The Senate on Thursday approved President Bola Tinubu’s loan request of $2.2 billion to partially finance the ₦9.7 trillion budget deficit for the 2024 fiscal year.

The approval followed the presentation of a report by the Chairman, Senate Committee on Local and Foreign Debts, Aliyu Wamakko, during plenary.

Presiding over the session, Deputy Senate President Jibrin Barau commended the committee for its swift action and thorough examination of the loan request.

In a letter read during the Senate and House of Representatives plenaries on Tuesday, Tinubu had explained that the loan was integral to his administration’s fiscal strategy for the coming year.

“The Presidential request for $2.2 billion, equivalent to ₦1.77 trillion, is already enshrined in the external borrowing plan for the 2024 fiscal year,” Senate President Godswill Akpabio stated while reading the letter.

He further directed the Senate Committee on Local and Foreign Debts to expedite its review of the request and present a report within 24 hours.

“The Senate Committee on Local and Foreign Loans should, therefore, give the request expeditious consideration and report back within 24 hours,” Akpabio emphasised.

Although the deadline elapsed on Wednesday, the committee submitted its findings during Thursday’s plenary, leading to the loan’s approval.

Details later…

[Punch]

Ordinarily, the innocuous question – who speaks for President Bola Tinubu – should be a non-issue because it ought to be a given. But these are no ordinary times. In Tinubu’s bumbling emi l’okan dynasty, where the end justifies every means and jejune politics trumps governance, absurdity is the norm.

Such intrigues, in the warped estimation of his rabid supporters, elevate him to the pantheon of political gods, making him the Jagaban of Nigerian politics. But Nigeria is worse for it.

On July 31, 2023, Tinubu appointed Ajuri Ngelale, who served as Senior Special Assistant on Public Affairs to President Muhammadu Buhari, as his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity. The 38-year-old man wasn’t unknown. A broadcast journalist before his appointment, he also served as co-spokesperson of the Tinubu-Shettima Presidential Campaign Organisation.

But he was an outlier in the Tinubu political family where the likes of Dele Alake, erstwhile Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, held sway. His appointment was said to have been facilitated by a faction of the Aso Rock cabal led by Tinubu’s son, Seyi.

Ngelale was having a ball until the President appointed Bayo Onanuga as Special Adviser on Information and Strategy on October 13, 2023. Thereafter, the supremacy battle, which blew open on May 28, 2024, ensued. Preparatory to the first year anniversary of the Tinubu administration on May 29, 2024, Onanuga said the President will not make any broadcast.

“Instead the President will address a joint session of the National Assembly, which has lined up a programme to commemorate 25 years of the nation’s democratic journey at both the executive and legislative levels,” and thereafter “commission the National Assembly Library and Resource Center, now to be known as the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Building,” he disclosed.

Hours later, Ngelale countered him, telling Nigerians to disregard the statement. “In view of the public commentary concerning the President delivering a speech before a joint sitting of the National Assembly tomorrow, May 29, 2024, it is important to state that this information is false and unauthorised as the Office of the President was not involved in the planning of the event,” Ngalale said. That was an unprecedented move that drew a line in the sand. It was, therefore, not surprising when a fight to finish ensued. Onanuga triumphed and three months after, Ngelale resigned.

The former presidential spokesman, who disclosed that he had submitted a memo to the Chief of Staff to the President on Friday, September 6, predicated his action on some undisclosed “medical matters”.

“While I fully appreciate that the ship of state waits for no man, this agonising decision — entailing a pause of my functions as the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity and official spokesperson of the President, Special Presidential Envoy on Climate Action and Chairman, Presidential Steering Committee on Project Evergreen — was taken after significant consultations with my family over the past several days as a vexatious medical situation has worsened at home.”

Nobody was taken in by such apparent spurious reason. It was obvious that he had been given a very hard push and Onanuga was over the moon. He couldn’t have been happier seeing the back of the upstart who publicly called him a liar and even without being officially re-designated, he moved into Ngelale’s former office at the presidential villa and appropriated the presidential spokesman title.

