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ADEDUNTAN SUSTAINS HIS WINNING STREAK, PIONEERS LEADERSHIP EXCELLENCE IN BANKING

Since his appointment as MD/CEO of First Bank of Nigeria Limited in 2016, Dr. Adesola Adeduntan has completely transformed the financial institution and has made it attractive to every strata of the society. From an institution that used to be perceived as an old-generation bank, FirstBank is now a darling to all as it leverages latest digital tools to meet its customers’ needs. Also, under Adeduntan’s leadership, the 128-year old bank has made huge contributions to national development, thereby stimulating development, setting standards and motivating excellent output across sectors. Clearly, these contributions to national development were what endeared Adeduntan to President Muhammadu Buhari who recently saluted him on his recognition by Cranfield University, UK, one of the most prestigious citadels of learning in Europe. Adeduntan will on Wednesday, June 22, be conferred with Doctor of Science, Honoris Causa and he would be delivering an address to the graduating class of the university. This feat, the president in a statement by his Special Adviser (Media and Publicity), Femi Adesina, described as, “another testament to the fact that Nigeria is blessed with the brightest and the best in all areas of human endeavor.” Buhari lauded Adeduntan for being a role model to the younger generation, showing that hard work pays, and with resourcefulness and doggedness, great heights are achievable.

Adeduntan holds a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Ibadan, Master’s in Business Administration from Cranfield University, and is Fellow of Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), as well as Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN).

The president sent best wishes to Adeduntan and family as he hoisted Nigeria’s flag proudly to receive an honor Cranfield University said was in recognition of his outstanding contribution to business. Incidentally, Buhari’s commendation came on the day the bank successfully held its AGM which showed a stellar performance in its financials, a transformational result that put the bank on course to reclaiming its leadership position of the financial sector.

Adeduntan has a distinguished career in finance having held senior positions at Citibank Nigeria, KPMG and Arthur Andersen Nigeria. He studied at Cranfield University as a British Chevening Scholar, achieving an MBA in 2005.

Commenting on the honour by Cranfield University, the FirstBank boss said: “I am extremely humbled and most grateful to the university for this recognition. My time at Cranfield served as a catalyst for my professional and personal development propelling me to the leadership position I occupy today.

“I am a firm believer in talent management, being vital to further accelerate Africa’s growth to enable it to benefit from its demographic dividend and the opportunities therein. I look forward to sharing my experiences with the students on the universal applicability of the skills the Cranfield MBA provides to positively impact the world.”

On his part, the Chief Executive and Vice-Chancellor of Cranfield University, Professor Karen Holford CBE FREng also congratulated Adeduntan, saying: “It is an honour to welcome Dr Adeduntan back to Cranfield to recognise all his professional achievements in this way. His own experience at Cranfield University has propelled his career forward and this serves as a true inspiration for our graduates both this year and in the future.”

Indeed, Adeduntan is an accomplished professional with distinctive international and domestic experience in commercial and investment banking, development finance, audit, and consulting; a philanthropist and leader with keen interest in providing platforms for the development of other young leaders.

The FirstBank Group, the commercial banking arm of FBN Holdings Plc, which he heads is made up of First Bank of Nigeria and subsidiaries including FBNBank UK, FBNBank DRC, FBNBank Ghana, FBNBank Senegal, FBNBank Guinea, FBNBank Gambia, FBNBank Sierra Leone and First Pension Custodian as well as Representative Offices in France and China.

Adeduntan is overseeing one of the most extensive transformation programmes in sub-Saharan African financial services industry, with the goal to reposition FirstBank Group to market pre-eminence.

He is leading FirstBank Group on the journey to win the most significant emerging business opportunities in the financial services industry through the development and execution of a digital-led strategy that has established FirstBank as the dominant player in digital banking.

FirstBank Group’s transformation programme, under the leadership of Adeduntan has enabled the bank to grow customer accounts from about 10 million in 2015 to over 36 million (including digital wallets), become the second largest issuer of cards in Africa with over 11.8 million issued cards, onboard over 18.6 million active customers on FirstBank’s digital banking platforms, and initiate and grow the most expansive bank-led Agent Banking Network in Africa with over 170,000 agents.

His career in banking and finance, spanning almost three decades, has earned him various recognitions and awards including Forbes Best of Africa – Outstanding Leader in Africa, Distinguished Alumnus Award by both the Cranfield University’s School of Management and the University of Ibadan, African Banking Personality of the Year, African Banker of the Year Award; Banking Icon of the Decade by the Sun Newspapers and induction into the African Leadership Magazine (ALM) Hall of Fame, Honorary Citizenship of the State of Georgia and Congressional Commendation Award from the Georgia Senate – USA, Bank CEO of the Year by the AES Excellence Club and several other awards.

He has attended various executive and leadership programmes at Harvard Business School (USA), Wharton School (USA), London Business School (UK), IESE (Spain), University of Oxford (UK), University of Cambridge (UK), CEIBS (China) and INSEAD (France). He is a fellow of both the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) and the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN).

Adeduntan’s leadership drive also reflected in First Bank Nigeria Limited’s recently released full year 2021 financial statement. The results clearly showed the strength and resilience of the iconic African elephant as well as the financial institution’s leadership in the industry. The impressive results were a reflection of the robust strength and growth of the iconic African elephant, showing that the bank has taken its rightful position among the industry leaders.

In addition, it showed the level of work the current board, management and staff of the bank have put in to turn the tide in the 128 years old institution with entrenched corporate governance.

The full year 2021 performance by the bank represented a shift in the financial institution’s performance trajectory and was made possible through its undeterred commitment in pursuing its transformational agenda; cutting across customer-led innovation, building a digitalised bank, culture change, reinventing the bank’s workplace and safeguarding its assets for the digital age.

For the first time, FirstBank Group posted the best result in more than a decade history of the bank by crossing the N100 billion profit line. Specifically, in the full year 2021 financial statement, the FirstBank Group reported a 73.9 per cent growth in its profit after tax to N117.8 billion, as against the N67.8 billion recorded as of December 2020, just as its profit before tax stood at N130.9 billion, which was a significant rise by 77.9 per cent year-on-year, as against the N73.6 billion it was as of December 2020.

FirstBank’s gross earnings also increased by 30.3 per cent to N716.8 billion in 2021, up from N550.3 billion it was as of December 2020. Also, it recorded non-interest income of N342.2 billion in the year under review, which was 106.4 per cent higher than the N165.8 billion recorded as of December 2020. As a result of years of strategic restructuring of its balance sheet and operations, its gross earnings also moved northwards by 30.3 per cent, its total assets was up 15.9 per cent to N8.5 trillion as of the end of 2021, as against the N7.4 trillion recorded the previous year, just as its customer deposits also climbed by 19.5 per cent to N5.6 trillion, up from the N4.7 trillion recorded the previous year. The bank’s customer loans and advances also improved by 28 per cent to N2.8 trillion in the year under review, up from N2.2 trillion the previous year.

