To this day, the Late Governor Aper Aku, who was in office between October 1979 and December 1983 is regarded as the best governor of Benue State. He left sterling records worthy of an innovator.

But it was not all rosy for Late Aku, though a student of the great Joseph Tarka, for he faced severe problems in Benue, as a state with a long history of neglect.

However, the state has fertile land with great agricultural potential. Aku encouraged mass agricultural production, and during his tenure the state produced bumper harvests of local crops such as yams, cassava, soya beans, cowpea, maize, guinea corn, millet, groundnut, banana, mangoes and oranges. He turned the state into "Food basket of the nation." 

The Government established a number of industries to produce fertilizer and process agricultural products, located close to the areas where the produce was grown. Gov. Aku launched commercial enterprises such as the Benue Brewery, Benro Packaging, Benue Bottling Company, Lobi Bank, Ber-Agbum Fish Farm, Ikogen Cattle Ranch, Taraku Vegetable Processing Industry and Benue International Hotel in Makurdi. He initiated the Makurdi International Market and planned to establish a flour mill in Makurdi. Aku also built a state of the art State Secretariat

He constructed seven cottage hospitals in different locations of the state, established two Teachers Training Colleges at Oju and Makurdi and the University of Technology in Makurdi. He embarked on an ambitious program to expand the number of Secondary Schools. He built roads in Makurdi township and provided street lights, awarded the contract for the Art Council Complex and started work on the Makurdi stadium.

Professor David Iornem once referred to him as "a visionary leader ahead of his time."

The Coup d'etat of December 31, 1983 that ousted Aper Aku and his second republic colleagues in other states, marked the end of golden era in Benue political leadership.

Brig. Gen. John Atom Kpera who succeeded Gov. Aku watched all the lofty projects launched by Aku die irredeemably.

Kpera was appointed Military Governor of Benue on 4th January 1984, the first military leader born in the state to govern the State. His only "achievement" was initiation of the policy of forcing the people to clean their environment under the supervision of soldiers. On his dismissal as governor, he said of the State's treasury that he left it empty because he met it — empty.

Ever since, Benue has become the proverbial child born into affluence, but dies in abject penury. Not even Rev. Fr. Adasu in the defunct third republic could make a notable difference. From George Akume, to Gabriel Suswam, to Samuel Ortom, the story has remained the same.

On May last year, Catholic Bishop of Gboko diocese — His Lordship, William Avenya, in compliance with relevant canonical provisions (sanctioned) dispensed Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia of his priestly ministries, for joining partisan politics, in the race for governorship, which breaches section 285.3 of the revised Code of Canon Law: "clerics are forbidden to assume public offices which entail a participation in the exercise of civil power."

Fr. Alia (now Governor Alia), is a contemporary deja vu of Late Rev. Fr. Moses Adasu who resisted all wise counsels not to soil his clerical cloak, joined partisan politics, and was elected Governor of Benue state on January 2, 1992.

Today, a month and half on the saddle, the light is not green for Gov. (Fr.) Hyacinth Alia. The illusionary sentiments and hope expressed by his people when he replaced his Chasuble with Agbada, is fading away with maddening speed. He has already made two far-reaching decisions which political pundits considered unbecoming of a "man of God."

His recent decision to sack over 13,000 workers and 23 Local Government Council chairmen in the state has raised eyebrows and caused significant concern among the public. Such drastic measures, taken to rectify alleged irregularities in the recruitment process, warrant careful scrutiny.

We must agree however that his swift action sends a ringing message that tough measures are needed to combat corruption and restore integrity in public service. But, while it is important to uphold transparency and accountability, such a mass sacking without proper investigation and consultation has raised questions about fairness and the governor's understanding of due process.

Such decisions come with a lot of unintended consequences.

The overwhelming dismissal of local government council chairmen also raises concerns about the governor's respect for democratic principles. While it is crucial to address corruption and ensure transparency, stripping elected officials of their mandates without concrete evidence of wrongdoing undermines the democratic fabric of governance. It also sets a dangerous precedent.

Critics argue that Governor Alia seems to lack sufficient consideration of alternative courses of action to address the alleged irregularities in the recruitment process. Instead of immediately resorting to mass dismissals, other options such as thorough investigations, audits, or creating systems to verify the legitimacy of appointments could have been explored. Such alternatives would have allowed an opportunity to weed out any corruption while minimizing the negative consequences for innocent workers.

A balanced approach that investigates and rectifies alleged irregularities while safeguarding the livelihoods of innocent workers should have been adopted.

One thing is clear, the "theocratic" approach to leadership which Fr. Alia enjoyed as a priest for over two decades is taking toll on him. Democracy is definitely a strange ally to him. In the Catholic Church which had been his constituency, the laity doesn't wield civil liberty to hold the hierarchy to account, as they do in secular democracy. 

