KINGSLEY OPURUM, chronicles the intrigues arising from the intense face-off between the Senate and Comtroller-General of Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), Col Hameed Ali (rtd)

The ongoing battle between the Senate and the Comptroller-General of Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), Col Hameed Ali (rtd) over his refusal to wear the agency’s uniform, snowballed from the planned implementation of collection of duties on old and new vehicles
Before now, the Upper Legislative Chamber issued a directive to Ali to put the plan on the ice, but Ali called the lawmakers’ bluff and vowed to go ahead with the implementation of the controversial policy.
Subsequently, the Customs chief shifted his ground and suspend the policy in compliance with the Senate’s directive.
Recall that the embattled Col Ali was alleged to be disappointed with the appointment by President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015 to head the nation’s revenue generating agency, which was not unconnected to the underlying reason why he procrastinated his resumption as the Customs Comptroller-General. Ali is the second outsider to be appointed as head of NCS since the agency was created.
As Customs boss, Ali has courted a number of controversies and has been accused of coming up with anti-people policies. In 2016, he banned the importation of rice into the country, despite a loud public outcry.
That is not all. That same year, he also came up with another policy to ban the importation of used vehicles to the country through land borders. Again, Ali stuck to his guns and turned deaf eyes to public outcry.
But his unending feud with the Senate took another twist last Thursday, when the lawmakers walked Ali out because he defied the Upper Chamber’s instruction to wear his Customs uniform and appear before it. They urged him to reappear on Wednesday well kitted with his uniform.
In a strong bid to continue to defy the Upper Legislative Chamber’s order to wear his uniform and appear before it, Ali went to court.
This move ruffled the lawmakers’ feathers, as they carpeted the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, accusing him of interfering in their constitutional obligation.
The Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu who presided over the day’s legislative business on Wednesday when Ali was supposed to appear before the Senate, instructed the Clerk to the Senate to read a letter from the AGF.
The Clerk, Mr Nelson Ayewoh read the letter. “I wish to formally intimate you that I am in receipt of a letter dated 20th, March 2017, wherein I have been served with an originating summons in respect of the above subject matter.
“The originating summons is seeking among other declarations “whether the oversight functions of the National Assembly extends to compelling and/ or giving directive to the first defendant to wear uniform”.
“In line with the principles of rule of law, court decisions or most importantly, the declarations sought have been deeply rooted in the constitutional provisions; I hold the view that this matter is sub-judice.
“In view of three above, it is the interest of justice and rule of law to stay all actions in this case until the constitutional issues raised in the matters are resolved by the law courts. I wish to further intimate you that as a defendant in the said suit, I intend to file processes and pursue it to a logical conclusion.”
After reading the letter, Ekweremadu opened the floor for lawmakers to make their contributions. The Senate came up with three major resolutions.
Senate spokesman, Abdullahi Sabi, moved the first motion. Senator Sabi moved that the NCS should cancel the controversial policy on vehicle inspection and come up with better ways of carrying out their responsibilities. His motion was carried by lawmakers.
Abaribe moved the other key motion. He moved that the Senate declares Customs boss, Ali as unfit to hold any public office. He added that he should be called upon to immediately resign from office as Comptroller General of NCS. His motion was overwhelmingly supported.
Senator George Sekibo, on his part, moved another motion. He moved that the Senate condemns the AGF for flouting the provisions of separation of powers and the rule of law. His motion was also carried by lawmakers.
Senator Biodun Olujimi, added that the Senate should write a letter and attach to the resolution which will be forwarded to President Buhari in order to deter other government officials from flouting decisions taken by the Senate. She described the refusal by the CG of NCS to appear as an act of arrogance. She said that the duo, Malami and Ali were unfit to hold public offices.
Senator Dino Melaye, on his part, described the letter from the AGF, as an insult. He said never in the history of any democracy in Africa, has a Minister of Government, written a letter to a parliamentary, advising it not to carry out its constitutional functions.
The Red Chamber Meanwhile, resolved to disregard a letter from the AGF. They also unanimously declared the NCS boss unfit to superintend the agency and urged him to resign.
An Abuja-based lawyer, Suleiman Yakubu posited; “According to Regulation 31 of the Customs and Excise (Preventive) Service Regulations of 1963, a subsidiary legislation preserved by the Customs and Excise Management Act, “clothing and equipment shall be such pattern and worn in such manner as the Board shall determine.” In line with this portion of the Act, the Senate’s instruction that Ali must appear in uniform is in order.
“Again, Regulation 13, Second Schedule of the Customs and Excise (Preventive) Service Regulations which deals with offences provides in S.38 that “Any act, conduct, disorder or neglect to the prejudice of good order and discipline though not herein specified is an offence and shall suffer punishment according to the nature and degree of the offence.”
Observers are of the opinion that the Senate should not relent in dealing with the retired army officer to send a strong message to the executive by using Col. Ali as a scapegoat, and other heads of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) will follow suit.
They worry that if such matter is swept under the carpet, the independence of the legislative arm may be precipitated under a serious jeopardy.
Some public affairs commentators have commended the 8th National Assembly for jettisoning any move to become an appendage of the executive arm or a rubberstamp for the presidency, adding that for any democracy to thrive in a modern society, the principle of separation power must take a centre stage.
They said that this laudable feat by the Red Chamber to exercise its constitutional power as an independent arm of the government should be well appreciated by Nigerians in as much as such act will keep the presidency on its toe, and any sign of tyranny will melt away.
However, Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), has lent his voice, saying that the Senate lacks the power to compel Hameed Ali to wear Customs uniform.
He added that, although Ali was the Comptroller-General of Customs, the retired military officer was not a member of the service.
His words, “With respect to the customs service, its officers are required to wear uniforms. But since the CGC is not a serving customs officer the senate lacks the vires to force him to wear any uniform.
“The suit challenging the legal validity of Col. Hameed Ali’s appointment has been dismissed on the ground that the President has the power to appoint a non-customs officer to head the customs service. Since the court has held that he is not a customs officer, Col. Ali cannot be made to wear any uniform.
“I challenge the Senate to refer to any law that supports the wearing of uniform by the head of customs service, who is not a serving customs officer.
“In many countries, including South Africa, customs officers do not wear uniforms.
“In Nigeria, they wear uniforms because under the defunct military junta security agencies claimed that they were either military or paramilitary forces. It was part of the intimidation of the civilian population.”
But while the Senate was fixated on dealing with the Customs CG, some of its members were displeased with what they felt was doubled standards by the upper chamber.
In another twist, the Senate resolved to investigate the weighty allegation that an armoured Range Rover car said to be worth N298m and seized by the Nigeria Customs Service belongs to the President of the Senate, Senator Bukola Saraki.
The move was based on a point of order raised by former Majority Leader of the Senate, Senator Ali Ndume, who also called on the upper chamber of the National Assembly to investigate the certificate scandal involving Senator Dino Melaye.
Recall that an online news portal, Sahara Reporters had raised an allegation in a report published on March 18, 2017, that the seizure of the Sports Utility Vehicle, allegedly belonging to Saraki, was the reason why the Senate was moving against the Controller General of the NCS, Col. Hammed Ali (retd.).
The medium reported that the car was intercepted and impounded on January 11, 2017, by the service for allegedly having fake documents.
Sahara Reporters had also in another report alleged that Melaye did not graduate from the Ahmad Bello University Zaria, Kaduna State, but was parading a fake certificate.
In a bid to cash in on that, the aggrieved ousted Senate Leader, at the plenary on Tuesday, insisted that the duo must be probed, noting that the previous certificate scandals involving members of the National Assembly were probed by the lawmakers.
He said, “One has to do with the distinguished Senator Bukola Saraki, the Senate President, and it was reported in a paper; I have it here. With your permission, I will want to, after making presentation, lay it down. It says that, ‘Senate on Vengeance After Nigeria Customs seized Senator Saraki’s bullet-proof Range Rover Over Fake Documents.’
“My colleagues that are following events, particularly online, have seen, heard or read the train of abuses on this Senate and the misconception of the fact that we invited the Customs CG based on a very unpopular policy that affects the people we represent. But now, we are faced with this and the (Senate) President has been found in this National Assembly.
“During the 4th Assembly, Salisu Buhari was accused of certificate forgery; he was investigated and determined. After that, in the 5th Assembly, Bello Masari was accused of certificate forgery (secondary school); it was investigated and was cleared. In the 6th Senate, Dimeji Bankole was accused of not having NYSC certificate; it was investigated and he had to show his NYSC certificate.
“Now, that brings me to the second matter. In the National Assembly, here in the Senate of the 4th Assembly, Enwerem was accused and it was also investigated. Wabara was accused of collecting bribe and it was investigated and determined. So, a lot of precedence has been set. Now, the second matter of privilege affects my colleague, Sheikh Dino Melaye, and it is in the Punch of today (Tuesday) on Page 10; I have the newspaper. In Punch, it says, ‘Dino Melaye in first-degree certificate scandal.’”
While the probe gets underway, some observers opine that these allegations leveled against Saraki and Melaye in the media could be sponsored just to besmirch their reputations and also frustrate their effort to carry out their constitutional responsibilities.
They querried; “if these weighty allegations were true, why are they surfacing now that the Senate is in cold war with NCS boss, and the affected are the key warriors who are at the war front? “Why didn’t these allegations surface prior to the melee? “Does it mean that if the dispute didn’t break out, these accusations wouldn’t have come up?
However others believe that  since the Senate is set at sanitizing the polity, it must do so from a stand point of its members being squeaky clean of perceived malfeasance.
The fear is that this ongoing rift may degenerate into another frosty relations between the Senate and the Presidency. It is important to recall that the both arms had been in the grip of fragile and thorny relations until recently, they decided to mend their fences.
So far, deliberations on the 2017 budget has been relegated. A popular saying has it that ‘when they two elephants fight, the grasses suffer.’ The escalation of this long-running feud between the Upper Legislative Chamber and Ali into Presidency vs Senate will surely not bode well for the country and its populace, especially at this time the nation is undergoing hard times.

