By Lawal Akanbi Sharafadeen

In my previous article titled “No Excuses: Gov AbdulRazaq Must Implement N70k New Minimum Wage, Consequential Adjustment For Kwara Workers”, I emphasized the urgent need for Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq to heed the Labour Union’s call for the creation a state minimum wage committee to discuss implementation of the new minimum wage and consequential adjustment for workers in the state.

It is pleasing to note that the governor has finally taken this crucial step by inaugurating the committee, and I commend him for this move.

However,while this move is commendable, I do hope that the intent of setting up the committee is genuine and not just a kangaroo arrangement or superficial gesture to deceive Kwara workers. We all know how deceitful Governor Abdulrazaq could be with his actions and utterances. Instances abound.

I am also worried that in the statement released by the governor’s media aide, Rafiu Ajakaye, to announce the inauguration of the minimum wage committee, there was no mention of the duration of time or deadline for the committee to conclude its work.

Was this a deliberate attempt by the governor to further prolong the implementation of the new minimum wage in the state just as he delayed the implementation of the N30,000 minimum wage for more than two years? This omission is troubling. How can such an important committee be expected to operate without a clear timeframe?

A specific deadline is necessary to ensure accountability and transparency in the committee’s work. Kwara workers deserve more than vague promises; they need a concrete timeline to hold the committee accountable.

Additionally, like I mentioned in my last article, it is incumbent upon Governor Abdulrazaq to not only implement the N70,000 wage but must also ensure consequential adjustments for all categories of workers under the employ of the state.

Sources close to the Government House had informed me that the Governor would pay the N70,000 minimum wage to junior workers (those on Grade 1 to 6) who constitute less than 5 per cent of the entire labour force of the state.

While it is important to uplift the wages of junior workers, it is equally crucial to ensure that workers from Grade 7 and above are fairly considered in the negotiations for consequential adjustments. We do not want to see a repeat of the previous N30,000 minimum wage implementation, where senior cadre workers received negligible increments in their salaries, creating an unjust disparity between junion and senior workers.

This arrangement created a scenario where workers on Grade 6 and lower were collecting almost the same salary with those on Grade 7 and above for six months before just 10k was added across board for senior workers, especially from level 7 to 14. This is very unfair and unacceptable.

It is disheartening to note that workers in Kwara State continue to earn significantly less than their counterparts in neighboring states like Oyo, Kogi, Ogun, and Osun, not to mention states like Lagos, Rivers, Edo and Kano.

For instance, it was gathered that workers on GL 13 in Oyo are getting about 50,000 than their counterparts on the same level in Kwara. What makes this situation grimmer is the fact that food inflation is often higher in Kwara than in these states, which further diminishes the purchasing power of workers in the state.

Salary comparison between Kwara workers and other states was a crucial campaign point and propaganda of the Otoge Movement, but five years into their administration, the story hasn’t changed.

To all members of the Minimum Wage Committee set up by Governor Abdulrazaq, particularly the labour leaders, I implore you not to compromise and betray the workers whose interests you swore to protect.

You must work to ensure a fair deal for all categories of workers in the state as they are all negatively impacted by the current economic woes the APC at both state and national levels have subjected the masses to.

Let me reiterate my stand that considering the current economic challenges faced by workers and the significant improvement in FAAC allocations and other revenue sources to the state, Governor Abdulrazaq has no excuse not to pay the new minimum wage and effect consequential adjustment for workers in higher levels.

A governor — who could afford to use N17.8billion of state’s resource on hotel renovation,shouldn’t have any issue to pay the new minimum wage and ensure just and appreciable consequential adjustment for workers in the state, who continue to struggle to make ends meet in an increasingly harsh economic environment.

As I concluded in my last article, Governor Abdulrazaq must know that implementing the new minimum wage and effecting consequential adjustment is not just a legal obligation; it is a moral one. The livelihoods of workers in Kwara State depend on it.

The increased FAAC allocations should be utilized to improve the standard of living for the state’s workforce, who are essential to the state’s growth and development. The workers deserve fair compensation for their hardwork and dedication.

Lawal Akanbi Sharafadeen writes from Kwara State Capital.

By Lawal Akanbi Sharafadeen

Before delving into the subject matter of my piece, I would like to use this medium to congratulate Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, CON, and the entire Saraki family on the success of the funeral service of their beloved matriarch, Chief Mrs. Florence Morenikeji Saraki, which took place in Lagos recently.

Mama’s enduring legacy, marked by her extraordinary compassion, philanthropic spirit, and selfless dedication to community service, continues to inspire the countless lives she touched during her remarkable journey on this divide. May God grant her soul eternal peace and rest, and may He continue to watch over and protect all those she left behind.

Without doubt, the events that followed the transition of Mama Saraki, including her funeral service were indeed a testament to the influence and respect that Dr. Bukola Saraki commands in Nigeria’s political and business spheres.

The outpouring of condolences from people from all walks of life reflects Saraki’s capacity to build bridges and connect with individuals across different divides. Across tribal, religious, political, and socio-economic divides, Nigerians came together in a remarkable show of support and solidarity with Dr. Saraki and his family during this period.

This clearly underscores the breadth of his influence, which extends far beyond regional and partisan lines, demonstrating a deep connection with the Nigerian people, built on trust, respect, and a shared commitment to the nation’s progress. Dr. Saraki, unarguably, stands as a towering figure in Nigeria’s political scene.

As a two-time governor of Kwara State and President of the 8th National Assembly, his impact on the country’s governance and development is undeniable. His leadership, vision and human relations have earned him a reputation as a statesman and a unifying force in the country’s politics.

Whether anyone likes to admit it or not, Saraki remains the biggest political asset and personality Kwara can boast of at the moment. No one comes close. Or can anyone name any Kwaran who is as big, well-connected and influential as Dr. Bukola Saraki at the moment? He remains the highest political office holder the state has ever produced.

This isn’t about bragging; it is stating the obvious reality, and there’s nothing anyone can do about it. His contributions are unprecedented and have been instrumental to the development of Kwara State, making him a pivotal personality in the state’s history.

In this light, it is crucial for the good people to continue rally behind and seek to harness his wealth of leadership experience, influence, reach and connections for the betterment of our state.

We must discard the sponsored opposition and unfounded hatred fueled by evil and selfish politicians in the state, who were only interested in being in the corridors of power and use that opportunity to amass wealth for themselves.

