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Manufacturers decry challenges in intra-Africa trade, say AfCFTA has not worked

Ehime ALEX
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Manufacturers decry challenges in intra-Africa trade, say AfCFTA has not worked

MORE than two years after trading started on the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) platform on January 1, 2021, manufacturers in Nigeria say they are finding it more challenging to take their products to neighbouring African countries.

This comes as stakeholders who are gathered for the Afreximbank Annual Meetings (AAM2023), closing today, June 21, call for more intra-African trade synergy.

Egypt’s finance minister and chairman of the Afreximbank annual meeting, Mohamed Maait, told participants that Africans must work collaboratively towards finding integrated solutions to the new challenges confronting the continent.

The secretary-general of the AfCFTA Secretariat, Wamkele Mene, said if the continent did not eliminate barriers in trade and finance, all the efforts would have been wasted.

Against the backdrop of this call, the national president of the Association of Micro Entrepreneurs of Nigeria (AMEN), Saviour Iche, told The ICIR that “the AfCFTA has not worked.”

According to Iche, who produces cosmetics, there are restrictions on taking products from Nigeria to Togo, Ghana and other neighbouring countries.

The AMEN president alleged that Nigerian products were being seized, particularly in Ghana, as a reaction to Nigeria’s action when it closed its borders to neighbouring countries in 2020.

“If your good is not certified by their regulatory authority, they will seize that product. Remember, 72 per cent of what Nigerians produce, both by small and big companies, are being sold outside the country. We only consume 28 per cent,” Iche said.

He urged the new administration to appoint someone with a business background that would listen to manufacturers’ complaints as the minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, and not bring in a lawyer or engineer to head the ministry.

He stressed, “It is easy for us to carry goods to China than to cross our borders to other neighbouring countries that we can ordinarily go around in less than 48 hours.

“Before, within a month, we had sold our products – as many as 400 cartons – but now we hardly sell about 30 cartons because foreigners are no longer coming into the country to buy.”

Another businessman, Isiaka Yusuf, corroborated on the challenges he lamented industrialists are facing in taking their products to neighbouring countries.

Yusuf told The ICIR that there had, indeed, been difficulties in moving goods across markets in West Africa and, consequently, manufacturers had been recording low sales.

Despite the challenges, the coordinator, National Action Committee on AfCFTA, Mathew Oloba, told The ICIR that African countries had started leveraging the AfCFTA to harmonise trade procedures, being one of the critical objectives of the Agreement.

Oloba said, “Scheduling of tariff concession on trade in goods has been completed by many state parties. As a way to surmount the challenges of the timely commencement of concrete trade under AfCFTA, trading under the Agreement has since commenced through a temporary arrangement known as the Guided Trade Initiative (GTI).”

Nigeria is on the verge of joining the GTI, and Oloba disclosed that eight countries, representing five regional economic communities in Africa, had met the minimum requirements, and were already trading under the GTI.

“Countries that are piloting trade under the GTI are Cameroon, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritius, Rwanda, Tanzania and Tunisia.

“Some of the products ready for trade are ceramic tiles, batteries, tea, coffee, processed animal products, corn starch, sugar, pasta, glucose syrup, dried fruits, and sisal fibre etc,” he said.

According to Oloba, the AfCFTA’s GTI had been able to help test the operational, institutional, and legal framework and trade policy environment under AfCFTA, and the readiness of the private sector for intra-African trade.

AfCFTA is the world-largest free trade area bringing together the 55 countries of the African Union (AU) and eight regional economic communities (RECs) to create a single market for the continent.

AfCFTA, one of the flagship projects of Agenda 2063, is aimed at eliminating barriers to trade in Africa and boosting intra-Africa trade, among other objectives.

Court nullifies impeachment of former Zamfara deputy governor

Vincent Ufuoma
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Court nullifies impeachment of former Zamfara deputy governor

The Federal High Court in Abuja has nullified the impeachment of embattled former Zamfara State deputy governor, Mahdi Gusau.

Gusau was impeached by the Zamfara State House of Assembly in July last year.

Trouble started after the state’s former governor, Bello Matawalle, whose deputy Gusau was; three state senators, members of the House of Representatives, and the House of Assembly defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) on June 29, 2021.

Following their defection, the PDP and Gusau, who did not defect with them, asked the court in a suit they filed to declare the decampees’ seats vacant, having abandoned the party through which they got into the positions of power.

The plaintiffs had sued the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), APC, the president of the Senate, the House of Representatives speaker, and the House of Assembly speaker as the first to fifth defendants, respectively.

Also joined in the suit were the chief judge, Matawalle, the three senators, House of Representatives members, and all members of the state’s House of Assembly as sixth to 38th defendants, respectively.

