Shell Paints Picture Of Better Niger Delta Through Radio Programme

By Precious Okolobo

For one hour each week on two radio stations in Port Harcourt since 2017,the NNPC/Shell/TotalEnergies/NAOC Joint Venture operated by The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Ltd (SPDC) has been reaching the public in the Niger Delta with messages of hope and development through a pioneering discussion programme.

Appropriately named Canvas, the Niger Delta Roundtable, the SPDC-operated joint venture is painting the picture of a better way of life through lively discussions on the programme that not only highlight the ills of the region but also stress the resilience of its people to inspire reawakening and renewal.

Each week, anchors lead guests from all walks of life in sessions that are broadcast live to the core Niger Delta states and beyond with members of the public joining through social media and phone calls. The forum continues on social media after the anchors call it a day.

“Canvas has grown to become a reference point in public discourse on radio in the South South and South East geo-political zones,” said SPDC Director and Head, Country Corporate Relations, Igo Weli. “We’re pleased to help refocus the narrative in the Niger Delta from crime and violence to justice, peace and development.

Canvas is by no means the silver bullet to solving the challenges of the region, but if the weekly discussions create awareness and influence a change of heart somewhere, then it has been worth the efforts these years and should continue.”

Most importantly, the programme aims to contribute to making the Niger Delta an attractive investment destination that offers the needed environment for businesses to thrive in an atmosphere where dialogue, rather than violence, is the tool for resolving conflicts.

Canvas was conceived out of the need to re-focus the narrative on the Niger Delta from being troubled and problem-plagued to solution-seeking and forward-looking. Mr. Weli, the executive producer and the production team worked the structures of a programme that will be interactive and accommodating of diverse views and opinions with the aim of distilling the best ideas for the Niger Delta.

Canvas first aired on Rhythm 93.7FM Port Harcourt on April 10, 2017, and now runs every Monday 9 am to 10a.m. on Family Love 97.7FM Port Harcourt; and on Wednesday 4pm to 5p.m. on Nigeria Info 92.3FM Port Harcourt.

The edition on Family Love FM is simultaneously broadcast to audiences in Bayelsa, Delta, Edo states and environs via Radio Nigeria’s Creek 106.5FM and Bronze 101.5FM stations, while the one on Nigeria Info 92.3FM covers Rivers and neighbouring states.

An eclectic mix of guests ranging from subject matter experts, academics, social and labour activists, to public affairs analysts, employees in public and private sectors, air their views and respond to questions and insights by the public.

The guests are not paid and so are not under any commercial obligation to speak one way or the other. The production team is keen to stress that Canvas is not about Shell, although its operations often feature in the discussions.

A total of 676 editions had aired on Family Love 97.7FM and Nigeria Info 92.3FM as at end June 2023, excluding the ancillary broadcasts on the other stations. Topics discussed included SPDC JV and government programmes, youth and entrepreneurial development, digital literacy and post-Covid recovery as well as challenges such as crude theft, pipeline vandalism etc.

It takes a lot of legwork and intellectual exertion for Canvas to air every week. SPDC Spokesperson, Michael Adande, who is also the producer, said, “Our work begins with deciding topics and identifying suitable guests who we then engage to accommodate the interruption of their schedule. We work closely with the anchors and guests to ensure what goes on air meets high broadcast standards and promotes the aims of the show.”

It falls on the anchors, Kate Ogan of Family Love FM and Kaladakuro Batubo of Nigeria Info FM, to deliver a programme that makes a listening pleasure. “My responsibility is to drive into the consciousness of listeners, the fact that the Niger Delta needs massive development given its potential,” Mr. Batubo explained. “Thus, I attempt to make the topics relatable, awakening the responsibility in everyone, both indigenes and investors, on the development of the region.”

The NNPC/SPDC/TotalEnergies/NAOC joint venture’s social investment projects and programmes are regular topics on Canvas. This happened when an initiative in the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) known as Host Community Development Trusts (HCDTs) featured on Family Love FM on 23rd May 2023, preparatory to their simultaneous unveiling in Yenagoa and Port Harcourt the following day.

Nigeria Info featured the same topic post-unveiling. Chairman of Emohua Trust in Rivers State, Smart Okpara, who was a guest on the two stations at the time, said, “The phone-in during the show allowed for real-time feedback.

For example, when I appeared on the programme, a caller from Emohua raised an issue on a project planned during my time as chairman of the GMoU cluster in the community. Thankfully, I came prepared with the facts and figures and I cleared the air. Such feedback helps to build trust between community people and their leaders and promotes unity and development at the grassroots.”

Kingsley Nweke, a Professor of Governance and Politics at Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Rivers State agreed; “Canvas could help improve the existing long-term knowledge and communication gaps in diverse areas among its growing listenership in the Niger Delta capable of transforming the region.” Prof. Nweke is currently on sabbatical with SPDC and has been a guest on the programme.

An engineer based in Port Harcourt and ardent listener to Canvas, Ogbonnaya Chima, described it “as a highly impactful programme that x-rays contemporary issues with focus on the Niger Delta Region.”

He noted, “I’m mostly impressed with the fact that the guests are experts/SMEs/practitioners in the topic under discourse and they bring in hands-on experience which enable the listeners to understand and follow the discussion.”

Now in its seventh year of unbroken run, Canvas continues as a strong fixture of radio discourse on the Niger Delta. Mr. Weli said of the future of the programme, “The good thing about Canvas is that the conversations continue after each edition, meaning the programme extends beyond the studios to hearts and minds, where real change resides and begins.Slowly but surely, the SPDC-operated joint venture is helping to paint a picture of the new Niger Delta on Canvas.This turns out to be our motivation and reward which will hopefully take the show to the next level.”

In other words, the painting of the new image of the Niger Delta can only get better!

Wole SOYINKA

Your Royal Highness,

So soon after the Moslem season of spiritual purification, it is sad to see the ancient city of Ilorin, a confluence of faiths and ethnic varieties, reduced to this level of bigotry and intolerance, manifested in the role of a presiding monarch.

The truncation of a people’s traditional festival is a crime against the cultural heritage of all humanity. Year after year, the Ramadan has been celebrated in this nation as an inclusive gathering of humanity, irrespective of divergences of belief.

Not once, in my entire span of existence, have I encountered pronouncements by followers of any faith that the slaughtering of rams on the streets and market places is an offence to their concept of godhead.

Vegetarians hold their peace. Buddhists walk a different path. Prior to Ramadan, non-Moslems routinely join in observing the preceding season of fasting as a spiritual exercise worthy of emulation.

Perhaps this is another occasion for self-introduction. I currently teach courses in Abu Dhabi in the Emirates. That is the region of Origin, all others are mere appendages. I was there just before Christmas. I passed through again in the countdown to Ramadan.

On both occasions, the streets, businesses, hotel lobbies and other public spaces were lit up with the same festive spirit. Only the symbols within the designs were different. The mood of celebration was equally pervasive and inclusive.

Painfully, my mind could not help but travel back home, and some years past, recalling for instance how a procession of Corpus Christ was once attacked, some killed, by a brood of Moslem fanatics, for daring to process along the streets of that same Ilorin. Needless to say, such abominations have become routine. Community is sacrificed to bigotry.