Despite not holding any public office in the last five years, Dr. Saraki’s dedication to Kwara’s peace, development, and advancement remains unwavering. I firmly believe that he still possesses the capacity to bring about positive changes to the state, not necessarily as a political office holder, but as an elder statesman and lover of his state. He still definitely has a bigger role to play in the development of our dear State.

Sadly,in the last five years, our dear state has been plagued by mediocre leadership and maladministration, all thanks to the clueless man at the helm of affairs. It is abundantly clear that Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq came into office with little or no experience and largely unprepared for the task of leadership and governance. He is simply an accidental governor.

This is evident by the lacklustre performance of his administration since 2019. After five solid years, Abdulrazaq cannot point at any valuable and impactful project he has initiated and completed. All he parades as achievements are pedestrian and low-quality projects.

As Kwara looks towards a future of sustainable development, prosperity and growth,we must begin to identify and push forward our best brains and hands for political leadership.

This is why as we look ahead to the 2027 general elections, as a loyal party man and someone who’s interested in the development of our state, I am imploring the leader of our party, Dr Bukola Saraki to leverage his influence and ensure that a distinguished professional,an accomplished administrator and visionary leader emerges as the Peoples Democratic Party’s, PDP governorship candidate for the 2027 general elections in Kwara.

The candidate doesn’t have to be a seasoned politician, as history has shown that effective governance are often driven by governors who emerged from outside the political establishment.

We have seen this experience in states like Lagos (Akinwunmi Ambode and Babajide Sanwo-Olu), Oyo (Seyi Makinde), Borno (Zulum), and notably, Kwara under Dr. Saraki’s leadership. Let’s prioritize excellence, capacity and vision in our selection process so Kwara doesn’t end up with another Abdulrazaq in 2027.

Dr. Saraki, it is my hope that you would give a thought to this request of mine and see that the party selects a candidate that shares in his vision for a better Kwara. Your ability to identify and nurture talent is well-known.

I, therefore, trust in your judgment to guide our party to select a candidate who embodies the qualities of integrity, innovation, and a commitment to the public good, and I do hope that the party leadership and members will wholeheartedly support this idea and choose a candidate with a fresh perspective and new ideas that can drive growth and development.

Furthermore,I wish to encourage Dr. Saraki to continue building bridges across political divides. Forgiveness and reconciliation are essential acts in leadership and politics.

The strength of a leader lies not only in their ability to lead but also in their capacity to forgive and unite. It is in this light that I urge you to extend a hand of forgiveness to those who may have wronged you, be it current or former political associates.

A large number of Kwarans look forward to your continued leadership and influence in shaping a brighter future for our State and Nigeria as a whole.

Lawal Akanbi Sharafadeen writes from Ilorin

Uzor Maxim Uzoatu

The sonorous songstress Onyeka Onwenu has just pased, but my duty here is to add the human angle to the legend of the goddess.

Onyeka Onwenu, inimitable singer, ace broadcaster and classy actress took no prisoners in all her undertakings.
Back in 1986, in the early days of the defunct THISWEEK magazine, Onyeka was billed to feature in the colourful “People” page of the trailblazing weekly that was then printed in London on Sunday and sold on the Lagos newsstands every Monday.

The young lady journalist chosen to interview Onyeka was educated in the United States just like the celebrated musician.

It was a case of things flowing smoothly in all dimensions as the camera-ready magazine was sent to London and landed in Lagos in arresting resplendence.

Onyeka was indeed a beauty to behold once the magazine hit the newsstands because her bold smile was like a charge of electricity on the page.

Now this: Onyeka Onwenu stormed the 113 Ogunlana Drive, Surulere office of the magazine in shorts, and the anger on her face could have been visible to even Stevie Wonder!

The question that shot out of Onyeka’s mouth was straight to the point: “Where is that young lady who interviewed me?”
As the street homeys would say: “Alarm don blow!” There was panic in the air, and there was no escaping the clear and present need to put the young interviewer out of harm’s way before undertaking the task of pacifying Onyeka.

What could have gotten Onyeka so annoyed?

Let’s get to grips with the background of the matter so that there would be “one love” at the end of the story.

The lady who interviewed Onyeka was a class act, and not your run-of-the-mill junk journalist. She was the well-schooled daughter of the best friend and classmate of Chinua Achebe in Government College, Umuahia, and University College, Ibadan.

To give the journalist her due, she faithfully reported all that Onyeka had told her without adding any ingredients whatsoever.

I need to report here that there were too many mad characters in the THISWEEK newsroom who refused to be gentlemanly like me.

One of these characters of the newsroom was a guy who attended the elitist Kings College, Lagos only to end up living with Fela Anikulapo-Kuti in Kalakuta Republic!

This Kings College alumnus who doubled as Fela’s buddy knew everything in Lagos because he was like James Hadley Chase’s Al Barney who had “An Ear to the Ground”.

It was the guy who revealed to us that Onyeka Onwenu was married and had a husband whom she did not want to reveal to the public.

The story got even sweeter with the information that the sweet Igbo Christian lady Onyeka Onwenu was married to a Yoruba man and a Muslim to boot!

Call it the mother of all scoops, there was a compelling urge to add the hidden Onyeka husband matter to the story.

It had to be eventually decided to put in just the name of Onyeka Onwenu’s husband without adding the ethnic politics in Nigeria issue since we were not Professor Okwudiba Nnoli.

Onyeka Onwenu ranks quite high as a leading liberated Nigerian woman who would not be bordered with parading as a Mrs. Somebody.

In the manner of committed feminists she dared to carry on and win laurels based on her capabilities without advertising the appendage of a man.

The fact that THISWEEK magazine ventured into terrains where angels feared to tread by revealing not just Onyeka’s status but the name of her husband was akin to touching the tiger by the tail.

The songstress who another mad reporter in the magazine had nicknamed “The Elegant Stallion” was geared up for an epic battle.

The arrival of Onyeka Onwenu in the magazine premises had to be tackled with immediate strategic actions such as hiding the supposedly offending young journalist and getting the singer to cool her temper somewhat.

The best plan of action that manifested was to lead Onyeka Onwenu into the office of the editor of the magazine, the ever charismatic Sonala Olumhense.
Trust Sonala to work magic in short seconds because when one re-entered the editor’s office after a while it was a smiling Onyeka Onwenu that was on parade.

The photo-journalists had to be summoned to take promotional pictures of Onyeka Onwenu posing with copies of the magazine, stickers and sundry mementoes.

