He opined that local government autonomy is a misnomer and aberration in a federal system of government.

Fayemi shared his reservation at the launch of St. Racheal’s People Consulting 2024 Leadership and Economic Summit-1.0 on Thursday night in Lagos.

Speaking on how the country could navigate out of its current socio-economic and security challenges, Fayemi said the Federal Government’s suit against state governors and the ruling in its favour was not the solution to the challenges at hand.

“We cannot return to a unitary state. But unfortunately, we are gradually going back to a unitary from of government even though it is being dressed up as restructuring.

“The President (Bola Tinubu) is a federalist, he is a leader in my party, we share quite a lot in common, but I do not know any federal entity anywhere in the world where the federal government becomes the driver of what happens in the local government.

“It does not happen anywhere in the world and the Nigerian Constitution in Section 2 is very clear that Nigeria is a federation of the federal (central government) and the state. it is not three tier,” he said.

Speaking further, he argued that it was a display of ignorance to describe the local government as the third tier of government.

He added, “The principle of federalism is clear, it is a principle of dual federation units.

“Anywhere in the world where we have federalism, it is the state or province or region either in India, U.S., Canada,or Australia.

“It is now up to the state to determine whether it wants to have 20 counties, or 50 or 200 local authorities based on its own local needs. This is a misnormer ,it does not happen anywhere in the world.

“With this latest strategy, I assure you, in the first instance, I don’t see how workable it is; it not going to work.”

He said that if some governors had not done well in the administration of local governments, solutions should be proffered and tamper with what federalism entails.

[NaijaNews]

Our people say that a man who pays a native doctor to give him a talisman to protect him from the machinations of his enemies has no guarantee that he would be alive within the next twenty-four hours. Reason? He may be struck down by a falling tree, a bolt of lightening not sent by anyone, or he may just stumble over a stump and, hit his head on a rock and die due to his own carelessness.

Thus, the average talisman seeker is urged to note that his failure to also ask the native doctor to give him a talisman to protect him from himself, or from any natural and perfectly unforeseen, misfortunes in future is a permanent Achilles Hill. He just might drop dead even as he is on his way home from his visit to the native doctor.

The foregoing should be food for thought for our governors who, in reaction to the Supreme Court judgement on local government finances and general autonomy are prancing about and doing their level best to see what they can still pull off a the las minute. The next phase of the battle for the soul that tier of government lies in the matter of who can become a local government chairman; and how.

It is by certainly elections of course that anyone will become a local government boss! But who will conduct that the elections? Certainly not me! By our current laws, it has to be the state electoral bodies. But a number of sitting governors are warming up to simply railroad whoever they want to be their local government lackeys into the local government headquarters of their respective states. Not so fast, perhaps!

First, the National Assembly is in the process quickly rolling out a legislation that will put paid to the planned antics of now-very-worried governors. Second, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said that it has the capacity to conduct elections into the 774 local government area councils across the country.

Coming on the heels of the speedy engagement of the National Assembly on LG elections, the statement of the INEC chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, two days ago, before the Senate and House of Representatives Joint Committee on Electoral Matters would seem to be announcing the burial ceremony of the aspirations of the governors – going forward.

The INEC Chairman had gone to brief the lawmakers on the Commission’s
preparations for the upcoming Edo and Ondo State governorship elections and its relationship with the State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIECs) in relation to various court judgements. The Supreme Judgement of has strongly fuelled the view that SIECs should be scrapped to allow INEC to conduct local government elections in order to rescue the third tier of government from the control of State governors.

However, the INEC chairman told lawmakers that the commission can conduct elections at the third tier of government in the 36 states if the National Assembly amend the 1999 Constitution and transferred the responsibility to it to conduct the exercise. He said to them: “The same Constitution that creates INEC also creates the State Electoral Commissions. So, it is up to the National Assembly to amend the law to transfer that responsibility to the INEC. If the responsibility for the conduct of local government election is transferred to INEC, can INEC cope? The answer is yes! INEC can cope. What are we? By definition, INEC is the Independent National Electoral Commission but right now we do national elections, we can do state elections, we do local

Not quite done, and determined to leave no one in doubt about his Commission’s Yakubu continued thus: “A national electoral commission may be expected to handle only the Presidential and National Assembly elections but we also do governorship election, we do State Assembly elections and do the Area Council Elections in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), the only part of the country where INEC conducts local government elections. Broadly speaking, if you ask us, can we handle local government elections, yes we can handle the local government elections. When is it going to happen? When you amend the law and empower the commission to do so”.

He pointed that the commission has demonstrated by its track record that it can conduct local government elections; as can be inferred from FCT Area Council polls, which INEC undertakes periodically. The FCT six Area Councils, six chairmen and 62 wards. Each Ward is a constituency for the election of Councilors, which is one part of the country that INEC has conducted local government elections. It is one part of the country where local government elections are held regularly as at when due, because there has never been a Caretaker Committee for any Area Council in the FCT.

In addition, no single political party has ever won elections in all the constituencies in the FCT; pointing to the likely conclusion that whoever has been conducting the elections has not been “working” for any particular political party. Out of the six chairmen of the FCT today, APC has three Area Councils, PDP has three Area Councils. Concerning the Councillorship elections, the APC got 19 out of the 62 Councilorship seats, while the PDP won in 43 constituencies.

The inference from the foregoing, right or wrong, is that the NIEC Chairman has a point in saying that the same thing will be replicated if the local government elections are tucked under the belt of his commission. Hear him again: “In any case, if you transfer local government elections to INEC, what it means is that you are going to transfer almost 10,000 Constituencies to INEC. We have 8,809 wards, each ward is a councillorship constituency. We have 774 local government areas and each local government has a chairman. So, if you add this to the existing 1,591 constituencies where INEC conducts elections, it is well over 11,000 constituencies but the elections may not be held all in one day.

To make it legally operational, here is Mahmoud’s submission: “There are certain consequential amendments that have to be done for us to be handle those additional responsibilities. For instance, who is going to fund the 10,000 new Constituencies that INEC will be saddled with? There is need for a discussion to determine who is going to fund it. Or will the Federal government continue to fund for the states? You have to do something about the bye-elections if INEC is saddled with additional 10,000 Constituencies, we will probably be doing bye-elections every week,” the Professor of History said.

That said, and with some elections in the horizon as I write, let us rest the matter of LG elections and watch the unfolding drama;

Enter Another Off-cycle Election

Let me also invite our attention to a submission that was made on this page in the last week of November, 2019, wherein I said as follows concerning off-cycle elections: “There is often the assumption, mistaken in my view, that there should be far less security and other challenges any time elections are taking place in only one or two states of the federation. It is easy to argue that we need not deployment tens of thousands of police and other security personnel on such occasions. But is that correct? Are we right in inferring that the extra security on such occasions is unnecessary”?

We went on: “This argument, plausible it may seem apparent strength from a failure to distinguish between the actual needs of any electoral environment and the failure of those who should secure the environment for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to perform its duties. Security is needed but it is not the duty of INEC to own an army, or command same, in the process of preparing for, conducting or managing elections. That is the job of the police and other security agencies. It is only by collaboration and synergy that things can go smoothly. This is without prejudice to the activities of political mischief makers, as well as the possibility of having compromised security personnel during some elections.

It is against the background of the foregoing that one cannot reasonably deny the compelling need to beef up security, far beyond what would ordinarily be needed during any election, if such elections are taking place in only one or two states of the federation. It is also against the background of the foregoing that a blanket condemnation of either INEC, or the national security establishment, for whatever happens during elections can be said to rest on a fundamental misunderstanding.

While the misuse of the national security apparatus must be seen for the crime that it is, we must pay close attention to the fact that the travesty occurs at the higher levels of political leadership. That is where the threat of sack for non-compliance that hangs over most public office holders, military or not, comes from. The godfathers are still calling for the common till”.

That article also submitted that “Our political parties, to the extent that we insist on calling them that, are a far cry from what they should be. They make no investment in the political education of their presumed members. There manner of proceeding has put paid to the question of whether they have any interest in the people at all. All they plan for in the bid to get power is or “win” elections is (1) compromise whoever is available to be compromised, (2) take over the space where an electoral contest is to take place, if they can, (3) terrorize or subdue INEC officials, if that is the only way to determine final election outcomes, and (4) try any other thing they think they can get away.

INEC does not command an army. It is just another institution of state that can only function effectively and efficiently in collaborative endeavours with security agencies. It cannot perform the role of high priest in a room full of drunkards. It is an electoral body saddled with the unenviable task to teaching table manners in an unruly environment. But it has a job to do and has something to show for its performance in Abuja municipal, or LG elections.

As Was said back then, “At another level, there are those who would like to prevent it from performing its lawful duty, even when it is determined to be objective, impartial and committed to its assigned role as neutral umpire. That is why it is always in the line of fire for both foreseen, unforeseen and even unforeseeable events; including even bad weather in Sao Tome. It comes with the job, I guess. Challenges”.

As for the “Consequential Issues” arising from the Supreme Court judgment, the national Assembly should transfer the serious business of local government elections to INEC. For the record, yes, the INEC Chairman has a point!

QUOTE

As for the “Consequential Issues” arising from the Supreme Court judgment, the national Assembly should transfer the serious business of local government elections to INEC. For the record, yes, the INEC Chairman has a point!

The inspector-general of police, IGP Olukayode Egbetokun, has said it has identified foreign sponsors of this planned protest with the ulterior motives of causing mayhem and violent demonstrations, which could lead to massive destruction of lives and properties across the country.

The IGP, however, did not reveal the identities of the alleged sponsors

He also said the leaders of different groups intending to protest on August 1, 2024, must register with the police command in their respective states.

The IGP stated this while briefing journalists in Abuja on the preparations for the upcoming protests nationwide.

The IGP, who acknowledged the rights of citizens to protest, said all peaceful protesters must protected, and those who fail to meet the guidelines means they have ulterior motives.

IGP Egbetokun further said all protesting groups must also provide the protest movement’s intended venue, routes and locations for proper coordination.

Meanwhile, in anticipation of the planned nationwide protest by some human rights activists and Nigerian youths to publicly express their displeasure over hunger and hardship, the Nigeria Police Force, FCT command has deployed 4,200 personnel.

The police spokesperson FCT, SP Josephine Adeh, said the deployment of the FCT deployed material and human resources at the command’s disposal across the nooks and crannies of the nation’s capital.

She said the proactive deployment aims to ensure public safety, protect protesters, and prevent non-state actors from hijacking protests. The deployment, added, is characterised by visible policing and the deployment of explosive ordinance devices (EOD) experts and personnel at various strategic locations, raids on identified black spots, uncompleted buildings/shanties, stop and search, vehicular and foot patrol and synergy with sister security agencies.

Also, the commissioner of Police FCT, CP Benneth Igweh, while acknowledging residents’ right to protest, advised that it should be peaceful.

The FCT police boss also vowed to resist all forms of violent protest and lawlessness, as the police will not be stampeded into allowing the destruction of public and private properties or loss of lives.

Residents are also urged to be vigilant and take advantage of the Police emergency lines to report suspicious activities through:

08032003913, 08028940883, 08061581938, 07057337653PCB: 09022222352, CRU: 08107314192.

