart, I say to My Egbon and other fellow compatriots alike, Behold, Nigeria’s tomorrow comes! Afam Nkemdiche; consulting engineer. Abuja; April, 2021

Those holding Nigeria’s wealth…

Nigerian television enthusiasts would readily relate to this caption. A popular TV station in Lagos, a couple of weeks previously, featured an equally popular, if charismatic Pentecostal pastor, bronze-complexioned Ituah Ighodalo, during which the Man-of-God admonished “those holding Nigeria’s resources to let go”. Typically, l missed the programme; but a mutual friend (Rev’d Charles Ojei) of the pastor and l called my attention to it. Of course, l didn’t need to watch the programme to know His Exzellenz’s mindset on the vexed topic. He and l had extensively discussed it back in early 2019. Our mutual take on the issue, we have respectively since noticed, is quite in sync with apparent consensus. A number of persons who have held highly privilege position are sitting on a significant part of Nigeria’s wealth in foreign vaults. Most of these persons bear household names which are too big to make them wanting by local laws, at least on matters financial. At the same time Nigeria cannot look askance in perpetuity at this all-important matter, having regard to the impact of that heist on the value of the local currency, the naira. (See my earlier intervention: Naira cannot appreciate under market forces) Indeed the perplexing question of how to pluck the geese without much hissing will remain a huge challenge for the present and future administrations in Nigeria. How do you get those big household names to return Nigeria’s illegally acquired wealth without impugning them? The matter is as much delicate as it is weighty, because implicit in it are the crucial factors of citizen’s unalloyed patriotism and love of country. His Exzelenz is deserving of our commendation for plucking the courage of attempting to bell the dreaded cat, particularly in the unfurling season wherein holding Nigeria’s wealth in foreign vaults has become trendy. The point needs to be made time and again: Those holding Nigeria’s wealth in foreign vaults are effectively under-developing her, socio-economically. Such monies at once deny Nigeria standard infrastructure while fuelling currency speculations, nay, inflation and unemployment. Is it still a wonder that novel economic-related crimes are springing up within our shores at a breathtaking pace? It’s impossible to imagine of more mindless enemies for Nigeria than these “holders”. It’s time to we looked in the mirror. The present state of insecurity in the country has an economic root. Economic pressure is what drives those crimes, be they kidnapping, banditry, herders/farmers clashes, vandalism, official corruption, robbery, gun-running, etc. Therefore, economic solution it is. In my 2019 discussion with His Exzellenz, l recall suggesting to him that were l the Nigerian president, l would hold private conference individually with all identified “holders”, offering them the option of voluntarily returning a better part of those stashed away monies within a specific time; or risk, on administrative fiat, a precipitate fall in the relative value of those convertible currencies to the naira. This is still my considered opinion on the matter for rather obvious reasons. Various reliable accounts have conservatively estimated that tens of billions of dollars are been illegally held outside of Nigeria’s financial system. Nigeria’s foreign reserve, which correlates with naira’s value, has hovered around $25bn in the last 30 years. It therefore requires little imagination to see how quickly those would-be returned monies would revert the naira to nigh-parity levels with convertible currencies. It would require even less imagination to see how quickly the Golden Days would return to Nigeria, if those returned monies are judiciously expended on infrastructural projects, as they ought to have been in the first place. Economic solution it really is. With an eye on President Muhammadu Buhari’s apparent zero-tolerance for corruption, few former top leaders back in 2016, had made pretentious gestures of returning our illegally appropriated wealth. From available intelligence those ex-leaders subsequently refunded paltry millions of naira to the treasury. For want of a better expression, those gestures were nothing short of “adding salt to injury”. I consider those gestures as extremely insulting to our collective intelligence. After illegally appropriating hundreds of millions of dollars from our national coffers when the naira enjoyed nigh-parity with the dollar, self-same persons could bring themselves to consider few millions of massively devalued naira as a restitution for their years of looting(?!). I dey laugh; ha, ha, ha… I still dey laugh. Why? you may ask. Because, as the legendary Fela Anikulapu-Kuti made us reflect, man no fit cry. I liken His Exzellenz’s poignantly pregnant words on the referred TV programme to those of another prophet of yore, John the Baptist. Repent, for the Lord’s wrath looms! the voice in the wilderness had cried to the ruthlessly self-centered rulers of that day. But they didn’t listen then; they were consequently fiercely consumed. Without a doubt, similar plight awaits all latter day ruthless abusers of entrusted power, unless they heed the voices