It may interest you to know that, in Abu Dhabi, numerous programmes are pursued, at government expense, for the evolution of a humanized community based on religious tolerance and mutual respect. By contrast here, several tiers removed from Origin, must we turn the turban of enlightenment into a crown of bigotry? And in a society whose very constitution that supposedly governs us all guarantees freedom of belief, association and movement?

Your Royal Highness, it is conduct like this that has bred Boko Haram, ISIS, ISWAP and other religious malformations that currently plague this nation, spreading grief and outrage across a once peaceful landscape, degrading my and your existence with their virulent brand of Islam. It is conduct like this that has turned, before our very eyes, a once ecumenical city like Kaduna into a blood-stained mockery of cohabitation.

It is conduct like this that makes it possible for a young student, Deborah, to be lynched in the very presence of armed police, on mere allegation of having belittled the image of a revered prophet. It is action of this nature, perpetrated in obscure as well as prominent outlets of the nation that turns a young generation into mindless monsters, ever ready to swarm out and kill, kill, kill.

Simply kill for the thrill of it, but under presumption of religious immunity. It is conduct like this that then nerves one extremist to wake up one day in a Scandinavian country, publicly announce his intention, and proceed to make a bonfire of copies of the Qur’an. Reprisals follow, equally mindless, trapping humanity in an ever-ascending spiral of costly but gleeful violence.

This continent has endured centuries of disdain and despoilation at the hands of alien religions – Christianity and Islam at the forefront. Both religions have been sanctimoniously deployed as justification for unspeakable atrocities, for the dehumanization of the black race.

Do I need to teach you your own history, or is it that you prefer to forget? To encounter, in this century, a convert to alien spiritual dogma, appropriating the cloak of piety to impede the observation of our antecedent spirituality is not just racial treachery but an assault on civilized conduct as a universal aspiration of humanity, where every discovery, every new encounter usher in new propositions of enlightenment.

Humanity builds on the past, preserving alternatives of world views, not destroying that past which, in any case, is indestructible. Your conduct is an affront to my sense of racial being, and that holds true for millions beyond these national and continental borders, stretching into the Americas and the Caribbean.

There you will still encounter ISESE and allied spiritualities. There, ISESE still exerts its hold on the human spirit. Visit Brazil, go to Columbia, explore Cuba, and be humbled by the tenacity of this spirituality among the descendants of black humanity.

Even the sturdiest of thrones crumble. Long after you and I are gone, generations will continue to endure the effects of present anomalies, pretensions, hypocrisies, will continue to harvest the bitter fruits of the seeds of discord being sown by their forebears. I therefore urge you to rein in those agents of division, of triumphalist intolerance, such as the Majlisu Shabab Ulamahu Society.

There is a thin line between Power and Piety. Call Yeye Ajasikemi OIokun Omolara to your side, make peace with her and make restitution whichever way you can for this grievous insult to our race. We know the history of Ilorin and the trajectory of your dynasty – but these are not the issues. The issue is peaceful cohabitation, respect for other worldviews, their celebrations, their values and humanity. The issue is the acceptance of the multiple facets of human enlightenment.

The greatest avatars that the world has known were not without human frailties, flaws, and errors of understanding. You are NOT Omniscient. And you are not Omnipotent.

Wole SOYINKA
Akintalun of Egba
Giiwa of Ijebu-Remo
Akogun of Isara.

By Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, SAN

This is the way it has always been when a new leader assumes the mantle. In 2015, all that many Nigerians wanted was anything but Goodluck Jonathan, the former President.

President Muhammadu Buhari was presented as a preferable alternative and the Messiah that Nigeria needed at the time. Strangely, the arrowhead of that campaign would later take over from Buhari in a twist of fate.

Immediately Buhari was sworn in, the goons went to town and they regaled us with catalogues of woes that the political party they took over from had committed, as if that was not the very reason they were elected into office. Even till his last days in office, Buhari’s handlers were still talking of 16 wasted years of PDP.

In those days of the commencement of his tenure, Buhari was said to be the best thing to have happened to Nigeria after independence. We were told that his body language alone had restored stable electricity and wiped off corruption from Nigeria. But we became wiser with time.

As they say, when people have been subjected to years of neglect and poor leadership, any little effort from a new leader would be misinterpreted as revolutionary. But we are wiser now, as a people. Or so I believe.

On May 29, 2023, His Excellency, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu was sworn in as the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, ostensibly to fulfil his lifetime ambition. He immediately committed himself to the abolition of the fuel subsidy regime and also promised the unification of the exchange rate regime. He subsequently dissolved the security chiefs and also sacked the boards of all federal government agencies and parastatals.

This is the usual stock in trade, at times to raise the consciousness of the people and at other times to buy support and loyalty. These positions have to be filled one way or the other. The judiciary is key to the success of any government and so it was not surprising that he quickly assented to the Bill for the unification of the retirement age of all judges of the superior courts across board.

The appointments made so far are clearly predictable; the Chief of Staff, the Inspector-General of Police, the Chief of Army Staff, the Central Bank Governor, the Comptroller-General of Customs, etc, all from the same region. When taken side by side the Chief Justice of Nigeria, the Chairman of ICPC and the Comptroller-General of Immigrations, we can well define the real meaning of nepotism.

Take it or leave it, the majority ethnic groups would take no prisoners; so it was under Buhari, so it is now under Tinubu and so it will be, even under His Excellency, Peter Obi. There is nothing new. People should not delude or deceive themselves to think that any leader has come to their rescue.

The main three-fold planks of the Buhari administration were security, anti-corruption and the economy. The seemingly stable electricity supply that was contrived as a product of his body language at the commencement of his tenure later turned out to be the worst in the history of Nigeria with 99 national grid collapses, the anti-corruption war so consumed the government that even the symbol of that struggle (EFCC Chairman) was himself swallowed by it.

In a way that jolted Nigerians, some of those who were convicted by the court of corrupt practices were granted state pardon by Buhari and some others that had corruption cases or charges pending against them were smart to join the political party in power to have the cases dropped or abandoned. It is not different from what we are currently witnessing, wherein the EFCC Chairman has been accused of corruption and abuse of power without a charge filed against him in court.

It is the style of new administrations in order to be seen as doing something and to have enough time to settle down, before baring their fangs. President Buhari actually canvassed for judicial independence by signing the law granting financial autonomy to the judiciary but in the same vein, no other administration has victimized, intimidated and humiliated the judiciary as much as the Buhari administration, when we remember how security agencies stormed the houses of judges and how the head of the judiciary was booted out of office through unconventional ex-parte orders.

The euphoria of fuel subsidy removal by President Tinubu, the commendations from the foreign nations about the exchange rate unification and the devaluation of the Naira would seem to have driven the President into some kind of inaction, whereby one month after his inauguration, there is no cabinet in place, just as it happened under the Buhari regime.