Tompolo Appeals To Nigerians To Shelve Proposed Protest

The Chairman of Tanita Security Services Nigeria Limited and the Ibe-Ebidouwei of Ijaw Nation, High Chief Government Ekpemupolo (aka Tompolo), has appealed to those behind the planned August 1st to 10th, 2024nationwide protest to shelve it in the interest of the nation and people

In a press statement on Friday, August 26th, 2024, the Tanita boss, while adding his voice to all-meaning Nigerians, including traditional rulers, on call to shelve the proposed hardship protest, admitted that hunger and hardship exist in the country.

But he quickly pointed out that hunger and hardship never started today, saying President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was working hard to revamp the economy with well-thought-out policies and programmes. These addressed the issues of the economy and security, which are the basis of other problems in the country.

“I am aware of Mr. President’s efforts to get things right in the country, and things are improving. For instance, there has been significant improvement in the oil and gas sector in the last year, which is still the primary source of our economy.

“I know the citizenry’s right to protest government policies and programmes in any country. It is one sure way for the citizens to participate effectively in governance by checking the excesses of any government.”

“However, the organisers of this proposed hardship protest must know that the timing is wrong, and the protest may cause more harm than good, as security reports have indicated that unscrupulous elements will hijack it.

“Against this background, I have joined other Patriotic Nigerians to appeal to prospective protesters to call off the proposed protest and engage governments at all levels to find lasting solutions to the country’s problems’.

“You must agree with me that the threat of protest only has achieved its aim, as Mr President has said loudly and clearly, that he has heard the voice of prospective protesters. After all, it is better to chatter than war-war,” the Tantita boss said.

NANS To Shun Protest

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has pledged not to get involved in the protest over hardship in the country on August 1.

NANS National President Lucky Emonefe disclosed this in a Friday meeting in Abuja with the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman.

Sunday, Asefon, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Student Engagement, led the meeting.

Emonefe acknowledged the significant hardship being experienced by citizens across the country due to the government’s implementation of recent reforms and policies.

He said the measures, though aimed at steering the nation towards sustainable development, had undoubtedly brought about economic challenges that had impacted every Nigerian household.

Emonefe urged President Bola Tinubu to establish a mechanism to alleviate Nigerians’ hunger caused by the removal of the fuel subsidy in 2023.

“We want to say that there is hunger in the land, and Nigerian students are most affected. We are aware that palliatives were given to governors.

“We are saying that as the government distributes palliatives, they should remember the student constituencies.

“Though we have challenges, we want to say that we have resolved to be law abiding and not to join any chaos in society,” he said.

Earlier, the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, acknowledged the rising cost of living in the country.

Mamman said that the government had been rolling out palliatives and measures to cushion the hardship on Nigerians.

According to him, the federal government has launched an expanded transformative scholarship programme to support the education of 45,000 students nationwide.

Mamman said the initiative highlighted the federal government’s commitment to broadening educational access and advancing Nigerian youth’s academic and professional growth.

Additionally, Mamman outlined the critical initiatives of President Bola Tinubu, including improvements in campus infrastructure, welfare packages for unemployed graduates

He also mentioned considering discounted electricity bills for universities and updating the curriculum to cover all education sectors under the DOTS Project.

“The DOTS framework aims to enhance educational data management, support and development for teachers, skills infusion, and training from primary through tertiary education.

“The government is also focusing on integrating out-of-school children into the education system and supporting job-seeking graduates.

“Furthermore, the federal government has established Safe Schools Centres to ensure the safety of students,’’ he said.

Youth Group Calls For Suspension Of Planned Nationwide Protest

The North East Youth Ambassador, a political pressure group, has called on the Nigerian youth to suspend their planned peaceful protest scheduled for next week and resort to dialogue for an amicable solution to the biting being experienced by Nigerians commonly.

“We urge all youth in the country, particularly the North East, to halt their plan for the mass protest against President Bola Tinubu’s economic policies, especially the fuel subsidy removal and its consequences’.

According to the group zonal chairman, Comrade Haruna Usman Muhammad, the Northeast geo-political zone is known for its love of peace and respect for elders and thought leaders.

Comrade Haruna Muhammad, in a press statement made available to journalists in Bauchi yesterday, said that the youth should instead be encouraged to pray to Almighty Allah for His guidance out of the present mess-up among Nigerians

He observed that the planned protest appears to be an orchestrated effort by those who do not support the government of President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, thus aiming to distract the government from the remarkable development work it has already accomplished.

“This government has achieved significant progress, and we must support its efforts rather than hinder them. Therefore, on behalf of the North East Ambassadors, we call on all Nigerian youth to cease any plans for protests. This movement is nothing more than an attempt to destabilise our country”.

Muhammad explained that for the betterment of the country, Nigerians must stand together, support the government, and continue to pursue peace and progress.

Meanwhile, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) in Bauchi have distanced themselves from participating in the planned nationwide protest to end hunger and hardship.

LEADERSHIP Weekend reports that organised labour agreed to a new N70,000 National Minimum Wage with the Federal Government.

Similarly, the National Assembly passed the new National Minimum Wage bill early this week. Currently, the bill awaits the assent of President Bola Tinubu to become a law and implementation.

Bauchi NLC Chairman Comrade Dauda Shuaibu told journalists that organised labour has constitutional means of addressing grievances and that they will strictly adhere to them.

He insisted that the union would not participate in the scheduled protest.

Comrade Shuiabu acknowledged the difficulties facing the citizens due to the biting economic crisis but urged members to remain law-abiding.

He encouraged the union members to report to their various places of work rather than engage in the protest.

It should be remembered that the Bauchi State Government banned the protest in the state and urged the organisers to think twice.

Sokoto NLC, Not In Support Of Planned Nationwide Protest – Comrade

The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and Sokoto State Council say the union does not support the planned nationwide protest and has called on all its members not to participate.

According to the State Chairman of the Council, Comrade Abdullahi Aliyu Jungle, this was given the negative aspect of such protests, which he said sometimes turn to violence, which can cause destruction and loss of lives.

However, on behalf of the organised labour unions, the Chairman called on governments at all levels to consider the current hardship citizens are experiencing and devise various palliative measures to cushion the situation’s effects.

He said, “The government could do this by providing food items and other essential commodities and distributing them to people free of charge to reduce the prices of such items in the market for the benefit of the common man.”

Comrade Jungle also praised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for approving the new national minimum wage of N70,000, which the National Assembly passed.

Christian Youths Distance Self From Planned Protests Against Bad Governance

The Youth Wing of the Christian Association of Nigeria (YOWICAN) has dissociated itself and its members from any form of forthcoming protest organised to demonstrate against hardship or bad governance by unknown individuals across the country.

The Christian youths expressed hope that with the steps taken so far by the government and with the constant support and cooperation of all Nigerians, the county shall get through this challenging moment.

YOWICAN stated these in a communique issued at the end of its second quarter National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held at the National Christian Centre, Abuja, on Friday.

Reading the communique’ before journalists, the YOWICAN National Chairman, BelusoChukwu Enwere, said the NEC has resolved to prayers and constant engagement with the Government until things get better for the nation.

 Kaduna CSOs Distance Self From Protest, Urges Tinubu To Address Hardship

The Coalition of Concerned Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) has distanced itself from nationwide protests slated for August 1, urging President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to listen to Nigerians and address the country’s hardships.

The Coalition warned Nigerians about the dangers of organising or joining the protest, saying it might lead to destruction.

Addressing a press conference on Friday in Kaduna, the coalition spokesperson, Ambassador Kamaladdeen Kabiru, said, “We shall plan a better protest with a clear mission at a better time provided the government did not do the needful.”

“We want to use this medium to express our withdrawal from the planned nationwide protest from 1st to 10th August 2024, not because we are happy with the government policies but because the mission behind the said protest is ambiguous, and the protest organisers refused to make it clear.”

[Leadership]

My President,

On July 10, 2024, I gave a Keynote Address to the students of the Political Science Department at Chrisland University in Abeokuta. My Keynote Address, titled "Developments in Kenya: Lessons for Nigeria," focused on a critical issue: the remarkable achievements of Kenya's Gen-Zs. These young people are actively stepping up and demonstrating that they are the leaders of today, ready to move their parents aside.

This address had since been published in its entirety by Premium Times, which could be a useful read that your Assistants/Advisers could summarise into a few paragraphs. I not only told stories about Kenya but also drew some lessons for Nigeria.

The problem in Kenya started with the 2024 Finance Bill that had been submitted to the Kenyan parliament by President William Ruto’s government in May 2024. On June 18, 2024, thousands of young Kenyans took to the streets to oppose the proposed tax reforms in the Bill, marking a significant shift in the landscape of youth activism and advocacy in Africa.
Previously perceived as apathetic and confined to social media, the generation born between 1995 and 2010 is changing. African youths, despite being the largest in the world, have historically shown low voter turnout. However, they are now ready to yank the feet of oppressive governance off their necks as they are now driven by a new fear: the bleakness of their future. They are determined to remove oppressive governance and no longer feel held down by the old order. It is this fear that makes them prepared for death and conclude in pidgin that “All Die Na Die”
The face of advocacy may have changed for good, at least in Kenya. Unlike traditional demonstrations of the past marred by violence and chaos, the new-age protest embodies a peaceful and organized approach. The protest also showcased a decentralised structure, devoid of traditional hierarchical leadership a political figure on the frontline of mobilisation. This seeming leader-less approach which we all had a feel of during the 2020 #EndSARS Protest may deviate from the conventional protest, whose anatomy you must be very well conversant with, as a frontline participant of a number of many historical protestations.

On 26, June 2004, President Ruto withdrew the Finance Bill, 2024. But this development, rather than douse tension saw the crowd of youth shift focus to cries of “Ruto Must Go”. By this time, an estimated 41 (the number keeps growing), youths had been killed with a number kidnapped allegedly by the police, but the high-handedness did not stop the surging crowds.
On Friday, July 5, 2024, in a State-House Statement, President Ruto proposed spending cuts, reduced the level of additional borrowing as he rolled out austerity measures as well as abrogated planned tax hikes. Among others, he agreed to expenditures to benefit ordinary Kenyans like farmers and provide additional funding for the higher education. He dissolved 47 state corporations just gulping funds with little value-added, cut advisory posts in half and suspended non-essential travel by public officials.
Curbing the personalized looting of government resources by unelected wives, Ruto reduced allocations not only to his office, but removed budget lines for his wife a.k.a, First Lady, as well as for Second and Third Ladies. He fired most of the members of his cabinet, though he rehired about half of the fired ones. He took to X platform for a town-hall and has continued to show remorse, including on July 24, 2024 when he gave the strongest indications that he would fight corruption in Kenya. I doubt if Ruto, like your good self, can sincerely fight corruption, I wish him success. Lack of accountability is a bane of governance in Africa.

