Religious leaders in Siaya want the government to engage an international mediator in solving the current impasse that saw young Kenyans take to the streets to protest the passage of the finance bill.

Through the Siaya Church Leaders’ Forum (SCLF), the clerics say that the situation may get out of hand if urgent steps will not be taken to address it, adding that government will only succeed if an independent international mediator is brought on board to engage the youths.

Led by the chairman of the church leaders’ forum, Archbishop James Opiyo Anyango, the clerics lauded the efforts that the government was putting in place to ensure that the youths are engaged and their demands taken into account.

The forum organizing secretary, Bishop Wilfred Amollo said Kenyan youths seem to have lost hope and trust in the current government and may not feel comfortable engaging President William Ruto.

The church leaders lauded the Kenyan youths for standing firm in exercising their rights, but called on them to embrace peace and avoid destruction of properties during their anti-government protests.

Other leaders who addressed the media during the occasion were Bishop Elias Sewe and Bishop Martin Arara who called on the government to minimize wastage of public resources to quell the Gen Z protests.

[https://www.capitalfm.co.ke/]

According to Shettima, 42 persons were brought to the specialist hospital, but 14 have been discharged after receiving treatment.

The Vice President noted that 26 are still receiving treatment.

Shettima, who made a personal donation to all the victims, condoled with the families of those killed by the multiple explosions.

He also conveyed the condolences of President Bola Tinubu to Gwoza people and Borno State.

The Vice President was in the company of the Deputy Governor of Borno State, Babagana Kingibe, Senator Ali Ndume, Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, former Nigerian Ambassador to China, Baba Ahmed Jidda, the Director General of NEMA and other government functionaries.

Meanwhile, President Tinubu has described criminals responsible for the suicide bombing in Borno State as cowards who would soon face the wrath of justice.

The President said the action of the terrorists is due to the pressure mounted against them by security forces which have degraded their abilities to mount attacks.

While consoling all those affected by the attack, President Tinubu assured Nigerians that the government would not allow the nation to slither into an era of fear, tears, sorrow, and blood.

He added that his administration would take every necessary step to ensure citizens are protected, and criminals are brought to justice.

[NaijaNews]

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, on Monday fumed over the allocation of land meant for a bus terminal in the Central Business District, Abuja.

Wike, who made the complaint at the inauguration of the construction of Mabushi Bus Terminal, Phase I, in Abuja, described the action as a gross distortion of the Abuja Master Plan.

He explained that the FCT Administration decided to build three terminals, one each in the Central Business District, Mabushi and Kugbo, to ensure a secure and convenient travel experience for commuters in the territory.

He, however, said that the land designated for the bus terminal in the Central Business District, where a train track was expected to pass through, had been allocated to somebody.

“When we went there to start preparation for the inauguration project last Tuesday, I received a text that I had taken somebody’s land, and I was surprised.

“In fact, in that text message, the person said, ‘after his sacrifices and inputs to the party, is this what he will suffer?”.

“When I enquired, we found out that the place has been given out and Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) had been signed, even consent judgement has been entered between FCTA and the person,” he said.

He explained that he directed that the Mabushi location should be used for the inauguration of the terminal project, pending when the issue would be resolved.

The minister noted that leadership was all about taking decisions, noting that in taking decisions, not everybody would be happy, but a decision must be taken.

“This is just to let people know some of the things we face; how the Master Plan of the FCT had been distorted.

“When you want to make a decision, so many people will be angry and when you are complaining, they won’t come with sincere facts; they will come with distorted facts,” he said.

The minister added that Abuja was supposed to be one of the best cities in the world but lacked the necessary infrastructure to be a first-class city.

He particularly pointed out that a city like Abuja does not have bus and taxi terminals, thereby forcing people to park and board vehicles on the road, and taxis all over the place.

This, according to him, is contributing to the level of insecurity in the territory, including the proliferation of “one chance” criminal elements.