Initially when he started, President Buhari had promised to take the battle to the insurgents and the bandits but in the end, we were later to be informed that even in Aso Villa in Abuja from where he operated, the President was in mortal dread of #EndSARS protesters, whom he thought were sponsored to overthrow his government. In the end, Nigeria suffered the most heinous pogrom ever, with thousands of lives lost to herdsmen, kidnappers and bandits, in which human lives were wasted like common chickens.

In the same place where President Tinubu scooped out the Electricity Bill are also the Hononourable Justice Muhammadu Lawal Uwais Report on Electoral Reforms, the Orosanye Report on the merger of government agencies to cut corruption and wastages and indeed the 2014 National Conference Report for the integration of Nigeria. In that same Aso Villa, there are reports of the Judicial Panels on Police Brutality from across the States and most importantly, there is also the Governor El-Rufai Committee Report on Restructuring, all gathering dust.

President Tinubu is not new in the saddle. For the period when he was in the opposition, he championed true federalism and restructuring, he fought for the rule of law, devolution of powers and state police. Several Bills passed by the 8thand 9th National Assemblies concerning devolution of powers which the Buhari administration ignored are staring at President Tinubu in Aso Villa everyday. Are we now to preach restructuring to the President, or are we to embark upon a fresh campaign on the need to amend the 1999 Constitution or to write a fresh one?

On national television recently, a former governor exposed the gargantuan corruption within the oil and gas sector, especially as it relates to fuel subsidy. Aso Villa has been mum ever since, carrying on business as usual. There is a pending judgment of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria directing the increment of the salary of judicial officers, there is judicial authority for the release of Nnamdi Kanu from custody and another judgment for the payment of damages to Sunday Igboho.

Policy decisions which do not address the real issues plaguing our land amount to nothing but mere tokenism and in like manner, occasional pronouncements made to curry favour and to buy loyalty all suggest opportunism.

The President should address fundamental changes, which should begin with the leadership. When Nigerians see genuine repentance from our leaders, they will not require long sermons to embrace true change. With the drama of the convoy of the President during his last visit to Lagos, no sincere message of change can be preached to our people.

It is not too early for the President to unveil his cabinet, to cut the budget of the executive and remove the subsidies that promote isolated luxuries for leaders in the midst of abject poverty, want, and sufferings for the people. If it is not the case that the President is walking on the familiar turf, he should walk the talk, rediscover the Tinubu that was part of NADECO, obey all extant decisions of the Courts and give the people true leadership.

All the sweet things said about the President, that he is his own man, that he would dare the owners of Nigeria, that he would rule in the interest of the masses and that he would turn around the economy of Nigeria, should begin to manifest even from the first month of his leadership.

If we have to organize press conferences to remind the President that Nigeria is in dire need of restructuring, if we have to embark upon any form of protest to get the President to support the agitation for resource control, gender parity, state police, devolution of powers, local government autonomy and true federalism, then it would mean that we still have a long way to go.

By: Dr. Peter Afunanya,
Public Relations Officer
Department of State Services

Recently, about five major newspapers called out the DSS for bashing of sorts. The papers, which used their platforms to express varied views about the modus operandi of the Service include Vanguard, Daily Trust, The Sun, Tribune and Punch.

While Vanguard’s piece on 2nd June 2023 was Dousing the DSS/EFCC Feud, Daily Trust, on 6th June 2023, published an editorial titled The DSS Must Conduct Its Duties as a Secret Service. The Sun, on 7th June, published The Needless DSS/EFCC Fracas while Tribune on 8th June 2023 wrote on The EFCC/DSS confrontation.

Similarly, on 14th June 2023, Punch featured DSS, Others Need Radical Reforms. It did not seem that the editorials which sought the reforms of the DSS or to criticize it for its public statements or actions on various subject matters of national security concern were, by any means, an accident or a coincidence. It looked every inch planted or organised. It is a hatchet job or so it seemed.

The judgement that the Service is excessively public or ubiquitous missed the point. The papers manifested predictable bias and patterns.

Relatedly, some respected legal personalities namely, Olisa Agbakoba SAN, Mike Ozekhome SAN and Femi Falana SAN opined that the Service operates outside its mandate especially with regards to the investigation of Godwin Emefiele. The fact that this matter has become sub-judice constrains the Service from making further statements about it.

The celebration of the news of a court order to allow his Lawyers and family access to him is quite unnecessary. He was never denied access. Ever since he was taken into custody, his family has continually accessed him. Same with medical officials. The impression that the Service is going to act on the prompting of the court is not correct. This is by the way.

Back to the subject under discourse. While it may be fair to admit that the news media and aforementioned personalities are entitled to their opinions, measured ignorance predominantly played out in their arguments. First, they failed to recognise that security threats are evolving and so do the approaches to managing them.

Instructively, the security landscape in Nigeria, like many other countries, has become increasingly complex and dynamic. The periodic issuance of press statements to educate or carry citizens and residents along has undoubtedly become part of strategies to manage national security challenges.

Extensive research would have revealed to the critics that the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and other world intelligence Services deploy similar tactics including occasional statements and advisories.

The CIA includes demographic information on its website to provide the public with valuable insights and data about various populations so to enhance understanding of different regions and communities. Does it mean CIA is operating outside its mandate? Or will that be accepted because it’s CIA, a foreign body?

The need for the agencies to be responsive, transparent and apprise taxpayers has become the global norm in national security and intelligence management. It is called security/intelligence accountability. The tenets of security and intelligence governance expect that agencies remain transparent, accountable and compliant to democracy.

World over, Intelligence Services operate in ways and means not too discernable to the uninitiate. But the institutionalisation of democracy as preferred political culture has nonetheless forced such agencies to communicate often with the Public. You can see why the public statements can never be out of place.

Without public consciousness and support, countering threats may remain a herculean task for security agencies. Democratic subordination and legislative oversight are basic principles which make it an obligation for these agencies to operate openly even when some of their activities are secret.

Ask the USA, UK, France, Canada and other advanced democracies. This level of openness does not vitiate the expected secrecy or in any way compromise their operations.

Regarding the matter concerning the DSS and EFCC, both agencies have refuted claims of a rivalry. It is important to note that comparing the 30th May, 2023 incident at 15 Awolowo Road, Lagos to the barricade of National Assembly in 2018 is inaccurate and unjust due to the substantial differences in the nature and context of the two events.

While it is essential to emphasize inter-agency relations and cooperation, it would be unfair to generalise and imply that the Service is in rivalry and power struggle with the Commission. Each agency operates within its distinct mandate and context.

Meanwhile, the editorials accurately alluded to the constitutionality of the DSS as an intelligence organisation in detecting, preventing and neutralising threats against Nigeria. They commended the Service for its commitment to the security of the country as well as the many feats it had accomplished in the course of discharging its duties. Thank you indeed.

It has to be understood that the Service is not only an intelligence organisation. It is also a law enforcement agency. It is a security and policy advisory organ. Its establishment law expects it to prevent. To prevent unarguably means to enforce.

Should the Service seek media endorsement or permission before deploying operatives and equipment to conduct its job? Should it rather play to the gallery? Characteristic of intelligence operating systems, DSS’ activities may never be completely explained or understood particularly to those who do not need to know.