It is widespread in the media that some Nigerians have indicated a desire to demonstrate against your leadership and management of Nigeria in August. They are pointing to the economic hardships we have all been facing since your announcement of a phantom oil subsidy removal as well as merging the exchange rates. Those calling for protests are pointing to your government’s do as I say but not as I do style. While you preach tightening of our belts, patience as we make sacrifices, the profligacy in Nigeria’s governance has continued even with heightened rascality under your watch. In my assessment from an academic survey of 1,500+ Nigerians, corruption has also flourished as your body language is suggesting that corruption is alright.
The media has been awash with ethnicised efforts to stop any protests against your administration. I do not expect that you will roll over and allow protesters to take charge. Some organisations like those of students and labour that recently settled for 70,000 naira as minimum wage without deep thoughts on productivity have backed out of any protests.
In a subterfuge, the National Assembly, has offered to slash their monthly salaries by half for six months. But they knew this offer was merely to play on our intelligence. It would have addressed a portion of profligacy and outright thefts if they had decided to half their overall budget, in which case there would be reduction in all sorts of allowances, including constituency projects that the ICPC, under Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye had documented as avenue for looting from national patrimony.

A number of my friends spend time reminding that you inherited a very bad economy. I do not want to waste time with a retort in reaction to this argument by suggesting you are a national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC). The fact was clear. President Buhari marginalised you and actually did all he could to prevent you from becoming the current president of Nigeria. You were well prepared and matched him in the spirit of Arthur Nzeribe’s “oporoko for oporoko”.
If you stopped President Buhari dead in his tracks, my question is why you wanted the office so badly and appear to be floundering after 14 months. You saw the Nigerian problem and decided you were the best to solve it. We have come to learn though that all the claim of having experts to turn our lots around has, so far, not worked. It is clear to all that running a complex Nigeria is not like running the politics of Lagos. I understand from some of my friends, however, that Yemi Cardoso is trying to pull his weight even though he upsets me whenever he boldly says he is stabilising the naira. How can he say that: you collapsed 450 and 750 naira to the dollar to escalate to 1,980 which receded to about 1,500 naira to the dollar and you expect us to look for popular Lagbaja, Burna Boy or Kiz Daniel to sing for us to dance?

Of course, you changed our national anthem back into 1959 and some say it is progress. I had said my own on that.
You have received the Supreme Court’s interpretation of our Constitution to the effect that rapacious Governors will no longer control local government funds. The jury is out on the three levels of government for our federation arrangement that my late mentor, Oyeleye Oyediran, had struggled for. He had seen this as the answer to our thieving Governors. Definitively, we are not bound to follow any other federation in spite of the argument of the Afenifere and others that the decision undermines the states. My major worry, is that if you do not put structures in place, we may have decentralised the stealing of federal allocations. It is well documented that most local government Chairmen looted the sums they collected. Some of them went to jail for that.
My President, I do have some recommendations for your consideration:

We have 10 planes in the presidential fleet to ferry you, your family, the Vice-President, and his family around. Many of the countries we are owing do not have a single plane for their servant-leaders. They charter planes on as needed basis from national and/or private providers. You have your own private jet(s). I wonder why you had to reportedly borrow from Chagoury to attend Cyril Ramaphosa’s inauguration. Talking about Chagoury, I do not want to dabble into the opaque nature of the award of the much-needed Lagos-Calabar Coastal road to HITECH since it is before a court of law. However, that deal smells.

Your travels that have followed the Buhari pattern in disappearing without any information as expected about our President should stop. When General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB) disappeared as military President into France for surgery to address his radiculopathy in the 1980s, many Nigerians condemned this and argued that IBB could have imported all the needs for a sophisticated hospital, at the time. I am almost sure that your activist self of those days probably joined in condemning IBB, the self-styled President, at that time. I do not feel comfortable about discussing our national interests and those of France in an open letter. A private person can go to where he wants. You, as our President, should not. There are many implications far beyond parking and maintenance costs for our planes.
Mr. President, I would like to believe that you stumbled on Femi Falana, S.A.N’s compendium on low hanging fruits you can handle for the boosting of our foreign reserves which will in effect improve our forex rates. To do this is to bring down costs for Nigerians. Our Attorney-General of the Federation knows you can issue Executive Orders. Please don’t wait for protests and several deaths before acting. By so doing, you will reduce the quantum of our local and international indebtedness and thereby free money for infrastructural developments, including improved energy availability.
Your body language on corruption should speedily change if you want to ensure there are no Gen-Z led protests. Public, private and social sector corruptions are continuing strongly under your watch. Some of the allegations include:

Lawmakers have been accused of pocketing large sums as palliatives, with Senator Ningi alleging that the Senate passed two padded Appropriation Bills for 2024, inflating the budget by N3.7 trillion. Reports also indicate that luxury SUVs for lawmakers will cost taxpayers N57.6 billion, with each lawmaker receiving a Toyota Prado SUV worth N130 million to N160 million. Additionally, Senate President Godswill Akpabio reportedly ordered four specialized Lexus SUVs valued at N1 billion, as reported by Punch News on October 30, 2023. Furthermore, allegations of corruption in the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management, and Social Development, and large sums allocated for pilgrimages, also highlight the issue.
The EFCC leader you appointed is saying the right things. However, he should stop talking and just “Do It”. Investigations are becoming a ruse to obfuscate. The Jim Obazee report need to be out of the coolers for all to read and clear many being insinuated as having been involved in ruining our economy.
Key Recommendations

Learning from the experience of Ruto, you could choose to start putting in place solutions to avoid damages. It would only demand from you the pain of denying your political class and cronies the chances of continued corruption. You could become the people’s hero by dealing differently with members of the elites, yourself inclusive. These recommendations in summary are simply saying focus on serving the interests of the vast Nigerian people, the people whose mandate you are riding on. If you do these very well, there wouldn’t be the talk of protests.
1. Inclusive Governance: Engage stakeholders early in the policy-making process to ensure transparency and public acceptance of reforms.
2. Economic Prudence and real cut down of the cost of governance: Conduct thorough impact assessments to balance revenue generation with socio-economic equity and avoid burdening vulnerable populations.
3. Combat Corruption: Implement stringent measures to tackle corruption within public, private and social institutions and ensure accountability of political leaders.
4. Civic Engagement: Foster a culture of civic activism to hold governments accountable and drive policy changes.
5. Youth Empowerment: Address systemic issues such as youth unemployment and economic inequality to rebuild public trust and promote sustainable development.
6. Effective management of Communication and public engagement: Possibly do a Heart-to-Heart off the scripts, less political talk with your people. Come down from that high horse and defy the barriers the sycophants around you have built to cut you off from the realities as they continue to sing your praise. Some of your spokesperson may be doing more harm than good. You need to call them to order.

They need to do better in bridling their tongues. The Nigerians of today are far too intelligent than the people in your government think. We can do without the lies one of them tend to feed us with.
My President, as you probably know, I am an academic political economist without time for the Nigerian politicians of all ilk. I am not a group protester and definitely a non-violent Nigerian. Nonetheless, I spend time ruminating, analysing and articulating on how I see our polity and undertake comparative analysis over time and space to assist policy and decision-makers on their task. It is from my experience that I conclude that you are not able to address leadership deficit in Nigeria. I also think you are no match for the external dynamics Nigeria has been subjected to since flag independence.

I am, however, convinced you can take some baby steps by prioritising transparency, accountability, and stakeholder engagement to navigate complex economic landscapes and foster inclusive growth. By learning from Kenya’s experience, you can steer Nigerian policymakers to chart a path towards a resilient economy and an equitable society. In this regard, your campaign slogan of “renewed hope” can genuinely lead Nigerians towards utmost freedom – the summation of the rights granted under the Universal Declaration on Human Rights and the Sustainable Development Goals. To uphold renewed hope for utmost freedom is to make those wanting to protest irrelevant today, tomorrow, or at anytime during and beyond your term(s) in office. My President change history and be a peoples’ president for all Nigerians.

Babafemi A. Badejo, author of a best-seller on politics in Kenya, was a former Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Somalia, and currently a Legal Practitioner and Professor of Political Science & International Relations, Chrisland University, Abeokuta. Nigeria.

The name Aliko Dangote does not require a key, either smart or analogue, to open the doors to most of the 54 African countries.

The industrialist, who has been Africa’s richest man for years, has ventured into various sectors over the past three decades before finally taking the challenge of building an oil refinery.

Nigeria, despite being a major exporter of crude oil in Africa, does not have a functional refinery to hone its crude. This has caused the country to continue to spend billions of dollars on importation of refined petroleum products.

Aliko Dangote has before now, been into the manufacturing of cement, sugar, noodles, and fertilisers, among other valuable products.

Over time, he has been accused of exhibiting monopolistic tendencies. He is seen to be taking advantage of his closeness to “his friends in power” to corner various privileges like waivers to enhance profits for his various businesses. However, the recent controversy over the operations of the Dangote Refinery has opened a new vista. A lot of Nigerians believe that though he is human and therefore imperfect, the aggressive tactic of the regulators in the oil and gas industry in handling some issues of disagreement between the government and the Dangote Industries Limited (DIL), reeks of subtle push to promote some “vested interests”.

This development happened at a time when a video of the current British Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, went viral. In the video, Mr Starmer is seen expressing regrets at the way corruption, as well as certain actions and inactions of some vested interests have stymied the growth and development of Nigeria, a country  he said, has the greatest potential to not only be the leader in Africa, but also one of the leading nations in the world.

The story of Nigeria’s many battles to sustain local refining is all too known by the average Nigerian. Successive governments have pumped in billions of Naira with no tangible results to show for those expenditures.

The absence of a fitting refinery has seen the country also fritter resources under the guise of fuel importation, fuel subsidy and crude swap.

Absence of petroleum refinery and attendant costs to Nigeria

Nearly 70 years after the discovery of crude oil in commercial quantities, Nigeria’s oil and gas downstream sector is yet to develop to expected levels.

The federal government spent N12.05 trillion on maintenance and rehabilitation of refineries, as well as fuel subsidy under the President Muhammadu Buhari administration, more than enough to build a brand new 650,000 barrels per stream day (bpsd) refinery, the like that Aliko Dangote has built.   

Such a new refinery would have been bigger than the three moribund refineries built many years ago by the Nigerian government. Over time, the refineries had guzzled billions of naira in the name of “upkeep”, yet cannot produce enough refined oil to meet the country’s domestic consumption needs.

The four refineries have a combined 445,000bpsd capacity. Port Harcourt refinery complex (old and new site) has 210,000bpsd, Warri has 125,000bpsd and Kaduna has 110,000bpsd capacity.

The collective failure of the refineries has forced the oil-rich Nigeria to depend on importation of refined petroleum products after exporting the crude.

Sadly, a large chunk of dollars accruing to Nigeria is being used to import the refined oil for domestic use, obstructing channelling of the funds to social and economic development of the country, the largest on the continent in terms of population. Nigeria is projected to have over 220 million people.

According to the 2023 full-year foreign trade data, Nigeria incurred about N7.5 trillion in fuel import costs throughout 2023, compared to N7.7 trillion in the previous year. Using the 2023 exchange rate, the country spent approximately $7.7 billion on fuel importation in that year.

The importation of motor spirit, also known as petrol, has cost Nigeria a staggering N23.5 trillion over the last five years. Fuel importation proved particularly costly for Nigeria in 2022 and 2023, with a combined expenditure of N15.2 trillion—more than half of the total cost incurred in the last five years.