More so, how did he fair in his apostolate before he joined politics? If Fr. Hyacinth couldn't make the parishes he administered, in his days, as Parish Priest better than others in the diocese, when he had the unbounded hierarchical power, how did anyone expect him to be a better political leader, in a democracy where bureaucracy holds sway.

Perhaps, he is seeing the entire state as his Parish, and thus sacked the workers the same way he would the parish Catechist. His leadership philosophy and his apostolate as a priest is definitely clashing with his current statutory position as governor — the political leader of a state.

"All recent appointments into the State Civil Service made by the outgone administration from May 2022 to date are hereby nullified with immediate effect" decreed Gov. Alia militarily.

“All Civil Servants and or persons appointed Permanent Secretaries from the month of January 2023 to date should revert to their previous positions forthwith,” Fr. Alia’s chief press secretary, Tersoo Kula conveyed.

His suspension (sacking) of democratically elected 23 Local Council Chairmen of the state, after a kangaroo recommendation from the state House of Assembly is raising Cain from death. He did this against a subsisting National Industrial Court ruling.

The court judgement, which was delivered on June 15, 2023, followed a case instituted by the then-serving council chairmen. They got judgement in their favour to the effect that their tenure should run full course as provided under the law without let or hindrance from any quarters.

Fr. Hyacinth breached the ruling and handed them over to EFCC. These are men who have the electoral mandate of their people with constitutional executive powers to administer their Local Government Areas.

In the build-up to the 2023 elections, I took a short trip through the recessed walkway of my mind into Nigeria's political history. Though the destination of this ruminating voyage was the early 20th century province of Zungeru, where the amalgamation of what today became Nigeria took place, something dreadful struck my mind, as I pondered on the class of 1979 governors in the defunct old 19 states. Of these 19 governors of the second republic only two — Senator Jim Nwobodo of old Anambra State and His Highness Auwal Ibrahim of old Niger State are still alive. The rest alongside their President and Vice are all dead. This was just 44 years ago when they were the 21 most powerful people in Nigeria vested with unfettered executive powers. Today, they are gone and unreferenced.

Even the two that are still alive no longer make news. It should serve a huge lesson to the current crop of politicians that political dynasty is not an eternal enterprise but their scorecards will be their only legacy either in negativity or positivity.

May Benue succeed and my daylight spare us!

You may have seen it. The list, of course. Those who think that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is not moving fast enough to appoint ministers have offered to help. They have composed their own ministerial list for him and shared it on social media. It’s trending now.  

Just one look at it, however, and you would know that it’s an improbable list, even for a Banana republic. It didn’t make sense. Going by the list, not a few commentators are already relishing the prospects of Adams Oshiomhole as Minister of Works; Nasir El-Rufai as Minister of Interior; and Nyesom Wike as Police Affairs Minister, among other fabrications.

It might appear silly to ask, but why the desperation? It’s partly because in many respects, we don’t want anything that resembles a return to the Muhammadu Buhari era. It took Buhari one-eight of his first term of four years or roughly the time General Murtala Mohammed spent in office to compose his cabinet. While Buhari was scratching his head, trying to find his footing, the country ran on voodoo, psychedelically called body language, which really meant nothing.

When Buhari finally came round to it, especially in his second term, he appointed a number of ministers – and some non-ministers, in fact – that made people regret that he made any appointments at all.

I stopped obsessing about ministerial lists long before Buhari appointed ministers. A number of his ministers and appointees made the office a joke to see. Yet, never lacking in the ingenuity of self-help, they managed to make it serious business for themselves.  

When he reconstituted federal boards in 2017, Buhari appointed three dead people into positions. I guess the anxiety about the next ministerial list is partly because the public is genuinely concerned that Tinubu must avoid these mistakes of the past.

In some ways, Abuja sets the tone for governance, regardless of many years of the bad habits it has foisted on a failing federal structure. Forming an early cabinet might help not just the rest of the country, but also partners outside, to have an idea where the country is headed and how to engage the continent’s largest and perhaps one of its most intractable enigmas.

To sustain the speed and momentum of a number of the far-reaching decisions taken by President Tinubu from his first day in office, also, he needs to get his cabinet in place as quickly as possible. But surely not on the timeline of speculators who have not only named his cabinet for him on social media but have also assigned portfolios and given them a resumption date.

I have learnt, over the years, to pay some attention to what is happening in states and local governments, too. A lot going on in Abuja could be undone by governors who, for example, decide to run amok. And we’ve seen them before.

