It was a week of raw emotions, tears and tributes as Nigerians and foreign dignitaries from all walks of life turned out in large numbers to celebrate the lives of Dr. Herbert Wigwe, his wife Doreen and Son, Chizi, in a series of weeklong funeral activities. While world leaders like former Presidents Bill Clinton, Olusegun Obasanjo and Emmanuel Macron sent in their video messages, Nigerians assembled at Eko Hotel and Isiokpo community to bid farewell to this icon. The week started on Sunday, March 3 with employees of the Access Bank Group (they call it ‘Access Nation’) assembling on the large grounds of their Lekki Head office to celebrate their late Group Chief Executive Officer and his family. Although the directors and leadership of the company were all present, they remained muted throughout the three hour-event as only employees were fully in charge. It was strictly an employee event.

Prayers over, Bisola Oyelowo, Senior HR Business Partner, Employee Engagement & Culture, gave a resounding opening statement that set the tone for the night. ‘’Tonight, we gather under this canopy of stars to pay homage to a titan among us, a visionary whose daring and fearless spirit has shaped the very fabric of our institution and touched countless lives across continents’’, she said. Her remarks swept through every facet of Herbert’s life, evoking fond memories of him without offending the solemnity of the moment. She described the departed boss as ‘’the man who exemplified integrity, humility and generosity in every facet of his being’’. After her speech, Access Choir stepped up to the podium, resplendent in white, to render ‘’Blessed Assurance’’ and ‘’How Great Thou Art’’. Access Choir is the brainchild of Herbert. He was passionate about choral music, jazz and classical music. More tributes from employees and former staff members followed. Access has a large community of former employees, including this writer. They have come together to celebrate their former boss and are already raising money to honour his memory in an enduring manner.

Monday, March 4 was tagged ‘Celebrating Professional Excellence’ and it was the turn of Corporate Nigeria to celebrate one of its own. Bankers, industry captains, public officials, other professionals and foreign dignitaries filled the big ballroom of Eko Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos. In the audience were Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-olu; Ogun State governor, Dapo Abiodun; CBN Governor Yemi Cardoso; Finance Minister Wale Edun; AfDB President Akinwunmi Adesina; Aliko Dangote; GTB founder Fola Adeola; Senator Ibrahim Dankwambo (former governor of Gombe State), directors of Access Corporation and its subsidiaries, among hundreds of others. I can’t remember any other funeral event that has brought together such a plethora of dignitaries under one roof. The four-hour event was divided into six segments and speakers were accordingly grouped: The Young Herbert; Herbert the Banker; Herbert The Entrepreneur; Herbert The CEO; Herbert The Builder and Herbert the Ambassador.

At exactly 5.30pm, we were all up for the National Anthem, after which Roosevelt Ogbonna, the bank’s managing director, gave Herbert’s citation. One of Herbert’s mentees from their GT days, Roosevelt was my first direct supervisor when I joined the bank 16 years ago. He’s now spotting a heavy white beard, which makes him look older than his age. He read the well-written citation calmly but soon was overwhelmed with emotions. He sobbed intermittently.

Then came the tributes and the first to speak was Senator Ibrahim Dankwambo, former governor of Gombe. He was a staff of Coopers & Lybrand in 1988 when Herbert arrived the firm, accompanied by his father, Pastor Shyngle Wigwe, to begin his NYSC primary assignment. Dankwambo recalled Herbert’s sense of duty even as an NYSC member. Cathy Echeazor; Segun Agbaje (CEO of GT Holdco) and Dolapo Ogundimu reminisced on Herbert’s early career at Kapital Merchant Bank and GT Bank. They spoke of Herbert’s energy, drive and passion for his job. Agbaje drew laughter when he described Herbert as a friend, colleague and competitor. ‘’Only Herbert would be all three to me’’, he said. He recalled that Herbert visited him two weeks before his death to talk about his university.