Shining examples from far and near 

There are 18 oil-producing countries in Africa, based on March 2022 data by Trading Economics, a global market website. Nigeria is the largest of them with 1,238 million bpsd oil production, overtaking Libya (1,220mbpsd). Angola is the third, Algeria is fourth and Egypt is fifth (562mbpsd).

The rest, comprising Congo DR, Gabon, Ghana, Equatorial Guinea, Sudan, Chad, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Tunisia, Congo Brazzaville and Niger Republic, have less than 500,000bpsd oil production each. According to a McKinsey Refinery Capacity Database Report of 2020, there were over 600 operating refineries around the world as at the beginning of 2017. As of 2020, 20 African countries had refineries, with some having more than one. 

The McKinsey data revealed that Antwerp city in Belgium hosts the three refineries with 767,000bpsd that Nigeria patronises. These Belgian based refineries are owned by ExxonMobil (307,000bpsd), Total (350,000bpsd) and Gunvor (110,000bpsd), and both Mobil and Total are International Oil Companies (IOCs) operating in Nigeria in a joint venture with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC Ltd). 

In Africa, Morocco does not produce oil, but has a 200,000bpsd refinery; same with Zambia with no oil, but has a 12,000bpsd refinery.

Although Egypt is the fifth oil producer, it has nine refineries with 800,000bpsd, being the largest refining capacity on the continent. Algeria, the fourth largest African oil producer has five refineries, refining 671,000bpsd. Libya, the second producer also has five refineries with 380,000bpsd. Angola, the third largest African oil producer has one with refinery capacity of 65,000bpsd.

Niger Republic, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Ghana and Liberia’s combined oil-producing capacity is less than half of Nigeria’s oil-producing capacity, yet they each have at least an operational refinery.

Dangote’s ‘monopoly’

The accusation often touted by some Nigerians and government officials about Dangote’s monopoly in all his areas of business is not supported by data. In the cement industry, for instance, before the coming on stream of the Dangote Cement, there was Lafarge Holcim.

Lafarge was incorporated on 24th February, 1959, and listed as a publicly quoted company on the Nigerian Stock Exchange on the 17th of February, 1979.

There were also Sokoto Cement, Benue Cement Company (BCC) and Ashaka Cement in Gombe State. All three became moribound at some point and were acquired by BUA, Dangote and Lafarge respectively.

The cement manufacturing sub-sector today has three major players: Dangote Cement, which started manufacturing in 2007, has three fully integrated cement plants of 32.3 metric tonnes per annum (mtpa) located in Obajana, Ibese and Gboko.

BUA Cement is Nigeria’s second-largest cement producer with a current installed capacity of 11 million mtpa.
With plants in Ewekoro and Sagamu in the South-west, Mfamosing in the South-south and Ashaka in the North-east of Nigeria, Lafarge Africa Plc currently has an installed cement production capacity of 10.5mtpa.

Sugar

The data available in the Sugar space also show that there are three major players namely the Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc, owners of Sunti Golden Sugar, BUA Sugar Company, Lafiagi, Kwara State and the Dangote Industries Limited, owners of the Savannah Sugar Company, Numan, Adamawa State.

The Dangote refinery conundrum

The commissioning of the Dangote Refinery by the Buhari administration was greeted with a sigh of relief for most Nigerians, especially given that the government-owned refineries have refused to rise from the dead. The wait for the completion has been “forever” for many Nigerians, in view of the desperate desire to have a solution to the punishing fuel queues that often suffocate the economy, causing untold hardship to citizens, as well as the frequent increases in petrol pump price. The refinery project was first announced in 2013 at an estimated cost of $9 billion. By the time major structural construction began in 2017, the cost had ballooned to about $19.5 billion.

The anxiety shown by Nigerians towards the completion of the refinery was understandable. Analysis by experts suggested that the refinery was more than able to meet all of Nigeria’s domestic fuel consumption, which is about 450,000 barrels per day, while the excess production would be available for export.

Reports indicate that the Dangote refinery could earn Nigeria foreign exchange savings of between $25 billion to $30 billion yearly. The impact of such savings would be directly reflected in Nigeria’s foreign exchange reserves by reducing the pressure on the country’s balance of payments.

According to former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor, Godwin Emefiele, under the current Bola Tinubu administration, Nigeria will cease importation of petroleum products, fertiliser and petrochemicals that drained the country of over $26 billion in 2022, once the Dangote refinery fully comes on stream. He opined further that the refinery will have an enormous impact on job creation by generating thousands of direct jobs, and millions of indirect ones, with over 135,000 permanent jobs for Nigerians. He also stated that the project will generate up to 12,000MW of electricity.

Thus, Nigeria is on the verge of once again being described as a net exporter of refined petroleum products, courtesy of one individual.

Enters the twist

Ahead of the commencement of refining, on December 8, 2023, Aliko Dangote announced receipt of its inaugural one million barrels of Agbami crude grade from the Shell International Trading and Shipping Company Limited (STASCO). The refinery also received four shipments of one million barrels of bonny light crude supplied by the NNPCL.

Not long after, news broke that Dangote had resorted to importing crude from as far as Brazil and the United States, and is also looking to other African countries to source for more feedstock.

The Dangote refinery, according to one of its senior executives, was in talks with Libya to secure crude for the 650,000 barrels per day plant, and was also seeking Angolan oil, to overcome problems with domestic supplies.

That clearly hinted of a major impediment to the operations of the refinery, part of which is largely attributed to suspected sabotage by certain vested interests within the regulatory arm of the Nigerian oil and gas industry.

Since Dangote began operations in January, Weekend Trust gathered that it has been unable to get adequate crude supplies in Nigeria.

In May, the company put out a tender for two million barrels of West Texas Intermediate (WTI) Midland crude every month for a year starting in July.

Speaking at the Africa CEO Forum 2024, Dangote outlined his strategy, saying the refinery would purchase 24 million barrels of West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude, despite ongoing domestic supply. “Twenty-four million barrels is nothing,” Dangote said in an interview with The Africa Report. “It’s roughly about two cargoes [deliveries] in a month, which is about 10% of our demand at full capacity”, he added.

The reliance on imported oil, particularly WTI, is economically prudent for the refinery at present, Dangote explained. “It also makes economic sense for us to tender for crude. If [we could source] 100% Nigerian crude, then fine, but we can’t wait.”

But trouble started when Dangote publicly alleged a conspiracy by the IOCs to deliberately frustrate the refinery’s ability to buy local crude oil by manipulating and increasing the premium price above the market price.

Feelers from behind the scenes

A senior management source from the refinery who prefers to be anonymous said the major impediment is around crude supply, pricing of the crude and lack of institutional support from the regulatory body to compel the IOCs to meet its obligation as required by law. The source also raised concern about the conspiracy theories about who Aliko Dangote supported or did not support during the 2023 presidential elections. “You all reported how operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) stormed the headquarters of Dangote Industries Limited in Ikoyi, Lagos, earlier in the year in relations to the ongoing investigation into the alleged abuse of the foreign exchange allocations by the immediate past governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria.

How do you explain the ‘gestapo’ 

invasion and the disruption of the business operations of the company where there was no prior resistance?”, the source queried.

The source also said the refinery has substantially met all globally accepted standards and has commenced exportation to highly regulated regions of the world. “So, how can the Nigeria Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) say we are not ready?

“The accusation that we are trying to create a monopoly was the most laughable. What has happened to the existence of Warri, Port Harcourt, and Kaduna refineries, and the array of modular refineries?,” he asked.

How NMDPRA contemplated ban on diesel

Another senior management source at the Nigeria Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) said the agency’s chief executive’s remark that the Dangote refinery was not ready was not out of place. The source said: “Remember that the commissioning was done in May, 2023. There are different levels of completion. Some things were at 90 per cent, others were at 50 or even 30 per cent.

“So, the commissioning was rushed because of the push by the immediate past administration. We had to backdate some of the approvals because some of the fabrications were done without approvals. But we have been walking back to do what is expected of us as a regulator because we know what is at stake for the country.

“But we have been receiving attacks from the refinery with unsubstantiated claims. We have been going to the joint committee of the National Assembly on account of the various accusations in the past weeks”, the source said.

Commenting on the allegations about monopoly, the source said: “We have come under intense pressure to ban importation by marketing companies. We have also received threats from the major marketers that they cannot at this stage completely rely on the (Dangote) refinery for supply.

“Let me shock you; we had already written the circular for the ban of diesel importation. We had to revert after listening to the Major Marketers’ argument, and the need to leave all channels open for now”, the source said.                                                                                                                                

Crude swap agreement impedes NNPCL’s feedstock supply to Dangote refinery

Senior sources at the NNPCL said they have shown absolute faith in the refinery in the interest of the nation and more importantly because Dangote has shown considerable faith in Nigeria, and as such must be supported despite all challenges.

On the inability to supply crude to the refinery, the source said: “The truth, which every major player in this space is aware of, is that these Joint Venture agreements reached years before the coming on stream of the (Dangote) refinery, is constraining on our part to meet Dangote’s request.

“On the failure of the IOCs to also meet their demand, we are not in control of whatever the IOCs will do with their own share of crude in the JV”, the source added.

The NNPCL swapped nine million barrels of oil, valued at $755.74 million under its direct sale, direct purchase arrangement (DSDP) in November 2023.

The way out

Investment Banker, Joseph Edgar, in his intervention said: “Dangote refinery is our only real ‘agbado’ on the fire. It is the only investment of its size that we as a nation have attracted ever and in the foreseeable future. As such, all stakeholders must come together to make it come on stream.

“My suggestions to Dangote are to immediately, as he has said, list a certain percentage of its shares on the (stock) market to ensure that Nigerians would also participate. This will push back harsh regulators who, from their utterances, see a personality instead of a bigger picture in all of these.

“It should also seek to sell its shares to a major IOC whose home government will now be pulled into the fray and whose involvement would weaken its supply issues.

“The Dangote Group is one of Nigeria’s largest employers of labour, its biggest private taxpayer, a major player in infrastructural development, and a powerful forex revenue earner among others, and this is why all hands must be put on deck to ensure that these ‘teething’ problems are resolved in a transparent and professional manner”, he added.

A chief executive officer of a leading company in Nigeria, who prefers anonymity said: “We have elevated public officials who lack the spine, industry and perhaps intellect to create sustainable businesses but slither from one government position to another, freeloading and amassing stupendous wealth, to become too important to the extent that their actions and utterances cripple those who spend their lives taking risks, employing people and creating value.

“The refinery is a mere refinery to many. But in truth, it is a national reference point that proves massive projects can indeed be executed in Nigeria. Killing it simply kills the dreams, aspirations and investment opportunities for countless Nigerians.

“$20 billion (N36 trillion) is the amount we spend on total inflow of refined products coming into the country. This is what the government spends, paying foreign companies, to purchase refined goods. So, the loss of that potential revenue to Dangote is what is fuelling this crisis”, the CEO said.