She sashayed as only she could and the entire staff of the magazine got carried away with the sensational ways of the personable superstar.

No mention was ever made again of the hurt that was inflicted on her through the reportage of the magazine.

This recall here is my little way of celebrating my big sister Onyeka Onwenu, the lionized daughter of “Ochie Dike Nnem” who has just crossed over, singing into the night.

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has done what many political officeholders don’t have the courage to do—comply instantly with a court order.

Yesterday, the Minister ordered the grounding of Arik Airline’s operations. The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) said the grounding of the airline’s service was in response to a court judgment, stating that in order to prevent the aircraft from being taken out of the country, the airline had to be grounded, thereby justifying the minister’s directive.

An Abuja court recently ordered the sale of Arik Air’s aircraft to offset debts owed to Arthur Eze and others by the airline. The debt is $2.5 million.

The judgment creditor registered the judgment of the Lagos State High Court in the High Court of FCT, and on the 26th of June, 2024, Honourable Justice O. A. Adeniyi, then sitting in Court 8, Maitama, Abuja, made an order after hearing Motion No. M/9785/2024 filed on behalf of Atlas Petroleum, attaching all the moveable properties belonging to the judgment debtor, including the debtor’s aircraft with Registration Nos. B737-700/5N-MJF, B737-800/5N-MJQ, DASH8-Q400, and 5N-BKX, in satisfaction of the judgment debt.

The court had ordered the sale of aircraft, hangars, and movable assets belonging to Arik Air Limited. The court had specifically ordered the sale of aircraft bearing registration numbers B737-700/5N-MJF, B737-800/5N-MJQ, Dash 8-Q400, and 5N-BKK.

Minister Keyamo is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), thus he knows the law. His actions are highly commendable, and industry players have hailed him.

This is a lesson to all airlines that have huge debts and are not willing to settle them; soon the hammer of the law will reach them. Well done, Keyamo, for doing the right thing at the right time.

Zayyad Muhammad writes from Abuja

OPINION

BY

Prof.Mike Ozekhome,SAN

Till date,I have not still been able to finish reading this enigma’s epic, “The Man Died”, since I picked it up in 1979 (45 whole years ago). It is a 1972 non-fiction book exploring his experiences in prison during his 22 months imprisonment by federal authorities for hobnobbing with the Biafran successionist leader, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu. I just pity literary Lilliputians like me.

I am referring to Professor Akinwade Oluwole Soyinka, an unusual homo sapien. The likes of him – such as Gani Fawehinmi, Chinua Achebe, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, Ayodele Awojobi, Bala Usman, Adaka Boro, Chike Obi, Martin Luther King Jnr, Albert Einstein, Willian Shakespeare, et al- come like a comet, only once in a generation.

He is Africa’s first Nobel Laureate in any field. His was in literature in 1986, a mere 52 years old. The joke of his acquiring this Olympian heights states that some prospective Nobel laureate candidates had been invited for interview for the rare diadem.

It was said that when Kongi engaged in his staccato linguistic masturbation and literary calisthenics, the mesmerized interviewing white panel which had become soaked in his phonetic stupor simply told him to take a bow and go. They told him he had already won. Yes. He had got the white interviewers so inebriated by his virtually incomprehensible “oyinbo” grammar that they preferred to let him go quietly and have their peace.

Soyinka is many things rolled into one. Like amoeba, he is shapeless. Like an onion, he has many layers. Foremost nobel laureate; literary icon; playwright; humanist; poet; essayist; teacher; political activist; dramatist, singer; rights activist; hunter; crusader; cultural ambassador; Seadog founder; globally revered; cerebral intellectual; wine connoisseur; fecundity personified; archaist and more.

This man is undoubtedly a tiger and lion merged together, even though he once famously defied this belief by many to declare that “a tiger does not proclaim its tigritude; he pounces”.

Though some faceless people that the literary icon himself once described as “internet crawlers” once attempted, most vainly, to diminish the towering stature of this hero, he remains peerless; in comparable.

The truth remains that the great Kongi is far way ahead and shoulders higher than those in the Nigerian pantheon of literary icons and deities that he belongs to.

Wole Soyinka has taught a whole generation of literary giants. At the University of Ife (now OAU) in the 70s, where he was a professor of comparative literature, we rookies in the then part 1 (they call it 100 level now) would gather at the University theatre to listen to the words of wisdom of this literary icon and intellectual prodigy.

Even the great Ola Rotimi, Femi Osofisan and other literary giants deferred to his intimidating credentials. He was also a great singer and a rebel of some sort. Was that not why he was detained for 22 months? You can now imagine me having the honour of passing through such fire eaters like Soyinka, including invited lecturers to give us pep talks.

The likes of Gani Fawehinmi, Dr Tai Solarin, Prof Bade Onimode, Com. Ola Oni, Chris Okolie, Omafume Onoge, Sam Aluko, Eskor Toyo, Toye Olorode, Claude Ake, Niyi Oniroro, Edwin Madunagu, Ikenna Nzimiro, et al. I read English for three years before switching over to law. I was forced to lose one academic session because of my love for law (climbing down from Part 3 English to Part 2 Law).

Permit me to share my insights into two of his plays as it is impossible to plough through his trailer-load of literary writings.

I once read the nobel laureate’s “JERO’S METAMORPHOSIS”, a play staged in 1960 (I was barely 2 years old then); and published in 1963. I also read Soyinka’s “THE TRIALS OF BROTHER JERO”.

In the former play, Jero was in possession of a confidential file which revealed government’s plans to transform the beach into a public prosecution ground and tourists’ centre.

The satirical play was about the willy ways Jero tried to unite all the church leaders operating at the beach and make them form one church, with him as the sole leader. Soyinka was satirically decrying the hypocritical way Nigerians practised the Christian religion.

He was shocked at the obsequious and unquestioning devotion that converts and adherents displayed towards their manipulative spiritual leaders.

In “The Trials of Brother Jero” first published in 1964, Soyinka mocked the proselytizing Church preachers, who did not even have churches (as did brother Jero) and so preached in public places.

He highlighted the transformation of these leaders with religious titles of Bishop, Pastor and Prophet, to military titles such as General, Colonel, Sergeant, etc.

Soyinka depicted church leaders as deceptive, corrupt, fraudulent, politically ambitious and abandoning their flock in pursuit of mercantilist and mundane cravings. Thus, Like Karl Marx, Soyinka satirised these crafty preachers who deceived their somnambulistic followers.

