TheNewsGuru

Tag: Etim Etim

  • Matters in Gov Umo Eno’s budget – By Etim Etim

    Matters in Gov Umo Eno’s budget – By Etim Etim

    By ETIM ETIM

    I attended Gov. Umo Eno’s budget presentation at the state House of Assembly yesterday, the second time I would be at such a session since 1999. The first was in 2010 during the administration of Godswill Akpabio. The budget then was around N300 billion, a far cry from the N955 billion presented by Umo Eno as the 2025 appropriation estimates. In real value, the two figures might just be equal, given the deep inflation we have been enduring in almost two years. The 2025 estimates are a meagre 3% increase from the 2024 revised budget. Of the N955 billion, N300 billion is for recurrent while N655 billion is for capital expenditure (capex), indicating the administration’s focus on big-ticket infrastructures and investments.  Road will receive attention and they will take up to N250 billion of the N655 billion capex. The governor said his administration is currently executing 156 road projects across the state, made up of 57 big roads and 11 community roads he initiated; 37 big roads and 51 community roads inherited from the previous administration which he is still funding. Last night, I listened to a mild debate among some friends: If a governor initiates a road project and does not pay for it; but his successor come in, pay the contractor and to get the job done, who should take credit for the job?

    Like all budgets, the 2025 financial proposal contains many plans and proposals the government intends to execute across all sectors, one of which is the completion of the abandoned 10,000-capacity convention center at the Tropicana Complex. Initiated by the Akpabio administration in 2008, the Convention Centre was abandoned at the foundation stage. The rumour then was that it was discontinued because it was later discovered that the soil condition at the site was not suitable for such a mega project. I found it difficult to believe the story because such big ticket projects are always preceded by appropriate soil tests. Clearly, the rumour was unfounded. On his first anniversary celebration in May, Eno had also pledged to complete the 15-storey hotel at the Tropicana and initiate work on a new shopping complex along the Third Ring Road. The government is building a block of luxury apartments along Uruan Street in Uyo, as well as other real estate developments, including Aviation Village and other housing projects in Uyo, Abuja and Lagos.

    Rebuilding old government-owned buildings in Abuja and Lagos into functional modern assets is an integral part of the administration’s economic agenda. At the budget session, the governor announced that his administration has identified and recovered 10 such buildings in Lagos and Abuja. ‘’Some are located on Broad Street, Ajose Adeogun Street and Simpson Street in Lagos, and one is in the central business district in Abuja, near the Federal Ministry of Finance. We shall turn the one in Abuja into a four-star hotel’’, he said. I know the building on Ajose Adeogun Street in Victoria Island, Lagos. In fact, I was there when it was commissioned in 1992 by the then Military Governo, but I didn’t even know that the government has property on Simpson and Broad Streets.  Last month, the governor flagged off the construction of an 18-storey luxury apartment complex in Victoria Island, Lagos. Investing in high-yielding real estate business, the governor said, will improve the state’s revenue and position its economy for a future without crude oil. I should, however, note that these projects will not be completed in a budget cycle. Sequencing them over the next several years within budgetary limitations is key.

    Many have said that instead of real estates, the government should have put money in agriculture and its value chain. The budget addresses that comprehensively with a list of what has been done and what should be expected in agriculture, health, education, infrastructure, security and others.  He mentioned the Songhai Farming Model which is being implemented in the state, and noted that it will reposition the State for tourism, conferences and training hub for improved farming practices. He also spoke on other critical issues like the controversial crisis at the Presbyterian Senior Science College, Ididep. Eno said that while the government is fully responsible for the tuition fees of students, payment of adequate boarding fees is the duty of parents. He said: ‘’feeding students in boarding schools is the responsibility of parents, and no principal should perform the duty of a boarding master. Government has never promised to feed any student and it would not be stampeded to do so.

    He stressed that parents should take responsibility for feeding their children in boarding house; after all, if these children were to be in the house, the parents would feed them. Boarding is optional in our school system ’’. The import of this is that parents should be willing to pay more for boarding of their kids, and principals should not dabble into food procurements. It’s an oblique reference to the corruption in the system which I addressed in my last article.   He warned that government will shut down schools where such nefarious activities occur.

    On Ibom Power, Gov. Eno said the government has undertaken a detailed technical audit of operations of Ibom Plant and is reviewing the recommendations of the report for implementation. There would be a major restructuring of the organization and operations of the plant.  ‘’We have identified some operational risks including gas supply security, equipment availability and due inspections for which a program is being developed. There are challenges that we are detailing on a phased basis.  The financials will be subject of some subsequent future engagement’’, he said.

    The government should consider privatizing the plant to derive optimum value to the state. There is also hope for Ibom Deep Sea Port, a project the people are full of expectations for. Eno said the government has conducted a comprehensive feasibility study on Ibom Deep Seaport where onside Geo technical and Geo physical environmental scoping, port design options, amongst others have been undertaken. The next stage is for the government as project sponsor to proceed to the Front End Engineering Design (FEED) which is a crucial step in planning of complex engineering projects. Meantime, access road to the facility has been opened.

    There’s practically something for every segment of the society in the 2025 budget, but let me conclude on the issue of gratuity payment. Pastor Eno said yesterday that his administration has paid over N37 billion out of N85.2 billion ‘’we met when we came in, as gratuities to retired civil servants, local government and teachers in the State. We are committed to liquidating all the backlog of gratuities in line with our campaign promises’’. Does it mean that previous administrations were not meeting this obligation?

  • Indeed, education is the best tool – By Etim Etim

    Indeed, education is the best tool – By Etim Etim

    Six weeks after the death of his wife, Gov. Umo Eno was conferred with a doctorate degree in Political Science by the University of Uyo this afternoon, making him the first sitting governor in the country to attain such qualification while in office. Congratulations to the governor.

    It must be a moment of mixed emotions for him and his family as this is coming exactly two weeks to his wife’s funeral events. It should also be an inspiring occasion for Akwa Ibom youths and I urge them to learn a few lessons here, chief among which is that no matter your situation in life, you can achieve whatever you set your mind to. I know this for a fact and it is what I tell my children every day.

    The second lesson is that education is a very important tool that helps you fulfill your potentials in life. Dr. Umo Eno said this much in his speech at the convocation ceremony in Uyo this afternoon. In recognition of the importance of education, the governor said, he is sustaining the compulsory free education which his predecessors have implemented since 1999.

    In addition, he’s improved on the value of scholarship and bursary awards to various categories of students and is revamping primary schools to enhance learning environment. But despite these, a lot of our children are still hawking in the streets during school hours, instead of being in school. Last month, I talked with a young boy of about 10 years old, who was hawking groundnut around.

    He said he dropped from school because his guardian did not buy him exercise books. His father is dead, his mother sent him to live with a guardian who has now turned him into a hawker; and so, his teacher asked him to withdraw till he gets his exercise books. There are so many cases family situations stopping our children from going to school. The government should address the nagging problem of school dropouts.

