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Jalo-Waziri: The ‘Silent’ Grassroot Developer, Administrator In Inuwa’s Cabinet

By: Alhaji Mansur Aramide

That traditional rulers are now better placed in Gombe State is no longer a news; that they are now envies of their counterparts in other states across the nation has been confirmed in many quarters; that the common narrative of living on borrowing by local governments in the state has been aggressively tackled with the situation now in sharp contrast to the usual practice.

The huge success has remained a mystery to all event watchers especially those yet to beam their searchlight on its secret hidden in Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya’s lieutenant, Alhaji Ibrahim Dasuki Jalo-Waziri who has at several fora been applauded for his doggedness in local government administration and chieftaincy affairs management.

The prevailing peace in the state especially in rural communities is ascribed to the state government’s unprecedented recognition and appreciation showered on the traditional institutions under the watch of the former two-year national president of the Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON.)

Jalo-Waziri had between 2004-2011 oversaw the affairs of the Gombe Local Government as chairman during which the experiences acquired was to later be deployed to his service as the commissioner for Local Government and chieftaincy affairs.

Aside the many feathers won as the chairman and his political vibrancy that earned him many confidences at both state and federal levels, what is noticeable in Jalo’s CV is his constancy in government and governance in both elective and appointed positions; he has not left government circle as all successive governments including the incumbent have continued to recognise and admit his prowess, loyalty and dedication as well as his undaunted patriotism in the course of Gombe, no wonder this astute administrator is able to bag several traditional titles in all the state’s eleven local governments.

Before he came on board as commissioner, the 51-year-old former All Progressives Congress (APC) national youth leader has always expressed worry over the conditions of local governments in the state with almost all of them surviving on borrowing.

This inherited problem/menace was the major challenges he had had to present at the state council meeting with solutions on the way out of the shackles suggested and generally accepted by all.

Today, all the eleven councils now pay their salaries without stress.

As a matter of fact, under Jalo’s watch, Nafada, one time “distress” local government now has over N1 billion financial balance; what a feat!

“When I came in, of course like any other ministry, we saw some challenges that must be immediately addressed especially those that have to do with the finances of the Local Governments, those of the Emirs and Chiefs and their renumeration.

“First of all, we came in and decided that henceforth, no Local Government will borrow money to pay salaries because before our coming it was evident that local governments were surviving on borrowing,” he recounted.

The councils were suffocated by state might, not only in Gombe, but everywhere else.

In Gombe, the system was such that all the LGs were placed on “pool system” in which all councils draw their resources.” This situation, Jalo, an expert said was short-changing some LGs who suffered in the hands of others.

“For the first three months we came into office, we too borrowed to pay LG salaries but because of the prudent management of this government, we were able to stop that, believe me my brother, we have been able to ensure that every LG has been able to stand on its own and be able to pay salaries and other obligations,” he said, adding: “Since we started that, as I tell you now, virtually every LG has a good financial balance.”

According to him, “there is a particular LG that now has a balance of over N1 billion but before, it was never the case. All LGs were operating in a pool, they were putting their money in one purse but we realised that some LGs were short-changed under that arrangement but with the coming of this government, it has stopped, there has not been a day LGs run around to pay salary.”

The good thing about the arrangement and the person at the helms of affairs in the ministry is that the councils can now stand on their own even before the federal government comes in with its “bailout” monthly allocation.

“If money does not come from the federation account on time, we have enough money to pay our salaries now,” he boasted.

That the ministry and all its oversights are basking in excellence is not circumstantial, the achievements are planned and well-focused, it was deliberate, planned and at the end of the, applauded by all and sundry.

Before now, traditional institutions were reduced to almost common men with virtual loss of interest in the institution that was then regarded as position for loafers.

The situation however changed at the birth of this government that has judiciously appreciated the traditional “lieutenants”. Recently, they were upgraded with their remuneration increased to appreciable level.

It is obvious that the commissioner is a round peg in a round hole having served in various capacities at both local, national (serving) state levels.

Several goals amassed by this government at the third-tier level is well-concurred by this enigmatic grassroot politician who recalled with smiles: “I was Financial Secretary of Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON); I was deputy national president Association of ALGON; I was once president ALGON.”

To some extent, LGs in Gombe State enjoy near-total autonomy as confirmed by Jalo: “to larger extent, our local governments enjoy financial autonomy, we strictly adhere to President Buhari’s executive order that LGs be given autonomy and because that, we were able to operate separate account between state and LGs. By this, everybody is directly autonomous, no single LG money will miss, not again. They have every right to utilise their resources as they wish and desire.”

Jalo, a compliant administrator in displaying to the world, the financial and administrative autonomous enjoyed by local governments under the administration of Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya recently showed the world the new move by the state to engage a consultant to computerise the financial data of each 11 LGs into one compendium for easier access and control.

The local government automated accounting system gulped N253 million and expected to place the state among its counterparts in the world as computerised financial compliant to secure accountability and transparency.

“We are in a virtual technology age so there is the need for us to ensure that financial activities are automated. It will give us efficiency and accountability,” he explained at a recent press conference in his office.

Jalo’s career mission is to lead and transform public and private sector organisation to reach their optimum potentials “based on my experience over the years of service in those sectors,” he stated.

An alumnus of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Bauchi where he bagged MBA Financial Management between 2002-2005 having gotten B.Ed in Business Education at Ahmadu Bello University Zaria in 2000 after his NCE in Business Education at Federal College of Education Technical (FCE-T) in 1993.

Between 2014-2018, a loyal and team player Jalo was elected national youth leader of APC; member National Working Committee, responsible for the day to day running of the party.

He tirelessly mobilised the youths on behalf of the party as well as organise program that would endear them to the party in conjunction with zonal and state youth leaders.

For a year (2014-2015) he was the Director Youth Mobilisation of the party’s Presidential Campaign Council, mobilising the youths to vote for APC presidential candidate (Buhari) in 2015 general election.

During his tenure as the elected President Association of Local Governments of Nigeria in 2010 Jalo led the umbrella body of 774 Elected Local Government chairmen in Nigeria to fight for rights and privileges of members, to also interface with similar bodies like governors’ forum, Staff Employee Association and other sister organisations in Africa and across the globe.

Worthy of mention is his brief stint at the SIEC when appointed as secretary between 2003-2004. He performed to the applause of other appointed and career staff of the commission.

As the administrative head of the commission, he prepared and document records of meetings; prepared election budgets and for approval, and ensure proper safekeeping of materials as well as supervised distribution of materials during elections.

Much ado about his experience in political circle having served in various capacities, Jalo also has appreciable years of experience in the private sector that cut across banking and privately owned investments. It is on record that between 2008-2010, he was the Director Urban Development Bank where he oversaw the running of affairs of the bank by granting approvals on request emanating from various departments and source for capital investments and borrowing plans.

He was a Member Executive bureau United Cities and Local Government of Africa 2008-2010 (UCLGA) Rabat, Morocco; Member World Council United Cities and Local Government (UCLG) Barcelona Spain 2008-2010; Board member Commonwealth Local Government Forum (CLGF) 2008-2010 and Member presidential committee on health-related issues in 2005.

Appreciated for his numerous service and acumen, Jalo earned and won many medals from traditional institutions including: Gado Da Masun Gombe; Sarkin Dawakin Akko; Masun Kaltungo and Wakilin Wajen Dadiya.

Others are: Sarkin Gabas Din Yamaltu; Fatikan Dukku; Sarkin Tafarkin Dukku, Nafada and Magajin Mallam Waja.

Aside the traditional recognition, Jalo has to his credit his nomination among the best performing Local Government chairmen by PDP National Grassroots Forum in 2009; he was also nominated among most accomplished and most performing local govt chairmen by senate committee on states and Local Government in 2008.

He was awarded the ambassador of youths by National youths Council of Nigeria in 2008; clinched the award of Excellence by Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (2008); award of Excellence by Arewa Youth Consultative Forum also in 2008 and got the award of best performing chairman by House Committee on States and LGs (2009.)

His official experience in various capacities must have informed his astuteness and vibrancy in all given assignments as the opportunities to serve his people have taken him far and wide the globe.

He attended Commonwealth and LG Chairmen conference in Scotland, (May 2005); attended United Cities and LG of Africa meeting in South Africa, (July 2005) and attended World Sister Cities Conference in Washington DC, USA (June 2006).

He led a Nigerian delegation to Commonwealth LG Forum conference in Nassau, Bahamas (2009); attended United Cities and LG (world body) conference in Istanbul, Turkey in December 2009.

He attended United Cities and LG of Africa conference in Rabat, Morocco, Morocco (November 2009;) attended World Press Conference for Africities Conference in Paris, France (2009); Co-chairman Reconciliatory Committee meeting United cites and LG of Africa in London, UK, (2010) and attended United Cities and LG General Assembly meeting in Guangzhou, China in 2010.

Jalo, who loves reading and travelling also attended Commonwealth LG Forum Board Meeting in Gaborone, in Botswana; and another Africities conference in Marrakech, Morocco 2009.

If it’s all about dedication and focus, patriotism, loyalty and service to uplift his people, Jalo, the embodiment of all the desires has always been found readily armed to the teeth.

