I saw an electric car for the first time in Germany — Okon Lagos

Nigerian actor, Ime Bishop Umoh, popularly known as Okon Lagos, shares fond memories of his trip to Germany with JOY MARCUS

Where did you have your most memorable trip?

That would be Germany.

I travelled with a group for the Nollywood Europe Golden Awards and I stayed in a hotel for about two weeks. I really enjoyed myself.Why did you travel to Germany?

What fascinated you about the country?

The language barrier! It was so funny because there were times that my translator wasn’t around me and I had to call my friend, who understands German, to help us communicate. I was also fascinated by the way Germans are proud of their products, especially their cars.

While you were in Germany, what did you eat?

I ate a lot of junks and I often ate rice because it is something I am familiar with. I have a lot of Nigerian friends staying in Germany who also gave me home treats; they made sure I was okay. They gave me so much Nigerian food and even brought some to my hotel room. Trust me, I ate a lot so I had a great time. I also had plenty invitations to come for visits.

Can you recall any notable place you visited in Germany?

I went for a car exhibition where I saw car technologies that will function in the future. I also saw cars that run on water. I saw an electric car for the first time in Germany. I saw cars that park by themselves; cars that are powered by solar energy and lots of incredible machines. I went to the Nigerian consulate and I did a lot of shopping in their malls. I also went to a place where I got some furniture. That place is incredible because you choose the furniture you want and you would get them the same day.  You can even wait there for about four hours for them to finish the furniture.

I don’t like comparing Europe and Africa because these is no real basis for comparing the two continents. When you decide to compare, you will always be reminded that Nigeria is still underdeveloped and Europe is developed with functional economy. They have a system that works well for them. Though not perfect, it is very satisfactory. Their transport system is better than ours by far but Nigeria is a country that has a destination and we are still moving, even if it’s at a slow pace.How would you rate their transport system compared with ours?

What did you see in Germany that you will love to be replicated in Nigeria?

Everything! Our leaders actually travel to many parts of the world and they ought to see how things are done in the advanced countries. They should get inspired by the development of other economies, come back and replicate those things in our country; but it very unfortunate that our leaders don’t do this. Look at the security system in the country. With all the security agencies we have, over 200 Chibok school girls were abducted and till this day, not all the girls have been brought back home. In 2018, another set of girls were abducted in Dapchi with almost the same tactics that were used in Chibok. It is a national embarrassment. These are things that shouldn’t be happening because this is a very great country with the largest population of black people. Nigeria is the pride of Africa. Something urgent has to be done concerning our security situation. Herdsmen have been killing people indiscriminately and some people are saying the killers are not Nigerians. How did they get into Nigeria? What are the immigrations and customs doing? Not one single arrest or prosecution of a single herdsman has been achieved. Nigeria should not be made to look like a dumping ground for crime where anybody can do anything and get away with it because they believe nothing will happen. A lot of crimes are committed in Europe but if you are a criminal there, you are merely buying time because you would eventually be caught.  If this can also be the case in Nigeria, it will be good. If people know that they will be caught and prosecuted for committing crime, crime rate will reduce. That is the Nigeria of my dream. How can someone open his or her mouth and boldly say that animals stole money? Even as a small boy, I was very creative in telling lies to my parents. Things like these shouldn’t be national issues that other countries should be hearing. It makes the country look like a theatre of the absurd. Nigerians are very responsible and reasonable people, but it is quite unfortunate that we have found ourselves in this mess.

What other country would you like to travel to?

I am really not a travel person, I usually only travel for business purposes. I prefer to leave the leisure of travelling to my wife and children.

What is the best travel advice you can give?

Be very careful and watchful when travelling out of the country because there are a lot of people who are desperate. Keep your bag beside you. Don’t give someone else to hold it for you or drag it behind you and don’t accept to carry things for people without checking it first or declaring it at the customs so that you don’t run into any unpleasant circumstances.

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I don’t welcome visitors while watching Arsenal match –Okunnu

I was born at Dr. John Churchill Vaughan’s Hospital at Victoria Street, Idunmota, Lagos, on February 19, 1933. Dr. Vaughan, a medical doctor and politician, was the founder of the Nigerian Youth Movement and one of the earliest students of King’s College, Lagos.

My grandfather was Abibu Okunnu, a devout Muslim scholar and teacher. My father was Muritala Abibu Okunnu and he was born on June 1, 1898. My father married 11 wives in all; not more than three wives at the same time in his house. My mother bore him eight children but he had over 20 children. My father was a deeply religious man. He devoted his life to the cause of the Ansar Ud Deen Society from 1924 when he joined the society till his death in 1982 and sponsored all his children to school. My mother was Hassanat Okunnu with ancestral roots from Ijaiye in Abeokuta, Ogun State. My father was employed by the Nigerian railways and rose to be an assistant chief accountant at Ebute Metta. My mother attended adult education scheme as a married woman which the colonial government established.  She left as a pupil at Olowogbowo Primary School. This happened because the headmaster used the cane on her; so, my grandmother withdrew her from school. She was the first woman to preach Islam publicly in Lagos, probably in Nigeria, because it was unusual then for women to preach religion like Islam publicly.Tell us about your background.

How did your parents handle rivalry since it was a polygamous setting?

It was a polygamous setting but there was little or no rivalry. It was customary that when a new wife joined the family, the child born by other wives, after the marriage of the new wife, would be called the daughter or son of the new wife. For example, the wife married after my mother’s marriage to my father when I was born in 1933 was called Mama Lateef (Lateef is my middle name). It was her responsibility to take care of me partly. She also became my mother. A new wife would not call the older children by their first names. It was a sign of respect.