He explained that the construction of the bus and taxi terminals was part of efforts to reduce the level of insecurity under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu.

“To reduce insecurity, we made a proposal to the National Assembly explaining that part of the security problem we are facing is because we have not been able to know who the people operating taxis and buses in FCT are and where they are loading from.

“One of the things that people don’t understand about the Renewed Hope Agenda, is that it is not just about human capital development; it is also about empowerment of our people.” he said.

[Newspot]

Relatives of victims of suicide bombings in Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State have narrated harrowing experiences of how they lost their loved ones on Saturday.

Many people, including a soldier, and some wedding guests were killed, and several others injured when four suicide bombers launched attacks at different spots in Gwoza and Pulka towns, all in Gwoza LGA.

The Director General of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Dr Barkindo M. Saidu, shortly after the incidents, said 18 persons comprising children, adult male, females, and pregnant women died, while 19 others who were seriously injured were conveyed to Maiduguri in four ambulances.

Gwoza, located in the fringes of the Sambisa Forest and the Mandara Mountains, which serves as sanctuaries for Boko Haram fighters, had suffered devastating attacks in the nearly fifteen years of the insurgency.

Hundreds of people have been killed, many injured and houses, markets, hospitals, police stations and other symbols of authority destroyed.

Incidents of suicide bombing have not been reported for a long time, until Saturday’s resurgence.

Meanwhile, our correspondent yesterday visited the state specialist hospital in Maiduguri where the wounded are currently receiving treatment.

He said the atmosphere at the hospital was tense as relatives who besieged the facility to see the wounded shared their disturbing experiences.

A resident of Gwoza, Buba Shehu, who lost five of his family members, said the incident happened so fast that the whole scenario seemed as if it was a movie.

“This is just like a dream; I have lost five people in my family in less than 24 hours. Three died yesterday (Saturday) as a result of the dastardly act by suicide bomber during wedding reception at our family house in Gwoza.

“We also received a call this (Sunday) morning that two people passed away due to lack of blood in their bodies. So, personally, I lost three family members and two of my good friends. This is painful,” he said.

Shehu added: “Many of our friends left Maiduguri to attend the wedding in Gwoza. Unfortunately, seven are currently receiving treatment in this hospital. As at last night, we lost 20 persons and 30 others wounded.

“But this (Sunday) morning, we lost one person in Maiduguri and two of our relatives died in Gwoza in the early hours.”

Another relative of the victims, Abdul Umaru, also said he lost two persons while two others who were critically wounded were currently battling with their lives.

“I wanted to travel for the wedding but there was a challenge of logistics and I was furious with myself for missing the wedding ceremony in our family house.

“Only for me to hear that there was suicide attack during reception. Two of my uncles lost their lives. Two of my elder brothers are currently undergoing a series of treatments due to wounds they suffered from the attacks. We are broken and you can see hundreds of people in this place. It is sad, you see someone and next day, you hear that some useless people have killed him,” he said.

In the meanwhile, the Secretary of Gwoza LGA, Hajiya Fatimah Musa, has said three suspected suicide bombers have been arrested in Gwoza and Pulka, following the imposition of curfew by the military on the troubled town.

She noted that the actions of the military would restore peace in the areas, while urging the residents to support and report any suspicious activities within their general areas to the security agencies.

She said so far, casualties ascertained included 21 deaths comprising women and children, and 48 people who were seriously injured.

“We lost one person among those who were taken to Maiduguri yesterday (Saturday). We also got a report that two people died yesterday. They have been buried according to Islamic rites,” she said.

She added that a total of 42 people had been admitted, including 12 taken to Maiduguri on Saturday night and 31 others equally transported at noon on Saturday.

Tinubu, Atiku, northern govs condole with relatives

Meanwhile, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has condemned the Saturday bomb attack in Borno State, saying those responsible will pay a heavy price for their actions.

The president, in a statement by Ajuri Ngelale, his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, condoled with the families of those affected and said his administration will not allow the country to slither into an “era of fear, tears, sorrow, and blood.”