of those calling from the wilderness, and repent. Sadly though, the odds are against repentance because if men didn’t listen in the days of yore, they are as likely not to listen now. Nightingale-voiced British song-star, Don Mclean, just as sadly reminds the world of this reality in his hit-track, Starry, starry night: “Starry, starry night. Portraits hung in empty halls, Frameless head on nameless wall, With eyes that watch the world and can’t forget, Like the strangers that you’ve met, The ragged men in the ragged clothes, The silver thorn of bloody rose, Lie crushed and broken on the virgin snow. Now l think l know what you tried to say to me, How you suffered for your sanity, How you tried to set them free, They would not listen then, They’re not listening still, Perhaps they never will…” Generic man is indeed a stiff-necked sinner, sayth the Lord; but there is yet a window of repentance still open for our erring past leaders. It is said that repentance comes easily in the sunset of life; and thankfully enough, those holders of Nigeria’s wealth, are invariably well into the western horizon of life. Therefore, it ought to be easy for them to let go those needless encumbrances; relief Nigeria of her perpetual cycle of debt-burden; and finally exit the planet with easy conscience. There hardly can be a more glorious legacy for this tribe of ex-leaders to bequeath than the aforesaid; for as it is also said, posterity celebrates those who enabled it, and curses those who denied it. Nigeria is closely watching. Good job, Your Exzellenz! Afam Nkemdiche; engineering consultant. Abuja; May, 2021

How Private Sector Bigwigs Can Fight Insecurity

An alliance of Private Sector Players in collaboration with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has raised N100 billion to support Nigerian security agencies to fight insecurity in Nigeria. This was disclosed recently by the chairman of the United Bank for Africa (UBA), Mr Tony Elumelu at a UBA board meeting. We recall that at the onset of COVID-19 pandemic, a similar coalition raised funds to fight the pandemic in partnership with the CBN, raising over N60 billion to provide interventions, food and vaccine support to mitigate the impact of the pandemic on the Nigerian economy. These private sector bigwigs have now resolved to fight insecurity by providing security hardware to the security agencies. With the intervention, the coalition hopes to open up the Nigerian economy once more. According to its spokesman, the bigwigs have just put together N100 billion to empower the security agencies. Sadly, the problem of insecurity isn’t solely lack of funds. Insecurity in Nigeria is dogged with connivance, lack of will to enforce law and religiously motivated chicanery. Given that many states are too poor to maintain state police forces, creating regional police forces goes a long way in combating insecurity. Of the various intelligence agencies we have like National Intelligence Agency, Department of State Security, Directorate of Military Intelligence and Defence Intelligence Agency, none has reported an accurate impending breach of intelligence concerning kidnapping, banditry or Boko haram. This is because each of them had been infiltrated by insurgents. Moreover, There isn’t any consensus among our leaders as to the eradication of insecurity in the land. For instance, a feature was recently sponsored on a tabloid concerning jailbreaks. It says Nigerian are sharply divided on the shoot to kill order by the Minister of Interior. The minister gave the order to security agencies on persons who break into prisons to free inmates. It is inconceivable to us that some Nigerians are standing to protect criminals who shoot their ways into prisons to free convicts. But that’s what it is. Some Nigerians want insecurity to continue for best reasons only known to them. Another reason why money and arms alone cannot curb insecurity is the recent revelation that Brigadier General Aminu Kano Maude, the former Director of Finance, Army headquarters who stole all the money former President Goodluck Jonathan allocated to buy munitions to the Army to fight Boko Haram. General Maude used the money to buy #0 Petrol Filling Stations; buildings and shopping malls all over Nigeria. It took the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) more than five years to trace the loot. The money was over N20 billion. The EFCC has been able to recover 29 properties worth N10 billion. They are still discovering more properties. When caught while alive, EFCC could neither detain nor prosecute him because he belonged to the Fulani Ruling caliphate of Kano Emirate. It was after he died of cancer that the embezzlement was made public. Such issues of corruption and impunity show moneys collected by bigwigs will go the way of embezzlement with impunity. Therefore, the solution for ending insecurity is the enthronement of a new leader with the mindset of ending insecurity and who has the willpower to call the Armed Forces to order. The current crop of leaders even among the business bigwigs and the 22 Committee are not interested in stopping insecurity, they’re just jostling for what they can gain from insecurity. The money being amassed is to be used to scuttle the emergence of a visionary leader in order to propagate embezzlement with impunity.