The chief executive of MTN Nigeria, Karl Toriola; Jamie Simmonds, chief executive of Access Bank, UK; Ken Okpara, President & Council Chairman of CIBN and Gbenga Oyebode, former Chairman of Access Bank also gave their tributes. Teriola eulogized Herbert for his generosity and spoke of the ‘’intensity and curiosity’’ with which he managed the bank. Simmonds recalled the first time he met Herbert at Harvard Business School Advanced Management Program when the two of them were in the same class in 2000 and how in 2008, he joined Access Bank as the MD of its UK subsidiary and reconnected with Herbert. ‘’Joining Access is the best decision I have ever made and working with Herbert is one of the best moments of my life’’, Simmonds said. Herbert was, until his death, the Chairman of Access UK, and presiding over its board meeting in London two days before his death was his last official duty.

Two of Herbert’s personal assistants, Efoli Ekot and Tunji also gave their tributes, recounting his generosity and compassion as a leader and boss. Tunji started working with Herbert as a chauffeur in 2004. Over time and with Herbert’s support, he’s acquired Bachelor and Masters degree and has since moved into administrative function in the bank, combining it with his PA duties. Efoli has worked with Herbert for 23 years and has benefitted enormously from his mentorship and kindness. In between, there were songs and performances. Darey Art Alade’s rendition of Frank Sinatra’s ‘’I did it my way’’, one of Herbert’s favourite songs, was splendid. Music is really a healing balm in times of grief. Bola Koko, CEO of FMDQ and Ruurd Brouwer, CEO of TC Investment, brought the segment to a close. Koko met Herbert at Coopers 38 years ago, while Brouwer met him 25 years ago when he was a representative of Deutsche Bank in Nigeria. Herbert values and nurtures relationships.

The next segment – Herbert the Builder – was taken up by Aliko Dangote; Gov. Dapo Abiodun; Gov. Sanwon-Olu; Wale Edun; Yemi Cardoso; Akinwunmi Adesina; Ronke Kuye and Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede. Dangote’s emotional statement was gripping and sent everybody sobbing with him. He described Herbert as his friend, brother and mentee, and spoke of Herbert’s unflinching support to the Dangote Group, especially his support for the completion of the gigantic Dangote Petrochemical complex. ‘’It will be difficult to find another Herbert’’, he said, describing him as unforgettable, a soldier of courage and distinction. Dangote announced that he would immortalize Herbert by naming the main road leading into the complex as Herbert Wigwe Way. Gov. Abiodun recalled that he knew Herbert some 30 years ago and described Herbert as daring, bold, diligent, compassionate, dependable and reliable. Under Herbert, the governor said, Access Bank has supported all his infrastructure projects in Ogun State.

Gov. Sanwo-Olu said he knew Herbert 34 years ago when he was working in the oil industry and Herbert was a young banker. They have remained friends since then. He said Herbert had supported his campaigns generously and was also very supportive of his administration. He mentioned the AFREXIM funding Access Bank had arranged for the Fourth Mainland bridge and other big projects in Lagos. The governor was excited to learn that Herbert was born at the Island Maternity Hospital in Lagos and exclaimed, ‘’So, he is an Isale Eko boy’’. The audience liked the humour and Sanwo-Olu promised to immortalize the late banker on Lagos Island. Wale Edun said Herbert was always briming with ideas and recalled his meeting with him in Abuja on February 1, while the AfDB President extolled Herbert for his ingenuity, leadership and creativity.

Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede’s highly anticipated remarks closed the segment. I had earlier in the week told him that Nigerians are eager to hear from him on the death of his friend and business partner. He did not disappoint. He described Herbert as a man with a mission who did so much and wanted to do so much more, but kept worrying ‘’about whether he would have sufficient time to realize his dream for a transformed Africa’’. ‘’February 9th 2024, the day Herbert, Chizoba, Chizi and Bimbo died along with the two pilots was a terrible and tragic day for all of us. But on that day, Herbert was honored in a way that happens to very, very few human beings in the annals of history. As the breaking news of this tragic accident reverberated across the world, time stood still in honor of Herbert Wigwe’’.