FirstBank has shown innovation, resilience and commitment to growth by significantly reducing its non-performing loans (NPL) from 25% in 2016 to an acceptable level of 6.1% in 2021.

To demonstrate that the bank’s performance in 2021 was not a fluke, the Bank equally performed excellently well in Q1 2022. FirstBank recorded 32% increase in gross earnings to N180bn in Q1’22 from N136.6bn in Q1’21. Profit after tax was up 108% to N32.4 billion (Q1’22) relative to N15.6 billion (Q1’21). This impressive performance is hinged on robust loan portfolio, effective cost structure and increased digital services.FirstBank recorded the highest decline in its cost-to-income ratio in Q1 2022, dropping from 79.5% recorded in Q1 2021 to 67.03% amongst tier-1 Banks in the review period.

With FirstBank under Adeduntan, the safety of customers and the security of their transactions come first. This has ensured the bank keeps the trust of Nigerians gained over the many years of its enduring legacy of safety and security.

The bank also delivers unique and bespoke financial services solutions across all customer segments underpinned by its commitment to innovation and the customer experience. It also leverages its strong investment banking capabilities to support clients in defining and executing innovative debt solutions as well as offer strategic advice at the highest level, arrange tailor-made financing structures, manage risk and ultimately help clients to realise their aspirations

Since its establishment in 1894, FirstBank has consistently built relationships with customers focusing on the fundamentals of good corporate governance, strong liquidity, optimised risk management and leadership.

Over the years, the bank has led the financing of private investment in infrastructure development in the Nigerian economy by playing key roles in the federal government’s privatisation and commercialisation schemes. With its global reach, FirstBank provides prospective investors wishing to explore the vast business opportunities that are available in Nigeria, an internationally competitive world-class brand and a credible financial partner. It is expected that the leadership excellence and recognitions accorded to Adeduntan would continue to reflect positively on the FirstBank brand and fundamentals of the bank so that the elephant will continue to stand ‘gidigba.’

Culled from ThisDay

Unveiling! How Government Allegedly Killed Oriental Foods for Dangote Takeover… His Interest in Dairy Industry may Force Peak Milk others out of Nigeria

Africa’s richest man Alhaji Aliko Dangote is without doubt a very influential man in Nigeria, his influence has seen governments formulate policies to accommodate his interest. It is therefore a regular and consistent occurrence for him to be accuse of using his acquired influence especially among the government to curry favorable advantage for him and his company to the disadvantages of others unfortunate to venture into a business he’s having interest, this has worked adversely as his alleged business interest was fingered as the reason a thriving business suddenly go bankrupt.

Sources revealed the whole issue stated in 2019 when the Group Executive Director of the Dangote Group, Engr. Mansur Ahmed announced during an African Development Bank (AfDB) Investment Forum for the New Special Agro-Processing Zones in Abuja that the company will be going into dairy farming and that the company will be going into large-scale dairy farming. Which invariably means Dangote Group will be rubbing shoulders with companies producing milk and other dairy products in the country.

This announcement the source revealed was just like the proverbial witch that howled the preceding night and a healthy child dying at day-break, as a couple of months after the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) immediately in the first quarter of 2020 making a policy banning some companies from dairy product industry from importing milk, dairy products into the country with immediate effect. This brought in its wake the shutdown of Oriental Foods Ibadan the makers of ‘Luna Milk’ forcing the company to layoff its staffs and thereby adding more to the already huge unemployed Nigerians.

According to sources within the company the decision of the CBN means our employer and others that are excluded from the 5 companies that can still import can no longer compete in the dairy industry and thereby leading to the shutting down of the operations, though unconfirmed report says the said Oriental Foods has been acquired by the Dangote Group, thereby giving it the necessary equipment to launch its dairy lines anytime it so chose.

It is important to note that the Aliko Dangote led organisation has always being facing criticism for his ruthless use of government influence to crush competitors in nearly all the industry its operates, this industry watchers claimed is being put in motion when the Federal Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Sabo Nanono at a press briefing to commemorate 2020 World Food Day celebration, said that any form of importation of milk and dairy products will be banned completely by 2022, a time sources claimed will have seen the promised Dangote dairy farm investment announced in 2019 reach its maturity stage since cattle growth to lactation take about 18months.

It is important to note that Aliko Dangote’s younger brother Sani who also serves as the Vice President of Dangote Group had at a time through his Dansa Group tried his hands on dairy business with his Ziza Milk, though all attempt by his elder brother controlled bigger company to acquire his products and production which includes Dansa Juice and Mowa waters was rebuffed, the new investment in the dairy industry may be a signal to relaunch Ziza and other dairy products.

Dangote Group has been at one time or the other at the receiving end of accusation of using unethical practices in their many running battles with companies in different sectors of the economy, they are at different times being accused of using government and its agencies to stifle competition, a practices that will be detrimental to the growth of national economy in the nearest future.

Most prominent among their fight for total dominance is the fight for market price control in the cement industry with the Abdul Samad Rabiu led BUA Cement, there has been accusations of sponsored attacks among the two over who controls the price of the product in the market.

The Africa’s Richest man’s company had also had silent battles in the past over dominance with companies in the sugar business against BUA Group, pasta and many more, his recent interest in the milk and dairy industry may be the death of more companies and a very long battle with others who had been in the industry as far back as independence.

Optimism Of Francophone’s Strategic Cooperation Against Insurgency As Buratai Resumes In The Republic Of Benin

National Association of Online Security Reporters, NAOSRE, in this piece, cast a diagnostic review and analyses of the appointment of General Tukur Buratai as Ambassador to the Republic of Benin. The association predicts sound health resulting in a reinvigorated diplomatic relationship between Nigeria and its Francophone neighbour, capable of checking illegal arms and ammunition smuggling that fuel insurgency in Nigeria

Judging by Standard Performance Evaluation, SPV, even the most incurable cynics, among public affairs analysts, cannot help but attest to the fact that Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai (retd) was a performer and an achiever, who reclaimed zones and territories which were hitherto occupied by insurgents prior to his appointment as the Nigerian Chief of Army Staff in 2015.

At the time, terrorism had become a national nightmare, a worrisome development that needed immediate remedies as insurgents occupied and hoisted their flags in five states of Borno, Adamawa, Yobe, Bauchi and Gombe.

In these states, no fewer than 21 local government areas were seized and occupied by the deadly jihadists, who perpetrated their inordinate territorial expansion with mindless bloodshed and untold atrocities.

With Gwoza as their main caliphate administrative centre, the insurgents turned the surrounding areas to a killing field where many emirs, community leaders and their people were killed at will. Over 20, 000 Nigerian hostages, including the Chibok schoolgirls were scattered in different locations of Boko Haram secret camps. So bad was the situation that the Northeast region was substantially closed to public or social life for dread of the atrocities of Boko Haram.

