A total of N1.35tn was on Tuesday shared to the Federal Government, States and Local Government Councils in the country.

The revenue was shared at the July 2024 meeting of the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee, held in Abuja and chaired by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun.

A communiqué issued by the FAAC stated that the N1.35tn total distributable revenue comprised statutory revenue of N 142.514bn, Value Added Tax revenue of N523.97bn, Electronic Money Transfer Levy (EMTL) revenue of N15.69b, Exchange Difference revenue of N472.19bn and Augmentation of N200bn.

Total revenue of N2.48tn was available in the month of June 2024. Total deduction for cost of collection was N92.112bn while total transfers, interventions and refunds was N1.03tn.

Gross statutory revenue of N1.43tn was received for the month of June 2024. This was higher than the sum of N1.22tn received in the month of May 2024 by N208.77bn.

The gross revenue of N562.68bn was available from the Value Added Tax (VAT) in June 2024. This was higher than the N497.66bn available in the month of May 2024 by N65.02bn.

The communiqué stated that from the N1.35bn total distributable revenue, the Federal Government received the sum of N459.77bn, the State Governments received N461.97bn and the Local Government Councils received total sum of N337.019bn.

A total of N95.598bn (13 per cent of mineral revenue) was shared to the benefiting States as derivation revenue.

On the N142.514bn distributable statutory revenue, the communiqué stated that the Federal Government received N48.952bn, the State Governments received N24.829bn and the Local Government Councils received N19.14bn. The sum of N49.591bn (13 per cent of mineral revenue) was shared to the benefiting States as derivation revenue.

The Federal Government received N78.596bn, the State Governments received N261.987bn and the Local Government Councils received N183.39bn from the N523.97bn distributable Value Added Tax (VAT) revenue.

On the N200bn augmentation, the Federal Government received N105.360bn, the State Governments received N53.440bn and the Local Government Councils received N41.2bn.

The Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association, NECA, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, MAN, and the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce Industry Mines and Agriculture, NACCIMA, have blamed hastily implemented government policy shifts without corresponding plans to mitigate the negative effects of the inception of the present government for the socio-economic crises confronting the country currently.

The trio spoke separately on the issue yesterday, with NECA saying major policy shifts undertaken by the government in 2023 and the adverse impacts they had across various sectors, are having terrible effects on businesses and the national economy.

President and Chairman of Council, NECA, Mr Taiwo Adeniyi, at the 67th Annual General Meeting, AGM, of the Association yesterday in Lagos, lamented that the combination of fuel subsidy removal, and exchange rate liberalization have significantly created market distortions and increased the cost of doing business, leading to a contraction in business activities since mid-2023.

He said: “It is no longer a secret that private businesses in the economy are beset with innumerable challenges, pushing many to the realm of mere subsistence.

‘’A good number of these private businesses continue to exist due to sheer determination and doggedness of the owners and investors, who are committed to supporting the economy.

‘’We commend the Federal Government for its various policies aimed at improving the operating environment and for establishing the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms.
“As we await the committee’s report, we believe the recommendations will be business-centric and given quick implementation attention by government.”

Our concerns

Notwithstanding the ongoing support by the government, Adeniyi listed six key concerns of businesses including the high cost of doing business due to depreciation in the value of the naira, increased Customs forex rate for clearing of cargoes, business-antagonistic regulations, proliferation of provocative taxes/levies and oversight functions of the National Assembly.

He said: “Private businesses are struggling with high production costs due to increased import bills for foreign inputs and raw materials. Before the liberalization of the forex regime, N460 was exchanged for US$ in the official market and about N750/US$ in the parallel market.

“After the policy, the exchange rate soared to N1600/US$, significantly raising import costs for the private sector. To address these challenges, we urge the Federal Government to review the current forex liberalization policy and adopt a more guided forex management procedure that supports domestic production.

“The upward review of Customs rate for cargo clearance to N1,413/US$ from N952/US$ in February 2024 has severely impacted businesses. These increases depleted the working capital of businesses, increased cost of production and drove up commodity prices, while also reducing household purchasing power.