Even though some of its high officials and operations are known and their veils of secrecy uncovered, there are thousand undercover personnel and actions that have no business going public. It is expected to remain so. With its broad mandate and legal authority to investigate crimes of national security significance, the DSS is well within its rights to initiate an inquiry into any relevant matter.

The DSS is primarily charged to detect and prevent crimes and threats against the internal security of Nigeria. More profoundly, it is to undertake such other responsibility as maybe assigned to it by the President and Commander-in-Chief. Appreciating this role of the DSS is instructive for some sections of the media, lawyers and other interested parties.

The Service operates on the basis of rule of law. Its operations are rule governed. As required, it obtains arrest and detention warrants when and if needed. For the fact that such instruments are not advertised does not suggest otherwise. Critics should get conversant with the law and rules of engagement and desist from misinforming, misleading or inciting the public.

Those seeking to weaken the Service through premeditated reforms may be on a wild goose chase. Consistent attack on it based on ignorance, unrealised interests and emotional assessments and judgements does the country no good. The DSS has stood so firmly for Nigeria. It will continue to.

Considering the warped mentality that has triggered these writeups, it will, no doubt, be unsurprising to witness an upsurge in malicious articles, criticisms and baseless attacks in the public space following the investigations of Messrs Godwin Emefiele and Abdulrasheed Bawa among other flimsy matters.

Certain groups and people are bound to come up with frivolous allegations against the Service and its leadership. These entities may also exploit unpatriotic members of the Service to spread falsehoods, propaganda and hate in order to project the Organisation in a bad light.

Given their reach and war chest to mobilise forces against Government and its key officials, the adversaries may intend to cause distractions to the on-going investigations as directed by the C-in-C. However, the Service will not depose its professionalism for cheap backlash nor discharge its duty with prejudice or fear.

For those who canvass the opinion that the DSS has no business in investigating the matters referred to it are obviously not taking seriously the omnibus powers of the President, as enshrined in the enabling Acts of the SSS and the NSA.

As argued by a onetime Director of the DSS, Fubara Duke, “When a law confers on the President power to delegate ANY assignments he deems fit for a particular Agency to perform, I wonder how it falls outside the purview of (ANY) the stipulations of the President’s powers and by extension why the DSS is being faulted for carrying out the President’s directive”.

Continuing, he added: “I have heard arguments of cases being thrown out by the courts over questionable prosecutorial powers of the DSS regarding some categories of cases including criminal cases. Without prejudice to the wisdom of the court on such judgements, they should not override the lawful investigative authority of the DSS.

Should there be need for prosecution in due course, these determinations would be appropriately evaluated and where/if necessary, appropriate prosecutorial agencies which may include the Attorney General’s Office or other sister agencies may be deployed to prosecute. It is not the first time this has happened”.

Let it be clear, however, that the DSS will remain unshaken and professional in carrying out its duties. It recommits to diligently operate, as always, within the confines of the law and to uphold the fundamental rights of all Nigerians.

The media must, as the fifth estate of the realm, remain balanced, accurate, impartial and accountable. To sustain a deliberate misguidance of the public with any form of misconceptions is detrimental to nationhood.

Therefore, to deepen the expected contributions, seeking veracity is not only ethical but obligatory. That should not be asking for too much.

By Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, SAN

The unexpected happened last week, even from those who are expected to know. Without mincing words, Nigerians rose up in condemnation of the action of Afrobeat star, Seun Kuti, for assaulting a police officer in uniform, although the nature of his duty has not been ascertained till date.

It has now transpired that the police officer was an official driver with the Nigeria Police Force, he was reportedly drunk and driving dangerously on the expressway in such a manner that constituted danger to Seun and other motorists, leading to the incident that led to Seun’s incarceration.

As stated by my humble self and other Nigerians, nothing could justify the reaction of Seun in the circumstance of what we watched in the video. But all these have now become a thing of the past. As expected of any responsible citizen, Seun surrendered himself to the police, in the company of his counsel, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria.

We watched with shock how the police bungled that encounter, by filming Seun in handcuffs and parading him on social media, for a simple offence that was bailable. He was promptly transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department and denied bail. He has now been charged to court.

There are several lessons for Nigerians from this avoidable episode. The verbal and physical attack on the policeman by Seun is typical of what some policemen go through in the hands of VIPs. The manner in which the police authorities have turned the case into personal vendetta is typical of what most Nigerians go through in the hands of the police.

For very simple and bailable offences, the police magnify them beyond comprehension, purely for the purpose of extortion. Bail is denied and the facts are twisted in such a manner as to prolong the misery and agony of the defendant, all meant to secure a remand order or detention by all means necessary.

The usual refrain from the police to the court would be that the investigation was still ongoing or that the defendant constitutes a flight risk. In this case, it was reported that the police claimed that the officer who was assaulted and who we saw live in the video, was in a coma in an undisclosed hospital.

This would then compel the court to grant bail under very stringent conditions by demanding for a level 17 officer with land and property within jurisdiction, to be confirmed from the Land Registry and the addresses of the sureties to be verified by the prosecution.

With these conditions, the defendant would certainly remain in custody for well over two weeks at the minimum. This is the sordid situation of the administration of justice in Nigeria. In extreme cases, such a defendant may remain in custody for years, without trial.

The case file could be lost, between the police and the office of the Director of Public Prosecution, the Investigating Police Officer could be dead or transferred out of jurisdiction, or he could be on official assignment, has gone for some training or has retired. Common cases of disputes between landlord and tenant, husband and wife and even business partners, end up in this way.

What is the strategy of the police in this case? Mainly to keep Seun in custody for as long as possible. And this is the bane of the criminal justice system in Nigeria, to the extent that law enforcement agencies take prosecution as some kind of vendetta on behalf of the nominal complainant.

The energy spent in opposing bail for the defendant by the prosecuting agencies is unnecessary and in most cases it would drain them of the steam needed for the main case. Either with the EFCC, ICPC, NDLEA, Customs, Immigration and indeed the police, the emphasis is always on keeping the defendant in custody pending trial.

This is because of the stigma that society attaches to those who have been remanded in custody culturally. It is the same scenario that is playing out in Seun’s case. Law enforcement agencies should stop deploying criminal trials as instruments of oppression or punishment, so long as our law still dictates that every citizen charged with a criminal offence is presumed innocent until the contrary is proved.

After a defendant has voluntarily surrendered himself to the police in a matter that does not carry the maximum penalty, that defendant has no business sleeping in the police station. He should be admitted to bail by the police on self-recognisance. It is illogical that a person who surrenders himself to the police will at the same time escape his trial subsequently.

It was therefore an overkill, for the police to have opposed bail in court, after illegally parading Seun before the whole world in handcuffs and denying him administrative bail. And this has in turn raised several issues. Why would the police seek to remand a defendant in prison custody for twenty-one days after a charge has been disclosed? Is there some merit in the case of the defendant?