We saw how the wellbeing of the whole could be severely impaired by the sum of the parts, for example, when Ahmed Sani Yerima was governor of Zamfara State. The introduction of “political Sharia law” in that state and its distorted application watered the seed of radicalism not only there but also in many parts of the North West.

Apart from militancy in the South South, President Olusegun Obasanjo spent a chunk of his time dealing with the serious security fallouts of Yerima’s rascality, not to mention the supercharged testosterone of the former governor that could not be restrained until it found a consort in a 15-year-old Egyptian girl. The fellow appears to be back in circulation.

It’s not funny. Once Yerima stoked religious tensions in Gusau, the flames leaped across 12 other states in the North, raising an army of angry people, especially among the young population, for whom problems common to new democracies, such as corruption and inequality, were framed as moral questions to be addressed by the religious police.

Sadly, a high court in the state gave a bizarre ruling that circumscribed the freedom of adherents of other faiths or even non-faithers resident in the state guaranteed in the Constitution. “Political Sharia” became a convenient distraction for political leaders who deflected accountability after collecting billions of naira from Abuja that they squandered on themselves.

No template of ministers by Obasanjo could have foreseen the monster that this zealotry would morph into years later. Boko Haram, ISWAP and other franchises of insurgency found recruits from this religious hotbed from which the country has still not recovered.

Of course, the North did not have a monopoly of such cautionary tales. When a junior minister in Obasanjo’s government, Nenadi Usman, decided to publish a monthly account of what state governments were getting from the federation account, for example, it turned out to be a scam-fest of who is who. There was very little to show for the billions collected. Governors up and down the country had gone rogue, helping themselves to the treasury and stashing abroad whatever was left.  

A report by Matthew T. Page, entitled, Dubai Property: An Oasis for Nigeria’s Corrupt Political Elite, said, “A 2014 report, for example, claimed that Nigerian buyers accounted for 60 percent of all serviced apartment sales in Dubai. Likewise, in 2012, the sales manager of a Dubai real estate firm claimed Nigerians had invested up to $6 billion in Dubai property over the three previous years.”

Beyond the description of the buyers as “politically exposed persons”, the general descriptive classifications contained in the report showed that “security sector leaders” and “governors” were high at the top of the list of the Nigerian owners of Dubai.

While we obsess about the coming ministerial list, we need to keep an eye on what is happening in the states, too. It might be useful not only to be interested in what the governors are doing, but also in who they’re appointing to do what and how, especially with rubber-stamp assemblies.

Of course, it would be unfair to tar all states with a dirty brush. Lagos, especially since 1999, Ekiti (under Governor Kayode Fayemi), Kaduna, and Rivers have made significant strides and will do well to stay on course. I understand, too, how what happens at the centre– what ministers do or fail to do once bitten by Abuja-mylitis – can affect how states are run, especially in areas of procurement and sovereign guarantees.

But for too long, states have been on a long leash because Abuja’s poor reputation has made it the trough of every rogue. That’s why we’re obsessed with who is the next minister and who’s not.

Nobody knows more than Tinubu that even though he carries the same party flag with Buhari, he does not have the luxury of Buhari’s honeymoon period. And should he make any wrong choices – hopefully not – given the scale of the challenges facing the country, he must immediately remove such appointees, instead of indulging them like his predecessor, as if it was some complicated conjugal misery.

Perhaps by Tuesday when the official list is finally released and laid before the Senate, appointment mongers on social media would take their business elsewhere; maybe to the ethno-religious market, where the tribe and religion of the new appointees would almost certainly become the new articles of trade.

*Akoki Aaron Mojolaoluwa, Grand Prize Winner; Olugbenga Dominion Mojolaoluwa, (1^st Runner-Up); Ezima Chinasa Margaret, (2^nd Runner-Up)

The Wole Soyinka International Cultural Exchange (WSICE) is pleased to announce the winners of the2023 Essay Competition, which is the 14^th edition of the annual youth mentoring and mental capacity development initiative.

The 2023 edition of the competition focused on Nation Building, Good Governance, and National Development. Students from different schools were required to explore Wole Soyinka’s Humanism, Artistry, and Nationalism in their thought process and writing.

The announcement of the Essay winners coincides with the 89^th birthday anniversary (July 13) of the Nobel laureate, Wole Soyinka, the eminent literary artist, teacher, and rights activist, whose exemplary life and career as a global culture icon and humanist, inspired the project.

Since its launch in 2010, the competition has served as a platform to mentor the youths to imbibe the culture of participating I socio-cultural and political discourses in their environment. It enables the young ones to engage in healthy dialogue about national and international issues, testing the creativity and intelligence of the participants, and building their self-esteem.

A record number of one hundred and eleven (111) entries were received from fifty (50) schools from which 89 finalists were selected through a rigorous process of adjudication by a panel of literary workers and social workers.  