‘’It has also contributed ominously to the general contraction of private businesses in the economy. Therefore, we urge the government to embark more on policies that are not only pro-business but also drive production and ensure job creation.

“In recent times, we have witnessed a proliferation of unfriendly and unjustifiable regulations aimed at organized businesses. It is our firm believe that regulations are meant to promote businesses and not to stifle them.

“Some of the recent regulations have become a source of shock and distraction to organized businesses, even though some of them were eventually suspended. For instance, the recent ban on alcoholic beverages in small packs by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, caused significant anxiety in the sector before being suspended after lengthy engagement with the government.

‘’We, therefore, urge the government to always conduct exhaustive consultation with private sector stakeholders on policy issues and act in the overall interest of the country within the prevailing circumstances.

“In recent times, we have observed several new taxes being imposed on private businesses by the Federal Government agencies. While we have witnessed the introduction of new taxes and levies, we commend government’s bold initiative of inaugurating the Taiwo Oyedele led Presidential Committee on Fiscal and Tax Reforms.

‘’It is hoped that the recommendations of the presidential committee will usher in a new dawn in tax administration in Nigeria.

“For over 10 years, we have witnessed the incessant invitation of organized businesses by different committees of the National Assembly on issues within the purview of the executive arm of government.

‘’Constitutionally, the National Assembly’s oversight function does not extend to private businesses. This responsibility lies with the ministries, departments, and agencies, MDAs, of the government.

‘’These invitations have caused significant distress to businesses, consuming time and resources. Although NECA has ongoing litigation on the dimension of the exercise of the oversight function with the Supreme Court, we urge the committees of the National Assembly to exercise their oversight responsibilities within the confines of the constitution.”

MAN blames forex, power, inflation

Reacting, the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, MAN, also identified foreign exchange (FX) volatility, inadequate power supply and high inflation as some of the topmost challenges they encountered in their operations in the first quarter of 2024 (Q1’24).

This, according to it, led to a further surge in production and distribution costs by 20.7 per cent within the period.

MAN based its position on the response of chief executive officers in the manufacturing sector on a survey it carried out.

The Manufacturers CEO Confidence Index, MCCI, Q1’24 survey report stated: “The list of manufacturers’ challenges include unstable and high exchange rate/scarcity of FX; inadequate power supply/frequent power outages; high inflation/high operating cost (of raw materials, labour, equipment and maintenance); high cost of energy (petrol, diesel, gas); high and multiple taxes, charges and levies, among others.”

Commenting, the Director General of MAN, Segun Ajayi-Kadir, said: “The subdued performance of the sector is attributed to some ongoing harsh economic reforms that have compounded the long-standing challenges confronting the sector.

‘’This is confirmed by the finding of this report which reveals that forex scarcity, inadequate power supply, high inflation, rising energy cost, multiple taxation, policy inconsistency, exorbitant interest rate, poor infrastructure and high logistics costs are the top ten challenges depressing productivity in the sector.

“MAN expects government to frontally address insecurity, improve electricity supply, promote fiscal sustainability, and ensure policy consistency.’’

NACCIMA seeks improved public finance management

Similarly, the Director General, Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce Industry Mines and Agriculture, NACCIMA, Sola Obadimu, said: “The cost of doing business continues to rise almost on a daily basis.

‘’That’s neither healthy for business operations nor planning. Due to rising interest rates, MSMEs may not have the financial capacity to borrow. Large businesses may also prefer to downsize rather than borrow at current rates.

“With decreasing production due to high cost of funds, unemployment may worsen with the possibility of an increase in crime rates. Unfortunately, in the midst of all these, there seems to be a deliberate effort to aggressively pursue tax drive policies.

“Certainly, there is a need for an improvement in public finance management to ameliorate the harsh economic environment.”

NLC threatens to shut Nigeria

Meanwhile, in his goodwill message at the NECA AGM, President of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Joe Ajaero, solicited the support of NECA for a better wage for workers, saying it was not about figure but the value of money.