But on the assumption of duty in July 2015 at the height of the insecurity problem, Buratai, an infantry combatant, hit the ground running. Incidentally, he did not assume the position of Army Chief unprepared. From the records, he had spent the best part of his military career in the trenches, fighting wars to keep Nigeria together.
In some important respects, he was involved in the UN Peace Keeping Missions in Angola and other countries. At a time, he was in the creeks of the Niger Delta fighting incendiary militants, vandals, and economic saboteurs bred in the region.
He was the Field Commander of the Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNJTF), the multi-nation military outfit conceptualized by Nigeria, Niger, Chad, Cameroun and later on, Benin Republic to battle terrorism in the sub-region.

In all these assignments, he earned medals and awards for his exemplary and excellent performances, which consequently earned him accelerated promotions in recognition of his exceptional military exploits and results.

As Chief of Army Staff, Buratai demonstrated courage and leadership on the battlefield and supervised the counter-terrorism operations against the resilient Boko Haram insurgents and terrorists of Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) in line with global best practices.

His initiatives transformed the Nigeria Army into an entirely new institution with reforms and innovations.
Before he left office, he got the Army new specialized Army schools while old and abandoned army institutions were revamped.

He returned Nigeria Army to its glorious path of self-dependence where it manufactured some of its warfare equipment and visibly changed the narratives of the anti-insurgency combats, progressively.

Buratai, Grand Patron of the National Association of Online Security Reporters, NAOSRE, also established far-reaching synergies with the armies of other countries, in the West African sub-region and outside the continent, with the likes of India, Brazil, Bangladesh and Pakistan.
Sensitive knowledge sharing and exchange of experiences on combating terrorism became a regular feature of his leadership.
This accounted for his success in the anti-insurgency war.

He reorganized and empowered the Department of Civil-Military Affairs (DCMA) to function effectively, especially in the campaign for the protection and respect for human rights by the Nigerian Army. The first step he took to checkmate human rights abuses was to rejig and strengthen the DCMA.

Consequently, sensitization workshops and campaigns on the protection of human rights were dynamically conducted for members of the Nigeria Army.

Worthy of mention, as an attestation of his sophisticated diplomatic and public relations skills, was the Human Rights Workshop in 8 Task Force Division, where he was represented by Major General Nuhu Angbazo, the then Chief of Civil-Military Affairs.

That workshop confirmed that the Nigerian army had embarked on a drive to educate troops in the Laws of Armed Conflicts and therefore avoid unprofessional conducts that could destroy their careers and tarnish the good image of the Nigeria Army.

Buratai took a bow from military service on Tuesday, January 26, leaving Nigeria on a better anti-terrorism rating than he met it.
President Buhari, who superintends over the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and supervised Buratai at close range in his capacity as Army Chief, nominated him for Ambassadorial assignment.

The nomination on Thursday, February, received mixed reactions in the public space.
While some applauded the presidential foresight on account of Buratai’s commitment to degrading insurgency, others simply went for his jugular, citing imperfections on the battle front, which in their estimation, resulted to infringement of fundamental human rights.

Senate confirmed the nomination on February 23 and letter of credence was issued on Wednesday, June 23.

Erudite scholar, Samson Aboh of the Federal University, Lafia, in a piece, emphasizes that Buratai’s encounters and relationships with foreign countries, especially in the Francophone bloc, would benefit Nigeria tremendously in his new assignment as Nigeria’s ambassador to the Republic of Benin.
“It is my utmost conviction that Nigeria can better resolve its internal problems of insurgency if the country strikes a strong diplomatic synergy with francophone countries.
“Ambassador Buratai stands in good stead to anchor these diplomatic relations between Nigeria and these francophone countries,” he writes.

In like manner, Governor Mala Buni of Yobe State, in a recent public statement, expressed confidence and trust in the appointment of Buratai as ambassador to the Republic of Benin.

He noted that the former army brass has the implicit skills and knowledge to represent Nigeria and develop synergy with the Beninoise to check illegal smuggling of weapons into Nigeria through the 809 km Benin–Nigeria border which stretches from the tripoint with Niger in the north down to the Bight of Benin in the south.

Buratai, he added, can replicate his military successes in diplomacy.
Governor Mala-Buni, the chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC), said the newly appointed ambassador would be a worthy representative of Nigeria in Benin, noting that he would bring to bear his wealth of experience in discharging his duties.
“l have great confidence in your ability to build a viable and strong relationship between Nigeria and the Republic of Benin.
“Your meritorious service in the army has built great confidence around you, which earned you this appointment,” he said.

This submission by Governor Buni reinforces the belief in many quarters that the strategic intention by President Muhammadu Buhari to build a wall of defence around Nigeria by posting immediate service chiefs as ambassadors will sufficiently check the unchallenged free movement of arms into the country.

These remarks and beliefs are the needed conviction of a new dawn that is capable of strengthening internal security mechanisms led by the current service chiefs and the team of retired officers as ambassadorial rings around Nigeria’s borders.

Without doubts, General Buratai would up his diplomatic and public relations game to synergize with the neighbouring countries and put a check to the movement of illegal arms. This would help Nigeria a great deal considering how Nigeria’s current epidemic of insecurity has brought illegal possession of guns into public view.

The more illegal arms that have entered into circulation, the higher the death toll and the more widespread the atmosphere of fear and insecurity.
The proliferation and easy access to small and light arms has of late attracted the attention of both government and the elite.

General Abdulsalami Abubakar (retd), former Head of State and Chairman of the National Peace Committee disclosed the extent of arms proliferation in the country in a report by his committee.

The report indicated that there are over 6 million (6,145,000 to be exact) guns in the hands of private citizens.
The current total population of Nigeria’s armed and security forces is about 300,000 with 89,000 reservists.

If Police are added, Civil Defence, Customs and other departments officially allowed to bear arms, the entire security architecture does not have more than 500,000 legal arms in the holding of the state.

This simply means that the state and its security forces are outgunned by a high deficit ratio, a development Buratai would tackle as Benin Republic Ambassador.

In all of this, however, the appointment of Buratai signals diplomatic fresh onslaughts against insurgency and an end to subsisting challenges in the fight against terrorism including lukewarm strategic cooperation with francophone countries.

Femi Adesina Goofed in His Attack Against Primate Elijah Ayodele’s Predictions

I was surfing the internet on Thursday night after a stressful day at work and because the federal government has banned twitter, I had to enjoy my Facebook app which I have made an alternative whenever I want to read or watch funny and educative posts. I follow several pages on Facebook, most especially those ones operated by political leaders and appointees like Femi Adesina and others, this is due to my love for politics and my never quenched thirst for information that comes from the seat of power.

One of the pages I have followed consistently over the years is that of Femi Adesina, the President’s special adviser on media and publicity. This is because I see him as an intelligent, factual, and interesting person who serves as a leader to every journalists in Nigeria, I mean, He has reached the peak of his career and people really look up to him. Although in recent times, some have called him names for his view on some issues but I have never for once joined bandwagon because I feel they are not being sincere in their criticisms. However, Thursday night actually confirmed what people have always said, I couldn’t believe my eyes as journalism suddenly went down the drain in the hands of its custodian, Mr Femi Adesina, arguably the most envied journalist in Nigeria at the moment.