President Tinubu said his administration was taking necessary measures to secure citizens, emphasising that efforts will be redoubled to ensure that “those who trouble the nation, dispatching precious lives, and disrupting law and order are completely removed.”

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has also condemned the bomb attack in Borno State, asking the federal government not to allow the North East slide back into the theater of terrorism.

Atiku in a post on his Verified Facebook page asked the present administration to live up to expectation, accusing the government of lackluster posture in holding firmly to the frontline in the gains made by security operatives.

He said it is a sad development that the “ugly incidents of terrorism are resurfacing and, indeed, metastasising in the North East.”

He also expressed condolences to the families of victims of these attacks, saying, “it is my prayer that God grants a peaceful repose to the souls of the departed.

Relatedly, the Northern States Governors’ Forum (NSGF) has expressed deep condolences to the victims, government and the people of Borno State following the recent tragic suicide attacks in Gwoza Local Government Area.

Chairman of the forum and Governor of Gombe State, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, in a statement issued yesterday condemned the heinous act, which resulted in the loss of innocent lives and left many injured.

The statement issued by his spokesman, Ismaila Uba Misilli, described the attack as cowardly, and emphasised that such acts of terror have no place in a peaceful and progressive society.

Yahaya, therefore, called for collective resilience and unity among the people of northern Nigeria to stand together and remain undeterred by the acts of terror.

[DailyTrust]

Nigerian students in foreign lands appear to have suddenly become targets for elimination.

If they are not murdered by the security agents of their host countries, they are murdered by citizens of foreign countries.

From Africa to Europe, Asia to America, the story is the same.

Many Nigerians who have travelled to countries like the United Kingdom, Canada, Ghana, South Africa, United Arab Emirates, Cyprus, among others to get quality education, have been gruesomely murdered in recent times.

It has been tales of sorrow, pains and anguish for parents whose wards have become victims of these unfortunate incidents.

Many of them were murdered when they had almost completed their course of studies. Others had scarcely settled down to their studies when the messengers of death came calling.

Unfortunately, offenders of such heinous crimes against Nigerians have never been brought to book. The host countries had always treated such incidents with levity.

Even where they appeared to have taken interest, they would not pursue the matter to a conclusive end, thereby eventually creating a window of escape for the offender.

Just last month, May 17, 2024 precisely, a 43-year old Nigerian, identified as Prince Ebuka was allegedly shot and killed by the South African Police in Danielskuil, Northern Cape, a development that sparked outrage by the Nigerian Diaspora Forum, NDF.

According to the report, the circumstances that led to it remained unclear, but sources close to the deceased family revealed that he was a law-abiding citizen who had no criminal record.

The NDF condemned the killing, describing it as a senseless and avoidable tragedy.

A statement by the NDF’s Country Director, Hon. Chike Amadichi called on the South African authorities to conduct a thorough and transparent investigation into the incident.

He said: “The Nigerian Diaspora Forum (NDF) expresses its deep concern over the recent tragic event in Danielskuil, Northern Cape, South Africa on May 17, 2024.

“We urge the public to stay informed as we closely follow developments and cooperate with the authorities to ensure a thorough and transparent investigation.

“Our commitment remains strong towards advocating for justice and upholding human rights for all Nigerians living in the Diaspora.”

This incident has raised concerns about the safety and well-being of Nigerians living in South Africa, many of whom have faced xenophobic attacks and harassment in recent years.

The group also urged the Federal Government to take decisive action to protect its citizens abroad

“As the investigation continues, the Nigerian community in South Africa and beyond is mourning the loss of Prince Ebuka, a husband, father, and friend who was brutally taken away from his loved ones.

“His family and friends are demanding answers and justice, and the world is watching to see how the South African authorities will respond to this tragic incident,” the NDF submitted.

Also, the family of the 19-year-old Afolabi Opaso is still waiting for answers on the circumstances surrounding the death of their son on December 31, 2023.