Warts and all, most Nigerians would stick with Aliko Dangote, for what they see as his patriotism, and would wish, if President Tinubu is not backing those behind the  perceived frustration of the business mogul, that the current heads of the NNPCL, the NUPRC and the NMDPRA are sacked swiftly, for their perceived roles in trying to undermine the Dangote refinery.

Alhaji Aliko Dangote is the heir and successor to his great grandfather, Alhaji Alhassan Dantata (1877-1955), the patriarch of the wealthy Alasawa Family in Kano, widely believed to be the richest man in West Africa in his days. Aliko Dangote also rose to become the richest man in Africa, and the richest black man on planet earth. Though he was born two years after the death of his great grandfather, Dangote’s exploits conquered areas the legendary patriarch had not even explored.

His maternal grandfather, Alhaji Sanusi Dantata, father of Hajiya Mariya, Dangote’s mother, was equally a wealthy businessman until his death on April 15,1997, at about 82 years of age.

Sanusi Dantata began business at the age of seven, initially helping his father before he started his own business of buying and selling of groundnuts. He later established a bottling company, and an industry dealing in building materials. Sanusi Dantata played an important role in the upbringing of Aliko Dangote.

His father, Muhammadu Dangote, who lived at Alfindiki quarters in the ancient city of Kano, was an associate of the Dantatas. But the young Dangote spent most of his adolescent years with his maternal relations in Koki Quarters, where the Alasawas lived.

He was sent to Government College, Birnin Kudu, in present day Jigawa State, for his secondary school education. He met and fraternised with school mates like Abba Rilwanu, Abdulkadir Ahmed and Muhammad Sabo Nakudu. Nakudu’s foray into politics saw him elected as member of the House of Representatives and later senator representing Jigawa Central zone. Nakudu, like Dangote, is a businessman and an industrialist.

Sources said Dangote may have inherited the knack for business from his uncle, Alhaji Usman Amaka Dantata, who was very wealthy, even at a young age. Amaka Dantata first introduced Dangote to the cement business and reportedly gave him N500,000 to start trading in commodities, including cement, rice and sugar.

Aliko’s relocation to Lagos from Kano in 1977, in his early 20s, consolidated the Dangote trading business, dealing largely in bagged cement, which easily began to yield dividends and blossomed for him. Thus, the Dangote Group was established, specialising essentially, in trading of commodities. 

While Dangote built his business empire in Lagos, establishing himself as a manufacturing giant from a commodity trader, his great grandfather lost his fortune to thieves in Ebuta-Metta in Lagos, while on transit from Ghana, at some point. The great grandfather recovered from the loss within a short period of time. He was the first to open an account when the Bank of British West Africa came to Kano in 1929.

Unlike his uncle, Amaka Dantata, who maintained a palm beach residence in the United States and many palatial mansions home and abroad, with fleet of private aircraft, Dangote has no house abroad except in Lagos and Kano. He reportedly sold houses he had earlier acquired abroad to invest the money in his manufacturing firms.

Chairman, Kano Eminent Persons Forum (EPF), Ambassador Mukhtar Gashash, described Aliko Dangote as “a quintessential businessman”, who is always ready to explore opportunities that are financially rewarding.

Gashash said Dangote’s philosophy in business revolves around principles such as hard work, perseverance and innovation.

“Dangote believes in the importance of investing in sectors that have a significant impact on the society such as infrastructure, agriculture and manufacturing.

“One of Dangote’s key philosophies is focusing on local production that reduces dependence on imports. This approach not only boosts the economy, but also creates job opportunities, and helps in developing local industries”, he said.

He said by prioritising the growth of businesses, Dangote is contributing to the overall development of the country.

The Kano EPF chairman added: “His company, Dangote Cement, has become a leading player in the cement industry, not only in Nigeria, but across Africa. Dangote’s vision and strategic investments have propelled his company to great heights, making it one of the largest cement producers on the continent,” he said.

According to him, Dangote’s diversified business interests in sectors such as sugar, salt, flour and oil refining further solidify his position as a business leader, noting that his exploits demonstrate his ability to identify opportunities, take calculated risks and drive growth in multiple industries.

For him, Aliko Dangote’s business philosophy combined with his strategic exploits cemented his legacy as a visionary entrepreneur.

Similarly, Chairman, Singer Market Traders Association, Alhaji Junaidu Muhammad Zakari, told Weekend Trust that Aliko Dangote has made significant contributions to the growth of businesses in Kano, particularly in Singer Market, having started his business as a trader over 30 years ago.

Traders of flour, sugar, rice, noodles, he said, received support from him individually and collectively.

“He is ever willing to assist traders whenever we approach him because of his patriotic zeal to support Kano traders, besides giving employment opportunities to truck drivers and factory workers in his company,” he said.

He dismissed the accusation of monopolistic tendencies against Dangote, saying: “When Alhaji ventured into flour, he met other competitors”.

He added that Aliko’s sugar business was not monopolistic as widely claimed. Rather, it helped discourage sugar importation into the country.

Worried by the developments around Dangote and his refinery in Lagos, a project the company invested about $20 billion, the Kano State Chamber of Commerce, Mines, Industry and Agriculture (KACCIMA), to which Dangote is patron, decried what it described as an attempt to frustrate Aliko to shelve his plan to establish a steel development plant in the country.

President of the Chamber, Alhaji Garba Imam, was out of the country as at the time of filing this report, but an official of the chamber who preferred anonymity, told Weekend Trust that KACCIMA had written to Dangote to encourage him to persevere and focus on his business plans, irrespective of what he called the attempted “sabotage”, intended to halt the diversification of the African richest man’s business interests.

The Dangote Group, it was gathered, has been a major financier of the Chamber’s annual trade fairs in Kano in the past 45 years.

A retired permanent secretary and Dangote’s senior at Government College, Birnin Kudu, who pleaded anonymity, also expressed worry that “some elements” were trying to frustrate Dangote, who, he said, has been very good to his friends, associates and to the country.

Shehu Alhaji Musa, a professor of Agricultural Economics and former Vice Chancellor, Kano State University of Science and Technology, later renamed Aliko Dangote University of Science and Technology, had the opportunity of working with the business mogul for nine years.

He said the Dangote Group has been doing a lot, not just in the oil sector, but in food and agriculture value chain, particularly in the area of rice production, tomato and sugarcane production. He said subjecting a $20 billion investment to unnecessary criticism may discourage further investments into the country.

“For me, the controversy is uncalled for and the labelling of Dangote as monopolistic is underserving. Even if you argue about the quality, other countries in Europe and Asia did not reach the pinnacle in one day”, the professor said.

Nigeria, he said, must be seen to be protecting its local industries and providing them with the opportunity to flourish. He said the university named after Aliko has benefitted from the magnanimity of Dangote in many areas, including linking the institution to the National Independent Power Project (NIPP), provision of male and female hostels, employment of foreign professors, supply of generator sets, and settlement of electricity bills, in addition to a pledge to build a six-storey Senate building for it.

Aliko Dangote had built a N1.2 billion building in Bayero University, Kano, to serve as an incubation centre for entrepreneurship and business development in the country.

The project was in fulfillment of a promise he made during a convocation ceremony while Professor Attahiru Jega was the vice chancellor.

Aliko’s activities through the Dangote Foundation are reminiscent of his great grandfather’s humanitarian gestures. Dantata had in 1940/41 sent surplus of food stuff to Sokoto, after a drought- induced famine hit residents, forcing Sultan Hassan Dan Mu’azu to seek help from the then Emir of Kano, Abdullahi Bayero. Dantata also sent 10,000 sacks of grains to Katsina to mitigate sufferings from a famine that was known as “Mai Danbuhu”.

The Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has told the planners of the August 1–10 protests to submit their details to the commissioners of police in their respective states.

He spoke while addressing journalists in Abuja on Friday.

IGP Egbetokun’s demand comes hours after human rights activist Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa notified the police and Department of State Services, DSS, requesting protection for a group known as Take It Back Movement.

Egbetokun, however, said it is important for intending protesters to provide their details to the commissioners of police in their respective states to ensure the protest was peaceful.

Egbetokun said: “We acknowledge the constitutional right of Nigerian citizens to peaceful assembly and protest.

“However, in the interest of public safety and order, we urge all groups planning to protest to provide necessary details to the Commissioner of Police in the state where the protest is intended to take place.

“To facilitate a successful and incident-free protest, they should please provide the following information: state the proposed protest routes and assembly points; expected duration of the protest; and names and contact details of protest leaders and organisers.”

Earlier, DSS, in a statement on Thursday claimed to have uncovered plans by some plotters to hijack the planned protest.

“The plotters desire to use the intended violent outcome to smear the federal and sub-national governments, make them unpopular and pit them against the masses,” DSS spokesman Peter Afunanya said.

[DailyPost]

• Asks police, DSS, NSCDC to enforce directive
• Ousted Rivers LG chairmen accuse govt of disobeying court judgments, orders

A fresh court order has been issued by the Rivers State High Court preventing the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from going ahead with its planned congresses in the state.

The court halted the congresses planned by the party to hold in the wards, 23 local government areas and the state on July 27, August 10 and August 31.

The new order dated July 25 was, among series of other injunctions, issued by Justice CN Wali in a suit marked PHC/2400/CS/2024 filed by 21 members of the PDP in Rivers State.

Named as first, second and third sets of defendants in the matter were the PDP; National Chairman, Amb. Iliya Damagum; party’s National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu; National Organising Secretary, Umar Nature and the party’s National Financial Secretary, Daniel Woyegikuro.

Others were Aaron Chukwuemeka; Dr. Benibo George; Solomon Ogbonna; Lenebari Inaania; Enia Harris; ThankGod Owhorji; Inspector-General of Police; Commissioner of Police, Rivers State; Director-General, State Security Service and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC). 

The judge gave the order after hearing a motion ex-parte file by the claimants/applicants.

The court said: “An order of interim injunction is hereby made restraining the 1st, 2nd and 3rd sets of defendants, their agents, servants, privies and hirelings from gathering in the 319 wards of the 23 local government areas in Rivers in howsoever and whatsoever manner for the purpose of conducting, and/or from conducting the PDP ward, local government or state congresses in Rivers State on the 27th July, 10th August and or 31st August 2024 respectively,

“Or on any other date and place in Rivers State or Nigeria or anywhere and/or from conducting any election of the PDP ad-hoc delegates at any forum wheresover or howsoever pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice for interlocutory injunction already filed herein.”

The court further directed the police, DSS and NSCDC to enforce its orders by preventing the PDP and its agents from holding the ward, local government and state congresses in the state or anywhere else pending the determination of the motion on notice for interlocutory injunction.

The court said: “It is further ordered that the motion on notice and the originating summons including this order be served on the respondent forthwith by substituted means, by publication in any national newspaper that is widely read in Rivers State.

“It is further ordered that the applicants are to pay damages to the respondents as will be assessed should this application be found to be frivolous”.

The court adjourned the case to August 1st, 2024 for motion on notice.

Ousted Rivers LG chairmen accuse govt of disobeying court judgments, orders

THE tension that is brewing in Rivers State escalated further yesterday as the ousted local government chairmen, who are still battling for tenure elongation, accused the state government of flagrantly disobeying court orders, including those of the Supreme Court.