The play exposed the contradictions in blind faith and slavish following, and satired the too many social and political imbalances in Nigeria of the 60s. The ills Soyinka kicked against in the early 60s are even worse today.

By Victor Oladokun

I’ve read with either great interest or dismay, several informed and uninformed comments about the current Aliko Dangote – NNPC brouhaha. Make no mistake about it. This is a battle that has gone viral and taken the global business, financial, and diplomatic community by storm.

I cannot ever recall an attempt of this magnitude by a State-owned company such as NNPC that is designed to discourage, discredit, and destroy a business enterprise of this size, influence, and impact. Never.

The NNPC has been quick to roll out its official spokespersons and political and media backers. Their aspersions have been fast and furious. In some instances, their logic and rebuttals have just not sounded credible.

Some members of the public, giddy with delight, continue to denigrate Aliko and the Dangote Group. Rather than deal with the exact and immediate nature of Aliko’s problems with NNPC, they throw up spurious statements about ‘karma,’ and Aliko’s alleged monopolistic business tendencies.

Others sensing that there is much more to this ugly public spat than meets the eye, have defended Aliko as most right-thinking entrepreneurial and business-minded Nigerians would.

The stakes are high. Whether we like it or not.

1. This is a massive de-marketing of Nigeria, investment wise.

Proverbially, money only goes where it is made comfortable. Markets and investment analysts always respond to signals. And this one is not good, nor does it bode well for Nigeria.

Africa and Nigeria, in particular, suffer rightly or wrongly from an asymmetry of perception and information. Ours is a narrative that is in constant need of improvement. Consequently, if you have ever been part of a Nigerian investment road show, you will realize how challenging it is to convince global investors that the country is a desirable investment destination.

The current drama plays right into the preconceived narrative about Nigeria – a nation where those who sacrifice, indeed become the sacrifice, as someone has already rightly commented.

2. Outside of the Federal Government of Nigeria, Aliko Dangote is the largest employer of labor in Nigeria. Hundreds of thousands of Nigerians depend on the Dangote Group for jobs and a decent living. They are paid on time and not owed a salary arrears, as is the case with some unmentionables.

Many more are direct and indirect beneficiaries of Dangote enterprises across several value chains in the country.

3. In the daily economic, financial, social, and development landscape of Nigeria, Aliko Dangote is a force to be reckoned with. This is an undeniable fact. Referring to Aliko as a ‘monopolist’ in the oil refining business is one of the most laughable comments I have heard.

Aside from the huge financial burden (one that has turned Aliko’s hair completely grey in the span of less than a year), the vision, boldness, and logistical genius that it has taken to set up this refinery, is simply mind boggling. As a visionary leader and entrepreneur, he has my greatest respect.

Regrettably, Nigeria is one of the only countries I know of where those producing nothing and doing nothing take perverse delight in pulling down the accomplished and successful.

I guess doing so psychologically detracts from their own failures or their abject lack of accomplishment. If you have lived, worked, or invested in Nigeria long enough, you will be quite familiar with this phenomenon and those it describes.

At a great cost to Nigerian taxpayers, the country owns and runs four abysmally non-performing oil refineries in Kaduna, Port Harcourt, and Warri. Scandalously, for decades, Nigeria has spent millions, if not billions of dollars, ‘upgrading’ these elephant projects to no avail.

What Nigeria has done and continues to do with its oil sector is a scandal of epic proportions. We are one of the world’s leading producers of crude oil, yet it has pleased and profited some to ensure that Nigeria daily exports its raw crude and then re-imports it into the country as refined finished products. Sometimes, Nigeria’s reality is stranger than fiction. But then, sadly, it is what it is.

The cost to Nigeria in lost revenues, foreign exchange, jobs, and business opportunities is unquantifiable. Yet, the status quo means nothing to some, nor does it move the hearts of the powers that be. For many, the end justifies the means … whatever means possible.

Caught in the middle are millions of Nigerians who daily suffer the indignity of poverty in the midst of plenty. That is the tragedy of Nigeria and the current spat between two key players.

The saga provides his Excellency, the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Ashiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu (GCFR), whose mercurial business mindset is legendary, the opportunity to –

* Wade in, intervene, calm nerves, and ensure peace prevails.

* Sanitize Nigeria’s oil sector (a perennial challenge that I am sure even Angels will ask God to be reassigned from), and

* Quickly bolster global investor confidence.

I wish the Federal Government, the Dangote Group, and the good people of Nigeria, all the best.

Dr. Victor Oladokun, is a Communications Expert & Public Affairs Analyst

By Akinremi Olaolu

Every period in the history of mankind,God throws up a leader among the people. The chosen one is always made to suit the purpose at hand and to lead the people out of a particular crisis.

The crisis at hand in Nigeria now is multi-dimensional. It has socio-political, economic, and moral sides. Therefore, what is needed is a leader with the right knowledge, experience,connections,temperament, vision,determination,and programme to lead in harnessing and distributing state resources for the overall benefit of the people.

With the way things are going in our country, it is obvious that to develop Nigeria, each of the sub-national entities must work to bring development to their area. They must put their best brains and hands to work such that each of them becomes a development centre and good news must be simultaneously coming from every state in terms of improvement in the lives of the people.

Back home in Kwara State, it is obvious that the government in place is not doing well at all. It is not only bereft of ideas as to how to identify the resources of the state, harness them for general purpose, and redistribute them to make the overwhelming majority of the people happy and prosperous.

Yet,we are stuck with that government for the next 34 months when their mandate will expire. The current government in Kwara State under the leadership of Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq has demonstrated that it has no clue about how to use state resources for general development. Rather, it has been a government run on impulse.

Projects are haphazardly conceived and implemented. Individual benefits are placed over the general goal. That is why the government still appears directionless after five years in office. No project of great value has been commissioned. No policy has been unfolded and no life-changing programme is ongoing.

This takes me back to the issue of leadership. Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, the Waziri of Ilorin represents many things to many people. While a lot of people see his many good sides, others do not see anything good in him. He is constitutionally barred from being governor of Kwara State, having served in that capacity, producing great results between 2003 and 2011.

He cannot even run for any office in the state having been elected Senator twice from the state and moved on to become President of the country’s highest law-making body, the Senate.

However, at every turn, events have proved without any iota of doubt that he is the best Nigerian to have ever been produced by Kwara State in particular and the North Central zone in general. Apart from being the highest national office holder ever produced by Kwara State, the recent events following the death of his mother, Chief (Mrs) Florence Morenike Saraki on June 18, 2024, have proved that Saraki is the Iroko tree under whom all Kwarans can find shade.