Afolabi was allegedly shot dead by Winnipeg police officers in Manitoba, Canada.

According to the Independent Investigation Unit of Manitoba, which investigates all serious incidents involving the police in the province, the officers were alleged to be responding to a well-being call at an apartment building at 77 University Cres, at about 2:30 pm on December 31.

In spite of the dangers Nigerian students in foreign lands are exposed to, parents and guardians still besiege the embassies of foreign countries seeking for education visas for their wards in those countries.

Very many Nigerians believe that the Nigerian education system is in comatose and that has been responsible for the increase in education tourism abroad.

They attributed what is happening to Nigerian students studying abroad to failure of leadership.

Commenting on Nigerians’ quest for foreign education, a human rights lawyer, Malachy Ugwumadu, attributed the scourge to total collapse of the educational system in Nigeria.

He said: “Nigeria has not ceased to amaze those who are critical. You do not wish away what you have no capacity to control.

“The bottom line is that the outsourcing of education is a direct function of the failure of the educational system in Nigeria.

“As you know, those who have the luxury of sending their wards to study abroad are paying through their nose; they are paying far more expensively than those studying in Nigeria.

“The corresponding risks to which our worlds are now exposed is one that underscores really the insufficiency of the government to provide education, and it has complicated the whole challenge of Nigerians and their search for quality education in such a way that our successive governments are now exposed to the ridicule of the entire world.

“Even as close as the Benin Republic here, the statistics of Nigerians there in the make-shift buildings in the name of education is pitiable.”

He also said that the failure of successive Nigerian governments to keep faith with the United Nations’ recommended minimum budgetary requirement of 26 percent of annual budget for education had also increased the poverty of our situation.

He equally agreed that the perennial cases of industrial actions by lecturers have not helped matters in the sense that students have continually experienced an endless educational system.

“And that is what has promoted the private universities in our country where our people are subjected to excruciating expenses to take their wards through normal academic education.

“So, instead of spending 10 years for a course of five years, parents tend to make do with the private universities where they are made to pay what it has taken the entire generation to go to school,” he submitted.

He attributed the upsurge in the number of Nigerian students abroad to what he called politicization of education in Nigeria.

“There is too much politicization of education in the system. It is no longer seen as a core professional and foundational enterprise that determines and defines the future of the country, as well as guarantees the quality and content of leadership that can come from there,” he added.

He, therefore, submitted that unless things were done right, Nigerians would continue to seek for foreign education in spite of all the dangers out there.

“So, to think that people will stop sending their children abroad, is to imagine that all of these things are already in place.

“But, the reality is that they are not in place, and there are no signs that they will soon be in place with the direct consequence that things will continue to be as they are,” he said.

On the nasty and poor treatment that Nigerians are exposed to in foreign land, he attributed that to the strong resentment, which other countries have for Nigeria and its citizens.

He said: “The poverty of the situation is that given the total resentment of the comity of nations against this huge and potentially great country that is squandering its fortunes, our people are subjected to the worst forms of attacks and harassment.

“In South Africa, it is xenophobia; in Asian countries, it is intolerance because anything committed by any Nigerian, be it the least of offences, attracts maximum punishment.

“The common denominator is that our citizens have come under direct siege in their pursuit for better education outside the shores of this country. It is an indictment of the government.”

He called on the National Assembly to rise up to its oversight function by whipping the Ministry of Foreign Affairs into line in this regard.

According to him, “I think that the Committees on Diaspora in the House of Representatives and Senate must find a way in furtherance of their over-sighting to compel the foreign affairs ministry to do something.

“It is not just drinking tea from one country to another; these are core responsibilities.

“The way and manner we have continued to undermine and expose ourselves to the ridicule of the world makes it easy for them to kill us and nothing happens. So, the ministry of foreign affairs should be able to mobilise and respond adequately.”