Aigboje recalled similar moments in the past when time stood still, like the Martin Luther King and his ‘’I have a dream moment’’ and Bob Geldof and the ‘’We are the world Moment’’. When Herbert died, Aigboje said, time stood still, enabling millions who already knew of him and then hundreds of millions more who had never heard of him pause in unison to learn and reflect about this iconic African leader and understand the full potential of what he was about to do for humanity.

‘’And time stood still because God wanted the world to know and understand who his son Herbert Wigwe is and what he truly represents. And so, they learnt about his early life and formative years, they learnt about his family life and love of God, they learnt about his professional exploits and philanthropy, they even learnt that Aigboje the person referred to as his brother and partner was neither his spouse nor biologically related to him. Most importantly they learnt that this man, Herbert Wigwe, is a proof that Africa is still capable of producing outstanding men and women with a capacity to change the world in a good and positive way.

‘’Herbert was committed to building an African continent where men and women can aspire and live to their full potential. He isn’t the only person committed to this objective, but there are very few people in the world whose life and legacy illuminate this commitment the way Herbert Wigwe has. Some have told me that in the last few months, Herbert was very concerned about the state of our nation and continent. This is indeed true and Herbert knew that time was not on our side. Herbert’s purposeful legacy lies in what he was preparing to embark on, a collaborative commitment to building an African continent we will all be proud of. In memory of Herbert, let the work begin’’.
The night ended with a vote of thanks given by a tearful Bolaji Agbede, the Acting Group Chief Executive of Access Corporation.

President Bola Tinubu congratulates Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), on the award of the prestigious Obafemi Awolowo Prize for Leadership.

Dr. Adesina joins the pantheon of other previous winners of the award such as Nigeria's Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka; former President of South Africa, Thabo Mbeki, and lawyer-educationist, Chief Afe Babalola.

President Tinubu commends the AfDB President for his visionary and noble endeavour to transform agriculture in Africa and ensure food security on the continent, recalling the growth enhancement schemes revolutionizing Nigeria’s agriculture value chains he introduced as the then Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development.

The President acknowledges Dr. Adesina's unblemished records, tried and tested integrity, as well as his immense leadership and development strides, particularly in agriculture, efforts of which have earned him numerous honours and recognition globally, including the World Food Prize in 2017.

President Tinubu wishes the AfDB President more success at AfDB and strength in his service to Africa and to humanity at large.

Chief Ajuri Ngelale

Special Adviser to the President

(Media & Publicity)

March 6, 2024

The Court of Appeal, Abuja division, has affirmed Julius Abure as the National Chairman of Labour Party, LP.

The appellate court on Wednesday set aside the judgment of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory which restrained Abure and two others from parading themselves as national officers of the party.

However, in the judgment on Wednesday, Justice Hamman Barka held that the high court was wrong to have assumed jurisdiction on the matter.

Delivering judgment in the appeal filed by Abure challenging the decision of the high court, Justice Barka, leading a three-member panel of Justices of the Court of Appeal, held that Abure’s appeal had merit and was accordingly allowed.

He said, “The judgement of the lower court is hereby set aside” Justice Barka held and awarded a cost of N1 million against the respondents to be to Abure.

As part of efforts to actualize his plans of empowering the Nigerian Women under the Renewed Hope Agenda, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration is to introduce a $100m World Bank Fund.

The $100m Fund Project tagged P-BAT Cares For Nigerian Women is to economically empower the Nigerian Women.

Speaking on the project at a press briefing, Nigeria’s Minister of Women Affairs, Barrister Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, called on all Nigerians to support the Federal Government and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda for the Care of Nigerian Women.

The Minister who said that when a woman is taken care of, the Nation is also taken care of, pleaded with the Media and Nigerians to support the President whose plan is to put smiles on the faces of Nigerian Women.