They sought an order of mandatory injunction compelling INEC to accept the list of the PDP candidates issued to hold and occupy the office of governor, the state, and federal lawmakers.

They also sought an order for INEC to issue certificates of return to each candidate to hold the offices purportedly occupied by the defectors.

The plaintiffs sought an order compelling the defendants to swear in Gusau as governor on PDP’s platform to complete the tenure of office, among others.

In a judgment on July 19, 2021, the Federal High Court restrained the House of Assembly from proceeding with its planned impeachment of Gusau as deputy governor.

Despite the court’s order, Gusau was impeached after an investigative panel report constituted by the state chief judge, Kulu Aliyu, accused him of committing several impeachable offences, including abuse of office, financial impropriety, and gross misconduct.

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However, Justice Inyang Ekwo, in a judgment delivered on Tuesday, June 21, declared all actions taken by the House of Assembly, former Governor Bello Matawalle, and the state’s chief judge on the impeachment null and void.

The court, which emphasised the need to protect its dignity, reprimanded those involved in the “unconstitutional” impeachment.

“I agree with the learned silk for the plaintiff/applicant that the court must protect its dignity by reprimanding the fifth, sixth, and seventh defendants (speaker, governor, and chief judge) and undoing the steps, acts, or proceedings taken in the impeachment while this suit was pending,” Justice Ekwo said.

Female lawmakers in the 10th Assembly

Ijeoma OPARA
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Female lawmakers in the 10th Assembly

ON Tuesday, June 13, 469 lawmakers were sworn into Nigeria’s National Assembly. Out of 109 senators, three were female.

Sixeen women were also sworn into the House of Representatives out of 360 lawmakers.

The states that produced female representatives include Anambra, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Delta, Imo, Ogun, Plateau, Rivers, Lagos and Yobe.

This report profiles the lawmakers.

Ireti Heebah Kingibe (Senator, FCT, LP)

Kingibe won the senatorial elections for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and became the second female senator to represent the nation’s capital after Khairat Abdulrazaq-Gwadabe.

She studied at the University of Minnesota, United States, where she acquired her Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) degree in Civil Engineering in the 1970s.

She first contested the FCT senatorial elections in 2003 under the defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP). She joined the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and, later, the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2014.

Although she intended to retire from politics, Kingibe joined the Labour Party in 2022 and contested the 2023 general elections, where she displaced the multi-term incumbent senator, Philip Aduda.

She was married to a former Secretary-General of the Federation (SGF) Babagana Kingibe.

Ipalibo Banigo (Senator, Rivers West, PDP)

Banigo, Senator representing Rivers West,  is a medical doctor who studied at the University College Hospital, Ibadan, Oyo state, where she got her MBBS degree (Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery).

She obtained a Masters (M.Sc.) degree from Harvard University School of Public Health.

Since then, she has served in various capacities within the state, including occupying the position of Director of Public Health Services, Acting Commissioner, Director-General and Permanent Secretary.

In 1995, Banigo was appointed Secretary to the State Government (SSG) in Rivers.

She became the Head of Service in 1998 and, in 2014, was selected as running mate to former Rivers state governor Nyesom Wike.

Following their victory in the 2015 elections, Banigo became the first female Deputy-Governor in Rivers state.

Idiat Oluranti Adebule (Senator, Lagos West, APC)

Adebule  holds a Doctorate degree from Lagos State University in Curriculum Studies

She is an educationist who worked as a lecturer at the Michael Otedola College of Primary Education in Lagos and Lagos State University.

She also served as a Commissioner in the Lagos State Post Primary Teaching Service Commission (PP-TESCOM), now Teachers’ Establishment and Pensions Office.

Adebule was SSG under the Babatunde Fashola-led administration and became a one-term Deputy-Governor of Lagos State between 2015 and 2019.

During her time as Deputy-Governor, she superintended over the State’s education affairs as the Coordinating Commissioner of the Ministry of Education.

Lilian Obiageli Orogbu (Anambra Reps Member: Awka North/Awka South, LP)

Orogbu is an academic and a professor of Business Administration at Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka.

She has a Doctorate degree in Business Administration and Management from Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka.

Orogbu had been listed as the Deputy-Governorship candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) along with her principal, Chukwuma Umeoji, in the 2022 elections in Anambra state.

However, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) replaced their names with Chukwuma Soludo and his running mate Onyekachukwu Ibezim, who emerged victorious at the 2022 polls. She contested and won Awka North/Awka South senatorial zone in 2023 under the LP ticket.

Maureen Chinwe Gwacham (Anambra Reps Member: Oyi/Ayamelum, APGA)

Gwacham is a businesswoman who held the position of Managing Director at Best Western Meloch Hotel, Awka, Anambra, prior to her election into the House of Representatives.