Seun is not a mad man and he would not just block a policeman on the expressway without some reasonable cause. In this case, Seun has alleged that the policeman was drunk and was driving in such a reckless manner as to constitute a threat to him and his family. Even though we have all stated that such allegation will not be a justification for Seun’s action against the policeman, deploying that for the purpose of securing his permanent incarceration is uncharitable on the part of the police, to the extent that a Senior Advocate of Nigeria was flown into Lagos from Abuja for this purpose.

Personally, I had thought that the involvement of the Learned Senior Counsel for the police would bring some sanity into the prosecution, such as for instance bringing the parties together to explore the possibility of settlement.

As it has now turned out, the police should not have been involved in the prosecution of this case at all, given that the charge revolves around a police officer. The element of bias has so much played out against the police that the most reasonable thing to do for now is to take away the case from the police. No prosecuting agency should be allowed to turn prosecution into persecution as is being done in this case. The report is out in the media that the police visited Seun’s house to conduct a search and proceeded to traumatize his wife, his lawful tenant and even his neighbours.

That was totally unnecessary, in the circumstances of this case. It was also reported that an attempt was made by the police to obtain the blood samples of Seun for some other laboratory tests totally unconnected with the charge in court. What this has shown is that it is possible for the police to manufacture evidence just to nail Seun, given the desperation that has been exhibited so far, meaning that the police cannot be trusted to handle this case with the required objectivity.

It is against our laws for a man to be a judge in his own cause. In this case, the police being the complainant and the investigator, they should not be allowed to handle the prosecution as that will be unfair to Seun. The slapping alone cannot be the reason for the excessive actions of the police against Seun, unless there are other undercurrents not known to the general public.

I urge my Learned Brother Silk, Mr. Simon Lough, to use his good offices to bring the parties in this case to a roundtable. Nigerians rose in unison to condemn Seun’s unjustified attack on the policeman and the law has been deployed to arrest the situation. I do not think that there is anything else to be gained in the perpetual remand of the defendant in this case.

Having been made to come to terms with the gravity of his misconduct, Seun should be allowed to offer an apology to the policeman, the police authorities and indeed the people of Nigeria and if there be any reason for such, to offer modest compensation to the officer.

If this cannot be achieved in the immediate time, then the Honourable Attorney-General of Lagos State, Mr. Moyosore Onigbanjo, SAN, should exercise his powers under the Constitution and the Administration of Criminal Justice Law of Lagos State, to take over the prosecution of this case from the police, to avoid a miscarriage of justice.

The present plight of Seun is the lot of suspects who find themselves in police stations all over Nigeria. I am in the midst of it to know. Law enforcement agencies should not create the impression of hostility such as would make citizens dread visiting police stations. We should not use the instruments of authority to terrorize or traumatize our people, or else it will get to the point whereby casual invitations to the police will become difficult to honour.

Furthermore, we must address judicial interventions in the system of administration of justice. Unfortunately, the courts are too mechanical in dealing with cases such that once a defendant appears in court, you can be sure he is going to be remanded. It should not be the case that a defendant who voluntarily surrenders himself to the police should still end up in custody.

Something is wrong with such a system that does not recognize the cooperation that the defendant has extended to the State. Where such a defendant is unable to perfect the conditions of his bail immediately, he should be handed over to his solicitors pending compliance. It is not in doubt that the police have squandered the goodwill and sympathy of Nigerians in the manner in which they have handled this case.

By Bayo Onanuga

Some years ago, Aliko Dangote, Africa’s richest man invited media leaders to a luncheon at then Protea Hotel in Ikeja to mark his 55th birthday.

Some of his guests sat around him at the centre table. They chatted freely. Discussions about our country, the state of the economy soon veered into discussing the absurdity of our country, being a major crude exporter, and also a major importer of refined petroleum products.

Our colleague from a major business paper said the local conditions were unfavourable to any investor who wanted to build a refinery. He then made a remark that I believe he would live to regret: “Only a foolish man will build a refinery in Nigeria”.

Aliko who had listened to all our business and political pontifications, interjected: “I am that foolish man”. A pin drop silence enveloped the table as he dropped the unexpected news: “My company has just decided to build a refinery in the country. But we are doing it big”. Those were his exact words, as the multi-dollar billionaire told us he was willing to spend close to $9 billion on the project.

The media big man became speechless. The rest of us caught the contagion of being flummoxed as well, as Aliko expatiated on the project. He said it will be a petrochemical complex. As the project was still on the drawing board, he did not tell us it will be the biggest refinery in the world, capable of processing 650,000 barrels of crude. All the hint he gave was that it will be ‘big’. Our takeaway was that it will be big like Aliko’s involvement in cement, sugar, pasta and other businesses.

He didn’t say it will include a fertiliser plant and a power plant that can supply enough electricity to Nigeria’s South West, excluding Lagos.

Initially billed for Ogun State, the Dangote Petroleum Refinery surprisingly shifted location to Lagos, just opposite the creek separating the two states. Governor Dapo Abiodun may want to probe his predecessor, Ibikunle Amosun, why he allowed the complex to move to neighbouring Lagos.

The gigantic project is now sitting in all majesty in the Lekki Free Trade Zone in Ibeju-Lekki, covering a land area of approximately 2,635 hectares, seven times the size of Victoria Island.

The complex is the world’s Largest Single-Train 650,000 barrels per day Petroleum Refinery with 900 KTPA Polypropylene Plant.

It comes with a 435 MW Power Plant, which will be able to meet the total power requirement of Ibadan DisCo of 860,316 MWh covering five States including Oyo, Ogun, Osun, Kwara and Ekiti.

The refinery, according to its fact sheet, can meet 100% of the Nigerian requirement of all refined products, including Gasoline,Diesel, Kerosene, and Aviation Jet.It will also be able to produce surplus of each of these products for export.

Designed for 100% Nigerian Crude, the refinery has flexibility to process other crudes. No wonder it is located near the sea shore.

Today President Muhammadu Buhari commissioned the gigantic petrochemical complex.

Just as we rejoice with Aliko Dangote and the Dangote Group family, we need to give kudos to the Buhari administration for ensuring that the complex comes to fruition, by ensuring that it was not starved of needed foreign exchange and taking a stake in it.

For Aliko, all is well that ends well. The complex will bring to an end our country’s many decades of shame, for being unable to refine its crude and having to depend on importation, wasting scarce forex.

The ‘foolish man’ of 11 years ago has demonstrated once again that he is a man of wisdom, a peerless shrewd investor who sees clearly the ‘bigger picture’, when his compatriots are bogged down by parochialism and immediate monetary gains.

By Lovelyn Okafor

I was always attracted by the natural beauty that surrounded me as a little girl growing up in Lagos, Nigeria, the country’s major city at the time. Nigeria possessed a wealth of natural resources, ranging from lush green forests to crystal-clear rivers.

However, as I got older,I became more aware of the influence of climate change on my city. The once-green woods were being destroyed at an alarming pace, and the waterways were filling up with rubbish from human activity, particularly plastic pollution. It was then that I saw the crucial role that Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) firms may play in the battle against climate change.

According to the World Bank Groundswell reports, by 2050, Sub-Saharan Africa could see as many as 86 million internal climate migrants (move within their countries’ borders) without urgent global and national climate action to mitigate it.