Why exclude state police from Constitution?

Earlier this month, the national Assembly had voted on 68 bills that sought to alter the Nigerian Constitution 1999. Some of the bills which sought to promote more opportunities for women in political parties, create state police, and good governance were rejected. Ignorant of the provision that seats in the House of Representatives and state assemblies are allocated according to population a bill sought to allocate a number of seats to women and 35 percent of appointive political positions such as ministers, commissioners and board members to women. For the moment, the decision to exclude state police is most regrettable. This is because of the gravity of the insecurity pervading the country. Only recently, the Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor said 80 percent of the Nigerian Armed Forces personnel were deployed across the 36 states of the federation performing police duties. General Irabor spoke in Abuja at the Twenty First Century Chronicle Roundtable themed ‘Going for Broke: Fighting Insecurity in Nigeria.’ Irabor, who spoke on the topic: ‘Armed Forces and the War Against Insecurity In Nigeria,’ called for more resources for defence and security to meet our needs. In the same vein, the new national resolve to tame insecurity is best approached through the creation of another police force other than one federally controlled. Community policing was introduced to Camden, New Jersey, United States in 2014. But that was done by New Jersey State Police Command; not the federally controlled Federal Bureau of Investigation. Actually, what Nigerians want is another tier of security force not controlled by the Federal Government. The issues involved in state police include federalism, domination and democracy. Nations are among other things, a collective agreement, partly coerced to affirm a common history as the basis for a shared future. Those opposing state police are hiding under the fact that the states of Nigeria are too weak, small and poor to be recognized as federating units. Which was why a regional police force like the Amotekun was tolerated and accepted. Since our governors are despotic in governance, we cannot increase their despotism by handing over the control of police to the states. “You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete,” Buckminster Fuller. The Nigerian nation state arose from empires like Oyo, the Sokoto Caliphate, Borno-Kanem and kingdoms like Kano, Kworafa, Benin, they explained themselves by telling stories of their origins, stories are meant to unite us as autonomous entities with a common ancestry in a federation. These entities abhor domination from any one or group. Since the Local Government police force in the West and the Alkali native authority police in Northern Nigeria failed, we should build a new model, neither controlled by the state governor nor by the President. “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again but expecting different results,” Albert Einstein. Therefore, let us adopt regional police forces like the Amotekun: Western Nigeria Security Network. Let us amend the Constitution along that line, giving each of the six geopolitical zones its police service commissions whose members shall be indigenous to the zones. Incidentally, it is inconceivable that the National Assembly rejected the amendment allowing state or regional police. This is because we already have the Amotekun in the Southwest; the Ebube Agu in the Southeast; the Hisbah in the Northwest and the Civilian Joint Task Force in the war torn Northeast. All of these outfits are armed, they arrest and prosecute people. Besides, the Federal Government has the Civil Defence Corps; it empowered other agencies such as prisons, the EFCC, the ICPC, Customs to carry arms. In the case of Alhaji Abubakar versus the Attorney General of the Federation; the Supreme Court pointed out that the Nigeria Police Force shall be neutral because it a federal agency, not an agent of the Federal Government. Similarly with Segun Agagu versus Segun Mimiko, the court agreed that the Independent National Electoral Commission and the State Security Service are federal agencies not agents of any government. Thus, they are to protect interests of Nigerians, not the Federal Government. So, the SSS should desist from calling itself the Department of State Security in the Presidency. The law setting it up called it SSS. These issues have been settled in law; but Parliament pretends ignorance of it in order to retain impunity, executive lawlessness and legislative rascality; which is what our democratic culture is teaching. In 2014, government went to court to stop amendments after Parliament had spent huge sums of money on Constitutional review. The courts are already providing virtual hearing without Constitutional provisions. Many things don’t require enactments into the Constitution, so the establishment of regional police is already recognized by the law, It is the timidity and lack of political will of the zones to establish their own police forces that is at play. It is up to the zones to establish police forces with police service commissions comprising indigenes of member states of the zones or be swamped by banditry. Therefore, Nigerian law already recognizes regional policing only the states are too ignorant to implement it.