    I understand that our primary schools, especially those that are located in the villages, require more teachers. The government should set in motion a rigorous recruitment process to bring in brilliant, qualified and dedicated teachers into our primary and secondary schools. The last recruitment exercise happened over five years ago. We should also emphasize vocational training and rehabilitate the dilapidated vocational schools in the state.

    In terms of WAEC performance, our state has been around the 17th position consistently for many years. I am sure we can improve on that if our teachers are more dedicated and motivated. Alumni associations should launch motivational programs to encourage our students. The governor should also pay attention to the needs of the state-owned university, AKSU.

    Indeed, education is a very important tool and we need to make the necessary investments to make it work for everybody.

  • Should we go back to fuel importation? – By Etim Etim

    Should we go back to fuel importation? – By Etim Etim

    The two major trade groups in the petroleum downstream market are up in arms with Dangote Refinery, accusing it of monopolistic tendencies to dominate the sector and dictate prices. Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) and Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Association of Nigeria (PETROAN) are insisting that petrol from Dangote Refinery is costlier than imported substitutes and so, they should be allowed to import the product for the benefit of Nigerians.

    But in a counter argument, Dangote Refinery says its pricing is benchmarked against international prices ‘’and we believe our prices are competitive relative to the price of imports’; that any product brought into the country at a lower price must be of inferior quality, and could pose health risks to Nigerians and damage their vehicles. ‘’If anyone claims they can land PMS at a price cheaper than what we are selling, then they are importing substandard products and conniving with international traders to dump low quality products into the country without concern for the health of Nigerians and the longevity of their vehicles. Unfortunately, the regulator (NMDPRA) does not even have a laboratory facilities which can be used to detect substandard products imported into the country’’, the refiner stated in a press statement last Sunday.

    This controversy throws up two options with far-reaching consequences for the Nigerian economy: should we return to the era of fuel importation and bring in cheaper products, even if they are of poor quality,   or do we resist importation and stick with what Dangote and other local refiners produce? We should consider these options dispassionately before we make a choice. First, what are the implications of continued fuel importation? Importation will further depreciate the value of the Naira, drain our scarce foreign reserves and exacerbate inflation and cost-of-living crisis.  Recall that at the peak of our fuel importation, the CBN had told us that 40% of foreign exchange is used for fuel imports. If the imported substitutes are cheaper as IPMAN stated, the savings motorists make in fuel price may just be offset by a concomitant spike in inflation and the cost of car repairs.

    But what do we gain as a country and a developing economy if we do away with importation and buy only from Dangote, even if its price is higher than the price of cheaper imported products? We shall be supporting and protecting domestic industrialization; creating jobs for our young people; enhancing tax income for the government and establishing incentives for other foreign and domestic investors.  A potential investor is always eager to understand the attitudes of the government towards new investments – is the government pro business or not? Are there enough incentives and protection for domestic production? The manner we treat Dangote today is sending some signals to other would-be investors.

    It is natural for a new producer to launch its products or services with relatively initial high prices; but in the long-run, charges begin to fall as output increases and economies of scale sets in. Even before its prices begin to dip, the manufacturer surely offers other benefits to the economy which importers don’t. This is why nations, including developed ones, go the extra mile to protect domestic investments. It is the reason US government imposes high tariffs on goods imported from China and the Biden administration does not approve the purchase of American steel giant, United States Steel Corporation, by Japanese investors.  Similarly, Nigeria must take steps to protect and encourage Nigerian investors who borrow money from banks and invest in this economy to create products and generate employment for our teeming young talents. A domestic producer pays taxes to the government and provides many philanthropic assistance to the community in which it operates.

    We cannot afford to go back to fuel importation. The Petroleum Industry Act clearly stands against fuel importation whenever local production is available, and, as economists are wont to explain, importation exports jobs and brings in inflation. Those who are touting importation of petrol as an alternative to domestic refining are buccaneers and profiteers who are not interested in the growth and development of this country. This is the time for the Tinubu administration to be very categorical and firm on this matter by insisting that Nigeria will not go back to the era of fuel importation, and that we must be intentional about developing our country and encouraging production.

    Our domestic investors, big or small – whether it is Innoson Motors; Ibom Airlines; Dangote Refinery or that small bakery in your neighbourhood – deserves our encouragement and incentives. They create jobs; pay taxes; generate own electricity; add value and are the reason the government is hoping for a $1 trillion dollar economy.  I acknowledge that Nigerians are facing severe challenges due to high fuel prices. I am also aware that Dangote Refinery was built at a humongous cost (close to $15 billion) borrowed from both international and domestic sources. Bank charges are high and breakeven point is still far; and to that extent, it must charge commensurate prices for its products. The refinery should therefore strike a balance between the need to cover costs, especially its variable costs, in the immediate term, and the imperatives to consider the diminished purchasing power of the consumers. Clearly, petrol enjoys inelastic demand, but there’s a limit to what consumers can take in terms of price increase. The refinery’s tax-free status and guarantees supply of Naira-denominated crude oil  should help it to absorb some costs and keep product prices competitive. Similarly, NNPC should tell Nigerians the status of the turnaround maintenance of the Port Harcourt refinery. Will the four refineries ever come back to life?

    Etim is a journalist and author

  • Children as coup plotters – By Etim Etim

    Children as coup plotters – By Etim Etim

    By Etim Etim

    The Nigerian Police routinely outcompetes itself in absurdities, but the arraignment of 30 children last week in Abuja by the police for allegedly plotting a coup to topple the Tinubu administration was the lowest point the police has ever sunk to.  It is the biggest embarrassment and ridicule this country has been thrown into in decades and I think that the IGP should apologize for humiliating the country before the international community.

    The children are among the 70 people brought to court last Friday, charged with treason and inciting a military coup after they took part in the protests last August. Aged between 12 and 16, they were arrested in different parts of Northern Nigeria, and incarcerated in Abuja in a terrible detention centre, something that didn’t happen even under Gen. Abacha. We all know how Abacha was unbelievably cruel, but he never locked away children to starve them to death. The police authorities should be ashamed of themselves for perpetrating such a heinous abuse of minors.

    At the Abuja High court, the kids looked famished, emaciated, tormented and traumatized. Four of them even fainted, forcing the presiding judge, Justice Obiora Egwuatu, who was visibly alarmed and irritated at the sight of the young, famished and sickly boys, to adjourn sitting abruptly. On resumption of sitting, the court adjourned the case till January. If those kids are detained till January in the same conditions, a few of them will not come out alive. The scene at the court was despicable, a throwback to what might have happened in Idi Amin’s Uganda.

    The prosecution counsel, Audu Garba, told the court that the four kids were rushed outside because there was no space in the courtroom for all of the accused persons. He lied. However, the judge insisted that space should be created for all of them as he wanted the all in the courtroom. The prosecution then proceeded to ask the court to strike out the names of the sick defendants and discharge them pending when they are well enough to stand trial. But the defense counsel, Marshall Abubarkar, asked the court to discharge and acquit them.