The removed chairmen, who spoke to reporters under the auspices of the Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON), Rivers chapter, said the government had refused to dissolve the local government caretaker committees and their chairmen despite the recent Supreme Court judgment.

Reading their position, the chairman of the group, Allwell Ihunda, urged President Bola Tinubu, the National Assembly, the judiciary and the security agencies to pay attention to what they described as the ongoing abuse of power and contempt of court that is ongoing in the state.

He particularly said the state government had continued to engage in persistent illegality and crass contempt of judgments of the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court delivered on the 4th of July 2024 and July 2024 respectively.

He said: “We are taken aback and saddened by the blunt inclination and rebellious stance of the Governor of Rivers State against the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the explicit judgment of the highest courts in Nigeria.

“We believe that it is a major paradox and an aberration for the governor to be the major breaker of the laws of our land. The socio-economic and political consequences of such executive lawlessness are dangerous.

“We make these bold assertions without fear of contradiction and in the overriding long run interest of peace in our dear state.”

Ihunda said going by the judgment of the Court of Appeal in Rt. Hon. Martin Chike Amaewhule & 24 others Vs Hon. Victor Oko Jumbo & 5 others, the court held that section 272 (3) of the 1999 Constitution vests on the Federal High Court the power to determine whether the seat of a member of the Rivers State House of Assembly had become vacant or not.

He also recalled that in January, the Federal High Court presided over by Hon. Justice Omotosho clearly nullified all acts of the purported four-man assembly led by Edison Ehie, including Victor Oko Jumbo, and affirmed Rt. Hon. Martins Amaewhule as the only Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly.

Ihunda, the ousted Chairman of Port Harcourt City, further said that the Court of Appeal in its recent decision also voided all actions earlier taken by Hon. Victor Oko Jumbo before and during the pendency of the matter before the state High Court.

He said such actions of the Hon. Victor Oko Jumbo led Rivers State House of Assembly included the screening and confirmation of commissioners and caretaker committee members for the 23 local government areas in Rivers.

He said: “The governor of Rivers State has intentionally disobeyed this judgment. You all are aware of the judgment of the Supreme Court in Attorney General of the Federation Vs the 36 State Governors delivered on the 11th of July 2024, which legalised and affirmed the autonomy of the 774 local government areas in consonance with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution.

“Among several orders, the Apex Court abolished the powers of the state governors to set up caretaker committees in any guise to govern the local government councils in Nigeria as enshrined in section 7(1) of the 1999 constitution. This order also extricated the local government councils from the suffocating grip of the various state governments.

“In other words, by this judgment, the Local Government Areas are no more departments of the state governments.

“Be that as it may, in sharp contrast to the obvious implications of this historic judgment, which has prompted many state governors to step down caretaker committees across the nation, the situation in Rivers State is totally different.

“Ours is another example of flagrant disobedience of the Supreme Court judgment. What we are seeing is repugnant to the provisions of the Constitution.

“In Rivers State, the state government is busy promoting these illegal caretaker committees by encouraging the illegal caretaker committee chairmen and members to parade themselves as heads of the local government administration in the 23 local government areas.”

Ihunda listed the actions of the caretaker committee chairmen, saying they were involved in a dubious quest to generate internal revenue thereby ravaging the pockets of the citizenry by collecting all sorts of illegal revenue from the unsuspecting public.

He said they were also threatening to dethrone traditional rulers if they failed to subordinate their stools to their whims and caprices.

Ihunda said they had lavished about N40 billion confiscated from the local government councils’ accounts, being moneys due to the councils between April 2024 and June 2024.

He said: “It is sad that this enormous financial resource has been squandered on all sorts of frivolous activities. What a waste!

“To impose themselves without any atom of legitimacy, these illegal caretaker committees are relying on threats to perceived opponents to perpetuate themselves in power in the various local government councils.

“This is increasingly generating tension among competing youth groups in the communities in the state.

“Unfortunately, Governor Sim is also adopting the same ugly tactic of using the apparatus of state power to silence perceived opponents.

“Only recently, he is threatening perceived opponents with sealing their properties, relying on trumped-up charges.

“The illegal caretaker committee chairmen in some local government areas are violently stopping communal projects promoted by the traditional heads of their respective communities and dictating where and what to build on community lands.

“Acts of this nature are already fuelling tension and threatening the peace and sanity of the communities in the local government areas.

“These illegal caretaker committee chairmen and members are busy on a daily basis convoking politically motivated stakeholders’ meeting in the capacity as the administrative heads of the local government areas to legitimise their fraudulent status in the local government areas.”

Ihunda said such meetings were brewing tension and mutual suspicion among members of the communities, adding that the unfavourable environment existed because large sections of the communities questioned the legal basis for the existence of the caretaker committees as heads of their local government areas.

He said: “The Rivers State House of Assembly, in order to be thorough in ensuring stark conformity of the Rivers State Local Government Laws to the Nigerian constitution as amended, had altered the relevant sections of the Rivers State Local Government Law which made provisions for the establishment of the caretaker committees.

“This bold amendment was carried out even before the recent pronouncement of the Supreme Court.

“Instead of obeying this law, the Rivers State governor is doing everything in his power to delegitimise the existence of the Rivers State House of Assembly.

“He is still doing so even though the Court of Appeal has declared Rt. Hon. Martin Chike Amaewhule as the bona fide speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly. This is a direct attempt to create lawlessness in the state and dysfunctionality of the local government system in Rivers State.

“The extent to which the governor of Rivers State is disobeying court orders and even tagging decisions of superior judicial bodies as unconstitutional is alarming. To this end, we call on the law enforcement agencies to swing into action and salvage the situation, lest the acts of the Governor and threats of the caretaker committee chairmen tear the state apart.

“The judgment of the Supreme Court is law. It must be obeyed by all and must be enforced timeously. We believe in the power and ability of the Police and the DSS.

“All defaulters of our laws should be brought to book as timely as possible as not to do so will result to citizens sourcing and settling for self help, which would most likely degenerate into chaotic retaliations from interested parties, thus further escalating the already existing tension and threat to the law and order in Rivers State.”

It was, however, observed that all the judgments had continued to elicit different interpretations from the two warring political camps.

The ousted local government chairmen and their supporters have continued to kick against continued operations of caretaker committee chairmen in the 23 local government areas in spite of the Supreme Court judgment.

Recently, the Speaker Martins Amaewhule-led House of Assembly asked the police and other security agencies to arrest the caretaker committee chairmen and withdraw personnel attached to them for violating the judgment of the apex court.

On Wednesday, there were violent clashes between the supporters of the caretaker committee chairmen and those of the ousted elected chairmen over programmes designed to empower residents at the grassroots, especially in Ikwerre and Obio-Akpor local government councils.

The caretaker committee chairman of Obio-Akpor, Chijioke Ihunwo, had accused Amaewhule of sending his thugs to disrupt the programme and unleash violence on residents, who came out to benefit from it.

He called on President Tinubu and the Inspector-General of Police to intervene and call the former chairmen and their supporters to order.

Caretaker committee chairs accuse former chairmen of heightening tension

In their reaction yesterday, the caretaker committee chairmen, who spoke under the auspices of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), Rivers State Chapter, accused the former local government chairmen of trying to cause anarchy and engineer a climate of lawlessness in the state.

Speaking on their behalf, the Caretaker Committee Mayor of Port Harcourt City Local Government Council, Prince Ichemati Ezebunwo, condemned the rising attacks on CTC chairmen and supporters of the State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara.

They warned those involved in perpetrating acts of violence and intimidation in the state to desist forthwith and toe the path of peace, saying that their desperation was becoming unacceptable to the generality of Rivers people.

They said: “We recall that earlier today, the immediate past local government chairmen made inciting statements bordering on claims to perpetuating themselves in office they had constitutionally ceased to occupy at the effluxion of time on June 17, 2024.

“We hereby warn these impostors to desist forthwith and also call the Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Olatunji Disu to call them (immediate past LG chairmen) to order.”

The caretaker chairmen urged the police to be professional, apolitical and neutral in the discharge of their duties, and avoid compromising themselves by aligning with some impostors and desperate politicians to destabilise the state.

They also condemned, in strong terms, the dastardly attacks on their members in Ikwerre and Obio/Akpor local government areas, where they alleged that the immediate past chairmen and a former lawmaker led armed thugs to inflict deadly harm on their members and vulnerable people in the communities.

They specifically mentioned the incidents in Omerelu in Ikwerre Local Government Area, and Eliozu in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, where they said pregnant women, vulnerable children and people with disabilities were ferociously attacked, tear-gassed and injured while vehicles and valuable medical consumables and hospital equipment were damaged.

They said that it was callous for the past local government chairmen to hire thugs and mindless policemen to attack law-abiding people, who were reportedly responding to a key Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda programme aimed at providing healthcare services to the people at the grassroots.

They wondered why any politician and former elected public office holder would disrupt a Federal Government-sponsored primary healthcare programme designed to improve the health status of rural dwellers, who they had claimed to serve.

They warned that the police must not deliberately create an atmosphere of crisis by openly or clandestinely showing support for and protection to the immediate past chairmen.

They also called on the Inspector General of Police, and the Commissioner for Police, to respect the will and the fundamental rights of the people at the LGAs by allowing legitimate workers at the local governments unfettered access to their offices to perform their lawful duties unhindered.

They argued that by denying the local government workers access to their offices to carry out their legitimate duties, the police were deliberately allowing themselves to be used to deny the people at the grassroots the opportunity to enjoy the dividends of democracy and good governance.

They also dissociated themselves from the planned nationwide protest scheduled for August 1 across the country, saying that they were totally against the planned protest because it was capable of being hijacked by hoodlums to loot and destroy valuable properties and cause breakdown of law and order.

Ezebunwo said that the state had been peaceful and that it was unnecessary to allow agents of destabilisation to plunge it into instability, anarchy and chaos with needless protest and disorganised demonstrations.

Ezebunwo also reiterated the unalloyed support and commitment of the members to the implementation of the key objectives of Mr President’s policies and programmes as enunciated in the Renewed Hope Agenda of the Federal Government.

He said: “Sequel to the Joint Accounts Allocation Committee (JAAC) meeting of June, 2024, where intense deliberations were held and resolutions reached on measures to adopt in improving the lives of our people at the grassroots, and the swift release of allocations due the local government councils, we, the members of ALGON, Rivers State Chapter, state that “we thank Mr President, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for the timely and unhindered release of allocations for the various local government councils.

“We want to thank our peace-loving Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, who has instructed us to remain peaceful in the face of unwarranted provocation, and to dispense the local government funds in line with the local government laws for the overall benefit of our people.

“ALGON, Rivers State, dissociates itself from the planned protest from August 1, 2024, by faceless individuals against the government and policies of President Tinubu.

“We state categorically that we are committed to cascading the key objectives of the Renewed Hope Agenda of Mr President in our various local government areas.

“We hereby call on the people to discountenance any planned protest as measures are being put in place to cushion the effects of the economic situation in the country today”.