Ajaero said: “Fair wages are not just a matter of social justice; they are also instrumental in boosting worker’s productivity and, consequently, the bottom line for employers. Enhanced purchasing power among workers will lead to increased consumption, thereby addressing the concerns of rising inventories in warehouses.

‘’We have advocated from the beginning of our engagement on the national minimum wage fixing exercise for the need to put more money in the hands of workers. We made this case on the understanding that it will help our businesses and rev up the economy.

‘’We had strongly believed that your organization would have been one with us and would have seen that we are actually making a great case for the survival of your businesses. We do not have any interest in crippling our businesses because you cannot cut your nose to spite your face.

‘’It is on this premise that we urge members of NECA to join us in the quest for a national minimum wage that will eliminate deep poverty from the lives of workers; wages that will not increase the number of the working poor and amount to a starvation wage for Nigerian workers is what we should all push for.

‘’The only way to break the present consumer resistance is to increase the wages of workers and that speaks to the policy of government that seeks to reflate the economy. It is not by giving handouts or reducing Nigerians to beggars who must queue at the various charity parks before they can eat.

‘’We must join hands to stop this collective slide into the pit. We must save our businesses by saving workers. N250,000 as national minimum wage is already a steep consideration by Nigerian workers.

As we are speaking now, the House of Representatives and the Senate are meeting to make sure they decentralize wage.

‘’We all know that wage in International Labour Organisation, ILO, is a national law and Nigeria will not be an exception. We will also demand that the wages of political officeholders and others are brought under minimum wage.

‘’You cannot be in the Senate and you are under minimum wage and not legislate for a better wage We should know your wage, we should know what you are earning. If you are a governor, you have security vote that is unaccounted for. If you have excess funds, you will not know that people are suffering.

“But if everybody is brought under the minimum wage, even if the governors want to create level 18, 19, or 20 for them, they all should come under the wage system. That is the only way it is going to work.

“If it is possible, both the House of Representatives and the Senate should be on part-time basis.
‘’Let it be based on professional callings. If you are a lawyer, a doctor, you have a business or profession of your own. If they meet three times a week, then the remaining days in the week, you go on with your businesses because the money being spent at the National Assembly is unimaginable. ‘’Unless we address this, the country will continue to go down and the gap between the rich and poor will continue to widen.

Later, in a chat with journalists after his remarks, Ajaero warned that should the governors and members of the National Assembly succeed in deregulating the minimum wage, Organised labour would shut the country for one month.

He insisted that by the International Labour Organization, ILO, Convention 131 ratified by Nigeria, minimum wage is a national issue, warning that organised labour would not accept a situation where governors, working with the members of the National Assembly, imposed slave wage and poverty on workers and Nigerians.

“As we are here, a joint committee of the Senate, the House of Representatives, and the Judiciary are meeting. They have decided to remove section 34 from the Exclusive legislative list to the concurrent list so that state governors can determine what to pay you and so that there will be no minimum wage again.

‘’You cannot decide what you should earn. The very moment the House of Representatives and the Senate come up with such a law that will not benefit Nigerian workers, they will be their drivers and gatemen, and there will be no movement for one month.

‘’We cannot accept any situation where the governors and the National Assembly members will foist a slave wage on workers and force poverty on the citizens. Organised ‘labour will not accept it,’’ Ajaero said.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited says the Port Harcourt refinery will begin operations in early August.

Mele Kyari, NNPC’s group chief executive officer (GCEO), said the operationalisation of the refinery is one of the emerging indicators in the energy and gas sector that Nigeria would become a net exporter of petroleum products by December.

Kyari spoke on Monday at the national assembly when economic stakeholders appeared before the senate committee on finance led by Sani Musa, a lawmaker.

The NNPC GCEO said in a few months time, oil production level for the country would hit 2 million barrels per day (bpd) as all enablement towards this has already been put in place.

The oil and gas industry, according to Kyari, is very critical in bringing a turnaround in the current economic situation and “we understand the importance of this”.

“We have already seen growth in our oil and gas production because of certain actions that Mr. President personally took, and also the very mere truth that we have also declared a war on production activities, and this is yielding the required results,” he said.