Also reacting, the President and Founder of SelfWorth Organisation for Women Development, Mrs Chinyere Anokwuru thinks that in spite of the dangers which Nigerian students abroad face, those who could afford to send their children abroad for studies, should not be discouraged.

She cited the dysfunctional educational system in Nigeria at present as one of the reasons for her position.

Such dysfunctional elements, according to her, include constant industrial action by lecturers, as well as unqualified teachers.

“So those that can afford it should go ahead and do so,” she stressed.

She also said that lack of proper parental counseling and orientation equally contributes to the disaster, which always befell their children.

“But it depends on parenting. I know that some of the victims were involved in clubbing and cult-related activities.

“If a child is properly orientated at home; properly taught and groomed at home; when such a child gets out of Nigeria to study, he knows he is representing his parents there and his family’s name is at stake.

“So, he will go there and behave well. He will try to stay out of trouble because he is there to study and not to club. Why the clubbing, the cultism and the fighting? He will hide himself and focus on what he has gone there to do.

“If parents train their kids properly, they will keep out of trouble in foreign lands,” she argued.

She noted that if the good private schools in Nigeria which were mostly owned by churches were made affordable, the craze to go abroad for quality education would be greatly minimized.

“If these churches can charge so high for the education they are offering, where is the charity; where is the love?

“I implore the churches to lessen their tuition fees, and I believe if their fees come down a bit, we might just stop sending our children abroad and patronize our local colleges that are also doing well,” she posited.

But, for the public administrator, Curis Anthony, people should look beyond why Nigerians travel abroad for studies.

He wants people to take a holistic look at such issues as why students even travel out in the first instance, as well as what the state of education and security in the country are.

He believes that the foregoing factors are critical because according to him, “When you talk in terms of safety, you need to relate it to the issue of the abducted school girls in northern states and many other Nigerian students who have been killed in the Northeast and across the country, on account of insecurity.

“I think it is very important to have a holistic approach to understand these issues and not just necessarily getting alarmed about what happens to Nigerian students abroad.

“What is also Nigeria’s role in protecting her citizens in the country or outside the country? So, these are the critical questions that must be addressed.”

He also looked at the matter from the economic angle, when he said: “When you run a global economy that is exploitative and more concerned about the profit and market forces, there is always a disregard for human life.

“So, the context of security whether in Nigeria or anywhere in the world, must be placed at the heart of who controls the economy and for what purpose. Is the economy being controlled in the interest of the people or not?

“You also have people, who also have their own peculiarities in terms of insecurity, irrespective of what is being presented. When you present such places as peaceful and comfortable, it is to the extent of what is being projected, which shows that there are some discontents in those societies.

“And for those who are marginalised of access to their basic needs, they also transfer aggression and that’s what has been responsible for violence instead of promoting unity and peace.

“My perspective has always been that the spirit of internationalism has to be based on what affects us and that is why the slogan of workers of all countries is, ‘unite against the oppressors and exploiters of various countries.’

“That is the context because without placing it in that context, we just get unnecessarily alarmed. For those who have to travel abroad, there is the material force that propels them because they have to survive, irrespective of the dangers they are going to face.

“It is like somebody who is in danger; he will assess which is less and that is the desperation of Nigerians wanting to travel abroad despite the dangers. The policy environment necessarily turns them into those frustrations.

“For them, death is a necessary consequence they have to face if they don’t want to starve to death.”

On whether parents should keep sending their wards overseas for studies in spite of the dangers ahead, he said: “It is not about parents.

“Do you know how many thousands of Nigerians that go abroad without the consent of their parents? That is the issue.

“How many parents in Nigeria can afford to send their children abroad? The children of the poor that you find abroad, stowed away in most cases; they struggled themselves to be there out of desperation. That is the issue to look at.

“If the academic environment in Nigeria is conducive for learning, people won’t be going abroad to study in such large numbers.”

He also agreed that the collapse of the educational system was largely responsible for the prevailing education tourism.