To be sure, Onanuga has always been a close ally of Tinubu right from his active journalism days, especially when he was the boss at the Independent Communications Network Limited, ICNL, publishers of TheNews magazine. Nigerians thought that with the exit of Ngelale, the game of musical chairs in the communications team had effectively come to an end. But they didn’t reckon with the president’s seeming abhorrence for decency and orderliness.

So, like Ngelale, Onanuga was enjoying his day in the sun when Tinubu, on October 23, appointed Sunday Dare, his former staff at TheNews magazine as Special Adviser on Public Communication and Orientation. But that was not much of a problem because Dare, former Minister of Youth and Sports, was to work from the Ministry of Information and National Orientation.

But when he appointed Daniel Bwala as Special Adviser, Media and Public Communications (State House), on Thursday, November 14, it was obvious, as Ndigbo would say, that the handshake had gone beyond the elbow. Bwala’s appointment was an invitation, once again, for Onanuga to wrestle.

It took less than a week before the battle started. Last Monday, Bwala announced himself as the official replacement for Ngelale. “Today, I resumed officially as the Special Adviser, Media and Public Communications/Spokesperson (State House),” he tweeted after briefing State House correspondents earlier.

While insisting that the three Special Advisers were all servants of Tinubu, he reiterated that: “I only came to introduce myself to you and the role that was given to me by Mr. President, and I told you that role was once occupied by Ajuri Ngelale.” 

Distinguishing his portfolio from others, Bwala emphasized: “When Ajuri was there, the nomenclature was Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, and now that role is called Special Adviser on Media and Public Communications (State House). Sunday Dare works from the office of the Minister of Information.”

But Onanuga would have none of that. Not again after surviving the Ngelale scare. A few hours later, he countered Bwala, insisting that Tinubu has no single spokesperson. Not only that, he announced that changes had been made in the designations of members of the presidential communications team.

“President Bola Tinubu has re-designated the positions of two recently appointed officials in the State House media and communications team to enhance efficiency within the government’s communication machinery.

“The restructuring is as follows: Mr. Sunday Dare – hitherto Special Adviser on Public Communication and National Orientation is now Special Adviser, Media and Public Communications. Mr. Daniel Bwala – announced last week as Special Adviser, Media and Public Communication, is now Special Adviser Policy Communication.

“These appointments, along with the existing role of Special Adviser, Information and Strategy, underscore that there is no single individual spokesperson for the Presidency. Instead, all the three Special Advisers will collectively serve as spokespersons for the government. This approach aims to ensure effective and consistent communication of government policies, decisions, and engagements.”

Was the re-designation authorised by Tinubu? Nobody other than Onanuga can tell. As at the time he released the statement, Tinubu was in faraway Brazil. But this is only the beginning of the big fight ahead.

Of course, Onunaga knows that having three Special Advisers serve collectively as spokespersons for the government cannot ensure effectiveness and consistency. It is a recipe for confusion, a classic case of too many cooks spoiling the broth. In any case, the Special Advisers do not speak for the government as he claimed. That is the remit of the Minister of Information. They speak for the President.

Three spokespersons for one president is not only redundant and inefficient, it also raises the question of whether the communication challenges of Tinubu’s government are so overwhelming that it requires multiple voices to manage. Or is this just an attempt to amplify propaganda and gaslight Nigerians through multiple channels in a devious bid to overwhelm citizen?

Yet, as if having three Special Advisers is not bad enough, the communications teams has Senior Special Assistant on National Values and Social Justice, Fela Durotoye; Senior Special Assistant on Public Engagement, Linda Nwabuwa Akhigbe; Senior Special Assistant on Strategic Communications, Fredrick Nwabufo; Special Assistant on Public Affairs, Aliyu Audu; Senior Special Assistant (Media), Tunde Rahman; Senior Special Assistant (Print Media), Abdulaziz Abdulaziz, among others, thus making it the biggest and most unwieldy presidential media team in the country’s history.