[TheNation]

The EFCC officials, acting on a tip-off about some suspected fraudsters residing in an estate in the Lugbe area, invaded their compound and in the process, caused a commotion that woke the 26-year-old, making his heart pound rapidly.

Confused and disoriented, Marcel peeked through his curtains, saw an EFCC van parked outside and heard the law enforcement officials moving into his neighbour’s apartment.

With a sense of urgency, the Imo State indigene picked up the phone he had been using for over two years to scam unsuspecting people and rushed to the restroom.

“My hands were shaking but my brain was working like a clock. An idea came into my head to wrap my phone in a nylon bag and that’s what I quickly did. A voice in my mind told me to hide the phone in the toilet tank, but another voice told me they would find it and I would be busted.

“I decided to dip the phone in the toilet bowl and shove it in the connecting pipe. That phone is what I used for ‘bombing and grinding’ and if EFCC finds it, I’m done,” Marcel confessed to Saturday PUNCH.

In Nigeria, Internet fraudsters, aka Yahoo boys or G-boys, are known to make a living by defrauding people online and offline.

Two of the slogans used by members of this criminal network are “bombing” which means finding a victim online and “grinding” which refers to chatting with a victim. These victims are often called “clients” or “magas.”

Before Marcel could fully comprehend what was happening to his neighbour – whom he claimed to be a G-boy – the door to his room was flung open with a force that sent it slamming against the wall.

Several EFCC officers stormed in, their flashlights sliced through the darkness that permeated Marcel’s room. One of the officers stepped forward, and with a stern expression, he said, “We are EFCC, stay where you are.”

As the young man sat there, frozen in a mixture of fear and bewilderment, the officers began their meticulous search. They rifled through his drawers, upended his mattress, and scattered his belongings across the floor.

“Show me your phone,” one of the officers shouted, his tone brooking no argument. Marcel told our correspondent that he denied having a phone as he had recently lost it.

He said, “I don’t think they believed my lie. One of them quickly pointed at my charger which was still plugged into an electric socket and told me ‘Is that not the charger to your phone? What are you charging with it?’

“As I tried to lie, I felt a slap across my face which made me see stars and planets. I started to cry, begging them that I was not a Yahoo boy and that I was just a shoemaker. I showed them the set of sandals I recently made, and they took it and flung it to a corner of the room. It was then I knew it was over for me.

“They started to rummage through my room, searched my drawers, and threw down all the boxes on top of my wardrobe. My room looked like a tornado had swept through it. Then one of them went into the restroom. From where I was seated, I could see him looking through the toilet tank and checking the toilet bowl but didn’t see my phone. Eventually, they all left my room.”

After an hour, when the EFCC enforcement officers had left, Marcel borrowed a phone from one of his neighbours and called his mother, Bridget, who resided in Lagos.

Bridget, a fervent member of a popular Pentecostal church is aware of her son’s involvement in Internet fraud. She had been functioning as a spiritual adviser who prayed for Marcel’s protection from the authorities.

Marcel added, “My mother was almost weeping on the phone. She thought I had been arrested because she had a dream earlier that month that EFCC arrested me and she warned me. She prays for me and I believe so much in her prayers. I believe it was what saved me from being arrested on that day.

“Most of the G-guys living in our flat and estate were arrested, they even arrested some innocent people. One teenage boy who came to stay temporarily with his aunt was one of those arrested. I’m very sure that if they had seen my phone, I would have been caught because it is my hustle pack.”

‘Nigerian princes’

In the early 2000s, a phrase known as ‘Yahoo boys’ was coined to describe young, financially driven persons who utilised Yahoo.com’s email accounts to execute phishing scams, also known as ‘Yahoo Yahoo’ or ‘419 fraud’ in the Nigerian slogan. 

According to Infosecurity Magazine, Internet fraudsters are the original ‘Nigerian Princes,’ who have shifted in recent years to conduct elderly fraud, fake job scams, and romance scams.

Meta clampdown

In its Q1 2024 Adversarial Threat Report on Wednesday, Meta Platforms Incorporated, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, announced that it removed 63,000 accounts associated with the notorious ‘Yahoo boys’ scammers.

The accounts, deleted over the past few weeks, were used for financial sextortion scams and distribution of blackmail scripts.

Meta reported that a smaller network of 2,500 accounts, linked to around 20 individuals, primarily targeted adult men in the United States using fake identities.

Findings by Saturday PUNCH showed that Nigerian Internet fraudsters operate in different ways ranging from fake job scams to business email compromise and transnational fraudulent schemes.

A notable example is 40-year-old Ramon Abbas, also known by his Instagram handle, Ray Hushpuppi, who was sentenced to 135 months in United States federal prison sometime in November 2022.

A prolific international fraudster, Abbas laundered tens of millions of dollars through a series of online scams and flaunted his luxurious, crime-funded lifestyle on social media till his arrest in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, in June 2020.

 Tainted luxury life

In Nigeria, G-boys are often known to flaunt their luxurious, crime-funded lifestyles on social media. They often show off their luxury cars, posh houses, sultry mistresses, and dainty feasts in expensive hotels, clubs, or resorts.

They are mostly bejewelled from head to toe, adorned in designer clothes, and spend money lavishly with their friends – an activity that is called “balling” within their circles.

Other slang used by Internet fraudsters include ‘gbenusi,’ a Yoruba word that is used to connote celebrating or throwing a big party after a successful deal, ‘sana wole’ which means beginning a party with fireworks, and ‘picker,’ a code-word for someone who helps in opening foreign bank accounts and receive money, then helps them forward such money to Nigeria.

EFCC incessant raids

Earlier this month, the EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, disclosed that several international companies had shut down their Nigerian operations following massive theft of their finances through local wire fraud.

According to a statement by the commission’s Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, the EFCC chairman noted that in 2022, over $500m was lost due to the activities of Internet fraudsters.

He said, “The alarming statistics continued with Nigerian banks losing over N8bn to electronic transfer fraud in the first nine months of 2022.”

Acting based on intelligence reports of Yahoo boys who lodge in hotels and lavish money at nightclubs, EFCC operatives have been raiding hotels to arrest cybercrime suspects.

In June, EFCC officers, in the early hours of Saturday, raided two hotels and event centres located in the Alagbaka area of Akure, the Ondo State capital, and arrested over 50 suspects including a soon-to-be groom who was celebrating his bachelor’s eve at one of the targeted clubs.

The anti-corruption agency also allegedly seized numerous vehicles, laptops, high-end smart phones, and other items during the operation.

On March 11, operatives of the Lagos Zonal Command of EFCC also arrested 45 suspected Internet fraudsters in the Ikorodu area of Lagos, following an intelligence report on the activities of an organised cybercrime syndicate network, operating in that axis of the state.

Items recovered from them at the point of arrest included exotic vehicles, sophisticated mobile devices, and laptops.

Similarly, in February this year, EFCC operatives arrested 36 suspected Internet fraudsters in the Gbokoniyin and Yetedo areas of Abeokuta, Ogun State.

In the same month, officials of the anti-graft agency also arrested 14 suspected fraudsters at a ‘Yahoo Academy’ (believed to be a training centre for soon-to-be Internet fraudsters) in Makurdi, Benue State.

Similarly, in July 2021, about 30 suspects were also arrested by EFCC operatives during a raid on the Parktonian Hotel in the Lekki area of Lagos State.

Concealing identities

However, to hide from the eagle eyes of the anti-cybercrime institution, our correspondent gathered that many suspected Yahoo boys have resorted to adopting different tactics to conceal their illegal professional identities.

Some tactics include modifying their public appearances and living a modest lifestyle, a strategy at variance with the stereotypical ways of affluence funded with the proceeds from their fraudulent activities.

When our correspondent reached out to several suspected G-boys, all except a few vehemently declined to speak about their involvement for fear of being hunted down by the EFCC.

Deceitful tactics

During a conversation with a suspected fraudster, identified simply as Olalekan at an eatery in Ibadan, Oyo State, this reporter observed that he looked nothing like the stereotypical image of a Yahoo boy.

The graduate of a public university in Kwara State, who was dressed in a grey flowing robe known as Jalabiya, sported a punk hairstyle and a full-grown beard, while a silver wristwatch adorned his wrist.

A string of prayer beads hung awkwardly from Olalekan’s pocket, and he clutched an Android phone.

“I have to be careful now,” he told our correspondent as he munched on his food. “I was arrested four years ago whilst still in school. I was in my finals but had joined the G-boys because the peer pressure was too much. EFCC officials raided our off-campus hostels one early morning and I was among the G-boys they arrested.

“They seized all our cars, gadgets, and phones and packed all of us to their station. It wasn’t easy there at all. They looked into all of our phones and e-wallets to see something incriminating to link us with cybercrimes.

“They caught me red-handed and I was charged to court and had my photo posted on the EFCC’s Instagram account. They seized my car and laptops and I paid a fine of N800,000.”

After his release, Olalekan said he stayed away from cyber fraud for a while, but according to him, he could not adjust to living as a common citizen.

“Now I dress like a Muslim cleric and use my clean phone when I go out during the day and that protects me from the watch of suspicious security operatives. They all know how we typically look, so I disguise myself so I don’t end up in their net again,” he said.

Fraudulent doctor

In the case of an Ogun State-based suspected Yahoo boy who preferred to be identified as Isaiah, he was introduced to cyber fraud in 2019.

He said, “The street is not smiling; you hustle so your charger doesn’t blow. Most of my neighbours here are not aware of what I do. I hang a lab coat in my car when I go out and I have an ID card to present, so everyone calls me a doctor. But that is a format and only my guys know the update.”

Narrating the ordeal of one of his friends, Isaiah suggested that some compromised security operatives help them recover their seized property but only under the condition of parting with a humongous sum of money.

Isaiah recounted, “One of my close friends, a confirmed G-guy, came in from Kenya in 2022. He rented an apartment here in Ogun State and the house was furnished with N15m. He lived with his sister and grandmother.

“When these EFCC guys came for him, they dried him up of almost N58m, he was reduced to zero. We had to contribute money for him to return to Kenya. He felt insecure because some policemen also raided his house.

“He did a shady deal with them so they didn’t take him to the office and they released him. He returned to Kenya last year and since then we have not heard from him.”

Isaiah further stated that some cybercrime suspects posed as movie producers and set up foundations, and non-governmental organisations that they used as fronts for money laundering.

“When the EFCC asks for the details, they will point to this and that projects in so and so place and tell them that these are where they make their money, but it’s all a format,” he added.

Hiding in plain sight

An Abuja-based cybercrime suspect who gave his name as Charles, in a voice note sent to Saturday PUNCH, narrated how he was arrested by EFCC operatives in 2022.

He said, “I served here in Abuja and rented an apartment at Lugbe. The choice of this location was deliberate because the word on the streets is that the EFCC usually raids the big areas like Maitama, Asokoro, and Katampe, among other areas where flashy G-boys live.

“The day these guys busted me, they seized my car and everything I had, including all my home gadgets. They asked for the receipt of all these things. I can’t lie to you my brother, a total of N21m was taken from me.