“The combination of these two has now seen us restoring production in our country, and we believe that, as the Honorable minister has said, we will soon hit the target of 2 million barrels oil production per day.

“Specific to NNPC refineries, we have spoken to a number of your committees, that it is impossible to have the Kaduna refinery come to operation before December, it will get to December, both Warri and Kaduna; but that of Portharcourt will commence production early August this year.”

Kyari had said the refinery would begin production by the end of March, but this has not happened.

TheCable had reported that president recently expressed concerns over the NNPC’s failure to deliver critical projects including the Port Harcourt refinery.

But Heineken Lokpobiri, minister of state for petroleum resources (oil), said such projects often take time, adding that the refinery is at its final rehabilitation stage.

The detained Binance Holdings Limited’s executive, Tigran Gambaryan, was on Tuesday, whisked into Federal High Court in Abuja in a wheelchair.

Gambaryan, who was dressed in a black T-shirt with blue jeans trousers, is facing a money laundering charge alongside the cryptocurrency firm.

When the matter was called, Gambaryan stood up from the wheelchair and walked slowly into the dock.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s lawyer, Ogechi Ujam, told the court that though the matter was scheduled for the continuation of trial, the commission’s lead counsel, Ekele Iheanacho was not in court.

Ujam prayed the court to stand down the matter to enable Iheanacho to conduct the trial.

Babatunde Fagbohunlu, SAN, who appeared for Binance (1st defendant) and Mark Mordi, SAN, who represented Gambaryan, did not oppose the application.

Justice Emeka Nwite stepped down the matter until noon.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Justice Nwite had, on July 5, ordered the management of the Nigerian Correctional Service to release the medical certificate of Gambaryan on or before July 16.

The judge gave the order following an application by Gambaryan’s lawyer, Mordi.

Mordi had prayed the court to summon the medical doctor at the health facility of Kuje Correctional Centre, to explain why he had allegedly refused to make available his client’s medical report despite an earlier court order.

NAN reports that Gambaryan had, on May 23, collapsed in the open court over alleged ill-health.

The defence law firm, Aluko & Oyebode, had also, on May 27, raised alarms that the cryptocurrency firm’s executive might die in Kuje Correctional Centre over his alleged deteriorating health.

NAN

Governor of Kaduna State, Uba Sani, has said Northern politicians, past and present, are responsible for poverty in the region.

Senator Uba Sani said the number of unbanked northerners, out-of-school children and those living in poverty is scary.

He said the cause of insecurity and crisis in the region affecting Nigeria was because the northern politicians in the last 15 years put more northerners below the poverty line.

He said his administration had to open accounts for 2.1 million Kaduna residents to be able to support them. He added that throughout the North, 65 to 70 percent of northerners are financially excluded because they are unbanked.

“In the last six months, we opened accounts for 2.1 million in banks. That is why we can support them. In many parts of northern Nigeria, in some states, about 65 northerners are unbanked, that is why we are having crisis of poverty, crisis of insecurity.”

Governor Sani said this on Tuesday while speaking on NTA Good Morning programme.

“In North, we have millions of out-of-school children. Nigeria has the highest number of out-of-school children in the whole world, but 7o percent of that number are domiciled in North, for me that is scary.

He continued, “That is why when people are complaining about insecurity, about poverty, I ask everyone, all of us who are in who politics, who are in government, even some who are in private sector in Northern Nigeria, we need to look at ourselves in the mirror and tell ourselves the truth, all of us must be blamed.”

“In the last 15 years, the level of poverty in northern Nigeria is very scary. In 15 years ago, if you look at the poverty index, only about 35 percent of our people are below the poverty line.

“Today, 15 years, in some states about 70 states of our people are below the poverty line. so I believe all the politicians in northern Nigeria, whether you are former president, former vice president, whether you are a senator, a governor, a minister in the last 15 years you must be blamed for that.

“So we need to sit down and stop blaming everyone and blame ourselves and we need to find solution, that is unacceptable and we should also stop misinforming our people this time. we need to find solution,” he added.