Hon Umar Buba Jibril represents Lokoja/Kogi /KK federal constituency of Kogi state. In this interview he spoke to Ruth Choji and stated that decentralizing the economic potential of the economy will reduce agitation

How concerned are you with the state of the economy
Every right thinking human being should be worried. But I think with the recent developments, by the grace of God, things are looking up.

Do you think this government has the capacity to revive the economy?
Yes the government has the capacity to take care of the situation. The problems had been building up for a long time and I think where we lost it was that we didn’t give the problems long  thoughts before tackling them. It is like we didn’t prepare for the economy before we started making policies. The problems just came like a thief in the night who takes you by surprised. We need to join hands and reverse the situation.

Some have suggested that the president should reshuffle his cabinet or remove some of the ministers that are not performing. What do you think?
Is it really the performance of individual cabinet members? To me, it is the driving force that makes one does better or not. We think the cabinet members should be able to live up to expectation because they were carefully selected

Given an opportunity to advice the government on how to revive the economy, what will be your take?
Various measures are being taken to stabilise the economy, like the issue of our exchange rate, the issue of our consumption pattern, the issue of stabilizing and improving our power generation so that the industries can strive very well and creating an enabling environment for them to perform very well. We need to work on our interest rates in this country too because as it is now, it is not something that any serious business man can cope with. It is not friendly to investors. I think the government of the day is doing everything possible to address these issues.

The agitation for restructuring is gaining momentum. Are you in support of it?
Yes. We are a federating unit. We are a country with 36 states plus the FCT. I think every unit of this country has something going for it. We should think of giving more to the federating unit so that they can run more efficiently…
…(Cuts on) Are you advocating for more allocation?
It is the economic independence that is the issue because they have political independence. It is the units that should have more allocation not the center so that they can function properly. The center has no business doing some of the things they do; they are the functions of the state. Smaller African countries that are not more than some states in Nigeria do survive on their own. Somebody was giving me an analysis yesterday and he said, the only state in Nigeria that is smaller than the Gambian is Bayelsa. Going by the size of the Gambian, it means we have 35 nations within Nigeria. I even reminded him that it is not just the Gambian; there are other smaller countries, like Mauritius. They have a population of not more than 1.2 million people; their currency is ten times stronger than Nigerian currency. They are running that island successfully. They don’t have cotton but they export textile to Europe. So why can’t our states perform? That is why I believe we need to restructure. The model we have been using since the colonial era has failed woefully. We need to look at our laws and do something urgently.

Some have suggested a return to regionalism; will you subscribe to that?”
Not really. If we go to regionalism, it is because of an advantage of coming together but not in terms of the economy. We should begin to run our states like economic units.  We must look at our states as economic enterprise that must succeed at all cost. Take my state for instance. We have everything for Kogi State to work if we have serious people managing it. Kogi can run without the federal allocation if we are serious, but until we begin to have a change of mind, the right frame of mind to drive our economy, we will not succeed.

Should Nigeria remain as one?
Yes, I believe we should remain as one. These crises are because everybody is looking up to the center. Let’s decentralize the economic potential of the economy and all these agitation will disappear. Let’s make the center less attractive and these agitation will go over night.

Coming back to the house of Representatives, how will you describe this year’s budget?
Every budget is unique in the sense that it  chronicles the direction of the government and what it intends to achieve at the end of the year. But what will make every budget to succeed is implementation. No matter how well packaged the budget is, if it is not backed by releases, that budget will fail. So, I believe that we should pray that the economy improve so that the government can fund the budget squarely. The capital component of the budget can be financed 100%. Of course we know that the recurrent is not the issue; what is important is implementation. If you are talking about scandals, I don’t think there will be any this time.

The life span of the 2016 budget will elapse by end of March. How would you rate the implementation level so far?
It may end by March but legally, it is supposed to end by May 2017. We are hoping that by the time we pass this current budget, the life span of 2016 will end and this one will continue from there because two budgets cannot run concurrently. Looking at the performance, as at the last time, they were able to achieve 50 per cent of capital implementation which is quite commendable
The bill you sponsored on civil society and NGOs drew mixed reactions from Nigerians, were you surprised?
When you look at the NGOs and civil society, everybody knows their role.  We have our own fair share of the NGOs and civil society. Looking at the recent development in this country like the Boko Haram for instance; what baffles me is where do they get their funding from? A friend from Adamawa came to see me recently and he gave me some insights into how things happen. He said young men in Adamawa State, long before the Boko Haram came to light, were being funded by some organsiontions. They were given money to start business and you wonder how they came about the money. So, Boko Haram started way long before they came into limelight. This is why some of us feel that something must be done to regulate the activities of these civil societies and NGOs. Those kicking against that bill think we want to stifle the performance of the NGOs. No, we are not. We are only talking about a commission that you must report back to justify their existence through laws. They were quoting laws that they are being regulating from and so on. I think we must have a single body that regulates their activities. Some countries have passed similar laws. I didn’t even know until I introduce the law. The latest as at last year was Israel. A law should be there to regulate the activities of these NGOs and civil society. A lot of money comes into their hands. We should know what they do with the money.