According to her, “I am pleading with you to support Mr President who will be unveiling P-BAT Cares for Nigeria Women , and integrity Brigade”,

“So I am urging you all to support and partner with Mr President to achieve the Renewed Hope Agenda which is one of the things that will curb insecurity and save Nigerians”,

Barrister Uju revealed that the P-BAT Cares For Nigerian Women programmes are targeted at empowering women across the Country and improving their productivity in whatever capacity they may find themselves.

The Minister disclosed that, “The President will officially be launching the P-BAT Cares for Nigerian Women alongside other programmes like the Nigeria for Women project and the Integrity Brigade which I want all of you to be part of.

“As a people, let us start realising who we are because this is the greatest Nation in the whole of Africa.

“As members of the Integrity Brigade. you play a crucial role in helping us fight some of these challenges.

“Not just the Media, the Royal Father’s and the Religious Leaders are also part of this Vanguard that the President will be launching.

” But the Media is very important to me because it is only you that I can use to achieve our goals for this country through your enlightenment and publicity.

According to her, the Integrity Brigade will aid in preventing misappropriation and discourage counterproductive protests among women, with NGOs expected to play a pivotal role in disseminating information.

The Minister who called on the Media to closely monitor projects and programmes to ensure they reach their intended beneficiaries, reiterated Government’s commitment to sustainability and Women Empowerment.

“I am pleading with you to support Mr President who will be unveiling P-BAT Cares for Nigeria Women and integrity Brigade”,

“So I am urging you all to support and partner with Mr President to achieve the Renewed Hioe Agenda which is one of the things that will curb insecurity and save Nigerians”, She said

According to her the Federal Government (FG) intends to go after Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO’s) and institutions using Donor monies for technical support, trainings, research and others.

Minister of Women Affairs said most of the Organisations are having millions of dollars allocated to them with the excuse of assisting especially Nigerian Women but the funds do not impact on Nigerians directly.

She said most organisations who apply for Donor Funding on behalf of Nigerians, spend a large sum of the money on consultancy fees, Technical support, Workshops, Research while Nigerian women who should be the original beneficiaries get nothing.

She disclosed that the Brigade, which would be formed under the P-BAT Cares For Nigerian Women Initiative, would be launched by President Bola Tinubu on Thursday.

The initiative would include P-BAT Cares For Women E-Market portal, National Women Helpline, Naija Save Nigeria Intergrity/Transparency Brigade and Nigeria be informed National Broadcast channel

Kennedy-Ohanenye said: “With the Intergrity Brigade, we want to make sure that every decision that will be made concerning Nigeria must be the one that will benefit Nigeria, we will not allow any decision that will not be beneficial to Nigerians.

“Even if you’re an NGO, if you want to write for support for Nigeria, it must be a support that will bring sustainability. We do not want support that you will use advocacies meetings, consultancies and syphon monies you brought on behalf of Nigerians.”

She warned those distracting government through protests and other upheavals to desist or face the wrath of Government .

The Minister who is passionate about the wellbeing and progress of the Nigerian Women appealed to the Media to join as partners in progress in enabling Nigerians to reap from the benefits of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

The Federal Government’s appeal against a Federal High Court of Abuja judgment stopping it from resuming the trial of former Abia Governor Orji Kalu and his company, Slok Nigeria Ltd., on money laundering accusations has been dismissed by the Court of Appeal in Abuja.

A three-member panel of the appellate court ruled on Wednesday in two rulings that the two appeals the federal government filed were not competent.

Justice Joseph Oyewole, who wrote and read the majority rulings in both appeals, supported the objections made by Slok and Kalu, who is currently a senator.

The court found that the records of appeal in both cases were not properly compiled and certified as required under Court of Appeal’s Rules and Section 104 of the Evidence Act.

It held that even if the breach of the court’s rule was to be overlooked, the court cannot close its eyes to the non-compliance with the mandatory provision of the Evidence Act.

The court noted that the official of the trial court, who certified the records did not indicate his/her designation as required by the Evidence Act.