At the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 26) in Glasgow, President Buhari pledged that Nigeria will attain NetZero (zero carbon emissions) by 2050. The challenges facing FMCG companies in Nigeria in tackling climate change are significant. The lack of infrastructure and resources for sustainable production and distribution is a major setback.

Nigeria has a recycling rate of less than 10%, with most waste ending up in landfills or oceans. This lack of infrastructure also affects the availability of renewable energy sources, which makes it more difficult for companies to switch to clean energy.

Also,the lack of awareness among consumers about the environmental impact of their choices is another significant challenge. Despite these challenges, there are significant opportunities for FMCG companies in Nigeria to address climate change. One opportunity is the growing interest in sustainability among consumers.

As awareness about climate change grows, more consumers are looking for sustainable options. Companies that can provide these options have the potential to gain a competitive advantage and build customer loyalty, especially among the younger generations.

We see more millennials and Gen Zs taking responsibility for their purchases throughout the globe. Inputting the environment as a priority will attract and keep such customers who are persistent in looking into new brands that can provide green products.

Another opportunity is the potential for cost savings. Nigeria has a high cost of energy, which means that switching to renewable energy sources can provide long-term cost benefits. Switching from fossil fuels to renewable energy could save the world as much as $12tn (£10.2tn) by 2050, an Oxford University study says.

Additionally, investing in sustainable production and distribution can lead to reduced waste and lower operating costs. Presently, most parts of the world battle with various climate issues, particularly floods in Africa, earthquakes, typhoons, mudslides in Asia, bushfires, and hurricanes in the Americas.

This has heightened discussions and adoption of sustainability measures such as the Sustainable Development Goals, SDG among United Nations member states and sundry initiatives by business/corporate organizations.

Apart from working on the SDGs at the governmental level, Fast-Moving Consumer Goods firms are moving quickly to reduce the environmental impact of their operations by manufacturing eco-friendly goods and establishing sustainable supply chains that decrease waste.

Unilever Nigeria, for example, has set lofty sustainability goals, such as procuring 100% of its palm oil responsibly by 2023 and going carbon positive by 2030. They have also introduced environmentally friendly goods, such as Sunlight 2-in-1 washing powder, which uses less water and energy than standard washing powders.

Nestle Nigeria is another FMCG firm in Nigeria with a sustainability programme that focuses on waste reduction and energy efficiency. They have also introduced environmentally friendly items, like their Milo refill pack, which eliminates packaging waste.The measures these FMCG firms undertake in Nigeria serve as a model for others to emulate. It is now up to other FMCG firms to step up and take action to combat climate change.

Companies may start by establishing sustainability goals and investing in renewable energy. They may also introduce environmentally aware shoppers to sustainable items.FMCG firms may enhance infrastructure for sustainable manufacturing and distribution by collaborating with the government and other stakeholders.

They may, for example, collaborate with waste management firms to build a recycling infrastructure in Nigeria. They may also collaborate with renewable energy firms to expand the availability of renewable energy in Nigeria.

The role of FMCG companies in tackling climate change is critical in Nigeria. While there are challenges to overcome, such as the lack of infrastructure and consumer demand for sustainable products, there are also significant opportunities, such as cost savings and building customer loyalty.

FMCG companies in Nigeria can learn from examples set by other countries and companies and take steps to reduce their environmental impact and provide consumers with more sustainable choices. Working together can create a more sustainable future for Nigeria and the world.

Lovelyn Okafor is a lawyer and a public relations professional. She has over a decade of experience leading and advising businesses across multiple industries on strategy, corporate governance, and regulatory compliance.

She serves on several boards and works actively at the intersection of policy, media relations and business processes and is passionate about youth mentorship and development.

Lovelyn has served as a lecturer at the Nigerian Institute of Journalism (NIJ) and is currently the Country Head of Newmark Group, Nigeria.She is a member of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) and the Nigerian Institute of Management (NIM).

Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, SAN

The journey to Nigeria’s independence was fought on the altar of principled resistance to all forms of colonialism, oppression and modern slavery being imposed upon our forefathers by the foreign invaders. Those who fought the many battles for Nigeria’s freedom were some kind of special breed, always so well revered and even adored! The Nationalists then and now the activists! You cannot but contend with them.

They were deservedly admired as mirrors of the society, through whom every government is viewed and assessed. Ever spitting fire and roaring, they would pick on every programme and policy of the government, for thorough dissection and analysis, and then offer cogent alternatives. You ignore them at your peril, as President or Governor or public office holder.

In the words of the learned authors of Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Activism is “a doctrine or practice that emphasizes direct vigorous action, especially in support of or opposition to one side of a controversial issue.” Thus, one can be a political activist, environmental activist or a human rights activist, the latter which is the most pronounced presently.

Lawyers fit very well in this category given the nature of their training, as confirmed by Chief Alexander Christopher Sapara Williams, the first indigenous lawyer to be called to the Nigerian Bar, who stated that “the legal practitioner lives for the direction of his people and the advancement of the cause of his country.”

Little wonder therefore that lawyers have dominated the rank of Activists. It is in their blood. Indeed, by Paragraph (i) of the aims and objectives of the Constitution of the Nigerian Bar Association, lawyers are responsible for “the encouragement, ensuring, and protection of the public right of access to the Courts and of representation by counsel before Courts and Tribunals”, whilst Paragraph (h) provides that lawyers exist for “the promotion of the principles of the rule of Law including Fundamental Liberties and the independence of the Judiciary.”

So then, a lawyer is an Activist, by default, but this cannot be limited to men and women of the noble profession, as anyone in any form of agitation or struggle for positive change, is invariably an activist, including those in places of worship.

In 1955, Rosa Parks refused to stand up from her seat in a crowded bus, for a white man to sit down. The bus had already been demarcated, with only a few seats for blacks. She was sitting in the portion reserved for the blacks, when a white man entered and noticing that the portion reserved for whites was already filled up, Rosa Parks was asked to get up for him. She refused and remained seated. This resistance was taken up by the black community in America and several years later, one of them rose to become the President of that same country where it was once a taboo to be identified as a black man.

The Rosa Parks in Nigeria must rise up. Upon the amalgamation of Nigeria in 1914, the colonial Governor, Lord Lugard, instituted the system of indirect rule in Southern Nigeria.Administrators known as Warrant Chiefs were appointed to take control of administration.

Overtime, the Warrant Chiefs became increasingly oppressive, seizing properties and at times imposing very draconian local regulations. They began to imprison those that challenged their powers. As if these were not enough, the British administration then announced plans to impose special taxes on Igbo market women.

In November of 1929, thousands of Igbo women embarked upon protests, they attacked the European owned stores, broke into the prisons to release prisoners, they attacked the native courts, burning them down. The colonial police were called in and they shot live bullets that took the lives of about 50 of the women.

The Warrant Chiefs were forced to resign and the tax was aborted. The women Activists had won! It was the first major challenge upon the colonial administration and the impetus that the nationalists needed to advance their cause for independence. The rest is history.