What was the most memorable part of growing up in Lagos?

Lagos was very clean then and its population was pretty small. The population of Lagos then was about 230,000. Lagos then comprised the Lagos Island, Ikoyi, Apapa, Yaba and Ebute Metta. Ikoyi was for European civil servants. Some parts of Victoria Island were under water. Lekki was under water too. We had some settlements here and there.

There was nowhere called Surulere as we know it today. It was all farmlands and bushes.  Lagos was a small community and there was a saying, “a mo r’awa” which means we know one another. It was a communal lifestyle and closely knit.

As a child growing up in the 30s and 40s, I remembered that we cleaned the house every morning before going to school. Primary schools resumed at about 7am but we would have woken up earlier to clean the passages and the drainages. As a child, I used to carry the refuse to the refuse depot in the area. The Lagos town council van would come every day and cart away the refuse and take them to the incinerator at Epetedo. The town council had sanitary inspectors who would periodically inspect the drains in each house. If they came to any household and found larvae of mosquitoes (which we called tanwiji, yanmu yanmu), you would be fined by the council. Lagos was a beautiful place. Sadly, Lagos is a different city now; dirty and filthy.

I was not a rascal except that I played pranks. Before I was born, I was told that the Muslim community was disadvantaged in terms of Western education. They were disadvantaged because there were no Muslim schools. That was what led to the creation of the Ansar Ud Deen Society to push for the education and propagation of Islam. It was at that time they founded primary schools.Were you rascally while growing up?

The colonial government established government schools to encourage Muslim who were reluctant to send their children to Christian schools because a number of missions converted their pupils to Christians. Some Muslim parents did not want to send their children to school because as they said, “We don’t want Mukaila to become Michael because of school.”

So, the Ansar Ud Deen founded many primary schools to curb this. I was lucky to attend the first nursery school established by the Ansar Ud Deen Society in 1929 at Alakoro. I was there from 1938.  We spent up to nine years at the time. I later attended King’s College.  I thereafter proceeded to London to study law.

What were you known for as a child?

I was an athlete. I participated in sprint races at Ansar Ud Deen Primary School, Alakoro, and also played hockey, cricket and squash. I remember representing Nigeria in hockey as a pupil against the then Gold Coast (now Ghana).  In the 30s, the colonial government would celebrate Empire Day to celebrate the birthday of Queen Victoria and the primary schools had athletics competition and I remember I competed in 400 yards. At King’s College, I was an athlete where I specialised in sprints.

What was the most memorable part of life at King’s College?

One important thing about King’s College was the fag system. Form 1 students got seniors to protect them but this did not happen across the board. We had to run errands for senior boys which included washing their clothes. In return, the seniors gave you “protection” when you entered into trouble or to be punished. Then, too, King’s College was known for student strikes to express displeasure with college life. There was one of such in 1944. The second took place in 1948 when I was in Form 2. In December 1948, students again complained about food and other conditions of living. The colonial government transferred Mr. Reginald Bunting, from the West Indies, to handle wayward students at King’s College. One of his remarkable achievements was the abolishment of the “fag system” at King’s College. We then called it Buntings Law of equality. He was the first to set up student council in secondary schools.

That was the period Nigerian leaders met at Ibadan in 1950 to discuss constitution which gave birth to Macpherson Constitution in 1951. Constitution making was in the air; so, Bunting wanted us to learn governance by participating in it in schools to encourage us. We drew the constitution of the student council which had representation from student groups. Fortunately, I was elected the first secretary of the student council of which five or so of us contested. We followed the procedures as done in the House of Commons. We had a speaker, who was a teacher. The principal was like the queen and ceremonial head.

Can you share any funny experience at the school?

The first major crisis, which the Students’ Council faced, was precipitated by Kayode Jibowu, who was the head of the Social Services Committee. In the early hours of April 1, 1953, Jibowu rang the fire alarm bell on the main staircase. Boys rushed out of bed and gathered on the sports field. The sound represented danger; so, we all rushed out. The boarding housemaster, Mr. G. P. Savage, and the assistant boarding house master, Mr. Jerry Enyeazu, came out of bed too.

Jibowu announced with a grin that it was “April Fools’ Day.” Mr. Bunting, on receiving the report from Mr. Savage, referred the case to the disciplinary committee for investigation and appropriate disciplinary action.  The council decided to dismiss Jibowu from his role. The student council re-elected Jibowu. I had to report in writing to Mr. Bunting. He said we should respect the decision of the students.

Why did you decide to study law?

My best subject at school was history and English. I was prepared to study history at the university but with my background and my experience at the college, I thought I would have a role to play in public life. I thought to myself that the highest I could attain as history teacher would be a professor. It might not give me the opportunity to take part in public life. That was why I chose law.

But you didn’t eventually go into partisan politics.

I didn’t go into party politics specifically for a reason. We had the Nigeria Union of Great Britain and Ireland which I eventually presided over. For the leadership of the union, we resolved not to play partisan politics by joining either Action Group or National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons. We wanted to be free to criticise any political party in power. In all humility, I founded the Nigerian Youth Congress when I was in England which was a vibrant pressure group. In fact, the Tafawa Balewa government feared we would overthrow them at the time. It was quite militant. We formed a rainbow coalition with the labour movement.