Lawyer to the Federal Government, Oluwaleke Atolagbe said, with the court’s decision, the appellant will refile new appeals to enable the appellate court deal with the substance of the case.

The appeals were against the September 29, 2021 judgment by Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja prohibiting the Federal Government from further prosecuting Kalu and Slok following an earlier judgment of the Supreme Court voiding the proceedings leading to their earlier trial and conviction.

This is a developing story…

Last week, I asked the question which life we would love to live – biblical Abraham’s or Lazarus’s – and it drew a lot of comments. I must admit that it isn’t everyone who can connect with last week’s piece, hence today’s title of the deep calling out to the deep, which is taken from Psalm 42, written by the Sons of Korah. As the deer pants after the streams of water, so does the average Nigerian today pants after essential commodities, foodstuffs especially, for sustenance. As the Sons of Korah looked up to God for help and deliverance, so do poverty-stricken Nigerians cry unto their government and religious leaders for reprieve and succour.

I have seen on Animal world that when animals pant after water, they do not care for the danger involved in trooping into crocodile-infested waters to have a drink; or mind the pride of lions lurking around. In like manner did hungry Nigerians put their life on the line in a mad rush for Customs rice the other day. Seven persons were said to have died in the stampede that ensued before the poorly-executed exercise was hurriedly called off.

The Sons of Korah were downcast because they were in exile – and understandably so – but millions of Nigerians are downcast today right inside their own country. Call it internal exile, which is worse than external exile or “japa”. “Crestfallen and hurt” was how a bible commentator described the state of affairs of the Sons of Korah but note that they were warned but would not take heed – like us here in Nigeria, year-after-year, decade-after-decade. Like Rome’s king Nero, we fiddled while Muhammadu Buhari and his band of wanton troopers set fire on our roof, only to now wake up late in the day to disparage efforts aimed at putting out the fire!

My intention here today is to print some of the comments sent to me on last week’s piece; when I return, I will make some closing remarks and call it a day!

“Waaaooo. I can imagine how deep your imaginations and reflections were in this article. Your mind clearly traversed the cosmos and the heavenly places and you just got hooked in the midst of the flight as you tried to reconnect with our planet - this Earth, this our world of sorrow and joy, and of joy and sadness. But what you were saying in all these ruminations is that we can make our world a heavenly place; as in, we can make our society a better place. So, we don't really need japa if we think deeply and we stop worrying about a thing because there is a better day or a better time just around the corner if only we could see, especially because three little birds will knock at our door singing sweet songs and bringing melodies of joy and happiness. Thanks again for provoking our thoughts! I think at this point, many other writers will now agree that you are truly a man of deep insight, a genuine award winner in the real sense. As I recognize the quality of your mindset, permit me to say that we all have a duty to keep hope alive in the midst of the topsy-turvy our country is in today. - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

“BB, well done on this piece, which amplifies your erudition and giftings as a writer! More grace! - Apostle Bisi Olaoye.

“One understands your message on the dichotomy of the richness of the life of Abraham and Lazarus: one could be described as ‘double face’ richness, and the other, ‘single face’ richness, going by your explanation. One way of looking at the issue is, how feasible is it in the world to attain the kind of ‘double face’ richness of Father Abraham, i.e. to be rich in this world as well as in heaven? This line of thought is in consideration of the declaration of the Lord Jesus Christ in Luke 18: 24 & 25, thus: “How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God’? Although one appreciates Jesus' response in verse 27 that ‘What is impossible with man is possible with God’. And in the light of your assertion that "whereas our own place looks more and more like hell", one could conjecture that most of our people would get "double face" tragedy, with the current look-like-hell situation in our country and still being indisposed to the ways of the Lord. This reminds me of a happening when we went out for evangelism in a locality during my secondary school days: As we came across people in squalid conditions of poverty, a white missionary could not help voicing out that his greatest concern and pity for the people was the possibility of their missing the kingdom of God (paradise) after death, after their pitiable suffering on earth, just because of their unbelief!” – Elder Olaitan Makanjuola.