Between June 18th when the announcement of the transition of Mama Saraki was announced and July 19th when her remains were interred,the entire nation, irrespective of tribe, religion, political party, and socio-economic status rose as one entity to support Saraki in celebrating the life and times of his late mum.

The Ikoyi home of Saraki’s mother as well as his own homes in Lagos and Abuja became rallying points. The high and the low, Christians and Muslims, old and young, from the north and south, the highly educated and the barely educated ones, the people living with disabilities and the very fit ones, all came to commiserate with Saraki.

The President of the country, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu issued a press statement and also directed his wife and Nigeria’s First Lady, Sen. Oluremi Tinubu, to pay a condolence visit. Leaders from other African countries, diplomats, and other foreign dignitaries all visited the former Senate President, a man who in more than five years has not occupied any public office.

All these show the reach,influence, and national /international network that Saraki has. He is in a class of his own. The mother’s funeral was a class act. The lesson for us Kwarans in the before, during, and after events of the funeral is that Saraki is the undisputed national leader that God has selected for Kwara as of today. He has no match.

Whether anybody likes him or hates him, any Kwaran who has the interest of the state at heart and is motivated by the development and welfare of the state, that person has no option but to cooperate with Saraki and work with him to place Kwara State on the national map as one of the places where good news is often breaking.

Saraki has demonstrated that he knows the people, the how, and the when to network for more national and international benefits to come to Kwara State. We have to change the current narrative where in five years and with hundreds of millions of naira down the rain, no single foreign investment has come to Kwara State. Yet, the administration spends more money to antagonize Saraki.

With such a situation,how can the youths get jobs, how are we going to break the poverty circle and from where do we begin the lobby for investors to find our state attractive to put their money?

As it is,if there is any grievance or disagreement between any Kwaran and Saraki,let it be settled. Let there be forgiveness and reconciliation across the lines. Kwara State has nobody as big, well-connected, and reliable as Saraki. He is the big tree that can provide the much-needed shelter for us in the state.

He only needs our cooperation, support, and prayers to deliver.There is nowhere in the world where people are blessed with such a huge talent, shining star, and focused leader, and yet he is discarded and made to waste away on the narrow calculation of envy and dislike. If you ask a good majority of those opposed to Saraki’s leadership and who do not like him, their reason will be principally based on the talk of: Is he the only one? How can one person be the one who gets most of the top slots?

Now, that envy propelled the O to Ge campaign. It has made all of us vote for another political platform other than the one led by Saraki without weighing the options and critically examining what we are being presented as a replacement.

Now, we have experienced the other side and like the woman who just wants to change spouse to know what it looks like to be with another man, we are stuck with those who specialize in deceit and have no ideas as to what to do to better the lives of the people.

A word is enough for the wise. Let us co-operate with the one God has chosen for us. Let us seek to march with Saraki to build a new Kwara where all hands are on deck to rebuild, refocus, redevelop, and reposition the state.

Olaolu writes from Offa, Kwara State

By Funso Adegbola

I have known the Nobel Laureate, Prof Akinwande Oluwole Soyinka, who we fondly call Uncle Wole, Kongi, Prof and WS, for almost as long as I have known myself. He and my dad, Bola Ige were very close friends. They must have met at University College Ibadan, UCI- now University of Ibadan. They acted plays together in UCI and later Orisun Theater with Uncle Femi Johnson and others. Uncle Wole has documented some of their dangerous political escapades in his memoir ‘Ibadan; the Penkelemes Years’.

I remember in 1967, when my youngest brother, Muyiwa was born, my dad insisted that Uncle Wole would be his godfather. My dad gave him the book of Common Prayer, so he could acquaint himself with the baptismal vows he would take on Muyiwa’s behalf till his Confirmation. I remember during the after-baptism party, Uncle Wole, the godfather, thought it only fit and proper to introduce his godson, to his first communion, not the ‘holy’ type, but the finer taste of life- wine! He dropped a little drop of wine on his little lips! The humorous Uncle Wole!

I remember distinctly, also when he was released from detention. He was given a heroic welcome in a mini-open-sided Jeep/ Landrover style, with members of the Pyrates Confraternity in their redhead/ neck scarves singing ‘Captain Blood is back, is back forever’. Many kegs of palm wine were consumed that day. I remember that day clearly, in his house on Ebrohime Road in UI. Aunty Laide, his children and friends were there. My parents took me along.

I also remember the Summer of 1972, when I was on holiday with my parents and we stayed in a serviced flat in Kilburn. Uncle Wole and my dad had arranged to meet in London. I remember he took me and my late brother, Tunde to the Royal Observatory at Greenwich and explained to me the origin of the Greenwich Mean Time which I had learnt by rote during Geography lessons at St. Anne’s School.

He took us to see the Cutty Sark also in Greenwich. Such memorable moments! We took photos and I wish I could find them to show my ‘haters’ as documentary evidence that I know the Nobel Laureate from childhood! He even took us for a light lunch before dropping us off with our parents!

In 1986, when Prof was awarded the Nobel laureate in Sweden, my Dad, late Uncle Femi Johnson, Chief Joop Berkhout and many other friends were there. Whilst the non-Nobel laureates were dressed in dinner jackets, the Man of Letters and main celebrity was in his characteristic outfit- short aso oke ‘dashiki’ on trousers, no frills, no bells!

When he visited my parents at home, though not adept wine connoisseurs, they kept the best red wine- Chateau Neuf and the best cognac XO Courvoisier for him. He was happy when he learnt I studied French and Spanish for my first degree and he often spoke French to me in the best Parisian accent! My dad asked him if I spoke French well and he assured him his investment in my education wasn’t wasted.

With a first degree in Modern Languages followed by Law- I was following in his and my dad’s polyglot footsteps! He was proud that I knew the right glassware for his favourite drinks and served them with his preferred accompaniments.

Gbenro, his former student and I got married in Esa-Oke in August 1988. For reasons of prior commitment, he was unable to be at my wedding but he did not omit to send presents to both of us accompanied by a personal note of apology.

While in school, in Nigeria and England, I got close to his children especially Olaokun, when he was in Medical School in the UK and Moremi in Queen’s School Ibadan, when my brother Tunde was at Government College. I knew the others, Yetade, Peyibomi and Makin. Coincidentally, Yetade’s son, Adeoto is an alumnus of The Vale College. Makin has become my son Kayode’s big brother in Lagos.