*Alhaji Aramide is a journalist in Gombe

admin by — April 15, 2022 in Opinion 0
A Just Energy Transition in Africa Requires Energy Banks

 Africa  is still grappling with the crisis of energy poverty—a problem that is only becoming more acute as a result of a decline in investment and a lack of adequate infrastructure. It is possible that renewable energy sources, despite their widespread availability across the continent, will fall short of meeting Africa’s electricity demands in the short to medium term, leading to either the continued use of oil and gas or the emergence of even more people living in energy poverty.
 Numerous stakeholders have advocated for the continued presence of oil and gas, at least in the medium term, so that the continent can transition gradually while simultaneously lifting millions of people out of poverty.
Energy sources based on fossil fuels  have long dominated the energy sector, particularly in Africa, where air pollution is exacerbated by the burning of bushes for firewood and other such activities, among other things.
Environmental organizations, financial institutions, and governments from across Europe and North America have insisted that developing countries, including those in Africa, make an immediate transition away from fossil fuel production and usage in order to avoid catastrophic climate change. Renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, and hydrogen are being promoted as a means of achieving this transition .
In addition to this pressure, global governments have committed to incorporating more renewable energy sources into the energy system in accordance with the Paris Agreement, which was signed at the United Nations Climate Conference in 2015.
While the energy transition is a global phenomenon, the reality is that its implementation will differ in form and timing from one region to another, as well as from developed countries to developing countries, depending on the circumstances.
In order for Africa to achieve its goal of industrializing the continent, it is critical that it has access to reliable, affordable, and sustainable modern energy services as well as adequate financing.
The African Energy Chamber  is calling on African governments and the private sector to establish energy banks that will be dedicated to financing African energy projects. With this initiative, it is hoped to establish funding sources for all types of African energy, from oil and gas exploration to solar and hydrogen operations, that will not be reliant on foreign assistance. There will be no more begging for aid that will only be granted if we completely abandon our use of fossil fuels.
Following the United Nations (UN) Climate Change Conference (COP 26) in Glasgow in 2021, countries around the world came up with ambitious targets to help them make the transition to a low-carbon economy. Securing adequate financing for renewable energy projects is critical to the success of this process, and major banks play an important role in this process.
When it comes to lending to fossil-fuel projects, lenders have become increasingly hesitant to do so, while showing an increased appetite for lending to renewable-energy projects. Multiple banks have reaffirmed their commitment to financing the continent’s energy transition, which is a significant development  in the African energy landscape.
African Banks: Financing The African Energy
 The African Development Bank (AfDB), a multilateral financial institution that lends money to African governments and private companies, has prioritized green growth in its portfolio, recognizing the negative impact that climate change is having on the continent.
 By incorporating a climate-informed perspective into all of the financial institution’s investments, the bank seeks to ensure that African countries and stakeholders have access to adequate financing as they transition to a clean energy economy.
 The African Development Bank’s Climate Change and Green Growth Department is organized around two main goals: the achievement of inclusive and sustainable growth, and the financing of climate change projects. These goals are aligned with the bank’s corporate strategy for the period 2013-2022.
 Facilities such as the African Development Bank’s Green Bond program have already helped to accelerate the development of green projects across the continent. Thus, the bank has established itself as an important facilitator of Africa’s energy transition.
The Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa (SEFA), which is managed by the African Development Bank, has approved a grant of $1 million to assist Botswana  in its transition to clean energy.
 In order to close critical gaps in policy, regulatory, and legal frameworks that were identified at the Africa Energy Market Place , the technical assistance project assists the Government of Botswana in closing those gaps.
These includes the introduction of least-cost planning, the reduction of negative environmental impacts, and the encouragement of increased private sector participation in renewable energy generation investments, among other things. In addition, the African Development Bank (AFDB) board of directors has approved the Leveraging Energy Access Finance Framework (LEAF), under which the bank will commit up to $164 million to promote decentralised renewable energy projects in six African countries, as reported by the Financial Times.
 With an initial investment of $800 million, the LEAF program aims to encourage commercial and local currency investments that will allow decentralised renewable energy companies in Ghana, Guinea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, and Tunisia to scale up their operations. Six million people are expected to gain access to clean energy as a result of the financing of 18 decentralised renewable energy projects under the program. In total, it is anticipated that the systems will save 28.8 million tonnes of CO2 emissions over their expected lifetime of use.
ABSA BANK  LIMITED is a private limited company and, in collaboration with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) of the World Bank, has received a loan in the amount of $150 million to support the bank’s progressive strategy to grow its climate finance business. Through Absa, the loan will also help South Africa achieve its greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction targets, which will benefit the entire world.
 Absa Bank  is currently the market leader in the financing of South Africa’s Renewable Independent Power Producer Program, having structured financing for 46% of the projects that have been completed under the program to date.
STANDARD BANK, a major financial institution in Sub-Saharan Africa, Standard Bank is actively involved in the financing of projects  that promote the use of renewable energy sources. South Africa’s first local Tier 2 capital qualifying green bond, issued by the bank to finance renewable energy projects, was recently issued by the bank.
The proceeds from the new ten-year bond, which was recently listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE), will be used to fund renewable energy projects in the country. The bond, worth R1.4 billion, is the third to be issued under Standard Bank’s Sustainable Bond Framework, which was established in February of this year.
In order to assist in the funding of renewable energy projects, Standard Bank Group Ltd, Africa’s largest lender in terms of assets, plans to raise as much as 300 billion rand ($20 billion) by 2026, while maintaining an open mind to supporting fossil fuels.
This commitment  was made in a statement outlining the company’s climate goals, which stated that the lender would strive to achieve net zero carbon emissions in its own operations and from its portfolio of financed emissions by 2050, in accordance with the Paris Agreement.
The bank aims to achieve the following:
Reduce group advances to upstream oil by 5% by 2030; limit exposure to thermal coal to 0.7% of group loans and advances in 2021 and 0.5% by 2030; finance new coal mines only in the southern African region and only when there is an overall positive environmental impact;
reduce exposure to gas by 2045;
refrain from funding the deforestation of natural forests and indigenous trees.
NEDBANK:  The International Finance Corporation (IFC), has formed a partnership with South Africa’s Nedbank Group for the purpose of financing key renewable energy projects in the country.
The strategic partnership was established in order to enable the country to make the transition to cleaner forms of energy, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and create jobs in the renewable energy sector.
The International Finance Corporation (IFC) is providing Nedbank with a loan of up to $200 million to help the bank achieve its green finance operations expansion goals and grow its climate portfolio.
 This initiative is part of the International Finance Corporation’s broader goal of developing South Africa’s climate finance market through the financing of renewable energy projects.
 The South African government aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 42% by 2025 and to diversify its energy mix in order to reduce its reliance on coal even further by 2050, according to the World Resources Institute.
FIRSTRAND MERCHANT BANK: Global investors are putting pressure on South Africa’s top lenders and companies such as SASOL to reduce the carbon intensity of their portfolios.
 As a result, Nigel Beck, head of sustainable finance and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) advisory at First Rand Merchant Bank , has stated that the sector must respond and transform in line with forward-looking global energy trends. With a goal of reaching net zero emissions by 2050,
FirstRand Merchant Bank has committed to achieving this goal by 2022. This goal includes both operational emissions and the financing of strategic energy projects .
admin by — April 14, 2022 in Opinion 0
Bukola Saraki Is A Nightmare For APC