Duty Call As Anambra governor

A review by Bayo Ogunmupe It is a biographical tribute to the outgoing fourth elected governor of Anambra State Willie Obiano. To be launched soon, the book has 15 chapters, a concluding essay, 192 pages, and a bibliography of eight pages. Written by Ike Chioke, a close confidant of Obiano, who wrote the manifesto of the governor as an aspirant. Chioke’s appointment as the chairman of the Anambra State Investment Promotion and Protection Agency (ANSIPPA) gave him the insight into the workings of the Obiano Administration. His close observation of Obiano’s leadership style and his accomplishments inspired him to write this panegyric. This book covers Obiano’s two terms as governor of Anambra, the remarkable public service legacy of the visionary leader. During the author’s research of the biography, it became clear he had to delve into the personal history of the man. This enables me to break the book to four sections. The first four chapters encompasses Willie’s pedigree, Biafra, From CKC to Unilag and from First Bank to Fidelity Bank. The author met Akpokuedike during Chukwuma Soludo’s recapitalization drive as central bank Governor. Soludo had announced the Nigerian banking sector’s recapitalization policy requiring all banks to raise their capital to a minimum of N25 billion by December 2005. Obiano who was an Executive Director at Fidelity, was responsible for managing due diligence exercise Fidelity conducted on FSB bank. Their relationship began from that transaction, maturing into true friendship, loyalty and mutual respect. After Peter Obi adopted Obiano as his gubernatorial candidate in 2013, Chioke was tapped to develop the first of many economic blueprints for Anambra State. Obiano is from Aguleri, a rural community in the Anambra river valley. It is the largest town in the area and the headquarters of the Anambra East Local Government Council Area. Both his mother, Christiana, his father, Philip are Catholics and are from the same town. Philip, a catechist, was a teacher, and he taught school all over Igboland. His loyal wife, Christie went with him wherever he went selling fish. Of the six Philip children, two died with Willie becoming the eldest of the Obiano dynasty. Anambra state is 98 percent Igbo and two percent Igala. Following Nigeria’s military coup in 1966, many Igbo families lost their loved ones in pogrom in Northern Nigeria. Amidst the uncertainties, the July countercoup occurred and 11-year old Willie and his siblings returned to their classroom, with ill omen muffling family conversations in homes. In May 1967, Lt. Col. Emeka Ojukwu as Military Governor of Eastern Region declared the region the independent state of Biafra. The declaration changed the history of the region and the Nigeria nation. The federal troops attacked Onitsha in October 1967; with the Obiano family deciding it was time to move to safer territory. They left their rented apartment on Ajassa Street, Onitsha; journeying to Amanze, Aguleri their homestead. During the war years 1967-1969, Willie and siblings were out of school. Graciously, the war ended in January 1970 and Willie returned to school at the Christ the King’s College, Onitsha. At CKC, Willie stood out confident and self assured. His devotion to his studies was unmatched. His intellectual hunger and inquisitiveness are his defining characteristics. As the President of CKC’s debating society, Willie won many laurels including the coveted John F. Kennedy Essay Prize dedicated to the late US President by the American Embassy. He easily made Grade 1in his West African School Certificate examinations and his Higher School Certificate course two years later. That carried him to a direct entry admission to read Accounting at the University of Lagos. At Unilag, Willie learned to be responsible, making