As we grew older, we the children got closer especially when Olaokun and Lola lived in Ibadan, as well as the time Moremi lived in Lagos. It is amazing how our fathers’ friendship has spiralled to the 2nd and 3rd generations! It is a true testament and evidence of the special value and strength of their unconditional bond and authentic friendship.

When my Dad was assassinated that dark Sunday 23rd of December 2001 night, Uncle Wole stood solidly by my mum’s side. My daughter, Ayotunde cuddled up to him, calling him Grandpa Prof!

From the private lying-in-state to the funeral service at the Liberty Stadium right to the evening interment in our Esa-Oke home, Kongi stood firmly by my mum, like the Rock of Gibraltar- it was in his arms that my mum finally broke down in tears at the final rites of dust-to-dust and ashes to ashes. He stood by his friend and his family, right till the very end and even more so, after the dastardly act and after our mum passed on 16 months later, in April 2003.

Kongi spoke out at Dad’s funeral- he spoke truth to power in his funeral oration as he alluded to the fact that ‘the killers are among us’! No one could stop him. When the killers and ‘powers-that- were’, wanted to turn the facts and truth upside down, he warned them vehemently ‘to stop dancing on Bola Ige’s grave’. I feel so proud and protected to have Kongi in our corner.

Some of Dad’s ‘political, fair weather friends’ soon after became turncoats and dined with the enemy. But Kongi was the one true friend who kept Bola Ige’s murder on the front burner, even when others thought it politically expedient to sweep the matter under the carpet. Kongi defined for me what true friendship is and should be. I am glad that he and my Dad chose each other. I learn from you day by day. Thank you, Uncle. This means so much to me.

My darling Uncle Wole, Happy 90th birthday! I am so happy that you made it to the Nonagerian level, and still have your wits around you. You are still as fit as a fiddle and your mind is so sharp, despite the hardships you have been through as a literary and human rights activist in Nigeria.

I am glad that you are alive to see the results of your good works- you are being celebrated in all the continents of the world! You deserve this and more, our wordsmith, Nobel Laureate, Prof Wole Soyinka, from Ake to Ibadan and Ife on to the global stage!

I wish you many more happy years in excellent health. I thank Folake for looking after you and keeping up with your breathtaking itineraries. May your children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren surround your table like olive branches, and great will be your peace forever, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

I know deep down, you don’t like to be the centre of attention, but indulge us all- your family, friends, fans and loved ones, this time. We love you very much and appreciate who you are to us, your children, especially your friend’s children. God bless and continue to keep you for us, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

With lots of love and gratitude,
Funso Adegbola.
For Bola and Tinuke Ige’s children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Mrs Funso Adegbola,is the founder of The Vale College, Ibadan

By Engr. Abduraheem Olaitan Kehinde

It is often said that government is a continuum. What this implies is that effective governance and sustained development are largely dependent on continuity and building upon the strides and accomplishments of past leaders.

By acknowledging and building on the achievements of their predecessors in office,governors can propel their states towards greater heights and guarantee a brighter future for their citizens.

Unfortunately, this isn’t the case for Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq of Kwara State, who has never for once acknowledged the good works of those who came before him, let alone build on them. Instead, he has chosen to undermine their legacies and the foundations they laid, thereby hindering the state’s potential for growth and development.

I was moved to pen this article moments after I came across an online news story stating that the Federal Government had selected the Kwara State University (KWASU) as one of the six universities across the country to benefit from its ICT Experience Centre initiative. This initiative is a joint effort of the Federal Ministry of Education and the Federal Ministry of Communication, Technology, and Digital Economy, and part of the FG’s Learn to Earn Programme.

KWASU’s inclusion in the pilot phase of the initiative makes me believe there’s a lot that could be achieved with the institution if we had the right leadership in the state. I felt so elated that Kwara is getting national attention because of what someone had envisioned many years ago and strived earnestly to establish.

Also,not long ago,the Federal Government listed Harmony Advanced Diagnostic Centre (HADC), Ilorin among the 10 critical health care service centres across the fields of radiology, clinical pathology, medical and radiation oncology, and cardiac catheterization that it intends to upgrade and expand.

It is delightful to note that these two projects – KWASU and HADC – that have received the attention of the federal government are legacies of the past PDP-led administration of Dr Abubakar Bukola Saraki. These two projects have eased access to tertiary education for young Kwarans, boosted access to critical healthcare services for Kwarans and also created jobs for them.

It is heartwarming that despite the sustained efforts of Governor Abdulrazaq to undermine the good works of past administrators of the state, some of their works are still relevant and noticeable as they continue to positively impact the lives of Kwarans who are the ultimate beneficiaries.

For years,Governor Abdulrazaq and his shameless handlers ran the propaganda and lies that former PDP administrations did not do anything in the State. This speaks volumes of their small-mindedness and lack of leadership. Isn’t it time for him and his team of liars to bury their heads in shame? .

Since coming into office, out of sheer bitterness and envy, Governor Abdulrazaq has consistently undermined and neglected critical projects executed by the immediate past PDP-led governments. Notable among the projects is the Harmony Advanced Diagnostic Centre. Determined to kill the Health Centre, the governor has refused to fund it by upgrading facilities there and also failed to prioritise the welfare of workers at the Centre by starving them of their salary payments.

As of today, I’m not sure there is any staff in that Centre who has received salaries more than twice in the last six months. This callous disregard for the welfare of this professionals and the vital services they provide is inexcusable.

Under Abdulrazaq’s administration, the facility that once stood as a beacon of medical excellence, has been reduced to a shadow of its former self.

Just like Harmony Advanced Diagnostic Centre, KWASU is another legacy project of past administration that has suffered neglect under Governor Abdulrazaq’s administration.

Since assumption of office, Abdulrazaq has failed to fund the university neither has he provided it with needed support. Despite his pre-2019 election campaign pledge, the governor has refused to pay subventions to the institution. This is forcing management of the university to admit more students than its capacity, putting undue pressure on lecturers and available facilities at the citadel of learning.

The governor cannot point at any infrastructural or facility upgrade his government has carried out in KWASU since 2019. Another sad thing to note is the deliberate abandonment of the construction of the satellite campuses of the university in Osi (Kwara South) and Ilesha-Baruba (Kwara North), which the immediate past administration of Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed was working on.