Mr Femi Adesina as usual made a long paragraphed post titled ‘Some Prophets See Nothing’ talking about Prophets in Africa. He started by mentioning a man who prophesied the victory of England at the just concluded Euro 2020 cup before moving to the main target of his post, Primate Elijah Ayodele of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church.

Primate Ayodele is a very popular man of God who has made several warnings to power, he is known for his courage and boldness in speaking the truth to power, I quickly focused on the post to see what the highly respected writer has written this time around. Shockingly, Femi Adesina went on by stating some prophecies of Primate Ayodele that didn’t come to pass according to him, continued by saying Primate Ayodele is a very good humanitarian and ended with advising him to focus on his philanthropic activities and leave the prophetic ministry.

If Femi Adesina was factual with the prophecies he listed as not coming to pass, there wouldn’t have been need to pay attention but for the sake of excellent journalism, the need to call him to order is highly important.

Let’s take a look at his list of unfulfilled prophecies of Primate Elijah Ayodele which will be quoted below

‘’ Let’s look at all these facts: in the build up to 2015 presidential elections, Primate Ayodele said Goodluck Jonathan would win. The man lost. He said the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) would take Kaduna by a narrow margin. Nasir el-Rufai of the All Progressives Congress (APC) won. Again, he said Yobe, Gombe, Benue, Delta, and Akwa Ibom States would be won by PDP. The APC won three of those States. Who hit the crossbar? You know the answer.

PDP will shock APC in Lagos. It didn’t happen. Boko Haram would bomb South West. Mercifully, it didn’t happen. APC would break, Buhari won’t do second term. You know the truth. And in 2017, when the President was on medical vacation abroad for many months, he said the seat was vacant, and the man would never return. You now know who didn’t speak the truth, who didn’t hear from God’’

To start with, Primate Ayodele never said Goodluck Jonathan would win election in 2015, I wonder where Femi Adesina was when Vanguard Newspapers published a detailed story on how what Primate Ayodele said about Goodluck Jonathan’s fate in his second term bid. The man of God started talking about it since 2013 that Goodluck Jonathan’s victory is dicey and that He will not win. (https://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/04/my-warnings-to-the-nation-have-come-to-pass-primate-ayodele/)

On PDP Shocking Lagos in 2015, it seems Femi Adesina was too busy with campaigning to secure an appointment when PDP nearly took Lagos from APC if not for the intervention of some leaders of the party in a crooked way. PDP won seats in the house of assembly which was unusual and till date, every political analyst still maintain that PDP was robbed off that election, was that not shocking enough that PDP shook APC’s stronghold?

On the Kaduna Election that Nasir El Rufai won, Primate Ayodele never said PDP would win, He categorically said it will be difficult for PDP to retain the state, and for the other states Femi Adesina mentioned, it would be best for him to make his findings and provide video proof of Primate Ayodele making these statements because as far as I know, the man of God never said this and as a journalist that Femi Adesina is, wouldn’t it have been proper for him to call Primate Ayodele then to confirm if he said all of these? The official statement from the man of God media office is stating a different thing with the record on prestigious media publications. Funny enough, Femi Adesina used to have a personal relationship with Primate Ayodele, he was even at his church to preach at a time, how come he never resorted to hearing directly from the man of God on these prophecies, or is this one of his pull him down syndrome tactic against Primate Elijah Ayodele as ordered by his paymasters?

On Buhari’s seat becoming vacant, Primate Ayodele never meant death for President Buhari, infact Primate Ayodele ordered Nigeria to pray for President Buhari’s health when he was away. This was even published on a popular website (https://thewhistler.ng/i-see-nigerian-flag-flown-half-mast-cabal-dethroning-osinbajo-primate-ayodele/)
so we wonder where Femi Adesina got his version from.

Talking about the All progressive congress breaking, if truly Femi Adesina is informed, even the blind man knows APC has broken into pieces, it has not just being admitted publicly. We see the national leader of the party kicking against policies made by the acting national chairman, we saw how this played out during the party’s registration, another crisis is also rocking the party’s national congress which has been shifted twice, how then can we describe this as togetherness?

On Boko Haram bombing South west, that prophecy was just made this year as a warning to awaken the security system of the south west in general, if a man of God has made some revelations or warnings, the fact that it is yet to come to pass doesn’t mean it won’t and why should Femi Adesina expect bombings in South west. Who should go and start praying to God to avert if it not him? It’s unfortunate that everything Femi Adesina mentioned on this post of his are nothing but false. It’s sad that one of the longest serving journalists in Nigeria has given himself out to hearsays and unconfirmed reports to attack a man of God who does nothing but reveal God’s mind and warnings to nations beyond Nigeria and Africa.

The main reason for his post was to talk about the recent prophecy of Primate Ayodele that talked about Nigeria breaking before 2040. Femi Adesina beastly described the prophecy as one that wasn’t heard from God and assured that Nigeria will survive beyond 2040, the question is, How can a man who doesn’t see beyond his nose, a mere man who operates in the physical realm be sure of what will happen in the next minute not to talk of many years to come? A prophet sees things long before they happen, Femi Adesina should not read prophecy like novels or articles. These are very important warnings and instead of praying to God, he is out there attacking Primate Ayodele for speaking God’s mind, may God forgive him.

He also frowned at Primate Ayodele’s negative prophecies, explaining that prophecies are supposed to edify the soul. Maybe we should ask him if he didn’t hear about Prophet Jeremiah’s prophecy to Judah in the bible or Prophet Elijah’s many prophecies that were not palatable. A prophet says what he sees, not for anyone’s edification but for the name of God to be glorified.

Of course, I know for sure that Femi Adesina would never have soiled his reputable journalism career for this cheap campaign of calumny against Primate Ayodele whose tentacles have spread far and wide by God’s grace, he has only sacrificed himself as a tool to shut down every one speaking truth to the power but unfortunately, even if the whole media team, joined by all appointees of the Presidency come together as a force against Primate Ayodele, they will flee in seven ways because no one dares touch God’s project ‘’Touch Not My Anointed And Do My Prophets No Harm’’.

For the record, Primate Elijah Ayodele is the only prophet in Africa to consistently produce an annual book of prophecy titled Warnings To The Nation since 1994. The 27th edition was launched on Saturday, 10th Of July, 2021. He is also the only prophet to have over 10,000 fulfilled prophecies with a compendium published for record purposes. Primate Ayodele isn’t someone that will be easily pulled down by this unprofessional article by Femi Adesina, it can’t even touch the hair on his body but there’s really a need to call Femi Adesina to order before he loses track.

Let’s even talk about the recent fulfilled prophecies of this man of God. Primate Ayodele had warned that He foresees assassination of an African leader, this came to pass in Haiti recently, in the newly released Annual book of prophecy which was compiled from March to June, Primate Ayodele noted that there will be destruction of lives and properties in South Africa if Zuma’s case isn’t handled well, we all know what’s happening now, the sudden change in leadership of GTBank was mentioned in this book, in the areas of sports too, Primate Ayodele accurately prophesied the outcome of Euro 2020 and COPA America semi finals and final matches during live services on his facebook page, this was not recorded, it was a live broadcast before the match were played, they came to pass exactly how he said it (See his facebook page here https://web.facebook.com/inrievangelical) , these are just 0.01% of Primate Ayodele’s prophecies.