Her election into the House is being contested at the Election Petition Tribunal by other candidates, including Uchenna Okafor of the Young Progressives Party (YPP), Vincent Ofumelu, People’s Democratic Party (PDP), and Obiora Chira of the Labour Party (LP).

Marie Enenimiete Ebikake (Bayelsa Reps Member: Brass-Nembe, PDP)

Ebikake was a teacher before she ventured into politics.

Between 2012 and 2015, she served as Commissioner for Transportation for Bayelsa state but was fired over allegations that she was part of a plot against the re-election of the then governor Seriake Dickson.

Ebikake had contested for the Brass-Nembe seat in 2019 but lost to Isreal Sunny-Goli. She challenged the results at the Election Petition Tribunal but lost the case for lack of adequate evidence.

She, however, defeated Sunny-Goli at the 2023 polls.

Regina Akume (Benue Reps Member: Gboko/Tarka, APC)

Regina Akume was born in 1955. She is the wife of George Akume, who was Benue state governor between 1999 and 2007 and is now the Secretary General of the Federation (SGF).

Blessing Onuh (Benue Reps Member: Otukpo/Ohimini, APC)

Onuh was appointed as Secretary for the Social Welfare Secretariat in the FCT in 2010 before her election into the House of Representatives.

Under the PDP, she had contested against her uncle Johnson Ahubi, also a member of the same party, for the Otukpo/Ohimini ticket in 2018. She lost the ticket to her uncle and defected to APGA, under which she won the elections into the House.

She defected again to the APC and won her re-election bid.

Onuh is the daughter of Nigeria’s former Senate President David Mark.

Zainab Gimba (Borno Reps Member: Bama/Ngala/Kala-Balge, APC)

Gimba has a Doctorate degree in Public Administration and Policy Analysis from the University of Abuja, Nigeria and worked as a Senior Lecturer at the University of Maiduguri, Borno state.

Between 2011-2014, Gimba was the Commissioner Ministry of Poverty Alleviation and Youth Empowerment in Borno. She also served as the Commissioner of the State Universal Basic Education Board between 2014 and 2015. She also served as a Commissioner under the Ministry of Water Resources in Borno State from 2015 to 2018.

She was also elected Vice-President of the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarian (CWP), Africa region.

Erhiatake Ibori-Suenu (Delta Reps Member: Ethiope East/Ethiope West, PDP)

Ibori-Suenu is a 42-year-old politician who studied Business Studies and Information Systems in the United Kingdom.

She defeated the incumbent Reps member, Ben Igbakpa, to clinch the PDP ticket for the National Assembly in 2022.

She is also the daughter of former governor of Delta state James Ibori, who was convicted by a court in London for fraud in 2012.

Mariam Onuoha (Imo Reps Member: Isiala Mbano/Okigwe/Onuimo, APC)

Onuoha hails from Umunachi Osu-Ama in the Isiala-Mbano Local Government Area of Imo state.

She got a B.Sc. in Estate Management from the University of Lagos and an M.Sc. in Environmental Planning and Protection from the University of Abuja.

Onuoha served as a Senior Special Assistant to the Governor of Bayelsa state on International Development Cooperation before her election into the House of Representatives.

Onuoha, a returning legislator, won the 2019 elections for the House of Representatives after the election petition tribunal sacked Obinna Onwubuariri, who was earlier declared winner.

She is also the only female lawmaker who indicated interest in the position of Speakership of the House.

Kafilat Ogbara (Lagos Reps Member: Kosofe, APC)

Born in Aiyepe Ogun State, Ogbara studied at the University of Lagos, where she got a B.Sc. in English Language and Literature.

She also acquired her M.Sc. degree in International Law and Diplomacy and another in Public Administration, both from the University of Lagos.

Ogabara is the Publisher of Today’s Prime newspaper and the former Managing Director/ CEO of National Mirror Newspapers.

She has served in several capacities, including the Special Assistant on Trade and Investment and Technical Aid Corps at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Abuja and was a Member, Board of Director on several Federal Parastatals such as Nigeria Television Authority Abuja.

She also worked at the Nigeria Television Authority Abuja, National Centre for Women Development Abuja, and National Horticultural Research Institute.

Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu appointed Ogbara as member of the Audit Service Commission in 2020.

Ogbara was a gubernatorial aspirant in Ogun state in 2011.

Oriyomi Onanuga (Ogun Reps Member:  Ikenne/Shagamu/Remo North, APC)

Onanuga was born on December 2, 1965, and is an entrepreneur.

She is a returning legislator who was the Chairman of the House Committee on Women Affairs and Social Development in the 9th Assembly.

Beni Butmak Lar Plateau Reps Member: Langtang North/ Langtang South, PDP)

Lar was born on August 12, 1967, and is the oldest daughter of former governor of Plateau state Solomon Lar.