Prior to 2015, the All-Progressives Congress (APC) in its desperation to get elected, made several fake promises to the electorate during its campaigns, and labelled PDP government as very corrupt. APC further promised Nigerians to fight and eradicate corruption from the country while improving the living standard of Nigerians.
Beyond the massive propaganda which was employed by APC to defeat the PDP government in 2015, Nigerians have now seen very clearly the limitations of APC as a party and what its government truly represents.
 The general insecurity in the country stemming from unprecedented inter-tribal conflicts, heightened agitation for secession and self-determination by various nationalities making up the country while incidence of corruption is believed to even be worse under the current APC government. In addition, the worthlessness of the Naira, depletion of country’s foreign reserves, terrible and erratic power supply, high prices and scarcity of petroleum products, unbearable rate of inflation and seeming helplessness of the APC to guarantee safely of lives and properties (ritual killings are the new norms under the APC government) have so far become the notable attributes of APC government.
The one question which Nigerians continue to ask themselves is, “are we better off today than seven years ago?” to which the answer has been an overwhelming “No”.
The PDP has remained out of power for almost 8 years. The APC has brought upon the country, every type of disaster and unwanted change. Nigerians have steadily yearned for a better governance while many have even openly called for the return of PDP because to them, if corruption means safety of lives and properties, fastest growing economy in Africa, improved living standard among Nigerians, respect for human rights and freedom of expression, and high purchasing power for the naira, – all of which were present under each PDP government, but which the APC government has since failed to provide, and which it has no capacity to guarantee, then please bring back corruption.
While expecting the PDP to have learnt its lessons, Nigerians seemed prepared and determined to bring back PDP into power come 2023. This desire of Nigerians to support the PDP must however not be taken for granted. The party still needs to get its acts together, overcome petty internal disputes, and present quality candidates who are popular with voters and acceptable to cross sections of the country.
Abubakar Bukola Saraki’s Factor
Senator Bukola Saraki without doubt, represents the new type of leadership needed to take the country out of present political conundrum to its glorious height. .
A medical doctor, a former state Governor, and former Senate President under whose leadership, the Legislative arm demonstrated clear understanding of its constitutional responsibilities, its oversight roles and respect for the rule of law, while also passing a record number of vital and beneficial legislations in the history of our country.
 Nothing demonstrated his leadership attributes and popularity among Nigerians better than being able to keep the Senate united and focused throughout the most trying period of his leadership as Senate President in the 8th Assembly.
Zoning wise, the refusal or seeming fear of Peter Obi to declare interest in the 2023 President clearly leaves Bukola Saraki as the only and best Presidential candidate the PDP should give its ticket to. This is an unusual time in our history, and we must think outside the box to find an unusual solution.
 A country so diverse in tribe, religion and culture at a time of high insecurity, agitation for nationalities independence and sense of exclusion by the Nigerian youths who make up over 65% of the country’s population, needs to elect a courageous candidate who understands the issues and has the capacity to appeal to every segment of the population.
Highly educated professional, a courageous leader who is not easily intimidated upon his conviction to do the right thing, a good communicator with deep knowledge of true workings of democracy, fluent in many Nigerian languages and a candidate with ancestral links to, or social connection with major tribes and groups throughout the country, he is positioned as the best uniter and rallying point Nigeria needs today.
 Based on his interviews and legislative actions, saraki appears as the only candidate who can relate well with the youths who are already disillusioned with a system that deliberately excludes or prevents them from political participation. He demonstrated his commitment to the interests of the Nigerian youths by ensuring the passage of the “Not too young to rule Act of 2018. As a Governor and Senate President, he employed and surrounds himself with more youths than anyone else. Without doubt, Senator Bukola Saraki is a perfect bridge between the old and the young population of this country,
Furthermore, like Peter Obi from the Southeast (another deprived zone), Senator Bukola Saraki comes from the North Central geo-political zone of the country that has been so long excluded from presidency of the country since 1999. To any lover of fairness and equity within the PDP and whoever truly believes in power rotation among various zones and population brackets therefore, Saraki remains the best 2023 PDP Presidential candidate-especially at this unusual time in our political history and survival.
When Donald Trump looked at the prospective Democratic challengers, he readily and correctly identified Joe Biden as the only candidate with capacity to defeat him at the general election. Trump therefore cooked up false narratives and allegations to discredit Biden who had not even declared his intention to run for President at the time. From accusing Biden’s son of corruption to pressurizing Ukrainian President Zelensky to declare a fake corruption probe against Joe Biden etc.
Similarly, whatever anyone may say about Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu,the national leader of APC (who professed to have a lifetime ambition to become Nigeria’s President), we must recognize his talent for identifying prospects and challenges ahead of time.
With the rising political profile of Abubakar Bukola Saraki and his other natural talents, Tinubu like Donald Trump knew long time ago that Senator Bukola Saraki is the only candidate with capacity to bring about Asiwaju’s waterloo at any national election for same office. That explains Tinubu’s relentless attacks and propaganda against Senator Saraki. To Tinubu therefore, eliminating or destroying Saraki politically ahead of 2023 is a necessity, and whether Tinubu ultimately gets the APC 2023 ticket or not is irrelevant. Saraki remains the greatest nightmare for APC as a party.
I,therefore ,appeal to the leaders and critical stakeholders within the PDP to put the interest of Nigeria ahead of personal interests and rally round the most formidable, the most acceptable and the probably the best candidate with greatest appeal to all age groups and component nationalities of the country.
Madam Toyin Olupitan,Chicago, USA
Main Admin by — March 19, 2022 in Opinion 0
At 88, Subomi Balogun is a Symbol of the Nigerian Dream

The assertion that Nigeria is a blessed nation, is a truism of monumental dimensions.
And in spite the disparaging acts of a few charlatans across the disciplines in the geo-polity, there still abounds in the land, men of character and value, the thought of whose principles and actions ignite hope.
Symbols of consolation, they have by their deeds across time, reverently and consistently lifted the banners of genuine brotherhood, business integrity, dexterity, true statesmanship, exemplary industry, perseverance, and every other value of importance. And by a mixture of sheer grit and hard work, while steering their business brands, they have become creators of employment, bastions of treasured values, crusaders of sustainability and worthy legacies, incubators of financial substances, as well as society’s solid standard references for success and notable history makers.
In this pack is the cerebral entrepreneur, a rare gem with panache, Christian with infectious value system, and the possessor of many positively inspiring titles – Otunba Michael Olasubomi Balogun. Call him a symbol of the true Nigerian dream, and you would be stating the obvious. That dream encapsulates warm relationship with and accommodation for people of other ethnicities, religions and cultural values, patriotism and visioning, – vital ingredient in the founding and nurturing of enterprises, as well as the spirit of altruism and help for others in need. In all these, the beloved the Olori Omo-Oba Akile Ijebu, has quite an impressive record.
Many stories of him in the public space are tonics for motivation, for embedded in them, are the lessons of dexterity, doggedness and commitment. A typical example is the story of the quest to obtain a banking license for the First City Monument Bank (FCMB), which today has become a premium banking brand. “What I did at that time was unheard of in this country, for one individual to say he single-handedly wanted to establish a bank”, as against the statutory requirement for the bank promoter to have a foreign partner, which Otunba Balogun did not have.
“But I was inspired by my God through the mouth of a 9-year-old son of mine. We were praying and the young boy went to his mother and said, ‘I just pity Daddy. Why can’t he go and start his own bank, instead of wanting to be the Chief Executive of somebody else’s bank?”
In obeying that submission however, Otunba Balogun came face to face with hurdles, which without vision, commitment and the help of God, would have overwhelmed him.
In retrospect, he said: “it was Alhaji Otiti and the former Vice President, now late Dr Alex Ekwueme, who were used directly by God to assist me in doing what many people thought was impossible. In the case of Otiti, he was a CBN deputy governor and someone in the Central Bank had just mentioned to me, ‘we cannot give you a license because you don’t have a technical partner’. You know my reply? I said, “God is my partner”. Though Otiti had reassured him by saying, “Subomi don’t worry, the CBN governor and I would arrange something provisional, which will enable you run that bank and later, look for a foreign technical partner”, it did not happen exactly that way.
Here again, you cannot but agree that divinity was at work for him, ensuring the opening of another door upon the closing of one. Rather than Otiti, it was former Vice President, now late Chief Alex Ekwueme, who had been a friend well before the civil war, that God positioned for him and used. Balogun and his wife just resolved to ‘waylay’ Ekwueme in church. “At the Cathedral Church, my wife and I planned that when Alex was being led out that I would grab his cloth and my wife would grab that of his wife. When we made the moves, the security people with them thought something was wrong with us, but Alex looked back and said,’’Subomi, Bimbola, what is happening?’’.
“Do you know what I told him? I said, ‘Mr. Vice President, why are you not giving me a license?’ So, Alex said we should come to see him, and he assured me that the following Thursday, I would get my license. By 3 pm of that Thursday, a minister phoned me, and he said ‘Egbon (Big Brother), congratulations, the Vice President said your license has been approved’. True friendship, across ethnic lines had spoken, a friendship that had taken strong roots long before Otunba’s moment of need.
It was a clear case of one good turn deserving another, which lessons would become more obvious. Recalled from the point of view of Otunba Balogun himself:
“The first house I built in my life in Apapa, Alex had the next building to mine. As soon as the war started, some pool players took over the house and were playing pools there. They would be there until midnight, but in wanting to protect my own house from being burgled by those people, I arranged for the police to evacuate them. And having done that, I renovated the house and rented it out to a lady from the East and I was receiving the rent.
When the war ended, Alex Ekwueme returned to Lagos and came to see me. After the exchange of pleasantries, I went to my room and brought out a big envelope.”
Otunba Balogun narrated: “In those days, we didn’t use cheques much, it was all cash. So, I gave him the money. I told him I renovated his house, rented it out and this is the rent I collected. Dr Alex Ekwueme looked at me, he could not believe it. All he could mutter was “Mike, I am grateful”. It is the kind of reciprocity that only men of integrity are made of. It can be imagined what could have happened, if Otunba had not before then, shown himself trustworthy. Perhaps, his aspiration to birth a bank would have remained a pipe dream. On the other hand, having been tested, he became trusted, and at the point he needed help, to establish his own bank, the help came readily and easily.
Today, several other companies have sprouted from the brand, and they include: FCMB Group Plc, subsidiaries such as First City Monument Bank (FCMB), CSL Stockbrokers, FCMB Capital Markets, First City Asset Management Limited (FCAM), FCMB Microfinance Bank and FCMB UK. There are also, FCMB Pensions Limited and FCMB Trustees Limited.
There is more to the life of this man to demonstrate his ever willingness to be of service. For example, in a situation where many still tend cause divisions, using religious inclination, Otunba Balogun, has by his philanthropy, not only blurred the line, but obliterated it.
He gives to the Jew as much as he does to the Gentile. So much, he had taken it upon himself to invest in the spiritual growth of Christians in his hometown, through an annual retreat and many more. Interestingly, this retreat also accommodates Muslims. What is the essence? The objective is to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ, worship the Almighty God, touch, and impact humanity. Why not, when he was made the Asiwaju of Ijebu Christians, even when his mother was the Iyasuna of Muslims there, he has continued to enjoy the prayers and well wishes of all and sundry.
“If God singled me out and made me what I am, who am I? It is in appreciation of the unique endowment the good Lord made to me that I do whatever I do. I am not the only Ijebu to be a lawyer, I am not the only Ijebu to be a banker, I am not the only Ijebu to be made Otunba, I am not the only Ijebu to be anything. There are all sorts of birds flying in the air, but we know the Eagle is the king of all birds”, Baba, as he is fondly called by many around him, enthused.
He is Otunba, and further, they decided also to make him the Olori Omo-Oba (the head of all the king’s children) and yet, the Asiwaju of Ijebu Christians as well as the Olori Ebi of the Arojojoye Ruling House in Ijebu Ode, of Ogun State. That town is also host of the multi-billion Naira Otunba Tunwase Paediatric Centre which he recently gave out as a total gift, to the University of Ibadan and the University College Hospital (UCH), both in Ibadan. This is aside regular donations and lending support to worthy courses far and wide., which altogether, continually proclaim the kindheartedness of this true symbol of a classic Nigerian brand.
“I am always joyous to do good and to have people around me, wherever you come from. And the good Lord has always been faithful to me”. Otunba Balogun also proves that people do not always hit it big early in their careers but should see each modest stage in life as a step to something greater in the future. His immediate job before jetting out of the country for the proverbial golden fleece was as a classroom teacher. And even when he was done with schooling in the United Kingdom, he did not allow the flash lifestyle there, tie him down.
Many other jobs he landed had enough pecks to keep him hooked, but he was persuaded enough to give to each, only what was necessary. Such included the engagement at the Western Region’s Ministry of Justice, where he was a Crown Counsel and later, a Parliamentary Counsel, at the Nigerian Industrial Development Bank, a dream workplace, for many young Nigerians then and at the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), the famous World Bank, and its subsidiary, -the International Finance Corporation (IFC) both in Washington DC.
Armed with a bigger vision of himself and tomorrow, he promptly returned to the country, and began to explore business ownership options. His rewards and recognitions have come in quantum– profit for investments, commendation for good works, good name around town, and fulfilment in life.
But the icing is the joining the class of distinguished Nigerians, bestowed with the prestigious national honour of Commander of the Officer of the Niger (CON). For being a true symbol of the Nigerian dream, Otunba Michael Olasubomi Balogun deserves all the accolades. All men of goodwill obviously doff their hats today, for this rare gift of a man and chorus for him, the prayer of many more days in the land of the living, in good health of body, of mind and of the soul. Nothing less can suffice as a birthday gift for the billionaire with panache, as this architect of history, Otunba Balogun, turns 88 this month.
Chief Emefu L. Ibe
(Emefulenwanne 1 of Chokoneze, Ezinihite Autonomous Community, Mbaise,
a Reputation Management Expert and Public Opinion Analyst), wrote in from Owerri, Imo State.
Main Admin by — March 7, 2022 in Opinion 0
 Biodun Oyebanji: Another Gold In The Rubbles?