After the exercise Akoki Aaron Mojolaoluwa, a Senior Secondary school (SS) 2 student of Adedokun International School, Ifo, Ogun State, emerged as the Grand Prize winner of the WSICE 2023 Essay Writing Competition.

The WSICE also wishes to congratulate the following students:

First Runner-up: Olugbenga Dominion Mojolaoluwa - Salawu Abiola Comprehensive School (SNR)

Second Runner-up: Ezima Chinasa Margaret, Anglican Girls Grammar School (SNR)

We thank all schools and students for their participation and remain committed to our goal of fostering unity, bolstering integrity, and instilling qualities of good leadership as values, stated Dr Teju Kareem, the Executive Producer of the annual WSICE.

Below are the WS 89 finalist names and schools in no particular order:

WS 89 FINALIST

Media & Communications Unit

www.wsice.org

Tel: +2347082713477

"But take courage! None of you will lose your lives, even though the ship will go down. For last night an angel of God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me, and he said, 'Don't be afraid, Paul, for you will surely stand trial before Caesar! What's more, God in his goodness has granted safety to everyone sailing with you'. So take courage! For I believe God. It will be just as he said" (Acts 27:22-25).

     It is time to hang on to his word. When God speaks, it is final. Many Christians enjoy every aspect of serving God, but when things get so rough that demand absolute faith in God's word to scale through, you see them faltering and disappointing God. Following God's leading at normal situation does not require much struggle. But during uncertainties and perilous times, it could be the most herculean decision to make. Following God is not a tea party. It takes a man or a woman who is ready to plunge into any situation believing and holding to his word. Yes, following him is a big risk. Sometimes you are required to go from the known to the unknown. Other times from the natural to the supernatural. But in all depending on nothing but what he has said concerning that particular situation.

      There are so many Christians in the church today, but very few that God can boast of. I mean very few that God can boldly say, "Yes, this is my faithful son (or daughter). Devil, go and try him them and see how he they will stand for me till the end." You know from the scriptures that God boasted of people like Job, Abraham, Moses, and Jesus. But, can he do same with anyone today? Can he boast of you? We fail because we don't want to hold on to his word till the end of our trials. We fail because we don't want to take any risk in his name. We also fail because we don't want to lose our comfort.

     Now, anybody that will follow God must be ready to 'hang' on to his word even when every other thing has failed. You must be ready to march on even when the road looks very gloomy or bleak. When it looks senseless to still believe what he had told you. I know you understand what I am talking about here. In that your situation, you already know that every solution tried has failed. Just go get a word from the Lord. Brood over it and begin to walk on it. If truly that word is from God for that specific situation, it will never disappoint. It doesn't matter how complex the enemy might try to make it, you will prevail at last because God has spoken! When God speaks, it is final. Nothing will be added or subtracted from it. It might take time, meet opposition, be mocked and even in some cases be forgotten, yet, it will ultimately come to pass. Stop looking at your circumstances; rather focus on the word of God.

     Now let's go back to our main text - Acts 27. But if you want to follow the story from the very beginning, you can start from chapter 21.When Paul was arrested in Jerusalem by the Jews; who accused him of teaching against the Jewish laws and defiling the temple by bringing in Gentiles into it. You know how the Apostle was rescued by the soldiers, handed over to the Jewish Council, then to governors Felix and Festus and was on his way to Rome to stand before Caesar (the Roman emperor).That you're in the will of God does not guarantee that the enemy will not fight you. But our confidence is that the word and the will of God will always prevail. Though Paul was being bungled to Rome in chains and as a prisoner, it was the original plan of God that one day; the Apostle will take the gospel to Rome. And he (God) allowed that problem to be the vehicle for that particular purpose. When the Apostle finished addressing the Jewish Council and was brought back to the fortress by the commander, the Lord appeared to him that same night, "That night the Lord appeared to Paul and said, "Be encouraged Paul. Just as you have told the people about me here in Jerusalem, you must preach the Good News in Rome". - Acts 23:11. I hope you got that? So it was God that sending Paul to Rome in chains not his enemies? Wow! This present problem will be a vehicle to your destiny!

    God planned that Paul would take the gospel to Rome. Also, remember that at the beginning, when Paul was converted, the Lord told Ananias concerning Paul, "But the Lord said, Go and do what I say. For Saul (Paul) is my chosen instrument to take my message to the Gentiles and to kings, as well as to the people of Israel. And I must show him how much he must suffer for me" Acts 9:15. So, from the beginning, God made it known that Paul was going to be his instrument to take the gospel to the kings and the gentiles. Now, the Apostle was being taken to Rome (in chains) to stand before Caesar. But on the way, the enemy rose up against the journey. Like I said earlier, that you're in the will of God does not guarantee that the enemy will not fight you. But our confidence is that the word and the will of God will always prevail.