She is a lawyer who was re-elected into the House for a fifth term in 2023, as she first became a legislator in 2007.

She served as Chairperson of the House of Representatives’ Committee on Human Rights in the 9th Assembly, and is an advocate for women’s rights. She has also headed several committees during her time in the House, including the Science and Technology Committee and the Science and Technology Committee.

Boma Goodhead (Rivers Reps Member: Akuku-Toru/Asari-Toru, PDP)

Goodhead was born on 24 November 1970. She hails from Buguma in Asari-Toru local government area of Rivers. She is a sister to Asari Dokubo, a major political figure of the Ijaw ethnic group in the state.

She challenged masked State Security Service (SSS) officers who blocked the entrance to the National Assembly Complex in 2018, preventing lawmakers, staff, journalists and the public from entering the complex.

Khadija Bukar Abba-Ibrahim (Yobe Reps Member: Damaturu/Gujba/Gulani/Tarmuwa, APC)

Abba-Ibrahim was born on January 6, 1967.

She began her secondary school education at Queen’s College, Lagos. In 1980, she proceeded to Headington School, Oxford, where she completed her secondary school education in 1983.

She is also a returning legislator, and before her election into the 10th National Assembly, she was the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs.

Abba-Ibrahim defeated her stepson to win the APC ticket.

She is the wife of former Yobe state governor Bukar Abba-Ibrahim.

Fatima Talba (Yobe Reps Member: Nangere/Potiskum, APC)

Talba was born in 1959.

She is a returning legislator who, under the All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP), contested the senatorial elections against her brother, Adamu Garba Talba in 2007 and lost.

She challenged brother’s victory and again lost after the election petition tribunal declared her brother winner.

She won the election into the House of Reps in 2019 and won her re-election bid in 2023 under the APC.

Chinwe Clara Nnabuife (Anambra Reps Member: Orumba North/Orumba South, YPP)

Nnabuife was born in Orumba, Anambra state.

She got her Higher National Diploma (HND) in Mass Communication from Federal Polytechnic, Oko, Anambra state, in 1991, and worked briefly with the Abuja Municipal Area Council(AMAC), FCT.

She is a Real Estate developer who began her career in 2006.

Nnnabuife contested the 2019 National Assembly elections under the Young Progressives Party (YPP) and lost, though she polled the second-highest votes for the position.

Tolulope Akande-Sadipe (Oyo Reps Member: Oluyole, APC)

Akande-Sadipe worked as the Special Adviser to the Oyo state Governor on Projects in 2016.

Akande-Sadipe was elected into the House of Representatives in 2019. However, her re-election bid on February 25 was threatened after the INEC declared the election in some polling units within her constituency inconclusive due to the malfunctioning of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS).

Supplementary elections were held in the affected polling units, and Akande-Sadipe emerged the winner.

She declared her ambition to run for Deputy-Speaker in the 20th Assembly, but lost the bid.

Update:

This report was updated to reflect Tolulope Akande-Sadipe who was not captured initially. 

[OPINION] Dokpesi: The big Masquerade leaves the stage

Editorial
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[OPINION] Dokpesi: The big Masquerade leaves the stage

By Austine Okhiria AGBONSUREMI

MY first encounter with Raymond Aleogho Dokpesi was in 1994 when he graciously gave me an opportunity to move over to his new radio station, Raypower FM, Lagos, as a Stringer, following the closure of Rutam House and the proscription of The Guardian Newspapers Group, where I worked as a reporter.

The then Director of News, Ladi Lawal, of blessed memory, had accepted the recommendation of Kelly Elisha, my senior colleague on the judiciary beat, for me to be considered on the list of “distressed journalists” of the 18 media organisations shut down by iron man, General Sani Abacha.

The following 25 years were packed with a stretch of professional accomplishments I derived through the massive and, arguably, the most influential broadcast group in Nigeria supervised directly by this colossus.

You can’t work closely with the High Chief without being infected by his passion for hard work.

He was a leader who had unique relationships with each one who worked with him. Everyone had an incredible positive encounter with this Superman.

He taught us not to take a no for an answer. We knew through him and the late GMD, Ladi Lawal (whom he said understood his vision more than any other person), not to postpone, till later or tomorrow, any duty that can be performed today.

He was a workaholic.

Dokpesi had a character typical to many highly cerebral and intelligent individuals. I call it “Intelligence Malaise “ – the Propensity of brilliant individuals to want to stay guiding and supervising all tasks to be performed. They always want to do it here and now by themselves and in their presence or under their supervision.

We saw him at sites with headpans carrying concrete mix on his head in Alagbado, and he was physically at the outside broadcast locations with the teams to ensure everything ran smoothly at the beginning of AIT.