Are you not worried about the way herdsmen are creating havoc in many communities?
Of course one should be worried. I always believe that herdsmen have links with Boko Haram. Even the cattle rustlers, I believe they are branches of the Boko Haram trying to raise funds for the Boko Haram.
But are you contented with the way the federal government is handling the situation? Nobody has been prosecuted over the attacks.
That is why we are talking about a bill that will be able to regulate these things. These monies don’t come in the open; they are moved through difficult channels that you can never fathom. So, it is not easy to say you are attacking an individual. I think the government is doing its best but these things are difficult. I am sure some people have been arrested, but we may not know.

The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has expressed worries over the persistent spate of bombings in the North-east, particularly in Maiduguri and how it has affected the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).
ACF in a statement issued yesterday by its national publicity secretary, Muhammad Ibrahim Biu said it learnt with shock the multiple bomb explosions that occurred on Wednesday morning at Muna garage in Maiduguri the capital of Borno state.
Recall that the bombs were detonated by suicide bombers which killed eight (8) persons and injured many as confirmed by the Borno state Police Command.
According to the statement, the atrocities by the insurgents on innocent persons are most barbaric, callous and condemnable.
“ACF is very much worried and concerned with the recent spate of bomb explosions in Maiduguri and other parts of the state especially as it affects Internally Displaced Persons (IDPS) camps.
ACF which affirmed its belief in the capability of the military and other security agencies in the resolve to bring to an end this intractable insurgency in the North-east region, however urged them to be more focused, steadfast and decisive in their determination to tackle this menace.
“We equally call on the communities to support and cooperate with the security agencies by providing prompt intelligence in order to avert such ugly incidences.
“ACF extends its sympathy to the government and people of Borno state over these recent unfortunate bomb explosions. We also commend the Borno state government and other humanitarian organizations for prompt response to the affected persons.
“ACF also commends President Muhammadu Buhari for his condemnation of the inhuman and unnecessary shedding of human blood and destruction of property in a reckless manner. We therefore applaud the decisive action taken by Mr. President in directing the security agencies to investigate the recent attack on the people of Zaki Biam in Benue state by unknown gunmen and bring the perpetrators of this wicked and dastardly act to justice.”

The Nigerian army has said that the 2017 Nigerian Army Small Arms Championship in Sambisa forest, former enclave of Boko Haram, is aimed at sharpening the mask-man skills of its personnel to contain all forms of security challenges in the country.
The military further said the championship is aimed at putting the Sambisa forest into proper use and turn it into Nigerian army training ground as roads and bridges have been constructed for accessibility to the area for testing arms and equipment for counter Insurgency operation in the Nort-east.
This was disclosed to journalists yesterday in Maiduguri by the chief of training and operations, Nigerian Army, Maj Gen David Amadu, during a press briefing on the activities lined up for the championship,  at 7 division of Nigerian Army conference centre in Maiduguri.
He said President Mohammadu Buhari is expected to declare open the Nigerian Army Small Arms Championship (NASAC 2017), Monday in Sambisa as Special Guest of Honour.
According to him, other personalities to accompany the president during the opening ceremony include the minister of defence, Alhaji Mansur Ali and all the service chiefs comprising of, chief of defence staff, Gen Gabriel Olanisakin; chief of army staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Yusuf Buratai; chief of air staff, Air Vice Marshal Abubakar Baba Sadique; ​and  chief of naval staff, Vice Admiral Obet Ebas.
“The championship will be formally declared open on Monday, 27th March 2017 and closed on Friday, 31st March 2017.  During the championship, Nigerian Army has lined up chains of activities to include medical outreach to Bama, Konduga,  Magumeri, Maiduguri metropolitan IDPs Camps,  educational training for Army education corps in Maiduguri, security awareness meetings with traditional rulers in Borno and distribution of relief materials to IDPs within Maiduguri city among others

Cross River State governor, Senator Ben Ayade, yesterday announced the release of N1billion to boost Small and Medium Scale Enterprises.
The initiative, the governor said is to support and encourage local investors to grow and advance their businesses.
Ayade disclosed this in Calabar, when the executives of the Calabar Chamber of Commerce and Industry, led by its President, Effa Imoke paid him a courtesy visit at the executive council chamber of the governor’s office.
The governor, who said the state government was committed to supporting businesses in the state to grow, also charged the chamber to partner with the state to develop the sector.
“I believe that you can expand the horizon of your business and take advantage of our good contact with the bank of industry which is located here in Calabar looking for project to finance.”
According to the Ayade, “If you come to us as a chamber and say this is your areas of core competence, we will work with you. There is need for us to collaborate so that a synergy can yield results for us all.”
The governor who further assured the chamber of government’s support, said: “If you have a business or an investment outlets that requires an off taker arrangement, Cross River will provide that off taker guarantee which is an essential element for the Bank of Industry to finance you, particularly when you are doing things that are dependent on raw materials import in Cross River State.”
The chamber, while congratulating the governor on his Vanguard Man of the Year award and his giant strides in Infrastructural developments, solicited partnership with the state in the management of the Calabar International Convention Centre and the Songhai Farm located in Abi Local Government Area of the state.
The chamber also appealed for support in the hosting of its 75th anniversary and annual general meeting. Additionally, the chamber President appealed for a three hectare piece of land for the Chamber’s Secretariat

Business mogul, Aliko Dangote is presently the owner of the largest crawler crane in Africa. The astute businessman bought the crane from China’s number one construction company, XCMG Construction Machinery Co Ltd, a Company dealing in heavy machineries.
“Our biggest customer in Africa is Dangote,” the assistant president and general manager, Hanson Liu, told LEADERSHIP Weekend in an interview. “Dangote has bought the largest crawler crane from us, weighing about 1250 tons,” he said, adding that the massive crane was assembled in Nigeria. Liu equally added that XCMG sold about 5000 units of various kinds of products to customers in Africa last year 2016.
“We dispatch our stationeries through Tanzania and working with some big customers like Dangote. We presently have about 24 employees in service working with Dangote full time in Nigeria.”
While XCMG celebrates Dangote in China, the general manager, quizzed on why the company’s products are popular in Africa, stressed on the trust people have in the company’s products. “We do think about our customers, care about our customers,” he said, adding that XCMG also trained dealers and customer staff among others.
“We have not only the manpower to dispatch from factory to working site, but also we train customer staff, we also train some people locally and also our dealers and service people.”

Women who suffer from fibroids and other related medical health challenges have been advised to embrace latest technology in the treatment of Uterine Fibroid Embolization for effective and permanent cure to fibroid issues.
This advised was given by a Vascular Surgeon and Interventional Radiologist, Dr. Rajah Koppala recently in Abuja during the free medical consultation camp organized by Troika Healthcare in Abuja.
He said that the uterine fibroid embolization is safe, less painful and not time consuming. He advised women in the country to take advantage of the technology to get rid of their fibroid so as to avoid fertility disruption.
He noted that early detection of the issue will prevent complication that may arise from the conventional way of removing fibroid. He also revealed that to ensure that medical tourism that may arise from fibroid treatment is reduced; the uterine fibroid embolization technology would soon be available in Nigeria in partnership with some local hospitals with relevant facilities.
The co-founder of Troika Healthcare, Pragya Rathore told this correspondent that the consultation camp was organized in the bid to ensure that qualitative healthcare gets to Nigerians in the lower strata of the society and those that cannot afford their medical upkeep.
Rathore told LEADERSHIP Weekend that the free medical consultation camp which is a Corporate Social Responsibility of the organization has been consistent for twelve years. She then advised Nigerians to embrace the opportunity to find out their state of health.
Free consultations were given to people on orthopedic issues, osteomalacia, joint pains, arthritis, fibroid, disrupted fertility, heavy bleeding, anemia and other medical issues.