When Patrice Lumumba of Congo was killed by imperialists, we protested. We paid for transport for students from Ibadan to march from the University of Ibadan to demonstrate against the western power and the Nigerian government which was pro-West. It was a very successful demonstration from Yaba to the American embassy at No 1, Broad Street, close to the Tafawa Balewa Square. I delivered resolutions to someone at the gate of the embassy. The police fired teargas. There was pandemonium and they arrested the student leaders but I was not arrested because I had gone to deliver the letter. They were detained. We regrouped and went to stage another demonstration along the Broad Street, throwing stones at the western companies. We broke the windows of the banks along the way to Broad Street. We also demanded the release of the other leaders. The following day, they took the leaders to court while some lawyers defended them and were released.

What was the most difficult case you handled as a lawyer?

The most challenging was the case I filed against the government of Sani Abacha. I was not scared of Abacha because of my background as a lawyer. The case challenged Ibrahim Babangida’s land titles decree. It was issued in 1993, just before Babangida left office. By that decree, all reclaimed land from the sea or lagoons became vested in the Federal Government without any ado, irrespective of whether the land belonged to any state government or private persons.

Also, all land on the seashore from Seme, the boundary with Dahomey (Benin Republic) to Cross River Bakassi,100 metres from the seashore, became vested in the Federal Government and one could not challenge the decree in the law court.

But I went to court and told the court that I was not challenging the decree as a whole but the sections of the decree. The land I was defending was the land on the sea coast from Seme to Bakassi. Whoever owned the land was not my concern.  It appeared that the government was trying to reclaim more than half of Lagos State land. I got a judgment at the Federal High Court against the Federal Government.

What are the secrets of your long life and good health?

I try to find time to rest. First of all, I thank God for the rare gift of longevity and good health. It is he who has the power to protect and prolong life. I thank Him for granting me soundness of mind and health. In public life, there is little time to rest because I spend most of my time doing charitable works because I belong to some societies which gave me active roles to play.

What is your position on heaven and hell?

I believe that heaven exists. Yes, as a Muslim I believe there is hell. I believe that when someone dies, he or she goes to hell or heaven but don’t ask me the address of heaven or hell (laughs).

If you were to advise your younger self, what would you say?

I will still go through the same process which Allah has allowed me to pass through with contentment and joy. I will not retract it. I have no regrets about life. I would do a few things differently. Of course, there would have been somethings to do differently, but definitely not material things.

What is your advice to youths?

Live with the fear of God and serve humanity. Unfortunately, many people in governance today are not doing it for the good of the country. They do it for themselves or for money. I wish that the Nigeria of my dream will materialise. The people in governance have failed which is why we are here. With the reckless abandon of road networks, you can sense the degree of sadness I have.

I want them to believe in one Nigeria. Ethnicity should not come into politics and it will never make one Nigeria.  The church and mosques, ethnic groups such as Ohanaeze, Afenifere, Arewa etc. should leave politics for politicians alone. If they want to join politics, they should do so but not do on the platforms of ethnic groups, churches or mosques.

How long more do you pray to live?

I don’t think of how long I would live. That can only be decided by God. I don’t worry about how long but I take each day as it comes. I thank Allah for his mercies.

What form of exercise do you take part in?

 I try to create time to rest.  I also watch football. Please don’t visit me when Arsenal is playing; I won’t welcome such a visitor. I don’t miss Arsenal matches since 1952. I deliberately stuck to Arsenal since 1952 because I love the club. Even though we may not win all the time, I enjoy every bit of their game. I also do not support those calling for the sacking of coach Arsene Wenger. The important thing is not really about winning but participating. We can’t win all the time. We must take the victory and defeat with equal weight.

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2023 presidency: Buhari and the Igbo dilemma

OLUSOLA FABIYI writes on the dilemma of South-East leaders  to support President Muhammadu Buhari for another four years in order to achieve their age-long desire of producing the President in 2023

Hope Uzodinma is one of the political juggernauts from the South-East geopolitical zone of the country. An astute politician, Uzodinma represents Imo West Senatorial District in the Senate on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party. His region is politically troubled and angry. The reason for the sustained anger is alleged maginalisation of the zone by the other sections of the country as it has yet to produce the nation’s president, an opportunity that other zones have enjoyed. The zone is waiting unwearyingly for when it will be able to grab power at the centre. In order to achieve this, political leaders from the zone have therefore embarked on political manoeuvrings and consultations with the hope that, soon, power would swing to their side.

Among leaders from the zone, who are scheming to achieve the craving, is Uzodinma. Having been on the political meadow for some time, the senator, who has a ceremonial title of Onwa-Netiri Oha of Omuma in the Oru Local Government Area of Imo State, however, has a different opinion on how to achieve the much-desired dream of his people. Unlike when the entire five states in the South-East rejected President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015 and gave him a paltry 198,248 votes, Uzodinma says the tactic must change as the country prepares for the 2019 general elections. Though Buhari belongs to a rival political party, the All Progressives Congress, and has delayed to make public his desire to bid for a second term in office, the senator insists that his people must queue behind the man his people loathe if they must get the desired support to achieve their aim in 2023.

As a matter of fact, his party, the PDP, has equally ceded its presidential ticket to the 19 northern states of the country, including the Federal Capital Territory. Uzodinma defends his stand. “If we (Igbo) don’t support Buhari, who has only four years left, then how can 2023 be a reality? Any fresh northerner on the seat would be there till 2027. President Buhari is the only northern candidate, who, if elected, must relinquish power in 2023, thereby paving the way for the South-East.His argument, to some political pundits, makes sense. Uzodinma argues that since Buhari constitutionally has only four years to spend in office if he wins, it is better for the South-East to cast their votes for him. He says any other candidate apart from Buhari is billed to spend eight years in office.

“So, yes, for Igbo like me, I will most definitely support Buhari for second term and I think other right-thinking south-easterners should do the same.”