He was a restless leader who craved perfection in all assignments.

Though “a bloody (marine) engineer,” as he would often refer to himself, he owned the original concepts of many programmes on radio and television. Anytime he calls the news and programmes management teams for a meeting, it is always certain that it would be an ideation meeting over a programme concept. He was the quality control person behind major programmes on the air.

His relationship with staff was more than that of a worker and an owner of the business. He gave everyone the opportunity of access to him.

High Chief was a very informal person, and he could have a meeting with staff on very serious assignments on the spot at any time. Oftentimes, he moves to our offices for meetings. He believes in positive results. He loves you extra if you are result-oriented.
I had a very close and personal relationship with him.

Perhaps he concluded that I took this relationship for granted in my push to get things done correctly. And when I told him during a meeting with top management staff to get serious about how he runs DAAR, he fired me from the company. It was the second time I accused him of unseriousness within two weeks. I was tired of the work environment made toxic by the unwillingness of management to attend to the legitimate needs of staff, including payment of salaries.

The audacity was loud, but I owed him the truth. He knew I was very vocal, and he tolerated me for years, but this time, I drew out his anger, and he gave me the boots.
That was in February 2018, when staff morale was very low, with a backlog of several months of salaries.

I knew it was a hard one, but I also knew it would take a friend to tell him the truth. The outcome was, expectedly, disastrous for our warm and cordial relationship. It was the wrong cap on a blossoming friendship of over 25 years.

During these years, I had phenomenal professional growth and exposure due to his uncommon love, care and support.

For our outspoken and bold interventions in the handling of political programmes on the air, we needed his support to do our job well. He gave us support without interfering with the content.

“You will not even spare my friends,” he once told me.

“Chairman, tell your friends to stay on the path of honour,” I responded. And he offered me a handshake, with both of us laughing loud.

There were three occasions he singled me out for unqualified favour. I will tell just one of them. Sometimes in 1996, just before AIT was launched, and barely a year after I was formally integrated as a staff of DAAR, the newsroom management decided to reorganise operations.

I was Head Reportorial, despite my junior-level position in the newsroom. This supervisory position was artificial because I never really supervised senior reporters. There were senior colleagues supervising all of us. Still, I was experienced enough to put their reports together for Raypower’s flagship news magazine programme in the afternoon, Metro Despatch.

The proposal before him from the newsroom management was, among others, to replace me as Head Reportorial with another very hardworking and experienced colleague from the Concord Stable, Bayo Adeyinka.

He sighted me in the premises through his glass office, opened the window and called my attention. I rushed up to his office, where he told me that I was being replaced as Head, Reportorial and requested to know what the problem was.

I told him nothing was wrong, and he asked me to go.

It was the first time I entered his office alone, besides the few occasions I attended meetings with others. But he had met me in the newsroom on many occasions working alone in the dead of the night when I faced the task of preparing reports for “CASE FILE,” a segment of judicial reports on the Ultimate Morning Show (UMS). On each occasion, he would bang on the Newsroom door, and when I opened the door, he would give me jovial salutations and move on to his regular night inspections of the offices and the live studio.
I was still thinking of the information he gave me in his office when he came to the newsroom.

Unknown to me, he had his plans.

He came into the newsroom with approvals for all the recommended appointments, including my removal. But he looked up to everyone and asked jokingly what they now wanted to do with “this man,” pointing in my direction.

Before anyone could answer, he announced that because of the transition programme by the military and the emerging political development towards the civil rule, he was recommending the setting up of the Political Desk.

He also immediately announced that, based on my experience, having studied my file, I was best suited to head and nurture that desk. He also elevated me to Assistant Manager, jumping three ranks above my peers.

From Assistant Manager, Political Desk, I rose through the ranks in over 20 years to the group’s Director in charge of Politics. I served as the Director of AIT Parliamentary Channel on DAARSat, the still-born Direct Broadcast Satellite Services of DAAR Plc.

Dokpesi stood by me like a rock to succeed in my office, helping me with contacts, resources and ideas. He approved my posting to the Presidential Villa as a State House correspondent 1999. He sent me to Portharcourt as Assistant General Manager/Bureau Chief to run two radio stations – Raypower 1 and 2 – and AIT, the TV station. I had pieces of training at BBC in London and at Cologn and Berlin at Deutsche Welle, Germany.

He watched over our shoulders and protected some of us from being eliminated by military agents during the dark Abacha days.

The “NADECO 2” in the newsroom – Adebayo Bodunrin and I (we were political reporters, and we were tagged supporters of the National Democratic Coalition) regularly came under threat because of our work. Still, Chairman would ask us to go under until we were safe again. Ambrose Somide, though not in the newsroom, was also under the same threat because of his voice on radio.