Events in the past weeks betoken a pristine approach to Nigeria’s foreign policy utility. There are indications that the nation’s foreign policy plank will follow a clear and unconfused trajectory. And it is apparent that Nigeria will play a purposive role in the affairs of West Africa and Africa under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

A firm, decisive and progressive leadership at home, commands global attention and respect for the country. Essentially, a clear direction on the domestic front reflects on the utterly transactional and anarchical international front. Global or continental leadership, as it is with every other aspect of leadership, begins and succeeds with personal example. Evidently, Nigeria is beginning to show leadership in its internal affairs. That is the utility of personal example.

In the past, Nigeria was bogged down by domestic problems such that it could not extend itself a bit more robustly. Insecurity across the country meant previous administrations had to look exceptionally inwards. But there was also the problem of lack of interest or capacity, and policy direction. Although Nigeria did try to maintain some presence within Africa, its leadership was not all too palpable.

At times of internal upheavals, most states tend to be more nationalistic and protectionist. Between 1937 (Era of the Great Depression) and 1944, the US, battling its own domestic problems, exercised the Doctrine of Isolationism which advocated non-involvement in external wars and politics. But the US joined the Second World War at the twilight when its territorial interest was threatened. And with it came the Truman Doctrine in 1947 -- by President Harry S. Truman which states that ‘’the United States would provide political, military, and economic assistance to all democratic nations under threat from external or internal authoritarian forces’’.

The vacuum in pilotage on the continent is conspicuous. Nigeria is by the conspiracy of history, geography, size, and economy, a default leader of Africa – and as such it should exercise this leadership.

The concept of Africa as the centrepiece of Nigeria’s foreign policy was ideated and articulated in the 1960s during the administration of Prime Minister Tafawa Balewa. The abstraction has been adopted and iterated by successive administrations. The spirit of the idea, which was a dominating motif of the de-colonisation era, is that Africa must come first in Nigeria’s foreign policy formulation. And true to the objective, Nigeria has over the decades played a decisive role in Africa.

President Tinubu has shown a clear understanding of the leadership example and imperativeness of Nigeria in Africa. At every turn in his foreign engagements, he has centred Nigeria and Africa as the denominators of his blueprint.

At a meeting with President Patrice Talon of Benin Republic at the New Global Financing Pact Summit in France recently, President Tinubu reaffirmed Africa as the centrepiece of Nigeria’s foreign policy. He said: “We are ready to improve relations. Africa has been the centrepiece of Nigeria’s foreign policy. I believe in Africa. We have the necessity to grow the continent. The world’s economy is wobbling, and Africa has been left behind. On risk factors, Africa is always placed high, with higher interest rates on borrowing. We are always classified as high risk. We must work together for systematic recovery and growth.”

At the ECOWAS summit in Guinea-Bissau where he was elected as the chairman of the sub-regional group, President Tinubu made an impassioned and audacious declaration on the fundamentals of defending, protecting, and nurturing democracy in the zone. The President said: “We must stand firm on democracy. There is no governance, freedom, and rule of law without democracy. We will not accept coup after coup in West Africa again. Democracy is very difficult to manage but it is the best form of government. There is no one here among us who did not campaign to be a leader. We didn’t give our soldiers resources; we didn’t invest in them, in their boots, in their training to violate the freedom of the people. To turn their guns against civil authorities is a violation of the principles upon which they were hired, which is to defend the sovereignty of their nations. We must not sit in ECOWAS as toothless bulldogs.”

This patently demonstrates a keen sense of duty, obligation, responsibility – which I encapsulate as Tinubu’s Doctrine of Responsibility, of duty. It is a bounden duty and an unrelenting obligation for Africans and Africa to work together for ‘’systematic recovery and growth’’, and to protect and defend democracy.

Africa and Africans are afflicted by the same problems and are connected by the umbilicus of poverty, political, instability, unstable economy, and the like. So, it is important that African states deal with their shared challenges as partners. The fallout of the chaos in Libya and how it imperilled the security of some African countries, including Nigeria’s, points to why cohesion, partnership and mutual trust is a desideratum for the continent.

The Doctrine of Responsibility, as it relates to transnational relations, establishes patriotism, loyalty and commitment to African ethos, values, survival, success, and future. It evokes a sense of duty to father land and Africa.

However, it is important that while Nigeria retakes its place as the lodestar of Africa, it must evolve and not stay fastened to the old ways of ‘’big-brother diplomacy’’, but adopt more of mutualism, diplomacy of reciprocity. International relations is governed by an anarchy of interests, and as such Nigeria must protect its own domestic interest.