He says that the expected power shift would be used to assuage the pains of the zone, which he said, was punished by the PDP in 1998 because of the general conviction of the Biafra war they fought against the rest of the country. “In 1998, former Vice-President Dr. Alex Ekwueme was coasting home to victory with the PDP presidential ticket. It took a high level of conspiracy to stop him and people believe it was because he was Igbo and because of the stigma of the civil war.

“So, if in 2023, Igbo is stopped again, the simple conclusion would be that the rest of Nigeria does not welcome them as equal stakeholders in the Nigerian project,” he stated.

A former President of the Senate, Senator Ken Nnamani, shares in some of the points raised by the senator.

Nnamani, who was a member of the PDP before defecting to the ruling APC, also said for equity and fairness, his people should be allowed to produce the President in 2023. He argued that that could only be possible if Buhari was giving overwhelming support in the South-East in the 2019 election. Nnamani added, “That argument (supporting Buhari in 2019) makes sense. It is the best option in order for my people to produce the President in 2023.

“This is because the President will only spend four more years in office and it is naturally expected that the next President, after his four more years, would be the turn of the South-East. So, 2023 appears more feasible and realistic on the above premise if we are talking about justice and equity.”

“Yes, we did not give him the desired 25 per cent votes in 2015. We have to do so now because this will enhance our bid in 2023. Apart from benefiting politically at the end of his tenure, we should also remember that the President has earmarked N16.3bn for the South-East from the N100bn Suku bond. Also, the Enugu-Onitsha, Enugu-Port Harcourt, Umuahia – Owerri roads are some of the ongoing road projects in the zone.”Expectedly, Chief Osita Okechukwu, another stalwart of the ruling party, shares the same views with Uzodinma and Nnamani. But besides the anticipated support the South-East wants to garner from the Buhari camp in 2023, Okechukwu stated that the President was also doing what no other leader had done in terms of infrastructure in the zone. The Director-General of the Voice of Nigeria said, “Buhari is the only candidate expected to spend just four years in office after 2019. Others will spend eight years. So, if we don’t vote for him, then we will have to wait for eight years and the end of which we don’t know.

Apart from the ongoing projects in the zone, Okechukwu said the South-East remained the only geopolitical zone in the entire southern region that had yet to produce the president. “If we therefore weigh the facts and we want to benefit from the zoning convention and arrangement, we need to align with the incumbent. We should also not forget that out of the three regions in the southern part of the country, it is only the South-East that has yet to produce the president,” he added.

The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Prince Uche Secondus, disagreed vehemently with the trio of Uzodinma, Nnamani and Okechukwu. He believed that the struggle to make Nigeria a better country should not be reduced to ethnicity and where the leader comes from. Secondus said it would be disastrous for both the country and its citizens to have Buhari as the driver behind the wheel of the nation for another four years after May 29, 2019. He added, “The struggle to free Nigeria from oppressors, from economic stagnation, from corruption, from nepotism, from insecurity and all forms of executive recklessness goes beyond tribe and ethnicity.

“The founding fathers of Nigeria were never tribalistic and sectional. Nobody would have been agitating for a change in government if the President was doing well. Are people saying we should endure this darkness and pain for another five years when at the end of the day, there are no indices to say that things would be better? Are they saying that the killings, the kidnappings and economic insecurity should continue?

“The leader we want is a detribalised one, and not the one who would come and divide the country along ethnicity and religious lines. No, that’s not what we want as a country.”

The Vice Chairman of the PDP in the South-East, Mr. Austin Umahi, nonetheless said there was no need debating the issue. “Nobody knows tomorrow because 2023 is still far. Moreover, I’m not a member of the APC. So, we will cross that bridge when we get to it,” he stated.

A former Minister of Transportation, Chief Ebenezer Babatope, explained that the call on the Igbo to support Buhari in exchange for a similar gesture remained the bait. He said with the way the President had treated the people of the region in the last three years, anybody who believed in such inducement believed in what he described as political garbage. “I wish those who will believe that kind of political garbage best of luck. How can Buhari guarantee that? Anybody who thinks that Buhari will give them (the Igbo) presidency with the treatment he had meted out to them (since he assumed office) believes in political garbage,” the former minister added.

For now, the debate on whether to support Buhari or not rages, even when the President has yet to openly declare his second term ambition and the main opposition party, the PDP, continues in its rebranding process and a determined search for an acceptable presidential candidate from the incumbent President’s zone.

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Politics can’t separate Mimiko and I but he left N220bn debt — Akeredolu

Ondo State Governor, Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN), speaks with journalists as part of activities to mark his first year in office, PETER DADA reports

How has the governorship seat been in the last 365 days?

The job of a governor is a serious business and you must keep your seat warm. Despite being in the hot seat, I find it cool and warm with the cooperation of the people of Ondo State and I’m enjoying it.

Well, it is very easy to criticise because when I was the President of the Nigerian Bar Association, I always had something to say on government programmes and policies but when I became a governor, the story changed. After all, I can’t carry placards against myself. However, I have become tolerant of every criticism coming from different milieu.You are a senior lawyer and now a governor. Which one is easier, being a critic or being a governor?

Have you been able to execute meaningful capital projects despite the harsh economic realities in the country?

It is because of my philosophy of life, which is to take a lead and believe. I am a man of faith and anything I find worthy of doing I just kick-start such. Even if they cannot touch heaven, they should be able to lift above the earth.