After I was sent on “Compulsory Retirement,” I wrote a letter of appreciation to him, thanking him for my opportunity to use his media platforms to blossom in my broadcast and journalism career. He didn’t acknowledge my letter.

Before I left for Canada in 2020 to stay with my ailing wife, I also visited him with a bottle of champagne and wines along with Adaobi Obiabunmuo, Programme Manager at PRIMORG, to renew my loyalty and appreciation to him despite the manner of my departure from DAAR. It was my little way to say “thank you” to this great man who provided me with the platform and unqualified friendship for my 25 years in the broadcast arena.

Recently, I sensed that something was wrong somehow when the High Chief sent a message to me through a comment on my Facebook page to commiserate with me upon the passing of my wife, Mercy. He didn’t call or send a text message to my phone. I was curious but delighted to hear from him.

He disclosed that he got the news when his “health was very bad.” That line got me worried.
He wrote: “Austin,
Tosin called to inform me about the passage of my your wife at a time when my health was very bad. We prayed for her and you with the surviving children. Be very strong as we pray that her soul should rest in perfect peace and perpetual light shine on her soul. May God grant you and the family the fortitude and grace to bear this irreparable loss at a time she is most needed. Be strong Austin. Take consolation in the fact that she fought a good fight, and you stood by her till the last minute. God bless you and all the kids you now have to father & mother.”

I responded: “Thank you, my chairman, for your prayers and valuable counsel. May God strengthen you and grant you good health.”

I contacted his wife, Madam Tosin, immediately, and she assured me he was fine and abiding by the Doctor’s instructions.

I was earnestly looking forward to visiting him anytime I visit Nigeria.

No matter what you think or say about him, Chairman, as we called him, positively impacted so much on everyone within his spheres.

I was privileged to have an exceptional relationship with him. I was one of the few staff who exercised the opportunity to get to his bedroom whenever I needed to see him urgently, even when he was resting.

He said, “If it’s urgent and I am sleeping, wake me up.”

As Director in charge of the Political Desk, I got tips and updates regularly from him because he was always a step ahead no matter how much I tried to get top political information.

Writing about a life encounter with the chief, Raymond Aleogho Dokpesi is like writing about the good dance of a masquerade after watching from the sidelines. What you write is what you can see from your corner of the big circle.

And when the masquerade has thrilled everyone, a benevolent writer will not bother writing about the wrong steps and momentary falls.

My chairman was a big masquerade. He had his adventures, controversial steps and style, which can not diminish his towering successes and accomplishments.

As a big masquerade, he thrilled everyone. He had his head well above his peers.
His departure leaves a big vacuum in the Nigerian media space that will be difficult to fill.

Augustine Okhiria Agbonsuremi is the Executive Director of PRIMORG and can be reached agbonsuremi@yahoo.com

Submarine trip to Titanic wreckage: Underwater sounds heard in search for missing tourists

Ijeoma OPARA
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Submarine trip to Titanic wreckage: Underwater sounds heard in search for missing tourists

THE search for a submarine being used to convey tourists to the site of the Titanic wreckage has continued after it went missing on Sunday, June 18.

At least, five persons were on board the submersible owned by a tourist company, OceanGate Expeditions, seeking to explore the wreckage of the Titanic in the North Atlantic Ocean.

Those on board, all male, included British businessman Hamish Harding, 58; British-Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood, 48, and his son Suleman, 18; French explorer Paul-Henry Nargeolet, 77; and Stockton Rush, 61, chief executive of OceanGate.

However, less than two hours after the submersible dived into the sea, signal was lost between it and the support ship that transported it towards the site of the wreckage, resulting in a frenzied search that has continued for the past three days.

The trip to the site of the Titanic wreck, which involves an eight-day tour underwater, costs $250,000 per person.

OceanGate had carried out successful expeditions to the site of the wreckage in 2021 and 2022.

The company said via its website that it would continue to carry out annual trips to the site of the Titanic to document the extent of decay.

The missing submarine, called Titan, has emergency oxygen to last 96 hours, which is due to run out by Thursday, 10:00 GMT (06:00 EDT), leaving the tourists in the vessel with about a day left.

The submersible is also locked with bolts from outside, meaning that the men will remain trapped in the vessel even if it resurfaces, and may run out of oxygen if they do not get external help.

According to a tweet by the United States Coast Guard, underwater noises were heard by a Canadian P-3 aircraft within the search area, and remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) were relocated to trace the origin of the sounds, though they have so far yielded negative results.

“The data from the P-3 aircraft has been shared with our U.S. Navy experts for further analysis, which will be considered in future search plans,” the U.S. Coast Guard tweeted on Wednesday, June 21.

It was also reported that the sounds were heard at 30-minute intervals on Tuesday, June 20, leaving many hopeful that they were made by humans, although experts are yet to interpret them.