The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) is partnering with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), on a $60 million (about N21 billion) job creation programme, which will help reduce youth unemployment in the Niger Delta region.
The managing director of the NDDC, Mr. Nsima Ekere, who disclosed this when IFAD officials paid a courtesy visit to NDDC management at the commission’s headquarters in Port Harcourt, said the interventionist agency would sustain and strengthen its partnership with the United Nations agency, as part of efforts to create wealth and transform the region.
Ekere, who was represented by the executive director, Projects, Engr. Samuel Adjogbe, stated that the NDDC carried out a baseline study to gather data which would help it produce a good design for the new IFAD programme.
He said, “If there is something I would really want to support, it is the collaboration that IFAD is bringing. The NDDC is ready to partner with IFAD in the new programme because we need to diversify the mono-economy of the country.

With so much joy in my heart, I welcome you again today to The Super Family where we have the mandate to help put our families, your family, in the right perspective, God’s perspective, by teaching and/or encouraging various family values which we believe will help transform our marriages from the ‘necessary evil’ many people consider it to be, to what God intends for us. In the next few weeks, we will be considering the virtue called LOVE. Does true love really exist? Is love enough reason to get married? Can love alone sustain a marriage relationship? What exactly is love?
Let me quickly say here that we will be making much reference to the Bible in this study, which is the word of God and our final authority at The Super Family. Apologies to our dear readers who are Muslims, but we cannot talk about true love without referring to His word who Himself is LOVE. We trust God that our marriages will all become the better for it.
Now, let’s talk about LOVE!
“Husbands, love your wives…” Ephesians 5:25
Two facts need to be established here quickly and they are: (1) To love is a command not a plea, nor is it an advice.  (2) The commandment was directed at the husbands. So primarily, it is the responsibility of the husband to love his wife. We will talk about the wife’s responsibility towards her husband in later editions as we journey along.
So what is this love we’re talking about? Thank God the Bible has not left us without its definition.
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres”. 1 Corinthians 13: 4-7.
Let’s consider each of these qualities of love and see how well we fare in loving our spouses.
Patient- able to wait calmly for a long time; accept people’s annoying behavior without getting angry. A good scenario will be a husband having to wait for the wife to finish dressing up when they’re already 30 minutes late for an important event. A really annoying situation, I must say. But what the husband does while waiting is what shows whether or not he is patient as well as a true test of his love for the wife. Love is patient. So the next time you need to wait for your spouse, receive grace to do it patiently, not annoyingly, not grudgingly.
Kind- saying or doing things that show that you care about the other person enough to want to help or make her happy. You cannot claim to love your wife without showing her kindness.
It does not envy- Can a man envy his wife? Very well. The moment your wife’s positive achievements or pursuits become a threat to you, check it, there is envy in your heart and love has exited. Love teaches you to be genuinely and wholeheartedly supportive of your wife’s dreams without any feeling of insecurity.
It does not boast, it is not proud- It is only pride that makes a husband dish out orders to his wife like she was a servant. Only a boastful husband will not consider his wife’s opinions or contributions as necessary, rather forces his own will down her throat.
Does not dishonor others- Love demands also that you respect, honour, admire and highly esteem your wife. Many wives have no self-esteem left in them because their husbands have constantly pulled them down over time both in private and in public places.
Is not self-seeking- True love teaches you to drop the “I” and adopt the “we” mentality. It teaches you a simple rule of law that asks, “will this be in my spouse’s interest?”
Is not easily angered- it’s so disheartening to hear of husbands beating up their wives at every slightest opportunity. Some even claim that it’s their way of correcting their wives that since you would naturally beat to correct a child that you love, they’re also showing how much they love the wife by beating her to correct her mistakes. That is the highest level of insanity. Only mad men beat their wives. Love is not easily provoked. That is the scripture!
We will by God’s grace continue next week, but before then, I urge every husband that reads this to please be humble enough to let the word of God do the work of correction in your hearts and seek redress in areas you haven’t loved your wives as you should.

God bless you and peace be upon your home!

It will be important to state before those reading this piece that as a fervent faithful of the All Progressives Congress (APC), I have utmost respect for His Excellency the Executive Governor of Kaduna state, Mallam Nasiru El-Rufai because he is one man who does not fail to state his mind no matter whose ox is gored. But as much as I respect him and his views, it is important that we do at times if not in most times, learn to tell ourselves the basic truth so as to prevent a misrepresentation of the facts especially as it has to do with his ‘leaked’ memo to the President on some national issues.
The memo which was ‘leaked’ to the press almost immediately after Mr. President came back from his 49 days medical vacation in the United Kingdom, if anything at all, was intended to make the Presidency to be seen to be at the defensive while placing Mallam El-Rufai as an alternative to the present arrangement we have at the Aso Rock Villa.
In the letter which has received acclaimed response considering the caliber of the personae that authoured it, had the intendment of painting the Presidency in almost the same way and manner that our well respected first lady virtually painted the Presidency in her famed BBC Hausa service Interview.
But if the expectation of El-Rufai to tarnish some key personalities in the President Muhammadu Buhari administration was a thing of success, leaves much to be told because at the end of it all, his memo has in a much larger perspective, exposed him as being ignorant of the personality of Mr. President.
While Mallam El-Rufai hobnobbed with the former ruling party Peoples Democratic Party PDP, he was ignorant of the fact that there were people who stood behind the present President and showed their belief in him no matter where the tide swung. One of such persons is the present Chief of Staff to Mr. President Abba Kyari. A man of impeccable character and integrity who remains tenacious in whatever he does.
It is therefore appalling and regrettable that Mallam El-Rufai in his memo which was filled with tantrums and denigrated references against the President’s key loyalists could afford to resort to cheap mendacity by suggesting that the Chief of Staff Abba Kyari does not have the capacity to help drive home Mr. President’s agenda for the people.
I wish to quote what he said about the present Chief of Staff…“The Chief of Staff is totally clueless about the APC and its internal politics at best as he was neither part of its formation nor a participant in the primaries, campaign, and elections,” … “In summary, neither of them has the personality, experience, and the reach to manage your politics nationally or even regionally’’.
It is indeed regrettable that El-Rufai could take such a position against the Chief of Staff. He clearly showed that he is a stranger to the President and not an insider as he has severally claimed otherwise he should have known that the Abba Kyari is one of those that have stood with the President even during the periods he claims he, Chief of staff was not in. One problem of history is that parties in history can easily twist the facts at ground to favour their whims and caprices and the governor of Kaduna state in his memo clearly showed that despite education and exposure people can still make this same mistake.
Alhaji Abba Kyari as a human being may have his own faults but it is not definitely in the manner which Mallam El-Rufai has painted it. Using the word “clueless” which has become a recurring decimal in our political lexicon, was aimed at whipping sentiments which was a really wrong move on his part. Abba Kyari is not clueless either to the workings of the All Progressives Congress APC or to the expectations of his position as the Chief of Staff to the President.
I have known Mallam Abba Kyari for many years in fact since as a child and I can say without fear of favor that he is the most disciplined person I have ever known. He is principled, a gentleman in all aspects and one of the experienced few we have who are in government today that have risen through the ranks of not only work, but life itself. Mr. President must have taken his time to choose for himself a Chief of Staff in the like of someone he knows, someone capable of handling the schedule and above all someone he trusts. As an anti corruption czar, Buhari is sure to be working with Nigerians who can look past bribery and corruption and Abba Kyari surely fits the bill.
In fact he is one of the most dedicated members of the President’s reform agenda and has shown this trait in all he has been doing in the Buhari presidency. So, if the likes of His Excellency Mallam Nasiru El-Rufai and whoever is prodding him to resort to such a clear representation of the facts that concerns Abba Kyari a respected Borno citizen is wont to continue with whatever he is doing, he should rather do his homework very properly because all he has said in his famed (?) memo to Mr. President amounts to a red herring and nothing more.