He said: “The decay has been over the years and that principally informed what has been the campaign over the years on the same public education.

“Several Nigerians have also been victims of travelling abroad which can also be attributed to the irresponsibility of the political environment. The approach is not just to have some of those cosmetic pronouncements by the government.

“It is basically to have a holistic approach to it. Once you have a system that cannot guarantee people the basic necessities of life, they are bound to have those kinds of things.”

[DailyPost]

•Agency intercepts N7.35b drugs consignments •Two excrete 150 cocaine wraps in Lagos

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested 60 suspects at a drug party held at an apartment in Abuja.

Its Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA Headquarters, Femi Babafemi, in a statement yesterday, said: “In Abuja, NDLEA operatives on Friday night disrupted a drug party dubbed “Go hard or Go Home. Pick Your Poison”, where 60 suspects, comprising 25 males and 35 females, were arrested at an apartment in Sun City Estate in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

“The raid followed credible intelligence about the drug party organised by one Stanley Ikechukwu who was arrested at the venue.

“Six of the suspects – Victoria Adoga; Hamza Yari; Joanne Essein Joy; Socchima Valentine; Jago Imole; and Charles Indobuibisi – were arrested with  various quantities of ecstasy and cannabis.’’

At the Port Harcourt Ports Complex, Onne, Rivers State, he added, the agency intercepted 6,125 cartons of codeine syrup containing 1,050,000 bottles of the opioid worth N7.350 billion.

Babafemi stated that the seizure, made from six containers the previous day, was the third of such in the past one month.

This, he said, followed tracking of the consignments from their port of departure by a special operations unit of NDLEA, which worked with the Port Harcourt Ports Command of the agency and other security agencies, including the Customs Service.

According to the statement, at the end of the joint examination of the six containers, a total of 6,125 cartons containing 1,050,000 bottles of codeine syrup weighing 157,500 kilogrammes were recovered. 

Also, NDLEA officers at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Ikeja Lagos, arrested two passengers travelling to Doha on a Qatar Airways flight at the screening point of Terminal 2 after they tested positive to ingestion of illicit substances on June 21.

He said the suspects, Aikhomoun Daniel (alias Oladapo Olanrewaju) and Ayigoro Waheed Omobolaji, were thereafter taken into custody for observation.

He said while Daniel excreted a total of 90 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.022kg in six excretions, Ayigoro discharged 60 wraps of the same Class A substance with a total weight of 662grammes in five egestion.

The Senate panel probing the N30tn Ways and Means loans secured from the Godwin Emefiele-led Central Bank of Nigeria by the Federal Government has received more documents from the Office of the Accountant General, The PUNCH has learnt.

As a result, the panel is set to resume physical sitting after studying the documents.

The panel had written to the OAGF seeking additional documents to deepen its prone of the controversial N30tn loan obtained by the President Muhammadu-led administration.

However, multiple sources who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak on the matter on Sunday, confirmed that the documents arrived at the National Assembly on Thursday.

“The documents from the Office of the Accountant General regarding the probe of the N30tn Ways and Means came on Thursday; the documents have been given to the chairman and the members of the panel,” one of the Senate sources told our correspondent.

Also confirming the development, the Chairman of the Panel, senator Isah Jibrin ( APC, Kogi East), said the AGF had sent the documents to the National Assembly.

He said, “ Yes, the documents have come from the AGF and have been distributed to all panel members. At the moment, we are all studying it and once that is concluded we will resume physical meetings hopefully by next week.”

He added, “Nigerians can be assured that we will ensure due diligence and see that we do not let them down.  Like I earlier said, we had never stopped working on the probe, we just needed more documents and now that we have them, nothing can hold us back.”

 On Tuesday, February 20, the Senate resolved to investigate the N30tn loan, citing that the alleged reckless spending of the overdraft from the CBN largely contributed to the current food and security crises in the country.

After its inauguration, the panel identified 13 infractions allegedly committed in the process of obtaining the loan from the CBN.