The Kaduna State governor said his administration would ensure the resettlement of victims of banditry was done transparently. He said his administration had to include community leaders and affected families in the process to ensure transparency.

A prominent Yoruba Nation agitator, Sunday Adeyemo, known as Igboho, has reportedly issued a new eviction notice targeting notorious herders involved in kidnapping and robbery in the South West zone.

This latest directive was communicated through an audio message by his spokesperson, Olayomi Koiki, although its authenticity remains unconfirmed.

The call to action follows renewed hostilities in the Oke Ogun area of Oyo State, where locals have suffered increased violence, including kidnappings and killings by the herders.

According to a resident speaking to Vanguard, these criminal activities have also hindered farmers from accessing their fields, exacerbating tensions in the region.

Igboho previously warned these herders to vacate the area a few weeks ago and has suggested the establishment of local security outfits to protect farmers from ongoing intimidation and violence.

In the audio message, Koiki spoke in Yoruba, saying, “Today is the 15th of July, 2024. This breaking news is issued around 6pm. All Fulani people living in Oke Ogun, living inside the bushes there, who are kidnappers, that are killing the people, are immediately ordered to leave now. Sunday Igboho said he would continue his work at Oke-Ogun, in Kishi, and all communities that made up of Oke-Ogun. He said he would touch all those places remaining.

“All Fulanis should leave the bush in Oke-Ogun. The forest does not belong to you. The land belongs to us. He added that he is also waiting for the Obas in other parts of Yoruba land to speak up if they are witnessing attacks from Fulani people in their domains.”

As claimed in the audio, Igboho made it clear that he is not fighting any governor, but he’s ready to show the herders troubling his people out of the zone.

He added that his men would comb all the forests presently occupied by herders across the Yoruba lands after getting permission from kings in Ondo, Ogun, Ekiti, and Osun states.

He said his men “are currently working on how to storm the forest in Oke Ogun land in Oyo State and warn all Fulani living there to vacate immediately.”

Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, on Monday constituted a special technical and legal committee to review the recent supreme court judgement on local government financial autonomy.

The Attorney-General and commissioner for justice, Barrister Abiodun Aikomo in company of the commissioner for local government and chieftaincy matters, Hon Ademola Ojo disclosed this at a press briefing shortly after a consultative/advisory meeting.

Governor Seyi Makinde, had earlier before the close door meeting, berated the supreme court judgement and strategies by the federal government to usurp undue authority over the state and local government administration, thereby causing tension within that nation’s polity rather than focusing on other germane issues affecting the nation’s economy.

At the press briefing, Hon Ademola Ojo assured that Governor Seyi Makinde remained committed to the people’s well being and would protect and safeguard the interest of all stakeholders

Barrister Aikomo who explained that the terms of references which specifically hinged on review of the supreme court judgement, identifying challenges and proffering recommendations that would result in implementation plan for the benefit of all stakeholders, noted that the committee had been given a duration of 4 – 6 weeks.

The attendees at the meeting were drawn from various relevant groups and other stakeholders in the state, among whom were the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Trade Union Congress, TUC, Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees, NULGE, and Nigeria Union of Pensioners, NUP and representative from the state house of assembly.