Ekiti governorship aspirant, Bamishile, denies accompanying ex-SSG, Oyebanji, to obtain APC forms | The Conclave NG The Best Online Newspaper
 By John Ekundayo, PhD
In the run up to the 2007 gubernatorial election in the Centre of Excellence, Lagos State, the ruling party threw up a relatively unknown administrator and lawyer as the party’s candidate. He was solidly and solely endorsed by the incumbent Governor Bola Ahmed Tinubu to the angst and awful disposition of party chieftains and stalwarts who perceived Babatunde Raji Fashola, the preferred consensus candidate, as a political neophyte. It was greeted with a quiet disapproval, dissatisfaction and disaffection.
Many saw Fashola as a novice in the political chess game of Lagos that is well versed and versatile in content and colour; and wondered how he would meander and manoeuvre through the murky and muddy water of the State of Aquatic Splendour advanced politics and politicking.
 However, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the mentor and master strategist saw tomorrow in Fashola and stood his ground without wavering to the chagrin of his teeming adherents and admirers, who are committed party faithful.
In the dedication to the book authored by this writer titled: “Out of Africa: Fashola: Reinventing Servant Leadership To Engender Nigeria’s Transformation” (published in 2013 by AuthorHouse UK), it was succinctly and saliently stated inter alia:
 This book is specially and specifically dedicated to Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the erstwhile Governor of Lagos State, political mentor of Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN, who with intellectual and prophetic insight saw Fashola as “a gold in the rubbles” if picked and properly polished. He did that against all odds and the outcome is the subject of this book.
Background Of Biodun Oyebanji
There is no gainsaying the fact that Biodun Oyebanji than any other candidate within his party, APC, is Ekiti born and bred. It is to his credit as a homeboy that he attended primary, secondary and tertiary schools in Ekiti.
Ekiti celebrated 25 years of existence last year and Oyebanji was the Secretary of the Committee that worked assiduously for the carving, crafting and creating of Ekiti out of the old Ondo State.
He was the youngest among the eminent members of that resilient committee with Baba Deji Fasuan as the indefatigable and indomitable leader. What a unique selling proposition as a contender and contestant for the Ikogosi Ekiti born technocrat and politician.
In his own words, when recently interviewed in Thisday newspaper, he simply and square posited along this line: “. . .I have been a lecturer, I have been a player in the banking sector, I have served the state government for 11 years and I have served on the board of a Federal Government agency as Chairman, Governing Board, Citizenship and Leadership Training Centre, Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development (June 2009 – Dec. 2010). Besides, I read a lot and I have a passion for books on development, the global economy, African socio-economic movements and books that deal with strategies for growth . . .”
 Oyebanji Has Proved His Mettle As a Mentee
In the leadership scholastic inquiry, there is the mentor – protégé relationship (referred to as MPR). It is one of the dyads in leadership – followership study. In it, a mentee or protégé could start from the process of initiation and reach saturation; at which point, the protégé could stand on his own with all garnered credibility, capability, capacity, credentials, competence and connections from his mentor; and network of other mentors and mentees connected with his mentor; and consequently, stand head and shoulder above another colleague who has no mentor.
 One great benefit of the MPR dyad in organizations and polities globally. To surmise and summarize it, a wise man once aptly amplified it thus: “if you have a father, you will go far!” In paraphrasing it, I would rather say having a father makes you see farther as you can sit upon his shoulder. It is not a mean feat in governance, in Nigeria’s context, to have been mentored by two governors while one served in diverse core and crucial agencies of government and not ONE record of disloyalty!
This writer,having served in government can attest to this allusion with a sense of modesty. In this regard, Oyebanji of the arrays of eminent and well qualified candidates of his party, stand head and shoulder above them, in content and context, as one that is apparently most experienced in Ekiti governance. He is versatile, capable, credible, competent and well acquainted with places and people within Ekiti context. Without mincing words, he has proved his mettle as a matured mentee!
 Conclusion
The primary election in the ruling APC comes up in a few days’ time. In essence, party members should be wise to vouch and vote for Oyebanji as he is a strategist keen in the development of Ekiti and apparently not for pecuniary gain or parochial interest.
 He is a people-oriented personality, a team player, with a knack for evidence-based performance as he was wont and wired to. A case in point will suffice. It was sometime in 2013 this writer was preparing for the wedding of his first son. I did not know Oyebanji and no one introduced me to him other than we both belong to the same online platform, Ekitipanupo (eminent intellectuals of Ekiti origin are members from varied and diverse pedigrees).
I notified all members of the wedding in advance to which I was greeted with a show of camaraderie and comradeship the forum connotes. Few days later, I got an email in my inbox that I thought was seemingly a scam in content. However, upon painstaking reflection, I discovered it was genuine.
There was a request in it asking for my assistance in developing the capacity of Monitoring and Evaluation (M and E) in Ekiti as I was involved in the Lagos experience. In M and E practice, Lagos leads other federating units in Nigeria.
 I was amazed when we spoke on the telephone and Oyebanji stated that he had been following my posts in the forum and could repose such confidence in me. I took up the gauntlet and with my team we were able to deliver as proposed with Oyebanji not uncharacteristically attaching any string to our consultancy service.
 He was then serving in the first term of Dr. John Kayode Fayemi as the Honourable Commissioner, Economic Planning, Budget and Service Delivery. The time we are in Ekiti and nationally calls for square pegs in square holes so as to mutually achieve set goals within the nick of time.
Oyebanji can smell such competent, capable, credible and cerebral talents from far and near to make Ekiti reach the zenith, socio – economically and politically. Ultimately, this writer wants to infer that, like Babatunde Raji Fashola (BRF), Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji (BAO) could be another discovery of “gold in the rubbles!”
John Ekundayo, Ph.D. –Harvard-Certified Organizational Strategist, and also a Leadership Development Consultant, can be reached via 08155262360 (SMS only) and drjmoekundayo@hotmail.com
Online Editor by — January 24, 2022 in Opinion 0
Setting Agenda For Presidency In 2023(Part 1)