– Masta wrote in from Abuja

ARLAC is an acronym for  African Regional Labour Administration Centre, a body set up by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) in 1974 as part of its institutional framework to build the capacity of labour administrators in English Speaking African Countries. With its headquarters in Zimbabwe, the South African nation, over the years, appropriated this privilege with shrewd but active support of mostly English speaking neighbouring countries, running the organization in an imperial style for forty-three years. An organization whose sustenance Nigeria has majorly contributed to, Zimbabwe did not only corner its executive powers, but also monopolized its senior administrative structure, leading to the frustration of a Nigerian, a Director with the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment posted to its management cadre early this year.  Elections into executive offices according to the constitution governing ARLAC is to be held every two yeard.
But it was at the June 2016 International Labour Organisation (ILO) Convention in Geneva that Nigeria’s Minister of Labour and Employment, Sen. Chris Ngige who was attending the conference for the first time, posted a timely warning that ARLAC must democratize or Nigeria would reconsider participation.
The main ILO convention has just ended and the meetings of the sub-regional groups followed; one of such being the ALARC Governing Council  held at Labour House in Geneva on June 8, 2016. Mid way into the meeting that had all the member nations in attendance, Nigeria raised the issue of the executive and the  administrative structure of the regional labour body. ARLAC’s chairperson and the Zimbabwe’s Minister for Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare, Hon. Priscah Mupfumira, who usually make no pretence of her disdain for plural views, especially coming from Nigeria, would have none of that. Her mine-is-bigger-than-yours bravado is astounding. With hands raised thrice and ignored by the Chair, Sen. Ngige, not meant for half measures, and fully aware of a possible deflation of a diplomatic ego, flatly shunned subsequent overtures by the ARLAC Chair and directed the Permanent Secretary of his Ministry, Dr. Clement Ilo to rather speak. He only watched for the rest of the meeting, while within, decided that this soft but brash dictatorship, arising from the permanent chairmanship of Zimbabwe, maintained through the active connivance of mostly English speaking neighbours, must be broken.
And the opportunity came at the just concluded 43rd ARLAC Governing Council Meeting and High Level Symposium on Fundamental Principles and Rights At Work held at Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. Before the meeting, the Minister had gone on bridge building, knowing that English West Africa comprising Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Gambia; with Sierra Leone being inactive, and Gambia, a non-member, would not muster the numerical strength to break South – Eastern bloc with many English-speaking Countries. He was undeterred however, having elicited the active support of Ghana and Egypt. The technical sessions took place between 27th February to 1st March, preparing the agenda for the Ministerial Governing Council. Then, came Thursday, 2nd March, when the opening session broke with an awakening address by the ILO Assistant Director General and Regional Director for Africa Mrs. Aeneas C. Chuma who stressed the need to make the ILO more responsive to the needs of Africa while the tone for the crucial stage of the conference was set by the chairperson and Zimbabwe’s Labour Minister.
The tea break of 15 minutes separated the opening from the crunch. Nigeria had the floor and a frozen panic appeared on the faces of ‘conspirators.’ Sen. Ngige , “ the unfinished business of June 8, 2016 which is on the paper as a matter arising from the 42nd ARLAC meeting … the democratization of the structure of our organization…” The silence was deafening, pin drop could be heard. Nigeria’s Minister went on and on and landed. Overpowered by superior argument, the southern alliance began to give way, and the need for what ought to, broke down behind-the-scene understanding.
Bottom-line, while not making it an outright antagonistic challenge, Nigeria was elected Vice Chair and conceded to  that Zimbabwe continue as chair but no more as an emperor, rather, a slot, subject to timely democratic elections.  One of the three slots for Deputy Directors in the interim management body was also given to Nigeria.
Reacting to the development, Sen. Ngige said, “you are aware that Zimbabwe has been the chairperson of ARLAC since formation by the virtue of the fact that its headquarters is domiciled in the country.  However, Nigeria reasoned the need for full democratization of the body to enhance freedom and encourage efficiency. While we ceded the chairmanship to Zimbabwe and Nigeria unanimously elected Vice, it stands that periodic elections which we galvanized support for, has replaced an era where Zimbabwe or any other country would appropriate such privilege as a right.
He added, “the election shows a lot of respect, trust and faith in Nigeria’s leadership role in the continent. They appreciate our concern for Africa, our unity and our commitment to the economic and socio-political development of our continent and above all, our commitment to decent work practices where, Nigeria has domesticated almost all the ILO conventions.”     By the sidelines of the meeting, Ngige was overheard telling a colleague, “any day the chair strays or lolls to her old bully habit, she would be voted out.”
-Obidiwe lives in Abuja

The evolutionary trend of Nigeria’s socio-political journey since Independence has shown a clear path for the permeation of corruption, from an alien concept to the statutory way of getting business done. Corruption has become the existential reality of the ordinary man or woman in Nigeria trying to eke out a living for himself or herself.
The effect of this moral decadence is evident in both the political dysfunctionality and economic debilitation of the Nigerian state. The implication is that those who seek to do the right thing often find themselves alienated by the system while battling forces that are loyal to the status quo for various reasons.
It is a trend that takes vast amount of political will to undo as systemic reformers battle against the devastating current of blackmail, libel, insubordination  and sometimes direct threat to their lives by machineries of the beneficiaries of corruption. The latest survivor of this onslaught is Hadiza Bala Usman, Managing Director of the Nigeria Ports Authority.
Hadiza Bala Usman’s appointment as MD of Nigerian Port Authority by President Buhari in July 2016 came on the back heel of dwindling revenue from crude oil and the urgent need to diversify the federal government’s income sources. The move signalled President Buhari’s resolve to make NPA one of the most efficient economic drivers of his administration. And Usman was the woman he trusted to make that happen.
Hadiza’s appointment sent ripples through the fabric of Nigeria’s civil service structure – it is an anomaly to have a 40-year-old woman head one of the most important agencies of government in Nigeria. For stakeholders in the ports sector, it marked the end of an era of doing business at the ports the corrupt way, the end of defrauding the Nigerian state and people through sharp practices at the port.
Since her appointment, Hadiza has set about cleaning the Augean stable at the NPA, bringing to bear major reforms in the way stakeholders conduct business at the nation’s seaports. Under Hadiza, NPA became the first federal agency to fully adopt the open governance model and open its books to the scrutiny of the public and civil societies. By integrating the operations of the NPA with the federal government’s single treasury account policy, she ensured monies meant for remittance to the federation account were not locked in private accounts yielding interests for corrupt elements in high places.
Also, the high and mighty who had made defrauding the Nigerian people the norm, by not paying due import duties suddenly found themselves locked out in a system where transparency and accountability reigned supreme. Those who had enriched themselves by using their influence to bring goods into the country without paying the appropriate fees are being forced to do business the right way.
These and more are reform policies introduced to the operations of the NPA that did not go down well with a section of the Nigerian elites that made Usman a target for the campaign of calumny and character assassination as characterised by the recent report as published by the faceless online platform – The Breaking Post NG.
The powers that be who are used to having their way have now decided the best way to do it is no longer through the ports because illegality has been blocked there but now through internet infestations of lies, half truths and alternative facts. Their latest effort in dragging Usman’s name through the mud in which they themselves have permanent residence have failed, but they are not likely to stop.
Less than 24 hours after posting with all glee and certainty, an “exclusive” report on Usman targeted at painting her as corrupt, the Breaking Post tweeted an excuse-ridden apology to save face after Nigerians rose in Usman’s defence. In the interest of a just and equitable society, and to serve as a deterrent to others who might be tempted to make themselves available as tools for the propagation of falsehood on social media, Usman’s determination to go ahead with a lawsuit against the fake news platform is a welcome development.
There is perhaps no better visualisation of the cost of doing things the right way and enforcing progressive reforms in a society as ours as the barrage of falsehood against the person of Usman  and her position as MD of the NPA. It is however heart-warming that rather than dampen her morale, this campaign against her by the enemies of the Nigerian people have strengthened her determination to see through ongoing reforms at the NPA.
– Opaleye is a public finance expert based in Lagos