The last 365 days have shown me glaringly that if you take a leap, you will land safely. Despite the financial situation of the state, we have been doing our best. What has been propelling me and the hand that is moving me on is faith. All the projects we executed are not my handiwork; I am just a tool in the hand of the Almighty. In achieving this feat, I have to be optimistic and I don’t just look back. Records have shown that no administration has been able to achieve this much in its first year. Sometimes, my people in the cabinet accuse me of not being willing to do enough publicity so that people can know what we are doing. But I always insist that the people will know what we are doing for them without spending money on publicity. I don’t like to make noise about what we are doing. I was even surprised when we went round to supervise and commission (inaugurate) projects and I saw the number of projects that we have done.

Most of the contractors volunteered to embark on our projects, even without mobilising them with funds, and we now pay them as we get funds. Most of the contractors started the projects with their own money because they believe in our vision and our determination to develop the state. Some of those projects have been completed; many are ongoing and many are in the pipeline. We have been paying them as soon as we get money and they have been assisting us to get the job done. Something fundamental is happening in Ondo State because God is on our side.

There is an impression that you are a very rigid and uncompromising person and this makes it difficult for people to identify with you. Is this true?

I am a very simple and very interesting person to deal with if you get to know me. But if there is an issue to be critically looked into, I always take my time and if you persuade me with a better argument and I am convinced, I will dance to your tune. I must not yield ground if the issue is not of benefit to the people of Ondo State. I am a man of vision; I don’t just act anyhow. The interest of the people is first. If ideas are put before me, instead of taking them up immediately, I pay more attention and investigate.

The state is blessed with cocoa, which used to be the mainstay of the economy in the South-West some years ago, but it has been neglected and your government seems not to have done anything in that regard in the last one year. Does your government have any plan to revive that sector?At the State Executive Council, we do engage in debates over issues and when I’m persuaded with a superior argument, I yield ground. So, I’m not difficult to work with. Though some people take me as what I used to be as President of the NBA to present position. If I see your cause as reasonable, I will call you and we will discuss.

We are very particular in putting cocoa where it belongs. Many countries have taken over and are producing more cocoa than us because most of our farmers are as old as the trees. Although they have devised another method of making the old trees produce fruits, our government is not relenting in turning this around.

The Federal Government is also determined to improve cocoa production in Nigeria. They started what is called Cocoa Revolution and with the last time they (the Minister of Agriculture and the President) had a discussion, they said the flag off of cocoa revolution will take place in Ondo State. We are working on our farms and clearing them for cocoa production and we want to involve many of our youths because they are the ones that will plant. We are going to give a hectare to each person to farm. The moment we have cocoa plantation, we are going beyond producing what we can consume to what we can export.

We have got a lot of competitions and we have talked to people and they realised the best chocolate they can have in Nigeria is in Ondo State. I took a bar of chocolate made from our cocoa out of town some time ago. When tasted, it is different from the chocolate that has been mixed with sugar because it is more of cocoa than sugar or other items added. What they eat out there is not more of cocoa but a bit of cocoa and much of sugar. But our factory at Alade Idanre will soon start full operation.

During the campaign, you promised to support local government autonomy. Do you still maintain your stand?

During the campaigns, I never promised to support local government autonomy. Being a lawyer, who understands the principle of true federalism, I can’t support that kind of move. We must handle local government autonomy with caution because Nigeria has only the federal (government) and state as federating units. That is the practice of federalism all over the world. I don’t know what they mean by local government autonomy. Does that mean the Akure South Local Government will stand on its own and be above the state government? Local government autonomy is not practicable in Nigeria.

Despite paying salaries up to date you still owe the 2017 leave bonus of workers. When are you going to pay it?

On the agitations for the 2017 leave bonus payment, government will pay when the state is buoyant. The most important thing is for us to pay salaries and we are doing that; leave bonus is an addition. It is not a right but a bonus. So, when we have more money, we will pay because we can’t use the money meant for salary to pay leave bonus.

There is an impression that you are shielding your immediate predecessor, who is also your friend, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, over the debt portfolio you inherited.

Yes, former Governor Mimiko is my friend. We have been friends since our university days. We got to the university the same year, 1974. We were both involved in student union politics. So, I cannot deny him. I cannot allow politics to destroy everything between us. Your friend will remain your friend in and out of government. I will never deny him; I won’t, because politics will come and go. He knows me and I know him. He knows my beliefs; he knows that there is no way I would cover up or hide anything. So, it is not a case of ‘he is my friend, so I am covering up anything for him’. No.

I made a clear statement when we appointed commissioners. My work cannot be hindered by what anybody is. I enumerated the financial deficit I met on the ground that came up to N220bn including so many gratuities and pensions, among others. The state was in debt. I do not have to cover anybody, but my friend and I still talk. Though when I said I met nothing on the ground, his commissioner for information said no, they left money. And I asked, will the government that has money owed workers seven months’ salaries? I restated that what I met on ground was over N220bn debt. So, it is a fallacy to say Mimiko left money. If they had money, would they owe seven months’ salaries?

President Muhammadu Buhari recently appointed Asiwaju Bola Tinubu to reconcile aggrieved members of the party across the country. Do you think you need such intervention to resolve the issues in the party here in Ondo State?

What I can say on that is that all is well with the APC in Ondo State. We are waxing stronger. We don’t have any crisis here. Those who left the party have returned. Olusola Oke has just returned. We have been receiving defectors from the PDP (Peoples Democratic Party) and other parties. I don’t think we need any intervention in our party in Ondo State. There’s stability in our party here. Those who have been appointed as peacemakers may not have work to do here. But that does not mean if Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu wants to come to Ondo, he is not welcome. No, he is welcome anytime, any day, but I just want to reiterate that all is well with us in Ondo State APC.