Finally, I would love to advise him to remember that South west remains his home after President Buhari’s tenure ends, He has allowed himself to be used as a weapon against his people for too long, the remaining years of his in power should be to retrace his steps and not cause more damages for himself, if not for his sake but for his family who are also full of shame on his behalf.

Written By Olakunle Adejobi, Lagos

The Chibok Girl who defied Boko Haram

Mass kidnappings of children in Nigeria have been making global headlines recently and this has been hard to watch for a young woman who was abducted in an infamous attack on a school in Chibok.

Naomi Adamu is quiet. As she talks she rarely makes eye contact, keeping her voice low and steady.

Upon meeting her, few would suspect she survived one of the most harrowing experiences a young woman could go through. But her timid demeanour belies an extraordinary strength of character.

Naomi, 24 at the time of the attack, was the oldest of more than 270 students from the Chibok Government Secondary School for Girls abducted by the Islamist militant group Boko Haram in April 2014.

Her classmates referred to her as Maman Mu, Our Mother. Her education had been interrupted by health problems as a child.

She is now the main protagonist in a new book on the so-called “Chibok girls”.

The book explores the girls’ time in captivity in detail, and shows how the social media campaign that made them famous also made it harder to secure their release. Their fame had made them precious commodities, too valuable to let go.

During the three years she spent with Boko Haram, Naomi refused to bow down to pressure to marry one of their fighters, or convert to Islam.

Instead she and another classmate wrote secret diaries in textbooks they were given to write Islamic verses. She kept them hidden in a makeshift pouch tied to her leg.

“We decided that we should write down our stories,” she tells me, “so that if one of us got to escape, we could let people know what happened to us”.

She shows me one of the diaries, a lined text book with a fraying cover. In it is a letter to her dad, written just before Christmas of the year they were kidnapped.

“Dear my lovely dad, I miss you so much in this moment.

“Dad, I want to see you, I’m so worried about you and mum and the rest of the people at home.

“I wasn’t aware that this could happen to me, none of us who Boko Haram kidnapped realised that. By the Grace of God dad, I miss you so much.

“I want you to help me in prayer all the time so that I will defeat the devil each time he comes to torment me. So dad, I will like to stop here.

“I miss you so much. Goodbye have a nice day.

“Your lovely daughter, Naomi Adamu. Wish you a merry Christmas.”

Besides being separated from their loved ones and not knowing how they were doing or if they were even alive, the girls suffered many hardships.

They were moved frequently to avoid detection by the myriad armed forces looking for them, including the Nigerian military, foreign mercenaries and American drones.

Apart from a brief period in the town of Gwoza, captured by Boko Haram in late 2014, they spent most of their time in camps in the Sambisa forest, the group’s main hiding place.

“It was a very difficult time for us in Sambisa,” Naomi explains, “there was no food, no water. We even had to use soil to clean ourselves up when we were on our periods.”

Senior Boko Haram militants were constantly trying to get Naomi to marry one of their fighters. They believed seeing her get married would help convince the younger girls to follow her lead.

Every time she refused she would be beaten brutally and threatened with death.

When I ask how she knew she would not be killed for refusing to obey her captors, Naomi says she was not ready to get married.

Her insubordination led her and others to be introduced to the leader of Boko Haram, Abubakar Shekau. But during the meeting he made a surprising revelation.

“Shekau told us that he didn’t abduct us to marry us off, but because he wanted to put pressure on the government to release his men who were in detention.”

The discovery strengthened her resolve and soon there were other rebellions.

When the militants kept her and some of the more stubborn students apart from their peers, depriving the weaker girls of food in order to force them to marry, Naomi and her friends smuggled food to them.

They sang hymns in front of their guards, quietly at first, then more boldly. Most of the kidnapped students were Christians. They wrote down their favourite Bible verses and prayers in their diaries.

She was eventually freed in 2017 along with 81 other girls, following years of painstaking negotiations between a small team of Nigerian volunteers and a Swiss diplomat.

At the time she thought Boko Haram was on its last legs.

“I didn’t think Boko Haram would still be active today because when we left there, they were splitting into two groups, so we thought they were over. Some of them were in Sambisa, whilst some were Kangaroua.”

But the social media campaign to free the girls, led by celebrities including the US first lady at the time, Michelle Obama, had propelled them to fame and shown Boko Haram how valuable school children were as captives.

– Culled from BBC News

About Governor Douye Diri’s Silent Touch

Hiding in the shadows and doing things under the cover of his easy going nature, Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa has set his state alight with his work. 365-plus days in office and the former Senator representing Bayelsa Central is still a son of miracles. Indeed, who else could have gotten so much done in so few days?

He is neither stiff-necked, needlessly ceremonious, nor likely to peg an award for taking office shots or blaring his many good deeds. Diri is not that sort of man. Where one finds him is where he prefers to be: at work, thinking up ways to polish the fortunes of his Bayelsa people. Not afraid, not dawdling, not denting his work table with an anxious head.

So much executed, so little praise sought! In the beginning, the assumption – based on his phenomenal mode of obtaining the gubernatorial chair – was that he would laze about, or commandeer new projects and abandon old ones. But old ginger is spicier, as experienced minds can tell that Diri is no slouch.

From the projects of the past administration to those he approved of himself, the Miracle Governor has left nothing unturned. It is to the merit of this boundless sense of propriety that some formerly-ongoing projects have been completed and commissioned; that some formerly-derelict constructions are currently underway and nearing completion.

Is the completion of the water project in Ovom Town, Yenagoa LGA, not deserving of a glass raised to Governor Diri in salute? How about the Kaiama Referral Hospital; or the state-of-the-art Incinerator at the Bayelsa Medical University Complex; or the Imiringi Community Bridge in Ogbia LGA — all, aside the Ovom Water Project, were commissioned on the same day!

What about the ongoing projects? The complex to harbour Radio Bayelsa, Niger Delta TV and New Waves Newspaper is underway. So is the construction of the Elebele Community Bridge (Ogbia LGA), and the Igbedi Road in Kolokuma/Opokuma LGA that stretches 4.5km.

Then there are the ‘deserted’ roads (from the past administration) that Diri has taken up: Glory Drive Road from Igbogene to Onopa; Igbogene to Elebele/AIT Outer Ring Road; Sagbama-Ekeremor Road; Yenagoa-Oporoma Road; Isaac Boro Express Road; and several others.

To think that Governor Diri was recently accused of taking a laissez-faire approach to his duties!

That Bayelsans can rest easy for the next three years is an occasion for satisfaction, and something the rest of Nigeria can look forward to discovering in their own State Governors.