When Marxist-Leninist theorist, Mao Zedong defined politics as “war without bloodshed,” several decades ago, the Chinese philosopher arguably gave no thought about the ugly events that now hold the political space of Turkey on the jugular.
Since the July 15 failed coup in Turkey, politics in that country has assumed  chilling dimension, with the President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s led  Justice and Development Party (AK Party), capitalising on every possible opportunity to nail perceived enemies and trample on the rights of significant number of  Turks in more than warlike menacing manner.
But the move by Erdogan and his co-travellers in the ruling AK Party to further take this persecution to foreign lands without minding international boarders and sovereignty of other countries appears to have hit a unshakeable brick wall. This is not unconnected with the Turkish government recent quest to willy-nilly extradite from the United States the highly respected Turkish cleric, Fethullah Gulen.
The move apparently has now fallen like a pack of cards and literally suffered its well-deserved death as the Intelligence Committee of the United States (US) Congress has dismissed the claims upon which the extradition is being sourced.
Gulen is the Pennsylvania-based moderate Sunni cleric the Turkish government accuses of masterminding the failed July 15 coup, despite having no concrete evidence linking him to the aborted coup.
Over the past few months, Turkey has been mounting pointless pressures on the US authorities to extradite Gulen even as it continued to clampdown on members of the Gulen’s inspired Hizmet Movement, which the Turkish government now brands as Fethullah Gulen Terror Organization. Thousands of perceived sympathisers of Hizmet Movement and other right activists now languish in various prisons cells without trial, while many more have been forced out of government jobs.
Erdogan has not stopped there, scores of charity organisations, universities, businesses, media organisations, among others, link to Gulen or Hizmet Movement have been shut down by the authoritarian Turkish leader, who is now seeking more dictatorial powers in the executive presidency referendum scheduled for April this year.  But despite the condemnations that continues to trail his undemocratic actions from far and near, especially the European Union (EU) which the country seeks membership, the Turkish president  appears to be more ruthless and  highly obsessed by his ill-conceived  quest to humiliate and extradite Gulen by using the failed coup as a smokescreen.
But Devin Nunes, chairman of the powerful Intelligence Committee of the US Congress in an interview on Chris Wallace’s ”Fox News Sunday” which was aired on FOXTV recently , made some important remarks about Gulen’s extradition quest and his alleged involvement in the failed coup.
Nunes, a member Republican Party and a close ally of President Donald Trump, did not  minced any words in the interview  when he made it clear that there is no evidence linking Gulen to the failed coup, “I haven’t seen evidence  that Gulen was involved  in the failed coup,” he said.
Though this response can be construed as a hard knock on the stubborn head of President Erdogan, following his regular trademark boasts that the moderate Islamic cleric would be extradited, the US congressman did not end there.  He continued: “The Erdogan government has becoming very authoritarian.” and added, “our relationship with Turkey is strained” and”going to become even more complicated as we begin to try to get ISIS out of Iraq and Syria.”
Though Nunes did not elaborate why would Turkey-US relations will get complicated as the coalition tries to get the dreaded Islamic States out of Iraq and Syria, the Head of German Intelligence Agency (BND) Bruno Kahl in an interview published recently also believes that there is no serious evidence linking Gulen to the failed coup.
Despite these near foolproof views from Germany and US, Erdogan, in a clear case of a man afraid of his own shadow, is bent on using underhand tactics to get Gulen extradited. The Turkish government was allegedly said to have recently   engage some individuals and firms using third party in US to help in lobbying for the extradition of Gulen and also spy on businesses associated with the cleric. Some former Turkish generals, journalists and others have also helped press the government’s case at assorted Washington panels against what it calls the Fethullah Gulen Terror Organization.
Though it is hardly surprising, therefore, that the Turkish government would engage Washington DC lobbyists to help out in its case to extradite Gulen in order to score cheap political point, what is clear is that the United States will not stoop so low to allow for the unwarranted extradition of Gulen under any guise, knowing-fully well of the present nauseating human rights abuses and authoritarian credentials of Erdogan.
– Abdulraman Sadik, an international affair commentator, wrote in from Kaduna.