Unsurprisingly, rather than succinctly communicating the vision and governance philosophy of the President to Nigerians, the Special Advisers have redefined their role to mean who will spew the vilest vitriol against real and perceived opponents of their principal.

Of course, the only yardstick for measuring hard work in the circumstance is the level of nastiness – how bitterly harsh and caustic they are in their criticism. That is what it takes to speak for President Bola Tinubu and that is how low Nigeria has sunk under his watch.

Nigerian music superstar David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, has received a brand-new Escalade 600 SUV as a birthday gift from car dealer Mr. Jay Autos.

On November 21, 2024, the award-winning singer celebrated his 32nd birthday.

To mark the occasion, the businessman, who operates under the Instagram handle @M_Jautos, announced the lavish gift on social media.

Sharing pictures of the sleek vehicle, which features plush black leather seats and screens attached to the headrests, Mr. Jay Autos expressed his admiration for the DMW record label boss.

He acknowledged Davido’s unwavering support for his business over the years and conveyed his gratitude in the caption: “Happy Birthday Oriade @davido cheers to many more years. Shipping this out immediately to your desired location. Waiting on your directive!!!”

Reacting to the news, Davido took to his Instagram story to express his gratitude.

He wrote, “Wow!!! Thank you J!!!”

The gesture adds to the excitement surrounding Davido and his birthday celebrations.

Earlier, the singer announced a ₦300 million donation to orphanages and a charity working to combat drug abuse among young Nigerians, solidifying his commitment to philanthropy.

Vanguard News

Bernard Odoh says President Bola Tinubu was wrong to sack him as vice-chancellor of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK) in Awka, Anambra state. 

In an interview on AriseTV on November 21, Odoh said since he was not appointed vice-chancellor through a press release, he cannot be removed through a press release.

On November 20, Tinubu dissolved the governing council of the university and sacked the institution’s vice-chancellor and registrar.

Odoh was described as “unqualified” for the role of vice-chancellor of the university, in a statement issued by Bayo Onanuga, special adviser to the president on information and strategy.

“The sacking of the governing council and officials followed reports that the council illegally appointed an unqualified vice-chancellor without following due process,” the statement reads.

“After the controversial appointment, the Federal Government stepped in to address tensions between the university’s Senate and the governing council of the 33-year-old institution.

“The government expressed concern over the council’s apparent disregard for the university’s governing laws in its selection process.”

‘TINUBU ILL-ADVISED’

Odoh said he was qualified for the position of vice-chancellor of UNIZIK. He added that his appointment followed due process.

“I’m qualified for this position. Three assessors assessed me. I became a professor on October 1, 2015,” he said.

“I applied for the position. I applied and was appointed. I’m not imposing myself on the institution. But the issue of not being a professor is all lies. People paid to remove my records from a university.

“I’m not disobeying Mr. President, but it is the governing council that will recommend my sack.”

Odoh said the case against his appointment is before the federal high court in Abuja and an industrial court. He added that Tinubu and Tunji Alausa, education minister, should have waited for the verdict of the courts before booting him out.

“The minister jumped the gun. The court has not ruled on this matter. I cannot be removed through a press release,” he said.

“There was no panel of inquiry. I was not appointed through a press release. The visitor (Tinubu) has not invited me to hear my side of the story.”

Odoh also said the forces who “ganged up against me” played the ethnic card.

He said by leaving the university without a vice-chancellor, governing council and registrar, Tinubu has fomented crisis in UNIZIK.

“I’m from Ebonyi state. We are regarded as third class people. People feel I’m not qualified because I come from Ebonyi state,” he added.

“I am going to the university to ensure that activities and accreditation go on. No vice-chancellor, no registrar, no governing council?

“People have ganged up to remove me at all costs. The federal ministry of education is introducing a crisis on campus. I am an alumnus of this university. It pains me that the university is being destroyed.

“Mr. President must have been ill-advised. He can remove me but only through the council.

“The governing council is being punished for following due process to appoint me. I don’t know the offence I have committed.”