I write about three icons born in the month of July - July People - not in the sense in which students of literature are wont to think of Nadine Gordimer’s novel of the same title – which correctly is actually July’s People (1981) -but in terms of the horoscopic significance of the month of July and the people born under the Zodiac sign of Cancer (June 21 – July 22). Cancer is the fourth sign of the Zodiac sign, and it does not simply mean that persons who are born under the sign would end up with Cancer as an ailment. Rather, the significant elements associated with this sign are Water and the planet, Moon, and the symbol is the Crab. Astrologists describe them as persons who are compassionate, creative, inquisitive, changeable, sensitive and protective. They work hard because they want to be the best at what they do. Prominent Cancerians we are told include Princess Diana, Tom Hanks, Tom Cruise, Arianna Grande, Harrison Ford, Selena Gomez, Jaden Smith, Forest Whitaker – intensely creative persons, stand-out figures who just want to excel. Within the week, there have been Nigerians born under this Zodiac sign whose celebration on their birthdays has proven to be impressive moments on this year’s cultural calendar: Professor Akinwande Oluwole Soyinka (July 13), Prince Nduka Obaigbena (July 14), Aremo Olusegun Osoba (July 15).They are on every count, persons worthy of celebration given their monumental achievements in their fields of engagement and the impact they have made on society and the enormous influence that they continue to wield. Soyinka, also known as W.S., Prof., Kongi, Eni Ogun, was 90. Obaigbena, known as the Duke or Prince, Chairman turned 65 on July 14. Osoba, also known as Akinrogun, Aremo, Oluwo Oba is 85: each in his own way, a major national figure, meaning different things to many people, but altogether distinguished by their individual differentness and originality.

Professor Wole Soyinka is a towering, dominant, distinguished figure in world literatures, academia, activism and one of Africa’s leading figures in the 21^st Century. Poet, dramatist, essayist, polemicist, musician, raconteur, novelist, fabulist, he was the first African to win the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1986, with the Swedish Nobel Academy noting how Soyinka’s prodigious oeuvre fashions the drama of existence in “a wide cultural perspective and with poetic overtones”. The evidence is seen in over 20 published plays including The Lion and the Jewel, The Trials of Brother Jero, Kongi’s Harvest, Death and the King’s Horseman, and Opera Wonyosi, and in novels – The Interpreters, Season of Anomy, or memoirs – Ake - the Years of Childhood, Isara – A Voyage Around Essay, You Must Set Forth at Dawn, The Man Died, Chronicles From the Land of The Happiest People on Earth, or poetry – Idanre and Other Poems, A Shuttle in the Crypt, Ogun Abibiman, Samarkand and Other Markets I have Known, Mandela’s Earth and Other Poems, Interventions (a series in about 10 volumes)  and so on and so forth, a long Soyinka bibliography that is an industry in itself. Many Nobel Prize winners in Literature went on to experience a decline in their productivity afterwards, victims as it were of what is known not necessarily as the Nobel Prize Effect, but better still the Nobel Prize Disease, but not so with Wole Soyinka, who since 1986 has remained productive with a long list of publications urging students of the subject to find a worthy enterprise in comparing Soyinka, before and after the Nobel. This is a Nobel Prize winner who has in addition won the glory of canonization. 

The Nobel Prize as known is reserved for winners who have “conferred the greatest good upon mankind”. And so it is with Soyinka, who beyond literature is actively connected with the human space in many spheres. This is a man who is literally a genius. Traditionalists in his native home towns of Abeokuta and Isara know him as a hunter -a key chieftain of the Egbe Olode community, he is Captain Blood of Tortuga in the Pyrates, SeaDog Confraternity (No Fren No Foe, Sworn Enemy of Convention) which he co-founded, and in more than five decades he has been in the frontlines of the struggle to make Nigeria and Africa a better place for humanity: a scourge in the practical field of action, a thorn in the flesh of dictators, a fighter at the barricades in defence of justice and democracy, fearless, dogged, consistent, he has refused to keep silent in the face of tyranny.  At 90 and four days, Wole Soyinka now falls in the category of Nobel Laureates who lived beyond the age of 90 viz George Bernard Shaw, Sir Winston Churchill, Nadine Gordimer, Bertrand Russel, Knut Hamsun, and Naguib Mafouz. The grace of longevity that he has enjoyed is a natural aspiration of living men and women, but what distinguishes Soyinka remarkedly is the quality and impact that he brings to the fore at every moment in his journey. It is therefore most painful to find a coterie of badly brought up children writing on social media having the effrontery to disrespect the sage. Soyinka had once written that culture is not idyllic not is it fossilized as a romantic sign, ever so dynamic culture grows, mutates, but Soyinka probably never imagined the terrible manner in which basic African values and cultures have changed in the face of the forces of modernization, a prominent trope in his writings. One disrespectful young man once asked him to stand up for him in a domestic flight, claiming that he was the rightful owner of the seat, and the young man went ahead to boast about it on social media. Even at 90, Soyinka has shown many of his critics, including the social media antagonists that he still has enough fire in him to fight back, whether in the trenches or in the more dignified arena of intellection.  