The Titanic wreckage sits, at least, 12,000 feet below sea level. It is one of the World Heritage sites as declared by the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

The Titanic sank in April 1912 against an iceberg while travelling from England to New York City on its first trip across the Atlantic Ocean, killing about 1,500 out of the 2,200 people on board.

Builders of the cruiser ship had touted it as “The unsinkable”, and quoted in books on the Titanic tragedy as boasting after completing work on the then largest and most luxurious tourist boat as saying, “Even God Himself cannot sink this ship.”

After the ship collided with the iceberg, lifeboats were launched, but only about 700 people were rescued, as the available rescue boats were not enough for all the passengers on board.

Many passengers that died on the Titanic were among the world’s richest people, who boarded it for prestige. As they waited to get on lifeboats, the ship’s musicians, all of who later died in the wreck, continued to entertain them until it sank completely.

The wreckage of the Titanic was found in 1985.

Kano governor reinstates anti-corruption agency chief Ganduje sacked

Marcus FATUNMOLE
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Kano governor reinstates anti-corruption agency chief Ganduje sacked

KANO State governor, Abba Kabir, has reinstated the state chairman of the Public Complaints and Anti-corruption Commission (PCACC), Muhuyi Magaji, that his predecessor, Abdullahi Ganduje, had sacked.

The state House of Assembly had suspended Magaji, a lawyer, and Ganduje then sacked him in January.

But he challenged his sack in court and the court ordered his reinstatement.

Kabir, in a statement that his chief press secretary Sanusi Tofa issued on Wednesday, June 21, agreed with the court that Magaji was wrongly sacked.

The statement read, “Abba Kabir Yusuf, the Executive Governor of Kano State, approved the reinstatement of Barrister Muhyi Magaji Rimin Gado as Chairman of the Public Complaints and Anti-corruption Commission.

“Recall that Barrister Muhyi was suspended from office by the previous administration in questionable circumstances.

“The reinstatement is with immediate effect and in compliance with the court order.”

The ICIR reports that Magaji’s reinstatement follows a similar action by the new government earlier this month.

The governor had reinstated the head of the state’s revenue board Sani Abdulkadir Dambo on June 16.

Ganduje had sacked Dambo in December, 2022

The new government’s actions are part of what stakeholders and other residents of the state see as fallouts of the feud between the ruling party in the state, the New Nigeria People’s (NNPP), and the All Progressives Congress (APC), of which Ganduje is a member.

Residents of the state hold as an evidence of the crisis the ongoing demolition of structures built or approved by the past administration, which the incumbent sees as conflicting with the state master plan.

On June 9, The ICIR reported how the former governor said he could have slapped the NNPP leader and a former governor of the state, Rabiu Kwankwaso, following the crisis that trailed the demolition exercise.

DSS, OAGF ask court to reject Emefiele’s bail request

Beloved JOHN
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DSS, OAGF ask court to reject Emefiele’s bail request

The Department of State Services (DSS) and the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation (OAGF) have defended the detention of the suspended CBN governor Godwin Emefiele.

Both parties warned against his release in separate counter-affidavits.

The DSS told the court on Tuesday, June 20, that Emefiele would flee if the court granted him bail.

Emefiele had approached the High Court, Abuja, challenging his detention by the DSS.

In his motion, he asked the court to enforce his right to liberty and freedom of movement, saying there was no basis for his continuous detention.

However, the DSS and OAGF insisted that the governor’s detention was lawful.

According to the DSS, Emefiele was being held pursuant to an order of a competent court.

It said the arrest was “upon reasonable suspicion of committing acts which constitute a criminal breach of trust, incitement to violence, criminal misappropriation of public funds, economic sabotage, economic crimes of national security dimension and undermining the security of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

The OAGF, supporting the DSS, described Emefiele as a flight risk.

The attorney-general also debunked the speculation that Emefiele was detained for terrorist-related crimes.

The OAGF maintained that Emefiele was not being victimised for his political involvement and the botched naira redesign policy.

“Issues of terrorism financing and fraudulent activities are not part of the grounds for the arrest and detention of the applicant.

“The respondents have not violated the applicant’s right to live in any way; his life is not in danger. The respondents did not subject the applicant to any judicial adjudication to warrant the allegation of denial of a fair hearing.

“With the remand order issued by a court of competent jurisdiction, the said violation of the applicant’s right to freedom of movement does not arise,” the OGAF said.

Justice Hamza Muazu has adjourned the case till July 13 for a ruling.

The ICIR had reported how the President, Bola Tinubu, had ordered the suspension of Emefiele from the office of the CBN governor. The Federal government said the suspension was due to an ongoing investigation into the bank and the planned reforms in the economy’s financial sector.