With a vibrant national leadership and a defining presence in West Africa and Africa, Nigeria is well on its way to status redemption.

Veteran Nigerian entertainer, Charles Oputa, popularly known as Charly Boy, has reacted to the recovery of exotic vehicles allegedly belonging to the former governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom.

Naija News recalls that the asset recovery committee set up by the new Benue State governor, Hyacinth Alia, had raided an automobile shop reportedly belonging to Ortom.

Alia had accused the former governor’s administration of looting, maintaining that he “met no single car or truck in the government house”.

The committee was said to have seized some vehicles during the operation and used towing vans to pull out others, after attempts to drive them away failed.

Reacting to the development via his Twitter handle, Charly Boy lamented that he was disappointed with Ortom.

He berated Ortom for constantly condemning the government of former President Muhammadu Buhari whilst also getting involved in questionable acts.

He wrote, “See as Ortom go fall my hand.

“How come dem discover over 30 cars for ur garage, wetin you dey take am do.

“Na only u alone wan ride 30cars, una don craze be dat.

“Before, I bin like U small as u dey follow us tackle Buhari, I no know say u fk up pass

“I hope all the salaries U dey owe, say u pay before u leave.

“Kai, U no just try at all.

“APC/PDP who thief pass?

“Der Fathers.”

Says Dispute Was Resolved By Committee In 2015 And Urged Parties To Honour Resolution

Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, has affirmed that the ruling of the Bankers’ Committee regarding the contentious issue between Ecobank Nigeria Limited and Honeywell Group over an alleged N5 billion debt still stands.

Sanusi said the Bankers’ Committee, acting as a consensus-based body, has the authority to make binding decisions for banks.

“The Bankers’ Committee by consensus, in general, makes binding rulings for banks. All the banks submit to its decisions. It acts almost like an arbitral court but no it is not a court,” he said.

Highlighting the significance of the committee’s rulings, Sanusi said that bankers themselves understand their rules and practices better than the courts, making the committee’s decisions widely respected and followed within the banking sector.

“However, this is a ruling by peers that all tend to abide by because these things go around. Bankers actually know their own rules and practices better than the courts,” he said.

The dispute between Ecobank Nigeria and Honeywell Group over the alleged N5 billion debt seems to have been resolved as early as 2015, following the declaration by the Bankers’ Committee.

According to a report from the committee’s Ethics and Professionalism sub-committee, the agreement for Honeywell to pay Ecobank N3.5 billion as a full and final settlement was deemed valid and should be honoured.

In response to a letter from Ecobank Nigeria, lawyers representing Oba Otudeko clarified that the claims made about decisions from the Supreme Court in case SC/CV/210/2021 on January 27, 2023, affirming the indebtedness of their client or Honeywell Group Plc were false.

The lawyers stated, “The letter falsely alleges that there was a decision of the Supreme Court in SC/CV/210/2021 made on 27th January 2023 ‘affirming the indebtedness’ of our clients and that the decision also ‘commanded,’ our above-stated clients to perform certain acts, neither Dr. Oba Otudeko, CFR nor Honeywell Group Plc was a party to the Supreme Court decision/proceedings and no order was made against them.”

They further clarified that the specific amount of N13,507,052,417.99 mentioned in Ecobank’s letter was not part of any court decision or judgment in Nigeria or elsewhere.

“The sum of N13,507,052,417.99 (thirteen billion, five hundred and seven million, fifty-two thousand, four hundred and seventeen naira, ninety-nine kobo) stated in Ecobank’s letter is/was not contained in the Supreme Court decision or any extant Court decision in Nigeria or elsewhere. No order of the court has also awarded same or any judgment sum (as debt owed) at all in favour of Ecobank as a liability from our clients or any of the Honeywell companies.”

The lawyers concluded that no court order has awarded such a sum as a debt owed by their clients, or any of the Honeywell companies, in favor of Ecobank.

The Bankers’ Committee, in the June 26, 2015 report, with reference number ODA/FMA/BUO/1493, said it received a petition that Ecobank was “attempting to renege on a settlement agreement” on facilities it granted to Anchorage Leisures Limited, Siloam Global Services Limited and Honeywell Flour Mills Plc.

The committee’s report, which was addressed to Ecobank’s managing director and chief executive, said “after several offers and counter offers with respect to the amount for the settlement, the parties agreed at the meeting of 22nd July 2013, involving your bank’s MD/CEO and the Honeywell Group chairman that Honeywell would pay the sum of N3.5 billion in full and final settlement of the indebtedness of the three companies. It was also agreed that Honeywell would immediately proceed to pay the sum of N500 million as a sign of faith towards the agreement.”