“When I was released, my bank account was reduced to zero, including my Bitcoins wallet. But I found a way to liaise with them to get my vehicle back. They have informants. I know who gave them information about my moves and I was able to track him. It was my landlord’s son who is also a Yahoo guy. They’ve nabbed him too.”

Explaining how Internet fraudsters disguise to evade being detected by the EFCC, Charles said some of the fraudulent suspects secured government employment to conceal their criminal identities.

He said, “Some guys hide under the guise of having government jobs, especially the type of work that enables them to wear uniforms. Some are into big business ventures and some pass them off as family businesses.

“We are in a country where the system doesn’t challenge you for the source of the income you use in starting a business. So you can create a business as a front to protect yourself. Some guys also hide under forex trading and they will tell you they are into crypto.

“Some of these guys parading themselves as tech guys are in our community. And I’m not talking about those boys collecting gift cards or into romance scams, I’m referring to the higher levels like hacking mail, spamming, rendering fake services, and fake investments. They will approach you as investors and insurance gurus and from there they swindle you.

“Some pose as content creators to the public. You will also find big men and children from wealthy homes in the circle too, and there are times you will need their help when you get caught because they have connections. There are different updates involved in this game.”

Cryptocurrency fraudsters

In an interview with Saturday PUNCH, a Crypto trader, Damilola Afolayan, lamented how cyber fraudsters adopted crypto trading as a disguise for their illicit activities.

He said, “They pose as legitimate traders of crypto coins on social media, claiming to buy Bitcoins and other coins at attractive rates. This deceptive behaviour is meant to present them not as Yahoo boys but as crypto traders.

“While the allure of quick gains through cybercrime may seem enticing, the risks and consequences associated with such activities can have lasting repercussions on individuals and society.

“Instead of falling prey to the temptations of fraudulent schemes, I urge these individuals to consider redirecting their skills and ingenuity towards the world of cryptocurrency.”

Afolayan said cryptocurrency offers a decentralised and transparent financial ecosystem where innovation and creativity are celebrated.

“By leveraging their technical prowess and entrepreneurial spirit in the crypto space, former Internet fraudsters can find a legitimate outlet for their ambitions and aspirations,” he added.

Rites for protection

Our correspondent, while carrying out discrete investigations, also discovered that many Yahoo boys seek solace in personal prayers, and protection rites performed by their parents, girlfriends, wives, or religious clerics, who are well aware of their source of income.

Several sources who confided in our correspondent revealed that while physical associations of Yahoo boys exist, there are also virtual ones, whose parents created groups on WhatsApp.

“In these groups, you find parents of G-Boys who call themselves Iya awon omo ologo, meaning parents of glorious children, and they all come together to seek spiritual assistance, strategise, and organise parties to support their children involved in cybercrimes,” a source told Saturday PUNCH.

Also speaking, Michael Hassan, who was acquainted with several cyber criminals, pointed out that most of these Yahoo guys are either involved in voodoo themselves or have their mothers or wives performing the rituals for them.

He added, “I used to have a friend who has been a G-boy since 2012 and he shuttles between Malaysia and Nigeria. One day in 2017, he came around and I visited him in his family house.

“That day we held a welcome party for him and I handled the cooking for the party. While in the market, his mother called to inform me that they had bought chicken for him and that I should just get pepper and other things.

“At home, he was called into the room by his mother while gisting with us and after a while, I wanted to ask him for the chicken his mother was talking about and to also charge my phone in his room.

“As I approached the room, I just felt the urge to peek through and I saw his mum circling the chicken around his head while he knelt. I was surprised. His mother killed the chicken and brought it to me in the kitchen. They eventually served everyone except me. I made up an excuse not to eat it.”

An economist, Oluwaseun Wusu, told our correspondent that economic hardship and the desire for a fast life pushed many youths into cybercrime.

Wusu said, “The major reason for the increase in fraudulent practices is unemployment. I know a guy who stayed for three or four years without a job and resorted to becoming a Yahoo boy. Again, there is economic hardship.

“For instance, during Goodluck Jonathan’s administration, one dollar was N140, but as of 2022, it was N162. Now we have a dollar at N1,520. Additionally, most of our guys don’t want to start small; they want to use the iPhone 14 Promax. Some celebrities are also involved and they use ladies for money laundering.”

Worship centres fingered

Highlighting the influence of religion, Wusu said, “Many Yahoo boys tend to flock to white garment churches, but it should be pointed out that these churches are owned by individuals and are not often officially registered.

“The same applies to these non-uniformed churches and many of them incorporate African traditional rites into their worship. As a member of Cherubim and Seraphim Church, we have strict rules and regulations and these tend to curb the influx of Yahoo boys into our gatherings.”

A member of a white garment church, Sola Omilani, while speaking with Saturday PUNCH, said the claim that G-boys love attending white garment churches is true.

He said, “Many of our clerics perform certain rituals for these guys. Although I think most of these clerics are simply scamming the scammers. I also believe that these clerics merely exploit the desperation of these G-boys and give them fake soaps. These guys inherently believe in voodoo, so they are easily exploited.

“Many of these G-boys perform rituals for protection, yet they still get arrested by the EFCC. Additionally, some G-boys use fetish soaps and flaunt spiritual objects that they believe would protect them from the authorities. I know this because I have friends who are into Internet fraud.”

However, a Lagos-based white garment prophet, Taiwo Lasisi, told our correspondent that the claim that G-boys frequent the church cannot be substantiated.

He said, “There are different people who come to the church and one can’t easily tell who they are. You can’t be going to each member to start asking their occupation. In the church, we will see good and bad people and we embrace all. Our church is not judgemental.

“What usually influences people to join our church is our white garment; the way we sing, and dance, and how we love to be adorned with jewellery. Some people might not be Yahoo boys but with the way they are attired and spend money to fund God’s work, some people would tend to insinuate that they are Yahoo boys.

“We don’t encourage unethical actions, but we welcome people as long as they are our brothers in the faith. We must not alienate people even if they are not clean because they came to meet God for salvation.”

The EFCC spokesman, Mr Dele Oyewale in a phone interview with Saturday PUNCH, noted that the strategies deployed by Internet fraudsters are well known to the agency.

“These disguising tactics by Yahoo boys are well known. It is impersonation and identity theft. That is why they are charged in court.

“This is why if you read many of the charges against them in court, you will find, impersonation, identity theft, and obtaining money under pretenses as part of the charges levied against them. Some of them will pose as engineers, but they will be secretly involved in cyber fraud,” Oyewale said.

[Punch]

I am in London, hopefully on my way, in the next few days, to Paris, the host city of the 2024 Olympiad. I am very excited about visiting Paris again after two previous experiences that are significant chapters in my life. 

48 years ago, my flight to my first Olympic Games experience started in a city people used to say, in those days, was so beautiful and romantic that after seeing Paris, you can die happily!

It happened in the month of June. I was only a few weeks away from graduating from The Polytechnic, Ibadan. Through the Oyo State Sports Council, the National Sports Commission contacted the office of the Rector of The Polytechnic, seeking my release to come to Lagos and proceed immediately to join the national football team, the Green Eagles, that were on tour of Europe preparing for the 1976 Olympic Games. 

Coming completely from the Blue, it may be the most pleasant shock of my life. It was a quantum leap into uncharted frontiers of fate and fame. The Olympics were for gods, yet here was I, from nowhere, about to become one!

I had to submit an incomplete final project to my supervisor in the Mechanical Engineering department with the offer to return and defend the project after the national assignment. It was a most unusual situation for everyone. 

Meanwhile, the list of Nigeria’s contingent was with the International Olympic Committee, IOC, and had been released to the public. A scintillating performance by me in the quarter-final of that year’s Africa Cup Winners Cup for Shooting Stars FC at the National Stadium, Lagos, made Dr. Isaac Akioye, Director of the National Sports Commission, NSC, in charge of Nigerian sports, to send an urgent request to the IOC to replace the name of an already registered player with mine.

That’s how, as in a dramatic scene straight out of Hollywood, I found myself on a flight to Europe for the first time, to join the Green Eagles, already touring, training and playing international friendly matches in Greece, Germany, Bulgaria and Yugoslavia in final preparation for the Olympic Games. 

At the end of the tour, some 10 days to the opening ceremony of Montreal ’76, the entire Nigerian contingent of athletes in various sports were assembled in Hotel Ibis, in Paris. 

That was my first ‘taste’ of Paris. That’s where my 1976 Olympic story took off. 

Of course, the rest of that story is now unforgettable history highlighted by the boycott of the Games by 28 African countries led by Nigeria and Tanzania, and several other equally historic consequences birthed through the decades till now. 

I never got to visit Paris again until the France ’98 FIFA World Cup. 

I was present when the Super Eagles put up their best performance at the championship, trouncing Spain by 3-2. Some friends and I spent the entire night walking the streets of Paris on a drinking binge. 

A few days later, on the streets of Paris, I also endured the agony that followed Nigeria’s painful loss to Denmark that ended my short-lived second romance with Paris.

That was 26 years ago. 

I have not been back there since then.

It is now Friday July 26, 2024. I am heading back to Paris to witness a new ‘episode’ of the biggest multi-sports event on the planet. I am excited about the prospects of Nigerian athletes at the Games. The country’s 88-athlete contingent is brimming with talent, confidence, determination and a positive spirit. 

I am eager to embed with them, particularly those in athletics where I think more of Nigeria’s haul of medals will likely come from. 

I look forward to playing an unofficial role as an official Sports Ambassador of Nigeria, and sports diplomat of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, NIIA. I intend to add my humble voice to encourage, inspire and motivate the athletes to run faster, jump higher, throw farther and fight harder than they have ever done for their Fatherland. 

Beyond that, I shall feed my journalistic impulses, and share personal experiences with audiences on my different platforms (print, radio, and social media) with unique sights and sounds of Paris 

Once again, I have arrived in London. I love the City. It is, in my humble opinion, one of the best destinations for social and cultural interaction in the world, a melting pot of everything. The city accommodates a little bit of every community on earth. 

Interestingly, I have not visited London in almost 5 years, not since the Covid 19 pandemic struck and disturbed the equilibrium of the world. I became one of its victims. I not only contracted it mildly but also lost my UK residential status when I chose to hibernate in the ‘safe’ environment of the secluded hills of Wasimi, rather than be involved in the long, uncertain, expensive and complicated protocols that traveling to the UK during that period required. 

It has been a nightmare since the end of ‘Covid’ trying to get any kind of respite to re-enter the UK. Even the present visit is possible only by the intervention of the top echelon of the British High Commission. 

So, I am here now, at the banks of River Thames, working out the logistics of entering Paris at this time. The city is filled to the brim with visitors – the almost 20,000-strong army of athletes, technical officials, and the media. Plus, of course, the millions of summer-time tourists and sports fans that are descending right now on the city. 

By the next time you are reading or hearing from me, I would have crossed the English Channel in a ‘bullet train’, the Eurostar, that travels at speeds of over 300 km/h deep through the famous underwater tunnels of the Channel. 

I cannot wait to catch up with Tobi Amusan, Ese Brume, Odunayo Adekuoroye, Aruna Quadri, Esther Onyema, Funke Oshinaike, Opeyori Anuoluwapo, and so on, to share ‘communion’ of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.