[TheCable]

Dear Obidients and Members of the Public,

We are writing to address a pressing matter that has caught our attention. A malicious posting has been circulating on social media, spreading like wildfire and causing unwarranted harm to the reputation of Senator Datti-Baba Ahmed.

Let us set the record straight:

1. Senator Datti Baba Ahmed does not have any social media account, and therefore, any posts attributed to him are completely fabricated.

2. The Senator has unequivocally dissociated himself from these false posts during a recent press conference, making his stance crystal clear.

3. We are aware that this is a deliberate smear campaign aimed at tarnishing the Senator's image and credibility.

In light of this, we urge you all to be vigilant and proactive. Whenever and wherever you encounter this fake post, we implore you to
-Ignore it
-Counter it
-Report it

Your cooperation in quashing these malicious rumors is invaluable. Together, we can put an end to this vicious cycle of misinformation.

Thank you for your unwavering support and understanding.

Sincerely,

Dr. Yunusa Tanko
National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement

It’s a famous story in Christendom. Palestine, a vassal territory under the Roman Emperor Caesar, was obliged to pay tributes and taxes to Rome. A radical teacher in the territory, Jesus, taught things that the teachers of the law and local administrators in Palestine were uncomfortable with. 

After setting traps for him but missing, they pitted him against Caesar by asking him a question that could have gotten him in trouble and possibly gotten rid of him for good.

“Is it lawful to pay taxes?” the Pharisees asked him.

“Give unto Caesar what is Caesar’s and unto God what is God’s,” he replied.

Caesar’s dilemma

The problem is that the world’s Caesars have never been satisfied with what is theirs without resistance or, sometimes, a nasty fight. 

Take England, for example. In the 13th century, the barons revolted against King John over arbitrary taxation. When the King would not budge, they renounced their allegiance, forcing him to back down and sign a charter (the Magna Carta) which limited his powers.

It was the same in the US about four centuries later, leading to the famous “No taxation without representation” that paved the way for American independence. The Germans had theirs earlier, and the French, who loved nothing more than a rebellion, also waged violent wars against their kings for excessive taxation.

It’s not a foreign thing. Our tax rebellions have been championed not by men who often start the trouble but by women who bear the brunt. The British colonialists, for example, will not forget the Aba Women’s Riots of 1929 in a hurry.

Money not a problem

Yet, much as the world’s Caesars may be despised or resisted, running a country without taxation is not an option. Nigeria almost succeeded in doing so. I am not using the worn-out statistic about the low tax-to-GDP ratio to make the point. As long as there was oil money to spend, the problem—as General Yakubu Gowon said in the 1970s—was not the money but how to spend it. Tax was a non-issue.

The elite lived mainly on rent. Businesses recruited smart consultants to manipulate their numbers, and a small percentage of the public sector population who paid anything at all paid a token. Oil money was not the problem, but how to spend it.

We woke up one morning to find that while our population was growing rapidly and the infrastructure was decaying, what was left from declining oil sales, after accounting for corruption, theft, and our appetite for foreign products and services, was barely enough to fix the broken system. 

The day after

The states went haywire, and Caesars everywhere launched one of the most egregious campaigns to finance themselves in an epidemic of internally generated revenue. Thus, the era of agencies staffed with some of the most ruthless staff members was born, mandated to raise revenues from the living, the dying, and the dead by hook or by crook.

It’s not funny. There was a proliferation of levies and taxes, some collected on the Walking Dead. In a September 2024 report, BusinessDay said a study by the Stakeholder Democratic Network showed that businesses in Rivers State identified 75 taxes and levies. Anambra, Lagos, and Edo are also in this brutal tax-and-levy bracket.

In addition to taxes and levies paid by companies to states and local governments, the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) collects income tax, stamp duties, capital gains tax, personal income tax, withholding tax, industrial training fund tax, VAT, and education tax for the Federal Government.

If you are wondering how bad it is, PwC cited 57 percent of multiple tax and levies incidents, revealing a significant lack of coordination between the states and the Federal Government. As it might have been said in old Palestine, it was a case of more Caesars than taxpayers. The system is broken and overdue for reform.