minimum demands on his parents and never travelling home to Onitsha very often. At the start of his final year in the university, tragedy struck, his father died at the age of 57. Widowhood was an agonizing plight for his mother the fish merchant. Happily, Willie stepped up to takeover as head of the Obiano dynasty. For a 23 year old undergraduate, it was no easy position. “Without their breadwinner’s regular income, life grew tougher for the Obiano family. But Christie was not daunted. She worked hard, traded merrily and was able to complete the training of all the children. Rosary in hand, she prayed as she worked. Her cheerfulness, good humour and joie de vivre earned her many customers.” For Obiano’s 1979/1980 Youth Service, he worked as an accountant at the Benue State Hotel, Makurdi. Consequent upon his outstanding performance in his national service, he was made a Fellow, now a Patron, Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN); the President of the Advanced Management Program of Lagos Business School since 2008; and a 2006 Building New Ventures class member of Harvard Business School. Willie’s impressive academic records and leadership skills landed him a job at the oldest bank in Nigeria, older than Nigeria itself as an auditor at First Bank of Nigeria. Eighteen months later, he made a strategic move into the oil industry by joining Texaco Nigeria Plc. He was adjudged one of Texaco’s best dressed gentlemen. In 1991, Willie left Texaco to become the Deputy Manager and Head of Audit at Fidelity Bank. Within months, he was promoted Manager at the Bank. Willie’s meteoric rise to stardom at Fidelity never actually surprised anyone who knew Willie well. The pleasure of working with him readily attests to his uncommon drive, principled objectivity and supreme confidence. “Alhaji Abdulrahman Esene was an Executive Director at Fidelity Bank until 2012 when he retired. Esene remembers Willie’s tenure as Executive Director (Business Banking). Wille led core banking business, deploying his entrepreneurial mind to attract quality risk assets to the bank. He brokered paradigm- changing equity arrangements that firmly placed Fidelity on the global financial map.” In 2012, after 31 years of meritorious service in the banking industry, Willie aged 57, retired from Fidelity Bank and moved to the United States. Section two covers Willie and Ebele, From Candidate to governor, Philanthropy, Mentoring and Governance, and Securing Anambra Lives and Property. Here, we’re engaged with Willie’s marriage and public life. Like her husband, Ebele is a fashionista. She dresses excellently and admires those who dress well. The two lovers met on their way to work. Willie was at Texaco then while Ebele was working at Ikeja Hotels at a Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) facility at Falomo, Lagos. While commuting to office in their Texaco branded bus Willie was waiting to catch the bus while Ebele was at the same bus stop on the way to her office. Willie chatted her up: in a platonic affair for two years before making up their minds to get married. His gentility and her Catholicism glued them together. On October 29, 1988 Ebele wedded Willie at St Anthony’s Catholic Church, Gbaja, Surulere, Lagos. They were blessed with three sons and two daughters. Their eldest child a girl, graduated a medical doctor in May 2017. From candidate to governor is a most interesting chapter. Willie’s CKC confraternity worked for his gubernatorial election campaign causing the current commissioner for Local Government Dubem Obaze to lead his campaign. Willie won and was sworn in as Anambra governor the following year, March 17, 2014. Solo, his CKC classmate was his Secretary to the State Government. His accomplishments are to be consolidated by his successor, Professor Chukwuma Soludo.