I learnt an enduring lesson on the day General Sani Abacha died. It was June 8, 1998, and death had laid its icy hands on the maximum ruler, and the scepter had fallen from the grip of the king. I was deputy editor of National Concord, the newspaper owned by Basorun M.K. O Abiola, the man Abacha not only inveigled out of his mandate as democratically elected President, but whom he had also locked up in military gulag for five years.
Mr Dele Alake, who was to become Commissioner for Information and Strategy in Lagos State for eight years, was editor, but he had travelled on the fateful day. So, the lot fell on me to produce the newspaper, as the deputy editor. Dr (Mrs) Doyin Abiola was Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief.
Naturally, on a great news day like that, an editor would leave his office, and be on the shop floor, ensuring that the newspaper was swiftly produced. Time was of the essence, if you would partake in the harvest of sales the next day. So, I was in the computer room downstairs, editing the news stories as they were typed at the speed of light. It was there that Dr Abiola met me, as she prepared to go home about 7 p.m. She said something that both baffled and amazed me:
“Editor, no gloating. We have every reason to rejoice that Abacha is dead, but no gloating. Just present the news as professionally as possible. Don’t gloat!”
I thanked her, and she left. Her instruction continued to ring in my ears, and was followed to the letter. Those who read National Concord the next day would recall that there was no sense of triumphalism, no newsman’s orgasm of any kind, in the treatment of the story. Just professionally done. “Don’t gloat!”
Did Doyin Abiola have reasons to instruct her newspaper to preen and gloat about Abacha’s death? Every. He had given the impression that he would take over power, and hand over to Abiola, who had won the June 12, 1993, presidential election, which the military annulled. Instead, he locked the man up in solitary confinement. Doyin did not see her husband for five years. Also, Abacha had shut down Concord Press for about two years, causing the company grave economic afflictions. Under him, Kudirat Abiola, one of Doyin’s mates, had been murdered, shot down in the streets, allegedly on the orders of the state. And many more evil deeds. Dr Doyin Abiola had every cause to waltz, and do a jig, at the death of Sani Abacha. But she did not. She even told her editor: “Don’t gloat!” I never forgot, and will never forget that lesson. It is human, and it is also divine.
Between January 19 and March 10, of this year, President Muhammadu Buhari was away in London, first on routine holiday where he would do normal medical check-ups, and then, it became a medical vacation, in which he had to ask for an indeterminate number of days. Yes, who is he or she that never falls sick, let that person cast the first stone. As the President frankly confessed on his return, he had never been that sick in his life. Human, just human. Presidents, kings, queens, potentates, wealthy people, are also human, aren’t they? They itch as well, and scratch as hard. Sickness, not only death, is often a leveler among all mortals, young, old, poor, rich, dull, brilliant, ugly, beautiful, everybody.
And we know what attended the President’s medical sojourn from certain quarters in the country. Wild news. Hate news. Rumour. Evil thinking. Even, gloating. They did all kinds of photoshops, and spewed all kinds of evil stories. They passed round outright wickedness on WhatsApp, and those of us who debunked their evil tales became enemies. They tried to tag us with all kind of labels, saying we were liars and deceivers. But wise was the man who said: “The truth is incontrovertible. Panic may resent it, ignorance may deride it, malice may distort it, but there it is.” Or our own Professor Tam David-West, in his book, Philosophical Essays, also said: “Truth like the cork cannot sink. It cannot be sunk. It always floats.”
When President Buhari spoke with me on phone from London on February 25, I was elated, and issued a press statement, detailing our conversation. Many Nigerians, good people from a great nation, who could get hold of my phone number, called. They would ask if truly we had spoken. Once I confirmed, they broke into tears of joy, crying like babies. They brought tears to my eyes many times. Till this son of hate, a purveyor of evil and tragedy, called. He identified himself as Jude (I decide to withhold his other name for now). He said: “Mr Adesina, you claim to have spoken with President Buhari. When are you going to stop this political deceit? How can you speak with a man who is long dead, and you are deceiving the public that he’s still alive?”
I didn’t argue with the man (though I was tempted to call him sonofagun, the son of a gun). I held my peace, let him finish his orgy of evil, and calmly cut off the phone. Doomsday prophets. Evil thinkers. Peddlers of mischief.
Then, on March 10, the President returned. Ecstasy and pure rapture from good Nigerians, who had been praying and supplicating unto God. Mai Gaskiya was back. The honest man had returned. Ramrod straight, man of integrity. He had been spared by God, and restored to us. Oh, glory!
Did you listen to that short speech that President Buhari read on his return? Did you listen to his off the cuff remarks? Was there any gloating? None. Did he rub it in on those who had peddled evil news, fake news, hate news? No. That is maturity. That is how to be the father of a country. And I remembered Dr Doyin Abiola: “Don’t gloat!”
Do you know what some other people would have done in the same circumstance? They would have taken evil minded people to the cleaners. But not President Buhari. They would have made snide remarks about peddlers of hate news, calling fire and brimstone to fall upon them. But not our President. He would have been justified if he did so. The Good Book says, “He that digs a pit shall fall into it. He that rolls a stone, a stone will roll back at him. He that breaks the hedge, a serpent shall bite him.” So, President Buhari would have been justified, if he gave evil people some jabs. But he did not. What a heart!
Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.
How did that Jude Somebody feel when the President returned? He even bears Jude, a Christian name. How embarrassing! But he was full of bile, in the gall and throes of bitterness. May God forgive him. Amen.
With President Buhari’s health saga, some truths have been brought to bold relief once again. Anybody can be sick. Big or small man. A man of power, or a man of no consequence. Let us therefore be conscious of our mortality at all times. I can testify, from my many private discussions with him, that President Buhari is a man keenly aware of his own mortality at all times. A worthy example to follow.
Another lesson. Life and death are the sole preserves of God Almighty. Despite all those concoctions and contraptions, fake pictures, false stories on WhatsApp, mendacious newspaper reports, President Buhari came back alive. Who says anything that God has not said? There are many devices in the heart of man, but it is the counsel of God that shall stand. The counsel of God has prevailed concerning Nigeria, and concerning our President. Let us learn the eternal truth. No matter the devices in the heart of man, the counsel of God stands. It is not me that says so. It is straight from the Good Book.
From March 10, when President Buhari returned, purveyors of evil have disappeared. Vanished! Utterly transmuted, like Brother Jero, in that work by Wole Soyinka. Even on social media, where they had held sway for many weeks, they evaporated. Like a beaten dog, they had their tails between their feet, and ran for cover. But should we rejoice? “Don’t gloat!”
There is nothing we have, that we did not receive from above. So, why boast? Why gloat? Rather, we should be thankful to God. The President has thanked millions of people who prayed. And they continue to pray. Olorun da Baba si fun wa. God, please, spare Baba for us. Let him take us to the Promised Land. A land that is secure, free completely of Boko Haram, flowing with milk and honey. A land where corrupt people get their just desserts, ending behind bars. A land where human life has value, where wanton killings stop, where justice and equity covers the space, like the waters cover the sea. A land where mischief makers repent, and turn to God.
Where is that Jude Somebody? I kept his number. I feel like calling him, saying “Son of a gun, how now?” But I shouldn’t do it. And I won’t do it. Because I remember Dr Abiola’s instruction: “Don’t gloat!”
Adesina is Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to President Muhammadu Buhari

In this analysis, CHIKA IZUORA looks at how good policies by the government can help transform Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.

For over half a century since it began operations, the Nigerian oil and gas sector has witnessed a good measure of activities; witnessing also twists and turns as a result of policies or lack of it.
It has equally not been spared the volatility that has characterised the global oil industry in recent times. Industry experts as well as players believe that despite what could be happening in the oil industry globally, the responsibility for giving direction to the Nigerian oil and gas sector rests with the government. Government’s actions or inactions will ultimately determine how well the industry fares.
According to energy experts, there is an urgent need for government to resolve with speed and finality, lingering issues that have slowed down investment in the sector.
Despite being a major revenue source for the country, the sector according to experts is being driven by outdated laws and regulations that needed to be overhauled. For the oil and gas sector to become attractive and profitable to investors, its antiquated framework has to be updated to address current industry realities.
Chairman, Africa, Schlumberger, Mr. Sola Oyinlola said the present government should put in place or implement policies that would spur growth in the industry.
He said; “The Buhari administration has its work cut out for it and the industry awaits with bated breath any new policy directions, but we are all optimistic that challenges would be tackled expeditiously to provide a new dynamic investment destination.”
However, despite uncertainties in the operating environment, recent accomplishments by some operators in the oil and gas industry have further demonstrated that there are still untapped opportunities in the sector.

Erha North Phase II Successes
Erha North Phase II project is one of the flagship projects executed by US oil giant ExxonMobil. The project is a deepwater subsea development located 60 miles offshore Nigeria in 3,300 feet of water and four miles north of the Erha field. The field has been producing since 2006. According to the oil firm, the project which was completed five months ahead of schedule and under its initial budget was a clear demonstration of its disciplined project management approach and expertise.
“Executing successful projects such as Erha North Phase 2 ahead of schedule and under budget results from ExxonMobil’s disciplined project management approach and expertise,” said Neil Duffin, president of ExxonMobil Development Company. “We are able to create additional shareholder value by optimizing existing infrastructure, which reduces capital spending requirements and improves capital efficiency,” Duffin added.
More than N50 billion has been invested in Nigeria for Erha North Phase 2, bringing direct and indirect benefits to the Nigerian economy through project spending and employment, consistent with the project objectives.
Since completion, Erha North Phase II project has delivered additional 65,000 barrels at peak production of crude to Nigeria.
Equally, the project was delivered with 63% Nigerian content translating to 74% Nigerian content man-hours which accounted for over $2 billion of project investment for goods and services. According to ExxonMobil, the project further demonstrates its contribution to and support for Nigeria’s long-term goal of increasing its oil production volumes.
Energy experts believe the successes recorded by ExxonMobil on the project could be replicated on its recent oil find in Owowo Field, given the right operating environment. For such a huge project as Erha North Phase II to be completed despite the harsh operating environment, the Owowo Oil Field exploration could be a monumental success with the right policies in place.
The company last October announced the discovery of Owowo Oil Field which it projected to hold over one billion barrels of crude oil reserves and over N3 trillion in potential revenue to Nigeria. Experts reckon that the oil field discovery has brought new hopes to the Nigerian economy especially at a time when new investments in upstream operations were shrinking. The discovery came as a morale booster for the industry especially as Nigeria’s reserve replacement ratio has been on the downward trend.
In recognition of its contributions to the development of Nigeria’s economy, ExxonMobil won the award of ‘Excellence in Oil and Gas Industry’ at the just concluded Nigeria Oil and Gas Conference and Exhibition (NOG) in Abuja. The award was given during a dinner event hosted by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). The oil firm was commended for its commitment to growing the nation’s economy as well as improving the living standard of its people.
In his opinion, Ildar Davletshin, head of Oil and Gas Research, Renaissance Capital tasked the federal government to use its mandate to implement much-needed reforms in the oil and gas sector, which continues to be the driving force of the economy.
“While it is unlikely that Nigeria will escape its dependence on the sector, there is clear potential for the country to strengthen its oil and gas industry and develop a more diversified and balanced economy, following the successful models of resource-rich countries such as Canada, Norway and Australia”, Davletshin said.
He added; “It is essential that the new administration avoids making the same mistakes as most other emerging nations and does not launch a complete overhaul. Nigerian taxes for onshore production are in the highest quartile globally, so some easing could make sense, especially in the weaker oil price environment”.
Equally, the International Association for Energy Economics (IAEE) while supporting reforms in the sector warned that the rationale for such reforms should be to enhance the sustainability of petroleum wealth that would impact all stakeholders.
In a paper titled “An Appraisal of Oil and Gas Industry Reform and Institutional Restructuring in Nigeria”, IAEE said, “The rationale for restructuring the oil and gas sector in a petroleum dependent economy like Nigeria should be to enhance the sustainability of petroleum wealth and its impact on all stakeholders. Undergoing such reforms presupposes that the current state of the industry is inefficient in service deliveries and ineffective at promoting society’s welfare objectives. Such reforms or restructuring must not only focus on enhancing industry effectiveness and efficiency, it must be mindful of equity issues with respect to wealth distribution among all stakeholders—governments, communities, and operators.”
To begin with, a prompt passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), provision of infrastructure and security for oil installations across the country would be a good start. And these are what government can do to support the industry.