Any system that seeks to intimidate its citizens into forced silence, any administration that prospers upon the hushed voices of dissent or is intolerant of public criticisms generally, is tending towards dictatorship. The United Nations Charter, the African Union Charter and indeed the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, all contain specific provisions that guarantee the freedoms of expression, peaceful assembly, free association and indeed peaceful protests.

Nigerian activists cannot profit from this seeming conspiracy of silence, whereby the masses of our people grope in darkness, waiting for direction. All the objective conditions for mass mobilization, such as increasing unemployment, rise in crime and criminalities, poverty, rising inflation, dwindling electricity supply across the land, collapse of vital infrastructure and general failure of governance, should be harnessed by the activists in a constructive manner, to keep the government on its toes.

Generally,activists are a selfless lot, revolutionary in approach, manifestly incorrigible and thus prone to constant but needless harassment by the government and its agencies. Nigeria has benefited immensely from the sacrifices and struggles of the activists and our nation needs them now, like never before.

As we battle daily to restore the economy of our father land back to its prosperous days, as we labour to win the war against corruption and terrorism genuinely and as we work assiduously to entrench democracy in the land, it is good for the activists to come out of their self-imposed sabbatical, to rescue Nigeria and Nigerians.

They cannot hide, they cannot keep silent, and they cannot be lukewarm or even despair. For unless we rise to confront the several monsters plaguing our land, we are in for more surprises ahead. The oppressor will not give up so easily, unless as forced by the oppressed.

Activism was liberalized through the promulgation of the Fundamental Rights (Enforcement Procedure) Rules, 2009, which has now empowered civil society organisations, religious entities and in particular, the Nigerian Bar Association, to take up the cases of citizens that are deprived of their fundamental rights. Several judicial authorities have given fillip to the regime of preventive and human rights enforcement litigations.

So, let the activists wake up and dust their tools and keep Nigeria vibrant, once more. Let the Activists arise now, and deliver Nigeria.More than ever before, Nigeria needs the activists.

Given the nature of mass illiteracy that permeates the land, it would take a few informed Nigerians, to educate the people on their rights and freedoms. This is where the press comes in, for activism does not necessarily start and end with lawyers and labour leaders. Under and by virtue of section 22 of the 1999 Constitution, the press is to hold the government accountable to the people.

This is a sacred constitutional responsibility imposed upon the press and nothing should stand in the way of its enforcement, by our mighty men and women of the pen, which is reputed to be mightier than the sword.In this regard, the judiciary deserves to be recognized and celebrated for the indelible marks it has implanted upon the space and entity called Nigeria.

Assuredly, there will always be one dispute or the other, in any human endeavor or existence. With their over-bloated population and size, the majority ethnic groups would always boast of electoral victory to form the cabinet and also majority in the parliament, any day, through which they would continue to dominate the minority groups. It was then resolved to establish a strong judicial system, capable of intervening in any dispute between persons and persons, persons and governments or indeed any other authority.

This partly accounts for the reason why the judiciary was established as an independent and autonomous arm of government, to be strong enough to look anyone in the eye, to be strong enough to damn oppressive policies and strike down all manners of injustice. I have been part of the Nigerian judicial system for a while now and I verily believe that our lawyers and judges deserve commendation for their tireless efforts to salvage Nigeria from dictatorship.

At the risk of their lives and those of their family members, some of them have given their tireless struggles for the love of their father land. Even though some others in their minority tend to give the profession a bad name, the majority of our lawyers and judges are noble people. The cases of self-imposed timidity, as experienced in some courts across the land, are to say the least, most unfortunate.

More than ever before, My Lords must be encouraged to stand tall and show courage, in the face of intimidation and mindless blackmail by the powers that be. This is not new at all, given that the executive arm of government is always at war with the judiciary, the former being always at the receiving end of court decisions. Impunity being always at the door step of governors, commissioners, ministers, government ministries, parastatals and agencies, it is not strange at all that they are most often the culprits.

The judiciary must save itself from extinction and historical irrelevance; it must assert itself as the last hope of the common man, by ensuring that it digs very deep into each case presented before the court in order to give justice to those who deserve it.

We must commend all lawyers, judges, nationalists and activists, who have helped in no small measure to sustain democracy and good governance in our nation, while urging them to keep the fire burning on the altar of struggle. Rise up and be counted all ye activists.

Humanity is blessed with the earth – one of the most natural resources ever known. This gift of nature is the magnanimity of elements such as air, water and fire. Earth otherwise known as Mother Nature is the keeper of what makes life so unique and special.

Thus,a thick ball strung together by the crust, the inner and outer core of races from different continents of the world. Every year, World Earth Day is celebrated on April 22nd as a day that raises awareness on the degradation and possible extinction of our planet.

This year’s theme, “Invest in Our Planet” suggests a more pragmatic approach towards the kind disposition with the environment and, purposefully, reaching out and collaborating with others in raising high the flag of advocating a safer environment.

According to Environmentalists and Climate Change experts, one of the rising concerns of the earth is the climate change phenomenon. This is attributed to the release of hazardous gaseous substances into the air and the indiscriminate disposal of industrial waste.

However, leading organisations around the world are now taking initiative to preserve the earth by advocating for energy and water reduction, pollution, and waste management.

Leading this charge is The Coca-Cola Company, who through its longstanding mission of making a difference in communities across the world, continues to deliver on this promise through its diverse sustainability commitments.

In 2022, Coca-Cola launched its Africa Sustainability Platform, JAMII, focused on three strategic pillars where it has made considerable progress to deepen its ESG impact; water leadership, women and youth economic empowerment and packaging waste management.

With its focus on water, climate, energy, and waste management among others, The Coca-Cola System in Nigeria comprising Coca-Cola Nigeria and its bottling partner, Nigerian Bottling Company (NBC), consistently displays its commitment to investing in our planet by supporting a better shared future for communities and minimizing its impact on the environment.

Sustainable Packaging and Environmental Sustainability

As one of the key players in the global business space, The Coca-Cola Company in 2018, announced its World Without Waste commitment to help collect and recycle the equivalent of a bottle or can for every one the company sells by 2030; to make 100% of its packaging recyclable by 2025; and to use at least 50% recycled material in its packaging by 2030.

This initiative has impacted the production and packaging of plastic bottles in ways that help curb the adverse effects of climate change. Following exact scientific procedure on the company’s Science-Based Target for climate, there has been an introduction of substitution of fossil fuel with plant-based outputs.

Other adopted strategies include lightweighting packaging bottles, production of refillables and encouraging recycling programmes to recover PET packaging. This objective is shared by the company and its local bottling partner in Nigeria, Nigerian Bottling Company, which as a pioneer in sustainable manufacturing, invests in strategies that significantly bolster its efforts in the areas of energy use reduction, water use reduction, emissions reduction, and waste output reduction.

As a result,50% of its production operations are now partially powered by solar energy, with photovoltaic cells delivering up to 3,640 Kilowatt peak power output (KWp) to its plants.