    The court eventually discharged the four sick children – Umar Yunusa; Usman Suraju; Musa Isiyaku and Abdul Ganiyu – pending when they recover, and admitted the rest of the kids on stringent bail conditions. I’m shocked that this is happening in Nigeria under President Bola Tinubu, who was once a prodemocracy activist. The outrage across the country reflects our overall shock and disbelief.

    I am relieved that the Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, has asked the police for the case file, possibly to intervene and set the children free. But does it mean that the AGF was not aware of the fate of these kids all this while? If these children had died, who would have held the police responsible? Who regulates the activities of the Nigerian Police police?

    A week earlier, the government had accused The Guardian newspaper of inciting the military to take over the government. In a press statement issued on Saturday, October 26, Bayo Onanuga, the President’s spokesman, said the paper’s lead story published the previous day, ‘’openly incites unrest against President Bola Tinubu and advocates regime change under the guise of journalism’’.

    He argued that ‘’The Guardian’s agenda is unmistakable from the cover illustration to the article. In attempting to create a balanced veneer, the author condemns military rule while fanning the flames of military intervention’’. The paper had in its Friday lead story, published a lengthy feature article in which it reported that faced with harsh cost-of-living crisis, Nigerians have resorted to extreme measures, including calling for military coups. The Guardian has launched a robust rebuttal to the government’s allegation.

    But why is the Tinubu administration so obsessed with the fear of a military coup? Why does the government seem to habour a phobia for coups despite repeated assurances from the Defence Headquarters that the military will never be involved in unconstitutional change of government? There are two theories that can explain this. One, by frequently accusing the opposition of coup-baiting, the government wants us to live in fear and silence, weaken critics and frighten the civil society. Second, effect of a terrible experience.

    Between President Tinubu and Bayo Onanuga, there could be something in the past that triggers an irrational dread for the military coups. Both men were very active in the prodemocracy struggle of the 1990s. The former was a journalist while the later was initially a politician and later a pro democracy activist. In 1995, Onanuga’s colleague at The News magazine, Kunle Ajibade, was jailed for life by the Abacha junta for the story the magazine published.

    Tinubu and many other activists had fled into exile overseas, and those who did not leave the country were murdered by junta’s snipers. After Abacha’s death in 1998, Tinubu returned, contested election and was elected Lagos State Governor in 1999. He then picked a young police officer, Kayode Egbetokun as his chief security officer and ADC. On taking office last year, the president appointed Egbetokun as the IGP and Onanuga as spokesman.

    Psychologists believe that past traumatic or negative experiences can have long-lasting impacts on our behaviors and outlook on life. This is known as ‘’Negativity Bias’’ in psychology and could be the reason Onanuga and Egbetokun are obsessing about coups. Dr. Eric Nass, a clinical psychologist in Belmont, Massachusetts, has done extensive work on how anxiety, traumatic experiences and fear impact negatively on the ability of leaders to make informed decisions.

    I should also note that both Presidents Obasanjo and Buhari also lived through terrible experiences during the military era. So, why did they not publicly display symptoms of anxiety and fear for coups? Buhari in particular was constantly demonized in the press and called all sorts of names, but I can’t remember Femi Adeshina issuing press statements claiming that a newspaper was engaged in ‘’coup baiting’’. What is different now? Any psychologist around?

    Etim is a journalist and author.

  • From one village, a fearless future for Africa – By Etim Etim

    From one village, a fearless future for Africa – By Etim Etim

    Some 250 days after the tragic death of its founder, Wigwe University formally opened its doors to its first set of students on Thursday, October 17, 2024, marking the fulfilment of late Herbert Wigwe’s dream to build a world-class citadel of learning in his community in the rain forest of southern Nigeria. In a brief opening ceremony at the new campus located in Isiokpo, near Port Harcourt, the university’s Pro Chancellor and Chairman of Governing Council, Prof Julius Okojie, cut the ribbon at the gate, formally signaling its inauguration.

    The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Marwan Al-Akaidi, other members of Council and Rivers State Commissioner for Education, Dr. Ovy Chinedum Chukwuma, applauded excitedly in the balmy early autumn weather. A matriculation ceremony has been scheduled for Saturday, November 9 to formally admit over 200 new students into the institution. Soon after the ribbon-cutting, the dignitaries moved to the Family Hall where traditional chiefs from Isiokpo community in Ikwere LGA; parents and students as well as other dignitaries were already seated, waiting for the second part of the ceremony which consisted of speeches and traditional dances performed by the women of the community.

    Prof. Marwan Al-Akaidi described the day as ‘’the threshold of history’’, a poignantly fitting characterization. Dr. Wigwe had meant to spend the second phase of life as the Pro Chancellor after retirement from Access Bank end next year. Construction work started in earnest in 2022 and NUC issued the license in June 2023. Herbert worked day and night and committed huge resources to get the university ready for inauguration in September 2024. He travelled the world, spoke glowingly of his vision and made all arrangements.

    But his sudden death in California in the night of February 9 (early February 10 Nigerian time) threatened to derail the project.  Funds dried up; emotions went raw and frustrations set in. During Herbert’s funeral service in Lagos in March, Chairman of its board of trustees, Prof. Fabian Ajogwu, easily one of Nigeria’s most respected senior lawyers, told the grieving audience that the ‘’dream of Wigwe University would not be aborted’’. Many were not convinced, even after Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, Herbert’s business partner and close friend, repeated the same pledge in his eulogy at the funeral. We are used to seeing dreams die with the dreamers.

    Not long after the funeral, I began to hear of rumours of a quarrel between Aig-Imoukhuede and Herbert’s family over his Will and the manner his children were being taken care of. I did not think much of it for I have absolute confidence in Aig-Imoukhuede’s capacity to do good to the memory of his departed ally.

    Rather, I was more concerned about the fate of the university. Herbert spoke so much about it and his dream of making it one of the best in the world. After his burial, I talked to the VC, Prof Al-Akaidi and Mrs Yvonne Olomu-Victor, the CEO of HOW Foundation, the owners of the university, quite often, trying to gauge the progress of work and the school’s readiness to receive the first set of students in September, which was Herbert’s target.

    I was relieved to learn in August that the university was already receiving many applications for admission. My plans to visit the campus did not quite succeed, but my interest never waned. You can therefore imagine my relief when I received a note from the VC early in the week, advising of the opening ceremony. It was such a big reprieve, coming in the midst of the raging controversy over Herbert’s Will.

    It has taken the unmitigated resilience, grueling hard work and absolute determination of the seven-member Board of Trustees and nine-member Governing Council, together with the goodwill of Herbert’s friends to bring this very noble dream into fruition.

    ‘’This is not just the beginning of an institution; it is the realization of a profound vision, a dream from the belief that education is the key to unlocking Africa’s vast potential’’, Prof. Al-Akaidi told the audience at the opening event. He stated that the university is founded by the principles set forth by the late Herbert Wigwe ‘’whose legacy inspires us to ignite Africa’s potential for prosperity, to nurture thoughtful and fearless leaders, and to create an institution that will one day be the leading institution in Africa’’.