Wole Soyinka has been honoured in virtually every continent of the world.  Cities have declared special Wole Soyinka days in appreciation of his impact. Among his Egba people in Ogun State, July 13 has been declared by the Alake of Egbaland, Kabiyesi Adedotun Gbadebo, Okukenu IV as Wole Soyinka Day. In New Orleans, United States, there is already a Wole Soyinka Day.  Oba Gbadebo also wants Soyinka to be conferred with the national honour of Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON). On the occasion of his 90^th birthday, Soyinka has been celebrated as far away as Morocco, and here in his home country, Nigeria, the drums have been rolled out. There is no honour that can be too much for him. It is most appropriate that the National Theatre of Nigeria at Iganmu, Lagos has now been renamed Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and Creative Arts. It is most befitting. It is the only edifice of its type so named after a writer in Africa. Soyinka beyond the universal appeal of his literature is a nationalist, capturing through a repertoire of literary devices the story of our lives. Once upon a time, the National Theatre was going to be turned into banking halls, hotels and restaurants. The stamp of Soyinka’s brand and symbolism on that institution should rescue it and return it to the original purpose for which it was built. 

In journalism, politics and popular struggle, Chief Olusegun Osoba who turned 85 yesterday has also lived a life of extraordinary impact and distinction. Soyinka distinguished himself as a writer of verses, Osoba is the iconic reporter, and promoter of excellence in Journalism. He got his first job as a reporter at The Daily Times under the legendary Alhaji Ismail Babatunde Jose in 1964. He was 25 years old at the time. Today, at 85, Osoba is still active in the journalism community; it is not unusual to find him at important functions of all the major organs of the profession, as an inspirational figure to the generations behind him and a living library of the profession. Osoba’s example and brand project journalism and its practice most positively. Many journalists seek to excel. Osoba is a true model. He rose through the ranks as a reporter to become editor and head of three major newspaper establishments- Nigerian Herald, Daily Sketch and Daily Times. He had a hand in the design and delivery of another newspaper – The Guardian and he appointed its first editor! Osoba was a master of the scoop as a reporter, and he earned the sobriquet, Timesman on the front pages. He was well connected in society and had contacts in every sphere. He was so successful, long before his colleagues could buy a bicycle, he owned a scooter. He had a phone at home. He also got himself a beautiful wife. He would later go into politics, and in that process, he was Governor of Ogun State twice in his career (1992 – 1993, 1999 -2003). Osoba has shown a remarkable capacity for self-reinvention and consistent relevance. He is today a father figure in Ogun State politics and at the Federal level, he is one of the founding fathers of the ruling All Progressives Congress party (APC). He is highly regarded for the role he played during the June 12, 1993 debacle and his commitment to progressive politics. He has told his own story in a detailed memoir titled Battlelines: Adventures in Journalism and Politics (2019, 341 pp.), an immensely informative book which was publicly presented to mark his 80^th birthday five years ago. 

The story of his journalism career has also been told in a book by Mike Awoyinfa and Dimgba Igwe titled Osoba: The Newspaper Years (2012, 396 pp.). Now to mark his 85^th birthday, he has presented to the public a new book titled Segun Osoba, My Life in the Public Eye (Lagos: Diamond Publications, 2024, xi + 212 pp).  The book was unveiled at Eko Hotel, Lagos on July 13, the same day that Soyinka turned 90. My Life in The Public Eye focusses largely on many of the tributes that were written to celebrate Osoba at 80 and reviews of his book, Battlelines, in addition to a number of commentaries by the author himself.  Divided into five parts - Institutional Assessments (editorials on Osoba by The Nation, Vanguard, and The Guardian); In the Eyes of Associates (tributes by other journalists), Unveiling Battlelines, Dissecting battlelines and Perspectives - in a total of 33 chapters and an index. It is a well compiled account of reflections on the essence of Chief Osoba which students and teachers of journalism will find useful. But this is in no way a substitute for the main memoir - Battlelines which tells Osoba’s story in a more comprehensive manner. The documentation of Osoba’s art and craft is an interesting addition to media biography in Nigeria. Stuck in the hectic pursuit of headlines and deadlines, journalists often forget to tell their own stories while busy telling other people’s stories. Osoba sets another good example by telling his own story in his own words and through the words of others.  The fact that he is a politician is also a noteworthy part of his career. At the Eko Hotel presentation of his book on July 13, there were more politicians than journalists, many of them falling over each other to be noticed by their party leader and close companion of the President of Nigeria. But in the long run, Osoba would always be remembered as much for his politics as he would be remembered for the craft that brought him to national reckoning. 