“It seems to me that the church needs to go back and re-read the Scriptures. STEP ONE: Let it understand that Covid-19 was God's own way of reviving the church to understand the messages in John 4:23 and John 17:21, both speaking about the wall-less church, globalization and end-time worshippers who would do it in SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH. STEP TWO: The church for now should suspend dancing to hymns. Rather, it would do well to read them out. Let the church find out why Muslims recite or chant the Quran (written in verses like the Psalms ) rather than dance to its recitation. Singing has lost the purpose for which God ordained it (Deuteronomy 31: 19-30). STEP THREE: Let the church go back and re-read Acts of the Apostles 6:1,2,3 and 9. Daily ministration and the need to "SERVE TABLE" portend Governance: Providing the basic necessities of life for the people. Why has the church neglected its old habit of giving seeds to its congregations any time the rainy season was approaching while members equally provided farm yields during church harvests? … What is the church preparing for its congregations in the presence of starvation now ravaging the land? Psalm 23: 5 is not speaking to the wind when it states: "THOU PREPAREST A TABLE BEFORE ME IN THE PRESENCE OF MINE ENEMY ? Can you imagine a worse enemy than starvation and hunger? It is the same thing being emphasized in The Lord's Prayer: "GIVE US OUR DAILY BREAD while in the administration of tithes, the Bible in Malachi 3:10 stressed: "BRING YE ALL THE TITHES INTO THE STOREHOUSE THAT THERE MAY BE MEAT IN MINE HOUSE..." Unfortunately today, the church is using tithes to build structures and to purchase other luxuries, and not food for the hungry. Yet, the same church and its congregations wait for palliatives from governments! A case of the tail wagging the dog! – Olalere Fagbola.

“Hmmm. This is real food for thought! Though Abraham had his challenges when he was alive, generally, he was portrayed as a very successful man. Again, he was counted worthy in heaven according to the scriptures. This is like enjoying the best of two lives. Lazarus on the other hand suffered on earth before exiting to heaven to enjoy. I believe it is by choice but it is better to enjoy both on earth and in heaven. Your enjoyment on earth will largely depend on your decisions and ability to achieve your aims and aspirations. Your enjoyment hereafter depends on how you lived your life when you were on earth. The story of the rich man and Lazarus in the Bible teaches us to be kind and considerate to others when we have the opportunity. Lazarus’s circumstances presented an opportunity for the rich man to be kind”. - Pa E. K. Odeleye.

Those are the few comments that I can accommodate here today. Two institutions that should be of utmost help to the people in their hour of need are government and religious leaders; unfortunately, both have seemingly turned deaf ears to the cries of the people that their burden be lessened. Have they not both acted like Jeroboam, son and successor of king Solomon, who chose to whip his long-suffering people with scorpions whereas his father had whipped them with horsewhips? And are there better representatives than these two categories of the hypocrites and brood of vipers that Jesus Christ chastised in Matthew 23: 1- 39? They pile misery on the poor but neglect to touch the heavy burden even with one finger! The people get leaner but the government official/pastor/imam grows more robust!

But tell them: Revolution is loading! O Lord, send another Martin Luther to kindle a second Reformation in Your Church!

The Pan-Yoruba social political group, Afenifere, on Tuesday told President Bola Ahmed Tinubu he had no excuse not to restructure Nigeria having been elected on the platform and ideology of the group.

The body also declared that its blueprint on restructuring Nigeria is ready.

This is just as the body hinged its restructuring blueprint on the adoption of a parliamentary system of government for Nigeria.

The Publicity Secretary of Afenifere, Mogaji Gboyega Adejumo, disclosed this while briefing journalists after the caucus meeting of the group held at Isanya Ogbo Ijebu, Ogun State residence of Pa Ayo Adebanjo, a factional leader of Afenifere.

The meeting which was presided over by Adebanjo equally had in attendance Oba Oladipo Olaitan, the Deputy leader of the group, Chief Supo Sonibare, Treasurer, Chief Mrs Kofoworola Bucknor, former Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Prince Justice Faloye, Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Chief Segun Ojo, Bashorun Segun Sanni, among others.