    The chairman of the governing council, Prof Julius Okojie, who is also Nigeria’s foremost university administrator, put it more succinctly in his speech: ‘’I was the Executive Secretary of   NUC for ten years, and during this time, I licensed 80 private universities. None of them started off so well as Wigwe University. In fact, while many of them commenced temporarily on the premises of secondary schools, Wigwe University is starting off on a world-class purpose-built site’’. Okojie traced the history of university education to pre-medieval era and emphasized its importance in national development.

    ‘’Today, I can hear the voice of Herbert Wigwe ringing through and I believe that his dream has come alive’’, he said, urging the community to protect the facilities at the campus. He received a standing ovation. By admitting over 200 students in its first year, WU has recorded unprecedented achievements, he emphasized ‘’Many new private universities I licensed commenced with less than 50 students, including Obasanjo’s Bells University’’, he told me in a post-event interview. Rivers State Commissioner for Education, Dr. Ovy Chinedum Chukwuma, who stood in for Gov. Fubara said the state government has supported the institution in many ways, chief among which is the 100 scholarships offered to 70 Rivers States indigenes and 30 non indigenes who live in Rivers States.

    Many parents, students and would-be students attended the brief event. I met with Mrs. Isi Omiunu, a parent from Edo State who came with daughter Onohie, a student of Fine & Applied Arts. I asked her why WU? She went off as if she had anticipated my question all week, and asked: ‘’Do you know that this is the only private university in Nigeria that offers Fine & Applied Arts? My daughter is very passionate about the arts, and I believe in seeking high quality education for my children, wherever it is found’’. I look forward to the matriculation ceremony.

  • The shrills and the thrills of a live football game – By Etim Etim

    The shrills and the thrills of a live football game – By Etim Etim

    Watching a football game live at the stadium provides a different set of thrills and fun. The shouts, drumming, cheers, boos and the side comments and commentaries from the fans create an exciting atmosphere that you don’t have watching it on TV.

    This is part of the reasons I flew into Uyo last week to see the Super Eagles do justice to the Mediterranean Knights of Libya last Friday. It would be my second time in the stadium to watch a match, the first being in 2016. I can’t remember what game that was. I went with my two children and their mathematics teacher then.

    But last week, I invited my friend, Emmanuel, a staff of Ibom Air, to join me.  We were seated around 4pm – one hour to kickoff – at the VIP section of the stadium. The ticket cost N3,000, while the popular stand cost as low as N1,000.

    A short while later, a familiar face took the seat next to me. I took a long gaze at him, trying to remember him. ‘’Ah, Pastor Harry’’, I called out when it clicked. My pastor at RCCG, Uyo. What a pleasant surprise. Soon, my younger brother showed up. I had spoken with him the previous day, but we did not discuss football. Another surprise. This is indeed a veritable rendezvous for friends and family.

    The 30,000-capacity stadium, completed and commissioned ten years ago, is neat and well maintained. It is the best football stadium in West Africa, and the reason CAF has directed Ghana’s national team to play its remaining home matches in Uyo due to the deplorable state of Baba Yara Sports Stadium in Accra. I commend the Akwa Ibom State government for keeping this facility so well. Hip hop music was blaring from huge loud speakers while the supporters club were drumming, singing and dancing on the other side of the stadium.

    At 4.15 pm, the two teams came out for their warm-ups. Super Eagles received a huge applause from the fans. I easily recognized Ekong, Lookman, Stanley Nwabali and a few others. In fact, the goalkeeper was the first to come out for the warmup.

    The Libyans looked taller, big and fit. I felt anxious. Suffering an injury, Victor Osimhen paced up and down the sideline, filming his teammates. He’s always determined, energetic and passionate to score. His absence was obvious throughout the 90 minutes.

    Fans quickly grew disappointed that the Eagles could not pull off an early goal as they expected. With four points from their first two games, the Super Eagles were expected to dominate, but the Knights’ strong defence and the Eagles’ lack of a strong strike force made that difficult. Spectators turned themselves into the technical crew, telling the coach what to do.

    They were furious that our boys were not proving their mettle. ‘’I don’t’ know what Iwobi is doing in this team. I don’t like his game’’, someone said, joining the cacophony of voices that were complaining about our uninspiring performance. For much of the first half and until he was replaced in the second half, Alex Iwobi, the 28-year-old Fulham midfielder, was the subject of taunts and insults from the fans.

    Almost everybody was shouting out to the coach to change Iwobi. But the young man looked unperturbed, putting in more efforts to impress the crowd. His efforts eventually paid off as he registered Nigeria’s first attempt at target, forcing Libyan goalkeeper, Murad Al Wuheeshi to make a quick save.

    But fans were still not happy. They wanted goals or at least one. The grumblings grew louder and louder as each person took turns to analyze the game and proffer solutions. Coach Augustine Eguavon was on his feet, giving out instructions. He knew that the stakes were high.

    Early in the second half, Wilfred Ndidi sent a pass to Bruno Onyemachi, who converted it to a cross into the box for Iwobi, but the Fulham midfielder couldn’t hit the target. That’s when the whole stadium nearly collapsed from shouts and curses.

    I couldn’t contain my frustration either. Someone suggested that Iwobi’s only qualification for playing for Nigeria is because ‘’he is Jay Jay Okocha’s nephew’’. That was beyond pale, but we all laughed. The young man has actually played for Arsenal, Everton and is now playing for Fulham, all premier leagues teams. If he were not that good, he would not have come this far.  It then dawned on me that it must really be very daunting to play in front of home fans.

    This was not the first time Alex Iwobi would be singled out for excoriation for our lacklustre outing. When we lost woefully to Benin Republic, a small country that borders Nigeria to the west earlier this this year, Iwobi was the scapegoat.

    Eventually, the message got to the coach and three new players were brought in and Iwobi was replaced. But the goals did not come immediately and the frustration continued to mount, especially as the Libyans resorted to time-wasting tactics. They just wanted a goalless draw. I had by now lost hope for a goal, but Emmanuel, my friend, kept assuring that ‘’goals will come’’.

    Finally, in the 87th minute, a substitute, Dele Bashiru, who replaced Iwobi, netted in the lone goal, finishing off a pass from Moses Simon. Before then, Ademola Lookman’s goal had been ruled out as offside. Some fans, of course, disagreed with the referee. ‘’Oh! My God, there is no VAR’’, someone exclaimed. ‘’We are the VAR’’, another retorted.

    With this victory, Nigeria tops Group D, and it strengthens our chances of going to Morocco for AFCON 2025.

    But if we defeat the Knights in their country on Tuesday, it’s a done deaI. I left the stadium with two things on my mind. How do the players concentrate on their game with all the noises from the stand? Two, it is notable that the Akwa Ibom State government has broken with its tradition of opening the stadium for fans to watch football matches free.