However, a media Report (Not PUNCH) had said that the committee had gone into limbo after finding out that the Ways and Means loans approved under Emefiele were about N7tn and not N30tn as claimed by the Senate.

Responding to the media report,  Jibrin clarified that the figures under investigation were not in dispute.

Showing proof of the letter sent to the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, Jibrin had said, “We have not gone into limbo; we only needed additional documents from the Accountant-General’s office to continue the interface. The amount under probe is N30tn. I don’t know why people are spreading falsehood to achieve a selfish purpose.”

The letter dated June 19, 2024, and signed by Jibrin was titled: ‘Request for Submission of Additional Information’.

The PUNCH reports that during the Ninth Assembly, President Buhari, in a letter dated December 20, 2022, requested the restructuring of the accumulated N22.7 tn Ways and Means loans, alongside an additional N1 trillion primarily for funding the N819.5bn 2022 supplementary budget, totalling N23.7tn.

In his request, President Buhari explained, “The Ways and Means are advances from the Central Bank of Nigeria to the federal government for emergency funding due to delayed fiscal deficits. As of December 19, 2022, the balance of Ways and Means was N22.7tn.

“I have approved the securitisation of these balances under the following terms: Amount, N23.7tn; Tenure, 40 years; Moratorium on principal repayment, three years; Interest rate, 9 per cent. Your concurrence and approval are sought to allow for the implementation of the same.”

After the Ahmad-Lawan-led Ninth Senate passed the N23.7 trillion, the Tenth Senate, on December 30, 2023, also approved for President Bola Tinubu, the securitization of the outstanding debit balance of N7.3tn of the Ways and Means Advance in the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federal Government.

[Punch]

When historians write about the exploits of great men, they are always careful about the details, ensuring to capture the elements that define a person’s epocal milestones. Most times, the stories are told of their triumph and victories, other times, of their frailties. But ultimately, these tales speak to the essence of a person’s greatest battles and how they overcome them and chart a new, definitive course.

When the story of Godwin Obaseki, who today turns 67, is told, it will feature a rich chapter dedicated to his triumphant foray into public service, with numerous pages preoccupied with showcasing his bold, courageous and eventful stay in office, where he wrestled principalities and laid the foundations to restore Edo’s glory – somewhat like a renaissance era in the 21st century.

Obaseki, no doubt, had an eventful career as an investment banker. His exploits are the stuff of legend in corporate Nigeria, where he strode like a colossus, amassing a dashing profile as an investment banker, helping companies raise capital, taking Nigerian businesses to the global stage and contributing to industry-wide reforms that continue to reverberate in the larger economy.

However, serving as Governor of Edo State, Obaseki showcased an unbridled appetite for development and progress. Apparently, a personal trait that many may have missed in their study of Obaseki’s character is an uncanny focus on delivering results. This much was apparent in the manner in which he administered the State.

In a careful analysis of his campaign promises, manifesto and policy documents placed side by side with his developmental strides, one sees an emphasis on ensuring that targets are met with clinical precision. It is as if one needs a particular angle of vision to truly appreciate his genius – a birds-eye view of the somewhat disarticulated activities on the ground level that ultimately leads to all pieces properly aligning to deliver the best of outcomes. In different spheres of development in the State, this eagle-eye view is apparent.

As a governor, he is not one given to noise, grandstanding or frivolous talks. He fought back and challenged ideas and personalities headlong. Even when many wonder what is driving his quest, they only come to appreciate his concerns when reality kicks in years after. Case in point is Nigeria’s current economic impasse occasioned by years of reckless economic mismanagement, which Obaseki warned about years ago.

As a governor, he pursued aggressive reforms. He also worked tirelessly to deliver on key policy changes that led to catalytic progress – from education to healthcare to agriculture and environmental sustainability, among others. Above all, what is incontrovertible about the governor is his stubborn belief in what is right and proper.