After five years in office,it is not certain if the present administration had added a piece of block to the two projects. Rather than see to the completion of the two campuses, Governor Abdulrazaq is hellbent of establishing his own University of Education project, which shouldn’t be a priority for any responsible and responsive governor.

We all know the transformation and impact the completion and operation of the two KWASU campuses will have on the host communities of Osi and Ilesha-Baruba and the neighbouring communities.

We are all witnesses to the impact the presence of KWASU brought to Malete and its environs. His failure to complete these projects after five years in office is another reflection of his narrow-mindedness and poor approach to governance and leadership.

Furthermore, is there any reasonable justification for Governor Abdulrazaq’s decision to convert the Cargo Terminal at the Ilorin International Airport (now known as the Gen. Tunde Idiagbon Airport) to a mundane tailors’ complex called Garment Factory?.

Even if the Cargo Terminal wasn’t in operation, couldn’t he have initiated moves to revitalize and put it into use? What is more saddening is that more than a year after the Garment Factory was completed, no meaningful activity is taking place there, leaving the equipment procured with taxpayers’ monies to rot away.

This is the same way the government has failed to open the Tanke Bridge more than eight months after its completion, with the government refusing to tell the public why the facility is yet to be opened for public use.

Perhaps,the government isn’t proud of the poor job done on the project and fears its devastating consequence. The quality of the Tanke bridge can’t even match the quality of the Post-Office bridge that was built over 15 years ago by the Saraki-led administration.

I believe sooner or later, Kwarans will come to know the truth and what the government has been hiding about the Tanke bridge that gulped billions of naira of Kwara’s money.

It is glaring that Governor Abdulrazaq’s refusal to acknowledge and build upon the strides and achievements of his predecessors, coupled with his incompetence, maladministration and mismanagement of state’s resources has hampered Kwara’s growth and development, and that’s not difficult to see.

It is evident that while the governor and his administration seem intent on undermining the legacies leaders who came before him, especially Dr Abubakar Bukola Saraki, the State and its people continue to benefit from his visionary initiatives thirteen years after his time in office, a testament to his foresight and effective leadership.

Clearly, Kwara is in desperate need of such competent, forward-thinking, and purposeful leadership at this critical point.

By Mohammed Bougei Attah

On the eve of Eid al-Adha celebration, and in line with the powers vested on the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, in sections 5(1), 148 and 171 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), Sen. Bola Ahmed Tinubu relieved and directed Mr. Mamman Ahmadu, the erstwhile Director General of the Bureau of Public Procurement, BPP to handover his position to the most senior Director at the Bureau.

Following this directive, the most senior Director in the Bureau, Barrister Olusegun Omotola took over as the Overseeing Director General of the BPP according to reports. This is in line with FGN Circular of July 4, 2017.

Recall that on March 18, 2011, in a similar circumstance, the then President, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan sacked the acting Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, Prof. Uriah Angulu from office via a letter signed by Abdullah Yola on behalf of the then Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke, SAN.

The news of the sacking of Mr. Ahmadu as the Director General of BPP did not come as a surprise to many Nigerians, especially the stakeholders and practitioners in the procurement ecosystem. It was clear from his last outing, during his visit to the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, that he has indeed come to the end of his ostracized tenure.

The declaration by the Chairman of EFCC, Barrister Ola Olukoyede during the visit that the Public Procurement Act (PPA) 2007 is not helping the Commission in the fight against corruption was a rude shock to the operators in the procurement circle.

It is also not a surprise that the Council for the Ease of Doing Business under the Chairmanship of the Vice President, Kashim Shettima scored BPP zero percent (0%) in the last review because it is clear that BPP is a quasi-judicial body, a regulatory agency that must be constituted properly for effective, efficient and statutory performances.

As one of the sunshine laws promulgated by the President Olusegun Obasanjo administration under the recommendations of the World Bank Country Procurement Assessment Report (WB-CPAR) 2000, as well as the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply Management of Nigeria, CIPSMN Act concurrently in 2007, it is shocking that a lawyer and head of anti-corruption agency like EFCC could make such statement before the Director General of BPP without a counter response.

This many viewed as a demonstration of lack of adequate knowledge of the matter. Some of us that have had good working relationship with the EFCC and ICPC decided to remain silent as it is evident that both leaders, BPP and EFCC are simply ignorant of the provisions of the PPA 2007.

For the above reasons and to discuss the main topic of this write-up, it is healthy to leave that undeserved expression of “error” for now.

Now, after the June 15 pronouncement by the President, major newspapers and other media outlets across the country reported the removal of Mr. Ahmadu but little was reported about the new “Acting DG” of the Bureau. A visit to the website of BPP however gave more information about him.

By virtue of the Federal Government, FGN Circular of July 4, 2017, the most senior Director in any Agencies of government takes over from any Director General that may be removed from office by whatever circumstances. In this sense, the Director is termed to be ‘overseeing’ the Agency until a substantive Director General is appointed.

So,what are the implications of the failure of government to observe rule of law as contained in the Public Procurement Act 2007, applied together with CIPSMN Act 2007, for the growth and development of the economy?

The answers are many, and the facts are glaring. Ironically, all governments from the Musa Yar’Adua era to Muhammadu Buhari have observed the law in disobedience. Instead of fighting corruption, the cankerworm is on the increase daily, and we all pretend not to see it or playing lip service to the fight against corruption.

Research has shown that procurement corruption accounts for over 70% of total corruption cases in the system (See NGO Network Report on Corruption in the Public Sector 2010). While the anti-corruption bodies are daily fighting corruptions related concerns, procurement corruption appears to have defied all forms of logics, but the answer is simple but ignored.

Lack of capacity to interpret the laws, apply them and interrogate defaulters have been the bane of our large-scale corruption in public procurement.

For example, there is no Procurement Audit Report that has been submitted to the National Assembly as required by law in Section 5(P) of PPA since 2007 because the BPP does not as at today have any competent and qualified person, as required by law, to sign a Public Procurement Audit report and lay same on the table of the National Assembly bi-annually as required in the above section of the law.

It is exactly thirteen (13) years since this law was enacted and we are yet to address the huge gap in our quest to fight corruption.

To worsen the above situation is the absence of a National Council for Public Procurement, NCPP, as required in Part 1, Section 1 of PPA, to approve same Audit Report before it is submitted to the NASS. Yet year-in, year-out, we have Financial Audit Reports submitted by competent financial professional as the Auditor General of the Federation which serves as the reference point for financial and economic evaluation.