Anatomy of the bill

That’s why the current interest in the Tax Reform Bill 2024 is good. If the good times were still here, the government would not bother, and few Nigerians would care. But we now care more because the times are hard and mainly because, in recent years, governments have promised to use taxes and levies to improve infrastructure but have done nothing, if not worse.

According to the government, the Tax Reform Bill promises significant changes in tax relief to small businesses (with exemptions for those earning below N25 million), expansion of VAT exemptions on essential goods, and harmonisation of consumption taxes to simplify the tax system. The bill also aims to increase transparency and compliance, reduce the corporate tax rate from 30 to 25 percent, adjust the PAYE band, focus on technology, and centralise VAT collection.

Governors and the political class directly oppose the reform, especially in the North. In addition to the derivation-based VAT model and potential increased tax burden, this objection concerns regional disparity. 

The governors are concerned that the reform may not energise people and enable investment. Manufacturers also have these concerns, including the potential inflationary impact of an incremental hike in the VAT rate from the current 7.5 percent to 15 percent in six years. They worry that it does not address the economic realities of the different regions, may worsen existing inequalities, and may not benefit local economies. 

The heart of the matter

I have a slightly different concern. Centralising VAT and tax collection despite genuine concerns about a poor federal structure is ill-advised. How can a government pursuing an agenda for a state police emasculate the states? 

How can President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, whose government as Lagos governor achieved some of the most far-reaching fiscal restructuring by ligation, be the enabler of central tax collection, which Rivers State litigated against, and Lagos State even joined? 

How can a government that went to the Supreme Court to promote fiscal independence for local governments, promote a centralised system that collects revenues that should go to the states? Except if the intention is to treat the states like Rome did ancient Palestine—a conquered territory, by the way—a reform that creates a Caesar in Abuja does not make sense.

VAT is commonly used in Europe and is the prevalent system in many parts of the world. However, it’s a far cry from what has been implemented in Nigeria. For example, a critical element of VAT in Europe and elsewhere is VAT refund. That is not on the cards in Nigeria and never was. 

I wonder if it confers more advantages than the consumption or sales tax, for example, the predominant US system. If the goals are simplicity in the collection, lower compliance costs, instant revenue generation, transaction transparency, and lower risk of evasion, sales tax ticks all the boxes.

Still a federalist?

This centralised plan should be particularly troubling for Tinubu, an acclaimed exponent of true federalism. I understand the point about simplicity, transparency, and the benefits of technology. I also appreciate the nonsensical irony of states that ban certain items wanting to share VAT revenue from the same items. 

The government has responded to many of these concerns and said the bill is a work in progress. It promises that a fairer, harmonised, and transparent system will block leakages and create a larger pool by making the wealthy and big businesses pay more. However, it remains to be seen how a central collection and distribution system, which often has significant administrative costs and complexities, will deliver these benefits. 

Under the reform’s proposed centralised collection system, Abuja may become more affluent, giving Tinubu’s government more money to spend, hopefully on good causes. But nothing stops his successor from using the same larger pool of funds for bad causes, including those that would undermine his legacy.

In Ancient Rome, lack and scarcity didn’t ruin the empire. It was complacency and abundance.

A foundation member of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Enugu State, Mr. Osita Okechukwu has hailed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for sacking the controversial Governing Council of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka (UNIZIK), led by Ambassador Greg Mbadiwe.

Okechukwu who is the immediate past Director General of Voice of Nigeria (VON), also lauded the President for nullifying the unprecedented and illegal imposition of an Associate Professor, Bernard Ifeanyi Odoh as the new Vice Chancellor, and Mrs. Rosemary Ifoema Nwokike as the Registrar.

Okechukwu said he is commending President Tinubu for halting the culture of impunity which had characterized most appointments from the South East geopolitical zone.

He appealed to Mr President to watch out for such sordid impunity each time he requests for names from South East, as our leaders are wont to nominate puppets.