When THEY choose to raise false Alarm for selfish Gains – Muheeba Dankaka

We would all agree that the media space is never lacking stories of personal and public interest jostling for audience attention. However, one that caught the attention of this writer is a brewing fiasco in the Federal Character Commission FCC, as an agency meant to foster equity and togetherness, faces accusations and counter accusations of corrupt practices, abuse of office. More interesting is the fact that the fight is from within, from some commissioners against the Chairman of the commission, Dr Muheeba Farida Dankaka.

The so called aggrieved commissioners, who identified themselves as ‘Concerned Commissioners fighting for public good”, forwarded a petition, signed by Mr Augustine Wokocha and AbdulWasiu Bawa-Allah, to the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), accusing the Commission Chairman, of list of offenses that appeared tainted and covered in malice and bitterness.

Credit to Dankaka, as she was swift and precise in her response to the allegations she referred to falsehood and “mere fabrication”. Her response brought to the fore one of the many and vicious challenges of the Nigerian state. It has become a common theme that those benefiting from twisted systems would fight tooth and nail to keep the mechanism of such systems rolling. A statement by the Commission’s Director of Public Affairs & Communication, Dipo Akinsola, counter accused the five commissioners of fighting a positive change by peddling lies in order to keep the status quo for their selfish interests. Dankaka wasn’t mincing words in her response, “Five of the Commissioners are fighting for their personal and selfish interests; they want business as usual in the Commission which is not possible under my watch. The contents of the publication are false and mere fabricated stories to dent my image and that of the commission through social media.”

From finding in the appropriate quarters shows the said petition was all a hoax and a tactic to stage a media war of calumny against the Chairman. According to reliable sources, the ICPC is yet to receive any petition as at the time of this publication. Therefore there is no way Dr. Muheeba would have been invited.

Secondly, the aggrieved commissioners, according to reliable sources in the commission, appear to be doing the bidding of Muhammed Tukur Bello, who has not been at ease with the commission’s activities since Dankaka was announced as Chairman by the President. Discerning minds will remember how a heavy media campaign was immediately launched against the appointment of Dr. Muheeba as the Chair of the commission simply because Tukur Bello, who was the Secretary of the last FCC dispensation, and immediate acting Chairman of the commission felt some sense of resentment after he was overlooked by the President.

In their desperation to achieve their selfish objective, another petition was claimed to have been sent to President Buhari with signatures of 28 members of the Commission. It has however been discovered that the petitioners maliciously used the attendance register of commissioners at Plenary session as signature for their petition.

It is on record that since assuming office, Dr. Muheeba has not approved any contract whatsoever as contained in the so called petition. Investigation shows that the contract stated in the so called petition are items approved long before she assumed the office. The good news is that should a petition be finally submitted to the ICPC, Dankaka will be vindicated in the end.

Also, contrary to claims that the Chairman has been known to act without recourse to the commissioners, Dankaka said over thirty commissioners are currently working together in harmony to bring positive changes. “Some commissioners accused me of holding them to ransom by taking over their jobs and giving it to Directors with impunity. Over 30 Honorable Commissioners are currently working in harmony with me in bringing positive changes.”

From grapevine, the plan to discredit the Chairman is not just about her carrying Directors along in the affairs of the commission. She is perceived to be blocking some juicy fleecing channels and about to execute some activities that are against certain selfish interests.

Ideally, the Federal Character Commission will not deliver on its objectives if it chooses to work in isolation. During a courtesy visit after her appointment in 2020, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila advised the Dankaka to nurture a symbiotic relationship, that it is only when she’s able to establish such a relationship that her ‘work can be made easie’.

Also out of the ordinary is the accusation that Dankaka is a good lobbyist with the ability “of influencing and luring anyone or bodies of authorities that receive complaints against her.” If the authorities see a leap in the right direction under her leadership, they reserve the right to support her. Afterall, under her watch, the Commission has recorded successes in areas such as centralized the administrative structure of the monitoring and enforcement department.

This however, is not a call for the Chairman to be shielded from investigation into activities of the commission if the need arises, but innovative moves should be encouraged in sensitive agencies such as the FCC at a time where the country is in dire need of inventiveness that ensures every region is treated and reflected fairly in the scheme of things. And it is perceived that the chairman is not afraid of investigation as she has proven beyond doubts that the majority of the commissioners are supportive of her initiatives as lead of the commission. As such over 28 members are said to be signing a vote of confidence as a rejoinder to the issues the aggrieved commissioner have raised.

It is therefore not expected that a commission put in place to entrench a shade of unity in our extreme diversity is fraught with infighting for selfish purposes. Instead of dissipating energy on divisive struggles that are clearly in sharp contrast to the mandate of the commission, the commissioners should embrace result-driven initiatives and sheathe the sword of personal gains and vendetta. Staging a selfish war in the name of public good is a propaganda that no longer appeals to the majority of Nigerians.
-Ends-

My Bank, My Wife and The New Social Order

Let me first out myself. I am a former Employee of FCMB. I worked there for a bit in the securities trading arm, CSL. CSL is a legendary institution that continues to be the corner piece of the Nigerian Capital Market. I was the Head of Local Business.

One thing that attracted me to the firm was its legacy. Its founder, Chief Subomi Balogun, was a hero of sorts to young Stockbrokers like myself. He had built the institution from his boot straps to the behemoth it is today with over 50,000 Shareholders.

My first day at work, I was taken in a ride by the then Managing Director Ladi Balogun on his way to a meeting with Aliko Dangote and in those few minutes he perfectly situated the values that drove the institution. Ethical standards and integrity were the words he kept repeating as he stressed the need for me to join as he attempted to reclaim market share in the Local Securities market.

I stayed with the Bank for over 15 months and having worked in several financial institutions including about four Banks and several stockbroking and Asset Management Firms, I can safely say that the ethical standards at FCMB stand shoulder high above its peers. The FCMB woman is well regarded, with access to the very top to discuss her issues. They even have the FCMB Woman Platform which seeks to build cohesion and gives the FCMB woman the much needed push to fulfil whatever it is is her career goals.

That said, the news of the alleged dalliance between the well regarded MD Mr. Adam Nuru and the former staff leading to the supposed siring of two kids by him while still in her marriage and ultimately leading to her husbands passing has captured the imagination of Nigerians powerfully.

Daily the keen observer is assailed with all sort of social media commentary, memes and the rest on the matter. I hear an online petition has been in circulation with varied numbers being quoted as signatures asking both the FCMB and the CBN to act on the matter. A memo allegedly sent out by Group Managing Director Ladi Balogun quoting that the issue could derail the achievements’ of the Bank in the just concluded year is leaked, fueling calls for his removal.

All these have thrown up very important questions on the ethical behaviors of Bankers and its effect on the Bank’s public image and much more importantly the profitability of the Bank on the one hand and the safety of public funds in its custody on the other. It is also putting the regulator to task on the issue.

But tarry awhile. Why all these fervor on an unsigned petition innocuously posted on social media. How do we move against a Man based on a mere allegation without anybody coming out to own up to the allegations. Up until this point as I write, I have not seen a signed petition accusing the man of all of these allegations. What we are seeing so far are online petitions from people on the back of the anonymous trigger post. Should we now then hang a man based on this? Based on public push which is as is the case quite emotional.