    In an article titled ‘’Who needs free football tickets?’’ published in June, I had made the point that offering free tickets to fans is an ill-advised policy because watching ‘’football game or any other game at the stadium is a luxury pastime’’ which the government should not subsidize. Those who want to watch football should be able to save for it.

  • Do we need South-South Development Commission? – By Etim Etim

    Do we need South-South Development Commission? – By Etim Etim

    A bill seeking to establish another intervention agency for the Niger Delta region, to be known as the South-South Development Commission (SSDC), has just passed Second Reading in the Senate and has been sent to the Special Duties Committee for further consideration. It is sponsored by Senator Ekpenyong Asuquo of Calabar South and co-sponsored by all the other 17 senators of region.  The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, is the brain behind the legislation, and I understand that he has staked his political capital on it and wants it passed by all means. The bill was first presented on the floor of the senate three months ago, but was roundly rejected by the senators who argued that the proposed commission is a duplication to the NDDC which has been in existence since 2000. ‘’The rejection was a personal embarrassment to the Senate President, but he withdrew to fight another day’’, a senator told me.

    There were still some pockets of resistance when the bill was represented last week, but, this time, senators from the South-south region were more pushful to get it passed. Senator Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa argued that while NDDC is a resource-based commission, specifically meant for the oil producing states, including Imo and Abia, SSDC will only cater for the six states of the Niger Delta region. Senators are even contemplating a name change for the NDDC to reflect its focus on oil-producing states and distinguish it from the new agency. Senator Ekong Sampson (Akwa Ibom South) told me last week: ‘’I represent the major oil belt of the region. We feel the pain and bear the brunt of oil production. NDDC is for all the oil-producing states of the nation; the SSDC is specifically for the South-South region which has over the centuries been devastated by oil production. I am therefore very confident that the SSDC bill would be passed’’.

    In 2017, the Senate created the North East Development Commission, the first of such regional body established after NDDC. NEDC was necessitated by the need to rebuild the North East after years of decimation by terrorist attacks. I supported its creation and argued that because of our interconnectedness, any part of the country left behind would be a drag on the rest of us. Since then, similar regional development agencies have been created for the other four regions – North West, South West, South East and North Central. Now that the South-South senators have tabled their demands, we have come full circle. By their enabling laws, these regional bodies have similar organizational and management structures and sources of funding. They receive funds from the federation account, in addition to donations, aids and grants. Their mandate is to tackle developmental and environmental challenges peculiar to each region. For the SSDC, priority would be given to ecological and environmental hazards; infrastructural inadequacies as well as militancy and communal crises which have plagued the region for years.

    I support the creation of the SSDC for the South-South region and commend Senator Akpabio for spearheading it. I’m also thankful to the senators from other states, notably Suleman Kawu (Kano South) and Enyinnaya Abaribe (Abia South) for endorsing the bill. The argument that it is a duplication to the NDDC is flawed. For one, the North Central Development Commission was created earlier this year despite the existence of Hydro Electric Power Producing Areas Commission (HYPPADEC) created in 2010. Yet, nobody raised the issue of duplication. Second, SSDC and NDDC have different mandate areas. NDDC’s mandate extends well beyond the six south-south states, to cover Abia, Ondo and Imo; and may extend further to include new oil producers like Lagos, Nassarawa, Bauchi and others in the Benue trough. Third, since NDDC’s programmes and projects are shared among the nine mandate states based on their respective volume of crude oil production, states like Cross River that produce marginally have benefitted least from the NDDC programmes. The SSDC is therefore needed to make up for this inadequacy by providing fairly and equitably to the six states.

    I have, however, noticed that the SSDC Bill does not specify where to locate the commission’s headquarters, unlike the NDDC Law which specifies Port Harcourt as the commission’s headquarters and the Nigerian Content Development Board (NCDB) law which stipulates Yenogoa as its headquarter. This omission could create unwarranted squabbles among the states and I urge Senator Akpabio to ensure that the oversight is addressed. The SSDC Bill should stipulate Uyo as the location for its corporate headquarters for many reasons. Akwa Ibom is not only the largest oil producing state, it is also the most peaceful, hospitable and suitable for siting an important federal agency.  The Senate President must bring this one home.

    For Senator Akpabio, SSDC might just be a given, but he has lot more to do.  The lukewarm attitude of the federal government to the establishment of Ibom Deep Sea Port has put the Senate President in a difficult position. He is a leading member of the Tinubu inner circle. He flies into Uyo in a presidential jet and tools around in a big motorcade. Gov. Umo Eno fawns over him while the people sing his praises – all in an attempt to get him to facilitate federal support for the port project, which is clearly the people’s most sought-after infrastructural investment.   But, so far, there is no indication that President Tinubu is interested in the project. This leaves Akpabio with nothing to brag about when he visits home, and the people sorely disappointed.

  • Jonathan, Sanusi and a moment in time – By Etim Etim

    Jonathan, Sanusi and a moment in time – By Etim Etim

    If revenge, as the saying goes, is best served cold, then Dr. Goodluck Jonathan was well prepared for his encounter with Dr. Mohammed Sanusi II, the Emir of Kano, in Abuja on Thursday September 26. But if, as the Scripture says, a gentle reply turns away wrath, but harsh words stir up anger, we have the emir to thank for the truce that eventually came between these two leaders, eleven years after their faceoff. I hope it will endure. A select collection of Nigeria’s elite class and some foreign nationals had gathered at the auditorium of the beautiful Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja for the launch of a book coauthored and edited by Dr. Shamsuddeen Usman, Minister of Finance and later Minister of National Planning in the Jonathan administration. The Shamsuddeen Usman Foundation, recently founded by Usman’s children in his hounour, was also introduced to the audience. The emir is one of the 12 contributors to the book, titled, ‘’Public Policy and Agents Interests: Perspectives from the emerging world’’, a seminal piece of intellectual work with great relevance to Nigeria’s story. Dr. Jonathan wrote the foreword and served as the chairman of the launch event.

    We in the planning committee had anticipated that there would be some kind of drama at the event, given the frosty relationship between the two leaders, but nobody predicted the format it would take. Eugenia Abu, the compere, who knows both men very well (Dr. Jonathan appointed her executive director of NTA in 2014 and Sanusi was her classmate at ABU in the 1980s) had however given us hints of what to expect the previous night.

    As CBN governor in 2013, Sanusi had alleged in a letter to President Jonathan that $49.8 billion was unaccounted for as oil revenue by the NNPC. The letter was leaked to former President Obasanjo who then pummeled Jonathan ceaselessly for it. The details of this and other controversies of that era, including his dethronement as the emir, are well captured in Chapter 10 of Dr. Usman’s book. Titled, ‘’Vested Interests and Public servants: The Imperative of Speaking Up’’, it’s an explosive and candid recollections by the former CBN governor. Sanusi’s allegations considerably embarrassed President Jonathan and weakened his presidency, and it is my considered opinion that, together with the Chibok Girls kidnap, these controversies were some of the major reasons Dr. Jonathan failed his reelection in 2015.