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We won’t create ranches to enforce anti-grazing laws – Govs

The governors of  Benue, Ekiti, and Taraba states, which are currently implementing anti-grazing laws in their states, have said the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, has no right to direct them on how to make the legislation work.

The IG had, last week, advised state governors to establish cattle ranches before implementing anti-grazing laws to avert conflict between farmers and herdsmen.

Ekiti won’t provide ranches for herdsmen – FayoseBut in separate interviews with SUNDAY PUNCH, Governors Samuel Ortom (Benue); Ayodele Fayose (Ekiti) and Darius Ishaku (Taraba) asked Idris to implement the law instead of giving them lectures on how to pacify the herdsmen.

Fayose, who is the Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party Governors’ Forum, specifically said the IG had no power to order state governors around.

He also said the IG was under an obligation to obey and ensure compliance with laws made by any state’s House of Assembly.

The governor, who spoke through his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, insisted that the state would not heed the advice of the police chief.

He said, “The Inspector-General of Police has no choice than to obey the laws made by any state. It is the duty of the police to enforce the law. Cattle rearing is regarded as a private business and it is not the duty of the governors to provide land for the herders.

“The real cattle owners are rich people who can afford land; they are not the nomads you see following cattle from the North to the South.”

Our pilot scheme ranches not to pacify herders – Ishiaku

Rather, he said the law remained one of the solutions to end the unwarranted massacre of law-abiding people in the state.Speaking in a similar vein, the Taraba State governor maintained that his anti-grazing law was not the cause of the killings being perpetrated by the herdsmen in the state.

Ishaku, who spoke through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Affairs, Emmanuel Bello, said the law in Taraba State was promulgated to put a stop to incessant attacks and killings by the herders.

He said, “We have already enacted a law, but we are still prepared to listen to any good idea that brings about peace and mutual understanding among stakeholders.”

Bello explained that the state government was planning a pilot scheme on the creation of ranches to demonstrate that the global practice was also achievable in the country.

Go and challenge our law in court, Ortom tells IG

Similarly, the Benue State governor, who spoke through the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Lawrence Onoja Jr., challenged Idris to approach the court if he was not comfortable with the implementation of the law.

Onoja said, “Ibrahim Idris’ directive to state governors to establish ranches before operating grazing laws is totally against the Nigerian constitution and the act that established the Nigeria Police.

“It is not his duty and he does not have power to direct governors. The police are not to interpret the law but to enforce it. Therefore, it is not for the IG to determine whether a law is right or wrong. It is the duty of the judiciary to interpret laws. If a law is passed and the IG feels it is not good enough, the best thing to do is to challenge the law in the court for interpretation”.

The commissioner maintained that ranching remained a lucrative private business and that it would be wrong for anyone to advocate that government should establish ranches for herdsmen or whoever that is venturing into such a business.

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FEC approves N59.86bn to secure Nigeria’s waters

The Federal Executive Council has approved a $195m (N59.86bn at N307 to a dollar) contract for the security of Nigeria’s waters, the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has said.

Amaechi also announced that the insecurity in the eastern coastline was responsible for the low level of economic activities in the various ports located in the region, particularly the Warri and Onne ports in Delta and Rivers states, respectively.

He told participants at the forum that the FEC had approved the $195m contract for the security and safety of the nation’s territorial waters, adding that it was important for stakeholders in the zone to vehemently oppose those who were working against the take-off of the security project.The minister, according to a statement issued by the Federal Ministry of Transportation in Abuja on Friday, stated this at the 2nd Maritime Stakeholders’ Interactive Forum organised by the ministry in Warri, Delta State.

Amaechi, according to the statement, said some people, including few security personnel, were benefiting and making billions of naira from the bad system at the ports, and promised that he would mention names if his current effort to solve the problem became hopeless.

“There are some people in the system making efforts to sabotage the project by stopping the security contract. They know that if there is security, they won’t impose any kind of levies on you,” he was quoted as saying.

The minister noted that the contract was part of measures put in place by the Federal Government to secure Nigerian waterways for legitimate business to thrive and also solve part of the Niger Delta problem.

Amaechi, therefore, urged ship owners in the country, especially those from the zone, to join hands with him in fighting the saboteurs of the Federal Government’s security efforts.

“You must come up with your petition, indicating how much you are losing, with statistics to support its impact on the economy so that we can convey it to the President,” he said.

He also warned public servants working against the implementation of the security project to desist, noting that he would work within his capacity to secure Nigerian waterways.

He explained that the two ports in the zone had great economic potential to compete favourably with the Lagos ports in generating substantial revenue to the Federation Account.“We need to restore Warri to what it used to be, so that Warri and Port Harcourt can bounce back,” Amaechi stated.

The minister lamented that the insecurity bedevilling the South-South had made the ports unviable, as the situation was so bad that the business community in the zone preferred to patronise the Lagos ports for the movement of their goods.

“We must tell ourselves the truth. Warri used to be a haven before and also Port Harcourt. But, now, they have been discarded.”

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As Okorocha’s Imo swells with anger over nepotism

Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State has constantly faced allegations of nepotism and cronyism, but his recent decision to support his son-in-law, Uche Nwosu, to succeed him in office in 2019 is considered by many residents as the last straw, 

Since Rochas Okorocha first took office as governor of Imo State in 2011, followed by his reelection in 2015, it must have been a roller coaster ride for the state. The governor did not waste time to announce himself as controversial as shortly after his inauguration, he appointed sultry actress, Nkiru Sylvanus, as his Special Assistant on Lagos Affairs and comedian, Uche Ogbuagu, as his Special Assistant on Comedy.