According to the report, Honeywell paid the agreed N500 million to Ecobank on July 23, 2013 and completed payment of the agreed N3.5 billion on January 10, 2014. Thereafter, the group requested for a letter of discharge from Ecobank.

However, Ecobank in a November 14, 2014 letter to Honeywell Group, claimed that the N3.5 billion was a partial payment and that the agreement that the sum was in full and final settlement was an “in principle understanding”.

How it all started

On July 23, 2013, Honeywell wrote to Ecobank accepting the terms for the resolution of the claim by the bank as agreed at the meeting held the day earlier and saying, “we confirm our agreement to pay the sum of N3.5billion as full and final settlement of our indebtedness to your bank. As part of the verbal agreement reached at the meeting, we shall immediately pay the sum of N500 million towards the facilities. We propose that the balance of N3 billion be paid in three equal half-yearly payments.”

That same day, Ecobank sent back a response in which the bank said, “please note that the agreement was for a full and final payment of N3.5 billion to be partly paid immediately by – N500 million on Monday, July 22, 2013, and the balance to be paid immediately thereafter before the CBN examiners leave the bank.”

The timing of the payment became a big issue and this saw both parties moving their wranglings to the court on October 16, 2015, via a suit by Ecobank before Justice Tsoho seeking to wind up Honeywell.

However, both parties began to get public attention for their dispute after Ecobank secured an ex-parte motion to restrain Honeywell and Oba Otudeko from operating their accounts in all banks and financial institutions and an order directing their respective banks to furnish Ecobank with details of their accounts in the banks.

This same bank-customer dispute was submitted to the subcommittee of ethics and professionalism of the Bankers’ Committee for adjudication and ruling was issued in favour of Honeywell, but Ecobank in a letter dated November 14, 2014, maintained that “during a recent CBN/NDIC review of the bank, the accounts were flagged and that the CBN had insisted that the amount outstanding be paid without further delay.”

On August 6, 2015, Honeywell filed a suit before Justice M. B. Idris in which it sought an interim injunction to restrain Ecobank from making any representation suggesting that it owed the bank and on August 10, 2015, the interim injunction was granted and both parties ordered by the court to maintain status quo.

Following this, Ecobank filed a preliminary objection on the basis that the Federal High court lacked jurisdiction to hear the dispute and on December 11, 2015, the court presided by Justice Idris held that the Federal High court had jurisdiction to hear the matter. Ecobank immediately appealed this decision.

On October 16, 2015, Ecobank filed two separate suits before Justice Abang. On this same day, Ecobank filed another two petitions before Justice Yunusa who on December 4, 2015, varied the ex-parte orders by granting Honeywell Flour Mills restricted access to its bank’s accounts allowing the company to take no more than N15 million weekly.

On July 13, 2018, justices of the Supreme Court made two rulings, both in favour of Honeywell.

In one, suit number SC.401/2016, which was an appeal by Honeywell against the ruling of a lower court in favour of Ecobank, the justices in the ruling read by Amiru Sanusi upheld the appeal.

In another ruling delivered by John Inyang Okoro, the Supreme Court justices reviewed an appeal brought before them by Ecobank in relation to the judgment of the Court of Appeal delivered on March 30, 2016, said inter alia, “having resolved all five issues against the appellant (Ecobank) , I hold that this appeal lacks merit and is hereby dismissed. I affirm the decision of the court of appeal delivered on 30th March 2016.”

In doing so, the Supreme Court justice said, “honestly, I have tried to understand the complaint of the appellant in this issue but it appears to be the more you look, the less you see.”

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Tajudeen Abbas, says contrary to insinuations, the lawmakers are not as rich as being projected to the public.

Rep. Kingsley Chinda, the Minority Leader of the House, representing the speaker, said this at an interactive session with the House press corps organised by the ad hoc committee on Media and Public Affairs, in Abuja on Wednesday.

According to him, this arm of government isn’t as rich as being projected.

“You have heard that members go home with N30 million every week or that we earn more than American lawmakers.

“And when you tell people that these are not correct, we can’t achieve success because it is coming from us, but when it comes from the media, people will believe it because it came from you,” Abbas said.

He said one of the cardinal points of the 10th Assembly was putting round peg in a round hole, adding that the parliament remained the unsung arm of government and their success depended on the media.

He described the media as partner in progress of the Nigeria project, while urging the media to reciprocate the gesture.

“If democracy must succeed, the parliament must be strengthened through the media. We are not asking you not to give information but give correct and accurate information.”

Also speaking on behalf of the minority caucus in the House, Kingsley said their role as minority was to ensure that the House stood straight by checkmating the ruling party.