    Sanusi recalls how Jonathan invited him to his office and asked him to do certain things before he could be pardoned and how the government of the Republic of Niger offered him an asylum. Sanusi also writes about another interesting incident in 2009, soon after he was appointed governor. A bank chief executive, declared wanted by the EFCC for stealing from his bank, was taken into hiding by a former governor of a state. It took the direct intervention of the President then for the CEO to be surrendered to face trail. This reminds us of the current situation in which a former state governor, who calls himself ‘’White Lion’’, is being shielded from facing trial by a serving state governor. Nigeria’s dramas sometimes repeat themselves in a farcical manner!

    I understand that when Dr. Jonathan read the manuscript of Sanusi’s contribution, he was so incensed that he initially turned down the request to write the foreword and chair the event. But he later changed his mind when it dawned on him that this was an opportunity to square off with the emir. In his foreword, Jonathan describes the book as ‘’a dense and penetrating insight into the workings of government and the boardroom, in terms of policy formulation and implementation, economic management as well as overall growth paradigm in the developing world, with Nigeria as a case study’’.  He further explains his relationship with Dr. Usman and paints a character portrait of him as ‘’a sincere patriot, consummate economist, technocrat and scholar who has proven his mettle both as a public policy professional and boardroom guru’’. He concluded however that he does not ‘’agree with some of the submissions of the contributors, in terms of their accuracy in rendering the accounts of their experiences and incidences in service, especially under my administration’’. He continues: ‘’I actually observed, in a couple of places, some self-serving and self-absorbed narratives, carefully designed to appeal to sentiments other than the truth’’, noting that the foreword was not the platform to join issues with those authors.

    Dr. Jonathan arrived the event at about 9.30am, half an hour to its scheduled commencement, and was warmly welcomed by Dr. Usman who led him into the holding room annexed to the auditorium. About 40 minutes later, Dr. Sanusi arrived, but he was led straight into the auditorium which was almost filled by now.  In the holding room, Dr. Jonathan requested for a minor adjustment in the program, bringing up his remarks earlier than scheduled. Soon, he came into the auditorium accompanied by the chief host, Dr. Usman. Smiling, the former President shook hands with the front-row dignitaries, including Wale Edun and Abubarkar Bagudu, both ministers in the Tinubu administration. He got to the emir who had by now sprung to his feet. They shook hands and chatted briefly, to the relief of onlookers, but little did we know what was to unfold moments later.

    After the opening remarks by Prof. Khalid Aliyu Abubakar, the cleric whose sermon had years earlier, provided the needed motivation to Dr. Usman to commence work on the book, Dr. Jonathan was invited to give the Chairman’s opening remarks. He spoke of his relationship with Dr. Usman and praised him and his book, similar to what he wrote in the foreword. Dr. Jonathan noted that when Dr. Usman served in the first batch of the NYSC in 1973 in what was then known as South Eastern State (now Akwa Ibom State), he was in Form Three (JSS 3), and that he always remembers two young NYSC members who taught him Chemistry and Additional Mathematics that year, whenever he sees Dr. Usman. We all laughed. Experts advise that you should begin a speech with light-hearted remarks to capture attention and put the audience at rest.

    Then the former president launched into the heart of the matter, refuting the allegations that $49.8 billion was missing or unaccounted for. He said there was no way such an amount would be lost and the economy does not collapse. His words: ‘’I do not particularly agree with the perspective taken by one of the contributors to the book, Dr. Sanusi II, the Emir of Kano, especially the one he raised that he was sacked because of the revelations that the federal government lost $49.8 billion. It’s not quite correct’’. Jonathan spoke with passion, sometime taking his eyes off his prepared speech, defending his presidency extemporaneously. ‘’I believe that when we are giving an account of our stewardship, it’s good to mention the specifics so that the reader is not misled’’, he said, adding that even at that time, Dr. Sanusi kept changing the figure that was allegedly missing. He recalled that he had travelled abroad to attend Africa-EU Summit and Angela Merkel, then Chancellor of Germany, requested for a bilateral with the Nigerian President. ‘’I arrived the venue of the bilateral with my delegation, and had barely taken my seat when the Chancellor raised the issue of the missing $49.8 billion’’, Jonathan recalled. ‘’I told her that if such an amount was missing, the Nigerian economy would have collapsed; and she agreed that even the German economy, the largest in Europe, would be greatly impacted if it lost such a humongous sum of money’’.

    It took another hour or more for Sanusi to be given opportunity to speak. In between came the book review brilliantly delivered by Dr. Joe Abah; a presentation on the Shamsuddeen Usman Foundation; speeches from the chief launcher, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, Chairman of Access Holdings and Coronation Group; the Dangote Group and a few others. The hall was still packed full as guests waited for Sanusi’s response. A TV journalist asked me: ‘’Will Sanusi still speak?’’. The anticipation was strong. Reporters were already casting their headlines.

    At about 12.45pm, the emir climbed up to the podium. He greeted Dr. Jonathan as ‘’my boos and President who sacked me’’. The audience let out a loud laughter that nearly brought down the roof. It was a response to Jonathan’s earlier remarks that he did not sack Sanusi; rather, he was suspended because of findings by the Reporting Council of Nigeria that had audited the apex bank and discovered some infractions. Then Sanusi dropped the bomb. ‘’If you are waiting for me to respond to President Jonathan, you’d be disappointed. I won’t reply to him out of respect’’. A loud applause. It was the catharsis we’ve been longing for. A moment in time. The emir noted that he has no grudges against Jonathan or anybody and that since he left as the CBN governor, he’s gone on to obtain a Ph.D from a UK university and regained his throne. ‘’I really have no reason to bear grudges and hurt anybody’’, he said, adding that all that he’s interested in is how to make Nigeria work for everybody. He described our system as a rentier economy in which a rapacious elite class continues to feed on the resources of the country while the masses continue to live in abject poverty. Sanusi drew another applause when he cited the controversy surrounding the Dangote Refinery and the preference by some people in government for continued fuel importation as a clear case of agent interests trumping the interests of the people. At the end, it was a well-attended and well-organized event with enough messages and lessons for everybody.

  • Celebrating Chief Don Etiebet at 80 – By Etim Etim

    Celebrating Chief Don Etiebet at 80 – By Etim Etim

    By Etim Etim

    The Petroleum Club, Africa’s first-of-its-kind policy advocacy group in the hydrocarbon sector, will hold a lavish dinner in Lagos next week to celebrate one of its founding fathers, Atuekong Don Etiebet, on the occasion of his 80th birthday. The club is made up of leaders in the Nigerian oil and gas industry and respected professionals associated with the industry. The dinner event holds at the Metropolitan Club, Victoria Island, the exclusive, members-only elite club. He has asked me to attend the dinner as his guest, noting, ‘’I am not inviting you as a journalist. I’m inviting you as a friend’’. Vintage Atuekong! Chief Etiebet is a pioneer in ICT, a towering figure in business and the petroleum industry. His landmark accomplishments are well documented. He was Petroleum and Mineral Resources Minister from 1993 to 1995, during which the iconic NNPC Towers in Abuja were built and the construction of the NLNG was relaunched with considerable support from the government that eventually led to its completion after a 35-year stagnancy. He was also played important roles in the establishment of the Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF), an interventionist agency, which was headed by former Head of State, Muhammadu Buhari, a retired general. The PTF is credited for massive infrastructural development, using funds saved from partial withdrawal of fuel subsidy which sent petrol price from N3/litre to N12/litre. As Minister, Etiebet also introduced many reforms in the oil industry, including strengthening the DPR an important regulatory agency.