And now to Prince Nduka Obaigbena who is now 65, a towering figure also in Nigerian journalism, who has practically redefined the practice over the decades with his publications, ThisWeek magazine, and later ThisDay newspaper, cultural events such as the Arise Fashion and Arise Shows, and more recently, the influential television station, Arise News. Obaigbena is a media entrepreneur of the very first rank, who has used his various platforms to create jobs and opportunities for more than a generation of journalists. This past weekend, former ThisDay journalists under the auspices of a group known as ThisDay Alumni Association thought it fit to honour him. They said in a statement: “With an unparalleled ability to anticipate and shape the future of media, he has redefined journalistic standards and expanded the horizons for media practitioners globally.”  There were no formal invitations but the number, shape and size of people that converged at Obaigbena’s Ikoyi residence was truly impressive. A day like Sunday is when most people in Lagos try to rest at home to prepare for the beginning of a new week, besides, the group of persons that gathered are ordinarily very busy people, but they all turned up – captains of industry, businessmen, government officials, former Governors – to wish Obaigbena a happy 65^th birthday. I could not attend the Osoba book event. I was held up in Abuja but I was at the Obaigbena informal birthday celebration. I left with the strong impression that success is like honey: it attracts those who like the sweetness of things and that is why persons who make impact in their chosen lines of work are rewarded with recognition and celebration. It is a moral fact that young people need to understand: that hard work pays, commitment brings honour. Obaigbena proved to be a good host. It was a pleasant Sunday evening, with more than enough to drink and eat. On Monday, the Chairman of Arise Group responded appropriately to our usual calls for “implications”. He sent food packs to the studio at Arise News – small chops, chicken and jollof rice, and swallow with soup. 

Birthdays after all, are happy moments, not for mourning. Regardless of one’s circumstances of birth, it is possible to touch the sky literally speaking through self-discipline and tenacity of purpose. Soyinka, the son of “the Wild Christian” and Ess-Ay” was raised in Abeokuta but today, the same Soyinka, product of St. Peter’s primary School, Ake is a global icon; Osoba, also from Abeokuta, was born in Osogbo in Osun State, and he attended Methodist Boys High School in Lagos, only to end up as one of the most prominent and well-rounded journalists of his generation. Obaigbena, born in Ibadan, 1959, is from Owan Kingdom in Delta state. He began his journalism career as a cartoonist, graphic artist, and stringer and now, today, the history of journalism in Nigeria would be incomplete without an acknowledgement of his many innovations in the business, -his introduction of colourful mastheads, back-page columns, and a newspaper that reports business and politics in the language that the reader understands and now a television station that speaks the minds of the people. Soyinka’s creativity is the catalyst for many careers all over the world: students that he taught, many who became writers because they wanted to be like him, graduate students who earned masters and Ph.Ds as Soyinka scholars, researchers, academics, filmmakers – all for whom Soyinka is an industry. Osoba is a role model for many journalists who hope that they too can be just as successful. There are also many young journalists who aspire to be like Obaigbena. He is fondly called “The Duke” and I have seen quite a few persons carrying on like his alter egos. Three prominent members of the Nigerian cultural elite celebrating another year, offer rich perspectives on the linkages between them and how so different they also are. Many happy returns to this July troika.