“If criticisms are not constructive that is dangerous to us. Let your information not destroy us, but should right the wrong in the society.”

Rep. Khadijat Bukar-Abba, the Chairman, ad hoc Committee on Media and Public Affairs, said the House would sustain efforts to engage with everyone with a stake in the affairs of the House and the committee.

“Together, we can make the House of Reps and Committee proud in discharging her responsibilities,” she said.

On his part, Rep. Julius Ihvonbere, the Majority Leader of the House, lamented that the lawmakers were not telling their stories as they should.

He said the 10th House would strenthen those that would work on media and media related issues to put their stories out and not a recycling of the usual perspectives.

He said it was unfortunate that some constituents still believe that constituency money were given to lawmakers, adding that even his own constituency believed the narrative.

According to him, this time, there will be an effort to pay attention and define the narrative. we will engage and communicate better.

(NAN)

A young man, Abdulgafar Ayanrinde, who claimed to have dropped out of the University of Ibadan where he studied Law, has been sentenced to six years imprisonment for impersonating a legal practitioner and committing fraud.

Ayanrinde, aged 25, had been dragged before a Magistrate’s Court sitting in Osogbo, Osun State, by the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps in the state and slammed with a two-count charge bordering on impersonation and fraud.

He was said to have impersonated a legal practitioner and duped a Point of Sales operator.

When Ayanrinde was arrested and paraded by the corps in Osogbo recently, he had revealed that he ventured into criminal acts to spite his father whom he claimed to be a prominent Senior Advocate of Nigeria in Ibadan, Oyo State.

He had disclosed that he dropped out of the university at 200 level (Faculty of Law), owing to lack of money.

He confessed to have paraded himself as a SAN and deceived unsuspecting litigants into hiring him.

The NSCDC prosecuting counsel, T. J. Ayayi, had informed the court, upon arraignment, that Ayarinde paraded himself as a lawyer at the premises of the Osun State High Court on May 22, 2023 and also defrauded a female PoS agent of the sum of N150,000 at INEC Area, Osogbo on May 18, this year.

Ayanrinde had also admitted to having presented himself as a SAN to dupe five unsuspecting members of the public of their hard earned money.

He also confessed to stealing an iPhone worth N450,000,00.

The charge had read, “That you Ayanrinde Abdulgafar on the 22nd day of May, 2023, at the Osun State High Court, Oke-Fia, Osogbo, Osun State, in the Osogbo Magisterial District, willfully represented yourself to one Abdulsalam Adbulhafeez Abiodun that you are a legal practitioner and did pretend that you are qualified to act as a legal practitioner, representation which you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 22(1) of the Legal Practitioners Act, Cap L11, LFN 2004 and punishable under the same section.

“That you (defendant) on the 18th day of May, 2023, at INEC Area, Osogbo, Osun State, in the Osogbo Magisterial District, with intent to defraud, did obtain the sum of N150,000. 00 (One Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira) from one Adeoye Iyanu Seun on the pretence that you would transfer the said sum to her Polaris Bank Account, a pretence which you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(2) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act – Cap A6 L.F.N. 2004 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.”

Ayanrinde had pleaded guilty to the allegations.

He was not represented by any lawyer in court.

The prosecutor had urged the court to adjourn the matter in order for him to prepare for the presentation of facts in lieu of the defendant’s guilty-plea.

The presiding magistrate, M. A. Olatunji had adjourned for presentation of facts.

When the matter was mentioned for presentation of facts, the corps prosecutor had proved to the court that the defendant specialized in fraud, impersonation, stealing and obtaining money under false pretence.

However, Magistrate Olatunji found him guilty of the charges and convicted him accordingly.

Delivering her judgement, Olatunji sentenced Ayanrinde to three years imprisonment on first count charge and another three years on the second charge.

The magistrate further ordered the transfer of the sum of N150,000, being part of the proceeds of the crime from the convict’s bank account to one of the victims, Adeoye Iyanu Seun’s account while the Nigeria Correctional Service should provide facility and enabling environment for the academic advancement of the convict while in custody.

Reacting to the judgement in a statement issued on Wednesday by the corps Public Relations Officer, Kehinde Adeleke, the state NSCDC Commandant, Agboola Sunday called on parents and guardians to cater for their children and wards adequately.

He urged youths to embark on productive ventures that add value to their lives, rather than embarking on crimes and criminalities.

President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, met with the acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Abdulkarim Chukkol.

The meeting comes about a month after he suspended the chairman of the commission, Abdulrasheed Bawa, who has since been detained by the Department of State Service (DSS).

No information was released on the closed-door meeting, which took inside the president’s office.

Bawa had been directed to handover the affairs of the anti-graft agency to Chukkol who is the Director of Operations in the commission.