    As Petroleum Minister, Etiebet had the foresight and sound judgement about deep offshore oil production as the new frontier of oil and gas production in the country. he approved the first ever deep-water offshore oil and gas exploration and production program pioneered by Shell in 1994. Today, the Bonga oil fields on the Atlantic Ocean is the nation’s most resourceful offshore production platform. It is a wonder that despite his deep involvement in the industry as minister, Atuekong has no single oil field (either OPL, OML or marginal oil field) allocated to him. That is the nature of a typical Akwa Ibom man – honesty, integrity and transparency. In this country, his breed is rare. Many oil ministers that came after him are still engulfed in scandals. We are aware of girlfriends of top military leaders who were allocated oil blocs and today they’re very rich!

    Atuekong is also a pioneer and colossus in business, especially the ICT and real estate. He is the Chairman of Obodex Group which comprises 12 businesses in the ICT, oil and gas and property development. In recognition of his contributions, President Jonathan decorated him with the national honour of Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON). Professionally, he’s also been widely celebrated, a reflection of his broad footprints in the nation’s corporate terrain. He is Fellow of the Nigeria Computer Society (FNCS); Fellow of the Computer Registration Council of Nigeria (FCPNS); Fellow of the Nigerian Mining Geosciences Society (FNMGS); Member of Society of Petroleum Engineers (MSPE); Member of Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorationists (MNAPE); Member of American Association of Petroleum Geologist (MAAPG), among other professional laurels. I do not know of any other Nigerian that is so well decorated and accomplished in the petroleum and ICT sectors as Atuekong Don Obot Etiebet. Yet, he is unassuming and self-effacing. He belongs to the old generations of Nigerians who made money and created wealth from hard work, industry and grit.

    Etiebet is a household name in Nigeria and a proud Akwa Ibom leader. His elder brother, Donald, was a senator and later governor of Cross River State in the Second Republic when Shehu Shagari was President. He died at 81 in 2015. The name is also prominently emblazoned on a high rise building in Ikeja, near Sheraton Hotel in Lagos. Etiebet Place, built in 1992, stands as a towering testimony to the business sagacity of this newest octogenarian.  After obtaining a Masters degree in Applied Geophysics from the University of Western Ontario, Canada, and working in the oil industry in that country and in Shell Petroleum in Holland, young Don Etiebet (his full name is Donatus) returned to Nigeria in September 1971 to start building his businesses. The first was Earth Sciences Limited, established in 1972 as the first Nigerian-owned company in geophysical prospecting and computer data processing services.

    The company grew rapidly and in 1979, Etiebet founded Data Sciences Nigeria Limited (DSNL) to take over the computer businesses of Earth Sciences. It was the exclusive distributor for the the US-based Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC). DEC was the was the pioneer producer of interactive computers and largest manufacturers of mini computers in the world. Data Sciences provided computer hardware and software to the oil industry, and later in other areas like education, banking and in the utilities sectors. In 1980, he established another company, OBODEX Nigeria, which, in 1990, launched the first ever Nigerian brand name in personal computers, known as OBODEX PCs. OBODEX PCs introduced the first keyboard with the Naira sign. Hundreds of young Akwa Ibom persons, some of whom have become business leaders and political chieftains today, got their first jobs in the employ of Chief Etiebet.  Many of them arrived Lagos from their villages and hamlets for the first time in the 1980s and ‘90s to pick up their first jobs at OBODEX Group. They owe the old man a lifetime of gratitude.

    His company was the first to install computer-based communications systems linking oil platforms in Warri and Portharcourt and homes of the oil executives in the two locations. This was the forerunner of what we have now as e-mail and Internet connectivity; and for his pioneering roles, he has remained a trustee of the Nigeria Internet Group which he helped found. Atuekong Etiebet contributed immensely to the establishment of National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) that is responsible for the formulation of government’s policies on ICT. His pioneering works also led to the establishment of Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC), the regulatory agency for ICT, of which he was a pioneer director.

    Chief Etiebet’s chieftaincy title, Atuekong, means the lead warrior. It is a fitting recognition for a man who has spent his resources fighting for the poor and underprivileged in the society and the development of his native Akwa Ibom State. He and his elder brother, Senator Etiebet, are some of those who fought for the creation of the state. Atuekong himself fought assiduously for the abrogation of the obnoxious onshore-offshore oil dichotomy that eventually led to the payment of huge oil revenues to Akwa Ibom State. In my book published in December, 2021, titled ‘’Inside Story of the Fight for the Abrogation of the Onshore-Offshore Oil Dichotomy’’, I identified and celebrated Atuekong, with 12 others, for his heroic contributions to that struggle.  Since President Obasanjo signed the abrogation bill in 2004, Akwa Ibom has been receiving huge sums of money in derivation payments and FAAC allocations every month, and it’s the reason the state has grown quite rapidly in the last two decades. I urge the state government to celebrate Chief Etiebet and the other men and women, including Obong Victor Attah and Senator Udoma Udo Udoma, who played important roles in that fight.

    Etiebet has also been a notable player in Nigerian politics. He was the founder and financier of a major political party, Nigeria Center Party (NCP), during the transition programme of General Sani Abacha. He ran for the presidency of the country under the party’s platform, gathering considerable national appeal and support. But unknown to him and many others, Abacha was deceitfully and cunningly planning to transmute from a military leader to a lifelong political Head of State. Abacha forced Etiebet and others to abandon their political ambitions in in 1997 in order to perpetuate himself in power, but fortunately, the brutal dictator died suddenly in 1998, paving the way for a more genuine transition program midwifed by Gen. Abdulsalami Abubarkar. Etiebet then teamed up with other notable politicians to found the PDP, on which he also ran for president at the Jos convention in February 1999. He later joined the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and was elected its National Chairman in 2003, thus becoming the first, and so far, the only Akwa Ibom person to lead a national political platform. In 2014, he decamped to the APC in a massive rally in Uyo that was attended by Gen. Buhari and Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. That’s when I got very close to him.

    Atuekong turned 80 on Sunday, September 15; and he’s been receiving thousands of goodwill messages from far and wide, within and outside Nigeria. A few years ago, he suffered a serious health setback, but he recovered soon after. God in his infinite mercies showed him mercy because Atuekong is full of love and goodness. Happy birthday, dear Atuekong.