The governor will be completing his eight-year stint at Dennis Osadebe Avenue, in Benin City, on November 12, 2024. But what would be running through the minds of many is the legacy he would be leaving behind – what has defined his stay in government and what the generality of the people will remember him for. Such posers are expected given that he led the state through a period of transitions, from a point when the world was transiting to new modes of living and working to an era characterised by global upheavals with a slew of wars, climate concerns and economic instability.

Did Obaseki give a good account of himself? What would historians write in his own chapter in the annals of Edo history? Do Edo people really sit back to appreciate the extent of his reforms in changing the State’s development trajectory? Will he be celebrated after he leaves office?

First, it would be said that as Governor, Obaseki fought many battles. In many of these battles, he came tops. The harder question would be if the battles were necessary or if he should have taken a less confrontational or diplomatic path. In his reading, the governor has volunteered that he believes there was no other way to instill the kind of changes he has engendered. Many would defer. But that remains for posterity to unravel, especially given the peculiar nature of Nigeria’s political space.

Edo’s economy has grown by almost 150% in the last seven and half years since 2017, with the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) now in the region of $25bn. This can be attributed to concerted efforts to open up the economy and transit from a ‘civil service’ state to an industrialised economy. Some of the pieces that many have not taken into account in this puzzle is how fast it will grow in coming years on account of Obaseki’s reforms.

This is premised on a solid groundwork rooted in sound policies and programmes implemented in the last few years. Aside from providing quality education for over 400,000 pupils in schools and ensuring a pathway to sustain their current levels of literary and numeracy up till tertiary levels, the government has also set a template for driving productivity.

In boosting economic growth, the governor has fixed a crucial problem that plagues efforts at sparking industrial growth in developing countries, which is creating that essential link between producers of raw materials to processing business that need their inputs to produce finished and semi-finished goods.

So when allocating farm estates to interested businesses, the Edo State Oil Palm Programme (ESOPP) designed a model that would ensure that makers of Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCGs) got the land needed for their Backward Integration drive. As a result, some of the biggest FMCG brands in Nigeria are sourcing raw materials for their industrial plants from Edo State. Not only does this boost job creation and productive use of land that had been hitherto deforested due to years of encroachment on restricted forest reserves, the state is now better positioned to serve as a major source of raw material for local and international business concerns. The long term benefits of this scheme is that Edo would become the major supplier of raw materials and semi-finished goods.

The other critical investment is in the State’s digital infrastructure. Over 2000km of fibre optic cables have been laid across the State connected to healthcare, education and technology assets. This is strategic in positioning the state and its youths to take advantage of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Already, the Edo Tech Park is training tech talent with youths getting upskilled and realising their goals of kicking off tech careers from Edo State. Investment in electricity and the rep operational modular refineries in the State also add colour to the firmament of industrial activities in the State.

This trend is replete in the other areas where Obaseki has made the most impact. The tradition of thinking of development in hubs is a peculiar feature of the Obaseki-led administration. There are at least six hubs that have been established in Edo cutting across Education, Health, Creative Economy, Agriculture, Technology, among others.

As he leaves office in November, the question remains: who will remember Obaseki’s legacy of excellence? Ask the 400,000 Edo children and their teachers who are covered in the Edo Basic Education Sector Transformation (EdoBEST) Programme. Ask investors and the several businesses along Sapele Road and other parts of Benin City who are hooked on Ossiomo Power. Ask pensioners and civil servants. Ask subscribers to the Edo Health Insurance Scheme. Ask the over 30,000 investors and citizens who have processed their Certificate-of-Occupancy (C-of-O).

It is undeniable that Obaseki is leaving Edo far better than he met it. What is even more enabling is that he has set in motion a 30-year development plan that would guide the state’s development trajectory. This speaks again to his unrivaled penchant to prioritise results and performance over rhetoric. He will remain, undoubtedly, as Edo’s most prolific reformers.

Osagie is the special adviser to Obaseki on media projects.