2023 Presidency Re: Matters Arising and Setting the Pace! -By Constance Ogban – Opinion Nigeria
By John Ekundayo, PhD
The writer whilst engrossed in one of the modules of Organizational Leadership during the pursuit of his master’s degree, the term – Agenda Setting – was discussed as a tool used by certain stakeholders to influence leadership decisions or policy directions in organizations and government.
The term, agenda setting, was more prominently employed and exploited by media organizations, globally, to influence and initiate public discourse and debates over certain issues within the confines of communities, counties and countries that even the ordinary citizens might not really desire as priority in their scales of preferences.
 In essence, if a news item comes on frequently and prominently, more often at peak viewing hours, there is the likelihood that the readers (newspaper), listeners (radio), and viewers (television) will take cognizance of the issue as vital and worth their time. It might eventually become a state or national issue that the government of the day, in a particular context, would eventually make executive decisions or legislate on.
In this vein, in every society the presence, prominence, profundity and power of the media cannot be gainsaid especially when measuring the outcome of the developmental mantra of such a society. These days, the digital technology, having birthed the social media platforms, has impacted and enhanced the power and propensity of dissemination of information and ideas globally within a fraction of a second!
2023: Monumental Matters on the Table
It is gladdening to read that one of the key aspirants in the ruling APC for the office of the president, in the person of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has stated that he intends paying West African Examinations Council (WAEC) fees for final year students of secondary schools in Nigeria. What is the purpose of this? Will this increase enrollment or enhance literacy rate country-wide? Was this borne out of research or making a political statement? Is it realizable with our dwindling and dipping state of revenue generation bearing in mind that Nigeria’s economy is seemingly sustained by both internal and external loans? What are crucial issues on the table on the route to 2023 as many Nigerians are angling for President Muhammadu Buhari to end his term and hop into his farm in Daura to tend his cows?
Security Of  Lives  And Properties
Paramount and pertinent to any country attaining real development growth and attracting investors is the issue of security. It is worrisome that with high hope the followers voted for the incumbent president in 2015 and 2019 thinking that President Buhari, being a retired army general, would make a mincemeat of Boko Haram, bandits and insurgents.
 Alas, the hope was apparently dashed! It is upsetting that the so-called bandits are now being bandied and branded as terrorists by the same government who thought there were not real threat initially. Top on the front burner as 2023 beckons is the issue of security. We do not need any retired military officer to bamboozle or befuddle us again to vote for him as he is the one with the monopoly of wisdom to wriggle our country out of the contextual conundrum, we have found ourselves. It is doable!
Highly concerned, conscientious, consulting, collaborative and cerebral President will get this done within the nick of time. Nigeria’s followers would love to see how this menace of insecurity would be a time of the past.
Checkmating And Crippling Corruption
As a public analyst and political affairs commentator, I could state without mincing words that the paramount reason Nigerians voted for Muhammadu Buhari as President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria was that he would deliver our country out of the jaw of corruption.
We have been in democracy for twenty-three years and corruption practices seem not to be abating. It is a pity that a former military ruler was saying that his own government was better in corruption in that whatever was supposedly stolen was minute compared with humongous public funds disappearing these days with no culprit duly apprehended and prosecuted in accordance with the law of the land.
 Is the present law not even  too lenient for embezzlers of government funds, remembering, this archaic and antiquated 1999 constitution was the brainchild of the military interlopers? There is the need to revisit the amendment of sections dealing with corruption if the war to checkmate and cripple corruption will be won in Nigeria.
Modernizing Agro-Allied Business
It is high time governments, both states and federal, stopped paying lip service to agro-allied business. This article is not emphasizing agriculture.
The emphasis should be on proactive agro-allied industrial development that would not only harvest the produce but be engaged in processing, packaging, and promoting the manufactured goods in the markets.
 The latter could be local markets within a state; or national markets within Nigeria; or international markets, starting with West African countries to other African countries, and from there to the entire globe. There will be a need to partner with local and international private entities who will be willing to do business with Nigeria.
 Of significant importance to mention, is the archaic issue of cattle rearing along controversial routes. Nigeria has lost lives and limbs from this seeming and needless adversity. Instead, Nigeria, if in 2023 we have a game changer as president, should turn the adversity to prosperity for farmers, herders and the whole country by initiating ranching.
This would result in more meat and milk production with attendant jobs generation. In addition, bye products coming out from the system of ranching would bring in income and more importantly foreign exchange earnings.
States and federal governments vis-à-vis private individuals could partner and invest in this vast industry. Imagine cow consumption in south west Nigeria guesstimated at about two and half billion Naira (N2.5 billion) on a daily basis (according to Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, Ondo State Governor)! What a huge industry if properly managed and harnessed by all and sundry!!
Modern Healthcare
There is the urgent need for state actors and other high net worth citizens to stop the trend of medical tourism to India, United Kingdom (UK), Germany, United States of America (USA), etc. It should be a crucial campaign issue for a proactive development of our health systems.
Whilst existing health institutions should be revamped to conform to international best practice in medicine, there should be establishment of new state of the art health institutions based on regional arrangement.
These institutions should not be erected but be fully equipped with facilities and highly skilled personnel. The latter should be motivated with internationally accepted remunerations. If this is done, Nigerians that are highly competent working in the diaspora will find their ways home to Nigeria.
 In essence, it would be an apparent way of stemming brain drain. It would be recalled that President Buhari was away from his duty to take care of himself for upward of 200 days from 2015 till date! Asiwaju Tinubu was away in the United Kingdom (UK) for about three months to take care of a “common” knee injury in 2021. This does not speak well of our country as serious in making an appreciable impact in governance.
 Once upon a time, the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, was a medical tourism destination for such highly placed individuals as the King of Saudi Arabia. Could it be succinctly and saliently stated that we had a better yesterday? It is high time this ugly trend was arrested!
Conclusion
In concluding the first part of this series, the writer, as a followership scholar, will like to intimate followers who are potential delegates (party) or voters to deliberately be involved in the process of political developments as 2023 beckons.
In essence, the aspirants coming out now, and those that will still come out thereafter should be properly engaged to decipher whether they have anything to offer. In this vein, any aspirant that is not available for robust and rigorous discussion, discourse and debate should be given the boot! Simple and straightforward!! Once bitten, twice shy!!! Nigeria’s followers, be wise.
John Ekundayo, Ph.D. – Harvard-Certified Organizational Strategist, and also a Leadership Development Consultant, can be reached via 08155262360 (SMS only) and drjmoekundayo@hotmail.com
Online Editor by — January 21, 2022 in Opinion 0
Tinubu’s Trajectory To The Throne (Part 1)