Of the three basic audits reports required for economic reforms, financial, physical and procurement reports, the last has not seen the light of the day.

Yet, procurement alone accounts for the bulk of the corruption recorded in the system daily. Section 5(a), 5(p) and 2 (a) of PPA 2007 as well as Sections 16(1), 16(2) to (4) are very clear on the implications of functioning without these authenticated documents by the Council.

The law (PPA 2007) that provides for the establishment of NCPP was passed in 2007 by the National Assembly, 13 years ago, but the previous Presidents, pursuant to Sections 5(1), 148(1) 4(2) and 4(3) as well as S.171 of the 1999 Constitution failed to inaugurate the Council till date.

President Umaru Musa Yaradua made an attempt in September 2007 to inaugurate this Council but this was cancelled when the members of the Council were seated because a report by the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply Management, CIPSMN to the President in writing that BPP, submitted the name of a student member of the Institute to the then Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF without consultation with the Institute to confirm who is a member of the yet-to-be-inaugurated Council by the law.

By virtue of the provisions of section 5(1) and 148(1) of the 1999 Constitution as well as the Finance (Management Control) Act of 1958, only a National Council on Public Procurement with the Hon Minister of Finance as Chairman can consider, approve and amend the Monetary and Prior Review thresholds for the application of the provisions of Public Procurement Act 2007 by procuring entitles.

So, by implications, the threshold presently in use without Council’s approval is illegal and not correct. The Council is required to approve contracts and Associations of partnership with the BPP which will facilitate the discharge of its functions and to go into liaison with relevant bodies or institutions at national and international levels for effective performance of its functions under the Act.

By these provisions, the law envisages a Council before the Bureau (to serve as its Secretariat), but in the present circumstances, it is the Bureau without the Council. A case of a child without a father.

Flowing from the above and to bring this back to the main issue, though they are all related, let it be noted that the Director General of BPP recognized by law is expected to emerge after the Council is put in place to serve as the Secretary of the Council and not before.

By implications, all the “Director Generals” appointed in the past for BPP can be described to have illegal occupied the office, since they were appointed in line with “Due process” of the law, also none of the appointees is a registered professional in Procurement and Supply Chain Management in compliance with the provisions of the CIPSMN and PPA Acts 2007, and now most recently, in compliance with the Presidential Executive Order No 5 of 2018 that requires all professionals operating in Nigeria to “be registered with their respective professional bodies before providing professional services, either in the public, private or the non-profit sector”.

The powers of the Bureau as shown in Section 6 of PPA 2007 makes the DG of BPP the Chief Security Officer of the public procurement system of Nigeria.

The responsibility is not only about procurement but is directly related to National Security, therefore the competence and qualifications of the Director General and other directors of the BPP is of vital and essential importance to Nigeria.

The powers invested in the BPP as a quasi-judicial body saddled with administrative authority or powers to adjudicate on procurement disputes subject to appeal at the Federal High court, is very important to Nigeria as a whole.

It is instructive to note that the actions of BPP is amenable to judicial remedy. See Hartv Military Governor of Rivers State(W6) 11 SC 211 at 240 where the Supreme Court observed that; “Although the Military Governor was not sitting as a court “stricto sensu” , he was under a duty to ACT JUDICIALLY AND FAIRLY” and by the same principles laid down in the case of Gabriel Madukolu & Ors Vs Jonathan Nkemdilim (1962 1 ALL NLR 1 as restated in the case of Babale Vs Abdulkadir (1993) 3 NWLR (Part 281) Page 253 the BPP will only be competent to exercise jurisdiction on the powers vested in the body only when the BPP is properly constituted through a competitive selection process, and its composition and the qualification of its Director General and other Directors are in accordance with sections 7, 8, and 16(1)(b) of PPA and sections 11(9), 16(2) and 18 of CIPSMN Act 2007 and there is no other extrinsic factor affecting its jurisdiction.

It is also a fact of law reading the content of the provisions of section 5(1) and 148(1) of the 1999 Constitution as well as the Finance (Management Control) Act of 1958, only a National Council on Public Procurement with the Hon Minister of Finance as Chairman can legally receive and consider, for approval, the audited accounts of the Bureau of Public Procurement.

The legal implication of this is that a Director General that is appointed by the President without the recommendation of the Council after competitive selection – as was the case in the last 13 years – is unhealthy for the nation. A person who lacks the adequate and relevant qualifications required by law should not hold office as head of a procuring entity if we follow the letters and content of Section 11(9) of the CIPSMN Act 2007.

It states unequivocally thus: “A person shall not be entitled or engaged as the head of any Supply Chain Management of any organization unless he is a member of Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply Management of Nigeria, qualified by examination”.

Thus, he or she cannot sign the Public Procurement Audit report statutorily required to be submitted to the National Assembly as carried out on all MDAs every 6 months by the BPP. Again, none of the Audit Reports has been submitted since 2007 (13 years after) that the law came in force.

For the records, it is instructive to note again here that the ‘No Objection Certificate’ one of the mandates of the BPP is a document to be issued to procuring entities upon application, “…evidencing and authenticating that due process and the letters of the Public Procurement Act 2007 (with specific reference to Sections 16, 18 and 19, and other relevant laws and regulations) have been followed in the conduct of Procurement Proceedings and allowing for the Procuring entity to enter into contract or effect payment to a contractor or supplier from the Government Treasury” In other words, from the Federation or Consolidated Revenue Account.

While this article is not meant to undermine any person or professional bodies in Nigeria, the effort rather is to support them and the federal government in this trying period of uncontrolled procurement corruption cases in the public sector.

Also with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, he will be the first President to have acted swiftly by sacking the former ‘Director General in the middle of his tenure and authorizing that the most senior Director oversee the affairs of the Bureau pending the appointment of an Acting Director General or substantive Director General.

This report,it is believed,will also be valuable to the anti-corruption bodies, such as ICPC and the EFCC. It will in particular provide deeper understanding of the challenges faced by the bodies in tackling procurement corruption cases by understanding the extant laws and the applications. It is hoped therefore that President will follow this advice judiciously to avoid the pitfalls of his predecessors

Mohammed B. Attah is a procurement professional and the National Coordinator of Procurement Observation and Advocacy Initiative, PRADIN, a select group of non-state actors trained under the World Bank-Federal Republic of Nigeria Economic Reforms and Governance Project 2010.