Some of his activities since then have made some Nigerians, including indigenes of Imo State, to describe his government as full of drama and sometimes, comedic moments.

Okorocha had invited Zuma, who was President of South Africa at the time, to Imo in October 2017 to finalise a partnership between their foundations —Rochas Okorocha Foundation and Jacob Zuma Foundation. But there was a very blurry line between whether the visit was a state and a private one as Zuma was treated to a state honour even though his mission was rather personal since it was about his foundation and Rochas’.And if anyone was still in doubt that Okorocha was controversial, his brazen decision to erect statues for world leaders, including one for the former President of South Africa, Jacob Zuma, even while he was facing several corruption allegations in his home country, must have ended such uncertainties.

During the visit, Okorocha also conferred on Zuma the Imo Merit Award, which is considered as the highest award in the state, named a street after him and gave him a chieftaincy title: Ochiagha di oha mma of Igboland (The people’s warrior).

Apart from Zuma, an African leader that also had a statue of her unveiled by Okorocha during a similar visit to the state was the immediate former President of Liberia, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf.

A chieftaincy title – Ada di oha mma – was also conferred on Johnson-Sirleaf by Okorocha.

But not long after that, Okorocha appointed his sister, Ogechi Ololo, as the state Commissioner for Happiness and Purpose Fulfilment. Two things regarding the appointment failed to resonate with some members of the public, including residents of the state, leading to the mockery and ridicule of the state government.

One, some people openly expressed their disappointment with the creation of the office, which they considered to be needless and a waste of public funds. Two, many people criticised the action of the state governor, describing it as nepotism, cronyism and favouritism.

So when recently, the governor openly backed his son-in-law, Uche Nwosu, to succeed him as governor in 2019, allegations of Okorocha running a government of nepotism and cronyism were once again rife.

Nwosu, who is currently the governor’s chief of staff, is married to Okorocha’s first daughter, Ulomma.Okorocha had said that despite stiff opposition across the state, he would support Nwosu to succeed him as governor in 2019 if he declared an interest in the governorship seat.

A statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Sam Onwuemeodo, had noted the development recently.

The statement quoted Okorocha as saying, “Uche Nwosu is hardworking, and never gets tired. He is a very humble young man. Not proud. Not arrogant. So, power won’t enter his head. In spite of the position he occupies, you can’t see him quarrelling with anybody or maltreating anybody.

“He does not segregate against anybody whether from Orlu or Owerri or Okigwe zone. He relates with people enviously.”

Okorocha’s push for his son-in-law to succeed him has been described by some political players and analysts in the state as an insult, saying it would be like adding salt to injury. They said it would be the ultimate height of nepotism and cronyism by the Okorocha-led government in Imo State.

For instance, apart from being the governor’s chief of staff, Nwosu was formerly the state Commissioner for Lands and Housing. Okorocha’s sister, Ogechi, who was recently appointed Commissioner for Happiness and Purpose Fulfilment, is also the governor’s Deputy Chief of Staff and his Special Adviser on Domestic Affairs.

The Minister of State for Education, Prof. Anthony Anwukah, who was the state government’s nominee  for the Federal Executive Council seat, is also Okorocha’s in-law as his son, Uzo, is married to the governor’s second daughter, Uju.

The governor had in July 2017, appointed Anwukah’s wife, Justice Christiana Anwukah, as the President, Imo State Customary Court of Appeal.

A lawyer and former member of the House of Representatives, Uche Onyeagocha, however, alleged the situation was worse than being reported.

Onyeagocha, who was Special Adviser to Okorocha on Policy and Strategy and the All Progressives Congress’ senatorial candidate in the 2015 elections, said, “Whatever allegations of nepotism that are reported about him and his appointments are very true. It’s true that his son-in-law is his chief of staff; his youngest sister is his deputy chief of staff and doubles as his special adviser on domestic affairs. She was the one that was recently appointed Commissioner for Happiness and Purpose Fulfilment. The Minister of State for Education (Anthony Anwukah) is also his in-law. The son of Anwuka is married to his second daughter.

“One of his sisters, Geraldine, supplies food and drinks to the government house from her fast food joint, while his elder sister, through her agent, collects market tolls in Imo State.”

Onyeagocha also alleged that the Vice-Chancellor of Imo State University, Prof. Adaobi Obasi, is also an aunt to the governor. He, however, added that he believed that Imo people would resist any move by Okorocha to have his son-in-law succeed him, especially as it was against an unwritten zoning arrangement in the state.

The zoning arrangement in the state seeks to rotate governorship seat among three zones- Orlu with 12 local government areas; Owerri, nine LGAs; and Okigwe, six LGAs.

But since the current democratic dispensation started in 1999, only Orlu and Okigwe zones have produced governors and political analysts in the state noted that with Okorocha from Orlu zone, it would be wrong for the state to have his son-in-law, who is from the same zone, to succeed him.

They alleged that Okorocha’s push for Nwosu to succeed him smacked of desperation to leave a trusted member of his family behind to cover up his tracks when he would be out office in 2019.

An Owerri-based lawyer, Mr. Kissinger Ikeokwu, added that Okorocha only trusted his family members because they could satisfy his “quest for praise and adulation.”

Ikeokwu said, “He wants his son-in-law and he doesn’t trust anyone else other than his son-in-law because he is someone who has been driven by his bloated ego and quest for praise and adulation. He uses power wrongly so he knows what it means when you lose power.