Tinubu's trajectory to the throne (Part 1) - The Nation Newspaper
By Dr John Ekundayo
“When you have a dream, you’ve got to grab it and never let go . . .” – Barack Obama
Can a kingmaker, in a twist and turn, become a king?
Seemingly, the first personality that made the tag: “kingmaker” popular was Richard Neville, the 16th Earl of Warwick. Hence, kingmaker first found its way into the lexicon in 1599, but was rather popular in the 19th century as a proper diction with global acceptance and recognition. According to a British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) 2010 report, it has been subsequently used by politicians who help others attain power. Traditionally, the original kingmakers wanted to be king but were restrained legally, culturally and politically. Historically, Sonia Gandhi, a political kingmaker, was expected to become Indian Prime Minister in 2014 after her party won the election, but rather declined to mount the saddle.
Mr. Lee Jay-oh, a conservative South Korean politician who was nicknamed a kingmaker. According to him: “I helped him (Lee Myung-bak) become president, but I’ve never wielded undue power.” This is according to a Wall Street Journal (WSJ) report. He was widely reported as a close associate and confidant of the then South Korean President, Lee Myung-bak. In the process of time, Lee Jay-oh ended up throwing up his hat into the ring as a presidential aspirant of the ruling party in his country as there was no seeming cultural or constitutional constraint convincing him otherwise. Lee Jay-oh was so much concerned that South Korea was drifting and needed electoral reforms that would jettison the one term five-year rule for a two-term four-year rule. He had his own strong reasons. However, when the chips were down, he was a gallant loser!
In another political scenario, in another Asian country, there was a man, who was determined, against all odds, to make a remarkable difference. Tun Dr. Mahathir bin Mohamad, a physician, politician, author and statesman, eventually, after a series of political twists and turns, became Malaysia’s 4th Prime Minister holding office from July 1981 to October 2003. As at the time of being in the saddle in the South East Asia country, he was in the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO). Doctor M, as he was being referred to by his many admirers and adherents, was the father of modern Malaysia and was in strong competition (in terms of initiating policies and programmes to better the lots of Malaysians) with Lee Kuan Yew (LKY), former Prime Minister and later Minister Mentor of neighbouring, Singapore. His administration ushered in unprecedented and unique socio-economic and political development of Malaysia that could nor be gainsaid or jettisoned even by bitter critics of his style.
Dr M, bowed out gracefully, after winning five consecutive general elections, with an emotion laden speech that enacted tears from the eyes of party stalwarts and stakeholders. However, he turned into a kingmaker! He literally hand-picked his successor, Abdullahi Ahmad Badawi, who later got the boot as a fallout of strident criticism and opprobrium of Doctor M. Badawi, described as a “good man” by this columnist PhD’s supervisor, a Malaysian, was not a good leader as perceived by many political seers and analysts. Doctor M would not open his eyes for Badawi to run the country, he laboured so much to build, aground, Najib Razak took over the baton from Badawi in quick succession.
However, corruption marked and marred the tenure of Najib, the 6th Prime Minister of Malaysia. The opposition gathered together akin to what took place in the formation of the All Progressive Congress (APC), in Nigeria in 2013 (albeit in different political context), and in a jiffy, called on Dr. M to come lead them with certain caveat which he obliged to as he wanted eagerly to rescue his beloved country out of apparent economic and political rot. In essence, a king that turned, in a political twist and turn, to a kingmaker, was now being toasted and tossed to be a king upon the same political throne!
 Yes, Dr. Mahathir, the 4th and 7th Prime Minister of Malaysia, broke records in a seemingly uncommon and unique political lexicon – a king, a kingmaker and then, a king! Thus, in the most often quoted saying of Barack Obama: “There is nothing impossible to they who will try . . .”
Tinubu: Any Sin In Having A Dream?
Literally, any man or woman can have a dream. However, dreams should be shared only at the appropriate time. Biblically, Joseph ran into a troublesome time when, basking in the unique encomiums poured upon him by his father, who preferentially made him a coat of many colours, as a mark of distinction and dignity. Thereafter, he elatedly and enthusiastically expressed his dreams of reigning and ruling over his household despite being almost the youngest – he was senior only to Benjamin in the hierarchy, by age! He nearly lost his life; nevertheless, his dreams came to pass beyond all wildest imagination as he ruled over not just his nation but presided over the most economically and politically powerful nation of the world of his time – Egypt. Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, accountant, politician, senator and former Governor of Lagos State, is a political juggernaut, apparently a “man of timber and caterpillar” (apology to the late Dr. Kingsley Ozumba Mbadiwe of blessed memory). Asiwaju Tinubu who is arguably enigmatic and apparently controversial to some critics, was recently in the news. He was in Aso Rock, the seat of power, to jaw jaw with President Muhammadu Buhari and more importantly intimating him with his “categorial” (in his own diction) intention to contest in the presidential election of 2023. The die is cast!
In a widely published and publicised press briefing, Jagaban, as Tinubu is widely referred to by his adherents and admirers, declared that the ambition of becoming Nigeria’s president has been his lifelong dream. This columnist has written in times past of the need to tickle Tinubu into the ring of presidential aspirants.
 It is not just Tinubu, this columnist has declared over major media platforms (TVC New Breakfast, Channels TV Sunrise, and Arise Morning Show), as many people, who possess the political personality, profile, pedigree and profundity should throw their hats into the ring! The more, the merrier!! Enough of “accidental presidents and governors” all over Nigeria’s political landscape!!! How? For instance, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, after being released from prison in 1998 had the leadership of the country thrusted on him without his demanding or desiring it! Hence, Nigerians should not blame him; he did not prepare for the onerous duty of a democratic leader. He was a military leader. He did his best, though, like one of my mentors would say; his best was not enough! Obasanjo, to his credit, gave us some enduring institutions.
 Moreover, Dr Jonathan Ebele Goodluck also was another “accidental president” thrusted on Nigerians due to the ill health and eventual demise of Alhaj Umaru Musa Yar’Adua who succeeded Obasanjo. Neither of the duo had a vision of becoming president. This must not be allowed to happen in our polity whether at local government or state or federal level again! Enough of “unwilling and/or accidental” governors or presidents!! It is gladdening to read the swelling list of aspirants from the APC and PDP knowing with electioneering antecedents in Nigeria, that either of the candidates from the two most popular parties will emerge as the president aftermath of the election in 2023. It is the desire and demand of this columnist, as a followership scholar and leadership development consultant, to see more people come into the ring to battle for the tickets of both the APC and PDP.
Followers: What Is Expected Of You?
Any aspirant could have a dream; you cannot stop a person from dreaming but followers in Nigeria should be interested in the trajectory of such personalities to the throne. Followers: it is high time we collectively and collaboratively, in a coordinated fashion, jettisoned venison from politicians. All sorts of “dainty meats and fresh mints” should be discountenanced. The followers, potential and registered voters, should rather engage the aspirants to see what they carry on their inside!  A man or woman that could not run his company or business sustainably, has no business in vouching to become the president of Nigeria!
Moreover, there should be more interface with all aspirants: anyone among aspirants shunning debates, dialogues and discourses about salient issues of state should be discarded as the polls. Simple and straightforward! Potential followers should go forward to acquire their Permanent Voters Card (PVC) and registered voters should endeavour to update their PVC’s status.
 In addition, the professional bodies (Nigeria Bar Association, Nigerian Society of Engineers, Nigerian Medical Association, Nigeria Union of Teachers, Nigeria Union of Journalists, Academic Staff Union of Universities, Institute of Directors, etc.) and labour unions (Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress) should encourage, enlighten, educate and embolden their members to peacefully and proactively participate in the forthcoming elections with Ekiti and Osun States gubernatorial elections taking place this 2022.
Conclusion
In this series: Tinubu’s trajectory to the throne, this columnist, with the space allotted, will delve into his pedigree and profile in subsequent editions juxtaposing it with issues of state demanding urgent answers. Meanwhile, to Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, Senator Pius Anyim Pius, Governor Dave Umahi, and hosts of other who had declared and are preparing to declare their intention to run, my counsel will be that offered by the 44th President of the United States of America (USA), Barack Obama: “Keep your face always toward the sunshine, and shadows will fall behind you.”
John Ekundayo, Ph.D. – Harvard-Certified Organizational Strategist, and also a Leadership Development Consultant, can be reached via 08155262360 (SMS only) and drjmoekundayo@hotmail.com
Online Editor by — January 17, 2022 in Opinion 0
Mohammed Dauda: Unmasking The Face Behind Frivolous NIA Petitions

Mohammed Dauda: Unmasking the face behind frivolous NIA petitions - 21st CENTURY CHRONICLE
By Ismaila Iliyasu & Ikenna Ellis Ezenekwe
As veteran media practitioners who are concerned for the truth, for the security of Nigeria and for the safety of its people, we have been compelled by a series of deleterious publications in the last four years that threaten to undermine the peace and security of our dear country, to undertake discreet investigation as to the source of these malicious and unpatriotic publications.
Our discreet investigation, based on authoritative interviews with knowledgeable persons who however choose to remain private, as well as unimpeachable documents that we were privileged to inspect, established beyond reasonable doubt that the unseen hand behind these dangerous and malicious publications is one Ambassador Mohammed Dauda.
 This man acted for only one month in 2017-18 as Director General of the National Intelligence Agency [NIA]. The President did not find him fit and worthy for appointment as NIA’s head, so he was replaced by a substantive DG. Since then, he has embarked on a relentless campaign of calumny designed to bring down the roof of a critical national security agency.
It is instructive that when President Muhammadu Buhari earlier appointed Mohammed Dauda [better known as Modu] as Nigeria’s Ambassador to the Republic of Chad, a crucial post in view of our two countries’ close cooperation in the fight against insurgency, he gladly accepted the appointment even though there were other, more worthy persons that the President could have appointed.
When the President did not appoint him as head of NIA, apparently because he was privy to the man’s indiscipline and lack of patriotism, Mohammed Dauda now took umbrage and began his war against his successors, NIA and Nigeria as a whole.
NIA, Nigeria’s equivalent of the CIA, has always maintained a low profile since its creation in 1986 and does not publicly join issues with anyone. Its officers are also some of the best trained and some of the most dedicated public servants in Nigeria who maintain discipline and discretion even after they leave the service.
Mohammed Dauda became NIA’s acting DG in December 2017 after its then acting DG retired from service and he was replaced by a substantive DG in January 2018. All hell broke loose soon afterwards. This disgruntled man emptied the agency’s vaults and moved funds elsewhere, allegedly for safe keeping, against all known financial rules of the public service. He leaked secret personnel files to the news media, made dangerous allegations against his successor, which the Presidency declared to be unfounded. He then sent frivolous petitions to the National Assembly, making wild and fictitious allegations.
In 2018, a Special Management Staff Disciplinary Committee found Mohammed Dauda guilty of offences including “breach of confidentiality, violation of oath of secrecy/allegiance, misapplication of Agency funds, unlawful petition, disobedience of lawful orders, falsehood and prevarication, injurious rumour peddling and violation of Section 108 on unauthorized publication in the media.”
The Senior Management Committee, with the President’s approval, dismissed him from NIA’s service. He has since been living in the United Arab Emirates [UAE] from where he has continued to mount campaigns of calumny against the agency and its top officials. We are surprised that the UAE, which is friendly to Nigeria, continues to harbor a subversive element. If it has not done so already, the Federal Government of Nigeria should file processes with the UAE to demand Mohammed Dauda’s extradition back home to answer for his crimes in a law court.
The National Industrial Court ruled in 2020 that Mohammed Dauda should be reinstated to the service because some disciplinary rules were not complied with, which ruling has been appealed. He however planted stories in the media saying the court reinstated him as Director General, an impossibility since this is a political appointment at the discretion of the President.
As further proof of his indiscipline and lack of patriotism, Mohammed Dauda appeared before a House of Representatives committee in February 2018 and read out a sensational petition reeling out confidential security information, which he promptly leaked to the mass media. In it he made many wild allegations against members of the Presidential Task Force on the reform of security agencies, which were all found to be false.
In 2020, Dauda orchestrated more stories in the media. In the name of alleging favoritism within the agency, he breached all known rules of the service and of national security by mentioning publicly the names of officers he said were posted, the locations to which they were posted and the officers that they would replace there. Assuming the lists were true, this was a bonanza he freely provided to foreign intelligence agencies, an offence that in many countries could earn for the perpetrator the death penalty.
Last month, Mohammed Dauda was up to his unpatriotic game again, running around media houses and planting stories, alleging that some faceless NIA directors wrote a letter to President Buhari and told him to “stop appending his signature to things he does not understand,” allegedly because “his advisers are misleading him because of their selfish interests.”
Our discreet investigation found that no such letter was written by any NIA directors, serving or retired. Indeed, no public service officer worth the name could write such an impudent letter to the President of the Federal Republic.
 The purpose of the alleged letter was to warn the President to desist from reappointing the current DG, whose first four-year tenure expires this month. It was most presumptuous, most disrespectful to the President’s office, most injurious to constitutional prerogatives, most harmful to national security and most selfishly egotistical for Mohammed Dauda to try to stampede the Presidency into a decision one way or another just to satisfy his lust for vengeance, ego trip and self-aggrandizement.
It is true that intelligence services all over the world, including the American CIA, Britain’s MI6, Russian Federation’s Sluzhba Vneshney Razvedki [SVR] and Israel’s Mossad have all had instances over the years where former officers became rogue and tried to undermine the agencies’ integrity. Governments as well as security and intelligence agencies worldwide do not take kindly to sabotage because of their critical roles in their nations’ security.
No country, including the most developed ones, tolerates the breach of intelligence information and the outing of secret service officers. In the US, vice presidential aide in George W Bush’s Administration, Lewis Scooter Libby, was jailed for exposing the wife of Ambassador Joseph Wilson as a CIA agent. In 1994, CIA counterintelligence officer Aldrich Ames was sentenced to life in prison without parole for “compromising highly classified CIA assets.”
 In 2001, American FBI officer Robert Hanssen was sentenced to 15 consecutive life sentences without possibility of parole for compromising US intelligence secrets. The British Government took serious exception in 1987 when former MI5 officer Peter Wright published his book Spycatcher, and banned its sale in the UK.
The actions of Mohammed Dauda in the past four years proved beyond all reasonable doubt that he was a most unfit and improper person to hold positions of responsibility in Nigeria.
He has conclusively proved to the world that the President was absolutely right when he terminated Mohammed Dauda’s tenure as NIA’s Acting Director General in 2018 after only a month, a position he occupied without an appointment letter, based upon a phone call, and only because he was NIA’s most senior director at the time, though on foreign posting.
We therefore urge all Nigerians to henceforth disregard the antics of Mohammed Dauda which seek to distract critical security agencies from keeping their eyes on the ball with regards to insecurity that is bedeviling this nation.
We also urge media houses to be wary, lest they become accomplices in the illegal and unpatriotic actions of Mohammed Dauda which undermine national security.
We are confident that President Muhammadu Buhari will wisely use the performance information to which he is the sole privy to exercise his constitutional prerogatives in matters of appointment and reappointment of security officers without stampede or distraction by disgruntled persons such as Mohammed Dauda.
Messrs Iliyasu and Ezenekwe, are senior investigative journalists based in Abuja
Online Editor by — January 5, 2022 in Opinion 0
 Of Fake Prophets,Marabout’s And End-Of-Year DoomsDay Predictors