The arbitrariness of this matter and others like this especially on social media is scary. What this portends is that if Nuru falls then anybody can fall based on any story thrown up there just by anybody. Before I am castigated, please note that I am not taking a stand as to Mr. Nuru’s innocence or not or if he breached Banks ethical rules or what not. All I am just saying is that there has been no concrete complaint from either the Mr. Thomas accusing this man of this heinous crime, nor an official complaint from the Woman alleging rape, forceful sex or any type of abuse using his power as a boss over her. We have not even seen DNA certification confirming the parentage of the children. All that is in the public domain are pictures of children who have an uncanny resemblance to Mr. Nuru. Are there sufficient factual and legal evidence to begin to push for the Mr. Nurus head.

In the last five years, Nigerians have witnessed the growth of what some of us have called digital mobs who unlike their physical counterparts who roast with used tyres and bonfires, these ones do their with words on social media. The arbitrariness and disregard for processes and institutionalized structures for arbitration continues to weaken the levers that hold society together pushing us closer to anarchy.

The FCMB I know have well tested and well-ordered structures for getting relieve if your rights have been trampled. I have gone through it as a boss. I had lost my temper during a heated meeting and unwittingly threw a pencil at a junior staff. She went through the process and I faced a disciplinary Committee and was found guilty. The system didn’t care that as at that time I Was number 3 in hierarchy in our subsidiary and that this lady was very near the bottom in hierarchy, I was made to face the music. Same I am very confident would be the case if there is an official approach to this matter by any complainant even if it is me being Mr. Thomas Landlord.

The major issue here is not even Mr. Nuru and his supposed errant private member but our societies’ eagerness to throw caution and common sense into the gutters in matters like this while putting on the toga of arbitrariness in pushing this types of issues. I fear that our institutions for fear of Market share can bow to public pressure and take decisions that would further weaken them and infringe on the human rights of their people.

Please in conclusion, where is Mrs Thomas in all of these for only she can solve this problem. Her position would either indict or free Mr. Nuru, she has to answer some very salient questions – was she in an affair with Mr. Nuru while at FCMB, was she in that affair willingly or not and who truly is the father of the child and where she has no answer to the last question, would she willingly take a DNA test on this matter.

My advise to FCMB is to stand firm by its rules, do not be pressured to take hasty decision by a fickle social media crowd who will move on to the next hot gist, while you would have destroyed not only the career of a man who is possibly innocent and in the same vein destroy the fabrics that hold your institution together. Seek the facts and base your decision on those facts.

I wish you a fruitful review of the matter. But will I close my account with FCMB ‘cos the MD has two children with a married staff? I think not. Thank you.

Bola Tinubu, a Man Hated for Loving his People

His generosity and philanthropy are without equivalence, but some prefer to loathe him for these good virtues and in his usual self still remains a man that cannot be ignored from the consciousness of those who have drunk from his fountain of knowledge, wisdom, wealth and political clout.

For the former two-term governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, they can hate him or detest him for frivolous reasons in their wildest thoughts; but his admirers are swelling in uncountable numbers, much to the chagrin of his loathers.

In their vitriolic of Bola Tinubu, he still stands tall and grandstands as a political titan, but try as they have continued in their accusations and counter accusations; they are not making any headway in their unjustified grievances against him and his big status in the political terrain.

The Jagaban Borgu has been called so many names and variously accused of so many things that many are now wondering his offence is. Even with the recent public outcries informed by the now-disbanded Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad, (SARS,) arm of the Nigerian Police Force, they targeted him and every member of his household as being the sole bankroller of the crises, which later degenerated into unrests, chaos across the country.

Their prime allegation is that amongst many, Tinubu is the owner of Oriental Hotels, which is the most-talked about topic for some time now; even when some are claiming the 5-Star hotel, which has been put up for sale since 2017, belongs to the former governor of Lagos State. Going further, the real owners came out to categorically debunk the story on various news sites, but this set of people still continued in their quest to pin every highbrow property to him just to fit their narratives, in their campaign of calumny.

In their unbridled pull-him-down campaign, they still go ahead to allege that Tinubu is the owner of Lekki Toll gate which has never been set straight by those in authority. Wherever they got their information on Tinubu’s ownership of these plum properties will be left in their imagination and concocted allegations without solid facts and evidences to verify their claims.

By all instances, Lekki Toll Gate is currently owned authoritatively by the Lagos State Government after the Lekki Concession Company, (LCC,) was acquired and conceded as the rightful owners. Even as PDP chieftain, Chief Olabode George recent statement and that of others, linking Bola Tinubu to the ownership of the LCC is coming to nothing but lies and premeditated fabrications and should therefore be ignored in their entirety.

The Cable, published in June 13, 2018 a news story under the headline REVEALED: Lagos acquired LCC years before Lekki-Epe toll fare hike, how Lagos State Government under the current Minister of Works and Housing Babatunde Raji Fashola had approached the State House of Assembly for funds to buy back the concessioned toll.

In their wake of unsolicited allegations against Asiwaju Tinubu, they are even making sure that LIRS coming redundant on the matter, because they believed in error that Alpha-Beta Consulting is collecting all IGRs in Lagos State.

For matter of fact, Alpha-Beta is known to many as a consulting firm handling the computation, tracking and reconciliation of Internally Generated Revenues, (IGRs,) in Lagos State; in return for a commission, this was on record as it started helping Lagos State with aggressive revenue mobilization and generation in 2000; until 2006 when LIRS was created to compliment the works started six years earlier by Alpha-Beta which eventually raised the Lagos IGRs from N22.2bn in 1999 to N79.7bn in 2005, before the two organizations now moved the state’s IGRs to the present enviable level it is at the moment.

Still in their unfounded allegations they are still going ahead to claim that Tinubu is the owner of Alpha-Beta and that he collects 15% of the money coming into the State. It is however suffice to say that, though there have been so many claims linking Tinubu to the company like they did with Oriental Hotels and other establishments nobody can be bold enough to present any document to attest to these.

It is to note here that the company’s former MD, Mr. Dapo Apara, recent name-throwing, may be as a result of the financial misappropriation probe launched against him by the organization’s management. Findings also show that there are many areas where Alpha-Beta Consulting only takes 10% commission in the areas it mobilizes and helps generate IGRs from, as it was made known that areas that were not discovered by the company are usually off-commission for it.
It is equally on record that Tinubu personally pioneered many developmental things in the country, all of which are being built on by subsequent governors in the state, and being copied by other states in and Nigeria.

Below is a list of the many good things which Senator Tinubu has left in his trail:

1. Tinubu instituted a reform plan that greatly improved the welfare of judicial officers including magistrates.

2. He revamped the civil and criminal procedure rule as well as creation of the Citizens Mediation Centre; a well-staffed and independent Office of the Public Defender, offering legal services for the poor.