Sacking of defecting governor

Earlier this month, an Abuja High Court judge, Mr Justice Inyang Ekwo declared as illegal, the defection of Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State and his deputy, Dr kelechi Igwe from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC). The court made the order on a judgment on a suit filed by the PDP seeking the removal of Umahi and Igwe from office. At a press conference in his state capital, Abakaliki, Umahi berated the judge, adding that the judgment was bought . he said he would not respect the court order. The governor said, “We are alarmed how misery and desperation could navigate some politicians to offer themselves as willing tools to enemies of Ndigbo, just to destabilize Ebonyi State and set the state on fire. This court judgment will not see the light of day.” Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide is on this same page with Umahi. In a statement issued to the media, Okechukwu Isiguzoro, secretary- general of the organization, dismissed the ruling as a miscarriage of justice and “a black market judgment.” He believes that the ruling was aimed at creating havoc and chaos in Ebonyi State and an attempt to take over the reins of power in the state through the back door. Before then, Justice Ekwo had ruled that the crux of the suit was the defection of the governor and his deputy from the PDP to the APC. The judge said the declarations of the third and fourth defendants did not address the issue of defection rightly and frontally but rather general denial and affidavit evidence. Justice Ekwo said the depositions of the defendants in their counter—affidavits were evasive and insufficient to completely challenge the plaintiff’s originating process. He said that the immunity clause in section 308 of the Constitution is not absolute. Section 308 is a veritable Constitutional shield but not for political reasons. The court said umahi and Igwe did not controvert the deposition that the total votes scored in an election belonged to a political party. The judge said Umahi and his deputy cannot transfer PDP votes to APC because there was enough evidence that the APC contested the Ebonyi State governorship election held in March 2019 with its own candidates. Consequently, the court declared that under the democratic system operated in Nigeria, PDP won the majority of votes during the election and was entitled to enjoy same till end of tenure of office for which the election was made. The judge therefore restrained Umahi and Igwe from parading themselves as governor and deputy governor of Ebonyi State. In another judgment, the judge sacked 15 members of the Ebonyi state assembly who defected from the PDP to the APC on the same grounds the governor and his deputy were removed. The Guardian agrees with the ruling. The judgment is a true reflection of the Constitution and the Electoral Act. It is perfidious for the defendants to abandon the PDP that sponsored them in 2015 and 2019 elections. We who believe honor should underpin the conduct of political office holders are horrified and embarrassed by the spate of defections by leaders we look upon for examples of decency. The Ekwo verdict will deepen democracy and curtail the excesses of politicians, especially lawmakers who jump from one party to another. Citing precedents from similar statutes from Common Law countries such as in the USA and the Commonwealth of Nations, the American jurist Oliver Wendell Holmes, the law is what a court says, not what is written in the books. Also, let the precedent that says, “Let the pronouncement of a judge stand where a lacunae in the law could have been left out of mischief.” Defection used to be called carpet crossing; it is now called defection. It was used in 1954 by the Action Group to deny Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe the chance to become Premier of Western Region. It has now become the defining characteristic of Nigerian politics. It is now a way of life of the Nigerian politicians who see it as a clever way of rewarding themselves without efforts. Hopefully, other judges will find courage in this judgment by upholding it up to the Supreme Court whose chief justice was removed via a non-judicial officer code of conduct tribunal chairman. Let the judiciary help rescue governance from the irresponsible actions of unscrupulous politicians who think moving from branch to branch like monkeys is pragmatic politics. Nigerian politics is in a mess because our big men refuse to play by the rules. Nigeria is in shambles because we are all complicit in the raping of the Constitution and the continued hacking at the pillars of democracy by men entrusted with both the moral and legal duty to protect them. Law should not be divorced from morality. The behaviors of these political harlots are deleterious to the growth of democracy and party politics in this country. Defection is a worm in the apple of our politics, it should be destroyed. Since Nigeria returned to civil rule in 1999, defection became so rampart that it nearly ruined President Buhari’s re-election in 2019. No single political party registered by the departing military regime has remained the same. Politicians have crossed carpet back and forth to the extent that the majority of Nigerian politicians have changed parties more than twice. The reason for defection has been dubbed stomach infrastructure which translates to using politics to make money, not to serve the people. Defection is a malaise with the capacity to spread its poison to all things political and decent. It fosters impunity and corruption. Let the judiciary extinguish it now before it make another military takeover inevitable. Just like the weakening of the tribes through the creation of unviable states, it is yet another entity left to promote the domination of one ethnic group by another in the federation. It is because of defection that Nigeria cannot build political parties around a well defined ideology intended to promote economic and social development. In Nigeria today, we are just using politics for making a living. Even the blind knows that defection is dangerous to our unity, it promotes nepotism. By making the Ekwo judgment to stand, it will represent a milestone in our statute books and the means of rescuing Nigerian governance from scoundrels.