“He has a disposition that has made him want to grab so much and that has made him so insecure that he doesn’t trust anyone in the state other than members of his family. He knows that a lot of things that he did will be reversed once he leaves office and someone who doesn’t know him takes over. He has bitten more than he can chew and he doesn’t have good records. He is covering things up and that is why he insists that somebody within the family should take over from him.”

Ikeokwu, however, added that Imo people had allowed “Okorocha’s idiosyncrasies” to continue because of lack of unity among leaders in the state and the opposition.

Also according to Onyeagocha, the governor wants his son-in-law to succeed him “because he has messed up the state.”

He said, “In late 2015, I went to confront him about his plan to have his son-in-law succeed him. I said to him, please don’t do it, he got angry with me.

“In 2016, I went back to him and told him we would resist him, but he said nobody in the state had enough money to fight him. In June 2017, I addressed my first major press conference on the matter at the Nigeria Union of Journalists’ Press Centre in Owerri, where I announced that he wanted to run for governor for a third term, hiding at the back of his son-in-law. I stated that he would be resisted.

“One of the instruments with which you can use to hoodwink people is religion. When the governor came into power, he hid behind religion and made people believe he was a very good Christian. Throughout his first tenure, there was an unwritten rule that whenever it was 12 noon, you had to stop whatever you were doing and pray.

“There were billboards all over the state telling people to remember their 12-noon prayer. He would start every programme with lots of prayers. People were totally and completely hoodwinked by this. At every forum, it was all about praying, singing and dancing in a Pentecostal fashion. But now, the people have woken up.”

In a recent interview with Saturday PUNCH, the state Commissioner for Information, Prof. Nnamdi Obiaraeri, had defended allegations of nepotism against the Okorocha-led government, saying, “Is there any law that stops the governor from appointing the sister?”

He said, “If a governor says I want my son-in-law to take over from me, what is wrong in that? Has he committed murder or has he stolen anything? The young man will go through the processes and if the party allows him, he gets the ticket of the party and presents himself for governorship election and Imo people will vote for him and he will become the governor of Imo State. Has he now become ineligible because he is the son-in-law of the governor?”

But the Publicity Secretary of the Labour Party in Imo State, Mr. Uche Echereodo, who admitted that there was no law against it, however, added that it would “lead to the destruction of public trust in governance.”

He continued, “Yes, there is no established or written law that says that your brother-in-law or son-in-law, for instance, cannot take over from you, but good conscience, equity, fairness and godliness should let any man know that having occupied a position as exalted as that of a governor for eight years, it is sheer wickedness to begin to work towards your relation taking over from you.

“You cannot expect the state commissioner for information to say otherwise, do you want him to lose his job or his source of livelihood as there is so much hunger in the land? He that pays the piper calls the tune. But I know that majority of Imo people are against his son-in-law succeeding him.

“Imo State is under siege by this government; it is a government that came on board through deceit and has dismantled all the good tenets of good democracy. He does not believe in rule of law, due process and telling the people the truth. The government is built and centred on falsehood and deceit.”

According to Echereodo, Okorocha has “taken nepotism too far and the citizenry for granted for too long.”

He said, “This man came in, making people believe that he was a rich man, philanthropist and a fighter of the masses, but his coming to power is now part of Imo State’s ugly history. The Imo Transport Company that he met here has been given out to his brother (to manage). They collect the tolls and he has not added any vehicle to the fleet other than what he met on the ground.

“In Imo State, we have an understanding that one zone governs for eight years and another zone will take over. Former Governor Achike Udenwa, who is from Orlu zone, spent eight years and Ikedi Ohakim, who succeeded him, spent four years. Ohakim is from Okigwe and didn’t spend eight years. Okorocha, who is also from Orlu, wants to spend eight years and he is planning to have his son-in-law, who is also from Orlu to succeed him. It smacks of injustice.”

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Abundant Party Slams APC Over 2018 N14.8b Budget

The Abundant Nigeria Renewal Party (ANRP) has questioned the funding of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) N14.8 billion budget for the 2018 calendar year ahead of 2019 elections.

National Treasure of APC, Bala Gwagwarwa had in a memo published in reports in some newspapers over the weekend said the N14.8bn will be realized by the ruling party from nomination fees (N5.86bn), fundraising (N3.45 bn), membership dues (N4.2 bn), sales of party cards (N1.0 bn), and levies on Elected/Appointed Office holders (N 0.304bn).

But ANRP,  through its spokesperson, Sesugh Akume in a statement of Saturday said the funding of this budget would have negative effect on Nigerians.

He noted that APC’s plan to generate N2.4 billion from the 24 states being controlled by the party and N1.05 billion from members of the party in non-APC states is a demonstration of the party’s insensitivity to abject poverty existing in the country with millions of jobs being lost every quarter.

“Under the APC government Nigeria has this 2018 become the country with the highest number of people living in abysmal poverty, and also the highest percentage of the population living in such dire poverty.

Yet, APC feel no sense of responsibility and have chosen to continue in their ways of lavish spending. Nigerians now know better on how to decide,” ANRP stated in the statement.

The party also criticized APC’s plan to buy 20 vehicles for N500 million, an action it described as promotion of culture of wastage. 

It advised the ruling party to put more effort in cutting the cost of running the party rather than spending stupendous amount on irrelevant things.

“Clearly, APC are living in denial, and blind to the harsh economic realities facing Nigerians, and therefore think it appropriate to rub it in the face of long-suffering Nigerians; displaying affluence and living large, spending so much on vehicles for their officers instead of cutting costs.”

ANRP warned APC against engaging in financing campaign of its members for the 2019 elections as it maintained it would ensure the electoral commission plays its role of ensuring that all political parties comply with campaign finance limit.

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