3. He established additional five (5) general hospitals in Lagos state

4. He upgraded facilities at the Lagos State Teaching Hospital, (LASUTH.)

5. He provided free healthcare services including free ante-natal care for women, free eye treatments and free glasses, popularly called ‘JIGI BOLA.’

6. He pioneered the Bus Rapid Transit System and LAGBUS.

7. He established the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, (LASTMA.)

8. Reference of at least 13 matters related to the principle of federalism to be tested by the Supreme Court

9. He created 37 Local Council Development Areas, LCDAs against all odds.

10. He established the Lagos State Waste Management Authority, LAWMA, to clear mini hills of refuses all around the State.

#ENDSARS PROTESTS, IGP and Peace Initiative

National Association of Online Security Reporters, NAOSRE, reviews the factors that led to #ENDSARS protests in Nigeria resulting in unquantifiable losses in human and capital leading to government official offering remedies. The Inspector-General of Police, Adamu Mohammed, during the week was in Lagos for on-the-spot assessment of the level of destruction. NAOSRE’s Secretary, Dayo Bamgbala who was on tour with the IG, presents the report

While preparations were in top gears for a professional and peaceful policing of the entire length and breadth of Nigeria in view of the yuletide season that usually attracts unusual traffic, the Nigeria Police Force and indeed, security agents in Nigeria had to fall back on its reservoir of strategy to deal with sudden protests over Police brutality.

Within days, what started as isolated protests against the police snowballed into a national showdown.

The protesters made specific demand on President Muhammadu Buhari and Inspector General of Police, IGP, Abubakar Mohammed to terminate the Special Anti Robbery Squad, a Nigerian police unit that has been tasked over the past three decades with fighting violent crime, including banditry and kidnapping. The protest was aptly tagged #ENDSARS.

The public outrage over the impunity of SARS was triggered by the reported shooting of a young Nigerian in Ughelli, Delta state.
Home and abroad, lots of high profile Nigerians including celebrities took up the cause to #EndSARS.

The government swung into action, disbanding SARS and assuring that “Our determination to reform the police should never be in doubt.”
All that fell on deaf ears. By the time normalcy returned, lots of lives had been maimed and lost. Properties burnt and in some cases vandalized including police formations.

In Lagos for instance, the loss in human, business and property are unquantifiable, prompting leadership at all levels to embark on mitigating dive to alleviate the consequential sufferings.

First was the governor of the State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu who visited the Lagos State Police Command with a promise of welfare for officers and men including replacing burnt operational vehicles and buildings.

During the week, the Inspector General of Police, IGP Mohammed Adamu was in Lagos for on the spot assessment of damages across police formations in the State.

The IG encouraged the officers to put behind them the unfortunate #EndSars protests, which was hijacked by hoodlums and led to the loss of Police officers and destruction of properties of the Nigerian police force.

After the traditional official courtesy visit to the Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the IG encourage police personnel not to be discouraged by the unprecedented events. He tasked officers to brace up for the duty of policing and securing Nigeria. He reminded the demoralised officers of their training which prepared them for such risks.

The IGP, who was in Lagos with other senior officers, begun the on-the-spot assessment from Makinde Police Division in Mafoluku, where the station and barracks were burnt by hoodlums in the community.

From there the IGP and the other senior police officers moved to Orile Police Station, and then Ebute Ero Division after which the IGP moved to assess the damage at the Iga Idunganran, the official residence of the Oba of Lagos.

The IGP also visited the private residence of Oba Rilwan Akiolu where he had a private session with him before moving to the Ikoyi, Police Hospital to see some of the policemen injured during the #EndSars crisis. Speaking with newsmen during his tour around affected areas in Lagos, Adamu assuaged officers and men of adequate makeup of losses.

“Lagos seems to be the epicentre where the incidents took place. The amount of destruction is more in Lagos than in any other state. I am here to commiserate with the governor of Lagos State and the people of the state on the amount of destruction to public property and private businesses.

“My visit is also to see the police stations that were destroyed and talk to officers and men of the Nigeria Police and encourage them not to be demoralised by the events that took place where they were attacked and police stations destroyed.

“They are specially trained to take this kind of risks because, by the nature of police job, they are exposed to this type of risk. Now that this has happened, it shouldn’t discourage us from performing our constitutional duties, he said.

Continuing, the IG stressed that “Apart from the police stations destroyed, private businesses were destroyed; even the palace of Oba of Lagos was destroyed. I would urge the citizens to set up protocol before embarking on any protest to avoid miscreants’ hijack. The moment you allow that the intent of the protest will be defeated as in the case of this peaceful protest we witnessed.”

At the Ikeja Police Command Headquarters, the IGP recapped the incident that led to the protest. He recalled that it was engineered by fake news over the supposed death of a civilian in Delta State.

Adamu said: “The #EndSARS protest was engineered by fake news that came out of Delta State where the local security outfit called Operation Delta Safe in routine stop-and-search accosted some individuals.

“Out of guilt, one of them decided to bolt out of the vehicle and an individual who wanted to spread mischief took a video of the incident and posted it on social media that the police had killed somebody.

“That led to protests in Delta State and in the course of our investigation, we found out that nobody was killed and SARS was not involved. But then with the use of social media, everything went so wide to the extent that Lagos picked it and it became a serious matter; it became the epicentre of the EndSARS group that started in 2017.

“They resuscitated it and came up with the campaign against #EndSARS. They came with five demands and after about four days of protest, the authorities acceded because it could lead to reform of the SARS itself.

“Our expectation was that after that, they would leave the streets but they did not. Every security agency knows that when people come out to protest without observing the protocol; you stay too long on the streets protesting, there is always a tendency for protests to become violent.”

Commending the policemen, IGP said: “When the police are viciously attacked by hoodlums in this manner that we have seen the tendency is for the police to be provoked and they have the power and capacity to repel.

“But you showed maximum restraint by not using maximum force to repel the miscreants that went about destroying property and killing people here and there.

“That restraint and resilience you have shown that no amount of provocation will lead you to give credence to police brutality. That has turned the table against the protesters and everyone knows that you were professional in handling the protests, which subsequently turned violent.”

Adamu, acknowledged that in every organisation there must be few that are bad. Reconnecting the president’s speech in support of the police, Adamu said: “The vast majority of men and women of the Nigeria Police Force are patriotic and committed to protecting the lives and livelihood of Nigerians and we will continue to support them to do their best.”

“Now that this has happened, it shouldn’t discourage us from performing our constitutional duties. It is true that some of them, their morale has been dampened but the visit is to encourage you not to relent in performing their constitutional duties to protect lives and properties,” Adamu said.
Meanwhile, the state Commissioner of Police, Mr Hakeem Odumosu, appealed to IGP to further enhance better service delivery with the provision of anti-riot equipment and non-lethal weapons.

He urged the IGP to consider and approve posthumous special promotions for the police personnel who lost their lives to the Lagos unrest.
Odumosu further appealed to IGP to make additional anti-riot equipment and four water cannons available to the command to make the management and control of riots easier and more professional.

It is however learnt that Hakeem Odumosu’s requests are being looked into by the police hierarchy.