Nestlé Nigeria Plc said it is committed to pursuing rigorous management standards and water saving programmes throughout its operations and a continuous monitoring of their performance, to ensure that the present-day water challenge is met.
Country manager, Nestlé Waters’, Jason Lambe disclosed this few days ago as the company marked the 2017 International World Water day at its Agbara factory, Ogun State with pupils and teachers from schools around the environs who are beneficiaries of Nestlé Waters’ project WET(Water Education for Teachers) in attendance.
While delivering is keynote, Lambe the company has a programme which trains teachers to help raise awareness about water conservation and proper hydration among school children. According to UN-Water, waste water is in focus this year because of its huge impact on the environment.  Over 80 per cent of the wastewater generated by society globally flows back into the ecosystem without being treated or reused.
Nestlé recognizes that it can make a significant contribution to addressing this problem, not just in its factories and facilities, but in its supply chains as well. Therefore, as part of the company’s 42 Creating Shared Value commitments, Nestlé in the Central and West Africa region (CWAR) to which Nigeria belongs, acts to treat waste water to a level that it safe to return to the environment.
Speaking on the importance Nestlé attaches to ‘wastewater’ management, the Managing Director for Nigeria, Mr. Mauricio Alarcon said that the company recognizes the growing water

Tule Taxi has joined the list of entrants to the Nigerian online cab request services industry. The online taxi company which has its headquarters in Texas, USA, has a customer centric on-demand transportation app offering fast, convenient services where registered users can easily schedule a trip within one hour thereby eliminating waiting time.
Tule has also introduced a series of value propositions that has designed to benefit the consumers, given the increase in competition in the market. One of such benefits is an SMS enabled function that is interfaced with its call centre where registered users can schedule a ride without the use of internet.
According to the chief operating officer, Tonye Briggs, “Tule philosophy is built on picking our customers at the right time, taking them to the right place for the right price. We strive to provide fair pricing for riders, transparent policies for drivers, and awesome customer support for both riders and drivers. We are always looking for creative ways to make our customers happy.
He reiterated that Tule application also has a points-based customer loyalty program called Tule Miles, which rewards frequent fliers with points for every kilometre travelled and later redeemed for free rides and discounts from their partners

As Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), continues to sustain foreign exchange intervention, some experts have expressed satisfaction on the continued intervention so as to bridge the gap between the interbank rate and parallel market rate.
The CBN, this week, offered a total of $180 million to meet bids for wholesale auction and requests for invisibles such as medicals, school fees and personal travel allowances valued at $80 million, through the inter-bank window
Speaking with LEADERSHIP Weekend, MD/CEO of Financial Derivatives Company Limited, Mr. Bismarck Rewane, said CBN’s prompt intervention in the foreign exchange (FX) has continued to appreciate the local currency at the FX market. He welcomed the recent CBN’s policies and praised the sustained medicals, school fees and personal travel allowances intervention.
He said; “If the CBN continues to increase supply in the forex market, the naira will continue to appreciate. Once that stops, the naira at the exchange rate will definitely depreciate. It is good CBN is intervening in the forex market but the question is that if CBN does not announce intervention in the next three days, what do you think is going to happen to naira?
“Another question is, why the sudden intervention by CBN? CBN should have acted before now. Now that CBN has increased intervention in the medicals, school fees and personal travel allowances, it must be sustained. By doing so, the apex bank has bridged the gap between the interbank market rate and parallel market rate,” he explained.
Commenting also, managing director, Cowry Asset Management Limited, Mr. Johnson Chukwu, praised the CBN for its FX policies.

The Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), has said that foreign and domestic participation in equities reached N169.43 billion from January to February. The monthly foreign and domestic participation in the equities market cumulative transactions from January to February decreased by 15.86 per cent from N201.37 billion recorded in 2016 to N169.43 billion in 2017.
The exchange in its report disclosed that total transactions decreased by 22.25 per cent from N95.32 billion recorded in January 2017 to N74.11 billion in February 2017. “In February 2017, domestic investors out-performed foreign investors by 6.78 per cent.
Domestic transactions decreased by 22.88 per cent from N51.31 billion recorded in January 2017 to N39.57 billion in February 2017 while foreign transactions also decreased by 21.52per cent from N44.01 billion to N34.54 billion within the same period.
“There was a 28.79 per cent decrease in foreign inflows from N22.61 billion in January 2017 to N16.10 billion in February 2017. “Foreign outflows also decreased by 13.83 per cent from N21.40 billion in January 2017 to N18.44 billion in February 2017, the report by NSE added.

It has been a rather thrilling journey for many parents, as well as the Cussons Baby team, as the fourth edition of the Cussons Baby Moments contest rolls on, making it more interesting this year. The entry for the competition was announced on the 30th January and will end on 26th March after which voting commences to qualify for the next stage.
According to Mildred Bagshaw – Marketing Manager Personal Care, PZ Cussons Nigeria, , there are few changes this year. “Interested participants can urchase any gift pack to enter the competition and pictures uploaded to the Cussons baby website www.cussonsbaby.com.ng instead of Facebook as it was in previous editions.”
The brand has leveraged the competition across all the social media channels, which makes it easier for parents to be up to date with information.
Mrs. Bagshaw said this year’s edition promises to be exciting and participants will win up to N1million Education Fund and a year’s supply of Cussons baby products as well as other fantastic prizes.
The criteria to select the winner of the competition are based on the baby’s personality, charisma, star quality and overall compatibility of baby with the brand essence.
An independent audit firm for transparency, fairness and credibility will; evaluate the entries and come up with the results from each stage of the competition.
For the last 3 years, the Cussons Baby Moments Competition has been launched on Facebook with uploads by parents and guardians of fascinating and amazing moments of their babies in still pictures and short videos.
Oluwatobi Oyenekan, Brand Manager Cussons Baby, PZ Cussons Nigeria said “Over the years, the competition has grown from over 200 babies in the maiden edition to over 650 babies in Season 3 2016, vying for a place among Top 10 finalists with N1million Education fund up for grabs.
Baby Oritsejolomisan Nina Grant emerged as the winner in the Cussons Baby Moments third Edition in 2016 and won the grand prize of N1million Education fund, followed by Similola Alexis Onabanjo and Obianamma Adele Anambah who emerged first and second runners up respectively and won