The Afenifere, which is one of the leading voices on agitation for restructuring Nigeria, had set up a committee to aggregate views of stakeholders on the demand.

At a caucus meeting of the Afenifere held on Tuesday, the panel submitted its report.

Adejumo said Afenifere had developed its blueprint on restructuring the country and called on the Tinubu-led administration to adopt the blueprint.

The group said Tinubu before his election was at the vanguard of the call for the restructuring of the country, hence he must not betray Nigerians.

Afenifere described Tinubu as a beneficiary of the call for restructuring within this democratic dispensation.

“Sometimes last year November, a committee under the leadership of Oba Oladipo Olaitan was set up to aggregate Afenifere’s view on restructuring and today (Tuesday), the committee said that the report is ready.

“However, this report will still be considered by the executives of the association after which it will be taken to the general assembly where all the members will get to know what we stand on restructuring as Afenifere and we shall then print the report, do our various publicity on it for people to be enlightened on what we believe on restructuring.

“Tinubu himself is a product of Afenifere, he was elected on the platform and ideology of Afenifere. He took the federal government to court under the leadership of former President Obasanjo for 31 times in an effort to implement restructuring.

“He didn’t do anything when former President Buhari was there for eight years, probably he was bidding his time because he knew that northerners won’t implement restructuring because they thought it won’t favour them.

“But Tinubu is there now as the President, he is answerable to us all as a product of Afenifere and as what the whole Yoruba did under the Afenifere in Adamasingba, Ibadan, Oyo State in 2017 that what we want is nothing but restructuring.

“For this 2017 meeting, we invited the South South, South East and the Middle Belt and this is the beginning of what we called Southern and Middlebelt Leaders Forum.

“So we are still meeting at this forum when other zones will also submit their recommendations. So what we took to 2014 Confab is what we are submitting even though some things have changed. We will then take it before the National Assembly for their approval”, Afenifere said.

Asked to give a hint on the Afenifere’s report, Adejumo said, “what we are actually proposing is a parliamentary system of government. Late Chief Obafemi Awolowo didn’t have to campaign in Ijebu Igbo, all he had to do was to win in Ikenne to become a member of the House and whoever is the leader of the party becomes the Prime Minister or the Premier.

“The old Western Region was from Badagry in Lagos to Asaba in present day Delta State but he never had to be campaigning everywhere as we do now. It makes governance so cheap, nobody will have to spend billions on campaigns again. You will need as much as N100m to campaign for local government chairmanship elections.

“So, until under this system you will from your constituency come into the house of Assembly and from here you will choose your Ministers and your Commissioners, you are not going to be appointed anyone again from outside but those that have been elected into the House house of Assembly.

“With this system of government, we are going to be spending one tenth of the humongous resources we are using to run this presidential system of government.”

The presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the last general election, Mr Peter Obi, says it is now difficult to sleep at night knowing that millions of Nigerian households do not know where their next meal will come from.

Obi urged Nigerians to unite above tribe, religion, and political party affiliation to rescue the nation from the shackles of leadership failure and bad governance.

He made this known on Wednesday in a post on his X handle.

According to him, “This generation of Nigerians has a sacred duty to make Nigeria a nation Nigerians can be proud of.”

The former Anambra State governor further said that this was no time to apportion blame or to hunt for culprits, adding that it is the hour of collective responsibility for national salvation.

“Considering how our nation sadly retrogressed, and became in the last few months, putting us in a far more deplorable situation, economically and otherwise, than we already were, I must say that we all need to rise and join in rescuing our nation from further collapse.

“It is difficult to sleep at night, knowing that millions of Nigerian households do not know where their next meal will come from, or knowing that some Nigerians may be under terror attack due to the high level insecurity in the country.

“I urge us all to unite, above tribe, religion, and political party affiliation, to rescue our nation free from the shackles of leadership failure and bad governance. This generation of Nigerians has a sacred duty to make Nigeria a nation Nigerians can be proud of.