Over the years, The Coca-Cola System in Nigeria, in collaboration with other recycling partners, has co-created environmental sustainability programs that has helped to deepen the thrust of its sustainability agenda. Some of these programs include Recycling Scheme for Women and Youth Empowerment (RESWAYE) by MEDIC, RecyclesPay by African Cleanup Initiative, Waste in the City and the Green Campus Project by SWEEP Foundation, Tidy Nigeria by FABE Foundation, Cash 4 Trash by WASTE Africa, Project Revive and Project DORI by Recycle Points, Waste to Wealth by Do Good Foundation, Empowering Collectors Initiative by Growing Business Foundation and Cycleplast by Nigeria Climate Innovation Centre.

Over 4 billion plastic bottles have been extracted collectively, while also assisting in the scaling and establishment of 23 small to medium-sized collectors and aggregators, which are in turn producing thousands of employments in their local environments.

In addition to this, Coca-Cola Nigeria, through an industry-wide move facilitated the creation of the Food and Beverage Recycling Alliance (FBRA) – a coalition of forward-looking companies united by a shared concern for the environment.

The coalition has evolved from a four-member group to 30 big organizations with a commitment to build a sustainable recycling economy for food and beverage packaging waste. FBRA and its members have been able to shape public policy and take action that supports a circular economy and the evolution of waste management in Nigeria.

Water Leadership

The organization’s water leadership efforts supports its climate targets by not only helping to reduce carbon emissions through efficiency and reuse but also creating significant ecosystem and carbon benefits through nature-based solutions and replenishment.

The company in 2021, announced a holistic water strategy which aims to achieve water security across its operations, local watersheds and communities.

The goals related to the strategy’s key focus areas include:achieve 100% circular water use – or regenerative water use across 175 facilities identified as “leadership locations” by 2030.work with partners to help improve the health of 60 watersheds identified as most critical for the company’s operations and agricultural supply chains by 2030.aim to return a cumulative total of 2 trillion liters of water to nature and communities globally, between 2021 – 2030.

In driving goal 3, The Coca-Cola Foundation’s flagship program, Replenish Africa Initiative (RAIN) was introduced to address Africa’s water challenges through healthy watershed programmes and community water programs.

The Pan-African program aligns with the company’s global vision to replenish water in communities they operate and source ingredients through strategic partnerships in order to deliver sustainable projects, aimed at achieving the Sustainable Development Goal 6 which is Clean water and Sanitation for all.

The program which was managed by the Global Environment and Technology Foundation (GETF) ran in two phases. At the end of the second phase in 2020, it recorded a positive impact of over 7 million people across the continent.

The program replenished over 20 billion liters of water to communities and nature, improving access to water, health and sanitation which in turn improved hygiene behaviours, established and enhanced sustainable water management practices, improved environmental stewardship and community health and promoted efficient and sustainable use of water for economic development.

To further drive the goal of water replenishment, The Coca-Cola Foundation has provided over $1.3million to two NGOs namely the Rural Africa Water Development Project (RAWDP) for Disaster Risk Reduction and Urban Resilience in Imo state; and GETF who is partnering with WaterAid on an 18-month project targeted at improving access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene services in four communities within and around the Maiduguri Metropolis of Borno State.

With its giant strides in areas of climate change advocacy and circular economy, The Coca-Cola Company has indeed proven its unshaken commitment towards preserving the earth for future generations and continues to take concrete steps to invest in our planet

 

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has been the dominant force in Nigerian politics since its formation in 2013. The party’s victory in the 2015 presidential election, as well as winning the majority of legislative seats in the National and State Assemblies, and again in the 2019 General Election, proves its dominance.

However, the unity of purpose that brought together the members of the party in achieving this feat has fragmented in Kogi State with the outcome of the recently concluded gubernatorial primary election.

Hon. Ahmed Usman-Ododo, a former Auditor-General in the state, emerged as the flag bearer, defeating political heavyweights, including the Deputy Governor Edward Onoja, Senator Smart Adeyemi, Hon. Abdulakarim Jamiu Asuku, Hon. Yakubu Murtala Ajaka, amongst others.

The emergence of Hon. Usman-Ododo has thrown up some challenges of internal misalignment and disagreements among members, particularly the aspirants. While their loss at the primary election may be painful and disappointing, especially after the endorsement of Hon. Usman-Ododo by the incumbent governor, His Excellency Alhaji Yahaya Bello, these aggrieved aspirants who are equally qualified to fly the party’s flag must understand that the party is supreme and bigger than any single individual.

Some aspirants are unhappy with the endorsement of the governor or even the conduct of the primary election, but history remembers that some of them have either benefited from similar endorsements or were party to it in the past.

While it is within the rights of the aggrieved parties to seek redress through the right process, such redress must not be at the detriment of the party. To ensure the continued success of the APC in Kogi State, it is essential for all aggrieved politicians and leaders to rally behind and support Hon. Usman-Ododo’s candidacy for the governorship election. There are several reasons why this is necessary.

Firstly, he has a track record of success in public service. He has served in various capacities in Kogi State, including as the former Chairman of the Kogi State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB). During his tenure, he was able to implement policies that significantly improved the quality of education in the state.

He also oversaw the construction of several school buildings and the provision of educational materials to students. This demonstrates his ability to deliver on his promises and his commitment to improving the lives of Kogi State residents. His strides as the Auditor-General in charge of Local Government are enviable, and his successes remain indelible.

Secondly, Hon. Usman-Ododo is a unifying figure who has the ability to bring together all aggrieved personalities within the APC. Although some are aggrieved over his endorsement by Governor Bello, it is important to note that heavy-weight politicians within and outside the state have endorsed his candidacy,indicating that he has the support of the party’s leadership and is capable of uniting its members towards a common goal of victory in the forthcoming election and the sustenance of APC’s and Governor Bello’s outstanding legacy of security, infrastructure, agriculture, and education in Kogi State.

Thirdly, he is a grassroots politician who understands the needs and aspirations of the people of Kogi State. He has been actively involved in community development initiatives and has demonstrated a deep commitment to improving the lives of ordinary citizens. This is a quality that is highly valued by voters and is likely to give him an edge in the governorship election.

Fourthly, Hon. Usman-Ododo has a clear vision for the development of Kogi state. He has outlined his plans for improving infrastructure, creating job opportunities, and enhancing the state’s agricultural sector. His plans are realistic and achievable, and are designed to address the needs of all Kogi state residents, regardless of their tribe, creed, or political affiliations.

The APC has a proven track record of delivering good governance, and this can only be sustained through the election of capable and committed leaders like Hon. Usman-Ododo. It is therefore incumbent on all members of the party to set aside their personal interests and focus on the bigger picture: the continued progress and development of Kogi state under the APC.

In conclusion, the recent APC gubernatorial primary election in Kogi state may have caused some internal disagreements and misalignment among party members, but it is important for all aggrieved parties to unite behind the party’s flag bearer, Hon. Usman-Ododo.

His track record of success, his ability to unite the party, his grassroots connections, his clear vision for development, and his reputation for honesty and transparency make him the best candidate to continue the great work of Governor Bello and lead Kogi state to even greater heights.

It is time for all members of the APC to put aside their differences and work together for the greater good of the party and the people of Kogi state.

Abubakar Sidiq Usman is a Media Aide to the President of the Senate.