Opinion: Of fake Prophets, Marabouts and End-of-Year doomsday predictors - Vanguard News
BY CHIEF MIKE OZEKHOME, SAN, OFR, Ph.D.
 As the year comes to an end, Nigerians will soon be regaled, entertained and gripped with the theatricals and Baba Sala’s Alawada Kerikeri histrionics of many fake Prophets, Imams and marabouts that generously abound in the Nigerian religious space today. Nigerians may not be irreligious nor unreligious, afterall. But, many are superficially religious without actually being religious, holy or Christ-like. Many are gullible and easily susceptible to the beguiling wiles, shemes and false prophesies dished out yearly by so called men and women of God. Some await these doomsday prophesies with relish, eclat and bated animation. Some do with fear,  anxiety and suspense. Once in a while, some prophesies appear to come true. Afterall a Minister that dies after a prophet globally ‘profesies’ that “a prominent politician will die”; and a Governor that defects from his now suffocating political party on whose platform he ascended to office, is attributed to the prophesy of a Prophet who had said,  ” I see a Governor crossing over from his political party ro another”. Pray, are these not mere educated guesses and conjectures? Who does not know that some prominent politicians must die, or that some Governors must escape from the asphixiating iron grip grip of their suffocating political parties, to breath some free oxygen of freedom and political liberation; or be with the ruling party at the centre to be EFCC-compliant ? So, most of these so called prophesies are false, alarmist and constitute mere analytical guesswork. They merely prey on the simple receptive minds of a suffering and conqered people looking for succor and comfort  zone from any source, howsoever.Karl Marx was right afterall when he once described religion as an opium of the masses.Religion intoxicates and inebriates like an afrodisiac, giving a false sense of grandeur of illusion.
In the holy Bible ( Matthew 7:15-20 ), Jesus Christ had warned his followers, “beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorns, or figs from thistles? So, every sound tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears evil fruit. A sound  tree cannot bear evil fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will know them by their fruits”.
True to form,  many fake Prophets, Alfas, para-psychologists Imams, marabouts, star- gazers, seers, nichromansers, witch doctors and fake prediction peddlers use the precious name of our Lord Jesus Christ of Nazareth, or the holy Quran, or Ogun, the god of iron, to undesevedly elevate themselves to lofty heights and win unwary converts to their lucrative business centres, otherwise called churches, mosques and shrines. The situation is quite ugly.
There are people who suffer from the Stockholm syndrome, people who ironically show love and affectation to their traducers and repressors. There is also the story of  Stalin and the chicken, regarding how to Perpetually put a people down and repress them. It was in the last days of the collapsing Marxist experiment in the Soviet Union. Stalin was said to have called for a live chicken to make an unforgettable statement before some of his henchmen. Stalin forcefully clutched the chicken in one hand and with the other hand, he began to brutally and systematically remove the chicken’s feathers, until the screaming and struggling chicken was dropped featherless. Then, Stalin was said to have done the unthinkable. He told his audience, “now you watch”, as he placed the chicken on the floor and walked away. Stalin threw a handful of grains at the poor bird, which inspite of the excruciating pains, began to follow Stalin about. Shockingly, the bird bent down and began to eat the grains from his hand. Turning to his dumbfounded colleagues,  Stalin intoned quietly, ” this is how to rule the people..did you see how that chicken followed me for food, even though I had caused it so much torture? People are like that chicken. If you inflict inordinate pain on them, they will follow you for food the rest of their lives”.
Jesus Christ had seen this story about false prophets coming on board when he warned long ago, ” take heed that no one leads you astray.Many will come in my name, saying, I am he! and they will lead many astray.  And when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed; this must take place, but the end is not yet..And if anyone says to you, Look, here is the Christ or look, there he is! do not believe it. False Christs an false prophets will arise and show signs and wonders, to lead astray, if possible, the elect. But take heed, I have told you all things before hand” ( Mark 13:5-7; 13:21-23; Matt 24:4-5; 24:11; 24: 23:26 ).
The Ghanaian authorities have just moved against such end-of-year peddlers of fake and alarmist predictions. This is therefore one area ( amongst many), where the Nigerian authorities have so far abysmally failed, and where Ghana now appears to have excelled.They have decided to bring to book through their law courts, any fake Prophets and false prediction peddlers that cause undue fear, alarm, panic and needless rockus in the society. Such people are not only disturbing the public peace; they are actually disturbing the souls and hearts of innocent citizens with their doomsday prophesies that rankle and terrorise the unwary. Such people who suffer thereby are entitled to legal remedies in our law courts against such doomsday prophets in civil actions.
Besides, such fake predictions are also criminal. Sections 114, 392, 399, 417, 418, et al, of the Penal Code which operate in the northern parts of Nigeria, deal with  publication of false news that may constitute offences against public peace; or excite hatred between classes of people; insult, annoyance, criminal intimidation; or breach of the peace. There are equivalent provisions in the Criminal Code that operates in the southern parts of Nigeria. Section 39 of the Criminal Code applicable to Lagos state is very loud and clear on it, as it prescribes two years imprisonment for those who publish rumours and false statements calculated to cause fear and alarm in the larger society.
Sections 1, 24 the Cyberimes Act also outlaws cyberstalking, offensive, obsene,  pornographic or menacing messages intended to cause annoyance, insult, obstruction, hatred, illwill, needless anxiety, inconvenience, danger, fear  of  death, violence or bodily harm.
Beyond the shores of Nigeria, section 505 ( 1) of the Indian Penal Code and Section 54 of the Disaster Management Act, prohibit and criminalize the making,  publishing or circulating of statements, false alarm, warnig, rumour, or any report that are capable of causing fear,panic or alarm. Similarly, section 18 par 1038 of the US Code criminalizes hoaxes, false and misleading information.
Even section 46 of the  EFCC ( Establishment Act), 2004, criminalizes  any act which is a violation of the Criminal or Penal Code and which may endanger the life of a person, or intimidates, or causes fear, force, coercion or incitement.
Many Nigerian government officials, being largely superstitious and fearing their own shadows for grand larceny of our common patrimony, go nochodemusly, cap in hand at night,to secretly patronize these agents of doom. They hire and pay heavy sums of money to marabouts, Imams, Champlains, Alfas,  Evangelists, Witch doctors, Prophets and  Nichromansers, to predict the unknown bowels of tomorrow. These gullible thieving politicians forget that only God knows tomorrow. Ruben Abati, former presidential spokesman for former president, Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, once wrote extensively on Aso Villa and the types of looming spirits and apparitions that inhabit it. He told us some government officials even complain of loss of manhood.What Abati didn’t appear to know is that it is simple law of Karma that afflicts them. They were merely reaping the whirlwind of th wind they had sown.
So, Nigerians, I urge you to collate the avalanche of fake prophesies that would soon deluge us, for possible court actions.The law is clear: ” ubi jus ibi remedium” ( where there is a right there is a remedy”.
Wishing all of us, dejected, repressed, oppressed, denied, marginalized, brutalized,suffering, yet, smiling Nigerians, a blissfu yuletide, even in the midst of our individual and collective sweat, sorrow, pains, pangs and blood. Nigeria shall be great again, amen.
Online Editor by — January 3, 2022 in Opinion 0
 CRIMINALIZATION OF THE FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION

Criminalization of the Freedom of Expression -By Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, SAN - BarristerNG.com
By Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, SAN
Last week, I presented a paper at the Webinar organized by Rule of Law and Development Foundation, which is a national discourse being promoted by the former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Mr. Joseph Daudu, SAN. Permit me to share thoughts expressed with you, especially in the wake of Twitter suspension, media control and seeming intolerance to opposing views. No one ever thought that the suspension of Twitter would take this long, given the economic consequences of that decision, especially as it affects our youths. Whenever questions concerning the right to freedom of expression are raised, there are a lot of controversial arguments and more often than not subjective criticisms, trailing them. It is thus not surprising that in the wake of the renewed clampdown by the Federal Government on false, inciting and hateful speeches/publications, particularly via the internet/social media, the Nigerian polity is faced with warring views and reactions on the matter. We cannot deny the negative impact of fake news, inciting publications and unverified posts, to our national psyche. It is to find a balance between freedom of speech and expression and the protection of every individual and indeed the society, from defamatory and damaging publications.
Whilst many citizens, media practitioners and some right-activists have thrown their weight in support of the regulation of free speech and publications, notable warnings and vehement protests in opposition to the blanket rule/rein on free speech have continued to remain vocal by other stakeholders. Hence, from the recent ban on Twitter Incorporated by the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration to the proposed Anti-Media Bills, the Criminalization of the Freedom of Expression has become a center stage of legal and political discourse in Nigeria. I therefore, along with other pro-democracy activists, join my other co-panelists to interrogate the extant topic at this 4th Annual Criminal Law Review Conference. Let us quickly delve into the meat of this matter.
THE CONCEPT OF FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION
The concept of freedom of expression is not unfamiliar in our jurisprudence. Freedom of expression is one of the fundamental rights which are universally recognized and protected. The 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) (1999 CFRN), particularly Section 39 thereof, has expressly provided for the protection of this right because of its importance and relevance to the enhancement of personal liberty and democracy. It states:
“(1)      Every person shall be entitled to freedom of expression, including freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart ideas and information without interference
  (2)     Without prejudice to the generality of subsection (1) of this section, every person shall be entitled to own, establish and operate any medium for the dissemination of information, ideas and opinions…”
Under Article IX of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Right (AFCHPR), it is guaranteed that:
“(1) Every individual shall have the right to receive information
  (2) Every individual shall have the right to express and disseminate his opinion
        within   the law.”
Going further, Article 19 of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights (UDHR) provides that:
“Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinion without interference and to seek, receive and impart information, and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.”
Finally, Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) provides for the right to freedom of expression as follows:
            “1. Everyone shall have the right to hold opinions without interference.
  2. Everyone shall have the right to freedom of expression; this right shall include freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing or print in the form of art or through any other medium of his choice.”
From the avalanche of the legal and constitutional backings on freedom of expression and the press, the importance and impact of this right cannot be overemphasized. What then is Freedom of Expression?
Freedom of Expression, as captured by several authors/jurists, connotes the liberty to openly discuss issues without fear of restriction or restraint’. It can be said that freedom of expression is basically that right inherent to every human to hold, articulate, share or disseminate their respective ideas, views and opinions without any fear of censorship. It is in furtherance of this right that one holds and expresses dissenting and unpopular views without fear of sanction. Hence, it is not out of place to hold that the right to freedom of expression extends to all other forms of rights (i.e right to life, liberty, thought and religion etc) through which one expresses, imparts or conveys his ideas, thoughts, opinions or information into concrete actions. Freedom of expression is held sacrosanct and inalienable, being attached to the existence of the individual or entity. So long as there is a right to life, then the freedom of expression must be guaranteed and protected.
It has now been held by judicial decisions (both local and foreign) that freedom of expression and the press constitutes one of the essential foundations of democratic society and the basic condition for its progress and development. In the case of Kauesa v. Minister of Home Affairs & Ors (2003) 3 CHR 234, the Supreme Court of Namibia held that free expression is necessary to the maintenance of a democratic state; that citizens must be free to speak, criticize and praise and that muted silence is not an ingredient of democracy because exchange of ideas is essential to the development of democracy. One can therefore safely assert that freedom of expression is of great importance to the human race wherein free exchange of ideas promotes harmony and societal development; whilst suppression of the freedom of expression often leads to conflict, instability and sometimes outright revolution. When a people become chained through their mouths, then tyranny beckons.
LIMITATIONS AGAINST FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION
Notwithstanding the vital role and value that freedom of expression plays in the stability of a democratic society, the aforesaid right, like most other rights, is limited and not absolute. Nonetheless, the Nigerian Constitution and all other International Instruments (to which she is a signatory) strictly provide for those circumstances where this extant right may be qualified, restricted and or derogated from. Under Section 39 (3) of the 1999 CFRN, freedom of expression may be restricted by a law that is reasonably justifiable in a democratic society for the purpose of preventing the disclosure of information received in confidence, maintaining the authority and independence of courts or regulating telephony, wireless broadcasting, television… Also, by virtue of Section 45 (1) of the 1999 Constitution, the right to freedom of expression could be curtailed by any law that is reasonably justifiable in a democratic society (i) in the interest of defence, public safety, public order, public morality or public health; or (ii) for the purpose of protecting the rights and freedom of other persons.
The foregoing constitutional limitation against this right has become the foundation and legal framework heralding several statutory weapons and arms against the exercise of free speech and expression in Nigeria. These statutory weapons include the offence of defamation, sedition, incitement to mutiny or disaffection among Armed Forces or the Police, incitement to commit any criminal or public disorder and blasphemy, to list a few. Every society has always developed protection for the reputation and dignity of its citizens. Thus, a person who alleges defamation through freedom of expression is always free to approach the courts in a civil suit to seek an apology and even damages, in appropriate cases. It can then be seen that freedom of expression is not absolute. We shall thus take out the time to promptly highlight some of these notable statutory limitations on the freedom of expression.
SEDITION
The sedition law in Nigeria dates back to the colonial period whereby the colonial government used the law of sedition as a cudgel against all forms of nationalist uprising. By virtue of sections 50 and 51 of the Criminal Code Act, it is a criminal offence to amongst others,
(a)   bring into hatred or contempt or disaffection against the person of the President or of the Governor of a State or the Government of the Federation.
(b)   excite the citizens of Nigeria to attempt to procure the alteration, otherwise than by lawful means, of any other matter in Nigeria as established by law
(c)    raise discontent or disaffection amongst the citizens or other inhabitants of Nigeria.
Part of the alarming implications of the above law is that the government/prosecution need not prove all the aforesaid conditions in establishing the offence of sedition. Just any publication, speech or expression that brings disaffection against the person of the President is enough to justify the offence of sedition. More insidious is that truth is no defence to a charge of sedition. In the case of Queen v. Amalgamated Press of Nigeria Ltd (1962) WNLR 272, the court held that the real test of sedition is not the falsity or otherwise of the article but whether the publication is likely to expose the government to hatred, contempt or ridicule. Hence, a newspaper accusing the government of reckless corruption, unabated nepotism and abuse of office, even if true, can be held to be a seditious publication.
A respite to the draconian provisions of our sedition laws has however come on the heels of judicial activism vide the celebrated case of Nwankwo v. State (1983) 1 NCLR 366. There, the defendant was charged, convicted and sentenced to one year imprisonment for publishing a pamphlet titled “HOW JIM NWOBODO RULES ANAMBRA STATE”. In setting aside the conviction and sentence on appeal, the Court of Appeal in a historic decision, held that Sections 50 (2) and 51 of the Criminal Code Act were inconsistent with the provisions of Sections 36 and 41 of the 1979 Constitution (in pari materia with Sections 39 and 45 of the 1999 CFRN) and are by implication repealed from the 1st of October 1979.
Even though this cannot be a licence for defamation, the State should not criminalize offending publications given the consequences of such statutory prohibition on society. What it means is that state actors can get away with the deployment of the instrumentalities of state to gag citizens, subject them to arbitrary trials and in that wise, shut all avenues for dissent. Freedom of expression and the press is one of the basic components of any democratic society. We cannot hold ourselves in chains after many of our people have lost their lives and liberties to rid our land of military dictatorship. Every civilian government voted into power by the will of the people should allow the people to disagree whenever the need arises. We cannot go back to the dark ages.
Online Editor by — November 30, 2021 in Opinion 0