Shortly after the suspension, the DSS confirmed the arrest of the suspended apex bank governor.

Davido becomes first African artiste to perform at CNN’s Juneteenth concert

Itoro ETUKUDO
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Davido becomes first African artiste to perform at CNN’s Juneteenth concert

AWARD-winning Nigerian singer, David Adeleke, widely known as Davido, captivated the audience at the 2023 CNN’s Juneteenth concert in the United States on Monday, June 19, as he became the first African artiste to perform at the concert.

The artiste delighted the audience, which included the US Vice President, Kamala Harris, with a stellar performance of Feel and Unavailable from his latest album. He also delivered a thrilling rendition of Fall from his previous album.

Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day, is an annual holiday celebrated in the United States on June 19 to commemorate the emancipation of enslaved African Americans and represents a significant milestone in American history.

It also serves as a day to honour the resilience, contributions, and achievements of African Americans, as well as to reflect upon the ongoing struggle for equality and justice. It is often celebrated with various activities, including parades, festivals, musical performances, educational events, and family gatherings.

This year’s edition was held at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles, US  with the theme, ‘Juneteenth: A Global Celebration for Freedom.’

Other renowned artistes also performed at the concert, including Chloe Bailey, Charlie Wilson, Miguel, Kirk Franklin, Nelly, SWV, Coi Leray, Jodeci, Mike Phillips, Questlove, and Adam Blackstone.

DataPro suspends credit rating on Tingo Mobile

Ehime ALEX
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DataPro suspends credit rating on Tingo Mobile

DATAPRO Limited, a Nigerian rating agency, has suspended its credit rating of Tingo Mobile.

The rating agency disclosed this in a statement issued on Monday, June 19 by its managing director/chief executive officer, Abimbola Adeseyoju.

It said, “In line with International Best Practices, DataPro now suspends Tingo Mobile’s Credit Rating due to the Company’s inability to provide required additional information to sustain the Rating assigned it on Wednesday, 17th May, 2023.

“In the past one-week, DataPro has engaged with Tingo Mobile to get clarity about its recent acquisitions and financial structure. Unfortunately, the Company has not taken advantage of the timeline for it to provide needed information that will enable us sustain the Rating assigned.”

According to DataPro, the statement was given “without prejudice or malice,” and “is a standard rating procedure globally.”

DataPro had earlier assigned a long-term rating of ‘A’ with a positive outlook for 2023/2024 to Tingo Mobile, The ICIR  reported.

 Former NIMASA DG opposes proposed merger with FIRS, Customs

Beloved JOHN
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 Former NIMASA DG opposes proposed merger with FIRS, Customs

A FORMER Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Ade Dosunmu, has kicked against the plan to merge the agency with the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS). 

Dosunmu said the proposed merger would be counter-productive and have substantial negative implications for the country. 

Last Friday, June 16, President Bola Tinubu’s economic advisory committee had advised that NIMASA be merged with the NCS and the FIRS to ease the collection of direct and indirect taxes and levies on behalf of the Federal government.

Responding to this in a statement issued on Tuesday, June 20, Dosunmu said the agency was not a revenue-generating establishment.

He called the proposed merger a misconception that could endanger the maritime industry in Nigeria.

The former DG asserted that NIMASA had no relation with the FIRS or the Customs.

He said, “My attention has been drawn to a speculation purported to have emanated from the presidential policy advisory group erroneously classifying the NIMASA as a revenue-generating agency, thereby proposing a merger of NIMASA, Customs, and FIRS.

“It is my strong view that the proposed merger will be counter-productive with huge negative implications for Nigeria in the global shipping community.

“Our waters may be considered no longer safe for international shipping, and that can affect the volume of maritime trade and eventually lead to a drop in revenue. Another implication is that our waters can become a destination for rickety ships, thereby becoming a dumping ground for shipwrecks and derelicts.”

Dosunmu asked the Federal government to work on strengthening the agency to deliver more on its technical mandates. 

He warned against merging the agency with agencies he considered incompatible with its philosophy and objectives.

Dosunmu, saying the revenue generated by NIMASA was being used to carry out technical functions and the surplus paid into the Federation account at year-end, urged the government to rethink and consult stakeholders in the marine sector for the best way to address issues around the industry.

“My advice is that the Federal government, under the able leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, should consult major maritime stakeholders on issues affecting the maritime industry for proper guidance.

“The industry is the gateway to the economy of Nigeria and is very critical to the logistics aspect of the oil and gas industry since most of the crude oil production and exploration activities take place offshore Nigerian waters.

“Trial and error will not work. Rather, NIMASA being the regulator, should be strengthened technically. The whole idea of merger should be set aside until wider consultation with the industry stakeholders is held,” he said.

 

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