Okechukwu maintained that the low votes recorded in the South East geopolitical zone in past elections were mainly consequent upon of lack of due diligence and the inordinate penchant for reckless nomination.

“Mr President kindly take note as we approach the 2027 presidential election that it seems our leaders are afraid to forward their first eleven. And if such sordid scenario continues Mr President don’t expect vote mobilisers in your ranks from the South East geopolitical zone.” Okechukwu submitted.

It could be recalled that the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo, announced the dissolution of the council and sack of the new appointees, in a statement earlier today. Onanuga explained that the sacking of the entire members of the Governing Council, followed reports that they subverted due process in the appointment of a new Vice Chancellor for the 23-year old University.

Those of us who rush to the Victor Attah International Airport to catch early morning flights out of Akwa Ibom State are used to a familiar sight: airport workers, some donning their reflective safety vests, waiting by the roadside and fervently flagging down motorists for lifts to the airport. I usually wonder how many of them get lucky each day. Well, all that will end in a year when the 117 residential apartments the state government is building for them are completed. Dubbed Aviation Village, the residential estate sits on 15.072 hectares of land within the airport premises and comprises 62 two-bedroom bungalows and 55 three-bedroom bungalows. The accommodation is for both state government and federal workers in 12 agencies: Ibom Airport Development Company Limited; MRO; NAHCO; NCAA; FAAN; NEMA; Customs; NDLEA; Immigration Service and other aviation staff. There will be a primary school, shopping center; recreation and health facilities. The state is investing heavily in the aviation sector to boost its weak industrial and commercial base. With an IGR of N43.8 billion in 2023, Akwa Ibom ranks fourth in Niger Delta and 10th in Nigeria in the IGR table, but the government is eager to push up the numbers with dividends from the state-owned airline, Ibom Air, and earnings from the MRO (Maintenance, repair and overhaul) facility. For fiscal 2024, the government expects the figure to climb to N62.5 billion.

Ibom Air, the state-owned carrier, is expected to be a major revenue earner for the government as from next year. It broke even in 2022, three years after it began operations, but fell back into the red in 2023 due to the massive devaluation of the naira. With increased earnings and effective cost control in 2024, it has swung back into the positive arena and is expected to declare first dividend in 2025. The airline is growing rapidly, outperforming expectations. In a nation where many privately-owned airlines and the national carrier have collapsed, Ibom Air’s success has motivated other states to seek to float their own airlines. Its chief executive, Captain Mfon Udom is upbeat about its indices, but declined to give specific figures. However, informed sources say the airline grosses between N700 million and N900 million daily in revenue, a healthy cash flow that enables it meet its obligations to its bankers.

Captain Udom says prudent management; reliable and good quality service and strict adherence to good corporate governance are the critical success factors. Non-interference in management by government and the politicians has also helped a lot. ‘’Even the governor pays for his ticket whenever he travels with us; and he’s never interfered with our activities, including staff recruitment’’, said a senior official. Of its nine planes, seven were financed with bank loans, while the last two were funded with shareholders’ loans at concessionary rates (meaning Akwa Ibom State government paid cash for them, and a repayment would be at no interest). That saved the airline from additional excruciating interest charges. No fewer than five other states, including Lagos, are thinking of floating their own airlines. Even Ebonyi, whose airport is yet to start operations two years after commissioning, also wants to plunge into the business.

The MRO will be another source of income for the state, and with full completion only a few months away, some African airlines have already expressed interest in its use. In terms of size and capabilities, there is only four of this type of MRO in Africa. The other three are in Ethiopia; Morocco and South Africa. Pending when it becomes fully operational next year, the Akwa Ibom MRO is currently providing limited service to Ibom Air only; but on completion, it hopes to serve the African market in the initial growth phase. African Airlines spend hundreds of millions of dollars on repairs and overhauls at foreign MROs. In 2019, Ethiopian Airline disclosed that it made $80 million yearly from its MRO facility in Addis Ababa. Akwa Ibom government is hoping for a piece of the pie next year – one of the reasons it’s projecting a 28% IGR growth to N80 billion in 2025, according to next year’s budget estimates.