  • Shamsuddeen Usman at 75: A toast to a man of character and integrity – By Etim Etim

    Shamsuddeen Usman at 75: A toast to a man of character and integrity – By Etim Etim

    By Etim Etim

    He is a teacher, banker, public servant and an eminent economist who served two Presidents as minister, in addition to several other high-profile positions. With all his accomplishments, Dr. Shamsuddeen Usman is one of the most self-effacing and unassuming Nigerians that I know. He turns 75 on Wednesday, September 18, and here’s wishing him more years on earth in good health.

    I have known Dr. Usman since 1988. Never for once have I heard his name mentioned in any unethical or corrupt circumstance. In a country where many former public officials live in opulence on stolen wealth and those still in service are almost richer than the state, Dr. Usman is something of a rarity. As Minister of Finance under President Yar’Adua, he publicly declared his assets, along with the Minister of State, Remi Babalola, in a clear emulation of the example set by  President Yar’adua. So far, they are the only two Nigerian ministers to have publicly declared their assets and liabilities, to demonstrate honesty and transparency.

    To celebrate this icon, many dignitaries and distinguished Nigerians will assemble at the Musa Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja on September 26 to officially launch a book he coauthored and unveil a foundation established in his honour by his children. Those expected at the event include the Vice President, Senator Kashim Shetima; former President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan; former Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo and many political and business chieftains.

    Titled, ‘’Public Policy and Agent Interests: Perspectives from the Emerging World’’, the book is a unique publication on both the impetus for, and impediments to growth and development in emerging economies. It provides a fascinating and penetrating insight into the workings of government and the boardroom, in terms of policy formulation and implementation, economic management as well as the overall growth paradigm in the developing world, with Nigeria as a case study. It is also an account of the interactions between the government, its agencies and the private sector and how such engagements impact national growth, investments and the overall performance of the economy. His own personal experiences of how self interests overwhelm the public interest in government are well documented in the book.

    Like many in his generation, Usman was born into a very modest setting, but unlike many others then, he was lucky to acquire good education from primary school to university. Initially, he worked in the Kano State public service; serving at a time as Director of Budget and Economic Advisor to Second Republic Governor Abubarkar Rimi. He also lectured at Ahmadu Bello University, where one of his students was the one and only  Sanusi Lamido Sanusi (now Dr. Muhammad Sanusi II). In 1981, Usman moved to Lagos to begin his long career in the financial services industry.  He rose through the ranks and held many positions, including Executive Director at Union Bank and UBA and Managing Director & Chief Executive of NAL Merchant Bank (now Sterling Bank).

    In 1999, President Obasanjo appointed him Deputy Governor of the CBN where he was at different times in charge of multiple portfolios such as Operations; Financial Sector Stability and Economic Policy. He also led the team that was responsible for the Project EAGLES – involving a comprehensive overhaul of the apex bank’s operational and IT infrastructures. The project was so successful that Usman was decorated with many awards for his leadership.

    He was at the CBN when, in 2007, President Yar’Adua appointed him Finance Minister and, later, National Planning Minster, a portfolio he also held under President Jonathan. He excelled so much at National Planning that in 2013,  President Jonathan described him as ‘’the Best Minister of National Planning’’ that Nigeria ever had.

    Earlier, the Babangida military government in 1988 appointed Usman DG of TCPC (now BPE), the agency that managed the government’s privatization program. The TCPC efficiently and with much integrity handled the privatisation and commercialisation of over 150 state-owned enterprises between 1988 and 1992, thereby deepening the Nigerian capital market and offering thousands of Nigerians a unique opportunity to invest in the market for the first time. That’s when our paths crossed. I was a business journalist, covering the privatisation program, among other beats. Over time, I forged a close working relationships with Dr. Usman and the late Dr. Hamza Zayyad, who was the TCPC Chairman. Dr. Zayyad even gave me a beautiful wedding gift some years later. Under the leaderships of the two men, TCPC developed a code of conduct barring its members and staffers from buying any of the shares or assets the TCPC was selling. If that standard of integrity had been maintained, we would most likely not be witnessing all the cases of corruption currently going on in the country.

    I found Dr. Usman very friendly, approachable and mild-mannered. A dapper, he usually turned out in business suits at the many public events of theTCPC. ‘’He is too polite and decent for a Kano man’’, a reporter once remarked. I noticed that Usman had taken some kind of interest in me, among the many reporters that covered TCPC. One day, he invited me into his office and asked about my work, family and welfare and commended me for covering the privatisation program so well. I was to learn many years later that he had served in the first set of the NYSC scheme in 1973 in what is now Akwa Ibom State. The Catholic secondary school he taught in Ikwen, Ikot Ekpene LGA, is still thriving. This year, it recorded one of the best WAEC results in the state. Incidentally, the current principal of the school, a reverend gentleman, is my friend. Usman recently told me that he’s not only visited all the 36 states in the country, and has friends and contacts in all of them, but he has literally visited every major town in Nigeria, as well. This is obvious from his cosmopolitan and national outlook.

    Since he left public office, Usman has immersed himself in community development and philanthropy. One of his several philanthropic programs is a community hospital which he established and has been funding to provide medical services to the people. Known as ‘’Gidauniyar Alheri Community Health Centre’’, it is located in Garangamawa Ward, Gwale LGA of Kano State. It was founded in 2010 and has provided healthcare services to thousands of people, especially women and children. In 2021, the hospital went into partnership and collaboration with the French charity, Medicins Sans   Frontiers (Doctors without Borders) which has boosted the health centre’s capacity to address maternal and neonatal care in Kano.

    Today, the health centre is helping to deliver over 200 babies a month, which is second only to the much bigger Murtala Mohammed Hospital in the whole of Kano State. The collaboration with Doctors Without Borders has also assisted in offering family planning services, care of the new born and capacity building to the staff of the centre and other public health facilities.

    To provide banking services to the people, Usman also established the Gidauniyar Alheri Microfinance Bank, which is helping to expand financial inclusion and entrepreneurship in the community. He is also the founder and Chairman of the Kano Peace and Development Association, and the  Kano/Jigawa Professionals Forum, two organizations aimed at promoting peaceful coexistence, peace and development, and professionalism, respectively.

    To honour his impactful life and leave a legacy for future generation, his children recently founded and registered a foundation known as the Shamsudeen Usman Foundation that is dedicated to the promotion of education in the country. The foundation’s mission is to create a collaborative that empowers individuals, corporates, researchers and students to explore and develop advanced AI and technological solutions for real-world challenges. Its signature project is the establishment of an AI and Technology Development Centre whose main focus will be skills development, innovation and economic development.

    Dr. Usman earned his BSc in Economics from Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) and MSc and PhD in Economics from the London School of Economics and Political Science. He is a former President and a Fellow of the Nigerian Economic Society, and a Fellow of the Society for Corporate Governance Nigeria and of the Chartered Institute of Bankers. Many congratulations to this well-respected Nigerian!