“This is no time to apportion blame or to hunt for culprits. It is the hour of collective responsibility for national salvation,” Obi said.

Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB) subsidiary in Ghana says it is working with relevant government agencies and customers in the country to resolve the trade-related issues in no time.

On February 4, 2024, the Central Bank of Ghana suspended the foreign exchange (FX) trading licences of two Nigerian-owned banks over “fraudulent documentation” during operations.

The suspension, which is to take effect on March 18, 2023, and last for one month, involves GTBank and First Bank of Nigeria (FBN).
However, in a statement on Tuesday, GTBank assured customers that the suspension would not affect other services

“We would like to assure all our esteemed customers and stakeholders that we are currently working with the relevant government agencies and customers with a view to resolving these trade-related issues timely,” GTBank said.

‘’Our customers and stakeholders are our primary responsibility and, Guaranty Trust Bank Ghana would like to clarify that this development does not affect customers’ own deposits and other business segments of our operations.

“All other products and services, Main branches, Agency Banking outlets are available for your convenient use at our regular opening hours and our Mobile Apps and Internet banking are available for your use at any time of the day.

“We further assure our customers that the issue was not a function of willful non-compliance by the Bank, as the Bank has a culture that endeavours to comply with regulations at all times and stringent Anti-money laundering CFT policies which are applied across all our operations.

“We are also in ongoing consultations and discussions with the Central Bank of Ghana to fully resolve all matters raised in the shortest possible time.”

The bank said it remained committed to being a constructive participant in Ghana’s financial markets and to contributing to its developments in the interest of all its customers and stakeholders.

FBN ASSURES OF WORKING TO ADDRESS ISSUE

On its part, FBN Ghana, on Monday, also reaffirmed its willingness to resolve the FX trading licence suspension.

The bank said all branches would be open for operations as usual.

“We refer to the Bank of Ghana’s announcement of the 30-day suspension of our Foreign Exchange Trading Licence effective March 18, 2024,” FBN said.

“We would like to advise our valued customers and esteemed stakeholders that we are working with the Bank of Ghana to remediate the identified trade-related matters.

“FBNBank would like to assure its valued customers that when the suspension kicks in, the Bank’s other business segments and solutions will be fully operational. This will include branch operations, agent banking partners and channels for seamless banking.”

FBN said it will continue to uphold high ethical standards.

Anthony Joshua and Francis Ngannou are set to become significantly richer once their fight in Saudi Arabia is done and dusted later this week.

The two are all set for their contest this Friday and there are tens of millions set to pour into their accounts, no matter who wins.  

It’s an important fight for both men, with AJ looking to set up a huge 2024 in which he hopes to become world champion again, while his opponent will want to build on his first professional match against Tyson Fury.

The UFC icon stunned the world when he knocked Fury down before controversially losing via split decision.

It should be a great contest between two men who have stated they plan to be aggressive, and they will both be a whole lot wealthier once the contest is over. 

The official figures for the purse and prize money have yet to be confirmed.

However, what is guaranteed is that Ngannou and AJ will make millions from this fight.

The Cameroonian will take home $20million, which works out to around £16m.

This would be the most lucrative fight in his career by a distance and would be double what he earned against Fury.

This purse fee doesn’t include any pay-per-view money or fees for winning or lasting the full distance etc.

So, it’s possible Ngannou could earn well over £20m for a maximum of 30 minutes in the ring.

Meanwhile, this is also set to be one of Joshua’s most lucrative fights.

Reports suggest he will earn nearly £40m.

Again, this doesn’t include PPV fees or any potential prize money. 

These figures have not been made public yet, so things could slightly change.

However, what is clear is that Joshua will earn significantly more than Ngannou.

Some might think this is unfair, but the Brit is the more experienced boxer and former two-time unified world champion, so commands a bigger fee.

Meanwhile, this is just Ngannou’s second professional boxing match.