At the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of the Aviation Village this week, Gov. Umo Eno said he is dedicated to the ‘’the expansion of the aviation ecosystem in the state’’, and pledged to make Akwa Ibom Nigeria’s major aviation hub in the Gulf of Guinea. The state has built a modern, fully automated airport terminal building which would be put to use this December; and with more aircraft coming next year, the state-owned carrier plans to open new regional routes to Cameroun; Equatorial Guinea; Kenya and Rwanda direct from Uyo. A direct flight to Atlanta, I understand, is also on the drawing board, and this would make the state Nigeria’s second aviation hub, after Lagos.

The government believes that with aviation, the state will climb out of the league of those states that rely solely on FAAC allocations and grow its economy. Over 3,000 people have direct and indirect employment in the sector currently, and the number will will likely rise as the fleet expands and the facilities become operational. In October, BudgIT published a report which highlighted the overdependence 32 states on federal allocations; meaning that they are vulnerable to external shocks, like a crash in crude oil prices.

… The facility, when operational, would drastically reduce the amount of foreign exchange spent on medical tourism overseas and lay a foundation for long-term growth in the state and national healthcare sector

After a prolonged painstaking procedural concession agreement, Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, last Thursday, November 14, handed over the state’s 250-bed capacity hospital to Viewpoint Health Management Services Limited and Pan African Capital Holdings to run on behalf of the State government. The transfer ceremony which took place at his office in Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, the state capital, was the climax of the concessionary talks that had been ongoing over some months between the government and the two world-class health management institutions. By so doing, he has put to rest the widespread insinuation in the media that he has abandoned the project started by his predecessor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, at the twilight of his administration in 2019.

As a responsible and responsive government, there is no way the administration could have turned a blind eye to such an edifice, knowing the importance of healthcare delivery to the overall well being of its citizens. It is not in Governor Abiodun’s character to play politics with issues that concern the wellbeing of the people. Of course, sometimes in party politics, there could be slight differences in minor nuances, policy decisions and implementation but not to the extent of trivialising a matter that is as important as healthcare delivery. Health, they say, is wealth. Health is directly linked with wealth creation. Both health and wealth affect each other in a number of ways. When people are healthy, they can work longer hours and weeks, which can lead to higher productivity and earnings. In the same way, higher income enhances people’s purchasing power to access better healthcare service, which in turn can lead to a longer life. Besides, people with higher incomes can afford better food, exercise equipment, leisure time, and gym memberships, which can lead to a healthier lifestyle.

Conversely, poor health can trigger transfer of income or compel the government to divert resources that could have been used in developmental projects to the provision of Medicare for the sick and the aged, thus limiting the growth of the economy. This is in addition to the fact that periods of poor health in middle-age can negatively impact retirement incomes.

There is a plethora of other reasons the Governor has made accessible and affordable healthcare delivery one of the topmost priorities of his administration. His commitment to healthcare aligns with an American philosopher, Ralph Waldo Emerson, who wrote in 1860, as a reminder that a good life can only be built on a sound foundation. As some people say, the ‘first wealth is health.’ So, it is imperative for individuals, government and corporate bodies to treasure a healthy condition and assign a premium place for the sector in their budgets.

Ogun State under the administration of Prince Dapo Abiodun has never been lacking in healthcare facilities both at the primary and tertiary levels. The recent transfer of the 250-bed capacity hospital is a further testament to his commitment to accessible healthcare service delivery to the good people of Ogun State. To be sure, the project was 65 percent completion level when former governor Amosun abandoned it midway. However, due to the present state of the economy amidst other pressing needs, the Governor at the Statutory Meeting of the state Council of Obas, held at the Oba’s Complex, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, disclosed that the project was 65 percent complete when the Amosun government handed it over. He said due to incapacitation, the government could not continue with the construction and running of the hospital.

Abiodun pointed out that the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital, OOUTH, Sagamu, monthly wages and salaries alone gulped as much N300 million.

He, however, explained that the state government was working out concessionary arrangements with global health management institutions to compete and run the hospital on behalf of the state government.

His words: “We are going to be signing the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the 250-bed Hospital right here in Abeokuta.

“We realise that the state will not be able to run that hospital because, as it is, our tertiary hospital, OOUTH, costs the state government almost N300 million every month in salaries alone. We appreciate the fact that the state is not in position to run that hospital the way it needs to be run.

“From what we have seen and done, if that hospital is properly run, medical tourism will be attracted to that hospital.

“So, the state has adopted a template that we will be the landlords owning that property and others should come and take the concession of that property and run it professionally.”

“Before the end of the year, we will sign the Memorandum of Understanding with the Afrexim Bank and the medical group that has agreed to take over that hospital, complete it and operationalise it professionally.”

While performing the transfer ceremony, Abiodun assured that the 250-bed Specialist Hospital would start operations in March 2025 in the first instance and subsequently commence full operations in June of the same year. He gave the assurance on Thursday at the handing over of the hospital to Viewpoint Health Management Services Limited and Pan African Capital Holdings at his office in Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.

He said the specialist hospital, which is currently about 65 per cent complete, was inherited from the previous administration and would provide world-class health services to Nigerians when completed.

He said: “This hospital will meet the precise needs of our population. It is scheduled for partial opening in March 2025 and full operations in June 2025.”

“We are resolute in our mission to ensure this world-class facility serves the people of Ogun State. Following a rigorous process of months of negotiation, we are excited to finally close the concession partnership for this hospital.”

“This hospital facility is an ongoing development in partnership with Viewpoint Health Management Services Limited, which is in partnership with HealthShare South Africa, a very reputable hospital management company. This stands as a testament to our shared commitment to delivering state-of-the-art healthcare to our people.”

“Unlike a fixed 250-bed designation, Viewpoint will complete all civil works, reconfigure the facility, provide other required additional equipment, staff, and manage the hospital to ensure it operates in line with global best practices.”

“As per the contractual agreement, the completion of this hospital’s physical structure and equipment setup will be managed by Viewpoint Health Management Services Limited, who will also operate the facility for a stipulated period. We will work tirelessly alongside them to provide world-class healthcare for our people.”

The hospital, Governor Abiodun emphasized, would be equipped with advanced facilities and cutting-edge technology for effective healthcare delivery, as well as serve as a referral centre for medical research, training, and innovation.

“This facility will be affiliated with the Abuja Medical Centre of Excellence, managed by King’s College Hospital, and will open in the first quarter of 2025.”

Prince Abiodun expressed confidence that the facility, when operational, would drastically reduce the amount of foreign exchange spent on medical tourism overseas and lay a foundation for long-term growth in the state and national healthcare sector.

Abiodun, while stating that his administration was working to ensure accessible and equitable healthcare for all, also disclosed that the renovation of an additional 74 Primary Healthcare Centers (PHCs), in collaboration with the World Bank, had been advertised, adding that the government was awaiting grant approval from AFREXIM to further expand Primary Healthcare Centres in the state.

The State’s Commissioner for Health, Dr. Tomi Coker, in her remarks, said the hospital would set a benchmark in the nation’s health sector as it aimed to strengthen the sector to bring healthcare services to the doorsteps of the people.

She expressed appreciation to the governor for his visionary leadership and efforts in getting the project underway, stating that it came at the right time and place.

The Chairman of Pan African Capital Holdings, Mr. Chris Oshiafi, said negotiations for the takeover of the hospital started three years ago, assuring that his organization was ready to deliver the best medical facility that would discourage medical tourism in the country.

Chairman of Viewpoint HealthShare, South Africa, Dr. Tony Decoito, said his company would work towards ensuring the timely completion of the hospital. He said his organization was currently operating in 15 African countries, with six in West Africa. He assured that his organization would complete work plan for the hospital within six months.

This is another dream come true. With the concessionary arrangement, Ogun State government has taken its commitment to accessible healthcare delivery a notch higher.

•Ogbonnikan writes from Abeokuta, Ogun State capital